This was originally posted by my wife on Medium.com, and I've reposted it here with her permission.
Update: A response to the various comments surrounding the article has been added to the Medium.com post.
After Tale of Tales' recent declaration that they are leaving the industry, gamers' reactions have ranged from dismay that another indie game company has failed to outrage that such a company even attempted to exist. The variety of responses soon had me thinking about the tension between gamers and game developers, and as an artist, I naturally went to art history for understanding.
And I actually found some connections, so I'd like to start with a small art history lesson. You'll have to forgive me. I was a visual artist before I ever was a gamer, so this is my home turf. It all relates in the end, I promise.
We often think of the Impressionists — artists like Monet, Renoir, and Degas — as infallible, untouchable. Most people love their art. It often adorns calendars and coffee mugs because it is almost universally accepted. However, some people would be surprised to learn that during Impressionism's inception, society hated it almost as much as they love it now. The Academy, Paris's all-powerful art organization that decided which artworks deserved recognition, repeatedly rejected the Impressionists. The culture derided their art as "mere cartoons," demoting their paintings from even being considered art. Even the title Impressionists came from an insult by journalist Louis Leroy, who complained that compared to an Impressionist painting "a preliminary drawing for a wallpaper pattern is more finished." That had to hurt.
Okay, by now you're probably wondering what this has to do with videogames. With a history spanning literally tens of thousands of years, visual art has had plenty of time to debate what it is and what it isn't, and it concludes that it can be almost anything.
Remarkably, visual art includes Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, a series of realistic religious murals, and Duchamp's Fountain, which is essentially an urinal, all under the same broad category. This didn't happen overnight, and it couldn't happen without a lot of people getting angry, complaining loudly, and occasionally resorting to violence. That same Duchamp actually resigned from his post as a director of the Society of Independent Artists, an organization meant to promote the avant-garde art the rest of the fine art community rejected, after he submitted his urinal to one of their exhibitions. Even their outrage was too much for the young artist.
Unlike fine art, videogames have been around for a handful of decades. Compared to the ancient age of art, games are not even a toddler. Shoot, they're more like a fetus. I'm not criticizing games for their infancy, but it's only natural that games, like visual art before it, are enduring their own set of growing pains. My husband recently finished his first indie game, a walking simulator after the style of Dear Esther or Gone Home. I helped with the voice acting and a lot of brainstorm sessions, but it was mainly his project. Expecting a barrage of angry comments that consistently accompany any "artsy" game, we both lived in fear of the release date. My husband even developed insomnia from all the anxiety and trepidation. With the gap ever-widening between game developers and gamers, each harshly criticizing each other without any hope of reconciliation, it's easy for me to understand why so many game developers — most recently Tale of Tales — are bailing. It's a harsh environment that we sensitive artists can hardly endure, but if we look at history, it's easy to recognize that this is absolutely normal. We like to pick on gamers as an especially aggressive, opinionated group, but they generally fit the mold of people-who-just-hate-new-art. Unlike their fine art predecessors, most game developers have the journalists on their side. They're actually a step-ahead of the poor Impressionists we now admire so much.
Why bring this up at all? It's because I am sad. I'm depressed that so many artists are leaving game development because of their audience, that they are actually letting their audience dictate their art. Even though Duchamp resigned from the Society of Independent Artists, he kept making art. He didn't let the angry mobs stop him. Now his art is in countless museums, and Fountain was recently voted the most influential work of modern art by 500 art-world professionals. Please don't stop doing what you love just because history is repeating itself. Eventually the debate over what a game is and what it isn't will surrender to more interesting questions, like what makes a game good and important. Until then, I encourage you to keep fighting the good fight. You have countless examples of those who did, and they are the artists we now revere. Your experiments now may become monuments later.


text:
import ipaddress
import unittest

import command
import config
import thread_cert

# Test description:
#
#   This test verifies behavior of MLE related to handling of received
#   larger key sequence based on the MLE message class (authoritative,
#   or peer).
#
#
# Topology:
#
#   leader ---  router
#    |    \
#    |     \
#  child   reed
#

LEADER = 1
CHILD = 2
REED = 3
ROUTER = 4

class MleMsgKeySeqJump(thread_cert.TestCase):
    USE_MESSAGE_FACTORY = False
    SUPPORT_NCP = False

    TOPOLOGY = {
        LEADER: {
            'name': 'LEADER',
            'mode': 'rdn',
        },
        CHILD: {
            'name': 'CHILD',
            'is_mtd': True,
            'mode': 'rn',
        },
        REED: {
            'name': 'REED',
            'mode': 'rn'
        },
        ROUTER: {
            'name': 'ROUTER',
            'mode': 'rdn',
        },
    }

    def test(self):
        leader = self.nodes[LEADER]
        child = self.nodes[CHILD]
        reed = self.nodes[REED]
        router = self.nodes[ROUTER]

        nodes = [leader, child, reed, router]

        #-------------------------------------------------------------------
        # Form the network.

        for node in nodes:
            node.set_key_sequence_counter(0)

        leader.start()
        self.simulator.go(config.LEADER_STARTUP_DELAY)
        self.assertEqual(leader.get_state(), 'leader')

        child.start()
        reed.start()
        self.simulator.go(5)
        self.assertEqual(child.get_state(), 'child')
        self.assertEqual(reed.get_state(), 'child')

        router.start()
        self.simulator.go(config.ROUTER_STARTUP_DELAY)
        self.assertEqual(router.get_state(), 'router')

        #-------------------------------------------------------------------
        # Validate the initial key seq counter on all nodes

        for node in nodes:
            self.assertEqual(node.get_key_sequence_counter(), 0)

        #-------------------------------------------------------------------
        # Manually increase the key seq on child. Then change MLE mode on
        # child which triggers a "Child Update Request" to its parent
        # (leader). The key jump noticed on parent side would trigger an
        # authoritative MLE Child Update exchange (including challenge and
        # response TLVs) and causes the parent (leader) to also adopt the
        # larger key seq.

