"Well, I like the emphasis on individual responsibility. You know, I think that's very important… I think she was more powerful as a fiction writer than as a philosopher. And that's not a denigrating comment because I don't believe that philosophy is a higher calling than fiction… They have their own domains. I think my sense is that I don't regard Ayn Rand as a great mind. I don't think that her take on things was sufficiently differentiated and sophisticated. Like I said, she had reasons to be anti-communist. (Laughs). There can be plenty of reasons for being anti-communist and I can resonate with her critiques of collectivism and I like the romanticism in the books. I enjoyed reading Atlas Shrugged. I read it again recently, I enjoyed it again. But I also don't think that it is great literature and the reason for that is she doesn't place the struggle between good and evil inside her characters. It is always between characters and that's a mistake. Because even your most radical leftwing revolutionary is mostly not a radical leftwing revolutionary.
"So you have to show the struggle within more, and I don't think that she does a very good job of that. Her noble people are too noble and her ignoble people are too ignoble. And it divides the world too much into the bad guys and the good guys. It is like — that's comforting and there is an archetypical element to it too, but it's not sufficiently differentiated enough or sophisticated enough."
Unfortunately, I don't think his thinking is sophisticated enough to understand Rand's. Also, I think he was much more influenced by her than he admits or realizes (he first read Atlas at 13).
Marsha Enright, In fact, I left a comment in Facebook discussion on this post. I said that I am surprised that Peterson has said all this about Rand. Normally he does not say this kind of thing. I think he is reacting to some of the bad things that some Objectivists have said about him. I think he is trying to respond in kind.
Which points do you think he got wrong?
Anoop. This quote from Peterson changed my view of Rand forever. He is totally right. Romantic novels should be an internal struggle, not a struggle between people. I've never considered that and now can never go back.


Richard Parks' stories have have appeared in Asimov's SF, Realms of Fantasy, Fantasy Magazine, Weird Tales, and numerous anthologies, including several Year's Bests. His first story collection, THE OGRE'S WIFE, was a finalist for the World Fantasy Award. He is the author of the Yamada Monogatari series from Prime Books.


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BAE Systems and Royal Navy provide first look at autonomous sea boats of the future
The autonomous capabilities of BAE Systems' Pacific 24 (P24) Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB), a staple in the Royal Navy surface fleet, could significantly enhance the Royal Navy's ability to protect its sailors at reach, as the upgraded sea boat is able to execute its own missions without crew and be run from a warship.
Such missions could include anti-piracy operations, border control, persistent intelligence gathering, maritime security and force protection, all while keeping a sailor safe from harm.
The autonomous P24 has been procured under the Royal Navy's autonomy and lethality accelerator programme, Navy X, which aims to deliver new technology into the hands of sailors and marines at pace.
The successful launch of the sea boat took place at Trafalgar Wharf, Portsmouth, in June 2020. At 7.8 metres long, the P24 is a small and agile boat that offers a top speed of 38 knots (nearly 44mph). It is deployed for a variety of tasks. In a military context, this ranges from counter-piracy and counter-narcotics missions, to force protection, rescue and logistics operations
is used extensively by today's Royal Navy surface fleet, being embarked on a number of warships and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels. These include the UK's new aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, all its Type 45 destroyers, Type 23 frigates and Offshore Patrol Vessels.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Toxic chemicals leak from US base in Okinawa, threatening the health of residents
More than 2,400 liters of "firefighting water" containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were released from a U.S. military facility in the southern Japanese island of Okinawa. Heavy rain brought the chemicals into bodies of water at Uruma city and other nearby locations. The June 10 incident also added to the chemicals that have accumulated in the city's Tengan River, which already had high PFAS concentrations.
According to the Okinawan newspaper Ryukyu Shimpo, the accidental release happened at the U.S. Army's Kin Wan Petroleum, Oil and Lubricant Storage Facility. The concentration of PFAS in the water released is unknown, with the water believed to have emptied into the Tengan River and the sea. The Army has kept mum about the incident; however, U.S. military forces releasing toxic chemicals in Okinawa are a common occurrence.
The Ryukyu Shimpo report added that the Okinawa Defense Bureau (ODB) reported the incident to affected stakeholders on the evening of June 11. These included the governments of Okinawa prefecture, Uruma city, Kanatake town and fishermen's cooperatives. The ODB also asked the U.S. side to ensure safety and management, prevent recurrence and report the incident at the soonest.
Ryukyu Shimpo inquired about the details of the June 10 incident to the U.S. military, but did not receive a response. Meanwhile, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed its regrets about the incident to the U.S. side on June 11.
This was not the first time toxic chemicals used to fight fire spilled out on Okinawa. Back in April of last year, a fire suppression system in a hangar at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma discharged a massive volume of firefighting foam. The foamy yet toxic suds poured into a local river and settled in residential areas.
According to a report by Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, a barbecue held to boost morale among U.S. military personnel quarantining themselves led to the incident. The smoke from the barbecue set off a heat detector in the hangar, which led to firefighting foam being discharged. Upon learning that the barbecue was behind the discharge of toxic foam, Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki said: "I truly have no words."
Under normal circumstances, the firefighting foam would have been collected in an underground tank. However, improper maintenance caused the foam to leak and spread outside the base. Former Futenma air base commander Col. David Steele said that time: "If it rains, [the foam] will subside."
PFAS from U.S. military bases pose a threat to Okinawans
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), fire-fighting products contain PFAS that linger in the environment for a long time. It added that fire-fighting foams are "a major source of groundwater contamination at airports and military bases where firefighting training occurs."
Early this year, the Okinawan government announced that it had tested groundwater near the Futenma base. It added that the groundwater sample contained a high concentration of PFAS at 2,000 parts per trillion (ppt). In a separate instance, Ryukyu Shimpo sampled water from the Uchidomari River located near the base. Upon testing, the sample reflected a PFAS concentration of 247.2 ppt.
True enough, U.S. military fuel depots worldwide such as Kin Wan have used vast quantities of PFAS since the early 1970s. Meanwhile, commercial fuel depots have largely stopped using synthetic PFAS in favor of fluorine-free counterparts that are equally capable yet environmentally friendly.
The EPA said that PFAS build up in the bodies of organisms such as fishes and humans over time. "There is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse health outcomes in humans," it added. This posed a serious problem, given that Okinawans eat a lot of fish that are contaminated by exorbitant PFAS levels from American bases. Eating seafood is one of many ways humans inadvertently consume these chemicals.
Environmental activist Toshio Takahashi concurred with the EPA's take on PFAS. He explained that PFAS contamination causes cancer, affects fetal development and triggers diseases in small children. Takahashi also lamented the U.S. military's stonewalling of investigations on the April 2020 incident at Futenma. He claimed that Japanese authorities were unable to scrutinize the discharge and subsequent leak of fire-fighting foam at the military installation.
Takahashi said: "The U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement … prevents the [Japanese] government from investigating the site of the PFAS contamination and the circumstances of the accident." In a similar vein, the Okinawa prefectural government was unable to investigate the June 2021 leak in Uruma.
"Investigating the cause and cleaning up the contamination is essential in order to protect the lives of [Okinawa] residents and fulfill our responsibility to future generations," the activist concluded.
Visit Chemicals.news to read more articles about PFAS contamination from U.S. military installations in Okinawa.
Asahi.com
Tagged Under: Ecology, environment, EPA, firefighting water, forever chemicals, Japan, Kin Wan Storage Facility, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, military facilities, Okinawa, PFAS, toxic chemicals, US military


TOKYO, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Japan's largest maker of soybean protein food products, Fuji Oil Co Ltd, said on Wednesday the group will stop using genetically modified (GM) soybeans by next April due to consumer concern over the safety of bioengineered crops. Fuji Oil will start switching to non-GM soybeans in the October-March period, a company spokesman said. Until now Fuji Oil has not distinguished between GM and non-GM soybeans when placing orders. The Fuji Oil group uses 80,000-100,000 tonnes of soybeans annually, most of which is imported from the United States. Fuji Oil plans to buy non-GM soybeans imported from the United States by the Japanese trading house Itochu Corp. Fuji Oil is a member of the Itochu group of companies.
Japan imported 2.85 million tonnes of soybeans in the first seven months of 1999. Traders expect 75-80 percent will be used for oil production and the rest for other food products, such as tofu. Last month several of Japan's largest breweries announced plans to stop using genetically altered corn, and ingredients made from such corn, in their operations.


