text:
Tabletop Games & RPGs
Evil Hat Productions Decry H.P. Lovecraft for Being "a Racist and Anti-Semite," Continue to Use His Work for Fate of Cthulu Role-Playing Game
Spencer Baculi
A recently released table-top role-playing game has sparked controversy after developer Evil Hat Productions directly denounced author H.P. Lovecraft ...
Reality Check: The Game of Privilege Criticized for Making Light of Progressive Social Issues
A recently announced board game "about privilege and systemic oppression" has been criticized for making light of topics at the center of current prog...
Magic: The Gathering to Launch War of the Spark Mythic Edition Exclusively on eBay!
Magic: The Gathering will launch War of the Spark Mythic Edition exclusively on eBay through Hasbro's store. War of the Spark Mythic Edition is the...
Magic: The Gathering Artist Terese Nielsen Responds to Fan Accusations of Bigotry and Facism
A seasoned and iconic Magic: The Gathering artist has issued a personal response to the fan base after being targeted by fans for her political belief...
RPG Publisher Lamentations of the Flame Princess Cuts Ties with Zak Smith Following Abuse Allegations
The tabletop gaming fandom was recently rocked by accusations made by adult film star Mandy Morbid against her ex-boyfriend, Maze of the Blue Medusa w...
GaryCon Removes Frank Mentzer as a Guest of Honor
Following the passing of Dungeons & Dragons creator Gary Gygax in 2008, the GaryCon gaming convention was founded to honor Gygax's life and legacy...
Valiant Teams with Catalyst Game Labs to Debut a Brand Deck Building Tabletop Game!
For those who enjoy deck building games, Valiant and CATALYST GAME LABS have come together to create a whole new game for you, based off of the Valian...
'The Godfather' Board Game Arrives from IDW Games
Are you ready to become the Don and control of the streets of New York and bring power to your family in IDW Games The Godfather: A New Don? The ga...
IDW Launches Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Board Game KickStarter
IDW Games has just launched a KickStarter campaign for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past, a scenario-driven, miniatures-based combat b...
Dungeon Master Workshop: Custom Campaigns Part 2 – Narrative Focus
Charles Cox
Dungeon Master (DM) Workshop is a regular feature in which Charles draws on his experience as a DM, as well as what he's learned from the other DM's, ...


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using AndroidLib.Interaction;
using System.Threading;
using AndroidLib;
using AndroidLib.Results;

namespace AndroidLib
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Initializing...");
            List<Device> devices = ADB.GetConnectedDevices();
            Console.WriteLine("Devices connected: " + devices.Count);
            Console.WriteLine("------------------------");
            Console.ReadKey();
            //Device d = devices[0];
            /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
            //////////////////////////////////////////Working area///////////////////////////////////////////

            /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
            /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
            Console.WriteLine("Press any key to exit...");
            Console.ReadLine();
            ADB.StopServer();
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A Long Island food pantry director has been arrested for allegedly telling consumers the knock-off jewelry she bought online from China was "factory seconds" donated to her charity by Tiffany & Co., the Suffolk County District Attorney's office announced Dec. 22.
"Tiffany and Company … does not sell "factory seconds," said Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota in a statement.
Mary Ann Bell, 69, director of the Greater Port Jefferson Food Pantry in Port Jefferson, N.Y., is charged with selling the fake pieces at nursing homes and hospitals. She allegedly pocketed $150,000 annually from her scheme, which the D.A. said goes back three years. Most of the items were said to come in replicas of Tiffany's famed "blue box," although in some instances the boxes looked green.
And while Bell generally charged $40 a pop for the items, she now admits she only paid five dollars for them, the DA said.
The spokesperson said the reported ruse fell apart when unhappy consumers began bringing the fake jewels to Tiffany stores, complaining of inferior quality. The retailer then tipped off police.
According to Port Jefferson Patch, Tiffany considers the counterfeiting operation "very significant," with the DA reporting that Bell's home contained $600,000 worth of fake merchandise.
Bell is charged with trademark counterfeiting in the second degree, a crime punishable by a maximum one and one-third to four years in prison. Her arraignment is Feb. 1.
Bell's position as a food pantry director makes her an unusual alleged criminal. Even stranger, according to the New York Post, is that Bell is also a retired political science professor from SUNY Stony Brook.


