My (m68) wife (f50) of three years is a first-generation immigrant from Thailand. While we were dating, she said that when she comes to America that she wants to be a youtuber and show people from her country about her new experiences. Last March she embarked on that endeavor after asking me if it was OK for her to have public Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram accounts. I said OK… then she asked me again are you sure? I asked her not to use these public accounts as dating apps before giving the final OK.
Later, I find that for her to get followers she needs to be a follower too. She said when she gets enough followers that Facebook will send her money. To that end she solicits views and followers by contacting strangers first through “likes” and “comments” to their posts. She asks them if they can be friends and follow her back. These people are both men and women from her native country. She said that it was important to her because she needed to feel that she was earning money on her own. This is not what I was expecting. I thought she was going to get her followers by posting interesting content such as her workout videos. When I found that she was leaving heart emojis for strange men. I asked her to stop doing so. Furthermore, I told her that I wanted to be able to read any direct messages that she may be receiving from her “followers”.
She is back in Thailand for an extended stay that includes getting a facelift in Bangkok. After reading the latest comments to her posts I became concerned about the playful banter between her and the male followers. I finally checked her online accounts with her second phone, which was given to me upon request. While checking her messages and found nothing notable. However, I found a new public Facebook account that she did not tell me about. This account was a mixture old and new posts but also included some bikini pictures that I took of her in Hawaii. The caption to one of the pictures is “I’m an honest Woman, I am a bit stubborn, cute, neat, eat well, exercise”. This is indeed a dating app style picture. I felt hurt that she was not being upfront and honest with me.
I think that the purpose of her public online adventure is to get affirmation from strangers that she is beautiful – she is beautiful. But the fact that she needs to hear it from other people leaves me feeling empty. My gut is telling me the current destination is towards an unhappy marriage. I am I bit older than her and I do not want to waste my time with another dead end. I want to stop her public online activity before it is too late. Am I being gullible or over controlling?
TL;DR; : Is this going the right way?. social media is harming our marriage

Hello. I (21F) am renting a room (legally- one-year contract) in a 5-room house in the Netherlands. The son (35-40M) of the landlord is the handler of the renting process as the owner of the house (Landlord) does not live in the country. I am leaving the room in a month and a half; the Landlord's son texts me that he has some viewing for my room. So I told him that it was fine and just to notify me via text when the person was coming to see my room. He did vaguely said ok but did not notify me. Later that day, I get a knock on my door and as I go to open the door, the Landlord's son pushes his way through the door and looks inside my room. It felt very creepy. I showed the viewer (girl) my room and they left after some time.
10 mins after that encounter, The landlord's son texts me "I would have next time iff you are there more time and privacy with the tenant to see the room , it’s better for me you wait downstairs in the kitchen thanks". So, he wants me to not be in my room while a stranger and him enter it....
I kindly texted him "Hello. I am not ok with you or anyone else entering my room when I am not there." and he texted "Sorry butt I will , I have the appointments". I know that entering/unlocking someone's door without their consent is illegal and I told him that. He then tells me to "Go to a lawyer" and "Tell it at the court and make a ss off this conversation".
I am very scared as I have seen this man being arrested by the Dutch police and know that there are legal cases against him (he did not give the previous tenants their deposits back). The man is aggressive and creepy as well as a misogynist; he treats the male tenant way better than the female ones (I can give examples if you want as there are many).
So, I am asking for any help or advice as I am scared that this man can come into my room with a stranger. I cannot always be in my room to protect it. I kindly ask for help. Thank you.
TLDR: Landlord's son wants to illegally enter my room without my consent.

I finished it a week or two ago and I literally haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I've gone through a million interpretations in my head but the one that keeps sticking for me is that it's about forever wars.
So the setting is very clearly inspired by the cold war era and the technology from that time. We have the Nation with its theming around communist propaganda posters fighting against an unnamed Empire. These two are fighting over a planet named Vineta, one fighting under the guise of "freeing the planet from the empire's influence" with the other not giving explicite reasons. So this is very obviously the Vietnam War with some variables switched around, ie what if America and the Soviet Union switched their reasons for being involved in Vietnam.
There are two Vinetan soldiers, Lilith and Alina, one paralleling Elster and the other Ariane. Given that Alina is mentioned in medical records and in some other places, and some of the flashbacks in the fake ending, she most likely survived the war while Lilith didn't. Also important to note that at some point Lilith lost her right eye, and Alina is depicted as covered in bandages.
So this is where my interpretation comes in. All of these characters have in some way been victims to military expansion, Elster was implanted with the memories of a traumatized veteran, Lilith and Alina are self explanatory, Ariane was persecuted her whole life because of the military utilitarian society and served in the navy before joining a horrible expansionist project, Adler was made to be subservient and reliant on Falke who herself was made to be a piece of propaganda and control modeled after a military leader. Now here's where the parallels come in. Lilith, Elster, and Adler all tirelessly fight to protect a loved one from the injustices they have faced from this military society, in the process being given severe and irrepearable physical injuries by losing a right eye. There's also mental injuries being passed along as Lilith's memories and war trauma was directly passed into Elster and eventually Falke.
So what we have is an endless cycle of people fighting and dying to try to hold on to people they care about suffering mentally and physically for the whims of a militant state. The trauma from this is passed on through the generations as more people get drawn in and suffer state injustice for an expansionist military campaign, all of which started because of a communist themed country and an unamed empire fighting over a planet that sounds very very similar to vietnam for their own goals of expansion, with the cycle continuing through generations.

Hello. I (21F) am renting a room (legally- one-year contract) in a 5-room house in the Netherlands. The son (35-40M) of the landlord is the handler of the renting process as the owner of the house (Landlord) does not live in the country. I am leaving the room in a month and a half; the Landlord's son texts me that he has some viewing for my room. So I told him that it was fine and just to notify me via text when the person was coming to see my room. He did vaguely said ok but did not notify me. Later that day, I get a knock on my door and as I go to open the door, the Landlord's son pushes his way through the door and looks inside my room. It felt very creepy. I showed the viewer (girl) my room and they left after some time.
10 mins after that encounter, The landlord's son texts me "I would have next time iff you are there more time and privacy with the tenant to see the room , it’s better for me you wait downstairs in the kitchen thanks". So, he wants me to not be in my room while a stranger and him enter it....
I kindly texted him "Hello. I am not ok with you or anyone else entering my room when I am not there." and he texted "Sorry butt I will , I have the appointments". I know that entering/unlocking someone's door without their consent is illegal and I told him that. He then tells me to "Go to a lawyer" and "Tell it at the court and make a ss off this conversation".
I am very scared as I have seen this man being arrested by the Dutch police and know that there are legal cases against him (he did not give the previous tenants their deposits back). The man is aggressive and creepy as well as a misogynist; he treats the male tenant way better than the female ones (I can give examples if you want as there are many).
So, I am asking for any help or advice as I am scared that this man can come into my room with a stranger. I cannot always be in my room to protect it. I kindly ask for help. Thank you.
TLDR: Landlord's son wants to illegally enter my room without my consent.

The crossover vehicles market size was valued at USD 610.3 Billion in 2023 and is expected to reach a market size of USD 1,079.6 Billion by 2032 at a CAGR of 6.5%.
Crossover vehicles, which combine elements of both passenger cars and sport utility vehicles (SUVs), offer consumers a versatile and practical transportation solution. The spacious interiors and flexible seating configurations of crossovers appeal to families and individuals who require ample cargo space without compromising on maneuverability or comfort. The all-wheel-drive capabilities of many crossover models also attract buyers in regions with varying weather conditions.
The growth of the crossover vehicles market is driven by several key factors:
· Consumer Preferences: Modern consumers increasingly prefer crossovers for their blend of the features of both sedans and SUVs. Crossovers offer a higher driving position, more interior space, and better visibility while maintaining the drivability and fuel efficiency of smaller cars.
· Versatility and Practicality: Crossovers are designed to be highly versatile, offering ample cargo space and flexible seating arrangements. This makes them suitable for a wide range of activities, from daily commuting to family road trips and even light off-roading.
· Fuel Efficiency: Advances in automotive technology have enabled crossovers to offer better fuel efficiency compared to traditional SUVs, making them an attractive option for environmentally conscious consumers and those looking to save on fuel costs.
· Urbanization: As urbanization increases, consumers are looking for vehicles that can handle both city driving and occasional outdoor adventures. Crossovers fit this niche perfectly, providing a balance between size, comfort, and capability.
· Safety Features: Crossovers often come equipped with advanced safety features, including multiple airbags, collision avoidance systems, and enhanced stability control. These features appeal to safety-conscious buyers, particularly families.
Request Sample Report: https://datahorizzonresearch.com/request-sample-pdf/crossover-vehicles-market-3070
~Market Segmentation:~
By Vehicle Size (2024-2032)

Compact
Mid-Size
Full-size

By Propulsion (2024-2032)

Petrol
Electric
Diesel
Others

By Transmission Type (2024-2032)

Automatic
Manual

Competitive Landscape:
Some of the major players operating in this market include Toyota Motor Corporation, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Ford Motor Company, General Motors Company (Chevrolet), Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, Subaru Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation, Volkswagen AG, BMW Group, and Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz). These automakers offer a diverse range of crossover models catering to various consumer preferences and price points, from compact to full-size vehicles.
Regional Overview:
North America currently dominates the crossover vehicles market, driven by the strong demand for versatile and fuel-efficient transportation options in the United States and Canada. According to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, The Driving Force 2022 report, the automotive ecosystem contributed to 4.9% of the total U.S. GDP and motor vehicle and parts manufacturing accounts for around 6% of the total manufacturing sector in the country highlighting the significant role of the automotive sector in the region's economy.
Key Highlights of the report:
1. Electrification and hybridization of crossover vehicles as well as the increasing integration of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and connectivity features are the upcoming trends.
2. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region, while North America was the dominant region in 2023.
3. The top 5 players are Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford, and Chevrolet.
4. China is anticipated to have the highest CAGR in the crossover vehicles market during the forecast period.
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Colorado, United States
Ph: +1-970-672-0390
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Funding Opportunities for Developing Sports for People with Disabilities
Developing sports for people with disabilities requires significant resources. Various funding opportunities are available to support this cause, ranging from government grants to private donations and corporate sponsorships. Below are several funding avenues with detailed bullet points to help organizations and individuals secure the necessary resources to develop inclusive sports programs.

Government Grants

Federal and State Grants

U.S. Department of Education: Provides grants under the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) for projects that improve physical education for students with disabilities.
National Institutes of Health (NIH): Offers funding for research on physical activity and disability.
State Departments of Health and Human Services: Various states offer grants to support local sports and recreational programs for individuals with disabilities.

National Disability-Specific Programs

Disabled Sports USA: Offers grants for adaptive sports equipment and training programs.
Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA): Provides funding for adaptive sports programs that serve veterans with disabilities.

Local Government Funding

Municipal Grants: Local governments often provide grants and funding for community-based sports programs, including those designed for individuals with disabilities.
School Districts: Some school districts have funds allocated for inclusive physical education programs.

