text:
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Augmented Edition
The future of immersive sims
By Rick Lane 03 August 2018
As the mainstream moves onto pastures new, what does the future hold for this shadowy genre?
This article was originally published in PC Gamer issue 320. For more quality articles about all things PC gaming, you can subscribe now in the UK and the US.
Since 2011, PC gaming has been blessed with an incredible second wave of high-concept, high-budget immersive sims. Starting with Deus Ex: Human Revolution, the last few years have seen two Deus Ex games, two Dishonored games, a new Thief game, and Prey, which for all intents and purposes is a spiritual successor to System Shock. All of these games embrace the ideals that made Deus Ex, Thief and System Shock so striking in the '90s—emergent play, player agency and complex level design—reforged with new aesthetics and exploring different ideas and themes.
It's been a wonderful ride, but that second wave is now coming to an end. Square Enix has shelved Deus Ex for the foreseeable future, and the less-than-stellar sales of both Dishonored 2 and Prey means the future of Bethesda's immersive sims is currently uncertain. We shouldn't be too sad—it's remarkable that these games were made in the first place—but it does leave us with the question of what the future holds for the immersive sim.
The short answer is that the future is hugely exciting. For the longer answer, we need to go right back to where the immersive sim began.
Immersive origins
"I've been in the industry long enough that you see these trends come and go, certain genres become hot for a few years and then they tend to fade and something else pops up," explains Paul Neurath, founder of OtherSide Entertainment and creative director of Underworld Ascendant. "I think any of these genres has potential to be quite popular and quite successful. Certainly, fantasy RPGs have been around since the start of gaming and I think will be around for quite a lot longer."
OtherSide was forged out of the shards of Looking Glass Studios—the company that pioneered the very first immersive sims. Alongside Neurath, its employees include Tim Stellmarch, the lead designer on Thief, and Warren Spector. The studio is working on two games—System Shock 3 and Underworld Ascendant, the sequel to what was arguably the very first immersive sim. Yet despite appearances, OtherSide is not about rekindling the past. Rather, it is looking to continue Looking Glass's 'unfinished' work. "We loved making those kinds of games, but then when Looking Glass ended prematurely, it cut off our ability to take those forward," Neurath says.
Neurath has wanted to dive back into immersive sims, but the opportunity never arose. "One of the things that Warren and I have talked about is, we're very much into taking creative risks," he says. "It's always been our MO, we're not scared to do things that haven't been proven out of the market yet. But one of the things we've learned is that you have to be selective about that. If you take risks across the board you'll probably stumble and fall."
Reacquiring the rights to Underworld and System Shock has enabled OtherSide to continue the work it started at Looking Glass. "By taking System Shock and Underworld forward, we're starting with a known world, and characters and fiction which people like, and then it frees us to get more creative and push forward harder on the gameplay elements because we know we've got the anchor of the two franchises."
With Ascendant, the idea is to take the ideas featured in Ultima Underworld and its sequel, and explore them in a new level of depth afforded by technological advances and the team's experience in working on these kinds of games. "When Ultima Underworld came out in 1992, the PC technology was so primitive. A smartphone could run circles around a PC from 1992," Neurath says. "We drew [the graphics] in the centre of the screen and put the UI all around it to hide the fact that we couldn't do fullscreen. And even then, you know, on a good day, we would maybe run in the high-teen framerate."
Improving improvisation
OtherSide wants to take the power of modern PCs and apply it to Ascendant at a systemic level. The result of this is what the team dubs the "Improvisation Engine", a system whereby every object in the game is simulated according to a series of universal rules, handing the player the potential to solve in-game puzzles and problems in unique ways.
Some of these potential solutions will be obvious and familiar to the player. Underworld Ascendant features the traditional fantasy trio of swordfighting, magic and stealth, and calls back to some the team's earlier work, such as its highly Thief-like bow that shoots elemental arrows. But players can equally forego these systems and come up with solutions not intended by the developers. Neurath cites one example of a player who tried out the game at PAX East: "They went through the entire training mission and solved every single challenge and fought every single monster only by throwing apples," he says.
Having what is essentially a resurrected Looking Glass exploring these ideas once again is a remarkable thing in and of itself. But unlike in the '90s, Neurath and company are no longer the only developers thinking about games in this way. Another studio looking to plumb the fullest depths of the immersive sim is Interdimensional Games, the studio behind Consortium and the upcoming Consortium: The Tower. The team has boldly declared the latter to be the "ultimate" immersive sim.
The Tower puts players in the role of Bishop Six, an agent of the futuristic global police force known as the Consortium. The Tower kicks off where the last game left off, with the player parachuting onto a sprawling skyscraper complex overtaken by a terrorist organisation. Your goal is to rescue a group of hostages by landing on the tower, assessing the situation and determining the best solutions to the problems at hand.
"The fundamental mandate of our whole company is about creating games that have a moral compass," says Gregory McMartin, founder of Interdimensional Games. "So pushing the boundaries of interactive storytelling, while at the same time creating experiences that are very well balanced morally, and they take things seriously." In Consortium: The Tower, this idea manifests itself in the form of consequences. Every action you take in the Tower will trigger a reaction that will alter the game state.
As with most immersive sims, The Tower lets you sneak or shoot your way through most situations. But The Tower also allows you to talk to anyone in the game.
As with most immersive sims, The Tower lets you sneak or shoot your way through most situations. But The Tower also allows you to talk to anyone in the game. "You can actually open a dialogue with the first generic bad guy you encounter in the Tower, and you'll start to get the sense of the context of these people," says McMartin. "Why they are there, what they're doing there, what their goals are, who their leader is, where their leader is, etc."
Opening a dialogue with what McMartin refers to as the "potential combatants" can lead you to new missions, and result in bringing people over to the Consortium's side. But where things get interesting is that this can also happen the other way around. As a pseudo-police force, indiscriminate killing is against the Consortium's mandate, and if you're a person who shoots firsts and asks questions later, you might be labelled as a rogue agent.
According to McMartin, this can happen within minutes of starting the game. But it won't mean the end of your playthrough. If you go rogue, you'll be contacted by a third faction known as the Voice, which offers to help you escape the Consortium. "So you can flip sides, and then, at that point forward the entire game will be from the vantage point of being out of the Consortium altogether." McMartin is clearly deeply in love with immersive sims. He speaks volubly and with enthusiasm about his idea. The project has been going for 11 years, three of which were spent on worldbuilding. Interdimensional is in no rush to get the game finished either, having put itself in a position where it can take its time to create the game it wants to make. "This is the game, the dream game that I eventually wanted to get to, right?"
It's possible that McMartin's plans will lead to the ultimate immersive sim. I don't doubt his ambition. But I think—and McMartin agrees with this—that if The Consortium succeeds as he intends, it will be a one-off, an incredible, and in all likelihood unrepeatable anomaly. Hence, I also don't think it's where the future of the genre lies.
Indeed, referring to the immersive sim as a genre at all is probably a mistake. What it amounts to is a collection of ideas—established by Looking Glass alumni like Neurath, Doug Church and Warren Spector—that can be attributed to many types of games. I consider Thief to be an immersive sim, but really it's a stealth game with a Looking Glass design philosophy. On the flipside, I don't consider games like Far Cry or Metal Gear Solid V to be immersive sims, but they both embody many of the ideas that immersive sims aspire to. Neurath himself says of last year's Breath of the Wild, "It seems apparent to us that some of the designers on that game played some of our games, because there are elements there that are very Looking Glass."
Crouching down
So what happens when you apply immersive sim ideals to other styles of games? This is what Jordan Thomas—founder of Question, and veteran of both Ion Storm and Irrational—aims to find out with his multiplayer co-op horror The Blackout Club. "You'll notice riffs and samples from immersive sim history throughout", says Thomas. "The easiest way to sum that up is that when you crouch, good things happen. I've always thought that the heroes of immersive sims face down their trials by looking evil squarely in the crotch, and there's certainly no small measure of that going on in the design."
The Blackout Club casts players as a group of teens trying to unravel the mystery behind a force that's manipulating the inhabitants of their hometown. Each night they embark upon procedurally generated missions, evading and confronting horrors, and delving ever deeper beneath the familiar streets of town into the strange and labyrinthine tunnels that run deep under their homes.
In many ways The Blackout Club sets itself apart from immersive sim design. It's multiplayer (although it can be played solo), and it employs randomisation to a far greater degree than most classical immersive sims. Your neighbourhood is a set place that you can learn the nooks and crannies of ("If there's one thing immersive sims all share and we consider, if not holy then of divine importance to us, then it is setting as theme," Thomas says). But your objectives are randomly generated, and aspects of the neighbourhood will move about each time you play, such as where vehicles are parked.
At the same time, however, there are elements that are clearly inspired by the Looking Glass heritage, such as an emphasis on stealth, and using tools to distract, manipulate or overcome your enemies. The teens can prank call inhabitants under the spell of the malevolent force that controls them, forcing them to stop in place, or trick them into opening a door or taking out another enemy. But unlike traditional immersive sims, where the player is a single, all powerful entity, players will have to work together to stay alive.
"In a lot of immersive sims in the past, people have their weapon hand and their magic hand, and by combining the properties of each of those, they were able to create novel effects or expressions. In this case, a lot of those sort of instruments in the orchestra are individual people," says Thomas. In other words, one player is the weapon hand, while another is the magic hand.
Rather than treat the immersive sim as a holistic design philosophy, a formula to make a perfect game, Question is taking the principles that are relevant to its idea and infusing them within that new structure. "We feel that the immersive sim was really a little snobby about the primacy of narrative for a long time," Thomas points out. "We believe you can have a convincing setting that has much to say, but that it's not bolting you into the Clockwork Orange chair and force-feeding you the story content."
Narrative first
But there are other games also borrowing from immersive sim ideals but emerging from the opposite direction, where story content is prized above all. The Occupation is being developed by White Paper Games, creator of the narrative puzzler Ether One. It's set in an alternate '80s Britain that's sliding towards authoritarianism, and sees you play a journalist investigating a bombing at a corporation that deals with immigration.
Like Ether One, The Occupation is a narrative-focussed adventure, but it has a much more simulated core than its predecessor. "Our biggest challenge was to get our narrative drive through a systemsdriven world," says Pete Bottomley, creative director on The Occupation. "We try to build a believable fiction, a believable location, and peoples' lives are all part of this contained environment, and then we set up the interacting systems within that to help try and tell the story."
One of the most interesting aspects of The Occupation is that its world runs autonomously of the player. The game takes place over a four-hour period, and after that the game ends. Even if the player sits and does nothing, things will still be happening within the game itself, and there will be an ending. "There is a way it's going to go. But can you change it?" Bottomley asks.
How you change that ending is through investigation, by sneaking into offices and other areas of the complex, collecting documents and reading their contents. As you do this, you'll build up questions that you can ask other characters, and the more you dig around, the juicier those questions will be. But you can only do so much in those four hours, so you'll have to prioritise where you go, who you speak to, and which questions you ask. For example, in the middle of the game there's a meeting you're scheduled to attend. You could simply go to that meeting at the allotted time and ask your standard questions, or you could dig around for evidence that you can use to catch your interviewees out. But there's also a third way, which is that you don't go to the meeting at all. All of those options will push the narrative in different directions. Whereas most narrative adventures revolve around set objects and scripted events, The Occupation is intended to be a constantly moving thing.
Another key aspect of The Occupation's evolution is the presence of onscreen characters—a rare sight in such narrative games due to how difficult they are to create with small teams. This, in turn, means that new systems, like sneaking, become a viable prospect. Indeed, stealth and getting caught in The Occupation is fascinating. Rather than being attacked as you would in Thief, the security guards of The Occupation will simply take you into a room, give you a telling off, and then increase the security in that area. But all of this will cost you time. "You can miss out on a timed event that was gonna happen. So say 15 minutes has passed, that thing that was going to happen in five minutes has already happened and you've missed it, so you have to find an alternative route. Which I think lends itself to the immersive sim genre," Bottomley explains.
But does White Paper Games think of The Occupation as an immersive sim? "We don't know, yet," says Bottomley. "We have systems-driven gameplay and a focus on the worldbuilding … and using systems and the world to get to your objectives. But again, we don't necessarily have RPG upgrade elements. So does that make it an immersive sim? Is that okay?"
It's an exciting answer, and one that summarises where immersive sims are right now. We're seeing developers pushing towards the same ideas from different angles. From veterans with unfinished business, to creators making their dream game, to developers like White Paper Games, who almost accidentally slid into the space from something entirely removed from the heritage of Looking Glass and Ion Storm.
"The term immersive sim as a kitchen sink, all inclusive genre of design is no longer particularly meaningful, because a lot of other designers and developers have found a way to incorporate simulation," Jordan Thomas concludes. "So unless you're a die-hard first-person fetishist, or a kind of committed snob, it may be that those walls are worth tearing down now."
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Development & Renovation
Summit REIT Acquires 14 Facilities in $125M Deal; Good Sam Divests Three SNFs in Wisconsin
By Maggie Flynn | March 20, 2019 March 20, 2019
Summit Healthcare REIT, Inc. acquired an interest in 14 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in Indiana for $125 million, with plans to lease them back to the seller on a triple-net basis. The acquisition, announced Wednesday, was made through a newly formed joint venture among a wholly-owned subsidiary of Summit, a real estate holding company, and a global institutional asset management firm, with Summit holding a 15% membership interest.
The facilities have more than 1,100 licensed beds total.
"The new joint venture will continue to focus on quality regional operators, but on a larger scale," Kent Eikanas, Summit's president and COO, said in a release announcing the deal.
Good Samaritan Sells Three Wisconsin SNFs
The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society sold three SNFs — with a total of 193 units — in Wisconsin in a transaction facilitated by Blueprint Healthcare Real Estate Advisors.
The assets, which included 162 skilled nursing beds, 19 independent living units, and 12 age-restricted apartments, represented a non-core disposition for the Sioux Falls, S.D.-based senior living non-profit. The rural facilities had strong occupancy, quality mix, and per-resident-day revenues, but expense management was an issue, according to the Chicago-based Blueprint. The buyer was a growing owner-operator.
Blueprint's Michael Segal and Amy Sitzman facilitated the transaction.
Monticello Provides $16M in Acquisition Financing for Tennessee SNF Portfolio
Monticello Asset Management, LLC provided $16 million in first-lien debt financing for the acquisition of two SNFs with a total of 303 beds in Tennessee. The transaction included a $3 million working capital loan to the operating companies of the properties, which was provided by Monticello Commercial Capital, LLC, Monticello's asset-based lending group.
The borrower, an owner-operator with a current portfolio of 3,765 licensed beds and an existing relationship with Monticello, expects to receive a loan guaranteed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Companies featured in this article:
Blueprint Healthcare Real Estate Advisors, Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, Monticello Asset Management, Summit Healthcare REIT
Maggie Flynn
When she's not working, Maggie enjoys running, reading, writing and sports, in no particular order. Favorite things include murder mysteries, Lake Michigan and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Receive industry updates and breaking news from SNN.
Skilled Nursing Executive Outlook: 'Question of Nursing Homes' Viability Will Continue' in 2020
Welltower CEO DeRosa: 'We Have Never Abandoned' Post-Acute Care, Even in Bad Times
Learn more about Voices Executive Q&A.
Lancaster Pollard Closes $420M Refinance for 26 Plum Healthcare Skilled Nursing Facilities
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In 1913, a man calling himself Roger Bacon kills a French priest, whose daughter, Alice Elliot, flees to Asia to escape her father's murderer. However, Bacon still pursues her, finding a train in Asia transporting her to safety, where a man named Yuri Hyuga, guided by a mysterious voice, rescues and protects her, soon journeying to discover Bacon's motives and put a stop to his evil intents. Shadow Hearts, developed by Sacnoth and released in North America in 2001, is the sequel to the company's first title, Koudelka, and is much-improved over its predecessor.
Rather than featuring grid-based combat like its predecessor, Shadow Hearts instead features randomly-encountered, turn-based battles emphasizing use of the Judgment Ring, which accompanies just about every battle command and features a number of hit areas where the player must press the X button once the ring's arrow touches them. Missing one of these areas will either cancel the command or, in the case of normal attacks, which feature three hit areas, shorten the number of hits if the player has timed his or her button presses right in at least the first hit area. Most Judgment Rings, in addition to normal Hit Areas, also feature narrow Strike Areas that increase an attack, spell, or item's potency.
In addition to HP and MP is SP, which depletes one point at a time whenever a character takes his or her turn. If a character's SP reaches zero, he or she goes berserk and randomly executes commands against either the enemy or your own party. Items, however, can increase SP and bring a character out of berserk state. The main character, Yuri, must use SP to transform into one of his Fusion forms, which are of six elements; Yuri can gain new Fusions at the Graveyard after he acquires a certain number of points for each element. As players fight, moreover, Malice gradually accumulates in the Graveyard, and Yuri must go there to clear it out occasionally or risk encountering a powerful enemy in the real world.
The battle system is well-paced enjoyable for the most part, with only a couple of minor shortcomings such as the lack of a turn order meter, and that the acupuncture system, where a player can increase a weapon's hit area widths and attack power, is a bit unnecessary since characters will constantly gain new weapons throughout the game. As far as difficulty goes, Shadow Hearts is generally easy, though some of the last few bosses can easily slaughter you. Nonetheless, combat is easily one of the game's highlights.
Shadow Hearts' menu system is clean for the most part, and finding out how to advance the game is hardly an issue. There are, though, some issues with shopping, where the game eventually offers the player bonus discounts or increased selling prices with multiple Judgment Rings, with a higher discount/selling price for each Judgment Ring; if the player misses a hit area in one of them, an item is bought or sold at normal price. Though a decent idea, it can somewhat slow down players if they wish to save money. Changing party formation, moreover, requires players to talk to acupuncturists at towns, so working with all your characters in dungeons, in most instances, is out of the question. Ultimately, interaction isn't perfect, yet doesn't severely hamper the game.
The Judgment Ring is only mildly inventive, reflecting upon the idea of timed attacks present in previous RPGs such as Legend of Dragoon and Super Mario RPG, although some features, such as the SP system, are certainly unique.
The story, while not a reason to buy the game, does have its strong parts, such as a reasonably likable cast of characters, most who have at least some influence in the grand scheme of events and a little backstory, although the villains could've used some work, and the plot could've certainly revolved around more than just chasing after one of them. There are, though, some links to Koudelka, even if the mistranslation of one character's surname hurts one of said links. All in all, the story isn't exactly superb, although it still doesn't detract from the game.
Even after two sequels, the first Shadow Hearts' soundtrack is still perhaps the best of the series, with some catchy ethnic pieces and dark themes that fit the milieu of the game. Battles, though, have a rather odd combination of English and Japanese voice clips, but this issue isn't serious enough to make your ears bleed, and in the end, Shadow Hearts is still a pretty decent-sounding game.
Visually, Shadow Hearts depends on a combination of pre-rendered scenery and 3-D character models outside of battle, both of which, for the most part, look pleasant, although maybe two dungeons use exactly the same stills for different rooms. The battle visuals, however, are in full 3-D, and move smoothly despite some bland texturing at times. A few cutscenes, moreover, rely on FMVs and still art to narrate the story, which are well-executed for the most part. Overall, Shadow Hearts' visual style is fairly effective and again doesn't detract from the game.
Shadow Hearts isn't a terribly lengthy game, taking from about twenty-five to thirty-five hours to complete, with a replay mode allowing for additional playthroughs (and with two endings, the game is worth replaying at least once). In the end, Shadow Hearts was a fairly redeeming title for Sacnoth, with an enjoyable combat system and decent presentation among other things. It would, of course, receive two sequels, and since the series hasn't covered all of history, future installments certainly aren't out of the question.


