Would it be possible for Tsar to escape execution and form a great power elsewhere?

Question: I imagined the scenario for a story where the USSR still forms and will later fight in a Cold War with the USA. However, I am imagining a scenario where the tsar escapes, goes with some loyal followers to another location (on Asian continent or other location) and is able to establish a great power in the region, still being somewhat relevant on the global stage. Is there anyway for this scenario to realistically happen (tsar and members of his family escapes, form great power somewhere without it instantly being crushed by United States or USSR, etc.)?
Comment: I disagree with the close votes. Asking about how an alternative history can come to be has been a fairly popular question type here. The only mandate is that the OP must ask for and expect to receive, the *least possible change at the earliest date* because SE isn't a discussion forum. That also creates the basis for choosing a best answer. Frankly, Nicholas saw his execution coming and none of the European royal families were willing to risk the politics to host his family - so there is a possible solution out there, making this an interesting question.
Comment: @JBH I agree. The close votes are wrong. This is alternative history. A worldbuilding topic if there ever was one. The OP asked for a realistic way to achieve that, a good criterion for answers.
Comment: Is is perfectly possible to imagine that Kolchack's White Guard fights the Red Army to a standstill, with help from the [Czechoslovak Legion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czechoslovak_Legion) and the [American intervention](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Expeditionary_Force,_Siberia) is Siberia. (Fun historical factoid: the Americans and Canadians actually [held Vladivostok](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Vladivostok) from 1918 to 1920. [Yul Brynner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yul_Brynner) was born there three months after the Americans left.)
Comment: If you had an interesting twist, it might work. Napoleon actually had been trying to flee on a ship to America - imagine the USA with Napoleon Bonaparte. If the Tsar's parents had traveled to the US when he was born, he would have grounds to claim US citizenship and would have been eligible to become president as a naturalized citizen. Or imagine a different man as Tsar, or a Tsarina marrying into the British throne and being a symbol of defiance against the Soviets during the cold war. Any of those could have led to interesting places.
Comment: Lots of things are *possible*. Fewer are *plausible*. Could the royal family abdicate and flee? Sure, happened lots of times in lots of places. Could they build a power base someplace else? Only if they had lots of resources and influence there to start with. (Folks [tried it in 1860s Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_I_of_Mexico)). "*How would character X accomplish A, B, and C*" seems story-based to me.
Comment: The [Russian Civil War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Civil_War) lasted for six years. Admiral [Alexander Kolchak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Kolchak) led the [Russian State](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_State_(1918–1920)) in Siberia fighting against the Bolsheviks. (And the [2008 film](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admiral_(2008_film)) is worth watching.) In real history the Bolsheviks won outright, but it could have gone in any other way.
Comment: @AlexP Fixed it so it is only the tsar and his family. And I understand the battle could have gone the other way, but I am thinking of a scenario where the USSR (in some form) still exists but there is a tsarist great power somewhere
Comment: @user535733 A question is story based if it is about specifics of a story or character (character unique to story must do this to accomplish a task). My question is more about the plausibility of such an event (tsar not dying) in direct relation to real-life events
Comment: @user535733: The Tsar had already abdicated in March 1919. The Great October Revolution which Took Place in November was a rebellion not against the Tsar but against the republican Provisional Government. Why the former Tsar did take his family and go somewhere else, anywhere, between March and November we don't know.
Comment: @AlexP !  Would you please spin an alternative history answer with the premise you put forth in your comments?  I know nearly nothing about these things and the way you do answers of this sort with links is super educational and a lot of fun.
Comment: @Willk: How can I refuse? [Enjoy](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/184943/would-it-be-possible-for-tsar-to-escape-execution-and-form-a-great-power-elsewhe/185003#185003).
Answer: Escape execution - yes. Form an independent country - highly unlikely
From Nicolas II abdication on 2(15).03.1917 to his execution on 17.07.1918 there were multiple opportunities to spirit the former tsar away from his detention, especially early on. For example, in March-April 1917 there was an active plan to let Nicolas leave for England, however George V, after some hesitation, rejected the idea. At any rate, before Nicolas and his family were sent to exile in August 1917, a determined plan to let him escape the captivity had a very high chance of success.
A very good question is what to do next. In late 1917, Russian Monarchy had no base of power. There was no safe heaven for Nicolas II. He could reach England, and British authorities would be unlikely to deport him back, but former tsar would have no power there.
He could (at least formally) lead the White movement in Russian civil war. But then it is very unlikely that the two sides could fight to a standstill. White movement could prevail, and then there would be no Soviet Union, or it could be defeated, and then Nicolas would be another exiled monarch at best. There is just no middle ground - no natural defensible border in Russia where Bolsheviks and Tsarists reach some kind of balance. Retreating to distant areas like Far East, Caucasus or Crimea could only postpone the inevitable.
Answer: Getting out of St Petersburg in a hurry, as the masses are starting to revolt, you don't have many choices. At this point in history it's at least a week to get Asia. (I'd love to see them in China or Vietnam or something, but I just can't see them making the trek across Siberia).
They'd need somewhere really close, and if you're escaping by boat or road, there's a nearby state, about 100km away, which doesn't make it into the USSR.
Finland's independence is closely tied into the 1917 Russian revolution, the abdication of "Grand Prince of Finland" Tsar Nicholas the 2nd led to its independence.

After the February Revolution and the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, Grand Prince of Finland, on 2 March (15 March N.S.) 1917, the personal union between Russia and Finland lost its legal base – at least according to the view in Helsinki. There were negotiations between the Russian Provisional Government and Finnish authorities.

(Source)
I don't know what those negotiations were, but that could've been cover for "New Identity please". It's a short boat journey (~100km) from the Winter Palace in St Petersburg to Finland. Some dedicated loyalists could smuggle you out easily.
They've had a tricky relationship since. I can't see them forming a direct power, but they could form a secret government in exile, serviced by loyalists, waiting for the right moment to reveal themselves. Or they could rename themselves, disguise their policies, and run for government in the new country.
Comment: *"Getting out of your Winter Palace:"* (1) Nicholas II and his family were not in St. Petersburg when the Winter Palace was taken; they were in [Tsarskoye Selo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsarskoye_Selo), which at that time was quite a ways outside the city. (It is now a suburb.) (2) And he was no longer a Tsar; he had [abdicated in March 1917](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdication_of_Nicholas_II). The Bolsheviks did not rebel against the Tsar, they rebelled against the republican [Provisional Government](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Provisional_Government).
Comment: @AlexP Didn't know that. Editted. I still think Finland is a nice place to flee to during 1917 from St Petersburg (or outlying town), lay low for a bit, and get split away from the USSR.
Answer: Forming your own Great Power is hard work, unless you're Giuseppe Garibaldi, and frankly if the Tsar could pull that off he probably wouldn't have lost his first Great Power. Far better to steal one... or perhaps salvage one.
Enter China. In 1916 the last Chinese Emperor died and the country descended into a mess of feuding warlords, all of them keen on gaining some advantage over their rivals. It wouldn't take much to convince one of the Nationalist warlords to take on an advisor who knew the vicious wiles of those fiendish revolutionaries... and as every evil vizier knows, the line between "warlord's trusted advisor" and "warlord" is razor-thin.
Now of course, the Nationalists eventually lost the fight for mainland China and fled to Taiwan, but it needn't have been so. If they had managed the fortunes of war better, they could have conceivably have come out on top, and by a very strange quirk of fate, Nicholas Romanov could've led a resurgent, capitalistic China into the world stage during the Cold War.
The real problem, as noted in the beginning, is explaining how a leader with the ruthless cunning and drive to see this campaign through, one who could beat Mao Zedong in a winner-take-all contest for China and steer his adopted country against his homeland, could've mismanaged his first realm so badly that it collapsed out from under him.
Comment: Tsar Nicholas would be around 80 at the start of the Cold War. Doubt if he would have capable of steering China to victory or to be able to find a warlord able to conquer & unite China. You would need a totally alternative version of Tsar Nicholas himself to succeed.
Comment: I feel the other answers fail to give enough attention to Tsar Nicholas' limitations.
Answer: If the Russian Empire in an alternate history has colonies in North America, such as Alaska and surrounding parts of Canada, the tsarist forces could retreat to Russian North America just like the Portuguese government retreated to Brazil when Napoleon invaded Portugal.
Here we would have a kind of cold war between USSR and RENA (Russian Empire of North America). The RENA would have massive propaganda efforts onto the mainland, trying to undermine the communist government's authority over the Russian people in any way possible. It would be a propoganda of conservative, traditional, orthodox values. Things would get interesting as that would force the communist government actually have positive changes in the mainland to legitimize their rule over the Russian people there. They would be forced by circumstances to make a better life for the people in order to prove that they are the more worthy rival government, instead of just acting without regard of the best interests of the people, knowing that any misstep would be used by the tsarist government as a propaganda opportunity. That would improve the quality of life of people in the USSR, and also preserve 19th century Russian culture in the RENA. The political history of the USSR would be completely different.
The RENA would also become a great power faster because they would get a lot of refugees from the mainland escaping the Soviets. Cossacks, Old Believers, merchants, peasants, scientists, engineers, philosophers, and any other people who fled the Soviet Union to United States, France, Germany, and elsewhere would most likely have instead gone to the RENA, boosting it's population. In particular scientists and engineers would have been a great benefit for that growing new country, allowing them to have at least an initial technological advantage over the Soviet Union.
A possibility would be of a five way cold war between USSR, RENA, USA, Nazi Germany, and Japanese Empire. Now with more players on the scene you no longer have a winner takes all scenario. Instead you have more healthy competition, and none of the individual players is strong enough to defeat the rest.
Comment: It should be noted that the reason that the Communist forces won in our history was because they promised more than the Czar was giving, and delivered. It was only after securing their power that they became the totalitarian state we're familiar with; "indigenous" Communist revolutions have popular support for at least the first generation. Imperial-Russia-in-Exile (and quite possibly the Russian Orthodox Church) would need to institute some significant self-reforms to have the support of the people.
Comment: Another similar situation that came to mind when I read the question: the withdrawal of the Chinese Nationalists to Taiwan when the communists were victorious on the mainland.
Comment: @JeffZeitlin The existence of a rival Russian state, the Soviet Union itself would be in more need of reforms, instead of becoming a totalitarian state. They could no longer hold onto power using military force and natural resources alone.
Comment: For this plan to work out, we need to fork history even before Nicolas II was born.
Comment: @Alexander Perhaps if Russian Empire would be allied with Napoleon against Great Britain, those soldiers who died in the Napoleonic wars could have potentially instead conquered substantial parts of North America surrounding Alaska.
Comment: I like the answer, but you should point out that this won't be a "great" power. At best a regional one. Unless it actually manages to hold on to significant parts of Siberia (cf the Russian civil war in the east).
Comment: @o.m. Depends on what you consider a "great" power? Definitely it won't be a world wide super power like the USSR, but I think that the preservation of the traditional Russian culture could turn out to be very influential on the USSR itself, and on the entire world as well. Their influence would be primarily cultural/religious. Not to mention that the RENA would constantly keep the USSR on their toes, leading them into a path of successful development similar to modern day China. So the RENA would play a role similar to Taiwan. I think that such indirect influence is also very important.
Comment: So we would have a world where a modernized Soviet Union and also a conservative Russian Empire are both alive and well in the 21st century. Over time maybe they would slowly drift together and become part of the same country, two systems, with a Red Party and a White Party in elections. Just speculations.
Comment: @JeffZeitlin Heck, even after becoming totalitarian, the USSR still provided more than the tsars in certain ways: the country became industrialized and  education became free and universal (not saying it was great to be under the USSR and the dictatorship pf the proletariat, but certain aspects of life were better than  they were under imperial rule)
Comment: Excluding the british from the cold war powers seems unlikely if diverging at this point.
Comment: Looks a poor answer to me. OP indicates history diverges  at the event of the escape of Tsar. That could have happened at around 1917-1918, because prior to that he wouldn't have had need to escape. Alaska was sold to the US 50 years prior to that, so Tsar in exile would be prohibited to create any empire there. Same goes for all other territories outside Russia -- all of them are occupied by other nations. And while a nation may harbor a government in exile, it wouldn't just allow anyone to settle and proclaim an empire inside their country. Answer ignores what would other nations do.
Comment: @Gnudiff Assuming that Alaska and any other North American territories under control of the Russian Empire never got sold ...
Answer: Maximum awryness: Rise of Siberian Russia

