ted A Fortunate Trade, an Unexpected Pledge of Support, and a Win for Yin! By www.thatswhatjennisaid.com Published On :: Tue, 04 Jun 2024 17:36:00 +0000 What follows is the true and unredacted account of my tour of duty as a command leader for the Yin Brotherhood. Map: 5p POK Kazadoom’s Notch Map generated on https://ti4-map-generator.derekpeterson.ca/ Factions: Yin, Yssaril, Nekro, Vuil’raith, Hacan. Round 1 objectives: Engineer a Marvel (R1-1); Push Boundaries (R1-2) Five experienced leaders gathered this weekend to prove themselves worthy. As the Yin, I found myself wedged between the Hacan (around the corner of a notch in the galaxy) and the Yssaril. Word had come down to the Blessed on Darien through our ambassadors and spies that both nearby factions were set on amassing larger fleets and armies, but to what end we were unsure. The Blessed discussed the matter at great length and decided our best defense was to rebuild our flagship the Van Hauge and to take control of as many planets as we could (more, at least, then our neighbors). That would allow us to stand firm in the face of any aggression. As a command leader, I had heard the rumors not only of these rising neighbor armies, but also of some truly terrifying events taking place on the other side of the galaxy. The horrific Vuil’raith were actively recruiting with empty promises; telling factions whatever they wanted to hear to forge alliances. Left unchecked, they would surely seize and destroy our entire galaxy planet by planet. The Nekro Virus was also gaining strength on a planet nearby the Vuil’raith and while it was unclear who would come out the victor in the inevitable head-to-head match between them, I shuddered at the idea of either of them heading our way. Because I viewed Nekro and the Vuil’raith both as bigger threats to our Yin than Yssaril or Hacan, I decided to put all my efforts into leading my crew to Mecatol Rex as fast as possible. I knew that if we could successfully land and build up a presence, we could stand as a line in the sand against the wave of Nekro or Vuil’raith forces that would inevitably come crashing down upon us. As time went on, I congratulated myself on recruiting warfare strategy experts and prioritizing our expansion to Mecatol Rex over building the flagship. It was the right choice. It had allowed me to maneuver our fleet onto the doorstep of Mecatol Rex. I had to explain to my Blessed brothers why we hadn’t built our flagship yet as ordered, but I pointed out that settling the planets along the way between Darien and Mecatol was in line with the orders given to seize control of new planets. Granted, we did not have more planets than our neighbors yet, but we did have more than we started with. I was sternly reminded to prioritize the flagship, especially since our spies had spotted the Hacan flagship (R1-1), but otherwise the matter was dropped. End of R1 scores: Yin(0), Yssaril(0), Nekro(0), Vuil’raith(0), Hacan(1) Round 2 objective: Erect a Monument (R2-1) To provide the assistance I needed, I hired some well respected leadership strategy consultants. Their job was to provide me guidance on getting more out of my command, using the influence I’ve cobbled together. I’d been given a new objective by the Blessed – I was to gather the resources needed to build a monument to the brotherhood on one of our newly settled planets. I thought it absolutely ridiculous at a time like this. Word was that Hacan was also heading to Mecatol with a settlement force and the Blessed wanted me to make time for fundraising? Forget it. In my meetings with my brothers, I nodded and agreed on the importance of the monument, but secretly planned to prioritize what I deemed most urgent instead. Back at command, I forged ahead and reached Mecatol (MR1) before Hacan could do so. Built a space dock on her right away once construction was authorized, and then began amassing troops on the surface. At the same time, I was diligently managing the build of our flagship (R1-1) by our production teams back home on Darien. Yssaril also finished their flagship (R1-1) and through some swift imperial strategy, settled enough new planets to control more than their neighbors (R1-2). Hacan got word that Vuil’raith had taken over a legendary planet in a distance sector (VS1) and in response intensified their own settlement efforts. In doing so, Hacan also found themselves controlling more planets than their neighbors (R1-2). Our ambassadors’ reports were increasingly worrisome – war was brewing and they were unsure where it would break out. And while the Vuil’raith were clearly planning something, the Nekro had gone completely silent. Our scientists on Darien continued their research, our production teams added more ships to our fleet, and we all waited for whatever was coming next. Having established a settlement on Mecatol Rex, I called for an inaugural council meeting with the other leading factions. At this first meeting, we took up a couple of interesting proposals and passed a new law implementing technology that allowed all Alpha and Beta wormholes to connect. End of R2 scores: Yin(2), Yssaril(2), Nekro(0), Vuil’raith(1), Hacan(2) R3 objective: Discover Lost Outposts (R3-1) Pleased with the completion of the Van Hauge, the Blessed advised that our intel had intercepted some encrypted communications about an objective the other factions’ were working on – to conduct in-depth explorations of their new settlements and identify any undocumented resources, pockets of political influence, or technology specialties. Any gains discovered during exploration were to be documented and written up in attachments to the planetary profiles faction leaders kept on hand for reference. I was told to keep on the efforts to settle more planets than our neighbors and to emphasis exploration of any new settlements. I was to report back when I’d successfully identified at least two different planets with enhancements worthy of documentation attachments. There was no more mention of the monument, and I was glad to have that off my to-do list. I decided to hire some tech strategy consultants to help develop new tech that could aid our explorations. Soon after I’d turned my attention to new settlements and exploration, the Nekro launched a direct attack on my fleet guarding Mecatol. I’m not the best negotiator and had been unable to secure the contractors needed to implement an imperial strategy, but holding onto Mecatol was still imperative for blocking the advancement of Nekro or the Vuil’raith toward Darien. Additionally, we had built a good rapport with everyone on Mecatol and their influence on the council was powerful. So I dug my heels in and fought. A couple of my destroyer pilots kamikazed their ships into the Nekro fleet, but it was not enough to stop them. They held the airspace above Mecatol while at the same time building their flagship in another production facility they controlled elsewhere (R1-1). Luckily for us, they underestimated the fortitude and persuasiveness of our infantry. We were able to turn at least one of their advancing infantry against them and through the strength of our troops, we held the planet. Still, they did not leave the system, so we had to make peace, at least temporarily, with