#technology news December 26

[manasastuff-blog]

December 26th, 2024 News Highlights! #news #trendingnews #shorts #latestnewstelugutoday #latestnews

The December 26th, 2024 news highlights are here, covering the top 10 stories that made headlines worldwide! From groundbreaking updates to shocking revelations, this video dives deep into the most trending events of the day. Stay informed as we unpack the major news in politics, technology, sports, and global affairs that shaped December 26th.

#viralnews #trendingnews #etvnews#viralnewstoday#trending#viral #EtvNews#NewsHeadlines#etvteluguindia #etvnews #telangananews #newsheadlines #etvteluguindia#tv9teluguindia #latest #latestnewstoday

[elminx]

Energy Update: December 2024

December is a “2” Universal Month (12 (December) + 8 (2024) =20 = 2+0 = 2] in an “8” Universal Year. Two is a movement number – things begin to balance out from the pure creation of the energy of the “1” month prior, and decisions start to present themselves. This aligns poorly with the astrology of the month, which is dominated by two major personal planet retrogrades (Mercury and Mars). In order to seek out balance or come into alignment with what is, we may need to work backward.

The Set Up

We begin the month with the Sun and retrograde Mercury in Sagittarius, Venus in Capricorn, Mars deep in its pre-retrograde shadow in Leo, retrograde Jupiter in Gemini, Saturn and Neptune in Pisces, retrograde Uranus in Taurus, and Pluto in Capricorn. This month, we will only have two planetary ingresses: our Sun will enter Capricorn, and Venus will enter Aquarius. This is due to Mercury’s retrograde, which ends on 12/15, that keeps our planet of Communication, Travel, and Technology in the sign of its exile for an exceptionally long time.

The Details

All eyes are on Mars, which will retrograde on 12/06 at 06° Leo. This retrograde will stretch into the new year; it ends in late February, but the post-retrograde shadow will continue until the beginning of May. This is the Big News Bear of the month as it will impact our entire holiday season, but it also sets the tone for 2025.

Mars

Mars gets top billing this month due to its upcoming retrograde on 12/6. This isn’t a post specifically about the retrograde (that’ll be out later – look for it in your email if you’re signed up for my mailing list), but it is significant enough to warrant a brief discussion. Mars is the slowest moving of our personal planets and tends to retrograde every 26 months or so. Because this planet dictates our modes of action and energy levels, we can expect forward motion (as a whole) and output to be lower during Mars’ retrograde periods. This is business as usual and the expected result of a Mars retrograde, but that doesn’t mean that people will be comfortable or accepting of this outcome.

Therein lies a lot of the struggles of a Mars retrograde cycle. Many of us (especially those ruled by Mars – Aries and Scorpio – or those with strong Martian placements) rely on accomplishments and consistent action to regulate our nervous systems. When thwarted, the Martian temperament can get aggressive and moody. Some types can be pushy or overtly forceful, and if one thing is for sure, it is that nothing should be forced during a Mars retrograde. Let it unfold slowly, and try to enjoy the ride.

This retrograde starts in fixed fiery Leo and ends in cardinal watery Cancer. A lot of people are going to fuck some shit up so that they can feel like they are still sitting on their throne and likely cry about it later.

It’s wise to remember that the planets aren’t here to hurt us, no matter how much our dysregulated brains might try to tell us so. Instead, if we look at planetary retrogrades as an opportunity to review, restart, realign, reassess, and rejuvenate, they can actually be valuable times of othered space. Each planet in retrograde adds a layer of the liminal to the space soup, and the more planets in retrograde at a time, the more liminal our space becomes.

It’s worth noting here that Mars’ retrograde overlaps with Mercury’s in December by five days (from 12/6-12/15). These are powerful days to slow down and assess where your life is and what you need to change to move forward. This is especially fortunate for those who celebrate the new year in January, as it is an early chance to align yourself with your goals for the year ahead.

Mars will station direct on 2/23, so this is a long-game transit – much longer than Mercury’s month-long retrogrades. Other than slowing us all down (and probably causing some significant tifts over the holidays), Mars won’t be doing much this month as – during the time when a planet stations (changes directions) they tend to hold their position in the sky for an abnormally long time. If you have a personal planet in the early degrees of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius), you might feel the strain of Mar’s lack of movement all month. Expect things to get angsty. Expect divas to be on the very biggest tears. It is what it is; I find Leo’s energy pretty easy to walk away from if it’s getting to be too much, but your experience may vary.

Iron gate boundaries might be in order, especially with that incredibly demanding family member who never figured out that they aren’t the main character in your life. You might find that you need to do less; if you do, know you are right on time.

Mars retrogrades are almost inevitably challenging. Even if you can manage your own life slowing down (some of us even like it this way), you still have to deal with the absolute temper tantrums of those who can’t stand still for whatever reason. Stay aware of the Aries, Scorpio, and Capricorn types in your life (Sun, Moon, Ascendant, and Mars placements mostly here) or anyone with Mars in Cancer or Leo. They may be seriously losing their shit (and, if so, iron-clad boundaries, as I said), but they may also just need support as to what to do when you can’t do.

This retrograde aligns well with the season of withdrawal (lovingly called Fallowtide by some) but less well with our hustle-and-bustle holiday season. It’s okay not to do anything, especially if you are prone to low energy for any number of reasons. Take care of yourself often and early.

Our Lights: The Sun and the Moon

Our big win for the month is our two new moons – the first in Sagittarius on 12/01 and the second in Capricorn on 12/30 – which bookmark our month. Our Capricorn moon is especially auspicious because – as I have mentioned elsewhere – in 2024, we had two Capricorn new moons and two full moons. If, as I suggested, you have worked the Capricorn moons this year, this is your fourth and final chance to do so. Even though it is early from a calendar perspective, I would do any magic working or intention setting for 2025 during the hour of the new moon on 12/30. Capricorn is THE sign of long-term planning. Use that to your advantage.

We begin the month on 12/1 (always significant as the 1st dictates the energy for the month ahead) with a new moon at 09° Sagittarius in a t-square with Saturn at 13° Pisces and retrograde Jupiter at 16° Gemini. It’s worth noting two things here. The first is that Sagittarius, the sign of our lunation, is ruled by the planet Jupiter, which is currently in the sign of its exile, Gemini. Luck is on the fritz right now, and all that glitters is most certainly not gold. Additionally, this square between Jupiter and Saturn is Ascendanting meaning that the two planets haven’t actually met at a 90° angle; we are working towards this square, not away from it.

This square between Jupiter and Saturn, currently in Pisces and Gemini, will be a major player in the energy of 2025. The planets meet in an exact square on the Pisces-Gemini axis and the Aries-Cancer axis. Luck may have gone awry, but this is an opportunity to glimpse what lies ahead.

So you are saying, there is a chance. On this day the answer is almost irrevocably yes.

Our Sagittarius new moon is a 9/2 new moon. 9 (Sagittarius moon) + 9 (Sagittarius Sun) = 18 = 1+8 = 9. 9 (Sagittarius new moon) + 2 (December 2024) = 11 = 1+1 = 2.

