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    Steam Deck’s built in button mapping sets a new bar for convenience and accessibility – Gamesradar

    - May 15, 2022 by Mr HomeBuilder

    I haven't had a Steam Deck long but in the time I have I've mostly been throwing games at it, most from the last 20 years, to see what works and what doesn't. 2002's Morrowind? Like a dream. 2009's Batman: Arkham Asylum? Here's an error screen I doubt the developers have even seen. Throughout this reckless generational testing one thing has constantly floored me, and it's not playing Days Gone on a handheld. Instead, it's how flawlessly the system's built-in button mapping works.

    The Steam Deck seems to effortlessly reassign the controls of almost anything you play in a way that makes it feel like it was designed for the machine. From ancient games like 1994's Elder Scrolls Arena, to more recent things that predate standard gamepad PC options such as 2005's Condemned: Criminal Origins everything just works, as if past developers secretly knew the machine was coming and included options for it.

    You might not realise the feature is even there, it works so well out of the box. It's no mean feat to create a control spoofing underlay at an OS level that can take just about any control scheme from the past two decades and spit out something playable. I didn't even realise just how much of this sorcery was happening until I tried Morrowind and discovered the 'mouse' was on the left stick. That kind of works to look around, but with tiny menus to navigate and miniscule buttons to click, it made doing anything in the menus almost impossible.

    That's when I looked under the hood to see if I could change anything. Within seconds, I'd added cursor control and a left click to the trackpad as well, moved a few menus and options around, and suddenly a two decade old game was playing like it came out yesterday.

    Elsewhere you can make the most minor tweaks to improve things. The criminally not yet remade Soul Reaver has inverted left and right controls for example, so move the stick left to look right and so on (something that apparently wasn't a crime in 1999). It's maybe not the worst thing in the world, but it breaks your brain until you learn it and then you have to unlearn it if you play anything else. On Steam Deck? No problem, let me just take those inputs, swap them over and the laws of nature are preserved.

    It's the sort of thing that feels like there's no going back once you've tried it. PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam desktop all need something like this. PlayStation, especially, now it's bringing PS1, PS2, and PS3 games to its upgraded new PS Plus service. PS1 control schemes were an absolute lawless ergonomics wasteland, where bumpers might control looking up or down; and it was impossible to know, from one game to the next, which out of X or O would be select or back. Xbox at least does have some basic button swapping, but I've not seen a system wide ability like this, that can take any input and set it to any control, in any game, the way Steam Deck manages.

    For me, as an able bodied person, it's just a level of convenience to be able to do all this, but it feels like there's a massive potential here for less able gamers. Every button is freed up; able to live and function anywhere, whether the game ever intended it to or not. You can use Action Sets to allow contextual variation depending on gameplay, or adjust sensitivities and even types of button presses triggered. And you can upload mappings to Community Layouts to share them. Steam has recommended option templates that use the most obvious or common approaches to WASD, trackpads and stick controls but anyone can upload their own creations for others to use. At the moment these are mainly people trying to mirror Xbox or PS4 controller layouts, or tune the buttons to specific playstyles, but it's easy to see a community of disabled gamers working on layouts to cater for differing levels of playing ability.

    Like a lot of good ideas, Steam Deck's control options are one of those things you had no idea you needed until you started using it, or how the world functioned without it up when you do. As both accessibility awareness increases in games, and the industry falls back more and more on remasters and remakes, giving the player more control over control, seems like an increasingly essential button to press.

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    Steam Deck's built in button mapping sets a new bar for convenience and accessibility - Gamesradar

    Amazon Just Dropped a Crazy-Good Sale on Outdoor Storage and Deck Boxes – Popular Mechanics

    - May 15, 2022 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Popular Mechanics; Courtesy Cosco

    Extra space to stash your stuff is always a good thing, especially when it's inconspicuous and doubles as furniture. And these days, there are tons of stylish multiuse pieces that will your home organized and clutter-free, both inside and out.

    With warm weather on the way, everything from patio set cushions to pool floats to splash pads will need to be kept under cover, and luckily, Amazon just slashed prices on several top-rated outdoor storage chests and deck boxes. These handy, weather-resistant containers save you from having to haul everything to the garage or shed, plus they serve as extra seating or place to set down your iced tea.

    We've rounded up the best of the best deck boxes on sale at Amazon, whether you're looking for an extra-large model or something smaller to hold throw pillows and a blanket. But these deals can end at any point, so if you want to save big in time for your Memorial Day Weekend barbecue, start scrolling so you don't miss out.

    For more great ways to upgrade your outdoor space this summer, check out our coverage of the best cantilever umbrellas, smokeless fire pits, and porch swings!

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    Best Resin-Wicker

    This attractive deck boxcurrently on sale for nearly $225 of the list priceis covered in water-resistant espresso brown resin-wicker, with a rust-resistant steel frame. There's a hard plastic insert on the lid's underside to keep items inside dry, and pneumatic hinges for easy opening and closing.

