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Returning to Olympia in Style w/Agon
February 19th, 2020 | Reviews | Printer Friendly
As at least 2,661 of you from the Kickstarter might have heard, but Agon is coming out sometime in April! In case some of you are wondering just what Agon is: "Agon is a game of fast-paced heroic adventure inspired by ancient legends," or at least by how the super successful Kickstarter describes it as. It's a uniquely paced RPG written by Sean Nitter and the well-proven John Harper. You know, the guy that wrote and designed Blades in the Dark and constantly the target of my System Splicing knife? Honestly, I've gutted more mechanics out of Blades in the Dark to shove into other systems than other systems HAVE in mechanics.
Before we start with the legit review, can I start with one major gripe? Agon lets you be either the Scion(distant kid) or the target of an Olympian God's favor. So how the Hekate is Hekate one of the 12 gods listed in this game and not my sweet Dionysus? They list out literally 11 of the 12 Olympians, but give Dionysus' seat over to the Goddess of witchcraft and magic? Is it to make the game more family-friendly? Was wine, madness, resurrection, and theatre just too out of it? I understand that the game likely needed to take in some degree of magic, perhaps to appease the wizard pals who want to play this, but I just think it's a darned shame to use most of the 12 Olympians and make such a massive swap.
Alright, enough of that.
A Confession
Admittedly when I was going through Agon the first couple of times it was actually fairly difficult to get through all of it. There's a lot to take in and it can be a bit overwhelming—in a way, that's a good thing. The game, the tone, and how the game plays is such a departure from what I'm used to that it was somewhat difficult to entirely process. I've played a lot of different systems between D&D 5e, to FATE, to Rifts(1990), to Genesys, to Savage Worlds, and plenty of others. Even with all of them, I've been able to refer to some other similar system on the regular to compare them. Finding something that stood apart from all of that was difficult. However, the very pleasing art and layout are particularly helpful in making it easy to get sucked back into the book.
When running it I noticed how it very much felt like I was telling some sort of epic. The flowchart-like phases for each section made it all feel like an epic. It was less about the individual tales we were telling and it all felt like I was one step above that. It was interesting playing with players not necessarily focused on what they were doing, but always thinking about how it would affect the next immediate narrative phase.
The first thing that anyone can immediately tell is how… /stunning/ it all is. It really calls out to anyone that appreciates solid Greco-roman influences and, honestly, it reminds me a little of Monster Hunter or the movie 300. Admittedly, I'm not exactly culturally acute enough to fully appreciate the attention to detail, but anyone that is would absolutely adore its look. I have a feeling that nowadays not exactly everyone is the most up-to-date on Greco-roman things to be nitpicky about it, so as part of the various unwashed masses I'm loving the whole thing.
Honestly, I'm not even certain if I'm using 'Greco-roman' correctly.
The layout is clean and simple and the margins have this beautiful wavy-labyrinthine (have I mentioned I'm unwashed?) outline to it that makes me feel like I'm looking at some epic tapestry or bardic scroll. Evil Hat is always stellar on making their books clean and non-cluttered and this is no exception in the slightest. Reading through it makes me think 'yeah this is definitely Evil Hat' at the reins.
I also want to just slide in that Character Creation in this game is just so… clean and crisp. It takes up, at most, 3-pages and is incredibly clear on the role of each decision you make during it. It's possibly the best example of modern character creation I've seen in a long while. The example character sheet fitting right in the end as well is a great reference. "Did I do this right?" isn't something that many creators seem to care about since it's obvious to them, but many players do.
Agon uses 4 major 'Domains of Conflict' for their skill/conflict & resolution mechanics. This is split between Arts & Oration, Blood & Valor, Craft & Reason, and Resolve & Spirit. All conflicts tend to fall under one of these, and these are represented not in modifiers, but dice. So your Blood & Valor could be a d6 while your Craft & Reason is a d8. Not only are those associated with dice, but also your 'Name' or how famous you are, and your 'Epithet' or what you're about.
When you roll various contests, or engagement, or any other conflict resolution mechanics, you typically roll your Name (let's say d6) and the domain (let's say Craft & Reason at d8). If your Epithet applies (High-Scholar at d6) you add that dice too. Let's say you rolled 5, 3, 4. What you do is add the two highest values, or 5+4, for 9. There's additional dice you can add either using your resources such as Bond (to add your ally's Name die), taking damage (Pathos) to add additional Domain dice or invoke your Divine Favor from your God to add a d4. Unlike all the other dice, Divine Favor is added to the final result. The rest is simply adding to the pools of fate to draw from.
The rule system reminds me a lot of some form between FATE and OVA: The Anime RPG. FATE because you're looking to draw on the right situations to pull out your Epithet and Divine Favor to give you an edge; OVA because you simply roll larger and larger pools of dice only to sum up a small number of values. The fact Agon stands out even between those two RPG-oddballs is incredibly striking to hipster swill like me.
Nitpicks
Honestly, there's very little that I can personally say that'll result in a non-recommendation. This book is glorious from front-to-back with solid and clean mechanics and I would personally recommend folks to pick it up the moment it's available. However, there's always something to nitpick.
The main issue I have, at least in the version of the book I've got, they currently call the GM, or Gamemaster, the 'Strife Player.' I'm of the belief that 'Strife Player' isn't particularly… striking in a way that's meaningful. Essentially it's the player that ends up leading the game. From a phonetic stance, Strife Player doesn't roll off the tongue as cleanly and it doesn't feel distinctive enough to identify the different roles between the GM and the players. The whole way through the book I kept thinking to myself 'wait, am I able to assign who the strife player is?' I imagine this was done to help level the playing field and identify that yes, the GM is ultimately just another player in the grand scheme of things. However, its lack of distinctiveness just added a layer, albeit a thin one, of befuddlement through the reading experience.
I'd personally just suggest going with the classic Gamemaster or Storyteller, or Record Keeper, or Seer, or something. If not, I'd like them to at least refer to the Strife Player in its description to something of those lines in a clearer manner. It'd be easy enough to insert an 'as the Strife Player, you act as the Game Master of the game and take a role to facilitate the play of the other players-' etc etc. There's a whole section of cultural touchstones in the book for the players, so why can't the Strife Player have some sort of recognizable reference to their role? It feels like an arbitrary omission.
Another concern I have is how processed it almost feels? The way the game works makes it extremely easy for the GM and players to switch roles and even switch characters. Honestly, this type of game really supports 'West Marches' or 'Troupe' style of games where you can change up who you are and what you do completely on the fly. While that's good for some, it doesn't work for all. It also walks you through its 'Trials' and 'Respite' phases in a very organized fashion. It has the players consistently hit the same beats of gameplay that, at least for the gaming group I played with, it almost felt samey at each run. For groups that desire revolving players so that no one feels 'trapped' as the Gamemaster, Agon is absolutely perfect for them. It really just depends on what you're looking for.
My Takeaway
Agon is an extremely modern game that plays with very old themes. It reminds me a bit, honestly, of Supergiant's recent hit Hades. It goes back to bring a modern take to old stories, or at least the atmosphere of that time and succeeds greatly in the delivery. As someone that loves trawling and hunting around for old games and mechanics, I can say that Agon is the most extreme departure I've seen thus far from tabletops in the 70s and 80s, with no point of reference to folks of that time.
It applies dice mechanics to your name/fame, your title, and it consolidates rolling mechanics to pools of varying dice shapes that sometimes but don't always get added together. It's even so different from so many current games that you need to wrap yourself around a new headspace, a new way to think, about how games are played and stories are told. For me, someone that likes to drink upon my aforementioned hipster swill, this game is fresh and exciting. I can see it setting a stage for modern games as would say, Phoenix Dawn Command might have if it was far more accessible.
I'm fairly excited to see what direction Agon takes us, as a community.
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agon header - Images for Journalistic / Review Purposes John Harper & Sean Nitter
1 - Images for Journalistic / Review Purposes John Harper & Sean Nitter
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Di is a freelance editor and future librarian that spends more time behind a GM screen than she likes to admit. She enjoys system-talk over long walks on the beach and likes critiquing mainstream games like some sort of elitist. Apparently an ENnie Judge and VTuber now?
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I'm a self made computer guru that has XBMC on my Windows system. It means I can watch pretty much anything I want anytime I want.
Today I watched Jesus Camp for the first time. Most of the kids in this film are under the age of 12, and what they do to these kids is almost criminal. Young children crying, wailing, and "talking in tongues" with some claiming to be "saved" at the age of 5. What does a 5 year old have to be saved from? Maybe the people putting them through this torture. I was wondering when they are going to get airplanes and have these kids fly them into buildings. The film was just about that bad, and it shows us what atheists are really up against in the christian world today. These people know they are the "true" religion.
Open here for any comments if others have seen this film, and what they think about it. Sorry for my poor posting here in AN, but it was my first time.
I've seen fragments, and had to stop, it was appalling. Those people don't know that they maim their children for life! Here they didn't make such a show of their religion, but I'll never forget how scared I was, even before my fifth birthday. I,d rather grown up in an orphanage.
You're right - childhood is a very dangerous time, because then we're so vulnerable and dependant.
Thanks everyone. Bill Mahr talked about how bad this film was, so I finally had to see it. He was right.


Mischi uses a very diverse variety of techniques and skills in her work. Having been around textiles all of her life in both Germany and Australia she has developed a unique style of her own. She works with mainly natural fibres and found objects. Letting the medium and history of the material take her on a journey.
Mischis passions are spinning, shibori dyeing – mainly with indigo, boro, sashiko and piecing. She uses some of those techniques frequently separately or combined in her work. Sometimes she lets the stitching take her where ever it wants to go other times there is a precision in her work that speaks of her love for the right balance and composition.
Her work is always hand stitched. Old and antique textiles are often included in her art. Mischi is a founding member of EFTAG and has been a driving force behind that group for its 13 years of existence. She has exhibited her work numerous times around the south coast and ACT. She lives on the south coast and the beauty of the landscape that surrounds her are the inspiration for her art.


