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Fact Check-Data from Public Health England does not undermine role of COVID-19 vaccines
By Reuters Fact Check
U.S. Republican Senator Ron Johnson used health data gathered in England to claim more vaccinated people have been seriously affected by the Delta COVID-19 variant than the unvaccinated. Johnson's statements, and subsequent social media posts sharing them, do not explain the details underlying the data quoted, however.
Social media posts featuring the clip have attracted hundreds of thousands of views (here, here, here ).
Johnson's remarks were made as he introduced legislation designed to block vaccine mandates, which he argues are an "outrageous trampling of civil liberties" (here).
"President Biden, and this has been parroted by media, news media, said that what we are currently experiencing is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. They don't give us really any data to back that up," Johnson said during the introduction.
Johnson went on to present figures from a Public Health England (PHE) document published on September 17 (here).
The document is a technical briefing that tracks "SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants under investigation in England". It does not show all cases of the virus detected in England, rather those in which the patient's sample was sequenced or genotyped to determine the variant. Charts within the document show that the percentage of overall cases analyzed in this way has varied greatly over recent months. Total UK coronavirus cases (here) and deaths (here) can be viewed on the government's dashboard and can be broken down by nation.
Page 16 of the document referenced by Johnson shows 593,572 total Delta cases were confirmed by sequencing or genotyping between Feb. 1, 2021 and Sept. 12, 2021. The number of deaths recorded among these cases was 2,542.
On page 20, this figure of 2,542 is broken down by vaccination status. Among the fully vaccinated (more than 14 days after a second dose) there were 1,613 deaths (63.4% of the total). Among the unvaccinated there were 722 deaths (28.4% of the total). The remaining deaths were among the partially vaccinated.
"In England, of the 600,000 new cases of Delta, of the over 2500 deaths, 63% of those deaths, 1613 people, were the fully vaccinated. 28% were with the unvaxxed," Johnson said. "This is information that the American people have probably never heard."
A summary on page 3 of the same report states: "2 doses of the vaccine remain highly effective, with 60 to 85% effectiveness against infection, 90 to 99% effectiveness against hospitalization, 90 to 95% against mortality and 65 to 99% against symptomatic disease".
Reuters Fact Check has previously addressed social media posts questioning why more cases and deaths might be reported amongst a vaccinated population than an unvaccinated one.
"The data should be interpreted taking into consideration the context of very high vaccine coverage in the UK population. Even with a highly effective vaccine, it is expected that a large proportion of cases would occur in vaccinated individuals, simply because a larger proportion of the population are vaccinated than unvaccinated," a spokesperson for PHE previously told Reuters via email (here).
Dr Muge Cevik, a clinical lecturer in infectious diseases and medical virology at the University of St Andrews, also told Reuters that when much of a population has been vaccinated, "most infections and deaths are expected to be among those vaccinated".
England's prioritization of vulnerable individuals and older populations early on in its COVID-19 vaccine rollout may also play a part.
In a COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report published on Sept. 23, PHE estimates that 123,100 deaths have been prevented as a result of COVID-19 vaccine delivery, and gives details about how this figure was calculated (here , pdf).
The use of data from England in a consideration of the situation in the U.S. also fails to reflect the difference in vaccination rates between the two countries.
In England, which calculates vaccine uptake rates for over-16s, 80.7% of individuals had received two COVID-19 vaccine doses by Sept. 17, according to government data here . This rate would be higher if calculated for over 18s only, as uptake rates in 16-17-year-olds are currently lower.
In the US, 67.2% of individuals over the age of 18 are fully vaccinated, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data (here).
Missing context. Suggestions that higher numbers vaccinated individuals are dying in England than unvaccinated omits context that most of the population has been vaccinated. Evidence shows that COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here .


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text:
Traffic jams and desperation at the border as Russians flee Putin's 'partial mobilization'
By Ivan Watson, Masho Lomashvili, Simone McCarthy, Tim Lister and Uliana Pavlova, CNN
Updated 10:38 AM EDT, Fri September 23, 2022
A line of cars at a checkpoint on the Russia-Georgia border on September 21, 2022.
RFE/RL's Georgian Service/Reuters
Vladimir Putin's "partial mobilization" of citizens for his war in Ukraine has already set in motion sweeping changes for many Russians, as drafted men bid their families emotional goodbyes, while others attempt to flee, scrambling to make it across land border crossings or buy air tickets out.
For many of those leaving, the reason is the same: to avoid being drafted into Putin's brutal and faltering assault on neighboring Ukraine. But the circumstances surrounding their decisions – and the difficulties of leaving home – are deeply personal to each.
For Ivan, a man who said he's an officer in Russia's reserves and left his country for Belarus on Thursday, the motivation was clear: "I don't support what's going on, so I just decided that I had to leave right away," he told CNN.
"I felt like the doors are closing and if I didn't leave immediately, I might not be able to leave later," Ivan said, adding he was thinking of a close friend back home with two little children who, unlike him, was unable to pack up and go.
Alexey, a 29-year-old who arrived in Georgia from Russia via bus on Thursday, told CNN the decision was due in part to his roots.
"(Half of) my family is Ukrainian … I am not in reserves now, for this wave of mobilization, but I think if this goes on, all the men will be qualified," he said.
Cars queue to enter the Brusnichnoye checkpoint on the Russian-Finnish border in the Leningrad Region of Russia on September 22.
Putin declared on Wednesday that 300,000 reservists would be drafted, as Moscow seeks to replenish depleted forces after a successful counter-offensive from Kyiv this month. The move is set to change the scope of Russia's invasion from an offensive fought largely by volunteers to one that embroils a larger swath of its population.
The announcement unleashed a scramble for some Russians, with social media chatter on platforms like Telegram exploding with people frantically trying to figure out how to get seats in vehicles headed to the borders, with some even discussing going on bicycle.
Long lines of traffic formed at land border crossings into several countries, according to video footage. Images on Kazakh media websites appeared to show vehicles backed up near the Russia-Kazakhstan border. In one, posted by Kazakh media outlet Tengri News, a person can be heard saying their vehicle has been "at a standstill for 10 hours" in Russia's Saratov region, as they try to make their way to Kazakhstan.
"Endless cars. Everyone is running. Everyone is on the run from Russia," the person in the video can be heard saying. CNN cannot independently verify the videos.
At the arrivals hall of Istanbul Airport on Friday, 18-year-old student Daniel told CNN of his plans to wait it out in Turkey. He flew into Turkey on Friday for what was meant to be a pre-booked holiday, but since the mobilization announcement, he has had to contend with a new life in the country.
"We are young, we can learn and build a new life. We want to be useful. For now it is vacation and wait," he said about his plans with his girlfriend. "Since I am a student, technically I am not mobilized, but it can change. And we know our government lies to us. We are just meat for them," Daniel said.
Software engineer Roman told CNN that he hastily bought his ticket to Turkey minutes after Putin's mobilization speech. He plans on going to Portugal, where he has been granted a visa.
"War is terrible. I am strongly against this war. Everyone I know is against it. My friends, my family, nobody wants this war. Only politics want this war," he said, adding that his wife has had to stay in Russia as she does not have a Portuguese visa.
"The only plan is to survive. I'm just scared," he added.
Another Russian citizen, who declined to be named, described the war as useless and cruel, "it should never have started in the first place. And I'm sorry for the Ukrainians – I sympathize with them." The divorcee will fly on Saturday to Israel without his two children, who are still in Russia.
"I'm hoping to bring them to me when I am settled," he said. "I will try to move them out because Russia is certainly not the place for them."
On Thursday, Kazakhstan's National Security Committee released a statement saying the borders were "under special control" but operating normally amid an "increase in the number of foreign citizens" entering the country. The number of passenger vehicles entering Kazakhstan from Russia had increased 20% since September 21, the country's State Revenue Committee said in a separate statement.
On Finland's eastern border with Russia, traffic intensified overnight on Thursday, according to the Finnish border guard. Earlier that day, Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin told Parliament her government was ready to take action to put "an end" to Russian tourism and transit through Finland, according to Finnish public broadcaster Yle.
Many of those leaving appeared to be men. Women are not part of Russia's conscription.
Travel agency websites also showed a dramatic increase in the demand for flights to places where Russians do not need a visa. Flight sale websites indicate direct flights to such countries sold out through Friday at least, while anecdotal reports indicated people were having trouble finding ways to leave far past that time frame.
At least two Russians who left the country, one via land and one via air, told CNN that departing men were being questioned by Russian authorities, with queries including whether they had had military training and others about Russia and Ukraine.
"It was like a regular passport control, but every man at the queue was stopped and asked additional questions. They took a bunch of us to a room and asked questions mainly about (our) military (training)," Vadim, a Russian who arrived in Georgia via air, told CNN.
Mobilization begins
Inside Russia's borders the mobilization that some were aiming to escape appeared to already be underway.
Social media videos showed the first phase of the partial mobilization in several Russian regions, especially in the Caucasus and the Far East, far from Russia's wealthy metropolitan areas.
In the Russian Far East city of Neryungi, families said goodbye to a large group of men, as they boarded buses, as seen in footage posted in a community video channel. Many people are visibly emotional in the video, including a woman crying and hugging her husband goodbye, while he reaches for his daughter's hand from the bus window.
Russian families say good-bye as men leave for military service in Neryungri, Sakha Republic, Russia.
From V KOntakte
Another shows a group of about 100 newly mobilized soldiers waiting at Magadan Airport in the Russian Far East, next to a transport aircraft. Telegram videos showed another mobilized group of men awaiting transport, purportedly in Amginskiy Uliss in the region of Yakutiya, a vast Siberian territory.
Much nearer the Ukrainian border, a crowd was gathered near the city of Belgorod to see off a batch of newly mobilized men. As they get on a bus, a boy shouts out "Bye, Daddy!" and starts crying. CNN has not been able to independently verify the videos.
In other scenes circulating on social media, tensions around the conscription ran high.
In Dagestan in the Caucasus, a furious argument broke out at one enlistment office, according to one video. A woman said her son had been fighting since February. Told by a man that she should not have sent him, she replied: "Your grandfather fought so that you could live," to which the man responded: "Back then it was war, right now it is politics."
Defiance and detention
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called on Russians to protest against the partial military mobilization.
Thousands of Russian soldiers "died in this war in six months. Tens of thousands are wounded and maimed. Want more? No? Then protest. Fight back. Run away. Or surrender to Ukrainian captivity. These are options for you to survive," Zelensky said in his daily video address to his country.
Addressing anti-war protests that broke out across Russia on Wednesday, the Ukrainian leader said: "(Russian people) understand that they have been cheated."
But dissent is typically swiftly crushed in Russia and authorities have placed further constraints on free speech following the invasion of Ukraine.
Police swiftly cracked down on Wednesday's demonstrations, which were mostly small-scale protests. More than 1,300 people were detained by authorities in at least 38 cities, according to independent monitoring group OVD-Info.
Some of those protesters were immediately drafted into the military following their arrests, according to the group's spokeswoman Maria Kuznetsova, who told CNN by phone on Wednesday that at at least four police stations in Moscow some of the arrested protesters were being conscripted.
Earlier this week, Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, amended the law on military service, setting the jail term to up to 15 years for violation of military service duties – such as desertion and evasion from service, according to state news agency TASS.
Ivan, the reservist who spoke to CNN after leaving the country this week, described the feeling of hopelessness felt by many in Russia in the wake of recent events.
"It feels bad because a lot of my friends, a lot of people don't support the war and they feel threatened by what is going on, and there is no democratic way to really stop this, to even declare your protest," he said.
CNN's Gul Tuysuz, Yulia Kesaieva, Lauren Kent, Sugam Pokharel, and Anastasia Graham Yooll contributed to this report.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