    The piece is more than 4 feet wide, it's spacious enough to accommodate outdoor furniture cushions up to 24 inches wide, and it comes in three colors, though sale prices on other hues may vary.

    Best Faux Wood

    A handsome wooden deck box always makes a lovely addition to any outdoor space, though upkeep is required and they can't be left outdoors year-round. The next-best thing is an all-weather resin option like this, which resembles wood and is way easier to maintain.

    This 105-gallon outdoor storage chest features double-walled construction and hinges beneath the lid, plus there's a padlock loop to keep items inside secure. There's also drill-hole tabs at the base for permanent installation.

    Best With Wheels

    There's plenty of space inside this 103-gallon deck box, though at more than 20 pounds on its own and filled to capacity with your stuff, it may be tough for most to lift. Luckily, it features built-in wheels on one side of the base, which can help you haul it to different locations.

    Like other options we cover, it's made of resin and features hinges underneath the lid. But at only 2 feet high, this is a particularly good choice for those who want an outdoor storage chest that can be used for extra seating.

    Best for Packages

    This outdoor storage box is a great way to prevent against wet packages and boxes that disappear from your porch. It has a 45-gallon capacity and a metal latch to attach a padlock, with a slanted, faux-brick hinged lid to prevent rainwater from pooling on top.

    It's designed for deliveries, though it can be used to store anything that you want to keep secure and dry, like expensive outdoor sports equipment, gardening supplies, and more.

    Best for Small Spaces

    If you're short on outdoor space and don't want to schlep throw pillow or kids' toys inside after a day relaxing outdoors, this 51-gallon all-weather storage box is your best bet. It also serves as a handy side table for drinks and snacks, with handles to easily move it around your outdoor seating area.

    The storage box comes in black, brown, and gray, and is available in a larger 120-gallon size, though not all size and color varieties are on sale.

    This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

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    Original post:
    Amazon Just Dropped a Crazy-Good Sale on Outdoor Storage and Deck Boxes - Popular Mechanics

    The Organization | [Deck Recipes] May 14th, 2022 – YGOrganization

    - May 15, 2022 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Beginner Deck for Wight, Normal Monsters in Rush Duel, Rokket with Central Dogmatika, and Scrap meets Geargia.

    Beginner Deck: Wight Deck

    3 Skull Servant3 King of the Skull Servants3 The Lady in Wight1 Mezuki3 Wightprince3 Wightbaking3 Wightprincess1 Uni-Zombie3 Gozuki2 Wightmare2 Vampire Fraulein

    3 Allure of Darkness2 Burial from a Different Dimension2 Book of Life1 Polymerization1 Fusion Recycling Plant1 Hand Destruction1 Foolish Burial1 One for One

    1 Treacherous Trap Hole

    1 Guardian Chimera1 Dragonecro Nethersoul Dragon1 Starving Venom Fusion Dragon2 Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy1 Wee Witchs Apprentice1 Vampire Sucker2 Linkuriboh1 Relinquished Anima

    [RUSH DUEL] New Product Deck: Normal Monster Deck

    3 Galactica Oblivion3 Transamu Rainac3 Milky Wave Neo3 Cosmo Titan3 Magical Sheep Girl Meeeg-chan

    3 Parallel Birth Gate3 Secret Order3 Meteor Charge2 Ship of Seven Treasures1 Monster Reborn (LEGEND)3 Hammer Crush2 Heavenly Gift3 Magical Stone Excavation3 Galactica Force

    3 Vacua Annihilation

    New Product Deck: Rokket Deck Featuring Branded Central Dogmatika

    3 Borreload Riot Dragon1 Overeager Mr. & Mrs. Tanuki1 Albaz the Ashen1 Outburst Dragon3 Double Disruptor Dragon3 Rokket Caliber3 Rokket Tracer1 Rokket Recharger1 Silverrokket Dragon1 Magnarokket Dragon1 Keeper of the Shrine1 Yakusa, Lord of the Eight Thunders

    3 Branded Central Dogmatika3 Artemate Slay3 Bayonet Punisher2 Heavy Interlock2 Rapid Trigger3 Quick Launch1 Boot Sector Launch1 Dragon Ravine1 Into the VRAINS!1 Dragon Kings Myth

    3 Borreload Furious Dragon2 Borreload eXcharge Dragon2 Borreload Savage Dragon1 Striker Dragon1 Twin Triangle Dragon1 Dillingerous Dragon1 Dragunity Knight Romulus1 Borrelcode Dragon1 Topologic Bomber Dragon1 Borrelsword Dragon1 Borrelend Dragon

    My Favorite Deck: Geargia + Scrap Deck

    Utilize the effects of powerful Normal Spell Cards!

