"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.
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The Dallas Cowboys are set to take on the Washington Commanders on the road on Sunday for a showdown in which they're currently ten-point underdogs. Back in August, one could've assumed Dallas would've been the favorite. In September, it looked like it was shaping up to be a big gamer as the Commanders quickly went from pretender to contender thanks to Jayden Daniels' quick rise as a legit NFL quarterback. But now? It feels like the Cowboys have no shot at hanging with the team now led by head coach Dan Quinn. It's a game that already stings for the Cowboys in many ways and we're still two days removed from the kickoff. When Quinn made the move to Washington, many around Cowboys Nation weren't particularly upset despite him stringing three defensive successful regular seasons. Heck, some fans were even excited at the prospect of a new defensive coordinator. After all, Quinn's defense had struggled in a few big games and couldn't seem to find an answer versus the outside run and Shanahan-esque offenses. Some of that is still evident in Quinn's defense these days, but Cowboys fans would swap defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer for Quinn in a millisecond with the way things are going in Dallas. Maybe the same could be said about Mike McCarthy and Quinn. The Commanders' rise, simultaneous to the Cowboys' downfall, should feel in many ways like a slap in the face to America's Team and that has to be one of the biggest ones. Not only is Quinn turning out to be a successful head coach in his second go at the job, one could even argue his defense is overachieving based on their talent. Sure, numbers won't show it as they're still one of the worst defenses in the league, but the talent is the biggest issue for Washington. With Dante Fowler Jr. and Dorance Armstrong , formerly Cowboys backup defensive ends, Quinn's unit is ranked 12th in pressure rate, per Pro Football Reference . But I'd argue the most painful of gut punches is how quickly a franchise like the Commanders has turned it around. Washington fans have more faith in their revamped front office than the Cowboys do in theirs. The Commanders added an innovative play-caller in Kliff Kingsbury, seemed to have nailed it on Quinn, who the players love, overhauled the team from the Ron Rivera era, made some aggressive moves as sellers last year by moving on from Chase Young and Montez Sweat. They got busy this offseason to rebuild a roster that desperately needed new pieces. Meanwhile, the Cowboys were buyers at the trade deadline and seemingly overpaid for WR Jonathan Mingo . They remain one of the most passive teams in free agency and are headed to 2025 with a long, long list of needs and will likely be looking for a new coaching staff. It's the tale of two cities, with one on the rise while the other is digging deeper into a hole that will take more than one year to climb out of. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.
MADRID (AP) — Getafe scored twice in three minutes midway through the second half to beat struggling Valladolid 2-0 and record only its second win in La Liga on Friday. The victory ended Getafe’s five-game winless run and lifted it into 15th place in the 20-team standings. Valladolid remained second to last. In the buildup to the match, Getafe sporting director Rubén Reyes described the game as a final but his team was lucky not to go behind as Valladolid created more of the early chances. However, the home side took control in the 69th minute when substitute Álvaro Rodríguez got the opener. Three minutes later, man of the match Allan Nyom made it 2-0. “There’s been a lot of games where we’ve run and fought but lost or drawn,” Nyom, the veteran Cameroon full back, said. “A game that reflects the effort we’ve put in in training is very welcome.” Adding to Valladolid’s woes, coach Paulo Pezzolano was sent off before halftime. The Uruguayan has the league’s worst disciplinary record, with seven yellow cards before Friday’s red. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerToxic site is leaking cancer-causing chemicals in Grand Prairie, Texas. When will it be cleaned?Intuit and Amazon Expand Strategic Partnership
Rumors are swirling ahead of the 2024 Game Awards Thursday — but they’re not about who will take home the show’s prizes. Instead, most of the buzz ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Geoff Keighley -hosted event, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, is surrounding what big announcements and trailers video game developers and publishers will choose to release out of the show. Will Take-Two Interactive use this as its moment to finally reveal the release date for “Grant Theft Auto 6”? Will Skydance Interactive and Disney unveil details surrounding their closely guarded “Star Wars” game? Will Xbox surprise gamers and quickly reveal the first downloadable content (DLC) for MachineGames’ new hit “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle”? “I always say, people get excited to see one thing because they know it exists — but what about all those things that you don’t know exist? That’s what’s kind of fun,” Keighley tells Variety . “We always see the fake lists online of, ‘All these things are getting announced.’ And it’s just because those are things people know exist. And I’m like, but, what if there’s a whole set of other things out there?” Keighley and Game Awards executive producer Kimmie Kim, director Richard Preuss and production designer LeRoy Bennett are remaining tight-lipped on that front, but have plenty to say about the work that’s gone into prepping the 10th annual Game Awards. “What’s interesting about our show is that all the clips are online,” Keighley said, noting the show has always been free to watch (and rewatch) via YouTube and the Game Awards’ social media channels. “You can see it. It used to be on anniversary shows, you have to roll all these clips and all the things that happen because you can’t find them anywhere else. For us, our shows have been very accessible to everyone for a decade. So we’re going to tip our hat to some great people and moments that have been part of our show’s history — but we’re also going to focus a lot on the future. And with our show, it’s half an award show and half a look-forward to what’s coming next. This audience really does want to see the future, so we’ll be focused not just on what’s happening in 2025 in gaming, but I think you’ll see some things that are even further out at the show.” It took time, but over the past decade, the Game Awards has gained the trust of the gaming industry to break these big moments and publishers plan a year out to have their titles and announcements revealed during the show. “I come from awards shows like the Oscars or the VMAs where, the day when we’ve finished and the show goes out, we plan for the next year,” Kim says. “And there’s a similar vibe here, where we’re working closely with the vast majority of game companies always thinking ahead, how they wanted to collaborate years ahead, which we didn’t see the first couple years.” During that 10-year time period, the production quality of the show has also evolved to keep up with the