text stringlengths 3 7.38M | source_data stringclasses 5 values | info stringlengths 83 12.5k |
|---|---|---|
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a stereomicroscope including an objective lens disposed opposite to an eye, and the first and the second observing optical systems for three-dimensionally observing the eye.
2. Prior Art of the Invention
Heretofore, a stereomicroscope used for a surgical operation, for example, an operation for cataracta and the like has been known.
The stereomicroscope of this type, as shown in FIG. 9, includes an objective lens 2 disposed opposite to an eye 1, the first and the second observing optical systems 3 and 4 for three-dimensionally observing the eye 1 through the objective lens 2, and an illuminating optical system 5 for illuminating the eye 1.
The first and second observing optical systems 3 and 4 comprises zoom lenses 6a and 6b, imaging lenses 7a and 7b, and oculars 8a and 8b, while the illuminating optical system 5 comprises an illuminating light source K, a condenser lens 9, and a mirror 10.
When the eye 1 is illuminated by the illuminating optical system 5, the eye 1 can be three-dimensionally observed at a predetermined magnification by operating the zoom lenses 6a and 6b.
By the way, an operation for cataract is performed in such a manner as to cut out the fore-brain of a crystal body and to take out turbidity. However, when the rest amount of turbidity becomes little, the turbidity is illuminated utilizing a reflected light on the eye fundus. The reason is that if a little amount turbidity is directly illuminated by the illuminating optical system 5, it becomes difficult to observe the turbidity.
However, when the optical axis 105a of the illuminating optical system 105 is different from the optical axis 104a of the observing optical system 104 as shown in FIG. 10 an illuminated area T1 by the illuminating optical system 105 on the eye fundus 1a is displaced from the spot O on the optical axis of the observing optical system 104 as shown in FIG. 11. And a reflected pencil of rays by the illuminated area T1 proceeds toward the illuminating optical system 105. As a result, when the crystal body 1b is observed from the observing optical system 104, the reflected light from the eye fundus 1a scarcely enters to the observing optical system 104, and a pupil area 1c is observed dark as shown in FIG. 12.
Therefore, when the crystal body 1b includes, for example, turbidities A and B, the turbidities A and B are not illuminated by reflected light from the eye fundus and observation of the turbidities A and B becomes difficult. In FIG. 11, the characters U, V, denote pencils of rays to be converged to the turbidities A and B by reflection from the eye fundus 1a. The symbolic character 1d in FIG. 12 denotes an iris.
When the illuminating optical system 105 is approached to the observing optical system 104 and the illuminated area T1 of the illuminating light reaches the spot O including a pencil of rays V as shown in FIG. 13, the peripheral pencil of rays including V among the reflected light by the illuminated area T1 in FIG. 13 enters the observing optical system 104. Owing to the foregoing, the pupil area 1c looked from the observing optical system 104, as shown in FIG. 14 is dark at an area G including the turbidity A and bright at an area Q including the turbidity B.
When the optical axis 105a of the illuminating optical system 105 and the optical axis 104a of the observing optical system 104 are aligned, the wost of the reflected pencil of rays by the illuminating area T1 shown in FIG. 15 enters the observing optical system 15. As a result, the pupil area 1c, when looked from the observing optical system 104, it comes to have a uniform brightness owing to the reflected light from the illuminated area T1 as shown in FIG. 16.
By the way, in the stereomicroscope shown in FIG. 9, since the optical path 5a of the illuminating optical system 5 is different from the optical paths 3s and 4s of the first and the second observing optical systems 3 and 4 on the objective lens 2, the pupil area 1c does not come to have a uniform brightness when the eye 1 is looked from the oculars 8a and 8b of the observing optical systems 3 and 4. That is, as is shown in FIG. 18, a left-hand side area P1 of the pupil area 1c becomes bright in a left view field L and the right-hand side area P2 becomes dark owing to inversion. In the right view field R, as is shown in FIG. 18, the right-hand side area P1 of the pupil area 1c becomes bright and the left-hand side area P2 becomes dark owing to inversion.
In this way, the position of the area P1 which becomes bright and the position of the area P2 which becomes dark in the pupil area 1c are different depending on the left view field L and the right view field R. Because of the foregoing, there arises such a problem as that image fusion of the pair of eyes becomes difficult to obtain and a surgical operation becomes very difficult to perform.
Also, there is another example of the prior art in which a half mirror H is installed as indicated by the broken line of FIG. 9 and the eye 1 is illuminated from an outside position Ha of the first and second observing optical paths 3a and 4a as shown in FIG. 19. However, this prior art does not provide a uniform brightness at the pupil area as in the above-mentioned example. That is, the area P1 which becomes bright and the area P2 which becomes dark in the pupil area 1c are different depending on the left view field L and the right view field R as shown in FIG. 20. Therefore, an image fusion of the pair of eyes becomes difficult to obtain and a surgical operation becomes difficult to performed. | mini_pile | {'original_id': '0e1983a835b208a99da3fc13f9c06f0e3a59c2aa7d878cc5bb0dbcf99c6561a0'} |
Meet The Team: Ellie
Author - Jeremy Burnel
Posted By Jeremy Burnel
Date posted 30th Jul 2019
Category Blog
1. What is your role at 93digital?
Project Manager
2. What does an average day for you look like?
First thing when I get into the office I spend some time catching up on any emails before checking in on any impending deadlines the team may be facing. As a new starter, I am still getting used to the various systems used at 93digital so I have been spending some time exploring and getting to grips with them.
3. What’s the most challenging part of your job?
Running several projects at one time is like juggling, if you take the eye off the ball for even a second it can all fall down. That and managing clients expectations are always the biggest challenges.
4. Any advice for those who want to do what you do?
Find the best way to organise your projects for you. This takes time and you’re likely to try lots of methods unsuccessfully until you settle on one. Being a PM requires you to constantly know what is going on in every project, who is doing the work and when it will be done. I always carry around my planner that is basically my PM bible(!!!) and contains all of my projects deliverables who’s working on them and my own to-do list!
5. What future design and/or technology developments in the industry are you excited about?
I am excited to see how advances in AI will impact web browsing. It’s still a relatively niche area but I’m sure in a few years time it will be so heavily integrated into our lives that websites will have to adapt and I look forward to seeing how that will look.
6. What are your passions/hobbies/interests?
I love interior design, you can often find me lost in the homeware aisle on weekends or browsing Instagram for the latest trends.
Other than that I have recently started learning Spanish again after doing it as part of my university course, and I like spending time at the gym.
7. What’s your favourite thing to read in print / online?
Anything pop-culture! It’s a guilty pleasure and one I’m always teased for.
I also love reading crime thrillers and non-fiction psychological books when I get the time.
I’m currently reading ‘Blitzed’ which explores the use of drugs in Germany in the Second World War.
8. Tell us a random fact about you…
I can touch my nose with my tongue
Let's Talk
| dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '5', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9417956471443176}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '73615', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:PNAOSMVQLS7D55HBEXUUFVBMULVJFGWE', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:dfce39ef-e774-4ac3-87ba-13f7775a640c>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2020, 1, 28, 20, 12, 21), 'WARC-IP-Address': '104.26.6.47', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:GTLBDNJGWAKNWTFMKCZJMMLFIORYL4WO', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:5e686f2f-b1c8-4936-804a-8407b708c21c>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'https://93digital.co.uk/blog/meet-the-team-ellie/', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:d22d2198-91b2-4c9b-b1da-0ab244ca0bb1>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '443', 'url': 'https://93digital.co.uk/blog/meet-the-team-ellie/', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2020-05\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for January 2020\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-67-67-48.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.16 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 1.1-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.023503124713897705', 'original_id': 'bfd9683ab35b23604db49ef8ea4e3f5f85aac686471738b66b4d0a52c3291afb'} |
Baltimore Public Schools Are Not Close to Underfunded!
The pretense that rioting and looting is the responsibility of those who haven’t allowed enough funds to go to Baltimore Public Schools is ludicrous.
Since Bob Allen quoted a news story about Democrat Representative Donna Edwards claiming that Baltimore public schools need more money, I think it might be good to point out how insane such claims really are. Here’s the quotation:
“I mean I would say, for example with our schools, just prior to the Freddie Gray incident, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake was actually prevailing upon our Republican governor to release money for school funding.” When host Chris Wallace pointed out that “Baltimore spends the third highest amount per capita on its public schools,” Edwards rebutted, “There’s uneven spending in the public schools.”
Edwards’ assertion doesn’t rebut anything. If the spending is “uneven” then that needs to be fixed. The call for new money means that the problem Edwards claims to exist is never going to be solved. Essentially her words—if one bothers to assign meaning to them—tell us that Baltimore public schools have enough money but need to spend it differently.
That actually sounds remarkably close to the truth—thus, providing prima facie evidence that Edwards was just throwing out words without really considering what they meant.
But Baltimore public schools as the great victim of evil Republican stinginess with other people’s money is an ongoing meme among statists. (I’m tired of calling them “progressives.” The Tea Party is the progressive force in the United States. The “progressives” are cult believers in the state and should be called a name that is more accurate to their core commitment to robbery and violence as social goods. This also explains their spontaneous sympathy for riots.) Baltimore radio host Dan Diamond and professional media statist Jon Stewart both pushed out this message.
According to the Washington Examiner, Stewart roused the crowds by saying:
Riiight. Because all that money was for the Afghan children and it all made their schools wonderful because there is never any corruption in how we spend money overseas.
Or has Stewart just pointed out why everyone from Afghanistan to Baltimore, except for special interests hooked into the corruption, are better off if the tax-victims get to keep their money?
In any case, the Examiner points out it is all nonsense:
Our federal and state governments give lots and lots of money to Baltimore schools, as Alex Tabarrok at Marginal Revolution shows us. Baltimore schools spend 27 percent more per student than Fairfax Co., Va., spends, according to Tabarrok — that’s more than $17,000 per student.
The problem with these schools isn’t that they are “underfunded.” It’s that they are broken in a million way — ways that you couldn’t solve even by doubling the per-student spending.
At, Bonnie Kristian comments:
That $17,000 per student is actually quite high. As this 2014 article from the Washington Post shows, the national average per-student expenditure is about $10,600 per year. Some states, like Utah, spend less than $7,000 per student, while New York tops the list at $19,552. Obviously Baltimore has a higher cost of living than Utah, and of course there are other, similar factors which might contribute to Baltimore needing to spend more per kid than more rural areas. But no matter how we slice it, $17,000 per year is not “underfunded.”
It would be interesting to come up with a cost-of-living equation (if that is possible) to compare per capita spending in government schools. Then it would be even better to do research about crime in each school area and see what correlates.
My prediction: crime will go up with the amount of money spend on the schools.
My second prediction: therefore no one will try to do such a study. | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '16', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9536754488945008}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '88981', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:LGKT7JWCJ2TWW26E4FPRM6OWKTFYFOJS', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:565494d5-dc47-448e-8e6c-dd3886d1c69f>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2019, 6, 16, 0, 58, 45), 'WARC-IP-Address': '104.31.84.174', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:LB2SI44K3ADABVWNBUWCKAQWUZOBFAM2', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:49249f4e-b0c8-44c9-b228-1dbd3df85ea3>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'https://politicaloutcast.com/baltimore-public-schools-are-not-close-to-underfunded/', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:63213123-91f8-44ca-a2cd-83f0c1d85364>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '632', 'url': 'https://politicaloutcast.com/baltimore-public-schools-are-not-close-to-underfunded/', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2019-26\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for June 2019\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-147-89-155.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.15 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 1.1-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.01867973804473877', 'original_id': 'd7569417610711c8f0c4a56ce5b03760c1d6d42f53c033200485a973c9bbd15a'} |
local WeightedEuclidean, parent = torch.class('nn.WeightedEuclidean', 'nn.Module')
function WeightedEuclidean:__init(inputSize,outputSize)
parent.__init(self)
self.weight = torch.Tensor(inputSize,outputSize)
self.gradWeight = torch.Tensor(inputSize,outputSize)
-- each template (output dim) has its own diagonal covariance matrix
self.diagCov = torch.Tensor(inputSize,outputSize)
self.gradDiagCov = torch.Tensor(inputSize,outputSize)
self:reset()
end
function WeightedEuclidean:reset(stdv)
if stdv then
stdv = stdv * math.sqrt(3)
else
stdv = 1./math.sqrt(self.weight:size(1))
end
self.weight:uniform(-stdv, stdv)
self.diagCov:fill(1)
end
local function view(res, src, ...)
local args = {...}
if src:isContiguous() then
res:view(src, table.unpack(args))
else
res:reshape(src, table.unpack(args))
end
end
function WeightedEuclidean:updateOutput(input)
-- lazy-initialize
self._diagCov = self._diagCov or self.output.new()
self._input = self._input or input.new()
self._weight = self._weight or self.weight.new()
self._expand = self._expand or self.output.new()
self._expand2 = self._expand or self.output.new()
self._expand3 = self._expand3 or self.output.new()
self._repeat = self._repeat or self.output.new()
self._repeat2 = self._repeat2 or self.output.new()
self._repeat3 = self._repeat3 or self.output.new()
local inputSize, outputSize = self.weight:size(1), self.weight:size(2)
-- y_j = || c_j * (w_j - x) ||
if input:dim() == 1 then
view(self._input, input, inputSize, 1)
self._expand:expandAs(self._input, self.weight)
self._repeat:resizeAs(self._expand):copy(self._expand)
self._repeat:add(-1, self.weight)
self._repeat:cmul(self.diagCov)
self.output:norm(self._repeat, 2, 1)
self.output:resize(outputSize)
elseif input:dim() == 2 then
local batchSize = input:size(1)
view(self._input, input, batchSize, inputSize, 1)
self._expand:expand(self._input, batchSize, inputSize, outputSize)
-- make the expanded tensor contiguous (requires lots of memory)
self._repeat:resizeAs(self._expand):copy(self._expand)
self._weight:view(self.weight, 1, inputSize, outputSize)
self._expand2:expandAs(self._weight, self._repeat)
self._diagCov:view(self.diagCov, 1, inputSize, outputSize)
self._expand3:expandAs(self._diagCov, self._repeat)
if torch.type(input) == 'torch.CudaTensor' then
-- requires lots of memory, but minimizes cudaMallocs and loops
self._repeat2:resizeAs(self._expand2):copy(self._expand2)
self._repeat:add(-1, self._repeat2)
self._repeat3:resizeAs(self._expand3):copy(self._expand3)
self._repeat:cmul(self._repeat3)
else
self._repeat:add(-1, self._expand2)
self._repeat:cmul(self._expand3)
end
self.output:norm(self._repeat, 2, 2)
self.output:resize(batchSize, outputSize)
else
error"1D or 2D input expected"
end
return self.output
end
function WeightedEuclidean:updateGradInput(input, gradOutput)
if not self.gradInput then
return
end
self._div = self._div or input.new()
self._output = self._output or self.output.new()
self._expand4 = self._expand4 or input.new()
self._gradOutput = self._gradOutput or input.new()
if not self.fastBackward then
self:updateOutput(input)
end
local inputSize, outputSize = self.weight:size(1), self.weight:size(2)
--[[
dy_j -2 * c_j * c_j * (w_j - x) c_j * c_j * (x - w_j)
---- = -------------------------- = ---------------------
dx 2 || c_j * (w_j - x) || y_j
--]]
-- to prevent div by zero (NaN) bugs
self._output:resizeAs(self.output):copy(self.output):add(0.0000001)
view(self._gradOutput, gradOutput, gradOutput:size())
self._div:cdiv(gradOutput, self._output)
if input:dim() == 1 then
self._div:resize(1, outputSize)
self._expand4:expandAs(self._div, self.weight)
if torch.type(input) == 'torch.CudaTensor' then
self._repeat2:resizeAs(self._expand4):copy(self._expand4)
self._repeat2:cmul(self._repeat)
else
self._repeat2:cmul(self._repeat, self._expand4)
end
self._repeat2:cmul(self.diagCov)
self.gradInput:sum(self._repeat2, 2)
self.gradInput:resizeAs(input)
elseif input:dim() == 2 then
local batchSize = input:size(1)
self._div:resize(batchSize, 1, outputSize)
self._expand4:expand(self._div, batchSize, inputSize, outputSize)
if torch.type(input) == 'torch.CudaTensor' then
self._repeat2:resizeAs(self._expand4):copy(self._expand4)
self._repeat2:cmul(self._repeat)
self._repeat2:cmul(self._repeat3)
else
self._repeat2:cmul(self._repeat, self._expand4)
self._repeat2:cmul(self._expand3)
end
self.gradInput:sum(self._repeat2, 3)
self.gradInput:resizeAs(input)
else
error"1D or 2D input expected"
end
return self.gradInput
end
function WeightedEuclidean:accGradParameters(input, gradOutput, scale)
local inputSize, outputSize = self.weight:size(1), self.weight:size(2)
scale = scale or 1
--[[
dy_j 2 * c_j * c_j * (w_j - x) c_j * c_j * (w_j - x)
---- = ------------------------- = ---------------------
dw_j 2 || c_j * (w_j - x) || y_j
dy_j 2 * c_j * (w_j - x)^2 c_j * (w_j - x)^2
---- = ----------------------- = -----------------
dc_j 2 || c_j * (w_j - x) || y_j
--]]
-- assumes a preceding call to updateGradInput
if input:dim() == 1 then
self.gradWeight:add(-scale, self._repeat2)
self._repeat:cdiv(self.diagCov)
self._repeat:cmul(self._repeat)
self._repeat:cmul(self.diagCov)
if torch.type(input) == 'torch.CudaTensor' then
self._repeat2:resizeAs(self._expand4):copy(self._expand4)
self._repeat2:cmul(self._repeat)
else
self._repeat2:cmul(self._repeat, self._expand4)
end
self.gradDiagCov:add(self._repeat2)
elseif input:dim() == 2 then
self._sum = self._sum or input.new()
self._sum:sum(self._repeat2, 1)
self._sum:resize(inputSize, outputSize)
self.gradWeight:add(-scale, self._sum)
if torch.type(input) == 'torch.CudaTensor' then
-- requires lots of memory, but minimizes cudaMallocs and loops
self._repeat:cdiv(self._repeat3)
self._repeat:cmul(self._repeat)
self._repeat:cmul(self._repeat3)
self._repeat2:resizeAs(self._expand4):copy(self._expand4)
self._repeat:cmul(self._repeat2)
else
self._repeat:cdiv(self._expand3)
self._repeat:cmul(self._repeat)
self._repeat:cmul(self._expand3)
self._repeat:cmul(self._expand4)
end
self._sum:sum(self._repeat, 1)
self._sum:resize(inputSize, outputSize)
self.gradDiagCov:add(scale, self._sum)
else
error"1D or 2D input expected"
end
end
function WeightedEuclidean:type(type, tensorCache)
if type then
-- prevent premature memory allocations
self._input = nil
self._output = nil
self._gradOutput = nil
self._weight = nil
self._div = nil
self._sum = nil
self._expand = nil
self._expand2 = nil
self._expand3 = nil
self._expand4 = nil
self._repeat = nil
self._repeat2 = nil
self._repeat3 = nil
end
return parent.type(self, type, tensorCache)
end
function WeightedEuclidean:parameters()
return {self.weight, self.diagCov}, {self.gradWeight, self.gradDiagCov}
end
function WeightedEuclidean:accUpdateGradParameters(input, gradOutput, lr)
local gradWeight = self.gradWeight
local gradDiagCov = self.gradDiagCov
self.gradWeight = self.weight
self.gradDiagCov = self.diagCov
self:accGradParameters(input, gradOutput, -lr)
self.gradWeight = gradWeight
self.gradDiagCov = gradDiagCov
end
| mini_pile | {'original_id': '11aad120d2f0f22ae5ea4032cd58464c76c69201fbeba0539a112da9e4780a92'} |
In 1998, the African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation dedicated a memorial to honor the members of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) during the war. These troops span from people of African to Hispanic descent who have played a role in supporting the Union and fighting slavery. A year later, a museum opened on the historic U Street district.
The African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation created the museum for two main purposes—to contribute to the economic regrowth of U Street, which suffered economic decline since the 1968 riots, and also to acknowledge the service of the USCT and preserve their stories. The museum occupies a building known as the Grimke Building; it was named after Archibald Grimke, a former slave who became the second African American to graduate from Harvard’s Law School. Visitors ranging from teachers to students to USCT member descendants use the museum as an educational venue consisting of artifacts such as photographs and Civil War-era uniforms and weaponry.
The memorial stands across from the museum as a place of recognition for those soldiers whose lives have been given and documented. A bronze sculpture, the Spirit of Freedom, is a notable landmark depicting a nine-to-ten-foot sailor and soldiers at the forefront with a family in the back. It is centered in a granite paved plaza and walking area, surrounded by the Wall of Honor, where it lists up to 209,145 names of the men who served in the USCT. | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '0', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.97414892911911}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '107039', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:I3BO5T7ZGJEGG7GRY6PEQFIFFR2BLHDW', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:1f6715d8-20ce-4392-8aca-27a46b5e0f96>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2019, 11, 16, 1, 25), 'WARC-IP-Address': '75.98.175.111', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:KOGA7OVBVVKJXDTQHRSGEQGPQ5NKZN6M', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:9e853cbb-8a32-4275-a3ae-0731d5094ccd>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'https://tourwashingtondc.com/african-american-history-sites/aa-civil-war-memorial-museum/', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:b17b925e-732d-4cca-b30c-ca8cdd3c7939>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '244', 'url': 'https://tourwashingtondc.com/african-american-history-sites/aa-civil-war-memorial-museum/', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2019-47\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for November 2019\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-67-67-223.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.16 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 1.1-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.046514153480529785', 'original_id': '68fd042c4c81a491a9914cd315a29cc9136f157ac445679d41b21bd258b6ce54'} |
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) quoted an attack by Adolf Hitler on Jews on the House floor Monday to chide Democrats and the media.
Brooks actually read from Hitler’s autobiography, Mein Kampf,about the Nazi leader’s characterization of “big lie” propaganda that he said was used by his Jewish opponents. In Brooks’ scenario, it applies to Democrats and the media.
Brooks launched the attack in the wake of findings by special counsel Robert Mueller, whose newly completed investigation has cleared the Trump campaign of collusion with Russian operatives but did not exonerate President Donald Trump of obstruction of justice. Brooks referred to Hitler as “another socialist” and said Democrats and the press pushed the “big lie” of Russian collusion.
Hitler believed that a lie could be so “colossal” that it would be believed because no one would suspect anyone could lie that outrageously. Hitler claimed the “big lie” was used by Jews to blame Germany’s loss in World War I on an anti-Semitic general, whom Hitler hailed for his “superhuman will.” From “time immemorial the Jews have known better than any others how falsehood and calumny can be exploited,” Hitler wrote in the section from which Brooks cherry-picked quotes.
Brooks said on the House floor: “For more than two years, socialist Democrats and their fake news media allies — CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, Washington Post and countless others — have perpetrated the biggest political lie, con, scam and fraud in American history.”
In “that vein, I quote from another socialist who mastered ‘big lie’ propaganda to a maximum, and deadly, effect,” Brooks added before reading a section from Mein Kampf, which he failed to mention was written by Hitler about Jews.
“Quote: ‘In the big lie, there is always a certain force of credibility because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature ... and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie,’” Brooks read.
“It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.”
Brooks stopped before the end of the section on the big lie, in which Hitler stated that German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer “called the Jew the ‘Great Master of Lies.’”
Brooks retweeted coverage of his speech and uploaded it to his YouTube channel. Check it out at the top of the story. | mini_pile | {'original_id': '1f0194fc5923f3a181939fedcf49ff1089c9a0286986b54d64ff5bdaae6f463a'} |
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In biology, a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a collection of human beings. Individuals within a population share a particular characteristic of interest, most often that of living in a given geographic area. In addition, on average, populations often show differences in morphological,[physiological, life history or behavioral characteristics.
Human populations can be defined by any characteristics such as mortality, migration, family, public health, work and the labor force, and family planning. Various aspects of human behavior in populations are also studied in sociology, economics, and geography.
For lessons on the topic of Population, follow this link.
World population
According to papers published by the United States Census Bureau, the world population hit 6.5 billion (6,500,000,000) on February 25, 2006. The United Nations Population Fund designated October 12, 1999 as the approximate day on which world population reached 6 billion. This was about 12 years after world population reached 5 billion in 1987, and 6 years after world population reached 5.5 billion in 1993. However, the population of some countries, such as Nigeria, is not even known to the nearest million[2] [3]
In 2007 the United Nations Population Division projected that the world's population will likely surpass 10 billion in 2055.[4] The last 50 years have seen a rapid increase in population due to medical advances and substantial increase in agricultural productivity, particularly in the period 1960 to 1995 [5] made by the Green Revolution.[6]
In the future, world population has been expected to reach a peak of growth, from there it will decline due to economic reasons, health concerns, land exhaustion and environmental hazards. There is around an 85% chance that the world's population will stop growing before the end of the century. There is a 60% probability that the world's population will not exceed 10 billion people before 2100, and around a 15% probability that the world's population at the end of the century will be lower than it is today. For different regions, the date and size of the peak population will vary considerably.[7]
Population control
Population control is the practice of curtailing population increase, usually by reducing the birth rate. Surviving records from Ancient Greece document the first known examples of population control. These include the colonization movement, which saw Greek outposts being built across the Mediterranean and Black Sea basins to accommodate the excess population of individual states. Infanticide, including abortion, was encouraged in some Greek city states in order to keep population down.
An important example of mandated population control is People's Republic of China's one-child policy, in which having more than one child is made extremely unattractive. This has led to allegations that practices like forced abortions, forced sterilization, and infanticide are used as a result of the policy. The country's sex ratio at birth of 114 boys to 100 girls may be evidence that the latter is often sex-selective. However, other countries without a one-child policy also have similar sex ratios but for different reasons such as nutrition.
It is helpful to distinguish between fertility control as individual decision-making and population control as a governmental or state-level policy of regulating population growth. Fertility control may occur when individuals or couples or families take steps to decrease or to regulate the timing of their own child-bearing. In Ansley Coale's oft-cited formulation, three preconditions for a sustained decline in fertility are: (1) acceptance of calculated choice (as opposed to fate or chance or divine will) as a valid element in fertility, (2) perceived advantages from reduced fertility, and (3) knowledge and mastery of effective techniques of control. In contrast to a society with natural fertility, a society that desires to limit fertility and has the means to do so may use those means to delay childbearing, space childbearing, or stop childbearing. Delaying sexual intercourse (or marriage), or the adoption of natural or artificial means of contraception are most often an individual or family decision, not a matter of a state policy or societal-wide sanctions. On the other hand, individuals who assume some sense of control over their own fertility can also accelerate the frequency or success of child-bearing through planning.
At the societal level, declining fertility is almost an inevitable result of growing secular education of women. However, the exercise of moderate to high levels of fertility control does not necessarily imply low fertility rates. Even among societies that exercise substantial fertility control, societies with an equal ability to exercise fertility control (to determine how many children to have and when to bear them) may display widely different levels of fertility (numbers of children borne) associated with individual and cultural preferences for the number of children or size of families.
In contrast to fertility control, which is mainly an individual-level decision, governments may attempt to exercise population control by increasing access to means of contraception or by other population policies and programs.[8]. The idea of "population control" as a governmental or societal-level regulation of population growth does not require "fertility control" in the sense that it has been defined above, since a state can affect the growth of a society's population even if that society practices little fertility control. It's also important to embrace policies favoring population increase as an aspect of population control, and not to assume that states want to control population only by limiting its growth. To stimulate population growth, governments may support not only immigration but also pronatalist policies such as tax benefits, financial awards, paid work leaves, and childcare to encourage the bearing of additional children. Such policies have been pursued in recent years in France and Sweden, for example. With the same goal of increasing population growth, on occasion governments have sought to limit the use of abortion or modern means of birth control. An example was Romania's 1966 ban on access to contraception and abortion on demand.
In ecology, population control is on occasions considered to be done solely by predators, diseases, parasites, and environmental factors. In a constant environment, population control is regulated by the availability of food, water, and safety. The maximum number of a species or individuals that can be supported in a certain area is called the carrying capacity. At many times human effects on animal and plant populations are also considered.[9] Migrations of animals may be seen as a natural way of population control, for the food on land is more abundant on some seasons. The area of the migrations' start is left to reproduce the food supply for large mass of animals next time around.
India is another example where the government has taken measures to reduce the country’s population. Concerns that the rapidly growing population would adversely affect economic growth and living standards caused India to implement an official family planning program in the late 1950s and early 1960s; it was the first country in the world to do so.
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\section{Primes of form Power Less One}
Tags: Number Theory, Prime Numbers, Mersenne Numbers, Mersenne Primes
\begin{theorem}
Let $m, n \in \N_{>0}$ be natural numbers.
Let $m^n - 1$ be prime.
Then $m = 2$ and $n$ is prime.
\end{theorem}
\begin{proof}
First we note that by Integer Less One divides Power Less One:
:$\paren {m - 1} \divides \paren {m^n - 1}$
where $\divides$ denotes divisibility.
Thus $m^n - 1$ is composite for all $m \in \Z: m > 2$.
Let $m = 2$, and consider $2^n - 1$.
Suppose $n$ is composite.
Then $n = r s$ where $r, s \in \Z_{> 1}$.
Then by the corollary to Integer Less One divides Power Less One:
:$\paren {2^r - 1} \divides \paren {2^{r s} - 1}$
Thus if $n$ is composite, then so is $2^n - 1$.
So $2^n - 1$ can be prime only when $n$ is prime.
{{qed}}
\end{proof}
| math_pile | {'subset': 'ProofWiki', 'meta': "{'type': 'Theorem_Proof'}", 'original_id': 'b6714556ba92d412a04157b1bd85320dfc5b407e7a42f81a3611562d23f154ee'} |
Moving Forward – One Step at a Time
Life tends to be full of ups and downs, but sometimes it feels like it’s at a standstill. Stagnancy leads to complacency—it’s simple and safe to be satisfied with mediocrity if it’s comfortable enough.
Worse than the stagnancy are a lot of ways life will put you down and bring adversity your way.
Rather than make that your new normal and give up all ambition, your best bet is to just keep moving forward. Make your way out of the clutches of the fear of change. You’ll find that what lies ahead is worth the effort to keep moving on.
Get Unstuck and Get Moving
What are you doing to keep yourself moving forward in life? This is not something you can sit around waiting to have happen—you need a plan of action; get working on it!
Know Your Purpose
It’s easier said than done, yes, but having a firm sense of purpose and knowing what you want in life propels you toward it.
The Excuses Need to Stop!
We make a lot of excuses for our actions to the people around us, but we make the most excuses to ourselves. To get you geared towards moving ahead and achieving a more fulfilling life, the excuses need to go.
Learn from Past Mistakes
No one got anywhere by repeating the same mistakes over and over. Learn to let go of regrets, and instead of wallowing in what you did wrong, think about how you could be doing it right.
Focus on Yourself
You and your journey are what matters—the rest is just background noise.
Learn to believe in yourself and know that you have what it takes to keep on moving forward.
Stick to baby steps, but as long as you’re making progress, you’re achieving your objective!
Bill Wooditch, a professional motivational business keynote speaker, emphasizes the importance of keeping yourself moving through life in his book, Always Forward! Enhancing your professional and personal life is not something that can be done from the safety of your comfort zone; you have to step out and work on the relentless pursuit towards the kind of life you want.
Get in touch with his team and book Bill Wooditch for your next event!
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• Software
• Open Access
BMC Bioinformatics20067:329
Received: 12 December 2005
Accepted: 03 July 2006
Published: 03 July 2006
Quantitative descriptions of amino acid similarity, expressed as probabilistic models of evolutionary interchangeability, are central to many mainstream bioinformatic procedures such as sequence alignment, homology searching, and protein structural prediction. Here we present a web-based, user-friendly analysis tool that allows any researcher to quickly and easily visualize relationships between these bioinformatic metrics and to explore their relationships to underlying indices of amino acid molecular descriptors.
We demonstrate the three fundamental types of question that our software can address by taking as a specific example the connections between 49 measures of amino acid biophysical properties (e.g., size, charge and hydrophobicity), a generalized model of amino acid substitution (as represented by the PAM74-100 matrix), and the mutational distance that separates amino acids within the standard genetic code (i.e., the number of point mutations required for interconversion during protein evolution). We show that our software allows a user to recapture the insights from several key publications on these topics in just a few minutes.