Rates are per room (breakfast and wifi included). Triple rooms and extra beds are possible.
- For 25 person in Theater room full equipment and supported.
- Concept by Lahu art.
-	Thai massage by experience Thai masseur.
-	Special massage with expert Lahu masseur.
-	Real home area for relaxing and sharing travel experience.
-	Home gallery & Doi Pumuen History.
-	Fresh coffee and Chinese tea from our original farm.
-	Each cup of fresh coffee and tea that you drink supports our village.


There are two ways to apply for representation with one of Melbourne's best acting and talent casting agencies.
Attend a screen test - TCA Talent Agents hold regular screen tests throughout the year. The performer is sent a short one-minute script to learn for the screen test. After this process successful applicants are invited to join the TCA. Unsuccessful applicants are encouraged to complete further training – options include attending a screen acting short course or a casting workshop with TCA. Screen tests are held regularly throughout the year. Currently enrolled Stage School students will receive an email when the next screen test sessions are open to book.
Send us your information for consideration. This can be done at any time. Email your CV and headshots/photos to agent@talentcompany.com.au along with a showreel if you have one, or links to your YouTube/web page. If your submission is of interest to us we will be in contact to arrange an audition. As above, after this process, successful applicants are invited to join the TCA or recommended to attend further training.
Important note for both screen tests and submissions: we welcome diversity and represent a wide range of ages, genders, ethnicities and skills, however, not all applicants will be accepted.


dongfeng bulk feed delivery truck_supplier and manufacturer|Chengli Special Automobile Co., Ltd.
Dongfeng duolika bulk feed deliver truck, is with the tank volume of 12cbm and loading 7ton bulk feed pellet, electronic auger discharging, etc.
This dongfeng duolika bulk feed tank is with the discharging pipe of 70 degree tilting, vertical discharging height is 7.5m, and 10 minites to discharging all the feed.
Dongeng duolika feed pellet truck adopts high quality carbon steel, with 2 independent compartments. The bulk feed tanks manufactured by Chengli Special Automobile Co., Ltd. adopts three phrase 380 volts electronic auger discharging, the discharging speed is 1cbm/min or 0.6ton/min. The discharging height of the bulk feed truck is 7.5m, suitable for the filling of the feed storage houses of Planting and Cultivation bases.
Chengli Special Automobile Co., Ltd. is the leading mnaufacturer and supplier of bulk feed pellet truck, bulk feed tank trailer, etc. in China. With many years' experience in developing, Chengli Special Automobile Co., Ltd. could produce and sell 6cbm-45cbm bulk feed delivery truck, 50cbm-60cbm bulk feed trailer, etc. Our CLW bulk feed pellet tanks have been exported to many countries. More information, please feel free to contact with Ms. Anita Deng.
Bulk feed delivery truck is main used for delivering, loading and discharging of feed pellets of different feed factories, large-type poultry farms, and also for transporting some non-corrosive feed pellets, such as pellets from pharmaceutical factory and turnover of grain depots, etc. the feed trucks manufactured by Chengli Special Automobile Co., Ltd. can transporting various feed pellet with the different compartments, the dream transporting vehicles for poultry farms and feed factories.
With the development of the livestock husbandry, the bulk feeds trucks become more and more important. Some small feedstuff factory actually don't need large tonnage feed pellet truck. For this, Chengli Special Automobile Co., Ltd. designed and produced new small bulk feed transportation trucks for the small feeds factories, that is dongfeng 4ton bulk feed pellet truck-dongfeng furuika bulk grain carrier. This model of powder feed transportation tank truck is with the volume of 8cbm, adopts dongfeng furuika original chassis, high quality and competitive price, easy operation and maintenance, etc.
The feed tank is installed on the truck chassis; there is one mouth for loading at the tank top. And the helical delivering discharging pipe (also called discharging auger) on the tank top can rotate and upraise freely with the upraise angle of 60 degree. When transporting, the helical pipe lay on the tank top; when discharging, upraise. Connected the discharging feed outlet with the top inlet of feed storage tank controlled by the operation device at the driver cab or the tank rear part.
At present, there are 4ton bulk feed truck, 6ton feed pellet truck, 8ton poultry feeds delivery truck, dongfeng Tianjin 10ton-11ton bulk grain truck. And the feed tank volumes of 8cbm, 12cbm, 16cbm, 20cbm, 22cbm,45 cbm bulk feed semitrailer, etc. And we can design the bulk feed truck/trailer upon request.
The bulk feed delivery truck manufactured by our company is a kind of special transportation vehicle refitted on the second type chassis or the cargo trucks clients offered, then choosing the high quality and high strength carbon steel, welded the tank; equipped with electronic auger discharging system. Bulk feed tank is made up of chassis, loading feed pellet tank, discharging auger system and electro hydraulic operation system, etc.
a, the feed tank adopts high quality carbon steel, automatically welded.
b, with different compartments to loading and discharging different kinds of feed.
e, fewer residue with beautiful overlooking.
f,our feed truck always hold the lead in the similar products.


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Recording, mixing: Fixing A Hole
Tuesday 21 February 1967 Sgt Pepper, Studio 3 Comments
Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Geoff Emerick
The Beatles finished recording the Sgt Pepper song 'Fixing A Hole' during this session, having begun it at Regent Sound Studio in London on 9 February 1967.
The session began at 7pm and finished at 12.45am. The Beatles intended to record a remake of the song, but after one attempt – numbered take 1, despite the previous three – they decided the results of the earlier session were adequate.
Take two from the Regent Sound tape was subjected to a reduction mix to free up space. This became known as take three, even though a take with that number already existed. The mix combined the lead guitars and backing vocals on track three, and two lead vocal parts combined on track four.
This left track two vacant. Onto it The Beatles recorded another rhythm track, which featured Paul McCartney on bass guitar, George Martin playing a second harpsichord part, and Ringo Starr on drums. The song's final master therefore contained two bass guitar parts, two harpsichords, and two different drum tracks.
'Fixing A Hole' was then mixed in mono. Five were made, numbered RM2-6, even though there had been no previous mix numbered one.
The final version of the song was an edit of mixes three and six. This was made at the end of the session; the join can be heard at the 2:06 mark.
Recording, mixing: Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!, Good Morning Good Morning
Recording, mixing: A Day In The Life
2015: Ringo Starr live: Hard Rock Hotel, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
2010: EMI: Abbey Road is not for sale
1975: UK album release: Rock 'N' Roll by John Lennon
1972: Wings live: Birmingham University
1970: Mixing: The Lovely Linda, Momma Miss America, Glasses, Singalong Junk by Paul McCartney
1966: US single release: Nowhere Man
1964: Travel: Miami to New York to London
1963: Live: Majestic Ballroom, Birkenhead
1962: Live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (evening)
1961: Live: Cassanova Club, Liverpool
David Harvey Thursday 16 June 2022
Richard Lush claimed that John played a Fender bass, but this is clearly untrue, as a) Paul overdubbed his own bass part and b) there was no right-handed bass owned by the band then.
Colin Saturday 18 June 2022
They're the beatles mate, I reckon they could have got hold of one!
David Harvey Monday 4 July 2022
The Fender Bass IV, which can be played either as a bass guitar or as a regular 6-string guitar, came into the band's possession around 1968 and they didn't have it during the "Sgt. Pepper" sessions.
There was also a Burns Nu-Sonic bass, but I don't know if it belonged to the group or if it just happened to be lying around at Abbey Road Studios.
I don't know what became of either bass after the group disbanded in 1970 – I wonder if John may have smashed the 6-string bass to pieces or if George sold it? Paul obviously had no use for it, being a left-hander.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Who should complete this notice of intent?
When should I complete this notice of intent?
Will I be eligible for a deduction?
What is a valid notice?
How do I change an amount previously included on a valid notice of intent?
How do I complete this notice of intent?
Form and instructions for super fund members to claim or vary a deduction for personal contributions. This form should be used for personal contributions made after 1 July 2017 (NAT 71121).
Do not use this form to claim a deduction for the super contributions that are shown as reportable employer superannuation contributions on your annual payment summary —these are not tax deductible personal contributions.
You can download this form in Portable Document Format (PDF) – download Notice of intent to claim or vary a deduction for personal super contributions (NAT 71121, PDF, 378KB)This link will download a file.


text:
Alleged BlackBerry 10 leak shows specs for all-touch L-series and keyboard N-series
An alleged leak has revealed specs for an all-touch L-series and keyboard-bearing N-series pair of BlackBerry 10 phones, possibly referring to the London and Nevada codenames.
By Adi Robertson@thedextriarchy Jun 25, 2012, 12:33pm EDT
Source N4BB
Share All sharing options for: Alleged BlackBerry 10 leak shows specs for all-touch L-series and keyboard N-series
via n4bb.com
We've seen a lot of leaks for BlackBerry 10 device codenames, and now N4BB has what they say is an internal document on the latest two BlackBerry phones. The L-series and N-series could logically be the devices codenamed London and Nevada, with the L-series being the all-touch phone RIM has promised is launching first and the N-series having the physical keyboard that's supposed to be coming later. The L-series is listed as having a 1280 x 768 screen with 356 PPI; it's supposedly 55mm wide. The screen is supposed to be about the same as that on the developer alpha device, and it does apparently have the same resolution.
The N-series, meanwhile, is listed as having a square 720 x 720 display with 330 PPI and a width of 52 to 53mm. According to the document, the first version of the N-series will have an OLED display, with later versions switching to LCD. N4BB says the L-series could be coming out as early as September, with the N-series slated for Q1 of 2013. We didn't see much that either confirmed or refuted our previous information on the London, however, and we're still waiting on the rest of RIM's long list of codenames.


If you could ask for ANYTHING for this year, what would it be?
With your family, body, money, your relationship…? With you?
Please know…you can ask for something new in EVERY SINGLE AREA of your life and living!
Come along to Brazil and I'll tell you what my ask for 2019 is!
What if this is the year of joy and AWESOME?
Time to wave your magic wand!
P.S. For more of my adventures throughout the world and more tools, please visit my Tour of Consciousness page.


