text:
Dare to Play the Game
Posted in: Dare to Play the Game, News and Opinions by Michael Durr on June 16th, 2010
Some E3 News, Summer of XBLA Arcade is back & What exactly is a Kinect? – Welcome to the column that will make the announcement at E3 that they write a gaming column every Wednesday known as Dare to Play the Game.
Well, I did it, finally. On Sunday, my Dwarf Priest finally reached level 80. Oddly enough, it was accomplished in Utgarde Pinnacle on the very last boss. It was a very nice feeling and it was good to have Sarah along with me to complete the task (especially since that was my first time in Utgarde Pinnacle). I went ahead and also ran my first heroic instance which was Culling of Stratholme and cleared it in quick enough time to get Sarah the Bronze Drake.
The odd part was I only played my Dwarf enough to get him to eighty. The rest of the time, I was playing my two hunters (one horde, one alliance) for what reason I'm not sure. Maybe I just had a desire to shoot some arrows and watch a pet run all over the place. It's a living. However, now the task to take possibly my rogue and turn him into an 80 is of some desire. He was my first character and he does deserve to go that far. But I also realize that the task won't be completed anytime soon. More later.
Ode To Gamer Girls
A Call of Duty booth babe from years past at E3. Speaking of Activision, they had a big blowout at this year's E3. They had everything from musical acts such as Jay-Z and Soundgarden to a very scantily clad model twenty feet in the air riding on a pole. What does any of this have to do with gaming? Not a darn thing but I'm sure onlookers enjoyed the spectacle just fine.
News of All Types
Microsoft Believes Sony will Charge for Playstation Network
Microsoft believes that Sony's E3 press conference tomorrow will, among other things, introduce a pay plan for the traditionally free Playstation Network.
Buried in a 12-page E3 press document filled with questions and answers prepared by Microsoft for the media is this question and answer:
Q: Sony announced their subscription for PSN today.
What's your comment? (Will adjust messaging onsite after Sony briefing)
A: It's interesting watching others follow our lead. Only Xbox LIVE creates value-added experiences tailored for the TV environment. We deliver the best entertainment and allow you to share that with the people you care about, no matter where they are. Xbox LIVE is the only place to play the "Call of Duty" map packs and Game Add-ons first. It's the only online community where you and your friends can play the biggest multiplayer games on the planet games – "Halo: Reach," "Gears of War 3" and "Call of Duty." And it's the exclusive home of ESPN, with more than 3,500 live and on demand sports events. Add the magic of Kinect for Xbox 360 and it is clear that Xbox LIVE is offering entertainment experiences that can't be found anywhere else.
Granted this could be based on the rumor we reported earlier this year. We'll know tomorrow afternoon if Microsoft jumped the gun on their reaction to a new paid plan for their rivals online service.
As with any of the news this week since it is E3 and ever changing, there is the possibility that some of this is already confirmed or denied. Just keep that in mind with these fun things we call rumors.
I personally think that PSN will go to paid subscription, if not at E3, then maybe after the new year. In order to create a pleasing online environment that actually rivals Xbox Live, they have to create features that need to have some kind of return or money back. One of the ways to accomplish this would be a fee service. However, I don't think its going to be everybody has to pay to play.
Most likely what we'll see is similar to the Gold/Silver setup that Xbox Live has. Maybe they will be just clever and give it names like Pro and Amateur. However, I think that their secondary subscription model or the free one will have more to it than the Xbox Silver. The only function for the Silver was to be a placeholder for the times where your subscription ran out. Here I think that most of the features will be available in the free model except for a few special ones that 25 to 50% of the PSN community will desire.
What's more interesting though is that Microsoft have already prepared a response and buried it in a press document. This means either the paid subscription for PSN is pretty much a given or Microsoft is just doing their best educated guess. If they are wrong, they can create a similar press briefing that says: "Sony decided to not go with the paid subscription model, but we are still providing the most bang for your buck, Buy 360 4 Life.". I'm paraphrasing.
XBLA
New Castlevania Game Confirmed will be Part of XBLA's Summer of Arcade
Microsoft's now-traditional "Summer of Arcade" continues next month, with a jam-packed schedule seeing the release of five new Xbox Live Arcade titles, among them a brand new Castlevania game from Konami.
That game is the previously-rumoured Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, which is not only a multiplayer side-scroller, but was also designed by series veteran – and whip fetishist – Koji "Iga" Igarashi.
The other four games due for release over five weeks, beginning in July, are Hydro Thunder Hurricane, Lara Croft and The Guardian Of Light, Limbo and Monday Night Combat.
Summer of Arcade was a pretty successful promotion of games last year and in such they decided to return and give us again a run for our Microsoft Points. At the head of the pack is a brand new Castlevania game, or what might be a continuation of the series from the last few portable titles. It has confirmed that this is a 2d game with HD graphics. But the disturbing thing might be the multiplayer tag which is not something that Castlevania was meant to be. However, we'll reserve judgment until it gets here.
Among the other titles, we get some Lara Croft, a strange black and white game called Limbo, a racing game and a third person shooter that is disguised as a sports game. We'll see. I'm not exactly jumping for joy but I am at least curious for the Tomb Raider game. Also, take a look at this week at a number of specials of already existing XBLA games. Discounts range from 33% to 50% and include about twenty titles ranging from Bomberman Live to Castlevania Symphony of the Night to even recent titles like Vandal Hearts.
A screenshot from Hydro Thunder, the racing title. I never do well with water racing games, but this one is certainly very fetching to look at.
Kinect Brings Voice and Motion Control to Xbox Live
Kinect engineer Ron Forbes demonstrated how users will navigate Xbox Live using Microsoft's motion-control system today, using a combination of movement and voice controls.
Ron took the stage at Microsoft's 2010 E3 presser to show the audience how Kinect would change the way we navigate Xbox Live. The Kinect camera recognized Ron, logging him into Xbox Live, bringing him to the Kinect hub. Then he used voice commands to select Zune, and navigated menus using hand movements.
"Xbox pause" paused video playback. "Xbox play" started it again. Simply saying "music" started music playing.
One step closer to Minority Report technology.
Check out our liveblog for more from Microsoft's E3 2010 press event.
So, one of the big things to come out of E3 was the name change of Project Natal to Kinect. It will be priced at $149 and should be out so you can go buy it or receive it for Christmas. Can't you tell that I am the epitome of thrilled? What the heck is a Kinect anyway? Do I Kinect my foot up somebody's behind for coming up with this name? Is it too soon to call this a failure before it ever starts? I'm so darn jaded, gawd Michael.
But let's look at the good points of this over-priced peripheral. *Obvious joke omitted for length* Besides motion control, we do get possible fun times of voice control. The idea that I can access what I want with my voice isn't half bad. I wonder how one is to recognize "Kedrix" or perhaps it is something where you program to recognize your dialect and tone.
The Xbox Library is about to have quite a few Kinect games added to the roster. I just hope that they value content over showing off the peripheral. I'm not hopeful and honestly I think the price will be a big deterrent until they include it with the console as a bundle. Which leads us to the other big Xbox announcement. Behold: The Xbox 360 Slim!
It's sleeker, quieter, built in wi-fi and has an internal 250gb hard drive. Well, they had me until that internal hard drive part. But if the rest of the options are as good as they seem. When my sucker runs out of warranty, I'll be quite content with the new design. Rumor has it according to my friend Teedub, after the E3 Microsoft conference, everybody in attendance got one of these. Lucky bastards, I mean how dare Microsoft give away such things (without sending me one).
Releases for the Week of June 16th, 2010
Xbox Live Arcade – Space Ark (800 Microsoft Points)
This game combines elements of Rainbow Islands with Arkanoid and throws in some pinball according to the description. The Arkonauts are a team of space traveling animals who are on a mission to repair damaged worlds so that the inhabitants can return. One bounces them into the air with a bounce pad that can be moved from left to right. This is the way you collect DNA, bonuses and powerups.
This sounds very much like Arkanoid but depending on the gameplay, it might be worth it to pick it up. It certainly looks to be like an addictive game which could bad news for many folks. Maybe I'll download a demo, maybe.
Wii WiiWare & Virtual Console – Bejeweled 2 (WiiWare – 1000 Wii Points), Arcade Sports (WiiWare – 800 Wii Points) , Yard Sale Hidden Treasures: Sunnyville (WiiWare – 500 Wii Points), and Shadow of the Ninja (NES – 500 Wii Points)
If you haven't heard of Bejeweled 2 by now, I really can't help you. The best thing you can do is go back to the rock from which you came. Anyway, here is the expected release for the WiiWare though much later than I expected. All of the modes seem to be in this port from Action Mode to Puzzle Mode to Endless which should be just renamed to I Have No Life mode. Seriously, Bejeweled 2 addiction is worse than a World of Warcraft one.
Four games to wet your whistle here. Included are Air Hockey, Bowling, Pool and Snooker. The nice thing about these games is that you can actually play them against your friends or play them against the computer (including tournament play) and get ranked based on your performance. This is something I wish they had implemented in Wii Sports Resort with bowling (instead of just going back and forth). We'll have to see if this is worth it though.
Ever wanted to go to local yard sales and find hidden treasures without leaving your door step? Well here you go (and here is your sign). You will be able to use these rare items to decorate your dream home and possibly win a contest (translation: not a real contest). There are hundreds of items and various locales to use your careful eye and quick fingers to buy. It's cheap seek and find fun. Really cheap, doesn't look like a lot of fun.
Nice to see VC games back, at least for a week. In this not-so well known game (but a good one) from Natsume, you have a futuristic side scrolling game with ninjas. It's set in the year 2029 and an evil dictator has taken over the USA. The ninjas: Hayate and Kaede are on a mission to get inside the dictator's stronghold and kill him. There are katanas, shurikens and hand grenades (ummm, nevermind) to aid you in your quest. Probably the best 500 points you can spend this week.
Console Releases
Naval Assault: The Killing Tide
Dance on Broadway
Let's Play Ballerina
Pirates Pludarr
Let's Play Garden
Yard Sale Hidden Treasures: Sunnyville
Mahjong Mysteries: Ancient Egypt
100 Classic Books
Puzzle Quest 2
Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends
I Spy Universe
Let's Play Flight Attendant
Western Riding Academy
Wow, that's a long list of games. And outside of Puzzle Quest 2 (which should show up on XBLA as well), I can't think of one other game I would actually play. Toy Story 3 is nothing new and is merely an attempt to see how much they can milk out of the Pre-Teen crowd who goes gaga over the movie. There is another Cooking Mama title and a DS title (Yard Sale) that is also available on WiiWare this week for a 1/6 of the price. Go think about that one for a while. We'll wait until next week when we should get a much better selection of quality titles.
Final Thoughts & Mutterings
Still on the search for an Xbox 360 game I can start. It's the same routine, I get home on Thursday night and what do I do for the rest of the weekend besides run errands? WoW. If I play the Xbox, its XBLA games I've played to death instead of shiny new ones that I have in a spinner display case (it honestly never gets old turning those around). Anyway, I might try for something different soon starting this week.
Since I did reach 80 on my priest which was the goal from the start, logic would have it that my WoW time would go down a bit until Cataclysm came out. (Then it's a race to 85) As mentioned in the news, there is a XBLA sale this week that I do intend on purchasing a couple of games in. Currently, I'm looking at Castle Crashers and Vandal Hearts. That could change as I intend to download probably about 3-4 and pick two.
Case in point, I did well in my last XBLA purchase: Final Fight Double Impact. I certainly think I got my money's worth there. Also, I just received Super Street Fighter IV since I have been playing some fighting games lately (it still frustrates me though I can't get one beeping achievement in Marvel vs Capcom 2). It is a series I am very familiar with so I can certainly see myself spending a lot of time with it.
Finally, I'm hoping for a couple of things. To continue playing something with Sarah is a given. Whether it be New Super Mario, Rock Band, or a Lego game, I'm all for it. I also would like to start a new RPG and I really don't want to wait for Fable III. There are about half a dozen titles I'm considering from Breath of Death (which I only played for 10 minutes) to Dragon Age to Mass Effect to Oblivion. We'll see where it gets us, enjoy the week kiddoes.
Kedrix of Aldrianian
(*The Forgotten One*)
Life (Blu-ray)	HawthoRNe: The Complete First Season
"31 Nights Of Terror" Diabolik DVD: Demented Discs From The World Over
Welcome To The New Look Of Upcomingdiscs!
SEFCA (Southeastern Film Critics Association) Announces Their 2018 Film Awards

