Daily Archives: July 19, 2017

The Poisoner: Pharmakos and Veneficus-Poisoner’s Apothecary – Patheos (blog)

Posted: July 19, 2017 at 4:20 am

Forest Pathway. Photographer Carey E. Ward.

Walking the Crooked Path

There are few words to adequately describe my nature as a practitioner of the Nameless Arte. There is not one single title that I identify with on a regular basis, but a collection of diverse practices that contribute to my identity. I am often hesitant to call myself anything when it comes to magical titles. Many of the words used to describe ourselves today originated during a time when people like us were feared. Many of the cultural terms for witch used in European vernacular during the Medieval Period were also associated with malevolent supernatural entities. If I had to choose a term that most closely describes what and who I am; it would have to be one of the old names used in the ancient world to describe sorcerous practitioners with the knowledge of botanical poisons and powers. The Greeks called them Pharmakos because of their knowledge of the powers of plants. In the Roman Empire they became known by the Latinized version of the earlier Greek title. The Veneficus of Rome specialized, not only in plant medicine, but also in botanical toxins. Assassination was a common occurrence in Roman political society, and the apothecary played a central role in the turning of political tides. With their knowledge of plant poisons and antidotes, a practitioner of the Venefic Arts could be an invaluable tool. Witchcraft was synonymous with the venefic arts in ancient times, and has remained a tool of the politically and socially oppressed.

In modern terms of religion I consider myself aPagan since I have never felt entirely comfortable using the termNeo-Pagan to describe myself or my practices. I dont see anything wrong with those who identify with this term, and I recognize it as a legitimate academic term. Just like other major religions, there are many diverse traditions under the umbrella of Paganism, Neo-Paganism included. Both titles are able to coexist simultaneously as they refer to different ends of the spectrum. The concept of religion as an institution based on specific doctrine is a relatively modern idea. Pagan spirituality as a whole does not fit into this compartment. I think as fellow Pagans we all follow a similar path when it comes to our reverence for nature and our relationship with the spirit world. There are many branches off of the path of paganism, each with its own unique cosmology.

Photographer Carey E. Ward.

The Path of Poisons and Witchlore

ThePoison PathorVeneficium as it has become known is a facet of traditional witch lore based on the ancient arte of plant magic. The story of the Fall, in which divine luminaries descended from the heavens is a central pillar of traditional witchcraft lore. The Fallen Ones brought knowledge of the arts to mankind, including the art of wortcunning. In addition to this knowledge, they made wives of the daughters of man, and through this union brought the legendary witchfire or Mark of Cain into the human gene pool. This ancient myth with its pre-Christian origins has been shared throughout human history preserved in occult lore. The Poison Path is just one of the ways in which we can unlock the secrets of the spirit world through communion and partnership with the spirits of nature.

Part of our practice on the verdant way is the collection and preservation of traditional plant lore. What we do not obtain from written sources we are able to learn directly from the plants themselves. Spending a lot of time in direct communion with plant-spirit allies is a great advantage to any practitioner of green witchcraft. Whether it be sitting with a single special plant of your own cultivation or immersing yourself in the forest surrounded by its collective spirit. One of the most effective devotional practices for building a strong bond with the green current is meditative walking in the forest, and cultivating traditional witch herbs. So much can be learned about the hidden nature of any plant by tending to it every day and watching it go through its life cycle.

Photographer Carey E. Ward. Lindenwood Nature Preserve.

Plants of Tradition

There are certain plants that are more associated with witchcraft and sorcery than any other. These are the herbs of traditional witch lore. The Nightshades are amongst some of the most infamous witchs herbs, including well known names like Belladonna and Mandrake. Other banes like Wolfsbane are associated with shapeshifting, sorcery and the Underworld. The infamous Fly Agaric Mushroom found across cultures has been used by shamanic practitioners to part the way between the worlds and travel back with newfound knowledge. All of these well-documented botanicals have been associated with magical practice and occult secrets over the centuries. I believe that these plants allied themselves with ancient men and women who were the first keepers of esoteric lore.

The plants within this category make powerful allies for any magical practitioner, and are not limited to those containing large amounts of toxins. Like many powerful plant spirits, just their presence and proximity is enough to bring one into a trance. Regular meditation with the living plant spirit is one of the best ways to develop a spiritual bond with the plant. Harvesting these plants is a sacrament in itself, and one of the primary practices of the green witch. The harvest ritual can be as simple or complex as the practitioner desires, and offerings are made to the spirit of the land. The plants retain their power within their bones long after their waters have left them.

Poisoners Accoutrement. Photographer Coby Michael Ward.

Underworld and Harvest

As plants of life, death and resurrection their bodies are transformed by their harvest-death returning from the Underworld as powerful spirit fetishes for artifice. Artificium is the creation of magical tools, objects and artifacts using sacred mineralogical and botanical materials, and is one of the artes of the path. Strangely enough the Nightshade plants of the Witchs Garden have roots that are perfect for the making of altar totems and ritually prepared homunculi. The berries, leaves and seed pods of these plants also produce natural amulets and tokens.

