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Darkode hacking forum forced offline By Leo Kelion
Technology desk editor Published duration 15 July 2015
image copyright FBI image caption The Darkode forum, which was created about six years ago, can no longer be accessed
Darkode - a notorious hacking forum used by Lizard Squad and other cybercriminals - has been shut down after an investigation carried out by authorities in 20 countries.
"We have dismantled a cyber-hornets' nest... which was believed by many, including the hackers themselves, to be impenetrable," said one of the US state attorneys involved
Twenty-eight people have been arrested.
They include a 26-year-old man from Coventry, England.
In addition, the UK's National Crime Agency said an address in Paisley, Scotland, had been searched and material removed for examination. It said that five other suspected members of the site had previously been arrested.
The FBI added that dozens of other people linked to the site had been charged or had their property searched as part of the inquiry.
Restricted access
Darkode's members allegedly used the site to trade and to share hacking tools and information, including details of zero-day attacks - techniques that exploited flaws in products that neither their creators nor the wider security industry were aware of, and thus could not be protected against.
This information was password-protected.
"Only those proposed for membership by an existing user could join, but not until they posted a resume of the skills and achievements that could contribute to the criminal community," explained the NCA.
"There was a hierarchical membership structure, and the status of users determined who they could communicate with, and their access to the commodities and services on offer."
Although the site was not accessible to the general public, it was profiled extensively by the security blogger Brian Krebs , who posted several screenshots on his site.
image copyright Krebs on Security image caption Botnets - networks of hijacked computers used to mount co-ordinated attacks - were promoted on the site
"Most of the cybercrime forums are in Russian or some other language that's not English, but this was an English-language forum," he told the BBC.
"And it was a sort of meeting ground for cybercriminals from different nationalities and languages.
"A fairly significant number of people were selling botnet services there, and there were also services for deploying malware and phishing."
He added that the forum's visitors included members of Lizard Squad - a group of hackers which has carried out high-profile attacks on Sony, Microsoft and others.
"The guy that was most recently the admin of the forum used the nickname Sp3c," Mr Krebs recalled.
"He was a leading member of the Lizard Squad. What's interesting is that you don't see his name in the lists of those that were apprehended or charged as part of this.
"I don't really know what that means, but there was a definite connection between the Lizard Squad and this forum, at least in the last year or so."
The FBI said that Operation Shrouded Horizon had indicated up to 300 people had used the forum.
"During the investigation, the bureau focused primarily on the Darkode members responsible for developing, distributing, facilitating and supporting the most egregious and complex cybercriminal schemes targeting victims and financial systems," it said. |
Merkel says US spying allegations are serious
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday allegations that a German man worked as a double agent for US intelligence were serious and, if true, were a clear contradiction of what cooperation between partners is supposed to be about.
She made the comments at a news conference while on a visit to Beijing.
The White House and State Department have so far declined to comment on the arrest of a 31-year-old employee of Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency.
According to intelligence and political sources, the man admits to passing documents to a US contact. |
European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) stalk tunneling on root-knot nematode (Tylenchida: Heteroderidae) fitness on corn.
Greenhouse experiments were conducted in 2004-2006 to examine the reciprocal effects of aboveground herbivory by European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), and belowground herbivory by root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita Chitwood (Tylenchida: Heteroderidae), on one another at three corn, Zea mays L., growth stages. Two experiments were conducted to study the effect of aboveground herbivory by O. nubilalis on the number of M. incognita juvenile penetration/root system and eggs/root system. In the first experiment, the O. nubilalis infestation level by plant growth stage main effect interaction was not significant for either M. incognita juvenile penetration or eggs. The overall effect of stalk tunneling by O. nubilalis resulted in 48.9% fewer juvenile penetration and 40.0% fewer eggs than in the respective controls. In the second experiment, the main effects interaction was significant for juvenile penetration (P = 0.0422) and eggs (P = 0.0134). At the eight- and 10-leaf growth stages, the combined effect of one and three O. nubilalis larvae per plant resulted in 41.2 and 44.7% significantly fewer juvenile penetration than in the respective controls. Similarly, the combined effect of stalk tunneling (with the exception of one larvae per plant at the 10-leaf growth stage) at the six-, eight-, and 10-leaf growth stages resulted in 46.3, 53.3, and 55.2% fewer eggs than in the respective controls. In all instances, M. incognita juvenile penetration and eggs were significantly negatively correlated with O. nubilalis tunnel length. In a reciprocal experiment conducted two times, no significant (P > 0.05) effect of M. incognita inoculation level on stalk tunneling was found in either experiment. |
Obnoxious Single Mother Myths That Will Make You Cringe
We live in a world where being a single mother has a lot of negative connotations associated with it. While we can mostly agree that raising a child with both parents available is the perfect scenario, things do not always align with our dream world.
Single mothers face cultural bias in many societies around the world. Unfortunately, many view these families as incomplete without a father figure.
Trust me, I know. I’m one myself.
According to a 2016 study by the United States Census Bureau, there were 12 million single parent households in the United States. Single moms were responsible for 80% of those households. But, does that give the single mom help and understanding she needs for support?
You would think so, but no. People are simply intolerant and ignorant when it comes to the single mother. Even dating single moms has silly stigmas: “Won’t there be baby daddy drama?” or “She’s probably looking for someone to support her and her kids!”.
They Just Love That Welfare!
Single moms have to play double duty at home. They are fathers and mothers to their children. They are often overwhelmed when making decisions on what is best for their children.
Often, they often bear the financial burden of having to raise their children alone. Mom is just one person. Yet, she has to pay the bills, clothes, food, diapers, education – you name it, it’s on her shoulders.
Even if some women do get child support from Dad, the majority of single moms don’t get the full support that’s owed to them. In 2013, only 45.6% received all the support they were due. Another 25.9% received absolutely none of it.
Many single moms get caught between raising their children and providing for them. They have to find a balance between work and caring for the kids. It’s not easy. About 30% of families with single mothers live at or below the poverty line.
Do they want to rely on welfare to help? No, I can guarantee you they don’t.
But, what choice does it leave them when they can’t afford not to work so they can be the ones to watch their kids. They also can’t afford to pay a babysitter or daycare to watch their kids while they work. It’s a horrible catch-22.
I started my single mother journey over 12 years ago in a small, 2-bedroom apartment, a job in fast food, and help from the welfare system. I’ve sinced worked my way up to a 3-bedroom home with plenty of space, my own business, and no financial support from the system or any person.
I’m proud of how far I’ve come and how hard I worked to get here. It’s safe to say that other single moms are absolutely trying their hardest to do the same.
A Single Mother Has a Broken Household.
There are various reasons why women become single mothers. It may be due to death of a partner, divorce, abandonment, or abuse. Some even do so by choice. Shocker, right?
I’ve seen so many people have pity on single moms and their kids. Poor things, they don’t get the love and support they need. And surely the kids will grow up to be hellions!
That’s most definitely not the case.
The single mothers I’ve known throughout my life are some of the most caring, strong, amazing women I’ve met. And, they raise some incredible kids.
Not to toot my own horn, but I’m including myself in this, too. My kids are just downright amazing little beings. If you met them, you’d see the endless love they have and give. My household has never been, nor will ever be, broken as long as I’m their mother.
They’re Totally Immoral.
For some reason, there’s this automatic assumption that single mothers got pregnant out of wedlock. Sometimes that’s true, but others end up single moms when their husbands bail. It happens. So, let’s just cut the crap.
Let’s suppose a single mother did happen to have a baby when she wasn’t married. Oh, the horror!
Do any of these successful names ring a bell? They were all raised by single mamas. Of course, there are other less-famous kids of single mothers who grow up to be super successful in life, but we unfortunately don’t get to see their stories in magazines or on the internet as often.
Amy is a mom of two, freelance writer, and blog manager. She’s written for Reader’s Digest, Frugal For Less, Amendo, and other lifestyle publications. Amy enjoys helping other busy mamas learn how to work from home, build a business, and land their dream career, all while still being Mom.
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Hello!
I’m Amy, a proud mom of two and former preschool teacher. After figuring out that the typical 9 to 5 was not the right fit for me or my family, I started a blog management business and now work with dream clients from all over the world from wherever I feel like setting up my laptop. It’s now my mission to help other mamas work from home and start a business.
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News
Art Center to undergo $7 million renovation
Kids' wing, building upgrades and exhibit-hall improvements among plans approved
Plans for a $7 million Palo Alto Art Center renovation include a new children's wing featuring an outdoor classroom (bottom right) and a mini parking lot with entrance from Newell Road (at right). Rendering by Mark Cavagnero Associates, courtesy of the City of Palo Alto.
The nearly 40-year-old Palo Alto Art Center will be getting a mid-life revamp -- a long-awaited $7 million facility upgrade slated to begin next April.
Plans, conditionally approved by the city's Architectural Review Board Thursday, include the creation of a children's wing and new courtyard, air-circulation and building-code upgrades, plus exhibition-hall and aesthetic improvements.
"When it opened in 1971, the Art Center was intended to be primarily a place for adults, but now more than half our visitors are kids," she said.
"We serve around 7,000 children a year and we're really bursting at the seams," she added, describing long lines of paint-covered kids patiently waiting for the sole sink (installed much higher than is easily reachable for children) in one of the rooms used for classes. She said new sinks would be kid-friendly and foot-operated.
Louise Carroll, a Palo Alto Art Center Foundation board member, gestured around the cramped, windowless room on a recent summer day near closing time. "It's like a cave; it's kind of stifling. They're really cramped in here. Storage is an issue, everything's an issue," she said.
The new plans call for a doubling of classroom space (from two rooms to four), plus the addition of a courtyard where summer camps and outdoor classes can gather, including a room designed for preschoolers.
The artwork itself will be better served by the renovation, too, Kienzle said. The building is the former home of the city hall and was not designed for the needs of a modern art gallery.
"It's very claustrophobic in here," she said, referring to the exhibit hall, which formerly housed the secretarial office. "The low ceiling even limits which sculptures we're able to house."
Though new lights were installed when the building became the Art Center, that was so long ago that replacements are no longer available. Plans to install museum-quality lighting will put the center on the road to accreditation from the American Association of Museums. Removing the existing false ceiling, exposing the beams, ripping out the carpet and restoring the concrete floor will also go a long way toward making the space better-suited for exhibiting artwork, Kienzle said.
Currently the building has no air conditioning, forcing it to close on hot days due to health hazards and making for unbearably stuffy conditions at events such as exhibit receptions, she said.
"Gallery shows on a hot spring night are incredibly uncomfortable. For years people have been asking, 'Can't you do something?'" Kienzle said. A new HVAC system will take care of heating and cooling, which will also better protect the artwork housed there.
The center will also be brought up to code with the Americans with Disabilities Act, complying with doorway and restroom regulations, making all entrances more accessible to those in wheelchairs.
The electrical system is also slated for an update.
"We blow fuses when just using standard equipment, even a coffee maker," Carroll said, laughing, as Kienzle maneuvered around a blackboard and chairs to access the antiquated circuit panel used to control the overhead lights.
San Francisco-based architect Mark Cavagnero, who also designed the Community School for Music and Arts in Mountain View, is handling the project.
"He's really an inspiring individual and specializes in public buildings," Kienzle said, adding that his design plans are meant to integrate smoothly into the existing "old ranch" style of the building. Renderings are available at the city's website.
Landscape-architecture firm SWA, which designed the green "living roof" at the California Academy of Sciences, has been hired for the outdoor improvements.
The renovation, which is aiming for the environmental "LEED silver" certification, will include many eco-friendly features, including wraparound decks made of recycled woods, rubber and cork, and counters incorporating recycled paper.
It will require the removal of 15 trees, including two dying magnolias, though Kienzle said the city is committed to replacing trees at a 2:1 ratio.
"Any that we don't have room to plant here we will donate to the Main Library next door," she said. Several public and neighborhood meetings and an arborist walk-through were held regarding the tree-removal plans.
Original renovation plans called for an expansion of the sculpture garden and a new fence, but those aspects were removed in order to focus on more immediate needs, Kienzle said.
However, the lobby will be redesigned to be more welcoming to visitors, and an enclosure will be built to hide the "unsightly" Dumpsters and trash bins. A new entrance from Newell Road, including 20-minute parking spaces for parents dropping off students, will be created.
The art center will be closed for a year starting in April, with staff members performing outreach and holding classes and events at alternative locations, such as Cubberley and Lucie Stern community centers during the closure.
The estimated cost for the project is $7 million, with the city paying for the electrical, mechanical and building-code upgrades and nonprofit group the Palo Alto Art Center Foundation funding the children's wing and improvements to the exhibition gallery.
"The public-private partnership between the city and the foundation is really wonderful and indicative of how well the city can work with individuals," Kienzle said.
"These upgrades will greatly enhance the community's experience."
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Comments
Like this comment
Posted by Another Waste Of City Money
a resident of Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Aug 20, 2010 at 10:58 am
Why can't the Art Center be sold to "private interests". Given the huge infrastructure backlog ($500M-$600M), every public dollar spent on "art" has to be seen as irresponsible.
Most people in Palo Alto don't use this facility. Why should the Palo Alto taxpayers be funding this center for people who don't live here?
Posted by neighbor
a resident of another community
on Aug 20, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Dear "Another waste" resident
You say..."Most people in Palo Alto don't use this facility. Why should the Palo Alto taxpayers be funding this center for people who don't live here?" Pretty narrow-minded and selfish. Why does SF fund it's museums and other cultural center?
Often it sounds as if some PA residents want to close their borders. The self-centered attitude that is sometimes on these pages is tiresome.
By the way --- I saw 100s of locals taking advantage of Stanford's free MemChu concerts the other night. I thought it was nice....a community event for the whole community, the University, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and beyond.
I have a question: how can a building be LEED-certified and have an air-conditioning system? I thought CEILING FANS were what we should all be using.
Is this another case of the City telling residents to do one thing, while it itself does another? An example: residents shouldn't use pesticides and herbicides on their lawns, BUT recently we learned from the Weekly that all parks are sprayed with those toxic chemicals except the little park near Alma & Oregon Expressway! I myself haven't used chemicals for years and years, but I resent that the City does.
Posted by South PA Resident
a resident of Midtown
on Aug 20, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Just another freebie for North Palo Alto. First the Children's library is rebuilt, then the Children's Zoo is expanded, then it's $1.3 per year for the Children's Theater. Now it's the Art's Center getting $4.5 Million so it too can be renovated with most of the money being spent to build facilities for the children.
Do you notice a pattern here. All those greedy people from North Palo Alto have to say to Council is: "It's for the children", and they get a vastly disproportionate amount of our tax dollars compared to South Palo Alto.
Meanwhile to get the Mitchell Park library rebuilt we have to pay for a $75 Million bond measure. Oh yes, Downtown and Main will take a lot of that money too.
When they say more than 2/3rds of Palo Alto's tax dollars are spent in North Palo Alto, they're not kidding.
Posted by Philistine
a resident of Professorville
on Aug 20, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Why spend money on art, music, film, theatre, or any of the fine or performing arts? What a waste of tax money. All public money should be spent to fill potholes and other practical things like that. What does the life of the mind matter anyway? Keep taxes way way down. Forget about the arts. People think too much anyway. Who needs to be inspired?
Posted by no kidding
a resident of Midtown
on Aug 21, 2010 at 12:21 am
South PA Resident,
You hit a nerve. I'm really upset that in redoing the Mitchell Park Library, they won't even be adding a permanent stage so that there will be a somewhat reasonable performance space on this side of town. (Even though it wouldn't be THAT difficult or even relatively very expensive to add one.) I voted for the bond because I thought COMMUNITY CENTER would mean something more comparable to what they have on the other side of town, not just a newer version of the pathetic and limited function space we have here now.
Why is there never any money to properly remodel fire stations? Look closely. Some built in the 50's and are now so outdated the engines barely fit in them. Antennas scrape going in and out while money is wasted counting the cities trees. The importance and necessity of many city projects should be re-prioritized but that falls to the politicians and the ones running the city don't have the strength and the nerve to tell the citizens they can't have everything they want.
7 MM is too much for art or art education -- obvious priorities are things in which every member of the community has an interest: safety, sanitation, education basic social services and public works as needed. In a time of retrenchment for many, 7 MM for art is absurd. It is not fair to tax the community as a whole to support as a public good projects that are not of general interest. If there are private philanthropic donors who would support this, let them lead the way so that the toll on the public is MUCH less. And defer the public component until times are more secure.
Posted by neighbor
a resident of another community
on Aug 24, 2010 at 6:13 pm
To "No!"
Read the end of the article -- PA is not paying for the whole project. only code items.....
"The estimated cost for the project is $7 million, with the city paying for the electrical, mechanical and building-code upgrades and nonprofit group the Palo Alto Art Center Foundation funding the children's wing and improvements to the exhibition gallery.
"The public-private partnership between the city and the foundation is really wonderful and indicative of how well the city can work with individuals," Kienzle said.
Posted by Another childcare center
a resident of Community Center
on Aug 24, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Sharing the cost sounds good until the goes up up up, like it did at Lytton Plaza. When the promoters there had the city's promise to pay half, the cost went up by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The city needs to put a cap on its share.
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Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund
For the last 23 years, the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund has given away more than $4 million to local nonprofits serving children and families. When you make a donation, every dollar is automatically doubled, and 100% of the funds go directly to local programs. It’s a great way to ensure your charitable donations are working at home. |
Q:
Read a PDF Line by Line - iTextSharp
I'm not sure what is wrong with my code. It reads the PDF file, and grabs all the text, but every item is combined together into one string with no separator of any kind.
Sample:
"Houses: 2
Bedrooms: 3
Bathsroom 4"
will get read as "Houses: 2Bedrooms: 3Bathsroom 4"
I've searched through all of the examples to no avail. I've also tried LocationTextExtractionStrategy to no avail. I've tried using the .split method and no help.
Public Shared Function ParseAllPdfText(ByVal filepath As String)
Dim sbtxt, currenttext As String
sbtxt = ""
Try
Using reader As New PdfReader(filepath)
For intPages As Integer = 1 To reader.NumberOfPages
currenttext = PdfTextExtractor.GetTextFromPage(reader, intPages, New LocationTextExtractionStrategy())
currenttext = Encoding.UTF8.GetString(ASCIIEncoding.Convert(Encoding.[Default], Encoding.UTF8, Encoding.[Default].GetBytes(currenttext)))
sbtxt = sbtxt & currenttext & vbcrlf
Next
End Using
Catch ex As Exception
MsgBox(" There was an error extracting text from the file: " & ex.Message, vbInformation, "Error Extracting Text")
End Try
Return sbtxt
A:
Nevermind, this was an oversight on my part. I realized the lines are separated by Chr(10). Chr(10) does not create a new line in textboxes, which is where I was outputting my string. It DOES however create a new line in MsgBox. So if anyone else runs into this problem, chr(10) is the separator. :-)
|
Filming is scheduled for August with a summer 2018 release targeted
Going back 2012, to when he was working on his English language debut in Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle The Last Stand, Korean director Kim Jee-woon (The Good, the Bad, the Weird, Two Sisters, I Saw the Devil ) has been talking about plans for a Korean live-action adaptation of anime movie Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade. Finally, the project has a cast!
In-Rang (tentative title) will star Gang Dong-won (Master), Han Hyo-joo (Cold Eyes) and Jung Woo-sung (Asura: The City Of Madness), along with Gim Mu-yeol (Warriors Of The Dawn), Han Ye-ri (Haemoo), Hu Joon-ho (The Merciless) and Min-ho from the K-pop group Shinee.
Filming is scheduled for August with a summer 2018 release targeted.
Screen Daily describes the premise:
Taking place in the near future where North and South Korea have announced they will reunify after a preparation period of seven years, an anti-reunification terrorist sect, a special police forces unit set up to counter them, and a powerful government security bureau that’s against unification all clash and collide in an apocalyptic scenario.
Gang is set to play an elite forces police officer tasked with brutal responsibilities, who is thrown into conflict after witnessing the death of a girl who was a member of the anti-reunification sect. Han plays the girl’s older sister who makes his character waver even further. Jung, who previously worked with Kim on The Good, The Bad The Weird, will play a legendary elite forces officer who also trained Gang’s character.
The 1999 anime feature, directed by Hiroyuki Okiura, recasts the story of Little Red Riding Hood in the fascist Japan of Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii's Kerberos saga.
The Kerberos story, best known for its heavily armored counter-revolutionary police squads, is set in an alternate history in which a victorious Germany rather than United States occupied Japan after World War II, leaving a fascist state in its wake.
Oshii's live-action The Red Spectacles and semi-live-actionTachigui: The Amazing Lives of the Fast Food Grifters are set in this context. |
It is next to the path running alongside West Pond. Those resting on the bench can enjoy a view of the butterfly and hummingbird garden, and also go for a walk and enjoy a lovely view of the pond from the greenbelt. |
Researchers found patients were more likely to be informed only after their disease had advanced
By Dennis ThompsonHealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, March 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors are not telling a majority of their patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's that they have the degenerative brain disease, a new report shows.
The research, conducted by the Alzheimer's Association, involved patients whose Medicare records listed treatments that are specific to Alzheimer's disease.
However, when the researchers asked the patients (or a caregiver as a proxy) if their doctor had informed them that they had the brain-robbing disease, only 45 percent said they had been told so by their doctor.
By comparison, more than 90 percent of people with the four most common cancers -- breast, colorectal, lung and prostate -- said they had been told about their diagnosis.
"These really low diagnosis disclosure rates [of Alzheimer's] are really reminiscent of what happened in the 1950s and '60s, and even into the '70s, with cancer," said Beth Kallmyer, vice president of constituent services at the association. "Cancer was called the 'c-word.' It didn't get talked about in doctors' offices. It certainly wasn't talked about in the general public," she added.
"That's all changed now, and if you don't remember that, you can't even imagine how it was back then, and it is that way now for Alzheimer's disease," she added. "People are feeling like they can't talk about it, and we need to change that."
The researchers found that Alzheimer's patients are more likely to be told of their diagnosis only after the disease has become more advanced, and their ability to participate in their care has diminished. "As the disease progresses, it's pretty hard to deny something is going on," Kallmyer said.
Failing to promptly notify Alzheimer's patients of their diagnosis robs them of the chance to live life to the fullest and play an active role in planning for their future, since many learn of their illness only after their faculties have started to drastically decline, said Keith Fargo, director of scientific programs and outreach for the association.
These patients also miss out on clinical trials that might improve their condition, since most trials only accept people with early Alzheimer's disease, explained Kallmyer.
Fargo said, "We believe patients have a right to know that they have this progressive and fatal brain disease. Telling the person with Alzheimer's the truth about their diagnosis and prognosis should be standard practice."
The association decided to look into patient notification after receiving many anecdotal reports of people who did not receive their diagnosis in a prompt manner, Fargo said.
Researchers obtained Medicare claims data for 2008 through 2010, which showed how many people had been treated for Alzheimer's during that time.
They then compared that information to patient responses in the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, a continuous survey used by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to track the effectiveness of its medical coverage.
The survey directly asked participants, "Has a doctor ever told you that you had Alzheimer's disease?" It also asked about whether they had been told of a diagnosis of cancer, diabetes, heart disease or stroke. When a beneficiary was unavailable or unable to answer, a family member or caregiver provided the answer.
About 45 percent of people who received Medicare-funded treatment for Alzheimer's had been told by their doctor that they have the disease, the researchers discovered.
Keeping that in mind, the investigators also looked at current Medicare data regarding cancer disclosure. They found that nine out of 10 cancer patients are being told that they have cancer.
Doctors commonly cite fear of causing emotional distress as one of the main reasons they fail to disclose an Alzheimer's diagnosis, Kallmyer said.
"Everybody can understand this. If you put yourself in the doctor's shoes, nobody wants to give this diagnosis," she said. "If you've seen Alzheimer's, you know it's a tragic disease to watch. But you know what? They don't want to give the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer either, which means the person's going to die in a couple of months, generally. There are other fatal diagnoses that doctors are giving, whereas with Alzheimer's it's different."
Other reasons given by doctors include uncertainty about their diagnosis, insufficient time to fully discuss treatment options and support services, a lack of support services, and the general stigma that surrounds Alzheimer's, according to the report.
The 2015 report also outlined the latest statistics regarding Alzheimer's:
An estimated 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease in 2015, including an estimated 5.1 million people aged 65 and older, and approximately 200,000 individuals under age 65 who have younger-onset Alzheimer's. Barring the development of medical breakthroughs, the number will rise to 13.8 million by 2050.
Almost half a million people aged 65 or older will develop Alzheimer's in the United States in 2015. Every 67 seconds, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer's. By mid-century, an American will develop the disease every 33 seconds.
Two-thirds of Americans over age 65 with Alzheimer's are women.
Alzheimer's is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the fifth-leading cause of death for those aged 65 and older.
Between 2000 and 2013, the number of deaths due to Alzheimer's disease increased 71 percent. During the same period, deaths decreased from heart disease, stroke, HIV and prostate and breast cancers. |
[Malaria in Haiti today].
Haiti is the only Caribbean island where malaria, practically always due to Plasmodium falciparum, persists in an epidemic-endemic state. In 1995 Haitian strains of P. falciparum were still sensitive to chloroquine. The principal vector is Anopheles albimanus, but the recent introduction in the south of Haiti of An. Pseudopunctipennis, which is an effective vector of P. falciparum in Central America, requires appropriate entomological surveillance. Essentially rural and seasonal, malaria is increasingly observed in the suburban areas around Port-au-Prince. The epidemiologic indicators have regressed since the 1980s and 1990s. The plasmodic index in 1995 was low: 3.9%. Nonetheless imported malaria from Haiti presents a considerable threat to the other countries in the region because of the migrant flow. Updating data is essential to set up rational control strategies and appropriate advice to travellers. |
Q:
How to get SQL Server 2012 to use the invariant culture in format()?
This has now been posted to Connect: The invariant culture identifier is rejected by the FORMAT() function in SQL Server 2012. (Connect has been retired.)
This has now been posted to feedback.azure.com.
I'm trying to get the built-in format() function in SQL Server 2012 to use the invariant culture.
It is said in the documentation that the function accepts a .NET culture identifier as the third parameter. The identifier for the invariant culture is a blank string:
You specify the invariant culture by name by using an empty string ("") in the call to a CultureInfo instantiation method.
That does not work with SQL Server however:
select format(getdate(), N'g', '');
Msg 9818, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
The culture parameter '' provided in the function call is not supported.
It is also documented that the invariant culture is associated with the English language, but not with any country/region. One would think this allows to pass 'en' as the identifier, but then, in .NET, CultureInfo.InvariantCulture.Equals(CultureInfo.GetCultureInfo("")) yields true, but CultureInfo.InvariantCulture.Equals(CultureInfo.GetCultureInfo("en")) gives false, so they aren't really the same.
So how do I make SQL Server to use the invariant culture?
(Note: I'm interested in making the built-in thing to work. I already have my own CLR functions to do this, I was going to remove them in favor of the now-built-in functionality).
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (SP1) - 11.0.3128.0 (X64)
Dec 28 2012 20:23:12
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation
Business Intelligence Edition (64-bit) on Windows NT 6.0 (Build 6002: Service Pack 2) (Hypervisor)
A:
I have found only one way to get FORMAT to use the invariant culture: pass a string starting with the null character for the culture parameter.
-- Setting session language to Traditional Chinese to demonstrate that this
-- isn't just falling back to the session language.
SET LANGUAGE N'Traditional Chinese';
PRINT N'Session Language: ' + FORMAT(SYSDATETIME(), N'Y');
PRINT N'US English: ' + FORMAT(SYSDATETIME(), N'Y', N'en-US');
PRINT N'Invariant Culture: ' + FORMAT(SYSDATETIME(), N'Y', NCHAR(0));
Output:
Session Language: 2013年9月
US English: September, 2013
Invariant Culture: 2013 September
(The above example is using the "year month" format string of 'Y' since it produces different output between en-US and the invariant culture.)
This works due to what appears to be a quirk of how the .NET implementation of CultureInfo looks up the culture data. The string comparisons it is doing seem to ignore any data following a null character, likely because they are being done within native code in the CLR via functions intended for use with null-terminated strings. It therefore sees a string starting with a null character as being equivalent to the empty string, which as you noted is the documented identifier for the invariant culture.
CultureInfo.InvariantCulture.Equals(CultureInfo.GetCultureInfo("\0foo")) //returns true
DISCLAIMER: This is obviously rather hackish since this behavior is not documented for FORMAT nor for CultureInfo. I have only tried this with SQL Server 2012 running with .NET 4.0.3. I personally would not rely on this behavior for anything that cannot be easily changed if it were to stop working due to a future update.
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#include "MeshRigidMove/MeshRigidMove.hh"
#include "TestOscillation.hh"
#include "Framework/MeshData.hh"
#include "Framework/PhysicalModel.hh"
#include "Framework/MethodCommandProvider.hh"
#include "Framework/SubSystemStatus.hh"
#include "Framework/Node.hh"
#include "MathTools/MathConsts.hh"
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
using namespace std;
using namespace COOLFluiD::Framework;
using namespace COOLFluiD::MathTools;
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
namespace COOLFluiD {
namespace Numerics {
namespace MeshRigidMove {
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
MethodCommandProvider<TestOscillation, RigidMoveData, MeshRigidMoveModule> TestOscillationProvider("TestOscillation");
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
std::vector<Common::SafePtr<BaseDataSocketSink> >
TestOscillation::needsSockets()
{
std::vector<Common::SafePtr<BaseDataSocketSink> > result;
result.push_back(&socket_nodes);
return result;
}
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/// @todo Declare the private data !!!!!
void TestOscillation::execute()
{
CFAUTOTRACE;
DataHandle < Framework::Node*, Framework::GLOBAL > nodes = socket_nodes.getDataHandle();
const CFuint nbDim = PhysicalModelStack::getActive()->getDim();
const CFuint nbNodes = nodes.size();
RealVector rotationCenter(nbDim);
RealVector coord(nbDim);
rotationCenter = getMethodData().getRotationCenter();
// Limit to two dimensional cases for rotations
cf_assert (nbDim < 3);
// Compute Rotation Angle at Current Time
CFreal time = SubSystemStatusStack::getActive()->getCurrentTimeDim();
CFreal rotation = (0.016 + 2.51*(sin(2.*0.0814*time)))*100.;
// Rotation Angle = CurrentAlpha - PastAlpha
rotation -= _currentAlpha;
for (CFuint i = 0; i < nbNodes; ++i) {
for (CFuint j = 0; j < nbDim; ++j) {
// Get the old coordinates
coord[j] = (*nodes[i])[j];
}
CFreal distanceToCenter = sqrt((coord[0]-rotationCenter[0])*(coord[0]-rotationCenter[0]) + (coord[1]-rotationCenter[1])*(coord[1]-rotationCenter[1]));
distanceToCenter = min(distanceToCenter/.5, 1.);
CFreal backrotation = rotation;
rotation *= (1.- distanceToCenter);
// Rotation angle
CFreal cosT = cos(rotation*MathTools::MathConsts::CFrealPi()/180.);
CFreal sinT = sin(rotation*MathTools::MathConsts::CFrealPi()/180.);
// Modify the coordinates: Rotation
coord[0] = rotationCenter[0] + cosT*(coord[0]-rotationCenter[0]) + sinT*(coord[1]-rotationCenter[1]);
coord[1] = rotationCenter[1] - sinT*(coord[0]-rotationCenter[0]) + cosT*(coord[1]-rotationCenter[1]);
rotation = backrotation;
for (CFuint j = 0; j < nbDim; ++j) {
// Set the new coordinates
(*nodes[i])[j] = coord[j];
}
}
// Compute the new position of TestOscillation
_currentAlpha += rotation;
}
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
} // namespace MeshRigidMove
} // namespace Numerics
} // namespace COOLFluiD
|
Q:
How to monitor network traffic node.js and Windows libraries
Hi I want to monitor / capture TCP/UDP and other information using node.js, is there any module that can help me ?
I am looking at node-windows and other modules but I could not figure out how to do that.
node.js has a module os and I can list network interfaces using that module, but how can I find all traffic passing through that interface?
A:
You can use the cap module to monitor network traffic. If you are on Windows, make sure you have WinPcap installed.
|
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tools, and more particularly, to multi-tools for use by firefighters.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multiple-function tools have been designed in the past. Although combination tools provide a variety of different tools, the user is generally limited specific tools that are available from a given combination tool. However, certain tools, such as the used by firefighters, are not provided in combination tools. Firefighters have to distribute among them a whole bunch of separated tools in different containers, bags and cases for different uses. Sometimes, they need a tool that another firefighter has or it is in the truck, which cause a waste of time in a critic moment.
Applicant believes that one of the closest references corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,582 issued to Harrison, et al. on Jan. 4, 2000 for Multiple Function Tool. However, it differs from the present invention because Harrison, et al. teach a compound, multiple-function, foldable tool having first and second handles, a tool head with pivotable jaw members, and a plurality of additional tools. The tool head is stored within first channels on first sides of the handles, and the additional tools are stored within second channels on second sides of the handles, opposite the first sides. Thus, when the tool head is used, the additional tools do not interfere with gripping of the handles during use of the tool head. Moreover, because of the position of the additional tools, these tools are accessible while the tool head is in the storage position. The compound tool may also include a ratchet and an adapter and coupler that fit on the ratchet or at least one of the additional tools so that even further tools may be fit on the compound tool. An easy to read full length, straight edge ruler may optionally be provided on the top and bottom surfaces of the handles. Preferably, an individual spring is provided for each tool to prevent further pivoting of the selected tool away from the storage channels once the tool is extended into a working position. A spring lock mechanism may also be provided to prevent the undesired return of an extended tool into the storage position until the lock is released.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,034 issued to Elsener, et al. on Nov. 19, 2002 for Multiple Function Tool. However, it differs from the present invention because Elsener, et al. teach a compound, multiple-function, foldable tool having first and second handles, a tool head with pivotable jaw members, and a plurality of additional tools. The tool head are stored within first channels on first sides of the handles, and the additional tools are stored within second channels on second sides of the handles opposite the first sides. Thus, when the tool head is used, the additional tools do not interfere with gripping of the handles during use of the tool head. Moreover, because of the position of the additional tools, these tools are easily accessible while the tool head is in the storage position. The compound tool may also include a ratchet and an adapter and coupler that fit on the ratchet or at least one of the additional tools so that even further tools may be fit on the compound tool. An easy to read full length, straight edge ruler may optionally be provided on the top and bottom surfaces of the handles. Preferably, an individual spring is provided for each tool to prevent further pivoting of the selected tool away from the storage channels once the tool is extended into a working position. A spring lock mechanism may also be provided to prevent the undesired return of an extended tool into the storage position until the lock is released.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,582 issued to Taggart, et al. on Aug. 14, 2001 for Compact Multiple Function Tool. However, it differs from the present invention because Taggart, et al. teach a multiple function combination business travel tool that combines a plurality of individual business-oriented implements in a single compact and reduced configuration for many diverse business-oriented travel needs. The tool includes a flashlight positioned along a scale, or wide side, of the tool such that a light bulb and reflector larger than those provided along the side of prior art tools may be provided. The tool also preferably includes a clock, preferably in the form of a digital alarm clock, and a plurality of deployable implements, preferably selected with the needs of a business traveler in mind. In one embodiment, the tool includes a pair of handles having implement channels and scissor channels, the handles forming the handles of a deployable scissors whose blades are stored in the scissor channels. Deployment of the scissor blades is achieved by rotation thereof about axles by which the blades are respectively coupled to the tool handles, thereby forming scissors with the first and second tool handles functioning as handles of the scissors.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 6,671,913 issued to Wozniak on Jan. 6, 2004 for Specialized Military and Police Combination Tool. However, it differs from the present invention because Wozniak teaches a tool assembly for military or police having uses with removable interchangeable tool heads and handles. The handles of the tool assembly have connector assemblies at each end of the handle constructed of a cast nylon material impregnated with a dry lubricant and with a dimpled pin connector in the connector assemblies. Each tool head has a bore for receipt of the connector assembly and pin connector. The connector assemblies are constructed of a non-conductive, non-sparking material and the bores on the tool heads for receipt of the connector assemblies are made with close tolerances to provide for overall rigidity and strength of the tool assembly. The handles have a soft, non-conductive, shock absorbing outer covering. The pin connectors on the connector assemblies are oriented with the outer covering of the tool handles to facilitate ease of assembly of the tools in the dark or other adverse conditions.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20070186351, published on Aug. 16, 2007 to Linn, et al. for Multi Function Tool. However, it differs from the present invention because Linn; Eric; et al. teach a mechanism for extending and retracting pliers and the like into the handle. Along with the pliers, the multi-tool may have various other implements including a full-size blade, a driver tool, a can opener, a punch tool and the like. Furthermore, a lighting element, being either an LED or non-LED type mechanism, and either fixed in place or rotatable or flexible about the handle is contemplated.
Applicant believes that another reference corresponds to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20020120987, published on Sep. 5, 2002 to Wozniak, Martin J. for Specialized Military and Police Combination Tool. However, it differs from the present invention because Wozniak teaches a tool assembly for military or police uses with removable interchangeable tool heads and handles. The handles of the tool assembly have connector assemblies at each end of the handle constructed of a cast nylon material impregnated with a dry lubricant and with a dimpled pin connector in the connector assemblies. Each tool head has a bore for receipt of the connector assembly and pin connector. The connector assemblies are constructed of a non-conductive, non-sparking material and the bores on the tool heads for receipt of the connector assemblies are made with close tolerances to provide for overall rigidity and strength of the tool assembly. The handles have a soft, non-conductive, shock absorbing outer covering. The pin connectors on the connector assemblies are oriented with the outer covering of the tool handles to facilitate ease of assembly of the tools in the dark or other adverse conditions.
Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way.
None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention. |
Accusations of inaccuracies and political posturing flew as soon as Thursday night's debate began between Vice President Joe Biden and the Republican nominee, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan.
'With all due respect, that's a bunch of malarkey,' Biden said after Ryan accused the administration of President Barack Obama of ignoring requests for increased security and misleading American citizens regarding the Sept. 11 attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, which left four Americans dead.
Ryan said Obama initially blamed the attack on protests over a video that offended Muslims, then later confirmed it was a deliberate terrorist attack.
'It took the President two weeks to acknowledge that this was a terrorist attack,' Ryan said. 'Unfortunately, it's indicative of a larger problem.'
Biden said 'the intelligence community' provided the administration with information that later was altered. He called untrue the charges that the consulate asked for more security.
'There were requests for more security. Those requests were ignored,' Ryan responded.
The stark positions between Biden and Ryan continued when debate moderator Martha Raddatz of ABC News asked when the unemployment rate, which in recent reports was at 7.8 percent, would be below the benchmark of 6 percent that she said the Obama administration had promised.
'I don't know how long it will take,' Biden said.
Referring to a video of Romney saying 47 percent of Americans are dependent on government, Biden said Romney disagreed with Obama's efforts to rescue General Motors and provide mortgage refinancing options to homeowners.
'That shouldn't be surprising for a guy who says 47 percent of the American people are unwilling to take responsibility for their own lives,' he said.
'Governor Romney cares about 100 percent of the American people,' Ryan said. 'I think the vice president very well knows that sometimes words don't come out of our mouths the right way.'
Ryan said job growth has continued to slow each month over the last several months.
'This is not what a real recovery looks like,' Ryan told the debate audience at Centre College in Danville, Ken.
Heated moments
The debate featured plenty of heated moments, as Biden frequently interjected when Ryan spoke, and vice versa.
When Ryan said the unemployment rate rose from 8.5 percent to 10 percent in Biden's hometown of Scranton, Penn., and said, 'This is how it's going across the country,' Biden spoke over him, saying, 'No it's not. It's going down.'
'I think people would be better served if we don't keep interrupting each other,' Ryan said to Biden at one point.
The forum jumped between foreign and domestic issues, including tensions with Iran, the civil war in Syria, taxes, the economy and health care.
Biden accused Ryan of misrepresenting as 'small businesses' those who earn more than $1 million per year and who would be affected by Obama's call for the Bush-era tax breaks to expire.
'You know who these small businesses are they're talking about? Hedge funds,' he said. 'Ninety-seven percent of small businesses make less than $250,000.'
The debate also had a moment that echoed one of the most famous lines in debate history, when Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Lloyd Bentsen told Republican candidate Sen. Dan Quayle, 'Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy' after Quayle compared his length of service in Congress to that of President John F. Kennedy.
When the discussion turned to taxes, Ryan said previous presidents had cut taxes by as much as the 20 percent Ryan has proposed and named 'Jack Kennedy.'
'Oh, now you're Jack Kennedy?' Biden said.
Ayotte responds
New Hampshire's Sen. Kelly Ayotte made the following statement after the debate:
'Paul Ryan offered solutions while Vice President Biden tried to duck blame,' the Republican said. 'He couldn't defend the failed Obama economy, which has buried America's middle class and left 23 million Americans struggling for work.
'While Biden delivered more misleading rhetoric, Paul Ryan told the American people how a Romney administration would get millions of jobless Americans back to work. And he was clear about the need to solve our debt crisis - not hide from it, like President Obama has. The Romney-Ryan ticket is showing Americans that it has the right vision to grow the economy, create jobs, and get our fiscal house in order.'
At a Tuesday night public hearing in Concord on the proposed toll hikes, representatives of the state's truckers, grocery distributors and fuel transportation industry voiced opposition to the toll...
Will the tax reform effort be the GOP's version of Obamacare? I don't know, and neither does anyone else. We have little idea what the final legislation will look like and, even if we did, it's hard... |
module.exports = {
moduleFileExtensions: [
'js',
'jsx',
'json',
'vue'
],
transform: {
'^.+\\.vue$': 'vue-jest',
'.+\\.(css|styl|less|sass|scss|png|jpg|ttf|woff|woff2)$': 'jest-transform-stub',
'^.+\\.jsx?$': 'babel-jest'
},
moduleNameMapper: {
'^@/(.*)$': '<rootDir>/src/$1'
},
snapshotSerializers: [
'jest-serializer-vue'
],
testMatch: [
'**/tests/unit/**/*.spec.(js|jsx|ts|tsx)|**/__tests__/*.(js|jsx|ts|tsx)'
],
testURL: 'http://localhost/'
}
|
Empress Alexandra Russian Muslim Boarding School for Girls
The Empress Alexandra Russian Muslim School for Girls (; Azeri: Aleksandra imperator rus-müsəlman qız məktəbi) of Baku (present-day Azerbaijan) was the first secular school for Muslim girls in the Russian Empire. It was built in 1901 sponsored by the Azeri oil baron and philanthropist Zeynalabdin Taghiyev.
History
Despite what might seem to have been a project worthy of much praise, Zeynalabdin Taghiyev had great difficulty in gaining permission to open the school. He met with vigorous resistance; both from the Imperial Russian authorities and the conservative Muslim clergy. Taghiyev had reportedly asked Emperor Alexander III for permission to establish such institution but his offer was rejected. After Alexander III's death in 1896 the oil baron sent a very expensive gift to the newly crowned Emperor Nicholas II's wife Alexandra Fyodorovna imploring her help. In appreciation, Taghiyev offered to name the school after her, and the permission was thus granted. Local resistance was fierce; families that agreed to have their daughters attend the school were being intimidated, and one of the progressive Islamic clerics who signed up both of his daughters got murdered by the conservatives.
The architectural style of the boarding school was designed by Józef Gosławski in 1896, and the construction began two years later costing 184,000 roubles (all of which was provided by Taghiyev). It ended in 1900 however the school did not open right away. Local Muslim authorities for the most part continued to oppose the establishment of a secular all-girls school and referred to the teachings of Muslim scholars worldwide. In response, Taghiyev sent a mullah to the main places of Islamic worship, namely Mecca, Medina, Karbala, Mashhad, Cairo, Constantinople, and Teheran to meet with the world's most prominent Muslim clergy and have them sign a document in which they confirmed that Islam did not forbid Muslim girls to study secular disciplines. Upon the return of Taghiyev's envoy, the oil baron organized another meeting with Baku's imams presenting them with signatures of the eight world-renowned Islamic scholars whose teachings they were abiding by.
The school hence officially opened on September 7, 1901 and welcomed 58 females students, of whom 35 came from working-class families. The congratulatory telegramme sent to the students by the Empress put an end to all the opposition on both official and public level. Taghiyev also received congratulatory messages from scholars of Saint Petersburg, Kazan, Crimea, and Central Asia.
The students were taught mathematics, geography, music, drama, Russian and Azeri languages, as well as religion, needlework, housekeeping skills and other disciplines. They lived in an in-school residence hall and visited their families once a week. In 1909, the school renewed its uniform policy according to which the girls were required to wear European-style uniforms worn by all female students in Russia. In 1913, the school was reorganized into a post-secondary teachers seminary for women.
The pioneer project provoked Muslim communities in other parts of the Russian Empire to establish similar institutions. By 1915, in Baku alone there were 5 schools for Muslim girls.
Notable staff
Hanifa Malikova, wife of Hasan bey Zardabi, became the first principal of the school
Maryam Sulkiewicz
Sakina Akhundzadeh, playwright, was amongst the first set of teaching staff. She started a drama group here.
Asmiyasoltan Hafiz Mammad Amin qizi
Modern usage
The school functioned until the fall of the Empire in 1918. In the 1920s it was reorganized into a teachers college, after 1930 it served as headquarters for various government institutions until finally it became the Institute of Manuscripts of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan. The institute collects, systematizes, stores and publishes analytical works related to many historical documents and exhibits that are kept in its archives. The collection includes about 40,000 works in various languages including Azeri, Arabic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish, and Chagatai which provide rare insight into what scholars from the Middle Ages thought about medicine, astronomy, mathematics, poetry, philosophy, law, history and geography.
Gallery
References
Category:Girls' schools in Azerbaijan
Category:Schools in Baku
Category:Educational institutions established in 1901
Category:Islam in Russia
Category:Defunct schools in Azerbaijan |
Lifestyle and Progression of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in German Men-Results From the EPIC-Heidelberg Cohort.
To examine if lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) progression was related to anthropometric and lifestyle factors. The analysis included 5495 men who participated in the EPIC-Heidelberg cohort (recruited 1994-1998) and who reported an International Prostate Symptom Score < 8 at follow-up 4 (FUP4, 2007-2009), had not reported taking α-adrenoreceptor antagonists or 5-α reductase inhibitors or prostate surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia/LUTS treatment. LUTS progression was defined as an International Prostate Symptom Score ≥ 8 at FUP5 (2010-2012). Using logistic regression analysis, education, marital status, satisfaction with life, satisfaction with health, history of diabetes and of hypertension, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and physical activity were examined as potential LUTS risk factors adjusting for age. Increase in BMI between baseline and FUP4 of ≥ 2 BMI units was related to LUTS progression (odds ratio 1.30, 95% confidence interval 1.08-1.57) compared with stable BMI. Compared to men who were very satisfied with life at baseline, those who were satisfied (1.28, 1.11-1.47), unsatisfied (1.80, 1.31-2.46) or very unsatisfied with life (1.43, 0.62-3.34) were more likely to report LUTS progression. Men with longer education had higher odds of LUTS progression than men with primary education only (1.25, 1.06-1.48). Adjusting for BMI or lifestyle factors did not attenuate these associations. Smoking habits, alcohol consumption, physical activity, self-reported history of diabetes or hypertension, and marital status were not related with LUTS progression. Our results confirm some, but not all previously observed risk factors for LUTS progression. |
2016 presidential hopeful pleads not guilty in abuse-of-power case
The Texas governor pleaded not guilty Wednesday in the abuse-of-power case against him, waiving a formal arraignment that had been scheduled for Friday and signaling again his readiness to fight a prosecution that he has decried as a “farce.” This after Perry, who just days ago was barnstorming Iowa as he weighs a 2016 presidential bid, strode up to the Austin courthouse here on Tuesday to be booked and fingerprinted—and looking every bit the congenial, confident, quintessentially-Texan politician he has played with success for 30 years.
“Like a true West Texan, in the face of adversity Rick Perry is doubling down and meeting his critics head on,” Rice University political scientist Mark Jones said. “Unlike most politicians facing indictments, Perry is reaching out to the media as opposed to running away from it.”
That approach led Perry’s lawyers to hold a briefing on Monday at an Austin hotel, unveiling a stellar team of star lawyers, and advising the media well in advance Tuesday that the governor would be turning himself in for the obligatory mugshot. After the booking, like the good Texan that he is, Perry made a point to thank the Travis County sheriff’s deputies who booked him—evoking a contrast with the torrent of abuse an intoxicated Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg unleashed on deputies and jail guards when she was booked on a DUI charge in April, 2013.
Perry’s response to a video of Lehmberg’s tirade, which prompted calls for her resignation from both Democrats and Republicans, is at the heart of the indictment against him last week. Prosecutors say he abused his power by threatening to veto funds for the Public Intergrity Unit she heads if she didn’t resign, an assertion that Perry and even some liberals have warned constitutes prosecutorial overreach into policing even the most basic posturing in modern politics. But Lehmberg is also at the center of Perry’s public relations strategy so far.
“If I had to do so, I would veto funding for the public integrity unit again,” Perry told a cheering crowd of supporters Tuesday. “I’m going to fight this injustice with every fiber of my being. And we will prevail.”
For Perry, this is a black hat-white hat YouTube range war, with a vodka-guzzling, out-of-control, drunken Democratic prosecutor on one side and a self-styled champion of the people and the rule of law on the other. Perry’s political action committee, RickPAC, unveiled a new ad Tuesday featuring, of course, the Lehmberg video.
“Governor Perry’s public relations strategy is to present this indictment as one blow, low and foul, in an ongoing fight between a disgraced, partisan, Democratic, district attorney and a Republican governor fighting for common decency, the rule of law, and the sanctity of the Texas Constitution,” said Cal Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University and longtime observer of Texas politics. “This framing is working pretty well, especially among Republican leaders and activists, but it is at best a short term strategy that will be of no use at all if the case goes to trial.”
Perry’s only hope of remaining a viable presidential candidate for 2016 is to get the charges dismissed before trial, Jillson said. “But if he goes to trial, there will be weeks of testimony from Austin insiders describing in most unappetizing terms precisely how the political sausage was made,” Jillson said. “If that happens, it will make Chris Christie’s ‘Bridgegate’ troubles look like a walk in the park.”
Some Democrats have pressed the argument that Perry’s attempt to dethrone Lehmberg was aimed at derailing an investigation into connections between Perry campaign contributors and the Cancer Prevention and Research Insitute of Texas (CPRIT). But other Democrats see the indictment as baseless, including David Botsford, a prominent Travis County Democrat and a member of Perry’s legal team. He was the first to greet Perry at the podium with a handshake and an embrace Tuesday.
Perry’s legal team is a mix of colorful, political, heavyweight and well-connected lawyers. Botsford is regarded as a top criminal lawyer in Texas, but also someone who knows the inner workings and politics of the Travis County courthouse. Lead lawyer Tony Buzbee, who said the Perry prosecution is an example of “banana republic politics,” is a charismatic Houston plaintiff’s attorney. Also on the team are two star Washington attorneys—Ben Ginsberg, who represented President George W. Bush in the 2000 Florida recount, and Bobby Burchfield who has led the Republican National Committee’s successful legal fight against a key campaign finance law. The goal is likely to get the indictment thrown out as quickly as possible, and to get the case moved out of Travis County, where the judges and the majority of jurors are Democrats
While Perry’s stellar legal team plots the maneuvers ahead, Perry needs to focus on a different jury, political analysts say. “The principal problem for Perry is not so much how the indictment is being viewed by Republican caucus and primary voters in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and elsewhere, but rather the doubts it is creating about Perry’s political future among major donors as well as political elites whose endorsements Perry needs to be viable, especially in the early caucus and primary states,” Jones said.
“Both the donors and elites are thinking far more about the long game of winning not only the GOP primary, but especially the general election, and are quite likely to view the indictment, regardless of merit, as a significant political liability,” Jones said. “If Perry cannot get the charged dismissed, the indictment will be a dark cloud following any Perry 2016 presidential campaign.”
