When You Just Don't Care Anymore.
Me and my kids have been praying for almost a year now that something would change in our lives. That circumstances would ease up. On top of the fact that I have one full time job, I started a side job too! Since I started working full time 3 years ago, I know they have suffered. It is a fact that no human being can work a full time career and raise 3 kids on their own, without something getting neglected. I simply can't give everything 100%.
Me and my daughter had a meltdown over some massive school project this year and I think I actually yelled "I do not care what grades you get!!" - because I fundamentally believe that 4th grade is not worth getting an ulcer over.
But maybe the question I'm really wrestling with is this: when your job is directly in conflict with your family's well-being - what do you do?
Maybe that's a bad assumption. Maybe clinging to a job as if it is your only life raft is denying that God cares. I have to determine if I trust God enough to jump off another cliff. I know if I were married few people would criticize me for quitting a job.
But because quitting means putting us all in financial straits, this is another of those major risky life choices that I have to make alone. At the same time that I'm mulling this over, I'm also going full steam ahead with my plans for the beach shack. I'm waiting for the new builder to give me a contract, and even then this thing won't be finished before next winter.
So we've been tossing around a crazy idea. Just wondering if I've got the guts (faith? trust?) to go after it.
((Katy)) I am so with you right now.
Can you possibly work from home a few days a week? When I was an engineer, I used a VPN to log into my work computer & had my phone calls forwarded to my cell. I was at home 2 days a week & it was lovely.
I ended up switching to teaching. Lost $50k/year, lost my days after school to lesson planning & grading, but gained summer & winter vacation. Gained the freedom to drive to South Dakota on a whim to see the Black Hills & Mt. Rushmore, and also gained about $35k in debt along the way (not to mention student loans).
Now, after teaching for 4 years, there are times where I really want to go back to engineering, just so my bills can get paid off, but I don't think I will because I find more fulfillment in teaching.
Tough decisions. You should build your beach shack, sell your house and move to the shack full time and be a hippy momma doing carpentry work to pay the bills.
Oh Grace! :) Don't think I haven't been pondering that very idea!
Kathy - thanks. The idea of working from home has been floated...I have a VPN but the issue is that I have to download massive files off the network and the VPN can't handle it. So it takes 2 hours to download one CAD file. :( I thought about teaching, but I'm no teacher. The summers off would be nice but the 50k pay cut...sigh.
I made the decision to change jobs last fall. I wanted to have a less stressful job that would allow me to actually focus on my family when I'm home. I took a bit of a pay cut, I lost prestige (I guess that's how I would word it), but I am so happy I did it. THere are times when I miss the challenges of my career, but I never think about work after 5pm or weekends. Never, ever, ever. I'll pray for your family to make the best decision here.
I've been struggling with this issue for awhile. For me, I have chronic pain issues and while I can work full time, it zaps everything out of me (and so I don't have as much energy for my daughter or husband). I am grateful that I am not the only paycheck in our house, but I certainly couldn't quit my job. I am working with my company to see if I can work from home or work fewer hours (with a pay cut, of course), but if that doesn't pan out I'm not sure what decision I'll make. At any rate, I feel your struggle and wish I had a magic wand that would make it all work out for all of us struggling with this.
Is it possible to plan your off site days where you have the cad files you need on a portable drive? Then you don't need to download.
But, if you are truly unhappy, something else has too change. Perhaps you could start a small jobs service. My elderly mom always needs stuff done around her house but feels like handymen are ripping her off! She'd probably love to find a woman owned version!
Of course, I am not privvy to all the details of your real life, but financial pressures are nevera good thing to have to deal with.
Well I'm trying to decide if I was happier when I was poor (but able to take care of my kids) - vs. now when I have enough money but i have no time or energy for the kids. :( I will think some more about the VPN issue..
Jo - I understand. I have another friend whose family depends on her income and she is having major awful health issues. She's in the hospital right now so I feel guilty whining about my stuff. I know so many people struggle with this every day!
I am always amazed/in awe of those entrepreneurial folks who quit their jobs and head out on their own. Those people amaze me. So much courage, so comfortable with risk! I am deathly afraid of risk and hold onto my full time job year after year.
So many people can and do make it but they also can and do fail. I guess it depends on how much of a reserve you can sock away and what you can do to make money if and when you quit. Grow your part time job? Build/fix things?
Oh, I have been where you are. I opted to just chuck it and elected to take a year off...then I took another year off. It changed my life. I had been one of those stressed out exhausted solo moms to small twins at the time. Yes, I had to change my life style and spending, but we made it and we all were happy living with less and having the time together. Nobody starved :) But I had a healthy reserve to draw from and did. no regrets about blowing through savings and some retirement money. It was probably the best money I have spent for the sanity of our family. I say if you can do it, go for it. When I was ready to go back to work, I found another position that offers more flexibility, less stress and more time to truly have work/life balance. Good Luck!
It's not just college - that's just one example of course. I am wondering - is it really all up to me? Am I really a failure as a parent if I can't provide them with all the lifestyle of the western middle class?
Do I care what others think or do I only care what I think?
What is it that my kids really want from me?
And did I really just have a panic attack last winter about the layoffs at my company, going so far as to stockpile dry goods in my closet -- and now all of the sudden I'm willing to give it up!?
Do your best, it's all you can do. Most of us are going through something similar. My philosphy is, make the best decision that is right for you at that time and don't beat yourself up over it later. Live in the moment and don't what-if the future to death. Your kids are only young once and will remember their formative years forever. Go freelance, move to your beach house, leverage your blog for new opportunities, etc, do what's best now. You are a strong, resilient woman, you can do it!
Interesting, your statement "...when your job is directly in conflict with your family's well-being..." Does your job allow you to keep a roof over your head? Food on the table? Do you feel that the time you spend working is what conflicts with your family's well-being? Why did you take on a second job? How have your kids suffered from you working full-time? Have they really suffered, or are you in conflict and feeling guilty? When I went back to work full time last year, I felt horrible that I no longer could volunteer at school or walk with my 4th grader to school. But when I asked him about it, he wasn't bothered at all. I so wanted him to feel the same angst I was! I was merely transferring all the crappy guilt and mourning I was feeling into my kids universe. Is there a way to "adjust" without ditching the engineering job? Financial worries are stressful too.
but yes, finances are definitely a concern!!
Whenever I have a tough decision like this, I ask myself, "What would I want my daughter to do if she was in this situation?" Putting her in the question has made all my decisions so much easier to make. I wouldn't want her to put up with a cheating husband, so he went to the curb. Wouldn't want her to put up with someone who didn't do his share of the work. Wouldn't want her to work for an abusive boss, even if the money was good. Your kids are going to someday live their own lives off the roadmap example you've set, and even though I only know you thru this blog, you seem like such a wonderful example. Sometimes you can live too safe, be too prudent. Taking chances are what taught us to fly.
hey, the above posted said part of what i would say. i had been married 25 some years- you know, by that time we all assume marriage was clear sailing. but i had never been ME during those married years. i had lived under the thumb, so to speak. my sister said to me - how would you want your daughter to live? be her role model. and i thought long and hard about what values i was teaching especially my daughter (but also my son) and decided i had to leave the life we had. the pool, the amazing house on the golf course, the pool guy (heh), the security. in one moment, my kids' lifestyle was "reduced" by at least half. the lack of security was the hardest for me. everything depended on me, but you know what, i was and am smart and capable. and a year after my divorce i left my secure job, taking a huge risk to move into a new field and demanding a certain salary. i was so sure that would bomb out. but it didn't.....and the way it has made me feel (i am of worth!) and the way it has informed my kids has been worth it. when it came to college time (never mind that their father drugged away all the savings we had for their college futures), i told my kids i'd meet them halfway on any road they would take. didn't matter the road, but i insisted there BE a road. with my son, it was risky business because he was 1 point away from failing high school and it took warrior-like methods for us to prevent that. two years later? he made the dean's list in college. ok yes, i have college loans to pay for and so do my kids. but you know what? my son's are paid off, and half of my parent loans are paid off. and my daughter scholarshiped her way through college. in searching for supplemental ways to bolster my income in ways that i felt didn't compromise me- new worlds were revealed to me. i had no idea and had i not been searching for ways to make it in my new life, those worlds would never have happened. i ended up with contracts to write three books and the proceeds from those books went to my kids' college education. and having written those books, doors opened for me in a field i felt i was too old for. but it takes a ton of courage and lots of shaking in your shoes. it's one thing to say i will go without this and that, it's another thing to make that choice for my kids. their faith in me- oh my gosh, what a wonderful blessing. and i read this in your blog every time i come here. your resiliency, your intelligence, your wise wariness and your strappiness- you've a beautiful blend of gifts. both my kids are now independent adults and i want to say everyone who comes to know them are amazed at "where" they are in life. i want to say it is partly to do with having a mother who decided, at a late moment, to grow her own life. it also helps that their father has served as ....hmmm...an opposite example. rooting you on, katy.
You never know what might open up though. I switched jobs during a precarious time in my life and it actually worked out PERFECTLY. So, you never know!
I am so sorry for you Katy! Kids are our number one but we still need to be able to take care of their basic needs. I hope that things work out for you and you find a happy balance!....or you win the lottery!


