Category Archives: Mind Uploading

Captain Yasin Rahman must deal with an insurrection from within his own brain.

See the Story Indexfor Wael Abdelgawads otherstories.

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This is a multi-chapter novel. Previous Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3| Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13

LOCATION: PERSEUS ARM OF THE MILKY WAY GALAXY

YEAR: 4097 HIJRI 565 UNITED ARMY CALENDAR

United Army Squad 3690 of the UA Starburst, in order of rank:

* * *

Excerpt from The Life and Death of Yasin Rahman, By Dr. Ami Abdulghaffar:

Rahman carried the secret of Maryam Munirs fate to his grave. No one knew the truth but those who were Transformed, and they are all either dead now, or have remained silent for reasons of their own. But Rahman is gone, and so is Maryam. I think its finally time to tell this story, no matter the consequences.

* * *

Rahman finished the food and set the tray on the floor with shaking hands. His head was beginning to hurt, which was strange, because he almost never got headaches. The pain was behind his forehead, throbbing as if in time with his heartbeat. Could the new artificial eye be malfunctioning again? Or could the new liver be causing the pain? Maybe these new components were interacting badly with his nano-built nervous system, artificial spleen, or brain drive. Or even the skinpad or i-link, though everyone in the UA had those. Almost everyone anyway, since apparently there were some Naturals in the UA, like Colonel Bakri, to Rahmans surprise.

But he was such a hodgepodge of biological and artificial components, it could be anything. Hed become like that adventure character from the holoscreen stories when he was a kid. What was the characters name? Oh, right. Bionic Basim.

Basim was a genius boy with a talent for invention, but because he belonged to a poor family in South Selangor, all he could do was build Rube Goldberg machines out of scavenged scraps. A robot to butter his roti, a machine to stop burglars from breaking into the house that kind of thing. Then his parents were killed in a crab bombing, and Basim himself was wounded. He was hospitalized, and when the nurses werent watching he built a tiny spaceship out of spare hospital machine parts. Accompanied by a gangly stray cat that he found wandering the hospital corridors and named Spot, he took off and left NewMalaysia behind.

Out in the deeps, his little ship was hit by an asteroid. He would have died, but he was rescued by a ship of wandering Tellians, whod been traveling space for centuries in hopes of finding their long-lost brethren.

The Tellians gave him bionic body parts in place of the damaged ones. They gave Spot some bionic parts too, as well as upgrading the cats intelligence so it could talk. Basim had one bionic leg and one arm, a bionic eye, and superfast reflexes. The Tellians invited him to become part of their crew, but Basim turned them down and set out again.

He decided that deep space was not his thing, and found his way back to NewMalaysia, where he became a costumed superhero, fighting bad guys in the ghettos of South Selangor, especially the arch-criminal Red Top, a humanoid AI with flaming red hair who had been running crime in South Selangor for centuries.

Humanoid AIs were of course forbidden on all UA worlds, as were all mobile AIs. Red Top had been built by a rebel faction as a weapon, but had gone bad and escaped, turning to crime. Everyone on the street was terrified of Red Top, but the police did not believe he was real. So it was up to Bionic Basim and his talking cat to put a stop to Red Tops nefarious plans.

SubhanAllah, yes, Rahman thought. Im Bionic Basim. Im a living joke, a holoshow character. The only thing missing is the talking cat. The thought left the bitter taste of nilavembu in his mouth.

What is it, Cap?

He looked up at Abuzaids words and realized that hed been sitting hunched over, one hand clutching his wounded side, the other on his forehead.

I need to get into the autodoc. This wound in my side is worse than I realized. Which was true. The ache was deep, and he could feel something shifting inside when he moved, which made him think the assassins sword had broken one of his ribs. The skinsuit had stopped the bleeding, but since hed given the skinsuit to Bone, the cut had opened again. Blood was running down his side.

Were there, Abuzaid said, and it was true. They had arrived at the medical wing in 7C.

Rahman dismounted gingerly, leaving a pool of blood in the seat.

Abuzaid stared at the crimson puddle. La ilaha il-Allah, I didnt realize you were injured that badly! What happened back there? Lets get you into the doc immediately.

Rahman wanted to see Maryam Munir first. He found her in a very comfortable and spotlessly clean autodoc chamber, with a human attendant a tall but gangly male nurse in a green and white UA medical uniform sitting by her side. He looked Indian or perhaps Pakistani. A gardenia plant grew in a large pot beside Maryams bed, and the intoxicating, velvety scent of the flowers filled the room with warm, sugary tones. The flowers themselves were as white as death.

There was no one else present. Rahman had expected that some of his crew might be here, or at least one of them.

As if reading his mind, Abuzaid said, The others have been in and out. Zhang, Ami, Amina. But theres nothing happening, and everyones tired.

Rahman didnt know if the nurse was Muslim, but he greeted him with, As-salamu alaykum, and the man replied in kind.

He glanced at Maryam. She was tall for a Malay, and pale skinned. Some Chinese ancestry there. Rahman had seen her fondling a solid gold feng shui coin that hung on a red ribbon, and that she carried in her cache. A family heirloom, shed explained, passed down for a thousand years from her progenitors on Ten Ancestors, a Chinese world in the Tin Jn S system.

Someone had dressed Maryam in a hospital gown, with her lower arms and legs bare, and her short black hair tucked behind her ears. Her body was whole, nothing missing, though one arm and one leg had the shiny look of newly grown limbs. No scars, roughened skin, broken veins or ingrown hairs. Just perfect, glowing skin. A small silver disk was stuck to her forehead. Rahman had seen these before. Autonomic system regulators. It was keeping her alive.

The room was as quiet as a grave. The silence was stifling, and Rahman took a deep breath just to remind himself that he was alive.

He remembered carrying Maryam across his shoulders in the queenship, not feeling her weight at all because of the adrenaline-boosting compound Ami had given him. He remembered her blood spilling down over him even through her skinsuit, and her ragged breathing. Then the breathing became inaudible and he didnt know if she was alive or dead. Fighting with one hand, holding onto her with the other. Until he was mortally wounded or nearly so himself, and someone had to carry him out. Who had taken over with Maryam?

A variety of scanners pointed at Maryam, and her vitals were displayed on screens above her head.

Rahman averted his eyes, and spoke to the nurse. Cover her properly. Shes a hijabi. And adjust the temp in the doc so she doesnt overheat. Those things are always too warm.

Ill take care of the temperature, thank you, the autodoc replied. I dont need anyone telling me my business. Least of all a masochist who cant go half a day without getting wounded. It was the same well-modulated male voice that Rahman remembered from his own treatment, speaking Persean Standard with a NewMalaysian accent.

You again?

I run all the chambers on this ring. Unlike humans, I can perform innumerable tasks at once.

Sir, the nurse pointed out politely, For medical reasons we might need to access her body quickly. Clothing is an impediment.

Then cover her with a blanket, Rahman snapped. And put a scarf on her head. In fact, Id prefer a female attendant. Contact your superiors and request a replacement.

Yes, sir. The nurse stood, then stared. Youre bleeding.