Ms. Rao: Good Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen.
We have one press release on the appointment of Shri Yogesh Kumar Gupta, currently Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of India in Rome as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Zambia in succession to Shri Ashok Attri..
The other subject on which I wish to brief you today is about the State Visit of His Majesty the King of Nepal, His Majesty Shri Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev. His Majesty the King of Nepal will arrive here on Sunday the 23rd of June evening. The ceremonial welcome will take place in the forenoon of Monday the 24th of June Following this there will be a wreath laying ceremony at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi.
His Majesty will be accompanied by Her Majesty the Queen of Nepal. The Vice President and Smt. Suman Krishan Kant will call on their Majesties. Following this the Honourable Home Minister will call on His Majesty the King. There after the External Affairs Minister Shri Jaswant Singh will call on His Majesty. This will be followed by the Prime Minister's meeting with the King of Nepal. There after the King and the Queen of Nepal will call on Rashtrapatiji and Smt. Usha Narayanan. On Monday evening there will be a banquet hosted in the honour of their Majesties by the President and Smt. Usha Narayanan. On Tuesday there will be further meetings beginning with a call by Shri Chandrasekhar, former Prime Minister. Thereafter a call by the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, call by the Minister of Human Resource Development, call by the Minister of Information and Broadcasting. Tuesday afternoon there will be a business meeting with the Confederation of Indian Industry, the FICCI and the FMCC. This will be followed by lunch. Thereafter there will be call by the Minister of Defence, by the Leader of the Opposition and then that evening, the Ambassador of Nepal is hosting a reception in honour of the visiting Majesties. On Wednesday the 26th of June the former Prime Minister, Shri Narasimha Rao will be calling on His Majesty; so also will former Prime Minister Shri Gujral. There will be a farewell meeting with the President and Smt. Narayanan and thereafter their Majesties leave for Kolkatta. On arrival there will be a call by the Chief Minister of West Bengal and also a meeting with the Governor of West Bengal. On Thursday their Majesties leave for Guwahati. There they will be visiting the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati. They will meet the Governor of Assam and there will be a luncheon hosted in their honour by the Governor of Assam. They will leave for Kolkatta on Thursday the 27th evening and on Friday the 28th of June they depart for Kathmandu.
As you know we attach the highest priority to the strengthening of the traditional bonds of understanding and cooperation and friendship with Nepal. Our two countries have a very close relationship based on our geographical proximity as well as historical civilizational and cultural linkages. As our Prime Minister has affirmed we remain committed to the further development and diversification of our bilateral relations for the mutual benefit of our peoples.
This is the first visit of the Majesty the King of Nepal outside Nepal , since he ascended the throne in June last year. We have had a number of high level visits exchanged between the two countries. Our President paid a state visit to Nepal in May 1998. His late Majesty King Birendra visited India as the Chief Guest on our Republic Day in January 1999. The then Prime Minister of Nepal Mr. G.P. Koirala visited India in July- August 2000. Our External Affairs Shri Jaswant Singh paid a goodwill visit to Kathmandu in August last year when he met with the Majesty King Gyanendra and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and conveyed the continuing interest of India to strengthen and expand bilateral cooperation between our two countries. The Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Nepal from January 3-6 2002 to participate in the 11th SAARC Summit. During that visit he had bilateral meetings with King Gyanandra and Prime Minister Deuba on the margins of the Summit. Prime Minister Deuba paid an official goodwill visit to India in March this year. Of course at the official levels the Foreign Secretaries and the Home Secretaries, Commerce Secretaries and the Water Resources Secretaries and other senior officials of the Government regularly interact to review various aspects of our bilateral cooperation. Our trade treaty with Nepal has been recently renewed in March this year. We have recently completed two prestigious development projects in Nepal. The G.P. Koirala Institute for Health Sciences in Dharan and 22 bridges on the East-West Highway in Nepal. In April 2002 an agreement was reached with His Majesty's Government for laying a 1100 Km long optical fibre cable all along the Terai which will be fully financed by India and which would significantly contribute to the telecom infrastructure of Nepal. Our cultural linkages are also supplemented by over 100 scholarships to Nepalese students which we offer annually. Both our countries are engaged in the fight against terrorism. You are aware of the Maoist violence in Nepal which the Government of India has strongly condemned and we have expressed support for the steps taken by the Nepalese Government to restore normalcy and order in the country. We are firmly of the view that multiparty democracy and constitutional monarchy are the two pillars which provide the space for peaceful accommodation and resolution of differences and for political stability and economic development of Nepal. We had offered assistance that is required by Nepal in its fight against terrorism and this has included equipment and training and also bilateral intelligence cooperation. We have also deployed special security personnel along the India-Nepal border to strengthen security in the border areas of Nepal in the context of the fight against terrorism. You would also recall during his visit to Kathmandu to for the SAARC Summit this year Prime Minister had announced a grant of Nepalese Rs. 800 million over 2 years -this is about 50 crore Indian Rupees- for developmental projects in the social sectors including health, education and rural development.
Also you would have seen the interview of His Majesty the King of Nepal with Dilip Padgaonkar of the Times of India which was aired on Doordarshan yesterday.
Answer: No, we are awaiting for an official response from the Government of Pakistan to our offer, our decision to remove the restrictions on over flights of Pakistani airlines and Pakistani civil aircraft, and we are yet to receive a response from the Government of Pakistan. I would not like to comment on the sort of comments to which you just referred. We await an official communication from the Government of Pakistan on the subject.
Question: But the Pakistan's spokesperson have said that they have not received any notification in this regard from the Government of India?
Answer: No, I think that again there seems to be some disinformation that has been spread on this subject. Our Ministry of Civil Aviation has said very clearly that there is no notice to airmen required, no NOTAM required. There was no NOTAM issued when the restrictions were imposed on January 1st. Similarly no NOTAM is required for the removal of these restrictions. All that the Pakistani aircraft have to do is to file for clearances for flight plans as and when they decide to resume over flights. This has been veryclearly stated.
Answer: I think all these statements that you have referred to fall into the general class, the generic hostility that you see emanating from Pakistan and the Pakistani spokespersons on the subject. The offer we have made, the proposal we have outlined, is a genuine one and we hope Pakistan will respond to it in an appropriate manner.
Question: Would you like to comment on the Defence Minister statement that there is no infiltration?
Answer: Well, the infiltration has gone down and I think the Defence Minister clearly referred to that development. But it is still too early to take those steps which I assume you are referring to when you talk, since he said very clearly that military de-escalation is a long way off. There is still a lot of action that we expect from Pakistan in terms of dismantlement of the infrastructure of terrorism, in terms of permanent, visible, satisfactory action on the ground in response to the pledges and assurances that the Government of Pakistan has made on the subject.
Question: Is there any possibility that the leaders of the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) would be allowed to go to Pakistan?
Answer: You will have to address that question to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Question: (in Hindi) referring to a recent statement by the Pakistani Minister of Religious Affairs saying there is an indigenious struggle, and no terrorism,in Kashmir..and that until India discussed the issue of Kashmir, there would be no Pakistani response to the offer of resumption of overflights) It is alleged that the policy in India is against the Muslim community and the Kashmiri have every right to Jihad?
Answer: No, the other day one of our friends asked me a similar question to the effect that Pakistan had made such statement. I think there is nothing new in what you have just mentioned just now. Pakistan refuses to formulate and to articulate a serious vision for peace and reconciliation in our region. What you see is the same tired, worn, rhetoric coming from various quarters of the Pakistani establishment. There is very little, genuine desire, an absence, I would say , of any genuine desire for dialogue, for reconciliation, for resolution of outstanding issues through consultation, through interaction between India and Pakistan.
Question: There is an allegation that Mr. Alexander Perry of Time Magazine was harassed just because he had written a controversial article on our Prime Minister?
Answer: What allegation are you talking about? Who has made this allegation? I don't believe that there has been any harassment and as far as the investigation is concerned I would not like to comment on it. This is a subject of an investigation being conducted by the Home Ministry under whose jurisdiction the foreigner's regional registration office functions. So you should address this question to the Home Ministry. There has been no harassment and the fact is that on that article the Government of India has issued a very strong rejoinder and we stand completely by that reaction and that rejoinder. It was an ill informed and ill-advised article and completely without foundation.
Answer: I refused to be drawn into any discussion on that. I am here to talk about developments concerning about our foreign policy. I am not here to talk about other issues.
Answer: No, I would not say that there is no awareness. I am not commenting on this specific case. I know you would like me to comment on that. But I am going to disappoint you on that account. But the Government of India is fully aware of procedures, conventions, and regulations governing the use of travel documents.
Question: There was a report yesterday that Bangladesh has handed over a list of 18 wanted persons. Can you confirm that?
Answer: I will have to check whether such a list was handed over. I am not aware of such a list but it was very clear during those discussions that both governments were fully agreed on the need for close consultation and cooperation in terms of apprehending and bringing to justice terrorists, militants, people who have violated laws of either country and that there would full cooperation between the two countries on the subject, that Bangladesh would be responding and be sensitive to India's concerns on this subject and India would also be cognizant and responsive to Bangladesh's concerns on this subject once full investigations have been carried out. (It was later elaborated by the Spokesperson that Bangladesh had handed over a list of 12 people who were allegedly criminals. Two of these persons had since been arrested in Dhaka itself. The Government of India would take action to locate the remaining persons whose whereabouts would need to be ascertained. The Government had cooperated with the Bangladesh Government on this issue in the past, and would do so in the future also, despite the fact that there was no extradition treaty between the two countries).


