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Новое видео FEUERSCHWANZ & LORD OF THE LOST

Lords Of Fyre, новое видео FEUERSCHWANZ & LORD OF THE LOST, доступно для просмотра ниже.
#Feuerschwanz #FolkRock #Folk_Rock #FolkMetal #Folk_Metal
Видео: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJnlT_7YWmg




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SPIRIT RISER Brings DIY Horror Madness And Queer Fantasy In Spectacular Blu-Ray Release

Dylan Mars Greenberg crafts a homegrown fantasia of magic, action, and anti-conservative provocation.





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A Squeeze at the Top

The very highest end of Parisian hotels includes such names as the Crillon, the Plaza Athenee and Le Bristol. There are four of these highest prestige hotels in Paris. Their prices start at Euro 750 a night. Average room prices run around Euro 1000 a night. These are among the highest prices for hotel rooms in the world. Still, occupancy rates run around 80%. Even in the doldrums of 2008 and 2009, they fell only to 70%.


Something new is happening, though. The high end of the market is about to see a doubling in capacity as four new luxury hotels open over a three year period. Two are already open and two more will open over the next two years. There is a prospect for even more coming beyond this next two year window, as other competitors mull a market entry.

Many experts believe that prices will hold steady despite the massive influx of new capacity. They cite an increase in demand to support their beliefs. This demand is to come from Chinese tourists upgrading from luxury boutique hotels and from the growth of major conference events.

Really, though, it isn’t the price that is at issue with this new capacity. It is margins. This new capacity, despite being at the very high end of the market, is coming faster than demand is growing. As a result, margins, if not prices, will fall. This margin squeeze has already started. The existing high-end hotels are spending money to upgrade their current offerings with celebrity-chef restaurants, branded spas and upgraded hotel rooms. Even if prices stay the same as they are today, margins will fall until demand fully catches up to this new capacity.

While it is always margins that suffer when the growth of capacity outstrips the growth of demand, I would not want to bet on prices holding as steady as these analysts expect. My guess is that industrial conferences who can afford to place their attendees at the highest end hotels will also be able to negotiate room price discounts over the next couple of years.




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My Review and Questions Answered on Vince Delmonte's Stage Shredded Status

Alright, today we're going to cover some common questions you may have
about the Stage Shredded Status DVD's before
they sell out...

==> Click here to learn how this transformation went down...


If you've seen the video but have some questions before ordering:

Question: Is SSS a documentary of Vince Delmonte's transformation or is there an actual program included?

Answer: Yes, SSS includes an entire program (covered on 3 of the 8 disks) and it was filmed with former NFL lineman and NPC level bodybuilder Ryan Watson! They are both pretty jacked up in this workout so it's pretty motivating too!

What Vince is going to do for anyone who orders is send you the printable workout sheets of the Stage Shredded Status workout program! Just email him your receipt to the help desk for proof of purchase!

You'll love this program because it relies on a variance of rep ranges to target, specifically, the Type 11a & Type 1a muscle fibers which create the training effect of
hypertrophy and strength-endurance. The combos generate a lot of lactate to boost growth hormone levels to assist in fat loss. You don't do super heavy loads because heavy lifting does not involve enough mechanical stress to promote fat loss.
Plus, you would not normally lift super heavy when you get leaner because your joints have less fluid and fat to protect them from the bigger forces.

Question: What if I have more than 50 lbs to lose?

Answer: Heck, Vince had 30 lbs to lose so you're programming
is going to be no different than his. The only difference is that you have an extra 8-10 weeks to travel. Let's go!

==>
Get 6-Pack Abs By Summertime!



Question: Is SSS for a complete beginner?

Answer: If Vince only cared about selling his DVD's I would say yes but if you have less than one year experience in his crazy fitness world, you'll probably find his approach a little too hardcore for now. Sit this one up unless you're absolutely intrigued to see how this goes down.

The weight training program is far too advanced and you would be better off learning the nutritional principles in No Nonsense Muscle Building, which focuses on a balanced approach to eating. You need to master a balanced
approach before implementing some of the more advanced things they did.

Question: I noticed you had an ENTIRE cupboard full of supplements.
Am I supposed to take all of those?!?!

Answer: When it comes to supplementation, that's a personal choice.

In the DVD's Vince explains WHY he takes what he takes and encourages you to just sit back and consider it an educational experience. Then, as you choose, start to add one new supplement a month and measure
the response. There are SO MANY supplements he's interested in trying himself but he likes to add one new thing at a time so he will get there when he gets there.

Question: What if I only have 10 lbs of fat to lose?

