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maxifydigital · 9 months

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Salesforce's Predictions & Trends for the Future of Technology in 2023

Change is the only constant in technology, as it is in life. In this article, you'll hear predictions from Salesforce leaders about how technology will shape the future, such as:

Businesses should keep technology predictions in mind in the future.

The future of sales, service, and marketing

What technologies will be disruptive in the future?

How will businesses lead with values in the future?

What exactly is Salesforce (and why are its executives making predictions about the future)?

Salesforce is the global leader in customer relationship management (CRM), assisting businesses in connecting with customers in new ways. Salesforce helps businesses of all sizes and industries digitally transform around their customers by leveraging the power of automation, artificial intelligence, and real-time data to make every customer experience more personal, valuable, and memorable.

Salesforce executives are at the forefront of the latest business trends, technologies, and challenges. They bring expertise and insight from market analysis, customer conversations, and other sources to help reveal what the future may bring.

Five Technology Predictions for Businesses in 2023

While a recession is not a foregone conclusion, 74% of CEOs believe the economy will deteriorate in the near term. Digital transformation is critical for businesses to navigate the growing economic turbulence they are facing today. Here are five IT investment predictions for 2023.

1. Organizations that continue to invest in digital transformation will outperform those that do not.

"In times of severe economic headwinds, the pressure to deliver cost savings through increased efficiency and productivity is insurmountable. However, evidence from McKinsey and Bain for the economic downturns of 2008-2009 and 2020 suggests that only seeking efficiency savings during difficult economic conditions is risky: roughly one in ten companies manages to outperform its peers both during downturns and in the subsequent recovery.

The big challenge for 2023 will be to avoid leaning too far toward cost savings and efficiencies and thus risk losing out on the next economic upswing. The calculation of how much of the digital transformation projects can be cut without increasing the risk will be similar. Uber, WhatsApp, AirBNB, Instagram, and Amazon's significant resurgence were all products of the Great Recession. You might experience disruption if you lose focus. — Ed Thompson, SVP, Global Influencer Strategy, Salesforce

2. Automation investment will skyrocket as businesses strive to do more with less.

"In 2023, we'll likely see a spike in automation spending. Everyone wants to automate their work, but we're in an economic climate where businesses must prioritise cost efficiency. Automation is about developing methods of working that save time while driving efficient growth and simply doing more with less." — Brent Hayward, MuleSoft CEO

3. Introducing business intimacy will add value to the organization and elevate the CIO's seat at the table.

"By bringing a new set of skills and operating processes to the executive table during a radically different business environment, CIOs can increase their relevance and capacity to deliver business value. This begins with a thorough understanding of the broader business needs — what the priorities, pain points, processes, investments, and, most importantly, technologies their colleagues are dealing with. This is known as business intimacy, and it is critical for better understanding the strategic priorities of business partners in sales, service, marketing, commerce, information technology, human resources, finance, and other departments." - Juan Perez, Salesforce CIO & EVP

4. To remain competitive, "digital Darwinism" will be required.

"Some companies will cut costs and batten down the hatches. Markets, on the other hand, will continue to evolve. Customers will keep shopping, making decisions, learning and practising new behaviours, and gaining new digital competencies. In this market, competition becomes a matter of 'digital Darwinism.' Businesses must adapt to the rate at which technology influences how society and technology evolve in order to survive and thrive. And to do so, businesses must be bolder and wiser than their competitors. Smart businesses will reallocate resources today to build the business of the future. Forward-thinking executives will issue RFPs seeking vendor collaboration and solutions that go beyond immediate technological requirements or basic automation. To compete, they will strive to create customer-centered solutions that eliminate friction and effort while imitating best-in-class experiences." — Brian Solis, Salesforce's VP of Global Innovation Evangelist

“To survive and thrive, businesses must adapt to the pace at which technology influences how society and technology evolves. And to do this, businesses need to be bolder and wiser than their peers. Smart companies will reallocate resources to build the business of the future, today.

BRIAN SOLIS, VP, GLOBAL INNOVATION EVANGELIST, SALESFORCE

5. Composability will promote business agility and innovation -

"Resources are still scarce despite the rising demand on IT teams, so organizations will need to find ways to make the most of what they already have. In 2023, there will be a renewed emphasis on developing reusable business capabilities to drive efficiency, agility, and optionality at scale." — Matt McLarty, Global CTO, MuleSoft's

Five Sales and Service Predictions for the Future

According to a new Salesforce report, 82% of sales reps have had to quickly adapt to new ways of selling due to changing social and economic conditions. Here are five Salesforce executives' predictions for sales and service success in 2023.

1. Companies that invest in team selling will increase revenue while also empowering individual representatives.

“2023 will bring a period of ‘Great Retraining’ among sales professionals. Sales teams are an organization's backbone, and the pressure is on to keep revenue flowing regardless of the macroeconomic climate."

“The most successful organizations will be the ones that invest in their sales teams, especially when times are uncertain and budgets are tight.

KETAN KARKHANIS, EVP & GM, SALES CLOUD, SALESFORCE

"To accomplish this, we can expect leaders to rely on sales enablement programmers to ensure they are caring for the reps who are on the frontlines of a difficult selling environment, while also empowering them with AI and automation to drive productivity and efficiency throughout their day-to-day." — Ketan Karkhanis, EVP & GM, Sales Cloud, Salesforce

2. Companies that priorities sales enablement will generate more revenue.

"The big move for 2023 will be linking sales training with business outcomes, like an increase in pipeline generation or higher revenue.". Historically, there was no easy way to determine whether time spent on learning and training influenced business outcomes. That's why [Salesforce] developed the world's first accountability performance matrix, allowing us to establish a direct link between sales training and our KPIs. We must hold ourselves accountable as Enablers [of sales] for moving the needle on pipeline generation, revenue, and participation. The better the sales team is prepared, the better they can serve as trusted advisors to customers." – Jody Kohner, EVP, Global Sales Enablement, Salesforce

3. Automation will transform the customer experience and boost revenue.

"Starting in 2023, service organizations will start to view service automation capabilities as a "must have" rather than a "nice to have. Automation was once thought of as a supplement to service solutions. With rising customer expectations, shrinking team sizes, and uncertain economic conditions, automation is at the top of every service leader's priority list for improving the customer experience while lowering the cost to serve."– Clara Shih, CEO of Service Cloud, Salesforce

4. Outstanding customer service will be intuitive, effective, and consistent.

"True success does not come from the initial marketing and sales effort, but rather, growing the relationship with a customer for the long term. We say that customer expectations have never been higher, but in my opinion, they haven't — customers have always wanted to be known and treated fairly and consistently. What's new is the difficulty of consistently engaging customers now that communication can take place through any of a dozen channels. The message to customer experience leaders is to learn to actively listen to customers and design processes that naturally draw customers to a specific channel — one that feels it is their choice. Get this correct and you earn the right to customers for life.” — Michael Maoz, SVP, Innovation Strategy, Salesforce

5. This year, the CDP industry will be one of the fastest growing enterprise markets.

"More than half of customers expect personalization in every interaction, and businesses can deliver it at scale by utilizing a customer data platform" (CDP). Salesforce Genie Customer Data Cloud is a game changer in this regard. As we approach 2023, I believe this technology will become increasingly important. Genie broadens the definition of CDP to power real-time experiences across all Customer 360 channels. This is what our customers want now, because their customers expect ‘magical,' automated, intelligent, and personalized experiences." — David Schmaier, President and Chief Product Officer, Salesforce

“I predict this technology will grow exponentially in importance as we head into 2023. Genie broadens the definition of CDP to power real-time experiences for all channels across the Customer 360.

DAVID SCHMAIER, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER, SALESFORCE

Four Disruptive Technology Predictions That Will Shape the Future

Statista named AI/Machine Learning the most impactful disruptive technology in 2021. Salesforce executives discuss five disruptive trends and technologies that will shape the future in 2023.

