#Alternative Currencies

[xtruss]

Chinese Senior Diplomat Calls To Resist Cold War Mentality At BRICS Security Meetings

— Global Times Staff Reporters | July 25, 2023

Photo: BRICS. VCG

Cyber security as well as other threats in traditional and non-traditional security fields have taken the spotlight at the ongoing meetings of BRICS countries in Johannesburg, South Africa, as analysts said that amid growing global uncertainties, more developing countries are seeking to improve solidarity to jointly tackle challenges to their development under the auspices of the BRICS mechanism.

While attending the 13th Meeting of BRICS National Security Advisers and High Representatives on National Security in Johannesburg, South Africa on Tuesday, senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi said that after more than 10 years of development, the BRICS has become an important platform for emerging market countries and developing countries to unite and self-development.

Under the new situation, we must grasp the future development direction of the BRICS countries, further strengthen political mutual trust and strategic coordination, continue to provide international public goods that meet the requirements of the times, and strive to translate the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation into practical actions, and polish the "golden brand" of BRICS cooperation, Wang said.

To deal with the current global security challenges and solve the security dilemma, Wang also called for countries to resist unilateralism, hegemony and oppose "decoupling" and "double standards" and oppose Cold War mentality and zero-sum game.

Analysts said that the ongoing meetings for security advisors and senior diplomats from BRICS countries and "Friends of BRICS" underscored the security concerns of developing countries and new emerging economies over the destructive activities, "color revolutions" and cyber attacks plotted by some countries who have posed great threats to the stable development of developing countries and global peace.

Aside from expressing their concerns over traditional and non-traditional security fields, BRICS countries and developing countries are seeking to improve solidarity to jointly tackle development challenges under the BRICS mechanism, which will also be part of the build-up to the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa to be held from August 22 to 24, they noted.

On Monday, a meeting, which was held under the theme of "Cyber security is increasingly becoming a challenge for developing countries," is also being attended by Minister in the Presidency of South Africa Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, Chief Adviser of the Presidency of Brazil Celso Luiz Nunes Amorim, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval of India and representatives of Belarus, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Burundi, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Cuba and other countries.

Security Concerns Under Spotlight

During the Tuesday meeting, Wang, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and also director of the Office of the CPC Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, said that the "Global South" is a collection of emerging market countries and developing countries, reflecting our collective rise on the international stage. Countries in the "Global South" face the important mission of resisting the external intervention and maintaining political security and regime security.

Wang Yi said that unity is strength, action is direction, and openness is motivation. China is willing to work with BRICS partners to support each other's efforts to maintain national security and stability, and to carry out more practical cooperation in dealing with international security challenges, so that the world can hear more BRICS voices and witness a greater role of the BRICS.

Senior officials on security from BRICS countries also exchanged in-depth views on issues such as current security challenges, anti-terrorism and cyber security, food and water security, and energy security, and reached broad consensus, according to a release from Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The issue of cyber security has been discussed at length at the ongoing BRICS meeting as some Western countries have intensified using the internet to conduct destructive activities in other countries, including inciting domestic riots, fooling the public or organizing cyber attacks on governmental departments, which have posed threats to developing countries' stability and development, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The meeting on security, together with other meetings in various fields, will lay the groundwork for the leaders' summit in August, as the BRICS mechanism is a cooperative mechanism beyond economic and security fields, and whether it is regarding traditional or non-traditional fields, it would safeguard development and cooperation in other areas, Song said.

This year's BRICS summit will focus on improving cooperation between BRICS members and African countries in technology, economy and other fields, and security would also be the basis for cooperation, said Song.

South Africa has invited the heads of state of all African countries to the summit, which is themed as "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism." The summit is anticipated to discuss how BRICS countries can better work with African countries, media reported.

Security is the core concern for the financial cooperation of BRICS countries and other developing countries. This is also why BRICS countries are studying the potential use of alternative currencies to the US dollar, analysts said.

For the past months, many media, especially those from the West and the US, have reported that BRICS countries are seeking to shift from the dollar in mutual trade to avoid becoming "victim" to sanctions. For example, in April, Bloomberg reported that Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called on BRICS countries to come up with an alternative to the dollar in foreign trade.