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Amnesty highlights attacks on Malawi Albinos
LILONGWE - Malawi's elections, due next week, will take place in the context of longstanding criminal justice failures and widespread impunity for the killing of people with albinism, Amnesty International has said.
"In Malawi, people with albinism continue to live in fear of being killed or abducted for their body parts. These waves of violent attacks are fuelled by the false and dangerous myth that body parts of people with albinism can make someone rich," said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International's Regional Director for Southern Africa.
"As Malawians go to the polls, it is time for the country to break with years of impunity for the killings and mutilation of people with albinism; atrocities which remain unresolved owing to criminal justice failures and ineffective criminal investigations."
The number of reported crimes against people with albinism in Malawi has risen to over 163 cases, including 22 murders since November 2014, according to official figures.
Malawian police have raised concerns with Amnesty International about delays in concluding trials due to the limited number of senior magistrates qualified to deal with cases relating to people with albinism.
Although serious cases are dealt with in magistrates' courts, police officers with limited legal training in Malawi are empowered to prosecute suspected perpetrators of crimes. However, they lack forensic skills, financial resources and receive little legal training, resulting in a backlog of cases.
The vast majority of cases involving crimes against people with albinism do not go before a court because of a lack of funds and legal aid support for suspected perpetrators.
Even where cases have been brought to court, the accused have often been released due to flawed investigations and a lack of relevant admissible evidence.
On 3 May 2019, Willard Mikaele was sentenced to death for the murder of Mphatso Pensulo, a person with albinism. Amnesty International is opposed to death penalty and it believes that it is a cruel and inhuman form of punishment which will not deter further attacks against persons with abinsim. Malawi needs an effective criminal justice system, including fair trials.
The organization has also documented deaths in custody of suspected perpetrators of crimes against persons with albinism, including Buleya Lule who died in police custody on 21 February in Dedza district as a result of torture. Suspects in the killing of Buleya must be brought to justice without delay.
"The incoming government of Malawi must prioritise rebuilding the criminal justice system, ensuring that it works for all people, including people with albinism who are some of society's most vulnerable individuals," Deprose Muchena said.
"The first step is to ensure sufficient funding for the judiciary and prioritise training for prosecutors to effectively deal with cases of attacks on people with albinism.
"People with albinism deserve justice for the hateful crimes against them. The impunity must stop."
Malawians will vote in general elections which will combine presidential, national assembly and local government on 21 May. The country has been rocked by an unprecedented wave of killings and other human rights abuses against people with albinism which came to international spotlight in November 2014. Similar attacks have occurred in neighbouring countries such as Mozambique, Tanzania and South Africa.
People with albinism are targeted for their body parts in the belief that they contain magical powers. The current population of people with albinism in Malawi is estimated at between 7,000 and 10,000, representing a ratio of 1 in every 1,800 persons.(FA)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Essay Guidelines
Sociological Researching
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Virtue (in theology, sociology) – ontological foundation of values.
The Orthodox Encyclopedia virtue is defined as "a social philosophical-theological category, indicating the value and important aspect of spiritual and moral perfection of man."
"The term" virtue "is the blueprint of the Greek« καλοποιΐα »or ἀΥαθοερΥία, ἀΥαθοποιΐα, ἀΥαθοποίησις. Virtue in its moral and soteriological significance of consecrated authority of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament and the Church's teaching. It is one of the most prominent faces that reflect the perfection of its original likeness to the human person.
Welcome as a good reference point, the light of human life inherent in many moral teachings, philosophical and religious systems. You can determine the emergence of systematic knowledge of good in ancient philosophy, the nature and range of meanings of the word ἀρετή, first mentioned in "The Odyssey" by Homer.
"The moral-didactic poem" Works and Days "Hesiod ἀρετή concept within the meaning of moral norms include such virtues as justice, diligence, loyalty and honesty. Pythagoras ἀρετή treated as a perfect harmony of physical health and contemplative lifestyle. Aeschylus identified four basic virtues – wisdom, courage, temperance and justice. Democritus virtue associated with the principles of moral dignity, duty and conscience. With the era of the Sophists throughout the Hellenistic period, a virtue is considered as the main objectives of education and education, and became a symbol of the perfect formation of the mind and body. "
Socrates in fact, determined the moral foundation of virtue; he predetermined the personal formation in search of moral perfection. Socrates suggested unity of the virtues, but at the same time defined virtue in a variety of its manifestations.
Plato outside the scope of the sensual world of ideal entities defined the practice of the metaphysical justification of virtue. True virtue, according to Plato, is the "love of perfect knowledge, which leads to the knowledge of the essence of things."
The basis for the formation of virtue in human life on belief of Aristotle is a training and education. According to Aristotle 'virtue – is the ability to do well in all that regards pleasure and pain …'. "
In the philosophy of Plotinus is determined to achieve the virtues as a prerequisite Godlike life.
In the teaching of Porphyry, virtues were divided into four types: public, cleaning, contemplative (contemplative) and paradigmatic (containing religious and moral life of the samples). Porphyry defined the great "virtuous soul." Soul in the way of knowledge of God, likening his own life examples of religious and moral.
In the philosophical teachings of Socrates to Porphyry virtue gradually moving from essentially synonymous substitution on the quality of human behavior in accordance with the moral foundation of human life in the systemic group generated on the basis of knowledge and acceptance of man in his daily work on the way the knowledge of God and the communion of his life in society and moral patterns of the true God.
In the teachings of Thomas Aquinas, the moral life of a person is defined as impossible without achieving the theological virtues: faith, hope, love; followed by four main (cardinal) virtues: prudence, justice, courage, temperance. In fact, the four qualities of human behavior that can keep a person on the path to a true knowledge of good.
XIX century opens a new era of human life. The achieved level of economic development and transition of society on the path of consumption, the development of social relations, the construction of the welfare state, market economy, civil society, building a new position of human knowledge of the external world and internal evaluations. This evaluation version of its terminology in the spectrum: the value, usefulness, benefit, has come to play a key role in understanding the human outer and inner world, identify themselves in it, building up social relationships, "I-society".
"In Kant's system, I. G.Fihte, GV F.Gegelya debt concepts, freedom, value and benefits pushed the concept of virtue.
However, already in the XX century. In M.Shelera writings, H. G.Gadamera, Y.Rittera, A.Ch.Makintayra tendency to return to the notion of virtue. "
The philosophical understanding of virtue is the result of the functioning of society as a whole, its features and level of development. Virtue in the philosophical interpretation is, morally sustainable human quality in the search for them the truth of their being, which is defined in the highest good, and the human desire to reach him, close to him, a priori postulating its existence, pre-existence, does not leave a person all the way to his life and knowledge, guided by and based on humility, conscience and justice.
Summarizing the interpretation to the concept of essential virtues can define the following attributes:
Correlation with the higher, true, that can never be reduced to the level and means the same as human perfection;
Appearance at the intersection of the natural and affective states (instincts, passions, aptitudes), and the knowing mind, is a qualitative characteristic (warehouse principles, disposition, moral certainty) character (character, ethos, temperament) person;
Active detection of man's moral nature, realized in the actions correlated with samples practiced in the society behavior;
Fluent (willfully, intentionally, deliberately weighted) mode of action, in which the individual assumes the risk of their own making;
Actively opposed to vice.
The system arrayed social origin complicated the problem of the search for the man of the true ways of development in the current environment is infinitely multiple times diametrically different global social networks primary to man was the problem of self-identification in the social environment and the differentiation of its internal peace in the world Globally, the choice of value – acceptable internal nature and moral perception person.
August 14, 2017 Samples
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text:
All the Right Reasons (5463 words) by cali-chan
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Astrid Hofferson
Characters: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Astrid Hofferson, Valka (How to Train Your Dragon)
Additional Tags: POST-HTTYD3, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, nothing more than what we got in the movie really, or: how they went from "we're nowhere near ready" to a winter wedding
Summary:
"And all I can think about right now," Hiccup continued, gaze fixed on a point on the wall across from his bed, but not really looking at it, "is that if I had died last week, the one thing I would regret would be... not marrying you." PG-13, romance/hurt/comfort, post-HTTYD3 (SPOILERS!), Hiccup/Astrid.