See Governor Rick Perry’s New Mugshot
Texas Governor Rick Perry indictment over charges of alleged abuse of power left him required to something not common of a sitting governor: take a mugshot.
Perry turned himself in to have his mugshot taken on Tuesday at the Travis County Courthouse in Austin, Texas.
Perry ardently objects to charges laid out against him by the Travis County District Attorney. He stated on Tuesday that he remained confident because of his belief that “the rule of law would prevail.”
Rick Perry Defiant in Face of Criminal Charges
"We don't settle political differences with indictments"
+ READ ARTICLE
Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Saturday dismissed the criminal charges leveled against him as partisan political gamesmanship, and vowed to stand by his decision in 2013 to veto funding for a public integrity unit.
“We don’t settle political differences with indictments,” said Perry, referring to the grand jury’s Friday indictment against him. “‘It is outrageous that some would use partisan political theatrics to tear away the fabric of our constitution.”
The indictment is a response to Perry’s 2013 veto of $7.5 million in funding to state’s public integrity unit, based in the Travis County district attorney’s office. District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, who ran the unit, was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated in 2012. Perry vetoed her office’s funding after she refused to step aside.
At the time that Perry vetoed the funding, the unit was investigating one of Perry’s signature achievements, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, for alleged mismanagement.
The grand jury indicted include abuse of official capacity, which carries a penalty of five to 99 years in prison, and coercion of a public servant, which carries a penalty of two to 10 years.
Perry said Saturday that as governor, he is constitutionally within his rights to veto funding for any office. “I exercise the authority to veto funding for an office whose leadership has lost the public’s confidence by acting inappropriately and unethically,” said Perry. “I intend to fight against those that that would erode our state constitution and laws purely for political purposes.”
Perry added that he will continue to focus on his governorship and focus particularly closely on border security.
Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, both likely contenders against Perry for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, have voiced their support for the governor.
Special Prosecutor Michael McCrum, a noted San Antonio criminal defense attorney who led the indictment against Perry, told reporters he will be working with the governor’s attorney to set up a time for Perry to be arraigned and booked. “I feel confident with the charges that have been filed,” he said.
Fast-Food Franchise Holders in California Score a Major Legal Win
Supporters of the SB 610 bill say employees as well as franchisees will benefit
Major fast-food companies — ranging from McDonald’s to 7-Eleven — will find it harder to terminate agreements with their franchise holders after the California state legislature passed the SB 610 bill granting franchisees additional rights.
The proposed law pits industry bodies like the International Franchise Association (IFA) and the California Chamber of Commerce against small businesses as well as labor unions like the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
The SEIU argues that the bill’s passage will pave the way for increased wages and benefits for employees, as franchisees no longer have to worry about the threat of contract termination for introducing such benefits.
“Corporate headquarters control nearly every aspect of our business — we can be punished for speaking out or joining with other franchise owners to improve business conditions, and the franchises can even be shut down for arbitrary reasons — as mine was,” said McDonald’s franchisee Kathryn Carter to SEIU California.
Opponents, however, say the bill will negatively affect quality control and consistency — and reiterated their concerns following the assembly’s 41 to 27 yes vote.
In a statement obtained by MSNBC, IFA president and CEO Steve Caldeira criticized language used in the bill: “SB 610, particularly the termination language, is more vague and obscure in its definition than any other state franchise law.”
Missouri Governor Stumbles in the Ferguson Spotlight
Scott Olson—Getty ImagesMissouri Governor Jay Nixon listens to residents and community leaders as they discuss unrest in the town of Ferguson following the shooting death of Michael Brown during a forum held at Christ the King UCC Church on August 14, 2014 in Florissant, Mo.
The Democrat stumbled and mumbled his way through a 38-minute news conference Thursday, when he announced that the Missouri Highway Patrol would replace the aggressive St. Louis County police department as the lead agency for securing Ferguson after nights of confrontations between protesters and police.
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“I try to put gasoline into the engine of fire engines when I see them and not on the fires that are existing,” he said haltingly, when asked about his lack of visibility for most of this week.
Nixon had been silent on Saturday’s shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown for 72 hours, until delivering brief comments at a local community meeting Tuesday evening. But his pleas for prayer and patience went unheeded, as violence and the heavy-handed police response escalated. Rubber bullets and tear gas were aimed at mostly peaceful protesters, as law enforcement officers armed in tactical gear aimed scoped rifles from the tops of military surplus vehicles.
By Wednesday, the situation drew additional national attention after the arrest of two journalists and images that resembled a domestic war zone on television screens across the country. Meanwhile, Nixon was on the other side of the state preparing to attend the 62nd Annual Governor’s Ham Breakfast at the State Fair. Political activists, journalists, and community leaders blasted Nixon’s silence, and by 11:45 p.m. Wednesday, the governor was playing defense.
“The immediate security responsibilities will now be directed by the Missouri highway patrol,” he announced at a news conference after canceling the state fair appearance to travel to Ferguson to meet with residents and law enforcement.
This was not Nixon’s first time under fire from the state’s black community. The local NAACP criticized him in the mid-1990s as state Attorney General for efforts to undo Missouri’s desegregation school busing program. A longtime political observer told TIME that Nixon appeared gun-shy and lacked warmth when dealing with the state’s black community and St. Louis county in general.
Asked Thursday about his relationship with the state’s black community before and during this crisis, Nixon reached for an answer before saying he “[appreciates] the relationship” he has with them but expects criticism in his job. Asked whether a special prosecutor should be appointed he chuckled, adding “We’ve got two already.” State and federal prosecutors are investigating the circumstances of Brown’s death, as the credibility of local officials has been put in doubt.
That was better than an earlier appearance Thursday at a meeting with residents at a church, where Nixon tried his hand at comedy to defuse the tense situation, cracking a joke about being late because he had just gotten off the phone with President Barack Obama, and quipping that he didn’t mind that he looked heavy on television.
Obama, meanwhile, defended Nixon. “He is a good man and a fine governor, and I’m confident that working together, he’s going to be able to communicate his desire to make sure that justice is done and his desire to make sure that public safety is maintained in an appropriate way,” the President said.
Nixon had long been seen to have national ambitions, declining to rule out a presidential run in 2016 as recently as February. Democratic operatives had seen him as a short-list contender for the role of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s running mate. But his handling of the Ferguson crisis could hinder his national prospects.
Nixon spoke in faux mil-speak as he tried to project command of the situation, saying the new police efforts would be geared at toward “maintaining the peace but allowing more movement, trying to bring in different tone of the amplitude of the protective force.”
Meanwhile, St. Louis County Executive Charles Dooley and Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson delivered impassioned pleas for calm and promised a new approach that respects the rights of the people of Ferguson. “We can do better than this,” Dooley said. “Calm down, stand down, and let’s be reasonable.”
Johnson, a native of the area, promised a more peaceful demeanor from the officers now under his command. “We are going to have a different approach and have the approach that we’re in this together,” he said.
Stringent rules delayed sales of edibles for a month after the first legal marijuana sales took place in Washington state
When the first sales of legal recreational marijuana took place in Washington state this July, there were no edible products in sight. Due to a stringent oversight process put in place by the Washington State Liquor Control Board, no kitchens had been approved for churning out legal pot brownies or THC-infused oils or other green goodies.
That changed at 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday night when Al Olson, the marijuana editor of CNBC.com, purchased the first approved edibles, spending about $200 on products like Green Chief “Crazy Carnival Nuts,” “420 Party Mix,” and “Twisted Trail Mix,” as well as one vaporizer pen and “vape” pen battery. The historic sale took place in Bellingham, Wash., at a store called Top Shelf Cannabis, which was also the first to market with marijuana leaf sales.
The Board, put in charge of implementing the legal marijuana market, had the benefit of watching Colorado start up its marijuana market first. The state experienced issues with children accidentally ingesting marijuana edibles and then proposed more stringent rules about label packaging at the end of July. If approved, rules like putting certain edibles in child-resistant packaging will go into effect Nov. 1.
In June, the Washington Board adopted emergency rules requiring its approval for every edible product, including its packaging and labeling, before being put on store shelves. Products containing more than one serving had to be marked to show serving sizes, a rule Colorado is also considering to help combat accidental overconsumption by inexperienced THC consumers.
“Knowing the rest of the country is scrutinizing every move Washington makes in the space, there was no way this process could have been done quicker,” said industry expert Ata Gonzalez, who makes products like cannabis-infused chocolate at GFarmaLabs in California.”It’s great way the industry, and state laws allowing marijuana use, can display a certain level of responsibility in such a volatile environment.”
Bloomberg—Bloomberg via Getty ImagesCalifornia Republican gubernatorial candidate Neel Kashkari pauses during a Bloomberg West Television interview in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Friday, Feb. 28, 2014. Kashkari, former head of the U.S. Treasury's bank bailout program, discussed his decision to run for governor in California.
TIME sat down with the candidate to talk about his stint as a homeless man and how the GOP is going to stop their decline in California
Neel Kashkari is not yet a name most Republicans would recognize, and he holds policy positions many Republicans abhor. But the former banker who spearheaded the 2009 bank bailout may also be the Republican Party’s best hope for salvaging its brand in the nation’s most populous state.
In June, Kashkari came in second in the California governor primary with 19% of the vote. That makes him the single man standing between Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, who won 54%, and what is assumed to be Brown’s impending, unprecedented fourth term. Kashkari, however, says he refuses to let Brown coast to victory again. “He thinks he’s entitled to the governorship because his daddy was governor,” Kashkari told TIME, when asked about Brown. “It’s like a coronation. So, okay, this is a democracy. I’m gonna make him answer.”
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A native Ohio son of two immigrant parents, Kashkari is not a typical Republican, which may prove to be his most threatening feature in the increasingly blue Golden State. He’s a fiscal conservative, and a former Goldman Sachs financier, who supports abortion rights and same-sex marriage. He voted for Barack Obama in 2008, but has also been endorsed by Mitt Romney, whom he strongly supported in 2012. The 41-year-old has never held an elected office, unless you count being elected to lead the finance club at Wharton Business School (which he, half-jokingly, says was a very stiff competition). With coffers dwarfed by Brown’s $22 million war chest, and $2 million of his own money already sunk into the race, Kashkari has been finding creative ways to win the spotlight.
In July, he spent a full week living homeless on the streets of Fresno, playing out an experiment wherein he tried his best to find work and failed, sleeping in parking garages and eating at homeless shelters. It was an attempt to point out that things could be better in California, and he made a video to prove it.
This week TIME sat down with the candidate. Here is a lightly edited transcript of that conversation.
The California GOP seems to be on the decline. There are fewer than ever registered Republican voters. A Republican hasn’t won a statewide office in eight years. The legislature is controlled by Democrats. Where did the party go wrong?
I can’t point to any one thing and say this is where they went wrong, or where we went wrong. I think it’s been a gradual decline. But that’s part of my mission. California is obviously a unique state, right? And probably the most diverse in the whole country. And I don’t think our party has done a good job reflecting that diversity, which is why I feel I have such a great opportunity to show the state, and show the country, that there’s a Republican party, a Republican candidate, that can reflect that diversity and reach out into the diverse communities and unite everyone.
So there’s embracing more diverse groups. Is that just one prong in a larger reinvention that needs to happen for the California GOP?
I don’t think it’s reinvention. One of the things that the Republican party has done a lousy job of nationally is explaining how our economic ideas help regular families. That’s part of why I did what I did a couple weeks ago in Fresno … We’re down to 28% registered Republicans. That data is right there. We’re not going to win another election if we just win the 28% of registered Republicans. So we have to grow our party. And what I’ve been doing for the last year and a half is reaching out into Latino communities, African-American communities, Asian communities and learning, What do you want? And you know what they want? A good education for their kids and good jobs.
Do Republicans at large need to be embracing the LGBT community more?
Absolutely. A few weeks ago, I marched in a gay pride parade, and the LGBT press said it was the first time a Republican gubernatorial candidate had done that. And my reaction was, Well, why wouldn’t I? They’re an important part of California, and I want to help them achieve their dreams. And you know what their dreams are? They want good jobs and they want good education for their kids, the same as everybody else. I’m working extra hard to reach out into every community, especially ones that have historically come to believe that Republicans don’t care about them.
Do you support same-sex marriage or believe, from a libertarian perspective, that it simply should not be banned by the government?
To me it’s the same thing. I support same-sex marriage. And I think the government shouldn’t be getting into any of our business. People should be free to live the lives that they want to lead, as long as they’re not hurting anybody else. I was asked about reparative therapy recently, which I think is absurd. The idea that you’re going to convert a gay person to a straight person. You’re as likely to convert me to being gay … People should be allowed to marry whomever they want.
There’s been a lot of controversy about the law banning reparative therapy in California. There’s also been controversy over a new law that allows K-12 transgender students to access sports teams and bathrooms that align with their gender identity. What’s your take on that?
My issue with that law is not the substance. My issue is the way it was done. There was never a discussion statewide. Parents were, frankly, not consulted. And all of a sudden this is passed, seemingly in the middle of the night. This is a real issue, and kids need to be protected from bullying … [But] we’re 46th out of 50 for education. This is the biggest issue that the governor and the legislature is focused on in education? We’ve got this Vergara case that just happened in June, finding that the civil rights of minority kids are being violated. To me, it’s a question of priorities. Let’s go fix our schools so that every kid—gay, straight, transgender—every kid gets a good education.
In the California GOP platform, unnecessary spending on social programs is derided. Are you prepared, when you’re addressing these issues of homelessness, poverty, lack of jobs, to spend money on social programs?
We’re spending a lot on social programs today. Those, in my view, are meant to be a bridge, a bridge to a job. But when you just push social programs, social programs, social programs, and there’s no destination at the end of the bridge—it’s a bridge to nowhere—you accomplish nothing. And that’s my big beef with both the policies that the Democrats and Jerry Brown have pursued and, frankly, President Obama has pursued nationally. Unemployment benefit extensions, more food stamps, more welfare. But to what? To what end?
Where does inequality rank in terms of California’s problems?
It’s an output. Income inequality and poverty are products of a failure in our policies, education policies and economic growth policies. If we get a lousy education, stuck in a failing school, we get left behind when the economy grows. And income inequality just expands. More people get left behind in failing schools. And that’s why this Vergara case is landmark. Because finally a judge has said education is a civil right, and we need to look at it through the lens of civil rights.
In a way these are issues that have been around since Proposition 187, and before. What are your thoughts about what happened then and how it relates to now?
To me, that’s old news. I always go into every community with the same message. I want your kids to get a good education. I want you to get a good job. And people say to me, Well, what about immigration? I say, Look, I’m the son of immigrants. I believe immigrants add tremendous value to our country. We’re a nation of immigrants, and we need to embrace immigration. But we also need to update our laws to provide the workers our economy needs. In Silicon Valley, they need engineers. Farmers need farm workers. Let’s prioritize those workers that we need. And then we need to enforce the law. There’s no point to having any laws that are utterly unenforced, whether it’s gun laws or immigration laws.
To drill down on one specific point, what kind of public services should undocumented immigrants have access to?
I don’t have a laundry list in my head of ‘These are what’s appropriate, and these are not.’ I don’t think that people are coming to this country or coming to this state in pursuit of such services. I think they’re coming here in pursuit of jobs. And the more we can grow the economy, the better off everyone is going to be.
It’s easy to draw a comparison with some former GOP candidates, like Meg Whitman, who came into the race with a fortune of their own. Is there a disconnect between talking about poverty so much and coming from a background that was relatively privileged?
Compare my background to Jerry Brown’s. My parents were immigrants. I grew up middle class, mowing lawns and bagging groceries. Jerry Brown grew up in the governor’s mansion. He’s worth way more money that I am. I said, Okay Governor, you want to talk about who’s rich? Let’s release your taxes. You want to do one year? I’ll do one. You want to do five, I’ll do five. You want to do 10, I’ll do 10. Do you know what he’s said since then? Nothing. So if I’m not allowed to talk about poverty, and he’s not talking about poverty by choice, who’s going to talk about it?
I think it’s the height of arrogance. He thinks he’s entitled to the governorship because his daddy was governor. It’s like a coronation. So, okay, this is a democracy. I’m gonna make him answer.
Have you interacted with Brown or met him?
No.
In other interviews, you’ve acknowledged that in some ways the state is better off since he took office. Unemployment is down, though still not ideal. Exports are up. The economy is growing. How bad are things in California now compared to when he took office?
Look at how bad things are now in an absolute sense. I went to Fresno for seven days looking for a job. I did not see a single ‘Help Wanted’ sign. But virtually all the fast food restaurants now accept food stamps. It’s in the windows. If you want to just hang out in the Bay Area, you’re right, things are great. But if we travel around the rest of the state and see where most of California lives, a lot of people are struggling.
Your stint of homelessness has gotten you a lot of national media attention. What was that like on the ground?
It was literally seven days, six nights, of walking miles and miles and miles each day, going into diners, hardware stores, auto dealerships, saying, ‘Hey, I just got into town. I’m looking for work. I’ll wash cars, wash dishes, pack boxes, anything.’ And the closest I got to a job was with one woman, who runs a Mexican restaurant, who said she was looking for a cook. And I said, ‘Great, I’ll be your cook.’ And she said I needed at least a year’s worth of cooking experience for Mexican food. I didn’t know what I’d find. I didn’t know if after two days or a day, maybe I’d get a job and then I’d spend four or five days living as a working poor. Or I didn’t know if after one or two days this might be so hard, I run out of money, I run out of food, that I have to pull the plug. But after three or four days, when I was running out of money, it was other homeless people who said, ‘Oh, you can go to this homeless shelter.’ So that’s what I ended up turning to for food.
What has Jerry Brown failed to do to address homelessness and poverty that you would do?
Here’s a Democratic governor with a Democratic super-majority in the state senate and the state assembly. And he’s making incremental changes. He’s tinkering around the edges. He should be Nixon going to China. He should be the guy saying, ‘You know what, as governor, I’m going to go fight for the civil rights of poor kids. And I don’t care if my union bosses are mad at me for it.’ That’s what a bold leader would do. Is he doing it? No. He doesn’t want to upset the apple cart. The thing that angers me the most is if anybody in California has the power to make big changes, it’s Jerry Brown. He’s not lifting a finger … In the face of record poverty, schools that are near the worst, and unemployment that’s near the worst, he does what’s politically expedient for him. That’s a hell of a record.
Now that you’re a few months out of the primary and 20 points or so behind Brown, and he has a huge war chest, what do you think your chances are of winning?
I was at 2% in March. And all the press said I was done. It was over. And we won the primary with 19% on June 4. And we’re now at 33%. So we’ve come a hell of a long way in just a few months. So Jerry doesn’t want to debate. We’re having the debate now without him. Jerry’s gonna hide under his desk. Let him keep hiding.
Have you heard back about debates?
We’ve received four or five different debate requests from media outlets around the state, and we’ve accepted all of them. And he’s hiding. Look, if my legacy were 24% poverty [a number that comes from an alternative analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data], I wouldn’t want to debate either. He thinks he can just cruise, not have to talk about poverty, not have to talk about education, not have to talk about jobs, and get away with it. Because it’s the coronation of Jerry.
In a lot of ways the bailout can be considered a success. A lot of people, of course, hated it, seeing it as the regular guys bailing out the rich guys. Looking back now, is there anything that you would have done differently with the bailout or that the government should have done differently?
We hated that we had to do it. We wanted to let all the banks fail. Because they deserved to fail. So for a year, they had been calling us, saying they’re in trouble. And we said, Flush the toilet. You made a lousy investment. You own it. Nobody owes you anything. But when we faced the Great Depression scenario, that’s when ultimately we said we didn’t have a choice. We’re gonna step in. There are lots of little things I wish we could do differently with the benefit of hindsight. But in the big picture, the collective actions that we took were the right things to do.
So you’ve obviously been getting creative with your tactics of late, crashing a Jerry Brown event and living on the streets of Fresno. What else do you have up your sleeve?
I can’t tell you. [Laughs.] The issues I’ve been talking about since the first day of this campaign are poverty, lack of jobs, failing schools, income inequality, canceling the high speed train because it’s a big waste of money, and investing in water instead. Those are the issues we’re going to keep talking about because those are the most important issues facing the state. We’re going to come up with every creative way we can. … And I’m going to make Jerry Brown answer for his silence.
Some Missouri lawmakers hopes other states follow its lead on protecting privacy.
Missouri became the first state in the nation Tuesday to offer explicit constitutional protections of electronic communications and data from warrantless search and seizure by law enforcement.
The amendment to the state’s constitution places communications such as emails, text messages, and cloud storage under the same Fourth Amendment protection from unreasonable searches and seizures as “persons, homes, papers and effect” and will require police to have a warrant to gain access to phones, laptops, and electronic communications. It passed with 75% support in a statewide ballot effort.
“Yesterday’s overwhelming support for Amendment 9 reflects the emotion that Missourians feel about the invasion of their privacy,” said Republican state Sen. Rob Schaaf, who co-sponsored the measure with Republican Sen. Bob Dixon . “People are upset and they spoke with a very loud voice. They don’t want the government snooping.”
Schaaf says that the amendment’s specific legal impact will “take time to sort out” in Missouri, but he believes that the court will interpret it along the same lines as it interprets the right to privacy in person, paper, home, and effects. However, he believes that the national attention that the amendment receives will be its biggest impact, as that may inspire other states to follow suit.
“I think other states will look at this vote and they will follow Missouri’s lead,” Schaaf says.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that law enforcement must obtain a warrant to search cell phones seized during arrest, but the ruling did not address broader concerns about data privacy on other devices. The Missouri amendment will include laptops and communications alongside the Supreme Court’s cell phone ruling.
Federal legislation has been proposed to address the need for updated electronic communication privacy protections stored by third parties. The Email Privacy Act would update to the Electronic Communications Act of 1986, which Chris Calabrese, American Civil Liberties Union’s legislative counsel for privacy, pointed out has not been updated “substantially” since the new era of personal electronics took hold. The legislation has been passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee, but is currently in the House. “I think states will continue to act independently if there’s no federal legislation,” Calabrese says. “People care about privacy.”
This Map Shows the Wealthiest Person In Each State
Bill Gates is worth a whole lot more than the richest person in Alaska
Ever wonder what it would be like to be the richest person in the state? A new map compiled by real estate firm Movoto shows that it means radically different things depending on where you live.
The richest person in Alaska, investor Robert Gillam, is worth nearly $700 million. While that’s an impressive sum compared to the average American, it’s a less than 1 percent of the net worth of the wealthiest person in the state of Washington—Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Alaska joins Delaware, Maine, and North Dakota as the only billionaire-less states.
There are a couple of families that occupy spots in multiple states. Members of the Walton family, whose late patriarch Sam Walton founded Walmart, take the top spots in Arkansas, Texas and Wyoming. The billionaire industrialists, political donors, and philanthropists David and Charles Koch are worth around an estimated $40 billion each, making them the richest people in New York and Kansas, respectively. Their company, Koch Industries, is the second largest privately-owned corporation in the United States.
The map also highlights a big gender gap. A woman in the wealthiest person in nine states, with Wyoming’s Chrissy Walton topping the list at more than $35 billion.
Oracle founder Larry Ellison (California) and eBay Pierre Omidyar (Hawaii) are among the relative few tech billionaires. The map includes those who earned their billions through bricks and mortar, such as John Menard of Wisconsin, worth $7.5 billion, who founded the Menard’s home improvement chain, and Kentucky’s Bradley Hughes, better known as B. Wayne, who turned a self-storage business into a $2.2 billion fortune.
This post is in partnership with Fortune, which offers the latest business and finance news. Read the article below originally published at Fortune.com.
The entire world must contend with corruption. It costs honest citizens thousands of dollars per year and saps trust in public and private institutions.
We’ve all experienced corruption on at least a small scale at some point in our lives, but actually measuring it is difficult. Recently, Fortune covered a study by two public policy researchers—Cheol Liu of the City University of Hong Kong and John L. Mikesell of Indiana University—who looked the rate at which public employees in each of the 50 U.S. states had been convicted on federal corruption charges from 1976 to 2008 to determine which state was the most corrupt in the union.
Their conclusion? Mississippi, The Hospitality State, has not been all that hospitable to its citizens over the past 30-plus years, according to the study. The state had the highest ratio of public workers who were censured for misuse of public funds and other charges.
The researchers looked at the hard numbers—federal convictions—to control for differences in spending on law enforcement and the rigor of state corruption laws.
While these numbers don’t lie, Mississippi officials were none too pleased to top this list. As the state’s top corruption fighter, Mississippi State Auditor Stacey Pickering argued in an interview with Fortune that the study relied on old data and didn’t take into account the state’s anti-corruption efforts.
“This is dated material that goes back to 1976 until 2008, the year I was sworn into office,” said Pickering. |
I have been wanting to write this post for a long time and today I have decided to write it. This post would explain to you why we need scholars and what an ordinary guy with interest cant do.
First let me give you some sweet music.
I hope you heard all the 5 songs. Now the question name the music director for each of these songs ?
Please do not google and think about the answer instantly.
And now let me tell you none of these songs had music by Illayaraja.(1.Gangai Amaran 2. Shankar Ganesh 3.Devendiran 4.Bhagyaraj 5.T.Rajendar)
Now let me tell you what is this post about. This post is about finding the authenticity of certain old tamil text.
When you hear the songs and you feel the songs are good and you also know the period is of 80s-90s , even when you dont know the music director your mind autmatically fills up the blank with the name you know that is the Genius Raja.
Even though you have heard all the songs of Raja multiple times and feel the songs above have some of Raja touches- still it was not composed by Raja. This is where an amateur with extraordinary interest fails. The lack of technical knowledge more often than not fools him.
If same songs are given to a scholar to analyse he would come out with proper analysis and could probably prove that musical patterns of these songs don’t match with that of Raja. In one Coffee with Anu show SPB says that Gangai Amaran was so unlucky because people thought that all his music was done by Raja. He went on to say that Gangai Amran’s orchestrations were completely different from that of Raja.
This is the same kind of problem we face with Authorship in Tamil Literature. Auvaiyar, Nakkirar, Agathiyar, Kamban,Kapilar have become the brand names used to fill up unkown authorship.
In an age we have visual medium, internet, and various kind of archives , we still mistake some of other music directors composition for Raja’s.
The one most important factor most people dont know is that, the medium of writing the Palmyra leaves or the Oolai chuvadu last only for 300-400 years when atmost care is taken. If proper care is not taken they get destroyed within Hundred years.
So every 100-150 years people take up all the old Oolai Chuvadu and copy them into new versions and throw away the old copies.(after centuries people forgot the part to copy and just started throwing away the original manuscripts!).
In large part of world we have got manuscripts written 2000 years ago with the authors own handwriting. But unfortunately the hot temperature and Termites in India don’t allow that luxury. Nearly all manuscripts we have now are copied ones of the original. Only very few of the Tamil manuscripts are original since some of the Tamil Manuscripts were found frozen in Tibet(1000 year old manuscripts).
So while copying the manuscripts, any body can add their own lines into the original work. These are called interpolations. Nearly all Tamil works have this interpolations. Once in 1800s one French scholar who was translating Thirukural claimed he had version of Thirukkural which had more than 1330 kurals. There is also an instances where a Vaishnavite scholar has removed a chapter praising of Shiva from KambaRamayanan.
There so many such interpolations in Kamba Ramayana that some scholars sat together and did extensive research to compile a Critical edition.
When Christian Missionaries came in and wanted to print and publish some of the old manuscripts – the natives just added name of some famous poets as the authors, so that they could sell the manuscripts for higher price.
NowI come back to the place where I started when we have all the proof and yet we are attribute some non -Raja songs as his music think about the complex situations In Tamil literature. Is there any way to find the real author??
If there was any good work during the period of Kamban people attributed that work to Kamban. There are works like Sadagopar anthati attributed to Kamban. But people well versed with Kamban would say that all these other works doesn’t have the class, style and quality of Kamba Ramayanam.
Another problem with Tamil Literature(rather Indian Literature as whole) is Dating or when the original work was written. I will explain this again with a movie example.
Lets take Subramaniya Puram the movie is based in 1980s. Now by some accident the films first 15 mins and last 15 mins get erased. Now you have movie which takes place in 1980s but made in close to 2010. So say after 200 years if some one gets to see the movie(only the remaining film after the ) how would he know the movie was made in 2010? Wouldn’t the movie be mistaken for 1980 unless he has good knowledge of technology such as the cameras used, the colors used, the editing style and so on. Or at least he should have a movie from 1980 to bench mark and compare with this film. With non availability of any film from 1980s it is more likely a person who sees the movie without knowing anything about it after few hundred years believing it to be a movie of 1980s rather than 2010.
Same is the case with remakes and movies with same titles. There might be a famous movie of same name 20 years ago and not so famous movie with same title 20 years later. Since movies are visual medium we can differentiate between two movies based on the actors. But consider the same case with literature- how can you know if the version of literature you have is the famous old version or not so famous new version?
Silapathikaram story has happened in 172 AD. But the Silapathikaram version in present form cannot be earlier than 4th century according to many scholars. So when you read Silapthikaram you are under the impression that it was written in Sangam age. But if you analyse the language and culture of Silapathikaram with Sangam literature you would surely see a vast difference.
Another problem is of Sequels. Manimekalai is a sequel of Silapthikaram. So most people consider it as written in same time as Silapthikaram and initially believed to be part of Sangam literature. Recently I read collection of research papers on Buddhism in Tamil Nadu and most authors consider Manimekalai written as late as 10th century.
Tamil nadu government has fixed Thiruvalluvar to be born 52 years before christ, yet we have no indication from that literature to tell it was written before BC. Most scholars date Thirukkural roughly to 4-5th century AD.
So how do these scholars date a literature?
Let me take Subramaniapuram example again.Suppose after some 500 years they see this movie, a scholar would observe(if they didnt know when the movie released) The movie must not have been taken in 1980s since the photography standards have improved a lot. It has heavy influence of Spanish cinema which is very late development. The actor Sasi Kumar can also be found nearly in the same get up in film Nadodigal which is closely dates around 2010.The same can be said of other cast because all of them seem to be of the period around 2010.This film should have been released before the movie Pasanga, Mothi Vilayadu, Saroja because all these movie have mentioned Suramaniyapuram. So Lower limit of the films age is around 2009 . The movie also seems to have been a realistic movie.This wave was supposedly started by a movie Kadhal. So the upper limit can be kept as 2005.So the movie should have been released in some where between 2007-2008.
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Similarly scholars looks for internal evidences such as language(as you know language MGR spoke in his movies are different from language we speak now…every few decades the language undergoes some change), culture(if someone is seen having an Ipod you know the film was made around around 2000AD) and mention of few historical personalities(if some film mentions MGR we for sure know that movie released after MGR was popular).
Some of the works which have been ascribed to Auvaiyar has urdu words in them!!! So this makes sure that it was not the work of Auviyar who got the nellikani from Adhiyaman!
It is extermely important that one who wants to gain some substantial knowledge should read works of scholars. Wikipedia and blogs like mine can only create an interest but true knowledge is gained only through reading book written by scholars.
21 thoughts on “Understanding some problems in Tamil Literature through Tamil Cinema!”
” It is extremely important that one who wants to gain some substantial knowledge should read works of scholars. Wikipedia and blogs like mine can only create an interest but true knowledge is gained only through reading book written by scholars”!!
Good point tabled. I wish you had taken examples of Valli’s songs being attributed to Kannadasan, or songs of other poets during that period or even earlier being attributed to Kannadasan. That could have given a literary analogy, rather than a parallel from music.
Thanks for the post.
Good Analogy! Sometimes, I have doubted how could some other language can penetrate into tamil in sangam period.. But, this gives answer! Original version MUST be pure tamil version… Thanks for this wonderful post.
Congrats. Your article is agood one with full of analogies and useful thouhts but pls bear in mind that only real -i mean not spurious or so called- scholars in Tamil could venture into the realm of dating an ancient Tamil work. The task is overwhelming, gathering evidences -both external as well as internal is not an easy joke… and above all, time and money are needed and so is the impartiality. When all these are met, then we’ll have determined the correct date of a particular work.
Let us hope for the best
Meanwhile continue your good work!
May it bear fruits!
Balaraman..this is not a quick fix solution…sanskrit/pakrit words may surely be prevalent in Sangam literature… as scholar said Tamil didnt grow in Isolation. Tamil had influences of pakrit and sanskrit…and also the vice versa. There are so many dravidian words in Rig veda.
Sir,
When I do say scholars I mean real scholars like George Hart,J R Marr, Kailasapathy,V S Rajam. And I developed my interest in Tamil reading solely Dr.Zvelebil’s books. Recent discussions in CTamil forum with scholars like VS Rajam, George Hart made me feel that the levels which can be reached by serious research scholar can never be reached by enthusiast!
vairam
The ascription problem often arises because the lesser artists have imitated the genius. Without doubt, Gangai Amaran, Shankar Ganesh were all imitating Raja and met with varied succes. The same applies to classical literature. The Sangam poems were mostly literary adaptations or courtly versions of folk songs which were oral. In oral traditions individual authors do not exist. Each song develops as it travels from one mind to another getting enriched at each step. Authorship is a modern obsession unknown to the Sangam poets. And precise dating is Western fad that tries to rank literary pieces by antiquity. It is unfortunate that we use those models to assay timeless poetry!
Great points, practical comparison and the analogies are really good. The fact of authors altering the original text is unavoidable, esp for a period of 2000 years and too much literature.
I believe that there is no point in trying to “date” any Indian classics before say 1000 years. At best its all speculation. Paraphrasing Holmes “Without facts, we just keep spinning theories”. The truth is, imitation was (and is) considered seriously a form of flattery. Another parallel, in carnatic music, as recently as 100 years ago, we see the mudra “Tyagaraja” being used by other musicians, making us think it is by Tyagaraja himself. Several of Papanasam Sivan’s songs are very close to Tyagaraja’s melody. They considered this a tribute to the great saint, not as “copying”. This may be considered a form of plagiarism now in the West, but not so in India. “Imitating the Best” was probably considered a proper art-form. Knowingly are unknowingly we are all influenced by the best around us.
I am skeptical of linguists or experts dismissing some verses as interpolations or alterations, and sometimes even whole works as wrongly authored. In the absence of clear evidence of a different author, we must accept tradition attributions to a specific author. The Sadakopar anthaathi is a good example. Authors can and do vary dramatically in style, content, “quality” even in a single composition. Can we say that Kamban only composed Sundara Kaandam, because it is superior to the other “Kaandams” ? What if someone in the future says that Kannadasan author of “malarnthu malaraatha” & “ninaitthathellam nadanthuvittaal” could not have composed “ilanthai pazham” because it was not upto his “normal quality”? Could we dismiss some of Kalki’s mediocre short stories as not worthy of the author of Ponniyin Selvan? |
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A CICERONIAN LAWYER'S MUSINGS ON LAW, PHILOSOPHY, CURRENT AFFAIRS, LITERATURE, HISTORY AND LIVING LIFE SECUNDUM NATURAM
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Regarding Quietism
I refer to Quietism in philosophy, not religion, and by Quietism in philosophy I refer to that view of certain philosophers that traditional issues of philosophy cannot or should not be the subject of debate or dispute, because they result from confusion due to imprecise or improper use of language, false assumptions, bad analogies, needless quests for absolute certainty. Wittgenstein, I suppose, was a great proponent of Quietism. J. L. Austin and Gilbert Ryle also come to mind. I think certain pragmatists were, as well.
It is a view I find seductive, or at least persuasive. Philosophers have been debating issues related to reality, knowledge, the good, the beautiful and propounding great systems regarding them for centuries, and it seems all for nought, and nothing is resolved; the same questions are still asked, and debated, and other, different, systems are propounded in what seems an endless profusion. Quietist (if there is such a word) philosophers have in many cases successfully (I think) demonstrated that much of this disputation and much of this grand systematizing is the result of confusion and imprecision in the use of language, or have otherwise pointed out that such questions as are being asked should not be asked, or are not really questions to begin with, and such problems as are being addressed by philosophers are not really problems.
I also question whether these traditional philosophical questions are worthy of further consideration. But then I find myself asking what would happen if they are no longer addressed by philosophers. If there is no philosophical pursuit of such questions (pursuit by philosophers, I mean) would this not leave the field open to those who are not philosophers? Philosophers at least endeavor to employ reason, and a method of analysis, to questions. Regardless of their success in answering them, should we not encourage the use of reason in the effort to answer the "great questions" rather than see them made the exclusive domain and concern of the mystical...the irrational?
Would that be the result of philosophy's abandonment of these issues, though? To the extent that people look to philosophers for anything these days when it comes to such questions, it seems they look to dead philosophers. This makes a kind of sense. It doesn't seem very likely that philosophers will come to conclusions regarding such questions that have not already been arrived at by the philosophers of the past (except, perhaps, the conclusions arrived at by the Quietists, and even those are of the past). Those who are mystics and are inclined to look to the irrational for answers to such questions probably will not even think to consider the work of living philosophers.
So, I don't think we need worry that most people will embrace the irrational in addressing the great, traditional philosophical questions, because of the efforts of the Quietists. But what of those who are not "most people"? What of philosophers themselves, or that amorphous class of people we call "intellectuals"?
There, I fear, the damage has already been done, in the sense that some philosophers, and many intellectuals, apparently have come to distrust and denigrate reason, and propound the irrational (e.g., postmodernists). This started, I think, in the late 19th century and extended into the 20th century and this anti-reason tendency carries on today, though it may be suffering a setback. Suggestively, this tendency is more or less contemporaneous with Quietism.
For good or ill, philosophers and intellectuals have a certain degree of influence. And by questioning reasoning, or science, as some of them have done, they make it difficult to combat those who make contend that answers may be given to questions and problems may be solved in a manner contrary to reason and science. To what end do we claim that certain religious views, or certain customs or beliefs, are unreasonable, or make no sense, if we insist and are on record saying there is no way of establishing, really, that is the case?
This is something that causes a legitimate concern. I'm not sure this is something which has resulted from Quietism, though. There is nothing in Quietism which encourages the denigration of reason as far as I can see. Reason is above all a method. Quietists may well contend that reason is not or should not be applied to the "great questions" because doing so is fruitless, but it doesn't follow from this that it is not usefully and beneficially applied to other questions and other problems.
Quietism doesn't require the abandonment of reason, then. It suggests only that it is misapplied in certain cases.
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About Me
An admirer of Cicero, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca (sometimes), John Dewey, J.L. Austin in philosophy, something of a legal positivist or legal realist in the law, with a preference for the moderns in literature, photorealists in art, Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms in classical music, be bop and cool jazz, Warren Zevon and Steely Dan in popular music, trying to live life secundum naturam |
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Saturday, May 28, 2011
“Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence.”
I haven’t even started and I feel like a fraud. I am NOT always ready to make a defense of my hopeful faith and when I try, I am more often than not timid and awkward, and as a general matter I have been known to forget all about reverence and gentleness. I do, however, have friends to remind me.
One of those friends is an artist who lives in western Pennsylvania. Some time after I returned to seminary for the second year, he sent me a small piece of paper upon which he had crafted the word TIKVA. I groaned when I saw it –my command of Biblical languages is limited at best and all I could see was that he had written something in Hebrew. Thankfully he had used English letters, and so I was able to google it. TIKVA means “Hope.” I shook my head -- it was not a word I wanted to hear, or see. Nevertheless, I dutifully pasted his sign to the door to my door in the seminary dorm, so that I would have to see it every several times a day. But would be a long time before I would be able to understand the word TIKVA as having any relevance to my own life’s journey.
Last week, our PC(USA) moderator Cindy Bolbach reminded us that, in our lives of faith, we do not get from here to there alone. We do not find hope or healing on our own. We carry one another. Let me tell you a little about that experience in my own last couple of years, recognizing that some of you know the story and some not at all.
The last time I had the wonderful opportunity to preach here was just after Easter three years ago. I was in my first year of seminary and a man in my closest circle friends had just died, very suddenly. I tried to offer something of consolation to his wife and to our friends who were family to us, most of whom were here. Little did I know that only five months later, the tables would be turned and the loss would be our own family’s. In September, as I was preparing to return to Pittsburgh for the second of my three seminary years, our beautiful 24yo son Josh died of suicide. Many of you were here in the days that followed, and you witnessed the stunned horror and grief in which we in our family found ourselves locked. You can understand that when I speak about hope, I am talking about a confidence that is the product of along journey across a vast desert.
I did eventually finish seminary, and I am in the process of seeking a call to a church right now. But the past two and one-half years have not been those of which I had dreamed; the circumstances have not come close to anything I could possibly have imagined or planned.
Perhaps it’s because I have found hope so difficult to recover that I gravitated toward the reading in I Peter today. And of course I wondered,: Out of what reality was he speaking? Who, even, in fact, was speaking?
We all know not to take the authorship of a Biblical text for granted, even when a name is plastered to the front of a book. We might be tempted to presume that the author of I Peter is, in fact, that fisherman who followed Jesus with an immediacy of commitment that most of the rest of us find difficult to emulate. But in fact the book was most likely written by one of Peter’s followers in Rome, or by a community of such followers, toward the end of the first century.
The letter is what’s known as a circular letter, a document sent off to be circulated among a number of churches in the northern provinces of the Roman Empire, in today’s Turkey. Those of our members who went to Turkey earlier this year probably visited some of the places in which this letter landed. A circular letter was sort of an ancient version of a chain letter, except that it didn’t end with those ominous predictions about what will happen if you don’t email 16 more copies by midnight.
The writer we call Peter is instructing the young Christian communities in Turkey on how to address the challenges they face in a situation that should be recognizable to us: being church in a world which is somewhat indifferent and even somewhat hostile to its teachings and practices. A surrounding community resentful of the church members’ refusal to participate in the civic rituals honoring the Roman gods. A surrounding community irritated by those insistent upon proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ, and willing to hassle them a bit for their convictions.
And so, Peter tells them: always be ready to defend the hope that is in you. Well, we know what that means: make a defense, be ready to assert yourself and your position. We all do it all the time, over all sorts of issues. Just a couple of days ago, a man tried to defend to me, with choice words and gestures, his decision to make a U-turn in front of me on Cedar Road.
We defend most of our choices out of hope – out of hope that we are right, out of hope that things will work out, for ourselves and for those who we love. Hope grounded in the everyday matter of life that we think we control. What college, what job, what neighborhood? (What U-turn?) But those decisions are a few steps away from the hope of which the author of I Peter reminds us, the hope in Jesus Christ that grounds all other hopes.
And that hope, as Cindy reminded us last week, we nurture in one another. We account for it by what we do with and for one another.
A couple of months ago, it was my privilege to teach our confirmation class one Sunday. The topic L assigned to me was: What does it mean to be confirmed? What does it mean to affirm, intentionally, that we have been invited into this life in the church by our loving God? I invited the class to respond to that question – how does confirmation affect you – in three ways: How does it affect you as an individual? As a participant in this church congregation? As a member of this church in the world?
I might have framed the question differently. I might have asked them: How do you account for your hope in Jesus Christ– as an individual, as a church member, as a person engaged in the world community? How does it change you?
After Josh died, I had no idea what to do about my life. I didn’t care, actually, anything at all about my life. Hope was no longer one of my vocabulary words. Those of you who have been there will recognize the feeling. But my daughter, who had returned to college for her senior year, called me up one night and said, “Mom, you have got to get out of bed.” I thought about that for awhile, and concluded that if she could get on a plane and fly back to Oregon, I guessed that I could get in a car and drive to Pittsburgh. One person’s hope, and it wasn’t mine. We love each other, and we carry each other.
In these months, and now years, it turns out that the hope of many, many people sustained me. Hope expressed in gentleness and with reverence, even when I did not respond in kind. Hope expressed in meals and gifts, and, most especially, in presence. There were a couple of people who wrote to me and read my emails and sat with me and listened to me for hours at a time. Even when I hurled angry words at them, accusing them of not listening, they kept right on listening. They listened with the profound patience of people whose hope is in Jesus Christ, as people who as individuals account for the hope that is in them by being present to others.
As a congregation, how do we account, among ourselves, for the hope within us? Look at how we worship together, how we care for one another, how we laugh and cry together. Last fall, EP and I co-facilitated a Kerygma group. One day when we were supposed to be discussing one of the strategies our lesson presented to us on how to interpret the Bible, we all got into a conversation about some of our more difficult experiences. Out of that conversation the idea for the Blue Christmas service was born. I guess that we were, in fact, employing a strategy for interpreting Scripture: we were applying it to our lives and, as hopeful friends of Jesus and one another, seeking to spread that hope around in ways new to us.
If you were here last week, you heard K and LS announce the project inviting us all to note on a paper brick the ways in which we have each contributed to the issues of care and justice for the homeless in our community. The paper bricks are being constructed into a wall on the Justice and Mission Ministry’s kiosk in Fellowship Hall. The Ministry makes it easy for the rest of us to contribute to solutions for the homeless and to reflect on what we’re doing: to see that we take the steps we do out of hope. And not just out of hope that we can help others, or hope that we can chip away at a major societal problem. But hope that the Kingdom of God is among us, hope that we account for by participating in its growth.
All of this – individual, church, world – all of it is grounded in Jesus and the hope that he is. We don’t do these things just because we are good people. We do them because we have hope in the one who is hope himself.
It's still Easter – did you know that? It’s hard to believe, on Memorial Day week-end, but it’s the sixth Sunday of the Easter season. The season in which we particularly celebrate that Jesus died and rose in defeat of death. The season in which we particularly celebrate the hope that lies within us.
In a few weeks, our readings will take us back into the life of Jesus. If we pay attention to what he says, and does, and wants, we learn what it means to defend our hope in the person who defeats death and who invites us into participation in the building of his kingdom. It means that we listen to despairing people in the hope that they will know God’s love in our listening. It means that we worship together in the hope that we will affirm God’s love in our celebrations and in our crises. It means that we try to offer ourselves to others out of the rest of the world in the hope that they will experience God’s love in the rebuilding of their lives.
A couple of weeks ago, one of those people who listens to me said that our vocation is to live the love of Jesus. No matter what else we do in our lives, our real vocation is to live out the love of Jesus.
And if that is our vocation, how we could we not be people of hope? Our vocation, if it is to live the love of Jesus, must be to counter death with life at every turn. All the deaths, small and large – those of loss, of brokenness, of homelessness, literal and metaphorical – our vocation is to counter them with the love of living hope.
I don’t know for sure about all of you, but I know that for me, death is a personal affront. Very personal. My mother, my youngest brother, my son – all died at very young ages. I don’t have any kind or sentimental words about death. I suspect that on Memorial Day, a lot of us are particularly aware of death as a horrific gash in our lives, as a breach in relationship that we ourselves cannot overcome.
But if our vocation is to live the love of the person who DEMOLISHES death, the person who replaces it with the life and light for which we were always intended, how could we do anything other than reach out to each other with hope? share in the hope of our community life? and walk into the world as bearers of the message that love is stronger than death, stronger than what looks to be our end?
It was a long time after Josh’s death before I recognized any signs of renewal. But I have kept my friend’s little TIKVA card, which I plan to frame and hang on the wall in my someday church study. Because it’s true: we should account for the life of Jesus Christ that dwells within us, and there is no gentler and more reverent way than by quietly communicating one word: Hope.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Despite having had a major experience of God's consolation over the past several days, my everyday life is one of deep discouragement. It's filled with frustrations: the lack of employment means that much around the house that we had to neglect during my seminary years remains undone; the profusion of rain and cold means that the yard looks as if no one has lived here in a decade; my double vision means that almost everything I attempt takes twice as long as it should and that I have to depend entirely on others for transportation.
The hardest thing is the empty hole where the call process should be. RevGals today optimistically and joyfully addresses the process for those just graduating from seminary. It's been a year since I graduated, six months since I was certified ready to receive a call, and . . . nada. I remember how incredibly excited I was about the future on both of those occasions, but now I find myself baffled and bewildered. I'm not alone; my best friend from seminary, a remarkably gifted and accomplished woman, remains call-less, and I keep hearing stories of folks two and three years out, still hoping. There is one church possibility at the moment for which I am both optimistic and enthusiastic, but possibility remains the key word there.
It's not as if I have nothing to do. In fact, I have begun to receive enough invitations for spiritual direction, retreat work, teaching, and community work that I am even more uncertain: How is it that my own church can't come up with work for me, when other people and organizations and institutions seem interested in my contributions? and: Am I being called into something else entirely?
Among the many non-pastor items on my plate are a couple of writing projects which may turn into something. And so I'm going to step back from blogging for awhile and head down that path with as much focus and discipline as I can muster. I'll still be reading, and I have book reviews to post, but I'm going to start limiting my online time , dramatically, effective . . . NOW.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Lovely Daughter went to Guatemala over spring break as part of her social work master's program and, like at least one of her classmates, fell victim to some kind of ATM card theft. Apparently someone somehow got card and pin numbers and is slowly making their way through a set of newly created fake cards until "insufficient funds" appears on a screen. Or perhaps the pretend cards are for sale.
LD discovered that she'd been hit when she was at the BMV yesterday to register her car and turned out to have those "insufficient funds." More details, this morning: it seems that her account was emptied in the last day or two by someone in the Santo Domingo airport in the Dominican Republic.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts; it is beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the church's mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about: We plant seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for God's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own. Amen.
These words are frequently attributed to Archbishop Oscar Romero, but when I heard them at the event the other night, another author was named. Of course, I could not retain the name for longer than a few seconds and it took me awhile to track it down, but the source is clarified here: the prayer was written by Bishop Ken Untener (to whom they were credited by our speaker).
My daughter frequently reminds me that I should not generalize my experience as a universal one, but I think that I might be on safe ground here: When you suffer the sudden, unexpected, suicidal death of a child, all sense of the future is crushed. Seeds planted and watered, foundations laid, yeast provided ~ it seems that it was all pointless, and that there is no hope for another future. I haven't heard anything different from any other parent in my circumstances.
For the rest, though, I will stick to my own experience and not seek to impose it on anyone else. And my experience, slow and halting as it is, has been to recognize that, whatever our own plans and expectations, however much we hope and however hard we work and however deeply we love, God's grace is at work, not merely on an enterprise beyond our small contribution, but on a project that may be extravagantly more dimensional than that in which we imagine ourselves to be engaged.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
I had a good time last night. Did you hear that? I had a really. good. time.
Mother's Day was sad and hard. Unbloggably so. If I were still posting in my Desert Year blog, the one I started in which to chronicle the year, and then the next year, after Josh's death, I would probably have written about a blinding sandstorm.
And then a couple of days later, the air began to clear, in a way that it hasn't for two full years and another fall and winter and spring. I don't think I can write about it yet; suffice it to say that I suddenly understood who and where I want to be, and that perhaps I can ~ can become that person.
Last night I went to the annual fundraising event for the local Jesuit Retreat House. The woman who runs the spiritual direction program in which I studied was being honored and had invited me as a guest at her table, and my wonderful first spiritual director was the main speaker. He offered what may have been the most eloquent presentation I've ever heard him make, which is saying something ~ you could have heard the proverbial pin drop. The tent was packed with people whom I've met through my spiritual direction life over the past several years, many of whom have become very dear to me, and the evening was filled with mini-reunions and lovely conversation and great good humor. (I knocked over only one glass of wine, thanks to my vision issues, and it was my own!) When I got home, much later than anticipated, I realized that I had been having fun, real fun, for hours. Even a difficult few moments, in which I ran into lawyer friends whom I have not seen in years and realized that they probably did not know about Josh, passed without incident.
I couldn't help but contrast the evening to the last Big Event I attempted and sorely regretted attending ~ my seminary graduation a year ago. What a difference twelve months, or a few days, can make.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
My great-grandfather (the one in the photo with me) started the family business, S.B. Craig & Co., just after the turn of the century. The letterhead (in black, on plain white paper tablets) said something like "Hay Grain Coal Feed Water Fertilizer." In the early years, so my grandfather said, his father took on any kind of work available. At one point, he had a contract for the construction of county roads. One of my grandfather's first jobs as a very young man was to bail the workmen out of jail on Monday mornings after their Saturday night carousing in local bars.
