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

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 Because GDP is an outdated proxy measure of economic growth, wellbeing, which is a multidimensional approach of measuring the most important aspects of people’s life, is gaining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

Perpetual Growth

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

Perpetual Growth

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

Technological Revolution

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

Quality of the GDP

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

Conclusion

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

References

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

Paul Lalovich

Organizational Effectiveness and Strategy Execution Practice

Tesha Teshanovich

Organizational Effectiveness and Strategy Execution Practice

1. you don’t need all the tools they require from you, for example, you won’t need a bunsen burner, take a torch your first stage just carving the tooth and knowing about its anatomy
2. you carved too deep into the tooth? lol no need to repeat. take your spoon like tool pick up your worn off wax and melt it using heat (either from your torch or from a candle you lit on your desk idk) pour the melted wax into the area and start over.
3. use the sharpest tool for most of your work, use round tools for making grooves, cervical lines, fossae…etc
4. use tiny tip sharp tools to make pits
5. no tooth is realistically anatomically accurate just follow your instructions/textbook
6. if like me you use wheelers anatomy 10th edition go to the end pages to see the teeth 3D
7. most dr’s don’t care about accuracy in measuring
8. carve on white colored wax for not just aesthetic reasons but also for the quality and visibility of shallow details, i learned that there is more chance for the prec. staff to grade your tooth higher if it’s on white wax
9. if you are bad at carving know that it doesn’t determine that you would be a bad dentist in the future most ppl are bad at carving because it requires skill
10. don’t get yourself on the bad side of the prec staff
11. WEAR HEADPHONE! listen to music during prec, don’t complain to the students around you and most importantly DONT let them complain to you. they will kill your time. 12 as you practice each tooth write down your best carving methods on mobile notes app because you will slowly change your steps as you learn from your mistakes the more you carve
12. if you were headphones DO NOT ADJUST IT WITH A TOOL IN YOUR HAND. god i almost poked my eye once with lacron
13. USE TISSUE: this is my best tip yet have tissue with your hands each step done polish immediately with tissue it makes your tooth look super clean and super smooth
14. use a toothbrush to brush off extra wax on occlusal surface of posterior teeth
15. if during exams your tooth broke don’t panic very gently work and try to mend using your torch and lacron
16. finally just be gentle and gentle enjoy the process don’t be anxious during carving even during exams i try to work slow and steady. take deep breaths and relax your mind, be gentle with your tools use your creative mind during carving. okay that’s it. these are my tips i hope it helps

In the dynamic realm of gaming, Prom Network emerges as a trailblazing force, deftly merging the domains of entertainment and finance. With a keen understanding of the symbiotic relationship between these arenas, Prom has pioneered endeavors that seamlessly blend gameplay with financial opportunities, reshaping the gaming landscape for enthusiasts globally.
At the heart of Prom’s vision lies a deep appreciation for the timeless charm of science fiction narratives. Drawing from early 17th century visionaries and empowered by 20th century dreamers, sci-fi stories have enthralled audiences of every age, sparking imaginations and whisking individuals away to stellar realms of boundless potential. Whether it’s cosmic battles in faraway galaxies or dystopian cyberpunk future, the allure of science fiction realms strikes a chord within gamers, transcending cultural boundaries and generations.
If you take a glance at the vibrant array of NFT collections hosted on the Prom Marketplace you will see 4 collections adorned with “sci-fi” and “space”, affirming the enduring popularity of sci-fi themes among gamers.
In the midst of these captivating collections, one stands out as particularly radiant: Outer Ring. What distinguishes Outer Ring is its ambitious undertaking to adapt a best-selling novel into a third-person action packed sandbox MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game). Just as in the Outer Ring Saga the open world revolves around five species, organized into four distinct factions, that vie for control over planets and resources. Within the game, players embark on quests to acquire legendary weapons, engage in large-scale PvP battles, explore perilous dungeons to confront bosses, and gather epic loot and resources to enhance their weapons and ships. Collaboration is key — players seeking community interaction and participation in player-driven economies will find their niche within Outer Ring.
Moreover, the game allows users to tailor their progression and encounter unique experiences. Prom Network is proud to contribute to this captivating journey through our partnership with Outer Ring. This collaboration involves the exchange of expertise, the organization of exciting events, and, significantly, the listing of the project’s assets on the Prom Marketplace. While the Marketplace usually deals with traditional gaming NFTs, this time Prom has an even more thrilling proposition! This was the very first time Prom Network started offering Lootboxes! These exclusive packs of assets enable users to embark on their Outer Ring adventure without the need to purchase additional NFTs.
Lootboxes for Outer Ring contain a variety of items essential for enhancing your gaming experience. For example, a random Lootbox may contain materials, weapons of various rarity levels, or even a spaceship! This partnership between Prom and Outer Ring is crucial for the Prom Ecosystem, as it expands the offerings on our marketplace while providing players with diverse and rewarding gaming experiences.
Prom Network has excelled in crafting an exceptionally detailed and informative FAQ on game mechanics and NFTs. Well done, as per usual! This further underscores Prom’s dedication to ensuring user immersion in the captivating world of Outer Ring.
Outer Ring is currently in development. Its impending release will not only provide new gaming experience but also will herald the dawn of a new gaming era. With Prom Marketplace supplying the journey, it is poised to unfold as a remarkable experience, teeming with new adventures and innovative breakthroughs at every step.Prom Takes into Space with Outer Ring

Earlier today Reddit user u/apndrew posted this article claiming a study had found extensive bias against Israel and against Jewish perspectives across English-language Wikipedia. The article is based on a 20-page paper titled "The Bias Against Israel on Wikipedia", written by Dr. Shlomit Aharoni Lir for the World Jewish Congress.
My post started as a comment in that thread, but Reddit wouldn't let me post it (presumably because it's too long), so I'm going to put it here as a post and hope it doesn't get taken down.
First, a direct praise of the article: Nowhere in the paper does Dr. Lir equate anti-Israel bias with antisemitism. This is a good thing! The article OP links does, and OP seems happy to suggest these things are the same, but the actual paper does not, which is good since they aren't the same thing.
Nearly everything else I say will be negative.

1. This is kind of a nitpick, but when this paper links to Wikipedia articles, it links to the article itself, as opposed to linking to the specific revision the author is talking about. This is not helpful. It seems unlikely that any of these articles have remained unedited in the time between when this paper was written and now. This means any or all of the problems being discussed may not be present now, or might be much worse, and there's no way to find out without having to guess at when Dr. Lir was doing the research.
2. The last sentence on page 2 concerns me. "In a broader context, this is also a call to action for legislators, regulators, and users to notice bias and the subsequent ill effects created through a wide range of internet platforms beyond social media." Is this a demand for wikipedia to be censored or banned for not supporting Israel, or for not meeting Israeli demands in its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war? I don't know how else to interpret "a call to action for legislators and regulators".
3. On page 6, Dr. Lir references "the fact that Wikipedia is perceived as a reliable and objective source of knowledge", and I don't know how exactly Wikipedia could address that. The front page of the site says "anyone can edit", and the disclaimers page states in all caps at the top of the page that "Wikipedia makes no guarantee of validity". If some private company is being stupid (google using Wikipedia to answer questions instead of being a search engine, dumbasses feeding Wikipedia into generative AI, etc), they probably shouldn't do that, but it isn't the fault of Wikipedia.
4. This paper claims to be about English-language Wikipedia, but the only discussion under "Violation of the Principle of Neutrality" on page 9 is about Arabic Wikipedia, and it's only to do with them adding a Palestinian flag and pro-Palestinian message on their home page on the 12th of October last year. Should they have referenced October 7th when they did this? I'd say so. Is it a sign of English Wikipedia being biased? Not a bit.
5. The question of Holocaust accuracy and coverage is an important one, and not one I have much knowledge on, so I'm going to assume Dr. Lir is speaking accurately about this and if so, it's definitely a problem. She doesn't go into any specifics at all, other than that some articles "perpetuate and reinforce damaging stereotypes and misconceptions", which makes it difficult to get any insight as to what we're talking about.
6. At the bottom of page 10, we finally arrive at the start of the actual subject of the paper. Dr. Lir breaks down anti-Israel bias into 6 categories: Content Bias, Deletion Attacks and Deletion Attempts, Editing Restrictions, Selective Enforcement, Anti-Israeli Editors, and Biased Sources. "Editing Restrictions" refers to Dr. Lir's belief that making articles extended-protected is inherently biased against Israelis, and this is blatantly stupid so I'm not going to engage with it.
7. Our first "content analysis" is of the article "Palestinian genocide accusation". Dr. Lir's first claim is that this title is inherently biased and should say "Allegations of Palestinian Genocide". I'm going to be honest, I have no idea what she's getting at here. The claim that the article "focuses predominantly on accusations against Israel, while giving little space to Israel's perspective or to arguments against the genocide claims" seems odd to me, given that the article is about the accusation that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians. It seems expected that the article would focus on that subject.
   1. Despite Dr. Lir's claim that the article "is not anchored in a variety of sources", it cites over 350 of them, including 5 different articles from the Times of Israel and 7 from The Jerusalem Post. I don't know whether these were added later, but it seems unlikely. This is, however, another good reason to link to the specific version of the article you're upset with, since this one may have changed a lot in that time. "
   2. As a result [of the bias in sources], Israel is presented as the sole aggressor in the region, when it can be argued that the opposite is true." No it can't. No one could reasonably argue that Israel is never an aggressor in its region. It's far from the only aggressor, but there's no way one could define the repeated illegal settlements in the West Bank as anything but aggression, nor could the numerous documented cases of forced displacement and sexual violence.
   3. "The entry does not include facts that support Israel's position or challenge the accusations that it committed genocide." This is not correct, the article does have multiple sections on responses from American and Israeli critics of the accusations. Again, this is why you link to the specific version of the article. I almost suspect that Dr. Lir was aware of this kind of confusion, and is using it for plausible deniability if one of her claims is unfounded.

I could continue, but this post is way too long as it is. The paper brings up some points of interest when it's talking in a general sense, but everything falls apart when she starts trying to give examples. Her claims of bias nearly always either rely on a claim which isn't true in the article or come from a place of heavy pro-Israel bias.

Hi,
I am 30 YO Female. Got married 6 years back in an arrange marriage setup. Before marriage only they had asked me to leave my job and asked for a hefty dowry. My parents emotionally tricked me into this marriage by saying dowry is a norm in our caste.
Just within 6 months of marriage I was physically abused by my husband. Reason I was speaking to my friend (Girl) on phone and he was under influence of alcohol. He started suspecting on me and asked to unlock the phone and when I did not he broke my phone and hit me several times and bashed me on the wall. He later pushed me on ground, sat on me and strangled my neck. With a call on his phone, his mind diverted and I ran and locked myself in one room and saved my life.
Post this incident I came to my parents home and told the incident with every minute detail. For a week they supported but after that my husband started visiting and apologising to my parents and me. Within a month every other day there were arguments that I was being unreasonable for not giving him a chance. They constantly said that I would have provoked him. I reluctantly went back to him when he came to take me back.
Within a month of going back to him he says it was not just my fault. He said this time I made things work next time I won’t. It was like earth moved beneath my feet. All the impressions he made in front of my parents were a lie.
I studied hard and got a job. The agony never stopped. I was tortured every day. I even had a miscarriage. For that also he blamed me.
When I was again pregnant and he hit me again it was the final nail in coffin. In the 8th month of pregnancy I left him and came back to my parents as I needed support in pregnancy. 8 months post delivery every thing was fine but now they bring up about my marriage again and again. They keep making me feel guilty for the stand I took for myself. They emotionally guilt trip me into saying I am keeping my kid away from his father for my own selfishnesses. When I bring about abuse they say I put him in that situation. Particularly my mom keep bringing my cousins as examples of good girls as they have a successful marriages. Instead of blaming the other person she blames her upbringing towards me. She also says should not support me. I am earning and taking care of my kid with my own finances. She is helping me by looking after my kid when I am at work.
Please guide me what do I do? Do I move out and find my own place? I am worried about my kid as to what would he learn listening all this bullshit. But, I also need someone’s support as I am a single working mom. My baby is 9 months old and I have just joined after maternity.