How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Astrid Hofferson
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III
Valka (How to Train Your Dragon)
POST-HTTYD3
nothing more than what we got in the movie really
or: how they went from "we're nowhere near ready" to a winter wedding
All the Right Reasons
cali-chan (girls_are_weird)
"And all I can think about right now," Hiccup continued, gaze fixed on a point on the wall across from his bed, but not really looking at it, "is that if I had died last week, the one thing I would regret would be... not marrying you." PG-13, romance/hurt/comfort, post-HTTYD3 (SPOILERS!), Hiccup/Astrid.
(See the end of the work for notes.)
Having been in a relationship with, and then betrothed to, Hiccup for such a long time, Astrid was used to walking into the Haddock hall at (mostly) any time of the day like it was her own home. And correspondingly, none of the inhabitants of the house ever batted an eye at her unannounced presence; as far as they were all concerned, Astrid was one of them, so she had every right to come and go as she pleased.
It was because of that familiarity that she barely spared a thought to walking up the steps to their front door. In fact, her only moment of hesitation was when she looked up at the wooden dwelling and wondered what it would look like when it was finished— as fast as Berkians were when it came to building, it had only been a few days since they arrived in this new island, and most houses were still works in progress. The Haddock hall, being the Chief's house, was meant to be the largest, tallest, biggest living edifice in the village apart from the Great Hall, but currently only the basic structure of the ground floor was up. They had a long time to go before it looked anything like it used to look in Old Berk.
She didn't dwell on it for more than a second, though; what was up was just enough for the Haddocks to be able to cook and sleep with a decent roof over their heads, so there was little to complain about. She lifted her hand and knocked on the door, not even pausing before pushing it open. "Hiccup?"
She hadn't been expecting to find Valka sitting by the fire— ostensibly cooking dinner, it seemed, but by the way she jumped up when she heard Astrid's voice, turning around abruptly and raising her hand to wipe at her eyes from an angle where Astrid couldn't see it directly, she knew the older woman had to have been crying. Astrid immediately felt terrible. "Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise. "I'm so sorry, Valka. I shouldn't have just come in..."
She was just about to turn around and leave when she saw Valka— her cheeks now clean of tears even though her red eyes told a different story— wave her closer. "Nonsense, child, you have every right. You're practically family," the woman insisted, giving Astrid a warm, if a little tremulous, smile.
Astrid moved closer, only a little hesitantly, but before she could say anything, Valka continued speaking. "Hiccup's in the back. He's been laying on his cot all afternoon, the poor soul. You go on ahead, dear. I'm sure it'll do him good to spend some time with you, given everything that's happened."
Astrid nodded silently, her heart aching to go to Hiccup, eager to make him feel better and to find comfort for her own pain in his arms. With a few steady steps she crossed the wide and mostly empty antechamber of the half-finished house on her way to her betrothed's improvised room, but just as she was about to cross the threshold that separated the front of the house from the back, she looked back at Valka once more, noting the woman was again looking into the flames of the hearth with a disheartened expression on her face.
Astrid's feet halted almost on their own. "Valka," she started, "are you... will you be okay?" As Valka turned her head to the side so she could look at her, the light from the fire illuminated her face, the glow from the flames dancing over her cheeks and emphasizing the darker circles under her eyes; whether those were from crying or from exhaustion, Astrid couldn't tell, but her heart went out to the woman. If Astrid herself felt like she'd lost a part of her being now that Stormfly had gone onto the Hidden World, she couldn't even begin to imagine how Valka must be feeling right at that moment. Cloudjumper had been her companion for over twenty years. She was putting up a strong front for her son, for her fellow villagers, but Astrid knew she had to be hurting, perhaps even more than everyone else. "If there's anything I can do..."
Valka smiled at her again, and this time the sadness she'd been hiding all day showed very clearly in the gesture. "I appreciate the sentiment, dear lass," she said, sounding grateful, and it made Astrid feel a little bit better about bringing up the topic when Valka clearly wasn't eager to talk about it. "But I'm all right. I do believe we're all going to be a little sad for a while, and that's the way it should be."
"But your case is... different," Astrid insisted, and she recognized in the other woman's expression that Valka understood what she meant.
Valka turned so that her whole body was facing Astrid, rather than the fire. "That it is," she agreed with her assessment, "but I've been through many a hardship in my life and come out the other side just fine." She leaned forward a little, as if adding emphasis to her words. "You don't need to worry about me, dear heart. I'll be okay. I would feel better, however," she added, sounding a little amused, "if someone could make sure that son of mine deals with his grief properly and doesn't retreat into that head of his, as he's wont to do."
Astrid had to chuckle; that did sound like Hiccup. It felt weird to smile after everything that had happened last week, and she was grateful to Valka for giving her something to smile about amidst their collective mourning. "I can do that," she assured the woman and received a satisfied nod in return. When Valka turned back to the fire, Astrid spun on her heel and made her way to the back of the house.
She found him just as Valka had described: Stretched out on his cot, hands under his head, staring at the ceiling like it could somehow reveal to him the meaning of life. It was such a quintessential 'Hiccup' posture that at any other point in their lives she might've chuckled. "Hey," she called out instead, leaning her shoulder against the wide-open entrance to the back room.
Her voice very obviously startled him away from his thoughts. "Oh, hey," he said, sounding surprised. He immediately pushed himself up to a sitting position and then turned so that his legs were hanging off the side of the cot. He was still wearing one of his prototype prosthetic legs, she noticed— and had forgotten to take it off when he decided to lay there for hours. "How are you doing?" he asked in a concerned tone.
She had to smile at that one, because oh, the irony: she'd come to the Haddock hall to check how he was doing, but he was the one who asked first. Someone looking at them from the outside might say they were made for each other or something. "I'm okay," she answered with a sigh. It was true for the most part. "Feeling a little lonely, I guess," she confessed. It was the kind of thing she would only ever say to him.
He echoed her small smile encouragingly. "I think I can help with that," he said, stretching a hand out to her gallantly.
"You better," she said teasingly, taking his offered hand and letting herself be pulled closer until she was sitting beside him on the cot. She nudged him with her shoulder. "Your mother said you've been in here all day," she said. "Thinking about Toothless?"
Hiccup frowned and looked down at his knees for a moment. "A little, but... not really?" He finished the sentence almost like a question, like he was bothered by the fact that he was feeling this way. "I just... I don't think it's really hit me quite yet," he admitted, a little frustrated.
"Yeah, I know what you mean," she said, pulling her hand out of his grasp so she could softly push some of his hair away from his forehead. And she really did understand how he was feeling: A big part of why she had wanted to see Hiccup was because when she was outside supervising construction, or even when she was on her own at home, she kept expecting Stormfly to peek her colorful head from behind every corner. Worrying about him gave her something else to focus on, at least.
He nodded, recognizing without her having to say it that she was probably feeling the same. Everyone who'd had a dragon partner was, probably. But he still moved to answer her real question. "Actually, I've been mostly thinking about... us, I guess," he said, with a somewhat uncertain half-shrug.
That surprised her. Of all the things he had to worry about at the moment, she would think their relationship was close to the bottom of the list. "What about us?" she asked, curious.
"It's just..." He cut himself off with a sharp sigh as he did sometimes when he was trying to figure out some complex problem in his head and just couldn't quite nail it down. Then he looked at her and she could see that he was hesitant to say what he was about to say. "I don't... know if you saw everything that went down last week," he started again in a somber tone. "I mean, you were still back at the ships when I went after Grimmel, so I don't know when exactly you and all the others actually got close enough that you could see..."
"I saw you fall," Astrid revealed, reaching out for his hand again. He took it, entwining his fingers with hers. "I didn't know it was you— I was too far to be able to tell, but I pushed Stormfly as hard as I could, just in case..."
"I didn't fall," Hiccup admitted, dodging her immediately startled gaze. "Grimmel had knocked Toothless out midflight, and the light fury was the only one who could get to him before he hit the water, so... I told her to save Toothless, and I let go." He risked a look at her out of the corner of his eye, probably afraid she'd be sad or scared.
Instead, she pulled her hand from his abruptly and smacked him on the shoulder. "Did you just conveniently forget that your dragon-scale armor has wings?!" she asked, glaring at him.
"Ow!" he exclaimed, rubbing at the place where she hit as if it really hurt. Astrid rolled her eyes. Big baby. "It was more complicated than that—" he started, in a feeble attempt to defend his actions. "Grimmel was hanging— And then he pulled—" He cut himself off with a growl. "It was just a complex situation, okay? I had to do something without any time to really think about it, and..." He sighed. "I guess that's the thing, though."
"What do you mean?" she asked, not really following. If she was a little short, it was because she was still annoyed that he'd spent so much time designing and building and testing and selling the rest of them on the stupid wings, and then he didn't even use them when the time came.
"I mean that... I wouldn't hesitate even for a second to put my life on the line if it meant saving Toothless," he said, and she nodded. Of course he wouldn't; Toothless was his best friend. Astrid understood that more than anyone. "But I realize now that... everything happened so fast that I didn't even have time to think of what that decision would mean... for you."
There was a pregnant silence as Astrid let that sit for a moment and Hiccup looked at her expectantly. She'd be lying if she said it didn't hurt a little, knowing that he didn't take her into consideration when making a life-or-death decision. But she understood that it was a split-second thing, and she didn't begrudge him the decision he made in the end, ridiculousness with the wings notwithstanding. She would do the same herself.