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


for the provision of Security Guarding services.
We can also install state-of-the-art temporary alarm systems linked directly to our 24 hour security Control Centre in Brentwood Essex.
MEC Security can offer a professional and secure manned guarding service. With our team of highly trained and experienced personnel.
All our dog teams are trained to a nationally recognised standard, which ensures that the service you receive is always conducted to great effect.
MEC Security can offer a reliable and professional explosive and narcotic dog handling service. All our search dog teams are trained to an exceptional standard.
Our patrol fleet is monitored and coordinated 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, by trained operatives in our Central Operations Centre.
We handle both long term arrangements and one-off deployments for particular functions or situations to protect either yourself or your property.
All our K9 security dog teams are trained to an exceptional standard, which ensures that the service you receive is always conducted to great effect. There has been evidence to show that a single dog and handler can be as effective as 5 security guards due to the dog's impeccable sense of smell. Therefore, the dogs are most effective when large areas and open spaces need to be patrolled.
All our K9 security dogs are extensively trained to ensure that they are safe with the general public, whilst extremely effective at apprehending trespassers, detecting various other threats and defending their handlers.
MEC Security Limited aim to provide all of our clients with the option to receive all support services they require from one innovative and effective supplier.
We will achieve this through a Management Team focused on the development and welfare of our staff, combined with an understanding of our customer's requirements.


text:
Мыслова () — село в Волочисском районе Хмельницкой области Украины.

Население по переписи 2001 года составляло 365 человек. Почтовый индекс — 31208. Телефонный код — 3845. Занимает площадь 1,076 км². Код КОАТУУ — 6820983503.

Местный совет
31240, Хмельницкая обл., Волочисский р-н, с. Копачовка

Примечания

Ссылки
 Мыслова на сайте Верховной рады Украины
 Административно-территориальное устройство Хмельницкой области

Населённые пункты Волочисского района

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Through teamwork, planning, and an intrinsic understanding of camp, the superstar gave the Met Gala its defining moment.
Directed by Jessy Price
Editor: Molly Holtzinger
Music: "Fashion!" by Lady Gaga Filmed at The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, New York
[excited crowd talking]
[Male voice] Flexin'!
[exciting violin music]
[Young Fan] Lady Gaga! Can you say hi, the movie star?
[fans screaming]
[street and crowd noises amplify]
I know intrinsically that I have a camp soul.
So I knew because we're such a family, and the way
that we work together as a creative collective,
that what we would create together would be camp.
The creative process is very natural to both of us.
It's as much having a conversation about
what we're gonna do on the red carpet,
as it is what we're gonna eat for lunch.
Yeah, just do that. And maybe you add two more on top
which is smaller, you know?
As we tried things on, and went through sketches,
it sort of came alive.
[upbeat electronic music]
The team and I presented her lot's of sketches
she picked ones that she felt more attached to
It was pretty simple, I don't think we talked about it
until we had a fitting.
I think that speaks to our decade long friendship
of working in very high stress scenarios.
Once we've decided on a sketch, then we create a muslin.
Which in this case, because everything came down to the fit,
we had to measure exactly how the dress would fit
over the previous dress, and the inner-workings
of that dress had to reflect the dress underneath it.
So everything had to be cut in similar or the same fabric.
And because we had no room for error, we made everything
in the actual fabric the first muslin.
The massive cape-coat which had 25 yards of silk faille,
we made two of those.
So, you know we had 50 yards running around the studio.
We did one garment each and then our head pattern maker
actually has the same body measurements as Gaga,
and because Gaga was in California, we tried those on
and did a fashion show every night in the studio.
Then we had only...
2 fittings with Gaga only two days prior,
so we were really grateful that they fit.
When Brandon created that pink dress, and I saw it,
I instantly was catapulted into a child-like place.
What I really love about what we're doing is that it reads
like an essay, or a poem, and it tells a story,
and it's so in-line with Susan Sontag's notes,
and I feel it's also very innocent.
I also think this is the biggest fuck you of all time
like this, but also like why?
Do you wanna just give me like a little...
Susan Sontag says in her Notes on 'Camp',
that camp is a way of seeing the world
as an aesthetic phenomenon, one that rests on innocence.
And that innocence, which is revealed
by the person, thing, performance, or otherwise,
arrives on extravagance.
However, this is to say that extravagance is not the point,
Camp is serious in its attitude.
And in its irony, it is ultimately anti-serious.
It's not all about being as over the top as possible,
because that's not the point.
If it is over the top, and we're extravagant,
that's what it is, but it's not the point
to try to be as extravagant as possible.
[Camera man] Just do like a casual pose.
Sorry I'll try not to hit you
and then you guys can float away
and Richard, I would give them...
There's an element to me in camp
that is somewhat addressed in Susan's notes,
but not in another way, that I perceive it
which is to bemuse.
And you could even pose on the side like this.
Having my escorts in our parade with umbrellas.
It's not raining, why are there umbrellas?
The length of the dress, so dramatic. Why?
The eyelashes.
Extravagant.
[Lady Gaga counting beats]
It feels intelligent to me.
The second fitting we rehearsed every single thing,
and that was probably the fitting that gave me
the most stress because the outfits weren't finished yet.
Gaga doesn't do anything on a small level,
so she's rehearsing, she's full out rehearsing,
and there are some hems not finished
So we'll reveal this after the black dress,
and then, I'll go like this
And I'm not gonna help you,
you know what it is, go slower.
Or is it one at a time
one!
Two!
And don't worry, we have 20 minutes.
It could be in your pocket, or they could be in the wagon.
Sorry I fired you [mumbles], but you know,
we did do glasses out of backpacks
Me wearing fishnets, a bra, and panty,
playing piano on-stage, this to me was camp
because it hearkens back to cabaret.
Camp becomes camp over time,
so for my last reveal to be something
that I did 10 years ago, or even more
It's camping out.
I knew I wanted to end with a bra and panty with her
because that's really become a look over time
that she's very known for.
Also when we were very young, she used to saunter
through the airport in her underwear, and into
an olive garden, or wherever we were.
I also loved the idea of being at the Met,
at this event that's all about the clothes,
with no clothes on.
Don't be afraid to..
Because I'm gonna be like Here we are, we've arrived
House of Gaga, House of Fun.
We're gonna walk in like snobs making it not snobby.
That is camp.
[upbeat techno music]
[hair dryers blow]
I want you to really channel your inner child today.
The person in you that always wanted to dance,
always wanted to perform.
That is why you work here, I do not hire models.
You are all beautiful to me,
even more beautiful than a model.
What we have that many on that carpet will not have,
is their family,
all that love,
all that kinship.
This is serious business, but that doesn't mean
we need to be serious,
it doesn't mean you have to be anything other than you.
He sounds like he's encouraging, it's just he's in
tremendous pain right now.
[soft techno music]
[Assistant] This is from Ana
[Lady Gaga] Thank you! From Ana!
She said thank you for the flowers.
Oh shit, I dropped it.
Oh mother, Oh my god,
I know! Basically my hair with all the make-up.
Isn't it perfect?
[exciting piano music]
♪ Fashion ♪
[soft murmur]
Our father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses, as forgive those
who trespass against us, lead us not into temptation,
deliver us from evil, amen.
[Crew shouting directions]
[Brandon] The thing that I feel most proud of, is that
almost 10 years ago, I went to the Met Gala
for my first time, in her dressing room.
10 years later, I'm walking up the stairs
with her, and right into the front door.
[exciting electropop music]
♪ Look at me now, I feel on top of the world ♪
You never go into something like that thinking
about what the world will think about it
I mostly thought about every little kid like us.
[Lady Gaga] This is really just us, being us,
and camp is a part of who we are,
it's not something we have to try to be.
They could go underneath, and they could go over
[Lady Gaga laughs]
The internet is gonna break with memes,
I can't give you the number of memes,
it's like really stupid.
Featuring: Lady Gaga