Our software facilitates rapid, interactive exploration of three interconnected topics: (i) the multidimensional molecular descriptors of the twenty proteinaceous amino acids, (ii) the correlation of these biophysical measurements with observed patterns of amino acid substitution, and (iii) the causal basis for differences between any two observed patterns of amino acid substitution. This software acts as an intuitive bioinformatic exploration tool that can guide more comprehensive statistical analyses relating to a diverse array of specific research questions.
• Amino Acid Substitution
• Span Tree
• Minimum Span Tree
• Molecular Descriptor
• Amino Acid Property
Molecular biology has made great progress in observing and quantifying the patterns by which amino acids exchange for one another within protein sequences over time. A key motivation here has been to create amino acid substitution matrices (such as the PAM and BLOSUM matrix families), which lie at the heart of mainstream bioinformatics procedures, from algorithms that determine whether [1] and how exactly [2] two proteins are homologous, to those that predict protein tertiary structure by comparison with known folds [3]. However, these matrices represent generalized patterns of change "averaged" across all proteins: although they typically encompass the idea that patterns of substitution will vary with evolutionary distance, other systematic sources of variation are overlooked. An increasing literature supports the idea that this generalization may compromise the sensitivity of sequence comparison for various specialized subsets of proteins (e.g., for particular protein families [48], or for genomes that have evolved under unusual mutation biases or selection regimes [911]). Thus a worthy challenge is to seek the underlying ontology that can link individually derived, specialized models of amino acid substitution into a common framework: if we can ultimately replace generalized patterns of observed change with a flexible, quantitative model of amino acid substitution, then this offers significant potential to increase the sophistication of standard bioinformatics procedures. Such research may in fact be viewed as a subset of current efforts to find a general, chemical ontology for bioactivity (e.g., [1214]) where researchers face the same challenge of unifying diverse observations into a model that predicts molecular interactions from first principles.
In this context, it has long been understood that amino acid substitution matrices reflect a combination chemical and evolutionary factors: most intuitively the biophysical properties (known within chemical disciplines as "molecular descriptors") of the amino acids [15, 16] and the mutational distance of their encodings within the genetic code [5, 17, 18]. However, establishing accurate, quantitative connections between the outcomes of molecular evolution and amino acids' molecular descriptors remains a complex issue under active research (e.g., [1921]).
In this context, Nakai et al. created an innovative database, the AAindex [22], comprising both amino acid substitution matrices (20 × 20 matrices in which each element reflects some measure of the exchangeability of a pair of amino acids) and amino acid indices (vectors of 20 elements, each element being a value that describes some physiochemical property such as size or hydrophobicity, for one of the twenty amino acids encoded by the standard genetic code). In a later publication that expanded this database, Tomii and Kanehisa [23] suggested procedures for correlating any amino acid molecular descriptor with an observed exchange rate (e.g., substitution matrix) and for clustering indices together by similarity.
This latter technique of index clustering, is especially useful when exploring the relationship between indices, given that properties of widespread interest have often been measured in many different ways by different researchers. (For example, the latest version of the AAindex database [24] contains 29 different measurements of a property that contains the term "hydrophobicity" in its description.) Moreover, this comparison allows easy visualization of non-intuitive correlations (e.g., hydrophobicity and volume). The authors applied similarity-based methods to their AAindex database to build a minimum spanning tree: a graph-theoretic structure that connects discrete elements together based on similarity, by minimizing the overall sum of the distances of the direct connections. The result is a data structure in which elements are grouped together based on similarity (a detailed description and justification is given in the work of Tomii and Kanehisa who first applied this methodology to visualizing amino acid similarity [23]). This minimum spanning tree showed the underlying structure (clustering) for the 402 indices of their database. Since this time, numerous further indices and matrices have been developed: some have been incorporated into updates of the AAindex, while others remain isolated in the scientific literature (e.g., [10, 25]).
In this context, we have developed free, user-friendly, publicly available web-based software that enables researchers to repeat and extend the ideas of Nakai et al., [22] and Tomii and Kanehisa [23] using interactive data visualization. We thus present the Amino Acid Explorer, a web tool that facilitates quantitative exploration of similarity between physiochemical properties of amino acids and their evolutionary dynamics. Our tool allows users to explore the similarity between any of the 83 matrices and any subset of the 494 indices housed by AAindex version 6.0, and to include any custom index or matrix (e.g., from recent scientific literature or from unpublished research, as a matrix derived from an alignment of proteins in a particular functional class, or an index derived by combining several physiochemical properties). We have embedded this analysis tool within a comprehensive web context: both a moderated user forum in which to discuss problems, findings or questions and an open wiki in which the community of those researching the interface of biochemistry and protein evolution may contribute their knowledge.
Our web tool, which may be accessed at, comprises two major parts: one client side, one server side. The client side consists of the graphical interface that runs as a Java applet within a user's browser. The server side (residing on, is a web application that performs all computations on the data, and is part of a larger computational infrastructure created around UMBC AAIndex database. Figure 1 shows an overview of our tool's architecture. Additionally, a short paragraph describing UMBC AAIndex database is located at the end of this section.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Overview of Amino Acid Explorer Architecture.
User interface and visualization
The user interface of our tool is a Java applet that runs in a user's browser. It allows the user to (i) select any subset of the AAIndex indices (or custom indices) to be clustered using the minimum spanning tree method, (ii) choose an appropriate distance calculation method (to be used during the spanning tree computation), and (iii) choose a matrix or matrices to compare with the indices of a spanning tree.
Specifically, having built a spanning tree, the application can compute distances between all the indices in this tree and a user defined matrix; it displays these distances by shading the elements of the spanning tree with a color-coded scale. Additionally, it can use a second color-coded scale to display which of two user-defined matrices each index of the spanning tree is closest to (in other words, what makes these two matrices different from one another in terms of the indices under consideration?).
Drawing the spanning tree
Graph drawing and visualization are currently open research topics in computer science [26]. Although an agreed method exists for creating the graph (calculating a spanning tree), finding an optimal spatial positioning for nodes and drawing edges in a readable way (e.g., grouping nodes that are directly connected together, while minimizing crossed edges) remain active areas of research. A large number of different software packages implement a variety of state-of-the-art graph drawing methods, which differ significantly in speed, quality of the drawing, and interactivity (i.e., allowing the user to influence the final shape of the graph being drawn). Our visualization tool uses a slightly modified form of the open source-package TouchGraph [27] to render the minimum spanning tree that was computed server-side. (Modifications to the original TouchGraph code are limited to changes that redefine the default parameters for flexibility of the edges, and minor modifications required to integrate the code into our applet.) A full description of TouchGraph can be found at their web site; in essence, it uses an iterative "force-based layout" algorithm (in which nodes each projects a force that repel other nodes, while edges act like springs that can be compressed or stretched) to move, though a series of incremental improvements, from a random graph layout to an optimal representation. The whole incremental process is visible, and the user can intervene at any point by dragging nodes to locations that seem to be better suited. In our application, this is most likely to be useful when users request a spanning tree for a large set of amino acid indices, under which conditions the force-based layout may become stuck at a local optimum, visible to the user as a representation in which one or a few key edges cross one another.
Visualizing distances between a matrix and a set of indices
Our application represents the distances between matrices and indices in two modes. In the first mode, each node in the spanning tree (representing a single amino acid index) is color-coded to represent its measured similarity to a single, user-defined reference matrix. The color scale runs from blue (most distant) to red (most similar). Distances are measured as described below. The second mode (differential mode) shows how two substitution matrices differ in terms of the amino acid indices of a spanning tree. This mode uses a color-coded scale to denote which of two matrices is closest to each node (index). In the figures shown here, the color scale is green (matrix 1) to brown (matrix 2) so as to avoid any confusion with Mode #1 described above. The degree of color saturation denotes the magnitude of the difference (i.e., strong colors indicate that the two matrices are very different in terms of this index).
All significant computation for this tool occurs on the server-side, because it often involves most or all of the data stored in the database (thus transfer to a client-side applet could take prohibitive time for users with low-bandwidth connections).
Computation of a minimum spanning tree
The software calculates a minimum spanning tree using Prim's algorithm, as described by Cormen et al. [28]. Since this algorithm minimizes the total sum of distances between directly connected indices, the definition of distance here is of prime importance. Tomii and Kanehisa [23] used a statistical correlation measure between two indices (each is a vector of 20 numbers representing an amino acid property). Our software allows users to employ this metric, but also to explore another notion of distance, namely Euclidean distance (calculating distance between two indices as distance between two points in 20-dimensional space). This approach is often taken to compare normalized vectors in multi dimensional spaces [29]. More generally, our software allows users to restrict the set of amino acids that are taken into account when calculating distance (e.g., it is possible to consider only hydrophobic amino acids, or only those encoded by GC-rich codons), whichever metric of distance is being used.
Computation of distance between a matrix and a set of indices
In order to compute the distance between a matrix and a set of indices, our software uses the correlation method described by Tomii and Kanehisa [23]. This method first converts each index (a vector of 20 values, one for each amino acids) into a matrix by calculating the simple arithmetic distance between each pair of amino acids, as defined by the index. It then calculates the correlation coefficient between these two matrices. While the Euclidean distance method may be used to build a minimum spanning tree of indices, which have been normalized to facilitate direct comparison, this method would is inappropriate for matrix/index comparisons because matrix values have not been normalized (i.e., matrix elements may extend beyond the interval from 0 to 1 and thus Euclidean distance between any one element of an index and elements of a matrix would be misleading. Linear normalization of matrix elements would itself be inappropriate since many matrices, such as the PAM series, comprise values that are expressed in logarithmic units). Therefore, our software always uses the Tomii and Kanehisa method of simple correlation to compare a matrix with an index. If the user has selected only a subset of the 20 amino acids for tree building, then calculations of distance between a matrix and the indices of a spanning tree consider only the appropriate subset of matrix elements.
UMBC AAIndex database
We created the UMBC version of the AAIndex database as a local version of the original AAindex data (created by GenomeNet Japan [30]) to facilitate the manipulations required by our interactive software. Specifically, our local implementation converted all data of the original AAindex to XML format, generated interfaces that enable precise local and remote access to all aspects of the database, and normalized all amino acid index data.
XML is a standardized language that is designed to simplify sharing of information among independently created systems. In particular, it is easily readable by machines (there are many code libraries that allow access to XML data by programs written in almost any programming language), and thus facilitates conversions to other languages, both to formats that are intended to be read by humans (e.g., web pages or PDF files) and to other computer formats. Our UMBC AAIndex database allows direct user access via internet either in "raw" form (plain XML data) or transformed to a web page that is designed to be easily read by a human. In the former capacity, our implementation of this database has been designed for simple access by either programs residing on our server, or by simple HTTP requests from remote machines. When bandwidth for data transfer is an issue for some third-party users, our architecture also allows deployment of programs directly at the server for a more direct access. Both of these latter points reflect our aim to facilitate other researchers who would like to expand and improve the functionality we offer for the AAindex data.
The indices in the database have been normalized by linearly scaling all the values of each index from 0 (the smallest value of the original index) to 1 (the greatest value of the original index). This simplifies and makes more intuitive the comparison of values between different indices, which may originally have had values expressed using different units. (Note that this normalization does not influence the results obtained by the correlation coefficient method used by Tomii and Kanehisa [23], which may be reproduced exactly by our software in a matter of seconds.)
Here we present three simple, example analyses to illustrate the types of exploration that our software allows. Each illustrates a conceptually different question that the tool reduces to a simple "point and click" exercise. We have chosen to focus on the relationship between biophysical properties of amino acids, patterns of molecular evolution, and the structure of the standard genetic code. However, it would be trivial to find an equivalent set of example analyses that focused on protein folding or homology searching. Indeed, our visualization software can be used to investigate any area of bioinformatics that builds on understanding how amino acids' molecular descriptors influence the patterns by which amino acids substitute for one another during evolution.
In Figure 2, we show an analysis (taking approximately 40 seconds to produce) in which we build a minimum spanning tree of indices relating to amino acid size, charge, and hydrophobicity. Interestingly, while measures of charge and size form coherent units (boxes A and B respectively), the more numerous measures of hydrophobicity form three major branches. Notably, index 388, Polar Requirement [31], is a measure of amino acid polarity that has been used extensively in developing evidence for the idea that the pattern by which amino acids were assigned to codons within the standard genetic code results from natural selection to minimize the change in amino acid hydrophobicity caused by point mutations [3235]. Although this minimum spanning tree emphasizes the legitimacy of treating Polar Requirement as a measure of hydrophobicity (its authors originally introduced the metric as an estimate of stereic affinities between nucleotides and amino acids [36]), the tri-partite spanning tree for the concept of hydrophobicity illustrates the potential dangers of over-emphasizing any one measure of hydrophobicity. In this context, it is helpful to note that a second "branch" of amino acid hydrophobicity measures includes Kyte and Doolittle's [37] "hydropathy" (index 151) which is also strongly reflected by the codon assignments of the standard genetic code [32].
Figure 2
Figure 2
A minimum spanning tree of size, charge and hydrophobicity for the 20 amino acids of the standard genetic code. Specifically, this tree is built from the 67 amino acid indices that contain the words "hydrop" and/or "polar," "size," "volume," "charge," and "electr" as part of their description. This includes most of the indices that relate to the general concepts of amino acid size, charge, and hydrophobicity. Boxes A and B represent "natural" clusters formed by the minimum spanning tree of charge and size, respectively.
In Figure 3, we show a second analysis (taking approximately 5 seconds to produce, given the tree of Figure 2) in which we measure the similarity of each index in our original minimum spanning tree to a classic amino acid substitution matrix: the PAM 74–100 [5]. Here we see that generally, measures of amino acid hydrophobicity correlate well with observed patterns of amino acid substitution, though interestingly, Polar Requirement is by no means the strongest of these (an observation pertinent to the debate over cause and effect of hydrophobicity as a dominant explanatory variable of generalized amino acid substitution patterns [38, 10]). Amino acid volume shows some correlation with substitution patterns, but charge (as measured by these indices) is by far the least related property. This provides a quick, empirical justification for the general patterns predicted, for example, by Grantham [4]. It also matches analyses of which fundamental amino acid properties are reflected within the codon assignments of the standard genetic code [32, 37].
Figure 3
Figure 3
The minimum spanning tree recolored to reflect distance to a PAM matrix. Specifically, the minimum spanning tree of size, charge, and hydrophobicity (Figure 2) is recolored to indicate the similarity of each amino acid index to the PAM74-100 amino acid substitution matrix [5].
In Figure 4, we show a further analysis (taking approximately 10 seconds in total to produce, given the tree of Figure 1) that explores how the PAM74-100 matrix differs from Fitch's matrix of "mutational distance between amino acids within the standard genetic code" [6] in terms of amino acid size, charge and hydrophobicity. We find that in general, measures of hydrophobicity and volume are closer to the PAM matrix (i.e., are more correlated with observed patterns of amino acid substitution), whereas the small cluster of amino acid indices relating to charge correlate more strongly with the genetic code based matrix. On a simple level, this quick analysis shows that the standard genetic code does indeed contain an element of non-random codon assignments with respect to amino acid charge, as reported in an erratum by Haig and Hurst [40] that replaced their initial rejection of such a link [32]. At a deeper level, these results are germane to debates over the flow of causality that links amino acid physiochemical properties to observed patterns of amino acid substitution within proteins – the mainstream view is that physiochemical properties dominate the pattern by which amino acids substitute for one another, particularly over large stretches of evolutionary time [5]. However, there has been some debate as to whether (and to what extent) such patterns can be caused by neutral evolution that substituted amino acids based on their mutational proximity within the standard genetic code, given that the code is non-randomly organized with respect to key amino acid properties [10, 41, 38]. Our quick analysis indicates that physiochemical considerations really are, in fact, more important to long-term protein evolution than can be explained by codon assignments (in that the physiochemical properties are more strongly correlated with observed substitution patterns than with mutational distance within the genetic code; i.e., physiochemical similarity comes to dominate patterns of substitution as evolution proceeds).
Figure 4
Figure 4
The minimum spanning tree recolored to show each index's similarity to one of two substitution matrices. Specifically, the spanning tree of size, charge, and hydrophobicity (Figure 2) is recolored to indicate whether each amino acid index is more highly correlated with the PAM74-100 amino acid substitution matrix (green) or a matrix of amino acids' proximity within the standard genetic code [8] (brown).
This same feature of the AAIndex Explorer tool could equally well be used to quickly visualize which properties (and which amino acids) are responsible for the difference between any two substitution matrices (e.g., between a "generalized" or global model of amino acid substitution, as found in a PAM or BLOSUM matrix, and any observed pattern of interchange within a specific protein family or phyletic lineage).
In this paper, we present software that facilitates rapid, interactive exploration of data pertaining to three interconnected topics: (i) the multidimensional molecular descriptors of biochemical properties for the twenty proteinaceous amino acids, (ii) the correlation of these biophysical measurements with observed patterns of amino acid substitution (i.e. substitution matrices), and (iii) the causal, biocehmical basis for differences between any two observed patterns of amino acid substitution. This software acts as an intuitive bioinformatic exploration tool that can guide more comprehensive statistical analyses relating to a diverse array of specific research questions.
Availability and requirements
Project name: Amino Acid Explorer
Project home page:
Operating system(s): Platform independent
Programming language: Java
Other requirements:
• Use via EvolvingCode's website
Web browser (tested with Internet Explorer, Netscape and Mozilla under Windows and Linux, Safari under Mac OS X 10.3.9)
Java 1.4.2 plug-in for the web browser (or higher version)
• Full installation on an independent server
Java 1.4.2 plug-in for the web browser (or higher version) on the client side
JDK 1.4.2 environment on the server
XML Database compliant with XML:DB API (tested with eXist database)
Servlet Web Container matching Servlet API 2.4 specifications (tested with Tomcat 5.0.28)
Xalan XSLT processor
License: Apache-style open source license
Any restrictions to use by non-academics: None
The authors would like to thank the members of their research groups (Freeland Lab and MAPLE Lab) for their comments and support. This work was funded in part by NSF grant DBI-0317349-001. The tool described here contains software developed by TouchGraph LLC
Authors’ Affiliations
Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, USA
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, USA
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© Bulka et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2006
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Happy Birthday, Helvétius!
Claude-Adrien Helvétius, born on January 26th, 1715, is often credited with being a father of utilitarianism, or at least, for planting its philosophical seeds. Also an uncommonly egalitarian thinker for his time and place, he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, perhaps filled with a tincture of some sort from time to time: Helvétius was the son and grandson of very wealthy physicians who ministered to royalty. Through these connections, Helvétius was appointed to a lucrative post as a tax collector and grew very wealthy when he was relatively young. By the time he was thirty-six and newly married, Helvétius had tired of courtly life, and retired to a country estate to take up a life of letters and scholarship.
The first published fruit of his study and writing was his famous philosophical work De l’esprit (Of the Mind). After it came out in 1758, it created an uproar at the University of Paris, among the clergy, among other philosophers, and at the court; on more than one occasion, it was publicly burned. To keep himself out of trouble, Helvétius was forced to publicly renounce the book. But as it is with so many things, all the controversy sparked intense public interest, and De l’esprit became one of the most widely read books of his time. And what exactly was it about the book that caused so much consternation? Salonnière, intellectual, and consummate letter-writer Madam du Deffand quipped that this was due to Helvétius putting into writing what everyone was already secretly thinking but not allowed to say.
More specifically, Helvétius’ controversial ideas include the notion that all animals, human beings included, form their mentalities from sensation and experience (thereby implicitly challenging religious concepts of the soul); that all actions we call right or just, wrong or unjust are ultimately the result of self-interest (though self-interest is so often bound up with our conception of ourselves as part of larger groups, such as nations, religious communities, tribes, and so on, so that self-interest and the interests of others can become virtually indistinguishable); that the passions are both the ultimate disguisers of truth while simultaneously providing the necessary drive to seek it at all; and that all human motivation consists of seeking the most pleasure and avoiding the most pain. The latter is a central tenet, in some form or another, of utilitarianism, and was developed into more comprehensive philosophical and ethical systems by those fathers of utilitarianism Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.
Helvétius also had a theory of education and human aptitude that’s refreshingly egalitarian to modern sensibilities. He believed that everyone is just as capable of great learning and achievements, but that the only reasons people don’t equally achieve are either because they don’t care to, or because they were not taught well. While Helvétius did not have the benefit of later studies in psychology and the social sciences which reveal the picture to be more complicated than that, he did make the case that everyone could and should be able to develop themselves according to their interests and potential, and that the positive transformative power of education for individuals and societies is nearly boundless.
After Helvétius’ death on December 26, 1771, his widow, Anne-Catherine, never remarried. She spent much of her time hosting a famous salon; some years ago, I visited the place where she welcomed the erudition, wit, and flirtation of Benjamin Franklin (who was a special friend and admirer), Thomas Jefferson, Condorcet, Napoléon, and other luminaries, and shocked John and Abigail Adams.
Learn more about the sophisticated, free-thinking, and well-read Helvétius at
Claude-Adrien Helvétius ~ NNDB
Claude Adrien Helvetius (1715—1771) ~ the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Claude Adrien Helvetius (1715 – 71) ~ by David Pearce for Utilitarianism.com
Claude-Adrien Helvétius: French PhilosopherEncyclopaedia Britannica
Enlightenment ~ by William Bristow for The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Helvétius appears in sect 2.2, ‘Ethical Theory‘)
Grand Illusions ~ Claude-Adrien Helvétius on passion blinders, republished in Lapham’s Quarterly
Madame Helvétius and Ben Franklin ~ at Rodama: A Blog of 18th Century & Revolutionary French Trivia
Salonnière Madame Helvétius ~ by Kristen O’Brien for The Salonnière blog
See also the works by Helvétius available online at the Internet Archive
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New Explosive Report: Donald Trump’s Loans From Deutsche Bank Were Backed By Russia
Every day seems to produce fresh evidence that Donald Trump is owned by Russia and that his web of corruption has no limits. For that reason, Trump would need a massive distraction to keep his criminal enterprise out of the headlines.
Just consider this: The White House was fully aware that Trump’s delay of military assistance to Ukraine was simply against the law, and that multiple officials engaged in a criminal conspiracy to cover up for Trump and retroactively create an excuse for an inexcusable act.
Yes, Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives for his criminal act. However, somewhere right now, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is probably drafting a statement claiming that the Senate could not possibly consider an impeachment trial “during a time of war” after Trump, without consulting Congress, ordered a strike that killed a top Iranian military commander.
Now, however, a new explosive report published by Forensic News has brought Trump’s corruption back into the news. According to the publication, Trump’s loans from Deutsche Bank were underwritten by a Russian state-owned bank. That news reportedly comes from a whistleblower with access to documents from both Deutsche Bank and Russia’s state-owned VTB Bank. VTB Bank was also the proposed lender on the never-completed Trump Tower Moscow project.
RELATED: Deutsche Bank Executive Who Signed Off On $2Billion Loan To Donald Trump Commits Suicide: Report
According to the report, the documents originated with the son of a former Deutsche Bank official who committed suicide, which is very much the kind of connection that raises concerns about the authenticity of the information. This only highlights the importance of efforts by Congress to gain access to information on these loans.
If the report is true, this would show that Donald Trump was 100% dependent on the Russian government for his “big comeback.” It would mean that he was completely beholden to Putin for his real estate, for his golf courses, for his candidacy—for everything.
Here’s the source of the report:
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Sunday, November 20, 2011
This is one of my favorite unisex names. That's right, unisex.
Juniper (pronounced "JOO-nih-per") is derived from the Latin juniperus. Junio means "young," and parere means "to produce." Hence it means "producing youth," bestowed on this plant because it's coniferous and doesn't seem to age. It is also believed that Juniper is a variant of the Welsh name Guinevere, but some might argue that. The Juniper tree grows from the Artic all the way to tropical Africa, and in Central America.
This plant has many mythical associations. The Druids would mix the berries with thyme to make incense used to stir visions. It is also believed that planting a juniper tree by your front door will discourage thieves and that stringing mature berries in your home will attract love. The spirit of the juniper tree is named Frau Wachholder, and she was often invoked to make thieves return stolen goods. In Ancient Wales, this tree was sacred and it was believed that chopping one down would bring the cutter's death a year later. It's mentioned several times in the Bible as a benevolent object, and was used as a symbol of chastity in Renaissance art. In the Grimm brother's fairy tale "The Juniper Tree," a woman magically becomes the spirit of the tree and a bird living in it after her body is buried beneath it. She avenges the death of her son while in her bird form, dropping a millstone on her son's stepmother.
This plant has many practical applications as well. Native Americans, particularly the Navajo, have long been using it as a treatment for diabetes which is under clinical testing today. Many prehistoric peoples lived in juniper forests which provided them with food, fuel, and shelter. The berries are used to spice up culinary dishes and are well known for being the primary flavoring in gin ("gin" is a shortened version of genever, the Dutch name for this plant). In Asia, it's a popular species to use for bonsai trees.
The gender police is going to have a hard time convincing me that this name should only be used for girls. Originally, Juniper was a boy's name. Girls would have more commonly been named Geneva, Genevieve, or Ginevra which are all considered variants. And there are tons of well known masculine namesakes.
Saint Juniper was a friend of Saint Francis. That would make him a Franciscan, which is arguably about as Pagan as you can be while still being Christian. Saint Juniper was known for his sense of humor and is sometimes called the patron Saint of comedy. He was also known for his patience, and was described by Saint Francis as the perfect Friar. Another Friar named Junipero ("who-NIP-eh-roh") Serra is also very well known. I first found his name because the church that he preached in was very close to the town where I was born! Unfortunately, he is well known for not being particularly nice to the local Native American population, which does not make him a very good namesake for a Neo-Pagan family.
Other namesakes include Juniper Sage, the pen name of Margaret Wise Brown, and Juniper Shuey, a male contemporary artist. There is a character called Brother Juniper in both the novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thorton Wilder, and in the comic strip of the same name by Fred McCarthy. As for the girls, there is the children's book series Junie B Jones by Barbara Park, the cartoon series The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, and the character of Joon in the movie Benny & Joon. Juniper also shows up as a surname, as Tony Juniper is a well known environmentalist.
In order for this name to be "taken" by the girls, it would have to be bestowed on a significant number of girls. But it hasn't. Juniper has never been in the top 1,000 for either gender. So it is still very much for grabs. Nicknames include Ginny, Jenny, Juno, June, or Nipper. I would like to see this name used more for any sex. Juniper is just so happy, free and nonconformist.
Image Credit:
1. I love Juniper, for either sex. I do wish it was used more. Since 2007 Juniper has had some rare usage for girls in England and Wales, but it hasn't ranked at all for boys yet.
I believe the confusion with Guinevere comes from the similarity of the Dutch name for juniper - genever - and the Italian ginepro, which are similar to many of the Guinevere variations. The Corish form Jennifer, which was sometimes spelt Junipher > Juniper also became a confusion, and crops up for girls in Cornwall in the 19th century.
2. You know, I like Juniper a lot more for a boy than I do for a girl. For me, it sounds a lot like Jupiter, which I always associate with the Roman God.
3. I like Juniper for both sexes, but it does seem more boy name than girl to me - boy Juniper seems to be based on actual history, while girl Juniper just on the "sound like ..." theory, which is usually pretty weak.
It's a lovely fresh-sounding name.
4. I also love Juniper for a lad, and am more than happy to consider him. Like Zeffy, I used to confuse the name quite a bit with Jupiter.
5. I named my 4yr old daughter Juniper as it is one of my favorite fresh, clean smells of nature. I happened to stumble upon this when searching for a childrens book with a character of the same name. Thanks for the collection of information.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication system, particularly to a communication system in which a line between exchange stations is duplicated of a cable line and a radio line.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has heretofore been a communication system in which a telephone line between exchange stations is duplicated of a working cable line and a protection radio line (satellite line) for countermeasures against natural calamities, and the like. Since the satellite line can be used in a limited radio frequency, the number of lines cannot be increased. Therefore, by providing a radio line side with digital circuit multiplication equipment (DCME) defined by ITU-T G. 763, and sending a compressed signal, it is possible to effectively utilize resources of the limited radio frequency.
However, since the communication system in which the line is doubled is not considered in the ITU-T G. 763, a method of transmitting a line switch signal to realize line switch is not defined.
Therefore, in the communication system in which the telephone line between the exchange stations is duplicated of the cable line and radio line, when the DCME is disposed on the radio line side, a transmit-side line and a receiver-side line need to be individually switched.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the constitution of the conventional communication system. Lines 32a connected to an exchanger (exchange station) 31a transmit 2048 kbit/s signals defined by ITU-T G. 732. These lines 32a are connected to a line switch circuit 33a. The line switch circuit 33a connects the line 32a to either line 34a or 35a in accordance with the control of a controller 40.
A multiplexer 36a multiplexes the signals transmitted by the lines 34a. Moreover, upon receiving the multiplexed signal from a cable line 37, the multiplexer 36a demultiplexes this signal into four 2048 kbit/s signals, and outputs these signals to the lines 34a. The multiplexer 36b demultiplexes the multiplexed 8192 kbit/s signal transmitted by the cable line 37 into four 2048 kbit/s signals, and outputs these signals to the lines 34b. The multiplexer 36b multiplexes the 2048 kbit/s signals inputted from the lines 34b to provide a 8192 kbit/s signal, and transmits this multiplexed signal to the cable line 37.
On the other hand, DCME 38a multiplexes the 2048 kbit/s signals transmitted by the lines 35a, and transmits the multiplexed signal to a radio line (satellite line) 39. Moreover, upon receiving the multiplexed signal from the radio line 39, the DCME 38a demultiplexes this signal into four 2048 kbit/s signals, and outputs these signals to the lines 35a. DCME 38b demultiplexes the multiplexed signal transmitted by the radio line 39 into four 2048 kbit/s signals, and outputs these signals to lines 35b. Moreover, the DCME 38b multiplexes the 2048 kbit/s signals inputted from the lines 35b, and transmits the multiplexed signal to the radio line 39. A line switch circuit 33b connects either line 34b or 35b to a line 32b in accordance with the line switch signal outputted from an extractor 42b described later. The lines 32b are connected to an exchanger (exchange station) 31b.
In the above-described communication system, the controller 40 outputs a line switch signal to an inserter 42a. The inserter 42a inserts the line switch signal into the channel of the line 35a for transmitting a data signal or a phone signal. Moreover, the extractor 42b extracts the line switch signal transmitted from the remote station side from the line 35b. The line switch circuit 33a can be operated in cooperation with the line switch circuit 33b in this manner.
In the above-described conventional communication system, since the channel for transmitting the data signal or the phone signal is used to transmit the line switch signal, and the local station side line switch circuit is operated in cooperation with the remote station side line switch circuit, there is a problem that the transmission efficiency is deteriorated. | mini_pile | {'original_id': 'f12e319b01947105c70703b18e5b916eafb7337430baee1edc708fe00baf9802'} |
On Monday afternoon, the Memphis Grizzlies shocked the NBA world by firing head coach David Fizdale less than two seasons into his tenure. His dismissal appears to stem from tension with Grizzlies All-Star center Marc Gasol, but the move was still a surprise. Fizdale is a well-regarded coach and has many admirers around the league. Many players, including LeBron James and Dwyane Wade (who have strong relationships with Fizdale from his time as an assistant coach in Miami), took to Twitter to defend him following the news. Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni also had some kind words for Fizdale when asked for his reaction, pointing out that Houston has lost to Memphis twice this season.
#Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni on the #Grizzlies firing David Fizdale: "He's a real good coach. We've lost four games this year, and two of them came at his hands. … He's a good coach, I do know that for sure." pic.twitter.com/agZOSfWk2b
Former Rockets coach J.B. Bickerstaff will serve as the Grizzlies’ interim head coach following Fizdale’s dismissal. Bickerstaff, a former Rockets assistant, was Houston’s interim head coach during the 2015-16 season, after the team fired Kevin McHale shortly into that season. He joined Fizdale’s staff during the 2016 offseason after the Rockets hired D’Antoni.
