After hours of driving and hiking along a ridge in a state park, I'd found a well-secluded spot to set up camp in the middle of the woods. Three states from home and not even visible from the trail, I was ready for some well-deserved relaxation where no one could find me.
No one, except for the GPS tracker in my pack.
As large as a Zippo lighter, the device had observed my entire road trip, using GSM to periodically upload location information to backend servers for later perusal. And that's just the basic functionality. If someone knew its phone number and authentication pin (the super-secure default: 123456) they could tweak other device settings, and even call in to eavesdrop on conversations using the device's microphone.
All it cost me is about $20 for the device, and $25 for a 2G pre-paid SIM.
Enter the world of consumer-grade GPS spying devices. Thanks to the ubiquity of the cellular network and cheap GPS radio chips, there are a wide range of off-the-shelf trackers for pets, vehicles, and nearly anything else that can move. Some attach to a car's onboard diagnostics (OBD-II) port, some come with collars for dogs or cats, others have magnets to attach to the underside of a vehicle, but nearly all are designed to be small and concealable.
There's also nearly as much variety in cost, ranging from inexpensive devices that require the purchase of a SIM, to more polished and managed subscription services costing hundreds of dollars.
How are these devices being used?
How much of a privacy threat are they to the average consumer?
How can you tell if you're being tracked by one?
Rather than presenting a survey of all available devices, let's start by digging into one in order to get a clearer idea about how these things work – and how they could (conceivably) be used against you.
I found the cheapest tracker that didn't seem to be snake oil and began my research, quickly discovering that the shoddy-but-functional device I'd bought was one of probably zillions of clones of a more popular precursor. Though at first I wondered if I'd been scammed: the pager-sized bug did what it advertised, if you patiently poked it according to the manual.
Out of curiosity, I bought more trackers that looked identical but appeared to be from different sellers and manufacturers. After comparing package contents, manuals, features, command syntax, case design, PCB construction and manufacturer Type Allocation Code (TAC) in each device's IMEI, I got the distinct impression that each device I'd ordered came from the same assembly line, with the only real differences being initial settings and the seller's logo.
Figure 1: TK102 clones…. Or am I being paranoid?
Figure 2: TK102 clones and other devices.
Figure 3: TK102 clone internals. All were bought from different sellers.
After this basic inspection, I turned to feature testing: does it really do what it claims? I inserted an SD card, an active SIM card, and powered the device on. After a few minutes of connecting to the network and achieving a GPS lock, it was responding to SMS commands. Spitting back the device's last logged latitude/longitude with a helpful Google Maps link to the location, and accepting various settings changes.
With a friend's help I switched to audio monitor mode, called the device, and sure enough heard their consensually-surveilled test conversation. I enabled 'log-to-sdcard' mode, took the bug on a bicycle ride, loaded the resulting GPX file into Google Earth, and watched as it traced out my afternoon jaunt. I enabled the device's data upload, ran errands around town, and replayed my travels through the seller's web portal. It was finicky, but it worked.
Figure 4: A pleasant camping trip displayed on Google Earth.
Interestingly, the device let me specify a custom server to upload data to, rather than the default. Configuring the device to point to a VPS I control, setting up a transparent proxy to forward to the default server and running a packet capture, I could get a peek at what the bug was phoning home with over the GSM data connection.
Sure enough, its regular updates contained the device's ID, latitude/longitude, possibly a speed, and other unidentified info. In a strange twist of fate, this feature could feasibly strengthen the privacy of people who want to track themselves and yet still maintain control over their own historical location data, tracking their runs or hikes without having to hand this data over to a third party.
This device was creepy enough, considering its small size, magnetic body and vinyl case that seemed to say, "put me under someone's car" (Echoes of Breaking Bad, anyone?). But amazingly, the potential for privacy invasion extends beyond whoever is controlling it and the seller who is housing the data.
Firstly, the data sent when the device phoned home was not encrypted at all. Anyone who could observe the data as it traveled the Internet to its backend server could pull out the location and speed of the tracker. Even worse, there appears to be no authentication of the traffic, or of the identity of either party. This could allow a third party to modify and insert data in a MITM attack, falsifying location info from the tracker, or spoofing commands to the tracker from the server. But that's just the beginning.
Figure 5: Red is from the tracking device, blue is from the backend server.
The web portal for this particular service didn't even support encryption. Again, anyone who could see the traffic could see whatever the user saw, and of course nab their login credentials.
But the credentials themselves were what was worrying me. The login accepts a tracker ID number and pin to log in, with the pin default being 123456 (!). The ID number at least is 12 digits, which should make guessing difficult. However, in the three devices I purchased, the last 11 digits of the ID were identical to the last 11 digits of the IMEI, which actually makes brute-forcing IDs plausible.
For those who don't know, an IMEI is divided into two main sections: the Type Allocation Code (TAC) and the manufacturer-defined serial. The first eight digits are the TAC, which essentially describes what entity manufactured the device. The remaining numbers are six digits the manufacturer assigns as a serial, followed by a Luhn check digit computed from all the preceding digits of the IMEI. Because anyone who bought a device (or looked at product images on Amazon) would know at least one of the TACs used, this just leaves the 6-digit serial number that the manufacturer controls, along with an easy to calculate Luhn check digit.
Effectively, a brute-force check for default pins for all devices with the same TAC as a known TAC takes a measly 1,000,000 tries. As we learned from Mirai, people don't do a great job of changing default credentials either.
Overall, the lack of reasonable design choices doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the system's ability to protect the user's valuable GPS location data.
Something that surprised me was how plausible and innocuous I found some of the advertised uses for various trackers. If I was operating a towing agency or taxi service, I could track my vehicles in real time for dispatch. As a consumer, I could track an expensive drone as insurance against it being lost, or keep tabs on a beloved pet if they had a knack for escaping. I could even track my bicycle in case it were ever stolen.
And moving on to the next level of real-world tracking… I could even track people. Certainly, one could understand a caring family's wishes to keep tabs on an elderly relative with dementia or a young child with a habit of wandering off in crowded shopping malls. Many people even have relationships where they're honestly fine with certain people always being able to see where they are, whether that's the boss at work, family members, friends or even partners.
But there's a fine line between love and obsession, and that's where the ugly dark side of this technology rears its head. Many manufacturers are likely well aware that their products can be abused in domestic situations, for instance, in the case of a controlling partner who obsessively tracks their spouse's whereabouts. But for the sake of making their product commercially viable, they instead pitch the product as being perfect to keep track of Fido in case he escapes from the dog park.
To some degree, there's nothing a manufacturer or retailer of any product can do about someone misusing their products, although if they are so inclined, they can design them from the ground-up to make this more difficult to do. Other manufacturers, however, seem more gung-ho about the fact that they can help people non-consensually spy on their (theoretically cheating) spouse.
Where most sellers shy away from the "stalk your partner!" style of marketing and simply leave the buyer to make that connection themselves, New York-based company SpyTec International currently (as of this writing) promotes and directly advertises its products specifically for this kind of use. Their product descriptions explicitly advertise their suitability for tracking spouses and partners without their consent (see figures 6 and 7 below). Their GPS tracker reviews mostly describe success in stalking spouses, they offer accessories for better hiding their trackers, and even dedicate a page (page archived) to this kind of use.
Figure 6: Screenshot of SpyTec's 'About Us' page – current as of this writing in August 2018.
Figure 7: SpyTec's covertly-named "Tools for catching a cheater" page (archived).
Considering the prevalence of smartphone-based trackers in domestic abuse situations, this sort of business model is concerning and has feasibly contributed to abuses beyond the mere invasion of privacy.
Unfortunately, there's no easy-to-use magic gizmo that can tell you whether there's a GPS tracker or audio bug near you (and yes, we've all been lied to by the movies). But, knowing what to look for can help you detect a tracker in a physical search. Additionally, knowing your situation and potential safety threats is crucial to evaluate if you're at risk of being tracked like this, and if so what methods might be used.
First, you must ask yourself some tough questions to evaluate if you're at risk of being tracked by someone. Are there particular people or groups that would be interested in where you go? What resources do they have to find this out? How close are you to them, and do they already have access to parts of your life?
Most of us already carry a personal GPS tracker with us everywhere we go in the form of our smartphone, and it leaves a trail of data. On the extreme end, your cellular carrier knows approximately where you are at any given moment based on where your smartphone is, and may sell that information to third parties.
An attacker (or suspicious spouse) can also install spyware on your smartphone, though this typically requires that they have physical access to your unlocked phone. Or, that person could coerce or manipulate you into installing a "friendlier" tracking app. Failing all that, there is also always the option of simply following you and risking being noticed. Or, paying hundreds or thousands of dollars to have a private investigator do the dirty work for them.
So, the main selling feature of using one of these GPS trackers would be if an attacker didn't want to be noticed, wasn't able to install apps on your phone, but has some kind of physical proximity to you, even if only temporarily. It's quick and easy to slip a tracker in a bag or attach it to the underside of a car, the device could function for weeks without needing to recharge, and would cost only a few hundred dollars at most.
The good news is that if you know what you're looking for, you will have a good chance of success in uncovering one of these devices placed in your physical proximity. The very smallest of these devices is only a bit smaller than a pager, and they'll be larger if they have larger batteries for longer life, built-in magnets, or a hard case.
Logically, they're also only going to be placed where they're useful: within earshot of where "interesting" conversations might happen, or on things that frequently travel with you. This means that physically searching for them can be effective, whether they're hidden in a coat or bag, left in a glove box or center console, or attached to a vehicle.
Taking the time to familiarize yourself with your car's underside, engine bay and bumpers can help you spot a freshly placed device when you search. Some kind of vehicle inspection mirror can make this process easier. In general, if it's attached to your car with magnets instead of bolts and can be removed with some pulling, it's not supposed to be there. Being proactive and restricting access to your vehicle when possible can also help prevent bugs from being placed.
Figure 8: The TK102 clone in a vinyl bag, and the SpyTec device in a hard case.
Figure 9: No Trackers here, just dirt and rust.
Figure 10: TK102 clone attached. Can you spot it?
Figure 11: SpyTec case securely attached, TK102 clone easily removed.
I Think I'm Being Tracked. What Do I Do?
If you suspect you are being tracked without your consent, this is not normal and feeling betrayed is a common and reasonable reaction. If you do find a tracking device, before you so much as touch it, think about who might've placed it there, what their motivations could be, and what would be your most strategic response to this discovery.
Your initial reaction may be to remove and destroy the device or hide it somewhere to leave a false trail, but first heed a word of caution before following this path. It may be far riskier (to your own safety) to remove the device and alert whoever is tracking you to the fact you've discovered their bug. Do yourself a favor, take a few deep breaths and leave it be for now while you devote some time figuring out who might have bugged you, and why.
There are in fact devices available that can detect the kinds of bugs that use GSM to communicate, but they're expensive and may require training to properly use. If you have one and you're using it for the first time, remember to remove any other GSM devices from the area to avoid simply detecting the cellphone in your pocket. Bear in mind to that any trackers also use accelerometers to sleep when not moving, which could potentially mean that testing would have to happen while the car in question is in motion.
Ultimately, if you're in a situation where you discover that someone is monitoring you without your knowledge or consent, and you feel like you could be in any kind of danger (whether physical or mental), it's time to call on friends, family, a lawyer, or other supportive resources to deal with the situation at hand. Dealing with a breach of trust is hard, but doing it alone is far harder.
EDITOR's NOTE: This blog represents the opinions of the author only, and does not represent an official Cylance endorsement or judgment of any companies, services or products mentioned herein. Cylance is not connected nor compensated in any way by any company, service, or product mentioned in this blog, nor by any competitor to those companies, services or products.
Michael Zandi Michael Zandi is a Software Engineer Associate of Applied Research at Cylance.