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For the latest version of this script, documentation and examples, head over to the GitHub page.
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Hi,
I am 30 YO Female. Got married 6 years back in an arrange marriage setup. Before marriage only they had asked me to leave my job and asked for a hefty dowry. My parents emotionally tricked me into this marriage by saying dowry is a norm in our caste.
Just within 6 months of marriage I was physically abused by my husband. Reason I was speaking to my friend (Girl) on phone and he was under influence of alcohol. He started suspecting on me and asked to unlock the phone and when I did not he broke my phone and hit me several times and bashed me on the wall. He later pushed me on ground, sat on me and strangled my neck. With a call on his phone, his mind diverted and I ran and locked myself in one room and saved my life.
Post this incident I came to my parents home and told the incident with every minute detail. For a week they supported but after that my husband started visiting and apologising to my parents and me. Within a month every other day there were arguments that I was being unreasonable for not giving him a chance. They constantly said that I would have provoked him. I reluctantly went back to him when he came to take me back.
Within a month of going back to him he says it was not just my fault. He said this time I made things work next time I won’t. It was like earth moved beneath my feet. All the impressions he made in front of my parents were a lie.
I studied hard and got a job. The agony never stopped. I was tortured every day. I even had a miscarriage. For that also he blamed me.
When I was again pregnant and he hit me again it was the final nail in coffin. In the 8th month of pregnancy I left him and came back to my parents as I needed support in pregnancy. 8 months post delivery every thing was fine but now they bring up about my marriage again and again. They keep making me feel guilty for the stand I took for myself. They emotionally guilt trip me into saying I am keeping my kid away from his father for my own selfishnesses. When I bring about abuse they say I put him in that situation. Particularly my mom keep bringing my cousins as examples of good girls as they have a successful marriages. Instead of blaming the other person she blames her upbringing towards me. She also says should not support me. I am earning and taking care of my kid with my own finances. She is helping me by looking after my kid when I am at work.
Please guide me what do I do? Do I move out and find my own place? I am worried about my kid as to what would he learn listening all this bullshit. But, I also need someone’s support as I am a single working mom. My baby is 9 months old and I have just joined after maternity.

Hi,
I am 30 YO Female. Got married 6 years back in an arrange marriage setup. Before marriage only they had asked me to leave my job and asked for a hefty dowry. My parents emotionally tricked me into this marriage by saying dowry is a norm in our caste.
Just within 6 months of marriage I was physically abused by my husband. Reason I was speaking to my friend (Girl) on phone and he was under influence of alcohol. He started suspecting on me and asked to unlock the phone and when I did not he broke my phone and hit me several times and bashed me on the wall. He later pushed me on ground, sat on me and strangled my neck. With a call on his phone, his mind diverted and I ran and locked myself in one room and saved my life.
Post this incident I came to my parents home and told the incident with every minute detail. For a week they supported but after that my husband started visiting and apologising to my parents and me. Within a month every other day there were arguments that I was being unreasonable for not giving him a chance. They constantly said that I would have provoked him. I reluctantly went back to him when he came to take me back.
Within a month of going back to him he says it was not just my fault. He said this time I made things work next time I won’t. It was like earth moved beneath my feet. All the impressions he made in front of my parents were a lie.
I studied hard and got a job. The agony never stopped. I was tortured every day. I even had a miscarriage. For that also he blamed me.
When I was again pregnant and he hit me again it was the final nail in coffin. In the 8th month of pregnancy I left him and came back to my parents as I needed support in pregnancy. 8 months post delivery every thing was fine but now they bring up about my marriage again and again. They keep making me feel guilty for the stand I took for myself. They emotionally guilt trip me into saying I am keeping my kid away from his father for my own selfishnesses. When I bring about abuse they say I put him in that situation. Particularly my mom keep bringing my cousins as examples of good girls as they have a successful marriages. Instead of blaming the other person she blames her upbringing towards me. She also says should not support me. I am earning and taking care of my kid with my own finances. She is helping me by looking after my kid when I am at work.
Please guide me what do I do? Do I move out and find my own place? I am worried about my kid as to what would he learn listening all this bullshit. But, I also need someone’s support as I am a single working mom. My baby is 9 months old and I have just joined after maternity.

Organizing the workforce into fusion teams is one of the ways of ensuring that a firm continues to thrive long into the future. Fusion teams are considered a new method through which organizations manage their workforce by combining business expertise and technology.Organizing the workforce into fusion teams is one of the ways of ensuring that a firm continues to thrive long into the future. Fusion teams are considered a new method through which organizations manage their workforce by combining business expertise and technology.

According to Sutton, the effectiveness of fusion teams is tied to the agile culture it promotes. The rise of fusion teams in the modern-day workplace has been inspired by the need for organizations to adapt to the ever-changing work environment. Managing the changes happening in the workplace necessitates collaboration between multidisciplinary teams, which must work together to address organizational obstacles and develop real-time and effective solutions (Pattnaik and Rashmita, 231). A fusion team by definitions is a multidisciplinary team that combinations technology with analytics and business specific domain expertise. Within the fusion team accountability is shared to ensure business and technology outcomes. As an alternative of organizing work across functions or technology verticals, fusion teams are designed around the cross-cutting business capabilities, business outcomes and customer outcomes they are accountable for. The role played by fusion teams in the work environment is expected to persist long into the future.
Despite their reputation for brutality, pirates ran a surprisingly progressive and equitable ship; it turns out, they were forward-thinking in many surprising and instructive ways.
Collaborations between teams within the workplace, characteristic of fusion teams, are expected to continue gaining popularity as more firms embrace the workplace’s digital transformation changes. According to Alli and Jenni, fusion teams operate like pirates where the employees try to work towards achieving a balance of power. This can best be achieved by ensuring a democratic approach towards decision-making. All the decisions taken in fusion teams mirror those taken on pirate ships where duties and responsibilities are well defined. Each member of the crew is expected to play their part to perfection and contribute to the overall success of the entire ship (Minister). Similarly, for fusion teams, successful collaboration within and across departments often lead to success that all the team members share.
The delay by some companies to go online during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed a big gap in their operational efficiency. As stated above, some companies had never envisioned a scenario where their staff would have to work from home. Such companies had to wait for the emergence of an unfortunate or adverse event to embrace the work from home model. However, not many organizations managed to adapt, but those that adapted stayed afloat even as many others failed and were eventually forced to permanently close their businesses (Harel 93). A key characteristic of the firms that survived through the COVID-19 period is embracing digital transformation, and such firms are still on course with this paradigm and are using it as a guide into the future (Priyono et al. 104). Digital transformation has continued to play a key role pre, during, and post the pandemic period to ensure that businesses achieve a competitive technological advantage.
Aside from the pandemic, generally, firms need to find new ways of working. According to Gartner, efficiency and time are very important in the modern-day workplace. The importance of these two elements is informed by the fact that the workplace and the marketplace are very competitive- with hyper-competition rife between rival brands and firms. Therefore, products need to be developed in record time, and they must be delivered to the market ahead of competitors. Furthermore, customers’ demands can best be served when the company aligns its production processes with customers’ needs (Kumar et al. 163). Additionally, companies specializing in service provision can also benefit from going digital. Doing this would position them to address the needs of a portion of its customers who are digital natives.
We habitually look upon on renegades and rebels as a menace, NASA’s Johnson Space Center, however, suggests that high performing teams need renegades more than we think. Far from troublesome, they can be a commanding force of shifting organizations towards new futures.
Fusion teams can help future-focused teams serve their current and future customers better. According to Galli and Paola (69), fusion teams, just like pirates on a ship, often operate guided by agile culture. There is increased flexibility in the agile culture environment, which empowers employees to adapt to different changes in their working environment. The agility with which employees in fusion teams work is similar to the agile culture aboard a pirate ship. The crew has to change their way of operations depending on the different circumstances they encounter at sea. Agile practices are important as they tear down the bureaucratic practices that hinder workforce from responding to changes in their environments. Some marketplace and workplace changes are more important than any other culture, especially a bureaucratic culture, which would not allow stakeholders to respond fast enough (Rey 77). Consequently, organizations that fail to embrace agile culture will miss out on the opportunities provided by rapid changes in their operating environments.
The agile culture where fusion teams thrive is also an ideal environment for modern-day employees. Unlike traditional employees who thrived in bureaucratic workplaces, the modern-day employee thrives more in environments that promote greater opportunities to team members. Fusion teams do not have formal reporting structure and they come across quite fluid. Team leaders and team members alike could report to either to dedicated IT departments or business areas outside. Fusion teams are often incumbated within Agile project or scrum teams and progressively adopt product management discipline to manage a capability end-to-end, from strategy development to delivery and continuous improvements.
Fusion teams will continue to contribute positively towards business and organizational success. Such teams operate in ways that are distinct from those of traditional teams. For example, fusion teams encourage employees to innovate while providing them with the space and resources needed. Additionally, employees are allowed to collaborate with their colleagues across departments, making it possible for both tacit and explicit knowledge to flow with ease both horizontally and vertically in an organization. Fusion teams will address the many challenges that employees in traditional teams face. These challenges are the bottleneck of bureaucratic structures that stifle innovation and delay the overall innovation process. By addressing such challenges, fusion teams will ensure that businesses innovate faster and succeed in bringing innovative products to the market before their competitors. Since fusion teams are agile and offer employees a high level of autonomy, it is expected that organizations that embrace them will experience higher employee retention than organizations that stick to traditional teams.
According to Sutton, the effectiveness of fusion teams is tied to the agile culture it promotes. The rise of fusion teams in the modern-day workplace has been inspired by the need for organizations to adapt to the ever-changing work environment. Managing the changes happening in the workplace necessitates collaboration between multidisciplinary teams, which must work together to address organizational obstacles and develop real-time and effective solutions (Pattnaik and Rashmita, 231). A fusion team by definitions is a multidisciplinary team that combinations technology with analytics and business specific domain expertise. Within the fusion team accountability is shared to ensure business and technology outcomes. As an alternative of organizing work across functions or technology verticals, fusion teams are designed around the cross-cutting business capabilities, business outcomes and customer outcomes they are accountable for. The role played by fusion teams in the work environment is expected to persist long into the future.