    3 Scrap Raptor3 Scrap Golem1 Scrap Goblin2 Scrap Chimera1 Scrap Recycler1 Geargiano2 Geargiano Mk-II2 Geargiano Mk-III3 Lord of the Heavenly Prison1 Jet Synchron1 World Legacy World Crown

    3 Scrapyard3 Fossil Dig1 Moon Mirror Shield1 World Legacy Succession1 Geargia Change3 Geargiagear

    3 Trap Trick3 Barrage Blast2 Torrential Tribute2 Jar of Avarice

    3 Geargiagear Gigant XG2 Gear Gigant X1 Gallant Granite1 Knightmare Gryphon1 Crystron Halqifibrax1 Lib the World Key Blademaster2 Scrap Wyvern1 Scrap Dragon1 Borreload Savage Dragon2 Scrap Twin Dragon

    Master Duel (Fusion Festival):

    Metalfoes Deck

    Warrior Deck

    The Fang of Critias + Despia Deck

    Three Musketeers of Face Cards Deck

    Excerpt from:
    The Organization | [Deck Recipes] May 14th, 2022 - YGOrganization

    HC clears decks for appointment of 1,035 TGTs in Haryana – Hindustan Times

    - May 15, 2022 by Mr HomeBuilder

    The Punjab and Haryana high court has cleared decks for appointment of 1,035 TGTs in the state. The recruitment process for the same started in 2015.

    Written test was conducted in 2016 and interviews were held by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission between 2016 and 2020. However, in February 2021, the state government decided to withdraw the advertisement and decided to initiate fresh process for the same, which was challenged by some candidates.

    As per senior advocate Chetan Mittal, who appeared for the petitioners, the dispute whether candidates having elective English as subject should be eligible for the post or the candidates possessing English as a compulsory subject, was pending in high court.

    The issue was decided by the single judge bench and appeals against the same were pending before the division bench, when the government decided to scrap the recruitment process. It was this decision a section of candidates had challenged in February 22, 2021 arguing that the decision was totally illegal as matter was pending before high court.

    It was argued that selection process was fair, and now state cant revert back and withdraw at a much advanced juncture when the interviews have already been conducted by the HSSC.

    The division bench of justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhwalia and justice Vikas Suri, allowing the pleas observed that merely on account of pending litigation, the state cannot wriggle out of the invitation given to the candidates once it is at an advanced stage.

    The action as such on account of the fact that litigation had ensued and which was not even decided as such but defended by the state before the learned single judge cannot be a ground for withdrawal of the said advertisement, the bench said, adding that it is in the interest of the state as such to ensure that the vacancies are filled up at the earliest. The court has now directed that the process initiated in July 2015 be completed and vacancies be filled up.

    It is to be noticed that this court is faced with a barrage of the service litigation right from the point of time an amendment is made in the service rules till advertisement is issued for filling up posts and the selection process is finalised. If the state is to sit as a silent spectator and withdraw the advertisements as such without having opted to challenge the order in accordance with law, its action can be termed as highly arbitrary. It would lead to unfettered litigation resulting in scuttling the recruitment process and leaving many candidates high and dry as the fresh advertisement after a period of five or seven years would entail many of them have become ineligible to apply, the bench added.

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    HC clears decks for appointment of 1,035 TGTs in Haryana - Hindustan Times

    Clemson baseball On deck Virginia Cavaliers – Rubbing the Rock

    - May 15, 2022 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Never in my wildest dreams did I believe things I write would come to fruition. In this case, talking about the season being a complete roller coaster. Just when we passionate Clemson baseball fans believe the team has turned a corner, they stumble in a game against inferior opposition.

    College of Charleston is a very, VERY good CAA Conference team. But take a look at those letters again. They do not say ACC or SEC or any other conference known for its baseball prowess. There is some real good talent on that Cougars team, and I know its baseball is a thing. However, Clemson should have beaten the Cougars the other night.

    I had a nice conversation over text with a big-time high school baseball coach in the state the other day whose son is redshirting this year for C of C, and even he believed that the game shouldnt have been close. C of C had some arms down and just didnt think they matched up. However, baseball happened and the Tigers dropped the mid-week game to College of Charleston 7-5.

    Bad news Tiger fans, as Clemson travels up 85 to the great state of Virginia to take on the UVA Cavaliers this weekend in Charlottesville at Davenport Field at Disharoon Park. Even the name of the ballpark is daunting.

    Early on in the season Virginia was averaging nearly 16 runs a game. Theyve since come down to Earth somewhat, but wow can they mash.

    UVA is led by 19th year head coach Brian OConnor. OConnor skippered the Cavaliers to the 2015 National Championship as well as 2 trips to the final series. He has accumulated 5 trips to the College World Series and has made the tournament nearly every year of his nearly 20 years at the helm. OConnor finds himself consistently at or towards the top of the ACC standings year in and year out. He is a consummate professional and well-admired around the nation.