It embraces three gleaming adornments- bracelet, chain, and ring. All three parts are interwoven and hence are slaves of each other. Diamond garnished slave bracelets are typically associated with Harem jewelry of the Mughal period.


text:
U.S. Travel and Brand USA Recognize WestJet Vacations at Premier Chairman's Circle Honors at IPW 2013
LAS VEGAS, July 4, 2013 /CNW/ - The inaugural Chairman's Circle Honors took place June 10, 2013 at The Venetian hotel in Las Vegas to celebrate a selection of international companies for their prominence and contributions to the U.S. travel industry. Held during IPW 2013, this elite awards event honored 92 representatives from 46 of the world's highest volume tour operators and buyers of the U.S. travel product.
WestJet Vacations representatives were presented with a custom-designed crystal award and a beautiful hand-cast bronze medallion as a "thank you" for their continuing excellence in promoting travel to the United States.
"WestJet Vacations are delighted to receive our designation as one of America's top international travel buyers," said Tim Croyle, Vice-President and General Manager, WestJet Vacations. "We are committed to providing our guests with several vacation package options in 22 destinations across the U.S. Even more important is helping our guests find the right destination for an exceptional experience, whether it be a family vacation or a gathering of friends. Our U.S. partners continue to make our job much easier by providing a consistently enjoyable experience to all of our guests travelling south of the border."
"The Chairman's Circle Honors provides a special opportunity to recognize the international companies that are leading the way in driving visitation to the U.S.," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of U.S. Travel. "These high-performing buyers exemplify the power of travel. IPW, the event during where so much of that business is conducted, is the perfect occasion to honor and thank them."
"We are thrilled to collectively pay tribute to America's top international travel buyers," said Chris Thompson, president and CEO of Brand USA. "These organizations provide critical support for the U.S. travel and tourism industry. As the national marketing entity, Brand USA invites the world to discover America, and we deeply appreciate how the buyers help transform that vision into reality."
A full list of honorees follows:
Air Canada Vacations, Alpitour, America As You Like it, America United, Aviatur SA, Best Day Travel, Bon Voyage Travel and Tours, British Airways Holidays, CANUSA Touristik, Compagnies des Etats-Unis, Creative Holidays, CVC Brasil Operadora E Agencia de Viagens S/A, Dertour, Despegar.com, Explorer Fernreisen GmbH, FTI Touristik, GTA UK, H.I.S. International Tours, Hana Tour Service, Inc., House of Travel, Ltd., Infinity Holidays, Jan Doets America Tours, Jetset Voyages, J-Pac Travel, JTB International, Kintetsu International Express, Inc., Knecht Reisen AG, Kuoni Travel, Meier's Weltreisen, MMT Gapnet Tours, Nascimento Turismo, North America Travel Service, Shanghai Ctrip International Travel Services Co., Ltd., Swanson's Travel AB, TAM Viagens, Thomas Cook AG, Thomas Cook North America , Thomas Cook Tours, Tour America, Trailfinders, Ltd., Trend Operadora, TUI Deutschland GmbH , TUI Specialist, Virgin Holidays, Voyageurs du Monde, and WestJet Vacations, Inc.
About the U.S. Travel Association
The U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry that generates $2.0 trillion in economic output and supports 14.6 million jobs. U.S. Travel's mission is to increase travel to and within the United States. Visit www.ustravel.org.
Image with caption: "Yehudi Altman, Director, Product, WestJet Vacations and Tim Croyle, Vice-President and General Manager, WestJet Vacations accepting Chairman's Circle honour. (CNW Group/WestJet)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130704_C5432_PHOTO_EN_28768.jpg


At the University of Oslo  where I work, we have been using Cfengine3  as the core component for continuous automation and maintenance of the RedHat Enterprise Linux platform since 2010(ish). Cfengine really shines due to its flexibility, reliability, speed and low resource consumption. Flexibility because of its context class system, reliability because of its distributed nature and few dependencies, speed and low resource consumption because its written in C by developers that writes efficient code. For these reasons Cfengine is my preferred choice to ensure stable operation of critical infrastructure without worrying much about the promised outcome.
However, there is a difficult challenge of reporting/knowledge management/transparency in order to support design decisions when changing and/or improving the infrastructure policies. Automation tools like Cfengine is powerful hence it is possible to make quite powerful mistakes too. Change = risk as always, but change supported by infrastructure knowledge poses less risk than without this knowledge. Ultimately we would like to answer the question: "Will the change I am about to deploy work as intended, and will it not lead to unforeseen negative consequences for the operation?". Infrastructure engineers around the world are constantly faced with these questions. Tools like Cfengine (combined with code review tools, automatic testing and frequent small changes) certainly is a long step in the right direction, but ultimately we would like remove all uncertainty regarding the consequences of deploying changes.
It is tempting to think that we could collect all aspects of our infrastructure like component inventory, relationships between all components, however, this does not scale. We need to find a balance between information and knowledge collection and the risk we are trying to address. As Mark Burgess in many eloquent ways points out in his book "In search of certainty"  , we need to realise that we must accept that uncertainty will always exist and manage it as best we can. In order to minimise uncertainty, infrastructure should be built with self repairing autonomous components that ensures stable and predictable behaviour, thus contributing to stability and predictability of the infrastructure at a larger scale. Cfengine is a tool which enables this behaviour.
But in the end it is us, the infrastructure engineers, the dev-ops, the software developers, that together must create and orchestrate all the different components in a manner that supports and contributes to stable desired state in spite of ever changing desires driven by business goals. Changes in desires necessitates adaptation of infrastructure components which lead to policy change which again poses risk. The risk can be minimised by domain knowledge about the affected components and testing. If we could collect some kind of feedback from the components in the form of information about their current actual state and function, that could support and extend our domain knowledge.
A lot of data need to be pulled from Redis servers when querying for global infrastructure questions.
The lack of encryption, although compression of data somewhat obscures the data. This could of course easily be added by having the components encrypt the data too.
Lately I have become fascinated by ZeroMQ , their design philosophy and its adoption by different tools. ZeroMQ is basically a set of libraries for almost all known programming languages enabling efficient and reliable asynchronous network communication; network sockets with superpowers. I wondered I could leverage ZeroMQ in order to help building a tool for information collection and started looking around for helpful code examples. Then suddenly SaltStack  pops up on the top of the list. A parallel execution framework built on ZeroMQ; that looked interesting.
So I started reading documentation, installed a couple of salt minions and a salt master to test with. Salt stack is both a parallel execution system and a configuration management tool where you can specify basic desired state in YAML files and have it adapted to context using what salt calls "grains". Grains are somewhat similar to facts in Puppet and classes in Cfengine. The syntax of the configuration language seemed simple enough, however advanced adaptation of context seemed more cumbersome than Cfengine at least at the first look of it. Also the installation pulled down a bunch of python library dependencies (Salt is built in Python). Hence I still think Cfengine is the best alternative when it comes to stability and desired state outcome.
But that asynchronous parallel execution system looks interesting for information collection. So Salt is kind of different than other parallel shells or similar because of ZeroMQ. When minions start, they establish contact with their master to listen for commands. It does not matter if the master is not yet up, the minion will just silently sit and wait until the master is ready. And minions themselves are not opening any additional network ports listening for incoming connections.
Another interesting aspect was that Salt seemed to be using the same kind of PKI design as Cfengine for encrypting traffic and authenticating between master and minions. So if I already has a running Cfengine infrastructure with agents and server(s), would it be possible to reuse the Cfengine keys to establish trusted communication between salt minions and salt master. It turns out that the answer is yes!
First let me explain why it seems like a good idea to use salt for inventory collection.
The minion has a lot of built in knowledge about structured data collection just by listing the grains that the minion detects.
The command output is structured as serialised data in form of YAML, JSON or other possible outputs, hence it would require little effort to push the output straight into a document database like Elasticsearch for instance.
Asynchronous traffic; ZeroMQ manages data-queues efficiently on client and servers side making clients wait in turn until the server is ready to accept data.
If I could just enable salt on all Cfengine nodes I would instantly get basic inventory information and a generic way of collecting arbitrary information from hosts and get the results as structured data.
Minions that do not have a public master key, is going to initially accept the master it is configured to contact. Minions that have a public master key is not going to accept any other master than the one that matches that key. In order to make all minions securely trust the right master we can make promises in Cfengine to place a copy of the salt-master public key in the correct location on the minion. The master key must of course be copied from the salt master and made available in a Cfengine file repository available to agents.
Salt master does not trust any minions before the minions keys are accepted. Acceptance is a matter of running salt-key -a "hostname". All this does is to place the minion public key into the directory of accepted keys on the salt master. From this point the salt master is capable of executing modules on the minions and collect the resulting data.
Copy or link cf-agent private and public host key into salt-minion private and public keys.
… and hence get pre-authenticated and encrypted salt-stack communication by means of pre-existing Cfengine RSA keys.
Well there is a few obstacles to overcome still. First of all the cfagent private key-is password protected. This is a bit odd, since the password is anyway publicly available in the Cfengine source code on github and thus no real security is added. The password is not needed for security anyway. The secure communication and trust of both salt-stack and Cfengine relies on non-disclosure of the private key file outside of the owning host and not the private key having a password. Salt minons expect a privat key without a password. There is couple of ways to fix this. The easiest is probably to make the cf-agent promise to use openssl command line client to make a passwordless copy of its private key, and place it in the minions' PKI directory. Another way would be to copy or symlink the cf-agent key and patch the minion python code to know about the passphrase of the Cfengine key so it can be loaded into the minion daemon.
The next steps will be to export data into Elasticsearch  and use it for reporting and query information to reduce uncertainty when changing Cfengine policies.
‹ CFEngine Community on Android!


