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science fiction and fantasy

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This is what the ‘Alternate History’ genre is all about. Alternative History looks at history – this is applicable in any country in the world – and asks the question: ‘What if?’ What if British India hadn’t happened? What if the British capital had been built somewhere else, say, where Newcastle-upon-Tyne is today? Would that have altered the course of history? Alternate history can ask and answer a lot of questions, and it makes your thoughts go down all sorts of paths!

Alternative history
Alternate history is often referred to as allohistory. For those fans of alternative history, it is often called uchronia or uchronie, which is what the French call alternative history; as parallel worlds; or even as abwegige geschichten. Regardless of what name alternate history is known by, it involves past events with their outcomes ultimately altered, and then subsequent events evolving from the altered perspective. Robert Sobel used an alternate history as the main plot in his book ‘For Want of a Nail… If Burgoyne had Won at Saratoga’. Similarly, Peter G Tsouras wrote ‘Gettysburg: An Alternate History’.

Alternate history has also been referred to as “counterfactuals”, which is not entirely accurate: counterfactuals really relate more to academic historical research than the science fiction genre. You’ll find a good selection of such books in our alternate history section: One book I’d particularly recommend is the one by Professor David Krasner, titled ‘Unmaking the West: What-if?’ I’m not going to say a word about this book, you’ll have to read it yourself!

fancy
Magic, the supernatural and Middle-earth: stories like ‘The Middle Kingdom’ and the ‘Lord of the Rings’ series. Fantasy as a genre avoids the unpleasant and macabre, it also avoids the scientific. Fantasy is… well, pure fantasy! That’s what dreams are made of. Tolkien’s books perfectly follow the theme of fantasy. He adds parallel kingdoms and you have ‘The 10th Kingdom’ which is now available on DVD and well worth a watch! Add magic and you have John W. Campbell Jr and the stories he wrote for ‘Unknown’ magazine. Add fate and you have ‘A Storm of Swords’ by George RR Martin – you will find this book on page 5 of the Fantasy section under the Science Fiction tab on our website. It is a good read and the third volume of the six part epic novels, ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’.

Gaming
Gaming has really come into its own since the advent of multimedia and the Internet. In fact, gaming software must be one of the fastest selling products, even during these times of recession. Trust me, once you start playing the game properly, you’ll be hooked! It’s probably one of the safest addictions to have, anyway! Today, Games Workshop Group plc is one of the most prestigious war gaming companies, listed on the London Stock Exchange. It sells wargaming software and games worldwide from its UK base. An entirely different company, Game Designers’ Workshop, was also in the business of selling RPGs and wargames from 1973 until it closed in 1996.

The vast majority of this gaming software is based on science fiction of one kind or another – time travel, myths and legends, magic – and anything else that incorporates one or another mixture of groups. In 1977, ‘Traveller’ was first introduced by Game Designers’ Workshop: Mongoose Publishing now carries this game. In almost all cases, the games are drawn from imaginary events that occur in the distant future. Rules are written for the players to follow and the players progress through the different levels, buying and selling equipment and weapons to advance further in the imaginary realms of the games. As a gamer, I can understand the magnetism that keeps gamers totally engrossed but, unless you are a gaming devotee, you really wouldn’t understand the draw that games can have on you.

Media
Arguably one of the most respected sci-fi movies has to be ‘Contact’, starring Jodie Foster as Dr. Ellie Arroway, directed by Robert Zemeckis. This film, released in 1997, was extracted from the book ‘Contact’ written by Carl Sagan that you will find on our website, along with a variety of his other books: ‘Cosmos’; ‘Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space’; ‘The world haunted by demons: science as a candle in the dark’; and ‘The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence’ – all of these books, and more, can be found on our website, under the banner Science Fiction.

