text:
Brevard veteran plans nonstop paddleboard trip around the world
By News 13 Florida Brevard County
May 13, 2016 @7:48 PM May 13, 2016 @7:48 PM
Equipped with a small paddle board, an oar and some supplies, Merritt Island's Josh Collins is trying to do something that's never been done before -- become the first person to complete a nonstop, unassisted, manpowered paddle board trip ever around the world.
Josh Collins attempting to paddleboard for Veteran Voyage 360
Collins wants to raise awareness about veteran suicide
On average, 22 vets commit suicide every day in the U.S.
This first leg is a 3,500-mile water voyage from Corpus Christi, Texas to New York City over a 5-month period called Veteran Voyage 360.
The former elite US Army Delta Force and Ranger was put in the hospital, suffering from numerous traumatic brain injuries and PTSD, the result of intense combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"It felt like life was over. I was on a lot of prescription meds, and kind of just staring at the wall," Collins said on stop in Brevard County Friday.
His family helped him find treatments that stopped his reliance on prescription drugs.
His wife, Tonia bought, him a standup paddle board to also help with his therapy.
Collins never looked back and found sanctuary on the water.
But other veterans never find that peace.
"We have friends who killed themselves as recent as four months ago," he said.
That's why he decided to hit the water, to raise awareness for the 22 vets on average who commit suicide each day in the U.S.
Collins' wife gets emotional thinking about his life, and the difference the couple is making when they meet fellow veterans and their families along the route.
"You know that they can get through this, you just have to be there to support them and give them the resources that they need," says Tonia.
"It's not through a pill bottle, not through a bottle of booze, it's through human support," Josh adds.
Collins is holding a rally on Saturday from noon until 2 p.m. at Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach. More information can be found on the Veteran Voyage 360 website.


text:
Modding »
Released Mods »
The X-Com Files (Moderator: Solarius Scorch) »
Re: The X-Com Files - 2.8: The Lunar Protocol
Author Topic: Re: The X-Com Files - 2.8: The Lunar Protocol (Read 1441917 times)
Juku121
We're all mad here.
Re: The X-Com Files - 2.5: Silent Run
« Reply #4665 on: July 30, 2022, 09:27:13 pm »
The targeting trick has been mostly disabled for a while now. There are a couple of missions that allow it, but these are largely special one-off events.
Technically, there are separate penalties for letting the mission despawn and aborting. Never really looked if there's a pattern there.
Solarius Scorch
WE MUST DISSENT
Quote from: Juku121 on July 14, 2022, 04:51:29 pm
Maybe remove sniping from the lowest-level RD dudes, at least Gangers and possibly also Lads? Or reduce their sniper values so they won't be sniping a lot.
OK, I have disabled it on gangers and drastically decreased for lads. I agree that it was a bit too much.
Who says they want to use said biotech in exactly the same way (+HP steroids instead of weapon grafts, mind-machine interfaces, combat drugs, etc)?
Nobody said that, but in most cases they'd want more resilient troops regardless.
The Syndicate Supersoldiers and Minotaurs, okay. These are already pretty tough, and another 10-15 HP wouldn't make them all that much tougher. The others are mercs/hired goons for the most part, no need to feed the temps the good juice.
MiB guys are actually pretty wimpy HP-wise. I wouldn't mind the more advanced versions getting some steroids.
The UAC Space Marines could get a boost, too. Memetic Doomguy toughness, you know.
I agree, all this can be done, but I'd rather not do any big rebalances if they can be avoided. Frankly I'm torn on this - wouldn't want to make early game even harder, it's the later game which is a problem.
If you don't care about any of them, why are you using RL guns as a basis? You could have just used generic names for most things, kind of like Piratez does for a lot of its weapons. Or even how you have a 'Colt .45' in the game that's a pretty blatant expy of an M1911.
Well it's not like I completely disregard them, it's just very hard to meet their exotic requirements.
What's so involved about that? I made some hostile female farmers with little trouble. Granted, you can't research them, but that's not all that much more work.
I can't remember right now, only that it was a pain due to how MiB/zombie missions are coded. Not saying it's impossible to do, just a little too complex for me to get off my ass. Maybe later.
The other angles are fine, it's a thin line there. But the back view is pretty much the same size as their visor from the front. I actually had trouble telling which way the guy was facing because of this and the weapon sprite looking very similar on both ends. The only real hint was the legs.
You're right, I worked on this a little. Hope it is OK now.
I assume you can recolour the Piratez sprite on your own? I did notice that these guys need the 'Muton' drawingroutine, or pistols will look bad.
I kinda thought about them replacing the Coordinators, since those guys share their paperdoll with the maniacs, and look a bit too edgy overall. But I don't think a giant telnyashka-clad dude qualifies as top dog, either.
After some thinking I decided that another new unit for a starting cult wouldn't be the best idea, since I need to focus on the later game instead. It's just a little too much at once.
That reminds me, you never said anything about the red Salamandrons. I guess they didn't pan out?
Sorry, I need more context here.
Psiclones seem to be excessibely rare these days before getting rid of EXALT, while there are several uses for those.
Not any rarer than before.
Also, the way a lot of (mainly melee) weapons scale with stats makes highly leveled agents ridiculously effective. A baseball bat is a weapon of mass destruction far better than a high-caliber rifle now.
As designed. It's the only way to have meaningful melee.
BTW, what happened to the original RD base map? Haven't seen it anywhere this time around.
It definitely exists. Check the deployments if you're interested.
Edit4: Upon reflection, I quite dislike how the Syndicate arc goes out with a whimper instead of a bang. To wit:
Much of this is "kinda planned", so I won't address these remarks directly, but they've been heard.
Edit6: Are nooses supposed to kill people?
Very much so.
Edit7: Not sure if it's intended, but Deep One villages/trading posts and Embassies of T'Leth still use the tiny sub when I've unlocked the Trident and raided the Underwater City, but haven't progressed beyond that yet.
Not as much intended as inevitable; implementation of a certain request in OXCE would let us be more robust, so we'll see.