We are in the midst of some big endings, symbolized by the “9” energy, but the “2” echoes the glimpse into the future and the choices that lie ahead. This is a day well spent in divination or pathfinding of all kinds.

Our Sagittarius Sun squares Saturn on 12/04, which should not surprise anyone. Everyone is being held accountable for their actions in some way or another. This is business as usual; the Sun squares Saturn twice a year, but I’ve always noticed that it seems to show up like clockwork when the world needs it the most. Any Sun/Saturn transit adds a lot of power to magic used for justice and to hold people accountable for their actions. The sign of the archer can be especially helpful for Justice spellwork as Sag has a natural desire toward the highest good. If you work with runes, the Tiwaz rune would be especially useful during this time.

Our full moon falls on 12/15 at 23° Gemini. It is mostly unaspected besides a square to Neptune in Pisces, which carries energy similar to a major lunation anyway. This is also the day that Mercury stations direct at 06° Sagittarius. The twofold nature of switching, Mercury in direction and the Moon in purpose (wax on/wane off if you will) can be used to enact many types of magic for change. Mars is retrograde by this point, though, so be careful how you word anything focused on movement in the physical world during this time. Think Road Opener rather than a spell to force direction.

Our Gemini full moon is a 3/5 full moon. 3 (Gemini moon) + 9 (Sagittarius Sun) = 12 = 1 + 2 = 3. 3 (Gemini full moon) + 2 (December 2024) = 5.

3 is our Manifestation number (useful for all types of magic), and 5 has the go-to-itsness to break through nearly all barriers.

Once the Sun enters Capricorn, it squares the lunar nodes on 12/23. Our lunar nodes will leave the Aries-Libra axis for Pisces-Virgo at the end of January; this is the end of the line for this cycle. Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, can work too hard to keep the peace at times; where are you saying “yes” when you really mean “no” in your life? This might be one less thorn in an old wound or pass less painfully. Cardinal signs are the most likely to notice this transit.

It all comes full circle to our new moon at 09° Capricorn on 12/30. This lunation is still in a wide square to our lunar nodes and is also sextile to Saturn, echoing the energy of that early Sun-Saturn square. Both Saturn and the lunar nodes rule something you could classify as fate or destiny. But in a less woo way than many would use the terms today. Some things are meant to be. You live. You die. A volcano erupts. A major plague races across the land. Because you took your first breath at this exact time in that exact place, you will live through these things. Because our Moon touches on both, but not in exactitude, I would expect all of us to be contemplating our place in the universe a bit during this lunation. Both where we have been – our place in this existence – and where we are going.

What can we can do to help? (Helping is the best way to actualize Capricorn energy)

Our Capricorn new moon is a 2/4 new moon. 10 (Capricorn Moon) + 10 (Capricorn Sun) = 20 = 2+0 = 2. 2 (Capricorn New moon) + 2 (December 2024) = 4.

I have to giggle at this because I consider Capricorns to naturally carry a lot of “4” energy around with them. “4” is a very balanced number; it is all about structure. What are Capricorns doing if not shoring up their world to protect it from the elements? (as is their nature, being born in the deep winter months) When considering the power of the Number 4, I would ask you to think of the older man-made structures still standing. Did the Egyptian pyramids come to mind? That is “4” energy; it grounds in all directions; it has longevity. Again, this 4 energy makes this a great day to do magic or set intentions for the new year ahead. You may wish to set an intention that will become manifest by the Capricorn full moon on 7/10/25.

Mercury

For the first half of December, Mercury will be moving backward in retrograde towards 06° Sagittarius, where it will station direct under the light of our Gemini full moon. This is notable because Mercury is the ruling planet of Gemini; this will be a day highly invigorated with Mercurial energy. We should all realize by now that Mercury retrograde is business as usual and simply a change in the expression of our “normal” Mercury energy. I’ve written more about this particular Mercury retrograde here.

It’s worth also remembering that Mercury is in exile in Sagittarius because Sagittarius is the opposite sign of Gemini, the sign of Mercury’s domicile. In Sagittarius, thoughts can be demanding, and people can become convinced that their way of thinking is the only right way. We all need to watch out for intellectual elitism and educational superiority, two bad behaviors of Mercury in Sagittarius. Every lived experience brings a different story and background to the table, and we need each to function together rather than separately. This is the first hit on this lesson, and it will take on a greater meaning as our North Node enters Pisces next month.

This retrograde cycle involves big hitters Jupiter in Gemini and Saturn in Pisces. This circles back to what I said above about Jupiter square Saturn having a big part to play in the year ahead. We often visit troublesome aspects through Mercury first. This cosmically makes some sense because when presented with a problem, to proceed, the best course of action is usually to think something through. Keep in mind that in firecracker Sagittarius, Mercury does not seem inclined to take that kind of time.

It is an oversimplification, but Jupiter brings the Go/Expansion energy and Saturn the Stop/Retraction energy. This is interesting because Jupiter gets nothing but space to expand in formless, airy Gemini, which you would think it would like, but it really doesn’t (it is the sign of Jupiter’s exile), and amorphous watery Pisces does nothing to give Saturn the form it so desperately requires. Neither giant is at its best, making them more demanding. In this case, Saturn will always be the rock, and Jupiter is playing the role of the hard place.

Mercury has to pass through this vice three times. We’ve done this once while Mercury was in forward motion and when Jupiter and Saturn weren’t in a very tight square. The second pass happens early this month between 12/04 when Mercury opposes Jupiter (each planet in its exile, a nasty untethered opposition) and 12/06 when Mercury squares Saturn. We might want to expand during this time (or just jump out of the way of the rocks rolling downhill toward us), but there’s nowhere to go. This is the hole of Mercury’s retrograde cycle; I’d bet most people fall into it somehow.

Alternatively, you could be trying to get your ball rolling, and one thing after another keeps getting in the way. This kind of aspect works both ways, sometimes both ways in the same situation, which can be extremely uncomfortable.

That the Mercury-Saturn squares goes exact as Mars retrogrades on 12/06 tells us a lot about the character of that day. Just don’t. If it’s not Essential, emphasis on the Capital E, do it another day. Things generally grind to a halt for a reason. You can force the wheels or look for a rock in the tires. The choice is, of course, up to you.

And then, just in time for Christmas, we get our third pass-through of this rough t-square between Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn between 12/24 and 12/26, this time with Mercury in forward motion. If you need to make amends for anything you said out of line earlier in the month, this is the time to come clean about it. The more you take responsibility for your own part in this mess, the less pressure Saturn will put on you. Always placate Saturn first; Jupiter is too all-important to care about turn order.

