Addis Ababa March 25//2019 Delegates from All-China Journalists Association, a national association, have visited the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) today.
The delegates are comprised of media leaders and practitioners drawn from media outlets in China, representing China, which has more than 360 member organizations.
The delegates visited various departments of ENA and held discussion with the leadership on mutual cooperation.
During the discussion, the two sides have agreed to enhance cooperation particularly on human resource development and exchange of information.
After the discussion, ACJA Executive Secretary Pan Gang told ENA that mutual cooperation between Ethiopian and Chinese media and journalists is a bridge for the people to people relation of both countries.
"Ethiopian News Agency is a very professional and important news agency in the African continent for credible news," he said expressing readiness to continue working with the Agency.
"We have a mutual understanding with the Ethiopian News Agency. So we will enhance our existing cooperation between ENA and ACJA as well as our two countries at all levels ... We will continue to invite Ethiopian journalists to visit China and send media personnel to visit Ethiopia to promote our future exchange of views," he said.
Ethiopian journalists will be invited to visit China and Chinese journalists will also visit Ethiopia to strengthen and promote relations between the two countries as part of the cooperation, the Executive Secretary added.
"We understand very well that journalism is a bridge between our two countries and peoples to cement our existing relations and cooperation, to promote and consolidate common understandings," he said.
Under CPC leadership, the ACJA is a national association of China's journalism profession.
Established in Shanghai in November 1937, the Association serves the interests of journalists.
It aims to safeguard the lawful rights and interests of journalists, promote press reform, enrich and develop socialist journalistic undertakings, conduct international exchanges, and promote social progress, among others.


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text:
Q: async axios get call axios returns nothing I'm trying to get the current temperature from openweathermaps using axios.
I can put my url into the browser and it works fine. But when I try do an axios call with the correct url it doesnt event call.
Here is the relevant code section:
function Overview() {
  const [temperature, setTemperature] = useState('')
  const API_KEY = '{apikey}'

  const getTemperature = useCallback(async () => {
    const url = `https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?lat=${latitude.toFixed(2)}&lon=${longitude.toFixed(
      2,
    )}&appid=${API_KEY}`

    console.log('my provided url is set to:', url)

    const response = await axios.get(url)
    if (response.data) {
      setTemperature(response.data.main.temp)
    }
  }, [latitude, longitude])

  useEffect(() => {
    getTemperature().catch(console.error)
  }, [getTemperature])

  return <>{temperature ? temperature : 'no data'}</>
}

Any help as to where I'm going wrong would be great as I just cant see my error!

A: Your URL working on the browser showcases that your API key is correct. Now, make sure the  variables in your URL are properly set from the code, particularly the API key. you can console.log them to be sure. Passed that, the minimal code below would do.
import {useCallback, useEffect} from 'react';
import axios from 'axios';

function Overview() {

// YOUR_INITIAL_STATE rather be undefined
const [temperature, setTemperature] = useState(YOUR_INITIAL_STATE);

const API_KEY = 'YOUR_API_KEY';

const getTemperature = useCallback(async () => {
    const url = `https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?lat=${latitude}&lon=${longitude}&appid=${API_KEY}`;

   console.log("my provided url is set to:", url);

    const response = await axios.get(url);
    if(response.data){
      setTemperature(response.data.main.temp);
    }
// only call the functtion when these deps change
}, [latitude, longitude])

useEffect(() => {
// Check the error for further debbugging
getTemperature()
.catch(console.error);

}, [getTemperature])

      return (
            <>
          {temperature ? temperature : "no data"}
            </>
        );
}

A: It looks like your arrow function is calling itself recursively:
const setTemperature = async () => {
    const response = await axios.get(`https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?lat=${latitude}&lon=${longitude}&appid=${API_KEY}`);
    setTemperature(response.data.main.temp);
};

Your code doesn't show where this is being called.  Probably it needs to be something like:
const setTemperature = async () => {
    const response = await axios.get(`https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?lat=${latitude}&lon=${longitude}&appid=${API_KEY}`);
    return response.data.main.temp;
};

Perhaps it just needs to be a one letter change:
const getTemperature = async () => {
    const response = await axios.get(`https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?lat=${latitude}&lon=${longitude}&appid=${API_KEY}`);
    setTemperature(response.data.main.temp);
};

Credit to @devklick

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I guess you're wondering what this actually is. Well it's the top of the huge magnolia tree that was in my mom's yard. That tree is at least 80 feet tall. It's been huge for as long as I can remember. I always loved that huge tree. I used to climb on it a lot when I was a kid. It made a great hideout.


text:
Insure & Match Capital graduates the 4th batch of Lebanese business angels
In total, the program has graduated 105 business angels through a "learn & earn" methodology consisting of education and an investment track in Micro and Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
by Chiri Choukeir
16 July 2019 | 16:29
Last update: 16 July 2019 | 16:29
This photo shows the awarded Angel Investors and mentors along with Dr. Rouhana and Butterfield. (Photo Source: Seeders)
BEIRUT: It all started in 2016 when Insure & Match Capital in partnership with GoBeyond launched the first Seeder Business Masterclass. A year later, the Lebanese Women Angel Fund was introduced by the duo to empower and encourage women angel investors and the investment in women led startups.
Today, with over 100 investors graduated already and an investment of over $1.5 million in startups, the Insure & Match Capital (IM), funded by the United States Agency for International Development, celebrated the graduation of its fourth batch of the Seeder, Lebanese Women Angel Fund Masterclass for Business Angels MBA Class of 2018-2019.
Attended by USAID Economic Growth Office Director William M Butterfield, Minister of Investment and Technology HEM Adel Afiouni and IM Capital General Manager Dr. Nico-las Rouhana, in addition to other officials, private sector representatives, universities, and media representatives. The event commenced on July 10, 2019, at La Mezcaleria Rooftop, Beirut.
Dr. Rouhana told Annahar: "There are people outside the community that never thought of investing in startups, we are getting them into this interest. It's never the same people, the usual suspects, we are bringing new people and fresh investments into the startup community."
In total, the program has graduated 105 business angels through a "learn & earn" methodology consisting of education and an investment track in Micro and Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Each angel contributed $15K, which was pooled into a $495K fund, and matched by $742.5K by the iSME program by Kafalat to reach an aggregate amount of $1.2 million dollars. 50% of the capital was guaranteed by IM Capital, with 50% of funds allocated to women-led startups.
Butterfield described Lebanon to have the potential to "become a regional hub for investment management, and we believed that since we launched the program in 2014." The importance is based on a new study by the Ministry of Economy and Trade Commission, that McKinsey & Company carried out.
Emphasizing that importance, Butterfield told Annahar: "Knowledge economy and investment in startups is the way to go. USAID has been doing that for five years and will continue to do that."
After congratulating the 33 graduating business angels and following the distribution of the MBA certificates, three trophies were awarded to Angel Investors and mentors who stood out in 2018-2019 within the IM Capital community: the "IM Capital Super Angel" trophy went to Mrs. Diane Fadel, the "Seeders LWAF Super Angel" trophy went to Mrs. Asmahein Zein, and the "Confideo Super Mentor" trophy went to Mr. Gabriel Deek.
"I think we all agree that the future of Lebanon lies in its youth and young entrepreneurs because our economy has always strived on young entrepreneurs and private initiatives." Minister Afiouni told Annahar.
He explained the importance of the startup community as it leads to idea generation, wealth, and job creations. "That's where startups play a key, and we want to become a startup nation and multiply the startups a year by five or even ten times, and I believe we can do that," he added.
Rouhana added at the end of the ceremony that the group committed $800,00 in five startups with a potential for follow-on rounds, announcing a new Seeders-LWAF Class launching in September "for any individual who is interested in investing in Lebanese startups while becoming a certified investor and belonging to a unique, diverse, impactful group."
Michael Bloomberg outlines plans for cleaner buildings, cars
Berytech launches ACT Smart Innovation Hub
Global stocks rise on optimism about US-China deal