        child.set_key_sequence_counter(5)
        self.assertEqual(child.get_key_sequence_counter(), 5)

        child.set_mode('r')
        self.simulator.go(1)

        self.assertEqual(child.get_key_sequence_counter(), 5)
        self.assertEqual(leader.get_key_sequence_counter(), 5)

        #-------------------------------------------------------------------
        # Wait long enough for MLE Advertisement to be sent. This would
        # trigger reed and router to also notice key seq jump and try to
        # re-establish link again (using authoritative exchanges). Validate
        # that all nodes are using the new key seq.

        self.simulator.go(52)
        for node in nodes:
            self.assertEqual(node.get_key_sequence_counter(), 5)

        #-------------------------------------------------------------------
        # Manually increase the key seq on leader. Wait for max time between
        # advertisements. This would trigger both reed and router
        # to notice key seq jump and try to re-establish link (link
        # request/accept exchange). Validate that they all adopt the new
        # key seq.

        leader.set_key_sequence_counter(10)
        self.assertEqual(leader.get_key_sequence_counter(), 10)

        self.simulator.go(52)

        self.assertEqual(router.get_key_sequence_counter(), 10)
        self.assertEqual(reed.get_key_sequence_counter(), 10)

        #-------------------------------------------------------------------
        # Change MLE mode on child to trigger a "Child Update Request" exchange
        # which should then update the key seq on child as well.

        child.set_mode('rn')
        self.simulator.go(5)
        self.assertEqual(child.get_key_sequence_counter(), 10)

        #-------------------------------------------------------------------
        # Stop all other nodes except for leader. Move the leader key seq
        # forward and then restart all other node. Validate that router,
        # reed and child all re-attach successfully and adopt the higher key
        # sequence.

        router.stop()
        reed.stop()
        child.stop()

        leader.set_key_sequence_counter(15)
        self.assertEqual(leader.get_key_sequence_counter(), 15)

        child.start()
        reed.start()
        router.start()
        self.simulator.go(5)

        self.assertEqual(child.get_state(), 'child')
        self.assertEqual(reed.get_state(), 'child')
        self.assertEqual(router.get_state(), 'router')

        for node in nodes:
            self.assertEqual(node.get_key_sequence_counter(), 15)

        #-------------------------------------------------------------------
        # Stop all other nodes except for leader. Move the child key seq
        # forward and then restart child. Ensure it re-attached successfully
        # to leader and that leader adopts the higher key seq counter.

        router.stop()
        reed.stop()
        child.stop()

        child.set_key_sequence_counter(20)
        self.assertEqual(child.get_key_sequence_counter(), 20)

        child.start()
        self.simulator.go(5)

        self.assertEqual(child.get_state(), 'child')
        self.assertEqual(leader.get_key_sequence_counter(), 20)

        #-------------------------------------------------------------------
        # Restart router and reed and ensure they are re-attached and get the
        # higher key seq counter.

        router.start()
        reed.start()

        self.simulator.go(5)
        self.assertEqual(router.get_state(), 'router')
        self.assertEqual(reed.get_state(), 'child')

        self.assertEqual(router.get_key_sequence_counter(), 20)
        self.assertEqual(reed.get_key_sequence_counter(), 20)

        #-------------------------------------------------------------------
        # Move forward the key seq counter by one on router. Wait for max
        # time between advertisements. Validate that leader adopts the higher
        # counter value.

        router.set_key_sequence_counter(21)
        self.assertEqual(router.get_key_sequence_counter(), 21)

        self.simulator.go(52)
        self.assertEqual(leader.get_key_sequence_counter(), 21)
        self.assertEqual(reed.get_key_sequence_counter(), 21)