Things will feel a bit easier after Mercury’s retrograde ends mid-month, but Mercury remains in its exile all month long as it tracks its way all through its post-retrograde shadow in Sagittarius. The benefit of Sagittarius is that most Sag will tell the absolute truth as they see it. Sometimes, that includes coming clean about things, too. It should be no surprise that this will be a holiday season full of hard conversations; we can hope that at least they include honesty and words spoken from the heart. (Sag sometimes needs to be reminded they have a heart, but they will come in strong once encouraged there)

Mars will greatly overshadow this retrograde, but keeping it in the back of your mind is still important. If that person is just talking out of their ass, maybe make a snide comment to yourself, blame Mercury, and walk the fuck away. If it takes an extra two hours and a detour to get to Gramma’s house, that’s two hours less of talking to Uncle Eddie. Make sure you are sending those nudes to Tara in Sales and not Tara, your boss, if you know what I mean. Things tend to go awry during a Mercury retrograde cycle when we are on autopilot and not paying attention.

The easy and obvious anecdote to that is to pay attention. Standard Mercury retrograde advice applies: save often, double-check before you hit Send, and expect delays. Your friendly neighborhood Geminis and Virgos will be down for the count like they are every Mercury retrograde. The energy of all things communication, technology, and travel will be slower and deeper as Mercury wanders the low road. The more you can work with Mercury’s energy rather than against it, the easier your life will be.

Mercury exits its post-retrograde shadow in early January. We will have relatively smooth sailing with our planet of communication until the end of March and early April.

Venus

Venus is almost two full signs ahead of our Sun and Mercury all month long as it begins the month in Capricorn and ends it in Aquarius. It is on its own journey, which doesn’t really include stepping in to help out with the inevitable squabbles that are bound to come up all month long as both Mercury and Mars retrograde in fire signs. Venus can be pretty far out there in the fixed air sign of Aquarius and, at times, even unattainable.

Venus makes two major appearances this month. First, Venus will conjunct Pluto at 00° Aquarius on 12/07. Pluto is our outermost planet and seems responsible for the erosion of all things through the lens of time itself. Of course, in Roman mythology, Pluto was the god of the Underworld. On a long enough timeline, all things end: nations, marriages, lives, and this world.

Pluto has never before been in the sign of Aquarius when astrologers knew of the planet’s influence, so we can only surmise what this new journey will bring to humanity. But we will taste it through a Venusian lens this month.

Then, on 12/12, Venus opposed retrograde Mars in Leo. This is pretty big break-up weather, but that shouldn’t be anything to worry about if you are in a safe and secure relationship. Leo and Aquarius aren’t that different from one another (Sun sign opposites are and should be ready as a pair), but where they differ is very stark. Where Leo is a traditionalist, Aquarius is pointed straight toward the wildest of infinite possibilities. Leo wants the world, and Aquarius wants the universe. They can become aligned but often choose not to out of ego and the inability to step off their respective daises.

Fixed signs aren’t inclined to move; that much is for sure, and this will go doubly for all Martian and Leo types during this time. If anyone is going to give an inch, it will have to be Aquarius.

Although I specified break-up weather, I want to clarify that relationships do not always involve love, sex, or romance. We are in a relationship individually with each of our family members, with our best friends and our worst enemies, and with our bosses and coworkers. American culture puts a huge emphasis on love and sex, but relationships exist of all kinds. We talk about wars between nations but rarely about wars within families or workplaces. The interplay between Venus (receiving) and Mars (giving) shows us how our relationships are flowing – even international ones between nations. Together, they give us an idea of how easy it will be to get along.

Oppositions are fidgety and difficult to read, even for the most seasoned astrologer. Sun Sign opposites can differ in specific ways but are also quite similar and desperately need each other. The conflicts that will arise during this time CAN be resolved, but it calls for somebody to step down and let the other by. Neither planet looks well poised to do so, which is generally unfortunate. We still get free choice, though; that’s the beauty of how the above is reflected below: the planets dictate that there will be conflict, but WE still get to choose what we do when it happens.

What is worth fighting for? Is it worth standing up to the one you love the most? Is it worth standing up to your family? Is it worth standing up to the world?

Many of us have to grapple with this right now, and I think many people will say resoundingly, “Yes.” I’m not here to give you the correct answers because my trials and choices will differ infinitely from yours.

What I am here to say is that there is a reason (in the skies and our lives) why people are going to choose Fight this holiday season, and we should think about both how we are making those choices for ourselves AND how we should respond when someone decides they want to fight with us. The big flex all month will be to pick your fights, but we all know that will be easier said than done.

I’m choosing to discuss conflict in the Venus section for a reason. Diplomacy plays as important a part in conflicts as Action, though culturally, we often downplay this. Venus in Aquarius can be talked into looking back at the rest of us earth landers, but only if you speak to her higher nature and propose something new and innovative. Venus in Aquarius doesn’t have time for momentary peace; it wants the whole package or nothing at all. The craziest idea might be the one that is the solution all month long.

Jupiter and Saturn

Our two intermediate planets, Jupiter and Saturn, play a major role in dictating the pace of our lives. Jupiter, the planet of Luck and Expansion, quickens everything it touches, while Saturn, the planet of Time and Consequence, slows or halts. We need both of these forces in our lives. They are moving in and out of squares for the next year.

The first square happens on 12/24 with Jupiter in Gemini and Saturn in Pisces. Neither planet is at its strongest here, but Saturn probably wins out due to Jupiter being in its exile. Expect things to be slow. But that’s also indicated by our Mars retrograde, so let’s say it’s extra slow. This first square includes Mercury in Sagittarius square to Saturn and opposed to Jupiter. This is a harsh mutable t-square, which will have everyone scrambling but few finding solid ground.

You may notice this repeating cycle of three squares (one in December and two next year). If it sounds awfully like a retrograde cycle, that’s because it is. This is happening because Jupiter (being the faster-moving sign) has caught back up to Saturn (by degree) and is now going to retrograde forward and back again thrice across Saturn’s path. Jupiter and Saturn will both change signs in 2025 in synch with one another – this will put a lot of stress on the line between Gemini-Cancer (for Jupiter) and Pisces-Aries (for Saturn). We will be in this push/pull cycle for a while; this is just the first pass.

Looking Forward

Hello January! Hello 2025!

The big deals in January will be our Mars retrograde and the changing of the guard as our lunar nodes slide onto the Pisces-Virgo axis. The big deal for the year is that Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune all change signs in four months. As we move into each new sign in 2025 with our Sun, Mercury, and Venus, we are forced to confront all of our outer planets in unison. We are on the event horizon now.