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home » Artificial intelligence » A Series of Global Technology Disruptions
A Series of Global Technology Disruptions
February 6, 2020 by Brian Wang
Tony Seba has a formal system for identifying and forecasting technological disruption. The link is to a 16-page guide that he created back in 2014. He used his methodology to identify the combined disruption of electric cars, self-driving and ride-sharing that creates transportation as a service (TAAS).
In the video below Tony reviews how his forecasts have been exactly correct.
He used the technology curve of lower-battery costs to determine when electric cars with over 200 miles of range will be cheaper than combustion vehicles. There are 200+ mile range electric cars that cost less than $34000 today. $34,000 is the median price of combustion cars in the US. Electric cars will keep getting cheaper and will be more affordable than new combustion cars by 2025.
Tony also describes how disrupted companies and industries start feeling massive pain long before they are completely replaced.
He indicates that peak gasoline-diesel car sales may have happened in 2019. Car sales were down in China, India and the USA in 2019. This is when electric car sales were only about 2 million vs nearly 100 million for regular cars. This is causing a lot of pressure on car company share prices. Peak cars and the adoption of self-driving ride-sharing could see the price of oil drop to $25 a barrel within 2-4 years.
GE has suffered because of solar power, wind power and batteries impacting the market for natural gas systems.
Electric cars only have 18 moving parts versus 2000 moving parts in combustion cars. The drive trains can last over 500,000 miles and the operating and maintenance costs can be ten times less than a combustion car.
Tony makes the case that fleet owners will switch en masse based upon the operating cost advantage.
People will be able to buy access to self-driving ride-sharing for $100 per month.
This will provide a trillion-dollar per year of economic benefit to all people.
The latest figures on safety from Tesla show that with Autopilot the cars are 8.8 times safer than human drivers. They are getting twice as safe every two years. Autopilot will be one hundred times safer than human drivers by 2030.
The safer vehicles will save over 1 million lives.
The adoption rate in terms of miles ridden will be even faster than car adoption because self-driving ride-sharing vehicles will be driven 10-15 times more than regular cars.
Self-driving will be for all vehicles. They will for trucks, buses, bicycles, wheeled robots and new devices and vehicles.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
Known for identifying cutting edge technologies, he is currently a Co-Founder of a startup and fundraiser for high potential early-stage companies. He is the Head of Research for Allocations for deep technology investments and an Angel Investor at Space Angels.
A frequent speaker at corporations, he has been a TEDx speaker, a Singularity University speaker and guest at numerous interviews for radio and podcasts. He is open to public speaking and advising engagements.
Categories Artificial intelligence, Energy, Robotics, Science, Space, Technology, World Tags artificial intelligence, disruption, energy, future, oil, predictions, self driving cars, technology Post navigation
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33 thoughts on "A Series of Global Technology Disruptions"
Promisberg
Considering the current frailty of the grid, where is the information that the amount of needed charging stations is even possible? And if time is money at what point does charging time become a monetary factor in the total scheme.
Hmm, my reply to Mindbreaker talking about dirty public cars got dropped, presumably when he deleted his post, it took the responses with it.
What I said was:
Is why I rather imagine people will join car services, much in the way many very rich people today, instead of owning a private jet, or part of one, instead belong to a service that will deliver a suitable plane and crew to the airfield they desire within a specified period of time, prepared to go to a specified destination.
Done this a time or two, on someone else's dime. It's rather nice. None of this TSA garbage or showing up two hours early or any of that. You park at a hangar a long ways from the crazy terminals, the flight crew grabs your luggage from your car and stows it themselves, and everyone is the soul of courtesy.
You have to fly almost constantly before this is not a much better deal than owning your own plane and employing your own crew.
With a car service, you would tell your smart phone to get a car and one drives to your door, clean inside and out, and ready to go — depending on how good your car service is (a major part of which will probably be how much you are paying them).
Mordriel
I do like the idea of cars being able to drive to charging stations on their own. The insurance is a great idea, I think, as well as limiting it to low traffic hours.
It would be pretty cool if you could come home at night and trust your car to go out and charge itself so that when you wake up, it's full.
Taxis being able to drive themselves around would really cut into job like Uber, I think. I have a couple of friends who left their desk jobs to drive for Uber and they adore it, and they do very well. Unless, and thos would be interesting, humans are paid to be drivers for the taxis and take.over when necessary. Or, there could be a model in which taxis are leased by a company and the person leasing the taxi makes a cut of the fees. I would get in on THAT. Everyone could lease taxis, then, as a side hustle LOL. Easy supplementary income. 😉
Great article Brian.
Asteroza
Uh, I guess this is a bit dated, as TaaS has shifted a bit to MaaS (Mobility as a Service), to encompass things from those damn electric scooters to self driving bicycles to single/two person "vehicles" and such. Bringing catered mobility down from the level of the rich to the average man. There is something to be said when you have the freedom to just go, whenever, wherever which leads to a stress reduced lifestyle.
Wow, a self-driving bicycle. This I have got to see.
Tom Craver
Ride-sharing: We call them "Buses" and "Trains" and "van services". Do they not have those where you live? 🙂
Eventually, someone will put together a premium-SD-van-sharing service with vans divided into four to six comfortable compartments.
It'll cost about 1/2 to 1/3rd of taking an SD taxi and increase your commute time less than 15 minutes – but you won't notice as you'll be snoozing or working, same as in an SD taxi.
The economics of 'grubby taxi' vs 'clean limo' vs 'pay for a car and parking and maintain it as you wish' has already resulted in many people accepting grubby taxis. TaaS will just make the first two options cheaper and more commonly used.
Half of being a futurist these days is convincing everyone you were right.
I doubt this is a feature of "these days".
Astrologers in the year 1400 AD, or BC for that matter, would have been doing exactly the same thing.
Yes. This.
It is just so much nicer to be in your own car.
The same way it is so much nicer to be in your own house compared to sharing accomodation with a dozen other families, even if this means you get a better price.
As for ride sharing… I have never seen this in operation. Even the Uber operations that I've encountered still only have one person or group per vehicle at a time. Just like a taxi.
Overall I agree – while we might temporarily see $25/barrel while various higher-cost sources are being driven out of operation, going to all electric cars/trucks shouldn't be enough to keep the price that low.
However, oil fracking may become uneconomic if we go to all EVs, barring some major fracking breakthrough.
Ride share and other public transportation transmit the lethal Wuhan coronavirus. You die if you regularly use public transportation.
Mindbreaker
There are lots of uses for oil beyond combustion, so it could be a long time…even if combustion vehicles dwindled.
Also I assume that $25 is adjusted for inflation.
I am expecting major inflation if this borrowing of $1.4 trillion a year continues another decade. $23 trillion and counting. $146,316 per working American adult.
The flying cars are coming. AI will be driving. Most likely coordinated by some central coordinator like an advanced air traffic control. Or also possible is just all the vehicles communicating with one another, all flying by the same rules, so in flight collisions don't happen. But without central control I can see that being gamed…some vehicles will be driving more selfishly than others. Probably the German ones 😉
Obviously, the thing we are waiting for is batteries, batteries, and batteries. We need 4x the energy density to really make these things by the millions that can fly in bad weather, and in less than perfect mechanical condition. Keeping things absolutely perfect all the time is not realistic. A little wear before repair is an important thing to accommodate. They also have to accommodate the spare tire around our middle and tools and other junk in the vehicles. Only lifting 400 lb is not going to cut it for a 2-seater. More like 800 lb+. With current batteries, they are at a very tenuous 200-300 lb, high vulnerability to the wind, and very limited range, hence the 4x+.
Pity the birds.
Peak cars? No way! Most places still have very limited roads. When the roads are built, the demand for cars will climb. But to some extent, this is analogous to landline phones. Some countries went strait to cell phones and never had an extensive landline system. Those same countries may get drone taxis before they get cars in large numbers.
I only see "peak cars" when the automated people-carrying flying drones are being bought by the millions. Most of those in the developed world will be personal…elsewhere…mostly taxis…except for the rich.
People prefer cars over public transit, providing the roads work. By that I mean not overly congested and there is somewhere to park when you get to where you're trying to go. They prefer cars because they don't have other people's stink, grime, and whatnot. It has their stink, grime, and whatnot 😉 No one likes all the gouged seat backs with gang signs, bubblegum hidden where you put your fingers, wonky gibbering people with bottles clutched in paper bags, that haven't shaved in a month and haven't bathed in as long.
We like comfortable leather or leather-like seats…our music…a soda… You are never going to get that in a taxi without paying far more than it is worth.
Half of being a futurist these days is convincing everyone you were right. Cherry picking data…bending things to fit…and making ambiguous predictions that can be bent later. Ignoring all the errors and misleading projections. Setting broad time windows and giving yourself credit when you miss by 10 years anyway…and when the technology is very limited rather than the fully functional ubiquitously embraced thing you projected.
The other half is pretending to be a voice in the wilderness when everyone else said the same thing.
No. The real futurists make the future. Or advocate for the technologies that will make the world a better place…yet are well within reach.
Maybe I am too harsh…I have just seen so much of this, that flops, in my eyes.
Ah yes, well if you want to talk about long term sustainable price, then you'll want the oil production cost curve.
There seem to be many variations, no doubt influenced by who made it and what they want to say, but this seems fairly average.
http://aemstatic-ww2.azureedge.net/content/dam/ogfj/print-articles/Volume-10/issue-10/z1310OGFJfny06.jpg
It does indeed show that a price of $25 only supports 25-30% of current production.
Sigh – getting tired of all my posts disappearing and needing to be re-written…
You're pointing to literally one day the price fell to $26, with maybe 4 months of prices below $40, due to a transitory oversupply situation.
We're discussing a long term systemic change, such as how fracking appears to have driven the price down around $55.
The question on the table is: to what degree must electric cars displace ICE cars, to drive the long term price of oil down around $25.
GE Capital made GE a giant and then eventually broke it. They sold off the best bits and kept the toxic bits that is slowly poisoning the co. Yes, their power business declined a lot($5B to under $3B), but GE Capital went from generating $8Billion in profits in 2013 to the remnants generating a loss of -$7B in 2017.
By 20 January 2016, the OPEC Reference Basket was down to US$22.48/bbl
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_of_oil#2015%E2%80%9316_prices:_The_lows_of_January_2016
2016 wasn't that long ago. It hardly needs the demand to drop 80%.
I should have called it "Level 3.5". The car must technically be level 4 – just not fully trusted by those who need to approve a taxi service that implicitly needs to drive cars empty to pick up fares.
The "It may kill pedestrians" fear needs to have already been technically resolved – a car shouldn't be considered Level 4 if it isn't much less likely to kill pedestrians.
Level 3.5 taxi service would be a confidence-building transition stage to level 4 taxi service.
Similarly, allowing SD cars to drive themselves to charging stations late at night can build confidence that it's safe to let them drive empty on any route in a defined area, at any time. Call it "Level 3.1" perhaps.
"It also clears a path to "4.5" SD – where a taxi would be trusted to drive itself empty to pick up a registered human driver, which could be a stepping stone on the way to level 5 SD taxis."
Is that even going to be a thing? I always thought the risk to harm was much greater for those outside the vehicle then inside.
Jim Baerg
The last I had heard natural gas is doing well partly because grid scale batteries are not (yet?) good enough to back up unreliable wind & solar. So natural gas turbines (or hydro) that can start up quickly are needed wherever there is a lot of wind or solar feeding into the grid.
Can anyone point to something backing up the quoted statement?
The greater likelihood for error is in betting too conservatively.
Unless you are looking at owning a flying car; I'm still waiting with no end in sight.
To get to $25/barrel, oil demand would have to fall to the point that the nations that can produce and sell oil for under $25/barrel are forced to compete instead of colluding to set higher prices.
I'm guessing that would be something around 20% of current demand, which would imply pretty much 100% elimination of gas-powered cars and trucks worldwide, leaving only stuff like jet planes, ships and some heavy equipment like bulldozers and maybe freight trains.
I suspect 'self-driving' (at least Waymo or Tesla) may already be nearly good enough for a car to drive itself a few miles to a fast charging station, as a solution for apartment dwellers. A single human (or robotic) attendant could handle plugging/unplugging cars for ~50 slots.
Owners might need to have assigned parking spaces or use controlled-access lots where the car can be certain to find an open space when it returns, so it doesn't have to call its owner for help.
And they might need to prove the car can do it by doing a few test rides, for legal or insurance purposes. Tesla's approach of offering insurance will probably help in this regard.
Perhaps it could initially be limited to early-morning, low-traffic hours to further reduce risks and unexpected traffic situations. Politically that'd be an easier step than jumping directly to approving cars for full level 5 SD.
Speaking from the perspective of someone who lives in an apartment complex-heavy major city, I think it is going to take a lot of adoption by housing real estate companies before electric cars become more standard for the average person, here. I hate to say that, but it true. Either that, or fuel stations are going to need to get multiple quick chargers.
Or, honestly, we just need more charging charging hubs. People will buy more EVs of 1) like you guys said, battery technology advances and B) infrastructure is added.
I can count at least nine people off the top of my head who would buy the standard Tesla Model 3 right now if there was infrastructure to match that of gas stations. Ten, including myself. That's not a huge number of people, but in my neighborhood, the number of Tesla cars has doubled within the past couple of years.
In May 2017, I found the RethinkX 2017 May report titled "Rethinking Transport 2020-2030" compelling reading. The report forecasts that by 2030 road transport as we know it will be ended. The report continues to be the best single source about the matter. If you want to see the report go to https://www.rethinkx.com/fullsummary.
The used EV market will thrive once better batteries are invented, in 20 years or more. Sales of new EVs will then tank with the downward demographics of the developed world.
In the undeveloped world they still have a lot of babies, but don't look there for new sales.
The sales projections they are trying to feed us are junk.
Agreed, it will be a while before we see oil at $25 per barrel
R. Kimhi
Reasonable Timeline the electric car:
2025 Competitive with ICE 10% of new car sold
2030 Best buying option 25% of new car sold
2035 5 years public adoption lag 50% of new car sold.
…People will be able to buy access to self-driving ride-sharing…
Not all smart people and orgs fail to anticipate…
Not all people have to wait to buy access to self-driving ride-sharing, some can buy it right now from the leader in that space…Waymo
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Unfair stereotype? Probably. Big groups, regardless of affiliation, tend to tip poorly. More to the point, waiters probably remember the bad Christian tippers more because the hypocrisy is so stunning. The image of a man piously preening about what a good Christian he is in church only to turn around and refuse the basic act of decency that is paying someone what you owe them perfectly symbolizes a lurking suspicion in American culture that the harder someone thumps the Bible, the more selfish and downright sadistic a person he is. And that perception—that showy piety generally goes hand in hand with very un-Christ-like behavior—is not an urban myth at all. On the contrary, it's the daily reality of American culture and politics.
Bill Maher recently had a rant on his show that went viral addressing this very issue, bad tippers who leave sermons or notes scolding waiters instead of paying them what they're owed. His larger point is a much more important one: It's absolutely disgusting how the politicians who make the biggest show of how much they love Jesus would be the first in line to bash him if he returned with a message of clothing the naked and feeding the poor. The Jesus of the Bible multiplied the loaves and fishes. His loudest followers these day gripe about feeding people, claiming it creates a "culture of dependency." They may even comb through the Bible to take quotes out of context to justify their selfishness toward the poor, as Rep. Steven Fincher did when he claimed the Bible says, "The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat." The fact that those jobs are unavailable didn't give him a moment's pause when suggesting this very un-Christ-like plan to his fellow Americans.
The attempts to reconcile the correlation between displays of piety and support for selfish policies get complex on the right, with conservatives often arguing that hating your neighbor at the voting booth doesn't count because church charities supposedly make up for it. (They don't.) In reality, the relationship between Christian piety and support for selfish policies is fairly straightforward. It's not that being Christian makes you conservative. It's that being conservative makes being a loud and pious Christian extremely attractive.
Without Christianity, the underlying mean-spiritedness of conservative policies is simply easier to spot. Without religion, you're stuck making libertarian-style arguments that sound like things cackling movie villains would say, like Ayn Rand saying civilization should reject "the morality of altruism." Since Christianity teaches altruism and generosity, it provides excellent cover for people who want to be selfish, a sheep's clothing made of Jesus to cover up the child-starving wolf beneath. Since Christians are "supposed" to be good people, people who really aren't good are lining up to borrow that reputation to advance their agenda.
The fact that conservatism causes obnoxious Christian piety in American culture is most obvious when looking at some of the theological developments that have accrued since the philosophers of selfishness decided to use Christianity as their cover story. The "prosperity gospel" that has developed in recent years is a classic example.
The prosperity gospel teaches, to be blunt, that you can tell how much God favors you by how rich you are. While some on the Christian right reject this idea as a tad crude, it's still wildly popular and its adherents, like Oral Roberts, are some of the major architects and organizers for the Christian right. It's a perfect example of how conservative ideology leads to pious Christianity. People want to believe that the rich are better than everyone else and the poor don't deserve squat, so they find a way to blame God for it rather than own their own greed and selfishness.
Pope Francis may be entirely sincere when he says he wants Catholic clergy to deemphasize the right-wing political pandering in favor of highlighting values that are more in line with liberalism, such as compassion and generosity to the poor, but the odds are slim of this message making inroads with church leaders in the United States. The church needs conservatives who need to believe they're good and holy people despite their selfish beliefs. Without them, who will show up and tithe? Liberals? Most of them are sleeping in on Sundays, secure that their commitment to social justice makes them good people regardless of how visibly pious they are.
The fact of the matter is that the purposes religion serves in America are shrinking in number. Our cultural identity is increasingly shaped by pop culture, not faith or ethnic identity. Our holidays are more about shopping and having a chance to catch up with far-flung family these days, not showing devotion to a deity. Spiritual needs are often addressed through modern means like psychotherapy and self-help. People build communities through hobbies and interests more than through faith communities bound by geography, ethnicity and family.
Increasingly, the only thing religion has left to justify itself is that it provides cover for people who want to have bigoted, selfish beliefs but want to believe they are good people anyway. As these social trends continue, we can expect the alignment between public piety and grotesquely selfish political beliefs to get worse, not better.


