A very good evening aspirants, welcome to the Hindu newspaper analysis brought to you by Shankar A.S academy, today's date is 21st November 2023, displayed here are the list of news articles that we are going to discuss today. So without much delay, let us get into the first news article discussion. Take a look at this news article, the news here is that Avere Millai wins the presidential election in Argentina. Mr. Millai is a far right populist, he promised various drastic reforms like reduction in taxes, reduction in subsidies and denouncing the local currency paucy and adopting the US dollar as legal tender. See many times in the newspaper we have seen the terms right wing and left wing, but many of us do not have a good understanding about the concept. So in this news article discussion today, we are going to see the difference between right wing and left wing. Before that, let us look into the origin of the term, see the terms right wing and left wing originated during the French Revolution in the late 18th century. During the French Revolution, members of national assembly who supported the monarch sat on the right side of the assembly hall while those who supported radical change and the revolution sat on the left side. In other words, those who wanted to stay closer to tradition were on the right and those who want more change were on the left. This physical seating arrangement led to the term right wing and left wing to describe political ideologies. This is how the term right wing came to associated with conservative and left wing came to associated with liberal. Moving on, let us see the major difference between the right wing and left wing. Firstly, let us look at their ideological differences regarding the society. The right wing is associated with individualism, order and strong social hierarchy. The right also supports conservative social values, but the left wing focuses on equality, social justice and collective responsibility. It also supports progressive social policies like LGBTQ plus rights, gender equality and environmental protection. Now let us look at their ideological differences regarding the economy. The right wing supports free market capitalism and minimal government intervention in the economy. It also favours low taxes, reduced welfare program and deregulation of industries. The left wing on the other hand supports government intervention in the economy to reduce inequality, provide social welfare programs and ensure equal opportunities for all. It also advocates for higher taxes on the wealthy and more regulations on businesses to protect workers and consumers. So these are the major differences in the ideology of the right and the left. But you have to note here that in reality, no political party follows the right wing or the left wing ideology 100%. Most parties have qualities of both right and left wing ideology. For example, the right wing in India is often associated with the Bharati Janata party BJP and its affiliated organizations. They emphasise Hindu nationalism that is Hindutva, cultural conservatism and a strong national identity. This makes the BJP a social right wing party. But in the economic sphere, the BJP has qualities of both the right and the left wing. For example, the BJP on one hand supports capitalism by reducing corporate tax from 30% to 22%. At the same time, BJP also supports various social welfare programs like PM Kisan and PM Ujwala. Like this, all political parties fall within the spectrum between right and the left wing. I hope I have helped you understand the difference between the right and the left wing. That's all regarding this news article discussion. So with these learnt points, now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Take a look at this news article. This news article reports about the Agri-Tekna trade fair, which was held in Hannover in Germany. So in this trade fair, tractor manufacturer Taffay unveiled an electric tractor and a hydrogen powered tractor. This is part of Taffay's plan to expand into the technologically advanced European market. So this is about the news article. So in this news article discussion, let us look into the working of hydrogen powered fuel cells. See, a hydrogen fuel cell operates through an electrochemical reaction. The hydrogen fuel cell converts the chemical energy stored in hydrogen directly into electrical energy. This reaction also produces water and heat as byproducts. Now look at this image. This is a schematic diagram of a fuel cell. A fuel cell consists of two electrodes, a negative electrode or anode and a positive electrode or cathode. These electrodes are placed around an electrolyte. The electrolyte used in the hydrogen fuel cell is a proton exchange membrane or PEM. In a hydrogen fuel cell, hydrogen is fed to the anode and air is fed to the cathode. With the anode, hydrogen molecules that is H2 molecules are split into protons or hydrogen ions and electrons E minus with the help of catalyst like platinum. As the protons are positively charged, they move towards the anode which is negatively charged through the proton exchange membrane. After that the proton move through the electrolyte to the cathode. The electrons that are generated in the anode region flow through an electrical circuit generating electrical energy. At the cathode, oxygen combines with the protons and electrons to form water as the byproduct. See, this is the simplified version of the working of the hydrogen fuel cell. As you can see, the only byproducts of the electrochemical reaction in hydrogen fuel cell are water vapor and heat. Hence, they produce zero emission of harmful pollutants like carbon dioxide CO2, carbon monoxide CO, particulate matter or nitrogen oxides NOx which are typically associated with internal combustion engines. This is why hydrogen fuel cells are considered to be non-polluting. In addition to