text:
An Overview of Hookworm
More in Infectious Diseases
More Infectious Diseases
Foodborne Infections
Rare Infections
Travelers' Health
Robyn Correll, MPH
Robyn Correll, MPH holds a master of public health degree and has over a decade of experience working in the prevention of infectious diseases.
Medically reviewed by Richard N. Fogoros, MD on October 03, 2018
Hookworm is an intestinal parasite that affects roughly half a billion people globally. Once widespread in the United States, hookworm infections now disproportionately impact poor areas with limited access to sanitation and medical care. The worm's larvae live in contaminated soil, primarily infecting people by burrowing through the bottoms of their bare feet.
Despite a safe and effective treatment available, there are an estimated 576–740 million people currently infected with hookworm worldwide, making it one of the most common neglected tropical diseases impacting humans.
While most people with hookworm infections don't have any symptoms, those with long-term infections can experience lifelong issues as a result, especially children.
Illustration by JR Bee, Verywell
Not everyone infected with hookworm will get symptoms. When they do, it's often itchiness or a rash at the site where the larvae penetrated the skin (typically on the bottom of the foot). Those heavily infected, however, might experience:
While most people who are infected don't experience any symptoms at all, the disease can cause serious damage if left untreated—especially for pregnant women and young children. Over time, the worms feed on human tissue, resulting in internal blood loss, malnutrition, and anemia. The long-term impact of which can result in serious consequences for children's physical growth and cognitive development.
Two types of hookworm infect humans: Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus. The adult and larvae stage of the worms live in the human intestine and can spread through contaminated soil.
There are two primary ways people become infected with hookworms: skin-to-soil and ingestion through contaminated food or water sources.
Skin-to-soil: Hookworms live in soil contaminated with fecal matter. When humans walk barefoot in the soil, the worm's larvae burrow their way through the foot and into the body.
Ingestion: When people defecate outside in the soil or use their stool as fertilizer, hookworm eggs can contaminate food or water sources and be re-ingested or ingested by others.
The Life Cycle of the Hookworm
The life cycle of the hookworm looks a lot like those of other intestinal parasites. The eggs of the worm are present in infected individuals' feces. When they defecate out in the open (rather in than in a toilet or latrine) or the stool is collected to use as fertilizer, the eggs get into the soil.
Over time, the eggs hatch and release larvae, which then continue to mature. When people place their skin in contact with the soil—such as walking barefoot or when children play in the dirt—the larvae penetrate the skin to get inside the human body. The same can happen if people eat food or drink water that has been contaminated with eggs that might have been in the soil. In either case, the larvae make their way to the intestines, where they mature into adults and lay eggs, continuing the cycle.
Why Neglected Tropical Diseases Impact so Many People
Diagnosing hookworm is a relatively straightforward and simple process. Doctors or other health care providers take a stool sample and look for hookworm eggs under a microscope. Because it can be tough to spot the eggs if the infection is light, the CDC recommends that health care providers or lab techs use a concentration procedure to increase the chances the eggs will be seen.
Multiple treatment options are available for hookworm, including some that can treat the infection in just one dose. Because these treatment options are safe and effective, they are often given preemptively to individuals without a diagnosis or delivered to whole communities on an annual basis to keep infections under control.
Hookworm can be treated easily with a number of anthelminthic medications—like albendazole, mebendazole, and pyrantel pamoate—designed to rid the body of the parasites. These drugs are taken by mouth over the course of one or three days, depending on the type of medication and its dose, and can be given to kids as young as one year old.
For kids, pregnant women, or others who develop anemia as a result of hookworm infection, health care providers will often prescribe an iron supplement in addition to an anti-worm medication. These supplements help restore the body's iron stores, which are essential to making red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body.
Preventive Chemotherapy
An important part of treating hookworm is preventing future infections. Unlike viruses or other germs, you can get sick with hookworm over and over again throughout your lifetime. The best way to prevent hookworm is for people to defecate in toilets or outhouses rather than open soil and avoid using human feces as fertilizer. That, however, isn't always practical for some communities.
Instead of (and in addition to) better sanitation, high-risk groups like kids and pregnant or nursing women are treated preemptively. These individuals have not yet been diagnosed with hookworm, but because the risks of the parasite are greater than the risks of the medication, they are given the treatment to treat any infections they might have.
Mass Drug Administrations
Another tactic used to treat hookworm and other worms transmitted via contaminated soil is to give medications to whole communities proactively. The drugs used to treat these infections are inexpensive, often donated, and safe with few side effects.
As a result, countries can slow or halt the spread of the worm in a given population by providing medication periodically, such as once a year. Health care providers, community health workers, or others visit households one by one to administer treatment for hookworm and other neglected tropical diseases.
10 Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Infectious Diseases
While no longer common in the United States, hookworm—along with other soil-transmitted helminths—continues to be a major cause of illness worldwide, especially among those with poor access to sanitation and effective treatment. It's relatively uncommon for travelers to areas with hookworm to become infected, so long as they wear shoes while walking outside and thoroughly wash uncooked food. That said, if you have any symptoms of hookworm, see your doctor right away to be tested for the worm and, if necessary, get treatment.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Parasites - hookworm.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Neglected tropical diseases: The burden of hookworm 404 404.
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An Overview of Onchocerciasis (River Blindness)
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Cholera: Causes and Risk Factors
Causes and Risk Factors of Tapeworms
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Tapeworm Infection: Signs, Symptoms, and Complications
What Should Everyone Know About Diarrhea?
How a Tapeworm Infection Is Diagnosed
Toxoplasmosis Risks Most People Are Unaware Of


Already overwhelmed with the intensity of the sub-continent, none are prepared for the devastation when the Asian Tsunami crashes into their lives. Deeply affected after their short involvement with the cleanup and relief effort, their journey takes on new meaning. In keeping with the Indian tradition of ritual and 'puja', they are moved to carry Tsunami water across the country; from the Bay of Bengal to Arabian Sea while exploring the back roads of village India scattered throughout this ancient land.


Americans spend a lot of money each year on products to keep their home clean, protected from germs and smelling fresh. However, many cleaning products contain ingredients that are both dangerous for the environment, your family and pets. Green cleaning products are one of the best solutions to improve the health of your home as well as reduce the impact on the environment. ServiceMaster Recovery By Close we feel it's important to offer certified green cleaning products that are environmentally conscious and safe for humans, their pets and the environment.
Currently, ingredient labels are not required by law for cleaning products. Some companies choose to be upfront and share their ingredient list, while others opt for a partial list or complete secrecy. ServiceMaster Clean only uses products certified by Environmental Choice and Green Seal, two of the leading environmental organizations.
ServiceMaster Clean® has developed the most advanced products and methods to make green cleaning as effective as traditional cleaning for your home. We use detergent-free cleaning products with FDA-approved ingredient lists. These green products do not have surfactants or wetting agents, which often contain chemicals harmful to the environment. Cleaning agents containing chemicals such as phosphorus and nitrogen travel down the drain and into your area's water supply, creating adverse effects.
In between professional cleanings, you can still clean green. Ditch the chemical-laden cleaners and opt for more natural cleaning agents such as baking soda, distilled white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and lemon juice. Baking soda and white vinegar mixed together as a paste cleans grout, while hydrogen peroxide is ideal for removing coffee rings from counter tops. Add lemon juice to an in-sink disposal to keep it smelling fresh.
Did you know that green carpet cleaning is equally effective as traditional carpet cleaning? It will leave your carpets brighter and smelling fresh without the use of chemicals that can trigger asthma and various allergy symptoms.
If you're ready to try green cleaning in your home, including healthier green carpet cleaning, call 315-458-3355. ServiceMaster Recovery By Close is wants to make it easier for you to do what's smart for your home and what's right for the planet. For more information about ServiceMaster Clean green cleaning options, visit www.gogreenwithclean.com.


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text:
CFP: RHOME 2023 Conference
December 30, 2022 Deirdre Call for Papers
Representations of Home in Literatures and Cultures in English. (Dis)locations: The Shifting Thematics of Home. The conference will take place at the School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon, on the 22nd and 23rd June 2023.
The ULICES Representations of Home research project addresses issues of identity and belonging in different geo-political, socio-cultural contexts of countries where English is or has become a language of communication.
Since its formation in 2013, the project has explored this theme as represented in literature, the visual arts and culture, but also from a social, political and historical perspective. The idea of home branches out in many directions, is multi-layered and ongoing. Its multiple interpretations range from more objective, when dealing with voluntary and involuntary migration and exile, war, conflict, abuse, trauma, demographic evolution and the effects of climate change, while the more subjective representations deal with the ideal, imaginary, remembered and desired home.
Location is fundamental to any of the readings of "home." It is implicit that knowing where one belongs implies recognising where one does not belong, and the problem of being removed from such a place. However, it is important to deconstruct the assumption that there are boundaries and limitations to the possibilities of home or to where one belongs and does not belong. Bill Ashcroft has argued for less focus on boundaries than on a stance of "outwardness" (2001, 204-5), while Bhabha has long debated for the recognition of cultural hybridity in contemporary society, and the acceptance of diversity (1994, 114), while arguing for an ethics of reading unhomely fiction: "To live in the unhomely world, to find its ambivalences and ambiguities enacted in the house of fiction, or its sundering and splitting performed in the work of art, is also to affirm a profound desire for social solidarity" (1992, 18).
Acknowledging place(s), space(s) or community as home simultaneously embraces actions of searching and anchoring, movement and non-movement, centring and decentring, whether individually or in a group, which empirically and symbolically attribute meaning to that or various locations and dislocations. The postmodern and postcolonial subject, described by de Medeiros as the "shattered postcolonial Self" (2018, 23), has shifted beyond the realm of the "monocultural, monoethnic, and monolingual" (30) and perhaps the same can be said of place. Divergent and shifting meanings attached to a specific place may be the reason for (dis)location or relocation. More subjective forms of (dis)location also exist through the reconstruction of the past and construction of the present and future, a function of cultural memory. Concepts as "rhizomic anchoring" (Deleuze and Guattari, 1987), "topophilia" (Yi-Fu Tuan, 1974; 1977) and "un-homing" (Elliott-Cooper, Hubbard, and Lees, 2019), among others, also allow for a shift from the question about origins to that of destination (cf. Nicolas Bourriaud, 2009).
For the RHOME project's next conference, which will take place in Lisbon in June 2023, we invite contributions on representations of home and the thematics of dislocation in English-speaking communities.
Possible topics to explore within this theme:
Home and (non-)belonging
Home and hospitality
Home and migration
Home, war and the refugees
Home and nationalisms
Home, language and identity
Home and the body
Imaginary homes/homelands
Home and nature
Home and the Anthropocene
Home, memory and affect
Theresa Heyd (Austria)
Alexa Weik von Mossner (Austria)
Yvonne Adhiambo Owuo (Kenya)
Creative writing workshops with Margarida Vale de Gato and Lesley Saunders will take place on June 21st.
MORE DETAILS HERE
dislocations, HOME