    Virginia is currently 35-12 on the season and that includes a record of 14-10 in the ACC and a whopping 27-4 at home. The rankings have them as high as #9 (USA Today Coaches Poll) and as low as #13 (by NCBWA). I feel like I say this all too often on these previews, but THIS is a good baseball team.

    Their 35 wins have come against: Bellarmine, Gardner-Webb, NJIT, VMI, Cornell (x3), William & Mary, Penn State (x3), George Washington, Duke (x2) Rider (x3) Boston College (x3), Towson, Wake Forest (x2), Richmond, Georgia Tech (x2), Liberty, Pitt, Georgetown, North Carolina (x3), George Mason, Virginia Tech, VCU, and Longwood.

    Their few (12) losses are to: Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami (x3), Old Dominion, Pitt (x2), VCU, and Virginia Tech (x2).

    Virginia is a well-balanced team in terms of age of the team. A good mix of all years of study. 3 Freshman, 2 Sophomores, 2 Juniors, and 2 Graduate Students round out the starting 9. Noticeably missing are the Seniors.

    Offensively, this Virginia team is as good as Clemson has faced this season. Led by likely 1st Team All-ACC player (unless Max Wagner gets chosen for 3B), Sophomore 3rd Baseman Jake Gelof. Arguably the hottest hitter for the first two months of the season, Gelof is still batting .376 with 17 home runs, 15 doubles and 68 RBIs. This guy can flat out mash. His OPS is an eye-popping 1.352 (Slugging % + On-base %) Geloff hits fourth in the order. His partner in crime for the early season onslaught is/was Graduate Left Fielder Alex Tappen. Tappen is currently hitting .352 on the season with 13 HRs, 12 doubles and 65 RBIs. His OPS is slightly lower than his running mate Gelof, but still sits at a tremendous 1.060.

    The rest of the UVA lineup looks like this: Batting Average/OPS (notable stats in parentheses):

    Freshman Shortstop Griff OFerrall .319 BA/.815 OPS (5 2bs, 2 HRs, 16-17 SBs)

    Sophomore Catcher Kyle Teel .300/.911 (9 2bs, 6 HRs, 39 RBIs)

    Graduate 1st Baseman Devin Ortiz .308/.882 (11 2bs, 5 HRs, 41 RBIs)

    Junior Center Fielder Chris Newell .283/.932 (4 2bs, 11 HRs, 16-18 SBs)

    Freshman Designated Hitter Ethan Anderson .325/.932 (11 2bs, 3 HRs)

    Freshman Right Fielder Casey Saucke .359/1.037 (10 2bs, 3 3bs, 6 HRs, 6-9 SBs)

    Junior 2nd Baseman Max Cotier .277/.685 (3 2bs, 6-7 SBs)

    The Cavaliers have scored 442 runs per game through 47 games for an average of 9.4 runs per game. The Tigers have scored 387 runs over 49 games for an average of 7.9 runs per game.

    Neither school did me any favors this week with telling me the starting pitchers for the weekend, but Im not scared of doing a little research and giving my loyal readers an educated guess as to who we will see this weekend.

    Friday night will be Mack Anglin for Clemson who looked like an ace last weekend versus Georgia Tech. Clemson is going to need another outing like that against likely starter for UVA, Junior Left-Hander Nate Savino. Savino is 4-4 on the season over 11 appearances and 11 starts. 3.86 ERA for the lefty over 60.2 innings with 66 strikeouts and 23 walks. Opponents are hitting .251 off of the Junior.

    Saturday night is officially TBA vs. TBA, but I will go out on a limb and say that Monte Lee will run Geoffrey Gilbert back out there for the Tigers as hes been extremely serviceable since moving to the starting role. He will likely be faced by Graduate Left-Hander Brian Gursky. Gursky is 7-0 on the season with a 2.53 ERA over 10 starts. In 53.1 innings he has 65 strikeouts and 25 walks and opponents are hitting .226 against him.

    Sunday afternoon, also officially TBA vs. TBA, but the likely starter for the Tigers will be Freshman Billy Barlow. Barlow has also been a steady force recently for the Tigers on Sunday. Not great, but certainly not terrible either. Personally, I really like his future for Clemson. Facing Barlow will likely be Sophomore Left-Hander (sensing a theme here?) Jake Berry. Berry is 5-2 with a 4.34 ERA on the season. Hes started 6 games and has 16 appearances on the season. Hes pitched 45.2 innings this year with 58 strikeouts to only 18 walks and opponents are hitting .226 against him.

    I do not usually preview the bullpen, but did want to note UVAs Jay Woofolk and Dylan Bowers. Two relievers that we will most definitely see and these guys are solid out of the pen for the Cavaliers.

    UVA has given up 198 runs on the season for an average of 4.2 runs per game. The Tigers have given up 254 runs through 49 games for an average of 5.2 runs per game.

