In LA County‚ fire and rescue had a ton of work to do to lift out a 1‚200-pound horse that fell into a sinkhole near Lake View Terrace. Lucky by name‚ lucky by nature‚ this 20-year-old mare managed to avoid any serious injuries to her legs from the fall when the muddy ground of her […] The post LA Firefighters Rescue 1200-Pound Horse Named ‘Lucky’ from Backyard Sinkhole appeared first on Good News Network.

Rereads and Rewatches Terry Pratchett Book Club Terry Pratchett Book Club: Making Money‚ Part IV One last look at Ankh-Morpork’s odd banking situation… By Emmet Asher-Perrin | Published on February 23‚ 2024 icon-comment 0 Share New Share Twitter Facebook Pinterest RSS Feed Of course you are Vetinari. We’re all Vetinari here. Summary Moist has Gladys press his gold suit‚ and Cosmo arrives with Vimes in tow to check on the vault and potentially arrest him. A gathering crowd is asking what Moist will do about having no gold. He insists this is not a problem‚ and Harry King suddenly arrives… to deposit more money into the bank. Cosmo advises the crowd to take their money back‚ leading Vimes to close the bank and threaten Cosmo for attempting to incite a riot. Adora Belle is brought to the bank because all the city’s golems have stopped moving—the ancient golems are arriving. Hicks and Flead show up with a portable magic circle‚ explaining that the four golden golems was a mistranslation‚ and it’s actually four thousand golems. They surround and flood the city‚ and go silent. There’s a meeting at the palace where everyone argues about how the golems should be used‚ since they look like a declaration of war‚ defending the city. Vetinari thinks to use them as a labor force‚ but Hubert insists they can’t or all the people would lose their jobs and the economy would collapse. Moist goes with Hicks and Flead and convinces the latter to translate Umnian for him while convincing that former to “insorcise” Flead from the department. Moist gets the golems to follow him out of the city‚ getting them to bury themselves in a disused stretch of plains beyond. He wants to put their currency on the golem standard‚ based on the possibility of what they could achieve—were the city to put them to use—and he tells Sacharissa this. (He also thinks that one horse golem should be given to the dwarf king to smooth things over‚ a half dozen horse golems should go to the Post Office‚ and a few hundreds should man the clacks towers‚ while the rest are looked after by the Golem Trust.) Vimes and Vetinari arrive‚ and the Patrician is pleased with that plan‚ but he still has Moist and Mr. Fusspot arrested for the gold theft‚ and insists on a hearing the next day. Cosmo sends Cranberry to kill Mr. Bent. Bent awakes in his room to find Miss Drapes looking after him‚ and she tells him what has happened at the bank. Moist is brought to the inquiry the next day and is certain he’s about to be hung out to dry. Word comes to the hall that murdered men were found in Bent’s quarters—Cranberry and his associate. Slant begins to question Moist‚ but he realizes how to get out ahead: He confesses to being a criminal‚ ruining Cosmo and Cribbins’ plans. Vetinari corroborates and gives an (only slightly) altered version of the events that landed Moist his job at the Post Office‚ confessing that Topsy Lavish asked for his help finding a member outside the family to run the bank. Mr. Bent arrives in full clown regalia and hits the Lavish family with custard pies; Moist catches the one meant for Vetinari to protect him. Miss Drapes comes in behind Bent with his ledgers—ledgers that show that the Lavishes are the ones who spent all the gold and forced him to hide it in their books all these years. Cosmo begins to unravel and draws his replica Vetinari sword. Moist tries to talk him down and addresses him as Patrician. He takes the man’s putrid glove off and beckons “Vetinari” outside to get the stygium replica ring in the light. Moist wakes up the next day in the Post Office as Vetinari’s clerks are going through the bank again. Gladys is reading a new book that Adora Belle gave her and no longer seems to have a crush on him. Pucci was taken away after blabbing everything‚ and Cosmo’s life was saved after some careful amputation. Vetinari’s coach is waiting outside‚ and he brings Moist and Adorable Belle to the Fool’s Guild to see Mr. Bent. It turns out that Bent’s mother had an affair with a clown and when she died‚ his father took him back to the circus and put him in the family makeup as the Charlie Benito clown. There Bent was laughed at‚ a thing he could not endure‚ so he ran away. Moist asks Bent to come back to the bank and help