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East Lansing, Haslett, Okemos, Webberville & Williamston
Quick links... Home Neighborhoods Charlotte & Eaton Rapids Dansville, Leslie, Mason & Stockbridge Delhi Township, Holt & Southside Lansing Delta Township & Grand Ledge Dewitt & St. Johns Downtown, Old Town & REO Town East Lansing, Haslett, Okemos, Webberville & Williamston Jackson & Hillsdale Counties MSU Campus State Capitol
NeighborhoodsDelta Township - Grand Ledge
Greenwood District Studio struggling to keep the doors open, asks community to help
By: Yasmeen Ludy
GRAND LEDGE, Mich. — Greenwood District Studios opened up last year with the hope of bringing laughter to the community, but as they explained in a recent viral Tik Tok, it's been a struggle.
In March, when the owner, who goes by the single name Amaru, got the keys to an abandoned theater next to the Lansing Mall, he had a vision to bring it back to life.
"Greenwood District Studios is our homage to what happened in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1921. Black Wall Street had a district called Greenwood, which was burned down, was a bustling community of black businesses," Amaru said.
But that vision has proved to be difficult. Greenwood posted on Tik Tok that they were having hard times. The video attracted more than 13,000 likes and over 500 comments.
"The plan was to open up a drive-in during the summer. And we got approved by the Planning Commission and then the [Delta Township] board denied it. So that really hurt us in regards to bringing in revenue," Amaru explained.
He said between COVID and having the drive-in plan denied, they've been playing catch up.
They've had to figure out other sources of revenue, like creating spaces for photographers and filmmakers to rent, starting an acting class, and continuing to put on their Funny Is Funny Comedy Club.
Kathy Wolfe is a volunteer at theater and says it pains her to see it struggling.
"I think the number one reason people are not supporting it is they don't know about it. Amaru started that on a shoestring and does not have the funds to do the advertising that needs to be done for them to become known," Wolfe said.
If you're interested in supporting the business, spread the word, attend a show, or donate to their GoFundMe.
Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website.
Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.
Cali Montana
Your Neighborhood Reporter