Actual historical context:

The Unsung Revolution of February which Took Place in March:
The Russian Empire entered willingly in the First World War, with all classes supporting what was perceived as an opportunity to strengthen the international prestige of the Rodina. Sadly, the Russian war effort did not prosper. The towering stupidity of the Russian high command, notably of the doomed General Samsonov and the clueless General Rennenkampf led to the disaster of the Second Battle of Tannenberg, where Russia lost almost 200,000 men against less than 15,000 German casualties. (The First Battle of Tannenberg happened half a millenium earlier; in that battle the Teutonic knights lost.) By 1915, the Russian forces were in full strategic retreat, losing Poland and Galicia, again with disproportionate casualties.
In the summer of 1915, Tsar Nicholas II assumed direct personal command of the army, leaving the governing of the empire in the hands of his loving wife, Alexandra, who at that time was besotted with the pseudo-mystical Grigori Rasputin, he whom Boney M famously called "Russia's greatest love machine".
By 1916, the situation went from terrible to horrible. On the front, the Brusilov Offensive advanced 60 kilometers in four months, at the cost of one million men. (As always, the Russians were experts at solving all military problems by using up expendable muzhiks.) On the home front, Rasputin was assassinated by a group of high noblemen led by Prince Yusupov; but the erratic leadership of Empress Alexandra devastated the economy, bringing Russia on the brink of famine; the most ingenious idea of conscripting the Muslim subjects of the empire to fight a deadly war in faraway Europe fired up the Basmachi insurrection.
Early 1917 did not see any improvement. "In the seventeen months of the 'Tsarina's rule', from September 1915 to February 1917, Russia had four Prime Ministers, five Ministers of the Interior, three Foreign Ministers, three War Ministers, three Ministers of Transport and four Ministers of Agriculture. This "ministerial leapfrog", as it came to be known, not only removed competent men from power, but also disorganized the work of government since no one remained long enough in office to master their responsibilities." (Orlando Figes, A People's Tragedy, 2008, quoted by Wikipedia.)
The people of Petrograd (= Sankt Peterburg, Saint Petersburg, the capital city of the Empire) had had enough. Sporadic strikes began on what the Russians called 18 February and everybody else called 3 March. By 10 March (25 February for the Russians, who were behind the times as usual), the city was in full revolt. The Duma, which was what passed for an Imperial Parliament, saw no way out but to issue a Manifesto requesting the Tsar to abolish absolute monarchy and grant a Constitution. Several Princes affixed their signature on the treasonous Manifesto.
On 16 March 1917, Nicholas II, Tsar of All the Russias, abdicated in favor of his brother, Grand Duke Michael, who promptly declined the crown. (This didn't save him. The Bolsheviks killed him one year later.) The country fell into the hands of the hastily assembled Provisional Goverment whose only vision was to run around like a headless chicken trying to find out What Was to Be Done.

Vladimir Ilyich "Lenin" Ulyanov, the greatest agent provocateur of all times:
Meanwhile, the Germans, exalted by what they perceived as the imminent collapse of Russia, decided to give it push. An officer of the German General Staff went to Switzerland and contacted Vladimir Ilyich Ulianov, aka Lenin, the head of the rabidly extremist Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party and offered him transportation to Petrograd. Lenin jumped at the occasion, and arrived at Petrograd's Finland Station in April 2017.
In six short months, Lenin's inflamatory speeches and the violent tactics of his fanatical supporters destroyed Russia's political system, what was left of it, and rendered the Provisional Government powerless to run the country.

The Great October Socialist Revolution which Took Place in November:
On 23 October 1917 (10 October in Russia), the Central Committe of the Bolshevik Party adopted a resolution calling for immediate armed uprising. On 7 November (25 October in Russia), the Bolshevik Military-Revolutionary Committe of Petrograd lauched an armed uprising against the Kerensky Government. The Winter Palace, the main seat of the Russian Government, did not resist. (The 140 female soldiers of the Women's Battalion who were supposed to defend it did not feel like confronting 40,000 furious Bolsheviks.)

Initial points of departure:

The former Tsar is still at Tsarskoye Selo:
In real history, Alexander Kerensky, head of the Russian Directory (the interim government tasked with running the country while the Constituent Assembly assembled a Constitution for the newly proclaimed republic) escaped the Winter Palace and fled to Pskov, where he assembled an army an attempted to retake Petrograd.
In real history, the Imperial Family had been relocated to Tobolsk, east of the Urals, in Western Siberia. But in our changed timeline, the Tsar had refused to leave his residence at Tsarskoye Selo (= Imperial Village in English), and happily for him, Kerensky's troops did indeed manage to take Tsarskoye Selo.

The Junker Mutiny proves to be more efficient than in real history:
In real history, the mutiny of the cadets of the military schools in Petrograd was defeated before it began: one of the leaders of the mutiny managed to be arrested while carrying the plans for the uprising. In the new timeline, Aleksandr Arnoldovich Bruderer evades arrest, and the Junker Mutiny succeeds in its initial plan of seizing the telephone exchange and some key fortresses in Petrograd.

Kerensky's troops, with the Imperial Family, join with the Junker cadets and retreat in order to Pskov, where they make contact with the forces of General Nikolay Yudenich.

In real history, Yudenich fled to Finland, and did not return to the Russian Civil War until 1919. In the new timeline, Yudenich joins his meager force with the motley men of Kerensky, takes command and leads an organized retreat through Minsk to Kiev.

A slightly different Russian Civil War:

By December 1917, the situation in Russia is almost the same as in real history, with the difference that Yudenich, Kerensky and the Imperial Family are in Kiev, where they have a tenuous relationship with the Ukrainian Central Rada, which was hesitating between collaboration with the Bolsheviks and moving towards independence.

Seeing how the wind was blowing, Yudenich, Kerensky and the Imperial Family, protected by the Cadets and whetever Loyalist forces they had assembled, move South-East towards Rostov-on-Don, which was firmly held by the Volunteer Army led by Lavr Kornilov. The long retreat has finally come to an end, and the Imperial Family is safe.

Events follow now real history: Kornilov dies in his attempt to take Ekaterinodar; the Volunteer Army executes the fabled Ice March (this time with the official head of government and the Imperial Family in tow); Anton Denikin takes command of the White Forces in Southern Russia. The White Army launches the Kuban Offensive, taking control of South-Eastern Ukraine, Crimea, and the entire Kuban region between the Black Sea and the Caspian.

As in real history, the Bolsheviks sign the shameful Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, ignominiously exiting the First World War and leaving their allies (notably Romania, sob, sob) hanging in the wind.

Events continue along the real historical path (maybe with the presence of the Imperial Family leading to a less atrocious white terror in Denikin's area of control) until late 1918.

The decisive points of departure:

In real history, the Eastern and Western parts of the putative Russian Republic fighting against the Bolsheviks did not speak to one another, did not co-ordinate with one another and generally behaved as if the other part did not exist. Moreover, they had only the most tenuous relationship with the Allied intervention forces which were supposed to help them.

In the new timeline, Denikin, as soon as the Kuban offensive gave him control of the entire strip of land between the Black Sea and the Caspian north of the Caucasus, names Yudenich as head of the Co-ordination Service, and he establishes a joint planning committee aiming to harmonize the movements of the Western White Forces in South Russia with the mightier Eastern White Forces in Siberia.

As a result, instead of launching two separate offensives in 1919, the White Forces coordinate and Denikin's Advance on Moscow is timed to coincide with Alexander Kokchak's general offensive.

As in real history, Leon Trotsky attempts to dupe Nestor Makhno's anarchist Black Army, which was wrecking havoc in Southern Ukraine, into attacking Denikin's forces in the rear; but this time Denikin is alert and obtains support from the Polish and Romanian intervention forces, which keep the anarchists occupied and take Odessa.

