#weekly task: elections week

[frostofafeather]

Really quick recap of the beginning weeks of the Realm

~

> So everyone comes from different realms, but only some people remember or reference their lives before this one.

> Everyone has three lives to begin with, and if you lose all three you get banned for a day irl.

> There are hooded entities called Keepers of the Realm that enforce order and give quests to the members of the Realm

The first event of the server was the faction event, where people pledged their loyalty to one of three different factions (or choose to join none at all)

Yellow - The Kingdom of Fools. The first faction to exist, led by Foolish. Ros and Owen are also founding members, and Sneeg, Clown, Tango, and Tina (+more), all joined later

Green - The Honey Badgers. Initially referred to as the Freaky Gnomes. Bad made this faction because it's his eternal goal to always oppose everything Foolish does. Pangi joined because he felt bad that no one else joined, and Pac, Hannah, and Bagi (+more) all joined soon after. This was the smallest faction until very recently

Blue - Teal Titans. This was founded as a Neutral faction, but members weren't all interested in neutrality so they rebranded. Aimsey was elected Supreme Leader, but Tubbo created the faction. CPK, and Coy Piso also joined!

Each faction had to complete weekly tasks to preserve their lives, and the first faction conflict was Pangi sabotaging the Kingdom's. They had to collect honey bottles, and so he murdered every bee within a radius of spawn and drank all the honey they collected. This is why Green is called the honey badgers now lmao. In retaliation, Foolish blew up Green base, and it was fully cemented that Green and Yellow would hate each other forever.

One day a boat arrived on the shores of the realm carrying players of a new faction

Red - The Hostile Faction. Members did not choose this faction, and were forced to enact weekly "creative kills" in order to maintain their lives

The Red faction was ironically, treated with a lot of hostility when they arrived, and so one Pili Dtowncat (we're going to call him Mocha from now on because that's the character's canonical name) stepped up as a protector of Red, who would try to complete the kills so that his factionmates wouldn't have to. He began working closely with Pangi and Bad

Getting these kills was a really daunting task, and so for the first week, Foolish offered his own final life to be sacrificed, knowing that he would come back because he's an immortal totem. Unfortunately, none of the other kingdom members knew that he chose death willingly, so when they saw that he died, their hatred and distrust of Red was renewed tenfold.

~

Okay this is all I have time to write rn, but I hope you find it helpful!!

woah thank you so much..

this was a super informative read, i lowkey didn't know how detailed it was 😭😭 it sounds soooo fun tho

do you have any suggestions on whose pov i should watch? or like which vods/videos would be the most helpful?

thanks again for the answer ^^

[darkmaga-returns]

Immigration

Border Czar Planning Weekly Press Briefings on Deportations, Arrests

Incoming Border Czar Tom Homan is vowing transparency with the public as the Trump administration launches and executes planned mass deportations starting later this month.

Homan has reportedly been tasked by the President-elect to accomplish a trio of primary goals: secure the border, deport large numbers of illegal aliens, and track down hundreds of thousands of ‘child migrants’ who have disappeared in the U.S. in recent years.

“We need to be very transparent,” the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement told the Young Republicans Club this week in Naples, FL.

“There needs to be a weekly White House press briefing on exactly who we’re arresting and who we’re saving, who we are putting in jail, who we are deporting, so the American people know we’re true to our word.”

Homan said he plans to “enforce the law without apology,” vowing, “everything changes on January 20.”

“It will be sad. It will be controversial. It will be emotional. It always is.”

The border honcho acknowledged he is now a primary target of the globalist propaganda machine and is already being portrayed as the “spawn of Satan,” but says he doesn’t care and will push forward regardless what the international press says about him and his mission.

“What the media is going to do… the first crying woman, the first crying child will be news and my picture will be splashed everywhere as the devil,” Homan told the group.

“Say what you want. I don’t give a s**t. We’ll do this in the most humane way.”

[bopinion]

2025 / 18

Aperçu of the week

"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt."

(William Shakespeare)

Bad News of the Week

There is a Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Germany. Its task is to identify and monitor "anti-constitutional aspirations and developments with the aim of defending the values of the basic order" and to "ward off dangers emanating from enemies of the free democratic basic order". Of course, this is based on the constitution, which defines what constitutes our democratic basic order.

The Office carries out its work independently and non-partisan. This is why parties or individual representatives occasionally come under scrutiny. This is what happened to The Left, for example, when it called for the expropriation of key private-sector industries, as this contradicted the constitutionally guaranteed protection of property. And with Hans-Georg Maaßen, even the President of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution lost his post when there were doubts about his neutrality in office due to right-wing populist statements. So bias or even political instrumentalization does not even come to mind.

After years of observation and months of analysis, the Office has now classified the AfD (Alternative für Deutschland / Alternative for Germany) as "definitely right-wing extremist". Not just individual state associations as before or the youth organization, which is often even more radical, but the entire party. The resumé of over a thousand pages was already finished before the election. But it was held back so as not to be accused of influencing the election. Was that a surprise? No. Came it as a surprise? Partly.

This raises many difficult questions. For example, whether a police officer can reconcile his oath to protect democratic society with membership of a party that attacks the foundations of this social order. Or whether a party that acts against the rule of law of a country should be financed by it. And, of course, the discussion of a party ban has also been given new momentum. Although experts believe that the chances of success are too low and that it could backfire.

There has already been an attempt to ban the NPD (National Democratic Party of Germany) 20 years ago. However, according to the Federal Constitutional Court, the German Supreme Court, the party was "anti-constitutional in terms of content, but in view of its insignificance in the political arena, the court did not consider a ban on the party to be justified." Today, with the AfD, it is the other way around: as the largest opposition party, which is getting ever closer to the leading conservatives in the polls, there can no longer be any talk of political insignificance. On the contrary. And that is precisely the problem: the AfD is already too big, these considerations are simply coming too late.

So there is only one thing left to do: these right-wing extremists must be confronted with reality in day-to-day politics. They have no viable program and no qualified personnel. They only feed on the discontent of disappointed voters. In the weekly newspaper Die Zeit, there was an interesting debate with Boris Palmer, the mayor of Tübingen near Stuttgart and enfant terrible of the Greens, which he had to leave because he regularly attracted attention for being uncomfortable. He had never wanted to ban the AfD, but rather keep it down through pragmatic politics. That could be true. At least the AfD only achieved 6% in Tübingen in the federal elections - the lowest figure of all German cities.

The US Secretary of State has vilified the categorization of the AfD by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution: "Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition. That's not democracy - it's tyranny in disguise." The German Foreign Office responded: "This is democracy. (...) We have learnt from our history that rightwing extremism needs to be stopped". Yes, that is true. This development coincides with the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. And Germany is cultivating a painful culture of remembrance. But the last contemporary witnesses are dying. The horror in our memories is fading. We must not allow right-wing extremism to become socially acceptable again. Not in Germany. And not anywhere else.

Good News of the Week

"Trump loses the next election" is the headline in the news magazine Der Spiegel. And is referring to Australia - after Canada. Because first the Liberals, who were thought to be dead, won in North America with their new leader Mark Carney. And then in Oceania, the Australian Labor Party with the pale Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Both incumbents were far behind in the polls and forecasts for a long time. Both were challenged by conservatives who called for radical change, a rejection of woke issues, a focus on national pride, a reduction in migration, a dismantling of the state.

Does that sound familiar? Sure, that's the MAGA playbook. Pierre Polievre and Peter Dutton thought to themselves as soon as Donald Trump's election victory became apparent: Great, I'll surf that wave. And so, consequently, they got caught up in the maelstrom of Trump's chaos. It's their own fault. Anyone who doesn't care about their own program but simply blows the loudest horn of the moment doesn't deserve to be in government. And anyone who is actually a convinced right-wing populist should not be given it, as they will divide society in the medium term and destroy it in the long term.