their looming presence above us. There was a skirmish between the Nekro and the Vuil’raith as well, and there also, the Nekro had come out ahead. After the battle, Vuil’raith regrouped and turned their efforts toward building their flagship (R1-1). Nekro had also been reported to be gathering relic fragments as they conquered and explored, only instead of holding onto them to reassemble a relic, our spies came back with word they were purging them (NS1). While all of this was going on, Yssaril was quietly continuing to settle and explore planets. Our spies kept a close watch on them and every step of progress they made was immediately relayed to the Blessed. Eventually, my superiors sent me a reprimand via encrypted message wanting to know why I still hadn’t made more progress with the attachments when Yssaril had already done so (R3-1). Worse, the Hacan commander had managed to submit 2 attachments for planetary profiles under their control (R3-1) AND build a monument to their leadership (R2-1). Now the Blessed were jealous and angry and every communication from them I received reflected that. I had faith in my strategy, but I was going to have to have something more to show for myself when I spoke with my brethren. When I got word from my construction team that we’d build a third space dock across our systems in record time (YiS1), I forwarded the progress report directly to the Blessed, hoping it would soothe them. Another council meeting was called, and even though I wielded the most influence of any leader present, none of the proposed legislation before the council interested me much. Certainly nothing to really shake things up in favor of the Yin. I mostly abstained from voting and mentally prepared for my upcoming status report meetings with the Blessed. End of R3 scores: Yin(3), Yssaril(3), Nekro(2), Vuil’raith(2), Hacan(4) R4 objective: Raise a Fleet (R4-1) I really wanted to implement the famous imperial strategy I’d heard so much about, as when a faction holds Mecatol, it’s especially rewarding for them. But you need the right experts who know how to do it and Hacan always managed to grab that team it each time their contract came up for renewal. One time, even after they’d agreed to go work for another faction, Hacan pulled out some fancy datahub tech and persuaded them to come back over to work with them. So I never got my turn with them. After my research consultants rolled off their contracts, I reached back out to our warfare experts who were on the market again. I wanted to bring them back under contract for guidance in troop redeployments. We had a problem with ship crews’ that fulfilled a deployment order and then wanted to rest on location for an extended amount of time before being redeployed. They’d gotten their union involved and it was a mess and I hoped the warfare strategy team could persuade at least one of our most essential crew teams to head back out sooner than they’d planned. At my next status meeting, my brothers were frank with me. They were encouraged by my construction feat, but I was not back in their good graces yet. They told me I was to build my fleet up to 5 in at least one system (R4-1), but preferably in as many systems as possible. They were also interested in the spoils from the cultural planets my crews had been settling and asked me to have at least 4 under my control (YiS-2). I was easily able to do both of these things, and so our working relationship was going very well. With the Blessed giving me some breathing room, I took time for planning my own goals and priorities. Hacan had been making a lot of noise about taking over Mecatol and the Vuil’raith leveraged the general atmosphere of distrust and anxiety to approach me directly about a potential alliance. It might be just what I reported before – that the faction knows how to say whatever you want to hear to get you on their side. But it also might be that the rumors of their all consuming evil were vastly overdramatized. All I know is they gave me some useful tech that allowed my production teams to go above and beyond their production limits. And I agreed to look the other way should they decide they wanted to stomp out Hacan or Nekro. And why shouldn’t I make such a deal? They never did anything to me or our people whereas Nekro had attacked us. There were also confirmed reports that the Nekro had built an impressive monument to themselves on one of the planets they had recently assimilated (R2-1). And Hacan needed to be stopped before they got any more powerful. Recently they had amassed 5 ships in one system (R4-1), won a battle with their flagship (HS1), and come to control enough planets to give them 12 influence votes on the council (HS2). No doubt the Blessed would have been thrilled with the Hacan commander, were he set up to answer to them. At our third council meeting, Yssaril, Nekro, and Vuil’raith reported they now each had at least one 5 fleet system to serve as deterrents (R4-1) for aggression. Thank God I’d prioritized that myself or the Blessed would have really been up my ass. Nekro passed around pictures of the monument they recently built. It was absolutely hideous. I made no bones about saying so and they deflected with slander that I was just salty about their blockade of Mecatol. As we brought each agenda item up for consideration, Nekro pushed hard to get a seemingly dull law passed. I should have figured out their angle sooner, but I was distracted by the Vuil’raith who were on me to pay back that tech share by voting for them on an upcoming agenda item. At the end of things, the law Nekro was pushing was passed (NS2) and with my influence, the Vuil’raith was selected by the council as the elected beneficiary of a boost to their military operations (VS2). End of R4 scores: Yin(5), Yssaril(4), Nekro(5), Vuil’raith(4), Hacan(7) R5 objective: Command an Armada (R5-1) In my next debrief with the Blessed, I told them all that had happened at the council meeting. I warned them especially of Hacan’s growing power, but they didn’t take me as seriously as I’d hoped. The Hacan had not attacked us in any memorable fashion (perhaps an accidental ship collision here or there) and wouldn’t it be better for them to come out on top versus Nekro or Vuil’raith, the destroyer of worlds? I didn’t have the heart to tell them I’d already made some preliminary deals with the the Vuil’raith. Their minds were made up on the more pressing threat. The Blessed presented me with my latest assignment – build up my fleet to 8 ships in a single system. A show of force to deter Vuil’raith and Nekro. I tried to remind them our great strength was in our infantry and holding the ground (especially with our Yin Spinner tech), not our pilots, but they didn’t care to listen. They sensed my reluctance and offered up double the cash incentive if I could get it done before the next council meeting. I told them I’d work on it, but as usual, I had other plans. As always, Hacan lured away the Imperial strategy experts when they came off their contracts so I reached out to our on again off again leadership consultants. I also focused on settling more planets, including a few intrusions into Yssaril territory. They were in the midst of a monument building project (R2-1) and