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Community groups across N.L. found inventive and sometimes unusual ways to deliver food during the pandemic
Feeding ourselves: COVID-19 brought a whole new focus to food insecurity. Find out how Food First NL collaborated with dozens of groups to tackle an unprecedented problem
These groups have helped fight hunger during the pandemic — and often in some truly creative ways
By Adam Walsh and Amy Joy
CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
Even before the pandemic hit and upended life as we know it, Newfoundland and Labrador already had high rates of food insecurity, and there were already fears that things could get much worse in an rocky economy.
Groups that typically tried to shore up gaps for the vulnerable were left wondering if they could even continue to operate.
Things were conspiring against those groups in the early days of the pandemic. Distribution became a challenge. Some charities closed their doors as they went into emergency mode. The supply of cash dropped as the demand for food spiked. Fundraising became close to impossible, as people lost work, or prepared for worst-case scenarios.
The pool of volunteers who keep food banks and community groups running — many of them seniors — evaporated as many people went into self-isolation.
Bags of onions at a church hall in St. John's, where volunteers sort large donations into individual portions for food hampers. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Post image on Pinterest: Bags of onions at a church hall in St. John's, where volunteers sort large donations into individual portions for food hampers. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Post image on Facebook: Bags of onions at a church hall in St. John's, where volunteers sort large donations into individual portions for food hampers. (Photo by Paul Daly)
To deal with an unprecedented emergency, about half a million dollars in food funding was provided by the provincial government, to be distributed by the non-profit organization Food First NL.
Some 131 different groups have since received funding to help people who needed food.
The recipients are spread across the province (see the map below), and are quite diverse.
Indeed, this story is really a collection of stories, of the many different solutions and techniques that community groups have found to address specific needs on the ground, where they live.
(CBC Graphics)
Post image on Pinterest: (CBC Graphics)
Post image on Facebook: (CBC Graphics)
Some groups have been in the business of helping people for years. Others had little to do with food assistance before the pandemic, but they saw a need and decided to do something.
Each group had to adapt and evolve in order to operate in a way that was safe and effective. Many of them also managed to find extra money for their efforts — through federal funding, for instance, or donations from local businesses.
We spoke to 11 of those groups.
Each one has a different pandemic story about what they did, and who they helped.
Finding pride and building community
Evan Parsons delivers groceries as part of Fogo Island Pride's outreach project on food insecurity. (Submitted by Evan Parsons)
Post image on Pinterest: Evan Parsons delivers groceries as part of Fogo Island Pride's outreach project on food insecurity. (Submitted by Evan Parsons)
Post image on Facebook: Evan Parsons delivers groceries as part of Fogo Island Pride's outreach project on food insecurity. (Submitted by Evan Parsons)
Fogo Island Pride
Fogo Island Pride was still deciding on what events to hold in 2020 when the pandemic started to ramp up. Come April, the group realized COVID-19 wasn't going away so it decided to pivot from Pride events toward community outreach.
Group co-founder and co-director Evan Parsons said the focus switched to food support for people who needed it. The group posted online and gave info to the local community TV channel. As the info got around and word spread, there was an influx of calls.
"We had a lot of people call us and inquire about the program," said Parsons, adding the group thought they might receive 10 inquiries.
The number of individuals and families who needed food assistance quickly grew to about 35.
The calls were a mix of seniors, people with disabilities and people earning low incomes. All of them were vulnerable to an increase in food prices and saw COVID-19 make the act of getting groceries more of a challenge.
Parsons said the program provided eligible families with essential grocery items under Canada's Food Guide at a value of $75 to $125 per month for up to four months. Since the start, local businesses have also donated money or assistance to the program. Looking at what they've achieved, Parsons said this kind of outreach also helps broaden knowledge of the LGBTQ+ community, which is one of the main goals for Fogo Island Pride.
If they can't come in, go to where they are
Guest Paul Emberley receives a hot meal from Paulette Gosse at The Gathering Place, in downtown St. John's. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Post image on Pinterest: Guest Paul Emberley receives a hot meal from Paulette Gosse at The Gathering Place, in downtown St. John's. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Post image on Facebook: Guest Paul Emberley receives a hot meal from Paulette Gosse at The Gathering Place, in downtown St. John's. (Photo by Paul Daly)
The Gathering Place, St. John's
Its name says everything about the raison d'être of the Gathering Place, a vital hub for people who live on the margins in downtown St. John's.
The pandemic, however, forced the Gathering Place to throw out its playbook and start over. If guests — the people who rely on its services are treated with respect, and that includes the noun by which they are known — could not come in for meals and life supports, the Gathering Place would go to them.
"Food insecurity hasn't changed. What's changed is how we ensure people receive basic food items," said executive director Joanne Thompson.
In addition to producing takeaway meals, it also started delivering hampers. Thompson said the hampers are sent out with the needs and circumstances of each individual recipients in mind — the hundreds who frequent the Gathering Place tend to live in precarious housing and are some of the most vulnerable in the city.
Jared Davis and Nick Baxter prepare food hampers at The Gathering Place. The non-profit organization changed its tactics when the lockdown started. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Post image on Pinterest: Jared Davis and Nick Baxter prepare food hampers at The Gathering Place. The non-profit organization changed its tactics when the lockdown started. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Post image on Facebook: Jared Davis and Nick Baxter prepare food hampers at The Gathering Place. The non-profit organization changed its tactics when the lockdown started. (Photo by Paul Daly)
"We understand some people don't have abilities for refrigeration, some don't have access to stoves and some don't have the ability to even process that. What we pack in those boxes is really aligned with somebody's lived housing needs," she said.
The hampers are meant to supplement what people get from food banks and are set up for two-week cycles.
In addition to hampers and meals, the Gathering Place is also doing wellness checks on people — which means observing physical distancing guidelines and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).
"We still have to find ways to meet people. To do it safely. It might require full PPE but that's OK. We have to meet people where they are. We can't ever think that we reach a point where we don't engage with each other," said Thompson.
What will the kids need?
The community freezer in Hopedale has been running for years, and contains meat donated by local hunters and the Nunatsiavut Government. (Submitted by Donna Flowers)
Post image on Pinterest: The community freezer in Hopedale has been running for years, and contains meat donated by local hunters and the Nunatsiavut Government. (Submitted by Donna Flowers)
Post image on Facebook: The community freezer in Hopedale has been running for years, and contains meat donated by local hunters and the Nunatsiavut Government. (Submitted by Donna Flowers)
Hopedale Inuit Community Government
Lift the lid of the community freezer in Hopedale and you'll find a variety of frozen goods, mostly wild game and fish that has either been harvested by local hunters or donated by the Nunatsiavut Government.
There's char, bison, moose, seal meat and turbot, to name a few.
The freezer was set up 10 years ago as a way to help provide traditional foods to vulnerable families in the community of about 650 people. Inside the community pantry, which goes hand in hand with the freezer, you'll find the main staples: flour, sugar, salt and milk.
In a northern town where prices are high and incomes are low, foods that many of us take for granted can go a long way, especially if you're a kid.
When acting town manager Donna Flowers saw an email from Food First NL about the emergency funding, she knew exactly what she'd use the money for.
But it wasn't for the regular items. Not the milk, or flour, or char. She thought of the children in the community and about the foods they might be missing since the schools and their breakfast programs were shut down.
Flowers placed a bulk order from a grocery store in Happy Valley-Goose and stocked up on snacks like popcorn and nutrigrain bars. She also bought diapers and baby wipes for families — not food, but essential items all the same.
Before the pandemic started, the freezer and panty were open once every two weeks. The need has since increased, so now it's once a week. Flowers thinks about 100 households are taking part, and she said that this help doesn't go unnoticed. "They really appreciated that they were thought of in that way, making them feel like they are a part of the community and they are important."
Putting dignity to the fore
Family Food Initiative, St. John's
The Family Food Initiative is a brand new collaboration that came about in response to COVID-19 and serves students and their families in the east end of St. John's. It was started by a group of women, including Krista Brodeur, who also helped start the St. John's Baby Clothes Library.
During the pandemic, Brodeur recognized the elevated need for support for families who have relied on programs like the Breakfast Club and the local School Lunch Association. As a member of the congregation of St. Mark's Anglican Church, and seeing the community work the church already does, Brodeur approached Rev. Robert Cooke to be a partner. He was only too happy to help.
A couple of schools in the area — East Point Elementary and Macdonald Drive Elementary — also came on board. Together, the group identified families in the area who could use some help.
"The thing that has struck me is the cross-section of the population. There's no stereotypical or socioeconomic status that this has affected — it's across the board," said Brodeur.
Individual gift cards for Colemans supermarkets allow recipients to make their own choices about what they need. (Submitted by Krista Brodeur)
Post image on Pinterest: Individual gift cards for Colemans supermarkets allow recipients to make their own choices about what they need. (Submitted by Krista Brodeur)
Post image on Facebook: Individual gift cards for Colemans supermarkets allow recipients to make their own choices about what they need. (Submitted by Krista Brodeur)
With the funding from Food First NL, along with donations from the public and Colemans grocery stores, the group was able to support 60 families. Each week, these families were given grocery gift cards, so they could buy their own food. Cooke said that was an important element.
"With the gift card, you can go and you can pick up the things that you need rather than getting a hamper that might not specifically work for your family," he said. "One of the things that was really, really important to us was to let people keep their dignity."
Mental health is important, too
Flat Bay Band
On the west coast of Newfoundland, Flat Bay Band chief executive officer Liz LaSaga said food and mental health assistance were what people in her self-governed Indigenous community needed when the pandemic hit. That meant a lot of mental health services had to move into the virtual world.
She said the community has a variety of issues — people with compromised health due to chronic disease; vulnerable seniors; addictions and mental health challenges; homelessness — and all of them need support.
At Perrier's Convenience in Flat Bay, Bernadine Blanchard and Everette Perrier welcome customers Marjorie Bennett and Owen Hoskins.  (Submitted by Liz LaSaga)
Post image on Pinterest: At Perrier's Convenience in Flat Bay, Bernadine Blanchard and Everette Perrier welcome customers Marjorie Bennett and Owen Hoskins.  (Submitted by Liz LaSaga)
Post image on Facebook: At Perrier's Convenience in Flat Bay, Bernadine Blanchard and Everette Perrier welcome customers Marjorie Bennett and Owen Hoskins.  (Submitted by Liz LaSaga)
On food security, LaSaga said the band sent out a community memo offering help for people who needed it. Then they partnered with the local grocery store so that people could place orders.
"They call the store up and [place] an order into the store with what they need, whether it's juice or eggs, or meat," she said, adding the band has even helped out seniors with licences for salmon so they can have fresh fish.
So far, at least 178 families and individuals have received food help.
They used to be strangers. Now they play on the same team
School Lunch Association | Choices for Youth | St. John's Farmers' Market
This story is about an urgent need to solve a problem, and how a creative solution was found by making connections where they had not existed before. It involves the above three groups.
First, though, take a moment, and picture what feeding 6,300 people looks like.
That is, basically, like hosting a dinner party for a town the size of Clarenville.
It's also the number of meals served to students in 36 schools across the province every day through the School Lunch Association.
Abrupt closures of the schools in March meant quick thinking on the part of John Finn, executive director of the School Lunch Association, not only about what to do with all of the food that had been pre-purchased for the full school year, but about who in the community could use it.
"None of us knew each other to begin with, but non-profits, they always find ways to work together."
— John Finn
When you think about all those daily meals, you can get a sense of just how much food needed to be redirected.
Finn's first phone call was to a friend at Choices for Youth, a non-profit organization that provides support to vulnerable youth in the St. John's area. He was soon in touch with Jen Crowe, the strategic initiatives coordinator with Choices for Youth. They came up with a plan to collect the food from the schools, find somewhere to store it, and then distribute it to the people who need it.
While the St. John's Farmers' Market was closed this spring to vendors and the public, it became a hub for food that was redistributed from schools. (Submitted by John Finn)
