#stc issue 57

[samobservessonic]

I have to give StC props for quickly realising that a Knuckles vs Metal Sonic fight would be something that the kids would love and just going for it

I’ve skipped through a bit of the fight, but this is why I’d recommend reading StC if you haven’t already - you owe it to yourself to see these Elson fight scenes in all their full glory

Nack’s back. I guess Knuckles has more important things to focus on right now than how Nack openly bailed on them last time

The Chaotix are okay! But oh, flippin’ heck, we’re not beating these British allegations any time soon!

Thanks, buddy! That’s real nice of you to lead the way!

Knuckles figures it out at the last moment, but they’re a bit late for it to matter

So yeah, the guy they lumped in with the Chaotix who’s a villain from other games ended up betraying them after all. I’m sure his reward won’t be what he’s hoping for, but we’ll get to that in the next issue. I don’t want to say too much about this until the end of the arc, but I am enjoying this as a way to introduce Nack in general

[kinopioa]

900th Adventure notes (not much about Ian and Evan!)

-Nigel Kitching, from Sonic the Comic, interestingly returns. His writing is more dramatic at first, but it was all a ploy to distract Metal and ease off the effects of the Topaz

His mannerisms are a little snappier, which given StC makes sense, same for brief descriptions cuz he British. Sadly Knuckles didn't do anything, but I like Sonic's characterization. He's cheeky, but not obnoxiously dissing like Flynn's, and his ploy exposes a good context intelligence unlike most of IDW

The art's weird. Apparently both Fonseca and Rik Mack worked on it, and while I see Fonseca's influence, it deviates from his still at bits. Not bad, though Knux's anger seemsmore exaggerated than what the writer intended

-Daniel Barnes has Sonic a bit more mouthy to Eggman/bots specifically. I like the idea that Eggman's testing out mechas in remote locations. If they fail, he won't be penalized. His mecha also is actually new, about time! Oddly, the city seems to be based on OVA...

Sonic noticeably isn't too bothered by the bots, and his priority of the Topaz over Eggman is seen. Only fault I can think of is fans misreading this as him not taking Eggman seriously out of context (note this further shows that Sonic can deal with Eggman not existing unlike Boom)

Art by Min Ho Kim (Dee Gee Min) once again is very detailed both drawing and rendering. .

-Aaron Hammerstrom. So the first thing I noticed, Cream!

She's been weirdly absent before this for Blaze use, you know, Blaze's first friend. That said, don't like the >told me I shouldn't help cuz dangerous. Feels counter to both games and that Annual, but this is IDW so bleh

Despite Rush refs, noticed Zero Gravity here. Also the first Aaron draw Sonic from the front

Also not a fond of the "Blaze be solo" retread. Brief, but still bleh

Shame, I love Aaron's art, especially with Foundraine coloring. Sonic's characterization is also better than Ian's, so double shame Cream got the short end of things initially, and Blaze too

Caleb

first, yikes. No offense to Abby Bulmer, but her art...isn't too good for chars and color. First I've seen their name though, for a 900th adventure issue special that's...odd. Wonder if this was done last minute...

That said, BG and perspectives are nice, and action/flow is good

As for writing, I like how Caleb references this even art BG wise (issue 15)

The scuffle with the Rogues is more comedic (also hey, Storm actually has a say here unlike Summer special), though I like this note

Of Rouge actually wanting to save the world, with treasure being secondary. Too often fans and Ian flanderize the treasure love

Shadow also is mostly decent, though I hated this. This is obnoxiously egotistic

In tune with Rivals though otherwise; He doesn't hate Sonic, but will not be afraid to beat him for the greater good

He also accepts Sonic making an option 3 (very much Sonic to say fuck da limits), and beats the Rogues from attempting to chase after they insult him. A little juvenile at bits, but "muh mandates" are further proven to be horseshit

So the end is Ian, and I won't talk much cuz it's basically Sonic putting the Topaz in its original spot, but this

Kinda cute in a "muh senpai" kind of way. Now if only I can forget how much Starline quickly soured

So overall, interesting filler, worst of Flynn didn't bog it down. Now here's the actual problem

It's filler

For a hyped 900th Adventure special, the fact it boiled down to "Sonic met friends and scuffled very briefly while running to an end" is...kinda nothing. There are other issues

-Eggman is here! So is this after or before IDW 57-60 arc?

-Richard Elton for cover made me think he was gonna do inner art too. Sadly no

-Same for Yardley

-IDW Sonic's continued tradition of lack of page numbers

-Knux again did nothing

-Rip Amy

Though a pro

-Credits are actually specified

-No OCs!

-ABT despite ehhh art for once isn't having chars weirdly talk when they shouldn't (the the yeah last page being closed mouth is hmm...). Actions are easier to read too!

It's overall ok as an anniversary filler story, but sadly is hyped to be much more

[zippy-reacts]

Sonic the Comic Liveblog: Issue 57

It is kinda funny that despite practically having control over the entirety of mobius, a mass exodus managed to happen right under his nose

Huh. I was under the implication Emerald Hill was often targeted because it was a rare example of a zone with a largely populated town. Guess not.

*Godzilla roar sound effect*

Not sure if Sonic is embarrassed about saying that in front of Amy specifically, or if it’s just a general ego thing.

Actually, this is StC!Sonic so it’s probably the latter

You’d have thought Robotnik would’ve conjured up something like this sooner if its apparently this tough.

