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The Cato chronicles, part V: death
Cato's death, by J-P Laurens
This mini-series on Cato the Younger, one of the quintessential Stoic role models, began with a look at episodes from his childhood, and continued with his embracing of Stoicism as a young man, his first time as a military commander, the contemporaneous death of his half-brother, and the epic clash with his friend and rival, Cicero. I am going to bring the series to an end with two more entries — like the other ones inspired by the reading of Rob Goodman and Jimmy Soni's Rome's Last Citizen. In this episode of the Cato chronicles we'll look at his legendary death, and in the next and last installment to his afterlife, so to speak, i.e., his legacy through history and all the way to modern times.
We last saw Cato debating against Cicero (and losing, with magnanimity) in a high profile case of bribery brought against the Consul elect Lucius Lucinius Murena. That was in 63 BCE, at the height of the Catiline conspiracy. We now jump to his last stand against Julius Caesar, in the northern African city of Utica (hence his alternate name, Cato Uticensis), in 47 BCE. How did he get there?
It's a long and fascinating story, well told in chapters 7-12 of Goodman and Soni's book. But those intervening events are more interesting historically than philosophically, and this, after all, is a philosophy blog. We are concerned here with the biographical details that shed light on Cato's character and his practice of the Stoic virtues. So, suffice it to say that in 50 BCE Julius Caesar, after a very successful campaign in Gaul, was ordered to disband his army and return to Rome to stand trial for corruption, instigated by Cato's political faction, the optimates. Following a stalemate and failed negotiations, Caesar crossed the river Rubicon with one legion — an act that amounted to open treason against the Republic — uttering the famous words alea iacta est, the die is cast.
General Pompey, who had issue the order to Caesar, fled Rome, together with many Senators, including Cato (who was very unhappy about it, having become a highly reluctant ally of Pompey, whom he judged to be the lesser of two evils when compared to Caesar). Caesar pursued Pompey in the east, in Illyria, but in 48 BCE his forces were almost annihilated at the battle of Dyrrhachium. On that occasion, Pompey made the fatal strategic mistake of not pursuing the fleeing Caesarian legions, and paid a hefty price at their next engagement, later that same year at Pharsalus, where he was soundly defeated and put on the run. Pompey asked King Ptolemy XII of Egypt for asylum, but was betrayed and slain as soon as he set foot off his boat. Caesar was horrified by this outcome, and proceeded to depose Ptolemy in favor of his sister, Cleopatra VII, who eventually became his lover.
Caesar turns away when offered Pompey's head
Meanwhile — and here is where Cato rejoins the storyline — the remaining Republican forces regrouped in northern Africa, heading for the provincial capital of Utica, with Cato at the head. An army of about 10,000 men marched for 500 miles in the desert. It took them about 30 days to get to Utica, and Lucan tells us in verse how Cato bore himself during that ordeal:
Bearing his javelin, as one of them
Before the troops he marched: no panting slave
With bending neck, no litter bore his form.
He bade them not, but showed them how to toil.
Spare in his sleep, the last to sip the spring
When at some rivulet to quench their thirst
The eager ranks pressed onward, he alone
Until the humblest follower might drink
Stood motionless.
But when Cato's army arrived in Utica, they found their allies in complete disarray. Rather than organizing a resistance that, with luck, could hold off Caesar for years, they squabbled about who had the highest rank and should command the effort. The contenders were Publius Attius Varus, who had been a commander in the region; Metellus Scipio, an ex-Consul; and Juba, the King of Numidia.
Cato's arrival immediately changed the situation, given that he was now the most famous and prestigious member of the resistance. As Goodman and Soli tells it: "Without a word, Cato simply picked up his chair, walked around the king and the ex-consul, and placed his chair on the other side — which gave Metellus Scipio pride of place in the center."
Cato decided to support Scipio because the latter was the highest ranking officer, and Cato saw himself as fighting to uphold the law that he had seen far too many times being trampled by ambitious men, from Sulla in his youth to Caesar just a few years before.
Here, however, is another case where Goodman and Soli criticize Cato, possibly with some good reason. Despite the fact that Scipio was indeed the highest ranking of the group, he was manifestly less competent than Cato himself, which arguably was the main cause for the eventual disaster that followed. Was Cato risking too much in the name of the purity of his ideals? This is how Plutarch comments on the episode: "He refused to break the laws in whose support they were waging war [against] one who broke them."
He may have passed on the opportunity to take complete charge of the situation, but Cato nonetheless played an important role in the last days of the resistance. At one point, for instance, Scipio and Juba became suspicious of the inhabitants of Utica, thinking that they wanted to betray them and open the city's doors to Caesar's army. As a preemptive measure, they wanted to raze the city and kill its people. Cato was the voice of opposition here, and carried the day, thus sparing the lives of many.
Indeed, Cato was working so hard that even the Caesarian account of things gave him credit: "Cato, who commanded in Utica, was daily enlisting freedmen, Africans, slaves, and all that were of age to bear arms, and sending them without intermission to Scipio's camp."
The first engagement between Caesar's and the Republican forces ended in almost complete defeat for the dictator, whose army suffered great losses, and which was saved at the last minute from encirclement and utter destruction. Scipio, energized by the victory, wanted to engage again Caesar in open battle, but Cato — who had seen and studied his opponent for years — counseled against it. Scipio wrote to Cato that he was a coward and on 6 April 46 BCE gave battle to Caesar anyway. As Goodman and Soli put it, "by afternoon, it was an even fight; by evening, a disaster [for the Republican forces]."
In the wake of the defeat, things looked grim in Utica. Three hundred resident Roman merchants and moneylenders swore to defend the city and Cato with their lives. But eventually they took back their pledge, committing only to fight for Cato's own life in the unlikely case that Caesar would not concede clemency. Just like their ancestors two generations before, in that case referring to Cato the Elder, they excused themselves with the standard phrase: "we are not Catos."
Cato, however, wasn't done yet being Cato. In the chaotic aftermath of the defeat, the Republican cavalry left in Utica began to loot the city, pillaging and killing the locals. Cato intervened again on behalf of the population, and since he was unable to persuade the soldiers with his words, he simply bribed them to go away. He then kept alert despite fatigue and stress, supervising the preparation of the ships in order to allow as many people to flee before the arrival of Caesar, even buying out of his pocket passage for those who were too poor to afford it.
In the end, he was left with his family and two philosophers friends, Apollonides the Stoic, and Demetrius the Aristotelian. Now Cato had to decide what to do with himself, as it was clear that Caesar would have pardoned him, not just out of respect, but also to establish his dictatorship on a higher moral ground than that offered by the arbitrary slaughterhouse that Rome had seen under Sulla. After a last dinner and philosophical conversation with Apollonides and Demetrius, he retired in his room, intent on reading Plato's Phaedo, which recounts the last hours of Socrates' life, spent in philosophical conversation with his friends.
Once he finished reading, he picked up his dagger — for which he had vociferously called earlier that evening, to overcome the recalcitrance of his attendant and family, who had surmised what was going to happen — and attempted to stab himself to death. He failed, due to an injury to his hand. Plutarch tells us what happened next:
"Cato did not immediately die of the wound; but struggling, fell off the bed, and throwing down a little mathematical table that stood by, made such a noise that the servants, hearing it, cried out. And immediately his son and all his friends came into the chamber, where, seeing him lie weltering in his own blood, great part of his bowels out of his body, but himself still alive and able to look at them, they all stood in horror. The physician went to him, and would have put in his bowels, which were not pierced, and sewed up the wound; but Cato, recovering himself, and understanding the intention, thrust away the physician, plucked out his own bowels, and tearing open the wound, immediately expired."
According to Plutarch, upon hearing the news, Caesar remarked: "Cato, I grudge you your death, as you would have grudged me the preservation of your life."
Edited with BlogPad Pro
This entry was posted in History & Biographies, Stoic role models and tagged Cato Chronicles on October 4, 2016 by Massimo.
← The Cato chronicles, part IV: the clash with Cicero The Cato chronicles, part VI: the legacy →
3 thoughts on "The Cato chronicles, part V: death"
Ron October 4, 2016 at 10:55 am
Holy mackerel! "I am no Cato!" indeed.
A Gentleman's Rapier October 9, 2016 at 1:57 pm
Many thanks for this series. I just finished reading Conn Iggulden's Emperor series, and he killed Cato off earlier (and admits that it was to make the story move along in his author's notes). But reading his unflattering portrayal of Cato, and knowing Cato's reputation amongst Stoics, I was wondering how the real Cato fit into it. Then you put this series up. And added another book to my long list of things to read.
Massimo Post author October 9, 2016 at 2:21 pm
Glad to be able to add interesting stuff to your reading list, James!


