#infrastructure operations and maintenance services

[michaelgabrill]

NASA Awards Operations Services Maintenance and Infrastructure Contract

NASA has selected Nova Space Solutions, LLC of Anchorage, Alaska, to provide operations, services, maintenance, and infrastructure support for NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The Combined Operations, Services, Maintenance, and Infrastructure Contract is a cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed-price, and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract that has a value […] from NASA https://ift.tt/K1ymUbI

[townpostin]

Railway Service Resumes After Howrah-Mumbai Mail Accident

Track Repairs Completed, Operations Gradually Returning to Normal Rail operations resume post Howrah-Mumbai Mail accident near Potobeda. Damaged tracks repaired, undergoing safety tests. Trains initially running at reduced speeds for precautionary measures. JAMSHEDPUR – Railway authorities have successfully repaired the damaged tracks following the Howrah-Mumbai Mail train accident near Potobeda…

[aviationinfra]

Aviation Strategic Development Company

he aim of the strategic development is to achieve a safe, secure and sustainable aviation sector that meets the needs of customers. Contact us on : +1 (843) 412-6881 or visit our website : www.aviationinfrastructure.com for more details.

[soft-star-dubai]

Professional Technical and Landscape Service

Introduction:

Technical and Landscape service www.softstardubai.ae is best company in Dubai.

Dubai known for its awe-inspiring skyline and innovative infrastructure, is a thriving metropolis that constantly evolves and embraces technological advancements. To support the city’s development and maintain its captivating landscapes. Moreover and wide again and range of the Soft Star technical and more landscape services have emerged near too Dubai. These are services play again pivotal role in enhancing urban living and then again by providing state of the art solutions for construction maintenance and green space etc.

Technical Services:

Dubai’s rapid growth necessitates the expertise of technical service providers who specialize in various areas. First Construction companies second architectural firms and engineering consultancies offer their expertise in designing and building iconic structures that define the city’s landscape. In addition from too be towering skyscrapers too intricate urban planning and again these technical

services contribute to Dubai’s unique skyline and urban fabric.

Moreover, facilities and management companies are key players in maintaining the functionality and efficiency of Dubai’s infrastructure important. They provide comprehensive services. Moreover maintenance repairs, and energy again management for residential and commercial buildings, ensuring that the city’s facilities operate seamlessly.

Landscape Services:

Dubai’s commitment to creating lush green spaces amidst its urban environment has led to a thriving landscape services industry. Landscape architects and designers are instrumental in transforming open areas. and parks and gardens into breathtaking landscapes. By integrating sustainable design practices and innovative techniques or they harmonize the natural and built environments. They providing residents and visitors with serene and aesthetically pleasing surroundings.

To ensure the well-being of these green spaces and landscape maintenance companies employ skilled horticulturists and gardeners. They meticulously care for the plants or trees and lawns ensuring their health and vitality. From irrigation systems to pest control, these services maintain the beauty and functionality of Dubai’s green areas.

Best Technical and Landscape service:

 Technical and Landscape service to a range of professional service focused on the design or installation and maintenances of the outdoor spaces and the infrastructure associated with them. These services are essential for creating aesthetically pleasing and functional environments in residential or commercial and public settings.

Synergy between Technical and Landscape Service:

The seamless integration of technical and landscape services near Dubai offers numerous benefits to the city and its residents. Furthermore By combining innovative construction again

methods with sustainable landscape designs. In addition they create too harmonious urban environment that prioritizes both aesthetics and functionality more.

For instance, incorporating green spaces within too skyscrapers not only enhances the visual appeal but also improves air quality and provides a retreat for residents. Next Technical services contribute to the construction of these green buildings. landscape services maintain and nurture the plants within them.

Conclusion:

The availability of technical and landscape services near Dubai. They played a vital role in shaping the city’s infrastructure and green spaces. Finally through their expertise again more commitment too innovation. These service providers contribute to Dubai’s reputation and as a global hub of modernity and sustainable living etc. Moreover as the city and continues too evolve and the collaboration between technical and landscape are services will further enhance the urban experience ensuring a harmonious blend of technology, architecture, and natural beauty.

[amalgamasreal]

So I don't know how people on this app feel about the shit-house that is TikTok but in the US right now the ban they're trying to implement on it is a complete red herring and it needs to be stopped.