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Battle of the Lycus
The Battle of the Lycus was fought in 66 BC between a Roman Republican army under the command of Gnaeus Pompeius (better known to posterity as Pompey the Great) and the forces of Mithridates VI of Pontus. The Romans easily won the battle with few losses. Mithridates fled to the Crimea and committed suicide in 63 BC, finally ending the Third Mithridatic War.[1][2][3][4]
Part of Third Mithridatic War
66 BC
Lycus River, Ionia
Decisive Roman victory
Roman Republic Pontus
Pompey Mithridates VI
c. 50,000 [5] c. 30,000 infantry [6] and 2,000-3,000 cavalry [7]
unknown more than 10,000 [8]
PreludeEdit
In 67 BC, after the battle of Zela, king Mithridates VI of Pontus had regained control of the kingdom of Pontus. Whilst the Romans politicked Mithridates had been building up his forces and preparing for the inevitable confrontation. Unfortunately for him that confrontation did not take long to materialize in the form of Pompey, Rome's foremost commander, and a very large Roman army. Pompey first established a blockade of the whole coastline of Asia Minor. Secondly he convinced the new Parthian king, Phraates III, to invade Armenia, Mithridates main ally, forcing Tigranes II of Armenia to turn his attention to protecting his own empire. Thirdly he sent three legions to secure Cappadocia to the south of Pontus. Pompey then marched his numerically superior army into his enemy's heartland. Mithridates withdrew to the centre of his mountainous kingdom, drawing Pompey after him, denying him supplies by burning the crops, and harassing him with his own superior cavalry. Eventually Mithridates marched into the Lycus valley and encamped on a well-watered hill called Dasteira.[9][10]
The battleEdit
Approaching Mithridates' camp an engagement broke out between Pompey's vanguard and Mithridates' rearguard in a defile. According to Appian some of the Pontic cavalrymen were fighting the Romans dismounted and making a good show of it until a large contingent of Roman-allied cavalry showed up. The cavalrymen ran back to the camp to get their horses but this caused a general retreat because their companions did not know why they were running away and they did not want to stay and find out. Pompey wanting to make use of this blow to his enemy's morale and fearing Mithridates would escape during the night decided to launch an assault of the Pontic camp during the night.
As the Romans attacked with the moon to their backs the Pontic troops launched their missiles too early. The Romans were able to get right up to and into the Pontic camp. Once the experienced Roman legionaries got among the Pontic troops the fight was as good as won (Roman legionaries excelled at close-range fighting). Mithridates had made his camp at a site that was difficult to get into. As his desperate troops now found out, it was also hard to get out of. Mithridates with 800 horsemen cut his way out of the trap and escaped but at least 10,000 of his men did not.[11][2]
With his army destroyed Mithridates at first intended to return to the sanctuary of Armenia, but the beleaguered Tigranes was having none of it. Suspecting Mithridates of plotting with one of his own sons (also called Tigranes) he put a huge 100-talent bounty on Mithridates' head. He might have also recognized the old king's cause as lost and did not want to go down with him. With Pompey to the west, Cappadocia to the south in Roman hands, the Black Sea closed off by the Roman blockade and Armenia unwelcome, the only way out was the northern route to the Bosporan kingdom (including parts of the Crimea) under his son Menchares. After a gruesome journey around the eastern half of the Black Sea Mithridates arrived in the Bosporan Kingdom and made himself its king. Pompey, busy establishing Roman rule in the east, left him to his devices. In 63 BC while Mithridates was planning another campaign against Rome his army rebelled and crowned one of his many sons Pharnarces king. Even the indomitable Mithridates saw that it was all over. He tried to poison himself but when this did not work he ordered his bodyguard to do him one last favour. And so Mithridates the Great, the warrior king, Rome's indomitable enemy died, as he had lived, by the sword.[12]
^ Brice, Lee L. (2014). Warfare in the Roman Republic: From the Etruscan Wars to the Battle of Actium. California: ABC-CLIO. p. 292. ISBN 978-1-61069-298-4.
^ a b Appian, Mithridatica, 100; Plutarch, Life of Pompey, 32; Cassius Dio, 36.48; Livy, Epitome, 101
^ John Leach, Pompey the Great, 4
^ Philip Matyszak, Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy, 10
^ Leach, John (1978). Pompey the Great (Routledge Revivals). New York: Routledge. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-41574-733-2.
^ Leach, John (1978). Pompey the Great p. 76.
^ Appian Historia Romana. Book XII (The Mithridatic Wars), section 97
^ Appian Historia Romana Book XII (The Mithridatic Wars), section 100
^ John Leach, Pompey the Great, pp.79-80
^ Philip Matyszak, Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy, pp. 148-150
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_the_Lycus&oldid=888833413"