Quote from: Bandaid on July 27, 2022, 12:06:44 pm
Hi, found OpenXcom and this Mod recently and I am having a blast (as well as being blasted with everything and the kitchen sink), thanks for all your work. Just wanted to chime in, hope this the right thread to do it, sorry if not.
Quote from: Moth_Of_Decay on July 27, 2022, 01:54:11 pm
Is the MAGMA corporation a reference to something, or is it just something you came up with?
It's a reference to the Alien Shooter series, especially Alien Shooter 2 (the good version, like AS 2 Gold, before they ruined it by removing skills).
Quote from: Mathel on July 30, 2022, 10:25:17 am
Looking it up, turns out they were a real company up until 2011, when they merged with Plutonic Power Corp to become Alterra Power Corp.
Not sure if Solarius Scorch knew this though.
I didn't!
Quote from: Goobers on July 30, 2022, 03:39:58 am
Hi Solarius and OXC community, I haven't played XComFiles in what must have been in over a year. I loved the mod and I came back to UFO and just got done with a run on Final Modpack so I'm currently trying XComFiles again on beginner (I know, I know) and I'm finding it a lot harder and frustrating than I remember.
I don't think the mod actually got straight up harder, but it certainly got more complex, so things can go sideways in new unexpected ways.
Also thank you, and good luck!
Quote from: Solarius Scorch on July 31, 2022, 01:13:10 pm
It's just a little too much at once.
The mercs do look better. Could be a little darker just below the 'green line', but that's not so important.
This. The green ones didn't exist yet at that point. I do like them, and they go well together with Reptoids, but a fiery death-dealer accompanying Snakemen looks better red. Well, orange.
Depend on what you consider 'before'. I recall Psiclones and Alien Communicators being much more plentiful, and seeing deployment data deleting those as well.
It's the only way to have meaningful melee.
No, there are other -and IMO better - ways. Weapon unlocks with more armour piercing and/or different damage types. Having some generally troublesome enemies weak to melee (Lobstermen pioneered this ). Melee-enhancing equipment (e.g. Synthsuit). HP drain a la Shadowbats. I'm sure there are even more creative solutions instead of just giving out bigger numbers.
Well, I did and SIBERIA seems to be missing altogether.
...they've been heard.
Didn't that thread get deleted?
Edit: One thing I've gradually come to dislike is how electric shocks are the answer to stunning everything. Cow? Prod it. Plain ole human? Prod it, too. Little green grey men from Mars? Prod them. Robotank that's supposedly at least somewhat isolated/hardened? Prod it, of course. Bunch of microscopic insects? Prod them, seven ten thousand at one blow. A Deep One Gillman that's got a built-in electric shock weapon? Weak to electric prods. A floating ball of spikiness that shoots lightning out of its ass? Of course it's weak to getting tasered!
« Last Edit: August 02, 2022, 12:35:12 am by Juku121 »
Ah, the mini-T-Rex!
It's pretty cool, but I'd rather stick with the ore "compact" build, since it's a 2x2 unit.
I don't recall any changes to their availability. Well, maybe through UFO density - this is changed periodically. Is this what you think is the case?
All that is true, but we're talking general level now.
Frankly, I like how it works. It's just the right balance for me.
SIBERIA was removed years ago, for obvious reasons. Why dig up this long dead carcass now?
It did, but the request is still valid.
Perhaps a review is in order... Then again, electric damage is usually a PITA to deliver, so.
Quote from: Solarius Scorch on August 05, 2022, 01:26:14 pm
No, equipment lists in AlienDeployments. A lot of Alien Communicators were deleted sometime after 1.9. Psiclones seem to be the same, but I never felt they were scarce before they became consumables for Gun Kata, so that's probably that. But I have 74 of them after nearly three years of farming EXALT, and that's roughly the same as the number of missions I've done against them.
I'm not saying any of this needs to change. But Psiclones are a moderatelt rare resource now (before EXALT gets the axe), what with several uses (Skulljacks, Gun Kata, direct morale damage).
Well, it's the same solution as giving bosses more and more HP in various games. A lot of people don't like that, myself included. If it works for you and others, fine.
What did you mean by 'original RD base map' 'exists', then? Was there another one between SIBERIA and NOOBERIA that I missed?
My point was that you're never required to change tactics. Electricity always works if you can deliver it. If you use clubs or fists, there are some enemies who don't care. If you use darts, there are enemies who don't care. Being forced to adapt is a good thing in my book.
Quote from: Juku121 on August 05, 2022, 02:04:26 pm
I never removed any Psiclones the way I dealt with alien communicators, why are you trying to wear me down like this? Is this for something my ancestors did?
I meant the STORMMOUNTAIN terrain. The previous one.
Well, the damage type is the same, but the tactics not necessarily. I mean, I get your point, I just don't think it's that bad. Electricity indeed works on almost everything, but it is counterbalanced by limited means to apply it - you have the taser, the club, the various better versions of the club, some very unwieldy Cyberweb weapons...
I never removed any Psiclones the way I dealt with alien communicators...
No, but you added Gun Kata and Skulljacks. I'm saying some stuff got removed (and I thought some Psiclones got removed, too, but I clearly misremembered, so my bad), some other stuff got added and now Psiclones feel more rare than before (because there are still just as many of them, but demand has gone way up). It kinda feels weird to me that an organisation hopped up on these has so few to go around (unlike Psyke that was just swimming in the stuff). OTOH, maybe they're careful with their joytrodes and hide them away before going out. But you'd think at least their HQ would have a couple dozen to go around. But nope, a few is all you get, usually.
It's not really a problem for me, but it's a change and one that crept up on players indirectly. Also a mystery where they keep all these Psiclones their whole membership is addicted to. Make of that what you will.
I meant the STORMMOUNTAIN terrain.
Oh. I don't actually recall playing a version with that one. But I must have, since I did play 2.1 for a while. Going senile, I guess.
Fair. But I'd still like at least a couple of situations where I go and try my standard approach and it just doesn't work so I need to work out something else. Swarmids, perhaps. No idea how someone is going to club a bunch of Swarmids.
