All this month, for Cobra Convergence, you've seen your favorite G.I. Joe fan creators post special Cobra related content. But did you know you can get in on this too? To find out how you can make your own Cobra Convergence creation and be featured in a weekly promotional video on this channel, go to HCC788.com Everybody hooded Cobra Commander 788 here. This is the show where we review every vintage G.I. Joe toy from 1982 to 1994, and we are in the middle of Cobra Convergence 5. This week we are looking at Destro. If Cobra Commander is the heart and passion of Cobra, then Destro is Cobra's brain and sense of honor. It's a challenge to tell Destro's story in just one video. He was his own force throughout the entire arc of G.I. Joe's history. He was a leader, he was an honorable enemy, he was an uneasy ally. Behind the scenes, the creation of Destro was the work of legends, Ron Rudat, Larry Hama, and Arthur Burkhart. They made Destro the icon he is today. We're now looking at the first version of Destro. We're looking at version 3 from 1992. This version seemed to be an attempt to return Destro to his classic look with some important differences. Cobra Convergence 5 is the right time to take up this challenge, and such a challenge it is to cover Destro, I asked your Cobra Convergence 5 presenters to help me out, so you will hear from them too. HCC788 and friends present Destro. This is Destro, the enemy weapons supplier from 1992. This figure was released in 1992 and was available for 1992 only. It was discontinued for 1993. This is the third version of Destro in the vintage era. Version 1 of Destro was released in 1983 and the first version is taller. 1983 Destro is taller than the 1992 version, so I guess Destro shrank in the intervening nine years. This legendary version 1 figure is the Destro most remembered by fans. It was designed by Ron Rudat for Hasbro. This figure was available for three years instead of the usual two years. It was discontinued for 1986. It was an enormously popular figure with a VAC metalized chrome silver head. Version 2 of Destro was released in 1988 and this figure came with a small vehicle, the Dispoiler. Destro at this point was the leader of a new faction called the Iron Grenadiers. This figure had a VAC metalized gold head. The 1992 release was version 3. It was a return to the silver head, but no longer a VAC metalized chrome. It's similar in style to version 1, but with some important differences. Version 4 of Destro was released in 1993 as part of the Star Brigade subset. It was an armor tech figure. We're back to the VAC metalized silver head. He also has a missile launcher for an arm and two toes on each foot. It makes total sense. Those are the only versions of Destro in the Vintage era, but I will look at some modern and foreign releases. And I'll talk about a figure that's so rare for a time it was thought to be a myth. There is so much to say about Destro, he's one of the most important characters in the line and appears in nearly every iteration of G.I. Joe from Vintage to the present day. His position in Cobra was unclear. He was the head of Mars, a weapons manufacturer that worked independently of Cobra and supplied weapons. I attribute the strange Cobra vehicle designs to Destro's influence. He also had some leadership responsibilities. He took command of Cobra troops on multiple occasions. Destro's personality was competent, stoic, stern, and intelligent. The animated series did a particularly good job portraying this with the help of actor Arthur Burkhart. Destro often became impatient with Cobra commander's failure. Even though only one version of Destro came with a vehicle, version two, I believe he designed some of Cobra's weird vehicles. The his tank and the Fang helicopter entered the line the same year Destro did. I don't think that's a coincidence. Cobra acquired a new weapons supplier and they suddenly had sleek new vehicles. The name Destro probably comes from the Italian word Destro, which means right, the Italian phrase Ilbrario Destro, which means his right hand man. In all forms of GI Joe media, Destro has had a relationship with Cobra's intelligence officer, the Baroness. This has sometimes challenged the Baroness's loyalty to Cobra commander. Kevin from SEO Tour Review here, and I'll be taking a look at his card back. I do have a card sample of Destro version three, so let's take a look at it. Destro's card features a large GI Joe logo. It says Cobra the enemy underneath that and the red coloring here indicates that he is a bad guy. We can see Destro is number five in the 1992 series. His card art has a picture of Destro holding his gun and using his giant disc launcher. The art is pretty standard for 90s Joe's, but not as nice as the 80s figures. There's also some strange anomalies with his artwork like changes in his disc launcher and discs. The discs in the artwork look more like saw blades than the actual included ones. There's an advertisement down here, disc launcher shoots, battle stand included. There are some instructions behind Destro here on how to work his disc launcher. Those are obstructed by the figure. Flipping the card around to the back, we see the cross cell with other figures available at the time. There's an advertisement to watch the new TV Adventures of GI Joe. This would be the cartoon series produced by Deke. Down here we have the cross cell for some of the other sub teams available at the time, including Battle Commanders, Air Commandos, and Ninja Force. We have one flag point in the 90s style. Then down here we have the file card. Someone will be taking a closer look at this later. On the file card there's a list of features for the figure and accessories. Someone will be referring to these when they take a look at the accessories. Let's take a look at Destro's accessories and let's start with his main weapon. He comes with this what I'm interpreting as a machine pistol in black plastic. It has a magazine and a scope. This looks like a chunky version of the pistol that came with version one. The version one pistol is much smaller. This is much larger, but it works even though it's a bit oversized. This looks like something Destro would carry. The file card calls this a laser powered rapid fire burp machine gun. I don't think that's really what it is. I hope that's not really what it is. He also includes this other weapon. It's sort of a weapon anyway. This disc launcher. The file card calls it a high tech computer controlled disc launcher. It is black and it has a black orange lever on the back. It also includes two orange discs that load in at the top. The discs are loaded at the top and when the first disc is fired, the second disc automatically falls into place. The discs are fired by pressing this lever to the side and releasing. These discs are orange. There are two of them. They are identical and they're same top and bottom. The file card calls these razor sharp armor cutting discs. The shape of these discs was apparently changed before production because the image on the card shows a bladed disc. But these are just round. Let's demonstrate how to fire this disc launcher. It'll just put the discs in the top. And let's use our favorite target, Dr. Meinbender. Just slide this lever all the way to the side and release. We missed. A good thing we have two shots. You're going down Meinbender. That one went backwards. Bit of a misfire on that second one. We're just going to take another try and knock out Dr. Meinbender. Oh yeah, there he goes. I don't think this is something Destro would really use. This is something for kids to fire at their little brothers. The final accessory is a black figure stand. It is of a standard size and shape. This is a perk of 90s figures. 80s figures did not include figure stands. 90s figures did. So that's always going to be a plus in the 90s column. Let's take a look at Destro's articulation. He had the articulation that was standard for GI Joe figures well before 1992. So he could turn his head from left to right and look up and down. He could swing his arm up at the shoulder, but not a great range of motion on that arm. He could swivel at the shoulder all the way around, but the sculpting definitely gets in the way. He had a hinge at the elbow that allowed him to bend his arm at the elbow about 90 degrees. He had a swivel at the bicep that allowed him to swivel his arm all the way around. This was an o-ring figure, meaning the figure was held together with a rubber o-ring that looped around the inside. That allowed him to move at the torso a bit. He could move his legs apart about so far. He could bend his leg at the hip about 90 degrees and bend at the knee about 90 degrees. Let's look at the sculpt design and color of Destro. It's impossible to talk about Destro without discussing the original figure. This figure was designed by Ron Rudat for Hasbro. Ron was inspired by the Man in the Iron Mask. Hasbro went with vacuum-metalized chrome to give the head a reflective shiny surface. The first figure was so memorable, all later versions are measured against it. Does version 3 measure up? Looking at Destro's head, it is silver, but it looks like it's painted silver. It is not chrome. Also, the neck is flesh tone. Having the mask stop at the jawline, I think just doesn't look very good. Looking at the chest, the chest is very bulky, like he's been taking steroids. Looks like he's super muscular. The uniform is a base black color, which is a good start, but he has this huge red collar. This is a carryover from version 1 that also had the red collar, but version 3 has a collar that's about 3 times the size of the collar on version 1. Destro has a bare chest with flesh tone paint. That's another carryover from version 1. He also has a red necklace, but this is not the classic ruby necklace from version 1. That ruby necklace from version 1 seemed to have some significance, but it was ignored for later versions, so I guess not. I asked Ron Rudolph about the design choices on Destro's chest. He said he wasn't sure about the specific influences of each element, but the red collar was probably inspired by the cowling around the cobra snake head. And the open chest needed something to fill the space, so he got the ruby necklace. Ruby being the color of blood that set atop his heart. This necklace is not a ruby, and it's hard for me to tell based on the sculpting exactly what it is. Looking at the card art, I believe it's supposed to be a red rose. But why a red rose? The file card says this is an ancient Scottish emblem symbolizing absolute power and the Destro family crest. If this is a red rose, this is probably a reference to the War of the Roses in the mid to late 15th century. Two factions of the House of Plantagenet fought a war for control of the throne of England. The red rose was the symbol of the House of Lancaster, and the white rose was the symbol of the House of York. Destro is Scottish and Lancaster was supported by Scotland, so maybe that's the connection? It could be a thistle, which is the national flower of Scotland, and that would make sense, but that's not what it looks like. He's wearing a black jacket with huge orange shoulder pads that stick out really far, and then there's this orange detail on the left side of the chest. I have no idea what that's supposed to be. The arms feature long black sleeves with orange piping that go around the upper arms. There's an unpainted buckle around the left wrist, but not the right one. No wrist rockets, that's unfortunate. He's wearing red gloves. After checking the file card, I guess this is supposed to be a wrist based telecommunicator, but it still looks like a buckle to me. Looking at the waist, he has a red belt with some detail, not a lot. There's a buckle in the center and directly under the buckle there is a red pouch. Is he wearing a fanny pack? That's such an odd detail. On the hips, there are short orange stripes that continue down to the legs. The legs feature black trousers with those horizontal orange stripes that run down the outside of each leg. Then there are these orange dots that run around what look like thigh high stockings. Those dots are very poorly painted, very splotchy.  