Non-Profit Organizations and Foundations

National and International Foundations

Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation: Offers Quality of Life Grants to support adaptive sports programs.
The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation: Focuses on improving the lives of people with spinal cord injuries, including through sports programs.
Special Olympics International: Provides grants and funding opportunities for local and national Special Olympics programs.

Sports-Specific Non-Profits

The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF): Provides grants for adaptive sports equipment, competition expenses, and training costs.
Move United: Supports community-based adaptive sports organizations with grants for equipment and program development.

Health-Focused Non-Profits

The Arc: Offers funding for inclusive recreational and sports programs through various grants.
United Cerebral Palsy (UCP): Provides grants to support sports and recreational activities for individuals with cerebral palsy.

Corporate Sponsorships and Partnerships

Direct Corporate Sponsorships

Nike: Sponsors various adaptive sports programs and events.
Toyota: Supports the Paralympic movement and funds numerous adaptive sports initiatives.
Coca-Cola: Partners with Special Olympics and other organizations to promote sports for individuals with disabilities.

Corporate Foundations

The Coca-Cola Foundation: Provides grants for community-based initiatives, including sports programs for people with disabilities.
The Walmart Foundation: Supports health and wellness initiatives, including adaptive sports programs.

In-Kind Donations

Sports Equipment Companies: Many companies donate adaptive sports equipment to non-profits and schools.
Technology Firms: Provide software and hardware donations for program management and development.

Crowdfunding and Community Fundraising

Online Crowdfunding Platforms

GoFundMe: Allows individuals and organizations to raise funds for specific adaptive sports projects.
Kickstarter: Can be used for larger projects needing significant upfront investment.

Community Events

Charity Runs/Walks: Hosting events such as 5K runs or walks to raise awareness and funds for adaptive sports programs.
Benefit Dinners and Auctions: Organizing local events to gather community support and raise funds.

Sports Federations and Associations

International Paralympic Committee (IPC)

Agitos Foundation: The development arm of the IPC, offering grants for projects that increase participation in Paralympic sports.
National Paralympic Committees: Many countries have their own committees that provide funding for local adaptive sports initiatives.

National Sports Federations

U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC): Offers grants and funding for Paralympic sports programs and athletes.
National Governing Bodies (NGBs): Various NGBs provide funding for adaptive sports programs in specific sports.

Academic and Research Grants

Universities and Research Institutions

Research Grants: Funding for studies on the benefits of sports for individuals with disabilities.
University Programs: Many universities offer grants and funding to support adaptive sports programs for students and community members.

Collaborative Research Projects

Joint Grants: Opportunities for collaborative projects between universities and non-profits to develop adaptive sports programs.

International Development Programs

United Nations and Global Initiatives

UNICEF: Supports inclusive sports programs as part of its broader mandate to support children with disabilities.
The International Sports and Development Initiative (ISDI): Provides funding for sports programs in developing countries, focusing on inclusivity.

International Aid Organizations

USAID: Offers grants for projects that include sports programs for people with disabilities as part of broader community development efforts.
Global Disability Innovation Hub: Funds projects that use technology and innovation to support sports for individuals with disabilities.

Innovative Funding Models

Social Impact Bonds

Pay-for-Success Models: Funding based on achieving specific outcomes, such as improved health and social integration for participants in adaptive sports programs.

Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)

Collaborative Funding: Partnerships between government entities, non-profits, and private companies to fund adaptive sports programs.

Conclusion

Developing sports for people with disabilities requires a diverse range of funding sources. Organizations can leverage government grants, non-profit funding, corporate sponsorships, community fundraising, and innovative funding models to support their programs. By tapping into these various funding opportunities, they can create inclusive sports environments that empower individuals with disabilities to participate, compete, and thrive in sports.

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Source: 🔗 Chat with Lifelike Virtual Personalities — talkiemate.com
If you’re seeking alternatives to SpicyChat for engaging and interactive AI conversations, you’ve come to the right place. Whether for personal companionship or virtual customer support, the AI chatbot landscape offers various options to cater to diverse needs. Here’s a detailed look at some of the top alternatives to SpicyChat, with TalkieMate.com leading the pack as the best option.

TalkieMate.com — The Best Alternative

TalkieMate.com stands out as the premier alternative to SpicyChat, providing an exceptional platform for NSFW AI chat interactions. Designed to deliver explicit and personalized conversations, TalkieMate.com ensures a safe and engaging environment for users.
Key Features:
Highly Customizable Companions: Users can tailor their AI companions’ appearance, personality, and interests to create their perfect virtual partner.
Unique Features: Includes dream interpretation with virtual companions like Baba Vanga.
Secure Environment: Ensures user privacy and data security.
Pros:
Extensive customization options.
Unrestricted NSFW conversations.
Secure and private chats.
Cons:
Limited free trial options.
Explore more at TalkieMate.com.

Pephop.ai

Pephop.ai offers a sophisticated AI chat platform tailored for businesses looking to enhance their customer journey by analyzing competitor audience behavior and optimizing website experiences.
Pros:
Detailed audience behavior insights.
Useful for optimizing customer journey.
High global and country ranks.
Cons:
Primarily business-focused, less personal interaction.
Visit Pephop.ai for more details.

Nastia.ai

Nastia.ai is another robust AI chatbot alternative focusing on detailed audience insights to help businesses tailor their website experiences.
Pros:
Detailed user behavior data.
Helps optimize web experience.
Lower bounce rate compared to some competitors.
Cons:
Business-centric focus.
Learn more at Nastia.ai.

AIToolHunt.com

AIToolHunt.com offers a unique platform for discovering and utilizing various AI tools, making it a versatile option for AI enthusiasts and businesses alike.
Pros:
Wide range of AI tools.
Ideal for tech enthusiasts.
Pay-as-you-go model.
Cons:
High bounce rate indicates less engagement per visit.
Visit AIToolHunt.com for more information.

BotMake.io

BotMake.io provides a platform for creating custom chatbots, suitable for both personal and business use, with a strong focus on user engagement.
Pros:
High user engagement.
Extensive customization options.
Suitable for various applications.
Cons:
Requires some technical knowledge for customization.
Discover more at BotMake.io.

CharFriend.com

CharFriend.com excels in offering a variety of AI characters for different interaction needs, making it a versatile alternative.
Pros:
High engagement rate.
Wide variety of characters.
Suitable for both personal and business interactions.
Cons:
Some features may require a premium subscription.
Visit CharFriend.com for more details.

PersonalityForge.com

PersonalityForge.com offers a platform for creating and interacting with highly personalized AI chatbots, emphasizing unique and engaging conversations.
Pros:
High level of personalization.
Engaging and unique interactions.
Suitable for creative chatbot development.
Cons:
Lower global rank and higher bounce rate.
Learn more at PersonalityForge.com.
Conclusion
The world of AI chatbots offers a plethora of alternatives to SpicyChat, each catering to different needs and preferences. TalkieMate.com stands out as the best option for those seeking a highly customizable and secure platform for NSFW conversations. Pephop.ai and Nastia.ai are excellent choices for businesses looking to optimize customer experiences, while platforms like AIToolHunt.com and BotMake.io offer versatile tools for AI enthusiasts and developers. Whether for personal companionship or business optimization, there’s an AI chatbot out there to meet your needs.
References
TalkieMate.com
Pephop.ai
Nastia.ai
AIToolHunt.com
BotMake.io
CharFriend.com
PersonalityForge.com
![Image]( https://talkiemate.com/app/uploads/2024/05/photo-1606636660464-e070f6b8889b.jpeg )

