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6 Social Media Platforms That Aren't Facebook
April 30, 2018Posted by: Team EINCategory: Apps • Cool Stuff • Tips & Tricks0 Likes
In recent weeks, some people have begun to question how much they use Facebook. In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, many have felt a little uneasy about how much information Facebook obtains.
It's important to note, though, that many (probably most) other social media platforms are gathering a fair amount of your data. They may handle it differently, but there is likely quite a bit of your information stored when you use any social media platforms at all.
Still, you might be wondering if there are other ways to enjoy using social media without actually using Facebook. Facebook is one of the most popular, active, and widely used social media sites out there, and it might seem like your only option. But there are other platforms that you might like just as much (or more).
If you're thinking about leaving Facebook, or if you enjoy Facebook but want even more ways to stay connected, here are just some of the other social media platforms you can give a try!
Instagram is, of course, a hugely popular app that focuses on images. You can use it to keep up with your friends' lives through photos and videos. It also has built-in messaging, so you can share things directly with other people and discuss them privately. You won't necessarily be getting the same insight into your friends' thoughts, and it currently doesn't let you share other peoples' content, but it's still a good way to keep in contact with your favorite people.
Pinterest is still typically for inspiration and DIY ideas. But you and your friends can share content together and keep in touch through your different boards. This platform is certainly less focused on updates about peoples' daily lives, so don't rely on it for that. But you can at least see what your friends are interested in.
Reddit isn't really a social media platform. But you can follow friends on the service, and if you actually are looking to drop Facebook, Reddit can help replace your need for a stream of interesting content and news shared by groups and people you subscribe to.
Snapchat is another photo- and image-based way to keep connected to friends and family. It's likely that most of the people you're close with already use Snapchat. You can follow them through their Stories, have private chats with them, communicate through short video clips, and more. You can't easily share other peoples' content or write medium to long text images, but you can still communicate pretty well with this app.
Tumblr lets you set up your own blog and then create your own posts or share posts from others. You can add others and gain subscribers. Tumblr is often seen as being primarily used by a younger crowd, but there's certainly a space for everyone. It's also pretty hugely driven by fandoms (many people on Tumblr use their accounts to post primarily about shows, movies, and other things they're fans of). It's not quite as focused on simply keeping up with a friend's daily life. But if you want to keep up with your friends' interests and make new friends based on things you both enjoy, Tumblr might be for you.
Twitter is a nice way to keep up with others using smaller text snippets. Though it's grown most popular for its use in getting news out quickly, you can also form your circle of friends and keep up with each other via tweets. You can retweet, which adds another level of personality to someone's feed, and now that tweets can be longer than before, it's easier to write more detailed, lengthy updates.
Facebook and Its Data Scandal
March 27, 2018Posted by: Team EINCategory: Apps • News • Security0 Likes
Facebook has been in the news quite a lot recently, and not necessarily for good reasons.
The social media service appears in the news on a regular basis any given week, but for the past week, a lot of focus has been on their data scandal and what will come of it. During that news, Facebook has announced some upcoming changes to its service.
Here's what you might have missed over the past week or so, including a brief recap of Facebook's data issues!
Some of Facebook's newest announcements have come now that Zuckerberg has apologized for the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Zuckerberg issued an apology for what happened with their recent data scandal. According to CNN Money, Zuckerberg issued the apology during a TV interview on CNN. In his interview, he mentions the policy changes that have been put in place since the incident and notes that these policies should have been in place sooner. He also spoke about his regret that people weren't informed about the issue sooner.
Facebook's data scandal revolves around how some Facebook user data was accessed by an app (which is typical) and then, against Facebook policy, shared with a third party.
According Zuckerberg in his CNN interview, users will be notified if their information was shared during the incident. And The Verge writes that Facebook will be changing how developers can access Facebook users' data.
Amid all of this negative press, one WhatsApp founder has said to delete Facebook. One of the founders of the popular messaging app has called out Facebook during their scandal concerning user data.
Brian Acton, who helped create WhatsApp before it was sold to Facebook, is now warning people that they should leave Facebook. The Independent reports that Acton tweeted that it was "time" to stop using the social media giant. He doesn't specifically discuss the Cambridge Analytica scandal, but the timing of his tweet suggests his tweet was referencing Facebook's current data issues.
You may remember that earlier this year Acton gave Signal (a secure messaging service) millions of dollars, which I wrote about back in February.
With Zuckerberg's recent apology, it's clear that Facebook is making a point to address this data issue and reassure users. Whether current users will jump ship due to the scandal and Acton's call to leave Facebook remains to be seen.
Signal, Maker of Signal Messenger, Receives $50 Million
February 27, 2018Posted by: Team EINCategory: Apps • News • Security0 Likes
Signal seems to be doing well at the moment, as it's now being reported that they've received $50 million from the co-founder of WhatsApp.
Brian Acton, who co-founded WhatsApp and who previously worked for Facebook, is now aligned with Signal and providing them with millions of dollars. Acton is no longer with Facebook or WhatsApp, and he will be the executive chairman for the Signal Foundation, a new organization.
According to a blog on Signal's website, the Signal Foundation is a just-launched 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that will further Signal's mission. Acton also provides a message on Signal's blog, explaining Signal's mission, which is "to develop open source privacy technology that protects free expression and enables secure global communication." Signal (and Acton) believe it's important to offer secure communication to everyone across the world, and they hope to do this with the Foundation.
Signal has become fairly popular with their Signal Messenger, a service that encrypts messages (offering end to end encryption) and provides more security than typical messaging services. It's meant to make people feel more certain that their messages aren't being compromised. It offers security for those who might be concerned about government spying or their texts being intercepted for nefarious purposes.
The Signal Protocol, which is from Open Whisper Systems and used for Signal Messenger, is also used in services like WhatsApp, Skype, and Facebook Messenger. Specifically, Facebook Messenger uses Signal to offer Secret Conversations. These locked-down messages can be sent by opening a conversation with someone, clicking the information button in the corner of the conversation, and choosing to "Go to Secret Conversation." The conversation will then use Signal Protocol to encrypt the messages sent and received.
While Signal has been frowned upon by some government agencies like the FBI (according to Newsweek), for many it's simply a way to feel more secure and private. With the money the Signal Foundation has received, Signal will be able to increase the size of its staff and do more with their service.
(Featured image: Signal website)
Say Goodbye to Swype Keyboard
February 27, 2018Posted by: Team EINCategory: Apps • News0 Likes
Swype, the enormously popular swipe keyboard, is no more. As of right now, Swype is not available to download from Google Play or the App Store.
The Swype keyboard has now been discontinued, bringing to an end one of the most popular keyboard apps—and one of the earliest swipe keyboards, the one that helped popularize swiping to text in the first place.
Swype came onto the scene back in the 2000s, and it eventually introduced a lot of people to the swipe keyboard. It allowed people to do something they'd possibly never done before—swipe their fingers across the keys to write words quickly and easily. It eventually grew to offer more than just its predictive text. It could learn your writing style, it let you customize its appearance (including its layout) and features, and it offered voice to text.
Since Swype launched and became wildly popular, more and more keyboard apps have been released with similar features. And if you're using a recent smartphone, you very likely can swipe to text on the default keyboard, meaning you might not even think to try out a third-party keyboard app. This may not necessarily be a reason for Swype's end, but it does mean that there was already a great deal of competition, and another keyboard app can likely take its place.
The reason Swype is being discontinued, according to a statement given to XDA Developers, is because Nuance, the developers, plan to focus more on other areas in the tech world. Particularly, they mention "AI-powered solutions" for other markets. They also note that the tech used for Swype will still be used elsewhere.
Though users who have already downloaded Swype can keep using it, it can't be downloaded from Google Play or the App Store. It also won't be updated or supported further in the future, meaning it's now in its final incarnation.
Just last week, I wrote an article describing some of the most popular keyboard apps available now. While Swype may be going away, there are still quite a few other keyboard apps that can make typing better. If you use Swype and want to see what other good alternatives there are, check out my article, then say a fond farewell to the soon-to-be-missed Swype.
(Featured image: Swype website)
Plan Your Valentine's Day Online
February 6, 2018Posted by: Team EINCategory: Apps • Cool Stuff • Gaming • Tips & Tricks0 Likes
Valentine's Day is coming up soon, and whether you have a significant other or not, you may still want to make plans. And with so many specific sites and apps out there these days, it's easier than ever to plan your February 14th by using your internet connection.
The internet can play an important role in how you prepare for any holiday. But with Valentine's Day just around the corner, it's a good time to think about how you can make the day easier. You may not even know how many helpful apps and sites there are that cater to lovebirds, people who are looking, and people who are single.
If you have a special someone, or if you don't have a date for the 14th yet (and even if you don't want one), scroll through for some ways you can improve Valentine's Day this 2018!
There are definitely plenty of dating sites and apps to choose from. You can find more general sites, like most of the ones below, or you can narrow your search to sites that focus on a specific interest. If you don't have a date for Valentine's Day and you'd like to, you might find someone who's looking for a date for the 14th themselves.
Match—Match is the popular dating site that's been around since the 90s. You can join for free, but to really use the site, you'll need a subscription.
Zoosk—Zoosk is another well-known dating site, this one started in the mid-2000s. Like Match, you can join for free, but you'll need to pay to actually use their services.
Tinder—If you want to try a free way to maybe find a Valentine's Day date, give Tinder a shot. Keep in mind, people using Tinder have a wide variety of agendas, and it's not like a dating site that has a detailed algorithm for matches.
OkCupid—OkCupid has also been hugely popular for years. OkCupid also has a free version, as well as a paid version. With OkCupid, though, you can do more in the free version than other sites.
Coffee Meets Bagel—This app is a newer dating option that began in the mid-2010s and has been gaining in popularity. You have suggested matches every afternoon who are chosen through their algorithm.
Plan an outing
If you want to go out this year, you have a few things to consider. Here are just a few ways you can plan your day (or night).
Take a trip—If you're going out of town, you might want to stay with Airbnb. Or if your plans are slightly more last-minute, give HotelTonight a look.
Find a restaurant—If you want to make a reservation, try the OpenTable app. And of course, the top app for searching for the best restaurant choice is still Yelp.
Look for special events in town—If you want to spend your Valentine's Day going to an event you'll both like, find out what's happening nearby with something like Eventbrite, or search through Events on Facebook.
You don't have to hit the town or take a trip to celebrate. If you do plan a night in, take a look and see if these apps and sites can make it special.
Cook—When you decide to try your hand at cooking a romantic dinner, download a cooking app like BigOven (Android or iOS) or Food Network in the Kitchen (Android or iOS) for a little extra help. Both offer thousands of recipes to choose from.
Order in—Maybe cooking isn't really your thing. If that's the case, you can always find food to order with apps like GrubHub and UberEats, both of which let you find what's nearby and have it delivered to you.
Play music—Playlists and genre stations can help give your night atmosphere. You can always make your own playlist with Spotify or find a themed one, and Pandora has plenty of playlists for different occasions (including Love Songs Radio).
Give something nice
It's not a requirement to buy something for your Valentine's Day date, but it can be a nice gesture! If you think your date would like something for the occasion, here are some places you can find something for them without leaving home.
Sweets—Chocolates and other candies are an obvious (and usually well-liked) choice for Valentine's Day. See's Candies offers a lot of different options for candy. 1-800-Flowers may have "Flowers" in the name, but they also have a large selection of sweets. And Godiva has many different chocolate options. All of these sites specifically have pages dedicated to Valentine's Day sweets.
Arrangements—Whether you want flowers or something a little different, an arrangement can be a nice gift. 1-800-Flowers has many, many different options for bouquets and other types of flowers. Shari's Berries offers many different bouquets that can be paired with their berries (meaning you can order a bouquet with chocolate covered strawberries). ThinkGeek is a little bit different—instead of sending a bouquet of flowers, you might want to send a bouquet of plushies (like a bouquet of plush dragons).
Gifts—If you're not sure what to get someone for Valentine's Day, take a look at my list of gift finders! It includes several websites that offer gift suggestions and even let you buy the suggested gifts right there on the site.
Custom Valentine's Day cards—You can always buy a card at a local store, but if you want something a little more personal, you can make your own card. Canva lets you create a card from scratch or choose from many different templates, and Shutterfly has a large selection of card choices that you can customize with things like text and photos.
Connect long-distance
If your significant other is going to be out-of-town on the 14th, or if your relationship is long-distance, Valentine's Day may seem like a downer. But there are ways to make the day a little nicer from far away. Below are just a few ways you can make the day more romantic with some helpful apps.
Plan a scavenger hunt—If your partner is away, try planning something fun for them to do anyway. One popular scavenger hunt app, Klikaklu, lets you create your own hunts and then send them to a specific person (or make them public). It's only available for iOS, but you can try something kind of similar with Seek&Spot, another scavenger hunt app that lets you create your own hunts.
Send poetry—If you're not a poet yourself, don't worry. You can find plenty of romantic poems to send on Valentine's Day. Love Poems is available for Android, and it lets you search, save, and send poems. On iOS, you can try Valentine's Love Poems for romantic poems you can share.
Keep in touch—If you're long-distance, make sure you're staying connected. Couple is an app that can be helpful on Valentine's Day, since it lets you message each other, and it also has ThumbKiss, which is a feature that makes phones vibrate when both people press their thumbs to same spot on their phones.
Skip romance
There's been plenty in this article for those who have a date or are looking for one. But being without a romantic date on Valentine's Day is awesome, too. There are plenty of things to do if you're single on February 14th. Here are just a couple ideas!
Find a Second Halloween—Some people are skipping Valentine's Day and celebrating Second Halloween instead. Your town might be throwing a Second Halloween bash—search for "2nd Halloween" or "Second Halloween" on Facebook, narrow your results to "Events," and see what you find!
Celebrate Galentine's Day—Galentine's Day is a popular way for women to celebrate on the 13th without worrying about romance. For many, it replaces Valentine's Day celebrations. You can plan your own Galentine's Day by using a site like RSVPify. Or if you're new to town and looking for friends to invite, you might give Bumble a shot; Bumble is for finding friends, dates, business partners, and more, not just a dating site.
Snapchat's Redesign Is Not Going Over Well
January 14, 2018Posted by: Team EINCategory: Apps • News0 Likes
The Snapchat app has been redesigned in an update released in some select countries, and so far, the news isn't great. In fact, it's pretty bad. TechCrunch is reporting that 83% of the App Store reviews have a negative response to the new update.
TechCrunch also notes the most used words in those reviews include "new update" and "please fix." Some users are asking how to go back to a previous version (Snapchat Support says they can't), and overall, users of the new update are suggesting the redesign is unnecessarily confusing.
The Independent notes that one major complaint among users is how Stories are now laid out. If you want to see your friends' Stories, you must now swipe right (instead of left) and find the Stories jumbled in with your messages. And TechCrunch adds that autoplaying Stories is no longer possible in the update. Instead, users have to tap to get to the next Stories, adding extra (and seemingly unnecessary) steps to the process.
Users are letting their feelings out in more areas than just the App Store. The Twitter hashtag #snapchatupdate is full of Tweets about the update. Some people are tweeting about ways people with the update might be able to revert to a previous version. Others are venting their frustration, while some are cracking jokes and mocking Snap's redesign decision. @WakehamNick jokes, "User: I believe that the Apple Watch has the worst user interface. Snapchat: hold my beer. #snapchatupdate," while @SheriannemilleR warns, "DONT UPDATE YOUR SNAPCHAT APP. DONT DO IT. ITS HORRIBLE. #snapchatupdate."
Facebook is also filled with posts about the update. Many users are sharing articles with negative responses to the update. Even more users are discussing ways to remove the update, and like Twitter users, they're begging Snap to change back to the previous design. There are, of course, some positive responses to the update—but these comments are few when compared to the negative reviews.
Right now the update is only in a few countries, including U.K., Australia, and Canada, says TechCrunch. It's not currently available in the U.S., which means there could potentially be time for Snap to listen to its users and change back. Unfortunately, there's no suggestion this will happen—in fact, they've addressed the response by suggesting users just need time to get used to the change and come to enjoy it.
In any case, when this update does come to the U.S. and other countries, the overwhelmingly negative response from this past week gives many people the chance to decide whether to install the new update.
Facebook in the News—Devices, Apps, & Features
January 14, 2018Posted by: Team EINCategory: Apps • Cord Cutting • News0 Likes
Quite a bit has happened with Facebook over the past week. From upcoming devices and features to app updates, there's a lot to catch up on!
A New Device?
Facebook may be releasing a home voice-activated device, joining the likes of Amazon and Google in the world of voice controlled products. This news comes from Cheddar, a livestreaming network that covers subjects like finance and technology.
According to Cheddar, Facebook's video chat device will be called "Portal," and it will be focused on social connection, including more features than just video chatting. It will also use a wide-angle lens and incorporate its facial recognition technology so it can connect people it sees to their Facebook accounts. (You might recall Facebook's facial recognition tech was recently in the news because of its use in a new tagging feature.)
This focus does make Facebook's potential new device sound a little different from devices like the typical smart device which functions as a personal assistant. With "Portal," there will be a straightforward purpose—social engagement—though there will also be access to things like Spotify and Netflix.
Cheddar notes that the current plan is to officially announce "Portal" in May, as well as to sell it for $499. This is a pretty hefty price tag for a voice-controlled device, but of course, we'll have to wait a while to get confirmation of the device and more details. At this point, not much is really known about its full features.
Facebook also released Messenger Kids for more devices this week. TechCrunch reports that Facebook's messaging app is now available for Fire tablets. The app was previously available for iOS.