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text:
NOSDRA, environmentalists decry oil spill in Conoil facility in Bayelsa —MD
By On Jan 6, 2021
Mr Idris Musa, Director-General, NOSDRA,
The National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and environmentalists have expressed concern over the environmental impact of Conoil Producing Limited's operations in Bayelsa State.
The concern were raised over the firm's insensitivity to the sustenance of the environment where it operated, and its continued failure to appropriately respond to an undersea leak in its oilfield pipeline in the state, since September 3, 2020.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that NOSDRA Director General, Idris Musa had confirmed the incident on December 2, 2020 and berated the company for operating in breach of regulatory guidelines.
On Tuesday, Musa told NAN in Yenogoa that the oil firm had the habit of causing avoidable spills and had previously been sanctioned for degrading the environment.
"This oil company has been spilling oil for a period of time now, from our findings, it is from an underwater pipeline under pressure creating bubbles on the water surface.
"All directives given to it to contain the oil spill, shut down and replace the leaking pipeline, near shore in Sangana, Bayelsa, fell on deaf ears.
"The agency sanctioned the company for this untoward act, but nothing has changed. The leakage continues and the oil company behaves irresponsibly even though it is a Nigerian oil firm," Musa said.
The leak emanated from Conoils's facility known as 'Aunty Julie platform' within Oil Mining Lease 59, at Otuo Oilfield, NAN learnt.
According to information on the company's website, the facility, a mobile offshore production unit inaugurated in 1999, has capacity to produce 80,000 barrels of crude daily.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) said it was disturbed by the unsafe environmental practices at an offshore oilfield operated by Conoil.
In a report on the issue, signed by Mr Alagoa Morris, Head, ERA/FoEN Niger Delta Resource Centre , Yenagoa, Bayelsa, the group said the posture of Conoil, despite regulatory sanctions, left much to be desired as the adverse impact of the operation was borne by host-communities.
ERA/FoEN lamented the failure of Conoil Plc to respond to the oil spill from its facility, which had affected several communities near the oil facility in Akassa Kingdom, and in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, for four months since the incident was revealed.
The incident occurred at the indigenous oil firm's Otuo Field Well 13 on September 3, 2020, according to the ERA/FoEN report which indicated that the leak was yet to be plugged as spilled crude continued spreading and polluting Akassa and coastal communities on the Atlantic shoreline.
The report quoted the Chairman, United Fishing Union of Sangana, Ikonikumo Noel, as lamenting that the spill had wiped out generations of fishes, as well as adversely affected aquatic life that constituted the region's food chain.
The environmental rights group also quoted the Akassa Clan Youth Presidents' Forum to have, in a letter dated September 18, 2020, reported the incident to the office of the Commissioner for Environment, but no action had been taken.
All efforts to get the reaction of the oil firm by e-mail, short message services and telephone calls to officials of the oil firm have remained unanswered.
Last week, Nigeria recorded 55 new COVID-19 deaths which is the highest in over four months, Tribune Online analysis reveals.
According to data sourced from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the last time Nigeria recorded more deaths than last week was the 59 deaths reported in the 32nd week of the pandemic (August 2 – August 8)…
NATIONAL coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu, has said the nation is expected to receive its first batch of the COVID-19 vaccines by the end of this month.
Aliyu made the disclosure as a guest on ARISE News, on Sunday. Upon receipt of the vaccines, Aliyu said vaccination of the public, especially those that are vulnerable, the elderly…
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has disclosed that it's conducting a preliminary investigation into the recent #EndSARS protests in Nigeria, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported on Wednesday.
With ReniTrust payment solution, e-commerce is safe, easy —Ayodele, founder of FireSwitch Technologies
Nigeria: A nation teetering on the brink
Gov Ayade commences projects on riverside schools
Warring Delta communities hold peace concert
Delta govt set for land, property registration
NDDC contractors risk losing assets over unpaid loans