completely distracted so there was no retaliation even though I’d braced for it. The Nekro and Vuil’raith faced off against each other aggressively again. The tension between all of the factions was growing but despite our petty grievances with each other, all of us kept our eyes fixed on Hacan. Just before the council met again, word came in that Hacan, Yssaril, and Nekro had each managed to build up a fleet of 8 powerful ships (R5-1) within a system they controlled. Dammit! The Blessed were going to be upset with me again. At least I’d settled enough additional planets to outnumber my neighbors as they’d asked me to do eons ago (R1-2). The Vuil’raith had done this also (R1-2), facing the increasing threat of the Nekro at every turn. While I didn’t have the fleet count the Blessed had asked of me, all my planet settling and incursions into Yssaril territory had given me control of planets in the same system as other factions (YiS3), which provided great accessibility for continuing covert operations. The Vuil’raith commander reported to me through back channels that Yssaril was creeping into systems neighboring their home planet in our galaxy (YsS-1). Yssaril had also formed a loose, informal alliance with the Nekro. Under friend of my enemy logic, that made the Yssaril a new enemy of the Yin. The fourth council meeting was extremely stressful. Hacan was confronted regarding their massive fleet build up and asked of their plans. Instead of answering the question, they reminded us how they’ve always been generous in trading with us all, and how they had rarely shown any aggression. But we weren’t buying it. The continual build up of their fleet and infantry had to point to something big they were planning. Hacan was given a mandatory military reduction directive from the council. They would be sent back out from the council meeting with a limit of 3 command actions, 3 ships max in any fleet, and only permitted to conduct two strategic actions until we met again, unless they could gain more influence through better leadership. It passed by a wide margin, and I have to say Nekro looked especially pleased. As much as I fear and hate Nekro, I do not trust Hacan and the Vuil’raith commander had said that was wise on my part. End of R5 scores: Yin(7), Yssaril(8), Nekro(7), Vuil’raith(5), Hacan(9) R6 objective: Manipulate Galactic Law (R6-1) Nekro announced a bold move – they had instigated a scheme their lawyers had crafted to force their consultants into an automatic follow-on contract. Each other faction was now doing the same, utilizing a fine print clause to make it so. I knew the Blessed would be disappointed if I released our teams, so I let our contractors know I was exercising the fine print as well and they belonged to us for a little while longer, whether they liked it or not. I needed to keep the Blessed content. My ears still stung from the berating comments my brothers had laid into me during our last status meeting following the fourth council. How had I let so many other factions get ahead of us on fleet size? Didn’t I see the danger? Did they need to replace me or could I get my head on straight and get us into a position of power? If Hacan or another faction were to take control of everything, there was a good chance they’d shut down our genetic cloning operations. They were prejudiced against our ways. They didn’t understand the threat of Greyfire. It was true that Hacan was exceedingly close to seizing control of everything, but I couldn’t see an easy path for me or my fleet to stop them. Perhaps if I had built up the fleet as the brothers had ordered, but it was probably too late for that to make a difference now. What I did do, was send a message out across all channels – even to the Nekro – that I pledged my support in temporary alliance to all who would seek to destabilize Hacan. Nekro moved first, easily taking control of multiple Hacan systems (although Hacan managed to hold the planets). Vuil’raith charged in next, infiltrating the Hacan home system and taking an entire planet hostage until Vuil'raith agreed to stand down. Meanwhile, I’d gotten an urgent dispatch from the Blessed. If I couldn’t take Hacan out militarily, the Blessed counseled that I needed to gain enough influence to impose even greater consequences on them during the next council meeting. To do this, according to their calculations, I needed to amass at least 16 votes of influence. So while all of the military operations against Hacan were going on, I moved into more of Yssaril territory to capture more planets so that we’d have a greater voice on the council. I also made a far reaching jaunt into Nekro systems thanks to one of our command heroes. I was bound and determined to collect enough planets under Yin control so that I would have the strength to stop Hacan. I also prioritized building out our fleet to 8 ships (R5-1). Better late than never. Just before the fifth council meeting, both Vuil’raith and Nekro publicly announced they’d raised enough influence among their settlements to be in a position to heavily influence the next wave of galactic laws (R6-1). Nekro had also beaten up Vuil’raith badly in an anomaly (NS3) equidistant between their areas of control. And Yssaril had brought in a report of some new strategic tech they’d adapted (YsS2). As for Hacan, they came into the council meeting with their head down and shoulders slumped. They hadn’t been able to accomplish much of anything lately with the constant onslaught of attacks from all sides and the Vuil’raith hovering over their home planets. Did I feel sorry for them though? While I considered it, the Vuil’raith commander gave me a wink across the table. No, I did not feel bad for them at all. Yssaril proposed we give an official support of power vote to the faction that most aided the Hacan disruption. We were all in favor of that and passed the measure, but when it came time to decide who should receive the award, there was contention. Nekro made a good case for themselves, but we felt the honor belonged to the Vuil’raith and gave it to them instead (A1). End of R6 scores: Yin(9), Yssaril(9), Nekro(10), Vuil’raith(7), Hacan(9) R7: Subdue the Galaxy (R7-1) I took news of all these developments (leaving out the wink from the Vuil’raith commander) back to the Blessed. They were extremely happy to hear the Hacan had stalled, even if it was temporary. We discussed the new problem – Nekro was gaining power and now they were on the verge of becoming unstoppable. In fact, they had assimilated not only our faction tech but Hacan’s! They were now able to seize control of any strategic contract team when needed during strategy contract negotiation windows. We could be faced with Hacan peeling away imperial strategy experts away from us and then Nekro peeling them away from Hacan. I told the Blessed that we had one last hope. The latest round of contract negotiations was approaching, and I was slotted last to recruit. My plan was to grab some strategic contractors who weren’t of any value to Hacan, but whose priority rank meant that I’d be given audience in my bid for total control before the other council members. If we could prove ourselves worthy, we could take control of the new empire before any of the