Natalie is an artist, illustrator and graphic designer.
As a graphic designer with over ten years professional experience, Natalie has worked in several education publishing houses in London, and currently works for a major magazine publisher.
On the illustration front, Natalie was delighted to exhibit her work as part of Cluster Collective in Shoreditch, February 2018. And she has collaborated with author, Dr Stephen Curran on a children's book called Victoria's Lost Children, which is due for publication in 2019.
The Portraits were exhibited in their entirety at a solo exhibition in Norwich in August 2018. It was the first and last time the fourteen hyper-realistic portraits would be viewed as an entire collection as two of the portraits have gone to new homes, care of The Sainsbury Centre and an anonymous buyer. Three of the portraits will be on exhibition in London this May.
In July 2017 Natalie gave an enormously successful presentation to an audience of artists and creatives in Chongqing, China. You can read more about the trip to China and the presentation in the blog.
She completed her MA in Sequential Design/Illustration at the University of Brighton in 2010. Her MA project was a 230-page visual walkthrough of William Gibson's cyberpunk novel Neuromancer.
Natalie welcomes opportunities and commissions for illustration, graphic design and art projects. Existing artwork is available for licensing; see Illustration for a gallery of images that are available for licensing.


text:
Anthony J. Portantino (born January 29, 1961) is an American politician currently serving in the California State Senate. A Democrat, he represents the 25th Senate District which encompasses portions of the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys. Portantino was a member of the California State Assembly from 2006 to 2012, representing the 44th Assembly District.

Political career
Portantino served two terms on the La Cañada Flintridge City Council, from 1999 until 2006.  There, he was mentored by Carol Liu, who endorsed him to succeed her in the California state assembly.

Portantino's professional experience includes working in the art department and as property master with the American Playhouse; production designer on Grizzly Adams and the Legend of Dark Mountain; and art director on Unsolved Mysteries.

At the request of the Screen Actors Guild in 2010, Portantino proposed an anti-gatecrashing law that would make party crashing a misdemeanor with punishments being up to six months in jail, or a $1,000 fine, or both. He said that party crashing posed a threat to public safety. He introduced legislation to remove tattoos from victims of forced prostitution.

After his term ended in the California state assembly, Portantino initially stated that he would run for Congress against David Dreier, even though the district had yet to be drawn. He later contemplated a run against Carol Liu in state senate district 25  but opted against it, citing personal reasons. In 2013, Portantino began actively campaigning to fill Liu's seat, as she was term limited in 2016.

In 2022, he authored a bill that would provide $1.65 billion in tax credits through 2030 ($330 million per year) for film production in California.

Portantino announced in January 2023 that he was running for California's 30th congressional district to replace Adam Schiff, who is vacating the seat as a candidate in the 2024 United States Senate election in California.

Political positions

LGBTQ+ rights
In response by the 2012 decision of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn Proposition 8, Portantino stated "My brother fought this battle for three decades. He spent his life fighting for equality and civil rights. It was a lifelong dream of his to be treated like everyone else."

In 2022, Portantino attended Glendale Pride.

Portantino attended a December 2022 candlelight vigil hosted by glendaleOUT to mourn and remember LGBTQ+ deaths. The vigil raised funds for the Transgender Law Center and Pink Armenia.

Armenia and Artsakh
Portantino, who has been collaborating with the Governor Gavin Newsom's office to educate state officials and colleagues on the historic significance of the project, thanked the Governor for signing California's 2022-2023 State Budget, which allocates $10 million in new funding for the Armenian American Museum.

During a 2022 meeting with the Armenian National Committee of America, Portantino expressed a desire to improve trade relations between California and Armenia.

Zoning regulations and Housing
In 2017, Portantino voted against SB 35, which streamlined the housing construction process in California.

In February 2019, Portantino introduced a bill to create a "California Housing Crisis Awareness" specialized license plate program to raise an estimated $300,000 per year to fund affordable housing, before administrative costs. The bill later died in committee.

In May 2019, Portantino, as Senate appropriations committee chair, used a pocket veto to temporarily block SB 50, a bill that would enact reforms to address the California housing shortage by reducing local control (such as allowing more apartment construction near public transit and in suburbs), from leaving committee to enter the Senate for debate and voting. Proponents of the bill accused Portantino of abusing his powers to deny Senate Bill 50 a debate and a vote in the Senate. The Los Angeles Times wrote that Portantino's opposition to the bill was expected, but that it was a surprise that he would not allow the bill to advance out of committee. Due to Portantino's action, the bill was not considered by the Senate until 2020.

In 2021, Portantino killed a bill that would have put an end to minimum parking requirements for certain new housing construction near transit stations.

In October 2021, Portantino criticized the construction of 98 townhouses on the location of a bowling center and recreation center in Burbank. Portantino questioned the legality of the housing development.

References

External links

 Join California Anthony Portantino

Democratic Party California state senators
1961 births
Albright College alumni
Living people
Democratic Party members of the California State Assembly
21st-century American politicians
People from Long Branch, New Jersey
People from La Cañada Flintridge, California
Appropriations Committee member, California State Senate
Candidates in the 2024 United States House of Representatives elections

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
// This class has been generated, DO NOT EDIT!

package org.tensorflow.op.io;

import java.util.Arrays;
import org.tensorflow.GraphOperation;
import org.tensorflow.Operand;
import org.tensorflow.Operation;
import org.tensorflow.OperationBuilder;
import org.tensorflow.Output;
import org.tensorflow.op.Operands;
import org.tensorflow.op.RawOp;
import org.tensorflow.op.RawOpInputs;
import org.tensorflow.op.Scope;
import org.tensorflow.op.annotation.Endpoint;
import org.tensorflow.op.annotation.OpInputsMetadata;
import org.tensorflow.op.annotation.OpMetadata;
import org.tensorflow.op.annotation.Operator;
import org.tensorflow.proto.framework.DataType;
import org.tensorflow.types.TInt32;
import org.tensorflow.types.TString;
import org.tensorflow.types.family.TNumber;

/**
 * Reinterpret the bytes of a string as a vector of numbers.
 *
 * @param <T> data type for {@code output} output
 */
@OpMetadata(
    opType = DecodePaddedRaw.OP_NAME,
    inputsClass = DecodePaddedRaw.Inputs.class
)
@Operator(
    group = "io"
)
public final class DecodePaddedRaw<T extends TNumber> extends RawOp implements Operand<T> {
  /**
   * The name of this op, as known by TensorFlow core engine
   */
  public static final String OP_NAME = "DecodePaddedRaw";

  private Output<T> output;

  public DecodePaddedRaw(Operation operation) {
    super(operation, OP_NAME);
    int outputIdx = 0;
    output = operation.output(outputIdx++);
  }

  /**
   * Factory method to create a class wrapping a new DecodePaddedRaw operation.
   *
   * @param scope current scope
   * @param inputBytes Tensor of string to be decoded.
   * @param fixedLength Length in bytes for each element of the decoded output. Must be a multiple
   * of the size of the output type.
   * @param outType The value of the outType attribute
   * @param options carries optional attribute values
   * @param <T> data type for {@code DecodePaddedRaw} output and operands
   * @return a new instance of DecodePaddedRaw
   */
  @Endpoint(
      describeByClass = true
  )
  public static <T extends TNumber> DecodePaddedRaw<T> create(Scope scope,
      Operand<TString> inputBytes, Operand<TInt32> fixedLength, Class<T> outType,
      Options... options) {
    OperationBuilder opBuilder = scope.opBuilder(OP_NAME, "DecodePaddedRaw");
    opBuilder.addInput(inputBytes.asOutput());
    opBuilder.addInput(fixedLength.asOutput());
    opBuilder.setAttr("out_type", Operands.toDataType(outType));
    if (options != null) {
      for (Options opts : options) {
        if (opts.littleEndian != null) {
          opBuilder.setAttr("little_endian", opts.littleEndian);
        }
      }
    }
    return new DecodePaddedRaw<>(opBuilder.build());
  }

  /**
   * Sets the littleEndian option.
   *
   * @param littleEndian Whether the input {@code input_bytes} is in little-endian order. Ignored for
   * {@code out_type} values that are stored in a single byte, like {@code uint8}
   * @return this Options instance.
   */
  public static Options littleEndian(Boolean littleEndian) {
    return new Options().littleEndian(littleEndian);
  }

  /**
   * Gets output.
   * A Tensor with one more dimension than the input {@code bytes}. The added dimension
   * will have size equal to the length of the elements of {@code bytes} divided by the
   * number of bytes to represent {@code out_type}.
   * @return output.
   */
  public Output<T> output() {
    return output;
  }

  @Override
  public Output<T> asOutput() {
    return output;
  }

  /**
   * Optional attributes for {@link org.tensorflow.op.io.DecodePaddedRaw}
   */
  public static class Options {
    private Boolean littleEndian;

    private Options() {
    }

    /**
     * Sets the littleEndian option.
     *
     * @param littleEndian Whether the input {@code input_bytes} is in little-endian order. Ignored for
     * {@code out_type} values that are stored in a single byte, like {@code uint8}
     * @return this Options instance.
     */
    public Options littleEndian(Boolean littleEndian) {
      this.littleEndian = littleEndian;
      return this;
    }
  }

  @OpInputsMetadata(
      outputsClass = DecodePaddedRaw.class
  )
  public static class Inputs extends RawOpInputs<DecodePaddedRaw<?>> {
    /**
     * Tensor of string to be decoded.
     */
    public final Operand<TString> inputBytes;

    /**
     * Length in bytes for each element of the decoded output. Must be a multiple
     * of the size of the output type.
     */
    public final Operand<TInt32> fixedLength;

    /**
     * The outType attribute
     */
    public final DataType outType;

    /**
     * Whether the input `input_bytes` is in little-endian order. Ignored for
     * `out_type` values that are stored in a single byte, like `uint8`
     */
    public final boolean littleEndian;

    public Inputs(GraphOperation op) {
      super(new DecodePaddedRaw<>(op), op, Arrays.asList("out_type", "little_endian"));
      int inputIndex = 0;
      inputBytes = (Operand<TString>) op.input(inputIndex++);
      fixedLength = (Operand<TInt32>) op.input(inputIndex++);
      outType = op.attributes().getAttrType("out_type");
      littleEndian = op.attributes().getAttrBool("little_endian");
    }
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Alberta farm groups are asking the provincial government to extend the deadline for a new mandatory training program for truck drivers.
The standardized, entry-level training — created by the Alberta government in response to the horrific Humboldt Broncos bus crash last year — will be mandatory for new Class 1 and 2 commercial drivers as of March 1.
However, agriculture groups say the move will have unintended consequences for farmers who depend on seasonal labour. Much of this seasonal work requires a Class 1 licence and employees are hired and trained immediately before the spring planting season, John Guelly, chair of Alberta Canola, said in an interview.
Guelly added he worries that the existing provincial shortage of skilled farm labour will be exacerbated by the new training rules, especially if the training programs are full or wait-listed.
The new training program includes a government-mandated number of training hours in-class, in-yard and in-vehicle for all tractor-trailer and bus drivers. Along with the compulsory training, more stringent safety requirements will be in place to ensure new commercial trucking and bus companies meet compliance and safety standards before they begin operating on Alberta roads.
In an email, Alberta government spokesman John Archer said the new trucker training program is meant to enhance safety for everyone on the roads. He added the scope and timelines for the program were developed after extensive public consultation, including with agriculture groups, last summer.
"Feedback from all stakeholders indicated that there should be no exemptions for any industry group," Archer said.
He added the new training is not required for Class 1 or Class 2 drivers who have held their licence since before March 1, 2019, and only applies to drivers who have established residency in Alberta.
Ontario is currently the only other jurisdiction in Canada that has implemented similar legislation, though similar requirements will also be coming to Saskatchewan this year.