South Africa, the BRICS chair, has put the stability of the global financial system as a priority for the BRICS meetings, as BRICS countries and developing countries have been put in an unfavorable position that would be affected by global financial hegemony, Wang Lei, director of the Center for BRICS Cooperation Studies at Beijing Normal University, told the Global Times.

However, de-dollarization is not the core mission of BRICS countries and what they want is to make the global financial system fairer and more inclusive, and to better reflect the major changes that have happened in the global governing system, Wang Lei said.

Against the backdrop of the continuous Russia-Ukraine conflict and drastic global changes unseen in a century, developing countries are seeking to inject more stable and secure impetus to the world and to promote the international governing system to be more inclusive and better reflect their interests. However, the US and some Western media have smeared their efforts, analysts said.

What BRICS countries are working toward is not to compete with the US for its hegemony, but to build a multipolar world in which each country's concerns on security, economy and developments can be respected by others - this may also be the reason for the US and West's increasing worries of the growing influence and attractiveness of BRICS, Song said.

[tangentrina]

Those clichés don't fly in here Hong Lu

[radicalcircuit]

Father and his unappreciated son.

[luwha]

Working with paypal is like working with a bully that takes your lunch money every day 🙃

[maramahan]

I don’t watch shows or movies very often anymore so every time I do watch something & see how bad the sheer density of advertising has gotten, I am blinded with white-hot rage.

[murderofsomeone]

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

I've been grinding at flight rising for the past few days because I was reminded it existed and I've been absolutely FRUSTRATED with exactly why I dropped this game to begin with. like yeah it's the Task Black Hole which is why I'm playing it right now to begin with, but the second you start having actual plans for your dragons (outfits, genes, breed changes) it becomes a very frustrating thing to play entirely because of the scarcity for everything and also the lack of easy ways to get treasure (in-game currency that doesn't require real money) that doesn't require retreating to the forums. to be honest the festival items become an absolute HEADACHE to acquire because you can't get them again unless you get lucky with roundsey or the auction house (which is built to Suck Ass). I saw an item from 2013 that equivalented to 140 REAL USAMERICAN DOLLARS. and considering my clan is heavily themed towards its flight, I WOULD like all the seasonal items for it, but we all know that isn't happening (this is not an invitation to send me free stuff I'm keeping my account anonymous). right now I'm entirely banking on some random paid items I have for some reason to exchange for treasure on the auction house, so that I might be able to finially get 100 slots in my den (which costs... 800k treasure and I can't depend on flight dominance to get a discount cause my flight is always last). flight rising is a fun game and doesn't at all become insanely grindy. grips chair.

[whmp]

whumper: im heading back home. you better not be a low-poly game asset for the sony playstation 1™ console.

whumpee: 😶

---

his name is cecil and he's not doing well. i had this neat idea yesterday: imagine a tamagotchi-like game, where you have to "take care" of a whumpee who lives inside your puter. will you traumatize them beyond all recovery or will you look after them? after all, they're just a replaceable heap of pixels, right? it's not like they have feelings.

[andmaybegayer]

"Fembuck" is this anything?

The first time he tried to put on cute lacy underwear the bra got tangled in his horns and he had to get someone to cut them off.

[dexaroth]

i wish there was an artfight alternative that just. never closes. like an art trade central of sorts.. or at least that artfight lasted longer like 3 months

getting to give ppl gift art and having a chance you'll get something in return is too good of an idea to be restricted to a month

[haplogamingchef]

Top PoE 2 Tank Build: 75% Block One Punch Titan Setup

Why Go Tanky with the One Punch Titan?

If you're diving into Path of Exile 2 and looking for a build that doesn't stress you out every time a mob blinks in your direction, the tanky One Punch Titan setup is where it's at. While most builds chase raw damage and fast clears, this version leans into defense, consistency, and ease of mapping.

With a shield in hand and a block chance that can reach 75%, this setup allows you to comfortably run juiced maps without constantly staring at your health bar. It's not the flashiest build out there, but it handles nearly everything you throw at it—and it does so on a budget.