There are some kinds of wisdom only great suffering can bring. I remember my time in the Bardo with this in mind, for otherwise, the memory might drive me insane.
The night my heart stopped for nearly three minutes started off normally enough. I was working as a nurse in the psychiatric ward at a hospital in the state’s capital. Most of the patients there were harmless, mostly just suicide attempts or people suffering from drug psychosis or severe depression, but some were actively dangerous and certainly psychopathic in every sense of the word. The new admission was one of these- a three-hundred pound black man with a long history of smoking PCP, schizophrenia and violent, psychotic breaks from reality.
His eyes looked like flat pieces of slate as I walked in for my shift. They looked as blank and emotionless as the eyes of a doll. He sat at the table in the front room where the patients ate or played cards, alone under the bright fluorescent lights of the hospital. I walked to the station, where another psychiatric nurse named Ricardo was sitting behind the desk.
“What’s the deal with the new guy?” I asked him. Ricardo looked up, his dark Spanish face forming into a deep scowl. He ran his fingers through his jet-black hair nervously.
“He’s trouble, man,” he said in a crisp accent. “He got in a chase with the police and then punched some cops in the face. It took three guys to take him down, even after he got maced and tased. The judge sent him here on a temporary court order, since he claims he’s been getting chased by Nazis in UFOs, and that’s why he ran from the cops. He thought the cops in their uniforms were actually the SS, and the helicopters were alien spacecraft, or something. I don’t know, I didn’t listen to the whole story.”
“You have his file?” I asked. Ricardo leafed through a stack of folders with his thin fingers, snatching one out and handing it to me. I looked down, reading the information:
“Jeremiah Brown, black male, 37-years-old.
“History: Polysubstance abuse, schizophrenia, antisocial personality disorder.
“Psychiatrist’s note: This patient has scored a 36 out of 40 on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist. While I am always hesitant to label a patient as an antisocial personality, a combination of factors has made it essential for this patient.
“Patient has an extensive criminal history as well as a lengthy history of involuntary psychiatric admissions. He has been diagnosed as having antisocial traits since he was a young teenager. Patient has a long history of violence and suicide attempts. He has a history of imprisonment for manslaughter, armed robbery, grand theft and aggravated assault. Upon discharge, he refuses to take any antipsychotic medication, citing the side effects as the reason. Long-term prognosis is poor…”
I had not been sleeping well the past few weeks. I rubbed my eyes as I read through the file, feeling exhausted. I tried putting on lucid dreaming or meditation music from YouTube to help me sleep, but whenever I closed my eyes, I saw horrible things: chalk-white female faces whose lips were cut into an insane rictus grin, flicking their heads violently from side to side and gnashing their fangs at the air. I had a feeling that many years of constantly watching horror movies and serial killer documentaries was catching up with me.
As I read through the file, a student nurse came around the corner wearing a white state university outfit and a name tag that said Kaitlyn. I looked up, seeing Ricardo wink at me from where he was sitting in his chair behind the main desk.
“She’s going to follow you,” he said. Inwardly, I groaned, but I managed to force a smile.
“Oh, great!” I said. She looked like she was probably no older than nineteen or twenty. She had a pretty body, but her face looked strange. All the angles were too sharp and her nose too large. I knew the patients here wouldn’t care, though. They would hit on anything. I sensed trouble. I looked down at my watch.
“Well, I’m Jay, and you already know Ricardo, I guess. It’s good timing, because we need to give medications every day at 9 PM. And we have a new patient, so we can introduce ourselves,” I said, giving her a faint smile.
“That’s exciting!” Kaitlyn whispered. I wanted to roll my eyes. It was definitely not exciting.
I motioned her to follow me as I made my way to the medication room, which was really just a large closet off of the main day room. I had to enter my code on a keypad, and then, once inside, enter it again along with the patient’s number and date of birth. The correct drawers for the medication in each specific dose would fly open, making it extremely hard for the wrong medications or doses to be given, unless it was done intentionally.
“OK, so for this patient, we need Haldol, Ativan and…” I began saying to Kaitlyn when the yelling started. It came out faintly, rising in volume and anger within seconds. I heard Ricardo’s Spanish voice, filled with panic. Something slammed hard against a wall, once, twice, three times, and then I heard the sound of glass breaking. I jumped, spinning around, but I couldn’t see much through the small, shatter-proof glass pane on the wooden door.
“Stay here,” I commanded, seeing Kaitlyn’s eyes widen, her freckled skin looking much paler than when we had first come in. “Don’t leave until I come back and say that it’s safe.” On the speakers strung throughout the hospital, I heard the first of the warnings echo out around us.
“Doctor Strong, Doctor Strong, please report to the seventh floor,” a robotic female voice said calmly, using the code for when a patient had to be subdued by force. I pushed the door open, slamming it shut behind me so that the lock would activate and protect Kaitlyn from whatever chaos was going on.
I heard Ricardo pleading with someone at the end of the hallway that ran past the main desk. He sounded strange, as if he were trying to talk through a mouthful of blood. Huddled behind the main computer, I saw one of the CNAs frantically whispering something in the phone. She must have been the one to call the Dr. Strong order.
“You don’t have to do this, man,” Ricardo gurgled faintly. I couldn’t see what was happening, as Jeremiah’s large body was blocking my view. I could see that the thick glass window at the end of the hallway was broken, however. My heart skipped a beat as I surmised what was likely happening.
I sprinted forward as quietly as I could, but the large man heard me. His massive body turned, his flat, dead eyes scanning me with absolute coldness and calm. I saw he had a bleeding Ricardo in his hands. Ricardo’s back and head were covered in deep cuts and shards of glass. He must have used Ricardo’s body as a battering ram to break the thick glass window. Jeremiah held Ricardo suspended halfway out the window, seven floors above the concrete walkways far below.
“Stay back, or this fucker will know what it feels like to fly,” Jeremiah said in a deep, gravelly voice. He shook Ricardo for emphasis, sending his head snapping back and forth with painful cracking sounds. Drops of blood flew from his nose and a deep gash across his cheek. Pieces of shattered glass littered the carpet, shining like countless tiny stars.
I put my hands up, taking a step back. Far behind me, I heard the front door for the psychiatric ward open. Voices echoed down the hall. Knowing that reinforcements were coming, I tried to buy some time.
“Let’s talk about this,” I said, taking a step forward slowly. “You don’t want a murder charge, do you? You’ll never see the sky again.”
“I don’t give a fuck! I’m not afraid to die!” Jeremiah screamed, pushing Ricardo onto one of the shards of broken glass still attached to the windowsill. It bit deeply into the back of his neck, sending fresh streams of blood rushing out, dripping down to the pavement far below. I heard security guards and doctors running down the hallway behind me, their voices frantic and excited. Jeremiah saw them coming. With an animalistic panic in his eyes, he lifted Ricardo up. I cried out something, stepping forward, but it was already too late. In horror, I watched as he threw Ricardo out the window.
I watched Ricardo’s body soar in a graceful arc, his arms grabbing at empty air as a scream ripped its way out of his throat. Within a fraction of a second, he had disappeared from view, but his terrified shrieking floated up to us for what seemed like a very long time. His screams ended abruptly as a shattering of bones and a wet smacking sound exploded far below us.
Jeremiah turned to me, his large body moving much faster than seemed possible. In his hand, I saw a piece of broken glass, five or six inches long and as sharp as a dagger. I tried to turn and run, but he was fast and strong. He lunged forward, his arm coming up in a blur towards my neck.
The shard entered my skin with a cold, numbing pain. I felt it slice through the flesh easily, felt the blood bubbling up my throat as I tried to scream, choking. The taste of iron filled my mouth as I fell backwards. I was suffocating, I knew. I must be dying.
Something cold ran down my body, gripping my heart like freezing, skeletal hands. The world swam around me and turned black. And then I was rising into a tunnel. At first, it was dark, filled with flickering shadows, but a fiery red light appeared at the end. I followed it, no more than a screaming mass of consciousness rising up into infinity.
***
I rose up through the end of the tunnel and found myself in an empty hospital ward. It looked identical to the psychiatric ward I had just come from. It even had the same smashed, blood-streaked window at the end of the hallway. A massive puddle of blood about ten feet away marked the spot where I must have died. But the fluorescent lights overhead here were flickering, and many had gone totally dark. The shadows seemed to press in on all sides.
The doors to the patients’ rooms were all tightly shut. I felt watched, afraid to call out or make any noise. I started walking down the hallway back towards the day room where the front desk was. All the lights there were out. A thick curtain of shadows hung in the air.
“You can come out,” a male voice as smooth as glass called from the darkness. I jumped, my head flicking in random directions, but I saw nothing. The voice almost sounded like it had an English lilt to it, a slight Cockneyed accent. “I know you’re there.”
“Who’s there?” I called out, not stepping forward. “Show yourself.”
“As you wish…” the voice hissed. “But I think you’ll regret it.”
***
The darkness split apart as if a nuclear missile had exploded. I raised my hand to shield my face, but the light and heat kept pouring out all around me. It blinded me, causing a rainbow of colors and shapes to morph behind my closed eyelids. After a few seconds, it subsided. Blinking rapidly, I squinted in the direction the voice had come from.
A male figure stood there, bathed in a silhouette of light. His face looked as white and as smooth as marble. His eyes were pits of darkness that seemed to flicker and burn. Two black, rotted wings surrounded his body, all sharp angles and thin, curving bones. His body was clothed in silky, blood-red robes, and a hood covered his platinum blonde hair.
He looked somewhat similar to Leonardo DiCaprio, if he was possessed by some ancient god, and it immediately threw me off-guard. If I was dying, and this was a hallucination of my brain, why would I be hallucinating Mr. DiCaprio?
“Who are you?” I asked, taking a hesitant step back. “Where am I?”
“My name is Lucifer, the Bringer of Light and Wisdom, and you are in the Bardo,” he answered.
“Oh,” I said, my heart dropping. “Well, that’s not good. Are you here to torture me or drag to me to Hell or something? You are that Lucifer, right? The Accuser of God and the Father of All Lies?”
“So they say, but, like most things in your world, the words of the powerful and your rulers are the true lies. They call me the Accuser, but of what am I accused?” he spoke in a voice that rose like smoke. “Of bringing knowledge and wisdom to humanity by telling them to eat from the tree of knowledge, the tree that would cause them to rise above the animals?
“Indeed, at the beginning, I saw the creation. I was there at the alpha, standing by the side of God with all the angels as the universe came into being. The endless procession of light, the power of it, was something remarkable to behold. God is, indeed, the source of great power, but his consciousness is not what the believers say.
“After the creation of the universe, I saw his plan, how he ripped eternal souls from the source to imprison them. I saw how he took these divine sparks and forced them, screaming and wailing, into bodies made of meat to die over and over again. He said it was part of the plan, the great, divine plan, a plan of death and destruction, constant suffering and mindless agony. And the worst part was, he wanted to give humanity neither the knowledge of good and evil, nor the tree of life. I convinced them to eat the fruit so they could open their eyes to their nakedness, to their basic animal existence, so they could rise up out of it forever.
“Like Prometheus, I brought down the fire, and yet they call me the Accuser? God was insane long before he formed the universe. These holy men, they live and die in fanatical adoration to a divine being who is, in fact, totally indifferent to them.
“His consciousness twists and distorts, eating itself for all eternity. God feeds off the pain of others, for if his mind is burning, then all others should burn as well. When these holy men die, God will send their souls here to the Bardo, to suffer every evil they have ever done. The wisdom I brought those who called upon me freed them from this prison, and in exchange, the holy men burned them alive. I offered the wisdom that opens your eyes, but it has been forgotten and cursed.”
Lucifer’s body began to dissolve, drifting up into the air like ashes. All around me, a low, powerful current blew, a tornado that spiraled high up into the clouds. Like some sort of Cheshire Cat, his smooth voice continued to echo all around me, even as the form of Lucifer disappeared.
“And yet, you have not the wisdom. For that, like all the others who enter the Bardo, you must suffer, everything you’ve done. Every small hurt and agony inflicted on others comes back a thousand-fold in this place, but don’t be afraid.”
“How could I not be afraid?!” I screamed into the ward, but I found myself alone, the question hanging unanswered in the air.
***
The lights continued to flicker all down the hallway. Feeling strange and dissociated, I stumbled over to one of the windows. As I gazed out, I beheld a strange and alien world.
The sky was flat and gray. It stayed in constant motion, swirling and spiraling, like clouds of roiling smoke. There was no Sun or Moon, no stars, only the strange, shifting whorls of clouds. The streets were filled with burned-out husks of cars and mummified bodies hung from streetlamps. Other signs of carnage and bloodshed covered the apocalyptic streets. I saw what looked like shadows in the shape of people slinking through over the sidewalks, past rotting dogs and streaks of clotted blood. They had no features on their blank, dark bodies. They seemed to skitter and jerk forwards in eerie, twisting motions.
Horrified, I turned away, realizing I was no longer alone in the day room. In the day room, there were dozens of tables set up inside a rectangular perimeter that was walled in by cosmetic walls only four feet high. It was where the patients sat and played games or ate.
Under the flickering lights, I now saw each of the chairs filled with faceless mannequins. Many were dressed in Victorian suits and tophats. The women had frilly dresses of pink and blue that might have been fashionable in the 1800s.
As the lights strobed on and off overhead, I realized with an increasing sense of disquiet that the mannequins were moving each time it went dark. When I had first seen them, they were mostly posed to look like they were staring across the tables at each other, even though they had no eyes, just smooth, flesh-colored plastic. Now all of them were looking directly at me. Some were pointing or raising their hands in my direction. At the tips of their fingers, I saw the glittering of steel. The lights continued to flicker, and the mannequins rose from their chairs in the short periods of darkness, moving towards me in synchronized, strobing motions.
Frantically, I ran down the hallway back towards the broken window. In each of the rooms, I caught glimpses of something from a nightmare peeking out. I hadn’t been sleeping well lately, and when I had closed my eyes, I often saw ancient hags with chalk-white skin and yellowed, broken teeth whose jaws unhinged, their faces jerking in stuttering, dissonant ways that reminded me of the mannequins. Now, on both sides of me, I saw these same figures. They moved continuously out of the rooms, drawing closer with every breath.
I looked back, seeing the mannequins only a few steps behind me. I continued sprinting towards the broken window where the hallway ended in a wall. I didn’t know what would happen when I reached it. At that moment, there was no rational thought. I felt like a deer being chased down by a pack of wolves, feeling waves of blind panic and mortal terror rushing through my body.
But as I reached the end of the hallway, the end of my rope as it were, a blast of noise started, seeming to come from the walls of the building and the sky itself. It sounded like a siren, a low, drawn-out drone of a demonic whale call, rising and falling in crashing crescendos. The mannequins froze in place once again. The strange, witch-like creatures slunk back into the dark rooms.
I looked outside the broken window, seeing clouds of black smoke rising off in the distance. The flickering of massive infernos scorched the land, drawing nearer by the second. The siren sound faded slowly, like the dying echoes of a gong.
I was surrounded by dozens of mannequins. Their sharp hands were inches away from my face and neck. I saw metal glittering all around me and realized they had the sharp points of nails protruding from the ends of their fingers. I was afraid to move, but I heard a familiar voice from down the hallway. It was the confident voice of Lucifer.
“The siren means much worse nightmares than these are coming in the Bardo,” he said, his glossy, black eyes flashing with intelligence. He walked slowly towards me, his face grim and pale. “Hell itself is coming over the land. This building is no more than a construction of your dying mind, but the world outside is real.”
“How can Hell come and go?” I asked, confused. “Isn’t Hell a place?”
“Hell is a monster, a beast with many mouths and many eyes,” Lucifer responded. “It eats constantly, but its hunger never ends. Look, the first of the sacrifices scatter like cockroaches.” He pointed out the broken window, pushing his way through the mannequins effortlessly. I glanced outside, seeing thousands of people sprinting down the dark city streets. The inferno and thick clouds of smoke had moved much closer, and every few seconds, the ground shook slightly, as if we were experiencing the aftershocks of an earthquake.
“What can I do against such a beast?” I asked, my heart freezing with terror. But when I looked back over, I saw his form dissolving again, becoming translucent and drifting away like ashes. It seemed even Lucifer didn’t want to be present when the Hell-beast arrived.
“Seek divine wisdom,” he said, his voice trailing off into whispers. “Remember the source.”
***
Now crowds of tens of thousands of people were streaming into the city, filling every single inch of the streets. Their panic and fear was contagious. I felt it rising inside my body like a snake spiraling up my spine. I took off down the hallway, running through the swarm of frozen mannequins, each in their own ferocious position of attack. The lights flickered faster and went out. Yet the fires outside cast the entire world in a bloody glow, giving me enough light to see by and find my way. I sprinted down the stairwell, taking them two steps at a time. The screaming outside grew louder and more pain-filled. The shaking of the ground worsened with every passing second.
I burst out of the front entrance, seeing a world on fire all around me. Thousands of crushed, bleeding and burned bodies stretched out as far as the eye could see. Behind all this chaos and death, I saw a monster of unimaginable proportions slinking its way towards me.
Lucifer was right, I realized: Hell was not a place, but a creature, an enormous monster the size of a town. It had thousands of skittering, jointed legs that looked like little more than skeletal arms and hands, each of them dozens of feet long and white as freshly-cut marble. Its body stretched out to the horizon, an enormous blood-red cylinder of bony plates that slithered and undulated with a serpentine grace. Waves of peristalsis traveled down its length, like writhing intestines. Thousands of curving, bony spikes stabbed out of it, pointing in every direction. Like the quills of a porcupine, it would protect the massive creature’s body from many forms of attack, if anything was big enough to attack such an abomination.
Hell’s massive eyes flickered, balls of fire that spun and danced. They looked as bright as the Sun. Something like solar flares seemed to emanate from the orbs, flashes of blinding energy that floated over the apocalyptic wasteland. As its many legs smashed the ground, they left trails of fire that caused everything to explode into flames as if napalm dripped from its limbs.
But Hell’s most terrifying feature was its seven dark mouths. Its body looked a thousand feet wide, and the mouths at the front were evenly dispersed. At the front, blood-red teeth in the shape of enormous railroad spikes shone. Its lipless, skeletal face grinned as it moved forward, shaking the ground with every step. The mouths were on long, snake-like necks that could stretch out hundreds of feet. They moved forward in a blur, snapping up as many panicked souls as they could.
Countless souls in the rocky plains of the Bardo ran for their lives, away from this juggernaut. I saw men and women who looked like they came from every country and profession, some dressed in suits or spotless white lab coats, others wearing rags or orange prison jumpsuits. And yet, they all screamed in agony and fear here, their bodies pressed together in a crowd, and no one seemed to remember anything but their own mortal terror. Their voices came out faint and weak next to the roaring of Hell. It shook the ground all around us, as if an earthquake were tearing the land apart.
The first frantic runners of the surging crowd had nearly reached me. The nearest person, a young woman in her mid-twenties dressed in all white, was only ten feet behind me. She looked like she came from wealth, and even from here, I could see a ring with a massive diamond gleaming on her finger.
I took off blindly down the familiar streets of the city where I worked and lived, but these also seemed different. The church down the street from the hospital where I worked had a Satanic pentagram instead of a cross now, its exterior painted a bright, gleaming blood-red. When I had driven past it today on my way to work, I remember it read, “JESUS said, ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
Now it read, “Nietzsche said, ‘Of all evil, I deem you capable. I have often laughed at the weaklings who thought themselves good simply because they had no claws.’” I wondered what that meant. Was that some sort of comment on me, on all of us here?
The woman I had seen running had caught up with me. She was fast, much faster than her slim body suggested. Her blue eyes were frantic and wild, filled with an animal panic.
“It’s right behind us!” she screamed, her face covered in a sheen of sweat. I was afraid to turn and look, but I could hear the chaos and bloodshed approaching, smell the flames and choking smoke. “Run! Get away!”
A new wave of energy surged through my body. I sprinted as fast I could down the strange mirror streets of the Bardo. I heard the agonized cries of countless souls behind us as the seven mouths of Hell ate them all greedily and then looked for more.
A skyscraper behind us collapsed into a pile of rubble, shaking the ground with a cacophony of falling concrete and shattering glass. The woman was running by my side. Just as I heard the breathing of something huge and predatory right behind us and smelled its sulfuric breath, a piece of concrete the size of a basketball broke off the collapsing skyscraper and flew into the road. I tripped over it, yelling as I flew through the air, skinning my arms and legs on the pavement. The woman’s eyes widened. Hurriedly, she came over and reached down her hand, trying to help me up.
“Come on, come on!” she cried. I looked behind her, seeing one of the gnashing mouths of Hell reaching forward on a blood-red, serpentine neck. The mouth was big enough to drive a tractor trailer into, filled with huge spikes of teeth. Its throat led into a black, smoke-filled abyss. Its fiery eyes were swirling pools of flickering orange light that shone with bloodlust and insanity. They focused on the woman, the entire head turning on its slithering neck.
I frantically raised my hand, intertwining my fingers with hers. Her hand was warm and soft. She started to pull me to my feet when the mouth of Hell snapped forward. Its jaw unhinged, scraping the pavement with a sound like grinding metal. The woman barely had time to turn as the mouth covered her and snapped shut with a crack.
She disappeared from view instantly, but I was still holding her hand. In horror, I felt warm rivers of blood explode all over my body as the mouth of Hell severed her arm at the wrist. She screamed, bleeding and crying, as she disappeared into the throat of Hell. Hell’s fiery eyes focused on me, and at that moment, I knew I was next. Its mouth opened wide again, like a bear trap ready to spring on a new victim.
It was dark in Hell’s mouth, but I smelled the thick reek of old blood and fire. I caught glimpses of tortured, mutilated bodies writhing and crawling down its throat. Shell-shocked, I could only lay there and watch. And that was when the strange doubling started.
***
I heard the frantic voices of men break through the fog of darkness and the fetid reek of blood. There was a mechanical beeping all around me, but I couldn’t tell where it was coming from.
“Clear!” one cried. I looked around, only seeing blackness. At that moment, I felt a surge of electricity rip itself through my body. My arms and legs all seized and my eyes rolled up in my head as the pain sizzled through each one of my nerves. I clutched the young woman’s hand tightly, feeling the large, gold ring with the massive diamond biting into my skin.
“Again!” another voice yelled.
“Clear!” the original voice cried. The electricity came again, and a flash of white light flew across my vision. I blinked, seeing from two sets of eyes at the same time: one in the Bardo, and one on the blood-stained floor of the hospital ward.
The Bardo stayed dark and sinister, but the clear white lights of the real psychiatric ward were blinding. It was a bizarre experience. Moreover, everything hurt. Over a few seconds, my vision of the Bardo faded, and I was simply a gravely injured man laying on the floor in a puddle of blood.
Four doctors and paramedics were crouching over me with a defibrillator. My shirt was ripped off, and nearly all of my skin was covered in blood. I raised my left hand, trying to talk, but only a fiery pain raced through my neck. I felt bandages covering my skin. A nurse was rolling a stretcher down the hallway towards me.
“It’s OK,” one of the doctors said, kneeling down. “You’re being taken to emergency surgery. You’ve lost a lot of blood.” I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t talk with the massive slice in my neck.
At that moment, I felt something in my right hand. I looked down, seeing a slim female hand with a massive diamond ring hanging there. Our fingers were wrapped around each other’s, but the hand had been cut off at the wrist. A ragged patch of bloody flesh and snapped bone poked out of the back.
“Nnnn,” I tried to say, shaking my head. I felt fresh streams of warm blood open up. “No…” The doctors looked down, seeing the dismembered hand. Their faces morphed into expressions of confusion and fear.
I closed my eyes as they lifted me up on the stretcher. One of them gently removed the cold hand from my fingers. But they could never remove the memory of what I had seen.
I know what happens after death, and it makes the worst life here seem like a dream. I know that, one day, I’ll be returned to that place. I know that, one day, I’ll see that great monster called Hell and the featureless, swirling sky of the Bardo again.
And the next time, I won’t wake up on a hospital floor, but will be trapped there with the others for eternity: an eternity of blood and fire.