Have you ever seriously considered the implications of living forever? Would you want to if it were feasible? Well, according to scientist and author Ray Kurzweil, these questions may become more relevant in the near future. He predicts that we may identify the key to immortality in the next 20 years. This may have everything to do with nanobots replacing our blood cells.
Yes, that does seem like sci-fi. It sounds spooky, too, but Kurzweil is enthusiastic about this, and he boasts some very smart people as fans. According to Business Insider two famous and powerful Bills – Clinton and Gates – are big Kurzweil fans.
Regardless of how "out-there" Kurzweil's ideas are, they may be a very real possibility. In about 20 years, scientists believe they'll have found a way to halt andreverse the aging process. Kurzweil then thinks that nanotechnology will come into play, replacing human blood cells, and carrying out the work much more efficiently.
Again, this soundsastounding, but Kurzweil is basing his predictions on one fact that can't be disputed: Technology has been advancing at an exponential rate. And this, Kurzweil argues, signifies that immortality is just a few technological leaps away.
That doesn't, though, answer the bigger question: Should humans live forever? What's going to happen to the earth? Will overpopulation destroy our natural resources? And, of course, is living forever even something people want? Won't those people who believe in an afterlife want to ultimately pass from this life? These are all big questions, and if Kurzweil is to be believed, we might all soon be confronting them.


text:
using System;
using TheLimberLambda.Utils;

namespace Sample
{
	static class Program
	{
		private const int ListenPort = 2323;

		static void Main()
		{
			Console.WriteLine("Listening on port " + ListenPort + "...");
			var theFibber = new Fibber();
			var pythonServer = new PythonServer(
				ListenPort,
				new []
					{
						new NameBinding("fibber", theFibber)
					});
			pythonServer.Start();
			Console.ReadLine();
		}
	}
}


text:
Q: Exporting data in a node file after it is returned from an API call to AWS Secrets Manager Background
I am storing the database information for a RDS in AWS in the secrets manager. I am using the AWS-SDK to retrieve the password and other data so I can create a secrets object at run time. When I try and create this object and then export it, the object that is exported is always lacking the data that I expect to be returned from the aws-sdk.
What I Have Tried -
I have tried using async await but it is still exporting the object before all of the data is correctly populated.
Example
const AWS = require('aws-sdk');
const region = 'us-west-2';
const secretName = 'example/example/example';
let secrets = {
  username: '',
  password: '',
  host: '',
  port: '',
  database: '',
  email: 'example@example.com',
  emailPassword: 'SomePassword'
};

const client = new AWS.SecretsManager({
  region: region
});

client.getSecretValue({ SecretId: secretName }, async (err, data) => {
  if (err) {
    throw err;
  } else {
    const res = await JSON.parse(data.SecretString);
    secrets.username = res.username;
    secrets.password = res.password;
    secrets.host = res.host;
    secrets.port = res.port;
    secrets.database = res.database;
  }
});

module.exports = secrets;

Question
The obvious problem here is not creating the promise correctly but I am not sure why my attempts are completing the promises after the file gets exported. If I console.log(secrets) in another file in some cases it will output the object missing data then show the data returned by the promise a few seconds later after when I console.log(secrets) inside of the function.
What is the proper way to build this object secrets and export it once the data is returned from AWS and added to the object secrets?

A: According to the docs, the second argument to getSecretValue is a callback function, so there's no need to use async/await since async/await is meant to work with promises.
Removing async/await should work.
client.getSecretValue({ SecretId: secretName }, (err, data) => {
  if (err) {
    throw err;
  } else {
    const res = JSON.parse(data.SecretString);
    secrets.username = res.username;
    secrets.password = res.password;
    secrets.host = res.host;
    secrets.port = res.port;
    secrets.database = res.database;
  }
});

However, you're exporting the secrets object synchronously, and its properties are getting set asynchronously.
Instead, you can return a promise for your other modules to consume.
const AWS = require('aws-sdk');
const region = 'us-west-2';
const secretName = 'example/example/example';
let secrets = {
  email: 'example@example.com',
  emailPassword: 'SomePassword'
};

const client = new AWS.SecretsManager({
  region: region
});

const promise = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
  client.getSecretValue({ SecretId: secretName }, async (err, data) => {
    if (err) {
      reject(err);
    } else {
      const res = await JSON.parse(data.SecretString);
      secrets.username = res.username;
      secrets.password = res.password;
      secrets.host = res.host;
      secrets.port = res.port;
      secrets.database = res.database;
      resolve(secrets);
    }
  });
})

module.exports = promise;

Then, in some other module that consumes this one, you can use async/await since we now have a promise.
import {promise} from "./this-module";

(async () => {
  const secrets = await promise;
  console.log(secrets);
})();

Update
I'm not sure if this will work, but it's worth a shot. Here, set module.exports only after secrets is set. If this doesn't work, then I would ask a new question on StackOverflow about how to export resolved promises with CommonJS (which is the module format that you're using).
const AWS = require('aws-sdk');
const region = 'us-west-2';
const secretName = 'example/example/example';
let secrets = {
  email: 'example@example.com',
  emailPassword: 'SomePassword'
};

const client = new AWS.SecretsManager({
  region: region
});

const promise = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
  client.getSecretValue({ SecretId: secretName }, async (err, data) => {
    if (err) {
      reject(err);
    } else {
      const res = await JSON.parse(data.SecretString);
      secrets.username = res.username;
      secrets.password = res.password;
      secrets.host = res.host;
      secrets.port = res.port;
      secrets.database = res.database;
      resolve(secrets);
    }
  });
});

(async () => {
  module.exports = await promise;
})();

A: client.getSecretValue({ SecretId: secretName     }).subscribe(data=>{
    const res =JSON.parse(data.SecretString);
    secrets.username = res.username;
    secrets.password = res.password;
    secrets.host = res.host;
    secrets.port = res.port;
    secrets.database = res.database;
  });

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Back to Journals » Vascular Health and Risk Management » Volume 9
Left ventricular dysfunction in normotensive type II diabetic patients in Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Authors Dodiyi-Manuel ST, Akpa MR, Odia OJ
Accepted for publication 10 May 2013
Published 25 September 2013 Volume 2013:9 Pages 529—533
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/VHRM.S44540
Sotonye T Dodiyi-Manuel,1 Maclean R Akpa,2 Osaretin J Odia2
1Department of Medicine, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria; 2Department of Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is on the increase globally. Cardiovascular complications, such as left ventricular dysfunction is a major cause of death in patients with type II DM. Prior to the development of symptomatic heart failure, subclinical left ventricular dysfunction (systolic and diastolic) may exist for some time.
Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of left ventricular dysfunction in non-hypertensive type II DM patients.
Methods: A cross sectional study of left ventricular function in 90 normotensive type II diabetes mellitus patients using echocardiography was carried out. Healthy normotensive controls matched for age, sex, and body mass index were selected for comparison. Patients and controls who had hypertension (blood pressure of >140/90 mmHg), history of smoking, significant alcohol history, pregnancy, features of thyroid disease, or valvular heart disease were excluded. Left ventricular diastolic and systolic functions were assessed.
Results: Ninety patients, (39 males and 51 females) and 90 healthy controls (39 males and 51 females) were enrolled. Mean age of patients was 50.76 ± 9.13 years and 51.33 ± 7.84 years for controls. Mean body mass index was 26.88 ± 4.73 kg/m2 in patients and 27.09 ± 4.04 kg/m2 in controls. Mean ejection fraction was 62.4% ± 8.47% and 68.52% ± 7.94% in patients and controls, respectively (P < 0.001). Fourteen (15.56%) patients had ejection fraction less than 55% compared to four (4.44%) in controls (P < 0.001; odds ratio = 3.96). Impaired diastolic function was found in 65.6% of patients compared to 3.3% of controls (P < 0.001). Left ventricular mass index of >99 kg/m2 in females and >115 kg/m2 in males was considered abnormal. The left ventricular mass index was also higher in patients than in controls (95.17 ± 25.67 g/m2 versus 85.40 ± 18.0 g/m2; P = 0.004).
Conclusion: Normotensive diabetic patients have a high prevalence of left ventricular dysfunction even in the absence of cardiac symptoms.
Keywords: type II diabetes mellitus, diastolic dysfunction, systolic dysfunction