By judiciously timing its offensive to coincide with the great eastwards push  of the Eastern White Forces, the Southern White Forces avoid defeat at Orel and succeed in establishing contact with Kolchak's forces in Samara and Ufa.

In the summer of 1919, the White Army holds a continuous piece of territory stretching from Crimea and Rostov-on-Don (on the northern shore of the Sea of Azov) through Tsaritsyn¹ (later named Stalingrad, now Volgograd) to Samara and Ufa and onwards to the entire Siberia. (The White forces really held Siberia through out the Civil War, and they really took Tsaritsyn, Samara and Ufa from time to time.)
¹) They really took Tsaritsyn, with the help of the berskerker attack led by Major Ewen Cameron Bruce, who was more or less the entire British intervention forces on the Southern Front.

Seeing that some sort of half-victory was at hand, Kolchack (or rather Kerensky, acting on behalf of Kolchack) manages to convince the the Supreme Allied Council to withdraw its insistence that Russia renounce forever the restoration of monarchy, with the intention to capitalise on the Russian muzhik's love for the Father Tsar.

The Supreme Allied Council reluctantly agrees to let a future Russian Constituent Assembly decide between republic and monarchy, and steps up the supply of materiel, both through the American-held Vladivostok and the Trans-Siberian railway, and through the much closer at hand Black Sea and Rostov-on-Don.

Helpfully, Mikhail Tukhachevsky is killed during his attempt to retake Ufa for the Bolsheviks in the autumn of 1919. With him, the Bolsheviks lose their only competent military commander.

Conclusion.

In 1920, with their economy in tatters, with the approaching specter of famine profiling on the horizon, with their opponents enjoying a steady flow of weapons, ammunition and supplies, the Bolsheviks make overtures for peace. Trotsky and Bukharin lead the Soviet delegation, with the negotiations taking place in Tsaritsyn. The Whites agree to evacuate Crimea, giving the Reds access to the warm water port of Sevastopol; they keep Rostov-on-Don. The frontier is established from Roston-on-Don along the Don up to Kalach-na-Donu, then accross to the Volga at Tsaritsyn, up the Volga through Saratov and Samara, then east along the Kama to the confluence with the Belaya, along the Belaya to its source, then along the crest of the Ural Mountains to the Kara Sea. The Reds keep Novaya Zemlya, the Whites keep Vaygach Island.

In 1921, the Constituent Assembly of Siberian Russia, sitting in Yekaterinburg, proclaims the country a constitutional monarchy, with Nicholas II assuming the title of Emperor of Siberia and retaining considerable executive powers.

Basically, the Russian Empire splits into its European part and its Asiatic part. The Soviet Union retains 80% of the Empire's population and economy, while the new Empire of Siberia retains a lot of underpopulated territory, rich in minerals and timber.
Comment: Excellent!  And slow reading for me as I kept investigating links; thank you.  I am impressed that this level of detail must be kept on a front shelf in your brain, AlexP, for you to turn this out so quickly.
Comment: @Willk: Different places, different cultures. Bulgakov's [*The White Guard*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Guard), Chukhrai's [*The Forty-First*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Forty-First_(1956_film)) ($\leftarrow$ great film), Jancsó's [*The Red and the White*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Red_and_the_White), Sholokhov's [*And Quiet Flows the Don*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_Quiet_Flows_the_Don), Ostrovsky's [*How the Steel Was Tempered*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_the_Steel_Was_Tempered), ... and of course the loving study of the October Revolution in school.
Answer: The Russo/Chinese Border, but Probably Nowhere
The problem I see is not one of escape, there are plenty of dice rolls and coin flips during a revolution, and it wouldn't take much for the Tzar to have successfully bolted or one of the older children to escape. (I don't think a younger kid would have the gravitas you want, if just Anastasia escapes she's a figurehead sure, but unlikely to be a real ruler-in-exile imo.)
The tricky part is "Where do they go where they can still be a Power?"  My first thought is somewhere in the Russian far east, where they might gather loyalist forces and form a new power base.  Somewhere along the Sino/Russian border for instance.  They go there, a less-immediately-vengeful Red Russia doesn't follow or makes a truce, and between Imperial Loyalists and encroaching into Chinese territory made easy pickings by the chinese civil war they could establish a decent manpower base.  You could maybe get local (mongolian/chinese) support just by being a less-corrupt government than the warlords and providing local security.  Though you would have to do some pretty slick deals with the Chinese nationalists and/or Communists to pull it off.  So you can conceivably make them a Nation. Probably not a Great Power Worthy Nation however.  Except that such a power, positioned to strike on behalf of the Nazis, could have war-changing implications.  The Nazis were kept out of Moscow by troops transferred from the far east.  Throw an actively hostile force in the far east and the USSR can't pull the men, Moscow falls, and maybe the USSR with it.
Of course the problem there is I don't see for an instant the Lenin or Stalin allowing part of Russia be independent of the USSR, especially with the Czar or his kin at its head.
If you want to keep all of Russia Soviet however I just don't see a place for them.  The various chinese warlords/governments wouldn't take them in on their own when the russians could easily go after them.  The western nations and colonies might take them in (I seem to recall talks about the Brits wanting to take the Czar and have him live in the Netherlands or somehwere) but that's a government-in-exile and not a real "Fielding an Army" Power for WWII.  I guess you could always have the Czar/his kin escape in such a manner, then when the nazis take over strike some sort of deal.  Hitler was a racist and a moron, but possessed a certain low cunning politically.  Perhaps a malleable son or daughter of the Czar could have been used as a Slavic figurehead promised to be returned to the Russian people, and thereby foment internal problems for the USSR.  The Czar was fairly well liked (though his wife was hated) and it might have helped the Axis cause, but that doesn't seem to be exactly what you're after.
As a world leader the Czar just wasn't liked enough, and didn't have the influence, to just vanish and set up as head of a new country somewhere else.  King of england? Sure he might become head of South Africa or Canada or Australia in a pinch, but Czar of all the Russians? No. Not without some alt-history Russian overseas territories or a bit of handwavium anyway.
Answer: There is a novel by Vasily Aksenov called "The Island of Crimea" describing a scenario that may be useful for you. In that novel's world Crimea is an island, not a peninsula, and it gives refuge to the White movement after they lose the Civil War, with some aid from the British Navy. It becomes something akin to what Taiwan is to China. While in the novel Nicholas did not escape there, it certainly won't be impossible for that to happen.
Even though it won't be a Great Power comparable to USA/USSR, it could become quite wealthy and developed, and then, who knows, maybe snatch more land at the coast of the Black Sea, e.g. taking part in the partition of the Ottoman Empire.
And even if you don't want to alter the geography that much, altering history so there was a channel dug between Crimea and the mainland is reasonably plausible.


Is making a youtube channel with gaming videos haram?

Question: I am wondering if having a youtube channel with gaming videos is haram. People might use it irresponsibly and waste time, would this be my responsibilty? Thank you.
Comment: it should not be haram as long as it does not contain any source of haram things or promote anything against the islamic law. In terms of responsibility and time wastage, it depends on the users who come to your youtube channel.
Comment: winter bucky would it be my responsibility if they waste too much time though?
Comment: as long as you keep your side with the halaal things, you don't have to worry about others on the time wastage as this is more towards the users responsibility instead of yours
Answer: The game itself should be halal and you should first advice them not to spend too much time in that game.If you do it I think it'll be fine.After that if they waste too much time in that game then it will be their responsibility because you already adviced them.There is no problem to play halal games for entertainment for short time.But if you start wasting time it'll become Haram.
And finally,I want to say,there's no benefit in making gaming videos.Whats the purpose? Isn't this useless? You should spend your time in some beneficial activities.
But however it's not Haram as long as you don't get addicted in playing games and I believe making gaming videos is also okay as long as you follow the above things which I wrote.
And Allah knows best!
Comment: thank you, I enjoy making gaming videos so thats why and i was asking,
Comment: You're welcome!
Answer: I want to remind you of surah al muminun 3rd verse:
"and who turn away from all that is vain"
Isn't wasting precious time with games vain? For me the answer is "yes"
And think about the time people lose when they watch your vides. If you have a popular 10 minute video watched 1 million times, that would be 2778 hours of watching time.


Should the magnesium rod be removed from a water heater if a softener is used?

Question: Our water heater is less than 3 years old and I am starting to hear small particles bouncing around inside what the thing is heating up. Our old water heater never did this and was 22 years old both were gas and we have a water softener. I thought I remembered that they took out the magnesium rod on the original one since we had a softener. Is this true? Could that be the problem?
Comment: no no, softening is not magic, softening makes it *less bad*, but even city water is far from ideal.  You don't remove the protective anode unless your water is under laboratory-tier control.
Comment: Did they put anything in in place of the rod on the old water heater? Is there an electrical outlet near the water heater, for that matter?
Answer: The "bouncing around" that sounds like particles inside your heater is the expansion or contraction of the copper piped inside your heater. If you go to a local plumbing & heating shop, many have a "cut out" of the inside of a water heater. That may give you an idea of what's going on, as well as asking the dealer about the clicks & ticks.....
Answer: Likely the sound you hear is "bumping"; boiling in debris on the bottom of the heater. A steam bubble forms in the debris then collapses. The debris provides an insulating layer to prevent hot water from rising naturally by convection. Flushing the heater should reduce the problem. There is a valve at the bottom of the tank for flushing . The heater information probably recommends occasional flushing. I turn down the thermostat , connect a hose to the bottom valve , run it outside and open the valve for a minute.
Answer: Safe levels of drinking water are supposedly between 6 and 8.5 PH. Ideally you would want between 7 and 7.5, which is almost completely neutral, not being strongly alkaline or acidic. If the PH is within these ranges, it should greatly reduce the amount of wear and tear on your plumbing system.
The water softener may be releasing too much salt into the system which is making the water be too alkaline. Alkaline water can act as an electrolyte and form a low grade battery when it reacts with the magnesium anode. Removing the anode may stop the reaction, but could also shorten the lifespan of the tank. The anode may need to be replaced on a regular basis to prevent the tank from corrosion.
The PH of the water needs to be determined to see what adjustments, if any need to be made to the softener. It most likely is way too high, which is causing problems with your tank. I also suggest that you also inspect the anode to see what state it is in. It most likely will need to be replaced.