References

Aghina, Wouter et al. “The Five Trademarks Of Agile Organizations.” Mckinsey.Com, 2022, https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-five-trademarks-of-agile-organizations.
Alli, Alicia, and Jenni Lloyd. “Does Our Economy Need More Pirates?”. Nesta, 2019, https://www.nesta.org.uk/blog/does-our-economy-need-more-pirates/.
Galli, Brian J., and Paola Andrea Hernandez Lopez. “Risks Management In Agile New Product Development Project Environments.” International Journal of Risk and Contingency Management, vol 7, no. 4, 2018, pp. 37-67. IGI Global, https://doi.org/10.4018/ijrcm.2018100103.
Gartner. “What Are Fusion Teams?”. Gartner, 2022, https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/why-fusion-teams-matter.
Harel, Ronen. “The Impact Of COVID-19 On Small Businesses’ Performance And Innovation”. Global Business Review, vol 6, no. 12, 2021, pp. 93-99. SAGE Publications, https://doi.org/10.1177/09721509211039145.
Kumar, Rahul et al. “Development of A Framework For Agile Manufacturing.” World Journal Of Science, Technology And Sustainable Development, vol 16, no. 4, 2019, pp. 161-169. Emerald, https://doi.org/10.1108/wjstsd-05-2019-0022.
Minster, Christopher. “How Was A Pirate Crew Organized?”. Thoughtco, 2022, https://www.thoughtco.com/positions-duties-on-a-pirate-ship-2136230.
Pattnaik, Subash Chandra, and Rashmita Sahoo. “Employee Engagement, Creativity And Task Performance: Role Of Perceived Workplace Autonomy.” South Asian Journal Of Business Studies, vol 10, no. 2, 2020, pp. 227-241. Emerald, https://doi.org/10.1108/sajbs-11-2019-0196.
Ranjbar, Mokhtar, and Narjes Amiri. “The Relationship between Knowledge Management And Employee Retention.” International Journal Of Management And Applied Science, vol 1, no. 9, 2015, pp. 231-236., Accessed 18 Mar 2022.
Rey, Carlos, et al. “Agile purpose: Overcoming bureaucracy.” Purpose-driven organizations. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2019. 75-86
Sutton, Ricky. “How Fusion Teams Will Define The Future Of Business.” Spryker, 2021, https://spryker.com/en/blog/how-fusion-teams-will-define-the-future-of-business/
Authors

Paul Lalovich

Organizational Effectiveness and Strategy Execution Practice

Tesha Teshanovich

Organizational Effectiveness and Strategy Execution PracticeAghina, Wouter et al. “The Five Trademarks Of Agile Organizations.” Mckinsey.Com, 2022, https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-five-trademarks-of-agile-organizations.
Alli, Alicia, and Jenni Lloyd. “Does Our Economy Need More Pirates?”. Nesta, 2019, https://www.nesta.org.uk/blog/does-our-economy-need-more-pirates/.
Galli, Brian J., and Paola Andrea Hernandez Lopez. “Risks Management In Agile New Product Development Project Environments.” International Journal of Risk and Contingency Management, vol 7, no. 4, 2018, pp. 37-67. IGI Global, https://doi.org/10.4018/ijrcm.2018100103.
Gartner. “What Are Fusion Teams?”. Gartner, 2022, https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/why-fusion-teams-matter.
Harel, Ronen. “The Impact Of COVID-19 On Small Businesses’ Performance And Innovation”. Global Business Review, vol 6, no. 12, 2021, pp. 93-99. SAGE Publications, https://doi.org/10.1177/09721509211039145.
Kumar, Rahul et al. “Development of A Framework For Agile Manufacturing.” World Journal Of Science, Technology And Sustainable Development, vol 16, no. 4, 2019, pp. 161-169. Emerald, https://doi.org/10.1108/wjstsd-05-2019-0022.
Minster, Christopher. “How Was A Pirate Crew Organized?”. Thoughtco, 2022, https://www.thoughtco.com/positions-duties-on-a-pirate-ship-2136230.
Pattnaik, Subash Chandra, and Rashmita Sahoo. “Employee Engagement, Creativity And Task Performance: Role Of Perceived Workplace Autonomy.” South Asian Journal Of Business Studies, vol 10, no. 2, 2020, pp. 227-241. Emerald, https://doi.org/10.1108/sajbs-11-2019-0196.
Ranjbar, Mokhtar, and Narjes Amiri. “The Relationship between Knowledge Management And Employee Retention.” International Journal Of Management And Applied Science, vol 1, no. 9, 2015, pp. 231-236., Accessed 18 Mar 2022.
Rey, Carlos, et al. “Agile purpose: Overcoming bureaucracy.” Purpose-driven organizations. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2019. 75-86
Sutton, Ricky. “How Fusion Teams Will Define The Future Of Business.” Spryker, 2021, https://spryker.com/en/blog/how-fusion-teams-will-define-the-future-of-business/
Authors

Paul Lalovich

Tesha Teshanovich

I am not a JW, but I work in a field that doesn't require a college education, and even though it's a branch of local government, it seems to have attracted quite a few JWs. Two of our six supervisors are JWs. (One shocks me, because she has had quite a lascivious personal life and multiple marriages. Yet she posts on FB about going to Kingdom Hall every week. I always believed that JWs required exemplary conduct of their members.)
I have also been very good friends for the past 9 years at work with a co-worker, an older lady, who is a JW. This lady is truly one of the best people I have ever known in my life. I look up to her like I would an aunt, if I liked my real aunt. Lol! The thing is, I didn't even know she was a JW for the first couple years I knew her. I found out when her husband died; the obituary made much reference of his devout belief and religious work as one of JWs. I was really floored. She has always been so good to me; we rely on each other for moral support about work and personal problems. I was brought up thinking that JWs kept to themselves and kept themselves separate from "worldly" people unless they were preaching. I've been to this lady's house; we have been to work-related parties, funerals of co-workers, etc. together. While she has never outright wished me a Happy Birthday, she has signed an office birthday card with "Hope you have a great day" and she even texted me on my 30th birthday to tell me she hoped I had a great day.
She and I have NEVER discussed her religion. She NEVER mentions anything about her religious life. There are clues here and there that she is still active (for example, her mother who lives with her is not a JW and always goes to spend holidays with other family). It's almost like she's ashamed of being a JW and it has to be kept a secret. As her friend, I want to know about parts of her life that are important to her, but she keeps it so private I've always been afraid to ever bring it up or ask any questions.
Is it normal for a JW to keep their religious life so separate from their work life? Why would they go out in the world and push their beliefs so strongly on people on their own time, but never once acknowledge it to a close co-worker? And is it completely unheard of for a JW to be as close to a "worldly" person as my friend is to me?

I have a database and a page template that has a view of that database. When I create a new page, that view is obviously duplicated. I would like to be able to add a new database item from "New Page" and have a field in that database default to "New Page" based on the page name.
For example, if I have a page titled Page 1 and I create a new database entry from this page, this field would be set to Page 1. If I create a new database entry from Page 2, the field would automatically be set to Page 2.
Is this possible?
I'm a newbie to Notion...

Someone is trying to ruin my marriage
A couple days ago my husband got a text from a person claiming im cheating with them. My husband has been texting this person for 2 days now. He wont show me the messages or give me details. I think because he’s believing them.
The little tidbits my husband has let slip is the phone number (it’s a TextNow number-I tried calling it), that this person told him I said he’s a bad dad, and that this person has sent “evidence” or “proof.” I also know they called me by name.
I can’t even begin to imagine what this person has said. Me and my husband are both active duty military. The number has the area code of where we live, so this person is most likely local. We don’t have friends really outside our units so it’s someone one of us works with. I suspect someone I work with more than my husbands coworkers because I’ve had issues with some higher ups at work in the last year. I think it’s probably someone with kids because I don’t think someone without kids would think to make up the “bad dad” lie. The other alternative in my mind is that there’s some crazy woman who is secretly obsessed with my husband and trying to ruin our marriage. Whoever it is obviously has something wrong with them mentally.
Another reason I suspect someone I work with is because they would know all the times my husband is gone (he’s gone often) and in my mind that’s the only logical “evidence” they could have is mentioning times I would have been cheating. That and the fact that this is obviously an attack on me and not him. This is meant to hurt me. And I have people in my work center who don’t like me. Never thought any of them would do something this deranged though.
Im frustrated with my husband and freaking out because of the situation. Adultery is against the UCMJ and this accusation could ruin my career. If this person is ballsy enough to message my husband lies with a clear intent to break us up or cause issues between us. And is dedicated enough to use a fake number and continue on talking to him, they are absolutely capable of making a report to my commander. Even if it’s found not to be true it will still negatively effect my career. You can’t do damage control after an accusation like that.
Without knowing the context of the messages I’m speculating a lot. I know my husband stayed up all night messaging this person and he made a comment about how he was obviously drunk and then this morning he suddenly didn’t have a lot to say.
My husband is trying to find out who it is and says he’ll share the identity if he finds out, but that’s it. Im also trying to find out who it is but have been wildly unsuccessful because of the use of a texting app. I’ve thought about filing a police report for defamation and seeing if they’ll trace the number, but I don’t have any proof because my husband won’t share the messages.
To be clear I have never cheated on my husband, messaged another man, anything. We’ve been rocky for a good bit of our marriage which may explain why he’s not believing me, but I love the hell out of him and things were just starting to get better in the last couple months.
All that to ask, does anyone have any advice? Know of a way to trace this person? Anything?
Also is you know a better place to post this please tell me. Im struggling to figure out where to post