Answer: Again, the same principles apply and you'll learn how Vince adjusted his cardio intensity and frequency as he gets closer to the show to ensure he does not lose muscle the last few weeks.

You'll see EXACTLY how he changed his diet from phase to phase (He changed it three times throughout the 16 weeks) and you'll see some creative ways to switch around your macros and food sources
that assist with fat loss, WITHOUT dropping your calories.

==> Get 6-Pack Abs By Summertime!

Question: Is Ben Pakulski in any of the DVD's?

Answer: YES! The first 2 DVDs start off in Toronto when Vince is looking pretty bulky and they get 2 hours of coaching on the gym floor with Ben & Intentions! If you bought MI40 then you already have this footage but it's worth reviewing and owning it on hardcopy. I know that every time I watch this footage, I re learn something new and then BOOM, I have a better workout!

If you don't have this footage, heck, the first 2 hours is worth 3x the price of the DVDs because Ben bills $150 an hour! This is the kind of information that propelled him into the ranks of the top ten bodybuilders in the world this past month!

Question: How long are the DVDs on sale?

Answer: It depends... we have about 550 left in stock now and the $50 off sale ends Sunday night or whenever he sells out... Whatever comes first.

Trust that helps and THANK YOU for your interest in Vince's work. This is, by far, the best fat loss resource he's ever released. Grab it while you can!

Here is the $50 Off Discount link to get your DVDs shipped right now!

Get 6-Pack Abs By Summertime!


P.S. Vince ships all over the world!




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Cutting-edge test uses DNA sequencing to yield diagnoses for some medical mysteries




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The Shark Is Closed for Queries

Please visit In Memoriam: Janet Reid for more about the late great Shark. 




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Board Game Review: Hues and Cues

Last week we received Hues and Cues from The Op Games. We recently finished playing through Scooby-Doo Escape from the Haunted Mansion (a fantastic game in The Op Games catalogue designed by Jay Cormier, Sen-Foong Lim, and Kami Mandell that you should absolutely pick up to play with your family) and wanted to give another game from the same publisher a go. I picked Hues and Cues because I’ve been pleasantly surprised by other “test whether our minds think the same way” games such as The Mind  and Wavelength.

In Hues and Cues, players gather around a large central board comprised of 480 graduating colors of the rainbow surrounded by an x-y axis and scoring table. White and black (which are technically not colors) are conspicuously absent as are shades (mixtures of color + black; e.g., grey) and tints (mixtures of color + white; e.g., cream).  On each player’s turn, they draw a card with four colors and the x-y axis codes of those colors depicted and they select one.

They are in the role of the clue giver. They attempt to convey which one they selected using a one word clue without directly pointing to it, naming its x-y axis, or using basic color references such as “yellow” or “green”. After they’ve provided their clue to everyone, each of the other players gets to select and mark a color on the board with their token that they think is the one to which the clue giver was referring. Then the clue giver gets a second shot at leading everyone to the correct color and this time they follow the same rules except that they can use a two word clue if they wish. Once again, all of the other players select and mark a color. After everyone has finished marking colors, the clue giver lays a 3x3 square cutout over top the board so that the color they were giving clues against lies directly in the middle. Any player who has a marker in that spot gets 3 points, any player who has a marker in one of the surrounding 8 spots gets 2 points for each marker of theirs in that area, and finally, any player who has a marker in one of the 16 spots surrounding the cutout gets 1 point for each marker of theirs in that area. Meanwhile, the clue giver scores 1 point for every marker (of any player)
inside the cutout.

Just as with Wavelength, Hues and Cues reinforced the absolute truth that we all think a bit differently. When I say lilac and imagine the corresponding color, it’s likely that it’s at least a few steps away on the board from the color you imagine. Ditto for emerald and periwinkle. And don’t get me started on apricot, as we had a big debate among 4 players on exactly which color square corresponds to that. Then there are misunderstandings in the clues themselves. In our group this happened when a clue giver said robin and I assumed they meant the dominant color of the bird (orange) but they were thinking of the iconic eggs of the bird instead (a shade of blue). It also happened that time a clue giver said bazooka and I assumed they meant the rocket launcher (brown) and they were thinking of the bubble gum (pink). 