Among the media section, you’ll find David Llewellyn’s ‘Doctor Who: The Taking of Chelsea 426’, plus Babylon 5, Batman, Blake’s 7, other Doctor Who vignettes, Lensman, Red Dwarf, Star Trek, Star Wars, The Crow , X-Files and Xena

Science fiction
Under the umbrella of Science Fiction you will find anthologies; classic science fiction; cyberpunk; science fiction encyclopedias; graphic novels; hi-tech science fiction; adventure; history and criticism; science fiction series; and tales. There are some lovely books within this section – here you will find ‘Orbus’ by Neal Asher. This book has echoes of ‘Star Wars’ crossed with ‘Deep Space 9’ although the story it tells is its own. Another lovely book is Philippa Pearce’s ‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’, a ‘garden that shouldn’t exist’. Do you find this as intriguing as I do? If so, you’ll love this read: a true classic science fiction novel to lose you from reality.

Sports

Vienna: A Guide for Young Travelers

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Vienna, Austria is a beautiful city with a colorful history, it is a cultural center especially for classical and operatic music and arts. As the former capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, there are countless imperial monuments and palaces, many spectacular museums, and ornate churches and cathedrals. It is a city of many concerts, a city of dignity and pride. This colorful city has always been one of my favorite destinations.

Vienna Riesenrad is a giant Ferris wheel found in the Würstelprater Prater amusement park, one of the many parks in the city. A ride on this majestic wheel costs just 8 euros (or around $10 US dollars or £6.50 British pounds), but exploring the park and surrounding area is free and gives you a great insight into the city.

For the classical music enthusiast

Vienna is known for its classical and operatic musical heritage. Vienna saw the development and popularity of the “great master composers”, CPE Bach, Gluck, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Salieri; and paved the way for the romantic period of Schubert and others. Vienna is very oriented to this musical tradition.

One of the main attractions of Vienna is the mozart house, the composer’s former residence on Domgasse which is now a museum and small concert hall; definitely worth the student price of €8 ($10.40, £6.50)! There are Mozart-themed venues and events all over Vienna, and there is a chain of souvenir shops called Mostly Mozart (which sells Mozart chocolates). The Mozart statue in the Hofburg Palace which is a must see because of the musical note made of flowers in front of it, the cafes and restaurants named after him, and the Mozart/Strauss concert in the Kursalon which has reasonably priced tickets and many performance options. Haydn, Schubert, Strauss and Beethoven also have houses/museums dedicated to them throughout the city. There is no lack of classical music here!

Tea Vienna State Opera, the Vienna State Opera offers guided tours for less than €5 ($6.50, £4). It’s a beautiful place that’s home to some of the best operas and ballets in the world (and the Vienna Philharmonic takes its musicians from its orchestra!). Nearby is the House musicthe House of Music is a unique museum that has exhibits on the Vienna Philharmonic, the city’s most famous composers, and other multimedia music topics; For just €9 ($12, £7), this place offers so much you can’t get anywhere else in the world.

For history, art and architecture enthusiasts

If you are a history or architecture buff, the huge hofburg palace will take your socks off. Not only is it close to some amazing restaurants and Viennese cafes, but it’s also beautiful and huge. You can visit the Imperial Apartments and the Schatzkammer, the treasury, which contains the imperial jewels of the Habsburg dynasty. Also take a look at the Austrian National Library and its four museums and the Spanish Riding School which is home to the famous Lipizzaner horses.

There are the twin museums Ringstraße (Ringstrassa or Ring Street) commissioned by the Emperor to house the Habsburg dynasty’s formidable art collection.

The first is the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Museum of Art History, is one of the richest and most massive art museums in the world. It houses many 18th-century paintings by the old masters, Renaissance and Baroque art collections, and magnificent collections of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman antiquities.

The second is the Vienna Natural History Museumthe Natural History Museum in Vienna, another of the largest and most important museums in Europe, is truly spectacular.

Beware of admission prices at the Hofburg and the museum area complex because visiting so many places will add up. But spend some leisurely time in each of the major museums and see some of the treasures of our human existence.

For something free, the on-site Burggarten and Volksgarten (parks) are really nice places to unwind from all your sightseeing.