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You'll be waking up a little more awesome tomorrow. | mini_pile | {'original_id': '7e32e1c17b1fb0c18e3f1277a1f7a7531ef892e385f81d31fe74ac6f32257078'} |
Introduction
============
Behçet\'s disease (BD) is characterized by recurrent aphthous stomatitis, genital ulcers, and various skin lesions. BD can also involve other systems such as ocular, gastrointestinal, articular, neurological and cardiovascular systems. The frequency of cardiovascular involvement is estimated to be 4-46%.[@B1][@B2] Common vascular manifestations are thrombophlebitis and arteritis, which occur in as many as one-third of the patients.[@B3] Aseptic endocarditis is a rare manifestation of BD and is mostly found in the form of intracardiac thrombus or endomyocardial fibrosis.[@B3][@B4]
Nonrheumatic tricuspid valve stenosis (TS) is extremely rare, and to our knowledge, it has never been reported in the English literature in patients with BD. We describe a case of a female BD patient with aseptic tricuspid valve (TV) endocarditis presenting as TS.
Case
====
A 39-year-old female was admitted to Kyungpook National University Hospital with a 3-month history of dyspnea on exertion and abdominal distension. Vital signs were normal and evidence for infectious disease was absent. Signs of right heart failure such as pitting edema, palpable liver and neck vein distension were noted on physical examination. She had been diagnosed with BD four years ago. Although her previous clinical courses fluctuated, she did not show any signs or symptoms of BD since one year before admission. At the time of admission, evidence of BD disease exacerbation was absent; ESR 20 mm/hr (reference 0-20 mm/hr), Ferritin 71.50 ng/mL (reference 13-150 ng/mL).
Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) showed normal left ventricular function, normal aortic and mitral valve function, morphology, and a moderate to large amount of pericardial effusion. Right atrium was dilated. Pericardiocentesis was performed. However, precise evaluation of right heart was difficult on TTE due to poor echo window. Transesophageal echocardiography showed severe TS with an ill-margined echogenic mass, and a mild to moderate amount of pericardial effusion ([Figs. 1](#F1){ref-type="fig"} and [2](#F2){ref-type="fig"}). Blood cultures for the detection of microorganisms were negative. Any other possible causes of TS, such as cardiac tumors, carcinoid syndrome, marantic endocarditis, and Wegener\'s granulomatosis were not detected.
Symptoms of right heart failure gradually progressed despite the appropriate steroid and immunosuppressive therapy.[@B5] She was operated for TS. The thickened TV was removed and was replaced with an artificial valve (Edwards-MIRA 31 mm). Blood cultures and cultures of the excised valve were negative for microorganisms. Pathologic examination showed valvulitis consisting of fibrinoid necrotic material and inflammatory cells ([Figs. 3](#F3){ref-type="fig"} and [4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}). The special stains revealed no bacteria or fungi in the excised valve. These pathologic findings were consistent with those of previous reports presenting aseptic endocarditis in BD.[@B6][@B7]
After the TV replacement, she remained free from symptoms of right heart failure with immunosuppressive therapy and anticoagulant therapy.
Discussion
==========
Endocarditis in BD may be limited to the valve leaflets or may spread to the ventricular or atrial wall and can result in serious complications, such as valvulopathy, organized thrombus or endomyocardial fibrosis.[@B3][@B4][@B9] However, most cases of endocarditis in BD were detected in the form of organized thrombus or endomyocardial fibrosis.[@B3][@B4] Not only an intracardiac thrombus but also a massive endomyocardial fibrosis could cause serious functional obstruction of the TV.[@B3][@B4][@B9] However, overt TS due to valvulitis has not been reported, even though the affected valve leaflets could either be thickened or replaced by fibrous tissues. Also, we could not find any evidence of other combined sequelae of endocarditis, such as intracardiac thrombosis, endomyocardial fibrosis or valvulopathy of other valves.
McDonald et al.[@B10] reported for the first time, a case of endocarditis involving the normal mitral and aortic valves in a patient with BD. These lesions were clinically silent, and were found during autopsy. Histologic examination of these valves showed mononuclear infiltration with a few polymorphonuclear leukocytes and no fibrin deposits. Madanat et al.[@B6] reported a case of BD and endocarditis with left atrial thrombosis mimicking myxoma. Postoperative pathologic examination revealed yellowish valvulitis involving the mitral valve leaflet with deep ulcerations on the valve surface, covered by fibrinous and necrotic masses with a significant growth of granulation tissue. In other case reports of endocarditis in BD, several granulomas were found within the central portion of the vegetations and polymorphonuclear cells and lymphocytes infiltrated the small vessels near the vegetations.[@B7] In our case, the pathologic examination showed vegetations, consisting of fibrinoid necrotic material, granulation tissue, and inflammatory cells, which were predominantly mononuclear cells. Small arteries and arterioles in the subintimal area showed irregular thickening of the wall. Evidence of active vasculitis was not seen in the excised tissues. These pathologic findings are consistent with those of previous reports. Therefore, TS was caused due to valvulitis as a possible sequelae of endocarditis in BD.
As in this case, the cardiac lesions in BD might progress insidiously in the absence of concurrent signs or symptoms of BD, or they were even diagnosed at autopsy.[@B10][@B11] Therefore, it might be difficult to detect endocarditis in the early stage. These findings suggest that screening for cardiac involvement is required for early detection of endocarditis or other heart diseases in patients with BD.
The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.
{#F1}
{#F2}
{#F3}
{#F4}
| mini_pile | {'original_id': '020980cb961dd79213c36479471901b6899fbaf37e1e48544657981b3d8c07c3'} |
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Welcome, Guest
Photo of Bryce Hudson
Bryce Hudson
Freestyle MX
Sponsors: Troy Lee Designs, Rad MFG, Dunlop, Race Tech Suspension, Split Designs, Maxima, FMF, Torc 1 Racing, Works Connection
140 lbs
Oceanside, CA
current residence:
Murrieta, CA
How did you get into Motocross?
Through photography when I was younger.
How old were you when you started riding?
12 years old.
Where did you grow up?
Vista, CA.
Through Dan McGranahan and Jeff Weiner.
How long have you been riding for TLD?
Since 2013.
Which TLD products are you using?
Helmets, jerseys, pants and protection.
Do any athletes/riders influence or inspire your style?
Rich Kearns, Adam Jones and Justin Barcia.
What do you like to do when you're not riding?
I like to mountain bike, snowboard and skate and do photography.
What bands/music are you into?
Rise Against and hip-hop.
What are some of your favorite foods?
Anything Italian.
List 3 goals you have for the upcoming season:
1. X-Games Step-Up
2. X-Pilots events
3. Red Bull X-Fighters
List a few highlights of your career:
X Games Brazil gold medal.
What's your favorite race/event and why?
X Games because it's the biggest and most prestigious event.
What's your idea of an epic day riding?
After a fresh rain, going to the hills and creating some new jumps.
Where’s your favorite place to travel to?
Europe and South America.
What's the best thing about being a professional athlete?
Getting to do what I love the most for my job.
Shooting action sports photography.
More loyalty throughout the industry, as well as more events throughout the year.
Who would you like to thank?
All of my sponsors and friends that have supported me up to this point and believed in me.
Any words of wisdom?
If you are blessed with a talent, utilize it to the fullest. | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '7', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9239307641983032}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '60667', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:ZSRFOOZDJFNAVFR5STOQVRVBHMMHXLVH', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:863560c0-ea5e-4656-b152-7f828e215b58>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2014, 10, 31, 9, 7, 7), 'WARC-IP-Address': '72.172.88.119', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': None, 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:DKW7RAXMHQ6FNPOQX3V2BRS27QHWKBYD', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:ea7ff7da-9e65-4f72-b329-38a87075c2c1>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'http://www.troyleedesigns.com/athletes/motocross/bryce-hudson', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:2a6e64d8-9d87-4d55-85be-a094e00437a1>', 'WARC-Truncated': 'length'}", 'previous_word_count': '357', 'url': 'http://www.troyleedesigns.com/athletes/motocross/bryce-hudson', 'warcinfo': 'robots: classic\r\nhostname: ip-10-16-133-185.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Nutch 1.6 (CC)/CC WarcExport 1.0\r\nisPartOf: CC-MAIN-2014-42\r\noperator: CommonCrawl Admin\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web with URLs provided by Blekko for October 2014\r\npublisher: CommonCrawl\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.0\r\nconformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.06768447160720825', 'original_id': '4da22b4c80da34f52d968c070cab6480d267b679d6e51abba3f7e6e209c7d014'} |
Friday, 20 April 2012
On "Scalped: Casino Boogie" & "Hoka Hey" by Jason Aaron & R.M. Guera
Poverty as a character-testing challenge for the hard-done-by and noble-at-heart protagonist to rise above. Poverty as the terrible crucible which strangely differentiates the decent and hard-working poor from the weak-spined, self-indulgent, and undeserving gene trash. Poverty as the easy excuse for a life of wastrelism and crime, poverty as the excuse-all plea of mitigation given by society's predatory scum. Poverty as the sinfully deliberate creation of the raptorial capitalist classes, poverty as an unfortunate accident which might be overcome if only well-meaning citizens from the more affluent stratas knew just a little bit more about it. Poverty as the purgatory whose poor damned souls can only be saved by the super-citizen from a higher social plane. Poverty as a backdrop for class-voyeuristic slumming, as a cliched stage-set for creators and readers alike to indulge in the thrill of brutally powerful men and wilful, sexually-transgressive women, in the prospect of mugger-packed mean streets, rapist-clogged cul-de-sacs and crack-den-filled apartment blocks. The way in which poverty's both depicted and put to use in the mass of comic books is nearly always as woefully predictable as it's facile and patronising.
Jason Aaron's scripts for Scalped discuss poverty is a way which few comics have ever thought to. He's clearly far too smart to swallow crass situationalist theories which reduce individuals to mindless victims of class structures, but he's also no interest in perpetuating the politically-convenient, hand-washing myth that the right sort of folks will always find a way to work themselves out of the worst of circumstances. From the very first chapter of Indian County, Aaron and his artistic collaborator R.M. Guera make it absolutely clear that life on the Prairie Rose Indian Reservation presents its inhabitants with deprivations which can't be wished away or conquered with nothing more than a willingness to work hard matched to godly good thinking. The Reservation is a monster of oppression and exploitation which exists beyond anyone's capacity to substantially reform, let alone redeem, without their first committing the most appalling of acts. Though the pages of Scalped show us a number of women and men who are working to make their community as good a place as they can to live in, the spine of the tale always emphasises that the Reservation has been established and maintained in such a way that its people can only at the very best survive there. In that, Scalped very much isn't a comic book concerned with the usually comforting pablum of how the individual can rise above the world if only they fight hard enough, if only they're true to this principle or that. Instead, it seems to be Aaron's purpose to discuss how the choices before his characters are framed by forces which are largely, and despite their very best efforts, beyond their control. They can attempt to wrestle sense and advantage out of the world that they've through no fault of their own been condemned to, but the cost of doing so is always exhausting and appalling.
Even the most apparently powerful members of Aaron's Native American cast are shown to be at least as much prisoners as masters of their situation. And so, Lincoln Red Crow's made sure that he's risen to a position of political preeminence, dreaming as he does so of bringing prosperity in the form of the Crazy Horse Casino to the community. Yet in order to achieve this, he's had to embrace and perpetuate decades of soul-shrivelling gangsterism. The corruption of Aaron's America is so complete that even the most herculean of feats by his characters can only affect the fundamental structure of the Reservation and their lives within it if they're willing to behave in ways which violate the most fundamental ethical values. The choice seems dispiritingly clear from the perspective of the reader; either these characters have to accept a life as a citizen of what's effectively a Third World state or abandon any claims to a culture which stands in opposition to that of their persecutors. As the Bureau Of Indian Affairs Regional Director Todd Jigger reminds Red Crow, the Reservation's casino has been built using exactly the same heartlessly exploitative methods which once destroyed the Native American nations. "Welcome to the white's man's world." mocks Jigger, emphasising that the final triumph of the American state is to impose the worst of its values upon the most oppressed and powerless of its victims. Or: in order to compete with America, you have to become America, and not the shining blameless America of the least discriminating patriot's dreams either.
As Aaron writes in the very first panel of Scalped, the Prairie Rose Indian Reservation is "where the great Sioux Nation came to die". At the heart of his scripts is the fact that the Reservation's people simply don't have the resources to take control of their lives and prosper a community. They can survive, more or less, but that's mostly the best that they can achieve. No matter what they do, they can never legitimately access the weight of opportunity and wealth that's needed to transform their society into something other than a poverty-stricken periphery. What's left to them is scraps and shadows, leaving them little but a soul-withering outland in which a debilitating degree of the day-to-day economy runs on welfare and crime.(Guera's panels often seem to be describing a desperately hopeless post-industrial waste, all ramshackle shacks and deserted rusting cars, and yet the Reservation's never managed to reach a state which might ever accurately be called industrialized in the first place.)
Yet as if to make sure that no-one mistakes Scalped for a work that's nothing but despairing, if not even entirely nihilistic, Aaron also introduces to us to citizens who are doing the very best they can to create a world in which the community might hold together if not exactly prosper. There are the teachers encouraging their students to aspire to jobs such as "marine biologist", and there are the policemen such as Officer Falls Down who deliberately stands up in public to Red Crow and his all-too-obvious corruption. Small victories and passing kindnesses they might be, but it's implied that they're essential to the everyday well-being of the community. Yet despite these momentary sparks of hope and even defiance, we're also constantly being shown how terribly wounded the society of the Reservation is, and in that, Scalped stands as a rare example of a contemporary comic book which is explicitly designed to refute the argument that the Republic's social ills are largely the fault of a mass of utterly selfish, anti-social individuals. This isn't poverty as the cumulative effect of the selfishness and idleness of a mass of scroungers and criminals, but poverty as an inescapably objective fact of life imposed and perpetuated by a political system which is, it seems, largely beyond the people's influencing.
No matter how fierce the exasperation and disgust which Aaron directs towards the Republic's treatment of Native Americans in Scalped, he never resorts to idealising the citizens of the Reservation. Of course, his point is that even the best of women and men can and most likely will be corrupted to a lesser or greater degree by degrading and grindingly difficult situations, so any casting of his predominantly Native American characters as shiningly innocent and noble proletarians would hardly help his case. Yet a great many of his characters are given moments which humanise them and suggest that, were the world just constituted in a fairer and more humane fashion, they'd most likely be far better people than they've ended up. This process doesn't mean that Aaron and Guera ever expect us to side with the likes of the ultimately reprehensible Red Crow, but by the same token, it's impossible not to empathise with his awareness that he's committed a host of the most terrible crimes. Time and time again, Aaron presents us with characters who it'd be easy to portray as threatening and irredeemable outsiders. Dino and his friends drinking away the day in a landscape of beer cans, wrecked cars and crows, for example, have their ruined lives represented in a way which emphasises the waste of their potential without it ever being suggested that they've chosen the existence which they're self-medicating their way through.
It's in this context that even the most hazardous and stupid-minded of long-shots on the part of Aaron's characters become somewhat if not entirely understandable. It may be completely impossible to see how Dash's affair with Carol can ever end in anything other than a great deal of trouble and blood, and yet it's also immediately obvious that they're two broken individuals grasping for anything which might make something more of their blighted, alienated lives.Of course they're inevitably going to invite even more disaster into their lives, for what else do they have to live for except for the moment between aiming themselves at calamity and it arriving? In these circumstances, even Krystal's crack habit becomes as understandable as it's an obviously catastrophically bad choice - to say the least - for her and her unborn child. If the surface of Scalped appears at times to be profoundly Old Testament in the way in which eyes and teeth are returned with compound interest one for the other, then its sub-text is often tellingly Old Testament in its essential compassion and reluctance to judge without sympathy. None of the cast are portrayed in a way which means that they can dodge responsibility for their actions with a cry of "society's to blame", and yet, it is too.
It's hard to imagine Scalped ending on the happiest of notes, for the structure of the society it describes simply doesn't allow for anything other than the rarest and most isolated of individual triumphs. The only solutions for the Reservation's deprivations which Aaron implies might work are those which would demand an incredible investment of national resources over the longest period of time. In the absence of any such commitment to restorative social justice, Aaron's characters will surely remain largely compelled to operate as chess pieces do, with their rank determining where and when they can move, with the form of the board and the rigidity of the game's rules ensuring that the opportunities for achievement are mostly incredibly limited. Scalped is a comic that's congested with characters attempting to move in directions which the rules proscribe, and the more they attempt to do so, the more tension and foreboding accumulates on the page. What will ultimately happen to each individual member of the cast is of course the reason why the book's readers keep returning, and yet, part of Scalped's fascination and power also lies in that element of its set-up which can't be allowed to be resolved, which has to remain on the page at the tale's conclusion in pretty much the shape that it was when the story began. Whatever catharsis the reader enjoys where the ultimate fates of the comic's characters are concerned will most probably stand in contrast to the unchanging realities of life out on the margins of society. All in all, Aaron's is a brilliantly designed set-up, allowing for the possibility of the reader being satisfied with the climax of the overall story while still carrying the awareness that all is very much not right with the Republic and its Native American citizens.
Where so many of the comics that populate the mainstream focus largely upon the mythically "deserving" individual's ability to escape from poverty, if poverty is touched upon at all, Scalped appears designed to ensure that its readers remain unseduced by any such evidence-denying, heart-hardening nonsense.
Your restraint with spoilers, dear reader, would be appreciated from the blogger who is at yet just 2 books into Scalped:
1. I don't know if I'll ever get over a casino named after Crazy Horse--of course it would be and, of course, it should never be.
Once again, a thoughtful article I will be pondering for some time.
1. Hello Carol:- The Crazy Horse casino. Until recently the Brits like to pretend that the reason a great of Brit humour didn't travel across the pond was because Americans didn't understand irony. It was never true, of course, and it's certainly not true now. A huge nation will always have a huge number of folks who don't either care for or grasp irony. But the Crazy Horse casino would seem to me on its own to show that irony is anything but alien even to the supposedly lowly comic book. I do appreciate how under Scalped's apparently macho blow-it-up surface, a great deal of smartness is going on.
2. personally, i appreciate the economy of irony in those three words: "Crazy Horse Casino." it manages to top the Crazy Horse Memorial, while being conscious and not actually desecrating anything.
3. Hello Carol:- And you make me realise that - as of the middle of the third collection, and to the best of my memory - no-one in Scalped insults the reader by spelling out the irony. It's a comic that trusts to its reader's intelligence. Bless it.
2. You'll not need any restraint from me nor fear any spoilers. I'm only 4 volumes into Scalped myself, and it really is SO good, but I keep finding myself to put off getting the rest for all the other comics I need to catch up on; Neon Genesis Evangelion, Blade of the Immortal, Lone Wolf and Cub, Berserk, Preacher, Northlanders, DMZ, Fear Agent, Morrison's Animal Man, Orbital, Aldebaran/Betelgeuse, Prison Pit...
(That's both the blessing and the curse of coming a little late to the comics party: there's sooo much great stuff out there that it's hard to know where to begin, and once you've begun where to go from there. Of course, that's not really a bad problem to have.)
It's not that any of these comics are any better than Scalped, it's just that Scalped always seems to be an after thought for some bizarre and unjustifiable reason.
But you're absolutely right about Scalped being a very humane comic despite being horribly nihilistic. In the face of and because of everything that's happened to and by everyone, it's hard to absolutely hate anyone.
1. Hello Joe:- I'm not sure it's coming late to the comics party which means there's far too much good stuff to read :) I've been sitting in the kitchen here for decades now & I'm not just failing to dent the "must-read" pile, it's getting bigger and bigger with quite literally every passing day. As you say, it's easy for a book like Scalped to get lost in that, because it's easy for any book to suffer that fate. And yet, again as you say, that would be a shame and a great deal more than that. What I wrote above was of course nothing more than a baffled bloke's notes, but I can see that I was grasping for now was (a) how a book can use the conventions of the macho shoot-em-up to actually project a profoundly humane agenda, and (b) how to use a book to discuss a social problem without pretending to be able to solve that situation in the comic's pages. The very fact that those issues are so well illustrated in Scalped speaks volumes, I think, although of course the central matter is, as always, "Is it a good story well told?" And the answer, as we both agree, is yes!
It's a time of extraordinary riches in the comic biz, isn't it?
3. I'm glad you're reading Scalped, as it's among my favorite series. As dark as the series can get, there's a great deal of humanity in Aaron's scripts. I tend to like artists whose work has a grimy surface; my one complaint about the book is that I think the printing or paper type in the tpbs can obscure Guera's images.
The above is the kind of write-up I would like to see more of in the comics blogosphere; for all that I enjoy reading reviews and posts about various facets of the plots, characters, and creators, I think theme and meaning get left behind. Of course, too few comics have enough substance to write at length about, but I'm glad we have series like Scalped amid all the dross. Baffled bloke you may be, but your thoughts came through perfectly clearly.
I've been lucky enough not to have ever experienced poverty directly, but I see what it does to students and their families at my school. Poverty has a way of destroying hope and contextualizing people's lives. Being unable to do what others take for granted and having to adopt a harder attitude become accepted, and education is not seen as a solution. I'm over generalizing, probably, but I'm drawing conclusions based on what I've seen and heard. Poverty is an insidious, dehumanizing force.
-Mike Loughlin
1. Hello Mike:- Yep, I'm late with Scalped, and in fact I didn't get it when I read the very first issue a good while ago. It's a good job I always work from the premise that I'm wrong, which means that I always go back after a while when I've not enjoyed a book. With Scalped, I'm obviously very glad indeed; it's a great book and I'm just about to launch into book 3, and experience I'd've missed if I'd've gone on first impressions.
I don't think you're over-generalizing about poverty, and especially not in the context of the comments here. Having occasionally slipped close to it in my younger days, and having taught the psychology and sociology of it for almost two decades, what shocks me is the belief on so many folk's part that poverty is simply an obstacle to be overcome with virtue and effort. If only life were that simple, if only the only explanations for poverty were a lack of virtue and effort. It never fails to astonish me that so much of the West still manages to approach the idea of poverty through the ideology of the less well-informed of the Victorians.
4. Hi Colin,
Fascinating article as always.
The grinding poverty seen in Scalped is a pretty much all pervading. I initially thought that the characters themselves weren't terribly three-dimensional, but they do get 'fleshed out' as the series goes on - and I think it could be fair to say that some of limits of the characters and their thinking and choices are the limits set by their circumstances and their terribly restricted world - the constraints of their poverty and powerlessness. The characters are ferocious towards each other as some of the only "power" they have is within the confines of the Res' and their relations with their fellow residents. Even Red Crow and Agent Nitz - the two who arguably are the most powerful people in Prairie Rose - have little room to move.
The other strong point of Scalped is that actions of the characters have real and often unintended consequences - most of the impetus for the story stems from events in the 1970s, but those events are still affecting the Res' and many of the characters even thirty years later and even the very arrival of Dashiell on the Res in the first place is the consequence of some of his actions previous. The actions of Dashiell, Red Crow, Nitz and others in the very early issues echo right through to the latest issue (58) and the I don't think it is a spoiler to say it looks there won't be a happy ending - a satisfactory one (from the reader PoV) maybe, but happy? I think not.
As for your quote above - "much of the West still manages to approach the idea of poverty through the ideology of the less well-informed of the Victorians" - I'd argue that this is because this absolves the powers-that-be (and a good chunk of the rest of the population too - the rock-solid conservative vote in NZ for example is around 33%) from having to actually having to do anything about poverty.
1. Hello Kiwijohn:- Thank you :)Last night I finished a column for elsewhere at about 1am and read myself to sleep with the first few chapters of the third Scalped collection. The poverty gets worse! Yet the fundamental relationship between social structure and the individual which you discuss remain - huzzah - meaning that it's always the world that folks have been condemned to which picks up the biggest share of the blame. Individuals are never excused, of course, but there's always a reason for their behaviour beyond their individual characters and circumstances. That that should be a radical statement in 2012 suggests that the West hasn't embraced the huge mass of sociology and psychology we have on the causes of crime. I've no doubt your analysis of why some folks avoid looking at the situational explanations of crime. Equally worrying to me - perhaps far more - is the fact that we just don't teach social science in schools in a way that might actually open up challenges to perceived wisdoms. Some students get such a necessary experience, but not across the curriculum. Pah and pah again.
Thank you for your restraint with the content of future issues. Yep, I think a tragic resolution will indeed be - shall we say - the most likely end. I too admire how carefully structured the piece has been from the start, with the '70s radicals and their choices working out across the years.
5. Brian Wiggett24 April 2012 22:07
I appreciate how much trust you've given to your readers to not spoil upcoming events in a book you're writing about, but have not yet "caught up" to many of us reading the monthly issues. (Wait, there aren't "many" at all reading the monthlies, are there...) In any event, it's to Aaron's credit that you also felt emboldened to discuss the themes of the story only 2 books in, trusting that he won't come up with some illogical deus ex machina that sets your whole premise on its ear.
I'm still catching up myself. Read issue 43 last night. Couldn't agree more with a previous commenter about how there's just too many things to read, and not enough time. And I came early to the comics party, 30 some years ago!
I'll look forward to a future update on your thoughts about Scalped as you progress. Enjoy!
1. Hello Brian:- I haven't a fraction of the readers of a great many comics blogs, but I've got a fair few number of good eggs who drop in that are entirely trustworthy when it comes to spoilers :)
You make a good point about trusting JA where it comes to those themes and perspectives. I guess I believed that no-one who had constructed those first few books so precisely could possibly drop the whole enterprise and head off in a new direction, which shows how much trust his work inspres.
I'm into the third book of Scalped, which makes me about a long way behind you. I'm glad that your enthusiasm remains :) | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '12', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9751928448677064}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '382191', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:5MHECYXOMHCHGKN4D5QMTCUXNH4BW3YW', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:acd604f0-b03a-4f4e-8d71-015ba433f543>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2014, 8, 1, 22, 32, 44), 'WARC-IP-Address': '74.125.228.43', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': None, 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:XW7AGMXHZVUHVKBWEF4DBG336DWT7NLK', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:0ea50aa6-05b2-40fd-8e7c-213d5d7ad8db>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'http://toobusythinkingboutcomics.blogspot.com/2012/04/on-scalped-casino-boogie-hoka-hey-by.html', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:ec6ab89d-fc42-4329-9608-251ac3ad1cd6>', 'WARC-Truncated': 'length'}", 'previous_word_count': '3848', 'url': 'http://toobusythinkingboutcomics.blogspot.com/2012/04/on-scalped-casino-boogie-hoka-hey-by.html', 'warcinfo': 'robots: classic\r\nhostname: ip-10-146-231-18.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Nutch 1.6 (CC)/CC WarcExport 1.0\r\nisPartOf: CC-MAIN-2014-23\r\noperator: CommonCrawl Admin\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web with URLs provided by Blekko for July 2014\r\npublisher: CommonCrawl\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.0\r\nconformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.08421599864959717', 'original_id': 'bb9866e9a5e0c37819652edac7924b3e3063dc890ed3d90e9592a0918d8367db'} |
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He Said, She Said Review Site
We're the Millers
We're the Millers
What She said:
After watching We’re the Millers, I’m convinced that this film was originally conceived as a vehicle for showcasing 40-something year old Jennifer Aniston’s ridiculously in shape body. They actually built the storyline around opportunities to have her strut around in her underwear. For men, this makes for a fabulous movie. For someone like me, however, I felt somewhat threatened by Aniston’s fit physique. While We’re the Millers offers viewers some decent laughs, it also falls flat several times and suffers from an uneven plot that teeters on the brink of completely falling apart.
Here are your basics. David Clark (Jason Sudeikis) is a good-for-nothing white-collar drug dealer. He’s basically that dude from college who never grew up or aspired to be anything more. David makes just enough money to get by, and lives like a complete slob. He acts and dresses like a kid, and that includes verbally assaulting his neighbor, Rose O’Reilly (Aniston), whenever he sees her. Rose seems like a somewhat decent person, aside from the fact that her major mode of employment is as a stripper. She’s not happy with her job, but has to pay the bills some way. So, David gets himself in a major pickle when he gets robbed of all of his money and product, leaving him in debt to his boss, Brad. Brad gives David the opportunity to make it up to him by asking him to smuggle some drugs into the country from Mexico. In exchange, David will be paid $500,000, more than enough to recup the losses. David hesitantly agrees to the task, and decides the best way to sneak in and out of Mexico without causing a stir is to rent an RV and pose as a classic American family on vacation. Problem is, he needs a family. David recruits Rose to step in as his wife, as well as another neighbor, Kenny (Will Poulter), and a homeless girl, Casey (Emma Roberts), to play his children. Together, the dysfunctional team becomes the Millers. Of course, they don’t realize what they’re in for and face adversity and awkward situations as they try to complete their mission.
We're the Millers
So, where to start. There were things that I liked and didn’t like about this movie. The characters were actually somewhat memorable. I mean, they each grew as people, and some, who started the movie rather unlikable, were actually decent individuals by the end of the film. I call that character development, and so we’ve got something going there. On the downside, there were moments where I hated the situations that the movie’s writers put these people in. I know it’s meant to be funny, but some of the jokes were tasteless and predictable. I just don’t know if incest jokes will ever jive with me. This is a larger reflection of the plot of the movie in general. There were moments I thought were pretty good, and others that were just quite bad. Overall, the film felt very uneven, and the story meandered in a way that made me disinterested. I think the moviemakers tried to have the film’s plot take a backseat to the comedy, but once you make that decision you need to commit to it, and that method only works when a film’s humor is solid. In We’re the Millers, we go back and forth, and with both the laughs and story not robust enough to carry the film, we’re left with a disjointed mess.
The acting in the film was ok, although I had a very difficult time believing Aniston as a stripper. Even in the scenes where she tried her best to be seductive, she sort of just seemed like the girl next door pretending to be sexy. It’s hard to imagine a woman like her ever being so down on her luck that she’d choose to be a stripper. Just doesn’t fit the bill. The other actors were fairly decent. Sudeikis was acceptably annoying; Poulter had an innocent charm; and Roberts played a convincing brat.
The movie seems to borrow too much from other films, and while it has a promising story, it does very little to distinguish itself from other edgy comedies out there. Others have simply done it better, and so We’re the Millers winds up being wholly forgettable. About an hour into the movie, I started to check-out, and I felt relieved when it all was over.
Thumbs mostly down.
We're the Millers
What He said:
David (Jason Sudekis) is a smalltime pot dealer. It’s not as dangerous as it sounds. His customers are office workers, people who work in coffee shops, and parents in need of some “stress relief”. His life isn’t in danger when he makes a sale.
Ironically, he actually gets into trouble when he isn’t working. His neighbor Kenny (Will Poulter) is an awkward, but nice kid. He has been eyeing this girl who is a runaway. Casey (Emma Roberts) spends her time wandering the neighborhood in between sleeping on various friends’ couches. Well one evening a bunch of no good fellas try to rob her. Kenny wants to help, but there’s three of them and one of him. David doesn’t want to get involved, but knows Kenny is a good kid, and can’t resist when the Kenny gets himself into trouble. After a scuffle and a chase, David gets robbed (he was carrying his earnings from that day’s sales).
We're the Millers
His employer, a guy named Brad, is not happy, but he is a “reasonable” man. Brad is a drug kingpin posing as a businessman. He’s extremely rich and likes to flaunt it. The way in which he chooses to was one of the funnier jokes of the movie. Brad (Ed Helms) says that all he has to do set things right between them is drive down to Mexico and pick up a tiny bit of weed.
He’s worried about crossing the border alone, so he decides to come up with a cover story. He and his family are crossing the border for a vacation. The problem is he doesn’t have a family. This is where Casey, Kenny, and his other neighbor Rose (a stripper played by Jennifer Aniston) come in. The four of them must pretend to be a tight-knit family – despite not knowing each other very well – if they are to fool border patrol and not draw any extra attention when coming back into the states with the drugs in tow. Hilarity and hijinks ensue.