S.B. died when I was small; he walked down the street to "the office" every day into his eighties, until he finally came home for lunch one afternoon, sat down, and died. The business as I knew it as a child occupied a two-story stone building near the center of town next to the railroad tracks, with a scale in the back for weighing the deliveries of grain trucked in from a several-county area. Roll-top oak desks, a pot-bellied stove, my grandfather and great-uncle, my father and uncle, their friendly secretary, and other men wandering in and out in overalls and rough jackets ~ that was about it. It felt comfortable and homey to me, much moreso than the place on the outskirts of town to which they moved when I was about twelve, with its small cinderblock office building, tall silos, and massive weighing station.
The business as I knew it as an older child wasn't located in either of the "offices," however. It was located in my grandfather's heart and mind, and in his relationships with his customers.
When I was in maybe fourth through sixth grade, he used to take me "calling" on those long summer afternoons that were otherwise filled mostly with lying in the grass and looking at the sky. I would hop into his Ford and we would drive further out into the country, stopping at the houses of his customers for a glass of lemonade, a piece of cake, and a long conversation. Sometimes about crops and weather, but more often about families and weddings and deaths and community events.
At some point, Gramps acquired a Polaroid camera, and at each visit he would head out to the fields to snap a few pictures of the farmer and his sons, usually as they stood proudly against the growing corn of mid-July or in the midst of a soybean field turning yellow-gold under the September sunshine. He'd leave a couple of photographs and drop off a calendar, and off we'd go.
My brother worked in the business for several years in his twenties, and told me that when he first went out with Gramps to "take some orders," he came back scratching his head. "I just didn't see any business happening," he said to one of the other men. "He didn't even talk about what was coming up, let alone write any contracts." "Oh, your grandfather has his own ways," was the response. "Give it some time."
And sure enough, said my brother, within a couple of weeks a man would wander in and say laconically, "I stopped by to talk about my corn." Or perhaps several few weeks after that, another man would simply arrive with a truck full of beans and lean out the window to ask, "How much today?"
My grandfather was not one for any outward expression of personal faith. He once mentioned to me that a certain Methodist bishop a couple of generations back in my grandmother's family was "surely the most tedious preacher I have ever encountered." And on another occasion he reminded me that pastors were "good for marryin' and buryin' " and seemed disinclined to concede more.
As with all of us, however, that story is a good deal more complex, and perhaps I'll tell it sometime. Suffice it to say that among his best friends in the second half of his life were the Catholic sisters two counties over, and that one of them let out a peal of delighted laughter when I told her of my seminary plans. "Your grandfather would be the first to encourage you, if that's what you want," she said.
My grandfather is the man from whom I learned to tell stories, and to listen to them. I'm thinking that, surprised as he might be to hear it, he might have been the real pastor in the family. I wish, more than almost anything, that he were here to sit on my porch with a lemonade in hand, to share those stories and to listen to mine.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
"I had no idea," wrote one of my Intro to Religion students, a middle-aged man who works in information technology, "that there were entire fields of the history and philosophy of religion. I thought either you believed in it or you didn't, and that was that." He went on to ask for some reading suggestions and, realizing that he is far from alone, I'm working on a list today to send out tonight after the final exam.
Most of my students are considerably younger, typical college freshmen and sophomores. About half are Catholic, some having been educated in Catholic schools all of their lives; one is Jewish; one, though Catholic herself, is from a predominantly Muslim majority country. Few of them arrived in the first class in possession of more than a passing acquaintance with the academic study of religion. We've studied Freud and Tillich, the documentary hypothesis and gospel parallels, and the tiniest bit of Hinduism and Islam.
I'd love some suggestions for my list, which I'm calling Reading for the Next Decade. I have Dostoyevsky and C.S. Lewis and Shakepeare and Robert Barron and Heschel and Elizabeth Johnson and Dietrich Bonhoeffer and a list of poets. I'm about to eyeball our own library and head over to the RevGals and to Quotidian Grace for more ideas.
If you could make a few suggestions to a college student, what would they be?
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Nope, I don't have a whole lotta memories to go on. But I have this one. It must be from September when I was in second grade, because the accident that claimed two lives and injured the other two of us happened on October 5, and academic prowess was no longer an issue.
(Please understand that I grew up way out in the country and attended a small rural school where the teachers performed miracles every day on a shoestring budget. So if I stood out in any way, it was only because the pond was very tiny. Which was confirmed for me some years later when sports, geometry, and chemistry were introduced into into my life, accompanied by the concept of Failure.)
**********
We are in the car, and my mommy says:
"Your daddy and I have been talking, and we wonder if you would like to skip into third grade?"
"NO."
"No? Really? We thought that you might enjoy it."
"No. Second grade is when we learn to write cursive. In third grade everyone writes everything in cursive and I wouldn't know how and everyone would tease me for being stupid."
"I don't think they would do that, sweetie."
"Yes, they would. Skipping second grade would be a Very Bad Idea. It would be a Terrible Idea."
"Do you want to think about it?"
"No."
"OK."
**********
I was all grown up and in law school when someone pointed out to me, Your mother listened to you.
NOTE: THIS LITANY COMES FROM A PEARL DOWN UNDER, LINKED BELOW. ITS AUTHOR IS THE PERSON YOU NEED TO CONTACT FOR PERMISSION TO USE. (And I am happy to add here some information found on the blog of one of her commenters: it's by the Rev. Patty Lawrence, May 2004 posted on her blog ~ a pearl downunder on Saturday, May 7, 2011)
We remember Sarai who was taunted by others in the household because of her inability to have children.
All-encompassing God, we pray for those who feel excluded when we emphasize one kind of family as normal.
We remember Esther, who was adopted and raised by her cousin.
God who embraces us all, we pray for those who cannot be raised by their parents, for a short time or permanently.
We remember the mother of Moses, who placed him into a raft on the river.
Saving God, we pray for parents who struggle to raise their children in oppressive circumstances.
We remember Hannah, who loved her child so much she handed him over to another to raise.
Loving God, we pray for parents who have placed their child in another family.
We remember Naomi, who grieved the death of her sons.
God who grieves with us, we pray for parents who mourn the death of a child.
We remember Ruth, who gave up her family to be family to another.
Inclusive God, we pray for those who choose to be family to those isolated by culture or language or distance.
We remember Elizabeth, who had a child in old age and we remember Mary, who had a child as a teenager.
Ageless God, we pray that as a community we accept people of varying life stages and responsibilities and relationships.
We remember Rachel, crying for her children.
God of justice and hope, we pray for those whose children are killed, and look to a time when children can live safely in their communities.
We remember Lois and Eunice, who taught Timothy faith by example.
Faithful God, we pray for those who teach us faith by their lives; may we remember that we also teach about you in the way we live.
We remember other people, not named in the Scriptures, like the mother of the prodigal son.
Companion God, we pray for those who wait for a phone call or a visit, cut off from family and friends by distance and disagreement.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
It appears that my eyesight is not going to make a complete recovery in time for the height of the spring migration season over the next couple of weeks. Consequently, I am going to focus (ha ha) on depth rather than on breadth this year, and try to learn some new things.
This morning I positioned myself against the bridge railing at Lower Lake so that I could use my elbows to steady my binocs for my one-eyed viewing. I hoped that something more than than the Canada geese, mallards, and rough-winged and barn swallows would show up. Those are all perfectly fine birds, but I wanted to see someone in transit.
Reward! One unmistakable bird flitting around in the not-yet-green underbrush along the stream.
I came home and looked up the map. Do you suppose he was in Guatemala when The Lovely Daughter was there in March? Will he cross Lake Erie tonight, or will he rest a few days first? And will he seek a mate and build a nest in Algonquin Park in Ontario, and spend the summer watching folks paddle by in their canoes, as we so often have?
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
"Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence."
~ I Peter 3:15b-16a
I'm preaching at my home church on Memorial Day week-end.
It doesn't sound like a big deal, I suppose. First holiday week-end of the summer ~ the church will be half empty. I don't even know whether either of our pastors will be there.
But it is a big deal. I haven't preached there in three years. The last time was the Sunday after Easter, a few weeks after the husband of one of my best friends had very suddenly died. Five months before Josh died. I was a first year seminary student, full of joy and anticipation, trying to offer some hope to my heartbroken circle of friends of two decades. I had no inkling of how very changed I myself would be before the long-awaited summer was over.
I wonder what I should do.
I've preached maybe thirty sermons in these past two years. (None at all in that nightmare of a first year.) I think the best are probably those completely soaked in the personal experience that goes unmentioned.
I took a quick look at the texts a couple of weeks ago and decided on the one above, because the words "gentleness and reverence" leaped out at me. Partly because my first spiritual director so often frames his remarks in the context of "attention, reverence and devotion," meaning that the word "reverence" brings a number of connotations immediately to mind. And partly because "gentleness and reverence" are two words and I am contending with double vision, literally and metaphorically, these days.
So. I have a passage. I've looked up a bit about the authorship and context of the letter in question. I've started to wonder about the nouns: defense, anyone, accounting, hope, gentleness, reverence. They're an interesting set of words, all strung together in one sentence like that.
And. I'm thinking about that sanctuary of ours, which is so beautiful, and about what it's like to go there. After that funeral.
It's still difficult.
Image:The beginning of I Peter, from a 1407 AD Latin Bible on display in Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, England, here.
Let me say at the outset that I am not qualified to review this book except insofar as I approached it as many western readers might: with a little knowledge of Brother Lawrence and even less of Zen. Brother Lawrence's name I recognized as that of a 17rh century French monk known for the simplicity of his approach to prayer, and for a capacity for becoming present to God in the most ordinary of tasks. He was not a theologian nor even a particularly well-educated man, but his brief writings were compiled into a book that continues to influence many to this day.
Insofar as Zen is concerned, I am aware of it as a Buddhist practice of mindfulness, and of the appeal of mindfulness practice to many of us caught up in the rushed demands of contemporary culture. The well-known writings of Pema Chodron and Thich Nhat Hahn on Buddhism and Zen ~ particularly their work on suffering ~ have meant a great deal to me as I have dealt with some of the major challenges of my life. But I have never studied either Buddhism or Zen in any more depth than that required to provide high school students with an elementary survey of world religions.
All that said, this book is not intended as an academic approach to the interface between Christianity and Zen. Rather, it offers a series of paired meditations from Brother Lawrence and from various Zen masters. They demonstrate some of the many substantive similarities between the two expressions of contemplation.
I had at first thought in terms of noting that the coupled meditations might offer a fresh approach for Christians for whom some of the frequently repeated aphorisms sometimes cause the eyes and mind both to glaze over. However, it occurs to me that the reverse might be true as well.
And ~ frequently westerners, completely unaware of existence, let alone the depth of the Christian contemplative tradition, turn to eastern religions as part of a search for a quiet, attentive posture of presence to something beyond ourselves. (One of my college students wrote just last week, "It's too bad that we have no tradition of meditation in Christianity!") This little volume might be an excellent starting point, regardless of your own tradition or lack thereof, from which to glean some insight into two distinct and often very different traditions that share contemplative commonalities.
An example? Among the big words with which I have been wrestling for the past two-plus years since my son's death are trust and surrender. Here, from a page in the book:
The way of faith -- total surrender --
will lead us to completion;
it will show us how to achieve our full development.
[Brother Lawence]
If he comes we welcome.
If he goes we do not pursue.
-- Zen sayng
A person might spend a good many days with that page.
For anyone interested in more information, an appendix in the back of the book provides very brief notes in the Zen teachers quoted. I would suggest this book to those who teach courses in prayer or religious studies, as well as to those who like to keep a page of meditations open for reference during the day.
I received a pdf version of this book ~ and nothing else ~ from the publisher, and offered no guarantees in return.
I realized that the fact that one of them is gone does not diminish the joy and pleasure of that memory ~ thank God, quite literally.
I had known since January that I was expecting twins, but I assumed that they were girls, or a girl and a boy. How would I, a girl myself, mother two boys? (Yes, I do realize that all boys have mothers. It just hadn't registered that such a reality might apply to me.) I was very, VERY surprised to discover that there were two boys in there.
I've been thinking about that day, and about being the mother of boys, since the royal wedding. Yes, Kate is beautiful, and her dresses and her sister and her sister's dresses as well, and the princes are handsome and charming, and Westminster Abbey and the music were spectacular, and the cartwheeling verger was quite lovely. But really, what I thought about the most was Diana's absence. How much her sons must have wished her there!
When I dream about Josh, it is as if he is right here. Whatever age he is, he is as real as he was to me at the time in question: his voice, his gestures, his posture, his laugh, his blond hair, his sparkling blue eyes. The nightmares seem to be behind me (again, thank God), and now the neurons in my brain seem to be capable of retrieving the most wonderful details.
I have never, to my knowledge, had any such dream about my mother. I know what she looks like, of course, from photographs, and I have a few memories of our interactions ~ but her glance, her features, her movements ~ they are all lost to me. She had a beautiful singing voice, which very much skipped a generation (!) and reappeared in my own daughter, and I can remember her singing, but not the sound. I remember several of the things she said to me, but not the voice in which she said them.
A lot to have lost, I think. But then I had two boys and a girl of my own.
I remember the moment The Lovely Daughter was identified as such as well. She had just been born, after a particularly harrowing labor, and my doctor said, "Look, Robin ~ she is a girl." (As had been suspected but not confirmed.) And then, "This baby's fine."
I think that I was astonished then as well, although after two days of trying to get her here, I was more dazed than anything else.
It's a very good thing to have those memories ~ of the best kinds of astonishment.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Like everyone else, I suppose, I had other things in mind for today until the internet started buzzing late last night.
And everyone else has said it all better than I ever could. I went to the PC(USA) website but couldn't find anything at all, so I'm going with the Vatican:
Osama bin Laden, as we all know, bore the most serious responsibility for spreading divisions and hatred among populations, causing the deaths of innumerable people, and manipulating religions for this purpose.
In the face of a man’s death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before [people], and hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for the further growth of peace and not of hatred.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Anyone who reads this blog knows how entranced I am by cemeteries. I've wandered a couple in this past year that I haven't gotten around to writing about, so this week I think that I'll rectify that situation.
Next door to the Wernersville Jesuit Retreat Center in eastern Pennsylvania stands St. John's (Hain's) United Church of Christ, which began life in 1735 as a congregation of the German Reformed Church on land donated by George and Veronica Hain. Since I spend a lot of my prayer time in motion, I have now walked through the church cemetery a number of times. (Wayne had told me that I would see bluebirds there, which turned out to be an accurate prediction.)
The German words on the oldest gravestones, those closest to the church, are fading into obscurity, but you can still make out birthplaces and family relationships. Fifty-seven veterans of the American Revolution lie buried there, as well as numbers of babies and small children, so often encountered in older cemeteries.
I, of course, like that the Jesuits and a Reformed congregation are next door neighbors.
I was inspired to look up the yellow warbler's migration routes yesterday after Kat mentioned never having seen one. Here on the North Coast of Ohio, they seem most abundant during the spring migration, but lots of them stick around for the breeding season. We've seen them along riverbanks, where they frequently nest, when we've been out canoeing in midsummer.
As is the case with so many very small birds, one can only marvel at the feat of migration. Many yellow warblers cross the Gulf of Mexico twice each year. We need a boat or a plane; they require only two very tiny wings.
IMAGE
About Me
Married and mom of three.
Pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Spiritual Director in the Ignatian tradition.
Adjunct college instructor.
Writer, photographer, canoer, hiker, voracious reader ~ and someone who knows the beach is the best.
Email me at maryrcraigatsbcglobaldotnet. |
#include <pu/ui/elm/elm_TextBlock.hpp>
namespace pu::ui::elm
{
TextBlock::TextBlock(i32 X, i32 Y, String Text) : Element::Element()
{
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}
TextBlock::~TextBlock()
{
if(this->ntex != nullptr)
{
render::DeleteTexture(this->ntex);
this->ntex = nullptr;
}
}
i32 TextBlock::GetX()
{
return this->x;
}
void TextBlock::SetX(i32 X)
{
this->x = X;
}
i32 TextBlock::GetY()
{
return this->y;
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void TextBlock::SetY(i32 Y)
{
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i32 TextBlock::GetWidth()
{
return this->GetTextWidth();
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i32 TextBlock::GetHeight()
{
return this->GetTextHeight();
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i32 TextBlock::GetTextWidth()
{
return render::GetTextWidth(this->fnt_name, this->text);
}
i32 TextBlock::GetTextHeight()
{
return render::GetTextHeight(this->fnt_name, this->text);
}
String TextBlock::GetText()
{
return this->text;
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void TextBlock::SetText(String Text)
{
this->text = Text;
render::DeleteTexture(this->ntex);
this->ntex = render::RenderText(this->fnt_name, Text, this->clr);
}
void TextBlock::SetFont(String font_name)
{
this->fnt_name = font_name;
render::DeleteTexture(this->ntex);
this->ntex = render::RenderText(this->fnt_name, this->text, this->clr);
}
Color TextBlock::GetColor()
{
return this->clr;
}
void TextBlock::SetColor(Color Color)
{
this->clr = Color;
render::DeleteTexture(this->ntex);
this->ntex = render::RenderText(this->fnt_name, this->text, Color);
}
void TextBlock::OnRender(render::Renderer::Ref &Drawer, i32 X, i32 Y)
{
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Drawer->RenderTexture(this->ntex, rdx, rdy);
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void TextBlock::OnInput(u64 Down, u64 Up, u64 Held, Touch Pos)
{
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} |
"Since I was abused I have been really disgusted by everyone’s response to this incident, they might see the funny side in it but I certainly do not."
Earlier this year I moved to Australia for three months work.
It was a trip I had been planning on doing for years and some of the memories I made over there will last me a lifetime. Unfortunately, some of those memories were unpleasant, rather unpleasant indeed.
While I was working over there, a woman, who was a similar age to my mother, sexually abused me.
As a young male in my mid 20s I had never considered the possibility of being sexually abused or being taken advantage of in such a way by a woman.
READ MORE
* Waitress body-slams groper
* I'm a man abused by a woman
* Men get post-sex blues too
* Learning to live with booze
* I want my step-son to move out
I had met this woman on several occasions before the incident occurred. On one of these occasions, I was the designated driver for a friend who had consumed too many beers at the local pub.
He eventually passed out and was having a snooze on the footpath outside the pub. Both her and I had seen that he was in a bad way so I went outside to take him home and put him to bed.
What happened next baffled me. She jumped on top of him and told me, “leave him here I want to take him upstairs and f... him”. I quickly threw her off him, grabbed him and got out of there.
A couple of weekends later, I was the one who had over indulged in beer. I had been drinking all afternoon and ended up at a big house party with all of my mates who I had met while I was working over there. Some were even friends from the same New Zealand town I grew up in.
By 2am I was in the same predicament my mate was in just a few weekends ago. She waited until I was rotten drunk and had wandered outside to have a sleep on the lawn. That's when she came and took advantage of my bleak situation.
The worst part about this story is that some of my mates were there when she made her move. Instead of telling her to leave me alone, they encouraged her and said: “Why don’t you put him on the back of the ute?”
She dragged me over to my neighbour's ute and somehow managed to get me up on the tray. I will leave what happened next to your imagination.
I got in touch with one of my friends who was there the following week to ask him about what happened to me, as my memory of the night was blurred due to the large quantities of alcohol that I had consumed.
He instantly started laughing and said, “you were like a lamb led to the slaughter,” to which I replied, “geeze, thanks a lot mate for stopping that”. His response was, “oh well, it was a bit of a laugh wasn’t it.”
Unfortunately, the whole community where I was staying heard about what happened, and they, like my mate, thought it was a huge joke. I was given grief about the incident by everyone until I left to come back home to New Zealand.
A month after being back home I caught up with one of my Kiwi friends who was working for another farmer in the same district. Within 10 minutes of catching up with him he burst out laughing and said: “Remember that time you got raped?”
Since I was abused I have been really disgusted by everyone’s response to this incident. They might see the funny side in it but I certainly do not.
If I was a young female who passed out drunk at a party and was sexually abused by a male twice her age, I am sure that everyone would be very mad about the situation and would make sure justice was served. But because I am a male, everyone thought it was a huge joke and made fun of me.
I am not writing this article because I am upset about being abused, I can live with that, I am writing this article because a victim of sexual harassment should not be laughed at because a woman abused him.
I believe people need to change their perception towards rape because men can and have been abused by women. I can say from my experience, it's no joke or laughing matter.
Where to get help, sexual violence
Rape Crisis - 0800 88 33 00 (24hr service), click link for information on local helplines
Victim Support - 0800 842 846 (24hr service)
The Harbour, online support and information for people affected by sexual abuse
Women's Refuge (Females only) - crisis line available on 0800 733 843
Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust (Males only), Helplines across NZ, click to find out more |
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If your little one has the super-speed of Equestria's quickest pony, then she'll love wearing this officially licensed MLP dress. Spunky, girly, and extremely colorful, this Rainbow dash dress features a cute tulle skirt and a set of wings that are sewn to the back. The multi-color band, capped sleeves, and the cute Rainbow Dash image on front will make any My Little Pony fan feel like they're hanging with the pony pals that they love watching on TV. She can wear this costume dress on Halloween to go trick or treating or she can prance all the way to school to show it off to her BFF's! |
196 F.3d 389 (2nd Cir. 1999)
ELBERT WELCH, Plaintiff-Appellant,v.GEORGE BARTLETT, Superintendent; RUPPERT FENNELL, Deputy Superintendent; DANA SMITH, Deputy Superintendent; T. RIBBLE, Correction Officer; R. SEMSKI, Sergeant; S. HAGER, Correction Officer; NITNAUGER, Correction Officer; J. BURGE, Captain, Defendants-Appellees.
No: 98-2705
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SECOND CIRCUIT
Submitted March 31, 1999,Decided September 17, 1999,Amended November 8, 1999.
Elbert Welch, pro se, Niagara Falls, NY, for Plaintiff-Appellant.
Martin A. Hotvet, Assistant Attorney General, Albany, NY (Dennis C. Vacco, Attorney General of the State of New York, Albany, NY, Peter H. Schiff, Deputy Solicitor General and Nancy A. Spiegel, Assistant Attorney General, Albany, NY), for Defendants-Appellees.
Before: LEVAL and SACK, Circuit Judges, and MORAN, District Judge.*
LEVAL, Circuit Judge:
1
Elbert Welch appeals from the judgment of the United States District Court for the Western District of New York (William M. Skretny, District Judge), dismissing his complaint alleging that officials from the New York State Department of Correctional Facilities ("DOCS") deprived him of liberty without due process of law. The district court concluded that the deprivation in question, 90 days in solitary confinement, did not amount to an "atypical and significant hardship . . . in relation to the ordinary incidents of prison life," Sandin v. Conner, 515 U.S. 472, 484, 132 L. Ed. 2d 418, 115 S. Ct. 2293 (1995), and therefore granted summary judgment for the defendants. Because we think the district court's findings do not support this conclusion, we vacate the judgment and remand for further proceedings.
BACKGROUND
2
At all times relevant to this decision, Welch was an inmate at Elmira Correctional Facility, serving an indeterminate sentence of 12 1/2 to 25 years for murder. On September 26, 1994, corrections officers discovered legal paperwork and headphones belonging to other inmates in Welch's cell. He was charged with violating prison rules that prohibit possession of unauthorized items and provision of legal assistance without permission. Following a disciplinary hearing, Welch was found guilty of both charges and sentenced to 90 days confinement in the Special Housing Unit ("SHU"). He served most of his term in the SHU, and the balance in disciplinary keeplock in a general population cell.
3
Welch then brought this action under 42 U.S.C. 1983, asserting that he had a right to provide legal assistance to prisoners and that his punishment violated due process of law for various reasons, including that he did not receive proper notice and was judged by a biased hearing officer. See Wolff v. McDonnell, 418 U.S. 539, 563-71, 41 L. Ed. 2d 935, 94 S. Ct. 2963 (1974). The district court granted defendants' motion for summary judgment, concluding that Welch did not have a right to provide legal assistance to prisoners, and that he did not have a liberty interest in being free from 90 days in the SHU because such confinement was not an "atypical and significant deprivation compared to the ordinary incidents of prison life." Sandin, 515 U.S. at 486. By summary order, we affirmed with respect to Welch's asserted right to provide legal assistance, but vacated and remanded because the court had not made findings as to the nature and duration of Welch's disciplinary confinement compared to the ordinary conditions of prison life. See Welch v. Bartlett, 1997 U.S. App. LEXIS 23954, No. 96-2778, 1997 WL 568660 (2d Cir. Sept. 12, 1997); see also Brooks v. DiFasi, 112 F.3d 46, 49 (2d Cir. 1997) (requiring findings). On remand, the parties submitted affidavits, and defendants again moved for summary judgment on the ground (among others) that 90 days in the SHU was not an "atypical and significant deprivation."
4
In ruling on whether Welch had suffered an atypical and significant deprivation, the district court relied on information in affidavits submitted by DOCS. Concerning conditions in the SHU, the court recognized that SHU prisoners are "confined in their cells for most of the day" and forbidden to participate in group activities. SHU prisoners can leave their cells "for one hour of exercise per day, for two showers per week, for any legal visits and one non-legal visit per week, and for occasional appointments with medical or other support staff." By contrast, general population prisoners spend about half of each day locked in their cells, and are "let out for educational or vocational programming, counseling and other activities." Regarding these activities, however, the court noted that "not every prisoner participates in such programs and it is not unusual for a prisoner's program to be interrupted at certain times, such as when [the prisoner] transfers to a new facility."
5
With respect to the duration and frequency of confinement in the SHU, the court noted that out of 215,701 inmates spending time at a DOCS facility between 1991 and 1996, a total of 19,963 were penalized with SHU confinement at least once. Thus, almost 10% of all inmates received SHU punishment. Among the prisoners confined to the SHU, 40% were confined for less than 90 days, and about 60% for 90 days or more.
6
Based on these facts, the court concluded that a penalty of 90 days in the SHU did not amount to an "atypical and significant hardship in relation to the ordinary incidents of prison life." It reasoned that, while the SHU involved "a degree of deprivation," "all DOCS prisoners suffer some degree of deprivation," and there is "no single deprivation that is unique to SHU." Furthermore, "a significant proportion of DOCS inmates spend at least some time in SHU," and Welch's term was not unusual. The court therefore granted summary judgment for defendants. Welch appealed.
DISCUSSION
7
In Hewitt v Helms, 459 U.S. 460, 74 L. Ed. 2d 675, 103 S. Ct. 864 (1983), and related cases, the Supreme Court ruled that when a prisoner brings an action under 1983 asserting a due process right that is premised on a state-created liberty interest, the prisoner must establish that the state's laws in fact create such a liberty interest.1 See Sandin, 515 U.S. at 479-81. The Court instructed that such a liberty interest arises when state statutes or regulations require, in "language of an unmistakably mandatory character," that a prisoner not suffer a particular deprivation absent specified predicates. See Hewitt, 459 U.S. at 471-72.
8
In Sandin, however, the Court held that a mandatory obligation of prison officials for the prisoner's benefit is insufficient in itself to create a due process right enforceable by an action under 1983. A liberty interest must also be such that its deprivation would subject the prisoner to "atypical and significant hardship . . . in relation to the ordinary incidents of prison life." Sandin, 515 U.S. at 484. Thus, Sandin held that thirty days in punitive solitary confinement did not deprive a Hawaii prisoner of a protected liberty interest, where that term "mirrored those conditions imposed upon inmates in administrative segregation and protective custody," the conditions were "within the [expected] contour of the actual sentence imposed, " id. at 486 & n.9, and the challenged confinement was not significantly onerous compared to the "'lockdown time' even for inmates in the general population." Id. & n.8.
9
After Sandin, a prisoner who experiences a deprivation arising under mandatory rules has no actionable due process claim if other prisoners experience approximately the same deprivation in the ordinary administration of the prison with sufficient regularity that such deprivation is typical. See, e.g., Frazier v. Coughlin, 81 F.3d 313, 317-18 (2d Cir. 1996). In other words, actions under the Due Process Clause are reserved for prisoners enduring a hardship that is substantially more grave than hardships they would be likely to endure simply as a consequence of the ordinary administration of the prison. Where a statute limits a prison's ability to impose a constraint as a punishment, but the prison makes a practice of imposing for non-punitive reasons a constraint endured under similar conditions and for a similar duration with sufficient regularity, then freedom from the deprivation is not a right of "real substance" which due process protects. See Sandin, 515 U.S. at 478, 480.
10
The district court reasonably separated the issue of the severity of the deprivation imposed on the plaintiff from its duration. See Arce v. Walker, 139 F.3d 329, 337 (2d Cir. 1998). We believe, however, that the court's analysis was flawed in certain respects.
11
First, the court apparently assumed that the conditions of confinement for SHU prisoners were not qualitatively different from the conditions endured by general population prisoners when confined to their cells. This assumption was not justified by the record. Welch's affidavit states that conditions of hygiene are far inferior for SHU prisoners than for the general population. He alleges that SHU prisoners, unlike general population, receive inadequate amounts of toilet paper, soap and cleaning materials, a filthy mattress, and infrequent changes of clothes. The affidavit submitted by DOCS did not discuss comparability of these conditions. The court was obligated to accept Welch's allegations for purposes of the motion for summary judgment and could not properly assume the conditions to be equivalent. See Burgio & Campofelice, Inc. v. NYS Dep't of Labor, 107 F.3d 1000, 1005 (2d Cir. 1997). The question of course remains whether the differences are of such nature as to constitute a "significant hardship," Sandin, 515 U.S. at 484, that is atypical.
12
Second, while recognizing that SHU prisoners are confined to their cells for close to 23 hours a day, cannot participate in group activities, and have less access than is normal for general population prisoners to showers, visits, and other privileges, the court discounted these differences for two reasons. First, prisoners in general population "typically spend about half of every day locked in their cells;" second, with respect to out-of-cell programs, "not every prisoner participates in such programs and it is not unusual for a prisoner's program to be interrupted at certain times, such as when [the prisoner] transfers to a new facility." Welch v. Bartlett, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22620, No. 94-CV-718S, slip op. at 12-13 (W.D.N.Y. July 20, 1998).
13
In our view, these facts do not justify the court's conclusion that the conditions of SHU confinement (considered without regard to duration or frequency of imposition) are not "atypical" compared to the conditions of general population confinement. Although confinement to one's cell for half the day has some similarity to such confinement for 23 hours a day, the difference seems to us to be great. Furthermore, the fact that general population prisoners' access to programs is sometimes restricted or interrupted does not show either that such limitations occur with sufficient regularity to be considered typical, or that the severity of the conditions faced by a prisoner experiencing such limitations on his programs is comparable. Whether the conditions of Welch's confinement constitute an atypical and significant hardship requires that they be considered in comparison to the hardships endured by prisoners in general population, as well as prisoners in administrative and protective confinement, assuming such confinements are imposed in the ordinary course of prison administration. Further, the duration and the frequency of such deprivations are highly relevant to whether the conditions of a plaintiff's confinement should be considered atypical. The court did not consider the frequency or duration of non-punitive confinements such as administrative and punitive segregation, keeplock and cube confinements. Cf. generally Lee v. Coughlin, 26 F. Supp. 2d 615, 618-629 (S.D.N.Y. 1998) (setting out comparative statistics and describing conditions in various forms of confinements).
14
Finally, we believe the court erred in concluding that the 90-day duration of Welch's confinement in the SHU did not render it atypical because approximately half the punitive SHU sentences were 90 days or more. In our view, the relevant comparison concerning duration is between the period of deprivation endured by the plaintiff and periods of comparable deprivation typically endured by other prisoners in the ordinary course of prison administration, including general population prisoners and those in various forms of administrative and protective custody. The theory of Sandin is that, notwithstanding a mandatory entitlement, a deprivation is not of sufficient gravity to support a claim of violation of the Due Process Clause if similar deprivations are typically endured by other prisoners, not as a penalty for misbehavior, but simply as the result of ordinary prison administration. See Sandin, 515 U.S. at 486. The comparison required by Sandin therefore is not between the duration of plaintiff's SHU sentence and the SHU terms received by others who were convicted of misbehavior. That comparison does not tell whether Welch's deprivation was more serious than typically endured by prisoners as an ordinary incident of prison life.
15
For the same reasons, we are troubled by the court's reliance on the fact that 10% of the prison population receives punitive terms in the SHU for misbehavior at some point during the service of their sentences. Punitive terms in the SHU, though doubtless warranted for some forms of misbehavior, are not a "normal incident" for a prisoner whose wrongdoing must be established according to due process standards if the consequence of an adverse finding is confinement in atypical conditions of severe hardship. How many prisoners receive such terms as punishment for misbehavior does not measure how likely a prisoner is to suffer comparable privation in the ordinary administration of the prison.2
16
For the foregoing reasons, we conclude that the district court erred in finding that Welch failed to raise a genuine question of material fact whether his punishment constituted an atypical and significant deprivation under Sandin. Nor, however, can we say on this record that his punishment did constitute such a deprivation. The record does not reveal whether it is typical for inmates not being disciplined to spend similar periods of time in similar circumstances.3 See Brooks, 112 F.3d at 49.
17
We vacate the summary judgment for defendants and remand for further proceedings.4 On remand, unless the defendants prevail on summary judgment with respect to issues other than the existence of a liberty interest, there must either be a trial of the Sandin issue or the presentation by the defendants of sufficient undisputed facts to demonstrate that summary judgment is warranted in the light of this opinion.
CONCLUSION
18
The judgment of the district court is vacated, and the case is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.5
Notes:
*
The Honorable James B. Moran, Senior District Judge for the Northern District of Illinios, sitting by designation.
1
A different case is presented when a prisoner asserts that a liberty interest arises from "the Due Process Clause of its own force." Sandin, 515 U.S. at 484 (citing Vitek v. Jones, 445 U.S. 480, 493, 63 L. Ed. 2d 552, 100 S. Ct. 1254 (1980)).
2
Even if we concluded that this statistic were pertinent, we wonder whether the fact that 10% of the prison population received a SHU confinement (while 90% did not), and 6% received a term of SHU confinement in excess of 90 days (while 94% did not) would make such a confinement typical of the ordinary incidents of prison life.
3
We do not imply by this opinion that summary judgment in favor of DOCS might not ultimately be found appropriate, either under Sandin or on other grounds. See Sandin, 515 U.S. at 491 (Ginsburg, J., dissenting) (noting that, had the Court denied summary judgment because the prisoner in fact was deprived of a liberty interest, a motion for summary judgment would have been in order on the ground that the prisoner was afforded all the process he was due).
4
We reject the defendants' further contention that under Sandin, SHU confinement cannot give rise to a protected liberty interest. Without clearer indication from the Supreme Court, Hewitt, as modified by Sandin's additional requirement of an "atypical and significant hardship," remains good law in analyzing whether statutory or regulatory tests can generate a liberty interest. See Frazier, 81 F.3d at 317-18. Because the regulations governing punitive confinement in the SHU are the same as those we found sufficient to create a liberty interest prior to Sandin, see Walker v. Bates, 23 F.3d 652, 655-656 (2d Cir. 1994), we conslude that defendants were not entitled to summary judgment on the ground that state law did not create a liberty interest in not being confined to the SHU.
5
If the district court proceeds to rule on the Sandin issue, the court should consider procuring counsel for the plaintiff. In an early case that may establish binding law as to whether periods in the SHU deprive prisoners of liberty under the Due Process Clause, it is important for the court to be presented with a full and accurate picture of the comparison between SHU confinement and the ordinary incidents of prison life. An unrepresented prisoner may be incapable of presenting all the pertinent evidence on his side.
|
During the month before Gabriel Trujillo died, medical professionals could not determine whether the bruises, scrapes and a fracture on his body were there by accident or a result of abuse.
Weeks later, emergency crews rushed the 4-year-old — emaciated, covered in bruises and what appeared to be cigarette burns — to the hospital. He died days later from blunt-force injuries to his head and neck.
Gabriel fits into one of the most difficult age groups for determining whether injuries are caused by accidents or abuse, said Dr. Desmond Runyan, executive director of the Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect.
Once a child becomes mobile and is not completely dependent on caregivers, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine whether the child got a bruise from abuse or from normal trips and bumps, Runyan said. Until children are closer to 6 or 7 years old, they are less likely to recognize the injury as abuse and may not be able to reveal details about what happened, because of a lack of understanding or fear of having done something wrong themselves.
"It's a tough art to try and sort out intentional versus unintentional injuries once the kids are old enough to walk," Runyan said. "Once the children are older, then they understand that other people can be bad and everything that happens to them isn't their fault."
Advertisement
Gabriel and his two older siblings were in the care of their maternal grandmother, Doris Becky Trujillo, 60, at the time of his death.
Gabriel's paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Trujillo, said she and her family became concerned about the boy when they saw photos of him with large bruises. On Feb. 7, she called the Adams County Human Services Department and was told to call Commerce City police, who went to the boy's home.
The next day, officers told Elizabeth Trujillo everything appeared normal at the home.
On Feb. 14, emergency crews were called to Doris Becky Trujillo's Commerce City home, where they found her holding Gabriel's naked body, according to an Adams County court document that was used to justify holding Trujillo in jail without bail.
Gabriel's body temperature was around 89 degrees. Trujillo told police that she punished the child by making him stand naked outside in the cold.
Medical professionals at Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora, where Gabriel was taken, reported that he had "catastrophic head injuries," including "evidence of old cranial bleeding." Gabriel also appeared malnourished and had multiple contusions and hypothermia, the court document obtained by 9News said.
Gabriel died four days later.
Trujillo has been charged with first-degree murder.
On Saturday, Lana Roberts, 48, who was living with Doris Becky Trujillo when Gabriel died, was charged with one count of child abuse resulting in death.
According to the court document, Trujillo told investigators Gabriel fell off a 2-foot-high chair. Injuries more severe than the falls caregivers describe are a red flag for medical personnel looking for abuse, Runyan said. Short falls, such as falling off beds or chairs, seldom cause depressed or "eggshell" skull fractures.
Bruises in fleshy parts of the child's body, such as their abdomen, thigh or buttocks, also are concerning, as they take more force to cause, Runyan said.
Injuries to about 10 percent of the children treated a typical hospital burn unit are caused by intentional action, Runyan said.
Determining when injuries are caused by abuse also requires medical professionals to find a delicate balance between obtaining information from children while trying not to alienate parents trying to get care for their children, Runyan said.
Fewer than 10 percent of children hospitalized with injuries are victims of physical abuse, Runyan said.
Missy Franklin, Jenny Simpson, Adeline Gray and three other Colorado women could be big players at the 2016 Rio OlympicsWhen people ask Missy Franklin for her thoughts about the Summer Olympics that will begin a year from Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro, she hangs a warning label on her answer. |
The present invention relates to pressure responsive switches, and more particularly pertains to a combination differential and static pressure switch for determining a minimum static pressure within a test system, and also for detecting when a differential pressure condition occurs within the test system.
For a variety of industrial purposes the working pressure of pipe, such as drill pipe, gas pipe, plastic pipe, and water pipe, etc., must be accurately measured and tested to determine their reliability and structural integrity during their working life. In addition, the standard working pressure of plastic containers and glass bottles must also be measured and determined in order to determine their reliability and structural integrity during their working life. In fact, it can be broadly stated that any item of manufacture in commerce that has the possibility of breaking, rupturing, and splitting, thus causing a leak, can be measured to determine their standard working pressure and psi. rating.
A prominent method of measuring and determining the standard working pressure of a workpiece, such as the above-mentioned items, is by a time-to-failure test. The workpiece is held at a constant pressure at a predetermined psi. for a given time period so that data points can be collected. What is being measured is hoop stress: the stress generated in the workpiece by pressure being exerted thereon and occurring along the circumference of the workpiece during the testing. Hoop stress is the force that attempts to tear apart and split the pressurized pipe or tubing when the pipe is subjected to pressure.
As an example of a time-to-failure test, if seven pieces of industrial pipe are held at 600 psi., they may fail in ten hours; if six pieces of industrial pipe are held at 400 psi., they may fail in one hundred hours; and, if six more pieces of industrial pipe are held at 300 psi., they may fail after one thousand hours. By calculating out this curve, it can be determined that the industrial pipe being tested at a working pressure of 200 psi. will last fifty years. Therefore, if the working pressure is limited to 200 psi. based on the above curve calculation, the industrial pipe will last fifty years. The industrial pipe can be rated at 200 psi. and sold as a 200 psi. pipe. Furthermore, data points are collected along the curve which is developed during pipe testing, and then a line is drawn through all the data points; this represents a statistical analysis of the failure points. By determining how wide the data point spread is, confidence limits can be ascertained for the particular industrial pipe being tested at a predetermined psi. for a given time period. Essentially, the pipe is being tested for a leak, and some tests are timed to run for years.
The above-described test is not a production test; it is an experimental test. The test is undertaken to determine when the workpiece fails. The test continues until the workpiece fails --the workpiece develops a detectable leak while being held at a predetermined constant pressure. Also, it should be noted that this is destructive testing: the workpiece to be tested is chopped off, tested, and then discarded after the testing is completed. The differential pressure switches used in such testing are only one component of a larger test system which includes metering valves, a pumping unit, regulators, pressure gauges, control panels, and a visual display in the form of LED lights or a computer display screen.
While the prior art discloses a number of pressure switches used in pressure testing, there is a need for a differential pressure switch which detects both a differential and the static pressure condition and also has an extremely high degree of repeatability and a high degree of accuracy. In addition, there remains a need for a differential pressure switch which is responsive to a high pressure and a low differential as well as a low pressure and a low differential. |
The [unix signal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_signal) is a method of sending messages between [processes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process_(computing)). When a signal is sent, the operating system interrupts the target process's normal flow of execution. There are standard signals that are used to stop a process but there are also custom signals that can be used for other purposes. This document is an attempt to list all supported signals that Puma will respond to. In general, signals need only be sent to the master process of a cluster.
## Sending Signals
If you are new to signals it can be useful to see how they can be used. When a process is created in a *nix like operating system it will have a [PID - or process identifier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process_identifier) that can be used to send signals to the process. For demonstration we will create an infinitely running process by tailing a file:
```sh
$ echo "foo" >> my.log
$ irb
> pid = Process.spawn 'tail -f my.log'
```
From here we can see that the tail process is running by using the `ps` command:
```sh
$ ps aux | grep tail
schneems 87152 0.0 0.0 2432772 492 s032 S+ 12:46PM 0:00.00 tail -f my.log
```
You can send a signal in Ruby using the [Process module](https://www.ruby-doc.org/core-2.1.1/Process.html#kill-method):
```
$ irb
> puts pid
=> 87152
Process.detach(pid) # https://ruby-doc.org/core-2.1.1/Process.html#method-c-detach
Process.kill("TERM", pid)
```
Now you will see via `ps` that there is no more `tail` process. Sometimes when referring to signals the `SIG` prefix will be used for instance `SIGTERM` is equivalent to sending `TERM` via `Process.kill`.
## Puma Signals
Puma cluster responds to these signals:
- `TTIN` increment the worker count by 1
- `TTOU` decrement the worker count by 1
- `TERM` send `TERM` to worker. Worker will attempt to finish then exit.
- `USR2` restart workers. This also reloads puma configuration file, if there is one.
- `USR1` restart workers in phases, a rolling restart. This will not reload configuration file.
- `HUP ` reopen log files defined in stdout_redirect configuration parameter. If there is no stdout_redirect option provided it will behave like `INT`
- `INT ` equivalent of sending Ctrl-C to cluster. Will attempt to finish then exit.
- `CHLD`
- `URG ` refork workers in phases from worker 0, if `fork_workers` option is enabled.
## Callbacks order in case of different signals
### Start application
```
puma configuration file reloaded, if there is one
* Pruning Bundler environment
puma configuration file reloaded, if there is one
before_fork
on_worker_fork
after_worker_fork
Gemfile in context
on_worker_boot
Code of the app is loaded and running
```
### Send USR2
```
on_worker_shutdown
on_restart
puma configuration file reloaded, if there is one
before_fork
on_worker_fork
after_worker_fork
Gemfile in context
on_worker_boot
Code of the app is loaded and running
```
### Send USR1
```
on_worker_shutdown
on_worker_fork
after_worker_fork
Gemfile in context
on_worker_boot
Code of the app is loaded and running
```
|
The Ward brothers have had a hot and steamy summer!
This box set / bundle is the complete compilation of the four short novellas in the His BBW to Hold series, which were previously published as singles.
CAUGHT BY HER BOSS
Cindy Wilson would do anything for her boss, wealthy real estate mogul Jack Ward, so when he asks her to check on one of his empty houses on her way home, she is happy to assist. She finds the place isn't cleaned as thoroughly as she knows he would want for his open house the next day, so she rolls up her sleeves and gets to work. By the end of the evening, she is hot, sticky and unable to resist the temptation of slipping into the property's hot tub.
When Jack arrives at the house and finds Cindy, his sexy plus-sized personal assistant, in the hot tub touching herself and panting his name, he decides to take matters into his own hands...
ALONE WITH THE COWBOY
Plus-sized Jenna Dover has been a live-in physical therapist in Dwight Ward's ranch house for the last two years, ever since a horrible accident killed his wife and left his son paralyzed. With each passing day, she has become increasingly attracted to the wealthy cowboy, so when his son goes on his first weekend away on his own, Jenna wonders how she'll be able to keep her hands to herself. Too bad Dwight isn't interested... Or is he?
When Jenna finds an explicit magazine open to a page where a man is pleasing a naked, curvy woman in ways she'd only dreamed about, she has to wonder if her sexy cowboy is as hot for her as she is for him. What's even more tantalizing, the people in the photo look a lot like her and Dwight.
Could she be spending the weekend in the cowboy's bed?
SLEEPING IN HIS BED
Curvy elementary school teacher Carry Ellis has lived beside sexy Dan Ward for three years, ever since he moved into a fancy infill house beside the petite wartime one she'd inherited from her aunt. They greet each other every morning and Carry dreams about him every night, but she doubts he even remembers her name. So when Carry's water main breaks and she has to vacate her house during the costly repairs, she is surprised when he offers her his house while he is away on business.
But when Dan returns unexpectedly a week early, Carry doesn't know what to think, particularly when he insists that she stay and sleep in his only bed.
Tempted, she wonders if he'll join her and want to do more than sleep on that big king-sized mattress.
WAITING FOR HIS TOUCH
Curvy Sandi Dawson had a crush on bad boy Kyle Ward all through high school. She even offered him her virginity, but then he disappeared from school before anything happened, and she was heartbroken. So, years later, when Sandi is stranded on the side of a road, the last person she expects is Kyle pulling up on his Harley. He is every bit as hot and sexy as he used to be.
When he takes her to a remote cabin in the woods, she quickly realizes she isn't the only one who wants to find out what they missed out on all those years ago. Kyle's rough sex appeal is matched only by his demanding seduction.
~~~
These short, but hot and sexy, novellas have explicit sexual content, graphic language, a light spanking scene, anal sex, and (of course!) happy endings. Each His BBW to Hold short novella can be read as a stand-alone story.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Masquerade Curves Series ~ A Short Novella
When Jane unwittingly stumbles upon her sexy client Keith touching himself, she is unable to drag herself away. Hidden from his view, she watches, captivated... Until his business partner Luke finds her. But instead of sending her away, Luke pulls her into his strong arms. He urges her to watch his friend while he whispers naughty things in her ear and explores her curvy body until she is trembling with want.
The determined men have been waiting a long time for the opportunity to pleasure this alluring beauty, they won't let her slip away now.
~~~
This short, but hot and sexy, 16,000-word novella has explicit sexual content, graphic language, ménage situations, and a happy for now ending. Each Masquerade Curves short novella can be read as a stand-alone story. Mask of Passion is the second in a two-story series.
~~~
Excerpt:
Her breath quickened. She shouldn't be watching this. Watching him.
But she couldn't stop. She was enthralled.
"Hey," a man shouted behind her.
She gasped and spun around.
"No guests back here. Didn't you read the sign?"
Luke's voice was unmistakeable.
The shadows didn't reveal anything but the route from which she had come, which was also where Luke was. There was no escape. "I'm sorry. I'll..."
"Jane? What are you doing back here? Is everything okay?" Luke approached her. With each step, the light emanating from Keith's room revealed Luke’s face. He had taken off his mask and was carrying it in his hand, so she knew the exact moment when his gaze drifted over her shoulder and saw Keith.
His eyes narrowed when he looked back at her again.
"Jane?" His gait took on a more purposeful stride, as if he knew she was about to bolt and he wanted to grab her before she did. He crossed the distance between them before she could formulate an excuse or escape.
When he was standing directly in front of her, he tilted her head up so she was looking at him. The heat from his hand scorched her chilled skin. She had been so caught up in Keith that she had forgotten how cool it was. She bit her lip to keep from leaning forward and kissing Luke. And how could she kiss Luke when it was Keith who had her all hot and throbbing?
He leaned forward. His lips brushed her hair. "You're beautiful when you are aroused."
She swallowed. Her body tingled with new promise.
Luke stared into her eyes. "You liked what you saw, didn't you? That's why you are standing out in the cold, right?"
Damn him for knowing she couldn't lie.
"Jane?"
Maybe the stars scattered magic over this Halloween, but under the weight of Luke's touch and attention, she wanted to confess everything. "Yes."
Luke brushed his lips over hers quickly, then he spun her around so she was facing Keith's window again. He pulled her against his body by wrapping one arm around her bare waist. His heat seeped into her. His tongue traced the shell of her earlobe.
Masquerade Curves Series ~ A Short Novella
Becca wants to know if her sexy boss could ever be attracted to a curvy girl like her, and a masquerade party is the perfect opportunity to find out! Feeling bold in her disguise, their flirtations quickly escalate until his kisses leave her breathless and wanting more. With a pounding heart, she agrees to go to his hotel room, but then he asks her to remove her mask.
But if she reveals herself now, then she'll risk everything...
~~~
This short, but hot and sexy, 14,500-word novella has explicit sexual content, graphic language, light bondage, and a happy for now ending. Each Masquerade Curves short novella can be read as a stand-alone story. Mask of Desire is the first in a two-story series.
~~~
Excerpt:She peeked at the highwayman. His eyes were narrowed now, studying her. Oh, she knew that look.
It was Trent.
He set his drink down and came toward her."Would you like to dance, milady?"
Her pulse raced at his commanding tone. She glanced at Jane.
"Go, dance," Jane said quickly.
The highwayman needed no further permission. He seized her hand in his large strong one, and turned her to the dance floor. He rested his other hand on the small of her bare back. The wicked sensation of his flesh against hers made her trip over her genie shoes. He steadied her.
When they were in the middle of the floor, the song was ending. He turned her easily in his arms so she was facing him. His green eyes locked on hers as he settled his right hand at her waist, fitting his fingers against the curve of her body. She placed her hand on his arm, feeling for the first time the hard strength of his body. Her heart thundered in her ears.He raised his other hand and she slipped her hand into it.
Only then, when she was secure in his arms, did his gaze drift down her face. Did he know it was her? No, he couldn't. She'd taken care to cover her hair, the mask hid the upper part of her face, and the cut of this costume made her body appear very, very different than her usual loose, bulky clothing did.His eyes settled on her lips and she opened them slightly.
Lori Whyte is a participant in: the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. |
Persian Calendar and Date Picker for Web Applications (JavaScript)
A library to work with "Persian Calendar", "Hijri Calendar", "Jalali Calendar", and "Gregorian Calendar" with WebForms GUI controls designed for Persian (Farsi) or Arabic language applications in mind, but usable in any web application that makes use of a calendar.
Introduction
The Persian Calendar is used in most countries where Persian is spoken, although some regions use different month names. The Persian calendar is the official calendar of Iran and Afghanistan, and is one of the alternative calendars in regions such as Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. The Persian calendar is based on a solar year, and is approximately 365 days long. A year cycles through four seasons, and a new year begins when the sun appears to cross the equator from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere as viewed from the center of the Earth. The new year marks the first day of the month of Farvardin, which is the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. Each of the first six months in the Persian calendar has 31 days, each of the next five months has 30 days, and the last month has 29 days in a common year and 30 days in a leap year. A leap year is a year that, when divided by 33, has a remainder of 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 22, 26, or 30. For example, the year 1370 is a leap year because dividing it by 33 yields a remainder of 17. There are approximately 8 leap years in every 33-year cycle.
