Hi everyone,
I wanted to share with you my response to the introduction found in the only edition of Use of the Self currently in print. I believe it's a rather misleading intro to FM Alexander's work, so I'm sharing this in the hope that I can help clear up misconceptions people may have about the Alexander Technique, not derived only from Anthony Kingsley, but many bland blog posts one tends to encounter when researching the Alexander Technique. That said, this is not intended to be an introduction of its own, but rather something experienced students, teachers, and anyone enthusiastically learning the Technique may find useful. In the tradition of Alexander himself, I've included extensive footnotes, some painfully long. I'm happy to answer any questions or otherwise discuss what I've written. Understand these are my own interpretations and opinions about what some call "the work," so take them as you will. I've taken lessons for a number of years and currently am training as a teacher, so my view of the Technique is based on these experiences, as well as my interpretations of Alexander's writings. Some of these interpretations you may object to, but I hope you find my arguments reasonable.
Response to Anthony Kingsley's Introduction to The Use of the Self
The Use of the Self may be FM Alexander's most important work, since it contains his own account of how he developed what is now called the Alexander Technique. While Alexander's other volumes are available from Mouritz, the only edition of The Use of the Self currently in print is published by Orion Spring. This edition replaces the philosopher John Dewey's introduction—which praises the technique's "genuinely scientific character"—with one by the contemporary teacher Anthony Kingsley, who is heralded on the book's front cover as a "leading Alexander Technique teacher." Therefore it is probable that many readers' first impressions of the Alexander Technique will be framed by Mr. Kingsley's opinions. I submit this is problematic, since his introduction is in my view contradictory to fundamental principles of the Alexander Technique. I write this response to address the introduction's two most dire faults: Kingsley's misrepresentation of the concepts inhibition and direction, and his dismissal of the concept of the primary control. I'll begin with the second, since it is a more straightforward error.
Primary Control
Kingsley opens his paragraphs on the primary control with the opinion that the concept should be "recast," then describes Alexander's definition of the primary control as a "particular relationship of his head, neck and back [that] acted as a master reflex that conditioned his whole organism." Then he discards this definition, claiming the head-neck-back relativity should instead be "regarded as an indicator[sic] of overall health rather than an area considered in isolation." He concedes the "region of the neck and back is a [...] barometer of our state of being," but concludes that "no single element is actually primary," since our eyes, breath, digestive system, and all other psychophysical elements are "simultaneous and interdependent" and also like barometers. Finally, he reveals his "recast" of the primary control, defining it as "the unknown and unseen self-righting and self-healing mechanism that can be restored and vitalized."
In sum, Mr. Kingsley has presented the primary control—which Alexander wrote extensively about and considered central to his technique—with an ill-defined mystical force which, accordingly, Alexander must have unwittingly stumbled upon and mistaken for a certain relativity of the head, neck and back.
Ironically, it is in The Use of the Self where Alexander wrote of discovering the necessity to first free his neck in seeking a better condition for his vocal apparatus, since that was the sine qua non of taking his head forward and up, of widening the back, and so forth, which are in turn the necessary conditions of freedom and stability in the limbs. This is the genesis of Alexander's use of the word "primary" in describing the head-neck-back relationship, and in my experience, as in Alexander's, it holds true: the sequence of directions given to oneself matters greatly, since tense feet, for example, can hardly flatten on the floor if the head is taken back and down, whereas the head can be taken "forward and up"1 to a fine degree even if there is tension in the lower extremities, particularly while sitting. Further, and maybe most significantly, the relativity of the head-neck-back rarely need change during any manner of activity, whereas the arms and legs are constantly bending, rising, stretching, and so on. Small wonder Alexander considered this relativity primary.
Of course, Kingsley is not wrong to point out the interdependence of all processes in the body. It is certainly true that undue tension in the feet creates a downward pull on the head, neck and back. Yet what is crucial to understand here is that in the context of learning and teaching the Alexander Technique, the primary control is an indispensable concept. It instructs the pupil to guide his or her attention through the body in the sequence most fit to facilitate proper relativity of all the parts, and it names succinctly that natural, visible, dynamic yet enduring relativity of the head, neck and back observable in little children and animals as well as many great musicians and athletes. Thus Kingsley discards a practical concept in favor of a truism about "interdependence;" and so we come to his second, graver error.
Direction
Here it begins to seem that what Kingsley writes of in his introduction is not the Alexander Technique at all, but in fact the Kingsley Technique, since he has redefined not only the primary control, but two other conceptual pillars of the technique: inhibition and direction.
First, he takes aim at direction, neglecting to elucidate Alexander's own definition of the concept before setting out the axiom that "aiming for postural improvements using postural directions leads to a bodymind[sic] attitude of effort and trying, which simply reinforces the problem." Dismissing as superfluous all "ideas and images about heads, necks and backs," he declares that "the trying[sic] self is the obstacle, and the shift towards a non-trying[sic] self is the solution." Finally, he offers his own definition of the directions as "the natural flow of energy and vibrancy that exists within the organism," directions which are interfered with "when we are in a condition of stress and reactivity."
Here, again, Kingsley takes a practical concept which Alexander developed based on careful observation of his own muscular action, and replaces it with a kind of mystical or spiritual phenomenon which, implicitly, only the initiated can perceive.2 Thus the famous directions are not, as Alexander described repeatedly, a series of mental orders or intentions projected to oneself before and during muscular activity along lines one has reasoned out in advance, but a "natural flow of energy and vibrancy"—just as the primary control is not, as Alexander saw it, a concrete, observable relativity of the head, neck and back, but an "unknown and unseen self-righting and self-healing mechanism." These pseudo-spiritual definitions do a massive disservice to neophyte readers, and reveal Kingsley's muddled seeing in relation to the central problem addressed by the Alexander Technique: how to shed habit and coordinate the bodymind through reasoned conception and conscious awareness.
But for a moment let us leave aside direction, since a subtler and more misleading error still lurks in Kingsley's presentation: his dismissal of conception itself. He explicitly warns that "ideas, concepts and cognitive efforts reinforce the very mental instrument that is the problem in the first place," he advises us to simply trust that "the prevention or inhibition[sic] of reaction, maintains or liberates this stream of energy [or direction] in the body."
To understand Kingsley's error, we must return to Alexander. In Man's Supreme Inheritance, Alexander sets out four stages to the "performance of any muscular action by conscious guidance and control:"

1. The conception of the movement required;
2. The inhibition of erroneous preconceived ideas which subconsciously suggest the manner in which the movement or series of movements should be performed;
3. The new and conscious mental orders which will set in motion the muscular mechanism essential to the correct performance of the action;
4. The movements (contractions and expansions) of the muscles which carry out the mental orders.

Alexander considered "conception of the movement required" the very first stage in his technique, to precede even inhibition. Thus he made clear, if indirectly, that in the context of his technique, clear conception is essential to achieving a desired end. Incidentally, this is a fact any competent artist can attest to; if a composition is not unambiguously understood and organized within one's memory, it cannot be brought to fruition. Even the most simple act, such as extending one's arm to grasp a nearby object, requires a detailed conception of distance, weight, strength, and so forth; if the object turns out to be heavier than expected, the conception of these variables and their relation to one another, and hence the muscular action, must change. This is direction in action, albeit subconscious.
Yet Kingsley belittles conception, instead leaning on concepts like "ease," "letting go" "acceptance," and the like. He is not alone in this among teachers, but in my opinion, they overlook the influence of what Alexander termed "erroneous beliefs," a concept closely related to that of "unreliable sensory appreciation." Both could be read in the spiritual lexicon alongside "letting go," etc.; but that would place their referent outside the realm of what words and concepts can describe. On the contrary, Alexander was pointing to something concrete and empirically observable: to errors of spatio-motor perception able to be observed phenomenologically and in other people's behavior; not to transcendent truths about observation itself. Thus the classic example of an Alexandrian "erroneous belief" is a person who raises their arm and believes their shoulder has remained still when it has not. The key for the pupil in this instance is to gain an accurate conception5 of their own muscular action, in reference to bodily sensations; not to simply "let go" or "do nothing."3 And this conception must come about through active tutelage—e.g. Alexander Technique lessons—or, dare I say, the way Alexander himself did it: by reasoned experimentation, conceiving hypotheses based on careful register and analysis of his own sensations, and also by watching the behavior of others. John Dewey called the technique scientific for a reason.
All of this is not to understate the importance of concepts like "release" and "effortlessness," including in the context of the Alexander Technique. Seeing more or less what is meant by them is doubtless the key to mastery of all activities, all practices, all techniques. Yet those spiritual concepts should not blot out the very concrete technique Alexander developed for improving what he called "the use of the self:" that coordination of the muscular system, achieved through conscious reason, which influences for better or worse the functioning of the whole organism.4
Inhibition
So much for direction. What about inhibition? Under the heading "Inhibition and Non-Doing," Kingsley describes Alexander's understanding of inhibition as "an artificial pause between stimulus and reaction," after which he could "give directions to himself." Then he lays down the gauntlet, stating that in the "real world […] life does not offer us the choice to inhibit:" since according to neuroscience research, "neural reactions take milliseconds and are faster than conscious thought processes." In other words, "we either react to the stimulus, or not." So, with inhibition proven impossible, Kingsley is left with no choice but to "reformulate" another of Alexander's concepts, offering us a supposedly scientifically enlightened6 view that inhibition is really "a quality of non-doing[sic] that needs to be already available in the organism before the receipt of a stimulus." This is "a way of being[sic] rather than a way of doing[sic]."
This Kingsleyan inhibition turns out to be the essence of the technique, since it is this very "condition of non-doing[sic]" the teacher is supposed to transmit, through a touch Kingsley describes as "a dance of poetry and a symphony of silence." With it, the teacher imparts a "deep sense of acceptance" by which "change emerges in the pupil."7 He goes on to compare the Alexander Technique to "Zen Buddhism, mindfulness and the philosophy of non-duality," identifying the uniqueness of the Alexander Technique in "the transmission of immediate experience." In fact, there is no Alexander Technique as such, but only inhibition:
The Chinese Tao has a concept of Wu Wei[sic], which translates as surrendering to the effortless flow of life[sic], or non-doing[sic] action. Ultimately, the Alexander Technique needs to reinvent itself and relinquish the Technique. The Alexander Teacher really teaches nothing[sic!]. But this nothing or emptiness is in fact the deepest essence of being and the fullness of life. Like grace, it drops onto us and into us when the conditions are ripe.
The problem is that Alexander's own writings indicate that inhibition is not a "quality," a "condition," or a "surrendering to the effortless flow of life." On the contrary, according to Universal Constant in Living, it is "the act of refusing to respond to the primary desire to gain an end, [which] becomes the act of responding (volitionary act) to the conscious reasoned desire to employ the means whereby that end may be gained." As clear as day: inhibition is an action in response to the stimulus of conscious desire: a conscious, continuing refusal to do a thing the way one normally does it. Alexander saw that this inhibitory act had to precede in every instance any attempt to change his habits. Everyone is well familiar with the inhibitory act. The act of not indulging an immediate desire, however small, is it. So, inhibition is not an "artificial pause," but a phenomenologically observable process within the organism, a process that can be made habitual through practice. It is no more abstract and transcendent than blinking or moving one's finger.7
Here Kingsley again takes something ordinary and concrete and makes it mystical, going so far as to "relinquish the Technique." The trouble is that there is a good reason the Alexander Technique came to be known as such. A technique is a skillful way of doing something; a mental tool; a procedure. Ways of doing can be found everywhere: techniques for dance, for romance, for healing, even for attaining nirvana or enlightenment. Each has a goal in mind and is based on what worked in the past; each resorts to concepts to explain itself; each prescribes action, or doing something a certain way. Yet Kingsley dismisses the idea of doing anything at all. Equating the Alexander Technique with "nothing," he tosses out the concepts Alexander spent decades refining, when Alexander's genius was precisely to conceive a useful, coherent way of doing things through patient observation of the phenomena he termed inhibition, direction, primary control, and the rest.
So, the technique may encompass all the acts of living, but it is still a technique. Alexander often used the term "procedure" to describe it, and I think procedure is as apt a word as any to describe the application of his technique to the acts of living. He constantly stressed the technique's sequential, stepwise nature and recorded countless practical examples of it in action, both in hypotheticals and accounts of lessons. The technique is not a metaphysics or a philosophy like non-duality; it is a practical procedure with a clear purpose: restoring
advantageous, natural relativity of the head, neck and back.
Conclusion
The technique is blindingly simple but surprisingly subtle and difficult to master; and, as far as I am aware, it is unique. Unfortunately, Kingsley is not alone in overlooking the uniqueness and subtleties of the technique in favor of spiritual truisms and platitudes. I suspect there are two main reasons for this.
The first is the tendency of serious pupils of the technique to become more open to "spirituality," both philosophically (e.g. non-duality) and in terms of sadhana (e.g. meditation, yoga, self-inquiry). Many are enthusiastic about the similarities between the Alexander Technique and, for example, mindfulness practice. It is certainly true that the technique requires the pupil to have some degree of "mindfulness," or the ability to realize when the mind has wandered; and it is also true that a few people who devote themselves to the technique come upon some of the same insights one might find in spiritual practice. Yet spiritual insight is not the purpose of the technique. In my opinion, the Alexander Technique is a relative of energy practices such as Hatha yoga, qigong, and TRE (trauma release exercises). Such techniques are often used in tandem with spiritual practices meant for the cultivation of insight, but their purpose has traditionally been preparatory and salutary, not "spiritual." One need not stray too esoteric to encounter the idea that the real goal of spirituality has nothing to do with "ways of doing." On the other hand, Qigong explicitly aims to regulate qi in the body; kundalini yoga is concerned with the flow of prana; the Alexander Technique seeks to restore the good use of the primary control. More practically, the technique teaches mental discipline, and ultimately the ability of the nervous system to regulate itself. Such a practice may lay the groundwork for spiritual realization, but it is by no means indistinguishable from it.
While there is no point speculating about Alexander's private insights, one thing can be certain: he left us a definite procedure with a practical, concrete purpose—not a transcendental one. Yet Kingsley's introduction continually implies the Alexander Technique is an essentially spiritual practice with heavenly fruit. Disparaging the core concepts that constitute the Alexander Technique, he invites us instead to simply "surrender," "let go in faith," and blindly trust that its real essence—nothing less than Wu Wei—will be transmitted through the "rare, "unconditional" touch of the teacher.
The second, more obvious reason Alexander has been so misunderstood is that he rarely wrote concisely, and in any case, recognition and conception of the primary control can never be refined through words, but only through unfamiliar sensory experiences—either reasoned out, as Alexander did, or in the hands of a good teacher. Hence there is more than a kernel of truth to Kingsley's view of the "supreme value of guidance with the hands;" yet I differ from him in that I insist the Alexander Technique cannot be divorced from intellectual understanding and, indeed, conception.
The Use of the Self and Alexander's other works certainly were not without their flaws, but at their best they illuminate concepts which are nuanced, rich, and useful when applied. Primary control, direction and inhibition are three such concepts. Whatever their flaws, Alexander's books point the way to a wonderful technique, and they deserve thoughtful, probing introductions like Dewey's—not dismissals.
1 Like many other Alexandrian terms, the concrete meaning of "forward and up" seems incredibly controversial among Alexander Technique teachers. While I conceive it roughly as freedom of the atlanto-occipital joint, the term cannot be understood in isolation from the rest of the parts—namely, from one's conception of the primary control. It seems to experience it, one must discover it, as Alexander did, or be shown it by a teacher.
2 This is not to say there are not phenomena only some people perceive.
3An overemphasis on "letting go" and the like obscures the fact that Alexander always described the technique as consisting of stages or sequential steps, which in my opinion constitute the "means whereby" he wrote of.
4 "Use of the self" is another problematic term. Related to the concept of "good form" and "good technique" among athletes and musicians, it refers essentially to coordination of the musculature along reasoned lines, which is not separate from conception of the primary control. Equal and opposite is the term "misuse," since one's idea of misuse depends on one's idea of good use. Different teachers understand the term differently. Kingsley states that "bodily tensions and distortions become fixed and reinforced as we react to the general stimuli of living." True enough. Yet he goes on to imply it is associated only with fear, anxiety and distress. Again he couples this concept to the language of contemporary spirituality, trumpeting that it "alienates us from our own true nature." This is to completely ignore the point Alexander returned to again and again in his own writing: that the use of the self is inextricably linked with conception. No doubt, tension and imbalance are very often inextricable from fear. But there may be another class of misuse: one based on misconceptions about the body, unexamined movement patterns from childhood which have little or nothing to do with manifestations of stress or emotions in the body. I suspect one may experience profound psychophysical quietude yet still tend to throw their head back and down in relation to their neck and back, especially in movement.
5Kingsley writes that the teacher's touch indicates the "negation of trying and doing within the pupil." Even a token mention of guidance viz. the relativity of the body parts is nowhere to be found. Yet in my opinion this discussion of touch is misleading, since nothing like it can be found at all in Alexander's writings. On the contrary, Alexander stressed that the teacher's role was to demonstrate manually the proper relativity of the pupil's parts, with the means whereby of the technique; not to transmit "a way of being," nor indeed enlightenment or gnosis.
6 Neuroscientific findings relating to will and volition have proliferated in recent years. They may raise fundamental questions about the nature of self and will, but in my opinion they have little to do with the Alexander Technique, no more than they do with dancing or playing an instrument. If there are really recognizable activities Alexander termed "inhibition" and "direction," then his writings are timeless, since they speak from direct observation and experiment, not philosophy about "free will" and the like.
7 In spiritual literature one encounters, almost universally, the idea that there is no "doer" of action, or no "doer" but God. Hence Kingsley is implying that Alexandrian inhibition is somehow related to this concept, which Buddha famously summarized: "Events happen, deeds are done, but there is no doer thereof." In my opinion, the Alexander Technique has nothing more to do with this than does reading, writing, or playing a game. There may be "procedures followed, but no follower thereof."