This is probably the best part of the figure. Before I started this review, I thought I would like this figure. It looks like they're trying to update the 1983 Destro design. Many elements are copied over. We're back to the silver mask. He has the raised red collar. He has a black uniform. He has a bare chest with a necklace. A basic black uniform is a good foundation, but you have to be careful about adding too many colors. It's easy to lose the simple elegance of the black uniform. I have special permission from Joe Declassified to share some exclusive pre-production artwork for Destro Version 3. Destro Version 3 was designed by Kurt Groen for Hasbro, the same person who designed the Bat Version 2. As you can see in this early concept artwork, Destro would have had a cape and a cane. The cape would have been a carryover from Version 2 and I think would have improved the figure. This presentation artwork also looks better than the figure we got. Even the orange shoulder pads look better in this artwork. This kind of pre-production material is invaluable to researchers and reviewers like me. Joe Declassified does some of the best work in digging up these pre-production samples, artwork, and other materials related to the creation and development of the action figures and vehicles. I used to stop by their booth at Joe Con every year and marvel at the stuff they had. Fortunately, they won't be making it to Joe Fest this year and neither will I, so they agreed to allow me to show this pre-production artwork for Destro Version 2. Let's look at some other releases of Destro. This Version 3 mold was reused several times. One of those times was in 2001 in this two-pack with Fast Blast Viper. This is very similar to the 1992 release, but the colors are a bit better. We have red shoulder pads instead of orange. We have darker red on the collar and gloves and belt, and we don't have those odd dots and stripes on the legs. It still has the same odd design choices. Like that pouch over his crotch. Is this supposed to be a gift for the Baroness?  This Chinese release of Destro is purchased in Hong Kong and given to me by Chris from the YouTube show Comic Tropes. I'm excited to have it in this video because I just think it's cool. Note the artwork is from Version 1, and it does not match the figure in the bubble. Also, the artwork is kind of faded as if they used a copy of a copy. The figure is similar, if not identical, to the US release. Maybe the paint quality is a little different, but not very much. But the accessory is different. It did not come with this machine pistol. Instead, it came with this Colt 9mm submachine gun that came with Shockwave Version 3. Even though I can't read it, I'm going to flip the card around just to show you the back and the file card. This is just a really cool thing. This is the 25th anniversary modern Destro figure based on Version 1. This is Version 14 from 2007. This figure was available two ways. It was in Battle Pack No. 1 with some other Cobra figures, and it was a single carded figure. This is a truly modern figure with new sculpting and new articulation. It's also a bit taller than the vintage figures. A little skinnier, too, and lots more points of articulation. The head is silver, but again, not chrome. So we're getting away from the chrome head, even though the chrome head looks better. He came with a lot of accessories, including a figure stand with his name on it. He had a submachine gun, and he had two micro pistols, so small you can barely see them, and neither of them fit very well in the holster on his leg. He included a briefcase. It says Mars on it. It's in all black. It opens up to reveal another pistol, a removable pistol that will also not fit in his holster. It's pretty small, but not as small as those other two micro pistols. This is a 6-inch Destro figure from the GI Joe Classified series. This figure was released this year in 2020. It's based loosely on the version 1 figure, but as you can see, it's much taller than the vintage or modern figures. He has a nice, shiny head, but not quite chrome. We still haven't worked our way up to having another chrome head. He has his ruby necklace there, and he's won up on the 25th anniversary figure because he can carry his weapon, and his briefcase at the same time. I have enjoyed these 6-inch figures much more than I thought I would. MacDowan did a full review of this figure on his channel for Cobra Convergence. Make sure you check that out. Now let's talk about a figure that's a bit of a legend. If you're new to collecting GI Joe, you may have heard some fans refer to Pimp Daddy Destro. This is one of the strangest stories in GI Joe history, and one of the strangest figures to ever be released. Well, it was briefly released by mistake. That's why it's so rare now. Only a handful of carded figures are known to exist. When Hasbro was re-releasing some of the 3 ¾-inch figures in multi-packs in the late 1990s, they were given new color schemes. In this case, model painter Steve Masso painted Destro with leopard print on the collar and legs. It was intended as a joke, but surprisingly it was approved by designer John Boyce. Because of the leopard print, the figure was nicknamed Pimp Daddy Destro. Marketing manager Vinny Daliva didn't think it was so funny and put the kibosh on it. The final released figure had the leopard print areas painted black. Despite the change, about 100 Pimp Daddy Destros were sent to the US and placed on store shelves. At this time, there are only a few authenticated Pimp Daddy Destros floating around. It's an extremely rare figure and an extremely peculiar one, and it's unlikely either you or I will ever own one. How rare is Pimp Daddy Destro? By last count, there may be as few as 30 genuine loose figures and as few as 10 genuine carded figures in existence. I have to say a special thanks to Project PDD for allowing me to use their images in this segment. That is the best repository for information on this extremely rare figure. So check them out, the link will be in the description of this video. Let's take a look at Destro's file card. The file card was printed on the back of the card on which he was packaged and this is a 90s style file card. It has the rectangular file card with the rounded corners instead of the 80s style file folder shape. It has a close-up portrait of Destro up here and then a copy of the artwork on the front of the card here and a list of some of the accessories and features. I'm not going to read all of this, but I have referred to it when talking about those accessories. Codename Destro Enemy Weapon Supplier. This isn't really his codename though, that is his real name. It doesn't say on this file card, but we know based on the comic book his real name is James McCullen Destro the 24th. There's a quote here that says, If I didn't make and sell weaponry, someone really evil would be doing it. Well, that's a point, but is it a good point? Just because someone is more evil doesn't mean you're not evil. I mean, selling weapons to terrorists is still a pretty bad thing to do. This paragraph says, from his grim castle in the Scottish Highlands, Destro builds and pedals his instruments of destruction. Destro and Cobra Commander despise each other, but maintain an alliance of convenience. Although Destro is twice the tactician and three times the soldier than Cobra Commander and five times the dancer, he is disadvantaged by his own sense of honour in the face of Cobra Commander's utter ruthlessness. This master of armaments frequently commands Cobra's newest battlefield devastating, the Earthquake, a little cross-sell for the Earthquake vehicle there. This file card isn't as deep or as interesting as the version one file card written by Larry Hama, but it tells Destro's backstory well enough. It gets the job done, but not much else. Looking at how Destro was used in G.I. Joe Media, in the animated series he made his first appearance in the first miniseries in 1983 as the procurer of the teleportation machine, the mass device for Cobra. He was a strong internal rival to Cobra Commander. In the miniseries Arise Serpentor Arise, Destro was one of the conspirators who plotted to replace Cobra Commander with a new genetically engineered Cobra Emperor. Destro has many good qualities, but loyalty is apparently not one of them. Destro made so many animated appearances it would be impossible to cover them all. He was in nearly every episode of the Sunbow series. He made the transition to the Deak era where he was first seen in his version 2 uniform, the one with the gold head. It was cool to see the Iron Grenadiers version in animated form even though the Iron Grenadiers did not appear with him. He appeared in his version 3 uniform in a few episodes, such as the episode Shadow of a Doubt. The model sheet for the animated series looked a little better than the figure. Not a lot mind you, but a little. In the Sunbow era Destro was voiced by actor Arthur Burghardt. Burghardt is one of the most remarkable people ever to be involved with G.I. Joe. He is so much more than a voice and so much more than an actor. He began his screen acting career in the 1976 movie Network. He was in numerous television shows and did a lot of voice work in the 1980s and 90s. With a voice like his, it's not surprising. He projects power, confidence, and authority. His story stretches back before his acting days. In the 1960s he was jailed for protesting the draft during the Vietnam War. He attempted to register as a conscientious objector, citing influential philosophers as the source of his moral stand, but his application was denied and he was imprisoned by the federal government. In prison he organized a theater troupe and was beaten for protesting racist treatment by prison officials. According to his Facebook profile, he studied political science, history, drama, and French at Rutgers. As a poly-sci major myself, I can relate to his educational path. By all measures he is intelligent, talented, principled, and tough. I have the greatest admiration for him. He is so much more than Destro. And the reason I like him so much is I believe writer Larry Hama crafted a much more complex villain with Destro than pretty much anybody else throughout all of Cobra or the Dreadnoughts or, you know, other factions. The thing I liked about Destro was he had some integrity. He was definitely not a good person, okay? He is a villain. He is. He compromises his own ethics. But he does have his own personal code of honor. And it's just a fascinating journey to see what the original interpretation of Destro was because originally there were some action figure designs and Larry Hama was thinking of calling him Warmaster and he would be Cobra's field commander. He was meant to have his headquarters in a converted super tanker. Some interesting ideas. But the idea of a weapons dealer is a little more grounded and I think it really helps. It gives him his whole Scottish lineage of a family of arms dealers. It gives him a reason for the mask. I wanted to point out, though, four issues of the G.I. Joe a real American hero comic. I wrote it down on this little note pad. So bear with me. Four quick issues to look up where Destro shows some of his moral fibers, some of his integrity. The first one is number 33.  