This guide walks you through how to build it from the ground up, explaining gear, passive tree adjustments, skill choices, and how to scale it based on your playstyle or currency budget.

What Makes This Build Special?

Survivability: 75% block chance means you’re tanking hits like a champ.

Budget Friendly: You don’t need insane gear to make it work.

Great for Mapping: Comfortable pace, no constant deaths.

One-Shot Potential: Still hits hard, especially against bosses.

Flexible Scaling: Easy to adjust for more offense or more defense.

Gear Breakdown – What You Need and Why

This setup’s biggest strength is its accessibility. You don't need high-end rare items or ultra-specific uniques to get rolling. Here’s a gear breakdown that balances performance with affordability:

Shield: Look for high block chance, maximum life, and physical damage reduction. Even a 10 Exalted Orb shield can carry you through endgame content.

Main Weapon: Prioritize high base physical damage. This weapon handles your bossing potential. Your second weapon slot can be cheap or even unused.

Helmet, Chest, Gloves, Boots: Focus on life, resistances, and if possible, additional armor or evasion. You don't need offensive stats here.

Amulet and Rings: Life, resists, and damage stats like physical or melee damage are ideal. Strength is a bonus for scaling.

Belt: Stygian Vise or Leather Belt with life, strength, and elemental resistances.

You can definitely min-max later, but the above will get you through most content comfortably.

Passive Tree Adjustments for Shield Setup

Since we're shifting to a shield-based layout, the passive skill tree needs a few tweaks compared to the dual-wield version.

Block Clusters: Invest in both nearby shield block clusters to hit your 75% cap.

Ancestral Bond: Drop Mysterious Lineage and spec into Ancestral Empowerment for improved AoE and utility.

Damage Recovery: Pick up life regen or armor-based mitigation to deal with chip damage.

Optional Flex Points: If you're not feeling squishy, consider shifting some defensive nodes into attack speed or area of effect passives.

The result is a build that blocks more, dies less, and still punches hard. And thanks to Earthbreaker Totem + Leap Slam synergy, it still feels fluid and mobile.

Skills and Supports – Slam Everything That Moves

The star of this build is still Leap Slam, but its function changes a bit with this tanky setup. You’re not just jumping for mobility—you’re jumping to kill.

Here’s the typical skill setup:

Leap Slam + Pulverise + Fist of War + Shockwave + Earthbreaker + Endurance Charge on Melee Stun

Warcry (General's Cry or Enduring Cry) to boost survivability or trigger slams

Aura Setup: Determination, Herald of Purity, and Defiance Banner

Utility Skills: Molten Shell, Curse on Hit setup with something like Vulnerability or Punishment

Make sure Leap Slam hits as hard as possible by investing into aftershock mechanics. Earthbreaker Totem ensures you get a second, massive burst of damage right after landing. This double-tap can one-shot most non-boss enemies and still chunk bosses heavily.

Block Mechanics – How You Hit 75% and Why It Matters

Here’s where the shield build really shines.

By investing into:

Two major block clusters on the tree,

A shield with base block + corruption (if possible),

Optional block from Ascendancy or gear modifiers,

...you can easily cap block at 74%–75%.

And why is that important? Because block in Path of Exile 2 works against:

Projectile attacks (especially deadly ones from breach mobs),

Melee hits,

Many spell-based threats (with the right nodes or items).

Block means you reduce incoming damage by a huge margin, especially when paired with life gain on block or recovery mechanics. It’s one of the best forms of defense available, particularly in maps with multiple damage mods.

Budget Scaling – Why This Version Costs Less

One of the best things about this version of the One Punch Titan is how easy it is on your wallet. Here's why:

You only need one good weapon. Since your second hand is a shield, you don’t need to invest in two high-damage weapons. A single solid physical weapon is enough.

Shield cost is low. A shield with good block chance, life, and maybe some physical damage reduction can cost as little as 10 Exalts. For high-end players, that's cheap.

No need for expensive corruptions or alt-quality gems. Your damage output is solid even with regular support gems and a standard rare weapon.

This makes it a perfect build for players who want a reliable character for mapping, farming currency, or testing endgame bosses without burning through resources.