Before you post a question to this subreddit, please read the following points. I know, it's a lot to read, but 99% of you will get answers to your questions here. These points contain verified, accurate FACTS as verified through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO).
1. Is this a bat bite?
Bat bites cannot be identified from a photo. No one, not even a doctor or a bat biologist, can identify a bat bite from a photo. If you think you might have bat bite, ask yourself: Have you seen a bat in your home? Did you sleep outdoors where a bat might have bitten you? Did you pick up a bat in your hand? If you answer no, it's HIGHLY UNLIKELY you were bitten by a bat. Again, bat bites cannot be identified from a photo.
2. Can I get rabies from interacting with an animal? Can I get rabies from touching something? What about if a drop of liquid falls on me? Can I get rabies from contaminated food or water? Can I get rabies from a person?
No. YOU CAN ONLY GET RABIES VIA DIRECT CONTACT WITH A RABID ANIMAL. This means being bitten or scratched by a rabid animal. Rabies is transmitted via the saliva of an infected animal in the late stages of the disease, when the virus is being shed in the saliva by the host animal. The rabies virus dies almost immediately once it’s outside the body. You can’t get rabies from touching something a rabid animal touched. You can’t get rabies from your pet meeting a rabid animal and then bringing it home to you. You can’t get rabies from touching roadkill. You can’t get rabies from something falling on you. You can’t get rabies from touching or kissing someone who has been vaccinated. You can’t get rabies from touching something wet. You can’t get rabies from touching any surface whatsoever, even if you have a cut on your body or you touch your eye/nose/mouth afterwards. Getting rabies from touching an animal and then touching your eye/nose/mouth is theoretically possible, but this has never happened to anyone in recorded history.
3. I found a suspicious mark on my body but I didn’t find a bat in my house. Did a bat sneak into my house and bite me without me noticing, and then sneak back out?
Bats are NOT invisible or ninjas. If you wake up in the morning with a mark on your body, it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY to be a bat bite unless you find a bat in your house. If a bat gets in your house, you will see it. They are not good at finding their way out on their own. It’s very unlikely that a sober, alert, adult human would not notice being bitten by a bat. Finding little marks on your body is not unusual and that is no reason to assume an invisible bat attacked you.
4. I saw a bat near me. Or I heard a bat. Or I saw something that might have been a bat, but it didn’t touch me. Did a bat bite me without me noticing?
Bats cannot fly past you and bite you in mid-flight. That is physically impossible. A bat must LAND on you, hold on to you with their tiny fingers, and then bite you. After biting you, they must then push off of you to take flight again. Bats can be small, but they're not invisible or imperceptible. If you would notice a big bug landing on you and biting you, then you would notice a bat doing it too. If a bat makes physical contact with you, there is a possibility that it may have scratched you, and rabies shots are recommended unless you are in a country free of bat rabies. If you find a bat in your house and you are not in a country free of bat rabies, you should catch it and submit it for rabies testing; if you can’t do that, you should get rabies shots; if you have small children, they should get rabies shots.
5. An animal touched me, licked me, or sneezed on me. Could I get rabies from this?
You cannot get rabies from a wound that doesn’t break the skin. Rabies can only get into your body through an opening in your body: a scratch or bite. If you are bitten or scratched by an animal, you should wash the area with soap and water for 5 minutes. If it does not bleed at all, you may not have broken the skin and could be in the clear. You can test this by putting alcohol on the abrasion to see if it stings.
6. Can I get rabies from an animal that has current rabies vaccinations? Can my pet get rabies if it has current rabies vaccinations?
No. You cannot get rabies from an animal that has current rabies shots. If you are bitten or scratched by someone’s pet, ask the owner for proof of rabies vaccination, like a rabies tag on the collar. Take a photo or copy of these records and call their vet to verify them. If the shots are current, you're not at risk of rabies infection. If the pet owner cannot provide this proof of vaccination, contact your animal control department or rabies management / health department to file a "Bite Report". If you are in the USA, you can find a list of those agencies here: https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/resources/contacts.html
7. Can I get rabies from my pet, or from a friend or neighbor’s pet?
You may not need to get rabies shots if you can observe the animal that attacked you for two weeks. If you are bitten or scratched by a pet that is not vaccinated for rabies, the standard protocol is to quarantine the animal in an animal shelter or veterinarian's office for 10-14 days. If you were attacked by someone else’s pet and that is not possible, you can observe the animal for 14 days. If it doesn’t get sick and/or die of rabies, then you are not at risk of rabies and do not need rabies shots. If the animal is healthy in 14 days, IT DOES NOT HAVE RABIES and neither do you. Since most animals in the late stages of rabies typically die in about 48 hours, this is a very cautious timeframe to observe.
8. Can I get rabies from a bug, bird, lizard, or frog? Can I get rabies from a possum, or a rat or mouse?
No. Only mammals (furry animals) can carry rabies. Reptiles, amphibians, insects, and birds can’t carry rabies. Bats are one of the most common rabies carriers in the US, although less than half of 1% of all bats will ever get rabies. In the USA, the next most common species are raccoons, skunks, and foxes. Outside of the USA, dogs, cats, and other animals have been known to spread the rabies virus. The least common mammals include Virginia opossums, rodents (rats and mice), rabbits or hares, and squirrels. Globally, the #1 risk of rabies is dog bites.
9. Is there a risk of rabies in my area? Can I get rabies in India, or the UK?
To learn about rabies statistics for your area, Google your state or country's name and the phrase 'current rabies statistics'. These websites will tell you how many rabid animals have been found in your area and what species. They should also tell you who to call to report a bite. Some parts of the world are rabies-free and there is no rabies or risk of rabies infection. The UK (and most of western Europe) is free of rabies in most animals except for bats, which is rare. India has a high rabies risk from dogs and other mammals, but rabies is very rare in bats in India and has only been found in bats in a couple areas in Nagaland.
10. I was vaccinated for rabies. Does that mean I am protected for life and will never need to worry about it again?
No. Previously vaccinated people still get boosters if they are re-exposed to rabies. Your rabies titer can be high for a few months or for many years, but it is assumed that you are protected for at least three months after getting your initial shots. If you are bitten by animal and it has been less than 90 days since your last shot, you don’t need to do anything. If it has been more than 90 days since your last shot, you would still need post-exposure booster shots IF you are directly exposed to an animal that could be rabid. You do not need to go through the entire series of shots again; you only need booster shots.
· For more information about rabies and rabies shots, see the CDC website here: https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/index.html
· If you are in the USA here is a link to the state and local rabies contacts. USA State & Local Rabies Contacts
11. I was vaccinated for rabies but I did not receive HRIG (Human Rabies Immunogloblin). Why? Is that OK?
HRIG is sometimes not given if there is no visible wound or if you were bitten/scratched in a location that is hard to inject. For instance, it would be hard to inject HRIG into your ear. If you have no visible wound, then there is no way to tell where HRIG should be injected. If you have more questions about this, ASK YOUR DOCTOR.
12. I got rabies shots but I have questions about the specific medical care I received. Why did the doctor give me the care I received? I’m immunocompromised; do I need extra shots? Will my medication interact with the vaccine?
Ask your doctor questions about the specific medical care you received. People on the internet cannot answer those questions. A doctor’s job is to treat patients and explain their care to them so it is OK to ask follow-up questions even after you leave the office.
13. I am in a country that is not the US, or I am traveling. Why did doctors in my country give me a different schedule of shots than the ones recommended by the CDC or the WHO? Why did doctors in two different countries tell me two different shot schedules? Will the shots work?
Yess. Rabies protocols vary by country. The CDC guidance is specific to the USA, and the WHO guidance is a recommendation for all countries. Some countries give different numbers of shots on different days. That is OK. The schedules all work as long as you stick to them and finish the series. To find more information about a country’s rabies shot schedule, google the name of the country + rabies vaccination + regimen or protocol or schedule.
14. I waited a long time before I got rabies shots. Or I drank a beer after I got vaccinated, or I took an aspirin. Or a doctor gave me tetanus shots at the same time. Will the rabies shots still work?
Yes. Rabies vaccines are 100% effective if you get them before the virus reaches your brain and symptoms start, which usually takes 3 weeks to one year. For more info about symptoms, see FAQ #17. If you have more questions about your medical treatment, ASK YOUR DOCTOR.
15. I think I have health anxiety and I can’t stop thinking about rabies all the time. How can I get help for this?
See this link. The automod can be summoned to share this information with a comment that includes the word “helpbot."
16. Someone is asking questions in the sub that I think are super dumb. Should I tell them that?
No. Please do not be rude or impatient. There is a real difference between a legitimate rabies scare and Persistent Health Anxiety (PHA), a subset of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). OCD and anxiety are real diseases that can have physical symptoms, and there are treatments for them that many people don’t know how to access. Both conditions are terrifying and life-altering, and both conditions deserve support. In this group, we support people who ask for help and we applaud them for finding the courage to do so. We will be kind, patient, respectful, and do our best to provide emotional support to anyone who seeks help here. I will be posting a separate FAQ to address the health anxiety issue. All posts and/or replies that are in any way unkind, impatient, or rude will be immediately removed and the author may be temporarily or permanently banned from this group. Be nice!!
17. I feel sick. Do I have rabies?
If you feel sick, see a doctor. You may have another disease, including anxiety, which can have physical symptoms. We cannot diagnose you over the internet. See a doctor.
The rabies virus generally has an incubation period of 3 weeks to 1 year from the date of exposure. If you believe you are experiencing symptoms before 3 weeks after exposure, that is not rabies. If you think you are experiencing symptoms more than 1 year after exposure, it is almost certainly not rabies. if you have not been exposed to a rabid animal and you believe you are experiencing rabies symptoms, you are not infected and are most likely experiencing anxiety. the prodromal stage lasts for a few days to a month and the acute neurologic stage lasts for a few days to a week; if you have symptoms that last longer than this, you do not have rabies.
Rabies symptoms only begin when the virus reaches the brain. It MUST reach the brain and produce SEVERE NEUROLOGICAL symptoms before it reaches the throat and salivary glands. This means that your sore throat is NOT caused by rabies unless you also have a severe fever, are experiencing loss of consciousness, paralysis, and seizures.
Also, rabies symptoms do not go away until death. You don't have a fever and then the fever goes away for the next symptoms. Every symptom stacks on top of the other symptoms. If you are experiencing 1 out 10 symptoms, it's NOT RABIES. Rabies is not mild. It's SEVERE in every way. If you are experiencing rabies symptoms you will need to be hospitalized within the first 8 hours of symptoms.
IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO GET VACCINATED UNTIL SYMPTOMS START, but only get vaccinated if you were attacked by a rabid animal. Waking up with a mystery scratch is not a rabies exposure.
Rabies symptoms are as follows, IN THIS ORDER:
Prodromal Stage:
• Extreme Fever
• Extreme Headache
Acute neurologic phase:
• Visual Disturbances, Hallucinations
• Delirium, Confusion
• Tremors, Seizures, Repetitive Uncontrollable Movements
• Fading In and Out of Consciousness
• Light Sensitivity, Sensitivity to Wind / Moving Air
• Partial Paralysis of Extremities, Paralysis of One or Both Legs or Arms
• Excessive Salivation, combined with the inability to swallow AT ALL, not even your own saliva which causes excessive drooling
• Inability to Swallow - NOT SORE THROAT - Inability to eat or drink, or swallow your own saliva production
• Extreme Aversion to sight or sound of water, food, or drink, AKA hydrophobia
• Coma
Without extreme medical intervention, which usually is an induced coma, these symptoms will progress to death very rapidly. Most patients who reach the point of excessive salivation and hydrophobia die within 12-24 hours without intervention.
IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING THESE SYMPTOMS, CALL 911 AND GET TO A HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU CAN REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE, YOU ARE NOT EXPERIENCING RABIES SYMPTOMS. PEOPLE WITH ACTIVE RABIES INFECTIONS CANNOT TYPE, TALK, OR DEBATE WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE SICK. IF YOU CAN READ THIS AND REPLY, IT'S NOT RABIES.

Hey everyone!
I've just completed my undergrad, and I'm at a bit of a crossroads with my medical school application. During this past semester, I had to defer my biochemistry final exam to June 10th. The thing is, I've taken biochemistry before and scored an A+, and I've also fulfilled my organic chemistry I requirement with a lab (improved from a D- to a B+ on a retake). However, this specific biochemistry course has a reputation for being tougher, especially since the exam format and grading have become more challenging under a new professor.
I estimate I might finish the course with a B, which isn't terrible, but I'm concerned about how it might affect my GPA trend. Over the last two years, I've been on an upward trajectory, doing much better in my science courses compared to my first two years. Adding a B now might disrupt this positive trend.
Here's my dilemma: medical school applications open on June 1st. If I apply then, my transcript will show a DEF for the deferred exam. I'm not sure how admissions committees might view this compared to having a B grade. Plus, I wouldn't get my exam results back until around June 20th.
I'm also planning to write the MCAT on June 27 and was thinking about applying to one "throwaway" school on June 1st to get my application in early. Would it be better to apply with a DEF showing, or wait and potentially include the B grade? Also, I believe AMCAS doesn’t allow updated transcripts after submission, so I need to make a strategic decision here.
Any insights or experiences with deferred exams during application season would be hugely appreciated!
Thanks a bunch!

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been the standard measure of economic growth since World War II. It is widely believed that accelerating economic growth as measured by the GDP will translate into improved living standards. However, this view is being challenged with the argument that it is better to focus on measures of wellbeing than GDP because, despite robust economic growth over the past several decades, there are still millions of citizens living in poverty.Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been the standard measure of economic growth since World War II. It is widely believed that accelerating economic growth as measured by the GDP will translate into improved living standards. However, this view is being challenged with the argument that it is better to focus on measures of wellbeing than GDP because, despite robust economic growth over the past several decades, there are still millions of citizens living in poverty.

Besides, GDP measures perpetual growth, which is unattainable. Because GDP is an outdated proxy measure of economic growth, wellbeing, which is a multidimensional approach of measuring the most important aspects of people’s life, is gaining popularity.

Perpetual Growth

Stagflation is simultaneous economic stagnation combined with high inflation. In the long run, economic growth is dependent on two drivers; productivity and labor (Dolar). Productivity is affected by multiple factors. Improvements in many facets of productivity growth have decreased or reversed since the global financial crisis. The foremost factor is the demographic crisis of western countries that threatens the growth of GDP. Developed countries have experienced deceleration of working-age population, stabilization of educational attainment, and expansion into various forms of production. Furthermore, labor reallocation from less productive to more productive sectors has decelerated since the global financial crisis. Besides, radical disruptions to education and income losses are likely to affect human capital negatively. The waning demographics of western countries imply that acceleration of productivity growth is needed. The McKinsey Global Institute projected that 80% productivity growth is required to mitigate the effects of changing demographics (49). This projection is unlikely to be achieved given the dwindling working-age population in western countries. On the contrary, productivity growth is likely to continue decreasing because of the significant changes in the demographics unless the working-age population begins to grow again.

Perpetual Growth

GDP as a measurement is very outdated because it does not measure wellbeing. It is a statistical tool used to measure how well the economy is performing. However, it neglects important factors that determine the wellbeing, such as inequality and environmental services (Gallup). GDP as a proxy measure of economic growth ignores certain aspects that do not involve monetary transactions, does not assess changes in human capital, does not discriminate activities that enhance welfare from activities that reduce welfare, does not account for cultural difference, and omits the environmental costs and rates of depletion of resources (Giannetti et al. 14). The Measure of Economic Welfare is one of the alternatives for a gross domestic product as it measures consumption in the economy as a proxy for economic welfare. It adds up the benefits of goods and services consumption and subtracts the costs associated with the consumption, such as environmental pollution, providing a picture of economic welfare. Other economic welfare measures were developed after the Measure of Economic Welfare, such as the Index of the Economic Aspects of Welfare which incorporates environmental costs in estimating economic welfare (Giannetti et al. 15). Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare is an index developed to account for the current environmental issues while addressing the long-term ecosystem and natural resource sustainable use. More indices were developed with recent ones such as the State of Global Well-Being, the Better Life Index, and the Global Well-Being Index measuring a myriad of aspects of wellbeing. The Gallup Global Well-Being measures the behavioral economics of gross domestic product growth. It estimates the percentage “thriving,” “struggling,” and “suffering” of individuals in different countries and regions (Gallup). The indexes focus on the percent thriving in at least elements of wellbeing such as purpose (liking what they do), social (supportive relationships), physical (good health), community (liking the surrounding community), and financial (managing economic life well) aspects.
One in six adults worldwide are considered thriving – or strong and consistent — in at least three of the five elements of well-being, as measured by the Gallup-Healthways Global Well-Being Index. For example residents of the Singapore score quite low at the 19%, while New Zealand leads in Asia – Pacific with 67%.
The Gallup Global Well-Being measures have opened up new opportunities to study issues that affect people in different communities around the world in ways that GDP would not. For example, life satisfaction aspects of the Gallup World Poll data have been exploited to measure inequality in the distribution of subjective wellbeing (Gluzmann & Gasparini 2). Measuring inequality in subjective wellbeing might be complementary to the various approaches aimed at computing unfairness in a society because it may in some way have benefits over the usual income inequality measurements. Some perceived income inequalities may arise due to personal choices if all constraints are observed thus cannot be considered unfair. A case in point is when two individuals facing similar opportunities make different choices. One choice might lead to a better, healthier lifestyle while the other subjects the individual to poverty. Free choices resulting in socially acceptable income inequality should not be regarded as unfair. The assessment of subjective wellbeing is less likely to be susceptible to such differences. Under evaluation of subjective wellbeing, differences in perceived happiness may better estimate social unfairness rather than income unfairness (Gluzmann & Gasparini 4). Gallup World Poll provides data that can be used to compare wellbeing in different countries. It cures one of the most significant problems associated with compering inequality across countries and regions, namely, the generation of homogenous information. The poll poses the same question across all countries in all areas, which significantly reduces spurious differences in estimating comparisons. This reduces sources of measurement error significantly. It is noteworthy that people may not interpret and answer the standardized questions the same in different countries, leading to additional errors. However, the advantages of estimating subjective wellbeing and its rising popularity imply that improvements in the measurements will yield better results.

Technological Revolution

Usually, information and communication technologies are considered a key driver of economic growth and productivity. Different reviews indicate that technological effects tend to be positive at the organizational level (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development [UNCTAD 34]). However, it has been reported that productivity tends to drop as economies entrench technologies in every sector. In other words, the rapid digitization of economies has not translated into strong productivity. On the contrary, productivity growth appears to have stunted over the past few decades, with the slowdown more pronounced in developed countries and also in developing countries (UNCTAD 34). This is a productivity paradox because as technological advancement and use have increased, productivity growth has decreased, which is contrary to popular expectations (Remes et al.). The digitization of economies into digital economies has thus far not translated into increased productivity. The paradox in the digital economy is attributed to different reasons. A more pessimistic perspective considers the technological effects on productivity as having fewer impacts on productivity growth than the revolutionary technological advances of the past (UNCTAD 34). A more optimistic view links the slow growth of productivity to the time lags between the time the technologies are introduced and the time actual effects are felt (European CEO). As a result, more visible impacts on productivity will occur when technologies are adopted widely within the economy. An additional contributing factor to the productivity paradox is the difficulties associated with measuring the digital economy. The slow growth in productivity might be explained by the lack of proper recording of technological activities in that in overall GDP estimation. Consequently, the proper measurement would be reflected in increased productivity. In developed countries, demographic factors associated with the aging population are also linked to the slow growth in productivity (UNCTAD 34). Therefore, the productivity paradox related to the technological revolution arises from multiple factors.

Quality of the GDP

Measuring economic growth in purely quantitative categories diminishes the significance of “high-quality growth.” High-quality growth encompasses increased technological self-reliance, significant production and welfare transformation, the establishment of a comprehensive safety net for the citizens, enhancement of quality healthcare, education, and employment, and reduction of inequality across regions and various demographic characteristics (Wärtsilä). It reflects a policy change that focuses on investment areas that guarantee increased productivity, such as production, consumption, healthcare, and education (Pfeffer). The concept of high-quality growth is being advanced by China to reorganize the economy in a way that focus on increased domestic consumption and investing in productive sectors to drive the overall economic growth. For example, after decades of heavy investments in infrastructural projects and the manufacturing sector, the country realizes that roads and bridges are not productive but rather facilitates productivity. Policy change to shift investment into more productive sectors of the economy might bring sustainable economic growth and wellbeing. At the sectorial level, administrative job control is one of the main factors impacting the health of the employees (Pfeffer). The return of line of sight to the work, workplace flexibility, autonomous fusion teams, fluidity in work practices, and organizational health can elevate the personal wellbeing of the employees. The functional organization provides an environment with less stress caused by micromanagement demands from the employees. Therefore, wellbeing is a product of economic policy at the national level and the contribution of the private sector in nurturing the wellbeing of employees.

Conclusion

The failure of GDP as a measurement proxy of economic growth is less effective in contemporary society. It assumes that an economy will experience perpetual growth, which is a difficult achievement. Even where economies have experienced phenomenal growth over the years, the economic expansion failed to transform the lives of millions of citizens. The technological revolution also has been unable to expand the GDP as it was initially believed despite the fact that the significant impacts technology has had on society. It led to the conclusion that GDP has limitations as a measure of economic growth because it does not account for the non-monetary aspects that matter to people. As a result, new indexes such as the Gallup Global Wellbeing have been developed and are experiencing rising popularity due to their ability to compute wellbeing. In particular, the estimation of subjective wellbeing creates opportunities for improved measurement of social inequality. Furthermore, the realization that wellbeing is important to citizens is supporting new ideas of measuring national economic growth. China’s shift to the assessment of the quality of economic growth indicates a paradigm shift where countries focus on national statistics that reflect their economic realities.

References

Dolar, Veronika. “Why stagflation is an economic nightmare – and could become a real headache for Biden and the Fed if it emerges in the US.” The Conversation (2022). https://theconversation.com/why-stagflation-is-an-economic-nightmare-and-could-become-a-real-headache-for-biden-and-the-fed-if-it-emerges-in-the-us-179036. Accessed 21 Mar. 2022.
European CEO. “Giving a voice to the digital revolution’s silent majority.” (2019). https://www.europeanceo.com/industry-outlook/giving-a-voice-to-the-digital-revolutions-silent-majority/. Accessed 21 Mar. 2022.
Gallup. “2014 Country Well-Being Rankings.”
Giannetti, Biagio F., et al. “A review of limitations of GDP and alternative indices to monitor human wellbeing and to manage ecosystem functionality.” Journal of cleaner production 87 (2015): 11-25.
Gluzmann, Pablo, and Leonardo Gasparini. “International inequality in subjective well‐being: An exploration with the Gallup World Poll.” Review of Development Economics 22.2 (2018): 610-631.
McKinsey Global Institute – “Global growth: Can productivity save the day in an aging world?” page 49
Pfeffer, Jeffrey. “The overlooked essentials of employee wellbeing.” McKinsey Global Institute (2018). https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-overlooked-essentials-of-employee-well-being. Accessed 21 Mar. 2022.
Remes, Jaana et al. “Solving the productivity puzzle.” McKinsey Global Institute (2018). https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/regions-in-focus/solving-the-productivity-puzzle. Accessed 21 Mar. 2022.
Wärtsilä. “Going beyond GDP: China targets a new path to growth.” (2021). https://www.wartsila.com/insights/article/going-beyond-gdp-china-targets-a-new-path-to-growth. Accessed 21 Mar. 2022.
Authors

Paul Lalovich

Organizational Effectiveness and Strategy Execution Practice

Tesha Teshanovich

Organizational Effectiveness and Strategy Execution Practice

Innovation is the lifeblood of business growth and development. Without it, your organization will fall behind its competition and eventually die out. However, innovation is expensive, and many small and medium-sized organizations can’t afford to innovate unless they get financial help from external sources.