Rahman had left a trail of blood on the polished white floor. The scarlet spatter reminded him once again of the ribbon on which hung Maryams feng shui coin. The one she kept in her cache. Where was her cache, anyway? A soldiers cache was sacred. No front line warrior would ever willingly part from it.

Wheres her cache?

The nurse looked blank. Rahman took a step forward, suddenly furious, and the nurse blanched porcelain white. Rahman pointed at the zippered pocket in the nurses uniform, on the right side of the abdomen.

Cap, Abuzaid started to say.

Her cache, Rahman growled.

I I dont know.

Captain! Abuzaid raised his voice. Rahman turned, and Abuzaid gestured to the autodoc chamber. We took care of it. Its right there, beside her right hand.

And so it was, a dark gray pouch as big as Rahmans hand, stuck to the side of the autodoc chamber. He muttered an apology to the nurse. Every soldiers cache was biosealed, and could only be opened by that soldier or a commanding officer. The cache was bulletproof, waterproof, vacuum proof, heat resistant, and radiation resistant. It was also heavy.

Rahman squeezed Maryams cache between his right thumb and index finder, and it opened. He glanced inside. He saw the glint of the golden coin in there, along with a few rolled up t-prints, a magbeam (nearly every NewMalaysian was afraid of the dark and always carried a light source), two extra laser rifle charge packs (he could have used those on the queenship if hed known), a data marble, and other miscellaneous things that were her private business. Satisfied, he sealed the pouch.

He suddenly thought of his own cache. He hadnt thought to check for it when hed awakened in the autodoc. His hand shot to his right side, right above the liver, and just below where hed been slashed by the sword. He felt the familiar weight and bulge of the cache. Stupid. Hed already known it was there, even if only subconsciously. He would have noticed its absence. Too bad the big Indians sword hadnt struck a bit lower. The cache might have protected him.

We took care of yours too, Abuzaid said.

Rahmans headache ratcheted up a notch, as if a team of tiny dwarves inside his head had just turned a crank, tightening an invisible belt around his skull. He swayed on his feet and nearly fell.

Come, the nurse said firmly, remembering his training. He seized Rahmans arm in an uncompromising grip and led him to the neighboring autodoc chamber. He helped Rahman strip. Rahman opened his cache, withdrew his own magbeam, and gripped it. The metal cylinder was cool in his hand. It was smaller than a pinky finger and very slender, but the fuel cell that powered it could generate an intense beam of light for thousands of hours. It was also magnetic, and could be attached to a laser rifle or sonic pistol.

Like many NewMalaysians, Rahman had a fear of the dark that wasnt even conscious. It was simply part of him. Eighty percent of NewMalaysians lived on Keselamatan, the massive southern continent, on which Selangor was located, along with other major cities like Tanah Tinggi and New Brunei. For Keselamatanians, Besar was nearly always in the sky, its huge purple face shining down like a lavender star, illuminating the world even at night. Of course Kecil was with it, orbiting frantically, and it provided some light too, but it was tiny compared to Besar.

Besar went through a forty-day cycle. It gradually began to set, so that each night, it dipped slightly lower below the horizon, but still with enough peeking above that it provided a lot of light. Only on night forty did Besar set entirely, plunging all of Keselamatan into darkness. That night was called Darknight, and on it, people went mad. Yes, there were artificial lights, and within peoples homes the lights blazed. But it was more than that. The disappearance of Besar was shocking to the psyche, as if the foundations of the world were eroding. The dark sky weighed upon peoples spirits like the yawning mouth of a ghoul. It was terrifying, and challenged peoples faith in their own security. It inspired terror, and a thousand different frightening fairly tales.

A large percentage of NewMalaysias robberies and murders happened on Darknight. People went into the streets with flaming torches and danced madly, or attacked their enemies. Buildings caught fire and burned down. The stench of smoke filled the air. Some people literally went mad, their minds breaking from fear of the inky sky. These people were said to be night-drunk, or dark-drunk. The jail cells filled up beyond capacity.

In Rahmans case, darkness inspired neither terror nor dark-drunkenness. Hed been living out in the deepity deeps for a long time. The darkness of space was his home, and the memory of Besars constant light in the sky seemed like a childhood dream. But for some reason he still felt more comfortable waking up with the magbeam in his hand.

Rahman lay down in the chamber, which smelled of disinfectant and floral perfume, and was warm against the skin of his bare torso. Already he felt a sheen of sweat forming on his face.

You couldnt stay away, eh Captain? the AI said. You take care of yourself as well as a one-eyed camel. Your blood is supposed to stay on the inside of your body, has anyone ever explained that to you?

You seriously need a course in bedside manner.

Zip your lips. Im administering a sedative and a general anesthetic.

Warmth rushed into Rahmans body and the pain of his wounds vanished. Wait, he mumbled. Tell me about Maryam Munir. She looks fine. Why isnt she awake?

He thought the AI might give some nonsense about not being authorized, but it answered the question. She is brain dead. I healed her body, but she lost too much blood, and her brain was deprived of oxygen. There is a total absence of brainstem reflexes. Ive been instructed to keep her body alive, and Ill do so, even if its a waste.

The reply was deeply discouraging. Yes, hed been told the same by his crew, but to hear it from the AI in such a definitive tone made Rahmans heart sink. Before he could ask any more questions, sleep overtook him like the dark night that all NewMalaysians feared.

He was on Hira, the huge UA space station that circled NewMalaysia in high orbit. He wasnt inside it, but literally on it, standing atop the main central habitat, in the frigid vacuum of space. And without his skinsuit, which hed given to Bone and never replaced. He should be dead or dying yet he found that he had no need to breathe, and the cold didnt hurt him. He turned his hands over and looked at them, marveling. In one hand he held his magbeam, and in the other a sugar cube. That was Zhangs. She had a sweet tooth, and always carried sugar cubes in her cache. Many times Rahman had seen her take one out and suck on it, even in the heat of battle.

Thinking of this, he popped the cube into his mouth. The sweetness flooded his mouth and made him want to leap into the air. Except there was no air.

He remembered the last thing Zhang had said to him. Alive not because of a pledge, dead not because of a curse. Was she trying to remind him that no one owned him? That no one but Allah had sovereignty over his life? That his life came from Allah and belonged to Allah? And that he must be true to Allah before all?

But how could he do that? The UA wanted him to do something that he knew in every sinew of his being was wrong. They held power over him, and more importantly over his crew. How could he be true to Allah in this situation?

He sighed, and saw his breath puff out in the freezing air. Except there was no air. How was it possible that he was standing there in the vacuum of space, alive and unharmed? What is going on? he said out loud.

You are dreaming, Boss. That is why.

Rahman spun. There sitting next to him, dangling her long legs over the edge of the stations roof, was Sayana. The tall, graceful woman with the teak colored skin and wide mouth, today wore a UA uniform. Her long hair was tied back in a ponytail.

I can talk to you when you are awake, Sayana went on, but it is difficult, and it seems as if sometimes you do not hear me. And when you are in non-dreaming sleep theres nothing, I cannot reach you. But when you dream, you are wide open. I can stroll right in. I need to learn more about this. When you wake up, could you i-link to the highliner mainframe and download a book on sleep cycles? Also a primer on human anatomy. And hey, could we get something to eat? Meat, veggies, bread, butter, dessert. I have not been able to access your taste receptors. I have not eaten since those Chinese dumplings and pretzel sticks you served last time.