He's okay with that until he realizes that it's actually Cobra Commander's own son, Billy. And he's not okay with Patricide and he intervenes. I think that's interesting. Number 57 is another interesting issue. In that issue, Lady J and Flint actually end up helping Destro to reclaim his castle, which has been stolen from him, his family castle. And in exchange, he gives the G.I. Joe team the plans for Cobra's terror drone. So he sort of betrays Cobra there. I thought that was interesting. Number 76 shows that Destro has more emotions for other people than pretty much any other villain. He's known for his relationship with Baroness. He goes into the Cobra Civil War with an entire huge army, his iron grenadiers, for the sole purpose, really, of rescuing Baroness. That's a really great moment at the very tail end. Sort of a denouement to the Cobra Civil War. And finally, there's issue number, I was about to say 76, issue 96. That is the final part of the Snake Eyes trilogy. And in it, Baroness is planning to murder Snake Eyes because she believes Snake Eyes killed her late brother. Destro knows for a fact that Snake Eyes did not. And so even though Snake Eyes is the enemy, he doesn't want Baroness to kill somebody for the wrong reasons. And he intervenes there as well. So just a handful of instances where I think Destro is shown to be a more complex character than your average villain. Destro version 3. Yeah, I don't really like it all that much. I think it's the worst Destro from the original series. He's just too buff looking, you know, especially compared to the original figure. And even on this figure itself, the torso is far too buff compared to the legs. And then of course there's the color. Man, Dracula would tell this guy to tone it down. I can't say two positive things about the figure. The head sculpt is pretty nice and the color scheme is a decent homage to the original. Hey guys, so Destro version 3 was one of the two figures my brother and I had as the Cobra High Command when we were kids. The other one was the Crimson Guard Immortal that we used as Cobra Commander because we didn't have an actual Cobra Commander figure. But Destro version 3 was great. He didn't have the VAC metal helmet, but the paint was fine. It was silver, it was fine. The sculpt was great. He looked like Destro. In my opinion, the body sculpt is an improvement over the version 1. I like the high collar around his neck and I think he looks great. He didn't see much action when we were kids on both sides, Joe and Kerba. The high command tended to be in the back calling the shots. They didn't make it out to the front lines too often. So he stayed in pretty good shape for a while until he was lost to time. Unfortunately, I don't have him anymore but I'll change that at some point. So Destro version 3 gets two thumbs up from me because I think he is a decent improvement over the previous version. Destro version 3. Great looking figure. I like the sleek blackness of the uniform. It is a venture off of the original Destro but it's still a very awesome figure. I really like it. I never had this one. I didn't know this one was out but actually I'm kind of glad that you got to review the figure. The figure is actually pretty awesome especially the look. The disc launcher is a bit far fetched and kind of like out of it but I still like the figure. I mean I could do it without the disc launcher but Destro has always been one of my favorite characters. I'm actually glad to get a chance to review and look at every Destro ever made. Destro is like the greatest but that's about it from here. Looking at Destro version 3 overall I can see where they were trying to bring him back to his 1983 style but with the 1990s aesthetic these two things do not go well together. The chest is ridiculously bulky like he's competing for Mr. Universe. The legs are normal sized though making him look top heavy. I guess he skipped every leg day. The red collar, a carryover from version 1 is oversized and looks like a flotation ring. The red rose necklace, if that's what it is is alright but not as iconic as the red ruby necklace from the first version. The basic black is a good start. I feel like I'm saying that in every review this month but it's disrupted with annoying orange. No, absolutely not. The accessories are fine. The machine pistol is good. The disc launcher is a gimmick and I usually overlook it. The file card is okay. It explains Destro's character well enough without being especially colorful or interesting. Destro is the creation of legends. He was designed by a legendary artist for Hasbro. His story was written by a legendary writer for the comic book. He was brought to life by a legendary actor for the animated series. Destro deserves the best. He deserves better than just okay. That was my review of Destro version 3. I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you to my Cobra Convergence 5 collaborators for the extra work they did on this video. I greatly appreciate it. Thanks also to Project PDD. I could not have done the Pimp Daddy Destro segment without their information and images. There's more Cobra Convergence 5 coming up. On August 23rd, My Side of the Laundry Room. On August 24th, File Card Podcast. On August 25th, Real Hector Canales. On August 26th, Joe Fan 82. On August 27th, Jay Bartlett. On August 28th, Codename New 202. On August 29th, Painted Plastic. And August 30th, Joe Colton Cosplay. You can also participate in Cobra Convergence 5, but time is almost up. Go to hcc788.com for instructions. I probably shouldn't have thrown that. You can find me on social media, on Facebook and Twitter. And I have that website that I've mentioned about a hundred times now, hcc788.com. I'm also on Patreon. If you want to support the channel in that way, you can get some special perks, like a sketch from me and early access to reviews and a secret code book to decode those secret messages you see in the videos. Special thanks to all the names you're seeing scrolling on the screen right now. They are keeping this show going, and they have my deepest gratitude. Next week, we're doing a fresh review of Cobra Law. And I asked everyone to participate. We'll see how that goes. And until then, remember, only Cobra is Cobra.


All right, I think you get the gist of the secrets to a happy relationship. They want to operate from a place of teamwork with one another. They actually have your best interest at heart. They have good character. They are kind. They are a teammate. And they have most importantly, good conflict resolution skills as well. Men love women who are teammates. And let me just say this ladies, you want a teammate as well. It's a two lane street for the two of you. That's my area to help you to assess who is a potential teammate versus those guys that are going to waste your time. And if you want to put the odds in your favor of meeting that teammate time per person, then click the link below to schedule a discovery call with me. All right, did this resonate with you? If it does or you have something to share, please post a comment below. If you liked this video, please hit that like button. Please share this video. Please subscribe to my channel.


Hi, I'm Toby Nigger and I'm the Chief Product Officer here at the Wikimedia Foundation. My favorite Wikipedia article is the list of sports idioms and I'm a particular fan of let's put some points on the board. We tend to think of our work as divided into several areas. The first area is tools for existing editors and so that would be things like community tech, our work on talk pages, our work on visual editor, work on content translation. These are the tools that existing editors use to create the content that makes Wikipedia. We also have some people working on tools for new editors. I think the best example of this is the growth team that's actually figuring out new ways for new people to start getting involved in projects with new forms of editing. Not every edit has to be in a long-form article. In the last general area is tools for readers. Wikipedia is a site that's used by billions of people all over the planet. So it's really important to make sure that the great content that the editors create is displayed in a way that's both aligned with our values, but also gives people the information that they need. I'm really excited by the growth work. I think figuring out ways to make the editing experience more comprehensible to newcomers is really exciting. We're starting to see, I think that's deployed on 30 Wikis now. We've just deployed it on some of the larger Wikis. We're really excited about the feedback and we think that this can be a real gateway into bringing new people into the projects. Of course, we also have to make sure that the existing editors and moderators have the support they need. I think here our work on IP masking is something that has really just started and I know it's been a bit controversial. But if we can make these moderation tools better for everybody, then we can really reduce the amount of time. Our editors speak on moderating content and they can focus on creating it. So probably the biggest new thing this year is we're calling the pilots. We've already talked about how equitable growth is a goal of the foundation, but we also know that particularly for newer communities, we don't really have the recipe. We know that we need to do it with our communities, but what we've done is we've set up three different small projects. One is around new users, one is around movement organizers, and one is around new form factors that we're going to work on. And we're going to see actually what works and take blends of them and incorporate them in our strategy moving forward. One of the things that's new is a focus on movement organizers and a new team called the campaigns team. We've known for a long time that unsung heroes of the movement are people who work in helping people edit, working with organizations who want their content to be in Wikipedia, things of that nature. And it must be said that we probably haven't supported these people as well as we might. So we started out with a lot of research last year. And this year, we hoped we were putting that research into play by improving the tools that we're creating for movement organizers. Like another change in the product department is really focusing it on our technical platform and acknowledging that if we're going to bring in new developers in the movement, we actually have to update our technical infrastructure. And that's starting out with a change in our presentation technology from a home grown system that's five or six years old to a new open source platform called view.js. And this is going to make it much more inviting for developers all over the world to start participating in building out the encyclopedia as well as running content for it. So one of the things that we haven't done, such a great job of talking about is our support for the existing site and the existing platform. Wikipedia and Comedia are sites used by more than 250,000 editors every month, more than a billion people. And these folks require a lot of support. The internet is not a static place. And so we're continuing having to update our experiences to match the expectation, just general internet users. And so a few examples, we're continuing with our work on desktop refresh. Our content is amazing, beloved throughout the world. We're now updating the default reading experience to make things a little bit cleaner, a little bit more in line with current standards and a little bit more readable. We're continuing to work on talk pages to make them easier to use both for newcomers and for existing editors. The work on community tech is continuing, where we have users propose projects and then vote on them, and we take the top 10, and we build those. And finally, we're continuing to work on some of our translation, on some of our translation experiences, like content translation, we're making it work better on mobile. We've already seen great, great uptake in some of our Indic language communities, and we're going to continue on that as well.