Messenger Kids is the child-safe version of Messenger. Children can use it to send messages and make video calls. However, they can only contact people approved by a parent, and kids aren't able to hide messages from their parents, which makes it easier for parents to keep watch on their communication.
Facebook is also testing a new feature that lets users check in on credible local news. The section is called 'Today In,' and it is made up of local topics and content, according to Recode. It's currently being tested in 6 cities, but eventually they hope to bring it to more cities and let users keep up with other cities they don't currently live in.
The content will include local topics and news, all coming together through machine-learning software. The news content will only include articles from places their News Partnerships team has verified. This is so that users can feel more confident in the credibility of what they're seeing.
It's unclear when this feature might come to other cities. Until then, we can wait and see how it goes over in the current test cities.
Organize Your Upcoming Events Online
November 3, 2017Posted by: Team EINCategory: Apps • Cool Stuff • Tips & Tricks0 Likes
The holidays are creeping closer, and with that in mind, you might be thinking about the events you have to plan. If you're in charge of the family's holiday dinner or your friends' Thanksgiving dinner, or even if you just like to plan special events, internet access can make things really easy.
Even though texting and emailing can make things go more smoothly than they did in the past, it can sometimes seem confusing and tedious keeping track of all the texts you're getting, keeping up with everyone's contributions, making note of who's going and who isn't, and remembering who you've told what.
With some basic websites and apps, you can make putting together your holiday event (or any event) run much more smoothly. Here are just a few ways you can use the internet to reduce stress this holiday season!
Create a private Facebook event
I'm sure you know you can create Facebook events, but honestly, creating a private one can be a huge time saver. Depending on the group you'll be inviting, every invitee might already be on Facebook. If they are, it makes things pretty easy. You can choose to make your event private so that only you and the people you invite know it exists. People can leave comments, let you know if they're going, and get all the details in one place. Of course, if any of the invitees aren't on Facebook or don't check it regularly, it might not be the best way to go. Also, people can be flaky when it comes to Facebook invites. They'll often choose "Interested" and never change the status to "Going," so it can be hard to get a headcount at times. If these aren't issues you're worried about encountering, a private Facebook event may take care of most of your needs.
Use the GroupMe app
GroupMe is a super helpful app when you want to communicate with a group. Everyone knows that group texts can be irritating at times, especially if you're trapped in one you don't want to be part of. GroupMe lets you create groups made up of people using the GroupMe app or just people with texting capabilities. If you're in the group, you can remove yourself or turn off notifications, so you won't feel trapped. You could use GroupMe to invite people to the party, update them on changes, get their ideas, or anything else. It's a useful way to communicate with a whole group without making them feel stuck in an unwanted group text.
Use Facebook Messenger to poll guests
Facebook Messenger can work pretty well to form group messages as well, but one particularly cool use for it is polling. If you create a group message with the invitees who are on Facebook, you can message a poll through the app and get peoples' thoughts in a helpful way. You might need to know what time would work best for everyone, or you could be trying to figure out the best venue. Whatever the case may be, it's a straightforward way to work out the details of your event, particularly if you already have the Messenger app or if you have access on a desktop.
Set up a Google Doc to keep track of info
Google Docs can be a lifesaver when trying to organize something or work together with a group. If you have a Google account, you can create a Google Doc and invite others to collaborate with you by editing the document. This could make things really well-organized for, say, a potluck. People could edit the document by adding their name and what they were bringing. Then every time someone opened the document, they would be able to see what was already covered and use that to figure out what was still needed. With a Google Doc, it takes some of the responsibility of organizing out of the host's hands.
Use RSVPify to figure out who's coming
Finding out who's coming to an event can sometimes be crucially important. Knowing the attendance numbers can change how much food you make, how much seating is needed, etc. As previously mentioned, it can sometimes be hard to get a true headcount on a Facebook event. That could still be an issue everywhere, but it might make things a little easier if you used a service like RSVPify. You can create a free event and send a link to everyone for them to RSVP. This is especially useful if not all of the invitees are active on Facebook. It also might seem a little more official and important than a Facebook invite, so who knows, you might get a more accurate headcount.
Offer a collaborative playlist for wider music selection
Instead of going to the trouble of putting together a playlist yourself, you can make it a group effort. If you want some mood music for your party, like Christmas music, you can create a collaborative playlist on Spotify and invite other Spotify users to add to it. This way you don't have to focus on coming up with a full playlist, plus your attendees will get a say in what's being played for everyone. It's just one small way that a host can make their guests feel like they're part of the planning process.
Internet 101: Which Messaging App is Right for You?
October 30, 2017Posted by: Team EINCategory: Apps • Cool Stuff • Trends0 Likes
Communication has certainly changed dramatically over the years. When email entered our lives, it changed the way we could communicate. When SMS ('Short Message Service') texting, the form of texting we all know and love, became more accessible and cost-friendly, its popularity exploded. Since then, we've used many different ways to communicate. Email may not be the most popular way to communicate these days, though it's of course common in the business world. Texting is obviously still popular, but there are far more options. Over the years, more and more messaging options have come onto the scene. Since there are so many different apps to choose from, it might seem difficult to decide which one you actually want to stick with. If you're not sure which one you want to use, or if you're not sure what people are talking about when they say 'kik,' this article might just help you figure out which app you'll enjoy the most—or if you even want to use a messaging app.
What are the pros?
There are a lot of reasons to download a messaging app. Here are just a few reasons to consider:
Messaging apps can have special features that are better than typical SMS text platforms
Many messaging apps also include video chat and calling, which can streamline your communication
Most apps have fun things like extra (or different) emojis and stickers
You don't have to exchange phone numbers with someone to keep in contact
You can feel freer to casually message people, because you know they chose to connect with you
What are the cons?
Here are a few reasons you might not want to go with an app:
Downloading another app takes up more space on your device
Your contacts might all be using different apps, because there are so many apps to choose from
Apps might glitch or start crashing, while the typical SMS text platform is generally fairly steady
Messaging apps use some of your data, while standard SMS texts don't (as long as you have SMS texting in your phone plan)
What should you consider?
If you weigh the pros and cons and want to use a messaging app, or if you have one now but aren't sure if it's the right one for you, here are a few questions you could ask:
What purpose do you have?
Do you want a messaging app for business? School? Family? Friends? Some mix of these groups? Your purpose might change which app you go with. If you want a messaging app to keep up with co-workers and communicate in the workplace, you might need less bells and whistles, and it might need to be more practical (unless you have a really cool workplace). If you're looking for an app so you can work with your classmates, you'll probably need an app that lets you clearly define groups. If you just want a messaging app for your friends and family, you'll likely want more of the fun features that can keep you all entertained and is pretty informal.
Is it easy to use?
When you're choosing a messaging app, you should definitely look for one that you can easily use. Depending on your experience with smartphones, different apps, and messaging in general, you might need something different from everyone else. You'll want to make sure it's intuitive (you don't have to go searching all over the place to find basic features). You can also consider whether it's similar to other things you've used in the past.
What kind of messages do you want to be able to send?
If you want to just send text-based messages, most of the following apps will work great for that. If you want to focus on communicating through photos, other apps will do the job better. If you want video capabilities, many apps offer this option, but some are better than others. Make sure to see whether your app offers all the kinds of messaging you want to use.
Is the app safe and secure?
Most of the chat apps you've heard about are considered safe, but be careful not to add a random app that just looks cool without looking into it first. Scam apps could steal your data or do worse. Also, some apps are built entirely on the premise of being more secure than SMS texting and other apps out there. One app, called Signal, is based entirely on this idea. It's slightly different from other messaging apps, though, in that you still send texts to peoples' phone numbers. If you want to be extra careful with your messages, keep in mind that some apps offer more protection than others, though they might not work the same way as the typical messaging app.
Is it convenient?
Some messaging apps might be more convenient for you than others. If space is an issue, some take up less space, so take that into consideration. Also, some apps are connected with other social media platforms you might already be on, so that can be an added layer of convenience.
What are your options?
Here are just 7 of the messaging apps you might want to choose from. There are many, many more out there, so consider asking around to learn what your friends and family prefer. These are just some of the apps that are widely discussed and used!
Offers texts, photos, videos (including video calling), and voice calling
Facebook Messenger is, obviously, Facebook's connected messaging app. Messenger is separate from the Facebook app, so you do have to download another additional app to use it. Messenger has a lot of different options, like making group messages with fun group names, sending photos with face filters and other decorations, and using Facebook's stickers. Facebook Messenger is interesting because there are so many things you can do with it. One thing people may not be as aware of is the ability to play games through the app, like Word Streak with Friends. There are other games, too, built into the Messenger app. It seems like you can do just about everything with the app, even send money and share your location. You and most of your connections are probably on Facebook already, so you'll know you can contact just about everyone here. If you want to send just about any kind of message and you have Facebook, try this app out. Facebook Messenger is free to download—check out their website to get started!
GroupMe
Offers texts, photos, and videos
GroupMe lets you connect with groups of people to keep in touch for whatever purpose. It's certainly popular in the college world and in the workplace. You can create as many different groups as you want. It has its own set of emojis, which are pretty cute and keep things a little interesting. GroupMe has a nice gallery view, so if you're in a group that sends a lot of media, it's easy to flip through what's been sent. It also easily lets you send your location, quickly inviting group members to join you where you are. GroupMe really relies on its usefulness in communicating with groups, particularly if you don't want to share your number (though users without the app can still receive GroupMe messages, which is convenient). If you want to be able to message groups easily (like for a group project or work event), this is a great app for it. GroupMe is free to download—check out their website to get started!
Instagram Direct
Instagram Direct is Instagram's answer to a messaging service. Instead of just posting your Instas and liking your friends' photos, you can also message people directly through the app. Like Snapchat, your photos and videos will automatically disappear after a while (though not all of your messages disappear—just your photos and videos). You can send all sorts of media through Instagram Direct. Also similar to Snapchat, you can add face filters to your photos, and you can add cool effects to your videos. Boomerang is an especially popular video feature; you can make a short video clip loop back and forth. If you already have Instagram, you already have Instagram Direct, which makes it more convenient than some other messaging apps might seem. Of course, if you want to connect with people who aren't on Instagram, this isn't the app for you. If most of your friends and family are connected with you on Insta, though, this app might be just perfect. Instagram is free to download—check out their website to get started!
Offers texts, photos, and videos (including video calling)
Kik is a pretty popular messaging app that people often use if they don't yet feel comfortable giving their phone number to someone (though this isn't its only use, of course). You can't make regular voice calls, but you can do pretty much everything else, so it's a good option no matter what kind of messages you'd like to send. You can send all sorts of GIFs and stickers, and you can create group chats. Kik also has a pretty nice, clean interface, so it's not really confusing. Kik also has some interesting special features. For one thing, you can interact with Kik bots to kill time if you're not sure who to talk to. Also, you have a Kik code that others can scan in order to connect with you, which is convenient. Quite a few people are on Kik, so it might be a good option for you. Kik is free to download—check out their website to get started!
Snapchat is the popular photo- and video-sharing app that makes your messages impermanent. Messages disappear after a short amount of time, and even the photos and videos in your personal story disappear after a short while. Snapchat centers specifically around photos and videos, though you can, of course, send text-based messages. You can use Snapchat filters to do things like weirdly distort your face and voice, give yourself cat ears, or put someone else's face on your own. You can take short videos with these filters, too, and you can do other cool effects. You can also easily add text on top of your photos, communicating through your photos. If you want to message primarily through photos and videos, this is the app for you. Snapchat is free to download—check out their website to get started!
WeChat is a messaging app that offers all the kinds of things you might expect. It lets you message in all kinds of different ways, but WeChat also has an interesting feel to it. The main page is very basic, sort of like your typical SMS chat setup, but once you're in a chat, it can get as complicated as you'd like it to, with voice messages, the ability to match your step count with your friends (if you each have it enabled), group chats, and interestingly, broadcasted messages that go to numerous people but don't share who all the people are. WeChat is also a nice choice if you have friends in China (as I've recently learned from experience). Some messaging apps are blocked in China, but WeChat is still available there. It also has a very strange bunch of animated stickers you can download, which keeps it very interesting. If you're looking for an app that is slightly different from the rest, this one will do the trick. WeChat is free to download—check out their website to get started!
WhatsApp is a hugely popular messaging app that has a lot of great features. You can send all different types of messages, you can create groups, and you can easily access it everywhere, including on your computer. It also has its own cute versions of the emojis you're used to. The app is pretty clear and easy to use; it's not really bulky or confusing at all. Honestly, it's really a simple and straightforward way to message people. WhatsApp is an alluring choice, partly because it has so many nice features and partly because so many other people are already on it. It's also nice because it's easy to send files through the app. You can do pretty much all the things you'd expect with it. If you want a messaging app that a lot of people are on and that does all of the basics, this app might be your best option. WhatsApp is free to download—check out their website to get started!
Remembering AOL Instant Messenger
October 16, 2017Posted by: Team EINCategory: News0 Likes
Recently it was announced that AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) would be shutting down in December of this year. This news has taken the internet by storm. AIM was huge in the 90s and part of the 2000s, and many people online now were frequent users of the popular chat program. Even though it's been largely abandoned by most of us for years, replaced with more modern chat apps, many people (myself included) feel a bit sad at the idea of AIM ending forever. Just for fun, let's take a look back and remember some of the things you might have encountered if you used AIM when you were young (or at least younger).
Oh, AIM screen names. Screen names back in the day were a lot of fun at the time, though they might seem a little embarrassing now. I'm not sure where all the x's and numbers came from—maybe necessity, since so many usernames were taken—but they kept things interesting (and harder to read). You might have seen screen names with two x's at the beginning and end (xxEMOGIRLxx, for example), or 0's instead of o's, or mIxEd Up CaPiTaLiZaTiOn, or even better, all three at once (xXeM0gIrLxX?). I don't know about you, but I found it a little difficult sometimes to tell who had signed on since the screen names were such fun, jumbled messes.
Buddy Icons
Buddy icons were a fun way to further personalize our profiles. The tiny, often-pixelated pictures were changed often on my friends' profiles (and I think I changed mine about once a week). It was particularly fun to find animated icons. (Animated icons! They moved! Who knew pictures could do that.)
SmarterChild
I know I'm not the only one who was good friends with SmarterChild. In case you've forgotten your BFF, SmarterChild was a 'bot that could automatically reply to your messages. You could ask questions, play games, get the weather, find movie times, and just chit chat. I remember being amazed and impressed at the way SmarterChild could actually talk to me. With "people" like Siri and Alexa available today, SmarterChild can seem really outdated in hindsight. But the bot was pretty groundbreaking at the time and was great fun to hang out with when no one else was online at 4am.
Extensive Profiles
If you used AIM a lot back in its earlier days, you might have had a crazy profile like my friends and I all did. We all liked to put our basic information (a/s/l), stuff we liked, who our friends were, etc. And for some reason, we all felt like we couldn't make our profiles long enough, so we started using the SubProfile website. We could add a link to our profile that led to our SubProfile with even more information. It seemed like we spent as much time building our SubProfiles as we did actually talking to each other.
Ridiculous Away Messages
It's possible that our away messages were sillier than our profiles. Typically, away messages added by young people on AIM didn't give any indication about where the person was or what they were doing. They were almost never useful or informative, it seemed. Instead we would focus on putting bright background colors with clashing (sometimes unreadable) text, lyrics from songs that we thought were deep, and quotes from our friends (for some reason a lot of us thought it made us look cooler). Oh, and you might have had a lot of fun adding the code into your away message that would display the screen name of whoever was reading it, which made it seem like the message was personalized to them.
However silly it may have been sometimes, AIM gave a lot of people some good memories of chatting with their friends. Even if you didn't really get involved with the crazy stuff mentioned above, you probably had a good time catching up with friends, some of whom you might not have ever met in person. Even though we have plenty of chat apps we can use today, we'll miss you, AIM.
(Featured image: Business Insider)
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Written personnel policies of centers and large family child care homes should address the major occupational health hazards for workers in child care settings. Special health concerns of pregnant caregivers/teachers should be carefully evaluated, and up-to-date information regarding occupational hazards for pregnant caregivers/teachers should be made available to them and other workers. The occupational hazards including those regarding pregnant workers listed in Appendix B: Major Occupational Health Hazards, should be referenced and used in evaluations by caregivers/teachers and supervisors.
Early care and education employees need to learn about and practice ways to minimize risk of illness and injury and promote wellness for themselves (1). As a workforce composed primarily of women of childbearing age, pregnancy is common among caregivers/teachers in child care settings. All female staff members of childbearing age should be encouraged to discuss the potential exposure to risks that could cause harm to their unborn child with their primary health care provider (1).


