#rdna

[greenmansgrove]

I began attending a HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) class tonight. Among my many reasons for beginning this practice is a devotional one. Many devotees of the Morrigan agree that some sort of combat sport should become part of one’s practice, but of course to the extent that one is physically able. I’m grateful to have found a group who prioritize accessibility, modification, and listening to one’s body. I’m excited to dig more into it. So many possibilities have opened for me in finally having top surgery, and I’d always planned for HEMA to be one of the first choices I’d make for my recreation and re-creation afterwards. Tonight is an initiation, of sorts. I’m committing to at least a month of these classes and assessing my comfort, happiness, and progress as part of my devotions to the Morrigan with the advent of the New Moon. Given that October is the anniversary of my initiation into her Order in the tradition of Reformed Druidry, I’m really looking forward to the sore muscles and what I learn because of them.

[minnesotadruids]

The Order of Bradán Feasa (OBF)

Unit One of an RDNA Druid training program is finally in its first draft! I started writing this in 2020, and wrote a majority of it (114 pages) that year because I wanted to have created something before the feared perception of probably contracting Covid and dying therefrom. Then once I was vaccinated, I got complacent and set the draft aside, coming back to it perhaps once a month, re-reading and revising, not really adding any new content.

In an attempt to push forward with my list of proposed topics, I started to realize I was not qualified to create content for many of them, and that I needed to do a lot more reading and learning for my own sake before continuing. Thus 2021, 2022, and much of 2023 were dedicated to reading my stack of purchased but unread books, annotating, highlighting, and cross-referencing for veracity.

I still have a lot of reading and learning ahead of me, but much of that will align with Unit Three, which hasn't been started yet. Unit Two has actually been in a draft form since 2017, and there will be an exam to go with it. This will probably be the first modern Druid training program with an exam, and it will require a 90% score or higher to pass.

What is the OBF?

The Order of Bradán Feasa is a non-clerical side order made for the Reformed Druids of North America. The name means the "Salmon of Knowledge" in Irish Gaelic, and is a reference to the myth of Finn McCool gaining all the world's knowledge when he burns himself while cooking the salmon. Any person who completes Units One and Two will be inducted to OBF and given a digital certificate indicating completion of said training program. Units One and Two would be considered sufficient training for in-person candidates to be invited to Second Order initiation in the RDNA. The optional Unit Three is the RDNA Clergy Prep Course and Grove Governance Guide (GGG), and would be considered prerequisite to ordination to the Third Order: the RDNA priesthood, in addition to existing customary requirements such as the supervised All-Night Vigil.

Completing the First Draft

While some people write novels during November for N.A.N.O.M.I.R.O. or whatever, I was suddenly inspired to get Unit One done. Over the month of November I wrote 55 new pages and revised existing content again. No, that's no novel, but writing something of (hopefully) academic quality with APA citations is a bit more meticulous, especially with this being my first "college level" type of project in about 16 years.

Members of Oakdale Grove are in the process of reviewing and annotating the first draft already. I find it easier to spot needed revisions or typos when something is in print, plus I love writing directly on drafts with an ink pen because I'm an older millennial (roars in dinosaur, lol). And I get to review and mark it up for editing with a bit of a Dark Academia aesthetic. I'm a bit shocked that Unit 1 is 169 pages, and likely to grow. We've already identified some sections that don't exist yet that need to be here. Unit 2 is much smaller. I expect Unit 3 to be smaller, as well.

The goal is for Unit 1 to go live before Beltane 2024, for Unit 2 to go live by the Autumnal Equinox of 2024, and for Unit 3 to go live by the end of 2024. That last one has the greatest uncertainty though, because I still have two important books to read, and possibly more that I haven't found yet.

See also: OBF Program Syllabus

[civilmentor1]

CURRENT AFFAIRS - 10 AUGUST 2024

1.DNA PROFILING?? Definition: DNA profiling, also known as DNA fingerprinting, is aforensic technique used to identify individuals based on their uniqueDNA characteristics. It involves comparing DNA samples to assess thelikelihood of a match.● Principles: DNA profiling relies on the fact that no two individuals(except identical twins) have the same DNA sequence, making it apowerful tool for…

[starvedrockgrove]

Great news!