What is the physical meaning of the zeroth component of the Minkowski force 4-vector?

Question: In David Griffiths' Intro to Electrodynamics, section on ED and relativity, he poses a simple problem regarding the zeroth component of the Minkowski force 4-vector for a charge $q$ moving with velocity $v$. I think this is
$$\frac{q \mathbf{E} \cdot \mathbf{v}}{\sqrt{c^2-v^2}}.$$
What I cannot figure out is the physical meaning of this component, assuming I got it right.
Comment: You don't seem very sure. Doesn't the textbook have anything to say about this? Can you post the problem as written in the textbook?
Answer: The Minkowski force is simply $dp^\mu/d\tau$. In the nonrelativistic limit, $p^0$ is energy and $\tau$ is time, so
$$F^0 \approx \frac{dE}{dt} = \mathbf{F} \cdot \mathbf{v}.$$
That is, it is the rate of work being done on the particle by the force. (I've dropped a factor of $c$ here for simplicity.)
Answer: If  $\:\mathbf{f}\:$ is the force 3-vector, like the Lorentz force, applied on a particle of rest mass  $\:m_{o}\:$ moving with velocity 3-vector $\:\mathbf{w}\:$, then the  force 4-vector  is
\begin{equation}
\mathbf{F}=\left(\gamma_{w} \mathbf{f} , \gamma_{w}\dfrac{ \mathbf{f}\boldsymbol{\cdot}\mathbf{w} }{c}\right), \quad \gamma_{w}=\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{1-\dfrac{w^2}{c^2}}}
\tag{001}
\end{equation}
Now $\: \mathbf{f}\boldsymbol{\cdot}\mathbf{w} \:$ is the rate of work $\:W\:$done on the particle by the force, rate with respect to time $\:t\:$ :
\begin{equation}
\mathbf{f}\boldsymbol{\cdot}\mathbf{w}=\dfrac{\mathrm{d}W}{\mathrm{d}t}
\tag{002}
\end{equation}
If $\:\tau\:$ is the proper time, that is the time in the rest frame of the particle, then
\begin{equation}
\gamma_{w}=\dfrac{\mathrm{d}t}{\mathrm{d}\tau}
\tag{003}
\end{equation}
and
\begin{equation}
\gamma_{w}\left(\mathbf{f}\boldsymbol{\cdot}\mathbf{w}\right)=\dfrac{\mathrm{d}W}{\mathrm{d}\tau}
\tag{004}
\end{equation}
So the zeroth ("time") component of the force 4-vector times $\:c\:$  is the rate of work $\:W\:$ done on the particle by the force, rate with respect to proper time $\:\tau\:$.
In the case of  Lorentz force and particle with charge $\:q\:$
\begin{equation}
\mathbf{f} =q\left(\mathbf{E}+\mathbf{w}\boldsymbol{\times}\mathbf{B}\right)
\tag{005}
\end{equation}
and
\begin{equation}
\gamma_{w}\dfrac{\mathbf{f}\boldsymbol{\cdot}\mathbf{w}}{c}=\gamma_{w}\dfrac{q\left(\mathbf{E}+\mathbf{w}\boldsymbol{\times}\mathbf{B}\right)\boldsymbol{\cdot}\mathbf{w}}{c}=\dfrac{q\mathbf{E}\boldsymbol{\cdot}\mathbf{w}}{\sqrt{c^2-w^2}}
\tag{006}
\end{equation}
identical to the expression in question.


Ciliated Epithelium & Goblet Cells Lining The Trachea

Question: My book states this - The cells produce mucus that traps particles of dirt and bacteria in the air breathed in. The cilia on these cells move this debris up the trachea and into the stomach. Isn't the stomach below the trachea? Wouldn't it move the dirt and debris up the throat so it can be removed via the mouth? My book does also state that the debris is pushed up the throat as well so does it do both?
Answer: There are two pipes from your throat, downwards. A foodpipe and a windpipe. One, called the trachea, feeds air into the lungs, i.e. connects your head with your lungs. Another pipe, called the esophagus, leads to the stomach.
Both pipes meet and share the same passageway in your throat and oral/nasal cavities. Let's call this the common pipe.
The lining of the trachea, made up of ciliated cells and mucus-producing cells, does indeed move debris UP and OUT of the trachea, away from the lungs. Once this debris is at the common pipe, it can go to the stomach or into the mouth or into your nose for clearance.
Comment: Thank you for your answer and response. I understand what you mean :)


Multisite publishing issue in SXA

Question: Using SXA 1.6 and Sitecore 9.0.1 , we have an environment with single tenant and multi sites ex: site1 , site2 ,.. we setup OOB security so only users in site1 can edit their content only and same for site2 , however we notice when a user in site1 publish his work, the content in site2 get published too

how we can resolve this issue?
what is the best practices in content approval in multi site scenarios?
Answer: You would need to set Publishing.CheckSecurity to be true to prevent users from publishing content that they don't have access to (Items will be published only if the user have write access, and will be deleted if the user have delete access)

        <setting name="Publishing.CheckSecurity" value="false" />

I would recommend you have workflow enabled on your content, you can have different workflow for each site, this will restrict publishing content that has not been approved yet, it would also help if your workflow has an auto publish action when the item is approved.
Comment: What do you see if you used access viewer?
Comment: When I set this to true I found that it seems to skip all items even items users just created and nothing get published using Site user
Comment: Does the user you are using to publish have write right on the root item?
Comment: i have added image in the thread
Comment: i uploaded screenshot from access viewer ?

Multisite publishing issue in SXA


What is the difference between \fboxsep=1cm and \setlength{\fboxsep}{1cm}?

Question: Question has been written above.
Answer: TeX notation versus LaTeX notation.
\newdimen\myDim \myDim=5cm+\linewidth  does not work
\newdimen\myDim \myDim=\dimexpr5cm+\linewidth\relax  works with etex
\newlength\myLen \setlength\myLen{5cm+\linewidth} works with package calc
\newlength\myLen \setlength\myLen{\dimexpr5cm+\linewidth} works with etex
myDim=5cm plus 1em does not work, must be a skip instead \newskip\mySkip
\setlength\myLen{5cm plus 1em minus .2ex} works, a LaTeX length is always a skip register
Comment: thanks for this answer. I will revisit this tomorrow again. It is a bit confusing to read. It is time to sleep. :-)
Answer: To elaborate a bit on what Herbert says, LaTeX 'lengths' are what TeX calls 'skips': lengths with a rubber component. They can therefore be set using the TeX syntax
\fboxsep=1 cm

or the LaTeX syntax
\setlength{\fboxsep}{1 cm}

There are a couple of points to watch here. First, LaTeX inserts a \relax to prevent the code accidentally picking up a 'plus' or 'minus' part. For example
\def\Oops#1{\fboxsep=#1}
\Oops{1 cm} plus some space

will lead TeX is complain that a number is missing, as the 'plus' is interpreted as a stretch component for the skip. The LaTeX solution, which inserts a \relax, is safe. The same can of course be done in TeX macros without LaTeX:
\def\Safe#1{\fboxsep=#1\relax}
\Safe{1 cm} plus some space

Here the 'plus' is not mis-interpreted.
Herbert also points out that the calc package allows calculations as part of the length setting. Personally, I tend to use e-TeX for this:
\def\Safer#1{\fboxsep\glueexpr#1\relax}

In this, the calculation is done by the engine, which is usually a better plan than using macros. (Note though that \glueexpr only does basic arithmetic using (, ), +, -, x and /. The calc package has 'max' and 'min' functions.)
Comment: @Celdor Just a typo


3ds animation on android

Question: I'm struggling to find a way to load a 3d model/animation on Android.
I know min3d framework and I would like to create a sample 3d animation, like a level, and running it on android.
Min3D is supporting really well the md2 files but I don't know really how to edit md2s.
Is there any way to load 3ds animations even not using min3d? if not, is there an alternative way?
thanks
Answer: Here is a free library that should get you started:
<code>http://www.jpct.net/jpct-ae/index.html
</code>

3ds animation on android


Is there a way to conditionally run Visual Studio Post Build Steps

Question: What we are looking for is: while compiling the same configuration, say Release|Win32, is there a way to only do the postbuild steps sometimes. Like, if I am on a dev machine do all the post-build steps or if I am on a build server then don't do them. Or is the only way to accomplish this is by implementing a new configuration?
Commenters: Thanks for the ideas, we do not want to use scripts as they would be one more thing to maintain, and going to MSBuild proj files would be a lot of headache at this point as well. Thanks for trying though.
Comment: Duplicate of http://stackoverflow.com/questions/150053/how-to-run-visual-studio-post-build-events-for-debug-build-only
Answer: You could use environment variables in the post build script.  Something like this:
<code>if NOT %ComputerName% == DEVMACHINENAME GOTO end
c:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\ngen "$(TargetPath)"
:end
</code>
Comment: +1 This feels like the most straight forward approach to solving the problem. Let the build do it's thing, and push the conditional logic into the post build step.
Answer: If you want to crack into MSBuild itself (.*proj files are essentially just MSBuild scripts), you can run machine-specific steps post-build: http://flimflan.com/blog/MachineSpecificTasksWithMSBuild.aspx

"This takes advantage of the fact that all environment variables are immediately available as properties in an MSBuild script; and that all Windows machines (that I've worked on recently) have the COMPUTERNAME environment variable set."
Comment: I'd suggest just setting a different env variable, not hard-code the scripts to specific machine names - rather set some env var like BUILD_MACHINE=TRUE and then check them.
Answer: If you don't like to have a separate build configuration (which I think would make most sense) you could e.g. define an environment variable on your build server which you then can test for in you post-build script.
Answer: Would it be possible to implement your post build steps as an external script which is always executed, but has logic to conditionally perform the steps you require?