That’s the goal at least. Whether it succeeds or not depend on your sense of humor. I can’t say this movie didn’t make me laugh. I did laugh a few times. There were a few parts where I thought the movie was headed in an enjoyable direction, but for the most part it fell flat for me. For starters, I don’t think I like Jason Sudekis very much. I don’t remember why I feel this way, but I remember thinking going into I didn’t think he was a very funny guy. I haven’t seen him in much, so I’m not totally sure where it comes from, but I think it probably comes from Horrible Bosses (review here) and a little bit I’ve seen him on SNL. I don’t know what he’s like as a person. I couldn’t tell you a thing about him. But I find his performances to be very jerky. He plays unlikeable a little too well. It’s not like watching a villain you are supposed to love to hate, I actually don’t enjoy his performances. He annoys me and takes me out f the movie. I think he is a really bad leading man. The guy is unpleasant to watch and has no charisma. He thinks he does, but he doesn’t. Ed Helms was pretty bad too. He was doing the whole obnoxious thing and it didn’t work. It was intentional, it just wasn’t funny. Emma Roberts played the bratty teen with an attitude fairly well, but her character unnecessary. Jennifer Aniston had a few funny lines too. Will Poulter was easily the funniest and most likeable character though. He played the part just fine, but he was the only thing about the movie that was consistent and that’s not enough. Critics didn’t like this movie, but audiences did. I’m with the critics on this one.
Diagnosis: Thumbs down.
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Q:
How to know where a surface concaves up or not.
I want to know if there is a way to find where a surface concaves up.
In a calculus course, I learned that if you want to know the concavity of a several variable real valued function, you should set a direction and find a second derivative of the given direction.
But,, I think it gives us only restricted information(local information) about the graph of a function. If I want to know whether the function concaves up or not, I might have to find the second derivatives of all directions and check if they are all positive, but it seems almost impossible without computer.
I understand the way to find where a graph concaves up , given a direction. But isn’t there a way to find a global property of a graph, i.e. without thinking of direction.
I’m so sorry if my questions isn’t clear.
Thank you
A:
A $C^2$ function $f: U \subseteq \mathbb{R}^n \to \mathbb{R}$ defined on a convex domain $U$ is convex if and only if its Hessian matrix is positive semidefinite for all points in $U$. Similar conditions exist for concavity. Check here for more information (more precisely, look at page $5$).
I think $U$ doesn't necessarily have to be a convex set, maybe only being a star-shaped set suffices for this theorem to work.
If you want to look at the behavior of $f$ at a certain $x$, take a small enough neighborhood $x\in V \subset U$ and consider convexity or concavity there.
| mini_pile | {'original_id': '525ed53e61356f8aae5add5f8dca2f4b63b48b65fe7ba894bcec405722d3e6c8'} |
Predatory Efficiency
Fierce Tiger
“He was a killer, a thing that preyed, living on the things that lived, unaided, alone, by virtue of his own strength and prowess, surviving triumphantly in a hostile environment where only the strong survive.” ― The Call of the Wild, Jack London
I don’t watch any TV as I plain and simply don’t have the time for it, but every now and again I might watch a few episodes of something educational or inspiring. Recently, I watched a fantastic series call The Hunt, which you can stream on Netflix. Aside from being beautifully shot with an Oscar-worthy soundtrack, this series takes a harsh look at being a predator in the wild and how harsh the natural world can be.
What I also gleamed from this series where a lot of parallels between predators in the wild and what we as men must face in the world of Game. Below are some observational parallels inspired by this series, since as men, when it comes to dating we are the hunters:
4. Failure is an essential part of the Game. One of the biggest themes in this series is failure and how there is no getting around it, it’s a part of life. Predators in the wild have an extremely high failure rate, with stats around 1 in 7 to 1 in 10 hunts actually being successful. This is true with Game as well.
Game is not about never failing or or getting rejected, it’s actually about going out there and facing that rejection. A season player will actually get rejected more than a timid one, and that’s fine because he’s creating more opportunities for success by doing more approaches. Life is a contact sport, the more people you contact, the better you’ll do. So play the numbers. If your success rate is 1 in 10, and you only ever make 10 approaches, then you’re only ever going to be successful once. But if you make 100 approaches, then your success rate may stay the same but you will have 10 success under you belt because you did more work. It’s a learning process, so the more you get out there and get experience, the more you learn what works for you and more your success rate will improve. No one will ever be at 100%, but if you can go from 10% successful to 15%, that’s a big improvement. And eventually you can build on that to get your success rate even higher. This leads to observation number 2…
3. Persistence is key to success and survival. In the wild, predators fail much more than they succeed, yet they persist on. Why? If they don’t they will die. Their very survival depends on it. Predators are the most persistent group of animals because they have to continually push themselves in order to be successful. It doesn’t matter if they haven’t eaten in weeks, if they are facing prey that is bigger than them or that half the things they hunt could injure or kill them. They have to be fearless, bold, and persistent to be successful and survive.
The same is especially true with Game. If you only make a few approaches a month, get rejected and stop approaching, guess what? You’re not to going to find any success or change your situation. With Game you have to be persistent in order to be successful. Lie a tiger in the jungle, the fate of your night is up to you. Will you go out and find a girl to have sex with? Will you have a fun time regardless? Or will you skulk at home because it’s “too hard?” The choice is yours. Choose wisely.
2. Predators are efficient. A Cheetah does not sprint at max speed every chance it gets, not does it waste energy running and leaping for no reason. Predators conserve their energy at all costs, because once it’s spent, there’s no guarantee of success so they may be successful and in turn be able to recoup that energy quickly. Hence why predator spend most of their hunting time utilize stealth so they can get withing striking distance. Once there, they unleash their full might in a high risk high reward explosion of force that gives them the absolute best chance of success.
When out in the field Gaming, you must become efficient as well. If you’re a clever smooth talker, make that work for you instead of trying to be the loud, over the top comedian. If you’re the loud, over the top comedian, than play that to your advantage and don’t waste your energy trying to be the technical philosopher. Now don’t be afraid to experiment with different styles depending on the situation, but ultimately you know what works best for you and what doesn’t work best.
Also, be efficient with your resources. Your money, energy, attention, and especially your time. If you’re catching a hint that a girl is wasting or eating up too much of any of these, then NEXT her and move on, it’s not efficient for your success rate to waste needlessly. It’s better to spend more of those or much stronger leads than trying to play the “if I can convince her game,” which is always a losing game since if you even do manage to “win,” you’ve dumped more resources than you know you should have so you still don’t come out ahead.
1. Predators have rock-solid focus. When predator are in stealth mode and getting withing striking distance, pay very close attention to their entire bodies. I love how the way every last inch of a predator locks into an aggressive, spring-loaded stance as they prepare to unleash murderous force up their prey. It starts from their head and eyes and all other parts of their bodies shift to channel all their energy to that single focal point, like a sniper locking a round into the chamber and focusing the scope on the rifle. And once a predator makes the leap into the kill zone, as prey dodges and changes directions, predators heads and eyes remain locked entirely on their prey, never losing sight or focus of their target, while their body makes automated adjustments to keep the predator on track.
Tiger Stalking
This is a critical takeaway for Game, as once you get in that “kill zone” state where you can escalate things sexually (in a consensual way, of course), you have to utilize that focus to enhance your presence and maximize the moment. When you keep your focus, it’s amazing how your body language and Frame will subconsciously lock into place to work for you and not against you. This will help you conquer shit tests, deal with cock blocks and increase the vibe that you’re a man on a mission.
That does it for this post, but I hope some of these takeaways help you in the field. Happy hunting.
3 thoughts on “Predatory Efficiency
1. I like this. When learning, it’s great to just find anything that works. Over time, you develop more of a style. Following that, it’s a lot of fine tuning and optimizing.
2. I agree with being persistent in game. There have been times when I’ve had success with dating based on my willingness to try and try again. Also not being afraid of failure is important too, because you are going to fail. However success is attained from learning from those failures and pushing forward.
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STAR forwards Lance Franklin and Isaac Heeney have inspired the Sydney Swans to a dominant 81-point win over Essendon at the SCG on Saturday night.
Franklin had a good early duel with Bombers' youngster Michael Hartley but got better as the game wore on to finish with six goals - four of them after half-time - from his 20 possessions.
Heeney's clean skills shone in the perfect conditions, with the 20-year-old celebrating his birthday last Thursday by booting a career-best five goals in his side's 20.15 (135) to 7.12 (54) victory.
TALKING POINTS: Sydney Swans v Essendon
Midfielders Josh Kennedy (40 disposals), Tom Mitchell (37), Dan Hannebery (31) and Luke Parker (29) were once again prolific ball winners for the Swans, while the experience of Ben McGlynn and co-captains Kieren Jack and Jarrad McVeigh was also outstanding.
Essendon matched the Swans in the first half with David Zaharakis (33 disposals, two goals) and Brendon Goddard (28) winning plenty of the footy, and James Kelly and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti providing rebound from defence, but as they have done so often this season, John Worsfold's men couldn't maintain their intensity.
GAMEBREAKER: Heeney steals the show
The Bombers kicked four goals in a row with two each side of quarter-time, but the second half was all Swans, with the visitors registering just two goals after the main break while the Swans piled on 13.
It was a solid performance for the winners but there were some poor patches in the first half, which was littered with unforced skill errors and some questionable decision-making, especially coming out of the back half.
Coach John Longmire said it was pleasing that his men were able to turn things around.
"I thought our defensive efforts in the first half weren't where they needed to be, but once we started to work together in that aspect we were able to get on top," he said.
"We didn't have a lot of good players in that first half apart from Isaac (Heeney) who was charging around either midfield or forward.
"In the second half we had plenty of good players and everyone jumped on board which was great."
WATCH: John Longmire's full media conference
The Franklin-Heeney double-act was the highlight of the match and a bomb from inside the centre square in the last term, plus another from outside 50 on a set shot set the crowd alight and was vintage Buddy.
Essendon coach John Worsfold said he was pleased with the team's start to the game.
However, he said the club was coming off two consecutive six-day breaks, which took its toll in the second half as the Swans lifted their performance.
"I thought our intensity and the way we played the game in the first half was just as good as we've played all year," Worsfold said.
WATCH: John Worsfold's full media conference
"So that was really promising and the guys were upbeat at half time and ready for the contest but Sydney to their credit took away any opportunity we had to continue to play that way."
Lance Franklin celebrates a goal in front of Bombers skipper Brendon Goddard. Picture: AFL Media
MEDICAL ROOM
Sydney Swans: midfielder Daniel Robinson left the field in the second quarter with a shoulder injury and played no further part in the game. Kieren Jack limped off in the first term but after getting his right ankle checked out, came back on after the first break and finished the game.
Essendon: Jonathan Simpkin looks set for a stint on the sidelines after tearing his hamstring in the opening quarter.
NEXT UP
The Swans head to Melbourne for a clash with the struggling Richmond next Saturday night at the MCG, while Essendon have a Saturday afternoon date with the ladder leaders North Melbourne at Etihad stadium.
SYDNEY SWANS 4.3 7.10 12.12 20.15 (135)
ESSENDON 3.3 5.5 6.9 7.12 (54)
GOALS
Sydney Swans: Franklin 6, Heeney 5, Papley 2, Tippett 2, Jack 2, Sinclair, Hewett, McGlynn
Essendon: Zaharakis 2, Fantasia, Bird, Brown, Simpkin, McKernan
BEST
Sydney Swans: Heeney, Mitchell, Parker, Franklin, McGlynn, Kennedy, Hannebery
Essendon: Zaharakis, Brown, McDonald-Tipungwuti, Dempsey, Goddard
INJURIES
Sydney Swans: Robinson (shoulder)
Essendon: Simpkin (hamstring)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Nicholls, Edwards, Fleer
Official crowd: 29,527 at SCG | mini_pile | {'original_id': '8cf36c96cbb1104c8b499c30f10a34988ba4501628f0bd6f72b0287c1fbcf390'} |
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無雙直傳 | 8th May 2006, 01:03 AM | 英文文章 | (461 Reads)
Recently, I read a book which called < The World is Flat>. This is a famous book this year and many local columnists introduce and recommend it. The theme of the book is globalization - The world is to be flat. The author tells us - What is globalization? What are the factors to conduce it? What are the benefits of it? What are the problems of it? How can we do to face globalization? In general, I agree the view of the author but I do not agree all the opinions within especially he talked about Islam which I was enlightened by this.
Generally speaking, I regard the globalization is a new industrial revolution and it began in the 80’s. The main conductions are the revolution of information technology and the Berlin well was demolished. In the 80’s, some scholars advocate global village and the third wave society. The first wave society was agricultural society, the second wave society was industrial society and the third wave society is information technological society. At that time, these had a term-futurology. in the 70’s, in the 80’s, in the 90’s, all books have illustrated that situation. Besides, the information technology and political affairs, what is the new idea about globalization in ? - The answer is outsourcing, offshoring, supply-chanining and insourcing.
That means the global goes deeper into international division of labor than before. I regard the global village; the third wave society and globalization are equivalent. Who is the first man preview this? Karl Marx. Friedman whose is the writer of . “In the Communist Manifesto, he described capitalism as a force that would dissolve all feudal, national, and religious identities, rising to an universal civilization, which is governed by market imperatives.” The book disregarded what Sandel said and Friedman wrote “ I am in awe at how incisively Marx detailed the forces that were flattening the world during the rise of the Industrial Revolution, and how much he foreshadowed the way these same forces would keep flattening the world right up to the present.” As a result, I deem the globalization is a new industrial Revolution and we can feel its influence to our society and culture like the days of Industrial Revolution. Globalization amplifies advantage and detrimental of capitalism.
Currently, France and Indonesia confused because the governments wanted to amend their labor law to enhance their competition in globalization. Even if, they do not amend their labor law, their employers can adopt Wal-Mart management style, which employers hire part-time labor to avoid the welfare imposed by the labor laws. In the flat World, the Wal-Mart management style is a trend to reduce the cost and increase the competition. Globalization, I regard as a new industrial revolution impact and it changes our society very much and like the era of Industrial Revolution when the labors did not enjoy any welfare,
overtime working, child labor problem etc. Anyhow, this is a time with no protection for employees (labor and middle class).
In the past, middle class, intellects or professionals were very stable. However, in globalization, it is not only manufacturing but also service is being outsourced and moving offshore to other countries. Friedman mentions like the United State’s answering phone service, actuary, game designs and cartoon animation are outsourced to India The third wave theory tells us, professionals are not stable in the third wave society because today’s professionals will be too many in tomorrow. Oversized doctors in a village will cause severe unemployment. Today you want to be a doctor because the global village is lack of doctors but when you graduate, you might be unemployed due to the rapid change of the situation. In globalization, well-educated persons, professionals and middle class are not guarantee for stablility. Karl Marx diagnosed the detrimental of capitalism but how to build up a communistic society, he did not provide a good answer. How can we do to face the globalized challenge ? That is the topic we need to think about. | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '0', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9524856209754944}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '33568', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:KWRQ4JFI4WRF6KQ343GW4ZZ2HP4PFUNW', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:ba2ec5a9-b6f0-4871-9599-5dd7b542455f>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2018, 10, 16, 23, 16, 44), 'WARC-IP-Address': '218.213.85.33', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'application/xhtml+xml', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:H2J5KD5YFLFOMC3SR2J4RG3KU74ZX7F2', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:d3f8c01f-3148-41d2-9297-4a22cf8e4805>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'http://him111.mysinablog.com/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=159225', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:c2dc58c9-b951-4a26-afa0-5741ca804c77>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '670', 'url': 'http://him111.mysinablog.com/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=159225', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2018-43\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for October 2018\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-51-147-142.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.15 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 0.11-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.6612367630004883', 'original_id': '327ebfc21ad074bb6af687043dc0eadef2029a5137c523c5ffee2be5acbf3c6b'} |
Haunts of Wroclaw Poland
Wroclaw in Poland is said to be one of the most haunted Cities in Poland.
Wroclaw is the largest city in Western Poland and a thriving student community.Legend is that, It is also the site where a grandson murdered his grandmother after supposedly being possessed by a demonic dwarf. It is said that her anguished screams can still be heard in the Hansel and Gretel building near St. Elizabeth’s church.
The House Under the Golden Dog, now a restaurant, used to house Frederick the Great. It is claimed that a mysterious force once pulled a quill from his hand while he was writing a letter. Nowadays, weird sounds can be heard from the cellar below the building. Shadows at the church of St. Mary Magdalene are said to be those of maids unable to escape their eternal prison. The chambers under Partisan Hill are known for screams echoing through the empty corridors. Also, back in the day, when Abram’s Tower (now a bar) was filled with sewing machines, a ghostly visitor would set the pedals and wheels and the machines off so that they would continue running on their own.
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Category: Education
Betsy DeVos Puts Children First
There is no point in doing work unless it involves children and helping them. Betsy DeVos knows this and tries to make sure that she can do everything possible to help children who she works with. As the secretary of education, this means that it is her goal to help every child in the United States. She wants to see them be successful and wants to make sure that she is providing them with the opportunities that they need to have a successful education system. For Betsy DeVos to do all of this, she had to make sure that she was working toward bettering herself and making sure that she knew a lot about education and how she could help children. For the sake of her career, Betsy DeVos has been a positive influencer and has been able to get a lot out of the educational sector so that she can continue providing children with all of the options that they need for success.
When Betsy DeVos first started, she saw that the public education system was not what it could be. She knew that students were missing out because of the way that the schools were set up. She wanted to see students be successful, so she worked hard to make sure that she was doing things like offering voucher programs. She used the power that she had to set up these programs and to make it possible for children to go to private school even if they couldn’t afford it.After Betsy DeVos had done all of this, she found the way to help students even more was through programs like charter schools. These are schools that are set up like private schools but they are a part of public education. There, students wouldn’t have to worry about how much their education cost.
They could combine all of the aspects of education and still get the best experience for the most affordable amount. It allowed students the chance to be able to experience all of the things that they would get in a private school.Throughout her career, Betsy DeVos has been a great philanthropist. She works hard to help other people and she knows that her help will be influential for everyone and all of the students who are in the United States. She has involved her whole family in her philanthropic efforts and that is a huge part of their lives together. She makes sure that her family members are all working toward the same goal as her to make sure that they are getting the best experience for the education that they have even if they are not able to afford the things that would normally make their education better.
Kabbalah Charities Bringing Light to the World
The Kabbalah Centre is present in over 70 countries and takes on a rather significant social responsibility in being a charitable organization. Known as the “KCCC-Kabbalah Centre Charitable Causes” brings help to those in need of both physical and charitable need. The charity summarizes it best with their statement: “Kabbalah is not a philosophy. Kabbalah is work to be done. The kabbalists of the past were people of action. They were constantly traveling from town to town, sharing, giving charity, and assisting people in creating better lives for themselves.”
The charitable organization has led efforts assisting alongside organizations such as The American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity and Partners in Health to provide relief and extensive humanitarian efforts to these devastated places during natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy as well as the earthquake in Haiti and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
The Zohar Project is an effort to bring the ancient and sacred text to mass amounts of people, which is what kabbalists believe is what will rid the world of chaos, pain, and suffering. The group’s mission is to bring it to all those that are interested in learning about it and to make Kabbalah accessible to those who might not have the resources to otherwise learn these teachings. Over 200,000 Zohars have been donated as a result of their efforts.
The Kabbalah Centre Scholarship fund also aims to bring both new and currently involved students access to resources that may be outside their financial means. They provide materials and Zohars to those who are in need but have a strong desire to improve their lives through studying Kabbalah.
There are several other organizations that kabbalists support. Spirituality for Kids teaches kids the same three step process of growing spiritually and helps them through promoting a healthy self-image and other core values. Kids Creating Peace aims to teach kids who may be facing “internal and societal conflicts” using teachings of Kabbalah in areas that The Kabbalah Centre identifies as challenging. The program also seeks to educate parents, teachers and other community leaders to also foster this same sense of spirituality. The Kabbalah Kids Academy is a more traditional education setting, encompassing all subject areas and also incorporating Kabbalist studies as part of the curriculum. More information on these charities can be found on their website at
Attaining the Maximum Pleasure with Kabbalah
Kabbalah aims at ensuring that man reaches the highest amount of pleasure while living in this world. Well, many do not know what it means by attaining the highest amount of pressure. It means that you get satisfied with the life that you are living here and today. Despite the challenges that are facing the world today, as a Kabbalist, you can live comfortably and get the desires that you have and fulfill your achievements in the life of today. Remember that it is not easy to attain this maximum satisfaction if you do not have the required knowledge that can help you do so. The wisdom is essential, and it is what you need, and you will attain what you want in your life.
It is also critical to know that there are a way and order of achieving maximum satisfaction while living in this world. Many will try to answer these questions differently but be informed that there is only one way of making pleasure that you want. There are no several channels to reaching the destination. The way is by studying and understanding Kabbalah. Men will desire for many things such as desires to have money, wishes to be honored and desires to rise to the position of power. The peak and the most important part is that man will want spirituality. If you recognize that you have spiritual desires, you will look for ways of satisfying these desires.
As you reach this pyramid, you will start realizing that you have a lot of limitations in your life. Kabbalah Centre will be clear to you that you do not have the abilities to achieve everything that you want in your life. At this stage, what you need is to study Kabbalah and you will find the way to realizing the pleasures to the maximum level. If you study Kabbalah and dedicate yourself everything that is hidden will be unveiled to you. It will make you have a full understanding of life.
Study Kabbalah with the Kabbalah Centre
How Kabbalah Can Improve Your Life
Kabbalah is Judaism’s spiritual and mystical side. It revolves around a document called the Zohar, which contains spiritual and mystical interpretations of the Torah. The Torah is the holy book of Jews and is the main tenet of Judaism. The Zohar is attributed to a rabbi by the name of Simon Bar Yochai. He is considered to be one of the great kabbalists of all time. In the Zohar, Rabbi Simon Bar Yochai condensed many years and works of Kabbalah study and interpretations.
If one wants to study Kabbalah seriously, then he or she must study the Zohar at least briefly. Of course, the Zohar is not the only work on Kabbalah but it is considered to be the main one and one of the most extensive ones available. Many other works on Kabbalah are based on it.
For example, according to Kabbalah, there was an event similar to the big bang from which the universe and all life forms sprang up from. There is also an attempt of Kabbalah to explain the purpose of life. There is a physical or wordly realm where we reside and there are other higher realms where the spirits reside. Kabbalah says that we can connect to the higher realms through our dreams, meditation and when we do noble things.
Where You Can Study Kabbalah And Learn More About It
The Kabbalah Centre is a religious study organization that was founded in 1984 in Los Angeles, California by Rabbi Philip Berg. The founder, Rabbi Berg believed that everybody should be able to study Kabbalah and glean wisdom from it to improve their lives. Before the Kabbalah Centre made Kabbalah available to the layman, Kabbalah study was mostly restricted to scholars such as Rabbi Berg.
Today the Kabbalah Centre continues the mission of Rabbi Philip Berg by hosting classes in its Los Angeles campus and dozens of other locations around the world. If you cannot reach a Kabbalah Centre location, you can study Kabbalah from your home via online classes taught by a Kabbalist.
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function openNav(sensorType) {
var sortedItems = new Array()
var history_txt =""
var urlParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search)
var kid = urlParams.get("kitId")
fetch("https://54q6hpps8a.execute-api.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/prod/manager", {
"method": "POST",
"body": JSON.stringify(
{
"operation": "list",
"payload": {
"TableName": kid
}
}
)
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).then(response => {
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responseData.Items.forEach(element => {
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sortedItems.forEach(element => {
const value = "value: "+element.value
var time = new Date(element.timestamp).toLocaleString()
history_txt = history_txt+"<h5 align='center'>"+value+'    '+time+'<\/h5>'
});
document.getElementById("myNav").style.width = "100%"
document.getElementById("history").style.color = "white"
document.getElementById("sensor-name").innerHTML = ""+sensorType+" History"
document.getElementById("history").innerHTML = ""+history_txt
}).catch(error => console.error(error))
}
function closeNav() {
document.getElementById("myNav").style.width = "0%";
}
| common_corpus | {'identifier': 'https://github.com/candoz/city-flooding-kit/blob/master/website/js/overlay-bar.js', 'collection': 'Github Open Source', 'open_type': 'Open Source', 'license': 'MIT', 'date': '2021.0', 'title': 'city-flooding-kit', 'creator': 'candoz', 'language': 'JavaScript', 'language_type': 'Code', 'word_count': '110', 'token_count': '437', '__index_level_0__': '38210', 'original_id': '21e86a628aa814a5be91723e208f0886c78f7e773867ddb1e1dbc420b43d9b02'} |
/*
* Copyright (c) 2008-2019, Hazelcast, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
*
* Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
* you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
* You may obtain a copy of the License at
*
* http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
*
* Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
* distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
* WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
* See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
* limitations under the License.
*/
package com.hazelcast.map.impl.operation;
import com.hazelcast.logging.ILogger;
import com.hazelcast.map.impl.MapContainer;
import com.hazelcast.map.impl.eviction.Evictor;
import com.hazelcast.memory.NativeOutOfMemoryError;
import java.util.Objects;
import java.util.stream.IntStream;
import static com.hazelcast.internal.util.EmptyStatement.ignore;
import static java.lang.String.format;
/**
* An {@link ForcedEviction} operation that attempts to evict entries from current thread partition
* of an {@link com.hazelcast.map.impl.recordstore.RecordStore}
*/
class PartitionRecordStoreForcedEviction extends PartitionForcedEviction {
@Override
public boolean execute(int retries, MapOperation mapOperation, ILogger logger) {
int partitionCount = numberOfPartitions(mapOperation);
int threadCount = threadCount(mapOperation);
int mod = mod(mapOperation, threadCount);
for (int i = 0; i < retries; i++) {
try {
if (logger.isFineEnabled()) {
logger.fine(format("Applying forced eviction on other RecordStores owned by the same partition thread"
+ " (map %s, partitionId: %d", mapOperation.getName(), mapOperation.getPartitionId()));
}
IntStream.range(0, partitionCount)
.filter(partitionId -> partitionId % threadCount == mod)
.mapToObj(partitionId -> partitionMaps(mapOperation, partitionId))
.flatMap(maps -> maps.values().stream())
.filter(Objects::nonNull)
.filter(this::nativeFormatWithEvictionPolicy)
.forEach(recordStore -> {
MapContainer mapContainer = recordStore.getMapContainer();
Evictor evictor = mapContainer.getEvictor();
evictor.forceEvict(recordStore);
});
mapOperation.runInternal();
return true;
} catch (NativeOutOfMemoryError e) {
ignore(e);
}
}
return false;
}
}
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FH531V runs rough under load after 10 min
Discussion in 'Mechanic and Repair' started by byronlong, Jul 19, 2013.
1. byronlong
byronlong LawnSite Member
Messages: 14
Update on the coil replacement:
I received the two coils I ordered today. Been over a week since I cut grass and we've had plenty of rain so it is thick and tall. I replaced one coil and set the air gap and put the covers back on. It took a while to crank since I drained all the fuel out of the carb when checking the bowl for crud. About 7pm now and mid 70's outside. I cut the back yard without any trouble. Mower was nice and warm now. Headed into the front yard and cut most of it and then it started. I would notice it when I would still be moving forward and then reverse the mower. Guess I need to replace the other coil.
I pulled it into my garage and put the fan on it to cool it down. Took the other coil off and marked it as bad. I put the second new coil on and took off again. I have an extra lot that is approx 100 X 150 and it was pretty thick. I was powering through the grass with no problem. No skips or sputters. It was plowing through it and was still running smooth under heavy loads.
I cut that whole lot wide open and on my last pass, yep, started sputtering again. I guess the cool temp had something to do with it running good for a longer period of time.
So now I got two new coils and a mower that runs good for a little longer time period. I was pretty confident the coils were the issue. And they may be part of it. Still got something going on though.
I'll be running it on the farm this weekend around my catfish ponds. Grass has really gotten tall there. I'll see how long it lasts in the middle of the day.
2. Snyder's Lawn Inc
Snyder's Lawn Inc LawnSite Platinum Member
Messages: 4,530
wouldn't have a bad head gasket on one side maybe both sides
3. byronlong
byronlong LawnSite Member
Messages: 14
Cut my in-laws yard yesterday. It was late, sun was down and temp was cooler again. Sputtered on me once. Even at wide open throttle, it doesn't feel like it is running wide open. Took it to the farm today and started cutting. Within 20 minutes, it started cutting out again. Mid afternoon, sunny and hot.
Guess I won't be throwing either of those old coils away now after all.
Would a head gasket act up only once it is hot?
4. Valk
Valk LawnSite Silver Member
Messages: 2,711
Wow. I realize you installed new coils, but have you/did you tried/try the 'pulling off one plug wire' idea to see if it makes a difference? Use a rubber glove or some insulated pliers if you do.
IFF this is electrical, are you able/confident in using a multimeter? I'm not an 'electrical' guy...but a battery shop helped me to isolate an unusual issue that merely required a new ground cable from the engine block to the negative post. Not saying this is your solution, but I was beyond grateful they could figure out my issue (using a multimeter) at the time.
Did you grow up in KS? I knew a B.L.
5. byronlong
byronlong LawnSite Member
Messages: 14
Nope, been in Alabama all my life.
When the mower is just sitting there running wide open or idling, it doesn't act up so it's hard to diagnose.
It has to be hot an under a load for it to sputter on me.
I may just have to take it to the shop or go bonkers myself. I'm not much on electrical stuff other than just replacing parts.
6. sjessen
sjessen LawnSite Platinum Member
Male, from Knoxville, Tn
Messages: 4,065
Do you think the engine is getting hot? If so, you might remove the shroud and check the cooling fins.
7. byronlong
byronlong LawnSite Member
Messages: 14
Well, it has to get hot before it starts acting up but I didn't notice any debris clogging any of the fins when I've been working on it. It's pretty clean and I blew any trash out with my air hose when I replaced the coils and checked the carb.
May go ahead and start replacing fuel lines just to rule that out as a next step.
8. byronlong
byronlong LawnSite Member
Messages: 14
Took my yearly beach trip and forgot about my mower problems for a week but I jumped back on it the following day I returned.
I replaced the fuel lines Monday night after work. Thank you Husqvarna for turning all the clamps toward the frame and making it such a difficult job to remove the old lines.
Tried out the mower after work yesterday. It seemed to run at a higher RPM when at full throttle. It did sputter once when I first started but I thought it may have been a little air in the new lines being purged so I didn't think much about it.
I cut my yard which was very thick after a week and a half. Started on my additional lot and was nearly finished and it acted up again. Not near as bad but it did sputter some as I would start forward motion or spinning the mower around at the end of a pass. Did this several times but not to the extent that I wasn't able to plow through the grass at a decent speed.
No problems if it is just sitting there running wide open even with the blades engaged. Happens mostly when you start movement.
I'm going to check the wiring under the seat and see if anything is loose or has worn insulation. Could be a worn wire shorting against the frame occasionally when moving.
I do think the fuel line replacement has helped a great deal though.
9. byronlong
byronlong LawnSite Member
Messages: 14
Didn't notice any issues with wiring.
Cut my grass a couple of days ago and the mower really started acting up again when it got hot. Outside conditions were upper 80's to low 90's but very humid. The time before it didn't act up much but the air temp was cooler as well.
This time, just turning around at the end of a pass would cause the engine to bog down. It's like the sudden strain the hydraulics put on it gets it confused or something. I can pull the steering bars back to a neutral position and the engine with the blade engaged returns to normal operating speed. Then I slowly push into a forward motion and have to go slow for it to complete the pass without sputtering too much. I dropped the throttle some also.
The only fuel line I haven't replaced is the formed one from the pump to the carb. I pulled it and blew through it with no sign of any obstruction. Turned the motor over while it was off and the pump seemed to be spitting out fuel fine.
I'm about at the end of my rope on this problem. I've done just about everything that I feel comfortable doing so I will probably drop it off at the shop tomorrow.
I do wonder about the safety switch in the seat though. I guess it would be worth a try to bypass that switch and see if it still acts up.
10. Sharpcut 1
Sharpcut 1 LawnSite Senior Member
Messages: 450
Put a Kohler fuel filter or a large automotive filter on there. You're getting vapor lock. Also, the O-rings in the carb were known to swell with the ethanol in the fuel. Kinda like the fuel line issue. Last summer was really hot here in Michigan, had the same problem with a bunch of Kawi's, went to the big filter, problem went away. All except one. His problem was the fuel solenoid magnet was getting weak and alowed the plunger to start creeping back into the jet. Slowly starving it for fuel.