KSA Group is a UK wide firm of Insolvency Practitioners supported by Regional Managers that gives advice to directors of companies worried about insolvency. We can rescue companies using turnaround techniques, additional finance, and management help. If the company can't be saved then we can help close the company via a liquidation.


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Dale Robert Linnemann
July 24, 1965 - February 1, 2021
Dale Robert Linnemann, age 55 of Waldorf, Maryland, died February 1, 2021. Dale was born on July 24, 1965 at Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs, Maryland. He graduated from Thomas Stone High School in Waldorf, Maryland in 1983 and worked as a roofer and sheet metal mechanic. He loved to hunt, play poker and watch the Dallas Cowboys play football. He was the son of Robert B. Linnemann and Johanna Linnemann. In addition to his father, he is survived by his Aunt Margaret Skroupa of Ellicott City, Maryland; his cousins, Mark and James Skroupa of Maryland; and his beloved dog, Henry. Funeral services will be private. Family has requested no flowers.
Dale Robert Linnemann, age 55 of Waldorf, Maryland, died February 1, 2021. Dale was born on July 24, 1965 at Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs, Maryland. He graduated from Thomas Stone High School in Waldorf, Maryland in 1983 and worked... View Obituary & Service Information
The family of Dale Robert Linnemann created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories.
Dale Robert Linnemann, age 55 of Waldorf, Maryland, died February...
Send flowers to the Linnemann family.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