It’s Metallix vs Knuckles!

Dang, speared him with an I beam. It always amazes me how physically strong this version of Knuckles is.

Everyone’s alive! Including Metallix apparently.

Now there’s the Nack I’m familiar with. This makes more sense than randomly being a tag-along for the Chaotix

Buddy. Mate. Pal. This is a video game magazine, video games are going to be discussed. Just skip over those sections, heck, I almost never read any of the non-sonic related stories anymore.

[noiseproblems]

How can you keep your home noise free?

Recognizing sound pollution sources is the first step to avoid purchasing a home altogether, or considering whether the noise issue can be addressed.

External ambient noise- Drilling during renovation, loud TV from the neighbors, traffic etc is all instances of external noise pollution that originate beyond the house. These undesired sounds generally leak in from the windows, but can come in through other mediums also. Hence, you should install STC 39 window.

External impact noise- This refers to impact noises created by the heavy objects or neighbors, in the unit just above you. Jumping, furniture movement and loud footsteps transmits impact noise to your unit.

Airborne noise in the home- Home entertainment, like Karaoke system and Hi-fi systems can disturb the adjacent rooms. In inferiorly designed units, even quiet sounds or speech can be transferred readily through the walls. Privacy is compromised. Hence, you should install STC 53 window.

Is a perfectly quiet home even feasible?

City residents are constantly exposed to high levels of noise pollution. While we can get a home without at least one of these noise issues, it is almost impossible to get an apartment completely free from noise pollution and hence you should install a STC 57 window in your home.

Doors- Even in a home with dense walls, a door with a small hole or crack can transmit undesired sound in and out of the room. Be sure that the doors are relatively dense, sealed well at the edges and don’t have any holes.

Air conditioning compressor and other equipment- Be sure air-con compressors are damped properly in an ideal housing as they can emit structural noise that can travel through the walls. Find them outside a dense wall to lessen their disturbance. Electrical boxes between walls can also open physical holes that permit airborne sound to pass through. They should be sealed with a acoustic putty and a STC 58 window.

[vignaniasacademy]

