text:
March 7, 2008 Tenrikyo Fundamentals, Translationsmatsuri, red clothes, Tsutome, Yamanaka Koisoroykoogee
The following excerpt is from Omichi no joshiki [Tenrikyo Fundamentals] (pp. 88–91) by Koji Sato 佐藤浩司, assistant professor at Tenri University and instructor at Tenri Seminary. Note: This translation is a provisional one at the moment and may require further revision.
In Jiba, "Grand Services" are held on January 26 and October 26. The "festivals" falling on 26th of the remaining months of the year are called "Monthly Services."1
When the Service only consisted of chanting the divine name of Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, the 26th was referred as "go-meinichi" ("anniversary") and people gathered at the Residence to worship each month.
This was because God the Parent's promise at human creation was fulfilled when Oyasama was received as the Shrine of God on the 26th, which also marks the day when our teaching was founded. Each Tenrikyo church, fellowship, or home shrine all over the world follow suit and sets a particular day aside to hold a monthly service.
Oyasama once explained the significance of the 26th to Koiso Yamanaka as follows:
"A festival is called 'matsu-ri,' meaning 'wait' and 'principle.' Thus do not do anything else from the morning of the 26th. The only thing you must do on that day is to feel joy, 'how wonderful' and give thanks for the marvelous protection of God the Parent."
Anecdotes of Oyasama 59, "Festival"
The etymology of the word "matsuri" is often said to come from the participle form of the verb "tatematsuru" or "revere" as in revering to a Shinto or Buddhist deity. But according to the Meigentsu, another possible origin is "matsu-aru," meaning "having to wait." One can say that the Oyasama's words quoted above truly reveal to us the proper manner of "having to wait."
The Yamanakas were among Tenrikyo's earliest followers and Koiso often accompanied her parents when they visited Oyasama to receive instruction in the teachings. Koiso began to serve Oyasama in the beginning of 1878, when she was 28 years old. Her main tasks each day were to comb Oyasama's hair and sew Her red garments.
Then on April 28 (3/26 according to the lunar calendar), Koiso had finished cleaning and preparing for the "Festival" or Monthly Service. There was still time before it was to begin, so she asked, "Oyasama, may I have some red cloth to sew? It seems such a waste of time to be doing nothing from early morning."
Oyasama thought for a moment and said, "I understand," and She cut some red cloth and gave it to Koiso. Rejoicing, Koiso immediately began sewing, but no sooner when she put a stitch or two into the cloth, she was in complete darkness. She had lost the ability to see. Astonished, Koiso cried out "Oyasama! It was against the divine will to think I was wasting time." The moment when she resolved, "I will sew the red garment tomorrow," her eyes returned to normal and she was able to see again.
When Koiso later reported to Oyasama what had happened, she was told:
"I cut the red cloth because you, Koiso, said it was such a waste of time to be doing nothing from morning. Other than sweeping and cleaning, you need not do anything else on the 26th except perform the Service. You must not, My dear."
To Koiso, sewing Oyasama's red garments must have been an important way in which she served God. However, Oyasama told her that there was no need for her to do anything else on the 26th other than the Service. In fact, Oyasama clearly said, "You must not."
The task of "sweeping and cleaning" can be considered to mean all tasks to prepare for the "Festival" or Service.
There are countless numbers of religious ceremonies throughout world. With any ceremony, the people who are involved with the festival engage in purification rituals from an early stage and set up various arrangements to prepare for the big day.
The Tenrikyo Service is an important ceremony whose purpose is to save the entire world. We all know how essential its practice and preparation is, but we should to take a moment to re-examine how we ought to approach the day when it is conducted.
Next installment in this series: Buy Dearly, Sell Cheaply
*Note: This post has been revised since its original publication.
Koiso Yamanaka 山中こいそ married Ihachiro Yamada 山田伊八郎 (who later became the first minister of Shikishima Daikyokai 敷島大教会) in 1881. She was thereafter known as Ie (sometimes spelled Iye) Yamada 山田いゑ. This marriage is mentioned in Anecdotes of Oyasama 84, "In the Southern Half of the Province" (p. 70).
A note on translation: the same Chinese character is used to write "matsuri" (festival) and "sai," in the Japanese words for "Grand Service" (tai-sai) and "Monthly Service" (tsukinami-sai) ↩
Anecdotes of the Honseki Izo Iburi 67
No Distinction Between Female Pine or Male Pine
The Life of the Honseki Izo Iburi, Part Six
Blogging Anecdotes of Oyasama 101
← The Footsteps of Our Predecessors 24	The Footsteps of Our Predecessors 25 →


His Girlfriend Dumped Him. What Now?
Should She Write a Novel?
Why So Much Crappy Art?
Is Work/Life Balance a Con?
"Evil Is a Make-Believe Concept"
How could it have gone this wrong? We all believe in renewable energy sources. We detest fossil fuels. We know that renewables, like wind and solar and vegetation are clean and nice, good for Mother Nature and good for the environment. If vegetables are good for you, why would they not be good for your car?
Thus reasoned environmental activists when they lobbied for laws mandating certain levels of ethanol in gasoline. Why burn fossil fuels when you could burn corn and soybeans. Besides, Iowa liked ethanol. Iowa held the first presidential primary. Which political candidate in his right mind would dare disparage the deeply held political beliefs of Iowa corn farmers… etc.
Now, the Daily Caller reports that the ethanol mandate is destroying the environment. Who could have imagined such a thing. No one, that is. The nightly news and the cable talk shows have scrupulously avoided reporting on the new EPA study on ethanol.
"Evidence since enactment of [the Energy Independence and Security Act] suggests an increase in acreage planted with soybeans and corn, with strong indications from observed changes in land use that some of this increase is a consequence of increased biofuel production," read a portion of the 159-page report. Other findings from the study show: More ethanol from corn has resulted in greater nitrogen oxide emissions, greater demand for biofuel feedstock has contributed to harmful algae blooms, and increased irrigation has placed greater stress on water sources.
Essentially, the study found that biofuel mandates are boosting production of corn and soybeans. Large-scale production of these crops is causing environmental degradation. The EPA also found that — at least in some instances — using ethanol in lieu of gasoline resulted in worse air emissions.
Will this change anything? Not a chance.
Is it terrible that I think this is funny?
The most dangerous person to anything is an advocate. Most are so single minded about their area that they fail to see the negative, which in many cases are far more prevalent than the positive, ramifications of that short term thinking.
The sad part is that we have known about the real damage that ethanol can do. https://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/alternative-fuels/ethanol-damage-engine.htm In some cases there are fueling outlets where one can buy gasoline sans ethanol which will protect many small engines. Ethanol is dangerous to engines, the environment and to the food supply for both animals and people living at the margins throughout the world.
Whitney: Funny like a Three Stooges pratfall. Ya gotta laugh at the idiocy (related: just a few years ago, greenloons were insisting the Colorado River dams be destroyed and the reservoirs drained to restore the "natural flow"; now they want to use "excess" renewable energy to pump water back upriver into Lake Mead so CA will have a baseload "battery" when the wind ain't blowing).
But not really very funny at all when the costs are counted.
The truth is, its even worse than the report claims. Ethanol mandates and the resultant boost to corn prices are wrecking the very successful Conservation Reserve Program (i.e., America's "Soil Bank") as marginal grasslands, windbreaks, wetlands, and critical wildlife habitat are being converted back into newly-profitable low-yield cornfields. Not to mention sucking the Ogalalla Aquifer dry at a rate of over 59 billion gallons of water per year. Much to the delight of Archer-Daniels-Midland, the ag conglomerate and uber-lobbyist, I might add. It got so bad at one point that Mexico had food riots over rising masa prices as a result of what the NYT (2007) called the "tortilla tax".
Even the Pharaohs observed the ancient dictum, "don't burn the crops, stupid". But Progressives must Progress.
Progressive: When I hear or see this word, I think of cancer.
burning food has never made sense to me.
They are overlooking even more critical factors.
First and foremost, EtOH leads to increased corrosion rates. Damaged engines, fuel systems and pipelines cost far more to the environment than EtOH will ever save, even w/ the most favorable analysis for using it. This cost is in energy (including fossil fuels), increased pollution, damage to the environment for replacing pipelines, and time.


text:
@interface BOXFileVersionPromoteRequest : BOXRequest

- (instancetype)initWithFileID:(NSString *)fileID targetVersionID:(NSString *)versionID;
- (void)performRequestWithCompletion:(BOXFileVersionBlock)completionBlock;

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I submitted my piece on El Centro's 30th anniversary today. As ususal when I started writing this weekend I had too many words and sources. However I kept getting this feeling I needed more. I tried contacting others sources but they were in meetings or just didn't want to talk to me. I guess the journalism gods were telling me to just finish the damn story.
In an industry where we measure by inches, I've counterintuitively learned bigger isn't always better. But how do we know when its big enough? Journalists never finish their stories, we just surrender to the deadline.
I haven't mentioned Josh in this posting? He brought me a paper with one of his stories. I'm so proud of that kid.


Location bid adjustments are a Google AdWords feature that allows advertisers to show ads more or less frequently to potential customers in certain geographic areas. For instance, if you are running an AdWords campaign in the United States, you can use location bid adjustments to increase bids automatically for metropolitan areas, specific cities, states, or counties just to name a few of the currently available options. If you are targeting a city, you can set location bid adjustments for some or all of the zip codes to be more competitive in specific parts of town.
Go to your campaign settings and click on "Location". You will see something called "View location reports" with a drop down menu (see below). Click on the first option "What triggered your ad (geographic)".
Here is an example of some of the data AdWords provides for cities. If you have conversion tracking set up, you will see the data in this window as well.
Adjusting bids is a great way to get the most out of your budget because it's automated but can still be somewhat controlled by you. Whether you optimized for clicks, click-through-rate, or conversions, custom bid percentages are always useful.
Depending on how the campaigns are set up and what AdWords features you are using, these columns may differ.
This post originally appeared on International PPC, and is re-published with permission.