Investments in bio-engineering can be risky, as many startups and early-stage companies may face regulatory hurdles, intellectual property challenges, or other barriers to success. However, for investors with a long-term outlook and a strong appetite for innovation, bio-engineering can offer significant opportunities for growth and returns.
Venture capital is one of the most common sources of financing for organizations that want to invest in innovation. Venture capital is a type of dedicated financial help that funds businesses to make a capital gain until publicizing them or even selling them outright. A distinguishing feature of venture capital involves screening, monitoring, and advising on a portfolio of its businesses. These non-financial services enable venture capitalists to choose businesses with high growth potential and make them succeed. The three distinctive features discussed before add to the venture capital’s edge over other types of financing that are not as dedicated (Sorensen, 2007).
Venture capitalists normally select companies that they can exit fast enough. This means that they select innovative organizations whose ROI is expectedly high. Therefore, such organizations are those that use knowledge to generate innovative capabilities to create profit in the short term.
Innovation is a process of continuous improvement and growth. It leads to the creation of new value or business ideas, which in turn contributes to the growth of any organization. The ability to innovate helps in increasing the revenue and profit margins of an organization by making it competitive in its industry.
Venture capitalists are interested in investing in innovative startups because they believe this will help them achieve their financial goals faster compared to the companies that do not invest in innovation. Venture capitalists want their investment to grow fast so they can exit quickly after making their money back at a higher rate than what they invested initially into it.
In the age of the knowledge economy, innovation is a main source of competitiveness (Daghfous, 2004). Based on what is known as the knowledge-based vision, the performance of the organization lies in its capacity to create, blend, recombine, and make use of knowledge (Grant, 1996). Therefore unstated, knowledge is indispensable to the capacity of an organization to innovate and favorably compete with others, causing it to be a strategic resource (Ibarra-Cisneros et al., 2021). The knowledge inside a firm is normally formed internally or by the outward acquisition of information and know-how. Accordingly, the knowledge absorptive capacity (AC) of a firm is vital for the creation of value inside a firm (Xie et al., 2018).
According to Davenport and Prusak (1998), knowledge cannot be completely dispersed without the backing of absorptive capacity. At the same time, the transfer of knowledge within a firm will come up as a main hindrance without the backing of absorptive capacity, inserting value on the significance of absorptive capacity within firms (Wuryaningrat, 2013).
Absorptive capacity has been described as the capacity of an organization to acknowledge the value of fresh outward information, integrate it, and implement it for business goals. Besides, it has become amongst the most dominant research scopes in business management. Huang et al. (2015) also note that absorptive capacity refers to a group of organizational practices that need to recognize and use knowledge, stressing the significance of absorptive capacity in the process of managing knowledge.
Most studies back the idea of absorptive capacity directly or indirectly prompting innovation and organizational financial outcomes (Tseng et al., 2011). The procedures of absorption of outward knowledge have grown into key aspects for innovation in organizations, making them to better adjust to transformations within the competitive atmosphere. Because of this, there are still many opportunities for research within the scopes of relational learning, absorptive capacity, as well as the attainment of a competitive edge (Tseng et al., 2011).
According to Xie et al. (2018), two vital gaps restrict deep hypothetical and empirical progresses in the management of absorptive capacity. Foremost, some programs of research have considered diverse proportions of absorptive capacity, while this dimensional separation of the construct and its function is not clear, conceptually and practically. Nonetheless, some studies have concentrated on the relationship between the diverse measures of absorptive capability and the innovation performance of a firm (Yaseen, 2020). Absorptive capacity is a tacit and intricate concept, making it challenging to measure. Learning the connection between venture financing and absorptive capacity can hence enhance our comprehension concerning how the source of financing impacts the innovation tactic of entrepreneurial organizations.

Absorptive Capacity and Innovation

Companies are working within a very competitive setting and need great measures of knowledge, which has turned into one of their most vital resources (Lian and Wu, 2010). To compete favorably, organizations cannot depend only on their external knowledge web but must progress their absorptive capacities to dynamically source new knowledge (Sancho-Zamora et al., 2021). This imposes methods that enable learning, allowing them to disperse and use the knowledge that will offer them fresh organizational innovations. Furthermore, the merging of this acquired knowledge is decided by an organization’s absorptive capacity. Hence, firms are required to possess and create, internal absorptive capacity to enhance innovation performance. This is vital since this form of capacity can impact the efficiency of innovation actions.
The first parties to describe absorptive capacity as the ability of an organization to assess fresh knowledge from outside, integrate it, and use it for commercial reasons were Cohen and Levingthal in 1990 (Wuryaningrat, 2013). A firm can obtain and efficiently utilize external and internal knowledge that will impact its innovation. This style looks at absorptive capacity as an outcome of not just research and development activities but similarly the variety or depth of the knowledge base of an organization, its former learning encounter, a mutual language, the presence of cross-functional points, and the mental frameworks, as well as problem-solving capability of the members in an organization (Camison and Fores, 2010). In this manner, absorptive capacity is vital for organizations to utilize outward knowledge and hence trigger inner innovation (Dutse, 2013).
Knowledge has become the most vital resource for organizations; outward knowledge concerning markets and technologies is thought to be key for generating inner knowledge in research and development units. Using absorptive capacity, organizations can change outward knowledge into innovative capabilities. Originally, absorptive capacity begins with gaining knowledge from the environment and it culminates by getting the best out of it (Saebi and Foss, 2015). This dynamic ability enables organizations to be in a better place to grow any form of innovation. Organizational learning theory recommends that an organization’s innovation actions are an outcome of its knowledge base.
Earlier research discovered that organizations having a greater absorptive capacity were more predisposed to undertake product, process, organizational, or even marketing innovations. In the same way, Calero-Medina and Noyons (2008) mapped programs of research connected to absorptive capacity and its connection to diverse domains, identifying substantial relations between absorptive capacity and innovation within the organization.
More current work, like the one by Chen and Chang (2012) discovered that the more the level of absorptive capacity of the organization, the more the level of innovativeness within the organization. They also discovered within their systematized literature review that most prevailing research concerning innovation literature accentuates the capacity to use outward knowledge. Moreover, this relation with fresh external knowledge enhances the absorptive capacity.
According to a research program undertaken by Liao et al (2007), empirical proof was given that innovation stems from the necessity for sharing knowledge, instigated by its absorptive capacity. When absorptive capacity progresses, it becomes very simple for anyone to form a noteworthy innovation grounded on acquired knowledge. Indarti (2010) similarly notes that absorptive capacity can be observed as a procedure by which a certain entity establishes innovative business goals (Wuryaningrat, 2013).
Notwithstanding the proof connecting absorptive capacity to innovation, this notion has developed in due course. The most comprehensive reconceptualization was suggested by Indarti (2010). They connected the idea to a set of company-wide routines and strategic procedures by which organizations acquire, change, and utilize knowledge to establish an active organizational capacity.

Dimensions of Innovation Capacity

Innovation is a vital element of the research enterprise, is very developed, and exists in all business procedures (Alshanty and Emeagwali, 2019). Nonetheless, the function of innovations, a main driver concerning a venture’s performance, has transformed in the latest years because of globalization and improved foreign competition (Pustorvrh et al., 2017). As a result, we comprehend innovation as the capacity of a firm to use knowledge and create novel products, services, and processes. Nonetheless, innovation typically encompasses some level of risk, which explains why outcomes are not always satisfying.
Various studies have demonstrated that innovativeness allows organizations to attain results, for instance, enhancement of the organization’s performance; growing exports; making a competitive edge; and or adding to the growth of the business. Generally, innovation assists organizations to react to competitive difficulties in globalized settings.
Innovativeness is an intricate capacity through which fresh knowledge and ideas are constantly used to attain excellent business performance using the integration of new offertories, product innovation, and the development of new processes for creating and distributing those novel offerings, and process innovation. These improve or sustain their efficiency and competitiveness. Process innovation concentrates on enhancing the efficiency and inner operations of an organization’s procedures to produce, bring together, or deliver the product. In this manner, another process can lessen the expenses or bring about extra production ability for an organization. Product innovation, conversely, is where an organization can present improved, distinguished, or even new products to the market to satisfy the needs of the consumers. Product innovation concentrates on the market and depends on robust abilities like quality, efficiency, speed, and flexibility, whereas process innovation has its place within the space of technical innovation. Both forms of innovation are closely connected and make up intricate procedures that normally encompass all functional sections of the organization.

References

Alshanty, A. M., and Emeagwali, O. L. (2019). Market-sensing capability, knowledge creation and innovation: the moderating role of entrepreneurial-orientation. J. Innov. Knowl. 4, 171–178. doi: 10.1016/j.jik.2019.02.002
Calero-Medina, C., and Noyons, E. C. (2008). Combining mapping and citation network analysis for a better understanding of the scientific development: the case of the absorptive capacity field. J. Informetr. 2, 272–279. doi: 10.1016/j.joi.2008.09.005
Camisón, C., and Forés, B. (2010). Knowledge absorptive capacity: new insights for its conceptualization and measurement. J. Bus. Res. 63, 707–715. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2009.04.022
Chen, S. T., and Chang, B. G. (2012). The effects of absorptive capacity and decision speed on organizational innovation: a study of organizational structure as an antecedent variable. Contemp. Manag. Res. 8:7996. doi: 10.7903/cmr.7996
Daghfous, A. (2004). Absorptive capacity and the implementation of knowledge-intensive best practices. S.A.M. Adv. Manag. J. 69, 21–27.
Davenport, T. H., and Prusak, L. (1998). Working Knowledge: How Organizations Manage What They Know. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Dutse, A. Y. (2013). Linking absorptive capacity with innovative capabilities: a survey of manufacturing firms in Nigeria. Int. J. Technol. Manag. 12, 167–183. doi: 10.1386/tmsd.12.2.167_1
Grant, R. M. (1996). Toward a knowledge based theory of frim. Strategic Management Journal, 17, 109–122. https://doi.org/10.2307/2486994
Huang, K. F., Lin, K. H., Wu, L. Y., and Yu, P. H. (2015). Absorptive capacity and autonomous R&D climate roles in firm innovation. J. Bus. Res. 68, 87–94. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.05.002
Ibarra-Cisneros, M., Demuner-Flores, M. R., and Hernández-Perlines, F. (2021). Strategic orientations, firm performance, and the moderating effect of absorptive capacity. J. Strateg. Manag. doi: 10.1108/JSMA-05-2020-0121, [Epub ahead of print].
Indarti, N. (2010). The Effect of Knowledge Stickiness and Interaction on Absorptive Capacity. Groningen, The Netherlands: University of Groningen.
Liao, S. H., and Wu, C. C. (2010). System perspective of knowledge management, organizational learning, and organizational innovation. Expert Syst. Appl. 37, 1096–1103. doi: 10.1016/j.eswa.2009.06.109
Pustovrh, A., Jaklič, M., Martin, S. A., and Rašković, M. (2017). Antecedents and determinants of high-tech SMEs’ commercialisation enablers: opening the black box of open innovation practices. Econ. Res. 30, 1033–1056. doi: 10.1080/1331677X.2017.1305795
Saebi, T., and Foss, N. J. (2015). Business model for open innovation: matching heterogeneous open innovation strategies with business model dimensions. Eur. Manag. J. 33, 201–213. doi: 10.1016/j.emj.2014.11.002
Sancho-Zamora, R., Peña-García, I., Gutiérrez-Broncano, S., and Hernández-Perlines, F. (2021). Moderating effect of proactivity on firm absorptive capacity and performance: empirical evidence from Spanish firms. Mathematics 9:2099. doi: 10.3390/math9172099
Sørensen, Morten (2007) ‘How Smart is Smart Money: An Empirical Two-Sided Matching Model of Venture Capital,’ Journal of Finance, 62 (6), 2725–2762.
Tseng, C. Y., Chang Pai, D., and Hung, C. H. (2011). Knowledge absorptive capacity and innovation performance in KIBS. J. Knowl. Manag. 15, 971–983. doi: 10.1108/13673271111179316
Wuryaningrat, N. F. (2013). Knowledge sharing, absorptive capacity and innovation capabilities: an empirical study on small and medium enterprises in North Sulawesi. Indonesia. Gadjah Mada Int. J. Bus. 15, 61–77. doi: 10.22146/gamaijb.5402
Xie, X., Zoub, H., and Quick, G. (2018). Knowledge absorptive capacity and innovation performance in high-tech companies: a multi-mediating analysis. J. Bus. Res. 88, 289–297. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.01.019
Yaseen, S. G. (2020). “Potential absorptive capacity, realized absorptive capacity and innovation performance,” in International Conference on Human Interaction and Emerging Technologies 2019, AISC 1018. ed. Ahram (Cham: Springer), 863–870.
Authors

Emilija Vukovic

Business Architecture Practice

Paul Lalovich

Organizational Effectiveness and Strategy Execution Practice

An attractive alternative to traditional rewards for outstanding performance

Synthetic equity refers to a collection of strategies and instruments frequently used to provide employees with financial advantages of share ownership without actual shares changing hands. It is a potent instrument that practically all advanced investment organizations may utilize to attract, retain, and reward competent employees.
The favorable economic qualities of equity are embedded into synthetic equity plans, also known as equity alternatives, without the financial obligations coming from purchasing shares from the initial owner. Instead, synthetic equity programs often develop into cash payments to the employee and a corresponding deduction for the employer. Since it represents compensation, synthetic equity may be easily adjusted to handle almost any scenario.
The following scenarios exemplify the situations in which synthetic equity is an optimal solution:

• An employee desires ownership-like benefits but is unable or unwilling to assume the financial risk of purchasing and paying for company equity.
• An employee aspires to ownership but lacks the credentials or licenses required for a role of a full equity partner in the company.
• Employees feel uncomfortable providing personal guarantees or accepting responsibility for credit lines, office leases, payroll-related expenditures, or the commitments made under buy-sell or continuity agreements.
• A company owner wants to share the economic worth of equity rather than the actual equity. This includes owners not interested in supporting this transaction with seller financing.
• A company owner wishes to motivate an employee to work on increasing the company’s value but also wants to discourage them from leaving and creating competition for the business, engaging in client solicitation, or performing other actions that might harm the company.
• An owner planning to leave the company in the following 5-year period wishes to reward one or more critical workers at the time of the sale without requiring them to purchase and pay for equity.

Tokenization of business and individual performance

The above method has been known for decades. The critical challenge in the modern business world is ensuring that innovation and productivity are rewarded equitably across an organization. At the same time, executives must be compensated for creating these conditions.
However, rewarding innovation and equitably delivering executive-level incentives and rewards across the organization from the top to the shop floor is the alternative made possible only by deploying smart contracts and blockchain technology — tokenizing business and individual performance.
The tokenization of business elements such as performance and innovation is one of the newest ways to drive planned outcomes. The process is about moving your business to blockchain. Although it may seem complicated and challenging to implement, almost any entrepreneur can tokenize the building blocks of their business. Tokenization is simply transforming a company’s value into a digitized resource in the form of tokens.
Tokens represent a value within the organization in a transparent and auditable way. They can be cashed in upon completion of the vesting period if both company and individual targets have been met. What makes Synthetic Equity on the chain unique is its transparency, auditability of incentives, and most notably, equitable distribution of tokens corresponding to each employee’s job size.

The Mechanism Behind Synthetic Equity

For synthetic equity to produce favorable results, a profitable, successful firm with a proper entity structure is necessary. Corporations and LLCs can use the tools relating to synthetic equity. In some situations, they may also be used by sole proprietorships, albeit in a slightly different form.
To fully grasp the idea of synthetic equity, it might be helpful to understand the mechanism behind equity in general. Understanding how equity functions allows those interested in synthetic equity to utilize some of the tools used in working with actual equity.
For example, investing in an independent advisory company generally offers the following considerable advantages:

• The right to vote
• Participation in the corporate governance system
• Access to the company’s financial documents
• Limited liability
• A proportionate cut of the revenue
• Sale-related long-term capital gains tax rates
• Capital growth potential

SyntheticEquity.io app is changing how we think about incentives and rewards.
These advantages have a monetary value. Therefore, purchasing equity carries a price, and awarding employee equity has tax repercussions. A tiny ownership share in a fee-based firm might cost several hundred thousand dollars. In these types of businesses, the stock is often acquired and paid for after tax, and the equity partner or shareholder usually expects to obtain the entire set of rights in return for taking on the investment risk.
The rights can be unbundled, meaning that the current owner does not have to sell or provide the full bundle of rights to an employee or investment advisor. To fulfill specific goals, each of the rights mentioned above can also be further divided or redefined in as much detail as necessary. For example, one or two rights from the total package might be provided, such as the opportunity to grow the company’s worth or a percentage of the profits.
By allowing someone to own a portion of the rights in the bundle rather than all of them, synthetic equity generates an advantage. These unique rights or benefits are often described in a plan document and frequently provided via individual award agreements between the employer and employee. A wide range of flexible options for creating a solid and profitable company are produced when equity-like benefits and a long-term remuneration strategy are combined.
Synthetic equity plans often come in one of the following three forms:

• Full-value plans can result in a substantially big payment to an employee since they pay both the value of the underlying stock and any appreciation that is gained over a certain period.
• Performance unit plans swap out equity as the value metric for another metric like sales growth or profitability.
• The value of any growth in the underlying stock value over a specific period following the date of the award is typically paid out under appreciation-only plans.

These kinds of plans are like conventional non-qualified plans insofar as they offer a possibility of discrimination and a significant risk of forfeiture that often lasts until shortly before the benefit is awarded to the employee.
Essentially, synthetic equity is a type of delayed compensation that links a worker’s financial incentive to the company’s performance. By striking the correct balance between the danger of losing a valuable employee and the potential future cost to the employer, each plan is specifically created to meet the advisor’s needs. The plans are intended to reward employees for contributing to the company’s success, but they also ensure that no payment is due if either the company doesn’t develop as expected or the employee doesn’t uphold their end of the deal by quitting their job to work for a rival company or starting their own.

Synthetic Equity Benefits

Synthetic equity is meant to be an equity-related instrument that helps a company find, reward, and keep hold of valuable people.
Synthetic equity benefits are:

• Synthetic equity inspires employees to adopt an owner’s perspective and put development and shareholder value first.
• There is no debt since important participants do not buy phantom shares like full equity stockholders do.
• If a participant’s job terminates before the designated vesting date, they typically forfeit any benefits under the plan.
• Participants normally do not have voting rights or a vote in corporate governance and may or may not be entitled to collect profits from the company.
• Synthetic equity programs provide flexible vesting timelines; vesting can take place over time, depending on the accomplishment of certain quantifiable company or individual goals.
• If the company’s growth is slower than expected and the stock price does not rise, nothing is exchanged.
• When a synthetic equity grant is issued, owners of genuine equity are not adversely affected by a dilution of their ownership percentages.
• Compared to S-Corporations, which are often more restricted, more freedom is provided in terms of stock class and shareholder count.
• The advising business’s shareholders’ or members’ agreement and associated buy-sell provisions do not immediately apply to synthetic equity.

Synthetic equity options’ versatility comes with many benefits but may also have many drawbacks. The companies need to make decisions regarding what valuation technique will be utilized, what vesting rules will be implemented, how liquidity problems will be addressed, what eligibility conditions will be imposed, and what rights to participate in corporate governance will be granted due to the wide range of possible directions for designing synthetic equity plans.

Conclusion

In the hands of a forward-thinking business leader, synthetic equity is a potent instrument. It may be utilized to solve the difficulty of attracting, rewarding, and maintaining top talent to create a great practice or viable business without the challenges of selling and paying for an actual ownership stake.
Like full stock, synthetic equity may refocus the employee’s attention and motivate them to contribute to a flourishing and profitable company.
Authors

Paul Lalovich

Organizational Effectiveness and Strategy Execution Practice

Getting Started with Host Monitoring in Elasticsearch

In the vast and evolving landscape of cybersecurity and network management, keeping a vigilant eye on network activities is more critical than ever. The ability to monitor and quickly respond to untracked or unknown hosts attempting to interact with your network can be a game-changer in maintaining security and operational integrity. Elasticsearch, a powerful search and analytics engine, coupled with Kibana, its visualization counterpart, offers an advanced toolkit for real-time data analysis and alerting. This duo becomes particularly powerful when leveraged to create sophisticated monitoring systems that can alert administrators to anomalies within their networks.
The process of setting up email alerts for tracking untracked hosts in Kibana involves several nuanced steps. These steps encompass configuring Elasticsearch to log and analyze network data, utilizing Kibana to visualize this data, and ultimately setting up alerting mechanisms that notify administrators of potential security threats. This introductory guide aims to demystify the process, providing a clear pathway for administrators and IT professionals to harness the power of Elasticsearch and Kibana for enhanced network monitoring and security.

Command	Description
Watcher API	Used to create and manage alerts in Elasticsearch.
Email Action	Sends notifications via email when an alert condition is met.
Kibana Console	Interactive UI for submitting Elasticsearch API requests.
Index Pattern	Defines how Elasticsearch indexes are identified and used in Kibana.