Is this for something my ancestors did?
Ask your parents.
« Last Edit: August 05, 2022, 03:48:45 pm by Juku121 »
Kozinsky
Sorry for my bEd English
I suggest adding a random number of enemy units in all missions. This is especially important for the initial missions, where their number is very small and always fixed. For example, for the Cult Apprehension mission:
alienDeployments:
- type: STR_CULT_APPREHENSION_BLACK_LOTUS
- alienRank: 5
lowQty: 1 #the same value
highQty: 4 #the same value
dQty: 1 #change from 0
extraQty: 1 #added tag
The idea is that the player knows for sure that there are always two enemies on this mission (for Veteran difficulty) and, having discovered them, he stops being cautious. Whereas the possibility of a third enemy would force the player to be more cautious and continue to perform proper tactical maneuvers.
If this idea seems bad to you, is there any way I can make this idea into a separate submod without having to completely copy all the data from the "alienDeployments_XCOMFILES.rul" file? Perhaps I need to use "refNode" or "!add" tags somehow?
Vakrug
Quote from: Kozinsky on August 06, 2022, 08:26:29 am
The idea is that the player knows for sure that there are always two enemies on this mission (for Veteran difficulty) and, having discovered them, he stops being cautious.
... and gets surprised when other cultists with AK-47 appears behind a corner, because this particular mission decides to be "highQty" type. I think anti-stop-being-cautious measures are already implemented.
...make this idea into a separate submod without having to completely copy all the data from the "alienDeployments_XCOMFILES.rul" file?
I think (but I am not an authority on YAML) that the nearest thing that can actually be referenced is 'data: ' A submod should inherit other values (briefing, music, map size, etc), so that's all you need to change. But once you start touching 'data: ', you need to include all entries, since it's a list without any identifiers. Itemsets can be referenced, but for full convenience I suspect you'd need Solarius to anchor each end every itemset. Otherwise, have fun copying all of these over.
Quote from: Vakrug on August 06, 2022, 11:15:50 am
...because this particular mission decides to be "highQty" type.
The mission doesn't get to choose. highQty is the minimum number on Superhuman, and dQty is the additional random range.
It usually doesn't matter all that much, given how high enemy counts are in XCF. But some of the starter missions could indeed be more random. I've actualy changed Apprehension and Crop Circle missions in such a way for myself (plus female farmers ). And it's a little wierd to encounter exactly 32 (or whatever the value is for that difficulty) beetles, spiders, etc. Exactly who is gathering them in such exact quantities just before X-Com arrives?
Also note that quite a few missions already have dQty set to a non-zero value.
OK, many thanks; now I get your point. I guess adding a few more to their big buildings won't hurt. Did that.
Fixed that, hopefully.
As for randomization of enemy units - well, I kinda like the semi-predictability we have now. rebalancing this would be really tricky anyway.
MoonKid
In earlier version it was quit easy to build a AI unit. After an update it was only possible to re-animate a killed AI unit.
Now in the current last release version I only can "build" a AI unit when I have an alenium shart . I don't know what this is and how to get it.
I can I get a new AI unit?
Quote from: MoonKid on August 11, 2022, 09:05:00 pm
...an alenium shart . I don't know what this is and how to get it.
It's a dormant alien AI crystal or something like that.
Spoiler"Where are the shards?":
You get your first three or so from the Kiryu-Kai research. Alien bases (including anything else using some of their map blocks, e.g. Hybrid Embassies) can have shards as loot, and so can Osiron Haciendas, Osiron crates and Jars of Grey Goo (which come from Haciendas in the first place). The bases are probably the most reliable source.
What do you mean? You want a return to the 'muggle' and 'wizard' AI dichotomy?
In that case I should stop to use to much elirium explosivs. I think that is the problem I destroy everything. I use more elirium explosivs then usual bullets or plasma beams.
Pls, can you implement a tilt of Earth on geoscape? So there could be polar days in summer and nights in winter.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Gordon & Simmons was retained in October by a Montgomery County entrepreneur who was unable to obtain a permit to open a small business in the City of Frederick. In addition to retail sales, Victoria Frank, a small business owner, proposed to perform psychic readings at a planned shop within the city limits, but was not able to obtain a permit. A city ordinance made it a civil infraction to perform readings within the city for a fee. Gordon & Simmons reached out to the city government on behalf of its client and requested the City reassess the constitutionality of City Code Ordinance §15-19 – an archaic statute that prohibited receiving a fee for services relating to "clairvoyance, mind reading, palmistry, phrenology, divination or other [psychical] means or pretense of fortunetelling" within the Frederick City limits. The ordinance raised First Amendment issues and, in fact, based upon initial research by Shawn Cavenee and Chaz Remus, the firm quickly learned that a similar ban in Montgomery County had been ruled unconstitutional by the Court of Appeals in 2010 in its ruling in the case of Nefedro v. Montgomery County, Maryland, et al. On November 20, 2014, the Mayor and Board of Alderman of Frederick voted unanimously in favor of repealing the statute, thereby eliminating the restrictions on Gordon & Simmons' client and all entrepreneurs who wish to conduct similar business in the City of Frederick.


text:
Working with our environment: an introduction
4.3 The UK experience: competing trends
1 Introductory advice
2 The world we live in
2.1 Environment and technology
2.2 We are part of nature
2.3 The Industrial Revolution and its environmental impacts
2.4 Changing environmental attitudes
3 Case study 1: Refrigerators and the ozone layer
3.1 Refrigeration and chlorofluorocarbons
3.2 The agreement to protect the ozone layer
3.3 Greenfreeze: the Greens fight back
4 Case study 2: Refrigerators and climate change
4.1 Domestic appliances and fossil fuels
4.2 The US experience: wasteful innovation?
4.5 Global climate change
4.6 Global climate change continued
5 Case study 3: Some early uses of refrigeration
5.1 Food preservation and the development of refrigeration
5.2 New Zealand's changing environment
5.3 Settlement, deforestation and endangered species
6 Finding a balance
6.1 The path to prevention
6.2 The hierarchy of human needs
6.3 Sustainable development
6.4 Technology and environment
6.4.1 The dual nature of technology
6.4.2 A broad view of technology
6.4.3 Problems and solutions
6.4.4 Environmental limits
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But one striking example does not make an argument. To try to get a fuller and possibly fairer picture of energy use by domestic refrigerators I'd like also to look at the UK experience over the past few decades.
