The Supreme Court had earlier in October 2018 closed down the firecracker industry to curb pollution. The court on March 12, 2019 took a relook into its ealier order banning the existing firecrackers. A bench of Justices S A Bobde and S Abdul Nazeer asked the Centre whether any comparative study has been done to fairly establish that vehicles pollute more than firecrackers.
There was another reason also for the court's change of heart. The judges felt that its order had brought the entire firecracker industry to a grinding halt. This meant that scores of people lost jobs. The Court said that a ban on firecrackers cannot be indefinite as it affects the livelihood of those families living on it.
The cracker manufacturers who have explained to the court that they are minor defaulters compared to the automobile industry. Moreover, the manufacturer claimed that firecracker is used extensively during certain days of the year while the real contributors to pollution are vehicles, crop burning, dust from construction activity among other sources.
The bench said that the court must be mindful of citizens' right to life which includes right to employment, right to carry out trade as well. "We do not want to generate unemployment. This trade (firework manufacturing) is not illegal as it is a licensed business. How can it be stopped? At best, it can be regulated".
There are serious flaws in the observations of the apex court Bench vis-a-vis the Constitutional provisions on Right to Life and the earlier judgements of the Supreme Court on environmental protection.
Automobile pollution is a very serious pollution. If need arises, the automobiles have to be curtailed or even stopped till corrective steps are taken because clean air is far more important. Terming the cracker pollution as less serious, the court observes that it need not be stopped altogether. Will the court allow the offenders of less serious crimes to go unpublished simply because very many offenders of serious/heinous crimes are escaping punishment?
The argument of the cracker makers that cracker pollution is only seasonal and not a perennial one like the pollution arising out of automobiles, stubble burning and construction activity is ridiculous. A crime is a crime whether it is seasonal or perennial.
While the right to employment and right to carry out trade are very important rights, the Bench cannot deny that life, health and ecology have greater importance to the people. Right to carry out trade does not guarantee the entrepreneur the right to pollute.
Constitution evinces great concern for environment. Article 48-A of the Directive Principle mandates that the state shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment. One of the fundamental duties prescribed in Article 51-A is to protect and improve the natural environment.
Despite these constitutional provisions, pollution continues unabated. The river Ganges was brazenly polluted by the discharge of effluents by some tanneries in Kanpur. Hence the apex court was constrained to issue directions for the closure of the tanneries. The court was conscious that closure of tanneries may bring unemployment and loss of revenue, but it significantly ruled that "life, health and ecology have greater importance to the people".
In its landmark judgment in the Oleum Gas Leak Case, the Supreme Court laid down certain important principles. A five-judge bench unanimously ruled that "an enterprise which is engaged in a hazardous or inherently dangerous industry which poses a potential threat to the health and safety of the persons working in the factory and residing in the surrounding areas owes an absolute and non-delegable duty to the community to ensure that no harm results to anyone on account of hazardous or inherently dangerous nature of the activity which it has undertaken".
At first blush, this may appear unduly harsh. However the rationale for this rule as explained by the court is that "such hazardous or inherently dangerous activity for private profit can be tolerated only on condition that the enterprise engaged in such activity indemnifies all those who suffer on account of the carrying on of such activity regardless of whether it is carried on carefully or not".
In its subsequent judgement in Vellore Citizens Forum, Justice Kuldip Singh speaking for the court held that "the Precautionary Principle and the Polluter Pays Principle are essential features of Sustainable Development". This is a milestone judgement in environmental jurisprudence. The court reaffirmed the Polluter Pays Principle laid down in its previous judgements to mean that "the absolute liability for harm to the environment extends not only to compensate the victims of pollution but also the cost of restoring the environmental degradation.
While the bench on March 12 talked about the right to carry out trade, it has ignored that "the Precautionary Principle and the Polluter Pays Principle are essential features of Sustainable Development". There is no absolute right to carry out any trade. Only sustainable trade is permitted.
There cannot be two views about the advantages of starting an industry, providing employment to people and improving the revenue of the state. But there can be only one view: Health well-being and protection of people from ecological degradation are paramount and must override employment and rupee considerations. Cracker or automobile manufacturers are not solicitors of the fundamental rights of Indian people.
The bench also failed to notice the horrendous human rights violations by the firecracker industry by way of forcing its employees to work in extremely hazardous conditions and engaging child labour rampantly.


text:
Vital Powers Largest Central London Development in 150 Years
06.03.14, by System Administrator | New build residential / mixed use
The City of London took a large step towards energy sustainability on Thursday 27th February, 2014 with the launch of the King's Cross Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Energy Centre, designed and built by Blackburn and London-based sustainable energy experts Vital Energi.
King's Cross is being developed by the King's Cross Central Limited Partnership which is made up of Argent King's Cross Ltd, London & Continental Railways Ltd and DHL Supply Chain. Metropolitan King's Cross Ltd is the energy services company (ESCo) and was charged with the task of delivering sustainable and affordable power and heating to the entire development.
The energy centre will provide sustainable power for the new £2 billion, 67 acre King's Cross development in central London, which will create eight million square feet of office space, shops, a university and up to 2,000 homes and serviced apartments. The project will also see the creation of 20 new streets and 10 new major public buildings. It has already delivered the creation of the largest new street in London for over a century and the largest public square since Trafalgar Square.
The development is so large that it even has its own postcode – N1C.
Vital Energi won the contract to design and install the pioneering Combined Heat & Power (CHP) Energy Centre, and completed Phase 2 in January 2014. The energy centre will provide 100% of the heat and hot water and 80% of the electricity for the entire development. In addition to the £9 million contract they will also operate and maintain it for the next decade.
The King's Cross Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Energy Centre was launched by Councillor Phil Jones of Camden Council who commented, "This energy centre is really fascinating. All these bright colours they've painted in here for the Pink panther, the machine that's operating here. You really get a sense of how much work has gone in and the level of engineering sophistication and technological sophistication that's involved in this type of plant. So it's very impressive.
"It was a very exciting moment, almost a historic moment to press that button today, so it was a great honour for me."
Ian Whitelock, Joint Managing Director of Vital Energi explained, "We're committed to making sustainable energy an easy and economical option. More and more we're seeing forward-thinking councils working hand in hand with conscientious developers and businesses to create developments which have sustainability at their heart.
"How we create and consume energy is one of the most important issues facing society at the moment, so to play a part in reducing carbon emissions by 50 per cent on a project of this size has been a great opportunity and something, as a company, we're immensely proud of. Hopefully, this project can stand as an example to other councils and developers of what can be achieved on 21st century developments."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Welcome to WentWorth Estate Agents in Bath.
An independent family run agency offering an experienced personal approach to you and your property with professional, honest & practical advice when it comes to selling or buying within Bath and the surrounding villages.
We have dedicated financial brokers to assist with any mortgage advice you may need and want.


Having this list made choosing what to eat so easy. I am really busy in my work life so having the research done for me makes all the difference. I am implementing these changes one at a time and I already feel energised.
I have always struggled to know exactly what I should and should not be including in my diet. I have this list on my fridge and it is really helping with my food choices. My hot flushes if really improved.
I help women transition from motherhood to professional online business women, by firstly establishing a strong foundation of excellent health and lasting energy without deprivation.
PUSH THE EASY BUTTON AND GET YOUR COPY OF MY TOP 9 EASY FOOD SWAPS NOW!


I have created a custom, non-real world coordinate map, using MapTiler.
I would like to limit the pan extent to the extent of the map so users don't accidentally pan so far that they only see a blank background and thus get lost.
It there a setting to accomplish this?
The topic 'Custom Map limit pan extent' is closed to new replies.


text:
Апостольский экзархат Харбина () — экзархат Российской грекокатолической церкви с центром в городе Харбин, Китай. Апостольский экзархат Харбина объединял русских католиков византийского обряда, проживавших в Харбине. Несмотря на то, что де-факто экзархат прекратил своё существование после второй мировой войны, де-юре он не был ликвидирован и до сих пор кафедра апостольского экзархата считается вакантной.

История

Община грекокатоликов из числа российских эмигрантов в Харбине возникла в 20-х годах XX век после перехода в католичество византийского обряда протоиерея Константина Коронина, его отца, протоиерея Иоанна Коронина и ещё трёх священников акт присоединения совершил Апостольский делегат в Китае архиепископ Константини. Они сформировали приход святого Владимира, которому было разрешено проводить богослужения по византийскому обряду в харбинском католическом храме св. Станислава.

20 мая 1926 года Папская комиссия Pro Russia издала декрет Fidelium Russorum, которым учредила апостольский экзархат для верующих Российской грекокатолической церкви, проживающих в Харбине. 6 ноября 1928 года в Харбин прибыл священник Фабиан Абрантович, который стал первым экзархом апостольского экзархата Харбина. С 1928-1929 гг. по 1948-1949 гг. при экзархате действовали лицей святого Николая, Колледж при Конвенте сестер-урсулинок в Харбине, Школа при Конвенте Сестер Францисканок-Миссионерок Пресвятой Девы Марии в Харбине, кроме того, под руководством иезитов, действовала Русская католическая миссия в Шанхае и образовательные и воспитательные учреждения при ней.  11 октября 1937 года в Харбине был открыт новициат мужской монашеской конгрегации мариан византийского обряда. C 14 октября 1931 года Экзархатом издавался Католический вестник Русской епархии византийско-славянского обряда в Маньчжурии.

В 1928 году харбинский приход насчитывал 18 человек, а в 1935 году количество мирян составляло уже более 150 человек. Клир экзархата насчитывал 5 священников, 1 иеродиакона, 4 монахов и 26 монахинь. На содержании прихода находилось более 500 русских детей, учившихся в Лицее св. Николая, Колледже при Конвенте сестер-урсулинок в Харбине и Школе при Конвенте Сестер Францисканок-Миссионерок Пресвятой Девы Марии в Харбине.