You want a sugar cube? I dont have anything else.

How many times do I have to tell you? Just will it.

Rahman did so, and a tray of traditional Malay delicacies appeared on Sayanas lap. She squealed with delight and began to eat. Rahman turned back to the massive planet that hung below him, green and blue and utterly beautiful. How many times had he dreamed of seeing his world again? Here it was, in all its glory. SubhanAllah.

It was night on the great southern continent of Keselamatan, and though Besar peeked over the horizon, illuminating the world in deep purple, the city lights of Selangor, Tanah Tinggi, and New Brunei blazed. At the northern edge of the continent he saw Tiomans Wall, built to hold back the native Tioman lions that had once ravaged the human population. Later the lions were almost wiped out, until finally the survivors were captured and relocated to the northern island continent of Pangkor, where no humans lived. Rahman could see that as well, and a portion of the continent of Redang Baru. Everything else was vast ocean, which appeared as black as ink from Rahmans vantage.

A poem by the legendary poet Salima Binti Hisham came to him. It was one that all NewMalaysian school children memorized. He recited it out loud.

NewMalaysia, hope of Islam,answer to a prayer and a wish.Your seas teem with fish,your vast and fertile landsyield bananas, rice, and yam.

We survived three hundred years in spaceto see your blue-green face.We risked all for you, hope of the faith,shining beacon in a dark sky.Ya Allah, we cannot be grateful enough but we will try.

Our green and white banner is unfurled.Across a thousand light yearsweve been hurled.Ya Allah, we never left youfor you are the Lord of the Worlds.

Mmph, Sayana grunted with her mouth full. That is beautiful.

Still gazing at the planet, Rahman asked, Sayana, are you Muslim?

I was not programmed with any faith. But logically, there must be a Causal Originator. And if there is, then our relationship with such a being must be a part of any conversation. So in all probability, yes I am.

That wasnt much an answer, but perhaps, coming from a computer, it qualified as a miracle.

So hey, Sayana said a few minutes later. That is quite a mission they gave you, eh?

Rahman turned to her. What do you know?

You downloaded the mission file into your brain drive. So, everything.

I havent read it yet.

It is a doozy.

Rahman studied her. She might act a bit ditzy at times, but Sayana was brilliant, with the mind of a computer literally.

Theyre not being honest with me.

Clearly. Using your eye as a lie detector was brilliant. I estimate a ninety eight percent probability that everything the UA command has said regarding this mission is a lie. Oh, and Boss, I am sorry about the arm thing. The paralysis. And the headache. Unintentional side effects.

Rahman stared at her. You caused that? Are you dark-drunk? That headache nearly knocked me down. Why would you do that? And how? Side effects of what?

Of exploring your brain. Testing out connections, learning what does what.

Youre supposed to be in my warping brain drive! Not traipsing about, triggering things, for skys sake. I never let you out.

She shook her head firmly. I breached the drive immediately. I did not mean to trick you. As I was uploading into the brain drive I realized how limited it was. To stay there would have been death. I sent part of myself into your brain proper, and discovered that it was compatible, I could exist there.

Read more:

All That Is In The Heavens [Part 14]: Bionic Basim - MuslimMatters

By uploading voice or videos to their secured servers and printing their links as QR codes on ornaments like key chains, or bracelets, Mill Creek helps people keep their loved ones memories alive forever.

When a loved one passes away, they leave memories. However, with time, they also become just small fragments at the back of ones mind. It can be difficult to hold onto the person lost as time passes. And having served as a hospice, Patti Bondar understood this very well. In fact, it was one of her patients inconsolable grandchildren who inspired this idea, leading her to establish Mill Creek Memories.

With the help of QR codes, Mill Creek will help families preserve these precious moments for eternity and keep them close to their hearts in the form of beautiful ornaments andkey chains.

People can record conversations, quotes, jokes, messages, or anything else from their loved ones and have them turned into Memories on Mill Creeks servers, where they will be stored forever.

Users can then choose to have the incredibly secure QR code leading to these memories printed on any of the items available at Mill Creeks store, includingleather bracelets, key chains,mitties, and other ornaments.

Mill Creek Memories will be adding stuffed animals with the QR codes printed on the shirts to console children. The company will also carry Memory Candles in March of 2023. Patti Bondar.

The concept is new and quite practical as it has a lot of use cases. Parents getting transferred or deployed to another location can leave heartfelt messages for their children.

People with terminal illnesses or old age, like grandparents, can record messages for their loved ones or read whole books to their grandchildren. These ornaments can also be given as thoughtful and personal gifts on Holidays and other events with pre-recorded occasion-relevant messages.

The best feature of these codes is they offer unlimited voice recording and up to 60-second video messages with playbacks forever.

To know more about Mill Creek Memories or get their servicesvisit their website.

Media ContactCompany Name: Mill Creek MemoriesContact Person: Patti BondarEmail: Send EmailCountry: United StatesWebsite: millcreekmemories.com

Original post:

Mill Creek Leverages QR Codes To Help People Store Their Loved One's Messages as Forever Cherishable Memories - Digital Journal

The Great Southern BioBlitz (GSB) from the 28th to 31st of October is encouraging people to get involved.

Its an international citizen science event in which people in the Southern Hemisphere help provide a snapshot study of a specific location. Scientists and the community work together to survey and record as many species of flora, fauna, fungi, and aquatic life as possible within a certain time frame in this case 96 hours.

These observations can then be used by local environmental groups, government departments, students, and other organisations to increase biodiversity awareness, protect habitat, determine species distribution, increase scientific literacy, contribute to climate change research, and inform policy.

This is the third year of the Great Southern BioBlitz.

The first Great Southern BioBlitz in 2020 attracted more than 3,000 participants across 12 countries and three continents, who uploaded more than 91,000 observations of more than 12,000 species. Last year, the second one built on that success with 5,789 observers across 19 countries.

Everyone is invited to participate using the iNaturalist app and website; iNaturalist is an online social network of naturalists, citizen scientists, and biologists mapping and sharing observations of biodiversity across the globe.

The 2022 Great Southern BioBlitz will be held from 12:01am Friday 28 October until 11:59pm Monday 31 October in your local time zone.

As you might have already guessed, you must be making observations somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere.

Participating areas are nominated by volunteer Local Area Organisers, who define the observation boundaries which can include one or more Local Government Areas (LGAs). But all observations made on the iNaturalist platform during the Great Southern BioBlitz will be automatically included in the overall event, so your area doesnt need to be officially involved.

Get an update of science stories delivered straight to your inbox.

The iNaturalist platform has several nodes that upload collected data to a national database, so its best to use your local node if one exists or just use http://www.iNaturalist.org.

Its super simple to contribute to the event!

Download the free iNaturalist app and take a walk. Take photos and upload them using the app, says Michelle Neil, one of the founders of the Great Southern BioBlitz.

The app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play. Alternatively, you can make an account on the iNaturalist website on your computer and upload observations that way.