other factions even got up to speak. I explained this would be possible because Yssaril always preferred to hire research contractors, Nekro would hire imperial strategy experts as it was the only way for him to win ultimate control, Vuil’raith would hire whomever they chose (they weren’t a threat to us), and then Hacan would take something they didn’t care too much about that was a higher number and then force Nekro to switch. The Blessed approved of my plan and suggested I continue to settle new planets – at least 11 outside of Darien – to give me firm footing on seizing total control. They didn’t have any new secret objectives to hand down to increase my power, but they said intel reports advised some of the relics could increase my power if I happened upon the best ones. When strategy consultant negotiations began, I found I was wrong about Yssaril – their commander hired warfare experts instead of tech. But I was right about Nekro. And Hacan chose to hire tech experts instead of stealing away the imperial experts from Nekro. This was probably because they realized Nekro would just lure them back. So I hired some trade experts, knowing Hacan would not want to steal them from me. It was hard to leave the leadership consultants on the table, but I couldn’t risk losing them to Hacan if I hired them. Based on my hiring choices, I held a better initiative than anyone else in the council except Vuil’raith. If everyone could just keep Nekro held back until the council was ready to meet again, and if I managed to find a powerful relic, I could seize control for the Yin. With limited command actions due to a lack of leadership strategy consultants, everyone was careful with their actions. Except for the Yssaril of course, who kept stalling, as is their way. The faction commanders plotted in the open how to stop Nekro. It wasn’t going to be that hard. They didn’t have a massive fleet yet (they had the capacity but not the build out), nor did they have 11 planets outside their home system. They’d have to work for either. And work for them they did, but they were stymied at every turn by the Vuil’raith and perhaps once even by myself. The Nekro commander boasted about finally having more planets than their neighbors (R1-2), but that was truly too little, too late. Having neutralized the Nekro, and seeing the Hacan was still too weak to assume power, everyone’s attention turned toward Yssaril and our people, the Yin. It looked hopeless for me, so the focus remained on Yssaril who still held secret objectives that could bring them a measure of power. I spent my time shoring up troops and ships on Mecatol and Primor, and as I turned in a handful of relic fragments, I prayed for a power granting relic. Nope. I pulled a relic that allowed me to destroy a planet. I would have to eventually face my Blessed brothers and explain to them why I had failed. My hopes dashed, I sent out my trade consultants. At least I could gather some trade goods to bring back to Darien. To my surprise, Hacan offered to give me 6 commodities in exchange for 2 trade goods and 2 commodities. It seemed to be for no particular good reason, but I suppose they needed the trade goods to continue rebuilding their fleet. They were not giving up yet on themselves. I accepted the trade as they truly seemed repentant and in no position to harm me. To finish things up what I assumed would be my last tour of duty, I looked for a high value target to destroy. Something with a lot of infantry or some structures. Then, at least I could tell the Blessed I went out with a bang and the event would be listed in my biography. I found it in a Vuil’raith system adjacent to their home. I called a 1:1 meeting with the Vuil’raith commander. While he watched, I unrolled a map of our galaxy and pointed to one of the planets bordering his home system. “I choose this planet”, I announced, as I showed him mercy with an advanced warning to evacuate. With a horrified look in his eyes, the Vuil’raith commander said, “Please don’t”, and pledged the support of the Vuil’raith for a Yin Brotherhood throne (SFTT1). Adrenaline surging, I agreed in earnest. I had not seen this coming and it was going to make all the difference. Suddenly the factions were buzzing again. We picked up the chatter on every channel we interception. Now *I* would have the first audience in a bid for the thorne. I had 12 planets outside my home system, proving the Yin brotherhood worthy of ruling. Could they stop me? Only Nekro and Yssaril were still under normal operations at the time; the Vuil’raith and Hacan leaders had gone on holiday until our next council meeting. Vacation or not, they were still in communication with Nekro and Yssaril. Scheming together, the entire council plotted against me. They tried to work out the easiest planets to take from our people to bring our planet count below 11. Nekro made an incursion into one my systems and took a planet. Then came wave after wave of Yssaril attacks. After reducing our territory to just 9 planets outside our home system, there was a pause. The pause and the realization I had been calmly waiting for. The Yssaril commander called for a 1:1 with me, and when I arrived she wanted me to answer a burning question. Had I already submitted proof to the Blessed that I had completed the objective I’d been given to produce 16 votes of influence? “I have not”, I replied with a smile. “And how much influence does the Yin hold at this moment?” “TWENTY-SIX votes of influence”, I replied, with an even bigger smile. There wasn’t enough attacking and stalling in the world for Yssaril to knock us down below 16. I could buy 9 votes in trade goods alone, 4 from my heavily guarded home system patrolled by our suicide leaning flagship, and much more spread across the 6 or seven systems I controlled. The Yssaril commander studied the situation from every angle. It was impossible. She had overlooked the key information – that I had finished my last tour of duty meeting both public objectives and she’d only stripped one of them from me. There was nothing she could do. She ended her tour of duty, dejected. Just before our next scheduled council meeting, Vuil’raith called a press conference on the steps of the council building to announce that they had won a measure of power by completing a secret objective they’d been given. (VS3). He also announced he had two planets with attachments under his control (R3-1). The crowd cheered for him. Everyone was really warming to these alleged monsters of the galaxy. And then I took to the steps and announced that our faction - the Yin brotherhood - who had peacefully resettled Mecatol and reinitiated the galactic council, were leaning on our 16 votes of influence to seize complete and total control of the galaxy. A gasp was heard from the crowd. And then cheering. Immense cheering from all sections of the crowd. And that is how Yin took the unexpected Win. End of R7 scores: Yin(12), Yssaril(9), Nekro(11), Vuil’raith(10), Hacan(9) Full Article Board Game Events Fantasy Flight TI4