The sovereign - i.e. the voting population - in these two states, which have actually always been pro-American, has apparently learned from the experience of the Americans in the first 100 days of the Trump II administration. While the Canadians (elbows up!) simply won't bow to the colonial claims of their southern neighbor (on election day, Mango Mussolini posted something truly unbelievable: "Elect the man who has the strength and wisdom to cut your taxes in half, increase your military power, for free, to the highest level in the World, have your Car, Steel, Aluminum, Lumber, Energy, and all other businesses, QUADRUPLE in size, WITH ZERO TARIFFS OR TAXES, if Canada becomes the cherished 51st. State of the United States of America.") and are patriotically united, in Australia it is actually the specific US reference that tipped the scales.

Down Under, the opposition had almost gone for a copy of the Trump theater. From the tasteless slogan "Make Australia great again!" to the original idea of setting up an organization to reduce the state workforce. The pleasant normality of the incumbent Albanese was simply enough to get him re-elected. "Kindness is not a weakness" is how the public broadcaster Tagesschau labeled its standing - which can also be seen as a demarcation from the aggressive attitude of Trump and his goons.

Of course, it is too early to rejoice that the trend towards right-wing populist protectionism could be coming to an end. Arch-reactionary exclusion still seems to be in vogue. In addition to origin, language, skin color and religion, gender is also increasingly in vogue again - and I don't even mean trans, but simply female. It's not just tradwives who make me feel that our liberal societies are recklessly abandoning what they have already achieved. But the Canadians and Australians have clearly positioned themselves against this - by propagating open, human values. Perhaps it is no coincidence that these two countries are still and always have been places of longing for us Europeans...

Personal happy moment of the week

As expected, my short three-day break at beautiful Lake Achensee in the Austrian Tyrol was wonderful. Everything was there: a great spa, nice weather, excellent food, beautiful nature, inspiring reading, well-balanced activities, a relaxed wife - but unfortunately I missed some of it because I found it hard to switch off. But it was still a great time. And I'm putting switching off on the back burner for when we take another little break in six weeks' time.

I couldn't care less...

...that with the conservatives now sitting at the levers of power in Germany, doubts about climate policy are once again arising. Should we perhaps shake up the ban on combustion cars after all? Does climate neutrality really have to come as soon as 2045? How about a little more coal mining? Or at least reactivating nuclear power plants? Excuse me? According to the Global Footprint Network, Germany has delayed its Earth Overshoot Day by a single ridiculous day. However, the beginning of May still means that we need three planets whose resources we can suck dry. Frustrating.

It's fine with me...

...that Amnesty International is primarily blaming Donald Trump for a veritable global human rights crisis. Because it's true. Trump's re-election threatens "the end of the rules and institutions that were created after the Second World War to ensure peace, freedom and dignity for all people in the world", said Secretary General Julia Duchrow. His social exclusions, his attacks on DEI, his undermining of the rule of law, his stopping of development aid etc. are unprecedented. The developments were already there, but now the White House is pouring gas into the fire. Thank you for nothing.

As I write this...

...an unusual image is reflected on the display of my iPad. Myself with very short hair. This is remarkable because I only ever realize the need to go to the hairdresser when my wife, children or friends have been urging me to do so for months (and that's no exaggeration!). Colleagues, customers and bosses are probably just too polite for that. That's why I always have my hair cut quite short so that I can have my peace of mind for as long as possible.

Post Scriptum

Malaria is still present on our planet, especially in the tropics. According to the WHO, around 263 million people contracted the disease in 2023 - of which around 650,000 died, sadly mainly children under the age of five. The complexity of combating the disease lies in the fact that the pathogen is not a virus or bacterium, but a parasite that goes through a complex life cycle in our bodies and repeatedly develops resistance to medication.

German scientists from the universities of Munich and Regensburg have now succeeded in developing a promising active substance against malaria. By manipulating a protein complex, all life stages of the pathogen are killed and infection through blood transmission is also prevented. That's simply a game changer.

On the way to a real treatment, the Bavarian researchers and the international scientific community now just have to be faster than the Trump administration. This is because the database required for their work worldwide was for over 20 years operated by the National Institute of Health, an agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services. And is now to be canceled.

[artisanalgoats]

By Yair Rosenberg

A politician designed in a lab to help Democrats win pivotal Rust Belt swing states would probably look a lot like Josh Shapiro. In 2016, when Donald Trump won Pennsylvania by less than 1 percent of the vote, Shapiro was elected attorney general by nearly 3 percent. In 2020, when Joe Biden won the state by one point, Shapiro won reelection by more than four points. And in 2022, the Democrat took the governorship by a whopping 15 percent.

Today, Shapiro’s favorability in Pennsylvania stands at a commanding 61 percent, far outstripping Kamala Harris’s 49 percent in the state. Leaks from the Republican camp suggest that party strategists see the governor as one of their most formidable potential adversaries in a presidential campaign. There’s just one problem.

"He’s Jewish," CNN’s John King noted last week, so "there could be some risk in putting him on the ticket." In fact, Shapiro might be the most visibly Jewish elected official in America: He keeps kosher, has weekly Shabbat dinner with his family, and even quotes Jewish scripture in his political speeches. The sole race he ever lost was for student-body president at his Jewish day school.

Events have borne out King’s concern. Today, Shapiro is the only veep contender subject to an organized campaign to capsize his prospective nomination. Put together by hard-left congressional staffers and members of Democratic Socialists of America, among others, the push is ostensibly about Shapiro’s support for Israel. "Tell Kamala and the Democrats now," reads the site NoGenocideJosh.com, "say no to Genocide Josh Shapiro for Vice President."

"I personally believe Benjamin Netanyahu is one of the worst leaders of all time," Shapiro told reporters in January, months before Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for the Israeli leader to resign. At the time, Shapiro also pressed for an "immediate two-state solution," something Netanyahu and his hard-right government stridently oppose. The anti-Shapiro campaign ignores these remarks but makes much of the governor’s comparison of campus Gaza protesters to "people dressed up in KKK outfits." When he said that in an interview, however, Shapiro was distinguishing between bigoted extremists—such as the Columbia campus-protest leader who called for killing "Zionists"—and peaceful demonstrators, about whom the governor has said, "It’s right for young people to righteously protest and question."

Now consider the other vice-presidential contenders. Arizona’s Senator Mark Kelly leads the Democratic-nominee prediction markets along with Shapiro. Like the Pennsylvania governor, Kelly also supported using police to break up campus encampments. "Everybody has the right to protest peacefully,” he said, “but when it turns into unlawful acts—we’ve seen this in a number of colleges and universities, including here in Arizona—it’s appropriate for the police to step in.” In the same interview, Kelly said that the Israelis “have to do a better job” reducing civilian casualties in Gaza, but drew on his military experience to explain the difficulty of that task, and emphasized that “Hamas, without question, is the biggest impediment to peace in the Middle East.” Last week, Kelly attended Netanyahu’s address to Congress and applauded.

Unlike Shapiro, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper didn’t simply enforce preexisting state laws against boycotts of Israel while in office—he signed one himself in 2017. This month, Cooper codified into state law a definition of anti-Semitism that has been adopted by many countries around the world, but that left-wing critics argue penalizes speech critical of Israel. Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota, flew state flags at half-mast after October 7 and did not respond to activists who called on the state to divest from Israel. Some were arrested after protesting outside his residence.

That all of these politicians support Israel should not come as a surprise. After all, Harris is searching for a moderate to help her win swing voters in states that are currently polling in the Trump column. Although some Democrats have grown more critical of Israel, Americans back the country by a two-to-one margin and oppose the recent campus protests, which means that any VP nominee considered by Harris would likely share such views.

