text:
How Bitcoin Applies to The Sovereign Individual Thesis
InBitcoin News
Just before the internet became a massive display of human ingenuity and networking, a few individuals anticipated the emergence of tools that would help progress the end of politics and the nation states. 22 years ago, much like Nostradamus, Isaac Newton, Gerald Celente, and Carl Jung's forecasts, a book called "The Sovereign Individual" predicted the growing autonomy of the individual but also noted the development of the world's largest economy flourishing in cyberspace.
Also read: Bitcoin Is a Viable Way to Remove the State From Your Life
Cryptologic Methods Will Fundamentally Alter the Nature of Interference in Economic Transactions
Since the inception of Satoshi Nakamoto's Bitcoin, many people have come to believe that cryptographic technology is meant to progress freedom and liberty by separating money from the state. The concept is similar to when the church was separated from the state but when the power of the church dissipated, the nation states quickly took its place. Cryptocurrencies now provide the means to transact financially without a middleman and this removes the great wealth of power from the state's arsenal. More than two decades ago, the cypherpunks started spreading the seeds of crypto-anarchy after envisioning that the internet would help remove the parasites that stem from governments.
What's the Sovereign Individual VC thesis?
– Cryptocurrency (decoupling of money & state)
– Defense companies (unbundling state monopoly on violence)
– Charter cities (markets for governance)
– Influencer economy (trust shifting from institutions to individuals)
— Erik Torenberg (@eriktorenberg) November 19, 2019
"Just as the technology of printing altered and reduced the power of medieval guilds and the social power structure, so too will cryptologic methods fundamentally alter the nature of corporations and of government interference in economic transactions," cypherpunk Timothy May wrote in 1988. Humans have always tried to predict the future and forecasting trends has been popular since medieval times. People predicted the world wars decades beforehand, global economies collapsing, and monumental events that have changed society a great deal years before they happened.
Most people know about the cypherpunks from Silicon Valley and the great crypto-anarchist manifestos that were published at this time. In addition to these new philosophers, in 1997 two well-known investment advisors and authors, James Dale Davidson and Lord William Rees-Mogg, published a book that also predicted a huge change coming to society over the next century. Within the book of forecasts, the two authors of "The Sovereign Individual" predicted the coming of cryptocurrencies and economic realignment. Rees-Mogg and Davidson's book does not specifically mention Bitcoin, because it was published 12 years prior to the cryptocurrency's inception. However, the predictions do note the coming existence of an uncontrollable "cybercash" and that with technology "we will see the growing autonomy of the individual and taxing capacity will plunge by 50-70 percent."
"[Society will] develop what promises to be the world's largest economy by the second decade of the new millennium," The Sovereign Individual states. If we were to look at the invention of Bitcoin as being part of the Sovereign Individual's timeline, we can see that things are just getting started. The cryptoconomy, for instance, is a $200 billion dollar economy that is not backed by a sole individual or endorsed by a corporate entity. Governments do not support the electronic borderless money, and ever since it was created the nation states have met the technology with adversity.
How the Information Age and Bitcoin Resets the Odds
The open web has allowed online economies to flourish and financial epicenters like New York and technological regions like Silicon Valley have no hierarchy over the internet's borderless and faceless power. Governments feel threatened by these technologies and The Sovereign Individual's predictions suggest that the nation states will push back just like the church did. At the time, during "its predominant institution, the church, saw its monopoly challenged and shattered — authority that had been unquestioned for centuries was suddenly in dispute," Rees-Mogg and Davidson's book highlights. The Sovereign Individual's timeline predicts the next millennium will be very similar. With economic tools like cryptocurrencies and other forms of technological advances like autonomous software, drones, defense groups, meshnet technology, Tor, VPNs, and influencer/gig economies, society can begin to remove the bureaucracy from their everyday lives. Davidson and Rees-Mogg's novel states:
We believe that change as dramatic as that of five hundred years ago will happen again. The Information Revolution will destroy the monopoly of power of the nation-state as surely as the Gunpowder Revolution destroyed the church's monopoly — Like the late-medieval church, the nation state at the end of the twentieth century is a deeply indebted institution that can no longer pay its way. Its operations are ever more irrelevant and even counterproductive to the prosperity of those who not long ago might have been its staunchest supporters.
Right now, many people believe we are entering the initial phase of change that books like The Sovereign Individual predicted decades ago. On page 160 of the book, the two authors stress that as commerce takes hold on the internet "it will lead inevitably to cybermoney." This new form of money Rees-Mogg and Davidson explain will "reset the odds, reducing the capacity of the world's nation-states." "Unique, anonymous, and verifiable, this money will accommodate the largest transactions. It will also be divisible into the tiniest fraction of value. It will be tradable at a keystroke in a multi-trillion-dollar wholesale market without borders."
It is interesting to watch the forecasts written years ago come to fruition and especially ones that are changing society for the better. The advent of Bitcoin and the economy behind the thousands of digital assets out there shows that a massive transformation is indeed happening right now. Past predictions from the cypherpunks and books like The Sovereign Individual may help us understand why. Moreover, failing economies and protests worldwide clearly indicate the demand for freedom is just getting started.
What do you think about how Bitcoin and other tools apply to the Sovereign Individual thesis? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.
Op-ed Disclaimer: This is an Op-ed article. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own. Bitcoin.com is not responsible for or liable for any content, accuracy or quality within the Op-ed article. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the content. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any information in this Op-ed article.
Image credits: Wiki Commons, Shutterstock, Pixabay, Fair Use, and Twitter.
Did you know you can buy and sell BCH privately using our noncustodial, peer-to-peer Local Bitcoin Cash trading platform? The local.Bitcoin.com marketplace has thousands of participants from all around the world trading BCH right now. And if you need a bitcoin wallet to securely store your coins, you can download one from us here.
Jamie Redman
Jamie Redman is a financial tech journalist living in Florida. Redman has been an active member of the cryptocurrency community since 2011. He has a passion for Bitcoin, open source code, and decentralized applications. Redman has written thousands of articles for news.Bitcoin.com about the disruptive protocols emerging today.
Previous PostJPMorgan's Blockchain Products, Explained by Ex-JPM Tech LeadsNext PostBitcoin Price Closing In On Key Monthly Support Level
InCrypto News
InBlockchain
South African Google Searches for Bitcoin Spike Amid Economic Uncertainty
March 19, 2018ByLTC-TV
Blogger 'Bitfinex'ed' Hires Legal Counsel to Fight Bitfinex Lawsuit
EOS, Cardano and Tezos: Sleeping Giants Starting to Stir
Bitcoin 8,934.3 0.18 % 0.59 % 9.21 %
Bitcoin Cash 348.18 1.47 % 6.12 % 28.02 %
Tether 0.9984 0.13 % 0.12 % 0.07 %
January 18, 2020ByLTC-TV
Copyright © 2019, All Right Reserved