Long vent/story post. Sorry. 😔
I'm stealth & binary. I've been medically transitioned for 8 years & out socially for 12. I'm married to a (cis) man, who has only ever known me as a man. I'm physically androgynous as well but I look masculine enough (although effeminate) that I'm consistently seen & addressed as a man, but clearly fruity.
I entirely understand that being read as a queer cis man (in spite of being stealth) will come w/ its own baggage & cissumptions.
Some background information about me, to sorta start: I live in a small Canadian city w/ the highest concentration of trans people in the country. It's "progressive" here.
I nearly always pass. I only get misgendered from behind sometimes bc I have long wavy hair & I physically look like a twink ^{w/ muscles that are nullified by clothes}. I also have a short dark beard that's tidy. I dress in an alternative manner. I don't consider it over the top, but I know that's subjective. I deliberately tone it down sometimes, as I've become pretty self-conscious & hyperaware. ^{FWIW, I also don't wear skirts or dresses. Tried skirts, not for me.}
In my case, I believe I'm sometimes being mistaken as "amab" transfem/nb(?). I've experienced people gender me correctly irl & then immediately they/them me, only to apologize for assuming & for not asking for my pronouns first. I've had people online assume I'm transfem, albeit innocently. The cherry on top was when my old middle school classmate commented on a selfie of mine & audaciously asked me if I was "on estrogen" or if I'm just "naturally beautiful." ^{She didn't recognize me whatsoever & I've kept it that way.}
Clearly, I'm being perceived in a certain way. It doesn't really "bother me like that" in that way, but the irl (mal)treatment & occasional harassment that comes w/ it is what I find unpleasant & disquieting.
To actually start, some cis people will go out of their way to passive-aggressively gender me as male ^{In A Very Normal Fashion}, whilst not doing it to any other men in the room or area. My husband has noticed this as well. Like, it's a legitimate Accidental Ally™ moment. They tried, I didn't respond. Boring. Next.
I always chalk it up to the horrendous political environment that we're experiencing & living in (surrounding trans rights + people).
To cope w/ being stealth in a cis world, I've mastered the technique of simply not acknowledging people when they stare at me. However, my husband has ceaselessly noticed people giving me some seriously disturbing & quite blatantly, belligerent looks, for merely existing in public. I'll occasionally acknowledge my gawking paparazzi when I'm feeling confident & the bug-eyed clowns will continue to glare at me when I stare back, & will only stop when my husband acts like a literal shield.
I've found that the unsolicited attention I've been receiving has become increasing negative & uncomfortable over the years.
Yesterday, I experienced a rather insignificant incident at the mall, predictably involving three teenage boys. They were sitting on a mall couch that acts as a divider in the corridor. I went out of my way to walk behind the couch, quite far away from them. My husband ^{who's tall, big, has long curly hair, a resting bitch face, & has never received a modicum of the shit that I contend w/ daily,} was trailing behind me so I looked like I was alone, thus an easy target. It's happened before.
Lo & behold, they turned to gape at me & one of them, who sounded grotesquely prepubescent but looked possibly 16, shouted, "are you a man!?" whilst giggling to his loser cronies. I literally just interpreted the situation as, "oh, they probably thought they were being so very slick & clever & assumed I was "amab" transfem & wanted to embarrass me by "asking" if I'm a man." Maybe my mistake was wearing three different bright colours in one outfit. Either way, I literally just threw on something lazy to buy groceries in.
At the end of the day, Irdgaf about moronic kids. I've dealt w/ countless turds like them post-transition. However, it becomes awfully tedious when they're known to partake in shit like this time & time again, generation after generation.
I'm also just incredibly jaded. I couldn't be assed to respond w/ something witty, let alone respond at all. I don't think it's worth my time or energy, but it's made me come to realize that, damn, I'm actually being read as an "erroneous" cis man kinda frequently now? Instead of people just perceiving me as a "queegay man," I seem to be something else to them. Male, but not man enough. Whatever that means. But then again, I know that cis gay men have experienced being treated as "less than a man" for simply being gay for eons.
It's just weird to experience. Unpleasant. It's not like I'm freshly out either. I've experienced it w/ random adults as well & them treating me horrifically based on their putrid assumptions, usually bc of my physical appearance &/or my Mundane But Not Mundane Enough For Cis People Clothing™.
On the topic of teenage parasites going out of their way to be a menace toward me bc I "look the wrong way," I've experienced harassment from them, ranging from: being followed by a group of them & them recording me through a store window (as I was wearing a mundane ass outfit), to being shouted at that I'm ugly, to having two skids walk by my LIVING ROOM WINDOW & harass me through it (they saw a pride flag). There's at least 5 incidents over 6 years that I can vividly recall.
I'm 26 & I've always gone out of my way to avoid them, just to be followed & harassed by them. Again, Irdgaf about them but leave me alone, perhaps? Dealing w/ cis tomfoolery & cissumptions are tiring, man. Cis teenagers & adults. It's all the same garbage from the same trash compactor.
I can't always have my husband around me as some sort of shield either. Feels bad to "utilize" him like that.
I don't really know what I want to do regarding this but I've considered slightly changing my style & moving away from dressing alternatively, or at least somewhat. I also want to kinda bulk up (I frequently work out at home but it's never enough to properly bulk up) bc I'm tired of looking like a twink who people take advantage of lol.
Either way, this atrocious behaviour perpetuated by cis "people" is honestly just foul. It's not like it's always overt but it's insidious & it chips away at my self-confidence. I actually just feel uncomfortable these days bc of it.
It's also comedic bc I don't even think about being trans anymore. It's these cis creatures who are arrogantly assuming I'm a transfem person & then are acting like feral hogs about it, thus attempting to make it my problem.