    Runs are going to be at a premium this weekend and Clemson is in DIRE need of a win or two in this series as every game is a playoff game. As our good friend JP Priester said last night on the Sluggo Podcast, it all starts with Anglin. That, my friends, is so very true.

    Prediction:

    UVA may just be too good for the Tigers to win this series. The Tigers bats have been really good as of late, and thats something fun to watch. Just think UVA has too much. As much as it pains me to do this

    Friday

    Prediction

    Clemson Tigers

    Virginia Cavaliers

    Saturday

    Prediction

    Clemson Tigers

    Virginia Cavaliers

    Sunday

    Final

    Clemson Tigers

    Virginia Cavaliers

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    Clemson baseball On deck Virginia Cavaliers - Rubbing the Rock

    A Steam Deck Verified Podcast The TouchArcade Show #529 – Touch Arcade

    - May 15, 2022 by Mr HomeBuilder

    In this weeks podcast Eli is jumping for joy after spending the past week with his shiny new Steam Deck. We talk about the things we love about the hardware, the games that play well on it, and plenty more. Is this slowly morphing into a Steam Deck podcast? Kind of! That leads perfectly into a reader email that sparks further discussion, and then we hop into a few of the more interesting mobile gaming stories of the week before capping things off yet again with some super secret Playdate spoiler-filled discussion.

    Dont forget to shoot us emails with any questions, feedback, or anything else relevant or irrelevant to [emailprotected]. We read em all, and love decoding messages written entirely in emoji. As always, you can listen to us with the links below And if you like what you hear, please subscribe and/or drop us a review in iTunes. Much appreciated!

    As a companion to this audio podcast, we also do a video version of the same show that is exclusive to Patreon which allows you to see us playing the games were talking about. Backers can view the most recent video episodes of the TouchArcade show by clicking here. Be sure youre logged in to see the latest content. For everyone else who is curious, you can check out our public patreon posts to see older episodes of the video podcast. If you like what you see, consider becoming a TouchArcade Patreon backer.

    Show Notes:

    See the article here:
    A Steam Deck Verified Podcast The TouchArcade Show #529 - Touch Arcade

    Deck the halls – Observer Online

    - May 15, 2022 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Soon theyll have the nerve to deck the halls / that we once walked through.

    With graduation on the horizon, I havent been able to stop thinking about this line in Taylor Swifts champagne problems. I havent been able to stop thinking about the impermanence, the evanescence of our stay here on campus.

    I havent been able to stop thinking about the passage of time, evidenced only by chips on the walls in dorm rooms, by the addition of post-its and newspaper copies to The Observers office walls, by eerily quiet hallways during Senior Week that scream of uncertainty and the future.

    Ever since I stepped foot on campus in 2018, I havent been able to stop thinking about how this place has seen so many people come and go. And every time I think about it, its like someone is squeezing my heart dry. Its the feeling that something so mine is slipping through my fingers all the time (like the ABBA song).

    But its part of the whole college thing, I guess.

    How painfully bittersweet it is to have found something so wonderful that makes saying goodbye so hard. But Im going to try. This is my goodbye column, after all. And I do have some wishes for the people coming here after I graduate the ones who will deck the halls I once walked through.

    To the future residents of 303 Farley Hall: I hope you find your own Abby and Isabel to hold you during your darkest times and to share your most unreserved laughs with. To the next people to have a Chipotle picnic on Irish Green: I hope you find your own Dane to crack open Mexican Coca-Colas and endless inside jokes with.

    To the next people to share a pew at Milkshake Mass: I hope you find your own Sarah and Theresa to see flourish as they take on the world. To the next person doing the noon to 2 p.m. Irish Gardens shift on Wednesdays: I hope you find your own jovial Marty and your own little family in the basement of LaFun.

    To the next people to frantically sign up for classes at 7:30 a.m. (because you will always get that registration time, for some reason): I hope you find your own Professors Jones, St. Martin, Cajka, Cortez, Kelly, Reifenberg, OMalley and Temple and their kindness, wisdom and boundless passion for teaching.

    Of course, The Observer herself has borne witness to countless generations of tri-campus students coming and going. She has seen scores of talented student journalists learn and grow and leave on to bigger things. She has forged friendships, unbreakable bonds of trust and love that are so hard to explain to others.

    On a corner of the bulletin board next to the Observer Editor-in-Chiefs office, a yellow tack holds a white sheet of paper. A cursory glance over the wall may miss the nugget of hard-won wisdom the piece of paper offers.

    You stay up until three or four or five in the morning until everything gets done, and that was a really important training ground for me, to be wholly responsible for something every day and seeing it through to the end and having people in the newsroom be your best friends and totally trusting them and thats what we had to do.

    This is working at The Observer, in the words of former Editor-in-Chief Michelle Krupa. And, honestly, I couldnt put it better myself, even if I tried.