While different methods of ingestion and absorption have been utilized ritually and medicinally, it is imperative to gain ones own experience and understanding of the plants before any ritual ingestion is attempted of any kind. Any such ritual should be treated with reverence and rarity of occasion to maintain potency.

Green Witchcraft, or plant magic in general has associations with the Underworld via direct connection through the earth. The plants of the Poison Path draw nutrients up through their root systems, taking in energy from subterranean realms. While most plants draw their energy from the Sun, these shade loving denizens of the night draw their power directly from the Underworld. Their additional Saturnian correspondences further connect them to the Underworld. These witch allies nourish themselves with the dark and verdant light below, occasionally descending to its depths for protection. Because of their time spent in the Underworld during the winter months they are able to return more powerful or more numerous than before. Like a witch returning from a night at the Sabbath they bring with them new powers and lore.

The Underworld is a place of ancestral knowledge and where the hidden powers of nature reside. It is the repository for the Mysteries, where through initiatory experiences one returns with new understanding having communed with Elder Gods. The chthonic powers of the underworld are presided over by the Witch Queen or Queen of Elphame, whose consort and spirit retinue comprise the courts of the Fair Folk. It is the resting place of that divine fire that fell to Earth many millennia ago, still casting its dim green glow over the landscapes of the world below.

Plant-Based Magical Practices

The Poison Path or Crooked Way not only emphasizes the baneful herbs of medieval witchlore, but all plants with potent relationships with mankind. Understanding the balms and antidotes is the other side of the path as it weaves crookedly through the forest. Throughout history there have been certain plants that seem to have a special affinity towards humanity, plants like Ladys Mantle and Vervain are known for their powers as catalysts for magical operations. Such plants are also known for aiding practitioners in the practice of plant alchemy. There is a rich history of botanical lore that preserves medieval folk practices, and complex herbal preparations recorded in handwritten grimoires.

The historic relevancy and emphasis on academic research is another aspect that attracted me to classical witchcraft and the Poison Path. Part of my practice is piecing together bits and pieces of botanical folklore to create my own compendium of sorcerous allies. I am very interested in any documented historical use of the traditional plants of European witchcraft, and also any modern pharmacological research available on botanical entheogens. This path weaves together many facets of witchcraft mythos, including the Witches Sabbath and the infamous Flying Ointments of the Medieval Period. Interestingly we find many obscure pieces of magical practices hidden within the botanical folklore of the world. Many of the lost practices of antiquity can be regained through our direct communion with these elder spirits.

Learn More About the Poison Path Here

Read more from the original source:

The Poisoner: Pharmakos and Veneficus-Poisoner's Apothecary - Patheos (blog)

Posted in Entheogens | Comments Off on The Poisoner: Pharmakos and Veneficus-Poisoner’s Apothecary – Patheos (blog)

Cold Blue discusses Dreamstate and German Trance scene – Trance Hub (satire) (press release) (blog)

Posted: at 4:20 am

Cold Blue aka Tobias is an uplifting trance producer from Germany, who recently was signed to Music First due to John OCallaghans belief in him as a talent. His DJ sets of recent times has lead to repeat visits to an ever expanding whos who of Trance events around the world. We had a chat with Tobias about his latest achievements slot at Dreamstate and his new track The Clash.

Hey there, thank you very much for having me! A friend of mine came up with the name Cold Blue in the early days, when I was looking for a name that perfectly describes the mood, atmosphere and energy that I try to create with my music. I still feel this name sounds like what I do 100%, so it was a good pick I guess (thank you friend!).

I grew up somewhere in the German countryside, far away from the stimulus satiation in nowadays cities. I spent most of my time either outside in nature or inside being creative in any way. Music caught my attention very early, because our house was full of various little instruments and also cassettes to listen to. I loved to explore the world of music and always felt the urge to create my own. It started to become easier, when we got our first computer in my teenage years. Music software was very appealing to me and when I got Reason, I knew I found a new home. My first release was around 2004/2005, but the really cool stuff started to happen in 2006/2007 with Shah Music, ITWT/Blackhole, Afterglow, Monster Tunes etc.

2017 is amazing for me indeed, Ive never felt so confident in what Im doing and how Im living my life generally. The most important thing for me is to enjoy the journey. I love what I do and Ive enjoyed it from the first minute. I dont do it to reach any goals, I dont have any bucket list, I just go step by step into directions that feel right for me. Being with the Music First agency now feels totally right, for example. They believe in what I do and support me in such a comprehensive way, that I can just focus on creating authentic music, not having to worry about anything else. Sounds like a dream, and it actually feels like that!