this, hydrogen fuel cells are more efficient at converting fuel to electricity compared to traditional internal combustion engines ICE. This efficiency reduces overall energy waste and contributes to a cleaner energy system. Finally, if renewable energy is used to produce hydrogen, the overall process becomes even more environmentally friendly. So this is about how a hydrogen fuel cell works. So with these learnt points, now let us move on to the next news article discussion. This article talks about the impacts of gamma rays burst in the Earth's ionosphere. See, large stars at the end of their life undergo supernova explosions. During such an event, they emit bursts of gamma rays. Such gamma ray bursts traveled 2 billion light-years and reached our Earth last year. This gamma ray burst caused a significant disturbance in Earth's ionosphere. This incident shows how far away incidents can influence Earth's atmosphere. See as I said earlier, this gamma ray burst originated some 2 billion light-years away. If such a gamma ray burst took place closer to Earth, that is within the Milky Way galaxy, then the impact on the ionosphere would be severe. So the article here says that the probability of such an event is really negligible. This is the crux of the news article given here. So in this news article discussion, let us revise about the various layers of Earth's atmosphere. See, the Earth's atmosphere is composed of different layers, each with distinct characters, composition and significance. In this, first we have the troposphere. The troposphere is the lowest layer and extends from the Earth's surface up to about 8 to 15 km high. The height of the troposphere varies with latitude and season. Troposphere extends roughly to a height of 8 km near the ports and about 18 km at the equator. The troposphere is thickest at the equator due to intense, convectional currents. All the weather phenomena including clouds, precipitation and storms occur within troposphere. Temperature generally decreases with altitude in this layer. Temperature decreases at the rate of approximately 1 degree Celsius for every 165 meters in altitude. After the troposphere, we have the stratosphere. Between the troposphere and the stratosphere, we have the tropopause. The air temperature at the tropopause is about minus 80 degrees Celsius over the equator and about minus 45 degrees Celsius over the poles. One of the important features of the tropopause is that temperature in this region is always constant. Now, moving on to the stratosphere, it is located above the troposphere. It extends up to a height of 50 km above the Earth's surface. The troposphere contains the ozone layer. The ozone layer absorbs much of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation. This layer is where commercial aeroplanes fly due to its stability and lack of weather disturbances. Temperature gradually increases with altitude in this layer as the ozone present in this layer absorbs the UV radiation. After the stratosphere, we have the stratopause where the temperature will be around 0 degrees Celsius. Moving on to the mesosphere, it is located above the stratosphere. It extends up to a height of 80 km above the Earth's surface. Temperature in the mesosphere decreases with altitude. At around 80 km from the Earth's surface, the temperature reaches 100 degrees Celsius. Another significance of this layer is that meteors burn up in this layer, creating, shooting starts. After the mesosphere, we have the mesopause. Mesopause is the coldest of all the atmospheric layers. Then we have the thermosphere. It lies above the mesosphere extending from about 80 km to hundreds of km above the Earth's surface. This layer experiences extremely high temperature due to the absorption of solar radiation. However, despite the high temperature, the density of molecules is so low that it would feel very cold to a human. It's where the International Space Station also orbits. The inner sphere is part of the thermosphere. It is actually the lower portion of the thermosphere. It is called isosphere because sunlight breaks gas molecules into charged particles, that is positive ions and negative electrons. These electrons move around in the ionosphere like electric current. Because of these charged particles, the ionosphere has unique trait. One of them is the aurora. Aurora borealis and aurora australis happen in Earth's ionosphere. The radio waves transmitted from the Earth are reflected back to the Earth by this layer. Lastly, we have the exosphere. It is the outermost layer of the atmosphere. It starts from the upper boundary of the atmosphere and extends into space. It gradually makes transition into outer space. The satellites orbit the Earth within this layer. So these are all some of the important points that I have to remember about. Various layers of Earth's atmosphere. So these learned points. Now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Take a look at this friend page article. Recently, the Supreme Court took a note of Tamil Nadu government's argument. The argument is that the constitution does not provide governor a discretion to withhold 10 bills which were repassed by the state legislative assembly. See, this has been a burning issue in recent times as the Tamil Nadu government has moved the Supreme Court over the governor's delay in clearing the bills. This is the crux of the news article given here. So in this news article discussion, we shall understand discretionary powers of governor and the problems associated with it using a mains question. Now look at this question. Let me read out the question for you. The exercise of discretionary power by any office has the moral obligation of objectivity and impartiality. However, the powers bestowed in the office of governor or often mired with controversy analyze. See, this question can be asked in GS paper too under the syllabus issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure and the structure, organization and functioning of the state executor. So now let us see how to approach this question. See the main directive in the question is analyze. If a question contains the directive analyze, we have to break the question into parts and carefully examine their details and interrelationships. Know that analyze is ticking deeper than examine and it must be supported by facts and data. Today's question is very straightforward. So in the introduction part, you can give a standard definition like according to the parliamentary system of government, the governor is the constitutional head of the state. The executive power of the state is vested in governor under article 153 to article 167 of part four of the constitution. Know that the governor is the nominal head and the chief minister who heads the council of ministers is the rear head of the government. Moreover, the governor also acts as an agent of the central government thus doing a dual role. So you can give an intro like this or alternatively you can give an intro like this. The role, power and discretion of the office of governor have been the source of various controversies in India in recent times. Know that due to political differences, the relationship between office of governor and the elected government has been strained and tense in multiple states. These controversies pose a serious threat to our democratic and federal structures. In this discussion, we shall see the various issues with respect to the discretionary powers of the government and steps taken to elevate them. So this could be your alternative intro. Now moving into the main body of the answer, first we shall give a brief on the discretionary power of the governor which has been a source of tension in recent times. Here you can write the points in a table format to economically use the space. Initially with respect to constitutional discretion, the governor is empowered to reserve the bill for the consideration of the president and article 200 of the constitution. Heyashi can make recommendation for the imposition of the president's role in the state under article 356. Moreover, the governor can seek information from the chief minister regarding the administration and legislative matters of the state. Moving on to the situational discretion of the governor, firstly he or she can appoint the chief minister when no party has a clear cut majority in the state legislative assembly or when the chief minister in office dies suddenly and there is no obvious successor. Secondly, with respect to the dismissal of the council of ministers, when it cannot prove the confidence of the state legislative assembly. Lastly, the governor has discretion with respect to the dissolution of the state legislative assembly if the council of ministers has lost its majority. The exercise of these discretions result in political differences between the governor and state governments which is manifested in the recent times like with respect to the passage of bills recently issue regarding the Tamil Nadu governor's discretion to withhold the 10 bills which were repassed by the state legislative assembly has reached the supreme court. There was also an issue regarding the need bill in the state. Secondly, Kerala approaches supreme court saying that three bills have been pending with the governor for more than two years whereas Telangana has argued that more than 10 key bills are pending with the governor and seven of those bills were passed by the assembly in September 2022. You can go to these examples and show the misuse of his or her discretion under article 200 of the constitution. Then with respect to the appointment of chief minister in case of hung assembly. Know that there are various instances like Karnataka Maharashtra where governor's appointment was criticized as biased and partitioned over political party. This was criticized in the Rameshwar Prasad case 2006. In this case supreme court held that the governor cannot shut down the post poll alliance and he or she should give a chance as per law to every political party. Then the major issue is the misuse of article 356. See it is a discretionary power of the governor to submit a report to the president to implement the president's rule in the state. This power has been abused by parties in power at the center to dismiss governments in states which are ruled by their oppositions. For example supreme court in S.R. Omai case 1992 gave a verdict. This ruled that the floor of the assembly is the only forum to test the majority of the government of the day and not the subjective opinion of the governor. There is an issue with the governor removing the ministers from their portfolios without the advice of chief minister and consul of ministers like in the case of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. This situation seriously will undermine the democratic political system of government as the governor should act according to the provisions of the constitution and representation of peoples act 1951. Then politicization of the governor. It means the active involvement of the governor in the politics of the state. This is also a major issue. For example there were instances where the governor of Rajasthan asked support for the central ruling party in elections. Moreover various issues which we have discussed surfaced from the states where it is ruled by opposition. This shows the inherent problem is more political than constitutional. So you can write these points in the main body of the answer. In the conclusion part you can write about the recommendations of various committees regarding the issue. Firstly you can quote Sarkarya commission of 1988. This committee gave suggestion regarding the appointment of governor. It says that the governor should be appointed after consultation