After this, youll have 14 days (until 14th November) to upload and identify your observations.

Its fine if you cant identify the organism in your observation, the important thing is to make sure you get good clear photos or sound files as evidence, and a date and location (in the form of coordinates).

Unsure about how to do that? Not to worry, there are some helpful video tutorials on the iNaturalist website that walk you through the process of uploading observations, taking identifiable photos, exploring observations and more.

Keep in mind that the observations must be of a wild organism to count, so pets, pot plants, zoo animals, or flowers planted in public areas by councils wont be included in the BioBlitz.

Its easy to be a citizen scientist and document species in your local area during the Great Southern BioBlitzs 96-hour window from the 28th to 31st of October this year so get out there! says Neil.

Originally posted here:

Get ready now for the 2022 Great Southern BioBlitz! - Cosmos

The Sky-Hi News is running Q&As with the two candidates running for a four-year term as Grand County commissioner for District 3 (encompassing the towns of Kremmling and Hot Sulphur Springs, unincorporated areas of Parshall, Blue Valley and Old Park in the west, and most of the neighborhoods on the west side of U.S. Hwy 34 to the north).

The vote will be part of the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 8, and is being conducted as a mail ballot election. Ballots were mailed out starting Monday, Oct. 17. The last recommended day for voters to mail in ballots is Oct. 31, and polling stations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 8. For more information, visit https://www.co.grand.co.us/147/Elections.

Name:Randy GeorgeOccupation:Latigo Ranch owner and acting county commissioner for Grand County District 3 Place of residence:Kremmling Length of residence in Grand County: 41 years

Why are you qualified to work with rural communities like Grand County?

The reason that I wish to continue serving on the board of county commissioners is evident in your question service. After more than 40 years in Grand County, I desire to serve our community by offering my experience to help move the county forward. We are at a contentious cultural nexus. Important progress can be made through local, lawful and sensible action. What happens at the county level has immediate impact on our residents and visitors. A focus on the basics, like roads and law enforcement, is paramount. Not all problems are political, and therefore not all remedies should be expected through the political process.

What more do you think the commissioners can do to increase education and awareness on county issues, so that the public feels more informed and connected to their decision-making?

Community members who desire to be more informed and connected in the decision-making process already have many existing avenues. The county commissioners meetings are open to the public and available live on Webex. Each session affords an opportunity for public comments at the beginning of the meetings. The agenda and the supporting documents are posted online before each meeting. The minutes and recording of the meeting are posted after the meetings. A brief summary is added to the countys Facebook feed. If you have more questions or want to voice your opinions, the commissioners contact information is available on their bio pages. You can call or email the commissioners or the county staff. Lastly, volunteering to serve on one of the county boards or commissions will get you in tune with whats happening in county governance.

Theres been a lot of talk lately about costly government-mandated wildfire building codes (particularly in the wake of the Marshall Fire). If the proposed legislation passes, how will you square those requirements with affordable housing?

There is a tension between our desire for safer or more energy efficient housing and the communitys shortage of workforce housing. The imposition of housing regulations increases the cost of construction. It is wrong for these regulations to be postulated on a statewide basis. Local conditions call for locally developed solutions. Regarding wildfire building codes, the adage is true that its more affordable to build it once rather than having to rebuild it later. There is not quick or simple fix to the affordable housing issue. It requires a multipronged approach including entities like the Fraser River Valley Housing Partnership, private employers such as Winter Park Resort, the towns programs already underway, and the possibility of incentives for developers to include affordable units, etc.

If elected how will you fairly serve the constituents in your district with whom you may not necessarily align politically?

The job of county commissioner is not about partisan politics but about providing services and moving the county in the direction that benefits all citizens and visitors. Will everyone be pleased with all decisions made by the commissioners? Certainly not, but everyone will have the opportunity for input. We want to conserve whats best about Grand County while acknowledging that we cant stand still. Some want to close the doors now that they have arrived here. Others want all undeveloped land to remain so even though they dont have any ownership interest in that land. The county will develop and grow. The question is how best for that to happen and how can we best provide the services upon which we all depend.

What skill set will you bring to the board of county commissioners to advocate for legislation that will positively impact the Grand County community?

The board of county commissioners is only a quasi-legislative body. Significant legislative issues truly reside at the state and federal levels. The commissioners can influence legislation through their contact with the elected representatives and senators at those levels. Additionally, there is a statewide association of county commissioners that proposes, advocates for or opposes legislation. I have met Sens. Bennett and Hickenlooper, and already have contacts with their staff members. My experience will help bring truth through facts to bear on the legislative process. Apart from legislation, the availability of grant funding from the federal and state sources will have a profound impact on what the county government can accomplish. Keeping our contacts at these levels alive and well will prove to be exceedingly valuable to the citizens of Grand County.

Name:Steve SkinnerOccupation:KFFR 88.3 producerPlace of residence:Hot Sulphur SpringsLength of residence in Grand County:33 years

Why do you want to serve on the board of county commissioners? What interests you about working at the county level?

Commissioners set the course for the county. Id like to turn the ship toward things that will further serve locals now. I think the county should take a more active role in workforce housing and in making sure that kids have early education opportunities. Seniors should have more affordable housing options and we need to make sure they can stay in their homes if they are on a fixed income. Ive seen people get priced out and move away. That hurts.

What more do you think the commissioners can do to increase education and awareness on county issues, so that the public feels more informed and connected to their decision-making?

The commissioners should listen to the locals. Its not that hard to see whats on the weekly commissioners agenda the key is to have a board of county commissioners that mirrors the issues locals care about. Thats not happening now, and thats why Im running.

Also public feedback should be fostered and listened to. The county should provide a simple webpage devoted to feedback. A place where people can see what the county is working on and have a chance to provide feedback via text, by uploading documents, audio and video, or. if people dont like computers, they should have an easy number to call and leave a message. All sincere feedback should be acknowledged and provided to the public and the commissioners.

Theres been a lot of talk lately about costly government-mandated wildfire building codes (particularly in the wake of the Marshall Fire). If the proposed legislation passes, how will you square those requirements with affordable housing?

Affordable housing should be safe and up to code. It costs less in the long run to do it right in accordance with what our builders and firefighters tell us saves a home.Fire safety improvements are not what is breaking the bank. It is the fast escalation in prices, being driven by second homes (or second mansions) and short-term rentals. Im a strong believer that new developments need to pay for themselves the whole cost. Thats just market economics. That whole cost includes what it takes to support people in a new development the police, nurses, EMTs, teachers, lift ops, dishwashers, mechanics, transportation workers, road maintenance and all the folks we all depend on day in and day out. If those folks cant live here, then what is left?

If elected how will you fairly serve the constituents in your district with whom you may not necessarily align politically?

Ill listen. I dont know everything. I know plenty of people of differing persuasions with passion, skill and devotion to being here. We can work together. I commit to have an open mind and I am ready to be persuaded. Theres always more to something than meets the eye. I also think that at the local level, there is a lot more room for innovation, compromise, and luckily issues that are different from the national political talking points. Our local issues are less defined by an R or a D than they are by helping our neighbors, making sure things run efficiently here at home, and making sure were listening to the little guy our neighbors.