В 1939 году Фабиан Абрантович отправился в Рим для visita ad limina, после чего побывал в монастырях своей монашеской конгрегации в Польше, Литве и Латвии. После начала Второй мировой войны Фабиан Абрантович был арестован НКВД. В 1942 году его приговорили к десяти годам лагерей и умер в заключении в 1946 году.

В 1948 году апостольский экзархат Харбина насчитывал около 500 верующих. После прихода к власти в Китае коммунистов начались репрессии и массовый отъезд из Харбина русского населения, которое переезжало в основном в США, Австралию и Южную Америку. 22 декабря 1948 года преемник Фабиана Абрантовича экзарх Андрей Цикото вместе с другими священниками был арестован китайскими властями. Они были депортированы в Советский Союз, где содержались в Чите. В 1949 году все священники были приговорены к 25 годам исправительно-трудовых работ. Экзарх Андрей Цикото скончался 13 февраля 1953 года в лазарете Озерлага возле Тайшета.

Продолжением традиций русского грекокатоличества Харбина стали приходы Св. Николая в Мельбурне, св. Михаила в Нью-Йорке, свв. Петра и Павла в Буэнос-Айресе, Храм Благовещения Божией Матери (Сан-Паулу) и др.

Ординарии экзархата
 архимандрит Фабиан Абрантович M.I.C. (31.05.1928 — 1939)
 священник Косма Найлович - временно исполняющий обязанности администратора
  архимандрит Андрей Цикото M.I.C. (20.10.1939 — 13.02.1953);
 вакансия (С 1953 по настоящее время).

Примечания

Источники
 Annuario Pontificio, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Città del Vaticano, 2003, стр. 958, ISBN 88-209-7422-3
  Декрет Fidelium Russorum, AAS 20 (1928), стр. 366
 Колупаев В. Е. Русское церковное присутствие в Китае. Монография. 2013. с. 122. ISBN 978-3-8484-7969-6

Ссылки
 Информация
 Биография Фабиана Абрантовича
 Биография Фабиана Абрантовича
 Биография Андрея Цикото
 Биография Анджея Цикото
 Биография Анджея Цикото

Католические епархии Китая
Исторические общины русского зарубежья
Российская грекокатолическая церковь
Русские в Харбине
.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) on 6-6-17, #342-9.
Lobelia cardinalis L. is the correct and accepted name for this species of Lobelia. It was described by Carl von Linnaeus in Species Plantarum in 1753.
The genus, Lobelia Plum. ex L., was also described by Linnaeus in the same publication but it was originally named by Charles Plumier. Most sources just list the genus name as Lobelia L., but Plants of the World Online list the name as Lobelia Plum. ex L. Mr. Plumier was considered one of the most important botanical explorers of his time and was appointed botanist to King Louis XIV of France. He was born in 1646 and died in 1704. To read more about him, click HERE.
Plants of the Word Online list 433 accepted species of Lobelia as of 2-21-19. There were 425 when I wrote this page… Hmmm… Well, POWO is still uploading data and botanists are continually tweaking around with plant names.
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) on 5-26-17, #334-25.
I had not grown Lobelia cardinalis before so when I saw that Wagler's Greenhouse had a lot of them in the spring of 2017, I decided to bring three home. I had always wanted to try them because of their red flowers and the hummingbirds like them. I planted these three plants on the east side of the steps on the north side of the house. Here they would get plenty of sun, especially in the morning.
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower), the second group, on 6-6-17, #342-9.
After I finished rejuvenating the bed on the south side of the house, I decided to purchase three more Lobelia cardinalis for that bed, too.
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) on 6-11-17, #343-29.
One afternoon I noticed one of the Lobelia by the porch looked as if it has been scalded. Maybe it was still wet from watering the evening before when the sun came out the next morning… I am not sure, but it was unusual.
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower), group 2, on 6-11-17, #343-30.
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower), group 1, on 6-18-17, #345-36.
The Lobelia cardinalis on the north side were looking pretty good after a few days.
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower), group 2, on 6-24-17, #349-90.
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower), group 2, on 6-24-17, #349-91.
I went out to Wagler's and told her what happened. She said she noticed the problem and discarded their plants, too. It seems the other local greenhouses had more insect problems than usual in 2017, too. I brought home whiteflies from Mast's Greenhouse on the tomatoes… When you are out plant shopping and see a problem, never hesitate to tell the owner or employees about it. Sometimes they get busy and are unaware.
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower), group 1, on 9-9-17, #355-31.
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower), group 1, on 7-19-17.
Expecting red flowers and getting pink was a little disappointing. I am not into pink even though it seems I have my fair share. Some plants I like only come in pink so I have no choice. The tag just said "Lobelia cardinalis" and didn't say anything about the color. I guess I really never paid much attention to the fact that Lobelia comes in more colors than just red. They can be red, pink, purple, or white.
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) on 8-7-17, #365-11.
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) at 29″ tall on 8-20-17, #367-17.
Lobelia cardinalis grow in swampy areas in the wild and prefer much more water that you can imagine. Mine were planted next to the porch where the Conoclinum coelestinum were which are drought tolerant. I always thought it was weird how they grew to over 36″ tall in the summer of 2017 and now I realize it was because I was giving the Lobelia water almost every day. Of course, the smartweed liked the extra water, too!
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) on 9-2-17, #370-10.
Soil: Likes wet soil and shouldn't be allowed to completely dry out.
Water: Likes an ample amount of water.
Mulching: Applying a layer of mulch will help prevent the soil from drying out. They also need winter mulch to prevent the roots from heaving.
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) on 9-2-17, #370-11.
So, what did I think about the Lobelia cardinalis? Well, to be quite honest, I was expecting something much different. I have been collecting seed and plant catalogs since 1981 and I was expecting a completely different look. Despite them being pink, the photos I have always seen in catalogs and online seemed, well, different than an up close and personal look.
Another thing you may want to consider is the other plants around your Lobelia cardinalis. Since they prefer wet soil, you need to plant them among plants that like the same treatment. I will tell you, mine didn't get much special treatment except when their leaves would start drooping.
I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, I would like to hear from you. Please click on "like" if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading.


text:
State Launches Opioid Addiction Awareness Campaign Aimed At Parents
Calling education an "essential part of the cure for this epidemic," Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday announced the launch of an opioid addiction awareness campaign aimed at parents.
The "Stop Addiction In Its Tracks" campaign is a recommendation of Gov. Baker's opioid abuse task force, which was charged with developing a statewide strategy for combating addiction. The group is set to announce its full slate of recommendations next week.
The campaign includes TV and digital ads that will run through the end of July, pointing people to a new state website — mass.gov/StopAddiction. The website offers information on warning signs of opioid addiction; a list of commonly misused prescription medications; a guide for how guardians can talk to kids of different ages about the dangers of opioid misuse; information on Narcan, a medication that can reverse the effects of an overdose; as well as how to get help.
"With this messaging, we are impressing on parents that the road to heroin could start with what is left in our own homes and medicine cabinets," Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders said in a statement.
Dr. Monica Bharel, commissioner of the Department of Public Health and a member of the governor's opioid abuse task force, said that during the group's public hearings they heard repeatedly from parents who said they needed more information about addiction.
"They wanted to know the harsh realities of opioid misuse and addiction and how they can spot the warning signs that their child may be in danger," Bharel said in the statement. "The website provides straight-forward details along with personal stories from parents who have dealt first-hand with this tragedy."
One of those parents is Janis McGrory, of Harwich. In one of the campaign videos, McGrory tells the story of her daughter Liz, who died of a heroin overdose in 2011 at age 23.
"People deserve to understand the dangers of prescription drugs and how easy it is for children to become addicted," McGrory said in the statement. "Our Liz mattered. She was a wonderful daughter and sister. Removing the stigma of addiction, education and treatment of the disease is critical."
More than 1,000 people in Massachusetts died of opioid-related overdoses last year, according to estimates from the state -- a 33 percent increase over 2012 numbers.
Gloucester Police: 17 People Have So Far Sought Opioid Addiction Treatment In New Program
I Bought Narcan, And Here's What I Learned
Documentary By Andover High Grad Brings Opioid Crisis To Light
Report Finds Stark Gaps In Mass. Addiction Care
State: More Than 1,000 Died Of Opioid-Related Overdoses In 2014
Gov. Baker Adds Voice To Hundreds At Opioid Hearing


text:
Q: Wordpress, PHP, Meta Query passing get / post variables EDIT: I renamed all the fields so that name!= key[] now name = pool or whirlpool, and I'm doing them one at a time....
So I can get this to work:
 $args = array(
'numberposts'    => -1,
'category_name' => 'reviews',
'post_status'       => 'publish',
'meta_query'        =>  array(
    'relation'  => 'AND',
    array(
        'key'       => 'whirlpool',
        'value'     => '',
        'compare'   => '!='
    ),
 array(
        'key'       => 'pool',
        'value'     => '',
        'compare'   => '!='
    )
)
);

$the_query = new WP_Query($args);

but i cannot get the arraypush to work or this:
$query_array = array('relation' => 'AND');

if(isset($_GET['massage']) && !empty($_GET['massage'])){
$massage = $_GET['massage'];
array_push($query_array, array('key' => 'massage','value' => '','compare'=> '!='));
}
if(isset($_GET['facial']) && !empty($_GET['facial'])){
$facial = $_GET['facial'];
array_push($query_array, array('key' => 'facial','value' => '','compare'=> '!='));
}

if(isset($_GET['manicure']) && !empty($_GET['manicure'])){
$manicure = $_GET['manicure'];
array_push($query_array, array('key' => 'manicure','value' => '','compare'=> '!='));
}

 $the_query = new WP_Query( array(
                'numberposts' => -1,
                'category_name' => 'reviews',
                'post_status'       => 'publish',
                'query' => $query_array )
            );

I feel like I've got this figured out in my head, but I can't seem to knock it out. Please don't worry about sanitization and what not... --
I want to post variables from checkboxes, and then draw on them to search for specific posts by meta key (the value isn't important so long as it exists as something.. isset() I guess.
HTML

<input type="checkbox" name="key[]" value="pool" id="pool"> Pool

<input type="checkbox" name="key[]" value="whirlpool" id="whirlpool"> Whirlpool

Desired PHP
$args = array(
'numberposts' => -1,
'category_name' => 'reviews',
'meta_query' => array(
    'relation' => 'AND',
    array(
        'key' => 'pool',
    ),
    array(
        'key' => 'whirlpool',
    )
)

);
can i simply pass a sanitized $_GET['key'] as an array like this..
    array(
        'key' => '$_GET['key']['0']',
    ),
    array(
        'key' => '$_GET['key']['1']',
    )

If so, i'm not entirely sure how to use the foreach loop in combination with the WP_Query args.
I apologize in advance for the formatting of this.