Tea museum quarter, Museum Quarter, is a section of the city that is one of my favorites. There you’ll find the MUMOK and Kunsthalle Wien (for modern art), the Leopold Museum (for Austrian art), and the Architekturzentrum Wien (for architecture and urban design). The Museum of Applied Arts (the MAK) is also great to see, and it’s free on Tuesday nights!

Tea Schonbrunn Palace It is far from the city center but definitely worth the trip. It’s like Versailles, a big palace with vast gardens behind it. Although student tickets are €10-15 ($13-$19, £8-12), you can go to the garden for free and spend quite a bit of time there; It is a great place to have a picnic, run or read a book surrounded by nature.

Tiergarten Schonbrunnit is the oldest zoo in the world and is close to Schönbrunn Palace.

In the lookout, a palace complex closer to the city center, you can visit a free park (in the formal French way) between the Upper and Lower Belvedere palaces and see the amazing city skyline. There you can also see the Belvedere museum.

Tea Freud Museum in Alsergrund was the home of Sigmund Freud and costs €5.50 ($7, £4.50) to enter. For this, you can learn everything about the life and work of the psychologist. However, his famous sofa is not there. It is in London. What may be more interesting are the many really trendy cafes and restaurants in that area that attract students from the nearby university.

stephansdomSt. Stephen’s Cathedral on Stephenplatz in the city center has Gothic and Romanesque styles and offers concerts, tours of the church and catacombs, and stunning views of the city from the top of the south tower. Definitely worth the climb just 343 steps.

Karlskirche, the Church of San Carlos, in Karlplatz is of baroque style and has concerts. (I saw Mozart’s Requiem there) and tours; However, instead of climbing the steps, you can take an elevator up to the observation deck in the dome to see Vienna. Take advantage of Karlsplatz while you’re there: the park is beautiful and the surroundings have many other museums (such as the Clock Museum) and good restaurants and cafes.

viennese cuisine

Vienna has its own cuisine, although it is often treated as equivalent to Austrian cuisine. It is sometimes incorrectly thought of as a variation on German cuisine, but don’t mention that to an Austrian. And indeed, Viennese cuisine is unique in many ways that you will find enjoyable.

Some of my favorite dishes include Rindsuppe (beef soup), Wiener Schnitzel (mashed and breaded fried beef), Gulasch (a stew similar to the Hungarian stew of the same name), Tafelspitz (boiled beef served with apple and horseradish sauces ) and Selchfleisch (smoked meat) is usually served with sauerkraut and meatballs. Auf Geschmack (to taste)!

As for dessert, well, although the Danes are proud of “Danish pastry”, even the Danes call it wienerbrød, “Viennese bread”, because it originated in Vienna and not Denmark. This is the type of puff pastry that is used in a number of ways, including strudels as the Viennese specialty, Apfelstrudel (apple strudel), and Topfenstrudel (a sweet Topfen or quark-filled strudel) often served with vanilla sauce. But there are also many forms of torts like the famous Sachertorte (a chocolate cake) with its many variations. There is no shortage of magnificent bakery creations in Austria.

Unfortunately, when you leave Vienna, one of the things you will miss the most is the food.

Viennese coffee culture

While there are countless pubs throughout Vienna serving Austrian beer and wine, Vienna’s cafés, the coffee houses, are particularly interesting places to experiment with various coffee blends served with a variety of deli strudel or tort. But the Vienna Café goes beyond the simple snacks served, as it is an institution in itself. There is an interesting culture surrounding Viennese cafes: many have literary readings or live piano music (usually classical, sometimes jazz), and there is a particular look and feel associated with the Viennese cafe that entices the customer to sit there. for hours, partly in wonder and partly in joy. For a really wonderful restaurant and cafe, I recommend Café Greinsteidl near the Hofburg Palace. But there are many, many more in the city.