Area of Effect Trade-Off – How to Handle the Loss

When switching to a block-focused setup, you're trading off a bit of area coverage for better survivability. That’s the price of dropping AoE clusters and adjusting the skill tree for shield passives.

But here’s how to deal with it:

Pick up “Aftershock” nodes and use Earthbreaker Totem. These ensure your AoE stays impactful, even if smaller.

Use Ancestral Empowerment. This compensates a bit for lost coverage by increasing AoE on supported attacks.

Positioning matters more. Leap into the center of packs to trigger Aftershock where it will hit the most enemies.

The result? Slightly tighter AoE, but still enough to clear maps efficiently. And what you lose in radius, you gain back in not dying to random mobs or spike damage.

Single Target Damage – Still One-Shotting Bosses

Even with a shield and slightly reduced damage scaling, this build still melts bosses. Thanks to mechanics like Aftershock, Warcry buffs, and Fist of War, your Leap Slam delivers burst damage that’s enough to one-shot or two-shot most enemies—even bosses.

Here’s how to maximize your single-target hits:

Time your Warcry to line up with the Leap Slam.

Use Shockwave support to stack on even more damage.

Consider Rolling Slam if you want a more boss-oriented slam skill over Leap Slam. It has a stronger multiplier, but less mobility.

Keep bosses cursed with Vulnerability for a big damage bump.

Even in high-tier maps or against pinnacle bosses, you’re rarely in a fight long enough to take sustained damage. One or two well-placed slams usually end it.

Flexible Passive Options – Tailor It to Your Needs

Once your core defense is online, the rest of your passive tree is flexible. You can adjust it based on whether you want:

More tankiness: Pick up additional life nodes or armor scaling.

More speed: Invest in attack speed clusters, especially if you swapped out skill speed runes.

More damage: Allocate into melee crit, physical damage, or totem enhancements.

Here are some example options:

Drop unused stun immunity clusters if you have that on gear.

Shift from AoE notables to damage or speed, depending on feel.

Consider Megalomaniac jewels for specialized notables like Aftershock or Cremation.

This flexibility keeps the build fresh, scalable, and easy to tailor for late-game goals or personal preference.

Using Megalomaniac Jewels – High Impact for Cheap

Megalomaniac jewels are one of the best ways to push this build further in the late game. While perfect rare jewels are great, a Megalomaniac with two or three solid notables can easily outperform them—often for a lower cost.

Look out for notables like:

Aftershocks – lets you drop the regular passive and reclaim points.

Cremation – free bonus damage effect.

Exposed to Inferno, Burn Away, Coming Calamity – all synergize with melee and fire-based slam skills.

Acceleration – gives skill speed and attack speed, covering both offense and smoothness.

You don’t need a perfect roll. Even a two-good-notable jewel can be an upgrade and often costs just a few divines. Swapping these in gives you another layer of fine-tuning your build without rerolling your whole setup.

Map Modifiers and Dangerous Encounters – What You Can Tank

This build is designed to be stress-free for mapping, and here’s where it proves its worth.

Thanks to the high block rate and consistent recovery:

Double damage mods? No problem.

Extra projectiles? Block handles most of them.

Tough breaches and citadel mobs? Their burst damage is manageable with your block + life setup.

Even if a boss gets the jump on you, your 75% block gives you time to respond, reposition, and strike back. Only extremely high-damage spellcasters or mechanical one-shots can threaten you, and even then—proper movement and cooldown use often handle the threat.

It’s one of the safest mapping experiences available in Path of Exile 2 today.

Final Thoughts – Comfortable, Cheap, and Capable

This 75% block One Punch Titan variant proves that you don't need glass-cannon damage or ultra-expensive gear to thrive in Path of Exile 2. It's built for comfort and control, and whether you're pushing maps, farming, or casually exploring endgame content, it keeps you alive and powerful.

Key takeaways:

Reliable defense with max block and optional life scaling

Strong single-target damage thanks to Earthbreaker + Aftershock synergy

Easy gear progression, no mandatory uniques or inflated pricing

Adjustable skill tree for your personal style—offense, defense, or speed

Flexible and scalable for new players and veterans alike

If you want a PoE 2 build that lets you sit back and enjoy the game without constant stress, this is it. Swap a weapon for a shield, follow the tree changes, and you’re good to go.