Post image on Pinterest: While the St. John's Farmers' Market was closed this spring to vendors and the public, it became a hub for food that was redistributed from schools. (Submitted by John Finn)
Post image on Facebook: While the St. John's Farmers' Market was closed this spring to vendors and the public, it became a hub for food that was redistributed from schools. (Submitted by John Finn)
What better place to do that than the St. John's Farmers' Market?
Executive director Pam Anstey was only too happy to come on board to offer up the market's 14,000 square feet of space. The move meant a shift in that organization's perspective.
"We're the Farmers' Market, so we do food but we don't do food distribution," said Anstey.
"It was a really big kind of adjustment for us as well to try to wrap our head around how we could do this safely and in the most immediate way possible."
Others pitched in. Businesses donated tractor trailers and moving trucks, and Royal Newfoundland Constabulary cadets helped transport the food.
This intentional yet impromptu grassroots project wound up providing food to 18 different groups, including shelters, residential centres and food banks.
New bonds were forged, too.
"None of us knew each other to begin with, but non-profits, they always find ways to work together," said Finn.
'We shouldn't have to make people climb ladders'
Safe Harbour Outreach Program (SHOP) staff member Bridget Clarke delivers hot meals to participants who live in downtown St. John's. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Post image on Pinterest: Safe Harbour Outreach Program (SHOP) staff member Bridget Clarke delivers hot meals to participants who live in downtown St. John's. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Post image on Facebook: Safe Harbour Outreach Program (SHOP) staff member Bridget Clarke delivers hot meals to participants who live in downtown St. John's. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Safe Harbour Outreach Program
Many people who've found themselves out of work have options, like unemployment insurance or the federal Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). But what happens to those whose industry isn't protected, or where there aren't traditional employment benefits?
According to Heather Jarvis, program coordinator with SHOP, or the Safe Harbour Outreach Program, the pandemic has been especially devastating to sex workers. They've experienced a huge loss of income because of physical distancing guidelines and self-isolation measures, as well as a decrease in overall service.
In the six years of its existence, SHOP has assisted more than 550 people, a number that Jarvis said is climbing quickly. But their team is small, made up of only two full-time employees.
With an increased need for more support at the start of the pandemic, they had to act quickly. With the Food First NL grant money, SHOP hired a long-time volunteer as a temporary outreach worker. Her job: to deliver grocery gift cards to sex workers who find might find themselves struggling. A seemingly small gesture, but an example of meeting the needs of those who may already find themselves in challenging circumstances.
Bridget Clarke prepares to deliver hot meals to participants in an outreach program. The Merchant Tavern restaurant made the meals at cost. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Post image on Pinterest: Bridget Clarke prepares to deliver hot meals to participants in an outreach program. The Merchant Tavern restaurant made the meals at cost. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Post image on Facebook: Bridget Clarke prepares to deliver hot meals to participants in an outreach program. The Merchant Tavern restaurant made the meals at cost. (Photo by Paul Daly)
"COVID-19 has helped a lot of people understand the gravity of the inequality we're seeing in our communities and the immense power imbalances," said Jarvis.
"I'm really hopeful that on the other side of this we will be seeing some big shifts in how we support people … and how quickly we can give people access to basic resources. We shouldn't have to make people climb ladders or tell us every personal detail about their lives to simply access a resource."
Rallying around seniors
Volunteers in Bonavista helped organize hampers for community distribution. (Submitted by Saltwater Community Association)
Post image on Pinterest: Volunteers in Bonavista helped organize hampers for community distribution. (Submitted by Saltwater Community Association)
Post image on Facebook: Volunteers in Bonavista helped organize hampers for community distribution. (Submitted by Saltwater Community Association)
Saltwater Community Association
In Bonavista, Saltwater Community Association CEO Betty Fitzgerald said the pandemic caused a great deal of concern about one group in particular.
"We were worried about our seniors in general, especially those who are widowed or single seniors and we were wondering how we would go about helping them out," said Fitzgerald, a former mayor who is a senior herself.
Fitzgerald said an increase in food prices meant it became harder for many seniors to afford the basics. The association got $5,400 in funding to start and used that to purchase 141 food hampers and 50 gift cards. Calls kept coming in from people who needed help, so the group kept looking for — and finding — funding, both locally and federally. They've since brought in another $20,000, and have expanded their help for anyone who needs it.
To date, they've given out 774 hampers in the Bonavista region. Fitzgerald said she's also been contacted by some of the people they've helped.
"One lady called me and said it's the first time anyone has given her anything. And it came at a time when she was wondering what she was going to have the next day for her meal," Fitzgerald said.
A food bank that delivers
Food NL volunteers Mahmudiel Islam Shourov and Adid Rahman prepare hampers for distribution. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Post image on Pinterest: Food NL volunteers Mahmudiel Islam Shourov and Adid Rahman prepare hampers for distribution. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Post image on Facebook: Food NL volunteers Mahmudiel Islam Shourov and Adid Rahman prepare hampers for distribution. (Photo by Paul Daly)
NL Eats
This is an organization that started as a family affair. When the pandemic hit, six people — all related and living in the same home — felt they needed to do something to help out.
So they started a food bank that delivers.
"We're trying to cater to a bunch of different niches but at the core of the sentiment is seniors, elderly, immunocompromised … people with existing physical or financial conditions," said Mahmudul Islam Shourov, the group's chief marketing officer.
Read more about NL Eats: Food bank in the bubble: How this family launched a service from their home
The group saw that a lot of people had no ability to get to and from a grocery store or food bank, because of cost, lack of transport or health issues.
They've been filling those gaps. Since the start of the pandemic, they've done more than 1,000 deliveries and have grown to 80 members strong and have plans to continue getting bigger.
Business student Mahmudiel Shourov delivers a food hamper in St. John's earlier this month. Shourov and relatives started NL Eats originally to enthuse about restaurants and foodie topics; the group turned its attention to food insecurity and is now delivering hampers to those who cannot get to food banks themselves. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Post image on Pinterest: Business student Mahmudiel Shourov delivers a food hamper in St. John's earlier this month. Shourov and relatives started NL Eats originally to enthuse about restaurants and foodie topics; the group turned its attention to food insecurity and is now delivering hampers to those who cannot get to food banks themselves. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Post image on Facebook: Business student Mahmudiel Shourov delivers a food hamper in St. John's earlier this month. Shourov and relatives started NL Eats originally to enthuse about restaurants and foodie topics; the group turned its attention to food insecurity and is now delivering hampers to those who cannot get to food banks themselves. (Photo by Paul Daly)
The group has been in talks with Clarenville and Corner Brook where they are looking at setting up services.
Shourov said food is just the first step. "Food isn't really the primary solution now. There's so much more to it. There's loneliness — there's a lot more we need to address," he said.
NL Eats is starting to offer mental health services as well, including counselling services and check-back calls.
'Because of this we won't be hungry this week'
Roddickton-Bide Arm, located on the eastern side of the Great Northern Peninsula, was once a thriving town where both the fishing and forest industries meant plenty of work for people in the area.
But its fate would be a dismal one: the sawmill closed first, followed by the crab plant. Many had no choice but to leave and find work elsewhere.
These days the town is much more quiet. For Mayor Sheila Fitzgerald, the pandemic highlighted just how difficult it is for some families.
"There's an increase in the number of people going away that are seasonal workers, there's lots of low income families, and it's an aging town," she told CBC.
To address the needs, the town hired a worker to deliver food hampers and items like prescription medications. She said seniors, especially those who live alone and are more severely impacted by isolation, especially welcomed a friendly face and the extra support.
Sheila Fitzgerald says it was vital to make people feel welcome in the community food pantry. (CBC)
Post image on Pinterest: Sheila Fitzgerald says it was vital to make people feel welcome in the community food pantry. (CBC)
Post image on Facebook: Sheila Fitzgerald says it was vital to make people feel welcome in the community food pantry. (CBC)
In addition to the food hampers, the town used other grant money along with personal donations to open up a food pantry, housed in the local fire hall.
The word "pantry" was intentional, said Fitzgerald. "It's warm and inviting and we want them to feel the hospitality, to come in the pantry and get whatever you need."
It began by using Facebook to connect with people. They received confidential requests for food which they then could bring directly to people's homes. Fitzgerald said, "We hear everything from 'you guys are angels' to 'you know, this means so much to me and my family. Because of this we won't be hungry this week.'"
An international pantry
Association for New Canadians
Refugees faced multiple barriers during the pandemic.
"People who arrive as government-assisted refugees experience a higher prevalence of food insecurity in the best of times when [they] resettle in high-income countries like Canada," said Suzy Haghighi, director of settlement services with the Association for New Canadians.
Norma Hatcher, left, Wayne Pearce and Lioudmila Pike collaborated on food hampers for the Association of New Canadians. (Submitted)
Post image on Pinterest: Norma Hatcher, left, Wayne Pearce and Lioudmila Pike collaborated on food hampers for the Association of New Canadians. (Submitted)
Post image on Facebook: Norma Hatcher, left, Wayne Pearce and Lioudmila Pike collaborated on food hampers for the Association of New Canadians. (Submitted)
Haghighi said it's a process to settle and make a life in a different country, with a different culture, different language and different foods. Adding to that stress was the social isolation of the pandemic and the difficulties that came with it.
Haghighi said many couldn't access food banks because of difficulty navigating systems and language barriers. Plus, she said what's available at food banks tends to be unrecognizable for newcomers and may not align with cultural or religious requirements.
So the Association for New Canadians purchased and started delivering culturally appropriate foods by starting a dry food pantry. They also purchased gift cards to help with fresh foods, diapers and over the counter medicine that was needed. They supported about 50 newcomer families in need.
Where do things go from here?
Adid Rahman, a business student at Memorial University, shows some of the notes that have been left for NL Eats volunteers when they deliver food hampers in St. John's. The group has been using space at St. David's Presbyterian Church in St. John's. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Post image on Pinterest: Adid Rahman, a business student at Memorial University, shows some of the notes that have been left for NL Eats volunteers when they deliver food hampers in St. John's. The group has been using space at St. David's Presbyterian Church in St. John's. (Photo by Paul Daly)
Post image on Facebook: Adid Rahman, a business student at Memorial University, shows some of the notes that have been left for NL Eats volunteers when they deliver food hampers in St. John's. The group has been using space at St. David's Presbyterian Church in St. John's. (Photo by Paul Daly)
For the most part, these groups will continue what they're doing through the summer months and wait for whatever comes next to happen.
On the horizon is a worry about a second wave of COVID-19 and questions about whether the need in their communities will further increase if the economy doesn't bounce back.
The work on food insecurity that these groups have taken on has no doubt been critical in helping people through an unprecedented time. It's similar to the triage process in an emergency room, where the most urgent cases are seen first. The process, though, doesn't prevent the emergency from happening.
"The need is really incredibly high, even in the best of times," said Josh Smee, chief executive officer of Food First NL.
"So this has helped meet some of the emergency dynamics of the situation but there's still a systemic problem that we have."
About Fed Up
Fed Up is a year-long series by CBC NL, in collaboration with Food First NL, exploring the issues surrounding food insecurity and why many people in the province struggle to access food.
Here are some of the previous digital stories we have done in this series:
Hundreds of MUN international students needed help for food during the pandemic. Some still do
Pandemic drives up demand for food support groups — with more challenges ahead
Food bank in the bubble: How this family launched a service from their home
Food banks are in for a rough ride, but $500K pledge from province is big help
When you can't afford to hoard, what happens then?
This tiny town's bulk buy program is fighting food insecurity
From statistic to survival: How one family deals with food insecurity
What did Snowmageddon teach us about food insecurity?
N.L.'s fall from grace on food insecurity record 'disturbing'
Single parents hit hard by food insecurity
Unseen hunger: How a community effort brought food to those who needed it most
Why is food insecurity such a big issue in N.L.?
Amy Joy is the community engagement producer for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Adam Walsh is a reporter with the St. John's Morning Show. Editor and digital senior producer: John Gushue