1. Generative AI will enable mass experience customization.

Machine learning algorithms are used in "generative AI," which enables computers to use existing content (such as text, audio and video files, images, and code) to create new, potentially creative content. In 2023, generative AI will rapidly become an important tool for businesses and ad agencies looking to implement mass customization of experiences —Individuals with the highest customer lifetime value are increasingly seeing machine-generated images and copy that are personalized to their specific profile." — Mick Costigan, VP of Salesforce Futures, Salesforce

2. Employees will have the opportunity to experience workplace culture — in the cloud.

"Executives will finally realize that building connection and company culture doesn't just happen 'in real life,' but thrives online — on platforms like Slack. Data show that investing in collaboration tools and techniques pays off, with digital leaders outperforming digital laggards across the board. According to the Future Forum's Pulse survey, leaders have 59% higher productivity than laggards. Many executives are surprised to learn that leaders have a 2.2x higher sense of belonging to their team than laggards." – Brian Elliott, SVP, Future Forum, Slack

“The data shows investing in collaboration tools and techniques pays off, with digital leaders outpacing digital laggards on every dimension.

BRIAN ELLIOTT, SVP, FUTURE FORUM, SLACK

3. Everyone will have greater access to and understanding of data.

"More people will understand data as data literacy for the typical employee improves. Data will become more natural and approachable, transforming it from something for the few to something for the many. — all infused in the flow of work.” — Francois Ajenstat, Chief Product Officer, Tableau

4. We will not be working in virtual reality offices.

"While manufacturers of 'professional' versions of VR headsets appear to believe that we will be interacting with each other's avatars in virtual reality offices in the future — I think not. The technology is still too crude, the avatars are uninteresting, and people wearing VR headsets appear ridiculous. With the exception of gaming, nearly all of the billions currently being invested in VR are likely to be a total loss." — Peter Schwartz, SVP Chief Futures Officer, Salesforce

Three Forecasts for How Businesses Will Prioritize Values in the Future

Eighty-eight percent of customers expect companies to clearly state their values, but only half do. Here are three predictions for how businesses will live up to their values in the future and beyond.

1. Businesses will prioritize climate commitments — despite economic uncertainty

"Climate change will not wait - even in times of economic uncertainty. Corporate leaders must continue to make progress toward their sustainability commitments in 2023 and beyond to ensure the long-term success of both their organizations and the planet. Salesforce technology can help customers improve their business's efficiency and profitability while also advancing their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals for success right now." — Suzanne DiBianca, EVP and Chief Impact Officer, Salesforce

“Climate change won’t wait – even in times of economic uncertainty. In 2023 and beyond, corporate leaders must continue making progress towards their sustainability commitments, ensuring the long-term success of both their organizations and the planet.

SUZANNE DIBIANCA, EVP AND CHIEF IMPACT OFFICER, SALESFORCE

2. Businesses will approach consumer data with trust at the forefront of their minds.

Consumer data may be the next virtual currency, but it's also the next regulated currency because by 2026, privacy laws are expected to apply to 75% of the world's population. Major global data privacy regulations are expected to be implemented over the next three years, and failure to navigate them will have major effects for growth and reputation." — Wendy Batchelder, SVP & Chief Data Officer of Trust, Salesforce

3. Regulation will assist businesses in better understanding and implementing tech ethics.

"Discussions in the United States regarding a national privacy bill, as well as the development of AI regulation in Europe, are encouraging. While there are still crucial parts to iron out, establishing a set of guidelines that everyone can adhere to will make acting responsibly in technology much easier. We want to enable the future of AI and innovation while also protecting those who will be affected by it - and regulation can help us do that." — Paula Goldman, Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer, Salesforce

#salesforce consulting partner #salesforce development services #salesforce remote expert

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lapdropworldwide · 1 year

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Accused Jan. 6 Rioter Plotted to ‘Take Out’ Feds Investigating Him, Prosecutors Say

Brent Stirton/Getty Images An accused Jan. 6 rioter awaiting trial is accused of hatching a scheme to “assassinate” the federal agents investigating him. Edward Kelley, a 33-year-old Maryville, Tennessee resident, allegedly assaulted a police officer at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. He was arrested in May 2022, and is now accused of conspiring with 26-year-old Austin Carter to hunt down and kill…

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pankomako · 2 years

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last night i watched episodes 2 and 3 of corner gas animated season 4, and i have a few things i wanna say about em. dw they're good things, mostly i just wanna talk about hank

this one got kinda long so my analyses(?) are under the cut for those who want to read them

episode 2: hank and davis were paired together in this one, always love to see them together bc they're such a chaotic duo. anyway, in this episode hank had this super valuable action figure that he was using to make a movie and davis wanted to sell it. hank refused to sell it until davis brought up how it would benefit others, such as help pay off the money hank owes to brent. at first hank was only thinking of himself, but he totally changed his mind when that happened. i've noticed that hank's always willing to help others and i think that he's sort of a selfless individual, so this episode definitely strengthened my point there.

episode 3: okay. this one. THIS ONE. oh boy. before i get into the synopsis, i first want to explain one part of my analysis of hank's character. that being, that yes, he's an idiot. but he knows that. he knows his reputation among the others in town. but he doesn't care to change his behavior in order to make them not think he's an idiot. sometimes he'll be insulted and brush it off as if he didn't hear it, or he'll accept it (one instance of this in the original was when wanda said "let useless help" and hank said "yeah let me help!"). and sometimes, he'll jab back and be like, "hey, that's not fair", and be kind of defensive about it. and boy did he try to jab back in this episode. so in this one, hank was cleaning out the gas station's gutter, when he saw what he assumed were eggs in it. brent and lacey had the idea to set up a stream to watch the eggs hatch, but when hank went to set up the camera, he realized they were actually golf balls. he went to tell them, but they seemed so excited that hank decided not to burst their bubble. before long, the others in town also realized they were golf balls, and now they think hank's more of an idiot than he actually was in that situation. which leads them to make fun of him. so brent and lacey decide to stick up for hank (for once!) and replace the balls with actual, store-bought eggs. hank doesn't know this, and at this point he's really upset, and he's determined to prove a point to everyone. so he goes back up to where the eggs are, and let's just say it turned out worse than it couldve been. but the point is, hank finally stood up for himself. AND my analysis was spot on. and also the way i've been writing hank in my comics is accurate. i think that episode was completely necessary for hank's character. he needed that episode. absolutely go off, yarbo.

#yknow whats even cooler is that brent himself wrote the third episode #and as the show's and the characters' creator he knows the characters better than anyone else #so like. yeah i was right lol

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444names · 2 years

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list of communities in british columbia