him run things properly. Vetinari brings Moist and Adora Belle to the palace gardens and agrees to all of Moist’s earlier terms‚ as he has already figured out that the golems listened to him because of the golden suit—they think that makes him an Umnian priest. Moist suggests that the Patrician tell all the countries the golden suit secret so that no one can use them as an army. It turns out that someone has already sent a clacks message to that effect‚ which would be treason‚ of course. Despite being the most likely suspect‚ Moist knows Vetinari is the one who did it‚ and that no one will ever be able to pin it on him. Owlswick Clamp has also mysteriously “died‚” though Vetinari assures Moist that if he needs any more design work done‚ there’s someone at the “palace” who will be able to help him. On the way back‚ Adora Belle’s life is threatened by Cribbins‚ but the man’s dentures explode before he can extort anything out of Moist. Vetinari thinks that perhaps he should apply Moist to the taxman’s position at some point in the future. Mr. Bent and Mrs. Drapes announce their upcoming nuptials on their return to the bank. Hubert orders Igor to use the Glooper to get all the gold back into the bank vault‚ which interrupts Moist and Adora Belle’s flirting. Cosmo awakens in a ward of the hospital where everyone thinks they are Vetinari—but obviously he’s the real one. Commentary The Moist von Lipwig books are so interesting because they are ultimately about the effects of the industrial era‚ right? And as I said previously of Going Postal‚ they manage to deal with very heavy and dour subjects by allowing fantasy to take the sting out of the wound‚ as it were. Though in the previous tome‚ it was handled far more literally—the person doing the majority of the harm was stopped and punished for his crimes. In this story‚ the solution is more fantastical than the last in one aspect‚ being that the banks are all revealed to be run by crooks‚ but Moist handily fixes the problem by changing their system. It’s all a bit romantic‚ isn’t it? Which is very Moist‚ in its way. He devises a system of currency that is built on the value of the city in a literal sense; it becomes the buried golems rather than the denizens themselves‚ but it’s still ultimately what he proposed. The bank is backed by the potentiality of Ankh-Morpork’s industry and might. As a result‚ Pucci’s reveal that all the banks are constantly using their vault gold however they please doesn’t really touch anyone. The bank-owning class might be a bit nervous for a while‚ but they will ultimately go back to doing business as usual. More citizens will likely have access to the banking system now that Moist chose to open up lending‚ but it’s hardly the same sort of triumph that the Post Office was. It’s accurate for satire‚ of course‚ which is merely mirroring the world we have at an angle. Because this is ultimately what industry did for the world: Lead us to globalization. Which has its own list of pros and cons certainly‚ but is‚ from a cynical vantage point‚ merely about getting along so that we can all make more money off of each other. As the Discworld books are bemusingly poised with one foot in the medieval(ish) era and one foot in the industrial one‚ that is the choice that Vetinari is presenting at the end of this story: Do we want an empire or a modern city of commerce? He’s already chosen the way‚ of course‚ but it’s hilarious seeing it laid out like an either-or choice rather than something that happened gradually over centuries. The reveal of Mr. Bent’s heritage is not only a fun twist‚ but winds up making good on all of the Fool’s Guild jokes in previous books‚ at least for me. It’s fine to rib about clowns‚ but having one of them use their skills to bring down those in power is inspired and‚ more importantly‚ an actual tactic used by anti-fascists and anti-authoritarians. Moist is correct when he jumps to take the pie meant for Vetinari—most tyrannical powers cannot survive being made to look foolish. It strips them of their might. A pie to the face is quick and easy means to that end. Having said that‚ while Drumknott and Vetinari are both keen to note Moist’s grasp of theatrics‚ it’s much funnier that they both roundly refuse to acknowledge Vetinari’s own. (Moist knows‚ of course. And appreciates the man’s timing as much as the rest of the city.) Grabbing a bit of custard out of the air and announcing that it’s pineapple is every bit as vaudevillian as his juggling act‚ after all. There’s a softness to Vetinari at the end of this story that I have to note because it foils Vimes’ development in its own way; while Vimes seems