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Wednesday, May 24, 2017
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Yemen Is Currently Being Ravaged by a Cholera Outbreak

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Sana province Yemen

A war-torn country is now being ravaged by an unprecedented cholera epidemic.

An unprecedented cholera outbreak is killing hundreds of people in a war-torn Yemen. In just four weeks, over 330 people died, an estimated of 32,000 falling ill. Seeing as health conditions in the country are more than poor due to the ongoing war, the World Health Organization estimates around 300,000 individuals will be infected with the Vibrio cholerae bacteria by the end of the year.

Cholera Is Usually Asymptomatic

Cholera is produced by the vibrio cholerae bacteria which delves in muddy, unclean waters. During its first stages, the disease does not produce any noticeable symptoms. The problems start when patients start experiencing watery diarrhea. If left untreated, individuals can die within several hours after the initial episode due to severe dehydration.

In normal conditions, cholera is easily treated, patients receiving a mix of antibiotics and oral and intravenous rehydration to quickly replace all the fluids and electrolytes the infected individuals loose once diarrhea hits.

However, Yemen has been devastated by two years of civil war. Healthcare is scarce as medical provisions are even scarcer. Among the remaining operational hospitals, rehydration fluids are more valuable than gold, the doctors and nurses still working there having to prioritize patients according to their rate of survival. Infected individuals with no access to clean water or electrolyte IVs die hours after their first diarrhea episode.

What Caused the Cholera Outbreak?

Air strikes have permanently damaged the country’s sewage system. From there, water infested with fecal matter leaked into drinkable water conducts. Even more, unknowing individuals used the infected water to irrigate food crops, which were also infected with the bacteria.

Adding fuel to the fire, the weather seems to work with the bacteria, recent heat waves combined with heavy rains rapidly spreading the infection to 19 of the total 22 governorates. The situation in Yemen is more than desperate, the country being in need of medical supplies, clean water, and food.

Image Source: Wikipedia

Alaska Airlines to Inaugurate Service at New Seattle Airport in 2018

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airplane

Alaska Airlines declared on Wednesday that the company is getting ready its second terminal in Seattle for an opening date next year. Through this move, this major airline career is gaining exclusivity over a developing part of the Puget Sound area in Pacific Northwest. Moreover, as its Seattle hub is already its largest operational area, this event is going to boost its activity even further.

Alaska Airlines Will Begin 2018 with Nine Daily Flights from Everett

Starting in the fall of 2018, Alaska Airlines projects to fly Embraer 175 and Boeing 737 fleet from Paine Field in Everett, Washington. This plan is going to introduce a new area which is 31 miles north of Seattle to commercial airline services for the first time. The company will operate on average nine flights on a daily basis. However, the company did not disclose destinations yet. Chief Executive of Alaska Airlines, Brad Tilden, wants this hub to become active as soon as possible.

“As … Sea-Tac Airport nears capacity, the time is right to bring air service to … the North Sound.”

Propeller Airports Plaid an Important Part in New Seattle Terminal

This plan belongs to equity firm Propeller Airports. Back in 2015, Snohomish County, which owns the Paine Field airport, approved this project for the inauguration of a passenger terminal. It was Propeller Airports that covered expenses for the mitigation, design, and environmental research that are necessary for this Alaska Airlines expansion. Propeller is also willing to support the investment in the construction and operation of the terminal. These two segments are projected to cost an estimated $30 million.

On the other hand, the equity firm is going to offer the terminal for lease over the following 30 years. Through this new revenue source, the county is going to receive $430,000 each year together with a 2.5% revenue share. After the first five years of operations, the region is going to receive an additional 2.5% revenue share.

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Netflix Announced It Will Produce The Witcher and the Internet is Going Crazy

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promotional poster for Witcher III The Wild Hunt

To the delight of millions of fans, Andrej Sapkowski announced on Wednesday that he will collaborate with Netflix on a The Witcher television series. The Polish fantasy writer will serve as a creative consultant on what is expected to be Netflix’s own Game of Thrones.