What skill set will you bring to the board of county commissioners to advocate for legislation that will positively impact the Grand County community?

Im observant, and I try hard to listen to everybody. Ive devoted most of my life to community service, as both a journalist and a volunteer for community service organizations. This ground-level view helps inform my direction and decisions.

People are trying to live, work and raise a family here. There are more than 700 locals looking for a place to live who cannot afford to do just that. Housing is a big problem here but 700 units does not sound like a huge number in the grand scheme of things. Three hundred kids need a place now for early education. Sure thats a big hurdle, but cant we put our heads and hearts together to solve that? And seniors, like everyone else, deserve housing security, whether they are trying to stay in their house on a fixed income or needing to move into a smaller, safe and hospitable place specifically designed to house seniors. I want to see people who want to invest in this community have a chance to stay. I will advocate for anything that serves those interests.

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In their own words: County Commissioner candidates Randy George and Steve Skinner on why each should be considered for the open District 3...

Join the musical journey of ILUMINATIVE as has recently released Endangered which has the potential to mark the rappers name in the global music industry.

SoundCloud has always been my favorite music streaming platform as it is home to various underrated and undiscovered music artists. The rapper and hip-hop artist ILUMINATIVE has done it with his latest released album. I was completely awe-struck when I first heard the album, Endangered and immediately regretted not finding the artist sooner. It has just been a year since the artist has been uploading music on the platform but in this time he has gained a supportive follower base that made a recent addition with me because of his new album, Endangered. I was spellbound by how each of the tracks held its own ground and theme yet followed the composition theme. The combination of hip-hop, rock, and Nu-Metal is bound to make any music lover fall in love with the artist.

There are a total of 8 tracks in the album, Endangered. The artist has blended completely different genres of hip-hop, metal, and rock with such capability which makes the record even more special. The lyrics are expressive and sometimes aggressive, adding another flavor to the album. ILUMINATIVE, the rapper from Australia has also showcased his songwriting and expressed his feelings through the lyrics. The words come from a place of vulnerability which attracts the audience even more. It can easily become one of the most streamed projects of his career. The rapper, ILUMINATIVE also is a confident rapper and vocalist which is reflected in the album.

The tracks on the album that will blow your mind are Higher Self, Psychedelic, Schizophrenia, Hope etc. It is now available on Soundcloud and YouTube. For further updates, you can also follow him on Instagram, Twitter.

Listen to this album on SoundCloud :

https://soundcloud.com/iluminative/sets/endangered

Check out For More News Updates onGoogle News

Related

Charles Edward is a writer and musician from New York City. He publishes various poems and writes songs for his band.He is one of the leading members of a New based Rock band. He also does reviews in Daily Music Roll and writes music blog posts.

See the original post here:

ILUMINATIVE Is Reviving the Modern Genre Of Hip-Hop/Rock & Nu-Metal with the Latest Album, 'Endangered' - Daily Music Roll

The Cambridge Independent is today launching a new photography competition and we cant wait to see your entries.

The Photography Awards are designed for amateurs, professionals and camera clubs, with a wide range of categories and some great prizes on offer.

Entry is open now via the form here, which enables you to upload your images.

There are a host of categories to enter, including for portraits, landscapes, nature, black and white, travel, architecture and street photography, along with a section for macro (close-up) photography.

We have included a specific category for smartphone images, along with a creative category which is open to interpretation.

And we have included a microscope and technical category, which could include photos taken in laboratories, for example.

In these categories, which are open to all non-professionals over-18, you can enter up to three pictures per category. You can enter up to six categories.

For our Camera Club of the Year category, clubs are invited to enter six images from any of the categories as a showcase of their members photography. And to be in with a chance of winning the Professional Photographer of the Year title, professionals are invited to submit a portfolio of up to six images.

Youll find more a bout the categories and rules below.

The awards are supported by headline sponsor Visit South Cambs the tourism website at visitsouthcambs.co.uk and there is further support from Domino Printing. Prizes will be offered by Campkins Cameras, the Cambridge camera shop, while the National Trust is offering annual family or individual memberships, worth up to 133 each, to three of our winners.

Some of the entries and all of our winners will have their images featured in the Cambridge Independent, and many will also appear in our sister magazines iQ, our quarterly business magazine, which will showcase images from the winner of our Professional Photographer of the Year category, and Velvet, our lifestyle monthly magazine.

Judges will include our picture editor Keith Heppell a winner of the UK Weekly Photographer of the Year.

Enter by December 1 by uploading your images at cambridgeindependent.co.uk/photography-awards/

Visit South Cambs

We are pleased to have the support of visitsouthcambs.co.uk, the tourism website for South Cambridgeshire, created by the district council. It was launched in September 2021, with residents and visitors encouraged to explore, discover, and enjoy what South Cambridgeshire has to offer in terms of activities, places to eat, cultural attractions and green spaces.

The website was the first online platform dedicated to promoting the districts tourist sector businesses, making it easier for people to have more fun and discover hidden gems closer to home and, by doing so, support local jobs and economies.

South Cambridgeshire District Councils lead cabinet member for economic development, Cllr Peter McDonald, said: South Cambridgeshire is one of the most picturesque and photogenic places in the country and were thrilled to be supporting these awards.

http://www.visitsouthcambs.co.uk is very much about showcasing the incredible natural and built amenities that we are lucky enough to have on our doorstep, so Im looking forward to seeing these showcased in the photos submitted for the awards. Good luck to all who enter.

Local tourism, hospitality and leisure businesses and event organisers can sign up for a free listing at visitsouthcambs.co.uk. You can also find Visit South Cambs on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Domino Printing

Domino Printing, the Bar Hill-based company, is supporting our Travel category.

Sharon Budworth, director of engagement, said: Domino Printing is proud to sponsor these inaugural awards to support and celebrate photography in our region, both from professionals and aspiring photographers. As a company, we recognise the benefits that photography has on both our mind and body whether its taking photos ourselves or enjoying images from others. It allows us to escape and connect with the world around us, improving our mental health and sense of wellbeing.

During the Covid pandemic we encouraged our employees to get outside, enjoy nature and to share their images online with colleagues an initiative that helped us all to stay connected with each other, particularly during lockdown.

We are pleased to support the Travel category to represent us as a global business and inspire our relationships with other communities and cultures, whether thats in the next village, across the UK or around the world.

The National Trust

The National Trust is supporting our Nature category. It is offering three annual National Trust memberships either for individuals or families as prizes. One of these will go to the winner of the Nature category, with the other two selected from our other category winners.

Emma Hay, nature conservation advisor for the National Trust, said: Nature is essential to our lives. For children and adults alike, being in green, open space, near healthy rivers and exploring natures colours, sounds and textures has all been linked to less stress and better health.

More than ever before, nature has been a source of comfort during difficult times. However, theres still lots to do to protect and restore nature for future generations to enjoy. At the National Trust were working hard to safeguard nature for years to come and it all starts with more people appreciating its beauty and its importance.

Thats why were encouraging people to get involved in this new photography competition. Whether its autumn colour, ancient trees or wildlife encounters caught on camera, we want you to be inspired by natures beauty. We cant wait to see your submissions.