text:
What has the school done with its Gonski funding?
Unfortunately, schools in Tasmania have not received their full Gonski funding due to a decision by the state government not to pass that funding directly on to schools, and to introduce its own cuts to schools budgets in 2015.
Despite this, the school has big plans for using their extra resources to benefit students.
Location: Wynyard
What Wynyard High School could do with Gonski funding in the future
Extra teachers to provide a more diverse learning program – to keep students engaged through their schooling.
Greater access and better links to support and service staff to build a stronger school community.
Extra teachers and teacher assistants to provide one-to-one support for students with extra individual learning needs – they want to learn, but it takes more time for some.
Much-needed professional care for our kids in mental health to promptly address blocks to learning.
The ability to enable our young adult students to engage with the pathway program that will lead to their greatest growth.
A comprehensive music and drama program.
Enabling our students access to the brilliant, real-life learning opportunities we have in Tasmania, through off-campus excursions.
Providing our students access to a greater range of experts from the broader community through in-school programs.
Barrack Heights Public School
Barrack Heights PS is located in Shelharbour, 16km south of Wollongong. It has an enrolment of 250 students, most of them from low-income backgrounds.
Forest Lake State High School
Forest Lake State High School in outer suburban Brisbane has an enrolment of around 1450 students from diverse backgrounds.
Ulladulla High School
Ulladulla High School, located on the NSW south coast, has an enrolment of about 1200 students, 70% of whom are from low-income backgrounds.
Yarrabah State School
Yarrabah State School is a three campus Pre-Prep to Year 10 school in the Far North Queensland community of Yarrabah. The community faces complex inter-generational challenges including high unemployment and families living in poverty.
Morayfield State High School
Morayfield State High School has a current enrolment of approximately 1500 students. The majority of students are from low-income backgrounds
Mansfield State High School
Mansfield State High School is a large high school of about 2,200 students from diverse income and ethnic background in southern Brisbane.
Darlington Primary School
Darlington Primary School, in Adelaide's southern suburbs, has an enrolment of about 300 students from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
Roma Mitchell Secondary College
The school opened in 2011 and has three campuses co-located on one site: Girls' Education, Co-Education and Special Education.
Milton Public School
Milton Public School, a K-6 school on the south coast of NSW, has an enrolment of 650 students about half of whom are from low-income backgrounds. Around 40 students are from non-English-speaking backgrounds, and about 5% of the students are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
Minimbah State School
Minimbah State School has a stable enrolment of around 800 students. A high number of students are from low-income backgrounds.
Casino Public School
Casino Public school is a P-6 school of 700 students, located in rural north coast NSW.
Windaroo State School
Windaroo State School in the Mount Warren Park area of Logan City has an enrolment of around 930 students. A significant number of students are from low-income backgrounds. Approximately 50 students are Indigenous and 80 students are from non-English-speaking language backgrounds.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Cockroaches are insects that are found almost anywhere and everywhere in the world. They are very small, medium or very large in size, reproduce very fast and run fast and disappear from your sight in no time. They live in dark and humid places which can make it very challenging to get rid of them.
•	Cockroaches of a variety of species breed easily in sub-tropical and tropical conditions.
•	They are a high mobility creatures, travel easily in search of food and a place to hide.
•	They adapt themselves to urban and rural conditions very well.
•	These pests are dangerous as they contaminate your property with their droppings and also carry diseases.
•	They defile your food and leave no place without encroachment.
•	It is disgusting to see your living place being defiled by dead cockroaches and their skin castings.
•	Once cockroaches make inroads into your house, they infest the house rapidly with their fast breeding in inaccessible places.
•	If your property is infested with cockroaches, DIY pest control may not be effective. It becomes necessary to hire professionals like us to help get rid of them efficiently before the infestation gets severe.
•	They are nocturnal insects and not visible during the day. A professional pest control company like ours will help you keep your house free of cockroaches.
As you can see, not only are cockroaches destructive in nature but are also harmful to your health. The best way to tackle this problem is to opt for excellent cockroach control solutions from Pest Inspection Perth.
For more information, feel free to contact us at0405 763 777 or book an inspection via this online form. We assure you of the best and most cost-effective pest control services.