The Details

12/1 – New moon 09° Sagittarius 12/2 – retrograde Mercury in Sagittarius trine Chiron in Aries, Venus in Capricorn trine retrograde Uranus in Taurus 12/4 – Sun in Sagittarius square Saturn in Pisces, retrograde Mercury in Sagittarius opposed retrograde Jupiter in Gemini, Venus in Capricorn sextile retrograde Neptune in Pisces 12/5 – Sun conjunct retrograde Mercury 14° Sagittarius 12/6 – retrograde Mercury in Sagittarius square Saturn in Pisces, Mars retrogrades 06° Leo 12/7 – Sun in Sagittarius opposed retrograde Jupiter in Gemini, Venus enters Aquarius, Venus conjunct Pluto 00° Aquarius, Neptune stations direct 27° Pisces 12/9 – Venus in Aquarius sextile North Node in Aries 12/10 – Sun in Sagittarius trine Chiron in Aries 12/12 – Venus in Aquarius opposed retrograde Mars in Leo 12/13 – Retrograde Mercury in Sagittarius sextile Venus in Aquarius 12/15 – Full moon 23° Gemini, Mercury stations direct 06° Sagittarius 12/18 – Sun in Sagittarius square Neptune in Pisces 12/19 – Venus in Aquarius trine retrograde Jupiter in Gemini 12/21 – Sun enters Capricorn 12/23 – Sun in Capricorn square the lunar nodes, Venus in Aquarius sextile Chiron in Aries 12/24 – Retrograde Jupiter in Gemini square Saturn in Pisces 12/26 – Mercury in Sagittarius opposed retrograde Jupiter in Gemini 12/27 – Mercury in Sagittarius square Saturn in Pisces 12/28 – Venus in Aquarius square retrograde Uranus in Taurus 12/30 – New moon 09° Capricorn 12/31 – Mercury in Sagittarius trine Chiron in Aries

Do you like my work? You can support me on Kofi by tipping me, buying some art, or signing up as a monthly supporter. These help me keep the lights on and write astrology reports for free here on Tumblr.

[thepromptfoundry]

Calling all history nerds, period piece connoisseurs, and fans of time-travel plots! Decades December is coming up here at The Prompt Foundry!

This list is being posted a little earlier than usual because historical work can take some time. The list has some reference points for you to jump off from. Show off your special interest in a particular era or event, or start a wiki walk from the the Wikipedia page for each decade to learn something new!

Have fun exploring resources like @thetimelinesofslang, the Fashion History Timelines from NYSU's Fashion Institute of Technology, or the fashion plates and historical photos from blogs like @omgthatdress or @historical-fashion-polls!

If you use this list, please tag me here @thepromptfoundry, I’d love to see your writing and art!

Feel free to combine different days' prompts with each other, or combine them with other events! Use your OCs, your favorite characters from media, your own experiences, whatever tickles your fancy.

Respond to as many prompts as you want or as interest you, don’t worry about missing or skipping any. Remember, this is supposed to be fun!

If you have any questions or musings, check our FAQ, and if you don't find your answer, shoot me an ask.

Plain text list below the cut:

1) 0010s Xin dynasty in China, Caesar Augustus in Rome

2) 1900s Edwardian era, Russo-Japanese War, release of the first feature film The Great Train Robbery

3) 300s Teotihuacan flourishing in present-day Mexico, writing of the Kama Sutra

4) 1910s World War 1, the Russian Revolution

5) 1440s Late Middle Ages/Early Renaissance in Europe, the hangul writing system is introduced in Korea

6) 1920s Prohibition in the US, rise of fascism in Europe, earliest sync-sound movies

7) 0070s Roman Epire, destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and destruction of Pompeii

8) 1930s The Great Depression, the Declaration of the Independence of India, art deco, color film

9) 1090s The First Crusade, the Liao, Xia, and Song dynasties in various parts of China

10) 1810s The Napoleonic Wars, the Regency era in England

11) 1940s World War 2, post-war rebuilding

12) 1000s BC The Iron Age, King David of the Israelites, development of the Phoenician alphabet

13) 1950s Baby Boom, Red Scare, the Korean War, rock'n'roll, zippers and television both become commonplace

14) 1340s The Black Death in Europe, decline of the Mongol Empire

15) 1590s Late Elizabethan Era in Europe, William Shakespeare, Imjin War between Japan and Korea

16) 1960s Moon landing, hippies, mod fashion, Chinese Cultural Revolution, Stonewall, Star Trek, the Civil Rights movement

17) 1770s The American Revolution, founding of the real Illuminati

18) 1860s American Civil War era, late Edo period in Japan

19) 1970s The Sexual Revolution, disco, the first video games, end of the Vietnam War

20) 2200s Whatever the future holds!

21) 1980s End of the Cold War and fall of the Berlin Wall, beginnings of the World Wide Web, the First Intifada in Gaza

22) 1660s Part of the Golden Age of Piracy, the English Restoration

23) 1990s Internet access becomes widespread, grunge, the Gulf War, the Troubles in Ireland, height of the AIDS crisis, Princess Dianna, first Pokemon games

24) 1230s University of Cambridge founded in England, beginnings of the Mali Empire in Africa, rein of Emperor Shijo in Japan

25) 2000s The “War On Terror”, rise of Big Tech, Y2K fashion, emo culture, cell phones become commonplace

26) 1880s Gilded Age, the first skyscrapers, electrification of cities, first household electrical appliances like fans and irons

27) 1640s Qing dynasty begins in China, the First English Civil War

28) 2010s Hipster culture, height of video streaming, YA lit boom

29) 500s Liang and Northern Wei dynasties in China, Heptarchy period in England, height of prosperity of the Mayan Empire

30) 2020s Present day!

31) 3130s Whatever the future holds!

[princessanneftw]

Last month, we celebrated the induction of our newest Academy Fellows, marking the start of their Fellowship journey.

The occasion included a prestigious dinner attended by our Royal Fellow, HRH The Princess Royal, pictured here alongside the 2024 cohort.

Discover more about our 71 new Fellows - trailblazers in engineering and technology who have made remarkable impacts in their sectors.

@RAEngNews | 26 December 2024

[shousetsubangbang]

Can you believe it’s going to be our 20th year in print? Shousetsu Bang*Bang is still here and still queer!

To make sure you don’t miss a single deadline, click here for our Google calendar with the dates pre-loaded.

Issue 113: Nine to Five * issue date: Monday, February 24 * text deadline: Tuesday, February 11 * art deadline: Saturday, February 22 Looking to make a work spouse your real spouse? Clock in on time for our office-romance-themed February issue!

Issue 114: Quantum Entanglement * issue date: Monday, April 28 * text deadline: Tuesday, April 15 * art deadline: Saturday, April 26 Our April issue is all about bringing things together, no matter how far apart they are.

SPECIAL NOTE: Obviously there are a number of ways to interpret this theme, especially along isekai lines, and we’re happy to see all of them. However, for this issue, we’d especially like to encourage submissions that are “entangled” with other SSBB stories and art. One way to do this is to come back to older pieces — rewriting a story from a different character’s point of view, writing a story based on a standalone illustration, or creating a radically different version of a story or illustration that already exists in our archives. Another way is to team up with other creators for this issue on completely new pieces and either collaborate on a single submission or create two (or more!) submissions that work as counterparts to one another.

As always, stories have to stand alone and should not necessitate someone’s having read something else before — which should also mean that stories submitted together should be able to be read in any order and must be complete stories with a self-contained beginning, middle, and end.

Note that this is not about continuing someone else’s story, much less just plain rewriting it. While you are welcome to use someone else’s work as a starting point, your finished product should be substantially different. Works inspired by pieces in earlier issues will have linked credit to their inspiration(s).

Issue 115: Bedside Manner * issue date: Monday, June 30 * text deadline: Tuesday, June 17 * art deadline: Saturday, June 28 Hello, nurse! If your erection lasts more than four hours, you’re probably reading our June issue!