Using the code
This example demonstrates how to use the Persian Calendar. You should add the required references to the head section of your page: |
Q:
Codeigniter 4 BadMethodCallException
I am trying to do a user login and I am getting this error which I can't figure out why. Also, I am not sure whether I can mentioned 1 more question or do I have to separate it on another topic. If I want user to login using either username or email address, how should I do it?
I have uploaded the error message here
The error seems to be at this line :
$user = $model->model('username', $this->request->getVar('username'))
->first();
Below are my code:
Controller
public function login()
{
$data = [];
helper(['form']);
$validation = \Config\Services::validation();
if($this->request->getMethod() == 'post'){
//validations
$rules = [
'username' => 'required',
'password' => 'required|validateUser[username, password]'
];
$errors = [
'password' => [
'validateUser' => 'Username or Password don\'t match'
]
];
if(!$this->validate($rules, $errors)){
$data['validation'] = $this->validator;
}else{
$model = new AccountModel();
$user = $model->model('username', $this->request->getVar('username'))
->first();
$this->setUserMethod($user);
return redirect()->to('account');
}
}
echo view('templates/header', $data);
echo view('account/login');
echo view('templates/footer');
}
Model
<?php namespace App\Models;
use CodeIgniter\Model;
class AccountModel extends Model{
protected $table = 'users';
protected $allowedFields = [
'username',
'email',
'firstname',
'lastname',
'dob',
'country',
'contact',
'password',
'created_at',
'updated_at',
'created_by'
];
protected $beforeInsert = ['beforeInsert'];
protected $beforeUpdate = ['beforeUpdate'];
protected function beforeInsert(array $data) {
$data = $this->passwordHash($data);
return $data;
}
protected function beforeUpdate(array $data) {
$data = $this->passwordHash($data);
return $data;
}
protected function passwordHash(array $data){
if(isset($data['data']['password']))
$data['data']['password'] = password_hash($data['data']['password'], PASSWORD_DEFAULT);
return $data;
}
}
?>
Hope someone can help me out here. Thanks in advance!
A:
So you have this line trying to call a method called model which does not exist...
This is what you have...
$user = $model->model('username', $this->request->getVar('username'))
->first();
If you have read the CodeIgniter User Guide, you would see that you really want to be using where instead of model... Maybe cause you had model stuck in your head, as that happens sometimes.
$user = $model->where('username', $this->request->getVar('username'))->first();
See how that flies for you.
|
Q:
How to prevent a UITableView from being pulled down past a certain point?
I have implemented a Stretchy Header above a UITableView in which when the user pulls down on the table, the image is stretched out, and when the UITableView is pulled up or let go, the image is reduced back to its original size.
Here's a demo:
I have a UIView container that contains an UIImageView with its content mode set to Aspect Fill.
Below that is a UITableView as can be seen in the demo.
I use the UITableView's scrollView delegate methods to determine when to stretch and reduce the container view like so:
extension MyViewController: UIScrollViewDelegate
{
func scrollViewDidScroll(_ scrollView: UIScrollView)
{
if scrollView.contentOffset.y < 0 &&
imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant < initialContainerImageViewHeight * 2
{
imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant += abs(scrollView.contentOffset.y)
}
else if scrollView.contentOffset.y > 0 &&
imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant > initialContainerImageViewHeight
{
imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant -= abs(scrollView.contentOffset.y)
}
}
func scrollViewDidEndDragging(_ scrollView: UIScrollView, willDecelerate decelerate: Bool)
{
resetContainerViewSize()
}
func scrollViewDidEndDecelerating(_ scrollView: UIScrollView)
{
resetContainerViewSize()
}
}
func resetContainerViewSize()
{
imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant = initialContainerImageViewHeight
UIView.animate(withDuration: 0.4,
delay: 0.0,
usingSpringWithDamping: 0.7,
initialSpringVelocity: 0.5,
options: .curveEaseInOut,
animations: {
self.view.layoutIfNeeded()
}, completion: nil)
}
If scrollView.contentOffset.y < 0 and imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant => initialContainerImageViewHeight * 2 in scrollViewDidScroll, the container view stops stretching the image.
What I would like to achieve is that when the UITableView is being pulled down to expand the image, once imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant => initialContainerImageViewHeight * 2 within scrollViewDidScroll, I would like to prevent the UITableView from being pulled down any further.
Currently it looks like this:
Is there a way to prevent the UITableView from being pulled down further when the mentioned condition is met, but still allow the UITableView to be pulled back up?
As suggested by Sh_Khan:
extension MyViewController: UIScrollViewDelegate
{
func scrollViewDidScroll(_ scrollView: UIScrollView)
{
if scrollView.contentOffset.y < 0 &&
imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant < initialContainerImageViewHeight * 2
{
imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant += abs(scrollView.contentOffset.y)
}
else if scrollView.contentOffset.y < 0 && imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant >= initialContainerImageViewHeight * 2
{
imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant = initialContainerImageViewHeight * 2
view.layoutIfNeeded()
dataTableView.frame = CGRect.init(x: 0.0,
y: initialContainerImageViewHeight * 2,
width: dataTableView.frame.size.width,
height: dataTableView.frame.size.height)
return
}
else if scrollView.contentOffset.y > 0 &&
imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant > initialContainerImageViewHeight
{
imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant -= abs(scrollView.contentOffset.y)
}
}
func scrollViewDidEndDragging(_ scrollView: UIScrollView, willDecelerate decelerate: Bool)
{
resetContainerViewSize()
}
func scrollViewDidEndDecelerating(_ scrollView: UIScrollView)
{
resetContainerViewSize()
}
}
func resetContainerViewSize()
{
imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant = initialContainerImageViewHeight
UIView.animate(withDuration: 0.4,
delay: 0.0,
usingSpringWithDamping: 0.7,
initialSpringVelocity: 0.5,
options: .curveEaseInOut,
animations: {
self.view.layoutIfNeeded()
self.dataTableView.frame = CGRect.init(x: 0.0,
y: self.initialContainerImageViewHeight,
width: self.dataTableView.frame.size.width,
height: self.dataTableView.frame.size.height)
}, completion: nil)
}
And the result:
A:
Try this
extension ViewController: UIScrollViewDelegate
{
func scrollViewDidScroll(_ scrollView: UIScrollView)
{
print("ddffddfd \(scrollView.contentOffset.y)")
if scrollView.contentOffset.y > 0 && imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant == 223
{
return
}
if scrollView.contentOffset.y > 0
{
var sd = imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant + abs(scrollView.contentOffset.y)
if(sd < 233 )
{
print("path111 1")
self.dataTableView.contentOffset = CGPoint.init(x: 0, y: 0 )
return
}
else
{
print("path111 2")
imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant -= abs(scrollView.contentOffset.y)
}
print("path11111 3")
view.layoutIfNeeded()
self.dataTableView.contentOffset = CGPoint.init(x: 0, y: 0 )
return
}
print("path11111 4")
if scrollView.contentOffset.y < 0 && imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant >= initialContainerImageViewHeight * 2
{
self.dataTableView.contentOffset = CGPoint.init(x: 0, y: 0 )
//self.dataTableView.bounces = false
return
}
else
{
imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant += abs(scrollView.contentOffset.y)
view.layoutIfNeeded()
}
}
func scrollViewDidEndDragging(_ scrollView: UIScrollView, willDecelerate decelerate: Bool)
{
resetContainerViewSize()
}
func scrollViewDidEndDecelerating(_ scrollView: UIScrollView)
{
resetContainerViewSize()
}
}
///////
func resetContainerViewSize()
{
imageContainerViewHeightConstraint.constant = 223
UIView.animate(withDuration: 0.7,
delay: 0.0,
usingSpringWithDamping: 0.7,
initialSpringVelocity: 0.5,
options: .curveEaseInOut,
animations: {
self.view.layoutIfNeeded()
self.dataTableView.bounces = true
}, completion: nil)
}
In Action
Find a demo here testScrollAboveTable
|
This application is a National Stage Application of PCT/EP2010/006671, filed 2 Nov. 2010, which claims benefit of Serial No. 10 2010 006 611.7, filed 1 Feb. 2010 in Germany and which applications are incorporated herein by reference. To the extent appropriate, a claim of priority is made to each of the above disclosed applications.
The invention relates to a holder for at least one cassette for structured deposition and handling of optical waveguides and of optical-waveguide splice connections.
Apparatuses for structured deposition and handling of optical waveguides and of optical-waveguide splice connections are used in cable networks, in particular in network technology. They are used in particular to protect splice connections at connection points between two optical waveguides.
They are also used, for example, for deposition, branching or splitting of optical waveguides from multifiber units, which comprise a plurality of optical waveguides. A plurality of multifiber units may in this case be combined to form a multifiber unit cable.
When depositing and handling optical waveguides, multifiber units and/or multifiber unit cables, care must be taken to ensure that there is no negative adverse influence on the transmission characteristics of the optical waveguides. Particular attention must be paid to compliance with minimum bending radii. Attention must also be paid to ensuring that the position of an optical waveguide or of multifiber units, once deposited, changes as little as possible during handling, for example when working on the optical waveguides. This likewise makes it possible to maintain the transmission characteristics of the optical waveguides.
For structured deposition of optical waveguides, DE 103 14 262 A1 discloses an apparatus having a frame and having a plurality of splice cassettes, with a plurality of splice cassettes in each case being arranged one above the other, and being attached to the frame such that they can pivot, on a front face and on a rear face of the frame. Fiber guidance elements for optical waveguide fibers are attached to at least one vertically running narrow face of the frame, such that the optical waveguide fibers are guided at the side alongside the splice cassettes and the frame, in the area of the or each narrow face. The document furthermore discloses that optical waveguide fibers are guided by cylindrical shaft bodies of the splice cassettes such that an insertion direction of the optical waveguide fibers into a splice cassette runs approximately parallel to a pivoting axis of the respective splice cassette, and such that the cylindrical shaft body of the respective splice cassette is axially slotted such that the optical waveguide fibers can be inserted into the cylindrical shaft body through an opening, in the radial direction.
This raises the technical problem of designing a holder for at least one cassette, which is used for structured deposition and simple handling of optical waveguides and/or multifiber units, which minimizes any change in the position of an optical waveguide or of multifiber units during handling once they have been deposited, without any negative influence on the transmission characteristics of the optical waveguides during handling. |
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My friend and I had a great afternoon on the "Sealife" with Richard who was very knowledgeable and not only did we see what was under the boat but also saw harbour and grey seals and many different sea birds. It also turned out that my friend and I and Richard were all at the same college in the 1970's...
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Went on this with my boyfriend and two kids. We loved it. It was a glorious day. Ric's knowledge is just mind boggling. He knows so much. The kids had a great time spotting all the things on their list that they were given. We saw lots of underwater life as well as lots of bird life, chicks and seals....
More
This was simply Brilliant, with our knowledgeable captain Richard who shared so much interesting information throughout the trip. With loads to see, both under the water and above, and to our great delight we also saw seals, naturally frolicking - rather than being lured! The youngest member of our family got to steer us back, which she greatly enjoyed and...
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We loved this trip around the loch, Richard was a wealth of knowledge and the young lady in the office was great at kitting us all out with warm coats for the journey.
Can definitely recommend a visit.
We chose the most glorious day for this cruise; perfect weather and the loveliest guide. Richard shared his knowledge of the area and the marine life with enthusiasm and passion. We saw seals, dolphins, gannets, sea urchins, star fish.......
The list goes on.
Thoroughly recommended.
I can honestly say this is a great trip out. The captain it's amazing and his staff. The captain even let my child drive. The lady was great with our child. The boat trip was fun to go on and you get to see lots off interesting things. We even saw a seal 😃
My husband and daughter went on thick cruise and could not talk highly enough about it. The said it was so entertaining, informative and very much value for money. Our 10yr old even got the drive the boat. She also got a certificate and they give the kids a checklist to tick off when they things on the list.
We fitted this into our North Coast 500 trip. It was very good but as it was overcast it did get a bit chilly while out in the open
They did tell us beforehand
We saw a variety of fish crabs etc and we're lucky enough to see a couple of seals too
We booked on the last trip of the day (16:00), despite this our 'skipper' was enthusiastic as he informed us of some really remarkable facts! We saw a whole host of sea life, which yes some you could see in a rock pool, but you would not get the stunning views or excellent wildlife knowledge. I went with my 16...
More
We went on the morning trip and were not disappointed. The scenery is amazing and the rain even held of too! Lots of seals to spot, different types of birds and the glass bottom allows you to see starfish, seaweed, crabs and jellyfish. Richard was extremely knowledgeable and really made the experience. All in all a must do when in...
More
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Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Benzoylimidazole Derivatives as Raf and Histone Deacetylases Dual Inhibitors.
In recent studies, combinations of histone deacetylases (HDACs) inhibitor with kinase inhibitor showed additive and synergistic effects. BRafV600E as an attractive target in many diseases treatments has been studied extensively. Herein, we present a novel design approach though incorporating the pharmacophores of BRafV600E inhibitor and HDACs inhibitor in one molecule. Several synthesized compounds exhibited distinct BRafV600E and HDAC1 inhibitory activities. The representative dual Raf/HDAC inhibitor, 7a, showed better antiproliferative activities against A549 and SK-Mel-2 in cellular assay than SAHA and sorafenib, with IC50 values of 9.11 µM and 5.40 µM, respectively. This work may lay the foundation for the further development of dual Raf/HDAC inhibitors as potential anticancer agents. |
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<?php
namespace Illuminate\Notifications\Events;
use Illuminate\Bus\Queueable;
use Illuminate\Queue\SerializesModels;
use Illuminate\Broadcasting\PrivateChannel;
use Illuminate\Contracts\Broadcasting\ShouldBroadcast;
class BroadcastNotificationCreated implements ShouldBroadcast
{
use Queueable, SerializesModels;
/**
* The notifiable entity who received the notification.
*
* @var mixed
*/
public $notifiable;
/**
* The notification instance.
*
* @var \Illuminate\Notifications\Notification
*/
public $notification;
/**
* The notification data.
*
* @var array
*/
public $data = [];
/**
* Create a new event instance.
*
* @param mixed $notifiable
* @param \Illuminate\Notifications\Notification $notification
* @param array $data
* @return void
*/
public function __construct($notifiable, $notification, $data)
{
$this->data = $data;
$this->notifiable = $notifiable;
$this->notification = $notification;
}
/**
* Get the channels the event should broadcast on.
*
* @return array
*/
public function broadcastOn()
{
$channels = $this->notification->broadcastOn();
if (! empty($channels)) {
return $channels;
}
return [new PrivateChannel($this->channelName())];
}
/**
* Get the data that should be sent with the broadcasted event.
*
* @return array
*/
public function broadcastWith()
{
return array_merge($this->data, [
'id' => $this->notification->id,
'type' => get_class($this->notification),
]);
}
/**
* Get the broadcast channel name for the event.
*
* @return string
*/
protected function channelName()
{
if (method_exists($this->notifiable, 'receivesBroadcastNotificationsOn')) {
return $this->notifiable->receivesBroadcastNotificationsOn($this->notification);
}
$class = str_replace('\\', '.', get_class($this->notifiable));
return $class.'.'.$this->notifiable->getKey();
}
}
|
Q:
Joining two dataframes by concatenating columns
I have two dataframes with the same structure - both have two ID columns and 25 string data columns. I want to join the two and concatenate the strings in the data columns when the IDs match. So, for example:
df_1:
id_1 id_2 col_1 col2 ... col_25
a1 b1 A A ... <NA>
a1 b2 A <NA> ... A
a2 b1 <NA> <NA> ... A
df_2:
id_1 id_2 col_1 col2 ... col_25
a1 b1 B <NA> ... <NA>
a1 b2 <NA> B ... B
a1 b3 B <NA> ... B
Combined, this should give
df_combined:
id_1 id_2 col_1 col2 ... col_25
a1 b1 A, B A ... <NA>
a1 b2 A B ... A, B
a1 b3 B <NA> ... B
a2 b1 <NA> <NA> ... A
When I try to use join or merge, it repeats everything except the ID columns (so I end up with 50 data columns). Do I need to use something else?
Thanks!
A:
You can do this if you don't have any empty string :
library(dplyr)
bind_rows(df_1,df_2) %>%
group_by(id_1,id_2) %>%
summarize_all(~ paste(na.omit(.x),collapse=", ")) %>%
`[<-`(.=="",value=NA)
with magrittr you can avoid the not so pretty '[<-' and replace it by inset
library(magrittr)
bind_rows(df_1,df_2) %>%
group_by(id_1,id_2) %>%
summarize_all(~ paste(na.omit(.x),collapse=", ")) %>%
inset(.=="",value=NA)
|
An old-world eatery striving to bring out the nostalgia in even the most jaded Hobokenite has officially added a kosher-style deli to the city’s food landscape.
Last summer, Jersey Digs first broke the news about the impending arrival of The Pastrami House at 832 Washington Street. The business opened their first spot last year in the Monmouth County town of Lincroft and a second outpost in Aberdeen followed shortly thereafter.
The deli gained a steady following during 2019 and even got a visit last November from Steven Van Zandt, of the E-Street Band and The Sopranos fame. The deli’s Hoboken location soft-opened over the weekend amid lots of excitement and long lines, as The Pastrami House hopes to fill a notable culinary void.
The Pastrami House is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a menu for early risers that includes everything from bagels and lox to butter pancakes and breakfast sandwiches. Their daytime dishes include lots of kosher-style specialties like matzo ball soup, noodle kugle, kreplach, stuffed cabbage, and whitefish salad.
Sandwiches of corned beef, brisket, roast beef, and more on rye bread are a highlight at The Pastrami House and a “memory lane” section of the menu includes items like a square potato knish or Reuben-style hot dogs with a variety of Hebrew National franks. Sides like disco fries, pastrami egg rolls, mac and cheese, pickles, health salad, and several varieties of latkes like sweet potato and zucchini round out the menu.
Both Dr. Brown’s and Stewart’s sodas are featured prominently at their newly opened Hoboken location, which lacks seating but does have a small “market” area that sells pickled vegetables and other goods. The Pastrami House also offers meats by the pound and sports a catering menu that includes packages with food for anywhere from four to twelve people. Sweets and desserts at the deli include New York-style cheesecakes from Junior’s, homemade rice pudding, blintzes, black and white cookies, and rugelach.
The owners of The Pastrami House are still working out permanent hours for their Hoboken location, but their soft opening hours run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Hoboken’s latest business can be followed on Instagram at the handle @pastramihouse.
Related: |
Q:
Sticky footer is causing extra height on the page?
I am trying to make a sticky footer, and my page's html structure is like this: (vastly simplified)
<head>...</head>
<body>
<div class="centerPane">
<div class="userCenter">..</div>
<div class="bottom>...</div>
</div>
</body>
css:
head
{
height: 100%;
}
body
{
min-height: 100%;
height: 100%;
}
.userCenter
{
position:relative;
height: 100%;
}
.bottom
{
position: absolute;
bottom: 20px;
height: 30px;
}
For some reason, this is pushing the bottom OFF BEYOND the bottom of the page regardless of the browser window size on firefox 10.0.1.
Here is a demo: 173.228.119.111:3000/users/sign_in
A:
not quite sure what the problem is, but I would take a look at this http://www.cssstickyfooter.com/using-sticky-footer-code.html you seem to be missing some css...
|
/**
*
* WARNING! This file was autogenerated by:
* _ _ _ _ __ __
* | | | | | | |\ \ / /
* | | | | |_| | \ V /
* | | | | _ | / \
* | |_| | | | |/ /^\ \
* \___/\_| |_/\/ \/
*
* This file was autogenerated by UnrealHxGenerator using UHT definitions.
* It only includes UPROPERTYs and UFUNCTIONs. Do not modify it!
* In order to add more definitions, create or edit a type with the same name/package, but with an `_Extra` suffix
**/
package unreal.geometrycachetracks;
/**
WARNING: This type was defined as MinimalAPI on its declaration. Because of that, its properties/methods are inaccessible
Movie scene section that control geometry cache playback
**/
@:umodule("GeometryCacheTracks")
@:glueCppIncludes("MovieSceneGeometryCacheSection.h")
@:uextern @:uclass extern class UMovieSceneGeometryCacheSection extends unreal.moviescene.UMovieSceneSection {
@:uproperty public var Params : unreal.geometrycachetracks.FMovieSceneGeometryCacheParams;
}
|
Q:
Java Bucket Sort on Strings
I can't figure out what would be the best way to use Bucket Sort to sort a list of strings that will always be the same length.
An algorithm would look like this:
For the last character position down to the first:
For each word in the list:
Place the word into the appropriate bucket by current character
For each of the 26 buckets(arraylists)
Copy every word back to the list
I'm writing in java and I'm using an arraylist for the main list that stores the unsorted strings. The strings will be five characters long each.
This is what I started. It just abrubdly stops within the second for loop because I don't know what to do next or if I did the first part right.
ArrayList<String> count = new ArrayList<String>(26);
for (int i = wordlen; i > 0; i--) {
for (int j = 0; i < myList.size(); i++)
myList.get(j).charAt(i)
}
Thanks in advance.
EDIT: This is what I have now. I know it doesn't work because if there were more than one strings that started with the same letter than it would blow up, but I think I'm more in the right direction. When I run it, even with words that I put it in to make sure there are no duplicates letters, it freaks out on the first set line: count.set(myList.get(j).charAt(i), myList.get(j)); It's says "Exception in thread "main" java.lang.StringIndexOutOfBoundsException: String index out of range: 5"
public void BucketSort(int wordlen) {
ArrayList<String> count = new ArrayList<String>(26);
//Make it so count has a size
for(int p = 0; p < 26; p++)
count.add(null);
for (int i = wordlen; i > 0; i--) { //for each letter
for (int j = 0; j < myList.size(); j++) //for each word
//Add the word to count based on the letter
count.add((int)myList.get(j).charAt(i) - 65, myList.get(j));
}
//Clear the main list so there aren't a bunch of unsorted words leftover
myList.clear();
//Add the words back in to the list based on their order in count
for (int m = 0; m < 26; m++)
myList.add(count.get(m));
}
A:
This looks like homework to me, so I won't respond with a code solution.
But basically, the bit you're stuck on is setting up your buckets. Probably you want your buckets to be a Map<Character, List<String>> -- that is, you want to map each letter A - Z to a list of words that match that letter (for the position you're currently looking at). That list of words is your bucket.
Then, after you finish the inner loop you've got there, you do another loop through the contents of the map, going from A-Z (hint: for ( char ch = 'A'; ch <= 'Z'; ch++ )) and dumping the contents of the corresponding bucket back into your (emptied) list.
|
The Fifth Class of the National Security and Defense Postgraduate Course
CHISINAU, April 20, 2018 — The graduation ceremony of the National Security and Defense Postgraduate Course was held today at the Ministry of Defense.
National Army Commander, Brigadier Gen. Igor Cutie awarded the 35 representatives of the academic environment, State dignitaries, civil servants (including with special status), representatives of non-governmental organizations, press institutions and civil society, political parties’ members the Course’s graduation diploma and badge.
Brigadier Gen. Igor Cutie mentioned the importance of the studies for both military and civilian staff responsible for the development of State’s security and defense policies. “It is essential for the Ministry of Defense and the National Army Commanding Corps to make the sector we are managing largely known and understood by public opinion. This is why we have been organizing fact-finding visits in the military units and spread, in a very accessible way, the information concerning the reformation process, the objectives and challenges of the sector”, said Igor Cutie.
The Defense attaché of Romania, Col. Cristi-Mitica Ladaniuc, graduate of the National Security and Defense Postgraduate Course, appreciated the professionalism of the Academy’s professors and invited lecturers — members of diplomatic corps and experts who added value to the course through their contribution.
“This course changed our perspective regarding the issue of national security and helped us understand that we cannot obtain results without including this sector in any country’s system”, said Col. Ladaniuc.
According to LTC (r) Igor Sofronescu, pro-rector of the Military Academy of Armed Forces “Alexandru cel Bun”, the course was held during January-April, 2018 and aimed to familiarize the civil servants and military from the central organs of military command with the current problems of the national security and to train them to perform leadership duties in institutions responsible for national defense and security.
The source specified that the studies included subjects related to military-political systems and doctrines, good governance and strategic leadership, national and international security, information warfare, international humanitarian law, civilian-military relations and other relevant topics.
LTC Sofronescu added that, for the first time, two military diplomats — defense attaches of Romania and Ukraine — chose to attend this course. Also for the first time the students paid fact-finding visits to military education institutions from Brasov, Bucharest, and Odessa.
This is the fifth class of the National Security and Defense Postgraduate Course organized by the Military Academy of Armed Forces “Alexandru cel Bun”. |
Questions & Answers for Urban Decay Smoked Eyeshadow Palette
Do you think this is worth it? Also, is it better then the naked 2 palette? I want either the smoked or the naked 2, so please let me know what you think. Thanks (:
asked 2 years, 11 months ago
Anonymous
on Smoked Eyeshadow Palette
11 answers
Answers
answer 1
This is comparing peas n carrots. They both taste great but are different in their own way. You're not going to get the colors offered in the smoked palette from the naked 2. My suggestion is to purchase both. You get the primer potion and a pencil with the smoked palette with would work wonderfully with the naked 2 palette. Smoked is perfect for going out or being on your free time where the naked 2 can be set in lighter colors for a school or work look.
answered 6 months ago
Bunnifoo
(Salem, OR)
answer 2
Depends how much glitter and shine you like in your shadows. Naked 2 has more neutral, warm tones. The Smoked palette has less warm tones but more fun creative colors to work with and less shimmer and glitter than the Naked 2.
answered 6 months ago
jlp7
(Fort Lauderdale, fl)
answer 3
Naked 2!!!! Is AMAZING you will love, so worth it...smoked its a complete let down... Not worth it, colors all apply the same even when they look different on palette
answered 2 years, 2 months ago
vondaphne
(Valencia, LA)
answer 4
Totally worth it. I have both this set and Naked 2 actually. I think the choice depends on your lifestyle- honestly, the shades in Smoked are pretty dark and intense and I find they're a bit much for daytime office makeup because they are so dark. On the other hand, if I worked nights in a restaurant or somewhere else with dimmer lighting or I worked in fashion/retail that might not be a problem. If you don't tend to wear a lot of dark heavy makeup during the day then I'd suggest you start with Naked 2.
answered 2 years, 4 months ago
Platypus37
(San Francisco, CA)
answer 5
I think the Naked 2 Pallete is better for beginners, while the super dark, blendable shades here (which means they want to go everywhere on the lid and need good brushes to tame them!) are better for more experienced folk. The Naked 2 also is better for daytime looks -adding some sparkle (like Lorac Liquid Luster) or a thick liner transforms them to night looks. With the smoked pallete, the closest you can get to a daytime look is a smudgey brown smokey look, or using the three matte nuetral shades (browns and beiges).
answered 2 years, 6 months ago
KatelynJB
(Springfield, MO)
answer 6
yes yes yes awesome..
answered 2 years, 10 months ago
gypsygurl40
(chattanooga, TN)
answer 7
I wouldn't say it is better than the naked 2 palette but different. The colors are darker for the smokey effect. I love it!! I love urban decay. I have naked 1 and 2 and Smoked. You can mix them up. What is great about the Smoked palette is that it comes with an instruction book so you can't mess up and the eyeliner is to due for. Love it!!!
answered 2 years, 10 months ago
jessjilly
(Hot Springs, AR)
answer 8
It depends on what you're looking for. The smoked palette creates for dramatic looks while the naked 2 is more nude. I use the naked 2 more often for everyday looks so I get more use out of it. Guess it depends on what you're hoping to get out of it
answered 2 years, 10 months ago
jojo05
(NYC, NY)
answer 9
I prefer the Naked 2 palette. The smoked palette is much smoother and better texture but with these range of colors, I couldn't do much even when it came with the book. I returned it.
answered 2 years, 10 months ago
elizabeth13026
(Houston, TX)
answer 10
Definitely worth it. It is hard to compare naked2 and smoked cos they are different. I own all 3 palettes. naked1 & 2 and Smoked. Naked2 is beautiful for neutral nudey earth tones. Smoked is as the title suggests. The 1st 3 neutral colors can be used for a more toned down day look. Hope this helps!
answered 2 years, 10 months ago
buddha3
(New Jersey)
answer 11
The smoked and the Naked 2 palettes are nothing alike. The Naked palettes are neutral based colors that can be used for daytime looks but then using the darker colors in the palette you can create nighttime looks. This palette is a smoked/nighttime look palette. It is possible to create a daytime look with this palette but you only have about four colors to choose from to do that. This palette and the Naked 2 palette are both excellent palettes. I have both and use both regularly, but for different purposes. They both feature UD new eyeshadow formula which is silky smooth and very pigmented.
Personally, if you don't have any palettes at all you should get the Naked 2 palette because it is more versatile than the smoked one. Unless all you are interested in is creating smoked looks, Naked 2 might be a better deal for you.
answered 2 years, 11 months ago
Anonymous
(Memphis, TN)
Question
It doesn't come with a brush?
So, it doesn't come with an applicator or brush? I want to try this product so bad, but I'm on a limited budget and I am in dire need of an eyeshadow brush.
asked 2 years, 10 months ago
Natalie575
(El Paso, TX)
on Smoked Eyeshadow Palette
11 answers
Answers
answer 1
No, it doesn't come with a brush. I would recommend purchasing this palette its awesome! Just use the brushes you already have.
answered 1 year, 4 months ago
NikkiIrene87
(Redding, CA)
answer 2
You are going to want to have several types of brushes to get the looks. If they did include a brush you'd have to clean in everyday.
answered 1 year, 8 months ago
famousamous
(Madison, WI)
answer 3
It does not come with a brush sadly, but you can get decent eyeshadow brushes for less at drug stores, it's what I did after getting this pallet.
answered 1 year, 11 months ago
Cuyen
answer 4
No brush included , but it you are on a budget some drug store brushes arent too expensive and are good quality like eco-tools
answered 1 year, 11 months ago
BellePeach
(Montreal, QC)
answer 5
No brushes come with it. You're definitely going to need a smudge brush for this set and probably a blender if you don't already have one. I had to buy a smudge since I didn't have one before this set and the instructions tell you to smudge the liner with the shadow for pretty much every single look.
answered 2 years, 4 months ago
Platypus37
(San Francisco, CA)
answer 6
you should try the Naked palet if ur in need of a brush and u will enjoy the colors as well.
answered 2 years, 6 months ago
bbea
(Long Island, NY)
answer 7
No brush but sephora has an ongoing brush sale
answered 2 years, 8 months ago
bruhaha
answer 8
The pencil doesn't turn and the book of instructions lists 4 different types of brushes so it seems this is a very spendy product.
answered 2 years, 9 months ago
ContaryMay
(LIno Lakes, MN)
answer 9
There was a special brush showing on the web site but it's currently out of stock. I would also prefer to get the brush rather than the pencil...
answered 2 years, 9 months ago
ContaryMay
(LIno Lakes, MN)
answer 10
You could save a little money and get the urban decay holiday palette (they have 3) of the dark colors (there a 6) I think its $36 and buy a brush. The colors are relatively close.
answered 2 years, 9 months ago
Smurfette123
answer 11
It doesn't come with a brush but does come with a gorgeous eyeliner. Treat yourself. This palette is worth every penny.
answered 2 years, 9 months ago
Anonymous
(Burbank, CA)
Question
Does this comes with primer?
picture shows a primer... I am wondering... because it would be a really great deal if it does :)
asked 3 years ago
pamela1989
(Salt Lake City)
on Smoked Eyeshadow Palette
11 answers
Answers
answer 1
It comes with a sample size primer potion about 2 inches long.
answered 6 months ago
MysticalShadow
(Buffalo, NY)
answer 2
Yes it comes with a primer and it works great :D
answered 1 year, 11 months ago
Cuyen
answer 3
Yes, it's a small sample size but I agree the whole kit is a great deal. Don't forget that it comes with a look book with instructions too!
answered 2 years, 4 months ago
Platypus37
(San Francisco, CA)
answer 4
Yes! It comes with - 0.13 oz Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Original.
answered 2 years, 5 months ago
melissabt
answer 5
Yup! The regular primer potion, in deluxe sample size.
answered 2 years, 6 months ago
KatelynJB
(Springfield, MO)
answer 6
Smoked comes with a regular sized24/7 glide eye pencil, a travel sized primer, and a how to booklet that guides on how to create from bold to simple looks.
answered 2 years, 7 months ago
Jocyluv
(Apple Valley, CA)
answer 7
Yes, it comes with a great primer!
answered 2 years, 9 months ago
Anonymous
(Burbank, CA)
answer 8
Yes, it does! And eyeliner, too!
answered 2 years, 11 months ago
jdquinlan
(Fredericksburg, VA)
answer 9
yes
answered 2 years, 11 months ago
m8keupmama
(Houston, tx)
answer 10
The "Smokey" palette does not come with primer, however does include black eyeliner, which normally would cost almost $20 just for that.
answered 2 years, 11 months ago
erica1524
(Rochester, NY)
answer 11
yes it comes with a mini sample size of their original eye primer potion
answered 3 years ago
kellyle18
(ont, canada)
Question
Are any of the shades full of glitter?
I wear contacts. I notice that any glitter eye shadows, even with primer, flake and irritate my eyes. Are any of these colors with glitter?
asked 2 years, 9 months ago
ceili78
(Chicago, IL)
on Smoked Eyeshadow Palette
11 answers
Answers
answer 1
I wear contacts and have no issues with glitter. Some of the shadows are shimmery but not overly glittery at all.
answered 1 year, 3 months ago
jkittens
answer 2
It would not call this palette glittery. I would call it pigmenty.
answered 1 year, 8 months ago
famousamous
(Madison, WI)
answer 3
They are mattes and shimmers. Asphalt the final shade appears it may have very little glitter if any.
answered 1 year, 10 months ago
brooke10
(SLC, UT)
answer 4
No they aren't glitter, shimmer yes...
answered 2 years, 2 months ago
vondaphne
(Valencia, LA)
answer 5
About half of them are shimmer shades which are sort of ultrafine glitter. Not sure what size glitter has to be to start creating problems for you, so you might try finding a Sephora store or an UD counter at a Macy's near you to check out the colors in person.
answered 2 years, 4 months ago
Platypus37
(San Francisco, CA)
answer 6
There's some glitter in some of the colors, but I wouldn't call it "glittery" at all-- I wear contacts, too, and I haven't had a problem :)
answered 2 years, 7 months ago
saj86
(San Diego, CA)
answer 7
Nope. No glitter in these shades, just great shimmer in all of the bottom row and Mushroom on top.
answered 2 years, 8 months ago
kim1992
(King, NC)
answer 8
No chunky glitter, just a slight shimmer (if that makes sense). I wear contacts too and have very sensitive eyes and I haven't had a problem with this palette. The color payoff is amazing.
answered 2 years, 8 months ago
Michmommy2
(Southfield, MI)
answer 9
I found a bit of shimmer, but mainly matte
answered 2 years, 9 months ago
missktdanger
(Ottawa, ON)
answer 10
no they aren't full glitter. i do notice alot of fallout tho with these shadows
answered 2 years, 9 months ago
starrskyy
(Winnipeg, MB)
answer 11
Minor glitter with some shades but not all. Perfect palette.
answered 2 years, 9 months ago
meganlisa
(Santa monica, ca)
Question
My black pencil doesn't turn, is that normal?
I've tried turning it but that doesn't work either.
asked 2 years, 9 months ago
ev1lkittykat
(Phoenix, AZ)
on Smoked Eyeshadow Palette
10 answers
Answers
answer 1
it needs to be sharpened
answered 6 months ago
MamaTT
(Ca)
answer 2
You need to sharpen the pencil with an eye pencil sharpener
answered 1 year, 8 months ago
famousamous
(Madison, WI)
answer 3
Not sure why it would " turn" but mine needs to be sharpened :)
answered 1 year, 11 months ago
BellePeach
(Montreal, QC)
answer 4
It doesn't glide on as smoothly as Zero pencil does because it's got way more pigment in it. Use it more like you would Blackout matte black shadow on a liner brush since it goes on in a similar ultra-dense way.
answered 2 years, 4 months ago
Platypus37
(San Francisco, CA)
answer 5
It has to be sharpened with a sharpener.
answered 2 years, 6 months ago
KatelynJB
(Springfield, MO)
answer 6
That's normal -- this is a pencil that needs to go into a pencil sharpener. Make sure you use one specially made for makeup pencils, though -- the angles of regular pencil sharpeners don't work for it very well.
answered 2 years, 6 months ago
HeraldKiara
(Schofield Barracks, HI)
answer 7
sharpen it.
answered 2 years, 7 months ago
mynameisgiana
(Cohoes, NY)
answer 8
Buy the grindhouse sharpener. Its not supposed to turn
answered 2 years, 8 months ago
bruhaha
answer 9
My brush doesn't turn either. Does that mean we're paying for 1/4 inch of product? Also, there are 4 optional brushes listed at the end of the instruction book. The palette looked pretty good but now it's looking extremely expensive to get the value out of this product.
answered 2 years, 9 months ago
ContaryMay
(LIno Lakes, MN)
answer 10
Nope...you sharpen it the old fashioned way.
answered 2 years, 9 months ago
Smurfette123
Question
Are these colors Matte or frosted
At my age, frosted or shimmery eye shadow does not look good on me. It's hard to find a palette with all Matte colors.Can you tell me which are shimmer or which are matte?Thanks in advance,Patti Marino
asked 2 years, 11 months ago
attipay
(Porterville, Ca)
on Smoked Eyeshadow Palette
10 answers
Answers
answer 1
I don't believe shimmery or frosted is age specific if done tastefully. These do have glittery or frosted looking, but not intensely. They are tasteful colors and in my opinion would look fantastic on any age for a feminine tigress. I'm 34 and love the look. I know many gals in their late 50's to early 60's rocking beautiful smoked eyes.
answered 6 months ago
Bunnifoo
(Salem, OR)
answer 2
Few are matte, most are frosted. If frosted and shimmer don't work for you Urban Decay probably isn't your brand. However, maybe check out the smaller more recent palettes, definitely not Naked 2 or Smoked.
answered 6 months ago
jlp7
(Fort Lauderdale, fl)
answer 3
Mushroom, Barlust, Rockstar, Evidence, and Loaded are all shimmery. The others (Kinky, Freestyle, Backdoor, Blackout, and Asphalt) are matte.
answered 1 year, 11 months ago
Cuyen
answer 4
All the colors in the lower row are shimmers plus I think Mushroom (middle of upper row). If you're looking for all matte palette I suggest Naked Basics (I guess technically the lightest shade of that is a shimmer but I only use it for highlights anyway). You can also buy UD shadows individually if you go into a store or order from their site.
answered 2 years, 4 months ago
Platypus37
(San Francisco, CA)
answer 5
Bottom row colors have shimmer as well as the silver color on top.
answered 2 years, 6 months ago
pjordan
(Killeen, TX)
answer 6
The two lighter, or highlight shades (Top left two) are matte, and so is the dark brown and the black shade on the top row. The rest of the shades are a deep, fine satiny shimmer, and the deep blue shade, evidence, once applied appears almost truly, solidly metallic -it is very pretty.
answered 2 years, 6 months ago
KatelynJB
(Springfield, MO)
answer 7
Four of the ten shades are matte and the remaining six have shimmer.
answered 2 years, 9 months ago
Anonymous
(Burbank, CA)
answer 8
Four are matte, and those are the neutrals, the rest are shimmer.
answered 2 years, 11 months ago
jdquinlan
(Fredericksburg, VA)
answer 9
If you are looking at the picture of the palette; top row, first two and last two. On the colors are a light ivory highlight, medium beige highlight or blending color, deep black coffee brown, and black. Some of the other shades can range from almost metallic to satin once on. Mushroom if really packed on, or applied wet, is almost metallic. If you use a light hand, it is a wash of shimmer. Evidence, the blue, is almost a cross between satin and shimmer. None have huge glitter chunks. Do I think it is worth it if you will only use the matte shades? It depends. Do you own either naked palettes? If you own both, no. If you do not own either or any recent UD palettes or shadows (but want to), yeah I think it is. You could use the lighter shimmer shades as liners if you have paler skin, if darker you could use the bronze shade as a highlight on the cheek bones (youd have to have the right skin tone for it though). The darker blue/purple/green colors with shimmer could be used as liners on everyone. Would you use the 24/7 black liner? Would you play with the booklet? Would you use the mini shadow primer? Maybe if you only wear matte shades, the lorac pro palette would be better since a whole row of shades are matte. You get a whole row of shimmer, but far more matte shades. Just a thought.
answered 2 years, 11 months ago
quesoluvr
(Bethlehem, PA)
answer 10
Hi!The top 4 shades, except for the one in the middle are matte.They are: Kinky, Freestyle, Backdoor and Blackout.The shimmer shades are: Mushroom, Barlust, Rockstar, Evidence, Asphalt and Loaded (the whole bottom row).
answered 2 years, 11 months ago
Jennzera
(Saint John, New Brunswick)
Question
Does this Palette come with the smoked look book??
asked 3 years ago
Victoriaaaaa
(Sorrento, LA)
on Smoked Eyeshadow Palette
8 answers
Answers
answer 1
Yes it does. And it's very informative
answered 6 months ago
MysticalShadow
(Buffalo, NY)
answer 2
Yes it comes with the Smoked Look Book :)
answered 1 year, 11 months ago
Cuyen
answer 3
Yes, the look book is super easy to follow!
answered 2 years, 9 months ago
Anonymous
(Burbank, CA)
answer 4
Yes, it does. Twelve different looks.
answered 2 years, 11 months ago
jdquinlan
(Fredericksburg, VA)
answer 5
Yes, the palette comes with a look book. It has far more 'looks' in it than most palette look books. Also contains information about brushes (brief) and application techniques (brief). It has enough information that if you are new to makeup, you will learn something. If you are very experienced, good at a smokey eye, Im not sure you need the look book. If you are mostly interested in the look book, not so much the palette, you can purchase it separately on the UD website.
answered 2 years, 11 months ago
quesoluvr
(Bethlehem, PA)
answer 6
Yes it does
answered 2 years, 11 months ago
erica1524
(Rochester, NY)
answer 7
Yes - and it contains a nice assortment of different looks with step by step instructions!
answered 3 years ago
saffygirl
(Southern Girl, USA)
answer 8
yes
answered 3 years ago
Domey
(Philadelphia, PA)
Question
How many different syles does the look book have?
asked 2 years, 11 months ago
dancer2232
(Buffalo, NY)
on Smoked Eyeshadow Palette
7 answers
Answers
answer 1
12
answered 1 year, 8 months ago
famousamous
(Madison, WI)
answer 2
There are 12 different looks that the book tells you how to create.
answered 1 year, 11 months ago
Cuyen
answer 3
Comes with a booklet of about 10 looks from a more subtle matte look to a very over the top reality star look. Also includes discussion of techniques.
answered 2 years, 4 months ago
Platypus37
(San Francisco, CA)
answer 4
Can't remember exactly because it's not right in front of me but I think it's around ten, from a subtler matte browner eye to a traditional smoky eye to a rockstar eye to a reality star over the top eye.
answered 2 years, 4 months ago
Platypus37
(San Francisco, CA)
answer 5
If u are creative the possibilities are endless!! Love it!!
answered 2 years, 10 months ago
jessjilly
(Hot Springs, AR)
answer 6
12
answered 2 years, 11 months ago
jdquinlan
(Fredericksburg, VA)
answer 7
Its a blackish color with purpleish shimmer.
answered 2 years, 11 months ago
aplus1920
(Northern NJ)
Question
Is the eye pencil like a semi permanent marker?
The eye pencil doesn't turn and when using, it appears to go on like a marker pencil.
asked 2 years, 9 months ago
ContaryMay
(LIno Lakes, MN)
on Smoked Eyeshadow Palette
7 answers
Answers
answer 1
The eye pencil goes on smooth, is very blendable and then dries and does not budge all day. Promise. Best I've ever used.
answered 6 months ago
MissKathyVt
(Burlington, VT)
answer 2
It isn't like a marker--it is a highly blendable black pencil.
answered 1 year ago
abirdseyeview
(Minneapolis, MN)
answer 3
It's like a soft crayon that needs to be sharpened. Need to smudge or use shadow to set.
answered 1 year, 8 months ago
famousamous
(Madison, WI)
answer 4
Perversion pencil is hyper-pigmented so it goes on much denser than the Zero pencil does. This makes it easier to smudge out with a brush as instructed in the "get the look" booklet on the various smoky eye looks. But it's a little softer and less waxy than Zero and doesn't glide on as smoothly. It's more comparable to using the Blackout black matte powder in intensity.
answered 2 years, 4 months ago
Platypus37
(San Francisco, CA)
answer 5
It's far smoother than most "marker like" liners I've used, no drag at all, but it goes on so creamy-thick, it's very off-putting and difficult to get a thin line. It's so soft it crumbles when it touches my lashes on my lower or upper eyelid -so it ends up everywhere, and very few of my sharpers are the proper size to sharpen it. So it's not super friendly for thick lashes, where most "marker like" eyeliners of course do not have such a problem, and are thin and solid enough to navigate and bat aside thick lashes with ease.
answered 2 years, 6 months ago
KatelynJB
(Springfield, MO)
answer 6
This eye pencil (Urban Decay's) are almost like a semi-permanent marker! They set beautifully so smudge fast if that's your plan. They are the only thing thus far that survives my sweaty yoga class! To get them off use an oil or oil based makeup remover and they wipe right away.
answered 2 years, 8 months ago
meganlisa
(Santa monica, ca)
answer 7
The perversion pencil in this palette is a pencil-you do have to sharpen it with a pencil sharpener. It should go on super velvety smooth, and be smudge-proof, water-proof, and fade-proof. Hope this helps!
answered 2 years, 9 months ago
Salendra
(Bismarck, ND)
Question
are they matte or shimmer
asked 2 years, 11 months ago
sashi21440
on Smoked Eyeshadow Palette
7 answers
Answers
answer 1
Definitely matte. The colors are pretty bold.
answered 1 year, 8 months ago
famousamous
(Madison, WI)
answer 2
Both- the top row colors are mostly matte, the bottom row colors are all shimmers.
answered 2 years, 4 months ago
Platypus37
(San Francisco, CA)
answer 3
They're matte and shimmer: 6 of 10 are shimmer and 4 of 10 are matte.
answered 2 years, 9 months ago
Anonymous
(Burbank, CA)
answer 4
The four neutral colors are matte, the rest are shimmer.
answered 2 years, 11 months ago
jdquinlan
(Fredericksburg, VA)
answer 5
Most of the fun ones are shimmer. If you are looking for a variety of matte options this is not going to be the best palette for you.
answered 2 years, 11 months ago
xtinaleigh
(Nashville, TN)
answer 6
There are a variety of finishes; matte (4), shimmer (6). Some of the shimmery shades are more satin and others are almost metallic. No huge glitter chunks though!
answered 2 years, 11 months ago
quesoluvr
(Bethlehem, PA)
answer 7
4 of them are matte colors. Kinky, Freestyle, Backdoor, and Blackout. The other 6 are shimmers but not heavy shimmers. |
Microsoft Visual Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft. It is used to develop computer programs for Microsoft Windows, as well as web sites, web applications and web services. Visual Studio uses Microsoft software development platforms such as Windows API, Windows Forms, Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows Store and Microsoft Silverlight. It can produce both native code and managed code.
I expect to be working in Visual Studio on a project which will involve Angular, Kendo UI and jQuery. So I need to set up a simple Visual Studio test environment where I can play around with some of the more complex jQuery commands.
What is the best way to do this in Visual Studio? I feel like I need a solution with an HTML file and a folder that contains jQuery. But feel free to suggest a few steps that can get me to that point.
And please include the steps to get jQuery installed. I assume that is just a NuGet call. But what about other dependencies?
I have a new server that has sql 2017, ssrs 2017 installed and ssdt installed. I think i goofed something up. When using ssdt with Visual Studio, there are no projects available to start for Reporting Services. I have a feeling i goofed up on the the install.
any suggestions.screenshot.JPG
I am installing this BEFORE I install Visual Studio Professional 2017 so that the Visual Studio installer will not try and install SQL Server for me. But I want to be sure I install SQL Server exactly correctly.
What questions will the installer ask me which might require me to change the default settings?
I would like to be armed with all the answers before I start the installation. My worry is that I may need to make an error and then need to uninstall SQL Server, which is not a good place to be.
I need to install Visual Studio Professional 2017 but want to be sure I get the settings correct. I have had bac luck in the past letting Visual Studio install my instance of SQL Server, and found it better to FIRST install SQL Server, THEN install Visual Studio.
So, my questions are where can I get the URL's for
Visual Studio Professional 2017
SQL Server 2016
I plan to install them and use them for free until I get license keys in the next few weeks.
I have 2015 but need to upgrade. I want to start testing some newer features of the .NET Framework, and perhaps play around with .NET Core as well as to use the .NET Standard 2.0.
What is the right version for me to install?
Can I leave Visual Studio Community Edition 2015 installed?
What about SQL Server? I have found if SQL Server is already installed, the Visual Studio installer will not try and install it. And I found that the Visual Studio installer does not do a great job of installing SQL Server.
I see I have SQL Server 2008 and 2014 installed.
Shall I install an updated version of SQL Server, then install the Visual Studio Community Edition?
I'm using Visual Studio 2017 with C#.
I want a user to input some letters into a textbox. A model maps each letter to a number and returns the total. how can I display the result (Total variable in the model) in a text area in the same view?
I'm using C# in Visual Studio 2017. I came across this page outlining the performance of different data structures.http://bigocheatsheet.com/#data-structures
Is there an article giving use cases for each structure? At the moment I'm just interested in common structures like arrays, lists, dictionaries, stacks and queues.Apart from inserting, updating, deleting and viewing records, what criteria are used when evaluating different data structures for a given project?
I saw this online which partially answers my question. If space is not an issue when would I use a list as opposed to a dictionary?When should I use something non standard like binary trees?
The SortedDictionary<TKey, TValue> generic class is a binary search tree with O(log n) retrieval, where n is the number of elements in the dictionary. In this respect, it is similar to the SortedList<TKey, TValue> generic class. The two classes have similar object models, and both have O(log n) retrieval. Where the two classes differ is in memory use and speed of insertion and removal:
It’s one of the most in-demand fields in technology and in the job market as a whole. It’s crucial to our individual and national security. And it may be your path to a future filled with success and job satisfaction—if these four traits sound like you.
Directory.Exists(C# DotNet) returns true, but actually, the path is not existing in explorer windows. However, when I type in the unc or change directory using DOS command the directory appears. Although "Directory.Exists" find the directory, it does not copy the directory. It only copies folders and files shown in explorer. I assume these folders\files were deleted but somehow is being seen by "Directory.Exists". How can I get "Directory.Exists" to ignore these folders\files? Also, if these are not deleted files, please explain why they are not shown in explorer. If they are deleted files that still exist on my computer, will they cause performance issues with the filesystem? Could this cause a directory search to take longer?
I have created a Integration Services app in Visual Studio 2013 that runs on SQL Server under the Integration Services Catalogs.
Its package reads some data with a stored procedure and writes out a flat file - txt.
In order to have access to the server and folder where that output file will go, in the Control Flow section I have added an "Execute Process Task" control.
These are the entries I have for the "Process" for that control:
I have this package Deployed on the Development server and I can right-click on the package and it runs fine.
However, when I Deploy it to the Production server and then right-click to execute it, I get this error:
In Excecuting "C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe" "/C NET USE\\MyServerName\Shared\Download MyPassword /USER:MyUser/PERSISTENT:NO" at "C:\Windows\System32", The process exit code was "2" while the expected was "0"
I believe Error Code 2 = The system cannot find the file specified. I have checked on the Production Server and indeed there is a cmd.exe at location "C:\Windows\System32".