text:
Consistent with the rest of the country and the reports you're seeing elsewhere, we are seeing an increasing number of COVID patients present to the ER. Numbers wise, this past week we had increasing numbers of "symptomatic" patients present and get tested. Among this subgroup, we saw an increasing percent positive rate going from 7% six weeks ago to 15% this past week. The total numbers of positives are up 4x in that time period. Including our asymptomatic/screening patients, we're seeing increasing numbers of positives week over week. Overall, we're performing about 20% more compared to a few weeks ago and across the ER, our percent positive rate went 2% to almost 6% with a 2.5 fold increase in total positives over the last month. One of the differences this go around compared to last winter or summer is the increased number of patients coming in with positive tests from outside testing centers who are now feeling worse.
One way we account for these patients is by tracking the number of our times we use our "COVID isolation" order set. We also track the disposition (admit, discharge, etc) for patients who require this order set. We've seen a definite increase in the number of times we use this order set over the past 2 weeks. We're also seeing an increasing number of patients requiring hospitalization who are covid positive, though the actual percentage of patients in "covid isolation" has not climbed. Looking at our hospital census, it's grown a lot since last week. Most of the patients who get admitted are not vaccinated.
This was a very heavy clinical week for me. I can honestly say that I personally saw more patients with COVID this week than I have in the last 4 to 6 weeks combined. Many of the patients already had been diagnosed. I can usually know what the disposition is going to be from the triage note—age, symptoms, and vital signs go a long way. The first patient I saw this week was critically ill and was admitted to the ICU. He had been diagnosed a couple of days before coming to the hospital. We have known all along that there is a subset of people who will continue to get sicker for several days after they have gotten diagnosed. However, we don't know who is going to get sicker from the time of diagnosis and require hospitalization. Even some of the young adults I have seen were surprised at how bad they felt, yet they did not require hospitalization. The very sick patients we're seeing are generally not vaccinated. Most of the patients I am discharging, are vaccinated. It continues to be very simple, if you are not vaccinated, you need to get vaccinated. If it has been 6 months since your second dose of mRNA vaccine, get your booster. Also, if you haven't already, please buy a pulse ox. They cost about $15-25 and can be used to assess your oxygen level. If your level is below 92%, seek medical attention.
Although vaccinations are still the best way to prevent severe illness, we know that a subset of people will have breakthrough infections despite the vaccines (and boosters). There's a recent study looking at what groups get hospitalized when they experience a breakthrough infection. Looking between June and September (Delta variant), the Kaiser Family Foundation found almost 70 percent of fully vaccinated patients admitted to hospitals with confirmed COVID-19 were aged 65 and older," while 10% "of breakthrough hospitalizations occurred among those younger than 50, and one-fifth occurred among those aged 50 to 64." If you're young and healthy, the vaccine is highly effective in preventing serious illness if you get a breakthrough infection.
Yesterday was the 1-year anniversary of my first dose of vaccine. Last year at this time, we were heading into the winter surge and we had big expectations for getting COVID under control in 2021. Although much of the year had a return to normal feel, and despite the vaccine being widely available, deaths in the US during 2021 outnumbered deaths in 2020. Approximately 52% of the 800,000 total COVID seen since the pandemic began were in 2021. (2020 had 385,343 deaths attributed to COVID). About 1% of Americans >65 years old have died of COVID. Despite the vaccine and some advances in medical care, we currently have about 2,000 people a day dying in the US.
Scientists recently attempted to quantify the impact of the vaccine and it turns out, it's been huge. The vaccine potentially has had a staggering impact and I can't imagine how many more healthcare workers would have gotten sick or died from COVID had it not been for the vaccine. It's estimated that the vaccine has prevented "approximately 1.1 million additional COVID-19 deaths and more than 10.3 million additional COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. by November 2021." It's estimated there would have been an additional 36 million infections. The death rate could have exceeded 21,000 a day, more than 5 times the peak of 4k per day seen in January 2021. The omicron variant appears to be highly infective. Although the delta variant was accounting for 96 to 98% of all US cases earlier in the month, were seeing the omicron variant grow quickly from less than 1% to 3% over the last couple weeks. In certain areas, the percentage of omicron patients has already reached 13%. CDC modeling shows that omicron could peak with a massive surge over the next month. The health system is already strained. Even if it turns out that the omicron variant has lower morbidity and mortality compared to the delta variant, a subset of these patients will require hospitalization and some will die. We have ready had over 800,000 deaths in the US from Covid. That's just an overwhelming number from my perspective and yet there continues to be people who do not believe that Covid is real or won't get vaccinated. I really just cannot understand that. Healthcare workers are becoming increasingly frustrated with the misinformation that's impacting people's decisions that could help end the pandemic.
A study out of the University of Hong Kong examined the Omicron variant and the human respiratory track. Researchers found that "Omicron SARS-CoV-2 infects and multiplies 70 times faster than the Delta variant and original SARS-CoV-2 in human bronchus" which likely explains why transmissibility is so much more than other variants. However, they also showed that the virus replicated in the lungs slower than other variants which may be why the disease has not been as severe as Delta.
There is some good news on the horizon. Pfizer released more data from its oral COVID-19 antiviral medication called Paxlovid. Among high risk patients, their data showed that the medication reduces the risk of hospitalization or death by 89% if started within 3 days of the onset of symptoms and by 88% if started within 5 days of symptoms. For the groups who got meds by day 3, 0.7% of patients (5 of 697) required hospitalization by day 28. Compared to 6.5% of patients (44 of 682) who received placebo. There were 9 deaths in the placebo group and none in the medication group. There were also no deaths in the group that started the meds by day 5 with about a 1% hospitalization rate compared to a 16% hospitalization rate for placebo. (These patient groups were much smaller though still statistically significant.) Among low risk patients, there was a 70% reduction in hospitalization and no deaths for the patients who receive the medication compared to placebo. Additionally, both high and low risk groups were found to have an approximate 10 fold reduction in viral load. These are from the final analysis of the phase II/III trials. Although this medication looks very promising, you are still better off getting the vaccine and trying to avoid getting Covid.
The CDC has announced their preferred vaccines. No surprise, they're recommending mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) rather than getting a J&J. The effectiveness of the mRNA vaccines are definitely better than J&J and J&J has a higher incidence of blood clots in young and middle aged women. There are no restrictions to J&J but rather the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice has made a "preferential" recommendation.
The Coronavirus is not done with us yet.
Science matters. Get vaccinated (or your booster). Wear a mask.
12/10/21 – Friday Night Update from Dr. Mike Silverman's ER……


text:
Tips2secure
Blowfish Encryption Algorithm: [Explanation with Examples]
Posted by Suresh Kumar
» cryptography, » security
» February 5, 2016
What is Blowfish Encryption?
Blowfish is an another algorithm designed by Bruce Schneier in 1993 to replace DES. This symmetric cipher splits messages into blocks of 64 bits and encrypts them individually. Blowfish can be found in software categories ranging from e-commerce platforms for securing payments to password management tools, where it used to protect passwords. It's definitely one of the more flexible encryption methods available.
It is known for both its tremendous speed and overall effectiveness as many claim that it has never been defeated. Meanwhile, vendors have taken full advantage of its free availability in the public domain.
Structure of blowfish algorithm
Blowfish has a 64-bit block size and a key length of anywhere from 32 bits to 448 bits. It is a 16-round Feistel cipher and uses large key-dependent S-boxes. It is similar in structure to CAST-128, which uses fixed S-boxes.
Here is the visual representation of this encryption algorithm.
Image source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/Blowfish_diagram.png
Look at this second diagram also, which is taken from Splashdata.com
The diagram to the left shows the action of Blowfish. Each line represents 32 bits. The algorithm keeps two subkey arrays: the 18-entry P-array and four 256-entry S-boxes. The S-boxes accept 8-bit input and produce 32-bit output. One entry of the P-array is used every round, and after the final round, each half of the data block is XORed with one of the two remaining unused P-entries.
The diagram to the right shows Blowfish's F-function. The function splits the 32-bit input into four eight-bit quarters, and uses the quarters as input to the S-boxes. The outputs are added modulo 232 and XORed to produce the final 32-bit output.
Since Blowfish is a Feistel network, it can be inverted simply by XORing P17 and P18 to the ciphertext block, then using the P-entries in reverse order.
Read also,
What is Brute Force Attack in Cryptography?
This algorithm is divided into two parts.
1. Key-expansion
2. Data Encryption
It will converts a key of at most 448 bits into several subkey arrays totaling 4168 bytes. These keys are generated earlier to any data encryption or decryption.
The p-array consists of 18, 32-bit subkeys:
P1,P2,………….,P18
Four 32-bit S-Boxes consists of 256 entries each:
S1,0, S1,1,………. S1,255
S2,0, S2,1,……….. S2,255
S4,0, S4,1,..............S4,255
The subkeys are calculated using the Blowfish algorithm:
1. Initialize first the P-array and then the four S-boxes, in order, with a fixed string. This string consists of the hexadecimal digits of pi (less the initial 3): P1 = 0x243f6a88, P2 = 0x85a308d3, P3 = 0x13198a2e, P4 = 0x03707344, etc.
2. XOR P1 with the first 32 bits of the key, XOR P2 with the second 32-bits of the key, and so on for all bits of the key (possibly up to P14). Repeatedly cycle through the key bits until the entire P-array has been XORed with key bits. (For every short key, there is at least one equivalent longer key; for example, if A is a 64-bit key, then AA, AAA, etc., are equivalent keys.)
3. Encrypt the all-zero string with the Blowfish algorithm, using the subkeys described in steps (1) and (2).
4. Replace P1 and P2 with the output of step (3).
5. Encrypt the output of step (3) using the Blowfish algorithm with the modified subkeys.
7. Continue the process, replacing all entries of the P array, and then all four S-boxes in order, with the output of the continuously changing Blowfish algorithm.
In total, 521 iterations are required to generate all required subkeys. Applications can store the subkeys rather than execute this derivation process multiple times.
2. Data-Encryption
Image Source: http://i.cmpnet.com/embedded/gifs/2003/0308/0308feat2fig1.gif
It is having a function to iterate 16 times of network. Each round consists of key-dependent permutation and a key and data-dependent substitution. All operations are XORs and additions on 32-bit words. The only additional operations are four indexed array data lookup tables for each round.
Algorithm:Blowfish Encryption
Divide x into two 32-bit halves: xL, xR
For i = 1to 16:
xL = XL XOR Pi
xR = F(XL) XOR xR
Swap XL and xR
Swap XL and xR (Undo the last swap.)
xR = xR XOR P17
xL = xL XOR P18
Recombine xL and xR
Practical Examples of Blowfish Algorithm
In this example, it doesn't matter if someone is eavesdropping on the entire conversation. Without the private RSA keys, which never go over the airwaves, the eavesdropper can't obtain the Blowfish keys and, therefore, can't decrypt the messages passed between the two machines.
Here is the example,
Let's say an embedded system wants to establish a secure data-exchange session with a laptop, perhaps over a wireless medium. At the start of the session, both the embedded system and laptop compute a private Blowfish key and public and private RSA keys. The embedded system and laptop exchange the public RSA keys and use them to encrypt and exchange their private Blowfish keys. The two machines then encrypt the remainder of their communications using Blowfish. When the communications session is over, all the keys are discarded.
Source: Embedded.com
Blowfish Algorithm for Password Encryption example
This configuration is compatible with BSD systems that use the Blowfish algorithm.
In this example, the identifier for the Blowfish algorithm, 2a, is specified as the value for the CRYPT_DEFAULT variable. The policy.conf entries that control password encryption would look like the following:
CRYPT_ALGORITHMS_ALLOW=1,2a,md5
#CRYPT_ALGORITHMS_DEPRECATE=__unix__
CRYPT_DEFAULT=2a
1. E. Biham and A. Shamir, Differential Cryptanalysis of the Data Encryption Standard, Springer-Verlag, 1993.
2. T.W. Cusick and M.C. Wood, "The REDOC-II Cryptosystem," Advances in Cryptology--CRYPTO '90 Proceedings, Springer- Verlag, 1991, pp. 545-563.
3. J. Deamen, R. Govaerts, and J. Vandewalle, "Block Ciphers Based on Modular Arithmetic," Proceedings of the 3rd Symposium on State and Progress of Research in Cryptography, Rome, Italy, 15-16 Feb 1993, pp. 80-89.
4. J.-H. Evertse, "Linear Structures in Blockciphers," Advances in Cryptology--EUROCRPYT '87, Springer-Verlag, 1988, pp. 249- 266.
5. H. Feistel, "Cryptography and Computer Privacy," Scientific American, v. 228, n. 5, May 73, pp. 15-23.
Message: I hope that you have enjoyed 'Blowfish Encryption Algorithm: [Explanation with Examples]' article. However, if you want me to deliver more items, then please share my post. You can use Social Sharing Widget provided at the end of every post. After all, Sharing is Caring!
Grammarly Premium Account (Free Version) Guide
SerpStat Discount Coupon 50% OFF
Grammarly Discount $9.91/M Only
[Latest] Infolinks Review: Should You Use it or Not?
5 SEO Blogger Templates with Super Fast Loading Speed [FREE]
Grammarly Review: Best and Easy Way to Learn Engslish Online!
25 Latest Whatsapp Dare Messages With Questions
Tips2secure.com was established in 2014
Moga, Punjab, India (142001)
Copyrighted © Tips2secure 2014-2017
Copyright © Tips2secure. All rights reserved. Published By Kaizen Template - Support KaizenThemes.
New Thesis SEO V3. Designed by CB Blogger. Original Theme: Thesis SEO. Powered by Blogger