11th, 12th, 13th June 2020 Current affairs Vignan IAS

RBI has released draft Frameworks for ‘Sale of Loan Exposures’ and ‘Securitisation of Standard Assets’ About: These draft guidelines are applicable to all Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks); All India Financial Institutions (NABARD, NHB, EXIM Bank, and SIDBI); and, all Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) including Housing Finance Companies (HFCs). The guidelines attempt to align the regulatory framework with the Basel guidelines on securitisation that have come into force effective January 1, 2018. The revisions also take into account the recommendations of the Committee on Development of Housing Finance Securitisation Market in India (Chair: Dr. Harsh Vardhan) and the Task Force on the Development of Secondary Market for Corporate Loans (Chair: Shri T.N. Manoharan), which were set up by the RBI in May, 2019.  Important Info : Salient features of draft guidelines: Only transactions that result in multiple tranches of securities being issued reflecting different credit risks will be treated as securitisation transactions.Two capital measurement approaches have been proposed: Securitisation External Ratings Based Approach (SEC-ERBA) and Securitisation Standardised Approach (SEC-SA).A special case of securitisation, called Simple, Transparent and Comparable (STC) securitisations, has been prescribed with clearly defined criteria and preferential capital treatment.The definition of securitisation has been modified to allow single asset securitisations. Securitisation of exposures purchased from other lenders has been allowed.Standard Assets would be allowed to be sold by lenders through assignment, novation or a loan participation contract . The Stressed Assets, however, would be allowed to be sold only through assignment or novation.Requirement of Minimum Retention Requirement (MRR) for sale of loans has been done away with.  Source : The Hindu (Economy) Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the COVID Emergency Credit Facility covers all companies and not just Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) About: The Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) is the biggest fiscal component of the Rs 20-lakh crore Self-Reliant India Mission package announced by Finance Minister last month. Under the scheme, 100 per cent guarantee coverage will be provided by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) for additional funding of up to Rs 3 lakh crore to eligible companies and borrowers, in the form of a guaranteed emergency credit line (GECL) facility. For this purpose, a corpus of Rs 41,600 crore was provided by the government, spread over the current and next three financial years. The scheme will be applicable to all loans sanctioned under GECL facility during the period from the date of announcement of the scheme to October 31 or till an amount of Rs 3 lakh crore is sanctioned under GECL, whichever is earlier. The main objective of the scheme is to provide an incentive to member lending institutions to increase access and enable availability of additional funding facility to borrowers, in view of the economic distress caused by the COVID-19 crisis.  Source : All India Radio (Economy) Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) have recorded at least 14 earthquakes of low or medium intensity since April, 2020 About: As per the 2002 map by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), India is divided into four seismic zones – viz. Zone II, III, IV and V – based on seismicity, earthquakes occurred in the past and tectonic setup of the region. Delhi falls in Zone IV, which makes it vulnerable to earthquakes. Delhi does not lie on a plate boundary. It is located on a single plate, and the seismic activity is generated by internal deformities. Important Info : Seismic Zones: Zone II: This is seismically the least active region. It covers parts of India that are not included in Zone III, IV and V.Zone III: Comprises Kerala, Goa, Lakshadweep islands, remaining parts of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal, Parts of Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.Zone IV: It covers parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, Sikkim, Northern parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, parts of Gujarat and small portions of Maharashtra near the west coast and Rajasthan.Zone V: This is seismically the most active region. Parts of the Himalayan boundary in North and Northeast India fall in this zone. Kutch area in the West also falls here. Remaining parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttranchal, part of North Bihar and Andaman and the Nicobar Islands are included. Source : Indian Express (Disaster Management) A new study suggests that one of the ways of effective social distancing strategies to keep the Covid-19 curve flat include the idea of social bubbles About: A social bubble is a close-set of people i.e. like family, with whom we interact on a regular basis. During the current lockdown, a social bubble is limited to the members of a household with whom one interacts on a daily basis. However, as things normalise and conditions in general improve, this bubble can grow larger. It can then include close friends and relatives and neighbours. This in a later stage can expand further and include any person with whom we may need to get in contact with in our daily lives. The idea is that if people decide to expand their bubble gradually and make sure that they meet and contact only those who come inside their existing bubble, the risk of the spread of COVID-19 can be limited. It also reduces the psychological and financial harm of lockdowns. Research published by the London School of Economics and Political Science says that the concept of social bubbles proved effective for New Zealand since it allowed people who were isolated, vulnerable or struggling to receive the care and support they needed.  Source : Indian Express (Health) A 3,000-years-old Mayan temple has been discovered in Mexico through laser mapping technique, making it the ancient civilisation's oldest and largest monument About: The temple site called Aquada Fenix, in Mexico, is 4,600 feet long and up to 50 feet high, making it larger than the Mayan pyramids and palaces of later periods. It was built between 800 BC and 1,000 BC. One of the most remarkable revelations from the find was the complete lack of stone sculptures related to rulers and elites, such as colossal heads and thrones, that are commonly seen in other Mayan temples. This suggests that the people who built it were more egalitarian than later generations of Mayans. Source : News18 (Geography) Gairsain in Chamoli district has been formally declared as the summer capital of Uttarakhand. A notification was issued after state governor gave her assent to the move About: The development came three months after Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had announced making Gairsain the summer capital, besides Dehradun, during the budget session of the assembly on March 4. Now, with the announcement of Gairsain as the summer capital, there is a lack of clarity on the status of Dehradun.  