Gas Range 20 amp Circuit Breaker

Question: I have a gas range. 120v, 16 Gauge 15 amp Plug. Can I use the 20 amp Ciruit Breaker that is currently in the house?
Comment: Are you saying you have a 20A circuit available for the range or are you trying replace a 15A breaker with a 20A breaker?
Comment: What sort of receptacle is on the circuit you are trying to plug the range into?
Comment: The way the question is worded is concerning because you specify a 120v 15A 16 AWG plug. That is some very precise information which is leading into a "wait, what are you doing" question.... IF AND ONLY IF the Gas Range is a 15A rated appliance can you use a 15A plug on it. Are you replacing the plug on the stove? If the plug is the plug that came WITH the stove, and all you are asking is if you can plug it into a 20A circuit, using an existing 20A outlet, YES you can. I wouldn't think a GAS range would consume 15A, so I wouldn't expect your stove to be 20A (unless its got an element).
Comment: You mean the appliance cord is 16 AWG, not the wiring in the walls...
Answer: Standard appliance cordage is usually 16 AWG and yes you can plug this device (stove) into a 120v 20 amp circuit. Toasters and hair dryers are usually larger because of the load but your range is listed for use on a 15 or 20 amp circuit.
Comment: Unless it has an electric element (dual heat source) or some other fancy options. I just wasn't sure if she was clear that it is a basic stove. It sounds like it. Its just interesting that she read the AWG of the cord.... But did she read the stoves cord or is she replacing the end "for some reason" (it jsut wasnt clear)
Comment: The answer is yes you can use a 15 amp device or cord on a 20 amp circuit. The difference in cord connected devices is that is the only load where outlets can have many things plugged in so the wire size is required to be larger to keep from overloading the wire and the heat that is generated from breaking down the insulation. So a device that comes with a 15 amp cord and plug can be used on a 20 amp circuit.
Comment: Yes. I have a 20amp ch avail. Can I use this breaker with the 15 amp plug on the gas range

Gas Range 20 amp Circuit Breaker


Is there any website or software that are like "Guess the move" training program in chesstempo?

Question: I find the "Guess the move" training program in chesstempo website very helpful. But this is not free and also the number of games is not much (compared to tactics training program which is in the order of hundreds of thousands; while "Guess the move" program contains around 100 games).
Is there any other website or software that is like "Guess the move" training program?
Comment: Chess Tactics Server. Be afraid.  http://chess.emrald.net/
Answer: What about the iOS SmallChess app written by myself?

(source: smallchess.com)

(source: smallchess.com)

(source: smallchess.com)

(source: smallchess.com)
Comment: That looks really slick! Is there an Android version in the works?
Comment: @LarryColeman Sorry, only iOS.
Answer: You can use Scid for that. You'll need a database of games; for example you could download games from chessOK or The Week In Chess and filter them to use only games between 2400+ players.
Once you have such database you can use the Play|Training|Review game functionality and you'll get what you're looking for.
Answer: Not free, but I've found that Shredder's tactics training ("Find the best move for White/Black") seems to have an endless supply of such questions (probably only in the thousands in actuality).
The Polgar book "Chess" with 5000+ mating problems is also good, but also not free.
Answer: I wrote some free software: GuessTheMove.  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZgWSCHxJHI. Website: https://sites.google.com/site/fredm/
Comment: Fantastic Idea! Thank you for being so generous! Does it work on Windows 10?
Answer: I don't know exactly the way the "Guess the move" training works in in chesstempo website.
But chess.com has the "chess mentor", and as far as I know is offered also to free accounts. I pretty much love that one, you can choose from many lessons and they are grouped by categories. What I like is that, if the given board position is too hard for your level or you simply cannot "read" the correct plan, you can choose to ask for up to three tips to guide your thinking on the right track.
I just verified now with a friend having a free account and at least some time ago the chess mentor WAS also available to free accounts - not sure how it is now. It is limited however to the number of problems one can do, even some paid membership can do up to 5 lessons per day.
Answer: Try lichess.
It is free and offers tactical positions where you need to find the best next move.


autocomplete in Thunderbird

Question: an old and unsupported email address of mine keeps appearing in From and I dont always check which one is there so am sending people emails from this email by mistake. This email is NOT in Collected Addresses so I cant delete it from there. Can you help me?
This email is for the Local Folder, that is the first one I had. Under profile, only Local Folder is there.
Answer: Open the menu on the top right (the three horizontal bars), hover over preferences and then select Account settings. On the left side down at the bottom you'll find Outgoing Servers. Select that and then pick your preferred email on the right and click Set Default.
You can also remove the unused old email from there.

autocomplete in Thunderbird


Does a space opera have to feature supernatural abilities, à la the Force?

Question: I'm creating a space opera video game and I was wondering if to be considered a Space Opera it had to feature some supernatural abilities like Star Wars has with the Force. Or can I completely forgo that entire idea altogether and keep the rest of what the Wikipedia page says about Space Operas?
Comment: David Weber's (and others') very successful books set in the [Honorverse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorverse) don't. David Drake's [RCN Series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCN_Series) doesn't. If those are not space opera that I don't know what is. Star Wars is more in the nature of an extended fairy tale.
Comment: Star Wars is fantasy, not science-fiction. It's a Good-vs-Evil story featuring princesses, knights with bright swords, and a gentle old wise sage hiding in the heart of a forest training a new disciple to face the evil wizard. They just changed horses for X-Wings and made an spherical dragon they called the Death Star.
Comment: Actually the question is not opinion-based. It's just it should be migrated to arts or some humanist as this is the question for theatrology 101 "what is an opera". HInt: it's the big flying thing at the beginning.
Answer: It might help to recognize that Space Opera is more akin to action/adventure than science fiction. Heroes blast their way out of prison, villains become tyrants for the self-serving desire to have power, and politics resemble Greek tragedies: all about personal grievances and family bloodlines. Space Opera is a bit of a mash up of pop futurism and traditional storytelling.
With Space Opera technology is just a story mechanic to service the plot. Consider one of the grandfathers of pulp sci-fi Flash Gordon. The science (if you can find it) is nonsense, but these are larger-than-life characters doing exciting things. It's not that the science is too lazy or "soft", it's actually irrelevant. Don't worry, you don't have time to think about what makes the hawkcycle go, you are too busy dodging death rays and being seduced by gorgeous amoral princesses.

The downside is with no consistent world rules technology comes and goes as needed Deus ex machina to get characters from A to B, or to resolve impossible conflicts instantly. Star Trek is among the worst offenders for casually discovering or inventing a world-breaking technology on a weekly basis and just as quickly ignoring it. Technobabble is used not to inform the viewer but to talk over their heads. That isn't science fiction, it's just trying to awe with pseudo-intellectual wordsalad.
Another unfortunate staple of Space Opera is reductively amplifying every conflict to an ancient battle of Good verses Evil (looking at you, Babylon5). I think this is more a case of reductio ad absurdum, or just bad writing. How old is this conflict? Since The Dawn of Time…, wait no, before that even… Why rely on dry technology infodumps to explain the setup if you can have a juicy prophecy with built-in foreshadowing to get the action moving? Also why develop characters with believable motives when you can just have space nazis? Most genre clichés probably have a grandfather that did it well, followed by hundreds of derivatives that did it to death.
Supernatural magic is not necessary, but it's the corollary to Clark's Third Law "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Only in this case it's actually magic but we'll say some technobabble so it sounds like advanced technology.
Answer: It doesn't have to feature supernatural abilities.
However, consider what is the 'theme', something that you can always revolve your stories about, repeatedly. To be successful, you must be able to immerse the player into your story (or, overwhelm them with stunning graphic, gameplay, or sound effect, but this won't help your story).
Supernatural ability fascinate people because most people at some point in their life imagine if they have a supernatural power, so they can associate and identify themselves with the characters.
If you take this supernatural ability away, you must focus on other area which people can identify to. Romance, parody, or even hard science. A story about black hole may be a good start.
For a basic start, see this article, especially the FAQ. Research well on other space operas.
Answer: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."--Arthur C. Clarke.
In the wiki article you mentioned, you'll notice some of the examples given as Space Operas don't actually have a supernatural ability. For instance, Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game and the series it spawned, didn't have something considered supernatural in every book, and even in the books where you might argue that it does, well...see the Arthur C. Clarke quote above and maybe replace the word technology with biology.
I actually don't see much as far as supernatural is concerned in the whole article. Just a passing mention, I think...
So no. It's just an adventure in space. Strictest definition would be campy and dramatic with a romantic angle thrown in, but...action adventure in space is just fine.
Answer: As the creator, you can do whatever you want. Very hard SF settings and games exist, such as Children of a Dead Earth, and there are a multitude of sites that deal with harder or softer settings, like Rocketpunk Manifesto, Tough SF or the ever helpful Atomic Rockets.
If that is not your thing, there are games, sites and movies which you can draw inspiration from for "softer" or even fantasy versions of SF.
The important thing is to understand "why" you want to add that element into the mix, and what it does to the story. If it suddenly "appears" and is used by the hero to get out of an otherwise impossible jam, the readers/viewers/gamers will probably throw their hands up in disgust, since it is clearly a cheat that you added to solve a problem you had written yourself into. You might also discover that your "special feature" has all kinds of implications which change the story immensely, and probably in ways you didn't think or or expect. Transporter technology from Star Trek is one of those things (and its non magical), which if you think about it totally disrupts if not destroys most of the Star Trek story universe. (Starships would not need hallways, "jeffries tubes" or turbo lifts if cheap and reliable transporter technology as depicted in Star Trek existed. They would not need kitchens or bathrooms either if you really think about it, and those are the simplest first order consequences.....)
You might also need to think about how the magical properties you invent change over time. Star Wars had a wonderful opportunity with "The Force Awakens" in the trailer when Mark Hamill (Luke) intones "The force is strong in my family. My father had it. My sister has it. You have that power too...."
Just imagine the implications of that on the Star Wars universe.
So think about the story you want to tell, look at the implications of the thing you want to add to the setting and see how it changes the flow of the story, game mechanics and so on.
Enjoy!


Is Neewer flash gear just rebranded Godox gear? Are they compatible with each other?