And yet, activists have not organized in force to discredit any of the non-Jewish contenders for vice president on these grounds. There are no viral memes against “Killer Kelly” or “War-Crimes Walz.” Either the activists involved are extraordinarily lazy and never thought to investigate the other VP possibilities, or they think that Jews are uniquely untrustworthy. Seen in context, the “Genocide Josh” campaign and its tendentious reading of Shapiro’s record look less like a legitimate political critique than a rigged litmus test imposed on the Jewish lawmaker alone.

Sadly, this selective stigmatization isn’t new to progressive politics. In 2021, the Washington, D.C., branch of the climate-action group Sunrise Movement pulled out of a voting-rights rally because of the participation of three American Jewish groups. All three were known for their progressive domestic-policy advocacy and supported a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the D.C. chapter of Sunrise nonetheless argued for their exclusion because the groups were “Zionist.”

The large majority of supporters of Israel and Zionism throughout history have been—like President Biden—not Jewish. Yet the Sunrise branch made no demands of the many non-Jewish groups at the rally; they effectively carded only Jews at the door. The organization later apologized and called the incident “an opportunity to grow.” That growth seems to have been stunted. Today, the national Sunrise Movement is echoing the rhetoric of the “Genocide Josh” campaign, while it has remained mum on the Israel stances of all other VP contenders.

It has become hard to escape the conclusion that some of the activists imposing this inquisition have a problem not just with Israel or Zionism but with Jews, who they assume are serving a foreign power, no matter what they’ve actually said or done. Historically, this is nothing new. The white-nationalist right has long sought to stigmatize American Jews as subversive and exclude them from political life, arguing that Jews are loyal only to their own kind. In this case, however, some on the progressive left are the ones treating Jewish identity as inherently suspect and holding Jewish political actors to a different standard than their non-Jewish counterparts.

The irony of this whole affair is that Shapiro has actually been more outspoken against Israel’s leadership than Biden or Harris. Few Rust Belt governors would publicly rebuke the prime minister of a foreign country, let alone that of an ally like Israel. But Shapiro knows a thing or two about the subject, which is why he feels comfortable assailing both Netanyahu for thwarting peace and extremist campus protesters for engaging in anti-Semitism. The two positions are not contradictory except to binary thinkers who treat the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a partisan sport, and whose understanding of the issue derives from social-media slogans. Marooned in their moralism, the “Genocide Josh” brigade misses what makes Shapiro so interesting.

The truth is that whatever Shapiro’s views, a Jewish vice president would function in precisely the opposite manner from what these critics fear. Far from a sinister Semitic Svengali suborning the president to an Israeli agenda, a Jewish veep would be trotted out to defend Harris in her inevitable conflicts with Israel’s right-wing government, and to insulate the boss from charges of anti-Semitism. As one Republican Senate staffer put it to Jewish Insider last week, if Shapiro is picked, “forget about claiming we’re the only party standing against anti-Semitism.”

The perverse politics of Jewish identity are one reason I’ve never been enthusiastic about the prospect of a Jewish president or vice president. Anti-Semitism conceives of Jews as clandestine puppeteers who control the world’s governments and economies, fueling political and social problems. A Jewish vice president would provide the perfect canvas for these fevered fantasies—a largely ceremonial figure onto whom bigots could nonetheless project all of their conspiracies, casting him as the real power behind the Resolute Desk.

Harris would be foolish to discard any compelling VP option over their views on an intractable foreign-policy conflict thousands of miles away, while Americans stare down the prospect of another Trump presidency here at home. With the polls as tight as they are, and her campaign starting from behind, she is unlikely to choose her running mate based on unrepresentative online outrage rather than cold electoral calculus. If she picks a Jewish vice president, it will be for his impact on the Electoral College—not the Middle East.

After publication, a spokesperson for Sunrise clarified that the group does not support the "Genocide Josh" campaign, and that its tweet on the subject of Harris's pick--which was shared by the "Genocide Josh" X account--was "intended to be talking about issues, not individuals."

Yair Rosenberg is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of its newsletter Deep Shtetl, about the intersection of politics, culture, and religion.

I've tried to include the links and all text exactly as it appears in the article. Any errors or discrepancies there are mine.

[miyamoratsumuu]

IT'S FINALLY FRIDAY 🔥🔥🔥🔥 So here's my weekly checkup <3 How are youuu?? It's been raining really heavily so I hope you're fine

Wednesday was suspended for us, not sure for you, but I hope you got your rest if you didn't have school then 🫶🏽

I can finally work on my smau I'm shaking from excitementtt wjhehs andand earlier was the time we'd wear Filipiniana!! It was so cold in the room 🥲 Also crammed a presentation the night before and my group did it perfectly😍 Mixed feelings about this week going by fast... next week is our performance task week🤕 I'll get through all the presentations trust💪🏽

ANYWAYS RANT TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT PLEASEE ILY 💙💙

LOU HUHU I AM SO SORRY FOR ONLY ANSWERING THIS NOW EVEN THOUGH I SAID I'D ANSWER IT THE OTHER DAY 😞😞

for the most part, I've been fine!! and yeah, bc of the rain we had no f2f classes the whole week 🤕 LIKE HUHU I WAS SUFFERING THE WHOLE WEEK I REALLY DON'T LIKE ONLINE CLASSES:( I hope you were safe this week thoughh!! the rain + wind were really strong, I hope everyone that was affected by it is okay ☹️

AND YES I SAW UR SMAU I'LL READ IT A LITTLE LATER FINALLY!!!! and well buwan ng wika is over so we're temporarily free from the filipinianas now 😭 as much as I love our traditional clothing, it really isn't the best to wear for our school setting huhu

and omg idk what it is about cramming a presentation the night before and absolutely nailing it the next day?? SO SO HAPPY FOR U!!!! I HOPE YOU GOT THROUGH PERFORMANCE TASK WEEK OKAY!! wishing you all the best ml 🫶🏻

OKOK I HAVE SO MUCH TO TELL YOU ‼️ TONS OF YAPPING AHEAD ‼️

so I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before but I *was* running for gr 10 representative in a partylist the other week BUT change of plans HAHA one of my all time fav teachers convinced me to switch partylists and run as president instead 😞 I really didn't want to at first bc I wasn't sure if I could do it and I didn't want to go against the president of the partylist I was in before</3 BUT she knows that I was aiming for the leadership award at graduation so she spent almost an hoir convincing me, along with some of my classmates + my other partylist members from my old party 🙏🏼 so guess what, I'm running for pres now!!! aha ahsh hshah haha hah 😅😅

campaigning has been going on for a week now, and I think we've been doing well!! most of my batchmates have been so so supportive of me and it just warms my heart sm idk ☹️ the election itself is next week i think, so wish me luck!!

OH OH AND OUR BUWAN OF WIKA CULMINATING WAS LAST WEEK FRIDAY!! we were tasked to write and perform a filipino rap based on the topic of "environment"

and omg when I tell you we did NOT have a practice until the day before the performance??? we were actually about to cry the day before and some of our groupmates actually teared up after our performance bc we all thought we didn't do the best idk 😞 BUT AAAAHHHH WE ENDED UP WINNING!!! AGAINST 7 OTHER GROUPS OMGOMGISHDJ MY JOY WAS WAY UP THERE

next on my to do list now is the tons of work of mine that got piled up over the week bc I was so busy with our campaigning materials that I wasn't able to do almost any of our assignments over online classes 😞😞 the ones I haven't done actually are supposed to be passed when f2f resumes but idk I have less than two days to finish everything huhu

ANYWAY I'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT HOW YOUR WEEK WANT BABES 🤍🤍 ILY ILY I'M SO SORRY AGAIN FOR RESPONDING TO THIS SO LATE</3

[adrl-pt]

A union of foreign agents is being formed, what should the others do? From the queue for hope to the queue against Putin.