Author note: The Cryopod to Hell is a Reddit-exclusive story with over three years of editing and refining. As of this post, the total rewrite is 2,182,000+ words long! For more information, check out the link below:
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...................................
(Previous Part)
(Part 001)
"Hell yeah, I wanna go exploring." Jason says to Calanthra with a smile. "How do we navigate around Ripspace though? Traveling to other galaxies is going to take billions of years, right? Surely, there's a shortcut."
"Ripspace is not as it seems." Calanthra explains, gesturing grandly to the epic sight before them. "It is a connection between the past and the present; the near and far. The further away or the further back you want to travel, the higher the price you will have to pay."
Jason's smile vanishes. "Wait... you can use Ripspace to travel back in time?!"
"No." Calanthra clarifies. "Time is linear. We cannot travel through it. Some can slow it down or speed it up. A rare few can even pause it for a short while. But moving forward and backward is impossible. Countless have attempted to do so over the eons, but all have failed."
She looks at Jason meaningfully. "Many Rulers would wipe out galaxies if it might let them obtain such a power. The fact they still haven't proves it is impossible."
Jason nods slowly. "I won't lie. I have a lot of regrets. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and save my daughter from dying."
"Everyone has regrets." Calanthra muses, looking off into the distance. "I have plenty, myself. But it's better this way. There would be pandemonium if time travel ever became possible."
She pauses before continuing with her explanation. "While we cannot go back in time, we can look back into time. Pinpointing exact moments in history is difficult, to say the least, but it is possible to use Ripspace to search for key moments in intergalactic history."
"So it's like a massive seer-stone." Jason muses aloud. "But wait, didn't you imply earlier that you used Ripspace to travel to the Milky Way from Andromeda? How does it allow you to jump between galaxies? Are other species using Ripspace for intergalactic travel?"
"You can indeed use Ripspace to travel to distant reaches of space." Calanthra explains. "But... you have to pay a certain price. Akasha's Barriers still protect every galaxy. Cosmics cannot travel between them easily. Mortals can, but the price we must pay is unimaginably steep. That is also the reason my mother perished not long after arriving in the Milky Way and giving birth to me."
The Fairy Monarch sighs softly.
"My people used the power of Ripspace to travel to several other galaxies. We were fortunate that the Creator had died, allowing us to take up residence here in secret, but the Angels, Titans, and Dragons were still a threat we could not overlook. Later, the Volgrim rose up too, and that was something that worried us for a while. Particularly when their Sentinels began to rapaciously erase the lives of innumerable Sentients."
She waves her hand. "Ultimately, very few galaxies didn't have a Ruler in power. Traveling to one that did meant flipping a coin and praying our people could avoid their gaze. Sadly, time has shown me that we were likely unsuccessful. I have lost contact with all my sisters across the cosmos."
The image of innumerable galaxies floating in the distance changes before Jason's eyes. Calanthra manipulates some unseen power, causing herself and Jason to suddenly materialize directly in front of a beautiful spiral galaxy.
"This is our Milky Way." Calanthra explains, waving her hand to conjure another, far bigger galaxy beside it. "And this is Andromeda."
"Is it just me or does Andromeda seem... brighter?" Jason asks.
"Andromeda contains far more interstellar particles, cosmic energy, and latent magical power than the Milky Way." Calanthra says. "Of course, in the ancient past, it had even more than it does now, but such is the way of entropy and Chaos."
Jason nods. "How exactly do galaxies lose power over time? Doesn't this feel self-defeating in a way?"
"Every Ruler enters the Unending War with a strategy." Calanthra says, motioning with her hands to disperse the galaxies and reveal images of ghostly creatures, some standing on two legs, some on four, and plenty that appear as mere blobs of energy. "I cannot pretend to know the thoughts of such high and mighty beings, especially as I am a mere mortal myself. Even so, I can definitively state that there are Rulers who seek to put as much galactic energy into their initial creations as possible, while others wish to adopt a more energy-efficient growth-model."
She pokes her finger against Jason's chest. "Take the angels and humans, for instance. The Creator poured the vast majority of his power into creating a galaxy full of Apex Cosmics. At their peak, the angels as a whole commanded enough power to flatten other galaxies. But what did they do instead? They fought with one another, killing themselves due to sheer boredom, if not outright ego."
"I see." Jason says, brushing Calanthra's finger away. "So the Creator dumped all the Milky Way's energy into the angels. I take it this is uncommon among Rulers?"
"Of course. It's a wasteful strategy and usually loses Rulers the War for that Eternity." Calanthra says dismissively. "The Timeless used a different strategy. She created the fairies as mere mortals that evolved over time, gaining greater and greater power through their own efforts. This meant that instead of devouring Andromeda's abundant Cosmic energy, they could slowly sap off its excess over time. For you see, the more energy a galaxy has, the more it can produce. If you ration it long enough, you can reap more of it across the duration of an Eternity."
"That makes sense." Jason concludes. "It's like a Rush build in an RTS versus an Economy build. You sacrifice long-term gains in exchange for short-term power. The problem is, with Akasha's Barriers preventing Rulers from attacking their enemies straight away, a Rush build is dumb because you're just wasting your resources and sacrificing Cosmic energy when you'll actually need it."
Calanthra blinks twice. She looks at Jason with a strange expression, then turns away for a moment, trying to understand the strange terms he's used. They mostly make sense, but some of them are a little...
She shakes her head and returns to the topic at hand. "Right. Rush strategy versus Economy. Of... course. Well, in any case, there is one advantage toward the first strategy. If you drain all the energy from your galaxy, it becomes less appealing for other Rulers to attack. Because Andromeda was so large and still filled with Cosmic power even billions of years after the Expansion Era, it stoked the hunger of the Dark Ones. Meanwhile, the Milky Way only needs to deal with the Plague, which is threatening for mortals, but manageable for Cosmics. In that respect, we've gotten off much luckier."
"I get the bigger picture now." Jason says with a nod. He turns to look back at the cosmos before him. "So, what about all this? Are we gonna go exploring, or what?"
"In order to explore the universe presented here, we would need to make sacrifices we cannot afford. I think you would find the price most disagreeable. But there is something we can explore freely..."
She waves her hand, and instantly, the brilliant and beautiful cosmic view of the universe vanishes.
In its place, Jason and Calanthra suddenly appear inside a dead, barren wasteland. Brown and grey dirt rises up in huge dunes stretching off into the distance. Fallen towers made of gold and stone lay on their sides, or stick into the ground, buried nearly up to their tops as they point diagonally toward the sky.
And speaking of the sky, it glows faintly grey, as if some weak, pale imitation of a star were trying to shine through a thin atmosphere clouded by dust and grime. The very air itself smells of sulfur and toxins, making Jason's nose curl up when he takes a breath.
"Ugh... what the hell? Where are we now?" Jason asks, as he turns and looks around at the dead world surrounding him.
"An Ancient Domain." Calanthra says softly. "A remnant of a dead universe. All life stripped away. All hope lost. Septillions of different Sentient species, gone. Their mortals, their Cosmics, reduced to dust by the Contraction."
The Wordsmith frowns. "This Ancient Domain represents a dead universe? But how can that be possible? If the Heat Death played out and all the galaxies faded to cosmic dust, then there already wouldn't be anything left. And then, if the entire universe collapsed into a singularity before exploding again, there definitely wouldn't be anything left behind resembling physical matter."
"You perceive reality through just three dimensions." Calanthra intones. "Time and space can be considered two dimensions. Cosmic Power is another dimension. I must admit I do not understand how Ancient Domains have continued to exist across countless Eternities, and I don't know how they retain a vaguely familiar form... but I can assure you that in spite of bending logic itself, they do exist and they can provide tangible benefits to those dedicated to exploring them."
"You've been exploring them, then?" Jason asks, turning away from the dead world to scrutinize Calanthra's phantasmal image.
"Me, a little. But often, I dispatch my descendants to scour these Ancient Domains for things of value. It may surprise you, but there are powerful artifacts, vengeful spirits, and all manner of other inter-dimensional horrors lurking within these so-called dead-lands."
Calanthra pauses. She shifts her posture to look at Jason deeply.
"And that is why I've brought you here, Jason. It's time for me to get down to the crux of the matter and breach the subject that I find most important."
He nods. "I'm listening."
"It's like this." Calanthra explains. "The Ancient Domains are unfathomably broad. Think of how large a universe is. Think of how many universes have existed. Think of how much space my people have yet to explore."
She pauses.
"The gains we have received have made my people stronger than you would expect. Among those gains are Yredelemnul's Eye and other leftover remnants of power that many dead ancient Rulers lost when their Existences became forfeit. While their tangible Existences may have perished, their spirits sometimes live on in these broad, unending dead universes..."
"That's why you approached me." Jason says, while crossing his arms and leaning on the ball of his heel. "You said you wanted an alliance with humanity. You... want humans to help you explore the Ancient Domains?"
"Trust is hard to come by among mortals, Cosmics, and Rulers." Calanthra says simply. "I never would have considered allying with the humans before, but you have shown me the broadness of your mind during the debate against your clone and the commander of your military. To some, you certainly appear naive, but to me I see an opportunity I would be foolish to ignore."
She continues. "The Fairies cannot reproduce efficiently. Every fairy we send into the Ancient Domain is one less fairy we have among our Empire. We already have a difficult time replenishing our numbers through the remaining Male Fairies, but do you think it is easy for us to reproduce with other species?"
Jason slowly shakes his head. "Blinker and Kar's children were all crocodiles, not fairies. From that, I can only imagine that most of the time, your mating attempts do not create more of yourselves, but instead more non-fairy children."
"That's exactly correct." Calanthra replies. "But that all changed recently when I found out one of your human males somehow spontaneously altered his genetic profile to become a fairy. There is no doubt about it; Samuel Baker harnesses all the capability to reproduce that you humans do, as well as the trueborn powers of any male fairy."
"So... are you seeking a marriage alliance with Samuel Baker?" Jason asks, scratching his head in confusion. "You could just ask him yourself, you know?"