Gerald’s Tale Is Not Over Yet

Sapkowski’s work has already gathered a cult following, the series of eight novels following the monster-slaying adventures of the witcher Gerald of Rivia, the bard Dandelion, the sorceresses Yennefer and Triss, and the last child of the Elder Blood, Ciri being read by billions of fans worldwide, the books being translated into over 20 languages.

In 2007, Gerald’s popularity grew astronomically after CD Projekt Red, an independent Polish video game developer adapted The Witcher into an open-world RPG. By the time The Witcher III : The Wild Hunt was released in 2015, millions of players were already hooked on the intricate relationship between the witcher, the two sorceresses, and the lion cub of Cintra. Then, CD Projekt announced that the story of the White Wolf ended with the Blood and Wine expansion and over 25 million hearts broke.

Now, thanks to Netflix, fans of The Witcher saga will not fade into oblivion. Apart from the author of the original series, who did not profit from the video game adaptation of his novels, the streaming giant also managed to seal the deal with Tomas Baginski, the man responsible for all three game intros and cinematic cuts. Jason Brown (The Expanse) and Sean Daniel (The Expanse and The Mummy) will serve as executive producers alongside Banginski and Jared Sawko will oversee visual effects.

It’s not yet clear which of the storylines will be featured in the Netflix adaptation, but if the streaming company hopes to match HBO’s success, they will probably debut with the witcher’s origin story. However, the training is described as torturous in nature, so Netflix may have a hard time sticking by the book.

All in all, here’s to Netflix, the company that is finally taking steps to fulfill the dreams of The Witcher fans. Let’s hope they convince Mads Mikkelsen to take on the role of Gerald of Rivia, the butcher of Blaviken.

Image Source: Flickr

Rick and Morty Short Alien Covenant Promotion Video Is Better than the Movie

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Rick and Morty arguing

The highly anticipated sequel to Prometheus, Alien Covenant was released last Friday, disappointing the fans of the franchise who were expecting a little more than Ridley Scott managed to offer. Now, fans are saying that the short Rick and Morty promotional video was more intense than the actual movie as it actually featured a thrilling plot twist.

Rick’s Alcoholism Is Deadly to Face Huggers

In the short video, Rick and Morty are shown flying around in space, a big red HELP button pulsating like crazy on the dashboard. At first, the inventor/genius/grandfather chooses to ignore it, but his incarnated conscience, also known as his grandson Morty, pushes him into investigating the matter.

As soon as they reach the Covenant, a face hugger attacks Rick. To the alien creature’s misfortune, Rick’s body is filled with alcoholic and drug residue, killing the monster in a matter of minutes. The following conversation is a reverse lesson Rick and Morty style, the conclusion being that

“somebody [should] get a memo to all the characters in those Alien movies, stat!”

Although the video is 15 seconds short of a minute, it features intelligent conversations, canon aliens, and an unexpected plot twist. It’s more than some critics had to say about the recent xenomorph origin story.

Why Is Alien Covenant Such a Big Disappointment?

For the moment, we will not go into details as many fans are still waiting to see the movie and judge its quality by themselves. However, we will say this, for those who want a classic mix of female lead, scary monsters, and a bunch of gruesome deaths, Scott made an excellent movie. The fans that wanted something more, the spark that turned the initial franchise into such a roaring success, the movie is a disappointment.

Nevertheless, a good horror movie is hard to come by these days, so fans should at least sit back and enjoy watching the crew trying to escape a grizzly death at the hands of xenomorphs.

U.S. Has Extended Count of Natural Gas Rigs for the 16th Week

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natural gas rigs

U.S. increased its count of natural gas rigs despite low demand.

U.S. energy companies ordered more natural gas rigs than ever. The construction work is in its 16th week which is part of a larger plan. Officials intend to devote 12 months project to aid the gas industry to move forward. On the other hand, the number of additions slowed down over last weeks. At the same time, crude oil prices plummeted to $50 a barrel.