How to get more description of the geodata ?
In part I we've configured internal definition of styles, each called a NamedStyle, and this is by using SE 1.1 because deegree3 is based on it internally. But what if you are interesting as a client to get a map from a WMS with your custom style because there are interesting underlying data you want to visualize?
The interesting is that when a WMS service is combined with the SLD profile, then it comes with the UserStyle mechanism to allow external client to portray internal geodata in a custom way.
Now the situation is you as a client which means you have no more access to the WMS console (as we had in part I). How can you get more information on what geodata the WMS service (you know available at http://localhost:8080/services/mywms) is able to offer ?
To invoke it, we need to submit a POST HTTP request. By hand we use the REST Client firefox extension.
All these internaly-defined NamedStyle that the WMS service offers are nice, but as an external client (versus the WMS manager), I would like to represent these lakes with my own style (without asking the WMS manager to add it as an internal NamedStyle). Indeed, until now, when requesting a WMS GetMap, we were able to link a NamedLayer only with a NamedStyle through the usual LAYERS and STYLES parameters.
To link with a custom style, we need to create a sld:UserStyle !
A sld:UserStyle is a standardized way to link a server-side layer (e.g. NamedLayer) with a client-side custom style defined with SE language. This WMS capability is enabled thanks to its SLD profile.
Now that we know everything about the "meteocities" layer, we are be able to create a custom style so as to transform the precious meteo properties into meteo symbols and labels.
Have a look to the meteosuisse map and you will notice there is no meteo information for Rapperswil. So we will have to ignore that specific feature before starting our meteo style.
A rich style of rules to define weather symbologies.
These symbologies are applied to all cities except Rapperswil because of a LayerFeatureConstraints.
LayerFeatureConstraints configures the step of selection of the features to give to the rendering engine.


We would like to hear from you. Please send a short description of your career and current position to me-alumni@me.rochester.edu. Feel free to include descriptions of any interesting endeavors or newsworthy events. If you would like us to include this information in a list of alumni on our web pages, indicate this in your email message.
Sam has recently has a piece of his art displayed as part of a collection being shown through the Art in Embassies program in the home of the US Ambassador to Oman. Sam's passion for the intersection of art and science began in high school, and he used his Take 5 year to study photography and media studies.
On his website he explains that his art focuses on technologies "at the brink of obsolescence that are desperately trying to convince us of their relevance and, if nothing else, to get our attention just long enough to say goodbye."
He's now at NYU in the Interactive Telecommunications Program, which brings together art, technology, design, interaction, computer programming, and circuit design.
Rhima works as an assistant professor in biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan. She was a mechanical engineering student at the University of Rochester, and completed a minor in biomedical engineering.
Amit, a materials scientist at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been named a 2012 fellow of the Materials Research Society. The society, which has more than 16,000 members worldwide, is an interdisciplinary professional alliance to promote materials research.
A specialist in high-temperature superconductivity and one of the 28 fellows selected this year from around the globe, Goyal was cited for "seminal and sustained contributions to the field of small-scale mechanical behavior of materials" as well as professional leadership in materials science.