Aberry Aingtor Aingwor Alberan Alenet Alerride Alezach Almerthns Amble Ambley Anndsonelt Appen Arbrith Armoran Arriothoe Atchemated Athiester Atlaybrife Ausko Austh Baleza Balla Baneverla Banker Banquiew Barde Barndie Barry Bartieunt Bartlaget Bater Baylock Beadmon Beldi Belkattlay Birry Blann Blanne Bliverro Blubor Blues Blums Boser's Bospre Bounet Bowber Brappers Brent Brick Bride Brider Brionderry Brishton Brofs Bropson Brover Buchinse Bucker Bulits Bulle Burnet Burquick Caitates Campbery Campood Candsdaln Canold Canown Capmanorne Carridy Cassegion Casser Caste Cawstond Cayburelde Cayfair Cecking Cedal Cedald Cedale Cedary Ceddy Cedlair Cenmonnin Challs Chanson Chatchors Chatends Chawwate Cheadbor Chenber Chillawway Chilleza Chris Chroot Cithoe Clampood Clanoe Clitsaw Coade Coale Colasawson Colmon Comer Coquiewase Coquity Coton Counbery Coval Covale Coyam Coyano Coylowel Crade Crale Crams Cratlexan Crompbernd Crood Culle Curnwon Cyprof Dargano Darly Daves Deachiteek Deent Delonshes Dishinon Doksion Driella Dringdale Duchlawway Duffain Duffre Duncoosaws Dunity Dunts Easin Eastont Elkle Ellaw Endalls Engber Eughla Eughlatose Faillithet Fairvillia Fales Fiffe Fiffern Fiftwood Forach Forightley Fortle Frackeirm Frawberran Gabrion Galmon Gamps Ganehen Ganipand Gannyst Gansthie Gardel Gardon Gareneep Garey Gatlend Georkson Gibarfiew Gills Ginipeno Gleend Golay Goldi Gollehe Golwood Grach Gratont Graverrove Greend Gressister Guier Haches Hachill Hagench Hagnaver Hairfiel Hamerroat Hammonoe Harnson Harrowns Hassy Hatch Hateclall Haterroven Hazelber Heack Hedaler Heillich Hilpithfie Holdiver Hollia Holquate Hopkingew Hopla Horesing Horna Hornage Horse Houck Houth Hunbro Inlemar Ivene Iverd Iverlassyd Jamandwoo Jaminle Johneda Jorde Jundson Kammon Keash Keasil Kella Kenchilla Kernitave Killy Kithna Kitle Kitolse Klegaserly Klemture Klent Knood Kokenever Kokes Kw'apity Laills Lakerraes Landalia Laugan Lauge Launco Lazel Lebsordest Leeph Lehel Lehma Leortian Likeightor Liker Litch Loodowilly Lounis Lyney Madows Magenmands Maler Maplelley March Marens Marrood Marroodge Maylet Maylor McGre McGroutum McLeodlale McLeorair McLuxte Mella Micheld Midern Midge Midgen Milliff Millo Minehe Minst Mougleake Mousep Murnetten Myrtsy Nandald Necke Nimpber Noran Nordale Norierich Nornbart Notsion Nurthnesch Ocesne Okall Okater Opity Ospber Ospillexan Otwing Palhersina Panna Paristmore Peraw Pergrand Poight Posidge Prinla Prood Prowicill Proyierroo Qualetty Queenoade Queente Rania Regadow Reidge Reighola Reits Ricumble Rivelkla Rivente Rocant Rockle Rocksis Roluebe Rosmorno Rospiot Rossihlkle Rossisk Rostin Rostrath Royachema Ruper Rusko Saatish Saharnin Sahtharion Saleza Sanettvie Sanor Sappy Sarriess Saver Saverroad Scols Seadonow Sendspitz Seymod Shado Sharand Sheek Sherville Shumbley Shurquith Silco Sille Sillson Sington Skines Slops Soigade Sounis Sourt Souvener Spree Sprid Spriew Spriteek Squot Stale Stanban Sternhate Stont Stors Strand Strawn Sturnshin Sulfwat Suncterst Sunerme Sunniew Sunnmoodge Sunrown Suntraidy Suriddy Tappentew Therg Thfie Thomon Thord Thorde Thordons Thrion Tingdownie Towickside Trandspitt Trêpandson Tuldon Tulliff Turroater Tursen Twoodharan Tynndard Uppen Upplegolse Valeath Vandbot Vaverins Vavies Vavous Walexank Wanthne Warthies Wason Webaraeber Websonder Wesep Wesider Wesing Wessine Wessy Westough Westrider Whille Whine Whing Whisidge Whostlach Whouver Whyams Wilale Wille Wills Winelle Winsbort Woodhala Woold Woolls Wycum Wynes Yacums

#444names #444 names

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scottwellsmagic · 3 years

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641: MagiFest - Day Three Report

Saturday 18th September 2021

10:00am - 6pm Dealers Open

10:00am - 11:00am Simon Aronson Memorial Event

11:30pm - 12.30pm Steve Cohen Guest of Honor Ceremony and Event

2:00pm - 3:00pm Carisa Hendrix Lecture

3:30pm - 5pm Nate Staniforth Show and Lecture

5:30pm - 6:30pm Asi Wind Lecture

8:30pm - 10:00pm Gala Show hosted by Lucy Darling with Danny and Stacy Cole, Jeff and Tessa Evason, The Passing Zone and Alex Ramon.

Time stamps for this episode:

00:00:17 - Richard Hatch gives us an overview of the coming days activities and a look back at last night’s shows

00:13:39 - Scott Robinson reflects on the late Simon Aronson

00:26:00 - Brent Braun was the first lecturer of the convention and also a dealer at this year’s Magifest. He now consults for magicians including those who have performed and won on Britain’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent

00:38:06 - Erik Tait is the podcast host for Penguin and chats about replacing Dan Harlan as the host of lectures

00:45:00 - Alex Boyce encourages magicians to compete and also consider performing with doves

00:50:35 - We catch up with Reuben Moreland who was a young winner of several magic contests

00:59:08 - We close the convention with the other partner and organizer of Magifest, Andi Gladwin

Download this podcast in an MP3 file by Clicking Here and then right click to save the file. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed by Clicking Here. You can download or listen to the podcast through Stitcher by Clicking Here or through FeedPress by Clicking Here or through Tunein.com by Clicking Here or through iHeart Radio by Clicking Here..If you have a Spotify account, then you can also hear us through that app, too. You can also listen through your Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices. Remember, you can download it through the iTunes store, too. See the preview page by Clicking Here

#MagiFest #Columbus Ohio #Richard Hatch #Brent Braun #Erik Tait #Scott Robinson #Alex Boyce #Reuben Moreland #Andi Gladwin

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twins2994 · 3 years

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Twins Win Third Straight Game!

Blue Jays 2 Twins 7 W-Pineda (8-8) L-Hatch (0-1) SV-Garza (1)

The Minnesota Twins returned home for their final homestand of the season tonight. The Toronto Blue Jays came to town and four meaningful games would be played at Target Field this weekend. The Jays showed their urgency in the second inning when Teoscar Hernandez led-off with a double to center. Lourdes Gurriel lined a double to center to put Toronto up by a run early. The Twins answered in the third as Byron Buxton led-off with a double and Jorge Polanco singled him home. Josh Donaldson walked and Mitch Garver followed with a run-scoring single to center. This put the Twins up 2-1 after three innings of play. The Jays got back to work in the fourth. Teoscar Hernandez drilled a Michael Pineda slider out to left for a solo homer to tie the game up at two apiece. The Twins would rally big time in the fifth. Josh Donaldson led-off with a walk and Mitch Garver doubled. Luis Arraez hit an RBI groundout to put the Twins back on top. Brent Rooker walked to bring up Nick Gordon, who smoked a Julian Merryweather change-up out to right for a three-run homer. This put the Twins up 6-2 and they never looked back. Brent Rooker ignited a seventh inning rally with a two-out double to right. Nick Gordon knocked him in with a single and the Twins lead grew to five. Michael Pineda finished off five solid innings and the Twins bullpen did the rest. Nick Vincent and Caleb Thielbar each had scoreless innings. Luke Farrell got the first two outs of the eighth then Ralph Garza bailed him out. Garza had a 1-2-3 ninth and the Twins picked up their third straight win tonight.

-Final Thoughts- Michael Pineda had a solid night against a good lineup. He went five innings and allowed two run on eight hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Nick Vincent had a scoreless sixth, Caleb Thielbar fanned one in the seventh, and Luke Farrell got into some trouble in the eighth. Ralph Garza got the last four outs to pick up the save tonight. Mitch Garver and Nick Gordon led the way with three hits on the night. Byron Buxton added two hits as well. The Twins hit 5-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. Max Kepler left tonight’s game with an illness. Tomorrow, Jose Berrios faces Bailey Ober in Game 2.

-Chris Kreibich-

#Twins #MnTwins

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20poundsoftrouble · 3 years

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Scourge Attack

((Co-written with @brent-sunborn / @thefugitivemango. It’s backdated to when the scourge event happened.))

The shop closed early for the day, much to Hyacinthe’s delight. So many orders were coming in for traps and explosives and cloaking devices that their hands ached from wiring and bolting and fastening. The devices weren’t difficult to build, just tedious. And that was the worst part. Nothing could be done to speed up the process, they just had to work straight through it.

Outside of Cut Throat Alley there were sounds of a bit of commotion, but it was hard to tell exactly what was going on. Given the recent celebrations for All Hallow’s Eve, the engineer figured that people were carrying on like they did. Things on the warfronts had quieted down with everyone’s efforts, so a bit of relaxing was due. With a smile, Hyacinthe retired to their loft bed, limbs aching with each ladder rung.