Issue 116: Binary * issue date: Monday, August 25 * text deadline: Tuesday, August 12 * art deadline: Saturday, August 23 Our sexy technology-themed August issue wants you to fire up your ones, your zeroes, and everything else in-between.

Issue 117: The Old Ways * issue date: Monday, October 27 * text deadline: Tuesday, October 14 * art deadline: Saturday, October 25 Is that a wicker man in your pocket, or are you just happy to see our traditionally spooky October issue celebrating folk horror?

Issue 118: Theme Free * issue date: Monday, December 29 * text deadline: Tuesday, December 9 [note that this is a week earlier than usual!] * art deadline: Saturday, December 27 For our final issue of the year, both theme and word count are what you make of it! Bring your festive best to our year-end theme-free big band and make the yuletide … well, you know.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Monday

SpaceTime 20250203 Series 28 Episode 15

The building blocks of life discovered on the asteroid Bennu

Scientists have discovered the molecular building blocks of life in samples of the Asteroid Bennu brought back to Earth by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.

A new threat to planet Earth

Astronomers have detected a near Earth asteroid which could pose a threat to our planet.

New mission to investigate the moon mysterious domes

NASA is planning a new mission to study a cluster of strange dome like structures discovered on the Moon.

The Science Report

The CIA says COVID19 came from a lab in Wuhan China.

Study says Elderberry juice may be a potent tool for weight management.

Palaeontologists have discovered part of a feathered dinosaur tail preserved in a piece of amber.

Skeptics guide to UFO links with economic circumstances

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.  The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

[darkmaga-returns]

Former Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vice presidential running mate Nicole Shanahan warned at last week’s AmericaFest conference that Big Tech and other powerful forces are using ‘wireless products’ to ‘pollute’ people chemically and electrically.

By Stephen Kokx Lifesite News

December 26, 2024

Former Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vice presidential running mate Nicole Shanahan issued a cryptic warning to attendees at last week’s AmericaFest conference in Arizona. 

During her talk at the Turning Point USA-organized event, Shanahan seemed to suggest powerful forces are using wireless technologies for nefarious ends. 

“People called me a conspiracy theorist for pointing out that the electric field we inhabit on Earth is being polluted through the use of unmitigated wireless products,” she said. “Well, here’s the truth – this is a real truth, and I’m from Silicon Valley, so I’m filling you in on a secret – these technologies can be made safe, but Big Tech is in bed with Big Pharma.” 

Implying that human being are unknowingly being poisoned, Shanahan then said: “we are an electrochemical species, and we are indeed short-circuiting at a cellular level — young people falling over on stage, which we are seeing time and time again on social media, video after video, of a newscaster or a young person literally speaking on stage and falling over.”  

“This is not normal. It’s not normal,” she then declared. “There’s something biological happening … we are being polluted both electrically and chemically on a daily basis.” 

Shanahan’s profile has grown since being tapped by RFK Jr. to be his running mate this summer. A former tech industry executive who was once married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Shanahan, 39, reportedly has over $1 billion. She has spent the last several months pushing for reforms in the agricultural industry and advocating for politics aimed at preventing childhood illnesses since Kennedy dropped out of the race. 

“The American farmer is the only doctor you need,” she told Catholic journalist Jack Posobiec at the event.  

Shanahan’s remarks will no doubt be seen as a warning about the use of electromagnetic frequencies, cell phones, Wi-Fi routers, 5G and other wireless technologies.  

[ms-m-astrologer]

Transiting Ceres enters Aquarius

Saturday, December 7, 2024 - Sunday, February 23, 2025

Caveat: this probably won't have much of a personal impact unless Ceres is prominent in your chart (closely in aspect to the Sun, the Moon, &/or an angle; possibly strong Virgo &/ or 6th House energy).

Ceres is going to be in “trigger” mode during this transit - it sets off things that the slower-moving planets (Jupiter and further out) are trying to bring about. In Aquarius she’s looking for innovations, looking to move Ceres areas along:

Procreative sexuality, parenting, children, family - technology to facilitate conception. Concern about how much time the kids spend on their devices. We encourage their individuality. Families of friends, and making friends with our families.

Child care, elder care, nurturing professions - automation and AI intruding into caring work. Progressive ideas (like, why not combine elder and child care?); maybe some more attention to online schooling.

Agriculture, gardening, growing cycles, food - not very fertile, alas for you green thumbs. Concerns with processed food and genetic engineering of food, and with “agribusiness.”

Concern for domesticated animals - maybe some pushing to microchip pets? Attention to those factory farms, wanting humane treatment for the animals.

Nothing too extreme coming up. Allow couple days or so on either side of these dates:

Sunday, December 8 - Friday, December 13:

Ceres/Aquarius conjunct Pluto/Aquarius, 0°24'

Ceres/Aquarius (0°57') sesquiquad Jupiter Rx/Gemini (15°57')

Ceres/Aquarius sextile North Node/Aries, trine South Node/Libra, 2°26'

Conjunctions are like planting seeds - the combination of the two energies, not so much what they do, if that makes any sense. We have some urge or some idea, but we don’t have all the information we need - or, what info we have, is faulty. It’s a really good idea, so hold that thought and be patient with it.

Friday, December 20 - Ceres/Aquarius opposite Mars Rx/ Leo, 4°51. “The holidays” are usually fraught enough without this opposition making it angrier! It will help if we try to be less insistent on having 100% our own way.

Saturday, December 28 - Ceres/Aquarius semi-sextile Sun/Capricorn, 7°58. Pretty mild, maybe a few post-holiday guilty feelings or guilt trips. It will pass.

Sunday, January 5 - Ceres/Aquarius (10°39') semi-square Mercury/Sagittarius (25°39'). Communication snafus, nothing too major.

Thursday, January 9 - Ceres/Aquarius trine Jupiter Rx/Gemini, 12°22'. Excellent for doing Ceres things on a big (Jupiter) scale, probably a lot of good ideas floating around. Grab one!

Friday, January 17 - Sunday, January 19:

Ceres/Aquarius (15°35') semi-square North Node/Aries, sesquiquad South Node/Libra (0°35')

Ceres/Aquarius semi-sextile Venus/Pisces, 15°50'

Ceres/Aquarius semi-sextile Mercury/Capricorn, 16°01'

Ceres/Aquarius semi-sextile Saturn/Pisces, 16°09'

Minor aspects, but unsettling ones. The big deal going on is the Venus-Saturn conjunction in Pisces, sextile Mercury/Capricorn - Ceres acts as a focal point for that. We worry about how that conjunction/sextile affects our “tribes” - there may be some conflict between traditional ways versus progressive ideas.

Thursday, January 30 - Ceres/Aquarius inconjunct Mars Rx/Cancer, 20°41'. More family/tribal difficulties and adjustments. Problems with hypersensitivity and coldness - with dishing it out, but not being able to take it. We have to respect others’ wishes about how much they want to be coddled.