Overall, I think Hues and Cues is a fine party game. My core gaming circle enjoys heavier strategy games, but we often look to a party game to start off our evening and get everyone comfortable before breaking into smaller groups to play the brain busters. Hues and Cues  works well for us in that role. I prefer Wavelength ever so slightly over Hues and Cues so if you’ve only got the budget to add one more party game to your collection I’d lean in that direction, but if you’re open to a couple of games or if you already have Wavelength and want something a little different, pick up Hues and Cues. One thing I really appreciate about Hues and Cues is that its language independent. As long as all players speak a common language, it doesn’t matter what that language is. You could even easily use sign language to give the clues. In this way, it’s especially a great game to bring into your collection if you host international board gamers (I’m looking at you, game cafe owners and Air B&B hosts!). Please note: while it should be obvious, this is not a game for the colorblind.

You can pick up Hues and Cues  at Amazon for under $25.

-------------------------------------------------

Publisher: The Op Games
Players: 3-10
Actual Playing Time (vs the guideline on the box): ~25 minutes
Game type: party games

Rating scale:
OUI: I would play this game again; this game is ok. I probably would not buy this game myself but I would play it with those who own it and if someone gave it to me I would keep it.
OUI OUI: I would play this game again; this game is good. I would buy this game.
OUI OUI OUI: I LOVE THIS GAME. I MUST HAVE THIS GAME.
NON: I would not play this game again. I would return this game or give it away if it was given to me.




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Board Game Review–Quests & Cannons: The Risen Islands

I had the opportunity to play a preview edition of Quests & Cannons: The Risen Islands  from Short Hop Games in advance of the game’s upcoming Kickstarter campaign. Designed by Eric and Shannon Geller, the preview edition arrived in a bright and colorful cover box that hinted at the beautiful artwork within.

We got it on the table for a family game straightaway. As we unpacked the contents of the box, I was impressed with the quality of the wooden components. Especially for a preview copy, everything was incredibly well made and sturdy, which speaks to the care and enthusiasm Eric and Shannon have put into the game. The illustrations on the components are just lovely! The artists (Lily Yao Lu, Tony Carter, Regis Torres, Sita Duncan, and Lilia Sitailo) did a really great job integrating the theme into the materials. 

Quests & Cannons  is very easy to setup and the rules are straightforward,  so you can get started playing pretty quickly; no one is going to be stuck spending an hour reviewing the rules upfront. The only thing you really need to work out is whether you want to play the game solo, cooperatively, free for all, or in teams.  Regardless of the mode you choose, you’ll sit down as a leader of a kingdom, tasked with bringing prosperity (i.e. victory points) to your people as you explore new islands that have suddenly cropped up in the sea. The revelation of the islands has coincided with devastating famine and drought hitting the kingdoms to varying degrees, so you’re also on a quest to find a way to reverse these plagues.

And since prosperity can be gained through attacking other leaders during explorations, you’ll need to be thinking about battle defense and offense.  My kids are teens, so they handled the attacks pretty well, but your mileage may vary with your youngsters, depending on their age and temperament.

The underlying mechanics of the game are pretty simple:

  • Explore to gather resources across the islands and turn those resources in to complete quests (pick up and deliver)
  • Follow explicit instructions on map clue cards to do X action at X location
  • Attack rival ships

Players can do three actions on a turn, choosing freely between move, gather resources, and attack. 

All of the how-to and particulars governing these actions are detailed in the rulebook (and in video play-throughs online). Variability in movement rules, attack/defense power, and resource storage capacity is dictated for each player by the leader card they’ve chosen at the beginning of the game (each one comes with special powers and differing stats) and the upgrades performed on their ship.

I did find a few issues with the mechanics for the Geller team to address before the final version is distributed:

  • Explain in the rulebook what should be done if the map clue drawn cannot possibly be used
  • Add a 0 space to the action point track on each player’s ship to track the exhaustion of the final action point
  • Implement monsters or other descriptive elements with differing effects into the treacherous sea spaces to add more complexity

Outside of these issues, I recommend Quests & Cannons as a family game for gateway gamers (i.e. new to the hobby) or those who gravitate toward light strategy games. It’s kid-friendly and there isn’t any analysis paralysis inherent in the game.  It plays in under 90 minutes, gives kids exposure to different play modes within the same game, tackles conflict resolution, and comes with a variety of board layouts to keep things interesting over multiple plays. Note that this is not a game I’d recommend for players who prefer deeper strategy. Highly experienced gamers drawn to seafaring themes and beautiful artwork can find similar mechanisms with a bit more depth and complexity in other games such as Islebound (designed by Ryan Laukat from Red Raven Games).