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text:
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using Magecrawl.EngineInterfaces;
using Magecrawl.Interfaces;
using Magecrawl.Utilities;

namespace Magecrawl.Actors.MonsterAI
{
    internal class MoveToWoundedAllyTactic : TacticWithCooldown
    {
        public override bool CouldUseTactic(IGameEngineCore engine, Monster monster)
        {
            // If see an ally who's wounded (I have something to do)
            List<Character> nearbyAllies = OtherNearbyEnemies(engine, monster);
            foreach (Character allyNeedingHealing in nearbyAllies.Where(x => x.CurrentHP < x.MaxHP).OrderBy(x => x.CurrentHP))
            {
                List<Point> pathToAlly = GetPathToCharacter(engine, monster, allyNeedingHealing);
                if (pathToAlly != null && pathToAlly.Count > 1)
                    return true;
            }
            return false;
        }

        public override bool UseTactic(IGameEngineCore engine, Monster monster)
        {
            bool success = false;

            // If see an ally who's wounded (I have something to do)
            List<Character> nearbyAllies = OtherNearbyEnemies(engine, monster);
            foreach (Character allyNeedingHealing in nearbyAllies.Where(x => x.CurrentHP < x.MaxHP).OrderBy(x => x.CurrentHP))
            {
                List<Point> pathToAlly = GetPathToCharacter(engine, monster, allyNeedingHealing);
                if (pathToAlly != null && pathToAlly.Count > 1)
                {
                    success = MoveOnPath(engine, pathToAlly, monster);
                    if (!success)
                        success = MoveNearbyOnPath(engine, pathToAlly, monster);
                }
            }
            return success;
        }

        public override bool NeedsPlayerLOS
        {
            get
            {
                return false;
            }
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


(above) Vegetation Removal: Removing vegetation from a LiDAR dataset reveals the highly detailed bare-earth topography.
(above) Gabilan Mesa: Landscape renderings based on high resolution LiDAR data for Gabilan Mesa, an old erosional surface featuring gently sloping plateaus strongly aligned with each other along the eastern side of the Salinas Valley, CA.
Republished from Hillside Pictures, Calif.
Hillside Pictures was born out of the desire to blend my lifelong passion for moving pictures and graphic design with my background in computer science and remote sensing. The results are complex visualizations of landscapes and natural environments with emphasis on both scientific accuracy and visual aesthetics. My work is grounded in broad technical expertise, highest attention to detail and years of work experience in the academic environment. Stepping outside the field of data visualization, I enjoy working on motion graphics and visual effects projects, including animated DVD menus, titles or intros.
Continue to Hillside Pictures artwork gallery . . .


text:
"Wash Us in the Blood" is a song by American rapper Kanye West featuring fellow American rapper Travis Scott. It was produced by West, Ronny J, and BoogzDaBeast, while co-produced by FnZ and A.G., with additional production from Dem Jointz and Israel Boyd. The producers wrote the song alongside Travis Scott, Aaron Butts and KayCyy Pluto. The song was released for digital download and streaming as a standalone single on June 30, 2020, through GOOD Music and Def Jam. Will Welch teased the song during an interview with West in April 2020.

An industrial hip hop song, "Wash Us in the Blood" features electro production. The lyrics of the song see West referencing Jesus' sacrifice, alongside mentioning subjects such as slavery and genocide. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. Some appreciated it in comparison to West's previous work, though a few critics observed a lack of originality. At the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, the song won the award of Top Gospel Song.

"Wash Us in the Blood" debuted at number 49 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while it attained top 40 positions in Australia, Greece, and Ireland. An accompanying Arthur Jafa-directed music video was released on June 30, 2020. The video makes usage of split-screen presentation, with it including various forms of footage. The music video received mostly positive reviews from critics, who often directed praise towards the combining of clips. However, it was age restricted by YouTube. West performed a version of the song live at Nebuchadnezzar in November 2019.

Background

During an Instagram Live chat with French artist Michèle Lamy on May 22, 2020, American cinematographer Arthur Jafa revealed that West had been working on a new track. Jafa continued, telling Lamy that the track was set to be included on West's then-upcoming album God's Country and "will be, like, the first single, I guess, off of it." Admitting to not being sure if he was "supposed to not be announcing it or whatever," Jafa said that he "may just be spilling the beans" on the track. West later announced "Wash Us in the Blood" for release via Twitter on June 29, 2020, alongside sharing a 10-second snippet of it as well as the single's cover art. The artwork, designed by Jafa, features a 12" picture disc. An alternate cover was used that is a "blood red" 7", while the song's cassette is also red. American record producer Dr. Dre solely mixed "Wash Us in the Blood", after West had announced a remix version of his ninth studio album Jesus Is King (2019) with the record producer, and the song stands as part of the work that they had created together up to June 2020. The song was produced by West, Ronny J and BoogzDaBeast, and co-produced by Michael Mule and Isaac DeBoni of FnZ alongside A.G., while additional production was handled by Dem Jointz and Israel Boyd. The producers wrote the song alongside Aaron Butts and KayCyy Pluto.