21-year-old Eli Raybon has quickly established himself as a sci-fi weirdo auteur. The staunch non-conformist is now priming his most alluring release yet: a fully-fledged, sci-fi concept album called Supertoys. The record is pure retro-futurism, combining cyberpunk storytelling and disco beats with a myriad of analog synth work.
Raybon will release the first single from Supertoys on March 29th.


Imagine a 6,000-sqft luxury villa just steps away from a private beach and only 45 minutes by ferry from Singapore! Villa Ombak is the shared dream of two families with 9 kids between them. That's why it's perfect for large or multiple families looking for an easy, efficient getaway from the Lion City. Villa Ombak has four bedrooms (all with bathrooms), an infinity pool, sala, purpose-built kids play room with climbing wall/ping pong/foosball, kayak and two SUPs, football pitch, ping pong…and a lot more.


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UCS Cartoon
Stirling Coach
Drury's Asylum
Glasgow University Library Special Collections, James Hopkirk
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William Drury's private lunatic asylum, Garngad House, 1827. The spire of Glasgow Cathedral is visible in the background of this view by James Hopkirk.
In 1814 William Drury came to Glasgow from St Luke's Hospital in London to become the first Superintendent of the Glasgow Lunatic Asylum in Dobbie's Loan. Seven years later Drury and his wife, the Asylum's matron, resigned and acquired the private lunatic asylum in Garngad House that had previously belonged to Dr James Hill.
Reference: Glasgow University Library, MS Murray 636
Glasgow University Library, Special Collections
gardens, Garngad House, Glasgow Cathedral, Glasgow Lunatic Asylum, Glasgow Royal Lunatic Asylum, lunatic asylums, matrons, spires, superintendents


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London Philharmonic Orchestra announces 2018/19 Southbank Centre season
Highlights include celebration of 300 years of British music & continuation of Changing Faces: Stravinsky's Journey
26 September 2018-3 May 2019
LPO celebrates three centuries of British music in a year-long festival, Isle of Noises, throughout 2019. From the first great English opera, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, to a world premiere by Helen Grime, the season takes in major works by Elgar, Bax, Walton and a rare outing for music by Alice Mary Smith, the first British woman to write a symphony
Changing Faces: Stravinsky's Journey, an extensive chronological celebration of the life and works of Stravinsky continues throughout 2018 with the composer's pioneering and provocative works from the 1940s onwards, including a rare performance of his full ballet score Orpheus and his opera, The Rake's Progress, both conducted by Vladimir Jurowski
Jurowski, Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of LPO, conducts 12 Royal Festival Hall concerts including Haydn'sThe Seasons; Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress; Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde; Bruckner symphonies in his continuing cycle; a major Armistice centenary event including a world premiere, and a programme built around music by Czech composers who died in the Holocaust
LPO and Jurowski continue their first Ring Cycle with Die Walküre featuring an all-star cast
Jurowski also conducts a fiftieth anniversary performance of Berio's Sinfonia with The Swingles, who sang in its historic first performance in 1968
Special commission to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War 1 – Magnus Lindberg's Triumph to Exist – is conducted by Jurowski on 10 November 2018 and promises to be an important moment of reflection at this historic time
Other premieres include major new works by Pascal Dusapin, Helen Grime, Anders Hillborg and Erkki-Sven Tüür and the work of one of the LPO's Young Composers' Programme, Arne Gieshoff
First UK performance in 120 years of the original version of Puccini's first opera Le Villi, conducted by Sir Mark Elder, starring Ermonela Jaho
UK premiere of Gounod's Concerto for Pedal Piano, sees first outing of this once popular, and now rare instrument at Southbank Centre
Beethoven Piano Concerto cycle across two evenings from dynamic pianist Javier Perianes
Star tenor Juan-Diego Flórez joins LPO for an evening of popular opera arias
Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Principal Guest Conductor, leads an impressive list of visiting conductors which includesThomas Adès, Marin Alsop, Mark Elder, Edward Gardner, Juanjo Mena, Roger Norrington, Alondra de la Parra, Vasily Petrenko, Robin Ticiatti and Osmo Vänska
Among the great singers appearing are Anna Caterina Antonacci, Patricia Bardon, Allan Clayton, Dame Sarah Connolly, Michelle DeYoung, Juan Diego Flórez, Matthias Goerne, Ermonela Jaho, Simon Keenleyside, Mark Padmore, Stuart Skelton and Elizabeth Watts
Great pianists include Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Mitsuko Uchida, Yefim Bronfman, Kirill Gerstein, Benjamin Grosvenor, Stephen Hough, George Li, Jan Lisiecki, Javier Perianes and Vanessa Benelli Mosell
Other soloists include violinists Ray Chen, Janine Jansen and Viktoria Mullova; percussionist Colin Currie; cellists Matthew Barley and Kian Soltani; clarinettist Andreas Ottensamer
The London Philharmonic Orchestra has announced its season at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall for 2018/19, confirming its reputation for adventurous programming with rarities and world premieres alongside the great works of orchestral music that together celebrate LPO's power in inspiring its audiences.
The celebrated partnership between Vladimir Jurowski, Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, and LPO continues with 12 Royal Festival Hall concerts in 2018/19 season, including Wagner's Die Walküre; Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress; Bruckner symphonies in his continuing cycle; Haydn's The Seasons; a Mozart and Mahler concert with Mitsuko Uchida, Dame Sarah Connolly and Stuart Skelton; a major Armistice centenary event including a world premiere of a specially-commissioned work by former Composer in Residence Magnus Lindberg; a programme featuring music by Czech composers who died in the Holocaust for which he is joined by the Borodin Quartet, and a fiftieth anniversary performance of Berio's Sinfonia with The Swingles, who sang in its historic first performance in 1968.
At a time when the nature of what it is to be British dominates the national debate, LPO is presenting a major celebration of the music of Britain in Isle of Noises across the whole of 2019: three centuries of British music from the first great English opera, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, to a world premiere by one of the leading British voices of today, Helen Grime. The season also takes in three major Elgar works as well as music by Bax, Walton and a rare outing for music by Alice Mary Smith (born London 1839), the first British woman to write a symphony.
Throughout 2018, London Philharmonic Orchestra continues its year-long chronological exploration of the life and works of Igor Stravinsky, Changing Faces: Stravinsky's Journey, which in the newly announced season, reaches the composer's pioneering and provocative works from the 1940s onwards.
Proud of its reputation for commissioning and sharing new music, this season includes premieres of major works by some of today's most exciting living composers including Pascal Dusapin, Helen Grime, Magnus Lindberg, Erkki-Sven Tüür and Anders Hillborg. The world premiere of Lindberg's Triumph to Exist, specially commissioned to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War 1 by LPO and 14-18 NOW: WW1 Centenary Art Commissions and conducted by Jurowski on 10 November 2018, promises to be a major moment of reflection at this historic time.
Complementing LPO's annual summer seasons at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, the new season includes some extraordinary operatic work. A particular highlight is the first performance in 120 years of the original version of Puccini's first opera Le Villi, conducted by Sir Mark Elder with a cast headed by Ermonela Jaho (21 Nov 2018). Vladimir Jurowski conducts Stravinsky's opera The Rake's Progress (3 Nov 2018), and Wagner's Die Walküre with a starry cast of singers as the second instalment of his and LPO's first Ring cycle (27 Jan 2019). Purcell's Dido and Aeneas is conducted by Sir Roger Norrington and features Marie-Claude Chappuis and Benjamin Appl in the title roles and Lucy Crowe as Belinda (30 Jan 2019). Superstar tenor Juan Diego Flórez joins the orchestra for an evening of popular opera arias (29 Mar 2019).
Among the other highlights of the season are the UK premiere of Gounod's Concerto for Pedal Piano played by Roberto Pressado, which sees the first outing of this extraordinary instrument for well over a century in London; a Beethoven Piano Concerto cycle across two evenings from pianist Javier Perianes, conducted by his compatriot Juanjo Mena; powerful choral concerts with London Philharmonic Choir including Poulenc's Stabat Mater, Orff's Carmina Burana, Rossini's Petite messe solennelle, Berio's Sinfonia and Haydn's The Seasons; as well as the much-loved concerts for children and families, LPO FUNharmonics, which this season includes a screening of the new animated film based on The Highway Rat, the picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler with live orchestra.
Many other great guest artists join the LPO once again, including Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Benjamin Appl, Dame Sarah Connolly, Edward Gardner, Matthias Goerne, Benjamin Grosvenor, Stephen Hough, Janine Jansen, Simon Keenlyside, Viktoria Mullova, Andreas Ottensamer, Alondra de la Parra, Vasily Petrenko, Stuart Skelton, Christian Tetzlaff, Robin Ticciati and Mitsuko Uchida, to name just a few.
Timothy Walker, LPO Chief Executive and Artistic Director, said:"I programmed our survey of British music before the EU referendum was announced, but it's perfectly timed as discussions about Britain's place in not only Europe but the world dominate the news agenda. Not only is LPO playing works during the season by composers born and bred in Britain, but also those who were born abroad but came to London to work and even took British nationality. LPO is proud of its record of being an international orchestra, from its being the first to play in China/Russia to its present day touring of Asia, America and Europe and being an orchestra made up of players from 27 countries. Everyone at LPO feels passionately about giving audiences around the world exposure to the unique wonder and emotional power of orchestral music through presenting unfamiliar works and world premieres as well as the best loved pieces. We look forward to embarking on our season of adventure."
Vladimir Jurowski, Artistic Director of Changing Faces: Stravinsky's Journey, says: "Stravinsky is one of the few composers through whose personal development we can define the development of the entire music of the 20th century. There are big differences in his compositional style, but one thing should remain clear for performers and listeners: whatever period we are tackling, all of his music sounds like Stravinsky. He is infinitely fascinating to today's audience: you can hear how much his music anticipated our zeitgeist, our feeling for life."
Newly announced concerts for 2018/19 season include:
Thomas Adès returns to open the 2018/19 season, conducting Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements alongside Lutosławski's Symphony No. 3, with soloist Kirill Gerstein joining for Adés own 'concerto for piano' In Seven Days (26 Sep)
Stravinsky's ballet score Orpheus is juxtaposed with Beethoven's The Creatures of Prometheus in an exploration of Greek myths under Jurowski (6 Oct)
Jurowski brings together a stellar line-up of soloists for Stravinsky's opera The Rake's Progress, including Allan Clayton, Miah Persson and Matthew Rose (3 Nov)
In a special event on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War 1, Jurowski conducts Stravinsky's Requiem Canticles, in which the composer contemplates mortality with open eyes and piercing intelligence – alongside Janáček's The Eternal Gospel, Debussy's Berceuse héroïque – and the the world premiere of Magnus Lindberg's Triumph to Exist, specially commissioned for this historic moment of remembrance (10 Nov)
Jurowski brings the year-long celebration of Stravinsky to a close with a programme of his Variations (Aldous Huxley in Memoriam), Threni and Tango, alongside Berio's Sinfonia with The Swingles, who performed the world premiere in 1968 (8 Dec)
BEYOND SOUTHBANK CENTRE SEASON
The London Philharmonic Orchestra continues to be in demand around the world and gives around 35 concerts each year overseas. It has recently returned from major tours to Japan and China and has forthcoming tours to Spain, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland before the end of the current season. The 2018/19 season sees tours to Switzerland, Netherlands, North America and Asia.
LPO also continues its residences at Brighton, Eastbourne and Glyndebourne, where this year it undertakes Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier, Debussy's Pélleas und Mélisande and Barber's Vanessa.
The LPO will record a selection of concerts to be released on its own label, as well as streamed on its website and live on BBC Radio 3. The LPO Label has released over 100 recordings since its launch in 2005. The full catalogue can be explored at www.lpo.org.uk/recordings
THE LPO'S EDUCATION PROGRAMME
The London Philharmonic Orchestra's education work is at the heart of the organisation and is a vital area of its activities and brings the life-affirming power of music to schools, young people, adults and families across South London and beyond. Reaching over 30,000 people a year, the programme engages with people of all ages and abilities and enables world-class musicians to become part of people's daily lives.
Among the many programmes it runs, the LPO brings music to life through BrightSparks concerts for over 10,000 young people; supports GCSE student composers and young people in SEN settings; and offers direct professional development for primary school teachers and LPO musicians through the innovative Creative Classrooms project.
It continues its pioneering programme LPO Junior Artists, an orchestral experience programme for talented musicians aged 15-19 from communities and backgrounds currently under-represented in professional UK orchestras. Other opportunities for young people include LPO Soundworks, fostering creativity in communities with young composers and instrumentalists working with young experts from other art forms to devise collaborative performances.
The 2018/19 season sees the culmination of a three-year partnership with Leonard Cheshire Disability and Drake Music – OrchLab – in which Leonard Cheshire service users take part in live and online creative music-making inspired by the Orchestra's repertoire, enhanced by ground-breaking assistive technology.
2018/19 will be the 15th year of the LPO's Foyle Future Firsts Development Programme, bridging the transition between college and the professional platform for up to 16 young players annually, and offering a chance to receive lessons and play side-by-side with LPO players and take part in a wide range of professional development opportunities. The parallel LPO Young Composers' scheme gives five composers each season the opportunity to develop new works for the combined forces of the Foyle Future Firsts and members of the LPO, led this season by composer and conductor Sir James MacMillan, his first year on the scheme.