text:
EVN empowers remote southern areas
The Southern Power Corporation (EVN SPC) has invested several trillions of Vietnamese dong in rural power systems in 21 provinces and cities in the south. As a result, people's living conditions have improved. In 2018, the power sector will continue to expand power grids, especially in remote areas.
Nguyen Huu Huong from Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province said the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Power Company had invested in building low-voltage lines and 50kVA transformer station to increase the load in order to meet the needs of irrigation and residents' daily living.
Bui Van Hung, chairman of the Cat Tien People's Committee in Lam Dong Province, said ethnic minorities in Cat Tien National Park have been using the national grid since the Lunar New Year 2018. The village is one of seven hooked up to power in that province, bringing to 99.39 the percent of households in Lam Dong Province with access to the national grid. The completion of power supply to villages in the province is the basis for effective implementation of the program for sustainable poverty alleviation.
The EVN SPC has also implemented power supplies for irrigation pumping stations serving agriculture in An Giang Province, contributing to local economic development. Electricity has enabled farmers to apply advanced scientific and technological tools to increase productivity and quality and improve economic efficiency. In addition, since the operation of a 1,600kVA transformer station to supply power for the Nui Cam cable system, the An Giang tourism sector has attracted more visitors.
Soc Trang Province has also experienced significant changes due to power hookups. Thousands of shrimp farmers in the province have benefited from three-phase power projects to promote industrial shrimp farming, with many households earning billions of Vietnamese dong per year. Huynh Minh Hai, director of the Soc Trang Power Company, said the province has developed a power grid covering all communes and towns, raising the rate of households with electricity in the province to 99.6 percent.
Virtually all communes and towns in 21 provinces and cities in the south have gained access to a regular power supply. In 2018, the EVN SPC will continue to expand power grids in order to bring power to remote areas.
Dinh Hoang
Tags: Southern areasEVN SPC21 provinces and cities
EVN must firmly ensure electricity supply security (14/01)
EVN to digitalise all facilities on transmission lines by 2022 (05/01)
EVN announced to deploy 'electricity bill with QR Code application' (10/12)
Signing MOUs on importing electricity from Laos (07/12)
The operation progress of many power plant projects in PDP is still unclear (26/11)
The first fire for the boiler of Unit 2 of Song Hau 1 thermal power project (06/11)
The proposal to converse Vung Ang power center 3 from coal to LNG burning in PDP VIII (04/11)
Updating progress of 10 key power plant projects in Vietnam (29/10)
Signing a MOU for Quang Ninh LNG Power Project (22/10)
A proposal to include 2 LNG power projects in Hai Phong in the PDP VIII (05/10)
The Vietnam and Laos agreed in principle the price framework for bilateral power purchase (06/04)
Powering Lai Chau 500kV transformer substation (04/04)
Military Bank (MB) of Vietnam will fund the medium and long term projects of EVNSPC (28/03)
PVN proposed to transfer Nhon Trach 3&4 thermal power projects to PV Power (21/03)
Approving the National Program on DSM (13/03)
EVN sets an important target for the Electricity Access Index (05/03)
WB commits to continue supporting EVN in power infrastructure development (05/02)
EVN prides itself on energetic 2017 performance (01/02)
EVN must firmly ensure electricity supply security
EVN to digitalise all facilities on transmission lines by 2022
EVN announced to deploy 'electricity bill with QR Code application'
Signing MOUs on importing electricity from Laos
The operation progress of many power plant projects in PDP is still unclear
The first fire for the boiler of Unit 2 of Song Hau 1 thermal power project
The proposal to converse Vung Ang power center 3 from coal to LNG burning in PDP VIII
Updating progress of 10 key power plant projects in Vietnam
Signing a MOU for Quang Ninh LNG Power Project
A proposal to include 2 LNG power projects in Hai Phong in the PDP VIII