to grow sharper in the mind’s eye‚ Vetinari rounds at the edges. The fact that he insists Cosmo’s cane-sword is a replica of a fiction (whether or not it is really isn’t the point so much as his desire not to be thought of as a man who murders thousands to get enough iron for his blade)‚ the way he tests Moist by having him hold the replica (because he wants to be sure that Moist isn’t a violent man as well)‚ and most of all… the way he adopts Mr. Fusspot simply by feeding him treats and calling him home. It makes me feel a little soft in turn‚ which is a weird way to feel about a self-professed tyrant. Only Pratchett could manage that. Asides and little thoughts Would just like to point out that‚ though they are doing good in this particularly instance by keeping the people safe‚ one of Vimes’ officers accepts a bribe from Moist with those stamps. Kind of important‚ that. “Indeed‚ the leopard can change his shorts!” Look‚ I just need to know if the idiom is different on the Disc‚ or if Vetinari heard it wrong and everyone followed suit rather than telling him so. I need to know. The “Gladys Is Doing It For Herself” chapter subhead is a reference to the song “Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves‚” which I first heard in its Spice Girls cover form. Which probably says something about me‚ though I’m not sure what. (No‚ I do know. You are free to hazard a guess‚ though.) On a heartbreaking note‚ I’m feeling ways about the fact that I was on this book‚ where we learn that Vetinari lost Wuffles‚ when I lost my own pup. GNU Archer. Miss you‚ my sweet little guy. Pratchettisms And now‚ Moist thought‚ for the Moment of Truth. If possible‚ though‚ it would become the Moment of Plausible Lies‚ since most people were happier with them. What the iron maiden was to stupid tyrants‚ the committee was to Lord Vetinari; it was only slightly more expensive‚ far less messy‚ considerably more efficient‚ and‚ best of all‚ you had to force people to climb inside the iron maiden. The crowd made for the door‚ where it got stuck and fought itself. Vetinari stood up and brought his stick down flat on the table‚ ending the noise like the punctuation of the gods. Mr. Lipwig had been in trouble‚ but it seemed to Igor that trouble hit Mr. Lipwig like a wave hitting a flotilla of ducks. Afterward‚ there was no wave but there was still a lot of duck. “No‚ that’s what I enjoy. You get a wonderful view from the point of no return.” Next week‚ I thought we’d take a detour and start Nation! Which I’ve definitely never read‚ so this should be fun. We’ll read Chapters 1-4. [end-mark] The post Terry Pratchett Book Club: <;i>;Making Money<;/i>;‚ Part IV appeared first on Reactor.

Helldivers 2 has had its fair share of issues since launch‚ such as matchmaking‚ server capacity‚ disconnections‚ etc. One of the most recent problems is that players are losing Super Credits after purchasing them from the store. If this has happened to you‚ don’t stress too much; there are potential fixes. Here is how to fix Super Credits disappearing in Helldivers 2. Super Credits disappearing in Helldivers 2 potential fixes Screenshot: PC Invasion The worst thing to happen is to spend real-world money just for you not to get the product you paid for. Unfortunately‚ this has been happening to players who spend hard-earned cash on Super Credits just for them to vanish. Below we outline potential fixes to this issue. Check for payment confirmation The first step is to double-check that the payment went through by checking your bank statement and looking for a payment confirmation in your email. Due to the ongoing server issues of Helldivers 2‚ it is very likely ...

In Sons of the Forest‚ if you know where to look‚ you’ll find tactical soldiers holding red flares. What are these stranded soldiers for‚ is there any way to save them‚ and how do I find more in Sons of the Forest? Sons of the Forest: How to find red flare soldiers With 1.0‚ red flare soldiers are spread all over the Sons of the Forest island. As their name suggests‚ you can find these stranded soldiers easily by looking for red smoke. I found dense red smoke as I walked around the forest and as I got close‚ it turned into a stream of red smoke coming from a stranded soldier. Related: How to fix low framerate and stuttering on PC in Sons of The Forest The red flare soldiers mark important locations in Sons of the Forest which makes getting what you need and progressing the story easier. While you can find red flare soldiers all over the island‚ I found red soldiers easily by following the purple exclamation marks on my map. How to help the Sons of the Forest red fl...