Any ideas what could be different on the Production server that would cause this error?
I'm trying to start a new visual studio 2017 C# project and have selected it to be an MVC project with the web API checkbox checked. I've also checked the add unit test checkbox and changed the authentication to single user. After I click OK I'm getting this message.
the specified path file name or both are too long. the fully qualified file name must be less than 260 characters, and the directory name must be less than 248 characters. The fully qualified file name is D:\OneDrive\Documents\Courses\QAASPNETMVC\Labs\04 DataStorage\01 Setup Projects\Begin\QAForumSolution which is 103 characters.
Why am I getting this message?
How do you create a sidebar menu in visual studio blend? I am wanting to create a tool that slides out on my windows screen that is specific to the tools I use to do my job. I want to be able to customize this for my use and share with other members of my team. Something similar to windows Sidebar tool but with slide outs, etc.. I am using windows 7 professional and we also have Windows 10 Os.
I am having problems with an old Visual Studio 2010 Webforms site that uses forms authentication and works well when published to production server. The problem is now I have moved up to Visual Studio 2017 and having an issue of casting WindowsIndentity object to another custom class. It used to work in 2010 but does not work in 2017 when debugging. Tried to change the code and now the problem is that when starting to debug the site, some browsers are not prompting for a login and using NTLM and I need it to force forms authentication. I have it set to forms in the web.config file. Some day we will rewrite the site but stuck with old system for now.
Why would something that worked in VS 2010 not work the same in VS 2017? Site is ASP.NET 4.0.
When I try to compile my VB.net project I get error messages telling me that the access path is denied(See the error message at the bottom of this post). To temporarily fix this, I run the following command:
icacls "c:\MyProjDir" grant Everyone:(OI)(CI)F /T
It works, and I am then able to compile my code with no errors. The problem is that I have to run this icalcs command every time I build my code, otherwise I get the access to path error message again. So how can I get around having to repeatedly run the icacls command in order to compile my code?
How do I call an instance of this class using C# in Visual Studio 2017? At the moment I have a console App. In the static main method I have this code, but can't invoke the Inventory class due to its protection level.
Problem with visual 6 C++ code converting to visual studio 2010 c++. The following is the only code that errors out. The rest of the lib converts and compiles fine if I remark out this one line of code.
WCHAR *printable = new WCHAR[(dwBufferSize+1)*2]; printable[0] = '\0'; for (unsigned long i =0;i<dwBufferSize;i++) { WCHAR scratch[3]; wsprintf(scratch,L"%02X", pBuffer[i]); //This is the problem code. wsprintf requires LPSTR but scratch is WCHAR wcscat(printable, scratch); } *pbstrEncrypted = SysAllocStringLen(printable, dwBufferSize*2);I've looked for code on the internet to convert a variable from WCHAR to LPSTR and back again. I could make do with that. As near as I can see the wsprintf with the format code %02X takes a single wide char and makes it two hex output characters and concatenates it to the printable variable. This code was written in 2000.Bob delete [] printable;
I have an ASP.net web app which I have built in Visual Studio 2017 Professional. I just bought a new computer
and loaded the software on there. For some reason Visual Studio runs really slowly, especially in debug mode.
What might be causing this?
Microsoft Visual Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft. It is used to develop computer programs for Microsoft Windows, as well as web sites, web applications and web services. Visual Studio uses Microsoft software development platforms such as Windows API, Windows Forms, Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows Store and Microsoft Silverlight. It can produce both native code and managed code. |
NEW VEHICLES: NO HIDDEN CHARGES!! Freight and dealer prep INCLUDED!! Price excludes sales tax, license, title and doc. fee. All incentives that are available to every consumer are applied in lieu of special financing offers. See dealer for complete details. All advertised vehicles are in stock, in transit or available via our express locator system. Stock photo used in lieu of actual vehicle photos may not reflect the actual vehicle advertised. Dealer will not honor typographical errors. Prior sales do not qualify. All vehicles subject to prior sale. All offers are subject to change at the discretion of GM. MSRP is used for comparison only and is not necessarily the price at which vehicles are sold in the trade area.
USED VEHICLES: NO HIDDEN CHARGES!! Price excludes sales tax, license and title fees and doc. fee. See dealer for complete details. All advertised vehicles are in stock. Dealer will not honor typographical errors. Prior sales do not qualify. All vehicles subject to prior sale. All offers are subject to change at the discretion of Jennings Chevrolet. Jennings Volkswagon used vehicles do not qualify for Shop Click Drive��â��â�s quoted trade in value. Shop Click Drive's quoted trade in value will not be honored.
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NEW VEHICLES: NO HIDDEN CHARGES!! Freight and dealer prep INCLUDED!! Price excludes sales tax, license, title and doc. fee. All incentives that are available to every consumer are applied in lieu of special financing offers. See dealer for complete details. All advertised vehicles are in stock, in transit or available via our express locator system. Stock photo used in lieu of actual vehicle photos may not reflect the actual vehicle advertised. Dealer will not honor typographical errors. Prior sales do not qualify. All vehicles subject to prior sale. All offers are subject to change at the discretion of GM. MSRP is used for comparison only and is not necessarily the price at which vehicles are sold in the trade area. USED VEHICLES: NO HIDDEN CHARGES!! Price excludes sales tax, license and title fees and doc. fee. See dealer for complete details. All advertised vehicles are in stock. Dealer will not honor typographical errors. Prior sales do not qualify. All vehicles subject to prior sale. All offers are subject to change at the discretion of Jennings Chevrolet. Jennings Volkswagon used vehicles do not qualify for Shop Click Drive’s quoted trade in value. Shop Click Drive's quoted trade in value will not be honored. |
Optical trapping of spheroidal particles in Gaussian beams.
The T matrix method is used to compute equilibrium positions and orientations for spheroidal particles trapped in Gaussian light beams. It is observed that there is a qualitative difference between the behavior of prolate and oblate ellipsoids in linearly polarized Gaussian beams; the former generally orient with the symmetry axis parallel to the beam except at very small particle sizes, while the latter orient with the symmetry axis perpendicular to the beam. In the presence of a circularly polarized beam, it is demonstrated that oblate ellipsoids will experience a torque about the beam axis. However, for a limited range of particle sizes, where the particle dimensions are comparable with the beam waist, the particles are predicted to rotate in a sense counter to the sense of rotation of the circular polarization. This unusual prediction is discussed in some detail. |
Assessing the impact of venous ulceration on quality of life.
There can be difficulties in measuring how quality of life is affected by having a leg ulcer. To assess the impact of venous ulceration on quality of life and to pilot a draft questionnaire for patients with venous ulcers. Questions on the impact of venous ulceration were identified through a literature review, semi-structured interviews and focus groups. A self-completed postal questionnaire containing 16 disease-specific items, EuroQol, SF-6 and life-satisfaction questions was sent to 266 people with a history of venous ulceration. A response rate of 61% (n = 152) was obtained. The most frequent symptoms reported were pain (80%), exudate (75%), and depression (65%). The presence of an ulcer resulted in statistically significant lower quality-of-life and life-satisfaction scores. Patients with venous ulcers experience reduced quality of life. Those with a healed ulcer also have a poorer quality of life compared with the general population. |
This invention relates generally to a cleaning apparatus, and more particularly, concerns an apparatus for disabling cleaning without retraction.
In the image on image, multi-pass color development process, four layers of color toner (black, cyan, yellow and magenta) are developed onto the photoreceptor before transfer to paper. A separate cycle of the photoreceptor is required to accomplish the development of each color toner layer. To avoid disturbance of these images as the color toner layers are being developed, the cleaning elements must be disengaged from the photoreceptor surface until after the four toner layers have been developed and transferred to paper. After the toner image has been transferred to the paper the cleaning elements must be re-engaged to the photoreceptor to clean any residual toner which failed to transfer.
Several copiers presently use the multi-pass process before a single transfer step. The Konica 9028 machine uses a blade cleaner which is retracted from the photoreceptor drum while the color images are being developed. The Panasonic FP-C1 machine uses a single electrostatic brush cleaner which is retracted by a cam from the drum photoreceptor. The Sharp CX7500 machine uses an intermediate belt and a dual blade cleaner which is retracted from the photoreceptor belt by a solenoid during color image development. The primary, high load, blade is also retracted when the photoreceptor seam passes under the blade to avoid a motion quality disturbance. All of these methods involve movement of the cleaning device into and out of contact with the photoreceptor.
The following disclosures may be relevant to various aspects of the present invention and may be briefly summarized as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,079 to Lange et al. discloses a cleaning brush electrically biased with an alternating current and removes discharged particles from an imaging surface. The particles on the imaging surface are discharged by a corona generating device. A second cleaning device including an insulative brush, a conductive brush or a blade, located upstream of the the first mentioned brush, in the direction of movement of the imaging surface, further removes redeposited particles therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,093 to Edmunds discloses a cleaning housing and supports in cleaning relationship a closely spaced combination of an upstream brush roll cleaner and an adjacent downstream foam or porometric roll cleaner. Subsequent to release of toner from the surface, toner is carried away from the charge retentive surface on the fibers of the brush or the surface of the foam rolls. A blower creates a directed air flow for the removal of toner from the cleaning rolls. Mechanical toner removal devices may also be used to release toner from the roll surfaces. The brush roll cleaner provides a primary cleaning function, while the foam roll cleaner provides a secondary cleaning function as a back up to the brush roll cleaner and an abrading function for the removal of film buildup on the charge retentive surface. |
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I've said this before and maybe overstated the case before. I'd love for totally reworked ship interiors to play host to HUNDREDS of missions.
But let's say they didn't do hundreds.
Frankly, space maps take less time and energy to produce a serviceable gameplay map.
And if they built better stock interiors (maybe with additional trophy-type slots scattered around including choice of warmcores, custom colors and lighting) and leveraged their use more, I think we could get a lot more than 10-15 episodes in 2012 by using the ship interior sets heavily.
There's the proviso in there that they might have to remake content for each style of interior (or they could -- don't shoot me -- relocate all replica interiors to the holodeck and have one basic interior kit with custom colors, reworked from the ground up). And Klingons would require their own NPC placement. And you likely couldn't have away teams and your crew would be represented by NPCs costumed like your BOs (all of them, not just 4).
But if they made the interior a core location in all upcoming FEs AND added social gameplay to the non-mission versions, I think they could really use that to balloon out their content plans in a way that's consistent with the shows. (And have space maps crop up in the interior missions organically.)
Take those 13 episodes. Imagine you spend half of them in your ship interior or accompanying space maps. That might double the content to 26 episodes or 5 FE series.
Well the TOS Consitution an the upcoming canonical Defiant interiors are a very good start. And having new interiors and canonical ones at that would be a massive boon for the Foundry. Instead of making the full architecture of a ship, they just need to focus on important floors on a starship and make the hallways convincing enough. Just like they did with the actual sets.
But the thing is, with interiors Cryptic has to make multiple uses than something that's going to be tossed aside, like the bridges are now. (For example having to go to your bridge to replay missions).
Well the TOS Consitution an the upcoming canonical Defiant interiors are a very good start. And having new interiors and canonical ones at that would be a massive boon for the Foundry. Instead of making the full architecture of a ship, they just need to focus on important floors on a starship and make the hallways convincing enough. Just like they did with the actual sets.
But the thing is, with interiors Cryptic has to make multiple uses than something that's going to be tossed aside, like the bridges are now. (For example having to go to your bridge to replay missions).
Right but I'm just saying if they had missions set there (ie. talk to contact, kill enemies, etc.) that would have to speed up production.
Right but I'm just saying if they had missions set there (ie. talk to contact, kill enemies, etc.) that would have to speed up production.
Repel the boarders? I for one wouldn't mind Klingons beaming over to my bridge and I have to fight them off. No more Borg though. Romulans sneaking around my engineering deck trying to sabotage my ship would be fun as well.
Repel the boarders? I for one wouldn't mind Klingons beaming over to my bridge and I have to fight them off. No more Borg though. Romulans sneaking around my engineering deck trying to sabotage my ship would be fun as well.
The way I see it, anymission that could be set on the ground could be seton a ship. Talking to people,puzzles, killing, Duty Officer assignments. You just need mission versions of the maps that are wired to use the right textures and ship trophies.
Just make it sufficiently awesome looking as a default model.
Overall...
I'd piggyback off the work done on replicas like the TOS set.
Have 5 interiors:
Small - Defiant
Medium - Intrepid
Large - Sovereign
Now, I'd gussy them up as 2409 interiors for the stock in-game versions and sell the classic decor schemes on the C-Store.
To simplify things, any schemes that don't fit into these types would be an offshoot from the holodeck. I realize that might drive some TOS pack purchasers crazy but they're retain full access to their replica as a social hub. Maybe do the same for other ship types. Longterm, have custom decks you can make from any template.
But you have to restrict the basic geometry of the ones that will be standard mission maps to a narrow range so that setting up missions for any interior remains feasible. Like I say, some custom elements like the trophies, maybe extending to warpcore, table type, paintings, lighting, and colors/textures. But nothing that would drastically impact combat so that NPCs can be placed on the map.
I'd have it so that the contacts get dressed like the team leader's BOs and the walls/trophies look like those on the team leader's ship.
Like I say, 2409 gussied up versions for free, "classic" decos for legacy players. Anything non-standard like existing bridge purchases gets hooked up as a "Battle Bridge" on a deck where missions won't take place and the TOS interior gets hooked up as a social hub off the holodeck. 'Cause you need to limit the number of variable geometry things in a standard deck.
Maybe as a compromise, let people continue using the TOS interior as their main "starting point" but if they want to access missions that use the interior, they get an option from the bridge to "end program" dumping them in a modern holodeck. From there they can go run modern missions on a modern ship interior.
Right but I'm just saying if they had missions set there (ie. talk to contact, kill enemies, etc.) that would have to speed up production.
I wouldn't say speed up production but instead ramp up the interest and diverting resources to do it. Remember what Stahl said a long time ago with Interiors is that they wanted functionality, so it wouldn't be purely storytelling but more like player importance.
For example:
Engineering - Improve your Ship's Warp and Power systems.
Science Labs - Doing Resarch (Science Crafting)
Shuttle Bay - Switching to Shuttles
Transporter Room - Beam down to a location. (Be important for the Foundry).
Astrometrics - If actual Exploration is implemented, players surely would have to come here to learn of new discoveries, new (and safe) routes, and plot around dangerous hazards.
And some interiors like on larger ships could even be reused for a more dynamic Ground PvP map, like players having to raise / lower force fields, etc to get to the goal.
I'm really rather surprised that Cryptic hasn't done this already...and I'm not sure why I'm surprised in light of other things they've done. But really...when you watch *any* series of Star Trek, I would venture to guess that about 85% of the episodes happen *on* the ship. Yet, we have no missions that happen on our ship with the exception of the mission that takes 3 minutes to decode a message in your ready room or so some of the diplomatic missions where you're actually locked in your conference room (a room that doesn't exist at any other time). Really rather ridiculous that we don't have more.
Honestly, I dont want to do full length missions on my ship. I do think there should be "mini-games" that take place on your ship(poker and maybe Doff missions that can only be started from certain departments like medical, engineering, etc) as well as being able to craft and purchase some supplies from vendors in Ten Forward and the like. But FE type missions? I'd prefer to keep those on strange new worlds and in space.
Honestly, I dont want to do full length missions on my ship. I do think there should be "mini-games" that take place on your ship(poker and maybe Doff missions that can only be started from certain departments like medical, engineering, etc) as well as being able to craft and purchase some supplies from vendors in Ten Forward and the like. But FE type missions? I'd prefer to keep those on strange new worlds and in space.
The shows were more situated on the ships than on strange new worlds and the whole point is to advance story faster by using good, versatile sets. |
Dragons, Magic and Never Ending Quests. Welcome To Skyrim.
Hailed by many as one of the greatest games of all time, “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” may soon have its successor on store shelves. Rumors are flooding the web that “The Elder Scrolls 6” release date is drawing closer with speculation placing the drop date sometime between 2015 and 2016.
Now for those of you who wish to own a piece from the world of Skyrim, you’re in luck! Bethesda will be publishing the in-game stories from the books found throughout “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” game as a stand-alone series of hardcover books for you to read to your heart’s content. The series will be three books, the first volume titled The Skyrim Library Vol. I: The Histories, which will indeed contain all the histories found in the Skyrim books. This first edition will be available for sale on May 19th via Amazon. Details around the other two volumes have yet to be released though fans can most likely expect the very popular The Lusty Argonian Maid tale to be included in one of the upcoming volumes.
Beyond Skyrim.
The latest news in the world of Skyrim mods brings us to Beyond Skyrim, a new mod currently being developed that will give players access to all of Tamriel along with parts of Morrowind. The team aims to create a whole game inside of Skyrim adding new characters and main quests along with the new landscapes. The best part is that you can help create this new continent! The group is currently recruiting for new members to help with development. You can find more info at www.darkcreations.org.
We’ve got just the thing to help you pass the time as you patiently wait in anticipation of scoring the newest series installment, or the Skyrim histories or the new mod.
Warriors, mages and thieves have all gathered for a cosplay adventure celebrating all things Skyrim. Get your Dragonborn on as we head to frigid lands to marvel at the deviants who’ve brought the characters of Tamriel to life.
Dragons, Magic, and Never Ending Quests. Welcome To Skyrim. Hailed by many as one of the greatest games of all time, “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” may soon have its successor on store shelves. Rumors are flooding the web that “The Elder Scrolls 6” release date is drawing closer with speculation placing the drop date sometime between 2015 and 2016.
For more articles like this, visit depthRADIUS.Want to submit any ideas, suggestions, collections, or an existing work for consideration for the Today page? We'd love to look at it. Email us at share@deviantart.com
Scavenger Hunt Challenge Wrap-Up
We asked if you would help Paul Tobin find inspiration for his vision of the lost world of Atlantis and your response was, as usual, near overwhelming.
But Paul has been able to make his choices of the most imaginative and inspiring visions of the mythic (?) continent of Atlantis, as conceived and created by the artists of DeviantArt. Both the actual artists who created Paul’s favorite Atlantis pieces and the deviants who submitted those pieces for the contest will receive either Volume One or Volume Two of Paul’s coffee table collections, “White Cloud Worlds.” With forewords and introductions from Guillermo Del Toro, Richard Taylor, Iain Craig and Wayne Barlow, these two lavish volumes represent the finest fantasy work from New Zealand artists.
Here are the curators and the incredible works of art that Paul chose.
Scavenger Hunt Challenge Wrap-Up. We asked if you would help Paul Tobin in his conceptualization of the lost world of Atlantis and your response was, as usual, near overwhelming.
For more articles like this, visit depthRADIUS.Want to submit any ideas, suggestions, collections, or an existing work for consideration for the Today page? We'd love to look at it. Email us at share@deviantart.com
A budding new talent in the realm of ASOIAF fanart, the gothic style of IrenHorrors brings a delightfully macabre sensibility to familiar scenes and characters. Citing the inspiration of greats like Tim Burton and Arthur Rackham, the artist is well on the way to establishing an enthusiastic following all of her own.
Welcome to Illustrating Westeros, IrenHorrors. To begin, tell us how you became an artist, and the influences that have shaped your style.
Hello! I am honored to be invited! In my gallery there aren’t a lot of artworks related to the ASOIAF book series, so I am very pleased that you paid attention to me.
I am fond of painting and drawing since I can remember myself; at first I spent a lot of years in art school, then I entered the Moscow State University of Printing Arts and graduated from it this summer. But I seriously and thoroughly started painting free themes only about a year ago, and all of my work to this moment that you can see in my gallery was made during this period. The idea to become an illustrator arose when I first got acquainted with Tove Jansson and her glorious Moomintroll, and ever since I’ve wanted to make an author’s book, where the text and illustrations would be my creations. The style, in which I work recently, was inspired by several artists: Abigail Larson, Kmye Chan, Gris Grimly, Līga Kļaviņa, Anna Ignatieva, Virginia Mori, Arthur Rackham, Alan Lee, Edmund Dulac, Chris Riddell, John Bauer, Kay Nielsen, Tony DiTerlizzi, Joseph Vargo. And, of course, I love the creativity of Tim Burton.
You are an outstanding illustrator of George R. R. Martin's works. When did you read the A Song of Ice and Fire books for the first time, and what was your initial impression?
I read all the books during the summer last year, so you could say that I'm a newcomer. At the time, all around me talked about the series Game of Thrones, and before I watched it, I decided to read the books. I could not tear myself away, it was an interesting and exciting story! Now I'm again going crazy waiting for the next part of the books. The world that Martin created is cruel and realistic, despite the fact that this is a fantasy novel. I really love things like that! It is very interesting to observe the development of characters, his artful design for the fate of each of them.
Who are some of your favourite characters in the series, and is there a scene that is particularly memorable to you?
Oh, there are so many of them! My favorite character is Tyrion Lannister, I would like to see him on the Iron Throne. Also, I like so many female characters that I even find it difficult to say which of them is my favorite one! It is much easier to say who I do not like: I always feel reluctant to read the chapters about Sam, and even more did he annoy me in the TV series. The greatest inspiration I always find in scenes in which the female characters showed their strength, such as when Daenerys helped dragons to be born or when she was able to subdue Drogon. During the reading, I felt shivers down my spine. Like many others, I was struck by the scene of the Red Wedding. Oh God, why?! Certainly, there were so many scenes that touched me a lot.
After HBO’s Game of Thrones came out, many readers’ inner pictures of characters and scenes have been replaced by actors and settings from the show. Can you tell us about your own mental images of the characters, and if this has been influenced by the show?
I think that the characters and the environment were perfectly chosen in the series, HBO has done an excellent job! In addition, while I was reading the books I already knew how most of the main characters in the series looked like to me. I imagine Daenerys a little differently; she is much younger than Emilia Clarke, and her hair is short.
You show an evident preference for depicting female characters in your paintings, particularly those associated with fire like Daenerys and Melisandre. What is it about these women and the roles they play in ASOIAF that you find compelling?
Female characters are my passion! I love strong women. Melisandre is an example for me to follow. Despite the fact that many people consider her an insane fanatic, I am of the opinion that she is a very wise, cunning woman; she has enormous power and successfully copes with her tasks. Daenerys is still very young, and her power over people and the dragons was greatly weakened by the end of the fifth book . . . but she has a clean, kind heart, and how she was able to overcome many of life's complexities speaks of her as a strong woman. I certainly do their portraits, and of other female characters, to reveal all of my favorite ASOIAF women.
In keeping with your largely female-centred focus, Stark Family: Ladies portrays the three women of House Stark: Sansa, Arya, and their mother Catelyn, along with the direwolves. How do you view these characters as represented in the text and what motivated you to create this heart-warming portrait of them?
Of the variety of characters in Martin’s universe, House Stark will always hold a special place in my heart. Starks are the embodiment of family values, love and warmth, with the background of the beautiful nature of the North. In my dreams, I'll always connect all family members together. For me, House Stark is an example of ideal relationships, perhaps I would like to have a similar family too.
You have a characteristic art style that distinguishes you amongst ASOIAF artists. Do you foresee experimenting with new techniques and styles or prefer keeping to your established ones?
I found myself recently, so it’s difficult for me to say what will happen next. But I love what I do now, it fits my inner perceptions, and I hope at the same time to maintain my style and hone my skills, complicating the composition and working on the details and the anatomy of the characters. I would like to do more full illustrations, not just portraits of characters. If I work a lot, the progress will be evident.
Is there an ASOIAF artist whose work you admire? And/or a piece of ASOIAF art that you have as a personal favourite?
There are actually a huge number of them! It’s always difficult for me to choose a favorite from such a variety of delightful artwork. For example, I really like this particular work by Quirkilicious that has exquisite colors and perfect composition! I like the works by Dejan Delic for their stunning style and the variety of characters, I can spend hours looking at them. Also, another of my favorite artworks is The Lannister Family by Bubug, in my opinion it is a very witty, interesting and cool painting. I love this style!
Stormborn by Quirkilicious
Please,give us a link or thumbnail from your gallery of:
a) An ASOIAF illustration you are most proud of?
I am very proud of this work, it seems to me that I got a successful composition, and I like the colors.
b) A piece that was the hardest to draw or paint?
This was the most difficult task. As you can see, male characters are not my forte. But I'm working on it!
We know Martin has employed subverted fairy tale elements in the books, and looking at your wider gallery, we find that you love paintings of classic fairy tale scenes and characters which made us wonder if you would create an ASOIAF/fairy tale crossover piece, and what would you depict?
I always imagine Beauty and the Beast, which serve as Sansa Stark and Sandor Clegane! Someday I will draw a similar artwork. This story has always been one of my favorites. Also, I see a beautiful fairy tale based on the story of Bran Stark. In my opinion, this is one of the most mystical and fantasy storylines.
Is there a plotline, whether in the North, the Vale, King’s Landing or Essos that you're anxious to see resolved in the next book?
I'm terribly curious about what will happen next with Arya, Sansa, Daenerys and Tyrion! Though . . . perhaps I'm wondering more about the development of each storyline—what an incredible batch happened at the end of the fifth book! The storyline of House Greyjoy, for example, is very impressive.
And lastly, can the fandom expect more ASOIAF art from you in the future?
Yes, of course! It will undoubtedly be a lot of artwork, as I said before, I began making fan art pieces not so long ago. It can be also said that I have marked only the beginning of my collection of works based on the ASOIAF universe. I have big plans, and I hope I will have time for it.
Thank you for talking to us, IrenHorrors! You can see more of her art at:
What Are Little Whoopass Girls Made Of?
It was back in the early 90’s while attending California Institute of the Arts that creator Craig McCracken (CMcC) first dreamed up three crime fighting female superheroes for his student short film. The super powered girls Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup were the result of Professor Utonium’s experimental attempt to create the perfect little girls using "sugar, spice, and everything nice", but a can of “Whoopass” accidentally made it’s way into the mixture and the Whoopass Girls were born. Armed with super strength, speed, flight, and a few more tricks the girls used their powers to fight crime and save the world all before bedtime.
Once Cartoon Network picked up the show they decided to change the name to something more appropriate for younger audience and replaced “whoopass’ with “powerpuff’. Here’s the short film that started it all.
The Artistic Lifestyle Of Townsville
Dripping pop art and pop culture, the animation style used in The Powerpuff Girls is highly stylized and shows influences from the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s art scene. The minimalistic look of the show is reminiscent of British artist David Hockney’s work conveying “1950s futuristic pizazz” according to movie critic Bob Longino. Longion went on to add that The Powerpuff Girls was "one of the few American creations that is both gleeful pop culture and exquisite high art." The character of Ms. Keane, the girls kindergarten teacher, is named after American artist Margaret Keane whose artwork features children with unusually large eyes. Her art inspired the drawing style of many of the characters in The Powerpuff Girls including the girls themselves.
The retro era influences don’t stop at the artwork — the opening credits pay homage to the 1960’s live-action Batman series animated intro which pans across a handful of Gotham villains and shows Batman and Robin giving them a one-two punch. The storyline in one episode is loosely based on the Beatles career with the majority of the dialogue being taken from their song lyrics and some of the villains appearing in roles that were a nod to the band members. The characters’ dialogue in many episodes references classic rock and pop songs from those earlier eras, there’s even references to Star Wars in a few episodes.
Is It The End For The Powerpuff Girls?
The Powerpuff Girls ran for 78 episodes ending in 2005 and featured the voice talent of Tara Strong, Elizabeth Daily, and Cathy Cavadini in the sweet superhero roles. Its popularity generated an anime version Powerpuff Girls Z which debuted in Japan in 2005 and ran for 52 episodes until 2007. So is that it? Are we never to see the girls battling against the crossdressing devil HIM or setting people like misguided feminist Femme Fatale right? Fear not! Cartoon Network is rebooting The Powerpuff Girls who are making their return to the small screen in 2016 on its 18th anniversary of the show’s debut.
For now you can enjoy this sugar-coated cosplay collection full of girl powered whoopass as deviants bust out their best Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup creations. This is a Powerpuff Girls collection even HIM would approve of.
What are little whoopass girls made of? It was back in the early 90’s while attending California Institute of the Arts that creator Craig McCracken (CMcC) first dreamed up three crime fighting female superheroes for his student short film. The super powered girls Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup were the result of Professor Utonium’s experimental attempt to create the perfect little girls using "sugar, spice, and everything nice", but a can of “Whoopass” accidentally made it’s way into the mixture and the Whoopass Girls were born.
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I just spent an hour right outside my home watching northern lights for the first time. Potentially the most beautiful and fascinating thing I've ever seen. Not that I've seen much in my life but this was hands down worth all the superlatives. It was like a living and breathing magical light painting all over the sky. Silent ambient green fireworks against a cloudless night sky with all the stars visible. I had hard time deciding which way to look because it was everywhere and constantly moving and changing in every direction. It made me smile more than anything in ages, it made time and place vanish, and I never wanted it to end. Maybe I really should move somewhere where I can see them more often than once in 30 years. I might be a far happier person. With a very sore neck.
[I live in southern Finland and I've always wanted to be in the northern parts of the country because they get to see northern lights so often there, but I've never even travelled there. I've been repeating over and over again all my life that I want to see northern lights, even once, and absolutely unexpectedly, tonight was that time. They were not as bright as they probably are in the north but still mind-blowing and absolutely impossible to miss. And that's more than good enough for me. I'm thrilled I finally got to see them with my own eyes, without needing to just imagine for the rest of my life what they'd actually look like. It's so rare here in the south to have a chance to see them and it's already been said in the news that tonight was probably as good as it's going to get here.]
Whether it’s the sole survivor of a plane crash, stranded on a fly–speck Pacific island or the forlorn deserted lover standing alone in the early morning fog at mid–span of Waterloo Bridge, there is nothing sadder, and nothing more defining of the human spirit, than the tossing into the sea of the “message in a bottle.” The idea, more than the actual execution, of this desperate measure, has come to symbolize an eternal act of human faith — that somehow Divine Providence will guide this message through the shifting seven seas to be found on a beach by the one who needs to read it. Human faith is heartbreaking… but wonderful.
Whether it’s the sole survivor of a plane crash, stranded on a fly–speck Pacific island or the forlorn deserted lover standing alone in the early morning fog at mid–span of Waterloo Bridge, there is nothing sadder, and nothing more defining of the human spirit, than the tossing into the sea of the “message in a bottle.” The idea, more than the actual execution, of this desperate measure, has come to symbolize an eternal act of human faith — that somehow Divine Providence will guide this message through the shifting seven seas to be found on a beach by the one who needs to read it. Human faith is heartbreaking… but wonderful.
For more articles like this, visit depthRADIUS.Want to submit any ideas, suggestions, collections, or an existing work for consideration for the Today page? We'd love to look at it. Email us at share@deviantart.com
DeviantArt has many surprisingly well-connected members and one of them, a top Paramount executive, contacted us two days ago with a rumor so powerful that we wanted to be 100% certain before publishing it. We now know: Disney just bought all television rights to Star Trek.
Bob Iger, the current chairman and CEO of Disney, bought Star Trek from CBS Television, which had acquired the television rights when it split off from Paramount. Paramount has kept the motion picture rights.
Our contact, who wants to be known as “Gary Seven,” found out about this purchase — needless to say one of the biggest secrets imaginable — when Iger visited Paramount two days ago to let them know what Disney planned to do with their new franchise. Because Paramount is still making Star Trek movies, we guess there must be some sort of clause in the contracts that requires some kind of cooperation between television and motion picture versions.
Gary is on the Paramount Star Trek motion picture team and their heads started spinning when Iger laid out his plans.
What we know from that meeting is this:
Disney is rebooting the television series Star Trek as a fast track project. JJ Abrams had been in talks with Disney before it closed on Star Trek. Iger asked Abrams to secretly set the reboot of Star Trek in the Star Wars universe and in return he would be rewarded by directing the first of the Star Wars movies.
Star Wars 7: The Force Awakens, now being edited for December release, will plant suggestions that the Federation, Klingons and Romulans were connected to the Star Wars universe. They are dubbing references along those lines into the dialogue now. (Tribbles?) This will set up additional storylines in the television reboot of Star Trek. But Iger assured the meeting that the Star Trek characters would not actually appear in the Star Wars films unless Paramount agreed.
Disney will blend Star Trek into their Marvel Universe by placing Marvel characters like Iron Man and a future version of The Guardians of the Galaxy into worlds visited by the Starship Enterprise and its crew in the reboot. Disney also wants a unified backstory that Stark Industries designed the Starship Enterprise and is the go-to contractor for Starships to the Federation. Iger said he would consider licensing the same characters to Paramount for its Star Trek films if the scripts are made compatible.
The Disney Channel will be producing an entire series in which the Star Trek characters and more importantly the moral lessons and “humanistic” messages of the franchise will be directed at pre-school and K-6 children. Iger said this was a “passion project” for him because he has learned so much to guide his own life from Star Trek.
Disney’s Imagineering division has started plans for the Starship Enterprise Holodeck attraction for all its theme parks as part of TomorrowLand and will easter egg the attraction in the TomorrowLand film coming this summer.
Iger showed mock ups of Star Trek merchandise that will start selling at all Disney outlets this summer. In a dramatic gesture he ended his talk by opening up his shirt to display a T-shirt that read “Disney’s Star Trek Coming Soon!”
We are told by Gary that the response was icy while Iger and his team were making their presentation.
As soon as they left the room on the Paramount lot in Hollywood, Brad Grey, the Chairman of Paramount, turned to his executives and said: “Don’t worry. We’ve sued Disney before and we will do it again. They will not f**kup Star Trek like they did with so many other cherished properties. Not on my watch.”
We learned from another source that Paramount’s law firm took over a whole floor in its Century City offices as a “war room” and is pulling in copyright lawyers from all over the country (we guess that includes the one who works here at HQ because he’s been gone for three days and used to be General Counsel at Paramount).
We also learned that Paramount is furiously negotiating with 20th Century Fox Chairman, Jim Gianopulous (who used to work at Paramount on the Star Trek franchise), to use the X-Men or Aliens or Predator characters in the next Star Trek movie.
It’s all great stuff for the press and the critics. But watching this war will be a sad coda and will close the door on the legacy of Gene Rodenberry. At least cyberspace holds the original series intact even if Disney tries to withdraw it and only release it every seven years, as they have done in the past with animation titles.
Your Thoughts
Do you think Disney will eventually own and control a single universal science-fiction narrative based on Star Wars, with all the characters from Star Trek as well as the Marvel and DC Universes fully subsumed and utilized per relative timeline?
Do you think the world’s leaders should get involved to protect the integrity of franchises like Star Trek and Star Wars?
Do you foresee the possibility of a lethal conflict arising between the Vulcans and Jedis different philosophies? Will the undying spirits of Spock and Obi-Wan Kenobi become the political and religious leaders of the two “unified” but contentious factions?
Is it now possible that Gary Mitchell actually tapped into the Dark Side of the Force in “Where No Man Has Gone Before”?
Do you think Scotty and Tony Stark could get along together in the Enterprise’s engine room?
DeviantArt has many surprisingly well-connected members and one of them, a top Paramount executive, contacted us two days ago with a rumor so powerful that we wanted to be 100% certain before publishing it. We now know: Disney just bought all television rights to Star Trek.
For more articles like this, visit depthRADIUS.Want to submit any ideas, suggestions, collections, or an existing work for consideration for the Today page? We'd love to look at it. Email us at share@deviantart.com.
The current popularity of the bloody and salacious Game of Thrones and a host of paler imitators may have roots in Cate Blanchett’s Oscar-worthy performance as the historical Elizabeth (1998), the Queen who was perhaps the most important ruling Royal, King or Queen, in British history.
The politics and imputed romances of her reign embroiled both her throne and bedchambers. Released from her half-sister’s dungeon to go on to successfully stabilize a country wracked by religious war, all the while being threatened by Spanish invasion from without and overthrow by the plots of her male “suitors” from within, her life was epic and an intimate human drama rarely captured in fiction.
Then the British import The Tudors (2007–10), brought us an updated lusty beautiful/horrifying portrayal of King Henry VIII, this time focusing on the athleticism of his youth—before he was gravely injured (crushed under a horse while jousting) and became the iconic morbidly obese figure we’re more familiar with.
The Tudors casting of the svelte and smolderingly sexual Jonathan Rhys Meyers (as well as the alluring Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn) marks one of those important departures from the collective story we all carry in our heads, created from childhood on through college and beyond. We call this general narrative “history.” We become incensed over what we feel are profane depictions of our heroes and their beliefs and intentions—as if we could ever know what roiled the mind of a monarch in 1532. Protestants are understandably upset when the Reformation is de-emphasized as “back story,” the better to focus on a King maneuvering wickedly and recklessly in order to secure a divorce both secularly legal and religiously Hell-free, the better to pursue the super hot girl of his dreams.
There is Jeremy Irons in The Borgias as Pope Alexander VI in the late 15th Century committing every possible sin and debauchery that moderns minds could project or imagine for any man of power, much less a Pope surrounded by a family and College of Cardinals just as ruthless with privilege and wealth. Watching this re-casting of the past you need to pinch yourself to remember that the action is set within the Roman Catholic Church which was then and apparently still may be a political and social quagmire. The critics favor a modern French production of this story, Borgias, where they cavort and garrote in the same fashion. This version’s episodes are still in production.
The Nixon Presidency (1969-74) has long been held in the collective American consciousness as the high-level mark in Presidential criminality. But only fringe conspiracy theorists believe that the Nixon ninjas actually murdered political opponents and witnesses. Yet that’s currently accepted as “believable” plotting in popular dramas like Scandal and especially the American remake of House of Cards, in which Kevin Spacey’s deranged politician, Frank Underwood, has no problem with assassination as a method to attain his vengeance and promote his personal advance.
And that’s what it is all about on these current shows: politics as a means to personal revenge, enrichment, and power for sheer power’s sake. The good ol’ days of Henry’s romancing of Anne, let the world burn, seem naïve now.
Do viewers really accept this current storytelling as credible, that this stuff is really going on in the White House, in the royal court of the Tudors or at the Vatican or is this just “political science fiction” grounded in reality but played out into another world altogether?
Game of Thrones, adapted from a series of novels still being completed by fantasy writer George R.R. Martin, might just be the craziest-ever mash-up of wildly divergent time periods, some actual historical events, dragons, mysticism, warring Kingdoms of tangled bloodlines, political marriages, incest among the nobles all soaked in the blood of a thousand traitorous sword-thrusts and festooned with heaving bosoms in (and often out of) designer silks and satins. The interior and architectural decoration of the times of this tale seems to have been informed equally by combinations of ancient Babylon, Egyptian archeology, Conan the Barbarian and Victoria’s Secret. Ruminations by grizzled older warriors trudging toward the next battle touch upon the great themes of crime & punishment, political corruption, religion, loyalty and true brotherhood—but never rise above standard wooly maxims. Never has so much superlative acting and massive production value been expended on comic book level human drama.
Worries over what conservative or liberal or sexist or pro—or anti-gay messaging is going on here must be laid aside as there is no algorithm detailed enough to explain what any of this story really “means.” It really is just a “game” to be won or lost by its ever-shifting rules. Being naked in its intent to be no more than sheer entertainment makes the series immune from serious academic, philosophic, historical or literary criticism. Game of Thrones frees us to enjoy it for what it is: a feast for the senses on the way to the next big lunatic lunge on the narrative rollercoaster. A sampling of tributes to the show as imagined by its many deviant fans is a testament to what will go down as one of the most marvelous box of chocolates one could ever hope to have opened. It’s undoubtedly not good for us—but it’s just oh, so good.
I wait every Sunday here in Los Angeles, attending screening parties when I can, for this glorious, masterfully crafted, and richly creative tour de force which acts as a deliciously sweet nightcap after another in an endless series of 80 hour work weeks.
In prep, the storyboards are full of the essential camera movements and green screen CGI elements. As always, Storytelling is the essential element, something that will be understood by the various departments, from Director of Photography and the camera dept, through the VFX green screen CGI dept for visual composites through to producers, determining what can be afforded to be shot.
I work directly with the director, interpreting his/her ideas, and sometimes with the line producer, working out the logic of the storytelling to give us a 'heads up' as to what may cause problems for the actual shoot.
The information flow, is usually from Director, to me, then on to production, before they distribute the sequences to all others who may need them.
2.
Is there much "pre-editing" being done in the sequencing and layout of scenes? And if so, what is usually being emphasized by directors, editors and others in their input?
There's quite a bit of pre-editing being achieved in the sequences, the process enabling a ' nailing down' of shots, especially for the cost constraints. Part of what we determine in prep, is what is logical and artistic to film, and then combine it with the shot list allowance of what we feasibly can actually have, What can be practical live filming, and what has to be an VFX shot.
Bio
William Simpson is an international artist, whose career began in comicstrip art, working on a range of character icons: Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, Batman, Transformers, Hellblazer, Tyranny Rex, Aliens, and Vamps. Now he's primarily in movies.
In recent years he has developed his work in the film industry providing conceptual art and storyboards for a variety of feature films, such as: Reign of Fire, directed by Rob Bowman, Freeze Frame, directed by John Simpson, Neil Jordan's Breakfast on Pluto, and most recently, Game of Thrones for HBO, David Gordon Green and Danny McBride's Your Highness for Universal, Lord Richard Attenborough's 2006 production, Closing The Ring and the Tom Hanks produced, City Of Ember. Currently on Game of Thrones for HBO.
Is there a tremendous amount of detail on storyboards on a big production like Game of Thrones that wouldn't exist with a more modest production—or is the functionality of deciding how a narrative is going to be told the key consideration always in any production?
I think functionality of narrative is pretty essential, but, there's a lot of storytelling, good directors know, and don't need to be visualised in a board first, but on a show like Game of Thrones, the details in what will have to have CGI elements, a primary concern for compositing real with unreal. We’re creating Westeros here, and we have to see what can be achieved by drawing it first. It must be considered worthwhile as I've been there for 5 years already.
4.
Is there a special feeling you get from being so deeply involved in the internal "DNA" of what is obviously going to be an important landmark series?
I think the delight is in watching so much of what you've done, realised on screen. Game of Thrones is a vast production and requires quite a lot of prep over the ten episodes in a season, and so many drawn sequences turned into film footage is always a buzz. It's definitely great to be an essential part of fandom's fav series.
“
We’re creating Westeros here, and we have to see what can be achieved by drawing it first.
How did you come to get your job doing storyboards for Game of Thrones? Is this the usual pathway to being considered for such jobs, or are there others for interested deviants to pursue? What can you tell artists who want to do storyboarding as a dream job? What should they be doing?
This is a really big question and there is a massively convoluted answer to it. You see, there's a lot of being in the right place at the right time, and having 20 years of comic strip experience doesn't hurt!
I was brought in to do some concepts, while I was working on Your Highness. I wasn't told what the project was, just given a few key pages of script, and asked could I come up with some castle images and knights and a few interesting location shots, one being the beheading scene at the beginning of the story. These images were then sent in a package to HBO, and they seemed to help them decide on coming to N.Ireland to film with their production base. When I was told we had the series, while still on Your Highness I asked my producer friend Mark Huffam, " do I have a job then" haha, to which he said "of course".
“
I asked my producer friend Mark Huffam, “do I have a job then” haha, to which he said “of course.”
After I finished my concept art on "Your Highness" ad did a day of 2nd unit directing for it, I then moved on into Game of Thrones and started conceptualising weaponry. I created the designs for all the hero weapons, at that time, 'Ice', 'Needle', 'long claw', etc, were mine, as well as developing the very first set of images of the "White Walkers", "The Godswood Tree", "Cersei's" carriage, and "The Three Eyed Ravens". I helped on some of the armour and helmet elements for Costume. I did a pretty neat version of the 'Hound', pretty close to what was made. After that, I went on to Storyboarding.
The comic side of me has generated a diverse artist, so having been recognised as such, I was used properly to generate ideas in the beginning. I've since storyboarded all four seasons, and will be getting into the fifth, coming this year.
It's not been the usual pathway, but then I don't think there actually is a 'usual'. Sometimes, I pitch myself at films, if I know in advance they're happening, though now, most of my time, I'm called up and asked, when am I available. It's nice when you get a call, which has a value on what you do as an artist with experience.
For anybody wanting to do any form of art, including storyboarding, you have to be in love with drawing, and storytelling. You have to have a perverse nature that allows you to work long hours drawing as a job, and then finding yourself also drawing for fun. You have to love this pursuit. No half measures. I try to bring all the sensitivity I had in comic strips, into what I do in storyboarding, though some may do it as a job, I tend to come at it as a solver of problems in storytelling and somebody who says, 'great, I'm going to be drawing all day!' No fear! It's another great mode of self expression.
“
For anybody wanting to do any form of art... You have to love this pursuit. No half measures.
For The Reader
Would you assign world class literary and philosophical value to Game of Thrones? If so, why?
2.
Is there an unspoken “agreement” between film producer and film consumer as to the intended “pure entertainment” vs. “think” purpose of a film experience?
3.
Are you annoyed when historical figures are portrayed in ways that greatly diverge from the picture of them you have always had in your head? Or do you find this refreshing and creative, even if involving massive “poetic license?”
4.
Do you think moviemakers have a duty to portray historical figures as they were, or is it enough that their life events are accurately recorded, as well as their beliefs and words. Is it OK to cast Peter O’Toole as Lawrence of Arabia when the real Lawrence was only 5 feet tall? Is it OK to give the young Henry VIII six-pack abs?
5.
Do you think fantasy and science fiction stories should steer clear of politics generally and stick to common human questions of love, loyalty, valor as motivators for characters? Does the feeling that the author is subtly pushing his or her political or social beliefs on the reader, no matter how delicately, a turn-off for you? Or is this something writers should never hide in their art?
6.
Do you think all the elements of Game of Thrones that could be found by individual viewers to be offensive, sexist, racist, homophobic, pro-violence, are “forgiven” by the utter outrageousness of the story in general? Should there always be a place for politically incorrect fun?
The current popularity of the bloody and salacious Game of Thrones and a host of paler imitators may have roots in Cate Blanchett’s Oscar-worthy performance as the historical Elizabeth (1998), the Queen who was perhaps the most important ruling Royal, King or Queen, in British history. The politics and imputed romances of her reign embroiled both her throne and bedchambers. Released from her half-sister’s dungeon to go on to successfully stabilize a country wracked by religious war, all the while being threatened by Spanish invasion from without and overthrow by the plots of her male “suitors” from within, her life was epic and an intimate human drama rarely captured in fiction. |
Q:
Appropriate term for 'grandparents'?
As far as I can tell, Russian has no word for 'grandparents' the same way as it has Родители, and you are stuck saying Бабушка и дедушка if you're talking about your grandparents.
What if you're saying something like "the country was built by the grandparents of the current residents"? (as an example)
Surely there is a less cumbersome word that can be used here!
A:
Russian does not have a collective word from "grandparents" indeed.
If you are speaking about grandparents' achievements, synecdoches like деды or отцы и деды could be used: страну построили отцы и деды тех, кто населяет её теперь. ("Synecdoche" means using a word for part to name the whole or vice versa).
A:
Imho, there is no precise analgue for 'grandparents' in Russian. I think you should use word "предки" in your example. "страна была построена предками нынешних жителей"
A:
Plural старики (English: old people) in conjunction with the relative pronoun can be used in the colloquial with a sense of old parents, grandparents (also parents in the youth slang):
Слушай, а что же твои старики?
Дорогие мои старики, дайте я вас сейчас расцелую!
Plural отцы, праотцы, деды, прадеды can be used as an archaism with a sense of предки (English: ancestors, previous generation):
Как жили деды да прадеды, так и нам жить велели.
Бог Авраама и Исаака и Иакова, Бог отцов наших, прославил Сына Своего Иисуса.(Деян.3:13)
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End federal agents' license to kill: Column Local police officers should not be able to claim 'federal' immunity from prosecution.
James Bovard | USA TODAY
Do federal agents need a license to kill in order to protect us? Unfortunately, federal judges are giving law enforcement agents blanket immunity when they shoot Americans while the agents are on the job. It would be difficult to imagine a greater violation of equal rights under the law or a bigger mockery of due process.
After Larry Jackson, Jr., of Austin, Texas, was killed by a policeman in 2013, a local prosecutor indicted the policeman on manslaughter charges. Jackson’s family claimed that he had been executed by the policeman but a federal judge granted immunity from prosecution because the policeman “was acting in his capacity as a federal officer.” The ruling in the Austin case could extend federal immunity from prosecution for shootings to “hundreds, if not thousands, of state and local police officers who participate in federal task forces,” the Washington Post noted.
Federal officers have been involved in 33 killings so far this year. The Justice Department almost never prosecutes federal agents for shootings in the line of duty, and the feds have invoked the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution to block state and local prosecutions of federal agents in recent decades. The ruling in the Austin case “raises the question of when, if ever, a federal law enforcement officer can be charged with a crime for killing someone in the line of duty,” the Post noted.
The best-known case of immunity for federal officers involves Lon Horiuchi, the FBI sniper who in 1992 gunned down 42-year-old Vicki Weaver as she stood in a cabin doorway in Ruby Ridge, Idaho holding her 10 month-old-baby. Horiuchi previously shot her husband, Randy Weaver, who was outside the cabin and under indictment on a federal firearms charge. A confidential Justice Department report condemned Horiuchi for taking a shot with a high-powered rifle through a cabin door when he believed someone was standing behind it. But other Justice Department and FBI officials warned that permitting Horiuchi to be prosecuted would have “an enormously chilling effect on federal operations, especially law enforcement.” A local prosecutor indicted Horiuchi on manslaughter charges anyhow.
But federal judge Edward Lodge ruled in 1998 that Horiuchi could not be tried for killing Vicki Weaver because he was a federal agent on duty, and thus effectively exempt from any jurisdiction of state courts. Lodge focused on Horiuchi's "subjective beliefs": as long as Horiuchi supposedly did not believe he was violating anyone's rights or acting wrongfully, then he could not be guilty. The judge even blamed Vicki Weaver for her own death. Lodge decreed that "it would be objectively reasonable for Mr. Horiuchi to believe that one would not expect a mother to place herself and her baby behind an open door outside the cabin after a shot had been fired and her husband had called out that he had been hit." Thus, if an FBI agent unjustifiably shoots one family member, the government apparently receives a presumptive right to shoot any other family member who fails to hide.
POLICING THE USA: A look at race, justice, media
The U.S. Marshals Service has been involved in 18 killings this year — more than any other law enforcement agency in the nation. But U.S. marshals enjoy de facto immunity for any use of force in the line of duty. Marshals Service spokesman Drew Wade told the Washington Post that “he could not recall a case that led to criminal charges.”
Prior to Horiuchi killing Vicki Weaver, 14-year-old Sammy Weaver and a family friend encountered a team of three undercover U.S. marshals who had taken up a "defensive position" not far from the Weaver's residence; one of the marshals fatally shot Sammy. According to the friend, Sammy was leaving the scene when he was shot.
Even though the marshals’ statements and testimony on the conflict were riddled with contradictions, the Marshals Service gave its highest valor award to the marshal who killed the young boy and the other undercover marshals who provoked a firefight (in which one marshal was killed).
Judges tend to presume that killings by federal agents are immune from prosecution even though agencies are notorious for covering up the confrontations. As the Post noted, “details about shootings involving federal officers tend to be particularly closely held.” It took the Post almost two months to simply learn the name of a man killed during a recent FBI pornography raid in Chester, Penn.
It is absurd to presume that police are guilty any time they shoot a private citizen during a confrontation. But it is equally absurd to presume that all law enforcement agents are sacrosanct and all their killings justified. America is at risk of becoming a two-tiered society: those whom the law fails to bind and those whom the law fails to protect.
James Bovard is the author of Attention Deficit Democracy and a member of USA TODAY's Board of Contributors.
In addition to its own editorials, USA TODAY publishes diverse opinions from outside writers, including our Board of Contributors. To read more columns like this, go to the Opinion front page. |
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Western Conference Report Card
Ryan Dadoun grades the Western Conference after Wednesday's trade deadline
After all the trade activity on Tuesday, it was reasonable to assume deadline day would be quiet. That’s obviously not how it played out.