They are quite literally trying to implement Patriot Act 2.0 with the RESTRICT Act and using TikTok and China to scare the American public into buying into it wholesale when this shit will change the face of the internet. Here are some excerpts from what the bill would cover on the Infrastructure side:

SEC. 5. Considerations.

(a) Priority information and communications technology areas.—In carrying out sections 3 and 4, the Secretary shall prioritize evaluation of— (1) information and communications technology products or services used by a party to a covered transaction in a sector designated as critical infrastructure in Policy Directive 21 (February 12, 2013; relating to critical infrastructure security and resilience);

(2) software, hardware, or any other product or service integral to telecommunications products and services, including— (A) wireless local area networks;

(B) mobile networks;

(C) satellite payloads;

(D) satellite operations and control;

(E) cable access points;

(F) wireline access points;

(G) core networking systems;

(H) long-, short-, and back-haul networks; or

(I) edge computer platforms;

(3) any software, hardware, or any other product or service integral to data hosting or computing service that uses, processes, or retains, or is expected to use, process, or retain, sensitive personal data with respect to greater than 1,000,000 persons in the United States at any point during the year period preceding the date on which the covered transaction is referred to the Secretary for review or the Secretary initiates review of the covered transaction, including— (A) internet hosting services;

(B) cloud-based or distributed computing and data storage;

(C) machine learning, predictive analytics, and data science products and services, including those involving the provision of services to assist a party utilize, manage, or maintain open-source software;

(D) managed services; and

(E) content delivery services;

(4) internet- or network-enabled sensors, webcams, end-point surveillance or monitoring devices, modems and home networking devices if greater than 1,000,000 units have been sold to persons in the United States at any point during the year period preceding the date on which the covered transaction is referred to the Secretary for review or the Secretary initiates review of the covered transaction;

(5) unmanned vehicles, including drones and other aerials systems, autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, or any other product or service integral to the provision, maintenance, or management of such products or services;

(6) software designed or used primarily for connecting with and communicating via the internet that is in use by greater than 1,000,000 persons in the United States at any point during the year period preceding the date on which the covered transaction is referred to the Secretary for review or the Secretary initiates review of the covered transaction, including— (A) desktop applications;

(B) mobile applications;

(C) gaming applications;

(D) payment applications; or

(E) web-based applications; or

(7) information and communications technology products and services integral to— (A) artificial intelligence and machine learning;

(B) quantum key distribution;

(C) quantum communications;

(D) quantum computing;

(E) post-quantum cryptography;

(F) autonomous systems;

(G) advanced robotics;

(H) biotechnology;

(I) synthetic biology;

(J) computational biology; and

(K) e-commerce technology and services, including any electronic techniques for accomplishing business transactions, online retail, internet-enabled logistics, internet-enabled payment technology, and online marketplaces.

(b) Considerations relating to undue and unacceptable risks.—In determining whether a covered transaction poses an undue or unacceptable risk under section 3(a) or 4(a), the Secretary— (1) shall, as the Secretary determines appropriate and in consultation with appropriate agency heads, consider, where available— (A) any removal or exclusion order issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Defense, or the Director of National Intelligence pursuant to recommendations of the Federal Acquisition Security Council pursuant to section 1323 of title 41, United States Code;

(B) any order or license revocation issued by the Federal Communications Commission with respect to a transacting party, or any consent decree imposed by the Federal Trade Commission with respect to a transacting party;

(C) any relevant provision of the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation and the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and the respective supplements to those regulations;

(D) any actual or potential threats to the execution of a national critical function identified by the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency;

(E) the nature, degree, and likelihood of consequence to the public and private sectors of the United States that would occur if vulnerabilities of the information and communications technologies services supply chain were to be exploited; and

(F) any other source of information that the Secretary determines appropriate; and

(2) may consider, where available, any relevant threat assessment or report prepared by the Director of National Intelligence completed or conducted at the request of the Secretary.

Look at that, does that look like it just covers the one app? NO! This would cover EVERYTHING that so much as LOOKS at the internet from the point this bill goes live.

It gets worse though, you wanna see what the penalties are?