to discover lost tribal worlds guided by ancient spirits.
and learn about the great influence voodoo spirits still have on people.
the Tamberma with their fairy-tale clay castles and finally we enter the Ashanti kingdom in Kumasi.
We end our tour exploring the former Slave Coast, with its haunting European forts.
Indeed one of the most complete and spectacular tours in West Africa.
Great experience combined with the choice of good accommodation.
For travelers who want to get acquainted with this incredible region … and love Africa!
Arrival in Accra (Ghana) and transfer to the hotel. Free time to relax.
Accra, the capital of Ghana, has maintained its unique identity despite the fast paced development currently underway in this intriguing African city.
On the agenda is a visit to the National Museum, one of the first works of independent Ghana. We explore the old quarter of James Town, inhabited by the autochthonous population known as the Ga.
Our last visit will be to people specialized in building fantasy coffins. These handcraft-coffins are in shape of fruits, animals, fish, cars, airplanes…. and the only limit is the intended occupant's imagination. Started in Africa, these flamboyant coffin designs are collected worldwide and exposed in museums.
Lome, the vibrant capital of Togo, is the only African city having been colonized by Germans, British and French. It is also one of the few capitals in the world to be on the border with another nation.
These elements have led to the development of a special identity reflected in the life style of its inhabitants and in the architecture of the town. Lome is a cross point for people, trade and cultures, a cosmopolitan city in small size.
The fetish market where one can find an eclectic assortment of all the necessary ingredients for love potions and magical concoctions.
Drive to Ouidah. Ouidah was conquered by the Dahomey army during the 18th century to become one of the main slave ports. Today Ouidah enjoys an Afro-Portuguese architecture. The laid back attitude of the locals blends in harmoniously with the thunder of the distant waves and the rhythm of the drums .On foot we visit the Python Temple and the Portuguese Fort, now a museum on the history of Ouidah and the slave trade. We end our city tour by following the "slave road" to the beach, the point of "no return" where slaves used to board ships.
We cross Lake Nokwe with a motorized boat to reach Ganvie, the largest and most beautiful African village on stilts. The approximately 25,000 inhabitants of the Tofinou ethnic group build their huts on teak stilts and cover the roofs with a thick layer of leaves. Fishing is their main activity. The village has managed to preserve its traditions and environment despite the long-lasting human presence in a closed setting; and the lake is not over-fished. Life unfolds each day around the canoes that men, women and children guide with ease using brightly colored poles. It is with these canoes that men fish, women deliver goods to the market and children go to school and play.
We move to Abomey where we visit the Royal Palace. The walls of the palace are decorated with bas-reliefs representing symbols of the ancient Dahomey kings. Now a museum listed on the Unesco World Heritage List, it displays items belonging to the ancient kings: thrones, cult altars, statues, costumes and weapons. In the middle of the royal courtyard there is a temple built with a mixture of clay, gold dust and human blood.
If applying, Egun dancing masks.
The Egungun is a very powerful masks secret society. Egun masks are the reincarnation of deceased people and are known and feared for their aggressiveness and their unpredictable way of moving around. Intensively coloured, masks are covered with a multitude of pieces of cloth of many red shades. They emerge from the forest and form a procession through the streets of the village, leaping towards any foolish spectator who dares getting too close. And nobody wants to be touched by the Egun because any contact carries the danger of death. Better watch out! When masks arrive they perform a kind of bull fight designed to scare the crowd but in truth they are actually greeted with bursts of laughter!
We stop at the Dankoli Fetish, an important place for the Voodoo cult: thousands of little sticks are pushed in the fetish as testimony of the countless prayers for a good harvest, a happy wedding, an easy delivery, success at school etc.
In the afternoon we discover old Taneka villages located on a mountain with the same name. The villages are made up of round houses covered with a conical roof protected at the top by a terra cotta pot. The upper part of the village is inhabited by the young initiated and by the fetish priests who only cover themselves with a goat skin and always carry a long pipe.
We enter the land of the Somba & Tamberma who live in fortified dwellings. Similar in form to medieval castles, they are one of the most beautiful examples of ancient African architecture. Their strong tradition beliefs are proved by the presence of big shrines – of phallic form – at the entrance of their homes. With the permission granted to us by the inhabitants we enter their homes to better understand their way of life.
We will head southwards, with a stop on the way in Atakpame, a typical African town built on hills where all the products coming from the nearby forests can be found. Through their skilled work on small weaving looms, men of the region make the large brightly coloured fabric called "Kente".
From Atakpame we move to the tropical forests surrounding Kpalime, a town with a rich colonial past which is now an important trade center. Visit of the market and of the arts center.
At night, walk in the forest to discover the mysterious world of the tropical forest in the darkness and so meet with the majesty of the tropical trees, the sounds of tam-tams and the echoes of wild animals. Under the guidance of a local entomologist, we will learn about endemic butterflies and insects.
The area of Krobo is famous all around the world for its beads. Here they are produced and used for cults and aesthetic purposes. We will visit a factory specialized in the production of those beads and even follow the process of making one!
Kumasi is the historical and spiritual capital of the old Ashanti Kingdom. The tribute paid today to the Asantehene (=King) is the best evidence of their past splendour and strength. With nearly one million inhabitants, Kumasi is a sprawling city with a fantastic central market, one of the biggest in Africa. Every type of Ashanti craft (leather goods, pottery, Kente cloth) is found here, along with just about every kind of tropical fruit and vegetable.
In the afternoon we participate – if available – in a traditional Ashanti funeral, attended by mourners wearing beautifully red or black togas. We say "funerals" but it means a "festive" celebration: the deceased in fact is believed to be still with his/her family and through this ceremony he/she becomes an ancestor. Relatives and friends gather, socialize and celebrate his/her memory. The chief arrives surrounded by his court under the shade of large umbrellas while drums give rhythm to the dancers whose intricate moves are highly symbolic.
In the morning continuation of the tour of Kumasi, with the visit of the Royal Palace Museum hosting a unique collection of gold jewels worn by the Ashanti court.
In the Ashanti calendar certain days each year are set aside for a very special celebration at the Royal Palace in Kumasi and this traditional ceremony takes place in one of the last African Kingdoms which has maintained its ancient rituals still alive.
During this celebration, the King sits under a spectacular colorful umbrella, is adorned in vivid cloth and massive centuries old jewelry and is surrounded by the Ashanti elders and advisors. In front of the King a narrow passage of dignitaries is also formed, representing all roles and positions of power within the kingdom: sword and knife bearers, armed guards, carriers of beautiful ostrich feathers fans etc. The ceremony is then made up of a procession of royal court attendants bringing gifts, storytellers reciting the history of the Ashanti Kings, drummers & trumpeters playing horns of ivory. We will witness and experience the splendor, the flavor and the atmosphere of one of last great African monarchs of the forests.
Outside the castle is found a wonderful fishing village and its harbor full of large colorful fishing canoes. Every day these canoes are guided by skilled fishermen who face the strong ocean for a living.
The alleys in the old town have a lively atmosphere, going back to a time when Elmina was a wild colonial town.
There are 6 border-crossings in African countries, hence some delays are to be expected and patience is necessary.
The 2019 departures will be: Lomè in/Accra out. We recommend requesting the detailed program.
Choose this tour exclusively in Burkina Faso and attend the Mask festival in Dedougou. There are a thousand good reasons to travel to Burkina, but only one of them makes it an absolutely unique trip: Attending FESTIMA, a great mask festival that takes place every two years in the city of Dedougou.
January 10th is always a very special day in in Benin, a day for celebrating ancestral cults. In particular all the Voodoo's adepts meet in Ouidah and then convey in a long procession to the Door of No Return, some on foot while other by motorbike or taxi brousse.
Come and live a twelve days adventure in a spirit of "expedition", that will take you to the heart of West Africa through Ghana, a country incredibly rich in traditions while experiencing an increasing modernity.
Every year, in Ghana, the Krobo people give birth to one of the most spectacular initiation ceremonies in West Africa: The "Dipo" ceremony meant for girls only. Over a long week-end, young girls are taught through ancestral rites how to be good mothers and wives. A highly colorful ceremony.