text:
Jerzy Paweł Gorgoń (ur. 18 lipca 1949 w Zabrzu-Mikulczycach) – polski piłkarz grający na pozycji obrońcy, reprezentant Polski, olimpijczyk, trener.

Życiorys
Wychowanek MGKS Mikulczyce, następnie reprezentował barwy Górnika Zabrze (dwukrotny mistrz Polski, pięciokrotny zdobywca Pucharu Polski) oraz FC Sankt Gallen. Nosił przydomek boiskowy "Długi" (ze względu na wzrost – 192 cm), bywał też nazywany "Białą górą". Przez Anglików nazywany  (budka telefoniczna), z postury i w czerwonej koszulce przypominając wyspiarzom brytyjskie, czerwone budki. Z reprezentacją Polski dwukrotnie uczestniczył na mistrzostwach świata (1974 – 3. miejsce, 1978) oraz dwukrotnie na igrzyskach olimpijskich (1972 – złoty medal, 1976 – srebrny medal). Od 2014 roku członek Klubu Wybitnego Reprezentanta.

Kariera piłkarska
Jerzy Gorgoń ukończył Technikum Górnicze w  oraz instruktorem piłki nożnej. Karierę rozpoczął juniorach MGKS Mikulczyce (późniejsza Sparta Mikulczyce Zabrze). W 1967 roku podpisał kontrakt z Górnikiem Zabrze, w barwach którego dnia 24 marca 1968 roku zadebiutował w ekstraklasie, kiedy to jego klub przegrał u siebie 1:2 z Zagłębiem Sosnowiec, a Gorgoń po pierwszej połowie został zastąpiony przez Zygfryda Szołtysika, a w całym sezonie 1967/1968, w którym klub zajął 3. miejsce, zdobył Puchar Polski oraz dotarł do ćwierćfinału Pucharu Europy.

Jednak w następnych sezonach Gorgoń był już podstawowym, a zarazem jednym z kluczowych zawodników Górnika Zabrze. W sezonie 1968/1969, w którym 22 czerwca 1969 roku podczas wygranego 4:0 meczu u siebie z Pogonią Szczecin w 90. minucie zdobył swoją pierwszą bramkę w ekstraklasie, zdobył z klubem wicemistrzostwo Polski oraz obronił Puchar Polski, a w następnym sezonie zajął 3. miejsce w ekstraklasie, obronił Puchar Polski oraz osiągnął największy sukces polskiej klubowej piłki nożnej – dotarł do finału, w którym dnia 29 kwietnia 1970 roku na Praterstadion w Wiedniu zabrzański klub przegrał 1:2 z angielskim Manchesterem City.

W latach 1971–1972 Górnik Zabrze ponownie dominował na krajowych boiskach, zdobywając krajowy dublet (mistrzostwo i Puchar Polski) oraz w sezonie 1970/1971 dotarł do ćwierćfinału Pucharu Zdobywców Pucharów, w którym ulegli angielskiemu Manchesterowi City (2:0, 0:2, 1:3). W 1973 roku w plebiscycie katowickiego "Sportu" Gorgoń został uhonorowany Złotymi Butami.

W następnych sezonach Górnik Zabrze z Gorgoniem w składzie ze zmiennym szczęściem grał na krajowych i międzynarodowych boiskach: wicemistrzostwo Polski (1974), 3. miejsce w ekstraklasie (1977).

W czerwcu 1975 roku wracając z klubem z Francji pociągiem, był wraz z Andrzejem Szarmachem głównym bohaterem tzw. "afery pociągowej". Otóż Gorgoń w stanie nietrzeźwym wywołał awanturę, w wyniku której został zdyskwalifikowany na sześć miesięcy, a Szarmach otrzymał karę w zawieszeniu. Mimo tego ówczesny selekcjoner reprezentacji Polski – Kazimierz Górski często mówił, że woli pijanego Gorgonia, niż trzeźwego Mariana Ostafińskiego.

W sezonie 1977/1978 mimo zdobycia Pucharu Ligi, niespodziewanie zajął ostatnie 16. miejsce w tabeli i po raz pierwszy w historii spadł z ekstraklasy, a w następnym sezonie zdecydowanie wygrał Grupę II i na sezon 1979/1980 wrócił do ekstraklasy, w którym zajął 6. miejsce, a dnia 24 maja 1980 roku w Łodzi Gorgoń rozegrał swój ostatni mecz w ekstraklasie, w którym po pierwszej połowie został zastąpiony przez Mariana Zalastowicza, a zespół przegrał 6:1 z Widzewem Łódź. Łącznie w ekstraklasie rozegrał 220 meczów, w których strzelił 18 goli, a we wszystkich rozgrywkach rozegrał dla Górnika Zabrze 304 mecze, w których strzelił 27 goli.

Następnie wyjechał do Szwajcarii, gdzie grał w FC Sankt Gallen, z którym zajął 3. miejsce w Nationalliga A (1983) oraz dotarł do finału Pucharu Ligi Szwajcarskiej (1982). Po sezonie 1982/1983 i rozegraniu w klubie 78 meczów oraz strzeleniu 4 goli w wieku 34 lat zakończył piłkarską karierę.

W 2019 wyróżniony zaliczeniem do jedenastki stulecia PZPN (jako środkowy obrońca).

Kariera reprezentacyjna
Jerzy Gorgoń był zawodnikiem juniorskiej reprezentacji Polski. W seniorskiej reprezentacji Polski zadebiutował u selekcjonera Ryszarda Koncewicza dnia 23 września 1970 roku w Dublinie w wygranym 0:2 towarzyskim meczu z reprezentacją Irlandii, w którym rozegrał cały mecz.

Monachium 1972
W 1972 roku został powołany przez selekcjonera Kazimierza Górskiego na turniej olimpijski 1972 w Monachium, podczas którego rozegrał 6 meczów, w tym dnia 1 września 1972 roku na Städtisches Stadion w Norymberdze w wygranym 2:1 z reprezentacją NRD, w którym w 6. i 64. minucie strzelił wszystkie bramki dla biało-czerwonych (były to jedyne bramki Gorgonia na tym turnieju, a zarazem pierwsze w reprezentacji Polski) oraz w meczu finałowym z obrońcami tytułu – reprezentacją Węgier, który biało-czerwoni wygrali 2:1, dzięki czemu po raz pierwszy w historii zostali mistrzem olimpijskim.

Mundial 1974
Gorgoń został również powołany przez selekcjonera Kazimierza Górskiego na mistrzostwa świata 1974 w RFN, na których reprezentacja Polski zajęła 3. miejsce, a Gorgoń był podstawowym zawodnikiem drużyny i rozegrał wszystkie 7 meczów oraz zdobył 1 bramkę (dnia 19 czerwca 1974 roku Stadionie Olimpijskim w Monachium w 32. minucie na 0:4 w wygranym 0:7 meczu z reprezentacją Haiti).

Montreal 1976
Mimo sukcesu na niemieckim turnieju reprezentacja Polski nie awansowała na mistrzostwa Europy 1976 w Jugosławii i musiała w tym roku zadowolić się występem na igrzyskach olimpijskich 1976 w Montrealu, na których Gorgoń również był podstawowym zawodnikiem reprezentacji Polski, która w finale przegrała 1:3 z reprezentacją NRD (Gorgoń nie grał w meczu) i ostatecznie zdobyła srebrny medal, co uznano w kraju za porażkę, a trener Kazimierz Górski podał się do dymisji.