(b) Civil penalties.—The Secretary may impose the following civil penalties on a person for each violation by that person of this Act or any regulation, order, direction, mitigation measure, prohibition, or other authorization issued under this Act: (1) A fine of not more than $250,000 or an amount that is twice the value of the transaction that is the basis of the violation with respect to which the penalty is imposed, whichever is greater. (2) Revocation of any mitigation measure or authorization issued under this Act to the person. (c) Criminal penalties.— (1) IN GENERAL.—A person who willfully commits, willfully attempts to commit, or willfully conspires to commit, or aids or abets in the commission of an unlawful act described in subsection (a) shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $1,000,000, or if a natural person, may be imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both. (2) CIVIL FORFEITURE.— (A) FORFEITURE.— (i) IN GENERAL.—Any property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, used or intended to be used, in any manner, to commit or facilitate a violation or attempted violation described in paragraph (1) shall be subject to forfeiture to the United States. (ii) PROCEEDS.—Any property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, constituting or traceable to the gross proceeds taken, obtained, or retained, in connection with or as a result of a violation or attempted violation described in paragraph (1) shall be subject to forfeiture to the United States. (B) PROCEDURE.—Seizures and forfeitures under this subsection shall be governed by the provisions of chapter 46 of title 18, United States Code, relating to civil forfeitures, except that such duties as are imposed on the Secretary of Treasury under the customs laws described in section 981(d) of title 18, United States Code, shall be performed by such officers, agents, and other persons as may be designated for that purpose by the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General. (3) CRIMINAL FORFEITURE.— (A) FORFEITURE.—Any person who is convicted under paragraph (1) shall, in addition to any other penalty, forfeit to the United States— (i) any property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, used or intended to be used, in any manner, to commit or facilitate the violation or attempted violation of paragraph (1); and (ii) any property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, constituting or traceable to the gross proceeds taken, obtained, or retained, in connection with or as a result of the violation. (B) PROCEDURE.—The criminal forfeiture of property under this paragraph, including any seizure and disposition of the property, and any related judicial proceeding, shall be governed by the provisions of section 413 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 853), except subsections (a) and (d) of that section.

You read that right, you could be fined up to A MILLION FUCKING DOLLARS for knowingly violating the restrict act, so all those people telling you to "just use a VPN" to keep using TikTok? Guess what? That falls under the criminal guidelines of this bill and they're giving you some horrible fucking advice.

Also, VPN's as a whole, if this bill passes, will take a goddamn nose dive in this country because they are another thing that will be covered in this bill.

They chose the perfect name for it, RESTRICT, because that's what it's going to do to our freedoms in this so called "land of the free".

Please, if you are a United States citizen of voting age reach out to your legislature and tell them you do not want this to pass and you will vote against them in the next primary if it does. This is a make or break moment for you if you're younger. Do not allow your generation to suffer a second Patriot Act like those of us that unfortunately allowed for the first one to happen.

And if you support this, I can only assume you're delusional or a paid shill, either way I hope you rot in whatever hell you believe in.

[mbta-unofficial]

I feel on some level that people who hate buses are the same people who don't use them much but also didn't care about transit 3 years ago. I take the bus 5-8 times a week and it never lets me down. When I lived in Chicago, the L fucking blew but the CTA buses never failed me either.

there are a lot of advantages to a strong bus network:

First and foremost: STARTUP CAPITAL

Transit is expensive. Ways to make transit affordable for cities to build is a huge way to increase the availability of transit. A bus network requires a fraction of the capital that a train system does. Trains take tracks, which means construction, which means environmental impact, lawsuits, and eminent domain. It means planning routes that must necessarily disrupt the urban space because every part of a city is already being used for something. A bus takes advantage of preexisting infrastructure and can be built for little more than the price of stock and labor. Your city could build buses now. If they have them, they could improve them. My mom's town of 7,000 has buses that go all the way to the amtrack station a mile away from my house. They aren't frequent, but they're there.

Two: adaptability

A train that doesn't have tracks is a sunk cost. If a bridge goes out, there's a fire, a blizzard, you name it, that mode is out of operation. You need to be doing constant maintenance on every track mile. You also have to be doing maintenance on every road mile, but that will happen regardless because of existing US transit priorities. Roads that don't have public transit on them are not taking advantage of those priorities. A bus can always drive around an obstacle because the US has a road system with built in redundancy, while it does not have a train system that has the same.

Three: Service priority

Buses directly compete with cars, challenging the car-centric road paradigm. A bus with 3 people on it is a more efficient use of road space we already built than 2 single occupant cars. Consistent buses on regular and useful routes will put direct pressure on drivers to switch transit modes because of the costs of car ownership compared to bus ridership. Buses also run slower than trains meaning that more frequent stops are less of a drag on efficiency, and cover the gaps that a well planned metro ought to leave between stations in order to reach peak operating speeds.