text:
Castaway Planet – Chapter 10
by Drak Bibliophile | Nov 12, 2014 | Snippets, SpoorSnippet | 12 comments
Laura stared in uncomprehending shock. Bobbing ever so slightly, the vast wall of dark, wet stone still loomed up less than a kilometer distant. The piece that had fallen from it — a solid mass the size of a skyscraper — should have been towering over them even nearer. There was no possible way that the lagoon before them could have been two hundred meters deep, no, not even a tenth of that!
Yet that monstrous fragment had plunged down effortlessly, irresistibly, neither slowing nor pausing, and taken their hopes with it into the impossible deep.
Even as she thought that, the seething water bubbled more, darkened, and that same fragment surged from the depths, shedding water and stripping itself of soil, a massive bulwark of varicolored stony outcroppings and dripping mud. It bobbed slowly, rising and falling in diminishing cycles. She hoped against hope that she might see something else, smaller but oh so very much more valuable, also bob to the surface… but there was nothing more coming from the mysterious depths.
Sakura was clinging to her with a deathgrip, and Whips' tendrilled arms were only just beginning to relax. Slowly Laura forced herself to stand. "Are you all right, Sakura? Whips?"
Sakura managed a tiny nod of her head, eyes so wide that white showed all the way around them. She was otherwise silent, and did not release her grip.
Whips buzz-clicked something in his native language before catching himself. "I… I am all right, Dr. Kimei… Laura," he said slowly, uncertainly.
Her omni buzzed. "Laura!" came Akira's shaking voice. "Are you all okay?"
"We're… fine, Akira. But…"
"We saw," he said. "LS-5 is gone?"
"It… looks like it. I don't know if there's anything to salvage. Whips is the only one who might be able to even try."
The big Bemmie — only an adolescent, but still outmassing her by at least two to three times — shuddered, a rippling motion accompanied by jangling, discordant patterns of light and color in his skin. "I'm … not sure I can."
Laura knelt next to Whips. "Harratrer, honey, I know that must have scared the wits out of you. But I really need to know exactly what you saw, what it means, and that might mean you have to go down and really look."
His back quivered under her touch, and she wondered for a moment… but the clenched tendrils relaxed slightly. Then he heaved a long, wet — sounding breath and shook himself something like a long, flat dog. "You're right. No one else can do it, you don't have the senses or the equipment to do it right. And I …" a quick flash of bright patterns that were like a chuckle, though a very nervous one, "… I really didn't understand what I saw, and I have to see it again to really know."
"If you're afraid of that… thing we saw –"
"A little, but really, something that big isn't going to bother coming after something like me unless I make myself an obvious nuisance. I think."
Laura bit her lip. Maybe this was a stupid idea. "On second thought…"
"No, I'm doing this." Whips turned and moved back towards the former lagoon. "You'd do it, if you were me."
Laura couldn't argue. "But you're…"
"… Bemmius novus sapiens," he said bitterly, and she understood now what drove him.
"No," she said, and put her hand on the base of one of his arms; Whips twitched, but didn't move away. "I was going to say, you're not an adult yet, you're like one of my own children, and I wouldn't force them to go."
His discordant colors quieted, went to a calm blue-green. "Sorry… Sorry. I just… this is what we have to do, isn't it? Do what we can? If I don't… if I can't… then maybe they're right about me, about us." He contracted, then raised himself up. "I can't be afraid to go in the water. I'm still fast, I'm still smart, I can't let this keep me out. And if I don't go in now, it's because I am afraid. And I am. I really, really am." He shuddered again. "But I'm not going to let that stop me."
With a swift, decisive movement, Whips sent himself sliding over the edge and into the water.
Sakura finally let go. "M… mom? What happened? That didn't make any sense, the whole end of the … the land, it tipped up, and it's over there," her voice was rising higher and shaking, speaking faster, "like, floating, and the LS-5, it was hit and then it's gone and we're — "
"Sakura." She spoke her daughter's name firmly but quietly, taking her by the shoulders, looking her in the eye. "Sakura. Stop."
The girl's brilliant blue eyes locked on hers. With an obvious effort Sakura forced her mouth closed and stood there, shaking, then closed her eyes. Slowly they opened again, but they were less wide, more focused, more there, and Laura let herself relax a tiny bit. "Sorry, mom."
"It's okay, honey. We're all near that panic. We just can't let it catch us. And I have no idea what happened."
There was a splash, and they saw Whips emerging from the water. "I'm back, Laura."
The dull colors on his back echoed his tone of voice. "I still can't believe what I've seen."
There were sounds of running behind them, and she turned to see Akira, with Caroline, Melody and Hitomi close behind. They came here as fast as Hitomi could run, she guessed.
She took a moment to hug her other daughters and take a rib-straining one from her husband. Then she turned back to Whips, whose colors were now brighter but slowly rippling. "All right, Harratrer, what did you see?"
"A lot. But … I don't know exactly what it all means." He took an audible breath. "Once I get out past where you can see the shallow water, it just… drops away. Farther than I can ping. Even when I shout as loud as I can, there isn't a return from the bottom."
"But…" Melody started, then stopped.
"Go on, Melody," Laura said.
"But… I thought your people could ping to the bottom of the Europan ocean."
"Some of us can. I couldn't manage that, but… there are other noises. I think the bottom's a long, long way down below even that level."
"We're sitting on a cliff tens of kilometers high?" Caroline said in disbelief. "That's impossible. Even underwater that should –"
"Not a cliff," Whips said, cutting her off. "I don't know what we're standing on, but… once I get down maybe thirty meters or so, there's nothing but water in all directions. Well, that's not true, I detect some stuff in the direction that's, well, inland, but there's always water in that direction eventually."
Laura and Caroline exchanged disbelieving glances. "Whips, are you saying that, well, there's nothing supporting the land we're standing on?"
"Nothing as far as I can tell."
For a moment they all stared at each other, trying to come to terms with that ridiculous, impossible statement. Laura turned and looked back at the immense stretch of land behind them, vanishing into hills on the horizon, then over to the black wet towers of what had been the land across from them. "You looked at that piece that … well, is floating there?"
"Yes. It is floating. Nothing under it anywhere."
"Coral," Caroline said slowly. "The rock… I noticed it looked rather like coral. But I never thought…"
"Coral?" repeated Melody incredulously. "But shouldn't that sink?"
Caroline bent over, searching, and found a chunk of rock that had been broken off by LS-5 in the crash. Laura watched as her oldest daughter flung the rock far out into the water.
The white-pink rock plunged into the sea. And a moment later, bobbed to the surface .
"There were cases of floating coral on Earth," Caroline said, her voice starting to become more animated, excited, "and some pieces could drift for hundreds of kilometers, last for many months. Mom, Dad, this is amazing. If Whips is right, we're floating on an ocean so deep that no landmass could rise out of it, not for more than an eyeblink on a geologic scale, because you can't get that many kilometers of rock to stick up above the rest. There are plenty of water worlds out there, some of them with oceans over fifteen hundred kilometers deep, so deep that even geological forces probably can't make themselves even felt on the surface. Since this one has life like ours, though, trace elements, some kind of active geology just has to be working here to get all of that into solution. But with the gravity here, by the time you get a hundred kilometers down it'll be all solid, ice-six, maybe ice seven, but then there's heat from below…"