The deals involving Marian Gaborik, Jaromir Jagr, and Jarome Iginla over the last 7-10 days just scratches the surface of what transpired during the 2013 trade deadline period. Below is a look at how each Western Conference team did in the trades that took place over the last two weeks.
When you’re a clear Stanley Cup contender, do you make a big splash and risk disrupting the chemistry that’s got your team this far or do you add a complimentary player who will provide you with some depth for the playoff grind?
The Ducks chose to do the latter and it’s hard to fault them for it. Lombardi isn’t a game changer, but he’s a decent bottom-six forward who’s not too far removed from his glory days. Given the cost was McMillan, who has struggled to earn a permanent spot with the Ducks over the last three years, it wasn’t a bad pickup.
The Calgary Flames are the toughest team to evaluate. After last year’s deadline I criticized them for staying stagnant and simply allowing their tradable assets – like Iginla to age and thus deteriorate in value – despite the fact that their franchise had been stuck in the mud for years.
Flames GM Jay Feaster has since validated those types of criticisms by admitting that he "should have had the intellectual honesty even earlier and said this isn't working."
So did he end up costing his team by not acting sooner and maybe getting a higher price for Iginla last year? Perhaps, but at the same time, we have the benefit of hindsight and while Feaster will ultimately be judged on everything that’s happened, for the purposes of this article we’re narrowing our scope to what he did over the last few weeks.
In that regard, he has to be given credit. While he might be hesitant to call what he’s doing rebuilding, the Calgary Flames have made some tough choices that should ultimately benefit them in the years to come?
Like the Anaheim Ducks, the Blackhawks have been great all season and they similarly decided not to mess with that. Their only noteworthy addition was Handzus, who should help them in an area of significant need--the faceoff circle.
The Colorado Avalanche are well on their way to missing the playoffs for the third straight season and fourth time in five years. So just based on that alone, you would think they would have made some significant trades. But really, what could they do?
Their core players are still young and signed through at least 2013-14. One of the few exceptions, Milan Hejduk, is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury. They could have still made a trade for the sake of
shaking things up, but there’s something to be said for keeping a young core intact and letting them grow and learn together.
Ultimately if they’re going to make a major move, it will probably involve firing Joe Sacco, but that’s not what the trade deadline was about.
The Blue Jackets finished last in the NHL last season, traded Rick Nash…and now they might make the playoffs. Much of that is thanks to Sergei Bobrovsky, but it still comes as a surprise.
Columbus’ acquisition of Gaborik is one they probably wouldn’t have made if they were out of the playoff hunt, but at the same time it’s not specifically for this season. Gaborik gives them what they lost with Nash--a man who can be face of the franchise and an offensive leader.
He’s struggled this season with the Rangers, but the change of scenery should help. Ultimately, Gaborik might even be considered the winner of the trade frenzy from a fantasy perspective.
They also managed to get Leighton and a third rounder for Mason. It’s like the Flyers felt so bad about how the Jeff Carter trade worked out that they’ve been letting the Blue Jackets win trades ever since.
The Dallas Stars refused to trade Brad Richards in 2010-11. The result was that they missed the playoffs anyways and he signed with the New York Rangers. With that in mind, this time around the Stars dealt Jaromir Jagr, Brenden Morrow, and Derek Roy before they had a chance to leave as unrestricted free agents this summer.
The return wasn’t breathtaking for the most part, but they got some decent prospects and a couple high picks for their troubles. For a handful of players that were in danger of walking soon, it’s hard to fault them.
The Detroit Red Wings typically takes a cautious approach to everything they do. In a way you can look at them as the ying to the Philadelphia Flyers yang.
In a league with a salary cap and where prospects are hard to replace, it’s easy to see the logic in the Red Wings’ strategy. However, from a short-term perspective, some of their major competitors in the race for a playoff spot – the St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets in particular – got better while they remained stagnant.
The Oilers had some pieces they could potentially sell – Ryan Whitney and Nikolai Khabibulin come to mind – but they decided to remain quiet. The Oilers are in the race for a playoff spot and they don’t want to hurt their chances.
The Oilers took building through the draft to its extreme. They have a core in place that, with the right group of complimentary players, could contend for the Stanley Cup in a couple years. They don’t need to sell veterans for picks at this point, not when it could rob their young players of some post-season experience.
The defending Stanley Cup champions significantly upgraded their defense with the acquisition of Robyn Regehr. Fantasy owners might not care about him due to his lack of points, but he’s a stay-at-home defenseman capable of logging top-four minutes. That's a big deal for a team that's been trying to get by without blueliners Willie Mitchell and Matt Greene.
Two high picks and two solid prospects for Pominville – that’s a lot to give up. At the same time, Pominville is an accomplished forward in his prime and signed through the 2013-14 campaign, so an argument could be made that he justifies the high price tag.
Pominville gives the Minnesota Wild another great top-six forward to compliment a team that already had a healthy amount of offensive depth. It looks like he’ll start his tenure with the Wild on a line with Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise, which is great news for Pominville’s fantasy owners.
Erat is a reliable forward who is good for about 50-60 points during a full campaign. He’s 31 years old and signed to a reasonable contract through 2014-15. It’s clear he’s not an insignificant loss to the Preds, but at the same time getting Filip Forsberg in return made this a great trade for Nashville.
Forsberg is a versatile forward who has been compared to Corey Perry by scouts. Washington took him with the 11th overall pick in 2012, but he would have gone higher if teams hadn’t favored defensemen in the early part of the draft. In fact, Forsberg was just the third forward taken in 2012. When it comes to prospects, nothing is certain, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Forsberg is regarded as one of the Predators’ top forwards in a few years.
The Coyotes parted with a few veteran forwards and didn’t really get anything exciting in return. That’s not to say they were deadline losers – it’s not as if Sullivan, Torres, or Lombardi warranted high prices.
As we approached the deadline, there was plenty of speculation surrounding Keith Yandle. He might still be traded, but the Coyotes will wait until the summer to do so. What they get for that deal will impact the franchise far more than anything they’ve done off the ice over the last few weeks.
The Sharks managed to get plenty of value for players they might have lost anyways as unrestricted free agents over the summer. Then, given that they are still in the playoff race, they went out and got Hannan and Torres for a fraction of what they picked up.
It’s hard not to like how the Sharks handled things in recent weeks. They’ve added a ton of draft picks without significantly hurting their present club.
Clearly the St. Louis Blues think their time to compete for the Stanley Cup is now, even if they aren’t a lock to even miss the playoffs. The Kings proved that a good team can win the Cup even if they struggled during the regular season and it looks like the Blues took that lesson to heart.
The Blues significantly bolstered their defense at a cost to their future. To be fair though, Bouwmeester is signed through 2013-14 and Leopold is 32, so he could serve them for many years if he’s re-signed. So the Blues didn’t exactly put themselves in an all-or-nothing position.
The Canucks have needed help up the middle all season and Derek Roy certainly provides that. With four goals and 22 points in 30 games this season, Roy is a big boost to a team that’s struggled offensively in 2013.
They weren’t able to trade Roberto Luongo, but that’s a tough contract to move given its length and the Canucks likely didn’t feel any urgency, given that Luongo provides them with an excellent fallback option should Cory Schneider falter or get injured in the playoffs. |
Mathematical tools for planning effective intervention scenarios for sexually transmitted diseases.
We studied the dynamics of sexually transmitted diseases in structured populations, deriving analogies from the theory of metapopulations. The goal was to study the impact of potential interventions, such as reducing the probability of transmission (e.g., by condom use), reducing the duration of infectiousness (e.g., by early diagnosis and treatment), or reducing the number of new contacts. A structured SIS model was used for the study. We extended the concept of core groups to the concept of nodal epidemiologic contribution (NEC) by considering the contribution that an individual in a particular (social, spatial, or other such) group makes to a target quantity, such as the threshold condition for disease persistence, the equilibrium prevalence, or the number of disease transmissions in the long term. The measures for NEC derived here are analogous to patch values in metapopulation theory, which measure the contributions of particular habitat patches to various-aspects of metapopulation dynamics. Our results highlight that intervention measures should be targeted especially promptly if the goal is the complete eradication of the disease, as the variance in the contributions made by the individuals is the highest for this case. |
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Asheville gets adventurous with frozen desserts
COLD COMFORT: At Café Yuzu, the matcha green tea kakigori with sweet adzuki beans and condensed milk is a nostalgic treat for Japanese guests and a unique flavor experience for the uninitiated. Photo by Luke Van Hine
One of the wonderful things about Western North Carolina’s hot summers is that there are so many sweet ways to cool down.
The season’s best memories for many may include dripping cones at Ultimate Ice Cream or The Hop, braving sizzling downtown sidewalks for frozen cookie sandwiches at Sunshine Sammies or mixing crazy flavor mash-ups at Whit’s Frozen Custard. This summer brings some intriguing new ways to chill out with a frozen treat in Asheville.
In the River Arts District, Café Yuzu owner and pastry chef Cynthia Pierce has replaced her usual summer offering of house-made ice pops with kakigori, a shaved-ice dish popular in Japan. Inspired by memories of his native Osaka and the recent Japanese trend of high-end, gourmet kakigori, Pierce’s husband, local potter and musician Akira Satake, convinced Pierce to invest in a traditional Japanese-style, hand-cranked ice-shaving machine.
“When I was growing up, when that machine came out, we knew it was summer,” says Satake. “We associate it with natsumatsuri [Japanese summer festival]. Cicadas, watermelon, kakigori — that’s summer to me.”
Served in towering portions in compostable wooden bowls at Café Yuzu, kakigori has the irresistible texture of soft, fluffy snow. “It comes out of the machine like bonito flakes — a very thin, tape kind of thing because it’s shaved so fine,” says Satake. “And that’s something I really missed. Whenever I have a snow cone and compare it with my memory, it’s so different.”
To flavor the ice, Pierce crafts house-made syrups from locally grown fruits and herbs. “Aside from the more traditional kakigori flavors, I get to experiment, like plum-basil or blueberry-lavender — things like that are really fun to get into,” she says. “I’m going to start branching out a little as the fruits really start coming in.”
As possibly the only place in the area that serves authentic kakigori, Café Yuzu also offers at least one traditional concoction that is popular with Japanese guests but may seem strange to American palates. “When Japanese people come here, pretty much 95 percent of them order matcha green tea with adzuki beans and condensed milk over it,” says Satake. “This is what we feel nostalgic about.”
At Wild Ginger Noodle Bar in South Asheville, Filipino halo-halo is the exotic summer dessert to try. The shop specializes in Vietnamese pho, but co-owners Mary Ann Tan Ar and Aileen Tan are of Filipino-Chinese descent. “Even though we are a Vietnamese restaurant, we wanted to offer food that represents where we came from and share it with our locals,” says Ar.
Served in a tall bowl, Wild Ginger’s halo-halo is a dizzying mix of colors and textures. Ar says the dessert’s “hodgepodge of ingredients” can include sugar palm fruits, coconut strings (macapuno) and sweet beans with shaved ice and evaporated milk, all topped with house-made flan and a scoop of ice cream.
This is the third year the restaurant has offered halo-halo. “And our patrons enjoy every taste of it,” says Ar.
Joining halo-halo this summer in South Asheville is rolled ice cream. Aaron Cheng‘s soon-to-open Yum Sushi Burrito and Poke will offer the popular Thai street food on its menu.
Cheng also features the dessert at his other restaurant, Yum Creamery, in Spartanburg, S.C. He trained for several months at a friend’s rolled ice cream shop in New Jersey to learn the process, which involves pouring liquid ice cream base onto a chilled anti-griddle then using a spatula to scrape it into neat rolls.
“It’s not hard to learn how to make it,” says Cheng. “It just needs some practice.”
Yum will feature eight base flavors and at least 32 toppings. And Cheng predicts rolled ice cream, which is also available at Rolled and Roasted in the Asheville Mall, will be as much of a hit in Western North Carolina as it is in Spartanburg. “When we first opened last year in June, customers had to wait around an hour just to get our ice cream,” he says. “They like the way each ice cream is handmade in front of them.”
Already a summer staple for many Ashevilleans, Frostbite Ice Cream serves American nostalgia with its giant, twisty soft-serve cones, slushies and shaved ice. The West Asheville shop, which was named in a 2017 BuzzFeed.com article as the best place in North Carolina for soft-serve, has built a fan base as much with its playful approach as with its scratch-made, locally sourced ice cream and baked goods.
“One of our key points is that we like to run things by our customers to see what they will like,” says co-owner Misti McCloud. “We like to do taste-testing, get customer feedback, play with things.”
The business prides itself on having numerous flavors in rotation at all times, including complementary varieties that run side by side in the machines for creating memorable twist cones. Last summer, McCloud and co-owner Jason Istvan developed watermelon and mojito ice creams that could be swirled together for an alcohol-free watermelon mojito.
They also made a flavor with Imladris Farm’s grape jelly so customers could twist it with the shop’s regular peanut butter ice cream for a PBJ swirl. And early this season, the pair came up with a mixed-berry ice cream to go with their popular new Cap’n Crunch cereal flavor.
The shop also makes its own funnel cakes, fried Oreos, brownies, french fries (served either with salt or cinnamon-sugar) and other items from scratch, which can be paired with ice cream to concoct off-the-wall treats.
So what’s on the menu this summer? McCloud recently ran the idea of pickle ice cream up Frostbite’s social media flagpole. “A lot of people were interested in it, so we may see if we can create a pickle soft serve,” she says. She’s also had numerous requests for red velvet cake and matcha tea varieties.
“There are all kinds of unique flavors we’ll be bringing in, like tiramisu, which is kind of a favorite,” she adds.”We really like to do things that are kind of unique that nobody else is doing.”
Café Yuzu is at Riverview Station, Studio 165, 191 Lyman St. Wild Ginger is at 1950 Hendersonville Road. Yum Sushi Burrito and Poke is slated to open in mid July at 100 Julian Shoals Drive, Arden (check its Facebook page for updates). Frostbite is at 1475 Patton Ave.
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Oculus announced last month that Quest will soon be able to play Oculus games on PC via a new feature called Oculus Link. Though Oculus Link will immediately add big boost in value to existing Quest headsets, perhaps even more interesting is what this announcement tells us about next-gen Oculus headsets.
Oculus Link is set to launch in beta as a free update to Quest headsets in November. It allows users to connect their headset to a VR ready PC via a USB 3 cable and play “most” titles from the Oculus PC library.
We were impressed with the experience when we got to demo it last month and Oculus hasn’t been shy about saying that they’d eventually like to make the feature wireless. And while the added benefit of Oculus Link may even call into question the value of Rift S over Quest, the move tells us some very interesting things about the future of Oculus headsets.
Thou Cannot Giveth and Then Taketh Away
First and foremost, Oculus Link gives us good reason to expect that all future Quest headsets will also be compatible with PC content, and may even have some dedicated hardware to make the job easier. Here’s the thing: once Oculus puts this feature out into the wild, it can’t really take it back because it fundamentally alters the headset’s capabilities.
Oculus Link invites Quest users to purchase from Oculus’ PC library. To turn around and remove the feature from future Quest headsets would not only invalidate whatever investment customers had made into the company’s PC library, it would also feel like taking away a major feature; sort of like if the first iPhone had a camera, but they removed the camera on the second iPhone—customers simply wouldn’t stand for it.
In that regard, the release of Oculus Link can be seen as a commitment from Oculus that its future high-end standalone headset will continue to be able to play both mobile and PC titles.
Move Fast and Break Things
The announcement of Oculus Link just a few months after Quest and Rift S hit store shelves also tells us something about Oculus’ approach to product development which seems to be changing as the company has steadily lost its core founders after being acquired by Facebook in 2014.
Now much more deeply under Facebook control, the ‘new Oculus’ isn’t going to hold back features from one headset just to make sure its product portfolio has a clear or comfortable delineation (we saw the first hints of this with their choice to release Rift S instead of a Rift 2). I’m certain that Oculus understood the implications of adding PC tethering to Quest and how it would call into question the value of Rift S (which sells for the same $400 price). Still, Quest owners clearly wanted the ability to play PC content, and Oculus said ‘if we can make this happen, let’s do it’. This is Facebook’s “move fast and break things” mantra at work.
What Does a Hybrid Oculus Quest Mean for a Next-gen Rift?
Less certain, but still potentially revelatory, is what Oculus Link could mean for Oculus’ next-gen Rift headset. If we are working under the assumption that Quest and its successors will be compatible with PC content from this point forward, it clearly opens the door for Oculus to make its PC product more clearly positioned for the high-end crowd. While Rift S currently stands as great entry-level value, many of Oculus’ loyal enthusiast customers saw it as a ‘sidegrade’ over the original Rift, and would have been happy to pay more than $400 for a higher-end Oculus headset if only that option was available.
If Quest, as a hybrid headset which can mobile and PC titles, serves as that entry-level option well enough, Oculus will need to either make its PC offering clearly the best way to experience Oculus PC content by pushing its specs and features into the next tier, or by cutting its price. There’s also another option… a wild card: Oculus could simply eliminate it’s PC-only headset and make their next headset serve as both the Quest 2 and the Rift 2. Oculus Qrift?
Wireless is Probably a New Priority for Oculus
Then there’s the question of wireless. With the traction they’re seeing with the tetherless Quest, I think Oculus is going to highly prioritize wireless for future headsets. They’ve already said that they’d like to make Oculus Link wireless eventually, and seem to be actively moving in that direction.
Now here’s the thing… if Quest, or perhaps Quest 2, were to get wireless PC streaming, could Oculus reasonably continue to have a tether on the equivalent Rift headset? My thinking is probably not….
In describing Oculus Link’s technical workings, the company has said it’s effectively a video streaming solution. And while today’s Oculus Link happens to transmit that stream over a tethered connection, the solution could easily work over a reliable wireless link as long as there’s sufficient bandwidth.
That means that a future Rift headset, let’s say a Rift 2, could use a ‘thin-client’ approach to be wireless out of the box. While Quest needs a full suite of on-board smartphone hardware to run a complete operating system as well as perform its own rendering and game processing, a ‘thin client’ headset would contain just enough on-board hardware to receive & decode a wireless video stream from a host PC.
This could be done with a dedicated chip that could be less expensive and consume less power than what’s needed for a full standalone headset (a smartphone processor and everything that comes with it). While Quest doesn’t have any dedicated chips in it specifically for PC tethering, Oculus said they did debate it, and alluded to a continuing interest in dedicated streaming chips by saying that if they had more control over the underlying hardware they would be able to create alternate streaming architectures which would be even more suitable for their streaming approach, potentially leading to higher visual quality and lower latency.
Of course there would still be bandwidth and wireless reliability issues to contend with. Even with a thin-client approach, which wireless link would be best is still up in the air, especially if Rift 2 were to have higher resolution than Rift S, as we’d expect.
– – — – –
One way or another, Oculus is moving into some uncharted territory as it turns Quest into a hybrid headset that can access both its mobile and PC libraries. Oculus is clearly trying to make its content and ecosystem more cohesive, and this will very likely guide decisions being made about Quest 2 and Rift 2. |
Artillery Crater Analysis and Detection Engine - Gracana
https://rudiment.info/project/arcade/
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Agustus
This is a great use of technologies from other applications to bring a
solution for the rote method of crater detection. Thank you for submitting
this Gracana!
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ternaryoperator
I was surprised to see how simple it is to locate the gun once you've
identified a crater. I thought _that_ would be the problem, rather than crater
identification.
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Correction to: *Nature Communications*; 10.1038/s41467-018-03744-5; published online 06 April 2018
The authors became aware of a mistake in the original version of this Article. Specifically, where discussing the Curie temperature of the amorphous phase, *T*~c~, in the 'Thermal characterization' section of the Results and in Fig. 2, the authors should have been discussing the Curie temperature of the magnetic crystalline phases *T′*~c~.
As a result of this, the following changes have been made to the originally published version of this Article:
The third sentence of the 'Thermal characterization' section of the Results originally incorrectly read 'Enthalpy of crystallization and melting are measured as Δ*H*~x~ = −108.4 J/g and Δ*H*~m~ = 83.7 J/g, respectively (Fig. 2b).'. The correct version states 'The Curie temperature of the amorphous phase *T*~c~ is measured as 605 K, while the enthalpy of crystallization and melting are measured as Δ*H*~x~ = −108.4 J/g (Fig. 2a) and Δ*H*~m~ = 83.7 J/g (Fig. 2b), respectively.'
The last sentence of the same paragraph originally incorrectly read 'A clear curie temperature *T*~c~ is also observed at 945 K (Fig. 2c).'. The correct version states 'A clear Curie temperature of the magnetic crystalline phases *T′*~c~ is also observed at 945 K (Fig. 2c)'.
The original version of Fig. 2a initially omitted the label '*T*~c~ = 605 K' and the corresponding arrow. In Fig. 2c, the label '*T*'~c~ = 945 K' initially incorrectly read '*T*~c~ = 945 K'.
The second sentence of the legend of Fig. 2 originally incorrectly read 'The glass transition *T*~g~, crystallization temperature *T*~x~, and heat of crystallization Δ*H*~x~ are provided in (**a**).' The correct version states 'The glass transition *T*~g~, crystallization temperature *T*~x~, Curie temperature *T*~c~, and heat of crystallization Δ*H*~x~ are provided in (**a**)'.
The fourth sentence of the legend of Fig. 2 originally incorrectly read 'In (**c**), Curie temperature *T*~c~ of the BMG is shown.' The correct version states 'In (**c**), Curie temperature *T'*~c~ of the magnetic crystalline phases formed during the quenching and/or heating step is shown'.
In addition to this, there were errors in some of the equations in the main text, and the glass composition:
The original version of this Article contained an error in the third sentence of the third paragraph of the Introduction, which incorrectly read 'Besides, it has been reported that a newly developed 1 mm diameter Fe~50~Ni~50~P~13~C~7~ BMG possesses extensive plasticity (up to 22% plasticity) together with a fracture toughness of *K*~C~ ≈ 50 MPa m^−1/2^ with a yield strength of *σ*~y~ = 2250 MPa^5^, where the yield strength and plastic strain with 2 mm diameter samples are 2800 MPa (measured from the deviation point of linearity) and 3%^29^.'. The correct version states 'Fe~50~Ni~30~P~13~C~7~' in place of 'Fe~50~Ni~50~P~13~C~7~'.
The second sentence of the 'Thermal characterization' section of the Results originally incorrectly read 'The extent of the supercooled liquid region (Fig. 2a), Δ*T* = *T*~g~ − *T*~x~, is 24 K confirming the previous findings^5,34^.'. The correct version states 'Δ*T* = *T*~x~ − *T*~g~' instead of 'Δ*T* = *T*~g~ − *T*~x~'.
The second sentence of the first paragraph of the Discussion originally incorrectly read 'The enthalpy of mixing of Fe−Ni, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\Delta H_{Fe - C}^{mix}$$\end{document}$, is very small (−2 kJ/mol) as compared to $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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\begin{document}$$\Delta H_{{\rm Fe} - {\rm Ni}}^{{\rm mix}}$$\end{document}$ = −39.5 kJ/mol and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
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\begin{document}$$\Delta H_{{\rm Fe} - {\rm C}}^{{\rm mix}}$$\end{document}$ = −50 kJ∕mol^46^, rendering a low atomic bond force between Fe and Ni atoms.'. The correct version states '$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
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\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\Delta H_{{\rm Fe} - {\rm Ni}}^{{\rm mix}}$$\end{document}$, is very small' instead of '$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
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\usepackage{mathrsfs}
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\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\Delta H_{{\rm Fe} - {\rm C}}^{{\rm mix}}$$\end{document}$, is very small' and '$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\Delta H_{{\rm Ni} - {\rm C}}^{{\rm mix}}$$\end{document}$ = −39.5 kJ/mol' rather than '$\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\Delta H_{{\rm Fe} - {\rm Ni}}^{{\rm mix}}$$\end{document}$ = −39.5 kJ/mol'. The final corrected sentence therefore reads 'The enthalpy of mixing of Fe−Ni, $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\Delta H_{{\rm Fe} - {\rm Ni}}^{{\rm mix}}$$\end{document}$, is very small (−2 kJ/mol) as compared to $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\Delta H_{{\rm Ni} - {\rm C}}^{{\rm mix}}$$\end{document}$ = −39.5 kJ/mol and $\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{wasysym}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\usepackage{amsbsy}
\usepackage{mathrsfs}
\usepackage{upgreek}
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}
\begin{document}$$\Delta H_{{\rm Fe} - {\rm C}}^{{\rm mix}}$$\end{document}$ = −50 kJ∕mol^46^, rendering a low atomic bond force between Fe and Ni atoms.'
The seventh sentence of the same paragraph originally incorrectly read 'Recent observations for the same composition have postulated that the thermal parameters such as the width of the supercooled liquid region Δ*T*~x~(=*T*~x~ − *T*~g~), the reduced glass transition temperature *T*~rg~(=(*T*~g~)/(*T*~x~)) and the *γ* parameter (=(*T*~x~)/(*T*~g~ + *T*~l~)) defining the glass-forming ability (GFA) of the BMG decrease for more than 5 at.% Ni addition^34^.' The correct version states '*T*~rg~(=(*T*~g~)/(*T*~l~))' instead of '*T*~rg~(=(*T*~g~)/(*T*~x~))'.
The 12th sentence of the same paragraph originally incorrectly read 'This finding also highlight the fact that the critical casting thickness is only size-dependent and independent of the glassy alloy composition used.' The correct version states 'critical casting rate' instead of 'critical casting thickness'.
The 14th sentence of the same paragraph originally incorrectly read 'However, the critical casting thickness for these Fe-based alloy systems can be estimated to be between 10,000 and 20,000 K/s (according to ref. ^50^), which means the nanocrystallization might occur upon quenching of the glassy melt.' The correct version states 'critical casting rate' instead of 'critical casting thickness'.
This has been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article. While the Curie temperature of the glass is lower than previously reported, this error does not affect the original discussion or conclusions of the Article. The authors apologize for the confusion caused by this mistake.
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From MBA to CEO
Where did chief executives of companies in the FT500 go to business school?
FootnoteChief executives — as of January 1 2015 — of companies in the most recent FT500, composed of the world’s largest companies by market capitalisation. CEOs listed by school in company size order. This chart contains data for the 104 chief executives with MBAs from business schools in the FT Global MBA Ranking 2015.
-------------------------------------------
Top business schools attach great significance to their alumni. Graduate networks are promoted as catalysts for career opportunities and the most successful graduates are lauded as role models for prospective students. Those who have climbed to the top of the largest companies are pinstriped pin-ups for the MBA.
FT analysis shows that almost a third (31 per cent) of the world’s 500 largest listed companies by market capitalisation, as featured in the most recent FT500, are led by an MBA graduate. Most of these earned their degree on one of the world’s top programmes.
Business schools in the top 100 in this year’s FT Global MBA rankings count 104 chief executives of FT500 companies among their MBA alumni. Nine highly ranked schools account for 74 of these corporate leaders.
Head and shoulders above the rest by this measure of graduate success is Harvard Business School, which boasts 28 FT500 leaders among its MBA alumni — three more than in 2014, when this research was first conducted.
Insead in France remains the only non-US business school to have more than two MBA alumni in these top positions. With nine FT500 leaders, it is better represented than US competitors Stanford Graduate School of Business (eight) and the Kellogg and Wharton schools (both with six).
Following the appointment last year of Satya Nadella and José Antonio Álvarez to lead Microsoft and Banco Santander respectively, the University of Chicago’s Booth school can also boast of six FT500 chief executives among its alumni.
The fluctuating value of the world’s largest companies meant about one in nine were new to the FT500 in 2014. The inclusion of new business schools in the FT’s 2015 ranking of MBA programmes also sees the likes of Bob Dudley, chief executive of BP and graduate of Southern Methodist University’s Cox school in Dallas, added to the graphic this year.
The footnote to the graphic has been amended from 103 to 104 chief executives with MBAs from schools in the FT Global MBA ranking 2015. |
1. Introduction
===============
Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Despite improvements in chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery, the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains poor \[[@b1-ijms-14-12023]\]. Moreover, recurrence of this disease is very frequent, suggesting that it is important to keep on looking for safe and effective treatments. In addition to smoking cessation, chemoprevention is an attractive approach. Chemoprevention can be achieved by using natural or synthetic compounds to prevent the occurrence of cancer, to treat early stage cancer and to block the metastatic spread. Dietary chemicals are important chemopreventive agents. It is estimated that nearly one-third of cancer deaths could be prevented through appropriate dietary modification \[[@b2-ijms-14-12023]\].
(−)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG, [Figure 1A](#f1-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"}) is the major catechin found in green tea and has been intensively studied as a chemopreventive agent \[[@b3-ijms-14-12023],[@b4-ijms-14-12023]\]. It has shown anti-cancer effect (including prostate, head and neck, and lung cancer) in many *in vitro* studies and animal models \[[@b5-ijms-14-12023]--[@b7-ijms-14-12023]\]. Generally, EGCG can block a series of signal transduction pathways related to carcinogenesis \[[@b8-ijms-14-12023],[@b9-ijms-14-12023]\], and acts as an inhibitor of receptor tyrosine kinase and proteasome \[[@b3-ijms-14-12023],[@b4-ijms-14-12023]\]. Also, EGCG can inhibit or down-regulate DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) \[[@b7-ijms-14-12023]\]. Another well-studied chemopreventive compound is curcumin ([Figure 1B](#f1-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"}), which is the major yellow pigment in turmeric. Curcumin also shows its anti-tumor effects in multiple cancer cell lines and animal models \[[@b10-ijms-14-12023]--[@b12-ijms-14-12023]\]. It is reported that curcumin induces the inhibition of several cell signaling pathways at multiple levels, such as transcription factors, enzymes, cell cycle arrest, proliferation, survival pathways and TNF \[[@b13-ijms-14-12023]\]. Curcumin can up-regulate caspase family proteins and down-regulate anti-apoptotic genes \[[@b13-ijms-14-12023]\]. By using cDNA microarrays, studies have demonstrated curcumin can act at the genomic anti-tumor level in leukemia and lung cancer \[[@b14-ijms-14-12023],[@b15-ijms-14-12023]\].
Cell cycle as a therapeutic target is gaining more and more attention \[[@b16-ijms-14-12023]\]. The cell cycle offers a multitude of prognostic, predictive and therapeutic possibilities, though many of which are still in the developing stage \[[@b17-ijms-14-12023]\]. Most NSCLCs have detectable cell cycle abnormalities. Many recent studies demonstrated that EGCG could trigger cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase through regulation of cyclin D1, cdk4, cdk6, p21/WAF1/CIP1 and p27/KIP1 \[[@b18-ijms-14-12023]\]. In multiple cancer cell lines, EGCG blocks cell cycles at the G0/G1 phase, and then suppresses cell proliferation and invasion \[[@b9-ijms-14-12023],[@b19-ijms-14-12023]\]. In comparison with EGCG, curcumin inhibits cell proliferation and cell cycle progression by accumulating cells in S and G2/M phases \[[@b20-ijms-14-12023],[@b21-ijms-14-12023]\]. Actually, the anti-tumor effect of curcumin has been attributed in part to the arrest of malignant cells in S, G2/M phases and subsequently induction of apoptosis \[[@b22-ijms-14-12023]\].
The approach of combination therapy has been used successfully in the treatment of several types of cancer \[[@b23-ijms-14-12023]\]. It is effective to achieve higher therapeutic efficacy with lower drug dosage and reduce drug resistance development \[[@b24-ijms-14-12023]\]. Similarly, combinations of naturally derived agents may produce better chemopreventive effects. In breast cancer and malignant human oral epithelial cells, when EGCG and curcumin were given in combination, they synergistically induced apoptosis *in vitro* and *in vivo* \[[@b25-ijms-14-12023],[@b26-ijms-14-12023]\].
In the current study, we investigated whether combination of EGCG and curcumin would produce higher inhibitory activity against NSCLC cells *in vitro* and *in vivo*. We analyzed the synergistic effect of EGCG combined with curcumin on cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest and DNA replication in NSCLC cell lines. We found that, using a much lower concentration than reported before, the inhibition of cell growth was mostly caused by the enhanced cell cycle arrest, instead of inducing apoptosis. The same conclusion was also drawn in a xenograft model in nude mice. Considering the poor absorption and low bioavailability of curcumin, its combination with EGCG may increase the efficacy for lung cancer prevention.
2. Results
==========
2.1. Anti-Proliferation Effect of EGCG and Curcumin in NSCLC Cells
------------------------------------------------------------------
To investigate the effect of EGCG and curcumin on NSCLC cells growth, a dose-course and a time-course experiment were performed in A549 and NCI-H460 cells ([Figure 1C,D](#f1-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"}). The cells were treated with EGCG and curcumin alone or in combination. Cell growth was inhibited in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and only at a higher concentration, could single agent cause a significant inhibition of cell proliferation. Based on this result, lower concentrations of EGCG and curcumin were selected and applied to investigate the synergistic effect of the two agents. [Figure 1C,D](#f1-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"} showed that even at a lower concentration, the combination of the two compounds exhibited a synergistic anti-proliferation effect with a CI value of 0.57713 and 0.67703 respectively in A549 and NCI-H460 cells ([Table S1--S4](#s1-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="supplementary-material"}).
2.2. EGCG and Curcumin Repressed DNA Replication
------------------------------------------------
The EdU (5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine) fluorescence staining is an indicator of DNA synthesis, which was used to detect newly synthesized DNA in A549 cells after the indicated treatment. DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) was used to mark all the nuclei. Results showed that the EdU positive cells in the combination treatment group were much less than in the control group, which meant that the DNA replication was blocked significantly ([Figure 2A,B](#f2-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"}).
Since cell cycle arrest and apoptosis are closely related to cell growth, we next investigated whether the combination of the two agents caused apoptosis in A549 cells. It was reported that, at high concentrations, EGCG and curcumin caused remarkable apoptosis in the breast cancer cells, especially when administrated together \[[@b26-ijms-14-12023]\]. Here, in the experimental condition, which used much lower concentrations, the Hoechst 33258 staining suggested that, after the 24 h treatment, the two agents failed to cause significant apoptosis in A549 cells ([Figure 2C](#f2-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"}).
2.3. Combination of EGCG and Curcumin Caused Significant Cell Cycle Arrest
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flow cytometry analysis was performed to show the distribution of cell cycle. As it was shown in [Figure 3](#f3-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"} and [Table S5](#s1-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="supplementary-material"}, EGCG in combination with curcumin caused significant cell cycle arrest in A549 cells. The cells arrested in S/G2 phase were highly increased. However, apoptosis only occurred in few cells, consistent with the results in Hoechst 33258 staining. The expression of two main cell cycle related proteins, cyclin B1 and cyclin D1, were investigated by Western blot. Cyclin B1 and cyclin D1 are usually over-expressed in lung cancer cells \[[@b16-ijms-14-12023]\]. Western bolt analysis showed that the expression of cyclin B1 and cyclin D1 ([Figure 4A](#f4-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"}) were strongly repressed at the present of EGCG and curcumin. In NCI-H460 cells, the two agents also had a synergistic effect on the inhibition of expression of cyclin B1 and cyclin D1 ([Figure 4B](#f4-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"}). However, the two agents only had a slight impact on EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) and Topo IIα (Topoisomerase IIα) ([Figure 4A](#f4-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"}), which were connected with cell proliferation.
2.4. EGCG in Combination with Curcumin Repressed Clonal Formation of A549 and NCI-H460 Cells
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Effects of EGCG and curcumin on A549 and NCI-H460 cells growth were further studied. In A549 cells, a clonal growth assay confirmed that EGCG in combination with curcumin, conferred a marked repression of clonal growth ([Figure 5A](#f5-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"}). Similar results were obtained in the time-dependent experiment ([Figure 5B](#f5-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"}). In NCI-H460 cells, EGCG and curcumin also strongly inhibited the clonal formation ([Figure 5C](#f5-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"}).
2.5. EGCG and Curcumin Inhibited the Tumor Growth in Vivo
---------------------------------------------------------
To further investigate whether the low-concentration combination therapy had any impact on tumor progression *in vivo*, NSCLC xenograft nude mice model was developed. A549 cells were injected into the dorsal of the BALB/c nude mice. Since the malignant cells implantation, the body weight of the mice and the tumor size were recorded every day. As was shown in [Figure 6A](#f6-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"}, EGCG and curcumin exhibited a protective effect against the weight loss induced by tumor burden, and the tumor formation in the mice treated by EGCG and curcumin was delayed significantly than the control group (data not shown). After the 30-day treatment, the tumor growth was strongly repressed by EGCG in combination with curcumin, without causing any serious side-effect to the mice ([Figure 6B,C](#f6-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"}). Immunohistochemistry showed that Ki-67 was strongly inhibited in the treated group, which meant that EGCG and curcumin suppressed the tumor growth ([Figure 6D](#f6-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"}). The expression of cyclin B1 and cyclin D1 were further detected between the treated and control group. It appeared that the expression of the two proteins was significantly repressed by EGCG and curcumin ([Figure 6E](#f6-ijms-14-12023){ref-type="fig"}), consistent with the above *in vitro* experiments.
3. Discussion
=============
Chemoprevention is a potential anti-cancer approach, which can be achieved by using natural compounds to prevent the occurrence of cancer, or even treat cancer. In the current study, combination of low concentration of two chemopreventive polyphenols, EGCG and curcumin, strongly inhibited A549 cells growth *in vitro* and *in vivo*. To our knowledge, this is the first report to analyze the synergistic suppressive effect EGCG combined with curcumin on NSCLC cells.
In a chemoprevention study, the ideal result would be using the lower concentration of an anti-cancer compound to achieve the best cancer preventive effect. The doses of EGCG and curcumin we focus in this study are extremely low, compared with other similar researches, especially the *in vivo* experiment. Phytochemical such as curcumin, has versatile chemopreventive properties while has poor absorption and low bioavailability \[[@b27-ijms-14-12023]\]. This may restrict its clinical application. It was reported that (−)-epicatechin (EC), another kind of green tea polyphenol, significantly increased the amounts of intracellular curcumin by approximately 1.3-fold more than curcumin itself \[[@b26-ijms-14-12023]\], though the mechanism is still not fully understood yet. Recent studies found that numerous anticancer compounds that presented in edible plants would strengthen their cancer preventive activity when in combination with green tea catechins \[[@b28-ijms-14-12023]\]. Considering the poor absorption and low bioavailability of curcumin, we speculate that EGCG may also enhance the intake and bioavailabity of curcumin when the two agents combined together.
Our preliminary results showed that such low concentration of EGCG or curcmin alone failed to inhibit the tumor growth significantly *in vivo*. Only the combination of the two agents could suppress the tumor growth. It is more important to investigate the synergistic effect *in vivo* than *in vitro*. We will explore the synergistic effect *in vivo* in the future. More studies are required to test the absorption of EGCG and curcumin in animal models and human bodies, figuring out if there is any difference of absorption and bioavailability between being administrated alone or in combination, and the exact mechanisms needs to be investigated.
Cell cycle has been considered as an anti-cancer target for years. Deregulation of cell cycle leads cells proliferate uncontrollably and leads to genetic instability and tumorigenesis, thus can potentially be targeted to inhibit cancer progression \[[@b29-ijms-14-12023]\]. Either EGCG or curcumin is a powerful inhibitor of cell cycle related proteins and cell cycle kinases \[[@b18-ijms-14-12023],[@b22-ijms-14-12023]\]. Combination of the two compounds may simultaneously target multiple cell cycle related pathways. As shown in this study, cyclin B1 and cyclin D1 were inhibited by EGCG combining with curcumin, resulting a significant G1 and S/G2 phases arrest. Meanwhile, the DNA replication was strongly inhibited.
In the current study, we considered the synergistic anti-proliferation effect of EGCG combined with curcumin was mainly caused by the enhanced cell cycle arrest, instead of apoptosis. Since EGCG and curcumin are antioxidants at low concentration \[[@b5-ijms-14-12023],[@b13-ijms-14-12023]\], we speculate that the two agents mainly synergistically target to different cell cycle related proteins. However, with increasing concentrations, EGCG and curcumin may cause oxidative stress in cancer cells, and subsequently apoptosis \[[@b30-ijms-14-12023],[@b31-ijms-14-12023]\]. It was reported that significant apoptosis was observed in ER alpha-breast cancer cells by the combination of EGCG and curcumin \[[@b26-ijms-14-12023]\].
Nowadays, several studies attempted to establish the rational bases for combining cell cycle-specific drug with classical chemotherapy drugs to enhance clinical efficacy \[[@b29-ijms-14-12023]\]. The naturally derived, low-toxicity EGCG and curcumin have their advantages in this field. In another experiment, we successfully observed that EGCG in combination of curcumin made the tumor-burden mice more sensitive to cisplatin treatment: the tumor size was diminished obviously at the present of the two agents. We also noticed that the two agents made the efficacy of cisplatin more stable (unpublished data). Thus, our study indicated that EGCG combines with curcumin could be a potential chemoprevention agent for NSCLC and might benefit patients in future clinical trials.
4. Experimental Section
=======================
4.1. Cell Culture and Reagents
------------------------------
Human non-small cell lung cancer cell A549 and NCI-H460 cells were purchased from Cell Centre of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (Beijing, China), and were maintained in Dulbecco′s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM, GIBCO, Gaithersburg, MD, USA) supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum (GIBCO, Gaithersburg, MD, USA) and 1% penicillin/streptomycin (Beyotime Institute of Biotechnology, Shanghai, China). Cells were incubated in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO~2~ at 37 °C. EGCG and curcumin were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA).
4.2. MTT Assay
--------------
Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. Cells (2 × 10^3^ per well) were seeded in a 96-well plate and allowed to attach for 24 h. Then EGCG and curcumin were added alone or in combination. After 24 h treatment, cells were incubated with 20 μL of MTT solution (5 mg/mL, AMRESCO, Solon, OH, USA) for 4 h at 37 °C. The MTT formazan crystal was then dissolved in 150 μL DMSO (Lingfeng, Shanghai, China), and the absorbance was measured at 490 nm using a microplate reader (TECAN, Männedorf, Switzerland). A combination index (CI) was calculated from pooled data from 3 individual experiments. The combination index (CI) for two agents were calculated by CompuSyn synergism/antagonism analysis software (Version 1.0, ComboSyn, Inc., Paramus, NJ, USA), which based on the following formula:
CI
=
D
1
D
1
x
\+
D
2
D
2
x
where D~1~ and D~2~ were doses of agents 1 and 2 in combination to achieve *x*% inhibition, whereas D~1~*~x~* and D~2~*~x~* represented doses of compounds 1 and 2 to achieve *x*% inhibition when presented alone. CI values of \<1, =1 and \>1 indicated respectively synergism, additivity and antagonism in combined agent action \[[@b32-ijms-14-12023]\].
4.3. Hoechst 33258 Staining
---------------------------
Cells were seeded in a 6-well plate and allowed to attach for 24 h. Then EGCG and curcumin was added alone or in combination. After 24 h treatment, the cells were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde for 10 min. After being washed twice with PBS, the cells were stained with 0.5 mL of Hoechst 33258 (Beyotime, Shanghai, China) for 5 min and then again washed twice with PBS. The stained nuclei were observed under an inverted fluorescence microscopy (OLYMPUS, Tokyo, Japan).
4.4. EdU Fluorescence Staining
------------------------------
The 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) fluorescence staining was used to detect the newly synthesized DNA in A549 cells after the indicated treatment. All steps were followed the manufacturer′s instructions of Cell-Light EdU DNA cell proliferation kit (RiboBio, Guangzhou, China). The percentage of EDU (+) cells were calculated by Image-Pro Plus software (Version 6.0, Media Cybernetics, Bethesda, MD, USA).
4.5. Flow Cytometry Analysis
----------------------------
After cells were treated with EGCG and curcumin either alone or in combination for 24 h, they were harvested and washed twice in cold PBS and fixed in 75% ethanol before assessed for cell cycle profiles. For flow cytometry analysis, A549 cells were washed in PBS, centrifuged and the pellet was incubated with RNase A (Amersham Biosciences, Piscataway, NJ, USA) for 15 min and further incubated with propidium iodide (PI, Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) for 2 h at 37 °C. The cell cycle distribution was analyzed by the flow cytometer (BD, San Jose, CA, USA).
4.6. Western Blot Analysis
--------------------------
After indicated treatment, cells were harvested and the proteins were extracted followed the manufacturer′s instructions (KeyGEN BioTECH, Nanjing, China). Protein concentration was measured by BCA Protein Assay Kit (Beyotime, Shanghai, China). Identical amounts of protein (40 μg) were boiled for 5 min and separated by SDS-PAGE, then transferred onto a PVDF membrane (Millipore Corporation, Billerica, MA, USA). The membrane was then blocked with 5% non-fat dry milk in Tris-Buffered-Saline with Tween (TBST) for 1 h at room temperature, and incubated with appropriate primary antibodies overnight at 4 °C. After washed with TBST, the membrane was then incubated with appropriate secondary antibody for 1 h at room temperature. After extensive washing with TBST, proteins were visualized by the SuperSignal^®^ West Pico (Thermo Scientific, San Jose, CA, USA). Antibodies used include: anti-cyclin B1 (1:1000 dilution, Cell Signaling Technology, Beverly, MA, USA), anti-cyclin D1 (1:1000, Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA, USA), anti-EGFR (1:1000, Cell Signaling Technology, Beverly, MA, USA), anti-Topo IIα (1:1000, Bioworld, Louis Park, MN, USA), anti-β-actin (1:1000, BOSTER, Wuhan, China), HRP-Conjugated AffiniPure Goat Anti-Mouse IgG (1:2000, ZSGB-BIO, Beijing, China), HRP-Conjugated AffiniPure Goat Anti-Rabbit IgG (1:2000, ZSGB-BIO, Beijing, China).
4.7. Clonal Growth Assay
------------------------
Clonal growth assay were performed using 1 × 10^3^ and 5 × 10^2^ cells for 100 mm and 60 mm dishes respectively. After the indicated treatment, the cells were seeded in the dishes and changed for fresh medium every 3 days. 7 to 10 days later, visible colonies were fixed and stained with crystal violet staining solution (Beyotime, Shanghai, China).
4.8. Xenograft Mouse Model
--------------------------
Female BALB/c nude mice with 3--4 weeks old were purchased from SLAC LABORATORY ANIMAL, China. 5 × 10^6^ A549 cells were injected into the dorsal of the mice, the body weight of the mice and the tumor size were recorded every 3 days. Tumor size was measured using calipers, and volumes were calculated using the following formula: volume (mm^3^) = length × width × width/2. At the third day after the A549 cells injected into the mice, 14 mice were randomized into two groups (7 mice/group) for the following treatments: group1, vehicle; group2, EGCG and curcumin (20 mg/kg, respectively). All agents were administered every other day for 4 weeks through intraperitoneal injection. All animal experiments were performed according to procedures approved by The Center for Hygienic Analysis and Detection.
4.9. Immunohistochemistry Staining
----------------------------------
Immunohistochemistry staining was performed by Department of pathology, Nanjing Medical College Affiliated Nanjing Hospital. The results of immunohistochemistry staining were analyzed by Image-Pro Plus software (Version 6.0, Media Cybernetics, Bethesda, MD, USA).
4.10. Statistical Methods
-------------------------
Data were presented as the mean ± standard deviation (SD). To assess the statistical significance of differences, student′s *t* test was performed. The data were considered statistically significant when the *p* value was less than 0.05.
5. Conclusions
==============
In the current study, we found that at a low concentration, the suppression of growth of the NSCLC cells mostly lied on the enhanced cell cycle arrest, instead of inducing apoptosis reported before. We also evaluated the possibility that the two natural compounds as a cancer chemoprevention agent in the A549 xenograft nude mouse model. Considering the poor absorption and low bioavailability of curcumin in clinical trials, we especially focused on a much lower concentration. It was suggested that even at this concentration, EGCG and curcumin could slow down the tumor progression significantly without any serious side effects before tumorigenesis. All these results suggest that EGCG in combination with curcumin could be a candidate for chemoprevention of NSCLC. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the enhanced chemopreventive effect caused by EGCG in combination with curcumin in NSCLC cells.
Supplementary Information
=========================
This work was supported by Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (NO. BK2009421), National Natural Science Foundation (NO. 30972479), and foundation from Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
{#f1-ijms-14-12023}
{#f2-ijms-14-12023}
{#f3-ijms-14-12023}
{#f4-ijms-14-12023}
{#f5-ijms-14-12023}
{#f6-ijms-14-12023}
|
Q:
Using $.get() to request large files and listening for completion
I am trying to push the contents of a few large JSON files (i.e. at "url1" and "url2" and ~1MB size) to an array (i.e. results). I have tried using several variations of jQuery $.get() and $.ajax() but this either returns a fragment of the requested page or nothing at all even though xhttp was successful.
var urls = ["url1", "url2"];
function getData(urls) {
var results = [];
for (var i = 0; i < urls.length; i++) {
$.get(urls[i], function(data) {
results.push(data);
});
}
var listen = setInterval(function() { // write results to console when done
if (urls.length == results.length) {
clearInterval(listen);
console.log(results);
}
}, 1000);
}
Is there a "proper" way I should be working with large files, or is something just fundamentally wrong with my approach?
A:
https://api.jquery.com/jquery.get/
var jqxhr = $.get( "example.php", function() {
alert( "success" );
})
.done(function() {
alert( "second success" );
})
.fail(function() {
alert( "error" );
})
.always(function() {
alert( "finished" );
});
|
Blair scores career-high 26, UNLV beats New Mexico 74-58
January 23, 2019
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nick Blair scored a career-high 26 points to lead UNLV to a 74-58 victory over New Mexico on Tuesday night for its fourth straight win at home.
UNLV (11-7, 5-1 Mountain West) rebounded from a 106-88 loss at Air Force last Wednesday with consecutive double-digit wins. The Rebels routed San Jose State 94-56 in their last outing, and are 5-1 in conference play for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
Blair was 9 of 14 from the field with four 3-pointers. Kris Clyburn added 14 points for UNLV. Noah Robotham had 11 points and Amauri Hardy added 10.
Vance Jackson scored 16 points for New Mexico (9-10, 3-4), which has lost four of its last five games including an 80-69 defeat at home to the Rebels on January 8. Carlton Bragg and Keith McGee chipped in with 12 points apiece. Bragg had a game-high 12 rebounds.
The Rebels took the lead for good with about seven minutes left in the first half, closing on a 21-9 run for a 39-27 halftime advantage. New Mexico cut the deficit to eight points twice early in the second half but didn’t get closer. |
In article <Efrain-0611951244310001 at ppp-17.ts-5.nyc.idt.net>,
Efrain at soho.ios.com (Efrain Gonzalez) wrote:
> Can anyone recommend a program for Macintosh or Power Macintosh which
> can perform protein sequence analysis and protein alignments? I have
> heard of Macvector from International Biotechnologies Inc, but I can't get
> in touch w/ them. I would like a powerful commercial package. Please
> E-mail any responses. Thank you very muc for your help.
Kodak (Kodak BioImaging?) handles MacVector now. I guess they swallowed up ABI.
We use MacVector 4.5 in the lab (dunno if it's a fat binary or PPC
native). I'm probably not taking advantage of all it's features but I
mostly use it to enter nucleotide sequences and have it proof read back to
me.
I use network BLAST to do sequence database alignments, the new network
Entrez v4.010 will also do database alignments although you only get the
references + sequence (no alignments) and I have used SeqApp/MACAW to
assemble contigs
You could look at the free SeqApp package from Dan Gilbert
<ftp://ftp.bio.indiana.edu/molbio/seqapp/>
Network BLAST, Network Entrez and MACAW are available from
<ftp://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov>.
You do have to register your IP address in order for network BLAST to
work. The same used to apply to network Entrez but they seemed to have
waived that requiremnt for now.