Important Info : Background: Gairsain is a town and Nagar Panchayat in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand. Gairsain is situated at the eastern edge of the Dudhatoli mountain range.Uttarakhand was carved out as a separate state from Uttar Pradesh in 2000.Statehood activists had long contended that Gairsain, a tehsil in Chamoli district, was best suited to be the capital of the mountainous state as it was a hilly region falling on the border of Kumaon and Garhwal regions. But it was Dehradun, located in the plains, that served as the temporary capital.The state Assembly is located in Dehradun, but sessions are held in Gairsain as well. Source : Indian Express (Polity & Governance) The Ramon Magsaysay awards have been cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the only third time the annual awards were disrupted in six decades. The awards were also cancelled due to a financial crisis in 1970 and a disastrous earthquake that hit the Philippines in 1990 About: Ramon Magsaysay award is popularly known as Asia’s Nobel Prize. Criteria: It is given to individuals and organizations in Asia regardless of race, creed, sex, or nationality, who have achieved distinction in their respective fields. (There are some instances where the winners came from Non-Asian countries, but accomplished something in Asia). Name: It is named after Ramon Magsaysay, the third president (1953-57) of Philippines. Background: It was established in 1957 by New York based Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF), with the consent of Philippine government. The first Awards were given in 1958. Vinoba Bhave of India was one of the recipients. Awardees are presented with a certificate and a medal. Source : Times of India (Awards) Scientists from Raman Research Institute (RRI), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science &Technology have found out that spectrin, which are flexible rod-shaped molecules present in axons, act as ‘shock absorbers’ to protect axons from stretch-induced damage About: The study can help in understanding and treatment of concussion from head injuries as well as stretch-induced nerve injuries. Axons are long tubular extensions of nerve cells that transmit electrical signals across long distances and can be up to a meter long in the case of humans. At such lengths, they are subjected to large stretch deformations during limb or other bodily movements. Axons in the brain too undergo significant deformations, even during normal activities like jumping. Important Info : Axons vs Dendrite: An axon is one of two types of cytoplasmic protrusions from the cell body of a neuron; the other type is a dendrite.Axons are distinguished from dendrites by several features, includingshape (dendrites often taper while axons usually maintain a constant radius),length (dendrites are restricted to a small region around the cell body while axons can be much longer), andfunction (dendrites receive signals whereas axons transmit them). Source : DD News (Science & Technology) The Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) Complex was inaugurated at Visakhapatnam About: The DSRV Complex is designed to accommodate the newly inducted Submarine Rescue System with state of the art facilities to store the DSRV assets in a Rescue-Ready state. The DSRV system consists of a Submarine Rescue Vessel, a Remote Operations Vehicle, Side Scan Sonar and associated equipment. It also has Diver Decompression Chambers and hyperbaric medical equipment to decompress submariners after being rescued from a sunken submarine. The DSRV system can be rapidly mobilised by air or road to facilitate submarine rescue operations even at distant locations. The Indian Navy has inducted two such systems which will provide rescue cover to submarines on the West and East coast of India respectively. Currently, there are about 40 nations that operate submarines in the world out of which only a few have any form of submarine rescue capability.  Source : All India Radio (Defence & Security) The World Accreditation Day (WAD) 2020 was celebrated on 9th June under the theme “Accreditation: Improving Food Safety About: The World Accreditation Day (WAD) is celebrated on 9th June every year to highlight as well as promote the role of accreditation in trade & economy. The theme for WAD 2020 is “Accreditation: Improving Food Safety”, as decided by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) and National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), the two accreditation boards of the Quality Council of India (QCI), organised a Webinar to commemorate the event. Important Info : Quality Council of India (QCI)? Quality Council of India (QCI) was set up in 1997 jointly by the Government of India and the Indian Industry represented by the three premier industry associations i.e. ASSOCHAM, CII and FICCI, to establish and operate national accreditation structure.The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, is the nodal ministry for QCI. Source : Economic Times (Economy) World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL) is being observed on 12 June under the theme “COVID-19: Protect children from child labour, now more than ever”, focussing on the impact of coronavirus crisis on child labour About: Nodal agency: It is an International Labour Organization (ILO)-sanctioned holiday aiming to raise awareness and activism to prevent child labour. Date of observance: The Day is observed every year on June 12. Background: It was first launched in It was spurred by ratifications of ILO Convention No. 138 on the minimum age for employment and ILO Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labour. Important Info : Target 8.7 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals calls for an end to child labour in all its forms by 2025. Source : United Nations (Social Issues) The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2021 were released About: The top 10 universities of the world comprised mainly the top-notch Ivy League colleges from the US, the UK and even one from Switzerland. While Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) of the United States secured Rank 1, Stanford and Harvard universities secured the next two ranks in the list of the world’s best universities. UK's Oxford University took fifth place in the ranking. Indian scenario No Indian institute secured a position among the top 100 universities of the world. Like last year’s QS rankings, IIT Bombay, IISc Bengaluru, and IIT Delhi featured in the top 200 list, but all three saw a drop in their ranks this year. IIT Bombay dropped 20 spots -- from 152 to 172, IISC Bengaluru dropped just one spot from 184 to 185, and IIT Delhi dropped 11 spots from 182 to 193. The total number of Indian institutions in the top 1,000 global list has also fallen from 24 to 21. Important Info : Do you know? QS World University Rankings is published annually by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a British company specialising in the analysis of higher education institutions around the world.It measures the world’s top 1,000 universities on 6 factors:Academic reputation (40%)Employer reputation (10%)Faculty/Student Ratio (20%)Citations per faculty (20%)International Faculty Ratio (5%)International student ratio (5%) Source : The Hindu (Education) Indian Railways has created a new world benchmark by successfully running first Double-Stack Container Train in high-rise in Over Head Equipment (OHE) electrified territory on Western Railway About: The Operations successfully commenced on 10th June from Palanpur and Botad stations in Gujarat. With this remarkable development, Railways has become the first to run Double-Stack Container train with high reach pantograph in high rise Over Head Equipment territory, which has contact wire height of 7.57 metre This achievement is a first of its kind in the entire world and will also boost the ambitious mission of Green India. Source : All India Radio (Economy) Union Ministry of Environment has issued an advisory for import of exotic species. The move comes as the outbreak of COVID-19 has raised global concern about illegal wildlife trade and zoonotic diseases Key highlights of advisory: The advisory defines ‘Exotic Live Species’ as animal or plant species moved from their original range (location) to a new one. ‘Exotic live species’ shall be construed to mean only “the animals named under the Appendices I, II and III of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora”. Species covered by the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 cannot be traded. People importing “exotic live species” will have to make a voluntary disclosure. For new ‘Exotic Live Species’, the importer should obtain a no-objection certificate from the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) of the State. For Existing Species, stocks “shall be declared by the owner/ holder to the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) of the concerned State or UT”.  