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


In 2002, The Discovery Channel hired me to go up the Khumbu Valley to document the American Women's Expedition's efforts on the south side. I produced dozens of short films like this one for Discovery.com, and filmed for an upcoming feature film about the expedition. In the end, the ladies came just 300 vertical feet short of the summit, and the film was never made. No one died, so you likely never heard of the expedition. Fine by me.


text:
Home Author Joseph Prince Net Worth, Wiki, Wife, Daughters, Son
Joseph Prince Net Worth, Wiki, Wife, Daughters, Son
Joseph Prince Wikis
Personal Life: Wife, Daughter, Son
Joseph Prince's Net Worth: $5 million
Name Joseph Prince
Profession Religious Leader, Author
Joseph is the co-founder and head pastor of New Creation Church in Singapore. He was born in Singapore but spent most of his youth in Malaysia. Before becoming pastor, Joseph was an IT consultant having studied it while at school.
In 1983, he and his friends started the New Creation Church in response to the congregations' pleas for more engaging and interactive preaching.
In 1990, Joseph was promoted to the senior pastor and left his IT job to work full time for the church. Since his appointment, the church has amassed a tremendous global following due to his engaging and motivational reaching.
Currently, he preaches across different countries in the world and also enjoys a viewership of millions in over 150 countries. He heads the Joseph Prince Ministries Inc., a nonprofit, that preaches inspiration and the importance of being closer to God.
Joseph was born Xenonamandar Jegahusiee Singhin, to a Sikh father and a Chinese mother.
He officially changed his name upon turning 17, to better fit in the corporate world.
Joseph is married to Wendy, and they have two children, a daughter named Jessica and a son Justin. Wendy is a stay at home mom but also offers counsel to the congregation of her husband's church.
Joseph's father was a Sikh Priest, and this contributed immensely to his interest in religion. In interviews, Joseph often speaks of the religious upbringing that he had when growing up and credits his parents for instilling these values in him.
Related Jon Provost Net Worth: How Rich is Jon Provost Actually?
Joseph is estimated to have a net worth of 5 million dollars. The majority of his wealth is a result of his pastoral work.
He earns a reported $560,000 annually due to his various speaking engagements and preaching. He is great friends with the world's leading evangelists such as Joel Osteen and has been invited to preach at sermons around the globe.
Destined to Reign, a television program by Joseph is shown across 150 countries and also available to stream online.
Two of his books, Unmerited Favor and Destined to Reign: The secret of effortless success, have become bestsellers according to various Christian websites.
In total, he has published 15 books that enjoy a worldwide distribution and sell millions of copies.
Joseph's earnings also come from his attendance as a keynote speaker at conferences across the world, such as the Hope Conference in Johannesburg.
There has been controversy about Joseph's earnings. Many publications claim that he is overpaid for his services to the church. An official statement released by his home church denied these claims and stated that Joseph had not received a salary since 2009.
Joseph is known for his charisma and often features in the top 10 lists of the wealthiest pastors from time to time. He dedicates most of his time to his family, and they are often seen together whenever he is not working.
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text:
Q: Nasa Rss feed Sax parsing error I am trying to write a java program for reading NASA Rss feed.The code works but when the code encounters   's   symbol ,it doesnot read the entire line.
For example-"A new NASA study finds the last remaining section of Antarctica&#039 ;s Larsen B Ice Shelf, which partially collapsed in 2002, is quickly weakening and likely to disintegrate completely before the end of the decade".
In this above line the code does not read the entire line after Antartica.
What is the problem with the code ???How can I fix it???
Without the &#039 ;s  symbol the code works fine.
The link to the feed:"http://www.nasa.gov/rss/dyn/earth.rss"
package xmlparseprac;

import org.xml.sax.Attributes;
import org.xml.sax.SAXException;
import org.xml.sax.helpers.DefaultHandler;

public class Handler extends DefaultHandler {
boolean mtitle=false;
boolean mdescription=false;
boolean mitem;

@Override
public void startDocument() throws SAXException {
    super.startDocument();
    System.out.println("Starting...");
}

@Override
public void endDocument() throws SAXException {
    super.endDocument();
    System.out.println("Ending...");
}

@Override
public void startElement(String string, String string1, String string2, Attributes atrbts) throws SAXException {
    super.startElement(string, string1, string2, atrbts);
    if(string2.equalsIgnoreCase("item")){mitem=true;}
    if(string2.equalsIgnoreCase("title")){mtitle=true;}
    if(string2.equalsIgnoreCase("description")){mdescription=true;}
}

@Override
public void endElement(String string, String string1, String string2) throws SAXException {
    super.endElement(string, string1, string2);
    if(string2.equalsIgnoreCase("item")){mitem=false;}
    if(string2.equalsIgnoreCase("title")){mtitle=false;}
    if(string2.equalsIgnoreCase("description")){mdescription=false;}
}

@Override
public void characters(char[] chars, int i, int i1) throws SAXException {
    super.characters(chars, i, i1);
    if(mtitle==true && mitem==true){
        String s=new String(chars, i, i1);
        System.out.println("Title:"+s);
        mtitle=false;}
    if(mdescription==true && mitem==true){
        String s=new String(chars, i, i1);
        System.out.println("Description:"+s);
        mdescription=false;
    }
}

}

A: I finally found the answer to my question.
link:"http://www.javaexperience.com/strip-invalid-characters-from-xml/"
link:"https://commons.apache.org/proper/commons-lang/javadocs/api-3.1/org/apache/commons/lang3/StringEscapeUtils.html"
The commons apache-lang-StringEscapeUitls library contains a method called unescapeHtml4 .It removes the html encoding characters like &#039 etc with 's and other equivalent characters.Just convert the URL inputstream to a string and use the unescapeHtml14 function to the string and extract a inputstream from it and call the parse function with the inputstream as parameter.Thanks @duffymo for informing me about the "magic characters".

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home Kids Elementary University of Tennessee Turns Bullied Student's Homemade Logo T-Shirt Into Official School...
University of Tennessee Turns Bullied Student's Homemade Logo T-Shirt Into Official School Swag
As a parent, one of the hardest things about your child attending school is the reality that other kids can be bullies. You raise your young child to be express his or her unique self- to create, to explore, and to dream.
And kids feel free to express themselves… until a peer shuts them down. A negative reaction from classmates can be enough to squash a child's courage to stand out from the crowd- sometimes permanently.
A boy was bullied by classmates for the makeshift University of Tennessee logo that he created to wear on his t-shirt at school, and UT has officially adopted his design for their new t-shirts.
It was "College Colors Day" at Altamonte Elementary School in Altamonte Springs, FL, and one (unnamed) student decided to create his own design to represent his very favorite college team, the University of Tennessee's (UT) Volunteers.
First of all, you've got to give this kid props just for putting in his own effort to prepare for a school dress-up day. My kids' school has many of these type of "costume" days, & it usually requires a last-minute scramble to acquire the items needed for that day's theme.
But this young man was clearly on the ball. He was thrilled at the prospect of representing for his beloved UT Volunteers, but unfortunately didn't own any college apparel. Rather than let that deter him, he decided to make his own!
The boy told his teacher that he owned an orange t-shirt -UT's school color. His plan was to create his own "UT" logo on paper and to pin it on the front of his orange shirt.
Photo Credit: Laura Snyder (Facebook)
Most adults would be impressed by his dedication. His teacher, Laura Synder, felt the same. As Snyder explained in her Facebook post about the incident:
So when the day finally arrived, he was SO EXCITED to show me his shirt.
I was impressed that he took it one step further to make his own label.
But sadly, not everyone was impressed. In fact, several of the boy's classmates made fun of his sign at lunchtime.
As parents, we know that the crappy-kid-stuff goes down at lunchtime; it's a jungle out there! We also know how devastating this kind of mean teasing can be for a young child.
And the boy was devastated.
After lunch, he came back to my room, put his head on on his desk and was crying.
UGH. Just reading that makes me want to bear-hug this sweet, heartbroken little boy, while simultaneously wanting to throat-punch the mean girls that ridiculed him.
But here's where good teachers use their gift to transform the lives of their students:
Feeling heartbroken for the boy, teacher Laura Snyder planned to buy him a UT shirt, & created a public Facebook post to request assistance from anyone with UT connections to perhaps "make it a little extra special".
University of Tennessee officials caught wind of Synder's request. And they hooked their loyal fan up…. BIG TIME.
UT sent the student a huge care package crammed full of official UT swag & goodies, which he & Snyder opened in the school's main office. In her Facebook post, she said that:
He proudly put on the jersey and one of the many hats in the box.
All who saw had either goosebumps or tears while we explained that he had inspired and touched the lives of so many people.
And the really cool part?
The package was then brought up to Snyder's classroom, where the bounty of swag was shared, compliments of the student.
When we brought the box upstairs to share with the rest of my class they were surprised as well!!
How you like them apples, mean girls??
Then the fun part set in.. my student got to pass out UT swag to his classmates. And as Snyder described, his classmates were not only grateful for his generosity, but amazed that UT thought highly enough of him to send the swag in the first place:
it made this teacher so proud to see the kids congratulating my student. High fives, hugs, pats on the back could be seen from the kids.
But there's more… here's the BEST part.
UT was determined to use the boy's story as an example of how to slay the bullies.
University of Tennessee officials announced on Twitter that they would be using the boy's original "UT" pencil sketch as the logo for an official UT t-shirt.
You asked for it, and @UTVolShop made it happen. ?? https://t.co/nBGYmyooC1
— UT Knoxville (@UTKnoxville) September 6, 2019
Laura Snyder updated her Facebook post to thank everyone for the outpouring of support that the boy's story received.
She also said that not only was the experience a unifying one for her entire class, but that the boy himself was changed by the experience:
When I told him that his design was being made into a real shirt and people wanted to wear it, his jaw dropped.
He had a big smile on his face, walked taller, and I could tell his confidence grew today!
It's truly a heartwarming story on so many levels: the kindness of a teacher. The dedication of social media and college officials in affirming the boy's efforts to create his own special shirt.
It's also a powerful lesson for would-be bullies that letting others shine their own special light without ridicule can be very rewarding.
9/6/19 – UT really outdid themselves?!! I was so excited to surprise my student today!! I'm not even sure I can put…
Posted by Laura Snyder on Wednesday, September 4, 2019
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text: Michelle Edwards beame the Head of School in 2020, after serving as the Assistant Head of School since June 2017. She previously served as the Director of Curriculum and Faculty Development, and Head Toddler Teacher at WHMS. Prior to Woodland Hill, Michelle was the Head Toddler Teacher at Our World Montessori for five years. She also served as a teacher trainer and mentor teacher. Previoulsy, Michelle was an elementary teacher in San Antonio and in Niskayuna for six years. Michelle was a teacher trainer at the Center for Montessori Teacher Education from 2009-2012, a mentor teacher at Trinity University in San Antonio from 1998-2000, and a field consultant for The Montessori Center of the Rockies from 2014-2015. She has a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Grove City College in Pennsylvania, CMTE Toddler Certification, a master's degree in Educational Administration program at Lamar University, and holds an AMS Infant and Toddler certificate.