        child.set_mode('r')
        self.simulator.go(2)
        self.assertEqual(child.get_key_sequence_counter(), 21)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    unittest.main()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Scrapbookpages Blog
Otto Skorzeny, once nicknamed "the most dangerous man in Europe"
Filed under: Dachau, Germany, Holocaust, World War II — Tags: Battle of the Bulge, Dachau trials, Malmédy massacre, Otto Sorzeny — furtherglory @ 8:39 am
The title of my blog post today comes from the words in a comment by one of the regular readers of my blog.
The words in a comment by Tim are quoted below:
Begin quote
I got a question(actually two questions) It's off the subject . Anybody that knows of this,feel free to jump in. Otto Skorzen. He was one of hitlers most favored ss men. Heard he went to work for the Mossad. It said he told Wiesenthal he'd go to work for them,if Wiesenthal tore up the arrest warrant he had on him for war crimes . I don't know what his "crimes" were,but if the hebs put out the arrest warrant,I'm guessing it had something to do with the holo. He was put on trial at the end of WW2 ,by the Americans,for something unrelated to the holo. He became a contract killer for mossad. I don't care if you're a hired gun for mossad or you worked at one of the units in the nazi prison system . Murder is murder. Yet this guy is handed a "get out of jail free card",because he becomes a killer for Israel .So what's up here ? You're going to be arrested for crimes involving the holo,but if take out marked people for Israel,they'll turn a blind eye to your past transgressions ? I'm beginning to think they weren't to overly concerned with getting justice for the Jews . How many other nazis did the Jews let skate,because they went to work for them? I know Israel had their own hit people. What. Did they feel like God having a former ss man under their thumb. They pull shit like this,don't bang on my door looking to borrow a cup of sympathy.
End of Comment by Tim
Otto Skorzeny
I have written at length about Skorzeny on my website. The words below are from my website:
In another Dachau [trial] proceeding, which began in August 1947, Lt. Col. Otto Skorzeny and nine others were charged as war criminals for the illegal use of US Army uniforms and with killing more than 100 Prisoners of War during the Battle of the Bulge. Lt. Col. Rosenfeld was also the law member of the panel of judges in this proceeding, but this time he allowed defense testimony that US troops had worn German uniforms in combat during World War II in similar efforts to confuse the enemy.
An affidavit from the Malmedy Massacre proceeding was introduced by the prosecution in the Skorzeny case, and when the defense protested, Lt. Col. Rosenfeld dropped the charges of killing POWs. There were no corroborating witnesses for the killings, and Rosenfeld ruled that the case could not be tried on affidavits alone.
This was an important ruling because in all the war crimes military tribunals conducted in Germany after World War II, witnesses were not required to appear in person and affidavits were allowed to be entered, so that the defense had no opportunity to cross-examine the person who signed the affidavit.
Otto Skorzeni
Otto Skorzeny, shown in the photo above, was acquitted after the presiding judge allowed testimony that the American military had committed the same crime of wearing enemy uniforms during the Battle of the Bulge. Although he was acquitted, Skorzeny was still held in prison after the verdict; he finally escaped and fled to South America.
In the first few days of the Battle of the Bulge, there was mass confusion caused by a team of 28 Germans dressed in American uniforms, led by the famous commando Otto Skorzeny. Riding in stolen American jeeps, they created havoc by directing American troops down the wrong road, changing signposts and cutting telephone wires to General Bradley's field headquarters. Four of the team were captured and when they confessed their mission, the American army immediately broadcast the news that there were thousands of Germans operating behind enemy lines. Skorzeny and his men were later brought before the American military tribunal at Dachau in another proceeding.
Although there was an automatic review process in which American military personnel reviewed all the Dachau proceedings, there was no appeal process for war crimes verdicts handed down by the American military court. This did not seem fair to Everett, who was a southern gentleman from a prominent family in Atlanta, GA. Everett prepared a 228-page analysis of the pre-trial interrogations and the trial, which he sent to the officers who would be conducting the automatic review of the case. This report included the accusations against the prosecution interrogators.
When 12 of the death sentences were upheld by the review board, including that of Col. Jochen Peiper, Everett decided to petition the US Supreme Court for a writ of habeas corpus on the grounds that the 73 accused were being illegally held in Landsberg prison after being convicted as a result of "illegal and fraudulently procured confessions."
When the news of Everett's charges, that the Malmedy Massacre accused had been forced to sign confessions, was leaked to the media, the American public was outraged. World War II was "the Good War" in which Americans fought for their democratic ideals and their freedom. The Malmedy Massacre case had made a mockery of the rights of the accused to a fair trial. This was not the American way. American soldiers had fought and died to preserve this freedom.
When the case came to the attention of Secretary of the Army Kenneth C. Royall, he ordered a stay of execution for the 12 men who were scheduled to be hanged in just a few days, and then directed General Lucius D. Clay, the highest authority of the American occupation in Germany to investigate Everett's charges against the prosecution. Not satisfied with that, Royall then appointed a three-man commission, headed by Judge Gordon Simpson of the Texas Supreme Court, to investigate not only the Malmedy Massacre case, but other Dachau proceedings, which had involved the same Jewish interrogators. The other two members of the commission were Judge Edward L. Van Roden and Lt. Col. Charles Lawrence, Jr.
After a six-week investigation conducted from an office which they set up in Munich, the Simpson Commission made its recommendation to Royall. The Commission had looked at 65 mass trials of German war criminals in which 139 death sentences had been handed down. By that time, 152 German war criminals tried at Dachau had already been executed.
The 139 men who were still awaiting execution were staff members of the Dachau concentration camp, SS soldiers accused of shooting POWs at Malmedy and German civilians accused of killing Allied pilots who were shot down on bombing missions over Germany. On January 6, 1949, they recommended that 29 of these death sentences, including the 12 death sentences in the Malmedy Massacre case, be commuted to life in prison.
In February 1949, an article entitled "American Atrocities in Germany," which was allegedly written by Judge Van Roden, was published in The Progressive. In his article, Van Roden wrote as follows:
American investigators at the U. S. Court in Dachau, Germany, used the following methods to obtain confessions: Beatings and brutal kickings. Knocking out teeth and breaking jaws. Mock trials. Solitary confinement. Posturing as priests. Very limited rations. Spiritual deprivation. Promises of acquittal. Complaints concerning these third degree methods were received by Secretary of the Army Kenneth Royall last Spring (1948).
The statements which were admitted as evidence were obtained from men who had first been kept in solitary confinement for three, four, and, five months. They were confined between four walls, with no windows, and no opportunity of exercise. Two meals a day were shoved in to them through a slot in the door. They were not allowed to talk to anyone. They had no communication with their families or any minister or priest during that time.
This solitary confinement proved sufficient in itself in some cases to persuade the Germans to sign prepared statements. These statements not only involved the signer, but often would involve other defendants. Our investigators would put a black hood over the accused's head and then punch him in the face with brass knuckles, kick him, and beat him with rubber hose. Many of the German defendants had teeth knocked out. Some had their jaws broken.
All but two of the Germans, in the 139 cases we investigated, had been kicked in the testicles beyond repair. This was Standard Operating Procedure with American investigators. Perl admitted use of mock trials and persuasive methods including violence and said the court was free to decide the weight to be attached to evidence thus received. But it all went in.
Read more at http://www.scrapbookpages.com/DachauScrapbook/DachauTrials/MalmedyMassacre04.html
David Irving
The Natzweiler gas chamber
Refusal to bake a gay wedding cake compared to the Holocaust
When you are really angry, there is nothing like swearing in German
The story of Dachau, as told to tourists
Who remembers Johnny Cash "At Folsom Prison"?
Scrapbookpages web site

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
<?php

namespace Jenky\LaravelAPI\Tests;

use Illuminate\Auth\AuthenticationException;
use Illuminate\Contracts\Debug\ExceptionHandler;
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Route;
use Jenky\LaravelAPI\Tests\Fixtures\OauthException;
use Jenky\LaravelAPI\Tests\Fixtures\ProcessingException;
use Throwable;

class CustomExceptionTest extends FeatureTestCase
{
    /**
     * Setup the test environment.
     *
     * @return void
     */
    protected function setUp(): void
    {
        parent::setUp();