-------------------------------------------------

Publisher: Short Hop Games
Players: 1-6 (We played with 4 and 5)
Actual Playing Time (vs the guideline on the box): about 90 minutes per game
Game type: pick-up and deliver,hand management, action points, kid-friendly, solo

Rating for Gateway Gamers: 

Rating for Advanced Board Gamers:                                          

Rating scale:
OUI: I would play this game again; this game is ok. I probably would not buy this game myself but I would play it with those who own it and if someone gave it to me I would keep it.
OUI OUI: I would play this game again; this game is good. I would buy this game.
OUI OUI OUI: I LOVE THIS GAME. I MUST HAVE THIS GAME.
NON: I would not play this game again. I would return this game or give it away if it was given to me.



  • action points games
  • board game reviews
  • hand management games
  • Kickstarter
  • kid friendly games
  • pick-up and deliver games
  • Short Hop Games

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Duel

Now that I'm doing Substack properly it seems a little odd - somehow disloyal - to essentially be blogging regularly again after all this time, but not to be doing it here. So I'm going to do a bit of cross-pollination. I'm including some old blog posts from here on my Substack (though not more than one per edition), and some new stuff from Substack on here. Not sure quite why, but let's try it and see how it goes. 

Here's something suitably Hallowe'en-y from this week's: 


There’s a spider in my car. I know this, because every morning when I get into it, there is a new cobweb somewhere. Usually between the dashboard and the windscreen, but this morning, rather suggestively, between the seat and the steering wheel. Y’know… the spot where an observant and ambitious spider might perhaps have noticed I tend to put myself.


My car, yesterday.

ALT TEXT: A cobweb covered steering wheel in a rusted abandoned car. 


Well, atmospheric though of course this is in the week of Hallowe’en (a period I am not yet ready to call ‘spooky season’. I haven’t even given up on the apostrophe in Hallowe’en yet) I’d still quite like to find and evict the spider. Not for my sake, but for its sake - I don’t think there are as many flies in my car as this spider hopes. But I can’t find it. It’s never lurking at the edge or middle of the new cobweb, the way I thought spiders were supposed to do. Perhaps it has a subtler plan. Anyway, it’s been five or six days now, and I still haven’t caught the spider. But on the plus side, it still hasn’t caught me.




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New ebook editions of Hominids and its sequels

I’m thrilled to announce new ebook editions of my Hugo Award-winning novel Hominids, its Hugo Award-nominated sequel Humans, and the bestselling final volume Hybrids. Together, they are the Neanderthal Parallax trilogy, which won the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Award (“the Aurora”) for best work of the entire decade. The trilogy tells of a parallel […]




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R.I.P., Phil Donahue

I was very sad to hear of the death of former talkshow host Phil Donahue, who left us today at the age of 88. I was a regular viewer of Donahue in the 1980s and 1990s because he so often tackled big issues. And so, when I was writing my novel The Terminal Experiment — […]




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Pre-Adventure Planning 101 :: with guest blogger Justin Lichter

Hi everybody! I was honored when I was asked to write a blog entry for National Geographic Maps so hopefully this is informative and entertaining.

For the first blog entry we thought it would be a good intro for me to talk about the planning stages, training, and of course map work that takes place prior to an expedition or adventure. If you want to find out more on my personal adventures you can check out my website at http://www.justinlichter.com/. A quick recap of a few of the main adventures would entail hiking unsupported 1800 miles through Africa, hiking across Iceland, hiking south to north across the South Island of New Zealand, swimming unsupported around Lake Tahoe, and hiking over 10,000 miles in one year.

All of these trips start with a dream and a desire to see these landscapes. I feel that you see and get to know the terrain, scenery, and culture on a personal level when you undertake a trip under your own power with no support and no aid from motorized equipment. Many of these trips followed my own route that I devised and made up trying to connect existing hiking trails, little used dirt roads and jeep roads, and cross country travel in order to stay off of paved roads and highly traveled roads as much as possible. Initially I research what areas I would like to see and what hiking trails are in the area. Then I try to get an overview atlas map or road map and a slightly more in depth overview map (like something in the range of 1:250,000 to 1:500,000). The overview maps help me locate potential places to connect and areas with few roads that I would want to go through. After I have a good idea of the route on those maps, I then put a number of potential routes down onto smaller scale maps (1:24000 to 1:100,000). I then tweak it from there, but in a few places I usually keep a number of route choices on the map in case I think certain areas need alternates in case of high water fords, technical spots, potential cliff areas, or anything else tricky the landscape may throw my way.

I’ll then go through the maps and figure out what roads I cross and towns that I come near. I’ll figure out distances between these points and use these towns to resupply from and get more food.