text:
Service in Action: Living into NNU's Mission as Creative and Redemptive Agents
Ryan & Emily Wirick, Leon Doane Young Alumni of the Year Award
When graduating from NNU in 2012, Ryan and Emily (Ogle) Wirick had no idea how their time at NNU would help prepare them to one day lead the way in navigating a worldwide pandemic. Both were top students in their areas of study during their time at NNU—Ryan in pre-health and Emily in biology. After leaving NNU, both completed graduate work at the University of Utah and worked for several biotech companies and startups, Emily focusing on Research and Development, Ryan working in Operations and Program Management.
When the pandemic hit in spring of 2020, the Wiricks' experience, education and continued connections to their alma mater positioned them to be at the forefront of the battle, offering their expertise in the crucial process of COVID-19 testing. They were excited to work with Emily's former advisor and NNU professor Dr. Jennifer Chase to help establish and provide training that would lead to the implementation of saliva screening on NNU's campus—which played a critical role in allowing the University to offer face-to-face education throughout the pandemic. The Wiricks also went on to help two additional Nazarene universities develop their testing programs and were awarded a grant to open their own laboratory, Pro-Testing Solutions, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho that provided much needed testing services to an underserved area.
According to Wiricks, "It was an unexpected privilege and joy to work with our professors and mentors while being able to play a small part in the pandemic response. We really valued our in-person education at NNU and hope that this project made that experience possible for other students during the pandemic. Looking back, we can see how God directed our education, skills and careers to allow us to support our communities."
Because of Ryan and Emily Wirick's living example of NNU's mission to be God's creative and redemptive agents in the world—as evidenced by their selfless service in helping multiple communities navigate through the pandemic—they have been chosen as NNU's 2022 Leon Doane Young Alumni of the Year.
Philip & Cris Zimmermann, Alumni of the Year Award
Brothers Philip and Cris Zimmermann, NNU class of 2008, strive daily "to see how heaven breaks into our lives, our city and our world." This is the mission of the Kirche in Aktion (Church in Action), an innovative, thriving German non-profit organization specializing in urban ministry that they founded 14 years ago. Through this organization, they offer hope, encouragement and services to the people of the Rhine-Maine region of Germany. Kirche in Aktion includes various social projects, churches, social businesses and an educational institute and has begun to expand internationally. Cris and Philip are the Senior Leaders for Kirche in Aktion.
In preparation of planting Kirche in Aktion, Philip earned his Bachelor's degree in Theology from European Nazarene University in Switzerland, a Master's in Spiritual Development from NNU and a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Regent University. Cris studied law at Frankfurt University prior to earning his Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry from NNU.
"I am not just called to be a pastor of the existing congregation, but actually need to become a missionary within my own city," Cris explains. "Since we were born and raised in Frankfurt, this was a huge mindshift. But we very strongly felt called to be reaching out missionally to the people who would not come to our local congregation. Of all places, we started in a late-night pub in downtown Frankfurt…Two years into the ministry, we opened up a coffee shop…From there, we set up Communities on Mission all over Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main area."
Because of Philip and Cris Zimmermann's living example of NNU's mission to be God's creative and redemptive agents in the world—as evidenced by their selfless service to the people in Germany—they have been chosen as NNU's 2022 Alumni of the Year.
Brandt Foundation Awards $85,000 Grant to NNU
NNU Faculty and Senior Fellow Awarded Chewning Award
NNU Presents Annual NOEL Christmas Concert
NNU Launches New Concentration in Engineering


FreshX is a service that is dedicated to streamlining the process of purchasing for restaurants and similar types of businesses. The idea is based on reducing the amount of apps, portals and systems that a user needs when making orders to their business.
Check out our FAQs here.


The 2017 Osage County Fire District No. 2 fire prevention poster winners were Angelica Ruiz-Pineda, Kaylee Theel, Grady Tincher, Kenzie Bellinger, Sophia Brabb, Jada Ruiz, Brynna Burd, Kalen Conner, Lillian Lohmeyer, Harrison Bailey, Allison Sloop, Quenten Stark, Dakota Boss, Isaac McCoy, Sadie Shoemaker.
Osage County Fire District No. 2 gave fire prevention poster winners a ride to school in fire trucks Friday Oct. 13, 2017. Around 8 a.m., a crowd of proud parents and fire department personnel gave a send off to the poster winners as they departed and transported to Osage City Elementary School. Throughout the day Friday, firefighters gave fire prevention presentations to students at Osage City Elementary School, Three Lakes Preschool at Osage City, and Osage City preschool.
Osage City Elementary School Principal Dena Paul photographs winners as they arrive at Osage City Elementary School.
Information thanks to OCFD No. 2.


text:
Boeing sees long-term demand bouncing back after pandemic
By Dan Catchpole
July 16, 2022, © Leeham News: After years of market turmoil, Boeing and Airbus see brighter skies–and bigger order backlogs–ahead. Both companies maintained confidence that demand for aircraft would bounce back as the COVID-19 pandemic ebbed. Passenger traffic and aircraft utilization seem to back up their optimism. Traffic is bouncing back despite short-term economic concerns, a pandemic that is still smoldering and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Boeing projects demand for 39,050 new commercial aircraft, excluding regional jets, over the next two decades, according to its Current Market Outlook, which it released Saturday. The company's forecast is in line with Airbus' forecast of demand for 39,500 aircraft. Single-aisle aircraft make up three-quarters of demand in both companies' outlooks. Boeing is slightly more bullish on passenger widebody demand.
Sustainability is an increasingly important factor in Boeing's market outlook. It is also a relatively new variable, and how much it will shape market demand and in what ways is not very clear.
Projected demand almost at 2019 level
Boeing projects demand for 41,170 commercial jet aircraft through 2041: 2,120 regional jets, 30,880 single-aisle, 7,230 widebody and 940 freighters. The company expects that demand to be largely evenly split among North America (23%), Europe (21%), Asia Pacific (21%) and China (21%). The rest is split among the Middle East (7%), Latin America (5%) and Africa (2%). Given the current war in Ukraine, Boeing's outlook excludes the Russian market.
The U.S. aerospace giant sees slightly more than half the global demand coming after 2031. In the next 10 years, it forecasts global demand for 19,575 new aircraft: 1,170 regional jets, 14,620 single-aisle, 3,300 widebody and 485 freighters. The regional distribution is roughly the same as the overall outlook.
If Russia is included in the 10- and 20-year forecasts, the overall numbers are fairly close to 2019's pre-pandemic outlook. The 10-year projection is nearly the same: 20,550 aircraft in 2019, 20,285 (19,575 plus 710 for the Russian market) in 2022.
There is more room between 2019's 20-year outlook and the current year. Boeing projected 44,040 deliveries over 20 years in 2019. This year, it forecasts 42,710 deliveries, including the Russian market (41,170 plus 1,540). That is a 3% difference.
Boeing continues to expect domestic passenger traffic to return to 2019 levels by early 2023, followed by long-haul traffic in mid to late 2024, based on current trajectories, Boeing's Vice President Commercial Marketing Darren Hulst said.
Airbus gives a wider range–between 2023 and 2025.
Single-aisle traffic is bouncing back strongly. Already, 98% of narrowbody aircraft flying before the pandemic are operating again. Widebodies continue to lag, with less than 80% back in operation, according to Boeing.
Airlines have been dusting off planes they parked during the pandemic, especially in Europe and Asia. Since June, 1,000 single-aisle aircraft have been taken out of storage, according to Cirium. Single-aisle aircraft utilization for domestic U.S. travel is 1% higher than it was in 2019. In Latin America, it is 9% higher than pre-COVID-19 levels.
To be sure, airlines face plenty of short-term economic challenges. Several are driving up costs–higher prices for fuel, labor and maintenance, among other expenses–which will likely mean higher ticket prices. At the same time, global GDP growth is slowing. And, the COVID-19 virus is no slouch. It continues to mutate, ready to throw a wrench in the works.
Air cargo's growing value is pushing freighter demand
COVID-19 spurred ecommerce to new heights. Ecommerce is now a structural driver of economic growth through the next decade, Hulst said during a pre-Farnborough briefing. That shift in purchasing behavior is causing ripples throughout the global cargo and shipping industry.
"The speed and reliability of air cargo is an important aspect and a strategic value to the freight forwarders and shipping companies" far more today than it was three to five years ago, he said.
Capacity discipline and consolidation in the shipping industry should continue to increase the relative value of air cargo to ground and sea freight, Hulst said.
However, air cargo's high yields compared to container shipping during the pandemic are "clearly phenomenon of extreme shortage of supply and extreme demand because of challenges in the supply chain related to shipping," he said.
Currently, air cargo makes up about 1% of global freight. Even a tiny shift from container shipping to air cargo would greatly increase demand for freighters, he said.
Boeing projects demand for 940 new freighters–515 large widebodies and 425 medium widebodies, plus about 1,850 freighter conversions–555 widebody conversions and 1,300 narrowbody conversions. That makes a total demand of just under 2,800 freighter deliveries and conversions. Airbus projects 2,440 new-build or conversion freighters through 2041. As LNA has previously reported, with the Airbus A350F, Boeing faces its first credible competition in the widebody freighter market since it merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997.
Sustainability is shaping the future…but how much?
The drive to decarbonize aviation and other sustainability pushes are major variables that could significantly shape future demand for aircraft. In the near term, OEMs are focused on innovations such as sustainable aviation fuel. Longer term, though, new technologies could disrupt the large commercial aircraft industry.
Boeing accounts for sustainability in its market outlook as best as it is able to, Hulst said. "The more and more detail we have into how sustainability measures will truly impact the cost of aviation, that's still largely unknown in specific markets."
There are signs that it is affecting some ultra-short haul and short haul markets, he said.
Category: Airbus, Boeing, Cargo, Uncategorized
Tags: air cargo, Airbus, Airbus orders, Boeing, Boeing Current Market Outlook, Boeing orders, Freighter market
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14 Comments on "Boeing sees long-term demand bouncing back after pandemic"
Dukeofurl
The very very strong recent rises US dollar in relation to most leading currencies will reduce profits for US companies operating overseas
– who sell in other countries currencies and repatriate profits
– sell in US dollars and see their prices rise for foreign buyers
Boeing is affected by both these circumstances.
Cant help leasing either if the payments are in dollars
This is correct.
However, the dollar index is currently so high because interest rates in the US are presently much higher than in other major economies; if and when that interest rate difference declines, then the dollar index will start to decline again — though it's unclear to what level.
US corporations have already announced major expected declines in earnings due to these FX effects.
Another revealing SCMP article on the recent Airbus deal in China:
"Geopolitics far from the only reason for Boeing missing out"
"China was quick to ground the 737 MAX in 2019 after fatal back-to-back crashes by separate overseas carriers in Indonesia and Ethiopia. Boeing admitted after investigations that faulty software was to blame, shaking global confidence in the bestselling plane. But China's firms have a more immediate reason for concern; the cause of the country's worst aviation accident in a decade, the crash of an older-model China Eastern Boeing 737-800 in mountains in Guangxi in March, killing all 132 people on board, has still to be determined. The top priority in aviation is safety and it is understandable, given Boeing's recent record, why Airbus should be turned to."
"The strength of the US dollar and weaker Euro are also likely to have been factors in the latest deal."
https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3185548/geopolitics-far-only-reason-boeing-missing-out
TransWorld
Yea, seeing as how the -800 crash was a suicide and China does not want to have that public.
It does not take this long to fix and download even the worst damaged FDR and CVR.
Interesting that China trusted the US to do the recovery of data and voice.
Of course safety has a lot of aspect and to date no one has fully answered the suicide issue. Some precautions can be done and we have yet to hear what China dictates as to one pilot left in the cockpit (not that you can't get around that as well)
If they're so fearful of the737 NG….. then .they were also quick to reinstate services as well!!
Why would they resume flying it 3 weeks after the crash.??
Guess you ignored Scott's own report , citing it was an intentional act…
Clearly stated that in recent article.!!
Having difficulty with the inline reply feature again?
Scott, at the time, didn't "report" anything — he repeated a rumor that was going around.
There was a partial/temporary grounding of production numbers close to that of the downed frame, after deployment of the type resumed.
Would say it's a little more substantial than a rumor..
Considering many other aviation sites cited the exact same thing..
Looking more like an intentional act…
We understand…, you become strangely silent, when quoting news from others sites..,if they have anything beneficial to say on Boeing's behalf. !!!
And — once again — a lack of links to back up your assertions…
Here's one for you, from 2 months ago. One would have thought that an explosive revelation like this would have garnered constant attention since then? Oh, but wait, the story was based on rumors…that might explain it.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/17/china-air-crash-that-killed-132-may-have-been-deliberate-says-us-report
TC:
Its not on Boeing behalf, its factual he has issues with if its valid for Boeing but of course selectively ignores Airbus.
In any case, why are you whinging about this to me?
The SCMP link that I posted is on a Chinese news site, and it expresses the Chinese perspective. It appears that the Chinese are unhappy with BA's safety record, and that's that. If you're not happy about that, why not write to the SCMP editor and ask him to explain himself? The Chinese are leading the investigation into the crash back in March — I'm sure they'll be very impressed by the rumors that you're referring to (NOT).
That's a cleaver use of a thirty year old catch phrase.Byrce!!
NOT !!!!
That got old fast ,just like your unfathomable bias towards Airbus!!!
No bias at all toward Airbus: I like other OEMs such as Embraer, ATR and COMAC just as much.
But no time at all for aerospace OEMs who consistently produce disgracefully sub-standard products — and we know who's world number 1 in that field, don't we?
I wish Boeing everything that it deserves.
Now, have you got anything substantive to say? Or are you going to continue in "auto-whinge" mode?
Yea, COMIC that has no world recognized cross certifications process and indeed failed the ones they tried is right up there with integrity!
FAA tried with the ARJ21, China failed so badly they both agreed to quit, then China found they could not meet even FAA low standards on the C9191 at which time the FAA quit, then EASA took a look at the C919 and threw up their hands as hopelessly mucked up.
So he would rather fly a self certified aircraft than a certified one!
Hmm, isn't that what he accuses Boeing of doing, aka self certifying?
The illogic chips is just screaming along though granted he hoists himself on his own Petard. Funny how logic works.
Bill7
Thanks for this post on Boeing's forecast.