with the chief minister of the state. He or she should be eminent in some work of life and should be an outsider of the state. Secondly in 2010 it proposed giving governors a fixed term of 5 years in office. It also suggested removing them through an impeachment process similar to that of the president by the state legislature. Thirdly general suggestion like the governor should not be an active person in politics as it impinges their credibility. Thirdly there should be a constitutional timeline regarding the time limit for governor's assent to the bills. So in this way you can give suggestion from various committees and judgements to substantiate your analysis. So that's all regarding this news article discussion. In this news article discussion we saw about some of the discretionary power of the governor. Then we saw how the discretionary powers are misused and what can be done in this regard. So with these learnt points now let us move on to the next news article discussion. Take a look at this news article according to the news article the national investigation agency NIA has registered a case against the banned scheme for justice SFJ outfit and it's founder Gurpatwant Singh Panoon. This was filed because of a recent video clip of Panoon. In this video he was threatening Air India with a global blockade of hijack and warned Sikhs that flying with the airline could put their lives in danger. So this is the crux of the article given here. So in this news article discussion we are going to see about NIA in exam perspective. So what is NIA? See NIA is the National Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency of India. It was created after 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Now that NIA was created with the enactment of the national investigation agency at 2008. It functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The headquarters of NIA is in Delhi. It has 8 branches in Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kochi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Kolkata, Rai Poor and Jammu. Now let us see the mandate of NIA. See NIA is mandatory to investigate all the offenses which are affecting the sovereignty, security and integrity of India. Note that it includes friendly relations with foreign states. Moreover NIA investigates the cases against attacks on atomic and nuclear facilities, smuggling of arms, drugs and fake Indian currency and infiltration from across the borders and etc. Now let us see the jurisdiction of NIA. See the NIA's jurisdiction extends to the whole of India and also applies to Indian citizens outside the country. It also extends to the persons in the service of the government wherever they are posted. Thirdly, it is extended to the persons on ships and aircraft registered in India, wherever they may be. Finally, it applies to the person who commit a scheduled offense beyond India against the Indian citizens who are affecting the interests of India. The scheduled offences are displayed here, you can go through it. Note that the NIA was amended in 2019, this amendment has increased the mandate of the agency to include new offences like human trafficking, counterfeit currency, sale or manufacture of prohibited arms, cyber terrorism under its ambit. Moreover it empowered the government to designate station court as a special court to conduct trials of scheduled offences. So these are all some of the important points that you have to remember about NIA. So these learnt points, now let us move on to the next part of the news article discussion which is the preliminary practice question discussion. Now look at this first question, 4 statements are given, you have to find how many statements given here are all correct. Statement 1 says, all the weather phenomenon happens within the troposphere. This statement is correct. Statement 2, mesopars is the coldest layer, this is also correct. Statement 3, ionosphere contains electrically charged gases called plasma, this is also correct. And the 4th statement says, satellite launched by human orbit the earth within the exosphere. This statement is also correct. So the correct answer for the question is option D, all the 4. Moving on, the Samadhan doctrine is associated with which of the following. See the correct answer here is option C, left wing extremism. See Samadhan is a doctrine proposed as a one stop solution for left wing extremism problem in India. Samadhan stands for smart leadership, aggressive strategy, motivation and training, actionable intelligence, dashboard based KPIs and KRAs, harnessing technology, action plan for each theatre, no access to financing. So here the correct answer is option C. Now moving on, here 4 statements are given and you have to find how many statements given here are correct. See here, first 3 statements are actually correct. Site program is a sub component under the natural green hydrogen mission, SECI is the implementing agency of the program. Its aim is to make India energy independent and decarbonizing major sectors of the economy. Now the 4th statement says, the program focuses on green hydrogen production, electrolyser, manufacture and hydrogen fuel cell production. This statement is incorrect because the program has 2 components. It focuses green hydrogen production and electrolyser manufacturing. So hydrogen fuel cell production is not one of the components of the site program. So the correct answer for the question is option C, only 3. Moving on this question is about NIA, 3 statements are given and you have to find how many statements given here are all correct. See the correct answer for the question is option D, all the statements given here is incorrect. So with this we came to the end of the video. If you like the video, hit like, do comment and don't forget to subscribe to Shankar Ayes Academy YouTube channel. Now, thank you so much for listening.