During these planning stages I am also training for the hike so that when I set out I am ready to do 25-30 miles per day from the start. Usually for training I end up doing a lot of cross training since it is usually the winter when I am training to set out on a hike starting in the spring. As a result I normally do a lot of skate skiing, classic skiing, backcountry touring, telemark skiing, snowshoeing, and some short walks on the road. After so many hikes I think that my body is pretty used to that type of work so if I can maintain my fitness level then that helps in the break in period on the hike. However, I usually try to carry a loaded backpack a little bit so that my shoulders and hips get used to the weight on them prior to the hike.

I think that is a little recap of the initial stages of the pre-adventure planning. Hope that helps and was interesting. I’ll be blogging more on the site about some adventures, tricks and tips, and many other things, so come back and check it out!


Blogger Bio
Meet our guest blogger, Justin Lichter

I grew up about an hour north of NewYork City and have since lived in Santa Barbara, CA, southern VT, Dillon, CO, and I am currently living in Truckee, CA. When not hiking, I am a ski patroller and enjoy backcountry skiing, nordic skiing, snowshoeing, mountain biking, and pretty much anything else relaxing. Since 2002, I have hiked over 20,000 miles. In 2002 doing a cross-country map and compass trip through the canyon country of southern utah, in 2003 hiking from Georgia to Cap Gaspe, Quebec following the Appalachian Trail and International AT, 2004 hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada and then the Pacific Northwest Trail to the Washington coast, 2005 the Continental Divide Trail from Mexico to Canada then continuing on the Great Divide Trail from the Canadian border up into northern Alberta, 11/1/05 to 10/23/06 completing the Eastern Continental Trail (cap gaspe, qc to key west, florida, incorporating the AT), Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail in under a year, a total of over 10,000 miles, and in 2007 a traverse of the Southern Alps and the south island of New Zealand. As well as amazing trips each year after. You can check out my website at http://www.justinlichter.com/ for more info.





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Outback Queensland residents spend thousands on flights, grapple with Qantas service changes - ABC News

  1. Outback Queensland residents spend thousands on flights, grapple with Qantas service changes  ABC News
  2. Airlines that love competition: Do you see pigs fly?  Sydney Morning Herald
  3. Predictably, domestic airfares surged after the collapse of Rex. There aren’t many good solutions  The Conversation
  4. Report finds just how much airfares spiked since end of Rex. One route doubled  The Canberra Times
  5. Qantas’ single excuse for fare price hike  news.com.au




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Beijing and Washington stops provide clues for Indonesia's direction under Prabowo Subianto - ABC News

  1. Beijing and Washington stops provide clues for Indonesia's direction under Prabowo Subianto  ABC News
  2. Prabowo pledges co-operation with Trump  The Australian Financial Review
  3. Indonesian president meets Biden and speaks with Trump  The Canberra Times
  4. At White House, Indonesia's new leader straddles US-China rivalry  VOA Asia
  5. Will Prabowo Subianto cosy up to Donald Trump or to China?  The Economist




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Legitimacy of two Victorian local government elections in question after duplicate votes detected - ABC News

  1. Legitimacy of two Victorian local government elections in question after duplicate votes detected  ABC News
  2. Victorian council election results 2024 LIVE updates: Suspected postal vote tampering in council elections  Sydney Morning Herald
  3. VEC investigates potential vote tampering in two Melbourne councils  The Age




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Quick Rapport Technique.

As most fundraisers know, building rapport with donors keeps them on the phone and listening to your request. Rapport isn't a clever trick; it is a means of showing donors that you are interested in them and that you have at least some small things in common. We build rapport in almost every conversation we have whether on or off of the phone. Building rapport with someone you've just called for the first time can be a little harder, but it is certainly possible.

One simple technique for rapport building is knowing the state nicknames or motto's of the states that you're dialing into. Asking a donor how things are going in the Equality State rather than simply how things are going, makes your question more intimate. Donors really do open up when you take a personal interest in them. Listed below are the state nicknames.

StateNickname(s)
 Alabama
(No official nickname)[1]
 Alaska
 Arizona
 Arkansas
 California
  • El Dorado State
  • The Golden State[12][13] (previously used on license plates)
  • The Land of Sunshine and Opportunity
  • Golden West
  • Grape State
  • Land of Milk and Honey
  • Land of Fruits and Nuts
  • Where Stars Are Buried
  • The Cereal Bowl of the Nation
  • The Eureka State [14]
  • The Bear State (or Republic)
  • The Sunshine State (in disuse) (c.f. FL)
 Colorado
 Connecticut
  • Constitution State
  • Nutmeg State
  • Charter Oak State
 Delaware
 District of Columbia
 Florida
  • Alligator State[25]
  • Citrus State[citation needed]
  • Everglade State[25]
  • Flower State[25]
  • God's Waiting Room
  • Gulf State[25]
  • Hurricane State[citation needed]
  • La Florida
  • Manatee State[citation needed]
  • Orange State[25]
  • Peninsula State or Peninsular State[23]
  • Sunshine State (currently used on license plates)
  • Tropical State[Full Article

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    Autumn 2022 issue of Agapé available

    The Autumn 2022 issue of Agapé, the official journal of U.S. Grand Lodge O.T.O., is now available. This and all previous issues can be found here.