You are watching the news from the weekly rally at the Russian Embassy in Lisbon. Today is February 3, 14:30.

This week we saw another example of the benefits of uniting efforts. The Russian consul tried to influence the authorities of Thailand to achieve the extradition to Russia of members of the rock band Bi-2 who support the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Russian oppositionists, cultural figures, lawyers, as well as diplomats from Israel, Australia, America, and other countries helped the musicians. We also helped to draw public attention. According to the politician Maxim Katz on Alexander Plushev's channel, the situation was miraculously resolved successfully, and all the musicians, including those who only had a Russian passport, flew to Israel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ5cSMgTmMw

According to the head of the "Russia Behind Bars" foundation Olga Romanova, speaking on the same channel, the Putin system will now want revenge and will continue to try to forcibly return those citizens who have left, back to Russia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbCgGrTsBPo

On the Mediazona channel, journalist Sergey Smirnov talked about a new law on the confiscation of property by politically motivated cases. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFpGxv2zRzA

On February 2, a congress of foreign agents began in Berlin. The congress's goal is to provide mutual assistance and support to "foreign agents". "These are people designated by the regime as enemies of the people … for dissent," said Anastasia Shevchenko, the organizer of the congress. https://twitter.com/sotaproject/status/1753372152391176310

The situation with Bi-2, new laws, and the experience of Belarus show that Russians abroad will not be able to hide. Those who close their eyes to what is happening and do not participate in the fight against the evil spreading from our country may find themselves without support in difficult situations. Remember the experience of unions, help each other, our opposition, and, first and foremost, help Ukraine.

On January 31, Boris Nadezhdin, a candidate for the presidency of Russia, submitted the best 105,000 out of more than 200,000 collected signatures to the Central Election Commission. In Lisbon and Porto, there was also a signature collection that we supported with spreading information and our passports. There's no need to be upset that signatures from abroad were not submitted, as the task of the Central Election Commission of Russia is not to comply with the law but to remove unwanted candidates for Putin, and it uses all of candidate mistakes.

Remembering all 24 years of Vladimir Putin's ruling Russia, as well as the 2020 presidential elections in Belarus, it's clear that Putin will not give up power. Therefore, hoping to win in elections where votes are counted by criminals in power is pointless. The main task of the campaign for the upcoming pseudo-elections is the delegitimization of the regime. Join in supporting and spreading the "Usurper" petition, in which united Russian democratic forces demand compliance with PACE Resolution №2519 and the cessation of contacts with Russian authorities. Link in the description. https://www.change.org/illegitimate_eng

And on March 17, we will come together to the polling stations for the "Noon Against Putin" action, which this week was supported by Alexei Navalny.

We have another piece of good news: the collection for transportation expenses for new volunteers of the Siberian battalion is closed. Thank you to everyone who participated.

[beardedmrbean]

OTTAWA — The capital of one of the world’s most stable democracies is gripped by growing panic about foreign agents working in elected office. A bombshell report by Canadian lawmakers has unnerved Parliament Hill, alleging that unnamed politicians have been covertly working with foreign governments.

The revelation in heavily redacted findings released this week by an all-party national security committee adds intrigue to a separate and ongoing inquiry into foreign interference in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 elections.

The new report from the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians is the first to suggest that lawmakers in Canada’s parliament may have helped foreign actors meddle in political campaigns and leadership races. Heightened anxiety in Ottawa about foreign interference comes in the middle of historic global elections where factors such as artificial intelligence and emboldened foreign powers are testing the resilience of democratic systems.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been on the defensive since the allegations broke Monday. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on the government to name names.

“The national security committee indicates there are members of this House that have knowingly worked for foreign hostile governments,” Poilievre said Wednesday. “Canadians have a right to know who and what is the information — who are they?”

The findings put pressure on Canada's national police force to investigate potential criminal charges. The report also refuels debate on the ability of the federal government’s deterrence mechanisms to curb foreign interference in a country whose political and legal system is considered one of the highest-performing in the world.

The all-party NSICOP said Monday that it has reviewed intelligence that suggests “semi-witting or witting” parliamentarians have worked with foreign missions to mobilize voters during a political campaign; have taken cash “knowingly or through willful blindness” from foreign missions or their proxies; and have shared privileged information with foreign diplomatic officials.

The committee with top-security clearance said it based its findings on more than 4,000 documents and some 1,000 pieces of evidence. Its report said China remains the largest foreign interference threat to Canada with India the second.

The intelligence included a claim that unnamed parliamentarians are taking direction from unnamed diplomats to “improperly influence” their colleagues or parliamentary business to the benefit of a foreign state.

One of the most damaging lines in Monday’s report points out Canada’s failure to address long-standing challenges in how national security information can be used in criminal proceedings. The report says this is one reason why criminal charges for the potentially illegal activities are unlikely.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters Tuesday that she takes the issue seriously. She deflected when asked if Canadians have the right to know the identity of the parliamentarians involved.

“We should recognize this is a new time,” she said, adding that authoritarians want to undermine democracies by sowing public distrust in government.

Freeland would not commit to releasing names, nor did she agree that “sunlight” on the issue would benefit democracy. On Wednesday, after her Liberal party’s weekly caucus meeting, she ignored questions on the topic.

The Trudeau government called an inquiry into foreign interference in September in the wake of claims that the Chinese government helped mobilize voters against a Conservative candidate in western Canada and helped elect another as a Liberal in the Toronto area.

It tasked Justice Marie-Josée Hogue with investigating foreign interference and election meddling, a topic that has also captured the interest of U.S. Congress.

Last fall, Conservative MP Michael Chong appeared before the congressional-executive commission on China to testify about being targeted by Beijing because of his defense of Uyghur issues.

Chong discovered through media reports that a Chinese diplomat had been assigned to collect information on him and his family. Canada’s spy agency has warned other Canadian parliamentarians, including NDP MP Jenny Kwan, that they were also being surveilled by China.

An initial report released by Hogue last month observed that the government’s messy handling of foreign interference has undermined the public’s faith in Canadian democracy.

Hogue’s early findings stated that foreign interference did not significantly influence the 2019 or 2021 federal elections in a way that would have changed the fact that Trudeau’s Liberals won back-to-back minority governments.

The Conservatives were initially quiet about this week’s revelations, but on Wednesday Chong pressed the government to identify the parliamentarians alleged to have colluded with foreign state actors.

“We all know that no responsible government would reveal names under these types of confidential circumstances,” Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc responded on the floor of the House of Commons.

LeBlanc remained resolute Thursday against calls to release any names based on preliminary information.

“It's important for Canadians to understand that these names are contained in intelligence reports, in some cases, it's uncorroborated or unverified intelligence information,” he told a parliamentary committee studying foreign interference. “The idea that there's a perfect list of names that is entirely reliable that should be released to the public is simply irresponsible.”

David McGuinty, chair of the NSICOP, which published the buzzy redacted report, said the decision to publicize the names of lawmakers is outside of his control.

McGuinty and the nine other NSICOP members with top-secret security clearance are bound by Canada’s Security of Information Act and risk prosecution if they inadvertently reveal classified information, he said.

He wouldn’t say if he’s bothered by sitting in the same party caucus with potential abettors of foreign interference.

“I'm more concerned about the fact that now the government has to move forward on this,” McGuinty said.

[stele3]

[charcherry-weekly]

Charcherry Weekly - Issue 250

Hello everyone, Mage of Light Nick Card here. I finally got some major progress on my game project!!!! Now to resume working on the news.