industry it’s showcasing. For the 2024 show, the production team is working with more LED screens than ever before for those anniversary surprises. “Over the years that I’ve been designing the show, every year, I’m trying to push technology boundaries and try different things,” Bennett says. “There’s a certain format that we have to stick to because of just the nature of the awards, the games, and how you show the video games on the screens and stuff. But I constantly try to change the look of the show and the production within the format. This year involves a lot more LED screens and modules than we’ve ever had before. It’s a very architectural LED-based set.” While game developers, execs and fans will be celebrating Thursday, it must be noted that the SAG-AFTRA strike against major gaming publishers rages on and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight at the moment for contract negotiations, which largely surround the issue of generative AI in video games. Keighley and the Game Awards team are monitoring the situation and have kept this in mind when booking talent for the show. “We’re learning about it as it evolves and we’ve seen some of the comments around what’s a struck game, what is not a struck game, and can people appear or not?” Keighley says. “So we want to be respectful of the performers and their choices and how they want to participate in the evolving situation. We’re looking at it day by day and trying to be very respectful and we hope for a positive resolution.” Over the past 10 years, Kim says the level of prestige has risen for the show, while it’s also managed to maintain its indie status — not airing on a specific network or streamer behind a paywall, but on YouTube — and create a kind of general tribute to the year in video games. “There’s definitely people invested in it,” Kim said. “There’s a friendship and partnership where this is a team, doing this together, which I really find it interesting and unique to any other award shows, in a way. So it became one of these true community coming together moments when planning things ahead. That’s very helpful for producing the show, and also such a morale booster and rewarding thing that we able to create.” Preuss agrees with the all-for-one-and-one-for-all sentiment that he’s seen from the gaming industry when it comes to the Game Awards — not something typical of a competition-based event where people are duking it out for the top prizes. “The nice thing about this show from year to year is that there are these surprises, there are these special announcements. And it’s so much more than about the awards,” Preuss says. “It is a total celebration of the industry in a way that I don’t think other awards do. They celebrate, of course, the accomplishments of that year, which the Game Awards does — but there is a just a greater history within the show and it also always looks to the future.” The industry might be in love with the Game Awards — but they don’t love its lengthy runtime. While not alone in that particular issue, a common complaint for the Oscars, Emmys and other top events, Preuss says they are working on improving it each year. “Similar to a lot of other award shows, it’s all about pumping the gas and the brakes to keep the show running as tight as possible, so that there’s no awkward pauses,” Preuss says. “And that’s where our crew is so great, in terms of having the next band set up, or getting The Muppets — who’ve joined us many years and are back again — set up. Keeping our show very tight, but also doing our best to let things breathe appropriately.”
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Mark Drakeford warned Plaid Cymru will face a “day of reckoning” on whether to block the Welsh Government’s £26bn spending plans for next year. Wales’ finance secretary laid down a challenge to Plaid Cymru after unveiling the Welsh Government’s 2025/26 draft budget which included an extra £1.5bn for public services. Prof Drakeford said he remains open to talks with Plaid Cymru about how the budget can be improved, with Labour one seat short of the majority needed to pass its spending plans. But, addressing opposition benches, he warned: “If that’s not the business you are in then, believe me, the people of Wales will see through you and the political games you think you can play with their future.” He added: “There’s £253m for local government and when you vote against the budget, you will be saying to those local authorities that you don’t want them to have a single penny of it. “That’s what serious politics is about ... and that day of reckoning is coming your way.” The cooperation agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru collapsed in 2023, and the party has said it intends to vote against this year’s budget on March 4. Leading a debate on December 10, the former first minister told the Senedd the spending plans for the 12 months from April seek to protect the most vulnerable people in society. He said: “It is a budget for priorities, it is a budget for growth, it is a budget that reminds people in Wales why, time after time, they have put their trust in a Labour government. “A government which shares their values of trust, ambition, care for one another, and especially those who need that care the most. And that ... is why this is a budget for hope, a budget which sets out on that path to deliver a brighter future.” Peter Fox, the Conservatives’ shadow finance secretary, criticised Labour’s “tax-and-spend frenzy” and raised concerns economic growth could slow. Mr Fox said: “Both Labour governments just don’t understand business,” as he described national insurance increases as a tax on growth and a broken manifesto pledge. He rejected "fictitious" claims of a £22bn “blackhole” in the UK’s finances left by the Tories, adding that the Welsh budget has increased due to tax rises and vast amounts of borrowing. Mr Fox welcomed an additional £253m for local government but cautioned it will still leave councils facing a “cliffedge” with financial pressures totalling £300m. The former council leader said the Welsh Government has “finally seen sense”, agreeing to offer retail, hospitality and leisure businesses the same business rates relief as in England. Heledd Fychan, for Plaid Cymru, warned the draft budget falls short of the funding Wales is owed following the lowest real-terms increase of all the devolved nations at 1.3%. The party’s shadow finance secretary reiterated calls for billions from HS2 and replacement of the “outdated” Barnett formula with a fairer model based on population need. Ms Fychan said: “Without this, it is clear despite the uplift many sectors will be left broken and uncertain about the future: cuts will still have to be made, council tax will have to rise and the backlog across the NHS will remain incredibly high. “Yes, the investment is welcome but it is a drop in the ocean of what’s needed.” Ms Fychan, who represents South Wales West, warned the budget will largely plug gaps created by Westminster and Labour mismanagement. Labour’s Lee Waters said the opposition reaction “breeds cynicism in politics”, accusing the Conservatives of complaining about revenue raising plans while demanding more money.Canada's Trudeau survives third no-confidence vote