Advanced Monitoring with Elasticsearch and Kibana

In the domain of network security and data analytics, Elasticsearch paired with Kibana emerges as a formidable duo, offering unprecedented capabilities in monitoring, alerting, and data visualization. This synergy allows for the meticulous tracking of network activities, including the detection of untracked hosts, which could signify unauthorized access or other security threats. The power of Elasticsearch lies in its ability to process large volumes of data in real time, enabling the identification of patterns or anomalies that deviate from the norm. Through the integration of Elasticsearch's Watcher API, users can automate the process of monitoring such events, triggering alerts based on specific conditions.
Implementing email alerts for untracked hosts involves configuring Elasticsearch to scan through network logs, searching for entries that lack information on known hosts. This is crucial for IT administrators who aim to maintain a secure and resilient network infrastructure. By leveraging Kibana’s visualization tools, administrators can not only receive notifications but also visualize the frequency and nature of these security events over time. This holistic approach to network monitoring facilitates a proactive stance on security, enabling organizations to address potential threats before they escalate. Furthermore, the flexibility and scalability of Elasticsearch and Kibana ensure that this solution can be adapted to networks of varying sizes and complexities, making it an essential tool in the arsenal of modern cybersecurity defenses.

Configuring Email Alerts for Untracked Hosts

Elasticsearch API via Kibana Console

PUT _watchewatch/host_alert { "trigger": { "schedule": { "interval": "10m" } }, "input": { "search": { "request": { "indices": ["network-*"], "body": { "query": { "bool": { "must_not": { "exists": { "field": "host.name" } } } } } } } }, "condition": { "compare": { "ctx.payload.hits.total": { "gt": 0 } } }, "actions": { "send_email": { "email": { "to": ["admin@example.com"], "subject": "Untracked Host Detected", "body": "An untracked host has been detected in the network logs." } } } } 

Enhancing Network Security with Elasticsearch and Kibana

The integration of Elasticsearch and Kibana for network monitoring and alerting represents a pivotal advancement in cybersecurity efforts. By facilitating the real-time analysis of network traffic and logs, this combination allows organizations to detect and respond to untracked hosts swiftly. This capability is crucial for identifying potentially malicious activities, as unauthorized hosts can be indicative of security breaches, including intrusions, malware infections, or other cyber threats. The deployment of Elasticsearch for data aggregation and analysis, alongside Kibana for visualization, provides a comprehensive overview of network health, enabling security teams to take informed actions based on the insights generated.
Moreover, the customization of alerting mechanisms within Elasticsearch allows for the tailoring of notifications to meet specific security requirements. This ensures that administrators receive timely alerts on critical issues, such as the detection of untracked hosts, facilitating immediate investigation and remediation. The ability to automate these alerts reduces the manual workload on security teams, allowing them to focus on strategic defense measures rather than constant monitoring. As cyber threats continue to evolve in complexity and volume, leveraging Elasticsearch and Kibana for enhanced network monitoring and alerting becomes an indispensable strategy for maintaining robust cybersecurity defenses.

FAQs on Elasticsearch and Kibana for Network Monitoring

1. Question: What is Elasticsearch and how does it aid in network monitoring?
2. Answer: Elasticsearch is a search and analytics engine that helps in processing and analyzing large volumes of data in real time, making it an essential tool for network monitoring and security analysis.
3. Question: Can Kibana be used for real-time monitoring?
4. Answer: Yes, Kibana provides real-time data visualization capabilities, allowing users to create dashboards that monitor network activities and alert on anomalies, including untracked hosts.
5. Question: How do Elasticsearch alerts work?
6. Answer: Elasticsearch uses the Watcher feature to trigger alerts based on specific conditions within the data, such as the detection of untracked hosts, sending notifications through various channels including email.
7. Question: Is it possible to customize alerts for specific security threats?
8. Answer: Yes, alerts can be highly customized in Elasticsearch to focus on specific patterns or threats, allowing organizations to tailor their monitoring and response strategies.
9. Question: How does monitoring untracked hosts improve security?
10. Answer: Monitoring for untracked hosts helps in early detection of unauthorized access or compromised devices, enabling quicker response to potential security threats.
11. Question: What types of data can Elasticsearch analyze for security purposes?
12. Answer: Elasticsearch can analyze a wide range of data types, including logs, network traffic data, and security event information, to identify potential security incidents.
13. Question: Can Elasticsearch integrate with other security tools?
14. Answer: Yes, Elasticsearch can integrate with various security tools and platforms, enhancing its capabilities in threat detection and response.
15. Question: How does Kibana help in the analysis of network data?
16. Answer: Kibana provides powerful visualization tools that help in the analysis and interpretation of network data, enabling users to identify trends and anomalies effectively.
17. Question: Are there any scalability concerns with using Elasticsearch for network monitoring?
18. Answer: Elasticsearch is highly scalable, capable of handling large volumes of data, making it suitable for organizations of all sizes.

Securing Networks with Advanced Tools

The deployment of Elasticsearch and Kibana for the purpose of monitoring untracked hosts represents a significant step forward in the realm of network security. By harnessing the power of real-time data analysis and visualization, organizations can detect anomalies and respond to potential threats with unprecedented speed and efficiency. This approach not only enhances the overall security posture but also empowers IT administrators with the tools they need to preemptively identify and mitigate risks. The scalability and flexibility of these technologies ensure that they can be adapted to suit the needs of any organization, regardless of size or complexity. As cyber threats continue to evolve, the importance of leveraging advanced monitoring tools like Elasticsearch and Kibana cannot be overstated. They offer a vital layer of defense in the increasingly sophisticated landscape of cybersecurity, making them indispensable assets for any organization serious about protecting its network infrastructure.
https://www.tempmail.us.com/en/elasticsearch/setting-up-elasticsearch-alerts-for-monitoring-unknown-hosts-via-kibana

https://github.com/edward-jazzhands/Minesweeper_Command_Line/
So I just finished making this, thought I'd share it.
This is my first big attempt at making a "full" game using classes for everything. I used to play a lot of minesweeper so I was inspired to do this properly. And not only that but being a beginner, and also part of my personality, is I like to comment my code to very thorough levels. Every function or class has a full docstring and most of the code has in-line comments explaining what the code is doing. I personally need to "rubber-duck" my code like this to keep myself organized. But I'm hoping some other people out there find it informative.
Here's an overview of the features:
-dynamic grid generation allows for custom sizes and mine count -validation math makes sure everything makes sense and is on the grid -There's a stopwatch that runs in a separate thread for accuracy -cluster reveal function -flagging mode and logic -There's a debug mode (on by default) that shows extremely verbose logging of all the inputs and outputs of functions and game states. I actually needed this myself at several points for debugging. You can toggle the debug mode in-game. -type reveal to toggle reveal the entire grid (for... testing... yes.) -previous times can remember your times between rounds -For the real minesweeper players, there's a '3x3 flags vs minecount' check built in as well! You can't have a legit minesweeper game without it seriously.
(For the uninitiated that means when you "check" a square that's already been revealed, it'll auto reveal the 3x3 squares around (skipping the flags) it as long as it counts a number of flags equal to or higher than its adjacent mine count. If you have not flagged enough cells, it won't do the check. Its an essential part of minesweeper that lets you scan quickly by checking a bunch of squares at the same time. Anyway its in there.

• UNLIMITED mode I put this in for hardcore testing of the game logic. Basically I put it in to test how the game handles the cluster reveal function on huge sizes. For instance if you put 1000x1000 width/height, and then 10 mines. Then I've been playing around with various optimization methods to make it run faster. Its a neat little bonus to stress-test and learn optimization techniques.

Also I made this in VS Code and hopefully most of you are as well because there's a bunch of ANSI coloring codes to make the text pretty in the terminal . I confirmed it works in PyCharm as well so you should be fine with that. Although the pycharm terminal is suspiciously laggy compared to VS Code for some reason.
Anyway hopefully someone finds this interesting. For the record yes I did submit this last week but I forgot to set the github repo to public and so nobody looked at it lol. I figured I'd re-submit it.

A/N: yeah I changed up the Alliance admiral's name from Shepard Adama to Sheparda Dama (so creative i know) because the old one was going to fuck me over badly at some point. It would be like trying to make a legitimate, serious fantasy novel with a wizard named Albus Gandalf. I was NOT cooking when I came up with that shit.
First Previous Wiki Next
It was said that no plan ever survived contact with the enemy. That, at least in the case of Marcus Wayne’s infiltration of Neldia, was proven entirely true.
His ship, the Peacemaker, had undergone an extensive refit before its jump to Neldia to both modify its sensor signature and repair its failing Aegis barrier. The first objective succeeded. The second did not.
One day later, leaving the derelict Ultimate Vigil behind in deep space, the United Human Alliance courier ship Winged Deliverance logged a real space entry at the edge of the Neldia system. Its crew, having spent their waking hours plagued by hallucinations and enduring horrible nightmares as they slept, found this shift very welcome. The worst, though they could hardly believe it, was still yet to come.
“The Neldian fleet is mustering for war,” rumbled the man who had once held the title and security codes of an Alliance sector admiral. Now, he was a traitor to his homeland. “Security will be high.”
“No need to worry, Admiral,” said Marcus Wayne. “Your code will get us through.” It would not.
It took two hours for the Peacemaker, disguised as the Winged Deliverance, to be challenged by the Neldian Armada. “Transmit clearance code,” said an automated voice. Marcus took out a data disc with the admiral's clearance code on it.
“Hold,” said Terris. She was clad in black, her active camouflage offline to save battery, and she had been sitting at the passive sensor console for the past three hours. “Look at this.” A news broadcast popped up in front of Marcus Wayne and his officers. Sector Admiral Sheparda Dama, or at least he was once a sector admiral, had been tried and convicted of high treason.
“It was a secret trial,” Dama said, still in shock at the revelation. “I had no knowledge of this.”
“Well, that tracks, but what do we do now? What code gets us through?”
“Transmit clearance code,” the voice said again, “or adjust course.”
Dama thought for a moment. “Change course,” he said. “We’re not getting through.”
They did. A great sense of defeat took hold in the hearts of the crew. They would never reach the Neldian hypercom. Sheparda Dama, who would have gladly given his life in defense of humankind, would never get the chance to be the man who broke their chains.
The Peacemaker was halfway out of the Neldia system before Terris spoke again. “Hold it,” she said. “I have an idea.”
That was why she had been placed where she was. Clad in an airtight stealth suit. Inside a hollowed-out asteroid. On a ballistic journey to the heart of Neldian space. It was the most insane idea that Marcus Wayne had ever seen.
But, sometimes, insanity was a symptom of genius.
Terris flew past the Neldian Armada undetected. Many asteroids entered the inner system this way, flung by outer-system prospecting ships to the foundries and shipyards in Neldian orbit, and they were thrown and caught so frequently that only the most cursory of inspections was put upon each one. Terris passed the Alliance fleet entirely undetected.
Terris’ chameleon suit could mimic the sensor return of the precious metals it was buried in, at least enough to fool a probing scan, and the cuts made by Protectoral engineers had been so precise that Terris had fit inside there with barely a centimeter of space to spare. She was effectively entombed inside sixty meters of solid rock.
Interstellar espionage was not a job for the claustrophobic.
Finally, after days of waiting, the signal came. She was in range. A mental command triggered a series of shaped charges in the rock above her, if such directions existed in microgravity, and forty pea-sized explosives blasted a circular tunnel all the way to the asteroid surface. If just one of them had failed, that rock might have been her tomb.
Terris tried not to think about that as she began climbing her way out. A brief burst from her suit’s EVA thrusters was enough to start her on her way, and the tunnel out was wide enough for her to use her arms and legs to speed things up. Finally, after too long a wait, Terris saw the Neldian sun for the very first time.
There was fire in the distance. Comm chatter on every band. Warships burning hard for the outer system. The Coalition fleet was here.
She zoomed in, far more than she had ever had to before, and she could pick out the faintest flashes of blue as warships exploded in the black. A brief crawl around the asteroid, which also helped to warm up her muscles after days of inactivity, let her discern an attack force engaging the Alliance fleet. After a moment’s hesitation, weighing the risks, Terris activated her passive sensor suite to try and decrypt Alliance military chatter.
Instantly, her sensors were flooded with noise from the defensive bastions. The fleet base at the L5 point was loudest, its comm operators screaming indecipherably at fellow Alliance elements fighting in the black. Neldian orbit, where the hypercom station was, seemed to be the centerpiece of all the communications traffic. The hypercom, unsurprisingly, was being used as a relay for comm traffic all across the system. Terris made a note to hack its server banks for intelligence, and perhaps leave a timed virus or two to shut down the system after she was gone.
Her suit bleeped, alerting her that she was in optimum position to make the leap to the hypercom. She zoomed in on it, a red and spiked thing just like everything else the Alliance made, and calculated the right trajectory to land right on its metal surface.
Trying to jump from a moving asteroid out past Neldia’s rings and hit a hypercom station barely three hundred meters in diameter was like shooting a rifle from a jumbo jet in hopes of hitting a mosquito down on Earth. A nearly impossible shot, even with Coalition computers to help make the jump, and anyone lucky enough to make it would have been better served bankrupting their local casino at the slot machines.
Terris gave a command to her suit, activating a set of ion thrusters to boost her off the asteroid and adjust her course mid-flight. She’d never believed in luck.
She coasted silent and graceful past the particle guns in high orbit, like a majestic swan flying on a summer wind. Their sensor arrays were directed out, past her, to the far distant parts of space where a trillion tons of steel were locked in deadly battle. Terris really did wish she could smile at the moment. She was about to have unrestricted access to the biggest communications relay in the star system, able to send out viruses and receive vital intelligence that could cripple the Alliance fleet if placed in the right hands. Terris, confident as ever, knew they would be.
She would make the Neldian Armada burn, and they had no idea she was even coming.
She reached the hypercom station in just under a day, agonizingly slow for a woman like her, hovering just above its surface to avoid triggering pressure sensors. After that, it was simple enough to get inside. Terris found it almost trivial to bypass the airlock sensor grid and trigger the outer bulkhead to open unnoticed, its report to the command room destroyed before it ever arrived. Entering the station itself was easy after that.
Here, there was gravity. She could not hover like she had on the outside of the station. But here, there were no pressure sensors. She really had no need to hover.
The corridor she found herself in was large enough, though nothing like the expansive halls of a dreadnought, and a patrol of marines in powered suits trundled towards her obliviously. Terris had made the right call not to wear a Phantom powered suit. She ducked into an alcove, the chameleon suit concealing her from even their impressive sensor batteries, and they passed by with no clue at all.
Terris made it to the server banks with ease. Most of the hypercom’s security measures took the form of warships in orbit, clustered tightly around the planet to prevent exactly this scenario from happening, but those warships were off waging war. The station defenses were hopeless now that she was actually inside.
The data was encrypted, and she could neither access it nor copy it without potentially fatal consequences, but she wasn’t there to steal data. A brief, milliseconds-long connection to the primary server was all it took to riddle the entire system with custom-tailored computer viruses. The viruses were self-replicating, rather like an electronic version of the biological ones on Earth. They worked similarly, too, meant to latch onto outgoing communications signals and remain inert for a certain amount of time before activating and wreaking havoc across cyberspace.
The program would be scoured from the net in seconds once it began its assault, but it would cause plenty of chaos before then. And, with another critical transmission being scheduled to send at around that time, Terris knew her mostly-ineffective virus attack would be just enough of a distraction to make sure its message was heard.
Terris planned to leave the station in approximately thirty minutes. Shortly after that, the fireworks would begin. It was going to be beautiful.
She heard footsteps. A maintenance worker, no doubt. It was time for her to go. She disconnected from the server, taking pains to hide her involvement, and snuck out of the server room like a ghost in the night.
Next was the transmission array. This room was better-guarded, its door being flanked by marines, but Terris slipped inside by trailing behind an officer as he entered on some unknown pretext. After that, her daring and sleight of hand made sure Admiral Dama’s pre-recorded propaganda transmission was uploaded to the hypercom transmitter. It came with a set of instructions bearing the Admiralty’s seal, changed to be anonymous, to ensure as many people as possible heard his message.
In just under one standard hour, the United Human Alliance would be shaken to its very core. Terris had just made sure of it.
It took longer than she had expected for the door to open again and give her a chance to slip out. Terris had spent that time quite productively, downloading as many incoming and outgoing messages as she could to the internal hard drive just by her spinal cord. Even if they were encrypted, they’d be useful intelligence once Coalition codebreakers took a crack at them.
After that, it was trivial to slip past marine patrols and escape to the hull of the hypercom station. Terris found her ride, an Alliance warship by the name of Brightest Thunder, holding orbit just near the hypercom station. Admiral Dama, even if he was no longer an admiral, still had connections.
She charged her ion thrusters by tapping into the station reactor, an act which did not go unnoticed, but by then it was too late to respond. She had completed her incursion. The damage had been done. Perhaps if the Alliance acted swiftly and accurately, they could undo it, but Terris was a careful woman. She had covered her tracks well.
Waving one final goodbye to the crew of the hypercom station, Terris triggered her thrust pack and shot off into the ink.
“You must be my passenger.” A man in an Alliance captain’s uniform was waiting for her in the Brightest Thunder’s airlock. He wore a helmet and gloves, hermetically sealed to his airtight outfit, so he felt no effects from the vacuum of space. “I was sent by Sector Admiral Sheparda Dama,” he announced after a period of silence, “To transport you and whatever you may have safely to the Coalition fleet.” Nothing. Apart from the dull thudding of the ship’s railgun batteries, firing missiles at range to ward off a strike force of Coalition ships, the airlock was quiet as a ghost.
“You cannot expect me to endanger my life and the lives of my crew without at least some identification that you are who you claim to be!” Silence. Captain Senar Trevy had been standing in that airlock for three and a half hours, while his ship was tasked with screening Neldia and her eighteen billion inhabitants from harm, and he was just now wondering if he had been talking to a ghost.
“I am,” came a voice. Cold. Sterile. Inhuman. Exactly the kind Trevy expected from the secret spies of his former admiral.
“So you are.” Captain Trevy thought for a moment. He cycled the airlock. If his guest held hostile intent, one steel bulkhead would make no difference. “I’ve been stocking the crew with handpicked men and women since I received word of the operation,” he explained as they walked through the ship’s corridors. The crewmen he passed thought him insane. “I can’t vouch for them all, but the ship as a whole will obey me.” No response. Sometimes, Captain Trevy thought himself insane as well.
“This is my personal quarters,” he told the specter, stepping inside and sealing the door behind him. “I must warn you, for your own safety, it would be best not to leave it. The crew are mostly still Alliance loyalists.” He looked around, paying no heed to the decorated furniture or artificial sky, and finally shrugged and sighed. “Are you even here, still?”
Terris decloaked. She stood between him and the door, winged and cloaked in black like a demon of ancient myth. “I am.”
“You’re a black angel.” Senar Trevy, to his credit, kept his composure well. “A spy for the Ierad Republic.” He questioned her purpose here. They both knew it.
“You weren’t told?”
“I was told an alien would be coming aboard, but…” Trevy shrugged again, as if to say ‘what am I supposed to do?’ “The admiral vouched for you. That much is enough for me.” He also knew he had no choice in the matter. From what he knew about black angels, his ship had been lost the moment she boarded.
“I could have impersonated him,” said Terris, voice a perfect replica of Captain Trevy’s own. Even his own mother could not have told the difference. “And I’m trained to lie.” She was testing him, gauging his reaction to assess his personality. She was good at that.
“I could have you screened for deception,” Trevy countered, pointing up at a pearl-sized camera in the ceiling. Terris made a note that it was disabled. “And I could have had the technology officers vet your transmission.”
“I’m trained to lie well.” Terris sat down on Captain Trevy’s bed, a spartan thing compared to the sleeping quarters of most officers. There were no chairs in the room, so her options were few. She took off her helmet and tried to at least appear relaxed. In reality, she was anything but. “It comes with the job, really.”
“Fair,” Trevy chuckled, feigning calm. “I suppose the question now becomes whether or not you can trust me.”
“It’s a safe gamble.” Terris made a mental calculation. It would take her between thirty and fifty seconds to kill Captain Trevy, take the bridge, and vent the ship. That was a very safe gamble. “Besides, that’s what a peace treaty is.” Trevy looked confused. “A leap of faith. You trust your enemy to back their word, and you trust them to trust you as well. If we can’t get along here, can’t put aside our differences to work toward a common goal, then the Alliance will be right. And I hate it when they’re right.”
“I’m speaking to you now because I know they are wrong.” That came as no surprise to either of them. “You know, I was once a foreman of a labor crew in the munitions factories. The most productive unit in my sector.” That one did come as a surprise. “As a foreman, you get leeway to make certain decisions regarding the… well, I suppose they are slaves, under your command. Food intake and the like.” Captain Trevy looked pained when he brought up such memories. Terris wasn’t convinced that was how he really felt. “They use it to weed out any potential xeno sympathizers from the populace. Of course, at the time, I wasn’t so empathetic.”
“So you were a slave driver, and you beat your slaves to make them work. I hope every one of those shells was sabotaged.” Terris’ voice dripped with disdain. She had almost forgotten the Alliance captain was her enemy.
“No, I showed mercy,” Trevy defended himself. “I was generous.” This made Terris reconsider. Perhaps Senar Trevy could be an ally, if not a friend. “I won’t say I was a good man, but I wasn’t cruel. I was practical. Strong, healthy, well-treated workers are more productive than the beaten sacks of flesh in the other factories. My crew’s output was unmatched.”
“And?” Terris cocked her head inquisitively. For a high-ranking officer in the space navy of a genocidal regime, Senar Trevy really did not seem so bad. To be fair, however, she had set the bar pretty low.
“I was investigated for anti-human activity.” Terris could have predicted that. She almost did, too. “They sent me to the fleet, and my labor crew was reacquainted with the energy whips and pain beams.” There was no carrot for an Alliance labor slave. Only the stick. “Their productivity fell thirty percent in the first two weeks alone.” He sounded almost mournful as he said that. He was not lamenting the loss in productivity.
“You see,” said Trevy, “Hatred is not natural. It has to be caused, sustained, nurtured from the day a man is born until the day he dies.” With that, at least, Terris agreed. “And, as you’re about to see, a nation built around cruelty or prejudice cannot sustain itself. It will have to apply pressure to maintain its flawed status quo, like it did with me, and the pressure will build and build until it cannot build anymore.” He tapped a few buttons on the data disc in his hand. It began projecting an image of the battle for Neldia. He placed it on the bed next to Terris. “Now it’s breaking.”
“I wonder if they’ll find themselves in need of more shells.” Terris knew it wasn’t just shells. Every time a slave driver prioritized hatred over hard work, put cruelty over their quota, or even just bowed their head and obeyed the traditional dogma, they hurt the Alliance. Across nine worlds, with billions of slaves not working as they could have, things started to add up. “You know, for a superior species, your fleet is really getting its ass kicked right now. Might want to work on that.”
Captain Trevy nodded. His data disc beeped. He was needed on the bridge. “Agreed,” he said. “I hope this war ends soon, and to our mutual benefit. I’d hate to face you on the battlefield.” He picked up the data disc and turned to leave.
“Oh, forgot to mention, there’s a virus embedded in the transmissions you’ve received. Self-replicating. Nasty piece of work.” Terris shifted a bit in her seat. “Almost forgot about that.”
“Well, better to know now than when it’s activated,” Trevy smiled. “I’ll have Technology Officer Galdir investigate it.” With that, he left. His duty to the Alliance was nonexistent, but the men and women under his command still needed him. He had waited too long in the stateroom.
Terris, with nothing better to do, got to work on cracking the encryption in the transmissions she had copied. She failed. A transmission from deep in unknown space, sent from a dreadnought at the head of a task force known only as the Deep Expedition Fleet, was the only message she could read. Its contents, while troubling, mattered little at the moment. What was far more crucial, however, was the message Terris could not decipher. The military battle plan of Janus Ora’s personal armada.
The battle plan that, when analyzed on a Republic starship, would reveal its terrible secret too late.
The Coalition fleet was walking into a trap.
First Previous Wiki Next