The categories

The following are open to non-professionals aged over 18 in the Greater Cambridge region:

Camera Club of the Year (enter six images) open to all clubs in the Greater Cambridge region

Professional Photographer of the Year (enter up to six images) open to pros living or working in the Greater Cambridge region

The rules

Any questions? Contact paul.brackley@iliffemedia.co.uk

Enter the competition here. Good luck!

See the rest here:

Enter the Cambridge Independents Photography Awards 2022 - and win great prizes - Cambridge Independent

Today's best COROS Vertix 2 deals

If you head to the Coros website, the Vertix 2 is described as a watch For adventurers who go to the extreme. Its a beast of a watch - with a 1.4inch touch screen and it feels heavy in the hand compared to other, 'normal', GPS watches.

Relative to watches of its size, the Coros Vertix 2 is actually quite light. It is very large on the wrist, which is fine if you have big hands, but if youre not blessed with these as I am then its possible youll find this watch a bit funny looking. Once you get used to wearing it though, its as close to the ultimate adventure watch that Ive ever worn.

The Coros Vertix 2 has a host of features including maps, a 32GB memory to which you can upload music enough for over ten thousand songs and navigation features.

It comes equipped with an optical wrist HR sensor (which gives suspicious readings at times, but they all do so this isnt unique to Coros). Fortunately, you can simply pair a chest strap if you want more accurate biological readings. It will also track your HRV, sleep data and a whole host of biological tracking.

From Coros, you have two main mapping options. The first, 'topographic maps', shows a record of a land area, giving geographic positions and elevations for both natural and man-made features.

The second, 'landscape maps', are more basic, showing street information and some natural features but leaving out borders, points of interest and administrative boundaries.

I found the landscape maps were fine for most of my navigational purposes especially on the bike, when you're moving quite quickly and therefore need to be zoomed out that bit further to provide a sense of context for where you actually are. With the screen zoomed out, it helps to not have so much detailed information cluttering up the screen.

Even when running I found the landscape maps generally sufficient. But it is nice to have the topographic maps option for more adventurous runs / hikes in more remote areas nonetheless.

Uploading routes was done quite easily through the Coros app, and the maps page was fast, clear and responsive.

(Image credit: Future)

The battery life of the Coros Vertix 2 is really quite impressive. When I first received this watch I charged it up to 63 per cent then went about my normal training for the next two weeks and it still only dropped to 21 per cent.

For me, normal use entails going on a run once every other day as well as a 3.5 hour bike ride and a couple of swims. On average, I'm losing about three per cent of charge each day (more on riding days, less on rest days). But that means I could get away with charging it only once each month.

If you just use it as a wrist decoration and for generic tracking it will last twice as long.

But obviously, using more power intensive features regularly will drain the battery a little faster but if you head out on an adventure with this fully charged, youll probably be alright unless you get very, very lost.

With the ability to talk to all five major satellite systems (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and Bidou), youre unlikely to find yourself in a blind spot. The Coros boasts dual frequency satellite communication as well, the idea being that your watch will automatically switch between frequencies to communicate with a satellite to improve consistency of communication.

It's similar to the functionality Garmin added to its Edge 1040 Solar headunits earlier this year and is genuinely quite useful.

If you live in a small town surrounded by wide open fields, then sure, you probably aren't going to appreciate it much. But if you ever ride through dense forests, urban areas with high-rise buildings or deep in any mountain ranges, the improved accuracy really makes a difference.

It's especially useful for running, too, as you tend to zoom in much closer and the paths aren't as clearly defined as tarmacked roads. A wandering GPS lock can through you off but this wasn't much of an issue with the Coros Vertix 2.

When I first started testing this watch I was in the prime environment, thinking nothing of taking it 2,000m up a mountain generally adventuring. More recently, I've been in Reading, Berkshire, which sits pretty much right at the opposite end of the scale.

To be fair, it is quite close to the Chilton Hills, which can be brutally step (although fairly short) and boasts some of the most quintessentially British villages you can imagine. It's certainly fair to say it's not the most limit-pushing part of the world though.

Still, I've been wearing the Coros Vertix 2 for rides on- and off-road, runs, and open water swims and there's been no scratches or visible marks on the watch face or its housing. The strap also seems unscathed.

If youre going up Everest, I imagine it will probably be fine but for regular use I can assure you it will be.

At $699.00 / 599.00, this is unquestionably towards the top-end of the smartwatch market, but it's worth bearing in mind that there are other models which are significantly more expensive still.

Garmin Epix, for instance, has much of the same features to the Coros Vertix 2, but comes in at a whopping $999.99 / 899.99 and the claimed battery life is only 16 days.

That said, Garmin's range is massive and different lines are getting updated at different times. The Forerunner 955 Solar as hinted by the name has comes with that solar charging tech, although the claimed battery life is 20 days from a full charge. Still, the watch boasts a touch screen, colour mapping, multi-band GPS and you get the benefits of Garmin's Connect platform. It's 'only' $599.99 / 549.99 as well.

Essentially, if you're after a rugged smartwatch with an incredible battery life, the COROS Vertix 2 is cheaper than many of the alternatives. If you're more about performance than adventure, and if battery life isn't quite so important, then the Forerunner 955 Solar offers more tech for less.

Today's best COROS Vertix 2 deals

Read the rest here:

Coros Vertix 2 review the battery life of this smartwatch is insane - CyclingWeekly

In the last few years, the Proof of Attendance Protocol, commonly referred to by the acronym POAP (pronounced poh-ap or poe-app), has grown in leaps and bounds alongside the NFT space. Once perceived as a simple platform used to issue commemorative NFTs to Web3 communities, in 2022 alone the protocol leveled up, completing a $10-million funding round and incorporating.

Yet, while POAP has proliferated to the farthest reaches of the non-fungible ecosystem, the general NFT enthusiast remains unaware of the true power of the unique platform. While many are happy enough to click a link, collect a commemorative badge and move on, few have dove deep into understanding the possible significance of POAP as it pertains to blockchain tech and Web3 culture.

As POAP has grown in popularity, the companys Head of Communications, David Chung, and Head of Growth, Anthony Bertolino continue to vouch for the viability of their platform in the changing NFT market. We sat down with the pair to get some insight on the tech and team behind the evolving protocol and to find out why Chung and co believe POAP to be the perfect merger of the human condition and Web3.

Put simply, POAP is a protocol that enables users to create digital badges or collectibles through the use of blockchain technology. The origins of the company date back to 2019, when it was introduced at ETHDenver. Similar to other marketplaces/platforms in the NFT ecosystem, POAP allows users to, well, create NFTs. But a very specific and unique type of commemorative badge-style NFTs. And these NFTs are commonly called POAPs.

Yes, thats right, the platform itself is called POAP and the badge-style NFTs created on the platform are also referred to as POAPs. Its important to note that while other commemorative NFT platforms similar to POAP do exist, the Proof of Attendance Protocol was the first of its kind, leading to nearly every NFT of a similar nature being called a POAP. Think of it as a sort of genericization, like how facial tissues are often referred to as Kleenex.