text:
Spring skiing tips
Best Calgary dates
Home improvement permits
Updated: April 15, 2019 10:04 am
Ask the Expert: Spring skiing tips
By Melissa Gilligan	Online Reporter	Global News
WATCH ABOVE: Cole Fawcett from Castle Mountain joins Jordan Witzel with tips on spring skiing.
Warmer weather doesn't necessarily mean you have to pack up your skis and call it a season.
Though it brings with its own unique set of challenges, spring skiing is still an option.
READ MORE: Spring skiing, snowboarding draws many to Alberta ski resort before season ends
Cole Fawcett, sales and marketing manager for Castle Mountain Resort, joined Global Calgary on Monday as part of our Ask the Expert series with tips on how to have the best spring skiing experience.
Always wear sunscreen
Snow reflects about 80 per cent of the sun's rays, Fawcett warned, adding that UV radiation increases four or five per cent for every 300 metres of elevation you gain. As such, unprotected skin can burn quickly if you aren't wearing SPF on your face. Wearing a lip balm with SPF is also recommended.
Along with helping prevent brain injury, wearing a helmet helps keep your scalp from burning.
"There really isn't an excuse not to wear a helmet," Fawcett said. "Many of them do provide several layers of ventilation."
Fawcett also suggests investing in a pair of goggles with interchangeable lenses so you can adjust them depending on the time of day, the amount of sunshine and the sun angle.
Be cautious of the impact warm weather has on the snowpack
The spring often brings with it a freeze-thaw cycle, which can lead to mushy snow during the day that freezes to become hard-packed at night.
Fawcett recommends looking for areas of the mountain that face north where snow consistency may be less affected by sunlight. He said this is where you'll often find mid-winter-like snow even far into the spring.
Fawcett also recommends sticking to groomed runs in the morning until a firm snowpack is softened by sunlight in mid-to-late morning.
Dress in layers
Mornings can still be quite cold in the spring with temperatures well below zero before climbing as the day goes on. As such, Fawcett suggests dressing in layers so those who hit the slopes for a full day can maintain a comfortable temperature.
Fawcett said most skiers are going to start the day with a next-to-skin layer or a base layer, a mid-layer or an insulating layer, and a shell. He said as the temperature warms up, it's the mid-layer that will be taken off.
More details on Castle Mountain Resort
This coming weekend is Castle Mountain's last for cat-skiing operations, but lift-serviced terrain will remain open until April 7.
Passes for next year's ski season are already available.
Castle Mountain Resort is located in southwest Alberta about 230 kilometres from Calgary.
Alberta Skiing
Castle Mountain
Cole Fawcett
skiing tips

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Floyd Mayweather Jr. thinks judges Guido Cavalleri and Eric Marlinski didn't give his fighter, Badou Jack the credit he deserved, and in-turn, denied him the WBC light heavyweight title.
Following Saturday's fight between Jack and Adonis Stevenson in Toronto, Mayweather gave Jack seven of the 12 rounds, the same score as judge Jesse Reyes. And while Mayweather believes the judges gave Stevenson too much credit, for small spurts of success in rounds where Jack was controlling, the fighter turner promoter does admit Jack needed to pick up the pace early on.


text:
Q: Task.WhenAll timing out after x number of Tasks I have the following code that gets called from a Controller.
public async Task Execute()
{
    var collections= await _repo.GetCollections(); // This gets 500+ items

    List<Object1> coolCollections= new List<Object1>();
    List<Object2> uncoolCollections= new List<Object2>();

    foreach (var collection in collections)
    {
        if(collection == "Something")
        {
            var specialObject = TurnObjectIntoSpecialObject(collection);
            uncoolCollections.Add(specialObject);
        }
        else
        {
            var anotherObject = TurnObjectIntoAnotherObject(object);
            coolCollections.Add(anotherObject);
        }
    }

        var list1Async = coolCollections.Select(async obj => await restService.PostObject1(obj)); //each call takes 200 -> 2000ms
        var list2Async = uncoolCollections.Select(async obj => await restService.PostObject2(obj));//each call takes 300 -> 3000ms

        var asyncTasks = list1Async.Concat<Task>(list2Async);
        await Task.WhenAll(asyncTasks); //As 500+ 'tasks'
}

Unfortunately, I'm getting a 504 error after around 300 or so requests. I can't change the API the RestService calls so I'm stuck trying to make the above code more performant.
Changing Task.WhenAll to a foreach loop does work, and does resolve the time out but it's very slow.
My question is how can I make sure the above code does not timeout after x number of requests?