She broke off. "Sorry, got carried away. Anyway, something must have evolved here to keep itself up on the surface, where it got the advantage of all the light energy from above, or maybe harvesting things like diatoms or whatever that did use the light energy… maybe also keeping it away from a lower-down ecosystem like the one on Europa, where everything revolves around the vents. And that turned into colonies, and then other things started taking advantage of the colonies to support them…" She looked back inland, eyes shining. "We'll have to get samples, get a look at the actual geological history… only it's not really geological, it's … coral-ological? Alcyoneological?"
"That's why the guide app got confused," Sakura said suddenly. "It was right. The geometry shifted. We assume that land doesn't shift detectably over any reasonable timescale — a few centimeters per year, right, Caroline?" Caroline nodded. Sakura went on, sounding finally like her regular self. "But these things aren't land, they're floating. Floating islands — floating continents — and they're moving with wind and currents, so they must've been drifting at centimeters per second, maybe even more, and so the guide app lost certainty on the targets because it was like trying to get a fix on … I dunno, a set of waves or something. The app and the sensors could see small changes that I couldn't with my eyes."
Laura was still trying to grasp it. Floating islands… floating things hundreds, thousands of kilometers in extent? Her mind balked momentarily at the idea. The material in question would have to remain buoyant for a timescale of… how long? To build something that huge, get forests growing on it? How strong would it have to be, how flexible, to keep from shattering into pieces at the first storm and waves flexing it?
"That is fascinating, Caroline, Sakura," Akira said after a moment. "And we will of course be studying this as time goes on. But I think the first order of business is survival, and I don't think it matters, for that, whether we're on regular land, an island of floating coral, or the back of a giant turtle."
Laura couldn't keep from smiling at the last, and the others burst out laughing; even Melody ended up grinning. "No, love, you're right. We've lost LS-5, but we haven't lost any of us, and that's the important thing. This isn't going to be easy," she said, looking at her family steadily, reassuringly, "but we will survive."
Akira took her hand, and the others — even Whips — gathered around for another hug. "Now, everyone — let's go back to our camp and figure out what we need to do next."
Inside, Laura was still shaking, still worried. But she could see her family — including, now, one juvenile Bemmie — straightening up, wiping away tears, taking that new breath and focusing on the moment, ready to face whatever Lincoln held for them, and that was all that mattered. If Akira and I stay strong, they'll be strong. And that's what we need right now.
Doug Lampert	on November 12, 2014 at 1:36 AM
Hmm, if the rock falls kilometers through the water then the shuttle (or its remains) are actually pretty unlikely to stay under it the whole way (the rock is almost sure to rotate or "flutter" under those circumstances), so if the shuttle is lower density than water it should come bobbing back up to the surface.
OTOH it's perfectly plausible that being hit by a massive rock could open it up and that the bulk of the flooded remains would then sink. I'd stay near the coast for awhile waiting to see if anything useful bobbed back to the surface (unless emotional distress made me not think of this).
These people's naval architects really need to talk to those in the Mike Moscoe/Sheppard written Longknife universe about using structural material made of your nanotech so your outer hulls are almost entirely configurable and can compensate or self repair for fairly substantial damage. They have partially configurable hulls, so they're presumably using something at least somewhat similar.
Ryk Spoor	on November 12, 2014 at 8:09 AM
It can heal SOME damage, but this was like a toy car being hit with a sledgehammer of coral. Even the fact that the material is technically stronger isn't going to save it; it's totally smashed, and it was then driven down hundreds of meters, which pretty much finished the crushing. Spaceships aren't made to take atmospheres of pressure externally.
George Phillies	on November 12, 2014 at 10:08 AM
"Spaceships aren't made to take atmospheres of pressure externally."
They don't build them like they used to. (8^((
cf Piper, Space Viking, hiding the spherical km diameter warships under the ocean until it was time to spring the ambush.
The floater is a really clever idea.
Ryk E. Spoor	on November 12, 2014 at 12:02 PM
I'm working with reality here, not with fiction. They don't have arenak hulls a meter thick. Spaceships are built to hold in an atmosphere of pressure, more or less. As a landing vehicle, the LS-5 is built with the safety tolerances of a good commercial vehicle, which means it's pretty good at surviving reasonable stresses.
But it's also built to not be ridiculously strong, because then you're using more material and taking up space and mass that you COULD be using on payload.
At the MOST it's going to be as tough as an armored aircraft, and even that's not even vaguely strong enough to withstand a medium-sized hill of stone falling on it. That thing would have crushed a battleship.
Bibliotheca Servare	on November 12, 2014 at 2:07 AM
Heeheeheeeeeee!!!! Floating! Island! Continents!!!! Do I get a Kewpie doll? *silly grin* lol, I LOVED this snippet! Probably because there was more hope, less sheer terror, than the last one, if I had to guess. I want a piece of that coral -or whatever it really is- to study! Fascinating!
Not many of my beta-readers guessed it either.
Bibliotheca Servare	on November 12, 2014 at 11:44 AM
*cackles* BTW, I just finished phoenix rising…and you, sir, are a wicked wicked man for not making that book…three times as long? Yeah, three times as long. Wicked, I say. :P:P Must. Have. Sequel! Ahem. *eye twitches* Well. Yes. Habit forming, is the word I would use. Phoenix in Shadow cannot possibly arrive too soon for my withdrawal pangs. And I'm SURE hearing that is absolutely helpful to you, right? Heh. ;D
Count your blessings; at the time I handed in Phoenix Rising, they had not committed to DOING the other two books, and they made me put in at least some closure so that if it bombed totally they could drop it there. (The original ending was a cliffhanger, which is now an early chapter of Phoenix in Shadow).
Bibliotheca Servare	on November 12, 2014 at 3:19 PM
Ahem. *chokes…turns blue…fades to white* wait…whatwhatwhaaaat? Not…committed…? Cliffhanger…? *faints dead away* Was this Baen in Jim Baen's era we're talking about? Because, in that case, 1 I need to hold a seance to natter at a fellow I've come to admire, and 2, I bet you could've convinced him to purchase (or is "option" the correct term?) the other two via the simple mechanism of sticking in a couple of tanks, and slapping one on the cover. *titter* :-p (I joke, I joke…coughcough*hammers slammers*coughcough…) Seriously though, I am delighted to know that the trilogy is a reality, as…dramatically shaken as I was to realize that almost was not the case. *chuckle* Baen always has been more…loose walleted?…open fisted? Willing to spend money. When it comes to military sci fi than other forms, even hard sf, and even less inclined to be spendthrift with fantasy, never mind sci fi/fantasy hybrids lol. Alas, when one knows what sells, right? I shall indeed count my blessings. While twitching. *wry grin* ;)
PS: you wouldn't…end phoenix in shadow at a cliffhanger, would you?…oh dear…
Ryk E. Spoor	on November 12, 2014 at 3:57 PM
Oh, no, Jim never saw Fall of Saints (original title of Phoenix Rising), at least that I recall. This was Toni; she bought the first volume but didn't pick up the other two until they had some idea of the sales of the first.
Phoenix in Shadow doesn't end with a cliffhanger, unless you count the last chapter being one of the Big Bad preparing to welcome her home when she returns from her adventures in that book.
Richard H	on November 12, 2014 at 9:14 PM
I'm still unconvinced that they're not standing on the back of, well, Nessie. Rafts of continents which drift around does explain things pretty well, though.
Ryk Spoor	on November 12, 2014 at 10:36 PM
Then they'd better make friends with Nessie real fast.