To start with it helps to have a feel for which parts of the UK economy use the most energy. The UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI, 1998), identifies four main economic sectors: domestic (households), industry, services and transport.
In 2003 the domestic sector (households) accounted for 31 per cent of all energy consumption in the UK, and since 1970 energy use in this sector rose by a third (DTI, 2004). Energy consumption by households, then, is both significant and rising, but it is worth noting that energy use per household has changed little during this period; this growth in demand is almost entirely accounted for by an increase in the number of households in the UK.
Looking within households, the two major users of energy are space and water heating, which in 2002 accounted for 85 per cent of all consumption. Lighting and domestic appliances, including refrigerators and freezers accounted for much of the remaining energy use, with 13 per cent or one-eighth of the total. Significantly, energy use by the groups of appliances has more than doubled since 1970. (The figure of 13 per cent above refers to the energy delivered to households through electicity. In terms of primary energy, mostly the fossil fuels needed to produce the electricity, appliances consume more like a quarter of all household energy.)
In contrast to space and water heating, which are now usually provided in the form of central heating, with gas as the major source of energy, most domestic appliances make use of electricity. Figure 6 shows electricity consumption in households for different groups of appliances during the period 1970 to 2002. The broad categories of appliance we are particularly interested in – refrigerators, fridge-freezers and freezers – are here called 'cold appliances'.
Figure 6 Electricity consumption by household domestic appliance by broad type, 1970–2002 (DTI, 2004)
There are two features of the graphs I would like to draw to your attention. Look at Figure 6 now, and make a note of:
the two appliance groups which in 1999 used most electricity, and
the two groups which have accounted for most of the increase in electricity consumption between 1970 and 2002.
The two major uses of electricity in 1999 were the cold and lighting groups though since 1999 electricity use by cold appliances has started to decline.
The two categories of appliance that have increased electricity consumption the most are the cold and brown appliance groups. If you disagree check that you were looking for the two curves which showed the greatest rise between 1970 and 2002 (Brown goods are entertainment products including TV and audio products, VCRs and DVDs, but not computers. The unlikely term comes from the wood-coloured plastic cases of early products.) Over the period, electricity use for brown goods has risen threefold and by three and a half times for cold appliances.
What are the reasons behind the rise? Does it mean, for example, that the UK has not benefited from the improvements in energy efficiency seen in the US? In fact, the gains in energy efficiency noted for the US have also been observed in the UK, if on a less dramatic scale, for each category of cold appliance, such as refrigerator and fridge-freezer. However, until recently these improvements have been more than offset by three other factors (DTI, 1998; ECU, 1997; ONS, 1998):
an increase in the number of households (there was a 30 per cent increase in the number of UK households between 1970 and 1995);
an increase in the ownership of fridges, fridge-freezers and freezers within each household;
a change in the pattern of ownership, from predominantly fridges in the 1970s to fridge-freezers in the 1990s, which make heavier demands on electricity use.
What are the implications for future patterns of demand? Have a look now at Figure 7, which displays the trends in UK electricity consumption for different categories of refrigerator and freezer from 1970 to 2020. For the period 1970 to 1995 it shows both the rise in total demand and the shift from refrigerators to fridge-freezers. The dashed lines from 1996 are projections of future demand to the year 2020; that is, they are estimates based on certain assumptions. The figure predicts that consumption will decline steadily. It is based on recent ownership patterns and consumption trends with the modest assumption that consumers will become more energy conscious and manufacturers respond to government initiatives. How realistic is this? In 1995 the European Union introduced mandatory energy labelling for domestic cold appliances and in 1999 minimum energy standards (corresponding mostly to energy class C). Energy efficiency improved markedly after 1998 to meet these standards leading to the reductions in electricity use by cold appliances seen in Figure 6.
Figure 7 Electricity consumption in cold appliances, business-as-usual scenario, UK, 1970–2020.
So far, so promising. There is considerable scope, however, for further energy savings if consumers were simply to buy the most efficient appliance available. The cold appliance group, together with lighting, has been identified as having the greatest potential for household energy saving of all electrical appliances. The researchers of the Environmental Change Unit at Oxford University (ECU, 1997), call these savings the economic and technical potential or ETP. According to them, if the ETP of the UK cold appliance group is realised, by the year 2020 its electricity consumption could fall to less than a quarter of what it is now, which would represent a dramatic change.
Of course the potential for saving is not the same as its realisation. Both consumers and manufacturers would have to be whole-heartedly committed to energy saving. In practice, when people buy consumer goods they have other things to consider, like cost and reliability. Have a look now at Figure 8. This gives the results of a small survey where people were asked to choose (from a checklist) the most important factors to influence their choice when buying a cold appliance. As you can see, energy consumption is only fourth in the order of priority. Each prospective buyer of a fridge or freezer may have their own set of criteria, but on one point we can be fairly sure: all will be considering factors other than just energy efficiency.
Figure 8 Most important criteria when buying a fridge-freezer.
Previous 4.2 The US experience: wasteful innovation?
Next 4.4 Discussion
T172_1


text:
This Husky Was so Malnourished After Owner Abandoned it On the Streets, But a Kind Hearted Man Took her Home, 10 Months Later She's Unrecognizable
December 4, 2018 pixelatedplanet Stories
Undoubtedly, a stately husky dog is among the finest dogs out there. That's why it's disheartening how some people mistreat these beautiful dogs.
When 26-year-old animal lover, Rico Soegiarto, found an abandoned husky on his way home from work, it was so weak and sick from neglect that it could barely stand up.
The dog was wandering the streets on Denpasar in Bali with bald patches on his mangy coat revealing agonizing sores. She was close to de@th.