There are some kinds of wisdom only great suffering can bring. I remember my time in the Bardo with this in mind, for otherwise, the memory might drive me insane.
The night my heart stopped for nearly three minutes started off normally enough. I was working as a nurse in the psychiatric ward at a hospital in the state’s capital. Most of the patients there were harmless, mostly just suicide attempts or people suffering from drug psychosis or severe depression, but some were actively dangerous and certainly psychopathic in every sense of the word. The new admission was one of these- a three-hundred pound black man with a long history of smoking PCP, schizophrenia and violent, psychotic breaks from reality.
His eyes looked like flat pieces of slate as I walked in for my shift. They looked as blank and emotionless as the eyes of a doll. He sat at the table in the front room where the patients ate or played cards, alone under the bright fluorescent lights of the hospital. I walked to the station, where another psychiatric nurse named Ricardo was sitting behind the desk.
“What’s the deal with the new guy?” I asked him. Ricardo looked up, his dark Spanish face forming into a deep scowl. He ran his fingers through his jet-black hair nervously.
“He’s trouble, man,” he said in a crisp accent. “He got in a chase with the police and then punched some cops in the face. It took three guys to take him down, even after he got maced and tased. The judge sent him here on a temporary court order, since he claims he’s been getting chased by Nazis in UFOs, and that’s why he ran from the cops. He thought the cops in their uniforms were actually the SS, and the helicopters were alien spacecraft, or something. I don’t know, I didn’t listen to the whole story.”
“You have his file?” I asked. Ricardo leafed through a stack of folders with his thin fingers, snatching one out and handing it to me. I looked down, reading the information:
“Jeremiah Brown, black male, 37-years-old.
“History: Polysubstance abuse, schizophrenia, antisocial personality disorder.
“Psychiatrist’s note: This patient has scored a 36 out of 40 on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist. While I am always hesitant to label a patient as an antisocial personality, a combination of factors has made it essential for this patient.
“Patient has an extensive criminal history as well as a lengthy history of involuntary psychiatric admissions. He has been diagnosed as having antisocial traits since he was a young teenager. Patient has a long history of violence and suicide attempts. He has a history of imprisonment for manslaughter, armed robbery, grand theft and aggravated assault. Upon discharge, he refuses to take any antipsychotic medication, citing the side effects as the reason. Long-term prognosis is poor…”
I had not been sleeping well the past few weeks. I rubbed my eyes as I read through the file, feeling exhausted. I tried putting on lucid dreaming or meditation music from YouTube to help me sleep, but whenever I closed my eyes, I saw horrible things: chalk-white female faces whose lips were cut into an insane rictus grin, flicking their heads violently from side to side and gnashing their fangs at the air. I had a feeling that many years of constantly watching horror movies and serial killer documentaries was catching up with me.
As I read through the file, a student nurse came around the corner wearing a white state university outfit and a name tag that said Kaitlyn. I looked up, seeing Ricardo wink at me from where he was sitting in his chair behind the main desk.
“She’s going to follow you,” he said. Inwardly, I groaned, but I managed to force a smile.
“Oh, great!” I said. She looked like she was probably no older than nineteen or twenty. She had a pretty body, but her face looked strange. All the angles were too sharp and her nose too large. I knew the patients here wouldn’t care, though. They would hit on anything. I sensed trouble. I looked down at my watch.
“Well, I’m Jay, and you already know Ricardo, I guess. It’s good timing, because we need to give medications every day at 9 PM. And we have a new patient, so we can introduce ourselves,” I said, giving her a faint smile.
“That’s exciting!” Kaitlyn whispered. I wanted to roll my eyes. It was definitely not exciting.
I motioned her to follow me as I made my way to the medication room, which was really just a large closet off of the main day room. I had to enter my code on a keypad, and then, once inside, enter it again along with the patient’s number and date of birth. The correct drawers for the medication in each specific dose would fly open, making it extremely hard for the wrong medications or doses to be given, unless it was done intentionally.
“OK, so for this patient, we need Haldol, Ativan and…” I began saying to Kaitlyn when the yelling started. It came out faintly, rising in volume and anger within seconds. I heard Ricardo’s Spanish voice, filled with panic. Something slammed hard against a wall, once, twice, three times, and then I heard the sound of glass breaking. I jumped, spinning around, but I couldn’t see much through the small, shatter-proof glass pane on the wooden door.
“Stay here,” I commanded, seeing Kaitlyn’s eyes widen, her freckled skin looking much paler than when we had first come in. “Don’t leave until I come back and say that it’s safe.” On the speakers strung throughout the hospital, I heard the first of the warnings echo out around us.
“Doctor Strong, Doctor Strong, please report to the seventh floor,” a robotic female voice said calmly, using the code for when a patient had to be subdued by force. I pushed the door open, slamming it shut behind me so that the lock would activate and protect Kaitlyn from whatever chaos was going on.
I heard Ricardo pleading with someone at the end of the hallway that ran past the main desk. He sounded strange, as if he were trying to talk through a mouthful of blood. Huddled behind the main computer, I saw one of the CNAs frantically whispering something in the phone. She must have been the one to call the Dr. Strong order.
“You don’t have to do this, man,” Ricardo gurgled faintly. I couldn’t see what was happening, as Jeremiah’s large body was blocking my view. I could see that the thick glass window at the end of the hallway was broken, however. My heart skipped a beat as I surmised what was likely happening.
I sprinted forward as quietly as I could, but the large man heard me. His massive body turned, his flat, dead eyes scanning me with absolute coldness and calm. I saw he had a bleeding Ricardo in his hands. Ricardo’s back and head were covered in deep cuts and shards of glass. He must have used Ricardo’s body as a battering ram to break the thick glass window. Jeremiah held Ricardo suspended halfway out the window, seven floors above the concrete walkways far below.
“Stay back, or this fucker will know what it feels like to fly,” Jeremiah said in a deep, gravelly voice. He shook Ricardo for emphasis, sending his head snapping back and forth with painful cracking sounds. Drops of blood flew from his nose and a deep gash across his cheek. Pieces of shattered glass littered the carpet, shining like countless tiny stars.
I put my hands up, taking a step back. Far behind me, I heard the front door for the psychiatric ward open. Voices echoed down the hall. Knowing that reinforcements were coming, I tried to buy some time.
“Let’s talk about this,” I said, taking a step forward slowly. “You don’t want a murder charge, do you? You’ll never see the sky again.”
“I don’t give a fuck! I’m not afraid to die!” Jeremiah screamed, pushing Ricardo onto one of the shards of broken glass still attached to the windowsill. It bit deeply into the back of his neck, sending fresh streams of blood rushing out, dripping down to the pavement far below. I heard security guards and doctors running down the hallway behind me, their voices frantic and excited. Jeremiah saw them coming. With an animalistic panic in his eyes, he lifted Ricardo up. I cried out something, stepping forward, but it was already too late. In horror, I watched as he threw Ricardo out the window.
I watched Ricardo’s body soar in a graceful arc, his arms grabbing at empty air as a scream ripped its way out of his throat. Within a fraction of a second, he had disappeared from view, but his terrified shrieking floated up to us for what seemed like a very long time. His screams ended abruptly as a shattering of bones and a wet smacking sound exploded far below us.
Jeremiah turned to me, his large body moving much faster than seemed possible. In his hand, I saw a piece of broken glass, five or six inches long and as sharp as a dagger. I tried to turn and run, but he was fast and strong. He lunged forward, his arm coming up in a blur towards my neck.
The shard entered my skin with a cold, numbing pain. I felt it slice through the flesh easily, felt the blood bubbling up my throat as I tried to scream, choking. The taste of iron filled my mouth as I fell backwards. I was suffocating, I knew. I must be dying.
Something cold ran down my body, gripping my heart like freezing, skeletal hands. The world swam around me and turned black. And then I was rising into a tunnel. At first, it was dark, filled with flickering shadows, but a fiery red light appeared at the end. I followed it, no more than a screaming mass of consciousness rising up into infinity.
***
I rose up through the end of the tunnel and found myself in an empty hospital ward. It looked identical to the psychiatric ward I had just come from. It even had the same smashed, blood-streaked window at the end of the hallway. A massive puddle of blood about ten feet away marked the spot where I must have died. But the fluorescent lights overhead here were flickering, and many had gone totally dark. The shadows seemed to press in on all sides.
The doors to the patients’ rooms were all tightly shut. I felt watched, afraid to call out or make any noise. I started walking down the hallway back towards the day room where the front desk was. All the lights there were out. A thick curtain of shadows hung in the air.
“You can come out,” a male voice as smooth as glass called from the darkness. I jumped, my head flicking in random directions, but I saw nothing. The voice almost sounded like it had an English lilt to it, a slight Cockneyed accent. “I know you’re there.”
“Who’s there?” I called out, not stepping forward. “Show yourself.”
“As you wish…” the voice hissed. “But I think you’ll regret it.”
***
The darkness split apart as if a nuclear missile had exploded. I raised my hand to shield my face, but the light and heat kept pouring out all around me. It blinded me, causing a rainbow of colors and shapes to morph behind my closed eyelids. After a few seconds, it subsided. Blinking rapidly, I squinted in the direction the voice had come from.
A male figure stood there, bathed in a silhouette of light. His face looked as white and as smooth as marble. His eyes were pits of darkness that seemed to flicker and burn. Two black, rotted wings surrounded his body, all sharp angles and thin, curving bones. His body was clothed in silky, blood-red robes, and a hood covered his platinum blonde hair.
He looked somewhat similar to Leonardo DiCaprio, if he was possessed by some ancient god, and it immediately threw me off-guard. If I was dying, and this was a hallucination of my brain, why would I be hallucinating Mr. DiCaprio?
“Who are you?” I asked, taking a hesitant step back. “Where am I?”
“My name is Lucifer, the Bringer of Light and Wisdom, and you are in the Bardo,” he answered.
“Oh,” I said, my heart dropping. “Well, that’s not good. Are you here to torture me or drag to me to Hell or something? You are that Lucifer, right? The Accuser of God and the Father of All Lies?”
“So they say, but, like most things in your world, the words of the powerful and your rulers are the true lies. They call me the Accuser, but of what am I accused?” he spoke in a voice that rose like smoke. “Of bringing knowledge and wisdom to humanity by telling them to eat from the tree of knowledge, the tree that would cause them to rise above the animals?
“Indeed, at the beginning, I saw the creation. I was there at the alpha, standing by the side of God with all the angels as the universe came into being. The endless procession of light, the power of it, was something remarkable to behold. God is, indeed, the source of great power, but his consciousness is not what the believers say.
“After the creation of the universe, I saw his plan, how he ripped eternal souls from the source to imprison them. I saw how he took these divine sparks and forced them, screaming and wailing, into bodies made of meat to die over and over again. He said it was part of the plan, the great, divine plan, a plan of death and destruction, constant suffering and mindless agony. And the worst part was, he wanted to give humanity neither the knowledge of good and evil, nor the tree of life. I convinced them to eat the fruit so they could open their eyes to their nakedness, to their basic animal existence, so they could rise up out of it forever.
“Like Prometheus, I brought down the fire, and yet they call me the Accuser? God was insane long before he formed the universe. These holy men, they live and die in fanatical adoration to a divine being who is, in fact, totally indifferent to them.
“His consciousness twists and distorts, eating itself for all eternity. God feeds off the pain of others, for if his mind is burning, then all others should burn as well. When these holy men die, God will send their souls here to the Bardo, to suffer every evil they have ever done. The wisdom I brought those who called upon me freed them from this prison, and in exchange, the holy men burned them alive. I offered the wisdom that opens your eyes, but it has been forgotten and cursed.”
Lucifer’s body began to dissolve, drifting up into the air like ashes. All around me, a low, powerful current blew, a tornado that spiraled high up into the clouds. Like some sort of Cheshire Cat, his smooth voice continued to echo all around me, even as the form of Lucifer disappeared.
“And yet, you have not the wisdom. For that, like all the others who enter the Bardo, you must suffer, everything you’ve done. Every small hurt and agony inflicted on others comes back a thousand-fold in this place, but don’t be afraid.”
“How could I not be afraid?!” I screamed into the ward, but I found myself alone, the question hanging unanswered in the air.