A scream cut through the walls of the shop like a knife, loud and shrill. The bard jumped, then scrambled across their bed to the window at the head and pushed it open. Said window overlooked the canal, where Hyacinthe could clearly see people running now. There was an acrid stench that hung in the air, but it could almost be dismissed before their blue eyes settled on it.

The risen scourge beast was giving chase to the woman who had screamed, dirt and grime falling off of its decaying body with each footstep. Old bandages trailed behind it, and where that one came from there were more shambling in. Hyacinthe’s heart dropped to their stomach at the sight, fingers digging into the window sill until their knuckles were white. The woman hadn’t escaped, and her screams had trailed off into a sickening gargle when the scourge beast bit into her throat.

“I have to run,” Hyacinthe muttered, yanking the window closed and bolting it.

They had already packed some bags in preparation for the newest dig, which was fortunate. It was easy to shove a few more things into a bag, just in case they could never come back. Hyacinthe’s heart was racing and sweat was beading on their forehead, causing the dirt and grime to pour into their eyes and hair to stick to their skin. For just a moment, the bard pulled their hands back from the bags and just looked at them. They were shaking, skin pale.

It was just like before.

Hyacinthe almost flew down the ladder to the ground floor with their bags and guitar, barely missing a beat when they shouldered the main door open and turned to lock it behind them. The air in the alleyway was cool and briefly felt like a blessing, but what was the next step. They looked down the small corridor that led to the canal-lined road, where they’d seen that woman get killed.

“Kai will be fine, she’s strong,” the bard muttered to themself, taking a deep breath to try and calm their nerves. “Brent. I need to make sure he knows.” Luck and adrenaline made the trip to their dig partner’s apartment quick, and they had narrowly avoided a group of geists feasting on a corpse. Hyacinthe knew how this would play out, they’d been through it before. First, the smaller undead came through and caused havoc. They were pawns, expendable. When the city was exhausted from wave after wave of geists, ghouls, risen skeletons… That’s when the bigger monsters would come. Abominations would lumber through and crush everything in their path. Armored skeletons with glowing eyes and large swords would swarm. Was Stormwind going to be razed in lichfire like Quel’thalas had been?

The engineer almost ran into Brent’s door before pounding on it, looking down the street to make sure there were no scourge following them. Tears poured from Hyacinthe’s eyes, anxiety unable to stay dammed up and controlled. Their breath was fast, hitching with fear as they pounded on the door again. “BRENT!” Hyacinthe shouted, voice cracking. “Please be home…!”

The door swung open just as Hyacinthe started pounding again. A hand reached out to grab the bard, and tugged them inside brusquely! Before they could say or do a thing about it, the door closed behind them.

“--Keep it down!” Brent hissed, shouting in a whispered tone. “You want to attract them all here?!”

The lights were out. Windows were boarded up and barricaded in the entryway. Quickly, he moved to re-barricade the door itself. It seemed Brent was well aware of what was happening outside. Or… did he always live like this? It was honestly hard to tell, both with how sturdy-looking the shutters were, and how well-practiced he seemed at barricading the door behind him. The front entryway of his domicile seemed rather barren. Simple crates and a small weapons rack filled with knives and swords and… a few pistols?

“Ditch anything you don’t need. Quick.” he instructed.

“Wh…?” they blinked, eyes adjusting to the darkness quickly.

Without really thinking about it, Hyacinthe set down their bags and guitar case, swallowing hard against their quick breaths in an attempt to slow it. Really, the inside of Brent’s apartment was a new place, but this wasn’t the time to be nosey. Their gaze settled on the weapons rack, then shifted to Brent again.

“Can we run? Should we run?” the bard asked almost frantically as they reached for the two sheaths attached to their guitar case, a set of vicious looking daggers pulled from them. Hyacinthe’s mind was going a mile a minute, but everything felt like it was in slow motion.

“--Of course we’re gonna run.” Brent snapped, clearly on edge, himself. “The city will be overrun in mere hours. I’m not sticking around for that again.”

With the door barricaded, he turned and strode with purpose towards another room; the doorway separating the entryway and deeper into the domicile veiled by a large, rather plain-looking drape.

“This way, quick-- bring whatever you’re taking, and leave the rest there.”

On the other side of the drapery was… another world entirely! At least, it seemed that way. The dark, warehouse-esque entrance hid a lavish interior in the main room, much better lit than the entrance. The room was reminiscent of a den in Silvermoon, with violet cloth and silver trim rather than the traditional red and gold. In lieu of any furnishings, pillows were strewn about on small platform-like mattresses-- there wasn’t an inch of the floor that didn’t look like it’d make for a comfortable seat or bed! The walls were indented in several hexagonal shelves, resembling something of an elegant honeycomb. Each shelf displayed something different; a vase, a bust, a mask, an ancient weapon on a stand… archaeological pieces, every one of them. A few had incense stands, burning lightly to fill the room with an intoxicating lavender undertone. Elsewhere on the walls were paintings, of an unusually erotic-yet-abstract nature.

None of this, save the artifacts, seemed at ALL like Brent.

As Hyacinthe entered the room, he closed a large, vault-like door behind them, and began to barricade the entrance all over again. He latched it closed, turning a large wheel to lock mechanisms on all sides. Then, as if that weren’t enough, he began placing beams in cross-pattern to further secure the doorway. Pre-cut beams and pre-sized slots… this room was designed for such security. It was a door fit for a royal vault, decorated like a royal brothel.

“Fucking Scourge… I knew we hadn’t seen the last of them.” he grumbled to himself, as he worked. “Why the fuck didn’t Kai say something?”

“She might not have known…” Hyacinthe’s statement trailed off, eyes going wide at the abrupt change in decor. For just a moment they were distracted, but the visions of Silvermoon made their heart ache anew. The bard was sweating again, breath short and fast as they stood still. No, no it was happening again. The purples and silvers and opulence brought back the sounds of screaming from the taking of Quel’thalas, and tears welled up in Hyacinthe’s eyes. The daggers that they’d been holding clattered to the floor. It was clear that though they were physically there, mentally they were disassociating enough that Brent ceased to exist.

Hyacinthe could remember very clearly the day the attack happened. Both of their parents had gone out to help defend the city, leaving their daughter behind to hide at home. While their parents were out, Hyacinthe had barricaded themselves in their closet, curled up behind the hanging robes and other outfits in the dark. The only sounds they could hear above the clamor of battle outside was their own choking sobs.

Brent, meanwhile, frantically focused on his preparations. The room was well barricaded now with the door secure. Still, his mind wouldn't leave it. He double checked - and triple-checked - each reinforcement measure once by one, hoping for a sense of security that simply wouldn’t come. Not facing this again. By all rights, the Scourge should have killed him in Quel’Thalas all those years ago. He knew that. Since then, he always felt he was living on borrowed time. He wanted only to stave off his death as long as possible. And now that the Scourge were here again, he took no shortcut-- spared no expense-- to ensure that.

“I have enough food for two weeks, if we’re conservative about it.” he told Hyacinthe, as he began to kick a few pillows aside. “I don’t know think they’ll get through, but if they do, there’s an escape hatch that leads through--”

He blinked, as the High Elf simply… stood there. Wearing a look of shock on their face. He huffed, reaching out and plainly slapping Hyacinthe!

“--Hey! Focus!” he shouted! “You let your guard down for even a second and we’ll get eaten! You understand that?!”

The strike twisted their head to the side, but not a noise was made as they brought their hand up to their face. It did snap them back to reality, but Hyacinthe just nodded quietly before looking around again. This wasn’t Quel’thalas, and this wasn’t their closet. The current sights and smells were leaking back into the bard’s perception like the first spring rain rolling off of a roof, bringing clarity back. “Yes, sorry. We… We won’t get eaten,” Hyacinthe’s voice cracked, the corners of their eyes still wet. When they dropped their hand, the red mark from Brent’s slap stood out bright on their pale and freckled skin. “We’ve got each other’s backs.”