Share This Page | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '0', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.978105902671814}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '157148', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:7XUBUJAE4LTQZMRUKXNGS3U3X7KIK36X', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:8304b6bf-1cc0-462a-80f0-2419358bea7c>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2017, 8, 17, 22, 54, 25), 'WARC-IP-Address': '108.170.15.203', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:SQDFKGUDQRBLDDCGX3KKMGTLBCLMAXTO', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:7f350ec7-e88d-4b5f-9345-21adeab0f037>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'https://www.lawnsite.com/threads/fh531v-runs-rough-under-load-after-10-min.408965/page-2', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:ad0ae4e2-814c-4a1d-8a1a-6db8870fe587>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '1365', 'url': 'https://www.lawnsite.com/threads/fh531v-runs-rough-under-load-after-10-min.408965/page-2', 'warcinfo': 'robots: classic\r\nhostname: ip-10-164-4-238.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Nutch 1.6 (CC)\r\nisPartOf: CC-MAIN-2017-34\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for August 2017\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.0\r\nconformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.03605419397354126', 'original_id': '133cc3ec64e9b1bd8c1a808b86d000fbcdaccc578bb8019b1f1a041d17af3a2a'} |
\section{Powers of Group Elements/Sum of Indices/Additive Notation}
Tags: Index Laws, Group Theory
\begin{theorem}
Let $\struct {G, +}$ be a group whose identity is $e$.
Let $g \in G$.
Then:
:$\forall m, n \in \Z: \paren {m \cdot g} + \paren {n \cdot g} = \paren {m + n} \cdot g$
\end{theorem}
\begin{proof}
All elements of a group are invertible, so we can directly use the result from Index Laws for Monoids: Sum of Indices:
:$\forall m, n \in \Z: g^m \circ g^n = g^{m + n}$
where in this context the group operation is $+$ and $n$th power of $g$ is denoted $n g$.
{{qed}}
\end{proof}
| math_pile | {'subset': 'ProofWiki', 'meta': "{'type': 'Theorem_Proof'}", 'original_id': '37f8085b4d7919f650702754a43cd4b31ad6bc97aa6c351988715776d32ec76e'} |
using System;
using SDL2;
using BNA.Math;
using BNA.Graphics;
using BNA.bindings;
namespace BNA.Platform
{
public class SDLWindow : GameWindow
{
public typealias SDLEventHandler = delegate void(SDL.Event event);
public Event<SDLEventHandler> OnWinEvent;
public override bool AllowUserResizing
{
get
{
return ((SDL.WindowFlags)SDL.GetWindowFlags(_handle)).HasFlag(.Resizable);
}
set
{
SDL.SetWindowResizable(_handle, value ? .True : .False);
}
}
public override Rect ClientBounds
{
get
{
int32 w = 0, h = 0;
FNA3D_binding.GetDrawableSize(_handle, &w, &h);
return Rect(0, 0, w, h);
}
}
public override Int2 Position
{
get
{
int32 x, y;
SDL.GetWindowPosition(_handle, out x, out y);
return Int2(x, y);
}
}
public override DisplayOrientation Orientation
{
get
{
let orientation = SDL.SDL_GetDisplayOrientation((.)_display);
switch (orientation)
{
case .Unknown: return .Default;
case .Landscape: return .LandscapeLeft;
case .LandscapeFlipped: return .LandscapeRight;
case .Portrait: return .Portrait;
case .PortraitFlipped: return .Portrait;
}
}
}
public override void* Handle=> _handle;
public override StringView Title
{
get
{
return _title;
}
set
{
_title.Set(value);
SDL.SetWindowTitle(_handle, _title.CStr());
}
}
public override bool IsBorderless
{
get
{
return ((SDL.WindowFlags)SDL.GetWindowFlags(_handle)).HasFlag(.Borderless);
}
set
{
SDL.SetWindowBordered(_handle, value ? .False : .True);
}
}
public override bool IsFullscreen
{
get
{
let flags = ((SDL.WindowFlags)SDL.GetWindowFlags(_handle));
return flags.HasFlag(.Fullscreen) || flags.HasFlag(.FullscreenDesktop);
}
set
{
SDL.SetWindowFullscreen(_handle, value ? (.)SDL.WindowFlags.FullscreenDesktop : 0);
}
}
public override bool LockMouse
{
get
{
return SDL.GetRelativeMouseMode() == .True;
}
set
{
SDL.SetRelativeMouseMode(value ? .True : .False);
}
}
private SDL.Window* _handle;
private String _title ~ delete _;
private int _display;
private SDL.DisplayOrientation _prevOrientation;
public this(StringView title, int width, int height, int display = 0, bool fullscreen = false)
{
this._title = new String(title);
SDL.WindowFlags flags = (.)FNA3D_binding.PrepareWindowAttributes();
if (fullscreen)
flags |= .FullscreenDesktop;
_handle = SDL.CreateWindow(_title.CStr(), .Centered, .Centered, (.)width, (.)height, (.)flags);
_display = display;
_prevOrientation = SDL.SDL_GetDisplayOrientation((.)_display);
}
public override void Dispose()
{
base.Dispose();
if (_handle != null)
{
SDL.DestroyWindow(_handle);
_handle = null;
}
}
public override void PumpEvents()
{
base.PumpEvents();
SDL.Event event = .();
while (SDL.PollEvent(out event) != 0)
{
OnWinEvent(event);
if (event.type == .WindowEvent)
{
switch (event.window.windowEvent)
{
// window closed
case .Close:
OnClosed.Invoke();
break;
// size changed - could mean the window was resized. could also mean the display orientation
// changed.
case .SizeChanged:
OnWindowResized.Invoke(ClientBounds);
let newOrientation = SDL.SDL_GetDisplayOrientation((.)_display);
if (newOrientation != _prevOrientation)
{
OnWindowOrientationChanged.Invoke(Orientation);
_prevOrientation = newOrientation;
}
break;
default:
break;
}
}
}
}
}
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What is the best way to describe Rupert Murdoch having a foam pie thrown at his face? This wasn’t much of a problem for the world’s press, who were content to run articles depicting the incident during the media mogul’s testimony at a 2011 parliamentary committee hearing as everything from high drama to low comedy. It was another matter for the hearing’s official transcriptionist. Typically, a transcriptionist’s job only involves typing out the words as they were actually said. After the pie attack—either by choice or hemmed in by the conventions of house style—the transcriptionist decided to go the simplest route by marking it as an “[interruption].”
Across professional fields, a whole multitude of conversations—meetings, interviews, and conference calls—need to be transcribed and recorded for future reference. This can be a daily, onerous task, but for those willing to pay, the job can be outsourced to a professional transcription service. The service, in turn, will employ staff to transcribe audio files remotely or, as in my own couple of months in the profession, attend meetings to type out what is said in real time.
Despite the recent emergence of browser-based transcription aids, transcription’s an area of drudgery in the modern Western economy where machines can’t quite squeeze human beings out of the equation. That is until last year, when Microsoft built one that could.
Automatic speech recognition, or ASR, is an area that has gripped the firm’s chief speech scientist, Xuedong Huang, since he entered a doctoral program at Scotland’s Edinburgh University. “I’d just left China,” he says, remembering the difficulty he had in using his undergraduate knowledge of the American English to parse the Scottish brogue of his lecturers. “I wished every lecturer and every professor, when they talked in the classroom, could have subtitles.”
In order to reach that kind of real-time service, Huang and his team would first have to create a program capable of retrospective transcription. Advances in artificial intelligence allowed them to employ a technique called deep learning, wherein a program is trained to recognize patterns from vast amounts of data. Huang and his colleagues used their software to transcribe the NIST 2000 CTS test set, a bundle of recorded conversations that’s served as the benchmark for speech recognition work for more than 20 years. The error rates of professional transcriptionists in reproducing two different portions of the test are 5.9 and 11.3 percent. The system built by the team at Microsoft edged past both.
“It wasn’t a real-time system,” acknowledges Huang. “It was very much like we wanted to see, with all the horsepower we have, what is the limit. But the real-time system is not that far off.”
Indeed, the promise of ASR programs capable of accurately transcribing interviews or meetings as they happen no longer seems so outlandish. At Microsoft’s Build conference last month, the company’s vice-president, Harry Shum, demonstrated a PowerPoint transcription service that would allow the spoken words of the presentation to be tied to individual slides. The firm is also in a close race with the likes of Apple and Google to perfect the transcripts produced by its real-time mobile translation app.
Huang believes the point at which transcription software will overtake human capabilities is open to interpretation. “The definition of a perfect result would be controversial,” he says, citing the error rates among human transcriptionists. “How ‘perfect’ this is depends on the scenario and the application.”
An ASR system tasked with transcribing speech in real time is only deemed successful if every word is interpreted correctly, something that largely has been achieved with mobile assistants like Cortana and Siri, but has yet to be mastered in real-time translation apps. However, a growing number of computer scientists are realizing that standards do not need to be as high when it comes to the automatic transcription of recorded audio, where any mistakes in the text can be amended after the fact.
Two companies—Trint, a start-up in London, and Baidu, the Chinese internet giant with an application called SwiftScribe—have begun to offer browser-based tools that can convert recordings of up to an hour into text with a word-error rate of 5 percent or less.* On the page, their output looks very similar to the raw documents I typed out in real-time during the many meetings I attended as a freelance transcriptionist: at best, a Joycean stream-of-consciousness marvel, and at worst, gobbledygook. But by turning the user from a scribe into an editor, both programs can shave hours off an onerous and distracting task.
The amount of time saved, of course, is contingent on the quality of the audio. Trint and SwiftScribe tend to make short work of face-to-face interviews with the bare minimum of ambient noise, but struggle to transcribe recordings of crowded rooms, telephone interviews with bad reception, or anyone who speaks with an accent that isn’t American or British English. My attempt to run a recording of a German-accented speaker through Trint, for example, saw the engine interpret “it was rather cold, but the atmosphere was great” as “That heart is also all barf. Yes. His first face.”
“We don’t claim that this turnaround in a couple of minutes of an interview like this is perfect,” says Jeff Kofman, Trint’s CEO. “But, with good audio, it can be close to perfect. You can search it, you can hear it, you [can] find the errors, and you know within seconds what was actually said.”
According to Kofman, most of the people using Trint are journalists, followed by academics doing qualitative research and clients in business and healthcare—in other words, professions expected to transcribe a large volume of audio on tight deadlines. That’s in keeping with the anonymized data on user behavior being collected by the developer Ryan Prenger and his colleagues at SwiftScribe. While there is a long tail of users who Prenger speculates are simply AI enthusiasts eager to test out SwiftScribe’s capabilities, he’s also spotted several “power users” that are running audio through the program on almost a daily basis. It’s left him optimistic about the range of people the tool could attract as ASR technology continues to improve.
“That’s the thing with transcription technology in general,” says Prenger. “Once the accuracy gets above a certain bar, everyone will probably start doing their transcriptions that way, at least for the first several rounds.” He predicts that, ultimately, automated transcription tools will increase both the supply of and the demand for transcripts. “There could be a virtuous circle where more people expect more of their audio that they produce to be transcribed, because it’s now cheaper and easier to get things transcribed quickly. And so, it becomes the standard to transcribe everything.”
It’s a future that Trint is consciously maneuvering itself to exploit. The company just raised $3.1 million in seed money to fund its next round of expansion. Kofman and his team plan to demonstrate its capabilities later this month at the Global Editors Network in Vienna. Their aim is to have the transcription of the event’s keynote address up on the Washington Post’s website within the hour.
It’s difficult to predict precisely what this new order could look like, although casualties are expected. The stenographer would likely join the ranks of the costermonger and the iceman in the list of forgotten professions. Journalists could spend more time reporting and writing, aided by a plethora of assistive writing tools, while detectives could analyze the contradictions in suspect testimony earlier. Captioning on YouTube videos could be standard, while radio shows and podcasts could become accessible to the hard of hearing on a mass scale. Calls to acquaintances, friends, and old flames could be archived and searched in the same way that social-media messages and emails are, or intercepted and hoarded by law-enforcement agencies.
For Huang, transcription is just one of a whole range of changes ASR is set to provide that will fundamentally change society itself, one that can already be glimpsed in voice assistants like Cortana, Siri, and Amazon’s Alexa. “The next wave, clearly, is beyond the devices that you have to touch,” he says, envisioning computing technology discreetly woven into a range of working environments. “UI technology that can free people from being tethered to the device will be in the front and center.”
For the moment, however, the engineers behind automated transcribers will have to content themselves with more germane users: the journalist sweating a deadline, or the transcriptionist working out the right way to describe a man being pied in a parliamentary select committee.
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How many syllables are in japans? 2 syllables
Definition of: Japans (New window will open)
The syllables in Japans were counted using our syllable counting algorithm. Please verify the syllable count. If you see an error, please let us know.
How to pronounce japans:
Japans Poems: (See poems with this word. New window will open)
Synonyms and Words Related to Japans
japan (2 syllables), (0 Syllables)
Two syllable words that rhyme with Japans
Three syllable words that rhyme with Japans
kazakhstan's, minivans
What do you think of our answer to how many syllables are in japans? Are the syllable count, pronunciation, words that rhyme, and syllable divisions for japans correct? There are numerous syllabic anomalies found within the U.S. English language. Can japans be pronounced differently? Did we divide the syllables correctly? Do regional variations in the pronunciation of japans effect the syllable count? Has language changed? Provide your comments or thoughts on the syllable count for japans below.
Comment on the syllables in Japans
A comprehensive resource for finding syllables in japans, how many syllables are in japans, words that rhyme with japans, how to divide japans into syllables, how to pronounce japans, how to break japans into syllables, and how to pronounce japans. | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '64', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.8446130156517029}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '24797', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:7ZUU6GL3NUCAZXE35ANVRJMBMPQITK3H', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:a36b7272-37e8-47d4-98c7-1df76c3453f8>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2021, 1, 22, 1, 10, 7), 'WARC-IP-Address': '204.141.208.149', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:WEARSUCAIXQRXO73WTBKO7F4AYXTUOMU', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:c50aeec8-51bc-4ce7-87ee-d8067f5f5517>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'http://www.syllablecount.com/syllables/japans', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:a89e1efb-cc75-4745-be11-4c3bdb9eefda>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '234', 'url': 'http://www.syllablecount.com/syllables/japans', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2021-04\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for January 2021\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-67-67-35.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.17 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 1.2-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.020371079444885254', 'original_id': '09ba9575fb7fcc46c8a7662157e30dd72703bdd49ecd5ebd4f10431c8562da13'} |
I concur this does not match the A1465 board in some areas. The Airport / Bluetooth connectors are in a different spot and the heatsink is different. Perhaps some photos from another board were used in a few places. The rest appears to be the same, so far. | mini_pile | {'original_id': '45c40123c3864235250aef35dc1615838b4502a548ad80e1f1672a04ab12f053'} |
rohanson: (Green jumper)
[personal profile] rohanson
Paris: Sighing, I let my head drop back and close my eyes for a moment. It’s gonna be another half hour at least before they see me, and I suppose it’s time to phone Dave, let him know about my ungraceful trip that’s left me with a badly twisted ankle after only one week working on the beach house. Ryssa and Ben gave me heaps of reassurances that they could cope, and it is Friday, but still. A nurse walks by and smiles and I return it as I dig in my pocket for my cell. Hitting speed-dial, I sigh again as I listen to it ring, exasperated at myself for not taking more care.
“Hey babe. First, I’m fine, really, but I’ve twisted my ankle. Ben dropped me off at the emergency room and I need you to pick me up. No hurry, they haven’t seen me yet. How was your day?” I try to joke, but I’m feeling pretty miserable and sore and wish you were already here.
Dave: I'm glad it's just a minor injury, but it's a reality-check that your work can be a bit dangerous at times. "Ah, Paris! I'm sorry, that's got to hurt. I'll be right over. At least I can sit and wait with you." Twenty minutes later, I'm poking about the busy hallways, until a nurse sees the lost look on my face and helps me find you. I slip into the chair next to you, steal a kiss and grab your hand. "I've warned you about tap dancing on the roof, haven't I?" Yeah, leave it to me to make a silly comment, but I just need to see you smile, or at least try to.
Paris: “Yeah, you have.” I manage a small, self-pitying smile, and then rest my head on your shoulder with another sigh, so glad you’re here. It’s not like my foot’s hanging off, but my ankle is throbbing and my foot and calf are aching, and it’s bloody annoying that something so simple could keep me off my feet.
A couple of minutes later, it’s my turn, and I tug you with me. They give me some strong painkillers after asking me a heap of questions and checking my records, and I’m getting a little fuzzy round the edges by the time they finish strapping it up, giving you a pile of instructions on when I have to take stuff, when to take the bandage off which is just as well, because I’m not gonna remember any of it …
As we drive out of the car park, I remember where we need to go. “Can we stay at the warehouse tonight? Théo still wants to shift in tomorrow. He hasn’t seen Éomer for over a month …” Then my focus slips again, my full attention switching to watching your hands as you drive.
Dave: You're starting to sound drifty, and I just want to get you home and propped up. Maybe we can just have a quiet night, snuggled with a movie and some Chinese takeaway. I'm pretty startled when you tell me Theo's shifting in tomorrow, and I'm not sure that's a good idea at all. "Paris, can't he wait a bit? Yeah, I know a month without Eomer's got to be driving him nuts, but you're hurt. You need to rest." I can't help it. If it comes to a choice, I'm always going to put what's best for you first.
Paris: “He promised he’d take it easy.” I bite my lip while I think about it again, and watch the streets go by outside as we travel through the city. “You could talk to him early tomorrow? It can be your call on whether he stays or not. He’ll agree with that. He tells me he “values your friendship and opinion”, and I trust you.” Smiling, and wondering why I feel so out of it, I rest my head against the back of the seat as we arrive at the warehouse.
Dave: I can't help smiling just a little. You're trying so hard to make sense (and actually doing a decent job of it), but your neck's having trouble holding your head up. "We'll talk more inside. Gotta do the hard part now, getting you there." I park and run around to your side of the car and help you get out, letting you lean as much of your weight as you can on me.
Once you’re settled on the couch with a pillow on the coffee table for your foot, I settle in next to you, my arm around your shoulders, stroking your hair back out of your eyes, thinking about what you've proposed. Finally, I nod, sighing a little. "I'll talk to Theo tomorrow, sure. If he can convince me he'll take proper care of your foot, then... well, we'll see. But that's tomorrow. You're here tonight, and you're hurt and dopey. What can I do for you, love?"
Paris: Right now, this is all I need. Your hand on my hair is relaxing me so much, I'll be asleep soon if I wasn't fighting it. I'm hungry too, didn't have much lunch today. Ryssa told me off, told me I have to keep my strength up for … can't remember, but she's usually right about stuff. Gah, don't like feeling so drugged up, gotta focus. I look up at you with unintentional big eyes, and smile at the look on your face and the protective note in your voice. Then with a happy sigh, I stop fighting and go with it, wrapping my arm round your waist and snuggling closer. "More of this then something nice to eat?"
Dave: I should feel guilty about enjoying the look on your face right now, considering what you had to go through to get that expression, but well... all right, I do feel a bit funny about that. It's to your advantage though, because you're going to get quite the pampering out of the deal.
I kiss the top of your head and nuzzle your hair. "That sounds like a plan. Mmm, how about a breakfasty supper? Cheese and veggie omelette and hashbrowns? You can stay right here and I'll even feed you. I think the instructions on your pills said that you shouldn't operate heavy forks under the influence, love.”
Paris: “mmmmm … breakfast. That sounds good.” I murmur into your chest, snickering softly at the though of you feeding me. Sounds appealing though. I’m not sure how good my co-ordination would be right now. I get the feeling if I concentrated harder, I could almost shake this off, but really, why would I want to? You’re warm and comfortable and you smell nice, and the ache in my ankle feels like its a million miles away …
Dave: Your head slumps against my chest, and I feel your breathing even out. "Paris? Hey, sleepyhead, you still awake?" Nope, he's out. I don't mind, I'm comfortable. I nudge the remote control forward with the toe of my shoe on the coffee table, and lean carefully forward to reach it. You bend with me but you don't show any signs of waking up. I settle back, put my feet up and flip the set on, keeping the sound low, idly channel-flipping. Ah. Cartoons. The decent sort, American stuff from back when I was a kid, none of this modern crap that passes for entertainment. I idly play with your hair as you sleep, kept company by a smartass roadrunner and a very wily coyote. I really should have invested in Acme Company…
December 2007
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Wisdom tooth infections & ear infections
Written by sabrina ehlert
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Wisdom tooth infections & ear infections
Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars that start to erupt in the late teens and early adulthood. They can cause moderate to severe tooth and jaw pain. (cleaning teeth image by pavel siamionov from Fotolia.com)
Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars, which appear in teens and adults. Most people experience pain and discomfort as their wisdom teeth grow due to the lack of room inside their mouths. Sometimes, the appearance of wisdom teeth can cause other heath problems, such as ear infections, due to an infection in the wisdom tooth.
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Earache and Toothache
Toothaches can be mild to severe aching or throbbing on one or both sides of the upper and/or lower jaw. Depending on the location of the pain, it can sometimes radiate up to the ear, causing earaches. Conversely, some earaches radiate to the jaw or tooth area, causing toothaches. This occurs because of the proximity of the ears to the jaws and teeth. Depending on the location of the pain, the nerves may misinterpret the location of the pain, sending signals to both the tooth and ear nerves.
Issues With Wisdom Teeth
Tooth pain associated with wisdom teeth is a common affliction for adults. The wisdom teeth are located at the very back of the jaw, and can cause moderate to severe pain that radiates up the jaw to the ears. Wisdom teeth can cause dental and health issues such as impaction, abscesses and wrapping around nerves and jaw line, and most dentists suggest removing wisdom teeth before they can cause serious problems.
Infections in the Mouth and Ears
The human mouth is teeming with bacteria that are both harmful and helpful. Cuts, sores, abscesses and other injuries in the mouth can easily cause an infection. If left untreated, an infection in the mouth can spread to other areas of the head, including the sinuses and the ears. It is sometimes hard to know if an ear infection is caused by an infection of the mouth or teeth, but people who have reoccurring ear infections that coincide with tooth pain, like wisdom tooth eruption, should consult a dentist.
Wisdom Tooth Infection
Wisdom teeth can negatively affect the jaw and tooth line, necessitating removal. A wisdom tooth that impacts another molar or breaks can expose the mouth and jaw line to infection. Wisdom tooth extraction is a major dental surgery, especially in the case of impaction or breakage, and infection can set in after the surgery. Infections associated with wisdom teeth and wisdom tooth extraction can spread to the ears if not treated.
Avoiding Infection
To avoid infections in the mouth associated with wisdom teeth and wisdom tooth extraction, it is important to practice good dental hygiene. Since the jaw, sinuses and ears are close together, infections in one area can affect others. Because mouths are full of bacteria, infections originating from the jaw or teeth are not uncommon. Daily tooth brushing and flossing can help keep the teeth and gums healthy, warding off gingivitis and other dental issues that can quickly lead to infections. Following dental instructions after a wisdom tooth extraction, such as food modification, daily rinsing with warm salt water and tooth brushing, can help minimise the risk of an infection.
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What It’s Like to Phone Bank
By Kyle Inselman, Communications Intern
This election is historically important for LGBT rights, and the One Colorado team has been organizing several ways for people to get involved to ensure we elect the pro-equality majority we need.
One of the ways that volunteers are helping out is through phone banking. Focused on building support for candidates in critical state-level races, phone banks are a way to reach registered voters in various districts and make sure they have the information they need before they cast their ballots.
I’ve volunteered at two of the One Colorado phone banks so far: one for Representative Daniel Kagan in House District 3, and another for Joann Ginal in House District 52.
The campaign office where both were held was energetic and just what I imagined it to be—mailers posted up on the walls, yard signs stacked around the room, and the offices stuffed full of other campaign materials and political posters. Each wall was lined with desks and tables where we would each take up our posts, list of voters in one hand and phone in the other. One night another group was there dividing up door-hangers into thousands of manageable stacks with a good hundred or so hangers each, chatting excitedly about debates. Simply put, the atmosphere awakened me to the thrilling and vital importance of the volunteer work I was there to do.
For someone like me who’s very phone shy, the first few calls made me pretty nervous. Would I say the right thing? What if they aren’t interested? What if they hang up? But much to my luck, the first voter that answered one of my calls was someone genuinely interested in the election and who was looking forward to reading through all the materials they’d already received in the mail and on their doorstep. I was uplifted to know that there are people out there responding to canvasses, calls, and all the other campaign strategies, and learning about the candidates before they vote. Phone banking ensures that we reach both those voters that are currently sifting through campaign materials, as well as the voters that aren’t sure where to begin to learn about their candidates.
Each phone bank event lasts around two hours, and out of the hundreds of numbers we dial, each person talks to a couple dozen voters. At the end of the evening, we all come together and talk about the calls we made and the voters we spoke with. Some remain undecided, some refuse to talk to us, but others are very encouraging. Last week at the phone bank, returning volunteer Bill Ogg told me he had a great conversation with a voter who congratulated him on being a great volunteer. Another night, volunteer Ann Ogg reached a voter so excited about the candidate that they wanted to talk to the campaign manager about getting more involved themselves!
I can definitely say that I had a great time at both the phone banks, and I’m excited to attend more. We have a few coming up in the last couple weeks before Election Day, and we hope to see you there!
October 25: Phone Friend-zy! in Colorado Springs
October 25: Phone Friend-zy! in Grand Junction
October 30: Rep. Andy Kerr for SD 22
November 1: Sen. Evie Hudak for SD 19
November 3: Phone Friend-zy!
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Raviteja injured on sets
Mass Maharaja Ravi Teja is injured on the sets of his upcoming entertainer ‘Nela Ticket’. Going into the news, the actor has injured himself while performing a stunt on a sports bike. In rehearsals, he has completed mono-wheeling stunt on a sports bike successfully but while taking the shot, the actor lost control and injured himself.
The team who reacted immediately took the actor to the hospital for all precautionary scans and first aid. As per our internal sources, the actor may have to take rest for a couple of weeks. On the same film sets, the new heroine, Malavika Sharma also got injured before.
Veteran actor Jagapathi Babu has been roped in to play the lead antagonist role in the film. Touted to be a village-based romantic entertainer, Ram Talluri will produce the film and Rakul Preet Singh will romance Ravi Teja in this untitled project. Young music director, Shakthi Kanth who composed the tunes for ‘Fidaa’ has been roped for this film to score music. The film is tipped to be a mass entertainer with a lot of action elements.
Finishing this film, Ravi Teja will quickly move on to the regular shoot of his other film with Srinu Vaitla. Tentatively titled ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’, a majority of the movie shoot will happen in the United States. | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '0', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9637224078178406}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '34578', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:P7GG7QWBCQBBAIG7KIUFJGYBNCZF3QCG', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:9d523209-1cad-45e8-91ff-86122621d9ae>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2018, 3, 25, 5, 31, 27), 'WARC-IP-Address': '64.235.44.7', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:DEHYJZBVHEVFWAGNVMXNW5XWYCGDGOFM', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:221847c4-a51d-4a41-a044-a9338d04e173>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'https://www.myfirstshow.com/raviteja-injured-sets/', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:5ea85906-7e5a-496b-afba-9b0424bf9676>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '220', 'url': 'https://www.myfirstshow.com/raviteja-injured-sets/', 'warcinfo': 'robots: classic\r\nhostname: ip-10-149-106-148.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Nutch 1.6 (CC)\r\nisPartOf: CC-MAIN-2018-13\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for March 2018\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.0\r\nconformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.06773608922958374', 'original_id': '0279f8779c8d9430cb89d37bde24f0611c2b84b239bfb921027b57628e337b47'} |
Grading colorectal cancer
Grading describes how the cancer cells look compared to normal, healthy cells. Knowing the grade gives your healthcare team an idea of how quickly the cancer may be growing and how likely it is to spread. This helps them plan your treatment. The grade can also help the healthcare team predict future outcomes (your prognosis) and how the cancer might respond to treatment.
To find out the grade of colorectal cancer, a pathologist looks at a tissue sample from the tumour under a microscope. They look at how different the cells look from normal cells (called differentiation) and other features of the tumour such as the size and shape of the cells and how the cells are arranged. They can usually tell how fast a tumour is growing by looking at how many cells are dividing.
The pathologist gives colorectal cancer a grade from 1 to 3 or 4. A lower number means the cancer is a lower grade.
Low-grade cancers have cancer cells that are well differentiated. The cells are abnormal but look and are arranged a lot like normal cells. Lower grade cancers tend to grow slowly and are less likely to spread.
High-grade cancers have cancer cells that are poorly differentiated or undifferentiated. The cells don’t look like normal cells and are arranged very differently. Higher grade cancers tend to grow more quickly and are more likely to spread than low-grade cancers. | mini_pile | {'original_id': '31a3302b0956126496323a9e78e9c0ed2a869797cb4177ffe922239e915e61dc'} |
Bible Topic Index
Bible Topic clean needeth turned bow gates
Words, Topics, and Verses related to: clean needeth turned bow gates
adversary aha akkub arm ass back bald bars bathe bear beast beasts behold black blessed body borders brass break brethren bright bring broken brought build builded burden burned burning burnt call camp canst care cast cedar change children choose cities city clean cleanse cleansed cleansing cloth clothed clothes congregation consumed covered creepeth crieth cup cut dark daughter daughters david day days dead death departed destroyed difference dissolved distress doors dwell earth eat end enemies enemy enter entered entering evil exalt eyes face fallen fathers feet fell female fenced field filthiness find fire flesh flock forehead fowl fowls free full garment garments gate gates gather gentiles gift give giveth glass god good grave great ground hair hallow hand hands hart hath head heads hear heard hearken heart heave high hold holy house hyssop inflammation inhabitants iniquity iron israel issue jacob jericho jerusalem jesus jordan joshua judah judge judgment kill king kings land law lay left leper leprosy levite levites lift lifted linen living looked lord made make male man manner mayest men mercy moved names needeth needy night north offer offering offerings open opened oxen part pass people person pharisees pieces place plague platter point poor porters posts praise priest priests profane pronounce pure purge purify put rejoice rest reuben righteous roebuck round running sabbath sacrifice saith salvation scab seed servants set seventh shake shalt shave shepherd shut sight sin sins skin slain snow son sons soul sown spake spirit spot spread sprinkle stand stay straight stranger sun sunder surely sword tabernacle teach tent thee thereof thine thing things thou throne thy time times touched toucheth transgression tribes truth turned twelve unclean unwalled valley wall walls warp wash washed waste water ways west whatsoever white wicked wickedness wide wilt woe woman women wood woof word words work world wrapped young zion
Scripture Reference Verse
Deuteronomy 12:15 Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee: the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck, and as of the hart.
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Michael Fisher, Ten Years, SAM discussed on Pocket Now Weekly
Now you'll know how speakers the force out. So you already on raises phone you streaming. Now your halo all that stuff on here. It doesn't feel like cheating experienced in some of the vices. You've got better audio. You've got a hundred and twenty her display to add is that's why. Like for me, I went. Okay, as a gamer, this is cool because now not just what they do. Somebody else's validated it, even though they didn't think about it. And, and also this goes to the point and in our in my own weekly voice talk about this myself. Sam or the way it's also called the weekly with the. We talked about how they is a need for niche device. Absolutely. Because allergic point because the idea of all around premium does not make sense this again, phone right now, some would would say the fee is the creator phone rated for vote. And everybody was saying, they know nine is the the workers in professional key to in. Others phone. Exactly. Yeah. So, yeah, the the, the many different devices out there that follow a niche, I see your face. Let me let me. Let me give you the reason why that's true. Michael Fisher brings a key to with him everywhere just because when he decides he wants to type something, he takes it out to do it. I still type faster on absolately. Any virtual key for dude is not about fast talking about so comfort. What is comfortable about tapping glass? You do it for? Absolutely everything else. It's way more comfortable, physical. What are you talking about? I started using time feedback and music, phys keyboards when you were still. So I was trying to agents here. No, let's let's face it. I grew up with physical keyboard. Like I'm generation gotten how how comfortable? No, I'm not saying that they were uncomfortable. I'm saying. Got, I feel the implementation. So you can't expect to bring the the way software Bill the way hard work. He words war ten years ago and just add a couple of gestures to it and expect like there can be better things done. It's been ten years. It's been ten years and I find swiftly to be far more practical. Upgrading hydrogen water. He doesn't want any part of this. No, but and I and I and I do get that. But back to the point of each devices, I completely agree with the end, you know, it's Admiral Morton list. The pixel is the Android users phone, its purest, the Android peers phone. Now that would be the one bliss, six. Yeah, I would. It's under to it's Android phone. Nobody s like.