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Freelancer 'boom' amid the COVID-19 lockdown
The number of professionals turning to freelance work during the coronavirus lockdown has risen four-fold, according to leading freelance platform.
The PeoplePerHour site has experienced an "unprecedented rise" in the number of professionals signing up to pitch for ad-hoc work, while demand for talent in specific areas has also risen as businesses battle to forge a way out of the lockdown without access to their furloughed staff.
Almost 100,000 sign-ups were registered on the PeoplePerHour site in the first 26 days of March, with similar numbers also likely to have appeared during April too.
London is the core of the freelance 'boom', with the capital experiencing almost a 500% rise in the number of freelancer sign-ups for gig work. That figure is over seven times higher than any other British city.
Other UK cities experiencing a rise in freelance sign-ups include Sheffield (64%), Edinburgh (63%), Cardiff (53%), Liverpool (50%) and Nottingham (39%).
The COVID-19 lockdown appears to be a 'perfect storm' situation for some freelancers, as certain skillsets are in greater demand by businesses than others.
For instance, there has been a 500% surge in the number of firms seeking freelance support for enterprise resource planning. Meanwhile demand for media planning and brand development creatives also surged 400% and 200% respectively between February and March.
Other specialisms in demand by businesses across the UK and beyond include SEO writing (158% rise), marketing management (140%), customer support (112%), logistics and shipping (100%) and Medical translation (100%).
Xenios Thrasyvoulou, founder and CEO, PeoplePerHour, said: "Although various support packages are now in place, the delay has led to a huge number of people [taking] matters into their own hands with many individuals signing up to find freelance work using their skills base to carve out a freelance career."
"While SMEs have been turning to the growing freelance network to attain the talent they require to keep their businesses going at a time of social distancing."
Are you thinking of taking the plunge and working for yourself in a freelance capacity? We can work with you to define your accounting and tax requirements as a professional contractor.
As a freelancer, you want to be in total control of your income and be ready to take on that next exciting project without the hassle of accountancy and administration getting in the way.
Our online accounts package can help you get going with invoicing and bookkeeping from day one and your local TaxAssist Accountant can also help you comply with all HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) deadlines.
To arrange a free initial consultation, call our friendly and experienced team today on 0800 0523 555 or drop us a line using our online enquiry form and find out why we're ideally positioned to make freelance life simple for you.
For our latest COVID-19 news and guidance for your business, visit our dedicated Coronavirus Hub.
We will be updating it regularly as we continue to monitor and digest all the latest information
Last updated: 25th September 2020


So, this isn't even a recipe…it's assembling. The other night, we were running from A to B to C and I knew we would need a very quick dinner, so I made these Chicken Caesar Rice Bowls. My kids LOVE Caesar Salads, so they were a huge hit! Instead of Parmesan, I put crumbled bleu cheese on mine…but of course, you could put Parm on yours (I just love bleu cheese!). The key is to poach your chicken all day in your slow cooker (or use a rotisserie chicken!). You'll assemble and have these on your table in no time!
In a mixing bowl, toss together your shredded chicken, Romain, green onions and some drizzles of Caesar salad dressing (as much or as little as you want). Next, divide your rice between four bowls. Take a fourth of your salad mixture and place it up on top of the rice. Finally, garnish each bowl with some bleu cheese crumbles.
You should go ahead and make a little extra for lunch the next day!
Why haven't I ever tried incorporating a caesar salad into a rice bowl before? My favourite salad and my favourite carb together? Sounds so good!
Oh my goodness! This is right up my alley!
That's exactly what I was thinking-my kind of summer meal! Looks delicious!
I love recipes where it's just assembling for a quick dinner. This looks great and really filling!
Is the chicken and rice still warm when you assemble this, or is everything chilled like a salad? Looks good either way.
I served it warm but I think it would also be yummy cold too!
Salad AND brown rice – count me in!! May I ask where you got the darling white bowls in your graphic? I just bought the cutest cereal bowls from Anthro but they're too deep for salad, if that makes sense!
These bowls are from Pottery Barn :).
Shay, if you are making the chicken a day or more in advance how do you store the chicken? For how long can you freeze cooked chicken?
If I made it a day in advance, I would store the chicken in an airtight container in the fridge. I don't typically freeze cooked chicken, so I would probably not suggest it.
What is your favorite brand of dressing? It would be nice to see your suggestions for people who don't have a favorite brand!
I used Brianna's Home Style for this one :).
This would also be good over penne. Looks delicious!


There are many unspoken rules and lore about the loan modification process. There are things that professionals cannot discuss with you but that you hear through the grapevine or through experience in dealing with the banks directly. There is no help for weary out there with the banks. They are entrenched and overworked and the customer service people are overwhelmed and callused from hearing so many crushing stories of desperation from their customers.
One of the things you must know is that if you have not started defaulting on your payments, your loan modification request will go the bottom of the pile. In fact some banks will tell you flat out that you cannot do a loan modification if you are current with your payment. No wonder the system is broken. When they can get you to start the process before they start losing income, they basically encourage you to stop making payments on your loan so you can be heard, not directly but with their bad attitude and some of them telling you directly that you cannot start if you are current on your payments.
You do have a powerful tool and the law is on your side. Banks do not have to log or even pay much attention to phone calls, but they must log every paper that comes to them by law. There are laws stating the time they must handle written requests in and the procedures for doing so. Banks by law must respond to written requests. They cannot forget about them, burry them (there is always a paper trail), or ignore them and not respond—the law requires them to respond and not just respond but respond in a timely manner set forth in the law. To get your loan modification issues resolved always write or fax the bank, they must listen to you then and do it quickly or you have cause to sue them. To get your rights better protected and potentially get better terms hire a loan modification expert, it really may save you a great deal more than you pay.
Banks hate lawyers but they hate loan professionals such as mortgage brokers even more. Why? Well they can spin many lawyer's heads with numbers and they can offer deals to them that may carry hidden fees or some obscure terms that they write into the agreement that can dramatically affect your modification is a few years. However, when loan management professionals are on the case, these little shell games banks can play are no longer available to them. Loan brokers know loans often better than most bankers because they have to know how to get them through the system, bankers often know the most common terms and laws, but brokers know them all because that is how they make things happen. It is harder to bamboozle a loan professional and there is no spinning their heads with number and making a deal sound better than it is because no one knows a deal better than a loan broker. Lawyers are necessary, without them the process might work but the legal issues might spin out of control, but to negotiate the agreement with a bank find help from an expert in loans such as myself. The lawyer will draft the final papers as it should be but the hard out fight with the bank over the terms is best done by people who speak their language.


text:
A Vend népmesék a vendeknek nevezett magyarországi szlovénok népmeséi. Legközelebbi rokonai a magyar népmesék. Vendül: párpovéjst.