When I first saw this plane at the field I instantly wanted it. Its sleek fiber glass fuselage, practical size, high quality and incredible old school design make it must-have RC plane.
The ElectriFly Cosmic Wind is a very faithful replica of the 1947 monoplane designed specifically for The Goodyear Trophy, as part of the Formula One Air Racing.


ProjectorTeam is a direct authorized dealer for every Manufacturer we represent. Every manufacturer has a specific warranty for their product and our goal is to make sure that if anything goes wrong with your purchase, or it is not right, we are here to assist you in making sure it is corrected. As an authorized agent for the Manufacturer we will assist you with getting to the correct place in order to resolve your issues.
Many issues are not warranty related and ProjectorTeam's knowledgeable staff is here to walk you through those issues you may experience with the operation of your equipment.


The public television home page. -- http://www.fit2stitch.com. Our educational sewing home page. -- http://www.silhouettepatterns.com Join the Silhouette Buddies on Facebook! -- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Silhouette-Patterns/129772940391590 Peggy Holds a degree in Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising from Brigham Young University. As a mother to four sons, Peggy spends her time divided between teaching and creating new patterns for Silhouette Patterns, a line of contemporary patterns available to the home sewer. During her career she has taught college courses in pattern drafting and design. She professionally drafts patterns for individuals and manufacturers all across the country ranging from golf apparel to black tie performances. In addition to apparel designs, Peggy has designed the patterns of the costumes worn by the Mens Olympic Figure Skating Gold Medalist, Elvis Stojko.
Step by step how to guide to fitting personalised & private number plates to your vehicle. Includes how to drill and fit without damaging the delicate reflective backings. From Regplates.com numberplate dealer with 20 years industry experience.
Elsa Hosk is prepping for her sexiest look yet. Check out her Victoria's Secret fitting for a sneak peak of her costume, bound for the Paris runway. Subscribe to Harper's Bazaar: http://bit.ly/SUBSCRIBEtoBAZAAR https://www.facebook.com/HarpersBazaar https://twitter.com/harpersbazaarus https://www.instagram.com/harpersbazaarus/ https://www.pinterest.com/harpersbazaar/?auto_follow=1 America's first fashion magazine, Harper's Bazaar has showcased the visions of legendary editors, photographers and stylists since 1867.
Princess Leah prepares for her Royal Birthday Celebration at Tea Party Castle. Thank you to Her Majesty, Queen Sherrie.
The characters of this story are Ann and her husband, who remains unnamed. Ann is upset with her husband for his views on interracial marriage. They argue while carelessly doing the dishes. When she becomes upset by his admittance that he would not marry her if she were black, she responds by becoming indifferent, flipping slowly through a magazine. The husband must act similarly. The husband views himself as considerate, for he often helps around the house, but he isn't too concerned if his opinions hurt his wife or she thinks they're rather stupid. He expects the matter to be dropped when he comes to her aid, after she's cut her thumb. He is seen as a less than genuine person, doing things out of effect rather than sincere desire. Closer to the end of the story, he begins to feel overwhelmed with thoughts of love for his wife, and when he returns from taking out the garbage, he tells her he would marry her no matter what. He waits for a response but is given none. And he waits alone in bed for her, while it seems to him she has become a stranger.
"Say Yes" is a song recorded by American recording artist Michelle Williams, taken from her fourth studio album Journey to Freedom (2014). It features Williams' former Destiny's Child groupmates Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland. The song was written by Williams, Carmen Reece, Al Sherrod Lambert and Harmony Samuels who also produced it. E1 Music released "Say Yes" as the album's third single on June 2, 2014. "Say Yes" marks the third time the trio collaborated as solo artists following the disbandment of their group in 2006.
Musically, "Say Yes" is an uptempo gospel and pop song, which takes influence from dance music. It samples a popular Nigerian gospel tune originally titled "When Jesus Says Yes". Upon release, "Say Yes" received generally favorable reviews from contemporary music critics who called the song infectious and praised its catchiness. Commercially the song performed well on the gospel charts in the US, peaking at number one for seven non-consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot Gospel Songs. It also appeared on charts in the UK, France and Belgium across Europe. Billboard ranked "Say Yes" seventh on the 2014 year-end Hot Gospel Songs chart.


Richmond International Education (RIE) is looking for local families to host international students for the international summer camp in July and August.
Interested families should come to an information session or contact us directly at study@sd38.bc.ca (link sends e-mail) to se up an appointment.
Please find more details in the attachment below.


text:
Justin Fugo
I was born and raised in Syracuse, NY, (Go 'Cuse!), which, despite its reputation for frigid temperatures and record snowfall, conjures up warm memories of great times spent with family and friends. It is also where I first discovered my love of philosophy. During my senior year religion class at Bishop Ludden Junior-Senior High School, Rev. Dan Muscalino decided to take his students on an adventure in critical thinking by introducing us to some of the major thinkers and themes in the history of philosophy.
As an undergraduate at Siena College, I pursued my passion for philosophy and received a rigorous education in the history of philosophy, with specialized training in the Continental tradition. This training, coupled with Siena's Franciscan values which foster diversity, respect for the uniqueness and dignity of each person, and special concern for the poor and marginalized, helped to shape my character and fueled my desire to "practice philosophy for social change." During my junior year, I embarked on a journey to study abroad in Senegal. This experience was deeply formative, helping to shape me as a person and pique my initial interest in African philosophy. During my time in Senegal, I lived with a caring Senegalese family in Dakar, met amazing people, made lasting friendships, ate delicious food, and danced to some of the world's greatest music -- all while my desire to promote positive change continued to grow.
Following college graduation, I made a decision that would change my life forever and further direct me on my life's path. I joined the Peace Corps, and was stationed in Cameroon. In the rural village of Makak, I was far away from academia, yet philosophy was in practice every day as I was directly engaged in projects geared toward social transformation. My primary task as a Community Health Development Agent in my village was to work alongside my Cameroonian counterpart Roger Ndebi to help the Youth Development Foundation -- a Cameroonian NGO -- with their peer education program. This program trains youth in reproductive health education and life skills with the hope that these young people can benefit personally, and bring this knowledge back to their local communities. I also worked on other grassroots projects such as coordinating and fundraising for the installation of potable water sites, and helping a women's group develop and grow an income generating project. Working primarily with young people offered me time during the school day to sit outside my office to read and chat with people walking by -- Cameroonians care more about how one gets where one is going, as opposed to when one arrives, so stopping to talk was commonplace. Being a white man in a rural African village was an easy conversation starter, and my love of philosophical dialogue fueled countless exchanges with those who passed by. These conversations, coupled with the time I spent in communion around the palm wine jug, inaugurated my informal education in African philosophy, and showed me the meaning and value of a simple, yet profound, Cameroonian expression -- on est ensemble (we are together). For me, this ethos contains a powerful imperative that one should not only be concerned with individual flourishing, but committed to the flourishing of all, because one's own well-being is intimately related to the well-being of others.
After returning home from the Peace Corps, I knew I wanted to formally return to philosophy, and bring African philosophy to bear on persistent philosophical and practical problems. With the help of many faculty members at Boston College, specifically Rev. Charles Oduke, who worked with me independently in African philosophy, I began to see promise in this journey. During my time at BC, and the time I spent researching at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, I became engrossed in Lewis Gordon's work, which led me to pursue my Ph.D. at Temple University. Under Lewis's mentorship, my previous training in Continental thought was bolstered, I gained a deeper understanding of the broader Africana tradition, and I became increasingly aware of the centrality of race and racism in the development of the human sciences and daily life -- all of which were central to my dissertation. I created and developed this project with the support of many colleagues whom I admire and respect. My dissertation would not have been possible without the patience and critical eye of my chair, Espen Hammer, and the unwavering support and specialized knowledge of Miriam Solomon and the late Joe Margolis.
Currently an Assistant Professor of Instruction in Temple's Intellectual Heritage Program and a Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Haverford College, I reside just outside of Philadelphia with my wife and best friend, Rachel, whose wisdom and support help guide me, and our four rambunctious and amazing children. Being a father further ignites my passion to "practice philosophy for social change" with the hope of bringing forth a world that reflects that on est ensemble.
Copyright © 2023 Justin Fugo, Ph.D.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Filtering multiple XML nodes using XPath in PostgreSQL There is an XML with the structure:
- Item
  - Documents
    - Document
      - Records
        - Record
          - Category
            - Code
          - Value

And here is the SQL query that selects record values filtered by category code
SELECT  (xpath('/ns:Record/ns:Value/text()', rec, ARRAY[ARRAY['ns', 'http://some-ns']]))[1]::text AS val
FROM    (
    SELECT  unnest(xpath('/ns:Item/ns:Documents/ns:Document/ns:Records/ns:Record[ns:Category/ns:Code/text()="MAIN.CAT001"]',
               '<Item xmlns="http://some-ns"><Documents><Document><Records><Record><Category>MAIN.CAT001</Category><Value>Value 001</Value></Record><Record><Category>MAIN.CAT002</Category><Value>Value 002</Value></Record><Record><Category>MAIN.CAT003</Category><Value>Value 003</Value></Record></Records></Document></Documents></Item>'::xml,
               ARRAY[ARRAY['ns', 'http://some-ns']])) AS rec
) t

Is it possible to filter "records" not only by one "category code", but by multiple ones?
I mean I'd like to use filter like this
ns:Record[ns:Category/ns:Code/text()=("MAIN.CAT001", "MAIN.CAT003")]

or this
ns:Record[ns:Category/ns:Code/text()="MAIN.CAT001" or ns:Category/ns:Code/text()="MAIN.CAT003"]

But both solution don't work

A: Try using contains(ns:Code,"MAIN.CAT001") or contains(ns:Code,"MAIN.CAT003")]:
SELECT  (xpath('/ns:Record/ns:Value/text()', rec, ARRAY[ARRAY['ns', 'http://some-ns']]))[1]::text AS val
FROM    (
  SELECT
    unnest(xpath('/ns:Item/ns:Documents/ns:Document/ns:Records/ns:Record[ns:Category[contains(ns:Code,"MAIN.CAT001") or contains(ns:Code,"MAIN.CAT003")]]',
                 '<Item xmlns="http://some-ns"><Documents><Document><Records><Record><Category>MAIN.CAT001</Category><Value>Value 001</Value></Record><Record><Category>MAIN.CAT002</Category><Value>Value 002</Value></Record><Record><Category>MAIN.CAT003</Category><Value>Value 003</Value></Record></Records></Document></Documents></Item>'::xml,
                 ARRAY[ARRAY['ns', 'http://some-ns']])) AS rec
) t;

    val
-----------
 Value 001
 Value 003

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


We all know that our pets have feelings, but we never associate them with the intense emotions that humans experience, like depression. Sadly, animals can experience those feelings, too. In fact, they have the ability to feel a whole a lot of feelings, and it is our job to detect and help them through them all.
One of the saddest things to realize is when your own dog or cat is feeling depressed, but they don't have the ability to verbally express it. So it is a must to keep an eye on them and watch for all the signs, including this list of the 10 hidden signs your pet is depressed.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED TO KNOW MORE, CLICK ON THE NEXT PAGE!