The theme for this year's world telecommunication and information society day is ICTs and improving road safety. ICTs play a catalytic role in creating opportunities for people in every work of life. Today, even as we take to the streets in our vehicles, we have the tools at our fingertips to communicate across the world, to communicate through dense traffic and find our way in unfamiliar terrain. At the same time, we can choose from a host of entertainment options, be it music, radio, television or social media. While these technologies are becoming increasingly ubiquitous, we must ensure that we use them responsibly and with caution, especially while driving in order to avoid accidents and injuries. Road traffic safety is a global concern for public health and injury prevention. Every year, 1.3 million people die in traffic-related accidents and another 20 to 50 million people are injured, mainly in developing countries around the world. As a result, governments and individuals suffer an estimated $518 billion in global economic loss. Driver destruction and road user behavior, such as text messaging and interfacing with in-vehicle navigation or communication systems while driving are among the leading contributors to road traffic fatalities and injuries. My message is clear, don't be distracted by technology when driving, whether calling from your mobile phone or setting the navigation system. Sending a text message or tweeting while driving is extremely dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. At the same time, I call upon our member states and industry partners to promote the use of safe interfaces and hands-free devices in vehicles and take actions to eliminate technology-related distractions while driving. Along with promoting national policies to encourage the use of ICT in enhancing road safety, we must also promote the development and use of intelligent transport systems. These measures will not only help prevent traffic accidents, but also improve efficiencies in traffic management as a means of combating the effects of climate change. I am pleased to say that ITU has been developing standards for safe user interfaces and communication systems in vehicles designed to optimize driving performance by eliminating unsafe technology-related distractions. ITU has also been leading worldwide efforts in developing state-of-the-art ICT standards for intelligent transport systems and driver safety that utilize a combination of computers, communications, positioning and automation technologies including in-car radars for collision avoidance. The team for WTISD 2013, ICT and Improving Road Safety will be taken forward in the years to come in partnership with the automotive sector and with automobile associations worldwide under the banner of the FIA, the International Automobile Federation, with whom we will be working closely to meet one of the most urgent global challenges of our time. I urge you to celebrate World Telecommunication and Information Society days this year by paying particular attention to improving road safety by harnessing the power of ICTs.


How much can I earn teaching English in Thailand? With a tropical climate, countless stunning islands, world-famous cuisine and a welcoming culture, Thailand has long been a popular stop on the Southeast Asia backpacking trail. Due to a high demand, a significant number of visitors also stay on and teach English as a foreign language in schools and academies across the country. Depending on qualifications and experience, teachers can typically earn around 1,000 to 1,500 US dollars per month, which should be enough to live a comfortable lifestyle. Thailand has been a very popular destination for teaching English abroad for many years, and its popularity is unlikely to fade in the foreseeable future. A large number of teaching positions can always be found in the bustling capital Bangkok. While other popular spots such as the northern city of Chiang Mai, the tropical island of Phuket, and the colorful resort of Pattaya also have a significant demand for foreign teachers. Whether you are a first-time teacher looking for a valuable classroom experience, or highly qualified and looking for a slower pace of life, Thailand could be the right choice for you. Salary Although the country's famously laid-back lifestyle attracts large numbers of foreign teachers, the average salary is generally less attractive when compared to other countries in the region. Teachers without experience can expect to earn around 1,000 US dollars per month, which should be enough to cover general living expenses but is unlikely to leave much in the way of savings. Teachers with a high level of qualifications and experience should fare a little better, with a potential salary of up to 1,500 US dollars per month. Unlike other Asian countries including China, South Korea and Japan, teaching positions rarely come with extra benefits such as paid airfare and housing. Employers Government-run public schools offer a large number of teaching positions throughout the country, although they are restricted to native English speakers who possess a four-year degree from their home country. A Teflon certification is not an official requirement, however it may increase your chances of getting a good job at negotiating a higher salary. Working hours are typically a 40-hour school week from Monday to Friday in a class that could number up to 50 students. Salaries range from 800 to 1,000 US dollars per month. Privately-run language academies are another big employer of foreign teachers in Thailand. Pay rates are often higher than public schools but will depend on the location and your classroom experience. Working hours can vary greatly from around 18 to 25 per week, with classes often running during the evenings and at weekends. Class sizes will generally be no more than 10 per session. The majority of private academies pay by the hour, with an hourly rate ranging from 8 to 20 dollars. Depending on your hours and pay rate, your monthly income could be anywhere from 600 to 2,000 US dollars. A third and potentially lucrative option is a private international school. Competition for these positions can be fierce as salaries and extra benefits are often way above those offered by other employers. Working hours typically follow a standard school week from Monday to Friday, with salaries ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 US dollars per month. Most positions in international schools will require extensive teaching experience and qualifications. Cost of living The local cost of living does vary from one part of the country to another, with Bangkok averaging roughly 30% higher than elsewhere. If you choose to live and work in the capital, you should look for a minimum salary of 1,000 to 1,300 dollars in order to live comfortably. You can get by on a smaller figure elsewhere, although this will greatly depend on your lifestyle.