New 48 Modern Kitchen Curtains And Valances Uploaded by time2photoshop on Sunday, December 9th, 2018 in category Kitchen.
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text:
Home > Stocks & Markets > Materials > Rio Tinto PLC
How Analysts View Cleveland-Cliffs' Earnings for 2017 and Beyond
By Anuradha Garg
Jan. 18 2018, Updated 7:30 a.m. ET
CLF's earnings drivers
We discussed the revenue and earnings drivers for seaborne iron ore miners BHP Billiton (BHP), Rio Tinto (RIO), and Vale SA (VALE) in the previous articles of this series.
In this article, we'll discuss analysts' projections for Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF). Investors should note that drivers for CLF are quite different from those of its seaborne peers, mainly because it has limited exposure to the seaborne iron ore trade through its Asia-Pacific division. Most of its earnings are tied to the US steel market (SLX).
Currently, US steel imports and US steel prices are the major factors affecting Cliffs' estimates.
Analysts' revenue projections for CLF
Analysts expect Cleveland-Cliffs to report revenue of $2.3 billion in 2017, which would imply a rise of 11.1% YoY (year-over-year). Slightly higher US volumes and higher US steel prices are expected to be the main drivers of this growth.
Analysts' revenue estimates have seen several changes during the last year. The changes have come about to reflect the company's changing outlook and guidance. Cliffs downgraded its US volume guidance from 19 million tons to 18.5 million tons to reflect lower nominations from one of its customers. Its revenue growth is expected to be muted in 2018 and 2019 at 1.5% and -2.8%, respectively.
EBITDA estimates
Analysts expect Cliffs' EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) to come in at $497.5 million in 2017. Along with the company's revenue, this estimate has also seen several downgrades in-line with its changed guidance.
CLF downgraded its EBITDA guidance from $850 million to $700 million in 1Q17, and in its 2Q17 results, it further downgraded its guidance to $650 million. In its latest results, the company stopped providing guidance. Its implied margin for 2017 is still high at 21.2% compared to 16.9% in 2016.
These estimates are expected to taper down going forward—to 20.3% in 2018 and 17.1% in 2019.
Latest Rio Tinto PLC News and Updates


The mission of USDA Rural Development is to improve the quality of life and create economic opportunity in rural communities. USDA Rural Development provides financial and technical assistance for water and sewage systems, community facilities, business development, home purchase and repair, as well as technologies such as distance learning, telemedicine and broadband.
In order to better reach the communities that may benefit from these programs, we are contacting local municipalities to see if we could set up a table and meet with the residents of your community. Do you have a community meeting room? We could set up in there as well.
Our office covers Washington, Warren, Saratoga, Rensselaer, Essex and Hamilton Counties. Our goal is to set up in different areas of the region and to provide information on our programs to the residents and answer any questions they may have.
We are in the planning stages at this point but would welcome the opportunity to partner with you to try to help members of your community.


ccMixter - Reviews for "Dream Of You-The DuckLang ReMix"
Reviews for "Dream Of You-The DuckLang ReMix"
Man you guys did your thing!!!
Thanks K, it's always a pleasure to work with your vocals.
Like i said before it was a real pleasure and treat. Can't wait to do it again…..and SOON.
You guys are just too much !
the next your chilln in the hood with some bloke in a white velvet hat.
Love the interplay between the gangster keys and KCentric's pella.
Mr Lang, hats tipping and feet tappn for sure on this one.
Thank you all for your kind words. If you come to Connecticut MCJITB i would hope that you would stop by for a in person collaboration.
Sweet track fellas! Mighty smooth and flowing.
I think it's fair to say that this is by far the best creation i've heard on this site! Excellent work!
I was kinda thinking about doing a version of this awesome a cepella even after hearing another version i liked, but there's no way can top this so i'm not even going to try!
Very good, chill and melankolic. I like the heavy bass!
Nice work, great job on the drums, the rythme is hypnotic and really feet the melody.
Also like the work on the overall mix, it doesnt sound like a remix but as an original track.
Reviews left for "Dream Of You-The..."