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Home Guide	Nokia 700 vs. Nokia N9, who's who?
Nokia 700 vs. Nokia N9, who's who?
Nokia, the world's largest cellphone manufacturer has come a long way in their smartphone segment from their first smartphone Nokia 9000 to Nokia N9, with OS from GEOS 3.0 in Nokia 9000 to MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan In Nokia N9, with cutting edge technology like Near Field Communication (NFC); Nokia has evolved their communication to a whole new level.
Nokia N9 was announced on June 2011 while Nokia 700 was announced on August 2011 and both the products are available from September 2011. Both the products are from the same manufacturer, Nokia makes the brand name factor trivial. But there are lots of other attributes to consider such as, the size and weight, design and UI, hardware and software, photography and navigation.
Comparison attributes
Nokia N9 has 3.9″ ClearBlack AMOLED Gorilla glass display with anti-glare polarizer and a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels while Nokia 700 has 3.2″ ClearBlack AMOLED Gorilla glass display with a resolution of 360 x 640 pixels. Nokia N9 has ~251 ppi and Nokia 700 has ~229 ppi which indicates that Nokia N9 has ~10 percent more sharper display.
The Nokia N9 is powered by 1 GHz Cortex A8 CPU with 1GB RAM and runs on MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan while Nokia 700 is powered by 1 GHz ARM11 processor with 512MB RAM and runs on Symbian Belle platform. Nokia N9 is faster than Nokia 700 due to its processing power and RAM but Nokia 700 running on symbian platform has the upper hand in software and applications as there are plenty options out there. Nokia N9 running on MeeGo has a limited options for application and software.
The Nokia N9 comes with an 8 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics with wide angle lens, large lens aperture for faster and better photos even in low light conditions. The camera comes with dual LED flash, digital shutter and continuous autofocus with focal length varying from 3.77 mm to 28 mm and it can record 720p HD videos at 30 fps. On the other hand Nokia 700 comes with a 5 megapixel camera optics with face recognition software. The camera comes with third generation LED flash with fixed full focus with focal length 4.3mm and it can also record 720p HD videos at 30fps. Of the two phones, Nokia N9 has better optics, more in depth picture with 8mp carl zeiss lens, better flash and camera settings.
The Nokia N9 comes with 16 Gb or 32 Gb as internal memory whereas Nokia 700 comes with 2Gb internal memory. There is no memory slot for Nokia N9 but Nokia 700 comes with a slot for a support for up to 32 GB with an external microSD memory card.
The dimensions of Nokia N9 are 116.5 x 61.2 x 12.1 mm while that of Nokia 700 are 110 x 50.7 x 9.7 mm, which makes Nokia N9 heavier by about 39g as Nokia 700 weighs 96 g and Nokia N9 135 g. Nokia N9 comes with Dolby headphone for boosting your music experience with headphones which is absent in Nokia 700. Both the phones are NFC, Wi-Fi enabled. Nokia 700 has bluetooth 3.0 but Nokia N9 uses bluetooth 2.1 with EDR which is much slower than Nokia 700.
Nokia N9 has a 1450 mAh li-ion battery while Nokia 700 has 1080 mAh li-ion battery. Nokia N9 has a talk time of 11 hours in 2G and 6.5 hours in 3G with a standby time of 16 days while Nokia has a talktime of 7.2 hours in 2G and 4.5 hours in 3G with a standby time of 19.4 days. Nokia N9 has more battery life than Nokia 700.
Nokia N9 and Nokia 700 are both powered by 1Ghz processor but Nokia N9 has double the Random Access Memory than that of Nokia 700 which makes Nokia N9 a lot faster than Nokia 700.
Nokia N9 is available in only 3 colors Black, Cyan, Magenta while Nokia 700 is available in 5 colors Silver white, Cool Grey, Peacock Blue, Coral Red, and Purple. Nokia 700 provides lots of colors to choose from.
The Nokia N9 is priced around $ 677. The price of Nokia 700 is $ 372. Both the phones are equipped with many features yet there are some features one should look up before getting a smartphone. Considering attributes like screen size, display, camera, battery life, software, music and sound, Nokia N9 seems to have the upper hand. But if you consider price, applications, and bluetooth connectivity Nokia 700 seems to have the upper hand. All in all Nokia N9 is much better phone than Nokia 700.
Nokia 700 vs. Nokia N9, who's who? was last modified: October 7th, 2013 by Community Writer | Community.Drprem.com
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Discussion in 'Science Fiction' started by Diziet Sma, Apr 2, 2018.
Finished The Macht#1 by Paul Kearney, a military novel in its own right but also a fantasy tale due to its setting and low level of magic.
The Macht#1 is a story inspired by the march of the 1000 Greek warriors crossing the Persian empire. Kearney is a very talented author who knows how to bring the reader into a world of bravery, sacrifice, honour, and despair, avoiding cheap sentimentalism and annoying heroism (both can be recurrent in this military genre.) Kearny's narrative has pace and is brutally powerful. It is a smart, epic adventure recommended to all who enjoy this genre.
I have already bought Corvus, The Macht#2.
I'm also about to complete The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Cycle, #2) by U. Le Guin.
Well, it is Ursula after all, and I do not have much to add. I admire her talent in allowing the reader to glimpse into the characters souls; always hopeful no matter how imperfect and dark they might be.
I hope to finish it in the next day or so.
I'm still on The Dragonbone Chair. Also intermittently re-reading (a couple of pages every few days) The Splinter of the Mind's Eye by Alan Dean Foster, the original sequel to Star Wars (1977).
I can't put down A Night Without Stars, the sequel to Peter Hamilton's The Abyss Beyond Dreams. This duology is set in the Void that he introduced in his mega-trilogy Void series, generally in the Commonwealth universe that ties all his big books together. Anyway this duology is like sci-fi-horror, very unique and scary and unlike anything in the original Void trilogy. Nigel Sheldon goes back to the Void to try to figure out the Void and gets wrapped up in a new story altogether. The sequel is much more of that and truly scary and Hamilton makes it seems eminently plausible. Big books like he writes all of his books.
Whoa! I read "Splinter" a long, long time ago. I may need to re-read that soon.
I finished it. I sort of skim-/fast-read it. It was wasted potential, but I'm not inclined to blame Foster too much. It feels hastily written, and it was based on early drafts of the script for Star Wars, so the major characters who appear (Luke, Leia and Darth Vader) are at a nascent stage of development. It also feels a little pubescent; Luke and Leia both act like teenagers (Leia, excruciatingly so) and this serves as a stupid plot-device. And Darth Vader is neither as powerful nor as overpowering with his sheer presence as he is in the film. In any case, the book was supposed to be a potential jumping off point for a small-budget sequel if the original film proved unsuccessful. And Lucas supposedly removed some action scenes because it would have been too costly to include them in the potential sequel film.
Best to read Timothy Zahn's original Thrawn trilogy that kick-started the resurgence of the franchise in the late 80's to early 90's. Better writing compared to Foster's sequel book, better characters (Thrawn and Mara Jade), and better development, especially of Luke. Also, Zahn gets the banter between characters just right. Thrawn was a character that was much too good to have been killed off.
My favourite SW characters: Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Admiral Thrawn, Mara Jade, Grand Moff Tarkin, Emperor Palpatine, those black helmeted dudes who fire the Death Star...and then the rest. I like Han Solo, too, but I like him best during his introduction in that hive of scum and villainy.
I finished The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Cycle, #2). Le Guin likes to play with opposed concepts blurring their boundaries: Night/light, life/death, male/female. How can you have one without the other?
The internal psychological landscape carried out by the characters is what, in my opinion, sets this series apart. I wish I had read these books when I was much younger.
I went straight into Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven. I'm loving it so far.
Turns out I own all of the Long Earth series by Pratchett and Baxter (evidently bought over a few years when individual books have been on offer), so started on book numero 1 this morning. You know that feeling when you know you made the right decision starting a series? Got it with this one!
Saw your review of The Lather of Heaven on Goodreads. It's the one book I recommend to non-SF readers who are curious about the genre. Simple story, complex consequences. In 1980, PBS (in USA Public Broadcasting System) funded an on-the-cheap dramatization that was actually pretty good, but lost for years after it was shown. Sy Fy channel tried again several years ago and it was an epic fail -- the producers missed the point about "simple story". I think the PBS version is available through Amazon now. It's one of the genre's better adaptations.
the producers missed the point about "simple story".
Precisely. Le Guin's tremendous talent is disguised under the illusion of simplicity but never simplistic. Her command of the language is highly connotative (not sure whether in this context this adjective makes much sense in English) and prompts the reader into critical thinking.
I rarely mark passages as I read, but with Le Guin, it has been very much the opposite case. As it happened when I read The Left Hand of Darkness, I have been highlighting and rereading sections in The Lathe of Heaven, while thinking "Ursula, you were so damn clever!"