ted WordStar for DOS 7.0 archive updated By sfwriter.com Published On :: Mon, 12 Aug 2024 16:29:23 +0000 I’ve updated my WordStar for DOS 7.0 archive, based on feedback from the thousands of people who downloaded the initial public release (which was version 1.4, dated July 30, 2024).This new version is 1.5, dated August 12, 2024. The new version has the file size of the PDF manuals reduced (which cuts the archive size […] Full Article Uncategorized WordStar
ted Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff: Uninterested in Not Attacking By robin-d-laws.blogspot.com Published On :: Fri, 15 May 2020 13:22:00 +0000 In the latest episode of their easily spotted podcast, Ken and Robin talk Invisible Men, coarse vs granular ability lists, and Ken's last book raid for the duration. Full Article
ted New program will see pregnant mothers and babies protected from life-threatening virus - SBS By news.google.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 04:16:06 GMT New program will see pregnant mothers and babies protected from life-threatening virus SBSWorld-leading approach to protect babies from RSV Department of HealthGovernment-funded RSV vaccines to protect infants from severe disease Australian Pharmacist'Very scary': Wagga mum's plea for parents to protect babies through RSV jab The Daily AdvertiserGuild backs free RSV vaccinations Australian Journal of Pharmacy Full Article
ted Right now, the Sun is far more active than predicted – and small satellites are paying the price - The Conversation By news.google.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 03:03:00 GMT Right now, the Sun is far more active than predicted – and small satellites are paying the price The ConversationUnpredictable Solar Activity Sends Satellites Plummeting to Earth ScienceAlert Full Article
ted Apple reportedly releasing a wall-mounted smart home tablet in 2025 - and yes, it does AI - Yahoo Finance Australia By news.google.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 23:53:38 GMT Apple reportedly releasing a wall-mounted smart home tablet in 2025 - and yes, it does AI Yahoo Finance AustraliaApple’s next device might make your home a lot smarter Sydney Morning HeraldApple's Next Big Move Could Be Home Security Cameras PCMag AU Full Article
ted Wages growth slows faster than expected but still exceeds inflation - ABC News By news.google.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:47:47 GMT Wages growth slows faster than expected but still exceeds inflation ABC NewsReal wages are growing at highest rate since 2020. But it’s unlikely to last Sydney Morning HeraldSBS On the Money: Wages growth slows but real wages turn positive SBS News Full Article
ted Legitimacy of two Victorian local government elections in question after duplicate votes detected - ABC News By news.google.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 05:04:56 GMT Legitimacy of two Victorian local government elections in question after duplicate votes detected ABC NewsVictorian council election results 2024 LIVE updates: Suspected postal vote tampering in council elections Sydney Morning HeraldVEC investigates potential vote tampering in two Melbourne councils The Age Full Article
ted Uncharted Supply First Aid Kit By uncrate.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 11:30:01 -0500 Full Article Outdoor
ted Why Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah were missing from Perth nets; India ramp up privacy amid Manchester United-like security - Hindustan Times By news.google.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 04:53:31 GMT Why Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah were missing from Perth nets; India ramp up privacy amid Manchester United-like security Hindustan TimesVirat Kohli in focus: Intense net session begins for upcoming Test series against Australia The Times of IndiaVirat Kohli in Australia for BGT: A timeline India TodayBlack veil of secrecy: India begin training in privacy in Perth ESPNcricinfoIndia to play intra-squad warm-up match at WACA on Friday ahead of Australia Tests but BCCI denies public viewing Hindustan Times Full Article
ted 3 Children, 3 Women Missing After 10 Suspected Kuki Militants Killed In Encounter In Manipur's Jiribam - NDTV By news.google.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 11:11:01 GMT 3 Children, 3 Women Missing After 10 Suspected Kuki Militants Killed In Encounter In Manipur's Jiribam NDTVManipur on boil: 2 more bodies found, 6 missing The Times of IndiaAdditional paramilitary forces rushed to Manipur amid spike in ethnic violence Hindustan TimesLetters to The Editor — November 13, 2024 The Hindu2 men found dead, 6 of family missing day after militants killed in Manipur India Today Full Article
ted Meet BRAD (Berkeley's Ridiculously Automated Dorm Room) By cheezburger.com Published On :: Fri, 04 May 2012 12:00:00 -0700 Party the absolute hardest you can imaginably party! Full Article dorm room Video
ted Lint Trap Fixed, Fire Averted By cheezburger.com Published On :: Fri, 09 Aug 2013 05:00:00 -0700 Full Article funny there I fixed it
ted The Untouched Picture of Kim Jong-Un Started a Supreme Photoshop Battle By cheezburger.com Published On :: Sat, 31 Aug 2019 07:00:00 -0700 North Korea released a smiling picture of Kim Jong-Un and were VERY specific about pointing out the fact that the image was untouched. Obviously the first thing the internet did when they got a hold of the image was to touch it up a bit. The results were glorious. Full Article list photoshop image photoshop battle
ted The Queen of England Wore a Bright Green Outfit So, Naturally, the Internet Treated It Like a Green Screen By cheezburger.com Published On :: Sat, 31 Aug 2019 19:00:00 -0700 Queen Elizabeth wore a neon green outfit to her 90th birthday party. What could go wrong? Oh right, the internet... Full Article queen list photoshop image
ted The Shadow Team Gets Roasted For Being Shady During The Iowa Caucus By cheezburger.com Published On :: Thu, 06 Feb 2020 07:00:00 -0800 Meet the Shadow team in charge of developing an app meant to help tally the votes from the Iowa caucus on Monday night. The purpose of the app was to help the process run more smoothly, but in the end it proved to be a complete and utter disaster, as precinct chairs supposedly couldn't get the app to actually work, in turn causing a delay in reporting.The delay was blamed on "inconsistencies" in reporting, but honestly, who really knows what the truth is.The team is reportedly run by people who worked on Hilary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2016. Additionally, 2020 candidate Pete Buttigieg's campaign paid the tech firm over $40,000 in 2019 leading many to suspect foul play.But this is America, and we can't possibly have problems with corruption, right?As of right now, we still don't have all the results from the caucus, so while you continue to anxiously refresh the New York Times page, have some hot Twitter takes on the people (rats) behind Shadow, Inc. Full Article shady political shadow funny memes presidential election Iowa reaction memes corruption