At the very beginning of the week, Heir of Time Rise Emit arrived in Fort Aspara with a rayquaza by the name of Ophion. Reportedly, Rise has been tasked with training and handling this long green dragon, for the sake of protecting Korous from potential disasters. Being a well seasoned trainer of both pokemon and dragons alike, Rise has gotten along swimmingly with Ophion. Rise has amazed bystanders with the sheer care and expertise that they bring to the table. Because Rayquaza is a legendary, Ophion will not be on anyone's team for the upcoming Grand Junctionia collage pokemon battle tournament on the 19th, but reportedly Rise will be performing tricks in the air with Ophion at some point during the event to dazzle the audience with and explain Ophion's role as a protector. Reportedly, Ophion has the same stats as a freshly caught delta episode rayquaza and has the capability to mega evolve, thanks to Rise recently receiving a mega bracelet.

Early this week, Sylph of Light Niko arrived via train, having previously been lost wandering the furthest ring. After an amount of transfers, they eventually met up with World Machine Eddie, who was overjoyed to be in contact with an instance of Niko. Eddie welcomed Niko to his/her world and set them up with the starter house to serve as their new home. Reportedly Niko is glad to be reunited with so many familiar faces, having experienced the events of oneshot elsewhere in a different instance before playing the skaian game years later.

on the 11th, Desertian President Katyleen Kitten appeared in the middle of Desertia Square, apparently after completing an excessively long chain of trans-protection missions in the past. Being exhausted, she zonked out where she stood. An anonymous afterworlder troll managed to get her to the nearby hospital, where she successfully recovered.

Not too long ago, Gray Skaiason was suffering under the limitations of his "holo-shell" hardlight appearance changer. Appearing in the form of a winged humanoid figure had been chafing against his preferred appearance, causing unfocused magical sparks to appear around him. However, Katie and Samus managed to convince him that it was safe to disengage the holo-shell for a while.

After a day or two, prior concerns amongst the SPace II crew were assuaged and other elgavans proceeded to also disengage their holo-shells on a regular basis. As it turns out, they are largely quite floofy looking, having somewhat of a feathered raptor-like appearance--both bird-like and dragon-like. Your dear newsletter writer is glad that they feel safe enough to show their true (and not scary at all, kinda cute actually) forms in public now.

Classified ads

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Journalists wanted! DSPAN is preparing for the current election season in May and is preparing to hire and train a great deal of them to be able to effectively cover the elections in every municipality and faction within Desertian territory.

Omicron and Tau (especially Omicron) are looking for Field Service Technicians! Will need to be able to handle non-elucidean geometry during navigation through Omicron. Accommodations and on-site training will be provided as necessary. Please Contact ∆-CONTROL to apply.

Staff needed! DTA has major openings available for new staff members for both construction and operations positions. Training is offered. Please contact theUnderground for details.

Do you know any significant locations of interest located on Starter Planet that you would like recognized officially? Please visit Unity Town Hall or otherwise contact sourFruit to share what you know with the Desertian National Park service.

Do you need therapy? Have you been impacted by the cosmic creation game in some manner? Do you have weird problems that likely have supernatural factors?

Contact Dr. Winters at 555-555-0125 to schedule an appointment.

Do you want an ad here? Contact lavenderSiren to get an ad for whatever. If you don’t write it yourself, you risk the newsletter writer writing it instead, do be warned.

This week’s known market stands in Desertia Town:

DTA train ticket stand

Katie’s potion stand (Fully licensed!)

shinyjiggly pokesnacks stand (Unity Village location is now open 26/7!)

Karmic Joys magical toys (night hours, customers celebrating a birthday get 75% off if visiting with a guardian)

sticker stand

korosian-strength sunglasses stand

That should do it. Everyone who's entering should get their teams registered asap! The event is on monday, after all. Maybe I'll get a chance to get more done on the game in the meantime...

https://letssosl.boards.net/thread/510/charcherry-weekly-issue-250

[drmikewatts]

Weekly Review 1 November 2024

Some interesting links that I Tweeted about in the last week (I also post these on Mastodon, Threads, Newsmast, and Bluesky):

I think this is the biggest reason to not use AI to generate important code or material-it's too easy for bad actors to inject malicious code into the model used: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/10/bytedance-intern-fired-for-planting-malicious-code-in-ai-models/

Google's AI mediator, that helps guide people to agree: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/10/googles-deepmind-is-building-an-ai-to-keep-us-from-hating-each-other/

The quality of data being used to train AI is declining. Garbage in, garbage out: https://www.bigdatawire.com/2024/10/23/ai-has-a-data-problem-appen-report-says/

Like many other AI, this transcription tool hallucinates: https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/26/openais-whisper-transcription-tool-has-hallucination-issues-researchers-say/

It is going to take some time to sort out the legal issues around the scraping of content to train AI: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/25/unjust-threat-murdoch-and-artists-align-in-fight-over-ai-content-scraping

More ways AI will keep lawyers happy-who's responsible when an AI controlled vehicle crashes? https://dataconomy.com/2024/10/23/the-ethical-dilemmas-of-autonomous-cars-whos-responsible-in-a-crash/

Ten Python libraries you should be familiar with for working with data: https://www.kdnuggets.com/10-essential-python-libraries-for-data-science-in-2024

The last time I got a scam call I told them to talk to my d*ck and put the phone down the front of my trousers. I don't think that would work if it were an AI calling: https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/24/openai_realtime_api_phone_scam/

An AI that can write, and verify, code: https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/24/anthropics-ai-can-now-run-and-write-code/

Biased data produces biased AI models. This is as true for cybersecurity applications of AI as it is for anything else: https://www.datasciencecentral.com/why-ai-bias-is-a-cybersecurity-risk-and-how-to-address-it/

Do we really want an AI to be able to control the mouse on our computers? Maybe useful for people who have motor impairments or tremors: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/10/anthropic-publicly-releases-ai-tool-that-can-take-over-the-users-mouse-cursor/

AI company fires back at lawsuits over its scraping of content for training data: https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/24/they-wish-this-technology-didnt-exist-perplexity-responds-to-news-corps-lawsuit/

Did a chatbot AI really encourage a teenager to kill themselves? Time for guardrails: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/23/character-ai-chatbot-sewell-setzer-death

Using AI to enable a garden to talk back: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/oct/25/ai-powered-garden-chelsea-flower-show

The idea of multi-agent architectures has been around for decades. Will generative AI be able to coordinate different agents to perform useful tasks? https://www.informationweek.com/machine-learning-ai/10-reasons-why-multi-agent-architectures-will-supercharge-ai

It looks pretty obvious to me that some companies will try to use Microsoft's AI to replace workers, not augment them: https://dataconomy.com/2024/10/23/microsoft-rolls-out-virtual-employee-ai-agents-for-enterprises/

The US wants to use more AI, especially in national security: https://www.computerworld.com/article/3587124/white-house-tells-intelligence-agencies-use-more-ai.html

The AI Cisco is using for customer support: https://www.computerworld.com/article/3578806/ciscos-new-ai-agents-and-assistants-aim-to-ease-customer-service-headaches.html

If the AI chips only last three years, what happens to them after that? Can they be recycled, or is this another way AI can negatively impact the environment? https://www.extremetech.com/computing/data-center-ai-gpus-may-have-extremely-short-lifespans

AI generated material is a threat to us, especially its use in election interference: https://www.informationweek.com/cyber-resilience/ai-manipulation-threatens-the-bonds-of-our-digital-world

An approach to watermarking AI generated text: https://spectrum.ieee.org/watermark

Replacing journalists with AI is not a popular move: https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/360462671/polish-radio-station-replaces-journalists-ai-presenters

40 years later, Terminator continues to influence people's opinions of AI: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2024/10/40-years-later-the-terminator-still-shapes-our-view-of-ai/

Who needs AI safety? Not OpenAI: https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/25/open_ai_readiness_advisor_leaves/

[maharghaideovate]

How DY Patil Prepares You for PMP Certification

While pursuing VMP certification, it certainly does not hurt to have a strong base. In comes the DY Patil Online MBA. DY Patil's curriculum, in a way, almost completely goes in line with the examination requirement for a PMP. Here are some tips and tricks:

Curriculum Alignment with PMP Exam Requirements

Comprehensive Curriculum

The DY Patil Project Management program design is based upon and aligns with the PMP Examination Content Outline. The five process groups defined by PMI that will be taken up for the programme course are:

1. Initiating

The focus will be on the preliminary tasks of starting a project, defining it, and identifying stakeholders and objectives.

