#satellites homebound

[good-golly-yikes]

updating some info about my ‘bright fury’ oc and how she compares to the night fury. honestly thinking abt changing her species name as a whole to something kind of fun and unique, like “wrathful flash” or sth (:

long long post incoming. mostly just for my own personal reference lol

traits differing from night fury: -thicker jaw, with greater bite force and holding power -rounder head (although it's still long and narrow--should ultimately evoke a cetacean, i.e. porpoise) -smaller eyes -smaller earplates -4 accessory faceplates, all similarly-sized -body is overall larger; enough to comfortably carry 1 large man, and only just carry 2 -good dayvision instead of nightvision. can still see in the dark, and has tapetum lucidum, but not as well as the NF's enormous eyes -legs are slightly shorter than NF's. still long enough to allow sprinting, galloping, leaping, etc., but difference should be noticeable -lacks most the spines/spikes of an NF. she has 1 series of spikes which starts on the lower back and runs along the spine, continuing down the rump and receding back into the spine about halfway down the tail. these are slightly rounded & flow with the body--again, evoking a cetacean, like a dolphin's dorsal fin -wingtips are more rounded than NF's, and actually possess rudimentary pads/claws on each -the tips of her basal and tailfins are similarly rounded, and the leather there is a touch thicker. fin sets each contain one more "digit" than an NF's, and her tailfin sports an additional connecting length of membrane, which the NF lacks -pupils are oval-shaped, as opposed to NF's rectangular ones -claws are longer/narrower, like those of a bear -all four feet possess 5 digits, which are fairly manipulable and dexterous, like a monkey's -neck is slightly longer than NF's, but retains thickness -flight speed is less than that of a NF, esp with full harness/rider, but still pretty comparable -can produce diving shriek like NF. also like NF(?), can recreate the sound vocally as a dominance display -has the vocal range of NF And Then Some--an excellent mimic, capable of recreating sounds from all over the animal kingdom: chuffs, growls, barks, purrs, whistles, wheezes, etc

traits similar to night fury: -body is fairly weaponproof, scales are fairly fireproof, hide is fairly bulletproof. the closer a blow strikes (i.e. a gun fired from 1ft away vs 30ft) is more likely to actually pierce hide. this extends to wings/fins. this immunity extends to sci-fi weapons as well, such as energy blasters, electrical weapons, light sabers, etc. (this was all taken from an episode of the netflix show where toothless effortlessly blocks several knives/arrows with his wings alone so im drawing from that as 'canon' lol) -has an 'alpha' glow, although hers is bright yellow, and extends in narrowing patterns along the limbs, from the central back stripe -claws are not Just Keratin; they are kind of fused w/ the bone and flesh of the foot, making up the majority of the toe, rather than being an accessory. due to this, they are actually able to flex and shift. they are hard as steel, which makes them very powerful, but in the event of breakage, the pain would be immense ): -good deep chest. lots of muscle that needs anchoring there -teeth are retractable -capable of 'classic' firebreathing, as well as flame and plasma blasts -posture/body plan is similar to original NF: fairly flat and low to the ground, but head is carried somewhat high off the ground. silhouette should evoke something mammal, but ultimately remain reptile -end of wings extend over base of caudal fins, like NF. this makes the attachment of a saddle and harness a real challenge! -warm-blooded -head being wet will cause her to "lose" her fire until the water evaporates. -has approximately 10 “shots” worth of fire. when spent, shots will naturally “regenerate” over a period of time. consumption of small mineral material, such as pebbles, can expedite this process -all faceplates function as ears as well as fleshy whiskers--they pick up on vibrations, and also provide spacial awareness. very good senses due to this

unique traits: -canonically, in-universe, she is designed to be an Ideal Creature. shes not perfect, but Sueness is baked into her--her body is optimized for combat, for burden, grace, companionship, protection, etc. OPness is required to survive many of the challenges she will face -more long-bodied than an NF, purely for 'realism'--while a NF body is more stylized, this body Needs to have space to have organs on top of all the limbs and muscle that has been crammed on here -when in flight, forelimbs are usually folded over the primary pectorals, as opposed to being held against the secondary pectorals or sides. this may vary however -separate from the 'alpha' glow is the ability to make the entire body emit light, levels of which may vary from glowstick to lighthouse. the latter is really only reached during levels of high stress; otherwise, the strength generally does not exceed that of a flashlight. the light is generally white or whitish-yellow in color, although natural patterns of a golden hue can be seen within if the glare can be tolerated -just very physically powerful in general. nothing superman-level, just enough to survive scuffles w creatures such as kaijus, giant mechas, etc -even if the ‘species’ name is different, she is still part of the night fury genus as a whole, same as the light fury. idk how the Actual speciation of it all actually works out, given httyd’s increasingly tenuous grasp on the concept of genetics, but theoretically, a [wrathful flash] could reproduce with a nf. lf, or any other fury variation within the clade (but this one wont bc shes Sapient).

[mudzdale]

im soooo mad i dreamed that i saw trailers for SUCH COOL tf media last night... the next live-action movie was gonna have CHROMEDOME (i remember he was squeezed inside a human house, kneeling and concernedly asking “are you ok, kid?”), and the other was like. the design said bay/knightverse but the synopsis said cartoon network tv show. anyways. all i remember from that was optimus was small and compact, and part of the synopsis read that “an encounter with a human youth” like, softened him, as though he had reached a point where all he could think about was war, and took on the small form to help take care of the kid

[mightywolves23]

Lost But Homebound Chapter Three - Felucia

Chapter Three to Lost But Homebound. Where Grogu tries to find his way home. If you are ever in need, know that there is always people around you who care and love you.

Word Count: 1,381

Characters: Grogu, Din Djarin, Original Characters

Summary:

Grogu is a survivor and he wouldn't die again in this destruction. He survived twenty years of the Empire he wouldn't just die in Ben Solo's temper tantrum. But... where would he go? He remembered one home that didn't end this way. With fire and the death of his family and friends. Grogu knew he was cursed but that didn't stop him from wanting a home of his own. His buir would take care of him. Buir was strong and survived a Kryat Dragon! He could handle a Darksider if one came after them. Grogu set out to find his buir and home.

***

STORY

Grogu wished he remembered his buir’s warnings about Felucia. It would have helped to avoid the situation he now found himself in. The memory came too late and now he remembered exactly why his buir went out of his way to not land on Felucia. It has everything to do with pirates.

ElleDee and he had made it to their destination with only a few raised eyes and curious stares. The only time Grogu had wandered outside their room, a well-meaning stranger tried to find Grogu’s guardian. After that, Grogu stayed back and let ElleDee fetch him his meals provided and anything else he needed.

Grogu now understood why ElleDee had been fired from their job as a mind healer. ElleDee was relentless and determined about taking care of Grogu. The little droid was almost aggressive in its tactics. When Grogu didn’t want to eat, ElleDee would almost force the food down his throat with a stern reminder to take care of himself.

Grogu liked the droid. Something about it was very familiar. A word that he almost remembered floated around his brain at some of the interactions with the droid. It was one of Buir’s words.