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    Winter 2022 issue of Agapé available

    The Winter 2022 issue of Agapé, the official journal of U.S. Grand Lodge O.T.O., is now available. This and all previous issues can be found here.




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    Spring 2023 issue of Agapé available

    The Spring 2023 issue of Agapé, the official journal of U.S. Grand Lodge O.T.O., is now available. This and all previous issues can be found here.




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    Summer 2023 issue of Agapé available

    The Summer 2023 issue of Agapé, the official journal of U.S. Grand Lodge O.T.O., is now available. This and all previous issues can be found here.




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    NOTOCON XV: The Crowned and Conquering Child

    SAVE THE DATE for NOTOCON XV: The Crowned and Conquering Child to be hosted in Portland, Oregon from July 25 through the 27th, 2025 EV. The call for speaker proposals is now open and we are accepting Volunteer and Vending sign-ups. Registration and hotel reservations will be available in August 2024.




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    Glue and Boxes

    'been taking it easier this month, which is my reward for finishing a video, but not totally leisure. Like for example I added a Cyrillic codepage to FixederSys, and I have been working on a Wikipedia article that involves digging through old newspapers. One other thing that resembles digging through old newspapers is that I'm finally repointing some of the bricks on my house (yes, this is "taking it easier"), as the mortar is in places 120 years old, and has become quite soft, like it's just sand held gently in place by paint. I'm using lime mortar, the glue of the ancient world, as this appears to be the house's original connective tissue (and apparently if you use the wrong mortar on old soft bricks you can ruin 'em, although I have discovered that mortar chemistry is akin to like editor or programming language wars among computer people). This work would be relaxing or even satisfying if not for the fact that some of it is significantly off the ground, so most of the work is actually ladder acrobatics and vertigo things. I will spare you the specifics of the dodgiest moments, which I'll have you know I did without any harm, even concluding at times that "this is simply too many somewhat or slightly dodgy things at once, together totaling too much dodge," not because the stories aren't relaxing or even satisfying but because I feel like committing it to blog might come back some day to haunt me, like when some near-future AI is deciding "how much shall it cost to insure Tom 7 against accident or brick wall failure"? But that is coming along and now I own three ladders of different heights.

    Another thing is I got back to 3D printing. I don't know if I mentioned here before that I finally upgraded my 3D printer from the impressive-at-the-time but now-actually-quite-incapable Makerbot Replicator 2X to the utterly-non-disappointing Bambu X1C. It's a really good printer, which does the things you always thought a 3D printer did in the first place, like print a part in 3D all the way through without failing. I printed some props for my last video with that thing, but recently I've been making things that are more relaxing or even satisfying, like replacement parts for broken things around the house, or boxes, like here for my audio equipment:


    Box closed



    Box open



    Box very open


    This is based on a popular model ("rugged parametric box") but lest you worry that I have let myself go, rest assured that I refactored the whole Fusion 360 file to make it more parametric and rebuilt using the obvious mirror operations (??) and so on so that it would be nicer for customizing, and then of course here there are many customizations. It is very satisfying to pack the XLR cable and timecode cable and preamp neatly in the same box and then close the lid and you get an elegant abstract line drawing of what you just put away. This is printed in carbon-fiber impregnated PLA, which is an excellent material. The handles and inlays are of course solid gold.

    Lastly I have been playing the video games! As usual! I finished Hades (100%!) and Grapple Dog and I am very deep into the Animal Well (love it) and a couple other small ones. I'll give my thoughts on these but I started writing this post too late and now we're inches from losing points.




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    Money, Money, Money (or private affluence and public squalor)

    I sat in my crumbling courthouse a couple of months ago, having edged past the permanently-stuck gate on the justices' car park, and made my way up the nearly-new lift to the assembly room. It is a handsome room, built in 1907 but has sadly not seen a lick of paint in the last decade-and-a-half and more.

    Everywhere are signs of decay and neglect - but no matter. I understand the desperate need for the government to bring expenditure under control, even if that means denying resources to the public service that I have served unpaid these thirty years. There are still biscuits (amazingly) and most of the lights come on when you press a switch. There is some mysterious  kit that we think might be for use in the new all-electronic courthouse. It still bears the protective film that we see on expensive audio visual stuff to protect it on its long journey from a Chinese sweatshop.