    To the next generations of Observer staff that get to stay up until ungodly hours in the surely haunted basement of South Dining Hall: I hope you find in this endeavor that you are part of something greater than yourself. I hope you find your own Alysa, Aidan, Manni, Gen, Allison, Abby, Maggie, Siobhan, Claire and Veronica to lead you gracefully and with love.

    To the next generations of Observer editors that get to take mid-shift naps on the old, old couch in the Editor-in-Chiefs office: I hope you get fortunate enough to meet your best friends in this perfect little corner of campus, like I did. (Also, dont lift the cushions. Believe me, you dont want to see whats there).

    I hope you find your own Evan, Colin, Issy and Nelisha to continually raise the bar for dedicated, fair and quality journalism at The Observer. To lead by your side and in your absence, to report alongside you, to have a way-too-personal question of the day ready before every Editorial Board meeting. To never fail to offer you thoughtful advice, a warm hug, a reprieve from a long night of editing. To trust wholeheartedly with difficult tasks that you dont even trust yourself with.

    I hope you find your own Evan, Colin, Issy and Nelisha to be unhealthily codependent with. To drop first and last names with at the local Salsas. To make you cackle with glee at their quips and jokes (I dont normally do belly laughs, but they sure can get one out of me). To love you unconditionally, even when youre too mean or too annoying or you feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. To never judge you for your faults but show you, kindly and gently, that these are lovable too.

    Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would find any of this. But I did. And I hope you find it, too.

    Adriana Perez, Adri to her friends, is graduating from Notre Dame with a degree in political science and a minor in Journalism, Ethics and Democracy. Shell be in Chicago over the next six months working as a reporting intern at the Chicago Tribune. Please send pizza recommendations, your favorite John Mulaney quote or your thoughts on the most recent Taylor Swift re-recordings to [emailprotected] or @adrianamperezr on Twitter.

    The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

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    Deck the halls - Observer Online

    Netflix Pledges To Spend Subscribers Money Wisely, Respect Artistic Expression In Newly Revised Version Of Its Fabled Culture Deck – Deadline

    - May 15, 2022 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Netflixs fabled culture deck, which over the years has taken on the importance of the Magna Carta in tech and business circles, has gotten some updates reflecting the streaming giants current circumstances.

    The document, which is based on a PowerPoint deck created by Co-Founder and Co-CEO Reed Hastings, lays out precepts guiding employee priorities and the companys overall approach. It has been posted publicly for years, revised at various intervals, and viewed more than 20 million times. Its section headings (Highly Aligned, Loosely Coupled, Disagree Then Commit) echo some of the pillars of the companys uniquely articulated culture. Hastings elaborated on many of those tenets in his 2020 book, No Rules Rules.

    In a section called Judgment, a new bullet point is phrased in the imperative tense: You spend our members money wisely. At a current level estimated at $20 billion in 2022, Netflixs content spending is under harsh scrutiny after the company posted its first subscriber declines in more than a decade in the first quarter and indicated more losses in the current quarter. More than two-thirds of its market value has vanished over the past six months. While the company is unlikely to radically slash its spending, management has signaled a new commitment to trimming the fat and some shows and employees have already been cut loose as that process begins.

    Another newly updated section, Artistic Expression, indirectly references recent controversies over titles like Cuties or Dave Chappelles comedy special The Closer. The latter, released last fall, created a fierce backlash and a large-scale walkout by employees upset over Chappelles broadsides against transgender people. Netflix resisted calls for the special to be taken down from its service.

    Entertaining the world is an amazing opportunity and also a challenge because viewers have very different tastes and points of view, the section says. Ratings, content warnings and parental controls are all tools aimed at helping subscribers avoid content that may upset them, the document adds.

    Not everyone will likeor agree witheverything on our service, it goes on. While every title is different, we approach them based on the same set of principles: we support the artistic expression of the creators we choose to work with; we program for a diversity of audiences and tastes; and we let viewers decide whats appropriate for them, versus having Netflix censor specific artists or voices.

    Variety first reported on the update to the document.

    See the original post here:
    Netflix Pledges To Spend Subscribers Money Wisely, Respect Artistic Expression In Newly Revised Version Of Its Fabled Culture Deck - Deadline

    The Organization | [Deck Recipes] May 12th, 2022 – YGOrganization

    - May 15, 2022 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Branded for Beginners, Lukes ultimate Deck (sorta) for Rush Duels, Vendread, and Spellbooks!