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Q: How to get a false-like value instead of error when retrieving non-existent elements in lists or dictionaries in Python I would like to know how to, instead of getting an error, return a False-like value when trying to access a list out of range, for example, or trying to grab a key from a dictionary that doesn't exist. Does anyone know of a method?

A: Dictionaries have a get method allowing you to do exactly that
test = {}
test.get("gold", False)

this yields False or anything else that you give get as a 2nd argument.

A: When you try to access a list out of range, you get this message on the last line of the console logs:
IndexError: list index out of range
so, to take an example:
test_list = [0]*1

print(test_list[1])

IndexError: list index out of range

So you need:
test_list = [0]*1

try:
   print(test_list[1])
except IndexError:
   value = False
   print (value)

False

A: for a dictionary you can use a defaultdict from the collections module I.E:
from collections import defaultdict

my_dict = defaultdict(lambda: False)

my_dict['test']  # This will be False

You can read more about defaultdict in the docs
For a list however it gets a bit more complicated, sublcassing list and overriding the __getitem__ method to wrap the call in a try/except clause and return a different value:
class defaultlist(list):
    def __getitem__(self, key):
        try:
            return super().__getitem__(key)
        except IndexError:
            return False

my_list = defaultlist()
my_list[10]  # This will be False

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
package net.hasor.core.binder.schema;
/**
 * ClassPathBeanDefine类用于定义一个常规的bean,这个bean有一个具体的class类对象。
 * @version 2010-9-15
 * @author 赵永春 (zyc@byshell.org)
 */
public class ClassPathBeanDefine extends BeanDefine {
    private String source = null; //class类
    /**返回"ClassBean"。*/
    public String getBeanType() {
        return "ClassPathBean";
    }
    /**获取类的class完整限定名。*/
    public String getSource() {
        return source;
    }
    /**设置类完整限定名。*/
    public void setSource(String source) {
        this.source = source;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Smart features ultimately grant you the opportunity to save on energy bills and put more money in your pocket.
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Is your business closed for the season? Control the thermostat from your Smartphone!
All of these features ultimately grant you the opportunity to save on energy bills and put more money in your pocket.
Learn more and find out how we can provide you with your very own Commercial Smart Thermostats by connecting with us!


Plugins are not being disabled even though the subscription level has expired. I setup plugins such as WordPress Chat to only be accessible with a silver subscription. However, the plugin is still active after the subscription expires. This issue is actually occurring on multiple servers / networks.
Do you have free level enabled?
In selected free level, is the plugin activated?
*No, they are activated only at the site level.
*I have a free trial. However, the free trial had past. I also tried simply revoking the level, but no luck either.
Also send me a link of your subsite in which the plugin is activated.