Thursday, February 6 - Friday, February 14:

Ceres/Aquarius square Uranus/Taurus, 23°17'

Ceres/Aquarius sextile Eris/Aries, 24°28'

Ceres/Aquarius conjunct Mercury/Aquarius, 25°16'

Ceres/Aquarius conjunct Sun/Aquarius, 26°17’

Major things, flowing in to each other. Uranus gives us a nasty surprise, Eris helps us get angry about it, Mercury gives us ideas, and the Sun sets us on a new cycle of expression.

Thursday, February 20 - Ceres/Aquarius semi-sextile North Node/Pisces, inconjunct South Node/Virgo, 28°48’. The Nodes are now across the Pisces/Virgo axis. Ceres is trying to acclimate to this shift, leading up to their conjunction in May.

[world-of-wales]

─ •✧ WILLIAM'S YEAR IN REVIEW : DECEMBER ✧• ─

4 DECEMBER - William wrote the Foreword for 'Two Million Shout conversations: Saving lives at scale through the power of technology'. 5 DECEMBER - The Prince of Wales joined Dave Martin in selling the Big Issue Magazine at Tesco in Hammersmith. Afterwards, he joined Catherine at the annual Diplomatic Corps Reception. 6 DECEMBER - The Waleses were spotted Christmas Tree Shopping at Windsor Great Park. 7 DECEMBER - The Prince of Wales attended a Royal Foundation Meeting at the offices in London. Afterwards, William visited Emma Webb on Day-13 of 'Leg on to London’ Mental Health fundraising and awareness campaign in memory of her daughter - Brodie. He also appeared in a video message to ICAP for ICAP Charity Day. 8 DECEMBER - William along with Catherine and their children attended the Christmas Carol Service in Westminster Abbey. 9 DECEMBER - The Wales Family's Christmas Card was released. 11 DECEMBER - William chaired a Meeting of The Prince's Council at Buckingham Palace. Afterwards he visited The Passage Charity's St. Vincent's Centre for a Pre-Christmas Lunch. 12 DECEMBER - William visited the Warrant Officers' and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers' Mess at Combermere Barracks. 14 DECEMBER - The Prince of Wales was received by His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Devon (Mr. David Fursdon) as he attended the Lord High Admiral's Divisions at Britannia Royal Naval College. 18 DECEMBER - William presented condolences to The Emir of the State of Kuwait in Kuwait, following the death of The Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. 24 DECEMBER - 'Together At Christmas' Carol Service aired on ITV with a special reading by William. 25 DECEMBER - A personal tweet from Will & Cat was released wishing everyone a merry christmas. Later, they along with their children joined other members of the Royal Family for the Divine Service at Sandringham Parish Church. The Waleses appeared in a video during the King's Christmas Address. 26 DECEMBER - William appeared in 'Charles III : A Coronation Year'. 29 DECEMBER - An 'Year In Review' video was released by Kensington Palace. 30 DECEMBER - Matt Porteus released a new photograph of the Waleses attending the Coronation Concert in May.

[cringywhitedragon]

Saw a YouTube comment on an Electric Angel cover that made me think (This is still a heavy WiP but I decided to post it early)

If you know, Meiko and Kaito are indeed companion voice banks but I find it a bit strange on why there’s a pretty big sized gap between their initial V1 releases.

In comparison, it’s pretty interesting since it lines up pretty close to when Microsoft trashed Longhorn and shifted development to the train wreak we would know as Windows Vista (Post Reset which was 2004 - 2006. (Vista was finished in 2006 and shipped to manufacturing in November but officially released to the public in January of 2007 (Almost right on February) to the displeasure of most everybody because of how infamously slow it ran on dated hardware)

(Though the real question is can Longhorn run Vocaloid)

For comparison in a timeline structure (Note: The yyyy/mm/dd format will be for known archived Post reset Vista beta builds that are online. This info comes from the BetaWiki.)

August ?? 2004: Microsoft resets longhorn’s development on what would soon become vista

2004-08-03 One of the first archived builds of Post-Reset Longhorn is compiled (Omega-13 builds)

2004-08-08

2004-08-09

2004-08-18

2004-08-26

2004-09-02

2004-09-27 (There’s a cow on this one)

November 05 2004: Meiko’s V1 voicebank releases

December 2004 - Prior to April 2005

Longhorn Developer previews release. (The wiki lists three that have unknown dates currently but fall within this timeframe)

April 1st, 2005: Vista Beta 5048 is compiled

2005-04-04

2005-04-12 Last build to have the Luna Theme

2005-04-17 / 2005-04-20: Builds 5059 and 5060 are compiled / Aero theme is introduced

2005-04-21: build 5061 is compiled

2005-05-11: build 5063 is compiled

2005-06-05 / 2005-06-04: builds 5071 and 5081

2005-06-21 /25: build 5086

2005-06-16/2005-07-20 -Final of the Beta 1 builds, IE 7 and RRS feed support are showed off here, Vista name gets finalized.

Start of the Beta 2 cycle

2005-07-02/2005-08-30 - Start of beta 2 up to the September Community Technology Preview build. More stuff was added. Games were highlighted as well.

2005-08-22/2005-10-04 - October 2005 CTP build, Aero gets showcased on a news channel, Oberon updates their games.

Nov 03 2005: MEIKO turns 1

2005-10-26/2005-12-14 December 2005 CTP build, Some more stuff is tweaked

2006

Two years have almost passed now since the folks in Redmond started reworking this would be dumpster fire of an OS. Across the pond in Sapporo, another company was getting ready to release their second vocal synth.

What has Microsoft added to the table for the new year? MEDIA PLAYER

August 29, 2006: Earliest mention of Microsoft Anna (She counts too right?)

[genznews2024]

King Ronn [ Internet Celebrity ]

Personal Biography of Aaron Adamson King (King Ronn)** Aaron Adamson King, widely recognized as King Ronn, was born on April 26, 2008. Hailing from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, he is an emerging influencer and a multifaceted talent making waves in the digital landscape. As the innovative developer of Aldrich Prince, an advanced AI avatar, King Ronn is at the forefront of technological creativity.

In addition to his work in technology, King Ronn is an inspiring author currently penning his latest book, "Descendants 5: Twist of Fates," which promises to captivate audiences with its engaging narrative.

He is also the dynamic host of his own podcast, "Ronn Unplugged,"

officially premiered on December 18, 2024. Through this platform, he aims to share insights and engage with listeners on a wide range of topics. King Ronn is not only a trailblazer in his professional endeavors but also a motivational figure, encouraging his followers with his powerful mantra: "#BSA ur Dreams" (Believe, Strive, and Achieve your Dreams).

His remarkable journey began with a record-breaking achievement on Instagram, where he garnered 1,000 followers in just one week after launching his account. As he continues to rise to prominence, King Ronn represents a new generation of influencers who are shaping the future of digital content and community engagement. Keep an eye on his journey as he shares his talents and aspirations with the world.

Known as kingronn._ on various social platforms.

[mariacallous]

Of all things about dating that people got wrong in 2024, one remains the standout: that old people don’t have a lot of sex.