    Beginner Deck: Branded Deck Featuring Cyber-Stein

    1 Cyber-Stein3 Sangan3 Witch of the Black Forest3 Tour Guide From the Underworld1 Ad Libitum of Despia3 Aluber the Jester of Despia2 Fallen of Albaz1 Despian Tragedy2 Incredible Ecclesia, the Virtuous

    3 Branded Fusion1 Branded in Red3 Telekinetic Charging Cell3 Brain Research Lab3 Allure of Darkness3 Scapegoat2 Branded Opening1 Foolish Burial1 Monster Reborn1 Terraforming

    2 Mirrorjade the Iceblade Dragon2 Lubellion the Searing Dragon1 Albion the Branded Dragon1 Alba-Lenatus the Abyss Dragon1 The Last Warrior from Another Planet1 Destiny HERO Destroyer Phoenix Enforcer1 Guardian Chimera2 Naturia Exterio1 Salamangreat Almiraj1 Artemis, the Magistus Moon Maiden2 Reprodocus

    [RUSH DUEL] New Product Deck: Dragon Deck Featuring Void Strike Dragon Zerogygias

    3 Nullstrike Dragon Zerogias3 Cladsoul Dragon Gygias1 Multistrike Dragon Dragias3 Fortitude Dragon1 Dragon Knight of Darkness3 Dragon Bat1 Dragorite1 The Fire Dragon1 Sylphidra3 Phoenix Dragon3 Sportsdragon Slugger3 Sportsdragon Pitcher

    1 Monster Reborn (LEGEND)3 Tribute Doll3 Fusion1 Star Restart2 Dragons Inferno1 Dragons Return1 Ship of Seven Treasures

    1 Vengeful Dragons Counterattack1 Dragonic Disorder

    2 Void Strike Dragon Zerogygias1 Full Moon Dragon Umbrlancer F

    New Product Deck: Vendread Deck Featuring Dragon Kings Aura

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    3 Ravenous Vendread2 Revendread Evolution2 Revendread Origin1 Vendread Nights3 Pre-Preparation of Rites1 Zombie Necronize

    3 Dragon Kings Aura1 Vendread Reunion

    1 Immortal Dragon1 Revived King Ha Des1 Shiranui Samuraisaga1 Skeletal Dragon Felgrand1 Shiranui Shogunsaga1 Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon Lord1 Shiranui Sunsaga1 Avendread Savior1 Vampire Sucker1 Yuki-Onna, the Icicle Mayakashi1 Vampire Fascinator1 Yuki-Onna, the Absolute Zero Mayakashi1 Dhampir Vampire Sheridan1 The Zombie Vampire1 Number 22: Zombiestein

    My Favorite Deck: DARK Spellcaster Deck

    Centered Around Reaper of Prophecy!

    1 Reaper of Prophecy1 Harr, Generaider Boss of Storms1 Sauge de Fleur1 Endymion, the Mighty Master of Magic1 Witchcrafter Haine1 Dark Magician1 Apprentice Illusion Magician1 Prophecy Destroyer2 Witch of the Black Forest1 Silent Magician3 Fool of Prophecy2 Spellbook Magician of Prophecy3 Magicians Souls1 Jester Confit2 Illusion of Chaos

    3 Spellbook of Secrets2 Spellbook of Fate2 Spellbook of Life1 Spellbook Library of the Crescent1 Spellbook Library of the Heliosphere1 Spellbook of the Master1 Spellbook of Knowledge1 Spellbook of Power1 Spellbook of Eternity1 Spellbook of Miracles1 Spellbook of Wisdom1 Spellbook Organization1 The Grand Spellbook Tower1 Instant Fusion

    1 Artemis, the Magistus Moon Maiden1 Dharc the Dark Charmer, Gloomy3 Crowley, the First Propheseer3 Selene, Queen of the Master Magicians1 Magi MagiMagician Gal1 Norito the Moral Leader1 Constellar Ptolemy M71 Ebon Illusion Magician1 Number 11: Big Eye1 El Shaddoll Winda1 Millennium-Eyes Restrict

    Master Duel (Fusion Festival):

    Gladiator Beast Deck

    Dragonmaid Deck

    Ancient Gear Deck

    Armityle the Chaos Phantasm Deck

    Master Duel (Diamond):

    Prank-Kids Deck

    HERO Deck

    Endymion Deck

    Thunder Dragon Deck

    Read more here:
    The Organization | [Deck Recipes] May 12th, 2022 - YGOrganization

    Heat pumps do work in the cold Americans just don’t know it yet – Grist

    - May 15, 2022 by Mr HomeBuilder

    Heat pumps heating and cooling systems that run entirely on electricity have been getting a lot of attention recently. Theyve been called the most overlooked climate solution and an answer to heat waves. And the technology is finally experiencing a global boom in popularity. Last year, 117 million units were installed worldwide, up from 90 million in 2010. As temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions rise, heat pumps, which can be easily powered by renewable energy, promise to provide a pathway to carbon-free home heating. Environmental activist Bill McKibben even suggested sending heat pumps to Europe to help wean the continent off Russian natural gas.

    But despite this global surge in popularity, heat pumps in the U.S. are laboring under a misconception that has plagued them for decades: That if the temperature falls to below 30 or even 40 degrees Fahrenheit, their technology simply doesnt work. Do heat pumps work in cold weather is even a trending question on Google.