        $this->loadRoutes();
    }

    /**
     * Set up routes.
     *
     * @return void
     */
    protected function loadRoutes()
    {
        Route::prefix('api/v1')
            ->group(function () {
                Route::get('exception-type', function () {
                    throw (new OauthException(400, 'The grant type is not available for your client!'))
                        ->setType('oauth');
                });

                Route::get('exception-errors', function () {
                    throw (new ProcessingException('Unable to process your request.', 1234))
                        ->setErrors([
                            'cache' => 'node is offline',
                            'queue' => 'under heavy load',
                        ]);
                });

                Route::get('exception-callback', function () {
                    throw new AuthenticationException;
                });
            });
    }

    public function test_exception_has_type()
    {
        $this->get('api/v1/exception-type')
            ->assertStatus(400)
            ->assertJson([
                'message' => 'The grant type is not available for your client!',
                'status_code' => 400,
                'type' => 'oauth',
            ]);
    }

    public function test_exceptions_has_errors()
    {
        $this->get('api/v1/exception-errors')
            ->assertStatus(500)
            ->assertJson([
                'message' => 'Unable to process your request.',
                'status_code' => 500,
                'code' => 1234,
                // 'errors' => [],
            ]);
    }

    public function test_exception_callback()
    {
        $this->get('api/v1/exception-callback')
            ->assertStatus(401)
            ->assertJson([
                'message' => 'Unauthenticated.',
                'type' => 'AuthenticationException',
                'status_code' => 401,
            ]);

        $this->app->make(ExceptionHandler::class)->catch(AuthenticationException::class, function (Throwable $e, $handler) {
            $handler->replace('type', 'authentication_error')
                ->replace('message', 'Authentication failed.');
        });

        $this->get('api/v1/exception-callback')
            ->assertStatus(401)
            ->assertJson([
                'message' => 'Authentication failed.',
                'type' => 'authentication_error',
                'status_code' => 401,
            ]);

        $this->app->make(ExceptionHandler::class)->catch(function (AuthenticationException $e, $handler) {
            $handler->setReplacements([
                ':code' => 1001,
                ':type' => 'invalid_credentials',
            ]);
        });

        $this->get('api/v1/exception-callback')
            ->assertStatus(401)
            ->assertJson([
                'code' => 1001,
                'type' => 'invalid_credentials',
                'status_code' => 401,
            ]);
    }
}


One of the things that live chat can do for you is the provision of information and data that you can use to identify and cultivate potential customers for a business product or service. This process is known as lead generation. Using live chat, you can pique the interest of customers in a particular product or get them to enquire about the product or service. Here's how.
Keep a FAQ system close to your live chat console. This will increase the speed with which you answer questions asked by a customer. Most of these questions will be on the knowledgebase system that you already have. Create a way to capture lead information easily. Different leads need to be captured differently.t the product or service. Here's how.
Keep a FAQ system close to your live chat console. This will increase the speed with which you answer questions asked by a customer. Most of these questions will be on the knowledgebase system that you already have.
Create a way to capture lead information easily. Different leads need to be captured differently. You can set up a form that collects basic personal information from each person. This makes future references easy and also allows you to tailor products to specific needs.
Control the conversation without fear. Ask customers to provide details that you find useful. Be bold. They need solutions and will be ready to provide information that will lead them there as long as it does not compromise them in any way.
It must be noted that generating leads and customer satisfaction are two separate things. This is how it works. To generate leads, you focus on answering just a few questions, say 5 to 7 questions. Within this time, you can get the customer to answer as many questions as you need them to. Next is to make an exit statement where you transfer the chat to an agent who is concerned with customer satisfaction. Trying to combine lead generation with customer satisfaction might muddle things up. So, the advice for you who wants to use one stone to kill two birds is to prioritize and compartmentalize.


A Metra train tracks zooms past the Chase Street crossing.
"I don't really understand the roadway well where the tragic train accident occurred in University Park, and I can see how someone could be crossing over the tracks when the flashing lights and gates don't work and get hit," Tribune reader Mark B. wrote to me last week.
"But shouldn't there be some warnings in news reports about never allowing yourself to stop on the tracks?
"Certainly I don't know Katie Lunn's specific situation. It could be the traffic was moving, then it all of a sudden stopped. There may have been nothing she could have done differently, but this might be a good time to offer people warnings not to depend on an early warning system. I can understand the reluctance to say anything because it would sound like we're blaming the victim. What are your thoughts?"
Warren Flatau, the longtime spokesman at the Federal Railroad Administration in Washington, ends his recorded phone message with this line: "Have a safe day, and please remember: Always expect a train."
It's not just good advice. It's an essential element of defensive driving, and any time a pedestrian is walking across railroad tracks. When approaching a railroad grade crossing, I always slow down and, if necessary, turn on the emergency blinkers and briefly stop to make sure no trains are in sight before proceeding across the tracks.
There's good reason that the drivers of school buses and trucks hauling hazardous materials are required by law to stop, look, listen, then proceed.
I refuse to feel pressured by the occasional impatient jerks who honk their horns over this safety technique — and neither should any of you. By all means, do not drive onto the crossing unless you see that there is already at least a full car length of space on the other side of the tracks.
I've covered too many vehicle-train wrecks for the Tribune to even consider taking a chance. There are too many things that can go wrong, ranging from human error to gremlins in track circuitry.
I will never shake the memory of sitting in the living room of Ron and Dorothy Curtis in downstate Sciota in 1999 with Tribune photographer Terrence James. I was barely able to keep my own emotions in check as the Curtises grieved and struggled to comprehend the senseless loss of their son Stuart, 17, a talented musician and community volunteer, and his friend Clifford Dannen Latherow, 16, of Carthage, Ill., an athlete who also raised prize-winning Angus cattle.
The two teenagers almost made it home to the Macomb area after visiting their siblings at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, when their car was struck by a 79-mph Amtrak train coming around a curve at a crossing near McLean, Ill., where the barrier gates, flashing lights and bells failed to activate.
I heard from Dannen's uncle this past week after the University Park accident on April 16 that killed Lunn, 26, a dance instructor who was returning home to Chicago after cheering on students at a competition. Federal and state investigators have pegged the cause to Canadian National Railway Co. track technicians unintentionally deactivating the crossing protection system during maintenance work.
After the Tribune reported the flagrant mistakes last week, Canadian National officials publicly agreed with the official finding that the gates, bells and lights were inactive. But they still have yet to explain why they didn't conduct conclusive testing of the protection mechanism before lifting safety measures that would have protected drivers.
Stuart and Dannen, like Katie, never saw the end coming, at least not in time to save themselves from the negligence of others.
"The stories regarding the tragic death of Katie Lunn are painful reminders of the deaths of my nephew and his friend that you covered in 1999," said Jerry Latherow, of Chicago. "As you recall, a railroad worker failed to reactivate the crossing warning system when he finished working on it."
Officials at Union Pacific Railroad, which owns the tracks, initially tried to portray the accident as a case of reckless teenagers attempting to beat the Amtrak train.
"Although the Union Pacific Railroad denied for days that there was anything wrong with the system, they were forced to face the truth as witnesses who narrowly escaped death came forward and the Illinois Department of Transportation found that there was actually a video of the entire event," Latherow said.
The Tribune reported that six video cameras had been installed at the crossing as part of the state's efforts to monitor crossings for the implementation of high-speed rail. The videos unequivocally showed that the crossing protection system at McLean was shut off. The system included "arrester nets" designed to snare vehicles that stray onto the tracks while a train is coming, but the nets were deactivated, too, by a Union Pacific employee.
The railroad ultimately accepted liability in the accident. But the deadly spree continues across the U.S.
"Some people might say that such human error on occasion is to be expected," Latherow said. "But how can the various railway authorities allow such deadly situations to occur without having in place a fail-safe system that requires adequate testing before their workers leave us all at risk?"
That question is as salient today as it was in 1999. And it's one that the signal department at Canadian National has not even come close to addressing.