In November 2019, West premiered his Christian opera Nebuchadnezzar. The opera included West performing "Wash Us in the Blood", which was listed in the setlist that he tweeted out prior to Nebuchadnezzar. In April 2020, GQ journalist Will Welch reported that he had heard a playlist of 54 tracks by West while in Mexico with him. Welch commented that the song contrasted with "mellow and sweet" tracks from the playlist, with him comparing its industrial sound to West's sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). The lyrics of the song's chorus were also shared by Welch. This interview marked the first time that the song had been mentioned. The song ultimately being released on June 30, 2020 marked West's first solo release since Jesus Is King in October 2019, and the first release to involve West since his gospel group the Sunday Service Choir's debut studio album Jesus Is Born in December 2019. Before echoing 2017-2021 US president Donald Trump within the song, West had been a known supporter of his.

Composition and lyrics

Musically, "Wash Us in the Blood" is an industrial hip hop song. Specifically, the track's industrial sound received comparisons to Yeezus and was noted for being combined with electronic sounds. According to The Guardian, "Wash Us in the Blood" is "a club anthem." On the other hand, the track was described as sounding "like the child of a nail grating on the chalkboard and a police siren." The track contains a two-note siren motif that is a feedback sound, which has a lower semitone than the feedback on West's songs "Send It Up" (2013) and "Feedback" (2016). It includes a pulse, coming from the feedback sound. The track features production reminiscent of Yeezus through its "splintering electro-styled beats." Hard-hitting drums are present within the song, alongside experimental sounds such as horns and spray cans. The track includes bongos before introducing "a thumping cacophony of quaking beats" as well as industrial synth lines that are screams, complemented with white noise and deep vocal samples. For the opening of the track, West raps "in short, repetitive bursts, drawling the end of his lines," accompanied by a sample of preacher Robert G. Moore Jr, which was contributed by producer Dem Jointz after being sent the record from Dr. Dre. Travis Scott contributes seven lines to the track through his auto-tuned vocals in a performance that was interpreted as "characteristically woozy," with his vocals appearing on the bridge and part of the second verse.

Lyrically, "Wash Us in the Blood" has a religious message; the song implores God "to deliver black America from evil" through Jesus' sacrifice while discussing mass incarceration, slavery, genocide, and drug-dealing. In the chorus of the song, West and Travis Scott plead for the Holy Spirit to come down and "wash us in the blood." Within the song, Travis Scott also performs ad-libs and criticizes capital punishment. West attacks record labels for trying to "sign a calm 'Ye" as well as others who do not want him to be himself, though the antagonists are unnamed by West. Following on from this, West switches focus by taking aim at the media alongside evoking Trump's criticism of fake news.

Release and promotion
On June 30, 2020, "Wash Us in the Blood" was released for digital download and streaming as the lead single from God's Country. The song was also made available for pre-order via West's website in various physical formats, including a 12-inch vinyl, 7-inch vinyl, cassette, and CD single. In July 2020, West shared a track list for his upcoming tenth studio album Donda on Twitter, revealing the song to be slated for release on the album at the time. However, it was ultimately not included on the album. On November 25, 2019, West performed "Wash Us in the Blood" during Nebuchadnezzar at the Hollywood Bowl. For the performance, West served as the narrator and was accompanied by operatic singers, large groups of robed people that occupied the venue's aisle, and a choir. The choir wore matching robes and stood on an elevated structure that was shaped like a horseshoe, and the version of the song performed had the same instrumental as the final version.

Reception

"Wash Us in the Blood" was met with generally positive reviews from music critics, with a number of them praising the music. Ben Beaumont-Thomas lauded the song in his review for The Guardian, hailing it as "one of [West's] most focused and arresting tracks for years" as well as "an intensely potent study of race and faith," while he explained that the motif "gets your blood up." Sam Moore of NME highlighted the song as "a glorious return to Yeezus-era chaos" and added that it "thankfully proves that even 2020's passionately non-secular Kanye isn't done yet with challenging and provoking his listener." Jason Lipshutz from Billboard described the song as "a return to the boiling anger that made 2013's Yeezus so kinetic," praising West and Travis Scott's "fiery examination of injustice." Craig Jenkins of Vulture viewed the song as a return to form for West as well as "a smoother pairing of West's newfound faith and existing politics," albeit one where he "[recycles] ideas [he's] already perfected elsewhere." Consequence of Sounds Eli Enis commented that the song's sound is "decidedly noisier and more aggressive" in comparison to West's 2019 releases and his eighth studio album Ye (2018), with him noting it being "chock-full of religious themes and motifs."

In a less enthusiastic review, HipHopDX writer Devon Jefferson called the song a "banger" which "appears to be" a return form by West to "the naked and somewhat unassuming eye," though admitted that the song is "more of a mutation of Ye, which we've seen in many forms in recent years." Jefferson elaborated on his viewpoint, stating that "it feels like a veiled attempt at the sort of radical musical advocacy" which West delivered with Yeezus, while dubbing the song a "watered down" version of the album's lead single "Black Skinhead" (2013). Complexs Eric Skelton opined that the song "contains many flaws" and "sounds unfinished," but nonetheless concluded that "it's encouraging to hear Kanye experiment on a song" and that "there are moments where he sounds more creatively charged than he has in quite some time." Writing for Pitchfork, Hubert Adjei-Kontoh remarked that the song "feels more like a tossed-off sketch than a meticulous portrait," citing its "parodic" social commentary and noting the "woozy, clippy" production of the song. Gavin Haynes of The Guardian opined that the song is a "dark, frenetic" track and "has all the commercial potential of a Metal Machine Music B-sides compilation," likening it to "someone pouring a baby into the bear enclosure."

At the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, "Wash Us in the Blood" was awarded Top Gospel Song.

Music video

Background and synopsis

On May 25, 2020, Jafa revealed that he had been "really busy" shooting a music video with West for the lead single from God's Country. Prior to the collaboration, Jafa had used West's 2016 track "Ultralight Beam" in his film Love Is The Message, The Message Is Death that was released the same year. Alongside directing the music video for "Wash Us in the Blood", Jafa designed the single's cover art. West had donated to the families of African-Americans Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery before using clips of them for the video. It premiered on June 30, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. EDT via YouTube.

For the opening of the music video, warped faces are displayed while police sirens can be heard. The opening shows a police officer berating a fellow officer, which appears to be done during a Black Lives Matter rally. The video uses split-screen presentation throughout and features footage of West's Saint Pablo Tour (2016), police brutality, a gospel choir, people with masks on that struggle to breathe, goats, Afrofuturism, Taylor dancing, Arbery soon before his shooting, protests, church services, cars doing donuts, scenes from Grand Theft Auto V (2013), computer-generated images of West, imprisoned people, and an unmanned drone. To end the video, the camera zooms in on the face of Kanye's daughter North West as she dances at a rehearsal for the Sunday Service Choir. At the same time as her dancing, Kanye West says the chorus of "Wash Us in the Blood", with him doing this after the song's audio has run its full length.

Reception
BBC arts editor Will Gompertz gave the music video four stars out of five, asserting that "it is a good film," albeit one inferior to Jafa's earlier work such as Love is the Message, The Message is Death and The White Album (2018) due to the position of "Wash Us in the Blood" as the visual's most important element. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times judged that "Jafa's video collage of trauma and exuberance remains effective here." MTV writer Patrick Hosken dubbed the visual "chaotic," noting that it opens "with police sirens and warped faces and intercut with footage of West's own glitched-out face." However, Adjei-Kontoh panned the "risible" video for juxtaposing clips of Taylor and Arbery with video game footage and viral videos, which he argued denies "the sacred inherent in the very lives the song seeks to praise" and reduces black life "to digital death and instant commodification." Within less than 24 hours of release, the music video had received over a million views on YouTube. Based on the platform's community guidelines, the video was age-restricted.

Commercial performance
After three days of tracking, "Wash Us in the Blood" debuted at number 49 on the US Billboard Hot 100. During the tracking period, it received 6.3 million streams and sold 18,000 downloads. The song became West's 108th entry on the Hot 100, bringing him one entry closer to tying with American singer Elvis Presley for the 6th most appearances in the chart's history. It lasted for two weeks on the Hot 100.

The song topped the US Christian Songs, Gospel Songs, Christian Streaming Songs, Christian Digital Song Sales, Gospel Streaming Songs and Gospel Digital Song Sales charts at the same time, following on from West's single "Follow God" (2019) as his second track to top all six of the charts and giving Travis Scott his first appearance on the charts. By debuting at the summit of the US Gospel Songs chart, the song ended the single's 35-week run at number one. The song opened atop the Digital Song Sales chart, becoming West's sixth number one on the chart and Travis Scott's second.

In Australia, the song performed best by debuting at number 31 on the ARIA Singles Chart, becoming one of three new releases to reach the top 50 for the week of July 13, 2020. "Wash Us in the Blood" experienced similar performance in Ireland, peaking at number 32 on the Irish Singles Chart. It also reached the top 50 in Greece and Lithuania, attaining positions of number 37 and 47 on the Greece International Digital Singles and Lithuanian Top 100 charts, respectively. On the UK Singles Chart, the song entered at number 69 for the issue dated July 9, 2020. The following week, it rose 18 places to number 51 on the chart. In total, the song remained on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks.

Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from YouTube.