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The Last of Us Part II (2020) Video Game Review
Posted on July 22, 2020 February 28, 2022 by Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes
Title: The Last of Us Part II.
RELEASE DATE: 2020.
Mode(s): Single-Player.
GENRE(S): ACTION, ADVENTURE, DRAMA.
Director(s): Neil Druckmann, Kurt Margenau & Anthony Newman.
Writer(s): Halley Wegryn Gross & Neil Druckmann.
Music: Gustavo Santaolalla.
Voice Actor(s): Troy Baker, Ashley Johnson, Derek Phillips, Jeffrey Pierce, and many more!
My Overall Rating:★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ (6/10).
A loss can be deadly. It can strip you of hope within an instant. It can blaze through your consciousness and lead you down a dark path with nowhere else to turn. It can destroy you and turn you into an unrecognizable monster. But how do you do deal with loss? How do you overcome such emotions to move on and reconcile with yourself? To not waste the life you still possess? Some would look into forgiveness. Others will prefer revenge. Following the critically-acclaimed success of The Last of Us, the developers over at Naughty Dog set their eyes upon creating a sequel that has awoken both praise and controversy from fans all around the world. As expected, they've decided to deliver a challenging and morally-ambiguous narrative centered around the cycle of violence and its destructive nature.
What is The Last of Us Part II about? Set five years after the events of the first game, the story reveals the new life built in Jackson, Wyoming for Joel and Ellie where countless survivors of a devastating pandemic have now built a peaceful and thriving community. While the two of them go through a rough patch, it is during a patrol mission around their camp to eliminate any Infected that things go south and a tragedy falls upon our heroes. Driven by an unquenchable thirst for revenge, Ellie, with the help of some allies, sets out for Seattle to find closure for a loss she could never truly accept and justice she never got. Throughout her journey, the truth is intermittently and masterfully unveiled as we discover the yearning for truth, the chaotic darkness within us, and the complexity of pain through loss.
Despite my unconditional love for the games developed by Naughty Dog as well as their irrefutable masterpiece that is The Last of Us, I came out of this second game feeling cheated. I avoided all of the trailers following their E3 announcement a couple of years ago, allowing me to be spared of the publicity manipulation that was accomplished (if you've played the game, see the trailer below) but the aforementioned manipulation was omnipresent, especially through the narrative structure of this game. This simply made it too difficult to appreciate the story for what it is.
What am I talking about? The major death revealed early in the game to launch this quest for vengeance has a lot of shock value and isn't a bad move as it remains your primary fuel for the remainder of the story but once you hit the halfway mark of the game, the story forces you to play that one character that you sought to kill, making it near impossible to accept, forgive, or desire any exploration of that character's background, motive, and personality. At this point in the game, it is basically shooting yourself in the foot to ask of the player to invest themselves in someone that they have simply hated from the very beginning of the game. Exploring the other side of the coin isn't a bad idea, but the execution here is a devastating blow at the story's chance to grow on you. The strategy used here to tell this tale of vengeance ultimately made everything you do as a player void of authenticity.
This could've worked wonderfully if it simply had been done differently. Maybe if they had made us discover this villain without knowing what they'd do in the end, before making us go on a quest for revenge, there might have been a chance for the narrative to compel the player into further exploring the story and grasp the theme at the heart of this game. Instead, throughout the game, you are forced to kill major side-characters only to destroy a protagonist that you have grown to love with the first game. In the end, there are no choices left in the hands of the player, everything is destined to play out the way it was designed.
And that is the fatal flaw in the story that killed it for me. The complete disregard for player agency. I believe that no matter what game you play or what story is being told, everything you do within a video game should be willing. We should believe that the action we're doing is logical with the character we're playing. We should be convinced of clicking the buttons required for the story to progress. In this case, you're often put in critical story-telling moments that allow none of that for the player. From the absence of choice and unwieldy genuineness to a complete disregard for previously established characterization, this tale of revenge suffers enormously in its ability to tell a story that can be appreciated for its exploration of the cycle of violence.
Although the story remains its most controversial element, the same cannot be said for the rest of this video game. Developer Naughty Dog continues to push the limits of the current generation console with what might be the best visuals, score, motion-capture video game acting, and gameplay of all time. Polishing everything that was already perfect in the first game, they upped their game in this sequel in unimaginable ways. From the moment you enter this world, you are instantly immersed in a post-apocalyptic world where happiness rhymes with survival and danger lurks in the shallow corners of nature and ruins. There isn't a moment throughout this game where you don't drool over the meticulous detail put into every inch of this universe.
With what might be some of the best graphics to have ever been created on the PlayStation, you cannot help but feel a sense of awe at the gorgeous environment as your characters squint into the horizon to appreciate those seconds of calm they can find amidst all the chaos and bloodshed. The details are also conveyed through the incredible number of ultra-violent animations that take into context the dynamic environment. These executions are simply not for the faint of heart but will appeal for those who believe that violence is cathartic, especially within a video game. The side-objectives focused around picking up written letters from strangers to discover various sub-plots and around opening safes are also brilliant and allow for additional world-building that helps the player understand the complexity of this post-apocalyptic universe.
And this brings me to the second fatal flaw in this video game. There's a significant disconnect between the main narrative focused on the revenge tale and the actual gameplay. I believe that everything you do within a game should reflect or be considered in the evolution of your character and, by consequence, the evolution of the story. In this case, the revenge plot suffers immensely in a dual-narrative story that stretches out for countless hours on top of the aforementioned side-objectives that players will likely want to pick up along the way. There's simply no sense of character development incorporated within the gameplay as players are falsely led to believe in personal growth and introspection through manipulative quick-time events and cutscenes.
Throughout the game, you're savagely killing people in ways that only a deranged psychopath would have pleasure in doing, yet in the main story, this genocide isn't reflected in the character. The main character continues to feel things that shouldn't even be considering that they should've been completely desensitized by the numerous deaths executed through their own hands for the past years post-pandemic. Based on the gameplay alone, this character should've grown to blindly desire death to others or themselves and not be subject to the numerous moments of regret. Their suffering should've been a testament to their loss of hope while the villain should've offered us a look at the subtleties of forgiveness. While the game does confusingly explore the cycle of violence through vengeance and redemption, it fails to deliver its message by the end of this adventure.
The Last of Us Part II (2020) is a visually-stunning revenge tale with ingeniously-creative gameplay that, unfortunately, suffers from a controversial narrative structure and a disregard for player agency.
The Last of Us Part II is one of the best-selling PS4 Games AND the FASTEST-SELLING platform exclusive.
Will you? What do you think about it?
Tagged 2020, bookidote, naughty dog, part ii, post-apocalyptic, ps4, review, the last of us, video game
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53 thoughts on "The Last of Us Part II (2020) Video Game Review"
piotrek says:
Oh, that does not sound good. I don't play much any more, but when I do, one thing is the most important factor in how I rate a game – story. It can be a story of building an empire in Civ, winning a II World War in one of many WWII strategies I play, or, on a smaller scale, a plot of RPG game. But story is my focus, not graphics, not even gameplay…
I completely understand your stance there, Piotrek. It's what I hunt for too. As a reader, I think video games are very capable of achieving great story-telling if they care enough. Sometimes the gameplay dilutes it, but when done right, they both work hand in hand and that's what I love the most. Here… It just wasn't the case hahah
Games are not a new medium any more, after 40 years, and they are more and more often becoming art 🙂 I have great hopes for Cyberpunk, and there's a new game in the Civilization genre, called Humankind, that has a potential of telling a very interesting story on a much bigger scale… now I only need to find time to play 😉
I am with you 100%. It's what I've been telling people for years now. Especially naysayers who hate on video games (e.g. those who think that video games are the cause of violence and whatnot). It's an art in itself and it has so much to offer if you allow it to!
Same here for Cyberpunk. The delays have been cutting into my expectations though but I hope they know what they're doing. That Humankind game by SEGA looks indeed very, very promising. I hope it delivers! And yes… Time is always the big question mark on anything fun huh? 😛
Ha dang Lashaan! That's too bad. But I am no gamer at all. Though I agree with you the art and how they made it is stunning. Games look so realistic now! One of my kid has a friend who is studying to make these kind of games and I had a hoot asking him tons of questions about their making of!
Right? I'm amazed by how far we've come with video games today. Some of them have achieved incredible levels of detail that almost feel like we're playing a MOVIE and I love that! The making of a game is even more fascinating, especially when you realize just how much work and how many people are needed to achieve this kind of quality! 😮
Wow amazing review Lashaan! This sounds nasty and I imagine is the sort of game that would've been banned years ago! I'll have to ask my son if he's heard of it or if any of his favourite YouTubers have been talking about it lately.
Hahahaah it would've indeed been banned for so many reasons years ago! I'm convinced that your son has already heard of this one though. It's one of those games that everyone has heard about because of its controversial success! 😀
Love the first game, may be my best game ever. Frustrated to hear there are story issues here…the first one nailed it!
I'm with you 100%. The first one is a masterpiece in itself. It should've stayed a stand-alone game too if you ask me. Hope you enjoy the second one if you dare go there. 😉
Great review, Lashaan! This sounds like filled with violence. I'm glad graphics were best in this. My brother plays games, I have to ask him if he is playing this or heard about this one.
Thank you so much, Yesha! The graphics in this game are unmatched, that's for sure! Ohhh, I'm convinced he has to have heard of this one. Thanks for reading, Yesha! 😀
Oh yikes 😬. I wasn't the biggest fan of the first game's ending, but it's still a bummer to hear how disappointing the story was in this game. I guess this is just another sequel I can forget exists hahaha. Really great review, Lashaan 🙂!
Ohhh, that's interesting! Not many people dare say that actually hahah Well, the second picks up on the narrative that was left of at the end of the first one. Maybe this one will surprise you. 😉 If you ever end up giving it a try, I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for reading, Belle! 😀
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Well, that sucks. I know you were looking forward to this one. And even all that amazing work on visuals can't make up for major problems with story or gameplay. I don't really play videogames anymore, at least not in quite some time, but those I enjoyed were always the ones that felt most open ended, that had a story but let you adapt it, that gave you some freedom within it, not those that forced you down a specific road. So I can understand some of the frustation you mentioned. Do you have another game to look forward to next?
Yep, it was a bit sad that the change in directors and the shift in writing gave us a sequel that could've been spared on fans but I'm still glad to see them work hard to make such a polished game. It could only mean that future games are very likely to blow our minds even more! 😀 I agree. Manipulating players into feeling things is not a path that any developers should go down and hopefully they learn from this and not see all the high praise from critics as a thumbs up to repeat this… I am indeed looking forward to plenty of upcoming new releases but I'm currently going through a recent release called Ghost of Tsushima with a Japanese/Mongolian historical samurai lore to it. Having fun with it but taking it slow till the next big release which be after the Summer!
Just watched a gameplay demo of Ghost of Tsushima. Wow, that looks awesome! I've never played a game quite like that. And, of course, what feature immediately stood out to me? Photo mode! I hope you get a lot of enjoyment out of it.
This made me giggle hahahah But yes! I think you would've had a blast with the photo mode as the game really strives from its environmental design and visuals. Getting that perfect angle just feels so satisfying! Thanks, Todd!
I loved the first The Last of Us game. Played through the PS3 version multiple times, and the remastered PS4 version once. I rarely find the time to replay games these days. But as of right now, I have no interest in playing The Last of Us 2. I know enough about the story to know that it leaves you feeling empty, not to mention the entire story is a revenge plot. I have no interest in playing a revenge game that leaves you feeling empty, nor do I have interest in playing a game that kills off the first game's main character in the first hour. The relationship between Joel and Ellie, and the masterfully written character development behind that relationship, is what made the first game so special.
When I do find the time to play games, I'd rather play something fun, or at least has a hopeful ending within a darker story. That is if I don't spend my precious little gaming time playing online with friends I haven't seen in person since February.
I hear you on TLoU and I can't blame you for not wanting to try out the second game for yourself. It's unrewarding if you disregard the visuals/score/gameplay and that's not always what players are looking for at the end of the day.
Same here for gaming time. A lot of it is just our nightly Call of Duty online sessions that have been a habit since High School for us hahaha Those sessions are most of our socializing time too anyways.
Uugh this for me is an unforgivable presumption on the developer's part. What's the use of playing a game if all your choices have basically been made for you already and worse, you don't agree with them? Sorry to hear it was such a disappointment for you, Lashaan!
Well put. I think the fundamental issue is that there's an overlapping between creating a video game and creating a movie. Naughty Dog have been known for making games where their stories take the lead and I think they took that too at heart while forgetting that it's a video game where players are supposed to be in control. Thanks for reading, Ola! 😀
R A I N says:
That intro?! KILLED IT! AWESOMEEE😍😍😍😍
Okay now…real talk..right now I feel exactly like I felt back when I read my first ever comic book review. It was by you, of course, and I had no idea what was going on. The only thing I DID know was I appreciated how beautifully and thoroughly you phrased it. AND THAT IS TRUE HERE AS WELLLL!! I LOVED READING IT! But I just…*sobs*….I dont know what you are talking abouuuutt!! 😭😭😭😭 Well, I will know more once I read one or two more – appreciate what it is you are soooo upset about with this video game!
BUT AS ALWAYS – I LOVED IT. YOU ARE AWESOME! Keep the amazing posts coming! 😇🦋
Hahahahaha I can't tell if it's because I wasn't clear enough on the various aspects I wanted to talk about or it's just really abstract to people who don't play video games at all! 😛 I usually try and make it as accessible as possible just so anyone can understand what's going on hahaha I guess the next time I decide to do one of these video game reviews, your reaction will decide on how interesting those posts are for my followers! 😛 Thanks for reading anyways though! 😀
I was looking forward to this review since your post regarding the collector's item.
I'm sorry to hear that you, like many others, did not enjoy the game. I almost thought of getting into it for a moment (have not played part 1). But I guess there's no point.
I can only HIGHLY recommend the first game, the original on the PS3 or the remastered one on PS4. I am, however, happily surprised to hear that you play certain games too??? You own a PS4? You play in-between writing stories??? What does the Great Goldie play in their free time?! 😮
I am more of a PC gamer. Or at least I used to be… Nothing really catching my interest as of late. But yes, I do have a PS4 and think about getting into it…
Great Goldie… I like it!
carhicks says:
Too bad that it did not live up to your expectations Laashan. I do not play video games, but my son sure does. I will have to ask him if he has heard of or played this one. It sounds pretty violent though, so he might not with the kids around all the time. It is disappointing when you wait for something and it does not measure up, especially when it is a sequel and you loved the first one.
Thanks for reading, Carla! If he plays games, then there's a good chance that he'll know what this one's about and all the controversy that surrounds it. And yyyeeees! Unnecessary sequels are a bit scary but also exciting. I just wish it didn't go the direction it did here…
erin @ Reading On A Star says:
I LOVE the last of us so so so much. This post is so great!!
Thanks, Erin! Glad to hear how much you love The Last of Us! 😀
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Whew, man I got the impression from our previous exchanges that you were a lot more positive about TLOU Part II – sorry to hear that wasn't the case but I totally take your viewpoint and you make some good arguments my friend, which obviously depends on personal tastes.
I'm completely in the 'other' camp, TLOU2 is a 10/10 masterpiece for me – yes it's tragic, brutal and bleak but there are certainly moments of hope and humanity in there, even if they can be bittersweet. This is the story Naughty Dog wanted to tell and it worked for me, since completing the game I've watched and read several creator interviews (mainly with Neil D, Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker) and it's only enriched my appreciation for the game and what the intentions were.
I don't think this takes anything away from the first game, which I also adore (side note: some are upset by the violence in Part II but after another recent playthrough of TLOU, it's far more violent than I remember – I mean those moments as Ellie when you sneak up to an enemy and knife them…wow!). I know the second half of the game is a make or break moment for a lot of players. Man, I really want a Part III! Sorry if this seems rant-y I just couldn't be more passionate about this game and disheartened by it's divisiveness…got to point out there's been some really sickening and unnecessary vitriol (i.e. Laura Bailey receiving death threats which included her kids!).
Phew, take a breath Chris hahaha!
Hahaha I probably kept my thoughts at a minimum so that you could finish up the game without any kind of influence from my end! But I appreciate that you took the time to read this review that offers my honest take on my gaming experience with it.
I am happy that you got to go through it completely impressed by what they had to offer. I did love everything else about the game and it's probably why I could replay this without throwing a tantrum or something about the story. I'll still end up supporting all of their future projects though but I do hope that they'll move on from TLOU and work on something completely new for the PS5.
And I'm with you. It's a big no-no to go ahead and send death threats to voice actors and whatnot. Video games are an art form and it should be expected that it might sometimes not be perceived the same from one gamer to another!
I honestly could see how they might have set up the story in Part II for a sequel too… They could make a "futuristic" post-apocalyptic story within TLOU with a whole new cast or even an older Abby + Lev combo. They could even bring back Ellie in her old age, sort of like Sarah Connor too! 😮
Haha, appreciate that my friend – I could tell you were trying to keep things non-specific and I thank you since I ended up 'colliding' with a couple of spoilers before finishing the game…ouch! But, yes I felt some very risky and bold decisions were made with TLOU Part II and I can see why it wouldn't have worked for everyone but it pushed all the right emotional buttons for me. I definitely applaud Naughty Dog for telling the story they did in the manner that they did and it felt like an honest continuation of the story. I still enjoyed reading your viewpoint though which was intelligently presented unlike some of the hate-rage for the sake of hate-rage pieces I've seen!
Anyhoo, I'm now enthralled by Ghost of Tsushima – amazing! Wonder how Avengers is going to turn out, the previews have been rather mixed…
Same here for Ghost of Tsushima. Such an exploration-heavy game and its visuals make it MANDATORY to take your time with it hahaha
As for Avengers… I am heavily disappointed by the marketing for it but will still give it a try. I do hope it will be better than what it has failed to showcase to us though! What motivates me most about it is the voice cast, with two of my faves, I bet you can guess who they are as a Naughty Dog fan yourself, hahaah! 😀
Yeah man, where Troy Baker (playing Banner as you no doubt know) goes I follow hahaha! Laura Bailey too – she should make a good Black Widow. The game itself I hear is pretty much an on-rails arcade action game, disappointing but I'll still pick it up and hope for fun at least!
Loving Tsushima, the enemy A.I. can be a bit clunky at times but other than that it's utterly brilliant and adds some fresh mechanics to the well-worn open-world game design.
Hmmm I started reading this post but then I stopped, does it contain spoilers for the first one? 😱😱 I love the intro and it looks like a wonderful review and I can't wait to read but, but should I? 😱 If anything, now I really want to continue and finish the first one 😍 Thanks for sharing your thoughts 😍
Hahahaha I tried my best to keep it as spoiler-free as possible but I think this kind of review is best read after playing the game, to keep all the surprises as new as possible. 😛 I hope you get the chance to finish the first game though. That one remains a 10/10 masterpiece! 😀 😀 Thanks for attempting to read this one hahaha ❤
Seems like a let down, knowing now that there is pre-determined fate here. The developers took away organic free will . . .they compensated with great graphics, but not good enough, eh?
Brilliantly put. No organic free will covered up with phenomenal graphics. Quite unfortunate, really. 😦 Just going to go pray that their next game will find the magic of story-telling from their previous games now.
Red Metal says:
I will say that the actual gameplay of The Last Of Us Part II is improved from that of the original. Despite Druckmann's aversion to the dreaded "F" word, I actually had fun with it at times, which is more than what I can say about the original. The problem is that it loses all of those points and then some with its story, which is an absolute mess.
I didn't like the original game, but really, 90% of its story problems would've been solved if it were in a film or miniseries because it ultimately didn't benefit from being in a game. That wouldn't have helped this story; it's just that fundamentally broken. It has about eleven different concepts and none of them are fully explored. It's kind of like The Last Jedi in that when I reviewed it, my readers were coming up with far better story beats.
Despite adoring the first game, unlike you hahaha, I'm 100% with you on the issues this game had. It really is something wrong in what it's fundamentally meant to be: a video game. For some reason, I just tried this instant to imagine it as a virtual reality game and it's even more flagrant how its issues were exponentially more problematic. I do look forward to the HBO TV series adaptation to come. I'm sure it can work much better than the video game if done right.
Mr. Druckmann has always had difficulties accepting that Ludonarrative Dissonance (in short, it's when your story and gameplay are at direct odds which other) is a thing, and The Last of Us Part II is exactly the kind of thing I would expect from one who made his aversion to constructive criticism known long ago. He doubles down on his weakness, not affording his strengths a chance to shine. It's a game with a crippling identity crisis, and it's worse at both telling a story and providing players with a challenge as a direct result. I surmise that imagining it as a virtual reality game would be that one's suspension of disbelief would be broken given the sheer number of stupid decisions everyone makes.
Cynics will tell you that humans mess up all the time, but it turns out that poor writers love that philosophy just as much because it means not having to think through their implications. Your character does something no one in their right mind would do? Well, to err is human. No, characters have to make good and bad decisions according to their, well, character. You can't just have them do stupid things because the plot demands it, which is extra insulting when it makes the player go along with them. Joel's death scene in particular was so bad that one could write an entire essay detailing the individual ways in which it fails, though the other characters aren't slouches either. As I said, only the exceedingly angsty tone separates it from a garden-variety bad horror film.
I am kind of curious to see how that HBO series will turn out. It's written by the same guy who made Chernobyl, which I really liked (hence why I used that joke in my September update post), so it does have a shot at restoring the goodwill the series lost.
Wow. You really have a way with words. As if your reviews don't say that already, but wow. Thank you so much for even bringing up the whole "Ludonarrative Dissonance". I didn't know how it was called but that's pretty much one of the main elements that killed the sequel for me.
Oh no, that term has existed long before I was writing reviews. If what I heard is true, it was originally coined in response to a particularly strange instance of it in BioShock, though Naughty Dog tends to be the poster child for the term because they're way more obvious about it.
Huh. That's strange. I left a comment earlier, but it apparently didn't post correctly.
Anyway, I will say that the actual gameplay of The Last of Us Part II is improved from that of the original. Despite Mr. Druckmann's aversion to the dreaded "F" word, I actually had fun with it at times, which is more than what I can say about the original. The problem is that it loses all of those points and then some with its story, which is an absolute mess.
I didn't like how the original game presented its story because that lack of player agency was a major problem with the narrative. That said, 90% of those problems would've been averted had it been in a film or miniseries because its biggest flaw was that it ultimately didn't benefit from being in a game. That wouldn't have helped this story; it's just that fundamentally broken. It has about eleven different concepts, none of which are fully explored, and the characters make really boneheaded decisions for no other reason than to advance the story. In the end, I find it's not any better than a bad horror film – it's just a lot angstier about it.
For some reason, your comment went into my spam box. Hopefully, this hasn't happened to you on other blogs you've been visiting lately!
I find it's something that has happened every now and again. I'm not sure what causes it. Feel free to delete this extra thread.
Johny Gamer says:
This game is awesome I don't know what to say its a masterpiece the ending is unsatisfying
But I can't say due to that unsatisfying ending that game is flop due to that unsatisfying ending only I wanna say its a masterpiece
the people who hated it have not understood the message and the story of the game this game made enemies become friends to the player which causes dilemmas and plays with mind this game is so much good Such a great story writing and narrative.
– 10/10.
I'm glad to read how enthusiastic and happy you are regarding this game. I look forward to what Naughty Dog plans to do next.