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A couple weeks ago, I was at a SFF writing workshop taught by Nancy Kress. LeGuin was often referred to, particularly for her ability to write scenes that seemed so realistic on the face of it, but conveyed a much denser meaning.
This past week I have been reading a historical novel but as this long weekend approaches (we are enjoying a bank holiday weekend over here ) I'm looking what to read next.
Both Babel-17 by S. R. Delany or The Madness Season by C. S. Friedman are very tempting as I haven't read anything by neither of them yet.
I have Babel-17 recommended by Boreas and C.S Friedman is just an author I want to test and see whether I could enjoy her other books.
Actually, I didn't really recommend Babel-17, just said that one of the core themes it deals with is linguistics, and you have an interest there. I didn't particularly enjoy it when I read it many years ago. However, I would definitely recommend Celia S. Friedman! I love her space opera novel In Conquest Born, but her two other SF novels, This Alien Shore and The Madness Season are also great. I think ICB is her most old-fashioned but also her most fun, immersive and epic work. She's also written some fantasy (or science-fantasy?) trilogies after that, but I have no idea about those.
However, you are right about my interest in linguistics. I will have a go.
I believe The Season Madness is a stand-alone, so I will begin with this one.
Diziet Sma and I had a conversation regarding fantasy on the FB group we're in, and it's a shame that it wasn't in this forum, so I'm just going to copy/paste it here.
Me: "I'm almost done with The Dragonbone Chair. It's been a long and slow read, but my enjoyment of it has been consistently increasing throughout. It feels strange to be reading old-school epic fantasy again. Haven't read stuff like that in years."
Diziet: "Will you continue with 'Stone of Farewell' or have you had enough of old-school epic fantasy for the time being?"
Me: "Pretty sure that I'll actually be continuing. I've decided I want to read the whole trilogy, but not sure yet if I'll read them back-to-back."
Diziet: "Well, considering each book of the trilogy has on average over 600 pages (actually, 'To Green Angel Tower' over 1000 pages!!!) I don't blame you for breaking it up. I have taken note though of this series. I'm thinking summer holiday..."
Me (with my verbosity): "I'd rather steer you towards Guy Gavriel Kay for excellently written fantasies set in alternate worlds that are historical analogues of Earth civilisations. Or David Gemmell's various works for great, action-packed heroic fantasy that read very easily and quickly.
"Kay's novels are about 3/4 history and, say, 1/4 magic, but the magic is usually subtle and behind the scenes. Plus, his protagonists are not warriors and kings, but poets, acrobats, artists, musicians, etc. His writing is wonderfully evocative, and his books are a slow burn, but nevertheless gripping. Few fantasy novels have left me with that 'mind-blown' feeling, and some of Kay's works have done that.
"Gemmell's writing, on the other hand, is brasher. He's succinct in describing emotions and states of mind but gets them across fully. The protagonists are generally warriors, and while some of them have the 'anti-hero' quality about them, are not nihilist and superficially dark like the current 'grimdark' trend, even though they struggle with the right path. The focus is more on fealty and taking the correct action despite personal consequences. This is sword-and-sorcery and heroic fantasy at its best. In my opinion.
"While Gemmell's writing and thematic approach is very different from that of Kay's, I'd say it is as good. Kay's works are multi-faceted and you can sit down and slowly digest them and feel very full indeed. Gemmell's works you devour quickly and immediately want more. But his works are strangely hard to overdose from."
Diziet: "Ah, Gemmel and Gavriel! You have indeed recommended me these two authors before. And I trust your recommendations. For the last couple of years, I have been hardly reading any fantasy, and when I do, is mostly to have a break from SF, which means I pick whatever catches my eye without much planning involved. Ok, I'll read one of the two within the next month."
Me (now on overdrive, it's like a form of autism): "Gemmell is great for quick breaks between SF reads because they read fast and furious. Luckily, almost all of his books are stand-alones, even those listed under the same 'series' like the Drenai sequence. My absolute personal favourite book by Gemmell is actually the first part of a duology: The Lion of Macedon. It mostly reads like historical fiction and concerns a fantasy version of the Macedonian general Parmenion, who organises and develops Philip II's army. This is not an alternate world analogue, but a proper historical fantasy set just prior to the dawn of the Helenistic period.
"My other favourite work of Gemmell's is actually a trilogy: the Jon Shannow books, which is a bit of a mix between fantasy, western and post-apocalyptic science fiction, and where Jon Shannow is another fantasy iteration of the Wandering Jew.
"But, for better or worse, I usually recommend people start with his first novel, Legend. Really fun book. Two main characters, and one of them is a 60+ year old warrior, Druss the Legend. That's the other good thing about Gemmell's books - generally older protagonists. No teen or young adult angst here. If there is angst, it'll be the older, more bloody kind.
"and Under Heaven, which is set in an analogue of China's Tang Dynasty era, where an educated mid-level noble-in-exile is awarded a massive number of pedigree-bred 'European' horses, and the very existence of these horses begins to change the political balance of the reigning dynasty and forces him back from the hinterlands of the empire.
"All three of these works by Kay are brilliant and almost lyrical. Tigana was the one that metaphorically blew my mind when I was 18 (it's also the most tragic of the three works), but I think the Sarantine Mosaic duology is my personal favourite - it's the one most like a layer of onions, each new layer slowly pulling you deeper into its story and themes, and it reaches an emotional climax that is as intense as that in Tigana. Tigana, though, is rawer, whereas the Sarantine Mosaic is more...deliberate/controlled/sophisticated (?) in its development."
Was unsure what to read next with respect to SF. Was leaning towards a re-read of Asimov but I've suddenly decided on more Neal Asher. I need some epic adventure, hyper-kinetic action and amoral aliens. Prador Moon it is, with the first round of conflict between the Polity and the super-intelligent and dangerous Prador.
I'm reading The Madness Season by C. S. Friedman. A very entertaining story, well paced and with a smart plot. I'm enjoying myself.
Just finished Night Without Stars by Peter Hamilton, book 2 of the Commonwealth/Faller War duology which begins with The Abyss Beyond Dreams. It's a sequel of sorts to the Void trilogy.
Just finished Dust of Dreams, Volume 9 in my Malazan re-read and am 1/4 through The Crippled God. When I first read the series I went, "Phew! That was long and intense." Then Malazan fans said, "Ah, but the re-read is where the gold is." And it is. After this, I'm on to the collected works of Arthur Conan Doyle.
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It is official, April 1st, 2018 marked the hard enforcement date for the FMCSA's ELD mandate. So this means you need to be prepared for your next inspection. If you are found without an Electronic Logging Device, you will be cited and most likely ticketed if you cannot prove exemption. To keep you on the road we have put together a list of the three best Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) you need to know about.
Since the enactment of the Electronic Logging Devices Mandate (ELDs) back in December, there has been growing concern among the trucking community. This list will give you a better understanding of the options available to owner-operators and self-employed drivers alike.
EROAD's Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Ehubo is among the highest-quality devices offered on the market to date. The equipment is durable, and the software is simple for drivers who are unfamiliar with operating ELDs. Quick to install, software is easy to use, and the data capture is accurate. EROAD's dependable, reliable, and user-friendly ELD Ehubo is tough to beat.
BigRoad is an affordable, simple, and user-friendly option for those who are looking for a product without all the bells and whistles. BigRoad's easy-to-use log compliance software links their ELD device with your smartphone so you can see accurate, up-to-date information. No complicated hardware installation and their mobile application's primary goal is to provide simplicity with functionality.
Gorilla Safety is a unique management system that offers features surpassing the basic Electronic Logging Devices we have seen previously. Their software not only ensures ELD mandate compliance but their features include safety and management tools. If you have used an electronic log before the ELD itself will feel reasonably straightforward, but they shine when it comes to their tracking ability of FMCSA and maintenance.
As a driver, you should already be aware that the deadline for complying the ELD mandate was April 1st. If you are without an Electronic Logging Device, you will be put out of service for 10 hours and then allowed to complete your run. However, you are required to install an ELD immediately before your next route. If you are later found without an ELD, you will receive an out-of-service violation under the ELD mandate.
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