text:
Q: How to Use Material Design in Android App? I've gone to the Android Developer documentation to see how I can use material design, here:

https://developer.android.com/training/material/theme.html

and here:

https://developer.android.com/training/material/get-started.html

Essentially, I would like for someone to summarize how to set up/use material design, because I feel like there is a lot of information on the developer docs, and I can't seem to wrap my mind around it.
If you'd rather give me a link to a guide created by someone else, that'd be helpful as well.
I'm also using API level 19 (target SDK version 19) and from what I can see, I'll need to use com.android.support:cardview-v7:21.0.+
I'm also using Android Studio, and not eclipse.
EDIT: I would like to be able to use material design for devices that are not running Android 5.0 Lollipop, because according to the Android distribution data, there are less than 0.1% of devices running Lollipop: Android Distribution Data

A: Install SDK platform of Android 5.0 SDK then update your Support Library and Support Repository to the latest version via the SDK-Manager.
Take a look at this link for creating material app
http://developer.android.com/training/material/index.html
With support libraries, you can provide similar behaviour on older devices like:

*

*Using the Material Theme

*Subset of UI widgets like

*

*EditText

*Spinner

*RadioButton
Also take a look at android design support library.
More information :

*

*https://chris.banes.me/2014/10/17/appcompat-v21/

*http://android-developers.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/appcompat-v21-material-design-for-pre.html

*https://developer.android.com/training/material/compatibility.html
But for using some concepts like FloatingActionButton in your application you can use this library :
https://github.com/makovkastar/FloatingActionButton
More libraries available here
https://android-arsenal.com/

A: Use following style with appcompat_v7 support library:
AndroidManifest.xml
<application
    android:allowBackup="true"
    android:icon="@mipmap/ic_launcher"
    android:label="@string/app_name"
    android:theme="@style/MyMaterialTheme" >
    ......
</application>

styles.xml

<style name="MyMaterialTheme.Base" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
    <item name="android:windowNoTitle">true</item>
    <item name="windowActionBar">false</item>
    <item name="colorPrimary">@color/colorPrimary</item>
    <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/colorPrimaryDark</item>
    <item name="colorAccent">@color/colorAccent</item>
    <item name="windowNoTitle">true</item>
</style>

Here is my demo project for Material Design below 5.0 with Toolbar and Recycler view:
MaterialDesign_Part1


text:
What would you guys consider a harder, or a tougher game?
RenatoDias
Post by RenatoDias » Tue Jul 18, 2017 9:12 pm
Guys, I've been trying my hand on a full game(having built a entire universe around) now, having re-picked ADRIFT and, I would like to know from you guys. What do you consider a hard/tough game to beat?
I'm developing a kind of survival horror game a bit based on the Give Yourself Goosebumps(which I read as a kid and still have the books).
"A young girl goes to explore an Aquarium, which is abandoned on the current game time, but it was full of life when she was a child. In her knowledge, there could be clues to why the Aquarium closed. Little does she know what dangers expect her there..."
My gamedev blog: https://gamedev-ad.blogspot.com
P/o Prune
Re: What would you guys consider a harder, or a tougher game
Post by P/o Prune » Wed Jul 19, 2017 7:29 am
You're asking a very tough question there, and you'll probably get as ,any different answers as there are people playing IF.
Are you asking for a game title that we think is a tough game, or are you speaking in general?
D-Day in progress 86Kb (Slowly drifting)
October 31st: 60Kb (possible entry for IFComp 2021 )
Post by RenatoDias » Wed Jul 19, 2017 3:38 pm
I am speaking in general, in regards to puzzle complexity(if complex puzzles make the game harder to beat), or instant deaths(like going into a room without a certain item[happens in my game]), or the number of bad endings(death scenes in my game) being way higher than good endings(when you beat the game). Because, as I think, just the higher number of bad endings(death possibilities) and instant deaths make the game tougher.
Tougher games mean you have to be more careful about your choices.
Harder games mean that their puzzles are tricky/complex to solve. Spoiler
Going into a room where there may be a dragonfly flying around by yourself without a protection item(repellent), means you will get stung and die.
Or, going into a room where a walrus is awake, you should be very careful not to be dashed on.
Going inside a room you may know there is something dangerous, and the door out locks down.
Post by P/o Prune » Wed Jul 19, 2017 4:09 pm
One thing... You have to be very, very careful about instant death. If you have people walk into a chamber without a certain item without giving them some kind of warning. Your game isn't going to be played for long.
Complexity? Well that's a different matter. I'm ok with a "hard" game as long as the puzzles are logical and I have a chance to solve them without having to run all the way back to the beginning to pick up an obscure item.
But I'm sure that both Lazzah, and David has a thing or two to say about this.
Post by David Whyld » Wed Jul 19, 2017 5:00 pm
I don't have a problem with instant death in games, provided the author hasn't done anything silly like disabling saving the game or undo. Instant death isn't actually an issue if all the player has to do to get out of it is type "undo".
Post by Lazzah » Wed Jul 19, 2017 5:15 pm
The thing about instance death - at least in ADRIFT - is that it is now irrelevant simply because of the UNDO command.
Why is disabling UNDO such a bad thing? That's what save game is for.
I know people forget to save the game, but still, saving should be one thing a adventure game player can not forget
Do adventure players read files? Because there will be some files on how to avoid certain deaths, such as the dragonfly death. And also, a hiding system will be implemented in the game, as well as a already implemented enemy sleep/wake system. And the game will warn the player if the enemy is about to wake up. Spoiler
In the Squid tank(last room before the boss room[stage]), you can either swim in it while the Squid is asleep, hide if it wakes up, OR go through the second floor of the tank, completely avoiding death.
I plan to have two difficulty modes, EASY, which will be more relaxed, but no access to the perfect ending and HARD, which will be tough, but as compensation, the player will have access to the perfect ending, as long as he qualifies for it(does the necessary tasks).
I plan to allow UNDO on easy, but disallow it on hard mode. On hard, the player will have to trust his instincts and save in the right places(not save after a death), as well as read the warnings and files about the animals and locations.
Disabling UNDO just annoys players. It's one of those things people like to put in their games from time to time - like mazes - and they always have a hundred and one perfectly valid reasons for why its inclusion is a great thing. But - like mazes - it's something most players don't like and it seldom goes down well.
Post by RenatoDias » Wed Jul 19, 2017 10:15 pm
Sorry to say, guys, but what's the point to have such a challenge if we can undo after a mistake?
Deaths are supposed to cause an effect on the player(of course, just logic ones, not absurd or unwarned).
Post by P/o Prune » Thu Jul 20, 2017 7:40 am
David is right. In the end it all comes down to making a game that people wants to play and talk about (long) afterwards)
If there are things, like mazes or silly instant deaths, that irritates people why put it in your game?
Duncan_B
Post by Duncan_B » Thu Jul 20, 2017 9:00 am
Hi, Renata! I loved the Give Yourself Goosebumps books as a kid. Are you inspired by the one where you get lost in a zoo? I think it had an alligator on the cover... or was that in a circus? Was there one that was in an aquarium? I kinda remember the one where you got turned into a fly, too. They had choices less often than some of the best CYOAs, but often more than the worst. They had their own unique voice, too, which was great if you maybe didn't want to read Edward Packard or Ray Montgomery all day every day. Spoiler
(And still fun if you like them, too.)
As to the question, there are two kinds of hard. One is "just hard"-- frustrating, boring, pointless. The other is "challenging." The Interactive Fiction cruelty scale is useful for telling how a player might be frustrated at a certain "death." Different writers treat death or the abrupt end of the game in different ways. Context is usually more important than the end itself in telling if a puzzle is "challenging" or "just hard." That is, I think that when a bad end happens is more important than if it happens. Remember, dying doesn't have to be a bad ending for the player, either! In some games, dying or trying to kill the main character is the whole point. Looking at D.W. here.
I would say leave out "just hard" stuff unless the game uses an overload of death or sudden endings deliberately. "Bureaucracy" was deliberately funny-- a game about being frustrated by unnecessary, arbitrary restrictions. Even with a hilarious and capable author (Douglas Adams), the writing still wore thin quickly when it was clear that an ending was arbitrary. "Aisle" ends the game immediately all the time (only lasts one turn), but the player can discover more about the plot or plots of its world by exploring a single moment or memory. "Shrapnel" treats death differently-- if you liked Goosebumps, you'd probably like it so I won't spoil the secret if you haven't played it. When I played "Because You're Mine"... Spoiler
the death from walking into the swamp seemed so sudden that I didn't think it was even possible to get there... and when I found the alternative ending I thought it was the real one. Ha!
I think for most players, instant death is fine as long as they can undo and they don't die too often. If a sudden ending happens for a reasonable cause and the player can learn something from it, I think it becomes more agreeable (instead of frustrating). I don't mean to say a player can't be frustrated-- good puzzles or challenges can frustrate even long time players, but they don't do it needlessly.
I agree that most of the time to not allow undo is a bad idea. So do (I think) most players, who want more or less to be free to navigate between the puzzling or challenging parts of a game. But there is at least one solution to the player being able to "undo" things that I know, even when unlimited use of "undo" is allowed.
Sometimes you can block "undo" in a specific context to keep a player from getting their desired result. In "Yon Astounding Castle! of some sort" (ADRIFT 4) the player can undo at any time, but if the player types "undo" immediately after the goblin steals a treasure item, then the game will tell the player that if they really "undo" and steal back their treasure, they will lose "undo" for the rest of the game because of a curse. They get a Yes or No choice where the only responses that the game will understand are Yes or No. Most players realize it's not worth the trade; they will say "no" and surrender the treasure to keep undo. Spoiler
(Of course, clever players can get their treasure back if they can reach the Takery)
Post by David Whyld » Thu Jul 20, 2017 10:15 am
RenatoDias wrote: Sorry to say, guys, but what's the point to have such a challenge if we can undo after a mistake?
What effect does it have if the player can simply reload from a previous saved game position whenever he wants?
At the end of the day, you can write the game however you like. You can disable SAVE and UNDO, include a 300 room maze, kill the player off without warning, include really hard puzzles, hunger daemons, time-based puzzles, randomised combat, etc, etc, but at some point you have to stop and ask yourself "is any of this actually going to be fun for the player?"
Post by RenatoDias » Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:57 pm
I plan to do a Resident Evil-like survival horror game. And I haven't disabled UNDO yet for it. I want to do many things with it, such as:
->Health bar/LifeBar, made of five(3 in hard) units, which decreases every time you enter a room with a enemy creature, and after a decrease, you gain 30 seconds(15 seconds on HARD) of immunity.
->Medipacks, which can heal your character up, and as any survival horror, they will be a little hard to find, the probability will be connected to the difficulty level chosen on the intro room.
->Hardcore(EXTREME SURVIVAL) mode: you play a harder game, with very limited saves(SAVING BY SAVE CODES). One mistake is game over.
->Fixed save locations, the player will be able to save in a few locations, and will be alerted when he/she is in a save spot/location.
->No Undo(added all the above, why have an UNDO?)[PLANNED].
*The game will come configured on NORMAL/MEDIUM difficulty*
Discarded ideas:
->Revive system, would give you 30 seconds of immunity each time you enter a room with a enemy.(obsolete due to the lifebar system)**
->Hiding system, you could use the command "hide/HIDE" to hide yourself on the nearest cover spot.(obsolete due to the lifebar system)
**Revive was made of Resuscitation Packs(Resusc Packs), which had to be picked up. If you had none, it would be game over**
What do you guys think of these?
Post by Duncan_B » Sat Jul 22, 2017 6:03 am
It would be easier to discuss if you had a working example. Are you still writing in 3.9?
Post by RenatoDias » Sat Jul 22, 2017 6:36 am
I'm using ADRIFT v5, the most recent build, Duncan.
I don't have an working example because this new one isn't yet started, I'm still planning it.
But, I think it can work with a lifebar system due to the variables and events.
I want to make it feel like a text-based survival horror game, that's why I plan to remove undo and placing fixed save locations, but add something more so the player wouldn't feel cheated, that's why I came up with the Lifebar and Resusc Packs ideas.
Trading the Undo system for a lifebar(5 units) seems like a good thing, doesn't it?
Thanks for any replies and your opinions in the thread, guys. Keep'em coming.