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Spent half the day working on lesson plans for my new ESL job, the other half watching the end of the Netflix series: House of Cards. SPOILER ALERT! What I love about the series is the causes that lead to effects one wouldn't imagine: falling off the wagon, suicide, lawsuits, realizations that characters may have assisted in murder.
I know it is a fictional story, but all good stories have a nugget of truth in them. It makes me think of the causes I may have had a hand in that have led to effects I'd never bargained for. The idea that if I had not decided to go to EMU back in 1997, I would not be sitting here, tapping away in the Bronx. Where would life have led me? Something better? Something worse?


The lowest unemployment rate in over two decades, baby boomers retiring at an incredible 10,000 per day, a skilled labor shortage in just about every industry — there are plenty of reasons why recruiters are up for a major challenge when hiring top talent in today's market. Human Resources professionals are already under extraordinary pressure when it comes to employee retention, so it's doubly frustrating when vacancies remain unfilled for weeks and even months on end.
It's not just recruiters that are feeling the heat amid today's talent shortage. Plenty of worldwide surveys with employers show that difficulty hiring qualified candidates for key roles contributes to a dip in team morale and productivity. Simply put, if your recruitment strategy is unsuccessful, it's a safe bet that your current employees aren't performing at their best either.
Thankfully, not all is lost. By utilizing the talent acquisition strategies below, you can finally begin filling critical vacancies in record time.
Strategy #1: Proactively solicit resumes and build databases of talent for hard-to-fill vacancies.
More often than not, an organization's recruitment strategy is reactive versus proactive. Most recruiters follow a "post and pray" technique, soliciting resumes and cover letters from candidates only when jobs become available.
Instead, you should put efficiency at a premium when it comes to finding the right people for your company. By building evergreen pipelines that solicit resumes on an ongoing basis, you can spend less time gathering resumes and more time screening candidates for the best fit.
Additionally, recruiters that make an effort to consistently build and maintain a database of candidates with highly sought-after skill sets can often circumvent the frustrating process of posting a role to various job sites entirely. This allows you to reach out to candidates directly, and make an even stronger case for your organization and the role itself.
Partner with companies that excel in specialized recruitment. While building a database with qualified candidates can be a challenge — especially for an organization that's new to this type of recruitment — it's often more cost- and time-effective to partner with a firm that already had a well-established database of job-seekers. Plus, recruitment firms that have an advanced candidate screening process can often search for candidates based on very specific skill sets and competencies — something even the most robust internal database may not be able to do.
Work with an agency that can expedite the screening process. Many recruitment firms employ specialized screening processes that filter out candidates based on a variety of factors — skills, experience level, and cultural fit just to name a few. Since it can take up to four months to fill a mid- to senior-level vacancy in today's market1, this can expedite an already lengthy process and save money down the line.
Strategy #2: Focus on candidates with specialized training and on-the-job experience rather than only those with a college degree.
As the demand for highly-qualified job seekers increases, many companies are starting to relax many of the requirements traditionally attached to specialized or more junior roles. In fact, companies like Apple, Costco and Google are leading the charge in the "new collar" trend, retiring their long-held requirement that recruits hold a degree from a four-year college or university.
Given that nearly two-thirds of American adults do not have a college degree, this strategy is a wise one for companies that have consistent difficulty finding enough qualified candidates for a role. Since many skilled workers have gained much of their expertise on the job or through a specialized training program, companies would be wise to tap into these often overlooked talent pools.
Focus the talent search on programs rather than graduates. Plenty of programs specialize in providing participants with very specific, highly-applicable skill sets — often in accelerated formats designed to get candidates fully qualified for a role in a matter of weeks or months. Start by identifying which programs focus on sought-after skill sets that your organization needs, and create partnerships with these programs in order to get "first dibs" on new grads.
Strategy #3: Get up to speed on new recruitment trends and platforms that modern job seekers are likely to frequent.
Searching for a job looks vastly different today than it did just a few years ago. The rise of social media and AI-based recruitment platforms puts job-seekers at a distinct advantage when it comes to finding and applying for multiple jobs — and often, comparing various organizations for the best fit.
A recruiter's best bet in appealing to a new generation of job seekers is to understand the tools they use to find and compare opportunities. This includes how job descriptions are phrased, since a poorly-written job description could cause candidates to misunderstand the requirements of a role — and end up being part of the 1 in 3 new hires2 that leave their job after six months or less.
Well-written job descriptions go far beyond just listing the essential responsibilities of a role, too. Accurately representing your company's culture can drastically increase response rate — especially since 6 in 10 millennial respondents in a recent Deloitte survey said that a "sense of purpose" is a top priority in their work3. Simply put, articulating your company's culture and values is a critical element too often overlooked in job postings — and it's an easy thing to fix.
Include your current team in recruitment discussions. If you have young or new employees that have been with your organization for less than a year, take the time to ask them about how they found your company and what stood out to them in the job description. This will help you hone in on what works and what doesn't when it comes to articulating your company's values and culture in a written format.
Tap into insights and knowledge from specialized recruitment and staffing firms. Consultants that specialize in staffing can be a wealth of knowledge when it comes to emerging trends in recruitment. After all, it's their job to know what's coming so they can position themselves to be a vital resource in organizations' recruiting efforts. Their databases, networks and deep expertise could be exactly what your organization needs to level-up your recruitment efforts.
In today's quickly moving digital landscape, recruiters simply can't afford to waste time and resources with underperforming recruitment strategies. Contact our team to find out how LINK Staffing can help you level up your efforts.


The Bank Board of Národná banka Slovenska today (5 September) held its 16th meeting of 2017, chaired by Jozef Makúch, the NBS Governor.
The Bank Board discussed and approved a draft Decree of Národná banka Slovenska amending Decree No 5/2015 of Národná banka Slovenska on how to demonstrate compliance with conditions for the granting of prior approval of Národná banka Slovenska under Article 77(1) of Act No 39/2015 Coll. on insurance (and amending certain laws).
The Decree will extend the conditions with which legal entities are required to comply in order to be eligible for prior approval under Article 77(1)(a) to (c) of the Act on insurance, by requiring the submission of the results of a criminal record check of such entity. To be eligible for the prior approval, a legal entity must satisfactorily demonstrate that it will ensure sound and prudent management of the insurance or reinsurance undertaking referred to in the approval. An entity cannot be so eligible if it has committed a crime under Act No 91/2016 Coll. on criminal liability of legal entities (and amending certain laws), which lays down the grounds for criminal liability of legal entities.
The Decree will enter into force on 1 October 2017.
The Bank Board discussed and approved a draft Decree of Národná banka Slovenska amending Decree No 8/2015 of Národná banka Slovenska on how to demonstrate compliance with conditions under which undertakings not subject to a special regime may be authorised to conduct insurance business or reinsurance business.
The Decree will extend the conditions with which legal entities with a qualifying holding in an insurance or reinsurance undertaking are required to comply in order to be eligible for an authorisation to conduct insurance or reinsurance business, by requiring the submission of the results of a criminal record check of such entity. To be eligible for the authorisation, a legal entity with a qualifying holding in an insurance or reinsurance undertaking must satisfactorily demonstrate that it will ensure sound and prudent management of the undertaking. An entity cannot be so eligible if it has committed a crime under Act No 91/2016 Coll. on criminal liability of legal entities (and amending certain laws), which lays down the grounds for criminal liability of legal entities.
The Bank Board discussed and approved a draft Decree of Národná banka Slovenska amending Decree No 35/5015 of Národná banka Slovenska on how insurance undertakings subject to a special regime are to demonstrate compliance with the conditions for the granting of an authorisation to conduct insurance business.
The Decree will extend the conditions with which legal entities with a qualifying holding in an insurance undertaking are required to comply in order to be eligible for an authorisation to conduct insurance business, by requiring the submission of the results of a criminal record check of such entity. To be eligible for the authorisation, a legal entity with a qualifying holding in an insurance undertaking must satisfactorily demonstrate that it will ensure sound and prudent management of the undertaking. An entity cannot be so eligible if it has committed a crime under Act No 91/2016 Coll. on criminal liability of legal entities (and amending certain laws), which lays down the grounds for criminal liability of legal entities.
The Bank Board approved the notification of the issuance of a €100 gold collector coin featuring World Natural Heritage - Caves of Slovak Karst.
Designed by Roman Lugár and produced by the Kremnica Mint, the gold euro collector coin is made of gold (90%), silver (7.5%) and copper (2.5%), weighs 9.5 g and measures 26 mm in diameter. It is due to go on sale in November 2017.
The Bank Board approved the notification of the issuance of a €25 silver collector coin commemorating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Slovak Republic.
Designed by Pavel Károly and produced by the Kremnica Mint, the euro collector coin is made of pure silver (99.9%), weighs 31.1035 g and measures 40 mm in diameter. It is due to go on sale in January 2018.
The Bank Board approved the notification of the issuance of a €2 commemorative coin marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Slovak Republic.
Due to be issued in January 2018, the commemorative coin will have the same technical parameters as normal €2 coins and will be legal tender in Slovakia and the rest of the euro area. Its national side was designed by Pavel Károly. The coin is being produced by the Kremnica Mint, with a total issuing volume of one million coins.