On several dating platforms, boomers (individuals aged 59 to 72) were actually the fastest growing userbase. Aging singles were also having the most orgasmic sex of their lives, according to data from Match.com, where 50-plus daters are joining at a higher rate than every other demographic. Since 2022, the kink-positive app Feeld has experienced a 340 percent surge in users who are 60-plus. “Feeld has definitely introduced me to new desires and made me 100 percent more aware of my body and what I enjoy,” Wendy, 72, said when we spoke in April. “It’s been liberating.”

Many other apps also reported a record 2024. Tinder, setting a new benchmark, reached 50 million users. Hinge’s global downloads topped an all-time high, ranking it as the second most downloaded dating app in the markets it serves, the company reported in a November shareholder letter. Sniffies, the platform for queer cruisers that uses map technology, saw a 26 percent increase in straight singles. A total of 130 billion chats—yes, billion—were sent between gay men on Grindr. On Bumble, where women make the first move, paid users increased by 10 percent, topping 3 million.

So why, in spite of that growth, was 2024’s unifying hypothesis that dating apps failed?

Modern dating is broken. If you caught any whiff of the cultural metanarrative around love and sex this year, that’s probably the story you heard. Many traditional relationship structures loosened as a result—polyamory was on everyone’s mind, for one—and many people turned to TikTok for dating advice from armchair therapists. A study released by Flirtini found that one in four people rely on TikTok to figure out how to navigate their relationship, despite a clear rise in misinformation.

Singles were also caught in an “assumptions epidemic,” according to Tinder’s annual trends survey, where many users said they regularly misinterpreted green flags for red ones. The study found that “65 percent of women thought men were mostly after casual flings, but only 29 percent of men actually said that was what they wanted.” In more ways than one, it was a year of mixed signals.

To fix that, several startups launched niche dating apps—some puzzling, others entirely predictable—designed to satisfy unique needs, with many of them built around the promise of AI. Volar, created by a former product director at Snap, uses a chatbot to message back and forth with potential daters on your behalf. There’s also Rizz, Iris, and Elate, all of which leverage AI to find your soulmate by helping users maneuver first impressions and awkward conversations. For singles interested in other, let’s say, avant-garde forms of companionship, ones that completely remove humans from the equation, there are apps like EVA AI and Luna, who act as your AI girlfriend.

It’s still too soon to say how effective any of these AI-powered apps are in lessening the possibility of people being ghosted, but a recent report from Hopelab found that 40 percent of young people rely on chatbots to have ongoing conversations. Dating’s future, the report concluded, promises to be chattier, and stranger, than ever.

Still, the exhaustion of swiping right remains a major concern among singles of every demographic. In the dating wilds, app fatigue is contagious. No one knows that better than JB, the power dater from New York I spoke with in September. At the time, he’d been on 200 dates following a breakup—the majority sourced from Hinge and Raya—and expressed a feeling of burnout, even as he couldn’t fully pull himself away from app dating’s addictive thrill.

I heard from JB in December. He reached out to let me know that he’d somehow forgotten to share the “most unhinged” dating story from our initial series of conversations. “I can’t believe I only thought of it recently,” he wrote via text message. “A girl on our third date saying, ‘If you fuck me really good tonight I’ll cancel my other dates this week.’”

Did she? I shot back.

“I was pissed. I almost ended the date,” he said. “She was winning until she hit me with that toxic shit.”

JB told me he is still exhausted by the apps but very much still on them. The week we talk, he is fresh off another breakup. A recent courtship in Philadelphia, he said, fizzled after the woman lied about talking to other people. She made the first move on Raya and they later established more of a bond trading DMs on Instagram. She had pursued him, which was rare and a refreshing change of pace. “I was smitten,” he says. Which made it all the more difficult when the relationship ended. “She sought me out, only to lie about it?”

JB is currently on the rebound, or what he describes to me as a period of “side quests”—pet-sitting his neighbor’s cat, surfing TikTok, trying new restaurants. “I was down bad but we back up,” he told me. He wonders if dating apps will ever have a solution for singles like him. “It’s truly rotten out here.”

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

New SpaceTime out Monday

SpaceTime 20241230 Series 27 Episode 157

NASA's Parker Solar Probe touches the Sun

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has made history flying closer to the Sun and travelling faster than any other spacecraft ever.

New lunar samples show the Moon was still volcanically active 2.8 billion years ago

New data from China’s Chang’e-6 sample return mission to the far side of the Moon suggests the landing site was still volcanically active approximately 2.8 billion years ago – far more recently than previously thought.

Unveiling the uncharted Milky Way

Astronomers have developed a new stellar chart providing a more complete map of our Milky Way Galaxy.

The Science Report

Drinking tea or coffee associated with a lower risk of head and neck cancer.

Study finds that 1 in 127 people are on the autism spectrum.

A major breakthrough in energy storage technology.

Skeptics guide to grounding socks

SpaceTime covers the latest news in astronomy & space sciences.

The show is available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through Apple Podcasts (itunes), Stitcher, Google Podcast, Pocketcasts, SoundCloud, Bitez.com, YouTube, your favourite podcast download provider, and from www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com

SpaceTime is also broadcast through the National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio and on both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

SpaceTime daily news blog: http://spacetimewithstuartgary.tumblr.com/

SpaceTime facebook: www.facebook.com/spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime Instagram @spacetimewithstuartgary

SpaceTime twitter feed @stuartgary

SpaceTime YouTube: @SpaceTimewithStuartGary

SpaceTime -- A brief history

SpaceTime is Australia’s most popular and respected astronomy and space science news program – averaging over two million downloads every year. We’re also number five in the United States.  The show reports on the latest stories and discoveries making news in astronomy, space flight, and science.  SpaceTime features weekly interviews with leading Australian scientists about their research.  The show began life in 1995 as ‘StarStuff’ on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC) NewsRadio network.  Award winning investigative reporter Stuart Gary created the program during more than fifteen years as NewsRadio’s evening anchor and Science Editor.  Gary’s always loved science. He studied astronomy at university and was invited to undertake a PHD in astrophysics, but instead focused on his career in journalism and radio broadcasting. Gary’s radio career stretches back some 34 years including 26 at the ABC. He worked as an announcer and music DJ in commercial radio, before becoming a journalist and eventually joining ABC News and Current Affairs. He was part of the team that set up ABC NewsRadio and became one of its first on air presenters. When asked to put his science background to use, Gary developed StarStuff which he wrote, produced and hosted, consistently achieving 9 per cent of the national Australian radio audience based on the ABC’s Nielsen ratings survey figures for the five major Australian metro markets: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth.  The StarStuff podcast was published on line by ABC Science -- achieving over 1.3 million downloads annually.  However, after some 20 years, the show finally wrapped up in December 2015 following ABC funding cuts, and a redirection of available finances to increase sports and horse racing coverage.  Rather than continue with the ABC, Gary resigned so that he could keep the show going independently.  StarStuff was rebranded as “SpaceTime”, with the first episode being broadcast in February 2016.  Over the years, SpaceTime has grown, more than doubling its former ABC audience numbers and expanding to include new segments such as the Science Report -- which provides a wrap of general science news, weekly skeptical science features, special reports looking at the latest computer and technology news, and Skywatch – which provides a monthly guide to the night skies. The show is published three times weekly (every Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and available from the United States National Science Foundation on Science Zone Radio, and through both i-heart Radio and Tune-In Radio.