They went out of the cargo ship onto the dusty surface of Felucia. Grogu wandered aimlessly for a few hours. He must have searched the whole town before ElleDee forced him to stop.

Grogu rested in the shade of a massive plant on the edge of town.

“Designation: Grogu. Purpose?” ElleDee beeped and prodded him with its attachment.

“Buir.” Grogu choked out. “Find Buir.”

“LD-3 Calculating. Match not found. Request more information.” ElleDee rolled a few feet around him in a circle.

“Dad.” Grogu whimpered. He wanted to cry. He was too small and too young and too hot and too thirsty and hungry and everything was too much. He wanted his buir.

“LD-3: Calculating. Renamed Designation Grogu to Designation: Child Grogu. New Secondary Purpose: Find BuirDad. Searching…” ElleDee kept going around in a circle. A small satellite dish sprung up from ElleDee’s head and spun around. “No match found. BuirDad Location: Not Here. Designation: Child Grogu Last Known Location?”

Grogu didn’t want to speak anymore. He stood up. He needed food and water. Grogu started down the path towards the town. Maybe someone would be kind enough to give him some food and water.

***

Grogu walked for what felt like ages. He finally came across a water flask and a piece of bread on a plate. Grogu cautiously approached it. No one was around and it was just sitting on the ground next to a building.

Grogu reached for the flask. His thirst was building in his throat. He would even drink scummy water he was so thirsty.

“Oi! That’s mine!” A weequay snatched up the plate and flask. “What have we hear? Go away, runt!”

Grogu growled. He was hungry and thirsty and tired and was thoroughly done with everything. He pulled out his lightsaber and switched it on. The green blade shot up from the hilt.

The weequay stumbled back and tripped over his feet. “Captain! I think you should see this!”

Another younger weequay dressed in a blood-red scarf and a thick black jacket stepped out of the doorway. He wore goggles on his head. His eyes widened when he saw Grogu.

“Put that away little Jedi. Come in here and stop threatening ol’ Bart, now. We have better refreshments inside.” The Captain waved his hand towards the doorway.

“Designation: Child Grogu warning! Dangerous.”

Grogu ignored ElleDee’s complaints. He could smell meat cooking inside and his hunger overruled his instincts. He hadn’t had meat since Yavin 4 and Grogu was partial to meat. Grogu put away his lightsaber and followed the weequays inside. ElleDee was cursing up a storm as the droid followed him.

***

“Designation: Child Grogu. LD-3: Right Warning. Pirates = Dangerous.” ElleDee was fitted with a restraining bolt and set in a cage next to Grogu.

Grogu was sitting in a small cage with his lightsaber taken from him. He still had his necklace. His holo picture was being examined by the Pirate Captain.

“What’s this, Little Jedi?” The Captain pressed the button and Grogu’s picture fully formed. He nearly dropped it.

Grogu scowled. When he got out of here he was going to…

“Captain! Your father is on the comlink.” Ol’ Bart came up to them and placed a com in the Captain’s hand.

“Papa Ohnaka! To what do I owe this call?” The Captain bowed at the waist dramatically.

“Junior! I hear you have captured an impressive hostage.” An older weequay wearing a flight helmet and a flashy red coat appeared on the device.

“Yes, Papa. It is a little Jedi. I was thinking of contacting the New Republic for surely it is one of theirs.” The Captain trailed off at whatever his Papa’s look was.

“Junior, let me see this little Jedi.” Papa Ohnaka’s voice lost all its happiness.

The Captain moved the comlink so Grogu was in view. “We caught him trying to steal Ol’ Bart’s…”

“Junior. That is not just a little Jedi. That is a child and I thought we agreed on not harming children. Get him out of there at once! We do not wish for the Mand’alor to catch wind of this. We owe him a life debt from both of us. I know you have not forgotten.” Papa Ohnaka sounded worried and exasperated.

The Captain quickly fumbled the keys to let Grogu out. Soon, Grogu’s cuffs were gone and ElleDee’s restraining bolt was broken off. “Ah, sorry, Little Jedi. The mistake was on me. Can I get you some food?”

Grogu was led to a table and a thick slice of meat was placed in front of him. Grogu’s mouth went wet and he grabbed the meat and ripped a chunk off with his teeth. It was the best thing Grogu had eaten in a while and it was gone in three bites. Grogu’s ears dropped when he saw there was no more.

Another piece was put on his plate and was gone in four bites. One last piece was given to him and Grogu managed to eat it in five bites, his chewing much neater.

A cup of water was placed by his plate and Grogu drank three glasses full. When Grogu had his fill, he then looked up at the Captain.

“It seems I owe you a debt, Little Jedi, in apology for mistreating you. I did not know you were a child. Is there anything I can do for you? Maybe find your parents?” The Captain folded his hands in front of him. “Ah. Here you are.” The Captain pushed his lightsaber and holo picture back at him.

ElleDee was mysteriously quiet and when Grogu looked over, he saw the little droid at a charging station.

Grogu sighed. Looks like he would have to talk. “Dad. Lava planet. Ship?” Four words were all he could manage.

The Captain nodded. “I can take you halfway. I do not dare get close to Nar Shaddaa. Bad business there, Little Jedi. You are in luck. We are leaving in an hour for a supply trip. Just enough time for your little droid friend to be fully powered.”

Grogu yawned. He felt sleepy after his stomach being filled. Grogu was lifted into the air and the spicy scent of Captain Junior Ohnaka filled his nose. Grogu was carried across the room and laid down in a box filled with more clothes smelling of the same scent.

“You are a really little Jedi aren’t you? Never fear, Hondo Ohnaka the Second’s crew will not harm you. Get some shut-eye, eh, little Jedi. I will wake you when we are ready for boarding.” A hand clumsily patted his back before withdrawing.

Grogu’s eyes slipped closed, ready for the promise of being halfway to his buir.

****

One hour later, Grogu was woken up. He and ElleDee were on a ship filled with pirates heading for Kashyyyk. Grogu hoped they were headed in the right direction. He didn’t remember it being this long from when he left his buir to Master Luke’s school. Then again, it was twenty years ago that he was taken there and he was smaller back then.

Kashyyyk here he comes.

[spaceexp]

Crew Preps for Split, Studies Space Effects on Human Body

ISS - Expedition 59 Mission patch. June 13, 2019 The Expedition 59 crew will split up later this month when three International Space Station residents return to Earth. The other three crewmembers today practiced evacuating the orbiting lab in the unlikely event of an emergency. Station Commander Oleg Kononenko will depart home with Flight Engineers Anne McClain and David Saint-Jacques inside the Soyuz MS-11 crew ship on June 24. The trio have been living in space since Dec. 3 and will have orbited Earth for 204 days after landing in Kazakhstan. The commander spent the day Thursday collecting cargo for stowage and readying the homebound Soyuz.