    I have recently received an email from  www.gov.uk/annual-tax-summary setting out the tax that I paid in the last fiscal year setting out the tax that I paid (direct tax only, so forget the taxes on consumption such as liquor duties and Council Tax (fifty quid a week on my modest Thames Valley bungalow).

    Much more interesting is the breakdown of where it went, revealing how little our fellow citizens know of what is done with the country's collective cash.

    Not that much goes on the justice system.





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    Signed and personalized at request!

    We just made the decision to ship the remaining copies of Feast to us. There are about 800 left, out of the original 2000 copy print run. Which is a lot of copies, but given that we were originally scheduled to launch March 2020, and had to cancel an entire summer’s worth of scheduled bookstore […]




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    Bonnie Blue Flag Rules


     I couldn't believe my luck at the Other Partizan show last Sunday, I actually got to meet Kevin Calder, the creator of the Bonnie Blue Flag rules.

    I first saw the Iron Brigade banner and followed it down to reveal an actual BBF game being played. I recognised Kevin instantly and shook his hand. I gushed about his rules and told him how much I like them. I also explained about play testing it a month ago and he said he had seen the post, which was nice. It was only a quick hello as I had to race back to my own game.

    I would have liked to have talked for longer and ask him lots of nerdy questions, like how to adapt them for AWI etc. still, I'm sure I'll bump into him again.



    • Bonnie Blue Flag

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    FIW using Bonnie Blue Flag Rules


    Here are the craziest scribblings of a madman. Having selected BBF for my black powder games, I'm now just trying to down scale it for a skirmish type game. Smaller units but still using multi bases for figures. Units of four seem to work as a base number.
     
    Here are the unit sizes in Muskets and Tomahawks that are good to see as a guide. All just early days still just throwing ideas around to see if something sticks.

    Drilled Vs irregular base.

    Update: Right! I've bit the bullet and revised my Indians for the game.
    I decided to go with 60x60mm bases to give a more spread out look. Also these Galloping Major figures are quite large for 28mm so it suits them better.






    I imagine four bases of Indians to a unit with a base of skirmishers. I just want one rule set for my black powder games and I think BBF is the one, with a few tweaks of course.
    My latest thinking is make Indians 'green', so they won't stick around long once the casualties start to mount up. A +10 melee modifier makes them dangerous close up so it's worth trying to get them into hand to hand. They are just too wise to stick around when things go bad. An experienced unit of warriors would be quite imposing with their combat bonus, something to be feared.
    I had thought of giving Rangers the same combat bonus but as they will be veterans, a plus 10 would be too much. I think let's class them as Elites with a +5.



    • Bonnie Blue Flag

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    Halfords Mat Lacquer

    I thought I'd give this a go as I had heard good things about it. I thought the scenic rock pools would be the perfect test subject, as if they dried glossy it wouldn't matter.
    The results were good. I sprayed the models after I had added some flock, I thought the lacquer would help seal it.
    After the scenic pieces I thought I'd try it on the new Irish figures. I consider this a tough, hard coat. Another layer of super mat varnish will be added with a brush when this first coat is dry.
    The rock pools got a layer of flock really nail the realistic look.

     The flock and paint work is all sprayed with the new lacquer, seems to be a winner.




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    blue check meetup

    Today on Married To The Sea: blue check meetup


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    Deion Sanders argues why Travis Hunter is a Heisman front-runner this year | Speak

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    College Football Playoff rankings takeaways: Colorado's path, Indiana undervalued

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    second-guess


    Image from here



    At the Bavard Bar in St Leonard's a few months ago, a Bavardier asked me if I'd noticed the difference between the US and UK meanings of second-guess. I hadn't! She felt that the US meaning was overtaking the UK meaning, but whose meaning is really whose? 






    Here's what Oxford Languages says: 


    But more than the one meaning is North American. The Oxford English Dictionary lists it, in any meaning, as 'originally and chiefly North American', with evidence of the 'anticipate' sense form 1941 and of the 'judge' sense from 1946. 

    It looks like only the first of those meanings ('anticipate by guesswork') initially went to the UK, while that meaning perhaps lost steam in the US. The American Merriam-Webster dictionary lists the 'criticize' meaning first

    For me, 'judge with hindsight' doesn't capture how I use second-guess. Here's me using it in The Prodigal Tongue, talking about the acts of faith we need to take in communicating:

    when you’re talking with people from other places, you cannot second-guess every noun and verb you utter.