A vend népmesék eredete
A vendek nagyon zárt népcsoport volt Magyarországon. A 9. század vége óta elzártan éltek  krajnai és stájerföldi szlovénoktól, s a magyarokkal álltak szoros kapcsolatban. Ez a kultúrára is nagy hatással volt.
A magyarországi és szlovéniai népmesék legfőbb eltérése a Mátyás király mesékben van. Szlovénia népmeséiben (az országot annak idején Hunyadi Mátyás meghódította) gyakran szerepel Mátyás, míg a vendekében – akik közvetlen magyar uralom alatt éltek – nincs. Ennek okára ma sincs magyarázat. Az állatmesék is ritkák, nincsenek manók és víziemberek (povodni mož).

A népmesék jellege
A tartalom és az elbeszélés módja a vend meséknek is magyar jellegű. Főbb szereplők itt királyok, elátkozott királyfiak és királyleányok, grófok, jóságos öregemberek, a kedveskedő állatok, táltosok és nem utolsósorban a kígyók. Ez utóbbi állat a szlovén népmesék jelképe.
Nagyon gyakori motívumok még az ördög. A gonosz boszorkány, vagy a szörnyű sárkány sem ritka. A legnépszerűbb mese a furfangos cigányról szóló mesék. Az egyikben egy nyúllal rászed két fiskálist (ügyvéd), míg a harmadik már elveszi tőle a nyulat, s végül ő húzza ki a csávából is, miután a két átvert ügyvéd perbe fogja. Az ügyvéd azt mondja, hogy minden kérdésre, amit neki feltesznek mondja azt, hogy "Krk!", így bolondnak fogják tartani és elejtik a vádat. Ezért cserébe a cigány jóféle bükkfát ígért, hanem amikor a fiskális a fizetségét kéri, a cigány mindenre azt feleli, hogy "Krk!".
A mesék közt vannak jó véget érők, s vannak tragikusak is. Beszélnek a beteges emberi irigységről, mint amikor az asszony gyönyörű újszülöttjét a disznók közé dobják, hogy tépjék szét, amiért az Isten nem nekik adott ilyen gyereket.
A magyar befejező formulát a "még ma is élnek ha meg nem haltak", is teljesen átveszik, mely vendül így szól: "eštje gnesdén živétá, či stá nej mrlá".
A mesés számok mint a 3, 7, 9 és 12, mint nemzetközi motívumok ugyanúgy megtalálhatók.

A népmesék összegyűjtése
A vendek egy-egy nagyobb összejöveteln egymásközt, vagy otthon mesélték, tollfosztásokkor, tömegköpesztéskor, kocsmákban, vagy aratásokkor.

Az Apátistvánfalván élő, nyugalmazott általános iskolai tanár, a szintén szlovén Krajczár Károly gyűjtötte össze a 70-es években először a meséket, akkor még csak Apátistvánfalva és Kétvölgy (Permise, Ritkaháza) községek területén.
Az első kiadások közül egy vend nyelvjárásban, egy kétnyelven magyarul és irodalmi szlovén nyelven jelent meg 1990-ben, a Magyarországi Délszlávok Demokratikus Szövetsége kiadásában Rábementi szlovén népmesék (Slovenske pravljice iz Porabja) címmel. 1996-ban egy újabb kiadása jelent, meg ahol a régiek mellett, újonnan gyűjtött mesék is voltak olvashatók, de már csak irodalmi- és tájnyelven, mint Szép Vida és a Királyfi (Kraljič pa Lejpa Vida).

Magyarországi szlovén mesemondók
 Doncsecz János, Apátistvánfalva
 Merkli Ferenc és Borovnyák Anna, Permise
 Tek Pista, Ritkaháza
 Oreovecz Károlyné szül. Bedi Anna, Apátistvánfalva

Források
 Mukicsné Kozár Mária: A magyarországi szlovének néprajzi szótára, Monošter-Szombathely 1996.

Népköltészet
A magyarországi szlovének irodalma

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


With nine people living in 90 m2, the original configuration of this four-room flat has been modified. Ryszard Kowalski stands in the corridor that now serves as the kitchen. The toilet room and bathroom are still located in the main staircase outside the apartment.


My niece Viviana Carreras, who is three years old, is diagnosed with Congenital Myasthenia Syndrome. From the moment she was born she had many complications. She was born not breathing and had no muscle tone. Today she still suffers from muscle weakness and issues with swallowing and digesting food. Viviana's muscle weakness causes her to be fed through a tube that pumps food straight into her stomach. Also, she takes several medicines daily that are suppose to help her muscles respond, but so far there has not been much improvement. Through all her problems none of them have affected her brain. Viviana is very bright for her age and never stops talking, just like her mother.
Viviana has been in and out of the hospital several times through her three years of life. She spends just as much time at the hospital as she does at home. As she gets older things are getting more complicated because she is growing at a rapid rate. Her muscle tone cannot catch up with her. The heavier she is, the harder it is to transport her and move her around places. During the night when she is sleeping she cannot even move her own arms, her head, or any body part like we do in the middle of the night. So, someone has to do it for her. Like I said she is very vocal and will say loudly, "head," when she wants her head turned.
She has been to several doctors, even to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota where they diagnosed her with CMS (Congenital Myasthenia Syndrome). They gave her medicines and care to help her improve her condition, but nothing as worked. My family and I are still skeptical that she actually possesses this syndrome, even though several of her symptoms point to it. None of the treatments recommended for this syndrome have improved her position. Another factor that makes my family unconvinced is that the CMS is an inherited disease, but no one in my family has shown any signs related to this syndrome. At the Mayo Clinic, both of Viviana's parents went through several tests such as blood tests and genetics test, but all have came back negative.
My family and I are blessed to have Viviana in our lives. She is very special to us and we will continue to look for answers for her condition.
Viviana in her kid cart!


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text:
import os

from neutron.plugins.vmware.api_client import client as nsx_client
from neutron.plugins.vmware.api_client import eventlet_client
from neutron.plugins.vmware import extensions
import neutron.plugins.vmware.plugin as neutron_plugin
from neutron.plugins.vmware.vshield import vcns

plugin = neutron_plugin.NsxPlugin
api_client = nsx_client.NsxApiClient
evt_client = eventlet_client.EventletApiClient
vcns_class = vcns.Vcns

STUBS_PATH = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'etc')
NSXEXT_PATH = os.path.dirname(extensions.__file__)
NSXAPI_NAME = '%s.%s' % (api_client.__module__, api_client.__name__)
PLUGIN_NAME = '%s.%s' % (plugin.__module__, plugin.__name__)
CLIENT_NAME = '%s.%s' % (evt_client.__module__, evt_client.__name__)
VCNS_NAME = '%s.%s' % (vcns_class.__module__, vcns_class.__name__)

def get_fake_conf(filename):
    return os.path.join(STUBS_PATH, filename)

def nsx_method(method_name, module_name='nsxlib'):
    return '%s.%s.%s' % ('neutron.plugins.vmware', module_name, method_name)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Mexican Drug Lord Escapes From Prison For The 2nd Time
LYNN NEARY, HOST:
Mexico's most notorious drug trafficker has pulled off what authorities said was impossible. He's escaped from the country's maximum security prison. Joaquin El Chap Guzman, the head of the Sinaloa drug cartel, crawled out through a tunnel that officials say extended nearly one mile to a nearby town. This is the second time he has escaped from one of Mexico's prisons. We are joined now by NPR's Carrie Kahn in Mexico City. Carrie, officials held a press conference with the latest information about the escape. What did they say?
CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: It's just amazing, Lynn, the details that they gave of this tunnel. Everybody just has - their jaws are on the ground here. To describe this tunnel, it's just - it is amazing. The opening began at the shower area of the prison, and if I did my math right, it was about 20 inches by 20 inches at the top. That's so small. And then that connected to another tunnel that jumped 10 yards straight down. A ladder was found there. And that tunnel connected to the main one which, as you said, ran, unimaginatively, nearly a mile to a nearby town. Officials say they found PVC piping in the tunnel, which was probably used to aid Chapo's breathing while he was in the tunnel.
NEARY: Wow.
KAHN: It was just tall enough that he could - a little bit higher than he was so he didn't even have to bend over to go through the tunnel. He could stand up straight. He is short, that's his nickname, but the tunnel was that high. And then they found some sort of even motor-operated equipment that they said was used to remove all the dirt from the tunnel and it emptied out into this town, which was also at a construction site so maybe that's how they covered up what they were doing. Eighteen people are under arrest and detained and brought into Mexico City that are - that were workers in the prison.
NEARY: Wow, yeah, so it sounds like he must've had some help. So tell us more about Guzman and the Sinaloa cartel.
KAHN: The Sinaloa cartel is the largest in Mexico and even despite Guzman's arrest last year, it still is the strongest and biggest one in Mexico and has reaches all the way to Europe and even to Australia. He was once on Forbes most powerful list, and it estimated his personal fortune over a billion dollars. The Sinaloa cartel is believed to control nearly all the land border crossings into the U.S. and is the largest provider of marijuana, meth and cocaine into the U.S. And Guzman is under indictment and in sealed indictments in many towns - cities in the United States. And officials in the U.S. have wanted to extradite him ever since his arrest last year.
NEARY: Yeah, and that was a pretty spectacular enterprise. The dragnet that led to his arrest involved intelligence and help from U.S. agents. Give us a little more information about that.
KAHN: It was quite a spectacular arrest. And what is El Chapo Guzman's trademark - he avoided arrest and capture by agents through tunnels. There was just an elaborate display of tunnels in the capital of his hometown - of his home state, Sinaloa. And he was able to elude escape for a couple days, and then he was finally caught in a condominium with his wife and his twin daughters in Mazatlan. And that was last year, and officials were just elated and practically giddy in their press conferences as they told us about the spectacular arrest in this manhunt. It was quite a different scene when these same officials had to get up before the mics and before reporters and discuss what happened today.
NEARY: NPR's Carrie Kahn in Mexico City. Thanks, Carrie.
KAHN: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


Welcome to our website. Here you will find all the answers to Word Mocha Macchiato, also the links for the other categories.
If you are fed up being bored and want to start something interesting but don't want to waste your precious time by playing those worthless games available on the internet, you can play "Word Mocha", the best word-combining game available on Google play store and Itunes.
If you are you looking for answers for other categories, then you need to navigate to Word Mocha Answers' main page.