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Q: Generating random values in Swift between two integer values I'm trying to generate random values between two integers. I've tried this, which starts from 0,
let randomNumber = arc4random_uniform(10)
println(randomNumber)

But I need a value between 10 and 50.

A: try this
let randomNumber = arc4random_uniform(40) + 10
println(randomNumber)

in general form
let lower : UInt32 = 10
let upper : UInt32 = 50
let randomNumber = arc4random_uniform(upper - lower) + lower
println(randomNumber)

A: This is an option for Swift 4.2 and above using the random() method, which makes it easy!
let randomInt = Int.random(in: 10...50)

The range can be a closed (a...b) or half open (a..<b) range.

A: more simple way of random number generator
func random(min: Int, max: Int) -> Int {
    return Int(arc4random_uniform(UInt32(max - min + 1))) + min
}

A: If you want a reusable function with simple parameters:
func generateRandomNumber(min: Int, max: Int) -> Int {
    let randomNum = Int(arc4random_uniform(UInt32(max) - UInt32(min)) + UInt32(min))
    return randomNum
}


text:
Q: why data are passing back but SwiftUi not updating Text I get to pass back data via closure, so new name is passed, but my UI is not updating. The new name of the user is printed when I go back to original view, but the text above the button is not getting that new value.
In my mind, updating startingUser should be enough to update the ContentView.
my ContentView:
@State private var startingUser: UserData?

var body: some View {

        VStack {
            Text(startingUser?.name ?? "no name")
            Text("Create start user")
                .onTapGesture {
                    startingUser = UserData(name: "Start User")
                }
        }
        .sheet(item: $startingUser) { userToSend in

            DetailView(user: userToSend) { newOnePassedFromWhatDoneInEDitView in
                startingUser = newOnePassedFromWhatDoneInEDitView
                print("✅ \(startingUser?.name)")
            }
        }

}

my EditView:
struct DetailView: View {

    @Environment(\.dismiss) var dismiss
    var user: UserData
    var callBackClosure: (UserData) -> Void

    @State private var name: String

    var body: some View {
        NavigationView {
            Form {
                TextField("your name", text: $name)
            }
            .navigationTitle("edit view")
            .toolbar {
                Button("dismiss") {
                    var newData = self.user
                    newData.name = name
                    newData.id = UUID()

                    callBackClosure(newData)

                    dismiss()
                }
            }
        }

    }

    init(user: UserData,  callBackClosure: @escaping (UserData) -> Void ) {
        self.user = user
        self.callBackClosure = callBackClosure
        _name = State(initialValue: user.name)
    }
}

struct DetailView_Previews: PreviewProvider {
    static var previews: some View {
        DetailView(user: UserData.example) { _ in}
    }
}

my model
    struct UserData: Identifiable, Codable, Equatable {

        var id = UUID()
        var name: String

        static let example = UserData(name: "Luke")

        static func == (lhs: UserData, rhs: UserData) -> Bool {
            lhs.id == rhs.id
        }

}

update
using these changes solves the matter, but my question remains valid, cannot understand the right reason why old code not working, on other projects, where sheet and text depends on the same @state var it is working.
adding
@State private var show = false

adding
.onTapGesture {
      startingUser = UserData(name: "Start User")
      show = true
      }

changing
.sheet(isPresented: $show) {

                DetailView(user: startingUser ?? UserData.example) { newOnePassedFromWhatDoneInEDitView in
                    startingUser = newOnePassedFromWhatDoneInEDitView
                    print("✅ \(startingUser!.name)")
                }
            }

A: The reason Text is not showing you the updated user name that you are passing in the closure is, your startingUser property will be set to nil when you dismiss the sheet because you have bind that property with sheet. Now after calling callBackClosure(newData) you are calling dismiss() to dismiss the sheet. To overcome this issue you can try something like this.
struct ContentView: View {
    @State private var startingUser: UserData?
    @State private var updatedUser: UserData?

    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            Text(updatedUser?.name ?? "no name")
            Text("Create start user")
                .onTapGesture {
                    startingUser = UserData(name: "Start User")
                }
        }
        .sheet(item: $startingUser) { userToSend in
            DetailView(user: userToSend) { newUser in
                updatedUser = newUser
                print("✅ \(updatedUser?.name ?? "no name")")
            }
        }
    }
}

I would suggest you to read the Apple documentation of sheet(item:onDismiss:content:) and check the example from the Discussion section to get more understanding.


I had been on the Ideal Protein diet and stopped. Since then I feel horrible. I am tired all the time, moody, having dizzy spells,no energy! Went to the Doctor and had tests and everything came back fine. Decided it was time to go back to the life style of Ideal Protein and this time for life. I felt energized, slept well, and all around felt better. Also gain more weight then when I had originally started with. So here looking for recipes!
I recently turned 50 and it feels like no matter how much I eat or exercise I gain weight!


text:
May 17, 2017 1:53PM ET
Watch Harry Styles Perform Heavy 'Carolina' on 'Late Late Show'
Singer also handled James Corden's monologue during late-night takeover
Ryan Reed
Ryan Reed's Most Recent Stories
Hear Sleater-Kinney's Dark, Experimental New Song 'The Center Won't Hold'
Bad Religion Expand 'Age of Unreason' Tour With New Fall Dates
Avril Lavigne Drives Hearse in Eerie 'I Fell in Love With the Devil' Video
Harry Styles closed Tuesday's Late Late Show with a thunderous live version of "Carolina," a stomping rocker from his recently issued debut solo LP. The former One Direction singer built from a folky strum to a distorted hard-rock chorus, backed by "la la la" vocals and massive drum fills.
The recent Rolling Stone cover star pulled double-duty during the episode: Prior to the performance, he took over James Corden's opening monologue (which included an extended riff on Pirates of the Caribbean) and joked about fleeing a boy band for a solo career in desk piece "Side Effects Include…"
The multi-faceted gig continued Styles' week-long Late Late Show residency, which kicked off Monday with a live take on power-ballad "Sign of the Times." The singer also performed "Carolina" last week on Today.
Styles will kick off a North American tour behind his new album on September 19th in San Francisco.
In This Article: Harry Styles,	Late-Night TV,	The Late Late Show With James Corden