Question: I've read that Neewer and Godox are the same thing, and that a lot of Chinese flash gear is rebranded. The Neewer Q3 looks like it's the same as an AD200 Pro. I'm curious: is this just the same stuff? If I buy gear from both brands will it all work together? Given the Neewer stuff is often cheaper, it would be nice.
Answer: TLDR; No, they're not the same and they're not compatible.
The Neewer Q System is not the Godox X System
You are not the first person to see the physical similarity between Neewer's new "Q" system and Godox's "X" system. The Neewer QPro looks quite a bit like a Godox XPro; a Neewer Z1 has a round head and looks a lot like a Godox V1; and the Neewer Q3 is aping an AD200 Pro. But the UIs are different on the flashes and transmitters, and the Q3's head is fixed, not interchangeable.
There are, in fact, a number of different AD200, uh...homages, such as the Triopo F1-200 & F1-250, Yongnuo YN-200, Visico 2 (aka the Neewer Vision2), and Neewer Q3. All of them have fixed heads; all of them are in different incompatible radio triggering systems.
The Neewer Q3 units are not made by Godox and are completely incompatible as reported by other folks who purchased them assuming they were the same thing. I suspect they are Meike because the older Neewer QC transmitter (before the Neewer QPro came out as an Godox XPro lookalike) has a similar case to the Meike GT620, but as they're not identical in UI, that's not proof.
Generic Rebranding
However, a lot of Chinese flash gear does get extensively rebranded, and Neewer used to rebrand Godox's 2.4 GHz "X" system gear (e.g., the Neewer NW880 was the Godox TT685; the Neewer NW860 II was the Godox V860 II); but they don't appear to have any Godox gear, aside from the older non-compatible models (e.g., the Godox TT560 which has no radio in it is the Neewer TT560; and also used to be the Amazon Basics Flash) under their brand any more.
And Neewer is particularly problematic since they're a generic rebranding, bringing together a host of different gear under one label, assumably to make it easier to sell. Their flash gear has at various times been identified as models made by Godox, Yongnuo, Meike, Triopo, Visico, etc. So, "Neewer" as a brand does not indicate compatibility with anything else that's branded "Neewer".  You have to do more research.
Rebranding for Support
There is also a different kind of rebranding that is done for a different purpose. Adorama rebrands Godox gear as "Flashpoint R2"; Essential Photos in the UK rebrands it as "Pixapro" and Quadralite as "Stroboss" so that they can easily identify who to extend customer and warranty support to. If it's rebranded, it was clearly purchased from them.
With Jinbei's RT system, which is rebranded as Westcott FJ in the US and Rollei Freeze HS in Europe, an older reputable company is adopting a subset of models from their lineup to expand their own offerings. And they take over the customer/warranty support/repair issues under their rebranding as well.


Must I have cemeteries / landfills or can I use crematoriums / incinerators exclusively?

Question: When my city gets large enough to get crematoriums and incinerators, I generally use those over cemeteries and landfills. They don't need to be emptied, and I'm going to need the burners anyway to empty the other buildings. Invariably, my city winds up with dead bodies (and trash) in almost every building, so that got me wondering if I do need cemeteries to perform the initial body pickup? And crematoriums are only used when emptying cemeteries? Or do crematoriums actually collect dead bodies from buildings, and my large number of uncollected bodies is indicative of another problem (traffic?)?
Answer: Yes, you need both cemeteries and crematoriums, as some citizens will refuse to be cremated. (Source : Cities Skylines guide)
For trash this is not necessary, you can suffice with just incinerators as trash doesn't really have an opinion on how it is disposed off.
For both it is important to build enough facilities spread out trough the city as they have a limited number of trucks/hearses and these need to drive trough traffic to the pick up location.
Comment: `some citizens refuse to be cremated` See, this is why we need to expell all the elderly from the city. They don't work, they don't pay taxes, and all they do is complain about how they want to be cremated inefficiently.
Comment: That is nonsense as far as I know. crematoriums simply do not have enough hearses to keep the ovens running constantly. Cims in cemeteries do need to be cremated eventually, too. That said, it is helpful to have a mix - use cemeteries to stockpile the dead while the crematoriums are turned off -  and then empty the cemeteries into them when the storage is full.
Answer: NO,  If you have placed your cemeteries / landfills close to the highway where they have fast access to any part of your city, YOU NEED NOT use land-based facilities. Cemeteries or landfills are no longer needed as long as you have setup these facilities in the best places.


Trilogy of books about dragon souls inhabiting humans normally warriors

Question: It has been a long time since I read the first book but will remember what I can. There were dragons, but they could not survive alone; they needed human hosts, and were beneficial to the human. There was a war going on. I remember, at the end of the first book, the dragon was looking for a new host and he flew over a crippled girl, and she asked him to save her, but the dragon scorned her and looked for someone stronger.
Comment: Dragon spirits inhabiting humans is actually a pretty tropey trope; http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13516062-immortal-coil
Comment: And this; http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21803200-kindling-ashes
Comment: You mention "Japan" in your tags. Do you remember the book as being set there? And when was "a long time ago"?
Comment: I am pretty sure that the book was set in Japan although cannot be 100% I read the book over ten years ago. The main character was a man who was nobody before the dragon but ended up with a big castle. I have a strange feeling the author was female
Comment: Dragon souls in people? Sounds like Skyrim Lore books to me.
Answer: A series of books that come to mind are a trilogy by Joanne Bertin; The Last Dragonlord, Dragon and Phoenix and Bard's Oath. The humans share a soul with dragons and can shape shift into them. The Dragonlords act as judges/mediators for the kingdoms. There is the prospect of a civil war happening because of a royal assassination. The youngest dragonlord, if I remember correctly, was a common warrior before becoming becoming twin souled.The woman who's becomes the next dragonlord at the end of the book is not crippled, but in the second book is unable to shift. Also a good deal of the second book happens in a land that resembles China
Comment: I will look this up as it sounds like it could be the one.
Answer: Could this be Eon: Rise of the Dragoneye (2008) by Alison Goodman, also known as The Two Pearls of Wisdom?
It was a duology rather than a trilogy but the plot seems to fit. The blurb mentions dragons co-habiting humans and a crippled girl:

Twelve-year old Eon has been studying the ancient art of the
  Dragoneyes for two years. But he is playing a dangerous game: Eon is
  actually Eona, 16 years old and a girl. Her true identity must remain
  hidden at all costs: it is forbidden for women to practise the Art,
  and to be discovered would be punishable by death.
Let down by her injured leg, it seems that Eon is destined to fail in
  her quest, until a spectacular twist in events catapults her into the
  opulent but treacherous world of the Imperial court. Without a master
  to guide her, Eon must learn to harness her unprecedented natural
  power, while protecting the secret that could cost her everything . .
  .
Set against a rich backdrop of Ancient Chinese myths and traditions
  and fraught with tension, this is a classic page-turner.
Comment: There were definitely three books as I borrowed them from a friend who moved away before I read the third book which is why I want to find them. Also the girl was not a main character until book 2.
Comment: The books went through multiple renamings which could be what you're thinking of.
Answer: Possibly it's the Dragonback zeries by Timothy Zahn. In the first book,

When another ship crashes after a fierce battle, Jack rescues the sole
  survivor-- a K'da warrior names Draycos, a dragonlike being who cannot live
  apart from a symbiotic relationship with a humanoid host

by allowing him to bond, as a two-dimensional image/tattoo, on his skin. This bonding was required for the K'da to survive long-term (they could leave short-term).
Don't remember a crippled girl being passed over, however. And it was in future Space, not Japan. But it did involve a dragon. :)
Answer: I'm pretty sure you're thinking of The Tears of Artamon series, in which dragons live inside human hosts, making the host considerably more powerful but slowly changing them from humans into dragons.
The crippled girl is Karila, who begged Khezef to take her but was refused. The main character you mentioned in a comment would be Gavril Andar, who was a nobody who received the dragon and was revealed as heir to the throne of Azkhendir, and indeed, got a big castle. The war was ongoing for much of the trilogy, and yes, the author was female. Not sure about Japan though.


Symlink with CakePHP

Question: i have a problem with Symlinks.
My website: www.mysite.com is directed to:

/httpdocs/cakephp/app

In the same httpdocs I have another folder:

/httpdocs/resources

Now... i created a symlink called resources (from httpdocs/resources) into httpdocs/cakephp/app/webroot. This symlink is working okay. The problem is that when I try to access the symlink from the browser, I get: Forbidden 403.
This are the permissions of the symlink:
<code>lrwxrwxrwx  1 root          root     47 2013-11-20 05:18 resources -> /var/www/vhosts/mysite.com/httpdocs/resources
</code>
I'm running: Ubuntu 10.04.2 LTS.
Thank you very much for your help.
Answer: After hours of research I founded the problem, just add this line in the top of your .htdocs files of CakePHP:

Options +FollowSymLinks +ExecCGI

Symlink with CakePHP


Shell scripts Linux -> Solaris conversion guide

Question: I've developed a few Bash scripts on a LFS system which should now be made to work on a minimal installation of Sun Solaris 10. Is there a guide somewhere with at least some general tips for conversion, and even better, a "conversion table" for common commands and options? This answer would be a good example of a single entry in such a table.
Answer: Check out Resources for portable shell programming.
For Solaris specifically, the biggest gotcha is to make sure you have /usr/xpg4/bin or /usr/xpg6/bin ahead of /usr/bin on your PATH. The utilities in /usr/bin are backwards compatible with the pre-POSIX era. The utilities in /usr/xpg4* are compatible with Single Unix (v2 and v3 respectively). IIRC there are a few shell built-ins that change their behavior depending on the PATH too.
If your scripts are using bash constructs, you'll have to adapt them to run under ksh instead. Bash and ksh have a large common subset that contains many useful features that aren't in POSIX (arrays, extended glob patterns, [[ … ]], <(…), …). You can run ksh on Linux too; most distributions have it as an optional package, and you can download the source from the official site, or from more usable places.
The LFS site has installation instructions.
Comment: Thanks. Bash is installed, so we won't have to port to a different language.
Answer: Search the web for "sun application porting assistant 1.0 final release". I believe it is still downloadable from Oracle web site:
It is a static source code analysis and code scanning tool that can be used to identify incompatible APIs between the Linux and Solaris platforms. Sun Application Porting Assistant's robust C/C++ and shell script parsers are able to examine these source files with reasonable accuracy and produce reports that can be used in porting the application. Together with an easy-to-use GUI and a simple command-line interface, Sun APA is intended to simplify and speed up estimation and porting times.
Comment: That is exactly the sort of thing we need! It is very low on detail, however - The "Issue Detail" view is empty even though several issues are reported...
Answer: The Rosetta Stone for Unix website has a table showing equivalents for common commands across many different *nix flavors, though more focused on users & admins than shell script writers.
Answer: Instead of guessing what will work and what won't then just a install a Solaris on your workstation and test it out. (you obviously need a hypervisor to do that - recommend VirtualBox as you can download pre-build images for Solaris for use with VirtualBox). Won't cost you a penny and takes around 30 mins to install. Most of that is download time.