Image above: The aurora australis, or “southern lights,” highlights a starry nighttime orbital pass as the International Space Station orbited 269 miles above the Indian Ocean southwest of Australia. Image Credit: NASA. The three crewmembers that are staying behind conducted an emergency drill during the afternoon. Flight Engineers Alexey Ovchinin, Christina Koch and Nick Hague conducted an emergency simulation and rehearsed quickly entering their Soyuz lifeboat, undocking and descending to Earth. Human research continued full speed ahead today to help doctors keep astronauts healthy in space. McClain and Hague once again collected their breath samples for the Airway Monitoring study. The experiment studies airway inflammation as crewmembers on space missions are at an increased risk of breathing free-floating dust and particles due to the microgravity environment. Results could improve the mission environment and optimize crew health for successful long-term missions. Saint-Jacques participated in ultrasound scans of his neck, gut, heart and leg throughout the day. The ground-assisted Vascular Echo scans give flight surgeons insight into an astronaut’s cardiovascular condition.

Seeing an Aurora From the Space Station

Image above: Aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Christina Koch snapped this image of an aurora, saying: "Years ago at the South Pole, I looked up to the aurora for inspiration through the 6-month winter night. Now I know they’re just as awe inspiring from above. #nofilter". Image Credit: NASA. The crew also worked on robotics power cables and the installation of a small satellite deployer. Koch installed cables in the Unity module during the morning to provide backup power for the Canadarm2 robotic arm. McClain spent the majority of her day in Japan’s Kibo laboratory module installing hardware that will soon eject a set of CubeSats outside the station for research in Earth orbit. The two cosmonauts, Kononenko and Ovchinin, spent some time in the morning exploring ways to counteract the effects of microgravity. The duo tested a unique suit that draws body fluids towards the feet to minimize head and eye pressure. Related links: Expedition 59: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition59/index.html Airway Monitoring: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1067 Vascular Echo: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=1664 Unity module: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/unity Canadarm2: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/mobile-servicing-system.html Kibo laboratory module: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/japan-kibo-laboratory Unique suit: https://blogs.nasa.gov/ISS_Science_Blog/2015/06/02/rubber-vacuum-pants-that-suck/ Space Station Research and Technology: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html Images (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Mark Garcia/Yvette Smith. Best regards, Orbiter.ch Full article

[remotetrove]

Home Delivered Meals Driver II

Home Delivered Meals Driver II

Job Title Home Delivered Meals Driver II Hours Required 21.5 Job Description and Hours The Home Delivered Meals Driver is responsible for transporting HDM routes to satellite locations to dispense to volunteers and paid drivers and to deliver meals to homebound elderly; working approximately 2-4 hours per day Monday through Friday as scheduled. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: Must report to work as…

[askinfiniteofficial]

HOMEBOUND

created by @theashemarie and @neil-degrasse-china​

(heads up! there’s more prose hidden under the read more tab. please click keep reading to view the full story.)

Gadget stares at his apartment door for a long time. The place is still intact, after everything, just like the rest of the city; somehow, they’ve all made it through unscathed, at least physically. There’s some other stuff to sort through, but right now, more than anything, he wants a long bath, with hot water, and to crawl into his own bed; the touch-starved ache is there too, but it’s not as desperate as everything else, all things considered.

The door swings into a dark, quiet room, and he pads inside, drops his keys on the table, takes everything in—some of the ceiling has fallen off in the bombing shakes, there’s dust covering everything, and the bowl he left there, the bowl with the extra key and the note, is still sitting there, untouched. There’s no power and there won’t be until tomorrow, so he grabs a flashlight from the cupboard. The batteries are still good, and he flicks the light once, twice, holds his hand in front of the beam to cast a small dog shape on the wall, a shadow puppet that reminds him of some time long ago, when his mind still matched his body, his heart was still holding itself together, when he was little and the world was new.

He’s alone now, for the first time, and he grabs some cereal from the kitchen, stale, chewy, but it’s got calories, sits on the couch in the least dusty spot, and chews slowly, methodically. His phone buzzes as Tails checks on him from the safety of the Workshop (also still intact, amazingly), where he’s probably having dinner with Sonic, Knuckles, and Amy. It’s a nice thought, the four of them finally at ease, at rest. It’s great, he thinks, to know that the heroes are resting; that’s when you know things are safe.

Eventually, he takes a cold shower because no electricity equals no hot water, and he climbs into bed. The bed is cold and lumpy and he sits there, staring at his own hands in the darkness, the edges of his fingers blurred without his glasses. There’s no gentle breathing beside him, no snuffling or sleep mumbling, and he stares at the wall, at the flashlight beam he has pointed in that direction, and that’s what does it.

Finally, finally, he allows himself to sink into his own hands, and weep.

--

That night, so long ago, when Infinite went missing, was shaping up to be on the best in a while. Infinite had a huge break for a story, Gadget finished his final with flying colors, and they were celebrating: slow music on the radio, socked feet sliding across the floor, chuckles, hands looped around each other’s necks, long stares and hard blushes. Things were looking up; living together for six months and not a single squabble, just deep, understanding silences, a warm home and an even warmer bed.

They moved across their small living room in even smaller circles. The window was open for a late spring breeze. Gadget hummed along with the radio and Infinite looked at him with some thick, intense emotion he didn’t have a name for; he recognized it, but he couldn’t put a word to it, but that didn’t bother him. They were finally together, finally on the same page, finally happy.

Then, of course, the Ruby slashed through the sky like a meteor, and, of course, Infinite had to investigate.

--

There was a moment, as they watched the Ruby fly past their window, so far away but close enough that they could picture where it landed, smell the acrid burning of grass, almost sense the crater under their feet, when Gadget thought it was a good omen—a falling star, on this, the best day in years, when things were beginning their upswing. Infinite stilled under his hands, watching the window, Gadget watching him, thinking insubstantial thoughts of the future, and they breathed in tandem for a few seconds.

It was the last time they did anything together.

Infinite pulled away from him, couldn’t tear his eyes away from the window. “I-I think it crashed... Gadget, it landed.” He didn’t look at Gadget, but Gadget could feel it, his excitement, the erratic energy that kept him moving at all times. “I— I gotta...”

Gadget laughed, placed a gentle hand on Infinite’s cheek to guide his eyes away from the window. “Then go. I’ll be here when you come back.”

Infinite grabbed Gadget’s hand in both of his. “This could be my chance. This could be the report that puts me on the map.”

Gadget knew this and was excited for him. He nodded, unable to reconcile the eagerness he could see on Infinite’s face with his own more peaceful expectation, but he had a feeling this would be good for them. If Infinite finally got the big cover story, things would be perfect.

Infinite looped his scarf around his neck before he left, toed into his boots, placed a small, gentle peck on Gadget’s forehead, and disappeared into the night.

--

The next morning, when Gadget rolls over, his bedside clock is on, glowing green with the wrong time three in the morning—so the power came back on at some point during the night. The AC is on, he can hear it humming, and that’s a relief; now there’s noise for him to focus on, instead of the cavernous quiet of the apartment, of his mind.

He flips the television on as he pads into the main part of the apartment, but it’s all white noise. The television stations aren’t back up yet and besides, their satellites are sitting in a shrapnel pile somewhere, so he has two options: movie or nothing.