text:
BRMC's response to the repeal of Section 377A
The Government has announced that it will repeal Section 377A of the Penal Code, which criminalises sex between men. At the same time, it has promised to protect the definition of marriage from being challenged constitutionally in the courts (1).
In response, the pastoral leadership of Barker Road Methodist Church stands in alignment with the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) and the Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS). We understand "same-sex sexual acts as contrary to God's order" and affirm "the position of one man and one woman in a monogamous marriage relationship"(2).
We note the rationale and reasoning behind the repeal, and "trust that this decision was not taken lightly" (3). Members and visitors are encouraged to refer to the detailed statements put out by NCCS and MCS to better understand our position in light of more debates to come, within and without the church.
The decision to repeal s377A is contentious and potentially divisive. The pastors would like to encourage our congregational family at BRMC to recognise God's sovereignty, and to uphold one another in love and compassion whilst we seek to live out God's standards of holiness.
As we continue to promote our understanding of family, please pray for divine wisdom for the leaders of our country, community and homes.
"Though we walk a long and broken road
We are here to bear each other's load
And forgive as You've forgiven us
Let us walk in love for we are one"
(Excerpt from "We Are One (In the Father's Love)" by Emu Music;
Theme song of BRMC Sermon Series 2022: We Are Family)(4)
(1) PM Lee's NDR speech: https://www.pmo.gov.sg/Newsroom/National-Day-Rally-2022-English
(2) The National Council of Churches of Singapore Response to Government's Decision on the Repeal of Section 377A: https://nccs.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/NCCS-EngChi-Stmt-on-s377A-20220823.pdf
(3) MCS Response to the Repeal of S377A of the Penal Code: https://www.methodist.org.sg/index.php/what-s-happening/789-mcs-response-to-repeal-of-section-377a-penal-code
(4) BRMC Sermon Recordings & Study Guides: https://www.brmc.org.sg/services/sermons/