I feel bad for Hating my nephew. My nephew is 13. My family has had custody of him since January of this year. My nephew in all fairness hasn’t ever really had it easy. His father left when he was 3. His mother never remarried but became very close to an old friend, who proceeded to raise my nephew as his own. From the ages of 4 to 11 before he passed away. Granted my nephew however is not an easy child. His issues started when he was about 8 years old. Setting fires, stealing things, stealing from his school, pathologically lying, and getting violent. He used to beat his mother black and blue, and yes despite being small and young, my sister is a skinny twig, so he really packed those punches and cause she would bruise very easily. He’d call her a shit mom, tell her to fuck off, the cops had to called countless times before he was even 10. To the point the cops just stopped responding even telling my nephew “ he was a very troubled kid, and the cops wouldn’t even react if his mother flipped the switch and beat him”. Countless hours of medication and counseling seemed to only stop the fires, not the lying or stealing. He would threaten his stepdad by telling him he was not his father. Because he couldn’t attack my brother in law as he was a 6’5 250 man, he’d hurt him by destroying his dead fathers memorabilia ( his father was a pretty small town famous tattoo artist and show performer). So that was all my brother in law had left of him, and my nephew would destroy it. I’ve had to run over and help my sister and him rein my nephew back in. One night we asked him to please put the stack of clean ceramic plates away, he Argued and thought it’d be best to just raise them up and slam them down on the kitchen floor. I was not wearing shoes and got cut a bunch from the shards flying. As time went on and the more difficult my nephew got, my brother in law and sister started to drink. Not much and not all day or everyday. Talking to my brother in law privately he’d cry and be so stressed he was losing weight. He became more and more withdrawn. Finally he got incredibly sick and was given a couple months to live. The stress combined with the alcohol caused his organs to fail. I feel I share my head with 5 other people, my psychiatrist thinks it’s part of my schizophrenia. So while I consciously don’t blame my nephew for my bother in laws death, the other people in my head certainly do. My sister shutdown while still trying to deal with my nephew. She called me one morning begging me to come over while crying. I walk in to her asking my nephew to please get dressed for school, she’s tired of getting truancy letters (he’d run away before school would start, he was 10 at this point), only for him to scream at her “shut the fck up you stupid btch). He knew I didn’t play like that so as soon as he saw me albeit sobbing he put his clothes on and I walked him to the campus and watched him go in ( sometimes he’d head to school but never actually go in). When he was 12 so last year my sister really hit a new low, got a new man, who In turn gave my nephew a gaming computer, consoles and vr headsets. He’s now acting like a 26 year old computer addict.
I think my sister let it happen because she had been dealing with my nephew by herself for years, and at this point I think she didn’t care what he did as long as he wasn’t screaming, swearing, breaking things or hurting her. Like I said we’ve had him for awhile, him living with us has been hard. Food constantly goes missing, he constantly lies, or takes peoples things and won’t admit it. Some days my mother is understanding and forgiving some days she doesn’t seem to notice anything. She is 74 and doesn’t notice a lot. I’ve noticed my nephew is also a great gaslighter and manipulator. So he can convince her that he accidentally took her brand new towels and threw them away by accident, or that he doesn’t know how a broken bowl wound up underneath his bed. And most times my mom just accepts his answers while not understanding why I’m getting on him so hard. I had a breaking point a few weeks ago, I know it may seem small compared to what others think. But we had just a conversation with him about not eating peoples ice creams (that’s the biggest thing he does is takes sweets) we tell him just ask and we’ll be more than happy to share with you. I had a frozen yogurt I was saving for after my physical therapy appointment. Came home. It was gone. I asked him and he screamed and cried he didn’t take it. I found the remnants later and sent him a video to only then did he confess that he had taken it. Lately my other sister who lives with me and along with her kid can’t take it anymore. Even though it’s easy for her to block my nephew out as she has her own kid, she can’t stand the yelling when he’s on the computer or coming home and everyone’s fight with him. She is moving out this summer, and I’m planning on moving out next January. I have attachment disorder. I love hard and easily but once you screw that up it doesn’t come back to me easily.
Before my brother died I hadn’t spoken to him in 10 years after what he said to me during a depressive episode when I was 10. I didn’t like him and I wanted nothing to do with him as he himself was an alcoholic with anger issues. Point being I’m seeing my nephew the same way I see my brother. I admit I don’t like him. I admit I try to tel myself repeatedly he’s been through sh*t and he needs help but a part of me is like “ you’ve been his half parent since he was 3 and you’ve been trying to reel in his behavior since he was 8. He’s now 13. So yes it’s getting harder and harder to have sympathy for his situations. I don’t really acknowledge him anymore other than when I am giving his cat back (his cat is a kitten and can’t be left alone while he’s in school so I take care of him during the day). I noticed I don’t respond anymore when he says “ I love you”.
I am bipolar and schizophrenic. When I start to lose my shit my moms all confused as to why and I point out to her my conditions and tell her it’s been a long time coming. For a bipolar person to always keep their anger under control 24/7 for 5 months is very hard and yes sometimes my brain just spills out. Don’t worry I’m still mentally there so I understand it’s best not to have a meltdown in front of children which is why I always retreat to my room and don’t come out for the day. I’m torn because I am the family caretaker. I take care of the dogs, cats, 7 chickens, the gardening, the cleaning and the cooking and cleaning up the kitchen. As I said my mother is 74. She’s had nothing but screwed up children all her life since she was in her 30s. 5 kids and all of us ended with some mental illness or another. I know she’s tired, and I know she’s breaking down (I’m sorry I’m starting to cry). I’m scared to move out cause I’m afraid the difficulty of raising my nephew is gonna stress her out so bad she too might die sooner rather than later. She was already very physically sick last month. She’s mentally stressed out and always exhausted. My sister lost custody of my nephew as I said.
I truly believe part of the reason she refuses to fight for custody of my nephew is because she doesn’t want him and his behaviors backs. From vandalizing the school property to stealing from people, she is over it, my other sister is over it, I’m over it but trying to be strong for my mom. And my mom I think is just numb from him. We’re great at still doing what an auntie and grandmother should do. Play with him, listen to his rants, try to calm him down when he’s mad. Gently point out his mistakes, take him out to a movie or food, or the arcade. But it’s all a facade internally. I won’t even mention how a 13 year old treats female classmates or his perverted views on them. We’ve have to tried to get him admitted, we’ve tried medication, we’ve tried counseling but this child knows he can just run away and refuse. The cops have given up on doing anything with him. So for the time being, everyone has to hide they’re stuff in personal fridges in our bedrooms. Good we don’t want taken or missing. I have cameras in my room, the garage has a motion sensor light, we all have to hide out debit cards and wallets as he’s been known to steal those as well countless times. It sucks. I know deep down subconsciously I love him like a little brother. Consciously my schizophrenia does not like him. I have the type where I hear, smell or have multiple voices in my head. Like I said it’s like having 5 other people living in my head. Luckily my schizophrenia is controlled heavily by therapy, medication and as I know the difference between right and wrong, and can comprehend one’s emotional well-being so I never lash out at anyone but it doesn’t stop the voices from speaking they’re truths. Sucks watching him walk in and the voices immediately saying sht like “ yea he’s gonna end like all the screwed up men in this family” Guys he’s only 13, he’s been through stuff “Shut up OP even you’re sick of his sht, you can’t even say I love you too back when he says it”
I know I just freeze up cause emotionally I’m conflicted, I’m trying to give him the benefit of the doubt and have hope. But in that moment i don’t how to respond when he says that.
“B*tch you’re on your own, all of us have no hope”
I’m at a loss of what to do. I want my own space for my mental wellbeing. Yes having the second floor and balcony to myself is nice but I feel I need my own own space. But I’m terrified of leaving my mother alone with the animals, house and mostly my nephew. I am however forcing her to go to Barcelona for a month, so I’m hoping that’ll at least give her brain time to relax. I’ve talked to my counselor and therapist, they are kind of at a loss of what to do as well. Except increasing my dosages especially on my anxiety meds. I don’t mind it but it makes me very stoned out and that makes me fall behind in house tasks, cause I’m just tired all the time. I’m scared, I’m tired of crying, I’m tired of being angry, I’m just tired. Between the house, yard, animals, my nephew, and my mothers well-being, I’m very tired. I’m sorry for the long rant, I’ve been sitting on this for a while and I feel I can’t tell anyone. Just need it out.

What are we trying to account for with the face in particular?
To paraphrase Lacan, they would suggest what we're really obsessed with is something in the face more than the face itself. What they want to ask is, under what conditions do "faces" acquire the semiotic and material power they exercise over us? Why, on one hand, will I start behaving better just because I see a symbol of authority or a picture of someone before whom I'd be embarrassed? And how, on the other hand, am I willing to sacrifice a great deal of my rational interests in the pursuit of someone whose mere face has left me infatuated? In both cases, we should remember that Oedipus was first and foremost, for D&G a theory of internalized oppression through a mechanism of social obligation, and the connection to the face starts to become clear.
To be as specific as possible, faciality adds more detail in the form of additional theoretical categories. But all that takes place in the context of them being the same theoretical problem.
What is Oedipus is Anti-Oedipus? The birth & regime of the signifier & its subject, Lacan's "master signifier" that holds the otherwise floating signifying chain in place. The signifier is the deterritorialized sign, overcoded by the State. You can even see it in the ToC under "Barbarian or Imperial Representation." The illegitimate, Oedipal syntheses of desire are the ones which recover whole persons along strict identities, the exclusive use of the disjunctive syntheses at the heart of Oedipus: man OR woman, white OR black, family OR not. The oedipal triangle performs the function of selecting material appropriate for the reproduction of a very specific social form at the exclusion of the rest.
What is faciality in ATP? The birth & regime of the signifier and its subject, which performs the function of selecting material appropriate for the reproduction of a very specific social form at the exclusion of the rest. I promise if you read even just the plateau on faciality, this much is clear. We can start by acknowledging that the two components of faciality are still the signifier and its subject: faciality is defined explicitly as a mixture of the signifying & post-signifying or subjective regimes of sign. The white wall of signification and the black hole of subjectivity. Here's how they kick of "Faciality":

Earlier, we encountered two axes, signifiance and subjectification. We saw that they were two very different semiotic systems, or even two strata. Signifiance is never without a white wall upon which it inscribes its signs and redundancies. Subjectification is never without a black hole in which it lodges its consciousness, passion, and redundancies. Since all semiotics are mixed and strata come at least in twos, it should come as no surprise that a very special mechanism is situated at their intersection. Oddly enough, it is a face: the white wall/black hole system**.** A broad face with white cheeks, a chalk face with eyes cut in for a black hole. (ATP p. 167)

Italics in original, bold my emphasis. Face = white wall + black hole. White wall = signifier; black hole = subjectivity. And in "On Several Regimes of Signs" you can see them explicitly compare this schema to Oedipus:

Something is still bothering us: the story of Oedipus. Oedipus is almost unique in the Greek world. The whole first part is imperial, despotic, paranoid, interpretive, divinatory. But the whole second part is Oedipus's wandering, his line of flight, the double turning away of his own face and that of God. Rather than very precise limits to be crossed in order, or which one does not have the right to cross (hybris), there is a concealed limit toward which Oedipus is swept. Rather than interpretive signifying irradiation, there is a subjective linear proceeding permitting Oedipus to keep a secret, but only as a residue capable of starting a new linear proceeding. (ATP p. 125)

So here we can see the Oedipus myth interpreted explicitly in terms of the face machine and specifically in terms of signification and subjectification. And again, they function in the exact same way: they select for forms of social acceptable pairings. This is why Anti-Oedipus has to mean (at least) Anti-Heteronormativity. Here's a key passage from Anti-Oedipus:

When Oedipus slips into the disjunctive syntheses of desiring-recording, it imposes the ideal of a certain restrictive or exclusive use on them that becomes identical with the form of triangulation: being daddy, mommy, or child. This is the reign of the "eitheor" in the differentiating function of the prohibition of incest: here is where mommy begins, there daddy, and there you are-stay in your place. Oedipus's misfortune is indeed that it no longer knows who begins where, nor who is who. And "being parent or child" is also accompanied by two other differentiations on the other sides of the triangle; "being man or woman," "being dead or alive." Oedipus must not know whether it is alive or dead, man or woman, any more than it knows whether it is parent or child. Commit incest and you'll be a zombie and a hermaphrodite. In this sense, indeed, the three major neuroses that are termed familial seem to correspond to Oedipal lapses in the differentiating function or in the disjunctive synthesis: the phobic person can no longer be sure whether he is parent or child; the obsessed person, whether he is dead or alive; the hysterical person, whether he is man or woman.'? In short, the familial triangulation represents the minimum condition under which an "ego" takes on the co-ordinates that differentiate it at one and the same time with regard to generation, sex, and vital state. (AO p. 75)

Now, look at how the face works in ATP. It has two aspects:

Under the first aspect, the black hole acts as a central computer, Christ, the third eye that moves across the wall or the white screen serving as general surface of reference. Regardless of the content one gives it, the machine constitutes a facial unit, an elementary face in biunivocal relation with another: it is a man or a woman, a rich person or a poor one, an adult or a child, a leader or a subject, "an x or a y."
[...]
Under the second aspect, the abstract machine of faciality assumes a role of selective response, or choice: given a concrete face, the machine judges whether it passes or not, whether it goes or not, on the basis of the elementary facial units. This time, the binary relation is of the "yes-no" type. [...] A ha! It's not a man and it's not a woman, so it must be a trans-vestite: The binary relation is between the "no" of the first category and the "yes" of the following category, which under certain conditions may just as easily mark a tolerance as indicate an enemy to be mowed down at all costs. At any rate, you've been recognized, the abstract machine has you inscribed in its overall grid. (ATP p. 177)

So, the answer of "What's wrong with the face?" is 1:1 to the question of "What's wrong with Oedipus?" They both are predicated on exclusive use of the disjunctive synthesis of recording that subordinates becoming and desire to social reproduction and the interests of the dominant class. The face, like Oedipus, is triggered by particular arrangements of power, by the internalization of domination through the affective power of certain (facialized) traits. Dismantling the face means breaking the power socially invested traits have over us (the negative task of schizoanalysis as described in AO).
From a Lacanian perspective, this is explicitly what's supposed to underlie both gaze & mirror ("The gaze is but secondary to the gazeless eye, to the black hole of faciality. The mirror is but secondary in relation to the white wall of faciality.", ATP p. 171, italics in original). Zizek is even fine calling the signifier the deterritorialized sign in OwB, even though he doesn't ever acknowledge that D&G also define it that way. The "white wall" is the minimum of signifying redundancy necessary for that deterritorialization, it's a "blank space" where signs can be recorded such that they're only relation is in being related (the non-relation). For Zizek, this is the fantasy screen that we have to traverse to reach the Real. D&G saw it in remarkably similar ways: we have to "break through" the wall of the signifier, the screen that protects us from the chaos of the Real. But while for Zizek, this is a subjective shift where we realize we had what we were looking for all along, for D&G this is a real change, because what we "had all along" is still only a potential that has to be actualized in a particular way. Most significantly, they believe in modes of subjective consistency that are not signifying. Hence, their ethics is experimental and creative, Guattari's "Chaosmosis" as an ethico-aesthetic paradigm for the production of new subjectivity.
We may have digressed a little at the end there, into settling scores with the assassin Zizek. But to the good point that it seems like, there's a lot to love in the face, I can't disagree, we have to agree wholeheartedly. The face is a complex of consciousness and love. Our task is to free that consciousness and love from what is specifically facial about it, which is the enforced form of social reproduction. I'll let them speak for themselves here, as I've hopefully set us up for this paragraph to have its full impact:

Subjectification carries desire to such a point of excess and unloosening that it must either annihilate itself in a black hole or change planes. Destratify, open up to a new function, a diagrammatic function. Let consciousness cease to be its own double, and passion the double of one person for another. Make consciousness an experimentation in life, and passion a field of continuous intensities, an emission of particles-signs. Make the body without organs of consciousness and love. Use love and consciousness to abolish subjectification: "To become the great lover, the magnetizer and catalyzer ... one has to first experience the profound wisdom of being an utter fool." Use the I think for a becoming-animal, and love for a becoming-woman of man. Desubjectify consciousness and passion. Are there not diagrammatic redundancies distinct from both signifying redundancies and subjective redundancies? Redundancies that would no longer be knots of arborescence but resumptions and upsurges in a rhizome? Stammer language, be a foreigner in one's own tongue:
do domi not passi do not dominate
do not dominate your passive passions not
do devouring not not dominate
your rats your rations your rats rations not not. . . (ATP p. 134)

Things they don't tell you
Just as the title says, this is one of the things I didn't know or no one has told me about...
The grief of leaving your friend group for the sake of your peace.
I have these group of friends from my 1st yr. We're like this compentent trio our batch is looking up to. Among us three, I was the one who's not the best with academics and I think the most chill one. I'm an introvert, and it is often of me to just go to class and leave after, without talking to anyone. Including them. These are the times I get to recharge myself bc I get easily exhausted from interacting with people. But I think it's also not obvious that I'm that type of person since I can handle conversations pretty well.
Now, it got to a point where I can feel the distance among us three. 2 of them being the closest while I just get to be with them every now and then. It has gotten to the point where they have their own stuff to talk about while excluding me in that conversation.
During quizzes, exams, or any other seatworks during the class, I always just do it by myself. I just prefer to work alone with these stuff to test my competency as a student, but I sometimes also share my answers. I normally have just a passing or a little higher than the average score. But this one time, I get to have a high score; higher than these two of my "so called friends." When they knew about my score, they grabbed my paper and compared my answer to them. Then this friend of mine (A) told my other friend (B) "Bakit di mo chineck yung answers natin sa paper niya? ambobo mo (B) naman" Then he returned my paper and while glaring at me. Going out of the class, they didn't talk to me again that day.
I didn't really mind that one maybe they were just frustrated of the result, but somehow it stuck in my head, A's expression, and B's hostile eyes. Looking back, they really do have those friendship redflags i.e. they constantly talk shit about people. I always support them whenever they join events or contests, but I don't receive the same energy or effort back when I have my own events too. They casually tell other people the things I have told them which I haven't told anyone. They like talking about themselves a lot too, it's infuriating sometimes.
When we have group activities, we're always grouped together. I normally just brush it off when they don't get their tasks done because of extracurricular activities (friend A and I are in the same organization btw).
But this one time, it was an exhausting week and no one really did their task except me. Brought it up to them, they also apologized; but at the same time, they were justifying why they were not able to do their tasks. I find it funny whenever I recall about their justifications because I am also a member of that org, and yet I was able to do my part regardless. I am very much aware of the workload from that org. The worst part is that, they told me that they're sorry also because they somehow knew that I will still do their part even if they just ghost the gc.
At that point, I really felt like I was used. I told myself, I didn't deserve any of this shit when I have been nothing but supportive of them. I felt sorry for myself. I know how to treat a friend and sadly, I felt like I was not treated like one.
Then, I decided to slowly cut ties with them. Starting by leaving that organization, transferring seats, and hanging out with another set of friends.
I can't count how many times I brought up my problems with them, but it just constantly repeats every time.
Now, I feel like there's this heavy thing lifted out my chest but at the same time I still feel sad about this situation. Aside from those bad times with them, we also get to bond happily. There were moments that I can say that I was happy to be part of that group. But it didn't feel the same anymore. Most of the time, I just felt uncomfortable, left out, and used. And it weighed more than those good times.
I didn't know grief and sense of relief can co-exist, but they do.
I'm just so proud of myself for growing out of that phase, and finally be at peace with myself.