Im absolutely amazed by the great feedback Im receiving for The Clash. I think its a very bold creation, a pure and raw combination of high energy, dark emotions and hopeful dreams. The inspiration is just the idea of feeling what you feel and use it as a signpost for decisions. To take your feelings as a tour guide through your life. (You should still use your brain as a consultant.) In this case it was my experience of some anger which I could use as positive energy to become clear of the unmet needs behind that anger and then take decisions to improve my life.Id also like to quote Oana Blaga from trancers.ro who hit the nail right on the spot: It is indeed a track that drives people. Itdrives people to do better. To do more. To fight. To fight for dreams, for needs, for anything they always desired

Definitely PROUD! Overwhelming and surreal also. Ive played at small and medium sized events for many years. Now suddenly this and some other great shows are just around the corner and its very difficult to realise that this will actually happen in just a few months! Questions like these actually help me a lot to get through all the emotional jungle and live/feel it more consciously. So thank you very much for that!

I guess there were some key tracks like 11 Days, Mount Everest, Coconut, Black Rock and most of the recent releases that just put my name on the radar of the die-hard trance fans over the years, step by step. Im quite thankful that I didnt have some super hit that gave me a rocket start in the scene and then made it even more difficult to keep up with the expectations from the listeners. Its so beautiful to receive messages like I know you since the release of Lucidity in 2011 and have been following your work ever since. I get those very frequently and it seems that everyone has his/her own favorite track of mine. I like that.

I think we do have many younger talented artists around at the minute, like Dennis Sheperd, Alan Morris and illitheas. We also have some nice regular trance events like Tallas Technoclub in Frankfurt, Trance.Mission near Stuttgart and We Love Trance in Hamburg. What we could definitely learn from other countries is the support people give each other. You see many successful teams/groups of artists that work together very efficiently in other countries like Ireland, Netherlands and UK. While there is also competition of course, they still know how to share knowledge, collaborate and support each other to get better and further in what they do. I miss something like that in Germany, where we have more the situation that all the bigger names fight on their own and dont seem to be interested too much in joining forces to reach higher levels. But thats just one factor of many, I guess.

I love nature, especially mountains and forrest, long hiking trips and biking tours. Maybe the perfect equaliser to studio time and DJing. Right now Im answering these questions during a week in a small village in the German Alps, spending some time in nature, far off from the city rushes. Another passion is a mixture of Psychology and Philosophy, I love to reflect how we are, how we think, why we do certain things, why we dont do things that would actually make us more happy and so on

Just some name dropping here: Subculture, FSOE, Pure Trance, Outburst, Dreamstate, Ministry Of Sound, Digital Society Argentina, California, London, Glasgow, Belfast, Amsterdam.. I CANT WAIT!

Thank you all so much for following me, some of you since such a long time already! I make music for myself because I just love it and it feels incredible to know that there are people like you who also enjoy what I do and who keep pushing me with comments and messages or even with their presence at my shows. THANK YOU!

Co-Founder of Trance Hub, Curator of The Gathering events in India and ALT+TRANCE in Czech Republic. By day, a Digital Marketing Enthusiast with love for Food and Technology. By night, a dreamer who wants to grow the Trance scene in India.

Next Post

Travelling across the world is literally a part and parcel of the DJ lifestyle. Many...

The rest is here:

Cold Blue discusses Dreamstate and German Trance scene - Trance Hub (satire) (press release) (blog)

Posted in Trance | Comments Off on Cold Blue discusses Dreamstate and German Trance scene – Trance Hub (satire) (press release) (blog)

Wacha puts the Mets into trance – Journal Times

Posted: at 4:20 am

Michael Wacha threw a three-hitter for his first career shutout, Matt Carpenter had four hits, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Mets at New York.

Wacha (7-3) has won his last four starts. He struck out eight and walked one in his 99th career start.

The 26-year-old right-hander, who was ineffective last season, had not won four straight starts since the 2013 playoffs when he helped lead St. Louis to the World Series.

Wacha and the Cardinals capitalized on a shoddy Mets defense that let down starter Rafael Montero (1-6) with three errors. Montero allowed four runs, two earned, in six innings. New York has lost three straight and eight of 11.

DIAMONDBACKS 11, REDS 2: Chris Herrmann capped a six-run fifth inning with a two-run homer, and Arizona slugged its way past the Cincinnati Reds shortly after trading for slugger J.D. Martinez.

Rey Fuentes added a pinch-hit, three-run shot in the seventh, All-Star outfielder Jake Lamb had a two-run triple and Arizona ended a five-game skid by tying a season high with nine extra-base hits one from each spot in the order. The Diamondbacks had four doubles in the fifth, helping overcome Zack Cozarts 10th homer of the season.

PHILLIES 5, MARLINS 2: Maikel Franco had three hits, including a tie-breaking home run in the eighth inning, to help lead Philadelphia past the Marlins at Miami.