Chao in Space is right where he expects it and he slides the disc into the player, skips to the menu, and hits play mechanically. He doesn’t quite feel like it’s all over, not really, and he half expects something to explode outside. It’s all sunlight and birdsong out there; people are stepping out of their homes, blinking into the sun, shading their eyes against the glare, looking just as lost as Gadget feels. He wants to go out there with them, but everything is screaming at him for a cleaning—plus, he just doesn’t have the strength. After months of living in close quarters, with his every move watched and catalogued, he just wants to be alone for a few hours.

The movie starts as it always does, and it’s nice to be able to anticipate something. He stands, dusts his hands off on his knees, and turns to the kitchen. A quick dust, sweep, and mop will solve a lot of his problems, but then there’s the matter of the fridge—months of fermented milk, some fruit, and who knew what else awaits him behind that hermetically sealed door. He absolutely doesn’t want anything to do with it, but it has to be done. He’s fought in a rebellion, nearly killed his best friend, and nearly died himself a few too many times; he can handle some mold.

Hours later, the fridge has been scrubbed, the movie started over three times, the floors done, and all that’s left is the table, stacked with dishes demanding a wash. He stares at them, exhausted, hungry, sees the bowl with the key and the note, and decides that it’s not worth it after all.

He leaves the door unlocked, just in the case, because there’s nothing he really cares about here, not anymore, and everything that he does care about is worthless to any thief.

--

The next morning, when Gadget rolled over, his bedside clock blared that it was nine am, class in ninety minutes, get your ass up. He groaned, rubbed his eyes, and turned over again, so he could receive the customary baleful glare from Infinite for his alarm clock, but the bed was empty.

It wasn’t exactly unusual for Infinite to not be there. He kept odd hours and was known to get up early some mornings to make breakfast. But, usually, he knew when Gadget would be getting up because he knew Gadget’s schedule better than Gadget himself and he liked to make himself present, said it was because he wanted to be one of the first things Gadget saw when he woke up.

But, this morning, he couldn’t hear Infinite in the kitchen or the bathroom, his half of the bed was cold, the sheets weren’t mussed beyond where Gadget had lain, and he could just tell that nothing had moved since he crawled into bed last night. He rose unsteadily, unsure, and walked toward the kitchen. He couldn’t quite feel his own feet and he had to trail a hand along the wall to keep from falling, but he made it.

Everything was as he left it: dishes in the sink, Infinite’s old scarf hanging on the hook, blankets tossed haphazardly on the couch, a pair of goggles (prescription) hidden amongst the clutter of the coffee table. Their celebratory ice cream was still in the freezer, where it sat all night, pointedly, as Gadget waited for Infinite to come home. When he didn’t show up at half past midnight, Gadget had given up waiting and opted to shower and bed; it must’ve been huge, he reasoned, to keep Infinite out that long.

He went through the motions of breakfast. It was the first time he was making it on his own and it felt weird, to be standing at the stove without Infinite trying to distract him. The eggs turned out rubbery and he ate them quickly, shoveled them into a tortilla to make them mobile, tugged his gloves on, pushed his glasses up, and paused. Did he go to class or did he wait? Did he wait or try to call Infinite? Odds were his phone was silenced if this was a big one, and he couldn’t miss class, not really. He had to take his final.

He shook his head, sent a quick text to Infinite to let him know he missed him, and grabbed his keys. He was probably overreacting. When he got back, Infinite would probably be here, waiting with big news and an even bigger smile.

(Little did he know, in a month, the world would be on fire.)

--

Gadget returns to the apartment with a bag of buttery pastries clutched tight in his fist. (Even during the apocalypse, his favorite bakery stayed open. What heroes.) He shuffles them over to one hand in order to grab the knob, but then. He stops.

The door is open.

The light is on.

He wasn’t expecting this but he was also welcoming it, considering how he left the door open. Still, the gall of someone walking into his apartment on this, the International Day of Peace, gets to him. His eyes narrow, he sets his pastries next to the door so they’re out of harm’s way, and he kicks the door the rest of the way in.

It occurs to him only after the door has bounced off the wall inside that he doesn’t have a weapon (well, other his fists). All of the wispons are locked up in HQ, where only Tails and Knuckles can get at them, awaiting collection by GUN where they’ll be transported to a secure location that Gadget won’t be privy to. He’s on his own here, for the first time in a long time.

But, that doesn’t stop him for long. He follows the door at a run, with a loud yell, because this is his apartment, damnit! And his apartment doesn’t just get waltzed into! The intruder will meet his fists, both of them, all ten fingers, if they want to steal from him!

He lands one solid hit, just one, right in the robber’s stomach. It doubles them over with a loud oof, a deep oof, an oof that Gadget recognizes.

He steps back. He reevaluates.

Infinite is clutching his stomach and he looks up at Gadget, betrayed. He’s slightly floating, Gadget realizes, but not glowing, and his mask is gone, probably tossed dramatically into the trash or an ocean somewhere, knowing him. There’s a long pause as they stare at one another, Gadget trying to reconcile the sight of Infinite in the living room again, Infinite trying to get over the fact that Gadget just punched him full on in the gut.

“Welcome home,” Infinite grunts as he finally manages to straighten back to full height. Carefully, he lets his feet touch the ground. “Sorry for breaking in. I didn’t have my key.”

Gadget takes a few steps back, for breathing room. “What are you doing here?”

His voice is harder than he meant, but it makes Infinite back up a few steps too—the more room, the better—so maybe it’s for the best.

(He never reappeared back then. Gadget waited for a month, contacted the police, contacted GUN, contacted everyone he could think of, but Infinite disappeared. It was like he never existed, and the only proof that he did was the empty space in Gadget’s bed, the extra pairs of shoes in the closet, the shampoo bottles in the shower.

Gadget got little sleep, sat up late into the night, watching the news, listening to the radio, waiting for information. A body, washed up in a river, a lost, confused amnesiac found wandering the forest, a reporter, found snooping in the wrong place. He rehearsed what he would say, if Infinite ever reappeared. What are you doing here? Where have you been? One of those would do, depending on how angry he was at the time. Followed by, It’s been a month.)

“I live here,” Infinite answers.

“Do you? It’s been months. You attacked us.”

Infinite avoids his eyes. “I didn’t know what I was doing.”

(Gadget often imagined how this would go. He looked at the door, pictured Infinite standing there, haloed by the light of the hall, soaking wet because it was raining. Arm crossing his body, hand clutching his opposite elbow, head bowed, contrite, but with a smile that was victorious, a hiss of I did it, Gadge. My big break. And then he would rush in, sweep Gadget up, pull him into a hug, a deep kiss that would make Gadget’s knees quake, all his worries and fear disappear.

Instead, he got a war declaration, a total world takeover, and his best friend’s face right next to Eggman’s.)

“We freed you,” Gadget finds himself saying. He can’t be angry with Infinite, not when he’s still got that gem in his chest, not when he’s floating there, bobbing up and down in worry; he doesn’t even realize he’s floating, and that’s just. It’s so sad. “Why didn’t you come help us?”