Acid / Alkaline BalanceOver acidity, which can become a dangerous condition that weakens all body systems, is very common today. It gives rise to an internal environment conducive to disease, as opposed to a pH-balanced environment which allows normal body function necessary for the body to resist disease. A healthy body maintains adequate alkaline reserves to meet emergency demands. When excess acids (acidosis) must be neutralized, our alkaline reserves are depleted, leaving the body in a weakened condition.
Every day we wage our own private war against molds, yeasts, bacteria, viruses and fungi. By using antibiotics as the first line of defense we have encouraged the development of more powerful deadly bugs and bacteria.
Our immune systems are becoming weaker and over-taxed in this war. Louis Pasteur declared the germ theory of disease that states germs are the cause of disease. But note Dr. Pasteur's dying words: "The germ is nothing, the inner terrain is everything".
The concept of acid alkaline imbalance as the cause of disease is not new. In 1933 a New York doctor named William Howard Hay published a ground-breaking book, A New Health Era in which he maintains that all disease is caused by autotoxication (or "self-poisoning") due to acidosis in the body.
Now we depart from health in just the proportion to which we have allowed our alkalis to be dissipated by introduction of acid-forming food in too great amount… It may seem strange to say that all disease is the same thing, no matter what its myriad modes of expression, but it is verily so.
Modern science has revealed that the cause of aging may be far more simple than previously thought.
Almost 99% of the components of food that we consume every day are composed of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen with only 1% been minerals.
The wastes produced from food are highly acidic and acidosis is one of the main contributors that lead to the aging process and various illnesses. Acid waste is excreted from the human body in the form of urine or sweat. But the wastes not excreted will be circulating around in the blood, in the body. This acidic waste will gradually accumulate somewhere in our capillaries blood vessels, and eventually clog them up. Also as a consequence of this, the cells of the human body will be deprived of their supply of oxygen and essential nutrients, rendering these cells inactive in reproduction. That's the main reason why people age. Moreover, with the capillary blood vessels clogged up, the function of every organ in the human body accumulating acidic waste will begin to deteriorate, causing serious illnesses in the long run.
So when does the accumulation of age-contributing acidic waste begin?
Scientists say that aging begins when a child starts to wean. An unborn child lives on nutrients from his mother while in the womb and the body of the baby becomes alkaline, owing to the consumption of alkaline minerals.
Naturally, this is due to the release of alkaline minerals from the mother. This release of alkaline minerals during pregnancy does temporarily weaken the mother's body, causing a lack of appetite etc.
The baby will remain alkaline while breast feeding, but will begin to reduce in alkalinity once put on infant cereals.
If the cause of aging lies in acidosis, then the answer to longer life must lie in eliminating such acidic wastes. Hence, to neutralize acidic meals, alkaline water could be the answer. Many doctors recommend a vegetarian or low meat diet as alkaline minerals and vegetables help neutralize acidic waste. But vegetables only contain a very small amount of alkaline minerals and that is why a very large quantity of vegetables needs to be consumed in order to neutralize these wastes in the body.
We live and die at the cellular level. All the billions of cells that make up our human body are slightly alkaline, and must maintain alkalinity in order to function and remain healthy and alive. However their cellular activity creates acid and this acid is what gives the cell energy and function. As each alkaline cell performs its task of respiration, it secretes metabolic wastes, and these end products of cellular metabolism are acid in nature.
Although these wastes are used for energy and function, they must not be allowed to build up. One example of this is the often painful lactic acid which is created through exercise. The body will go to great lengths to neutralize and detoxify these acids before they act as poisons in and around the cell, ultimately changing the environment of the cell. Most people and clinical practitioners believe the immune system is the body's first line of defense, but in actuality it is not. It is very important, but more like a very sophisticated clean-up service. We must instead look at the importance of pH balance as the first and major line of defense against sickness and disease and for health and vitality.
Drinking alkaline water is an easy and efficient way to help neutralize an acidic human body.
Water, the origin of Life, contains 2 parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. Alkaline water is water that contains a larger amount of oxygen as compared to hydrogen. By drinking alkaline water, we increase our intake of oxygen compared to drinking plain water. The advantage of drinking alkaline water is that while being absorbed by the body, it helps neutralize acidic wastes, making them more soluble in the blood vessels. Thus, acidic wastes will be easily drained out of the body in the form of urine or sweat.
If we were to ask what is killing us, the answer might be ACIDOSIS. It has been demonstrated that an acidic, anaerobic (lacking oxygen) body environment encourages the breeding of fungus, mold, bacteria, and viruses. Let us look at an example. If we were to seal the door to our freezer and then unplug it, come back and open the door in two weeks, what would we find? Mold, bacteria and microscopic bugs that are growing and multiplying. Where did they all come from? They did not sneak in – remember the door was sealed. The answer is . . . they were always there.
It is simply that the environment changed to a more inviting and healthy one for these 'critters' to live in. This can be likened to a shift in our biological terrain from a healthy oxygenated, alkaline environment to an unhealthy anaerobic acidic environment. You see what is healthy for us is unhealthy for the body attackers and what is healthy for them is what is unhealthy for our body.
pH (potential of hydrogen) is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 14 – the lower the pH the more acidic the solution, the higher the pH the more alkaline (or base) the solution. When a solution is neither acid nor alkaline it has a pH of 7 which is neutral.
It is recommended that you test your pH levels to determine if your body's pH needs immediate attention. By using pH test strips, you can determine your pH factor quickly and easily in the privacy of your own home. There is much to discover so that pH test result can be meaningful. Rather than give simplistic guidelines here it is recommended you look online or purchase a book on this subject from our online store.
The results of urine testing indicate how well your body is assimilating minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. These are called the "acid buffers" because they are used by the body to control the acid level. If acid levels are too high, the body will not be able to excrete acid. It must either store the acid in body tissues (autotoxication) or buffer it – that is, borrow minerals from organs, bones, etc. in order to neutralize acidity.
Your body is able to assimilate minerals and nutrients properly only when its pH is balanced. It is therefore possible for you to be taking healthy nutrients and yet be unable to absorb or use them. If you are not getting the results you expected from your nutritional or herbal program, look for an acid alkaline imbalance. Even the right herbal program may not work if your body is struggling with acidosis.
A state of acidosis is simply the lack of oxygen and available calcium which the body uses to maintain its alkaline balance. Calcium makes up 1.6% of our body weight. It is literally the human glue that holds the body together. Calcium is so biochemically active that it has been likened to an octopus. A calcium ion can hold onto seven other molecules while it grabs onto one molecule of water. No other ion can do this. And it is the right size to easily get in and out of the human cell. As it does this, it takes a chain of nutrients into the cell and then leaves to get more nutrients.
The reason acidosis is more common in our society is mostly due to the typical American diet, which is far too high in acid-producing animal products like meat, eggs and dairy, and far too low in alkaline-producing foods like fresh vegetables. Additionally, we eat acid-producing processed foods like white flour and sugar and drink acid-producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks. We use too many drugs, which are acid-forming; and we use artificial chemical sweeteners which are extremely acid-forming. One of the best things we can do to correct an overly-acid body is to clean up the diet and lifestyle.
Most people who suffer from unbalanced pH are too acidic. This condition forces the body to borrow minerals including calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium, from vital organs and bones to buffer (neutralize) the acid and safely remove it from the body. Because of this strain, the body can suffer severe and prolonged damage due to high acidity. A condition that may go undetected for years.
One of the first warning signs of an acidic biological terrain is calcium deposits. In testing where calcium deposits come not it has always been shown that they come from the structural calcium of our bones and teeth and never from the calcium in our water or diet.
This is important because it means that if calcium deposits are forming, we know our inner biological terrain is too acidic. Our dietary intake of calcium is not keeping up with the calcium buffering needed and we are actively pulling calcium from our bones and teeth. It all works like a little train, from the bones to the fluids and cells, to the blood. As our biological terrain becomes acidic, our pH level drops. When this happens we start losing calcium out of the blood, the bones, and the tissues. This is a safety mechanism. Now your biological terrain's oxygen level drops leaving you tired and fatigued, allowing fungus, mold, parasites, bad bacteria, and viral infections to flourish and gain a hold throughout the body. It is interesting to note that you often won't have just some of these invaders. If you have Candida you will likely have bad bacteria, fungus, and parasites because they all flourish in the same terrain.
A recent seven year study conducted at the University of California, San Francisco, on 9,000 women showed that those who have chronic acidosis are at greater risk for bone loss than those who have normal pH levels. The scientists who carried out this experiment believe that many of the hip fractures prevalent among middle aged women are connected to high acidity caused by a diet rich in animal foods and low in vegetables. This is because the body borrows calcium from the bones in order to balance pH.
The biggest problem scientists have found is that over time the human body becomes depleted of calcium. A compound called mono-ortho-calcium phosphate is the chemical buffer for the blood. This buffer maintains the alkaline level (or the lack of acidity) in your blood. Without it you would die. If the acidity level of your blood changes even slightly you die immediately. But in order to supply enough calcium for buffering we must have enough calcium being absorbed from our diet or our body will simply rob the needed calcium from our bones and teeth.
The more acidic we become, the harder it is for oxygen to be present, so our biological terrain also becomes more anaerobic. Without adequate oxygenation, unfriendly bacteria, viruses, molds, and fungus can live and prosper. Then our cells cannot carry on their life-giving functions in a very efficient manner because our biological chemical reactions need oxygen.
Dr. Warback discovered that if oxygen is removed from a health cell, the cell will start to turn cancerous. Dr. Warback won the Nobel prize by proving this theory through his many experiments.
Even though cancer cells are eliminated entirely through an operation, they reoccur because the acidic surroundings still remain after the operation. So, to help prevent this, we should stop the development of acidosis by having a healthy diet, avoiding stress, living in a healthy environment and exercising.
The human body is very intelligent. As we become more and more acidic the body starts to set up defense mechanisms to keep the damaging acid from entering our vital organs. It is known that acid gets stored in fat cells. After all, if the acid does come into contact with an organ the acid has a chance to eat holes in the tissue. This may cause the cells to mutate. The oxygen level drops in this acidic environment and calcium begins to be depleted.
When acidic wastes accumulate in the pancreas, diabetes can develop due to lack of insulin in the body.
Doctors say that symptoms of diabetes appear mainly in people above 40, with no symptoms of diabetes in their 20s. How do they differ from each other?
1)	Hypertension caused by clogged capillary vessels due to physical reasons.
2)	Narrowed blood vessels caused by acidic wastes.
3)	Lack of oxygen due to chemical reasons, namely solidified acidic waste in the vessels.
One of the major functions of alkaline water is to purify or help remove the wastes in the body. The accumulation of excessive wastes in the kidneys weakens the kidneys. When cells survive in an excessive acidic environment, swelling of the kidneys occurs.
Gout happens when calcium accumulates in the capillary blood vessels of the hands and legs. Normally, gout occurs in toe joints, knee joints, and finger joints and drinking alkaline water is one of the best treatments.
Dr. Choi, a medical practitioner at the Seoul National Medical University, observed 15 patients (10 men and 5 women) who had suffered from constipation for over a year. Results showed that the symptoms of constipation were alleviated when alkaline water was consumed for a period of 1-2 weeks. Twelve of the fifteen patients recovered remarkably well after this period. This is true because by lubricating the wastes secreted on the walls of the large intestine, excretion become easier.
Dr. Choi also observed that there was a remarkable improvement in how alert his patients were after drinking alkaline water.
When we suffer from stress, our body produces more acidic waste, leading to acidosis. Physical stress can be relieved by getting a good rest. Nowadays, however, most of us do not find the time to relieve mental stress. Continued long term stress will create harmful problems like headaches, mental disorder, bad temper and unbalanced hormone excretion, etc. There are two kinds of stress. One is physical stress caused by physical activities and the other is mental stress caused by mental fatigue.
To conclude it is reasonable to say that there are no specific diseases, only specific disease conditions.
That is why Dr Young and others believe there is only one disease. And that one disease is acidosis.