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Аззедін Унахі (,  19 квітня 2000, Касабланка) — марокканський футболіст, півзахисник французького «Марселя» і національної збірної Марокко.

Клубна кар'єра
Починав грати у футбол у Франції у складі команд п'ятого за силою дивізіону.

Провівши сезон 2020/21 в команді «Авранш» з Національного чемпіонату, третього французького дивізіону, отримав запрошення до вищолігового «Анже», де відразу став активно залучатися до ігор головної команди клубу.

Виступи за збірні
Протягом 2018–2021 років залучався до складу молодіжної збірної Марокко. На молодіжному рівні зіграв у 2 офіційних матчах, забив 1 гол.

2021 року, не маючи досвіду виступів за національну збірну Марокко, був включений до її заявки на тогорічний Кубок африканських націй в Камеруні, що фактично проходив на початку 2022 року. В іграх континентальної першості і дебютував в офіційних іграх за головну збірну Марокко. Згодом мав постійну практику у збірній і поїхав у її складі на чемпіонат світу 2022 до Катару.

Статистика виступів

Статистика клубних виступів

Посилання

марокканські футболісти
Гравці молодіжної збірної Марокко з футболу
Гравці збірної Марокко з футболу
Гравці кубка африканських націй 2021
Гравці чемпіонату світу з футболу 2022
Футболісти «Страсбура»
Футболісти «Авранша»
Футболісти «Анже»
Футболісти «Олімпіка» (Марсель)
марокканські футбольні легіонери
Футбольні легіонери у Франції
Уродженці Касабланки

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The brief was simple enough, a summer house in bucolic surroundings half an hour from Stockholm. From that innocuous starting point we sought out a relationship to the richly green nature based on tension. We worked with scale, order and monumentality to pursue a reserved and self-contained architectonic expression based on the theme of the remote.
Monumental expression in individual building elements creates unusual effects when used in small-scale and domestic settings. The dark broad piers of the exterior order the facades on all sides. Their zigzaggy wooden surfaces, a play on the fluted pilaster, enliven the expression with a slender, upwardly quality. The cornice crowning the facades is very slim, resulting in an ambiguous trabeation, where there is no load-bearing taking place.
The interior is abstract and restrained, with white walls and a polished concrete floor. The vertical portes-fenêtres balance an openness to the surroundings with a firm delineation of the interior space, creating a calm and serene environment for the leisurely enjoyment of nature.