U.S. Currently Has the Most Natural Gas Rigs since April 2015

On Friday, Baker Hughes Inc, an energy services company, posted an update according to which during the week to May 5th, there were six new natural gas rigs. Therefore, the United States operates a total of 703 units across the country. This is the largest production effort since April 2015.

By comparison, the same week a year ago agencies were counting 238 active units. However, the pace of finished oil rigs has slowed down over the past four weeks. As a consequence, the pace of the week to March 10 is registered at its lowest point.

Crude Futures Are Fetching at $48 for 2018

U.S. crude futures registered the weakest performance this week at a price tag of $46 per barrel. This situation hindered the eliminated output that happened at the suggestion of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries from generating any improvement whatsoever. As such, the contract faced the third week of downhill. This is the longest negative period since November.

However, U.S. energy companies continue to boost investments in natural gas rigs. Analysts expect them also to extract more resources from shale fields in upcoming years. This is all because energy prices might go up in future months. Crude futures are fetching at $48 for the year of 2018 while in 2017 they are staying at $47 a barrel.

According to federal data, in the week to April 28, the average output of crude in U.S. was at 9.3 million per day. This quantity marks the highest level since August 2015.

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American Airlines to Become Less Generous with Leg Room

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airplane

American Airlines Group Inc. wants to create more chances for travelers to get a seat on their preferred flight. However, the much needed extra seats will come to the detriment of leg room. Space between three rows will suffer a slight shrinkage of 2 inches. The first planes to experience the change will be 737-800s lines.

American Will Make up for Lost Leg Room with Slimmer Seat Designs

On Wednesday, spokesman Joshua Freed made a public announcement according to which his company is going to obtain 30 extra inches on its latest line of 737 spacecraft from Boeing Co. Therefore, more than three rows aboard 737 Max jets will take only 29 inches. This change draws the largest carrier in the world closer to rival discounters such as Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines Inc.

This decision is in alignment with the company’s efforts to solve the overbooking issues it has been struggling with for years. Another solution was to order sleek designs for passenger seats. This way, the leg room received a refreshing boost of free space even though the rows are positioned close to each other at the same time. This new adjustment will come into effect with the beginning of the first quarter of 2017. This is also when the first 737 Max aircraft will officially become active for American Airlines airports.

“These are well-designed seats built for this kind of a layout.”

The Company Ordered 100 Boeing Planes with an Adjusted Design

On the other hand, Joshua Freed did not specify which rows are going to suffer such alterations. The new Max line of airplanes hosts a total of 172 seats. Out of these, 36 are located in the Main Cabin Extra. This department is only for higher buyers who need more leg room. As such, American will have four of the narrow 737 Max airplanes for 2017. The company has already ordered 100 such products from Boeing.

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Tennessee Female Janitor Allegedly Rapes 16-Year-old in School

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Female Janitor Rapes Student.

A 16-year-old boy was raped by the school’s 29-year-old female janitor.

According to the Tennessee authorities, a 29-year-old woman, who works as a janitor at the Midway High School, has recently been arrested and charged with engaging in sexual relations with a minor. Jessica Galyon is accused of having raped a 16-year-old boy inside an empty classroom during school hours. The boy’s family has sued the school and the company that employed Galyon.

Female Janitor Accused of Rape

The parents of a 16-year-old high school student from Tennessee has recently filed a lawsuit against Compass One and the Roane County School for doing nothing to prevent the boy from being raped by a female janitor. According to the family’s attorney, the boy’s parents are demanding approximately $4.5 million in damages for what happened to their son last year, in September.

According to the authorities, the 16-year-old boy, who was not named since he’s was the victim of rape, met 29-year-old Jessica Galyon, the school’s female janitor in August. Galyon was employed by the Midway High School through Compass One, a cleaning company.