A: Try this -
$arr = array('relation' => 'AND');

foreach($_GET['key'] as $key){
  $arr[] = array('key' => $key);
}

and then use it in meta query -
$args = array(
'numberposts' => -1,
'category_name' => 'reviews',
'meta_query' => $arr
);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


So many mixed emotions with today's visit.
A part of me feels so sad to know that your time to assist me is over, but at the same time, I feel this sense of accomplishment and achievement.
When I walked into your rooms, I was not really looking for answers, in fact, I did not realise just how lost I was, or how much direction I needed in life. Through our times together, I have watched myself grow in confidence and self-belief. As I reflect back on the person I was when I met you, I think of the confidence you have instilled in me, with your teaching and your beliefs in life.
Your profession and the "diet industry" is the easiest way to make money, as I am sure that women coming knocking on your door, looking for that magic cure, to hear what they want to hear. As an "ordinary" dietician it could be very easy to tell women what they would like to hear, and be rich on quick fixes that don't last long term. But what I appreciate about you is that you look at going to the source of the issue, you uncover layers that lay buried beneath an issue of poor eating and tackle the root of the problem. I love that you are able to see deeper within and actually help people in the real aspects that they need help. I did not realise I needed help, and have always pushed my "weaknesses" aside thinking that they are just a part of me, and accepted my "flaws" in my self thinking. You taught me how to dig deep and acknowledge my "weaknesses" and with your help, I have turned those weaknesses into my greatest assets. Sometimes it is nice to go through rough times in life, because it is only then that you learn how to appreciate picking yourself up, learn how to see all the "bad" as part of the journey to bring me to the place I am today.
I owe so much to you for your belief and guidance in me.
I think the thing I appreciate the most about you is that you are an "ordinary" person. You don't profess to be a "perfect ten" with your eating, with your personality, with your relationships, with your life in general. Speaking personally, if I had to always strive to be "perfect like my dietician says I should be" I think I would never have succeeded in coming this far. You're showing me that even though you know all the "rules" that you teach me, you're still human like all of us, and also go through the challenges that we face. Simply put, I feel like I can relate to you, just because you are real. And I thank you for that.
As I venture onto the next chapter of life, I feel like I am equipped with this sense of confidence, that I can take on what life throws at me, and know how I should react. I don't believe that life will be a bed of roses, but I think I have the secret on choosing how I react to it. Again, I thank you for that.
I have spent so much of my time trying to please people to gain self-worth, and today, it is such an exhilarating feeling to realise that my self-worth is not based on how the world sees me. I am truly at a place where I feel like I have accepted that I do not have to be on a certain par with anyone else in life. I'm running my own race in life, just me against me, and it is such a cleansing place to be. I find it so funny how life led me to you when I wasn't looking for answers, but you came with all the answers on how to fix all my broken pieces, even without me asking you. For that I thank you… I know that with every consultation was a cost, money that you need to earn a living. But you are more than just a "doctor" providing a service. Your teachings have literally been life changing. I could never, (and I actually don't think I ever want to) go back to the person I was before I walked into your rooms.
So with all my heart, thank you thank you thank you!
I truly am blessed to know someone like you. It genuinely is sad to know I won't have a need to have my visits to you, and just chat (another thing that I appreciate about you and stepping into your rooms, is that feeling as if I am just having a chilled chat with one of my best friends in her lounge). I can assure you sincerely though, that I will try to always practice your teachings, not just about food, but about life, and about me as a person. I am looking forward to continuously learning about myself and growing to become a better person for myself and for the benefit of the ones I love.
Thank you for the post! I am so happy to read this. Confirmation!


The purpose of this tutorial is to show you the tools that can help you decide which scripts in Softaculous are right for you. As of April 2010, Softaculous contained 138 scripts and applications, which can make it difficult to decide which is the right one for you.
Softaculous contains both a rating system and demos of each software. Begin by opening the Softaculous main page. To check out the script ratings, go to the icons in the upper right corner. Click on the one that is a star shape. In the main window, you will now see the logos of all the scripts, broken down into categories, such as Blogs, portals, etc. Click on any logo to view or rate a script. The rating window will open, and show how many people have rated the script, and the average rating.
To see a demo of the script, go to the icons in the upper right corner, and click on the blue arrow. Now click on a logo to view a demo. The demo will let you try out the program without having to install it. When you are done, go back to Softaculous.
In the main screen of Softaculous, the left hand side is a list of applications. Click on any title to go to the category view. For example, if you click on Blogs, the main screen will open a list of all blog applications, for a side-by-side comparison. Each has a description, version, rating, and links to demo and support. If you click on an individual application title, the screen will open up an overview of that application. From the tabs at the top, if you click on Features a page will open that shows a list of the features contained in this software to help you further decide if it's right for you.
That concludes this tutorial. You now know how to use the tools to help you decide which scripts are right for you.


Just a few things I saw at the Long Beach flea market this past weekend. Some fabulous hats, two legit E. McKnight Kauffer posters, and as always, some random delights.
I'm pretty sure I'd love shopping with you!


The period of increased polarization in the United States among the political branches and citizenry affects the selection, work, perception, and relative power of state and federal judges, including Justices of the United States Supreme Court. Polarization in the United States over the last few decades matters to the American judicial system in at least four ways. First, polarization affects judicial selection, whether the selection method is (sometimes partisan-based) elections or appointment by political actors. In times of greater polarization, governors and presidents who nominate judges, legislators who confirm judges, and voters who vote on judicial candidates are more apt to support or oppose judges based upon partisan affiliation or cues. Second, and driven in part by selection mechanisms, polarization may be reflected in the decisions that judges make, especially on issues that divide people politically, such as abortion, guns, or affirmative action. On the Supreme Court, for example, the Court often divides along party and ideological lines in votes in the most prominent and highly contested cases. Those ideological lines now overlap with party as we enter a period in which all the Court liberals have been appointed by Democratic Presidents and all the Court conservatives have been appointed by Republican Presidents. Third, increasingly polarized judicial decisions appear to be causing the public to view judges and judicial decision-making though a more partisan lens, at least when considering public attitudes about the United States Supreme Court. Fourth, polarization may affect the separation of powers, by empowering courts against polarized legislative bodies which sometimes cannot act thanks to legislative gridlock. The Article concludes by considering how increased polarization may interact with the judiciary and judicial branch going forward and suggesting areas for future research.


This season my favorite thing to do is to be home. Home bound, lying on the couch and trying to decorate every inch of this home. Winter has finally come to Florida and it has been chilly outside. Netflix binge and Pinterest have been my favorite thing to do. Home decor passion has been on fire, IT NEVER STOPS. I also decided I am allowed to only buy cactuses and succulents, for the sake of plants lives. A little something about myself: I have always dream of wearing eye glasses. Call me weird, but I love how glasses look! I have always been in love with Warby Parker and dreamed of one day to be one of the "cool" people who wear a pair of their beautiful glasses. I girl can dream.


18 March 2015, at 12:41a.m.
UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA - A task force has been set up in the district of Amethi to monitor and tackle the threat of avian flu following a recent outbreak in poultry. People are advised not to eat raw eggs or chicken meat for the time being.
After a high alert was issued in the district over outbreak of avian flu in Amethi district, the district administration has formed a task force to tackle the threat, reports Times of India.
Furthermore, 200 samples of birds from all four districts of Bareilly division, including Bareilly, Shahjhanpur, Pilibhit and Badaun, were collected and sent for tests to IVRI. The samples are likely to be forwarded to IVRI lab in Lucknow.
The task force formed by D.M. Gaurav Dayal will monitor avian influenza at the district level and includes officials from various departments including forest, animal husbandry and health. A Rapid Response Team has also been formed to regularly monitor birds in the district and inform authorities concerned in case of abnormal deaths of birds anywhere in the region.
Members of the task force collected samples of bird excreta from all four districts and sent them to Indian Veterinary Research Center (IVRI) for tests. As per reports, samples of 200 birds - 75 from Bareilly district, 25 from Badaun district, 40 from Pilibhit district and 60 from Shahjahanpur district were collected by task force and were sent to IVRI for tests.
Additional director, animal husbandry, N.P.S. Gehlot told the newspaper: "A 36-member special team of doctors will remain on vigil in district and will conduct random checking of birds in poultry farms and others. A help line number dedicated to avian influenza (bird flu) 0581-2557086 where locals can inform about deadly disease."
In case of any reports of abnormal deaths of birds due to avian flu, birds found within 3km of the epidemic centre will be killed while a close watch on birds within 7km will be kept by RRT and task force members, said Mr Gehlot.
Poultry farmers and locals are asked to inform unusual deaths at the earliest so that influence of deadly virus can be checked with in time.
AD, health, Subodh Sharma asked locals not to consume raw eggs. The virus gets killed after boiling or heating meat over 70 degrees Celsius. However, he advised locals to avoid eating flesh as a precautionary measure for some time.
The Times of India report adds that health officials advise the main symptoms of flu in people are high fever, malaise, cough, sore throat and muscle aches, while earlier symptoms may include chest pain, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.