The blog is going to be growing and changing in the next few weeks, along with our Grove!

Midsummer celebration is going to have a huge attendance for our first year as a Grove! We were able to have some interest during our local pride celebration and im so happy that it's more than our elected officers enjoying time with the earth mother. 🌎 ❤️

As for the blog, it will be now tended to by all of us in office, so I'll be making things more official looking and transferring emails over. You'll be seeing posts from our Archdruid Sunshine, myself, and some posts here and there from our Bard Zach. I am working on some introduction post guidelines, I guess, with myself for the other two to follow suit. I know Sunshine will probably be adding our edited liturgy so there's a copy of a copy, the guidelines from the wonderful Oakdale Grove, I'll be working on an accessible option for third order vigils, and I'll document that process here as well. I hope you all enjoy what our little Grove has to offer to this little section of Tumblr.

So pardon the dust as celestthedruid -> starvedrockgrove (or something along those lines)

Peace,

Ellie the Perceptor

Song of the day:

[govindhtech]

AMD RDNA 4: The Next Frontier in Gaming Performance

AMD RDNA 4 GPU

AMD and Nvidia compete in the GPU industry, pushing performance and efficiency ahead. After the success of RDNA 2, gamers and developers are eagerly awaiting AMD RDNA 4 architecture. RDNA 4’s possible features and gameplay influence will be examined here.

Expanding upon a Robust Base

AMD made great progress with the Radeon RX 6000 series‘ RDNA 2 architecture. Over the previous generation, it improved performance, ray tracing, and power efficiency. With even more stunning visuals and more fluid gameplay, AMD RDNA 4 seeks to capitalise on this success.

Production Process A Possible Change

AMD RDNA 4 may employ a 5nm or 4nm TSMC technology instead of 7nm like RDNA 2. Due to miniaturization, more transistors can fit in the same space, potentially:

Gains in Performance

A higher transistor density may result in faster clock rates and better performance all around.

Better Efficiency

A smaller manufacturing process can improve power efficiency, boosting performance without increasing power usage.

Innovation Legacy Building

The company’s RDNA 2 architecture changed AMD. It finally challenged Nvidia’s high-end GPU dominance with noticeable performance increases over the previous generation. RDNA 2 exposed more gamers to hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which simulates realistic lighting effects. AMD RDNA 4 improves on this accomplishment by increasing graphical fidelity and performance.

New Developments in Architecture Revealing the Secrets

Details are yet unknown, however leaks and industry insider knowledge point to a number of possible architectural enhancements in AMD RDNA 4:

Compute Unit Revamp

A redesign of the Compute Units (CUs), the fundamental component of RDNA GPUs, is possible. In order to achieve more realistic lighting effects without compromising performance, this would entail streamlining the pipeline for quicker processing and maybe adding technologies like hardware-based ray tracing acceleration.

AMD’s groundbreaking Infinity Cache technology, which keeps frequently requested data on-chip for quicker retrieval, may be improved even more in AMD RDNA 4. In situations when a lot of data is being processed, such as in complex gaming worlds with high-resolution textures, this could result in lower latency and better performance.

Next-Gen Display Support

There is a chance that advanced display technologies like DisplayPort 2.1 will be supported. With broader colour gamuts and high refresh rates (up to 8K 165Hz), this would enable features that would make for a more immersive and visually attractive gaming experience.

GDDR6 or a Bold Leap to GDDR7 the Memory Conundrum?

Rumour has it that AMD RDNA 4 will use a different form of memory. There are reports indicating AMD may continue to use GDDR6, possibly with greater rates to make up for the absence of GDDR7. There are those who predict that AMD may switch to GDDR7, which has a far better capacity than GDDR6. Cost, availability, and the overall performance objectives for AMD RDNA 4 will probably play a role in the final decision. A major performance boost could be obtained by switching to GDDR7, but doing so could also increase production costs and affect the ultimate price point that consumers pay.