ted Trump Gets Roasted And Meme'd For His Orange Tan Line By cheezburger.com Published On :: Wed, 12 Feb 2020 19:00:00 -0800 President Donald Trump was photographed on Friday returning to the White House from a trip to North Carolina and let's just say...he's looking a bit like a mandarin orange. People have been meme-ing and roasting the photo, which shows a very defined tan line of the orange variety on his face. Trump of course called the photo "fake news," and while we have to partially agree that the original was likely altered a bit, it's still amusing to see the reactions nonetheless! Full Article orange twitter tan donald trump funny memes president twitter memes roast funny tweets trump memes politics
ted 30 Middle Class Memes For Lighthearted Suburbanites By cheezburger.com Published On :: Mon, 09 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -0800 Do you take pleasure in converting old doors into coffee tables or old coffee tables into pallets? Do you spend a lot of time carefully crafting email responses? Does grabbing a beer or two at the local Chili's after a Sunday at Home Depot sound appealing to you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might get a kick out of these neat memes by novelty memelord @middleclassfancy. We're big fans of this hilarious account and love to share these tongue-in-cheek gems every chance we get. Full Article relatable funny memes Memes twitter memes funny internet memes donald trump joe biden politics
ted 31 Days, 31 Lists: 2018 Translated Picture Books By blogs.slj.com Published On :: Wed, 12 Dec 2018 05:00:22 +0000 They come and they go into our bookstores and libraries and out again without a whisper of awards or significant praise. Yet the true mark of whether or not you are opening up your child to the world is to show them books made internationally. Today we celebrate translations. Even the weird ones. I take that back. ESPECIALLY the weird ones! Full Article 31 Days 31 Lists Best Books of 2018 2018 translated children's books 31 days 31 lists translated picture books translations
ted Perplexity says it will begin experimenting with ads on its platform in the US starting this week; ads will be formatted as “sponsored follow-up questions” By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 05:02:56 GMT AI-powered search engine Perplexity says it’ll begin experimenting with ads on its platform starting this week. Ads will appear in the U.S. to start, formatted as “sponsored follow-up questions.” (E.g., “How can I use LinkedIn to enhance my job search?”) Paid media will be positioned to the side… Full Article
ted Rivian and VW finalize a software development joint venture; VW has invested $1B of its planned up to $5.8B by 2027 in the JV designed to be a 50-50 partnership By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 05:35:23 GMT Rivian and Volkswagen Group have finalized a multi-billion-dollar joint venture to develop software, paving the way to let the German auto giant leverage the EV startup’s more technical chops in the coming years. Volkswagen will invest up to $5.8 billion by 2027, about 16% more than when the deal… Full Article
ted Securing Europe’s Food Future: A Call to Action [Promoted content] By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 06:08:03 GMT Primary Food Processors are essential to Europe’s food security. But we face significant challenges in today’s changing landscape. We urgently call on policymakers to implement strategies that improve sustainability and efficiency of our sector, ensuring Europe’s resilient future food supply. Full Article
ted Wall Street expected to rake in end-of-year bonuses By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 06:07:49 GMT The $20 Secret Santa limit applies to everyone except your friends who work in finance. Wall Street bankers are about to cash substantially bigger bonus checks at the end of this year, according to a report released yesterday by Johnson Associates. Coming after two consecutive years of lower… Full Article
ted RWE's adjusted income in first 9 months of 2024 at €1.6B By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 07:02:10 GMT RWE AG announced on Wednesday that its adjusted net income in the first nine months of the fiscal year 2024 decreased by 1.4% annually to reach €1.6 billion. Its external revenue lost 24% in contrast ... Full Article
ted Swedish Fintech Klarna Files for Widely Anticipated IPO in US By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 06:19:01 GMT Full Article
ted Trump Plans To Strengthen Crypto Policy With Dedicated Advisor And Presidential Council | Bitcoinist.com By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 06:18:41 GMT President-elect Donald Trump is poised to reshape the US government’s approach to crypto, actively seeking candidates with industry-friendly views for key regulatory positions. According to the Washington Post, as part of his strategy to establish the United States as the “crypto capital of the… Full Article
ted Grubhub reportedly in talks to be acquired by Marc Lore’s Wonder startup By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 06:29:16 GMT The European company had acquired Grubhub in 2020 in an all-stock deal for $7.8 billion, creating the world’s largest food delivery company outside China at the time. A deal for Grubhub could be finalized imminently, assuming the talks do not fall apart, the report said, adding that Grubhub is… Full Article
ted Mutual Fund Investors Face Unwanted Tax Bills. Are You on the List? By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 07:02:11 GMT Full Article
ted Ford is slashing the working hours of some of its German factory employees amid what it calls a 'significantly lower than expected' demand for its EVs By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 07:01:53 GMT Ford is getting its workers in Cologne, Germany, to work fewer hours. The carmaker said a "lower than expected demand for electric vehicles" brought on the shift. The carmaker has more than 4,000 employees at its Cologne plant. Ford is slashing the work hours of its manufacturing plant workers in… Full Article
ted Just Eat Takeaway announces that it is selling Grubhub to Wonder in a $650M deal expected to close in Q1 2025; Just Eat bought Grubhub for $7.3B in 2020 By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 07:23:28 GMT Netherlands-based Just Eat Takeaway announced today that it is selling Grubhub to Wonder in a deal valued at $650 million. The company said that it expects the deal to be completed by Q1 2025. “The sale of Grubhub to Wonder will increase the cash generation capabilities of Just Eat Takeaway.com… Full Article
ted Swedish Fintech Klarna Files for Widely Expected IPO in US By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 07:42:38 GMT Swedish payments firm Klarna Group Plc has filed for an initial public offering in the US, ending months of speculation that the company was readying a stock market listing. Most Read from Bloomberg Klarna confidentially submitted a draft registration statement to the Securities and Exchange… Full Article
ted Seven & i's reported offer and the biggest management buyouts to date By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 07:52:33 GMT Japan's Seven & i Holdings said on Wednesday it has received a buyout proposal from its vice president who is a member of its founding Ito family. Full Article