I am this old, no. We're gonna quote this one as well. If RBT's ethical responsibilities conflict with employer policies, RBT's must bring the conflict to the supervisor's attention, document that they did so, and document the resolution. So be upfront with any solutions and conflicts that you see. Most agencies will love to find middle ground on these concerns here. Sometimes people just get too busy and people pick things up. Again, it's all about collaboration, but make sure you document what you're doing. And if there's pretty significant issues, be the squeaky wheel, but be a respectful squeaky wheel.


Welcome to Microterrorz. Scary stories for kids. Where it's always the spooky season. Full of chills. Thrills. And spine-tingling spooks. Microterrorz are family-friendly frights for those ages 8 and up. And while our stories are for younger years, we are still talking about things that go bump in the night. And some children may not be able to handle what others can. Parental consent is recommended. Now for tonight's Microterrorz. Dominion of Dread by Scott Donnelly. There's a monster under my bed. Alex told his parents when he was just 4 years old. They didn't believe him. They said it was his imagination. Just nightmares stemming from something he'd seen on YouTube. Or some weird, dark podcast his father would occasionally play when he thought Alex wasn't listening.  Alex told his parents on the night of his 8th birthday. Again? Alex's father said. His parents rolled their eyes and didn't want to believe that their child had held onto such irrational fear for so long. But it wasn't just again. It was still. Every single night for Alex was consumed by an unshakable terror that gripped him whenever the sun set and the nightlights kicked on all throughout the house. Beneath Alex's bed wasn't just irrational fear like his parents assumed. There was something else there. A malevolent force that tortured each and every single one of his nights. It began when he was only 4 years old. Innocently enough, subtle creaks and cracks on the wooden floors that could have easily been blamed on the old house they lived in just settling over time. Months later, the creaks and cracks were replaced by shadows moving around his room and haunting whispers that he couldn't quite decipher. Most nights, Alex could feel a sinister gaze fixed upon him, watching him try to sleep, studying each of the nervous, anxiety-filled breaths he took. Alex's bedroom had become a dark dominion of dread. But whenever he was able to muster up enough courage to look under the bed, he never saw anything. He'd shine a flashlight when the lights were out. Nothing. He'd look during the day. Nothing. No wonder they don't believe me, Alex thought of his parents. This thing is smart. One night, the ghostly entity seemed to grow bold. Its icy, rotten breath whispered alarming threats into Alex's ear. Its unseen hands, surprisingly smooth and gentle, brushed against his trembling exposed arms and legs. The spirit had ensured that sleeping was no longer an option for Alex. It had burrowed too deeply into his head for that to be a possibility. The terror continued night after night. Unable to sleep, Alex decided to start documenting his experiences and what he felt. He drew images of what he thought the spirit or entity would look like. He made notes that detailed occurrences, times and dates when things were happening. He was out to prove to his parents that his experiences weren't those of an overactive imagination or nightmare and that his nightly horrors had gone on too long. All Alex wanted was one night's sleep. Heck, at this point he wished it were a nightmare. At least that would have meant he was actually falling asleep. Two weeks into Alex's documenting, the spirit took things to a new level. It reached under Alex's blankets, grabbed him by the ankles and yanked him out of bed. As Alex's body smacked the floor, he felt the presence of more than one spirit drift away into the darkness. That was it. Alex had had enough. Forget documenting the experiences. There had to be actual answers as to what was going on, as to who or what was torturing him night after night. The next day, Alex's parents dropped him off at the library at his request.  A knock on the glass door made Alex jump. He looked up and saw an elderly man, one of the librarians, standing there. In his grip was an old, dusty book. Alex waved him in. I noticed your interest in Millbrook's history. The old librarian wheezed, pointing to the stack of local history books on the table. Yes, sir, Alex said. You might find this one useful as well. The librarian added. He sat the book down on the table and left Alex to his research. Alex opened the new book, which was so old that he feared it would fall apart as he skimmed through the pages. But that fear quickly dissipated when his focus landed on a specific page, one that featured a sketch of an old house from 1924 on Bedlam Street in Millbrook. That was Alex's street, and that was his house. Alex read the chapter. Many years ago, a family of five lived there. A mother, a father, a daughter, and two sons. A fire broke out, and all five members of the family slept through it. All five of them perished in the blaze. The next day, the charred remains of the house were investigated, and it was determined that the house was intentionally set on fire. Clues found in and around the remains led investigators to a small cult of dark worshippers that operated in the woods nearby. Shockingly, they claimed responsibility, a bizarre belief that the grounds the house stood on were sacred to the dark god they worshipped, and only a sacrificial inferno every 100 years would appease him. Something clicked in Alex's brain, something he hadn't thought of until now, until he had this information. There was never a reason for him to have thought this before. He took the information he had and went home. That night, when the sun set and the night lights kicked on, he lay there awake, just as the spirit, or spirits as he now assumed, wanted him to. They didn't want him to sleep. They wanted him to stay awake, to avoid the same fate that they and their entire family had met. It was a little after midnight when Alex felt the first brush of cold air. He sat up and waited. He saw a shadow cross in front of one of his night lights making it flicker, then heard the creepy, inaudible whispers. I know what happened to you, Alex said, softly enough to not wake his parents who were asleep just down the hall. He felt the room fall still and the air grow increasingly colder as if the spirits were triggered. I know you all burned to death in the fire. I'm sorry for what happened to your family. Alex waited for a response, but the room remained silent and cold. Alex's breath was now coming out in visible puffs that he could see in the dim, flickering nightlight. I know why you're trying to keep me awake. You don't want me and my family to meet the same fate as you and yours, Alex said. Thank you, but that was 100 years ago. The cult is long gone. There is no danger of history repeating itself. Suddenly, an icy gust blew through the room, spinning the ghostly apparition of a young girl at the side of his bed. There is one left. Her small, innocent voice echoed. One last descendant of the cultists. Two more apparitions appeared on either side of her. Two boys, her brothers, all three of them looked sad and concerned. You must leave, one of the boys said. These grounds are sacred to them. He knows you know, the other one said.  Alex tried to remain brave, but couldn't hide his nerves. I won't let that happen. If he succeeds, he will forever be... The little girl began before her wispy, fluttering appearance suddenly fell emotionless. The cold air was abruptly sucked out of the room, ushering in an uncomfortable warmth. Alex felt his chest start to tighten up. The ghost children all disappeared, fading away into the darkness. Then, out of nowhere, the flickering nightlight exploded from the outlet. A flame ripped through, climbed up the wall and filled the room with a pulsing orange glow.  Alex immediately recognized him as the elderly librarian from earlier in the day. It's a shame! The old man wheezed in a sinister tone. The last family slept through their fiery demise. They had no idea what was happening to them. You, on the other hand, are going to feel every raging, smoldering moment because those darn ghost kids kept you awake. You can blame them for every ounce of pain you will feel. I won't let you take us, Alex growled, not like that last family or however many others came before. The old man smiled larger. You're wrong. I will appease the dark god as my ancestors have for centuries and being the last of my bloodline. His satisfaction will guarantee me an eternal place at his side. The fire continued to crawl up the wall, teasing the ceiling where a smoke detector would sound off at any moment. Alex saw the flames growing in intensity and then turned to the old man. He smirked, there's a monster under my bed, Alex said. The old man cocked his head, but not one that I fear. Alex continued, it's one you should fear and it's about to put a damper on your sacrificial inferno. The old man laughed benignly. What are you talking about boy? Alex dropped to the ground and rolled underneath his bed where he'd hit a fire extinguisher earlier in the day after reading about the history of his home. He jumped up on the other side of his bed, pulled the pin, aimed the hose and squeezed the handle.  Alex aimed for the outlet first and then ran it up the height of the wall. The old man was stunned. He didn't expect Alex to be one step ahead of him. Even though the old cultist seemed to have supernatural assistance in starting the fire, it was still just fire. Nothing the fire extinguisher wasn't capable of handling and something that the family 100 years ago didn't have the luxury of having. Stop it! The old man snarled.  The alarm screamed and the old man fumed with anger. He climbed over the bed and lunged at Alex. But Alex swung the fire extinguisher, clocking the old man across the face. He stumbled backwards and crashed out the window, falling to the yard below. Alex's parents rushed into the room, panicking and screaming and picking up their son to get him out of the house. When the fire department arrived, the fire chief commended Alex for his bravery and said if it wasn't for his quick thinking with the fire extinguisher, the house would have been completely engulfed in flames within minutes. When the police arrived and saw the old man still laying on the ground outside, they arrested him and charged him with arson after Alex explained what had happened. He left out all the parts that included ghosts, cults and dark gods since the chances of anyone believing him were paper thin. But just knowing the last of the dark worshippers was behind bars, probably for the rest of his life, was enough comfort for him. A month later, Alex and his parents were able to move back into their home after renovations were done to fix the fire damage. The first night back, Alex's bedroom no longer felt like a dominion of dread, but more of a sanctuary of peace. The ghostly presence was gone and he felt relaxed. That night, for the first time in years, Alex slept soundly. Thank you for listening to Microterrorz. Join us each Saturday for another scary story. For more fun, visit our website at microterrorz.com where we will also have spooky games you can print out and play like wicked word searches, mysterious mazes and more. Microterrorz.com is also where you can find us on your favorite social media and even send in your own scary story for us to tell. Plus, you'll learn more about our author, Scott Donnelly, who has other horrors for both young and old. I hope you'll join me again soon for Microterrorz, scary stories for kids. I post videos seven days a week and while you're at it, spread the darkness by sharing this video with someone you know who loves all things strange and macabre. If you want to listen to the podcast, you can find it at weirddarkness.com.