Important Info : Comment: It will create a process where all imports will be screened. As of now, the imports are being made through the Director General of Foreign Trade and State Forest departments are not kept in the loop.Several exotic species of birds, reptiles, small mammals, fishes and even some plants are imported. Blue and gold macaws are popular exotic pets. Source : The Hindu (Environment) In the reporting on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) stand-off, the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road has often appeared. The Chinese build-up along the Galwan River valley region overlooks, and hence poses a direct threat to the DSDBO road About: Darbuk-Shyokh-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) is the 255-km long all-weather road built by India’s Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in eastern Ladakh. It runs almost parallel to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Aksai Chin, the eastern ear of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state that China occupied in the 1950s, leading to the 1962 war in which India came off worse. In October 2019, Defence Minister Singh inaugurated a 500-m-long Bailey Bridge on the road. The bridge is named after Colonel Chewang Rinchen, an Indian Army hero from Ladakh. Located at 14,650 ft, it is believed to be the world’s highest such bridge. Important Info : Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO)? DSDBO connects Leh to Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), the northernmost corner of Indian territory in Ladakh. DBO itself is less than 10 km west of the LAC at Aksai Chin.DBO has the world’s highest airstrip. Source : Indian Express (Geography) International Albinism Awareness Day 2020 is being observed on June 13 under the theme "Made to Shine" to celebrate the achievements of persons with albinism worldwide About: What is it? Albinism is a congenital disorder characterized in humans by the complete or partial absence of pigmentation (melanin) in the skin, hair and eyes. It is non-contagious. Health impact: Albinism is associated with a number of vision defects, such as photophobia, nystagmus, and amblyopia. Lack of skin pigmentation increases vulnerability to the sun and bright light. As a result, almost all people with albinism are visually impaired and are prone to developing skin cancer. Cause: Albinism results from inheritance of recessive gene alleles. In almost all types of albinism, both parents must carry the gene for it to be passed on, even if they do not have albinism themselves. Prevalence: The condition is found in both sexes regardless of ethnicity and in all countries of the world. Treatment: There is no cure for the absence of melanin that is central to albinism. Source : United Nations (Health) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released a Discussion Paper on ‘Governance in Commercial Banks in India’ for public comments About: The objective of the discussion paper is to align the current regulatory framework with global best practices while being mindful of the context of domestic financial system. Based on the feedback, fresh guidelines will be issued. The new norms will come into effect within six months after being placed the RBI’s website or April 1, 2021, whichever is later. The norms will be applicable to private, foreign and public sector banks. Some of the major highlights of the paper are as follows: Board members should not be a member of any other bank’s board or the RBI and should not be either a Member of Parliament or State Legislature or Municipality or other local bodies. Board of directors of a bank should not be less than six and not more than 15, with a majority being independent directors. The board shall meet at least six times a year and at least once every 60 days. A director on the board of an entity other than a bank may be considered for appointment as director on a bank’s board, if the person is not an owner of an NBFC or a full-time employee and that the NBFC does not enjoy a financial accommodation from the bank. Appointment, re-appointment and termination of wholetime directors (WTDs) and chief executive officers CEOs) should be with the previous approval of RBI. The upper age limit for CEO and WTDs of banks is suggested at 70 years. Banks will be free to set a lower age for such appointments. Source : The Hindu (Economy) About: The IFLOWS-Mumbai has been developed by the Union Ministry for Earth Sciences on the request of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). IFLOWS-Mumbai is a state of art Integrated Flood Warning system for Mumbai. It is expected to enhance Mumbai’s resilience by providing early warning for flooding specially during high rainfall events and cyclones. I-FLOWS comprises seven modules, namely Data Assimilation, Flood, Inundation, Vulnerability, Risk, Dissemination Module and Decision Support System. The system has provisions to capture the urban drainage within the city and predict the areas of flooding, which will be incorporated in the final system. Source : All India Radio Integrated Flood Warning System - IFLOWS was inaugurated in Mumbai by Union Minister for Earth Sciences and Maharashtra Chief Minister About: The IFLOWS-Mumbai has been developed by the Union Ministry for Earth Sciences on the request of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). IFLOWS-Mumbai is a state of art Integrated Flood Warning system for Mumbai. It is expected to enhance Mumbai’s resilience by providing early warning for flooding specially during high rainfall events and cyclones. I-FLOWS comprises seven modules, namely Data Assimilation, Flood, Inundation, Vulnerability, Risk, Dissemination Module and Decision Support System. The system has provisions to capture the urban drainage within the city and predict the areas of flooding, which will be incorporated in the final system. Source : All India Radio (Disaster Management) Union Agriculture Minister launched Sahakar Mitra: Scheme on Internship Programme (SIP) About: Objective: To help cooperative institutions access innovative ideas of young professionals while the interns will gain experience of working in the field to be self-reliant. Bodies involved: The scheme is an initiative by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), the cooperative sector development finance organization. Eligibility under scheme: Professional graduates in disciplines such as Agriculture and allied areas, IT etc. will be eligible for internship. Professionals who are pursuing or have completed their MBA degrees in Agri-business, Cooperation, Finance, International Trade, Forestry, Rural Development, Project Management etc. will also be eligible. Stipend: Each intern will get financial support over a 4 months internship period. Source : PIB (Economy) The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will classify railway stations under the red, orange and green categories based on the quantity of waste water generated and the disposal of untreated water into the municipal drain system About: Railway stations generating waste water equal to or more than 100 Kilo Litres per Day (KLD) would be categorised as Red. Railway stations generating waste water greater than 10 KLD but less than 100 KLD would come under the Orange category. Railway stations with less than 10 KLD waste water generation would be branded Green. CPCB, by invoking powers under the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, had issued a direction to all State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) to categorise railway stations and send an action taken report. Source : The Hindu (Environment) Read the full article