AMD RDNA 4 Release Date

It’s difficult to anticipate AMD RDNA 4’s release date and price based on the scant official information available. But here’s a scenario that could happen based on historical trends and business cycles:

Release Date

The latter part of 2024 appears to be a suitable window, possibly coinciding with important trade shows like Genesco or IFA.

Cost

The cost of the memory configuration and performance enhancements will probably have an impact on the price. Some predict a minor price rise over RDNA 2 GPUs due to the possibility of higher manufacturing costs with upgraded nodes.

The Rivalry Environment Struggling for Superiority

Without a doubt, the release of AMD RDNA 4 will cause a stir in the graphics card industry. Here’s how it could affect the rivalry:

Reaction from Nvidia

Nvidia is probably going to respond with their upcoming architecture, which is supposedly codenamed “Lovelace.” This will encourage healthy competition, encouraging innovation and the delivery of ever-more-powerful GPUs by both businesses.

Gamers will profit from a greater selection of high-performance alternatives at possibly more affordable pricing points.

Performance improvements could promote VR and AR adoption by creating smoother and more immersive experiences.

The Wider Effects of AMD RDNA 4

AMD RDNA 4 is more than just a game platform. Here are a few possible uses:

Content Creation

Producers that use intensive software such as animation, 3D rendering, and video editing can gain from increased performance.

Machine learning and artificial intelligence

AMD RDNA 4 GPUs may be used to speed up workloads related to machine learning and AI.

Read more on govindhtech.com

[dkplayer]

AMD разместила файлы прошивки RDNA3+ для пользователей Linux

AMD выложила ряд новых файлов прошивки AMDGPU в репозиторий linux-firmware.git, который служит основой для всех бинарных файлов прошивки/микрокода, используемых драйверами ядра Linux. Этот большой набор новых файлов прошивки AMDGPU, вероятно, предназначен для грядущей графики RDNA 3.5 / "RDNA3 refresh" / RDNA3+, как, судя по всему, будет называться обновленная графика RDNA3 для грядущих SoC AMD Ryzen.

https://www.gamebuntu.ru/news/amd-razmestila-fayly-proshivki-rdna3-dlya-polzovateley-linux/

[omisomiso-pcinfo]

AMD Radeon RX 7000 シリーズのとあるネタからAMDのデスクトップ向けGPUを整理したい。その②（著者振り返り確認作業）

古くからのAMDファンには馴染み深い（？）であろう「BulldozerアーキテクチャCPU」を引き合いにしたRadeonに関する記事を紹介します。

[captaingimpy]

The Modern State of Game Development: A Call for Reflection

Game development has changed dramatically over the years, and not all of it for the better. As someone who’s spent time making, modding, and playing games, I can’t help but look at the industry today and see a troubling shift—one driven by reliance on shortcuts like AI upscaling, inflated development pipelines, and a lack of focus on optimization. These trends aren’t just disappointing; they…

[greenmansgrove]

The End of the Beginning

Despite my work to pull myself out of years upon years of drowning in my depression, I still struggle to feel like I have “good” days. I am used to every day feeling bad or, at minimum, uneventful. I may have good times during the day, such as while laughing with friends or enjoying a meal, but rarely does joy ever feel sustained for more than a few hours at a time. (Not that it necessary for joy to be sustained for that long, but I am used to falling back into a deep sadness after such brevity.)

Today, though, was an actually, truly, and fully good day. With the temperatures in Minnesota below freezing and even dipping below zero, and with work keeping me cooped up in my apartment, I have struggled to spend as much time as I’d like to outside this time of year. Even though it’s winter, Minnesota is one of few places I’ve lived where there are things to do in the winter besides sit around. The temps have begun to rise this week, and so I decided I’d spend my morning my way and then use the afternoon to work. With my ADHD, I crave novelty, especially in order to focus my executive function. Thus, I decided I would take my meds and use the couple hours it takes for them to kick in to take a hike to Oakdale Grove’s namesake Nemeton at Oakdale Grove Nature Preserve, get some breakfast, then settle in to work at a cafe.