text:
Sticky Bunton
Readables
Watchables
Finding What's Interesting In Starfinder
When I first started running the playtest for Star Trek, I met a number of people in the Pathfinder Society at the shop I was running in. While some members and I did butt heads (I have a long, checkered history with the d20 system and PFS at events), I did make some friends that I had the chance to talk to intellectually about the games, especially comparing Star Trek to the upcoming game Starfinder.
Prior to Starfinder's release, everyone seemed to be hyped. "It's going to be the best sci-fi game" some would exclaim, while many would follow along similar lines of hyperbole. Being a sci-fi fan and someone who's run many a d20 game (including Star Wars), I was curious how this would be handled. Is it going to be Pathfinder in Space, or is it going to actually be an interesting sci-fantasy game that brings multiple elements together in harmony? Curious, I borrowed a copy from a friend and gave it a read once I finished reading Star Trek Adventures.
==The Pitch==
Starfinder is a science-fantasy game set long after the Pathfinder RPG that spawned it. The idea is to tap into the love of exploration and troubleshooting we saw in Pathfinder and bring it to a galactic scale.
==What We Get==
The book itself breaks the 500 page mark between rules, character creation, equipment, and setting. This book also offers a "Legacy" section, in which is explains how to convert your favorite elements of Pathfinder into Starfinder, promoting the idea that your previous Pathfinder purchases will not be useless due to changing games.
The game is a d20 game, and if you have ever played a d20 system, especially Pathfinder, you will be right at home.
==The Good==
Like many recent RPG titles, especially from the d20 line, the artwork is (mostly) beautiful and fun to gawk at. There's plenty of character designs scattered around, whether it's a lone character standing there to represent a planet or a class or a group in a battlefield fighting for their lives. There are a few bits of art that don't quite reach the same quality (odd faces and lack of emotion in the face), and some art that's a bit "typical" for the line (like the return of the Goblin).
I think this guy really is the face of the game line by this point.
For those of us old-hands of the d20 system, there are a few new rules tucked into the book. As someone who hasn't touched a d20 system since D&D 3.5, I was pleasantly surprised to find a few interesting rules in here, like the Dirty Trick action, multiple ways to get out of a melee without provoking an Attack of Opportunity, and a few other minor tweaks that make the game a bit more interesting.
On that note, Skills have been greatly revamped: there are only 19 skills in this game compared to the 26 skills (35 if you count every Knowledge) seen in Pathfinder. This is a major shift for some of us who are used to seeing a skill for everything, like Star Wars d20 having 37 skills (not including offshoots for Knowledge, Crafts, and Language-based skills), and this is after ignoring all of the Force Skills. Skill reduction and condensing is a bit nice and keeps some of the hassle of number crunching down. I was also pleasantly surprised to see how Class Skills were treated (with the +3 for having a rank in a Class-Skill), so overall, interesting.
For those who hated random elements of character progression, you should be happy to know that this element was removed. Now, whenever you level up your character, you gain a flat amount of Stamina Points (think HP) plus your Constitution modifier. No more playing a frontline fighter and getting 1+Con Mod health for you!
MAXIMUM HIT POINTS! BWAHA!
Setting-wise, there is one thing I am digging: the mesh of science and magic. Too many sci-fantasy games eschew one for the other, focusing more on the science and technology over the fantasy elements (i.e. technology replicates magic, like Mass Effect's Biotics), while others use fantasy tropes to replicate science fiction elements (magic-only FTL, for example). While the methods here aren't PERFECT, they are still rather fun, like weapons that are both magical and tech, or ships that can be powered by magic or technology.
==The Middle==
This game has some elements that ride a thin line for me, so I am adding them here.
In character creation, every character picks a "Theme," such as Priest, Outlaw, or Pilot. The Theme of the character grants a number of special abilities overtime as well as a stat increase, which is interesting to consider as it allows your Theme to give you bonuses to cover a weak part of your character's class (and give you more versatility) or it can be used to focus your character a bit more.
I'm not quite sure how I feel on these, as the bonuses are interesting, but mainly they are there to give you more focused bonuses for how you plan on playing your character while pidgeonholing your character even moreso than a class already does. I find the idea interesting, but I'm not as keen on the implementation.
I have a love/hate relationship with the classes in this game. On one hand, I really enjoy the idea that the classes are a bit more open-ended than before, and that a single character class can fill multiple rolls, especially with the Theme mechanic added in. For example, you can take the Solarian class which is an odd type of Monk, and with the right build you could be a frontline fighter, a hardy explorer, or a legitimate monk. Taking Mystic can make you like a cleric, druid, or even a Paladin with the right approach…or even a combination based on approach and/or Theme.
On the other hand, I'm wary on this approach, as it means that roles become blurred (and in a game that emphasizes roles, this is a bit of an issue). This type of approach also becomes problematic as it further promotes the whole argument about "sub-optimal builds," which is one of the primary reasons why I got out of the d20 system in the first place.
And no amount of necromancy will bring me back!
I'm also rather ambivalent about the races. I'm also not entirely sold on how the other bonuses outside of Attributes stack up. Most sci-fi games grant stat bonuses to certain races as they are usually superior (or inferior) to humans in set areas, so having a stat change makes sense, but the remaining bonuses feel a bit lackluster though, and some of them are repeated on multiple races (and are not that unique), which reduces the appeal of these things for me.
==The Bad==
Outside of this being a d20 game (something I have full rants about if anyone were to ask), I have quite a bit to poke at with this book, especially since there was so much HYPE for this.
First off, the game has a number of mechanical elements reskinned from other games. Many parts of vehicle/starship combat is from other d20 games, and a huge chunk of the book could have been bypassed altogether due to being a typical d20 game. Reading it made me feel like I was reading combat from D&D, vehicles from d20 modern, and starship combat from Star Wars; outside of a few minor changes,there just wasn't anything good or new there.
On a related note, while this is a d20 game, there is so much more that needs to be tracked. Players have their own Hit Points and Stamina Points (basically a reskinned Vitality mechanic) they need to track, as well as Resolve points (based on primary stat mod + 1/2 level), and then two different Armor Classes (Energy and Kinetic). When you get into ships, you are tracking party level, Build Points, Power Core Units (power points), Hull Points, FOUR Shield Facings (with individual points), two armor classes, and whatever other bonuses come about from the ship.
Here, you'll need four arms, two brains, and these calculators to manage this. Seriously, a friend who's an accountant claims there's too much to track in this game.
In fact, the entirety of ship combat is just a clunky kludge that needs to be streamlined. While it's nice to see multiple options for players to take part in combat, it is overall a rather boring experience unless you are a gunner, pilot, or captain. Engineers and "science" officers have things to do depending on circumstances (like empowering weapons or making called shots), but overall it just feels like trying to give everyone one thing to roll while limiting overall actions in space combat, which is sad as this can take hours to do (as our local PFS group realized last week).
Speaking of the ships, the entire mechanic feels uninspired. The ship "levels up" with the party, gaining more Build Points to buy better equipment…and all equipment has a Build Point cost. Want luxury quarters for your ship? That's a Build Point cost. Want bigger guns? Build Points. Faster Drift Drive? Build Points. This doesn't even get into the Power Core Units, which you need to monitor based on what systems you are using (i.e. I can mount a huge gun on my ship that I can only fire when everything else is turned off). I like the idea of an individual ship getting better over time (Firefly and Star Trek bring this up; the ship should be a character), but this is basically simple "level up" crap that doesn't add life to the ship, which is sad to consider.
On that note: the equipment mechanics are Mass Effect meets Phantasy Star. Each item has a Level associated with it, which acts as a "suggested" level. This irks me slightly as a GM should be able to scale gear, but where this really gets under my skin is the repeated gear: there are two to six versions of the same weapon, and the only real difference outside of level is Cost and Damage (and in the Armor section, AC). This gives us a bloated equipment section, with EIGHT PAGES of weapon charts alone, which means that over 10% of this section is just weapon stats. (The other sections don't get much better over the course of these 70 pages).
"What level gear does he have?"
A basic Knife, for example, is a Level 1 weapon and deals d4 damage. A Tactical Knife is a Level 7 weapon and deals 2d4 damage. This is just one example; there are pages of weapon charts in this book that are really just the same weapon with a new adjective (like a color) or a number attached. Armor is much the same way, but the differences are in the number (literally, some are numbers I, II, III, IV, etc).
This is an important thing to note, as even upgrades have an item level requirement (like Fire damage being Level 5), and you cannot put an upgrade on a weapon that is lower level than what you have, nor can you put an upgrade on a weapon if the total upgrades are greater than the level (i.e. putting Fire, Holy, and Durable on your Weapon takes 7 levels; you aren't putting this on your Level 5 sword).
It just feels like a lazy way of doing things, and I had that gripe about both Phantasy Star and Mass Effect (two sci-fantasy games I adore and enjoy, respectively); video game progression is workable, but it's dull when implemented in a tabletop RPG due to the nature of these games. I'm not a fan of needing to change my gear every few levels to match the mechanical progression, as I'd rather change at the speed of plot. I've played D&D games in which I had the same longsword from character creation to level 10 because it was "inherited" by a family member (and I was given bonuses to make up for the "weak" weapon due to roleplaying). I've played/run plenty of Star Wars games in which a character often keeps their primary lightsaber until such a time they build their own/a new one, and often keep the old one until they take on an apprentice or lose it (or, in the case of a two-weapon fighter, it becomes the off-hand saber).
Think he's going to swap that lightsaber every few games?
Any tabletop RPG that enforces the need to buy new gear every few levels is not that great in my book, especially since "normal" items (like rope and communicators) are in the same field. Its just…uninspired, lazy mechanical balancing.
As a writer and reviewer, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the setting. "Uninspired" barely cuts it.
Imagine a typical D&D fantasy setting. Imagine how the different races are split, the various melting pot locations, and what sort of things bring them together. Now imagine that in space, where each nation is a planet instead.
That's Starfinder.
We are given a group of "Pact Worlds" that house the various races presented in the game (and a number of races that are not playable or given stats, even as opposition). Each world reads very much the same: this is the race that calls it home, this is how they act with the rest of the pact, this is the role they play. There's a forest world, an almost airless world of robots, a toxic world of the Undead, a Mars-like planet, a planet locked in permanent day/night (doesn't rotate) with a permanent "temperate zone," a couple of spaceships, a planet claimed by Drow that work to recover pre-Gap technology, etc. It's just so stereotypical that it's almost laughable.
While I am not too impressed with the politics of Absalom Station, I do like the way it looks.
The setting fluff is also nothing to write home about. There's a "Gap" in time in which no one has any information (including those that were alive during it; they just woke up and had amnesia for this gap of time), and pre-Gap information is sketchy at best. There's an alien species outside of the borders of the known universe that is trying to take over, and they are more powerful than the Pact Worlds and the Vesk Empire combined, forcing these two to make an alliance for protection. There's technology granted by a specific god that allows FTL travel, but it destroys the fabric of the Universe a bit, pulling parts of other planes into a realm called The Drift, which is where the travel takes place. There's the typical explorers, crusaders, police force, cultists of old gods (and even a planet that supposedly houses an Old One), and other basic tropes.
Honestly, most of this setting has been seen before, and anyone paying attention will find that the "inspiration" materials are all here in force with minor changes. Overall, I'm not impressed, and it feels lazy in the grand scheme of things.
I think I'm also not jiving with it because it reminds me too much of Spelljammer…
==The Verdict==
After slugging through the beast that is Starfinder, I have to give the game 2 Buns.
For an old hand of the game mechanic, I was hoping to see more interesting things added in since the last time I picked up a d20 game about a decade ago. Instead, I see rehashed, uninspired swill rebranded from previous products just to keep the same fanbase happy (and hopefully bring in a few more players).
If you are a Pathfinder fan, you will probably feel right at home…as long as you are okay tracking more numbers than an accountant is comfortable with. It's mechanically the same as Pathfinder with a few MINOR changes in mechanics, a new setting, and a reduction in some of the bloat that we've seen in the game over the years.
If you aren't too keen on Pathfinder, the d20 system, or sci-fi that's borrowing from too many elements but doesn't bring much new to the table, then avoid this.
Starfinder is created by Paizo, the same people that brought you Pathfinder. Starfinder is available for purchase at most retailers and retails for $59.99 ($9.99 for the PDF).
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Readables, Reviews, Tabletop Gaming, Uncategorized
d20, Dungeons and Dragons, Mass effect, Paizo, Pathfinder, Phantasy Star, Roleplaying Games, RPGs, Star Wars, Starfinder, Starfinder RPG
Set Phasers to Awesome: Checking Out Star Trek Adventures
Synths are Among Us
One thought on "Finding What's Interesting In Starfinder"
stevestillstanding says:
Some great sf RPGs with better mechanics than pathfinder/D&D: mindjammer, using Fate Core system, and coriolis, using mutant year one system. Both are great games with excellent systems and settings. Also, for a d20 sf RPGs, try Stars Without Number. A 2nd edition is due out soon, but 1st edition is free on drivethruRPG.com. :)