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Emperor's New Groove blu-ray combo pack
March 6, 2016 March 5, 2016 George
Emperor's New Groove blu-ray combo pack, a review
The Emperor's New Groove blu-ray 2 Movie Collection was released in July 2013, along with a number of other animated films on blu-ray. The blu-ray combo release contained the Emperor's New Groove (2000) and Kronk's New Groove (2005). Check out the mini-retro review done by Jeff and George during the 2013 release on Communicore Weekly (the Greatest Online Show!™).
George: I've always loved The Emperor's New Groove and find myself quoting from it years later ("Boom, baby!" and "No touchy, no touchy"). We watch it on occasion and always find the film charming and entertaining. Not so much for Kronk's New Groove. I'm always surprised when the original voice actors (especially when they're fairly notable) return for a direct-to-video sequel. I'm always thankful that Iger squashed the sequels and I was a little frightened when Pixar's Planes was announced. The dirge of sequels has been bemoaned by many animation fans and will really be seen as a dark time for the company.
Jeff: I absolutely agree. While The Emperor's New Groove isn't what it was originally meant to be, it's still an enjoyable film. The sequel, not so much. But that's OK, because I believe the original is more than enough to make up for it! The downside is that there are no special features featured on this disc.
George: If you're a fan of The Emperor's New Groove, then it's definitely worth it to pick up The Emperor's New Groove blu-ray combo pack. Even if you don't want to watch Kronk's New Groove. (Something else interesting to note: Disney did not release any promotional images from either film during the blu-ray release in 2013. Besides the cover image.)
Did you ever pick up a copy of The Emperor's New Groove blu-ray combo pack?
Animation Blu-ray Blu-ray Review Kronk's New Groove Reviews The Emperor's New Groove
Atlantis blu-ray combo pack
Walt's Barn: A Visit


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CHINA KNOW SELECTED
DISCOVERING SHAANXI
Selected China municipalities and provinces - An overview
Chongqing - A profile
Discovering Chongqing
Guangdong - A profile
Discovering Guangdong
Jiangsu - A profile
Discovering Jiangsu
Liaoning - A profile
Discovering Liaoning
Nanjing - A profile
Discovering Nanjing
Shandong - A profile
Discovering Shandong
Shaanxi - A profile
Sichuan - A profile
Discovering Sichuan
Tianjin - A profile
Discovering Tianjin
Wuhan - A profile
Discovering Wuhan
Zhejiang - A profile
Discovering Zhejiang
This is a selection of resources on Shaanxi available from the NLB catalogue or the Internet and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.
NLB print and digital resources
Culture paves the way, economics comes to sing the opera: The rhetoric of Chinese folk duets and global joint ventures
This research paper examines how a northern Shaanxi province used song and dance to facilitate a project between China's largest coal company and the Dow Chemical Company. It shows the importance of provincial cultural identities and performance in relationship-building among different entities.
Retrieved from JSTOR. myLibrary ID is required to access this database.
Terracotta warriors: History, mystery and the latest discoveries
This book provides an "intriguing, original and up-to-date" account of one of the wonders of the ancient world. Illustrated with a wealth of original photographs, it incorporates the most recent excavations, new theories and discoveries. The excavated pits containing nearly eight thousand warriors and hundreds of horses are said to be only part of a much grander mausoleum complex. There is a great deal still to be discovered and understood about the entire area which is now thought to cover around 100 square kilometres.
All rights reserved, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2018.
New Silk Road starts with Xi'an
This news article explains why positioning Xi'an at the centre of a Silk Road economic belt would be very beneficial to the development of northwestern China as well as other nearby parts of Asia. As the historical start of the ancient Silk Road and the economic centre of northwest China, Xi'an is well-poised to become the centre of the economic belt.
Geographical advantages helping Shaanxi boost multilateral trade
Due to its favourable location and established transportation network, Shaanxi plays a key role in attracting other countries to do business with China. The article also describes the successes that the Shaanxi Free Trade Zone has achieved.
Xi'an China
This website provides information about Shaanxi province's largest city, as well as how one can set up a business or invest in the city. Statistics on the environment and various industries' performances are also given.
Shaanxi: Conserving the Cradle of Chinese Civilisation
This report from the Centre for Liveable Cities describes five different conservation models that Xi'an has adopted to conserve historically significant objects or places such as Daming Palace National Heritage Park. The report also details how these places have changed over time and the role they now play in Shaanxi.
Shaanxi, China – Official website of the government of Shaanxi
Shaanxi is considered one of the cradles of Chinese civilisation. 13 feudal dynasties established their capitals in the province during a span of more than 1,100 years, from the Zhou Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty. The province's principal city and current capital, Xi'an, is one of the four great ancient capitals of China and is the eastern terminus of the Silk Road, which leads to Europe, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. This official website provides comprehensive information on Shaanxi's government, cities, history and culture, tourism, laws and regulations, and much more.
Terracotta army: The greatest archaeological find of the 20th century
This video features the Terracotta army of the Qin dynasty. In March 1974, Chinese farmers digging a well unearthed the greatest archaeological find of the century – the buried Terracotta army. After coming across a life-sized human head made of clay in Xi'an, China, archaeologists were called in to investigate. What they found was extraordinary – thousands of life-like terracotta figures from the Qin dynasty, fashioned 2,000 years ago to protect the First Emperor of China in the afterlife.
Last updated on Oct 2020


In a study published in the journal Nature Physics, researchers show that the perovskite-related metal oxide, TbInO3, exhibits a quantum spin liquid state, a long-sought-after and unusual state of matter.
Using cutting-edge experimental technologies, including inelastic neutron scattering and muon spectroscopy, researchers discovered that the exotic quantum state in TbInO3 emerges from the complexity of the local environment around the magnetic ions in the material, in this case, of the rare-earth element terbium.
The discovery came as a surprise to the team as TbInO3 is a material not expected to display such unusual magnetic behaviour based on its crystal structure.
The quantum spin liquid state was theoretically proposed over forty years ago by the Nobel laureate Philip Anderson. In quantum spin liquids, magnetic moments behave like a liquid and do not freeze or order even at absolute zero, giving rise to several extraordinary materials properties.
The materialisation of quantum spin liquids is still widely contested. As such, the discovery and exploration of new materials that may host this state of matter are active areas of advanced materials research and have potential applications in the development of quantum computing.
The University of Liverpool's Materials Innovation Factory is an £81 million project dedicated to the research and development of advanced materials.
The University of Liverpool is pioneering the discovery of advanced materials, with a strong expertise in materials chemistry and through techniques underpinned by automation, robotics and digital capabilities. Research in this field has applications in industrial manufacturing, healthcare, clean and affordable energy and consumer products and is vital for the future of sustainable manufacturing for industry. To find out more, visit the advanced materials research web pages.