Infinite looks up, looks him full in the eyes, declares, “I was avoiding you.”

That hurts more than anything else. It smacks him right in the chest, arcs through him like lightning, makes every hair on his body rise in defense. “Without me, you’d still be under his control.”

(He couldn’t accept it at first. Denial. He joined the resistance, fought his way up the ranks, found himself amongst the upper echelon, went on missions with Tails to find Sonic, saw firsthand what Infinite was capable of. Then, he saw that scarf, heard the voice. And he knew. Acceptance.

He fought his best friend, his most important person, and he won. Infinite fell, even with his time-bending powers, even with the force of the Eggman Empire behind him. Gadget liked to believe it was because Infinite saw him, heard him, and that broke something inside him, kept him from fighting as hard.)

“I know.” Infinite says this so simply, holds his hands open in lackluster defense. “But I was scared. Didn’t you read my note?”

“Huh?” All thought ceases. Gadget is baffled. “What note?”

Infinite gestures toward the table, where the dishes are still stacked. “The one in the bowl.”

Gadget moves toward the table even as he answers. “I left that note.”

Infinite floats after him, not too close, but Gadget can still sense him shake his head. “No, I took that note and left you one.”

“When?”

A shrug from Infinite’s direction. “Sometime during the war, when I broke free of the Ruby for a few hours. It has memories, y’know. Basic sentience. This whole time, it was terrified.”

There’s so much there for Gadget to parse through: the Ruby, memories, note, sentience, Infinite’s conversational tone, as if their relationship is okay, fine, not strained at all. So, he just keeps his mouth shut and plucks the note up from the bowl.

(A last-minute thing. He had to get out of the city; Eggman’s battalion was on the horizon and he had to find the resistance if he had any chance of survival—he was young, scrappy, and had nothing to lose. The resistance would happily take him. But, he couldn’t just leave. There was still hope that Infinite would return, wasn’t dead in a ditch somewhere, or spirited away to some alternate dimension by whatever fell out of the sky.

That was the thing about love. You always found time to pause, hope, even with the pressing urge to stay alive bearing down on you.

So, he grabbed a bowl, dropped the extra key in there, Infinite’s key, and scribbled a quick note. Left to join the Resistance. Meet me if you can. –G. After a second’s deliberation, he fished the key out, nestled the note in the bottom of the bowl, and placed the key on top, waffled there for a second, staring at it.

Eventually, he was forced to leave by concussive booming.)

This note is different. A small Post-It, yellow and curling up at the edges. Infinite’s scrawling, long cursive. Terrified of Ruby. Terrified of myself. Can’t control it. I’m sorry. I’ll come back if I get rid of it. –I.

Gadget looks up. There’s something like pain in his chest, but it’s more acute, sharper, like someone is slowly prying his ribs apart in order to get at his heart. His hand tightens, the note crumples, and he drops it.

Infinite doesn’t move as Gadget stomps up to him, though he does brace, preparing for another punch. “I’m sorry, but...” He whispers, and one hand rises to pull his scarf aside, so Gadget can see the Ruby, still there. “I found it, Gadge. My big break.”

Gadget stops, releases his fists, stares at the Ruby. The gem stares at him, and he thinks he sees something in there, a sort of waver. A sort of wink. A sort of brainwave.

“What kind of memories?” he hears himself ask. One of his hands rises and he barely touches the edge of it, this thing that has caused them so much grief. It’s mesmerizing.

Infinite’s voice is hushed, breathless, as he watches Gadget run his finger along the gem’s faceted surface. “Lots of pain, being ripped from its home. Forced to activate. Sonic.”

Gadget looks up. “Sonic?”

“Yeah, the little one.” Infinite holds his hand up at hip height. “He tried to save it, in his own world.”

Gadget lets his hand fall. “You didn’t get rid of it.”

Infinite’s face falls and his gaze wanders away, ashamed. “I can’t. It’s tied to me now.”

(While in the resistance, he forgot the desperation, the fear and shame that Infinite was dead, that he let him wander out without help. But, when Infinite reappeared, that surged up again, threatened to suffocate him. The ache returned, lodged itself in his chest, wormed between his ribs, and he imagined that was what having the Ruby was like. More than anything, he wanted to get rid of that feeling.)

Gadget bites his lip, closes his eyes, pushes a hand through his hair, sighs again. “You could’ve shown up earlier. I had to clean the fridge alone. It was rank.”

The look Infinite gives him is like dawn, like a bright yellow sun breaking the horizon in the morning. He smiles for the first time in a long time. “Sorry. I sat outside for a while. I was terrified.”

Gadget rolls his eyes. “Of course you did.”

“Guess I’ll have to make it up to you.” Infinite reaches for him, holds his arms out.

Things won’t be easy. They have a lot of stuff to sort through, a lot of late nights, hard sleeps, loud nightmares, and panic attacks ahead of them, but for now, just now, things are finally, finally perfect.

Infinite finally gives him the hug he’s waited months for. And then? And then the knee-shattering kiss that he’s been aching for.

[blogtechfuturemrfrworld]

Commercial Satellite Broadband Market Key Highlights and Future Opportunities

Market Scope

The commercial satellite broadband market 2020 can touch an approximate valuation of USD 170 million by 2023-end, speculates Market Research Future (MRFR). The global is also set to gather a decent growth rate of roughly 10% over the evaluation period (which is between 2017 and 2023). We will provide COVID-19 impact analysis with the report, along with all the key developments since the coronavirus disease outbreak.

Key Influencers and Top Barriers

The remote-work directives and school closures post the COVID-19 outbreak and the consequent lockdown imposed have resulted in a sudden boom in internet traffic. To fight against SARS-CoV-2, the uptake of digital technologies has increased considerably across the globe. During this period, commercial satellite broadband services are supplying countless businesses with essential internet access to business communication and collaboration tools, critical telehealth and government updates among other things.  

Commercial satellite broadband services are helping people remain connected with their doctors, customers, teachers, employers, families and friends. These services enable GPS navigation as well as timing, which is a great advantage for the mobile cellular phone sector as the spread of the novel coronavirus can be tracked worldwide. Many of the leading firms in the commercial satellite broadband market are now offering secure and remote methods of collecting onsite information while the consumption of entertainment platforms and television news has surged exponentially among those who are homebound.

The market benefits from the rising need to reach rural or remote locations where different types of connectivity are not able to reach. Although the commercial satellite broadband services are quite expensive, their costs are set to reduce in the years to come as a result of the increasing advancements and innovations in the internet connectivity technology. A majority of the industry leaders are continuously innovating in terms of the Ka frequency band, while launching more advanced commercial satellite broadband services to expand their product portfolio and boost their market position.

For instance, in July 2020, the China Great Wall Industry Corporation released the latest APStar-6D communications satellite, which is set to be used by APT Satellite Company Ltd. for various broadband applications. The launched satellite can be described as a Ka-band communications satellite that offers high performance broadband internet.

Get Free Sample Copy Report of Commercial Satellite Broadband Market @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/4691

Segmental Analysis

The commercial satellite broadband industry has been segregated with respect to component, frequency band and end – users.