text:
Operating System Online Training
Operating System Courses Online
Live Instructor Led Online Training Operating System courses is delivered using an interactive remote desktop! .
During the course each participant will be able to perform Operating System exercises on their remote desktop provided by Qwikcourse.
How do I start learning Operating System?
Administering FreeBSD
FreeBSD is a free and open-source Unix-like operating system descended from the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD), which was based on Research Unix. The first version of FreeBSD was released in 1993. In 2005, FreeBSD was the most popular open-source BSD operating system, accounting for more than three-quarters of all installed simply, permissively licensed BSD systems.
FreeBSD has similarities with Linux, with two major differences in scope and licensing: FreeBSD maintains a complete system, i.e. the project delivers a kernel, device drivers, userland utilities, and documentation, as opposed to Linux only delivering a kernel and drivers, and relying on third-parties for system software; and FreeBSD source code is generally released under a permissive BSD license, as opposed to the copyleft GPL used by Linux.
The FreeBSD project includes a security team overseeing all software shipped in the base distribution. A wide range of additional third-party applications may be installed using the pkg package management system or FreeBSD Ports, or by compiling source code.
Much of FreeBSD's codebase has become an integral part of other operating systems such as Darwin (the basis for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS), TrueNAS (an open-source NAS/SAN operating system), and the system software for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 game consoles.
The course participants will learn:
How and why to configure and compile your own kernel?
How to create device files?
How to customize your system to suit your needs?
How to optimize your system?
How is it implemented the system startup process?
How to create, manage, and delete user accounts?
To restrict user resources (memory, CPU, number of concurrent sessions, etc...)?
Work around A Quick Introduction to Unix
Unix is an operating system designed for use on any kind of computer or computing device. Current versions of Unix are running on everything from supercomputers to mobile phones. It is a multi-tasking, multi-user system. This means that a person using a Unix system can run more than one job, that is do more than one task at once, and that more than one user can share the resources of a single Unix system. Multi-tasking is common on personal computers now, but it was not always and most desktop personal computers probably still run as single user systems. Some Unix systems have a graphical user interface (GUI) or graphical desktop environment similar to Microsoft Windows or Mac OS. Nonetheless, to take best advantage of Unix it is worth knowing something about how to use the system without the GUI. Many Unix systems are released under one or other of the 'free' software licences, such as the GPL. So, they are available to everyone at no cost while providing full freedom to use, adapt, and share all the tools of these powerful operating systems. Unix is also part of the underlying technology of the Internet. Although no operating systems has any exclusive claim to the Internet, many of the standard technologies, protocols and applications that make up the Internet were first developed on Unix systems. Unix is also an attractive tool for internetworking because it was designed to be a mult-user system from the outset. Many of the web servers that serve up the World Wide Web for example run a program called Apache under Unix.
Discover Aros
AROS is an recursive acronym for the AROS Research Operating System, an AmigaOS (TM) API compatible OS, with certain improvements, that is portable and freely available. It is developed as a collaborative project, with the source code being available under an open source license. AROS is not tied to any company policy or computer hardware. No financial or legal circumstances will have any negative effect on the progress of AROS. It has a secure future. Moreover AROS effort helps the Amiga community in general. Projects such as AfA-OS which improves the Classic Amiga OS and the free kickstart ROM which is useful in improving UAE (software), Minimig and FPGA Arcade(hardware) and others. As more Amiga 68k hardware and accelerators become scarce and expensive some thought was made to preserve the Amiga spirit. One approach out of many is AROS which can run on Motorola 68k, PowerPC, Intel x86 and compatibles, a select ARM SOCs. Where anyone can use an alternative to most mainstream Operating Systems (OS), for nostalgic reasons, educationally as an alternative to Linux, to experience new ideas or just be different.
Discover Puppy Linux
Puppy Linux is an operating system like Microsoft Windows or Mac OS. More specifically it is a free distribution (distro) of Linux that can run live (without installation). It is specifically designed to be smaller than other distros (and faster or suitable for older hardware) but nevertheless fully featured. It contains several applications including a web browser, word processor, spreadsheet and media player. It was created by Barry Kauler in 2003.
Package and distribution management
Building the distribution
Official variants
Fundamentals of Evolution of Operating Systems Designs
This course is about operating systems concepts as they have evolved through the history of operating systems implementations. Politics and implementation details are irrelevant. Emphasis is given to technically successful designs, aesthetic operating systems, and not on commercial success. In fact, mere commercial success isn't sufficient to make an operating system noteworthy. It also emphasizes working implementations over mere projects.
Know How To Backup Operating Systems
This is a step-by-step guide for backing up and restoring the operating system(s) installed on your PC (Linux, Windows, etc). Specifically, it describes how to back up and restore hard drive partitions and MBR boot code using free tools and discusses backup and restoration procedures and scenarios. Backup and restoration take about 10 minutes each. Uses and benefits include: In short, this is a relatively easy procedure well worth taking the time to learn! Mastering this technique takes most of the fear out of system changes - you know how to press the 'rewind' button on everything you do, and the rewind button works reliably and quickly. What OS(es) you're running doesn't matter. The only limitations are the filesystems being used and the amount of data involved. Most Linux and Windows systems are supported for backup. While some of the tools in this guide are available for use on Macs, this guide does not cover Mac backups specifically. This guide supports the following filesystems (at least): ext2/3/4, reiserfs, reiser4, btrfs, xfs, jfs, vfat, fat16/32, ntfs, iso9660. Encrypted partitions cannot be backed up using the methods in this guide.