Leave it to Call of Duty to somehow please people even when their game is on fire. While the current state of MW3 might be concerning‚ other players have found an interesting attachment to the main problem. So let’s take a look at how Modern Warfare 3’s rank reset completely broke SBMM. Easier matches thanks to Modern Warfare 3’s broken SBMM Image: Sledgehammer Games It’s been reported that players entering MW3 early on Friday ran into some interesting rank reset problems. And while developers are probably working on a way to get everyone’s rank progress back‚ there is a silver lining to this. Call of Duty news accounts on X (formerly Twitter) such as CharlieIntel report that Skill Based Matchmaking (SBMM) is experiencing problems along with the server issues. With the servers currently broken in Call of Duty across MW3 MP and Warzone‚ it does appear that SBMM is also not working properly – and matchmaking is much more relaxed and easie...

One of many Unique items in Last Epoch is the Siphon of Anguish‚ but how can you get this Ring? Based on the Gold Ring‚ the Siphon of Anguish can increase Elemental Resistance‚ Movement Speed‚ and more. Here’s how to collect it for yourself. Last Epoch: How to get Siphon of Anguish With a requirement of level 55‚ how you can get the Siphon of Anguish Unique in Last Epoch is from The Shade of Orobyss. This enemy has a decent chance of dropping this Unique Ring‚ and you can find them in the Monolith of Fate. The Shade is a strong enemy you can find in this endgame area for Last Epoch‚ and it’s a type of dungeon you can run multiple times for the chances of gaining exceptional loot. You’ll specifically find The Shade at Echo of A World nodes. Screenshot: Eleventh Hour Games In the Monolith of Fate‚ you can complete nodes for rewards. Defeating The Shade can be difficult‚ as it has one of five possible forms. It’ll have Void attacks‚ as well as abilit...

Guest Host‚ Ken Spaulding from Wide World of Toys opens up 5 packs of The California Raisins World Tour sticker cards from 1988 by Zoot. For more episodes of Wax Pack Flashback with Adam‚ check CONTINUE READING... The post Wax Pack Flashback: The California Raisins World Tour (1988) appeared first on The Retro Network.

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Former Vice President Mike Pence’s organization‚ Advancing American Freedom‚ is leading conservative groups in calling on Republicans in Congress to defund a pro-abortion rule backed by President Joe Biden’s administration that would punish pro-life centers. “We‚ as leaders of the pro-life movement‚ request that you defund the rulemaking process for the Biden administration’s proposed rule‚ ‘Strengthening [Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)] as a Safety Net and Work Program‚’” the conservative groups told House Republicans in a Friday letter first obtained by The Daily Signal. “This proposed rule (88 FR 67697) would prohibit pregnancy centers and alternative-to-abortion programs from receiving millions of dollars a year in TANF funding while directing that same funding to Planned Parenthoods and other abortion centers favored by the Biden Administration‚” they added. FINAL-AAF-Defund-TANF-Rule-With-SignaturesDownload Those groups signing the letter include Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America‚ the Family Research Council‚ Students for Life of America‚ Heritage Action‚ American Accountability Foundation Action‚ the Ethics and Public Policy Center and CatholicVote. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation‚ of which Heritage Action is the grassroots arm.) “Depriving pregnancy resource centers of funds is just another example of the Biden Administration’s war on life‚” the conservative leaders wrote. “The needless targeting of pro-life centers will only hurt women and children‚ when they are at their most vulnerable.” “We certainly understand the current political reality in Washington‚ but by defunding this rulemaking process‚ you can deliver a win for women and children across America‚” they added. “We strongly encourage you to defund the rulemaking process for the proposed rule ‘Strengthening TANF as a Safety Net and Work Program’ in upcoming appropriations bills.” In December‚ Republican lawmakers opposed the proposed rule and asked Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to immediately withdraw it‚ writing: “The Proposed Rule‚ however‚ would undermine the TANF program and threaten to strip millions of dollars in support for pregnant women and their unborn babies through pregnancy centers‚ maternity homes‚ and alternatives to abortion programs. We urge you to withdraw the Proposed Rule immediately.” HHS had singled out pregnancy resource centers and stated that those programs “likely do not meet the reasonable person standard because the connection to preventing and reducing out-of-wedlock pregnancies is tenuous or nonexistent‚” the lawmakers explained. They expressed concerns that this was merely another attempt by Biden’s administration to “funnel taxpayer dollars to the abortion industry‚” adding: “Chillingly‚ HHS suggests TANF support for pregnancy centers should be steered toward family planning programs more typical of the business models of Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry instead. Specifically‚ HHS states TANF funds should be directed to ‘comprehensive sex education‚ family planning services‚ pregnancy prevention programs‚ and community mobilization services for at-risk youth that increase access to pregnancy prevention programs for teens.’”  Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post EXCLUSIVE: Biden Rule Would Deprive Pregnancy Resource Centers of Funds and Favor Abortion Groups‚ Conservatives Warn appeared first on The Daily Signal.