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Uber's a Bumpy Ride, but I'll Take It
The stock is now at a 'death cross,' but here's why I would be a buyer of these calls.
This Holding of Mine Is Up 710%. Here's Why I Haven't Sold a Share
Let me walk you through my logic on this stock.
Let's Go Shopping at Macy's
I found a possible buy with these August calls.
While Everyone Gets in the Boat, I'm Riding Lucid Motors
Let's take a spin in this Churchill Capital IV name.
Strategic Education Might Really Pay Off
Normally you'd be cautious about buying into a stock that sees the next few quarters lagging the prior year's numbers, but not in this case. Here's why.
I'm Plugging Into ChargePoint
CHPT provides charging networks and charging services in the U.S. and I see it as a solid infrastructure play.
Be a True Contrarian: Invest Over Years, Not Months
While most people are ignoring 'valuation,' then it's time for smart investors to be thinking the opposite. Let me show you what I mean with United Natural Foods.
Here's Your Ticket to AMC's Trip South
This sucker has run out of steam.
I'm Looking at the Big Picture With This Less-Obvious Entertainment Stock
I like simply owning the stock but there are also some options available to trade if you prefer.
What's the Right Investing Trick With Ebix?
Let's look at buying calls vs. selling puts on this stock with big upside potential. | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '0', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9347785711288452}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '90249', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:EGWIL3XBXMM4RG6WD2QWHFYBBNJ4227I', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:7283589c-8fdf-4b51-b597-8f5ebe2155d8>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2021, 8, 3, 14, 18, 48), 'WARC-IP-Address': '199.232.128.207', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:AT54AAKZ7Y5A53TUWNV4XHTLWNAK3HG2', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:d923b9ec-df91-4c27-bfed-d7a59c652754>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'https://realmoney.thestreet.com/options?page=3', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:69baaffb-798e-4d86-8897-d2bfda87aff5>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '241', 'url': 'https://realmoney.thestreet.com/options?page=3', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2021-31\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for July/August 2021\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-67-67-129.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.18 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 1.2-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: https://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.10713732242584229', 'original_id': '889a078ef7bbe33b3471574de88c0a2e3f3d31cf87309520cad55473076d1a45'} |
@ARTICLE{SZS+17, author = {Sacha, Dominik and Zhang, Leishi and Sedlmair, Michael and Lee, John A. and Peltonen, Jaakko and Weiskopf, Daniel and North, Stephen C. and Keim, Daniel A.}, journal = {IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (Proceedings of the Visual Analytics Science and Technology)}, number = {01}, pages = {241-250}, title = {{Visual Interaction with Dimensionality Reduction: A Structured Literature Analysis}}, volume = {23}, year = {2017}, doi = {10.1109/TVCG.2016.2598495}, } | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '2', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.7526295781135559}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '1228', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:QLHJU7I5G2ZPVZFQ27PMPBGPYWZGT65V', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:3111c5f1-4ca6-47ce-999c-fbce51b343e3>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2018, 12, 10, 23, 20, 27), 'WARC-IP-Address': '134.34.226.151', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'application/x-bibtex-text-file', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:YUU6BUM6KZYEAXYXR2GRB4V52GHRLQFP', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:3e87ba49-c70f-4f22-add7-114508ba50ce>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'http://bib.dbvis.de/publications/bibtex/677', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:85d321b6-1549-4618-9084-fbfb2fb3d98c>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '54', 'url': 'http://bib.dbvis.de/publications/bibtex/677', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2018-51\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for December 2018\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-109-214-234.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.15 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 0.11-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.7665303349494934', 'original_id': '4fffd20cbed7f7c1bebeb43903cd3ab0c3dc74a39d33b3a50d9923a575193a22'} |
Post-hardcore band, Outline In Color, team up with Loveless for a melody driven banger of a track, “Do Your Worst.”
Outline In Color have some solid post-hardcore songs that emanate passion and feeling effectively. “Do Your Worst” is no exception to this, with its relatable lines and close ties to personal hardships. Through the song, there is smoothly executed synth transitioning, reverb, and super catchy melodies from verse to chorus. The dynamic shift between sections is killer, bringing the close and personal verses to full and wide choruses. I hope that whoever is doing their worst here realizes and stops making a negative impact on others. If you like the melody driven side of post-hardcore, and you want something to sing along to while banging your head, give this one a peak!
Listen to “Do Your Worst” by Outline In Color, featuring Loveless, and be sure to shoot them a follow for upcoming releases!
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Weekend Film Recommendation: Bronson
This week’s movie recommendation is one of Tom Hardy’s first significant lead performance, which showcased both his commanding physical presence and his captivating acting prowess. Hardy plays the lead in Nicolas Winding Refn’s stylization of the true life of Michael Peterson, a man notorious for terrorizing English prisons for over three decades. During that time, Peterson transformed himself into an alter ego, the titular Bronson (2008).
The film tells Peterson’s biography, such as it is. A youthful aspiration to make something of himself induces a young Peterson to rob a post office. Perhaps he might have aimed a little higher, or maybe he set his sights just right; given his eagerness to commence the seven-year sentence he earns for the robbery, it’s hard to know if it wasn’t part of his plan all along. Once his residence in prison begins it’s not long before Peterson finds opportunities to force the authorities to extend his sentence (at the time of the film’s release, it was 34 years; it’s now going on 40).
Screen shot 2015-01-30 at 03.23.38
He has intermittent—albeit short-lived—periods of release that seem to go far worse for him than his periods of confinement. When a brief stint as a prize-fighter doesn’t garner him the instant acclaim he’d expected, his manager reminds him of the rules of showmanship: “You just pissed on a gipsy in the middle of a field, darling. It’s hardly the big ticket.â€
However, the moments during and between Peterson’s prison sentences are second fiddle to his descent into the titular character Charlie Bronson. In Bronson, he assumes the persona not only of someone with a reputation for violence, but also for performativity. This provides the most distinctive feature of the film: the bulk of the exposition is delivered to an audience sat in a theater while Peterson, who’s dressed in a tuxedo and made-up to look like a pantomime, captivates their attention with tales of his bravura. It is from start to finish a recognizably theatrical film. That’s clear not merely from the set design and method of Peterson’s exposition, but also from Hardy’s performance. His delivery is just as much vocal as it is physical: he switches from mellifluous monotones to braying shouts and from sweet smiles to grotesque scowls, always without the barest hint of warning.
The stylization purchases some things for our storyteller at the expense of others. While his embellishments add flair and capture our imagination, his remains a story of misdirection and self-serving egotism. Neither can we believe, as he would have us do, that he was once released from prison onto the streets simply because the prison system ‘didn’t know what to do with him any longer.’ Nor can we dismiss altogether his frustrations at people’s inability to understand his motivations. All that misdirection amounts to a pretty frustrating conclusion: the film ends and we remain none the wiser about who Michael Peterson is, or why he acts the way he does. More than an hour and a half of Peterson musing about the formative moments of his upbringing is about as instructive for us as his time in prison has been for him.
Screen shot 2015-01-30 at 03.22.55
This may not be entirely without meaning, though. We play a similar role for Peterson as his friendly art teacher who he’s content to use either as a member of his audience or a prop in his performance, depending on his fancy. As long as he gets to put on a show, the rest may just be immaterial. Bronson is therefore an unusual prison film. It isn’t an indictment of the criminal justice system (although its musings about the way inmates are chemically lobotomized may be interpreted as such), nor is it a reflection on the consequences of a ‘broken home’ (Peterson actually comes from a loving and sweet Bedfordshire family, and he admits the blame for his violence falls squarely—and proudly—on himself), nor is it even a film about some kind of evil incarnate (Peterson unquestionably has some very sweet moments). Instead, the audience members are wrested into being participants in Peterson’s show, and we aggrandize his project merely for indulging him in performing it. The joke, very firmly, is on us.
3 thoughts on “Weekend Film Recommendation: Bronson”
1. Thanks for recommending a movie I have never heard of about a person I have never heard of.
Recently the WFR has been a bit underwhelming. IMO.
2. I would just point out that almost all of the films suggested on this blog are older and usually more than a bit offbeat. Many have represented acquired tastes. On balance, though, I think there have been more substantially more worthwhile discoveries than duds, which is a pretty good average.
This is a move that I've actually seen and disliked. As it happens, I had known vaguely about Bronson from reading about him in the tabloid papers. Nothing about the guy made any sense. I never understood why he was Bronson. At first I thought it was some kind of performance art but going to prison seemed a bit much. I didn't understand why he was so violent. I seemed pointless from a criminal standpoint. He seemed to be crazy violent rather than East End frightener violent.
Why I wanted from the movie was for it to explain the basics of something I didn't understand. I wanted answers and the film didn't or couldn't provide them, which made the film at least as confusing as real life—which, for me personally, defeated the whole purpose of going to the cinema and paying money to see a film that I didn't understand about the life of a person who made absolutely no sense to me.
I didn't like the film but I would be grateful if somebody could explain it to me.
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The Economics of Urban Rainwater
Lack of natural drainage in urban environments can lead to flooding and pollution. Economics can help find appropriate solutions.
There is a furore in Maryland, USA, where many residents will soon have to pay a “stormwater management fee” based on the area of impervious surface on and around their homes (roofs, driveways, car parks, etc). The measure is prompted by the condition of Chesapeake Bay, an important fishery and recreational resource that has been degraded by polluted rainwater run-off. Critics have dubbed it a “rain tax”: the first word is perhaps misleading, but as for the second, if it looks like a tax and smells like a tax … For a flavour of the debate, here is a news item (1), a case for (2), and one against (3).
Let’s look at the issue of urban rainwater run-off from an economic perspective. Run-off from A’s property to B’s can affect B’s welfare. There is an externality, with the following characteristics:
1. The amount and pollutedness of water running off from A’s land to B’s depend partly on variables outside A’s control. But A can affect it in several ways. One is by having impervious surfaces, which prevent natural drainage and, less obviously, result in pollution of run-off by deposits of airborne pollutants originating from cars and power stations (4).
2. What matters for B’s welfare is the aggregate effect of the water arriving from all sources. Small amounts of water from each of many sources can combine to flood B’s land.
3. Downstream, run-off from many sources may come together in large flows with the characteristics of a “public bad”. If B’s land is flooded then his same-level neighbours’ will be too, regardless of some having interfered with their natural drainage less than others.
4. Eventually, run-off may arrive at a large water body such as a lake or river estuary. Here the aggregation of pollutants brought by water from many sources may, as in Chesapeake Bay, degrade the natural ecosystem with adverse consequences for users.
What policy instruments can address such a complex externality? A network of stormwater sewers funded by charges to households can significantly reduce the risk of flooding. Economies of scale in network provision point to local monopoly provision, with regulation to ensure standards and prevent over-charging. Given the externality and “public bad” characteristics of run-off, individual households should be required to pay and to connect to the network except in unusual circumstances. Without compulsion, many upstream households at little risk of flooding would opt out, rendering the network less effective in preventing flooding and/or increasing costs to other households.
Here in London, a household which can show that none of its rainwater enters the public sewer network can obtain a “surface water drainage rebate”, meaning that it need not pay the stormwater drainage element within its overall water services charge (5). The justice of this is dubious, since the sewer network may still protect such a household from flooding by run-off from higher ground, and if its rainwater runs instead into a natural stream, it could contribute to downstream flooding. To allow such a rebate is to treat the sewer network simply as a service to those households whose rainwater it carries away. Instead, it should be regarded as a practical response to a complex externality.
An unintended effect of a sewer network is to transport any pollutants carried by the rainwater into the water body in which it discharges (I ignore here situations in which combined sewers carry both rainwater and domestic sewage to a treatment plant prior to discharge). For serious pollutants such as hazardous chemicals, a combination of regulation and liability law is warranted to prevent their entry to the network. What can be difficult is to find an appropriate policy for low-level pollutants such as nitrogen from garden fertilizers and atmospheric deposition which can cause harm when channelled in large quantities into a water body. This problem appears to be particularly challenging in the circumstances of Chesapeake Bay, which has a population of 16 million within its watershed and only a narrow outlet to the open sea, limiting dispersion of its pollutants (6).
A key question is whether in an economic sense the water body is over-polluted. The relevant test, in principle, is whether the damage to the water body from a marginal unit of pollutant exceeds the benefit from the marginal activity resulting in that unit of pollutant. Damage here should include both economic loss to users of the water body and loss of non-market values relating to recreation, ecosystem services and biodiversity. For a pollutant that may cause harm over many years, damage should be calculated on a present value basis, with allowance for its rate of decay or dispersion and an appropriate rate of time preference. This test is not easy to apply. It requires: reliable scientific knowledge quantifying the links between activity and pollutant and between pollutant and harm; reliable estimates of non-market values; and identification of marginal activity where there are many sources of pollutant involving different types of commercial and household activity.
Where a water body is assessed as over-polluted, an appropriate policy objective in most cases will be a reduction in the amount of pollutant entering the water body, bringing about a progressive reduction in the stock of pollutant it contains and eventually reaching a position in which, so far as can be assessed, marginal damage roughly equals marginal benefit. In some cases this may usefully be accompanied by the sort of restoration suggested by the term “clean-up”, involving the application of physical, chemical or biological processes to the water body. It is unlikely to be economically optimal to reduce the stock of pollutant as fast as possible. Where polluting activities are subject to diminishing returns or diminishing marginal utility, a given reduction in pollutant will reduce their benefits by less overall if spread over several years than if concentrated in one year (compare having a 20% smaller car park for five years with having no car park at all for one year). An optimal restoration path will balance the benefit saved by spreading the reduction in pollutant against the extra damage from a longer period of over-pollution (7).
Taxes are likely to be the most suitable policy instruments to reduce the scale of the polluting activities. Regulation would be too inflexible and heavy-handed for matters such as the area of a household’s driveway. As a market-based instrument, a tax on areas of impervious surface would allow a household to have a large driveway and pay the associated tax if it wished. Another household for which a driveway was of less value given its lifestyle might choose a smaller one or none at all. Alternative market-based instruments are marketable permits and subsidies. The former are probably too complicated to use at the level of individual households. Subsidies could have a role to play in supporting activities which reduce run-off, such as soakaways and tree cultivation, and could also work in conjunction with taxes (see this post), but are unlikely to be the main policy instrument.
However, taxes do have disadvantages. The extent to which a given rate of tax will reduce polluting activity will not be known. Achieving a desired reduction may require a trial-and-error approach to rate-setting with consequent uncertainty for taxpayers. Taxes needs to be suitably targeted, and for some polluting activities a suitable target may not be available. Provided that the science linking impervious surfaces to pollution is well-established, area of impervious surface is an appropriate target: relevant to the objective; easy to measure; and hard to conceal. It is difficult however to identify a suitable target relating to garden fertilizers. A tax on quantity used would be impossible to enforce, and a tax on sales, limited to the relevant watershed, could be easily avoided by buying elsewhere. This creates a problem. Considering an activity in isolation, it may seem that an economically appropriate rate of tax per unit of activity should roughly equal (with allowance for the needs of any restoration path) the damage resulting from the pollutant associated with a marginal unit of activity. However, if some types of polluting activity are difficult to tax at all, there could be (although the economic assessment would be quite complex) a “second-best” case for a higher rate of tax on those that can be taxed. Addressing polluting activities that are difficult to tax through education and product labelling could perhaps mitigate this sort of situation.
One point about a tax is clear. An economic case for a tax designed to reduce polluting activity need make no reference to how the tax revenue would be used. Using it to pay for schools or reduce a deficit would not prevent a well-designed tax from being an effective policy to reduce pollution. There should be no presumption that revenue from a tax on current polluting activity should be spent on cleaning up the effects of past pollution. Any expenditure on clean-up activity or other pollution-related purposes should be justified in cost-benefit terms in comparison with alternative uses of the funds.
Notes and References
1. The Baltimore Sun, 29 March 2013 Howard council approves new stormwater fee,0,7762933.story
2. The Washington Times 23/4/13 Chesmar J Chesapeake Bay Foundation on Maryland Rain Tax: Time to own up
3. Gazette.Net Maryland Community News Online, 5 April 2013 Lee B The’Rain Tax’
4. US Environmental Protection Agency 2007 Development Growth Outpacing Progress in Watershed Efforts to Restore the Chesapeake Bay Report No. 2007-P-00031 p 5
5. Thames Water Apply for a surface water drainage rebate
6. US EPA, as above p 2
7. The dynamic stock pollution model applied in this paragraph is set out in Perman R, Ma Y, McGilvray J & Common M 3rd edn 2003 Natural Resource and Environmental Economics pp 548-553
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| dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '16', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9347819089889526}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '77257', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:UZWPA6IWTE65KIWDUEP3BIKSDUICVSO4', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:78fd1940-9378-42fc-acb7-e9c4fd1fbd87>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2020, 1, 18, 12, 13, 35), 'WARC-IP-Address': '192.0.78.25', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:YEGLETVFAWSDOKG7E5IBM7ETOMXFX2WC', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:4e454880-e56e-4a0a-b41d-bbfd09ab7dd4>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'https://economicdroplets.com/2013/05/02/the-economics-of-urban-rainwater/', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:6983abf5-7f09-420b-ba65-ef5a50882b8a>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '1704', 'url': 'https://economicdroplets.com/2013/05/02/the-economics-of-urban-rainwater/', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2020-05\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for January 2020\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-67-67-158.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.16 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 1.1-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.02413630485534668', 'original_id': '00fd7d414483e9d843903414257e165dfab7ea3896579d9e3d2ee1fe2a94e80b'} |
Why Soilcea?
Soilcea is creating CRISPR-edited citrus trees that are resistant to the citrus industry’s deadliest diseases. Two bacterial diseases, citrus canker and Huanglongbing (greening), are decimating the Florida citrus industry, having already destroyed millions of trees, cost the state billions in lost revenue, and reduced by 33% average yield per acre. Soilcea has exclusive licenses to patents from the University of Florida to cure these deadly pathogens using CRISPR precision breeding.
CRISPR Precision Breeding
CRISPR-edited trees can be:
The USDA recently issued guidance that it will not regulate CRISPR precision breeding that could occur naturally. Unlike traditional GMOs that involve inserting a foreign gene (like a bacterial gene) into a plant, Soilcea is using CRISPR breeding to make small deletions in genes that make a tree susceptible to citrus greening and canker. Nature constantly deletes DNA susceptible to diseases and slowly adopts the beneficial change through natural selection. At Soilcea, we are simply advancing a natural process in time to save the Florida citrus industry.
Yianni Lagos, JD/MBA/CFA
Chief Executive Officer
Dusica Coltrane
Lead Protoplast Scientist
Ron Edwards
Business Advisor
Rose Pacheco
Greenhouse Associate
Quinton Allen, PhD
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Signed up 2016-04-30
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CSGO needs more randomness
The economy of CS is Ok, the problem is the unbalance of the guns
Brasileiros come here
If you want any real info about Brazil, asuming you can read portuguese, look at ipeadata website
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But also is a great degree to go to public sector, like politics
I dont see that way, in econ you learn a lot different things, like accounting, administration, but the diferencial from an econ to a administrator is the macroeconomic vision, only in econ you get de...
maybe in Russia, but here, and i bet that in the rest of the world, everyone has access to the university so any degree has more people than the companies and governament needs
Thats not just economists, every degree has too many people, univesity degrees in general would be useless thinking this way
Are you enjoying it? Asking because im doing too
Karl Marx or
Cant disagre with that, but he coud be more used, studied, idk, if analized by the way he did that with the people
Karl Marx or
Ofc hitler did nothing wrong is a bait, but for the strategical point of view his mistake was to mess with russia, if he didnt, the war could have gone totaly diferent
Karl Marx or
You need a fkcing smart guy to control a big piece of the country to fight against the whole world, not? | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '0', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9267694354057312}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '71207', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:KWGF74GJJUWGU6W3M4QC72EAYZRAKTAU', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:b57623ee-968f-448c-ba90-4a5496069602>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2020, 10, 21, 5, 31, 30), 'WARC-IP-Address': '104.18.3.89', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:ZICBDK3X6CVD5PETFQE27ZPT5SK7YZWE', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:bc01d7e3-1618-4507-bc81-3cbfba36180d>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'https://www.hltv.org/profile/739747/mtngod', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:05577650-9aa7-4769-9622-489012abacd5>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '301', 'url': 'https://www.hltv.org/profile/739747/mtngod', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2020-45\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for October 2020\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-67-67-208.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.17 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 1.2-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.019148707389831543', 'original_id': 'fcf9448aeb35155045ea521474e46d495bdf048dc1d4041aff648d6a62f21478'} |
Terahertz Signal Generator
This novel transducer is capable of generating electromagnetic signals in terahertz region. The unique feature of this invention is the use of a field emitter array as a source of electron beam together with a resonant cavity to achieve output radiation of 300 GHz to 10 THz.
The transducer mainly consists of a field emitter array and a hollow cavity with apertures. As a voltage is applied to the field emitter array, a beam of electrons is produced. This electron beam enters the cavity through aligned apertures and resonates until a desired frequency range is reached.
• Compared with conventional generators for lower end of the terahertz gap, this STFC invention is more suitable for mass production and cost-effective.
• Application specific benefits from the capability to profile spatially distributed electron beam to match the resonant cavity characteristics. This is advantageous in applications such as medical imaging.
• Design of the transducer allows an array of generators to be produced on a single wafer which can be integrated with other devices such as an array-detector system. The spacing between apertures of the resonant cavity can be selected to provide power combination effects.
• Narrow bandwidth of electron energy - in order of 0.2 eV - can be achieved by the field emitter array. This produces energy spread five times smaller than conventional thermionic emitters.
• Terahertz signal generator
• This technology has a potential to be exploited in the field of medical imaging because terahertz radiation is a non-ionising radiation and can penetrate many everyday substances.
• Security scanning and non-destructive testing in industry
Patent Information:
Country Serial No.
United States 10/203493
For Information, Contact:
Elizabeth Bain
IP Manager
STFC Innovations
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TAMPA ― Conventional wisdom says the Jeff Scott era at USF, and perhaps Mike Norvell’s at FSU, could get off to a wobbly start. But convention sometimes wobbles, too.
An astounding transformation by the Bulls or Seminoles in 2020 wouldn’t lack precedent. Granted, Scott must oversee a quarterback derby, restore the confidence of his receivers and fill some critical defensive holes. Similarly, Norvell must find some running backs and significantly upgrade FSU’s offensive line.
But Steve Spurrier had similar concerns when he took over a beleaguered program in Gainesville in December 1989, and we know how things turned out in 1990. Similarly, that Frost dude in Orlando got things going pretty quickly after inheriting a winless program.
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So there’s a chance for USF and FSU in 2020, you say? Yes, that’s precisely what we’re saying.
To further fuel your optimism as the ’Noles and Bulls kick off spring practice (on Saturday and Tuesday, respectively), take a look at some coaches who inherited mediocre programs and won right away.
Steve Spurrier, Florida (9-2 in 1990)
Former Florida coach Steve Spurrier's inaugural Gators team finished 9-2 with wins against Auburn, Georgia and LSU. [ BRIAN CLEARY | Associated Press ]
Predecessor: Galen Hall/Gary Darnell* (7-5 in 1989)
Spurrier inherited a one-dimensional offense that became zero-dimensional when Emmitt Smith departed early for the NFL shortly after his hiring. But the head ball coach dug up Florida Field’s artificial turf, installed a radical, pass-centric system and found a fledgling SEC Player of the Year (Shane Matthews) at the bottom of the quarterback depth chart he inherited. You know the rest.
Bob Stoops, Oklahoma (7-5 in 1999)
In his first season at Oklahoma (1999), Bob Stoops led the Sooners to their first bowl game in a half-decade. [ Associated Press ]
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Predecessor: John Blake (5-6 in 1998)
After flourishing in three years as Spurrier’s defensive coordinator in Gainesville, Stoops inherited a once-proud program that had totaled 12 wins the previous three years. Behind a promising left-handed quarterback named Josh Heupel and an ultra-athletic defense, Stoops’ inaugural Sooners squad made the school’s first bowl game in five years. The following year, OU won the national title.
Mack Brown, North Carolina (7-6 in 2019)
North Carolina coach Mack Brown proved he is still capable of turning programs around, helping the Tar Heels rebound last season. [ KARL B DEBLAKER | AP ]
Predecessor: Larry Fedora (2-9 in 2018)
Embarking on his second go-round at UNC at age 67, Brown pulled off one of the country’s best coaching jobs last fall, resuscitating a program coming off consecutive nine-loss seasons. Behind a freshman quarterback (Sam Howell), the Tar Heels served notice with a season-opening win against South Carolina. After a 2-6 stretch, UNC won its last three, allowing 30 total points in that span.
Scott Frost, UCF (6-7 in 2016)
Scott Frost and UCF linebacker Pat Jasinski (56) run onto the field after beating Auburn in the 2018 Peach Bowl to cap a perfect season. [ FRANK MATTIA | ZUMAPRESS.com ]
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Predecessor: George O’Leary/Danny Barrett* (0-12 in 2015)
After helping develop Marcus Mariota into a Heisman-winning quarterback at Oregon, Frost hauled the Ducks’ deceptive zone-read option attack to Orlando and gave the keys to rookie McKenzie Milton. The learning curve was sharp at times in 2016, but Frost’s ability to lead UCF to the Cure Bowl a year after an 0-12 debacle astounded many. Three of those losses were by seven or fewer points.
Terry Bowden, Auburn (11-0 in 1993)
Predecessor: Pat Dye (5-5-1 in 1992)
Though the Tigers wouldn’t feel the brunt of NCAA sanctions (incurred during the Dye era) for a few more years, they still were banned from TV and the bowl season in 1993. With far fewer eyes watching, they posted one of the most surreal seasons in SEC history. Preceding it was a brutal conditioning program installed by Bowden, then only 37. Instead of running off Dye’s holdovers, it galvanized them.
Dan Mullen, Florida (10-3 in 2018)
The Gators won 10 games, and trounced Michigan in the Peach Bowl, in Florida coach Dan Mullen's first season in 2018. [ JOHN RAOUX | AP ]
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Predecessor: Jim McElwain (4-7 in 2017)
The Gators’ offensive coordinator during the Urban Meyer heyday, Mullen immediately stabilized UF’s program and its passer upon his return to Gainesville. His nurturing of redshirt sophomore Feleipe Franks after an abysmal 2017 season triggered UF’s turnaround. A versatile run game and stout defense (nearly three sacks per contest) also were critical, but Mullen’s quarterback whispering made the most noise.
Lou Holtz, N.C. State (8-3-1 in 1972)
Lou Holtz, right, then coach at South Carolina, smiles as he and Clemson coach Tommy Bowden chat before the start of their 2004 contest. Holtz made a career of quickly turning around struggling programs.
Predecessor: Al Michaels (3-8 in 1971)
College football’s premier program resuscitator, Holtz needed at least two seasons to turn things around at most of his stops (i.e. Notre Dame, Minnesota, South Carolina), but his impact on the Wolf Pack was instant. Advanced-metrics expert Bill Connolly calculated the Wolfpack finished 14th nationally in his S&P+ ratings in 1972, a 102-spot increase from 1971.
*-Interim coach | mini_pile | {'original_id': '8be8acffabdd5f5eb998bdca9a6f081921f4122d6f1241f5a7bc80a13a48f8e2'} |
A majority of Australians believe Tony Abbott is trying to get his old job back but only 12 per cent think he's in with a chance – and almost two-thirds want him to pull the pin on his political career and leave Parliament now.
A new poll commissioned by The Australia Institute has found 63.4 per cent of Australians want the former prime minister to retire. Just 26.3 per cent believe he should stay on, while the rest are undecided.
More than half of Coalition voters want him to go, while about three-quarters of Labor and Greens voters think he should leave.
Ben Oquist, the executive director of the left-leaning think tank, says the message is clear. | mini_pile | {'original_id': '761f8c31c1aafbaa98f3d9e3bfb741471cc324b58d4bb6d57f61bf2af9a2b812'} |
library comics
Beaucoupkevin points out that the next project from Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley is Street Stupid, “a teen comedy about two sisters (who hate each other) who discover a secret society in their local library. The society has dedicated itself to using learning for evil. They want to destroy California (where they all live) because California is the center of entertainment, and entertainment makes people happy, and the goal of evil is to make people unhappy. So, it all sort of makes sense.”
I haven’t read Scott Pilgrim yet (don’t judge me, I know it is supposed to be awesome, but I have limited funds) but I am psyched to hear about a comic featuring a secret society that meets in a local library. Surely that would be putting a library’s meeting rooms to good use!
So along with Rex Libris, that makes two upcoming comic titles set in libraries. Perhaps librarians really are the next zombies/monkeys/pirates/ninjas. | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '0', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9506044387817384}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '31558', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:HQQCRYYK2PM63BDHPN7GCO5RTZ4GGYCW', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:46c7c89e-b276-4fd2-820d-142b9661f6e5>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2020, 1, 18, 10, 15, 11), 'WARC-IP-Address': '75.119.198.215', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:GPZRZVLZL7POMCBPPR6V4GS4HWYAT6MQ', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:625d0a02-6170-42d6-950f-885afd79dde1>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'http://www.tangognat.com/2005/07/19/library-comics/', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:1c6bf6ee-8cb1-4f4a-a841-711e2af5e21b>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '156', 'url': 'http://www.tangognat.com/2005/07/19/library-comics/', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2020-05\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for January 2020\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-67-67-245.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.16 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 1.1-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.5797613263130188', 'original_id': '0205989c1cf5f6ea693143ebedc1d79841dfb789f73f5d93dd03e18318b5841b'} |
Ecclesiastes 4:9-5:6
Solomon experiments to find what is truly meaningful. He has discovered that selfishness does not do it; two are better than one.
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Required information missing | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '3', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9100802540779114}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '69193', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:NMPAYCRZBBKA5747KQIFAXLHNHUECVUV', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:cab636bb-84c4-46d1-8bc6-17a9be622094>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2019, 10, 21, 10, 37, 13), 'WARC-IP-Address': '104.24.103.128', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:7KCCRKOI4GN2FXKBOW5QDBBWP3DCUNZG', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:a4db66e9-9d29-4e42-b9fd-1ac4a160f968>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'https://www.twr360.org/programs/view/id,452758/action,audio/lang,', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:5c33c354-14dc-4831-8e07-0e51827b2112>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '57', 'url': 'https://www.twr360.org/programs/view/id,452758/action,audio/lang,', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2019-43\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for October 2019\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-67-67-214.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.16 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 1.1-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.1346597671508789', 'original_id': 'b930cba704986c42c756d4d001e90c2fcd9acc0b48cbf402a95e5c6b872dcfdc'} |
A History of Fort Hampton
Fort Hampton
For many thousands of people, old fort Macon is a well known landmark and historic attraction. Its imposing walls have been a source of wonder and curiosity for decades. But many people are not aware of Fort Macon's predecessor, an obscure little fort known as Fort Hampton, which predated the present structure by more than twenty years. The story of this earlier fort is an interesting, if frequently overlooked, part of Fort Macon's overall history.
The need for coastal defense was not a new concept for Beaufort Harbor. Twice in its history the town of Beaufort was captured and plundered by hostile ships that were able to sail into the harbor through undefended Beaufort Inlet. And twice, also, attempts were made to build a fort to guard the entrance to Beaufort Inlet and defend against such incursions.
The first attempt was made in 1756, when the Colonial government tried constructing a battery named Fort Dobbs. Unfortunately, the battery was never completed and Beaufort Harbor remained defenseless during the Revolutionary War. The second attempt, more than fifty years later, resulted in Fort Hampton.
When it first appeared in 1807 that the United States would fight a second war with Great Britain, military officials began plans to build a chain of coastal forts for the country's defense. This chain of forts became referred to as the Second System, following an earlier defense system that was initiated in 1794. At first, no fort was planned for the protection of Beaufort Harbor, but in November, 1807, the North Carolina Assembly took steps to encourage the federal government to build one there. A tract of land on the point of Bogue Banks that formed the west side of Beaufort Inlet was purchased and ceded to the federal government to be used as the site for a fort to defend the inlet. The tactic worked and in early 1808 the Army Engineer Department was authorized to build a small fort on the Bogue Point tract.