text:
Credits: UBC Library Communications - Flickr
On the importance of education for young refugees, by Gloria Ihirwe Ntakirutinka
Equity and inclusion Education for inclusion: promoting the rights of migrants and refugees Higher Education and Research
published 20 June 2018 updated 21 June 2018
Gloria Ihirwe Ntakirutinka
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On the occasion of World Refugee Day, Gloria Ihirwe Ntakirutinka, a young Rwandan refugee pursuing higher education in Senegal, shares her experience and her fight for access to higher education for refugees.
Tell us about yourself. Why did you decide to advocate for education for refugees?
My name is Ihirwe, I am 21 years old and I am a student in the third year of public law. I grew up in a family that took refuge in a West African country after fleeing the Rwandan genocide. That country - Togo - is the country in which I grew up. During that time, I watched my parents - and my mother in particular - working very hard to support us. Having grown up, understanding my status as a refugee and the situation of my family which had lost everything, I realised that only one thing could help me to achieve my goals: education.
How did you go about getting access to higher education?
After obtaining the baccalaureate, I was distraught because I knew that my parents would be unable to pay for expensive higher education. I was overjoyed when I was selected, after filing an application, for a scholarship of excellence with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees that would enable to continue my studies for the duration of a Bachelor's degree in Senegal. While I am in the last year of the Bachelor's degree, I am looking for opportunities to obtain a scholarship for a Master's degree next year, because my current scholarship does not cover second cycle studies.
What difficulties did you face as a refugee with regard to obtaining access to higher education?
Finding a scholarship is no easy task because, in our host countries, we often do not have access to the same scholarships as the country's nationals, although we should be treated the same as nationals. In addition, access to foreign scholarships can be difficult because our travel documents often paralyse our applications. Without a scholarship, it is very difficult to access higher education due to our families' lack of financial resources.
What does access to higher education mean for a young refugee?
Sometimes, refugees are victims of xenophobia because they are seen as incapable people supported by society. Yet, through access to education, we hope to achieve independence, and financial independence in particular, as we want to help our families out of poverty and help our parents who gave everything to give us a future.
What message would you like to deliver in this regard on this World Refugee Day?
I would say that the greatest thing one can offer anyone is education. However, for people who have lost everything, education offers them the opportunity to build a life. Education is like a reassuring voice whispering in your ear, saying that "everything can be rebuilt, even starting from nothing", and that give you hope that everything will work out.
The system sometimes seems to forget young refugees, boys and girls alike, who are fighting to build a life for themselves, for their families and for the community as a whole. We would like to have the same opportunities for accessing education as nationals, and we would also like recognition of our travel documents as we can be refused visas even after submitting satisfactory applications.
"Without education and skills enabling us to build our future, we are doomed to hope for help from the community. Yet, if we had had the opportunity to study as other do, we could change the world, which is to say ourselves, our families, the community, and make our contribution to the world". That is what I would say to those abandoned young people who will depend on others against their own will if nothing changes.
Gloria Ntakirutinka, born in Lusaka in Zambia, is a Rwandan refugee. Having grown up in Togo, she completed her secondary education in Lomé and is currently pursuing Public Law studies in Dakar, Senegal. A Slam Poetry enthusiast, she advocated for access to education for refugees.
The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect any official policies or positions of Education International.
Higher Education Migrant Rights Racism and Xenophobia Rwanda financing refugees Senegal Togo migrants World Refugee Day Worlds of Education Gloria Ihirwe Ntakirutinka Education for inclusion: promoting the rights of migrants and refugees | Our work to promote inclusion in education for migrants and refugees Equity and inclusion Higher Education and Research | Our work on higher education and research
Education for inclusion: promoting the rights of migrants and refugees | Our work to promote inclusion in education for migrants and refugees
Standards and working conditions 2 August 2021
Rwanda: SYPERWA stands by teachers during the crisis
Equity and inclusion 19 March 2021
"Committed leadership and concerted action needed to end the pandemic of racial discrimination", by Patrick Roach.
Patrick Roach
Equity and inclusion 18 December 2020
Statement | International Migrants Day: realising the rights of migrants
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 20 November 2020
The World Depends on Public Services and Public Services Require Political Will.
Rosa Pavanelli, David Edwards
Equity and inclusion 20 June 2020
"Overlapping crises: the impact of Covid-19 on refugee students in Lebanon", by Hussain Muhammad Jawad
Hussain Muhammad Jawad

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
/* DO NOT EDIT */
/* This file was generated from team.stone */

package com.dropbox.core.v2.team;

import com.dropbox.core.stone.StoneDeserializerLogger;
import com.dropbox.core.stone.StoneSerializers;
import com.dropbox.core.stone.UnionSerializer;

import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonGenerationException;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonGenerator;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonParseException;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonParser;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonToken;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.Arrays;

/**
 * A set of features that a Dropbox Business account may support.
 */
public enum Feature {
    // union team.Feature (team.stone)
    /**
     * The number of upload API calls allowed per month.
     */
    UPLOAD_API_RATE_LIMIT,
    /**
     * Does this team have a shared team root.
     */
    HAS_TEAM_SHARED_DROPBOX,
    /**
     * Does this team have file events.
     */
    HAS_TEAM_FILE_EVENTS,
    /**
     * Does this team have team selective sync enabled.
     */
    HAS_TEAM_SELECTIVE_SYNC,
    /**
     * Catch-all used for unknown tag values returned by the Dropbox servers.
     *
     * <p> Receiving a catch-all value typically indicates this SDK version is
     * not up to date. Consider updating your SDK version to handle the new
     * tags. </p>
     */
    OTHER; // *catch_all

    /**
     * For internal use only.
     */
    static class Serializer extends UnionSerializer<Feature> {
        public static final Serializer INSTANCE = new Serializer();

        @Override
        public void serialize(Feature value, JsonGenerator g) throws IOException, JsonGenerationException {
            switch (value) {
                case UPLOAD_API_RATE_LIMIT: {
                    g.writeString("upload_api_rate_limit");
                    break;
                }
                case HAS_TEAM_SHARED_DROPBOX: {
                    g.writeString("has_team_shared_dropbox");
                    break;
                }
                case HAS_TEAM_FILE_EVENTS: {
                    g.writeString("has_team_file_events");
                    break;
                }
                case HAS_TEAM_SELECTIVE_SYNC: {
                    g.writeString("has_team_selective_sync");
                    break;
                }
                default: {
                    g.writeString("other");
                }
            }
        }