Mundial 1978
Jerzy Gorgoń następny mecz w reprezentacji Polski rozegrał dnia 26 kwietnia 1978 roku w Warszawie, gdzie Biało-czerwoni wygrali 1:0 w towarzyskim pojedynku z reprezentacją Bułgarii, a kilka miesięcy później został powołany przez selekcjonera Jacka Gmocha na mistrzostwa świata 1978 w Argentynie, na którym rozegrał 5 meczów (nie grał w meczu z reprezentacją Argentyny (0:2), co niektórzy znawcy piłki nożnej uznali za pomyłkę i przyczynę porażki). Dnia 21 czerwca 1978 roku na Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza w Mendozie reprezentacji Polski z Kasperczakiem w składzie przegrała 1:3 z reprezentacją Brazylii i zajęła 3. miejsce w Grupie B drugiej rundy turnieju i odpadła z turnieju, a Gorgoń po tym meczu ogłosił zakończenie reprezentacyjnej kariery. Łącznie w latach 1970–1978 Gorgoń w reprezentacji Polski rozegrał 55 meczów, w których strzelił 6 goli.

Po zakończeniu kariery
Jerzy Gorgoń po zakończeniu kariery piłkarskiej pozostał w St. Gallen, gdzie był trenerem rezerw i drużyn juniorskich FC Sankt Gallen oraz prowadził Blau-Weiß Sankt Gallen. Potem pracował w szkółce piłkarskiej w Gossau. 11 września 2012 roku został ambasadorem Górnika Zabrze.

Statystyki

Reprezentacyjne

Sukcesy

Górnik Zabrze
 Mistrzostwo Polski: 1971, 1972
 Puchar Polski: 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972
 Puchar Ligi Polskiej: 1978

Reprezentacyjne
 3. miejsce mistrzostw świata: 1974
 Mistrzostwo olimpijskie: 1972
 Wicemistrzostwo olimpijskie: 1976

Indywidualne
 1973: Złoty But w plebiscycie katowickiego "Sportu"

Odznaczenia
 1972: Złoty Krzyż Zasługi
 1972: Złota Odznaka PZPN
 1974: Sztandar Pracy II klasy

Przypisy

Linki zewnętrzne
  w bazie PKOl-u
 Jerzy Gorgoń w bazie Wikiliga.pl

 Jerzy Gorgoń w bazie WikiGórnik.pl

 Jerzy Gorgoń w bazie Weltfussball.de
 Jerzy Gorgoń w bazie FootballDatabase.eu
  w bazie Sports-Reference.com

Urodzeni w 1949
Reprezentanci Polski w piłce nożnej
Piłkarze Górnika Zabrze
Piłkarze FC Sankt Gallen
Polscy piłkarze na igrzyskach olimpijskich
Polscy olimpijczycy (Monachium 1972)
Polscy olimpijczycy (Montreal 1976)
Polscy medaliści olimpijscy
Medaliści Letnich Igrzysk Olimpijskich 1972
Medaliści Letnich Igrzysk Olimpijskich 1976
Uczestnicy Mistrzostw Świata w Piłce Nożnej 1974
Uczestnicy Mistrzostw Świata w Piłce Nożnej 1978
Polscy trenerzy piłkarscy
Klub Wybitnego Reprezentanta
Polacy w Szwajcarii
Ludzie urodzeni w Zabrzu
Odznaczeni Złotym Krzyżem Zasługi (Polska Ludowa)


There's been a massively hyped theory that the world will come to an end on September 23, 2015.
If you're on the internet, you just can't escape it.
Many point to an old Issac Newton interpretation from the Biblical book of Daniel.
Others look to the looming 'blood moon.' Spooky.
By default, I am taking the irreverent route. But what do you think?
...and cue the obligatory R.E.M.!


Range Rover has already released the US pricing for the all new Velar.
Which will be available in the summer.
It is, in price, closer to the smaller Evoque than the Range Rover sport.
And here is a picture of the Velar interior door panel.
In case you were wondering what that looked like.
Too dainty, too feminine. Toooooo boring.


text:
Budget Home Theater
Five Best 8K TV's Under $5000
As you might have surmised, 8K TV's offer the highest quality picture of any TV. To put it into perspective, 4K refers to the number of horizontal pixels across a screen—around 8.3 million pixels on a display. 8K, on the other hand, has over 33 million pixels—the sharpest image you've ever seen.
The first 8K TV was launched by LG in 2019, its $42,000 price tag making it accessible to only a few wealthy viewers who could afford to preorder it. A lot has changed in a year, though. Sony, Samsung, and LG have all produced much more affordable models that put 8k within reach of the average consumer. Here's a look at the top 8K TV's under $5000 available right now.
Samsung 82-inch Class Q800T 8K QLED TV
Is it redundant to say that the Samsung Q800T features breathtaking resolution? Because it does. It has a wide viewing angle so everyone in the room can see the picture clearly, and the Quantum HDR16X guarantees stunningly bright colors and deeper blacks. The Q800T also brandishes Object Sound Tracking+. This technology takes the action to the middle of your set, so that sound seems to come from the center of the screen, producing a "3D" effect. Speakers are built into all four sides.
The 82-inch Q800T 8K by Samsung is available under $5000 and is also available in less expensive 65 and 75-inch options. Customers can bundle the TV with a soundbar if desired. A Vesa wall mount support is included.
Samsung's 8K AI upscaling uses deep learning to convert all your content into 8K resolution, creating the most stunning picture yet. Also, Alexa is built right in, and if you deploy hands-free mode, you can use it to change the channel, search for movies, run your smart home devices, play music, and more.
The Stats:
Screen size: 81.5 inches
Display Type: QLED
Connectivity: Wireless, Bluetooth, USB, Ethernet, HDMI
Ports: 4 HDMI, 2 USB, 2 USB2.0
Audio: 70-watt built-in speakers, Dolby Digital Plus
Smart Platform: Tizen
Size: 45 x 72.1 x 1.1 inches
Samsung 75-inch Class Q900T Series 8K QLED TV
The black edges on the Q900T Series TV are minimized, so only an ultra-slim bezel remains. Samsung calls this edge-to-edge viewing the "infinity screen" and if you want to watch your favorite movie with zero distractions, it's fabulous.
Of course, that's not the only thing that sets the Q900T apart. It features Direct Full Array 32X—precisely controlled, densely concentrated backlight zones that adjust automatically for the brightest whites and the blackest blacks. This exceptional contrast may be the best you can get in an 8K television under five grand. The Quantum HDR 32X technology also impresses, providing the sharpest color money can buy. The detail is staggering, to say the least.
Like all of Samsung's 8K TV,s the set works with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can access your favorite content using just your voice. The smart technology also enables you to control other devices around the house.
Size: 12.2 x 65.1 x 1-inches
Samsung 75-Inch Q900 8K QLED TV
Samsung's Q900 series typically (although not always) retails for less than the Q900TS series and maintains all of the excellent features found on the TS, with a few minor exceptions. Rather than Direct Full Array 32X, it features 16X. It also comes with HDR 24X as opposed to 32X.
The Audio on the Q900 is not quite as cutting edge as it is on the TS, which uses Object Tracking Sound for a 3D experience. However, it still features Dolby Audio. Will you notice these differences? Probably not. But they are important to some.
Notably, the brand's signature AI upscaling is intact in the unit, which means you don't need to wait for the rest of the world to catch up with 8K in order to enjoy your new television. You can enjoy 4K and HD content right now, with awe-striking pictures.
Other sizes of the Q900 are available as well. The brand makes this model in a 55-inch, 65-inch, 82-inch, 85-inch, and a mind-blowing 98-inch option that, incidentally, retails for just under $60,000.
Ports: 4 HDMI, 3 USB
Size: 38 x 66 x 1.4-inches
Weight: 134.3 pounds
LG 75-inch NanoCell 99 Series 75-Inch 8K TV
LG's NanoCell gives Samsung's QLED a run for its money in terms of display technology. It uses particles to absorb unwanted light wavelengths to enhance the purity of the onscreen colors, specifically, reds and greens. That, combined with a full-array backlight and local dimming provides smashing resolution.
The makers say it has four times the resolution of 4K, and natural lifelike Nano Color displayed at wide angles with exceptional accuracy. The balanced lighting contrasts perfectly with deeper blacks than ever before thanks to the brand's Full-Array Local Dimming Pro that offers precise control from edge to edge.
Equipped with WebOS and ThingQ AI, you can simply hover over any app to get personalized recommendations and find exactly what you're looking for to keep you entertained. In fact, the whole TV is powered by AI with the most advanced processor made. The a9 Gen 3 AI features 4-step noise reduction, AI Picture Pro, AI Sound Pro, and AI 8K Upscaling—it's all done for you, no adjustment necessary.
Gamers will appreciate that the LG is outfitted with the latest tech, meaning you can enjoy highly responsible gameplay with high refresh rates and less lag. The TV is also available in a 65-inch model.
Display Type: LED
Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI, USB, Wireless
Audio: 60-watt built-in speakers, surround sound
Smart Platform: webOS
Size: 65.8 x 14.2 x 40.2 inches
Sony Z8H 75 Inch TV: 8K Ultra HD Smart LED TV
While still pretty pricey, Sony's Z8H is the brand's most affordable 8K model to date. Retailing for just under $5k, there's little doubt that the Z8H is spectacular, boasting amazing processing, rich true to life colors, and unparalleled brightness. You won't sacrifice any of that brightness for less contrast either, thanks to the brand's intuitive backlight management.
While the frame on the Z8H is not as narrow as Samsung's Q950TS 8K TVs, it does look sleek and sophisticated. The enclosed metal feet can be attached two ways—flat toward the center of the screen or under the bottom corners, a feature that you'll appreciate if you're setting it up on a slim stand. You'll also enjoy a premium, well-organized, metallic-finish remote with a special touch—backlit buttons.
For connectivity, the TV has three USB and four HDMI ports, along with gold-plated audio terminals. The terminals are designed so you can use this model's built-in speakers as the main speaker in an expanded sound system.
The Z8H runs on Android, which already has a huge amount of apps and content. If you like choices, you will love the platform, but it may require a bit of a learning curve for some, the sheer number of apps to explore can be overwhelming. However, if you have an Android phone, you will love how this TV features set-up assistance.
Ports: 4 HDMI, 3 USB, 1 ARC
Audio: 60-watt built-in speakers, Dolby Digital
Smart Platform: Android TV
Size: 66.70 x 3.40 x 38 inches
Is It Worth It to Purchase an 8k TV?
Not too long ago, the point of purchasing the best 8K television was lost on most people. While shiny new tech is always exciting, 8K requires HDMI 2.1 at the least, and your cables and various source devices must be able to handle a lot of bandwidth. This means for many people, an 8K TV is just not practical—yet.
That "yet" is what is driving sales of this TV that seems to do the impossible. Native content for 8K is still limited, but it won't be for long. The Xbox Series X and Sony's PlayStation 5 will both be 8K compatible. And once 5g gains traction, early adopters of 8K will be glad they got in first. Keep in mind that the best 8K TVs use upscaling to make 4K and HD content stand out so you can enjoy a truly cinematic experience right away.
Top 10 4k Ultra HD TVs Under $1000
Top 10 OLED 4k Ultra HD TVs Under $3000
Cheap Ways to Stream Music on Your Older Stereo or Home Theater Surround System
50 Towns With the Most Majestic Old Theaters
30 Amazing Home Theater Setups You Have to See to Believe
Latest Rankings and Reviews
Top 10 Best 4K Ultra HD OLED/QLED TVs Under $4,000
8 Best QLED 8K TVs Under $7,000
Top 10 Budget Home Theater Packages Under $1000
Roku Streambar 4K Streaming Media Player – Quick Take
Bluesound PowerNode 2 Streaming Music Integrated Amp Review
Lexicon MC-8 Pre-Pro
Best Budget Bookshelf Speakers
Magnepan MMG Floor Standing Loudspeaker Review
Singer-Songwriter Music Video Scholarship
Copyright © 2023 Budget Home Theater


text:
Circus és el sisè àlbum de la cantant pop estadounidenca Britney Spears. Va ser llençat el mateix dia del seu aniversari, el 2 de desembre, el 2008. Va rebre bona crítica per part dels crítics musicals, i el seu primer single "Womanizer" es va posicionar núm. 1 en moltes llistes musicals, com a ràdios.