I have been Project Manager for small local government for almost 3 years now. HR has done a new Wage and Class study and they are now looking to change my title from Project Manager to Project Coordinator. My boss is the IT Director. I have discussed with him how I feel about this, which is- like Im recieving a demotion. He claims I am not, because the only thing that is changing is the title. The pay and the job description are the same. He told me we can meet with HR and our Chief of Operations to try and talk them into letting the title remain Project Manager.
I had to fight for the Project Management role in the first place. Our organization did not have a Project Manager. I have been with my organization for 12 years. I worked my way up the IT department and spent the last three years of my time in IT as the Lead Technician where I was more or less doing high level help desk and IT project coordination. I went back to school, got a BAS in IT Management, and three years ago, I had the help of my boss to pitch the Project Manager position to our Chief of Staff. She agreed to it after HR and our CEO (she's not a CEO, im just not giving her title to protect where I work and the government entity I work for) agreed and approved it.
I am the PMO- I built ALL of the Project Management processes and workflows for the entire office. I am the sole responsible party for office-wide projects, and I do all of the planning for the sponsors. I am the liaison between the project sponsors and the steering committee. I do all of this AND the day to day project coordination. We are only an office of around 115 employees, so one person doing both jobs is not a crazy or out of hand situation. We are not big enough for a real PMO. The only typical project management duties that I currently do not have, are people management/supervision, and my own budget. I lead project teams (different people and teams per project- simultaneously) and assist my sponsors with planning and implement their budgets into the projects they want to do. I also do not pick the projects, I am given the projects but am asked to plan them. We are local government so we are not producing tangible products, and our budget is based off of other state and county funding, so projects are almost always process or operation improvement projects that lead to improved services to clients (taxpayers).
Even though I know the differences myself, I have been doing extensive research and pulling dozens of Project Manager and Project Coordinator job descriptions and comparing the duties. I went through easily 60 articles with duty lists for each position and put all of the duties in a spreadsheet after I consolidated them (going through 60 articles, most of the main duties of each are repetitive). I made columns for Me (based on current job description), Project Coordinator, and Project Manager. I went across each duty (row) and marked YES or NO under each column as to which position the duty was applicable to. My column answered YES to 22 Project Coordinator Duties, and 28 Project Manager duties, with some duties overlapping both the Coordinator and the Manager.
Does anyone here have any insight or ideas or experiences to share? I dont know where to go with this as I am crawling out of my skin over it.

CBD stands for cannabidiol. It is the second most prevalent of the active ingredients of cannabis (marijuana and hemp). While CBD is an essential component of medical marijuana, it is derived directly from the hemp plant, which is a cousin of the marijuana plant. CBD is a component of marijuana (one of hundreds), by itself it does not cause a “high.” According to a report from the World Health Organization, “In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential…. To date, there is no evidence of public health related problems associated with the use of pure CBD.” For many years, federal law lumped hemp in with other cannabis plants, which were effectively outlawed in 1937 under the Marihuana Tax Act and made “officially” illegal in 1970 through the Controlled Substances Act. The plant Cannabis sativa has two primary species, hemp and marijuana. Both contain CBD oil, but there’s a much higher percentage in hemp, which also has very low (less than 0.3%) levels of THC compared to marijuana. Growers/farmers can now legally cultivate hemp, thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill. What is a cannabinoid? To understand how hemp oil products work in the body, you need to first understand the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a part of the mammalian central nervous system. You and everyone you know — even your furry friends — have endocannabinoid systems (ECS). The ECS is thought to play a crucial role in many bodily functions, including appetite, sleep, mood, and injury mitigation. How do cannabinoids work in the body? In general, the ECS can be thought of as your body’s regulatory committee. When things get out of balance, the ECS steps in to bring order to the chaos, also known as homeostasis. Our bodies produce chemicals called endocannabinoids. Our bodies have two networks of cannabinoid receptors: CB1 and CB2. CB1 receptors are found in our connective tissues, gonads, organs, and throughout the nervous system. CB2 receptors are mostly dispersed through the immune system and related organs. However, both versions can be found in a wide range of bodily tissues. The evidence for CBD (Cannabidiol) health benefits CBD has been touted for a wide variety of health issues, but the strongest scientific evidence is for its effectiveness in treating some of the cruelest childhood epilepsy syndromes, such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), which typically don’t respond to antiseizure medications. In numerous studies, CBD was able to reduce the number of seizures, and in some cases it was able to stop them altogether. Videos of the effects of CBD on these children and their seizures are readily available on the Internet for viewing, and they are quite striking. Recently the FDA approved the first ever cannabis-derived medicine for these conditions, Epidiolex, which contains CBD. CBD is commonly used to address anxiety, and for patients who suffer through the misery of insomnia, studies suggest that CBD may help with both falling asleep and staying asleep. CBD may offer an option for treating different types of chronic pain. A study from the European Journal of Pain showed, using an animal model, CBD applied on the skin can help lower pain and inflammation due to arthritis. Another study demonstrated the mechanism by which CBD inhibits inflammatory and neuropathic pain, two of the most difficult types of chronic pain to treat. More study in humans is needed in this area to substantiate the claims of CBD proponents about pain control.

As per a market veteran, greed is at every level. There is greed with F&O traders, hedge funds and exchanges facing M/W/D expiry. Since greed at such expiries are natural, why blame hedge funds for our actions and losses? It is wrong to blame others for our failure to understand the risks of F&O trading. If retail investors don't know the tricks of trading, they should simply step aside and do nothing. Volatility on expiry day is a given fact. One should know how to play against the big sharks or else stay away from F&O trading. We just create excuses for our failure in understanding the terms of business and the risks involved as everyone is addicted to F&O trading despite the huge losses. It is impossible for them to control their greed. Interpreting the right direction on expiry day is a must if one has to survive the volatility in the markets.
As per a market veteran, when market is on its peak, avoid tip and rumor-based trading, as there are chances of getting trapped. Do your own research for every company you choose to invest in. Follow very strictly the single rule allocation - not more than 7-9% of the portfolio in a single stock even if the promoter says so. Do not trade if the concept of the trade is not clear in your mind. Till 4th June, there will be wild volatile swings both ways. But if you have taken a trade without having the clear concept, you will get trapped.
As per a market veteran, never sell your winners to average out your losers! Otherwise, the day is not far when you will end up having a bunch of losers only! Bull markets are like marathons. Those who run it know the importance of consistency and discipline. People expect calamities and catastrophic in steady bull markets. So invest energy to develop patience and face them. Ride the tide and don’t time the ride.
Eco Recycling, first identified by Money Times two-years back and billed as a potential multi-bagger in our Panchratna newsletter this February has posted excellent results and the stock is on its upward journey.
In our 6th Jan MTTs, Sika Interplant recommended at Rs.1395 touched Rs.2504.
In our 21st Oct MTTs, Techno Ele. recommended at Rs. 514 touched Rs.1135.
In our 11th May MTTs, RAMINFO recommended at Rs.143 touched Rs.159, DCM Shriram Ind. recommended at Rs.195 touched Rs.220, Shemaroo recommended at Rs.157 touched Rs.165, Gulshan Polyoils recommended at Rs.197 touched Rs.205.
IRB Infra Q4 PAT grew 45% to Rs.189 cr. and consolidated income rose 47% to Rs.2504 cr. It has a equity of Rs.604 cr. and reserve of Rs.13141 cr. Total aggregate payout of Rs.181 cr. towards final dividend and third interim for FY24 has been declared. Add for decent gains.
Last week, Axis MF bought 26 lakh shares of Anantraj. Keep on radar for decent gains in medium-long term.
Va Tech Wabag results will be declared on 21st May 2024, which are expected to be encouraging. Keep it on your radar.
PNC Infratech results will be declared on 24th May 2024, which are expected to be strong. Further, a health dividend is also expected. Keep it on your radar.
ITD Cementation results will be declared on 28th May 2024, which are likely to be encouraging. Further, a health dividend is also expected. Keep it on your radar.
Vibrant Global notched an EPS of Rs.17.5 in the last 6 months and trades at a P/E of 4x. Promoters hold 71.3% and renowned fund manager, Siddharth Bhaiya, holds 22.64%. Its results on 18th May 2024 are likely to be promising with a healthy dividend. Add for multi bagger gains.
Shri Bajrang Alliance caters to Jubliant Foods, Nestle, KFC & Lulu Group for exports and exports to Australia, USA, Netherlands, Middle East, UK and New Zealand. It posted 9M EPS of Rs.29.77 and trades at a P/E of 8.5x. Buy for multi-bagger gains.
Debt-free Elixir Capital posted Q4 EPS of Rs.13.55 and FY24 EPS of Rs 26.89. It trades at a P/E of 4x. Promoters hold 71.3%, HNI’s & corporates hold 15.93%. Keep it on your radar.
Himatsingka Seide results on 23rd May 2024, which are expected to be strong with a healthy dividend. Keep it on your radar.
Kabra Extrusion Q4 NP rose 450% to Rs.18.97 cr. and declared a dividend of 70%. It is the industry leader 40% market share and partners Hero MotoCorp to supply battery packs & chargers. Thus, FY25 is expected to be the best. Add for 30% gains.
PNB Q4 NP rose 159.8% to Rs.3,010 cr. from Rs.1,159 cr. YoY and 35.4% to Rs.3,010 cr. from Rs.2,223 cr. QoQ. Its FY24 NP grew 228.8% to Rs.8,245 cr. and declared a divided of 75%. Add for decent gains.
Godrej Agrovet is into animal feed, crop protection, dairy, oil palm, poultry & processed foods. Promoters hold 74%, DIIs & FIIs hold 16.3%. It posted FY24 NP of Rs.359 cr. and declared a dividend of 100%. Add for 30% gains.
HCC results on 24th May 2024 are expected to be excellent. Keep it on your radar.
Andhra Petrochemicals Q3 NP grew 923% to Rs.9.82 cr. from Rs.0.96 cr. YoY. Its tie-up with GAIL for Natural Gas will lower production cost and boost its bottom-line. It results on 25th May 2024 are expected to be strong and a healthy dividend is likely. Buy for hefty gains.
Artefact Projects has huge orders for 6 years having bagged Rs.5.50 cr. order from NHAI. It pre-paid its debt of Rs.5 cr. and trades at a P/E of 8x and P/B of 0.86x. Its Q3 NP grew 60% and 9M NP rose 53%. It results on 21st May 2024 are expected to be good. Keep it on your radar.
TVS Holdings not only holds TVS Motor shares but is also engaged in the booming real estate business. Recently, it took over an NBFC aslo. Accumulate.
Hero MotoCorp is going ultra-aggressive in the two-wheeler segment and in the stock market too. Catch it before it goes out of reach. Add.
Maruti Suzuki remains unmatched in its market share, new models, distribution reach & service excellence. The stock is likely to speed up. Accumulate.
Fineotex Chemical receives an in-principle approval from BSE & NSE for preferential issue of warrants. It is in advanced talks for acquisition of a specialty chemicals unit. Add.
JTL Industries posted its highest-ever sales volume of 3,41,846 TPA for FY24 and posted revenue of Rs.2040.2 cr. on the back of robust demand. Buy.
Cellecor Gadgets record significant growth as it broadens its reach, distribution channels & product offerings, which boosted its marketing success. Add.
One Point One Solutions FY24 revenue grew 21.44% YoY to Rs.175.16 cr., EBITDA grew 52.95% YoY to Rs.56.76 cr. and PAT grew 143.5%. Add.
Sakuma Exports announced a substantial investment of £7.1 million in its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sakuma Impex Ltd. UK., which has an order book of £5 million. Add.
Sawaca Business Machines receives strategic proposal from TCS IT Dubai to develop AI based SCM, which includes acquisition of 20-25% stake in Sawaca Business Machines. A big positive. Buy.
Gujarat Toolroom's Rs.572.5 cr. Hybrid-Green Energy Power plant is projected to generate yearly profit of Rs.145.82 cr. Add.
Univastu India into civil construction projects has a Mkt.Cap. of Rs.237 cr. and posted Q3 sale of Rs.29.93 cr. with PAT of Rs.2.49 cr. and Q4 is likely to be better. Strong growth likely amid the infra boom. Buy.
Aartech Solonics, a turnaround player in Electrical Machinery boasts record order book and expansion plans. With investments in USA & UK subsidiaries, is poised for multi-bagger returns in the fancied Defense & Power sectors. Its Q4 results on 30th May 2024 may spring a pleasant surprise to shareholders. Buy.
Rudra Global Infra Products, manufactures TMT Bars, serving top clients like L&T and Reliance. Recently doubled production capacity and launched Rudra Inframart stores. Strong growth expected amid govt.'s infra investments. Buy.
NSE SME-listed ROX Hi-Tech evolved from an IBM & Cisco Business Partner to offer comprehensive IT solutions including AI. It is expected to notch an EPS of Rs 10 in FY24. Its IPO capex of Rs 50 cr. may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs 15+. Buy for hefty gain.
Zero-debt Just Dial from Reliance fame provides local search services through various platforms such as the internet, mobile internet, over the telephone (voice) & text (SMS). It posted 37% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.13.6 and 126% higher FY24 EPS of Rs. 42.7. Buy for 25% gain.
Union Bank has clocked 54% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.19.2. Buy for 20% gain.
Sandesh, Gujarati newspaper, published from 7 centers, posted 74% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.76.2 and 28% higher 9M EPS of Rs.154.3 on small equity of Rs.7 cr., which may lead to FY24 EPS to Rs.185/190. Buy for 25% gain.
Bank of India posted 35% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.4.6 and 65% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.15.5. Buy.
Repco Home Finance posted 36% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.18.2 and 32% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.66.6, which may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs.82+ Buy for a decent gain.
Jammu & Kashmir Bank posted Q4 EPS of Rs.5.8 and FY24 EPS of Rs.6.8. The robust Q4 EPS indicates that FY25 EPS may lead to Rs.24. Buy for 25% gain.
Nile Ltd., manufacturer of Pure Lead & Lead Alloys, plans a Lithium-ion recycling plant. It posted 140% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.39.7 and 78% higher 9M EPS of Rs.84.2, which may lead to FY24 EPS to Rs.125+. Add.
Karur Vysys Bank posted 36% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.5.7 and 45% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.20. Investments in Govt securities rose 19% to Rs.22,344 cr. in FY24, which may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs.27/28. Buy for 20% gain.
NCL Industries posted 152% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.5.2 and 110% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.20.5. Buy for 25% gain.
GPIL into iron ore mining, iron ore pellets, sponge iron, steel billets, rounds & wires, silico manganese, ferroalloys, prefab galvanized with captive power plants is expected to clock an EPS of Rs. 65. Buy for the long term.
Jaysynth Dyestuff manufacturer & dealer in dyes, dyes intermediates, organic chemicals, textile auxiliaries, pigments, resins, plasticizers & emulsions with low equity capital of Rs.0.9 cr. and is all set to garner an EPS of Rs. 9.5/10. Buy for the long term.
Basilic Fly Studios has a strong order book ~ Rs. 80 cr. to be executed in H1FY25, of which 75% is of FY24 total revenue.
Praveg launched Praveg Beach Resort at Nagoa Beach, Diu on May 15, featuring 31 Premium Tents and 4 dual-bedroom suites. It projects a 40-50% occupancy rate and an Average Room Rate of Rs.7,000-9,000. It is also expanding to 12 properties & developing 14 new projects.
Supreme Power Equipment secures Rs. 11.32 crore order to supply 50 MVA transformers for a solar project by Sept 2024, raising its total order book to Rs. 49.52 crore.
Praveg secures a 30-year land lease in Jawai, Rajasthan, for a luxury cave resort with 12 cave rooms, 8 tents, a pool, restaurant, bar & safari experiences, offering a blend of luxury & cultural immersion.
Wardwizard Innovations & Mobility post 135% YoY growth in EV sales of 1,071 units compared to 455 units in April 2023 with retail sales reaching 1,212 units in April 2024.
Mitsu Chem Plast currently operating at 70% of its 26,206 TPA capacity to expand by 1,800 TPA by May 2024 investing Rs. 206.5 lakh in new machinery.
BEL has a healthy order book. All it manufactures is a part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat's programme and is expected to post a strong FY24 along with a good dividend/ bonus. Add.
Shyam Metaliks plans to establish a SS bright bars capacity of 25,000 TPA and an SS wires division with a capacity of 18,000 TPA. Add.
M&M Q4 NP rose 32% YoY to Rs.2,038 cr. and revenue grew 11% YoY. Further, it approved an investment of Rs.12,000 cr. for its EV Subsidiary. Add.
Eicher Motors’s unit, VE Commercial Vehicles signs a JV with I Triangle Info tech. A big positive. Further, it plans to launch its first electric Royal Enfield bike by 2025. Buy.
Glaxo (GSK) Q4 NP rose 46% to Rs.194.5 cr. It now plans 12 launches from 2025, which include new vaccines & medicines for HIV, oncology, respiratory diseases, etc. Add.
Dixon Technologies sees a $10 bn. IT hardware opportunity in India. Recently, it signed a MOU with Acerpure for manufacturing of consumer appliance products. A big positive. Buy.
TVS Motors plans to launch a series of products in the range of 5-25 KW by 2025. Further, it also started its operation in Italy. Add.
Infosys enters in to a multi-year pact with UAE's First Abu Dhabi Bank to optimize and modernize its IT infra. A big positive. Add.
Cochin Shipyard bags huge Rs.500-1000 cr. orders from an European client for Hybrid SOVs. Further, it also has orders worth Rs.11.54 cr. from UDUPI Cochin Shipyard Ltd. Buy.
HAL Q4 profit jumped 52% to Rs.4309 cr. YoY and revenue grew 18% YoY. Analysts are still bullish on this counter. Add for the long term.