        @Override
        public Feature deserialize(JsonParser p) throws IOException, JsonParseException {
            Feature value;
            boolean collapsed;
            String tag;
            if (p.getCurrentToken() == JsonToken.VALUE_STRING) {
                collapsed = true;
                tag = getStringValue(p);
                p.nextToken();
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                collapsed = false;
                expectStartObject(p);
                tag = readTag(p);
            }
            if (tag == null) {
                throw new JsonParseException(p, "Required field missing: " + TAG_FIELD);
            }
            else if ("upload_api_rate_limit".equals(tag)) {
                value = Feature.UPLOAD_API_RATE_LIMIT;
            }
            else if ("has_team_shared_dropbox".equals(tag)) {
                value = Feature.HAS_TEAM_SHARED_DROPBOX;
            }
            else if ("has_team_file_events".equals(tag)) {
                value = Feature.HAS_TEAM_FILE_EVENTS;
            }
            else if ("has_team_selective_sync".equals(tag)) {
                value = Feature.HAS_TEAM_SELECTIVE_SYNC;
            }
            else {
                value = Feature.OTHER;
            }
            if (!collapsed) {
                skipFields(p);
                expectEndObject(p);
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            return value;
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}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Top 10 Reasons to Play a Fender Stratocaster
Guitar Gopher
The author is a guitarist and bassist with over 35 years of experience as a musician.
There are good reasons to think about playing a Fender Stratocaster.
The Fender Stratocaster is among the most popular guitars in the world, and it has been for a very long time. It's a legendary instrument from a truly influential company. In fact, much of what goes on with electric guitars today can be traced back to decisions Fender made with their early Strats, and some of the modifications players have made since.
The Strat debuted in 1954. Fender had already cracked the solid-body electric guitar market a few years earlier with the Broadcaster, which was quickly renamed the Telecaster. But the Stratocaster was something different, with a deep double-cutaway design and contoured body. It was very innovative at the time.
The Strat was eventually so popular it caused Gibson to redesign the Les Paul in the '60s, which resulted in the guitar we now call the SG.
There are good reasons to choose a Stratocaster as your main guitar. I own a couple myself, but I also play a Gibson. Sometimes I'm in a Strat kind of mood, and sometimes in a Les Paul mood. I've already written about reasons to play a Les Paul, so in the interest of equal time, you can consider this the counter-argument.
Here are some of the best reasons to play a Fender Stratocaster.
1. Single-Coil Pickups
The iconic Strat sound is based around the single-coil pickup. But all single-coils are not the same. A P-90 has a much different vibe than a Fender pickup. And, there are all kinds of single coils out there, including high-output models designed for heavier music.
But the Stratocaster is a vintage-era guitar, and when I think of the sound I want from my guitar I'm not thinking searing sustain and bone-crushing distortion. I'm thinking moderate output, gutsy and midrange.
The neck pickup should ring like a bell, and the bridge pickup should have a vintage crunch with a little overdrive. While there are many variations, stock Fender and Fender Custom Shop single-coil pickups still have that amazing vibe.
2. One-Piece Maple Necks
Most Strats have maple necks, and from there you have a choice of a rosewood or maple fingerboard. Rosewood certainly has its place, but to me, there is something amazing about those one-piece maple necks. Rosewood may be a touch warmer and maple a bit snappier, but it's also a very different feel.
There aren't a lot of guitars out there that offer the option of a maple fingerboard, and even fewer that have one-piece necks. Those that do are typically trying to match the Strat vibe.
Just another way Fender has been a leader for over 60 years.
3. Simplicity
Take a look at a Les Paul and try to figure out how to take the thing apart. You can do it, but it's going to take a little head-scratching. And you're not going to get the neck off unless you are a skilled luthier.
On the other hand, anyone who is even remotely mechanically inclined can figure out how to take a Strat apart with a screwdriver in just a few minutes. The design is simple but very effective.
Why does this matter? Because it is tremendously empowering to be able to work on your own guitar, make modifications and repairs and swap out parts where needed. As the story goes, Eric Clapton built his famous Blackie Strat by tearing apart several guitars and assembling the best parts of each into one. It's tough to imagine doing that with any other guitar.
The Fender one-piece, bolt-on maple neck.
4. The Five-Position Switch
In the early days, Fender used a three-way switch on these guitars. It was only possible to engage one pickup at a time, but players found ways to get the lever stuck in those in-between positions for more versatility.
Fender eventually switched to the five-position switch, giving players a greater range of options. It seems odd that three single-coil pickups can be engaged for such a wide range of tones, but that's exactly what happens here. Each position has a unique vibe.
For a great illustration of this (aside from fiddling with it yourself) listen to some of Stevie Ray Vaughan's solo. He often switched pickups in the middle, sometimes several times in the same passage.
5. Options
The classic Strat design is the alder body, one-piece maple neck, three single-coil pickups, and synchronized tremolo system. However, there are many stock variations you can look to if you want something a bit off the beaten path.
The rosewood fingerboard is one option of course. There are guitars with a humbucker in the bridge position and two single-coils (HSS), those with a pair of humbuckers and a single between them (HSH) and those with only two humbuckers (HH). You can get a Strat with a Floyd Rose tremolo, or an ash body. This isn't even considering all the signature models and their features.
Because Strats are so easy to work on you can replace stock parts with custom gear. Swap out the pickups, replace the pickguard or install an entirely different neck if you want.
Strapped for cash? Fender's MIM Player Strats are outstanding values for the money, and many veteran guitarists rely on them to get that legendary sound on a budget. You can even grab a great-sounding Squier for a ridiculously low price. Fender has a Strat for every kind of guitar player, at every budget level.
The classic Strat layout
6. Tremolo Bridge
This isn't actually the correct term. Tremolo is a change in volume, and that's obviously not what it does. The correct term would be vibrato, an alteration of in pitch.
In any event, the Synchronized Tremolo, as it was named, was a pretty clever thing at the time. It was meant to be used as a gentle effect, but guys like Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen had other ideas. Their abuse of this noble bridge led to more sturdy creations from companies like Floyd Rose and Kahler. Fender themselves evolved the bridge into a 2-point system that operates a bit more reliably.
Many players choose to block them up for tuning stability. But, if you are brave enough to use the tremolo on your Strat, and you can manage to keep your guitar in tune while doing so, you open up some interesting options without having to deal with a locking nut.
7. Weight
Hours of playing your Les Paul will likely leave your shoulders a little sore. By comparison, your Strat will be a delight. It's typically only a difference of a few pounds (more before Gibson's weight relief methods) but it does make a difference.
For hobby players, it might not matter, but if you spend a lot of time onstage this could be a big thing. Guitarists with back issues, in particular, will likely appreciate a lighter guitar.
Does the weight affect the tone? If anyone would like to kick off a debate in the comments section about whether a 7-pound Strat has an advantage or disadvantage compared to an 8-pound Strat go right ahead. I'll stay out of that one.
8. Scale Length
The Fender scale length for Strats and Telecasters is a bit longer than the Les Paul scale length: 25.5 inches vs 24.75 inches. Scale length is, basically, the distance between the nut and the bridge, and a longer measurement means a brighter, snappier sound.
There are a lot of reasons Stratocasters sound bright and snappy. Tonewoods and pickups play into it of course, but the scale length matters too. This is part of the reason these guitars sound like they do.
It also gives the guitar a slightly tighter feel while playing. I always say your hands are a key part of your guitar tone, so your interaction with the strings certainly matters. It's a different feel from a Les Paul, and many players prefer it.
9. Tone
If you already play and love these guitars, you're probably thinking tone should be reasons one through ten. That should really be the reason you choose any guitar, right?
But I'm thinking of a very specific kind of tone here. My HSS Strat sounds awesome, but, on the whole, it really doesn't have the tone I'm thinking of when I think of Fender. It's a modification from the original SSS design, and that changes things a bit.
You can mistake an HSS Strat for a different kind of guitar, but that's tough to do with the SSS setup. It's a sound that, when you hear it, you think, "That guitar sounds like a Strat!"
Of course, many guitar companies have built on the SSS Stratocaster design, to varying degrees of success. But that single-coil rip is unmistakably Fender, through and through.
Those pickups are what made the Strat tone legendary.
10. Legacy
The Stratocaster has had an interesting journey over the past sixty years. Not to get too philosophical here, but take a moment to ponder the legacy of this amazing guitar.
When I look at my Strats I get this classy, vintage vibe. I think of guys like Buddy Holly and Dick Dale, who were early pioneers. I think of an old black-and-white rerun of the Lawrence Welk Show I once saw, where a guy was playing a sunburst Strat and I couldn't help thinking how much that guitar would be worth if it were still around today. The '50s were the age when this guitar came to life, and it still has that vintage aura about it.
But then I think of what players in later years did. Guys like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Ritchie Blackmore, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Stevie Ray Vaughan pushed the Strat in a new direction.
Eddie Van Halen built his now-famous Frankenstein Strat out of a combination of aftermarket Fender parts and a Gibson PAF humbucker. The age of the super-strat was born, and the guitar became the weapon of choice for many hard rock and metal players.
There must be something special about a guitar that can get the job done for artists as dissimilar as Buddy Holly and Iron Maiden. The Stratocaster has endured. It has somehow simultaneously evolved with the times, but also not really changed at all.
Should you play a Strat? Maybe. If you're not sure, even after reading this article, you'd better get your hands on one and figure it out!
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.


