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    Covenant of the Phoenix has a new official Discord Channel!!!
    JOIN COTP IN DISCORD TODAY
    By Damis

    Valheim is hottest new survival and exploration game.

    Valheim is a game about exploring a huge fantasy world inspired by Norse mythology and Viking culture. You start your adventure at the relatively peaceful center of Valheim. The further from the center you travel, the more challenging the world becomes. But you will also find more valuable materials that you can use to craft deadlier weapons and sturdier armor. You will also build your own Viking strongholds and outposts all over the world. Eventually, you will build a mighty longship and sail the great oceans in search of exotic lands … but be wary of sailing too far...
    Key features:
    Huge procedurally-generated world - explore and inhabit mystical lands, from mysteriousforests to imposing snow-topped mountain ranges and stunning meadows, complete with their own creatures of legend to battle and wildlife to hunt. Co-op PvE (2-10 players) - - Whether you want to brave the lands alone or venture with trusted allies, Valheim supports independent, player-hosted servers and unlimited world creation. We recommend playing co-op with 3-5 players. Punishing dodge & block based combat system with a wide range of weapons Build & sail ships - from flimsy rafts to imposing warships, build legendary vessels to conquer the seas and discover new lands. Summon and defeat vengeful primordial bosses of myth and legend, and collect trophies to progress and craft new powerful items Flexible house and base building system - raise mead halls, farms, settlements outposts, castles and more. Intuitive item crafting - forge the finest weapons and armour, and craft food and mead. Dedicated server- for players who want to run a persistent server. https://store.steampowered.com/app/892970/Valheim/
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    By Damis

    Crypt Space Commander(CSC) A Space Sandbox MMO

    CSC is an open-universe, sandbox-style space MMO with a player-owned economy. Command starships and earn digital items to buy, sell, or trade without limits both inside and outside of the game universe. Experience a free-market Play-to-Own Economy that provides true ownership & freedom.
    Starships
    In CSC you, our Commander, can own and operate your very own starships. Starships come in all shapes and sizes and are specialized in either mining, combat, trade, or exploration. Starships in CSC can be endlessly customized with modules. Modules can add or upgrade existing ship functionality from shields and weapons to FTL drives.
    Economy
    Almost everything in the CSC universe can be crafted from resources openly available in the universe. The smallest shield module up to a universe-wide jump gate network can all be made with the right materials. Create new technology and share it freely for the good of the federation or sell it for the right price.
    Crafting
    The crafting system is uncapped, allowing players to continually improve on the quality of their crafted items. Specialization is encouraged by the CSC crafting mechanic, rewarding players for focusing on specific items & allowing them to create truly unique and valuable starship weapons or other components.
    Exploration
    Rules are merely suggestions in some parts of space. Areas under GFI protection do exist, and are open to explore and mine to your heart’s content, but the best loot is out there in Fringes of Space. Beware, dangers of all kinds are in the fringe: creatures, pirates, rogue Commanders, and faction governments. Those brave enough to venture deep into Fringe Space however will find an abundance of rare resources, larger bounties, and more lucrative quests.
    The Current Game State
    CSC is a game in development while in Beta with core game features implemented. As a starship Commander you can command your ship, explore 40+ star systems, mine for resources that can be used in manufacturing/workshop, combat NPCs for loot and resources, and play along with other Commanders on our LIVE MMO server.
    LInks:
    https://www.csc-game.com/
    https://store.steampowered.com/app/895040/CSC__Space_MMO/
     
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    By Damis

    TROVE: REFER-A-FRIEND

    Love Trove? Invite your friends to adventure by your side. You’ll earn fire-breathing rewards when they hit Mastery Rank 20 in-game!
    Each time one of your cubic recruits hits Mastery Rank 20, your Companion Level increases by one. Your very first Mastery 20 recruit grants an Elder Dragonling Ally, and the rewards grow in stature from there!

     
    Clink the link below for more information.
    https://trovelive.trionworlds.com/account/referral/get-account-referral-dashboard-flow.action?_gmg=gmg.2685578402.1621262511
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    By Damis

    Crowfall - Hunger Dome Mode

    An upcoming mode in Crowfall that allows 60 players to fight each others in a "Hunger Dome" style match. Todd describes it as a super condensed version of Crowfall on steroids and says it's really fun. It's a mix between a MMO, a MOBA and a Battle Royale (MMOBA).