As per a market veteran, greed is at every level. There is greed with F&O traders, hedge funds and exchanges facing M/W/D expiry. Since greed at such expiries are natural, why blame hedge funds for our actions and losses? It is wrong to blame others for our failure to understand the risks of F&O trading. If retail investors don't know the tricks of trading, they should simply step aside and do nothing. Volatility on expiry day is a given fact. One should know how to play against the big sharks or else stay away from F&O trading. We just create excuses for our failure in understanding the terms of business and the risks involved as everyone is addicted to F&O trading despite the huge losses. It is impossible for them to control their greed. Interpreting the right direction on expiry day is a must if one has to survive the volatility in the markets.
As per a market veteran, when market is on its peak, avoid tip and rumor-based trading, as there are chances of getting trapped. Do your own research for every company you choose to invest in. Follow very strictly the single rule allocation - not more than 7-9% of the portfolio in a single stock even if the promoter says so. Do not trade if the concept of the trade is not clear in your mind. Till 4th June, there will be wild volatile swings both ways. But if you have taken a trade without having the clear concept, you will get trapped.
As per a market veteran, never sell your winners to average out your losers! Otherwise, the day is not far when you will end up having a bunch of losers only! Bull markets are like marathons. Those who run it know the importance of consistency and discipline. People expect calamities and catastrophic in steady bull markets. So invest energy to develop patience and face them. Ride the tide and don’t time the ride.
Eco Recycling, first identified by Money Times two-years back and billed as a potential multi-bagger in our Panchratna newsletter this February has posted excellent results and the stock is on its upward journey.
In our 6th Jan MTTs, Sika Interplant recommended at Rs.1395 touched Rs.2504.
In our 21st Oct MTTs, Techno Ele. recommended at Rs. 514 touched Rs.1135.
In our 11th May MTTs, RAMINFO recommended at Rs.143 touched Rs.159, DCM Shriram Ind. recommended at Rs.195 touched Rs.220, Shemaroo recommended at Rs.157 touched Rs.165, Gulshan Polyoils recommended at Rs.197 touched Rs.205.
IRB Infra Q4 PAT grew 45% to Rs.189 cr. and consolidated income rose 47% to Rs.2504 cr. It has a equity of Rs.604 cr. and reserve of Rs.13141 cr. Total aggregate payout of Rs.181 cr. towards final dividend and third interim for FY24 has been declared. Add for decent gains.
Last week, Axis MF bought 26 lakh shares of Anantraj. Keep on radar for decent gains in medium-long term.
Va Tech Wabag results will be declared on 21st May 2024, which are expected to be encouraging. Keep it on your radar.
PNC Infratech results will be declared on 24th May 2024, which are expected to be strong. Further, a health dividend is also expected. Keep it on your radar.
ITD Cementation results will be declared on 28th May 2024, which are likely to be encouraging. Further, a health dividend is also expected. Keep it on your radar.
Vibrant Global notched an EPS of Rs.17.5 in the last 6 months and trades at a P/E of 4x. Promoters hold 71.3% and renowned fund manager, Siddharth Bhaiya, holds 22.64%. Its results on 18th May 2024 are likely to be promising with a healthy dividend. Add for multi bagger gains.
Shri Bajrang Alliance caters to Jubliant Foods, Nestle, KFC & Lulu Group for exports and exports to Australia, USA, Netherlands, Middle East, UK and New Zealand. It posted 9M EPS of Rs.29.77 and trades at a P/E of 8.5x. Buy for multi-bagger gains.
Debt-free Elixir Capital posted Q4 EPS of Rs.13.55 and FY24 EPS of Rs 26.89. It trades at a P/E of 4x. Promoters hold 71.3%, HNI’s & corporates hold 15.93%. Keep it on your radar.
Himatsingka Seide results on 23rd May 2024, which are expected to be strong with a healthy dividend. Keep it on your radar.
Kabra Extrusion Q4 NP rose 450% to Rs.18.97 cr. and declared a dividend of 70%. It is the industry leader 40% market share and partners Hero MotoCorp to supply battery packs & chargers. Thus, FY25 is expected to be the best. Add for 30% gains.
PNB Q4 NP rose 159.8% to Rs.3,010 cr. from Rs.1,159 cr. YoY and 35.4% to Rs.3,010 cr. from Rs.2,223 cr. QoQ. Its FY24 NP grew 228.8% to Rs.8,245 cr. and declared a divided of 75%. Add for decent gains.
Godrej Agrovet is into animal feed, crop protection, dairy, oil palm, poultry & processed foods. Promoters hold 74%, DIIs & FIIs hold 16.3%. It posted FY24 NP of Rs.359 cr. and declared a dividend of 100%. Add for 30% gains.
HCC results on 24th May 2024 are expected to be excellent. Keep it on your radar.
Andhra Petrochemicals Q3 NP grew 923% to Rs.9.82 cr. from Rs.0.96 cr. YoY. Its tie-up with GAIL for Natural Gas will lower production cost and boost its bottom-line. It results on 25th May 2024 are expected to be strong and a healthy dividend is likely. Buy for hefty gains.
Artefact Projects has huge orders for 6 years having bagged Rs.5.50 cr. order from NHAI. It pre-paid its debt of Rs.5 cr. and trades at a P/E of 8x and P/B of 0.86x. Its Q3 NP grew 60% and 9M NP rose 53%. It results on 21st May 2024 are expected to be good. Keep it on your radar.
TVS Holdings not only holds TVS Motor shares but is also engaged in the booming real estate business. Recently, it took over an NBFC aslo. Accumulate.
Hero MotoCorp is going ultra-aggressive in the two-wheeler segment and in the stock market too. Catch it before it goes out of reach. Add.
Maruti Suzuki remains unmatched in its market share, new models, distribution reach & service excellence. The stock is likely to speed up. Accumulate.
Fineotex Chemical receives an in-principle approval from BSE & NSE for preferential issue of warrants. It is in advanced talks for acquisition of a specialty chemicals unit. Add.
JTL Industries posted its highest-ever sales volume of 3,41,846 TPA for FY24 and posted revenue of Rs.2040.2 cr. on the back of robust demand. Buy.
Cellecor Gadgets record significant growth as it broadens its reach, distribution channels & product offerings, which boosted its marketing success. Add.
One Point One Solutions FY24 revenue grew 21.44% YoY to Rs.175.16 cr., EBITDA grew 52.95% YoY to Rs.56.76 cr. and PAT grew 143.5%. Add.
Sakuma Exports announced a substantial investment of £7.1 million in its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sakuma Impex Ltd. UK., which has an order book of £5 million. Add.
Sawaca Business Machines receives strategic proposal from TCS IT Dubai to develop AI based SCM, which includes acquisition of 20-25% stake in Sawaca Business Machines. A big positive. Buy.
Gujarat Toolroom's Rs.572.5 cr. Hybrid-Green Energy Power plant is projected to generate yearly profit of Rs.145.82 cr. Add.
Univastu India into civil construction projects has a Mkt.Cap. of Rs.237 cr. and posted Q3 sale of Rs.29.93 cr. with PAT of Rs.2.49 cr. and Q4 is likely to be better. Strong growth likely amid the infra boom. Buy.
Aartech Solonics, a turnaround player in Electrical Machinery boasts record order book and expansion plans. With investments in USA & UK subsidiaries, is poised for multi-bagger returns in the fancied Defense & Power sectors. Its Q4 results on 30th May 2024 may spring a pleasant surprise to shareholders. Buy.
Rudra Global Infra Products, manufactures TMT Bars, serving top clients like L&T and Reliance. Recently doubled production capacity and launched Rudra Inframart stores. Strong growth expected amid govt.'s infra investments. Buy.
NSE SME-listed ROX Hi-Tech evolved from an IBM & Cisco Business Partner to offer comprehensive IT solutions including AI. It is expected to notch an EPS of Rs 10 in FY24. Its IPO capex of Rs 50 cr. may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs 15+. Buy for hefty gain.
Zero-debt Just Dial from Reliance fame provides local search services through various platforms such as the internet, mobile internet, over the telephone (voice) & text (SMS). It posted 37% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.13.6 and 126% higher FY24 EPS of Rs. 42.7. Buy for 25% gain.
Union Bank has clocked 54% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.19.2. Buy for 20% gain.
Sandesh, Gujarati newspaper, published from 7 centers, posted 74% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.76.2 and 28% higher 9M EPS of Rs.154.3 on small equity of Rs.7 cr., which may lead to FY24 EPS to Rs.185/190. Buy for 25% gain.
Bank of India posted 35% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.4.6 and 65% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.15.5. Buy.
Repco Home Finance posted 36% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.18.2 and 32% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.66.6, which may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs.82+ Buy for a decent gain.
Jammu & Kashmir Bank posted Q4 EPS of Rs.5.8 and FY24 EPS of Rs.6.8. The robust Q4 EPS indicates that FY25 EPS may lead to Rs.24. Buy for 25% gain.
Nile Ltd., manufacturer of Pure Lead & Lead Alloys, plans a Lithium-ion recycling plant. It posted 140% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.39.7 and 78% higher 9M EPS of Rs.84.2, which may lead to FY24 EPS to Rs.125+. Add.
Karur Vysys Bank posted 36% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.5.7 and 45% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.20. Investments in Govt securities rose 19% to Rs.22,344 cr. in FY24, which may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs.27/28. Buy for 20% gain.
NCL Industries posted 152% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.5.2 and 110% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.20.5. Buy for 25% gain.
GPIL into iron ore mining, iron ore pellets, sponge iron, steel billets, rounds & wires, silico manganese, ferroalloys, prefab galvanized with captive power plants is expected to clock an EPS of Rs. 65. Buy for the long term.
Jaysynth Dyestuff manufacturer & dealer in dyes, dyes intermediates, organic chemicals, textile auxiliaries, pigments, resins, plasticizers & emulsions with low equity capital of Rs.0.9 cr. and is all set to garner an EPS of Rs. 9.5/10. Buy for the long term.
Basilic Fly Studios has a strong order book ~ Rs. 80 cr. to be executed in H1FY25, of which 75% is of FY24 total revenue.
Praveg launched Praveg Beach Resort at Nagoa Beach, Diu on May 15, featuring 31 Premium Tents and 4 dual-bedroom suites. It projects a 40-50% occupancy rate and an Average Room Rate of Rs.7,000-9,000. It is also expanding to 12 properties & developing 14 new projects.
Supreme Power Equipment secures Rs. 11.32 crore order to supply 50 MVA transformers for a solar project by Sept 2024, raising its total order book to Rs. 49.52 crore.
Praveg secures a 30-year land lease in Jawai, Rajasthan, for a luxury cave resort with 12 cave rooms, 8 tents, a pool, restaurant, bar & safari experiences, offering a blend of luxury & cultural immersion.
Wardwizard Innovations & Mobility post 135% YoY growth in EV sales of 1,071 units compared to 455 units in April 2023 with retail sales reaching 1,212 units in April 2024.
Mitsu Chem Plast currently operating at 70% of its 26,206 TPA capacity to expand by 1,800 TPA by May 2024 investing Rs. 206.5 lakh in new machinery.
BEL has a healthy order book. All it manufactures is a part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat's programme and is expected to post a strong FY24 along with a good dividend/ bonus. Add.
Shyam Metaliks plans to establish a SS bright bars capacity of 25,000 TPA and an SS wires division with a capacity of 18,000 TPA. Add.
M&M Q4 NP rose 32% YoY to Rs.2,038 cr. and revenue grew 11% YoY. Further, it approved an investment of Rs.12,000 cr. for its EV Subsidiary. Add.
Eicher Motors’s unit, VE Commercial Vehicles signs a JV with I Triangle Info tech. A big positive. Further, it plans to launch its first electric Royal Enfield bike by 2025. Buy.
Glaxo (GSK) Q4 NP rose 46% to Rs.194.5 cr. It now plans 12 launches from 2025, which include new vaccines & medicines for HIV, oncology, respiratory diseases, etc. Add.
Dixon Technologies sees a $10 bn. IT hardware opportunity in India. Recently, it signed a MOU with Acerpure for manufacturing of consumer appliance products. A big positive. Buy.
TVS Motors plans to launch a series of products in the range of 5-25 KW by 2025. Further, it also started its operation in Italy. Add.
Infosys enters in to a multi-year pact with UAE's First Abu Dhabi Bank to optimize and modernize its IT infra. A big positive. Add.
Cochin Shipyard bags huge Rs.500-1000 cr. orders from an European client for Hybrid SOVs. Further, it also has orders worth Rs.11.54 cr. from UDUPI Cochin Shipyard Ltd. Buy.
HAL Q4 profit jumped 52% to Rs.4309 cr. YoY and revenue grew 18% YoY. Analysts are still bullish on this counter. Add for the long term.

As per a market veteran, greed is at every level. There is greed with F&O traders, hedge funds and exchanges facing M/W/D expiry. Since greed at such expiries are natural, why blame hedge funds for our actions and losses? It is wrong to blame others for our failure to understand the risks of F&O trading. If retail investors don't know the tricks of trading, they should simply step aside and do nothing. Volatility on expiry day is a given fact. One should know how to play against the big sharks or else stay away from F&O trading. We just create excuses for our failure in understanding the terms of business and the risks involved as everyone is addicted to F&O trading despite the huge losses. It is impossible for them to control their greed. Interpreting the right direction on expiry day is a must if one has to survive the volatility in the markets.
As per a market veteran, when market is on its peak, avoid tip and rumor-based trading, as there are chances of getting trapped. Do your own research for every company you choose to invest in. Follow very strictly the single rule allocation - not more than 7-9% of the portfolio in a single stock even if the promoter says so. Do not trade if the concept of the trade is not clear in your mind. Till 4th June, there will be wild volatile swings both ways. But if you have taken a trade without having the clear concept, you will get trapped.
As per a market veteran, never sell your winners to average out your losers! Otherwise, the day is not far when you will end up having a bunch of losers only! Bull markets are like marathons. Those who run it know the importance of consistency and discipline. People expect calamities and catastrophic in steady bull markets. So invest energy to develop patience and face them. Ride the tide and don’t time the ride.
Eco Recycling, first identified by Money Times two-years back and billed as a potential multi-bagger in our Panchratna newsletter this February has posted excellent results and the stock is on its upward journey.
In our 6th Jan MTTs, Sika Interplant recommended at Rs.1395 touched Rs.2504.
In our 21st Oct MTTs, Techno Ele. recommended at Rs. 514 touched Rs.1135.
In our 11th May MTTs, RAMINFO recommended at Rs.143 touched Rs.159, DCM Shriram Ind. recommended at Rs.195 touched Rs.220, Shemaroo recommended at Rs.157 touched Rs.165, Gulshan Polyoils recommended at Rs.197 touched Rs.205.
IRB Infra Q4 PAT grew 45% to Rs.189 cr. and consolidated income rose 47% to Rs.2504 cr. It has a equity of Rs.604 cr. and reserve of Rs.13141 cr. Total aggregate payout of Rs.181 cr. towards final dividend and third interim for FY24 has been declared. Add for decent gains.
Last week, Axis MF bought 26 lakh shares of Anantraj. Keep on radar for decent gains in medium-long term.
Va Tech Wabag results will be declared on 21st May 2024, which are expected to be encouraging. Keep it on your radar.
PNC Infratech results will be declared on 24th May 2024, which are expected to be strong. Further, a health dividend is also expected. Keep it on your radar.
ITD Cementation results will be declared on 28th May 2024, which are likely to be encouraging. Further, a health dividend is also expected. Keep it on your radar.
Vibrant Global notched an EPS of Rs.17.5 in the last 6 months and trades at a P/E of 4x. Promoters hold 71.3% and renowned fund manager, Siddharth Bhaiya, holds 22.64%. Its results on 18th May 2024 are likely to be promising with a healthy dividend. Add for multi bagger gains.
Shri Bajrang Alliance caters to Jubliant Foods, Nestle, KFC & Lulu Group for exports and exports to Australia, USA, Netherlands, Middle East, UK and New Zealand. It posted 9M EPS of Rs.29.77 and trades at a P/E of 8.5x. Buy for multi-bagger gains.
Debt-free Elixir Capital posted Q4 EPS of Rs.13.55 and FY24 EPS of Rs 26.89. It trades at a P/E of 4x. Promoters hold 71.3%, HNI’s & corporates hold 15.93%. Keep it on your radar.
Himatsingka Seide results on 23rd May 2024, which are expected to be strong with a healthy dividend. Keep it on your radar.
Kabra Extrusion Q4 NP rose 450% to Rs.18.97 cr. and declared a dividend of 70%. It is the industry leader 40% market share and partners Hero MotoCorp to supply battery packs & chargers. Thus, FY25 is expected to be the best. Add for 30% gains.
PNB Q4 NP rose 159.8% to Rs.3,010 cr. from Rs.1,159 cr. YoY and 35.4% to Rs.3,010 cr. from Rs.2,223 cr. QoQ. Its FY24 NP grew 228.8% to Rs.8,245 cr. and declared a divided of 75%. Add for decent gains.
Godrej Agrovet is into animal feed, crop protection, dairy, oil palm, poultry & processed foods. Promoters hold 74%, DIIs & FIIs hold 16.3%. It posted FY24 NP of Rs.359 cr. and declared a dividend of 100%. Add for 30% gains.
HCC results on 24th May 2024 are expected to be excellent. Keep it on your radar.
Andhra Petrochemicals Q3 NP grew 923% to Rs.9.82 cr. from Rs.0.96 cr. YoY. Its tie-up with GAIL for Natural Gas will lower production cost and boost its bottom-line. It results on 25th May 2024 are expected to be strong and a healthy dividend is likely. Buy for hefty gains.
Artefact Projects has huge orders for 6 years having bagged Rs.5.50 cr. order from NHAI. It pre-paid its debt of Rs.5 cr. and trades at a P/E of 8x and P/B of 0.86x. Its Q3 NP grew 60% and 9M NP rose 53%. It results on 21st May 2024 are expected to be good. Keep it on your radar.
TVS Holdings not only holds TVS Motor shares but is also engaged in the booming real estate business. Recently, it took over an NBFC aslo. Accumulate.
Hero MotoCorp is going ultra-aggressive in the two-wheeler segment and in the stock market too. Catch it before it goes out of reach. Add.
Maruti Suzuki remains unmatched in its market share, new models, distribution reach & service excellence. The stock is likely to speed up. Accumulate.
Fineotex Chemical receives an in-principle approval from BSE & NSE for preferential issue of warrants. It is in advanced talks for acquisition of a specialty chemicals unit. Add.
JTL Industries posted its highest-ever sales volume of 3,41,846 TPA for FY24 and posted revenue of Rs.2040.2 cr. on the back of robust demand. Buy.
Cellecor Gadgets record significant growth as it broadens its reach, distribution channels & product offerings, which boosted its marketing success. Add.
One Point One Solutions FY24 revenue grew 21.44% YoY to Rs.175.16 cr., EBITDA grew 52.95% YoY to Rs.56.76 cr. and PAT grew 143.5%. Add.
Sakuma Exports announced a substantial investment of £7.1 million in its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sakuma Impex Ltd. UK., which has an order book of £5 million. Add.
Sawaca Business Machines receives strategic proposal from TCS IT Dubai to develop AI based SCM, which includes acquisition of 20-25% stake in Sawaca Business Machines. A big positive. Buy.
Gujarat Toolroom's Rs.572.5 cr. Hybrid-Green Energy Power plant is projected to generate yearly profit of Rs.145.82 cr. Add.
Univastu India into civil construction projects has a Mkt.Cap. of Rs.237 cr. and posted Q3 sale of Rs.29.93 cr. with PAT of Rs.2.49 cr. and Q4 is likely to be better. Strong growth likely amid the infra boom. Buy.
Aartech Solonics, a turnaround player in Electrical Machinery boasts record order book and expansion plans. With investments in USA & UK subsidiaries, is poised for multi-bagger returns in the fancied Defense & Power sectors. Its Q4 results on 30th May 2024 may spring a pleasant surprise to shareholders. Buy.
Rudra Global Infra Products, manufactures TMT Bars, serving top clients like L&T and Reliance. Recently doubled production capacity and launched Rudra Inframart stores. Strong growth expected amid govt.'s infra investments. Buy.
NSE SME-listed ROX Hi-Tech evolved from an IBM & Cisco Business Partner to offer comprehensive IT solutions including AI. It is expected to notch an EPS of Rs 10 in FY24. Its IPO capex of Rs 50 cr. may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs 15+. Buy for hefty gain.
Zero-debt Just Dial from Reliance fame provides local search services through various platforms such as the internet, mobile internet, over the telephone (voice) & text (SMS). It posted 37% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.13.6 and 126% higher FY24 EPS of Rs. 42.7. Buy for 25% gain.
Union Bank has clocked 54% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.19.2. Buy for 20% gain.
Sandesh, Gujarati newspaper, published from 7 centers, posted 74% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.76.2 and 28% higher 9M EPS of Rs.154.3 on small equity of Rs.7 cr., which may lead to FY24 EPS to Rs.185/190. Buy for 25% gain.
Bank of India posted 35% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.4.6 and 65% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.15.5. Buy.
Repco Home Finance posted 36% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.18.2 and 32% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.66.6, which may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs.82+ Buy for a decent gain.
Jammu & Kashmir Bank posted Q4 EPS of Rs.5.8 and FY24 EPS of Rs.6.8. The robust Q4 EPS indicates that FY25 EPS may lead to Rs.24. Buy for 25% gain.
Nile Ltd., manufacturer of Pure Lead & Lead Alloys, plans a Lithium-ion recycling plant. It posted 140% higher Q3 EPS of Rs.39.7 and 78% higher 9M EPS of Rs.84.2, which may lead to FY24 EPS to Rs.125+. Add.
Karur Vysys Bank posted 36% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.5.7 and 45% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.20. Investments in Govt securities rose 19% to Rs.22,344 cr. in FY24, which may lead to FY25 EPS of Rs.27/28. Buy for 20% gain.
NCL Industries posted 152% higher Q4 EPS of Rs.5.2 and 110% higher FY24 EPS of Rs.20.5. Buy for 25% gain.
GPIL into iron ore mining, iron ore pellets, sponge iron, steel billets, rounds & wires, silico manganese, ferroalloys, prefab galvanized with captive power plants is expected to clock an EPS of Rs. 65. Buy for the long term.
Jaysynth Dyestuff manufacturer & dealer in dyes, dyes intermediates, organic chemicals, textile auxiliaries, pigments, resins, plasticizers & emulsions with low equity capital of Rs.0.9 cr. and is all set to garner an EPS of Rs. 9.5/10. Buy for the long term.
Basilic Fly Studios has a strong order book ~ Rs. 80 cr. to be executed in H1FY25, of which 75% is of FY24 total revenue.
Praveg launched Praveg Beach Resort at Nagoa Beach, Diu on May 15, featuring 31 Premium Tents and 4 dual-bedroom suites. It projects a 40-50% occupancy rate and an Average Room Rate of Rs.7,000-9,000. It is also expanding to 12 properties & developing 14 new projects.
Supreme Power Equipment secures Rs. 11.32 crore order to supply 50 MVA transformers for a solar project by Sept 2024, raising its total order book to Rs. 49.52 crore.
Praveg secures a 30-year land lease in Jawai, Rajasthan, for a luxury cave resort with 12 cave rooms, 8 tents, a pool, restaurant, bar & safari experiences, offering a blend of luxury & cultural immersion.
Wardwizard Innovations & Mobility post 135% YoY growth in EV sales of 1,071 units compared to 455 units in April 2023 with retail sales reaching 1,212 units in April 2024.
Mitsu Chem Plast currently operating at 70% of its 26,206 TPA capacity to expand by 1,800 TPA by May 2024 investing Rs. 206.5 lakh in new machinery.
BEL has a healthy order book. All it manufactures is a part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat's programme and is expected to post a strong FY24 along with a good dividend/ bonus. Add.
Shyam Metaliks plans to establish a SS bright bars capacity of 25,000 TPA and an SS wires division with a capacity of 18,000 TPA. Add.
M&M Q4 NP rose 32% YoY to Rs.2,038 cr. and revenue grew 11% YoY. Further, it approved an investment of Rs.12,000 cr. for its EV Subsidiary. Add.
Eicher Motors’s unit, VE Commercial Vehicles signs a JV with I Triangle Info tech. A big positive. Further, it plans to launch its first electric Royal Enfield bike by 2025. Buy.
Glaxo (GSK) Q4 NP rose 46% to Rs.194.5 cr. It now plans 12 launches from 2025, which include new vaccines & medicines for HIV, oncology, respiratory diseases, etc. Add.
Dixon Technologies sees a $10 bn. IT hardware opportunity in India. Recently, it signed a MOU with Acerpure for manufacturing of consumer appliance products. A big positive. Buy.
TVS Motors plans to launch a series of products in the range of 5-25 KW by 2025. Further, it also started its operation in Italy. Add.
Infosys enters in to a multi-year pact with UAE's First Abu Dhabi Bank to optimize and modernize its IT infra. A big positive. Add.
Cochin Shipyard bags huge Rs.500-1000 cr. orders from an European client for Hybrid SOVs. Further, it also has orders worth Rs.11.54 cr. from UDUPI Cochin Shipyard Ltd. Buy.
HAL Q4 profit jumped 52% to Rs.4309 cr. YoY and revenue grew 18% YoY. Analysts are still bullish on this counter. Add for the long term.