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Lady Iron Chef Review Casa Poncho
Casa Poncho – New Latino Restaurant & Bar With Ceviche, Churros & Mezcal Cocktails
Tucked away on Bukit Pasoh, the vibrant and lively Casa Poncho is a new Latino restaurant and bar that serves some of the best churros and cocktails in the area. Inspired by Latin American cuisine, the dishes are designed to be shared and feature a whole array of rustic nosh synonymous with Mexican comfort food.
If fresh ceviche, sinful churros and devilish Mezcal-based cocktails are things you fancy, then this new kid on the block is sure to spice up your evening as you watch the sun slowly set and kiss the workday goodbye.
For a little bit of Mexico in the heart of Singapore, drop by Casa Poncho be it for a full-on meal or an end-of-work tipple.
Decked out in vibrant colours and with groovy Latin music booming in the background, Casa Poncho is the sort of place you should definitely come with your best buddies for a night out of zero restraint. Armed with a cocktail in hand, the restaurant's vibrant atmosphere will have you feeling transported straight to Cuba.
If like us, you go absolutely mental at the sight of a grilled octopus leg, then allow their El Pulpo, an insanely tender grilled octopus topped with chilli ranchera salsa, pumpkin seeds, and a dash of scallion oil, to delight your taste buds.
To get yourself and your mates in the mood for a fiesta (and fast), consider one of their Mezcal-based cocktails. Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from an agave plant native to Mexico and much like the infamous spirit, tequila, it really packs a mean punch.
http://www.ladyironchef.com/2018/01/casa-poncho/
Open for business: Casa Poncho
CASA PONCHO
Casa Poncho is a new Latin destination restaurant and bar in the former Keow Siong Club in Bukit Pasoh.
It has a sharing menu with flavours taking inspiration from Latin American countries.
Dishes include La Pluma ($12++), grilled Iberico pork from the end of the loin, with caramelised pineapple; Dedos de Poncho ($8++), chilli cheese churros with jalapeno and cheddar; Pulpo Ranchero ($18++), grilled octopus, salsa ranchera, pumpkin seed and scallion oil; Lomito al Carbon ($30++), charbroiled Argentinian beef tenderloin with zucchini, grilled onions and roasted capsicum salsa; and Crispy Chili con Carne ($11++), chilli spring roll with minced beef, avocado, sour-cream foam, chilli, lime, coriander and garlic.
Some of the desserts include Poncho's Flan ($14++), made with horchata, mango, mint and fresh berries; Tentacion de Chocolate ($14++), chilli chocolate, egg custard, and paprika sour cream; and Churros ($8++) with chilli chocolate and cinnamon cream.
The bar serves a diverse selection of beverages with signature Mezcal-based cocktails at its heart. Guests can find cocktails such as Gregorio Negrito ($18++), made with Mezcal Reposado, antica formula, Campari and bitters; La Margarita del Poncho ($18++), concocted with Mezcal Alipus blanco, Grand Marnier, yuzu and agave syrup; and Poncho's Favorito ($18), comprising tequila reposado, dry curacao, Aperol, cranberry and lime juice. A selection of beers and wines are also available.
http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/food/open-for-business-105
Salt Magazine Review new opening
Located within a beautiful shophouse in the heart of Tanjong Pagar, Casa Poncho is a Latin American diner sprawled over four sections: a courtyard, bar, restaurant and terrace. Designed to resemble a country home in Mexico, diners can enjoy their signature cocktails in the courtyard before they retreat into the main restaurant for comfort dishes like the Mexican Grilled Pork Skewers ($12) with roasted pineapple coulis. For those who are fans of seafood, there is a thick and juicy Grilled Spanish Octopus ($36, sharing plate) with ranchera salsa puree on offer, or if you're in the mood for something lighter, a briny-fresh French Seabass Ceviche ($24) with creamy avocado. Casa Poncho's apéritifs are made with mezcal, a distilled alcoholic beverage made with agave plants native to Mexico. Be sure to pick up the Mezcal Negroni, made with the mezcal espadin, sweet vermouth, campari and orange. The Poncho Club is also a drink not to be missed, with a slew of ingredients like the mezcal curpreata, ruby port, dry vermouth, blackberry syrup, lime juice, Bittermens' hellfire habanero shrub (a spicy fruit and vinegar-based syrup) and egg whites. All cocktails at Casa Poncho are $16.
New Restaurants – December 2017

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Pros / This software separates the design process into three steps, which makes slideshow creation easy.
Cons / There is no undo option.
Verdict / This application is a good choice for beginners since it is fairly easy to use and offers many automatic customization options to help you create slideshows that are truly your own.
DVD Slideshow Builder is a simple program that offers a handful of editing tools to help you make entertaining and high-quality slideshows. However, it lacks some sharing and output options, and DVD Slideshow Builder's customer support is not extensive. In testing, we also learned that the end slideshow quality isn't as clear or crisp as with other programs. This software is perfect for beginning slideshow users, who want an intuitive interface with plenty of automatic editing options and touchup tools. More advanced users might find some of the options limiting since there isn't as much manual control.
While using this software, one of the first things we noticed was that it was easy to find the tools we were looking for. Some other programs don't make it as easy. There are three parts to the slideshow maker: Organize, Personalize and Create. These three modes help break up the creation and editing processes. This also makes it easier to find the specific tools you want since there aren't as many cluttering up each page. You will spend most of your time in the Personalize tab, rearranging images or adding effects and transitions to your images.
There are more than 450 background and theme templates in the Create section. The program installs with only roughly 100 themes and backgrounds, so make sure you download the rest from Wondershare's website for free after registering your license. This software has one of the largest selections of templates available of all the photo slideshow makers we tested. There is no limit to the number of photos you can add to each slideshow, and more than 130 transition effects are available.
Unfortunately, during testing we discovered that this program doesn't include undo options of any kind, which can be frustrating. If you foresee this being a problem for you, consider finding a program like Photostory Easy, which is designed for beginners and also provides the ability to undo.
Within the Create section, we found plenty of sharing and exporting options. If you plan on making a DVD or Blu-ray, this device will even help you design a menu page. So, for instance, when creating our DVD, we chose a vibrant background with flowers since we felt it matched our summer vacation theme. We also selected play button tools that matched the tone and color scheme of the background. There are hundreds of themes, buttons and text options so you can create a menu that matches your slideshow.
You can also save slideshows to your computer in several different video file formats or export them in HD or standard formats that are compatible with popular mobile devices. When previewing your projects, images appear crisp and text looks pixelated. However, in the final slideshow this flips with photos appearing very blurry and added text looking very sharp. Truth be told, while the picture quality wasn't terrible, it was the worst quality of any slideshow software we tested.
There are a few limitations on the sharing and output options. You can share your slideshows on YouTube and social networks such as Facebook, but you cannot email your slideshows directly from the software. This slideshow software is also lacking in the help and support department. There is no phone support, but you can receive answers to many of your questions by sending an email, reading the user guide or checking a community forum.
DVD Slideshow Builder can produce decent picture slideshows, but photo quality is not especially outstanding. It lacks sharing options, including interactive CD creation and email sharing, which many of the best products offer. Even so, the three-part process gives this software an easy learning curve making it an especially good choice for beginners.
The ability to comfortably navigate the interface and the use the software's tools.


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How do you get a man to stop biting his nails? Make him wear shoes.
Joke has 35.66 % from 12 votes. More jokes about: men
How was Colonel Sanders a typical male? All he cared about were legs, breasts, and thighs.
Two strangers meet on a golf course and decide to play together. One man says, "I'm a salesman. What about you?" "I'm a hit man for the mob," replies the second man. He pulls out a high powered rifle loaded with scopes and sights. He then asks the man where he lives. Nervously, the first man replies, "In a subdivision just west of here. Gray roof, yellow siding." "You got a silver compact and a red pickup?" "The compact is my wife's car, but that's my buddy Jeff's truck." The hit man looks through the scope again. "Well, they're going at it like teenagers in your bedroom." "I want you to shoot her in the head and shoot him in the balls." The hit man says, "I get paid $5,000 per shot." "I don't care! Just do it!" The hit man takes careful aim and says, "This is your lucky day. You're going to get a two for one!"
Joke has 70.92 % from 36 votes. More jokes about: car, golf, men, money, wife
What does it mean when a man is in your bed gasping for breath and calling your name? You didn't hold the pillow down long enough.
A drunk guy took a cat home to his wife and said: "See... here is the a monkey of the jungle." His wife said laughing, "That's a CAT ..." He said back to his wife, "I am talking to the cat!"
Joke has 71.74 % from 80 votes. More jokes about: animal, cat, drunk, men, wife
How can you tell the difference between men's real gifts and their guilt gifts? Guilt gifts are nicer.
A true gentleman holds the door for his woman... then smacks her ass as she walks by.
A young man goes into a drug store to buy condoms. The pharmacist says the condoms come in packs of 3, 9 or 12 and asks which the young man wants. "Well," he said, "I've been seeing this girl for a while and she's really hot. I want the condoms because I think tonight's "the" night. We're having dinner with her parents, and then we're going out. And I've got a feeling I'm gonna get lucky after that." "Once she's had me, she'll want me all the time, so you'd better give me the 12 pack." The young man makes his purchase and leaves. Later that evening, he sits down to dinner with his girlfriend and her parents. He asks if he might give the blessing and they agree. He begins the prayer, but continues praying for several minutes. The girl leans over to him and says, "You never told me that you were such a religious person." The boy leans over to her and whispers, "You never told me that your father is a pharmacist."
Joke has 85.44 % from 621 votes. More jokes about: men
What does a man call true love? An erection.
I only wanted to have a child, not marry one.
Joke has 63.17 % from 17 votes. More jokes about: marriage, men
''Dyslexic man walks into a bra''