Since I began studying Druidry, I’d been reading @minnesotadruids ‘s archive of their history and practice up here in the Twin Cities. He has a few posts that detail various adventures and discoveries within the circle of pin oaks tucked inconspicuously just off a mowed trail in the preserve’s restored prairie. I’ve never physically visited the Nemeton myself, since I usually avoid stepping off-trail in the Season of Life, when ticks and prickly plants eagerly await a bite of me. I find the Season of Sleep to be the perfect time to be daring enough to venture beyond my usual bounds.

I hiked out to the mowed trail leading to the Nemeton just an hour and a half after sunrise. Ahead of me, I could hear crow calls, and as I came to the part of the trail where I’d need to turn left towards the grove, I saw them flocking in one of the trees on the corner.

They flew off as I turned the corner, as if the Morrigan had spared a short moment to ensure my safe arrival at the Nemeton.

It’s easy to miss the grove if you don’t know what you’re looking at. Indeed, I’d tried finding it myself during previous visits and walked right past every time until our Grove made a collective pilgrimage a couple years ago.

At the center is the Mother Tree who fell some year ago but whose remaining trunk has a deep hollow that other visitors seem to treasure, adding to the sacredness of the place, in my opinion. It is apparently the site of a geocache and John has had other instances of finding votive offerings near the Mother Tree.

On the southern side of the tree, I spied the tiniest little curl of birch bark within the underbrush and picked it up as I circled to the opposite side. There, about 4-5 feet from the trunk I notices the corpse of an eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus) laying on an above-ground root, looking almost as if it was crawling across it. I don’t know whether it died naturally there, or if some bird of prey dropped it, but because I have a tendency to stumble upon the corpses of animals during my hikes, I left the little piece of birch bark in offering.

In my adventures I’ve found dead creatures as tiny as a lonely snail shell on a rock outcropping, or as fascinating as a beaver on a tree where I know eagles perch to eat their catches, or as surprising as a redtail hawk smack dab in the middle of the sidewalk that seemed to have lost an aerial battle. I will usually leave an offering, or in the case of the lonely snail shell take it to leave somewhere liminal or sacred-seeming.

I don’t take every animal corpse I see as any sort of “sign,” but given my interests in death and necromancy, and coupled with some other recent divinations and synchronicities that all carry some message such as “the end of the beginning,” the mole and birch feel especially heavy with symbolic significance. Birch (beith in the Ogham alphabet) is suggestive of new beginnings, and moles are associated with death, the otherworld, faith, and intuition.

It’s rare I receive such clear, repetitive, and heavy-handed insights through my divinations and synchronicities. “The end of the beginning” is such a strange message to receive, but perhaps a thematically important one. My picking up Druidry was meant to be a new beginning, to give myself a new way of living and a way to live with intention. If I am truly reaching an “end” to that beginning, then I am reaching a new, developed, and fuller part of my story. It, too, would be a new beginning, yes, but perhaps this threshold is one with greater confidence and experience behind it.

I have been weighing if or when I might officially choose to present myself for the Third Order in the RDNA tradition. I’ve been scared to, largely for fear of rushing myself or not having “pure intentions.” There have been signs, I suppose, that I’ve been ready. When the string to my devotional pendant broke in August before I had a chance to cut it on the New Moon, I had been meditating on the Third Order, and my Archdruid suggested it might be a sign that I was ready “ahead of schedule.” I definitely don’t think I was ready then, but I think I feel more ready now. I’ve been working at identifying ways I might avail myself to my community, both through intentional acts of training and service and simply by listening and volunteering when called. I recently earned my First-Aid/CPR/AED certification, since I’d like to be a street medic, and I am taking self- and community-protection seminars in order to physically prepare myself for strife that I know is ahead in the US political climate. I want to be both a healer and a defender. I want to make good on my oaths and devotions to the Morrigan. I want to be a contributing member of my communities and I want to help people. I want to be for others what I’ve never had in my own life.