[probablyasocialecologist]

‘Powering Injustice’ examines how foreign trade and investment in Israel’s energy sector may contribute to grave violations of international law being perpetrated by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in Gaza. It considers the obligations of states and the responsibilities of companies involved in the supply of energy to Israel.

[...]

Energy, or fuel to produce energy, plays a significant role in Israel’s military operations and unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Israeli military vehicles, including jets and tanks, which have been used in the commission of crimes under international law in Gaza, require substantial amounts of fuel to operate. Israel has considerable dependency on imports of fuel, particularly military jet fuel and crude oil, which is refined in Israel and supplied to the military, amongst other end users. SOMO identified deliveries of crude oil, and liquid fuel, such as gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, to Israel involving the United States (U.S.), Brazil, and Azerbaijan amongst the largest suppliers. Data also shows deliveries from Greece, Albania, and Kazakhstan, amongst others, with military jet fuel coming from the U.S. Israeli settlements are one component of what the ICJ has declared as Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territory. Israel’s electricity grid directly incorporates illegal Israeli settlements located in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the occupied Syrian Golan. Nearly all of Israel’s electricity comes from gas, coal or renewable energy. Gas is the main fuel, accounting for more than 70% of electricity generated. Most gas comes from Israel’s offshore gas fields, several of which are operated by foreign oil and gas companies. Israel imports coal, with Russia and South Africa being major source countries. Coal contributed 17.5% to the grid in 2023. Wind and solar power contributed just over 10% in the same year. Multiple renewable energy projects in Israel involve foreign companies and investment. As a matter of policy, Israel’s electricity grid does not differentiate between civilian infrastructure within its 1948 borders and illegal settlements. The fact that the provision of electricity services to settlements is done through the national grid reinforces the view expressed by some Israeli policymakers that the settlements are part of Israel. SOMO’s analysis makes the case that foreign investments in the generation of electricity for Israel’s grid, and specifically trade in coal and investment in gas extraction and renewable energy projects that supply the grid, constitute trade and investment relations that “assist in the maintenance of the illegal situation created by Israeli in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.” 

17 December 2024

[metamatar]

I am sorry if this is a stupid question. I don't know how the world works and I just recently started educating myself on political matters. Please bear with me. So like the first thing that happens whenever there is any uprising in our country is an internet shut down. But Palestinians are still connected with the world on internet. How?

Not a stupid question at all, because early in the war I thought about this too, about how much of the atmosphere outside was dependent on having information on the ground from Palestine.

Indian telecom operators are collaborators with the Indian state. What you have to understand is that Israel does not truly occupy Gaza on the ground, it blockades it, it keeps it under seige, it has not completely succeeded at occupying it. Hamas is the political party that won elections in Gaza – it ran its infrastructure and its local services. The point of this war was a ground invasion to acheive the conditions that would permit Israel to manage an internet shutdown among other aims. The conditions you are comparing with in India are actually more equivalent to Israel not having control over telecom infrastructure in like, Tel Aviv.

The Palestinian resistance is a serious undertaking, an organised anti colonial movement with political and militant wings – that is not the case in India in general, outside of maybe Kashmir and Bastar. In many ways, Hamas and even the PLO are more successful. Post 90s in Kashmir and Green Hunt, there's not a lot of India that the Central Govt doesn't actually have power over.

[thesimblrofficedirectory]

Welcome to The Simblr Office Directory

This blog is an archive of the submissions for the office-centric OC prompt posted by the light of Simblr, @kashisun.

Here you can browse all the amazing creations submitted by your fellow simblrs. Feel free to scroll to your delight or click one of the links under the cut to see who's on roster under (or over) a particular bureau or delegation.

Want to be added to the directory or confirm that you've been queued? Just include a link to your post in an ask off anon and it will be queued within 48 hours. Until we get through the backlog and can queue at a more leisurely pace, all ask submissions will receive a confirmation. You can always mention us, but we won't be able to provided confirmation for that method.

Leaving the company? If you'd like your post removed, just include a link to the post in an ask off anon and it will be removed. Sideblogs may require additional verification. Please allow, at most, 48 hours for the request to be honored. Removal requests will not be confirmed, only acted upon.

Every company's hierarchy is a little different. Designations for this directory are based on some of the companies I've worked for, but especially on the multi-media marketing company I work for now.