A: Making more concurrent calls to a remote site or database doesn't improve throughput, quite the opposite. Conflicts between the concurrent operations mean that beyond a certain point everything will start taking more time, until the service crashes. Right now you have a possible 300-way blocking problem.
The way all services handle this is by restricting the number of concurrent connections. In fact, many services will throttle clients so they don't crash if someone ... sends 500 concurrent requests. Some may even tell you they're throttling you with a 429 response.
Another way is to use batch requests, so instead of making 300 or 500 calls you can send a batch of 500 operations, allowing the service to handle them in an efficient way.
You can use Parallel.ForEachAsync to execute multiple calls with a specified degree of parallelism :
ParallelOptions parallelOptions = new()
{
    MaxDegreeOfParallelism = 30
};

await Parallel.ForEachAsync(object1, parallelOptions, async obj =>
{
    await restService.PostObject1(obj);
});
await Parallel.ForEachAsync(object2, parallelOptions, async obj =>
{
    await restService.PostObject2(obj);
});

You can adjust the DOP to find what works best without slowing down the remote service.
If the service can handle it, you could start both pipelines concurrently and await both of them to complete:
ParallelOptions parallelOptions = new()
{
    MaxDegreeOfParallelism = 30
};

var task1=Parallel.ForEachAsync(object1, parallelOptions, async obj =>
{
    await restService.PostObject1(obj);
});
var task2=Parallel.ForEachAsync(object2, parallelOptions, async obj =>
{
    await restService.PostObject2(obj);
});

await Task.WhenAll(task1,task2);

It doesn't make sense to retry those operations before you limit the DOP. Retrying 500 failed requests will only lead to another failure. Retrying with a random or staggered delay is essentially the same as limiting the DOP from the start, except it takes far longer to complete.

A: Since you are unable to change the rest service the 504 gateway timeout will remain.
A better solution would be to use a retry mechanism, if you receive a 504 error code then you'll retry after 'x' seconds.
Why retry after 'x' seconds?
The reasons for the 504 could be many, it could be that the server does not handle more request because it is at it's maximum workload at the moment.
A good and battle-tested library for retry mechanism is Polly.
You could also write your own function or action depending on the return type.
Depending on the happyflow use-case other methods could be used, but in this situation I went with the thought of you wanting to upload all the data even if an exception occurs.
Something to think about, if this service is provided by a third party vendor then look into the documentation. It will most likely have a section on max concurrent connections to the service.

A: This answer assumes that you are using .NET 6 or later. You could project the objects to an enumerable of object elements, and then parallelize the processing of the projected objects with the Parallel.ForEachAsync method. This method allows to configure the MaxDegreeOfParallelism, so that not all projected objects are processed at once. As a result the remote server will not be bombarded with more requests than it can handle, nor the network bandwidth will be saturated. The optimal MaxDegreeOfParallelism can be found by experimentation. Start with a small number, like 5, and then gradually increase it until you find the sweet spot that offers the best performance.
public async Task Execute()
{
    var objects = await _repo.GetObjects();
    IEnumerable<object> projected = objects.Select(obj =>
    {
        if (obj == "Something")
        {
            return (object)TurnObjectIntoSpecialObject(obj);
        }
        else
        {
            return (object)TurnObjectIntoAnotherObject(obj);
        }
    });

    ParallelOptions options = new()
    {
        MaxDegreeOfParallelism = 5
    };
    await Parallel.ForEachAsync(projected, options, async (item, ct) =>
    {
        switch (item)
        {
            case Object1 obj1: await restService.PostObject1(obj1); break;
            case Object2 obj2: await restService.PostObject2(obj2); break;
            default: throw new NotImplementedException();
        }
    });
}