    Characteristics:
    12 teams of 5 players teams start at the edge of the map ring that shrinks over time players can capture keeps, forts or castles players can die from the Hunger, monsters or players players can respawn if they own a structure team is eliminated when the last player dies players gain "ELO" players arrive on the map "naked", have to gear up up to 30 minutes per match restrictions on archetypes (not more than 2 tanks or supports per team) characters are clone version of players' characters, or available archetypes  
     
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    By Damis

    Blackwood Prologue now available for all ESO players.

    Begin a journey that will take you to the upcoming Chapter and beyond with the Blackwood Prologue, now available for all ESO players!
    The Blackwood Prologue questline is now live for all platforms and is free for anybody with access to the ESO base game (note, this includes Free Play Event players). To get underway, simply pick up the quest starter from the in-game Crown Store (located under the Quest Starters category).

    Join Lyranth in her investigations
    Once the starter is activated, you receive the quest titled “A Mortal’s Touch” and begin your adventure. In the two unique quests, you’re joined by the Dremora Lyranth and Wood Elf Eveli Sharp-Arrow to investigate the operations of a sinister Daedric cult. What you discover during the two Blackwood Prologue quests sets up the adventures to come in the Blackwood Chapter and larger Gates of Oblivion year-long saga.
    Finally, complete the Blackwood Prologue and you receive the Daedric Unwarding Amulet memento as a keepsake. Keep it close—you never know when you might encounter some Daedric wards!
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    One more rant about healthcare


    Killercod

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    This kinda thing is a hot spot for me, so after Tagon posted it I knew I had to blog about it.

     

    Canadian researchers find a simple cure for cancer, but major pharmaceutical companies are not interested.

     

    Researchers at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Canada have cured cancer last week, yet there is a little ripple in the news or in TV. It is a simple technique using very basic drug. The method employs dichloroacetate, which is currently used to treat metabolic disorders. So, there is no concern of side effects or about their long term effects.

     

    This drug doesn’t require a patent, so anyone can employ it widely and cheaply compared to the costly cancer drugs produced by major pharmaceutical companies.

     

    Canadian scientists tested this dichloroacetate (DCA) on human’s cells; it killed lung, breast and brain cancer cells and left the healthy cells alone. It was tested on Rats inflicted with severe tumors; their cells shrank when they were fed with water supplemented with DCA. The drug is widely available and the technique is easy to use, why the major drug companies are not involved? Or the Media interested in this find?

     

    I'll tell you why: GREED. Why cure something that is a multi-billion dollar industry? We've been working towards a cure for cancer, AIDS, MS, MD, and a laundy list of terrible diseases in some cases for over 50 YEARS now. You know what the last major disease was that we actually "cured"....POLIO...over 50 years ago. Since then we've claimed we are looking to cure alot of things, with celebrities raising millions of dollars in telethons and concerts and all sorts of revenue streams, but we just end up finding drugs to "manage" or "alleviate" the conditions.

     

    Lets think about cancer, and just limit the research on that to the last 50-60 years. We've put men on the moon, shrank computers from the size of a large building to something you can carry in your pocket, we've split the atom, we've made scientific advancements that only a science fiction writer could have dreamed about...yet we can't cure cancer? With the millions of dollars thrown into research on that disease...what do we have to show for it?

     

    We have pills. Pills to make you happy, make you sad, make you have better sex...and plenty of pills to "manage" every disease or condition under the sun...but nothing that acutally cures anything.

     

    It makes me sick...and the only cure will never happen because too many people make too much money off of not curing things.

     

    Though I'm sure there is a pill somewhere to manage my condition...

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    I hear you on this one. In 1986 when i was in high school, there was a break through in a new procedure for killing only the cancer cells in japan, it's still not available in the USA.

     

    Here are a few other Natural things to research for cancer cures (yes cures)

     

    Pureed Asparagus, 4 tablespoons a day.

     

    Leyatrides (think i spelled it right :P ) (natural product of seeds found in fruits)you can eat the seeds (yuck) or buy the liquid form.

     

    Both attack ONLY the cancer cells, both cure it, and both are something anyone can buy.

     

    Morg

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    DCA is public domain, and has shown it is worth using for most forms of cancer.

     

    With some forms of cancer you probably won't see any change.