How do I handle duplicate entries in a single column database?

Question: A user may enter keywords into a text field and separate the keys using comma.
So the input may be bananas, apple, orange, pineapple.
In my database, I have a table called keyword, and it has only one column keyword which also is the primary key.
I add the keywords to the database, by $myArray = expload(',', $keywords).
Then I loop through the array and do a `INSERT INTO myTable'.
Now, if the keyword already exists, I will get an error message.
I can overcome the error message by using the INSERT IGNORE INTO statement.  If the record is a duplicate, the IGNORE keyword tells MySQL to discard it silently without generating an error.
My question is: Is this a good way of doing it? Or should I first check to see if the keyword exists?
I'm kind of thinking two queries vs one. And will this affect server load?
Answer: insert ignore is great, it kills 2 birds with one stone.
insert ignore is theoretically non-standard sql, but it's still very useful. if you ever need to go with some other storage engine, you can ameliorate those minor things if such an event ever comes to pass... no need to go through hoops to pre-port your code in this case.
Comment: Great. Thanks for confirming my suspicion. Had to google "ameliorate" - not used to articulated programmers ;o).
Answer: Although I would not discourage using INSERT IGNORE out of principal reasons in this case, I think there are a few practical considerations here.
I think it will be much faster if you'd deduplicate the array before sending it. I looks like you're using PHP - you could use array_unique() to deduplicate. (See http://nl2.php.net/manual/en/function.array-unique.php)
The benefit of this is:

No need for INSERT IGNORE - your solution will work for other databases as well
Less statements to generate, less statements to send, less statements for MySQL to parse - faster.
For typical web apps, database actions are slower than PHP processing, so it doesn't hurt either.

Another thing I would recommend is to generate one big INSERT statement like so:
$sql = INSERT INTO tab (keyword) VALUES ('word1'), ('word2'), ...

Contrary to what many people think this is standard SQL. The benefit of this is that you have one roundtrip, - way less overhead
Comment: Duplicates in the input string is not the issue. The issue was how to handle duplicate entries in the database.
Comment: But thanks for he tip about `array_unique()` and using the one INSERT statement.
Answer: The INSERT IGNORE is perfectly fine. The only other syntax I know would be the REPLACE INTO, but it is meant for another use case (it deletes and inserts the row if it already exists, which is probably slower).
Using two queries is a bad idea, because the SELECT query might take a long time to find the row you are looking for.
Answer: just taking a blind shot at this...you might want to look at other responses:
When a DBMS system provides an option like "ignore" you have mentioned, they would most probably have optimized it for better performance than the "check and insert" alternative you have mentioned as this is the only alternate approach against which, "ignore" would have to compete and if it is not any better than "check and insert" it does not make any sense to go for "ignore". from my experience, when there is a feature provided by dbms, it is almost always better to use it versus a manual equivalent..at the very least, it minimizes latency of your transaction and at best, it is often heavily optimized internally for better performance...but again, things cannot be generalized so broadly and would have to be examined on a case-to-case basis...this is just to be taken as a guideline


linux 3.17 supports hotplug of thunderbolt of non-chained thunderbolt devices -- what is this?

Question: Linux 3.17 has a commit which supports hotplug of thunderbolt of non-chained thunderbolt devices. But what does "non-chained thunderbolt devices" mean? Is a thunderbolt to ethernet adapter a chained or non-chained device? How about a thunderbolt to display port adapter?
Answer: See Apple's promo page for info about Thunderbolt. It also describes how you can chain devices together instead of needing a hub or similar. My impression is that hot-plugging such daisy-chained devices are what are not supported by the linux commit; only single devices, whatever type they are.
Answer: Thunderbolt 3 is a beast of a protocol and hardware solution. In Linux, there is some support for Apple devices but nothing very generic currently, as I understand. For instance with kernel 4.9 (Debian 9) with the Lenovo Thunderbolt 3 docking station and Lenovo Thinkpad T470 everything worked if I booted while attached to the dock. Suspend/ resume would not work, just the power and the display would come online. With kernel 4.13 I can reliably suspend/ resume with everything coming back online. I cannot hot-plug though.
BTW the original Thunderbolt is really relevant only on Apple hardware from what I know. Thunderbolt 2 got deployed more widely on Dell and Lenovo hardware in addition to Apples.
Thunderbolt should work as DisplayPort (and in case of Thunderbolt 3 as charger) pretty much all the time. The switch to "Thunderbolt alternative mode" should be easy enough to be supported as one of the first things.
Thunderbolt also allows for networking, which should be present in all major operating systems including Linux kernel 4.15+ shortly.


Proof I left the US

Question: During my childhood I've been to the US many times. I always realizes that when I entered the US my passport was stamped with the date of my entry and when I returned to my homeland (Jamaica), they would stamp it to show when I returned. Last summer (2016) I visited the US and as usual my passport was stamped with the date of my arrival. When I got back home to Jamaica I went through immigration and all. When I left the airport I realized that my passport wasn't stamped with my return date. Is this a serious problem or the US stores international departures record. I'm confused and I need help.
Comment: Don't worry, they know. Similar here http://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/64200/how-does-the-us-know-if-someone-has-overstayed
Comment: Have a look at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov, where you can look up your records yourself.
Answer: The US keeps their own records, so this should not be a problem. Many countries do not stamp passports for their citizens (or at all), so this is quite typical.
As phoog suggests, you can check your record by going to i94.cbp.dhs.gov and filling out the form. If they have your departure recorded accurately, which will normally be the case, then you're all set.
If that webpage shows that the US Government does not think you left on time (glitches can happen, especially if you enter by air and depart by the land borders), they advise:

CBP tracks departures in a variety of manners, but not all departures are available on the website. If you are departing by air or sea, your departure is recorded electronically. There may be times when this information does not appear accurate. There is no formal action to take. CBP will not update the records available on the website.
Also, some land border departures may not be recorded in CBP systems. Land border departures on the Southern Border are not always documented. A departure will be recorded if you depart via land and re-enter the United States prior to the expiration date stamped in your passport. If you are not a resident of Canada or Mexico and you receive an electronic I-94 and depart via land, but do not re-enter the United States prior to the expiration date stamped on your passport, you may want to travel with evidence of your departure into Canada or Mexico. Evidence of departure can include, but is not limited to, foreign entry stamps in a passport, transportation tickets, pay stubs and/or other receipts.

If this is the case, it's a good idea for the next time you come to the US to carry some proof that you returned to Jamaica on time, such as your boarding pass stub, in case you are asked about it.

Proof I left the US


C Wire for Thermostat

Question: I am upgrading my thermostat (Have AC & Heat) and found that it doesn't have the "C" wire that I need to power my new thermostat. The furnace does have a terminal for C, but only condensation pump is connected. Can I simply run an 18 gauge wire from the furnace C to the thermostat C. to have a fully functioning, powered thermostat? There are already 5 wires connected. I have attached a picture of my furnace wiring in case more information is needed.
Comment: Yes that C in the control board will give you full time 24-volts at the t-stat. If that is easy to do, that would be best.  Or if you can give up your independent fan control, you can jumper the yellow to the green at the board which would cover the air conditioning.  Then you would have the green wire to use as the common. P.
Comment: Thank you for the fast response. Yes, it would be easiest for me to just add the separate C wire, as the furnace and the thermostat are just on the other side of the wall. I'm glad that is an actual option for me.
Comment: Similar question has answers with massive detail about this problem, posted starting in 2011. https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/10482/how-can-i-add-a-c-wire-to-my-thermostat[](https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/10482/how-can-i-add-a-c-wire-to-my-thermostat)
Answer: Technically, to do it properly, you should run a new cable with more wires.
But yes. If you connect the C terminal on the thermostat, to that C terminal on the furnace control board. That should power your new thermostat.

C Wire for Thermostat


Hops to put in a golden ale to give a big hit of hops

Question: Im looking to make a golden ale from a kit but I want it to have a massive hoppy hit when you take a sip, any ideas on what type to add and dates before bottling?
Comment: Are you interested in adding hop bitterness, or hop aroma? For the first, you need to  add hops to the boil. For the second, they can be added at the start of fermentation.
Answer: I would try to add saaz at the end of boiling (0 min) and dry hopping with more saaz 2 days before bottling.  You could check hops characterists at hopunion: https://www.hopunion.com/saaz/
Comment: Im a kit brewer, should I add some finishing hops when I start fermentation and add more before bottling?
Answer: [EDIT] (I only now saw the secondary comment)
If you want to Dry Hop (add hops after primary fermentation has completed) then I usually add about 50g of the same hops that was the "lead character" in the brew. Dry hopping is usually 3 to 7 days before bottling/kegging.
Just add the hops to the fermenter. Don't do anything like boiling the hops. Just weight it out, open the fermenter, throw them in and close the fermenter.
Using pellets is the best as they "dissolve" and distribute nicely. For the rest you might need to use a bag that is weighed down.
[End of Edit]
A "Massive Hoppy Hit" is a bit difficult. Do you want bitter, flavour or aroma? What do you consider a hoppy hit?
Basically:
To make it more bitter, add extra hops at beginning of boil.
To make it taste more hoppy, add hops halfway during boil.
To make it smell more hoppy, add hops at end of boil or dry hop.
What flavour/aroma do you want to achieve? Citrus? Then go for Cascade or a similar hop. Berries? Then EKG or similar. Spicy? Then Saaz.
High alpha hops will give more bitterness.