The main components covered by MRFR experts include gateway, satellite, modem, network operations center (NOC) as well as antenna.

Depending on the frequency band, the market segmentation comprises Ku band, C band, Ka band, and more. The Ka frequency band observes higher adoption and provides better higher data rates, as a result of which it is currently leading the commercial satellite broadband market.

The key end users highlighted in the market study are hospitals, civil defense, small and medium enterprises, education, public safety as well as government agencies. Out of these, hospitals, public safety and civil defense can be the leading categories as these are associated with emergency services. The traditional wired and telephone line broadband are fast becoming obsolete and are being replaced by satellite broadband internet, since the form can be quite unusable during natural disasters.

Regional Study

The commercial satellite broadband market size has been reviewed thoroughly in the MRFR study, taking into account the primary regions of Europe, Asia Pacific/APAC, North America, and RoW/rest of the world.

Europe, along with North America, has become the global leader in the commercial satellite broadband market, given the presence of a highly extensive wired broadband industry and continuous developments in the internet technologies. The massive spending by internet operators and providers on the improvement of the operational efficiency and the existence of an elaborate satellite communication sector also benefit both the regional markets.

The APAC and RoW markets can observe considerable expansion in the coming years, as these regions consist of remote or rural locations that have low to negligible access to internet connectivity. Moreover, many of the prominent vendors in these regions are putting in intense efforts to develop advanced broadband satellite systems and services that can be used in diverse applications such as VoIP and video conference.

Browse Full Report Details @https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/commercial-satellite-broadband-market-4691

About Market Research Future:

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.

MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.

In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.

Contact: Market Research Future 528, Amanora Chambers, Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar Pune – 411028, Maharashtra, India Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com

[pope-francis-quotes]

9th April >> (@VaticanNews By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ) #PopeFrancis #Pope Francis Knights of Columbus support Vatican broadcasts during Holy Week.

The Knights of Columbus announce their financial support of the Vatican’s Holy Week and Easter broadcasts, and a gift to the Vatican’s Pediatric hospital.

By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ

Christians around the world are preparing to celebrate the Easter Triduum amid the coronavirus pandemic. In order to help as many people as possible participate in the liturgies from the Vatican, the Knights of Columbus will provide financial support for the global broadcast of the Way of the Cross on Good Friday, and the Easter Mass on Sunday.

In a statement released on 8 April, the Knights communicate that they will underwrite the cost of broadcasting both the Good Friday Stations of the Cross on 10 April led by Pope Francis, and the Pope’s Easter Sunday Mass and Urbi et orbi blessing on 12 April. The funding will cover costs related to the satellite transmission of these events.

On 27 March, the Knights of Columbus sponsored the broadcast of Pope Francis’ extraordinary Moment of Prayer and Urbi et orbi blessing (to the city of Rome and the rest of the world) which took place in St. Peter’s Square.

Donation to hospital

In a separate initiative, the Knights are donating $100,000 to the Vatican’s Bambino Gesù pediatric hospital in Rome. This donation will be used to transform a space in the hospital’s neonatology department into a treatment room for infants and newborns who are infected with the Covid-19 virus.

The unit will be named after the founder of the Knights of Columbus, the Venerable Servant of God Father Michael J. McGivney. It will feature ventilators and other specialized equipment associated with the treatment of coronavirus’ respiratory symptoms.

Timely support

The Supreme Knight, Carl Anderson, noted that “these projects are particularly timely given the global pandemic…With so many in Italy and around the world currently homebound, our support of Vatican broadcasts will allow our Holy Father to join in prayer with Catholics from every corner of the globe during this critical time.”

The Knights of Columbus have worked in Rome at the request of the Popes for 100 years. “Our support of Bambino Gesù hospital continues that tradition of service,” the Supreme Knight said.

The Knights of Columbus

The Knights of Columbus were founded by the Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney in Connecticut, USA in 1882. The organization established its presence in Rome in 1920 at the invitation of Pope Benedict XV. The Knights have been supporters of the telecommunications efforts of the Vatican. In 1965, the organization funded a shortwave transmitter for Vatican Radio. They have also sponsored Vatican satellite broadcasts since 1977.

Topics

HOLY WEEK

EASTER

CORONAVIRUS

09th April 2020, 12:39

[good-golly-yikes]

schewpid

[xdrvparts]

10 Tips for Full-time RV Life

As decisions go, this is a biggie. Sell your house and live full-time in an RV “out there.” Where? Wherever you want. Before you swallow all that freedom in a single gulp there are a few things you might want to know.

#1 MAKE A PRACTICE RUN…OR TWO…OR TEN.

No one should toss the house keys to the new owner and point their new rig towards the open road without having experienced previously spending time in an RV. Not just a weekend or even a week but ideally an extended period of time. No trial run will exactly duplicate the finality of being without a home base but being on the road will help identify what kind of full-timer you will be. Do you prefer being a “mover” or  a “sitter?” Do you prefer the solitude of a campsite alone in the woods or the activities found in a commercial campground? These test runs will also serve to clarify your most important decision before becoming a full-time RVer…

#2 HOW MUCH HOUSE DO YOU NEED?

There is an RV ready to match your dream. Use your vacation RV trips to test different rigs. If you are visiting off-the-beaten-track tourist nooks and wilderness sites a more maneuverable RV could be preferable to a motorcoach. Or your dream RV just may not have as much room as you need to live on the road full time comfortably. Be honest with yourself upfront and you will save yourself the hassle of trading up or down in your first few years untethered from a home base.

#3 “YOU DON’T NEED THAT. YOU WON’T USE THAT.”

Everyone has heard the age-old packing tip for a trip – “pack half the clothes you think you need – and then get rid of half of them.”  When you are preparing to live on the road you need to amp up those percentages even more, way more. Only you can make the determination of what is truly “essential” but come be prepared to attack your first “must-have” list with an arsenal of scissors and black pens.

What to do with the excess? Hold a yard sale. Have fun on eBay for a few months. Invite friends and family to pick through your belongings. Give stuff away. If you absolutely must, rent a storage locker. Beware, though – if you are having difficulty shaving possessions from your life you still may be a few years away from full-time RVing.

#4 YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A MASTER MECHANIC BUT…

Every RV comes with a manual and you two should spend some quality time together. Learn your way around the electrical system and the fuse box. Don’t be intimidated by basic plumbing. Be prepared to patch leaks in the roof and around windows and doors with sealants. Establish a routine to perform the annual chores recommended by the manual. These are not onerous tasks, but essential ones to making life easy on the road.

#5 AND WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN, BE INSURED.

There are a host of insurance decisions to be made when living on the road, among them accidents, thefts, and illnesses. Study the many discounts and options before you leave and you should only need to put yourself through the process once. Two coverages are essential: for the replacement value of your RV should it be damaged or stolen and for personal belongings, much like homeowners insurance. There are many insurers and levels of coverage – select wisely for the insurance to suit your intended lifestyle. Medical insurance is also offered specifically for full-timers.