"I do not know what was so special about her," says Rico. "It's about heart and feeling. I found her when I was on the way back home from work, she was in the middle of the street."
Despite her condition, her bright blue eyes still shone and Rico knew that he had to give the neglected dog a second chance.
He decided to save her life by taking her in, named her Hope, and spent months looking after her.
Rico resolved to nurse the feeble pup back to health, washing and trimming her coat, feeding her, and taking her to the vet several times.
Ten months later, Hope the husky has a full, white coat and looks strong and healthy in before and after photos that Rico posted on social media.
"Do you still remember? Dog that i found 10 months ago. Swipe left to see the changes,"
Rico wrote. The night auditor at the Mercure Resort in Sanur received plenty of praise from dog lover around the world for his kind act.
Hope, too, appreciates him. She appeared happy and playful as she wagged her tail and stuck out her tongue with her new owner in a video shot at Rico's house.
She is now part of a big and happy family with Rico, his girlfriend, and 4 other dogs that they saved from the streets.
source: boredpanda
AmazingAnimalsStoriesWorld
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Next Post:Chinese Woman Bought a 'Puppy' Two Years Ago on a Holiday But It Turns Out to be a Bear


text:
Group Commends Buhari, Akpabio Over Huge Changes In Niger Delta
File photo: Former Akwa Ibom State Governor and a former serving PDP Senator, Godswill Akpabio (left) with President Muhammad Buhari on Sunday July 5, 2018 in London.
By ONYEKACHUKWU MELUWA, Warri
Group under the agis of the Key leaders in the Niger Delta region has commended the President Muhammadu Buhari led Administration and the Minister for Niger Delta Stairs, Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday over the huge changes the region.
The group commended the NDDC Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio for what they describe as huge changes in the region.
In a statement in Yenagoa, the leaders described the minister's critics "as high ranking beggars surviving on dubious contracts in the country.
The leaders also said, "we are deeply impressed by Akpabio's political style and transparency, called for a united front against critics of the former Governor of Akwa-Ibom State.
"We raised the former Senate's Minority Leader for rewriting the history of the region, using his talent to achieve more for the people and effectively handling the development issues and challenges in the region.
''Senator Godswill Akpabio is a man of vision. He sees far into the future'' the leaders said.
The leaders emphasized Akpabio's contribution towards resolving the problems that are impacting negatively on the Niger Delta people, restructuring, reformulation of policy postures, readjustment of strategies and reshaping of outward relations along more fashionable and multi-dimensional lines.
Signed by the chairman, Niger Delta Leaders Forum (NDLF), Chief John Harry, the leaders described the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to complete the East West Road by the end of 2021, the release of funds for the project and mobilization of contractors to the sites as encouraging.
''Senator Godswill Akpabio is a very good lawyer and politician, strong and honest. In Akwa-Ibom, he expanded the opportunities and capabilities of people to live the lives they value. Indeed, he did more than anyone else to develop the oil rich state''
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SOMETHING NEW . . It's needless to say that everyone would find Hallowe'en a more exciting holiday if, instead of the traditional black cat, lovely Lillian Wells were perched atop the back fence. Lillian will soon be seen in Columbia's Technicolor musical, "Down to Earth," starring Rita Hayworth.


text:
Country music singer
Thomas Rhett Akins Jr.
Valdosta, Georgia, USA
Thomas Rhett Biography
%cThomas Rhett% was born Thomas Rhett Akins, Jr. on March 30, 1990 to country singer Rhett Akins. Rhett, who grew up listening to %cMerle Haggard%, %cHank Williams%, %cLed Zeppelin% and %cThe Rolling Stones%, didn't seriously start considering following in his father's footsteps until his senior year in high school. After high school, he went to college at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. There, he played as a member of Tau Phi for their cowboy show and for frat parties, where he got used to the crowd.
Just two years into his college career, Rhett inked a publishing deal with EMI and released a song called "I Ain't Ready to Quit" on fellow country rocker %cJason Aldean%'s 2010 release, "My Kind of Party". He then signed a recording contract with Big Machine Records' Valory Music Group division in 2011. In early 2012, he released his debut single, "Something to Do with My Hands", followed later that year by "Beer with Jesus". Both songs made it to the top 30 on the Hot Country Songs charts. His third single, "It Goes Like This", topped the Country Airplay chart and also peaked at No. 2 on the Hot Country Songs.
His debut album, also titled "It Goes Like This", was released in October that year. The album's fourth single, "Get Me Some of That", became Rhett's second No. 1 single in early 2014. The album's fifth single, "Make Me Wanna", was released to country radio on August 4, 2014. It reached No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart on March 7, 2015. In between the two singles, Rhett sang guest vocals along with %cJustin Moore% on %cBrantley Gilbert%'s "Small Town Throwdown".
Rhett has also worked with other country's big names like %cLee Brice% and %cFlorida Georgia Line%. His second album, "Tangled Up", was released in September 2015 and spawned some hits including "Die a Happy Man" and "Crash and Burn". The album reached No.1 on the Country Airplay chart in the same month.
"Crash and Burn" which served as the lead single was released in September 2014. The second single, "Die a Happy Man", blasted to No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart, Hot Country Songs and Canada Country chart in December 2015 and January 2016. It even stayed atop Country Airplay chart for eight consecutive weeks. The third single, "T-Shirt", reached the peak of Country Airplay in June 2016, but it was given mixed reviews due to its lyrics.
"Die a Happy Man" is a song written by Rhett for his wife who was also his childhood sweetheart, Lauren Gregory. They have been married since 2012 and are currently expecting their first baby as they're still in a process of adopting a child from Africa. The song was nominated in the Best Country Song category at the 2016 American Music Awards and the 2017 Grammy Awards.
In February 2017, Rhett began his "Home Team Tour" which would visit some cities throughout the U.S., Canada and the U.K. %cKelsea Bellerini%, %cRussell Dickerson%, %cRyan Hurd% are some of the special guests who will perform during the tour. The tour is set to end in November 2017.