text:
lilmanjs
Location : kansas, U.S.A
Hobbie : playing wolf3d addons like crazy
Message : what would we do without wolf3d?
by lilmanjs on Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:28 pm
@Dark_wizzie wrote: Wlhack seems to hav vanished.
He's alive and well and somebody told me that he's not doing wolf3d stuff anymore. just his own video games. So sad because he had some amazing coding going on and had proof that it was working for TMU. I wish he'd stay around because he was one of those coders that wasn't just good, but was able to create new features nobody thought possible! Maybe someday he'll return and finish Trail of Schabbs. We can only hope!
Mods being worked on:
The Mutant Uprising, Final Fight 2
Mod ideas:
Stargate SG-1 addon, Mega Man addon
Team Aardwolf Mods:
The Mutant Uprising, Ghost
Mods being worked on with other people:
Return to Castle Hollehammer with Raziel A. (Karharis)
Award winning mods:
The Final Fight
by WolferCooker on Fri Nov 30, 2012 2:35 pm
It's very sad that WLHack decided to stop making Wolf3d mods. I honestly hope WSJ didn't/doesn't go down the same path.
by ronwolf1705 on Fri Nov 30, 2012 2:40 pm
Just become someone rarely posts does not mean they aren't working on something. WLHack always had the intention to return to work on Trail of Schabbs, but I don't see it happening.
by WolfForever on Fri Nov 30, 2012 8:57 pm
I must really need to try Michael Collin's sets again. Quite honestly, I probably like at least 95% of what Thomas does. And I had even talked a long time ago about my backtracking problems with these sets. No one else sees them as anything, while I recall them as being a virtual show stopper. Maybe I just don't have enough patience or this just rubbed against some pet peeve in the wrong way. I can admit they are very well designed otherwise, I certainly don't debate that. And they (at least Nazis with Attitude) have true bosses - they take a LOT of punishment, and boy do I mean it.
Maybe someday, sometime WLHack will come back. He had a decent (but not the best) episode in the community map pack as well (E5, I think). And I'm sure Trail of Schabbs was going to be a masterwork. Shame. The only thing he needed but didn't have was SDL; DosBOX always gave me some bugginess in his sets (False Spear, which has not been covered yet but will be when the time comes, being the biggest one).
WSJ would be another terrible author to lose. Even with a few bugs, I felt Totenkopf SDL was his best mod (Coming of the Storm is really not that far behind though) and even a similar treatment to his other Dos mods would come out with amazing results, let alone a brand new SDL mod. But while I would not recommend bothering with the Dos version of Castle Totenkopf if you've played Totenkopf SDL, the converse of this is very false: Totenkopf SDL is a complete need to play game whether you've played Dos or not.Saying it's a pass if you've played Dos would be like saying that, if someone made all the maps in RTCW in the Wolf3D engine and you played them, then RTCW offers nothing new at all. Not a perfect analogy, but clearly that would be a false statement. Anyways, back on topic, I just know WSJ started good right at the gate and his last two sets were just outright fantastic, top five or ten material even, and I could only imagine what he could come up with if he decided to do some more work with SDL. I don't even see how you could easily top Coming of the Storm as it is, but I'm sure if he gave it the Totenkopf treatment it would blow it right out of the water. WSJ really showed he knew how to take SDL to the limit even in its early (albeit rapidly gaining popularity) life cycle. While off topic here, I'm surprised every time I look at some of the stuff we have now, and recall that just a little over three short years ago I don't think there was a single SDL download out there (NovoWolf might have been the first?).
And yes (as Thomas mentioned), Spear Revisited was a very solid one overall too, though it was never ported to SDL yet Sextilogy was.
Yet clearly it's not time to move to 2006 yet...the best is yet to come and won't it be fine!...
by WolferCooker on Sat Dec 01, 2012 11:23 am
Well we DHWs aren't getting any younger. It's only natural we get bored of Wolf3d eventually in our lives.
by Thomas on Sat Dec 01, 2012 3:35 pm
Damn straight. WSJ is not on leave or away or anything, he's just keeping a low profile. He posted a screenshot about a year ago or something where... Don't know how to explain it. But it was like in DooM, you could stand on top of something, as if there were 2 floors. But it was Wolf.
by ronwolf1705 on Sat Dec 01, 2012 3:55 pm
I remember him referring to it as a 'visual enhancement', and the visual was definitely enhanced. I *believe* it to be a remake of one of his old mods again, like Totenkopf SDL. But man, WSJ is still the best all-round modder right? Coding, graphics, maps, music... all his.
Yes, definitely. Spear Resurrection/End of Destiny were joint efforts - WSJ has always done everything by himself. Truly admirable, one of a kind. I hope all this flattery won't reach negative heights though, relying on expectations can sometimes result in fear of flaws. But I think that's near impossible with that guy.
I think the guy's a fucking genius, one thing I especially admire is his attention to small little things that enhance a mod so much... like in Totenkopf 4SDL when the soldiers are talking when they're searching for you, or the boss taunts. That's just small touches that really stand out to me and make a mod just that tad more special.
WSJ is so cool. He must have like a thousand chicks on speed dial.
I'm sure he has found a way to code that into his life.
Last two posts are the exact reason why I love this forum.
I don't recall the boss taunts though.
by WolfForever on Sat Dec 01, 2012 5:43 pm
Think I'm about ready to close out 2007 and move on to 2006? No - not so far...the best [of 2007] is yet to come and won't it be fine!
We need Chokster on here!!!
by Guest on Sun Dec 02, 2012 6:09 am
Hi Pedro!
Last edited by Chokster37 on Sat Feb 08, 2014 12:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
It's fine WSJ keeps a low profile, but someone should get him to join here too since most of us (obviously except me) use DHW.
by Thomas on Sun Dec 02, 2012 8:11 am
I think that should be his own choice. It's not as if he's frequently at DHW either.
by WolferCooker on Sun Dec 02, 2012 3:50 pm
Indeed, but it's just not the same without him.
by WolfForever on Sun Dec 02, 2012 4:25 pm
Okay time for the conclusion of 2007! And the one I didn't cover is none but:
Feb 2007: All this and Wolf3d!
Well I could ignore a few levels near the end, and say that this is just typical very high quality Thomas work, because that's really exactly what it is and shouldn't imply any negativity at all. Of course I'd have to give it the mention for being the most levels in any set to date though.
Then you reach Level 68. And you wonder why everything is so all of a sudden different. Shading and ghosts, and a new music. Who allowed that to get in here?? But honestly besides those few weird things it's just another level. Nothing big (in fact it's somewhat small).
A little later you find the exit, and press the spacebar [or mouse button] a couple times to get into and past the statistics screen. And right away you notice a couple awfully weird things, that you wouldn't know about unless you'd already heard or read about them, or watched Balames87 play these levels a couple years ago for stathmk. An unusually stretched screen. Another new music track. A timer in the bottom corner. And if you try pressing Esc, Pause, or any F-keys, you'll notice something more: either they don't work or force you to lose a life when you return!
That's just some abbreviated comments to wet appetites from a full blog post of mine you can read here	.
[reading blog post...]
And by now you should already get the point: This is one mighty weird and unique level. Certainly not one of the excellent, but normal, levels that Thomas makes. I feel too bad for never doing Part 2 yet. But I can put summary comments on here.
After you walk through either one of the portals, you are in a room that looks identical to the start of the original's E3L4. And there's another timer in the bottom of the screen. Yes - you are on another time limit - but it's a mighty long one compared to before. And you have work to do.
I still don't feel like spoiling the rest in its entirety, but this is only a partial list of some of the stuff you'll find as you play through the rest:
-At least three more oddly familiar looking areas.
-The Doom Space Marine and Duke, some of BJ's greatest spiritual successors.
-Pictures of girls you must press that act like switches.
-You'll be feeling deja vu in this level itself at some point...
-You might think another gold or silver key is useless when you already have one. But it is really?
-At some point, probably as you near the end of the girl portrait hunt, you'll emerge back into the same room before you entered one of the black holes. You'll see a band of guards, and yes, it's really a band.
-Got the clock stopped? Well there's even more surprises, and I'm not spoiling them all! At least there are some thing you can do again now, but you'd better be daring enough to risk all your progress to find out, and you'd better not guess wrong or you'll lose a lot of work. The first time I played, I sure wasn't willing to risk a thing.
-For kicks, play again and let the timer run low (and out) on you.
-Exited with all 100% ratios? You might notice something different coming from your speakers.
-And too many other weird things and easter eggs to even put a number on. I'm not spoiling another one!
Perhaps at first you were frustrated with how hard it was, or maybe you enjoyed the challenge. But after the dust settles, only one thought should remain in your mind: This level is pure genius. Like, the best thing made for Wolfenstein 3D. Ever. And do you recall the mod's name? It eerily fits the scene!
And a little playing time later, you'll be done with the mod. Don't expect another climax though, just another good piece of work by Thomas as you fight to the final boss. I don't think Level 69 is just the climax of the mod; it is the climax of custom Wolf3D modding altogether. I honestly think I've spent more time, and had more enjoyment, with this level than with all other 69 levels combined. And when Thomas is the mapper, that's quite a tall statement.
Eventually, I think you might even come around to thinking that everything Thomas did here is just a bonus in comparison! Not to discredit his excellent work at all, but it's hard not to think: if those other levels had all been terrible, but I know this level was something so special (yet had no spoilers as to just how), would I play the mod? Ultimately, I probably would.
There's no doubt ATAW is the best mod of 2007, since Level 69 alone is the most ingeniously amazing mod of all time. Possibly there is only one person in the community who can truly top that. And he has work in this mod.
And there it is, the ultimate 2007 grand finale I had promised and eluded to many times!
(Oh, and just as a side note, we're through 5 out of 10 years after this. Halfway done looking back.)
That level serious hurt my brain. I'm still revoering.
by Thomas on Sun Dec 02, 2012 5:09 pm
Chris really did capture the zeitgeist of modding, homages to the original levels and funny, interesting coding when he built that level. I truly love him for including that in one of my mods and for making it all come together that way.
Too bad this one hasn't turned up in SDL yet. I have not played level 69 in five years. Damn, I miss it. Had a ball winning that SoB with 95/100/100% on skill 4 back in the day.
@Thomas Once you stop the timer, you can roam wherever in the level you want. So 100/100/100 is always possible. And should you get it, there's yet another little surprise at the exit if you have your speakers on!
by Thomas on Mon Dec 03, 2012 1:54 am
I know there's a surprise. Just forgot what it is. Sometimes when running around the level, random sounds could be heard. And the cards... The music that changes... All the original levels... That turquoise, christmassy feeling like the first time you discover the secret pac man level...
ATAW really meant a lot to me, and I spent a full year on it on and off. Chris really saved the whole thing. Had it not been for him this had just been an average 60-level map set or less, or maybe just left in the gutter.
And since it came out I've tried to start another monster mod. Well, guess what. I'm trying to do so again. But I'm afraid that level 69 will remain a once-in-a-lifetime experience and will not be copycatted or mimicked. ATAW in an SDL port would be sweet. But I don't know who'll have the time to do so.
by WolfForever on Mon Dec 03, 2012 6:18 am
@Thomas While you have the right to have your own opinion of your own work, I (and others in the community for that matter) have repeatedly said that at least 90%, probably 95%, if not even more, of the stuff you release is good, very good, or even excellent, and completely worthwhile. Of everything you ever released under the name of Thomas, Quest for the General is the ONLY one I'd even start to think as to if it should have been "left in the gutter". And same goes for the releases you've made in the form of contributions to community projects.
ATAW is absolutely no exception at all, and it wouldn't be even if I completely took Level 69 out of the game. The fact that I focused so much on it doesn't mean the other 69 levels aren't (at least in a very vast majority of them) good, great, or even excellent levels. In fact, aside from one mazey level I cannot remember the number of but I think it was even worse than Level 9 of NovoWolf (but I understand if you feel you just must have that maze level in there somewhere, because you more than deserve that small piece of slack ), I do not recall a single one of the other 68 levels that I did not have an enjoyable experience playing. Rather, I only focused on that level so much cause it's so absolutely f*****g genius (IMO) that it makes even a normally excellent level seem perfectly ordinary in comparison.
Keep that in mind - the key term here is: "in comparison". It's like if I said a quadrillion (10^15) is very small in comparison to a googol (10^100). That would be absolutely true, but it doesn't mean that a quadrillion isn't still an absolutely massive number.
So Chris didn't "save it" at all IMO, simply because there was nothing that needed to be saved in the first place! He just took an already outstanding mod and injected something that managed to far exceed even it. His contribution would only have "saved" something that was otherwise mediocre or bad, and that certainly isn't ATAW.
by WolfForever on Tue Dec 04, 2012 9:47 pm
Well it's a bit late so I don't think I can get the whole year in but I thought I'd move this on and attack some of 2006:
Dec 2006: Archives Vol. II - This is an ack set. Need I say more? Maybe there are one or two levels not up to far but I can't really fault most of his work.
Sep 2006: Spear of Destiny Mappack - This is by Megabyte, from KFH Games, who later did Klooni and SoD Reloaded. It's just 21 new levels but they were about the right length and designed well IMO. Played in one or two sittings and enjoyed. Two bugs however: The secret exit on Level 12 isn't properly floor-coded, and the Spear takes you to a place where you're stuck in a wall. Pretty silly bugs to have but I still enjoyed it a lot. I also haven't checked to see if they might have been fixed. Also Sep 2006: Archives Vol. I - Just look at Vol. II. Almost the exact same thought work here.