***
The lights continued to flicker all down the hallway. Feeling strange and dissociated, I stumbled over to one of the windows. As I gazed out, I beheld a strange and alien world.
The sky was flat and gray. It stayed in constant motion, swirling and spiraling, like clouds of roiling smoke. There was no Sun or Moon, no stars, only the strange, shifting whorls of clouds. The streets were filled with burned-out husks of cars and mummified bodies hung from streetlamps. Other signs of carnage and bloodshed covered the apocalyptic streets. I saw what looked like shadows in the shape of people slinking through over the sidewalks, past rotting dogs and streaks of clotted blood. They had no features on their blank, dark bodies. They seemed to skitter and jerk forwards in eerie, twisting motions.
Horrified, I turned away, realizing I was no longer alone in the day room. In the day room, there were dozens of tables set up inside a rectangular perimeter that was walled in by cosmetic walls only four feet high. It was where the patients sat and played games or ate.
Under the flickering lights, I now saw each of the chairs filled with faceless mannequins. Many were dressed in Victorian suits and tophats. The women had frilly dresses of pink and blue that might have been fashionable in the 1800s.
As the lights strobed on and off overhead, I realized with an increasing sense of disquiet that the mannequins were moving each time it went dark. When I had first seen them, they were mostly posed to look like they were staring across the tables at each other, even though they had no eyes, just smooth, flesh-colored plastic. Now all of them were looking directly at me. Some were pointing or raising their hands in my direction. At the tips of their fingers, I saw the glittering of steel. The lights continued to flicker, and the mannequins rose from their chairs in the short periods of darkness, moving towards me in synchronized, strobing motions.
Frantically, I ran down the hallway back towards the broken window. In each of the rooms, I caught glimpses of something from a nightmare peeking out. I hadn’t been sleeping well lately, and when I had closed my eyes, I often saw ancient hags with chalk-white skin and yellowed, broken teeth whose jaws unhinged, their faces jerking in stuttering, dissonant ways that reminded me of the mannequins. Now, on both sides of me, I saw these same figures. They moved continuously out of the rooms, drawing closer with every breath.
I looked back, seeing the mannequins only a few steps behind me. I continued sprinting towards the broken window where the hallway ended in a wall. I didn’t know what would happen when I reached it. At that moment, there was no rational thought. I felt like a deer being chased down by a pack of wolves, feeling waves of blind panic and mortal terror rushing through my body.
But as I reached the end of the hallway, the end of my rope as it were, a blast of noise started, seeming to come from the walls of the building and the sky itself. It sounded like a siren, a low, drawn-out drone of a demonic whale call, rising and falling in crashing crescendos. The mannequins froze in place once again. The strange, witch-like creatures slunk back into the dark rooms.
I looked outside the broken window, seeing clouds of black smoke rising off in the distance. The flickering of massive infernos scorched the land, drawing nearer by the second. The siren sound faded slowly, like the dying echoes of a gong.
I was surrounded by dozens of mannequins. Their sharp hands were inches away from my face and neck. I saw metal glittering all around me and realized they had the sharp points of nails protruding from the ends of their fingers. I was afraid to move, but I heard a familiar voice from down the hallway. It was the confident voice of Lucifer.
“The siren means much worse nightmares than these are coming in the Bardo,” he said, his glossy, black eyes flashing with intelligence. He walked slowly towards me, his face grim and pale. “Hell itself is coming over the land. This building is no more than a construction of your dying mind, but the world outside is real.”
“How can Hell come and go?” I asked, confused. “Isn’t Hell a place?”
“Hell is a monster, a beast with many mouths and many eyes,” Lucifer responded. “It eats constantly, but its hunger never ends. Look, the first of the sacrifices scatter like cockroaches.” He pointed out the broken window, pushing his way through the mannequins effortlessly. I glanced outside, seeing thousands of people sprinting down the dark city streets. The inferno and thick clouds of smoke had moved much closer, and every few seconds, the ground shook slightly, as if we were experiencing the aftershocks of an earthquake.
“What can I do against such a beast?” I asked, my heart freezing with terror. But when I looked back over, I saw his form dissolving again, becoming translucent and drifting away like ashes. It seemed even Lucifer didn’t want to be present when the Hell-beast arrived.
“Seek divine wisdom,” he said, his voice trailing off into whispers. “Remember the source.”
***
Now crowds of tens of thousands of people were streaming into the city, filling every single inch of the streets. Their panic and fear was contagious. I felt it rising inside my body like a snake spiraling up my spine. I took off down the hallway, running through the swarm of frozen mannequins, each in their own ferocious position of attack. The lights flickered faster and went out. Yet the fires outside cast the entire world in a bloody glow, giving me enough light to see by and find my way. I sprinted down the stairwell, taking them two steps at a time. The screaming outside grew louder and more pain-filled. The shaking of the ground worsened with every passing second.
I burst out of the front entrance, seeing a world on fire all around me. Thousands of crushed, bleeding and burned bodies stretched out as far as the eye could see. Behind all this chaos and death, I saw a monster of unimaginable proportions slinking its way towards me.
Lucifer was right, I realized: Hell was not a place, but a creature, an enormous monster the size of a town. It had thousands of skittering, jointed legs that looked like little more than skeletal arms and hands, each of them dozens of feet long and white as freshly-cut marble. Its body stretched out to the horizon, an enormous blood-red cylinder of bony plates that slithered and undulated with a serpentine grace. Waves of peristalsis traveled down its length, like writhing intestines. Thousands of curving, bony spikes stabbed out of it, pointing in every direction. Like the quills of a porcupine, it would protect the massive creature’s body from many forms of attack, if anything was big enough to attack such an abomination.
Hell’s massive eyes flickered, balls of fire that spun and danced. They looked as bright as the Sun. Something like solar flares seemed to emanate from the orbs, flashes of blinding energy that floated over the apocalyptic wasteland. As its many legs smashed the ground, they left trails of fire that caused everything to explode into flames as if napalm dripped from its limbs.
But Hell’s most terrifying feature was its seven dark mouths. Its body looked a thousand feet wide, and the mouths at the front were evenly dispersed. At the front, blood-red teeth in the shape of enormous railroad spikes shone. Its lipless, skeletal face grinned as it moved forward, shaking the ground with every step. The mouths were on long, snake-like necks that could stretch out hundreds of feet. They moved forward in a blur, snapping up as many panicked souls as they could.
Countless souls in the rocky plains of the Bardo ran for their lives, away from this juggernaut. I saw men and women who looked like they came from every country and profession, some dressed in suits or spotless white lab coats, others wearing rags or orange prison jumpsuits. And yet, they all screamed in agony and fear here, their bodies pressed together in a crowd, and no one seemed to remember anything but their own mortal terror. Their voices came out faint and weak next to the roaring of Hell. It shook the ground all around us, as if an earthquake were tearing the land apart.
The first frantic runners of the surging crowd had nearly reached me. The nearest person, a young woman in her mid-twenties dressed in all white, was only ten feet behind me. She looked like she came from wealth, and even from here, I could see a ring with a massive diamond gleaming on her finger.
I took off blindly down the familiar streets of the city where I worked and lived, but these also seemed different. The church down the street from the hospital where I worked had a Satanic pentagram instead of a cross now, its exterior painted a bright, gleaming blood-red. When I had driven past it today on my way to work, I remember it read, “JESUS said, ‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
Now it read, “Nietzsche said, ‘Of all evil, I deem you capable. I have often laughed at the weaklings who thought themselves good simply because they had no claws.’” I wondered what that meant. Was that some sort of comment on me, on all of us here?
The woman I had seen running had caught up with me. She was fast, much faster than her slim body suggested. Her blue eyes were frantic and wild, filled with an animal panic.
“It’s right behind us!” she screamed, her face covered in a sheen of sweat. I was afraid to turn and look, but I could hear the chaos and bloodshed approaching, smell the flames and choking smoke. “Run! Get away!”
A new wave of energy surged through my body. I sprinted as fast I could down the strange mirror streets of the Bardo. I heard the agonized cries of countless souls behind us as the seven mouths of Hell ate them all greedily and then looked for more.
A skyscraper behind us collapsed into a pile of rubble, shaking the ground with a cacophony of falling concrete and shattering glass. The woman was running by my side. Just as I heard the breathing of something huge and predatory right behind us and smelled its sulfuric breath, a piece of concrete the size of a basketball broke off the collapsing skyscraper and flew into the road. I tripped over it, yelling as I flew through the air, skinning my arms and legs on the pavement. The woman’s eyes widened. Hurriedly, she came over and reached down her hand, trying to help me up.
“Come on, come on!” she cried. I looked behind her, seeing one of the gnashing mouths of Hell reaching forward on a blood-red, serpentine neck. The mouth was big enough to drive a tractor trailer into, filled with huge spikes of teeth. Its throat led into a black, smoke-filled abyss. Its fiery eyes were swirling pools of flickering orange light that shone with bloodlust and insanity. They focused on the woman, the entire head turning on its slithering neck.
I frantically raised my hand, intertwining my fingers with hers. Her hand was warm and soft. She started to pull me to my feet when the mouth of Hell snapped forward. Its jaw unhinged, scraping the pavement with a sound like grinding metal. The woman barely had time to turn as the mouth covered her and snapped shut with a crack.
She disappeared from view instantly, but I was still holding her hand. In horror, I felt warm rivers of blood explode all over my body as the mouth of Hell severed her arm at the wrist. She screamed, bleeding and crying, as she disappeared into the throat of Hell. Hell’s fiery eyes focused on me, and at that moment, I knew I was next. Its mouth opened wide again, like a bear trap ready to spring on a new victim.
It was dark in Hell’s mouth, but I smelled the thick reek of old blood and fire. I caught glimpses of tortured, mutilated bodies writhing and crawling down its throat. Shell-shocked, I could only lay there and watch. And that was when the strange doubling started.
***
I heard the frantic voices of men break through the fog of darkness and the fetid reek of blood. There was a mechanical beeping all around me, but I couldn’t tell where it was coming from.
“Clear!” one cried. I looked around, only seeing blackness. At that moment, I felt a surge of electricity rip itself through my body. My arms and legs all seized and my eyes rolled up in my head as the pain sizzled through each one of my nerves. I clutched the young woman’s hand tightly, feeling the large, gold ring with the massive diamond biting into my skin.
“Again!” another voice yelled.
“Clear!” the original voice cried. The electricity came again, and a flash of white light flew across my vision. I blinked, seeing from two sets of eyes at the same time: one in the Bardo, and one on the blood-stained floor of the hospital ward.
The Bardo stayed dark and sinister, but the clear white lights of the real psychiatric ward were blinding. It was a bizarre experience. Moreover, everything hurt. Over a few seconds, my vision of the Bardo faded, and I was simply a gravely injured man laying on the floor in a puddle of blood.
Four doctors and paramedics were crouching over me with a defibrillator. My shirt was ripped off, and nearly all of my skin was covered in blood. I raised my left hand, trying to talk, but only a fiery pain raced through my neck. I felt bandages covering my skin. A nurse was rolling a stretcher down the hallway towards me.
“It’s OK,” one of the doctors said, kneeling down. “You’re being taken to emergency surgery. You’ve lost a lot of blood.” I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t talk with the massive slice in my neck.
At that moment, I felt something in my right hand. I looked down, seeing a slim female hand with a massive diamond ring hanging there. Our fingers were wrapped around each other’s, but the hand had been cut off at the wrist. A ragged patch of bloody flesh and snapped bone poked out of the back.
“Nnnn,” I tried to say, shaking my head. I felt fresh streams of warm blood open up. “No…” The doctors looked down, seeing the dismembered hand. Their faces morphed into expressions of confusion and fear.
I closed my eyes as they lifted me up on the stretcher. One of them gently removed the cold hand from my fingers. But they could never remove the memory of what I had seen.
I know what happens after death, and it makes the worst life here seem like a dream. I know that, one day, I’ll be returned to that place. I know that, one day, I’ll see that great monster called Hell and the featureless, swirling sky of the Bardo again.
And the next time, I won’t wake up on a hospital floor, but will be trapped there with the others for eternity: an eternity of blood and fire.