In March 2017, Rhett was honored with Country Artist of the Year at the 2017 iHeartRadio Music Awards. He defeated the likes of %cCarrie Underwood%, %cJason Aldean%, %cKeith Urban% and %cLuke Bryan%. He was also nominated in the Country Song of the Year category for his single "T-shirt". In addition, Rhett took the stage at the award-giving event to perform "Star of the Show".
Rhett was among the biggest winners at the 2017 Academy of Country Music Awards, which was held on April 2. He nabbed Male Vocalist of the Year Award, and his hit song "Die a Happy Man" was named Song of the Year. At the award-giving event, he also took the stage with %cMaren Morris% to perform a new song titled "Craving You" which is a lead single off his upcoming album. In April 2017 during Q&A session at Outnumber Hunger Event, Rhett confirmed that his father, Rhett Akins, and pop star %cSelena Gomez% will be featured on his forthcoming project.


Take the North Country NY Craft Beer Survey for craft beer professionals.
Take the North Country NY Craft Beer Survey for craft beer consumers.
Are you a craft beer professional or consumer in northern New York? I am a participant in the St. Lawrence Citizen Journalism Incubator with a plan to showcase the cultural impact of the craft beer industry on the North Country. Please take a moment to fill out my survey... It's short, it's fun, and it's about craft beer!


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Out of This Furnace: A Novel of Immigrant Labor in America
by Thomas Bell
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
Out of This Furnace is Thomas Bell's most compelling achievement. Its story of three generations of an immigrant Slovak family -- the Dobrejcaks --... Read more
still stands as a fresh and extraordinary accomplishment.The novel begins in the mid-1880s with the naive blundering career of Djuro Kracha. It tracks his arrival from the old country as he walked from New York to White Haven, his later migration to the steel mills of Braddock, Pennsylvania, and his eventual downfall through foolish financial speculations and an extramarital affair. The second generation is represented by Kracha's daughter, Mary, who married Mike Dobrejcak, a steel worker. Their decent lives, made desperate by the inhuman working conditions of the mills, were held together by the warm bonds of their family life, and Mike's political idealism set an example for the children. Dobie Dobrejcak, the third generation, came of age in the 1920s determined not to be sacrificed to the mills. His involvement in the successful unionization of the steel industry climaxed a half-century struggle to establish economic justice for the workers.Out of This Furnace is a document of ethnic heritage and of a violent and cruel period in our history, but it is also a superb story. The writing is strong and forthright, and the novel builds constantly to its triumphantly human conclusion.
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If you're an avid DIYer, you're already on your way to saving money. But with the right planning, you can transform the feel of a whole room with a single project that only costs you a few hundred bucks. Pick from our round-up of value-boosting upgrades that all come in under the $500 mark—some well under. Not only will they be soft on your wallet now, but some of these will even save you money in the future. Check out our easy home upgrades below.
Crown molding makes it to the top of most remodeling lists because it adds charm and value to a home, not because people enjoy spending a Saturday trying to get the corners just right. Luckily, there's a simple way to beat miter-saw frustration.
Trimroc molding from is a lightweight polystyrene foam coated in hard plaster. It cuts smoothly with a handsaw and it goes up in a flash with joint compound. No coping, no tricky angles, and ragged joints disappear with a dab of mud. So in just a weekend, you can upgrade a plain room to an elegant space—and still leave plenty of time for the rest of your list.
Want to get a good grip on slippery stairs? Try a DIY runner. After getting a quote of $2,500 to carpet her dangerously slick oak staircase, TOH reader Jaime Shackford took the project into her own hands. Using just two off-the-shelf woven runners ($125 each) and supplies from a home center, she gave her stairs an non-slip upgrade.
Fortunately, caulk is cheap, and applying it isn't difficult. All you need is an hour, a few common tools, and materials easily found at any hardware store. But as easy as it is, you still have to do it right, or you'll be caulking again next year, says - saboteamos.info general contractor Tom Silva.
Installing a ventilating fan in your bath does more than just eliminate fogged-up windows, steamy mirrors and stale odors. It also helps prevent moisture-related problems, such as the growth of mold and mildew, that can be costly to remove and lead to health problems. Avoid all of that with this affordable upgrades. Here, - saboteamos.info general contractor Tom Silva shows the proper way to install a bath vent fan. In this particular installation, Tom ran the exhaust duct into the attic and through a sidewall to the outdoors.


I'm obsessed by listening. I think all leaders need to be. It's the ultimate mark of respect (remember this post?).
Last week someone shared with me a very simple fact: listen and silent share the same letters.
Very interesting. (Well I thought so!).
To really listen, we'd better be silent.


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Egypt, Ethiopia vow to find solution for Nile river dispute
Africa / 19 November 2018, 09:50am / Ali Abdelaty
Egypt said it would hold talks with Ethiopia to iron out differences over a dam on the River Nile that Cairo sees as a threat to water supplies. Picture: Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
Cairo - Egypt said on Sunday it would hold talks with Ethiopia in the next two weeks to iron out differences over an Ethiopian dam on the River Nile that Cairo sees as a threat to its water supplies.
The two countries and Sudan have held a series of meetings over the $4 billion hydroelectric Grand Renaissance Dam, but have yet to reach a deal on managing flows and other issues.
Egypt fears the scheme will restrict the waters coming down from Ethiopia's highlands, through the deserts of Sudan, to its fields and reservoirs. Ethiopia, which wants to become Africa's biggest power exporter, says it will have no such impact.
Egypt's prime minister, Mostafa Madbouly, said he and his Ethiopian counterpart, Abiy Ahmed, agreed "to start bilateral discussions in the next two weeks to agree on the points that remain unagreed," state news agency MENA reported.
MENA cited Abiy as saying he wanted to preserve Egypt's Nile river rights.
The dam was scheduled to be finished by 2020, but Abiy said in August it would be delayed by several years.


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UK Says Fleeing Egyptian Muslim Brothers Can Qualify For Asylum; Egyptian Government Criticizes UK Position
A variety of media are report that according to a new UK Home Office document, Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood fleeing from Egypt may qualify for political asylum in the UK if they meet certain criteria of persecution. According to an Al-Araby report:
August 7, 2016 New guidance published by the UK's Home Office says that Muslim Brotherhood [MB] members may qualify for political asylum in Britain if their lives and livelihoods are under threat in Egypt.