Would 你 加入 my Kang Min Hyuk Spot?
Would 你 like to 加入 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Club?
Would 你 like to become a new 粉丝 of the Thirteenth Doctor, the first woman Doctor ever in the entire Doctor Who franchise?
Would 你 be interested in joing a brand-new MythQuest 粉丝 Club?
Would 你 加入 my "Fantastic Beast And Where To Find Them" spot?
Does anyone want to 加入 my 粉丝 club "Sam Smith"?
Will 你 加入 the Brooklyn Nine-Nine club?
Right now everyone needs to look at this and hit that Become a 粉丝 button on the following 俱乐部 listed below. This would help me from having to do all the work to get new fans.
I have a 列表 of great 俱乐部 that could use 更多 members. If 你 can would 你 mind joining them.
I am relieved to find a place where we can promote our new spots without those imbeciles who take 潮流粉丝俱乐部 too seriously reporting us.
Okie doke.I use to be content in just joining other peoples clubs, until I got a desire to make my own club, so my first club was the Complain Club [Not that successful lol] It just didn't work.It was kinda stupid so I gave up on that one.
clean your room, the dishes, the dog, the car. Put away clothes, take out the trash, cut allowences. Why can't 你 just say no and rebell? School.
series,you are sure to know about half-bloods.
demigod 超能英雄 in Camp Half-blood.Please 加入 my club if 你 support them!Even Olympus needs an army,even if they are only half god.
The very talented rock singer and song-writer.
Ravens are 粉丝 of LMP.
The following spots haven't been created 由 me, but I think they are way too underrated and need some love.
cute 动物 photos, wallpapers, 民意调查 and lots more! so if 你 need some cuteness in your life please join!
a link 增加: cuteness spot 'cause everyone needs some cuteness!
how minny joined nidoqueen's the corenth reigon club?
Has anyone joined any of my clubs?


text:
Samsung makes 14-nm FinFET chips
by veeshaal pokharkar
in Mobiles, Tech
Samsung Electronics has announced that has achieved considerable success in the development of 14-nanometer process technologies using FinFET transistors (analog transistors with the three-dimensional gate structure represented in the 22-nm process technology, Intel).
Samsung also announced that company has signed an agreement with ARM for 14-nm chips and physical libraries. This is not the first agreement between the companies, aiming to provide the market is ready for production systems on a chip.
The South Korean giant Samsung said that within the 14-nm FinFET, Samsung and its partners in the ecosystem – ARM, Cadence, Mentor and Synopsys – prepared several test chips, including a full processor ARM Cortex-A7 and chip-based on SRAM, capable of running on threshold voltages, along with the mass of analog solutions. It should be noted that the achievement stage Tape-out (Tape-out – Pre photo masks to print chips) for a full test of the crystal core ARM Cortex-A7 is a significant advance in semiconductor manufacturing to such subtle rules that will soon master the mass printing 14-nm mobile processors.
ARM Cortex-A7 with FinFET transistors will lead to still lower energy consumption of these simple cores that ARM proposes to use in conjunction with a much more powerful Cortex-A15 in the technology big.LITTLE, allowing to improve the balance between energy efficiency and performance of mobile solutions. 14-nm process FinFET technology – Samsung to reduce leakage current and to improve the dynamic power of processors in the growing market for mobile electronics.
Korean company Samsung said that the test chip Cortex-A7 has been developed it in collaboration with Cadence and ARM. Provide a means of synthesis of the Cadence (RTL to sign-off flow), built from a set of tools, pre-tested thoroughly to require double-forming a lithographic pattern of 20-nm process technology. Cadence worked closely with Samsung and ARM to optimize its technology for designing 14-nm FinFET-chips. ARM used the Cadence tools for creating libraries of 14-nm FinFET and design of the Tape-out core.
Samsung also collaborated with Synopsys, which provided new designed for three-dimensional structure of tools to optimize chip-based on FinFET-transistor, SRAM low-power-memory operating at close to the threshold voltage.
At the same time, Samsung said that it had extended cooperation with Mentor Graphics to create a means of testing and preparation for the production of chips based on 14-nm FinFET transistor technology. These tools are designed to save customers from Samsung unnecessary difficulties in the design, verification, optimization of joint production and post-design. Collaboration enhances the unique workflow features of Samsung, while helping designers to overcome the difficulties caused by the use of multiple patterns in lithography, FinFET-transistor and a high reliability of end products.
The important thing is that now Samsung is ready to provide customers with tool kits for developing new chips, so they can begin designing their products. Test models, guidance on design rules and technology requirements are developed on the basis of the results from the previously created in a research laboratory test of Samsung chips.
Tags: FinFETsamsungSamsung Big.LITTLESamsung Exynos
12 facts about social network, which will be useful in 2013
BlackBerry Z10 technical specifications revealed


text:
OpenSSH / LDAP public keys
==========================
[![Build Status](https://github.com/jirutka/ssh-ldap-pubkey/workflows/CI/badge.svg)](https://github.com/jirutka/ssh-ldap-pubkey/actions?query=workflow%3A%22CI%22)
[![Code Climate](https://codeclimate.com/github/jirutka/ssh-ldap-pubkey/badges/gpa.svg)](https://codeclimate.com/github/jirutka/ssh-ldap-pubkey)
[![version](https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/ssh-ldap-pubkey.svg?style=flat)](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/ssh-ldap-pubkey)

This project provides an utility to manage SSH public keys stored in LDAP and also a script for
OpenSSH server to load authorized keys from LDAP.

Why?
----

When you have dozen of servers it becomes difficult to manage your authorized keys. You have to
copy all your public keys to `~/.ssh/authorized_keys` on every server you want to login to. And
what if you someday change your keys?

It's a good practice to use some kind of a centralized user management, usually an LDAP server.
There you have user's login, uid, e-mail, … and password. What if we could also store public SSH
keys on LDAP server? With this utility it's easy as pie.

Alternatives
------------

If you need just a lightweight utility for OpenSSH server to load authorized keys from LDAP,
then you can use [ssh-getkey-ldap](https://github.com/jirutka/ssh-getkey-ldap) written in Lua
or [this one](https://gist.github.com/jirutka/b15c31b2739a4f3eab63) written in POSIX shell
(but it requires `ldapsearch` utility and may not work well on some systems).

Requirements
------------

* Python 3.6+
* [python-ldap] 3.x
* [docopt] 0.6.x

You can install both Python modules from PyPI.
python-ldap requires additional system dependencies – OpenLDAP.
Refer to [Stack Overflow](http://stackoverflow.com/q/4768446/240963) for distribution-specific information.

Installation
------------

### PyPI:

    pip install ssh-ldap-pubkey

### Alpine Linux

    apk add ssh-ldap-pubkey

Note: The package is currently in the (official) _community_ repository; make sure that you have community in `/etc/apk/repositories`.

Usage
-----

List SSH public keys stored in LDAP for the current user:

    ssh-ldap-pubkey list

List SSH public keys stored in LDAP for the specified user:

    ssh-ldap-pubkey list -u flynn

Add the specified SSH public key for the current user to LDAP:

    ssh-ldap-pubkey add ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

Remove SSH public key(s) of the current user that matches the specified pattern:

    ssh-ldap-pubkey del flynn@grid

Specify LDAP URI and base DN on command line instead of configuration file:

    ssh-ldap-pubkey list -b ou=People,dc=encom,dc=com -H ldaps://encom.com -u flynn

As the LDAP manager, add SSH public key to LDAP for the specified user:

    ssh-ldap-pubkey add -D cn=Manager,dc=encom,dc=com -u flynn ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

Show help for other options:

    ssh-ldap-pubkey --help

Configuration
-------------

Configuration is read from /etc/ldap.conf — file used by LDAP nameservice switch library and the
LDAP PAM module. An example file is included in [etc/ldap.conf][ldap.conf]. The following subset of
parameters are used:

*  **uri** ... URI(s) of the LDAP server(s) to connect to, separated by a space. The URI scheme may
               be ldap, or ldaps. Default is `ldap://localhost`.
*  **nss_base_passwd** ... distinguished name (DN) of the search base.
*  **base** ... distinguished name (DN) of the search base. Used when *nss_base_passwd* is not set.
*  **scope** ... search scope; _sub_, _one_, or _base_ (default is _sub_).
*  **referrals** ... should client automatically follow referrals returned by LDAP servers (default is _on_)?
*  **pam_filter** ... filter to use when searching for the user's entry, additional to the login
        attribute value assertion (`pam_login_attribute=<login>`). Default is
        _objectclass=posixAccount_.
*  **pam_login_attribute** ... the user ID attribute (default is _uid_).
*  **ldap_version** ... LDAP version to use (default is 3).
*  **sasl** ... enable SASL and specify mechanism to use (currently only GSSAPI is supported).
*  **binddn** ... distinguished name (DN) to bind when reading the user's entry (default is to bind
                  anonymously).
*  **bindpw** ... credentials to bind with when reading the user's entry (default is none).
*  **ssl** ... LDAP SSL/TLS method; _off_, _on_, or _start_tls_. If you use LDAP over SSL (i.e. URI `ldaps://`), leave this empty.
*  **timelimit** ... search time limit in seconds (default is 10).
*  **bind_timelimit** ... bind/connect time limit in seconds (default is 10). If multiple URIs are
                          specified in _uri_, then the next one is tried after this timeout.
*  **tls_cacertdir** ... path of the directory with CA certificates for LDAP server certificate
                         verification.
*  **pubkey_class** ... objectClass that should be added/removed to/from the user's entry when adding/removing first/last public key and the *pubkey_attr* is mandatory for this class.
   This is needed for the original openssh-lpk.schema (not for the one in this repository).
   Default is `ldapPublicKey`.
*  **pubkey_attr** ... name of LDAP attribute used for SSH public keys (default is `sshPublicKey`).