Bureaus and Their Delegations

Delegations with an * currently have low or no headcount (posted and queued). Excludes leadership.

Bureau of Client Engagement

Leadership

Billing*

Escalations*

Product Support*

Quality Assurance*

Sales*

Bureau of Compliance (Bureau-specific Internal Affairs and Auditing)

Leadership

Client Engagement*

Facilities*

Finance*

Human Resources*

Information and Technology*

Legal (General)

Legal (Leadership)

Marketing*

Bureau of Facilities

Leadership

Catering*

Environmental (Janitorial, HVAC, and Plumbing)*

Mechanical (Electrical, Elevators, Equipment Maintenance)*

Premise* (Grounds Maintenance and Real Estate)

Purchasing* (From pushpins to pallet jacks)

Security

Warehousing* (Shipping, Receiving, Mail room, and Inventory)

Bureau of Finance

Leadership

Accounting

Asset Management*

Investments*

Travel and Accommodations*

Vendor Relations*

Bureau of Human Resources

Leadership

Career Development (Internships and Internal Role Transitions)

Dependent Care*

Employee Activities Committee (Members are volunteers)

Employee Benefits*

Floating Delegates (Administration) (For profiles that list a nondescript secretary/admin/receptionist/assistant role)

Floating Delegates (General) (For profiles that do not list a position)

Floating Delegates (Leadership) (For profiles that list a nondescript managerial role)

Health Services*

Payroll*

Recruiting*

Training*

Union Relations*

Bureau of Information & Technology

Leadership

Data Security*

Infrastructure*

Public Relations

Research and Development*

Systems and Devices*

Telecommunications*

Bureau of Marketing

Leadership

Copy

Design

Planning and Implementation*

Board of Directors

Chief Officers

CEO - Chief Executive Officer/President

COO - Chief Operations Officer/Vice President

CCO - Chief Compliance Officer/Vice President

CFO - Chief Finance Officer/Vice President

CITO - Chief Information and Technology Officer/Vice President

CMO - Chief Marketing Officer/Vice President

Executive Administration* (Admins that report to chief officers)

[canichangemyblogname]

So—ugh—looks like California is going to be investigating SCE to see whether a transmission line or electrical facility was the cause of LA’s fires.

Which comes as no surprise to anyone familiar with California’s utility companies, the most notorious (for starting fires) being PG&E (which, crucially, does not service Southern California, like the LA area):

California utility companies are well-known for prioritizing their bottom line over everything, especially maintenance. And their solutions aren’t to maintain their facilities adequately, like keeping up on tree trimming or replacing outdated and dangerous equipment and infrastructure, but to subject Californians to rolling blackouts.

SCE reports there were no electrical or operational anomalies or interruptions in that area from 12 hrs before the Eaton fire until a hour after the outbreak of the fire. SCE has been sent preservation notices from attorneys representing insurance companies.

Fire Officials are conducting a full investigation and say it is too soon to make a determination. There is still no official cause and nothing has been ruled out yet.

[1863-project]

A common argument against expanding passenger rail that I hear a lot is that we'll need to cut down a lot of trees to make way for the tracks. Do you have any thoughts on that?

We actually have plenty of existing rail infrastructure!

The problem is that it's mostly used for freight these days, and the Big Six (the six Class I railroads running freight in the US) often aren't interested in sharing (see Amtrak's Twitch stream beef with CSX and Norfolk Southern for one example). Passenger trains legally - by government decree - get priority over freights, even hot shot freights...or at least they're supposed to. In practice this often does not happen.

A lot of old rights of way still exist or need maintenance, and of course if the freight railroads would share with Amtrak and local services more, things could actually be done fairly easily. There'd have to be some cleaning up on rights of way that aren't used anymore, but you can generally tell where railroad tracks used to be, and a lot of the time you can patch things up and lay new track without doing too much environmental damage because the right of way is there already from decades ago.

I live in New Jersey and work in NYC, and we have arguably some of the best public transit in the country (which isn't saying much on an international scale). A big part of that is that the freight railroads that operate in this area share the rails in New Jersey with New Jersey Transit. NJT owns the trackage, but they share it with the freight railroads via rights agreements, and in some cases they use tracks owned by other railroads that they lease.

Metra in the Chicago metropolitan area has a similar arrangement; four Metra routes are on tracks owned by Union Pacific and BNSF, and these railroads operate the Metra rolling stock and services under the Metra name. Metra's seven other routes are operated by the Northeast Regional Commuter Railroad Corporation, their operating arm. (Union Pacific was apparently going to transfer operations of the Metra lines on their trackage to Metra at some point this year but I don't know if it happened yet or not.)