National League home run leader Giancarlo Stanton hit his 29th for the Marlins, who have lost four of five.

Francos homer to left field off Dustin McGowan (5-1) was his 14th of the season and it broke a 2-all tie.

ORIOLES 12, RANGERS 1: Chris Davis homered in a six-run first inning, added a grand slam in the fourth and finished with a career-high six RBIs to help the Orioles breeze past Texas at Baltimore.

It was the 19th career multihomer game for Davis, making his fifth start since coming off the disabled list with an oblique strain. Baltimores cleanup hitter hadnt gone deep since June 10 and has 16 home runs after hitting 38 last season.

TIGERS 9, ROYALS 3: Nicholas Castellanos homered twice and drove in five runs, Detroit scored five times in the second inning and the Tigers cruised from there at Kansas City.

After trading slugger J.D. Martinez to Arizona for a package of prospects before the game, the Tigers proved they didnt need him in the lineup at least for one night to win their fourth straight game.

ASTROS 6, MARINERS 2: Evan Gattis homered twice to back up a solid start by Brad Peacock and help the Astros defeat Seattle at Houston.

Gattis hit solo shots in the second and sixth innings off Sam Gaviglio (3-5) for the eighth multihomer game of his career.

Peacock (8-1) allowed three hits and one run while fanning nine in seven innings to tie the longest start of his career and earn his fifth straight win. Luke Gregerson got the last four outs for his first save.

Link:

Wacha puts the Mets into trance - Journal Times

Posted in Trance | Comments Off on Wacha puts the Mets into trance – Journal Times

‘Gouryella From The Heavens’ Documentary Released! – EDM Identity

Posted: at 4:20 am

Gouryella From The Heavens gives fans an exclusive look into the life of Ferry Corsten with tour footage, industry commentary, and behind the scene processes

With its range of hi-definition, eye-popping visuals and a soundtrack that will send goosebumps flooding through your body, Gouryella From The Heavens explores the highs of a monumental year for one of the most loved aliases in trance. The film chronicles the massive cultural influence that Gouryella set in motion across the scene with its early sound, inspiring and drawing praise from names including Markus Schulz, Armin Van Buuren, MarLo, Cosmic Gate, Dim3nsion, Paul Oakenfold and Above & Beyond throughout the film.

Why are we here? Where do we come from? Who created us? Ferry Corsten has always been very intrigued by the idea of creation, which is the inspiration for the Gouryella show. We all think we have an idea, but no one can know for sure. The word Gouryella means heaven and his track Anahera means angel. In developing and building upon this theme, Ferry Corsten uses the Gouryella project and live performances as a platform to pose these questions. It delivers an introspective presentation bonding both music and visual artistry that stands apart from any other dance music project performed before.

Telling a story through music is one thing. Telling a story through photos, video and a narrative is another. Im very excited that Im able to bring this documentary onto the stage and take my fans with me on a journey behind the scenes and through the process that is Gouryella.

Ferry Corsten

The documentary divulges interesting tidbits and facts about Ferry Corsten that fans will want to learn. Markus Schulz reveals that his friend hears the melody to a track before even beginning work on it. Yes, Ferry Corsten hears the music all in his head before he even touches the keyboard! If you could put a USB port in his head and transfer it to a computer, the track would already be finished. Its rare to see someone who envisions productions so clearly, while is also able to put pen to paper and bring the music to fruition. He is truly one of the most brilliant minds in trance music and his ability to craft stunning pieces of musical artistry becomes wildly evident when you listen to his tracks.

In 1999,Gouryella was born as a dream collaboration between Ferry Corsten and Tiesto. They made three timeless trance tracks together, including Gouryella, Walhalla, and Tenshibefore decided to go their separate ways after a few years. Instantly, the world was faced with a dark cloud as they had lost out on a brilliant blooming project that set an example of trance perfection. Their productions were dripping in big synth melodies that fans resonated with on a level that would not be seen again for almost 15 years. Celebrated artists like Above & Beyond said the wildly unique and infectiously powerful sound had a huge influence on them.

In 2015, Ferry Corsten returned as Gouryella with the release of Anahera and was eventually voted tune of the year on A State of Trance. The trance scene was instantly transported back into a world where gorgeous melodies stole the limelight with an emotional and powerful drive. With events like Dreamstate revitalizing trance, a new track by Gouryella felt like it arrived at the perfect moment. It catapulted into the hearts of both old and new trance fans alike, igniting passion for the classic trance vibe and sound. Careful to preserve the perfection that is Gouryella, Ferry Corsten wanted to create something that had true meaning behind it. The result was a full on sensoryinspired performance that would take his fans on a journey of divine exploration.