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Why Construction Sites Aren't Ready for Automation
It seems inevitable that every industry will eventually start automating. In construction this moment has already arrived, partially due to the release of unmanned aerial systems, many of which include software and payloads designed to help companies create 3D maps of their worksites without any human intervention.
The problem, according to Uplift Data Partners president Suzanne El-Moursi, is that these automated 3D mapping solutions promise more than they can deliver.
Automation Isn't Good Enough Yet
Before we get into it, here's a little background on Uplift Data Partners. Uplift is a drone service provider for the AEC industry that calls itself a "turnkey company" because it performs the whole workflow for its customers, from flying and analyzing all the way through data delivery. As El-Moursi says, "We solve the problem that commercialized drone operations are tedious, or outside the core competency of the business."
El-Moursi clearly understands why a construction firm would want to hand off its drone mapping work—but she believes it's a task that can only be properly performed by a human pilot who is present onsite.
That's because worksites still involve such a large number of trades and "so many moving parts that it's difficult to orchestrate so that we can have that peak performance." El-Moursi argues that this complexity can cause a lot of problems for those using autonomous drones, from difficulty updating mission parameters on short notice, potential collisions with moving machinery, poor coordination with other trades, and unexpected hazards. To respond to these situations—for now at least—she argues that you'll need a human onsite who is actively engaged in the work.
Automation Might Never Be Good Enough
IWon't we develop technologies to help autonomous drones overcome these limitations? Aren't we already most of the way there? El-Moursi says that the technology itself isn't the limiting factor: It's humans.
To drive her argument home, she mentions the popular idea that we'll soon be building structures using swarms of autonomous robots. "That assumes that all the robots are in some kind of orchestration throughout the day. Then, the question becomes, How do you orchestrate the humans? They're not robots. We can't just assume that there is a piece of technology that can do that."
Furthermore, she says, even though an automated drone mapping system may develop more advanced 3D mapping and obstacle avoidance features, it will never be able to fully get out of the way on a worksite like a service provider can. Since an automated drone mapping system can't attend the 8 am daily stand-up meeting where the final assignments and the needs of the day are discussed, it still needs to be updated by a live person. That makes it just another thing for a project engineer or superintendent to manage on a worksite that's already complex and demanding enough.
"That's the stuff that I'm speaking about," she says. "You cannot tell me for every detail that there's a feature in the autonomous platform that will deal with it."
The Problem with the Way We Adopt New Tech
The root of the issue, El-Moursi argues, is that we often get so excited about new technology fail to fully consider human element.
"I believe we need to widen the definition of adoption," she says, "and expand our understanding of what is required for adoption to include that it's part human and part technology. Until you do that, you're being very microscopic. I haven't seen at all that the human can be excluded right now—not for this industry at least."
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via Exyn
Exyn's Autonomous Drones Add Safety, Efficiency to Construction Sites
A heatmap illustrates how far out of spec a section of construction is at a glance.
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Musk hates lidar. Does it matter?


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Vaughn, Elias
Between Father and Daughter by Enterprise1981 Rated: T Reviews (4)
To save his daughter, Elias Vaughn must make a difficult choice.
Categories: Deep Space Nine, Expanded Universes
Characters: Vaughn, Elias
Completed: Yes Word count: 578 Read Count: 832
New Beginnings by Enterprise1981 Rated: K Reviews (10)
Before taking on his new position as DS9's first officer, Elias Vaughn takes in some of the scenery.
Omega by Enterprise1981 Rated: T Reviews (60)
A century before the Dominion War, the Ku'Vok-leth (The Honor Brigade) was a prominent military faction within the Klingon Empire. When the Empire and the Federation made peace, the Ku'Vok-leth became far less influential. Following the Dominion War, the Klingon High Council began turning a blind eye to the actions of the Ku'Vok-leth. Now, this anti-Federation group plans on using one of the biggest scientific discoveries, a single particle capable of destroying subspace, as a weapon.
Retired Starfleet captain Benjamin Sisko must reunite with his former colleagues to stop these Klingon radicals before they can cut off a strategically important star system from the Federation forever.
But this conspiracy turns out to be more than just a simple act of terrorism, as Section 31, the Romulan Star Empire, and the Dominion have a vested interest in the events of the next few days. And as the crew of Deep Space Nine come to learn, such a conspiracy reaches all the way up to the President of the Federation.
Characters: Bashir, Julian, Dax, Ezri, Ensemble Cast - DS9, Ensemble Cast - DS9: War Aftermath, Kira Nerys, Sisko, Benjamin, Vaughn, Elias, Worf
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Friendship, Mystery
Warnings: Adult Language, Violence
Series: Star Trek: War Aftermath
[Report This] Published: 14 Jun 2010 Updated: 21 Dec 2012
The True Way by Enterprise1981 Rated: T Reviews (6)
Summary: The Cardassian Union is now in a struggle for political dominance. The Federation has been sending relief missions to Cardassia. A political extremist group that fought hard to rid the Cardassian Union of the Dominion feels that the Federation's intentions are less than benign. Commander Elias Vaughn and the crew of the USS Defiant must diffuse a tense hostage situation.
Back on Deep Space 9, Colonel Kira Nerys and company have their own terrorist situation to deal with. An important conference is being held and someone is planning to assassinate one of the delegates. The plan involves someone from Kira's past...
Categories: Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Expanded Universes
Characters: Bashir, Julian, Dax, Ezri, Ensemble Cast - DS9, Ensemble Cast - DS9: War Aftermath, Garak, Elim, Kira Nerys, Vaughn, Elias


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How do make foes not feel passive?
PlaneSailingGames (Alex) January 12, 2022, 12:50am #1
The way that BitD works, a PC in a fight attempts an action and as a result the opponent might get what they want, the PC gets what they want at a cost, or the PC gets what they want.
What techniques do you use to make the opposition active opponents in the fight and not just end up reacting to what the PCs do? How often do you have bad guys initiate something in a conflict, and how do you reflect that? Stating some injuries and allowing resistance rolls at certain times during a combat?
e.g. half way through a tavern brawl, the GM says "Darkon smashes a lamp onto the floor, and the straw quickly bursts into flame burning you badly/creating a diversion while he escapes"
timdenee (Tim Denee) January 12, 2022, 3:39am #2
Yes, I use the "a dangerous NPC can take the initiative" rule a fair bit - both the "skilled" version ("tell the players what the NPC is about to accomplish, then ask them what they do") and the "master" version ("tell the players what the NPC has already done, then ask if they want to resist it"). I go off gut feeling - do foes feel proactive? No? Then I have them take some initiative.
In your tavern brawl example, I would probably not have an NPC escape in that manner without any dice rolls. It would be more like:
Cutter and Darkon are brawling. Darkon is a notable NPC and represented by a 6-clock. The Cutter rolls Skirmish and gets a full success, punching Darkon in the face and filling half that clock.
Now, do I just wait for the Cutter to declare another action and have them roll again? That's where it can feel like the NPC is just standing there waiting to take another hit.
Instead, I would always pick up from the Cutter's narration of their success and describe what the foe does in response. This is not a hard consequence that needs to be resisted (they got a full success, I'm not going to take that away from them) but it will be something that will prompt action from the PC. Remember the advice from the rulebook; "Every time you roll the dice in Blades, the situation changes." This is commonly applied to failures (fail forward) but it's important to apply it to successes too.
So I would do something like:
I describe Darkon staggering back, his nose bleeding. He grabs a lamp off a nearby table - he's going to smash it on the straw floor to create a diversion. What do you do? [There is no hard consequence yet, no harm or clocks filled, so no resistance is required - just action]
The Cutter wants to grab the lamp with one hand and put Darkon in a headlock with her free arm. She's going to roll Skirmish for this. She's pushing herself for Great Effect, so any success here will mean she fills the NPC clock and the threat would be dealt with - ending with Darkon subdued in a headlock.
Every dice roll changes the situation. The opposing NPCs will constantly react and change their approach based on the PC actions, even if the PCs get a full success. Try to vary NPC goals as a fight progresses - it gets a bit boring if it's just trading blows to give each other harm, so think about moving around the environment, getting the high ground, putting your opponent in some kind of hold, getting in close where their pike is no longer effective, getting out of range so that they can't use their knife, all of that good stuff.
PlaneSailingGames (Alex) January 12, 2022, 8:53am #3
Thank you for the long and detailed answer!
It is probably because I come from a long (long!) history of games where the GM is rolling for the bad guys and taking decisions for them, and that makes it harder for me to grok this kind of situation where the player is making all the dice rolls.
In the example you give, Darkon seems very passive to me, and doesn't seem to accomplish anything at all - seeing them 'attempting' to create a diversion it becomes trivial for the players to stop him.
However, if at step 1 Cutter didn't roll so well, presumably it might go something like this?
Cutter and Darkon are brawling (etc). The Cutter rolls skirmish and gets a partial success, punching Darkon in the face and filling one third of his clock. As Darkon reels back he sweeps the lamp from the table onto the floor, igniting the straw between them (the consequence of the 4-5).
Cutter can now choose to resist that consequence (perhaps stepping back from the flaming straw, so Darkon can then escape, perhaps stepping through the flaming straw to continue the fight with Darkon but separated from his mates). If Cutter chooses not to resist the consequence "Leave him, he's not worth it", then Darkon just scurries away under cover of the flames.
In other words, is it when the PC rolls 5 or less that the opposition gets to 'take some initiative' in the fight?
Yeah, that sounds about right to me! I break it down into:
The negative consequence of the roll (on a 1-3 or 4-5)
What the NPC does next
So another example of a 4-5 result:
The consequence is that Darkon sets the straw on fire, putting the PC in a desperate position. The Cutter can resist this.
What the NPC does next is to flee, with or without the diversion. What do you do about that?
Do they resist the straw being on fire, and being put in a desperate position?
Do they attempt some action to stop Darkon fleeing? This might now be a desperate roll, high stakes!
Fabulous, thanks - this has been a very helpful discussion for me!
A_B (A B) January 12, 2022, 7:58pm #6
PlaneSailingGames:
In the example you give, Darkon seems very passive to me, and doesn't seem to accomplish anything at all -
You have to look at what is written on page 167 of the book, to which Timdenee referred.
Mostly, after an action roll and its consequences (or absence of) have been dealt with, the GM is free to present HOW the situation ("the fiction") has evolved. The way it will be framed depends on how dangerous the NPC/enemy is.
If the enemy is a standard mook, generally one action roll will have been enough to deal with it (with or without consequences, maybe a second roll in a different position…)
If the enemy is "skilled", you have to frame the evolution of the fiction in a way that shows that the enemy can sometimes keep or take the initiative. Which means that the PCs will have to react in a way which is more constrained, they have less choice because it's a reaction. Maybe it is "I have to roll just to see if I'm not pushed over the edge of the roof", as on page 199, instead of "I roll to see if I can decapitate this bastard".
If the enemy is a "master", then, sometimes, the GM will have it act and the PCs will have to roll resistance to avoid problems/harm even before they can just act. Maybe it is *I have to roll to resist because Darkon has burnt half of me", before "I roll to see if I move fast enough to catch him before he escapes".