El album va vendre més de 8 milions de copias a tot el món.

Recepció
El disc va rebre un 64/100 al website Metacritic. Va rebre unes 3 estrelles de 5 a AllMusic, igualment en "The Guardian" i "The Independent". En canvi, en Rolling Stone va rebre una qualificació de 3 estrelles i mitja. I pujant una mica més, trobem una puntuació de 4 estrelles en "The Sunday Times".
Baixant, trobem una puntuació de 5 de 10. I finalment, "USA Today" li dona una qualificació de 3 estrelles com als altres llocs.

Posició número 1
"Circus" es va situar a la cima del US Billboard 200. Altre cop, ella aparegué en el Guinnes World Records del 2010 per ser la cantant més jove en aconseguir posicionar en el número 1 cinc àlbums. Va ser l'àlbum que es va vendre més ràpidament del 2008. L'àlbum es va estar durant nou setmanes en el número 1 en el top 10. Va ser certificat "platinum" per la "Recording Industry Association of America" en el 29 de gener de 2009. L'àlbum va vendre 1.6 milions de còpies als Estats Units. En menys d'un mes, l'àlbum va ser considerat el novè àlbum més venut del 2008.

Tour
En el documental, Britney: For the Record podem veure com es va gravar l'àlbum i els dos primers videoclips del CD. Unes setmanes abans de ser llençat l'àlbum, va iniciar una mini-gira passant per algunes ciutats, titulant-la Circus Promo Tour.
El mateix dia en què es va llençar l'àlbum, ella va actuar al "Good Morning America" i va confirmar la seva cinquena gira titulada The Circus Starring: Britney Spears. El tour va iniciar el 3 de març de 2009 a Nova Orleans. Generalment, la llista de cançons estava més formada per cançons de Blackout. Només 3 cançons de l'àlbum "Circus" van entrar en el repertori.
En molts casos, Britney va ser acusada de fer servir playback durant la major part del tour, excepte la cançó inicial. Ella va negar l'acusació, explicant que l'única que no era cantada en viu era "Piece Of Me".

Singles
Womanizer va ser el primer single que va donar la llum. Va ser llençat el 26 de setembre de 2008. Va ser molt ben rebuda la cançó pels crítics, amb les lletres acusant a un home, infidel a la seva xicota. Va ser considerada com "el retorn" de la senyoreta Spears. El vídeo musical es va estrenar a la xarxa el dia 18 d'octubre de 2008, amb la temàtica d'ell semblant a la que ja va utilitzar en el vídeo de "Toxic. Va debutar en el número 96 del Billboard Hot 100 una setmana abans de debutar el número 1!

Circus va ser escollida el segon single de l'àlbum. Va ser llençada a les ràdios, juntament amb el disc. Va debutar el número 3 del Billboard Hot 100. El vídeo va ser penjat a la xarxa el dia 4 de desembre de 2008, i podem veure a Britney en un voltant circense. Va ser molt ben rebut pels crítics i va guanyar el premi a "Millor Vídeo" en els premis Fuse TV.

If You Seek Amy va ser votat com a tercer single de "Circus". Va ser escollit el 10 de març de 2009. Va causar molta controvèrsia gràcies al doble significat del seu títol "If U Seek Amy" que més o menys traduït a l'altre significat seria "F-U-C-K ME (em f*****)". La Federació de Pares Americana va prohibir que la cançó s'escoltés a la ràdio entre les 6 del matí fins a les 10 del vespre. El vídeo va sortir el 12 de març de 2009 a la pàgina web oficial de la cantant. Ella ens mostra una sèrie de jocs sexuals, cosa que els crítics van catalogar com "un guiny" en alguna de les seves etapes quan era més jove.

 Radar va ser escollida el quart single de l'àlbum. Tot i ser llençada en l'àlbum "Blackout" la cançó també va ser escollida per l'àlbum de "Circus" i finalment, va ser triada com a single. El vídeo va sortir poc després de ser escollida.

Cançons
 Womanizer
 Circus
 Out from Under
 Kill the Lights
 Shattered Glass
 If You Seek Amy
 Unusual You
 Blur
 Mm Papi
 Mannequin
 Lace and Leather
 My Baby
 Radar
Bonus Tracks

 Amnesia
 Trouble
 Quicksand
 Rock Boy
 Phonography

Personal
 Britney Spears - piano, veu
 Henrik Jonback - baix, guitarra
 Cathy Denis - cor
 Windy Wagner - cor
 Greg Kurstin - baix, guitarra
 Kesha Sebert - cor
 Max Martin - coro
 Stefani Germanotta - cor

Britney Spears


text:
Nina Catalano
Senior Program Officer, San Francisco Housing, Tipping Point Community
Homelessness Prevention and Diversion Liaison
Appointed: 2022 - 2024
Nina Catalano is the Senior Program Officer for San Francisco Housing with Tipping Point Community, where she works with diverse partners across San Francisco to ensure health and housing are available to all. She is dedicated to pursuing equity and collaborating to transform the systems that hold complex problems in place. Nina is a proud Bay Area native, family member of a mental health consumer, and Mexican-American woman on a quest for extraordinary vegetarian tamales. She previously served as a public defender in Alameda County, as well as nationally on reforms to reduce the use of prison
Nina Catalano is the Senior Program Officer for San Francisco Housing with Tipping Point Community, where she works with diverse partners across San Francisco to ensure health and housing are available to all. She is dedicated to pursuing equity and collaborating to transform the systems that hold complex problems in place. Nina is a proud Bay Area native, family member of a mental health consumer, and Mexican-American woman on a quest for extraordinary vegetarian tamales. She previously served as a public defender in Alameda County, as well as nationally on reforms to reduce the use of prison and jail with the Pew Charitable Trusts. She has a BA and JD from Harvard University, and is honored to call San Francisco home.
1 Dr Carlton B. Goodlett Place
The Controller's Office supports the OCOH Oversight Committee.
OCOH.CON@sfgov.org


text:
=============================
django-curriculum
=============================

.. image:: https://badge.fury.io/py/django-curriculum.svg
    :target: https://badge.fury.io/py/django-curriculum

.. image:: https://travis-ci.org/axeliodiaz/django-curriculum.svg?branch=master
    :target: https://travis-ci.org/axeliodiaz/django-curriculum

.. image:: https://codecov.io/gh/axeliodiaz/django-curriculum/branch/master/graph/badge.svg
    :target: https://codecov.io/gh/axeliodiaz/django-curriculum

A simple django project to create a curriculum vitae

Documentation
-------------

The full documentation is at https://django-curriculum.readthedocs.io.

Quickstart
----------

Install django-curriculum::

    pip install django-curriculum

Add it to your `INSTALLED_APPS`:

.. code-block:: python

    INSTALLED_APPS = (
        ...
        'curriculum',
        ...
    )

Create migrations and migrate the models: ::

   python manage.py makemigrations curriculum
   python manage.py migrate curriculum

Add the urls.py to access the API Rest: ::

   urlpatterns = [
       ...
       url(r'^api/curriculum/', include('curriculum.urls')),
       ...
   ]

All API urls by default are in: http://localhost:8000/api/curriculum/

Features
--------

* TODO

Running Tests
-------------

Does the code actually work?

::

    source <YOURVIRTUALENV>/bin/activate
    (myenv) $ pip install tox
    (myenv) $ tox

Credits
-------

Tools used in rendering this package:

*  Cookiecutter_
*  `cookiecutter-djangopackage`_

.. _Cookiecutter: https://github.com/audreyr/cookiecutter
.. _`cookiecutter-djangopackage`: https://github.com/pydanny/cookiecutter-djangopackage

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Dense Rank con Campo Calculado en MYSQL Alguna sugerencia tengo que crear un ranking
La tabla inicia como se muestra

Para empezar no puedo usar la función dense_rank ya que mi servidor remoto no lo soporta
SELECT fcdb_alineaciones.nombre AS nombre,
COUNT(fcdb_alineaciones.nombre) AS partidosjugados,
DENSE_RANK() OVER (ORDER BY partidosjugados DESC) AS densoranking
FROM fcdb_alineaciones
WHERE minutosjugados>0
GROUP BY fcdb_alineaciones.nombre
ORDER BY partidosjugados DESC

Lo intento de este modo
SELECT nombre, conteo,
(SELECT COUNT(*) +1  FROM (SELECT DISTINCT COUNT(nombre) AS conteo
FROM fcdb_alineaciones
WHERE minutosjugados>0
GROUP BY nombre
ORDER BY COUNT(nombre) DESC) b
WHERE a.conteo < b.conteo ) AS ranking
FROM (SELECT nombre, COUNT(nombre) AS conteo
FROM fcdb_alineaciones
WHERE minutosjugados>0
GROUP BY nombre
ORDER BY COUNT(nombre)DESC) a
ORDER BY conteo DESC, nombre ASC

El resultado que deseo obtener es como la imagen, de antemano gracias.