Bussaco Digital has just been awarded the prize for the best communication project in European natural areas. Awarded by the Europarc Federation, one of the most important European institutions in what regards management and nature conservation and that represents 365 members among governmental departments, NGOs and protected areas from all over Europe, the award distinguishes the project developed to reforest forest areas of the National Forest of Buçaco that have been destroyed by the storm of January 2013. Besides the Fundação Mata do Bussaco (FMB), the initiative envolves the departments of Communication and Art, and Biology of the University of Aveiro (UA), Sapo Labs, also from the UA, and the support from Fundação PT.
After having been selected as an example of good practices at national level, finalist of the Green Project Awards 2014, and at European level regarding innovation and sustainability – within the framework of the projects CASI and Active Citizens for Active Climate Protection – Bussaco Digital received another prize that will be awarded during the 2015 Europarc Conference, held in Regensburg (Germany) from 26 to 27 October.
Designed as a strategy to recover the green area lost during the storm in early 2013, the digital platform, an original idea of Nelson Matos, former student in Regional and Urban Planning of the UA presently working at the FMB, it enables anyone, through a simple click on the computer, to plant one or more trees while contributing for its maintenance and preservation of that natural heritage.


text:
package tools

import (
	_ "github.com/client9/misspell/cmd/misspell"
	_ "golang.org/x/tools/cmd/goimports"
	_ "honnef.co/go/tools/cmd/staticcheck"
)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
"""Python-based TensorFlow GRPC server.

Takes input arguments cluster_spec, job_name and task_id, and start a blocking
TensorFlow GRPC server.

Usage:
    grpc_tensorflow_server.py --cluster_spec=SPEC --job_name=NAME --task_id=ID

Where:
    SPEC is <JOB>(,<JOB>)*
    JOB  is <NAME>|<HOST:PORT>(;<HOST:PORT>)*
    NAME is a valid job name ([a-z][0-9a-z]*)
    HOST is a hostname or IP address
    PORT is a port number
"""

from __future__ import absolute_import
from __future__ import division
from __future__ import print_function

import tensorflow as tf

FLAGS = tf.app.flags.FLAGS

tf.app.flags.DEFINE_string("cluster_spec", "",
                           """Cluster spec: SPEC.
    SPEC is <JOB>(,<JOB>)*,"
    JOB  is <NAME>|<HOST:PORT>(;<HOST:PORT>)*,"
    NAME is a valid job name ([a-z][0-9a-z]*),"
    HOST is a hostname or IP address,"
    PORT is a port number."
E.g., local|localhost:2222;localhost:2223, ps|ps0:2222;ps1:2222""")
tf.app.flags.DEFINE_string("job_name", "", "Job name: e.g., local")
tf.app.flags.DEFINE_integer("task_id", 0, "Task index, e.g., 0")
tf.app.flags.DEFINE_boolean("verbose", False, "Verbose mode")

def parse_cluster_spec(cluster_spec, cluster):
  """Parse content of cluster_spec string and inject info into cluster protobuf.

  Args:
    cluster_spec: cluster specification string, e.g.,
          "local|localhost:2222;localhost:2223"
    cluster: cluster protobuf.