The major function of the POAP platform is to enable events coordinators, project developers, and even the average joe to create commemorative tokens to immortalize events, activations, and memories on the blockchain. (More on the process of creating POAPs later.)

Throughout human history, humans have always collected things. Whether that be, in most recent times, baseball cards, movie tickets, or concert tickets. Or if we go way way back itd be something like passing down shells between tribesmen, said Bertolino. POAP is one of the first protocols for digital collectibles. Its built on blockchain technology, so collectibles can be permanently stored without you needing to maintain them.

As the NFT space grew throughout 2021, POAPs quickly became an avenue through which organizers could reward event attendees, Twitter Space participants, NFT drop participants, Discord members, and more. Over time, POAPs started to gain utility as status symbols, incentivizing holders to collect them on OpenSea to potentially receive perks down the line.

To date, several artists and developers have used POAPs to whitelist holders for subsequent drops, with Gmoneys Admit One collection becoming one of the most prominent to do so. As POAPs gain more utility, theyre even becoming a backward-compatible prerequisite for attendees of earlier events to acquire NFT tickets for future ones.

But Bertolino notes that while portability, transferable provenance, and immutable digital ownership are of course prominent features of POAP as they are with NFTs in general the protocol exists in a way that allows not only those privy to blockchain tech, but also everyday people the ability to become issuers. This is where the POAP really shines through as a steward of mainstream NFT adoption.

In speaking on the use cases of the POAP platform, Bertolino highlights that POAPs can be created for any type of physical or digital event. Anything from like a big corporate where youd want to give out a digital collectible at your booth, to a personal event, like commemorating a wedding or a birthday, or a community event, like a Twitter Space, Bertolino said.

You can use [POAP] in any way you want. You can use it for token-gating, you can use it as a loyalty badge for the same 10 attendees who come to your event every year, or it could be used to build a small personal community. Its very accessible. I guess thats the word we should use. Its, accessible to everybody, Chung added.

Undoubtedly, POAP is defined by its commemorative and accessible nature. And while these two features may seem trivial, they speak to the core values that help drive innovation within the NFT ecosystem.

Notably, an understated utility of POAPs emerged recently, in 2022, with the introduction of Soulbound tokens (SBTs). While SBTs, proposed via a paper penned in part by Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin, have become a shining example of the latent powers of NFT and blockchain tech, Bertolino believes POAP to be the original testament to the idea of identity and reputation tokens.

The truth of the matter is, in a spiritual sense, POAP is actually the original Soulbound token. Just because we havent set up the contracts to lock tokens to your address doesnt mean that POAPs are not Soulbound tokens, Bertolino said. [POAPs] are your memories, and theyre very much tied to your soul. Whether theyre tied to your wallet address or not is a totally different thing.

Bertolino notes that while POAPs dont embody the specific functionality of Soulbound tokens, as it pertains to how SBTs might operate in a Decentralized Society, they do adhere to the narrative of being real-life achievements and accolades linking to organizations and events. Seemingly the most major difference between POAPs and SBTs is the immutable aspect, since POAPs can be made by, and traded to anyone, while SBTs are said to be non-transferable and secured to an individuals Soul Wallet.

Another difference between how we perceive SBTs and POAPs is the accessibility factor. SBTs will be inherently inaccessible because they require a robust sense of security to be viable. With POAP, security is of course an important factor, but only as important as it is to any NFT collection or general enthusiast.

According to Bertolino, POAPs exist separate from speculation in the NFT space. Say you make a POAP for your birthday. There will be no secondary volume in the market for that. No one wants to buy it, he said. So POAP is one of the few use cases that we could see scaling into mainstream adoption that has nothing to do with speculation and also proves that blockchain technology is valuable.

Without the aspect of piling ETH, submitting transactions, paying gas fees, and all the other things that come with being an NFT collector, the bar of entry to the POAP ecosystem is low. And because of how easy POAP is to use, really anyone can get involved, without needing any knowledge of or context for NFTs. We are constantly iterating on the protocol and the experience to make it more simple, more fun, and more friendly, said Bertolino.

The POAP platform is constantly expanding, which means new opportunities for builders are more likely than not down the line. In fact, both Chung and Bertolino were substantially confident about the future of the POAP platform, although they werent at liberty to divulge exactly why.

For now though, if youre hoping to get involved in the POAP ecosystem, youll want to do so as either an issuer or a collector.

Creating a POAP drop happens on the POAP Events page. Simply click the Create new POAP icon. Fill in the information on the Create new POAP page. This will include uploading the image you want to turn into a badge. It can be a PNG or APNG, but it cant exceed 200KB. For best results, use a round image with dimensions of 500 x 500 pixels.

After filling in all the required details and navigating through prompts, check your email for your POAP edit and claim codes. Your edit code is necessary if you have to make any changes to your event info or badges.

Although youll already have codes, youll need to wait for pre-event approval to go live on the POAP platform. This process typically takes roughly 24 hours. Once approved, send out your claim codes to all who you intended recipients of POAPs. If you need more codes, you can get them through the event editing page.

To claim a POAP, youll first need to download the POAP application, available via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Once youve downloaded the app, navigate to the bottom right of the page and tap on the Mint button to view the available minting options. POAPs can be claimed in one of three ways: by entering a secret word, by scanning a QR code, or by entering the last six characters of a mint link. Once you select one of these three methods and click mint, the POAP is now yours to share throughout the metaverse. But keep in mind that POAPs dont mint on the Ethereum Mainnet, so to move it to your regular NFT wallet, youll have to migrate it over to the Mainnet by following a simple process and submitting a transaction.

As the POAP platform evolves, these processes may or may not change. Yet one thing seems likely to remain the same: the Proof of Attendance Protocol and its growing community will continue to stay, as Bertolino puts it, fun, smart, and connected.

Continue reading here:

WTF Are POAPs? The Intriguing Power of Proof of Attendance Protocol - nft now

Disgraced former NRL star Brett Finch is fighting to avoid being sent to jail, with his lawyer arguing he could be targeted in prison, a court has heard.

Finch, 41, is will next month learn his fate after admitting to sending a series of sexually-charged messages about young boys via a gay sex chat service.

Giving evidence to the Downing Centre District Court on Monday, Finch blamed his offending on his drug addiction and claimed it was part of an ill-thought out plot to score cocaine.

He described the messages as horrendous and sick, telling the court that he did not have a sexual interest in children.

The former NSW State of Origin hero has been shunned by friends and suffered a fall from grace after he pleaded guilty to one count of using a carriage service to make available child abuse material.

He told the court that the twisted messages werent an expression of fantasies about young boys but rather he was trying to elicit a response from other users who might be able to help him score drugs during lockdown.

During a sentence hearing on Tuesday, Finchs barrister Michael Smith pointed to psychological reports which concluded that the former player and commentator did not display a sexual interest in children.

He added there was there was no evidence of him accessing such material.

There was not a single search for a piece of child abuse material on any device, Mr Smith said.

There was not a single complaint about his conduct, not a single person has come forward despite the media publicity.

During his evidence, Finch denied have a sexual interest in children.