 Kanye West lead artist, production, songwriter
 Travis Scott featured artist, songwriter
 Ronny J production, songwriter
 BoogzDaBeast production, songwriter
 Michael Mule co-production, songwriter
 Isaac DeBoni co-production, songwriter
 A.G. co-production, songwriter
 Dem Jointz additional production, songwriter
 Israel Boyd additional production, songwriter
 Aaron Butts songwriter
 KayCyy Pluto songwriter
 Dr. Dre – mixer
 Josh Berg – recording engineer
 Todd Bergman – recording engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

Notes

References

2020 songs
2020 singles
Industrial hip hop songs
Kanye West songs
Song recordings produced by Kanye West
Songs written by Dem Jointz
Songs written by Kanye West
Songs written by Ronny J
Songs written by Travis Scott
Travis Scott songs
Songs about Jesus
Song recordings produced by Ronny J

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I have never been a fan of Saramago the man, but his work, that is on a different page. In my view, one can separate the man from the work. The man is that mortal part that eventually disappears, and the work is what remains. He was an annoying man, arrogant and with political ideas that I do not share, but he could think and he could write. A word of caution here is that I have seen some very bad translations of his work, but if you can, do read him in his original Portuguese, or find a good translation. German readers may find a few hints here.
It turns out that most thought occurs while writing, and some occurs in conversation. Inspiring ideas occur in sleep, under the shower or while playing. Thought is a solitary pursuit. I was exposed to Portuguese literature early in life and while the language is to me as difficult as any other language, it has a particular vernacular beauty that is all its own, and that for the life of me, I find very difficult to translate.
Saramago is right in my view in affirming that without ideas, we will not go anywhere. It is a good starting point. May Saramago rest in peace now that his work is complete.
(1) Translated by the author of this post.
I think the good man has some strange ideas, but he does write beautifully! But it could be that I am totally biased. He has the same first name of one of my grandfathers, and I loved both of my grandfathers although they were a bit like night and day. One was very quiet and calm, the other was pensive and reflective, but quiet, or calm will never really describe him. Very much to my mother's chagrin I have a lot of the latter' character traits. Come to think of it, it would do me good to adopt a few more!


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Q: Copying Firmware to 3560X Switch Ends SSH Session & Erases File I am simply trying to copy a new firmware file to a 3560X switch by connecting via SSH and copying it from a tftp server to the flash memory.  The process commences, the transfer gets all the way to the end but when it complete, it boots me out of my SSH session and when I log back in, the firmware file is nowhere to be found.  I opened a second SSH session and watched the flash and it does build the file as it's uploading, but it disappears when it's complete.  I don't get a screen showing that it attempted to verify the file, it seems to happen immediately when the transfer is complete.  I'm also logged in as a user with root privileges.  There were no log entries out of the ordinary during this time.
I've already done this to over 100 other switches, so I know the process like the back of my hand.  I don't know why this one switch is having issues.  I did some googling but either didn't know what to search for or no one else has posted about this issue.  Any help is greatly appreciated.

A: I believe I ended up circumvented this somehow but I don't remember exactly how.  It might have been by erasing the flash and uploading the file then or by copying it from another switch with that firmware.  I apologize for not following up with my solution.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Tag Archives: Steve Jackson
Train2Game Munchkin invading digital platforms
Asmodee Digital, a leader in digital board game entertainment today announced that the multi-million selling dungeon adventure card game, Munchkin, created and published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, will be reimagined for digital platforms, under license.
The upcoming digital adaptation will put everything players love about Munchkin at their fingertips in the next year.
Designed by Steve Jackson and illustrated by John Kovalic, Munchkin is the mega-hit card game about dungeon adventure… minus all that pesky roleplaying business. Friends compete to kill monsters and grab hilarious magic items, like the Horny Helmet, Boots of Butt-Kicking, Staff of Napalm, and Chainsaw of Bloody Dismemberment. While their opponents are busy giggling, players are free to backstab friends, steal their stuff, grab the treasure and run!
Without the standard, long-winded RPG elements, Munchkin is not only fun and fast paced, it's easily one of the most accessible games of its genre.
"We are thrilled to partner with Asmodee Digital for the first adaptation of Munchkin to digital platforms. Munchkin has become an evergreen game over the years and we believe the time has come to offer fans around the world a truly innovative experience," says Phil Reed, CEO of Steve Jackson Games.
The program, on behalf of Steve Jackson Games, was brokered by Surge Licensing, Inc.
– Visit Munchkin online: http://www.worldofmunchkin.com/
– Visit Steve Jackson Games online: http://www.sjgames.com/
Posted in 2, Developer, game, games, Games Developer, train, train 2 game, Train2Game, www.train2game-news.co.uk	| Tagged Board Game, developer, game, games, Games Developer, games industry, John Kovalic, Munchkin, Phil Reed, Steve Jackson, train, Train2Game
Train2Game News: Make Something Unreal Live winners game comes to app store
Posted on February 26, 2013 by Train2Game Blogger Team
Train2Game Student studio and Make Something Unreal Live 2012 winners, Commando Kiwi, have released their first game on to the app store.
The game, Warlock of Firetop Mountain: Lost Chapters, was created by the students in their spare time for last years Make Something Unreal Live contest, held by Epic. The game was created using the UDK software and is based on the very first Fighting Fantasy novel, Warlock of Firetop Mountain which was written by Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson.
The studio, which consists of Cat Forsyth, Martyn Whittel, Tom Chipchase, Jonny Robinson, Ashley Taylor, Adam Sherratt, Aaron Reeve, Andrew Smallwood, Tom Constable and Ezekiel Morris, have been working on the game since the beginning of 2012.
The students won the competition after demonstrating their game to a number of industry professionals, including Peter Molyneux, Cliff Bleszinski and Jon Hare. The final descision was that of Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson who decided Commando Kiwi's game best captured the essence of Fighting Fantasy.
The game is a third person action game which puts you in the shoes of the adventurer who is travelling through the deadly Firetop Mountain in search of the fabled treasure of the all-powerful Warlock. The game features enemies and locations from the classic book with a battle system based on the system from the book its self. The unique combat system based uses skill and luck combinations made famous by the series of novels in an intuitive Active Time Battle System.
The game is available for free to download now from the app store.
You can re-live the Commando Kiwi story in the video below:
Posted in 2, Developer, education, employment, game, games, Games Artist and Animator, Games Designer, Games Developer, iOS, mobile, Student, train, train 2 game, Train2Game	| Tagged 2, Aaron Reeve, Adam Sherratt, Andrew Smallwood, App Store, Ashley Taylor, Cat Forsyth, Cliff Bleszinski, Commando Kiwi, Epic Games, Ezekiel Morris, Fighting Fantasy, free-to-play, game, Game Art & Animation, Game Design, Game Development, games industry, Ian Livingstone, iOS, Jon Hare, Jonny Robinson, Make Something Unreal Live, Martyn Whittel, mobile gaming, Peter Molyneux, Steve Jackson, The Warlock Of Firetop Mountain, Tom Chipchase, Tom Constable, train, Train2Game, UK Games Industry, Video Games, Warlock of Firetop Mountain: Lost Chapters
Train2Game News: Dire Consequences for App Store
Posted on November 5, 2012 by Train2Game Blogger Team
After eleven months in development, Derp Studios game has hit the App Store. The game was made for the Make Something Unreal Live contest in April this year.
Following on from the 2011 Game Jam four teams went on to compete in the Make Something Unreal live which took place at The Gadget show in April. The four teams were the winners of the contest, Commando Kiwi, A team I was a part of, Digital Mage, Indigo Jam and Derp Studios.
From January to April the teams worked relentlessly on their games which were based on the Fighting Fantasy IP of Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson. The books from the series in particular that were chosen was: The Warlock Of Firetop Mountain, Armies Of Death, Deathtrap Dungeon and Citadel of Chaos. The last of these is the book Derp Studios worked on.
The game, Dire Consequences, is a first-person action game by Derp Studios, and sees players take on waves of enemies to collect souls and progress their character for new spells. The game is currently only available for iOS devices.
The Gadget Show Live was a life defining moment for many of the Train2Game students involved, including myself and having to do some research in to the whole event to fill in some gaps in my memory was a lovely journey. I am so pleased one of the teams got their game uploaded as they were all amazing games and the whole event really kick-started our careers.
A massive congratulations to Derp Studios and I urge all those with access to an iOS device to go and download the free game immediately!
Posted in Developer, education, game, games, Games Artist and Animator, Games Designer, Games Developer, mobile, Student, train 2 game, Train2Game	| Tagged Derp Studios, Dire Consequences, Epic Games, Fighting Fantasy, free-to-play, Game Art & Animation, Game Design, Game Development, games industry, Ian Livingstone, iPhone, Make Something Unreal Live, mobile gaming, Steve Jackson, Train2Game, Train2Game Game Jam, UK Games Industry, Video Games
Train2Game at Gadget Show Live 2012 – The Digital Mage Story (Video)
Posted on May 16, 2012 by Train2Game Blogger Team
Train2Game student team Digital Mage were one of four to take part in last month's Make Something Unreal Contest at Gadget Show Live, with the task of building an iOS game based on the prestigious Fighting Fantasy series.
Now, you can see the progress they made through Make Something Unreal Live in a new video from Train2Game! It features industry figures including Cliff Bleszinski, Jon Hare, Peter Molyneux and Ian Livingstone providing advice to Digital Mage as they developed their game.
Watch it on the Train2Game YouTube channel, or here on The Train2Game Blog.
Leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Posted in Parent, Student, Train2Game	| Tagged Digital Mage, Fighting Fantasy, Ian Livingstone, Make Something Unreal Live, Peter Molyneux, Steve Jackson, Train2Game	| Leave a reply
Train2Game student developed Fighting Fantasy games hailed as "unbelievable" by series co-author Steve Jackson
Train2Game student produced games based on the Fighting Fantasy books have been hailed as "unbelievable" by series co-author Steve Jackson.
He was speaking to us at Train2Game and Epic Games' Make Something Unreal Live, where four teams competed to build games based on Fighting Fantasy books for iPhone and iPad. Commando Kiwi's Warlock of Firetop Mountain was judged as the winner.
"It was a really hard decision because the four groups who had also passed through several other barriers and competitions on the way here." Jackson told Train2Game.
"They were all very talented and the standard of games that came out were unbelievable. It would've been very easy to pick four winners out of the four of them." he added.
Watch the full video interview with Fighting Fantasy co-author Steve Jackson below. You can also see our interview with fellow co-author Ian Livingstone here on The Train2Game Blog. There's more on Make Something Unreal Live here.
As usual, leave your comments here on The Train2Game Blog, or on the Train2Game forum.
Posted in Developer, Parent, Student, Train2Game	| Tagged Commando Kiwi, Fighting Fantasy, Make Something Unreal Live, Steve Jackson, Train2Game	| Leave a reply
Train2Game at Gadget Show Live: The documentary
Posted on May 4, 2012 by Train2Game Blogger Team
Train2Game students recently took part in Make Something Unreal Live, a game development contest co-sponsored by Epic Games which took place at The Gadget Show Live in April.
Four teams received mentoring from high profile industry figures as they completed games based on the iconic Fighting Fantasy series. The winning team, Commando Kiwi walked away with a fully licensed Unreal Development Kit for i OS, while all four games will be published on the App Store through Appynation.
Now, here's a 15 minute Train2Game documentary about Make Something Unreal Live. The video features all four teams that took part – Commando Kiwi, Digital Mage, Derp Studios and Indigo Jam – talking about their experiences.
Not only that, but industry figures including Unreal's Mike Gamble, Epic's Cliff Bleszinski, Peter Molyneux, Fighting Fantasy creators Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson.
Posted in Parent, Student, Train2Game	| Tagged Cliff Bleszinski, Epic Games, Gadget Show Live, Ian Livingstone, Make Something Unreal Live, Peter Molyneux, Steve Jackson, Train2Game, Unreal	| Leave a reply
Train2Game at Eurogamer with Professor at Brunel & Games Workshop co-founder Steve Jackson
Posted on November 10, 2011 by Train2Game Blogger Team
In early 1975, Steve Jackson co-founded the company Games Workshop with John Peake and Ian Livingstone. In 1980, he created the line of the Fighting Fantasy game books published by Puffin Books (a subsidiary label of Penguin Books) with Livingstone. Jackson is now a director at Lionhead Studios, which he founded with Peter Molyneux. He is also an honorary lecturer at Brunel University in London, teaching Digital Games Theory and Design MA.
More information from http://www.train2game.com
Posted in Developer, Games Artist and Animator, Games Designer, Games Developer, Games QA Tester, Parent, Student, Train2Game	| Tagged Games Workshop, Steve Jackson, Train2Game, Train2Game at Eurogamer, UK Games Industry	| Leave a reply