#6 GET LIMBER TO STRETCH THAT DOLLAR.

Even for the rare folks who RV full-time with unlimited cash, getting by on less money becomes ingrained in the RV lifestyle. Tracking spending and working from a budget becomes second nature on the road. Before you head out get in the habit of logging daily spending on everything to learn where the money goes. And check in with experienced RVers for advice – and get ready to write down ideas fast because every RVer has favorite tips to stretch dollars on the road.

If you are planning to take on seasonal or temporary jobs to help support a full-time RV lifestyle there are many more opportunities than just campgrounds and parks. Before you go, research the opportunities available that sound attractive and prepare a resume and contact information that highlights your range of skills.

And don’t forget the discount cards and passes. There are plenty out there and your glovebox should be stuffed with these money-savers before you leave. Tops on that list for any RVer over the age of 62 is Senior America The Beautiful Pass. For $80 the Senior Pass provides lifetime admission to every national park and 2,000 more recreational sites—and that includes up to three other adults in the vehicle.

#7 STAY CONNECTED

It is always hard to sell a house and leave family and friends behind but today’s technologically rich world makes the parting a much sweeter sorrow. WIFI hotspots are becoming more prevalent around North America, especially for travelers. Many campgrounds and visitor centers are wired for your WIFI-enabled devices. Before you leave check out the many service providers and resellers who can keep you online and tapped into the world while on the move. Your rig can also carry along its own satellite dish, hard-mounted or mobile. You can choose how connected you want to be in your RV.

#8 WHERE WILL WE “LIVE?”

Even after bidding goodbye to your physical address, you will still need to establish a permanent legal address for such dreary souvenirs of your former homebound life as driver’s licenses, vehicle inspections, voting registration, and bank accounts. There are 50 different sets of rules and regulations and your home state may not be the most accommodating to a nomadic lifestyle. Among the options to consider are taxes, insurance rates, and efficiency of mail forwarding. Three of the most popular domicile states for full-time RVers are South Dakota, Texas, and Florida.

#9 WORK ON A GAME PLAN.

Many full-timers follow the weather as they travel, moving to more friendly climes – be they cooler or warmer – through the year. That serves as a fine rough outline but it can be frustrating to arrive in a new area and discover you missed a festival or traditional event by a day or two. Plan ahead and keep travel resources at the ready. But the golden rule of full-time RV travel planning is to stay flexible. Don’t be in a rush to head off down the road.

#10 AND OF COURSE JOIN THE GOOD SAM CLUB FOR CAMPING DISCOUNTS

One of the biggest aids to planning is membership in the Good Sam Club. Not only will you find invaluable destination and campground information but just about everything on this list as well.

[shirlleycoyle]

Coronavirus Has Caused a Drop in Emissions. Don’t Celebrate Yet

This article originally appeared on VICE Canada.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has dramatically altered the daily lives of almost every person in the world. To contain the disease—which according to Johns Hopkins University data has infected more than 193,000 and killed more than 7,800 people globally—countries and communities have taken drastic measures, mainly lockdowns of entire regions and cities, as well as social distancing that some scientists say may need to last a year or more.

The economic slowdown caused by the reduction in aviation industries, as well as reduced work travel as people are shuttered in their homes, has led to stark drops in carbon emissions and air pollution.

So far, the countries that have seen the steepest drop in emissions are the ones who have been most affected by the pandemic. The coronavirus eliminated at least a quarter of China’s greenhouse gas emissions in two weeks during mid-February, the Independent reported. Satellite images of the country from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) showed a shocking drop in nitrogen dioxide, a noxious gas from vehicles, power plants, and factories.

In Italy, where COVID-19 has infected more than 31,000 people and killed more than 2,500, nitrogen dioxide levels have decreased substantially between January 1 and March 11, according to the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Copernicus Sentinel-5p satellite.

The ESA found that this reduction was particularly pronounced in northern Italy, the epicentre of the outbreak in the country.

“Although there could be slight variation in the data due to cloud cover and changing weather, we are very confident that the reduction in emissions that we can see coincides with the lockdown in Italy causing less traffic and industrial activities,” said Claus Zehner, the ESA’s Copernicus Sentinel-5P mission manager, in a statement.

For some concerned with the devastating impacts of the climate crisis, this drop in emissions may seem like cause for celebration, or at least a silver lining in a gloomy cloud.

But it’s not.

This drop is short-term. Studies have shown that there was a 5.9 percent increase in global carbon emissions after the 2008 financial crisis. Drops in carbon emissions are common after global crises; they occurred during the 1918 Spanish Flu, The Great Depression (1929-1939), and the 1970s Energy Shocks and Iranian Revolution. But carbon emissions have risen at a terrifyingly exponential rate despite those drops.

Already, China is planning to relax environmental rules to allow factories idled during the epidemic to get back up to speed, which will actually make China’s air pollution much worse.

Beyond all of that, the coronavirus is expected to kill countless numbers of people. Anything that causes human death is counterintuitive to the climate justice movement.

Instead of celebrating these drops in emissions, we should all take this moment to consider making some of these measures permanent: reduce air travel, telecommute, have basic human rights like housing, healthcare, and food provided by the state. Not only will they result in long-term emissions reduction, but they will bring greater equity to all people. And that is the goal of climate justice: humans collaborating to make large-scale change to save one other.

"Radical rapid change on a global scale is possible"

Maggie Clifford, a PhD student in climate literacy and communications at American University in Washington, D.C., said the way people are coming together to help at-risk populations gives her hope.

“There is a hopeful quality to how a lot of people are responding to the pandemic,” she told VICE. “They’re saying, ‘I'm going to do this for the benefit of others who are immunocompromised or disabled or elderly.’ There is an element of beauty there.”

Clifford said there are a number of ways the pandemic can “help us gain empirical evidence that radical rapid change on a global scale is possible.” But that requires seeing the urgency that the climate crisis poses, and the necessity of the recent changes to combating that crisis.

Dr. Tracey Ritchie, an environmental educator based in Washington, D.C., told VICE that there have been “drastic overnight behaviour changes put in place for this pandemic because people are seeing that the situation is extremely urgent, extremely fatal, and spreading rapidly.”

But Ritchie said it’s been “frustrating” to see that people don’t regard the climate crisis with a similar sense of urgency and concern.

For Ritchie, it’s crucial that people “take some of these new realities and translate them into better climate action”—while keeping accessibility and equity at the forefront of their minds.

There is a lot of overlap, Ritchie stressed, between the communities most vulnerable to the climate crisis and the communities most vulnerable to the coronavirus. For example, disabled people experience environmental ableism—like being denied straws or inhalers under the guise of climate activism—and are also most at-risk for dying of the coronavirus. Indigenous peoples are being hit by the coronavirus hard, with lack of access to healthcare or supplies, and they’re also often the most affected by the climate crisis.

For Zipporah Arielle, a writer and disability activist, it’s frustrating to see many of the accommodations they and other people with disabilities have been asking for only implemented when able-bodied people feel at risk. “Seeing disabled people as expendable enough to see this as a net positive ignores the other areas we could be targeting—ones that would require a sacrifice from non-disabled people,” she told VICE.