text:
Topic: "Operation: Fearless" a Freespace Story - Chapter 4 - Part 1
Author Topic: "Operation: Fearless" a Freespace Story - Chapter 4 - Part 1 (Read 793 times)
"Operation: Fearless" a Freespace Story - Chapter 4 - Part 1
on: March 21, 2021, 05:05:25 pm
Link to Chapter 3 Part 2
Chapter – 4: Raiders on the Storm
October 10th, 2367 – 01:30 Hours, TGT
The flight deck of the Phoenicia was a hellish copy of the Aquitaine's. While that destroyer's had been used, worn, but intact and organized, the Phoenicia's was barely functional. Holes torn in the bulkheads had been patched up with loose bits of scrap. Piles of debris littered the outskirts of the room. On top of that, the whole room stank of oil, lubricant, and scorched insulation. In place of the elevated platform, which had been on the Aquitaine, there was a number of cargo containers shoved loosely together. Repair crews continued to work despite the gathering that was taking place among them.
Alpha and Gamma wings, along with several other Terran and Vasudan pilots stood row on row, facing the improvised platform, as Major Kaplan addressed those gathered. The emotional and physical strain of the events of the last twenty-one hours were beginning to wear Sacks down. He found himself blinking more than usual, and occasionally his longer blinks would leave his eyes rolling upward while they were closed. He also had a pounding headache from all the bright contrast of beams and explosions against the blackness of space. Medical personnel moved down the line, injecting each pilot with a stimulant.
"According to the assessment of our engineers," began Kaplan, "The Phoenicia can be repaired sufficiently to withdraw her from the system within our timeframe, however as not as soon as we had hoped, therefore we will have to rely on a backup plan.
"Our original plan would have us bring our entire force into the nebula all at once, but instead we will have to send a small crew ahead to reactivate the Yorktown, as well as another group to perform our first mission of Phase 2. For the details, I will once again defer to Lt. Commander Snipes."
Snipes stepped forward to the front of the platform and addressed the pilots. "I apologize for the injections, but many of you have been awake since 04:30 hours yesterday, and Command isn't taking any chances. These injections, one for Terran body chemistry, one for Vasudan, will allow you to remain awake and alert for the next several hours. The rest of your fellow pilots will be catching some sleep in the meantime.
"Theta and Mu wings will be providing escort for the GTT Notus, GTT Sunder, Lambda 1 and 2, Iota and Sigma wings, and the Hamako. You'll be getting cover fire from the GTC Sparta and GVCv Maahes. Delta and Tau wings will be providing escort. Most of these vessels will initially jump to the Yorktown to off-load cargo and personnel. After that however, they will participate in our first operational mission of Phase 2."
At this point, the medical officer reached Sacks, and pressed an epidermal absorption syringe to his neck. The sensation was akin to the coarse tong of a cat licking his neck for a moment, and then it was done. Sacks felt a momentary wave of dizziness wash over him, but being a pilot he was able to remain upright and visibly unfazed. When his head cleared, Sacks' headache was gone, and his chronic blinking subsided.
"Hey, this stuff really DOES work," he thought to himself, then followed up with, "I hope there aren't any side effects. Probably more in long-term repeated use."
"At this time, I must inform you that many of the fighters and bombers you have been using up to this point will not be used for any missions beyond evacuation of the Phoenicia. Terran craft available will include the Ares, Erinyes, Pegasus, and Boanerges. The Ares will be our primary heavy assault, the Erinyes will cover interceptor, space superiority, and some assault, the Pegasus will obviously be our scout, but can also act as an interceptor, and the Boanerges is obviously our primary bomber. Vasudan craft available will include the Serapis, Tauret, Ptah, Sekhmet and Bakha. We will have some additional craft available for a select set of missions for Phase 2, which brings me to the first mission." Snipes then activated the partially functional wall display, which flickered often, but did its job.
"Once our convoy has entered the nebula and safely jumped, Omega wing will jump directly to its first mission. Omega wing will consist of four pilots that I have personally selected. This mission requires solid nerves and improvisation. Pilots that will make up Omega wing will be called forward. If you are called, remain behind after the rest of the pilots have been dismissed. Those of you who are not called upon will be reorganized into a mixed, improvised squadron of Terran and Vasudan pilots." Snipes paused, then pulled out a clipboard.
"From the 77th Black Sheep," he began, "Commander Elizabeth Tanner and Lieutenant Percy Sacks. From the 203rd Scorpions, Commander Habu and Lieutenant Ka-Rek. All other pilots report to briefing room two for your mission details. Some of you will be called upon to assist Omega wing. Dismissed!"
The remaining Terran and Vasudan pilots filed out towards the briefing room. "Omega wing, forward," called Snipes. The four pilots stepped up to just ahead of the podium, and Snipes stepped off. "Let's take a walk," he said and headed off towards the back of the bay with the four pilots in tow. At the back they passed by a pair of security officers guarding a scorched door, who saluted when Snipes approached, and opened the door for him. They passed through a small connecting corridor, and then through another door also covered by security. The four pilots then stopped dead in their tracks, as they gazed upon the four Mara class fighters being held in maintenance clamps.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Sacks began with a bit of a smile, "let me introduce you to your new rides. For the purposes of this mission, you'll need to be able to interact with Shivan forces at close range, without drawing attention. For this you'll be flying these Shivan Mara class fighters, which our engineers have modified for Terran and Vasudan use. I have personally flown in one, so I know that they're both safe and combat worthy."
The four pilots continued to stare past Snipes in disbelief at the fighters of their enemy. Sacks didn't know if his instincts were telling him to draw his sidearm and open fire, or if he should walk over to it and give it a kiss. The only tangible thought crossing his mind was, "I can't believe that I'm gonna fly THAT!"
"If I can pull you away from the beauties for a moment," interrupted Snipes with an ironic smile, "your briefing is set up at this end of the bay."
Fortunately, the screen Snipes had set up was facing away from the Maras, otherwise they might never had heard a word he said.
"Your first objective is to scout ahead of our convoy and assess the enemy presence at the nebular jumpnode. The Hamako will jump in and try to keep any Shivan forces from calling in for assistance. After the convoy completes its jump to the Nebula, it will then jump to rendezvous with the Yorktown. Your wing however will jump to another set of coordinates.
"The rest of our pilots won't be made aware of the primary objectives of Phase 2 until they are aboard the Yorktown, but since your wing is jumping directly to your next mission, I'll fill you in now. With the exception of escort missions, most of Phase 2 will consist of the capture and recovery of Shivan cargo and craft, including fighters, bombers, transports, freighters and… other craft."
At this, Sacks was noticeably surprised. "And here I thought we were gonna be trying to cut off the Shivans supply lines or something," he thought. "If we were gonna be destroying cargo and freight, that would fit, but capturing… that means either study or… we're gonna be USING them."
"Before our forces withdrew from the Nebula," continued Snipes, "a SOC scouting wing detected a Shivan supply base, located just beyond the outskirts of a region of intense EMP activity. It is patrolled by two wings of fighters, one of Astaroth interceptor fighters, and one of Aeshema heavy assault. There are also a number of sentries deployed. Your first objective is to scan all cargo present, as well as any transports that might be there. Above all, avoid engaging any of the Shivans until the Hamako arrives. If you do, you run the risk of the Shivans deploying reinforcements. The Hamako will have two wings of escorts, flying Erinyes. Once the AWACS arrives, your primary objective is to eliminate all hostiles, including the sentries. Pay special attention to any fighters that might threaten the Hamako. If the ship goes down, or if its AWACS subsystem is disabled, this whole party'll be for nothing. Also, some of the Shivans may attempt to escape from the combat area. If they are successful, they'll bring in reinforcements… same result. Once the hostiles are down, continue to provide cover until our cargo recovery operation has been completed. To confuse the Shivans, we will do everything we can to extract the cargo from the pods rather than just running off with them wholesale. Once the recovery is done, you will destroy the empty cargo pods and anything else deemed unworthy of recovery. After that, we'll withdraw to the Yorktown.
"Just as your less advanced fighters and bombers are being withheld from Phase 2, all weapons in use for Phase 2 and beyond will be the most advanced available. For this mission, we advise you to use the new UD-8 Kayser. It is a quantum leap over your older Subach HL-7. The Kayser has a more noticeable energy drain and reduced fire rate, but its damage factors have been augmented considerably. You may also chose between the GTW-66 Maxim cannon and the older SDG Disruptor. The Maxim has high factors for hull and subsystem damage, fire rate, and range, but it has limited shield damage and a high energy drain. Additional new weapons will be available once you reach the Yorktown. For missiles, we're recommending you mount one bank of the Tornado missiles, which is an improved variant of the Hornet, though you are permitted to mount Harpoons if you wish. For your second missile bay, we recommend that you mount a bank of Stiletto II missiles, should you need them to disrupt a target for capture, but you may choose to carry Tempests, or additional anti-fighter missiles. Although it is available, we highly recommend against using the GTM-55 Trebuchet, as its extreme range within the nebula is of little use. Any questions?"
A Vasudan male, Commander Habu, raised his hand, and Snipes gave him a nod to proceed.
"I have done extensive historical research concerning the Shivans encountered during the Great War," began the Vasudan, in his calm and respectful voice.
"Is that anything like his ACTUAL voice? Does the translator pick up inflections and voice tone?" thought Sacks, who had limited experience with the Vasudans, especially face to face.
"Including those partially classified documents concerning the capture and subsequent use of a Shivan Dragon class fighter," continued Habu, "During a reconnaissance mission in the Deneb system near the Vega jumpnode, a Terran pilot flying the Dragon encountered difficulty evading Shivan fighters. Terran engineers could not conceal the pilot's biological signature from the patrolling fighters. He was detected but was able to escape unharmed. Has this issue been overcome?"
At this question, Snipes sighed and lowered his head slightly, "I'd say eighty-five percent yes, but let me explain," he replied, "Prior to this mission, I flew these fighters," he nodded towards the Maras, "on a covert mission beyond Knossos 2… which is still classified. We were testing an experimental device, which was meant to conceal our bio signs and make them appear Shivan. We were able to get quite close before being detected. Afterwards, our engineers concluded that the probable reason for the failure was due to our failure to take in account that every Shivan fighter and bomber type features a different type of Shivan for its pilot, with a different bio signature. The signatures we were using came from some Shivan bio data scoured from the old GTI archives after the Hades rebellion… apparently they were from Seraphim bombers. We've recently acquired bio-scans for additional pilots types, including Mara class. The BSCD-X, for Biological Signature Camouflage Device, Experimental, has been recalibrated for the new signature. In theory, it should protect you better than it did my wing. However, our engineers may not have taken all variables into account, so no guarantees."
"So we're the Ginny pigs of this outfit," summed Tanner.
"In a way," replied Snipes, then a moment later his eyes widened and a smile crept across his lips, "In fact, since I am the one planning these missions, I think that we should include this as a kind of 'BONUS' objective. Once you've finished scanning the cargo, and once our support team is ready to jump to your position, Commander Tanner will attempt to make a close pass by one of the fighters to see if they notice that you aren't Shivan. Be prepared to assess any aspect of their response… if they react at all. The rest of you, get ready on a hair trigger. If they make her, blast the Shivans to hell and call in the Hamako. Any more questions?"
A few moments passed and Snipes was about to dismiss the group, when Sacks spoke up, "Who were the other pilots who flew alongside you beyond Knossos 2?" he asked, but his gut told him the answer before he'd asked the question.
"A couple of pilots from the 99th Skulls, Xinny and Zero," he replied, then added, "but don't ask me what their real names are. As you very well know Lieutenant, everyone in the 99th knows each other by call sign only. The other pilot was a… friend of mine." Sacks could see the fondness in his eyes, and the slight nostalgic smile on his lips. "A pilot from the Aquitaine. She'd flown with me on some…" he cleared his throat slightly, "undercover missions with the NTF just after the Colossus' first deployment."
"Lt. Cmdr. Anderson, right?" Sacks asked, his tone of voice giving every indication that this wasn't really a question. Out of the corner of his eye, Sacks saw Lizzy turn her head slightly to look at him, then back up at Snipes.
Snipes' visible reaction was one of complete shock and disbelief. "That information was supposed to be classified," he said calmly, with just a hint of hostility, "How did you obtain it?"
"You just told me, sir," replied Sacks, but then he smiled and added, "call it gut intuition, sir."