    Its a narrative that Andy Meyer, a senior program manager for the independent state agency Efficiency Maine, has spent the past decade debunking for residents in one of the U.S.s coldest states.

    There were two types of people in Maine in 2012, he said. Those who didnt know what heat pumps were and those who knew they didnt work in the cold. But while that concern may have been true years ago, he said, today its not at all true for high-performance heat pumps.

    Air-source heat pumps there are also geothermal heat pumps and water-source heat pumps are poorly named and poorly understood. (According to one small 2020 study from the heating tech company Sealed, about 47 percent of homeowners in the U.S. Northeast had never even heard of heat pumps.) They are essentially reversible air conditioners: Like AC units, they can take heat from inside a home and pump it out to provide a cooling effect. But unlike air conditioners, they can also run backwards drawing heat from outdoors and bringing it inside to warm a home.

    That process of moving heat rather than creating it explains why heat pumps are mind-blowingly efficient. A gas furnace which burns natural gas to create heat can only reach around 95 percent efficiency. A heat pump can easily reach 300 or 400 percent efficiency; that is, it can make around 3 to 4 times as much energy as it consumes.

    Years ago, the technology really only worked in mild climates. The early generation of heat pumps were installed mostly in southern states that needed air conditioning and just a little bit of extra warmth in the winter. They really gained traction in areas where it wasnt cold, said Ben Schoenbauer, a senior research engineer at the Center for Energy and Environment, or CEE, in Minnesota.

    But over the past decade or so, heating companies began developing a new generation of heat pumps with inverter-driven variable-speed compressors a mouthful of a term that essentially gives the heat pump the ability to more quickly transport heat from frigid outdoor air.

    Soon, high-performance heat pumps were being produced that could warm a home even when outdoor temperatures were down to -31 degrees Fahrenheit. (Even in extreme sub-zero temperatures, there is still some amount of heat in outdoor air.) A heat pumps efficiency does go down as it gets colder, but even in subzero temperatures high-end units can be over 100 percent efficient. And in recent years, some of the countrys coldest states have gone all-in on the technology. According to a study in Environmental Research Letters, heat pumps could reduce CO2 emissions in 70 percent of homes across the country; homes heated by inefficient electric heaters or fuel oil could particularly benefit. Utilities and states have started offering rebates for consumers to install heat pumps, even in colder states like New York, Massachusetts, or Maine. Many environmental groups and state agencies are working hard to convince residents that top-of-the-line heat pumps can function well in cold climates.

    Efficiency Maine has been part of that trend. Early on, Meyer said, residents were deeply skeptical that a simple electric device could keep them warm in the states frigid conditions. But Efficiency Maine recruited installers, ran social media and radio ads, and released studies and reports showing that heat pumps could work. It started in Northern Maine a very close, tightly knit community, Meyer said. Once a few people installed heat pumps, they began telling their friends, who told their friends, and so on. So far, Meyer says, Efficiency Maine has offered rebates for 100,000 heat pumps in a state where there are less than 600,000 occupied housing units. Maine now has a higher rate of heat pump installations per capita than most European countries.

    Other organizations are doing similar work. The Center for Energy and Environment in Minnesota has formed a collaborative with utilities to help boost heat pump adoption in the state; they also maintain a list of contractors who have been vetted to install the systems. The Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit, has resources for installers and consumers, including a list of air-source heat pumps that operate well under the climate conditions of Northeast states. Some heat pumps are even being installed in Alaska, where average winter temperatures hover around a high of 23 degrees Fahrenheit.

    One of the benefits of installing heat pumps is cost-savings. In Maine, many homes are heated with fuel oil or propane. At current prices, Meyer says, running a heat pump costs half as much as oil and one-third as much as propane. According to Efficiency Maines analysis, that can save homeowners up to thousands of dollars in annual energy costs. A 2017 study by CEE similarly found that installing heat pumps in Minnesota could save residents between $349 and $764 per year, compared to heating with a standard electric or propane furnace.

    There are some caveats. Lacey Tan, a manager for the carbon-free buildings program at the energy think tank RMI, says there is still a price premium for heat pumps: Some installers arent yet comfortable with how they work and try to reduce their risk by increasing up-front costs. In cold climates, some homes may want to have a back-up heating system for extremely frigid days or in the event of a power outage. (In Maine, Meyer says many homeowners use wood stoves as back-up for their heat pumps.)

    But many experts believe more and more cold-weather heat pumps will be sold as homeowners learn about the new advances in the technology. Meyer says that Mainers who install heat pumps naturally begin to share their experience with friends and family. We have over 100,000 salespeople who have already gotten heat pumps, he said jokingly. Not bad for a state where they dont work in the cold.

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    Heat pumps do work in the cold Americans just don't know it yet - Grist

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