text:
Come to Her Window
Scott Verbout July 6, 1995 4:00AM
There's a line toward the beginning of Melissa Etheridge's song "Come to My Window" that goes, "I would dial the numbers just to listen to your breath." It may not be the most memorable phrase in music history, but it tells you everything you need to know about the writer's state of mind at that moment. With that one line, Etheridge vividly conveys the sense of longing and obsession that sets the tone for the rest of the song. It's simple but effective, which could best describe most of Etheridge's music. She does nothing fancy, but most of her songs pack an emotional punch. She sings the same way she writes -- with passion and feeling -- and she's that rare performer who's actually able to connect with her audience.
Etheridge has been riding a wave of good fortune lately, but it's the kind that is long overdue. Her most recent album, Yes I Am, has sold some three million copies since its release in September 1993, and she's currently on the second leg of a tour that brings her to Houston on Sunday. Since she wrapped up the first portion of her tour last December, Etheridge has maintained high visibility through the likes of VH1 (the video network is sponsoring this tour), and part of the reason she's back on the road can be attributed to popular demand. After years of being a staple on rock radio stations, Etheridge is now knocking on the door of mainstream pop stardom.
This current concert tour is a bit unusual, considering that Etheridge was on the road for most of 1994. Yes I Am didn't really begin to take off until last summer, when VH1 started giving her videos more airplay, and so much of the country may have missed her the first time around. As fickle as the music business can be, it's best to strike while the iron is hot, and Etheridge is certainly on fire right now. (She was even featured on the cover of a recent issue of Rolling Stone.) When this tour is completed in mid-July, it's back to the studio to put the finishing touches on a new album, which should be out by the end of this year.
It has been a slow, steady climb up the ladder of success for Etheridge, who was born in 1961 and grew up in Leavenworth, Kansas. She started playing the guitar when she was eight years old, won a talent contest at age 11 and began playing bars and clubs around her hometown by the time she was 13. She spent a brief time at the Berklee College of Music in Boston after she graduated from high school, but believed that she couldn't make it in the music business unless she lived in California. So in 1982 she made the move, playing small clubs in Long Beach until she was discovered by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell in 1986. Her eponymous debut disc, containing the album-rock favorites "Like the Way I Do" and "Bring Me Some Water," was released in 1988, and her career received a tremendous boost when she was asked to perform at the 1989 Grammy Awards. She followed that up with the release of her second album, Brave and Crazy, later in 1989.
Etheridge's first two albums were moderately successful, but she was often criticized for being a one-dimensional songwriter. Many of the songs on the first album dealt with the heartache and jealousy brought on by a series of failed relationships, and the trend continued on Brave and Crazy with songs such as "No Souvenirs" and "Let Me Go." She tried to appease the masses more with her third effort, 1992's Never Enough, which featured more mainstream, Top 40-type material, but that album didn't fare very well. (Ironically, though, it was Never Enough that won Etheridge her first Grammy Award.) With Yes I Am, Etheridge has shown a maturation both lyrically and musically, and it's this disc that has launched her toward the realm of rock and roll heavyweights.
Although Etheridge had been gaining a steady and loyal following since the release of her debut album, 1994 was unquestionably her breakout year. Among the highlights:
* She scored her first Top Ten pop hit with "Come to My Window," for which she also earned her second Grammy, for Best Rock Female Performance.
* She opened a series of shows during the Eagles' summer reunion tour.
* She performed at Woodstock '94 in August and then was invited to the White House to meet the first family.
* She was featured in a cover story in The Advocate, a national gay and lesbian magazine, in which she was billed as "Rock's Great Dyke Hope."
It seems that last year would be difficult to top, but so far, 1995 has been more of the same for Etheridge. In January, she inducted Janis Joplin into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in February, she taped an episode of MTV Unplugged on which she lived out a dream by performing "Thunder Road" with her idol, Bruce Springsteen. Entertainment Weekly touted the ascension of Etheridge as the "female Springsteen" in a story titled "Meet the New Boss." (These days, though, it's hard to tell who's influencing whom: sharp observers will notice that the cover of Springsteen's recent Greatest Hits CD is virtually identical to Etheridge's Never Enough cover.)
Of course, no discussion of Etheridge would be complete without mentioning the publicity surrounding her announcement two years ago that she is a lesbian. Although many hard-core fans always knew, Etheridge didn't officially make it public until a performance at a gay and lesbian ball celebrating Bill Clinton's inauguration in January of 1993. It's hard to say if her declaration had any bearing on her current popularity, but her career has taken off ever since. Even though she has become a spokesperson of sorts for gay causes, she wants to be known more for her music than for her sexual orientation. As she told Entertainment Weekly, "I'm a musician who happens to be gay."
She's also a musician who has attracted many loyal and rabid fans. Her performances can best be described as passionate and honest, and it is those qualities that have endeared her to her public. She seems to feel every song she sings, and also enjoys flirting with her audience, delighting in sexual innuendo that appeals to both men and women. She has remarked in the past that she wants her live shows to be a kind of foreplay.
Though most of Etheridge's fans are female, her shows draw plenty of the opposite sex. Still, there's no denying that the gay issue is a hot topic of discussion whenever her name is brought up. And she's altered her live shows somewhat in light of her coming out. She recently said in a Rolling Stone interview that "the classic rock songs were written about women, and I always felt I couldn't do them because it would make people feel awkward. But now people are in on it and appreciate it. I do 'Maggie May.' People love it."
Contrary to popular belief, the song "Yes I Am" has nothing to do with Etheridge's lesbianism. That territory is covered, however, in the tune "Silent Legacy." It's a powerful, haunting song in which Etheridge goes from the fear of opening up to someone ("They don't listen to your reasons / As original as sin / Deny all that you feel and they will bring you home again") to finally coming to terms with her sexuality ("Mothers tell your children / Be quick, you must be strong / Life is full of wonder / Love is never wrong"). In fact, at the final stop on her tour last December at New York's Madison Square Garden, she broke down in the middle of that song and had to be prodded by her band members to finish it.
It's hard to imagine Etheridge having any disappointment in her personal life these days. She recently moved into a house in the Hollywood Hills with her lover of the past six years, film director Julie Cypher. The two met on the set of the video for "Bring Me Some Water" when Cypher was still married to actor Lou Diamond Phillips. It was rumored that Etheridge broke them up, but Cypher claims the marriage was already on the rocks by the time she met Etheridge. The two were featured in People last year after making their relationship public, and are also planning to start a family, though they're keeping the details a secret.
Though Etheridge has had her share of success recently, when you read stories about her and hear her talk, it's hard not to think that she's still a small-town Midwestern girl at heart. Considering that some people in the business would rather spend more time trying to focus attention on themselves than on their work (are you listening, Madonna?), one gets the reassuring feeling that Etheridge is decent, down-to-earth and -- well, nice. That should count for something.
Melissa Etheridge plays at 8 p.m. Sunday, July 9 at The Summit, 10 Greenway Plaza. Paula Cole opens. Tickets are $26.25 and $41.25. For info, call 629-3700.
Scott Verbout
The 10 Most Overplayed Songs at Mexican Weddings, Texas Edition


text:
Feb. 9, 2021, 10:29 a.m.
The Wall Street Journal says it wants to help readers identify opinion pieces — but the campaign's real audience may be its own newsroom
The campaign reflects an "increasingly digital" readership, including new subscribers without the experience of holding clearly separated news and opinion sections in their hands.
By Sarah Scire @SarahScire Feb. 9, 2021, 10:29 a.m.
There's an old joke at The Wall Street Journal that subscribers get "two newspapers for the price of one." One is produced by the Journal's business-focused newsroom and the other by the paper's right-leaning opinion section.
The tension between the two is longstanding but the dispute became unprecedentedly public in 2020. Nearly 300 news staffers criticized their editorial counterparts' "lack of fact-checking and transparency" in a note to the publisher. They pointed, in particular, to an op-ed by Vice President Mike Pence ("There Isn't a Coronavirus 'Second Wave'" in June), cherry-picked statistics and "misinformation" in "The Myth of Systemic Racism," and "basic factual inaccuracies about taxes" in "Congress Is Coming for Your IRA," among other examples. The opinion section responded publicly, in "a note to readers," claiming the newsroom's frustration was an example of "progressive cancel culture." The public back-and-forth was described as part of an "ongoing civil war" playing out at multiple news organizations controlled — as The Wall Street Journal is — by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.
It was more than bickering. The news staffers said the opinion department's "apparent disregard for evidence undermine[s] our readers' trust and our ability to gain credibility with sources" and noted false and misleading claims have risked the safety of journalists at home and abroad. The news staffers' very first proposal? Making the differences "between reporting and Opinion" at The Wall Journal unmistakably clear, especially to those reading the Journal online.
Enter: The Wall Street Journal News Literacy Initiative. The campaign — produced in partnership with the nonprofit News Literacy Project — puts the words of editor in chief Matthew Murray and editorial page editor Paul A. Gigot side by side and highlights how the Journal labels news and opinion pieces online. (That goldish brown appears to be the opinion color; The Washington Post has adopted a similar hue to label its editorial pieces, too.)
By underlining the bright line between its news and opinion sections, the Journal is seeking to protect one of its most valuable assets: its position as one of the few news sources both sides of the aisle tend to agree on. Pew found last year that the Journal is one of just three news organization trusted more than distrusted by both Republicans and Democrats; the other two are PBS and the BBC.
Suzi Watford, the chief marketing officer at The Wall Street Journal, said the campaign is also a reflection of the fact that the Journal's business is "increasingly digital." Of 3.22 million subscriptions — up 19% from 2019 — 2.46 million are digital-only, according to quarterly results released last week. (Watford said the news organization saw new subscribers and a surge of engagement from existing readers amid the market madness of GameStop. "It's Journal gold, isn't it?")
The difference between news and opinion is fairly apparent in print — you're holding one section or the other — but Watford says their reader research indicates that new readers may be less likely to appreciate the difference.
"We're very conscious of those new audiences and wanting to make sure they understand what makes the Wall Street Journal and what the differences between news and opinion are — and more generally, why you can trust our news so much," Watford said.
Watford said they'll continue to test new ways of displaying — and differentiating — opinion content, particularly for readers "coming in sideways" via links on social media. They're thinking about giving areas, such as ethical standards, their own microsite in the future.
"You're not necessarily coming to the homepage where everything is clearly delineated in terms of sections," Watford pointed out. "That's always been there and it was very much translated through print. We'll continue to test, get feedback, and improve upon that."
POSTED Feb. 9, 2021, 10:29 a.m.
SEE MORE ON Reporting & Production
Suzi Watford
Scire, Sarah. "The Wall Street Journal says it wants to help readers identify opinion pieces — but the campaign's real audience may be its own newsroom." Nieman Journalism Lab. Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, 9 Feb. 2021. Web. 31 Jan. 2023.
Scire, S. (2021, Feb. 9). The Wall Street Journal says it wants to help readers identify opinion pieces — but the campaign's real audience may be its own newsroom. Nieman Journalism Lab. Retrieved January 31, 2023, from https://www.niemanlab.org/2021/02/the-wall-street-journal-says-it-wants-to-help-readers-identify-opinion-pieces-but-the-campaigns-real-audience-may-be-its-own-newsroom/
Scire, Sarah. "The Wall Street Journal says it wants to help readers identify opinion pieces — but the campaign's real audience may be its own newsroom." Nieman Journalism Lab. Last modified February 9, 2021. Accessed January 31, 2023. https://www.niemanlab.org/2021/02/the-wall-street-journal-says-it-wants-to-help-readers-identify-opinion-pieces-but-the-campaigns-real-audience-may-be-its-own-newsroom/.
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| title = The Wall Street Journal says it wants to help readers identify opinion pieces — but the campaign's real audience may be its own newsroom
| last = Scire
| first = Sarah
| accessdate = 31 January 2023
| ref = {{harvid|Scire|2021}}


Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors trounced the Cleveland Cavaliers last night, as the Western Conference juggernaut got some sweet revenge on national television after dropping their past four games to LeBron James and company. The game never proved to be competitive from the start thanks to the Warriors' signature three-point shooting and the addition of Kevin Durant, and the Dubs used the TNT audience to their advantage by debuting new player exclusives in honor of MLK Day.
Draymond Green had his signature 'Sideline Racism' metallic gold Nike Basketball offering and Steph Curry honored Barack Obama's last days in office with this Presidential UA Curry 3 featuring the official Presidential seal on the tongue and the number '44' stitched into the inner tongue lining. The UA Curry 3 Barack Obama PE also had the current sitting President's signature on the red outsole while a navy upper kept the patriotic theme together. Check out a better view below.