Hyacinthe looked around the room, slowly becoming more animated. A little closer to the Hyacinthe Brent knew. They’d think about the sad another time. Now, blue eyes were searching for anything to help rig up traps. If the scourge got this far, the rogue wanted to get them hung up a little longer, allow them and Brent to get farther away. Managing Brent’s anxiety with over fortification would be easier than dealing with their own PTSD, at least for the moment.

“You said food, and a hatch? I’m sorry, I… Could you say it again? I’m here this time, I promise.”

Brent huffed, turning from Hyacinthe back to the clearing in the pillows he’d kicked aside. Reaching down, he tugged a section of the rug up, revealing a small floor panel with a handle set in. He tugged it up, revealing another well-secured trapdoor beneath it, boarded and bonded similarly to the larger door leading into the room.

“This’ll lead to the sewers, if we need to get out of here. There’s another door like this at the end of a long stretch of tunnel, guaranteed to be clear. For now.” he explained. “Last resort, though… we gotta hold it down here, alright?”

He closed the panel back where it was, leaving the rug and pillows disheveled on the floor around it. Instead of tidying up, he stepped over to one of the wall shelves, and opened a small jewelry box. A light shone from within it, from which Brent himself seemed to recoil.

“Come here.”

“We’ll be fine. We won’t need to run,” they nodded, more saying it to themselves than Brent.

With how fortified the room was, Hyacinthe was feeling just a bit more safe. They weren’t alone this time, and their partner was more than capable. The tension was dissipating a little bit, and it showed in their shoulders. The bard let out a slow breath, starting to realize that where Brent slapped them stung just a bit. Rude, but needed. Probably.

“What?” Hyacinthe wandered over, stepping over the piles of pillows that had been discarded to peer at the jewelry box. “Oh that’s pretty. What is it?”

“A Lightbomb.” Brent replied

He stepped back from it fully-- to give Hyacinthe a better look, or just to keep his distance, it was hard to say. The object was a glass orb, and as the name implied, it was aglow with a brilliant-yet-soothing Light which seemed to swirl within it like a liquid. It was rather calming to behold, warm to touch, but looked rather fragile as well. The box was lined with velvet padding, indented on the bottom to keep the orb from rolling around.

“Something I… found. A while back.” he half-explained further, with a shrug. “Throw it at a mass of undead, and it’ll vaporize them all. You’ll… you’ll have to do it, if the need should arise, yeah?”

He turned, stepping from the shelf to stand over beside a long bench, leaving the implication to hang in the air a moment.

“I didn’t know these were still around!” the bard shifted the box carefully to watch the swirling Light inside, visibly relaxing. Whether it was the effects of the orb itself or the distraction of the ever changing glow was unclear.

For Hyacinthe, remembering that Brent was void-touched only ever happened when they saw him from the back, the tentacles quite visible among the locks of dark hair. Curious things, dark purples and blues with an illumination that seemed to flicker like fire through them. The bard was drawn to them like a moth to flame, and it took considerable willpower to not just...reach out and touch them. As their thoughts wandered further down that path, Hyacinthe had to peel their eyes away from the orb and back into reality. Again.

“If they get in, I’ll burn them down while you open the trap door. You know I’ll watch your back, right Brent?” they offered a small smile, still not as bubbly as they once were. “And...thank you for not leaving me alone in this. I couldn’t do it without you.”

“Hmph.” Brent scoffed. “Don’t get all sentimental. You’re just lucky you showed up before I locked the doors.”

The archaeologist huffed in a show of irritation; a facade to cover his lie. He’d locked up well before Hyacinthe showed up. Painstakingly and at no small risk to his Scourge-survival plans, he’d removed the beams, unlocked the latches, and pulled Hyacinthe in without giving it too much thought. But they didn’t need to know that.

His adrenaline started dying down as he knelt beside the bench. The slip-cover pulled off easily, and the top opened up to reveal a cache of survival rations-- the same tasteless hunks of nutrients the two would take out on digs.

“Like I said, I got enough here to last two weeks, at least. So long as you don’t binge eat the whole damn stash. Control yourself, like our lives depend on it.”

That said, he withdrew a ration and unwrapped it, taking an unappealing bite out of one of the corners. He sighed, sitting with his back to the wall on the sea of pillows; the only real place the floor itself could be seen in here was where he’d uncovered the hatch. There were definitely less-comfortable places to wait out a Scourge invasion.

“Do I really look like the type to binge eat anything?” Hyacinthe poked at their own stomach, smirking. Truth be told, they could stand to eat more…

As everything was seemingly returning to normal, or at least the current normal, the bard felt themselves relax just a little. This whole room looked so….extravagant. And here they sat, pants still slightly greasy from work, shirt smudged and ripped in a couple of places, hair a mess. It was positively backwards.

Hyacinthe had so many questions. None of this fit with the Brent they had started to know, but maybe there was much more to the man than they’d anticipated? There were worse places to be, especially given the circumstances, but this… This was different. The bard looked around the room again, as if taking it in piece by piece. Their eyes scanned over everything as they looked. Hyacinthe found a comfortable place to sit, drawing their knees to their chest and wrapping their arms around them. “Do those things taste terrible on purpose? To keep people from eating too many in one sitting? Maybe it’s to make sure people actually drink water…”

“They’re practical. All nutrients. Nothing added for taste. Extra shit like that just adds more weight to them.” he shrugged. “They’re not supposed to be treats, just energy to get you through… whatever you’re doing.”

More often than not, Brent ate these as meals. Not just on the go, or as a last resort; too often he was busy or distracted, and wouldn’t sit down to prepare a meal or seek one out. Whipping a ration out of one of his pockets was simple enough to do. He always carried at least two or three.

He motioned to a curtain-- it looked like the other curtains in the room that filled in as wall decor, but on closer inspection there was a small door behind it, easily missed unless you were looking for it.

“Water’s in barrels in the washroom, through there.” he told them. “If you’re thirsty.”

Another bite, as he rested his head back with a sigh. He’d calmed down pretty well, by now. His ear flickered at every sound, but most of them were muffled beyond hearing. Occasionally a scream could be heard, if it was high-pitched enough. Brent tried not to dwell on what was happening outside. It seemed all he could do to keep his mind off of it.

“... Fucking undead.” he grunted. “Ruined the surprise.”

“Practicality doesn’t have to taste, or feel, like a brick…” Hyacinthe muttered, but they weren’t quite keen on eating one just yet. Not after what they’d seen…

Their eyes drifted from Brent to where he’d motioned, making note of the washroom. If they were going to be stuck here for weeks, at least they wouldn’t stink. Though, their mind was drifting along with the idea of being stuck anywhere for weeks. With Brent or no, the idea of being trapped made their skin crawl. There was only so long that staring at everything would occupy their time.

“Surprise? Did you buy Kai something to smooth over her being mad about you having a new partner?” they tilted their head to the side curiously, grateful for a distraction.

"Hah…"

Brent exhaled a dry and humourless laugh, bordering on a sarcastic scoff. He shook his head.

"That's… no. Not even close. You don't really have a handle on my friendship with Kai, so it's fine. But we're not the 'get each other gifts' kind of friends."

That being said, Brent himself wasn't entirely sure what kinds of friends he and Kai'eka even were anymore. It definitely didn't feel the same as it did back before the void. And her death only seemed to drive them further apart. Like the elf herself, their friendship seemed like a hollow husk of what it was before. He sighed at the thought, before shaking his head again.

"Last gift I got her was a box of cigars. She totally missed the point of them, though. Just demanded more later on, like it was one more use she could squeeze out of me…" he huffed. "But that doesn't even matter, yeah? I thought her death was the end of it. The chapter closed up on it. But then she had to go and get raised…"

Hyacinthe nodded quickly in understanding. They hadn’t thought Kai was the type for gifts, based on the brief meetings of her. A curious lady, brash and rude but it was...interesting? Not a person the bard would have ever chosen to interact with, but not unpleasant either. Hyacinthe watched Brent’s face as he spoke, trying to glean more from his expressions to add to his words. They had a small talent at reading audiences, might as well put it to use now.

“She wasn’t done causing you grief, apparently,” they smiled, chin resting on their knees. “So what was the surprise that was ruined?”