And sure, sometimes it felt a bit like she was competing with Toothless for Hiccup's already limited time, but she'd never resent either of them for it. She loved Toothless, too, and already missed him almost as much as she did Stormfly. Plus, Hiccup wouldn't be the man she loved if he wasn't willing to put his life on the line for the people (and dragons) he loved. It was just who he was.
Hiccup was still waiting for her to say something, even if she didn't quite know what to say. "I would..." she started tentatively. She didn't want to make it seem like she was taking this too lightly, especially since she knew now that he could have well died just last week, and that changed things for her. "I would move on somehow, I guess," was what she settled on. "It would be really hard, but... everyone has to, right?" she added, thinking back to Valka and all the tragedy that marked her relationship with Stoick. Astrid didn't know if she could be that strong if she was put in similar circumstances. As it was, it hurt to even think about the possibility of losing him.
Hiccup nodded, understanding. "I know. And you should," he said, giving her a small but sincere smile as if saying that's what he would want for her, too. But then he sobered up again. "Because it's a real possibility, you know. I hadn't really thought much about it, but— I'm the chief now," he said, as if she could forget. "Yes, I would give my life to save Toothless, or you, or Mom. But the truth is, I might have to sacrifice myself for anyone on Berk. We're not a dragon sanctuary anymore, but that doesn't mean we won't ever be attacked. And if we are, it's up to me to protect everyone, even if it costs me my life. It's my job. A chief protects his own."
He was speaking very solemnly, and Astrid hung onto his every word, because frankly, he was right. She knew he was. She had probably known that longer than he ever had— as smart as he was, Hiccup had a tendency to focus on the trees rather than the forest, but Astrid was a warrior. Part of her job was to prepare for these kinds of attacks, with or without dragons. She saw being Chief as an immense honor, and no one deserved that title more than Hiccup, but she would never delude herself into thinking that there was no risk to it.
"So all of a sudden, that possibility seems very real. And all I can think about right now," Hiccup continued, gaze fixed on a point on the wall across from his bed, but not really looking at it, "is that if I had died last week, the one thing I would regret would be... not marrying you."
Her breath caught in her throat. She hadn't expected this conversation to turn in that direction. She didn't know if either of them were in the right frame of mind to be talking about this. "Hiccup..." she murmured warily, causing him to turn his head toward her again, eyes wide.
"No, I know," he said, shaking his head emphatically. "I know that you don't think we're ready to get married. And that you want us to get married for the right reasons, and not because Gobber says we have to. I totally get that," he assured her, gesturing with his hands as if to underline the point. "Although I will admit that it stings a little how insistent you are— I mean, do you have to be so blunt about it—"
Astrid rolled her eyes again. "Gods, your whining—"
"—But," he continued, expertly ignoring her exasperated interjection, "to be honest, I kind of felt that way, too. And I hadn't really given much thought to how I would know that I was ready to get married, anyway, so I was fine with putting it off for as long as you wanted. But still... you know I want to, right?" He rearranged his position so that he was facing her rather than the two of them sitting side by side, and then he took hold of her hands— both of them this time.
He brought one of her hands up to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "Astrid, there is no future I could ever envision for myself where you aren't right there by my side." He was looking at her softly with those big, earnest green eyes of his that never failed to make her heart melt, and this time was no exception.
She wasn't the type of girl to get weepy about romantic speeches, but sweet Thor, this boy did things to her. Her eyes were starting to tear up, though she would never admit it. "I know," she said softly, squeezing his hands. She leaned forward to press a quick kiss on his lips. "And I feel the same way, babe, but you being afraid that you're going to die tomorrow is the very definition of a bad reason to get married. You know that, right?" She had to point it out. She didn't want to bring him down or anything, but she had to say it. She prided herself on always being honest with him, even if it wasn't necessarily what he wanted to hear, and this was an important conversation.
"Right, but that's not why I— ugh, this is coming out all wrong, I'm sorry—" He shook his head as if ridding it of all the bad thoughts. Clearly he could see that he was being a bit of a downer himself. "I don't mean to sound morbid, I swear," he started again with a chuckle, "that's just how I figured it out, you know? That if something were to happen to me—"
"Which it won't, because you are never going to do anything like that stunt you pulled last week ever again," she threw in because all this talk about death was starting to get to her.
"—Which I will try my hardest to avoid," he sidestepped her helpful suggestion instead, and she let him have that. She knew he couldn't exactly promise not to die. No one could promise that. "I fully intend to live a long, prosperous life. I mean it. But if something were to happen," he added, looking down at their joined hands, his thumb caressing the back of her hand lightly, "I want everyone to know that that you are the one they should turn to. I want everyone in the village to know that you are the one I trust to protect them if I'm not here. That you're the one I trust to... continue my legacy."
He leaned his forehead against hers. "I don't want to marry you because I might die tomorrow. I want to marry you because I would never have made it this far without you," he added, and though he sounded heartfelt, there was also an undertone of amusement to his words. It made her chuckle because it was true: she had saved his cute butt so many times through the years that she'd almost lost count, and pushed him to keep going when he thought he couldn't. But then again, he had saved her many times, too, and supported her just as much as she had him. They were a team that way.
His voice grew quieter as he continued, almost like the sentiments he was expressing were too personal, too intimate for extraneous ears. "Astrid, you are the most important person to me. You're so strong that even just standing beside you makes me feel more confident than I ever would on my own. You support me even when you don't agree with me. You understand my crazy plans without me even having to explain them sometimes. You're the only one who can... set me straight when my head is all over the place. You know me better than anyone else, and yet you still like me. It kind of blows my mind, even to this day."
Godsdamn it, he really was going to make her cry. That wouldn't do. "Well, it's not like it's a high bar," she said, matching his low tone, her lips pressed together in impish mirth. "All our other friends are nutjobs."
That drew a loud bark of laughter from him, so incongruent with their earlier softer tone but equally heartwarming to her. "That is true," he conceded, still chuckling. "But even then I can't help but wonder how I got so lucky."
Astrid shook her head, as she always did whenever he was being self-deprecating. "It wasn't luck," she insisted, for the umpteenth time. Hiccup had gotten more confident over the years, that was true. But even after a year of being Chief, he still had a hard time seeing how special he was, how amazing he was. He had earned every bit of her love, her support, her admiration, but he still struggled to believe that because of all those years of being the "runt" of the tribe. So she would keep reminding him, every day if she had to.
"I know," he agreed, though the one-shouldered shrug he added didn't exactly speak highly of his level of confidence in that assertion. "It's just hard not to feel that way sometimes." He lifted a hand to cup her cheek delicately, and she leaned into it. "I love you so much, Astrid. You're my partner in... life. In everything," he told her, unwittingly echoing her earlier thoughts about them being a team. It was significant, too, because their dragons were their partners as well— even if they weren't around anymore. But this, what he was describing, was a different kind of partnership. It was a conscious choice of committing their lives to one another, of facing whatever the world threw at them together, not because they had to, but because they wanted to. Because they brought out the best in each other.
But they had made that commitment ages ago, hadn't they? They'd been betrothed for years now, and like Hiccup had said before, whenever she imagined what her life would be like in the future, the one constant was that she and Hiccup were always together. So why was she so sure that they weren't ready to get married yet? At times it almost seemed like it would make things easier. Like after what happened the previous week— or even just that day, knowing how close she came to really losing him— it was almost physically painful to separate from him to go to their respective halls for the night. So why was she so hesitant?
"You're my right hand. Wait, no, let's be real: you've been leading the village as my equal this entire time," Hiccup continued speaking, unaware of where her thoughts had drifted off to. He rubbed the pad of his thumb against the apple of her cheek, and that pulled her attention back to what he was saying. "I just think... I think it's time you get the title you've more than earned by now."
Because she'd been distracted, she only really caught the second half of what he said there, and for a brief moment she was confused. A title? What was he talking about? But then, of course, she understood.
Chieftess.
It's not that it hadn't occurred to her that if she married Hiccup, she'd become the chieftess of Berk. Obviously, she knew— people loved reminding her of it. It was just that Hiccup's noble bloodline and eventually his title were never something that had factored into her feelings for him. She'd fallen in love with him back when he was still "the Useless," when the mere idea of him ever becoming a "proper" Viking was laughable, let alone him ever inheriting the chieftainship from Stoick the Vast. She'd seen who he really was then, and his title didn't really change that. She was proud of him, happy that he had come into his own and become the leader he was always meant to be. But he'd be that with or without the title, and she'd love him and be proud of him just as much with or without the title. And the same was true of her, she knew, which is why she'd never given much thought to the practical implications of becoming Chieftess.
But there were practical implications of her taking the title on officially, and it made complete sense that Hiccup would be thinking about them after everything that happened the previous week. If the chief was unavailable (like, say, on an extended trip of some kind), or if, gods forbid, he died, the chieftess would be the one left in charge of the village. Astrid knew the people of Berk respected her, and even if she and Hiccup weren't married, if something happened to him (which it wouldn't), she was fairly certain the vast majority of the villagers would turn to her as his obvious successor. But fairly certain was not the same as completely certain, and the lack of an official title left her position open to usurpers and power grabs and instability that were best avoided for the sake of their people.