The only required parameter is *nss_base_passwd* or _base_, others have sensitive defaults. You
might want to define _uri_ parameter as well. These parameters can be also defined/overriden
with `--bind` and `--uri` options on command line.

For more information about these parameters refer to ldap.conf man page.

Set up OpenSSH server
--------------------

To configure OpenSSH server to fetch users' authorized keys from LDAP server:

1.  Make sure that you have installed **ssh-ldap-pubkey** and **ssh-ldap-pubkey-wrapper** in
    `/usr/bin` with owner `root` and mode `0755`.
2.  Add these two lines to /etc/ssh/sshd_config:

        AuthorizedKeysCommand /usr/bin/ssh-ldap-pubkey-wrapper
        AuthorizedKeysCommandUser nobody

3.  Restart sshd and check log file if there's no problem.

Note: This method is supported by OpenSSH since version 6.2-p1 (or 5.3 onRedHat). If you have an
older version and can't upgrade, for whatever weird reason, use [openssh-lpk] patch instead.

Set up LDAP server
------------------

Just add the [openssh-lpk.schema] to your LDAP server, **or** add an attribute named `sshPublicKey`
to any existing schema which is already defined in people entries. That's all.

Note: Presumably, you've already set up your LDAP server for centralized unix users management,
i.e. you have the [NIS schema](http://www.zytrax.com/books/ldap/ape/nis.html) and users in LDAP.

License
-------

This project is licensed under [MIT license](http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT).

[python-ldap]: https://pypi.python.org/pypi/python-ldap/
[docopt]: https://pypi.python.org/pypi/docopt/
[ebuild]: https://github.com/cvut/gentoo-overlay/tree/master/sys-auth/ssh-ldap-pubkey
[cvut-overlay]: https://github.com/cvut/gentoo-overlay
[openssh-lpk]: http://code.google.com/p/openssh-lpk/

[ldap.conf]: https://github.com/jirutka/ssh-ldap-pubkey/blob/master/etc/ldap.conf
[openssh-lpk.schema]: https://github.com/jirutka/ssh-ldap-pubkey/blob/master/etc/openssh-lpk.schema

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Places to go /
One to watch: Le Petit Matieu, restaurateur in Paris and Corsica
Corsica: what to do, what to see...
It's described as a place apart, unique, with a thousand different facets, radiant and full of…
27.2° in the morning
Full sunlight in Corsica: 7 amazing stops to cool…
During summer, Corsica unleashes its legendary heat, from the sun's fiery rays reflected off the…
Behind the lights #4
A behind-the-scenes look at artisan tableware
You eat with your eyes first – and beautiful tableware only enhances the iconic dishes of French…
It's nicknamed the Island of Beauty for its sublime landscapes, from red cliffs plunging into turquoise waters, to stone villages clinging to mountains and dramatic gorges planted with chestnut trees. There are hidden coves, sandy beaches and craggy peninsulas... in Corsica, you can roam over 1,000 kilometres of coastline, which includes the iconic Scandola reserve, popular for scuba diving. But the homeland of Napoleon is also a land of tradition and history, best discovered on walks through its cities nestled away from their citadels, overlooking the Mediterranean.
Must-sees on your holiday in Corsica
The gateway to Corsica is most often Bastia. It's a picture-postcard start to your holiday: in the old port, boats bob against a backdrop of colourful houses, punctuated by the tall silhouette of the Church of Saint Baptiste. Bastia is also the starting point for a pretty route through Cap Corse, an 'island on the island' that stretches into the Mediterranean like a finger for 40 kilometres. Between the sea and the mountains – the central ridge of the Serra rises to 1,307 metres – the road boasts sublime views: villages perched above the sea, beaches nestled in coves, and Genoese towers highlighting the horizon.
Ile-Rousse
West of Cap Corse at Ile-Rousse, one of these towers guards the island of Pietra, the largest of the string of islands of red porphyry rock that give the town its name. The memory of Pascal Paoli, father of the Corsican nation, hovers over the large eponymous square where endless games of pétanque are played under the plane trees.
In Calvi, the legacy of four centuries of Genoese domination have inspired the vast citadel perched on a rock overlooking the port. Sheltered by its thick ramparts, the upper town, with its narrow streets and staircases, looks like something straight out of the 16th century. Though there's no evidence that Christopher Columbus was born here as the legend claims, Napoleon did stay here in 1793, at a house belonging to his godfather.
It is Ajaccio that perpetuates the memory of the flamboyant emperor. The Maison Bonaparte museum traces history from the birth of the emperor in 1769 until the Second Empire, through beautifully renovated decorations and exhibitions. The highlight of the visit is the so-called 'alcove' room where Bonaparte stayed for the last time in 1799 upon his return from the Egyptian expedition.
South of Ajaccio, Porto-Vecchio is achingly beautiful, its turquoise bay one of the most photogenic in Corsica. Its Genoese citadel has become a popular stopover between the lively squares, vaulted passages and staircases, while cafés and boutiques attract fashion fans.
A sporty relaxation: this is Corsica
The Island of Beauty also takes its name from a hinterland, whose splendours are best revealed to the most active visitors. While on holiday in Corsica, why not try the GR20? Considered one of the most spectacular European hiking trails, it's also one of the most challenging with its 180 kilometres from north to south, taking a minimum of two weeks to complete. But rest assured that you can tackle half at a time!
For refreshment after the adventure, snorkel above the beautiful seabed of six nature reserves, or ease aches and pains in the sulphurous waters of the Caldane baths. Visit a Corsican vineyard and sample one of its nine AOC wines. After that, move to the sounds of Calvi on the Rocks, the summertime electro festival.
Land-sea mixture for a gastronomic stay on the island of Beauty
To visit Corsica is also to savour the delicious delights of a characterful terroir. By the sea, watch out for the sea urchin season, in which fishing is only allowed in winter and is subject to strict quotas. On the land side, enjoy Corsican charcuterie, especially figatellu, a cured sausage that can be accompanied by polenta with chestnut flour. Among the many cheeses, try brocciu, made with the whey from goat or sheep cheese. And for dessert, Corsican clementines bring a sunny note just like the local honey, whose six varieties ooze all the perfumes of the maquis and the undergrowth.
Display All Architecture Art and craft City breaks Countryside Cruises Cuisine Culture Cycling Fashion Festivals Gardens Golf Hiking Landmarks Leisure parks Mountain Museums Music Nature Nightlife Remembrance Seaside Shopping Spa and wellbeing Spirituality Sport Wine
5 minutes on the Corsican clementine
Distinguished by its dark green tapered leaves, thin skin, small size and irresistible flavour, the…
One day in Corsica
24 hours barefoot at Hotel Misincu in Corsica
Seen from the terrace at Hotel Misincu, Corsica is all green and blue. But also golden like the…
From the streets to the maquis
6 unmissable experiences between Bastia and Cap…
With its old port, citadel and steep streets overlooking the azure Tyrrhenian sea: Bastia opens a…
Biarritz-Basque Country
Occitanie - South of France
Something for two
Living like royalty


American Craft Council expands opportunities for craft in everyday life through partnerships with local artists and organizations, shows and programming, traditional and social media. American Craft Council assesses Minnesotan's engagement with craft through the success of events and activities with partner organizations, increased use of American Craft Council resources, and response to traditional and social media. 2: American Craft Council promotes quality craft experiences for Minnesotans through engaging and award winning programming, awards, magazine, library, online resources and partnerships. American Craft Council assesses success through markers of excellence and engagement: financial stability; growth in attendance, donations, membership numbers; increased recognition and opportunities for artists.
ACC's innovative programming and partnerships with organizations both inside and outside of the craft field provided opportunities to explore creative activities taking place in Minnesota. ACC used attendance, surveys and feedback to gauge Minnesotan's engagement at events and activities like ACC's Saint Paul Show, Let's Make, Hip Pop, and Library Salons. Increased use of ACCs website, digital resources, and social media was also reviewed. 2: Through artistic excellence, unique and engaging programming, and organizational fiscal stability, ACC provides economic opportunities for artists and quality experiences for the entire Minnesota community. Direct feedback from show participants, including new emerging artists, is used to evaluate ACC programming. Key data, including membership and donors, attendance, website visits, and balanced budget, are all ways that ACC determines effectiveness.