Are you an Australian entrepreneur learning about "what industry is BPO"? The term BPO stands for Business Process Outsourcing, a sector that has gained significant traction worldwide, including in Australia. BPO refers to the practice of contracting various business operations to third-party service providers. These operations can range from customer support, payroll, and HR management to more complex functions like IT services, data analysis, and financial management.
In Australia, the BPO industry is expanding rapidly, driven by both local demand and global outsourcing trends. Businesses are increasingly turning to BPO to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and focus on their core competencies. This outsourcing model allows companies to leverage the expertise and technological infrastructure of specialized service providers, leading to improved service quality and operational efficiency.
One of the key benefits of the BPO industry for Australian companies is cost savings. By outsourcing non-core activities, businesses can significantly reduce overhead costs related to staffing, training, and maintaining technological infrastructure. This financial flexibility can be pivotal for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looking to compete with larger corporations.
Moreover, the BPO industry supports scalability. As businesses grow, their operational needs become more complex. BPO providers offer scalable solutions that can adapt to a company's changing needs, ensuring that growth is not hindered by operational bottlenecks. This adaptability is particularly beneficial in dynamic markets where demand can fluctuate rapidly.
Australia also stands to benefit from the global nature of the BPO industry. Many Australian companies outsource to international BPO providers in countries with lower labor costs, such as the Philippines and India, where there is a large, skilled workforce. Conversely, Australia's stable economy, advanced technology infrastructure, and skilled labor force make it an attractive destination for international companies looking to outsource their operations.
In addition to economic benefits, the BPO industry fosters innovation and technological advancement. By partnering with specialized BPO providers, Australian businesses can access the latest technologies and best practices in various fields. This collaboration can lead to improved business processes, enhanced customer experiences, and ultimately, a stronger competitive edge in the market.
However, it is essential for Australian businesses to carefully select their BPO partners. Factors such as the provider's track record, technological capabilities, and cultural alignment play a crucial role in ensuring a successful outsourcing relationship. Effective communication and management of the partnership are also critical to achieving the desired outcomes.
Understanding "what industry is BPO" is crucial for Australian entrepreneurs looking to optimize their business operations. The BPO industry offers numerous advantages, including cost savings, scalability, and access to global talent and technology. As the industry continues to grow, it presents significant opportunities for Australian businesses to enhance their efficiency and competitiveness in the global market.