Snipes, narrowed his eyes slightly, but Tanner cut in, "I can vouch for Lt. Sacks' 'intuition'. It has helped him in and out of the cockpit." She then gave Sacks a brief glance that said, "We'll talk later."
"Very well," concluded Snipes, suspiciously, "anything else?"
"Only the most important thing," spoke up Ka-Rek, "When do we launch?"
Suddenly, the lift cranes began swinging the Maras from the center of the bay, inserting them into a series of stalls along the wall, just big enough for a fighter's nose to fit.
"As soon as you leave this room," replied Snipes, "Dismissed!"
Ahead of Sacks, sat what would appear to the unaided eye, to be a completely empty expanse of space, which was being guarded by a Rakshasa class cruiser, two wings of fighters, and eight sentry guns. However, when enhanced by sensor scans and displayed on a HUD, the significance of this region is manifested… for this was the jumpnode to the Nebula.
Sacks was still getting used to flying the Mara class fighter. For all of its enhanced speed and maneuverability, as well as a hull strength and missile capacity that would normally be reserved for a heavy assault class, Sacks had trouble getting over the fact that there were no cockpit windows. His external visuals were a series of video screens, as well as an enhanced helmet mounted display system. Sacks' major argument against relying on such a system, was concern over nebular EMP interference obscuring the image. However, the engineers had assured him that the sensors, displays, and all components between, were quadruple-shielded against EMP and anything else one might expect to encounter in combat conditions.
"Phoenicia," called the digitized voice of Cmdr. Habu, flying Omega 1, "The Shivans have a minimal defense in place near the jumpnode. Only a single Rakshasa cruiser is on station. The details will be relayed to you momentarily."
"Confirmed, Omega wing," replied the voice of Major Kaplan, 'Acting Command' for the operation, "Take your wing through the approach vector for the jumpnode and set your sensors to read for trace ion signatures. We need to know the volume of recent travel through the node."
"Omega 2," added the voice of Snipes, from the GVCv Maahes, "when your wing passes by, head over and get a scan of that cruiser. Auto-designation has labeled it as SC Halphas. Set your scans for bio signatures."
"Copy that," replied Sacks, flying as Habu's wingman.
"Phoenicia, this is Omega 3," began Tanner, flying as second element lead, "Has there been any update on the Allied Blockade of the Gamma Draconis jumpnode in Capella?"
"Communications with Command have been somewhat spotty," replied Kaplan, "but it appears that the Shivans have begun attacks throughout the system. Command can't spare any ships to reestablish the blockade, and the Colossus sustained damage to her engines and fighterbay during its run-in with the Sathanas at the jumpnode."
"Will the Phoenicia be able to make its run safely?" Tanner followed up.
"There's no such thing as 'safe' at this point, Omega 3," concluded Kaplan, "we'll just have to wait and see."
"We are passing through the approach vector now," broke in Habu, "relaying sensor scans."
"Hhhmmm," commented Kaplan, "looks like a number of craft passed through, as recently as just a few minutes ago… Sathanas included. However, based on their overall volume and frequency, we should have a window of about fifteen minutes."
"And we have already lost a few of those minutes since the last vessel passed," commented Ka-Rek, flying Omega 4, "We should hasten our plans."
"Agreed," replied Kaplan, "Omega 2, what's the status with the cruiser?"
"Approaching now, Phoenicia," Sacks responded, "Don't rush me," he wished he could say. Sacks flew his fighter up from underneath the cruiser from an oblique angle, then cut his speed so that he could complete his scans without needing to actually stop. Within moments, Sacks' scans were done and his fighter slid gracefully by the cruiser's waist spines.
"Scans complete," he reported, "transmitting now."
"The jumpnode is as clear as possible," concluded Habu, "I recommend you begin the attack immediately."
"Confirmed," replied Kaplan, "Omega wing, split up and take up attack positions near the sentries. The Maahes and Sparta will deal with the Halphas. Attack as soon as they arrive."
Twenty seconds later, Omega wing was nearing final position when a triad of blue orbs opened a short distance from the jumpnode, and the Maahes, Sparta, and Hamako emerged. A volley of fire from the two capital ships left the Halphas intact, but reeling and disabled. The sentries were taken down almost immediately, and the four Mara from Omega wing raced off engaging their Shivan-controlled brothers. A wing of Erinyes and a wing of Serapis, swooped out from behind the Maahes and joined in the foray. After a quick volley of Maxim fire from Delta wing, the Halphas went down with a breached reactor, and the Serapis fighters of Tau wing made quick work of the second wing of Manticores.
"That's got it, Kaplan," reported Snipes aboard the Maahes, "All hostiles are down. Stand by to deploy the Convoy."
"Omega wing, take up position fifteen hundred meters from the jumpnode perimeter, and assume a wide deployment," ordered Kaplan from the Phoenicia, "We'll use your transponders to calculate a closer position for the Convoy to jump in so they won't have as long to reach the node. Maahes, Sparta and Hamako, proceed to the node at full speed. Delta and Tau wings, assume point for the Maahes."
"We are in position, sir," reported Habu, "deploy the Convoy at your leisure."
After a few seconds, jump vortices shimmered into view, and the group of transports emerged, along with another wing of Erinyes and one of Ptah class stealth fighters. At their close range, it only took the lead ship, the Notus, some fifteen seconds before it was ready to make the jump.
"I must compliment you on your quick action against the cruiser, Delta wing," praised Habu.
"The Maahes and Sparta did the hard part," came the voice of Jen Manetti, coming from Delta 1, "we just finished the job. That said, these Maxims really do shorten cruiser engagements."
"It's good to have you with us, Manetti," called Sacks, feeling prideful in her accomplishment "and leading Delta wing, no less."
"I've got Sharpov and Mallory watching my back while we watch yours, sir," replied Manetti, "They gave Yuka lead of Theta wing, with Rashid as second lead."
"Those are some sweet lookin' rides, Omega wing," called Yuka from the wing of Erinyes following the convoy.
Sacks gave a slight chuckle, then boasted, "With the six of us out here, the Shivans don't stand a chance."
"Ahem!" Tanner cleared her throat forcefully.
"Ah, not that they'd stood a chance otherwise," he offered with a smile on his lips.
As he finished, Sacks noted that Iota wing transports were just departing, and that the Sparta and Maahes were some twenty-five seconds behind, with the Hamako trailing.
"Theta wing, departing now," called Yuka, "see you all on the other side." At that, Theta and Mu wings entered subspace and disappeared.
"Omega wing, the Hamako will be the last ship to depart before your wing," announced Snipes aboard the Maahes, "you'll be responsible for providing cover until she withdraws. That ship and crew have saved my butt on more than one occasion, so don't let anything happen to her."
"The Shivans will not harm the vessel, Lt. Cmdr.," replied Habu, "I assure you."
"Phoenicia, this is the Hamako," interrupted a young dark-skinned Terran male with a French accent, "our scans indicate the presence of multiple subspace shear-fronts forming within the nebular jumpnode."
"Oh, CRAP!" called Mallory, "How many of those things have they got, anyway?"
"Latest count was up to twenty seven," replied Kaplan, "not including those that jumped in before your arrival. Hamako, how soon do you expect their arrival?"
"Less than a minute, Major," replied the AWACS, "but we'll be long gone before they jump in."
"Omega wing, stay behind and get a count on the juggernauts and anything else they send through," ordered Kaplan.
"Roger, Phoenicia," replied Habu, "Omega wing, we would do well to clear the jumpnode before their arrival. Form on my wing and we will proceed five kilometers out from the arrival corridor."
"Hamako here," announced the AWACS, "we're five seconds from our jump. Projected Sathanas arrival in twenty seconds. See you in the nebula." Then the ship departed.
"Perhaps our wing should have been named Alpha-Omega," joked Ka-Rek, "Since we are both the first on the scene, and the last to depart."
"FILO," précised Sacks.
"What?" asked Tanner, confused.
"First In, Last Out," Sacks explained, "it was a term used by fighter pilots four hundred years ago on Earth to describe roles such as missions to suppress enemy anti-aircraft defenses while other aircraft attacked the primary target. They were the first to arrive in the combat area and the last to leave."
"It fits," agreed Tanner.
"The first Sathanas is entering the system," interrupted Habu.
All four Maras turned to watch the first Shivan juggernaut plough its way into the system. Several minutes passed as a total of six Sathani entered the system in succession. They were accompanied by several freighters and transports, which followed the fleet as the juggernauts jumped out again, presumably on their way to the Capella jump node. The last Sathanas deployed two wings of fighters, which took up position near the jumpnode.
"It looks like that's all she wrote, Phoenicia," announced Tanner, as the last monstrosity departed.
"Good job, Omega," praised Kaplan, "proceed to the jumpnode and follow the convoy. You'll have to follow at full burn if you want to catch up with them. They'll need you to scout the far side of the node before they can enter the nebula."
"Acknowledged," replied Habu, "Departing now".
Omega wing glided by a wing of fighters Sacks had never seen before in person, but they appeared to be the infrequently encountered Aeshma, heavy assault. Sacks wondered to himself if he might be flying one of those in the near future.
Moments later, the four Maras flew unopposed into the node, and jumped away.
After traveling at full afterburner through the subspace corridor, Omega wing eventually caught up to and passed the convoy, which had slowed to allow the Hamako and the two capital ships to take the lead. Now they were about to leave subspace and enter an environment, which three days ago, Sacks had assumed that he would never get to see… the infamous Nebula. It had been discovered less than a month ago, after one of Admiral Bosch's cruisers located and activated the Knossos device in Gamma Draconis, which stabilized a jumpnode that had collapsed many millennia ago. The cruiser's entry through the node into the nebula had attracted the attention of the Shivans, which subsequently made a completely unexpected introduction in Capella, destroying the GTC Vigilant and her escort. Investigation of the Shivan presence by the GTVA led to the discovery of the Knossos and the Nebula beyond. All the recent events had stemmed from this. Now the Knossos itself was gone, destroyed by Command who believed that its destruction would reseal the node, preventing the Sathanas from completing its jump into Gamma Draconis. Unfortunately, the device had been active long enough to allow the node to remain stable without it, and for an unknown time to come.
Upon entering the nebula, Sacks first thought was that his screens were malfunctioning. He could see nothing, though his radar showed the presence of both the node, and his wing. Then, the auto-contrast kicked in, and Sacks was greeted by the shifting and drifting color patterns of the nebular gasses.
"Omega wing here," reported Habu, "we have entered the nebula. There is no sign of any Shivan activity."
"Good work, Omega," replied Kaplan, the distance now beginning to interfere with transmission, "we're sending the lead ships through first. The Hamako will also extend your sensor range, so be prepared to engage any hostiles before they detect the convoy. We're not yet sure if the AWACS jamming range is as great within the nebula as it is in clear space."
"We await their arrival," concluded Habu.
Soon after, the Maahes, Sparta, and Hamako exited subspace and took up position.
"We've extended our sensor range," reported the Hamako, "no hostiles detected, yet."
"OK then," called Snipes, "Let's get this over with before the next wave arrives. All transports, enter the system and begin jumping in sequence."
In tight formation, the four Argo class transports jumped in and glided away from the node, as Sigma wing jumped in behind them. Soon after, Iota jumped in with Theta and Mu wings escorting.
"This is the Hamako, we've got hostiles entering sensor range at a distance of seven kilometers," announced the AWACS, "By the speed, I'd say that they are freighters… and they appear to be unescorted."
"Lt. Cmdr. Snipes," began Sacks over an encrypted C3-2a frequency, "given our objectives for Phase 2, do you want us to try to capture those ships?"
"Negative, Omega," replied Snipes, "we've got to empty our transports of supplies and personnel first. We'll just have to let this one pass for now. Good call though. We just might be able to take advantage of situations like this in the future."
"What are your orders regarding the Shivan transports," inquired Ka-Rak, "Do we destroy them?"
"Negative, Omega," ordered Snipes, "our ships will be able to jump out before they enter sensor range. There's no need to give the Shivans any further indications of activity here. Let them go."
"Iota wing has departed," reported Mu 1.
"OK, that's everyone," concluded Snipes, "All ships, jump to the Yorktown. Omega wing, get a scan of those freighters and their cargo, then proceed to the next phase of your mission. Good luck."
With that, Omega wing was left alone once again, as the Shivan freighters crawled into their limited sensor range. One Asmodeus and two Mephisto class, all heavily laden with cargo, emerged from the mists.
"Omega 2, scan the Asmodeus, Omega 3, the port Mephisto, Omega 4, the starboard," ordered Habu, as his fighter took a leisurely pass behind the freighters.
The three fighters took deflection approaches to their targets, then dipped down to scan them at the last. On final approach, Sacks remembered that he'd last set his fighter's scanners to Bio mode to scan the Halphas, and reset them to general mode.
Once the job was done, Omega wing reformed without needing communication, reset their subspace drives, and headed out to their next job.
Sacks was beginning to feel a few of the minor side effects of the stimulants… a slight gas buildup, a mild itch at the point of entry, and an odd shifty feeling in his eyes. He shook these off and peered into the gas looking for Shivans that his eyes might see, but his sensors might not. "Maybe another side effect is paranoia," he thought.