Birdsong Cortobass #16C-342, "BeerBass" Theme Build, with hardshell case. NEW from Authorized Dealer.
At this point, we know what to do if we luck into a stash of cool wood- we call Birdsong. Insomnia-fueled browsing of one of those other sell-stuff-on-the-internet sites ("Bobslist", or something like that) prompted a full-speed morning drive to a cabinet shop in Superior, Wisconsin. We scored a pickup-load of old-growth coastal redwood that spent decades as the bottom of a tank at the old Fitgers brewery in Duluth, MN. Only one option for wood like that- have cool instruments made!
As usual, we let the Birdsong wood gnomes have complete creative control. We think they knocked it out of the park (as usual). In addition to the beer-tank wood (Fermented Redwood? Drunken Redwood?), they tricked out Cortobass #16C-342 with vintage tortoise plates, a maple neck with rosewood board, woodburned barley & hops knobs, and….umm….a "beer infused oil finish". Please don't lick the bass.
Cortobass #156-342 features chrome Hipshot Tuners and bridge, DiMarzio pickups, Maple neck, Rosewood fingerboard, woodburned "Barley & Hops" knobs, vintage tortoise control plate, old-growth coastal redwood body salvaged from the Fitgers brewery in Duluth, MN. Ships with Certificate of Authenticity and hardshell case, as well as a copy of Fitgers, the Brewery and it's People, for the historically minded drunkard...er….beer aficionado.
This instrument is IN STOCK in our climate-controlled facility, ready for immediate shipment.


text:
Dragons' Den: Kelly Hoppen MBE
The influential design entrepreneur was only a Dragon for two years but found success backing three start-ups from tanning lotions to phone repairs
Updated: Jan 25, 2019 Published: Jul 26, 2016
BackPiers Linney
Theo PaphitisNext
Dragon from: Series 11 – Series 12, 2013 to 2015
Number of investments made: 3
Largest sum invested: £50,000
Most successful investment on the show: Reviveaphone
Who is Kelly Hoppen?
Said to be one of Britain's most influential interior designers, South African-born Kelly Hoppen is the woman that the A-list stars go to when they want a design re-vamp.
Having started out in the industry aged just 16, over the years Hoppen has designed for celebrities including Victoria and David Beckham and actor Martin Shaw. She has also worked on design projects for big-name clients with projects including helping to design LUX Belle Mare hotel resort in Mauritius, designing the first class cabin for British Airways, and designing for Pearl Motor Yachts.
Focused on natural colour palettes and Eastern-inspired designs, in 2014 Hoppen launched her eponymous e-commerce site kellyhoppen.com which sells a variety of homeware products and accessories as well as jewellery and gifts.
Alongside her interior design ventures, Hoppen is a serial author and has published eight books to date.
In 2009, Hoppen was awarded an MBE from the Queen for her services to interior design.
Hoppen as a Dragon
Hoppen joined the Den as Hilary Devey's replacement in 2013 and left the show in in 2015 due to "timing commitments".
During her two-years as a Dragon, only three of her investments went through and these included Clean Heels; a device to stop high heels sinking in grass, and Skinny Tan; a naturally derived tanning cream said to reduce cellulite.
Hoppen invested £30,000 in exchange for 5% of Skinny Tan, which Piers Linney matched, and her investment has already proved fruitful. In 2015 the business was acquired by global beauty giant InnovaDerma for an undisclosed sum and Hoppen and Linney have remained shareholders; with a lucrative return arguably coming their way.
In addition to Skinny Tan, Hoppen's most successful investment in the Den was Reviveaphone; a specialist in damaged phone repair kits. Founded by young entrepreneur Oliver Murphy – who made records as the youngest founder to win investment on the Den at the time – Reviveaphone secured £50,000 from Hoppen in exchange for 25% equity.
Three years on, Murphy has scaled the business overseas with sales in markets such as Spain and Japan, has secured a deal with Carphone Warehouse to bring the brand into the mainstream, and is set to branch out into mobile phone repair services.
While Hoppen did have success investing on the Den, she has since said that Dragons' Den is more of a TV show for entertainment then it is about business.
Life after the Den
In April 2015, Hoppen was announced as head judge for Amway's annual business competition Britain's Top Real Role Model. The national initiative intends to reward creative entrepreneurs with £5,000 to help make their business idea a reality.
Since leaving the Den, Hoppen has also focused on growing her interiors business. In February 2016, she announced a collaboration with magician Dynamo for a range of 3D-effect wall coverings designed to create optical illusions of more space.
Moving to politics, Hoppen has been outspoken on the topic of Brexit. In January 2016, she was one of 50 successful female entrepreneurs to sign a letter calling for the UK to stay in the EU and in February 2016 she signed an open letter backing the Stronger In Europe campaign.


Check out all of the names of the Joel Barlow High School alumni that attended high school in Redding that are listed above. Registering will allow you to join the directory.	Don't forget to upload your Joel Barlow High School pictures and check on the latest info about any Joel Barlow High School reunion.


text:
package com.qualogy.qafe.gwt.client.vo.ui.event;

import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;

import com.google.gwt.user.client.rpc.IsSerializable;
import com.qualogy.qafe.gwt.client.vo.data.EventDataI;

/**
 * @author rjankie
 * This class can be registered to any Component type which needs to
 * handle click events.
 */
public abstract class EventListenerGVO implements IsSerializable {

	private String eventId;

	private List<ParameterGVO> parameterList= null;

	private List<InputVariableGVO> inputvariablesList = null;

	private String eventListenerType = null;

	private String eventComponentId = null;

	private Map<String,String> sourceInfo = new HashMap<String,String>();

	public Map<String, String> getSourceInfo() {
		return sourceInfo;
	}

	public void setSourceInfo(Map<String, String> sourceInfo) {
		this.sourceInfo = sourceInfo;
	}

	public String getEventId() {
		return eventId;
	}

	public void setEventId(String eventId) {
		this.eventId = eventId;
	}

	public EventListenerGVO() {
	}

	public EventListenerGVO(String eventId, final Map<String,String> sourceInfo, List<InputVariableGVO> input, List<ParameterGVO> parameters) {
		this(eventId, sourceInfo, input, parameters, null, null);
	}

	public EventListenerGVO(String eventId, final Map<String,String> sourceInfo, List<InputVariableGVO> input, List<ParameterGVO> parameters, String eventListenerType, String eventComponentId) {
		this.inputvariablesList = input;
		this.parameterList = parameters;
		this.sourceInfo = sourceInfo;
		this.eventId = eventId;
		this.eventListenerType = eventListenerType;
		this.eventComponentId = eventComponentId;
	}

	public List<InputVariableGVO> getInputvariablesList() {
		return inputvariablesList;
	}

	public void setInputvariablesList(List<InputVariableGVO> inputvariablesList) {
		this.inputvariablesList = inputvariablesList;
	}

	public List<ParameterGVO> getParameterList() {
		return parameterList;
	}

	public void setParameterList(List<ParameterGVO> parameterList) {
		this.parameterList = parameterList;
	}

	private String getProperty(String property){
		if (sourceInfo.containsKey(property)){
			return sourceInfo.get(property);
		} else {
			return null;
		}
	}

	public String getSourceId(){
		return getProperty(EventDataI.SOURCE_ID);
	}

	public void setSourceId(String value){
		sourceInfo.put(EventDataI.SOURCE_ID, value);
	}

	public String getSourceIdValue(){
		return getProperty(EventDataI.SOURCE_ID_VALUE);
	}

	public void setSourceIdValue(String value){
		sourceInfo.put(EventDataI.SOURCE_ID_VALUE, value);
	}

	public String getSourceName(){
		return getProperty(EventDataI.SOURCE_NAME);
	}

	public void setSourceName(String value){
		sourceInfo.put(EventDataI.SOURCE_NAME, value);
	}

	public String getSourceNameValue(){
		return getProperty(EventDataI.SOURCE_NAME_VALUE);
	}

	public void setSourceNameValue(String value){
		sourceInfo.put(EventDataI.SOURCE_NAME_VALUE, value);
	}

	public String getSourceValue(){
		return getProperty(EventDataI.SOURCE_VALUE);
	}

	public void setSourceValue(String value){
		sourceInfo.put(EventDataI.SOURCE_VALUE, value);
	}

	public String getSourceValueValue(){
		return getProperty(EventDataI.SOURCE_VALUE_VALUE);
	}

	public void setSourceValueValue(String value){
		sourceInfo.put(EventDataI.SOURCE_VALUE_VALUE, value);
	}

	public String getSourceListenerType(){
		return getProperty(EventDataI.SOURCE_LISTENER_TYPE);
	}

	public void setSourceListenerType(String value){
		sourceInfo.put(EventDataI.SOURCE_LISTENER_TYPE, value);
	}

	public String getSourceListenerTypeValue(){
		return getProperty(EventDataI.SOURCE_LISTENER_TYPE_VALUE);
	}

	public void setSourceListenerTypeValue(String value){
		sourceInfo.put(EventDataI.SOURCE_LISTENER_TYPE_VALUE, value);
	}

	public String getEventListenerType() {
		return eventListenerType;
	}

	public String getEventComponentId() {
		return eventComponentId;
	}

}


text:
Q: Need Explanation of these check property of Provisioning profile Apple I am creating Apple certificates, In it i have below options added to check mark.
Please explain use of it