ted Factbox-Seven & i's reported offer and the biggest management buyouts to date By biztoc.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 07:52:52 GMT In This Article: By Kane Wu HONG KONG (Reuters) - Japan's Seven & i Holdings said on Wednesday it has received a buyout proposal from its vice president who is a member of its founding Ito family. The statement follows a Bloomberg report that the 7-Eleven owner was considering a management buyout… Full Article
ted Instructions on how to Link a Google+ Profile to Content Created By linkworxseo.wordpress.com Published On :: Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:49:11 +0000 Linking yourself as an author to your content is relatively easy. If you do not have a Google+ profile created yet, start with by creating one. Next, on your header section of your HTML place the <link href=”[profile_url]” rel=”publisher” /> as this will notify Google you are the publisher of the content. After placing this […] Full Article SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING (SMO) WEB CONTENT articles author authorship google google-Plus google-profile internet-content publisher serps
ted Duplicated Web Content – Google Authorship and Article Directories By linkworxseo.wordpress.com Published On :: Sat, 29 Dec 2012 14:26:12 +0000 The Role of Google Authorship If you are the author of the article, can Google tell the difference when using article submission services? The facts point to no at this point, but there are more and more sites starting to follow the same authorship standard and business site verification standards. With authorship being more common […] Full Article BLOGGING OFF PAGE OPTIMIZATION WEB CONTENT article-directories article-submission content-duplication duplicate-content google-authorship panda web-content
ted Are you Claiming Your Web Content to Prevent Duplicated Articles? By linkworxseo.wordpress.com Published On :: Sun, 17 Mar 2013 22:52:27 +0000 First thought that comes to mind. Try making use of the rel=author attribute. For example: a WP blog allows for authorship as well as sites like BloggerSpot and ArticlesBase.com. From experience it would seem that when sites are joined or for a better term utilized as assets to help the later of the sites, duplicate […] Full Article WEB CONTENT copyscape directories duplicate-content google-alerts spun-content web-content
ted Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White, Launching Worldwide on November 18 By thinkcomputers.org Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 15:27:24 +0000 Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White will be available worldwide on November 18th, 2024 at 3PM PST. This model will cost $679 USD, and will be available in all Steam Deck shipping regions, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong via Komodo. The post Steam Deck OLED: Limited Edition White, Launching Worldwide on November 18 appeared first on ThinkComputers.org. Full Article All News Gaming News Hardware News Gaming Handheld Limited Edition Steam Deck Steam Deck OLED Valve White
ted Trajectory of ‘Oumuamua and wandering Sun, alien asteroids and comets detected by SOHO By blogs.scienceforums.net Published On :: Wed, 26 Apr 2023 18:32:17 +0000 The apparent non‑gravitational acceleration the extra-solar-system ‘Oumuamua exhibits is puzzling. We find that when the position and velocity of the Sun is correctly set in computing the predicted orbit, ‘Oumuamua’s trajectory can be explained with gravity and we have reproduced the unexpected gap by computation. We also propose to search for new extra-solar-system high speed... Full Article SFN Blogs Uncategorized
ted Free select digital game with the Purchase of a PS5 (YMMV Targetted) By www.cheapassgamer.com Published On :: Sat, 23 Sep 2023 17:02:50 +0000 Edit: this is actually a targeted promotion. Sony started a new promotion today. Buy and activate a ps5 console before October 20th and get a free digital download from the following games: ○ Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales ○ Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered ○ God of War Ragnarök ○ Horizon Forbidden West ○ Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut ○ Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart ○ Demon’s Souls ○ The Last of Us Part I ○ Sackboy: A Big Adventure ○ Returnal ○ Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection ○ Death Stranding: Director’s Cut Full promotion:https://www.playstation.com/en-us/legal/upgrader-program/ Full Article
ted ININ & Strictly Limited Games Sale Thread By www.cheapassgamer.com Published On :: Mon, 25 Sep 2023 10:39:23 +0000 I just noticed ININ Games is having a Gaming Season Sale on Amazon starting today. Here are the deals: Taito Egret II Mini - Limited Blue Edition - Mini Arcade Machine $159.99 Taito EGRET Ⅱ mini - Control Pad $24.99 Taito EGRET Ⅱ Mini - Control Panel $69.99 Taito EGRET Ⅱ Mini - Paddle and Trackball + 10 Games on SD Card $89.99 Note: I would jump on this since who knows how many Egret II mini's are left in-stock and this year is TAITO's anniversary, this is an insanely good price on the arcade unit and controllers. Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef (PS4) $19.99 Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef (PS5) $24.99 80 Days & Overboard! (Switch) $19.99 More deals here on the ININ Gaming Season Sale site. --> Full Article
ted I've Written And Deleted So Many Posts By www.eschatonblog.com Published On :: Sun, 10 Nov 2024 14:29:00 +0000 Might be best to shut up for a bit. Full Article
ted We're seeking a talented Service Designer By www.iriss.org.uk Published On :: Wed, 16 Mar 2016 10:15:22 +0000 Iriss is seeking a Service Designer for its Pilotlight programme to support the continued development and delivery of self-directed support (SDS) in Scotland. Pilotlight works with co-design teams of people to design pathways to self-directed support. Now in its fourth year, the Pilotlight programme uses a design approach to demonstrate how to design support for seldom heard groups, provide more personalised and appropriate services and increase the marketplace of support providers. read more Full Article
ted Interim Director appointed By www.iriss.org.uk Published On :: Wed, 04 May 2016 16:03:40 +0000 Bob Parry, previously Associate Director at NHS Education for Scotland (NES), has taken up the post of interim Director at Iriss following Jackie McKenzie's departure in March 2016. Bob has held a number of senior positions latterly in the NHS in supporting workforce development and education, and leading work in supporting the integration of health and social care and in academia as Dean, Faculty of Health and Social at University of Hull. Bob took up post on 2 May 2016 and will be with us as plans for the recruitment of a new Iriss Director get underway. Full Article
ted Lives sentenced. Experiences of repeated punishment By lx.iriss.org.uk Published On :: Wednesday, August 12, 2015 - 12:19 Little is known about the effects of repeated imprisonment. Very few research studies have examined how those who are punished by the criminal justice system experience and interpret their sentences. Research that does exist, like my PhD, has largely focused on one single sentence. But people who have served many sentences (in other words, who have long punishment careers), are likely not to experience criminal punishments in isolation, but in the context of their wider lives and previous sentences. The aim of the Lives Sentenced project is to address this gap in the knowledge base by examining the life stories of 35 people with long punishment careers Full Article