I've been wanting to write this post for a while. I want to talk about my experience with the Remarkable 2 at about the four-year mark. I got my Remarkable 2 in the summer of 2020 just as I was starting my PhD. I first bought the Remarkable 2 along with a Kobo device to compare the two. What I noticed immediately—and what my wife noticed immediately when I had her test the devices—was how superior the writing experience felt on the Remarkable 2.
I've purchased other e-ink tablets since then, including a couple Onyx Boox devices (Max Lumi 2 and more recently Tab Mini C), and invariably, despite their seemingly superior hardware and more advanced software, they've fallen short in one way or another to the Remarkable. Even though I've gone through different phases with this device—using it as a daily planner, using the PDF calendars, using it as a journal, and now with Typefolio, using it as a light word processor—I continue to use it every single day because I just love using it. Its longevity is incredible in our modern update culture where every device seems to just be a stop gap before the next one, the "one you've been waiting for."
Don't get me wrong, I've even had some major hiccups with the device. When I first got it, something happened when I first tried to upload my files to their cloud. I think that was the very early days for their cloud storage, and they really didn't get it right at first. I lost some very important research material I needed for work, and I couldn't get them back, so of course I complained to Remarkable. Their customer service wasn't great, and eventually one of the representatives just kind of said, "We're sorry, we're working on improving this." Sure enough, not long after that, later that summer or early fall, they started rolling out some major improvements to the way that sync worked, and I honestly have not had a single problem since. I'm glad I hung on.
Even though I had a frustrating experience, I could tell even then that the development team was pretty committed to iterative but important updates. This is something I really want to stress that I think maybe isn't well represented on this subreddit. It's my personal belief as a fairly long-term power user who uses different E-Ink devices that the Remarkable updates, while iterative, always seem to add something to the experience of using the device in very meaningful ways, at least for me. This is very clear when you compare it to something like a Boox tablet, which, as many people have remarked, is a kind of jack of all trades, master of none.
For instance, Boox's notepad offers so many more features than Remarkable's writing experience (running Boox os 3.5, which, funny enough I struggled to look up on my Tab Mini C because a bug kept switching back to the most recent app until eventually I had to force quit all apps, lol). Just in terms of the sheer amount of features on paper, Boox is so obviously the more "fully featured" device. Yet, for various reasons, including Boox's notorious complexity, I never find myself consistently using any of my Boox devices for writing. I would never keep a daily journal on my Boox, for instance, not only because of the software, of course, but also because at least for me the writing feel is far inferior, although I am experimenting right now with keeping a kind of digital bullet journal on my Boox because of the way you can link notes on Boox devices (Note, you can also do this on SuperNote). Too early to tell if I'll keep it up, but it's not likely.
The Remarkable is often compared to Apple devices, and I think it's pretty clear that's what they're going for in terms of build quality, user experience, simplicity, and the iterative nature of the device (software, but also hardware like the Typefolio). I really think it's an apt comparison for the most part. When I first got this device, it didn't support the snap-in-place highlighting feature, for instance, but when that feature came it was very helpful for my work (which includes reading a lot of pdfs), and I used the device more as a result. Other examples include new gestures like pinch to zoom (March 2021), cloud integrations, tags (June 2022), and of course, 3.0, which brought type support.
But even more seemingly "minor" features like tags are something I use every day, and I find tags in particular extremely helpful for organizing my thoughts after I've done some writing. I'm the kind of user who usually just starts with quick notes and moves those pages around into different notebooks as needed at a later time, and I use tags like "journal" or "to process" to help me remember when I need to do with those pages later. Then, of course, there was the addition of typing and eventually the Typefolio itself, which I own as well. A lot of users here on this subreddit complain about the Typefolio. That's obviously valid. For people who just want a very simple writing experience, it's clear that the Remarkable has drifted away from that.
I honestly don't believe, however, despite many people's claims, that merely being a slightly upgraded analog writing experience was ever Remarkable's actual goal. For one thing, it's not exactly a mystery that they are not earning a lot of revenue from the sale of the Remarkable 2 at this point, which is how many years old? So, they've had to find other ways to increase revenue and open up new revenue streams, such as the highly controversial subscription service that a lot of people hated (and still complain about), and the Typefolio and all the various features that have come along with that. In my opinion, Remarkable has awkwardly tried to straddle both individual users and enterprise users, and it's very clear that everything with the Typefolio is really aimed at enterprise users, which takes away development resources from the writing features many individual users want to see.
But for me, as a writer, someone who does writing daily for work, the Typefolio and the typing experience have been incredible. I use it all the time. I really believe that the features added along with the Typefolio add so much to the device. I certainly did not by the device with expectation that it would ever become a simple word processor, so the Typefolio and all the stuff around it have actually added incredible value (even though, yes, it's an expensive keyboard). Now I'm more inclined to bring my Remarkable with the Typefolio than my laptop if I'm doing simple drafting, and it really helps me focus on writing.
In terms of software, what I really want to stress as a longtime user is just how superior the Remarkable is, at least compared to Onyx Boox (and, from what I've read, SuperNote) when it comes to accessing your files on other devices. At least as a Mac user, the seamless cloud syncing and accessibility of my files on my laptop or phone is by far the best experience I've ever had with any of these E Ink devices. The competition here is really laughable. Kindle Scribe, from what I've read, has very little helpful support for organizing files and accessing them on your computer or other devices. Remarkable has really nailed this experience and it's been very iterative.
When I started using this device, the desktop app was very little more than just a way to basically mirror and download files from your device, but now, of course, you can edit files via typing and have them instantly sync (and reliably!). You can tag pages, for instance, and now with a new feature I really love, you can use the lasso tool to directly convert your handwriting to text on your desktop—another good example of an excellent and not technically challenging feature that, yep, took way too long...it's exactly like Apple and Android. Now there are tons of great emulators on the Apple App Store. Cool cool. Android users have had that for like, what, 15 years? Annoying as this lag is, when those features do come, they tend to be excellent.
To me, the desktop and mobile apps are really what separates Remarkable from its competition, and I think if you care a lot about having an improved analog writing experience, it's something you shouldn't take for granted. You can't do anything like this on Onyx Boox devices—trust me. For one thing, the typing experience on those devices is awkward and clumsy, but once you do create a file, you don't have any real way of managing it or editing it on desktop. Yes, there's a web portal and a mobile app, but imo they are absolutely trash compared to Remarkable's apps. Even the tagging experience, which in some ways is superior on Boox devices, is weird and clunky and seems to add nothing on the desktop side of things.
Look, I'm certainly not dismissing other power users' complaints. Don't take this the wrong way. But I do want to say that sometimes I feel almost as if we take some of these features for granted. I don't know how many power users might also own other devices and can therefore actually compare the Remarkable to those devices, but I think that's important. You have to compare a device to its competition, and in so many ways, Remarkable excels with the fluidity and simplicity of what they offer.
People complain about the development pace of the Remarkable software, but to me, I find that each update more or less provides some kind of concrete and useful feature. It's taken over three years for the device to really get to a point where I think it's a fully featured device. For some people, that might have been a complete deal breaker and I can understand that. But for me, I've loved that the team has demonstrated real focus in their updates. This includes the most recent beta update, which people are complaining about, the beta update software 3.12. People are complaining that Remarkable is focusing too much on needless UI updates. But here too, I love this new update because it makes navigating the UI much easier, which I think is so important. It's crucial, in my opinion, to reduce the number of taps on an E Ink device and the number of menus that you have to open and close, and that's exactly what this update does. It makes it so much easier to navigate through the home screen. I love that. I think that's exactly what the team needs to be focusing on.
Again, I've not had a perfect experience with my Remarkable. Like many users, my power button broke early on, which was frustrating to no end. It is a serious design flaw in the Remarkable 2. Whenever they release a new device, they better have fixed this failure point. As a result of breaking the power button, I had to open up the device myself to pry the damn button out, and because I'm not very precise, I struggled to get the device closed up properly and the back looked weird after that, although functioned perfectly fine, so I just covered it with the Typefolio (which I always used anyway). Most recently I had to replace my original with a refurbished one because the screen finally cracked (it was from the device being under too much pressure while being stored in my backpack, and I really don't think it was from a design flaw. Basic physics). I absolutely hate that for a company whose former and founder once claimed that customers could keep their device for 10 years, they have zero real hardware support, like, cmon Magnus Wanberg, did you not realize your devices are powered by lithium ion batteries?! It sounded cool and even radical at the time, but given Remarkable's utter failure to invest in the kind of support infrastructure that would be required to support that kind of longevity, it was clearly just marketing—shame on you. Big disappointment there. And then there's also the Remarkable 2 pens. The Pro pens, or whatever they're called, suck. They're not well designed. The collar on the nib is a point of failure just like the power button on the tablet. I cannot honestly believe that Remarkable continues to sell these crappy pencils in good faith. Judging from this forum, this problem is widespread, just like the power button problem. You'd be lucky to get a month out of one of those styluses (as I did with my first one that broke in less than a month...seriously), let alone 10 years. I've gone through at least half a dozen of those things (under warranty). That's a lot of waste guys.
So, yeah, problems for sure. But also an incredible and fairly consistent experience. At the end of the day, despite the hardware issues I've had (and the rare software problem here or there), I keep coming back to this device. It's just so deeply ingrained in my workflow. When I've tried to add other devices to my workflow, like my Boox tablets, there's always just some...issue. I love what I consider the relatively narrow focus and restraint the dev teams shows in their updates. This device just works when I pick it up—no long boot sequence (like with Boox), no confusing menus, no searching for my files on a stupid web portal. I just pick it up and write.

Well, praying that I didn't fail my last two classes💀 I’m finally done with my degree. So why not share my unfiltered opinion/experience that I’m sure Faculty has been eagerly waiting for? Ranking wrt:
Course Content / Instructor / Organization / Exam/Pset Difficulty. Copying most recent post's format. Major congrats and shoutout to all graduating this semester and beyond, it's been more than real.
A lil motivation: don't give up, don't ever give up...
live look at brain having bruh moment during exam (is this a record?)
S-TIER:

1. CS 1110 - Intro CS Python: Will always be goated course for me. After switching majors, was very intimidated by CS. Prof Lee/Bracy & staff were godsent, course was very enjoyable and beginner friendly (duh) while remaining very fulfilling and challenging. Projects/Labs were very helpful and plenty of resources for help, enjoyed studying for exams and material thoroughly. Thank god I did not stick w Matlab (unbiassed opinion why do you ask)
2. ORIE 3500 - Prob & Stats II: An out of whack sequenced class took during summer but love how Goldberg teaches. Not sure if still applicable but grading was very friendly and not a lot of tedious course work but learned a lot and enjoyed class. Exams were challenging but fun and grade cutoff made learning pressure-free. Shoutout D Goldberg one of my favorite professors
3. ORIE 4580 - Simulation Modeling: Took this course w/o prereqs so was unprepared but Henderson is amazing person & Professor and will help you out. Really enjoyed Simio and project/assignments were fun, interactive, interesting. Shoutout Henderson: great guy award helped me through rough spot super approachable/easy to talk to. Decent amount of work and I didn't understand half of it but tools and info still relevant

A-TIER:

• HD 3620 - Human Bonding: Not only easy and straightforward class but content was captivating and enjoyed studying for exams. I recommend this course to anyone, insightful and lends some underappreciated good advice/knowledge🧢
• ORIE 4160 - Topics in Data Sc: Not to meat-ride Goldberg🍔 but top 3 prof I had. Class not tedious BS work; approaches high level topics with colloquial-like speech (not always) and I find learning easy with him. If only he would change his lecture notes format so its not formatted in size 1.5 pt font and jumbledtogetherinasingleboldedsentence, but looked forward to class. Relaxed classroom environment, would sometimes spend entire lecture on one proof but can't complain, was prob important lol
• ORIE 3120 - Tools for OML: liked this class, Frazier is cool and material is well encompassing and useful outside of classroom. cool project; recommend to anyone interested in DS/OR
• PSYCH 1102 - CogSci: Probably my most thoroughly enjoyed class I took here. Honestly would switch majors to this if I had the chance, fascinating stuff and was like exam only easy A
• ORIE 3300 - Opt I: fw'd this course and instructors heavy. Had hard time initially but after time gained decent understanding. Shoutout Ishan/Varun, awesome instructors and great people. Made me like ORIE, f simplex.

B-TIEUSEFUL:

• AEM 2011 S/S Modeling: Took during Summeasynch and was good intro to basics of data analyses/Excel. Fair grading/don't know if ever saw Prof but sure he was coo
• AEM 4060 Risk Sim: Super chill class w Turkey who is sweetie. Another "real world" application class where you gain usable skills so can't go wrong. Very low workload no one showed up, only 3 assignments including Final so def recommend for ENG major requirement. I <3 AEM
• PHYS 2214 III - Waves/Q&M: Prob fav science course taken. Textbook was helpful plenty of recitation/lab help. Amazes me how ppl managed to figure stuff like that out lol. Grade cut off was stupid, a 37 was lower bound for C on exams so ya boy fit in for once. Didn't feel like I was reading out of textbook, felt exploratory
• ENGRD 2700 - Intro Prob & Stats: Took with Callister → My Guy. Interesting character, enjoyed his sarcastic/rude ED responses 😂 Very straightforward course, wish I retained more
• ORIE 3150 - Accounting: Now we're talking. Yaddi know OG Callister got me right. Was nice breaking from OR curriculum and actually useful course. Lecture optional, just read textbook; could get a lil tedious
• MATH 1920 - Multivariable: Zoom math ≠ learning. Not bad think was fav math.

MIDDLE-UPPER-LOWER-TIEGEED:

• ORIE 4340 - Modeling and Computation: Okay didn't exactly give this course a chance due to scheduling but moved pretty fast and Prof severely understated amount of work it would take to catch up. Endless lecture notes and material but still cool class/learned little AMPL but def didn't get what I could have
• CHEM 2090: Took this so long ago i doubt the periodic table is still a thing. Don't remember much except always walking out of exams stunned and lab partner who rightfully hated my ass. Barely passed but in hindsight didn't prepare well as wasn't that hard. Look for better sources
• MATH 2940 - Lin Alg: zoom math smfh. probably the most important/relevant math course and still comes back and haunts me in every OR class so pay attention. Don't take during pandemic or you'll be learning from Youtube
• ORIE 4600 - Financial Eng: Thought I would enjoy more than I did. Struggled with understanding content but also didn't go to class or try so perhaps could have something to do with it🤷 Very forgiving and chill grading scheme, wish I actually payed attention it was super hard to learn from lecture slides
• PHYS 1112 M&H: Don't really remember much tbh, dropped it first time but eventually got the hang of it. I like physics textbooks
• ORIE 3310 Opt 2: Just relearning 3300, boring and already learned material. Grading nice

EASY/CREDIT:

• ECON 1110 - Micro: Covid sem. took online and was pretty easy.
• ECON 1120 - Macro: Exams were more difficult, content is impressively boring and dull. Easy online credit tho
• ORIE 4152 - Entrepreneurship for Engineers LMAO: Don't know how this course got approved/became legit tbh. easiest class on course roster i think there was one HW and just final project as a joke. Got to enjoy a bit more Callister, this semester was a my fav lol
• PSYCH 2940 - Better Decisions: I might need to retake💀
• PE 1430 - Yoga: Odd instructor pretty sure later got fired but loved class lol nice mid-day bool + good for the soul. Best PE credit. Pranayama 🧘
• PE 1420 - Intro to Meditation: over zoom lol.

BUNS:

1. MATH 1910 - Calc I: Did shitty after prelim 1, not bad course but possibly recommend taking CASE exam if you already know material, kind of waste
2. ENGRD 2110 - Obj-Oriented Prog: Took in summer, was hopeful after enjoying CS1110 but class and content not as fun. Liked VanHattum, call me?
3. PHYS 2213 - EM: Imma be 100p here and not even pretend I deserve credit hours for this course but was available online (ilovecovid) so that was no brainer. Least favorite stem class. Dont cae
4. PSYCH 2350: Don't remember taking this. typical canvas credit course

FEVER DREAM / C&B TORTURE:

1. ORIE 3510 - Stoch Proc I: Second class I failed 😎 Somehow made less sense 2nd time. Cursed course its hard to recognize when you are fully wrong/using wrong intuition but you might not realize this until you get a 31 on the Final. Must attend in person. Thought it would cake retaking but had Scully who is great guy/genius but taught it almost entirely different format than previous year. Info seemed to go in one ear (wp= u/λ) and out the other, not a fan of his notes/material organization. Scully is huge improvement from Dai nonetheless.
2. MATH 2930 (First time😉)- DiffEq: My first failure!🤓 (took it when it was hard i swear) Even though 1st time through was rough, enjoyed solving equations and remains my central to major, def most involved of required math courses. Restructured version was an actual joke compared to previous year, legit had the option to retry & submit everything you turned in until you essentially got it right via brute-force submitting every possible answer.
3. FWS: (Challenges of Modernity): Sigh
4. ENGRI 1160 - Modern Structures: cool project but prof was hard to understand and psets were way too hard for sem1 intro eng course. TA could barely help, made me switch out of civil
5. FWS(Anthrop Persp. of Tech Worlds)?: Now they invent ChatGPT, sick

O-H

1. BIOG 1250 - Biology Seminar (The Rise and Fall of Viruses): Went to class for 3 weeks and learned ab Kentucky bluegrass and rocks, realized class wouldn't count towards major so dropped but figured I'd throw it in here.

Hey guys, (M21)
So thought id just ask and put this out there as I haven’t been able to relax a whole heap these past few weeks due to this.
But have been getting sick pretty regularly this past couple months and in the last few weeks I got sick again and a dull pain developed on my lower right side probably at most a 3 out of 10 pain, it has moved around my abdomen to different areas but is mainly focused on my right side. I’ve been going to work the whole time, can run, jump, walk basically do whatever without causing pain, can even push down on the area and it not cause pain. Been a bit harder to pass stools compared to usual though
Went to the doctors to get checked out, got bloods, chest xray (they thought I had pneumonia when it all started due to severe cough and other symptoms) ultrasound and urine test done also. All tests came back normal only thing was scarring was found on my left kidney on the ultrasound. No mention of problems with my appendix doc just said all other organs were ok but yet this still hasn’t put me at ease.
Idk what to do anymore I still have this pain/discomfort in my ride side and still a bit constipated. Not sure if this is anxiety and constant stress from the last year dealing with constant anxiety and dpdr from a bad edible experience that’s causing the constant sickness and my anxiety now turning health related or if it’s actually a serious issue like appendicitis seriously giving me so much anxiety right now.
A month ago I had chest pain and palpitations regarding my heart and turns out everything was normal. How do I know when to settle on it being anxiety causing the pain or an actual problem.
Just really worried that this abdominal pain/ discomfort I’ve had for 2-3 weeks now is something I should be worried about,(appendicitis). I felt like I was doing really well with getting my anxiety under control and my dpdr finally starting to leave after a year but not my anxiety has become health related. Seriously when will this anxiety and worry end.
Sorry for the rant, but maybe someone can relate?