A: Please refer this apple documentation
Apple developer documentation

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


president antonius septim has passed away today with the cause of death unknown. while the authorities are investigating the presidents death,a large modern temple is being constructed in his honor.
in other news a recent economy boom has increased tourism in the nation as well as foreign investments in which are providing more jobs to homeless citizens.
the capital was overrun by infected individuals reulting in the mutations of 3,000,000 people wile only 2,000,000 escaped the bloodbath. the military has begun the evacuation of civilians into the city of frankfurt so they can flee the country as the nation will be estimated to be overrun in 3 days.
Riots have broken out in the poor city of constantinople yesterday resulting in 27 deaths and 16 people injured.While the cause of the riots are still unknown the police force has been cracking down on rioters for 7 hours now.The president had this to say about the riots.
"These people are simply dangerous individuals who must be arrested before they hurt more people"."I am increasing funding for the police force so these riots can be put to rest".
The riots in constantinople have ended today with the public execution of 3,000 rioters.All remaining civilians in the city have begun going about their normal buissness.What caused these riots though asked many civilians in the town square.The government has refused to release any info regarding the matter.
In other news the large uranium company nukes for you has begun increasing investment in the nation after a large uranium deposit was discovered in the nations largest forest the imtropica jungle.
Our last bit of news for today is the disappearance of many towns in the frankish countryside.Entire towns have disappeared in a matter of weeks without a trace.All buildings remain intact but all civilians have vanished.To find the source of these disappearances the government has greatly increased the military presence in the area.


text:
Q: What encoding is used for the keys when using `ssh-keygen -t rsa`? When I run:
ssh-keygen -t rsa

to generate a public/private key pair in files e.g. id_rsa.pub and id_rsa, my understanding is that the public key encodes a prime number p, and the private key encodes a number pq. But when I open these files I don't see human-readable numbers, I see sequences of characters. So my question is simply: what am I looking at? Are these characters directly mappable to numbers and, if so, by what convention/algorithm/encoding?

A: The  ssl keys (private and public) are usually stored in so named PEM format.

Privacy-Enhanced Mail (PEM) is a de facto file format for storing and
  sending cryptographic keys, certificates, and other data, based on a
  set of 1993 IETF standards defining "privacy-enhanced mail." While the
  original standards were never broadly adopted, and were supplanted by
  PGP and S/MIME, the textual encoding they defined became very popular.
  The PEM format was eventually formalized by the IETF in RFC 7468.

This format is actually header, then base64 encoded binary data and footer.

Base64 is a group of similar binary-to-text encoding schemes that
  represent binary data in an ASCII string format by translating it into
  a radix-64 representation. The term Base64 originates from a specific
  MIME content transfer encoding. Each Base64 digit represents exactly 6
  bits of data. Three 8-bit bytes (i.e., a total of 24 bits) can
  therefore be represented by four 6-bit Base64 digits.

For ssh keys please check below from dave_thompson_085 comments:

Note ssh-keygen uses (several) PEM formats but never the one(s) in
  7468. In the past for RSA it defaulted to OpenSSL's two 'traditional' (aka 'legacy') formats, either unencrypted whcih is 7468-like except
  containing PKCS1, or password-encrypted which is1421-like with
  Proc-type and DEK-Info and base64 of encrypted PKCS1, but not
  7468-like. Since 7.8 it defaults to OpenSSH's own 'new format'
  (previously invoked by option -o) which is 7468-like but the contents
  are entirely different (XDR-style not ASN.1). There are numerous Qs
  about these already on several Stacks.
OpenSSH public key formats are never PEM (although commercial 'SSH2'
  sort-of are), just base64 of SSH wire format. And I was recently
  reminded this Q/A covers the private key formats quite thoroughly


I love a good muffin! They're one of my favorite breakfast foods. I love that they're so portable and sturdy, and there are a million different flavor varieties, so I never get bored. Besides, it's a little like eating cupcakes for breakfast, right? 🙂 These honey muffins are so light and tender, with a delicious sweet honey flavor. They're made with simple ingredients that I always have on hand, and make for the perfect breakfast or snack. I made them recently as an after school snack with my kiddos, and they both loved them! We had a great time munching on muffins and milk together while they each recounted all of their adventures at school during the day.
These muffins are a little on the sweet side (which I love!), but if you would prefer them a little less sweet you could definitely reduce the granulated sugar to 1/4 cup. I'm sure the muffins would still be just as light and fluffy and wonderful. (Having the raging sweet tooth that I do, though, I will stick to the original recipe.) These muffins are the perfect recipe to get the kids involved in baking, too. My four year old absolutely loves to scoop ingredients, mix, and pour, and my eight year old is great at reading the recipe and cracking the eggs for me. Baking together is one of my favorite ways to spend time with my kids. I hope you'll give these a try too!
Preheat the oven to 400. Prepare a muffin tin by spraying with cooking spray or lining with paper liners.
In a small microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, combine the milk, honey, and butter. Heat 45 seconds on high, or until the butter has started to melt. Remove from the microwave and stir to melt the butter completely. Mix the egg into the wet ingredients.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling 3/4 full. Bake 15-18 minutes, or until light golden brown.


text:
The Asian Monetary Unit (AMU) is a basket of currencies proposed by the Japanese government's Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI). It is similar to and modeled on the European Currency Unit (ECU), predecessor to the euro.

The Asian Monetary Unit, which has been created as the joint project of 21st century COE project of Hitotsubashi University and RIETI, is a common currency basket composed of 13 East Asian currencies, such as ASEAN 10 plus Japan, China and South Korea. These data have been published on the website of RIETI since September 2005. After 4 years passed, a common currency basket composed of 13 AMU currencies plus three other countries, Australia, New Zealand and India, which are strongly connected with Asian countries, is newly created as "AMU-wide". The AMU-wide, which is a common currency basket composed of wider range of currencies, will be expected to use as a surveillance indicator corresponding to the extensive regional economies.

The calculation methodology of the AMU-wide and AMU-wide Deviation Indicators are same as those of the AMU. The benchmark period is defined as:
 the total trade balance of member countries, and
 the total trade balance of the member countries (excluding Japan) with Japan, and
 the total trade balance of member countries with the rest of world

should all be relatively close to zero.

AMU baskets
The AMU is a basket composed of 13 currencies.

See also

 Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
 Monetary union
 Chiang Mai Initiative
 Asian Clearing Union

References

External links
 Daily value of AMU from RIETI
 AMU (Asian Monetary Unit) and AMU Deviation Indicators
 ASEAN mulls single currency

ASEAN
Currencies of Asia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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The Senate passes patients' rights measure – giving Americans greater power over HMO's.
Middle East - Secretary of State Colin Powell says progress in the region must be measured by inches as Arafat and Sharon agree to peace efforts.
War crimes prosecutors add the names of hundreds more victims against their case against deposed Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. They vow to hold him accountable for alleged crimes.
Already under investigation for taking money to lobby for several presidential pardons – Roger Clinton now has to explain whether he helped five more men try to secure executive clemencies from his half-brother – Bill Clinton.
In New York wants to ban cell phone use while driving. It should become law, soon.
The House passes an amendment that stops efforts to allow unrestricted flow of Mexican truck drivers into the United States.
A poll in California says that 4 out of 5 believe that there is no electricity shortage – that power companies have manipulated the electricity markets to boost profits (and they are correct).
Hotter and hotter – hedge funds. They're more popular than ever.
Jeremy Rosenick gets a five-year $37.5 million agreement with the Philadelphia Flyers – just before he was to become a free agent.
Longtime San Diego Padre Tony Gwynn announces that this will be his last season.
At the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – Oscar de Lay Hoya defeats Javier Castillejo in a unanimous decision.
AT&T and AOL announce plans to develop a co-branded cell phone. It'll offer AOL's online services including instant messaging.
Post Napster - Music giant EMI awards a publishing license to Internet music service FullAudio Corp.
A federal appeals court overturned the proposed breakup of Microsoft Corp.
Eminem is sentenced to a year of probation for two gun-related charges stemming from an argument with an associate of a rival rap group.
MTV will play "Purple Pill," the new song by the Eminem-led rap group – D12 – but will limit the druggy new song to overnight airings.
Passing – Legendary actor Jack Lemmon. He was 76.
Comedy Central's "Primetime Glick" who is really Martin Short.
NBC will run "Spy TV" twice a week in the summer – with Tuesday night a repeat. Look for it Thursday night!