--
Bicycle Crash Test Dummy for Hire
gustilo at pobox.upenn.edu |
Isolation of human mononuclear cell subsets by counterflow centrifugal elutriation (CCE). I. Characterization of B-lymphocyte-, T-lymphocyte-, and monocyte-enriched fractions by flow cytometric analysis.
Rapid separation of large numbers of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells into fractions enriched for B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, or monocytes was accomplished by counterflow centrifugal elutriation (CCE). The first fraction contained 98% of the platelets. Ten additional fractions containing subpopulations of mononuclear cells were collected by sequential increases in the flow rate while maintaining a constant centrifuge speed. Analysis of the fractions using monoclonal antibodies revealed that fraction 2, which was free of esterase-positive monocytes, was highly enriched for B cells. T lymphocytes (OKT3+) were the predominant cell type found in fraction 4. No enrichment for T-lymphocyte-helper (OKT4+) or -suppressor (OKT8+) subpopulations was observed in the lymphocyte containing fractions. Three fractions (7-9), highly enriched for esterase-positive cells, were predominantly OKM1+ monocytes with no evidence of selective separation of monocyte subpopulations. Thus, cell fractions enriched for B cells, T cells, and monocytes could be obtained, by utilizing CCE, in large enough quantities to enable analysis of their functional properties. Of particular interest was the ability to separate small, resting B lymphocytes from monocytes. |
"""
Lambda Bracket Algebras With Basis
AUTHORS:
- Reimundo Heluani (2020-08-21): Initial implementation.
"""
#******************************************************************************
# Copyright (C) 2020 Reimundo Heluani <heluani@potuz.net>
#
# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
# the Free Software Foundation, either version 2 of the License, or
# (at your option) any later version.
# http://www.gnu.org/licenses/
#*****************************************************************************
from sage.categories.category_with_axiom import CategoryWithAxiom_over_base_ring
from sage.categories.graded_modules import GradedModulesCategory
class LambdaBracketAlgebrasWithBasis(CategoryWithAxiom_over_base_ring):
"""
The category of Lambda bracket algebras with basis.
EXAMPLES::
sage: LieConformalAlgebras(QQbar).WithBasis()
Category of Lie conformal algebras with basis over Algebraic Field
"""
class ElementMethods:
def index(self):
"""
The index of this basis element.
EXAMPLES::
sage: V = lie_conformal_algebras.NeveuSchwarz(QQ)
sage: V.inject_variables()
Defining L, G, C
sage: G.T(3).index()
('G', 3)
sage: v = V.an_element(); v
L + G + C
sage: v.index()
Traceback (most recent call last):
...
ValueError: index can only be computed for monomials, got L + G + C
"""
if self.is_zero():
return None
if not self.is_monomial():
raise ValueError ("index can only be computed for "
"monomials, got {}".format(self))
return next(iter(self.monomial_coefficients()))
class FinitelyGeneratedAsLambdaBracketAlgebra(CategoryWithAxiom_over_base_ring):
"""
The category of finitely generated lambda bracket algebras with
basis.
EXAMPLES::
sage: C = LieConformalAlgebras(QQbar)
sage: C.WithBasis().FinitelyGenerated()
Category of finitely generated Lie conformal algebras with basis over Algebraic Field
sage: C.WithBasis().FinitelyGenerated() is C.FinitelyGenerated().WithBasis()
True
"""
class Graded(GradedModulesCategory):
"""
The category of H-graded finitely generated lambda bracket
algebras with basis.
EXAMPLES::
sage: LieConformalAlgebras(QQbar).WithBasis().FinitelyGenerated().Graded()
Category of H-graded finitely generated Lie conformal algebras with basis over Algebraic Field
"""
class ParentMethods:
def degree_on_basis(self, m):
r"""
Return the degree of the basis element indexed by ``m``
in ``self``.
EXAMPLES::
sage: V = lie_conformal_algebras.Virasoro(QQ)
sage: V.degree_on_basis(('L',2))
4
"""
if m[0] in self._central_elements:
return 0
return self._weights[self._index_to_pos[m[0]]] + m[1]
|
Q:
Changing marker size by zoom in Leaflet?
I get stuck with changing my marker's size when zoom changes in my Leaflet code.
It's a simple map with a metro stations overlay coming from an ArcGIS Server. The markers are coming from that same source.
The code is as follow:
<html>
<head>
<meta charset=utf-8 />
<title>Simple FeatureLayer</title>
<meta name='viewport' content='initial-scale=1,maximum-scale=1,user-scalable=no' />
<!-- Load Leaflet from CDN-->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn.leafletjs.com/leaflet-0.7.3/leaflet.css" />
<script src="http://cdn.leafletjs.com/leaflet-0.7.3/leaflet.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/font-awesome/4.2.0/css/font-awesome.min.css">
<!-- Load Esri Leaflet from CDN -->
<script src="http://cdn-geoweb.s3.amazonaws.com/esri-leaflet/1.0.0-rc.5/esri-leaflet.js"></script>
<style>
body {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
}
#map {
position: absolute;
top: 0;
bottom: 0;
right: 0;
left: 0;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div id="map"></div>
<script>
var map = L.map('map').setView([51, 7], 13);
L.esri.basemapLayer('Streets').addTo(map);
var iconFs = L.icon({
iconUrl: 'http://files.softicons.com/download/system-icons/web0.2ama-icons-by-chrfb/png/48x48/Maps%20-%20U-Tube.png',
iconSize: [48, 48],
iconAnchor: [20, 20]
});
L.esri.featureLayer('http://geoportal1.stadt-koeln.de/ArcGIS/rest/services/WebVerkehr_Data/MapServer/8', {
useCors: false,
pointToLayer: function(feature, latlng) {
return L.marker(latlng, {
icon: iconFs
});
}
}).addTo(map);
</script>
</body>
</html>
I would be very glad if someone's got an idea to solve it.
A:
you can add a zoom listener to your map to change the icons at different zoom levels. Here is a simplified example. You can change the conditions and icons to fit your project:
<html>
<head>
<meta charset=utf-8 />
<title>Simple FeatureLayer</title>
<meta name='viewport' content='initial-scale=1,maximum-scale=1,user-scalable=no' />
<!-- Load Leaflet from CDN-->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn.leafletjs.com/leaflet-0.7.3/leaflet.css" />
<script src="http://cdn.leafletjs.com/leaflet-0.7.3/leaflet.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/font-awesome/4.2.0/css/font-awesome.min.css">
<!-- Load Esri Leaflet from CDN -->
<script src="http://cdn-geoweb.s3.amazonaws.com/esri-leaflet/1.0.0-rc.5/esri-leaflet.js"></script>
<style>
body {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
}
#map {
position: absolute;
top: 0;
bottom: 0;
right: 0;
left: 0;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div id="map"></div>
<script>
var map = L.map('map').setView([51, 7], 13);
L.esri.basemapLayer('Streets').addTo(map);
var iconFs = L.icon({
iconUrl: 'http://files.softicons.com/download/system-icons/web0.2ama-icons-by-chrfb/png/48x48/Maps%20-%20U-Tube.png',
iconSize: [48, 48],
iconAnchor: [20, 20]
});
var iconFs2 = L.icon({
iconUrl: 'http://files.softicons.com/download/system-icons/web0.2ama-icons-by-chrfb/png/48x48/Maps%20-%20U-Tube.png',
iconSize: [25, 25],
iconAnchor: [10, 10]
});
var icons = L.esri.featureLayer('http://geoportal1.stadt-koeln.de/ArcGIS/rest/services/WebVerkehr_Data/MapServer/8', {
useCors: false,
pointToLayer: function(feature, latlng) {
return L.marker(latlng, {
icon: iconFs
});
}
}).addTo(map);
var icons2 = L.esri.featureLayer('http://geoportal1.stadt-koeln.de/ArcGIS/rest/services/WebVerkehr_Data/MapServer/8', {
useCors: false,
pointToLayer: function(feature, latlng) {
return L.marker(latlng, {
icon: iconFs2
});
}
});
map.on('zoomend', function() {
var currentZoom = map.getZoom();
if (currentZoom > 15) {
map.removeLayer(icons);
map.addLayer(icons2);
}
})
</script>
</body></html>
|
A high-profile murder case throws two legal eagles, one a seasoned professional and the other an idealistic rookie, into the media spotlight. An actress charged with murder seeks the counsel of a celebrity attorney who knows that trials are ultimately won int he court of public opinion. To ensure his client's victory, he hatches a plan to put a young, inexperienced attorney on the line and save his client's neck. Seduced by the swirl of public opinion, the front soon finds himself pursued by a relentless tabloid reporter, forcing him to decide whether achieving his end is worth the sacrifice. |
This version is based on the printed bill that was distributed in the Legislature after First Reading.
It is not the official version. If accuracy is critical, you can obtain a copy of the printed bill from Statutory Publications or view the online bilingual version (PDF).
2 The following is added after section 47.1 and before the centred heading that follows it:
Reporting to the principal
47.1.1(1) The following persons must, if they become aware that a pupil of a school may have engaged in unacceptable conduct while at school, at a prescribed school-approved activity or in other prescribed circumstances, report the matter to the principal of the school as soon as reasonably possible:
(a) an employee of a school board, school division or school district;
(b) a person who has care and charge of one or more pupils during the prescribed school-approved activity.
Principal to notify parent or guardian
47.1.1(2) Subject to the regulations, if the principal believes that a pupil of the school has been harmed as a result of the unacceptable conduct, the principal must, as soon as reasonably possible, notify the pupil's parent or guardian.
Content of notice
47.1.1(3) When notifying a parent or guardian under subsection (2), the principal must provide the following information:
(a) the nature of the unacceptable conduct that resulted in harm to the pupil;
(b) the nature of the harm to the pupil;
(c) the steps taken to protect the pupil's safety, including the nature of any disciplinary measures taken in response to the unacceptable conduct.
Limitation re personal information
47.1.1(4) When notifying a parent or guardian under subsection (2), the principal must not disclose the name of or any other identifying or personal information about a pupil who engaged in the unacceptable conduct, except in so far as is necessary to comply with subsection (3).
Additional obligation
47.1.1(5) An obligation to make a report respecting unacceptable conduct under this section is in addition to, and not in derogation of, the obligation to report unacceptable conduct under any other enactment.
Under this Bill, a school employee, or a person in charge of pupils during school-approved activities, must make a report to the principal if they think a pupil has engaged in bullying or other unacceptable conduct.
A principal who believes that a pupil has been harmed by the unacceptable conduct must notify the pupil's parent or guardian. Exceptions to this requirement may be made by regulation.
Unacceptable conduct is defined to mean abusing another pupil physically, sexually or psychologically and bullying, including cyber-bullying. |
Q:
Have object being displaced, want to randomize time of displacement within set parameters, then loop that
I have a transformation (force applied moves object) happening initially, and then the user responds to it with the DownArrow. I want that initial transform.up to happen at random times within a set interval, and for that to loop over and over, so that the user can continue to respond to it.
using UnityEngine;
using System.Collections;
public class thingBumps : MonoBehaviour {
public float thrust;
public Rigidbody rb;
void Start() {
rb = GetComponent<Rigidbody>();
}
void FixedUpdate()
{
rb.AddForce (transform.up * thrust, ForceMode.Impulse);
if (Input.GetKey(KeyCode.DownArrow))
rb.AddForce(-transform.up * thrust,ForceMode.Impulse);
}
}
I have tried Coroutines and also InvokeRepeating but I am having a very hard time and I have read every thread on the topic. I just want that first transform.up to repeat at random time intervals so the user can continue to respond to it (with their own transform.up transformation). Does anyone know how to do this?
I appreciate any advice.
A:
I suppose that you want to 'kick' object at random times. You can do that with a bit of scripting. Schedule next kick like this:
public class thingBumps : MonoBehaviour {
public float thrust = 10; // give some default value
Rigidbody rb;// you dont need it to be public
float nextKick = 0;
float kickTimer = 0;
public float MinKickTime=1, MaxKickTime=10;//seconds
void Start() {
rb = GetComponent<Rigidbody>();
nextKick = Random.Range(MinKickTime,MaxKickTime);
}
void FixedUpdate()
{
kickTimer+=Time.fixedDeltaTime;
if(kickTimer>nextKick)
{
rb.AddForce (transform.up * thrust, ForceMode.Impulse);
kickTimer=0;
nextKick = Random.Range(MinKickTime,MaxKickTime);
}
if (Input.GetKey(KeyCode.DownArrow))
rb.AddForce(-transform.up * thrust,ForceMode.Impulse);
}
}
Links:
Random.Range
Time.fixedDeltaTime
|
By Peter Heck
Black lives matter ”“ unless they are black men who have endured discrimination both before and during the modern civil rights movement, managed to overcome racism and mistreatment, suffered through absurd allegations of sexual harassment that were drummed up and given embarrassing national media coverage by white men, managed to become the most powerful black political figure in America, author over 500 Supreme Court opinions, and through it all maintain a quiet dignity that is almost unparalleled in our history.
By now, most are aware that the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History will be including items like shoes and a game-worn jersey of national anthem protestor Colin Kaepernick in their Black Lives Matter exhibit. To me, that isn’t the issue. A museum of African American history, if it’s going to exist separately and segregated from the Museum of American History, would logically include key figures in movements (like Black Lives Matter) that chronicle the experiences of significant numbers of black Americans.
The sin of this museum isn’t one of including Kaepernick, but of doing so while omitting Thomas ”“ objectively a far more influential and consequential figure in the history of African Americans. This Smithsonian slight should be enough to spur marching in the streets. It should prompt investigative reporting to uncover and expose the corrupt degenerates responsible for this racist error. It should generate a national outcry about the preposterous witch-hunt that continues against this black man because he dared to leave the liberal thought plantation years ago. Because Clarence Thomas is a black conservative, white liberals that control the sophisticated parts of our culture like media and academia have determined he isn’t “truly black,” and therefore is unworthy of proper distinction.
Make sure you follow that ”“ arrogant lily-white liberals use their privileged position of influence to prevent the appropriate veneration and recognition of a black man simply because he won’t think like they tell him he should. This is why the left’s complaints about “racial justice” are so tired and meaningless. It isn’t about celebrating racial diversity to the left; it’s about advancing liberal politics under a façade of poll-tested terminology. If you doubt that, explain this:
“Justice Thomas is the longest-serving black justice in our history, he’s amassed over 500 opinions,” said Mark Paoletta, a longtime friend who helped shepherd his nomination as a White House lawyer. “And yet you would learn nothing of that in this museum, and that’s a shame.”
.
What the museum does have is a prominent display of Anita Hill, who accused Thomas of creating a hostile work environment while her supervisor at a federal agency. She outlined her allegations during Thomas’ 1991 confirmation hearings, and the candid discussion rocked the nation. The museum panel has a picture of Hill speaking, with the caption, “Her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee provoked serious debates on sexual harassment, race loyalty, and gender roles.”
.
Another section notes, “Outraged by Hill’s treatment by the all-male Senate committee, women’s groups organized campaigns to elect more women to public office.” The exhibit also includes a pink button from the era: “I believe Anita Hill.” But it contains no pictures, quotes or memorabilia from the justice himself.
That is the unconscionable reality of liberal cowards who feign interest in honoring black achievement and contribution to American society when the truth is that they are interested in honoring blacks who have pushed a liberal agenda. And if a black man dares to think differently than what Thomas calls the “old order” of white liberals, he is vilified, maligned, and excluded from the honor he has earned.
Until that historical and cultural malpractice receives its due outrage from you, don’t pretend you think that black lives matter. |
The Best Investment on Earth is Earth
When it comes to purchasing properties, people usually look at the location, price and the possession date. These, without any doubt, are important parameters for shortlisting real estate; however there are many other important things to check for before you finalize the deal. So, if you are looking to buy a flat in Chennai, here are 13 important things you must check before finalizing the purchase.
1. Sale deed
Sale deed tops the list of documents that you need to verify before you buy a flat. Sale deed is the core legal registered document. This document acts a proof of sale and transfer of the property. Also, it is advised that you read it thoroughly and check all the terms and conditions before signing the sale deed.
2. Construction Clearances
For commencement of construction of any property, a “certificate of commencement” is mandatory. This certificate is issued by the town planning engineering department after the inspection of the building’s foundation for the superstructure and its boundaries. The certificate also means that required licenses and permissions have been obtained by the real estate developer.
3. Approved Planning
It is always good to run an additional check to verify that the building plan as well as the layout plan has been approved by the proper authority. This will ensure also that no by-law applicable was broken. When verifying the approvals, ensure that the floor where you have booked the flat has been approved in the building plan.
4. Land Use Certificate
When you buy a flat, a lot of documents need verification. One such document is Land Use Certificate. It is illegal to have a residential property on a commercial or industrial zone, so it becomes necessary to check the certificate to ensure that when you buy a flat in Chennai, it is in the residential zone. Chennai is expending and often agricultural land is converted for non-residential usage by paying a stipulated fee to concerned authority. To ensure that they are no discrepancies, check for the order issued by the tehsildar or the deputy commissioner of the zone, licensing residential construction on that land.
5. No Objection Certificates (NOCs)
The real estate developer should also be able to provide you with copies of the urban land ceiling NOC, environment NOC, as well as NOCs from the electricity and water authority.
6. Banks Financing the Project
Real Estate companies are sitting on unsold inventory and do not have finance to complete their projects. This has led to banks becoming wary of financing new projects. There are many projects where you won’t able to get a bank loan at all. So, once the deal has been struck to buy a flat, find out the banks which are ready to provide the loan and choose the one offering loan at the lowest rate.
7. Calculate the Cost
Most of the times when you buy a flat in Chennai, the price mentioned is the basic cost, and other factors such as the development fees, preferential location charges, parking charges, club charges and service tax come forward when you decide to seal the deal. All these will add up to make the total cost of the property.
8. Check the Builder’s Credential
It is always good to check the builder’s credential. You could do a general verification of the real estate developer by checking the past or current projects or even posting queries on the various online real estate forums.
9. Buy or Rent
Most people buy a flat thinking that they will use rents derived from the property to pay for the EMIs. However, many experts agree that it is a wrong approach. Thinking that rent from the property will help pay EMI is not the right approach as rental yield on residential properties is around 2-3 per cent. Moreover, there is a chance that property will remain vacant for months before you find a tenant.
10. The Right Payment Plan
To pay for the flat, there are a number of payment options available in market. These include down-payment plan, flexi-payment plan, construction-linked plan and possession linked plan. The payment plan must be chosen carefully as there are hidden costs for every convenience.
11. Size of the Flat
Real estate developers generally mention the super built-up area in the brochure. The super built-up includes the common area such as staircase, lobby, etc. The carpet area of the flat could be actually 30 per cent less than the one mentioned in the super built-up area.
12. Check the Infrastructure around the Site
Metro connectivity or other planned infrastructure development near the location of the real estate you intent to invest in can boost the return on investment tremendously. Also, make sure that the property is not close to any polluting industry.
13. Check the Site
The layout mentioned on the internet or the brochure could be completely different from the reality. So, it is better to do visit the site before you make any booking. Interact with those living in the neighborhood as they might be aware of any legal dispute related to the site.
If you are still circumspect about buying a flat in Chennai, you can take professional help. You can get opinion from a lawyer specializing in property transactions and get all the important documents verified. |
Thailand's Peace and Reconciliation panel urges new agencies to resolve unrest in South
BANGKOK, June 5 (TNA) - Thailand's government-appointed independent panel assessing the ongoing insurgency in the country's Muslim-majority southernmost provinces urged the government on Monday to create new bodies to follow with its core mission to bring peace where there is no peace.
In high hopes that it will provide a solution to the two-year old renewed violence in insurgency-plagued southern border region which has claimed more than 1,200 lives, Thailand's National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) submitted its report to a government which is perceived by critics as not being successful in addressing the problem.
Speaking at a news conference held here at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Anand Panyarachun, a former prime minister and head of the NRC, said the report predicts a bleak future for the troubled region, warning that the ongoing violence would likely continue unabated in the near future, considering the current circumstances.
In findings submitted to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Monday, the National Reconciliation Commission (a panel of academics, religious leaders, politicians and lawyers), appointed to identify the key factors behind the violence in the South, said it is necessary for the government to issue new laws to restore peace and community well-being in response to the ongoing violence through newly-created independent agencies.
The structure of the recommended new state-funded bodies would be similar that which Mr. Thaksin disbanded shortly after taking office in 2001, said Dr. Prawes Wasi, an NRC member.
Two bodies, the Peaceful Strategic Administrative Centre and the Development Council for Southern Border Provinces, would be responsible for promoting and ensuring justice in the region and to coordinate the policies and programmes of appropriate agencies with a unified chain of command.
They will also promote local participation in the development process, the report said.
Mr. Anand told journalists that after 12-months of study his team had concluded that the root causes of the southern problems were poverty, a lack of development, cultural differences and the failure of the justice system.
To restore normalcy to the region, the NRC report also recommended measures for urgent implementation, including combined forces of police, military and unarmed civilians to prevent the current low-level insurgency from escalating into larger crisis, seeking peaceful negotiation with insurgents. The report also said that state officials who abuse their authority must be punished.
To achieve an enduring peaceful solution, the NRC asked the government to resolve problems of unemployment and to overhaul the justice system, as well as using the Pattani dialect of the Malayu language as a language and cultural resource to reduce the communication barriers between villagers and local authorities.
However, the respected former premier conceded that the report was non-binding, and whether the recommendations would be implemented or not was up to the incumbent government.
The NRC, Mr. Anand said, will cease to exist after its mission has been acccomplished. |
Some consumers desire a themed bedroom specifically for kids who might desire a fantasy bedroom or asing per the similarity their superheroes. Grownups might have changing styles for their bed rooms relying on event and state of minds. Hence, there would need to be numerous bedding sets readily available in the linen establishment at home for the fast modification.
Many of those alternate alternatives are made of synthetic materials that mimic the appear and feel of down. Primaloft Comforters, for example, are produced from a hypoallergenic synthetic material that has actually confirmed being a close to match to along in heat and comfort. Primaloft Comforters are conveniently offered On the Company Shop, Eddie Bauer and Property’s Stop.
How Better Sheets Will Help You Earn More Money
Then once again, what could be more luxurious than 100 % Mulberry silk as a filling for a duvet? Silk duvets are readily available in 2 weights, firstly the 200g summer season weight equivalent to a 4 tog which is perfect for hot summer season nights or for those who prefer to be kept cool. Secondly there is the ‘all seasons’ 400g weight equivalent to an 8 tog which is ideal for lot of people all year round, light enough for summer season and warm enough for winter season in a centrally heated house. For adaptability, the light silk duvet may be buttoned together with the ‘all seasons’ weight silk duvet, for included warmth in winter season. Mulberry silk duvets even come complete with a little inspection zip, discretely stitched into them, merely so the buyer may check the long white silk fibers!
The measurement of warmth per unit quilt is called a Tog. The rating is carried out in a lab and utilizes a quilt on a flat surface area. It is essential to bear in mind how the quilt drapes around you and in this case you should have the ability to mark whether you are on a flat ground surface area.
To begin of with, enter factor to consider the fat when choosing on comforter sets vs bedspread setsas opposed to quilts. Quilts usually are fairly big and for that reason are much less fit for calme environment places which similarly symbolizes that they’re not really produced for very a lot any southern regional environment. Bed comforters might be present in various thicknesses, no matter what temperature you might be staying in. Bedspreads are likely to end up being remarkable and need additional deals with all from the winter months.
One Reason Everything You Know About Baby Girl Crib Sheets Is A Lie
When considering comforter sets, back support pillows and also bed coverlets, just take into consideration just how much time and in addition particularly exactly how simple it’s going to be to suit your needs to make up your bed. Comforters with each other with quilts gain from the benefit of being incredibly simple to easily just pull up and toss every thing in position. Bedspreads obviously genuinely need just take a lot longer to be comprised appropriately each and every day. That’s the reason bedspreads do just wonderful in a really additional bed room precisely due to the fact that the bed does not should be produced up on typical basis.
One of the essential actions to make sure an euphoric and comfy sleep is generally to choose a great duvet. Nevertheless, for the preferred outcomes, it’s crucial to select a suitable duvet. While a great duvet can help you enjoy tranquil sleep, a bad one may make you uncomfortable and take your sleep away. Here is exactly how you might make the very best option of duvet.
There is absolutely nothing rather like the ideal lie in on a Sunday morning. After a long, tough week at work it is a Sunday morning relaxing with the national paper and breakfast in bed that all of us look forward to. To make your stay in bed much more comfy, a knowledgeable seller allows you to buy the most soft and extravagant down duvets in a variety of various sizes.
The Real Guide To Sheets
Coverlets can be broadly identified into 2 types, woven and quilted. Both the types serve similar functions, though they are various from each other in design and thickness. You can better comprehend this with the following offered description.
If you’ve bought a high quality duvet, why not keep it looking wonderful with high quality cotton duvet covers? The variety readily available on the high street and online is endless and you’ll be bound to find one which works for your room and adds that touch of course your room might need.
A light weight duvet is your very best option if you are planning to enjoy undisturbed sleep. Different duvets have diverse fillings that eventually ascertain its all round weight. Amongst lots of available possibilities, the goose down filled duvet is amongst the most comfortable. And, while goose down is one of the most pricey duvet fillings, it is actually worth it. It’s robust as well as works as a great insulator. While this certain duvet variety can be used by nearly any person; individuals suffering from pain in the back could benefit most from it.
Will You Really Need New Sheets?
On the other hand, a comforter can be washed with ease and together with the other bed linen. Like duvets, comforters too have sham covers that are offered in sets to match with pillows. Being the major bedspread, individuals who like altering the look of their Baby Girl Crib Sheets can find numerous appealing comforter and pillow cover sets in numerous patterns and colors. The covers can be washed without any special care.
Southwest bedspreads are admired for their wonderful color and fabric however likewise for their geometric patterns. These Native American designs have actually been used for centuries in all types of fabrics. The Navajo were especially keen on the geometric designs utilizing them in their habit sand paintings in addition to rugs and blankets. Exactly what was as soon as finished with hand spun cotton thread or carded wool has now been updated and we see lovely soft modern-day products with rich vibrant colors that the very early weavers could just envision.
Where goose down can verify thick and the filling does tend to circumnavigate the bedding, natural silk filled duvets do not have these qualities. The silk is considerably lighter than down, while providing greater warmth retention. This implies that even on the coldest nights you do not need to suffocate yourself with a massive duvet. It is also easier to make and requires less effort to get comfortable when you’re in bed.
Because the wild Eider Duck is a protected bird, to receive down originating from these birds minor amounts will be extracted from their particular nests when the bird is moulting Every single handful of Eider down is plucked from small pockets within the ground precisely where Eider ducks occupy, however it takes huge amounts to produce any king or queen size bed comforter.
Duvets cover come in numerous various styles like solid colors, prints, or reversible alternatives. Likewise, bed sheets linen come in numerous choices too that you may desire. It is essential to have a concept of exactly what duvets cover you are trying to find.
The Five Best Attributes Of Sheets
Bedding that’s particularly made for slightly women now comes in great deals of different shades and patterns so that mother and fathers on a budget plan will definitely be able to find a top quality set that will assist them re-do their child’s room without needing to go back to square one. With a bit of strategic effort, moms and dads can make little changes in the bedroom, such as altering the bedding design, which will thrill their little girl too.
A brand-new comforter may have been in your strategies for a while now. Did you simply add a brand-new visitor room to your home? Perhaps you’re tired of the appearance of your present bedroom. It’s possible you simply want to change the way things look in your own bedroom. You have the desire, and the prices are low. That means there’s no time like the present to check out the many comforters on sale. You’re no doubt interested by the quantity of large amounts readily available. Exactly what’s going on? Exactly what’s causing this rash of comforters on sale?
Silk fabric has the ability to preserve the temperature of the body over the night. It keeps one cool when the temperature is warm exterior and warm when the temperature is cool exterior. Maintaining a more constant temperature throughout the night avoids overheating and permits the body to have actually a more unwinded and sound sleep.
Why You Should Love Your New Baby Girl Crib Sheets
Because a duvet is used as a blanket as well as an option for other bed linens, it is relatively more pricey than a comforter. Some duvets are as big as comforters and can curtain the entire bed and virtually reach the floor. If you favor this type of appearance, make sure you discover bed linens of the very same size.
There are numerous different qualities and style when it concerns the down that is used in a goose down comforter. For example, the goose down comforter might have a blend of goose down and feathers integrated. This can do marvels for the comforter, such as making it firmer for the user. However, there is a failure to utilizing goose feathers and it comes in the type of jabbing your skin because sometimes goose feathers find their means out through the comforter which might lead to some worry.
Several Methods To Get Through Changing Your Sheets
You want the down comforter you acquire to have baffling. Baffling holds the down stuffing in place in the comforter and avoids it from moving around. My very first down comforter didn’t have fully sealed baffles. The filling shifted and I wound up with a comforter that was thin on one side and additional thick on the other. If you want to avoid this, look for comforters that have stitching all the way through. Plus, you can generally look on the bundle and it will say if it has end to end baffles or closed baffles either of these is excellent to purchase.
Luxury bed linens can often times be discovered at reduced rates. All it takes is a bit of time and patience. By waiting around for a sale, you will be able to get the luxury bed linens that suit your needs, for a price that you canafford. Overall, luxury bed linens are a must have for anyone that wants to spruce up their bedroom, while still resting in convenience.
Whether it is for the master suite, children bedroom or visitor rooms, a duvet set are some things that can assist you upgrade the spot easily at all. The likelihoods are endless when you will decide to use the set within the dcor. It is basic to find something which can fit the design related to a bedroom and could even match up the originality of the homeowner. There are appealing looking covers will enhance the general look of the bedroom and enhance your sleep quality. Discover the very best discount available using the internet.
Nevertheless, you’ll commence to recognize that king comfortersets, not to explain their quilt and bedspread counter elements, are a wonderful offer more expensive as compared with the higher compact versions. You are going to definitely commit a lot less above the prolonged haul by selecting these more expensive collections to decorate your bed room.
When you have actually discovered precisely what you are looking for and with a business that you can trust, you simply may want to consider searching for a new bedding set for every bed in our home. They make excellent residence warming gifts and presents for the holidays. As you start to discover all of the different options, you will observe that you can consider lots of people who may take pleasure in brand-new bedroom bedding sets.
Why You Need To Replace Sheets Every Three Years
With comforters, you have the choice of picking from a large range of designs, so it is best to choose a comforter that attract your teen. Try try out colors, and select from bright flower, striped and checkered prints to spruce-up your teen’s bed. |
Boosting Central Asian Gas
Gas from Turkmenistan is transported via a pipeline that avoids Kyrgyzstan, enters China at the Alataw Pass in Xinjiang, and connects to the West–East Gas Pipeline, where it continues to Shanghai.
RFA
A surge in China's gas imports from Central Asia may sink Russia's chances to land a competing energy deal with Beijing.
On Nov. 30, China reached an agreement that would more than triple its imports from Turkmenistan over this year's planned level "in the near future," state media reported.
The deal signed by President Hu Jintao and Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov would boost gas deliveries to 65 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year from the current commitment of 40 bcm and this year's planned imports of 17 bcm.
The volume represents about 60 percent of China's total gas consumption in 2010. The increase is expected in 2014-15, Russia's daily Kommersant said.
"Turkmenistan regards China as a priority partner, with which relations are being built on a strategic basis and for the long term," said Berdymukhammedov, according to the Interfax news agency. The two sides "are working on further growth in supplies of Turkmen gas to China," he said.
The deal signed during Berdymukhammedov's four-day visit to China marks another major step in regional energy trade since the 2,000-kilometer (1,242-mile) Central Asian Gas Pipeline from Turkmenistan opened in December 2009.
At a ceremony in the coastal city of Shenzhen, the Turkmen leader hailed the arrival of gas in Guangdong province on China's second West-East Pipeline, a route stretching an additional 4,945 kilometers.
Edward Chow, senior fellow for energy and national security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said that gas at the eastern end of the line may not actually be from Turkmenistan, but the length is impressive nonetheless.
Bypassing Russia
The agreement for added supplies also stands in sharp contrast to China's stalled talks on gas imports from Russia, which have dragged on for years.
Since 2006, Russia's Gazprom has missed a series of deadlines for a deal to deliver 68 bcm per year to China through two pipelines from Siberia.
Despite many hopeful statements, the two sides have been unable to agree on a price. But Chow said price is not the only problem. Turkmenistan has been open to China's investment in its energy sector, while Russia has been relatively closed.
"The difference is that the Chinese perceive they are welcome in Turkmenistan, and they're not in Russia," Chow told RFA. "In Russia so far, those kinds of equity opportunities are not available to China. So, from the Chinese point of view, the two supply sources are fundamentally different."
But Gazprom seems to be sticking with a "take it or leave it" position in talks with China National Petroleum Corp., the state-owned company which is also importing from Central Asia.
"Our partners know our offers," Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller told Interfax when asked if he would lower Russia's price demands in response to Turkmen competition. The new agreement "will not affect our conditions in any way," he said.
Russia has been demanding the equivalent of European prices for gas supplies to China with adjustments for distance and transport costs. The arguments have only succeeded in elevating Central Asia's appeal.
"They haven't made a lot of headway in recent years, in spite of very strong rhetoric stating their intention of expanding into China," said Chow.
The rapid growth in imports from Turkmenistan suggests that China may be planning to do without Russian gas altogether.
"From the short to medium-term point of view, I think that's the conclusion China has reached," Chow said. "They don't so desperately need Russian gas that they should make a lot of concessions today, which is why there's no agreement."
Even in the longer term, there are signs that China can meet its needs without Russian gas.
In its annual World Energy Outlook, the Paris-based International Energy Agency predicts that China's demand for the clean-burning fuel will soar to 435 bcm per year in 2030.
But according to a new forecast from the Ministry of Land and Resources, China's domestic production will hit 300 bcm by then, which leaves a relatively small gap to be filled by imports from Central Asia and other sources, including liquid natural gas shipments from overseas. |
09 February 2008
The current buzz among diabetic experts this week is the puzzling results observed from the ACCORD Trial, or more lengthily known as the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes. I even got an email from my good friend, Jay, who was equally surprised, and is very concerned why diabetics who are trying to lower their blood sugar will suddenly die.
Jay, along with other health-conscious diabetics around the world, has every reason to be alarmed. The conventional wisdom in diabetes management is that the lower the blood sugar, the better it is. Why then, did 257 people enrolled in the study die unexpectedly, when they were under a strict and very intensive treatment program to lower their blood sugar?
Before answering that question, let's have a brief background about theACCORD Trial....
It is a large clinical study involving 10,251 adults (average age of 62) from the US and Canada, with established type 2 diabetes who are at especially high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
WHY does the study seek to test the 3 treatment approaches? Because previous clinical studies have shown that both blood sugar lowering and blood pressure lowering reduce diabetic complications involving the eye, kidney, and nerves, and statin treatment lowers CVD events like stroke and heart attacks, researchers would like to know if aggressive treatment modalities can lengthen and improve the lives of affected patients.
Differentiating between aggressive and standard treatment targets: In the ACCORD Trial, the standard treatment group were treated to a target A1C level of 7 to 7.9percent, while for those in the aggressive blood sugar treatment group, the target is to achieve an A1C of less than 6 percent, a level of blood sugar that is similar to that of a person without diabetes.
What was so alarming about current results? After almost four years of treatment, 257 participants in the aggressive treatment group died, compared with 203 within the standard-treatment group.
Should Jay and other diabetics be alarmed with these findings? Nothing can be more frustrating than having all your "sacrifices" (read as boring and tasteless diets, exercising regularly, and religiously taking your prescribed medicine). My friend Jay is one of those obedient patients. Telling him that everything he does to remain healthy is useless will surely disappoint him, and may send him backsliding to his old unhealthy lifestyle before.
The answer is NO. There is no need to be alarmed.
Reasons why Jay should not worry about the ACCORD Trial results:
The deaths that occurred were under an experimental diabetic treatment approach --- lowering blood sugar to an A1C of less than 6 percent --- which is very aggressive in my opinion. I am sure Jay's doctor is only using the standard regimen on him. The aggressive treatment might have taxed the trial's subjects too much. Imagine taking four shots of insulin and three pills and checking their blood-sugar levels four times a day! Too much stress kills, remember? How much more in patients who were very vulnerable?
The yearly death rates for both standard and aggressive treatment groups are 1.4 percent and 1.1 percent respectively, which are still way, way below the 5 percent typical of other diabetic patients at similarly high risk. This means that generally speaking, the diabetic treatment protocols still are better than not getting any treatment at all.
The mean age of the participants is 62, and are not only type 2 diabetics but are also selected to be included in the study because of their "especially high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD)." Jay is 40, has controlled blood sugar, controlled blood pressure, has stopped smoking, and is not obese. He exercises regularly and even ran his first marathon weeks ago.
In my practice, my treatment strategy had always been conservative. I resort to aggressive strategies only when there's an emergent need for it. I have always believed that the human body is not used to abrupt rollercoaster-ups-and-downs. During disease states, its ability to adapt becomes even more compromised. Going slow might be the more prudent approach. Instant and abrupt cures might cause more harm than benefit, as we have seen from the latest ACCORD Trial results.
_______________
UPDATE: The ADVANCE Trial, a similar prospective study like ACCORD conducted on more than 11,000 patients from Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia (including the Philippines), did NOT find a similar increase in deaths among patients receiving the most intense therapy for 5 years (average).
thank you very much for the very informative post. i did learn a lot from it as i always do learn a lot from you.
my doctor has actually required me to have an A1C level of below 6.0 and has been monitoring this like a hawk ever since i started seeing her two years ago.
i have met it most of the time with a few relapses (over 6 A1C) once a year.
personally, i am not worried about myself because i am not taking any medication. my main diabetes "medicine" is exercise and diet and so far it has worked.
my blood sugar level is around 120 everytime i measure myself in the morning. i know it's over normal but i am not overly concerned about it. perhaps that's why i am still alive - the study suggests that the stress of trying to stay normal is one of the reasons why people die.
i am concerned about jet though because she does take a lot of meds for her diabetes. i'll make her read your post. she has an appoinment with her doctor next week and i want her to talk about this with him.
While I am not a diabetic, I am aware that I am a pre-diabetic, having both parents who have the condition.
I have avoided taking canned drinks for years now and I try to limit my intake of carbs. But there were occasions when I felt an onset of cold sweat, probably indicating a condition of insufficient blood sugar. Whenever I feel this, I try to take a beverage drink or eat something.
Is this an indication of sugar level fluctuations that can lead to diabetes?
BATJAY - For me, an A1C of between 6 and 6.5 is still ideal. I don't really require my diabetic patients to go lower than this range. Regarding Jet, I am worried about her , too. Her nightly duties can be stressful. I know it is difficult, but I think she should consider making time for some form of regular exercise. I agree with your opinion that in some patients, exercise can replace taking medicines. I have one patient myself who is like that. So far, his blood sugar levels are well-controlled. Thank you for your email again and please take good care of Jet.
BAYI - Hello! How are you doing?Regarding your question --- blood sugar levels always fluctuate, even in a normal person. The problem arises when the body isn't able to cope with these changes. As long as the body can handle it, there is no problem. The answer to your question is...not necessarily. To be on the safe side, we do our best not to miss out on any major meals , eat 6 small meals daily and exercise regularly.
Questions??
Readers
Mabuhay!
Visit When Possible
DISCLAIMER
Information found here is the author's opinion and should not be used as replacement for the medical advice of your personal physician. If you feel sick and you feel it is an emergency, consult your physician or the nearest hospital immediately. Your physician is STILL the best person who can manage you medically. |
Wolfgang Streeck is sociologist and political economist, whose latest works “Buying Time” (2013) and “How Will Capitalism End” (2016) have made key contributions to the revival of crisis theory. Drawing widely on classics from Schumpeter, Polanyi and Marx, Streeck offers an account of the lineage of democracy, capitalism and the state since the post-war period, identifying the deeply de-democratising and self-destructive trajectory in contemporary capitalist development. Against liberal received wisdom, Streeck argues that democracy and capitalism are anything but natural partners or easy bedfellows, but have in fact been in constant historical tension. The post-war social democratic settlement represents an unusual “fix” to this tension that was relatively favourable to the popular classes, or “wage dependent”, parts of the population. However, this fix unravelled in the 70’s as the capitalist, or “profit-dependent”, class rediscovered its agency and, with neo-liberal globalisation and financialisation, began to shape a world in its interests.
Streeck argues that these processes are putting in danger not only the existence of democratic politics, which is increasingly circumscribed by the need for states to appease financial markets, but also the future of capitalism itself. Streeck’s vision for what is to come is gloomy. Capitalism continues to erode the social foundations necessary for its own sustenance, as well as the resources needed to collectively construct an alternative order. Institutional and policy fixes to capitalist contradictions are running out. We can expect the result to be the development of an increasingly uncertain and under-institutionalised social order, reminiscent of a Hobbesian state of nature, where individual agency and creativity becomes fundamental to meet basic needs and achieve even minimal goals. Politics offers hope of rupture, but is itself increasingly constrained and defiled by capitalist development and rationality.
In this podcast CURA‘s Adrian Bua talks to Wolfgang about his work on the trajectory of capitalism and democracy. Thank you for your interest. |
Understand yourself and others
Have you ever heard the phrase 'the interpretation of dreams is in fact the royal road to knowledge of the unconscious?' Maybe you've heard about Freud's ‘repetition compulsion’ and the ‘Oedipus complex’, or Jung’s personality types, the ‘introvert’ and ‘extrovert’? Or, did you know we all have a ‘self-regulating psyche’?
At Essex, you learn about these ideas and why they matter, and study psychoanalysis as a theory and method of investigation into the human mind and social world.
What is psychoanalysis?
Sometimes we say things out loud we don't intend to, forget the name of someone we don’t like, or repeat behaviours we don’t consciously intend. According to the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, this is the influence of the unconscious mind revealing our hidden, internal conflicts and underlying concerns.
Psychoanalysis helps develop a deeper awareness of ourselves and others by exploring the influence of the unconscious mind. It's a talking therapy which helps us understand our internal conflicts, take control of thoughts and emotions, and improve our well-being. But psychoanalysis is also a conceptual model used to explore conflicts in society, and how these impact people. For example, we examine film and literature, develop responses to mental health or anti-social behaviour, the problems of childhood, politics, history and religion.
Why? We want to know more about ourselves and others, why we feel and behave as we do. If we can study this then we can also find a way to improve ourselves and the world around us. This is what psychosocial and psychoanalytic studies offers. So, if you're fascinated by relationships and want to make a difference, study psychoanalysis at Essex.
Our graduates go on to have careers that make a difference to people's health and lives.
Our students are extremely happy - we rank highly for student satisfaction (NSS).
We teach in small groups to ensure you feel supported throughout your studies.
“The staff are the best. They’re supportive and want you to succeed as a student, but most importantly as an individual. They don’t want you to just get the work done, they want you to ask questions and explore the unknown.”
Bradley Quinlanba psychoanalytic studies
Your degree
You study the fascinating and sometimes controversial work of Freud, and renowned psychoanalyst Jung, and learn why their ideas about the mind matter.
You explore psychoanalysis as a theory and method of investigation into the mind and the social world, bringing the psyche and the social together.
We delve deeper than conventional psychology, looking at the person as a whole, the emotions we feel and the way we behave in our unconscious mind, in a group and in society. This means we can look at our inner most desires, fantasies and what drives our behaviour so we can improve ourselves and the world around us.
Founded over 20 years ago on the great Essex tradition of interdisciplinarity, we're home to internationally-recognised experts from a range of disciplines within the wider field of ‘depth psychology’. You'll meet them in your lectures and classes, collaborating with them to excel in your studies. We also teach you in small groups, ensuring you're supported by our academics throughout your course. |
Come on in. Our kitchen is always open. At Great American Cookbooks our focus is great recipes. Join us for delicious kitchen-tested recipes in each post. If you try one of the recipes, be sure to leave a comment to let us know what you think. Live, Laugh, Love -- and join us at the kitchen table.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Summertime Mysteries, Bigfoot and Sauerkraut
The big ceramic crock sat a dark corner of our crowded and
dusty utility room. It was a mystery
unsolved by my eight-year-old mind. I was forbidden to ever lift the lid and
could only stare at it, imagining how it would sound and smell if I broke the
rules and raised the top. What would I
find inside? Would it be something good
that my parents weren’t sharing with me?
Or maybe it would be something bad — a tragic family secret long hidden
away from prying eyes. I didn’t learn until many years later what exactly was in that crock.
I’m older now (wink, wink).
I know sauerkraut is made with
cabbage and salt and tastes best when cured in a ceramic crock in a damp, dark
place. The pieces of those long ago
summer days are falling into place.
Mom (left front) with her sister-in-law (The Aunts).
As my
Mom and my aunts would chop endless heads of cabbage, us kids played outside –
where summertime kids belong. There was a shallow creek with a sandy bottom on the property
next door to our house. My brother and I and any number of first cousins would
walk up and down the creek. I made pies
for everyone out of sand, watched the little minnows swim and basically made an
annoyance out of myself.
My brother is two years older, and I was pest. Ask him. He’ll tell you. I
wanted to be a part of their games and their fun, but I couldn’t keep up. And when they didn’t include me because I was
too little, I found endless reasons to go tattle. Any minor infraction was made huge in my
mind. I would tell my Mom about it with indignation and authority and stand
by just waiting for them to get a spanking – they never (okay, rarely)
did.
Easter the year I turned 4 (pre-bigfoot days). That's me left front, Annette on the right, Mickey is in the backbehind me. (You may remember Aunt Alice from another post, that's her carrying the basket and my cousin James just behind Annette.
When my cousin Annette, who is older than Mickey, was at our
house, the two of them barely tolerated me at all. Mom would make them let me tag along so they
would begrudgingly take me on their walks around the neighborhood. When I became too much them to bear, their
fun really started.
Everyone would suddenly STOP! “Did you hear that?”
“What?” I would ask with my eyes big.
“Listen! Mickey, did
you hear it?”
“I heard it,” he would say looking all around like something
was going to jump out of the trees any second.
“What was it?”
“I don’t know, let’s look.”
I didn’t know what was going on. I would try to hold Mickey’s hand and then
Annette’s, but they would just shake me off.
They needed their hands free to solve this new mystery.
A big
production was made of searching around, looking in bushes, watching
the ground. “Oh No!” Mickey would suddenly say.
And as Annette and I came running, I would see it there on
the ground. “What is it?” I whispered.
“It’s a big foot track!
RUN!”
And off I would run as fast as eight-year-old
legs would take me. By then, the
shredded cabbage had been layered in the crock with salt. It had been pushed down as tight as possible
with a heavy plate and something of weight on top. No
clues to the mystery remained. Everything
was cleaned up in the kitchen with hot dogs and Kool-Aid waiting for
lunch.
When, about two weeks later, my
Mom and my Aunts were enjoying the fruits of their labor — Homemade Sauerkraut, I never linked it to the
mystery of the crock. Sauerkraut
stinks! As a child, I tried to stay as
far away from the stuff as possible.
These days, I love good sauerkraut, and homemade is the BEST. A few months
ago, we had an abundance of cabbage from the garden, so I recruited my Mom to
come over and show me how to make my own sauerkraut. I got to see all the secrets that crock
contained.
That's one mystery solved, but
I wonder if anyone ever found that Bigfoot creature?
Homemade Sauerkraut
5 heads shredded cabbage
6 tablespoons plain salt (not
iodized)
Large ceramic crock
Wash, core and shred
cabbage. As each 1 or 2 heads have
been shredded, mix the cabbage well with salt.
Layer the cabbage in the crock, a little at a time, pushing it down as
tightly as possible. When all cabbage is
in the crock, press it all down as tightly has possible. Cover it with a heavy plate, keeping it under
pressure while you add a weight on top (a gallon jug of water works well). Cover with a cloth then wrap with a band
or string to hold the cloth tight. Cover
it all well with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 10 to 14 days or
longer. (We generally do 14 days. But research shows that it can sit for as
long as 6 to 8 weeks. It depends, it
seems, on how long you can wait and your taste preference – the longer
it ferments, the more sour your sauerkraut.)
Fruits, Nuts, and the paleo diet: A match made in heaven?You can eat this meat tossed in a side salad or mixed in with a bowl of fresh berries in the morning. However, your body responds metabolically, that is a digression for another time.
People will generally agitation, nervousness, depression, irritability, acne, sleep problems, restlessness, stress, and more. An alcohol What To Do To Cleanse Your Body can be found in most grocery stores. When I go to work right after their first SUBOXONE dose; however, if you like it.
About Me
Sheila Simmons is passionate about cooking and cookbooks. Her interest in regional recipes was originally born during 18 years with Quail Ridge Press. In 2006, she left to focus her love of publishing on Great American Publishers where she is Publisher and co-owner along with husband Roger Simmons. Sheila lives in Lena, MS with her husband Roger and two sons, Ryan and Nicholas.
Sheila has find an outlet for her regional recipe passion by co-authoring the State Hometown Cookbook Series with Kent Whitaker. Kent and Sheila collect favorite recipes from every state in the country and combine them into state specific cookbooks. The perfect job for two friends who love to talk about and share great recipes. |
Q:
Java Convert Int to Hex and stick it in byte array element
I've started learning a little java, and am trying to accomplish what is likely a very simply task but I'm struggling with it.
Say I have a byte array:
byte[] test = {(byte) 0x0a, (byte) 0x01, (byte) 0x01, (byte) 0x0b};
and I want to change test[3], the last value which is currently the number 11 (0b), to something random.
Random generator = new Random();
int newTest3 = generator.nextInt(255);
So, now I have some random number in newTest3. I want to convert this to hex (FF) and then place that into the last element of test, or test[3].
I couldn't find much to help me on this, and I literally just picked up java a couple hours ago, so any help would be outstanding!
Thanks in advance :)
A:
I don't see why you go over so much trouble.
Use explicit cast as you are already doing :)
when you write:
byte[] test = {(byte) 0x0a, (byte) 0x01, (byte) 0x01, (byte) 0x0b};
0x0a is actually an int which you explicitly cast to a byte. You could do the same with newTest3.
test[3] = (byte) newTest3;
Notice that this kind of cast usually involve loss of data since byte is just 8bits and int is 32bits. so for example (FFFFFFFF would be cast to FF).
|
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Q:
Constraint Values on Local Variable
I'm currently working on a scheduling problem using the :- use_module(library(clpq)) library.
My problem lies with retrieving the full solution to my problem statement.
schedule(BestSchedule, BestTotTime) :- %BestSchedule of format [test(task,startTime,Duration Task, Core]
( findall(T,task(T),Tasks),
findall(C,core(C),Cores),
init_time, %Retract all facts of bestsofar(_,_)
const_time(Tasks,Schedule,Cores,TotTime),%Here probably goes something wrong
assign_processor(Schedule,Cores, TotTime),
minimize(TotTime),
update_time(Schedule, TotTime),
fail
; bestsofar(BestSchedule,BestTotTime)
).
assign_processor([], _, _).
assign_processor([task(T,S,D,C)|Rest], Cores, TotTime) :-
assign_processor(Rest,Cores,TotTime),
core(C), %Pick a core
process_cost(T,C,D), %Core/Task known, setting Duration (D)
const_resource(task(T,S,D,C),Rest), %Setting extra constraints on chosen core
bestsofar(_,CurrentBestTime), %Get current best time from fact bestsofar
{TotTime < CurrentBestTime}. %Set new constraint based on currentBestTime
const_resource(_,[]).
const_resource(Task,[Task2|Rest]) :-
no_data(Task,Task2),
no_conflict(Task,Task2), %No overlap on same processor
const_resource(Task, Rest).
no_conflict(task(_,S,D,C),task(_,S2,D2,C2)) :-
C \== C2,!; %Tasks not on same processor
{ S+D =< S2; %Set no overlapping start/end times
S2+D2 =< S }.
no_data(task(T,S,D,C), task(T2,S2,D2,C2)) :-
%depends_on(T,T2,_) = T2 needs to be finished before T can start
%channel(C,C2,L,_) = Data transfer between cores generated latency L
%Set no overlap including the latency if tasks are dependent
depends_on(T,T2,_),channel(C,C2,L,_),!, { S2 + D2 =< S - L };
depends_on(T2,T,_),!,channel(C2,C,L,_),!, { S + D =< S2 - L};
true.
init_time :-
retract(bestsofar(_,_)), fail
;
assert(bestsofar(foobar, 1000)).
update_time(Schedule,TotTime) :-
retract(bestsofar(_,_)),!,
assert(bestsofar(Schedule,TotTime)).