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Our company is highly reputed in the London Market where we source risk solutions from key players.


text:
Paul Cormier named new CEO Of Red Hat, Jim Whitehurst to become IBM president
By Joseph Tsidulko on Apr 7, 2020 12:52PM
Red Hat's longtime product chief Paul Cormier on Monday replaced James Whitehurst as CEO, taking charge of the open source leader as it enters a crucial phase in establishing its identity as an IBM subsidiary.
With Whitehurst finally stepping into the prominent role of IBM president, Cormier becomes responsible for balancing the duel Red Hat missions declared after the landmark $34 billion acquisition—maintaining Red Hat's independence as a vendor of technology used across all major clouds while leveraging that technology to distinguish and accelerate IBM's hybrid cloud business.
As Red Hat's leading product visionary for almost two decades, Cormier drove more than 25 acquisitions during that tenure. He expanded the business from almost solely a Linux distributor to a comprehensive open source software vendor that's an enterprise powerhouse not only in operating systems, but cutting-edge technologies like cloud, containers and DevOps.
In a letter sent to Red Hat employees in lieu of an in-person assembly due to the coronavirus pandemic, Cormier said new IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, who championed the Red Hat acquisition, will continue to be an advocate for the Raleigh, North Carolina-headquartered company's independence.
"He is committed to keeping Red Hat Red Hat and he knows that part of that is having someone in this leadership position that understands us and what makes the company tick," Cormier said.
"IBM knows that the best way for us to continue to lead the industry is to allow us to stay on our mission while helping us scale."
Cormier, previously Red Hat's president of products and technologies, has been a major advocate for open source software, which came through in his letter to employees.
When he moved into the same job in 2001, Cormier said the Red Hat team was "on a mission to convince the world that open source was real, safe and enterprise-grade."
"To do that we had to take risks," he said, both in developing and prioritizing products like Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and executing strategic acquisitions like Qumranet and eNovance, which delivered virtualization and OpenStack cloud consulting businesses respectively.
"We had the fortitude to take these risks along with the people to tackle them skillfully, ultimately helping to drive real change in the IT industry," Cormier said. "Because of our close ties with open source communities, we are able to see trends building before much of the world does."
Red Hat has advanced open source into the leading methodology for many areas of enterprise computing, "including infrastructure, application development and associated tools, and bluntly, real innovation," he said.
Bradley Brodkin, CEO of HighVail Systems, a leading Red Hat partner based in Toronto, said Cormier has long been the "true technical driver at Red Hat," and as such, he was the "logical and natural choice" to take over from Whitehurst.
The promotion of an engineer to lead the company hints that Red Hat may be shifting its own sales efforts to IBM, Brodkin added.
As to Whitehurst, his move to IBM was also a natural progression, Brodkin said.
"I still believe he's destined to be the next IBM CEO if they are successful in this transformation," he said.
This article originally appeared at crn.com
Copyright © 2018 The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved.
ibm red hat software
By Joseph Tsidulko
IBM president James Whitehurst talks Red Hat with IBM partners
Red Hat Australia bulks channel team
IBM to acquire solution provider TruQua in SAP channel play
Dubber joins major vendors in IBM's new cloud for telcos


This group is for those interested in Red Claw Crayfish and other species of crayfish.
Need help with Cherax quadricarinatus suppliers in Europe.
You need to be a member of Red Claw Crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) and Friends to add comments!
Howdy. Last year I finished my ecology master studies. Right now apart from other activities I have crayfish aquaculture in mind. My exact question would be where could I purchase Cherax quadricarinatus in Europe. Any information would be helpful!
Any luck? A local store in Winchester is trying to get me about 12 but I think there coming from out of the US. If you have info please pass along!
Looking to start a small red claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus)farm for myself in a 2k gallon pool. Would like to purchase from someone a few to get started. I am in San Diego CA.
If anyone can help me I appreciate it. Thanks so much all.!
Shean Smith I live fairly close, just outside Pensacola. Where can I get Red Claws?
Cold in Virginia 20F, looking for about 15 Red Claws in Winchester ,Va.
like to find a source for juvenile red claws. Also does anyone have a comment on Yellow Perch & red claws in a 110 Gal. tank?
My two tanks outside on the porch will have heaters, but my two tanks inside will only start with temp sensors. I have been talking with Kellen about bluegill, when I am up with 5 700 gallon tanks.. My two old catfish are the hardiest.
Red Claw can be fed 50% sinking catfish feed and 50% rabbit pellets. They like carrot pieces, too. The water temp has to be kept 60-degrees F or higher or they will die. They need 1 place to hide per Red Claw like a PVC pipe. I lost all my RC, about 1,000-Red Claw, because a heater went out last winter and I live on the Gulf Coast. The biggest got up to a foot long. Bluegill, catfish, and bass are better suited for non-tropical climates.


text:
The Not-Ninja of Dragon's Favour
accessibility, inclusivity
There's a pretty controversial argument going on around Legend of the Five Rings lately, where the recent raising of the game's profile has resulted in a two-fold argument between people directly and seriously impacted by Orientalist views and representation in media, and people who aren't, and convinced it's fine. This conversation isn't really worth hashing out here, because we're pretty removed from it but as much as Invincible Ink has an official stance, if Actually Asian people are sitting around saying 'this is hecked up' I don't think it falls to white people to explain to them how they're wrong to be bothered by it.
But we have a game that's 'like' Legend of the Five Rings! We have Dragon's Favour, a voting game that is also set in an Empire with lots of named clans… and based on this recent furore I wanted to take a moment to shout out and thank the people who helped me research and reconsider what I was doing when we made Dragon's Favour.
Now the demands of Dragon's Favour are very different to the demands on L5R. That's a game with lots of different cards and lore and character options and reading and books' worth of stuff. I even own some of them, in the Rokugan D20 sourcebook. Still there were ways that Dragon's Favour almost made some big mistakes and I owe it to, amongst other things, a friend who's an Asian histories academic, for showing me some. Here is a quick pitfall that I avoied with this friend's help
In Dragon's Favour, you have role cards that indicate what you're delegating people to do. Two of these cards are ASSASSIN and SOLDIER. In the first parse through the game, these were Ninja and Bushi. The greater setting of Dragon's Favour is an empire, known as the Empire of the Dragon, overseeing thirteen clans, based on the signs of the Chinese Zodiac. Now, you might already notice – Ninja and Bushi are not Chinese words. They are Japanese words.
Now I didn't really consider that the Empire of the Dragon was a mish-mash of all sorts of Asian cultures. In our design document describing the groups, these clans are either segregated cultural groups within large centers of population, or separated enough from the empire to be distinct cultures that are held under the control of the Dragon's Empire – because that's what Empires do, they collect countries. So it's not that in Dragon's Favour there are Mongolian people with Korean names and Japanese weapons – in this setting, the Horse clan are meant to be like Mongolians and kept separate. It's a simple take on them, but they are still distinct, and recognise that the empire is a political thing that exists. The Snake clan represent a diaspora, spread out through other cultures' spaces in response to attacks on their lands. The aim, then, was to treat the cultures of the Dragon's favour as if they were cultures who could have opinions and incentives to work with and within the aim of the Empire.
If you're wondering how the Empire of the Dragon holds itself together, by the way, it's because the Dragon clan have dragons.
Orientalism is – and it's a lot more complex than one sentence but this is a place to start – when you treat this whole region of the world as if the cultures are foundationally strange, fundamentally inhuman, and reasonably interchangeable. It's when you act as if there's no inner life or rationale for why people act and behave as humans might. And by acting as if the assassins for all these cultures are all Ninja, if the soldiers who work for the seafaring Crane, the architectural Ox, the maligned Rat, it makes it look like all these cultures are Japanese. Every other word I use is translated – why keep to those?
At first I really wanted to stick with Ninja and Bushi! Because I thought it was a good idea to use Asian words in a game with an Asian theme. But they're not Asian words. They're Japanese words. And Asia is a word that includes Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Burma/Myanmar, India, Tibet, China, Mongolia, two Koreas, Japan and more, and acting as if Japanese words were the words for everyone in this space is erasing all the differences. It's treating these cultures as if details within them are more or less meaningless. I'm not even saying I've done a perfect job! Dragon's Favour is still a game made by a white guy because he thought the Chinese Zodiac looked cool! But the game stepped around one really easy problem just by doing research and being willing to accept that my wants were not facts.
Anyway, I guess this is an article just saying: Do your research! And to a lesser extent, thank you so much to my research friends.