The above code processes the objects in the same order that appear in the objects sequence. The PostObject1/PostObject2 operations are parallelized, but the TurnObjectIntoSpecialObject/TurnObjectIntoAnotherObject operations are not. If you want to parallelize these too, then you can feed the Parallel.ForEachAsync with the objects, and do the projection inside the parallel loop.
In case of errors, only the first exception will be propagated. If you want to
propagate all the errors, you can find solutions here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Tag: opinion
No, fandom is not broken
Dany Roth
@danyordinary
You may have heard recently that, thanks to a mixture of death threats, social media run amok, and the corporatization of storytelling, the relationship between fans and creators is in a bit of a challenging transitional period right now. Looking at things like Gamergate, the controversy over Captain America being part of Hydra, #GiveElsaAGirlfriend, Ghostbusters, and a host of other things fans are having heated debates about, Devin Faraci of Birth. Movies. Death. made a declaration -- fandom is broken. Too many Annie Wilkeses from Misery dominating the conversation, not enough Justin Longs from Galaxy Quest saving Tim Allen and stoned Tony Shalhoub from that alien with the green pineapple head. You know the one.
Well, consider this my second opinion:
Fandom is not broken.
Fandom is, at worst, under construction. But, much like the major highway outside your house, you'd be forgiven for suspecting it's been under said construction and irreparable since the turn of the 20th century.
In the case of fandom, you'd also be kind of right. Almost. As even the Birth. Movies. Death. article that spawned this debate on fandom's brokenness admits -- creators being harangued by fans has been happening for a long time now. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle received threats for killing off his hero detective, Sherlock Holmes, and L. Frank Baum received so many letters from children after he planned to end his Oz stories with The Emerald City of Oz that he went on to write eight more in the series.
Of course, that's not the entire story. Conan Doyle received a great many of those threats not because of the demise of Holmes, but because of Doyle's positions on Irish politics and female emancipation. And Baum, bless him, didn't just make more Oz books for the fans -- he was also bankrupt and needed the money.
So, yes, creators do get some threats (which, yes, are bad and should stop), but placing the responsibility of negative interactions squarely on the shoulders of fans ignores a much more complex power dynamic between fandom and creator.
Most of Faraci's treatise on the state of fandom is about how and the degree to which fans take ownership of the stories they consume. His theory is that, since most popular stories are no longer written and owned by creators, but rather written by authors hired by corporations who own the copyright to popular characters and stories, that fans see writers more as servers at a restaurant rather than as the chefs. This is exacerbated by the internet, and social media in particular, which grants easier-than-ever access to the people who create media. Any fan can reach out to any writer, director, or performer and tell them what they like or don't like. So if, say, a fan "orders" a Disney princess sequel like Frozen 2, for example, they might send the proverbial plate back because it doesn't have enough lesbian on it as was requested with the #GiveElsaAGirlfriend hashtag movement.
This, to me, is is not an example of fandom being broken, though -- this is an example of fandom working very well. Faraci specifically uses the #GiveElsaAGirlfriend movement as an example of fans unfairly demanding (a clear distinction from "asking for") something, but that's not what's actually happening in this case. Alexis Isabel, who started the hashtag, never expected Disney to make Elsa a lesbian. She didn't even think her hashtag would take off. But the reason that movement resonated with so many people was because Elsa's coming out story in Frozen felt very familiar to many in the LGBTQIA community. Saying Elsa should have a girlfriend isn't about forcing a change in the Frozen narrative, it's about reminding people that there's never been an officially out Disney princess before and acknowledging how powerful it would be if there were.
Just because a few people in that community make threats does not negate the positivity of the #GiveElsaAGirlfriend movement. Just because some people in literally any community use fandom as a Trojan Horse to harass for harassment's sake, does not mean every strongly-worded criticism made against a work or creator is unfair. And if someone opts not to see Frozen 2 at all because it's not gay enough, that doesn't mean no one else can see it. Frozen 2 will still exist and it will probably still sell really well.
That being said, not every negative fan/creator interaction can be explained away by activism. But it's more important to understand from whence this sense of ownership from fans comes rather than to simply demonize it.
Some of the most strongly-held examples of fan ownership don't stem from modern properties, or even legacy characters, they originate from once-popular franchises that were left fallow for an extended time only to be returned to the mainstream again later. I know this because I have been on the receiving end of this kind of intense fan obsession in the past. And there's an example that kind of fandom which merits further examination to reach a better understanding of certain types of fan behavior.
I'm speaking, of course, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
You thought I was gonna say Ghostbusters? I done told you already I aint't talking about that anymore until the movie's out!
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran on TV from 1997 until 2003, after which there were some, but not many, unofficial continuations of her story in book, comic, and video game form. During that time, fans who remained fiercely attached to Buffy and the gang decided that, if no one else was going to officially continue the Buffy saga, then the fans could. And they did. Fan fiction -- there was A LOT OF IT. Entire forums were dedicated to favorite pairings, rewatches of the show, cosplay, an all the things that go into building a tribal community. And just like tribalism across the board, these fan communities were fiercely loyal to one another and, on the real tip, kind of distrustful of outsiders.
The reason I know this is because, long before I wrote for Syfy's digital news imprint, I was cutting my teeth on entertainment journalism with a fan site dedicated to Joss Whedon. It was during this time that Dark Horse Comics announced an official continuation of Buffy the Vampire Slayer slated to begin in 2007. Buffy Season 8 featured many bold, new directions for Buffy and co., the most controversial of which was the decision to have Buffy and Angel have sex shortly after it was revealed that Angel had been the bad guy all season long.
Forums erupted for months, livejournals were flooded with posts about how the fans told better stories, and entire websites were dedicated to proving that then-Buffy editor Scott Allie, was the devil incarnate himself, and anyone who disagreed was not to be trusted.
And the reason that happened was because the fans had, for years, been the inherited custodians of the Buffy legacy. They had built a community of friends and creatives to imagine exciting new places Buffy could go. So, having someone who was largely a stranger swoop in and wipe those stories away in favor of an "official continuation" felt like a slap to the face. Writing new canon that was the opposite of what this fan community wanted was seen as an invasion of this tribe that many Buffy fans had created together.
Psychologically, it makes a lot of sense. Imagine someone left a baby on your doorstep and, after years of you raising it, that same someone turned up to take the child away from you and raise them completely differently even though they were the ones who abandoned them in the first place. You'd be pretty mad, right?
That doesn't justify those that made slanderous comments, but it does show that, when fandom gets a little too intense, it's more complex than simply "fans are unfairly entitled and so fandom is now broken". That feeling of ownership doesn't come from thin air and it isn't as simple as "all feelings of ownership from fans are bad".
Fan communities save lives. They aren't just about liking a character, a show, or a film, they're about building a space to escape from the challenges of everyday life. People with disabilities, people in abusive situations, people just struggling with money -- they all find acceptance and a sense of belonging in fan communities. And fans were the ones giving Buffy life for all those intervening years. Those fans were the reason Joss Whedon could justify to an executive that bringing Buffy back would be a worthwhile endeavor. Those fans are the reason Dark Horse is still making Buffy stories even now. Those are all good and noble things about fandom and some ugliness can't and won't negate it.
This "angry fans are all bad" narrative also excludes the part where, frankly, sometimes a work merits some serious criticism. There were plenty of people who were critical of the Buffy comics without making personal attacks. The problem was that, sometimes, it was easier for Dark Horse or IDW to write off all fan criticism because they could allow the valid, thoughtful stuff to become indistinguishable from the people who were just shouting because they weren't getting their way. That's not just a Buffy comics thing, that is a pitfall for any content creator. What saying "fandom is broken" does is it places all the blame for creator/fan conflict on fans. Just because some fans sometimes behave insappropriately does not mean creators are somehow above having their work and even their behavior online criticized.
And that's the other, larger issue at hand in these online interactions between fan and creator -- they're still a two-way street. To say that no fans are worth listening to because some of them harass and some are overly connected to certain stories is folly. Plenty of creators (who are also human) make similar mistakes. Sometimes they also get too heated online. And some of them make threats. Creators get invested and they have tribes, too. The door swings both ways.
None of this is unique to fandom and none of it means any one group is entitled, or that the entire enterprise of fans and creators interacting with one another has become a zero sum game. Quite the contrary.
People thinking critically about the historical ramifications of Captain America being part of Hydra isn't fandom being broken -- it's fandom working. People pointing out the repeated tendency of LGBTQIA characters dying on television moreso than their hetero counterparts isn't fandom being broken -- it's fandom working. For every subreddit dedicated to sending a journalist death threats because they reported a video game's delayed release, there are countless more fans just thinking critically about the things they love. And for every creator who quits Twitter or mistakes a fan space as their own there are infinitely more who learn from their fans and make better content as a result.
Which is all to say one thing, and I hope that you believe it -- Fandom. Is not. Broken.