Work around Mac OS X Leopard
This course is a comprehensive guide to Mac OS X Leopard, the 6th version of the operating system that runs on Apple's Macintosh computers. Its successors were Snow Leopard (2009), Lion (2011), and Mountain Lion (2012). This course is written for both new and experienced users alike. If you are a new Mac user, you can use This course to familiarize yourself with the Mac environment. If you are a more experienced user, you can use it to learn about advanced features that will make using your Mac easier and more enjoyable. However, This course cannot be everything for everyone. If you have never used a computer before, you should learn the basics of computing before you read This course. Likewise, if you already know Mac OS X like the back of your hand and want to learn about the operating system's underpinnings, you probably won't find what you're looking for here. This course includes a thorough discussion of the Mac OS and its included applications. It does not discuss iLife or iWork, suites of multimedia and productivity applications, because they are technically not parts of the Mac OS. Please refer to the course iLife for information on these applications.
Basics of Operating System Fundamentals
Operating systems are typically segregated into kernel and userland. The Kernel provides a layer for the software to interact with the hardware. It abstracts the hardware allowing a lot of software to run identically on very different hardware. The kernel provides system calls to allow the userland to interact with it. The kernel handles many things including filesystems (not always but typically), devices, and control of processes. The userland exists as everything else other than the kernel. All processes created by the user including the terminal exist in userland. The Graphical User Interface (GUI) that displays programs lives in userland. The Unix shell is a command interpreter program that serves as the primary interface between uses and the OS in a command line environment, e.g. a terminal or terminal simulator. A shell is an essential (often preferred) tool, but it is just a ordinary user program that uses system calls to get most of the work done - so its just a "shell". Many shells exist in the modern era, each with their own set of features. The most common is the bourne shell. The bourne shell (known colloquially by it's POSIX location as /bin/sh) has been around for many decades now and may be found on essentially any Unix computer. While it lacks certain interactivity features, it's so commonplace that any script written for it will run on essentially any Unix system.
Fundamentals of Operating Systems
An operating system is software that manages and organises that computer's resources and basic functions, including: Operating system Unix was developed by a group of employees from Bell Labs under the guidance of Dennis Ritchie, Ken Thompson and Brian Kernighan in 1969. This operating system was created under the fundamentals of simplicity as they had few people working on the project and wanted to complete it relatively quickly. The design standards set by Unix paved the way for the modern computing world (except Windows). At the end of 1970's, the University of California, Berkeley made a number of improvements to the source code of UNIX, including the work with protocols of TCP/IP. Their work was known as BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution). It spread under licence, allowing to refine and improve the product and transfer the result to third parties, with or without source codes, provided that authorship of the code written in Berkeley is indicated. While there was some legal trouble, the case was ruled in favor of the Regents of California and that set a precedent that Unix-like operating systems are not under copyright so long as they contain no original Unix source code. Thus the BSD project had to remove all Unix based code from 4.4 BSD terming their new creation 4.4BSD lite. This BSD was limited in features so projects like FreeBSD and NetBSD sprung up to fill in the gaps. In the beginning of the 1990s, a student from Helsinki University Linus Torvalds started kernel development for IBM computers, that was known as w:Linux\Linux. Currently, GNU/Linux (a set of different distributions built on the basis of the Linux kernel) ranks second in popularity among OSs used on user desktops (first place belongs Microsoft Windows)
Apache Kafka Complete Developer's Guide
Apache Kafka is open-source stream processing platform It is a message-oriented middleware. named after Apache Software Foundation. Apache Kafka is developed by Apache Software Foundation and LinkedIn. Supported by cross-platform Operating Systems.
Explore Fragaria
Fragaria is an OS X Cocoa syntax colouring NSTextView implemented within a framework named MGSFragaria. It supports a wide range of programming languages and includes preference panel support. The MGSFragaria framework now properly supports both traditional reference counting memory management and garbage collection.
Where can I see it in use
You can see Fragaria used in the following projects and products:
Appium Recorder : Appium is an open source, cross-platform test automation tool for native and hybrid mobile apps. (repo).
cocoa-rest-client A native OS X cocoa application for testing HTTP endpoints.
CocosBuilder. CocosBuilder is a free tool (released under MIT-licence) for rapidly developing games and apps. (repo)
Cocoduino is an IDE for the Arduino platform written in native Cocoa.
KosmicTask is a multi (20+) language scripting environment for OS X that features script editing, network sharing, remote execution, and file processing.
nib2objc This utility converts NIB files (or XIB ones) into Objective-C code If you use Fragaria in your app and want it added to the list just let us know or edit the README.
Most features are accessed via the framework preferences.
Configurable syntax colouring
Configurable font type, size and colour.
Invisible character display
Line numbering
Brace matching and auto insertion
Page guide
Simple word auto complete
Tab and indent control
Line wrapping
Learn OpenMandriva Lx
Easy, yet powerful, GNU/Linux distribution
OpenMandriva Lx, based on Mandriva and Mandrake code, is an exciting free Desktop Operating System that aims to cater to and interest first-time and advanced users alike. It has the breadth and depth of an advanced system but is designed to be simple and straightforward in use. OpenMandriva Lx comes from a 100% community-driven association that believes in the values of free software & collaboration and whose founding values are development, equality, co-operation, openness, freedom, group achievement, independence, and solidarity.