The document entitled Country Information and Guidance Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood, states that an individual may apply for asylum in the UK because of 'a fear of persecution or serious harm by the state because of the person's actual or perceived involvement with the Muslim Brotherhood'.
The 22-page document alludes to the tactics that have been used against political opponents of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, stating that MB members 'may be able to show that they are at risk of persecution, including of being held in detention, where they may be at risk of ill-treatment, trial also without due process and disproportionate punishment'.
The new guidance also states that Egyptians who are not official MB members but have been deemed to be so by authorities may also be granted refuge in the UK. This is of particular relevance to many Egyptian journalists who have been subjected to repression since the political takeover by Sisi's regime in 2013."
Al-Araby is also reporting that the UK position has been harshly criticized by the Egyptian government:
August 10, 2106 Egyptian parliamentarians have slammed new guidance issued by the UK's Home Office on Muslim Brotherhood members seeking refuge in Britain, claiming the move underlines Britain's "long-standing tolerance of Islamic extremism".
Members of the legislative chamber, which is made up primarily of loyalists of anti-Brotherhood President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, joined the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in condemning the British decision to consider asylum applications from Muslim Brotherhood members or associates who face real threats of detention, torture and trial without due process.
As the GMBDW has already explained in the UK media, the UK has long served as the "command and control" centre for the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe.
The Home Office document can be found here.
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Christian Charity Says Israeli Case Against Its Gaza Director For Funding Hamas Does Not Add Up - 12:41 PM Muslim Council of Britain Supports Turkish Government - 12:57 PM UK Says Fleeing Egyptian Muslim Brothers Can Qualify For Asylum; Egyptian Government Criticizes UK Position - 01:08 PM
Italian Muslim Brotherhood Leader Draws Criticism Over Support For Legalizing Polygamy - 02:17 PM
World Media Discovers Global Muslim Brotherhood In Turkey; We Told You About This In 2011 - 04:12 PM
Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood Recycles Forty-Seven Year Old Conspiracy Theory On Al-Aqsa Mosque Fire - 05:20 PM
Who Will Fact Check The Washington Post?- Latest Attempt On Huma Abedin Fails Miserably - 11:40 AM


Please Note: The Geovision GV-SD200 is no longer manufactured, please refer to the Geovision PTZ camera page for a replacement.
The Geovision GV-SD200 is a Megapixel IP PTZ Camera featuring a video resolution of 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) at 30 fps (Real Time) and a 1/2.8" Sony Progressive Scan CMOS Sensor. The Geovision GV-SD200 Megapixel IP PTZ Camera has an 18x optical zoom lens along with auto iris control. Click here to watch a video demonstration. With POE (Power Over Ethernet) there is no need to power the camera locally or to run a separate power cable. The GV-SD200 has a color lux rating of 0.05 and a black and white lux rating of 0.01 for low light situations. This network PTZ is also available in an outdoor model here: outdoor megapixel PTZ camera.
This video actual demonstrates the outdoor model of this megapixel PTZ camera, the GV-SD200-S. However, the only difference between the two models is that the GV-SD200-S comes in a weatherproof, outdoor rated housing. The resolution and 18x optical zoom capability is the same.


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Vulcanizer gets four years for stealing Two Saloon Cars
By Nana Oye Gyimah
Cape Coast, Jan 13, GNA-Samuel Idan, a 32-year-old Vulcanizer has been sentenced to four years imprisonment in hard labour by a Cape Coast Circuit Court for stealing two saloon cars.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge of stealing, but the Court presided over by Mrs. Dorinda Arthur Smith found him guilty.
Detailing the facts of the case, Inspector Yakubu Iddrisu said the convict who resides at Apewosika, a suburb of Cape Coast, on Wednesday February 24, 2020 rented two cars from the Complainant, Mr. Ibrahim Osman who resides at Adisadel also in Cape Coast.
The cars, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra with identification numbers CR 1706-20 and GR 8921-16 respectively per agreement, were supposed to be returned a week after the convict rented them but he failed to do so.
Sergeant Iddrisu said the convict went into hiding after investigations revealed he had sold one of the vehicles to some people in Accra.
After a thorough police investigations, the Hyundai Elantra was retrieved from one Alhaji who bought it.
The convict was found and arrested last year and arraigned before Court, but refused to disclose information on the whereabouts of the second car.
Sales agent granted GHS 120,000.00 bail for stealing
The voice you labelled as a female's is conjecture—Defense Counsel to witness
Police Recruitment: 36-year-old scammer arrested
Miner sentenced five years for extortion
Court remands restaurant worker over alleged murder


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Home » IPv6 for IoT
IPv6 evolution
IPv6 related standards and effort page
IoT6 architecture
IoT6 use cases
IPv6 advantages for IoT
Check your IPv6 connection
IPv6 Survey
In order to highlight the benefits of an IPv6-based IoT, in this page we present three different use cases that have been implemented in the context of the IoT6 project. They show well how it is possible to interconnect different devices, and create interactions between different services. In detail, first, we illustrate the integration of legacy building automation devices into a homogeneous IoT IPv6-based smart office. Then, an advanced scenario regarding building safety is described. And finally, in the last use case, focused on building maintenance, we describes the replacement of a faulty device.
Use case 1: Smart Office and legacy devices Integration
As there still exists a heterogeneous landscape and large variety of legacy devices and networks in the building automation domain, their integration into the Internet through a single interface is still a challenge to face. But, actually it can be addressed by IPv6 and the IoT. In the presented Smart Office scenario, several automation devices of different legacy networks (i.e., BACnet, KNX) are integrated through a gateway which is responsible for translating legacy protocol messages into IPv6 packages and providing a homogeneous view on the underlying heterogeneous networks and associated devices.