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


It does seem that most of the time paradise is just around the corner, doesn't it? That the life we want, the life we dream about on our most lonely of nights, is just out of our reach. Almost attainable.
Life, as we want it, has to be conquered. It's not a place to be reached, or something that can be granted. Our decisions shape our destinies. Life is what we make it.
If only… the the saddest words ever invented.
And yet… we live in the present, not in the future. We are not our past, we are not defined by what we did one year ago or ten years ago… the past has no power over us unless we chose to live there.
That is the thing… the life you want is not out of your reach. It's right there… around the corner, but you have to put in the effort to get there. Or crawl your way there. It doesn't matter, as long as you don't stop.
Things don't just fall into our laps, because we wouldn't appreciate them.
It's the struggle that pleases us, a lot more than the victory.
Hi champ! I echo your post. Life is your own creation through your thoughts which are powered by your emotions (energy in motion) and your action. It's us to decide whether it will just be a thought, a wish in our heads or we'll give life to that thought and create it in the physical realm which is just a big plane of mirrors that reflect our thoughts. A lot of things, great things happen when you take charge of your life and stop flowing or drifting with the masses. Know thyself! Have a lovely day. Cheers!
Thanks! i love this post!
In the paradigm of living nothing is what it truly is. But in that paradigm everyone's life seems more interesting than your own.


Adorable stuffed dogs are a favorite gift for dog lovers. Learn what to look for and what to avoid.
Although it's hard to say when the first stuffed dogs appeared, I would guess that it was soon after dogs were domesticated. We do know that as long as there have been children, there have been dolls, rattles, miniature weapons, and hand-made animals. Anthropologists have found evidence of toys dating back to the earliest records of human life.
Play is universal and cross-cultural. Though it may vary among cultures and generations, it's clearly instinctive and a key part of our development. A child's play is his way of learning about himself and his world. Play opens the door to a child's imagination. Some of our fondest memories from childhood are recollections of time spent playing with special people and favorite toys.
A classic among childhood toys is the Teddy Bear, who made his appearance in 1903 and is still popular today. Although the Teddy Bear may be famous because of his political affiliation (he was named after Theodore Roosevelt), just about any stuffed toy can become a child's favorite. Especially for infants and toddlers, there's great comfort and reassurance in having soft, cuddly companions like stuffed dogs to snuggle up with.
As surely as children play with toys, their needs and interests change as they grow and mature. As a child matures, a stuffed toy may come to represent a favorite animal in nature. Toy stuffed dogs might be huggable versions of media characters like a cartoon or comic strip dog ("Snoopy", "Scooby Doo", "Blues Clues", etc.). Finally, stuffed dogs can play the role of imaginary family pets.
Nowadays, toys such as the Pillow Pets range of stuffed toys for children aged 3 years onwards, seem to be the newest fad.
For children in the one to three year age range, avoid toys with small parts that could be swallowed, aspirated (inhaled into the air passages or lungs) or inserted into the nose or ears. The eyes and noses of stuffed dogs should be securely fastened and the seams well sewn. Avoid stuffed dogs with any sharp corners, rough edges, or strings.
For the first few months babies can't grasp with their hands, so choose toys that stimulate with sight and sound. High contrast, black-and-white or brightly colored toys and toys that make noise (like a squeeker toy) will get baby 's attention. Puppets can be used by adults to entertain baby.
Once the baby has learned to grasp, look for textured toys that are safe for mouthing. Choose stuffed plush toys with short pile fabric.
Never hang a toy from the crib, stroller, playpen, etc., or around babies neck.
Infants become more mobile at this age and interact more with their toys. This is also the age when they love to drop things, so nice soft stuffed dogs will earn points with Mom for the absence of loud crashing sounds as they hit the floor!! Of course, your peace and quiet could be spoiled by the fact that toys that squeak when squeezed are popular at this age. Puppets are still a great way for parents to hold a child's attention, and there's even one popular brand that doubles as a washcloth at bath time.
During their second year of like, children love to explore. Their play is more physical and involves experimentation and imitation of adults. At this stage, stuffed dogs might be seen as "pretend pets" to befriend and care for. This could be a good rehearsal for the real thing. Children are not instinctively gentle with animals. Interactive play between parent and child, using stuffed dogs as props, can be a fun way to introduce them to the idea that a pet should be handled with gentle loving care.
At this stage, objects still get mouthed, so stuffed dogs should still have short pile fabric.
Finally, you can graduate to nice, furry stuffed dogs! The long pile isn't considered a hazard–mainly because children age 2 to 3 no longer place everything in their mouths.* Kids this age have developed good hand coordination and like to put it to work with arts and crafts and simple puzzles. Plain stuffed dogs make use of a creative imagination. You might also consider a doggie hand or finger puppet. These work the mind as well as hands and fingers!
*No more thumbs or pacifiers at this age!! It will affect your child's oral and dental development.
After age three, make-believe is a favorite pastime and children interact with each other, using toys as props. It's common at this age to develop strong attachments to favorite toys, and express feelings towards a particular doll, teddy bear, or stuffed dog. Toys representing favorite cartoon or TV characters might be the objects of affection. Puppets are also lot of fun for games of make-believe. The Furreal Friends robotic pets are very popular and Biscuit My Loving Pup was a huge hit during Christmas last year.
By now, more sophisticated games and toys are likely to have replaced stuffed toys. The exception is young collectors, looking for stuffed dogs to add to their menageries. Collectors defy age categories; the "beanie baby" craze is a great example of this. Personally, I never played with dolls as a kid but had an enviable collection of stuffed animals, and am still a sucker for a cute stuffed toy. Puppets are still appealing, as well as some of the nontraditional forms of stuffed dogs. These might include a pair of slippers in the form of a favorite dog breed, or bookmarks made to look like stuffed dogs.
Especially as they approach their teens, children want to impress their peers and leave "childish" toys behind. Stuffed dogs, and stuffed toys in general, are only for young collectors in this age group. There are variations on stuffed dogs you might do better with. For example, a pair of dog slippers, a dog backpack or purse, or stuffed dogs suspended from key chains. Young (and old1) golfers would love a plush golf head cover in the shape of their favorite dog.
When shopping for toys, keep in mind the child's age, interests and abilities.
Read toy or packaging labels for age ranges and safety warnings. Always ensure toys are safe for your children.
Be especially careful when choosing toys for children under three. Select toys that are free of small pieces (or pieces that separate or can be broken off), are lightweight, have no sharp edges or points and are non-toxic.
At home, read instructions for assembly and use. Keep product literature in case of future questions and complete warranty cards.
Consider the home environment in which a child will play with a toy and younger children who may be there. A toy intended for an older child may be dangerous in the hands of a younger one.
Always provide toys in conjunction with sensible supervision. Supervise children when they play and set good examples of safe play.
Do not leave toys on stairs. Choose a safe storage place for toys. ( Anything large enough for a child to climb inside should have a cover that's easily removed).
Check toys at least every three months to determine their safety. Make any repairs immediately or throw away damaged toys.
Next Post: What Action Figures Are Your Child's Favorite?