They tilted their head to the side curiously. The mention of the surprise was a much needed distraction, and if Brent was observant enough he could tell that Hyacinthe was slowly relaxing from where they sat trying to make themselves smaller in the strange room. No, they weren’t adjusting at all, but they were less terrified. And less worried about feeling stupid about that fear.

The Ren'dorei regarded Hyacinthe a moment, seeming to read them right back. His chewing slowed, eyes narrowing-- not in conjunction with a scowl, but rather in a pensive manner. A sharp exhale out his nose, and he shook his head.

"You'll see." came the unsatisfactory reply. "Later."

Content enough where he was, he crossed his arms and leaned his head back. With the adrenaline dying down, he felt fatigue starting to set in. They were safe enough for him to lower his guard and relax… but those ears of his kept perked and twitched at every little sound. He needed sleep, but knew it wouldn't be restful. Just as well.

"Now keep quiet and still. Don't rustle around too much. You'll only draw attention." he huffed. "We're okay for now, rest while you can, in case we have to run or fight later."

Hyacinthe knew as well that neither of them would be resting, but sleeping was the best way to pass the time. It’s how they had passed the first day of the attacks when they were younger as well. Without complaint, the bard shifted around pillows until a nice little nest was made, then curled into it. They wrapped their arms around a pillow and hugged it tight, closing their eyes and trying to not think of the things they’d seen on the way over here.

Though their body settled into a sleeping rhythm after a while, Hyacinthe still looked on edge. Their dreams wouldn’t be pleasant, but there was a small measure of safety in not being alone. This deep in hiding, the sounds from outside were mostly muffled.

#hyacinthe #brent #rp log #ptsd #scourge attack #scourge event #world of warcraft #roleplay #high elf #void elf #Brent Sunborn #Hyacinthe Duskbrook

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skybeargames · 3 years

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Visual novel "The Nine Lives of Nim: Fortune's Fool" has now reached further heights with the addition of fully-voiced dialogue. Enjoy the voice acting talents of Laura Kvigstad as Nim, Tom Tobin as Felix, and the wider cast of Brent Ahuriri, Kristen Devine, James Dunning, Samuel Hatch, Tom Kereama, Jade de Preez, Benjamin Teh, Vitas Varnas, Lauren Wilson and award-winning game developer and writer Claire Ahuriri-Dunning. Buy the game here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1063110/The_Nine_Lives_of_Nim_Fortunes_Fool

#visual novels #visual novel #shakespeare #cats #faeries

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dansnaturepictures · 3 years

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My 10 wildlife/photography highlights of 2020 posts: Blog 2-Seeing some of my favourite birds this year-Part 1: A general look

As always in these thread of posts I shall now take a look back over times that stood out when seeing some of my 30 favourite birds this year. This highlights blog comes in two parts this year due to length, with part 1 tonight and part 2 tomorrow. This one a general look and the second part a detailed look into some favourite birds I saw very close to home at Lakeside and around the house whilst working from home in response to the pandemic. The number of favourite birds I have increased from 28 to 30 as I added two species that were previously on my B list of favourite birds the Short-eared Owl and Great White Egret. I saw 24 of the 30 this year which I was really happy with as with the pandemic etc. a lot of them it just didn’t look possible I’d see and for the other six it was either really rare/elusive ones or I just didn’t go anywhere where I could see one. I got off to a great start for favourite birds of mine in 2020 as I mentioned in my highlights blog yesterday over the opening days off I had of the year. Five of the year ticks I got on New Year’s Day were highlighted in red on my spreadsheet for my year list to denote they are favourite birds of mine, Great Crested Grebe a fitting first favourite bird of the year for me and not for the first time over Lakeside on the walk it would perhaps as I mention in tomorrow’s part of this post have the biggest role of all my favourite birds this year at Lakeside. I took the first picture in this photoset of one at Hayling Island in March. I then saw Buzzard and Little Egret on the way to Portland from the car on New Year’s Day on the motorway in Hampshire and as I said yesterday got spectacular Gannet and Short-eared Owl views there. The first three species were actually consecutive year ticks on my chronologically ordered list so this made it look distinctive on the list.

It was nice to tick off a good few more of my favourite birds at home on trips over the rest of those opening days, with the owls the last tick of mine on my highest ever New Year’s Day bird haul Brent Goose was the very next at Farlington Marshes on 2nd January, I also saw my first Shelducks of the year there. 3rd January just like New Year’s Day over Lakeside in 2019 was a woodpecker double as I saw my first Great Spotted Woodpecker of the year at Denny Wood in the New Forest and my first Green Woodpecker of 2020 on a quick sunny second Lakeside walk of the year that afternoon. On the way back from Denny Wood I saw my first this year of my other new favourite bird the Great White Egret in a field from the motorway at Broadlands. This year tick the one directly before Green Woodpecker so another double. Pochard and Jay were year ticks the next day at Blashford Lakes. I enjoyed some great times seeing these birds.

It has been a strong year for me for seeing Great Spotted Woodpeckers, I’ve seen many and its often been the bird to pop up when I’ve seen or photographed something else memorable to make it into a truly special day. Examples of when this has happened have been along the Titchfield Canal path on that classic day seeing Barn Owls, Fox and Roe Deers that I mentioned last night where I saw one fly over and at Blashford Lakes where I first fell for these birds on more than one occasion. I took the second picture in this photoset of one here on 1st March. It’s really reminded me why I adore this species with its striking appearance, sound and colours and the aura around it.

Back to the first days of the year and like last year on the way to Gloucestershire for Slimbridge for my birthday we stopped off at Red Kite stronghold Oxfordshire, having a look at some at Benson and like last year Watlington on the way there and back home. Especially on the way and particularly at Benson we enjoyed phenomenal views of this iconic and precious species. At Benson we saw dozens flying in the air at a time over a lane and some flew over very closely. Even though it was against grey skies it proved a perfect chance to test the flying shot ability I was unsure of on my new camera to begin this trip away. I took pictures I was so proud of including the third of mine in this photoset and most importantly enjoyed an exceptional wildlife experience with one of our greatest birds. It topped the same stop off last year. Red Kites continued to be more and more common at home building on last year where I noted this a lot as I saw some on the way to work from the train and during working days in Winchester quite often which was great, as well as a few at home which I talk about in part 2 of this highlights post tomorrow. I got a great view of a Red Kite flying low over our head at Noar Hill in mid-May which I took the fourth picture in this photoset of. At and on the way on the motorway to Fleet Pond I got great views of Red Kite and Buzzard on 27th September. At Slimbridge I took the fifth of one of the stars of the place a lovely Shelduck.

When back home and back to work in January attention of course turned to another of my favourite birds of prey the Peregrine Falcon, particularly Winnie and Chester the Winchester pair. I picked up where I left off in 2019 really what had been an amazing year for them seeing the adults and chicks so many times and taking so many photos on days I took my spare bridge camera to work with me. I got Peregrine as a year tick on 9th January with a view of one on the north tower at Winchester Cathedral. I then continued to monthly or twice monthly bring my bridge camera to work to try for pictures of these beautiful birds as they continued to fly between the cathedral and St. Thomas Church. In February I photographed both birds at both locations during the course of the month which felt fantastic, I took the sixth picture in this photoset during my February cathedral with-camera-visit. In April this picture and one I took of a hyacinth in the cathedral grounds taken in March both appeared in the Hampshire Chronicle newspaper in the camera club section a proud moment for me and this Peregrine picture appeared with an article they did on the family too. I got so many of my wildlife, landscape and minority subject pictures in the chronicle this year especially local ones whilst working at home which really stood out I loved putting my pictures on Facebook groups this year during lockdown and working from home. My photos of the Peregrines seemed to get better and better if I say so myself and I could just not get enough of seeing these birds. It sort of began to feel normal seeing them up until I had to work from home which brought other benefits a key theme in all of these highlights blogs but as I remarked when watching them at St. Thomas in February it sort of still feels surreal to be seeing this bird fairly close up at times and just so easily see one. I got stunning views of these birds regularly across this year again.