[voiceofentrepreneurlife]

Amitabh Chaudhry Reappointed as Axis CEO

Axis Bank has reappointed Amitabh Chaudhry as the Managing Director and CEO for an additional three years, effective from January 1, 2025, until December 31, 2027.

This reappointment was contingent upon approval from the Reserve Bank of India. Shareholders of Axis Bank approved the decision during the 30th Annual General Meeting held on July 26 of this year.

In an exchange filing on October 24, Axis Bank announced, “We are pleased to inform you that the Reserve Bank of India has sanctioned the reappointment of Amitabh Chaudhry as the Managing Director & CEO of the Bank for a period of three years, from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2027 (both dates included).”

Chaudhry joined Axis Bank in 2019 after more than nine years at HDFC Life and has played a crucial role in the bank’s growth. Under his leadership, Axis Bank has enhanced its retail banking and digital capabilities, significantly strengthening its market position.

Over the past five years at Axis, Chaudhry has initiated several transformative projects, from overhauling technology platforms to innovating the process of acquiring new business. Notably, under his direction, Axis Bank acquired Citibank’s retail operations in India in 2023, marking a significant milestone for the bank’s activities in the country.

Senior Level Departure

In a separate development, Ganesh Sankaran, Group Executive, Wholesale Banking Coverage Group at Axis Bank, resigned from his position on October 23, with November 30 set as his final working day.

Sankaran noted that the wholesale banking unit has emerged as one of the high-performance segments within the bank, achieving considerable market share growth and maintaining strong asset quality.

Also Read-https://voiceofentrepreneur.life/

[usafphantom2]

IMAGES: Russian Aerospace Forces receive last batch of Su-57 scheduled for 2023

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 12/27/2023 - 08:29 in Military

The Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant (KnAAZ) completed production and delivered the last batch of fifth-generation Su-57 aircraft to the Russian Ministry of Defense as part of the 2023 production program.

In 2023 the aviation plant located in the far east of Russia successfully completed the state request for the supply of Su-35S and Su-57 fighters, the United Aircraft Corporation press service reported.

TAP ARROW BUTTON TO VIEW ☝️

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Denis Manturov, noted that the KnAAZ team dealt with this difficult task at a high level.

"The aircraft manufacturer delivered to our armed forces all the fifth-generation Su-57 aircraft planned for delivery this year. The fighters have successfully passed all the necessary factory tests. Increasing the production of these machines has become possible thanks to the solution of problems related to the rhythmic supply of components and the improvement of flow assembly technology," said Denis Manturov.

In 2023, the Su-57 assembly line was adjusted for successful operation in the context of increasing volumes of aircraft series production. Measures were also taken to eliminate bottlenecks not only in the final assembly, but throughout the entire production cycle. Issues related to the supply of components from supplier factories are being successfully resolved and opportunities to improve aircraft assembly technology are being worked on.

The aircraft factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur continues to increase the series production of Su-57 fighters. Currently, the construction of combat aircraft is underway that will be transferred to the Russian Aerospace Forces in 2024. The number of fifth-generation fighters joining the armed forces almost doubles every year.

As part of the implementation of promising technical re-equipment projects under the state program for the development of the military-industrial complex, new production facilities will be commissioned in the near future. This will ensure the series production of Su-57 aircraft and further development of the industry.

In 2022, the Russian Ministry of Defense received six Su-57 aircraft: two in May and four in December. In total, since January 1, 2023, ten fifth-generation serial fighters have been transferred to the Russian Aerospace Forces.

In September, the UAC delivered to the Aerospace Forces the first batch of Su-57 with delivery scheduled for 2023. The number of aircraft transferred was not informed, nor the number of fighters delivered on December 27. However, given that the head of Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, announced an annual increase of almost twice in the production of Su-57, it can be assumed that in 2023 the Aerospace Forces received from 8 to 10 fifth generation fighters and, therefore, the troops have about 20 Su-57 aircraft.

Tags: Military AviationRFSAF - Russian Federation Aerospace Force/Russian Aerospace ForcesukhoiSukhoi Su-57 FelonUAC - United Aircraft Corporation

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[tieflingkisser]

Israel targets information technology experts as part of its genocide in Gaza

The Israeli army has systematically targeted dozens of programmers, information technology experts, and workers in computer engineering, in addition to destroying the headquarters of their companies, as part of the ongoing crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023. Since the beginning of its large-scale attack on Gaza, the Israeli army has killed hundreds of people with intellects and expertise in the blockaded enclave, especially those proficient in information technology, programming, and computer engineering, as well as other elites in the local community such as doctors, academics, and others. Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor compiled a list of technology specialists, including those with expertise in programming and artificial intelligence, who have been directly killed by the ongoing Israeli attacks. Among those is the well-known programming engineer Haitham Muhammad Al-Nabahin, who was esteemed as one of the Gaza Strip’s most accomplished computer engineering specialists. He, along with his wife, Eng. Nasma Zuhair Sadiq, was killed in an Israeli air strike on a residential home in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on 14 March. A relative of Nabahin told Euro-Med that he and his family had fled to a house in Rafah in the far south of the Gaza Strip. However, Nabahin’s two children, Layan and Muhammad, were killed, and his wife was wounded in an Israeli attack that forced them to flee once more, this time to a house in the Bureij camp, where the Israeli army killed them approximately two weeks later. According to his relative, Nabahin had paid a hefty price to have his and his wife’s names included in the coordination lists for individuals seeking to leave the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Border with Egypt in order to treat his wife abroad, before they were both killed in the Israeli attack. Tariq Thabet, a graduate of the American Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, was also killed on 31 October 2023 in an Israeli air strike that also claimed the lives of his wife, children, parents, and other family members. Thabet was the director of the UCAS Technology Incubator Programs at the University College in the Gaza Strip. Baraa Abdullah al-Saqqa, the founder of DITS and a software engineer specializing in website and smartphone application programming (senior and lead developer), was also killed in a similar Israeli air strike on 21 November 2023. He held positions with numerous industry-specific businesses, such as (CTO) company. Additionally, he was active in providing programming courses and specialized workshops. In addition to being a student in a master’s program in computer engineering with a focus on artificial intelligence, Saqqa was regarded as one of the leading young programmers in Gaza. He was recognized for his efforts in training numerous new employees in the technical fields and was awarded numerous certificates and awards. Saqqa was killed in an Israeli air strike on his family home in Gaza City, along with his pregnant wife and his in-laws. The list also includes Muhammad al-Athal, who was killed on 26 October 2023, Hamza al-Shami on 2 November 2023, Obaida Khater on 20 December 2023, Anas al-Sheikh on 9 December 2023, and Abdel Rahman Hamada on 15 March, in addition to another group of young programmers, including Rami al-Sousi, Abdel Hamid Al-Fayoumi, Bilal Zaqout, Ahmed Nidal Qaddoura, engineer Muhammad Hassouna, and others.

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