Gouryella @ Beyond SoCal, Photo Credit: aLIVE Coverage

I can tell you from my own experience that after attending a Gouryella show, you will never look at trance the same way ever again. Standing among a crowd of thousands, allowing the soundtrack of heaven wash over my soul, as tracks like Ligaya, Neba, Anahera, Drums A Weapon, Voema, and Dopamina sweep swiftly through the speakers and into my heart, my life would forever be changed. In those moments I felt closer to my higher power than ever before. The music was my link to the mystery of the great beyond and I was experiencing emotions that I have never explored before. The beauty of every beat and the connection that I had with the melody was something that will never be duplicated.

Ferry Corsten reveals in the documentary to fans that he is not sure how much longer the live show will go on, but that he will return every year with a new Gouryella single. Only a limited amount of Gouryella shows remain in 2017, so make sure to catch Ferry Corsten play while you still can! The remaining dates include Tomorrowland in Belgium and the premiere of Gouryella 2.0 at Transmission in Melbourne and Prague.

Website | Facebook|Twitter|SoundCloud

Maria first fell in love with electronic music in the early 2000's when she heard a little tune called "Satisfaction" by Benny Benassi. Since then she has dived head first into the scene and become passionate about the trance, techno, and tech house genre's. Festival's like EDC, Dreamstate, and TomorrowWorld hold the key to her soul and dance music will always and forever be a major part of her life.

Read the original:

'Gouryella From The Heavens' Documentary Released! - EDM Identity

Posted in Trance | Comments Off on ‘Gouryella From The Heavens’ Documentary Released! – EDM Identity

Cyberpunk 2077 Unique Classes Detailed, Includes Punk Rockers

Posted: at 4:19 am

Details have been scarce on Cyberpunk 2077, the next game from CD Projekt Red, the talented folks behind the Witcher series of games, but a new interview shines somelight on the upcoming title.

Mike Pondsmith, the creator of the tabletop game that inspired the video game adaptation, is working alongside the development team to ensure that the best possible Cyberpunk game is created. In an interview with Gamereactor UK, Pondsmith shared details on how the class system will work in the game. Given the futuristic noir setting, it makes sense that standard classes like warrior and rogue wont be present. Instead, youll be able to choose from options like Rockerboys, Nomads, various kinds of hackers, and Journalists.

Each class sounds like it has extremely different gameplay. Rockerboys fight authority with music. Nomads are corporate workers who have been exiled and have turned to patrolling the highways in gangs. Hackers can infiltrate the games internet and explore the web in VR.

Cyberpunk 2077 continues to sound more and more impressive. The brief CG trailer we received four years ago already had us excited, but these new tidbits have us salivating at the possibilities. Now that work on The Witcher and its DLC has concluded, the team can focus entirely on this new project, and hopefully, well see it before the end of the decade.

Pondsmith also confirmed that the game will use an improved version of the Witcher IIIs engine, which should cut down on some development times.

There is no release date or window announced for Cyberpunk 2077 but stay tuned to Twinfinite as more news continues to trickle out.

See more here:

Cyberpunk 2077 Unique Classes Detailed, Includes Punk Rockers

Posted in Cyberpunk | Comments Off on Cyberpunk 2077 Unique Classes Detailed, Includes Punk Rockers

Run your own evil megacorporation in Spinnortality, a dystopian strategy game – PC Gamer

Posted: at 4:19 am

Ive just launched a social media network in Europe that, based on your personality and posting habits, buys things before you even know you need or want them. But its a disaster. The angle is all wrong, the market hates it, and Ive lost millions. But while this may have ruined a lesser company, the PC Gamer evil megacorporation has a plan to dig itself out of this hole. I decide to siphon cash from my pension fund, yielding up to $20 million for each worker I currently have employed. Theres a chance Ill get caught, ruining my reputation, but its worth it. A few turns later and my bank is full of dirty money.

Spinnortality is a game about managing the kind of evil corporation thats usually the antagonist in a cyberpunk story. Those monolithic, faceless multinationals that guys like Adam Jensen risk their lives to expose. Its a delicious premise and executed wellespecially when you consider that the game is being made by just one person. Developer James Patton describes his ambitious new project as a cyberpunk strategy/management game where you run a giant, insidious megacorporation. And explains that, to make your dubious business a success, youll have to spin products, influence the media, manipulate politicians, become immortal, and ultimately take over the world.

But rising to the top wont be easy. Each turn represents 3 months (or one fiscal quarter), and its possible to die of old age unless you research and develop the ability to transfer your consciousness into another body. But even when youve dealt with the inconvenience of mortality, there are a dozen other things to cause you problems. Corporate espionage, corruption, inefficiency, low public opinion. So as well as developing new technology and trying to make a profit, you have to deal with all these factors as well. Its like spinning plates, and has given me a newfound respect for all those sinister cyberpunk corporations. A lot of work goes into being evil, and I can only imagine the headaches Deus Ex villain Bob Page had getting VersaLife off the ground.