Glenn Tilbrook's clearly not one for putting his feet up at home. Barely off the plane a few days after a major US tour with Squeeze, he's already on the road again. What's more, he's fielding calls from the likes of me, so I start by thanking him for coming to the phone, somehow managing to avoid jetlag, and not falling asleep in his dinner.
But I'm guessing he's used to this jet-set lifestyle after all these years.
After another major tour of the United States with his main band, is it fair to say America still loves Squeeze?
And have they all been weaned on Squeeze?
Chances are that you know this, but the Squeeze story started way back in 1974 in Deptford, South-East London, when Glenn answered an advert in a sweet-shop window for a guitarist for a band (although there was no band at the time), placed there by near-neighbour Chris Difford. An esteemed songwriting partnership was soon established, the first release following three years later, the Packet of Three EP.
Major success followed, for a band also including Jools Holland and Paul Carrack at key times of the journey, and early singles Cool for Cats and Up the Junction were only kept off the top spot in the UK charts in 1979 by Art Garfunkel's Bright Eyes and Tubeway Army's Are Friends Electric? respectively. Altogether, the band released 12 studio albums between 1978 and 1998, enjoying a string of hits and major success, with just one three-year break in that period – which included 1984's Difford and Tilbrook album, the two main songwriters going it on their own for the first time.
Something of a hiatus followed a 1999 split, but the band reformed in 2007, a touring version of Squeeze continuing periodically in some form or other ever since. Yet during that later period Messrs Difford and Tilbrook forged solo careers, with Glenn's most recent album his fourth, 2014's Happy Ending.
After that he went out on the road for his At Odds Couple UK and US acoustic tours alongside his long-time Squeeze collaborator. And then, last year, Glenn and Chris wrote Squeeze's first album of new material in 17 years, Cradle to the Grave, initially for BBC TV comedy-drama Cradle to Grave, inspired by the memoirs of their friend Danny Baker.
It proved a glorious return too, was met with rave reviews, and entered the UK album chart at number 12, the band embarking on a sell–out tour across the UK, including a memorable date I made it to at Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall as well as one closer to their own patch at London's Royal Albert Hall.
That brings us on to that recent US tour, a continuation of their promotion of Cradle to the Grave. Yet now it turns out that Glenn's at it again, guitar in hand, for his latest solo venture, the Best of Times tour, involving 36 dates – from Weston-Super-Mare's St Paul's Church on October 25th right through to Cardiff's The Globe on December 18th.
For those who haven't kept up with his solo career, the tour title comes from the name of the lead track on his 2009 solo LP Pandemonium Ensues. And if you don't know Best of Times, I recommend a listen to a song about dad-of-four Glenn's family life, which offers proof that Chris' lyrical expertise has brushed off on his old mate in recent years. So what does his better half – Glenn's manager and missus, Suzanne – think of this latest disappearing trick?
There are no Fluffers (Glenn's backing band) this time. Did Glenn think he'd better give those who play in both of his bands some time off?
Will he be getting his 'big bus' out again – his motor home – to mark the occasion?
It's been two years since Glenn's last recorded offering, the rightly well-received Happy Ending. I realise he's been extremely busy of late, but is the next solo album on its way?
That's great to hear, and I absolutely loved Cradle to the Grave, which seems to have been the reaction right across the board.
He's no doubt seen a lot of Chris recently, but have they any more At Odds Couple shows in the diary?
Sorry, but I have to break in there. The Fall? Is he talking about Mark E. Smith's cult indie band, the John Peel favourites? Or does he mean autumn? He's clearly been in America a long time.
I understand that a second series of Cradle to Grave has been commissioned by the BBC. Will Glenn be writing more songs for that?
I also asked Glenn if his ears were burning the previous day, when I was talking about him to his good friend Dennis Greaves, front-man of Nine Below Zero (with that feature/ interview coming to this site very soon).
I'm certainly enjoying their new album, 13 Shades of Blue.
That album was recorded at Glenn's 45RPM studio in Charlton, and includes a nice bit of sitar on one track, played by the fella who just happens to own the joint.
Baker Bunch: Danny Baker's fictional family in Cradle to Grave, for which Squeeze wrote the music. Top row – Alice Sykes and Frankie Wilson. Front row – Peter Kay, Laurie Kynaston, Lucy Speed (Photo: BBC).
Are you a bit like Paul Weller in that respect – picking up odd instruments to have a play when you've got guests in your studio?
"Yeah. I'm not obsessed but I continually buy different things with the thought that I'll use them and it will bring out something different. The best recent example of that is me using ukulele on Cradle to the Grave. I'd never have written that tune without a ukulele.
Last time I talked to Glenn was part of a snatched conversation in a meet'n'greet while getting a hot-off-the-presses live CD from that night signed by the band after a Squeeze show, a year ago at Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall.
I seem to recall Glenn coming off stage a bit sharpish, following early technical difficulties.
He was soon back on the horse that evening though, and ultimately that drama just added to a great show. Incidentally, I tell him, when it comes to travelling arrangements for Squeeze, I now see them as they were when they left the stage that night – the whole band following drummer Simon Hanson in a conga through the middle of the auditorium, at the end of Take Me I'm Yours. So, did they follow Simon down to the road to the Albert Dock then board a liner to America that night?
Interview-wise, it's been three years since we last spoke, before a December 2013 solo show at Preston's 53 Degrees, with Leslie Mendelson supporting.
I remind him that he was getting over a heavy cold that night. Is he feeling fit for this tour?
I hate to mention it, but Glenn hits the Big 60 next year. Does that change anything?
Was Chris Difford delivering new lyrics under the side-door of Glenn's motorhome between shows in America?
That said, I got the impression from talking to Chris last August that it's not as defined as it once was – Glenn's turned his hand successfully to writing lyrics, as has Chris to melodies.
Chris also mentioned at the time how he was pretty close to finishing his autobiography, tentatively titled I Never Thought It Would Happen. Is he there yet?
Getting back to Danny Baker, did reading his 2012 Going to Sea in a Sieve autobiography inspire Glenn to have a go at writing one himself?
Is that – he adds, tongue-in-cheek – so he can put the previous versions by other band members right, maybe?
I put it to Glenn that the band all seem particularly chuffed with the reaction to the last LP. And – without being rude – it kind of made up for their previous swansong, 1998's Domino, as I might have mentioned in my own review (with a link here).
I suggested at the time – when there were concerns that it may have been their last as a band – that hopefully it was not so much an epitaph as a renewal of vows. Was I right with my wishful thinking there?
There have been well-documented fall-outs in the past. I guess they're easier characters to get on with these days, or at least know when to step back and not antagonise each other. Does that come with age and maturity?
Finally, with the final track of Happy Ending playing in my head (and when it gets in my head, it's difficult to shift), a music hall style singalong Glenn was taught as a lad by his Grandad, on his knee, I'm guessing that although winter's fast approaching, there will be ice creams for sale throughout this tour. So, if that's the case, how big will they be?
For this website's interview with Chris Difford, from August 2015, head here. And for my previous interview with Glenn Tilbrook, from December 2013, try this link. Alternatively, just type in 'Squeeze' in the search column (towards the top of this page, to the right) and feast your eyes on a few other options.
Glenn Tilbrook will be supported by Steve Smith, of Grammy award-winning electronica act Dirty Vegas, throughout this tour, including a trip to Burnley Mechanics this Friday, November 4, with tickets £16/£15 discounts, plus £2 per ticket if booked online. For more details call 01282 664 400 or head here.
For full details of the Happy Ending tour dates and all the latest from Glenn, try here. And for all things Squeeze, try their official website, follow them via Facebook and Twitter, and check out Facebook's packetofthree page.
This entry was posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Music and tagged Best of Times, Chris Difford, Cradle to Grave, Cradle to the Grave, Danny Baker, George Harrison, Glenn Tilbrook, Happy Ending, Liverpool Philharmonic, Lucy Shaw, nine Below Zero, Simon Hanson, Squeeze, Stephen Large, The Fluffers. Bookmark the permalink.


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9th Mission Support Command bids farewell to Anderson, welcomes Connelly
July 5, 2019 — The Pride of the Pacific, the 9th Mission Support Command, a geographic command of the U.S. Army Reserve, honored outgoing commanding general Brig. Gen. Douglas F. Anderson and welcomed incoming commanding general Brig. Gen. Timothy D. Connelly at an official change of command and passing of the colors ceremony at Fort Shafter's historic Palm Circle on June 30. ... MORE
Command chief warrant officer retires after 39 year of service
February 22, 2019 — On February 10, 2019, a retirement ceremony was held here to recognize those 39 years of faithful and honorable service that Chief Warrant Officer 5 Dawn Blanchard, command chief warrant officer, 76th Operational Response Command had given not only the Soldiers and command here, but to her Nation for more than a quarter of a century.... MORE
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May 25, 2018 — The ceremony honored the sacrifices made by more than 1.3 million American servicemen and servicewomen who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. ... MORE
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February 14, 2018 — Major Gen. Patrick Reinert, 88th Readiness Division commanding general, joined a procession of Soldiers and service members, local officials and citizens in 18th century uniforms and attire, on a march through the Village of North Bend, Ohio, to the tomb of William Henry Harrison, Feb. 9, to honor our 9th President's 245th birthday. ... MORE
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text:
Modou Sowe (1963. november 25. –) gambiai nemzetközi labdarúgó-játékvezető. Teljes neve Modou Sowe Warned.