Okay, let's move on then. We have several presentations and reports to present to the Council today. And two of them will be, there are two working groups of Council, and we're going to hear from both of them today. Our first speaker is Lisa Parker from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Parker is Associate Professor in the Department of Human Genetics in the Graduate School of Public Health. She is also the Director of the Masters of Arts Program in Bioethics in the Center of Bioethics and Health Law. Lisa has been a member of the ELSI community since the turn of the century, at least that's how far back she and I go in the peer review process. She's done innumerable reviews with me for the ELSI research program. Lisa is the current Chair of the Genomics and Society Working Group of Council, and she's here today to present the annual report of the working group. Lisa? Very good. Thank you for having me and allowing me to report on all that we've been doing in the past year. I would like to begin with a list of our membership and to highlight that we have three new members, Barbara Bernhardt, Shanita Hughes-Helbert, and David Vinstra. As you know, three of the council members are also part of the working group, Shanita, Amy McGuire, and Artie Rye. The working group's website describes the group's charge for points. Most of what I'll report on today responds to the first charge that's listed there, namely to provide input about the ELSI research program, the ethical, legal, social implications research program, including input about its research priorities, balance between investigator-initiated and program-initiated research, and use of limited budgetary and staff resources. To this end, we reviewed and were very pleased with the ELSI program's training activities. In fiscal years 2012-14, approximately 12% of the ELSI budget was devoted to training and career development activities, supported through a variety of mechanisms, including the Center for Excellence, the SEERS, the Career Development Awards, various stage fellowship awards, the Fs, and education projects to enhance research infrastructure with the Fogarty International Training Program in Research Ethics, and the Minority Supplements. We are also very pleased that ELSI program is now participating in the T32 institutional training mechanism, and that this fall applications, new applications for new SEERS and for T32s are being reviewed in preparation for the February Council meeting. We also reviewed the success rates of new and early stage investigators seeking LCRR1s, and we're very pleased with those success rates. We reviewed the research portfolio balance, and are pleased with the balance between investigator initiated and program initiated research, roughly a 50-50 balance. The ELSI research program is opportunistic in the most positive sense of that term in taking advantage of opportunities for parallel and embedded research, an example of the parallel research the LCRFA released in parallel to a larger initiative would be the H3Africa LCRFA, you saw H3Africa presented before. We also discussed embedded LC research, such as CSER and EMERG, about which you have heard today, and based on this fairly detailed discussion, we were able to articulate this guidance that productively embedded LC research should be a true research partnership, that LC investigators should not be involved merely to consult on human subjects related issues, and that an LC research component is most appropriate when the research in which it's embedded raises novel or important LC issues, when inclusion of LC partners fosters collaborative relationships and builds infrastructure for future research and research relationships, and thus when the inclusion of such component affords significant benefit. We reviewed the balance between empirical LC research and normative and conceptual research. We found that the balance seems to us quite appropriate, and we would like to encourage more applications of both types. To that end, we drafted our thoughts about the nature and importance of normative and conceptual research, the type of research that is probably most foreign to most of those who are thinking about NIH funding, and a commentary on this topic is an ongoing writing project of the working group. What we thought, it's just a beginning framework, is to explain that normative and conceptual research can be characterized in two ways. First, by the methods involved, that they're non-empirical methods. This would be, for example, legal scholarship, philosophical and historical analysis, the methods of the humanities. But that also normative and conceptual research can be characterized by the research questions it addresses. These are questions that cannot be addressed solely or primarily by analyzing empirical data because the questions are about values and meaning, and some examples of those drawn from the LC research webpage would be, for example, research on the normative factors underlying concepts of risk and benefit, human identity, personhood, health and disease, free will and responsibility. In relation to the second charge to the working group listed at its website, to provide input in light of changes in genomics, genomic medicine, and the policy landscape aiming to identify emerging issues or gaps, we drafted the memo that you, the council, endorsed last May regarding the importance of conducting and funding rigorous research on LC issues associated with the planning and implementation of the precision medicine initiative. Then building on the content of that memo, we've drafted a commentary that's currently under review at Genetics and Medicine. Finally, there are three ongoing projects, additional projects of the working group that I would like to report. First, to encourage submission of applications to the LC research program, we wanted to support staff efforts in this regard by ourselves as a working group engaging in outreach to communities of LC investigators, in particular communities of potential new investigators. This would then include making some presentations at the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities meeting in October in Houston this fall, but also at other professional meetings and disciplinary meetings and publications to help bring the opportunity of applying for LC research support through professional journals and other disciplines. A second undertaking is the working group has recommended development of website guidance regarding development of LC research proposals. This would be, as we conceptualize it, and as we are very grateful the LC program staff is executing it. This would be modeled on the tutorials and samples that are available on the NIAD website, and that may include sample proposals, some discussion of aspects of those proposals, and some presentation and discussion of summary statements as well. So this is in process, and we're not quite sure what it will look like and precisely what will be included, but the model for it is similar to or is the model for it is the NIAD website. Finally, the working group is engaged in discussion to examine opportunities for LC research on the implementation of genomics in healthcare, and I know that this is a topic that was raised and discussed a little bit when Pamela Sankar gave a report to council last year at about this time. So the working group has been discussing this, and what can certainly be said at this stage is that we realize that a wide range of health services research data is relevant to understanding and anticipating and addressing the ethical, legal, social, and policy implications of using genomics to promote health. In our discussions, we have also become increasingly aware of how hard it is to draw a line demarcating health services research, and at the same time, we recognize that the scope and the cost of what is traditionally considered to be health services research could very easily outstrip the current LC research program budget, as it's currently funded. This would be traditionally conceived research that involves large data collection efforts, and that is therefore of a large scale and a large cost. In light of these factors, there are two undertakings that we can report. One is reporting on activities of NHGRI staff. Staff from the Division of Genomics in Society and from the Division of Genomic Medicine have met and planned to meet regularly, perhaps quarterly or so, to explore health services research opportunities and support in the institute in NHGRI. And the working group will continue to discuss these issues and explore ways to encourage LC research on the findings of health services research, projects conceptualizing health services issues and analyzing their normative foundations and implications. So we're thinking, we're talking in and around small to intermediate-sized projects focused on issues associated with the clinical translation, such as perhaps modeling studies, policy studies, methods development work that we can encourage and that we think would be valuable and that will not completely overtake the other important issues associated with progress in genomics. So before I take questions, I would like to express the gratitude of the working group to counsel for this opportunity and especially to the division staff for their support of our efforts and for their work on behalf of the public's interest in LC research and concerns. Thank you and questions. Janita? So thank you for the presentation. That was a really great overview of the work that we're doing. I wondered if you could talk a little bit more about the initiatives related to our thought process about precision medicine, given that that's sort of one of the key sort of interests at NHGRI and NIH overall. So a little bit more about what the working group has been and in some sense will be thinking about. I think we regret that we didn't have the recently promulgated document to respond to and I think it would be most appropriate. The thing we could say with certainty is that everyone was feeling excited and little frustrated by not knowing what we might be responding to working with and so on. And so I think at the early stage when we met in April, we thought that trying to support the infrastructure for examining issues as they emerge and as that initiative takes place was in some sense the best that we could do at that time. And so I do think that responding to the initiative as it takes shape is going to be one of the ongoing discussions. And so that's really important because we, this council approved, I forget what it is, our sort of perspective about where LC issues and how LC issues should be considered from the perspective of NHGRI. But also we sort of, I think it was great that we took some initiative to prepare a report that was submitted, it was submitted to JAMA, did he submit it there? The report? Of council or of our manuscript that we... From the working group? From the working group. Okay, you have dual roles here, so I wasn't sure. That is currently under review at Genetics and Medicine. And so I agree with you, I think it was important to in effect try to be out, it's hard to be out ahead of something that no one quite knows what it is yet. But we made the best attempt that we could. Thank