Aug 2006: The False Spear - WLHack again! This was quite buggy in DosBOX for me and the bosses were FAR too easy but I did manage to play it through, have some fun, and appreciate the obvious work that went into it. Also Aug 2006: Wolfenstein Reloaded - Just can't get into this with Dos, and that's probably because SoD Reloaded is with SDL and the running is slightly marginal. It looks like a good effort though. Make this SDL and I'd dig it in a moment. And there was a third award: Wolf-Extra III Parts 1-6 - Puzzle games by Poet. Haven't played them, probably should look and see if they're my type of thing. And they're in SDL too.
Jul 2006: Lost World Par 3 - Not a fan of anything in this series.
I'm leaving that all for now. Don't have time for more ATM, but tomorrow I should be able to do the second (or first, technically) half of the year as well as the yearly wrap-up. Just wanted to provide grounds to get some discussion started; even in this half year there was quite some nice stuff IMO.
by Thomas on Wed Dec 05, 2012 2:01 am
The False Spear... Talk about underrated mods. What I wouldn't give to see that one ported to SDL one day. Or if only I could get my damn tower computer to run XP. Won't even boot!
2006 was one of the first years without that many releases, wasn't it?
by lilmanjs on Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:15 pm
I might be remembering wrong, but I think there was something in the way the graphics or some sort was handled in Wolf Reloaded that made it unable to be ported to SDL. The False Spear is one of my favorite mods of all time. One of the few mods where everything works perfectly. will always be in my top 5.
by Dark_wizzie on Wed Dec 05, 2012 4:46 pm
I have both volumes or Archives, and I don't think I've played False Spear before.
by WolferCooker on Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:10 pm
you should play False Spear Wizzie. It's a good WLHack mod.
stathmk
Location : Indiana, United States
Job : fast food worker & wolfensteingoodies.com webmaster
Hobbie : old games & young dames
The False Spear
by stathmk on Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:24 pm
@WolferCooker wrote: you should play False Spear Wizzie. It's a good WLHack mod.
I've played The False Spear before and beaten it, but I warped. I've posted that I've found it impossible to find all of the keys on level 16, or whichever level. Then Andy, Dean, or somebody else posted back that he's beaten that level twice. I don't know if I can find the thread for it.
by WolfForever on Wed Dec 05, 2012 8:40 pm
@stathmk wrote:
It's not in a secret but in a very missable corner. I know exactly what you're talking about! Took me a while too and then I thought, "why did this take me so long?". Well because while it isn't hidden you have to be really observant or it can fly right by the eye.
Second (technically first) half of 2006:
Jun 2006: Orb of Dilaaria - It only runs marginally is DosBox but SO much effort was obviously put into this. Most of what I have played is indeed fantastic and it is truly a TOTAL conversion. As ack did the mapping can't really go too wrong there. I'd give this more comments if I'd played more than just the first two acts, on only one of the possible solutions, and have been playing it on a rather fragmented basis as well, though I don't really know why because I don't see why I couldn't keep playing for longer.
May 2006: Crash Bandicot - Same author as Guns & Glory, this is one of his sillier mods with lesser mapping IMO.
Apr 2006: Sewer Town - I enjoyed the first couple of levels, but was super pissed when I hit some point in Level 3 where I could not kill the boss at all, so I don't feel right putting review commentary on this. Lot of potential I saw though. Also Apr 2006: Episode One Revisited - This is episode one of Executor's Sextilogy set, maybe before he knew he'd do more. At that rate it's a solid episode.
Mar 2006: medEvil - Don't really like Tricob's levels that much and he had some in here, but I recall having fun. The burn radius from fire is too high though IMO. This is available in SDL now. It's worth a try at least for sure. Also Mar 2006, not awarded because Brian made the levels, but Revival of Memories was released. It has really good levels with the original atmosphere and a slightly Mac feel. Really worthwhile. I only wish the musics had been changed, maybe ceiling colors also, but that's cosmetic. It is now in SDL too!
Feb 2006: Hotel Romanstein....... - Tries to be cute but just not fun. I've talked about this series already in the 2009/2008 awards.
Jan 2006: Nazi Operation - What better way to top the year off than a 60 level mod that was the first to go in his name too! Mapping is already pretty close to his current standard for the most part, thus quite good. And there were a few external contributors that made good work here, especially many of the secret levels aren't by Thomas. Level 27 is a disaster, but I just slapped an exit at the start so I didn't have to play it and forgot about it cause it's only one level in 60.
Overall, a year with a lot of good releases IMO. I think I must give Orb of Dilaaria the crown for the enormous effort and what seems a solid result. But there were a lot of good sets that were mostly just maps - Revival of Memories, the Archives, Megabyte's SoD set, and even Nazi Operation is still very Wolf3D like to name the biggest ones. A year with plenty to play, I'd say.
by Thomas on Thu Dec 06, 2012 2:48 am
@WolfForever wrote: Jun 2006: Orb of Dilaaria - It only runs marginally is DosBox but SO much effort was obviously put into this. Most of what I have played is indeed fantastic and it is truly a TOTAL conversion. As ack did the mapping can't really go too wrong there. I'd give this more comments if I'd played more than just the first two acts, on only one of the possible solutions, and have been playing it on a rather fragmented basis as well, though I don't really know why because I don't see why I couldn't keep playing for longer.
I've never played this. I remember downloading it when it came out and ran around for a minute or so in the first level. It is a true total conversion, and that's admirable, and if it ever should see an SDL port I'll give it a real go to see what the fuss is all about.
@WolfForever wrote: Apr 2006: Sewer Town - I enjoyed the first couple of levels, but was super pissed when I hit some point in Level 3 where I could not kill the boss at all, so I don't feel right putting review commentary on this. Lot of potential I saw though.
This mod had lots of potential! Again, if ever ported to SDL I'll be on this in a minute. I just couldn't play it back then, my graphics driver apparently couldn't handle it.
@WolfForever wrote: Mar 2006: medEvil - Don't really like Tricob's levels that much and he had some in here, but I recall having fun. The burn radius from fire is too high though IMO. This is available in SDL now. It's worth a try at least for sure. Also Mar 2006, not awarded because Brian made the levels, but Revival of Memories was released. It has really good levels with the original atmosphere and a slightly Mac feel. Really worthwhile. I only wish the musics had been changed, maybe ceiling colors also, but that's cosmetic. It is now in SDL too!
Revival of Memories. I remember asking Brian about this in mid-2005 'cause I'd been ogling the screenshots for eternity. He sent me a beta! The only beef was that the dog had to be replaced with something, and I suggested one of WSJ's Heer guards. Looking back it was a silly suggestion, not only because it got released in the actual mod, but also because it sticks out like a sore thumb. The maps, however, are top notch Brian class and this mod is really, really good. I had fun playing medEvil too. And yes, Tricob's maps are indeed an acquired taste. I really liked the graphics though, and this again proved a total conversion in every sense of the word.
@WolfForever wrote: Jan 2006: Nazi Operation - What better way to top the year off than a 60 level mod that was the first to go in his name too! Mapping is already pretty close to his current standard for the most part, thus quite good. And there were a few external contributors that made good work here, especially many of the secret levels aren't by Thomas. Level 27 is a disaster, but I just slapped an exit at the start so I didn't have to play it and forgot about it cause it's only one level in 60.
Yes, level 27 blows, no doubt. Had fun making this mod though. The latter half of 2005 was a swell time! Mind you, levels 19 and 49 were made by Loki, levels 52, 54, 55, 57 and 59 were made by WLHack and level 58 was made by ack. I had no idea what to do with secret levels, so I just asked all the people I could find. The results were sweet. WLHack's maps bore the kind of simplicity and classic feel I wanted to approach myself. Hadn't it been for him I wouldn't have started original approaches the way I did. After Nazi Operation I might as well could've made mods with lots of graphical and sound changes.
Michael Collin was one hell of a guy. He had the naffest kind of humor... lol... But he was a good coder. In the end, Havoc took over, and cleared some things up. This was also when I discovered VDMSound, around New Year's Eve, so instead of releasing it on Christmas Day, it came out on January 1st, 'cause I had to find and replace all this music I suddenly could hear again.
by Dark_wizzie on Thu Dec 06, 2012 2:52 am
I played Orb of Dilaaria, I wanted to cheat and didn't finish the game. Would consider giving it a try if it goes SDL. I don't remember the other mods.
Oh, and Romanstein. A serious WTMF?! to the nth degree.
Don't know what that means, but I despise all Hotel Romansteins. They are a total waste of space, not funny, made by some perverted Korean fuck using stupid graphics and lousy sub-par mapping. And how many have we... 9? 8? It's a ridiculous number.
*breathes out*
by WolferCooker on Thu Dec 06, 2012 8:57 am
lousy sub-par mapping.
Can't compare subpar mapping of Romanstein mods to the ones Toti made. Spear of Toti and Toti's Return maps are GARBAGE. Even I can make better maps than him.
Never played Toti, just seems like a kid who knows how to code a bit (good on him) but then just the standard wall pack/MajikMonkee's Image World biz rest of the way. Mapping seems not an importance, as is tradition. Not very convincing. But who didn't use all that stuff at one point.
I dare you to check Toti's mapwork on Chaosedit or WDC. You'll be surprised how very basic he is with it.
by Thomas on Thu Dec 06, 2012 10:03 am
I'd rather not. Inspiration is as low as it is!
by WolferCooker on Thu Dec 06, 2012 1:05 pm
LOL Thomas.
by WolfForever on Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:19 pm
I'd say we analyze 2005 now...
As a first note, 2005 was just after EoD (which fortunately ran okay for me in Dos too!) came out in late 2004...so just about anything may have seemed like a letdown, especially early in the year. But these posts are to describe mods on their own merits. So timing of the release in coordination with another is not something that gets considered on here. And the EoD talk itself - that's obviously a 2004 matter, I'd prefer we don't jump the gun.
Nov 2005: Trench Warfare - I know it had a lot of hype and cool new features but I've not played it so can't and won't give an opinion.
Sep 2005: WolfenDoom II The True Depths of Hell - What a rip of a name. It isn't mapped anything special at all IMO and totally inferior to Areyep's set. In fact I might even be made if I was Areyep, for mocking my set's name with an inferior one.
Aug 2005: Mutant Blobs from Uranus 3D - Haven't played it but heard it's a short yet cute little set. Also Aug 2005: Resurrection of Heimzulhang by Ling Yan Li - Can't say I'd ever be interested in playing this. I'd rather stick with what WSJ made. Even though that wasn't his best set, Ling always seemed to do inferior knock-offs IMO.
Jul 2005: Operation Todpfad - Well mapped and fun, clearly a good effort. I remember I had a bug of some kind that I think related to ammo though. But it might just be me. I should give it another go, probably.
June 2005: Hitler Strikes Back - Doesn't do a bad job staying in the original style but levels much too small, simple, and easy IMO, though they are competent at least. And it has been moved to SDL, for what it's worth. But is it as good as Absence (same author)? Not even close!
May 2005: Double Trouble - This was obviously a very strong effort but I like playing on high difficulty and it crashes after Level 13 or so! What a waste of potential; I'm not sure if I am willing to take a lower skill or not. This really should have been caught and fixed like right away.
Apr 2005: Abandon 2 - Purgatory - A Thomas set under the Possum Trot name! I haven't played it but I'm not convinced that just because it's Possum Trot it can't be decent so I might give anything even from that name at least a look when I'm bored.
Mar 2005: Dunkelburg - I haven't played it, but it looks like extensive SoD level that ought to be decent.
Feb 2005: Project Wolfgeist - Another Possum Trot game, see Apr 2005 comments.
Jan 2005: Operation Mutant Strike 2 - Majik Monkee always delivers a rather quality production and this is one despite some repetition. It's now in SDL to boot as well. It is much more advanced than the first of the series, and some people think it's still the best even including OMS3. Should give it a more serious try. Also Jan 2005: A Long Walk Back - Have played hardly anything from Harry Mass Sr. so don't really want to comment.
Overall there was some decent stuff in 2005, but seems like a more lukewarm year compared to some. Not sure what I'd call best of the year. OMS2, Todpfad, and Trench Warfare are possibly in the running, but I have the feel Double Trouble could have been a shoe-in if its bugs were fixed. Nothing even close to EoD though, so it went at least a year as an unchallenged contender for best release to date.
by Thomas on Fri Dec 07, 2012 1:28 am
@WolfForever wrote: Nov 2005: Trench Warfare - I know it had a lot of hype and cool new features but I've not played it so can't and won't give an opinion.
I remember playing this and being blown away. Everything about it seemed to push the barrier we thought EoD had broken. Really, really great. BJ in uniform... Always wanted to implement that in a game of sorts. A total conversion yet again, totally outrageous and ahead of its time.
@WolfForever wrote: Jul 2005: Operation Todpfad - Well mapped and fun, clearly a good effort. I remember I had a bug of some kind that I think related to ammo though. But it might just be me. I should give it another go, probably.
I remember begging Kyle Albert when he coded Wolfgeist for me about this game which then was temporarily shelved or hardly 'in progress' after a long break. I remember screenshots from the "Gretel's Castle" days (which is what it was called in early 2004 or earlier?) and being slightly disappointed with the final product, it seemed as if he wanted to replicate the AReyeP/MCS universe but that being said, it is a fun play and very convincing for a 14-year old. I was always jealous of his abilities, his strengths, his disciplines and his perfect English (my English being well below par then) 'cause he was younger than me... lol... But he was American, after all, so the language shouldn't have upset me. A fine, fine mod, and yes, I also remember an ammo bug of sorts. That must be fixable in some way.