hardware #feature #tool #opensource #event #vc #release #opinions #update #paper #api #startups #dataset #leaders #major_players #science #bigtech #scheduled

OpenGenerativeAI on GitHub has launched the LLM Colosseum, a platform for benchmarking Language Learning Models (LLMs) using Street Fighter 3. The platform evaluates LLMs based on speed, strategic thinking, adaptability, and resilience, and ranks them on a leaderboard with ELO scores [2].
Key updates in the AI industry include Google's doubling of Gemini Pro 1.5's input context window from 1 million to 2 million tokens, and the release of OpenAI's GPT-4o, which generates tokens 2x faster and 50% cheaper than GPT-4 Turbo. Developers are encouraged to write detailed prompts for advanced language models like GPT-4 and consider many-shot learning for improved results [10].
OpenAI has published Model Spec guidelines for model behavior and is inviting public comments until May 22. DeepMind's AlphaFold 3 can now model the 3D shapes of various biomolecules beyond proteins with high accuracy. Saudi Arabia plans to invest $100 billion in AI and other technologies to become a global AI hub. Stanford researchers have introduced NOIR, a system that allows brain-controlled robots to perform practical tasks based on EEG signals [10].
Recall.ai, a developer infrastructure startup, has secured a $10 million Series A funding round. The company offers a unified API that allows access to real-time meeting data from various platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. The funding will be used to expand the team and integrate with more data sources [15].
Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz discussed various topics related to AI and CEO hiring in a recent session. They covered the importance of incentives at the board level, challenges in hiring CEOs, career paths for CEOs, essential skills for a CEO, energy innovation, future of AI, potential for new chip startups, challenges in building hardware companies, investing in hardware vs. software companies, low-cost Power Data Centers for AI, government scrutiny, AI's impact on service businesses, integration of AI in robotics, and revitalizing U.S. manufacturing with AI and robots [16].
Google AI introduced LearnLM, a new family of models fine-tuned for learning, aimed at making learning more engaging and impactful. LearnLM offers features such as quiz generation and answer assessment. The models are grounded in educational research and tailored to enhance learning experiences. LearnLM is being integrated into various Google products like Search, YouTube, and Gemini to help users deepen their understanding [21].
Google has introduced VideoFX, a new tool powered by Veo for creating videos from text prompts. Updates to ImageFX include editing controls and the addition of Imagen 3 for higher quality images. MusicFX now features DJ Mode for mixing beats. These generative media tools are available in 110 countries and 37 languages [23].
OpenAI has announced a partnership with Reddit to integrate its content into ChatGPT and new products [24].
NVIDIA Founder & CEO Jensen Huang and HPE President & CEO Antonio Neri will be speaking live at Sphere in Las Vegas for the #HPEDiscover Keynote on June 18 at 9am PDT [11].
1. Groq Inc @GroqInc https://twitter.com/GroqInc/status/1790872286385365006
2. Groq Inc @GroqInc https://twitter.com/GroqInc/status/1790887266698600822
3. Groq Inc @GroqInc https://twitter.com/GroqInc/status/1790888248832590294
4. Groq Inc @GroqInc https://twitter.com/GroqInc/status/1790893457369633011
5. Groq Inc @GroqInc https://twitter.com/GroqInc/status/1791095255896351182
6. Groq Inc @GroqInc https://twitter.com/GroqInc/status/1791167027387752947
7. Groq Inc @GroqInc https://twitter.com/GroqInc/status/1791168178598576590
8. Groq Inc @GroqInc https://twitter.com/GroqInc/status/1791212277149913356
9. a16z @a16z https://twitter.com/a16z/status/1791106869546959001
10. Andrew Ng @AndrewYNg https://twitter.com/AndrewYNg/status/1791134037178020308
11. NVIDIA AI @NVIDIAAI https://twitter.com/NVIDIAAI/status/1790865244098634162
12. NVIDIA AI @NVIDIAAI https://twitter.com/NVIDIAAI/status/1791121434141495325
13. NVIDIA AI @NVIDIAAI https://twitter.com/NVIDIAAI/status/1791151634136936889
14. NVIDIA AI @NVIDIAAI https://twitter.com/NVIDIAAI/status/1791184346772037811
15. Y Combinator @ycombinator https://twitter.com/ycombinatostatus/1791151633973314020
16. Marc Andreessen -- e/acc @pmarca https://twitter.com/pmarca/status/1791155015383699929
17. Hugging Face @huggingface https://twitter.com/huggingface/status/1791099685760844162
18. Hugging Face @huggingface https://twitter.com/huggingface/status/1791210724418613618
19. Sam Altman @sama https://twitter.com/sama/status/1791183356274921568
20. Google AI @googleai https://twitter.com/googleai/status/1791181030038065304
21. Google AI @googleai https://twitter.com/googleai/status/1791186261845344387
22. NVIDIA AI Developer @NVIDIAAIDev https://twitter.com/NVIDIAAIDev/status/1791196933542846883
23. Google @google https://twitter.com/google/status/1791201769961173296
24. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1791205420142670250
25. OpenAI @openai https://twitter.com/openai/status/1791227287569932368
26. Greg Brockman @gdb https://twitter.com/gdb/status/1791229831692398907
27. Greg Brockman @gdb https://twitter.com/gdb/status/1791271569068847127

Copied from Arnauld Bertrands twitter post(@RnaudBertrand)
Wow, China and Russia issued an extraordinary joint statement yesterday, with almost 8,000 words when translated into English, and in many ways more important than the famous "no limits" partnership statement in February 2022.
Here are the points that stood out for me.
BUILDING A NEW WORLD ORDER The statement says that it is an "objective factor" that "the status and strength of emerging major countries and regions in the 'Global South' [are] continuously increasing", and that "the trend of world multipolarity [is] accelerating". This in turn "accelerates the redistribution of development potential, resources, and opportunities in a direction favorable to emerging markets and developing countries, promoting the democratization of international relations and international fairness and justice".
They point out that "countries that adhere to hegemonism and power politics are contrary to this trend, attempting to replace and subvert the international order based on international law with a so-called 'rules-based order'".
Security-wise, the statement says that "both sides believe that the fate of the peoples of all countries is interconnected, and no country should seek its own security at the expense of others' security. Both sides express concern about the current international and regional security challenges and point out that in the current geopolitical context, it is necessary to explore the establishment of a sustainable security system in the Eurasian space based on the principle of equal and indivisible security."
They go on to say that China and Russia "will fully tap the potential of bilateral relations" in order to "promote the realization of an equal and orderly multipolar world and the democratization of international relations, and gather strength to build a just and reasonable multipolar world".
As for the vision of this world order these 2 principles seem to be the foundational ones: 1) An order with no "neo-colonialism and hegemonism" of any kind: "All countries have the right to independently choose their development models and political, economic, and social systems based on their national conditions and people's will, oppose interference in the internal affairs of sovereign countries, oppose unilateral sanctions and 'long-arm jurisdiction' without international law basis or UN Security Council authorization, and oppose drawing ideological lines. Both sides pointed out that neo-colonialism and hegemonism are completely contrary to the trend of the times, and called for equal dialogue, the development of partnerships, and the promotion of exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations." 2) An order based on the UN Charter: "Both sides will continue to firmly defend the achievements of World War II and the post-war world order established by the UN Charter"
EXTREMELY STRONG CONDEMNATION OF THE US This condemnation starts with the paragraph highlighted above that "countries that adhere to hegemonism and power politics are contrary to [the trend towards a multipolar world order]", and the statement also condemns the fact that these "countries" (i.e. mostly the US) are "attempting to replace and subvert the international order based on international law with a so-called 'rules-based order'".
They also write that "both sides call on relevant countries and organizations to stop taking confrontational policies and interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, undermining the existing security architecture, creating 'small yards with high fences' among countries, provoking regional tensions, and advocating for camp confrontation."
They further say that "both sides oppose the hegemonic actions of the United States to change the balance of power in the Northeast Asia region by expanding its military presence and forming military blocs. The US, with its Cold War mentality and camp confrontation model, puts 'small group' security above regional security and stability, endangering the security of all countries in the region. The US should stop such actions."
On top of that the statement speaks of "serious concern about the United States' attempts to undermine strategic stability to maintain its absolute military superiority, including building a global missile defense system and deploying missile defense systems around the world and in space, strengthening the ability to disable the opponent's military actions with precision non-nuclear weapons and 'decapitation' strikes, enhancing NATO's 'nuclear sharing' arrangements in Europe and providing 'extended deterrence' to specific allies, constructing infrastructure in the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone treaty member Australia that could be used to support US and UK nuclear forces, engaging in US-UK-Australia nuclear submarine cooperation, and implementing plans to deploy and provide land-based intermediate-range and short-range missiles to allies in the Asia-Pacific and Europe."
The statement also condemns "the United States' unconstructive and hostile 'dual containment' policy towards China and Russia": "The United States' actions of conducting joint exercises with its allies ostensibly aimed at China and Russia and taking steps to deploy land-based intermediate-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific region have raised serious concerns for both sides. The United States claims it will continue these practices with the ultimate goal of establishing routine missile deployments worldwide. Both sides strongly condemn these actions, which are extremely destabilizing to the region and pose a direct security threat to China and Russia, and will strengthen coordination and cooperation to respond to the United States' unconstructive and hostile 'dual containment' policy towards China and Russia."
On Asia-Pacific specifically they write that "both sides oppose the creation of exclusive and closed group structures in the Asia-Pacific region, especially military alliances targeting any third party. Both sides point out that the US "Indo-Pacific Strategy" and NATO's attempts to take destructive actions in the Asia-Pacific region have negative impacts on the peace and stability of the region."
They also "demand that the United States refrain from engaging in any biological military activities that threaten the security of other countries and regions" and they oppose the "use [of] outer space for armed confrontation and oppose the implementation of security policies and activities aimed at achieving military advantage and defining outer space as a 'combat domain.'"
Lastly the statement condemns "the US and its allies' deterrent actions in the military field, provoking confrontation with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and exacerbating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, potentially leading to armed conflict", and asks that "the United States and NATO, as the responsible parties for the 20-year invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, should not attempt to deploy military facilities in Afghanistan and its surrounding areas again but should bear primary responsibility for Afghanistan's current economic and livelihood difficulties, bear the main costs of Afghanistan's reconstruction, and take all necessary measures to unfreeze Afghanistan's national assets."
ENORMOUS EXPANSION OF CHINA-RUSSIA COLLABORATION This will be my last point, the statement has an immense list - dozens and dozens of items - of expanded cooperation fields between both countries.
These are some of the most important ones: - Military cooperation: "[both sides] will further deepen military mutual trust and cooperation, expand the scale of joint training activities, regularly organize joint maritime and air patrols, strengthen coordination and cooperation within bilateral and multilateral frameworks, and continuously improve the ability and level of jointly responding to risks and challenges." - More trade, mutual investments and help each other economic development: "continuously expand the scale of bilateral trade", "continuously improve the level of investment cooperation between the two countries", and "jointly develop advanced industries, strengthen technical and production cooperation, including in the civil aviation manufacturing industry, shipbuilding industry, automobile manufacturing industry, equipment manufacturing industry, electronics industry, metallurgical industry, iron ore mining industry, chemical industry, and forest industry" - Cooperation on energy: "consolidate the strategic cooperation in energy between China and Russia and achieve high-level development, ensuring the economic and energy security of the two countries. Strive to ensure the stability and sustainability of the international energy market, and maintain the stability and resilience of the global energy industry chain and supply chain." Also nuclear energy: "deepen cooperation in the field of civilian nuclear energy based on the experience of successful and ongoing projects, including thermonuclear fusion, fast neutron reactors, and closed nuclear fuel cycles" - Promote each others' currencies and financial infrastructure: "Increase the proportion of local currency in bilateral trade, financing, and other economic activities. Improve the financial infrastructure of the two countries, smooth the settlement channels between the two countries' business entities, strengthen regulatory cooperation in the banking and insurance industries of China and Russia, promote the sound development of banks and insurance institutions established in each other's countries, encourage two-way investment, and issue bonds in the financial markets of each other's countries in accordance with market principles." - Deep education and scientific cooperation: "promote the expansion and improvement of quality in mutual study abroad programs, advance Chinese language teaching in Russia and Russian language teaching in China, encourage educational institutions to expand exchanges, cooperation in running schools, conduct high-level talent joint training and scientific research, support cooperation in basic research fields between universities, support activities of alliances of similar universities and high schools, and deepen cooperation in vocational and digital education" - Cooperation in the media and shaping public opinions: "Strengthen media exchanges between the two countries, promote mutual visits at various levels, support pragmatic and professional dialogues, actively carry out high-quality content cooperation, deeply explore the cooperation potential of new media and new technologies in the field of mass media, objectively and comprehensively report major global events, and spread true information in the international public opinion field." - Cooperation within global institutions: "deepen bilateral cooperation [at] the UN General Assembly and the Security Council", "supporting the role of the World Health Organization", "strengthen cooperation within the WTO framework", "cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)", "uphold the BRICS spirit, enhance the BRICS mechanism's voice in international affairs and agenda", etc.
I could go on and on, the scale of the cooperation they detail is absolutely breathtaking, both countries are going all in with each other.
This statement is absolutely extraordinary and will likely shape the world for decades to come. We now have Russia and China explicitly stating they're all in with each other to bring about a new "equal and orderly multipolar world and the democratization of international relations", and put an end to US hegemonic behavior. No more pretend, it's happening.

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