As the 50th anniversary of the 1963 march on Washington DC – the March for Jobs and Freedom immortalized by Martin Luther King's iconic I Have a Dream speech – is celebrated and discussed around the country, it is important to note that though some gains have certainly been made over the past half-century toward a more inclusive, egalitarian society, in many respects – particularly in economic matters – there has been little or no progress whatsoever. Indeed, by certain measures equality has diminished considerably. Accompanying a minimum wage that, when adjusted for inflation, is lower than it was in 1968, and wages that – except for the wealthy – haven't risen in decades, the economy has polarized wealth to a greater degree than ever, reducing the economic classes more and more to the two extremes of rich and poor, and squeezing the middle class into little more than a memory. This lack of change is observable in, among other places, the fact that it's five decades later and people are still talking about jobs – coveting jobs as though jobs were those necessities and luxuries that work is obtained to secure.
Notwithstanding this culture of work's ideological claims to the contrary, however, jobs are less preconditions for freedom than impediments to freedom's concrete realization. Beyond consuming most of workers' waking hours (consuming that which constitutes the precondition for freedom – time), jobs also wreck people's health, vitiating freedom in the sense of bodily movement as well. Moreover, that people are compelled to work a job – in spite of the job's actual function – demonstrates the consanguinity of jobs and dependency, rather than in-dependency. Some may counter at this point that needing a job is just a natural, unavoidable fact – that people must work to live. But the inordinately excessive amount of time that people devote to work in the US is less a natural fact than a cultural one.
Additionally, we shouldn't neglect to consider the fact that when people talk about "good jobs" they are not necessarily discussing the correction of some pressing problem, or providing some truly desired service, or satisfying some actual need. When people discuss "good jobs" they are primarily discussing ways to make money. If one can turn a solid profit selling known carcinogens, such employment will count as a "good job" in spite of the fact that an enterprise like that wreaks more objective harm than good.
Contrary to popular opinion, then, people don't actually need jobs; we work jobs in order to acquire money. And money's another thing we don't in truth need – we need those things that this socioeconomic system only provides in exchange for money: food, housing, clothing, etc. Jobs are but a middleman – a means to acquire resources, not an end.
This exploitation, of course, is not limited to people. Even advocates of capitalist economics admit that capitalism functions by exploiting as much as it can: people, animals, plants, earth, water, etc. All are regarded as materials to be bought and sold, their value reduced to a price. So-called externalities – wholly preventable harms ranging from the ecological devastation caused by such practices as fracking, to preventable occupational and environmental diseases like cancer and asthma, among other concrete, systematic harms – are regarded as little more than inevitable, collateral damage.
To the extent that it bears on the relationship between freedom and jobs, it is worthwhile to reflect on the political thought of Thomas Jefferson. It should be pointed out here that Thomas Jefferson's thought is being cited not as an appeal to his authority, but to provide an example of mainstream, if not canonical (i.e., not alien) US political thought on the matter. As Michael Hardt informs us in his Jefferson and Democracy, Thomas Jefferson maintained that a society could not be truly free if its people were not economically independent. Economic independence for Jefferson, it should be stressed, did not mean possessing a job. Having a job simply meant that one was subject to the caprice of one's employer – and, insofar as one is dependent on an employer, one is clearly not independent. In order to rectify the unequal conditions in his home state of Virginia, Jefferson advocated distributing land in such a manner that would allow people to not be dependent on others' caprice.
As Hardt informs us, in order to create a democratic society, Jefferson's original draft of the Virginia state constitution included provisions bestowing 50 acres of land to all those who did not already have at least 50 acres. In other words, freedom required that people possess those resources necessary for economic independence; and land was fundamental to this end. Of course, people would still have to work the land. But such work is of a qualitatively different nature than the alienated labor of serving a master. Although Jefferson's thought is marred by his racist perpetuation of slavery, his misogyny that relegates women to little more than servants and playthings, and his imperialism that seizes the land for his "democratic" distribution from the autochthonous people, one should not throw out all of Jefferson's babies with his backwards bath water. For, in spite of his flaws, Jefferson still makes a vital point concerning the relationship between equality and independence. There is a crucial difference between being free, or independent, and having a job. Not only are these diametrically opposed, the above example also highlights the distinction between jobs that are exploitative and meaningful work.
Not jobs, but access to resources, then, is what one needs to be free. And though one must work to some degree to maintain these resources, along with one's standard of living, one should not work more than is necessary. Indeed, one would think that in a free society people would not work anymore than they would want to. And it is telling that the mechanization and the automation of agricultural and industrial work that has been developing for well over a century has not resulted in an overall diminution of work. One would imagine that a free society would employ these technologies in a manner that would create more free time. Indeed, in the 1930s people thought just that – that the mechanization of production would lead to a three day work week. This was the goal of the more critical factions of the labor movement: not jobs, but the elimination of jobs and the development of a just society. Needless to say, such has not transpired. People are working more than ever – producing, it should be added, largely toxic products (toxic, that is, for all but the bank accounts of the rich).
Whether these are the toxic plastics that are polluting the world, or the toxic derivatives and other financial instruments that are further enriching the 1%, the toxic food industry, or the unnecessary advertisements inducing people to buy this garbage, people are working more "productively" than ever, while earning less and less. To be sure, not only are people less free to relax and rest these days, and less free from stress – among other occupational and environmental diseases – the pollution from our incessant work is increasingly destroying our natural environment as well. Every way you cut it, jobs do not bring freedom so much as they preclude it.
As such, not only should jobs be recognized for what they are – a means to an end, and not the end itself – an emancipatory politics should advocate for fewer, not more, jobs. Though a free society necessitates creating certain social conditions – the conditions of health, for instance, and equality – we should work to create these directly. As they are rooted in exploitation and inextricable from the harms they spread, jobs for the sake of jobs are simply obstacles to conditions of equality, peace, and well-being. People may wonder just how people's daily needs will be met if we transition to creating the conditions of well-being without creating the millions of jobs required to employ the unemployed and underemployed. Distributing 50 acres of land to every person, as Jefferson suggested, is just not practicable in our contemporary economic situation. A simple solution – one advocated, by the way, by Martin Luther King in his 1967 book Where Do We Go from Here – would be by adopting a basic income law. Such would allow for a transition from our present-day war economy to an actually just, economically democratic, peace economy. If we are to overcome our contemporary barbarism, we must recognize that our "job" requires creating these conditions of well-being directly – in many respects not by creating, but by eliminating, jobs.