I have been wanting to blog about this favorite Korean restaurant of mine that I have been a loyal customer to since 6 years ago and finally I managed to squeeze some time to write about it yayyyy!
We are spoilt for choices when it comes to Korean restaurants in Penang where there are more and more of them mushrooming everywhere and I haven't had the chance to try all of them.
Among some of them that I have tried, I have never gone back to those as I find none of them beats this place.
this restaurant was established in 2009 by the lovely Korean couple.
and since then, it had become our go-to-place.
the bosses would serve you themselves. I love this place so much I worked part-time for them for awhile.
a little bit by placing colorful cooker hoods on top of each table.
a Korean food feast you can request them to open the sliding doors to accommodate your entire squad.
you can always order the same dishes, because this is what me and my bff do.
Pan chan (side dishes) were served immediately once we placed our order.
absolutely sweet and appetizing one would always beg for more!
The pan chan is refillable but for one time only.
We ordered Samgyeopsal (Pork Belly) [RM32] and Gochujang Samgyeopsal (Pork Belly with Spicy Sauce) [RM34].
We tried their smoked duck and marinated beef ribs as well, all were good!
or if you want to get your own hands on it, let them know.
on the lettuce, followed with sliced garlic, green chili and gochujang.
where the garlic kills the bacteria in your body and the leafy green helps with digestion.
I'm just saying please check the health facts on Google.
This is a must-order for me, the flavour is just right, not too sour and not too spicy.
Those that I've tried at other places were either too spicy, too sour or watery.
We have tried their Suntofu Jjigae as well and it's the best I had so far, highly recommended.
They also have Maewoon Gal Bijjim (Spicy Pork Stew) which they claimed they're the only restaurant serving this particular dish. All stew comes with a bowl of rice.
described by Rain as dog food. Apparently, it's a really delicious and healthy dog food!
radish, seaweed and shredded pork sitting on top of rice.
can choose not to if you don't like the sauce. Comes with a small bowl of seaweed soup.
as well as crunchy cabbage. Don't say I never warn you, it's spicy.
But it's so good you wouldn't stop eating even if your throat is burning.
Steam Egg and Soy Bean Paste Stew are complimentary when you order their set meal.
Last but not least, watermelon is always served at the end of the meal.
If you have never been to this place, I strongly urge you too.
but the food tastes much better than the famous one.
but I definitely did not exaggerate on how good they are.
Go try la then tell me okay?


text:
Василий Кондратьевич Анисимов (1912—1976) — участник Великой Отечественной войны, старшина, механик-водитель танка Т-34 3-го танкового батальона 50-й гвардейской танковой бригады (9-го гвардейского танкового корпуса 2-й гвардейской танковой армии 1-го Белорусского фронта), Герой Советского Союза.

Биография
Родился в 1912 году в с. Дубовское (ныне — Дубовский район, Ростовская область) в семье крестьянина. Русский.

В пятилетнем возрасте остался сиротой. Воспитывался в детском доме. Получил начальное образование. С 1932 года работал в Дубовском мясосовхозе.

В 1941 году был призван в ряды Красной Армии Зимовниковским РВК.

На фронтах Отечественной войны с февраля 1944 года. Воевал на 1-м Белорусском фронте.

К январю 1945 года экипаж танка гвардии старшины В. К. Анисимова подбил свыше 20 орудий, 7 тягачей, уничтожил 12 пулемётных точек, много другой боевой техники и живой силы противника.

После окончания В. К. Анисимов поселился на Полтавщине. Некоторое время был на хозяйственной работе, а с 1948 года работал на полтавском стеклозаводе. Часто выступал перед полтавчанами, рассказывал им о боевых походах, героизме советских воинов в годы Великой Отечественной войны.

Умер 10 апреля 1976 года в Полтаве. Похоронен в  на Куликовском кладбище

Награды
 Герой Советского Союза (Указом Президиума Верховного Совета СССР от 27 февраля 1945 года за образцовое выполнение боевых заданий командования и проявленные при этом мужество и героизм гвардии старшине Василию Кондратьевичу Анисимову присвоено звание Героя Советского Союза с вручением ордена Ленина и медали «Золотая Звезда» (№ 5751).
 Награждён орденом Ленина, орденами Славы 2-й и 3-й степени, медалями.

См. также
 Список Героев Советского Союза Ростовской области

Примечания

Ссылки

 Анисимов Василий Кондратьевич // Герои Дона : биобиблиографический справочник / Донская государственная публичная библиотека ; сост. Н. Н. Зайцева. Ростов-на-Дону, 2017 – .
 Советские танкисты, удостоенные звания Героя Советского Союза

Воспитанники детских домов
Танкисты Великой Отечественной войны

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Have breakfast poolside in Beverly Hills before catching your flight for dinner in the land of the midnight sun.
Regional airlines offer direct service to most NWT communities. If you're travelling further afoot, charter planes can take you anywhere.
*Not all flights available all year round.
Highways across NWT cut through untamed nature. With scenic lookout points and roaming wildlife, your adventure begins before even arriving at your destination.
Alaska Highway - begins in British Columbia, goes through Yukon and reaches NWT Highway 8 (Dempster Highway) towards the Mackenzie Delta and the town of Inuvik.
Alberta Highway 35 - connects to NWT Highway 1 (Mackenzie Highway) south of Hay River.
British Columbia Highway 77 - connects to NWT Highway 7 (Liard Trail) which runs parallel to the Mackenzie Mountains, ending in Fort Simpson.
Within the territory, some areas of the highways are covered by rivers, which need to be crossed by ferry or ice road, depending on the season. Winter roads are typically in service from mid-January to late March, but may change based on weather conditions.
Our lives are sometimes dictated by weather in NWT, but it's part of the northern charm. Daily reports on all NWT highways, ices roads and ferries are available online, or by phone at 1-800-661-0750. Always check conditions before heading out.