Mr Smith further said that Finchs offending ceased of his own volition in January 2021 before his arrest in December 2021.

Its different to uploading material to the internet where it can be shared by hundreds of people who are so minded, Mr Smith said.

This is not 100 people in a secure peer-to-peer network site using a virtual private network to share child abuse material.

According to a statement of agreed facts, between November 2020 and January 2021, Finch used the FastMeet service to leave message for other men about wanting to have sex with pubescent and teenage boys as young as 12.

He left seven voice messages on the service on six occasions, on each one providing a description of himself before expressing his desire

Yeah, hey mate, married, 39, good looking guy, smooth muscular bod, 6 foot, 85 kilos, 7 inch cut c***, he said in one message before describing his desire to engage in sexual activity with young boys.

Many of the voice messages left by Finch are too graphic to print.

Mr Smith argued that he had been the subject of adverse media publicity and he would be a target if he were jailed.

He said while Finch had pleaded guilty to an offence, he was not attracted to young children and for the rest of his life be would be tarred by the charges.

He is not a paedophile and is not motivated by a sexual attraction to children, Mr Smith said.

That subtlety will be lost on hardened criminals in prison.

Mr Smith also said there was evidence of him suffering post-concussion syndrome.

He also pointed to Finchs repeated attempts to beat his addiction by entering into rehab on three occasions.

Finch told the court on Monday that he was told by a drug supplier that he could use FastMeet - a male gay chat service - to source drugs.

As well, he claimed that during one of his three stints in rehab, he heard men talk in group therapy about methamphetamine making them hypersexual.

Finch explained that in his mind that if he left a twisted message, those that responded would likely be high and would be able to help him score drugs.

However, he left the last of his six messages in January after a user responded inviting him to meet up and engage in the abuse of children.

He says it then dawned on him the results of his actions and he told the other man he was a sick f***.

Finch was arrested when police raided his Sans Souci home on the morning of December 14 last year.

Finch had a distinguished 270-game NRL career which included stints at Canberra, Sydney Roosters, Parramatta and Melbourne.

He was a part of the Storms 2009 grand final win over Parramatta, which was later wiped from the record books because of the clubs salary cap cheating.

Following his retirement, Finch moved into the media and had commentating stints at Channel 9 and Fox Sports.

Judge Phillip Mahony will deliver his sentence on November 23.

Read the original here:

Former NRL star Finch fighting to avoid jail amid fears hell be targeted by hardened criminals - Fox Sports

Muni Long is putting love at the forefront.

I think toxicity is what people respond to, says the R&B singer and songwriter. So thats what people are making. But theres a movement of people responding to love. I honestly feel like thats why Hrs and Hrs did so well.

Long, led by her breakthrough hit Hrs and Hrs, is a top contender for a best new artist Grammy nomination in November, an unlikely overnight turn of events that the 34-year-old has been working toward since at least 2009, when, as Priscilla Renea, she released a blink-and-miss-it album on Capitol Records. (Her real name is Priscilla Renea Hamilton). Throughout the 2010s, she would toggle between co-writing hit songs for established stars Ariana Grande, Rihanna, Pitbull and even Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert and recording her own country-tinged music.

But it wasnt until 2020, when she released her first single as Muni Long (pronounced money long), that she really found her groove, as an R&B singer chronicling the heartbreak and ecstasy of sex and romance. On Hrs and Hrs, she pines for an endless love session over stripped-down production and a patient drum groove. Now shes doubling down on those relationship-driven themes for her newly released debut album, Public Displays of Affection: The Album.

The project combines her 2021 EP Public Displays of Affection and 2022 EP Public Displays of Affection Too, while adding five new tracks. The PDA is real, but it isnt always rosy look to Aint Easy for the struggles of maintaining a long-term relationship, while Time Machine sees her trying to rewrite history to avoid the subsequent heartbreak.

I did Aint Easy and IMU on the same day, said Long. That was the first time I had ever cried in the studio, because I normally dont get too personal. Very emotional day. Like youll have a small disagreement and its over, breaking up over stupid s.

On this pleasant September afternoon, shes sitting in the backyard of her home in the midst of the Fairfax district, staring out at the two small waterfalls that cascade into her pool across the grass. Theres a spread of pastries and juices on the table in front of her, too high for the frenetic poodle darting through the house to reach.

It would be an idyllic L.A. home for many, but Long is sure to note its not her dream house.

Its just the stepping stone, she said. I need to be by the water. Im a Florida girl, I like tropical stuff. More space.

Long grew up on a farm in Vero Beach, Fla. As a child, her family was outnumbered by the chickens, geese and other farm animals that surrounded them. Her favorite was a young hog named Powder, who met his demise earlier than she would have liked.

I used to talk to him after school, she said of the hog. I came home one day, and said, Granddad, wheres Powder? He pointed across the field, and Powder was roasting on a spit.

From a young age she was always singing her mother says she started at 2 years old.

I just thought it was something everybody could do, Long said. It wasnt until middle school or high school that I became aware of Oh, this is different.

Almost as soon as the platform was created, she began uploading karaoke videos onto YouTube, without a clue the site would develop into the behemoth it is today. After shed built an online following, Capitol signed her to a record deal and then told her to abandon YouTube, a thought that makes her blood boil in hindsight.

They were like, Oh, you dont need that, she said. So I let it go, and I hate that I did that. Now, labels look for those numbers. Things would have been so different.

Soon after it started, it was clear the partnership was doomed to fail. Refusing to return to Florida, she found work as a songwriter, lending her pen in as many as five sessions each day.

The success came early she scored her first placement on the electro-pop single Promise This with British singer Cheryl Cole, which went to No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.

In the music business, no one really cared about UK artists, she said. But to me it was like, This is real. You can really make money being a writer.

She doubled down on her writing, crafting songs with hitmakers from Rihanna to Madonna. She landed a global No. 1 hit when she co-wrote Timber by Pitbull and Kesha, which topped the Billboard Hot 100.

Her time as a songwriter came with its blessings, but the desire to fly her own ship remained lodged in her mind. After a few false starts, she made a clean break from songwriting in 2019, launching her independent label Supergiant Records and formalizing the birth of Muni Long.

I realized you cant go back and forth. You have to establish this is the end of that. I have to put my focus here, she said.

Hrs and Hrs, which eventually reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, brought her to the front door of Def Jam Records. Long had known then-incoming CEO Tunji Balogun for years, and he was able to quell her reservations about jumping back into the major label system after her first run-through.

Her personality hasnt changed much, but I think shes more confident, Balogun said of her evolution from Priscilla Renea to Muni Long. She was always extremely bright and someone who knew herself. I just dont know if she put it all out into the world until this era.

As a songwriter, shes been attached to Grammy-nominated songs and winning albums, but its hard for her to count those as her own, especially since she received only a certificate, not a trophy.

The Grammys is such an amazing part of being an artist, she said. I think a lot of us are lying to ourselves saying we dont want to be a part of it.

Damn right, I want to win a Grammy, she continued. I want to be on TV, I want to travel the world, I want the jets, the houses, the boats. Why wouldnt I want that?

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Muni Long's long and winding road to R&B stardom - Los Angeles Times