Farmington, New Mexico. Image: wikimedia user: Christopher Nichol.
The growing commercial viability of energy storage has led regulators in the US state of New Mexico to add the technology to the suite of resources available to utilities in their forward-planning.
Earlier this month, New Mexico's Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC) said that it had unanimously voted to amend its rules governing utilities' integrated resource planning (IRP) to allow power companies to include energy storage in those IRPs.
IRPs essentially lay out a utility company's roadmap for future investment in their networks, intended to demonstrate how the energy provider will keep costs as well as consumer rates as low as possible while ensuring security and reliability of supply.
The final ruling published by NMPRC highlights that current IRP definitions were formulated in 2005 and 2007, before energy storage was a mature or inexpensive enough technology to be considered for widespread front-of-meter or behind-the-meter use.
At present the IRP rules ask utilities to consider "renewable energy, energy efficiency, load management, distributed generation and conventional supply-side resources on a consistent and comparable basis" while considering factors that could affect the cost of their decisions, such as environmental regulations and fluctuations in the cost of fuels.
NMPRC said that in the 10 years since 2007, energy storage had become a "commercially viable technology" that could support the grid. Charging batteries during off-peak periods for discharge during peaks appeared to be of particular interest.
The changes have been coming for some time and have been announced after a consultation period was held. Contributors included the US Energy Storage Association, which agreed with the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) that NMPRC put out earlier this year, but asked for the inclusion of another clause – that utilities are made to show how potential energy storage project economics play out by comparison to alternatives.
ESA also recommended that New Mexico should set targets for energy storage procurement by utilities, as has been seen in California (1.35GW target) and to a lesser extent Massachusetts (200MWh target) and some other states. However the commission found that since there is presently only one utility-owned energy storage system in the entire state, there would be no adequate framework of comparison by which to benchmark or set targets for deployment. As such NMPRC decided not to adopt targets.
Public utilities in New Mexico are required to file new IRPs every three years. From now on, those IRPs will include "existing electric supply-side, energy storage and demand-side resources".


text:
29 Jun — 19 Oct 2019 at the Mana Contemporary in Jersey City, United States
Kurt Hentschläger. Courtesy of Mana Contemporary
Mana Contemporary mounts the premier of a new work by Austrian-born, New York-based, Kurt Hentschläger. "SUB" is an immersive environment that uses dramatic perceptual shifts to invoke direct audience engagement.
The installation's gestalt approach gives an elevated sense of drama, bringing visitors into its expansive void. Sound provides both an accompaniment to these moments of light, and a constant backdrop to the setting.
Visitors may enter at any time and stay as long as they desire, "SUB" has no beginning or end. The visual and sonic impressions vary substantially, creating a unique experience for each participant.
As part of the installation's premier, a special live performance with artist Richard Garet will take place on Saturday, August 3.
Based in a vast former tobacco warehouse, it unites artist studios, exhibition spaces, and ancillary services in a single location, facilitating conversation and collaboration among its burgeoning creative community.
Association profile
Jersey City, United States
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23 Jan — 6 Mar 2021 at Heather Gaudio Fine Art in New Canaan
Jamie Wyeth
28 Aug 2021 — 9 Jan 2022 at Brandywine River Museum of Art in Chadds Ford
16 Jan — 6 Feb 2021 at Hashimoto Contemporary in New York


YouTube has great supply of great video game videos, but the people at Dorkly have the latest viral clip. By adding some awesome editing/video game programming, they have made an awesome video. Have you ever wondered what Super Mario Brothers would look like if the star went psycho? Well all your dark wishes have been granted. Mario has received a few upgrades to his power ups and the blood and language has become pretty much NC17. You put all that together and you get a great video! If only this version were available for purchase.


1 To the Overseer. -- `On the Lilies.' -- By sons of Korah. -- An Instruction. -- A song of loves. My heart hath indited a good thing, I am telling my works to a king, My tongue [is] the pen of a speedy writer.
4 As to Thy majesty -- prosper! -- ride! Because of truth, and meekness -- righteousness, And Thy right hand showeth Thee fearful things.
5 Thine arrows [are] sharp, -- Peoples fall under Thee -- In the heart of the enemies of the king.


In this episode of The Business, you'll meet these good people, Stewart Cross and brewer Aidan Lavin, who make very good beer and they do it in the centre of Southampton.
Their brewery is based in the Wool House, a building that dates back to 1338 and can be found opposite the Red Funnel Terminal, where the Maritime Museum used to be.
They began brewing at Stewart's other venue The Platform Tavern and it was going so well they quickly began looking for a proper venue. Listen out for some brewing tips and also new ideas about serving the public.