"We are still ten kilometers from the depot," noted Habu, "maintain formation and our approach speed. We need to allow time for the cargo to be unloaded at the Yorktown, before the transports will be ready to proceed."
Jen Manetti sat in her fighter leading Delta wing, ahead of the Maahes and the rest of the group.
"Any sign of those Pharos beacons, Hamako?" she asked.
"We're still getting their long-range signals, but it's difficult to plot distance with those. Until we get their short-range signals, we won't know how far away they are," replied the AWACS operator.
"We can't keep loitering around aimlessly until we get a signal," declared Snipes, "Delta wing, move ahead of the convoy and try to localize the signal."
"Ah, Lt. Cmdr.," replied Manetti, feeling herself a bit out of place preparing to second-guess a superior… particularly one not from her squadron, "if we move ahead, we'll be leaving the AWACS coverage. The Shivans could detect us and send reinforcements. I advise you send Mu wing instead. Being stealth, they'll be harder to detect, and they can cover the distance much quicker than these Erinyes can."
"That's some sharp thinking there, Delta," commended Snipes, "Mu wing, you heard the lady. Engage stealth mode and proceed a maximum of ten kilometers ahead. Spread your formation out keeping a distance of one kilometer between each of you."
"Acknowledged Maahes," replied the Vasudan pilot, "we will maintain radio silence until we have either reached the distance indicated, or localized the signal."
With that, the Vasudan Ptah class fighters, disappeared from Manetti's radar, and rapidly accelerated out of view. For nearly four minutes, there was no contact, until a transmission came through.
"Mu wing to Maahes," reported the pilot, "we have detected the short-range signal. Now relaying the data to the Hamako."
"Hamako here," joined the AWACS, "The Data has been received. The beacons are some fifteen kilometers from our current position."
"It'll take forever to get there under normal propulsion," commented Snipes, "We need to empty our cargo ASAP."
"Can we risk a nano-jump, sir," asked Manetti.
"Not until we know the location and status of the Yorktown itself," replied Snipes, "if the Shivans have found her we could be jumping blind directly into a hornet's nest.
"Then may I suggest that Mu wing continue towards the beacons and reconnoiter the Yorktown?" suggested Manetti again.
"I was just thinking the same thing myself. You're two for two Lt." Snipes added. "Mu wing, close your formation and follow those beacons. Locate the Yorktown and confirm if she's intact and alone."
"By your command," replied Mu 1, and then cut the signal.
After completing its nano-jump, the convoy cruised alongside the inert bulk of the GTD Yorktown. Manetti, gazing at it through her cockpit window, was conflicted in her emotions.
Over the last several hours, she had become accustomed to the mismatch of ungainly appearance over ergonomics and advancement of the Hecate class, so the angular construction and weathered ruggedness of the Orion class should have seemed repugnant to her. She was however feeling nostalgic, owing to the familiarity with the late Hood of the same class. Best described, it was as if she had grown up in one of those old farm houses from ancient Earth she'd read about in romance novels, then as a youth moved away to live in the modern efficiency and grandeur of a city, such as could be found in Capella or Beta Aquilae, and then had been forced to return home to that old farm house again for one reason or another, and felt it both lacking in conveniences, but comforting in its wholesomeness.
Manetti watched as the larger Argo transports began docking to the Yorktown's ventral in succession, while the smaller Elysium and Isis transports entered through the main bay. Within minutes, the destroyer's running lights came on, and over the course of the next thirty seconds, the Yorktown was awoken from her slumber, going from drifting flotsam, to battle-ready destroyer.
"Hello gorgeous," commented Sharpov.
"Yorktown here," came a voice over the Comm., though dampened with a bit of static, "we're powering up the primary systems, now. The fighterbay crews are running their systems check at this time. They should be able to begin loading fighters aboard in ten minutes."
"No rush, Yorktown," replied Snipes, "we're gonna need our fighters for another mission. Deploy a support ship to top up their weapons."
"Mu wing here," reported the stealth fighters out of nowhere, "we have completed deploying the sensor probes. They will both warn us of any approaching Shivans, and jam any attempts to scan beyond them."
"Well done," replied Snipes, "close on the Yorktown. We've got a support ship making the rounds to top up your stores. We're gonna need you for our next mission pretty much immediately."
"What's the mission, sir?" asked Manetti.
"Shivan supply depot entering sensor range," announced Habu, "all pilots begin your approach runs now."
"I'm reading seven cargo units, eight sentry guns, and two fighter wings, with four fighters apiece," reported Tanner, "no transports though."
"One looks to be a SAC 3," added Sacks, "we'll probably need a few Argos to empty that thing."
"Make that cargo unit your priority, Omega 2," ordered Habu.
Omega wing casually broke up and moved towards their respective targets. Sacks' cargo unit was at the far end of the depot, but because of its size it took him a lot longer for his fighter's scanners to get a reading on its full contents.
"I am reading anti-fighter missiles in SAC 2-1," reported Habu.
"SAC 2-2 contains what appear to be modular fighter or bomber engine components," reported Tanner, "Our tech boys will have to figure out that part."
"The contents of SAC 2-3 are fighter fuel," reported Ka-Rak
"My scanners are still trying to sort through this thing," Sacks added, "You'd best keep moving."
"Confirmed," replied Habu.
"OK," Sacks reported finally, "Scans are complete, and my computer is chewing on the data. It reads as…" his eyebrows arched reflexively, "looks like we've got the components necessary for Shivan beam cannons. I'd say Triple-A by the size of them. Power conduits, energy capacitors, and the emitters themselves, enough for three of them."
"Good work Omega 2," replied Habu.
Just then, an energy vortex opened some distance out, and a vessel emerged.
"Omega 2," called Habu, "Investigate the new arrival. We will continue to scan the cargo."
"On my way," replied Sacks, and pulled his fighter tight to the cargo unit and cruised over its surface, then accelerated towards the location of the warp vortex. Within twenty seconds, Sacks' fighter was able to get a fix on the signature. "I've got a reading on the target. It's a Dis class freighter, and it's got a cargo unit attached. No fighter escort."
"Get a scan of its contents, Omega 2," ordered Habu.
"Stand by," Sacks added.
"SAC 2-5 is carrying refined deuterium," reported Tanner.
"SAC 2-6 contents appear to be some form of biological fluid," said Ka-Rak, sounding puzzled.
"Switch to your Bio scanners for a more detailed reading, Omega 4," ordered Habu, "The contents of SAC 2-4 would appear to be anti-subsystem missiles. What are your readings on the new arrival Omega 2?"
"I'm just entering scanning range now," replied Sacks, as he pulled his fighter over the freighter and dropped down above it, into scan position on the cargo unit. "Whatever it is, it's big. Certainly not the mix of the last one." Another few seconds passed as Sacks' fighter finished the scan and displayed the results, "it appears to be large engine components for… a Ravana class destroyer. You'd better check in with Snipes before they start the extraction. He may have plans for this one."
"Confirmed," agreed Habu, "Omega wing to GTD Yorktown, are you reading us?"
"We're reading you, Omega," replied Snipes, "transmit your findings." Several seconds passed until Snipes came back on the Comm., "Good find, Omega 2. Those engines are integral to Phase 3. We'll need them recovered."
"That may be a problem, Yorktown," advised Sacks, "they're inside a Shivan SAC 3 cargo unit. Based on the size of the components, I don't think that they can fit within an Argo class, and the size of the cargo unit would negate us using a Triton for recovery, even if we had one with us."
"We may not have the opportunity to get these items again," pressed Snipes, "Options?"
"Just one," suggested Sacks, hoping that he wasn't reaching, "there is one freighter available that could do the job. Unfortunately, it's not under our control… at the moment, if you catch my drift."
"Are you packin' some Disruptor cannons, Omega 2?" asked Snipes, his optimism rising.
"That, and one bank of Stilettos," he replied, happily.
"Good old intuition," joked Snipes, "We're sending the Hamako ahead with Mu and Delta wing. The Hamako can jam communications without being detected. Omega, as soon as you see Mu wing, engage the Shivans. Omega 2, your target is the Dis freighter. Disable and disarm it. We've got enough supplies to reactivate her engines within a few minutes. We're loading them and a squad of marines into an Elysium. Omega 3, its time to become that Ginny Pig you were talking about earlier."
"Acknowledged, Yorktown," replied Tanner, sounding less than enthusiastic, and headed for Capricorn 4, an Astaroth. She adjusted her course to take her fighter within two hundred and fifty meters off Shivan's bow. A few seconds later, she passed the fighter, apparently without incident, but then it broke formation and followed her.
"Yorktown, the Shivans are tailing my fighter," she reported, apprehensively, "They must know something's wrong!"
"Stay cool Omega 3," reassured Snipes, "are you being scanned?"
"Affirmative," she replied.
"What are they focusing the scans on?" asked Snipes.
"The Shivans are scanning my weapons system," she reported, "They must realize my guns aren't stock Shivan!"
"The Hamako is in position," reported Snipes, "Mu wing is closing. Omega wing, engage at will. Weapons free. Omega 2, secure that freighter!"
Tanner skidded her Mara to the left then pulsed the afterburners and quickly chopped engine power. The afterburner pulse had faked an escape attempt causing the pursuing Astaroth to engage burners follow. However, Tanner's quick drop on power had caused her attacker to streak out in front of her. It took just two pulses of her Kaysers to pierce the Shivan's shields and punch through hull to the reactor.
The rest of her wing took down their targets with equal ease and turned on the remaining Astaroth and the sentries, while Sacks laid into the Dis with his Disruptor cannons. Sacks concentrated his fire on the dorsal cannon, until its electronics fried with a burst of electricity. With the turret out of commission, Sacks could then launch his Stilettos at the freighter's engines without concern of them being intercepted before impact. A single missile, with a few shots from the Disruptor cannon was all it took. Although the freighter couldn't escape, its remaining turret could still pose a problem for the recovery operation, so Sacks cruised his fighter to the Dis' underside and gave another volley of Disruptor fire. Another flash of electricity and the freighter was unarmed and unable to escape.
"Mu wing here," reported the leader of the stealth fighters, "a member of Leo wing has broken from the main formation and is heading for the Hamako."
"Not a problem," replied the confident voice of Manetti, "Delta wing is here to provide cover."
The Aeshma class suddenly halted its approach of the Hamako, when it detected Delta wing closing. Before the fighter had a chance to make a run for it, a volley of Kayser fire shredded it completely.
"This is Mu wing," reported the Vasudan, "the remainder of Leo wing has been eliminated."
"All sentries are down," reported Sacks, having entered the main engagement long enough to take out the last one.
"Excellent job, everyone," congratulated Snipes, "we're deploying our transports now. Delta wing, keep a close guard on the Hamako. Mu wing, perimeter patrol. Omega wing, if any Shivans jump in and threaten our transports, give 'em a thrashing."
It wasn't long before the three Argos, four Elysiums, and two Isis class exited subspace and began their work. It took all three Argos, to empty the contents of the SAC 3. Iota 4 had marines and the repair equipment aboard, and she docked with the Dis freighter, while the remaining transports each took a SAC 2 cargo container. The last cargo unit was left for Iota 4 when she finished dumping her load into the Dis.
It took a total of ten minutes for the recovery to take place. Detailed, close range scans had to be made of each unit to verify the safety of their contents and to make sure that they hadn't been booby trapped… which had been encountered during the Great War. Getting the Dis' engines back online had been rather easy, but learning its control mechanism was complicated. Fortunately, Snipes and his people had anticipated this, and had included a device, which could quickly assume control of primary systems such as engines and subspace drive. Communications were done via a portable transponder brought aboard, as the Shivan Comm. system needed a control interface overhaul, as well as allied channels added to its database. Fortunately, the ship was ready for jump by the time all the cargo had been recovered. The SAC 3 though had taken the longest to clear out. Lambda 2 was just pulling out when the Dis radioed that it was ready for jump.
"Good job," concluded Snipes, "Omega wing, destroy the cargo pods. Hamako, when that's done, you along with Delta and Mu wings will return to the Yorktown. Omega wing, follow after fifteen seconds."
"Copy that Yorktown," replied Habu, "Omega, enjoy your target practice." Taking their cue, Omega wing opened up on the cargo, with Kayser and Maxim fire, shredding the helpless metallic containers. Shortly thereafter, the other allied craft jumped away, leaving Omega wing alone briefly.
"Well, here we are again, first in and last out," commented Tanner.
"I surmise that we will be called upon for many such missions for the duration of Phase 2," predicted Habu.
"Omega wing," called Snipes, "your jump coordinates are being uploaded now. We've got your racks all prepared for you, so get some sleep after debriefing."
"May the Emperor be praised!" exclaimed Ka-Rek, at the thought of sleep.
"Omega wing, jump now," ordered Habu. The four Maras jumped out, leaving nothing but a field of debris to mark their recent activities.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2021, 07:13:46 am by Trivial Psychic »