Even from the start, Galyon seemed to take a great interest in the 16-year-old high school student. In late August, the woman asked the boy for his Facebook profile in order to befriend him. Galyon sent a lot of messages to the 16-year-old old which were, according to the authorities, overtly flirtatious and, most of the time, of a sexual nature.

Galyon Sent Sexual Messages To the Boy

However, the boy did not seem interested in Galyon’s sexual advances. To this end, he told the woman, on more than one occasion, that he’s not interested in being with her. Their conversations would continue on the same line until September.

According to the authorities, the female school janitor wrote to the boy in late September that she wishes to have sex with him. Galyon also told the 16-year-old that she rented a hotel room in the area. The boy declined the woman’s invitation and made it clear that he doesn’t want to talk to her.

Irritated by the boy’s refusal, Galyon decides to take a more direct approach. And so, during school hours, the woman waited for the boy, shoved him inside an empty classroom, and raped him. The deed was brought to the authorities’ attention one month later after the boy confessed to one of his teachers about what Galyon did to him.

The female school janitor was arrested and charged with engaging in sexual relations with the minor. After his ordeal, the boy dropped out of school.

Image source: Flickr

Sniper Ghost Warrior the Third – First Impressions, Loading Time, and Gameplay Mechanics

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Sniper Ghost Warrior 3

Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 proposes an open-world approach compared to the linear gameplay of the first two games in the series.

As expected, on the 25th of April, CI Games launched the third installment of the Sniper Ghost Warrior Series for PC, PS4, and, of course, Xbox One. And so, being regaled of yet another tale of stealth and impossible sniping, we have decided to tell you all about first impressions and other stuff related to CI Games’ most-anticipated title.

Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 – Git Gud or Die Trying?

Some of you are probably wondering about the game’s difficulty. As you would recall, the first and second games in the Sniper Ghost Warrior series were not particularly forgiving with the player, meaning that even the smallest mistake could have compromised the mission. Don’t worry too much about that, because CI’s latest game is as gritty and difficult as its predecessors.

As always, the game is based on strategical thinking and stealth. Remember that you are something of a lone wolf and you can’t take on a whole army. Now, what we’ve enjoyed most about this game is the improved AI. Enemies are smarter and, sometimes, it’s quite a challenge to anticipate their moves. Of course, this can only make the game more competitive, and slightly more frustrating as well.

Should you git gut in order to pass all mission with flying colors? Most definitely, since one wrong shot can attract hosts of gun-slinging soldiers.

Loading Time and Gameplay Mechanics

On the subject of loading time, we need to assume, for a sec, the role of the bearer of ill news – you’ll need to wait around for the game to load, five minutes to be precise. Although this piece of news might be a tad disconcerting, CI Games declared that it’s for the best to keep it this way. The developers declared that the initial long loading time would ensure that the game runs smoothly and that you won’t have to wait too much during area transitions or when you use fast-travel stations.

Yes, being semi-open-world, Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 has quite a lot of fast-travel stations to facilitate transport. Now, as far as game mechanics are concerned, we saw that the game allows the player to use new types of weapons, like assault rifles, and that face-to-face encounters are way more difficult to tackle compared to the last two games.

For example, if a guard spots you before you can gut him for behind, you’ll have a need to apply quite a lot of hits in order to take him down and, sometimes, even that’s not enough. That’s all for now, but stay tuned for another episode of Sniper Ghost Warrior 3.

Image source: Flickr

Mobile Carrier Employee Diagnosed with Brain Tumor Wins Lawsuit Against the State

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Cell phone and Brain Tumor

A Telecom Italia employee won a lawsuit against the state. The man claimed that his reliance on his mobile phone caused a brain tumor.

A mobile carrier employee from Italy has set a precedent after the won the lawsuit filed against the social security agency. Roberto Romeo, a Telecom employee, who’s been with the company for more than 15 years, sued the state claiming that due to the nature of his occupation which meant spending at least 3 hours on his mobile phone, he was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor.