Learn Puppy Ultimate Edition
Based upon Puppy Linux 3.01 Operating System kernel 2.6.19.7
PUE is an Operating System that fills a niche for Users who use older computers and require a complete set of applications at their disposal. This project's starting date stretches back to 2009. This system is based on a JWM/ROX filer; that has been configured to provide the integrated ease of use that a Desktop Environment provides, while using minimal System resources. This minimalisations do not compromise form and function! PUE is designed to maximise system resources allowing even heavy apps to work on minimal hardware. It is the intention of the author that all applications work within the limit of 128mbs and 32mb gForce Video Card and able to operate from an 8gb USB flashdrive New release Apps will be incorporated if they conform to design parameters; however, if function compromises resources then it is not considered.
Know JNode new Java Operating System
JNode is a Java New Operating system Design Effort. JNode is a simple to use and install Java operating system for personal use on modern devices. Any java application runs on it, fast and safe. See our homepage for additional information.
Fundamentals of OpenSOB Sistema Operativo Bolivariano
OpenSOB is an UNIX*BSD Operating system based on FreeBSD 5.0-RELEASE. This version of the Operating system goes oriented to improve the impression of the end user when he uses an UNIX*BSD Operating system making some modifications to the Kernel and GUI.
Learn RemixOS
Android OS for Windows PC systems
Remix OS is a free Android version made by Jide, the company behind this operating system. This OS comes with certain basic Android features adding some missing functions that are present for Mac and Windows users. You install it on a USB and boot directly from that. It's compatible with Intel and AMD processors, so it runs on almost any machine, and unlike other solutions, it has a dedicated desktop user interface just like the operating system you're already used to. That means that when you open an app, it doesn't take up the whole screen like it would on an Android tablet; it opens in its own window like any other desktop program. This allows you to use Chrome alongside Word, or Google Maps, or YouTube, or just about any other Android app. Remix OS is totally free to download and use. This is an alternative to running an Android Emulator for Windows.
Learn raw2vmdk
raw2vmdk is an OS independent Java utility that allows you to mount raw disk images, like images created by "dd", using VMware, VirtualBox or any other virtualization platform supporting the VMDK disk format.
Basics of Sensor Transparency in Tiny OS
Sensor node operating systems must support sensor transparency for providing easy application development and systematic sensor management. We suggest a sensor device manager that supports senssor transparency
Know scmRTOS
scmRTOS is tiny Real-Time Preemptive Operating System intended for use with Single-Chip Microcontrollers. scmRTOS is capable to run on small uCs with as little amount of RAM as 512 bytes. The RTOS is written on C++ and supports various platforms.
Explore berryboot
Berryboot -- Boot menu / OS installer for ARM devices
Berryboot is a simple operating system installer and boot selection screen for ARM devices such as the Raspberry Pi and Cubieboard. It allows you to put multiple Linux distribution on a single SD card.
Explore Chapeau
Linux for 64bit media & gaming ready PCs built from Fedora
Chapeau is a high-performance, cutting-edge operating system built from the Fedora GNU/Linux distribution with the Gnome desktop environment. Compared to Fedora Chapeau adopts an enhanced user experience and a more relaxed approach to software licences and is intended to be just as useful for advanced users as it is easy for those new to using a Linux system. There is built-in access to third-party software & sources repositories not included in Fedora such as RPMFusion, Steam, Adobe Flash, Dropbox & Oracle VirtualBox. Chapeau also includes system tools that makes your live DVD or USB disk a handy portable toolkit for repairing Linux and Windows installations as well as a general purpose desktop distro. Chapeau is available for 64bit x86 PCs.
Work around with TeLOS Linux
humbly smart Operating System - Debian derivative
TeLOS is a new, universal Linux distribution, a carefully customized derivative of Debian bullseye / sid with KDE Plasma Desktop Environment featuring an unbiased selection of useful applications and services. You may find TeLOS Linux to be snappy, lightweight, ready for work or fun straight out of the box and easily configurable. This Operating System is freely distributed and honors free, open source software development. Nevertheless, some non-free proprietary packages are included to widely support common modern hardware. Google Chrome browser and TeamViewer contribute to making this unconventional distribution remote work and distance learning friendly. TeLOStore, our AppStore application, makes installing and uninstalling apps in TeLOS an easy, fast and safe game. TeLOS is suitable both for Linux newcomers and for experienced users.
Know Whonix
Whonix is an Anonymous Operating System.
Whonix is an operating system focused on anonymity, privacy and security. It's based on the Tor anonymity network, Debian GNU/Linux and security by isolation. DNS leaks are impossible, and not even malware with root privileges can find out the user's real IP. Whonix consists of two parts: One solely runs Tor and acts as a gateway, which we call Whonix-Gateway. The other, which we call Whonix-Workstation, is on a completely isolated network. Only connections through Tor are possible. Whonix is produced independently of, and carries no guarantee from, The Tor Project.
Is learning Operating System hard?
In the field of Operating System learning from a live instructor-led and hand-on training courses would make a big difference as compared with watching a video learning materials. Participants must maintain focus and interact with the trainer for questions and concerns. In Qwikcourse, trainers and participants uses DaDesktop , a cloud desktop environment designed for instructors and students who wish to carry out interactive, hands-on training from distant physical locations.
Is Operating System a good field?
For now, there are tremendous work opportunities for various IT fields. Most of the courses in Operating System is a great source of IT learning with hands-on training and experience which could be a great contribution to your portfolio.
Operating System Online Courses, Operating System Training, Operating System Instructor-led, Operating System Live Trainer, Operating System Trainer, Operating System Online Lesson, Operating System Education