Nothing beats a good University Event and here at Sunshine Events, we offer a wide selection of fun and exciting equipment to help make your event a huge success. They don't call us the Fun Experts for nothing! Whether you want to inspire, motivate and energise your students and employees alike or draw a crowd of potential students with eye-catching games and attractions, we have the answer and it always involves FUN!
The Fun Experts can cater for groups of any size and are always ready to bring the laughter and excitement to your events. When we were approached by the team at The University of Wolverhampton, we simply couldn't wait! Our client was looking to throw a totally funtastic end of year party to celebrate the successes of their students and with lots of ideas in mind, we were so excited to add a Sunshine twist!
When The University of Wolverhampton's wish list landed at The Fun Towers, our clever little Fun Experts got to work on making sure that this event was brilliantly fun. Catering for around 20,000 students, we knew that we needed to provide a variety of equipment to ensure that the guests kept on coming back for more. Working with our clients wishes and considering their budget, we created a completely bespoke package filled with a range of sunshine surprises - we can't wait to tell you all about it!
The event was set to take place in the grounds of the University and ensuring a wide-open space for our variety of equipment, we scheduled a site visit which enabled our logistics team to make sure everything was fine and dandy, preventing any mishaps on the day. This also provided us with a chance to meet our new friends at the University - oh we do love it when a ray of sunshine joins the family!
Before going any further, we would like to take this opportunity to send a personal thank you to Mother Nature who kept the sun shining all day long making it perfect weather for our delicious candyfloss and popcorn treats! Although we do love to bring the FUNshine, we can't help but love it when the sun is shining for an outdoor event. Our Fun Experts transformed students into Giant Hungry Hippos (hands up if this was your favourite childhood classic too?) whilst others entertained the crowd as one student became the ultimate gladiator with our Gladiator Joust Inflatable.
Bringing the fun of the fair to the campus, our side stalls had guests coming back for more and more (and more) as they tried to win their novelty prize. Admit it, we've at least all tried 10 times to win that baby stuffed elephant! And our Surf Simulator saw students hitting the waves and riding the surf the question is, who managed to stay on the longest?
Creating a futuristic feel inside the campus, our Virtual Reality transported students to the depths of the deep blue sea and saw them defending their castle from the oncoming medieval horde whilst our Digital Graffiti Wall enabled guests to give Banksy a run for his money! We loved watching you try to challenge your scores on the Batak Pro too!
"Thank you Sunshine Events for putting on such a fantastic event for us. It all worked really well and the onsite team were so friendly and helpful on the day, they couldn't do enough for us. It all ran really smoothly and we couldn't have asked for better weather. Thank you again, from the initial discussion about the event, site visit and then to setting up and executing the event on the day, it couldn't have been better! Brilliant day and we're already looking forward to our Christmas event with The Fun Experts!"


Installation is as easy as buckling a seatbelt!
The Britax Boulevard ClickTight Convertible Car Seat makes installation as easy as buckling a seatbelt. The seat also comes with 2 layers of side impact protection. You can rest assured your child's harness is within range of proper tightness thanks to the Click & Safe Snug Harness Indicator.
PLEASE NOTE: The "Cool Flow" style is part of the Britax Cool Flow Collection. Every car seat in the Britax Cool Flow Collection features breathable mesh atop their typical car seat fabric. This creates space between your child and the car seat fabric, and that space allows for air flow and ultimate breathability. What a breath of fresh air!


To persons whose habits are studious and sedentary, and especially to females, the vigorous exercise of the organs of respiration and of voice, is, in every point of view, an invaluable discipline.
That poetry should come to this!
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day. . . .
alas, the current sad-sack poet's voice.
A few weeks of diligent cultivation are usually sufficient such that, with a feeble and ineffective utterance, persons may attain the full command of clear, forcible, and varied tone.
with sentences, here on view, examples, low to high, pitch. . . . stress . . . force. . . .
impassioned, whispering, half-whispering. . . .
Awe, Horror, Exultation, Defiance, Awe — successively.
but can you listen to it? Synch your lips with mine?
even if it's memorized. Especially if it's memorized.
The poem shapes your mouth. It tells you where to breathe.
I was thrilled to see two placards created—like 19th-century Power Point — by a fine calligrapher as teaching aids to instruct students in public speaking and the reading aloud of poetry and prose. The hilarious and wonderful sentence samples sent me to Google, then to Amazon , then to the Norwich Bookstore for a copy of the book on which the samples were based: Orthophony, or the Cultivation of the Voice in Elocution. 39th edition, 1871. This find may well lead me to write a set of poems, since I find the subjects it raises complex and wide-ranging, for example, musical notation applied to poetry. And I have long noted the varied styles (and talents) of poets when reading their own works.
About Florence: Florence Fogelin moved from Connecticut to Union Village in 1980 and was editor of Vox of Dartmouth until 1990. Since 1997 she has resided in White River Junction. Her first book of poems, Once It Stops, was published in 2015.


We're Back! | HAIL DUBYUS!
HEY IDIOT! DONT MAKE FUN OF OUR MARINES! I'LL SEND THEM ON YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR COMMUNIST THINKING. ANN COULTER IS A GOOD WOMAN SO DONT RIP ON HER! –K. H.
Damn you are one angery bleeding heart lib who knows what is best for the unwashed. I bet you are smug because I mis-speled angry!–J.S.
man i really don't see how you ate that bologna.you are alot braver than i am–B.H.
I agree with what your saying but none of your cartoons are funny. It's like a comedian told a joke and the audience sits in silence. YOU ARE NOT FUNNY #–T.S.