text:
Lissolongichneumon carbops är en stekelart som beskrevs av Heinrich 1968. Lissolongichneumon carbops ingår i släktet Lissolongichneumon och familjen brokparasitsteklar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Brokparasitsteklar
carbops

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
SLOVAN LIBEREC v FK TEPLICE
Czech Liga 1 Match Previews
Slovan Liberec FK Teplice Tips, Predictions and Odds
Slovan Liberec host FK Teplice in matchday 9 of Liga 1 on Saturday 14th September, 3:30pm at U Nisy. The hosts currently sit in 11th place in the table having drawn against FK Teplice 1-1 last time out, while the visitors are in 16th after their 1-1 draw against Slovan Liberec.
Slovan Liberec have a 55% chance of beating FK Teplice
Liberec has won 40% of their last 20 home league games and Teplice has lost 50% of their last 20 away league games.
The last time Teplice won away in the league was 3 games ago against Banik. The last time Liberec lost a home league game was 2 matches ago against SK Sigma.
Liberec last kept a clean sheet at home 5 games ago, and have kept 9 clean sheets in their last 20 home games. Teplice last failed to score away in the league 1 games ago and have missed the net in 8 of their last 20 away league games.
Of the 8 league games Liberec has won at home, they scored first 8 times. Of the 10 away games Teplice has lost, they conceded first 9 times.
Liberec have won 9, drawn 5 and lost 6 of their last 20 home games
Teplice have won 4, drawn 6 and lost 10 of their last 20 away games
Liberec v Teplice 10 game form stats.
Liberec have scored 2 goals or more in 6 of their last 20 home games. Teplice have conceded at least 2 goals in 8 of their last 20 away games.
Liberec have conceded 1 goal or less in 15 of their last 20 home league games. Teplice have scored 1 goal or less in 17 of their last 20 away league games
35% of Liberec's last 20 home league games have ended with Both teams scoring. They won 2, drew 2 and lost 3 of those games.
45% of Teplice's last 20 away league games ended with both teams scoring, they won 1, drew 2 and lost 6 of those games.
The last time Liberec failed to score at home in the league was a 0-1 loss to SK Sigma in August this year.
The last time Teplice kept a clean sheet away in the league was in a 1-0 win against Banik in July this year.
In Liberec's last 20 home games both teams have scored 9 times, and both teams have not scored 11 times.
In Teplice's last 20 away games both teams have scored 11 times, and both teams have not scored 9 times.
Liberec's last 20 home league games have averaged 2 goals a game. Teplice's last 20 away league games have averaged 2.1 goals a game.
Liberec have scored on average at home in the league 1.2 goals a game and conceded on average 0.8 goals.
Teplice have scored on average away in the league 0.8 goals a game and conceded on average 1.3 goals
In Liberec's last 20 home games there have been over 2.5 goals 11 times, and under 2.5 goals 9 times.
In Teplice's last 20 away games there have been over 2.5 goals 6 times, and under 2.5 goals 14 times.
Slovan Liberec drew their last Liga 1 match 1-1. FK Teplice drew their's 1-1.
Slovan Liberec 1-1 FK Teplice
Slovan Liberec's last match was in Liga 1 against FK Teplice on Saturday 14th September at U Nisy. They drew the game 1-1 with a goal from Roman Potocny.
Slovan Liberec's last starting line-up was:
GLK: Filip Nguyen
DEF: Ondrej Karafiat, Taras Kacharaba, Matej Hybs, Michal Fukala
MID: Tomas Malinsky, Radim Breite, Kamso Mara
FWD: Alexandru Baluta, Roman Potocny, Jan Kuchta
In Liga 1 this season, this Slovan Liberec XI has played 71 matches and scored 6 goals.
This Liga 1 line-up has 290 all-time Liga 1 appearances and 20 goals.
FK Teplice's last match was in Liga 1 against Slovan Liberec on Saturday 14th September at U Nisy. They drew the game 1-1 with a goal from Petr Mares.
FK Teplice's last starting line-up was:
GLK: Tomas Grigar
DEF: Pavel Cmovs, Tomas Vondrasek
MID: Jan Shejbal, Patrik Zitny, Pavel Moulis, Petr Mares, Tomas Kucera, Petr Kodes
FWD: Pavel Vyhnal, Jakub Reznicek
In Liga 1 this season, this FK Teplice XI has played 60 matches and scored 3 goals.