If you are concerned about a loved one who you suspect may no longer be able to manage their welfare and health affairs, you may want to consider establishing guardianship for this person. Guardianship in Kentucky offers protection to persons who are not capable of taking care of themselves and are at risk of harm or exploitation. The decision to seek guardianship in Kentucky for a disabled adult can be difficult, often emotional, and needs to be handled with sensitivity and discretion. Whether you are the Petitioner seeking guardianship for a person in need, a lawyer dealing with a guardianship matter, a social worker or other professional on the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) that gathers evidence to assist a determination of disability, the Kentucky Guardianship Association (KGA) is a helpful resource. Click to the video on this page for up-to-date information on Guardianship in Kentucky. Another great resource is the Kentucky Guardianship Manual, detailing the guardianship process in Kentucky from start to finish. The law and process for guardianship in Kentucky is defined in Chapter 387 of the Kentucky Revised Statutes.
Establishing guardianship in Kentucky hinges on the determination of disability. This process begins with a Petition filed in the District Court where the person who may need a guardian resides. The person who may need guardianship is referred to as the Respondent and the person filing the case is the Petitioner. This process moves with the assistance of the District Court Clerk, an office that handles all guardianship matters. While the District Court Clerk is not a lawyer, this office is trained to help the Petitioner understand what is needed to be done and to help the Petitioner monitor the case as it proceeds. Some of the larger counties in Kentucky have a Mental Health Clerk who does this work. Due to the sensitive nature of establishing guardianship, all matters related to this process are confidential.
After a petition is filed, the Respondent will be scheduled for an examination by an Interdisciplinary Team (IDT), comprised of a physician, a psychologist and a social worker. The medical condition, mental capacity and ability to function socially and provide for their property and perform customary daily activities will be assessed. The Commonwealth of Kentucky requires a guardian trial by jury in all guardianship cases and if the experts do not all agree in their evaluation, the petition for disability may not proceed to trial.
During the guardianship trial the jury must decide, based upon clear and convincing evidence, if the person is disabled and that a guardian should be appointed for the Respondent. In order for a guardian to be appointed, the evidence presented in the guardian trial will be weighed by the jury as they determine full disability, partial disability, or that the Respondent is not disabled, in which case a guardian will not be appointed. The jury also determines the specific areas where the Respondent needs assistance.
The judge will determine the responsibilities given to the guardian and appoint the guardian (full or limited). The responsibilities of guardianship in Kentucky are explicitly defined and monitored routinely. Numerous reports are required to be filed. The Kentucky Guardianship Association is a nonprofit membership organization committed to improving adult guardianship in Kentucky and it is a great ongoing resource for families, lawyers, professionals serving on an Interdisciplinary Team and individuals who have been appointed by the court to serve as a guardian or are interested in becoming guardians. Resources include guardian law training for social workers and attorneys. It is much easier to navigate guardian law when you partner with the resources at Kentucky Guardianship Association.


We are pleased to offer the following preconference options at the 2019 HBCE program. A separate registration fee is required.
New for 2019, HBCE is proud to partner with the International Foundation in bringing the Health Care Cost Management Course to HBCE as a special preconference option. An integral part to either the Certificate in Health and Welfare Plans or a Certificate in Strategic Benefits Management, this course offers an in-depth analysis of the fundamental elements of healthcare management.
Monday, January 28, 2019 | 8:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Monday, January 28, 2019 | 12:30 - 4:00 p.m.
Self-funding group health and welfare plans is not a new concept for larger employers; however many smaller employers are seeking this funding method as a result of the Affordable Care Act. This preconference will begin with the basics of self-funding and progress to more advanced concepts. Mr. Hoffman will break down Third Party Administrative (TPA) and Administrative Services Only (ASO) funding models into easy-to-understand segments and explain the "plug and play" approach to stop loss contracts, pharmacy plans, disease management, direct provider contracting, digital medicine, travel medicine and healthcare intelligence dashboards. You will review stop loss contract types and terminal liability - and how to align with the employer's risk tolerance and financial goals. Emerging stop loss practices will be discussed, including use of group captives and small group level funded contracts. This robust session is suitable for all levels of expertise and organization size. Attendees will walk away well-grounded in the concepts of self-funding, partial self-funding and level funding.