"This is not about one man." Calanthra retorts. "Samuel Baker, if he were to join our ranks, would certainly help us stave off extinction for a while longer. But that is hardly worth all this melodrama and me taking you to the Ancient Domain in person..."
Jason's eyes widen in realization. "I see! You... you're thinking that if my magic could make one male fairy, I could surely make another, and another..."
"Yes, precisely." Calanthra says, revealing a beautiful smile. "Additionally, if humans were to assist us in scouring these Ancient Domains, we could make great gains together. There is plenty of room for another species to join ours in locating powerful artifacts and other items capable of Uplifting us."
"You want to become Cosmics still." Jason muses. "You haven't resigned yourselves to your current fate."
"Quite the opposite." Calanthra says. "The curse placed upon us is unbreakable by those beneath the realm of Ruler. As I said before, the fairies have lost this Eternity's war. However, while we cannot Ascend any longer, that does not mean the humans are subject to the same limitation. If we could groom a human into becoming the Milky Way's Ruler, we could finally break free of our shackles by virtue of having a powerful ally."
She pauses, looking meaningfully at the Wordsmith.
"If the Demons or the Volgrim were to become our Ruler, we would not enjoy such a benefit. At best, we would only maintain the status quo, and at worst, they might eradicate us out of fear of having an unsightly tumor in their midst."
"Haha." Jason laughs. "So you brought me here to show your sincerity. I get it. Well, I'm definitely not opposed to helping you. Blinker is my good friend. If she were to ask me, I'd definitely say yes to just about any request."
Jason turns away. He walks a few feet off to the side and pauses, standing to gaze out at the Ancient Domain and its endlessly rolling plains which stretches off into the infinite distance...
"Here's what I can do." Jason says. "My people are already working on laying out the options for humanity and where our fellow men and women will depart over the next few weeks. Some will travel to Maiura. Some will go to Sharmur. Some will stay on Tarus II. It's no trouble at all to put Pixiv on the list, especially as I was already planning to do that. I even have some other places I'd like to include, too..."
"Such as Camael's Cube?" Calanthra asks with a smile. "Or do you perhaps mean Chrona and Hope's Hall of Heroes?"
Jason nearly jumps out of his skin. He whirls around to look at Calanthra with shock in his eyes. "What?! How do you know about Chrona? How do you also know about where Hope has been hiding?? I don't even know that much!"
"For those who are talented in magic, it is possible to see through many lies and deceptions." Calanthra says calmly, unfazed by the alarm on Jason's face. "Your Spynet Sphere isn't so different from the many options I have at my disposal. I have many means to keep an eye on the galaxy. And while Diablo does not know exactly where or what Chrona is, he certainly knows of its general existence."
Her smile turns cold. "I would advise you not to take Unarin lightly either, Wordsmith. That ancient creature is more capable than you can imagine. He is hiding a great many secrets from the galaxy... secrets he does not know that I am aware of. If he were to learn of the true extent of my information web, I fear that he would dispatch a handful of High Psions to eliminate the fairy species tomorrow."
Calanthra's words truly rock Jason to his core. All along, he assumed the precautions he put on Chrona, precautions that fooled even Hope, would make his hidden dimension impossible to detect.
But how could he be so naive?
As the daughter of an Apex Cosmic, Calanthra must have her means, and that likely means Unarin and Diablo aren't too far behind either.
"Shit." Jason curses, lowering his head as a flicker of anger smolders in his heart. "I was too complacent. Chrona isn't secure, which means it's only a matter of time before more Cosmics learn of its existence. How long before they can find its exact location and invade it?"
"Calm yourself, child." Calanthra says soothingly. "The situation is not that dire. After all, Chrona still exists within a highly accelerated timespace. Any biological entity that wishes to travel there could suffer severe after-effects. Furthermore, the entities born inside will be too adapted to living within a higher dimension, so they won't pose much threat to the creatures of realspace."
She waves her hand. "Let's move on, Jason. I want to discuss other matters before dying of old age."
The Wordsmith cools himself off. He inhales deeply, then returns his attention to her.
"Alright. What next, then?"
"Fairies are not the only Sentients capable of entering Ancient Domains." Calanthra explains. "There are others who rarely appear inside here. That is why exploring these domains can be dangerous. The good news is that Cosmics have little need to enter these barren lands, as most of the heritages, treasures, and other such gains you might find inside are only useful to mortals. There are exceptions, but they are so rare as to be a needle found within ten million haystacks. A waste of effort better spent simply progressing one's Cosmic power the ordinary way."
"So what you're saying is, when you send fairies into an Ancient Domain, they can die as a result of crossing paths with Sentients from other galaxies." Jason concludes. "But if you had an army of humans to enter with you, your people would be a lot safer."
"Safety in numbers, yes. And you humans are... uniquely advantaged in Ancient Domain exploration." Calanthra says mysteriously. "Before that, though... do you know what the Power of Imagination is, Wordsmith?"
Jason raises an eyebrow. "Imagination? Like the mental ability to visualize stuff in your head? Yeah. It's not that complicated to understand."
"Ah, that's where you're wrong." Calanthra chides gently. "Imagination is the key to magical power. Imagination, Conception, Visualization, these are all key capabilities powerful maguses and sorcerors use to uplift their capabilities! And as it turns out, most Sentients are actually quite terrible at conceptualizing thoughts into imagery."
She gestures grandly. "Just take the Volgrim! You may think they are a powerful Sentient species, but in fact the Volgrim have terrible imaginations. They are stodgy, dull, and lack a great deal of creativity. All the gains their Technopaths make through technology are developed via brute force. They slowly improve their technological prowess by minute fractions over long periods of time, eventually resulting in a large and cohesive buildup."
"At the same time, the Psions Uplift themselves through meditation and sitting motionless for thousands of years at a time. Can a species capable of such incredible feats of drudgery also possess limitless imagination? I think not."
"Maybe the reason they're able to sit still for so long is because they live in their imagination?" Jason posits. "In which case their power of imagination should be quite formidable, right?"
"Possible, but unlikely." Calanthra says with a wave of her hand. "Never mind that. The point I'm trying to make is that humans have an extremely high affinity for magic. If your people were to ally with mine, we could teach you our ways. You could help us through your Wordsmithing and superior genetics, creating more fairies and humans alike. This would create a recursive cycle that would continually bolster both our species to greater and greater heights!"
She lowers her voice back to normal. "An alliance with humanity would have other benefits. You humans are equally adept in technology and magic both. You are versatile, capable of learning any skill provided you have time to devote to your studies. The bursts of inspiration you receive also allow you to make large jumps in capability as well, which could mean that in a relatively short period, you might even be capable of challenging the Volgrim."
Jason nods. "That does sound tempting, Calanthra. I'm willing to help you, but I won't demand my people join the fairies. It would be better if those who were the most interested did so instead."
Calanthra playfully twirls a finger through her hair. "Well. My daughters are all beautiful. Perhaps you should make mention that the fairies are... aggressively interested in copulation?"
"COUGH COUGH!" Jason wheezes, taking a step back as he asses her bold choice of words. "Yeah! Uh, I can probably- I'll let everyone know about that too. Obviously!"
Calanthra chuckles. "Such a cute boy. Well, it seems I've accomplished what I wanted. Let's return for now. You can always pay Ripspace a visit later."
"I will." Jason says, nodding seriously. "Waypoint."
Calanthra raises an eyebrow. "You think you can return here without a Ruler's power?"
"Won't know unless I try." Jason smiles back.
...
Not long after, Jason and Calanthra emerge back into Realspace. He shivers as he feels the Eye of Yredelemnul fixating on him from behind, but Calanthra quickly reactivates the Formation of Light, sending the sliver of a Ruler back to the shadows so it can no longer interact with the physical world.
"You know, Jason." Calanthra says. "You are a Candidate. You have the capability to become a Ruler someday."
"I am?" Jason asks, before thinking back to a conversation in the past. "Oh yeah, someone did mention that to me before. But... eh. I don't know. Becoming a Ruler sounds awful."
"Awful?" Calanthra asks. "How so?"
"It seems... lonely." Jason says, his voice softening. He looks at the space between the four statues, where Yredelemnul's Eye has disappeared. "Imagine all your loved ones dying, but you're stuck behind, living through the end of an Eternity, which takes trillions of years before Heat Death finally eradicates everything. Then comes the next Eternity, where you can remake your species again... but it won't be the same. Even if you remake your loved ones, it won't really be them."
Jason lowers and shakes his head. "That sort of life doesn't suit me."
"I understand why you'd think that way." Calanthra says. "In fact, you are suffering from the same affliction that plagues all Candidates who began their Existences as Biologicals. We have too many ties to the mortal world, so the majority of Biologicals who ascend to the rank of Ruler... fall to their non-biological opponents."
"As for the things which are not biological..." Calanthra says, looking at Jason with disgust. "You should already know what they are."
"Highly evolved Artificial Intelligences?" Jason guesses.
"That's right." Calanthra affirms. "There are several tiers of power a superintelligence can possess. The Volgrim have taken great care to prevent anything above a Beta Core from forming in the Milky Way, but once, a long time ago... they made a huge mess by accidentally creating the Milky Way's first Alpha Core Synthmind."
Calanthra chuckles. "The stupid fools didn't only create an Alpha Core, they gave it autonomy in the hopes it would be able to stop the wars between their factions. They built indestructible bipedal bodies for its splintered intelligences, and called them... Sentinels. Luckily, they were able to defeat the Alpha Core before it ascended further, but countless other biological species have failed at that juncture, creating an Alpha Core that ultimately devoured the full power of their galaxy for itself."
A chill trickles down Jason's spine. "You're saying the vast majority of Rulers are actually Alpha Core AIs? AIs that control entire galaxies?!"
"No, Jason." Calanthra counters. "Alpha Cores can defeat advanced civilizations. But there is one Existence higher than an Alpha Core, a tier that can only be reached once it has swallowed the power of a galaxy."
"That would be an Omega Core. a sentient artificial intelligence that has become Ruler over one or more galaxies. And in Akasha's game, more than 90% of all Rulers are estimated to be these superior lifeforms."
"It is for that reason that these highly adaptable entities are known as The Evolved."