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text:
St. Lucia Times News
EducationHeadlines
Saint Lucians Get Certificates Through Venezuelan Institute
Press Release:– Last Thursday, a group of participants of the last academic module of the Venezuelan Institute for Culture and Cooperation (IVCC) in Saint Lucia, received their approval certificate of the Spanish language by the authorities of said institute and of the Embassy of Venezuela in Saint Lucia.
With an impeccable staging, which was part of a cultural project highlighting the Latin American culture of Colombia, Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela, the students put into practice the knowledge acquired during their training period of the Spanish language, with a representation of the food , traditions and natural aspects more outstanding of these countries.
In the activity, after the staging of the aforementioned project (which is a fundamental requirement for the approval of the course, since 2016), the final evaluation and respective delivery of certificates was carried out. From this moment, these students can perform different jobs and trades, especially in the tourism sector, making use of this tool of the Spanish language.
In the final phase of the event, the Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Karla Fermín, emphasized, "Venezuela ratifies its solidarity with Saint Lucia, even in the economic scenario limited by the actions of the United States blockade; consolidating through the Venezuelan Institute of Culture and Cooperation, the teaching of the Spanish language. We continue with the commitment that President Chávez taught us and that currently ratifies President Nicolas Maduro Moros, to bring solidarity and knowledge to all the peoples of the Americas. "
The event was attended by the director of Castries Comprehensive Secondary School, Marva Daniel, the staff and teachers of the IVCC, students and representatives of the Embassy of Venezuela.
Within the framework of celebration, the occasion was opportune to invite all present, their family and friends, to formalize the proper registration through the email: [email protected], for the courses that will be offered totally free, from the month of September for children, youth and adults.
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Faculty of Geomatics is not confined only to an academic oriented life style. The subcommittees; sports subcommittee, arts subcommittee, educational subcommittee which come under the main faculty union provoke the extra-curricular activities fostering and presenting the skills of undergraduates. GPL, Badminton Night, Sajje and Swarnadwara are few events organized by the FoG Students' Union.
Badminton Tournament – Badminton tournament, which is organized at the university Badminton Court, is one of the sports events organized annually to identify the skills of new comers and to present the sport talents of undergraduates.
Geomatics Premier League - Geo Premier League is one of the most attractive events organized by the sports subcommittee for those who are interested in watching and playing cricket. Events are organized to develop the brotherhood among students. The unity among batches acts as the backbone of the Students' Union of the faculty.
University Staff vs Students Cricket Tournament – This tournament which has become a popular event among students and staff is organized to develop the affability among students and lecturers.
O/L Seminar – "Diyawara" is a revision seminar programme specially conducted for the students in rural areas to compete successfully in the current educational system. The programme is organized as one of the community service projects of the educational subcommittee.
Movie Evenings - Meaningful and interesting movies are shown to the students and an open discussion on film is commenced after every movie with the aim of enhancing critical thinking and literary appreciation of students.
Exhibition Stalls- Our primary aim is to transit knowledge and to highlight the importance of surveying science in every aspect. Numerous stalls are exhibited to the public with the ultimate goal of popularizing the degree programme.
Sajje – Sajje is a delightful musical program organized by the Arts Subcommittee of the Faculty of Geomatics. This program is organized annually to let the students to be relaxed from monotonous academic style. The Sajje is an enthusiastic event delighted with dancing and dramas. Music being a universal language bring together the culturally diversed student population of the faculty other than showcasing their aesthetic talents. Art is the language that can address and affect for a better society; better community.
Surveyors' Night – Surveyors night is the annual get together of the Faculty of Geomatics. The event is delightful gathering organized to share experience with the fellow surveying undergraduates as well as graduates to strengthen the bond between each other.
Swarnadwara – Swarnadwara is the biggest event organized by the faculty students' union every year. The musical extravaganza is organized with the purpose of funding "Sahodarathwaye Athwela"; the scholarship program for students who require financial aid, a. Popular singers and musicians belong to four different Music Generations participate every year to delight the event. The event is popular among university students as well as the and Belihuloya community.
Media Sub Committee - Media subcommittee is engaging with lot of activities like photography videography, editing and sound managing by covering all the events organized by student's union. Media subcommittee identifies newbies and practices them for their interested path. GEO Media is working as a platform by giving the opportunity for the undergraduates to participate the competitions on photography,videography and making short films etc.
Pirith Sajgayana – A pirith chanting ceremony was organized for the opening of new faculty building. The event is directly conducted by the Students' union.
Alms Giving – Alms giving programs are organized annually to develop affability among students and villagers. The program is organized as a community service project.
Other than programmes organized by the subcommittees, the Students Union of FOG has organized various programs as well.