Powerful aesthetics and sporting dynamism characterise the new BMW 4 Series Coupé. Add to that a unique driving sensation thanks to the low centre of gravity, near 50:50 weight distribution, high body stiffness and efficient engines with TwinPower Turbo technology.
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With the Retractable Hard-Top open or closed, the BMW 4 Series Convertible is prepared to take the world by storm. Along with attention-grabbing features such as the innovative Air Breather aerodynamic elements – a low centre of gravity, an optimum axle load distribution and engines with TwinPower Turbo technology enhance the sensation of sporting agility.
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All of this makes the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé the perfect blend of dynamics, elegance and comfort.
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text:
Dance of the Ukraine (Guitar Lesson)
Home > Guitar Lessons > Skill Building > Reading Music and Rhythms > Reading Music and Rhythm > Dance of the Ukraine
Dance of the Ukraine
Matt Brown teaches and demonstrates "Dance of the Ukraine."
Taught by Matt Brown in Reading Music and Rhythm seriesLength: 15:37Difficulty: 2.0 of 5
Chapter 1: (00:52) Introduction Lesson Objectives
-Play the melody to "Dance of the Ukraine" by reading standard notation.
-Practice switching between multiple fretboard positions. The melody includes some segments that utilize third position.
Chapter 2: (09:27) Dance of the Ukraine Process of Learning a New Piece of Music
1. Learn the Title and Composer
Title: Dance of the Ukraine
Composer: Ukrainian Folk Song
2. Note the Key Signature
Key Signature: G Major
At the end of the first section, the key of the song changes to C major. This is indicated by the natural sign in the key signature, which cancels out the F#. C and G major are closely related keys. Remember that closely related keys are those that are only one or two accidentals different in the key signature.
3. Note the Time Signature: 2/4
4. Note The Style and Tempo
The style listed is "moderato." Moderato indicates a tempo range of roughly 90 - 125. The performer must decide upon the desired tempo from within this range. Never play a piece faster than you can! The piece will always sound better if it is played slower and more cleanly. For the purpose of this lesson, Matt demonstrates the song in roughly the middle of the moderato tempo range.
5. Scan for Dynamics
The only dynamic marking that appears in the score is a "forte" symbol that occurs at the beginning. However, you shouldn't play the piece with the exact same "forte" volume level throughout. Some subtle changes in dynamics will really bring the piece to life. For example, you may want to play the second section with a slightly softer volume. The single "forte" dynamic marking simply indicates that the piece should be played with a loud, boisterous sound.
Left Hand Position
The melody features several double stop shapes that imply a G major chord. These double stops sound much better and are easier to play in second position.
Matt opts to play the second section of the piece in third position. The melody is easiest to finger in this position.
Make sure that you are following all of the musical road signs in the piece properly. Follow the instructions listed below.
1. Play through the first eight measures.
2. Once the repeat sign is reached, return to the beginning and play the first eight measures again.
3. Play measures 9-16.
4. Repeat back to measure 9, and play this section again.
5. "D.C. al Fine" is indicated at the end of measure 16. "D.C." is an abbreviation for "da capo," meaning "to the head" or "to the beginning. "Al Fine" means to the end. After reaching the end of measure 16, return to the beginning of the piece and play until you reach the "Fine" marking.
Performance Example
Watch and listen several times as Matt performs the melody at 08:00. Pay careful attention to his left hand technique. Notice how close his fingers are in relation to the fretboard at all times.
Practice Time
Pause the lesson video and practice sight reading through the melody slowly with a metronome. Go as slowly as you need to! Begin at 60 bpm and gradually work your way up from there. Once you can play the melody comfortably at 110 bpm, return to the lesson video.
Chapter 3: (05:17) Play Along A Few Thoughts on Technique and Speed
For some beginner students, the sixteenth notes that occur in the melody may pose some problems when the song is played at 110 bpm. If this is the case, consider the points listed below:
-Technical exercises, including development of scale speed, must be practiced each day as part of your warm up routine. Developing speed is like training for a sport. If you do not do it consistently each day, you will not make any progress.
-Practice technical exercises along with a metronome to monitor your rhythm and progress in the area of speed. Maintain a tempo that permits control and relaxation. Do not play at your maximum speed! The movement of the pick must be minimal. Use the smallest movement possible while still producing a solid tone.
-Speed is a partial bi-product of accuracy and control. Economy of movement is key to playing quickly. Make sure that the left hand fingers remain as close to the fretboard as possible at all times.
-Keep in mind that the pieces and exercises presented in this series will progressively get more difficult from both a technical and reading perspective. Consequently, you must keep up with your technical practice in addition to your reading practice.
Play the melody along with Matt in this scene.
mrporcupine replied
please tab it like normal people!
jbooth replied
This whole series of lessons is about reading sheet music though :) No tab here!
guitarcaughtfire replied
im from Ukraine!!!! nice lesson
Reading Music and Rhythm
Matt brings all of his years of education right to you with this fantastic series on how to read music. You will start with the very basics and work up to some very advanced concepts.
Intro to Reading Music
This introductory lesson will walk you through the basics of reading music and reading rhythm.
Learn how to identify notes, the key signature, and the staff. Implement your reading skills by playing a few simple tunes.
Rhythm and Time Signatures
Learn the basics of notation and time signatures. Practice these concepts with a few timing exercises.
3/4 Time Signatures
Now that you've learned a bit about 4/4 time, it's on to 3/4 time.
Reading Music Practice
Now that you know the basics of reading music, it's time to put that knowledge to work with some exercises.
On Top of Old Smokey
Get some more practice reading music and rhythms during your rock fest rendition of "On Top of Old Smokey".
He's Got the Whole World
Matt Brown reviews the G major scale and teaches "He's Got the Whole World".
Matt Brown explains how to read music in the key of F major. He uses the song "Amazing Grace" as an example.
Shoo, Fly
Matt Brown teaches the song "Shoo, Fly" as another excellent rhythm and reading example. This song is in the key of G.
Scales and Key Signatures
Matt Brown returns with the 10th installment in his Reading and Rhythm series. In this lesson, Matt discusses key signatures.
Minor Key and Aura Lee
In this lesson Matt Brown covers the first minor key song in this series, "Aura Lee".
Scarborough Fair
In this lesson, Matt introduces the A Dorian mode. He applies it to the song "Scarborough Fair".
Second Position
In lesson 13, Matt Brown discusses and demonstrates second position.
Lesson 14 is all about rhythm. Matt Brown discusses its importance and provides several exercises.
On Top of Old Smokey Review
Matt Brown reviews "On Top of Old Smokey". This time around, the melody is played in second position.
Reviewing Angels We Have Heard On High
For lesson 14, Matt Brown reviews "Angels We Have Heard On High". The melody is now played in second position.
Shoo, Fly Review
Matt Brown reviews the song "Shoo, Fly" in second position.
Rhythm Strumming
This lesson covers right hand rhythm technique. Matt introduces syncopated strumming patterns.
Matt teaches the melody to "Down by the Riverside". This tune is used as preparation for learning accompaniment techniques.
Matt uses the song "Down by the Riverside" to teach accompaniment techniques for rhythm backing.
Fur Elise Pt. 1
Matt teaches the classic tune "Fur Elise" in a two part series. For Part 1, Matt demonstrates the melody section.
In lesson 22, Matt teaches the accompaniment sections to Beethoven's "Fur Elise".
The Entertainer Pt. 1
Lesson 23 starts a 2 part series on the classic tune "The Entertainer".
Lesson 24 completes the two part series on "The Entertainer". You will learn the accompaniment in this lesson.
Sea to Sea Pt. 1
Matt starts another 2 part lesson, this time on the tune "Sea to Sea" by William G. Leavitt.
Lesson 26 completes Matt's 2 part series on "Sea to Sea".
Stars and Stripes Forever Pt. 1
Matt introduces the B flat major scale and teaches the song "Stars and Stripes Forever".
Matt completes his two part series on "Stars and Stripes Forever" by teaching the accompaniment.
D Major in First and Second Position
Matt Brown teaches the D Major scale in both first and second positions.
Danny Boy Pt. 1
Matt Brown demonstrates "Danny Boy" in both first and second positions.
Matt Brown teaches the accompaniment to the "Danny Boy" melody.
Silent Night Pt. 1
Matt teaches the Christmas classic "Silent Night."
Matt teaches the accompaniment to the "Silent Night" melody.
Funiculi Funicula Pt. 1
Matt Brown teaches "Funiculi Funicula" as an exercise in reading and playing in 6/8 time.
Matt Brown teaches the accompaniment to "Funiculi Funicula".
Strumming Triplets
In lesson 36, Matt provides exercises to help you strum triplet patterns.
Strumming Sixteenth Note Rhythms
In lesson 37, Matt Brown demonstrates how to strum sixteenth note rhythms.
Song of the Volga Boatmen
Matt Brown demonstrates the melody and tips for playing the Russian folk tune "Song of the Volga Boatmen".
Song of the Volga Boatmen Pt. 2
In lesson 39, Matt teaches the accompaniment to "Song of the Volga Boatmen".
Dance of the Ukraine Pt. 2
Matt demonstrates the accompaniment to the "Dance of the Ukraine" melody.
Etude by Ferdinando Carulli
Matt Brown teaches an etude for classical guitar by Ferdinando Carulli.
Morning Pt. 1
Matt Brown teaches the melody section to "Morning" by Edvard Grieg.
Matt teaches the accompaniment for Edvard Grieg's "Morning."
Bach's Minuet Pt. 1
Matt Brown teaches Bach's classic Minuet.
In lesson 46, Matt Brown covers the accompaniment section to Bach's Minuet.
Little Prelude in C Pt. 1
Matt Brown teaches Bach's "Little Prelude in C."
Matt Brown teaches the accompaniment to "Little Prelude in C" by Bach.
Clementi's Sonatina
Matt Brown teaches the 2nd guitar part to Muzio Clementi's famous "Sonatina."
Bach's Invention #1
Matt Brown teaches Invention #1 composed by J.S. Bach.
Third Position
Matt takes a look at playing in third position. This lesson will set up future reading lessons that require the third position.
Third Position Practice
Matt Brown has you working through Jean Philippe Rameau's Minuet for third position playing in lesson 52. He provides a play along and accompaniment to help your sight reading and playing.
About Matt Brown View Full Biography Matt Brown began playing the guitar at the age of 11. "It was a rule in my family to learn and play an instrument for at least two years. I had been introduced to a lot of great music at the time by friends and their older siblings. I was really into bands like Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and Smashing Pumpkins, so the decision to pick up the guitar came pretty easily."
Matt's musical training has always followed a very structured path. He began studying the guitar with Dayton, Ohio guitar great Danny Voris. I began learning scales, chords, and basic songs like any other guitarist. After breaking his left wrist after playing for only a year, Matt began to study music theory in great detail. I wanted to keep going with my lessons, but I obviously couldn't play at all. Danny basically gave me the equivalent of a freshman year music theory course in the span of two months. These months proved to have a huge impact on Brown's approach to the instrument.
Brown continued his music education at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. He completed a degree in Classical Guitar Performance in 2002. While at Capital, he also studied jazz guitar and recording techniques in great detail. "I've never had any desire to perform jazz music. Its lack of relevance to modern culture has always turned me off. However, nothing will improve your chops more than studying this music."
Matt Brown currently resides in Dayton, Ohio. He teaches lessons locally as well as at Capital University's Community Music School. Matt's recent projects include writing and recording with his new, as of yet nameless band as well as the formation of a cover band called The Dirty Cunnies.
Mark Lincoln
Lesson 40 takes a deeper look at slash chords. Mark discusses why they're called slash chords, and how they are formed.
Steve Eulberg does a quick review of this lesson series and talks about moving on.
Greg Greenway
Greg kicks off his series telling a little about himself and introduces the C9 tuning.
Robbie Merrill
JamPlay welcomes bassist and founding member of Godsmack, Robbie Merrill. In this short introduction lesson, Robbie showcases...
Randall Williams
In this lesson Randall introduces the partial capo (using a short-cut capo by Kyser) and talks about how it can make the...
Orville Johnson introduces turnarounds and provides great ideas and techniques.
Hawkeye teaches several Robert Johnson licks in this lesson. These licks are played with a slide in open G tuning.
Justin Roth
In this lesson Justin introduces his series on playing with a capo and dishes out some basic tips, including how to properly...
Matt Brown shows off some ways to add some creativity and originality to your rock chord voicings.
Lisa Pursell
Lisa breaks into the very basics of the electric guitar. She starts by explaining the parts of the guitar. Then, she dives...
We're still working in the double track universe in lesson 22. In this lesson Mark discusses taking a large chord and breaking...
Do you want to play more musical sounding solos? Do you want to play solos with more emotion behind them? Maybe you're the...
Tom Appleman
Tom Appleman takes a look at a blues in E with a focus on the Chicago blues style. The bass line for Chicago blues is very...
Allen Van Wert
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Andy Whitehead
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A new mobile game called Sea Hero Quest VR could help to accelerate research in dementia and allow for those suffering from the disease to be diagnosed and treated decades before they start showing major symptoms.
The game presents players with a series of tasks set in virtual reality (VR) that are based around navigation and orientation. It collects data from its users by assessing how they solve puzzles and the accuracy of their understanding of the virtual space.
The scientists analysing the results said that just two minutes spent playing the game allows them to collect the amount of data equivalent to five hours of lab based research.
The VR game presents scientists with the opportunity for cross validation of the data collected by the mobile game and scientists hope to build on the rich data set already collected by using the latest in virtual reality technologies to gain greater insight into human spatial navigation behaviours. The anonymous spatial navigation data collected is stored in a secure T-Systems server in Germany.
Although the game has already been available on mobile platforms for over a year, this new version is designed specifically for VR.
Using VR, the amount of data gleaned from users will drastically increase in comparison to the previous touchscreen version as it allows them to track their exact head movements and provides an experience more similar to real world navigation tasks.
"What we've learnt over the last 10 years, largely from being able to scan the brains of patients, is that the diseases that underlie dementia start 15 or 20 years earlier," said Dr David Reynolds, Chief Scientific Officer, Alzheimer's Research UK.
"What's happening over those 15 or 20 years is that damage is very slowly building up in your brain. Your brain cells first of all start to struggle to perform and then they start to die off. It's not until quite late on in the disease that you actually see symptoms.
"Our brains are incredibly resilient so they can cope with quite a bit of damage. As people we're very good at compensating for things that we can't do quite so well.
"Sea Hero Quest gives us the ability to diagnose and find those subtle changes in spatial navigation, how people move about the world in a much more fun and engaging way and on a much bigger scale than we've ever been able to do before.
The large dataset made available by the game also allows researchers to understand inherent differences between people of different ages, gender and where they are located.
The game has been developed in collaboration with University College London (UCL), the University of East Anglia and Alzheimer's Research UK. The game itself was developed jointly with independent game designers, Glitchers.
The game has been developed to work with the Samsung Gear VR headset and will be available to download for free from the Oculus Store from today. Sea Hero Quest mobile is still available to download for free via the App Store and Google Play.