Pályafutása

Nemzeti játékvezetés
A játékvezetői vizsgát 1982-ben tette le. A küldési gyakorlat szerint rendszeres partbírói, majd  4. bírói szolgálatot is végzett. Gambia legsikeresebb játékvezetője. A nemzeti játékvezetéstől 2008-ban vonult vissza.

Nemzetközi játékvezetés
A Gambiai labdarúgó-szövetség Játékvezető Bizottsága (JB) terjesztette fel nemzetközi játékvezetőnek, a Nemzetközi Labdarúgó-szövetség (FIFA) 1998-tól (tartotta) tartja nyilván bírói keretében. A FIFA JB központi nyelvei közül a angolt beszéli. Több nemzetek közötti válogatott és klubmérkőzést vezetett, vagy működő társának 4. bíróként segített. A  nemzetközi játékvezetéstől 2008-ban a FIFA JB korhatárát elérve búcsúzott.

Labdarúgó-világbajnokság
A világbajnoki döntőkhöz vezető úton Dél-Koreába és Japánba a XVII., a 2002-es labdarúgó-világbajnokságra, valamint Németországba a XVIII., a 2006-os labdarúgó-világbajnokságra a FIFA JB játékvezetőként alkalmazta. A FIFA JB előzetesen kijelölte a világbajnokság játékvezetői közé, de a szűkített keretnek már nem volt tagja. Selejtező mérkőzéseket az CAF zónában vezetett.

2002-es labdarúgó-világbajnokság

Selejtező mérkőzés

2006-os labdarúgó-világbajnokság

Selejtező mérkőzés

Labdarúgó-Európa-bajnokság

U17-es labdarúgó-Európa-bajnokság
Franciaország rendezte a 3., a 2004-es U17-es labdarúgó-Európa-bajnokságot, ahol a FIFA/UEFA JB bíróként foglalkoztatta.

2004-es U17-es labdarúgó-Európa-bajnokság

Afrikai nemzetek kupája
Tunézia hat nagyvárosa adott otthont a 24., a 2004-es afrikai nemzetek kupája, Egyiptom a 25., a 2006-os afrikai nemzetek kupája, illetve Ghána a 26., a 2008-as afrikai nemzetek kupája labdarúgó találkozónak adott otthont, ahol a Afrikai Labdarúgó-szövetség (CAF) JB bíróként alkalmazta.

2004-es afrikai nemzetek kupája

Afrikai Nemzetek Kupája mérkőzés

2006-os afrikai nemzetek kupája

Afrikai Nemzetek Kupája mérkőzés

2008-as afrikai nemzetek kupája

Afrikai Nemzetek Kupája mérkőzés

Nemzetközi kupamérkőzések
Vezetett kupadöntők száma: 2.

CAF-bajnokok ligája

2006-os CAF Bajnokok Ligája

CAF Konföderációs kupa

2007-es CAF Konföderációs kupa

Források

Gambiai labdarúgó-játékvezetők
1963-ban született személyek
Élő személyek

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


> as they have too small sequence number.
> useful to list some of those security methods here.
At this pointin LLNs, use of layer-2 security *ONLY* is pretty much 100%.
It's "WEP" == Wired Equivalent Privacy.
No layer-3, no other authorization distinction between devices, etc.


text:
Sedan Crater
By Admin | April 14, 2016
Project Plowshare and the Sedan Experiment
Detonation
Taking a Tour of the Sedan Crater
Sedan Crater is located at 37°10'36.5"N 116°02'47.0"W (37.176820, -116.046382) in Area 10 on the Nevada National Security Site (formerly the Nevada Test Site) near Mercury, Nye County, Nevada. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places (#94000183) on March 21, 1994.
The United States Atomic Energy Commission's Project Plowshare was intended to develop techniques to use nuclear explosives for peaceful construction purposes. In the 1960s and 1970s, during the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union carried out a number of Peaceful Nuclear Explosions (PNE).
The PNEs were nuclear explosions conducted for non-military purposes, such as activities related to economic development, the creation of canals, rock blasting, stimulation of tight gas, chemical element manufacture (test shot Anacostia resulted in Curium-250m being discovered), unlocking some of the mysteries of the so-called "r-Process" of stellar nucleosynthesis, probing the composition of the Earth's deep crust, creating reflection seismology data, and mining company prospecting.
There was significant public opposition to Project Plowshare's 27 nuclear projects, which eventually led to the program's termination in 1977. Some of the consequences of the program included the deposition of fallout from radioactive material being injected into the atmosphere and tritiated water (T2O, a radioactive form of water where the usual hydrogen atoms are replaced with tritium) which was projected to increase to a level of 2% of the then-maximum level for drinking water.
The Sedan Experiment was a part of Project Plowshare to take place at the Nevada Test Site consisted of detonating a 100-kiloton thermonuclear device 635 feet underground. The device was relatively clean as far as thermonuclear devices go—fission contributed less than 30% of the total yield. The device was buried in a 36-inch diameter cased hole that was back-filled with sand.
The predicted crater diameter was 1,200–1,400 feet (366–427 meters) and the depth from about 170–300 feet (52–91 meters). About 95 per cent of the radioactivity produced by the explosion would be trapped underground. The heavier fallout would be confined to within about two miles upwind and crosswind, and four miles downwind of ground zero.
On July 6, 1962 at 10:00 PDT (17:00:00 UT) the device was detonated. The detonation created a crater 1,200 feet (366 meters) across and 320 feet (98 meters) deep. About 7.5 million cubic yards (5.7 million cubic meters)—12 million US tons (10.9 million metric tons)—of earth and rock were removed. A 12,000-foot (3658-meter) dust cloud formed of some of the smaller earth particles. The lip of the crater (Hal in the diagram below) varied in height from about 20 feet (6 meters) to 100 feet (30 meters).
Nuclear Explosion Crater Cross Section [Glasstone and Dolan, 1977]
SZ surface zero 37°10'36.5"N 116°02'47.0"W
(37.176820, -116.046382)
DOB depth of burst 635 feet (194 meters)
Da apparent depth 320 feet (98 meters)
Dal depth from the lip crest 340–420 feet (104–128 meters)
Hal height of the lip crest from the original ground surface 20–100 feet (6–30 meters)
Average 33 feet (__ meters)
Ra apparent radius 1,200 feet (366 meters)
Ral radius to crater lip crest
Re radius of ejecta
The exact percentage of escaping radioactivity could not be obtained from the available preliminary data, but there was no major deviation from the prediction. The dust cloud carried the small amount of radioactivity which was not trapped underground or deposited close to the crater north at a speed of about 12 miles per hour. The fallout was in line predictions.
Crater from the 1962 "Sedan" nuclear test as part of Operation Plowshare. The 104 kiloton blast displaced 12 million US tons (10.9 million metric tons) of earth and created a crater 320 feet (98 meters) deep and 1,200 feet (366 meters) wide. (Look to the size of the roads in the bottom-right of the picture, and the observation deck at the lower-right edge of the crater, for a sense of scale.)
Photo courtesy of National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Field Office.
Sedan Crater at Nevada Test Site with the information sign about the project. The image was created from a dozen smaller images and stitched together using Hugin software.
Photo courtesy of Jarek Tuszynski / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Sedan Crater aerial view.
Original image source unknown.
Statistics about Sedan Crater and other nearby craters are described in the image.
Sedan Crater is marked on this satellite image. Many other craters are visible in the image.
Based on image courtesy of Google Maps Satellite View.
Yes! You can take a tour of the Sedan Crater and the rest of the Nevada National Security Site. The National Nuclear Security Administration's Nevada Field Office provides free general interest tours of the Nevada National Security Site on a monthly basis.
Most tours depart from the National Atomic Testing Museum at 755 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada. Tours depart at approximately 7:30 a.m. and return at 4:00 p.m. Provided transportation is usually a chartered bus equipped with a restroom.
The Nevada National Security Site is located 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Each tour usually covers about 250 miles. Tour participants should bring their own food and drinks, but no alcoholic beverages. There are no lunch stops. Casual clothing is recommended, and sturdy shoes are required for the rugged terrain. No shorts or sandals are permitted. Visitors to the Nevada National Security Site must be at least 14 years old. Pregnant women are discouraged from participating in Nevada National Security Site tours because of the long bus ride and uneven terrain.
Points of interest on the tour include:
Mercury, Nevada — Mercury is a closed city 65 miles (105 km) northwest of Las Vegas. It is situated within the Nevada Test Site and was constructed by the Atomic Energy Commission to house and service the staff of the test site.
Frenchman Flat — On January 27, 1951, the first atmospheric nuclear test, Able, took place on the Nevada National Security Site.
Nonproliferation Test and Evaluation Complex (NPTEC) — The NPTEC is the world's largest facility for open-air testing of hazardous materials and biological simulants.
Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Site — There is a low-level waste storage pit at the Nevada National Security Site.
T-1 Training Area — The soil emits low levels of radiation, simulating widespread radiological contamination from Improvised Nuclear Devices (INDs) or multiple Radiological Dispersal Devices (RDDs or "dirty bombs"), yet posing minimal risk to participants.
Apple II Houses — In an effort to determine the seismic effects of low yield atomic tests, three "typical American homes" were built down range from the May 5, 1955 Apple II test of 29 kilotons.
Contact the Department of Energy's Office of Public Affairs to find out the date of the next tour. (All 2016 tours have been filled.) Reservations are required for all tours. Space is limited and seats fill quickly. Groups, civic or technical organizations, and private clubs may request specially-arranged tours (minimum of 25 people) by calling 702-295-0944.
Furlow, Robert C. "Sedan Crater" PDF. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. National Park Service. October 5, 1993. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
Glasstone, Samuel and Dolan, Thomas. 1977. The Effects of Nuclear Weapons. USGPO.
Reynolds Electrical and Engineering Co., Inc. "Project Sedan On-Site Radiological Safety Report". PDF. United States Atomic Energy Commission. April 29, 1963.
Sublette, Carey."The Effects of Underground Explosions". Nuclear Weapon Archive. March 30, 2001.
United States Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Nevada Field Office. Image NF-12187.
United States Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Nevada Field Office. "Public Tours of the Nevada National Security Site". August 2013. Accessed April 14, 2016.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. "Environmental Monitoring Report For The Nevada Test Site And Other Test Areas Used For Underground Nuclear Detonations". PDF. U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration. May 1976.
National Nuclear Security Administration
Nevada National Security Site Tours
United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Category: History Nevada Nye County Travel United States Tags: apple ii houses, area 10, atomic energy commission, cold war, department of energy, Frenchman Flat, Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Site, Mercury, National Atomic Testing Museum, National Nuclear Security Administration, National Register of Historic Places, Nevada, Nevada Field Office, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada Test Site, Nonproliferation Test and Evaluation Complex, Nye County, Peaceful Nuclear Explosions, Project Plowshare, sedan crater, sedan experiment, t-1 training area
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Without taxes, there will be no money for providing public amenities and government services and building infrastructure. Both small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and large companies are required by law to pay them. However, the law does not state exactly how much you should pay.
This is one of the best ways to reduce taxes. Whenever you hire an employee, he or she is required to file with the tax bureau. However, if he or she is not an in-house employee and is just a contractual or independent worker, then he or she does not need to do it. This is a benefit commonly enjoyed by outsourced employees or freelance workers who work on a per project basis or on a per time period basis.
This is something that many business owners do in order to avoid paying high taxes. Taxes are based on the net profit accumulated by a business, so when you charge your car or travel expenses to your business, you will be able to deduct a considerable amount off your tax. You may also charge some utility expenses, like the cell phone bill, as part of company expenses so that you don't need to pay too much.
Whenever you increase the pay of your employee, you have to pay higher taxes. This is bad for both you and your employee since your employee will get less of his or her salary, and you have to pay more in taxes. The best way to go about it would be to offer more employee benefits since these are not taxable. By doing this, your employees will have a more secure insurance without having to pay more taxes and your company can save on its overall tax expenses.
Since insurance premiums are also not taxable, then you may record your personal insurance expenses under your company. Although your personal insurance expenses are under your name, you may opt to put it under the company name instead and just take the benefits from it. That way, you increase the amount of expenses your company has, and you pay less taxes.
Taxes can take up an extremely big chunk of a business's total revenue. However, with proper tax planning, you will be able to come up with ways on how to avoid certain fees and to deduct a small amount from what you originally have to pay. In other words, it allows you to prepare strategies on how you can save on taxes. In countries like Cyprus, tax planning is done very meticulously. In fact, Cyprus has a lot of firms that would offer services on saving taxes for business.
If you're one of those businessmen who are keen on saving, then tax planning might be exactly what you need.
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I'm casting my mind back to last spring for the final post about our trip to Peru, when we travelled from Lima to Lake Titicaca, Puno, Cusco, Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Puerto Maldonado, and back to Lima. It was - like all our long-haul trips - a jam-packed itinerary with lots of 6am starts, hotels and internal flights. Our penultimate stop was two days in the Peruvian Amazon, which was unlike anything I'd experienced before: spotting wild animals, sleeping in a rustic wooden lodge in the jungle, hiking through the humid rainforest and being bitten alive by mosquitoes. It was a fantastic, unique experience (apart from the bites), but I was also glad to return to city life... For our last three days, we continued exploring the capital, staying in the colourful, coastal district of Miraflores.
The food scene in Peru is off the scale. Thanks to its diverse climate and geography, everything grows there, and we ate so many incredible things - from potatoes dipped in clay from a llama farmer in the Altiplano to tasting menus at one of the world's 50 best restaurants. After landing back in Lima, we headed to the hotel, showered, dressed up in something which wasn't mozzie spray-drenched hiking gear, and went out for pisco sours before an excellent dinner at Rafael.
The next day, we hired bikes - my favourite way to discover new places (my favourite mode of transport full stop) - from the friendly dudes at Lima Bike Rental for a morning of exploring, stopping by the pre-Incan pyramid Huaca Pucllana and for seafood at La Rosa Náutica on the pier, and an afternoon cruising the coastline and the charming streets of the artsy Barranco district, including Peru's very own Bridge of Sighs, the Park of Love with its landscaped gardens, colourful mosaic tiles and Victor Delfin's kissing sculpture, and pottered around the cliffside Larcomar before sunset drinks.
On our second day, we hopped in an Uber to the Callao port and got on a small boat for the rather turbulent voyage to the Palomino Islands, to spot Humboldt penguins and snorkel with playful, noisy sea lions. I'd never had sea sickness before - other than one nauseous afternoon docked for lunch in the Solent whilst doing my Competent Crew course, which was so mild I thought I was pretty much immune - but ooh let me tell me you, I am not. I didn't feel too bad on the outbound trip - certainly better than the poor girl being sick, and the other poor girl who spent the next four hours in the foetal position - but after swimming in the cold water and getting back onto the boat, shivering and slowly bobbing through massive waves back to shore, I felt pretty horrendous. It was still an ace experience and I'd do it again, but with lots of motion sickness medication.
On our last day, we went back to see more of the historical centre and its eclectic mix of architecture, from the beautiful baroque Torre Tagle Palace to the grand Basilica Cathedral, San Francisco church and the Government Palace, complete with ceremonial marching band and hundreds of encircling birds. Visitors often only briefly stay in Lima en route to Machu Picchu or on a whistle-stop tour of South America, but I'd recommend staying for a couple of days as there's plenty to see, plenty to do and plenty to eat. Te veo pronto, Péru!