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6 September 2017 | Legend of the Five Rings LCG
In The Garden of Lies
Read a New Short Story Set in the World of Legend of the Five Rings
#L5RLCG
Not every battle is fought with flesh and steel. Others are fought in the backrooms of lavish parties or in hushed conversations overheard by no one but the wind. In the City of Lies, every polite interaction can become a waging war.
Fantasy Flight Games is proud to present "In the Garden of Lies (Part 1)" by Marie Brennan, a new piece of fiction set in the world of Legend of the Five Rings that can be downloaded here (1.5 MB).
"In the Garden of Lies" sees the Scorpion and Dragon clan intersect with one another as the charismatic Yogo Hiroue looks to learn more about the mysterious Kitsuki Shomon.
Check back in two weeks for the conclusion to "In The Garden of Lies," as we proceed ever closer to the launch of Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game!
Be sure to return to the Fantasy Flight Games website for new fiction every other week, and dive into the world of Rokugan with Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game (L5C01), available in the fourth quarter of 2017!
Legend of the Five Rings is a Living Card Game® that invites players to journey to the mythical land of Rokugan. Although the LCG version of Legend of the Five Rings has significant mechanical differences from previous versions, it is fully our intention to maintain the spirit and emotional impact that's so inherent to the setting.
17 Jan 2020 Legend of the Five Rings LCG
The Looming War
Preview Enlightenment Format Cards in Clan War
9 Jan 2020 Legend of the Five Rings LCG
Beyond Reach
Read New Legend of the Five Rings Fiction Today
Spreading Shadows
Announcing the Second Dynasty Pack in the Dominion Cycle for Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game
We Strike First


Poem three is out early this week! I set out this week to write a triversen but the internet and inspiration conspired against it. First off, I had an idea for a poem bouncing around in my head over the weekend, which sparked while scrolling through Facebook.
If that sentence, or at least the last part horrifies you, that's fair. Social media is railed against (and rightly so) for being designed to inspire jealousy—Instagram posts of perfect meals, vacation updates on Facebook, and so on. The only thing worse than the jealousy it inspires is the navel-gazing. Add to that the ephemerality of the platforms (baked in, like Snapchat, or unintentional, like Myspace) and any piece of writing that references social media will probably feel self-involved and out-of-date in months.
So the Facebook inspiration is up front, but the second conspirator was my internet connection, which went down while I was getting ready to write. Here in Ethiopia, though, I've learned to assume I probably won't have internet when I want it so I was prepared. I couldn't look up the exact definition of a triversen because I had only bookmarked the link but I did have some William Carlos Williams poems lying around in shelved collections.
As a result, you might notice some similarities to "This is Just to Say" and "The Red Wheelbarrow." When internet returned, I looked up the rules of triversen and found out that neither actually qualified. I thought about re-writing this but ultimately came to the conclusion and theme of this post, I don't care, I like it.


Sinkable food sticks made from organic soya bran with valuable fennel and moringa. Tasty feeding fun for all shrimps. For healthy growth, vibrant coloring, and plentiful reproduction. Supplementary food for ornamental shrimps.
Guarantee: No artificial coloring, preservatives, and no fish meal.
Analytical Constituents: Crude protein 17.3%, crude fat 4.7%, crude fiber 28.3%, crude ash 7.0%.


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Paris Volley ist ein französischer Volleyball-Verein, der in der ersten französischen Liga und in der Champions League spielt.

Team
Der Kader der Saison 2006/07 bestand aus 14 Spielern. Trainer ist der Brasilianer Mauricio Motta Paes. Der Co-Trainer heißt Dorian Rougeyron.

Die Positionen: Annahme (A), Außenangriff (AA), Diagonal (D), Libero (L), Mittelblock (M), Universal (U) und Zuspieler (Z).

Geschichte
Paris Volley entstand im Juli 1998 aus einer Fusion der beiden Vereine Paris Université Club und PSG-Asnières Volley. PSG spielte bereits in der ersten Liga, aber als sich der Fernsehsender Canal+ als Hauptsponsor zurückzog, musste man mit einem anderen Club zusammenarbeiten, um die Existenz zu sichern. Der neue Verein hat schon zahlreiche Titel gewonnen.

Nationale Liga und Pokal
Zwei Jahre nach der Gründung wurde Paris Volley zum ersten Mal französischer Meister und verteidigte den Titel bis 2003. In der Saison 2005/06 gewann der Club erneut die Meisterschaft und holte außerdem zum zweiten Mal den Supercup. Im Pokalwettbewerb war der Verein aus der Hauptstadt sogar schon in der ersten Saison erfolgreich. In den nächsten beiden Jahren und 2004 holte er erneut den Cup.

Europapokal
Der Gesamtsieger von 2001 spielt in der Saison 2006/07 wieder in der Champions League. Die Franzosen treffen in Gruppe B auf die Top 3 der letzten Saison, Sisley Treviso (Italien), Iraklis Thessaloniki (Griechenland) und VK Dynamo Moskau (Russland), sowie Noliko Maaseik (Belgien) und Ortec Rotterdam (Niederlande). Jede Mannschaft bestreitet je fünf Heim- und fünf Auswärtsspiele.

Weblinks
 offizielle Homepage des Vereins (französisch)

Volleyballverein (Frankreich)
Sportverein (Paris)