After each turn you have to make a decision. North Africa might ask you for financial aid to help with a viral outbreak, which will boost public opinion and lose you a lot of money. But refusing them could give you a bad reputation and increase the chance of the virus spreading to other nations. Or perhaps the media has caught wind of how unhappy your employees are. Ignoring the bad press will damage public opinion, but you can always make it go away by giving your workforce a costly bonus. Juggling the positives and negatives of these decisions adds yet another layer of strategy to running your empire. And sometimes deciding what to do is genuinely difficult, especially when your employees hate you and your finances are dangerously in the red.

Developing and launching products is the key to fiscal stability, but you have to know your market. If you try and launch an invasive social media network in a nation that cherishes privacy, its probably gonna bomb. But launch the same network in a country that leans more towards publicity and youll make a tidy profit. Other dystopian products you can develop include a hormone cloud used to control workers, a sentient social media profile that posts for you, and retina-implanted cameras to make sure employees arent slacking off. Development requires money, time, and staff, but making a big investment, while costly in the short term, will earn you a lot more money later.

But heres the really cool part. If your brand has a strong enough presence in a particular nation, youll be able to influence its culture to better suit your products. So a xenophobic nation could become multicultural, or a spiritual nation may suddenly become obsessed with material wealth. Manipulating the world and pulling the strings from the shadows makes you feel like a Bond villain. Its weirdly intoxicating, and I love how being evil is intrinsically linked to the games systems. The more underhanded, manipulative, and corrupt your corporation is, the more money, power, and influence itll have. Which makes me wonder if this game is set in the future at all.

If raiding pension funds isnt your thing, there are other ways to break the law for fun and profit. You can steal research from rival companies, speeding up the development of your own products. You can incite riots to destabilise nations or blackmail their politicians in exchange for influence. Or maybe you just want to indulge in a bit of good old fashioned election rigging, ensuring a certain politician wins. Again, is this a dystopian game or a contemporary simulation? But with every illegal action you take, the risk of being caught increases. The challenge is maintaining the illusion of being a legitimate company while covertly crashing stock markets and assassinating politicians.

Theres a lot more to Spinnortality, but Ill let you discover the rest yourself when the game is released on August 31. Its a remarkably deep simulation, with more layers of strategy emerging as your company grows. Im looking forward to playing the finished thing, but for now I need to find a good use for all that pension money I stole for the PC Gamer corporation. Maybe Ill spread some fake news to gain media influence, or research an advanced AI to replace my fleshy, fragile human workforce. The possibilities for evil are endless, and its nice to be playing the as the bad guy in a cyberpunk game for once.

Here is the original post:

Run your own evil megacorporation in Spinnortality, a dystopian strategy game - PC Gamer

Posted in Cyberpunk | Comments Off on Run your own evil megacorporation in Spinnortality, a dystopian strategy game – PC Gamer

North Texas students compete in solar car challenge at TMS – Story … – FOX 4 News

Posted: at 4:18 am

DALLAS - Teams from across the United States are competing in a solar car challenge going on now at Texas Motor Speedway.

The event is the largest solar car race in the Western Hemisphere. Thirty-six teams, including several from North Texas, are competing in four divisions.

One of the teams is from Coppell High School. Senior Mackenzie Becker talked to Good Day FOX 4 about the opportunity.

Its really, really cool to be out here. I know its an amazing experience for everyone to see all of this. And its kind of all of our dreams. I mean, weve been working on building cars for years now and being able to bring it out to place where cars are raced and its famous here is really an amazing experience. And wicked cool for all of us, she said.

Each year the competition rotates between a closed-track race at Texas Motor Speedway and a cross-country event. Most cars average about 20 miles per hour.

For more information, visit http://www.solarcarchallenge.org.

View original post here:

North Texas students compete in solar car challenge at TMS - Story ... - FOX 4 News

Posted in Tms | Comments Off on North Texas students compete in solar car challenge at TMS – Story … – FOX 4 News

SimpliShip ties up with TMS provider Kuebix – American Shipper (subscription)

Posted: at 4:18 am

Related Articles

The Taiwanese ocean carrier will offer the shares to existing shareholders, Yang Ming employees and the general public as part of the company's ongoing recapitalization plan.

The digital truckload brokerage's latest capital infusion indicates logistics investment won't be slowing any time soon, as venture capital firms continue to back advanced online freight marketplace models.

Alpenglow Rail LLC, which is backed by private equity firm Stonecourt Capital, completed its acquisition of VIP Rail LLC, a short-line railroad located in Sarnia, Ontarios chemical valley.

Why search? We will send it to you! Register now and get the free AS Daily Newsletter.

Registration takes less than 1 minute.