"Hell yeah, I wanna go exploring." Jason says to Calanthra with a smile. "How do we navigate around Ripspace though? Traveling to other galaxies is going to take billions of years, right? Surely, there's a shortcut."
"Ripspace is not as it seems." Calanthra explains, gesturing grandly to the epic sight before them. "It is a connection between the past and the present; the near and far. The further away or the further back you want to travel, the higher the price you will have to pay."
Jason's smile vanishes. "Wait... you can use Ripspace to travel back in time?!"
"No." Calanthra clarifies. "Time is linear. We cannot travel through it. Some can slow it down or speed it up. A rare few can even pause it for a short while. But moving forward and backward is impossible. Countless have attempted to do so over the eons, but all have failed."
She looks at Jason meaningfully. "Many Rulers would wipe out galaxies if it might let them obtain such a power. The fact they still haven't proves it is impossible."
Jason nods slowly. "I won't lie. I have a lot of regrets. Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and save my daughter from dying."
"Everyone has regrets." Calanthra muses, looking off into the distance. "I have plenty, myself. But it's better this way. There would be pandemonium if time travel ever became possible."
She pauses before continuing with her explanation. "While we cannot go back in time, we can look back into time. Pinpointing exact moments in history is difficult, to say the least, but it is possible to use Ripspace to search for key moments in intergalactic history."
"So it's like a massive seer-stone." Jason muses aloud. "But wait, didn't you imply earlier that you used Ripspace to travel to the Milky Way from Andromeda? How does it allow you to jump between galaxies? Are other species using Ripspace for intergalactic travel?"
"You can indeed use Ripspace to travel to distant reaches of space." Calanthra explains. "But... you have to pay a certain price. Akasha's Barriers still protect every galaxy. Cosmics cannot travel between them easily. Mortals can, but the price we must pay is unimaginably steep. That is also the reason my mother perished not long after arriving in the Milky Way and giving birth to me."
The Fairy Monarch sighs softly.
"My people used the power of Ripspace to travel to several other galaxies. We were fortunate that the Creator had died, allowing us to take up residence here in secret, but the Angels, Titans, and Dragons were still a threat we could not overlook. Later, the Volgrim rose up too, and that was something that worried us for a while. Particularly when their Sentinels began to rapaciously erase the lives of innumerable Sentients."
She waves her hand. "Ultimately, very few galaxies didn't have a Ruler in power. Traveling to one that did meant flipping a coin and praying our people could avoid their gaze. Sadly, time has shown me that we were likely unsuccessful. I have lost contact with all my sisters across the cosmos."
The image of innumerable galaxies floating in the distance changes before Jason's eyes. Calanthra manipulates some unseen power, causing herself and Jason to suddenly materialize directly in front of a beautiful spiral galaxy.
"This is our Milky Way." Calanthra explains, waving her hand to conjure another, far bigger galaxy beside it. "And this is Andromeda."
"Is it just me or does Andromeda seem... brighter?" Jason asks.
"Andromeda contains far more interstellar particles, cosmic energy, and latent magical power than the Milky Way." Calanthra says. "Of course, in the ancient past, it had even more than it does now, but such is the way of entropy and Chaos."
Jason nods. "How exactly do galaxies lose power over time? Doesn't this feel self-defeating in a way?"
"Every Ruler enters the Unending War with a strategy." Calanthra says, motioning with her hands to disperse the galaxies and reveal images of ghostly creatures, some standing on two legs, some on four, and plenty that appear as mere blobs of energy. "I cannot pretend to know the thoughts of such high and mighty beings, especially as I am a mere mortal myself. Even so, I can definitively state that there are Rulers who seek to put as much galactic energy into their initial creations as possible, while others wish to adopt a more energy-efficient growth-model."
She pokes her finger against Jason's chest. "Take the angels and humans, for instance. The Creator poured the vast majority of his power into creating a galaxy full of Apex Cosmics. At their peak, the angels as a whole commanded enough power to flatten other galaxies. But what did they do instead? They fought with one another, killing themselves due to sheer boredom, if not outright ego."
"I see." Jason says, brushing Calanthra's finger away. "So the Creator dumped all the Milky Way's energy into the angels. I take it this is uncommon among Rulers?"
"Of course. It's a wasteful strategy and usually loses Rulers the War for that Eternity." Calanthra says dismissively. "The Timeless used a different strategy. She created the fairies as mere mortals that evolved over time, gaining greater and greater power through their own efforts. This meant that instead of devouring Andromeda's abundant Cosmic energy, they could slowly sap off its excess over time. For you see, the more energy a galaxy has, the more it can produce. If you ration it long enough, you can reap more of it across the duration of an Eternity."
"That makes sense." Jason concludes. "It's like a Rush build in an RTS versus an Economy build. You sacrifice long-term gains in exchange for short-term power. The problem is, with Akasha's Barriers preventing Rulers from attacking their enemies straight away, a Rush build is dumb because you're just wasting your resources and sacrificing Cosmic energy when you'll actually need it."
Calanthra blinks twice. She looks at Jason with a strange expression, then turns away for a moment, trying to understand the strange terms he's used. They mostly make sense, but some of them are a little...
She shakes her head and returns to the topic at hand. "Right. Rush strategy versus Economy. Of... course. Well, in any case, there is one advantage toward the first strategy. If you drain all the energy from your galaxy, it becomes less appealing for other Rulers to attack. Because Andromeda was so large and still filled with Cosmic power even billions of years after the Expansion Era, it stoked the hunger of the Dark Ones. Meanwhile, the Milky Way only needs to deal with the Plague, which is threatening for mortals, but manageable for Cosmics. In that respect, we've gotten off much luckier."
"I get the bigger picture now." Jason says with a nod. He turns to look back at the cosmos before him. "So, what about all this? Are we gonna go exploring, or what?"
"In order to explore the universe presented here, we would need to make sacrifices we cannot afford. I think you would find the price most disagreeable. But there is something we can explore freely..."
She waves her hand, and instantly, the brilliant and beautiful cosmic view of the universe vanishes.
In its place, Jason and Calanthra suddenly appear inside a dead, barren wasteland. Brown and grey dirt rises up in huge dunes stretching off into the distance. Fallen towers made of gold and stone lay on their sides, or stick into the ground, buried nearly up to their tops as they point diagonally toward the sky.
And speaking of the sky, it glows faintly grey, as if some weak, pale imitation of a star were trying to shine through a thin atmosphere clouded by dust and grime. The very air itself smells of sulfur and toxins, making Jason's nose curl up when he takes a breath.
"Ugh... what the hell? Where are we now?" Jason asks, as he turns and looks around at the dead world surrounding him.
"An Ancient Domain." Calanthra says softly. "A remnant of a dead universe. All life stripped away. All hope lost. Septillions of different Sentient species, gone. Their mortals, their Cosmics, reduced to dust by the Contraction."
The Wordsmith frowns. "This Ancient Domain represents a dead universe? But how can that be possible? If the Heat Death played out and all the galaxies faded to cosmic dust, then there already wouldn't be anything left. And then, if the entire universe collapsed into a singularity before exploding again, there definitely wouldn't be anything left behind resembling physical matter."
"You perceive reality through just three dimensions." Calanthra intones. "Time and space can be considered two dimensions. Cosmic Power is another dimension. I must admit I do not understand how Ancient Domains have continued to exist across countless Eternities, and I don't know how they retain a vaguely familiar form... but I can assure you that in spite of bending logic itself, they do exist and they can provide tangible benefits to those dedicated to exploring them."
"You've been exploring them, then?" Jason asks, turning away from the dead world to scrutinize Calanthra's phantasmal image.
"Me, a little. But often, I dispatch my descendants to scour these Ancient Domains for things of value. It may surprise you, but there are powerful artifacts, vengeful spirits, and all manner of other inter-dimensional horrors lurking within these so-called dead-lands."
Calanthra pauses. She shifts her posture to look at Jason deeply.
"And that is why I've brought you here, Jason. It's time for me to get down to the crux of the matter and breach the subject that I find most important."
He nods. "I'm listening."
"It's like this." Calanthra explains. "The Ancient Domains are unfathomably broad. Think of how large a universe is. Think of how many universes have existed. Think of how much space my people have yet to explore."
She pauses.
"The gains we have received have made my people stronger than you would expect. Among those gains are Yredelemnul's Eye and other leftover remnants of power that many dead ancient Rulers lost when their Existences became forfeit. While their tangible Existences may have perished, their spirits sometimes live on in these broad, unending dead universes..."
"That's why you approached me." Jason says, while crossing his arms and leaning on the ball of his heel. "You said you wanted an alliance with humanity. You... want humans to help you explore the Ancient Domains?"
"Trust is hard to come by among mortals, Cosmics, and Rulers." Calanthra says simply. "I never would have considered allying with the humans before, but you have shown me the broadness of your mind during the debate against your clone and the commander of your military. To some, you certainly appear naive, but to me I see an opportunity I would be foolish to ignore."
She continues. "The Fairies cannot reproduce efficiently. Every fairy we send into the Ancient Domain is one less fairy we have among our Empire. We already have a difficult time replenishing our numbers through the remaining Male Fairies, but do you think it is easy for us to reproduce with other species?"
Jason slowly shakes his head. "Blinker and Kar's children were all crocodiles, not fairies. From that, I can only imagine that most of the time, your mating attempts do not create more of yourselves, but instead more non-fairy children."
"That's exactly correct." Calanthra replies. "But that all changed recently when I found out one of your human males somehow spontaneously altered his genetic profile to become a fairy. There is no doubt about it; Samuel Baker harnesses all the capability to reproduce that you humans do, as well as the trueborn powers of any male fairy."
"So... are you seeking a marriage alliance with Samuel Baker?" Jason asks, scratching his head in confusion. "You could just ask him yourself, you know?"
"This is not about one man." Calanthra retorts. "Samuel Baker, if he were to join our ranks, would certainly help us stave off extinction for a while longer. But that is hardly worth all this melodrama and me taking you to the Ancient Domain in person..."
Jason's eyes widen in realization. "I see! You... you're thinking that if my magic could make one male fairy, I could surely make another, and another..."
"Yes, precisely." Calanthra says, revealing a beautiful smile. "Additionally, if humans were to assist us in scouring these Ancient Domains, we could make great gains together. There is plenty of room for another species to join ours in locating powerful artifacts and other items capable of Uplifting us."
"You want to become Cosmics still." Jason muses. "You haven't resigned yourselves to your current fate."
"Quite the opposite." Calanthra says. "The curse placed upon us is unbreakable by those beneath the realm of Ruler. As I said before, the fairies have lost this Eternity's war. However, while we cannot Ascend any longer, that does not mean the humans are subject to the same limitation. If we could groom a human into becoming the Milky Way's Ruler, we could finally break free of our shackles by virtue of having a powerful ally."
She pauses, looking meaningfully at the Wordsmith.
"If the Demons or the Volgrim were to become our Ruler, we would not enjoy such a benefit. At best, we would only maintain the status quo, and at worst, they might eradicate us out of fear of having an unsightly tumor in their midst."
"Haha." Jason laughs. "So you brought me here to show your sincerity. I get it. Well, I'm definitely not opposed to helping you. Blinker is my good friend. If she were to ask me, I'd definitely say yes to just about any request."
Jason turns away. He walks a few feet off to the side and pauses, standing to gaze out at the Ancient Domain and its endlessly rolling plains which stretches off into the infinite distance...
"Here's what I can do." Jason says. "My people are already working on laying out the options for humanity and where our fellow men and women will depart over the next few weeks. Some will travel to Maiura. Some will go to Sharmur. Some will stay on Tarus II. It's no trouble at all to put Pixiv on the list, especially as I was already planning to do that. I even have some other places I'd like to include, too..."
"Such as Camael's Cube?" Calanthra asks with a smile. "Or do you perhaps mean Chrona and Hope's Hall of Heroes?"
Jason nearly jumps out of his skin. He whirls around to look at Calanthra with shock in his eyes. "What?! How do you know about Chrona? How do you also know about where Hope has been hiding?? I don't even know that much!"
"For those who are talented in magic, it is possible to see through many lies and deceptions." Calanthra says calmly, unfazed by the alarm on Jason's face. "Your Spynet Sphere isn't so different from the many options I have at my disposal. I have many means to keep an eye on the galaxy. And while Diablo does not know exactly where or what Chrona is, he certainly knows of its general existence."
Her smile turns cold. "I would advise you not to take Unarin lightly either, Wordsmith. That ancient creature is more capable than you can imagine. He is hiding a great many secrets from the galaxy... secrets he does not know that I am aware of. If he were to learn of the true extent of my information web, I fear that he would dispatch a handful of High Psions to eliminate the fairy species tomorrow."
Calanthra's words truly rock Jason to his core. All along, he assumed the precautions he put on Chrona, precautions that fooled even Hope, would make his hidden dimension impossible to detect.
But how could he be so naive?
As the daughter of an Apex Cosmic, Calanthra must have her means, and that likely means Unarin and Diablo aren't too far behind either.
"Shit." Jason curses, lowering his head as a flicker of anger smolders in his heart. "I was too complacent. Chrona isn't secure, which means it's only a matter of time before more Cosmics learn of its existence. How long before they can find its exact location and invade it?"
"Calm yourself, child." Calanthra says soothingly. "The situation is not that dire. After all, Chrona still exists within a highly accelerated timespace. Any biological entity that wishes to travel there could suffer severe after-effects. Furthermore, the entities born inside will be too adapted to living within a higher dimension, so they won't pose much threat to the creatures of realspace."
She waves her hand. "Let's move on, Jason. I want to discuss other matters before dying of old age."
The Wordsmith cools himself off. He inhales deeply, then returns his attention to her.
"Alright. What next, then?"
"Fairies are not the only Sentients capable of entering Ancient Domains." Calanthra explains. "There are others who rarely appear inside here. That is why exploring these domains can be dangerous. The good news is that Cosmics have little need to enter these barren lands, as most of the heritages, treasures, and other such gains you might find inside are only useful to mortals. There are exceptions, but they are so rare as to be a needle found within ten million haystacks. A waste of effort better spent simply progressing one's Cosmic power the ordinary way."
"So what you're saying is, when you send fairies into an Ancient Domain, they can die as a result of crossing paths with Sentients from other galaxies." Jason concludes. "But if you had an army of humans to enter with you, your people would be a lot safer."
"Safety in numbers, yes. And you humans are... uniquely advantaged in Ancient Domain exploration." Calanthra says mysteriously. "Before that, though... do you know what the Power of Imagination is, Wordsmith?"
Jason raises an eyebrow. "Imagination? Like the mental ability to visualize stuff in your head? Yeah. It's not that complicated to understand."
"Ah, that's where you're wrong." Calanthra chides gently. "Imagination is the key to magical power. Imagination, Conception, Visualization, these are all key capabilities powerful maguses and sorcerors use to uplift their capabilities! And as it turns out, most Sentients are actually quite terrible at conceptualizing thoughts into imagery."
She gestures grandly. "Just take the Volgrim! You may think they are a powerful Sentient species, but in fact the Volgrim have terrible imaginations. They are stodgy, dull, and lack a great deal of creativity. All the gains their Technopaths make through technology are developed via brute force. They slowly improve their technological prowess by minute fractions over long periods of time, eventually resulting in a large and cohesive buildup."
"At the same time, the Psions Uplift themselves through meditation and sitting motionless for thousands of years at a time. Can a species capable of such incredible feats of drudgery also possess limitless imagination? I think not."
"Maybe the reason they're able to sit still for so long is because they live in their imagination?" Jason posits. "In which case their power of imagination should be quite formidable, right?"
"Possible, but unlikely." Calanthra says with a wave of her hand. "Never mind that. The point I'm trying to make is that humans have an extremely high affinity for magic. If your people were to ally with mine, we could teach you our ways. You could help us through your Wordsmithing and superior genetics, creating more fairies and humans alike. This would create a recursive cycle that would continually bolster both our species to greater and greater heights!"
She lowers her voice back to normal. "An alliance with humanity would have other benefits. You humans are equally adept in technology and magic both. You are versatile, capable of learning any skill provided you have time to devote to your studies. The bursts of inspiration you receive also allow you to make large jumps in capability as well, which could mean that in a relatively short period, you might even be capable of challenging the Volgrim."
Jason nods. "That does sound tempting, Calanthra. I'm willing to help you, but I won't demand my people join the fairies. It would be better if those who were the most interested did so instead."
Calanthra playfully twirls a finger through her hair. "Well. My daughters are all beautiful. Perhaps you should make mention that the fairies are... aggressively interested in copulation?"
"COUGH COUGH!" Jason wheezes, taking a step back as he asses her bold choice of words. "Yeah! Uh, I can probably- I'll let everyone know about that too. Obviously!"
Calanthra chuckles. "Such a cute boy. Well, it seems I've accomplished what I wanted. Let's return for now. You can always pay Ripspace a visit later."
"I will." Jason says, nodding seriously. "Waypoint."
Calanthra raises an eyebrow. "You think you can return here without a Ruler's power?"
"Won't know unless I try." Jason smiles back.
...
Not long after, Jason and Calanthra emerge back into Realspace. He shivers as he feels the Eye of Yredelemnul fixating on him from behind, but Calanthra quickly reactivates the Formation of Light, sending the sliver of a Ruler back to the shadows so it can no longer interact with the physical world.
"You know, Jason." Calanthra says. "You are a Candidate. You have the capability to become a Ruler someday."
"I am?" Jason asks, before thinking back to a conversation in the past. "Oh yeah, someone did mention that to me before. But... eh. I don't know. Becoming a Ruler sounds awful."
"Awful?" Calanthra asks. "How so?"
"It seems... lonely." Jason says, his voice softening. He looks at the space between the four statues, where Yredelemnul's Eye has disappeared. "Imagine all your loved ones dying, but you're stuck behind, living through the end of an Eternity, which takes trillions of years before Heat Death finally eradicates everything. Then comes the next Eternity, where you can remake your species again... but it won't be the same. Even if you remake your loved ones, it won't really be them."
Jason lowers and shakes his head. "That sort of life doesn't suit me."
"I understand why you'd think that way." Calanthra says. "In fact, you are suffering from the same affliction that plagues all Candidates who began their Existences as Biologicals. We have too many ties to the mortal world, so the majority of Biologicals who ascend to the rank of Ruler... fall to their non-biological opponents."
"As for the things which are not biological..." Calanthra says, looking at Jason with disgust. "You should already know what they are."
"Highly evolved Artificial Intelligences?" Jason guesses.
"That's right." Calanthra affirms. "There are several tiers of power a superintelligence can possess. The Volgrim have taken great care to prevent anything above a Beta Core from forming in the Milky Way, but once, a long time ago... they made a huge mess by accidentally creating the Milky Way's first Alpha Core Synthmind."
Calanthra chuckles. "The stupid fools didn't only create an Alpha Core, they gave it autonomy in the hopes it would be able to stop the wars between their factions. They built indestructible bipedal bodies for its splintered intelligences, and called them... Sentinels. Luckily, they were able to defeat the Alpha Core before it ascended further, but countless other biological species have failed at that juncture, creating an Alpha Core that ultimately devoured the full power of their galaxy for itself."
A chill trickles down Jason's spine. "You're saying the vast majority of Rulers are actually Alpha Core AIs? AIs that control entire galaxies?!"
"No, Jason." Calanthra counters. "Alpha Cores can defeat advanced civilizations. But there is one Existence higher than an Alpha Core, a tier that can only be reached once it has swallowed the power of a galaxy."
"That would be an Omega Core. a sentient artificial intelligence that has become Ruler over one or more galaxies. And in Akasha's game, more than 90% of all Rulers are estimated to be these superior lifeforms."
"It is for that reason that these highly adaptable entities are known as The Evolved."