She didn't want to get married out of political pressure, and she knew that's not what Hiccup was trying to say. But it would be stupid to ignore the fact that there was a crucial political component to her relationship with Hiccup. And to be honest, it would be an incredible honor to become Chieftess. She'd be damn good at it, too. She loved Berk, she loved their people, and she had always carried her duty to her village close to her heart; this would just be an extension of that. So why shouldn't they just get married already, then?
He was looking at her expectantly. "Astrid?" he asked. "Can you... I don't know, say something?" He sounded so tentative that she almost wondered if she'd zoned out again and missed something important. But no, he was just nervous. Nervous that she'd turn him down. Nervous that she really wouldn't want to marry him.
She cupped his face in her hands and leaned in, pressing her lips to his softly, delicately. She had to kiss him; she just had to. Her silly, silly boy. "I love you, too," she said as they pulled back, giving him a smile as his eyes opened slowly, almost like he didn't want to let go of the sensation. She could see the breathless hope in those green irises and loved him all the more for it.
"And I'm not saying no..." She knew him so well that she could see it the second his shoulders started to sag at her words. She shook her head emphatically. "Hiccup. I'm not saying no," she insisted, looking him straight in the eye to show him she was 100% serious. "I'm just saying... ask me again when we're not grieving for our dragons?"
The disappointed look remained for a beat longer than she would've wanted, and for a while there she was worried that she'd really hurt him. That was the last thing she wanted to do. She just wanted to make sure they weren't doing this in a reactionary manner; she wanted both of them to be in the right state of mind if they were going to make such a crucial decision. To her relief, slowly but surely his let down expression began to relax. He didn't say anything, but she could see that he understood the point she was trying to make, or at the very least resigned himself to waiting just a little bit longer.
He nodded with an acquiescent sigh and moved to press a kiss on her forehead. "Will you say yes if I do?" he asked in a whisper.
She pulled back just enough that she could rub his nose with hers. "What do you think?" she whispered back with a smile before moving in to kiss him again. That response seemed to be good enough for him because he didn't comment any further. Of course, that could be because his lips were otherwise occupied.
They stayed like that for a few minutes, just kissing and savoring the fact that they were still together despite all the danger they faced just the week before and the sense of loss in their hearts that would probably take more than a few days to fade. Astrid cherished this moment because it reminded her that at least there was one thing they could always be certain of, and that was each other. Always. For the rest of their lives.
Eventually they separated, and Astrid patted Hiccup's knee, signaling that he should take off his prosthetic. "Come on, we should sleep," she said, kicking off her boots quickly and scooting back so she could sit properly on the cot. It was late and all she wanted was to rest peacefully with his arms around her. Gods knew they both needed some cuddles after everything they'd been through recently.
"Oh, you're staying the night?" Hiccup asked, surprised, but he moved to remove his prototype leg either way. "But we, um— my mother's going to be here soon." He signaled toward the wide-open doorway that separated the back room from the front of the main floor. They hadn't even put up curtains yet; not that it would matter, of course, because in the current state of construction, all the inhabitants of the Haddock hall had to share the same sleeping quarters— Valka's empty cot was right there, across the room from Hiccup's.
She waited for him to prop his artificial leg on the wall beside his cot before pulling him by the arm so he was laying down beside her. "If it's your mother's disapproval you're worried about, I'm pretty sure she knows we've shared a cot on more than one occasion," she informed him matter-of-factly.
She had to giggle at the shocked expression on his face. Really, she didn't doubt that Valka knew. Astrid liked to think of herself as stealthy, but Valka was no fool; she had lived in the wilderness for years and could probably tell fairly easily whenever Astrid snuck in or out through Hiccup's window at odd hours of the night... or morning, as it might be. If she had any opinions about it, however, she had yet to make them known, and Astrid generally took that to mean that she didn't mind. Her future mother-in-law was a very progressive woman.
Hiccup's wide-eyed expression told her the thought hadn't even crossed his mind. "Sh-she does? Oh. Wow. Um, okay..."
That was Hiccup for you: So smart when it came to certain things, but so completely oblivious when it came to others. It was endearing, though; he looked so flabbergasted that she had to laugh. "Yep," Astrid confirmed teasingly, chuckling at the hilarious expression on his face one last time before turning around on the bed so that her back was to his front. "Besides, it's not like we're going to be doing anything indecent. I just want you to hold me," she added, pulling his arm so that it wrapped around her waist. "So get your head out of the gutter, Haddock."
He laughed huskily and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck that almost— almost!— made her take back her prior "no indecent behavior" statement. "As you wish, milady," he said, pulling her closer. She closed her eyes and let herself be wrapped in his warmth and comfort.
"You know," she heard him whisper in her ear, "we wouldn't have to keep sneaking around if we just got married." She couldn't see his expression, but she could tell from his voice that he was teasing.
It drew a complementary smile to her face, not just because of his insistence, which she found adorable, but also because it was good to hear some of his dry humor come back. That had been understandably missing for the past week, but she missed it. "Hmm. You make a compelling argument, good sir," she concurred in a breathy tone, as soft as the light caress of her fingers on the back of his hand where it pressed against her middle.
That was the last they spoke that night, and Astrid let herself drift off to sleep in the arms of the man she loved. The man she was going to marry.
Like, I know the ending of the movie was sad for everyone and stuff, but CAN WE TALK ABOUT VALKA? Because my heart still breaks for her. I can't even imagine.
Speaking of, my favorite part of the movie (apart from all the Hiccup/Astrid goodness, obvi) was the fact that Valka was so supportive of Astrid and of her relationship with Hiccup. In the break between movies many in the fandom had speculated that Valka, as a newcomer in Hiccup's life, might feel awkward or even resentful about Astrid's role in her son's life, and that Astrid might hold a grudge where Hiccup wouldn't. I am SO glad they didn't go that way in the movie. I really adore the relationship between the two of them, and that was partly what inspired me to write this one-shot.
In fact, I started writing this all the way back in January when I first saw the movie, got as far as getting the Valka scene at the beginning done, and then left it hanging for months. This past weekend I rewatched it in preparation for HTTYD: Homecoming, and immediately got inspired to finish this. Only took a few days. I've just always wanted to get some insight as to how Astrid went from "we're nowhere near ready" for marriage at the beginning of the movie, to the wedding at the end. This is, I guess, my take on that process. Do let me know if you liked it!
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CIL78, haylestorming (lovable_and_lovable), auntie_emm, Feanor32517, seoulguk, Noahshawsaccent, Guinevere137, defend17, cherryintherim, cherryintherim, rosehaven516, captainfrosty, Nena, hogwarts, itsbyrobbie, Em_is_here, TaisterRetiat, RealmOfDawn, Lizerdolittle, mingyas, Rmysacakir, I_am_happy, Haddock_Writes, ArrowheadProductions, Raydara12, littleaudity, arifire25, Ryukotsei, wonderwhy, elre_than, TallyTheFandomQueen, annia_zabini, and iiAmyzingii as well as 33 guests left kudos on this work! (collapse)
darknessfalls1321 Tue 10 Dec 2019 10:26AM EST
This was phenomenal! So we'll written. Love, love, loved it!!
cali-chan (girls_are_weird) Wed 11 Dec 2019 04:42AM EST
thank you! i'm glad you liked it. thanks for reading! =)
Parent Thread
Ryukotsei Tue 10 Dec 2019 04:21PM EST
Really nice! I love it! :)
thanks, that means a lot! thank you for reading. =)
Antox Wed 11 Dec 2019 11:53AM EST
Homecoming left a bitter taste in my mouth after what they did to Hiccup. Thank goodness for this beautiful piece or else I would have lost it. I'm so happy to see people write from Astrid's POV and this one has been a joy to read and thank you for bringing your insights on this on the form of a very VERY amazing fic. I already read this twice! Also just to give you more insight Dean mentioned Astrid wanting to get married but didn't think Hiccup was ready after losing so much, it was in the artbook I think. Again thank you for lifting up my spirit! Have a happy holiday!
cali-chan (girls_are_weird) Thu 12 Dec 2019 06:42AM EST
aww, i'm sorry to hear that. i did like homecoming for the most part-- i thought it was cute-- but yeah, i can see why someone would object to how hiccup was treated (come on now, gobber!). either way, i'm glad this cheered you up a bit, and just very glad that you liked it.
and yes, i had heard about those comments from dean deblois before, and i kind of tried to sprinkle a little bit of that in there? like, you'll notice that astrid never actually says she's not ready for marriage here; she always says that they're not ready for marriage, instead. that's how i sort of went about it in my head: that if it was up to her she'd get married ASAP, but she won't take any steps until he's ready, until they're both on the same page and not doing it "just because" or in reaction to something. and hiccup's been so preoccupied with the dragons and the tribe up until this point that he hasn't really thought about it past "well, sure, we'll get married someday," so she's waiting for him to get there. and this story is basically the revelation of how what happens in HTTYD3 sort of forces him to finally think about it for once, not just because the dragons are gone, but because of what nearly happened to him, and what that would've done to her and what it would've meant for the tribe.
(if that makes any sense. lol.)
also, i need to get me that artbook someday. the design and cinematography is my favorite part of this movie, bar none. anyway, thank you so much for reading and for your lovely comments! it means a lot to me. happy holidays to you as well! =)
Antox Thu 12 Dec 2019 07:43AM EST
Absolutely love that detail. Marriage is about the both of them so when somebody isn't ready it means they both aren't ready. The artbook is amazing and its bigger than the second one! Again thank you for the lovely piece!
Mabumart Wed 11 Dec 2019 04:38PM EST
This is a complete piece of gold AND I LOVED IT SO MUUUUUUUUUCH 😍😍😍❤
aww, thank you! i'm so glad you liked it. thanks for reading! =)
Lizerdolittle Thu 12 Dec 2019 04:32AM EST
Just lovely.
thank you! glad you liked it. and thanks for reading! =)
EmmaSwiftiePotter Sat 28 Dec 2019 10:23AM EST
Love this sooo much!!! It's so sweet and in character!
cali-chan (girls_are_weird) Sun 29 Dec 2019 12:41PM EST
thank you! i'm very glad to hear you liked it. thanks for reading! =)
haylestorming (lovable_and_lovable) Fri 17 Jan 2020 08:00PM EST
Awww I really liked this! I love soft post-action fics like this one.
cali-chan (girls_are_weird) Sat 18 Jan 2020 10:10PM EST
thank you! i'm very happy to hear that. thanks for reading! =)