In February also it was ramping up towards their breeding season with the webcam being switched back on with a second camera this year too making their journey so accessible at more than one angle to all and by March eggs were laid. I found myself feeling the same feelings as last year when I first started to observe these birds around that time and I could look on the webcam before I left the office each lunch to see if they were about then go and see them. So it made me feel good in terms of my connections with these birds. When I was working from home due to the Coronavirus in late April I was thrilled to get little glimpses on the webcams on the cathedral website of the very little chicks as the eggs began hatching. Such an amazing moment. I was a lot more on the ball with reading updates this year than last of knowing when the chicks would hatch, hence I enjoyed seeing the eventual five chicks on the webcam in their early stages a lot more with great views of them being fed and things. As all five fledged successfully a big theme for me became watching them and Peregrine families from other local cities’ cathedrals a great thing to do whilst working from home which a lot of people did too in these isolating times. On 10th August I got a precious chance to go and watch the Peregrines again when I had to go into the office for a morning. My Mum dropped me off and picked me up at Winchester and during my lunch break I saw a noisy Peregrine fly over St. Thomas Church where I spoke at a safe social distance to a kind person about them, one flying at the cathedral and one adult on the Winchester Cathedral north ledge which looked fantastic in the sun of a summer’s day during a heatwave. It felt surreal being back seeing and photographing one with my bridge camera here after five months away whilst it was a one-off thing. Seeing them in the flesh and indeed just seeing Peregrines I didn’t see one on walks at any stages of the restrictions in between elsewhere I don’t think felt quite surreal. It did give me a valuable chance to connect with this bird once more, a chance to reminisce on my times with the families in previous years and the successful year for them this year again with the five chicks fledged unusual for the species I learned to fledge that many and it was bringing something I do so much whilst working in the office at lunch breaks at Winchester into what the days in my life were like at that time which was very different. A very warm and satisfying feeling being so in aw of them and watching one I could not take my eyes off it when there. I also got fantastic views of a Peregrine flying at Lymington-Keyhaven nature reserve again the Lymington end towards the start of the year where I had seen one on Christmas Day 2019 and I saw one there in October.

Winchester really confirmed itself as the raptor haven I’ve portrayed it as this year with one of my non-favourites Sparrowhawk a regular sighting for me here but also great Buzzard views often with quite a few in the sky at times. A great chance to enjoy a bird that’s been one of my favourites for a long time as I have at a lot of places this year. I enjoyed Buzzards immediately locally in lockdown a lot as I mention loads in my next highlights post. But on days we did other local walks in lockdown it was nice to appreciate different common members of my list of favourite birds and get excited to see and hear them a lot. Notable instances seeing Little Egrets and Red Kite flying over at the river Itchen, Bishopstoke, many Jays and a Great Spotted Woodpecker heard at Stoke Park Wood and another Jay and a few Buzzards flying over at Magdalen Hill after I’d seen two of the latter at home that morning also. Shelduck alongside favourite birds of mine I’d more regularly seen seeing during lockdown Great Crested Grebe and Little Egret was a delight to see at Lymington on 23rd May when we did our first trip there and to the sea in just over two months as I took pleasure and had a surreal feeling at seeing common species of that habitat which I hadn’t seen for months so this felt great. When at Pennington a couple of weeks later it was lovely to see Shelducks with adorable ducklings among many other baby birds that day as well as many Little Egrets and Great Crested Grebe. When back at Pennington in early September I very much enjoyed seeing older young Shelducks, Little Egrets with a few flying right by us which was nice and it was almost weird seeing Great Crested Grebes on the sea somewhere other than Lakeside with my journey with them there this year detailed in my next highlights post.

On a January day at the Lymington end of the Lymington-Keyhaven nature reserve I marvelled at Kingfishers again with some great views as they were a year tick that day for a third year running here. A memorable time again. I’ve also had such a good year for Brent Geese another speciality bird here with many seen and heard at different locations. One weekend that sticks in the mind is a February one where I saw lots and photographed some at Hayling Island on the Saturday and then I saw many more and photographed one at Pennington on the Sunday the seventh picture in this photoset. When seeing Brent Geese at Farlington Marshes in early October at the point in the reserve I had my first amazing experience as a boy with them when hundreds flew over my head noisily I reflected on why this made me fall in love with them. Farlington Marshes as I’ve said so often is one of if not the best place in the country for Brent Geese there are so many around in the season and it’s so good for them. I read a bit that day about how important the Brent Geese are to the local area as their presence has stopped a lot of development proposals in Portsmouth over the year including Portsmouth Football Club’s desire to leave their Fratton Park home to build a new stadium at a site at Farlington near to the marshes. Which we could have a huge debate about but there is no denying this is helping the environment. So it reminded me something I am passionate about just what a special place this reserve is and what a special bird this really is in Hampshire as a whole. That October afternoon was a special one for favourite birds of mine at Farlington with Shelduck seen well and lots and lots of Little Egrets, Great Crested and four Buzzards one on a light three flying together seen on the M27 on the journey there. It was also a memorable goose day as I enjoyed close views of the odd Barnacle and Snow Goose that goes to Farlington that I had seen before here and at Baffins Pond where they fly between really intimate views that day and I got pictures. On 31st October I enjoyed seeing lots of lovely Brent Geese at Lymington there in numbers by that point as well as Great Crested Grebes out to sea and great Little Egret views I took a photo of one of the latter.

On a daily exercising walk on 2nd May I made it a tenth spring in a row that I’ve heard a Cuckoo in since I saw my first in 2011 when I heard a faint one calling at Bentley Wood which was magical as always. Hearing one of these birds is almost as good as seeing one especially my first in a spring it’s that exciting and amazing it’s the sound of spring for me. I heard Cuckoos really well on a visit to Martin Down in mid-May when restrictions had lifted a little so we could go there it was nice pure belts of it to hear very clearly it does feel me with such joy hearing it. That day I got smashing Buzzard views too of one at the reserve, one flying along the lane as we exited and two closely on posts on the way back. When back in late July I got a brilliant view of a wet Buzzard on a rainy day on a pylon on the way home. The next day after that I got a nice view of a Buzzard flying over at Stockbridge Down. I was so happy to see my first Cuckoo of 2020 and make it my fourth consecutive year seeing them at stronghold for them Fritham in the New Forest where we were very lucky to see two and hear the call again throughout the walk on a nice sunny and hot second May bank holiday Sunday. What a top experience! The next day I heard another Cuckoo at Bentley Wood much more clearly the sound was than the last time here, it’s certainly different hearing them after seeing one there’s no pressure of I’ve heard it now I need to see it but it’s just amazing hearing them on their own as I’ve said before anyway. That day I also saw Jay and Buzzard flying through. I got a brilliant view of Buzzard on another visit here the following Saturday a paler looking one over the path against a blue sky. Cuckoo, Buzzard and Jay were stars of another Martin Down visit to close May, hearing the former and seeing Jay at the beginning of a hot and sunny walk. On that walk we got brilliant close Buzzard views flying against a bright blue sky so nice to feel spoiled by this coming so soon after similar at Lakeside again and again in weeks one particular Lakeside Buzzard moment from the spring I mention in part 2 of this blog tomorrow. On 13th September we got as we often do a nice view of a Buzzard on a telegraph pole on the way home from Martin Down. A place that September day when we walked around the reserve we also got some great moments watching Red Kites watching one mobbed by a Jackdaw a lot not a sight I’ve often seen so that was very intriguing to see on a great afternoon of birds.