you for mentioning that. Other amplifications or questions? Right, thank you. Hold on, Gail. Oh, I'm sorry. Please use your microphone, Gail. I apologize. Yeah, I just was raising my hand. So thank you, Lisa. That was really interesting. So I have a question about how the working group addresses the difference. I think it's really important to think about the boundary between health services research, cost-effective analysis, behavioral economics, all these things which are becoming incredibly more important as Genomic Medicine develops, and the LC program. I've always thought that the S and LC included social in the broadest sense, and Genomics and Society includes economics. And so I've always had a war with Jim Evans who's not here to defend himself about that. And I wonder what your working group, how, you know, what, I mean, you mentioned it a little bit and you said it's some, there's some differences of opinion, but could you speak a little more, because that is apparently a different area of funding. And I'm not trying to introduce her for before I'm even officially on, but I'm just really curious about that, because I really do see them as being so incredibly intertwined. Right. I think, although there probably are some differences of opinion among members of the working group, there are a few things that we agree upon. And one is what you just articulated. And I think that is this point of consensus that these issues are part of the S, that health services, that concern for cost, that interest in the actual, you know, behavioral aspect of responding to genomic information and so on, is part of the S. To do good, rigorous, valid research in the kind of traditional health services model with large numbers that you would need to be able to actually draw some valid conclusions from the behaviors or responses that you're studying and so on. We are also, I think, in agreement that the current ELSI budget cannot support that. And that to do so would in fact, I mean, to try would probably be, maybe it's overstepping to say, you know, unsuccessful, it might be, but I think what we can agree on is that it would overtake everything else that we still think there are some other important issues to continue to examine in the portfolio. So what to do? I think that's one reason that there's in effect a call for additional funding to do the kind of research associated with implementation, clinical translation of genomics such as, you know, is eventually envisioned by the precision medicine. I think that that's one thing we're talking about and that's one call that we were making. And then also to really dig down in the next year and try to identify ways of articulating, I'll use the word doable projects that are at a sort of a philosopher, more meta level that don't get in the trenches of large-scale data collection but nevertheless can really contribute foundationally to health services research, analysis of costs, analysis of the relevance of behavioral response to the rollout of genomic medicine and try to contribute in that way. Artie. So Gail, I have not been, I hesitate to speak because I have not unfortunately had the bandwidth to be very intimately involved with Genomic Society but I am on the group and I can tell you that David Veenstra who is at the University of Washington, right? Yes. Yes. He's a member of the group as well and this is his area. So, you know, I mean, my sense is that this is why in part he is a member of the group. Think about what could be done feasibly with respect to cost reference issues in particular. I mean, it's really, and he's part of the seizure, the seizure consortium as well and it just feels like this is ripe for the embedded ELSI and, you know, the funding of that is, comes from many spots, not just the ELSI program I understand. So, I guess, and I think Gail that that's one reason that we did feel some confidence and consensus around those criteria for doing embedded research to say this is a real opportunity for these larger scale programs to do the S research or the S, the social, the economic, the behavioral in that context but that ELSI on its own could certainly not do that. Yeah, and not just then to be a part of those initiatives as hadn't made too good scientific research but actually engage in the ELSI research along with collaborators. Other questions or comments? All right, Lisa, thank you very much. Thank you. We're at the lunch hour. So, you all know the drill then new council members follow some of the veterans one flight up, procure your lunch and please be back at one o'clock to resume the open session. Thank you.


This study found that Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the most commonly isolated pathogens from clinical samples in Punjab, Pakistan. These pathogens were mostly isolated from pus, urine, blood, and sputum. The prevalence of multi-drug resistant strains of these pathogens suggests that current antimicrobial options are severely limited in Pakistan, which poses a serious threat to public health. To address this issue, it is important to implement antimicrobial stewardship programs to ensure prudent prescribing of antibiotics and to reduce inappropriate antimicrobial use. Additionally, it is essential to develop and implement strategies to improve access to quality diagnostics and treatment services, as well as to strengthen surveillance systems to monitor the spread of resistant organisms. This article was authored by Zikria Salim, Abdul Haseeb, Safa S. Al-Marzaki Abhusein, and others.


Hello and welcome to episode one, season three of Techpad. Today we've got a super special episode on Apple MacBook Pros and all that good stuff and hopefully it'll be a really good time. So my name is Jackson Stetz and this is my co-host, Blake Smith. All right, before we get into all that stuff, we're going to read a quick article which is on the Steam Deck. And the article is called, Steam Deck Gets an Official Release Date, the first units to ship in February. This is by Matt Kim and it's from IGN. All right, so Steam Deck will go on sale starting February 25th with the first batch of handling and held set to ship on February 20th. In the blog post, Steam says customers will begin getting invites shortly after 10 am PT on February 25th and will have three days or 72 hours from the receipt. Other order email to make their purchase. If a person doesn't make an order at this time, the person next in the queue will get the chance to place an order. Valve says it is hoping to send emails for orders out in batches weekly. All right, order emails will be sent out in the same order as the reservations. And Valve will only let you order the Steam Deck model that you originally reserved. The initial reservation deposit will also be applied to the final price of the Steam Deck and check out. So they have a pecking order. When did it open? It's been a while. It's been, I can check, but it's been like a year. It's been a long time. I've been waiting. I've pre-ordered the Steam Deck. And there's two models, there's 64 gig storage model, the 256 and the 512 gig NVMe SSD model. And each one comes with their various perks. But I ordered the highest end one, which starts at about $650, because I'm looking to replace my shadow subscription with it, assuming that shadow still sucks as much as it does now. It's got a couple of bits, but I am fully ready to pay that price because it's going to be awesome. I'm super excited. But I was late to the pre-order, though. So even though it starts shipping on the order start coming in on the 25th. But that's for the first reservation. Yeah. I was definitely not the first reservation. So I'm going to be probably waiting. Their estimate for me was quarter two, which is an infinitely long amount of time. If you guys want to hear more about the Steam Deck, maybe a special, not necessarily a special episode, but just a whole dedicated Techpad episode to the Steam Deck, make sure to let us know because I'm definitely hyped for the Steam Deck. It's going to be awesome. And we forgot to say what it was, and it's about to take on a handheld PC gaming device and should be able to run in your Steam library. Yeah. It's like a switch. Except for Steam. Except for PC games. Yeah. Games you already know, technically. Oh yeah. Because you could just connect your account to it, right? Well, that's the thing about the switch is that if I moved to the switch and had to, well, at first I couldn't play BMG Drive on it. You couldn't play all those games. And I couldn't play, well, they have Civilization 6 on the switch. I don't know. I'm not sure. Either way, I'd have to buy, if I moved to Switch, those two games. Even if they were available for Switch. I could just buy the Steam Deck and be able to play it better than I already own the games. And how much was the deposit? It was $5. Oh. So it's $650. Yeah. Yeah. They say in there that it's like, oh, your deposit will go to the final price of the console. That's not even shipping. Yeah. It probably doesn't even cover shipping. So anyways, I'm hyped. I'm ready for the Steam Deck. I've been waiting years for something like this. All right. Well, cool. Let's get started with the Apple MacBooks. The new one. Apple MacBooks. And also the MacBook Pro 13-inch, but the M1 chip. Yes. Well, so Apple, I would say, maybe not recently. We're a little bit behind schedule on covering some of these new Macs. But Apple released a, I think it was during our special. We covered that release of the new Apple MacBooks. And they had already had the 13-inch model, and they added the 14 and 16-inch model. So that's the size of this, you know, the diameter of the computer. That's how they measure it. So it's not diagonal? It is diagonal, I think. We've got to find out. Because then it wouldn't be diameter. Also. Yeah. No, it's diagonal. It's diagonal. Yeah. So, we thought we'd do a special episode on, not a special episode, a dedicated episode on the significance of these MacBooks. Because it really is a significance upgrade. And it's probably going to change the PC manufacturing space for a long time. Because, I mean, these things are pretty awesome. I mean, not just only new MacBooks and different designs, they also have two new chips. Yes, they have. They're really nice. They're not relying on other companies to make their chips anymore. They're actually building their own chips at this point. M1 Pro and M1 Mac. Yes. Following on the Apple M1 chip that they put in their Mac minis, MacBook Pros, the 13-inch and their MacBook Airs. MacBook Airs. And their iMac, too. And the iPad? Yeah, the iPad Pro as well. So, you're fortunate enough to have an M1 MacBook Air. Yes, it's not very cool. Well, it's not. It is cool. It doesn't run out of power. It's not true M1 chip either. Because it has 7-core CPU and an 8-core CPU, which is the basic M1 chip. But still, what do you think of it? I mean, is it? It's really reliable. I've noticed that some of the updates sometimes mess with things on it. But I think that's because they're trying to make the update work for older gen Intel CPUs and M1. Yeah. But other than that, it's really nice. So what about the performance? Is it adequate for a MacBook Air? Yeah, I mean, MacBook Airs aren't meant to be too good at very low, for instance, or intensively workloads. But it works really well for what I use it for, which is school work, occasionally discord, and just watching movies and such. How is the battery life? Really good. Because that was a major selling point. Yeah. Because of its power efficiency. I mean, it charges really fast. And then I can just use it for a really long time. Well, I'm sure, I mean, probably what, 15 hours? 