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Members of key punk band The Slits are to appear in conversation at the screening of a new film about the band's history at QUAD this April.
Tessa Pollitt and Palmolive, and William Badgley director of new rockumentary Here To Be Heard: The Story Of The Slits, will take part in an interview and Q&A session after the screening on 18 April 2018.
Here To Be Heard: The Story of The Slits is a film about the world's first all girl punk band who formed in London in 1976, contemporaries of The Clash and The Sex Pistols, they are the pioneering godmothers of the musical movement known as Punky Reggae. The film tells the story of the band and the lives of the women involved, from the band's inception in 1976 to the band's end in 2010 coinciding at the death of lead vocalist Ari Up.
The story is told on film through a mix of archival footage, never before seen images, and interviews with The Slits along with punk rock royalty, extraordinary producers, scholars and those influenced by band, can be best described by a quote from Ari Up herself: "I'm not here to be loved, I'm here to be heard."
Jenn Pelly at Pitchfork has called the film, 'one of the most crucial music documentaries ever made' and Storge editor Sarah Lay, who will host the after film Q&A session, said, "while punk is considered one of the most important music and protest moments of recent history the role of women in the movement, and the contribution they made to the music world, is still too often over-looked. This film brings a spotlight to a band who were artistically vital and endlessly courageous in a scene and society that fails to recognise them as equals, while also showing the deep friendship and solidarity between members, and the importance of honest self-expression no matter what."
The second full length feature from film director William Badgley, who's previous film Kill All Redneck Pricks: A Documentary Film About A Band Called KARP screened in ten countries, said of Here To Be Heard, "My sister, who worked on the film with me, once said, 'At some point in the making of these films you start to live the reality of the band you are making the film about' and that couldn't be more true with this project.
"The Slits endured unbelievable hardships while trying to do one of the simplest and most difficult and courageous things that anyone can try to do, which I like to call, 'Playing The Song That's In Your Head' and in short ignoring what everyone around you is saying you should do."
Details of the event are on Facebook here and tickets are available now from the QUAD box office and website.
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Morphogenesis of multicellular organisms is based on differentiation of individual cells. This requires that individual cells take different developmental fates. This has to be organised on a level that transcends individual cells. How can this be achieved? There are generally two mechanisms: either the cells are already different from the very beginning and this difference is first not visible, but nevertheless present and will be just uncovered during the course of the development. Or the cells are principally able to take any fate and they assign individual fates by communicating with their neighbours. Plants with their pronounced flexibility are expected to use the second strategy. However, there exist cases, where the pattern of cell divisions appears to be very strict, almost stereotypical (so called cell lineages), and this led to the model that here cell fate depends on the sequence of cell divisions (whereby during specific, formative divisions the daughter cells get asymmetric sets of developmental factors that will drive them to different routes of differentiation). Especially the pattern of cell differentiation in the root of the model plant Arabidopsis was thought to be a case of such cell-lineage driven differentiation. By laser ablation and the use of patterning mutants it was later possible to show that the observed cell lineages just covered the fact that also here cells determine their fate by exchanging signals and some of the signals could be even identified.
Your task is to design a strategy that follow cell lineage. The question is, whether meristemoids in cotyledons are laid down by cell lineage very early in embryogenesis in the model plant Arabidopsis. Meristemoids are small islands of dividing cells that produce a defined outcome, for instance a guard cell apparatus or a trichome. In adult leaves, the pattern of guard cells is regulated by inhibitory signals from already existing guard cells (a peptide called epidermal patterning factor 1), which are perceived by a receptor (called too many mouths) that, upon binding of the ligand will activate a MAPK-cascade that will block the cell cycle, such that no additional guard cell can be formed. But what about the guard cells on the cotyledon - they must be determined much earlier, already during embryogenesis. When? Where?
To approach this, it is necessary to define a cell-type specific promotor and place it upstream of a reporter (for instance GFP). This can be done, using the GENEVESTIGATOR search engine. You have to get an account, make sure that you use your kit.student account, because then you will get free access as member of an academic institution. You have to install JAVA on your computer, then the engine (everything is quite nicely explained). The Genevestigator software compiles numerous expression data from many model organisms, including Arabidopsis and Rice. You can, for instance, find out the expression pattern for a gene of interest (which tissues, which conditions). You can also search for candidate genes that are expressed in a particular tissue or under specific conditions. The software is intuitive and after playing around a bit, you can look rapidly for what you need.
There are experiments, where people have got protoplasts from guard cells (you can get those by searching for "conditions"), the programme provides you the GenBank accession numbers and when you mouse over the name, you will also find out what gene it is.
Next step is to get the sequence from GenBank for your candidate. You have then to find out the start codon, and then you have got already your promotor of choice.
Now, you have to design primers for genomic GATEWAY PCR to amplify the promotor, find out, which promotor would be suitable on the GATEWAY site in Gent (search for promoter-reporter or transcriptional reporter) - there are several possibilities.
Then, you are set - the description, how you actually do the transformation, is not the objective of this question.
Here you find some unpublished material (accessible with password) that will help you to understand the concept of cell lineage and how it was investigated.