@WolfForever wrote: June 2005: Hitler Strikes Back - Doesn't do a bad job staying in the original style but levels much too small, simple, and easy IMO, though they are competent at least. And it has been moved to SDL, for what it's worth. But is it as good as Absence (same author)? Not even close!
I thought this was a refreshing, fun play, but yes, the maps were a bit short. Havoc never dug really, really large maps (he got pretty wiped out after testing Nazi Operation for me... lol...) but what bothered me the most was the fact that the ceiling colors weren't even changed! When he ported it to SDL I also mentioned that, and he said "Nah, leave it"... lol...
@WolfForever wrote: May 2005: Double Trouble - This was obviously a very strong effort but I like playing on high difficulty and it crashes after Level 13 or so! What a waste of potential; I'm not sure if I am willing to take a lower skill or not. This really should have been caught and fixed like right away.
I think Ryan de Haast always had enormous potential, but bugs like that always stood in the way. I'm sure in our rich days of SDL and all, this could be fixed easily. I always wanted to play this. I've been ogling the sprites, walls and the sounds (oh! the new original sounds!!) for a while, always thought it a pity that it'd gone overlooked. I think 2005 was a year where everybody wanted to top End of Destiny, and quite rightly so.
@WolfForever wrote: Apr 2005: Abandon 2 - Purgatory - A Thomas set under the Possum Trot name! I haven't played it but I'm not convinced that just because it's Possum Trot it can't be decent so I might give anything even from that name at least a look when I'm bored.
Let me spare you the heartbreak and recommend you do not play these! Purgatory is based on Countdown to Disaster, the only Ragland game I never played, but the MAP and OBJDATAS were just lying around, so I thought "why the hell not?". Wolfgeist has textured floors and ceilings, animated sprites and tons of stuff that I had no idea how to handle back then in my infant days. Kyle Albert was a great sport though, taught me an awful lot on discipline, forum behavior and, of course, he helped me set up the code so I could code myself. After doing that for a while, I ended up with guards marching backwards and doors that kept opening and closing themselves. Spooked the hell out of me. Maybe I should find the code again. I never had any problems changing ceilings, music and scores, text, map name on Get Psyched! screen etc.
And yes, Ling Yan Li's mods have only appealed to me in the sense that they're monstrously huge, but they are indeed total ripoffs and overkills. He's a great guy though, LP'ing a lot on YouTube and keeping old subjects alive... lol... And, mind you, Schabbs 3000 blew my mind because it seemed like he'd cracked the VSWAP and map files.
by Dark_wizzie on Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:08 am
I remember playing Double Trouble, I enjoyed it a lot. Todpfad sounds familiar... Trench Warfare I never finished, but looked nice. SLD VERSION PL0X.
How come this	never got an award?!?
Operation Hidden Secret by Santeri Kiiski is something I bring up every now and then. In June, 2006, stuff such as this was rare. All original sprites with the only changes being ceiling colors and the episode flow left out (though it's only 10 levels) - a huge inspiration for me, personally, when I did WOLF. Truly worth checking out and shouldn't take more than a wink to port to SDL.
http://www.brlowe.co.uk/operhid.zip
by WolferCooker on Fri Dec 07, 2012 1:13 pm
I don't remember playing Hidden Secret. Double Trouble NEEDS to be ported to SDL, but it seems Haast isn't around anymore. Todpfad, by Kyle Albert, I like as well and should be ported to SDL.
by WolfForever on Fri Dec 07, 2012 9:56 pm
Well it is that time...time for 2004 now...
And of course anyone on this planet knows what the most monumental release of the year was. I will cover it, and commentary about it is perfectly acceptable as usual. However, the year bought plenty of other rich work into the community. And these posts are to cover a year, not focus 100% on a single revolutionary release. So - please keep that in mind - and here goes as I show all the other quality 2004 had to offer as well:
Dec 2004: While this month says "NO AWARD", this was the month of, you guess it, EoD. And I know that it wasn't at all than Brian did not thing it was 100% deserving of getting a golden award, but rather that he chatted once that Areyep/MCS themselves requested not to get awarded. I think it had to do with some initial bugs and nothing else, but ultimately Brian is not going to go against the authors' choice. Anyways I'm not going to write paragraphs of thoughts on this as it is obviously one of the best things I have ever played and together with Spear Resurrection, THIS shows how to properly follow up Spear of Destiny, and clearly the poor graphics and designs, and half-baked efforts of he Lost Episodes fall so far behind in comparison that it is impossible to even compare them. Now this was released ten years after the Lost Episodes hit the shelves, so obviously a lot had changed, but that's why they say better late than never. I feel so lucky I managed to get this things to actually run fairly stable with DosBOX, because if there was one non-SDL mod that would keep me crying all night if I couldn't play it, this would be the one. The reasons why I like this so much are the same reasons numerous other members do, and they don't need to be rehashed. It is obviously a monumental release, a milestone in Wolf3D/SoD modding, and the best release of 2004. So with that being said, it is time to move on to the rest of the year, because there's definitely some stuff that would be criminal to overlook just because of EoD.
Nov 2004: Monkey's Image World - I'm sure it is a good graphics source but I don't feel proper reviewing something that doesn't have levels.
Oct 2004: Operation Mutant Strike - The first OMS, it is almost definitely the weakest one, and pretty repetitious, but it's still designed fairly solidly. Also Oct 2004: Paderborn - It's a Lakota Bucksnort set. Like I've said many time I don't think they're anywhere close to terrible but I don't find them special either.
Sept 2004: Operation Letzterschutz - Here's the first "gold" of 2004 going in reverse order other than EoD. I absolutely loved this game; it is a definite conversion, the theme is very consistent with excellent variances between all the episodes but equally excellent consistency within the episodes, and all the mapping, being it Majik Monkee or ack is rock solid as well. I have a hard time thinking of a way to fault this game because it all blends together and is done really, really well IMO. This is exponentially my favorite release involving Majik Monkee. Top it off with the fact that it's been converted to SDL too. Also Sept 2004: The Untold Story - Never looked into or played it, but I've heard stuff by MaX is more for effects.
Aug 2004: Secret Missions 4 - Was never a big fan of Joshua Weight's release because the mapping was nothing special at all. Also Aug 2004: A Time to Die - Another Lakota set. No need to restate opinions.
Jul 2004: HOS Special Edition (but really just the sequel to HOS) - The mapping, theme, etc. are all very solid and it is a true conversion but somehow I can't quite get into the HOS games as much as I think I should. Something seems missing, that I can't put a finger on at all. Still it is a very strong release all things considered. Also Jul 2004: ZW1 Phase One - Never played this at all, yet.
Jun 2004: Coming of the Storm - Pure, pure gold. This is far and away WSJ's best Dos release. Like Letzterschutz or EoD, it's very hard to think of how to fault it at all. If I had to say ONE thing, it would be that there aren't any secret levels. A total masterpiece just like everyone else has always said. It probably fits in top five and almost definitely top ten.
Apr 2004: Dead World Rising 2 - Never played this, somehow the Doom theme just didn't sound appealing in this case. Also Apr 2004: Operation Hundscheisse - Average and relatvely uninteresting mapping IMO (and TBH).
Mar 2004: Alliance of Powers - Absolutely one of the best levels only Spear sets ever released. I don't think it can be matched by anything other than possibly Spearmpixsod (which is actually much older) and this year's DHW SoD set. Two famed authors, that I will not list because they wanted aliases here, combined together to make something that rocks from start to finish and truly proves you don't have to touch the code to make something great. Also Mar 2004: The Anticipation - I'm sure anything by ack has to be good, but I question using SR as a base. It would have to be really super-outstanding to not leave a slightly negative impression when comparing it to SR itself. That said, I have not played it, though despite my comments I still might.
Feb 2004: There were two awards this month; once went to a set by Mario and another by Mega. They later paired up as a team, of course. I can't really give input because I haven't played either of these. Mario's is Project Verwusting, and Mega's is Project: Unzerstobarer Ritter (what a weird middle name). Maybe I'll look at them someday because perhaps they aren't as hardcore as the Mario/Mega combined efforts.
Jan 2004: Batman: Wrath of Mr. Freeze - I'm not a fan of ISJ's work, even though I love WSJ obviously. ISJ seems to make much, much less serious efforts. But maybe okay if you want a silly type of set.
Well we all know what the best release of the year is, but there is no doubt in my mind that Letzterschutz and Coming of the Storm are way, WAY up there and would easily be candidates for top release of the year otherwise. And then we also had Alliance of Powers, which I felt is truly just about the best mapset-only release you could possibly ask for. Add all that up with EoD and I think 2004 offered some real dynamite in every manner.
p.s. I have played Operation Hidden Secret. I fully agree it was very good and should have gotten an award.
by Dark_wizzie on Fri Dec 07, 2012 11:14 pm
This is crazy... how do all of you guys remember the name of the mods you've played? List after lista fter list!
by Thomas on Sat Dec 08, 2012 3:29 am
@WolfForever wrote: Sept 2004: Operation Letzterschutz - Here's the first "gold" of 2004 going in reverse order other than EoD. I absolutely loved this game; it is a definite conversion, the theme is very consistent with excellent variances between all the episodes but equally excellent consistency within the episodes, and all the mapping, being it Majik Monkee or ack is rock solid as well. I have a hard time thinking of a way to fault this game because it all blends together and is done really, really well IMO. This is exponentially my favorite release involving Majik Monkee. Top it off with the fact that it's been converted to SDL too. Also Sept 2004: The Untold Story - Never looked into or played it, but I've heard stuff by MaX is more for effects.
Letzerschutz is fantastic, indeed a true total conversion, though without more advanced coding changes. Always loved that one. Mäx made some real gory mods, Sensenmann and Northern Darkness too, extreme graphical talent on that guy. Too bad his work is often put aside due to the gory content.
@WolfForever wrote: Jun 2004: Coming of the Storm - Pure, pure gold. This is far and away WSJ's best Dos release. Like Letzterschutz or EoD, it's very hard to think of how to fault it at all. If I had to say ONE thing, it would be that there aren't any secret levels. A total masterpiece just like everyone else has always said. It probably fits in top five and almost definitely top ten.
Coming of the Storm was a terrific mod. Always loved that one. If ever ported to SDL I can't come to think of any improvements.
@WolfForever wrote: Apr 2004: Dead World Rising 2 - Never played this, somehow the Doom theme just didn't sound appealing in this case.
This was one of the last Wolf mods I played before my "rediscovery" of Wolf (I took a break from May to September) and therefore the last I played sans digitized sounds and music. I liked it then, but yes, it does seem well below par now.
@WolfForever wrote: Mar 2004: Alliance of Powers - Absolutely one of the best levels only Spear sets ever released. I don't think it can be matched by anything other than possibly Spearmpixsod (which is actually much older) and this year's DHW SoD set. Two famed authors, that I will not list because they wanted aliases here, combined together to make something that rocks from start to finish and truly proves you don't have to touch the code to make something great.
ack and Ariel really compliment each others' maps quite well. This set is superb. Really need to play this again soon. I could do with some proper inspiration.
@WolfForever wrote: Jan 2004: Batman: Wrath of Mr. Freeze - I'm not a fan of ISJ's work, even though I love WSJ obviously. ISJ seems to make much, much less serious efforts. But maybe okay if you want a silly type of set.
I like ISJ's Batman sets. Never was a classic comic book reading kind of guy, so this was my introduction to the Batman world. "Quest for the Amulet" is the only "serious" (in your words) mod that ISJ ever released, and that, my fwend, is very, very good.
End of Destiny, needless to say, is a brilliant mod and truly one of the turning points in Wolf history. No doubt about that.
NOW for those who did NOT get an award back in ol' '04...
OPERATION ZEITGEIST: http://www.belowe.com/opzeitnewdemo.zip Terrific mod with lots of code changes and a very unique feel. Whatever happened to the author I do not know, but I do know that my first comment on DHW ever was a pad on the back about this mod which he felt like starting up again. No one else replied.
PROJECT OMEGA: http://www.garjen.co.uk/ Very good original-type set.
SENSENMANN: http://www.belowe.com/ReaperMan.zip By Mäx. Gory as hell and quite creepy, but ZOMG it's quite good.
The Legacy of Kevin Cartosa by Rocketboy680, not good, but I played it anyway. It was fun to play, though.
http://www.wolfenstein3d.co.uk/ctcpics.htm <-- THE MOD THAT NEVER WAS: COUNTDOWN TO CHAOS... Look at them screenies!
SCHABBS, AN EVIL LUNATIC: http://www.belowe.com/schabbsael.zip Good set, varied and fun. Masterpiece? No. But a fun mod.
FRIEDL 3D: http://www.belowe.com/friedl.zip Original-type set.
REVENGE OF POOPDECK WILLIE: http://www.wolfenstein3d.co.uk/pdwres.zip Excellent stuff and very funny!
DEAD RECKONING: http://www.wolfenstein3d.co.uk/deadreckd.zip Some gory shit, but quite entertaining.
by WolfForever on Sat Dec 08, 2012 8:41 am
@Dark_wizzie wrote: This is crazy... how do all of you guys remember the name of the mods you've played? List after lista fter list!
http://www.wolfenstein3d.co.uk/awards.htm	plus we Wolfers do tend to remember what some of our favorite mods are called.
2004 happens to be a year in which I have legitimately played ALL of the four really great ones (EoD, Letzter, CoTS, and AoP). And coincidence or not, but they are from March, June, September, and December (or very close). So we got a real gem every three months in '04 that obviously culminated with EoD, when Areyep/MCS finally justfully completed the SoD story and made right of FormGen's half-*ssed disservices from ten years prior.
There was one other unawarded set in 2004 that wasn't mentioned and probably deserves it: The Map Making Mania Melee. I can't remember Episodes 1, 3, and 5, but I know I liked Episode 2, 4, and 6 (Chris Chokan!) a lot. So a good community effort.
EDIT: What a disservice I just did with Episode 1! That was Arielus and now I recall it and of course, I liked it a lot. So only 3 and 5 are the ones I didn't care for as much in that competition set.