SKWebDevelopment was started in 2008 by me, Sandy Knight.
I originally started down the road of building websites in 1998 when I worked in the offices of a web start-up. I quickly decided that being the office gofer wasn't as much fun as actually building websites so I decided to teach myself.
I could trace my interest in programming back to my formative years, typing BASIC programs from the back of magazines into my ZX Spectrum +2.
My first website was built in Flash and involved lots of pop-up windows and animated page transitions. Of course these days pop-ups and Flash are generally frowned upon, apart for some very rare exceptions. Although I enjoyed the process, I quickly realised that I preferred the code and the logic that went into building it than I did the graphic design. For that reason I have since concentrated on building websites rather than making them look nice. Having said that, nobody wants a website that doesn't look nice so I work with some great web designers such as Hamish over at rocketbug.
I have been playing around with Linux since RedHat 7.2 and using it as my primary OS since 2008. To start with I used to dual-boot Ubuntu Linux and Windows XP so I could use Photoshop and test my websites in Internet Explorer (the only two things I was still reliant on Windows for). Since then computers have become more powerful and RAM cheaper so it is easy to run a virtual machine of Windows instead, Microsoft even give away free virtual machines ('free' as in beer, not as in liberty of course) for testing different versions of IE.
I have also set up (and still manage) several Linux web and mail servers running Debian and CentOS, some with control panels such as cPanel or ISPManager and some without, some running the standard LAMP stack (Linux, Apache MySQL, PHP) and one with LEMP (NginX instead of Apache).
My most used tools are Geany 'a fast and lightweight IDE' (AKA a text editor), Firefox (with a few addons such as Firebug, Live HTTP Headers, MeasurIt, ColorZilla and Quick Java) the default Linux SSH client (OpenSSH) and FileZilla FTP client. No need for Dreamweaver or the like, I have always preferred to write my own code rather than add an unnecessary layer of abstraction.
When building websites I will happily work with frameworks such as Wordpress, Drupal or for shopping carts Zen-Cart isn't too bad, but only when the website requires a lot of those features. For simple 'business card' websites a bespoke CMS is easier to use, less bloated (so it works better on cheap, shared hosting) and has a significantly smaller code base so doesn't require regular security updates.
In 2001 I moved over to Chamonix in the French Alps, partly because I had always dreamed of living in a ski resort and partly because a client had offered to pay me with a month of accommodation there. By 2003 I was staying there year round (Winters AND Summers), considered myself a resident rather than a seasonaire. One of the reasons for that was mountain biking which has been a great passion of mine from before I went to Chamonix but also in 2003 I learned to paraglide. It gets darned cold paragliding in the Winter, imagine sitting in -5°C with your hands above your shoulders for an hour (or more) at a time, add to that 35kph of wind chill and you start to get the idea!
In September 2014 I moved back to London to take my career more seriously. Although there is a steady supply of work in the Alps there is also a steady supply of new seasonaires willing to build any old rubbish for any money people will offer them. Another reason for moving back is that I'm nearly 40 and I've been 'living the dream' for the last 13 years so I decided I'd have an anti mid-life crisis.


text:
Librarian's gift benefits future generations
When Willouise "Willie" Donovan was born a century ago, America's library system, too, was in its infancy. Andrew Carnegie's inspiration to allow readers to better themselves by borrowing a book was embraced by Donovan, who spent her life as a teacher and librarian.
Donovan's devotion to the written word now benefits those Loyola students who study in the elegant, warm, and inviting reading room of Cudahy Library. Upon her death in 2007, Donovan bequeathed a seven-figure sum to Loyola that included her family home—and the library's reading room now bears her name.
"The Donovan Reading Room is a most fitting legacy to Mrs. Donovan," says President Michael J. Garanzini, S.J. "We chose to honor her memory by naming the reading room for a woman who loved books and the power of education."
Born in 1909, Donovan grew up in the Edgewater neighborhood—a place she called home for her entire 98 years of life. She lived in the house on Thorndale as a child with her parents and five siblings. She and her husband, John James "Jim" Donovan, lived there after they married. When it came time for Donovan to attend college, she only had to look seven blocks to the north to find a university that would provide an education that matched her family values. Majoring in English, she graduated from Loyola in 1939 and became a teacher. She taught for many years at William C. Goudy Elementary School, just south of where she lived. She later became a school librarian for Chicago Public Schools.
"She was a no-nonsense, take-charge kind of person," says her cousin Mildred "Millie" Hanson. "And she was extremely proud of becoming a librarian." According to Hanson, Donovan was involved in numerous local organizations "and, at one time or another, was president of most of the societies she belonged to."
Though Donovan and her husband had no children, they were active members of their community—giving freely of their time to numerous neighborhood associations and to their church, St. Gertrude's.
As a child of the Great Depression, Donovan learned frugality. She also learned from her mother how to invest wisely. Much of her savings came from investing in the stock market—so much so that on a teacher and librarian's salary, she was able to leave a legacy to institutions whose missions she believed in. "She was also very charitable to those in need and would help anyone who asked," adds Hanson.
It was Donovan's brother, Tom Artingstall, who suggested she give her money to whomever she thought would use it best. "She was a giving person—if something was worthy in her estimation, she'd support it. She was involved not only with Loyola but also with numerous Chicago organizations, including her local ward. She was the one person in her neighborhood that people could count on for help. She was very involved her whole life."
The gift to Loyola is unrestricted, which allows the University to use it where it is needed most. "She would have loved the idea of the reading room named in her honor," says Hanson. Added her niece, Joan Kruzel, "I think she'd be extremely honored. She was a nonstop supporter of Loyola and to know that her gift was recognized in this way would have made her proud."
"The newly named Donovan Reading Room will not only be a place where so many of our students can do serious work, but it also will be a center of campus activity that celebrates both the academic and community values of Loyola University Chicago," says Dean of Libraries Robert A. Seal.