[xemidatwospirit]

All-Male Taming of the Shrew: or female erasure & transmisogyny in 2016 US Theatre

Open letter to Shakespeare Theatre Company Leadership, Yeyek tunal, nutukay Xemi. Good day to you all, my name is Xemi. May this message find you in a place of understanding and receptiveness.  I am a mixed race Amerindian (Nawat) and Western Asian (Sephardic), bigender Two-Spirit theatre artist in the Washington DC area. I aim to foster safe spaces for Native American artists in DC Theatre, and work towards a decolonial future where all voices and bodies are welcomed.  

I am writing you this open letter because I firmly believe that your company is an ally to DC’s LGBTQIA+ communities; I believe that any action your company has taken against DC’s LGBTQIA+ communities has been out of not knowing or being fully and accurately informed rather than out of malice; and I believe there is still time to repair any harm, erasure, or gendered and sexual marginalization committed against DC’s LGBTQIA+ community before it manifests on stage. I am writing this open letter to your company because the erasure of female and non-binary voices and bodies in your upcoming production of Taming of the Shrew is an act of transmisogyny, and needs to be addressed.  A general note given on the Taming of the Shrew casting notice can be found on backstage.com .

“This will be an immersive, ALL MALE production of The Taming of the Shrew. The production will take advantage of the recent advances in legislation toward gay marriage, retaining the original genders of the characters (the women will be women) while simultaneously providing a world where the values of Love and Marriage are evaluated within a queered perspective.”

“This production will be tonally provocative in addressing issues of sexuality, violence and exploration of identity.” The casting notice for the show raises questions about STC’s understanding of gender, sexual orientation, representation, and holistic queer history:

1) How can this production “take advantage of the recent advances in legislation toward gay marriage” by “retaining the original genders of the characters”? By definition, the “original” or canonical relationship between Kate and Petruchio, as well the relationships between Bianca and her suitors, are heterosexual. If gay marriage was actually being celebrated, Petruchio and Kate would be the same gender, out of the innumerable genders that exist. Homosexuality, or same-sex attraction or same-gender love or gay-ness, requires that those involved in the relationship be of the same gender. A male Petruchio and a female Kate do not celebrate gay marriage as the characters are of different genders. That is to say, canonically, the relationship between Petruchio and Kate is a heterosexual one; where a canonical male role and a canonical female role are romantically intimate with one another.  In sum, the fact that the gender of the actors playing the roles are the same does not change the canonical relationship.  It is still read as a heterosexual one in the Universe of Taming of the Shrew. In contrast, casting a women in the role of Petruchio and having her play the role as a woman creates a story that celebrates gay marriage; however, maintaining the couples canonical hetero-relationship does not add the desired provocativity or nuance to the production.  

2) Does casting cisgender men as women to celebrate same-gender marriage, homogenize LGBTQIA+ identities? A huge red flag for Trans issues and representation is risen when Producers inadvertently try and queer hetero-relationships in this way.  Transgender women who date cisgender men are by definition heterosexual. Oftentimes cisgender heterosexuals, who don’t examine gender and sexual orientation as often as transgender folks and cisgender sexual orientation minorities do, don’t distinguish between gender identity and sexual orientation; defaulting to define all as “queer” by proxy of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. This practice has been documented to erase cisgender lesbians and trans folks of all genders.  

3) Why cast cisgender men as Transgender Women? “Exploration of identity”  suggests exploration of gender since male actors are called upon to represent these female roles. Though the casting notice does not call Kate, Bianca, and the Widow, Transgender Women, given the framework laid out by STC, it is clear that these women in Taming of the Shrew are not cisgender.  It is so unfortunate the tradition of casting cisgender men as Transgender Women continues considering DC is home to Casa Ruby- the only Bilingual Multicultural LGBT Organization providing life saving services and programs to the most vulnerable in the LGBT community; and that Trans & Queer specific talent agencies such as awqward talent exist. Finding queer and Trans talent is so easy in DC.  

4) What are the repercussions of baring Non-Binary people and Women from these financial opportunities? Reserving those three female roles that could go to Transgender women, Non-Binary people, or cisgender women, for cisgender men instead, does not only erase women from Taming of the Shrew, but it also strips the financial opportunities for said women. Three Principal AEA Contracts at $909/week minimum for Kate, Bianca, and Widow means that in the 12-14 week contract period, three cisgender men will be receiving a combined total of over $32,700 that could have gone to women. These three opportunities could have gone to Transgender Women. According to the DC Trans Coalition Access Denied: Washington, DC Trans Needs Assessment Report,

“…over 46% of our respondents made below $10,000 (per year), compared to only 11% of Washington, DC residents. Trans persons of color, particularly trans women of color, face the greatest economic hardships of those we surveyed, with 57% making below $10,000”

and

“36% reporting unemployment compared to just 9% of Washington, DC residents, (with) Black trans persons (having) the highest rate of unemployment at 55%.”

It is unfortunate to see these roles be denied to LGBTQIA+ women; Black Transgender women of color in particular.

I am thrilled that the company has broken it’s 25 year old tradition of all-white directors for mainstage productions. Ed Sylvanus Iskandar’s perspective as an Indonesian director is one that would be very enriching to DC as other Asian directors’ influences have been to DC’s professional theatres, as well as considering the struggles of Asian-American Theatre Artists, but that does not change the transmisogynistic nature of this vision. I can only imagine what a Taming of the Shrew with DC’s LGBTQIA+ communities included in telling this story would be like.

Transgender actress and activist Laverne Cox says regarding the entertainment industry that “market forces can’t be dismissed when casting decisions are made.“  Distinguished Professor bell hooks calls those forces “Imperialist White Supremacist Capitalist Patriarchy”. Where systems “support, uphold, or perpetuate” a Patriarchy that is Imperialist, White Supremacist, and Capitalist. This is about systems. Not individual people or individual groups. Systemic oppression are those forces that must be combated.

This open letter is not meant to be an attack on Shakespeare Theatre Company, but rather a conversation starter about the Colonial nature of our theatre community. How can Shakespeare Theatre Company be a better ally to DC’s LGBTQIA+ Community’s decolonization processes from the Imperialist White Supremacist Capitalist Patriarchy?

I encourage Shakespeare Theatre Company and all allies of DC’s LGBTQIA+ communities, to evaluate on how to create, and do their part in creating a theatre community where all voices and bodies are invited to participate.