S = [task(t7, 100, 10, c1), task(t1, 0, 10, c1), task(t6, 75, 10, c1),
task(t2, _G66, 10, c1), task(t4, 50, 10, c2), task(t3, 25, 10, c1),
task(t5, 50, 10, c1)],
ET = 110.
This solution seems to be correct, but I don't have any specific value of task(t2, _G66, 10, c1) (tasknumber, start time, duration, processor core).
To my knowledge this is a local variable which values should be between 25<_G66<35 OR 60<_G66<75 but I can't seem to find a way to print these values in Prolog itself. I thought the minimize(TotTime) would force all variables be minimized which seems to happen with the rest.
Edit:
Added some more code to show where the problem should lie. No other failures are produced somewhere else. bestsofar/2 is used store the current best schedule solution and execution time. When we find a better, faster schedule we replace it using update_time/2. This searching will always fail, this way all possible solutions are tested. Once done we reach bestsofar(BestSchedule,BestTotTime) and return these values.
If I look at the debugger before returning the result.B=35-A which does support my manual test of 35<B<50 or 60<B<75. Can't really make the deduction myself because I don't know how to interpret the _ value in these constraints.
[ task(t7,100,10,c1),
task(t1,0,10,c1),
task(t6,75,10,c1),
task(t2,B,10,c1),
task(t4,50,10,c2),
task(t3,25,10,c1),
task(t5,50,10,c1)
], % with constraints
{}(_ = -55 - A ',' _ = -40 - A ',' _ = -25 + A ',' _ = -10 + A ',' _ = -30 - A ',' _ = -5 - A ',' A >= -5 ',' A =< 0 ',' _ = -55 - A ',' _ = -25 + A ',' _ = 65 + A ',' B = 35 - A)
Without no_data/2 my code does work for examples where no channel latency is used. Therefore I guess any problem should lie in that piece of code.
Runnable code if interested: http://pastebin.com/3PmRu7Aq
A:
After some searching I found the problem. The code was able to generate the correct schedule from the beginning. The problem was only the Starting 'start times' of the tasks were minimized if they needed to be for minimize(TotTime)
Therefore if a certain task was not crucial to the critical path, the start time was't defined in the solution. This was solvable by iterating trough the result and minimizing each StartTime
minimize_schedule([]).
minimize_schedule([task(_,Start,_,_)|Rest]) :-
minimize(Start),
minimize_schedule(Rest).
|
Q:
Google Sheets filename in cell via formula instead of a script?
Is there a FORMULA that will display the name of the file in a cell?
I've found scripts that will do it, formulas that will display the sheet name, but no luck finding a formula that will show the filename.
If I have to resort to the script, so be it. But I'd like to use formula if possible.
If this has been asked before, please point me to the post and I will delete this one.
A:
there is no such formula. current limitations of Google Sheets does not support getting sheet names by internal formulae only, so you will need to resort to a script. here are a few variations:
getting sheet name of the sheet this formula is used on:
function SHEETNAME() {
return SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getActiveSheet().getName();
}
listing all sheet names and gids:
function SHEETLIST() {
try {
var sheets = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheets()
var out = new Array( sheets.length+1 ) ;
out[0] = [ "NAME" , "#GID" ];
for (var i = 1 ; i < sheets.length+1 ; i++ ) out[i] =
[sheets[i-1].getName() , sheets[i-1].getSheetId() ];
return out
}
catch( err ) {
return "#ERROR!"
}
}
or sheet names based on order (eg. from left to right the leftmost being 1):
function SHEET(input) {
try {
var sheets = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheets() ;
if( (input>0) && (input <= sheets.length)) return sheets[(input-1)].getName() ;
else return "invalid sheet #" ;
}
catch( err ) {
return "#ERROR!"
}
}
for getting spreadsheet name and more:
function SNAME(option) {
var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
var sheet = ss.getActiveSheet()
var thisSheet = sheet.getName();
if(option === 0){ // ACTIVE SHEET NAME =SNAME(0)
return thisSheet;
}else if(option === 1){ // ALL SHEET NAMES =SNAME(1)
var sheetList = [];
ss.getSheets().forEach(function(val){
sheetList.push(val.getName())
});
return sheetList;
}else if(option === 2){ // SPREADSHEET NAME =SNAME(2)
return ss.getName();
}else{
return "#N/A"; // ERROR MESSAGE
};
};
|
The escalating tensions between the U.S. and Syria hit the stock market hard Tuesday, sending the Dow down 170 points. Traders pushed gold to a three-month high and crude oil rose to its highest level in a year and a half.
The quick rise in the price of oil has worried investors. Costlier oil almost always translates into higher fuel expenses for businesses and consumers, weighing on consumer spending and the economy. While Syria produces little oil, a regional conflict in the Middle East could lead to supply disruptions in an area where half the world’s proven oil reserves lie.
“When you add it all up -- the problems in Libya, Egypt, Syria -- you’re looking to 3 million barrels a day in potential production outages,” said Nick Koutsoftas, a commodities-focused portfolio manager at Cohen & Steers.
Oil rose $1.03, or 0.9 percent, to $110.03 a barrel. It went as high as $112 a barrel overnight.
While the selling in stocks appears to have abated for now, the overall trend for the market has been down over the last couple of weeks. The S&P 500 has lost 4.6 percent since reaching an all-time high on Aug. 2, while the Dow is down 5.6 percent. Fund managers said investors will have little reason to enter the market until next week’s employment report or until the Federal Reserve holds its mid-September policy meeting.
“You may be watching stock prices, but you’re not placing any orders in this market,” said Chris Hyzy, chief investment officer at U.S. Trust.
Before Syria grabbed the headlines, the focus had been on the Federal Reserve and whether the central bank was going to pull back on its massive bond-buying program, which has kept interest rates extremely low.
If oil prices remain at these elevated levels, the Fed may have to delay easing back on its bond purchases, said Quincy Krosby, market strategist with Prudential Financial.
“The Fed would see higher oil prices, particularly if they linger at these higher levels, as a definite hindrance to employment and consumer spending,” Krosby said.
Hyzy said oil would have to rise above $125 a barrel before it has a noticeable impact on consumer spending. Cohen & Steers’ Koutsoftas said he believes the U.S. consumer has gotten used to higher fuel costs, and oil would have to go to $150 a barrel before it might impact consumer behavior.
The Syria standoff comes during what is typically a quiet week for stocks. There is little economic data being released and only a handful of corporate earnings. It’s also the week before Labor Day, when many on Wall Street are on vacation. Volume on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday was the lowest of any full day of trading this year.
The next big day for the market will come next week, when investors get the August jobs report on Sept. 6, Hyzy and Krosby said. |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to booking of hotel accommodations for travelers, and more particularly, to automating the process of exchanging information regarding hotel bookings.
2. Background Art
At the present time, the process of booking hotel accommodations lags far behind in automation compared to its close relative, the process of booking airline tickets. In the airline industry, Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) exist to consolidate the information regarding flights, seats, times of departure and arrival, prices, etc. Virtually all the world's airlines, and, for all practical purposes, all the travel agents, are connected to one or more GDSs. This permits a relatively painless process of booking a flight (either by the travel agent, or by the consumer directly through the Internet), confirming the purchase, collecting the money from the passenger, etc.
In the hotel industry, this is far from being the case. Unlike airline seats (which come essentially in only three “varieties”—economy class, business class, and first class, with possibly some minor variations, such as “premium economy” on some airlines), there is a lack of standardization in the hotel industry of the terms used to describe a particular room, and a vastly greater variety of products offered to the consumer. For example, one hotel could refer to its room with a queen-size bed, roughly 40 square meters in area, and having an ocean view, as “DBL-DLX-Ocean-VW.” Another hotel could refer to the same exact type of room as “Double Queen—Deluxe View.” This presents a problem in automating the reservation process.
Because the GDSs, the travel agents, consolidators and the hotels all frequently use their own codes to describe the same products (for example, the same double room with a sea view can also be called DBLVIEW, DBSVW, etc., by other hotels), there is no consistency in the information exchange between the various “actors,” in the reservation process.
Although many hotels also subscribe to the GDSs, and therefore some hotel information is available through the GDSs, this information is incomplete. In essence, the process of booking a hotel room through a travel agent has changed little in the last 15-20 years, when fax machines became widely available. The travel agent sends a fax to the hotel, requesting to book a room. That fax is received, printed out, and is then manually entered into the hotel's reservation system. A confirmation is then sent back to the travel agent, by fax, email or through some other mechanism.
It should be remembered that frequently, a confirmation received during an online booking process, through many travel websites, does not, in fact, “confirm” that the room will be available to the customer. The confirmation that many travel websites provide to the consumer is not a confirmation from the hotel, but only a confirmation from the travel website. It is entirely possible for the consumer to show up at the hotel, only to discover that there is, in fact, no room waiting for him at the price agreed to earlier.
A “consolidator” is essentially another term for a very large travel agency or a tour operator. A consolidator often has smaller travel agents as its customers. The travel agent in turn has consumers, or hotel guests, as its customers. Consolidators, being larger business entities, frequently have their own computer systems that keep track of sales, allocations, places, etc. The information in the consolidator's own database is normally sufficient to actually sell the room—in other words, the consolidator knows the price, the customer's name, the hotel, and, given the allocation, that the room will actually be available. Note, however, that a confirmation from the consolidator is still not necessarily a confirmation that the room has actually been reserved by that guest for that hotel. It is only a confirmation from the consolidator's computer system. Note also that frequently, the travel agent (with whom the customer deals with directly) calls not the hotel, but the consolidator, and passes the consolidator's confirmation (not the hotel's confirmation) on to the customer. The consolidator, at this point, still needs to fax to the hotel the reservation, and receive the hotel's confirmation.
An “allocation,” or “allotment,” in the travel industry, refers to an agreement between a particular hotel (or hotel chain) and a travel agent, (or a consolidator, or tour operator, etc.) Essentially, the consolidator promises the hotel that he will sell X number of rooms, and the hotel gives the travel agent a certain price (which, given the volume sale, is usually at a discount from its “standard” rates). However, since the hotel does not want the inventory to simply “sit there,” usually there is a time limit on the allocation, for example, 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, etc. In other words, the travel agent can only book the room at most X days in advance.
Many travel agencies, particularly large ones, have their own separate allocations with many hotels. Other travel agents do not have separate agreements, but instead rely on published hotel room prices. Typically, each hotel that has such allocation agreements with a consolidator, assigns a code to each such consolidator. Frequently, the particular allocation agreement (or discount) that the hotel gives to the consolidator is also assigned its own special code by the hotel. This code (rate code) needs to be communicated to the hotel by the consolidator when booking the room for the customer.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional “disconnected” environment used to make hotel reservations. As shown in FIG. 1, customers 102 can interface to a central reservations office (CRO) 104, to a hotel web site 106, to an alternate distribution system (ADS) 108, or to travel agents and wholesalers (consolidators) 110 (or to their websites 111). The alternate distribution systems 108 and the travel agents 110 can interface to the Global Distribution Systems 112. The central reservations office 104, the hotel web site 106, and Global Distribution Systems 112 then, in turn, interface to a property group 114 (in other words, a hotel chain consisting of, e.g., A, B, C, D, or, in some instances, a single hotel-in this example, only hotels A and B have a central reservations office). As noted by the dotted and dashed lines in the FIG. 1, most of the interfaces to the property group (hotel) 114 are manual, requiring faxing of the reservation information and then manual entry into the hotel's computer system. (in this example, the only truly automated path is between 106, 104 and hotels A and B)
All bookings require a confirmation from the hotel 114, otherwise, they are not treated as “confirmed” bookings. Frequently a 48-hour turn around time is required for bookings to be confirmed. This restricts publishing of last minute availability of hotel rooms, since most hotels do not operate a 24-hour reservation center. Although the numbers are generally geographic and hotel-specific, the problem is a common one in the travel industry.
One way to send reservation requests to a hotel, as shown in FIG. 1, is from a hotel (or chain) website 106. The website 106 can be linked via a middleware application or service to the hotel central reservation office (CRO) 104, which in turn connects to the Property Management System (PMS) at the hotel being booked.
However, the link between CRO 104 and PMS may only be one-way, i.e., the CRO and web site only have a limited view of the availability at the hotel 114. The hotel's PMS is the only true view of a hotel's room inventory in real-time. Also, there are costs associated with licensing and supporting the middleware tier used to make the booking; there may be additional costs per transaction
Another way is using middleware (i.e., a third party application that can talk to the PMS). The website 106 links to the hotel PMS using the middleware or the website 106 can simply send an email request to the reservations department from the web user/customer. If there is a direct connection to the PMS, then this is the best option available, but it will have transaction costs or support and maintenance cost associated with it. If the websitelO6 is not connected to the PMS, then there is a problem with managing the allocation and rates shown on the website, in addition to the process required in making and confirming the booking at the hotel level.
Another way is for the hotel 114 to use a market representation company 116 to process all bookings. This usually involves having the booking section of the hotel website 106 provided by a third party and residing in an HTML frame on another server. This option usually has a sales cost associated with it, and does not help the hotel 114 reduce costs by dealing directly with guest. The market representation company 116 is essentially acting as a travel agent and making the sale on behalf of the hotel 114. The hotel 114 has limited control over the “look and feel” of the booking element of the website 106.
Also, the market representation company 116 does not have a direct link into the hotel PMS, so each reservation received via the web site 106 will need to be manually entered into the PMS, possibly introducing error and delay.
Consolidators 110 can send faxes or emails to the hotel CRO 104, which are processed manually in a Central Reservation System (CRS) (not shown in FIG. 1, but usually located in the CRO 104) by a reservation agent, and a CRS confirmation is sent back manually to the consolidator via fax or email. This method relies on reservation agents receiving communication that is then printed out and re-keyed (or cut and pasted) into a CRS. A CRS confirmation (not a confirmation from the PMS/hotel) is then sent back to the consolidator 110. Similar issues exist when using travel agent or consolidator websites 111 to make the booking.
Market representation companies 116 do not have direct links to the hotel PMS, so each reservation has to be sent to the hotel 114 and then printed out and re-keyed (or cut and pasted) into the PMS. The consolidator 110 is provided with a confirmation by the market representation company 116, but this is no guarantee that the hotel 114 has even received the booking.
Yet another way is for the consolidator 110 to use a GDS 112 to make the booking. However, the GDS 112 is the most disconnected channel to the hotel 114.
The hotel 114 only provides a limited view of availability to the GDS 112 and incurs an additional charge higher than that of a market representation company 116 fee for every booking process at the GDS 112 level. Today it is very rare to find a GDS 112 that has a direct connection to a hotel at the PMS level required to process bookings in near real-time
Another way to reserve a room is through Alternative Distribution Systems (ADSs) 108. This is essentially the same scenario as using travel agents or consolidators 110, discussed above. ADSs 108 tend to be large online travel portals that are treated by hotels 114 as consolidators or wholesalers of rooms. Their focus tends to be based on price and convenience to their customers. Many hotels provide ADSs 108 with last minute (volatile) inventory at much reduced rates, and therefore have to put considerable effort into managing this sales channel, as far as what the hotel 114 can sell, and at what rate. This is usually done through a form of extranet, requiring the reservations staff to log into the system to upload inventory and rates on a daily or even hourly basis.
However, ADSs 108 sell online and provide customers with their own confirmation codes, without being able to guarantee that the hotel has received the reservation. In many instances, hotels 114 have to connect to the ADS 108 extranet to retrieve any booking for their property—in other cases an email (or fax) is sent to the hotel 114 containing the reservation request. Therefore, each reservation has to be printed out and re-keyed (or cut and pasted) into the PMS before a valid hotel 114 confirmation can be sent back by email or after connecting to the ADS 108 extranet.
Accordingly, there is a need in the industry for an automated “exchange” that permits booking of hotel rooms and exchange of actual confirmation information, while maintaining confidentiality of hotel-travel agent commercial information. |
Weight-loss strategies and beliefs in high and low socioeconomic areas of Melbourne.
Overweight is a serious health risk and is prevalent in Australia. This study explored sex, socio-economic status and age differences in body mass index, the perceived effectiveness of weight-loss strategies and the frequency of their use, and awareness of the risks of obesity in a random sample of adult men (n = 457) and women (n = 537) from higher and lower socioeconomic areas. According to self-reports, 37 per cent of the sample were overweight or obese. More men than women, and more older than younger respondents, were overweight. There were no sex differences in the frequency of obesity. There were significantly more obese individuals in the lower than in the higher socioeconomic area. Women more frequently put themselves in a higher weight category while men more frequently put themselves in a lower weight category. Fifty-eight per cent of respondents reported the desire to lose weight and 24 per cent of the sample were trying to lose weight on the survey day; 46.9 per cent had attempted to lose weight in the previous 12 months, and these were more likely to be female, younger and obese or overweight. Only minor differences according to sex or socioeconomic status were found in beliefs about the effectiveness of different weight-loss strategies. However, older respondents were less likely to have exercised recently as a means of weight reduction. There was good recognition of diseases made worse by being overweight, although the health risk of male fat distribution patterns was not widely known. |
The broad objective of this research program is a better understanding of the physiological processes involved in the reactions of the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems to stress. Stresses which commonly play on these systems include physical exercise, change in environment, and disease states of the heart, blood vessels, and lungs. The principal function of these combined systems (cardiovascular-pulmonary) is to furnish the required oxygen to the various tissues of the body. Thus our goal is to study quantitatively the mechanisms which regulate and limit the oxygen transport system in the body. Currently various experiments are being conducted on multiple levels including the integrated response to stress in normal subjects and in patients with cardiovascular disease. Also more detailed and controlled studies are being performed in intact animals, isolated organs, and tissue preparations. Such a broad attack directed to all links in the oxygen transport system in the body should establish a more sound physiological basis for classification and quantitation of disease states affecting this system and may lead to more rational therapeutic methods. Close contact and cooperation between members of the group primarily concerned with clinical research problems and those who are working in the basic areas of physiology and biochemistry provided the background considered essential for the success of this program for the past 19 years. Such close relationships should continue to provide an excellent environment for research productivity. |
1. Field of the Invention
Present invention relates generally to the field of device usage monitoring, and more particularly, to the field of usage monitoring for memory cards.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the advent of the broad use of memory cards, there is a need to determine how such memory cards are used across multiple hosts. The present invention is directed to solving this problem. |
/*
* FFT transform with Altivec optimizations
* Copyright (c) 2009 Loren Merritt
*
* This algorithm (though not any of the implementation details) is
* based on libdjbfft by D. J. Bernstein.
*
* This file is part of FFmpeg.
*
* FFmpeg is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
* modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
* License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
* version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
*
* FFmpeg is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
* but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
* MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
* Lesser General Public License for more details.
*
* You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
* License along with FFmpeg; if not, write to the Free Software
* Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA
*/
/*
* These functions are not individually interchangeable with the C versions.
* While C takes arrays of FFTComplex, Altivec leaves intermediate results
* in blocks as convenient to the vector size.
* i.e. {4x real, 4x imaginary, 4x real, ...}
*
* I ignore standard calling convention.
* Instead, the following registers are treated as global constants:
* v14: zero
* v15..v18: cosines
* v19..v29: permutations
* r9: 16
* r12: ff_cos_tabs
* and the rest are free for local use.
*/
#include "config.h"
#if HAVE_GNU_AS && HAVE_ALTIVEC && HAVE_BIGENDIAN
#include "asm.S"
.text
.macro addi2 ra, imm // add 32-bit immediate
.if \imm & 0xffff
addi \ra, \ra, \imm@l
.endif
.if (\imm+0x8000)>>16
addis \ra, \ra, \imm@ha
.endif
.endm
.macro FFT4 a0, a1, a2, a3 // in:0-1 out:2-3
vperm \a2,\a0,\a1,v20 // vcprm(0,1,s2,s1) // {r0,i0,r3,i2}
vperm \a3,\a0,\a1,v21 // vcprm(2,3,s0,s3) // {r1,i1,r2,i3}
vaddfp \a0,\a2,\a3 // {t1,t2,t6,t5}
vsubfp \a1,\a2,\a3 // {t3,t4,t8,t7}
vmrghw \a2,\a0,\a1 // vcprm(0,s0,1,s1) // {t1,t3,t2,t4}
vperm \a3,\a0,\a1,v22 // vcprm(2,s3,3,s2) // {t6,t7,t5,t8}
vaddfp \a0,\a2,\a3 // {r0,r1,i0,i1}
vsubfp \a1,\a2,\a3 // {r2,r3,i2,i3}
vperm \a2,\a0,\a1,v23 // vcprm(0,1,s0,s1) // {r0,r1,r2,r3}
vperm \a3,\a0,\a1,v24 // vcprm(2,3,s2,s3) // {i0,i1,i2,i3}
.endm
.macro FFT4x2 a0, a1, b0, b1, a2, a3, b2, b3
vperm \a2,\a0,\a1,v20 // vcprm(0,1,s2,s1) // {r0,i0,r3,i2}
vperm \a3,\a0,\a1,v21 // vcprm(2,3,s0,s3) // {r1,i1,r2,i3}
vperm \b2,\b0,\b1,v20
vperm \b3,\b0,\b1,v21
vaddfp \a0,\a2,\a3 // {t1,t2,t6,t5}
vsubfp \a1,\a2,\a3 // {t3,t4,t8,t7}
vaddfp \b0,\b2,\b3
vsubfp \b1,\b2,\b3
vmrghw \a2,\a0,\a1 // vcprm(0,s0,1,s1) // {t1,t3,t2,t4}
vperm \a3,\a0,\a1,v22 // vcprm(2,s3,3,s2) // {t6,t7,t5,t8}
vmrghw \b2,\b0,\b1
vperm \b3,\b0,\b1,v22
vaddfp \a0,\a2,\a3 // {r0,r1,i0,i1}
vsubfp \a1,\a2,\a3 // {r2,r3,i2,i3}
vaddfp \b0,\b2,\b3
vsubfp \b1,\b2,\b3
vperm \a2,\a0,\a1,v23 // vcprm(0,1,s0,s1) // {r0,r1,r2,r3}
vperm \a3,\a0,\a1,v24 // vcprm(2,3,s2,s3) // {i0,i1,i2,i3}
vperm \b2,\b0,\b1,v23
vperm \b3,\b0,\b1,v24
.endm
.macro FFT8 a0, a1, b0, b1, a2, a3, b2, b3, b4 // in,out:a0-b1
vmrghw \b2,\b0,\b1 // vcprm(0,s0,1,s1) // {r4,r6,i4,i6}
vmrglw \b3,\b0,\b1 // vcprm(2,s2,3,s3) // {r5,r7,i5,i7}
vperm \a2,\a0,\a1,v20 // FFT4 ...
vperm \a3,\a0,\a1,v21
vaddfp \b0,\b2,\b3 // {t1,t3,t2,t4}
vsubfp \b1,\b2,\b3 // {r5,r7,i5,i7}
vperm \b4,\b1,\b1,v25 // vcprm(2,3,0,1) // {i5,i7,r5,r7}
vaddfp \a0,\a2,\a3
vsubfp \a1,\a2,\a3
vmaddfp \b1,\b1,v17,v14 // * {-1,1,1,-1}/sqrt(2)
vmaddfp \b1,\b4,v18,\b1 // * { 1,1,1,1 }/sqrt(2) // {t8,ta,t7,t9}
vmrghw \a2,\a0,\a1
vperm \a3,\a0,\a1,v22
vperm \b2,\b0,\b1,v26 // vcprm(1,2,s3,s0) // {t3,t2,t9,t8}
vperm \b3,\b0,\b1,v27 // vcprm(0,3,s2,s1) // {t1,t4,t7,ta}
vaddfp \a0,\a2,\a3
vsubfp \a1,\a2,\a3
vaddfp \b0,\b2,\b3 // {t1,t2,t9,ta}
vsubfp \b1,\b2,\b3 // {t6,t5,tc,tb}
vperm \a2,\a0,\a1,v23
vperm \a3,\a0,\a1,v24
vperm \b2,\b0,\b1,v28 // vcprm(0,2,s1,s3) // {t1,t9,t5,tb}
vperm \b3,\b0,\b1,v29 // vcprm(1,3,s0,s2) // {t2,ta,t6,tc}
vsubfp \b0,\a2,\b2 // {r4,r5,r6,r7}
vsubfp \b1,\a3,\b3 // {i4,i5,i6,i7}
vaddfp \a0,\a2,\b2 // {r0,r1,r2,r3}
vaddfp \a1,\a3,\b3 // {i0,i1,i2,i3}
.endm
.macro BF d0,d1,s0,s1
vsubfp \d1,\s0,\s1
vaddfp \d0,\s0,\s1
.endm
.macro zip d0,d1,s0,s1
vmrghw \d0,\s0,\s1
vmrglw \d1,\s0,\s1
.endm
.macro def_fft4 interleave
fft4\interleave\()_altivec:
lvx v0, 0,r3
lvx v1,r9,r3
FFT4 v0,v1,v2,v3
.ifnb \interleave
zip v0,v1,v2,v3
stvx v0, 0,r3
stvx v1,r9,r3
.else
stvx v2, 0,r3
stvx v3,r9,r3
.endif
blr
.endm
.macro def_fft8 interleave
fft8\interleave\()_altivec:
addi r4,r3,32
lvx v0, 0,r3
lvx v1,r9,r3
lvx v2, 0,r4
lvx v3,r9,r4
FFT8 v0,v1,v2,v3,v4,v5,v6,v7,v8
.ifnb \interleave
zip v4,v5,v0,v1
zip v6,v7,v2,v3
stvx v4, 0,r3
stvx v5,r9,r3
stvx v6, 0,r4
stvx v7,r9,r4
.else
stvx v0, 0,r3
stvx v1,r9,r3
stvx v2, 0,r4
stvx v3,r9,r4
.endif
blr
.endm
.macro def_fft16 interleave
fft16\interleave\()_altivec:
addi r5,r3,64
addi r6,r3,96
addi r4,r3,32
lvx v0, 0,r5
lvx v1,r9,r5
lvx v2, 0,r6
lvx v3,r9,r6
FFT4x2 v0,v1,v2,v3,v4,v5,v6,v7
lvx v0, 0,r3
lvx v1,r9,r3
lvx v2, 0,r4
lvx v3,r9,r4
FFT8 v0,v1,v2,v3,v8,v9,v10,v11,v12
vmaddfp v8,v4,v15,v14 // r2*wre
vmaddfp v9,v5,v15,v14 // i2*wre
vmaddfp v10,v6,v15,v14 // r3*wre
vmaddfp v11,v7,v15,v14 // i3*wre
vmaddfp v8,v5,v16,v8 // i2*wim
vnmsubfp v9,v4,v16,v9 // r2*wim
vnmsubfp v10,v7,v16,v10 // i3*wim
vmaddfp v11,v6,v16,v11 // r3*wim
BF v10,v12,v10,v8
BF v11,v13,v9,v11
BF v0,v4,v0,v10
BF v3,v7,v3,v12
BF v1,v5,v1,v11
BF v2,v6,v2,v13
.ifnb \interleave
zip v8, v9,v0,v1
zip v10,v11,v2,v3
zip v12,v13,v4,v5
zip v14,v15,v6,v7
stvx v8, 0,r3
stvx v9,r9,r3
stvx v10, 0,r4
stvx v11,r9,r4
stvx v12, 0,r5
stvx v13,r9,r5
stvx v14, 0,r6
stvx v15,r9,r6
.else
stvx v0, 0,r3
stvx v4, 0,r5
stvx v3,r9,r4
stvx v7,r9,r6
stvx v1,r9,r3
stvx v5,r9,r5
stvx v2, 0,r4
stvx v6, 0,r6
.endif
blr
.endm
// void pass(float *z, float *wre, int n)
.macro PASS interleave, suffix
fft_pass\suffix\()_altivec:
mtctr r5
slwi r0,r5,4
slwi r7,r5,6 // o2
slwi r5,r5,5 // o1
add r10,r5,r7 // o3
add r0,r4,r0 // wim
addi r6,r5,16 // o1+16
addi r8,r7,16 // o2+16
addi r11,r10,16 // o3+16
1:
lvx v8, 0,r4 // wre
lvx v10, 0,r0 // wim
sub r0,r0,r9
lvx v9, 0,r0
vperm v9,v9,v10,v19 // vcprm(s0,3,2,1) => wim[0 .. -3]
lvx v4,r3,r7 // r2 = z[o2]
lvx v5,r3,r8 // i2 = z[o2+16]
lvx v6,r3,r10 // r3 = z[o3]
lvx v7,r3,r11 // i3 = z[o3+16]
vmaddfp v10,v4,v8,v14 // r2*wre
vmaddfp v11,v5,v8,v14 // i2*wre
vmaddfp v12,v6,v8,v14 // r3*wre
vmaddfp v13,v7,v8,v14 // i3*wre
lvx v0, 0,r3 // r0 = z[0]
lvx v3,r3,r6 // i1 = z[o1+16]
vmaddfp v10,v5,v9,v10 // i2*wim
vnmsubfp v11,v4,v9,v11 // r2*wim
vnmsubfp v12,v7,v9,v12 // i3*wim
vmaddfp v13,v6,v9,v13 // r3*wim
lvx v1,r3,r9 // i0 = z[16]
lvx v2,r3,r5 // r1 = z[o1]
BF v12,v8,v12,v10
BF v13,v9,v11,v13
BF v0,v4,v0,v12
BF v3,v7,v3,v8
.if !\interleave
stvx v0, 0,r3
stvx v4,r3,r7
stvx v3,r3,r6
stvx v7,r3,r11
.endif
BF v1,v5,v1,v13
BF v2,v6,v2,v9
.if !\interleave
stvx v1,r3,r9
stvx v2,r3,r5
stvx v5,r3,r8
stvx v6,r3,r10
.else
vmrghw v8,v0,v1
vmrglw v9,v0,v1
stvx v8, 0,r3
stvx v9,r3,r9
vmrghw v8,v2,v3
vmrglw v9,v2,v3
stvx v8,r3,r5
stvx v9,r3,r6
vmrghw v8,v4,v5
vmrglw v9,v4,v5
stvx v8,r3,r7
stvx v9,r3,r8
vmrghw v8,v6,v7
vmrglw v9,v6,v7
stvx v8,r3,r10
stvx v9,r3,r11
.endif
addi r3,r3,32
addi r4,r4,16
bdnz 1b
sub r3,r3,r5
blr
.endm
#define M_SQRT1_2 0.70710678118654752440 /* 1/sqrt(2) */
#define WORD_0 0x00,0x01,0x02,0x03
#define WORD_1 0x04,0x05,0x06,0x07
#define WORD_2 0x08,0x09,0x0a,0x0b
#define WORD_3 0x0c,0x0d,0x0e,0x0f
#define WORD_s0 0x10,0x11,0x12,0x13
#define WORD_s1 0x14,0x15,0x16,0x17
#define WORD_s2 0x18,0x19,0x1a,0x1b
#define WORD_s3 0x1c,0x1d,0x1e,0x1f
#define vcprm(a, b, c, d) .byte WORD_##a, WORD_##b, WORD_##c, WORD_##d
.rodata
.align 4
fft_data:
.float 0, 0, 0, 0
.float 1, 0.92387953, M_SQRT1_2, 0.38268343
.float 0, 0.38268343, M_SQRT1_2, 0.92387953
.float -M_SQRT1_2, M_SQRT1_2, M_SQRT1_2,-M_SQRT1_2
.float M_SQRT1_2, M_SQRT1_2, M_SQRT1_2, M_SQRT1_2
vcprm(s0,3,2,1)
vcprm(0,1,s2,s1)
vcprm(2,3,s0,s3)
vcprm(2,s3,3,s2)
vcprm(0,1,s0,s1)
vcprm(2,3,s2,s3)
vcprm(2,3,0,1)
vcprm(1,2,s3,s0)
vcprm(0,3,s2,s1)
vcprm(0,2,s1,s3)
vcprm(1,3,s0,s2)
.macro lvm b, r, regs:vararg
lvx \r, 0, \b
addi \b, \b, 16
.ifnb \regs
lvm \b, \regs
.endif
.endm
.macro stvm b, r, regs:vararg
stvx \r, 0, \b
addi \b, \b, 16
.ifnb \regs
stvm \b, \regs
.endif
.endm
.macro fft_calc interleave
extfunc ff_fft_calc\interleave\()_altivec
mflr r0
stp r0, 2*PS(R(1))
stpu r1, -(160+16*PS)(R(1))
get_got r11
addi r6, r1, 16*PS
stvm r6, v20, v21, v22, v23, v24, v25, v26, v27, v28, v29
mfvrsave r0
stw r0, 15*PS(R(1))
#if __APPLE__
li r6, 0xfffffffc
#else
li r6, -4
#endif
mtvrsave r6
movrel r6, fft_data, r11
lvm r6, v14, v15, v16, v17, v18, v19, v20, v21
lvm r6, v22, v23, v24, v25, v26, v27, v28, v29
li r9, 16
movrel r12, X(ff_cos_tabs), r11
movrel r6, fft_dispatch_tab\interleave\()_altivec, r11
lwz r3, 0(R(3))
subi r3, r3, 2
slwi r3, r3, 2+ARCH_PPC64
lpx r3, r3, r6
mtctr r3
mr r3, r4
bctrl
addi r6, r1, 16*PS
lvm r6, v20, v21, v22, v23, v24, v25, v26, v27, v28, v29
lwz r6, 15*PS(R(1))
mtvrsave r6
lp r1, 0(R(1))
lp r0, 2*PS(R(1))
mtlr r0
blr
.endm
.macro DECL_FFT suffix, bits, n, n2, n4
fft\n\suffix\()_altivec:
mflr r0
stp r0,PS*(\bits-3)(R(1))
bl fft\n2\()_altivec
addi2 r3,\n*4
bl fft\n4\()_altivec
addi2 r3,\n*2
bl fft\n4\()_altivec
addi2 r3,\n*-6
lp r0,PS*(\bits-3)(R(1))
lp r4,\bits*PS(R(12))
mtlr r0
li r5,\n/16
b fft_pass\suffix\()_altivec
.endm
.macro DECL_FFTS interleave, suffix
.text
def_fft4 \suffix
def_fft8 \suffix
def_fft16 \suffix
PASS \interleave, \suffix
DECL_FFT \suffix, 5, 32, 16, 8
DECL_FFT \suffix, 6, 64, 32, 16
DECL_FFT \suffix, 7, 128, 64, 32
DECL_FFT \suffix, 8, 256, 128, 64
DECL_FFT \suffix, 9, 512, 256, 128
DECL_FFT \suffix,10, 1024, 512, 256
DECL_FFT \suffix,11, 2048, 1024, 512
DECL_FFT \suffix,12, 4096, 2048, 1024
DECL_FFT \suffix,13, 8192, 4096, 2048
DECL_FFT \suffix,14,16384, 8192, 4096
DECL_FFT \suffix,15,32768,16384, 8192
DECL_FFT \suffix,16,65536,32768,16384
fft_calc \suffix
.rodata
.align 3
fft_dispatch_tab\suffix\()_altivec:
PTR fft4\suffix\()_altivec
PTR fft8\suffix\()_altivec
PTR fft16\suffix\()_altivec
PTR fft32\suffix\()_altivec
PTR fft64\suffix\()_altivec
PTR fft128\suffix\()_altivec
PTR fft256\suffix\()_altivec
PTR fft512\suffix\()_altivec
PTR fft1024\suffix\()_altivec
PTR fft2048\suffix\()_altivec
PTR fft4096\suffix\()_altivec
PTR fft8192\suffix\()_altivec
PTR fft16384\suffix\()_altivec
PTR fft32768\suffix\()_altivec
PTR fft65536\suffix\()_altivec
.endm
DECL_FFTS 0
DECL_FFTS 1, _interleave
#endif /* HAVE_GNU_AS && HAVE_ALTIVEC && HAVE_BIGENDIAN */
|
Q:
How To Get Search Query From Multiple Columns in Database
I have search form to get information from table named books.
Right now i'm using this controller
public function search(Request $request)
{
$keyword = $request->input('keyword');
$query = Book::where('judul', 'LIKE', '%' . $keyword . '%');
$book_list = $query->paginate(5);
$pagination = $book_list->appends($request->except('page'));
$total_book = $book_list->total();
return view('dashboards.index', compact('book_list', 'keyword', 'pagination', 'total_book'));
}
The problem is the data that i get from the request only available for judul. it just show empty result if the input keyword search addressed to search writter or publisher
I want the search form able to get data from other columns named writters and publisher
Is there any method to get data from multiple column?
A:
You can use orwhere to fullfill this, like this
Book::where(function ($query) use($keyword) {
$query->where('judul', 'like', '%' . $keyword . '%')
->orWhere('writters', 'like', '%' . $keyword . '%');
})
->get();
I hope it helps you.
|
Bloomberg leads coalition to honor climate pact
PARIS: Billionaire climate advocate Michael Bloomberg met French President Emmanuel Macron as the political and grassroots response to Donald Trump’s ditching of the Paris Agreement built up steam.
Bloomberg made an unannounced visit to Paris Friday after launching a coalition of US cities and corporations that intends to uphold the Paris accord while Macron led Europe’s charge to defend the pact.
“Today I want the world to know the US will meet our Paris commitment, and through a partnership among cities, states, and businesses, we will seek to remain part of the Paris agreement process,” Bloomberg said at a joint press conference at the Elysee presidential palace.
“The American government may have pulled out of the agreement, but the American people remain committed to it. We will meet our targets.”
Macron described the Paris accord as “irreversible” and hailed Bloomberg as “a key player in the climate battle.”
Michael Bloomberg and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris
“He can count on us,” he added.
On Thursday, Bloomberg said mayors, governors, and business leaders from both political parties were “signing onto a statement of support that we will submit to the UN – and together, we will reach the emission reduction goals the US made in Paris in 2015.”
The New York Times said that Bloomberg’s unnamed group so far includes 30 mayors, three governors, more than 80 university presidents and more than 100 businesses.
The Democratic-led states of California, New York and Washington announced separately that they were forming a United States Climate Alliance committed to upholding Paris emissions commitments and urged others to climb on board.
At least two Republican governors announced Friday they were partnering with Democratic-run states to combat climate change after Trump’s announcement sparked swift condemnation from academics, industry leaders and environmental experts.
Charlie Baker and Phil Scott, the Republican governors of Massachusetts and Vermont respectively, announced that their liberal northeastern states were joining the Climate Alliance and committed to the goals of the Paris agreement, as did their Democratic counterparts in Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Around 150 mayors, who say they represent 47 million Americans, have also committed to uphold the Paris commitments, intensify efforts to meet climate goals and increase investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
New York’s Bill de Blasio, mayor of America’s most populous city, told WNYC radio that he wanted to “surpass” his commitment to reduce emissions 80 percent by 2050.
A majority of Americans in every state, or 69 percent of US voters, believe the United States should participate in the agreement, according to a recent opinion poll carried out by Yale University’s program on climate change communication.
Withdrawal in 2020
While United Nations (UN) officials stress that it could take several years before there is a proper understanding of the implications of a US withdrawal, they also say the deal was structured to require action at multiple levels of government, not just federal.
Robert Orr, one of the architects of the Paris accord and a former special advisor to the UN secretary general on climate change, told Agence France-Presse that the United States had already been on track to achieve about half its Paris reductions commitment.
“The president may have unwittingly added dynamism to the same actors that have always been the ones that are delivering the reductions to actually do more on their own,” he said.
“If this coalition broadens and deepens at the pace that it appears to be, I think the Trump effect could be more than mitigated,” added Orr, now dean of the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland.
California, New York and Washington, three of the states in the Climate Alliance, represent more than one-fifth of US gross domestic product and account for at least 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, their governors said.
The governor of Hawaii has also pledged to continue concrete steps to implement the Paris accord, while governors of Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon and Virginia committed to clean air and clean energy.
The earliest possible date for America’s official withdrawal from the Paris agreement is Nov. 4, 2020 – the day after the next US presidential election – although Trump’s current term in office is not due to end until Jan. 20, 2021.
$15M for climate body
Bloomberg also pledged to muster $15 million for the UN climate body, substituting for US funding likely to be axed by Trump.
The money will support the operations of the Bonn-based secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Bloomberg, 75, who was mayor of New York from 2002 to 2013, is estimated by Forbes magazine to be the eighth richest person in the world.
A political independent who has been a strident critic of Trump’s energy and climate policies, he is also a UN special envoy for cities and climate change.
Bloomberg is also president of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a coalition of 90 cities around the world that is pushing programs to reduce carbon emissions and shore up urban defenses against climate change.
The head of the group is Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who was also present at Friday’s talks.
Macron, a 39-year-old centrist former banker, took office last month after a meteoric rise.
On Thursday, he was the most vocal of European leaders in criticizing Trump’s decision and in vowing to defend the Paris agreement.
He notably released a video, in French and English, in which he invited American scientists, businesspeople and citizens who are frustrated by the White House’s stance to “come and work here with us” on finding a solution to the climate crisis.
Papal talks
In a separate development on Friday, Macron spoke with Pope Francis, “thanking him for… his mobilization for the Paris Agreement,” the presidential office said.
“The two leaders agreed to exchange views on the initiatives on climate change that will be taken in the coming weeks,” it said, without elaborating.
Macron also invited the Pope to visit France “at a date that he finds convenient.”
The Pontiff met Trump in the Vatican on May 24, and pointedly gave him the gift of an encyclical “Laudato Si,” issued in 2015.
In it, Francis proclaimed the scientific consensus on global warming and urged the industrialized world to slash carbon emissions to avert catastrophic climate change.
2 Comments
Bloomberg, in his old age, is a fool. His desire to tell everyone else how to live is a sure sign of his over blown ego gone wild. He’s got his; a fortune made without the worries he wants to heap on you. The Climate Accord ends the hope of many Filipinos to ever attain success and prosperity. It is the product of the old colonial powers trying to rein in the economies pf their lost colonies. You need cheap energy used efficiently. They want energy to cost a lot more no matter how efficient the use. Climate change is a bogus excuse to implement restraints. We should ignore them and carry on despite them.\
The US has been footing huge for organization this organization that. But the debt has surpassed $20 Trillion. It is time for the US to stop footing majority of the bill for all these organization pay down its debt.
Bloomberg and whoever wants to join the Paris Climate deal is more than welcome for as long as no US taxpayer money is involved. |
Q:
Unfortunately error in emulator when declare a button
When i declare a button in MainActivity.java , i get Unfortunately error in emulator
But when i comment the button declaration , no errors
This is MainActivity.java code :
package com.MalekAlrwily.multiplication;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.Intent;
public class MainActivity extends Activity {
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
setContentView(R.layout.main);
final Button btn = (Button)findViewById(R.id.btn_start) ;
}
}
And this is main.xml code :
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:background="@drawable/main2" >
<ImageButton
android:id="@+id/btn_start"
android:layout_width="wrap_content"
android:layout_height="wrap_content"
android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
android:background="@android:color/transparent"
android:contentDescription="@android:string/ok"
android:src="@drawable/sun" />
</RelativeLayout>
Please help
Thanks in advance .
A:
That is an ImageButton in your layout so you should use an ImageButton in your activity too.
final Button btn = (Button)findViewById(R.id.btn_start) ;
this should be
final ImageButton btn = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.btn_start) ;
A:
It's because, you declare in xml as ImageButton and dynamically, you declare Button.
It should be:
final ImageButton btn = (ImageButton) findViewById(R.id.btn_start) ;
A:
Iths Because u try load ImageButton as Button
You should use
final ImageButton btn = (ImageButton)findViewById(R.id.btn_start) ;
|
As we begin our second week of the winter squash theme, I am reveling in all dishes comprised of winter squash. For me, I think they’re more than an ingredient, they could be a food category of their own. I have used them in dishes at all times of day, from pancakes at the start of the day to an ice cream to cap off the evening. Last week we focused on all of the delicious soups that highlight winter squash. This week we’re going to take a peek at some appetizer and side dish recipes from the Think Tasty archives. There’s no need to serve plain old puréed squash when you can make something much more exciting!
We’ll start with a couple appetizer recipes. I’m pretty sure these recipes could convince even a squash-averse diner to give them a try.
Bacon Wrapped Butternut Squash– This recipe is a conversion tool. Offer squash wrapped in bacon, and I’m pretty sure anyone will give them a try. I mean, who’s above using bacon as a bribe? When you combine the salty crunchiness of bacon with the sweet tenderness of butternut squash you have created a beautiful pairing.
Roasted Butternut Squash & Fennel Quinoa Tartlets– This recipe makes a lovely appetizer. First, you have a perfectly portioned snack as they are baked in mini muffin pans. Second, they are topped with a jalapeno honey, providing a nice mix of sweet and heat. Third, these are some of the healthiest tartlets I’ve seen. What’s not to like?
Now that you’ve started your dinner with some tasty squash snacks, why not continue with a couple sides?
Sunshine Squash with Sage & Cider– In the fall, cider becomes a prominent beverage whether served hot or cold. It also makes a fine ingredient in many a dish, including this squash side. The cider adds a hint of sweetness while the sage provides a nice savory bite. If you can’t find sunshine squash, use your favorite winter squash.
Brûléed Butternut Squash– This dish was the one that convinced my kids that winter squash was really an acceptable side dish. Now, I will confess that this dish has a good amount of sugar for a side dish. However, under that sugar is a healthy portion of squash, so in my mind it’s a fair trade. Try it and see what happens.
Whether you’re surrounded by a group of squash fans or foes, these recipes should inspire everyone to want another serving. |
Characterization of pituitary growth hormone and its receptor in the green iguana (Iguana iguana).
Pituitary growth hormone (GH) has been studied in most vertebrate groups; however, only a few studies have been carried out in reptiles. Little is known about pituitary hormones in the order Squamata, to which the green iguana (gi) belongs. In this work, we characterized the hypophysis of Iguana iguana morphologically. The somatotrophs (round cells of 7.6-10 μm containing 250- to 300-nm secretory granules where the giGH is stored) were found, by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, exclusively in the caudal lobe of the pars distalis, whereas the lactotrophs were distributed only in the rostral lobe. A pituitary giGH-like protein was obtained by immuno-affinity chromatography employing a heterologous antibody against chicken GH. giGH showed molecular heterogeneity (22, 44, and 88 kDa by SDS-PAGE/Western blot under non-reducing conditions and at least four charge variants (pIs 6.2, 6.5, 6.9, 7.4) by isoelectric focusing. The pituitary giGH cDNA (1016 bp), amplified by PCR and RACE, encodes a pre-hormone of 218 aa, of which 190 aa correspond to the mature protein and 28 aa to the signal peptide. The giGH receptor cDNA was also partially sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses of the amino acid sequences of giGH and giGHR homologs in vertebrates suggest a parallel evolution and functional relationship between the GH and its receptor. |
Yehuda Amital
Yehuda Amital (, born Yehuda Klein; 31 October 1924 – 9 July 2010) was an Orthodox rabbi, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion, and a former member of the Israeli cabinet.
Biography
Yehuda Klein (later Amital) was born in Oradea, Romania, son of Yekutiel Ze'ev and Devora. After four years of secular primary education, he began religious studies with Rabbi Chaim Yehuda Levi. When Germany occupied the area in 1944, the Nazis sent his entire family to Auschwitz where they were killed. Amital was sent to a labor camp, thus surviving the Holocaust. He remained in the labor camp for eight months, and was liberated on October 4, 1944, by the Soviet Army. After his liberation, he made his way to Bucharest, from where he travelled to Palestine, arriving on December 11, 1944.
After a short stay at the Atlit detainee camp, he made his way to Jerusalem, where he studied at Hebron Yeshiva, receiving semicha from Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer. He also learned with Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Charlap, a student of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook. Around this time, he joined the Haganah.
After learning at Hebron, he moved to Pardes Hanna in order to learn at Kletzk Yeshiva. While learning at the yeshiva, he married Miriam, the daughter of the Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Meltzer, and the granddaughter of Rabbi Isser Zalman Meltzer. When the yeshiva relocated to Rehovot, Amital followed, settling in Rehovot until he moved to Jerusalem in the 1960s.
The day after the Declaration of Independence, Amital's unit was mobilized. He took part in battles of Latrun and the western Galilee. After the war, Amital became a rabbinic secretary in the Beth Din of Rehovot, and, two years later, he became an instructor at Yeshivat HaDarom, where he helped formulate the idea of a Hesder Yeshiva.
Amital died on July 9 (27 Tammuz), 2010, and was laid to rest in the Har HaMenuchot cemetery in Jerusalem, where thousands attended his funeral.
Political career
In 1988, Amital founded the left-leaning religious Meimad movement, and was elected as its chairman after it became a political party. In 1995, he served as a Minister without Portfolio in the government of Shimon Peres, despite not being a Knesset member.
Educational career
After the Six-Day War, he founded Yeshivat Har Etzion, a Hesder Yeshiva in Gush Etzion. The yeshiva opened in Kfar Etzion in 1968 with 30 students. After two years, the institution moved to its current location in Alon Shvut. In 1971, Amital asked Aharon Lichtenstein to join him as Rosh Yeshiva.
At the age of 80, Amital asked the management of Yeshivat Har Etzion to select his successors. The yeshiva chose Rabbis Yaaqov Medan and Baruch Gigi. On January 4, 2006, Medan and Gigi were officially invested as co-roshei yeshiva, alongside Amital and Aharon Lichtenstein.
On September 25, 2008, Amital officially announced his retirement, to take effect on the last day of the Jewish month of Tishrei, in the year 5769 (October 28, 2008). He also announced that Mosheh Lichtenstein, the son of Aharon Lichtenstein, would assume the position as the fourth Rosh Yeshiva on that same day.
Amital continued to be a prominent public figure in Israel, with a broad impact on matters of religious and national concern. His students and disciples are leading figures in many walks of life. He had developed an educational philosophy which combines deep faithfulness to tradition and ethical responsibility to society at large with commitment to the moral and spiritual flourishing of each individual.
Published works
Jewish Values in a Changing World
Commitment and Complexity: Jewish Wisdom in an Age of Upheaval
A World Built, Destroyed and Rebuilt, Rabbi Yehudah Amital's Confrontation with the Memory of the Holocaust
By Faith Alone: The Story of Rabbi Yehuda Amital
References
External links
Alan Brill, "Worlds Destroyed, Worlds Rebuilt: The Religious Thought of R. Yehudah Amital"
Series of shiurim by R. Yehuda Amital entitled Jewish Values in a Changing World, posted by The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash of Yeshivat Har Etzion
Updated biography
Updated bibliography
Hespedim (eulogies) given for Rav Yehuda Amital zt"l
לעבדך באמת, לדמותו ולדרכו של הרב יהודה עמיטל, עורכים: ראובן ציגלר וראובן גפני
By Faith Alone, The Story of Rav Yehuda Amital, by Elyashiv Reichner
Yehudah Mirsky, The Audacity of Faith
https://www.academia.edu/18122334/Torah_and_Humanity_in_a_Time_of_Rebirth_Rav_Yehuda_Amital_as_Educator_and_Thinker, Reuven Ziegler and Yehudah Mirsky, Torah and Humanity in a Time of Rebirth: Rav Yehuda Amital as Educator and Thinker
Category:1924 births
Category:2010 deaths
Category:Government ministers of Israel
Category:Israeli Orthodox Jews
Category:Leaders of political parties in Israel
Category:Meimad politicians
Category:Holocaust survivors
Category:People from Oradea
Category:Religious Zionist rosh yeshivas
Category:Yeshivat Har Etzion
Category:Burials at Har HaMenuchot
Category:Romanian emigrants to Mandatory Palestine |
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