    If we use a substitution test to see which of the definitions above fits with it, it's not very satisfying. 

    1. you cannot anticipate every noun and verb you utter
    2. you cannot judge with hindsight every noun and verb you utter

    Neither seems to me to capture what I meant, which was something more like:

    • you cannot spend time doubting and re-thinking every noun and verb you utter

    This sense of 'doubt' seems to come through when second-guess is used with a reflexive (-self) pronoun, as in I spend too much time second-guessing myself and, it turns out, there are about 2.5 times more second-guessing of oneself in the American part of GloWbE corpus as in the British part:

    Wiktionary's definition might be more in line with my intuitions of the meaning. 

    1. (idiomatic) to vet or evaluate; to criticize or correct, often by hindsight, by presuming to have a better ideamethod, etc. quotations ▼
      Please don't try to second-guess the procedure that we have already refined and adopted.
      Once she began listening to her instincts and didn't second-guess herself the entire time, her artwork improved noticeably.

    Their use of the originally BrE verb to vet seems to capture what I meant in my sentence: 'One cannot vet every noun or verb for its dialect-appropriateness before it comes out of one's mouth.'  I'm betting this usage has arisen by 'contamination' from a similar, but centuries-older phrase: have second thoughts about.

    That's not to say I always use it in the 'vetting' way. Here's an example from an email I sent, replying to a question of whether students would like to join the staff in a reading group:

    I don't think we should second-guess whether students would want to do it; I think we should just invite them.  

    This one has more the 'anticipate' sense. I don't think I picked that up in the UK. Rather, I think the phrase does more than one thing for AmE speakers. 

    So, is my fellow Bavardier right that things are changing in the UK?  Let's look in the News on the Web corpus, since that covers the past 14 years, whereas the GloWbE data were from 2012.  Using the same search string as I used in GloWbE (second-guess* *self), there is still 2.5 times more in the US subcorpus than in the British subcorpus. If we just search for second-guess* (without the *self), it's 2.2 times more in the US. 

    But we can see it really picking up in BrE since 2017:


    So it feels kind of 'new' in BrE. But while it's older in AmE, there's certainly a great increase in its use in the past few years. Perhaps it's that increase in the US that's allowed it to be picked up in the UK:



    Rather than me second-guessing your thoughts on this, why don't you just tell us in the comments?





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    Memes Ensue After Judge Barrett Holds Up A Notepad

    On day two of the supreme court confirmation hearings, Amy Coney Barrett held up a blank notepad to reveal that she hadn't been referencing any notes during questioning. Many republicans were impressed by this 'epic ownage' of the libs, but memelords of the internet knew exactly what was about to go down. We all know what happens when a public figure holds up a piece of paper: memes, baby. 

    We've narrowed it down to some of our favorite ACB notepad memes and even included examples of other times the internet did its thing with a blank canvas. These politicians make it way too easy. 




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    The post How employers can address increased gender inequality due to Working From Home appeared first on DiversityJobs.com.




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    Diversity in the NSA Workplace: ‘Your Unique Voice and Skillset will be an Asset’

    How inclusive is NSA in terms of diversity? Recently, two employees answered that question and more. Let’s go straight to the source. Michelle E. Prior to joining the National Security Agency (NSA) as a recruiter, Michelle E., pictured life at the agency like many of us do. “Whenever thinking about NSA, I always thought of […]

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    Mike Fu’s Book Notes music playlist for his novel Masquerade

    "Every song is a portal into the past, a chance to connect with countless mundane moments from before: where you were, what you felt, who you were with when you happened to be listening to the same thing."




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    Marguerite Sheffer’s playlist for her story collection “The Man in the Banana Trees”

    "I’m always on the lookout for songs that include a gear-change moment in them: so useful for figuring out those climactic moments in a short story where a turn happens."




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    Questions for Consideration on AI & the Commons

    “Eight eyes. Engraving after C. Le Brun” by Charles Le Brun is licensed via CC0. The intersection of AI, copyright, creativity, and the commons has been a focal point of conversations within our community for the past couple of years. We’ve hosted intimate roundtables, organized workshops at conferences, and run public events, digging into the…

    The post Questions for Consideration on AI & the Commons appeared first on Creative Commons.



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    Allianz revenues increase 17.3% to €42.8B in Q3

    More to come......




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    Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel warned on Tuesday of the downside of Europe's "cultural tendency" to "over-regulate" and called for a better "balance" between technological development and the defence of democracy and human rights. Read more. "Europe has a cultural tendency to…




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