Sincerely,

Xemiyulu (a proud Transgender Two-Spirit of the Nawat-Maya-Lenca Nation known internationally as El Salvador)

[gokul2181]

Rising Covid-19 cases and boxing team doctor’s positive report lead to cycling, hockey camp’s indefinite postponement | More sports News

New Post has been published on https://jordarnews.in/rising-covid-19-cases-and-boxing-team-doctors-positive-report-lead-to-cycling-hockey-camps-indefinite-postponement-more-sports-news/

Rising Covid-19 cases and boxing team doctor’s positive report lead to cycling, hockey camp’s indefinite postponement | More sports News

NEW DELHI: A sense of fear and anxiety has gripped athletes and sports administrators after certain recent developments at the NIS Patiala raised fresh questions about the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) preparedness to resume sports activities and national camps in different disciplines across its various regional centres in the country. An embarrassing quarantine protocol breach by India’s two Olympic-bound boxers, Vikas Krishan and Satish Kumar, and Vikas’ training partner, Neeraj Goyat, at the NIS Patiala, which resulted in the management change at the top leading to the interim suspension of NIS’ executive director, Col. Raj Singh Bishnoi, followed by a team doctor associated with the boxing discipline testing positive for covid-19 infection – all these incidents have made athletes worried about their well-being and safety when reporting for the camps after over three months of lockdown. Similarly, the SAI, which has taken up the mantle of organising camps for returning athletes in the wake of the derecognition of 57 national sports federations (NSFs) by the Delhi High Court, too, has been walking a delicate tightrope in its bid to keep athletes mentally healthy and motivated during these uncertain pandemic times. While the SAI has been gradually opening up its facilities for camps according to its own ‘Standard Operating Procedures’ (SOPs) and guidelines issued by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) and the health and family welfare department (MoHFW), the rising number of covid-19 cases nationwide, fresh lockdowns imposed by various state governments to control the virus surge and recent incidents playing out at the NIS Patiala involving boxers, including doctor Amol Patil testing positive, has thrown a spanner in the SAI’s plans to resume camps in coming weeks at its regional facilities. To begin with, a national camp for the country’s premier cyclists, including India internationals Esow Alben, Ronaldo Singh and David Beckham among others, will not be organised now at the NIS campus amid growing fears of contracting the virus. The camp has been called off keeping the health and safety of cyclists in mind. The development has come in the backdrop of the boxing team’s doctor returning covid-19 positive. The camp, which was originally scheduled to begin in Imphal, was twice postponed (July 1 and July 10) due to the Cycling Federation of India’s (CFI) derecognition like all other 56 NSFs and the SAI’s reluctance to fund the camp. CFI looked to organise the camp at the Khuman Lampak stadium, which has a velodrome in its campus and a hostel as well, but the residential facility wasn’t made available for the cyclists’ stay by the local state administration. CFI was in the process of renting out a space for cyclists outside the campus, but then the derecognition happened. Imphal was originally chosen for the camp because the Manipuri capital fell under the ‘green zone’ demarcation (not affected by covid-19). The camp was later rescheduled for the Wednesday (July 15) start at the NIS, which the SAI agreed to fund as well, but the cyclists stayed put in their respective cities because there wasn’t any clear communication to report for the camp either from the SAI or the CFI. But, after the covid-19 case on the campus, the SAI looked in no mood to take the risk of giving a go-ahead to any fresh camp, that too, when it’s not for the Tokyo Olympic-bound athletes. The SAI, it’s been learnt, has decided to postpone the conduct of the cycling camp for now. The sports body, which is looking for a course correction at the NIS – be it revisiting its quarantine protocols or overhauling the institute’ administration — doesn’t wish to put the athletes’ lives at risk. Similarly, the CFI, too, fears for the well-being of its cyclists and doesn’t want a camp in Patiala. It doesn’t see any logic in making its elite cyclists to travel from different cities all the way to the NIS and then put them under a 14-day quarantine period. Instead, the CFI wishes to start the camp at a much more logistically convenient Indira Gandhi Indoor (IGI) stadium’s cycling velodrome from August 15. CFI’s decision to say NO to the NIS was influenced by the covid-19 positive case on the campus. According to CFI’s chairman, Onkar Singh, while his core group riders in Imphal and Andaman have started training on a dedicated cycling track, the other core group members in Punjab and West Bengal are practicing on road tracks in the morning hours. The CFI will tell the cyclists to assemble in Delhi for the camp, stay quarantined for 14 days at the stadium’s residential facility and then start training at the refurbished velodrome. The CFI’s original plan was to send its cyclists to Germany in May for training-cum-competition tour before returning back to India in August after competing in the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Cairo, Egypt from August 16-21. But then the world was struck by the deadly covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown ensued. It meant that the cyclists stayed put in their respective home cities and couldn’t practice. Also, the IGI velodrome was undergoing refurbishment before the lockdown and the work was expected to complete by August. But, with no labour available and construction activity halted, it would take some more months for the velodrome to become fully operational, which would mean another postponement in dates for the camp. “We are in a fix and don’t want to take chances going to Patiala when there has been a covid-19 case. It’s already too late to conduct the camp in Patiala. There’s no point calling the cyclists to the NIS and putting them under quarantine for the next 14 days and then taking them back to Delhi for the camp in August. It doesn’t make any sense. It would be better to organise the camp at the IGI and we hope that the velodrome becomes operational by then. If not, then at least the cyclists should be allowed to assemble at the IGI so that they can start some sort of practising. SAI should make the IGI’s residential facility for campers available to the cyclists. In the next 15-20 days, cyclists will need to come to Delhi. We also hope that the NSFs’ derecognition issue gets sorted out soon, so that the CFI can conduct the camp. My only concern is the safety and well-being of my athletes, that’s it,” Singh told TOI. Similarly, talking about the hockey camp for the Indian men’s and women’s teams, the SAI has informed that the camp will not resume on July 19 as planned at its regional centre in Bengaluru because of the rising number of covid-19 cases and the city going for another seven-day complete lockdown until July 22. Another reason, it’s been learnt, is the derecognition of Hockey India (HI) as an NSF by the court. The covid-19 case at the NIS, too, has played a part in the decision-making. The players had been sent home on a month-long break by the coaching staff as they remained confined to their hostel rooms at the Bengaluru centre for nearly three months due to the countrywide lockdown. The SAI may not be comfortable holding fresh camps at a time when the cases are rising and athletes themselves are afraid of resuming the training. It’s been learnt that the players haven’t been informed about the resumption of camps either by the SAI or HI. Since the HI is derecognised, the SAI has been directly contacting the athletes and organising camps. The men’s team chief coach, Graham Reid and scientific advisors Robin Arkell (men’s) and Wayne Lombard (women’s) are currently staying at the SAI centre. At the NIS, the Olympic-bound boxers and core probables, along with the coaching support staff, haven’t been retested for covid-19 after doctor Patil’s positive test report on Monday evening. It had been decided by the SAI to get the 11 boxers and Indian men’s team chief coach, CA Kuttappa and women’s team head coach, Mohammed Ali Qamar, among other support staff members, retested to rule out the possibility of any of them being infected by the virus. The men’s team boxers, including world No. 1 pugilist in the 52kg category, Amit Panghal and Ashish Kumar, among others, along with the coaching staff, were at the same quarantine facility where Patil was staying. The team members were quarantining at the STC boys’ hostel at the polo ground outside the campus. But, two days have passed, the boxers and coaches are still waiting for their samples to be collected.