Halosense Inc. provides natural alternative, health-oriented solutions by combining the recognized ancient healing methods of salt therapy for asthma, bronchitis, shortness of breath, emphysema, COPD and other respiratory problems!
Natural Treatment For Pneumonia And The Benefits of Salt Therapy. Today we are going to talk about Pneumonia, a common lung infection that leads to inflammation in the air sacs and the alveoli.
We will look at the most common treatments as well as the natural treatment for Pneumonia and the benefits of salt therapy in easing common symptoms such as a dry cough and shortness of breath. Pneumonia is considered to be an infection of the lungs which can be caused by fungi, bacterial or viral sources. Natural treatment for bronchitis – Overview and Treatment. Sometimes you may have a cold or flu that runs its course in a couple weeks, but then there is bronchitis.
Bronchitis is a harsh reality for most of us during the winter months. So, in this article, we will cover a basic overview of what bronchitis is. Talk about what forms of bronchitis treatment that is available, including preventative treatments. Ultrasonic Salinizer Saltair (Video Testimonial) Benefits of Salt Therapy – Salt Therapy by Halosense. For quite a long time, individuals have believed and trusted the advantages and benefits of salt therapy to mitigate respiratory sicknesses, enhance skin conditions and reinforce their invulnerable immune systems.
Today, individuals of any age can benefit from salt therapy at home by Halosense's Saltair device, to help with: 1. Ear Infection 2. Saltair Product Demonstration - Treating Shortness of Breath or Respiratory Diseases. Most important advantages of using salt therapy for respiratory conditions. Immense Benefits of Salt Therapy For Respiratory Conditions. Hype or fact, salt therapy does give benefits to those with COPD issues.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a generic term that includes bronchitis, asthma, emphysema and bronchiectasis. Genetic factors, smoking, pollution and age may play a role in progression of the disease that starts with a characteristic shortness of breath, tightness in the chest and coughing at times. The disease may start with bronchitis and progress to emphysema. The patient suffers due to inflammation and narrowing of bronchial tubes.
Mucus builds up and makes breathing difficult. Salt Room Therapy at Home Brings Relief Along With Convenience. For those suffering from respiratory ailments like asthma, bronchitis, allergies and shortness of breath, allopathic medications only provide short term relief.
In this context the use of natural remedies has been growing with focus on salt as one of the most accessible yet most effective remedies for respiratory conditions. In common respiratory conditions like bronchitis what happens is that there may be excess of mucus and irritation may inflame bronchial passages leading to constriction. The result is that patients gasp and struggle to breath. Allergy also induces similar symptoms. In these cases nasal sprays and medications do provide immediate relief but do not address the root cause. SaltAir - A Natural Home Relief in Asthma. Salt Therapy Canada Based Companies Offer Help in Lung Diseases. COPD in all its forms can make life difficult for those with this affliction.
Puffers and other forms of medications simply do not give any lasting relief. Doctors are now rediscovering the benefits of salt therapy, a practice that has been in use since ages to treat people with pulmonary disorders. Testimonials –Saltair. Salt Therapy For Allergies That You Can Try At Home. Autumn and spring bring allergies in their wake.
Those susceptible to allergens are the worst affected and come down with flu-like symptoms. A runny nose or blocked sinus is the result along with other bodily discomforts. Some people are more susceptible. Those with asthma are at high risk of asthma attacks when allergies aggravate an already difficult condition.