Hissia's Adjustable Marrakech Silver Bracelet is inspired in Marrakech. It features a textured central piece, resembing the effect of the dyeing cotton yarns, so characteristic of that city. Perfect for men who like especial, yet all purposed jewelry.
Length of central piece: 3 cm/1. 18 in.


Google, the god that failed?
Google may be our new god, but it's not omnipotent.
The arrival of Google five years ago served as a kind of upgrade for the entire Web. Searching for information went from a sluggish, unreliable process to something you could do with genuine confidence. If it was online somewhere, Google and its ingenious PageRank system would find what you were looking for—and more often than not, the information would arrive in Google's top 10 results.
But the oracle—recently described as "a little bit like God" in the New York Times—is not perfect. Certain types of requests foil the Google search system or produce results that frustrate more than satisfy. These are systemic problems, not isolated ones; you can reproduce them again and again. The algorithms that Google's search engine relies on have been brilliantly optimized for most types of information requests, but sometimes that optimization backfires. That's when you find yourself in a Googlehole.
Googlehole No. 1: All Shopping, All the Time. If you're searching for something that can be sold online, Google's top results skew very heavily toward stores, and away from general information. Search for "flowers," and more than 90 percent of the top results are online florists. If you're doing research on tulips, or want to learn gardening tips, or basically want to know anything about flowers that doesn't involve purchasing them online, you have to wade through a sea of florists to find what you're looking for.
The same goes for searching for specific products: Type in the make and model of a new DVD player, and you'll get dozens of online electronic stores in the top results, all of them eager to sell you the item. But you have to burrow through the results to find an impartial product review that doesn't appear in an online catalog.
I suspect this emphasis is due to the convention of linking to an online store when mentioning a product, whether it's a book, CD, or outdoor grill. In addition, a number of sites—such as DealTime—track the latest prices and availability of thousands of items at online stores, which creates even more product links in Google's database. Because PageRank assumes that pages that attract a lot of links are more relevant than pages without links, these most-linked-to product pages bubble up to the top.
Google is replicating one of the problems experienced by some of the big portals—sites like Lycos and Infoseek—during the boom years. They sold so much real estate on their pages to online stores and other advertisers that their results became less reliable, which gave Google its opening in the first place. Now the same thing is happening again, only it's happening organically, without Google manipulating the integrity of its search engine.
Googlehole No. 2: Skewed Synonyms. Search for "apple" on Google, and you have to troll through a couple pages of results before you get anything not directly related to Apple Computer—and it's a page promoting a public TV show called Newton's Apple. After that it's all Mac-related links until Fiona Apple's home page. You have to sift through 50 results before you reach a link that deals with apples that grow on trees: the home page for the Washington State Apple Growers Association. To a certain extent, this probably reflects the interest of people searching as well as those linking, but is the world really that much more interested in Apple Computer than in old-fashioned apples?
At this stage in the Web's development, people who create a lot of links—most notably the blogging community—tend to be more technologically inclined than the general population, and thus more likely to link to Apple Computer than something like the Washington State Apple Growers Association. (This process is sometimes known as "googlewashing," where one group of prolific linkers can alter the online associations with a given word or phrase.) But there's another factor here, which is that categories that don't have central, well-known sites devoted to them will fare poorly when they share a keyword with other categories. Maybe there are thousands of pages that deal with apples, but only one Apple Computer or Fiona Apple home page. People interested in growing or eating apples will distribute those links more widely across those thousands of pages, while Mac or Fiona fans will consolidate around fewer pages, driving them higher in Google's rankings.
Googlehole No. 3: Book Learning. Google is beginning to have a subtle, but noticeable effect on research. More and more scholarly publications are putting up their issues in PDF format, which Google indexes as though they were traditional Web pages. But almost no one is publishing entire books online in PDF form. So, when you're doing research online, Google is implicitly pushing you toward information stored in articles and away from information stored in books. Assuming this practice continues, and assuming that Google continues to grow in influence, we may find ourselves in a world where, if you want to get an idea into circulation, you're better off publishing a PDF file on the Web than landing a book deal.
You can't really hold Google responsible for these blind spots. Each of them is just a reflection of the way the Web has been organized by the millions who have contributed to its structure. But the existence of Googleholes suggests an important caveat to the Google-as-oracle rhetoric: Google may be the closest thing going to a vision of the "group mind," but that mind is shaped by the interests and habits of the people who create hypertext links. A group mind decides that Apple Computer is more relevant than the apples that you eat, but that group doesn't speak for everybody.
We're wrong to think of Google as a pure reference source. It's closer to a collectively authored op-ed page—filled with bias, polemics, and a skewed sense of proportion—than an encyclopedia. It's still the connected world's most dazzling place to visit, a perfect condensation of the Web's wider anarchy. Just don't call it an oracle.