The tl;dr here is basically that we actually have a ton of tracks left over that could be being used to restore passenger service to places it's left. We also have examples of it working quite well in higher population areas. We don't necessarily HAVE to build all new rights of way - they're already there. We just need to restore them and get the freight railroads to be willing to share.

On a directly related note, I sincerely hope they continue to go ahead with restoring the Lackawanna Cutoff, and if they do you bet I'll be on the first train out for a relaxing jaunt. This is an excellent example of how it can be done.

[mariacallous]

Long-distance internet cables in France have been cut in an act of sabotage, causing disruption to internet services across the country. This is the second disruption during the Olympic Games in Paris, after high-speed train lines were targeted in a series of arson attacks hours before the Games kicked off.

Marina Ferrari, France’s junior minister for digital affairs, said on X that in the early hours of Monday morning, multiple locations around France were affected by several “damages” that impacted telecommunications providers and have resulted in “localized consequences” to fiber optic services as well mobile internet connectivity. Internet companies confirmed the damage.

The French Ministry of the Interior, which oversees policing agencies in the country, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. French cybersecurity agency ANSSI told WIRED the problems are not linked to a cybersecurity incident.

At the time of writing, nobody has claimed responsibility for either attack. Officials have yet to identify any suspects involved in the cable-cutting sabotage, but they believe the disruption to train services could have been committed by people with “ultra-left” political leanings.

The incidents around the Olympics come at a time when Russia has been blamed for a string of disinformation targeting France and has also been linked to a series of potential sabotage attacks in Europe.

The second largest French telecoms company, SFR, appeared to be one of the most impacted by the vandalism. “Our long-distance fiber network was sabotaged between 1 am and 3 am last night in five different locations,” a spokesperson from SFR told WIRED. SFR says its maintenance teams are working on repairing the damage and said the impact on its customers was “limited.”

“Also, between three and eight other operators are impacted since they use our long-distance network,” the spokesperson said.

Nicolas Guillaume, the CEO of telecom firm Nasca Group, which owns the ISP company Netalis, told WIRED he believed the damage was “deliberate” and that ISPs serving both customers and businesses have been impacted. Several of the damaged cables, according to images shared on X by the CEO, appear to have clean cuts across them. Guillaume says it is likely that people opened the ducts where cables are stored and cut them. Internet company Free 1337 also confirmed it was working on fixing the damage.

While billions of people around the world use wireless connections, the underlying internet backbone is made up of cables traversing across countries and under seas. This infrastructure, which is able to automatically reroute traffic to limit outages, can be fragile and vulnerable to attack or disruption. EU politicians have called for internet infrastructure security to be improved.

But the sabotage is not the first time that internet cables in France have been damaged in potentially deliberate acts. At the end of April 2022, crucial long-distance internet cables around Paris were deliberately cut and damaged—causing outages that impacted around 10 internet and infrastructure companies.

In that instance, according to photographs published by telecoms companies, the cables appeared to have been surgically cut, all at around the same time, in three locations, to the north, south, and east of Paris. Thousands of people around Paris—and also some farther away from the French capital—were plunged into a temporary internet blackout as network operators rerouted traffic. “It is the work of professionals,” Guillaume said at the time.

Arthur PB Laudrain, a postdoctoral research associate in cyber diplomacy at King’s College London, says the most recent incident seems “less serious” than the 2022 outages. “Such actions are within the capabilities of ultra-left or ecologist and anarchist groups, especially if they benefited from insider assistance or knowledge (current or former rail or network workers),” Laudrain says. “However, we cannot rule out the fact that a state actor is encouraging, supporting, or directing such domestic groups to create plausible deniability of their involvement.”

[utilitycaster]

omg thank you. it's been driving me crazy how many people have said that BH are evil, selfish people who hate the gods now and are happy to let the world die, when no? not at all? there have been many (repetitive) conversations criticising the gods' worth that i don't agree with fully. but a hugely important thing that most seem to be overlooking is that in spite of their personal beliefs every single one of them has continued to work towards saving the gods anyway. they're still heroes.