I don’t need priestly ordination to do any of that, but I think marking an official occasion might be nice, as well as carrying forth a tradition and seeing what I can do through and for the RDNA. I’ve loved building community with my Grove and other Reformed Druids, and especially helping other new and would-be Druids find their own paths. I’m curious about what else I can do and what I might have yet to discover.

I left the Nemeton and finished the big circle around the restored prairie, visiting the pink granite glacial radical that used to sit within the grove and on which John had carved a Druid Sigil years ago. Across the prairie I spied a small herd of deer taking the mowed footpath themselves towards the grove, just like I had. Given that the term “hindsight” has some funny overlaps with the synonym for female deer/does (“hind”) and their associations with wisdom and the otherworld, it felt like an affirming close of this line of meditation.

And so I left to enjoy a hearty breakfast and a very productive afternoon with my work. I feel restored and excited—a rare mix of feelings for me. I’ve expressed my interest in ordination to my Archdruid, and I am waiting to see how they would prefer my readiness be assessed, because I do insist on a little bit of a test beyond just staying awake all night. 😜Maybe I’ll be able to vigil at Beltane. No matter what, I’m looking forward to this end/beginning.

[minnesotadruids]

Good afternoon, C.O.R.D. Biquarterly druidry newsletter readers!

At this time we are kindly requesting any multimedia content for our upcoming Oimelc issue that you have the rights or permission to share (exception for YouTube videos of druidic interest).

Oimelc is crafting season! What do you craft?

Experiencing any photogenic weather extremes this El Niño?

Devotee of Brigid? We'd love to hear about it!

Kind reminder you need to use the linked submission forms

Whether it's news of your Grove/Protogrove/solo practice, your poetry, seasonal photography, seasonal recipes, personal milestones, relevant product or book reviews, musings, meditations, devotionals, divinations, etc, we encourage you to share it in the next newsletter if you feel so inclined! Got an Etsy storefront for metaphysical supplies you provide? We even have some free promo space in the newsletter just for that. Please ensure that all content is "PG-13" or tamer.

The "liveline" (because deadline sounds so un-reformed!) is roughly: One week from the timestamp of this post (this time next Wednesday)

[inc-immigrationnewscanada]

AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395 Claims Up to 68% Better Performance

In the ever-evolving world of technology, where performance metrics and market share often dictate the direction of innovation, AMD has consistently been considered the underdog, especially in the graphics processing unit (GPU) market against giants like Nvidia. However, AMD’s latest move with the introduction of the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor could herald a significant shift, particularly in…

[r0nalex]

Реалтайм операционная шринкующая система (ре: золотая версия, 31.01.2025)

000000000000004181_169

[starvedrockgrove]

The three of us currently in our Grove yesterday completed our vigil into the third order of RDNA! I'm so proud of us and what we've accomplished as friends and fellow members of the Grove. JT and John the Verbose were wonderful guides throughout the experience, and the starved rock Grove has gotten stronger with their wisdom and our strength combined. Even with a heavy downpour around 3 to 4 in the morning, the flames lasted until we had left for breakfast.

Next on the list of plans besides a much needed rest: planning community events around Starved Rock and working on some virtual hike ideas for the sick and elderly. My brain has been buzzing with ideas, and I will be logging them here so my brain fog will not take them away from me. That on top of the coined term, "vigil brain".

- Ellie, Perceptor of the Starved Rock Grove, June 1st, 2024

[govindhtech]

AMD RDNA 3 vs. Intel Arc iGPUs : Gaming supremacy

When compared to AMD RDNA 3, Intel Arc iGPUs on Meteor Lake CPUs

Since AMD began providing its APUs with powerful integrated graphics, Intel’s advantage in the iGPU market has steadily decreased. AMD’s hold on the market was solidified at the time by the Vega iGPU family, but with RDNA, the red team opened up a whole new range of products that offered small PCs and handhelds with top-notch graphics performance. As for Intel’s Iris Xe solutions, its graphics performance was lacking and will now be greatly improved with the release of the Intel Arc iGPUs in the Core Ultra line. To provide competitive gaming performance.