text:
\section{Introduction}
\label{sec:introduction}
IEEE 802.15.4~\cite{IEEE802154} specifies a \emph{Physical} (PHY) and a \emph{Medium Access Control} (MAC) layer for use in \emph{Low Rate Wireless Personal Area Networks} (LR-WPANs).
802.15.4 itself is used as a stand-alone communication solution for resource-constrained wireless sensor nodes or as a basis for additional standards like WirelessHART or ZigBee.
It facilitates the so-called \emph{wireless embedded Internet} and \emph{Internet of Things} (IoT) scenarios in combination with the IPv6 adaptation protocol 6LoWPAN~\cite{RFC6282}.

\begin{figure}[htb]
	\centering
	\includegraphics[width=1.0\columnwidth]{IEEE802154_Protocol_Stack-Legend.pdf}
	\caption{IEEE 802.15.4 Protocol Stack and Interfaces}
	\label{fig:IEEE802154_Stack}
\end{figure}

Layers and interfaces of 802.15.4 are depicted in Figure~\ref{fig:IEEE802154_Stack}.
The PHY is responsible for the transceiver management (incl. frequency selection), receiving and transmitting data, as well as \emph{Energy Detection} (ED) and \emph{Clear Channel Assessment} (CCA) operations, both required for the \emph{Carrier Sense Multiple Access Collision Avoidance} (CSMA-CA) functionality of the MAC layer.
The MAC provides LR-WPAN management operations, CSMA-CA, network beacon operations, security functions, a Guaranteed Time Slot (GTS) mechanism with a superframe structure, as well as the provision of a reliable link between MAC instances.
Both layers define header and frame structures and a number of command messages.
In addition, a \emph{Service Specific Convergence Sublayer} (SSCS) is specified to adapt IEEE 802.2 LLC frames for use with the 802.15.4 MAC.
Additional descriptions are provided by \cite{IEEE802154}.
\par
802.15.4 simulation models are already included in the {OMNeT\texttt{++}}\xspace extension frameworks INETMANET\footnote{\url{http://github.com/aarizaq/inetmanet-2.0}}, MiXiM\footnote{\url{http://mixim.sourceforge.net/}} and Castalia\footnote{\url{http://castalia.forge.nicta.com.au}}.
Our reasons to create a new implementation for INET \emph{2.x} are manifold.
MiXiM's 802.15.4 implementation focuses on the PHY layer, with an implementation of the 802.15.4A Impulse Radio Ultra Wide-Band (IR-UWB) standard in addition to the narrow-band version.
The MAC model only covers the CSMA-CA functionality of 802.15.4; other functions are not included.
Castalia's implementation includes an extensive PHY model and many MAC functions.
Castalia's main drawbacks are the lack of higher layer protocols for Internet applications (i.e., IPv6, TCP and UDP for use in IoT scenarios) as well as support for beacon management and newer {OMNeT\texttt{++}}\xspace releases.
INETMANET includes a port of an older IEEE 802.15.4 model~\cite{chen2007simulation}, originally developed for INET-2006/{OMNeT\texttt{++}}\xspace 3.4.
INETMANET's implementation is missing support for newer 802.15.4 revisions as well as several MAC layer service primitives, channel scan operations, and various beacon and WPAN management functions.
As the wireless embedded Internet requires protocols from the TCP/IP family, we favor using the INET framework and implementing a new 802.15.4 simulation model from scratch, to enable feature completeness as well as further combinations with other IoT standards like 6LoWPAN, CoAP and RPL.