Yeah...for what it's worth, while the conversations are a lot, it makes sense for Bells Hells to be having them (particularly since it was repetitive to us when they were separated, but not to them). It just doesn't really make sense within the fandom. At some point you have to say "okay, are the gods operating by the laws of mortals, in which case 'are you worth saving' is a fucking threat - not that Deanna is wrong to say it, but that's definitely a conversation ender - or are they operating by laws mortals cannot comprehend in which case the actions we are criticizing them for might actually be for the greater good." And yes, the party's actions are louder than words, because it really doesn't matter if you care about or like the gods! It matters that you see the Vanguard and say "well that's fucked up and that's a decision that they should not make for the rest of the world, and neither should we; we should stop them."

I also happen to think that comparing the gods to government is where a lot of people are going wrong. Some of that is that again, it's frequently coming from people who are ex-evangelical/fundamentalist and many people in that situation have, in addition to an understandably if frustrating black-and-white attitude towards religion, a similarly deeply messed up grasp on politics (long story short: they treat Being a Good Leftist identically to how their parents treat Being Saved). But some of it is also that like...Ok so the gods are the government. Does your revolution provide a comprehensive plan for infrastructural maintenance and continuity of vital services? Or is it just like "well citizen whose healthcare gets interrupted and whose water gets shut off; we shall remember your noble sacrifice to my cause. Read theory so you know your suffering is correct."

(I'm also a bit cranky because I saw someone unironically compare this situation to the French revolution, and like, I know we're on the guillotine website but lest we forget, the French monarchy was quite literally restored less than 25 years after said bloody revolution and there was a whole dictatorship in between. If we're using real-world political coups and revolutions as the basis for killing the gods, do you know how many got replaced almost immediately by a totalitarian government? As Ashton said, yeah, kill everyone who disagrees with you, get it down to five people and it will be great.)

[aviationinfra]

Airport Facility Management Service

Successful airport facility management services are based on experience, operational requirements and branding. If you are interested then Contact us on : +1 (843) 412-6881 or visit our website : www.aviationinfrastructure.com for more details.

[foxbirdy]

can you talk a bit about what you do as conservation work? i’ve seen a couple of your posts float around (the seasonal worker comic and the one about the remote island) and have looked into conservation stuff a bit myself and it all looks super cool!! i was just looking for a bit of a more personable take that what job sites describe

Of course! :) A lot of the work I've done has been in either trail maintenance, habitat restoration, or biological fieldwork, with a little bit of outdoor recreation stuff mixed in. Pretty much all of those things (barring the outdoor rec) have been in partnership with or working directly for government agencies (DNR, USFS, BLM, NPS, USFWS, etc.)

Trail work is very trades oriented - you are using tools (generally handtools - especially if you are working in designated wilderness, which prohibits any kind of mechanization) and your body to build effective infrastructure that will last a good, long time. Project work covers a huge range - brushing trail, digging tread, building structures, fence repair, rock work/wall building, etc. Often you have to work with natural materials on the project site, because hauling in lumber or stone is not feasible. It's hands-on & technical work, and it needs a lot of creativity! Your end goal is that no one knows you were there at all, because your work blends seamlessly into the landscape. A lot of people who hike or mountain bike don't realize how much effort and complexity it takes to maintain a trail! It's a very secret service, & I think there's something really beautiful in that. It's dirty, hard work, and you'll very likely go long periods without access to service or utilities (lots of treating/filtering your own water, camp-cooking your meals, showering in the creek, and sleeping on the ground).

The habitat restoration I've done has generally involved the removal of invasive plants & the planting/seeding of natives. This is also pretty intense physical work! You might have to get certified/trained in working with herbicides, which are sometimes a necessary tool in fighting invasive plants. Hack-splash or drill-fill are the most commonly used herbicide techniques in restoration, because broadcast dispersion is considered a last resort. That involves individually treating each invasive plant with herbicide, using minimal amounts and concentrations to limit the effect on the surrounding ecosystem. The two biggest restoration projects I've worked on are the re-planting of disturbed alpine meadows (50K plants in about six weeks) and the removal of invasive coconut monocultures from native rainforest (hacking down palms with a machete, and spraying/injecting the cut stump with a small amount of herbicide to prevent it from coming back).