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—The Independent Council on Women’s Sports sent a letter to the Liberty League‚ an intercollegiate athletic conference in New York‚ demanding that the league adopt new rules to protect fairness for female athletes as a male set school records in women’s track. ICONS—a network and advocacy group that spans all levels of sport and includes Olympians‚ professional athletes‚ collegiate and high school athletes‚ parents‚ coaches and administrators—sent the letter Wednesday ahead of the Liberty League Championships at St. Lawrence University on Feb. 23 and 24. ICONS gave a copy of the letter to The Daily Signal exclusively after sending it Wednesday. The letter notes that a biological male at the Rochester Institute of Technology who identifies as female and goes by the name “Sadie Rose” has competed in women’s track events‚ setting school records in the 200-meter‚ 300-meter and 400-meter races. Last month‚ the Liberty League bestowed the honor of its Women’s Track and Field Performer of the Week on Rose. “Currently ranked first in the women’s 200-meter and second in the 400-meter for the Liberty League Conference‚ this male athlete is almost certain to take multiple awards‚ podium spots‚ and advancement opportunities from female athletes this weekend‚” the ICONS letter warns. “It is your responsibility to stop disregarding the rights of your female athletes and speak up to insist on fair competition.” “Overwhelming scientific evidence demonstrates male-female performance differences exist from the earliest stages‚” the letter adds. “Study after peer-reviewed study has shown clear performance advantages for males in sport pre-puberty‚” ICONS adds‚ linking to medical journal articles. “Further studies clearly show that male advantage continues to exist even after attempts to suppress testosterone.” “The only way sport can be fair and equal for women is with a protected female category that excludes competitors with male advantage‚” the letter concludes (emphasis original). The Liberty League is a New York intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division III. The Independent Council on Women’s Sports notes that “international sport governing bodies have conducted recent scientific reviews and have revised their policies to protect the female category.” The letter cites the international federations of cycling‚ track and field‚ swimming‚ and rugby in choosing to abandon “flawed policies that rely on testosterone levels.” The letter cites the world’s governing body for track and field athletics‚ World Athletics’‚ Rule C3.5‚ “Eligibility Regulations for Transgender Athletes‚” and ICONS emphasizes the beginning of the second paragraph below: 1.1.1. World Athletics wants to give equal opportunities to all athletes to participate in and excel at the sport‚ and to provide them with fair and meaningful competition conditions‚ so that they are motivated to make the huge commitment and sacrifice required to excel in the sport‚ and so inspire new generations to join the sport and aspire to the same excellence 1.1.2 The substantial sex difference in sports performance that emerges from puberty onwards means that the only way to achieve the objectives set out above is to maintain separate classifications (competition categories) for male and female athletes. That difference is due to the physical advantages conferred on male athletes by the testes producing much higher levels of circulating testosterone than ovaries produce from puberty onwards in female athletes. “To be clear‚ the R.I.T. [Rochester Institute of Technology] runner would not be eligible for the female category under the World Athletics policy‚” the letter notes. It also notes that lawmakers in 24 states and in the U.S. House of Representatives have passed laws “to ensure males are not allowed to compete on school teams designated for women and girls.” “We are reaching out today to ask you‚ as coaches and athletic directors‚ to stand up for fairness in sport‚” the letter adds. “The public has heard the stories of the high school girls in Connecticut track‚ the college swim team in Virginia‚ and the professional women who are self-excluding from the sports they love.” ICONS concludes the letter by offering support and inviting the Liberty League to “reach out with questions.” Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.  The post EXCLUSIVE: Women’s Sports Leaders Call on New York Collegiate League to Protect Fairness as Male Sets League Records appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A First: Nassau County Bans Men From Competing in Women's Sports