Work began on the fort later that year. The superintending engineer was Captain Charles Gratiot, and the work force was provided by civilian laborers and slaves. By January, 1809, the fort was virtually complete at a cost of $8,863.62. It was later named Fort Hampton for a North Carolina Revolutionary War hero, Colonel Andrew Hampton.
Although it was the smallest of the federal government forts built at this time, Fort Hampton was typical of other forts in its shape. It had a horseshoe-shaped parapet facing the channel was seven feet high and made of an oyster shell cement called tabby, or tapia. The parapet wall was fourteen feet thick at the base tapering to eight feet at the top. Behind the parapet was a gun platform 23 feet wide, on which were to be mounted five 18-pounder cannons. Each cannon could fire an 18-pound iron cannonball with a range of about one mile.
At the rear of the fort, the walls of the two prongs of the horseshoe were eighteen inches thick at the top and were loopholed for riflemen to fire through. Connecting the two prongs and enclosing the work was a two-story barracks building, about 82 feet long and 30 feet wide. Each story contained five 13- by 16-foot rooms, three for enlisted men and two for officers. The barracks could accommodate one company of fifty men. Beside the barracks on the right-hand prong was a small 15- by 16-foot brick building for a gunpowder magazine.
From rear wall to front the fort was 90 feet long, 123 feet wide and had a perimeter of about 440 feet.
For the next few years, Fort Hampton apparently was garrisoned by small detachments of troops. The citizens of Beaufort felt proud and secure with their new fort when the country at last went to war with Great Britain in the War of 1812. During the war, the presence of the fort forced British warships to keep their distance. Apparently the British believed the fort was quite formidable, because they never attacked it. This was fortunate, not so much for the British, but for the fort itself and those who garrisoned it. There were problems that made the fort's ability to resist attack a doubtful matter.
First, there were problems with keeping the fort garrisoned. In July, 1812, the Army withdrew the fort's garrison to other service. North Carolina Governor William Hawkins had to rush four local militia companies to occupy it and the surrounding harbor area. When no British attack materialized, the militia was ordered home in November and replaced by a company of infantry regulars from the 10th US Infantry. This company remained at the fort for nine months.
During July, 1813, the British made a raid into Ocracoke Inlet. Fearing this to be the beginning of an invasion, the coastal inhabitants went into a near-panic. At this critical time, the Army suddenly withdrew the company of regulars at Fort Hampton to other duty, leaving the fort defenseless. However, North Carolina militia was hurriedly rushed in to take the place of the regulars and the fort was once again secure. Meanwhile, the raiders at Ocracoke soon departed without further incursions and order was soon restored to the coast.
Militia troops continued to occupy Fort Hampton for the remainder of the 1813. The fort's armament was increased by two 6-pounders and a 4-pounder to supplement the main battery of 18-pounders. In 1814, as the enlistments of the militia company occupying the fort expired, it had to be replaced by other militia troops. Meanwhile, protests were made to the federal government from North Carolina's governor and General Assembly about the government's apparent lack of effort to help defend the state's coast. These appear to have been successful because the militia at the fort was soon replaced by elements of the 43rd US Infantry. The fort apparently was occupied by these regulars until the end of the war.
As if this circus of shifting troops between the militia and the regulars was not bad enough, there were other troubles as well. In August, 1813, Governor Hawkins visited the fort and found that it also had structural problems. Like many of its sister forts, Fort Hampton had been made cheaply with little thought given to its structural longevity. Governor Hawkins felt the fort's parapet of tabby had been badly cemented and, whether through age or faulty construction, was becoming brittle. The oyster shells in the cement were flaking off, causing a situation where, if the British attacked, their cannonballs might scale the shells from the top of the parapet and hurl them with lethal effect among the garrison. Nor was this all. There was a problem regarding the fort's armament.
Through some lack of foresight, the fort's guns had been mounted on very low gun carriages-so low they could not fire over the crest of the parapet. To cure this, the gun platform behind the parapet was raised so that they might clear the parapet. Again, with lack of foresight, the platform was raised until it was only two feet from the crest. Sure, the guns had no problem firing over the parapet now, but the gun crews found themselves protected from enemy fire only from the knees down. To cure this ludicrous situation, Governor Hawkins ordered the gun carriages to the raised and the platform lowered to reduce the exposure of the gun crews.
Hawkins also felt the fort was vulnerable on its landward side. Since the guns faced the water, an enemy force could pass around behind the fort out of their reach and assault the fort from the rear. He noted, however, that with a small expenditure of money and effort, the fort could be made much stronger. Fortunately, these problems and weaknesses would never be put to the test before the war ended in 1815.
After the war, the fort was intermittently occupied for the next four years by small detachments from an artillery company shared between Fort Hampton and its sister fort, Fort Johnston, at Southport. By 1820, Fort Hampton was completely abandoned by the federal government, a victim of congressional economy and military cutbacks. No one seems to have paid any attention that the little fort was now battling a more sinister enemy-the sea.
For years the sea had been steadily eroding Bogue Point. By 1820-21 engineers making surveys and shoreline inspections found the high tide mark had advanced to the point of lapping at the base of the fort's rounded front. Still, there was limited interest in Fort Hampton because by now the federal government had begun the construction of a chain of permanent forts for a new system of seacoast defense known as the Third System. One of the new forts of this system would soon be built at Beaufort Inlet to replace Fort Hampton.
For the next several years the erosion at Bogue Point progressed and eventually lopped off an extensive portion of the beach. Included in that portion, at last, was Fort Hampton. There seems to have been no exact record of when the little fort actually met its end. Local tradition claimed it disappeared virtually overnight in a summer storm. Undoubtedly, it was the early season hurricane of June 3-4, 1825, that finally claimed the fort. The exact sequence of its demise is not known, but the sea undoubtedly surged around the walls of the fort, undermining and crumbling its parapet. Once a breach was made, the tide swept through the weed-choked parade ground to topple the empty shells of the barracks and magazine. It is known that by February, 1826, the high tide mark lay over 200 feet in the rear of the spot where the little fort had stood. By 1834, the site lay in the inlet along the line of a 12-foot deep ship channel.
The site of the new fort on Bogue Point, Fort Macon, was initially fixed by the engineers about 130 feet southwest of Fort Hampton. By the time construction was ready to begin in 1826 the site was in the possession of the sea. A new site had to be chosen 300 yards west of Fort Hampton and here Fort Macon now stands. Even then, Fort Macon was saved from its predecessor's fate only by the building of brick and stone sea jetties over the years that followed.
Thus, unlucky little Fort Hampton is now gone, and in so going, it left behind virtually no tangible evidence of its existence. A couple of iron objects found on the beach near Fort Macon are typical of the hardware used in a fort and do not match anything in Fort Macon. However, there is no way to link them to Fort Hampton. And the numerous old-style bricks, well rounded from abrasion, that frequently wash up on Fort Macon beach cannot be identified as having possibly come from one of Fort Hampton's buildings. The ocean jealously guards its possessions, but occasionally some objects do make their way back into the realm of man. Hopefully, some day something may wash on shore that can be positively identified as having come from Fort Hampton, the ill-fated predecessor of Fort Macon.
Paul Branch, Park Ranger II
Fort Macon State Park
PO Box 127
Atlantic Beach, NC 28512
252-726-3775, Ext. 103
252-726-2497 FAX | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '1', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9815329313278198}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '15726', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:LEL5UTE4BJQLQOWDPYOAEV5OUA673ONX', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:b68d5507-2c79-4a73-bd72-1957fae41acf>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2014, 3, 10, 15, 49, 4), 'WARC-IP-Address': '204.211.255.140', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': None, 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:OGTGGZPDO7I74DGZ7RJV7CGC67CGIZSK', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:e5ffcfe7-919d-45bd-9828-902e5e6af1cc>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'http://nc1812.ncdcr.gov/history_forthampton.htm', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:e5c6536b-23f5-4bbb-a513-de0597cfc87b>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '1886', 'url': 'http://nc1812.ncdcr.gov/history_forthampton.htm', 'warcinfo': 'robots: classic\r\nhostname: ip-10-183-142-35.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Nutch 1.6 (CC)/CC WarcExport 1.0\r\nisPartOf: CC-MAIN-2014-10\r\noperator: CommonCrawl Admin\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web with URLs provided by Blekko for March 2014\r\npublisher: CommonCrawl\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.0\r\nconformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.025449037551879883', 'original_id': 'ae7a98240a6e6e99e5973fd7ad2f34df6476b3440aa07ba611d552917436e319'} |
An introduction to the problem
The Java Foundation Classes and Swing are the basis for building rich client applications. The problem is that Swing is basically a bunch of UI components without a framework to assist in building an application. Frames, panels and other components can be visually added and tied together with listeners, but how these building blocks are combined to solve a user's problem is left up to the developer. The developer needs a framework to jump start the effort required to build a complex Swing application. This is where JuiPiter can help.
JuiPiter was designed to obey the rules encoded into Swing by the designers at Sun. Swing has a single threaded process on which all UI events must occur. After a Swing component is displayed, the component may not be accessed except via the Swing event thread. Another rule requires long-lived processes to occur in a separate thread to ensure good UI responsiveness by allowing the user to continue interacting with the UI while the process is running. Few Swing developers follow these basic rules as the rules are not enforced or assisted by a framework.
What is JuiPiter?
JuiPiter provides a mechanism to separate Swing tasks from long running non-UI tasks. The core of the JuiPiter mechanism is the Window Logic Decoupler. The decoupler, in addition to memory management and externalized strings, adds a single local Thread (non-Swing) per window that acts as the delegate. The single thread aspect solves the multi-Thread concurrency management that the developer must handle is using other options, i.e., SwingWorkerThread, FoxTrot, Spin.
All Swing and delegate tasks communicate through a message passing, publish and subscribe mechanism. Each task publishes messages through the decoupler. The use of queues allows the tasks to communicate without specific synchronization. There is one set of queues and a delegate thread for each Window, though a way to pass messages between Windows has been implemented. Along with this simple messaging infrastructure, JuiPiter also includes a number of Swing component helper classes and an extensive sample application, similar to the SwingSet, that demonstrates all the aspects of the JuiPiter framework. JuiPiter is designed in layers so that some developers may use just the messaging foundation while others will also use the component helpers and utility classes.
How does JuiPiter work?
JuiPiter was created as part of a larger business application. While nothing in JuiPiter constrains its usage to business apps, a standard information management application makes a good example for explaining how JuiPiter works. Say a complex Swing UI is used to drive server-based business processes. For example, when a user clicks a button, some business process is fired and eventually returns results to be displayed. In JuiPiter, the button publishes a message to the decoupler and returns control to the user, after changing the cursor to an hour glass. The business task receives the message from the delegate, builds the results and publishes a results message to the decoupler. The Swing component, which registered its interest in the results message, receives the results, displays the contents of the message and removes the hour glass cursor.
This is a high-level description of what happens inside JuiPiter, the missing pieces involve how the multiple threads are handled. Given that Swing components must be accessed via the Swing event thread, and long tasks must be processed on the delegate thread, the decoupler manages which thread handles each task. The developer does not need to be know how the threads are synchronized, and the developer's code does not need to be concerned with synchronization. All the developer does is dispatch messages and register subscribers for these messages. It is basically method calls between objects, but through an intermediary that resolves any threading issues. | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '0', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.923742175102234}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '4745', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:MTSULH2DBT52U4MJVFOCXC3AFZPQZ4FW', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:4c58eae7-a85a-4fa5-8fb6-472fb7efff51>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2017, 10, 23, 8, 1, 25), 'WARC-IP-Address': '209.197.76.90', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:XKXK3JGQQA72SLLW7L4TDTTCJEI2YE4U', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:898ff3f2-e184-4f0a-8d94-eb296393feb9>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'http://sns.to/Resume/JuiPiterDescription.html', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:801f5e82-8147-4c48-9d49-3808e323e9e5>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '623', 'url': 'http://sns.to/Resume/JuiPiterDescription.html', 'warcinfo': 'robots: classic\r\nhostname: ip-10-165-76-76.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Nutch 1.6 (CC)\r\nisPartOf: CC-MAIN-2017-43\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for October 2017\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.0\r\nconformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.4218476414680481', 'original_id': 'fdf3c2ecab68da821109c3e521014c1f4eb5d5698c28f51a64249a1ad23a5680'} |
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Hi-Tech C vs mikroC Pro
Just out of curiosity I compiled a small sample program on Hi-Tech C for PIC18 v9.63L3 and mikroC Pro v4.10 freeware version. Target MCU was a PIC18F2321. Hi-Tech was used within Microchip's MPLAB IDE v.8.30. Hi-Tech's Omniscient Code Generation (OCG) is on (for the duration of the 45-day eval period). I set the mikroC optimization level to 5 (the maximum).
According to the compilers the Hi-Tech version took up 84 bytes of Flash while the mikroC required 122 bytes. Both compilers used only 2 bytes of RAM. Apparently Hi-Tech wins by a mile, at least in this particular test.
Here's the C program I fed both compilers:
#define int8 unsigned char
void InitRegisters()
IRCF1 = 1;
ADCON1 = 0b1111; // turn all analog inputs into digital
PORTA = 0;
PORTB = 0;
PORTC = 0;
TRISA = 0;
TRISB = 0;
TRISC = 0;
void OnLoad(int8 *salad)
*salad = 0xFF;
void OffLoad(int8 *greens)
*greens = 0;
// main
void main()
if (PORTC)
} // while (1)
} // main
Here's the disaasembly listing by Hi-Tech:
1: /*
3: sandbox
4: compiler = Hi Tech
6: */
8: #include
10: __CONFIG (1, INTIO & FCMDIS & IESODIS);
11: __CONFIG (2, PWRTDIS & BORDIS & WDTDIS & WDTPS4);
12: __CONFIG (3, PBDIGITAL & LPT1DIS & MCLRDIS);
13: __CONFIG (4, XINSTDIS & STVRDIS & LVPDIS & DEBUGDIS);
14: __CONFIG (5, 0xFFFF); // write protect disabled
15: __CONFIG (6, 0xFFFF); // write protect disabled
16: __CONFIG (7, 0xFFFF); // write protect disabled
19: #define int8 unsigned char
22: // Global variables and enumerations
29: // Functions
32: void InitRegisters()
33: {
34: IRCF1 = 1;
1FC8 8AD3 BSF 0xfd3, 0x5, ACCESS
35: ADCON1 = 0b1111; // turn all analog inputs into digital
1FCA 0E0F MOVLW 0xf
1FCC 6EC1 MOVWF 0xfc1, ACCESS
37: PORTA = 0;
1FCE 6A80 CLRF 0xf80, ACCESS
38: PORTB = 0;
1FD0 6A81 CLRF 0xf81, ACCESS
39: PORTC = 0;
1FD2 6A82 CLRF 0xf82, ACCESS
40: TRISA = 0;
1FD4 6A92 CLRF 0xf92, ACCESS
41: TRISB = 0;
1FD6 6A93 CLRF 0xf93, ACCESS
42: TRISC = 0;
1FD8 6A94 CLRF 0xf94, ACCESS
43: }
1FDA 0012 RETURN 0
45: void OnLoad(int8 *salad)
46: {
47: *salad = 0xFF;
1FBC C000 MOVFF 0, 0xfe9
1FBE FFE9 NOP
1FC0 C001 MOVFF 0x1, 0xfea
1FC2 FFEA NOP
1FC4 68EF SETF 0xfef, ACCESS
48: }
1FC6 0CFF RETLW 0xff
50: void OffLoad(int8 *greens)
51: {
52: *greens = 0;
1FB0 C000 MOVFF 0, 0xfe9
1FB2 FFE9 NOP
1FB4 C001 MOVFF 0x1, 0xfea
1FB6 FFEA NOP
1FB8 6AEF CLRF 0xfef, ACCESS
53: }
1FBA 0C00 RETLW 0
56: // main
59: void main()
60: {
61: InitRegisters();
1FDC ECE4 CALL 0x1fc8, 0
1FDE F00F NOP
63: while(1)
1FFE D7F0 BRA 0x1fe0
64: {
65: if (PORTC)
1FE0 5082 MOVF 0xf82, W, ACCESS
1FE2 E007 BZ 0x1ff2
66: OffLoad(&PORTC);
1FE4 0E82 MOVLW 0x82
1FE6 6E00 MOVWF 0, ACCESS
1FE8 0E0F MOVLW 0xf
1FEA 6E01 MOVWF 0x1, ACCESS
1FEC ECD8 CALL 0x1fb0, 0
1FEE F00F NOP
1FF0 D7F7 BRA 0x1fe0
67: else
68: OnLoad(&PORTC);
1FF2 0E82 MOVLW 0x82
Disassembly listing by mikroC:
; LST file generated by mikroListExporter - v.2.0
; Date/Time: 9/30/2010 8:21:34 PM
;Address Opcode ASM
0x0000 0xF000EF2D GOTO 90
0x0004 0x0000 NOP
0x0006 0x0000 NOP
0x0008 0xF000EF00 GOTO 0
0x000C 0x0000 NOP
0x000E 0x0000 NOP
0x0010 0x0000 NOP
0x0012 0x0000 NOP
0x0014 0x0000 NOP
0x0016 0x0000 NOP
0x0018 0xD7F3 BRA 0
;sandbox18F.c,36 :: void OnLoad(int8 *salad)
;sandbox18F.c,38 :: *salad = 0xFF;
0x001C 0xFFE1C015 MOVFF FARG_OnLoad_salad, FSR1L
0x0020 0xFFE2C016 MOVFF FARG_OnLoad_salad+1, FSR1H
0x0024 0x0EFF MOVLW 255
0x0026 0x6EE6 MOVWF POSTINC1
;sandbox18F.c,39 :: }
0x0028 0x0012 RETURN 0
; end of _OnLoad
;__Lib_System.c,21 ::
;__Lib_System.c,23 ::
;__Lib_System.c,24 ::
0x002A 0x0009 TBLRD*+
;__Lib_System.c,25 ::
0x002C 0xFFE6CFF5 MOVFF TABLAT, POSTINC1
;__Lib_System.c,26 ::
0x0030 0x0600 DECF R0, 1, 0
;__Lib_System.c,27 ::
0x0032 0xE1FB BNZ _CC2DL_Loop1
;__Lib_System.c,28 ::
0x0034 0x0601 DECF R1, 1, 0
;__Lib_System.c,29 ::
0x0036 0xE1F9 BNZ _CC2DL_Loop1
;__Lib_System.c,31 ::
0x0038 0x0012 RETURN 0
; end of ___CC2DW
;sandbox18F.c,41 :: void OffLoad(int8 *greens)
;sandbox18F.c,43 :: *greens = 0;
0x003A 0xFFE1C015 MOVFF FARG_OffLoad_greens, FSR1L
0x003E 0xFFE2C016 MOVFF FARG_OffLoad_greens+1, FSR1H
0x0042 0x6AE6 CLRF POSTINC1
;sandbox18F.c,44 :: }
0x0044 0x0012 RETURN 0
; end of _OffLoad
;sandbox18F.c,23 :: void InitRegisters()
;sandbox18F.c,25 :: OSCCON.IRCF1 = 1;
0x0046 0x8AD3 BSF OSCCON, 5
;sandbox18F.c,26 :: ADCON1 = 0b1111; // turn all analog inputs into digital
0x0048 0x0E0F MOVLW 15
0x004A 0x6EC1 MOVWF ADCON1
;sandbox18F.c,28 :: PORTA = 0;
0x004C 0x6A80 CLRF PORTA
;sandbox18F.c,29 :: PORTB = 0;
0x004E 0x6A81 CLRF PORTB
;sandbox18F.c,30 :: PORTC = 0;
0x0050 0x6A82 CLRF PORTC
;sandbox18F.c,31 :: TRISA = 0;
0x0052 0x6A92 CLRF TRISA
;sandbox18F.c,32 :: TRISB = 0;
0x0054 0x6A93 CLRF TRISB
;sandbox18F.c,33 :: TRISC = 0;
0x0056 0x6A94 CLRF TRISC
;sandbox18F.c,34 :: }
0x0058 0x0012 RETURN 0
; end of _InitRegisters
;sandbox18F.c,50 :: void main()
;sandbox18F.c,52 :: InitRegisters();
0x005A 0xDFF5 RCALL _InitRegisters
;sandbox18F.c,54 :: while(1)
;sandbox18F.c,56 :: if (PORTA)
0x005C 0x5280 MOVF PORTA, 1
0x005E 0xE006 BZ L_main2
;sandbox18F.c,57 :: OffLoad(&PORTA);
0x0060 0x0E80 MOVLW PORTA
0x0062 0x6E15 MOVWF FARG_OffLoad_greens
0x0064 0x0E0F MOVLW hi_addr(PORTA)
0x0066 0x6E16 MOVWF FARG_OffLoad_greens+1
0x0068 0xDFE8 RCALL _OffLoad
0x006A 0xD005 BRA L_main3
;sandbox18F.c,59 :: OnLoad(&PORTA);
0x006C 0x0E80 MOVLW PORTA
0x006E 0x6E15 MOVWF FARG_OnLoad_salad
0x0070 0x0E0F MOVLW hi_addr(PORTA)
0x0072 0x6E16 MOVWF FARG_OnLoad_salad+1
0x0074 0xDFD3 RCALL _OnLoad
;sandbox18F.c,60 :: } // while (1)
0x0076 0xD7F2 BRA L_main0
;sandbox18F.c,61 :: } // main
0x0078 0xD7FF BRA $+0
; end of _main
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The PIC16F1827: an inexpensive, fully loaded MCU
I'm excited about the PIC16F1827 because it's packed with peripherals, has five! timers, has an internal clock with a maximum frequency of 32MHz, and yet is no more expensive than other 18pin PIC16s. I want a tube of these!
Just my luck though. I'll have to wait. I try and obtain all my PICs from Microchip Direct, but the 1827 won't be available till the end of this year (extended temperature PDIP is on stock, however). RS Components has none either. Farnell has stocks but comes out way pricier.
Hardware aside, I have no plans on programming this chip using assembly. So I need a C compiler. You'd expect Microchip's compiler division would have a compiler ready once the chip is out, but even with the acquisition of Hi Tech it has yet to support the 1827. That's rather strange. The just released MikroC Pro v4.10 does support the MCU and several other enhanced PIC16s. BoostC by SourceBoost also recognizes the 1827.
Guess I'll be playing with this MCU early next year.
Friday, September 24, 2010
On the blink
James Bryant of Analog Devices and his dirty dozen ways for circuits to fail.
The PIR circuit I recently installed has been challenging me. Just two days after it was installed it began to at times fail to switch the load on even if the PIR sensor was detecting motion (I know because the LED had turned on, ergo, PIR output was high). The fault was infrequent and usually occurred the first time the pantry was accessed in the morning--circuit must be too groggy to start the day. After days of checking and monitoring supply voltages (and finding nothing wrong with them), I decided to reprogram the MCU. The problem disappeared. Could've been an intermittent contact problem--which was licked when I removed the MCU and reinserted it--or it could've been a bad burn of the firmware.
Another problem which was noticed along with the above has yet to be resolved. When the dining room lights are turned off, the pantry light sometimes switches on. This occurs probably once every couple of dozen switchings. Rather obviously transients in the power line from switching off four conventionally ballasted plug-in type 11-watt compact fluorescent lamps are falsely triggering the circuit. I've already monitored MCU VDD using the Min-Max with Peak detect feature of the Fluke 87V for some 24hours and found the voltage to be from 4.930V to 5.048V, so no problem there. On the other hand, given the cable length to the PIR module of some 40cm, the problem may lie there. That's No.5 in Bryant's list. I've been mullling where in the sensor circuit to install additional bypass/decoupling caps. May have to put one at the VDD of the module and another at the MCU input pin (GP3); 0.1 to 1uF for the former and 10 to 100nF for the latter.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
An important pointer on using mikroC with PIC18s
After half a day of trying to get it to work I nearly gave up. Was trying out C pointers using an old version of mikroC on a Microchip PIC18F2321. Here's the test program (to preclude clutter I've removed the initialization routines for OSCCON, PORTx, TRISx, and ADCON1 registers):
void OnLoad(unsigned char *salad)
*salad = 0xFF;
void OffLoad(unsigned char *greens)
*greens = 0;
void main()
The firware merely toggles PORTC on and off every tenth of a second. An LED is connected to one of the PORTC pins, so it should blink when the MCU is powered up. Well, it didn't work.
After a couple of hours of racking my brain and trying out variations on the program, I decided to test the code on a PIC 16F device. I inserted a PIC12F615 into the breadboard, plugged in an LED and resistor, and hooked up the PICKit 2. Opened a new project in mikroC and used the same program, changing PORTx to GPIO, and initializing the appropriate SFRs. Guess what? Worked the first time around. No problems. That told me there's nothing wrong with the program. Went back to the PIC18.
After several more hours of checking and hair-pulling, it occured to me that there might be something in the MCU configuration bits which hasn't been set properly. Referring to the datasheet, the only one that seemed relevant was the XINST (Extended Instruction Set enable) bit in configuration word CONFIG4L. Noting that according to the datashet it's off by default, I first enabled it. I compiled the firmware, uploaded to the MCU, and powered it up. Nothing. The program still wouldn't work. Went back to mikroC, unchecked the "XINST_ON_4L" box and checked "XINST_OFF_4L."
Hallelujah! The LED finally started blinking, and at the proper rate at that. Finally found the culprit! Just to make sure it was indeed the XINST bit, I enabled it again. Sure enough the program failed again. Disabling XINST once more and the firmware worked. As a final test, I unchecked both these boxes (it was in that condition before I fiddled around with the XINST) and uploaded the compiled code. It didn't work. Therefore, regardless of what Microchip says about the default condition of the configuration words, it is quite clear that they must be explicitly set in mikroC.
So there. A nasty little trap which MikroElektronika does not state in their manual. Beware.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Fluke face to face with Kryptonite
Australian electronics engineer Dave Jones proves that the Fluke 87V DMM goes haywire in the presence of GSM.
Much as I'd like to see this fault for myself, I simply cannot afford to fry my 87V. Instead I used a Fluke 117 as the lab rat. Apparently, the cheapo doesn't even know what a cell phone is. Barely a reaction and not a hint of malfunction.
This GSM susceptibility is yet another item in the list of disappointments I have with the 87V. First and foremost is its unforgivably flimsy 9V battery connector. It's no different from those found in China made toys!
I cannot imagine how Fluke could have blundered something as basic as this. My old Sanwa DMM had a far more superior battery-compartment-connector system. You unscrew the battery compartment at the back of the meter, remove it, flip it over and insert the battery into it, and then plug the whole thing back into the meter body and screw tight. Once inserted the battery terminals automatically make contact with metal prongs inside the meter. Absolutely great design! Now why couldn't Fluke have made something similar with this model? It's already the Series 5!
They certainly did it right on the Fluke 117:
Next on the list, and one that puts me off whenever I notice it is the LCD. For some reason Fluke seems to have sacrificed the viewing angle exactly perpendicular to the unit. When looking straight down the segments have rather poor contrast--not as black--as when looking at an angle. At first I thought my unit was faulty, but I've checked another brand new 87V and an 83V and their LCDs both have the same characteristic. And the batteries are still fresh so it's not a low voltage problem. I was never annoyed with the display of my old Sanwa so I guess it didn't have this quirk. Testing the 87V, the LCD is a 6:00 type with a bias angle somewhere between 20 and 30°. The readout is still tolerable even at 60°.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Pantry light switch using a PIR module
Practically all the dry goods in our kitchen are stored in the pantry and we access this room several times a day. My bugbear has been that everyone who uses it, including myself, forgets to turn off the light rather frequently. Something about this tiny room that makes people run in and out less than a minute later and forget to flip the switch. Must the duration of stay inside. Or maybe not, since I also do fail to turn the garage storeroom lights off even if I've been in there for ten minutes. Yeah, must be the genes.
Been meaning to install a motion detector to address this problem but couldn't find a readily available PIR in the market. Went to a home depot months ago to buy a consumer security gadget that employed PIR and was going to just hack it. Problem is that when I asked them to test if it's working the dang model didn't. Not a single unit of those tried! What the bleep indeed.
Well, fortunately I found an online supplier who had reasonable prices. The module is China-made obviously, but right now I'll take anything over nothing. For details and specs of the passive infrared (PIR) module refer to my previous blog entry.
I could've used the module without employing a microcontroller. A transistor and a relay would've been sufficient to switch on the pantry's compact fluorescent lamp (CFL). But that's crude and not at all very user friendly. What happens when the person is still inside and isn't detected by the PIR? Darkness descends without warning. Therefore, there is a need to provide an alert of some sort that it'll be lights out in a while.
I would've wanted a visual warning, specifically a PWM controlled lamp that gradually dims. The decreasing light level would be a gentle way of informing the user. But such a circuit is more complicated and I certainly can't dim a CFL. LED high-lumen lighting would be nice, but cost is prohibitive and the drive circuitry complex.
So I settled for an audible alert, giving a graduated level of warning as the moment of lamp switch-off approaches. I arbitrarily set the start of warning five seconds before switch-off, with a 10ms beep every second for four seconds. On the last second, a 10ms beep is issued every 200ms for a total of five beeps. The beeps are generated by a small sonalert buzzer but at 10ms they're so short that they sound more like clicks than beeps. My design criterion on this is that the sound level and type should be informative but unobstrusive to those outside the room, so the clicks are on the money.
The MCU's job is simply to monitor the PIR module output and switch the CFL accordingly. When PIR output goes high the MCU immediately switches on the CFL, and when it goes low the MCU starts issuing the alert sequence, after which it turns off the lamp.
However, since this particular module has an initialization ritual it goes through upon power up, the MCU must also be programmed to disregard the output during this period. Well, the MCU doesn't really have to, but for now I've decided that it should ignore the two PIR output high during initialization since energy is wasted when the CFL on. On the other hand, there is some utility to providing feedback that the PIR is in initialization mode. This can be implemented using the buzzer. A distinct pattern of beeps can be continuously emitted during this period.
In anticipation of future PIR module malfunction and of those times when the user would want to keep the light on continuously--i.e., override the sensor--I designed the circuit with a switch to allow the user to turn off auto mode. When in manual mode the CFL will be on regardless of PIR output. The manual override is a surface mount rocker switch rated at 10A @250VAC. Only a feeble current (about half a milliamp DC) will be running through so it'll be dry switching. I'm not worried.
Since the MCU won't be doing much at all and will only need a small amount of code, I decided to use a baseline PIC, i.e., a model from the 10F series. The smallest (in Flash memory) chip I have in stock is the PIC10F202. It has four I/O pins which is exactly the number of pins I need.
Powering the CFL is via a miniature socketed relay with a 12VDC coil. The Telemecanique RXM2AB2JD is a DPDT switch with contacts rated at 12A @250VAC. As a bonus it has a green LED indicator which is on when the coil is energized. It even has a button which the user can push to momentarily close/open the NO/NC contacts and a mechanical lever to latch them. Love its smart look as well. Thumbs up to this model.
To serve as a troubleshooting aid I've added an LED which is switched on by a transistor whenever PIR output is high. The MOSFET is controlled directly by the PIR.
Powering the control circuitry is a generic wall cube which has no markings on it. Thankfully this unit isn't one of those whose casing is glued together. It has two screws which allows it to be opened up. As the schematic below shows it has a transformer, bridge rectifier made up of four diodes (can't make out the last digit of any of the 1N400x) and a filter capacitor. Output of the adapter is 19VDC, no load.
A LM7812 provides a regulated 12VDC. Although not strictly necessary given the current draw of the circuit, a clip-on anodized aluminum heat sink has been installed on this TO-220 as a precaution. To preclude having too high a voltage headroom, the 78L05 regulator's input is drawn from the output of the LM7812. This reduces the dissipation of the 5VDC regulator.
Here are the schematic diagrams and legend to the reference designations.
The 10F series of PICs has no interrupt capability and only a 2 level stack for subroutine calls. Pretty spartan indeed, but quite adequate for simple undemanding circuit requirements like this one. I've used the 10F202 for a number of circuits but something I've not learned or already forgotten manage to trip me up. Pretty vexing really. While prototyping I used GP2 as the I/O for the sonalert buzzer. Well, it didn't work! I went over the firmware and it looked good. Took me a long time poring over the datasheet for me to finally discover that GP2 is by default an input pin even if the TRISGPIO2 bit has been correctly set as output. The fact is the TRISIO register has the lowest priority in determining the status of this pin. OSCCAL register FOSC4 bit has the highest priority followed by OPTION register TOCS bit. No problem with FOSC4 since it is upon power up set to zero which means it hands off this pin to other functions. The problem lies with TOCS. It's set to 1 upon any type of reset including power on. And that means the pin is in high impedance mode waiting for a signal. With TOCS set, Timer0 is in counter mode and increments upon a level change (edge trigger) on the GP2 pin. So in order to use this pin as a general I/O TOCS has to be cleared. The 10F202 is practically the most basic MCU in Microchip's line but I have yet to master it.