On 13th June at Common Marsh I got a brief view and then cracking prolonged binocular views as it moved around the reeds of my first Sedge Warbler of the year. I took the eighth picture in this photoset of this bird. I really did see what a beautiful, well-marked and striking bird it is that day and it reminded me why I love it. A key moment in one of my best general and packed Saturdays this year where at Stockbridge Down where we went first we saw two Buzzards and Red Kite and Little Egret seen at Common Marsh as part of an impressive array of birds by the river. I had a quite honestly rare in years for me now second encounter with a Sedge Warbler on a scorching Saturday 8th August at Farlington Marshes getting a great view of one in and around the reedbeds. It felt amazing. I also saw a Buzzard sat on a post for our whole walk that day as well as Little Egret and Shelducks including young on a generally brilliant day of birdwatching with many other top species seen too. On 18th July whilst dog sitting I took Missy on a walk at Fleming Park in Eastleigh I’d not been for years over the old golf course. I knew from when we used to go there loads that it’s good for Green Woodpeckers and sure enough I got two great views of them on this walk really brilliant to see I enjoyed it on a generally great local Saturday of wildlife and photos for me so much seen and so many taken a very hot and sunny day a true part of summer, it was a brilliant welcome back to the old golf course area of the park for me. On 1st August at Emer Bog and Baddesley Common nature reserve it was great to hear a Buzzard calling closely a lot and see a Jay a memorable afternoon generally for me. I saw another Buzzard really well the next day at Magdalen Hill flying over my head which was fantastic not for the first time at this near to Winchester reserve this year with Kestrels seen well that day also as they often can be there.

‪On 16th August at Hayling Island oysterbeds we were treated to glorious views of two young Buzzards flying around and in trees. They looked so creamy and lovely in plumage. Their wingspans looked massive as they flew over it really was quite a sight to behold and I loved seeming them in the sunshine. Quite a moment. That day I also saw Great Crested Grebes out to sea and a Great Spotted Woodpecker during rain at Earnley Triangle on Hayling Island where we went first.

I had a great August bank holiday Sunday walk at Thursley Common in Surrey seeing a few Dartford Warblers near to the car park in an area here we never had before possibly relocated from the area we see loads behind the lakes on the heath that had been badly burnt by the heath fire in the spring so this was encouraging and great. That day on a day Hobby and Kestrel views starred too I liked seeing a Red Kite an ever present here on our visits and the area generally in a glorious weekend of raptors with five species seen and a woodpecker double with great particularly flying views of Green and Great Spotted making out their lovely markings I heard the or a green nicely too. I saw another Dartford Warbler very well at Ashley Walk in the New Forest on 17th October on a generally brilliant afternoon I wrote more about that in my third of these posts going out next Thursday about my visits to the New Forest this year I saw a Buzzard well that day too.

I wrote about experiences with more of and some I’ve mentioned here and part 2 of this blog already my favourite birds a lot in my fifth of these posts about my week off in June, when I saw my first Dartford Warbler of the year at Arne and another at Thursley Common, my first Guillemot, Razorbill and Fulmar of the year at Durlston and then again at Portland the next I took the ninth picture in this photoset of a Fulmar from the cliff flying that day and my first Osprey of 2020 at Fishlake Meadows. In my seventh of these posts about my autumn some get a mention. In my eighth of these posts about visiting Devon and Cornwall for a weekend in August I wrote about seeing my first Dipper of the year at Fingle Bridge and first Choughs of the year at Cape Cornwall and Botallack, and some favourite birds of mine get a mention in my ninth of these posts about our week in Norfolk too where at the nature reserve Sculthorpe Moor I took the tenth and final picture in this photoset of a Kingfisher. In my bonus eleventh highlights post this year about my November and December I also wrote about favourite birds of mine.

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pscottm · 4 months

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Brent Orrin Hatch, son of late Sen. Orrin Hatch, files to run for Senate seat once held by his father | KSL.com

“Brent Orrin Hatch on Tuesday filed as a candidate running for Mitt Romney’s Senate seat, which was previously held by Hatch’s father, the late Sen. Orrin Hatch,” KSL reports.

“Although he hasn’t held any elected office, Hatch previously worked in Washington as an associate White House counsel to President George H.W. Bush and a law clerk to former Judge Robert H. Bork.

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creepingsharia · 4 years

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Facebook adds Muslim Brotherhood figure to ‘oversight board’

The name of Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Yemeni Nobel Prize winner Tawakkol Karman stood out as an odd addition to the list of Facebook's first 20 oversight board members.

The new oversight body includes four chairs: Former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Stanford Law School Professor Michael McConnell, Columbia Law School Professor Jamal Greene and Dean of the Universidad de los Andes Faculty of Law Catalina Botero-Marino.

Apart from Karman, other members include Kenyan human rights activist Maina Kiai, Pakistani digital rights activist Nighat Dad and former editor of the Indonesian publication Jakarta Post, Endy Bayuni.

Facebook said it selected the four co-chairs who in turn helped choose the rest of the 16 members.

"The Oversight Board is an external body that members of our community can appeal to on some of the most significant and challenging content decisions we face," announced Facebook.

The social media company pointed out that it expected the members "to make some decisions that we, at Facebook, will not always agree with — but that's the point: they are truly autonomous in their exercise of independent judgement."

The decisions by the oversight board are expected to influence "content moderation guidelines" for Facebook and Instagram.

Brent Harris, Facebook’s director of public policy, said the company “will implement the board’s decisions unless doing so violates the law.” Over the next few months, the body expects to grow to around 40 total members.

Radicalisation experts believe that by choosing Karman for the influential role, Facebook failed to recognise the link between the Muslim Brotherhood's ideological advocacy and extremist activity.

A number of countries in the region have branded the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation. The terrorist links of the organisation are under investigation in several Western nations. A number of al-Qaeda leaders have initially been active with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Facebook has repeatedly come under fire for failing to adequately address the proliferation of extremist ideologies on its platform. After being assailed by critics, including European legislators, Facebook declared last year its intent to update its policy on "combating hate and extremism."

But ironically, a clarification it issued last September seemed to discount the link between terrorism and extremist ideology.

"We are always looking to see where we can improve and refine our approach and we recently updated how we define terrorist organisations in consultation with counterterrorism, international humanitarian law, freedom of speech, human rights and law enforcement experts," Facebook said. "The updated definition still focuses on the behavior, not ideology, of groups."

When Karman won the 2011 Nobel Peace prize for her "role in Arab spring protests," the Muslim Brotherhood's website, Ikhwanweb, released a statement on Twitter identifying her as a “Yemeni Muslim Brotherhood member," sparking widespread speculation and criticism about her connection to the group.

Despite tactical disagreements about alliances in Yemen's war, Karman is a leading figure of Yemen's Islah Party, a Muslim Brotherhood affiliate.

Karman has repeatedly defended the Muslim Brotherhood, even describing the group as "one of the victims of official tyranny and terrorism in the region, which Trump gives his supports and assistance." She has said she believes the movement's role in the region will "necessarily" grow in the future.

Many social media users in the Middle East and North Africa region reacted to Facebook's selection of Karman with confusion and derision as the Yemeni writer is more known for her Islamist activism and divisive stances than for public service commitment.

According to experts, Facebook is mainly driven by a desire to influence politicians and decision makers in the West so as to avoid regulatory restrictions that could impact its revenue.

“Facebook continues to push specious arguments to create confusion and fear among lawmakers in an effort to maintain the status quo and limit the tech industry’s liability and responsibility,” said Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Executive Director David Ibsen.

“Rather than dictating to public officials on how to keep the public safe, Zuckerberg and his company should instead halt their lobbying efforts and focus on keeping extremist and terrorist content off their platforms," he said.

The choice of Karman to Facebook's advisory board will add to suspicions about the social media body's political leanings and is unlikely to enhance the company's credibility in the Arab world, experts say.

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And remember as we tweeted here, “The idea for @Facebook's leftist ‘Supreme Court’ was hatched by a guy who wrote a defense of Islamic sharia in the @nyt.”. As reported by Breitbart:

Colloquially known as the “Facebook Supreme Court,” the idea for the body was hatched by Harvard Law professor Noah Feldman, a liberal academic and one of the Democrats’ “expert witnesses” during the impeachment hearings. Also involved in the body’s development was a progressive non-profit, BSR.

Feldman has been a staunch advocate of sharia law.

More on sharia-loving Feldman at the links below:

Democrat Impeachment 'Witness' Noah Feldman Previously Claimed Sharia Law Superior, More "Humane" Than Western Laws

What I Remember About Noah Feldman

#Islam #Sharia #Muslim #Jihad #Technology #Tech #Media #News #Legal #Politics #Religion

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