ted People affected by dementia programme. Individual awards pilot projects: Argyll & Bute and Edinburgh. Evaluation report By lx.iriss.org.uk Published On :: Wednesday, September 30, 2015 - 10:37 This evaluation report is based on feedback from people living with dementia and carers who received an Individual Award from the Life Changes Trust. The Individual Awards Pilot Scheme was run in Argyll & Bute and Edinburgh in 2014-15 and aimed to provide a small amount of additional financial empowerment to a number of individuals whose lives have been affected by dementia, to help improve their well-being and quality of life. A secondary aim of the pilot scheme was to find out what people would spend the Award on when given relatively broad choice, and what benefit that might bring in the short and medium terms. Full Article
ted Impact of antiretroviral therapy on liver disease progression and mortality in patients co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C: systematic review and meta-analysis By lx.iriss.org.uk Published On :: Friday, November 20, 2015 - 12:29 Systematic review produced by the EPPI-Centre in 2015.This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effect of HAART and ARV monotherapy on liver disease progression and liver-related mortality in individuals co-infected with HIV and hepatitis C, including in patients with haemophilia. Full Article
ted Rethinking Respite for People Affected by Dementia By lx.iriss.org.uk Published On :: Friday, April 27, 2018 - 12:16 The ‘Dementia: More Than Just Memory Loss’ report, was published in 2016, and set out some of the key issues affecting people with dementia in Wales, in particular: • A widespread lack of knowledge and understanding of dementia amongst professionals and the wider public. • A lack of flexibility to effectively meet the needs of people living with dementia and their carers. • A lack of co-operation between services creates unnecessary difficulties and barriers for people living with dementia and their carers. The authors of the report called for a range of actions to address this, and there has been some progress, however, despite a range of changes across society at a policy, practice and community level, there is still a long way to go to transform services and drive the cultural change needed to effectively meet the needs of people affected by dementia. The author of this report has consistently focused on the importance of meaningful outcomes for people with dementia and their carers, to ensure that their lives have value, meaning and purpose. This is fundamental to ‘Rethinking Respite’ and to delivering the Welsh Government’s vision of ‘a dementia friendly nation that recognises the rights of people with dementia to feel valued and to live as independently as possible in their communities as outlined in the new Dementia Action Plan for Wales. Full Article
ted Mexican American Man Voted For Trump Because Of Immigration By crooksandliars.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 11:03:25 +0000 A.J. Bayatpour, a reporter for Channel 58 in Milwaukee, interviewed a man identified only as Mattaeo, a Mexican-American man and who voted for Trump. Wait for his reasoning: MATTAEO: You know, with the future of America, you know, with Trump, I feel like it's always been better. You look at the past four years, you know, of living here, you know, we've seen a bunch of migrants coming in and, you know, that as well is a big thing. If you, you know, go to Chicago or even in this area alone, you see a lot of immigrants coming in and not many things being done about it, so. BAYATPOUR: People are going to watch this story, Mateo, and they're going to say, if you're Mexican-American, why are you against the migrants? MATTAEO: Why am I against the migrants? It's because I'm not more or less against it, but I do think it's, everything has a system that needs to be in place, and a lot of the system isn't going to what we, the people, I think should be going for, you know, for people whose family does live here, and it's trying to get, you know, an alliance program with the U.S. government to get their families from Mexico to over here is getting pushed out by people that we don't even know who's coming into the country, you know, just a bunch of Venezuelans coming, refugees coming, and none of it is being passed through, like, you know, the system of how the people, you know, designed it to be, and I think that's one of the main reasons. read more Full Article anti-immigration Wisconsin Election 2024
ted Will DeSantis Get Himself Appointed To Fill Marco Rubio's Seat? By crooksandliars.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 22:00:01 +0000 Forget that occasionally sane Marco Rubio we've caught glimpses of, he will completely fold to Donald Trump as Secretary of State. Do we at least get closer to a Senate majority with his leaving? No, we do not. Florida Man DeSantis gets to appoint Rubio's temporary Senate replacement. The seat doesn't open until 2028. Whoever's appointed would serve until a 2026 special election to complete the final two years of Rubio's term - so whoever's appointed has to win again in 2028. First off the bat, Puddin' Fingers could appoint his wife, Casey "I'm Really Jackie Kennedy" DeSantis, to hold the seat until his term as governor is up. He could also appoint his lieutenant governor, Jeanette Nunez. That would leave the option of allowing her to appoint him to the Senate seat. According to CBS News, Attorney General Ashley Moody and former Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva are also in the mix. What if Trump is only doing this to get Rubio out of that Senate seat because he made a deal with Desantis to appoint Lara, then Trump fires Rubio and kicks him to the curb in a few months? https://t.co/CvCYLtyEe2 — Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) November 12, 2024read more Full Article Marco Rubio Ron DeSantis
ted MAGA In A Nutshell: He's Like Hitler "But I Voted For The Man" By crooksandliars.com Published On :: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 22:55:16 +0000 Sure. Well as Trump himself said, "Hitler did some good things." And Mussolini made the trains run on time, though not really. Source: Mediaite A Pennsylvania voter named Matt Wolfson went viral with a stunning explanation of why he voted for President-elect Donald Trump — whom Wolfson says is “like Hitler.” ... In a new election post-mortem by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Julia Terruso, Wolfson provided the perfect conclusion to an article devoted to explaining why the premise that Trump is a fascist — put forward by Trump’s own former national security advisers and echoed by Vice President Kamala Harris — did not dissuade the state’s voters: This quote is absolutely insane. pic.twitter.com/OqaFOj2rct — Philly’s Original Harden (@KHJ_Esq) November 11, 2024 Ok, that's crazy enough, but the Inquirer also published some more details on Matt Wolfson today.read more Full Article Hitler MAGA Scranton