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| Uranium Mine And Concentration Ore Processing Plant
Uranium Mine And Concentration Ore Processing Plant
Uranium mine and concentration (ore processing) plant Nuclear Installations, respectively, for mining uranium ore and for refining it to produce uranium ore concentrate, most commonly into concentrated crude oxide, U3O8.8. ALTA 2016 Membranes in Uranium Ore Processing Panel Discussion, ALTA MetBytes, May 2016. 9. Dunn, G and Teo YY, Recovery of Uranium from a Strong Sulfuric Acid Loaded Strip or Eluate, ALTA 2015 Conference, Perth, Australia, May 2015. 10. Ballestrin, S et al, Honeymoon Mine Australia Commissioning and Operation of The Process Plant Using a Novel.
Conventional Mining Uranium Producers Of America
North Koreas Uranium Mining And Milling Operations. Pyongsan Uranium Mine and Concentration Plant 3819 4.56N, 1262557.43E Pyongsan is believed to be where North Korea turns ore into yellowcake, an intermediate step in the processing of uranium after it has been mined but before fuel fabrication or enrichment.Dec 17, 2015 The bench-scale and pilot-plant investigations on the Gogi uranium ore were carried out on an ore lode extracted from a depth of about 55–65 m by an exploratory-cum production mine shaft. Optical microscopic study was carried out for determining the modal composition and mineralogical characteristics useful for mineral processing [ 32 ].
Uranium Ore Processing Plant
Abstract. Radiation protection and environmental safety surveillance has been an integral part of the entire uranium mining and ore processing industry in India since the first uranium mine and the mill were commissioned at Jaduguda in 1967.The Olympic Dam is a huge mining centre located in South Australia, 560km north-west of Adelaide. Home to a major oxide copper gold deposit producing copper, uranium, gold and silver, the site hosts an underground mine and an integrated metallurgical processing plant.
Uranium Mining And Ore Processing In Ukraine
Mar 08, 2018 Considering international interest in the yellow-cake price, Argentina is seeking to exploit new uranium ore bodies and processing plants. A study of similar plants would suggest that solvent- extraction with Alamine 336 is considered the best method for the purification and concentration of uranium present in leaching solutions.Uranium mine and concentration ore processing plant Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silverygrey metal in the actinide series of the periodic uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence is weakly radioactive because all isotopes of uranium are unstable the halflives of its.
Uranium Ore Concentration
North Korea's Uranium Mining and Milling Operations . 2 11 2018 Pyongsan Uranium Mine and Concentration Plant (38 19' 4.56″N, 126 25'57.43″E) Pyongsan is believed to be where North Korea turns ore into yellowcake, an intermediate step in the processing of uranium after it has been mined but before fuel fabrication or enrichment.A very general review is given of the uranium mining complex of Forez, including the mine itself, the ore processing plant, and the chemical plant for the preparation of uranyl nitrate. The history of the discovery is briefly reviewed and the mineral structure is discussed.
Ore Mining And Treatment (journal Article) Osti Gov
Processing Plant Feldioara is located in Brasov county It was commissioned in 1978 The main activities within the processing plant are processing uranium ore received via railway from the uranium mines refining uranium concentrate in order to manufacture nuclear grade uranium.URANIUM MINES Most uranium ore is mined in open pit or underground mines. The uranium content of the ore is often between only 0.1 and 0.2 . Therefore, large amounts of ore have to be mined to get at the uranium. In the early years up until the 1960's uranium was predominantly mined in open pit mines from ore deposits located near the surface.
Uranium Mining And Milling Wastes: An Introduction
Uranium ore processing from leaching to concentration. The ore is crushed immediately upon exiting the mine, then turned into a solution using chemical reactants. This ore treatment process, referred to as lixiviation, precedes the purification stage.Jan 01, 2006 The mining and processing of uranium ores at Zhovti Vody has negatively affected the environment as well as the sanitary and hygienic state of the town since the start of operations in the 1950s (Korovin et al., 2000, TACIS, 1999). The mining of uranium ores ceased in 1990, but mining of iron ore at the Novaya mine is still in progress.
Alta Metbytes Uranium Ore Processing Still Advancing
Aug 03, 2021 US Uranium Mining on Navajo Lands. Shaiman, 1998 This journal article from Race and Class discusses how the US government is planning to establish uranium mining and processing plants on Navajo land in New Mexico, despite a moratorium and opposition by native groups. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission argues that any negative impacts can be.Jun 24, 2019 Uranium Corporation of India Limited to commission new uranium mine, processing plant soon 28 Feb, 2012, 02.13 PM IST. Acharya said a processing plant for the Tummalapalle uranium mine is also expected to start process the ore extracted from the region.
Radiation Protection And Environmental Safety Surveillance
Surface mining or open-pit mining depends on the removal of all surface soil and rock covering the desired Uranium. While it is safer for the miners than underground mines since they are not exposed to roof-falls or pneumoconiosis, it blasts 30 times topsoil than Uranium ore and the resulting land is left with radioactive, toxic elements.The UCIL also envisages expansion of the existing ore processing plant commensurate with the increased mining production. According to the proposal submitted to the expert committee, the mine and associated ore processing plant will come up on 813.61 hectares in Tummalapalle, Mobbuchintapalle, Bumayigaripalle and Rachakuntapalle villages.
Environmental Impacts On The Navajo Nation From Uranium Mining
May 11, 2016 The process flowsheet of Uranium generally outlines the latest proven processes for uranium concentration known as "Resin In Pulp" commonly referred to as RIP To date it is not applicable to ores containing vanadium, where the vanadium must be recovered Crushing Uranium Ore. Depending upon ore shipment schedules, it is desirable to operate the crushing and sampling.CONVENTIONAL MINING AND MILLING OF URANIUM ORE Introduction. Production of uranium concentrates, in the form of U3O8, or "Yellowcake" as it is commonly referred to in the industry, from ore which is mined by open pit or underground methods and processed to recover uranium, employs technology and methods common to the mining industry.
The Health And Environmental Impact Of Uranium Mining
Jul 27, 2017 The Pyongsan Uranium Concentration Plant and its associated mine are North Korea's only publicly acknowledged source of uranium yellowcake. [1] From this site, uranium yellowcake is reportedly sent either to the Yongbyon nuclear complex for conversion into fuel elements for North Korea's sole operational gas-graphite reactor or to a conversion facility in preparation for uranium.Uranium Ore (Carnotite). Milling This process takes place at a mill after the ore containing uranium is removed from the Earth through open pit or underground mining.The ore is brought to a mill, crushed, and ground up before chemicals are added to dissolve the uranium. The uranium is then separated from the chemical solution, solidified, dried and packaged.
Uranium Mining And Milling (technical Report) Osti Gov
High grade ore mining processing. Process description. • In some areas of the world, uranium has naturally concentrated to such a level that very high ore grades can be present. • Because of the high concentration of uranium and its decay products present in the ore.Underground mines and plant are by and large similar to the nature of hazards at any other underground metal mines and processing plants. But some of the activities are susceptible to low level of radiological hazards as the uranium ore is a radioactive material. During last 36.
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It seems that OpenText has moved up a gear this month with four different upgrades or releases on the way. Today it has announced the release of BPM Smart Process Applications and OpenText SecureiX , while tomorrow we will see OpenText InfoFusion and OpenText Archive.
And no, the above is not a line from the marketing blurb around the releases, but observation around the releases and the fact that combined they raise the profile of OpenText even higher in the enterprise information management space.
But let's take a quick look at today's releases. BPM Smart Process Applications are designed to accelerate an organization's ability to deliver quick wins from business process management (BPM) investments.
The second release -- OpenText SecureiX -- is OpenText's newest cloud services offering and enables organizations to exchange messages and information in a trusted, integrated and collaborative cloud environment.
The BPM Applications release should not really come as a surprise. OpenText has been working in the BPM space for a long time and this release is offering enterprises the ability to better manage their process-based operations and enterprise information.
Citing Andrew Bartels of Forrester Research, OpenText says that this release is about providing a solution to the problem of messy and unpredictable processes that emerge as a result of social and collaborative business activities.
What are needed are 'smart' applications that can manage and adapt to a quickly changing enterprise process landscape, which is where this release comes in, OpenText says.
The new Smart Process Applications are built form OpenText's existing process and case management solutions integrated with Content Server, Capture Center, StreamServe and others.
Supporting common horizontal and vertical processes used across the entire business spectrum, OpenText says that it can be up and running in as little as 30 days.
Assure for Customer Service: Provides prescriptive response paths, performance reporting, multi-system integration and customer service interactions.
Assure for Human Resources: Support for common practices like recruitment and on-boarding that delivers self-service to employees.
Client Management for Insurance: Offers 360° views of client interactions, cases, processes.
The result is that users get out-of-the-box, process-specific building blocks that enable organizations to design and deliver successful applications in 30 days. It also offers better visibility into content siloes and siloed applications, providing users with a comprehensive, real-time and historical overview of structured and unstructured process operations.
OpenText Smart Process Applications are available as of today from OpenText as cloud-based solutions with support for mobile devices.
But the applications are not the only release from OpenText today. It has also released SecureiX, a new Cloud Service offering that enables easy exchange of messages and information in a trusted, integrated and collaborative cloud environment.
The idea is to allow users to exchange any information on any device and in any format and to exchange that information securely.
According to OpenText, SecureiX establishes a secure, two-way communication stream between two devices and exchanges messages and large files inside or outside the firewall.
As a cloud-based application it requires no training and reduces costs not just by reducing the time IT has to spend on it, but also because it moves complex and heavy information exchange infrastructure off premises. During file transfer and information exchanges, data is encrypted at all times -- both inside and outside the enterprise -- while collaboration via threaded messages that include file uploads enable users to connect.
This release is also available as of today. More from OpenText tomorrow.


In Chapter 2, we introduced a series of examples of how cartography selects and depicts terrestrial, celestial, and human biological features of physical phenomena. Geographic and oceanographic maps help us to find our way on land and sea. Star maps help us to explore the universe. In this chapter, we turn our attention inwards and explore the design of mind maps, maps that represent our thought, our experience, and our knowledge. In traditional cartography, a thematic map always has a base map and a thematic overlay. For many physical phenomena, a geographic map is probably the best base map we may ever have: intuitive, solid, and real. Now we want to produce a map of the mind. In this category of phenomena, a geographic connection may no longer be valid. A geographic base map cannot be taken for granted. What metaphor do we use to hold something as fluid as our thought together? What are the design principles in constructing a metaphoric base map that can adequately represent what is by its nature invisible, intangible, and intractable?
Chapter 3 [...] extends the metaphors established in Chapter 2 to conceptual worlds. On the one hand, the uniqueness of mapping conceptual systems is distinguished. On the other hand, the intention was to consolidate design strategies and visual representations that can be carried through into the new realm. Memory palaces, for example, echo the constellation figures described in Chapter 2. This chapter also introduces some of the most commonly used methods to derive visual-spatial models of concepts and people's opinions. Examples in this chapter demonstrate not only the use of classic multivariate analysis methods such as multidimensional scaling (MDS) and principal component analysis (PCA), but also the promising route for further advances in non-linear multidimensional scaling. The sizzling-hot topic of small-world networks is introduced as an area of great potential, especially for several themes developed in this book. Small-world networks also offer a structural perspective in parallel to other existing perspectives such as quantitative studies of social networks.


text:
Home Tonight è un singolo del gruppo rock statunitense Aerosmith, pubblicato nel 1976 ed estratto dall'album Rocks.

Il brano è stato scritto da Steven Tyler.

Tracce
7"
Home Tonight
Pandora's Box

Collegamenti esterni

 Testo del brano  dal sito metrolyrics.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
In memory of alumnus, business leader Michael Phelps
May 1, 2019 —
Michael Phelps [BA/67, LLB/70], a nationally recognized oil and gas executive who advocated for national unity, died on April 20 at age 71. Named president and chief executive officer of Westcoast Energy in 1987, he was, at age 40, one of the youngest CEOs in British Columbia. Phelps grew Westcoast from a conservative utility to a linchpin of the province's economy, with more than $10 billion in assets.
Michael Phelps.
Born near Montreal, Phelps moved to Winnipeg at age 13 and graduated from St. Paul's High School at 16. After earning two degrees from the University of Manitoba, he practised law in Winnipeg, later moving to Ottawa to advise and assist the Ministers of Justice and Energy. Phelps jumped back into the private sector in the early 1980s, joining Westcoast Transmission (later renamed Westcoast Energy).
In 2002, he founded and chaired Dornoch Capital, a private investment company. Phelps also chaired the Business Council of B.C. and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and served on many other professional boards.
Canadian Business called him "the very epitome of the modern corporate man," yet he also devoted significant energy to civic matters. Phelps was founding member and co-chair of B.C.'s "Yes" committee in favour of the Charlottetown constitutional accord, defeated in 1992 in a national referendum. He participated on the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee and chaired the Vancouver General Hospital and UBC Hospital Foundation.
Phelps and his wife Joy supported many initiatives at U of M including Robson Hall. He was an Officer of the Order of Canada and recipient of several honorary degrees. He leaves behind his wife, three daughters, and eight grandchildren.