A: Donde dice 'cant' seria la fila que va a sacar el mas alto, result sera donde se motrara el del primero al ultomo
SELECT id, name, cant, RANK() OVER(ORDER BY cant DESC) result FROM database LIMIT 10

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Complacency in the Medical-Industrial Complex
Long gone are the days of scientists only locked up in labs, secluded from everything but their microscopes and calculators. Now, more than ever, scientists find themselves writing reports and grant proposals, managing jobs, sitting on committees, and delivering lectures.
Scientists work in issues at the forefront of policy, ethics, law, and other areas of society. Though these duties may be as fluid as viscous liquid or as dynamic as biological evolution, scientists and non-scientists alike struggle everyday with understanding science's role in society.
When Lisa M. Lee, Executive Director for the Study of Bioethical Issues, gave her talk "Handling Obstacles to Ethics in Public Health," she spoke to an audience of professors, physicians, and other professionals about the current state of affairs in public health ethics and bioethics. She spoke from her background in bioethics, including her work in public health surveillance and privacy. But, as I sat in the front row of the lecture hall, I couldn't help but wonder, if scientists have expanded their roles in other areas, why was there still such a huge gap between science and policy?
No matter whether you're a physicist or a lawyer, we've taught ourselves to be complacent. With the slow death of the liberal arts education and the reduction of college down to a means to manufacture employees, students have anguished over how to get into medical school or make a successful living in the future, but forgotten about the important values of humanism necessary for personal growth. We need to encourage science as a way to seek the truth, of both the economy and virtues. No doubt, science should make money, but it should also teach us values such as wonder, curiosity, and humility in the world.
Dr. Lee suggested requiring ethics training programs for graduate students. I was dubious of this solution because, while it may help students understand ethics, a requirement can only do so much to foster curiosity and humanism before encouraging complacency and discouraging innovation.
Students who aspire to become physicians suffer from this complacency. As pre-medical undergraduates, we have long paths in front of us before becoming a practicing physician. We spend four years taking courses like organic chemistry, physics, and biology while completing the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Our required courses are rigid, standardized, and structured upon what the officials dictate to be important. As we sit in crowded lecture halls, hoping for a good grade or a recommendation letter, our pre-medical overlords teach what's going to be on the exam, nothing more and nothing less. Along the way, we volunteer, shadow, and engage in extracurriculars before entering a four-year medical school program. After that, we have residency and training before becoming a fully-practicing physician. With such a long, stringent path, it's easy to forget about what's really important and how to "live in the moment." Instead, we succumb to utilitarian, consumeristic motives as we value information over wisdom, marketability over authenticity, and dogmatism over free thought. And, when we aren't prepared for the future, the "Medical-Industrial Complex," as Dr. Lee puts it, thrives.
Compare the path to becoming a doctor to that of future lawyers, who intern for attorneys as soon as they enter law school. While law students get to see the employable fruits of their efforts almost immediately after college, medical students have to spend much more time preparing before witnessing the value of what they're being taught. It's much more difficult for pre-medical students to truly ponder how their courses will give them benefits in the future, and, especially with stringent and demanding science course-loads, it's easy to lose sight of more valuable goals of methodic inquiry and rationalization in the tense, competitive world of exam scores, GPAs, "informational texts," and oft-repeated "problem-solving skills." And, since most pre-medical students take a large number of science courses, the medical curricula is centered around STEM goals of economic prosperity and political motives.
Pictured: my organic chemistry class.
It might sound absurd to describe the current state of affairs in medicine as a "medical-industrial complex," but it makes much sense in the context of the militarization of education. With the Independent Task Force's "U.S. Education Reform and National Security" in 2012, our education has been structured in the following areas: "economic growth and competitiveness, physical safety, intellectual property, U.S. global awareness, and U.S. unity and cohesion." The highly controversial report has been criticized and praised by professors nationwide, and some, most notably in those in the humanities, have expressed concerns for its methods of re-structuring education. In the report, "What is Education?", Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at Berkeley Robert Alter writes, "Should a teacher's motives for introducing seventh-graders to science be that she is preparing cadres of future technicians who will be able to design bigger and better defenses against ICBMs?" A future in which students are put in and out of the school-military pipeline is frighteningly grim, and structuring an ethics curriculum would certainly be an effective counter to these woes. And with our war history in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places, there is a pressing need for us to understand culture, history, language, and other aspects of the human condition in order to address the issues of the future. Sure, we could pump more students into "critical" departments of language and culture based on our political concerns (such as foreign languages of Spanish, Arabic, or Chinese). But, in order to truly address the ethical dilemmas of tomorrow (including political concerns), there must be a change in education that runs much deeper than simply forcing students to take a course in ethics, literature, or history. It must be a change in the way we think about those courses.
In "What is Education?" James Engell, Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Harvard University, writes:
Studies show that in our schools, public or private, student cheating, dishonesty, and plagiarism are on the rise. School administrators in many locations have themselves been caught cheating in order to make the performance of their students look better. Federal and other studies indicate that scientific misconduct and falsification of scientific data are increasing problems. A society without ethical education cannot expect either good government or real security, no matter what shape its laws take or how "reformed" its educational system. The damage done may come slowly but the rot is deeper. The Report says nothing about ethical or moral aspects of education.
Engell continues that these "moral" and "ethical" shortcomings in education have been brought on by a certain "blindness" in accepting results has cost us much in "disease prevention, agricultural production, sustainable resources, and, most troubling, in respect for the procedures and results of science itself." In order to address the ethical issues of tomorrow, we need a fundamental shift in the way we approach our classes to fight the complacency and individual shortcomings that give rise to our blindness. Though Engell isn't a scientist, his concerns for the addressing scientific misconduct come from an appeal to morals and ethics. These moral and ethical considerations come from elements of an education that the humanities emphasize, including the human narrative, critical speculation, heedless skepticism, and empathy. From a more "ethical" look at the world, by emphasizing the education as a humanistic search for truth and justice, we can rise above the typical requirements and capital greed of the militarized education system, whether it's in the sciences or the humanities, and fight the power.
We can only address the ethical issues in science, medicine, and public health through a thorough examination the values we instill in ourselves through education. Those of us who can break from the complacency of everyday life to higher ideals, including courage, justice, and compassion, will be ready to fight the problems of tomorrow.
Posted byhussainather November 28, 2015 December 9, 2019 Posted inBlogTags:Medicine
No One Scientist Should Have All That Power
Never Let Schooling Interfere with Education
Pingback: The story of how I won – Heuristic