For the past few weeks, commuting has been reduced by allowing people to work from home, and our dependence on delivery services like Amazon lessened by helping out homebound neighbours with shopping and errands. These radical changes will not only help the climate crisis, but will improve the lives of people everywhere.

The World Health Organization’s director-general, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that COVID-19 is the “defining global health crisis of our time.” The climate crisis, which will also lead to more catastrophic infectious diseases, is also the crisis of our time. Our response to COVID-19—how we treat each other, how we advocate for each other, how we come together to make systemic change—will not only determine how many lives we save from the coronavirus, but also how many lives we save from the crises yet to come.

Nylah Burton is a writer based in Washington D.C., who covers mental health, climate, and race. Follow her on Twitter.

Have a story for Tipping Point? Email TippingPoint@vice.com

Coronavirus Has Caused a Drop in Emissions. Don’t Celebrate Yet syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[spaceexp]

Final Week for Station Trio as Science Continues Unabated

ISS - Expedition 59 Mission patch. June 17, 2019 Three Expedition 59 crewmembers are beginning their final week aboard the International Space Station and readying their spacesuits and Soyuz crew ship for the return to Earth. The orbital residents also continued a variety of human research activities amidst the deployment of tiny satellites today. Flight Engineers Anne McClain and David Saint-Jacques are set to return to Earth June 24 with Commander Oleg Kononenko at the helm of the Soyuz MS-11 crew craft. The homebound residents checked their Sokol launch and entry suits for leaks today. The trio also tested sensors that will monitor the crew’s blood pressure during reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.

Image above: The Expedition 59 crewmembers gather for a portrait inside Japan’s Kibo laboratory module. Front row from left are David Saint-Jacques, Oleg Kononenko and Anne McClain who are returning to Earth June 24. In the back are Christina Koch, Alexey Ovchinin and Nick Hague. Image Credit: NASA. McClain also packed personal items she will take back to Earth with her. Kononenko and Saint-Jacques practiced Soyuz descent procedures the crew will use on its way to a landing in Kazakhstan. The threesome have been living aboard the space lab since Dec. 3 and will have accumulated 204 days on orbit when they complete their mission next week. Science continues unabated aboard the orbital lab with the crew exploring a wide variety of phenomena to help NASA plan missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Payload specialists on the ground also remotely operate many of the hundreds of experiments taking place aboard the orbiting lab.

International Space Station (ISS).  Animation Credit: NASA

NASA astronaut Christina Koch started Monday researching how microgravity affects perception and orientation. Today’s experiment session required Koch to perform simple tasks wearing a neck brace and virtual reality goggles while free-floating inside Europe’s Columbus laboratory module. Four small satellites, or CubeSats, were ejected this morning outside of Japan’s Kibo laboratory module. Flight Engineer Nick Hague of NASA monitored and photographed the CubeSats deployed for technology demonstrations. The first set of CubeSats deployed were from Nepal, Sri Lanka and Japan as part of the BIRDS-3 mission. The last CubeSat was from Singapore. All four arrived at the station April 19 aboard the Northrop Grumman Cygnus space freighter. Related links: Expedition 59: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition59/index.html Perception and orientation: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/explorer/Investigation.html?#id=7484 Columbus laboratory module: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/europe-columbus-laboratory CubeSats: https://www.nasa.gov/cubesats Kibo laboratory module: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/japan-kibo-laboratory Space Station Research and Technology: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html Image (mentioned), Animation (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Mark Garcia. Best regards, Orbiter.ch Full article

[son-of-a-duck]

January 17, 2018

I woke up this morning, ran on the elliptical for fifteen minutes, got ready, and went to work.  I did all the usual opening stuff, including sharpening a bunch of pencils.  I was on desk for two hours when we opened, answered phone calls, caught up on emails, and reprinted the MLK articles I found the other day.  The originals printed out really blurry and I wanted to see if I could do better. I compressed the images before importing them into Publisher and I also printed them out on the copier, instead of the regular printer. I don't know if it was one of those things or the combo but the result was a much better print job, so the articles are much more legible now.  And it was worth the trouble with the copier, which took three of us to figure out how to print in black and white, which sounds ridiculous, but it's true.

The spanking phone caller came up today because of the email I sent this morning about the call last night.  My boss wrote an incident report, based on both phone calls, and there was talk with admin about it.  One of the IT people looked up the number and found out it was for a 101 year old man in Wisconsin, who lives with his 69 year old son.  We're thinking it was the son.  Later in the day someone found a post on a librarian Facebook group from a librarian in another state describing a phone call she received that sounded exactly the same as our phone calls.  And this post turned into a long thread with multiple librarians in different states describing the exact same thing.  So this dude is definitely a serial library creep.  I think it was after the Facebook post that it was decided to block the number so we won't have to deal with him anymore.

I went upstairs briefly before lunch so I could call one of my homebound patrons.  And then after lunch we went out to deliver books.  We had to use the other librarian's car because all the library vehicles were taken, and that added a more laid back dynamic to the whole thing.  We also didn't have as many books to deliver so we got the whole thing done in about two hours, rather than closer to three hours, so not bad.

When we got back to the library I got my new weeding list.  The second floor remodeling is on a much faster schedule than we originally thought and now we need to do a lot of weeding in a short amount of time.  Unfortunately I didn't get to print off my own list, which would have allowed me to reorganize things and sort the list to make it easier for me weed.  It's way more efficient the way I do it and saves a lot of paper.  But apparently the person in technical services who usually prints the list felt bad that we were printing our own lists, which made my boss feel bad, which led to me getting a 423-page weeding list that I have to sort through.  Hooray.

After work I picked up Chipotle because there were parking spots. Then I took a horribly planned route through town, getting caught in a lot of traffic at every turn.  I stopped and got gas, and then stopped at my house to pick up my trash and grab an HDMI cable before heading to my Mom's house for dinner.

When I got to my Mom's, the first thing I did was take a look at her TV because she said it hasn't been working for a day or so.  It would come on but all she got was a black screen.  My first troubleshooting step was to check the different inputs to see if I could get a picture.  I got one for the Chromecast and got her Xbox to show up, which was a good sign.  Then I switched the Xbox input to the one the satellite was on and could still see the Xbox on that input, also a good sign.  That is when the HDMI cable came into play.  I switched out the HDMI cable going from the satellite box to the TV with the cable I brought over and, voila, the TV was working again.  I'm really glad it was an easy fix like that, and not a broken TV.

Once the TV was working we ate dinner, talked, and watched YouTube videos.  It was a pretty good night.  I got home around eight o'clock, clicked around the internet, watched YouTube videos, and took forever to finish this, as always.  I'm still deep in the rabbit hole of rapper interview videos.

I open again tomorrow and I'm already looking forward to getting off at five o'clock.  I need a weekend.

[patriotsvsjets-blog]

Patriots vs Jets

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[good-golly-yikes]

liked these lines enough 2 start screwing around w colors lol 😕

[good-golly-yikes]

airborne