Cleo Jones returns in this haphazard Shaw-produced sequel. She's tackling dope fiends on the mean streets of Hong Kong; specifically the lesbian style queen The Dragon Lady (Stevens) and her posse of Chinese underlings. Ni Tien plays a Chinese special agent acting as Cleo's kung fu partner, and the two are soon chopping up the locals. Schoolboy film-making and a bad script scupper proceedings, but as mindless blaxploitation action goes it's more diverting than the first.
Studio: Shaw Brothers, Warner Bros.


text:
Housing developer to host open house Monday in Vail
VAIL — The Harp Group, the developers of the proposed Marriott Residence Inn and an affordable housing project in West Vail will host an informational open house Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Sonnenalp Hotel in Vail.
The proposed project includes a 170-room Marriott Residence Inn and 113 deed-restricted apartments, as well as 328 below-grade parking spaces located on the former Roost Lodge property in West Vail. It was first submitted to the town of Vail on Aug. 15 and is currently under review by the town's Planning and Environmental Commission.
"We want to give community members and our neighbors in West Vail an opportunity to meet the development and design teams and ask questions about the project outside of the more formal town meetings," said Peter Dumon, founder and president of The Harp Group, a real estate and hospitality investment corporation headquartered in suburban Chicago. "It's an important project for Vail and all of Eagle County and we want to make sure people fully understand it. We've personally invited our immediate neighbors to the open house via email, but anyone with an interest in the project is welcome to stop by."
The town of Vail has adopted a housing plan to purchase 1,000 deed restrictions on homes and apartments in the next decade.
"With our proposed 113 apartments, Vail will be more than 10 percent on its way to its goal of 1,000 deed-restricted units within town limits by 2027," Dumon said.


So many years of things being sold from those classic cigarette machines you used to see everywhere.
In the spirit of upcycle and repurpose comes a group of awesome ideas to reinvent the way these googie art designed vending machines are used again.
Long gone are the vending machines full of tar sticks labeled with each brand at the pull knob, and in the place of cigarettes are tiny works of art, bibles, books, even one that is used to swap your used things for other peoples used things.
I remember the huge box sitting in the waiting areas of your favorite family diner.
Pulling at the different brands and pretending to smoke while you waited for a table.
Sneaking your first pack of smokes at the gas station machine with the excuse your mom sent you up to buy them for her.
Now we have found ways to bring back these beauties with less impact on the worlds health.


text:
ISHMAP 2023 Berlin – Symposium and Workshop
ISHMAP 2022 Montevideo – Symposium and Workshop-CFP
ISHMAP 2022 – Montevideo – Workshop CFP
ISHMAP 2022 – Montevideo – Symposium CFP
ISHMap 2022 Practical Information
Proposal to Host ISHMap 2022 / 2024
ISHMAP Virtual Symposium, June 12-13, 2020
ISHMap 2020 Program
Attending Virtual ISHMap
Presenting at Virtual ISHMap
ISHMap 2020 Organizers and Staff
ISHMap Prizes
ISHMap Prize in Map History – 2023
ISHMap Prize in Map History 2021
ISHMap Best Paper Prize
Events/Announcements
The Trustees of the International Society for the History of the Map invite advanced students, junior researchers and early career professionals to apply to the ISHMap workshop on May 10-11, 2022 in Montevideo, Uruguay. Click here to be taken to the application form.
Application is open through October 31, 2021.
The ISHMap Workshop will offer professional development activities and create community among up to 15 early-career scholars and professionals working in the history of cartography in teaching, research, curation, and collections. Over the course of two days, four interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary activities will be led by international experts, who will also discuss participants' work-in-progress.
In 2022, ISHMap workshop leaders will include James Akerman (Newberry Library), Carla Lois (CONICET/UBA), Jan Trachet (University of Ghent) and Jordana Dym (Skidmore College). Planned themes include maps and exhibitions, teaching history of cartography, engaging the public in map history, and working with maps in context.
Workshop information will be updated by early 2022 as the program is finalized taking into account participants' areas of interest.
WORKSHOP DATE AND FORMAT: The workshop will take place Tuesday and Wednesday, May 10 and 11, 2022, 9 am – 5pm (-3 GMT).
We plan for on site only participation, if the health situation allows. If circumstances require, the event may transition to a virtual event.
WORKSHOP VENUE
The 2022 Symposium will be hosted in Montevideo, Uruguay. The Workshop's principal venue will be the Museo Histórico Nacional in the city of Montevideo, Uruguay.
Workshop participants are encouraged to attend and to consider proposing a session or activity at the ISHMap 2022 symposium on May 12-13, 2022 in the same city.
APPLICATION DETAILS (below)
APPLICANT PROFILE: The Workshop is open to participants from different career paths, including professional and academic profiles, with an intent to privilege those starting their careers and those who have limited access to professional development opportunities.
ISHMap invites junior researchers (scholars who have recently obtained or are pursuing graduate degrees (Masters, Doctorate) or who have recently started their academic careers.
ISHMap also encourages applications from early career professionals developing activities related to the history of cartography in libraries, museums or cultural centers or who are interested in developing exhibitions, publications or activities related to the subject, and who have limited access to training and professional development. Those in 'alternative academic' or public sector fields and positions are also encouraged to apply.
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: the official language of the Workshop will be English.
ANTICIPATED EXPENSES
The Workshop organizers will provide breakfast and lunch on both workshop days.
Travel, lodging and dinner will be the responsibility of the participants.
The Workshop organizers will identify housing costs
ISHmap will charge a fee of up to $100 (USD) for those who can afford to pay it. The fees will defray the costs of providing meals and workshop materials.
Applications will be considered on a need-blind basis – no application will be refused if the participant cannot pay the fee.
APPLICATION: Application for the Workshop is by online form. Applicants are asked to provide
Contact information: name, institutional affiliation, academic website / online bio-bibliography, social media
A short professional biography (up to 2500 characters)
A CV (up to 10 single-spaced pages, 12 point Times New Roman font)
A rationale for why it is important for them to participate (in relation to the development of their careers, their current jobs, etc.) ( 2500 characters)
A brief description of a project / paper / exhibition underway or to be started in 2021-2023 that will be presented and discussed during the workshop (3000 characters)
The names and contact information for two professional references, and indication of relationship with the references (adviser, colleague, supervisor, etc.).
Please note: Each participant agrees to submit an original research or historiography project of about 6000-8000 words for circulation to all participants to discuss / work during the workshop no later than March 15, 2022. Participation in the workshop depends on the receipt of this document. The project can be an article manuscript, dissertation chapter, exhibition script, grant application or other document that the participant would like to receive feedback on. For any questions, consult the organizers.
Workshop participants are cordially invited to attend the ISHMap Symposium on May 12-13, 2022. In addition, they may apply to participate in the Symposium. Application for the Symposium is separate from the Workshop; click here for Symposium Call for Papers. Workshop participants who wish to participate in both activities must apply separately to each.
Please submit your application as a Word (.doc, .docx), RTF (.rtf), or Open or Libre Office (.odt) file, on or before 31 October 2021 online here.
You may direct questions to organizers Carolina Martínez (carolina.martinez[at]unsam.edu.ar) and Lucia Rodríguez (luciarodriguezarrillaga[at]gmail.com) or ISHMap's Chair, Jordana Dym, at ishmap.society[at]gmail.com.
Acceptances will be issued by mid-December 2021. Confirmation of attendance will be requierd by January 31, 2022. Those who cannot confirm attendance may be replaced by alternates to ensure that as many may participate as possible.
ishmap.wordpress.com


Consumer spending on video games and accessories was way up in the first half of 2018. Thanks to Blue's for the news!
Overall total industry consumer spending on video gaming in the U.S. reached $19.5 billion in the first half of 2018 (Jan.-June), an increase of 40 percent compared to the same time period last year, according to the latest Games Market Dynamics: U.S. report from leading global information company The NPD Group.


text:
/*
* cgeSharedGLContext.h
*
*  Created on: 2015-7-9
*      Author: Wang Yang
*        Mail: admin@wysaid.org
*/

#ifndef _CGEJNI_H_
#define _CGEJNI_H_

#include <EGL/egl.h>

#ifndef EGL_CONTEXT_CLIENT_VERSION
#define EGL_CONTEXT_CLIENT_VERSION 0x3098
#endif

#ifndef EGL_RECORDABLE_ANDROID
#define EGL_RECORDABLE_ANDROID 0x3142
#endif

class CGESharedGLContext
{
	CGESharedGLContext() {}

public:

	enum ContextType {
		PBUFFER,
		RECORDABLE_ANDROID
	};

	static CGESharedGLContext* create();
	static CGESharedGLContext* create(int width, int height);
	static CGESharedGLContext* create(EGLContext sharedContext, int width, int height, ContextType type);

	~CGESharedGLContext();

	void makecurrent();

	bool swapbuffers();

	static void setContextColorBits(int r, int g, int b, int a);

private:

	EGLDisplay m_display;
    EGLSurface m_surface;
    EGLContext m_context;

    static EGLint s_bitR, s_bitG, s_bitB, s_bitA;

    bool init(EGLContext sharedContext, int width, int height, ContextType type);
	void destroy();
};

// bool enableGLFunction(void* arg);