text:
Developing a Video Game With Life on Pause
2020 wasn't all bad. Here's to more to get excited about in 2021!
It's strange to think back to the start of 2020 and put into perspective how the year went in terms of the goals I'd made for myself as a game developer. It was (from my perspective at the time, at least) a pre-COVID world. We were working on a demo to showcase at DreamHack Anaheim in February (see our recap post here). We didn't realize at the time that it would end up being one of the last mass gatherings to occur in the United States before the shutdowns began.
When COVID did shut everything down, everything was uncertain. Would it slow down development on Interference? Would the extra time make me more productive? More than 9 months later, I still don't really know how my productivity output would've been different if everything had proceeded as normal.
But what I do know is that when it seemed like life outside of my apartment was put on pause, having a project like this to occupy my extra time at home turned out to be a great thing.
There are only so many hours in a day, and it had been a bit of a struggle at times to balance a full-time job, a social life, and a project of this scale. But with things like commuting, going to the gym, getting drinks and dinners with friends and coworkers all off the table for the time being, I found more time in my day to work on Interference without it consuming every minute of free time I had. It brought structure to my life when I really needed it, and it didn't come at the cost of burning me out in the long run.
Keep On Keeping On
But that's not to say this year has been easy. It can never be understated how much this pandemic has affected all of us, and will continue to affect us for the foreseeable future. People have lost loved ones and have had their lives upended. I'm so grateful to be healthy and in a position where I can look back and find a silver lining in all of this. I recognize this has not been everyone's experience.
I'm also very grateful to continue to have a full-time job that I enjoy. It enables me to support myself and allows me the freedom to pursue game development in my spare time. But when you spend the entire workday and a good portion of your time on nights and weekends sitting in the same chair in front of the same computer screen, avoiding burnout is really hard. There have been days this year where I struggled to resist the temptation to just turn my brain off at the end of a long workday. But as a whole, I've managed to keep up the momentum. We're making tangible progress on Interference every day, and we have lots of new and exciting things in store for 2021. This year was difficult, but it didn't defeat me.
As I'm sure many others are, I'm hoping for a better 2021. Eventually life will be un-paused and we'll all need to adjust to getting back out there. But as long as I'm going to be spending more time at home, I'm grateful to have Interference as an outlet to keep me sane through it all.
Inter-ference-view with Brad, Co-founder & Developer
I've been working with Jared on Interference for a long time now, but it's not every day I really take the time to step back and think about what a journey it's been to get to where we are today. Doing this developer interview was a great way to reflect on everything from the moment we first decided to make a video game (spoiler alert: it was on a bus to Six Flags), to how the themes of the story we're telling still resonate with us today.
I hope that this video gives you a unique insight into what drives me to work on this game every day. If not, Jared will have forced me to get out of bed to do this interview on a Saturday morning for nothing.
Thank you, DreamHack!
Having never so much as attended a gaming conference, finding out that we'd been selected to exhibit Interference at DreamHack Anaheim was equal parts exciting and terrifying. It meant that a bunch of people would have a chance to experience the game we'd been working on for nearly 2 years for the first time, and it also meant that we'd have a little under 2 months to whip up an updated demo and handle all the logistics of setting up a booth on the other side of the country. So, okay, maybe it was slightly more terrifying than exciting.
Okay but like this game looks fucking dope too, Firewatch meets TaleTale?!? @fearofcorn pic.twitter.com/9rqbaw8GVJ
— EMGG PrincessSara 🌸 (@Princesssaratv) February 22, 2020
But once we had everything wrapped up and we arrived in Anaheim with our demo and all our booth decor in tow, the excitement really took over. Neither of us are particularly outgoing, but it quickly became surprisingly easy to shed that anxiety and talk to people about the game. Seeing the interest in people's faces when we gave the elevator pitch and getting their genuine positive feedback to playing the demo really helped to break down some of the imposter syndrome we'd been dealing with along the way. Huh, okay, so people do actually seem to enjoy playing this game, maybe a few people actually will play it when we release it!
Perhaps the most rewarding part of the whole experience was meeting other devs and learning more about their projects and processes. We'd come to learn from Twitter and Discord that indie game development is a strong and supportive community, but getting to experience that in person with a bunch of other devs all dealing with the same anxieties and successes that we've been experiencing the last 2 years really made that clear. And on top of that, every single game we saw or played impressed in some way. We'll give a special plug to some of our booth neighbors — Chromatose, Adventures of Chris, and Inscryption will all be day one purchases — but we can honestly say that if any of the DreamHack Anaheim Indie Playground games catch your attention, check them out because they are all worth playing.
When it was all said and done, we were both thoroughly exhausted, physically and mentally, and we're both still getting our sleep schedule back on track a week later. But I don't think either of us would trade that experience for all the rest in the world, and we're so thankful that we had the opportunity to go out there and preview Interference to the world. Here's hoping it won't be the last time!
The Interference demo in action!
And if you'd like to experience Interference, check out our Steam page and wishlist the game for updates! Who knows, there may be a new demo in the future…
Building a Virtual Security Booth: Intro and Modeling
Posted on February 2, 2020 January 18, 2020
Creating a 3D game asset is not all that different from creating a physical object in the real world. The skills and labor required don't line up perfectly (you're more likely to develop carpal tunnel than lose a finger, just as one example), but there's more overlap there than one might think.
This series of posts will go through our workflow for creating 3D assets from the ground up. I'll mention the tools and services we use in each step, but won't get too bogged down in technical specifics. Instead I will focus on the thought process and theory behind each step, which can be applied to any pipeline or workflow.
To kick things off, we will look at modeling a 3D object. We use Blender for this step of the process, and the deliverable will be one or several FBX files with all the data we need for our next steps.
Before we even open our 3D software, the first and arguably most critical step is to research what exactly it is we want to make. We have a lot of flexibility and artistic license when creating things to populate our game's world, but it's still important to keep real world dimensions and design standards in mind, since inconsistencies across objects can be very noticeable when playing the game.
Modeling a pen based on a reference photo. We considered several different pen styles before landing on this one.
The specific things to research vary wildly from item to item, but here is a general checklist we always compare against before we start modeling:
Dimensions: Make sure the object is the correct size relative to the booth and, more importantly, other objects.
Era-appropriate: A coffee maker from 2015 looks a lot different than one from 1985.
Feasibility: If we find a reference for an object with complex geometry or that relies on unnecessary physics simulation, it's probably not ideal for our own sanity and for the ultimate performance of the game.
Once we've completed our research and gathered some reference photos and dimensions, it's time to open up Blender and get to work. We've done a deep dive into Blender in a previous post, so definitely check that out if you are interested in the program specifics.
On a higher level, the goal here is to create an approximation of the real-world object while keeping the geometry as simple as possible. 3D modeling for games and real-word manufacturing share a key limitation: complex geometry is more expensive. In physical manufacturing, it costs time and money to get a person (or machine) capable of creating an object to match a complex spec. In computer modeling, that complexity results in more processing power required to render the virtual object.
Geometry doesn't need to be highly complex to build a recognizable model.
So while we never want to cut corners in noticeably detrimental ways, some smart planning can optimize the model's geometry while maintaining the standard of realism we strive for. Working on a model with lots of complex, beveled edges? Maybe save the higher resolution bevels for the most prominent edges facing the player. Have a really cool design carved into the side of an object? Don't model it, leave the surface flat and add the design to the material with a normal map (we'll get to this in a later post!).
By thinking in terms of optimization before and while we model, we can end up with something game-ready the first time, rather than trying to optimize an ultra-complex model after the fact.
UV Mapping is cool because there isn't really a clear parallel to real-world manufacturing. To explain it simply, 3D models are made up of 2D faces. When applying a 2D texture to a 3D model, a program needs data to know which parts of the texture image should map to which faces. This data is provided in the form of a UV map.
A UV map is essentially a 2D plane where faces of a 3D model can be laid out and arranged on a 2D image. If you're curious to learn more, you can check out this great post that explores it in a bit more depth.
In practice, our approach to UV mapping generally involves trying to pack as many faces as possible into a single 2048×2048 texture while trying to maintain consistent texture resolution and avoiding too many obvious "seams" when a texture should flow seamlessly between faces.
The default UV projection before we've done any manual mapping. Notice how stretched and uneven the scaling is on the mesh compared to the 2D image.
It sort of creates a three way juggling act, because trying to accomplish one goal often comes at the expense of others. For example, shrinking the faces on the UV map allows you to pack more in, but that results in lower texture resolution for those faces, which might be an issue.
At the end of the day, it's really more of an art than a science, and something that just begins to come a little more naturally with time. It's maybe not the most flashy work, but I truly think that getting even high resolution UVs evenly mapped to a complex mesh is one of the most satisfying feelings in this entire process.
After we've manually mapped the UVs. Much better!
Once our model is complete and the UVs are mapped, it's time to export our FBX file(s). An FBX file is readable by Unreal Engine and contains all the geometry and UV data we just spent all that time perfecting in Blender, so it's a great universal exchange format for just about any 3D modeling workflow.
Our rule of thumb is that any piece that will be animated in-engine will be its own FBX. As these FBX files will contain all the data we need for the remainder of the process, we are done with Blender for now!
Next up we will be looking at graphic design, so stay tuned for another post next week!
The Importance of Interaction in Interference: Focusables
The last few posts have walked through Basic Interactables and Physics Objects, two-thirds of the available interaction types in Interference. However, there is a third distinguishable type of interactive object known as Focusables. Let's check them out!
Focusables
Focusables, perhaps, involve the most complex set of interactions available to the player. Not to be confused with Basic Interactables, these objects require the player to engage with them before interaction can occur, and the interactions are specifically tailored to each object.
At the outset, Focusables seem relatively simple: "focus" on the object to use it and "de-focus" from the object to return to the game. However, it's within that focus where interaction becomes complicated, as each object has its own set of usage requirements, many of which are intrinsic to the core gameplay of Interference.
All the critical elements of Interference are Focusable objects: the radio, the map, and the computer. Each one of these objects necessitates different sets of actions to, well, play the game, as well as dispenses the information needed by the player to engage with the narrative; the radio provides the interface for communicating with your trapped friend, the map gives you the necessary spatial information of the facility she is trapped in, and the computer clues you into the dangers lurking around every corner.
Time to tune in!
The other Focusables, while not as critical to the immediate narrative, give a greater sense of the world of Interference. CCTV monitors give you external views from your desert outpost, a TV and VCR tune you into 80s-era programming, memos and other scraps of paper provide insight to the lives and personalities of your coworkers. And the linchpin to the entire experience? The book of wordsearch puzzles lying open on the desk.
It's difficult not to talk about the wordsearch (after all, it's a featured object in our teaser trailer). While the object itself doesn't necessarily differentiate itself from the myriad of other distractions scattered around the guard booth, its presence as a Focusable object is representative of the kind of game we set out to make. It was one of the first interactions Brad and I conceptualized when we started talking about player autonomy: give the player something else to focus on (ha), and maybe they'll forget (or want to forget) about the life-threatening situation playing out through the crackling speakers of the radio.
Time to tune out!
Even though the functionality of each object may vastly differ, all Focusables share the same set of properties:
"Using" the object requires that the player is focused on said object
The player cannot move freely while using a Focusable object
The player must "exit" the Focusable to return to the play-space
Let's focus on the facility map, for example (ha, again) to see these properties in action.
The facility map available to the player in Interference is one of the most important objects in the game. Walking through the above steps, let's see how interacting with the map plays out:
The player clicks on the map, and the camera zooms into the map for a closer look
The player cannot move freely while using the map but can do the following:
Move the camera around the surface area of the map by moving the mouse
Pick up, move, and place pushpins on the map by clicking and moving the mouse
Zoom into the map even closer by pressing the spacebar
The player right-clicks to exit the map and return to the play-space
Time to map out a strategy!
While Basic Interactables and Physics Objects are important to the overall experience of Interference, Focusables do much of the heavy lifting through their contribution to gameplay and story.
Next time, we'll put everything together and wrap things up with some final thoughts. Until then!
The Importance of Interaction in Interference: Physics Objects
Interference is chock-full of interactive objects. Last time we talked about Basic Interactables (objects that accept an input to perform a specific task) and our methodology behind ascribing functionality to interactive objects. Today, our topic is much simpler: we're gonna talk about Physics Objects!
Physics Objects
Physics Objects provide a straightforward interaction to the player: pick up and drop. In a sense, Physics Objects are just another implementation of Basic Interactables, the key difference being that these objects aren't specifically used to perform a task—they simply exist, waiting for a task to be performed on them.
But the binary choice of picking up and dropping an object does not encompass what it's like to manipulate objects in the real world. Objects can be moved. They can be inspected at all angles. And most importantly, they can be thrown. And in Interference, the same is true.
Work it.
There isn't much to talk about regarding the implementation of these actions. Unreal Engine's physics engine does much of the heavy lifting in terms of simulation. We merely provide the input schemes and applied forces behind tossing your favorite mug at the wall. However, when accounting for player variability in the way these objects are manipulated, we must keep a few things in mind:
1. How do Physics Objects interact with other objects?
There are two ways of interpreting this question. A Physics Object colliding with another object will do just that: collide. This collision might result simply in the Physics Object bouncing back. If the Physics Object is breakable, it might break. If the collided object is also a Physics Object, both objects will exert their forces on each other. These collisions are all handled by the engine.
But what about objects that are for other objects, like a key? A key can't be a Basic Interactable since it needs to be manipulated by the player and moved to its corresponding lock to trigger an interaction. These Physics Objects are given additional functionality and are designated as an Object-for-Object (or OFO), a subset of Physics Objects that make up a small number of items in the guard booth.
OFOs are told what object they are for, and from there a collection of generic functions determine whether the OFO is in position to trigger an action on the receiving object. As per our method of anticipating intention and breaking down tasks into their fundamentals, we don't belabor the player with nuances such as twisting the key. Once the key overlaps with a lock's collision box, it automatically snaps into place and opens the lock.
Open sesame.
2. How do Physics Objects stay within reach of the player?
I'm glad you asked! All our Physics Objects share a parent class that defines common characteristics of all Physics Objects. One of these variables drives the size of the object's sphere of influence. If the player character is inside one of these spheres, then the interaction system knows that object is available for interaction.
To keep objects within the reach of the player at all times is as simple as making sure that the sphere radius is large enough for all situations in which another object (like the desk) may impede the player's reach. But that's not enough; since objects in front of another object take precedence in our interaction system, if an object is fully blocked by another object—even if the player is within its sphere—the player won't be able to interact with that object.
We try to place objects in such a way that these blockages cannot occur. However, there are a few places objects can still go that need a bit more attention. To be honest, we haven't spent much time addressing these interaction-voids since we've yet to lock down the final placement of objects, but the intent is that angled collision planes with low friction will be placed in these locations to gently encourage objects that find themselves there to slide into view of the player.
It is important to note that due to the inherent unpredictability of physics engines, we determined that no Physics Objects will be needed to engage with the narrative components of Interference, so any solutions to the blocked object issue are primarily to decrease player frustration rather than preventing situations that break the experience completely.
3. What happens if a Physics Object "breaks"?
If a Physics Object decides to rebel against our carefully crafted safeguards, your computer will crash and all your files will be erased.
Just kidding! (At least that's not supposed to happen. We are not liable if it does.)
There are situations where the physics engine will perform erratically. Objects may clip through other objects, get stuck inside geometry, or warp through walls. We've done what we can in both the physical and conceptual design of Interference to mitigate any issues, but in a game that takes a sandbox approach to the play-space, the unexpected is, quite frankly, expected.
As mentioned above, no Physics Objects are required to engage with the narrative experience of Interference. However, as an experiment in player autonomy, it's important that these non-critical elements are functional so that any approach in playstyle is treated fairly. If you don't want to help your friend Valerie escape, that's fine. And it shouldn't feel as if we cut corners on the non-narrative components of Interference to allow for such a thing, because doing so would be antithetical to the entire purpose of the game. Even if it's supremely hilarious when something like this happens:
This pencil is possessed. And too big.
Physics Objects comprise most object types found around the guard booth in Interference. Books, writing utensils, BERF balls, you name it! All can be moved around the space completely at the player's discretion, and as we continue to develop Interference, great care is being taken to make sure these interactions behave properly.
On the next post in this series, we will talk about the third and final type of interaction: Focusables.
The Importance of Interaction in Interference: Intro and Basic Interactions
Video games exist on a bedrock of player interaction. But have you ever been absorbed in a game only for that engagement to be compromised by questions like, "why can I open this door but not that door" or "why can't I look at this object closer"?
Interference is a game that experiments with player autonomy, and we knew early in the design process that constraining the playable area to a single room would necessitate heaps of interactive elements to successfully conduct said experiment. And it became clear fairly quickly that we would need to address those types of questions above or risk pulling the player out of the experience altogether.
Long story short: yes, you can interact with virtually everything in Interference.
We spent months prototyping interaction systems before settling on the one we are currently using. The first implementation completely broke our game and sent us straight back to the drawing board, and even now, we are continuously modifying and refining the current system to feel cohesive, yet expansive enough to cover the many "types" of interactions we've scattered throughout the guard booth.
Objects are broken into various categories to provide a framework for how we assign interactivity. This classification affords us the ability to create generalizations for how the player interacts with that object; through the use of parent classes, we are able to make an adjustment to one interaction type and have those changes reflected in every object of that type. For the player, categorizing these objects provides a shorthand understanding for how an object will work and what control scheme to expect.
Over the next few weeks, we will talk in-depth about the various "types" of interactions Interference has to offer: Basic Interactables, Physics Objects, and Focusables. Let's start with Basic Interactables.
Basic Interactables
Interactive objects in their simplest form accept an input to perform a specific task. Some simple examples:
Light switches: turns lights on and off
Doors and drawers: can be opened and closed
Cactus: can be touched
Lights off, lights on, lights off, lights on…
Basic interactivity can be expanded on to create seemingly more complex interactions based on object states and external factors. For instance, objects that use electrical power in Interference cannot be turned on and off during power fluctuations or outages.
In any interaction, we break down what the fundamentals are for that interaction in reality to create a shorthand version for use in-game. Intention becomes important in crafting these simplified representations. Take our coffee system for example.
How does one use a coffeemaker in real life? Well…
Water, filter, and coffee grounds go into the coffeemaker
A button is pressed to brew the coffee
Coffee is poured from the carafe into a mug
The coffee is consumed
This process is one that's ingrained into our daily lives; we don't often have to think about the steps in the coffee-making process. However, while pouring a liquid from a carafe to a mug is generally a task that requires very little thought in real life, transferring that interaction to a video game is not so simple. All of a sudden you're dealing with liquid simulation, multiple objects, and the need to replicate the motor skills necessary to delicately pour scalding hot liquid into a mug. Not to mention, what if the mug overflows? Does it burn the player? Do we let the player pour coffee on everything in the booth?
And the questions cascade. Believe us, we'd love to allow for such complicated interactions as soaking books with coffee, but we'll leave that for real life. With the added layer of screen and controller, performing these steps becomes a clunky, complicated ordeal (VR perhaps eliminates this issue, but that's a whole other story). Generally, we keep interactions self-contained, which is beneficial to both us (we want to, ya know, finish the game) and the player (through setting simple expectations for how objects work).
So, how do we approach the coffee-making process in-game? First, we distill the above steps down into its fundamentals of intent:
Brew coffee
Drink coffee
Then, we break down how best to represent each fundamental step:
If the carafe is empty and power is stable, interacting with the coffeemaker will simply brew coffee. While the coffee is being brewed, the player cannot interact with the coffeemaker.
Waiting for a fresh cup of joe.
Once the coffee is brewed and the carafe is full, interacting with the coffeemaker will allow the player to drink coffee (assuming there is at least one unbroken mug left in the booth). While the player is drinking coffee, player input is disabled. The level of available coffee lowers until the carafe is once again empty.
Ahhh, much better.
The rest of the process is simply represented by objects that can be found in the booth: a coffee tin, coffee filters, and mugs.
By breaking down complex processes into simple, straightforward interactions, we are able to quickly add all sorts of interactivity throughout the booth. However, Basic Interactables are merely one classification of interactivity; we are only scratching the surface on the depth of interactivity Interference has to offer.
Next time, we will talk about our next type of interaction: Physics Objects.
Why we're on Patreon
Oh, shit, we sold out!
We put it off for as long as we could, but the fact of the matter is developing a video game costs money. In our case, we've been incredibly frugal, but since every cent has come out of our own pockets, we've turned to Patreon to help offset some of our necessary expenses.
First and foremost, Interference will be made whether we only have one Patreon supporter or 1000. Development may take a bit longer with fewer supporters, but it's a pace we've been accustomed to for the last year and a half since we started.
Second, any money we do receive through Patreon will not be pocketed. 100% of donations (after Patreon's share, of course) will be put towards covering the following:
Server fees
Asset costs
And lastly, there's something in it for you! Our Patreon supporters will receive exclusive access to development builds, behind-the-scenes images and videos, opportunities to provide feedback that may affect the game itself, their name in the credits, and more! We won't be locking any of these goodies behind arbitrary "tiers" either, not now nor in the future since we believe anyone should be able to be part of our community.
And that's that! Hit us up on Twitter if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. And if you would like to become a Patreon supporter, we'd be honored to have ya:
"Interference" teaser trailer now hitting the airwaves! (And more exciting updates!)
After nearly 15 months of development, we are very excited to formally announce to the world our first game slated for public release: Interference.
Well, technically we "announced" Interference back in January. And we've been posting periodically about it on various channels since then. We're not exactly releasing state secrets here, is what we're saying. But we do have some cool new stuff to share with you all, and we think that's more than enough reason to get excited!
First things first, our team has a new name. We've transitioned from our longtime moniker of The Scary Farm to adopt Fear of Corn because we wanted a name that was unique and memorable. We loved "The Scary Farm" for its simplicity, but we feel like Fear of Corn speaks more to our approach to making games: it's multilayered, has a sense of humor, and it'll stick with you.
It's got a nice look to it, right?
But the new name is just the tip of the iceberg.
A New Purpose
Our primary motivation for an official unveiling of Interference now, as opposed to back in January, is a renewed sense of purpose for why we are pouring countless hours into this game. What is driving us to get it over the finish line? Because investing this much time into a game with no concrete purpose would be crazy, right?
We are serious about seeing Interference through because we know that it's going to be a narrative experience that's not exactly like anything else that's been made before it. We've been working with two brilliant storytellers to craft true-to-life dialogue and build it into a compelling interactive narrative framework. All the while we've continued to explore the idea that the player can participate in a game's story without being the driving force behind it.
In Interference, the player is not the most important figure in the game's world. They're not even the most important figure in the particular story we're telling. They're only connected to the action via a two-way radio connection, which can be totally ignored if the player so desires. But the story is still gonna happen with or without them.
We feel that this approach to storytelling is refreshing because it's more true to the consequences of real life decision-making, which in turn make the narrative stakes feel more real. Indecisiveness in real life doesn't mean lingering on the dialogue options while you run to look up which narrative path will yield the best quest rewards. Indecisiveness in real life can end friendships and cost lives, and we want a game that captures that in some way.
We all love being the center of the universe in games from time to time, but what effect does this have on storytelling? Can true player freedom and a realistic sense of narrative consequence coexist in a game? We're out to prove that they can.
A New Trailer
Finally, we're very, VERY excited to announce our first official trailer for Interference! If you haven't seen it yet, check it out right here:
That's all for now, but we will have much more in the coming weeks, so we encourage you to follow us on Twitter, check out our TIGSource thread, and join our mailing list! We'd love to hear from you so please don't hesitate to reach out on any of those platforms with your thoughts.
Brad and Jared
Developing Development Guidelines: This Should Be Fun
Read the Introduction, Guideline #1: Don't Reinvent the Wheel, Guideline #2: Leave Perfection Out of It, and Guideline #3: Maintain Accountability.
Making a video game is not fun. There. I said it.
Okay, that's not totally true, but when it's 3:00 AM and you've been pulling your hair out for hours over what should have been an easy-to-fix bug, it's easy to question why you've chosen this life for yourself in the first place.
Making a video game is an exercise in patience. Finding simple ways to combat the trying nature of game development is one thing—you can simplify your game concepts to limit scope, you can learn to let the little things go, you can come up with ways to stay on the ball—but having fun while doing it is another. And while it seems obvious that any work extracurricular to your day job should be fun, it still needs to be acknowledged, and that's why it is our fourth and final guideline: This Should Be Fun.
There's not much elaboration that needs to be made on this topic, but I must warn anyone who is reading this the dangers of this guideline: it won't be fun all the time. There will always be those late nights, those inane, frustrating tasks. I just spent the last few weeks reformatting a flowchart for the intro dialogue sequence for Interference. Was it fun? Hell no. Does it allow us to turn our focus back to the parts of development that are fun? You betcha.
It's all about balance; the "fun" parts should counteract the "not-so-fun" parts. And the "fun" can come from any number of places. It can be found in the feeling of accomplishment in implementing a new game feature, the hilarity of designing fake brands to populate the game environment, the relief of finally squashing that bug at 3:37 AM. If at any point Brad and I take a holistic view of our work and realize we aren't enjoying it, we're in big trouble, because having fun is the driving force behind our motivation.
The other guidelines are the fortifications, the safeguards we've put into place to protect our sanity. And by periodically checking our progress against the guidelines we set for ourselves over a year ago, we've stayed strong, we've persevered… we've had fun.
Fear of Corn LLC


To promote the general welfare and beautification of downtown Duluth.
To unite citizens and newcomers within the community to work together for the common good.
To present wholesome, entertaining, annual events that will provide lasting memories.
To make Duluth a better place to live, work, play, and call home.