The key topics would include project charter, stakeholder analysis, and preliminary scope definition.

2. Planning

Detailed roadmap of the project is to be prepared.

Covers scope planning, time management, cost management, quality management, resource planning, communication planning, risk management, and procurement planning.

3. Executing

lConcerned with the implementation of the plan.

lHandles staff management, assurance in quality, and stakeholder engagement.

4. Monitoring and Controlling

lKeep the project on track.

lFollow up on project performance, manage changes, and assure the attaining of the set project objectives.

5. Closing

lFinalize all activities concerned with the project.

lMake sure the deliverables are accepted and the lessons noted.

Core Courses

1. Project Management Framework

Get to know the overview of Project Management.

While managing a project, one has to get familiar with the five process groups: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, and Closing.

2. Risk Management

Identify, analyze, and respond to project risks

Focus on both qualitative and quantitative risk analysis.

3. Cost Management

Get a grip on project budgeting

Cost estimating, budgeting, and control

4. Time Management

Mastering the art of project scheduling

Techniques Gantt charts and Critical Path Method

5. Quality Management

Ensure that project deliverables meet the required standards

Quality planning, assurance, and control

Elective Options

1.Agile Project Management

Deep dive into agile methodologies.

Scrum, Kanban, and Lean principles.

2. Stakeholder Management

Learn to identify and manage project stakeholders.

Techniques for effective communication and engagement.

Hands-on Practice

The DY Patil doesn't just throw theory at you. The DY Patil Distance Learning MBA combines practical experiences through case studies with real-world project scenarios to analyze and solve, hands-on practice of project management software through simulations, and group projects where the student gets to collaborate with peers to mimic real project environments.

Tips to Crack the PMP Certification

1. Be familiar with the Exam format: 180 questions: multiple-choice, multiple responses, matching, hotspot, and limited fill-in-the-blank

2. Use PMBOK Guide: The PMBOK Guide is your bible. Read every chapter and know it well. Pay special attention to the glossary for key terms.

3. Practice Exams: Take practice exams as the actual test-timer click, click, click. Review your answers to know what you did wrong.

4. Study Groups: Get together with peers—share thoughts, ideas, study tips, and so much more. Online forums and local study groups can be helpful.

5.Tap Online Resources: Take online courses of good reputation. Sites like PMI.org are excellent study materials.

6. Stay on Your Study Schedule: Study at the same time every day. Cut up study sessions into bits

Enroll in Core Courses

Start with the Project Management Framework to understand the basics.

Proceed to Risk Management, Cost Management, Time Management and Quality Management.

Daily Study Plan

Study the base courses for 2 hours a day.

Make summary notes and flashcards. They will come in very useful during last minute revisions.

Weekly Quizzes

• Try solving quizzes each week to see how well you understand the subject matter.

• Analyse where you are going wrong and focus on those areas the following week.

Conclusion

DY Patil Online MBA will arm you with theoretical knowledge that is further backed by practical skills towards PMP certification. Be it the PMP-exam compliant course structure, rich practical experiences, or a strong alumni network, DY Patil sets you up for success. Follow these tips, stay consistent, and join the ranks of successful PMP-certified professionals from DY Patil.

Enroll in the Online MBA Program at DY Patil Distance MBA and fast-track your project management career.

[dark-bear-productions]

The Value of Time Off -- This Week in Hunting Darkness

Hello Hunters, Darkhearts, and Beasts! I've decided to do a weekly blog about what my week was like working on Hunting Darkness. If nothing else, it'll be super fun for me to read back later.

Anyway, this week, I've learned something very valuable: You should rest.

To some, this may seem obvious. It certainly was to my partner, my best friend, my parents, anyone I told I had worked on something Hunting Darkness / Dark Bear Productions related every single day since Christmas. But it wasn't obvious to me, so I reckon there's a chance there's some other writer out there who might need the hint as well.

YOU SHOULD REST. (Seriously.)

My partner and I are currently both at home, living off savings while we give our all to make our respective companies flourish. Eager to make the most of this oppurtunity, I wanted to work on Hunting Darkness every single day, as well as do the shopping and cooking and my part of the cleaning and all that.

Initially, this worked very well. House clean, meals cooked, work getting done.

But there's only so many days in a row you can perform labour before you start getting tired. I was getting more and more stressed, needing more and more forced rest periods, sacrificing all sorts of tasks I wanted to be getting done.

Last week, I finally decided I would be taking a few days off at the start of this week.

It felt great! I started re-reading one of my favourite books, Perdido Street Station, started playing the Bloodborne DLC for the first time, went to a nearby nature reserve with my partner, all the good stuff.

And lo and behold: when I started working again on Wednesday, the tasks flew by. I was rested, relaxed, and suddenly much more resilient and able to push much longer.

So if you're trying to get work done but aren't pulling it off and you can rest, please do!

(And obviously, we should make every effort to create a system whereby everyone can take rest whenever they need it, which is why I have never missed a single election I was allowed to vote in, whether it was a municipal, watership, provincial, national, or European election. If you're European and allowed to vote in the current election but haven't yet, please do!)

Anyway, I'm going to get back to crafting posts of all my monster art and merch to make sure I have a nice stack of posts ready so I can focus on writing the next season of From the Bay of Fangs.

Talk to you next week!

Daan

[rerfcollege]

How to Balance Academic and Extracurricular Activities in BCA

Balancing academic and extracurricular activities in a Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) program can be challenging, but it's essential for a well-rounded college experience. Let's dive into how you can manage both effectively, ensuring you excel academically while enjoying and benefiting from extracurricular involvement.

Understanding the BCA Curriculum

The BCA curriculum is designed to provide a solid foundation in computer science and applications. Core subjects include programming languages, database management, web development, and software engineering. These courses are crucial as they form the backbone of your technical knowledge and skills.

In addition to core subjects, BCA programs often offer electives and specialization options, allowing you to tailor your education to your interests and career goals. The typical workload includes lectures, lab sessions, assignments, and exams, demanding consistent effort and time management.

Benefits of Extracurricular Activities

Engaging in extracurricular activities brings numerous benefits:

Skill Development: Activities like coding clubs, debate teams, or sports help develop soft skills such as leadership, teamwork, and communication.

Networking Opportunities: Joining clubs and organizations enables you to connect with peers, faculty, and industry professionals, which can be valuable for future career prospects.

Stress Relief and Mental Health: Extracurriculars provide a break from academic stress, contributing to better mental health and overall well-being.

Identifying Your Priorities

Balancing academics and extracurriculars starts with identifying your priorities. Consider your academic goals, personal interests, and long-term career aspirations. Ask yourself what activities align with these priorities and how much time you can realistically dedicate to them.

Effective Time Management

Creating a structured schedule is crucial. Here are some tips:

Creating a Weekly Schedule: Plan your week in advance, allocating specific time slots for classes, study sessions, and extracurricular activities.

Prioritizing Tasks: Focus on high-priority tasks first, whether it's an upcoming exam or a club meeting.