What was in ffmpeg or player?
The track have to be transformed from the format it is (usually a trampled one class mp3, aac, vorbis, or wma) arrived the format utilized by audio CDs (which is uncrushed). This data must then maintain accurately written to a CD. though the music on CDs is digital data, it is written in a different way to the data on CD-ROMs - CD-ROMs comprise additional inappropriateness correction to make sure the data could be learn exactly, while audio CDs forgo that to be able to trouble higher playing being.
The person interface is overly easy at young look but when you begin searching for music the pour out areas instill pictures and soundtrack particulars. studying the MP3 Downloader is easy because it is just a pod of looking by way of the classes or utilizing the search . mp3gain -savvy folks bestow have the ability to use it with no need a tutorial or manual.
I loathe mp3 at 120kbps. audacity seem flanging impact in sure elements of the music and the clatter lose high quality in excessive frequencies. 320k din better.
Besides mp3gain provides a variety of different features and features rangingranging from batch export of deep-seated covers, over assist for iTunes-particular permits likemedia kind or tv present settings, to combining a number of activities dressed in teams that can be appliedwith a discrete mouse click.


text:
Q: A-Frame cursor is not moving in VR mode using google cardboard I am trying to create a 360' VR Image Gallery with A-Frame. I initially followed the guide on the main A-Frame website (https://aframe.io/docs/0.9.0/guides/building-a-360-image-gallery.html). The feature works in desktop view, meaning I can nudge the cursor over the two image portals and then get transported by hovering there momentarily. Unfortunately, when I view this in VR mode on my iPhone and then view in the Google cardboard device, the cursor will not move - it is stuck in place.
I've tried changing to the latest 0.9.1 release but that appears to have a bug with VR mode so I have reverted to 0.9.0
I've also experimented with using <a-entity cursor="fuse: true; fuseTimeout: 500" rather than the  primitive.
I have hosted a demo here https://whatapalaver.github.io/javascriptings/image_play/360/gallery.html
I've tested it on ios using firefox, chrome and safari.

    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <title>360° Image Gallery</title>
    <meta name="description" content="360° Image Gallery - A-Frame">

I realise the cursor is very small, even in desktop version but I would expect to be able to see it when using the VR mode and the google cardboard. We ought to be able to move the cursor over the inset images and hover to switch the background image.


text:
Writing that is simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional, and story based will stick with your audience longer.
"Jerry Seinfeld set to bring the funny to Salt Lake City" in the Salt Lake Tribune, image credit Robert Altman/Invision/AP
On a Thursday night in January 2016, Jerry Seinfeld performed solo to a sold-out audience at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City. Over 2,700 people filled the long sloping rectangle of the main floor and the three rounded tiers of gold-leafed balconies lining its sides. Eighteen-thousand Bohemian crystals glimmered from enormous square chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. From the far back wall, two spotlights followed the legendary comedian back and forth across the stage as he paced inside their circle, telling his jokes. One of the spotlights smoothly drifted right or left as needed. The other wasn't working so well.
Seinfeld stepped out of the faulty beam numerous times. He ignored it, continuing his set like a pro and doing what he does best: making people laugh. But an underlying tension increased the longer the problem went on. Adults fidgeted in their cushioned seats and muttered to their neighbors. If the jerky spotlight had been staged, Seinfeld would have referred to it by now. Whether the cause was malfunctioning equipment or the ineptitude of an operator, the issue should've been solved thirty minutes ago. It was detracting from the act.
Finally, Seinfeld made a choice to say something. He stopped and gestured at the back wall, asking, "What's the deal with the spotlight? I'm sixty-one years old! How hard can it be? Look, I'll tell you what I'll do: I'll face the direction I'm going to walk."
The tangent bounced with Seinfeld's characteristic high- and low-pitched cadence, sending the already amused audience into louder peals. After an exaggerated turn, he slowly lifted his foot and stepped forward, waiting for the spotlight to join him. When the beam lurched again despite his overt cue, Seinfeld threw up his arms like, "Really?" Everyone roared. Tension released into belly-deep laughter. Tears formed, stomachs cramped, lungs gasped. What had been distracting was now hilarious. He'd transformed the malfunction into a successful gag and a memorable part of the show.
As writers, we need to learn such alchemy in order to do things, be things, and make things in the world. Comedians like Jerry Seinfeld are masters of language, and that mastery allows them to make whole careers out of words and gestures that do something special: generate laughs. We can likewise harness the power of language to transform our writing situations into audience gold, whether we are creating impromptu wisecracks or funeral elegies, factual reports or fantastical stories. Any type of writing can be more effective if it catches and holds the attention of its audience—in other words, if it succeeds at being memorable.
How? Authors Chip and Dan Heath (one brother a Stanford professor, the other a teacher and textbook publisher) give a useful acronym in their book Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. They say memorable ideas are
Examining these keys for "SUCCESs" via Seinfeld's spotlight fiasco provides a lens for considering the ways language/writing can be a resource for doing more and being heard and making a contribution that's remembered.
Consider the simplicity of Seinfeld's response. He stopped. He focused his gaze at the origin of the spotlight. He took a direct approach. And he kept it concise. He could have gone into a drawn-out rant, venting anger instead of appealing to the audience. Instead, he kept his grievance simple and funny.
We can't always be brief, but we can stay focused. Notice how the first four paragraphs of this article give only details relevant to the spotlight story. The anecdote avoids digressions about the weather or other parts of the show or the charity the ticket money supported. It sticks to only what's needed to make the story stick with the audience. We can do the same in any genre. Selecting and maintaining a simple focus ties everything into one tidy, memorable package.
It's also important to know that comedy thrives on irony—or in other words, the unexpected. The more unpredictable the punchline, the bigger the laughs.
"I'm sixty-one years old!" was unexpected on two levels. First, what did that have to do with a defective spotlight? Juxtaposition, in which you compare things that seem unrelated, can be a great tool for creating irony. Second, in American culture, we don't expect an older person to blurt out his age, which doubled the element of surprise.
But how much does unexpectedness matter outside of comedy? We might be surprised. The human brain is programmed to dismiss what it already understands but perk up when startled by something new. Awareness of that unfamiliar thing might improve chances of survival, so our minds snap to attention. Writers who incorporate the unexpected in strategic ways—with a shocking statistic in a report or a fresh take on a classic recipe or an unheard-of position on a controversial subject—are more likely to hook their audience. Without such surprise, our chances of being memorable are low.
Masters of language also recognize that all external input comes in five tangible forms: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. The mind connects concrete input, such as a citrusy scent, to previous knowledge, like Grandma's grapefruit trees, while abstract ideas often vaporize.
By gesturing at the spotlight and emphasizing his turn and step, Seinfeld gave the audience features to see. Written descriptions do that too: gold balconies, crystal chandeliers, adults fidgeting in cushioned seats. The marvel of language is that it can conjure images in our minds even without pictures and let us hear things even when the words are read silently, like how the direct quotes make Seinfeld's voice come alive. The same is true with the other senses. For example, mentioning stomachs cramping and lungs gasping invites us to feel the audience's physical response.
When instructors say, "Show, don't tell," this is what they mean. Telling is weaker because it gives a secondhand report: how it was a classy concert hall where nobody would expect crappy equipment, how Seinfeld griped about the spotlight, how everyone thought it was really funny. On the other hand, showing with concrete details means readers experience firsthand input and draw their own stronger conclusions.
What about when writers aren't telling a story? Regardless of genre, concrete ideas are easier for people to grasp. We might not comprehend a blue whale's thirty-meter length, but tell us that's more than two school buses and we can picture it. It's better to make details tangible.
What about the biggest aspect in Seinfeld's favor—his reputation? The audience came because they love him, and they were prepared to laugh at anything he said. But even people who aren't famous can still use credibility to their advantage.
One way is to borrow fame, as this article does by showcasing a celebrity. Take advantage of any impressive sources. Was the study done by Harvard? Is the quote from a renowned authority? Mention those bragging rights the way this article drops "legendary comedian" into the first paragraph and credits a Stanford professor and a textbook publisher for the SUCCESs acronym. Don't just bury that validity in the citations at the end.
Writers can also buy cred by touting their own expertise: experiences with the topic, relevant places they've worked or volunteered, observations that sharpened their perspective, surveys or interviews they've done, classes they've taken, even their age. Being a sixty-one-year-old über-successful comedian is impressive, and maybe being an eighteen-year-old college newbie or a thirty-five-year-old returning student will affect the audience's opinion too. Weigh possible credentials against the writing situation and include ones that will give it the best boost.
Seinfeld used emotion when he asked the spotlight person, "How hard can it be?" He gave voice to everyone's frustrations, as if speaking collectively.
Projecting emotion is important but tricky. Good writers don't want to overdo it, and they don't want to use fallacious or unethical approaches, such as fear mongering. Done well, emotional appeals can have a powerful lingering effect. We recall how entertaining a comedian was even after we forget the jokes. We relive the wave of pity from a photo we saw of a shelter dog. We revisit the excitement of a thrilling solution we read in a recent proposal. Emotions last.
Aim for the kind of vibe that best fits the audience and purpose, and find effective ways to solicit those emotions. Choose details that summon the right mood, just as gold leaf and Bohemian crystals convey the classy feel of Abravanel Hall. Pick words that match the seriousness or humor, like how the spotlight "lurched" and everyone "roared." Add colors, photos, or other visuals that correspond, such as Seinfeld's memorably amusing snapshot above—perfect for an article about memorability via comedy.
Most crucially of all, tell a story. It's one of the best ways to appeal to emotion—and appeal to humans. Think how quickly a sad story can make the audience teary or a silly one can make them laugh. Think how closely people listen when a story is told.
Some people assume storytelling is only for memoirs or fiction writing or movies, but in reality, stories are everywhere. This instructional article employed the story about Seinfeld to make several points, and even Seinfeld's short bit follows a story shape:
HOOK ― stops, gestures at the back
CONFLICT ― "What's the deal with the spotlight?"
COMPLICATIONS ― "I'm sixty-one years old! How hard can it be?"
EPIPHANY ― "Look, I'll tell you what I'll do: I'll face the direction I'm going to walk."
CLIMAX ― exaggerated turn and step
RESOLUTION ― spotlight jerks, audience roars
The best story type for each piece of writing will depend on its situation and purpose and audience, but using miniature stories like the spotlight tale can be a great method for highlighting a writer's subject in a memorable way. Writers also use the story-arc sequence—hook the audience, spell out the conflict, outline complications, reveal an epiphany, stage a climax, and grant resolution—in all kinds of genres to engage readers with the tension of waiting for resolution. Audiences love it, just as Seinfeld's audience melted into laughter.
[For more on integrating story techniques, check out "Adding the Storyteller's Tools to Your Writer's Toolbox," "Liven It Up with Anecdotes," or "The Narrative Effect."]
The twitchy spotlight never improved during that January show. Its glow continued to bumble across the stage like an intoxicated firefly. But as far as Seinfeld and his audience were concerned, the situation had been resolved by converting it into humor.
That's the power of language to do things, be things, and make things in the world. That's the power our writing can have when we master language/writing as a resource.
[For even more insight, check out the Heath brothers' book Made to Stick.]
Heath, Chip and Dan Heath. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. New York: Random House, 2007.
Previous: Academic Disciplines and Professional Literacies
Next: Why Fiction?
Open English @ SLCC by Nikki Mantyla is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.