text:
Iranian Canadian Journalist saved by L. Cohen
News about Leonard Cohen and his work, press, radio & TV programs etc.
PhilMader
Contact PhilMader
Post by PhilMader » Mon Nov 23, 2009 8:22 am
Iranian Canadian journalist, Maziar Bahari, says he was regularly beaten and threatened with execution while imprisoned in Iran for 118 days.
He claims singing Leonard Cohen's song, The Sisters of Mercy, saved him from committing suicide, and gave him the strength to continue. see VIDEO CLIP
http://www.cbc.ca/video/news/player.htm ... 1339386638
The story is below.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/11/2 ... rview.html
Yiddish proverb: Life is a joke
st theresa
Location: Edmonton Alberta
touching news story
Post by st theresa » Mon Nov 23, 2009 8:40 am
Bahari said he felt the walls were closing in around him while in solitary confinement, but he was comforted as he hummed the words to Leonard Cohen's song, Sisters of Mercy. He said the title came to him in a dream about two women who both looked like his sister.
"And all of a sudden this universe was created, this universe that was guarded by Mr. Leonard Cohen, and it was just ridiculous to me that this old Jewish [man], and one of the most cynical poet songwriters in the world, managed to save me in the heart of the Islamic Republic."
In the televised interview, Mr. Bahari describes this dream where two women come to him in solitary confinement bringing him such solace that he stopped thinking of suicide. He asked in his dream who they were and they told him they were Sisters of Mercy. When he awoke he began to hum the song to himself.
The video gets into talking about Leonard at about 18 minutes. Mr. Bahari says that Mr. Cohen was his saviour in prison..
GinaDCG
Location: West Virginia, USA
Re: touching news story
Post by GinaDCG » Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:48 pm
Hooray! He's free! And yet another soul aided by Cohen's words!
I saw the 60 Minutes interview last night in which at one point, his remembers describing his captors as "dumb."
So they thought Jason Jones of "The Daily Show" was a REAL spy? Dark humor alert: tune in to The Daily Show tonite and tomorrow to see what they do with this information. With material like this they don't need writers! Perhaps laughter is, even though it seems trite, the most effective weapon we have against The Islamic Republic of Iran
wakeupmartin
Location: Norwich, UK
Contact wakeupmartin
Re: Iranian Canadian Journalist saved by L. Cohen
Post by wakeupmartin » Mon Nov 23, 2009 5:05 pm
Thanks for posting that. I'm always moved and inspired by such stories, especially as there seemed no hatred in him towards his torturers. Maziar Bahari, what a man! (even though he did describe LC as 'one of the most cynical poet songwriters in the world'!)
DrHGuy
Contact DrHGuy
Post by DrHGuy » Mon Nov 23, 2009 5:20 pm
The story of Maziar Bahari is indeed touching. It is also, however, a rare opportunity to listen to and read the words of an especially articulate man, facing humiliation, torture, and the possibility of the end of his existence, describing the strength, solace, and sustenance he found in the music of Leonard Cohen. Bahari's complete report published in Newsweek is available at http://www.newsweek.com/id/223862/page/1.
I urge anyone interested in the impact of Leonard Cohen's work to view the primary source for this story, the CBC video referenced in the earlier posts. For anyone who watches the CBC video and is interested in a bit more of the details, I've excerpted the portions of the Newsweek report dealing with Cohen's music and embedded a video of the Daily Show segment used by Bahari's captors as evidence against him at http://1heckofaguy.com/2009/11/23/mazia ... ival-made/
Cohencentric http://Cohencentric.com
AvidCohenFan
Post by AvidCohenFan » Mon Nov 23, 2009 6:57 pm
It says I'm not allowed to view the Daily Show video in my country! How do I see it By the way, this reminded me that I had a very nice dream recently that Garry Shandling of The Larry Sanders Show was going to be interviewed on The Daily Show.
Post by st theresa » Mon Nov 23, 2009 7:36 pm
as usual Dr H has the unabridged and beautifully embellished version of this story. I encourage anyone reading this to check out his site--and if anyone read my little spiteful retort that that I posted and then deleted, I am sorry I let ego take control for a few minutes.
LisaLCFan
Post by LisaLCFan » Mon Nov 23, 2009 11:11 pm
What a wonderful story! I'm sure that we have all sought solace in Leonard's music and poetry at one time or another, hopefully under much less horrific circumstances than those faced by Mr. Bahari. I hope Leonard learns of this, so that he will know once again how important his work is, and how inspirational it can be. "There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in!"
ladydi
Post by ladydi » Tue Nov 24, 2009 12:12 am
What an amazing story and video. Mr. Bahari is so softly well-spoken that one has to almost shake their head to realize the horror of his experience, and to remember that there are still thousands going through this same horror on a daily basis. I can see retreating into Leonard's words and music as a way to maintain an alternate existence through such terrifying moments. Sustenance. I think of the words of Sharon's song....and Leonard does indeed give us sustenance.
I truly hope that one day Mr. Bahari and Leonard will meet. I think it would be an emotional encounter.
Thank you to everyone for sharing. To PhilMader for bringing us the video interview, and for DrHGuy for bringing us additional video and the article. This is very powerful.
lizzytysh
Location: Florida, U.S.A.
Post by lizzytysh » Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:37 am
I've read about this in this thread and tomorrow night I'll read about and watch the real thing. It, indeed, is powerful. Thanks to both of you for bringing this to us in your differing ways.
~ Lizzy
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."
~ Oscar Wilde
Sasha K
Post by Sasha K » Thu Nov 26, 2009 12:19 pm
Just read this moving story,the headliner in Newsweek Nov 30 issue, in a bookshop in Japan....first time I`ve picked up that mag in decades. Mr Bahari also refers to " The Partisan" and " So Long Marianne" as having sustained him, and says " Of such stuff survival is made. Thank you, Mr Cohen."
I, too, hope they meet. This kind of thing does more than we realize to change the collective unconsciousness in the direction of peace. Thank you, Mr Bahari. Thank you, Leonard.
Location: Northern California, previously: Warsaw, Poland
Post by mirka » Thu Nov 26, 2009 1:10 pm
wow, very touching !
Leonard's music has this quality of creating a safe "universe guarded by Mr. Leonard Cohen".
Iranian journalist's story is extreme but not unique.
Some of Leonard's Polish fans have been through similar experience during the Martial law period in Poland in '80, and I found on YouTube comment saying something to the effect "this man got me once out of a very deep depression with his songs".
Personally I think he hypnotizes with his voice, and then everything seems possible
I found on the Forum report of a Polish fan I had in mind: it's by Mirek, who I understand is the spokesman for the Krakow event:
1982 - martial law in Poland - I was in the army (compulsory one year after
graduating university). In some sullen barrack I am sitting by some broken
table - translating "Sisters of Mercy". Believe me, Leonard's poetry really
helped me to remain normal surrounded by an abnormal world full of hate.
viewtopic.php?t=8484&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
Last edited by mirka on Fri Nov 27, 2009 9:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
/Warsaw March 22 1985 / Halifax May 16 /Charlottetown May 18 / Dublin June 15 / Vienna Sept 24 2008/
Oakland April 13, 14, 15, San Jose Nov 13 2009/
Las Vegas Dec 11 2010/ Oakland March 2 2013/
Post by lizzytysh » Thu Nov 26, 2009 8:17 pm
Thank you, PhilMader, for bringing this moving videotape here. Having been given the totally unanticipated gift of time today, I was able to watch your initial footage from beginning to end. I don't seem to have almost 40 minutes at a stretch available these days. To fully appreciate this man's circumstances and the relevance of Leonard's songs in his life, this must be watched fully and uninterrupted. The horrors of the world we are living in are in understated ways described by Maziar Bahari and this interview provides the full and necessary context for the crucial role Leonard played in Maziar's private world and literal, secret life. The significance of the details of the scent of rosewater, the extraordinarily thick glasses, and the leather slippers were graphically evocative of the dramatic contrast between the world he was in and the one in which I live.
We talk of our stranded-on-a-desert-island picks [at the same time we know the unlikelihood of that ever happening], but have we ever imagined being held captive for months, knowing that being hung or other torturous means of death, or at the least, insanity, were very real possibilities, and what words and melodies might sustain us and keep our minds, hearts, and souls whole. This interview is powerful. I've yet to read the articles provided by st theresa and DrHGuy and, perhaps, Sasha K , but I will.
Somehow, the cream always rises to the top. As a must-happen meeting, this has risen to the top. It far surpasses 'wouldn't it be wonderful if Leonard and he could meet...' ~ it is a compelling 'Leonard and Maziar must meet' ~ as much as my sitting with Leonard meant and will always mean to me, if there were only one way that these two could meet and speak, and that way was for an exchange to be made between my time with Leonard and theirs, I would trade. I do not minimize my own when I say this, but the import of Leonard in this man's life is, in and of itself, legendary.
As hard as we try, we in the Western world cannot imagine what this man's 118 days and the terror, and mental, emotional, and physical torture, he endured were really, truly like. The man who wrote Sisters of Mercy, So Long Marianne, The Future, Democracy, First We Take Manhattan, Take This Waltz, If It Be Your Will, Anthem, and Dance Me to the End of Love, and who chose to sing The Partisan, I believe can.
As Mirka has noted, some have been deeply depressed and near suicide and Leonard's songs have saved them. Fortunately, I've never been one who has neared suicide, though I have found the comfort I needed, through Leonard, during various other times of depression. I will never minimize the importance that Leonard has played in these people's lives. I believe we all have, at one time or another, had to confront and deal with our own emotional prisons... however, to find ourselves in a foreign land in a literal one, where torture and death are the norm for these circumstances, and to have only four, hard walls in solitary confinement as our daily environment, to be blindfolded and not knowing of our outcome, to live with the horror of ongoing, serious threats... these weigh so heavily beyond anything I could ever imagine for myself... and, I dare say, for most others. The whole of this interview reveals the magnitude of the context in which Maziar's dream and Leonard's song appears.
May Leonard never question the import he has had and will continue to have in people's lives. When we speak of the eternal themes in Leonard's songs, it is in the extreme nature of Maziar's circumstances and how he dealt with them [as well as others's who are deeply depressed and suicidal], coming face-to-face with the eternal and finding solace in the redemptive nature of Leonard's songs, that drives these truths home.
How much I hope to one day read [or, even if I don't read it, to think it might] that Leonard sought out Maziar, so Maziar could thank him face-to-face for the saviour's role Leonard played in his life, and so they could speak about the joy of being there when their child is born; the pleasure, joy, and sustenance of a woman's body [and a beloved's body, and baby within], even when imagination is their only source; and of how we find solace in whatever way is possible... and as both being men who have conceived themes for filmmaking and have each in their own way been journalists... so much they could talk about, including living in Montreal... the differences between Leonard's ''four in the morning'' and Maziar's 'then' [and having read the article] and Maziar's 'now'... and whatever else... how much I hope for these cannot really be expressed. Not even being privy to the content of their conversation; but only learning that their meeting took place, this would be enough.
I can only deeply hope and plead [longer, stronger, and more serious than Roscoe].
Please, Leonard, please.
There will only be one Leonard Cohen. For all this man has experienced, and for all that you have brought him through; may Maziar Bahari one day meet and spend in-person time with you.
hydriot
Location: back in the UK
Post by hydriot » Mon Nov 30, 2009 10:34 pm
lizzytysh wrote: As Mirka has noted, some have been deeply depressed and near suicide and Leonard's songs have saved them.
But sadly not Daphne Richardson, nor I suspect many others who we do not hear of.
"If you do have love it's a kind of wound, and if you don't have it it's worse." - Leonard, July 1988
Post by lizzytysh » Tue Dec 01, 2009 2:59 am
I deeply regret that all who knew Leonard's music have not been saved by it, during the time they were contemplating and then completing the act of suicide. It is sad knowing that Daphne was not one of them, and neither was Yasmine. I take heart, though, in those who were saved by the comfort and understanding he brought them at such a dire and desperate time in their lives. Every life matters. I wish they all were able to meet Leonard, as I feel and believe they would want to personally thank him for being there for them in his way.
With this current situation, Maziar Bahari is a humble person whose name is known, and whose circumstances are many layers, and a thousand horrors and kisses deep... and he is reachable. It's not a 'Leonard on Demand' situation; yet, it would feel so right if they were to meet... somehow initiated by Leonard.


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Until now, network infrastructure stopped at the equipment and server level. As servers onboard more and more virtual machines, the network extends to the virtual machine itself and the hypervisor becomes a central software component processing all the traffic to virtual machines going through the hypervisor virtual switch.
6WIND Virtual Accelerator™ provides a solution that fulfills all the requirements to power the hypervisor with the required features for virtual networking infrastructures used in Network Function Virtualization (NFV), Data Center Virtualization or Network Appliance Virtualization use cases.
6WIND Virtual Accelerator provides a complete set of networking features including Linux and OVS switching, all kinds of overlays for multi-tenancy, L3 routing, VRF, ACLs, NAT, IPsec, QoS, TCP offloads and more.
All these features are provided with the highest level of performance and the lowest latency using a DPDK-based implementation to build carrier-grade virtualized open architectures.
6WIND Virtual Accelerator software is installed on the KVM hypervisor to offer an alternative to SR-IOV or PCI passthrough that break virtualization. It easily integrates with the Linux kernel, OpenStack and SDN controllers as either the application or the management system keep on interfacing transparently with Linux.