  Raises:
    ValueError: if the cluster_spec string is invalid.
  """

  job_strings = cluster_spec.split(",")

  if not cluster_spec:
    raise ValueError("Empty cluster_spec string")

  for job_string in job_strings:
    job_def = cluster.job.add()

    if job_string.count("|") != 1:
      raise ValueError("Not exactly one instance of '|' in cluster_spec")

    job_name = job_string.split("|")[0]

    if not job_name:
      raise ValueError("Empty job_name in cluster_spec")

    job_def.name = job_name

    if FLAGS.verbose:
      print("Added job named \"%s\"" % job_name)

    job_tasks = job_string.split("|")[1].split(";")
    for i in range(len(job_tasks)):
      if not job_tasks[i]:
        raise ValueError("Empty task string at position %d" % i)

      job_def.tasks[i] = job_tasks[i]

      if FLAGS.verbose:
        print("  Added task \"%s\" to job \"%s\"" % (job_tasks[i], job_name))

def main(unused_args):
  # Create Protobuf ServerDef
  server_def = tf.train.ServerDef(protocol="grpc")

  # Cluster info
  parse_cluster_spec(FLAGS.cluster_spec, server_def.cluster)

  # Job name
  if not FLAGS.job_name:
    raise ValueError("Empty job_name")
  server_def.job_name = FLAGS.job_name

  # Task index
  if FLAGS.task_id < 0:
    raise ValueError("Invalid task_id: %d" % FLAGS.task_id)
  server_def.task_index = FLAGS.task_id

  # Create GRPC Server instance
  server = tf.train.Server(server_def)

  # join() is blocking, unlike start()
  server.join()

if __name__ == "__main__":
  tf.app.run()


text:
Fantasy Reading List: 2001 – A Space Odyssey
What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? 2001: A Space Odyssey was written at the same time as the film was in development. Arthur C Clarke and Stanley Kubrick collaborated on the story, and the book was published after the film was released, although they differ in detail and in… Continue reading Fantasy Reading List: 2001 – A Space Odyssey
Fantasy Reading List: American Gods
01/05/2017 29/01/2020 Jessica Davidson12 Comments
American Gods by Neil Gaiman is a multi-award winning fantasy novel that mashes up ancient and modern mythology and mixes it with mystery and some gruesome horror. I read the author's preferred text, which expands on the original, and found it disturbing, funny, thought provoking, and hugely enjoyable. I'm going to dig into the book… Continue reading Fantasy Reading List: American Gods
Review: Jake Fades by David Guy
This week I'm reading Jake Fades: a novel of impermanence by David Guy, about a Zen master who fixes bicycles and teaches meditation in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The tale is told by Hank, his long-time student, and the ageing Jake hopes that Hank will take over teaching from him. Commitment phobic Hank doesn't feel ready to… Continue reading Review: Jake Fades by David Guy
Fantasy Reading List: Station Eleven
02/05/2016 07/07/2018 Jessica DavidsonLeave a comment
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel is about a travelling Shakespearean theatre company set in post-apocalyptic America. You could call it speculative fiction or literary sci-fi, although Mandel herself calls it "literary fiction that's set partly in the future." Whatever the category, it's an extraordinary book; compelling and spellbinding. I couldn't stop reading, and… Continue reading Fantasy Reading List: Station Eleven
Fantasy Reading List: the Rivers of London series
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch is the first of his Urban Fantasy series set in London. The books feature Peter Grant, a mixed race policeman and apprentice wizard with an eye for the ladies and an inquiring mind. The series is hugely enjoyable and funny, each book has a case to solve and the… Continue reading Fantasy Reading List: the Rivers of London series
Fantasy Reading List
This year I'm on a quest to read more Fantasy books. The reason? I wrote a Fantasy novel by accident (it happens 😉 ), and now I need to familiarise myself with the genre. Normally I don't focus on particular genres and just read books that appeal to me based on story or interesting characters.… Continue reading Fantasy Reading List
Fantasy Fiction: a genre distinction too far
The Shining Ones · Writing
I wrote a Fantasy novel by accident. That's not an easy accident to have; not like tripping over your own feet or walking into a glass door. It's not that I was trying to write something else and it turned into Fantasy. I wasn't aiming for any genre in particular – I just wrote the… Continue reading Fantasy Fiction: a genre distinction too far
I walked carefully down the cobbled path under the giant archways of the Byker Bridge. I had started to think of them as Mindfulness Cobbles, since I always had to concentrate when walking on them. It was good practise, brought me right into the moment. My stomach lurched as I rounded the corner and the… Continue reading Addled Chapter 11: Dionysus Wept
Addled Chapter 9: A Grand Prix of Cogitation – part 1
Adam wasn't there when I arrived at the concrete seats. I leaned over the fence and watched the river tumble by, my breath condensing in the frigid air. A polite cough sounded behind me and I turned. Adam was sitting on one of the seats dressed in his usual exquisite tailored suit, having made no… Continue reading Addled Chapter 9: A Grand Prix of Cogitation – part 1
Addled Chapter 8: The Ultimate Subversion – part 2
I slammed the front door behind me, swept through to the living room, and flung myself on the sofa. Jonah was composing on his synth at his computer in the corner, headphones clamped to his ears. He slipped them off and spun his chair to face me. 'What happened?' he said, looking worried. 'He's a… Continue reading Addled Chapter 8: The Ultimate Subversion – part 2
Addled Chapter 7: Thumbprint of God
Fragmented images flashed and swirled about me, none of them lasting long enough to decipher. It was the tail end of a convoluted dream that had confused me even while I was having it, and I wanted to wake up and get back to reliable, linear reality. At last, I struggled into consciousness and lay… Continue reading Addled Chapter 7: Thumbprint of God
Addled Chapter 4: Little Miss Ouseburn
I stood before the open wardrobe and ran my eyes along the desultory collection of clothes huddled inside. Moving out was the perfect opportunity to get rid of my junk. There was stuff in here I hadn't worn in years and couldn't remember buying. I was going to have to be systematic and ruthless. Jonah… Continue reading Addled Chapter 4: Little Miss Ouseburn