10? Yeah. Well, it depends. Like, if I'm running a lot of applications for school and then also having title, music, it tends to wear down. Yeah. But it still lasts. It lasts the full school day easily. So what Apple has done with these new MacBooks has taken all of the greatness that Blaze has just described in his M1 Air, although it's a little bit of the less powerful M1 chip. It's still, the base is there. It's an M1 chip. Yeah. And they've stacked a bunch of different chips. Actually, they just, they've just smushed a bunch of M1 chips into one bigger chip. Well, and made two different levels. Yeah. Well, but essentially those two levels are just additional M1 chips stacked on. Yeah. If you have one, might as well add more. Yeah. I mean, there you go.  You can see that the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air 13 inch, the 13 inch models, technically have the same minus the GPU core or two, the same M1 chip. Yeah. But if I go down the specs page, you can see that they've introduced these new Apple M1 Pro and Apple M1 Pro Max right here. So M1 Pro and M1 Max as opposed to just the M1. And these are geared towards the same like power efficiency and just general reliability and features. Yeah. But they just have more power. They're designed for somebody who probably like me who needs to do transcoding, video editing, the whole lot in their laptop. And so far, from what we've seen is that these things are pretty amazing. Yeah. It's really the heart of, it's really what makes these new MacBook Pros so great. And if I go into the configuration here, we'll choose the 16 inch. Oh, wow. They have the same settings, right? Or the same selection of RAM or memory. Yeah. You can see here the, let's see. And processor options. Yeah.  Those are the three tiers. So there's two tiers of storage. So the only difference between this first tier and the second tier is. In fact, you can either buy two 14 inch MacBook Pros that are just the base M1 Pro chips, or you can get one M1 Pro with a Terrapin SSD storage. Yes. The storage prices are expensive. These first two tiers, the only difference is double the storage in the second tier. However, in the third tiers where you start getting into the M1 Max, if we look at the specs, which are really truly impressive for a completely new chip that somebody else has designed, not an Intel chip, not an AMD chip. These are pretty impressive specs. I mean, they all have 10 core CPUs. Really, the difference is the GPU. And neural engine. And neural engine. Do you know what that is? The neural engine has something to do with machine learning. If you're using Photoshop and you apply some sort of effect that recognizes the photo you're editing and makes the changes according to what I think, it just makes it easier for the computer to recognize patterns and objects and that sort of thing, I think. Now, when you have a regular laptop or desktop, you have your CPU up here, your GPU down here, and they talk to each other through the motherboard. What Apple has done is they've taken the CPU and they've just smashed the GPU right on board. Yeah. And they share memory and they share the same CPU, which allows them to be very, very fast. So effectively. And the memory is also the RAM. Yeah, the RAM. It's just soldered right on the motherboard, not the motherboard, the chip. SSDs are so fast that they're... Can substitute for RAM as well. Yeah. Which is incredible. However, that brings an argument of reliability or serviceability to the table. Yeah. If you've put everything on one little tiny chip about this big, there's no way that you could service that whatsoever. No. It'd be very difficult to do so. The entire computer is just one chip. And on desktops, you just slot in more RAM if your RAM dies or pull the GPU out and put a new one in. So Apple doesn't really have, well, they have warranties, but it's a big hassle to replace the whole laptop rather than just one component. If something dies, it turns immediately into eWaste. It's gone. That's the problem. The whole laptop, or at least the whole motherboard, it's just gone. And this is going against their Apple self-service. Yes. For those of you who don't know, there's the Apple self-service program they're rolling out, which allows customers to service their own devices in theory. What? Well, they have access to Apple certified tools. Instructions. Instructions, genuine parts. And all that stuff. The whole thing, so in theory, they could fix their iPhone. But they do recommend it to be someone who's trained or certified to work on Apple products because I'm guessing it's going to be really easy for someone who does not know anything to just destroy their... Yeah. And I think that's just good press. Because on the surface, everybody's like, yay, Apple's letting people service their products. I want you to. There's nothing to disturb us on the laptops. Well, okay. But you have to go back to, I think it's personally worth it. Because of how compact it is and how quick and all the... I think it's worth it. What's worth it? Having it non-serviceable. I think so too. Because it's such a great chip. Yeah. It's very fast. It really has facts and all that stuff, which kind of outweighs the self-service. Yeah. But on the other hand, I mean, if I'm making these laptops so thick now, it's almost... Well, I'm not sure if that's true. Because see, one of the... I have a really old Sony laptop in my basement. It's white. It's about that thick. It's pretty big. It has a socketed CPU and socketed RAM. I think we've... We went back. The side view. The side view. Yeah. The side profile looks huge. But this is actually smaller. I think that... Is it? I would rather personally take a less-serviceable, more compact product over the huge, like, Chungus MacBook Pro. Yeah. Well, this is non-serviceable and it is thick. Yes. And I mean, we've been talking about all the internals. But let's take a moment to look at what the new laptops look like. No. You don't want to? You don't want to take a look? Or do you don't like it? I don't like it. You don't like it? No. They have that little weird cutout for the camera. Oh, the notch. It's a 1080p camera. It doesn't need that big of a notch. Yeah. So if you look at my screen, let's see if I can zoom into the photo here. Or just, like, move the camera up? Or, like, that goes down? I don't know. Well, for those of you with an iPhone, new iPhone, iPhone 13, iPhone 12, iPhone 11, iPhone X, I think, I think that's when they introduce the notch. You'll be familiar with the big, intrusive notch that comes probably down the screen. I mean, with the phone, it doesn't matter too much. Yeah. This is a laptop. Exactly. This is a laptop. And Apple has done a good job of hiding this notch in the background of their stock background. Stock wall. It almost seems like they're embarrassed to put that out there. But there's this big notch right here where the webcam... It makes it look so much worse. Yeah. Some of the other things are not as highly controversial as some of the other things on this laptop, but it's definitely there. I think the top view looks like this exact same as every other... Yeah. ...book they've released. So they haven't really changed too much cosmetics other than the notch, and it's more thicker. Yeah. Now, another thing that people are so happy with on this laptop is the addition of ports. You mean re-addition. Re-addition. Thank you. Of ports. You'll notice that, yes, it is very thin. Garbage. But there's only two type C ports right here. Yeah, that's a... For the entire computer. Me too. Yeah. And you get one audio jack, 3.5 millimeter audio jack. I have to carry around all of the dongles, all of them, to make it work. Ethernet adapter, HDMI adapters, USB adapters, the whole thing. This is just there. They've added a little bit of thickness.  Don't get me wrong. It's thin. It's like five pounds if you get the upgrades. Yeah. But it also has MagSafe, an SD card slot and an HDMI slot. And two thunderbolts. And three thunderbolts, actually. Three. Yeah. And that's awesome. And the MagSafe is really cool. For those of you who don't know, MagSafe is like a magnetic charging solution. Magnetically connected. Yeah. So it magnetically connects so that if you're sitting at the kitchen. If your $3,000 laptop is sitting on your kitchen table and your dog or cat hits that charging cable, it's not on the ground like if you have thunderbolts. Yeah. It just pops right off the table. Like thunderbolts? It's going down. Yeah. Thunderbolts, your laptop is just going. It's gone.  If that happens. But my personal favorite is the addition of the SD card slot. Because this is a MacBook designed for pros. I guess it is designed for video. It is super annoying when I'm working in the studio to go, let me transfer this 128 gigs worth of footage. Yeah. And I'll just shot it to my MacBook. But I have to go and spend another 10 minutes looking for an adapter, plugging it in, I have the adapter. Well, I do. Yes, exactly. See, please, I am going to have a bag of dongles and adapters to put in here. But you have a bag. Yeah, I have a bag. You got to pull out this thing. Yeah. Right here. And then you have to connect it through the thunderbolts. Yep.  What I don't see is a microSD though. But that's fine. Is it? Well, nowadays most microSD cards come with a big SD adapter. Does it? And I mean, most cameras don't. Well, I guess that's not true. A lot of cameras do use. Well, I mean, what do these use? Well, these cameras we're using right now in the past nine or four days, use regular size SD cards. That makes sense. And the, at school, we have this rack. Yep. The recorder. Yeah. It's a pretty standard for higher ends to use microSD cards. Do you know about the max transfer? Like the transfer speed? It depends on the class of the SD card. Some are rated for more, some are rated for less. Well, it's for the laptop. Does it have a cap? Probably the highest end rating, if I would guess, in the SD cards. Because it is specifically meant for video. Yeah. And creation. So don't get this if you're just going to go to college and browse Facebook. English. Yeah. If you're browsing Facebook, you don't need a MacBook Pro. Really? Just get a MacBook Air. Unless you have the money.  