In an article published on The Conversation, Dr Adam Webster explains what is a 'hung parliament', and how will a government be formed? Click here to read Adam's article.
Comments Off on Explainer: what is a 'hung parliament', and how will a government be formed?


I got a roomba! Works great so far – perfect for a neat freak with chronic fatigue.
I was looking up vitamins, looking into what's out there for doses, routes, and whatnot. This stopped me in my tracks.
Buy this item with Home ~ Dixie Chicks today!
And I'm thinking, wtf does a B12 sl supplement have to do with the Dixie Chicks? Do 9 out of 10 doctors whose patients listen to Dixie Chicks worry that their patients have pernicious anemia?
I wonder now what if I look up calcium supplements on Amazon will I find them paired with Celine Dion or Shania Twain.


In a tight economy, Adult Basic Education funding has remained flat for years, and access to technology has not improved much. It's crucial that a high-quality high school equivalency assessment remains available at a reasonable price. Data Recognition Corporation developed the TASC Test Assessing Secondary Completion™ especially for adults who are ready to take this next big step in their lives.
When choosing among high school equivalencies, test takers are often left wondering, "How much does the GED® cost?" or "What do I have to pay to earn my high school equivalency?" Prices for TASC test takers vary from state to state and are determined by your state. You can check with local testing centers for specific costs. When test takers purchase the full TASC test battery, they also receive two free retests, scoring, and reporting. Check with your state and preferred testing location for any additional fees that might be included each in the final TASC test cost.
States and students across the country no longer need to pay more than twice the price for the test. Before TASC test, states subsidizing the test would have only have been able to serve half the people who need to take a high school equivalency test (unless they either raised taxes or shifted funds away from other needed programs). States no longer need to retrofit hundreds of test centers to comply with difficult and expensive upgrades required by other tests. Some of these test centers are located in correctional or institutional settings, and the cost to upgrade could have denied thousands of people the ability to move forward with their lives.
States can maintain control over their high school equivalency programs by not requiring the use of corporate-approved testing centers to administer the exam, instead allowing states to follow the processes they already had in place. Please note that as before, accepting payment will differ depending on the state, so you should check with your state for more information.


text:
Senators back off call for automatic contractor suspensions
By Matthew Weigelt
In a new bill on contingency contracting, senators have backed off of earlier demands for automatic suspensions of contractors charged with wrongdoing.
The new version of the Comprehensive Contingency Contracting Reform Act (S. 3286), which was introduced June 12, would require an automatic referral of a contractor to the suspension and debarment official for certain allegations, including criminal charges and accusations of fraud.
The referral would also come if a federal official determines that the contractor failed to pay or refund the government what's due in connection to a contract with the departments of Defense or State or the U.S. Agency for International Development. That provision applies only to those three agencies.
Federal officials and experts have shied away from automatic suspensions, arguing that it takes too much discretion away from agencies. The Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, whose report was the basis for the legislation, encourages enforcement of the suspension rules, but not compulsion. Former administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, Dan Gordon, also said mandatory suspension was a bad idea.
The new bill, introduced by Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), strengthens provisions in the original contingency contracting legislation that came out in February. It would elevate oversight responsibility and improve management structures. For one example, DOD, the military branches, State Department, and USAID would have to have at least one suspension and debarment official. That official could not report to or be supervised by either the chief acquisition officer or the inspector general. The previous bill only would require that the official not be in "located or co-located within the acquisition office."
Senators also tackled the contracting process through more openness and competition along with more accountability measures for contractors. It would require the government to identify how it will pay for overseas military operations.
The new bill "recognizes the necessity to improve government management and accountability in the contracting process that resulted in unacceptable costs, excessive waste, and substandard performance in far too many areas," said Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), the original co-sponsor of the initial bill.
Senators refined the bill after extensive talks with the contracting community, federal officials and the Armed Services Committee, he said.
With the new bill, Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, joined Sens. Webb, McCaskill, Al Franken (D-Minn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
The bill was sent to Lieberman's committee for further consideration.
Matthew Weigelt is a freelance journalist who writes about acquisition and procurement.
FCW Insider: July 16
'Mr. FedRAMP' leaving GSA
FAR tweaked in time for fall buying
DOD and VA's decisionmaking body for health record modernization lacks a decider