Avoiding Procrastination: Break tasks into smaller steps and set deadlines to stay on track.

Setting Realistic Goals

Set clear and achievable goals for both academics and extracurriculars. Use the SMART criteria:

Specific: Clearly define your goals.

Measurable: Set criteria for measuring progress.

Achievable: Ensure your goals are realistic.

Relevant: Align your goals with your priorities.

Time-bound: Set deadlines for achieving your goals.

Track your progress regularly and adjust your plans as needed.

Leveraging Campus Resources

Take advantage of the resources available on campus:

Academic Support Services: Utilize tutoring centers, libraries, and study groups to aid your learning.

Extracurricular Clubs and Organizations: Join clubs that match your interests and career goals.

Mentorship and Counseling Services: Seek advice from mentors and counselors to help balance your responsibilities and stay on track.

Developing a Support System

Building a support system can make balancing responsibilities easier. Surround yourself with friends and peers who share your interests and understand your goals. Lean on family for emotional support, and seek guidance from faculty and advisors.

Balancing Social Life and Academics

It's essential to find time for social activities without compromising your studies. Set boundaries to ensure you don't overcommit to social events. Remember, rest and recreation are vital for maintaining productivity and mental health.

Staying Motivated and Focused

Maintaining motivation can be challenging, but it's crucial for success. Here are some strategies:

Techniques for Maintaining Motivation: Set small, achievable goals and reward yourself for meeting them.

Dealing with Setbacks: Learn from failures and use them as stepping stones to improve.

Celebrating Small Victories: Recognize and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small.

Effective Study Techniques

Adopt effective study techniques to maximize your academic performance:

Active Learning Strategies: Engage with the material through discussions, practice problems, and teaching others.

Group Study Sessions: Study with peers to gain different perspectives and insights.

Utilizing Online Resources: Take advantage of online tutorials, forums, and educational platforms.

Managing Stress and Avoiding Burnout

Recognize the signs of stress and take steps to manage it:

Stress Management Techniques: Practice mindfulness, meditation, or deep breathing exercises.

Importance of Breaks and Downtime: Schedule regular breaks to relax and recharge.

The Role of Physical Activity

Incorporating physical activity into your routine has numerous benefits:

Benefits of Regular Exercise: Improves physical health, reduces stress, and enhances mood.

Incorporating Physical Activity into Your Routine: Find activities you enjoy, such as jogging, yoga, or team sports.

Balancing Physical and Mental Health: Ensure you allocate time for both physical exercise and mental relaxation.

Exploring Internship and Volunteer Opportunities

Internships and volunteering can provide valuable experience and skills:

Gaining Practical Experience: Apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings through internships.

Balancing Internships with Academics: Manage your time effectively to handle both responsibilities.

Benefits of Volunteering: Develop soft skills and give back to the community.

RERF - Best BCA College in Kolkata

Regent Education and Research Foundation (RERF) is renowned as the best BCA college in Kolkata, offering a comprehensive curriculum that blends theoretical knowledge with practical skills. Our state-of-the-art facilities, experienced faculty, and industry-aligned courses ensure students receive top-tier education and training. At RERF, we focus on fostering innovation, critical thinking, and hands-on learning, preparing students for successful careers in the dynamic field of computer applications. With robust placement support and a vibrant campus life, RERF stands out as the premier choice for aspiring tech professionals in Kolkata.

Conclusion

Balancing academic and extracurricular activities in a BCA program requires careful planning and dedication. By setting priorities, managing time effectively, and leveraging available resources, you can excel academically while enjoying and benefiting from extracurricular involvement. Remember, finding the right balance is a personal journey, and it's essential to stay flexible and adjust your approach as needed.

FAQs

1. How many extracurricular activities should I join?

It depends on your interests and available time. Start with one or two activities and see how you manage before adding more.

2. What if I fall behind in my studies?

Seek help from academic support services, communicate with your professors, and adjust your schedule to allocate more time for studying.

3. How can I stay motivated throughout the semester?

Set small, achievable goals, reward yourself for meeting them, and stay connected with peers who can offer support and encouragement.

4. Is it possible to balance a part-time job with BCA studies?

Yes, but it requires careful time management and prioritization. Ensure your job doesn't interfere with your academic performance.

5. How can I make the most out of my college experience?

Get involved in activities that interest you, build a strong support system, take advantage of campus resources, and maintain a healthy balance between academics and personal life.

[fitblrgames-2023]

Official Rules Post!

This is it!! The rules you have all been waiting for!

Team work is key! As a team, you can complete some INSANE feats! How do I know?? Because we absolutely shook it up in the Fitblr Games 2018, and by golly we can do it again!

Work with your team to complete the Challenge Tasks posted each Monday. If I say 400 squats, it is not 400 by yourself. It is a total as a TEAM of SIX over the course of seven days. Break down those rep together and crush the challenges. To coordinate you will need to elect your Team Captains!

Each team will report their reps to their Team Captains. Those captains will relay the info to me, the Games Master. Team captains, once you are elected, send me a DM!

The captains will be there to tally up the numbers and as soon as your team is done for the week. Scoring is based on how early in the week all of the challenge tasks completed by each team. First team does each week will receive the highest points.

But wait, you want another way to score points too??? I can work with that. Enter the Solo Challenges. Each Wednesday your team will have the opportunity for a representative to face off head to head to gain bonus points and a Power Up. That right, a this is your chance to cause chaos!!! The power up will be announced along with the Solo Challenge winners, you never know what could be waiting on the other side of victory.

You know how I said Challenge Tasks would be posted each Monday? Well, those reps have an ultimate due date of 11:59PM (CST) each Sunday! All teams completing the challenge tasks by then will recieve point, but late scores will not be counted.

Each Tuesday you will be able to see your team's updated score and rankings posted on this blog, @fitblrgames-2023. The Team Captains will be tagged each week, don't forget to relay info to teammates and to follow this page!

Tomorrow 2/5/2023 the team lists will be released and you will be able to elect your captains. Welcome to the games!

Vocabulary:

Challenge Tasks: Posted each Monday. Complete these as a team as soon as possible.

Team Captain: Is elected by each team in Week 1. Reports the score to the Game Master all 8 weeks. (Choosing a second in command or co-captain is not a bad idea either).

Solo Challenge: Announced each Wednesday. Challenge varies week to week. Representatives compete individually for a chance to win their team some bonus points and a power up.

Representative: Elected by each team weekly. This member represents the team in the solo challenge.

Power up/Grenade/Boost: Used to cause Chaos. Won from solo Challenges

Games Master: The score keeper. Non-participant to keep things fair, but will be attempting the challenges each week anyway! This is who the Team Captains will report to. (It is me btw! @fitblrgames-2023 )

Count down to the games: 2 days!

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 210

Weekly installation of mostly fluffy slice of life neurodivergent queer fiction in SPACE space space space!

October was a super busy month, so I’m glad to be through it.  HRT, Inktober, real life camping trip, one of my ersatz children making good trouble while the other one rebelled a little bit... Onwards to November, when I still have to decide if I am spatchcocking Cornish hens or just frying them.

I actually can’t do reader shout outs this week, because Inktober did get my notes all wonky.  However! @janeshadow, @necromancer04, and @drbibliophile were all extremely supportive of my clumsy attempts at art, so I do want to give them special acknowledgement.

As always, shout out to @baelpenrose for sticking it out through this chapter... It veered hard left for a minute, but he hung in there until it actually made sense again.

By the time I got back to my office, Else had done an admirable job clearing the ceiling and working their way down the walls. Tyche and Parvati were nowhere to be seen, which was just as well.  Given the near-fluorescent quality my workspace still had, it was in everyone’s best interest that Parvati was scheduled to shadow my sister today.