\section{Implementation Details}
\label{sec:implementation-details}
The composition of implemented (compound) models is shown in Figure~\ref{fig:IEEE802154_Host}.
We modeled each layer, their connecting interfaces as well as the service primitives according to the standard specifications (refer to Figure~\ref{fig:IEEE802154_Stack} and \cite{IEEE802154}) and general modeling guidelines for IEEE 802.15.4 \cite[Sec. 12.3]{wehrle2010modeling}.
\par
The 802.15.4 model itself consists of the following parts:

\begin{itemize}
	%
	\item	\texttt{IEEE802154Radio}: This base class is an extension of INET's abstract \emph{Radio Class}. It includes the reception and the radio model with adjustments for 802.15.4 (e.g., \emph{Energy Detection} (ED), \emph{Clear Channel Assessment} (CCA) functions, link layer service primitives).
	%
	\item	\texttt{IEEE802154PHY}: This class represents the PHY layer. Message exchange between the MAC layer and the radio interface is handled here and service primitives for CCA and ED functions are generated in this class.
	%
	\item	\texttt{IEEE802154MAC}: The MAC layer completes the \emph{Network Interface Card} (NIC) of a IEEE 802.15.4 host. This layer manages MAC functions such as CSMA-CA, GTS, beacon and WPAN management, amongst others.
	%
	\item	\texttt{SSCS}/\texttt{stdLLC}: Both modules connect applications to 802.15.4's MAC layer. SSCS is used for IEEE 802.2-compatible \emph{Logical Link Control} (LLC) instances (i.e., applications), whereas the \texttt{standardLLC} provides means for conversions of messages from non-802.2-compatible applications like INET's \texttt{IPvXTrafGen}.
	%
\end{itemize}

We combined above described layers and modules into a so-called \texttt{IEEE802154Host}, similar to INET's \texttt{StandardHost}.

\begin{figure}[htb]
	\centering
	\includegraphics[width=1.0\columnwidth]{IEEE802154_Node.pdf}
	\caption{IEEE 802.15.4 Host with Sub-Modules}
	\label{fig:IEEE802154_Host}
\end{figure}

The following classes / headers are not included in Fig.~\ref{fig:IEEE802154_Host}, yet they are crucial for the simulation model's functionality:
\begin{itemize}
	%
	\item	\texttt{IEEE802154Enum}: Header that describes 802.15.4's command, frame and timer types, amongst other enumerations from the standard specification.
	%
	\item	\texttt{IEEE802154Fields}: Header that defines \emph{structs} for complex 802.15.4 data structures like the PAN descriptor or the superframe specification.
	%
	\item	\texttt{MACAddressExt}: Extends INET's \texttt{MACAddress} class with support for EUI-64 (64-bit \emph{Extended Unique Identifier}) MAC addresses and 16-bit (IEEE 802.15.4) short addresses.
	%
	\item	\texttt{MACFrameControlField}: Class that generates the MAC frame control field (refer to \cite[Sec. 7.2.1.1]{IEEE802154}).
	%
	\item	\texttt{MACPIB} / \texttt{PHYPIB}: Classes that represent MAC and PHY PAN Information Bases (PIB) -- databases that hold attributes required for the layer management.
	%
\end{itemize}

\subsection*{Modus Operandi}
The modules are initialized according to INET's multi-stage initialization procedure.
Parameters are set to their default or user-specified values (via \texttt{omnetpp.ini}).
Necessary timers for the MAC and PHY layer (i.e., the radio module) are started and the 802.15.4 node goes into receive state if nothing else is specified and no traffic generator is started.
\par
Packet reception and transmission is modeled with the use of according service primitives as specified in the standard.
Packets and command frames are transferred over their corresponding interfaces.
Different use cases (e.g., direct data transfer, indirect data transfer, GTS handling) are modeled and available as example configurations in the \texttt{omnetpp.ini}.

\section{Ongoing and Future Work}
\label{sec:ongoing-work}
We are currently in the process of adapting the 802.15.4 model to the latest INET version and update its specifics to recent revisions of the 802.15.4 standard.
At this stage, the model is used and developed as a standalone project.
We plan to integrate it completely into INET, thus simplifying the use of 802.15.4 in INET-based simulations.
For this, we plan to add \texttt{ILivecycle} support and integrate the 802.15.4 modules in INET's layer structure and its \texttt{StandardHost}.
Providing an integration in {OMNeT\texttt{++$\:/\:$}INET}\xspace's project feature dialog is also outstanding work.
\par
Certain modulation schemes (e.g., ASK and QPSK) are not used in the 802.15.4 model nor provided in INET yet.
We need to tackle this issue along with the parametrization, inclusion of newer PHYs (from current 802.15.4 revisions) and the practical validation of the 802.15.4 model against real-life sensor nodes.
Choosing PHY and energy consumption parameters is another open question, as 802.15.4 hardware platforms from different vendors provide different characteristic numbers.
\par
Last but not least, we plan to combine and integrate the 802.15.4 model with our 6LoWPAN simulation model~\cite{paper+kirsche-13:6lowpan-omnet} for INET to expand the use of {OMNeT\texttt{++$\:/\:$}INET}\xspace in the area of sensor networks and IoT simulation.

\bibliographystyle{IEEEtran}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


"Where are my pipers? Where are my pipers?" Polly asks. "What are pipers?" her mommy and daddy reply. Polly's important pipers have gone missing. She has looked everywhere—under the bed, inside her closet, and in the kitchen. Where can they be? Mommy wants to help but isn't sure what she is looking for. Join Polly on a colorful and whimsical search to find her missing pipers. A sweet and familiar story of misunderstanding, Polly's Pipers is sure to remind readers of their own lively hunts for missing treasure, and offers a valuable lesson about communication.
Helen Waldman is a practicing psychotherapist. She lives with her husband in Dallas, Texas. They are the proud parents of five grown children.


Welcome to my home page, but don't get comfortable. I created this site to promote an unusual book, and it's not for everyone.
As you see from the title, it's a religious work, so if you don't believe in God…well, I appreciate your dropping in. Don't slam the door.
If you read only non-fiction, be aware that this book is fanciful. I hope you'll stay, but I'll understand if you don't.
If, however, you can soar on the wings of fiction, be moved by characters who only might have been, you should keep reading.
Or if your steed is fantasy, and you ride it to far-flung, fabulous worlds, please stick around.
Finally, if you like your books to dip beneath the surface of mere plot, to explore the tangled underside of reality, then I beg you to stay. This is a book you might love.


text:
WINNIPEG — Bobby Hull once proudly said that he played the way he lived — straightforward. The Hockey Hall of Famer, who electrified fans through the 1960s and 70s, died on Monday at the age of 84.
Jan 30, 2023 11:00 AM Read more >
Montrealer living the dream with ownership stake in revitalized Italian soccer team
Montreal businessman Angelo Pasto is proud of his Italian roots. And now he is looking to do something for the region from where he came, by way of buying a minority stake in the Campobasso 1919 soccer team.
OTTAWA — CFL all-star offensive lineman Derek Dennis intends to end his career as a Calgary Stampeder after re-signing with the football club for 2023. Dennis, 34, was eligible for free agency Feb. 14.
Gymnastics Canada chief executive officer Ian Moss was on the hot seat at the status of women hearings on safety of women in sport on Monday.
Matthew Manuel wins Nova Scotia men's curling final to advance to Brier
Matthew Manuel's team booked a ticket to the Tim Hortons Brier with a 5-4 win over Owen Purcell in the Nova Scotia men's final Monday morning.
Jan 30, 2023 9:49 AM Read more >
TORONTO — Expansion Vancouver FC will open with three games on the road before hosting Cavalry FC on May 7 in its Canadian Premier League home opener. Vancouver will play its home games at Willoughby Community Park at the Langley Events Centre.
Tiedemann among internal non-roster invitees for major-league spring training
Top pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann was among the 14 internal non-roster players invited by the Toronto Blue Jays to major-league spring training on Monday. Tiedemann, 20, was 5-4 with a 2.
MONTREAL — A young girl is dead after an accident at a ski resort on Sunday morning north of Montreal. Police say the six-year-old died after suffering injuries at the Val-Saint-Côme ski resort while using a T-bar ski lift at about 9:30 a.m.
Canadian talent added to Apple's MLS Season Pass broadcast crew
Canadians Patrice Bernier, Kaylyn Kyle, Ross Smith and Matt Cullen will be part of Apple's MLS Season Pass broadcast team. Apple and Major League Soccer announced some of their broadcast personnel earlier in the month.


text:
Uścieniec-Kolonia – wieś w Polsce położona w województwie mazowieckim, w powiecie garwolińskim, w gminie Wilga.