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[samobservessonic]

Oooh, so we’ve got a Stringer story with art from Kitching (and John Burns) this time. It opens with our villainous duo confirming without a shadow of a doubt that the Emerald Hill Zone is empty. Robotnik takes this better than I thought he would, quickly deciding to move his focus to other zones after some encouragement from Grimer

We get a non-game zone with the interesting note that this place had been largely left alone by Robotnik before now. I like this as a story direction - the Freedom Fighters evacuated Emerald Hill for the safety of the people there, but the consequence is that Robotnik’s now targeting other people who he ignored before. It’s a bit more interesting than just having the heroes win without anything coming of that. Since we know that the Emerald Hill folk will be on the Floating Island for a good long time, I’m sure we’ll see plenty of how the rest of Mobius is affected by this

I’m sorry for posting three full pages in a row, but you gotta respect the panelling and a big cool dinosaur badnik deserves its full reveal

Ouch, embarrassing for Sonic lol

Wait, Tails is where? We’ve not heard anything about Tails visiting the Special Zone up until now and that doesn’t seem to happen in the other stories in this issue. I can only assume that means that this story was perhaps intended to run at a different time than it did

Since this is a Stringer story, we get a surprise appearance from his best boy, Shortfuse. Hey, if it works, it works. I’m never sad to see Shortfuse turn up

I guess the downside of being made out of the strongest metal on the planet is that Robotnik figured he could just make more robots out of that

Shortfuse & Sonic team up, while Amy stuns the big badnik with a bolt from her crossbow. Johnny doesn’t do much, but to be fair on him, there’s not much he really could contribute here with his short-ranged weapon. It’s okay Johnny, when I’m playing Hades Game, I also prefer to use the short-ranged weapons myself

Damn, I didn’t expect Shortfuse to go down that quickly

We end on a cliffhanger, with Sonic about to meet the same fate. Now, I know I’ve said a lot of times that I’m not huge on some of the robot designs from outside of the games, but this one is cool! A big robot dinosaur rampaging a city is a pretty universally awesome concept, so I’m enjoying this story and look forward to seeing more of it next time

[samobservessonic]

At first I thought that text was talking about Robotnik, purely because he’s such a central part of the image, but I guess it means the dragon robot behind him Also, while I wouldn’t mind 20 packs of skittles, I couldn’t think of anything much worse than a scratch ‘n’ sniff t-shirt. Can’t imagine that trend went anywhere. One of the other smelly gifts they gave away with StC was so awful that it left me with a very vivid memory, but we’ll get to that another day

[samobservessonic]

The posters in the special are simply poster versions of various StC covers. So, while I think that’s a good thing to have for putting up cool cover art on your walls, I’m not going to be including them here. The only other point of interest are these profile pages for Sonic & Knuckles, which are mostly based on StC, with a few mentions of the games. I do like that pink is one of Knuckles’s fave colours though. Also, I guess those cartoons just exist on Mobius

With this short break over, I’ll be returning to StC 57 for the next update. It’s going to be over 20 issues before we get another special, but there’s a lot to cover in the meantime and when we do get to that next special, it’ll be much bigger than this one!