text:
ATL: Stories from the Retrofuture
Bonus!
The Quinlan Circle
The Gay Gatsby
Hands Held in the Snow
Reborn on a Systemless Earth… With a System
Invisible Werewolf Dracula meets Vampire Mummy Frankenstein
StarCrash!! With Jeff
Uhh, Reincarnation Goddess? You Forgot to Give Me the System
Facebook (ew)
News Post Archive
Vote on Top Web Fiction!
The Dial-Up Demon – Chapter 2: When the Air Breaks
09 - The Dial-Up Demon The Story
June 16, 2020 Thedude3445
The loudest sigh I can ever give.
It's a bit of a hyperbole, saying that it's the "loudest sigh."
Seems like only yesterday when I was sitting at my desk at work, eyes stuck like magnets to the cl—
Wait, I said all of this yesterday.
My God, I'm already starting to repeat myself. Someone come put me out of my misery before I begin completely recycling all my jokes. The day Morgan Harding runs out of good sarcastic quips is the day Morgan Harding perishes from this Earth. Please, dear reader, make sure you put them behind the shed before it gets to that point.
Anyway, today's not as bad as the past few days. Yeah, I'm still sitting at the front desk at the Atlanta Cares bank and running a meaningless existence, but at least there's some actual customers today.
For instance, I flirted with this girl Jen for like half an hour while we waited for a report to print out. After a month without a single flirt to be had on account of Karina's absence, it was good to keep me on my toes and hone that fine sword that is my ladykiller skills. I even got her number. Or, the bank got her number, and I typed it down. But that technically counts. I'm going to count it.
Then an older woman came in sniffing around real suspiciously, like she was canvassing the place. I got to throw her off her (possible) game and made some nice small talk that was of that special innocuous-but-secretly-hinting-I-know-she's-suspicious type. Also I have no idea if she even picked up on it. We may be robbed soon.
Then I helped a different older woman open a super saver account and even gave her a free toaster. Her young nephew was with her, about my age, and I felt really proud about it. That's not normally my realm of expertise, but when we're short staffed (as we have been for the entire year), sometimes I have to help out in those ways.
Now that there's nobody here again, though, Mr. Larkins takes his chance and begins assaulting my senses with his harsh voice.
"Harding! You hear about this Dial-Up Demon crap?" he asks.
I groan internally. "No, sir, I haven't heard anything about it other than some news report."
"Ah!" His eyes light up like he's snared a fish on his line. "Then you gotta take a load of this."
"Of… what…?"
He plops down an honest-to-goodness battery-powered radio set down on the counter and pulls out its foot-long antenna. "The Dial-Up Demon."
He turns the power on and I immediately hear a deep, crackly voice cackling through the static of the FM radio station.
"Hoo boy, have I got a real one for you next," the voice says in a sneering tone. "DJ Demon's popping off an old 1988 classic, called Rise of the Machines by Lady Coppola. I'd say enjoy, but… It's a pretty crappy song, I gotta admit!"
The music starts playing and the laughing continues over it. It is indeed a pretty crappy song. Butt rock of the highest caliber.
Larkins looks at me with a devious grin. "He's the hot new thing. The big new criminal who's wreaking havoc on Atlanta."
"So like, the Great Value brand Social Media Killer."
"No! This guy's way more appealing," he says. "He's hijacking radio stations at random and playing his own stuff. He's driving the media crazy and he's just making everything fun."
The voice on the radio laughs again as the song ends. "And that's enough for Lady Coppola. I just wanna say thank you to all my lovely supporters, especially those of y'all who've sent over generous donations. The First Bank of Georgia, you are my big old number one patron! And I'll celebrate with a little song I like to call… twenty-four karat magic. I'm talking gold, baby!"
The song that plays is some obnoxious pop tune I've never heard of, one designed for a surround sound system, not a mono-speaker little tin radio.
"So what you're saying is, this guy is specifically targeting banks," I say. "And you're excited about that."
"Ain't it a nice change of pace?"
"I don't reckon it is," I say. "I would very much prefer not to be robbed by a techno-maniac or whatever."
"And the best part," Larkins tells me, "is that nobody's even seen him do it. There's like a wave of static, then some weird stuff happens, then—BAM, money's gone. A master thief."
"And we could be next!"
"And that's… a good thing to exclaim???"
Gheb folds his arms together. "No, it's terrible. But it'd get a hell of a lot of publicity if he showed up and then we beat his ass and captured him! Plus, the money's insured anyway."
"We don't even have that much money…"
"I take it you're up for whooping an evil villain? I sure am. No matter who he is, I'm gonna take him down."
I ignore his statements completely. "You know, I did see someone suspicious earlier today," I say. "An old woman in a suit who looked like she was canvassing the office for a robbery or something. We don't even keep much money here though, so I'm not sure what the point is."
"Oh, her?" Larkins laughs. "That was one of those, what do you call'em, secret shoppers. Testing the place out for some business bureau report."
"Oh, and I harassed her. I wonder what kind of score we got…"
"I'm thinking you're just fine," he says. "Those guys are such pushov—"
A faint, almost invisible humming sound that permeates every room in the office suddenly halts.
Larkins is shaken to his core. "…Huh?"
"I think that was… the A/C," I say.
"The A/C."
"Like, it turned off, I think."
"Wh-what's going to happen?" he shudders.
"I don't know, sir. I don't know."
What happens is that the poorly insulated skyscraper becomes a hothouse, and the Atlanta Cares bank becomes ground zero for a brand-new, localized heat wave.
What happens is that this place gets way too friggin' hot.
Thirty minutes in, we collectively give up.
If I were a salaried employee, I'd probably be cheering right now. I'm hourly, and yet I'm still kinda cheering about it, to be honest.
Air conditioning on the entire floor of Peach Towers malfunctioned and turned off completely. People were sent in to fix it but they found out that the cooling systems had literally frozen over due to overuse these past few weeks. It'll take hours or more to get things back up and running.
And so the bank is closed for the rest of the day.
That leaves me here, outside the building, now completely free with no plans whatsoever.
The sun's shining high, the day is young, and my dashing good looks are a consistent source of success in my life.
Also, it's friggin' hot out here.
I don't have any errands to run that I can think of… so I just start wandering through the city.
Can't get lost if you have nowhere to go.
So I just kind of walk around. I gaze at the beautiful greenery in the micro-parks that dot nearly every city block. I peer deeply into the bright colors and twisting designs of the graffiti plastered up on every brick wall I pass. I stop and watch an auto-conbini drive up and stop on the curb and then a dozen people pour in to buy snacks and drinks and magazines.
It's this flavor of Atlanta in the day that I wouldn't give up for the world. I can't imagine any other city would have the right mixture of trees and plants, of rust and property damage, of high-tech stuff aged by a decade. It's old and it's odd, but it's all beautiful in a way I can't really describe.
Maybe… it's lived-in? It doesn't feel like it's some sanitized pretty playplace for architects and urban planners and the gentry who inhabit the condos within. It feels like a real place where people live their everyday lives. Except for Buckhead, I guess, Atlanta really feels like the "realest" city in the world.
But I've only ever lived in one city my whole life, so maybe I just don't know enough yet.
Either way, I need to beat the heat. I can't deal with this wretched weather just beating down on me at all times. I'm already so tan people on the street start speaking Spanish to me (please don't do this—I don't know Spanish and I hate people talking to me on the street).
I've already walked out all the way to around the Innovation District, which means there's plenty of cafes and Yum Marts for me to dig around in, but for some reasons, my legs take me to a completely different place.
It's been a while since I've been here… So I think I'll pop in and say hi, just to be nice.
A familiar jingling of microchips as the door opens—
and here's Chuck's Tech Emporium.
…And it's packed with people! Holy crap!
This modest store is filled beyond capacity with customers, and Chuck Araragi himself is dashing about between different areas of the store to talk to people, haggle with them, and check them out.
He notices me and his eyes light up (as does that little part of his hair that stands up). "Morgan!" he shouts.
"Hey, Chuck…"
"Help me! Man the register!"
I have no idea what's going on, but I race into the fray with zero hesitation. Without a single word of complaint, I run over to the cash register and begin checking people out.
One hour later…
Chuck holds himself against an empty table, pantomiming the panting of someone who just sprinted a mile. "Whew," he says. "You really saved my neck, Morgan."
I'm feeling a little winded myself. "What was all that?"
"I don't even know," he tells me. He looks up and shows me a crooked smile. "That's the beauty of a used tech store. You just never know when the etherflows of fate will cross in such a way that dozens of customers will waltz right in at the same time. Real strange, ain't it?"
"Uh, I guess so."
"Did I tell you about the time I sold out my entire store's inventory by accident?" he asks.
"No, you didn't. What the hell happened there?"
"Uh, it's a long story," he says. "You don't wanna hear it."
Wait, even Chuck thinks it's a long story? Now this I want to hear. Well, not really, but I'm curious that he isn't already blabbing about it like usual.
"So anyway, thank you so much," Chuck says. "I'd still be running around if it weren't for you. So I want to give you some kind of reward for helping me out."
"A reward? No, I don't need anything. Don't worry about it."
He ignores me. "Let's say… One item from this store. Take it and it's yours."
"Wait, really? What items?"
"Anything," he says. "I'm always needing to clean up around here after all. So if you take it, it'll help me more than it'll help you, I think."
He might be right. The unsorted piles of junk have risen considerably since the last time I visited his shop. But… anything? Surely some of this stuff is worth a whole lot more money than a single hour's work.
It's a bit intimidating to look at everything.
"Uh, okay," I say.
I look around and see what I might want. There's entire complete computers here, though they're so old and beat up that they're probably not worth looking at anyway. There's a discarded Power Glove, some mysterious pens with a single button, a longbox full of tattered comic books, a helmet from some Japanese special effects show, a big bundle of microchips…
A whole store full of junk. Heaps and heaps of stuff, and none of it attracts me at all.
I'm sure some of this is worth hundreds of dollars, but I'd have to go to the effort of selling it myself if I just wanted the cash. With my last experience with Bidbay, I doubt I would find it very fun to try online selling out…
So I keep looking for something that might actually appeal to me myself. Huh… This is way tougher than I thought. Despite being a cybernetically enhanced superhero, I seem to know nothing about technology. How can I know what sound card is good when I don't actually know what a sound card is?
Then I see a glass case nestled by a wall near the cash register and peer into it.
There's… video games here. Super Nintendo games, in fact. A bunch of them I've never seen before in person, and some I've never even heard of. One of them boasts a samurai woman on the cover art, looking serene as she holds her sword at her side and focuses on something offscreen. I don't know why this tiny little label on a cartridge is drawing me in like this, but…
I can't even read the title of the game, since it's in Japanese. 「君のわからない伝説」, whatever that says. I like the little squiggly guy in the first letter.
Chuck notices me staring at the game. "Oh, you want that? That's a pretty rare game, you know."
"What is it?" I ask.
"It's called Kimi no Wakaranai Densetsu, an old classic of an adventure game. It never came to the West, but it was pretty famous in the Eastern Union. Never got a sequel or anything, though." Before I can ask what it's about, he begins his spiel. "It's the story of a blossoming teenage girl who's cursed with immortality and becomes bound to protect her clan with the passing generations. So even though she can't age and she can't have children, she has a family to protect over many centuries. And so it goes through real life history from the Edo Period in Japan all the way through the Meiji Era and World War II and then ends after the formation of the Eastern Union. She fights supernatural monsters and real humans, but grows increasingly disconnected to her family as each generation goes on, and becomes a metaphor for the way modernity affects tradition and culture. Also, it's a good hack 'n slash action game."
"That sounds… A little difficult for me to follow if I don't know how to read the text in the game."
"Oh, it's fully voice acted!" he exclaims. "They used that fancy Ultra FX chip, so it was the first game to have voice acting for all cutscenes."
"That doesn't… help…"
"Don't worry, though. You'll have a lot of fun playing the game even without following the story that closely. Trust me, the language barrier is not an issue. Plus, it's co-op!"
"Co-op. Huh. Maybe I could invite a friend over and try it out."
"Sounds like a plan!" Chuck smiles and begins unlocking the glass case. "You sure this is what you want for your reward?"
"Eh, why not? It might be fun."
As long as I can find a friend to play with, it'll be great. I just… have to find a friend, is all.
I get out my cellular and start tapping through my contacts list.
Lamar… is a no. He's out for a week for some youth group thing with his church.
Mr. Larkins, no.
Marge… ew.
Kevin O'Conner… Double ew.
I don't have R8PR's number, and I don't think it'd be fun to play with him anyway.
Chuck here… uh, I guess he's busy or something, or he'd probably have offered.
I'm not enough of a creep to actually call that Jen girl's number even if she did give it to me with a little heart on the slip of paper.
So… Who am I going to ask?
Why do I have so few friends?
The only option I can think of, the only conceivable person who is sure to be free…
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
…is her.
I open the door. She knocks a couple more times anyway.
KNOCK KNOCK.
"Hey, Amy," I say to the short teenage girl standing at my doorway.
"What's up? How's it hanging? Can't wait to play some damn games!"
The only expression I can make on my face right now is disdainful regret.
<== Previous ♠ Next ==>
i love chuck araragi, who the heck is this jen
10 - Dog Days in Hotlanta The Story
Dog Days in Hotlanta – Chapter 27: A Medley of Bullets
December 29, 2020 Thedude3445
Dog Days in Hotlanta – Chapter 26: Before We Get to the Rodeo
November 16, 2020 Thedude3445
Previous: 09 – The Dial-Up Demon – Chapter 1: Another Day
Next: The Dial-Up Demon – Chapter 3: A List of Topics Not to Bring Up in Polite Conversation
4 thoughts on "The Dial-Up Demon – Chapter 2: When the Air Breaks"
Pingback: The Dial-Up Demon - Chapter 3: A List of Topics Not to Bring Up in Polite Conversation - ATL
What a Fine June says:
The title is what Morgan does every time he thinks of his sister's help or assistance
Also, whose Chuck again? Its been forever, I kinda forgot. Is he the robot boy?
Thedude3445 says:
Chuck is the used tech salesman from way back in Trials of the Cybermancer! He only appeared there and in that really long CYOA game so it's been a while lol
Pingback: 09 - The Dial-Up Demon - Chapter 1: Another Day - ATL
The Social Media Killer – First Draft (Chapters 16-19) [Quinlan Vault]
Quinlan Circle Stories:
Reborn on a Systemless Earth... With a System
Uhh, Reincarnation Goddess? You Forgot to Give Me a System
Rainbow Destructor
All Rights Reserved 2018-2021, Quinlan Circle