Beautifully maintained and updated, a classic Colonial in sought-after Chester Township is surrounded by two-plus acres of level property. The charming rocking chair front porch introduces a spacious two-story foyer with gleaming hardwood floors. Adjoining the foyer is a fresh, modern living room adjacent to the dining room, a layout that's ideal for entertaining. The generously-sized kitchen has a wonderful center island seating four, sliding glass doors to the deck and a rear staircase. Opening from the kitchen is a warm and inviting two-story family room where the focal point is a gas fireplace edged by a granite surround and custom wood mantle.
Upstairs, the updated master suite has an adjoining sitting room and two walk-in closets. Amenities in the luxurious master bath included a jetted tub, double sink vanity and separate stall shower. Three more expansive bedrooms and two full baths complete the second level.
Finished space on the lower level offers multiple recreation areas, a half bath and storage options. The roomy deck overlooks a level backyard bordered by mature trees to ensure privacy. A storage shed and a three-car attached garage provide ample additional storage.
Chester Township is known for its highly-rated public school system as well as nearby private schools. Downtown Chester has a charming Main Street dotted with shops and eateries. This home is located on the East side of Chester, close to the Mendham border and a network of highways including Routes 10, 206, I-287 and I-78 are conveniently located for commuters.


Eco-minded professionals who are passionate about healthy, sustainable living got together at WorkBar Boston by South Station to enjoy a taste of summer, food and beverages from local producers.
This event had many exhibiting vendors and attendees in a relatively small event space on a lower level, a condition known to be challenging for documentary style photography, such as limited working distances and non-ideal lighting. The ceiling fluorescent light tubes mixed with window light produced an uneven lighting with harsh shadow, necessitating post-production work to reproduce crisp images in a pleasing color palette. It takes extra effort, but we prefer to capture the excitement of the participants without using flash at all to preserve the natural, candid nature of photojournalistic style, as seen in the sample images.
To learn more about what happened at the event, visit PescoVegetarian Times article and the event details, including the sponsorship info.
Documentary event photography captures a compelling narrative of the event. A string of pictures tells the true story, exciting moments and success of your event. Candid images of captivated audience add a lot to the picture of the keynote speaker.


The VX-459 is a part of Vertex Standard's VX-450 Series, which is one of the best handheld radio series on the market. The VX-459 is an Irrigation two way radio, designed to control irrigation systems. It can work with Toro, RainBird, and other irrigation systems. Besides being able to control irrigation sytems, the VX-459 has many other features, including several emergency and safety features. The is water proof for up to 3 feet and 30 minutes and meets the mil specs for durability.
The VX-459 is available in UHF or VHF frequencies.
The VX-459 is a 5-watt radio, which means it can cover around 2 to 5 miles depending on your surroundings. It has 512-channels/32-groups of communication. The VX-459 is also a repeater capable radio.
Each VX-459 radio comes with a belt clip, 9.5-hour lithium ion battery pack, single unit charger, and an industry leading 3-year warranty! You can upgrade to a 15.5-hour lithium ion battery pack for $22.
The VX-454 is a part of Vertex Standard's VX-450 Series, which is one of the best handheld radio series on the market. It is a high quality, waterproof two way radio with a display screen. It has tons of features, while still being one of the most affordable two way radios available. The VX-454 has many emergency and safety features, meets mil specs for durability, and can go in water for up to 3 feet and 30 minutes. On top of that it has great speaker quality, multiple channel options, and the maximum 5 watts of power in a handheld radio.
The VX-454 is available in UHF or VHF frequencies.
The VX-454 is a 5-watt radio, which means it can cover around 2 to 5 miles depending on your surroundings. It has 512-channels/32-groups of communication. The VX-454 is also a repeater capable radio.
Each VX-454 radio comes with a belt clip, 9.5-hour lithium ion battery pack, single unit charger, and an industry leading 3-year warranty! You can upgrade to a 15.5-hour lithium ion battery pack for $22.
The VX-451 is the most popular model in Vertex Standard's VX-450 Series, which is widely considered one of the best handheld radio series on the market. It is a feature rich, high quality, waterproof two way radio, and, most importantly, one of the most affordable two way radios on the market. The VX-451 is loaded with emergency and safety features, meets mil specs for durability, and go in water for up to 3 feet and 30 minutes, making it incredibly durable. Not to mention that it has great speaker quality, multiple channel options, and the maximum 5 watts of power in a handheld radio.
The VX-451 is available in UHF or VHF frequencies.
The VX-451 is a 5-watt radio, which means it can cover around 2 to 5 miles depending on your surroundings. It has 32-channels of communication.
The VX-451 is also a repeater capable radio.
Each VX-451 radio comes with a belt clip, 9.5-hour lithium ion battery pack, single unit charger, and an industry leading 3-year warranty! You can upgrade to a 15.5-hour lithium ion battery pack for $22.
The VX-354 is one of Vertex Standard's most popular models. The VX-354 is the same as the VX-351 but with a display screen. It cuts out all of the features that 99% of consumers don't need and instead focuses on the basics like a 15.5 hour battery pack, the maximum 5 watts of power, top notch durability and sound quality, and a 3-year warranty, all at an affordable price other radio models can't even come close to.
The VX-354 is available in UHF or VHF frequencies.
The VX-354 is a 5-watt radio, which means it can cover around 2 to 5 miles depending on your surroundings. It has 16-channels of communication. The VX-354 is also a repeater capable radio.
Not only is the VX-354 one of the most durable two way radios on the market, it is also water resistant, and offers many emergency features and safety options.
Each VX-354 radio comes with a belt clip, 15.5-hour lithium ion battery pack, single unit charger, and an industry leading 3-year warranty!
The VX-351 is one of Vertex Standard's most popular models. Vertex Standard built the VX-351 as an even better version of the VX-231. It cuts out all of the features that 99% of consumers don't need and instead focuses on the basics like a 15.5 hour battery pack, the maximum 5 watts of power, top notch durability and sound quality, and a 3-year warranty, all at an affordable price other radio models can't even come close to.
The VX-351 is available in UHF or VHF frequencies.
The VX-351 is a 5-watt radio, which means it can cover around 2 to 5 miles depending on your surroundings. It has 16-channels of communication. The VX-351 is also a repeater capable radio.
Not only is the VX-351 one of the most durable two way radios on the market, it is also water resistant, and offers many emergency features and safety options.
Each VX-351 radio comes with a belt clip, 15.5-hour lithium ion battery pack, single unit charger, and an industry leading 3-year warranty!
The VX-231 is Vertex Standard's most popular model. Vertex Standard built the VX-231 to be the ultimate radio for consumers – cutting out all of the unneeded bells and whistles and focusing on what matters: power, durability, sound quality, and, most importantly, affordability. Because the VX-231 doesn't have all of the extra features that 99% of consumers don't need, Vertex Standard is able to offer it at unbeatably low prices, giving consumers more bang for their buck.
The VX-231 is available in UHF or VHF frequencies.
The VX-231 is a 5-watt radio, which means it can cover around 2 to 5 miles depending on your surroundings. It has 16-channels of communication. The VX-231 is also a repeater capable radio.
Not only is the VX-231 one of the most durable two way radios on the market, it is also water resistant, and offers many emergency features and safety options.
Each VX-231 radio comes with a belt clip, 9-hour lithium ion battery pack, single unit charger, and an industry leading 3-year warranty!
Vertex Standard has released its audio accessory portfolio by releasing many new audio accessory models. The VH-150A is a Behind the Head VOX Headset and has an SGS Approved Intrinsically Safe Rating.
The VH-150A is compatible with Vertex Standard Entry and Mid-Tier Radios and is Digital Capable. Vertex Standard compatible models are: VX-231, VX-350, VX-261/VX-264, VX-450, EVX-530.
For questions or more information on Vertex Standard's VH-150A Behind the Head VOX Headset visit TwoWayRadiosFor or call 888-560-0758.
Vertex Standard has released its audio accessory portfolio by releasing many new audio accessory models, including the MH-105A4B Heavy Duty Headset BTH (behind the head).
The MH-105A4B is compatible with Vertex Standard Entry and Mid-Tier Radios and is Digital Capable. Vertex Standard compatible models are: VX-231, VX-350, VX-261/VX-264, VX-450, EVX-530.
For questions or more information on Vertex Standard's MH-105A4B Heavy Duty Headset BTH (behind the head) visit TwoWayRadiosFor or call 888-560-0758.
Vertex Standard has released its audio accessory portfolio by releasing many new audio accessory models, including the MH-104A4B Heavy Duty Headset OTH (over the head).
The MH-104A4B is compatible with Vertex Standard Entry and Mid-Tier Radios and is Digital Capable. Vertex Standard compatible models are: VX-231, VX-350, VX-261/VX-264, VX-450, EVX-530.
For questions or more information on Vertex Standard's MH-104A4B Heavy Duty Headset OTH (over the head) visit TwoWayRadiosFor or call 888-560-0758.
Vertex Standard has released its audio accessory portfolio by releasing many new audio accessory models, including the MH-103A4B 3 Wire Surveillance Kit.
The MH-103A4B is compatible with Vertex Standard Entry and Mid-Tier Radios and is Digital Capable. Vertex Standard compatible models are: VX-231, VX-350, VX-261/VX-264, VX-450, EVX-530.
For questions or more information on Vertex Standard's MH-103A4B 3 Wire Surveillance Kit visit TwoWayRadiosFor or call 888-560-0758.