“Good call on Charly,” Hannah announced as I took a seat. “She was halfway through making a fresh batch of paint when I got ahold of her.”

I slumped in relief. “Xiomara is less than pleased with her homework, but not much else I can do. She has been warned, just in case, blah blah blah.” Roughly, I rubbed my face. “I need a vacation.”

“Don’t you usually go camping or something?  I know there was a camping trip last year.”

“Mmm hmm.” Alistair had kindly handed me another coffee - mostly hot this time, no straw. Things were looking up. “But we make planetfall in less than four months.  The next giant leap for mankind waits for no one.”

She blinked at me, skeptical. “The world won’t end if you vanish for three or four days.”

Shrugging, I shook my head. “I’d be camping alone. Schedules are all over the place right now, between essential projects in community shifts and essential tasks in work shifts. Hell,” I sighed, “I think the guys and I are only all home at the same time for maybe four hours a day?”

“That sucks,” she whispered emphatically.

“Can’t be helped. We’ve talked about it and come to terms with it.” Remembering the food I’d brought, I looked around. “Where are the - “

“Eaten, with salt and butter,” Alistair interrupted. “What hasn’t been demolished was absconded with to Tyche’s office with muttering about soups?”

“The Soup,” Hannah corrected. “Clearly, you haven’t had it, or you would know that.  Hey!” She perked up again. “You could do a picnic instead of camping? Small daycation?”

That set me groaning, leaning my head down to rest in my hands. “They’re deconstructing BioLab2 for biomass,” I half-wailed mournfully.  “I’m pretty sure the only reason Nixe hasn’t smashed my door down is because she’s too busy trying to get as much PT in with Teeth as possible before they drain the lake.”

Alistair drummed his fingers on the table, chewing his lip thoughtfully. “I am going to hazard the guess that either Mister Rodriguez has not been told that the same will happen to his tanks, or he has elected not to inform Her Majesty?”

I winked and waggled a finger at him. “Very close. Simon’s prodigious aquarium set ups are among the last to go.  They are currently being used to study mineral aquatics, and will be cycled out to become life pods for Else.”

“That explains the breathtaking lack of weapon marks on the doors, thank you.”

“No problem.” Taking a steadying breath, I looked around again. The pumpkins were vanishing slowly but surely. A reassuring sign. “On more official matters, the votes from the Ark are showing an eighty-twenty trend toward the From cave system, with seventy percent reporting already.” I called up the relevant map. “Which means we need to start figuring out where exactly to put everyone. These are the most recent geological scans, so let’s start taking inventory of who has preference of where they don’t want to be…”

That bought me a scant few minutes of relative silence before Hannah tapped my hand to get my attention. “What about a Halloween party? Or a harvest party?”

“Once we get down there? Sounds like a plan. Sort of a new Thanksgiving.”

She rolled her eyes. “I mean for you, dummy.”

I tilted my head questioningly. “You want me?” I pointed at my chest. “To relax? By planning and throwing a party?”

“You love feeding people,” she pointed out.

My hands went up. “Four or five at a time, yeah! After that, it gets exhausting.”

“There is this fascinating invention,” Alistair started, adding his two cents. “It’s called a potluck, I do believe. Apparently, it occurs when you allow other people to bring dishes to a gathering.” He zoomed on a particular cavern, not even looking at us. “Revolutionary, I know. What will they think of next.”

“Asshole,” I muttered, wiggling down into my chair to sulk.

“Other people can cook, Sophia.”

“Et tu, Hannah?”

Five years ago, she would have flinched from my glare. Now, she just stared back.  It was clear that overexposure had acclimatized her to my wrath. “You let Tyche bake for you all the time.”

“That’s different. I can’t bake. Like, at all.”

“Arthur made goulash that one time. And you let Charly make popcorn.”

Yet again, my assistant felt the need to add insult to injury. “I understand that Mister Rodriguez is quite adept at sugar confections.  And you, yourself, extoll Councilor Kalloe’s aptitude with curries.”

“We could throw Xiomara and Mona together,” Hannah suggested. “Mona will stuff buns with anything given the chance.”  It only took a beat of silence for her to realize what she had said and start glowing red. “Bread buns! Like fluffier bao oh my gods kill me now…”

“Mini curry bread bowls do sound delightful,” Alistair mulled.

“Y’all - “

He kept speaking, ignoring me completely. “I think Farro and I can duel British versus American pigs  in blankets.”

Hannah clapped, despite my attempts to argue. “Oh, that would be fun!  I bet Charly and Coffee can pull together some really interesting dips and sauces.” Her tone dropped just as she clamped a hand over my mouth. “I hear Coffee makes a mean roux.”

“Do you think he can make us a gumbo?”

“How would we make it portable? Hmmm….”

I stood up and stomped my bare foot ineffectually before shouting. “Y’ALL!” They turned to look at me, faces frozen mid-word. Pointing a finger like it was a loaded gun, I started with Alistair. “I know what the hell a potluck is, but a good host should be able to feed the people they invite. Arthur got away with the goulash because he didn’t exactly ask.”

“The boozy donuts didn’t hurt,” Hannah added.

“AND YOU!” I whirled on her. “How am I supposed to ask people who probably can’t even attend to make food or help?  I adore Mona, but she is busy. We all have access to her work allotments and hours, none of us know when she sleeps. I don’t care how good those mini bread bowls sound, if I find out she is making even ONE, I will assign you to BioLab Four so fast you won’t have time for a rebreather.”

She started muttering and I vaguely heard names being listed, but chose to ignore it for the sake of my blood pressure. “And finally: WHY DOES THAT PUFF HAVE A HAT??” I darted across the room to where Else was roughly halfway down the walls now, fingertip less than an inch from a bright yellow ball of fuzz with a bright purple cowboy hat.

“Hat?”

“Puff?”

Both of them stood and inched toward where I was standing, eyes following my arm until they saw what I was focused on. “That’s a hat,” Hannah murmured in a dazed tone.

“I see it as well,” Alistair confirmed.  I couldn’t tell if his confusion was the rapid change in topic or the bizarre sight in front of us. “It is very purple.”

I didn’t want to take the object away, in case it upset Else…. Lately, they’d been known to emit a jarringly high pitched noise when upset. Instead, I stared at it with them, fixated.

“Does Simon have sea urchins?” Hannah finally asked, apropos to literally nothing I could figure out.

“Four?” I answered, curious.

She nodded without taking her eyes off the wall. “Urchins sunburn, and from what I’ve read, wild ones would carry stones or other objects to protect themselves. People who kept pet urchins would make hats for them. Like that.”

I squeezed my eyes shut tightly. “I don’t think I want to know how Else stole a hat from one of Simon’s urchins.”

“Perhaps someone made it for Else, based on similarities?” Alistair suggested.

“No clue,” I admitted.  Finally, I turned from the wall, took a deep breath, and opened my eyes. “Fine. You’re right. We can do the potluck.  It’ll be nice to hang out with everyone and not have to cook everything.”

Immediately, I winced and Else scattered as Hannah started squealing. “This is going to be great! Just you wait and see.”

“No costumes?” I begged.

She gave a small huff. “Fine. No costumes. I can work with that.  Unless Else shows up with hats.”

“The hat is pretty cute,” I conceded.

“Do not inform Miss Harper of that.” Alistair turned and stared at us both. “If I am forced to see even one glittery accoutrement for our fine, fluffy friends, neither of you will ever have a proper cup of coffee again.”

Oh. He meant it.

“Won’t tell Charly,” I hastily promised.

“How the hell are we supposed to keep her from making them without telling her about it?” Hannah hissed at me as soon as his back was turned.

“Fuck if I know,” I responded. “But we’re going to figure this out. My caffeine depends on it.”

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