The thesis of this presentation is that we have to reject a significant part of the above, in the particular case of morals, that is. Morals is the subject of informal interpersonally imposed restrictions on behavior.
It is much too widely argued that normative propositions, or perhaps for that matter all propositions whatever, come down in the end to matters of nonrational belief. From this, apparently, it is inferred that one person's moral beliefs are as good as any other's.
We must reject that, too.
It doesn't take much to see that we live in a social world: we come, pretty frequently, into contact with other people. In almost all cases, which is more than enough to do, when x is a person, then it's fairly obvious that x is a person rather than something else. And when it is, there is a prospect of interaction with this entity, of a fairly special kind. Unlike the case of our relation to trees, rocks, the moon, and the rest of the universe's miscellaneous debris, we can enter into cognitively processed interactions with other people. We can proceed on the basis of beliefs, formed on the basis of evidence, about what others will do, and what they would do if I do this, that, or the other action.
Premise(s) I: this states (or affirms, or asserts, or manifests) a "value", or perhaps more generally an interest, a desire, a want, of the agent. If we put it in value terms, we should take account of a tendency in ethical analysis to claim that value terms are just objective statements like anything else and have no particular connection to the agent's action. If, or insofar as, value-language behaves like that, I mean to exclude it from the ambit of Premise I. Only values that the agent has, in the sense of caring enough about them so that they can or do motivate him to act so as to secure them, are what matter here.
Premise(s) II: These are factual claims, of the following specific kind: they assert that some eligible or available action of the agent's would or will promote the values asserted in (I), with some intuitively estimated probability.
Conclusion: this will be, as Aristotle noted, an action, or a decision or resolution to perform such.
So far as concerns the central point, efficacy in controlling action, these premises have to be beliefs. They may be formed on the basis of evidence and reasoning, or not.
In the cases in which premise II is in some way faulty, observers party to agent's reasoning are in a position to give him some advice: viz., Forget about doing x, because it isn't going to work!
Again taking my cue from the likes of Aristotle and Kant, I am ready to say that an agent is prima facie rational insofar as his type (II) premises are sound. Some will want to say, Hey, wait a minute: how about the type I premises? Don't they too have to be true or sound? And at that point, we will get much argument from people like the quotee at the outset of this. Indeed, not a few will maintain that there is no such thing as truth at this level.
No one will deny that premise (b) can be true or false. Moreover, it is pretty clear that we can have evidence for it or against it. Everyone (among the philosophical cognoscenti, that is) also agrees that (a) ' (b). Nevertheless, one who affirms (a) while denying (b) will occasion a bit of head-scratching, as noted above.
Let us merely say that we can certainly check out premises (Ia) for sincerity, by checking out the correlated type (Ib) for truth.
Next, with that understanding in mind, let us say that the rational person acts on sound syllogisms: true premises, valid arguments – Conclusion really follows from the true premises in question.
(a) those, of interest only to philosophers, in which propositions with a phenomenal probability of approximately 1.0 ("the sun will rise tomorrow") from those which have a really noticeably lower probability value than that ("This lottery ticket's probability of winning is .0002").
b) It would be nice enough that a probability of .0002 x Jaguar is worth $35.
However, we haven't got to morals yet, and it is time now to do so. Morals, familiarly, involves conclusions mediated by premises like "It is my duty, or I ought, to do [or refrain from] acts like x". And these premises have the important feature that they need to be deduced from premises like "everybody ought to, or has a duty to, do/refrain from acts like x (in circumstances like this).
That is, moral claims suspend from value-assertions addressed, not just to the agent himself, but to everyone in general. They are, then, "rules", practical ones, purportedly applicable to people in general, not just to the agent in particular.
It may be suggested, plausibility, that morals claims to do better than that. Its imperatives have widely been touted as claiming the imprimatur of Reason – in Kant's case, "Pure Practical Reason". I'm willing to put forward the analysis to follow as a suggestion about what this rather mysterious, and somewhat oracular-sounding label of Kant's might usefully be taken to mean.
We can try, as many have, to propose to identify and formulate the principles of a rational morality. If we do, of course, we have to answer the question, why any individual should care about a rational morality? But I note also that if we have played our cards right in describing individual practical reasoning, the answer will be obvious: nonrational moralities will have false major or minor premises (or both; or, of course, bad reasoning). When they do, it means, by definition, that there is something you care about which your proposed way of acting will not achieve.
And how would we know it won't achieve it? By examining the structure of its reasoning.
So, now, step number one here consists in this: Could a rational morality require people to do things which they have no reason to do? I suggest that the answer is: obviously not. However, while it is obvious, it is apparently not obvious to everybody. There appear to be people who don't give two hoots whether others have any reason whatever to do what they tell them to, when speaking with their moral hats on.
Those are the people I want to talk to.
In order to clarify what I propose to say to them, however, we must add something to our characterization of moral rules. We can add two things, both familiar.
(1) If R is a Moral rule, then R purports, or claims, to be such as to override individual interests that happen to be inconsistent with it. I might very much want the million dollars that Anna Timofyevna has in her sock, but it doesn't matter how much I want it, or for what, I can't have it – it's hers. That's the sort of thing a moral rule is supposed to be able to do.
Note: any tolerably plausible morality is going to have to make distinctions of degree. Do I get to take, without permission, your $2 bottle of aspirin if it will save the life of some otherwise-innocent person? Yes. It would be unreasonable of you to object. But taking your million dollars because I really want that Stradivarius which has suddenly come on the market for a bargain price won't cut it. Etc.
(2) Rules involve administration. This is so especially in two broad respects. First, of course, there is what Aquinas calls "promulgation" – getting the word out. We, for one thing, just tell people that what they are doing is right or wrong, or good or bad, or whatever; but also there is some tendency to cite general principles, even though, as no end of recent philosophers have emphasized, it impossible, or near enough so, to formulate a general principle that remains fully general, reasonably definite, and plausible all at once. Nevertheless, reminding someone that to do x would be to lie, and we shouldn't do that, is sometimes a reasonable thing to do.
Secondly, there is what we may call reinforcement. We bestow praise and blame, for instance – verbal reinforcement. But also, we sometimes take stronger measures. These measures range up to ones that are extremely strong, such as killing those who go against the rule in question.
Why do rules provide a basis for reinforcement – when, of course, they are the right ones? The answer is suggested by the points made above about rules: this sort of rules, the moral sort of rules, are intended to tell us what we are to do whether we like it or not. Now, if we don't like it enough, we will, of course, have a strong tendency toward noncompliance. Threats of punishment (and the like) are intended to supply some further reason for such compliance.
But there is a potential problem lurking here. It is all too easy for someone or some group to put themselves in the role of unilateral legislators of morals. For them, the essence of morals is: Do what We Say, Or Else!
It seems not to be obvious to everyone that there is something wrong with that model. We can see what it is by recalling an insightful argument of Aristotle's (OK, he got it from Plato, but what the hell). Honor, he said, can't be what life is all about because you get an honor as a recognition that you've done something that's worth doing independently of the fact that we'd give you an honor for it. Aristotle's argument is right on the beam. To go for honor no matter what its source, is to put yourself in the hands of people who might be unscrupulous, or tyrants, or of course ignoramuses.
Morals makes the following demand on everyone: it says, Look, here's a rule such that, as you can see, there's a damn good reason why everyone ought to comply with it. We insist on you doing this regardless of the prospect of reward for obedience or punishment for disobedience. If you nevertheless insist on deviating, then, alas, we're going to have to go after you, but if the rule is reasonable in the first place, then you won't be able to complain about this, and because you will have seen the first point, you will also concede the second.
Which, then, gets us back to the basic question: when is a proposed moral rule, or a candidate for a moral rule, as we might put it, a reasonable, or rational, moral rule?
There is a pretty short answer, at least in form, which we can extract right from the start. A reasonable rule is one that everybody has reason to accept. That is to say, they have reason, upon contemplating the considerations advanced on behalf of this rule, for setting aside some of their private interests, desires, values, passions, and instead doing what the rule calls upon them to do.
And how would that possibly ever be true? Again, the answer is in form pretty easy: when we could only expect to do a good deal worse without it than with it, if, that is, we had general compliance. One would be better off, according to one's own value-scheme, in a society in which everyone, including oneself, conformed to its requirements than in a society which had either no rule at all on the subject, or some other, less promising one.
And on top of that, we would be better off in a society in which the reason why people conformed to this rule is precisely that the above is the case, than in a society in which much or most or perhaps all compliance was motiviated by the threat of specific punishment. If the rule is genuinely reasonable, we will all benefit from it, and the benefit will be much greater if we do not have to invest anything in devices for apprehending and punishing deviants.
So: are there any proposed rules of that type?
There is a classic case: the rule against killing people simply because to do so would be beneficial, in some way, to the agent himself. (I mean this to include cases where the "benefit" is really weird, e.g., that you just don't like his looks, or he reminds you of your wicked stepfather, or ….) This classic case, as I call it, has several points that have to be noted with extreme care.
1. Some people profess to believe that death isn't all that bad a thing, or indeed might be a benefit. Example: upon dying, we move to a much classier neighborhood, enjoying forevermore the fond attentions of many beautiful sexual partners, etc., etc., etc.
2. Other have variants on that, or even profess to believe that life itself is an evil, so that dying really does us a favor, even if the subsequent period is distinguished by a total absence of the agent in question.
3. There is no need at all to take, say, an Epicurean attitude toward life, or some other optimistic version. Different people have different spins on life, obviously. However, there is a presumption kicking around in this area whose importance absolutely can't be overrated: that whatever the agent's values are, it is reasonable to presume that he or she is more likely to be able to realize them alive than dead. Life, that is to say, is a necessary condition for doing anything good.
3a. This is only a presumption, and a rebuttable one. One very handy feature, however, is this: anyone who genuinely believes he would be better off dead is welcome to kill himself, no problem. If you play your cards right, it needn't be any skin off our backs.
For all normal people, on the other hand, the presumption is extremely plausible. It is one that we have no business not making.
To recap so far: the presumption that life is better for A is derived, entirely, from consideration of A's own format of practical beliefs. And that derivation involves, at various points, in each case, certain general presumptions about the world around us that some philosophers, evidently, want to claim to be questionable; such as, that there are trees and other people and that we need water every now and then.
What's important about these supplementary presumptions is that they are common-sense: that is, facts familiar to everyone, or readily verifiable by anyone, go into this set. Those in turn often lead us into Science, to be sure. The science goes, in a sense, beyond common sense. But he does so in a way that is accessible to common sense. If it was genuinely questionable taht there is any such thing as a "lab", why on earth should we believe anyhthing that anyone claims to have discovered there?
The TT, as we may call him, affirms the existence of "God" and draws his beliefs about this being and his "commands" from texts, usually ancient, deemed to be sacred. More accurately, of course, he draws them from what he takes to be reliable copies of those texts, and bases that belief on the say-so of certain persons he regards as authorities on the matter – the preachers, or mullahs, or whatever. Whatever, let's call this body of beliefs R1.
And the TT believes that, possibly for some reasons, or more likely for none, that the god in question has ordered him, the individual TT, to go out and kill a bunch of people who, looked at in the ordinary light, would have to be judged to be innocent of anything that could possibly deserve the death penalty. In the case of the TT, I wish especially to focus on one point: that the victims in question do not believe R1. Not only do they not believe it, but moreover, they have no reason to believe it.
Now, here is where morals gets involved with a very modest bit of epistemology. Supposed that somebody, whose name probably begins with P, claims to have a superduper proof of the existence of the god in question – this proof being well beyond the cognitive processing capabilities of ordinary PhDs, let alone ordinary people. We have the word of about eight people that, yup, by george, it's valid! And the word of about ten thousand more that, nope, it isn't. If Mr. Ordinary Person goes with the "nays", as he almost certainly will, then what? Arguments on this subject, historically speaking, have not done well with the cognoscenti (like me). Moreover, and still more worrisome, there are a zillion different possible religions, and several thousand actual ones with appreciable constituencies, who differ. None of these differences can be cognitively resolved in the near future. What to do?
Of course the answer is: do not base moral claims on religion – *period*. Students familiar with my classes or with Plato will know the reason why. The claim that there is a god who would issue a bunch of commands which are – hey, wuddya know! – the commands of morals, is unsupportable. The reasons for this is that his only claim to be in a position of authority on such matters is that he is a good, or perfect, etc., being; but that's a claim that invokes moral beliefs that would have to have been established independently, on logically prior grounds. Those grounds, whatever they are, have to be the foundations of morals, and the fact that god is also acquainted with them adds nothing to their cogency. So we are back to square one.
Which, of course, is where we came in. Now compare the interpersonal plausibility of the claim  that we should all do x because some god, whom most people do not believe exists and hardly anybody thinks we can prove exists, tells us to do it, with the claim  that we ought not to kill people simply in order to advance our own agendas, whatever the victim thinks of it. We are in the realm of the overwhelmingly implausible, on one view of the matter.
But on my view, the case is something more like a priori. You, the TT, are asking people who could kill you to desist from doing so, and instead allow the TT to kill them, and why? Because they don't believe something of which the TT is utterly convinced, though on the basis of no interpersonally acceptable arguments or evidence. Anyone who subscribes to this is putting himself in for big trouble.
Indeed, it seems to me clear that, in form, the situation is this: if A proclaims to B that there is some alleged reason, inaccessible and unknown to and unknowable by B, why it is A's moral duty to kill B, then from B's point of view, A is an extremely dangerous, indeed lethally dangerous, character.
In fact, A has done what Islamicists of this stripe (and before them Crusading Christians, and assorted others, no end) have done: say, in public, and with conviction, that they believe they have a solemn duty to kill all nonbeliever. From the point of view of those nonbelievers, the rational thing to do is to make sure that A does not do this, and a plausible way to do it is to kill A first. In short, A has in effect declared war on the set of nonbelievers.
People who say these things sometimes act on them. Others apparently don't quite mean them. I think it fairly clear that as long as they go on *saying* them, they make themselves eligible targets for the rest of us; we should get to it before they get to us. Obviously, a society full of people with such syndromes would be unlivable if they all took it seriously.
And that is what has to be explained, perhaps tactfully, to the Theological Terrorist. Morals has some modest epistemic involvements – very rudimentary indeed. People who make themselves aggressors against others on the basis of outright violations of those elementary involvements are asking for it. Logically, they should put up or shut up. Let us hope they do not put up: much better for them and us to shut up. But that's the point. No acceptable religion on the world's stage can proclaim, sincerely, that all unbelievers are to be put to death. On the contrary, all practitioners of religion need to accept the principle of freedom of religion: believe what you wish – but keep morals out of it, thanks!