Great Smoky Mountains National Park has closed Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) due to a landslide which undercut the road near mile marker 22 between Collins Creeks and Webb Overlook at 9:40 am. The slide is estimated to be a 200 foot section of road extending 1000 foot down slope, but the full extent of the damage is not yet known. The closure is expected to be in effect for an extended period of time.
This is a major slide, and I'm guessing it will take months to get the road put back together. Right now, I'm just thankful that I'll still be able to access Little River during my Spring Break trip home. Let's hope there are no more major slides in the Park and that everyone stays safe with all the high water!
Wow, I hope no one was hurt driving on the rode right after the slide. That would be strange driving up to that.
Hey David. I guessing even a good 4x4 won't get you past that one, although I'm sure there are some out there that will try.


Hong Kong, August 14, 2003 – The Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong SAR Government, Hon Donald Tsang, GBM, JP, will deliver the keynote address at a conference entitled "Getting serious about people: Capitalising on talent in Greater China".
The conference will be held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre on September 29, 2003 from 9:15am – 4:30pm. The one-day conference will give speakers and attendees the opportunity to hear and participate in discussions about the implications of the recent population policy on building a quality talent pool in Greater China.
Some of the speakers include CEO, Greater China and Director, Standard Chartered Bank Mr. Peter Wong; Vice Chairman and President, China Resources (Holdings) Co Ltd Mr. Frank Ning; Chairman & Chief Executive, Giordano Mr. Peter Lau; President, East and South Asia Group, Coca-Cola Asia Mr. Patrick Siewert; General Manager, North Asia, PeopleSoft Mr. Rob Wells; Partner, HR Practices, KPMG Ms Irene Heffernan Ho; and Vice President, Asia-Pacific, Business Development, Watson Wyatt Worldwide Ms Paula DeLisle.
South China Morning Post presents the conference, in conjunction with Classified Post and the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. It is organised by SCMP Conferences and sponsored by PeopleSoft.
The admission fee for this conference is HK$1,500 per person. If you are interested, please contact Adeline Lim at (852) 2565 2420 for registration or visit www.conferences.scmp.com. If you are an AmCham member, please register directly with Mimi Shih at (852) 2530 6918.
South China Morning Post Publishers Limited publishes the South China Morning Post and the Sunday Morning Post, the premier English language daily and Sunday newspapers with the highest circulation and readership of any English language newspaper in Hong Kong. The South China Morning Post is a leading commentator on Greater China and is read widely by government officials, business people, professionals and academics globally. Its Classified Post is also the market leader for recruitment advertising in Hong Kong. Through its subscription-based online service, SCMP.com, global audience is offered access to unrivalled, independent, local news coverage and in-depth analysis of Greater China. The Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SCMP Group Limited whose shares are listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited.


Jordan Livingston has a dream: he wants to become a commercial pilot, aviation safety officer, and a flight instructor. And he's well on his way!
Jordan was born deaf and from a very young age, he dreamed of flying. Both of his parents worked in the aviation industry so Jordan grew up around planes. He obtained his pilot's license in high school and interned at Southwest Airlines. He's currently on a quest to complete his education and obtain the aviation hours necessary to certify him to fly commercially.
At one of our Illinois Hands & Voices parent meetings, a mom shared a conversation she had with her five-year-old son during bedtime the night before. Like many young kids, her deaf son was excitedly sharing his vision of what he wanted to be when he grew up.
His mom, however, started crying as she shared the story. Her voice cracked.
"I know he can't be a fireman," she said.
I had news for her. Just two towns over from where she lived, there was a full-time fireman who happened to be deaf. Out east, Neil McDevitt worked as a volunteer firefighter for several years. Over in Pennsylvania, Mark Kite is not just a fireman, he's a fire chief. And yes, he's deaf.
Suddenly, with this new information, the mom's whole paradigm for her son changed. She could now see the future in possibilities, instead of limits. Someone else had blazed the way. Yes, her son could be a fireman if he wanted to. The journey might not be an easy one, there might be barriers along the way, but the choice was there for her son if he wanted it.
When I was growing up, I had very little exposure to deaf and hard of hearing adults. Sure, I read about a few people here and there. There was that Miracle Worker movie with Helen Keller. Beethoven was deaf. The Incredible Hulk was hard of hearing. The people on TV were far removed from my every day life.
From the time I was 11, I wanted to write. In high school, I took a journalism class. I had visions of working for a major newspaper. That idea was soon crushed as I struggled through one interview after another trying to get the story I needed. It was difficult for me to accurately gather facts and information and attempt to write notes at the same time.
When I became deaf as a teen, I struggled even more. I transferred from a community college to a large university. During a session with a career counselor, I casually mentioned I wanted to become a Labor and Delivery nurse. The counselor gently but firmly guided me to an easier path, one with less communication challenges. I went down the path of becoming a Rehabilitation Counselor, something I really didn't want to do. I attempted to quit college three times but each time, others encouraged me to stick it out.
After I graduated from college, I met a nurse who was hard of hearing. To top it off, she worked in the surgical unit at the local hospital, handing instruments to doctors. A small pang of regret bubbled up inside of me. I decided to return to school and study ultrasound. Fortunately, I went to talk to the Director of Nuclear Medicine at the hospital and shadowed an ultrasound tech for a few hours. By the end of the day, I knew that was not the career path I wanted. I ended up volunteering to care for boarder babies at the hospital and studied to become a doula. The ability to support moms during birth was just what I wanted to do.
As the years passed by, I met doctors, lawyers, veterinarians, pharmacists, engineers, film animators, business owners, pilots, and of course, more nurses. All of them D/deaf or hard of hearing.
Imagine what my life might have been like had I known all of this while growing up. I might have grown up seeing the possibilities instead of the limits.
Role models matter. It's as simple as that. My husband and I tell Alex regularly to go for his dreams. But the power of seeing a string of successful deaf athletes in action has done more to drive that message home than anything we could say. Sometimes seeing really is believing.
With three deaf and hard of hearing kids of my own, I wanted the same thing for my kids. I wanted them to meet and know as many deaf and hard of hearing adults I could connect them with while growing up. I also wanted them to know that if they had a dream that had never been done before, maybe they had to be the first deaf or hard of hearing person to make it a reality.
If you look back to the early 1900's, you'll discover the first pilot to fly a plane from New York to California was Cal Rogers. And guess what… Cal was deaf in one ear and hard of hearing in the other. The first woman to swim the English Channel, Gertrude Ederle, grew up hard of hearing and later became deaf. Oh, and the internet that we all use so much? You can thank Vin Cerf who is known as one of the "Fathers of the Internet" and is the Vice President of Google. Vint is hard of hearing and served on the board of Gallaudet University. In just about every profession, you can find a D/deaf/hard of hearing person out there. Many of them are just going about their jobs virtually unknown.
As for your kid, whatever their dream may be, encourage the possibilities rather than the limits. You never know what's possible. If your kid has a talent, skill, ability, or passion that simply hasn't been seen or done before–perhaps your kid has to blaze the way.
Maybe your kid has to be the first.