The cloud-based transportation management software provider Kuebix has created a direct integration with the international freight marketplace SimpliShip, the companies said Tuesday. The integration allows Kuebix users to pull air and ocean freight rates from SimpliShip directly into Kuebixs planning and execution platform. Kuebix will utilize SimpliShips international freight rate application programming interface (API). The integration allows Kuebix to provide procurement capability in international modes to complement its existing capability in domestic modes, and gives SimpliShip access to Kuebix customers that require international rates. SimpliShip Chief Executive Officer Cory Margand called the integration the first step in unlocking the true potential for APIs in international logistics. The days of having to access multiple platforms to manage domestic and international shipments are over. Margand is a former logistics executive with Adidas, and founded SimpliShip to provide a platform to make the procurement of freight forwarding services easier for shippers. The use of APIs to connect logistics and freight transportation systems is steadily growing, especially among the newer breeds of systems providers. APIs are essentially a way for two systems to communicate with one another in a more flexible, real-time, two-way manner, relative to electronic data interchange (EDI). EDI is a more standardized method of conveying information like rates, transit times and invoice information, but that standardization can be perceived as rigidity for some uses. EDI messages are also sent in batches, creating data latency, and EDI integrations can be costly and time-consuming. Kuebix President Dan Clark called the SimpliShip integration a great addition to the Kuebix ecosystem as we continue to expand our global network of providers to maximize visibility and efficiency for domestic and international shippers. Kuebix is a fast-growing TMS provider primarily focused on the small- and medium-sized enterprise segment, but with growing revenue from larger enterprises. The [Kuebix] TMS was built on the Salesforce platform and allows clients to implement the solution very quickly with the core TMS, then seamlessly add premier apps and integrations as needed, Gartner analyst Bart de Munyck wrote about the company in a TMS market study in March. Kuebix focuses on both the SMB and the enterprise market and has over 1,500 customers. Although 90 percent of Kuebix's customers are small (less than $25 million in freight under management), the company is growing on the large enterprise client side. Kuebix offers managed service programs to businesses looking to partially or fully outsource transportation management.

Why search? Well send it to you! Register now and get the free AS Daily.

Users that viewed this also viewed

The worlds largest container line is one of many companies and organizations that have reported being hit by a cyber attack this week.

Chinese ocean carrier COSCO Shipping is choosing Long Beach over Los Angeles due to its "less stringent mitigation measures," according to Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.

The Taiwanese carrier is asking for time to study the feasibility of opening the remaining rounds of issuance to current shareholders as well, instead of just select investors only, which it says could take some time to complete.

Here is the original post:

SimpliShip ties up with TMS provider Kuebix - American Shipper (subscription)

Posted in Tms | Comments Off on SimpliShip ties up with TMS provider Kuebix – American Shipper (subscription)

Getting Paid: Why AR Matters in your TMS – Logistics Viewpoints (blog)

Posted: at 4:18 am

Figuring out the right TMS for your business typically boils down to your vendors data structure, which affects every facet of the software. One way to know whether the TMS will work for your needs is to look at its accounts receivable capabilities (AR). This is where the data structure really comes to light.

Whats so important about AR?

Think of an AR record as a sell-side load. While a load is essentially an intermediate point between an order and a carrier freight bill on the buy-side, an AR record is the intermediary between an order and a customer invoice. Both buy-side and sell-side charges are allocated back to the order. An AR record is the primary entity against which sell-side rating occurs for the purpose of invoicing customers.

The flexibility with which a TMS allows you to create and manage AR records drives how fast, easily and accurately you get paid. But the truth is that many TMS AR record parameters wont match up with the realities of your business, so taking a hard look at them will quickly give you an idea of whether youre considering the right TMS.

Precise rating and billing by order, shipment or load

Determine exactly how not just whether the TMS enables you to rate and invoice in multiple ways. For any given load and client, your TMS should be able to create an AR record at the order level, shipment level or load level.

The existence of the sell-side load allows you the flexibility to consolidate multiple clients on a load while still billing each client independently at the load, shipment or order level.

Lets say you have a load originating out of Dallas and it has four different stops:

At Stop #1, you have to bill two different divisions within the same company. At Stop #3, theres an order for a different customer entirely. Some orders will need to be billed separately to different parties, and so require different ARs.

A TMS should allow you to bill several different ways in this situation: If you choose ordered-based invoicing, you will have six AR records (one for each of your six orders associated with the load). If your TMS allows for shipment-based invoicing, you will still receive six ARs because the bill-to location and/or client are different on some of the orders so they will be split into their own AR records. For load-based ARs, you would receive three ARs: One for each combination of client and bill-to location.

Rating and allocation

Once an AR is created, the next step is rating and allocation. AR records can be rated in multiple ways:

Once rated, the AR records charges are allocated back to the order associated with it. The allocation process is used to support both the buy and sell-side rating processes. It determines how the calculated buy/sell charges should be allocated to and from the orders associated with the ARs, and therefore determines a loads profitability and margin. A TMS should give you multiple options for allocations and run them automatically as needed, such as when a load cost changes or order charges change.