Man Sues State Over Brain Tumor

Stefano Bertone, Romeo’s lawyer, declared during a press conference, that this is the first time a court of law admits that mobile phones can lead to brain cancer, although there have been many papers who nuanced the health hazards of heavy mobile phone use.

As Roberto Romeo declared, his story began in early 2010. As mentioned, the man works at Telecom Italia, one of the most popular carriers in Italy. Romeo told the press that he always had to keep his mobile phone around, because there was always something to be done – talking to co-workers, giving last minute advice about a project, or talking to the superiors.

In total, the man declared that he used to talk on his cellular device at three hours per day at work, and, more than often, at home. As Romeo explained, in early 2010, he experienced several hearing issues. More specifically, the man said that, sometime during the day, he would stop hearing with his left year, and felt like something was lodged deep inside the ear canal.

Romeo’s Brain Tumor was Benign

The man went to the hospital in order to find the origin of his strange symptoms. A couple of days later, the doctors informed Romeo that he has a brain tumor. Fortunately, the results indicated that it was a benign brain tumor, which meant that only surgery was enough to treat his condition.

The surgeons who removed Romeo’s brain tumor declared that the outgrowth encompassed most of the auditory nerve. Subsequently, the surgeons had to partially remove the man’s auditory nerve in order to root out the tumor. As a result of the surgery, Roberto Romeo lost the ability to hear with his right ear.

Encouraged by his lawyer, the filed a lawsuit, but not against the company who hired him, but against the State. After several years, the magistrates reached a verdict – the man’s brain tumor was caused by his reliance on a mobile device. Furthermore, the judges have decreed that the man received a yearly pension of $7,500.

Image source: Pixabay

Bose Sued For Allegedly Collecting Data and Sharing Them to Third Parties Without User Consent

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Bose Headphones

A lawsuit has been filed against Bose for collecting personal data and sharing them to third parties without the customer’s consent.

In other news, it would appear that Bose, the tech company that manufactures high-quality wireless headsets, among other things, might face a lawsuit. According to the company, a customer from Illinois has filed grievances against Bose for collecting personal information without the user’s consent and sharing them with third parties.

Bose Charged with Clandestine Data Collection and Distribution

Kyle Zak of Illinois is the individual who recently filed a lawsuit against Bose. According to Zak’s attorney, his client demands monetary compensation in addition to the company cease from sharing users’ data with other firms.

The court documents revealed that the man decided to sue the company soon after he bought a pair of Bose wireless headphones. According to Zak, a few weeks ago, he acquired the pair, which belonged to the QuietComfort 35 series, from the company’s shop.

Now, as you might know, all wireless headphones manufactured by Bose are accompanied by an Android application called Bose Connect. The app is free of charge and, according to the website’s description, it enhances the functionality of the headphones. Bose Connect has advanced noise cancellation settings, various pre-defined sound templates, and an update feature.

According to Kyle Zak, the Illinois man who purchased a pair of Bose wireless headphones for $350, each time he opened the companion application, it was collecting data and, apparently, sending it to other companies. The plaintiff said the application collected all kind of personal data including preferred musical genres, music shared with friends, podcasts, audio books played, and more.

What’s Next?

Zak’s attorney declared that the company is in direct violation of the Federal Wiretap Act, which prohibits companies from sharing personal data with third parties without the user’s consent. Moreover, Zak’s attorney added that the data collected by the headphones’ companion app could offer a glimpse into the user’s personality, his political views, and even his private life.

Of course, the client demands financial compensations from Bose. Furthermore, Zak’s attorney declared that his client also demands that the company put an end to its whole data collection and sharing activity.

Zak’s decision of filing lawsuit against the company is just one example of privacy invasion. Regrettably, the term of privacy will have much to suffer, taking into account that more and more applications ask you to submit personal information, without saying anything about sharing that info with someone else.

One would wonder what will the term of personal space refer to in the nearby future, considering that Facebook recently declared that social media platforms might employ mind-reading devices.

Image source: Wikipedia

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