Sorry for the title, I'm having trouble reducing this confusion down to one sentence. Maybe part of my problem is that I don't really understand exactly what I'm trying to do!
I have an app where I'm trying to read in data from different social media platforms. I want to be able to define each platform as an object, that implements certain functions. That way, when I want to add a support for a new platform, I just need to go create an object that implements those functions for that platform.
This is a simplified version of what I'm using so far:

type socialMediaDataProcessor = { fetchData: (resourceId: string) => FetchedData; transformData: (fetchedData: FetchedData) => TransformedData; }; const fetchFacebookData = (resourceId: string) => [ { clicks: 50, ad_id: "9837op4293", page_id: "oiuhiuheovwu" }, { clicks: 100, ad_id: "i9087gqu3i4", page_id: "njhbguy789uhi" }, ]; const transformFacebookData = ( facebookData: { clicks: number; ad_id: string; page_id: string }[], ) => { // do something to the facebook data }; const facebookDataProcessor = { fetchData: fetchFacebookData, transformData: transformFacebookData, } satisfies socialMediaDataProcessor< ReturnType, ReturnType >; 

So I have this definition of a platform object, which p much says - a platform must implement two functions: fetchData and transformData - transformData's only argument is the return type of fetchData.
This works kinda ok, but it seems kind of redundant to have to specify the generic types for FetchedData and TransformedData.
Is there a different way I could set this up that wouldn't require me explicitly provide the types to the generic type socialMediaDataProcessor?
(Btw in this specific example, I guess don't actually have to specify the TransformedData type, but in my actual code there's a handful of types, so I feel like this illustrates the issue better)

The 3 basic parameters of hashtag #Valzubiriagenda:

1. We artists and everyone else can write and self-publish art- and artist-related books: memoirs, biographies, art books and art catalogs. Books are forever. Pamphlets and brochures are not books.
2. We announce a schedule of increasing prices of our art pieces, which includes quantities (scarcity numbers) per price point and overall (the total quantity of art pieces we might ever make). This helps art traders, art investors and art collectors speculate or even stop speculating and instead join a community of investors working together to hopefully skyrocket to the higher announced prices in a shorter span of time.
3. We can use the NFT world, because NFTs provide the tracking (who owns what) and trading.

We can also not be involved with NFTs. Stores and individuals can help sell art using online presence and our catalogs in the stores. If this trends, or once this trends, even expensive art can be sold by neighboring businesses, without exclusivity. Commission systems do not have to be standardized. Art investors can produce their own catalogs to leave at the cafés. Even the cafés can produce their own catalogs.
Valzubiriagenda NFTs
NFTs only came about a few years ago. But I had been working on this since the 1990s. I wrote a book, Valzubiriagenda, along with fellow artist Silverio Perez, and released it in 2018 (Amazon and elsewhere), tackling everything related to #1 & #2. We'll come up with #3 in a later book/ memoi marketing book.
Any artist, including tangible artists can release 10,000 NFTs if the artist chooses to do so. For tangible artists, the NFT first becomes an Art Commission Contract for sight unseen, yet-to-be made art. Once the art is made, the NFT becomes proof of ownership that the actual, tangible art is theirs.
Warehousing our tangible art
Another related idea is that the tangible art may be warehoused by the artist so that the NFT traders continue to trade. This means that even 10-ton 10-foot tall sculptures can be owned and traded by anyone without worrying about shipping, reshipping, scratches, smudges, parts breaking off, etc. The newness of the pieces remain because they are stored by the artist, source, gallery, etc. The art piece gets shipped to the art collector, the ultimate owner.
An artist who makes ceramic coffee mugs - smaller art pieces, can release 10,000 NFTs with a schedule of increasing prices so that NFT traders can trade immediately. The 10,000 coffee mugs can get damaged, so as they are made, they continue to be stored by the artist, until the time when art collectors decide to have the art pieces shipped to them.
Why only now?
I decided to write as many book-length memoirs as I can before I came out to promote this.
I'm an artist and an author. Both need time to "master." I would not even fully use "master" on myself, because there's always something new, even to my own art, my own writing and publishing.

I am now claiming that I'm the visual artist who has produced the most artist memoirs in the world. I have 5 on Amazon. I count Valzubiriagenda as both a marketing book and a memoir-of-sorts, because it has a lot of my own life lessons on writing and publishing. I would not care to contest my claim of having the most memoirs. I will release 5 more over the next 3 years.

BARTER! Get help to write, photograph art and publish your books!
Anyone can hire 11 ghostwriters for 11 memoirs. If you can make art, but you cannot write, then barter your forever art with those who can help you produce forever books.
I don't feel the pressure of writing and publishing because I feel my focus should be on art students and art experts who would study my art and my books 100 years from now. Don't expect relatives and friends to read your books.
I call myself the Dollman
For my NFTs, I am proposing to make dioramas - my original, costumed, bejeweled porcelain dolls in backdrops that will also have precious metals and gemstones. This way I can incorporate precious metals and gemstones in my work, to make sure that people perceive my art as expensive, just in case I myself don't become "famous" - there's no need to get world famous. We are artists and all we need to do is to satisfy the art niche.
Use your laptop now!
I will encourage you to start writing your book-length memoir. Write, Edit and then Self-publish it. Get help. Why wait a hundred years for someone to write about you when all you need is a laptop and a nearby coffee shop.
Don't start counting chickens before the eggs hatch. I have encountered a lot of would-be writers who immediately see themselves as bestselling. world famous assets to society. Two even wanted me to sign NDAs (Nondisclosure agreements), because they did not want me to steal their book ideas.
Here's a suggestion. I would not personally do it. From one manuscript can come 2 books: The Original Draft (unedited, with misspellings, considered to be an art piece, scanned pages(?) of your handwritten original effort), and The Final Edition (edited).
PROVENANCE!
Another way to enhance our investability, tradability and collectability is PROVENANCE - how art ownership proceeds through time. The way this can be done is also through publishing books. Everyone can write their memoirs, biographies, art books and art catalogs, including traders, investors and art collectors. In effect, we artists can continue to be included or mentioned in even more books, without any additional effort by us.
You as an investor, reseller, trader, art collector should be able to publish a catalog with 250 works by 250 different artists, but they need to agree to this right from the start - it's your money, you should require them to follow your version of the hashtag #valzubiriagenda parameters, which preferably should include permission for you to publish their art. Why would you track down 250 artists later?
No exclusive contracts
If you're a café, you can call for artists, and come up with a book with for example, 30 artists, with a chapter devoted to each artist's profile and images of the artist's art.
You can distribute your catalogs to businesses and individuals near and far and online.
The book Valzubiriagenda even cites that funeral homes and janitors closets can sell art, with or without exclusivity. Airline catalogs can include million dollar art pieces. Car manufacturers, showrooms and even car repair shops can sell art as well. Everyone should be able to do this, anywhere in the world, especially not just because of the pandemic, but right now, we are in really bad economies.
What's with the name #Valzubiriagenda
I was into conspiracy theories in 2018, and this term, "The Mandela Effect," was popular. I had read many times that an artist coined the term, but I had to research online, for her name, many times, before remembering it. I'm not good at remembering names. It took me a year and a half to finally tell you that Fiona Broome coined "The Mandela Effect."
I also thought I might have to research trademarks and copyrights just to come up with a generic name. So I decided on "Valzubiriagenda." I was not really sure at first, but I decided to use it as the title for my book (with co-authoartist Silverio Perez) so that there would be no turning back and I can move on.
Am I a FUTURIST?
Someone I recently met this May 2022 just called me a futurist.
In the 1990s, I proposed to a pension fund that they can raise billions of dollars, especially for emergencies, or as needed, or out of desperation, if the pension fund purchases a quantity of art from an artist who not only has a current, reasonable price, but an announced future price that the artist wants to reach.
That future price would obviously be higher than the current price. The art commission contract for multiple art pieces can be taken to the fund's financial lender for a loan. The higher future price can be used for financing purposes.
The pension fund's treasurer, a publicly elected official, said this idea might work, but we had to keep this a secret and discuss this some more, because other pension funds might copy and do this prematurely. This idea had to come from the two of us. The treasurer needed his votes and I needed credentials.
Added into the pot was my idea that I, as the artist, will also write one book-length artist memoir. This was and still is a strong factor, because the leadership and marketing books I had read then mentioned a strong tip. If you want to advance in your field, write a full-length book that is related to the field.
Unfortunately, the elected official, the treasurer of the pension fund, who was also a friend, passed away - he was old and had ailments. At that point in time, I cannot just approach another pension fund treasurer to share this idea with.
I realized I had to write a few memoirs. I needed to set an example for other artists, so I needed to write more than one memoir. Then I felt I should also make ready another book - the how-to of what I'm up to. I wrote Valzubiriagenda, which was a memoir of sorts. I knew how long it would take me to write a book, so I had to make sure I can also consider this book a memoir.
In 2008, I imagined that someone like Bernie Madoff, or a fund like Lehman Brothers, would be desperate enough to use this to save themselves and their companies. I was not ready. I had only written 1 manuscript for a memoir.
In 2012, I released Dollman the Musical, A Memoir of an Artist as a Dollmaker. Once again, I was not ready because writing it depressed me a little, and I knew I had to write more.
In 2014, I released 3 memoirs, and re-released Dollman the Musical. Besides releasing regular books, I released special editions of the 4 books, which had a "Special Secret Insert for Bankers," which explains my ideas of an announced schedule of exponentially increasing prices, to satisfy investors, and the publication of artist memoirs, to satisfy art collectors.
In 2014, I also issued out a press release. Google "Can Billion Dollar Artist Save Investors and World Economy Valentino Zubiri PRWeb August 19 2014" and you will see the press release.
What I did was stake a claim on my ideas. I did not promote my books and the press release. I just wanted them to stay online, like a sleeping giant or a dormant volcano. I even designed 3 of the book covers to look like indie books from the 1980s. I was planting the seeds, thinking they will eventually grow and bear fruit in the future.
In 2015, I was interviewed by Richard Syrett, about one of my memoirs, Hocus Pocus Lately. This book is my memoir with paranormal stories. I could have pursued promoting my paranormal stories, but I wanted to be known first as a visual artist and memoirist, so I allowed myself one interview related to Hocus Pocus Lately. Richard Syrett has(had?) his own syndicated radio show, The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett, about the paranormal. He also guest hosts on Coast to Coast AM, another internationally syndicated show about the paranormal.
In 2018, I released Valzubiriagenda (co-authored by artist Silverio Perez, a fellow artist). Finally, this book is "the how-to of what I'm to."
I'm going to end this with some strangeness. In 1986, a lady at a religious gathering went into a trance and left a good number of messages. Supposedly, anyone who got into a trance would have messages, but once the trance was over, the person would not remember what was said.
I was not part of the group, but the lady turned her head to face me. She "foretold" that whatever I would decide to do in the future, it will take time, but it will be the right thing. This is one of my stories in one of my memoirs, Hocus Pocus Lately.
The Tulipmania of 1634-37
I discovered that there was this incident of rare tulips becoming collectible during the Dutch Golden Age. There were tulips so rare and so well-desired that their prices equaled to that of a house. You can read more about this online (Wikipedia) or watch a few YouTube videos about it.
Here is the most useful idea that I gleaned from the Tulipmania. The tulip bulbs remained safe inside nurseries. The traders were carrying the deeds of ownership to the tulip bulbs.
Then NFTs came to the forefront
I started learning PHP, an HTML scripting language, and MySQL, the database that PHP can connect to in the background, in 1999, when there were only 3 books about PHP and MySQL at the bookstores.
By 2014, I was trying to figure out how to make the "ledger," or database that can be used to update ownership and who can be contacted. If we are trading art, then the art ownership should be updated.
Then NFTs came about. This can be used as our ledger. Everyone can immediately trade NFTs of future, yet-to-be made art pieces, especially because it takes time to make tangible art.
NFTs actually went a step ahead, by allowing digital art to be traded.
The only setback with NFTs, in my opinion, is that it still lacks a commission system for resellers and representatives.
For example, if a café wants to represent me, then they can promote me at their café and on their online pages. If I make one piece of art that will be exclusively represented by a gallery, then that commission will be different and more specific. As ownership is transferred, the subsequent owners should be able to reset the commission. We should also have the option of giving commissions to hundreds of representatives at one time with different percentages if need be.
The recent crypto crash
Lately, we have observed that NFTs and cryptocurrencies have been behaving like the stock market and other markets. They have been fluctuating.
I believe that it is time for a trend which discourages fluctuation of prices.
I have also seen YouTube videos where social influencers are encouraging us to be on the lookout for exponentially profitable ventures, because we have all seen this happen with the exponential increase of Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Let's see if #Valzubiriagenda trends
We can announce present and future art prices. The galleries won't do this (yet?) because they follow a more traditional approach to the business of art.
We have a choice of using incrementally or exponentially increasing prices. We still reserve the right to change things in the future, so everyone should know to follow the latest update.
If this trends, if you as an artist simply announces that you will write an artist memoir, or that you will include the future works in future art books, you might have more art traders, investors and collectors approaching you.
Get your pen, paper and calculator
Imagine yourself as an artist, where you are right now. Let's just say you still do not have a book about yourself and your art yet. Imagine now that you have a memoir out there. Don't you think it makes sense to charge more than what you are charging now? Writing and publishing books is just the beginning. I'm just standardizing this approach. The books also say to do other related projects. In my case, getting Dollman the Musical onstage is one idea. You will have other related projects, but the publication of memoirs, biographies, art books and art catalogs will help all of us.
You can also imagine that a law firm that has meeting rooms, with someone who wants to form a local #valzubiriagenda group, can have meetings. A local café can do the same. Local photographers for your art, writers, editors, book designers, proofreaders and others can join in.
I suggest have printed books to share. 15 copies of your memoir or art books will be better than an e-reader or laptop or your phone to show. These gadgets can be stolen, sabotaged, broken, have coffee spilled on them, etc. 15 printed books means simultaneously showing to 15 people. You can even give them away to potential resellers, investors, traders and collectors.
When it rains, it pours, as in the days of Noah
There's a saying, "When it rains, it pours." There is a negative interpretation and a positive interpretation.
Negative: When trouble comes, they cascade to even more.
Positive: When opportunity comes knocking, more follow suit. We can assume that if one gets our art because of #valzubiriagenda, more want to do it now, because of the rising prices, and FOMO - fear of missing out. What will they lose if they miss the boat?
As I have said earlier, if the #valzubiriagenda trends, if you announce a future memoir or art catalog, you might have an increase of investors, traders and art collectors who would want to check you out. You might encourage more sales. Just remember to write and publish that memoir and art catalog.
There's this saying, "As in the days of Noah." Imagine Noah, building his ark, with members of his own family, putting all his time and effort into it. Noah was a nice guy. I'm sure every once in a while a neighbor offered him coffee, or chai latte, or whatever refreshing drink they might have back then.
Here's the lesson to be learned. Just because they offered him some type of bubble tea drink, or coca cola, they still didn't make it to the ark. Rubbing shoulders with actors does not make you an actor. I have told my artist friends to write their memoirs. They told me that once they see me succeed, after all these many years of seeing my seemingly useless efforts, then they will write their memoirs and follow the road that I had paved for them.
Good luck to them, but if I were you, act now, get my art or make art. Support the 5-year old artist whose parent promised to release a comprehensive art catalog. If you get that 5-year old's art, and mine, I would be honored to be in the same art catalog that you will produce. I'm already successful at that point. You have gotten the mission just right.
I have already claimed to have written the most book-length artist memoirs in the world. Dethrone that claim. Barter. Use ghostwriters. Success to me means facing God one day and saying, I wrote my memoirs and left the world a legacy of books and art. I will not tell God, smiling and proudly, that I encouraged a run for my art by announcing a schedule of exponentially increasing prices that reached 9 figures. I'm sure God knows we had fun.