Go ahead. But it's not necessary. No. Put that towards you like your college. Now, this is a pretty thick laptop. Yeah. I don't have, I don't mind it. However, would you say that the increase in volume that this laptop takes up is less than the volume of carrying around all those adapters? Yeah, probably. Because the adapters are all weird shapes and sizes. You have to get a whole bag. This is just, it's just a little bit thicker. And it doesn't matter. It makes it more durable too. Form over function. It looks more durable. Function over form, I guess, is the better way of saying this. That's why so many people are happy with this laptop. It's taken a step back from Apple's previous designs where they're prioritizing form over function and angering a lot of people in the process. And making a laptop that's really powerful. Classic Apple. It's nice. It's sleek. It's very easy to use. And then just, you know, it works. There's no need to carry dongles. It's just a nice laptop to have. Okay. Okay. So you do much more video editing and all that stuff. Do you care about the design as much? Or do you care more for function? I would care about the design. Do you? So you much prefer? Well actually, I spoke wrong. I think that it depends. I like the metal. Because I like the weight. Do you like wedge? I would not, I don't care about the shape. I care about the functionality and how durable it is. Do you care how it looks? No. Like on the outside, if it looks like a block? No. Absolutely not. I'm, as long as it has good battery life, powerful hardware, and I can work on it. And they didn't. It's a good laptop. They didn't really reduce the battery. How long you can use it for? Yeah. It's still like in the, okay. So the 14 inch has like a 17 hour battery. And the 16 inch has like a 21 hour battery. And I'm pretty sure it depends on the CPU you choose, as well as the best of it. So watchers, if you, this is a challenge, a tech pad challenge. Find a Microsoft PC laptop. Just a PC laptop in general.  With these specs. Yeah, with these. With that 10 core 32. Of the 10 core CPU. 32 core GPU. Yeah. 32 gigs of RAM. A terabyte. Terabyte storage. The whole bit. 64 gigs of RAM. Yeah. You can't do it. And I will gladly eat my words if somebody sends me an email. Jackson.status. That's a lot of my public media.org. Send it to me. And I would gladly eat my words if somebody proves it to me. But. A tech pad on it. Yeah. Cause I'll be impressive. Yeah. I would, I would be willing to dedicate a whole tech pad episode to proving, you know, to showing you that Microsoft laptop. You can. We can't forget. The 1080p. They finally afraid. Finally. It has been years. Since we've had a 1080p. The bare minimum. Style of webcam. But they've had 720. Ever. Yeah. The 720 is. Garbage. And they have decent software to make it look nicer. But why don't you separate the camera? They finally did. They finally did. Why did it take them so long? Some of the other things that I'd like to mention. Yeah. About this laptop are. The keyboard. Which is no longer a butterfly keyboard. Well, they changed that back with mine. That's true. But there's. Magic. But the, you know, it. It's a point to make that they are still using magic keyboard. And it's more reliable.  And the display. Is now 120 Hertz. Oh, they finally made it on par with iPad. Yes. So this, this display is going to look gorgeous. And it does. I've seen it. What's the resolution? It's there. I think it's their red resolution. It's not, it's not 4k. And it's above 1080. Yes. They're liquid red XDR. That's what mine. Oh boy. Don't you love marketing? This might have that. Liquid red XDR. Yeah. Your laptop has that. Although it's not liquid red XDR. I wish they could just give me a resolution. I guess it works. Well, I can find out on my laptop. You go to system preferences. Displays. You can do. Maybe I was wrong. Does not say it. Oh, also. I've seen it. Your payment plan for 12 months. That's price. So pricey. Yeah. The third tier. That's $291 a month. That's a paycheck for me every month. Well, if I want to buy this. You work at school. That is true. But this is still, I mean, that's nothing to, that's a hefty price to pay for a laptop for 12 months. Yeah. I'd say so. These are more expensive than my car. Yeah. All of them are. Okay. Well, we are running out of time here. Fortunately. We've got about four minutes left. And in those four minutes. I just want to say that these specs right here for an arm chip. They're using the arm architecture and Apple is making these chips. Is revolutionary. The performance of these is on par with the professional PC laptop. They're on par with like Intel's greatest offerings. And they're on par with the Nvidia GPUs. It's for, and that's for desktop. Yeah. And this is a laptop. And the pricing for them is pretty similar to the desktop with those specs. And this is a workstation. I mean, some people say this is expensive and it is. But for these specs, it's not as expensive as you think. No. And they still have the options for MacBooks for people who aren't going to do that. They still have like the, what do they have? The air and they still have the base pro 13 inch. So if you don't want to spend that much, you don't have to. Yeah. So in conclusion. Worth it. They've taken all of the great specs of their one products and all of their mac, the previous MacBooks, the beautiful trackpad, great design, nice aluminum and all of that. Yeah. Packed in desktop workstation grade processing. And made just a really great product in general. I am a thing. I am also a. If I had this money, I'd buy it immediately. I would not. Why is that? You just don't need it, right? I just, the things I use stuff for, I don't need it. I would, it'd be more beneficial for me. There you go. The iPad pros and then one chip too. So I would just encourage you, if you've never considered Mac before, maybe now is the time to consider it. Or check it out. Or check it out at least. Because it's looking pretty good. Apple's doing a good job. Yeah. I still stand by my Android cell phone though. I don't like the iPhone as much. Is it the layout? It's just iOS and the notch in general. Well, okay. We'll get into that now. Next episode, next episode. We, I'd recommend this laptop. Good job, Apple. And with that. Ending. Yes. Do you have anything else to say to her? I think it'd be really good for, if you're a professional in that, create a professional. Yes. Great for professionals. Cool. Well, I'd like to thank you for watching. If you wanted to see any of your other tech pad episodes, they're all on my public media. And I'd encourage you to check them out. There's some pretty good ones in there. If you're watching on Channel 8, I'd like to thank you for watching. And if you're on YouTube, thanks for watching as well. Twitch, thanks for watching. Make sure to subscribe. Follow me on all of those platforms. And we'll see you next Tuesday at 6 o'clock for another great episode of Tech Pad. Thank you for watching.


Things sort of unraveled for Lynn quickly. Did you consider trying to get him out of there a little earlier? Not really. Once he got through D-Trick, and really a couple infield hits there, and I felt like he was still OK. And once he got through D-Trick, we still liked the match up there with him right on right for Dean and then Rojas, and not really having multiple innings out of Greeny, Britton, or Betances. So once we're at the bottom of the order there, I feel like we really wanted to try and get him through there, and then we could turn it over to the back end if we got through six. But I think just trying to go away with that fast ball, you saw it run across the plate, and Rojas put a good swing on it. What did you like about Chance Adams in that situation, the game really not too far out of reach at that point? When he came in, it would have gone to Greeny if it would have got to one or better, but just with what we're getting ready to come up against and not wanting to go too much to our high-leveraged guys, trying to squeeze a couple innings out of Chance. You're disappointed with the sloppy play there in the seventh as well? Yeah, I mean, we didn't do a lot great down here.  But I thought overall, we didn't play very good today. We got to get through this one, obviously, an off-day tomorrow. But we got to get after it starting Friday. Obviously, these are important.  When you have moments like that when you aren't playing as well as you'd like the team to play, do you consider that mental lapses or why do you think that occurs? No, I think sometimes there's bad things can happen in the course of the game. And we made a couple of mistakes. We didn't, for the most part, string together the kind of the bats we did at the back end of the homestand. And we're getting into that crunch time. And we got to turn the page quickly from this one and really get after it in Baltimore. What was Rich's doing that had just the starting pitch at Trevor Rich? What was he doing that was so cat everybody out there? He has a really good change up. I thought his arm speed up close on it was good. I thought he had a good feel for it. He was able to pitch up in the zone a little bit with his fastball. But mixed in enough sinkers with it. But that change up mixed in. And I thought he had a good feel for it tonight.  Is Lynn a guy that you can trust maybe to go deeper in the game, not deeper in the game, but just that you can run his pitch count up higher than most guys on your staff? I feel like we're at a point with most of our guys that any given day, we feel like if they're going to be strong, they can run. That has been something that Lance has done throughout his career, a guy that's routinely been able to carry his stuff deep into games. And you don't worry as much about the pitch count as long as you feel like the stuff is still there. So he is one of those guys that if he's cruising along, tonight was a little different in that just with us being a little thin in the pen and stuff, there was more of a need for him to go deep. But I think typically he's a guy that when he's pitching well, can carry his stuff deeper into the game. I know Art had a couple of big homers last week and he was 0 for 10 in the series with 4Ks. He's down to 202. Are you concerned about him? What are you saying? Yeah, I mean, we've seen just in and out of that authority through the zone. And it's hard to put our finger on it. I thought we saw a couple of games there at home where I thought he was really impacting the ball. There was some force through the zone. And then here it's been a little bit more back to just not that life through the zone. And we got to be able to put our finger on it, help him find that consistently. I know he's working hard at it, but we got to start finding that more on a consistent basis. Because when he's impacting it through the zone, he's obviously dynamic with his ability to control the strike zone. But that's just been something that, since he's come back, has been very much in and out. Why was it on the ball that Rojas hit? You said he was trying to go outside with it, leaked in. Why was that important to, you know, I mean, it looked like Rojas did a pretty good job of getting his hands into the ball. I mean, is that his kind of hot zone? Well, I mean, yeah, I think when you're going, you know, he just went away there and you look at it. And, you know, typically if he goes in, it's more of that sink and you get the downward action. That one, you could tell, he was going away with it. And it just kind of hailed back over the plate, kind of into the barrel a little bit. Do you have an opportunity tonight, or are you going to stay away from it? We're going to stay away from Robbie tonight. Yeah. Is Sonny going to pitch now that in the game 1-2, I guess? Well, we'll see for sure. But I would say that he is likely to pitch that one of the double header days. Yeah.