If I undergo baptized am I still Catholic?

Question: I am Catholic and theirs people came in to our boarding house and they undergo me for baptized.am I still Catholic? I need it.i don't want to change my religion.
Comment: You are still Catholic!
Comment: Which people came into your boarding house?  And did they actually baptise you?  Did they do so with your permission?  Did they sprinkle you with water or immerse you in a pool of water?  Or are they trying to put pressure on you to convert?  A little more information would be helpful.
Comment: You may need [pastoral advice](https://christianity.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/6018/why-cant-i-ask-for-personal-advice), but... the miracle is not in the act of baptism, it's in your heart, belief, and attitude.  You cannot be forced to be something you don't want to be and I'm not convinced the Lord would respect any baptism of an adult that wasn't accompanied by a thoughtful and deliberate choice.
Answer: There is a few parts to this simple question, but the simple answer is "Yes, you are still a Catholic."
Some one suggested to talk to a priest about this and that is the best way to confirm you are still a Catholic.  However, the thought that you are still (I assume) willing to talk to a priest means that you are still a Catholic.  Just like many other things we do, this may be a sin (talk to a priest they would know and assess best...though it doesn't sound like you had intent or full knowledge of the situation and even so it might only be a venial sin).
As with any sin, we may turn away from God for some time but we are always welcome back once we admit wrong, and we are even welcome as we repent and make reparations.  The Catholic Church takes the same attitude, and we and we may sin against her, but we are always welcome.  Just because you sin doesn't make you not Catholic, it just makes you a mortal human.  The Catholic Church is filled with mortal sinners trying to do better everyday, so you are right at home with everyone.
I just mentioned sin a lot, and in order for this to be a sin, you had to have full knowledge of what is happening, full knowledge of how it's wrong, and willingly choose and intend to do this action.  Not having all these components means that you may still have made a mistake but may not have sinned or it may just be a venial sin.  Again this depends on what exactly happened and you intent and knowledge.  A priest could discern this the best with more details that you may want to share.
Based on my limited knowledge of the situation and your knowledge, it does not sound like you sinned at all.  You didn't know and didn't fully participate with full knowledge and you definitely didn't participate to spite God, the church or someone, let alone intend to do harm with your participation (or know of any possible harm with your actions).
In order to NOT be a Catholic anymore, in a nutshell, you have to publicly state your intent.  Some write a letter to the bishop with this intent.  Others in a different drastic way will publicly denounce their religion possibly by speaking ill of it or by promoting heresies.. Even at those points, those people are still welcome back, though at that point they may possibly not be known as a Catholic anymore.
As a side topic with this, there are people who haven't been to mass in 40+ years and are still technically Catholic.  There are people who started to go to a Protestant church after going to. Catholic church for 40+ years and they are still Catholic, technically.  And there are people in between both and other situations, who are all still Catholic.  Some of those situations are sinful, all of whom we need to pray for and welcome back.
Depending on who they were and what they did, the "baptism" is probably nothing more than a blessing.
 I know of one group where they will "baptise" everyone they see and come in contact with and even people sleeping.  I forget the name of that group, but all they are doing is sprinkling "holy water" or "holy salt" (I use those terms loosely as they are blessed by their church leader and not a minister with spiritual authority)., And while sprinkling they say a basic informal prayer for you to accept Jesus I hour heart.
I know that many Protestant religions don't believe in baptism (ironically enough Baptists don't) and some have something similar they call a christening....which is very similar to a baptism but without a sacrament.
There is only a few that believe in baptism and call it such and perform it in a similar way as Catholics do.  The very few will do something similar as to what I just mentioned with people blessing others.
You, possibly being curious about it and asking as they go through the motions and prayers isn't necessarily sinful and isn't enough to get kicked out.  If you were just sleeping (or resting) as they did a "drive-by" baptism I don't think counts for anything really, and really is not even a blessing.
Knowing more about who these people and their intent would be helpful...we're they the Church of Satan trying to have people denounce Christianity and be baptised in their church, or were they a 7th day Adventist just trying to bless the world  through their version of "baptism", or what we Catholics might call a consecration.
A baptism is similar to a blessing and there is more to it, but in general you can only be blessed by someone whom you allow and by someone whom has authority over you.  A baptism, as a sacrament and as a blessing with more (as an over simplification), means that they would have to have spiritual authority over you, and that would only be valid if you gave them that authority by denouncing your religion and willingly joining theirs.
Spiritual authority is a big deal when it comes to blessings and sacraments.  Without that spiritual authority it would not be valid.


Is this a threat if website to connect to is in clear in the TLS SNI extension or when using an HTTP proxy?

Question: As per my understanding, after the TCP three-way handshake we send a TLS ClientHello which has the SNI field in clear text and anyone can see which website I am trying to connect to.
Isn't it a threat that anyone can see my secure website?
The second issue is in case of proxy in between we send the HTTP connect packet, in which we inform the proxy that to which server we need to connect now, again we are clearly mentioning which website to connect.
Also, why there is a need of HTTP connect packet when we have the SNI field from where proxy can find out where it needs to connect?
Comment: TLS is not designed to hide the site you are connecting with.
Answer:
Isn't it a threat that anyone can see my secure website?

TLS was designed to protect the application payload. It was not designed to protect the meta information of the connection, i.e. the domain name, source and target IP address, number of bytes transmitted, timing of traffic etc. There can definitely be a privacy risk when somebody is getting these information, but to protect the privacy was not a design goal of TLS. The goal was instead to protect the application data against sniffing and manipulation.
The target domain name in the ClientHello (i.e. SNI) is needed by the server to find out which certificate to provide in the case the multiple domains and certificates are provided on the same IP address. It is similar to the Host header of HTTP, only that it is available before the encryption starts so that the proper certificate can be provided inside the TLS handshake.
The domain name is not only visible in the ClientHello. Until TLS 1.2 the certificates (containing the domain name as subject or subject alternative names) where also sent by the server in clear - this was changed with TLS 1.3. There is also a way to encrypt SNI - ESNI is supported by several clients and servers already. But the same information also can be determined by associating DNS requests with later TLS connection to a specific IP address - unless DNS is protected to using DNS over HTTPS or similar technologies.

... why there is a need of HTTP connect packet when we have the SNI field from where proxy can find out where it needs to connect?

The ClientHello is only send after the tunnel to the server via the proxy is established. To establish the tunnel the proxy needs to know the IP address of the server. In theory the client could put the target IP address in the CONNECT request instead of the domain name. But a proxy is often used in setups where the internal client has no access to the external DNS at all, which means that the client might not be able to provide the server IP address and that the proxy must resolve the domain name.
In theory a proxy can be configured in a transparent mode where the client tries to connect directly to the final server (i.e. no CONNECT request) and due to some firewall magic these packets get redirected to the proxy which then figures out the real target by analyzing the ClientHello. And this kind of setup is not uncommon in practice. But such redirects does not work that reliable if HTTPS is used on unusual ports (i.e. not 443) since the firewall would need to first detect that HTTPS is used in the first place (using Deep Packet Inspection) in order to properly redirect. And these such DPI analysis is more expensive to do and the heuristics can also go wrong. Also, the proxy will not be able to get the server domain once ESNI is used, which means that the client already needs to resolve the domain name to the servers IP address which is a problem in restrictive environments where no outside DNS is available inside.
Apart from that, an explicit proxy allows for proxy authentication with credentials. With an implicit transparent proxy authentication can only be done by source IP, i.e. there need to be some previously established association between source IP and username which is not possible in environments where multiple users come from the same source IP (like with windows terminal server or other thin clients).


Connect Android to Health Device via bluetooth

Question: Well im desperately trying to connect my android app to a blood pressure device. I've realized that the amount of examples of this are few . Right now I am stuck at the connection point. It keeps failing with
 12-21 18:00:38.796: E/Connection Failed(2207): java.io.IOException: Service discovery failed

Im following the steps :
1 - getting the default adapter
mBluetoothAdapter = BluetoothAdapter.getDefaultAdapter();

2 - getting the device
mBluetoothDevice = mBluetoothAdapter.getRemoteDevice(DEVICE_MAC_ADD);

3- creating a socket
mBtSocket = device.createInsecureRfcommSocketToServiceRecord(
                                UUID);

4 - Canceling discovery and connect to device
mBluetoothAdapter.cancelDiscovery();

mBtSocket.connect();

It fails on the connect method with the exception above. Well im kind of lost trying to know why this happens . Im using the UUID 00001101-0000-1000-8000-00805F9B34FB as referenced in other threads. The bluetooth permissions on the manifest are correct. Can someone give me a little help?
Thank you,
Pedro Ferreira
Comment: have you seen this post? http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2660968/how-to-prevent-android-bluetooth-rfcomm-connection-from-dying-immediately-after
Answer: If your blood pressure device is compatible with HDP profile, then you can use the health profile supported in android 4.0 to do this job.
Take a look:
BluetoothHDP Demo


How to keep the original quick launch menu of a page even after replacing the page layout by another one?

Question: By code, when I create a new blank site and replace the welcome page layout by a new layout page, the original quick launch menu disapears. How to keep the original quick launch menu of a page even after replacing the page layout by another one?
Answer: You must set the master page to one with the quick launch in the ContentPlaceHolder with the id PlaceHolderQuickLaunchTop
<code><asp:ContentPlaceHolder id="PlaceHolderQuickLaunchTop" runat="server">
</code>
Visit MSDN to read more about Creating Pages for SharePoint
Comment: Hello, I need to get the result when I create a new site definition in Visual Studio. Not by SPD. Do you get the solution in this case ? Thanks
Comment: SharePoint Designer is not required, but a master page with the correct placeholders is. Often, master page development is started in SharePoint Designer, but you could do it all in Visual Studio if you preferred. You might want to start with copying the text of default.master from the SharePoint Root.
Comment: Hello Tom, thank you for the time you give me. I red your comment but I must be too novice in this part of Sharepoint to understand what you mean. Would you be kind to take time again by explaining in details what to do exactly to get the result I wnant to ? It is really important to me to solve this problem cause I'm complety stuck in the project because of that. Thanks.