    With most you'll see the cancer slow, or even stop spreading completely.

    With some you'll see the cancer actually begin to die and regress.

     

    However, remember that with a few rare types, it has shown to speed up the growth/spread of cancer. It still has to be used with great care.

     

    I don't believe anyone is stopping DCA studies or even distribution... but it is very certain no companies are interested in following research and development using DCA or some derivative of it.

     

    It boils down to a funding/cost issue. They can't really sell or recoup any costs from any drug that gets made, so they have no interest in looking into a solution using it. Remember... DCA is public domain so anything involving it will likely net ZERO.

     

    Greed, Business Survival, or Self Interest... I can see how a company that cure's cancer would basically be ending their own existence. They'd probably take a few other companies with them too.

     

    Pharmaceuticals/ Drug Companies are not in the business of curing anything... they are in the business of easing the symptoms or stopping the spread of a sickness/disease. The only time you would see a company step up to "cure" something would be if the disease/infection/cancer was already pretty well eradicated or non-existent. This would net them more investors and approval ratings.

     

    Logically, it makes sense... why would a farmer that exclusively grows corn, help develop a new strain of corn that could be grown everywhere and by anyone? He might as well take a gun to himself and his family.

     

    Now... if said farmer found a new crop that was more profitable... then yeah, why not help with corn?

     

    Cancer treatments are profitable... finding a "cure" for cancer would end companies that depend on it. That isn't to say these companies are not willing to help cure cancer, but they want to become financially stable and secure in other areas first. What good is succeeding if you are not around to enjoy it?

     

    Remember, quickly curing cancer would destroy companies and ruin billions->trillions of dollars of investments.

     

    Not to mention it could probably affect other areas of our economy if these companies died. Think of the percentage of taxes paid, and how many people are employed by them... Like most beings, these companies want to survive and thrive like anyone else.

     

    Think oil, gas, alternative fuel sources, and vehicles. The costs paid to implement those technologies and manufacturing methods. They are in a very similar situation.

     

    We have developed one very slow moving wheel of progress that isn't all that easy to swap out or upgrade because no one wants to go broke.

     

    I try to keep this in mind whenever something seems simple..

     

    Wizards Second Rule:

    The greatest harm can result from the best intentions.

     

    Now despite my "tone"... In my mind it is completely worth it. I have no issues with these companies going under and dying to help remove cancer... Even if it upset the stability of our nation and the world. I view it as a sacrifice for a greater good.

     

    But few people are really willing to make sacrifices that grand in scale.

     

    From a very young age I understood that War and Death brought about progress and the hope of new life... I understood that progress and advancement were only acquired through sweat, tears, or blood. But as I get older I try to restrain that line of thinking...

     

    We are very complex beings, and have inevitably created an overly complex way of living... There is always a cost for anything we want to do, and in times long past, slaves and the "lower classes" paid the cost for the rest of mankind. Now things are quite a bit different...

     

    But I feel that is another discussion...

     

    DCA is definitely worth looking into. It also appears to be the bane for any companies that depend on cancer treatments, or research. If public funding would increase enough, we could see it become something truly worthwhile and readily available. I don't expect to see any company interested in survival helping with it though...

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    LW is spot on.

     

    Politically speaking, in a very down economy, there is zero chance this will be supported publicly because of the immediate effects it would have on major pharmaceutical developers and suppliers.

     

    I would imagine stock prices for Merk and Eli Lilly dropping 50-80% within hours of news stating the US Gov't is suddenly investing billions in DCA research for a possible cure...possibly trigging an immediate plunge in the overall market, especially in the many publicly owned companies involved in the manufacture and supply of Cancer related drugs, their components, ingredients and the hardware related delivery systems.

     

    A short term medical industry sparked recession is the LAST thing any current politician wants on their resume....greater good or not.

     

    Short-term money and power....short-sighted greed.

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    http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/05/dichloroacetate_and_cancer.php

     

    "The simple summary is this: that claim is a lie. There have been no clinical trials of dichloroacetate (DCA) in cancer patients, so there is no basis for claiming they have a cure; some, but not all, cancers might respond in promising ways to the drug, while others are likely to be resistant (cancer is not one disease!); and there are potential neurotoxic side effects, especially when used in conjunction with other chemotherapies."

     

    I'm not one to defend the big drug companies, but I don't think this is a case where you can attack them.

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