The 2019 Las Cruces International Film Festival will honor George Lopez with its Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment Award.
LAS CRUCES - The 2019 Las Cruces International Film Festival will honor George Lopez with its Outstanding Achievement in Entertainment Award.
The 2019 festival will be held Feb. 20-24 at various sites around Las Cruces.
Lopez will receive his award at a VIP reception on Thursday, Feb. 21. The festival will also screen his movie "The Chicano" at Allen Theatres Cineport 10 at 7 p.m. that evening.
Lopez just finished shooting "Walking With Herb" in which he stars opposite Edward James Olmos and Kathleen Quinlan. The film, which was shot primarily in Las Cruces, is inspired by local resident Joe S. Bullock's novel of the same name. Lopez also stars in the Cinedigm's thriller "River Runs Red," the 2019 LCIFF Opening Night Film, with Taye Diggs, John Cusack, Luke Hemsworth and RJ Mitte.
While filming "Walking with Herb" in Las Cruces, Lopez ran into trouble at a local restaurant. The actor has been charged with battery for allegedly roughing up a man at Hooters on Oct. 14. Lopez has claimed he was baited into the altercation by a man who approached him saying, "MAGA," referring to the Donald Trump refrain, "Make America Great Again." Lopez has not been shy about his dislike for the president.
As of early November, Lopez had a criminal summons to appear in Las Cruces Municipal Court for the misdemeanor count.
Lopez's multifaceted career encompasses television, film, stand-up comedy, late-night television and Grammy Award nominations. He co-created, wrote, produced, and starred in the hit sitcom "George Lopez," which ran for six seasons on ABC. He has voiced animated characters in a string of animated blockbusters including Rafael in the "Rio" films, Grouchy Smurf in "The Smurfs" movies; and the titular "The Beverly Hills Chihuahua."
Recent film credits include the box-office hit "Valentine's Day," "Swing Vote," "Spare Parts" and "Balls of Fury." In May 2004, Lopez's autobiography, "Why You Crying?" entered The New York Times Bestsellers List top 20. Lopez released his second memoir, "I'm Not Gonna Lie And Other Lies You Tell When You Turn 50," in 2013.
Lopez was also the focus of the award-winning documentary "Brown is the New Green: George Lopez and the American Dream." In 2006, Lopez received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In addition, Time named him one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America, and the Harris Poll named him one of the Top Ten Favorite Television Personalities.
Tickets for the 2019 LCIFF, presented by Visit Las Cruces and NMSU, are on sale now and can be purchased at www.LasCrucesFilmFest.com.


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Інструкція по догляду та обслуговуванню – ПрАТ "Дніпровуд"
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It is important to note that oiled and UV-cured floors will undergo a change in color/slight fading as it adjusts to the ambient light conditions of the installation environment. The degree of color change will vary on the specific environment and exposure to direct sunlight. It is recommended to use window treatments when possible. Do not place area rugs on the new floor for sixty days after installation. Thereafter, periodic re-arrangement of furniture and area rugs will ensure that your floor ages evenly.
Maintaining the temperature and relative humidity of the spaces the flooring is installed is very important. We recommend a temperature of 18-24C (65-75F) and humidity at 40-60% at all times. Very dry climates may also require the use of a humidifier. Hardwood flooring reacts to changes in the environment. Excessive heat or dryness can result in gapping or splitting; excessive humidity can result in cupping. Gapping, splitting, cupping or other problems resulting from exposure to improper environmental conditions are not covered by the product warranty.
If the floor is installed over a radiant heating system, never allow the surface temperature of the floor to exceed 27C (82F). Avoid dramatic temperature changes; always adjust the system gradually in 5c increments. It is recommended that a dedicated quick recovery thermostat be installed to allow the temperature of the radiant heating system to be accurately controlled.
ALWAYS protect your natural oil/UV-cured floors during construction. We recommend covering the floors with a hardboard, paper or cardboard. Do not use tape to secure protection directly on wood floor. For best results, vacuum the floors thoroughly to remove any debris that may scratch the floor once the protective surface is in place.
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**All smooth, non-wirebrushed surfaces will require a final coat of natural oil. Please speak to your representative or retailer for details.
Leave product to dry for at least 2 hours before resuming regular traffic in this area.
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Allow for the product to dry before resuming regular traffic in this.
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We recommend re-applying the LOBA® Parkett Oil when you notice your floors looking dull. This is generally once a year. Follow the "After Installation" instructions for this procedure.
You can also apply LOBA® Parket Oil to rejuvenate your floors.
Apply LOBA® Parket Oil using a cotton or terry cloth Do not apply force during this process.
Allow the oil to be absorbed. For best results, leave product to dry for at least 4 hours before resuming regular traffic in this area.
Our natural oil and UV-cured finishes are designed to penetrate the woods surface and essentially dry and harden within the wood grain. This type of finish allows for easy stain and scratch repairs.
Once area is completely dry, apply appropriate impact oil to Please consult with dealer for proper color selection and methods.
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Put felt protector pads on the feet of all furniture, display stands, file cabinets and other accessories that will be placed directly onto the floor Inspect regularly for wear and replace as necessary.
Pets' nails will scratch and mark the floor Keep pets' nails trimmed to minimize damage to the surface.
FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE FLOOR CARE INSTRUCTIONS MAY VOID THE WARRANTY!
Dniprowood © 2016 All Rights Reserved.


text:
Government takes aim at students on PUP
By Michael Shiel
Over a year into the Covid crisis, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) has been an essential lifeline for hundreds of thousands of people across the state. Workplaces have closed and thrust many into unemployment, from jobs they'd spent months, years, or even decades in, while living costs remain. Combined with the mental strain of isolation, the economic impact of the pandemic is creating an existential crisis.
This is to say nothing of those who have lost friends and relatives, or even Covid survivors who have suffered long-term lung damage or other side effects that have prevented a return to full health. Many of these people are also wondering how they will pay back the future Covid tax or face another cut to their income.
Low-paid students under attack
Recent attacks on PUP have focused on students. Recent media stories portray students getting the payment as benefitting from a ''loophole''- even though these students are workers who have lost their jobs during the pandemic! Extra.ie quoted an anonymous minister as saying that we have "47,000 students lying in bed enjoying the PUP grant," alongside unsupported conspiratorial thinking about students collectively agreeing to game the system: "a lot of them [students] must have been talking to each other about this good thing."
There is nothing new to this story. Attempts to cut PUP eligibility were also made in September and June, and the consequences go far beyond students. When PUP for part-time workers was reduced on 29 June 2020, however, they were used as part of the justification. Not only did this reduction fail to account for students who would have sought more hours to cover expenses and save for the future academic year, as USI President Lorna Fitzpatrick pointed out, but it also cut support for non-student part-time workers already struggling to make ends meet before losing their jobs. The 'lazy bedridden student' stereotype is now used to mischaracterise not just students, but PUP recipients as a whole.
Attacks on living standards
Students have become a convenient scapegoat to justify payment cuts that impact a whole stratum of people. Eviction and rent-increase bans were lifted just last month, and talks to phase out emergency payments are underway. But do these new measures reflect a return to normal? Finance Minister Paschal Donoghue expects us to return to 2019 employment levels in 2023. This prediction may be optimistic but, even if it holds up, this support will continue to be a life-or-death factor in the coming years for thousands of workers.
The PUP must be defended. Almost half a million people are currently relying on it, and they are disproportionately workers who were already low-paid and in precarious employment. Meanwhile, Ireland's billionaires have increased their wealth by €3 billion during this pandemic.. The massive wealth in this society should be used to guarantee an income to everyone dislocated by this crisis and to create socially useful jobs through public investment to tackle the unemployment crisis.
White Moose Cafe Twitter outrage & exploitative practices in the hospitality industry
Prices & profits shoot up: Housing remains out of our reach
Sharp rise in mental health problems
By Shane Finnan In the wake of the global financial crash in 2008, Mark Fisher – a socialist…
Homelessness rises as rents shoot up
Rents have risen by 36% since 2011
The assault on public services continues
By Diana O'Dwyer After almost seven years of austerity, public services are at breaking point. Cuts in capital…
Corbynism's critical year
As Britain's weak Tory government clings on – and numerous social, political and economic shocks threaten its downfall…


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text:
Cannabis sativa can prevent COVID-19 from entering human cells, researchers find
'Don't Look Up' smashes more records at Netflix
Florida State Board of Administration official killed in apparent road-rage shootout
Human-on-a-chip company Hesperos of Orlando gets $4 million NIH grant
'Recipe for disaster': Florida Department of Health releases COVID-19 testing guidelines that contradict CDC's
The state of Florida promised her help with rent. Then she was evicted.
Omicron intensifies nurses' need for protection and safety measures | Commentary
Look up: Many new spacecraft to launch from Space Coast in 2022
Zimmerman's not-guilty verdict comes with 'mind-numbing' $2.5M bill
Three Houston Astros players set for Disney World parade
By Dewayne Bevil
Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros celebrates the team's victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series on Wednesday. Correa and two teammates will be at Disney World on Saturday. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)
Three members of the World Series champion Houston Astros baseball team will be in a parade down Main Street U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom theme park on Saturday afternoon, Walt Disney World has announced.
On hand for the 12:45 p.m. parade will be series MVP George Springer, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa. Shortstop Correa is the Houston player who proposed to his girlfriend after the decisive Game 7 on Wednesday night. (Daniella Rodriguez said "Yes.")
The Astros defeated the Dodgers 5-1 in Los Angeles to win the first title in the franchise's 56-year history. Springer had a two-run homer in the final game; it was his fifth of the series, tying a record. Altuve had three-run homer in Game 5, a memorable 13-12 win for Houston.
Disney has a habit of honoring sports heroes. Aside from the whole "I'm going to Disney World" campaign, the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs marked their on-field achievements Disney World parades in 2004 and 2016, respectively.
Cubs players who were here for the Disney World parade last year were Addison Russell, Javier Baez and Ben Zobrist, who was named most valuable player.
Theme park visitors will be able to watch the parade, but admission to Magic Kingdom is required.
dbevil@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5477
George Springer
Carlos Correa