In summary:

Visiting Austria is like traveling back in time, going back in history, it is unlike any other place you have been. Vienna is the perfect place for the young traveler because its unique way is so unique, even exotic and especially beautiful; and even a high school backpacker will find it oddly charming and an invaluable experience. But fear not, the prices are reasonable, its attributes are disconcerting, and there are so many things to remind you that you’re no longer home. Even when you leave Vienna, his qualities and his character will somehow become a part of you.

Tours Travel

Gathering information after a car accident

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After a car accident, a lot of things are likely going through your mind. Emotions run high as you try to figure out what just happened, why it just happened, and what you’re going to do next. What the insurance company will need to properly adjudicate your case is probably not one of those thoughts that fly everywhere. But unfortunately, it should be. Insurance companies burn people after car accidents all the time because they can’t think on their toes and get all the relevant information they need for a complete claim.

It’s understandable that you feel too upset after an accident to think about insurance, but if you’re prepared before an accident, you can follow the proper procedures without much thought.

After you find out if anyone involved in the accident has been injured and you’ve called the police and they’re on their way, start doing the following:

o Get all your insurance information and any other relevant documents out of your glove box. It is important to always be prepared in the event of an accident. Part of this preparation is gathering documents and putting them together neatly in a flat bag or small folder that is then placed in the glove box or under a seat for easy access.

o Exchange your folder information with the driver of the other car involved. Be sure to get their license, insurance information, license plate number, etc. as soon as possible so that the driver cannot leave the scene without being identified.

o Gather information from the scene of the car accident. Try to remember everything that happened before the crash and after the crash, if you can. Then look for witnesses who can provide police with an accurate description of what happened during the accident. Ask them if they would be willing to stay until the police arrive so they can give their version of the accident. After securing witnesses, take pictures from all angles of the cars involved in the crash before moving them. If you don’t have a camera, use a cell phone camera or ask someone nearby if they have a camera or cell phone.

o Call your insurance company.

For more information on gathering information after a car accident, contact Racine area attorneys.

Arts Entertainments

Is it safe to swim in the age of COVID-19?

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When it comes to swimming, the guidelines are the same as elsewhere: all swimmers must maintain proper hygiene. This means they should thoroughly wash their hands for a minimum of 20 minutes with soap and warm water or use hand sanitizer before starting a session. Additionally, all individuals near the pool must practice social distancing or self-isolation.

CDC guidelines have recommended the closure of all community and public pools to enforce social distancing/stay at home limitations. Backyard pools are often fenced off as a result of municipal neighborhood rules.

These physiological obstacles limit the access of others to your own pool, allowing you to minimize the danger. A recent study by scientists at the National Institute of Health also found that the virus can stay alive up to three times on single surfaces. Researchers have found that the virus can last around:

While the virus can last up to 72 hours, the half-life, or the time it takes for half of the virus to expire, was found to be about 5.6 hours on stainless steel and 6.8 hours. Because this study found that the virus breaks down faster as time goes on, you would have significantly less chance of becoming infected after this couple of hours.

Although your risk decreases after several hours, public health officials and property managers have closed many pools as these facilities pose a threat to further transmission and spread of this disease.

Can I use the pool at my house?

Are swimming lessons safe? Can I empty my pool?
To learn more about COVID-19, visit our publication compiling a study on exactly what and how this outbreak started and spread.

Could I get COVID-19 in the water?

The coronavirus is a respiratory virus that spreads primarily through airborne droplets within a short space, which can quickly settle on nearby surfaces. You may find the virus once you touch those infected surfaces and then touch your eyes, mouth, or nose.

In reality, Covid-19 has not yet become a reality, Covid-19 has not yet been detected in drinking water from the municipal tap, much less in a properly chlorinated and disinfected swimming pool. As long as proper filtration and disinfection are employed, your pool water and drinking water should be safe.

Public pools are closed

Public health officials and property managers have begun closing public or community pools/condominiums and are recommending that people come into close contact with each other through social distancing. Since coronavirus is a respiratory disorder that is most easily spread through close human contact, it is recommended that people limit the size of public groups to fewer than 10 to 50 people. These closures are an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by warning regions that people may gather in close contact in mass groups.