Ruling Elders are those called to govern and lead the spiritual direction of the church, nominated and appointed by the body at large. At Restoration Ruling Elders serve a three year term and are ordained as leaders within the church. In addition to those below who are members of Restoration, Pastor Jeffrey Lee is standing members of our board of elders.
Deacons are those called to serve and oversee how people connect into the life and care of Restoration, nominated and appointed by the body at large. They also provide for the needs of the community while also serving the mission and vision of Restoration. Deacons serve a three year term and are ordained as leaders within the church.


The Tarot of the Cloisters is unique, in that it is made to look like stained glass from medieval cathedrals. The cards are round with easily understood, beautifully coloured artwork. Unfortunately now out of print and not readily available.


Back in Santiago, sun shining and walking around Barrio Bellavista. This was a super vibrant area, every other wall had graffiti on it and it was great just wondering though. This is a small selection of some of what we saw.
At the mountain base of the funicular, you can pose and have a polaroid taken with a lama. And, yes, of course we did this!
he was quite dashing with his little hat.
Beautiful ironwork over the windows.


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Key Genetic Mutations In Family Of Blood Cancers
Written by Petra Rattue on December 20, 2011
A study published online in Nature Genetics reveals that scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have uncovered a critical genetic mutation in some patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, which is are blood cancers that can progress to a fatal form of leukemia.
The researchers also established that patients with the mutation are evidently more likely to develop acute leukemia. Even though this finding needs to be confirmed in additional patients, the study could pave the way for genetic tests in the future that can diagnose the disorder more precisely and predict the course of the disease.
Researchers discovered the mutation in a gene known as U2AF1, whilst they were sequencing the entire genome of a 65-year old male with myelodysplastic syndrome that had progressed to leukemia. The researchers compared the mutation with the genome of his tumor cells, and subsequently also identified the genetic error in other patients with myelodysplastic syndromes, which indicates the significance of the mutation.
Senior author and hematologist/oncologist Matthew Walter, MD, assistant professor of medicine says:
"The mutation in this gene was not on anyone's radar screen. In many cases, the diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndromes is unclear because there isn't a straightforward diagnostic test. By understanding at the genetic level what is contributing to this disease, we hope to eventually improve the diagnosis and treatment of this disorder."
Approximately 28,000 Americans above the age of 60 years are annually diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a hard-to-treat family of blood cancers that occur when blood cells in the bone marrow do not mature properly. The disease is incurable although drugs exist for treatment.
The disorder progresses to a form of acute myeloid leukemia in about 30% of cases, which usually ends in mortality, given that chemotherapy drugs are ineffective in these patients.
Doctors are currently evaluating what likelihood patients with myelodysplastic syndrome have in developing leukemia. They examine the tumor's chromosomes to establish to which extent they broke apart and rearranged themselves, which indicates the severity of the disease.
First author Timothy Graubert, MD, associate professor of medicine, who specializes in treating patients with myelodysplastic syndromes explains:
"There are chromosomal patterns that indicate high risk and low risk, but the current methods to determine prognosis aren't perfect."
The researchers identified three patients with the U2AF1 mutation through whole-genome sequencing. They sequenced another 150 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and identified 13 patients or nearly 9% with the mutation. They concluded that the mutations in each patient occurred during the development of myelodysplastic syndromes, seeing that they were not present in normal cells. Those patients who had a U2AF1 gene mutation were nearly three times more likely to develop leukemia compared with those who did not.
The researchers observed that in 15.2% of patients with mutation, the disorder progressed to leukemia compared with 5.8% of those without.
According to the findings, the most common mutation resulted in a single letter change in the DNA at a precise location in the U2AF1 gene. The researchers discovered, that the serine (a form of amino acid) in most mutation-positive patients tended be substituted by phenylalanine or tyrosine. They say that the mutation alone does not cause myelodysplastic syndromes but seems to be an early event in the course of the disease.
The U2AF1 gene usually makes a protein involved in splicing RNA, a sister molecule of DNA, which carries the instructions for building proteins.
Splicing brings together different sections of RNA that are needed to make a protein, whilst those sections that are not required are discarded. Even though the mutated version of the gene continues to produce a protein its splicing activity is changed, suggesting that it could be significant for the development of some cancers.
The new study adds to several new findings regarding the genetic basis of myelodysplastic syndromes. This study, alongside earlier studies published in Nature and the New England Journal of Medicine, have detected mutations in eight genes in patients with this disorder, which were involved in RNA splicing.
Grauber comments:
"Together, these findings are a real game-changer. A mutation in any one of these eight genes occurs in up to 50 percent of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes. Because these changes are so common, we think there are likely to be implications for improving the diagnosis of the disorder and finding new therapeutic options."
Scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine and the university's Genome Institute, including Richard Wilson, PhD; Elaine Mardis, PhD; Timothy Ley, MD; and Li Ding, PhD, all co-authors of the study, pioneered whole-genome sequencing for cancer. The new research is based on previous work to discover novel mutations in cancer by examining a patient's entire genome.
The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Physician-Scientist Early Career Award, and partly funded by a federal stimulus grant.
What to know about deep vein thrombosis
Deep vein thrombosis is the formation of blood clots in a deep vein that can be fatal. Read about the causes, symptoms, and treatments here.
Causes and treatment of low blood pressure
Medically reviewed by Jenneh Rishe, RN
Low blood pressure has various causes, including temporary and longer term issues. Learn about how to raise blood pressure and when to see a doctor…