Figure - Use case 1: smart office presence detection
The figure illustrates (i) an IoT6 Gateway (IoT6 GW) integrating several legacy devices, (ii) an IPv6-enabled RFID reader, and (iii) a Control and Monitoring System (CMS) as service in the IoT cloud.
The Smart Office use case starts when an employee enters the building and presents his/her RFID badge to the system's RFID reader. As the RFID reader is IPv6-enabled it may directly communicate with the CMS using IPv6. The CMS subsequently chooses the employee's comfort profile for his/her office and sends settings and commands to the IoT6 GW which integrates devices of the particular office into the IoT. The IoT6 GW controls a variety of different devices from heterogeneous building automation
networks and masks this heterogeneity by providing a uniform IPv6 interface for all devices. The IoT6 Gateway can in further consequence be used to set user-defined preferences for the employee in his/her office. In the example case, the heating actuator setpoint (H) and two brightness actuators (L) integrated through a BACnet network are adjusted. At the same time, also the position of the sunblind (B) which is controlled via a KNX network is adapted according to user preferences. For the CMS, the idiosyn-crasies of the different underlying legacy networks make no difference as the IoT6 Gateway transparently integrates these devices into the IoT allowing to adjust them in a uniform way.
A similar situation to the one illustrated in Figure can be observed when the employee leaves the office building. As soon as he/she provides his/her RFID badge to the RFID reader, the CMS is informed that the employee is about to leave the building. In this case, the CMS can execute an energy-saving rule which turns off all devices in the employee's office. Alternatively, a presence sensor in the office combined with a time-out could be used to detect absence and initiate the energy-saving scenario.
Use Case 2: Safety alert and dynamic routing
The second use case, slightly more complex than the first one, is focused on an emergency situation and the capabilities of an IoT architecture to deal with this. As initial setup for this use case, an IPv6-enabled temperature sensor (S) is considered which periodically sends an update of the sensed temperature value to a Control and Management System (CMS) available as service in the IoT. The starting point for this use case is a sensor that reads a temperature which is too high (i.e., outside the boundaries of usual operation). The Control and Management System detects this abnormality and flags the received message as an alert message. It sends the value to a smart router which is a component in the IoT that according to the type of the message may take different routing decisions. If a normal temperature message is received the smart router sends the temperature messages to a Building Energy Management Server (BEMS) that may be responsible for logging and reporting the energy demand of a building. In the present case (excessive temperature), however, the smart router detects the priority of the message (alert) and according to the tagging carried out by the CMS forwards the value to a specific Safety Server (StS) which is responsible for handling alert situations. As the StS receives the abnormal value it firstly contacts the Global Resource Directory (GRD) to gather information about the location of the sensor. If the StS already has a list of alarm devices with their location it can compare the location of stored devices with the location of the temperature sensor to directly turn on an IPv6-enabled alarm device (A) in the vicinity of the alert situation. If the StS has no pre-stored alarm devices for the area for which the alarm was reported, it is possible to issue another query to the GRD service requesting alarm devices that are in the vicinity (e.g., found in 15 meters radius) of the alert. Any device capable of signaling an alarm which is found can subsequently be switched on. Further, the StS may have a list of mobile phones of persons in charge for alert situations (e.g., fire wardens, system engineers). In this case, the CMS has to gather information about the current location of the IPv6-enabled mobile phones from the Global Resource Directory through an additional query. After it received this information, the CMS can inform responsible persons near the area of interest about the alert situation via their mobile phones. As shown in the Figure, all communication is handled via IPv6 which emphasizes the diversity of devices and components that may be integrated in the IoT. If legacy devices are involved, either on the sensor or on the actuator side, again an IoT6 Gateway can be used for integration as described before.
Figure - Use case 2: safety alert
Use case 3: Building maintenance
The third use case is related with building service maintenance. It involves a variety of IoT components and demonstrates how these components in combination with IPv6 communication can be used to detect device failures in a building and investigate as well as fix the cause. In the shown case, a number of sensors are connected to the IoT through an IoT6 gateway (IoT6 GW) which assures that all legacy sensors can be accessed in a uniform way through IPv6 communication (as in the Use Case 1). This use case starts with the failure of a legacy component in the subnet controlled by a specific IoT6 gateway, e.g., a temperature sensor. Usually, a Control and Management System (CMS) observes the value of a temperature sensor to, for example, detect safety situations or perform energy reporting (as in Use Case 2). In the case an observed sensor silently fails, a time-out occurs at the CMS, indicating that something is wrong with the device. A message is generated at the Control and Management System and sent to the Maintenance Tool (MaT) for further examination. In its simplest form, the Maintenance Tool could also run on a local CMS but presently is pictured as global service in the IoT cloud. As soon as the MaT gets the message about the failure of a device, it creates an alert ticket and sends out failure notifications to a variety of mobile phones of responsible persons (e.g., system engineers). The group of recipients may again be based on the current location of the mobile phones for which a lookup call to the Global Resource Directory would be necessary (as in Use Case 2). A person associated with one of the contacted mobile phones seeks out the faulty device and uses a maintenance app on the mobile phone to scan its RFID tag. The information is relayed to the MaT which needs to find out the device which is associated to the respective RFID tag. Therefore, it queries the Global Resource Directory (GRD) for the location of the Smart Things Information Service (STIS), a database-like service that keeps associations between RFID tags and devices. The MaT further sends back information to the maintenance app running at the mobile device providing the system engineer with more information about the device. With the help of this information, the engineer has the possibility to run diagnostics on the device. In this case, the CMS further acts as an intermediary between Maintenance Tool and the IoT6 Gateway, accepting and relaying messages from the Maintenance Tool to the IoT6 Gateway. In case the device's defectiveness is confirmed, a replacement order needs to be made. This order can again be performed using the MaT. The information previously retrieved from the STIS may in this case further be used to directly order the spare part from an Inventory Management System (IMS), another service in the IoT. If the address of the IMS is not yet known by the MaT, it first again has to issue a request to the GRD. Alternatively, the IMS may be part of the maintenance tool in which case the separation of the two services can be omitted.
Figure - Use case 3: building maintenance