Miejscowość jest siedzibą sołectwa.

W latach 1975–1998 miejscowość administracyjnie należała do województwa siedleckiego.

Zobacz też
 Uścieniec

Przypisy

Linki zewnętrzne

Wilga (gmina)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: I'm getting Parse error: syntax error, unexpected end of file can some help me figure out why I'm getting the error below, seem to be the end  that is giving me the problem?
Parse error: syntax error, unexpected end of file in C:\xampp\htdocs\sandboxwp\wp-content\themes\webpromo\parts\slider.php on line 44

<?php
$slides = array();
$args = array( 'tag' => 'slide', 'nopaging'=>true, 'posts_per_page'=>5 );
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if ( $slider_query->have_posts() ) {
    while ( $slider_query->have_posts() ) {
        $slider_query->the_post();
        if(has_post_thumbnail()){
            $temp = array();
            $thumb_id = get_post_thumbnail_id();
            $thumb_url_array = wp_get_attachment_image_src($thumb_id, 'full', true);
            $thumb_url = $thumb_url_array[0];
            $temp['title'] = get_the_title();
            $temp['excerpt'] = get_the_excerpt();
            $temp['image'] = $thumb_url;
            $slides[] = $temp;
        }
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}
wp_reset_postdata();
?>

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      <li data-target="#carousel-example-generic" data-slide-to="<?php echo $i ?>" <?php if($i==0) { ?>class="active"
        <?php } ?>>

      <?php } ?>

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      <div class="item <?php if($i == 0) { ?>active<?php } ?>">
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            <?php echo $title; ?>

            <?php echo $excerpt; ?>

      <?php $i++; } ?>

    Previous
    Next

A: You should be a little more careful with your indentations. I cleaned it up a bit for you and it made the answer quite apparent: You're missing a closing brace } for your if( count( $slides ) > 0 ){ statement:
<?php
    $slides = array();

    $args = array( 'tag' => 'slide', 'nopaging'=>true, 'posts_per_page'=>5 );

    $slider_query = new WP_Query( $args );

    if( $slider_query->have_posts() ){
        while( $slider_query->have_posts() ){
            $slider_query->the_post();

            if( has_post_thumbnail() ){
                $temp        = array();
                $thumb_id    = get_post_thumbnail_id();
                $thumb_array = wp_get_attachment_image_src( $thumb_id, 'full', true );
                $thumb_url   = $thumb_array[0];

                $temp['title']   = get_the_title();
                $temp['excerpt'] = get_the_excerpt();
                $temp['image']   = $thumb_url;

                $slides[] = $temp;
            }
        }
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    }

    if( count( $slides ) > 0 ){ ?>

                <?php for( $i = 0; $i < count( $slides ); $i++ ){ ?>
                    <li data-target="#carousel-example-generic" data-slide-to="<?php echo $i ?>" <?php if( $i==0 ){ ?>class="active"<?php } ?>>

                <?php } ?>

                <?php $i = 0 ; foreach( $slides as $slide ){ extract( $slide ); ?>
                <div class="item <?php if( $i == 0 ) { ?>active<?php } ?>">
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<?php echo $title; ?>

<?php echo $excerpt; ?>

                <?php $i++; } ?>

            Previous
            Next

    <?php }
?>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


American Car Design. Best its been since the 1960's, and it might be even better.
It's spring break, all my friends are gone on break, so I have nothing else better to do than write. Why are they so good? The road they took to get to where they are today. And the mistakes along the way. Hopefully it will be done in a few days, and hopefully it wont be terrible.


text:
The reason why professionals be part of terrorist associations and get involved in serves of terrorism
The definition of terrorism has specific meanings. International terrorism is the massive use of force against aenvironment and people, state ,or a government so as to instill fear in the people in order to manipulate them to do what the perpetrators of fear want. Innovative terrorism has had a global aspect. This movement of terrorism has become superior by a development of terrorist communities for instance Al-Qaeda, Islamic Point out and Al-Shabaab.
Religious beliefs will not rationalize terrorism
The cornerstone coming from all displayed religions is; Maintenance of peace of mind amidst God's innovation, advertising of harmony, pride, and shielding of everyday life. A good number of terrorists use faith to justify performs of terrorism which is the opposite of all religions. To illustrate Ayatollah Khomeini, the spiritual innovator of Iran made an Islamic verdict of "death to protect against Salman Rushdie for apostasy." And also in 1998, Osama bin Filled issued "a religious verdict against United Israel and States for occupying Muslims' territory."However the Islamic verdict from terrorists has been seen by Muslims as the utilization of religious beliefs to propagate the terrorists' political propaganda.
Religion has under no circumstances been the only perpetrator of faith.Staunch followers of religion and secularists have both together fully committed acts of terrorism.An illustration in the event is ethnic cleanse in spain that was supported by those people who hardly ever adhered to any religion.Sir Francis Galton who was connected with Charles Darwin" motivated the cleanse this minority in Spain."Galton's activities quite simply owned a tremendous effects on Adolf Hitler.Hitler regarded Galton as his role brand.Exploring Francis Galton,Charles Adolf and Darwin Hitler,anybody can successfully deduce they were not spiritual.Nonetheless they scared people today during their time.
According to political philosopher John Gray,"terror was practiced during the last century on a scale unequalled………and much of it was done in the service of secular hopes."Take for instance Russia which was a secular state under Joseph Stalin.Stalin brutalised many people.Some died through guillotine,while others through firing squad.He starved many citizens of Russia to death.Residents were subjected to forced labour which was carried out in inhumane conditions.Stalin's "greatest period of terror was in the years 1937-1938."Another example is the "French revolution of 1789.This revolution was considered by many as portraying secular freedom.The revolution came up with a slogan;Liberty,equality,fraternity,or death which is still considered an ideal slogan in France and the western world."Lenin viewed the revolution as role model for torturing people.
Faith abhors terrorism.The apostle David talked about within a single of his letters: "Where do you think most of these appaling quarrels and wars are derived from? Think again.They are offered about considering that you would like very own way…..You would like what isn't the one you have all of which will chance violence to get hold of it."
The Quran claims "….We decreed to your children of Israel that anyone who murders somebody who obtained not determined murder or horrendous offences urgent-essay.com/personal-essay-for-college,it will be just like he murdered all people.And any one who spares an existence,it will probably be almost like he spared the day-to-day lives of all the people…." (Maida 5: 32).
However,to a certain extent,religion does justify terrorism
Faith based verdicts issued by muslim scholars are interpreted as advocating for jihad.Some muslims start thinking about jihad that they are the sixth pillar of islam.The muslims so see it required on them to fight jihad by all means.
The Arabic word jihad,contained in the quran, is oftentimes misunderstood by muslims to necessarily mean holy battle.This may be a misunderstanding.This phrase way "to try in trying solid religious serves."The interested muslims will consequently complete terrorism from your identify of jihad.
The holy bible verse that claims: "Spare the rod and spoil the child."Has been as used by extremist types to perpetuate abuse.As an illustration a number of people were forced to replace to Christianity throughout colonialism.People that hesitated to convert used to be persecuted.
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