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Muslim students being monitored
Alma Torlakovic
Since July, the NSW government has been conducting an "audit" of all prayer groups in public schools. Aimed at identifying students susceptible to "extremism", the state-wide check was announced in response to reports about "playground preaching" at Epping Boys High School, in Sydney's north-west.
At the time, media reports said that police had received information that a "boy of Afghan heritage was delivering religious sermons to other pupils". This prompted the NSW Education Department and the police to issue a joint memo, warning principals that they have a duty to report information about suspected radicalisation to a dedicated security hotline.
According to the Education Department's updated religious education procedures, parents must now provide a permission slip for all voluntary religious activities at schools. The content of prayers must also be monitored, and students are not allowed to "proselytise" or convert others to their religion. Principals from Parramatta, Marsden and Bass high schools have sent letters to Muslim parents outlining the procedures. Permission slips must be signed before their child can participate in prayer at school.
Now, the hysteria about radicalism in schools has found a new outlet with the release of the federal government's "Radicalisation awareness kit". The kit, launched by counter-terrorism minister Michael Keenan, is a booklet to be used by teachers, counsellors and others who work with young people.
The kit has been roundly criticised for its ridiculous content – including referring to anti-logging protest as violent extremism. But the absurdity of its content should not distract from its underlying purpose. This campaign is not designed to vilify environmentalists but is aimed squarely at young Muslims.
The prayer group audit and release of the awareness kit have in effect placed all Muslim students on a terror-suspect watch list. Expressing political views about imperialism in the Middle East or racism, or simply praying, can and most likely will be treated as a threat.
This has already had an impact. Recently, a group of students at Bass Hill High School defied the order to produce permission slips to pray. They prayed publicly and without authorisation in the schoolyard. A teacher quickly intervened to shut their prayers down.
One NSW teacher, Reem Allouche, has started an online petition in protest against the audit. "It is not the role of teachers to police their students, nor is it to act as intelligence officers spying on children on behalf of the government", it reads.
She told Red Flag: "The aim seems to be to pit the Muslim community against the wider community, creating a wedge that can be drawn upon for political opportunism. Teachers are from the most trusted professions. With these policies, the government is on the reckless path of destroying two of society's greatest treasures: the innocence of a child and those they look up to".
Islamophobia has become so entrenched, it's now impossible for Muslims to express creativity, dress as they choose or simply perform the duties of prayer without being treated as a terror suspect. Hajj pilgrims leaving Australia were recently the subject of a specific communique from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection about "border clearance advice". Unsurprisingly, the "border clearance advice" for pilgrims is in theory identical to that for the footy team travelling to Bali for an end of season trip. So why the special memo?
The answer is that there is no limit to the number of memos to be issued, articles to be written and laws to be passed painting Muslims as extremists to be feared. Meanwhile, dropping white phosphorus on civilians in Gaza, bombing the Middle East to oblivion and running concentration camps for refugees is passed off as mainstream and moderate.