🎮 Meet Haplo Gaming Chef 🍳

Level 99 Kitchen Warrior here! I'm on a quest to transform your gaming sessions into epic culinary adventures. When I'm not farming rare ingredients in MMOs, I'm crafting real-world recipes inspired by your favorite video games.

Specializing in: • Game-inspired recipe creation • Cooking quest guides • Power-up snacks for gaming sessions • Achievement-worthy meal prep

Join my party as we explore the delicious intersection of pixels and plates. Whether you're a casual foodie or a hardcore gamer, there's always room at my crafting table! #Gaming #GamingGuides #GamingChef #HaploGamingChef For More Visit: https://haplogamingchef.blogspot.com/

[futurefatum]

🔴💲💀 Catastrophic Economic Event Coming? (Tone: 90)

A catastrophic economic shift is coming! The U.S. dollar's dominance is at risk. Will crypto take over? Get ready! #Finance #Crypto

Posted February 11th by @FutureForecastingGroup ABOUT THIS VIDEO: This video, hosted by Dick Algy, discusses a potential catastrophic economic event linked to the U.S. dollar’s status as the world reserve currency. It warns that excessive money printing and $36 trillion in debt are unsustainable, leading to an imminent financial crisis. The speaker speculates on possible outcomes, including a…

[j1r4ch2]

Ok, this is about the 15th time i've had to see this post so I'm saying something. Most of you are expecting someone else to painstakingly grow your food, stock your groecery store, pave your roads, upkeep your residence, run your electrical grid, upkeep the sewers that keep shit from piling in the streets, maintain internet satellites so we can bitch online, etc. all for free. Yeah I hate my exploitative minimum wage job as much as the next person, but give this shit a break. Earning a living is a thing because most of the moden ammenities we enjoy require some other poor fucker earning minimum wage (or less) to bust their ass providing that service. Most of you probably don't even break a sweat once a day doing your jobs, and I'd wager many of you have never experienced real poverty, yet you're going to complain that you have to go to your job where you earn 70k+ a year, and say your life is valueless in the eyes of your employer. Ok you have internet and an appt and food and heat, and statistically didn't have to do jack shit to get it because other people provided it by doing the manual labor. Shut the fuck up

[sarinigar]

‘டாலரை நிராகரித்தால் 100% வரி’ - பிரிக்ஸ் நாடுகளுக்கு ட்ரம்ப் மீண்டும் எச்சரிக்கை | 'Replace dollar, face 100% tariff': Donald Trump's threat to members of BRICS, which includes India

வாஷிங்டன்: டாலருக்கு பதில் வேறு ஒரு புதிய கரன்ஸியை உருவாக்கினால் 100 சதவீத வரி விதிப்பை எதிர்கொள்ள வேண்டியது இருக்குமென்று பிரிக்ஸ் நாடுகளுக்கு அமெரிக்க அதிபர் டொனால்ட் ட்ரம்ப் மீண்டும் எச்சரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளார். இதுகுறித்து அமெரிக்க அதிபர் தனது சமூக ஊடகதளமான ட்ரூத் சோசியலில் வெளியிட்டுள்ள பதிவில், “பிரிக்ஸ் நாடுகள் அமெரிக்க டாலரை விட்டு விலகிச்செல்ல முயற்சிக்கின்றன. நாங்கள் அதை ஒதுங்கி நின்று…

[brent-emery-pieczynski]

11 New Tech Breakthroughs Straight From Sci-Fi Movies!

[t0kyo-l1ghts]

recently decided to check out Sky: COTL youtube and turns out the things ive been thinking about are pretty cold takes with how dissatisfied the playerbase seems on there

[familythings]

Time Banks: Building Communities Through Time Exchanged

Have you ever heard about the Time Bank concept? It was new to me and it is so interesting that I thought to share it with you dear friends. Time banks are an innovative approach to exchanging services within a community. They allow people to share their time, skills, and talents with others without using money. Instead of cash, time banks use time as currency. For every hour you spend helping…