Re: localized bf for potato release?
Subject: Re: localized bf for potato release?
> I would like to provide i18n'd images though, for i386 at least.
> However, this is going to have to be manually installed I think.
> already created and provided l10n'd.
> Or else somewhere else entirely.
Do you have any idea how much extra images we're talking about? Per arch?


text:
My Explorations of Tubi TV: Part 10
by Ingrid Dendievel March 8, 2021
Tubi TV is a fascinating, free service full of cult oddities from around the world. It's got a little bit of everything a movie fan could ever want. As such, on a recurring basis, we're…
Quarantine Staff Picks: Part 10
by The MovieBabble Staff June 11, 2020
Here at MovieBabble, we like to watch movies, obviously. However, the Coronavirus has created a sudden drop off in the number of new movies for us to watch. But we will not be stopped, and…
'Harriet' Showcases One of America's First Superheroes
by Adina Bernstein November 13, 2019
It's not uncommon to see a movie, television show, or story about a man who stands up against injustice. However, the same story with a female protagonist (especially a female protagonist of color) is not…
'Inglourious Basterds' and Putting a New Spin on World War II and The Holocaust
by Adina Bernstein August 30, 2019
Every writer or director has his or her own signature style. Quentin Tarantino's signature films contain violence, humor, a slightly out-there narrative, and many callbacks to the films ans shows that he loved growing up.…
From the Ashes of 'Dark Phoenix' Rise Endless Career Possibilities
by Nick Kush June 13, 2019
By now, you may have had the chance to see Dark Phoenix in all its glory(?). Or, more accurately, you haven't — Dark Phoenix had by far the worst opening weekend of any X-Men film,…
Film Review – Alien: Covenant (2017)
by Nick Kush May 19, 2017
The Alien franchise has finally returned to the big screen five years after the release of Prometheus with Alien: Covenant. In an attempt to draw in both the fans of the divisive Prometheus and the classic Alien…
Fox Releases First Trailer for Alien: Covenant
by Nick Kush December 26, 2016
Fox gave everyone an early Christmas present when it released the first trailer for the highly anticipated Alien: Covenant on Christmas Eve. The movie (of which you can watch the trailer here) is set to be…
Film Review – Assassin's Creed (2016)
The holiday movies continue to roll out into theaters with the next attempt at a video game adaptation, Assassin's Creed! The consistent failure of video games to translate to the big screen has been well…


We've Reached 10 Million Public Kahoots! Kahoot!
Guess who came by to play Just Dance 2016 last night? The one and only Meghan Trainor! "All About that Bass" is on Just Dance 2016, and her new song "Better When I'm Dancin" is on Just Dance �... A simple phrase can be a powerful brand cue. See if you can guess the brands behind these famous taglines and slogans.
Play This Game of �Would You Rather� and We�ll Guess Who You Voted For in the 2016 Presidential Election Start the quiz! The election might be over, but America isn�t over the election.... Play This Game of �Would You Rather� and We�ll Guess Who You Voted For in the 2016 Presidential Election Start the quiz! The election might be over, but America isn�t over the election.
Quiz Can You Guess the Brands Behind These 16 Slogans?
Everyone has played the game, Guess Who? If you haven�t, A) where have you been? B) Definitely go and play it. Basically, you pick a person off your board, as does your competitor off theirs.
30/07/2016�� Watch video�� Somebody became confused and hurt himself in his confusion.


Dirt, Prawns, Carrots, what do all of these foods have in common? They are all items that were never meant to be made into a soft drink. Do you know what else they have in common? They all are flavors of the bizarre and often disgusting line of beverages known as Achyfi. Today, I, Plasmashadow expose the secrets behind some of the oddest beverages on Neopia. However, first a little background information on the Neopian beverage industry is needed.
When it comes time to quench your Neopet's thirst, there are many options available to you. Essentially, you have seven choices: juice, coffee, slushies, smoothies, water, milk, or carbonated beverages. The Ye Olde Coffee Company dominates the entire coffee market, the local Smoothie Shop is the sole producer of smoothies, Circle N, which runs the Slushie Shop in Happy Valley, is the only source of the icy treats, and water and milk are not widely consumed. In the whole beverage industry, there is only one type of beverage that there is opportunity for competition, the carbonated beverage industry.
There are many different carbonated soft drinks on the market: the Extra Large Fizzy Drink, Ixi Drinks, Dandelion and Burdock drinks, and there are others. Nevertheless, when one thinks of a soda, there are only two brands that come to mind, Neocola and Achyfi.
Neocola comes in nine different varieties, with diet versions, flavors such as apple, raspberry, and cherry, and different sizes. Anyone who's ever drank Neocola can tell you, it's good stuff. But, as you know, it's competing with all sorts of uncarbonated beverages. A few years ago, The Neocola Corporation was in dire straits. It was losing market share as Neopians decided to drink more slushies, smoothies, and coffee drinks. With easier accessibility to all sorts of flavors in other drinks, Neopians were overlooking Neocola with its selection of only five different flavors. The Neocola Corporation needed to come up with a plan or else go bankrupt. They started off trying to create new flavors. They soon realized that only a few flavors tasted good with Neocola. Finally, it dawned on them; they didn't need to taste good, they only needed to be available. It was then that Achyfi was created.
The Neocola Corporation created a new company called Achyfi Enterprises. Instead of selling quality sodas, Achyfi Enterprises had only two goals: create a large variety of flavors, and stay in the public eye. Fortunately, for Achyfi Enterprises, these two goals could be accomplished at the same time. Every time a new flavor of Achyfi was created, the release was announced on the news page. On the 19th day of Hiding Y8, there was even a day dedicated to all sorts of Achyfi merchandise. Achyfi Enterprises even created an Achyfi avatar. However, Achyfi tasted awful.
There is good reason for Achyfi's unappealing taste. While taste testing and quality assurance was used for creating Neocola, Achyfi focused on creating as many different varieties as possible. Flavors such as Dirt, Chocolate and Asparagus, Strawberry and Lime, Prawn Cocktail, and Blueberry and Chokato were created. Where as to make a quality product like Neocola might have cost the Neocola Corporation 50 Neopoints per can, Achyfi, an inferior product, only cost Achyfi Enterprises 5 Neopoints per can to produce. Since there was never an expectation of great demand for Achyfi, it was made as cheap as possible. Achyfi and Neocola were sold at approximately the same price, insuring that for every can of Achyfi sold, it would cover the cost of many more cans of Achyfi.
With Achyfi being produced, the Neocola Corporation was beginning to execute its hidden agenda. The Neocola Corporation put up advertisements, paid Neopians to drink Achyfi in public, offered incentives for shops to stock it, and made wild claims about its root extracts increasing your energy, all in the bid to keep Achyfi on everyone's mind. When Neopians started trying Achyfi for the first time, they realized just how disgusting it was, and the Neocola Corporation anticipated this. While Achyfi soon stopped selling well, everyone still talked about it, which meant carbonated drinks were on the tips of everyone's tongues.
With all sorts of rumors, stories, and interest with Achyfi, Achyfi Enterprises started the next phase in its insidious plan. Apple Achyfi and Raspberry Achyfi were released to a public accustomed to Achyfi's awful taste. These two flavors were very important because, there already existed Apple Neocola and Raspberry Neocola. The Neocola Corporation created a new ad campaign, advertising these two particular flavors of Neocola specifically. Achyfi Enterprises created an ad campaign for Apple and Raspberry Achyfi simultaneously. Almost overnight sales of Raspberry and Apple Neocola doubled. Everyone suddenly remembered that a quality carbonated beverage existed, Neocola. Soon all different varieties of Neocola were selling at more than triple the previous amount. The Neocola Corporation had averted bankruptcy! They increased their market share. Coffee, slushie, and smoothie sales went down while Neocola sales went up. The Neocola Corporation now had a new method of increasing sales. As long as they continued to make sure Achyfi was properly hyped and that new flavors were released periodically, carbonated beverages would never lose market share again.
The Neocola Corporation's plan was meant to be top secret. If people knew that the owners of the Neocola Corporation were the same people who brought the world Achyfi, their plan would fail. Nobody could know that they were connected; it had to look like aggressive competition at times. Neocola could not risk having its name identified with Achyfi or consumers would lose confidence in the product or feel tricked and manipulated.
You may wonder why I chose to divulge the Neocola Corporation's biggest trade secret. As a representative of the Ye Olde Coffee Company, it is my job to make sure you choose the best beverage out there. Achyfi Enterprises and the Neocola Corporation are trying to trick you. Don't fall for it. Show them that Neopians will not stand for it; drink coffee instead.


The Lucien Piccard, Burano series features a stainless steel 43mm case, with a gold-tone stainless steel bezel, a blue dial and a sapphitek crystal.
Gold-Tone and Luminous Hour, Minute and Subdial. Orange and Luminous Subdial.