CENTURY CLASSICS COLLECTION of five volumes, which spans time from before the earth's beginning to the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan for His people, is simply the most beautifully written and insightful Bible commentary ever produced. As such, we thought it only appropriate to over these marvelous books in this beautifully designed hardcover format that will become a treasury of wisdom for generations to come.
PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS is the book of beginnings, vividly describing the creation of the universe as well as mankind, the beginning of evil in the world, and the great panorama of patriarchal life that led up to God's dramatic dealings with Israel through the kingdom of David. This is one of the only books available anywhere that can reveal with accuracy and authority the beginnings of the great war between Christ and Satan.
PROPHETS AND KINGS begins with the reign of King Solomon and recounts the stories of the great men and women of the Bible to the first advent of Jesus Christ—Elijah, Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and many others. It tells the epic story of Israel's triumphs, defeats, backsliding, captivity, and reformation.
THE DESIRE OF AGES is the book about the Man who stands at the center of all human history. The life of Jesus Christ is without parallel anywhere. No one else has had such a profound influence on the people of this world. He alone can meet the inexpressible desire in each of our lives for happiness and meaning.
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES gives the vivid, reliable account of the founding of the Christian church and the awesome power of the Holy Spirit. We are invited to witness the enormous power of the early church, then to experience the same for ourselves.
THE GREAT CONTROVERSY unveils the often unseen battle between Christ and Satan and looks ahead to the day when sin's reign will end and Jesus will rule as King of kings and Lord of lords. Here is the authoritative answer to the confusion and despair of this tense age. This may be the most important book you will ever read.
We commend these volumes to all who take pleasure in studying the great plans and purposes of God for human redemption as they have been clearly unfolded in His Word, the Bible.
© 2019 Home Health Education Service, PO Box 1147, Decatur, GA 30031-1147.


There is an abundance of scholarships for high school and college students, but finding scholarships for grad school can be a difficult mission. This article lists places to look for graduate school scholarships, as well as other resources for helping to offset the cost of earning your master's or professional degree (and beyond)!
There are some popular websites that emphasize scholarships for graduate school (see full list below with links included). But we thought it was also important to point out some non-traditional approaches to finding money for grad school.
If you belong to any professional organizations, research to see if your group has scholarship opportunities available to its members. Some examples of professional organizations include the National Political Science Honor Society (Pi Sigma Alpha), the American Bar Association (ABA), and AIGA, the professional association for design.
Discover and join the related professional organizations for your career path. Many have student membership rates, and offer multiple scholarships each year.
There are many graduate scholarships for those studying in a specific field. English majors, for example, can apply for The Kurt Brown Prizes, three $500 scholarships to help fund events related to your field of study, such as a writers' conference or residency. If you are studying finance, you can apply for the Government Finance Officers Association scholarships.
There are plenty of graduate scholarships available for specific populations. Most scholarship search sites will ask you to identify some key demographics to try to match you with scholarship opportunities. Specific populations could include, women, African Americans, Asians, Native Americans, and more. In addition, there are scholarship opportunities for first-generation college students, and physically disabled students. Scholarship search sites, such as our site, StudentScholarshipSearch.com can simplify your search and help to speed up to process of finding scholarships you qualify for.
Don't forget to look into scholarships from your home state or region. Most people forget about these and focus more on national scholarships. But a smaller candidate pool can increase your chances. You can look online or call your state's Department of Education for more information.
Some companies offer to pay for your education (or a portion of it) if they are partners with a certain school, or if you agree to obtain a certain credential. Touch base with your Human Resources department to see what tuition assistance or discounts may be available to you. They may even assist with the costs of texts or study materials.
Graduate fellowships are awarded for academic excellence and often include an internship or other form of service commitment, allowing you to gain processional experience while still working toward your educational goals. Fellowships often include a stipend, living allowance, or housing assistance as part of the award amount.
If research is important in your field of study, you may be eligible for a scholarship from your college or organization. For example, the National Science Foundation offers a Graduate Research Fellowship Program to graduate students.
Grants are like scholarships, a form a financial aid that you don't have to pay back. The most well-known grants are offered by federal or state governments, universities, and professional or philanthropic organizations. For example, Fulbright Grants, which are sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, are for graduate students interested in international studies.
Some graduate students seek out research assistantships or teaching assistantships at their college to help offset the cost of school. If you are still researching grad schools, consider which schools offer assistantships. These positions typically come with a stipend and/or discounted tuition in exchange for graduate level students assisting with teaching or research.


Home > Posts > Is Ava Anderson Sneaky Stuff?
Over the last few years, many of you have asked for my thoughts on Ava Anderson products, and I've always replied honestly that while I have a knee-jerk negative reaction to multi-level marketing ("pyramid scheme") companies, the ingredients in Ava's skincare and cleaning products are fine, and I've enjoyed the samples I'd been sent over the years.
As it turns out, Ava Anderson products were the worst kind of Sneaky Stuff–because the company didn't list all ingredients on their label.
It recently came to light that Ava's line contains undisclosed ingredients, including fragrance oils (as in, not organic essential oils as stated on the label, but instead synthetic blends that contain dozens of chemicals). The next day, Ava Anderson announced they were shutting down, citing online bullying as the reason.
This scandal is a good reminder of why my very favorite products are from tiny manufacturers, preferably people who make their Good Stuff in-house, thus avoiding the possibility of contamination. It's why I love Sierra Sage and Farmaesthetics for skincare, and Tandi's Naturals tallow-based laundry soap.
Very few large companies take the extra step of testing their products for purity before putting them on the shelves, which means that consumers have to trust what's on the label. One brand that's been a leader in this space is Beautycounter, which happens to be another multi-level marketing company, but one that I feel is different. Beautycounter tests their cosmetics for impurities when they come out of production and although their stuff isn't always natural or organic, it is legitimately nontoxic, with nothing getting more than a 2 on Skin Deep.
We're getting involved with Beautycounter so that we can offer it to our readership–I won't recommend every single product, but I think their makeup is the safest stuff out there right now, and it's all that my mom and I have been using for the last year. You'll also learn about other brands of Good Stuff makeup in the coming months when we roll out our Safe Makeup Guides!
P.S.: The makeup product I am asked about most often is lipstick. This is the one I wear, in Twig.
Share the post "Is Ava Anderson Sneaky Stuff?"
Hello! Have you put your safe makeup guide up yet? I wasn't able to find it. Thanks for all your hard work and info!
Not yet, Kelly! It'll be out this spring, though, and thanks for your patience!
You might want to do a little more research. MLM companies are not pyramid schemes. Pyramid schemes are illegal. Very unfortunate that you would put such a falsity in print.
I am sorry if I'm using the wrong term! When I say "pyramid," I simply mean a structure where the people at the bottom (the first people to sign on) earn the most. I didn't realize that this structure was illegal!
Thank you Mandi! Yes, a true pyramid scheme is illegal and didn't exchange goods or a service for money. Corporate America is more like a pyramid with the people at the bottom only moving up when a spot at the top becomes available. And those upper level spots are few and far between! The business model of the MLM industry is a brilliant one; allowing people to advance at any rate and creating a lucrative source of income that most people would never be able to attain in corporate job. And yes, not all MLM companies are reputable but many are!
Thank you for your article on Ava Anderson. I am late to the game and just now researching this scandal as I was recently invited to a Pure Haven class.
Do you know anything about Pure Haven products?
Yes, I would love to hear your thoughts on Pure Haven products. I am currently a consultant, but I was introduced to your site a year ago and have used it as a guide for my family and I. I would really like to believe Ava Anderson didn't know about the unknown ingredients in her products. I do know Pure Haven has really changed everything about the way their business was run and since it is local to me, currently live right over the boarder in MA, I would love to hear your thoughts on the company an their products.


text:
namespace Google.Cloud.ServiceDirectory.V1.Snippets
{
    // [START servicedirectory_v1_generated_RegistrationService_GetEndpoint_sync_flattened_resourceNames]
    using Google.Cloud.ServiceDirectory.V1;

    public sealed partial class GeneratedRegistrationServiceClientSnippets
    {
        /// <summary>Snippet for GetEndpoint</summary>
        /// <remarks>
        /// This snippet has been automatically generated for illustrative purposes only.
        /// It may require modifications to work in your environment.
        /// </remarks>
        public void GetEndpointResourceNames()
        {
            // Create client
            RegistrationServiceClient registrationServiceClient = RegistrationServiceClient.Create();
            // Initialize request argument(s)
            EndpointName name = EndpointName.FromProjectLocationNamespaceServiceEndpoint("[PROJECT]", "[LOCATION]", "[NAMESPACE]", "[SERVICE]", "[ENDPOINT]");
            // Make the request
            Endpoint response = registrationServiceClient.GetEndpoint(name);
        }
    }
    // [END servicedirectory_v1_generated_RegistrationService_GetEndpoint_sync_flattened_resourceNames]
}


The Friends July meeting will be held next Monday, July 9th, beginning at 9:30 at the Library, with the meeting starting at 10 am. This is our last meeting before our big fundraiser, Bands for Books, on Labor Day, September 3rd. We will need lots of volunteers, so please come help us finalize plans for this fun event.
Lincoln Theater in Damariscotta is showing the movie "Book Club" today at 2 pm and 7 pm. This is the last showing at this location, so if you are a member of our Friends Book Group you might want to try to catch it!
Hope you all had a wonderful 4th, and look forward to seeing you all on Monday.


Discussion in 'Programming' started by reg_1022, Nov 2, 2006.
i don't know if this has been posted before, but it is a good link to thousands of free circulars/books on-line. some busted links there but i did find quite a few good ones. free-books.58search.com mod's if this belongs in corkboard please move.