My biological fieldwork has been mostly marine-oriented - I've done a lot of work with seabirds, as well as coral reef survey & tagging sharks, mantas, tuna, and dolphins. My seabird work involved monitoring nesting colonies (counting babies, tracking growth) with some tagging, banding, and sample collection as well. The seabirds I worked most with were several different booby species, Greater Frigatebirds, Red & White-tailed Tropicbirds, noddies (both black and brown), & terns (white & sooty). Most of the marine tagging I did was using handline fishing techniques, and required me to have a lot familiarity with/certifications for boat operation & seamanship. Biological fieldwork has definitely been lower labor-intensive than trail work or restoration, but still requires a lot of hiking & hauling gear around remote (& sometimes treacherous) terrain! You will also have really intimate exposure to animal bodies and death, and will probably (definitely) get pooped on/thrown up on/bled on at some point.

A big common theme throughout these kinds of jobs is the ability to work in small groups, in isolated places, for long periods at a time. I hope this was the kind of information you were looking for in terms of what the actual work is! Feel free to reach out/message me if this didn't actually answer your questions <3

[wolfliving]

Strange Chinese trade-war recommendations at US Congress

COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF THE COMMISSION’S 2024 RECOMMENDATIONS Part II: Technology and Consumer Product Opportunities and Risks Chapter 3: U.S.-China Competition in Emerging Technologies The Commission recommends:

Congress establish and fund a Manhattan Project-like program dedicated to racing to and acquiring an Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) capability. AGI is generally defined as systems that are as good as or better than human capabilities across all cognitive domains and would surpass the sharpest human minds at every task. Among the specific actions the Commission recommends for Congress:

Provide broad multiyear contracting authority to the executive branch and associated funding for leading artificial intelligence, cloud, and data center companies and others to advance the stated policy at a pace and scale consistent with the goal of U.S. AGI leadership; and

Direct the U.S. secretary of defense to provide a Defense Priorities and Allocations System “DX Rating” to items in the artificial intelligence ecosystem to ensure this project receives national priority.

Congress consider legislation to:

Require prior approval and ongoing oversight of Chinese involvement in biotechnology companies engaged in operations in the United States, including research or other related transactions. Such approval and oversight operations shall be conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in consultation with other appropriate governmental entities. In identifying the involvement of Chinese entities or interests in the U.S. biotechnology sector, Congress should include firms and persons: ○ Engaged in genomic research; ○ Evaluating and/or reporting on genetic data, including for medical or therapeutic purposes or ancestral documentation; ○ Participating in pharmaceutical development; ○ Involved with U.S. colleges and universities; and ○ Involved with federal, state, or local governments or agen cies and departments.

Support significant Federal Government investments in biotechnology in the United States and with U.S. entities at every level of the technology development cycle and supply chain, from basic research through product development and market deployment, including investments in intermediate services capacity and equipment manufacturing capacity.

To protect U.S. economic and national security interests, Congress consider legislation to restrict or ban the importation of certain technologies and services controlled by Chinese entities, including:

Autonomous humanoid robots with advanced capabilities of (i) dexterity, (ii) locomotion, and (iii) intelligence; and

Energy infrastructure products that involve remote servicing, maintenance, or monitoring capabilities, such as load balancing and other batteries supporting the electrical grid, batteries used as backup systems for industrial facilities and/ or critical infrastructure, and transformers and associated equipment.

Congress encourage the Administration’s ongoing rulemaking efforts regarding “connected vehicles” to cover industrial machinery, Internet of Things devices, appliances, and other connected devices produced by Chinese entities or including Chinese technologies that can be accessed, serviced, maintained, or updated remotely or through physical updates.

Congress enact legislation prohibiting granting seats on boards of directors and information rights to China-based investors in strategic technology sectors. Allowing foreign investors to hold seats and observer seats on the boards of U.S. technology start-ups provides them with sensitive strategic information, which could be leveraged to gain competitive advantages. Prohibiting this practice would protect intellectual property and ensure that U.S. technological advances are not compromised. It would also reduce the risk of corporate espionage, safeguarding America’s leadership in emerging technologies.

Congress establish that:

The U.S. government will unilaterally or with key interna- tional partners seek to vertically integrate in the develop- ment and commercialization of quantum technology.

Federal Government investments in quantum technology support every level of the technology development cycle and supply chain from basic research through product development and market deployment, including investments in intermediate services capacity.

The Office of Science and Technology Policy, in consultation with appropriate agencies and experts, develop a Quantum Technology Supply Chain Roadmap to ensure that the United States coordinates outbound investment, U.S. critical supply chain assessments, the activities of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), and federally supported research activities to ensure that the United States, along with key allies and partners, will lead in this critical technology and not advance Chinese capabilities and development....