Domonique Ramirez - the new poster girl for obese Americans.
Miss San Antonio, Domonique Ramirez has been sacked forgaining weight and alledgedly breaking other pageant rules.
The 17 year old Ramirez was crowned last April and was entitled to a shot at the upcoming Miss Texas beauty pageant.
Pageant officials removed Ramirez as Miss San Antonio last month after telling the teenager she violated numerous rules of her contract.
She is accussed of not being on time for events and even not turning up at all. The mistake they have made is also saying she has gained weight since being crowned.
That has immediately shifted the dispute from a performance issue, to a discrimination issue. According to statistics from ASCVS, Texas is one of the fattest states in America so it is bound to be unpopular if someone is sacked for being overweight.
Ramirez denies she has put on any weight and says she still thinks of herself as Miss San Antonio 2011. That has not stopped pageant organisers from announing the first-runner up, Ashley Dixon, as the new Miss San Antonio. A judge put issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting the pageant from promoting Dixon as the winner.
This is great tabloid fodder with two beauty queens vying for a crown and court case that will allow a significant amount of photo opportunities.
State District Judge Cynthia Stryker (an ironic name for a judge in the land of the 'three strikes' rule) says she will decide on Friday whether to grant Ramirez's attorney the chance to argue for a temporary injunction next week.
"I'm going to continue to represent the city as long as I can," Ramirez said.
"I haven't gained any weight," Ramirez said, as she ate a glazed donut during a lengthy wait in the Bexar County courthouse for the hearing to begin.
"She doesn't have clean hands" in the dispute, said Ben Wallis, an attorney for the pageant. Well that is not very nice Ben. How do you know? Do you hang around the ladies bathroom?
Newswarped estimates that Domonique Ramirez has about 2 minutes and 10 seconds left of her 5 minutes of fame. Good on her though for having a crack at the pageant organisers, they can be a bit precious at times.
Do you think I look fat in this?
Yes newswarped knew you were wondering what runner-up Ashley Dixon looked like, so here she is.


text:
KYLE KAISER MAINTAINS INDY LIGHTS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AFTER TOUGH WEEKEND AT THE MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE
Lexington, Ohio – After a difficult weekend in Rounds 13 and 14 of the Cooper Tires Indy Lights Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio Powered by Mazda, Juncos Racing's Kyle Kaiser still continues to lead the Indy Lights Championship Presented by Cooper Tires by 42 points. Nicolas Dapero earned his best qualifying position, starting seventh for Round 14 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
The Indy Lights series schedule for the weekend on the 2.258 mile, 13-Turn road course began with one practice session followed by two qualifying sessions.
Rookie Nicolas Dapero (Buenos Aires, Argentina) picked up his best qualifying position in the Indy Lights Series for Round 14, qualifying seventh. Dapero qualified 13th for Round 13 after too many red flags would not give the time he needed to get his pace into a strong rhythm. Kyle Kaiser (Los Gatos, California) took the sixth starting position for Round 13 and ninth position for Round 14.
Round 13 did not go as planned for the team with both drivers finishing outside the Top-10. Dapero, driving the #31 American Brokers Juncos Racing car was making his way through the field, when a mechanical issue forced his day to end with only four laps to go. Kasier finished 12th.
Round 14 concluded the weekend for the Indy Lights series. Dapero had strong pace throughout the race running in the Top-5, but would have to settle for eighth. Kaiser finished 12th for the second time.
Despite not receiving the results he hoped for Kaiser still maintains the championship lead and looks forward to moving onto the final oval of the season.
"Obviously this wasn't the weekend we were hoping for," said Kaiser. "We struggled for pace in the qualifying sessions and races. Fortunately we've built up a big buffer throughout the season in case we had a rough race weekend like this. I'm still extremely grateful for all of the hard work the team put in for me this weekend, and I know we'll all be motivated to do well at the next event. Our next step is to look ahead to Gateway this next month and get back to our strong performances that got us to where we currently are in the championship."
Despite the results he received in both races, Dapero had one of the best weekends during his qualifying sessions where he picked up his best qualifying position for the season.
"So far this was our best weekend," said Dapero. "We had ups and downs in both qualifying sessions. In the first one we couldn't get in rhythm after having so many red flags and in the second qualifying we were able to put the car in seventh, our best starting position so far. Both races were totally different. Race 1 we were coming from the back and moving to the front, but a mechanical issue took us out of the race. That didn't stop us from putting everything together in Race 2 where we fought our way to the Top-5. Overall it was a tough weekend, but we will keep working hard to end the season in the best way possible. I just want to thank Juncos Racing for all of their hard work, also American Brokers Assistance for their support!"
Team Principle Ricardo Juncos said "This wasn't our best weekend results wise for the 2017 season. We saw a lot of ups and downs throughout both qualifying sessions and races. Nico (Dapero) showed some of his strongest pace in qualifying for Round 7. He also made some great passes in both races and really showed how much he has grown into this series this year. Kyle (Kaiser) has been working so hard this season, staying consistent and scoring crucial points for this championship. This weekend is one we want to move on from and get back the strong momentum we have had during the season."
The 2017 Indy Lights Championship continues August 24-26th with Round 15 at Gateway Motorsports Park.