We've been parenting/homeschooling for over two decades now, doesn't it sound like a long time, not sure if it feels long or not 😉 One of the gifts of having several children over a twenty year span is our hard won wisdom doesn't 'go to waste', our younger children benefit from our earlier experience.
We'd like to share 9 tips with you that we've learnt along the way, in this parenting, home educating journey, come along and travel with us. What have we learnt along the journey, where are we now focusing our energies, what pieces of wisdom gained are we implementing?
Focus on nurturing relationships; your relationship with your spouse, each child, siblings with each other, your relationship and theirs with Our Heavenly Father, all are of paramount importance and what this journey is all about. Enjoy one another, create memories, embrace your unique family culture. You may be a family that enjoys; reading together, playing board games, enjoying the outdoors, being active, all these or more. Treasure this time together, it will pass all too quickly, but the foundation laid now will be the bedrock that holds.
We each embark on Home Education for our own reasons, often a variety of them, but it will always includes a 'bigger picture,' a dream, a vision for our children and our family. Whilst some of the reasons we begin this journey are not necessarily the reasons we continue, our vision will further crystallise as we continue. Home Education is a rich, rewarding lifestyle but there will be times when you are bought to your knees. Always keep the 'vision' in sight to encourage and remind yourselves why you are traveling this journey.
Forming good habits are far more important than you may think, I know I didn't give them enough weight in the earlier years. The habits children develop when young are taken with them into adulthood, the good and bad. Manners, time management, chore skills, personal hygiene, exercise, health choices, work ethic, interpersonal skills, all these and more are developed before leaving home. Focus on instilling good habits.
Assist your child in developing strong interpersonal skills, teach him how to communicate and interact with others, individually and in groups, these life skills are important for success in personal and professional life. Seek out opportunities to teach a variety of life skills, be part of the wider community, give your child a wide frame of experience, model, instruct and role play how to interact in various situations. Encourage your child to show compassion and kindness to others. Strategise teaching these life skills, don't leave it to chance, this is part of your parenting responsibility, the 'buck stops with you'. Encourage independence, your child will be leaving home all too soon, prepare him well.
God created you exactly as you are, unique. Don't waste time trying to make yourself into someone you are not, or feeling guilty that you are not as talented in the areas it appears your friends or other homeschooling mamas are. Accept yourself as He made you, you have unique talents and they are sufficient, most of all love your child.
God created your child as He wanted. Don't wish your child's learning style is different to how it is, or compare him to others. Accept and tailor your teaching approach to your child's learning style where you can, remember there is always 'more than one way to skin a cat'. Embrace and treasure your child for who he uniquely is.
Foster a reading culture within your family, read aloud together often. Parents read to children, siblings read to one another, if you struggle to read aloud, utilise audio books. Provide quality books for your children to read independently and encourage them to regularly read, model reading, show your children that literature is valued as part of your family culture. The benefits are manifold; language skills, literacy skills, a rich imagination, most of all close family connections.
Build a solid base for learning by focusing on the 4Rs in the early years, so important. Focus your energies on; reading, 'riting, 'rithmetic and religion above all else, and obviously immersion in rich literature. If you're needing suggestions I highly recommend All About Reading and Spelling, a solid maths program such as Singapore Maths or mathsonline, and to handwrite daily, using pencil grips and Startwrite or similar programs, most importantly supervise to ensure correct grip and formation, as for religion that will be specific according to your beliefs.
Once the foundation is solid, it's time for your child to broaden their horizons. Ensure that they have a knowledge base across a breadth of topics. Whilst we want to, and should foster our child's passions and interests they also need to be introduced to areas that may not be of their choosing to ensure they are well rounded in their education. Many a child has homed in on their passions and shown all indications of having found their career path only to at the 'last minute' do a 360 degree turn and follow a path elsewhere. We need to ensure our child is sufficiently skilled in all areas for that 'about face'.
Truth is you won't know everything your child may need to or want to know, particularly as they grow older, that's okay, don't feel daunted, you can outsource. Outsourcing includes online classes, correspondence units, hiring tutors/teachers, finding mentors and various other avenues. You are still the primary educator of your child, you are simply finding resources to fulfill a need.
Inviting all veteran homeschoolers to add any tips you feel important to this list.
Aw thanks, and true 😉 I think 10 years qualifies you for veteran. Reassuring you've found the same through your experience. Writing lists can be a little nerve wracking as maybe my reality isn't others. No 9 I struggled with a little at first, now it makes total sense.
(As an aside… do you get a copy of "Soul Gardening Journal?" It's free (supported by donations) and we ship all over the world. I think you would like it… God bless you!
Thanks for the Soul GJ suggestion, have signed up for it.
Oh thanks! Glad you think it spot on, was concerned I might have left some major tips off. Just had a chat with my husband re the vision tip, after chatting, thinking I may elaborate in another post on how we reflect and assess this area, as you say regular check-ins.
Wise words, Erin. "Many a child has homed in on their passions and shown all indications of having found their career path only to at the 'last minute' do a 360 degree turn and follow a path elsewhere. We need to ensure our child is sufficiently skilled in all areas for that 'about face'." Yes!! And developing goods habits!


Montezuma Castle is one of the important historical sites, which today can be seen in the USA. Montezuma Castle is actually a complex of dwellings carved into the rocks, which tells the ancient story that is more than 1000 years.
Montezuma Castle is considered one of the best preserved and impressive rock homes in America and is notable among the historical monuments such as Wupatki, Tonto, Walnut Canyon, and Tuzigoot. Castle Montezuma is a makeup of limestone rocks in north central Arizona.
Montezuma dominates the surrounding area of the river, Beaver Creek in the Verde Valley. The whole complex of Montezuma served for something like a building for the Sinagua Indians, who lived there for more than 600 years.
It is assumed that the first to live there were the Aztecs at the time of Emperor Montezuma, but the truth is that the castle was abandoned almost a century before he was born.
Sinagua Indians are from a tribe of whom made their homes in the rock galleries of Montezuma sometime in the 13th century, but a century later abandoned their homes for unknown reasons.
It is believed that they had left the area due to the prolonged drought and lack of livelihood, or because of frequent conflicts with the Indians of the tribe Yavapai, which exist today. Most likely, if relatives of the Sinagua tribe lived nowadays, they would had been melded with other Indian groups.
In fact, Montezuma Castle bears its name incorrectly to historical fact, because the Aztecs abandoned their stone cells well before the emperor was to be born. Incorrect is also that it is called, American Antiquity, because it is actually a complex of prehistoric rock dwellings.
The complex is arranged on 5 floors which has 20 stone houses, which can accommodate for around 50 people.
Around one million visitors a year visit the Montezuma Castle, which is declared as a national monument. In the area of this historic landmark there are no special conditions for camping, but on behalf of that were built many hotels, motels and places for accommodation only 30 miles from the resort.
Castle Montezuma also had built a tourist center with an interesting museum where one can examine the artifacts.