JOIN THIS GROUP

If you want to try out #valzubiriagenda, in any capacity, join this group. Let others know about this group as well.
If you are an artist, you can let everyone know here that you will produce your memoir, art catalogs, etc. It's okay if you don't know how to go about publishing yet, I will discuss this. Please be honorable enough to produce what you promise to produce.
If you want to meet fellow artists, investors, resellers, etc., join us here.
If you are a book writer, editor, proofreader; if you can photograph art pieces; if you are a book designer, etc., join us here. Let us know if you charge, barter for art, or both.
If you have your own tips and knowledge to share, join us here.
If you have underaged artists you are managing (parents, etc.) join us here.
Join this group if you want to sell works. Post your works. You web links. I'm sure I will.
You can announce meetings in your area. You might have meeting rooms, a café, restaurant, etc. where people can meet. In the future, you can have the regular show and tell, where books can be shown and shared.
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Thanks for reading. Please let me know if I need to edit some parts. Please share and join this group. - Valentino Zubiri, Dollman, Artist, Memoirist
Underaged artists are welcome here, so please be mindful of your language. We cannot post your adult-oriented art pieces, but you can direct us to a separate page or community. There will be limits to your posts, and there will be adult-oriented art that we cannot allow to be posted.
Thanks for reading. Please let me know if I need to edit some parts. Please share and join this group. - Valentino Zubiri, Dollman, artist & memoirist

As we navigate through Mental Health Awareness Month, I’ve been reflecting deeply on the role we play as leaders in shaping the mental health landscape of our workplaces. It's clear that leadership is not just about strategy and outcomes but also about cultivating an environment where mental well-being is a priority.
The Power of Vulnerable Leadership
Vulnerability in leadership isn’t about weakness; it’s about strength. Sharing our own mental health journeys can pave the way for others to feel safe doing the same. It’s about creating a space where the stigma around mental health is dismantled, one conversation at a time. But how do we start these conversations? And more importantly, how do we ensure they're constructive and lead to meaningful change?
Creating a Culture of Openness
Fostering an open dialogue around mental health is crucial. It involves more than just an open-door policy. It's about integrating mental health into everyday discussions, making it as normal to talk about as any work-related topic. Simple check-ins at the beginning of meetings or dedicated sessions to share and learn from each other’s experiences can make a significant difference.
Promoting Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance isn't just a buzzword; it's a critical component of mental health. Encouraging your team to take real breaks, disconnect after work hours, and set boundaries can help prevent burnout. It’s about leading by example—show your team that it’s okay to prioritize personal time.
Implementing Supportive Policies
Beyond the cultural aspects, tangible policies play a vital role. Whether it’s flexible working arrangements, mental health days, or access to professional mental health resources, these policies demonstrate a commitment to the well-being of your team.
Your Role and Impact
As leaders, our impact on mental health in the workplace is profound. It starts with us—how we act, how we lead, and how we support our teams. I’m curious to hear your thoughts and experiences in this area. How have you approached mental health advocacy in your leadership role? What strategies have you found effective? Let’s start a discussion that could not only help us grow as leaders but also inspire others to take meaningful action in their own workplaces.
Remember, you're not alone in this journey. If you're looking to enhance your skills in leading with empathy and supporting mental well-being in your organization, I'm here to help. Let's work together to create workplaces where everyone feels valued, supported, and understood.
Looking forward to your insights and stories!

Full disclosure: I am a pretty run of the mill American center-left liberal. I absolutely love the books (I’ve read them all) and I truly don’t mind, and even enjoy reading conservative works, but I just was wondering if anyone else felt the same way about the series.
Does anyone else notice the very strong conservative themes in Sun Eater? I am mostly talking about ‘small c’ conservatism and not our current political issues of the day. It is very striking/different IMO, and it isn’t something I have really seen discussed a lot.
‘Human’ progress (or attempts at it) are almost exclusively portrayed in a highly negative light. Anyone attempting to improve the human condition through technology also happens to be a genocidal maniac with no regard for human life. Any genetic manipulation that doesn’t conform to strict traditional human sensibilities is portrayed as deviant/abhorrent (including gender fluidity).
An extremely conservative and feudalistic empire is explicitly conveyed as the ‘best of all alternatives’ form of human government. All other attempts at democracy or a classless society are pure evil. Even the Demarchists which are the closest thing to a non-evil democracy, greatly restrict individual freedom and try to jail/murder Valka for seemingly no reason. The Lothrians are an extremely horrific instance of communism (which we do at least have examples of in our world). Calen Herodentes is promising true progress and equality for all and it turns out to be all a big lie that he uses for selfish gain.
The future histories of our current democracies also end up tragically. America (which on the scale I am discussing is liberal not conservative) leads to extreme technological progress, populism, and the eventual enslavement of all mankind by the technology it creates. Humanity is only saved by literally reverting back to our old European feudal lords!
And then finally getting to the Pale, there comes pretty much the central theme of the entire book. Some groups of “other” are so fundamentally different that any attempts to make a peaceful connection with them are doomed. Some groups are fundamentally different and irreconcilable with our way of life. In the context of the book this is obviously true, but this is an extremely conservative (and in my opinion bad) philosophy, that is dedicatedly not applicable to anything that has ever happened in human history!
Here are some instructive quotes by Hadrien:
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“It is a truism among those who study history that much of what common people believe is false. The belief in popular power is one such falsehood, when the truth is that the populace is ever directed by an elite will, ever wielded by a Caesar or a Lenin as a murmillo might wield a blazing sword. The belief in progress is another.”

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“It is not power that builds empires, that asserts order on the stars. It is vision. Vision and the heroic will to act. Where there is that vision, all else follows. Where it is not, there is a decadence, desperation, and decay”.

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A counterpoint to all of this is the semi-gender equality that exists in the Empire (weirdly enough it almost seems like after the first book the author regrets this and much more traditional gender norms exist from that point onward). There is also the fact that the Chantry is portrayed pretty negatively. That being said, even Hadrian comes to agree that the Chantry is justified b/c of how horrible the alternative is. Also the few Christians that appear are regarded in a very positive light. And oh yeah, Hadrian is pretty straightforwardly Jesus (double Jesus in fact).
I am loving the books and part of it is just how very different it is to most modern books (most don’t dare to be this conservative) but I just wanted to discuss!

"Although many consider themselves answerable only to the High Lords of Terra and the Emperor Himself, in reality there exists a class of high-echelon Imperial servants, to which Inquisitors belong, all who wield more or less the same levels of influence. Such worthies include Imperial Governors, Imperial Guard Generals, Space Marine Chapter Masters, Rogue Traders, Lord Admirals, Adeptus Arbites Judges, and the sector- level representatives of the Administratum. Relations between these various groups are often seething with internecine rivalry and bitterness, and even within one grouping, deadly wars may be fought to gain influence and leverage. Imperial Commanders, for example, quite frequently engage in bitter and bloody territorial clashes, and the Inquisition is far from immune to internal strife".
Why do people keep on about the Inquistion can do whatever it wants when others have more or the same level of power?
Dark Heresy: Ascension page 157.