The Fox Theater was opened in 1929 on Christmas Day. We host many types of events at the Fox, from Broadway shows and musicals to concerts to trade shows and meetings in our ballrooms and weddings. We're a historic building and that's not always easy to green a historic building. But we signed up for the Better Building Challenge and that's the presidential initiative to reduce emissions and carbon footprints by 20% by the year 2020. Our restrooms receive high usage during finite amounts of time because of the fact of the types of shows that we do here at the Fox Theater. We usually have intermissions that are no more than 20 minutes and when you have 3,000 to 4,500 people who all are getting out of their seats and needing to use the restroom at the same time and want to get back to their seats in time enough for the show to start, you're going to have a high usage area. By utilizing the Dyson Airblade products, we've opened up a conversation with a company that is very modern, that has a very modern outlook on how to utilize something very simple as washing your hands and drying them to a great patron experience. We've received positive feedback about the Dyson Airblade hand dryers from patrons because it has landed itself to positive quicker service in those restrooms. The partnership with the Fox Theater and Dyson has allowed us to reduce our carbon emission footprint by about 70% and that is over our previous hand dryers world dryer, which is huge in a building that has 750,000 patrons a year, that has allowed us to be a real leader in showing that the integration of new technology and historic buildings can in fact reduce and support sustainable operations. The Fox Theater would recommend Dyson products to other historic theaters and other buildings and I think that they should definitely give the products a second look on how it supports their own sustainable efforts and being good stewards of the environment.


Hello, this is Laptop Media, and today, we will show you how to open the HP 470 G8 and what's inside of it. To take this laptop apart, you will need to remove the two rubber feet. Then, undo all 10 Philips head screws. After that, you have to pry the bottom panel with a plastic tool. Start from the front by slightly lifting the base. Please remember, it would be of great help to us if you just hit the like button and subscribe to our channel. That would motivate us to make even more and better videos for you. Here, you will see a rather small 41 Watt hours battery pack. It lasted us for 7 hours and a half of web browsing, or 7 hours of video playback. To remove it from the device, you need to undo all 4 Philips head screws holding it to the chassis. After that, you can just lift it away. It is good to see that there are 2 Sodom slots for memory expansion. According to HP, the device can fit up to 16 GB of RAM in total. However, we are pretty confident, you can put 32 GB if not 64 GB. Storage wise, there is one M2 PCI-EX 4 slot, as well as a 2.5 inch SATA drive bay. Unfortunately, there is no mounting hardware inside the box. As for the cooling, there is one heat pipe, as well as a pretty long heat sink. Additionally, you get a single fan of medium size. If you'd like to see more disassembly videos of the latest notebooks we would highly appreciate if you hit the like button and subscribe to the channel.