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'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' IMAX Featurette
Trending News: IMAX Is Going To Make 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Incredible
Because we'll be more immersed in the Star Wars universe than ever.
To promote what promise to be the most breathtaking, immersive scenes in the film, IMAX has released a featurette about the use of their cameras in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Director J.J. Abrams and the cast discuss the impact of the unique shooting format.
With 4k TV and accessible virtual reality on the horizon, the way we interact with the media we consume is changing fast. Movies spend gigantic budgets on visual effects intended to blend seamlessly with their physical surroundings, but even movies shot in 3D have their limitations. To get a fully immersive experience, a movie has to be shot in IMAX 3D, and you have to see it in an IMAX theater. Thankfully, director J.J. Abrams decided to shoot some sequences in Star Wars: The Force Awakens in the format, so theatergoers on December 18 will be in for a treat. In this featurette, Abrams and the cast (including Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Harrison Ford) talk more about the filming process.
"That feeling of going to the movies and having a fully immersive, powerful, high-quality presentation of the film is something that is more valuable than ever and I think IMAX stands for that. When you go to see a movie in that format you know you are going to get something that is the best version of going out to the movies," Abrams said.
IMAX is the highest-resolution filming method around, but you have to see it in a theater equipped with the tall, curved IMAX screen for the sequences to expand and fill it completely. It'll cost a bit extra, but if there's a movie worth shelling out to see in all its glory, it's probably this one.
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Why aren't more movies shot in IMAX?
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I'd watch this movie on an iPhone if it was my only option, but I can't wait to see it in IMAX 3D.
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The first IMAX film was called Tiger Child and was demonstrated in Osaka, Japan in 1970.
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What Is The Best Android Phone
What Is The Best Android Phone – How to Buy an Android Phone in 2022 FAQ Best Overall Android Phone: Samsung Galaxy S22 Best Budget Android Phone: Moto G Play (2021) Best Mid-Range Android Phone: Google Pixel 6a Best Android Phone: Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Best Android Gaming Phone: ASUS ROG Phone 6 Best Camera Android Phone: Google Pixel 7 Pro Best Battery Life: Power Moto G (2021)
Update, 11/20/2022: We've reviewed our recommendations and updated our best camera and gaming tips for the Pixel 7 Pro and ASUS ROG Phone 6. How to buy an Android phone in 2022
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There are many things to consider when buying a new phone. If you're here, you're already thinking about Android, so it's a big decision. Android devices offer more flexibility than iPhones (and Apple's closed ecosystem), and there are many, many phones to choose from.
We're going to throw some technical words at you on this list. Processors, RAM, megapixels, refresh rates, and more are mentioned in this list. The good news is that you don't have to worry about all the technical details. No one makes or breaks a "spec" phone.
The process of unlocking an Android phone varies greatly depending on your mobile carrier and the specific phone model. You will need to find your phone model and see if it is compatible with your carrier. Will probably have information about the opening if possible.
Thankfully, Android phones come with Google's "Find My Device" software installed and running. Finding a lost Android phone requires no planning on your part.
You can find the phone number in the "About Phone" section of your Android device's settings.
Call recording with an Android device is not supported in most US and other countries. If it's legal in your area, you can do it in the phone app.
Samsung releases many phones every year, but there is one that always hits the sweet spot. The standard non-integrated/non-ultra model fits the bill. That's the Samsung Galaxy S22 in 2022. It has many of the same features as the Galaxy S22 Ultra, but in a more attractive package.
The Galaxy S22 has a beautiful 6.1-inch AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of storage, and a 3,700mAh battery. If you take a look at the bottom of the best premium phones, you'll notice that this one has a lot of specs like the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
It doesn't even jump on the camera. You get a 50MP main camera, a 10MP 3x telephoto, and a 12MP wide-angle on the back of the device. The front selfie camera is 10MP. It has a very comparable camera setup to the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Having a telephoto and ultra-wide lens opens up many photo opportunities.
There are a few things you don't get if you choose this model over the Ultra, a premium Android phone option. The Galaxy S22 Ultra has one more camera, a 10MP 10x telephoto camera. It also has a larger 6.8-inch screen, up to 12GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage.
Another advantage of Samsung phones is software support. Samsung offers 4 years of software updates for its One UI Android skin. It's better than what Google offers on its Pixel phones.
One of the best things about the Galaxy S22 is its price. The phone starts at $800, which is significantly cheaper than the S22+ ($1,000) and S22 Ultra ($1,200) for similar specs.
Samsung's latest phone strikes a good balance between price and function. You get a great display, great camera, and 4 years of Samsung support.
The days of crappy cheap Android phones are (pretty much) behind us. There are many options available now, most of which are under $200. The best budget phone is definitely the Moto G Play (2021).
You won't be sacrificing screen size for affordability here, as the Moto G Play has a 6.5-inch 720p display. It struggles a bit in sunlight, but at this price point, you have to accept a small drawback like this.
The place where you'll feel the cost the most, though, is with the processor. Motorola has equipped Moto G Play with Snapdragon 460 and 3GB of RAM. It's a solid reference for everyday tasks, but try any serious gaming and the Moto G Play won't be able to keep up.
The Moto G Play has a basic camera setup of a 13 MP camera on the back and a smaller 2 MP camera on the front. You can get great photos in good lighting conditions, but low light will suffer.
Motorola uses a light version of Android without any bloat, which is important for a budget device. You can always get the Moto G Play (2021) for around $150, making it one of the cheapest phones out there.
The Pixel 6a hits the sweet spot at the mid-range and budget range. For under $500 you'll get much the same camera experience and many other features as Google's most expensive Pixel 6.
The Pixel 6a has 12.2MP and 8MP selfie cameras on the standard model, as well as a wide-angle camera. However, it doesn't have a 50MP main camera, but the price has to be cut to keep it down. And since this is a Pixel phone, you get Google's best portrait mode, night sight, astrophotography, and a generally excellent camera.
The Pixel 6a beats the lower price tag with a few other changes. First, the Pixel 6a's 6.1-inch display has a 60Hz refresh rate, while the Pixel 6's is at 90Hz. This is not a big deal for most people.
The Pixel 6a also has 6GB of RAM, compared to 8GB in the Pixel 6. However, both have the same processor, Google's Tensor chip, so you'll get good performance, even if it's a bit slow at times.
Google's Pixel phones may not be the beasts of the Android world in terms of raw specs and performance, but they make up for it with better software and faster updates. For example, Android 13 will be on Pixel phones first, so you can use the latest system while other phone makers play catch-up.
What you lose on this mid-range phone is IP68 water resistance and wireless charging, but you get an excellent camera. All of this is pretty good for $450.
Google's Pixel line is a great choice if you're looking for the sweet spot between budget and bleeding edge, and the Pixel 6a continues that tradition. Between amazing software support for photos, first access to the update with Android 13, and solid specs, this phone is sure to please.
If there's one word that describes "premium" smartphones, it's "ultra." The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is the best Android phone you can buy. It has everything you can think of, including a stylus.
Let's start with the camera. The Galaxy S22 Ultra has a total of five cameras – four on the back. The main camera is 108MP and is flanked by 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP 3x telephoto, and 10MP 10x telephoto. The front selfie camera is 40MP. All these cameras put you in the best position to photograph any situation. You have an ultrawide to go back to, and a telephoto to zoom in.
Is battery life important to you? The Galaxy S22 Ultra is also covered. It has a 5,000mAh battery, but more power means more space. The Ultra has a large 6.8-inch Super AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz.
Looking under that big display, you have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, up to 12GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, wireless charging, fast charging, and IP68 waterproofing. When Samsung says Ultra, look
Speaking of Android, Samsung has the best software support you can find. The Ultra comes with four major Android updates. That's the best support you'll find with Google's Pixel phones.
Obviously, a premium phone like the Galaxy S22 Ultra won't cost you much. The base model costs $1,200. If you want the best, it looks like it. Pay for what you get.
Samsung's flagship Android is the bleeding edge of technology. Five cameras, a 5,000mAh battery, and more make this phone affordable, though it comes at a price.
If you're looking for a great gaming phone, ASUS' ROG series has been a solid choice for a few years now. The ROG Phone 6 continues that tradition as it replaces our predecessor, the ROG Phone 5S.
ROG Phone 6 has a large 6.8-inch HD+ full AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 165Hz, perfect for gaming. It is also powered by Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 with up to 16GB of RAM. It is enough to deal with the most powerful games. Finally, a 6,000mAh battery will do
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