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Arsenal Sign New Kit Deal With Puma
by The GFP » May 8th, 2013, 3:26 am
I have read all over the internet today that Arsenal have ...
"Arsenal have agreed the most lucrative kit contract in British football with Puma.
The Gunners rake in £30m a year from a five-year deal with Emirates.
Now they have reached an agreement with the Boston-based firm for £30m a year over five years from the end of 2013/14." @MailOnline
That is an amazing deal in this near triple dip recession.
Other top kit deals ...
Liverpool - £25.0m with Warrior
Manchester Utd - £19.133m with nike
Arsenal - £7.857m per season with Nike (2007-2014)
Still to be confirmed by the club though
Puma currently make the kits for
Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
Newcastle Utd
cheers Scott Thompson @Thommo2560
Italy National Team
Preston N.E
Barrow AFC
Glasgow Rangers (Scotland)
Motherwell (Scotland)
Hibernian (Scotland)
Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)
Brisbane Roar (Australia)
Botafogo (Brazil)
Last edited by The GFP on May 8th, 2013, 11:19 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Re: Arsenal Sign New Kit Deal With Puma
I think it is a fantastic deal for the club. I've seen a few complaints about it on twitter regarding it saying that Puma are a "cheap brand" which in itself made me laugh.
We all know the big companies Nike, Addidas etc however the impression I got from speaking to the club shop was that there had been a lot of people that weren't happy with the kit availability this season because for example the 3XL shirt sizes didn't come in until November (Nike's fault apparently)
Obviously we've known the deal was coming to an end for sometime now If Puma are willing to pay us £30 million a year to produce kits then so be it. I don't even need to see what the kit looks like, because to me if it has Arsenal on the front of it then I will wear it with pride.


George H W Bush was to be laid to rest Thursday, concluding a four-day tribute to the 41st president that saw America briefly set aside its political divisions.
At the memorial service President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania shared a front row pew in the National Cathedral with past presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and their wives as an honour guard brought Bush's casket into the prayer hall.
"He was born with just two settings -- full throttle, then sleep," he said.
"To us, his was the brightest of a thousand points of light," he said in a reference to his father's signature call to volunteerism.
It was a marked contrast when Bush Jr arrived minutes later and shook hands with the current and past presidents and their wives -- and handed Michelle Obama a piece of candy, as he did during the memorial service for senator John McCain in the same cathedral in September.


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Home SC dismisses the petition against HC verdict to arrest GST evaders
SC dismisses the petition against HC verdict to arrest GST evaders
Vidushi KalaPosted on May 28, 2019 May 29, 2019
Economic slump indicates an urgent need for reform
Bhavana PN
The Supreme Court (SC) rejected a petition challenging the Telangana High Court (HC) verdict that in cases of Goods and Service Tax (GST) evasion, a person could be arrested by the concerned authority.
The pleas were listed before the vacation bench comprising of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Aniruddha Bose. Once the court heard to the initial arguments, it dismissed the Special Leave Petition and said that it does not intend to interfere with the judgement given by HC in April.
On April 18, the division bench of the Telangana HC comprising of Justice P. Keshava Rao and V. Ramasubramanian had rejected a set of writ petitions pursuing protection against the arrest of individuals who get involved in alleged GST evasion.
The challenge was in opposition to the summons given out by the Superintendent (anti-evasion) of the Hyderabad GST Commissionerate according to the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. The bench detected that the sub Section (1) of Section 69 of the Act authorises the commissioner to pass an order to arrest a person when he or she is alleged to have done an evident and a non-bailable offence.
Also Read: GST Council to make gradual changes in the tax system
The bench mentioned that if reasons to believe have been documented in files, it is not required to record such rights in the approval for arrest as per the Section 69(1) of the CGST Act. As Section 69(1) of the CGST Act, 2017 mainly uses the words "reasons to believe", versus the words "reasons to be recorded" seen in Section 41A(3) of Cr.P.C., it is sufficient if the reasons are present in the file, even if it is not disclosed in the order which authorizes the arrest.
The state had informed HC that the petitioners who were presented before the court were reportedly engaged in integrating several firms in partnership, claimed an input tax credit (ITC) allegedly without having any actual physical receipt which depicts the nature of commodities. It was alleged that these companies claimed a fraudulent input tax credit of Rs 224.05 crore.
HC mentioned that a prosecution could be initiated only after an assessment is completed in contrary to Section 132 of the CGST Act, 2017. The list of violations which are incorporated in sub Section (1) of Section 132 of the CGST Act, 2017 has no connection with the assessment.
Issue of bills or invoices without the supply of commodities and claiming for ITC with such bills/invoices are violations made according to the clauses (b) and (c) of sub Section (1) of Section 132 of the CGST Act. The prosecutions for these violations does not happen based on the assessment completion.
Also, the bench was not in favour of the argument which was put up by the petitioners because all the violations according to the Act are compoundable as per the sub Section (1) of Section 138 of the CGST Act, 2017, subject to the limitations contained in the provision.
Hence, it is not required to arrest an individual when he or she has allegedly committed a violation which is compoundable. The court has also observed that the furthering of an investigation or an enquiry is not the only objective of an arrest.
Bhavana is a Senior Content Writer handling the GST vertical. She is committed, professional, and has a flair for writing. When away from work, she enjoys watching movies and playing with her son. One thing she can't resist is SHOPPING! Her favourite quote is: "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity".
Bhavana is a Senior Content Writer handling the GST vertical. She is committed,…


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Democrats Melt Down After Born-Alive Act Restricts Their Lust for Infanticide
Senior Democrat lawmakers such as Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Kamala Harris lost their collective sh*t on social media shortly after the House passed the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which requires doctors to provide care for infants born alive after a failed abortion.
"Today, instead of joining Democrats to condemn all political violence, [House Republicans] chose to push their extreme anti-choice agenda," Pelosi tweeted Wednesday. "Democrats believe everyone deserves the freedom to access reproductive health services – without fear of violence, intimidation or harassment."
Schumer was similarly outraged. "The MAGA Republican-controlled House is putting on display their extreme views on women's health with legislation that does not even have the support of the American people."
The Vice President also chimed in, just in case anyone cared what she had to say. "This is yet another attempt by Republican legislators to control women's bodies."
Here's what is driving the Left apoplectic: the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act says any infant born alive following an abortion attempt is a "legal person for all purposes under the laws of the United States," and deserves the same care a "reasonably diligent and conscientious healthcare practitioner would render to any other child born alive."
So, doctors and healthcare workers would be required to medically assist a struggling newborn after a failed attempt to murder it in the womb, as opposed to isolating it in a broom closet until it dies on its own, much like the ancient Romans left unwanted infants in the woods to be killed by the elements or wild animals. And yet all but two Democrats voted against the idea that a child who survives an abortion deserves "reasonably diligent" medical care.
The Democrat Party is a godless death cult, and infanticide is its most precious sacrament.


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Q: Calculate difference from earlier amount How can I calculate the difference if there is an earlier amount for the corresponding type?
| Type | Date    | Amt | Diff   |
|------|---------|-----|--------|
| A    | 1/07/18 | 10  |        |
| B    | 1/07/18 | 10  |        |
| A    | 1/07/19 | 15  | 50%    |
| A    | 1/07/20 | 12  | -20%   |
| B    | 1/07/20 | 15  | 50%    |

A: You have changed the question from a structured dataset to a somewhat unstructured dataset. Dates still seem structured, yet 'Type' is not filtered. Therefor you could use the following in D2:
=IF(COUNTIF(A$2:A2,A2)>1,(C2-LOOKUP(2,1/(A$1:A1=A2),C$1:C1))/LOOKUP(2,1/(A$1:A1=A2),C$1:C1),"")

Drag down.

A: Does this answer your question?!

D1 =IF(ROW()=MATCH(A2,A:A,0),"",((C2-INDEX(C:C,MATCH(A2,A:A,0),1))*100/INDEX(C:C,MATCH(A2,A:A,0),1)) & "%")

Output
A   7/21/2020   10
B   7/22/2020   10
A   7/23/2020   15  50%
A   7/24/2020   12  20%
B   7/25/2020   15  50%
C   7/26/2020   13
A   7/27/2020   15  50%
A   7/28/2020   12  20%
B   7/29/2020   15  50%
C   7/30/2020   26  100%
A   7/31/2020   13  30%

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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3) Scottish. 1935. Height including stand 44". Made by 80 year old Scots craftsman. Sailed on an Edinburgh Loch. Brass descriptive plaque on stand. Price $450.