#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


My first class of laughter yoga almost didn't happen. I was so close to turning around, so close to listening to the fear that told me it would be crazy. That I was crazy for even considering laughing with a bunch of strangers for one and a half hour.
Four months and a handful of classes later, I am lying on the floor, tears streaming down my face as wave upon wave of uncontrolled laughter rolls over me, rising and falling and merging with the laughter of the people around me. We are doing a laughing meditation as the final part of my final class before going back to Sweden, and a part of me wants to stay here on the floor of Sangdee café forever.
Before I leave Chiang Mai, I schedule an interview with my teacher, Fla Geyser, since I am curious to hear how she discovered the art of laughing and how it has affected her life. On my way to our meeting spot, a lake at the Chiang Mai University campus, a minor storm rummages through the streets, grabbing branches and roof sheets and throwing them onto the ground like a furious toddler. I steer my bike around a couple of neighbours who are trying to catch flying mangoes. It's so absurd that I keep laughing long after I've passed them, even though my eyes are stinging from the stirred-up dust.
I realize something has changed since I went to that first class of laughter yoga. I take things less seriously. I take myself less seriously. And the joy that I have kept tucked somewhere deep inside for years has come to rest just beneath the surface, ready to emerge and embrace all the beautiful moments that my past self might just have pedalled past with squinting eyes, without even noticing.
I'm a laughter yoga teacher and trainer and a life and business coach. I have been living in Thailand for the last seven years, Chiang Mai for the last five years. It has been the most amazing time living in Thailand, because I have been able to be part of so many interesting groups. For quite some time I was doing theatre improv, and I have been able to study all these different kinds of arts, like dancing and yoga. In 2011, I went to India to study laughter yoga, and in India, I also studied Ashtanga yoga. Then in 2013, I did a life coaching course. So I've been putting all the pieces together, into this one big puzzle. And now, at this point in time, I feel like I've found the things that I love the most.
Did you have a plan or did you just follow your curiosity from one thing to the next?
My plan was to follow my heart. I had come from a career in architecture, and I got to a point with it where I could feel that it was not in line with my heart anymore. I reached a dead-end, in a way. It was quite painful, and then I decided that I was going to just follow the things in life that made me happy.
What is the most important thing you've learnt since you moved abroad?
The most important thing I've learnt is to be true to myself. This means that when opportunities come up, I always check to see if it is really what I want. Even if it's just a small thing, like a friend inviting me to a party, I will check what my reasons for going are, and make sure that I am being honest and true to myself, and that everything that I do is for the right reasons – for good reasons – and that I'm not making decisions because I feel scared or want to make somebody else happy. It's got to feel right for me. And it's got to feel like it's in line with my heart.
Could you tell me about your first encounter with laughter yoga?
In the beginning of 2011, we had a visiting teacher who offered a laughter yoga class at a healing centre here in Chiang Mai. I saw this class being offered and I was like: Ah, oh, wow, that sounds fun, let me go and try. And so I did, together with a friend of mine. It was just this one class, and I just thought: This is incredible. This is the coolest thing ever. I felt extremely inspired.
A few days later, my friend said she was going to India to study with the guru. And she said 'Why don't you come with me?', and I was like 'Oh my word! Okay, I'll definitely do that!' I was so totally excited. So we went off together to Bangalore.
In our classes, you have mentioned that you are actually an introvert, and that teaching laughter yoga is a way for you to challenge yourself. What was it like when you taught your first laughter yoga class?
Oh, it was very frightening. When we got back we started the club at the Yoga Tree in Chiang Mai, and I was very afraid of this. It created a lot of fear in me and I might not have been a very relaxed yoga teacher at that stage. I was very nervous and unsure of myself. So it was quite tough in the beginning, but it got easier and easier as I practised.
How long did it take for you to overcome this fear?
It really depends, because it depends a lot on the group. If I know people in the group, then it's much easier, and it depends on the group size and on how relaxed the group is. Sometimes I can see people struggling to let go, and it challenges me to think of how I can adjust myself to make it more comfortable for everybody. So I continue to learn a lot from this. It's not over.
What have been the greatest benefits of bringing more laughter into your life?
One thing that I really appreciate is that I'm able to just be light-hearted about things. And I never thought that I would be able to do this. I was such a serious person a few years ago. But when things don't turn out the way I hope or expect they will, it really doesn't bother me anymore, and I'm amazed by this.
Another benefit is just to meet people. When I make friends through laughter yoga, I feel like these are really good friendships, because they come from a very happy place. We have been able to unite in something that is joyful and uplifting. I get to know a lot of people like this, and it's awesome.
Even my health has improved. I had quite a tough time when I was growing up, so I had accumulated all sorts of stuff that was stuck, and the laughing really helped to release this. It hasn't always been so easy, because it can sometimes spark off strong feelings of sadness, or whatever. But I recognise that this is a very powerful way to allow those things to come out.
It also makes me more creative in the way that I speak and the way that I interact and respond to people. Through laughing practice, one can also develop more of a sense of humour, I think. I get ideas that will come to me when I'm more spontaneous, that wouldn't have been there if I hadn't allowed myself to be playful.
Do you see any parallels between playfulness and creativity in general?
I see joy and playfulness as some kind of gateway. It's like a door, in a way. And one can go into that space. This is what I do. I put myself in that space deliberately. And there are different ways you can do this: you can do it by laughing, or singing or dancing. It's like a gateway to the imagination. If one is feeling tight or tense, ideas don't come, so it's a very good practice for writing or art or any activity where you want to be able to get into your right brain. When we're playful, there is not much logical left-brain practical type of thinking going on. So it's a way to bypass that part and get to the other part of the mind, which is more spontaneous and free.
What made you start coaching?
If I think of how I relate to other people, I have always found myself in a position where I am listening very carefully to other people and sometimes offering some solutions when people get stuck. So this was always my natural personality. When I started to see that happening more and more and more by itself, I thought let's go and do the qualification, so I can call myself a life coach, and then I can actually earn a living from doing this, instead of just doing it all the time for free.
One of the things you do is to coach people who dream of starting a creative business. What would you say are the most common obstacles these people are facing?
I think the obstacles are always internal obstacles. When we do a bit of digging around, it always comes back to an internal obstacle. It's quite amazing with business. As soon as you decide to become an entrepreneur and create your own business, then all that stuff comes up. Anything that's trapped from your childhood, any fears or beliefs that you've picked up somewhere, from your community or your family, it's going to come up and show up in your own business. So, emotion. That's the common one.
What is your own greatest challenge right now?
Something I'm still learning to get better at is how to manage my time more effectively. In the beginning of the year I had set a resolution, which has now somehow disappeared, that I would only start replying to messages after 11 am in the morning, and I would use that initial time to do my own creative work. And I still haven't quite got this right, so that I'm able to just shut the world off for a short time, and do my own work and then come back. I still feel like I'm going between the two, which is not time-efficient at all.
Looking ahead, how do you see your life and business evolving over the next few years?
Oh, I see myself growing a nice, big laughter yoga business. Like a giant sized. I also teach a laughter dance class, which is my own class that I've created, and I believe this is just from opening my right brain, that all these ideas came to me and I created this laughter dance. So, I want to put down some roots somewhere and openly declare my laughter school. And do laughing and dancing and coaching together, somehow. So I'm going to build a giant school. That's my vision.


text:
Q: Updating a progress bar while wpf data binding is taking place (in c#) EDIT - After playing around with a bunch of potential solutions (using backgroundworker and separate threads) I've found the key issue here is getting the data binding to be 'interrupted'. Since the progress bar is an animated circle (not a percent complete) it needs to respond to a timer event at consistent intervals to smoothly animate (which is why I can't data bind one by one and then send a 'progress' update back to the ui thread). Does anyone know of away to allow an animation to take place while data binding is going on? Thanks again for everyone's input!
Original Q -
I bind a large dataset to a WPF list box which can take a long time (more than ten seconds). While the the data is being bound I'd like to display a circular progress bar
I can't get the progress bar to show while the data binding is occurring, even though I am trying to do the binding in a backgroundworker. I tested it by making the first line of the backgroundworkd's dowork event a Thread.Sleep(5000) and sure enough the progress bar started spinning for that duration only to freeze while when the binding started.
Is this because both the databinding and the UI updating have to occur on the same thread? Any ideas on how to work around it?
Thanks for your help!!

A: A good introduction to working with the WPF Dispatcher and a progress bar can be found in the CodeProject article: WPF ProgressBar
The article is quite short, but provides a great starting point for updating a WPF UI while work needs to be done in the background.
Remember: By default, all work is done on the UI thread in WPF.

A: Use an adorner layer and put your progress indicator in that- that will allow it to overlay the controls on the screen and still respond. Load your data on a back thread and periodically update the control you are displaying your results in (i would also recommend using a virtualizing stack panel as your item panel). This way you can keep the progress indicator in the foreground on a timer for animation and push the incoming data to the results view using the dispatcher and a delgate. We implemented a similar solution for a client (large amounds of data coming in via java web services and spooled to grid- progressive discolsure ;)) and it worked like a champ.

A: The binding will occur on the UI thread, so you should update your progress bar through the BackgroundWorker, and use Dispatcher.Invoke to get it onto the UI thread.

A: It's likely not to be the binding, but the creation of the controls for the binding - the rendering of the control.
Have you tried using a VirtualisingStackPanel as your ItemsPanel?  If it's a rendering bottleneck you might find this improves things.

A: The animation will only happen when the UI thread is idle. That's why using a thread or TaskFactory.StartNew(...) will help. If you bind the progress bar's value to a property and update it from a task or background thread, you will get nice and smooth animations. :)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Lets Talk About "Aircraft Carriers: Lets Check out the Changes"
I summoned a fighter group over the enemy CV and this happened.
Looks like it was temporary, it's back up now Tier 6 is a little obnoxious to play with the 2 torpedo attacks. The torps are very slow and there's quite a gap between them. Tier 10 with 4 torpedoes felt about right, and honestly they don't seem to do a huge amount of damage, so I think there should be some readjustment. Maybe 2 is 4-5, three torps is 6-8? You have to fly straight for a decent distance, so I've found it hard to turn around and attack someone again anyway. Either way, the lower tiers need to feel a little stronger, as currently I feel like CVs are overly punishing until you get to tier 8 or so on live. At least, I had way more fun with the current RTS CVs once I got to tier 7 or so. Then again, maybe we'll get used to the controls and make it work. I feel like I am garbage at this but I've only played 4 games so far. Also, didn't the news item covering the basic controls mention being able to use other consumables on planes? Can't swap them out right now, but I imagine that's one knob too many for them to test right now.
Edinburgh has repair party, the super duper version at that. I won't deny that it's very powerful though.


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									],

		// Theme Options
		progress_bar			:	1,			// Timer for each slide
		mouse_scrub				:	0

	});
});