The guidelines recommend that social distancing (maintaining a distance of 4-6 feet from others) be practiced. Therefore, when it comes to a private pool, you need to be careful about the number of people who have access to a pool. This helps keep the virus at bay and protects swimmers from contracting COVID-19.

Is it safe to swim during COVID-19?

As there is absolutely no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread through swimming pools or chlorinated/filtered water, it is not necessary to drain the pool and you should follow the usual pool water changing pattern. As long as you care for your pool on a daily basis and adhere to proper maintenance and proper pH levels, you will not need to modify your pool water. For year-old pools, the typical frequency to change your pool water is every 5-7 years.

Most pools are now closed as a result of the coronavirus epidemic. Medical experts have released guidelines on how swimming remains safe. When social distancing is relaxed, the planet will soon be on high alert for any hint of spikes in COVID-19 scenarios before a vaccine can be mass-produced. Until then, it’s best to be careful and avoid large setups to lower the risk of you or your loved ones getting infected.

To be as safe as possible and reduce the risk of spreading transmission when swimming, we still recommend these safety tips: Avoid touching your mouth, eyes, eyes, and nose. Swimming is a life-threatening skill and everyone needs to learn to stay safe and upbeat around the sport when pools start to open. As limitations relax, private swimming lessons in your flat or on-site pool can be a fantastic way to ensure you stay away from massive classes and crowded pools.

Technology

VegaStream – The Benefits of IP over TDM

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Circuits on an IP network can carry more traffic than circuits on a TDM network. Strategically, it costs significantly less to deliver calls over IP than TDM. The laws of economics are driving us inexorably towards VoIP. However, there are a number of other benefits that are specifically useful for businesses.

TDM technology has evolved over a century and was developed primarily at the behest of the old nationalized Post, Telegraph and Telephone (PTT) companies, such as the UK’s GPO, before becoming BT. Therefore, the TDM network is rigorously designed and very robust. We take it for granted that when we pick up a phone and press a dozen buttons, another phone will ring anywhere in the world. When that phone is answered, we (usually) have a clear, uninterrupted conversation. This is not surprising given that multiple layers of switches and cables between the two phones create a complete end-to-end 56 Kbps circuit between them.

In the modern, highly flexible and mobile workspace, this marvel of technology has a downside. You don’t call a person, you call a phone. So you assume that the person you want to talk to will be close enough to that phone to answer it, or has set up a machine to take your call, or is willing to pay extra to have it transferred to someone else. device. Meanwhile, in an IP world, you connect to the network from any IP device, and if you’re connected to the Internet, the Internet can tell those trying to reach you where you are. VoIP will allow you to call a person, not a phone.

The other drawback of the TDM connection is that the circuit has a fixed bandwidth that was originally designed to support a telephone conversation and nothing else. Dial-up data communications and fax technology are essentially technical compromises. Anyone who has ever had trouble browsing the web over a dial-up connection will recognize this. The essential technical difference between IP and TDM technology ensures that a VoIP conversation makes better use of that bandwidth. Additionally, with the ubiquitous availability of DSL, the Internet is now a multi-megabit broadband network that is freed from the 56-kilobit shackles of the TDM network. The result is that we can have much “richer” conversations with IP.

These conversations can include video images, instant messages, and data, all on the same circuit. Voice over IP is just one application in this converged communications platform. eBay’s acquisition of Skype is a good example of creating converged applications. eBay is an online auction house that provides its bidders with images and data about the items for sale, in addition to conducting the auction on the web. Skype is an Internet phone service. Combined, the two companies will offer a service whereby someone bidding on a particular item can click a button on the screen and speak directly to the person offering the item for sale. It doesn’t take much imagination to consider similar applications that improve efficiency and productivity in businesses of all shapes and sizes.

In short, the three key advantages of VoIP over IP versus TDM are cost, flexibility, and richer and better forms of communication.