Among Us and Henry Stickmin, two indie games that have seen fantastic success in 2020. In the comments section to our video on how Among Us became so popular, many, many of you pointed out that the game is referenced in the Henry Stickmin collection. What's more, an upcoming new map for Among Us will be themed around the Henry Stickmin games. The connection here is simple. Marcus Bromander, the creator of Henry Stickmin, is also one third of Inner Sloth, the development team that made Among Us. In fact, he made both games at the same time. In 2007, Bromander was a 17 year old fan of games and animations and tried his hand at creating interactive Flash content. According to Bromander, when he first signed up to the Flash community Newgrounds, he felt awkward that his brand new page looked so bare and empty. He spent all day turning a small project into something that he could release, a collection of interactive animated jokes called Crossing the Pit. This got a small amount of positive attention from the Newgrounds community. And Bromander, known online as Puffballs United, got a taste for creating online content and receiving attention. He worked to make a larger, more expansive interactive film. He wouldn't, at this point, call it a game, called Breaking the Bank. This, as with Crossing the Pit, was a series of simple stick figure animated segments. And Bromander didn't exactly expect it to take the world by storm. He later said, I made a Stickman cartoon. I wasn't expecting it to be anything. I just thought it was something fun, but it evolved over time thanks to all the attention and feedback I got. Knowing that people would be interested in another one gave me drive to continue to make another one. Offline, Bromander's life was changing. He and a friend from middle school, Amy Liu, were both attending the same college, where he met Forrest Willard. One day, Bromander and Willard were talking about how they both really wanted to make games, but neither had the right skills to do so. Bromander could only draw. He had no idea how to programme, while Willard could programme but couldn't create art. Slowly, it dawned on the pair that if they worked together, they might be able to make some good games. So they started work on a project together. They spent a long time trying to figure out this first game, but it didn't seem to click, and eventually, they abandoned it. So they started again, and after some experimentation, made a mobile game called Dig to China. This was fun, so they thought they'd try something else. They brought in Bromander's friend Amy Liu, and after a bit of trial and error, they created the prototype for a frantic, cartoonish multiplayer that they were sure was going to be a hit. The prototype was called Deityed. The game was submitted to Steam Greenlight and got some attention, but the project ultimately fizzled. All this time, Bromander was still working on Henry Stickmin, which was going from strength to strength. Having made many successful entries in the series, Bromander was now working on a remastered collection that brought all the Henry Stickmin stories together in one package, along with the final expansive episode, Completing the Mission. With Inner Sloth still struggling to make a follow-up to Dig to China, the team decided to make another multiplayer prototype. Bromander paused work on Completing the Mission for around a month to draw the initial map for this game. While Among Us was intended as a quick project, it earned a fanbase that encouraged Inner Sloth to continue supporting the game, adding new features over the next two years. In January of 2020, Inner Sloth announced that they were officially moving on from Among Us, and in August, Bromander finally released the Henry Stickmin collection, a project that had taken him well over a decade to complete. Then, to the team's surprise, Among Us, already a popular game globally, started to take off among English-speaking players. Thus, Inner Sloth managed to have two incredibly popular games that were the result of many years of work, which had been built side by side. The team's road to success was paved with failures and abandoned projects. In recapping his own experience, Bromander said that the moral of his story is, you've got to tune out the loud voices and trust your gut, because that's what's got us where we are. We've got to have confidence in ourselves.


Fun Sport Friday and we're going to Kick Volleyball, also known as the Puck-to-Graw. Probably didn't say that right. This one was brought to you by the Sportsletter. Look at that ball. That ball, if I saw this ball at the grocery store, I would buy it immediately and I have no idea what to do with it. So it's Kick Volleyball. You get three touches, you have to get it over on the third touch and they try to block it and you can't use your hands or your arms and it's just like incredibly hard and I don't understand how it's possible.  This was just a random point to show you how it's played. Now we are in game two. It's best of three, first to 21. Thailand won the first game.  Now it's 18-13.  Now it's 19 to 13, two points away and Thailand wins and going for the kill and they get the point there. Check this out. Look how crazy this sport is. So Thailand and Yellow is going for the block and he gets it? No, okay. He missed the block. His guy behind him puts it up. Now the same guy goes for the spike. He was just up in the air for the block and it goes over the net and it wins. Wow. Now it's game point and here he wants to finish it with authority but he over kicks it. He's smiling a little bit because he knows he got a little overzealous. Look at the screen grab of how high this dude is. This makes no sense how he didn't break his neck. He just falls. They just know how to fall properly, I guess. Anyway, 20 to 14, here's game point. Korea serves it. Thailand sets it up for the big spike. They block it, but they don't. Thailand wins. They beat Korea 21 to 14 in foot volleyball or kick volleyball or say pack to gra. And yeah, man, this is crazy. This is one of those sports where you look at it like I can't even attempt this. Everything about me will break. Did they do this regularly?  It makes no sense. I guess they won eight times in a row and he's very excited about it. Did I say this one was brought to you by the sports letter? If I did, it is go to the sportsletter.com and you'll find out about all the latest headlines. And maybe, maybe kick volleyball will be in there next time. We can only pray.