Under the code name “Xe-LPG,” three different Arc Alchemist iGPU configurations are installed in Intel Core Ultra “Meteor Lake” CPUs.

There are three different configurations available: eight, seven, and four cores. When utilizing faster memory, like LPDDR5X, the GPUs can overclock to 2350 MHz (Core Ultra 9 185H) and provide a significant boost in performance. Along with other things, these GPUs support AV1, XeSS (DP4a), and DX12 Ultimate.

All things considered, these Intel Arc iGPUs are a crucial part of Chipzilla’s most recent CPUs. Since They have already seen synthetic benchmarks for the Intel Arc iGPU, today’s news focuses exclusively on gaming benchmarks. Golden Pig Upgrade (Bilibili) carried out the tests, which comprised testing a variety of games at both high and low settings and 1080p resolution.

The highest configurations of the AMD RDNA 3 and Intel Arc iGPUs seem to be quite competitive with each other, winning an identical amount of games at low 1080p resolution.

The Arc iGPU of the Core Ultra 7 155H outperforms in 7 out of 8 games evaluated in the 1080p High testing. Even yet, the RDNA 3 graphics solution trails behind the Core Ultra 5 125H. Additionally, the analysis demonstrates that the Meteor Lake CPUs are now nearly as fast as the discrete GTX 1650 Max-Q GPUs and far quicker than NVIDIA’s MX solutions.

Because of the 100 MHz clock speed differential, the Core Ultra 9 185H’s iGP clearly performs better than the Core Ultra 7 155H. The LPDDR5X-7467 memory is used in the results, which explains why the RDNA 3 GPUs do not scale as well as the faster Meteor Lake Arc iGPUs.

Although having quicker RAM is usually desired, it should be remembered that these computers are always more expensive. The Meteor Lake laptops are priced in a very expensive sector based on their prior prices. Consequently, it is important to recognize that AMD has a price edge with its Ryzen 7040/8040 range of laptops. The power efficiency performance data is the last one. It demonstrates that while AMD is superior at lower TDPs below 25W, Core Ultra 100H CPUs outperform AMD Ryzen 7040 “Phoenix” CPUs in the graphics domain at 28W TDPs.

With TDP ratings of 9–15W, Intel also offers the more power-efficient Core Ultra 100U processors, which would be a better option for entry-level and mobile gadgets that are anticipated to enter the market in the upcoming months.

The Intel Core Ultra Arc iGPU outperforms AMD’s RDNA 3 iGPUs in gaming, according to tests published by a number of tech sites. Tests conducted by Dave2D, HardwareCanucks, and Jarrod’s Tech all demonstrate competitive placement versus AMD’s RDNA 3 GPUs and considerable performance increases over prior generation Iris/UHD GPU systems. These figures also provide insight into AMD’s possible decision to maintain the same specifications and clock rates in its RDNA 3 GPUs for the Ryzen 8040 “Hawk Point” update.

AMD can likely provide a performance bump in places where they are not as strong as they could be, or when the Intel Arc iGPUs is only marginally faster, via driver upgrades. Although Intel has also issued a new driver, should anticipate more advancements on the driver front from both sides as competition in the Intel Arc iGPUs market is expected to resume.

This will be particularly important for the next generation of gaming handhelds that utilize these Intel Arc iGPUs solutions, which are built on the AMD RDNA 3 and Intel Arc architectures. When tiny PCs are released, it will be fascinating to observe the full potential of Intel Arc iGPUs, as these chips can scale up to 115W (Core Ultra 9 185H) and have unlimited access to greater power, which can result in notable performance boosts and excellent overclocking capabilities. The Core Ultra iGPU department has more enhancements in store as additional devices and solutions become available, so these performance figures are only a taste of what’s to come.

Read more on Govindhtech.com