By giving you several allocation options including capabilities for determining shared savings for any customer programs a TMS gives you maximum power in determining the real-time profitability of your loads and flexibility in how you invoice. This is critical to managing the logistics of todays transportation industry and taking advantage of more complex (but profitable) distribution methods, including pool distribution.

AR matters

The capabilities of a TMS matter little if you cant bill your customers according to the realities of your business. By examining the AR capabilities of a TMS, you can determine not only what the software is capable of but how it will help you solve your challenges efficiently and profitably.

Dawn Salvucci-Favier is responsible for product lifecycle and strategy management and brings more than 22 years of transportation management industry knowledge to 3GTMS. Dawn joined 3GTMS from RedPrairie where she was senior vice president and general manager for RedPrairie On-Demand, and was most recently vice president of global strategy developing the companys global go-to-market strategy for their transportation management solution. Prior to RedPrairie, Dawn was president & COO at Shippers Commonwealth Llc, where she had full P&L management responsibilities for the $6 million, value-added service provider of logistics solutions. She was previously at JDA where her roles included vice president of transportation and logistics solutions; and Manugistcs Inc. Dawn brings extensive 3PL and shipper experience having directed logistics services for NFI Interactive Logistics, and working within the transportation management function at Staples, Inc. and TJ Maxx/The Marmaxx Group.

Original post:

Getting Paid: Why AR Matters in your TMS - Logistics Viewpoints (blog)

Posted in Tms | Comments Off on Getting Paid: Why AR Matters in your TMS – Logistics Viewpoints (blog)

Preserving the Right to Cognitive Liberty – Scientific American

Posted: at 4:18 am

The idea of the human mind as the domain of absolute protection from external intrusion has persisted for centuries. Today, however, this presumption might no longer hold. Sophisticated neuroimaging machines and brain-computer interfaces detect the electrical activity of neurons, enabling us to decode and even alter the nervous system signals that accompany mental processes. Whereas these advances have a great potential for research and medicine, they pose a fundamental ethical, legal and social challenge: determining whether or under what conditions it is legitimate to gain access to or interfere with another person's neural activity.

This question has special social relevance because many neurotechnologies have moved away from a medical setting and into the commercial domain. Attempts to decode mental information via imaging are also occurring in court cases, sometimes in a scientifically questionable way. For example, in 2008 a woman in India was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment on the basis of a brain scan showing, according to the judge, experiential knowledge about the crime. The potential use of neural technology as a lie detector for interrogation purposes has garnered particular attention. In spite of experts' skepticism, commercial companies are marketing the use of functional MRI- and electroencephalography-based technology to ascertain truth and falsehood. The military is also testing monitoring techniques for another reason: to use brain stimulation to increase a fighter's alertness and attention.

Brain-reading technology can be seen as just another unavoidable trend that erodes a bit more of our personal space in the digital world. But given the sanctity of our mental privacy, we might not be so willing to accept this intrusion. People could, in fact, look at this technology as something that requires the reconceptualization of basic human rights and even the creation of neurospecific rights.

Lawyers are already talking about a right to cognitive liberty. It would entitle people to make free and competent decisions regarding the use of technology that can affect their thoughts. A right to mental privacy would protect individuals against unconsented-to intrusion by third parties into their brain data, as well as against the unauthorized collection of those data. Breaches of privacy at the neural level could be more dangerous than conventional ones because they can bypass the level of conscious reasoning, leaving us without protections from having our mind read involuntarily. This risk applies not only to predatory marketing studies or to courts using such technology excessively but also to applications that would affect general consumers. This last category is growing. Recently Facebook unveiled a plan to create a speech-to-text interface to translate thoughts directly from brain to computer. Similar attempts are being made by companies such as Samsung and Netflix. In the future, brain control could replace the keyboard and speech recognition as the primary way to interact with computers.

If brain-scanning tools become ubiquitous, novel possibilities for misuse will arisecybersecurity breaches included. Medical devices connected to the brain are vulnerable to sabotage, and neuroscientists at the University of Oxford suggest that the same vulnerability applies to brain implants, leading to the possibility of a phenomenon called brainjacking. Such potential for misuse might prompt us to reconceptualize the right to mental integrity, already recognized as a fundamental human right to mental health. This new understanding would not only protect people from being denied access to treatment for mental illness but would also protect all of us from harmful manipulations of our neural activity through the misuse of technology.

Finally, a right to psychological continuity might preserve people's mental life from external alteration by third parties. The same kind of brain interventions being explored to reduce the need for sleep in the military could be adapted to make soldiers more belligerent or fearless. Neurotechnology brings benefits, but to minimize unintended risks, we need an open debate involving neuroscientists, legal experts, ethicists and general citizens.

Read the original:

Preserving the Right to Cognitive Liberty - Scientific American

Posted in Neurotechnology | Comments Off on Preserving the Right to Cognitive Liberty – Scientific American