In the end I moved the buzzer to GP1 and used GP2 as an input to sense the status of the auto/manual switch. GP3 is input-only and is used to monitor PIR output. Note that the PIR module works at 3.3VDC and its output high can only reach a maximum of this value. With a VDD of 5V a Schmitt trigger input on the MCU won't be able to detect the PIR high since the minimum requirement for a level high is 80% of VDD, or 4V. Fortunately, when the 10F202 pins are configured as general purpose inputs they are all TTL which has a minimum requirement of only 2.0V to be considered as high. Not so in other cases. For instance when TOCS bit = 1, GP2 becomes a Schmitt trigger input for Timer0 counter. Thus, if we feed the PIR output to this pin, Timer0 would never increment. What the PIR outputs as high would be considered a valid high only if MCU VDD drops to 4.1VDC or less.
Firmware consists mainly of a series of polling loops. PIR output is continually monitored while the manual switch is monitored continually only after PIR initialization is complete. When switch SW1 is sensed to be in manual and as long as it is in manual position, PIR is no longer monitored. When SW1 is flipped back to auto position then PIR monitoring resumes.
In auto mode and after PIR initialization has been detected to be over, when PIR output goes high, Q2 is immediately turned on which then switches REL on and hence LOAD. When PIR output goes low, the pattern of beeps (as described above) is issued. Five seconds later LOAD is switched off. If PIR output goes high during this five-second waiting time, the alerts stop and firmware exits the alert routine.
When user switches from manual to auto mode, firmware checks PIR output to determine whether LOAD will be turned off or not. PIR will almost certainly be high since SW1 is located inside the pantry and in an area right under the PIR, thus making sure the user will be detected while operating the switch. Be that as it may, if PIR output is low then LOAD is turned off, otherwise it is kept on.
Currently, there is no routine to issue an audible alert informing the user that the PIR is initializing. There should be. That will probably come in a firmware upgrade.
The actual firmware installed is provided below. It's written in MPLAB assembly. Uses only 87 words of flash and 4 bytes of RAM. Watch out! I use homebrew macros and defines throughout. Blogspot truncates any text that extends beyond the margins so if you want to read the code and comments I suggest copying and pasting into a word processor. Or paste it in MPLAB, copy and paste the macros and defines from the above link as well, build it, and read the disassembly listing or "program memory" listing if you're not a huge fan of my macros. Shame on you if you aren't!
; Passive Infrared Motion Detector for home panty
; September 2010
; see "PIR sensor.dwg" for schematic
processor 10F202
__config _MCLRE_OFF & _CP_OFF & _WDT_ON
cblock 0x08
CENTISECS ; number of centiseconds for time delay
ICOUNTER ; counter for iterations
COUNTER:2 ; counters for delays
#define buz GPIO,0 ; sonalert buzzer
#define load GPIO,1 ; switches MOSFET which switches 12VDC relay which switches 220VAC CFL
#define sw GPIO,2 ; mode switch: high = manual (load is continuously on), low = auto (motion detect)
#define pir GPIO,3 ; PIR output, high = motion detected, low = no motion detected
org 0x0
movwf OSCCAL ; load clock calibration
goto initialize
; subroutines
; 10F202 can only call subroutines if they are located in first 256 memory locations
; Time delay that's user dependent
; Place number of centiseconds of delay in register CENTISECS before calling this routine
movlf .164, COUNTER
movlf .20, COUNTER+1
decfsz COUNTER,f
goto delay_loop
movlf .164, COUNTER
decfsz COUNTER+1,f
goto delay_loop
movlf .20, COUNTER+1
decfsz CENTISECS,f
goto delay_loop
retlw 0
; one centisec beep
bsf buz
movlf .1, CENTISECS
call DelayCentisec
bcf buz
retlw 0
; main program
clrf GPIO
movlw b'11011111' ; TOCS bit must be 0 else GP2 will be an input pin; prescaler is assigned to WDT; prescale = 1:2
movlw b'1100' ; GPIO 0 and 1 are assigned as output, GP2 is input, GP3 is by default an input only pin
tris GPIO
; do nothing for about half a second (50 centisec) to give PIR time to initialize and bring its output high
movlf .50, CENTISECS
call DelayCentisec
; PIR initializes by outputting high twice over a minute or two
; wait until the second falling edge is detected; thereafter any edges detected will be due to normal operation of motion detection
; wait for first PIR falling edge
dnxtrue pir
goto init_pir_loop1
; wait for PIR rising edge
dnxfalse pir
goto init_pir_loop2
; wait for second PIR falling edge--signals the end of PIR initialization
dnxtrue pir
goto init_pir_loop3
; wait for PIR rising edge--which signals that motion has been detected
; check mode sw status
dnxtrue sw
goto manual
dnxfalse pir
goto main
bsf load ; PIR output is high so turn load on
; wait until no motion is detected--until PIR output goes low
; check mode sw status
dnxtrue sw
goto manual
dnxtrue pir
goto main_loop1
; PIR output is now low
; give user 5 seconds to activate motion sensor before turning off load
; begin issuing 10ms beep every second for four seconds to alert user that motion is no longer detected
; check PIR output every second; if it goes high (motion is detected) then exit and go to main_loop1
; check mode sw status every second; if sw level goes high then go to manual mode routine
movlf .4, ICOUNTER
call Beep
movlf .99, CENTISECS
call DelayCentisec
dnxtrue sw
goto manual
dnxtrue pir
goto main_loop1
decfsz ICOUNTER,f
goto main_beep_loop0
; for the last second issue a 10ms-beep every 200ms
movlf .5, ICOUNTER
call Beep
movlf .19, CENTISECS
call DelayCentisec
dnxtrue sw
goto manual
dnxtrue pir
goto main_loop1
decfsz ICOUNTER,f
goto main_lastsec_beep_loop0
; if PIR output remains low then turn load off
; go to main whether PIR output is low or high
dnxfalse pir
bcf load
goto main
; manual mode routine
; if sw level is high then turn load on
; if sw level is low and PIR output is low then turn off load
; if sw level is low and PIR output is high then keep load on
; when sw level is low then go to main
bsf load
dnxfalse sw
goto manual_loop2
goto manual_loop1
dnxfalse pir
bcf load
goto main
The Installation
I need to have control over the area covered/monitored by the PIR sensor but don't have the resources nor the perseverance to build a metal articulated aiming gizmo. Scrounged around and found a round tea can made of cardboard whose slip-on lid could be rotated while it was on. That provides one axis of rotation to aim the the sensor. I could easily bore a hole on the side of the canister and fasten the module with the Fresnel lens sticking out. The lid would then be screwed onto a block of wood which in turn would be bolted to the side panel of the top shelf. If I use just one bolt I can swivel the block. That's the second axis of rotation which would be at right angles to the first. Two planes of swivel is sufficient to aim the sensor practically anywhere.
Here are photos of the installation. The first shows the can with the module already in place. I wish I didn't have to glue it to the can but my brain was out of options. The can is actually red. I covered with white paper since the shelves are all white. I don't want it out more than it already will be and calling attention to it. The three wires lead to the circuit board where all the other components are.
The lid of the canister is shown fastened to a scrap piece of wood which is epoxied (the black goo) to another piece perpendicular to the former. The latter is bolted to the shelf side panel. The outlet on the pantry wall is newly installed just for this circuit. The thicker SPT cable is 220VAC power line and the smaller gauge SPT leads from the relay to the CFL. The translucent plastic box contains the circuit board and relay
In the bottom picture, the circuit is powered and operational. There's the wall wart plugged in with its (newly installed) red and black speaker cable leading to the circuit board inside the plastic box. The wire from the black plug leads to the relay. The white SPT wire along the bottom of the photo leads to the auto-manual switch located several shelves below. You can see I just taped it along the edge of the shelf.
In this last photo I am at ground level pointing the camera up. CFL is mounted on the ceiling less than a meter from the module.
PIR sensor module
Recently bought a couple of passive infrared (PIR) modules. The seller lists the part number as DC-SS015, although I can't be certain that this indeed is true. Unfortunately the seller could not provide any datasheet. It may in fact be a SS015 since the pin designations for the headers are the same as those on a datasheet for the DC-SS015 (see below).
As far as I can tell there are only two ICs on this module. The SOIC-16 (left of center in the photo) does not have any markings. It could be a BISS001 clone. The (4-pin) SOT-89 (lower right in photo) has ""7533-1" printed on it. I googled and this may be a Holtek 3.3V LDO voltage regulator.
The board measures 33mm x 25mm and is marked "Rev1.1." The fresnel lens is hot glued to the board and for now I have not dared remove it for fear of misaligning it.
The black circular thingie beneath the board is just a 35mm film canister to the prop the board up. Needed to keep it level with the table while taking the picture given the domed fresnel lens on the other side.
Here are screenshots of the pertinent pages from a datasheet I found for the DC-SS015 some time ago. I can no longer find the link for the pdf file by Sure Electronics
The position on the board and designation of the header pins of the module match those shown on the datasheet. The 3-pin header at the bottom center of the board (as per the photo above) are for power and output. Left pin (silkscreened "SW") is ground, center pin (marked "OUT") is output, right pin is Vcc.
The 3-pin header on the upper left corner has a jumper to select between single trigger and re-triggerable modes. The topmost pin is labeled "H" on the module, while the lowermost pin is labeled "L." With the jumper plugged into the two top pins (H and common) the circuit becomes retriggerable, that is, any motion detected will reset the output high holding period to whatever the user has set it to. With the jumper plugged into the lower two pins (common and L) only the initial motion detected is counted and any further trigger will be ignored until the output-high holding period has elapsed. In other words, in single trigger mode assuming PIR module output is initially low, the time between motion is detected (output goes high) and output goes low is constant.
The output-high holding period (for both trigger modes) is user adjustable and is set via a 1Mohm trimmer resistor. That's the orange part on the upper right corner of the board. I've played around with it and the range is from almost zero to 16.75 seconds. The module arrived with the trimmer set at center, which had a measured time of between 9 and 10 seconds.
I measured the current draw using a Fluke 87V with its min-max feature turned on. Input voltage was measured at 5.18VDC (using an ATX power supply) and load was a 2N7000 MOSFET with its gate directly connected to the PIR output (no limiting resistor). Minimum current recorded was 37µA while maximum was 98µA. As you can read from the datasheet, quiescent current is specified at 50µA.
With the module powered from the same supply as above, output voltage was measured with a Fluke 8842A and for this test module, without any load, low was less than 0.03mV and high = 3.31V.
The module has a long initialization time. After powering up output will go high for several seconds, go low for a shorter period of time, high again for several seconds, and then back low. Thereafter, it will be not triggerable for several more seconds. The period for this set up doesn't seem to be fixed, but the whole thing takes about a minute.
This unit is able to detect human movement to 4 meters, but sensitivity at that distance is fair at best. Seems to perform well enough within two meters. Angular coverage is apparently greater horizontally (as per board orientation in the photos above) than vertically. Difficult to give precise values, but 90 degrees would be a ballpark figure.
I've already used one of the modules in a circuit that automatically switches a compact fluorescent lamp inside a pantry. I'll probably do a blog on that soon.
Finally, for a tutorial on PIR devices check out ladyada.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Adjustable power supply with automatic transformer tap select
I'm currently designing and testing a 1-amp power supply based on the good old LM317 voltage regulator. I'd like it to be able to supply a voltage from its minimum of 1.25 V all the way to about 30 V. That's within its specs so no problem with that range. However, one problem is the power dissipation of the 317 which is given by:
P_D = I_{VR} ( V_{IN} - V_{O})
$P_D$ = power dissipation, in watts
$I_{VR}$ = current through the voltage regulator, mostly the load current, in amperes
$V_{IN}$ = input voltage, in volts
$V_{O}$ = output voltage, in volts
The higher the difference between input and output voltage the greater the power loss in the 317. If we use a single input voltage it would have to be at least 33VDC, more likely >35V to factor in capacitor ripple voltage. With an input of 35V and an output of, say, 5VDC headroom would be 30V. If the load were drawing 100mA it would dissipate 5V x 0.1A = 0.5W while the 317 would be wasting 30V x 0.1A = 3W! Without a heatsink and given the thermal resistance of a TO-220 package of around 65°C/W, the junction temperature would well exceed its 125°C maximum. Of course the 317 will probably shut down before reaching that temperature, or it might fry if the thermal overload protection circuitry somehow fails.Not that we wouldn't install a heatsink. It's indispensable for a 1000-mA supply since even with a constant headroom of 3V (minimum required), the regulator would still be dissipating 3W at a current draw of 1A. In fact my calculations show that on top a heat sink with a thermal resistance of <= 10°C/W, I'll still need a cooling fan given the headroom that my design has.
Heatsinking cannot be overemphasized in this design since with all else constant $V_{O}$ changes with junction temperature. If you check the graphs of any LM317 datasheet you will find that load regulation, adjustment current, and reference voltage are all temperature dependent. Therefore, keeping the 317 temperature as constant as possible is paramount for a good constant voltage output with a varying load.
So there are several reasons for limiting voltage headroom. And one way to do so is to use a multitap transformer and feed the 317 with a voltage that depends on its output. The greater the output voltage the higher the voltage we input to the regulator. A control circuit monitors $V_O$ and selects the appropriate transformer tap via electromagnetic relays.
Unfortunately, for this design I couldn't find a multiple tap transformer (with four or five outputs) whose maximum voltage output is 30 or so volts RMS. The best I could find is a 14-0-14 volt center-tapped, which is equivalent to a 0-14-28. With only two output voltages only one relay is necessary. The idea is to switch to 28VAC when $V_O$ rises above the middle value of around 12VDC and to switch back to 14VAC when it falls below this. A hysteresis band will be necessary to prevent relay "chatter" when crossing the switchover voltage.
In my first design I powered the $V_O$ monitoring circuit from the same transformer. But it turns out that because the secondary windings are not isolated from one another the voltages go haywire when the two taps are used simultaneously--by the 317 and the monitoring circuit. So I've had to use a second transformer, with 12VAC output, to drive the relay and power the ICs that check $V_{O}$.
The monitoring circuit consists simply of a comparator with hysteresis wired in using two positive feedback resistors. I've decided to switch the relay when $V_{O}$ is around 13VDC. I will definitely use $V_{O}$ = 12VDC so I don't want it switching at that level. And I can't change taps at a much higher voltage since there might not be enough headroom for the regulator when current draw goes above 500mA. So I've pegged the trip comparator trip voltage between 13 and 14VDC.
To determine the resistor values, upper and lower trip voltages, and the hysteresis band, I needed formulas. Textbooks have not been of any help. They do have the equations but they're for op amps using bipolar power supplies. I'm keeping to single-supply op amps and those equations simply don't work. I've tried them and results don't match with measured values. Luckily Microchip has the holy grail in their literature.
From the Microchip MCP6541 datasheet we have the following equations to determine the trip voltages given positive feedback.
V_{TLH} = V_{REF}\left ( 1 + \frac{ R_{F1}}{R_{F2}} \right ) - V_{OL} \left ( \frac{R_{F1}}{R_{F2}} \right)
V_{THL} = V_{REF}\left ( 1 + \frac{ R_{F1}}{R_{F2}} \right ) - V_{OH} \left ( \frac{R_{F1}}{R_{F2}} \right)
$V_{TLH}$ = trip voltage when voltage at the noninverting input is going from low to high, in volts
$V_{THL}$ = trip voltage when voltage at the noninverting input is going from high to low, in volts
$V_{REF}$ = reference voltage, i.e., voltage at the comparator's inverting input, in volts
$V_{OL}$ = comparator low level output voltag, in volts
$V_{OH}$ = comparator high level output voltage, in volts
${R_{F1}}$, ${R_{F2}}$ = positive feedback resistances, in ohms
If output of the comparator is only very lightly loaded then $V_{OL}$ is only a few millivolts above ground. Moreover, ${R_{F1}}/{R_{F2}}$ is very small. Thus $V_{OL} ({R_{F1}}/{R_{F2}})$ is practically zero. $V_{TLH}$ then reduces to:
It follows then that
V_{THL} = V_{TLH} - V_{OH} \left ( \frac{R_{F1}}{R_{F2}} \right)
With a very lightly loaded comparator output, $V_{OH}$ is for all practical purposes equal to the comparator's supply voltage $V_{DD}$.
Upper and lower trip voltages in terms of $V_O$ are obtained as follows:
V_{TLH}' = V_{TLH} \left ( \frac {R_{VD1}+R_{VD2}} {R_{VD2}} \right)
V_{THL}' = V_{THL} \left ( \frac {R_{VD1}+R_{VD2}} {R_{VD2}} \right)
Referring to the schematic above, the comparator's reference voltage is derived from a voltage divider and computed as follows:
V_{REF} = V_{DD} \left ( \frac {R_{REF2}}{R_{REF1} + R_{REF2}} \right)
$R_{REF1}$ and $R_{REF2}$ are the voltage divider resistor values, in ohms
The LM317 output voltage $V_O$ is to be monitored by the comparator. But because this swings from 1.25 to around 30VDC, while the comparator maximum input voltage is $V_{DD}$ = 5VDC, we need to "step down" the voltage sensed by the comparator by using a voltage divider. $ R_{VD1}$ and $R_{VD2}$ are chosen such that when $V_O$ is at its maximum then voltage divider output is equal to the comparator $V_{DD}$. Voltage divider output is given by:
V_O \left ( \frac {R_{VD2}}{R_{VD1}+R_{VD2}} \right)
The presence of the feedback circuit in the comparator necessitates a low impedance source. The voltage divider formed by $R_{VD1}$ and $R_{VD2}$ does not meet this requirement. Hence a unity gain buffer is necessary.
I initially used a MC33171 op amp for the comparator and a LM310 voltage follower as the buffer. Instead of having two ICs I want to use a dual single supply op amp IC with a $V_{CC}$ of > 12VDC but unfortunately I don't have any at hand. But I do have tons of Microchip single, dual, and quad op amps. I picked the MCP6282 for its rail-to-rail input and output and its good slew rate. $R_{VD1}$ and $R_{VD2}$ were chosen such that the voltage divider's maximum output is 5VDC.
Resistors, $V_{DD}$, and $V_{OH}$ of the breadboarded prototype were measured using a Fluke 8842A and their values were plugged into the equations above. $V_{TLH}'$ and $V_{THL}'$ were measured with the multimeter probes connected to $V_O$ and ground, and gradually turning the potentiometer. Theoretical and empirical results are within less than 0.25% of each other! That certainly blew my mind.
While designing this power supply I used an old malfunctioning ATX power supply 12VDC brushless motor cooling fan as a load since I could turn $V_O$ up and down and have some visual feedback on how it's affecting the load. And I could afford to ruin it should it burn up when I turned $V_O$ all the way up. Turns out choosing this fan was fortuitous because I discovered something totally unexpected. Without any load the comparator circuit worked fine and, depending on the values of the various resistors, there was some 1.5 to 2V ($V_O$) hysteresis band. But when the fan was powered hysteresis was lost and relay chatter was prominent when the trip voltage level was being crossed. I found out what was happening when I hooked up an oscilloscope to check $V_O$. It showed the fan was introducing positive and negative pulses (see oscilloscope screenshots below). And the comparator circuit was merely following what it's suppose to do--tripping (and being tripped up) when those pulses were present, as the difference between the peak positive and negative values exceeded the hysteresis band set by $R_{F1}$ and $R_{F2}$.
So I added a low pass filter section whose cutoff frequency can be computed as follows:
f_c = \frac{1}{2\pi R_{LPF}C_{LPF}}
$f_c$ = filter cutoff frequency, in hertz
$R_{LPF}$ = filter resistor value, in ohms
$C_{LPF}$ = filter capacitor value, in farads
This circuit filters out any transients occurring in $V_O$. With the LPF circuit in place oscilloscope reading of the unity gain buffer output was devoid of the noise pulses introduced by the fan.
I also used a new brushless DC fan as a load. Apparently even brand new fans also introduce spikes into $V_O$ although it seems their amplitude is not as high as those of the malfunctioning fan (see screenshots below). But the fans tested are made by different manufacturers so the noise they introduce may be manufacturer specific.
Given how the comparator and LPF circuits are working perfectly, I decided to lower the hysteresis band to a 500mV (measured at $V_O$), which translates to around 83mV at the comparator input. With resistor values (I used 5% resistors) provided in the schematic, actual measured upper trip voltage = 13.58V and lower trip voltage = 13.00V.
In the Rigol DS1102E oscilloscope screenshots below, channel 1 is set to AC coupling and bandwidth limit is on. $V_O$ is set to 12.50V as measured by the Fluke multimeter. All measurements are with respect to circuit ground.
Point of measurement: unity gain buffer output
Trigger: auto, @296mV
Vertical: 200mV/div
Horizontal: 5ms/div
The used, malfunctioning fan--a Power Logic brushless motor model PL80S12M rated at 12V 0.13A--is powered by $V_O$. There is no low pass filter at the input of the voltage follower. Cursors are on and show that positive peak voltage = 384mVand peak negative voltage= -280mV. The comparator circuit sees these voltage spikes and when $V_O$ is at the trip setting the comparator output rapidly alternates between high and low (because the noise is greater than the hysteresis band) resulting in relay chatter.
Same screenshot as above but the cursors have been changed to measure time. As can be seen pulses occur every 6.7ms.
Point of measurement: unity gain buffer output
Trigger: single shot, 120mV
Vertical: 200mV/div
Horizontal: 2ms/div
The lower waveform is a zoomed in display of the portion above that's between the purple bands. Time base for lower display = 50.00µs/div.
Same as above but zoomed in portion is that of the spike on the right. Time base is also 50µs/div
Point of measurement: unity gain buffer output
Trigger: auto, 0.00V
Vertical: 200mV/div
Horizontal: 5ms/div
The same fan is being powered by $V_O$, but now a first order low pass filter with a $f_c$ of 16Hz (as per schematic above) is connected to the input of the voltage follower. Voltage spikes have been completely eliminated and the comparator circuit performs flawlessly.
Point of measurement: $V_O$
Trigger: auto, @2.00V
Vertical: 1.00V/div
Horizontal: 20.00µs/div
This is the first type of pulse from the fan but measured at $V_O$. As can be seen it's the same as that output by the voltage follower without a low pass filter.
Point of measurement: $V_O$
Trigger: auto, @-1.68V
Vertical: 1.00V/div
Horizontal: 20.00µs/div
This is the second type of pulse but measured at $V_O$. As can be seen it's the same as that output by the voltage follower without a low pass filter.
Point of measurement: $V_O$
Trigger: auto, @1.08V
Vertical: 1.00V/div
Horizontal: 20.00µs/div
This is the only kind of pulse from a brand new ADDA Brushless DC motor model AD0812MS-A70GL rated at 12V 0.15A. Comparing the pulses, that from the Power Logic has a positive peak that reaches 2.1V while this new fan has a peak of only 1.2V. Negative peak is a bit harder to compare because the ADDA sometimes has negatives spikes that dip to around -2.0V.
The most crucial point in all this is that a low pass filter is essential for the $V_O$ monitoring circuit to work properly and reliably given various types of loads loads.
Backtracking a bit, filter capacitor sizing is important to make sure that ripple voltage at maximum rated current of the power supply is such that there is still enough headroom for the 317 to produce a regulated output. That is, at the comparator trip voltage (switching from lower to higher voltage transformer tap) and at the maximum voltage output of the 317 (~30VDC in this design) the following must hold true:
V_{IN_{no\,load}}- V_{PPripple_{max\,load}} > V_{min\,headroom}
$V_{IN_{no\,load}}$ = LM317 input voltage with no load at the output, in volts
$V_{PPripple_{max\,load}}$ = peak-to-peak ripple voltage at the input of the 317 with maximum load connected to its output, in volts
$V_{min\,headroom}$ = minimum headroom for the voltage regulator, in volts
Minimum headroom for the LM317 is around 2.5VDC. To allow enough leeway I peg it at 3V. This headroom requirement is the reason I chose a 14-0-14V over the more common 12-0-12V transformer. Tests with the latter yielded a poor headroom, its output being only 15VDC, rectified and filtered, even at no-load condition. That should in fact be 17.0VDC ($V_{RMS}\sqrt2 $). This problem may be manufacturer related, or I just got a bad batch. The 14-0-14V transformer (made by a different manufacturer) measured 19.6VDC (rectified, filtered, no-load) tapped at its 14VAC output, which is within 1% of the ideal value of 19.8V.
Assuming a ripple voltage that's triangular in waveform, the relation between peak-to-peak and RMS values of ripple voltage is given by:
V_{PPripple} = V_{RMSripple}2\sqrt3
For light loads the following approximation applies:
V_{RMSripple} = \frac {I_{load}}{4\sqrt3 \,fC}
$I_{load}$ = current draw of the load, in amperes
$f$ = mains/line frequency, in hertz
$C$ = capacitance of the filter capacitor, in farads
Peak-to-peak ripple is therefore,
V_{PPripple} = \left ( \frac {I_{load}}{4\sqrt3 \,fC} \right ) 2\sqrt3
V_{PPripple} = \frac {I_{load}}{2fC}
With a mains frequency of 60Hz the above simplifies to
V_{PPripple} = \frac {I_{load}}{120C}
In my design I set a limit of $V_{PPripple}$ = 1V. Plugging that into the formula yields a capacitor value of 8333µF. I will use either two 4700µF or one 10mF. Cap working voltage should be a minimum of 50V given the 40VAC peak of the transformer.
To adjust the 317's output I'm using is a Bourns 3590S 5Kohm 10-turn precision potentiometer. A high quality pot is necessary to achieve good, reliable, stable resistance and, consequently, voltage output.
Note: LaTeX math code was embedded using mathcache
1. LM317 constant voltage reference design with protection diodes and bypass capacitors: STMicroelectonics LM317 datasheet.
2. Equations for power dissipation of LM317 and heatsink requirements: National Semiconductors LM317 datasheet.
3. Single-supply comparator hysteresis equations: Microchip MCP6541 datasheet.
4. Equations for filter capacitor ripple voltage: Electronics Devices and Circuit Theory, 4ed, Robert Boylestad & Louis Nashelsky, 1987, p.675 and Appendix B.; Nuts and Volts, February 2004, p.11. | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '1520', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.88889479637146}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '164425', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:4K4C3BIIAHFAEPSKDZEUAF4TZDILS5QS', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:2a980019-0101-4ce8-b780-af7e59a8dbb1>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2018, 9, 23, 4, 16, 19), 'WARC-IP-Address': '172.217.15.97', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:A2EZNCLKADHR6EHSWSHN5UL62S5KOEEB', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:a4f6308f-f222-450c-ae0f-b6d3720a6bff>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'http://electromotiveforces.blogspot.com/2010/09/', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:3b966bea-6070-4c9d-95ca-ef716f9f2895>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '7851', 'url': 'http://electromotiveforces.blogspot.com/2010/09/', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2018-39\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for September 2018\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-65-126-152.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.15 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 0.11-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.03487473726272583', 'original_id': '95c75ac1e17774cb01f399d21e7c2fca1a86dd1446a197df53e676cb9b2f22a1'} |
The Overload Shuffle starting positions are the same as the Deweyville Shuffle with the exception of the feeder. The feeder will start in the ballside low post. In this variation of the Overload Shuffle we use the movement of the Deweyville Shuffle for the second cutter, you could use the movement of the Drake Shuffle for the second cutter as well.
Diagram 112: Shows the initial alignment of the Overload Shuffle. On the pass to the point by the first cutter, the feeder moves from block to block and then pops out as he does in the Deweyville Shuffle. The point will swing the ball to the feeder.
Diagram 113: The first cutter cuts off the screen set by the post, through the lane and to the second cutter position. The second cutter moves up to his position beside the post.
Diagram 114: After the first cutter clears the post screen the second cutter uses the post screen and cuts to the post position on ballside.
Diagram 115: After the second cutter clears the post's screen the point moves down to screen for the post. The post will cut off the point's screen and move to the point position. After the post clears the point's screen the point rolls to the ballside low post position/
Diagram 116: We are now set to run the shuffle back to the other side of the court.
Make your own free website on Tripod.com | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '0', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.8949601054191589}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '17326', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:SEMVAQYFLUKGC6MTG7RCXKCY5E7UH7CI', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:46321db4-f2b2-41d2-9094-126fdcc5cad4>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2018, 9, 22, 22, 30, 28), 'WARC-IP-Address': '209.202.252.66', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:UCIZ5FST5JD2NIJ7VEZ5A6XADZGMCQ3V', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:231ae163-5fa7-4285-b0ee-865c06ab8c16>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'http://cldj.tripod.com/overload.html', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:d47e4849-f9fd-44f6-92cf-83635061d672>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '242', 'url': 'http://cldj.tripod.com/overload.html', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2018-39\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for September 2018\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-51-149-184.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.15 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 0.11-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.061889588832855225', 'original_id': '3023118ec379f4e4be32baccb9d4797bc79efecc60dcd107b747bd30a0ff25e0'} |
Cape Coast Coast. Published every Saturday at Bey St. Louis, Miss. A calamity has fallen upon Boston, and soon an appeal for pecuniary aid may be expected. The calamity is without precedent in that city, although it is common enough in some other places. There are 3000 children without a school in which to say their lessons, and all because the funds of the School Board have run out and necessary repairs cannot be made on the school buildings. The wealth of Greater New York is almost beyond belief. Its real estate and personal property are assessed at the enormous, the almost inconceivable sum of $2,800,000,000. Compare this with the assessed value of all the property in the richest States of the Union, as follows: Massachusetts, $2,151,000,000; Pennsylvania, $2,000,000,000; Ohio, $1,778,000,000, and Illinois, $810,000,000. The French War Department has begun a series of experiments with horseless carriages to test their value in time of war. 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Mr. Bessemer invented a process of making steel which reduced by 500 per cent, the previous cost of manufacturing that metal. “Mr. Bessemer is worth, per haps, ten millions of dollars,” said Mr. Hewitt. “That, of course, is away above the average of individual acquirement, but it is only a small part of the wealth which Mr. Besse mer’s invention has conferred upon man, directly and indirectly. I think it a conservative estimate to put the money value of Bessemer’s contribu tion to the world at large at not less than $1,000,000,000. A railroad man like Mr. Depew can appreciate the vast saving which this single inven tion of steel making has brought about.” The ex-Mayor said it was not true that the great mass of wealth was concentrated in a few hands. Hs bad investigated the subject sufficient ly to satisfy himself that but a com paratively small part of the world’s wealth is held by so-called million aires. In fact, there are not mors than 4000 persons in this country who are worth a million or more. Ths average wealth of the people of ths United States is between SI3OO and THE PATH ACROSS THE FIELDS. The house, but by men and women, Which only summer yields. At morn and eve did pass The shadow of the woodland, beside the way unshaded. The bounty of the fields, amid the sunburnt grass; The gleam of shining waters their step was slow and heavy The morn of the sea. Their garm sails bore the soil The varied book of Nature, of the hard world’s grim work-day, All opened wide for me. They walked the way of toll. Amid those scenes of beauty, so close against our pleasure I spied a pathway there. Is the undertone of care All flowerless and dusty, of those who, all unsheltered, All hard and brown and hare. The heat and burden bear No dainty gown swept over. And the fair summer memory No foot in dalliance strayed. Sweet harvest to me yields Along the narrow limit. Yet ever lives the picture The tread of toll had made. Of the path across the fields Harper's Bazar, TO FLOWING her My name, a familiar abbreviation, and Mephistophelean was her nature. The usual vices of the feline tribe, including a double portion of those which men are so fond of describing as feminine. Vain, indolent, selfish, with a highly cultivated taste for luxury and neatness in her personal appearance, she was distinguished by all those little irritating habits and traits for which nothing but an affectionate Heart—a thing conspicuous by its absence—can atone. We live in a comfortable old fashioned house facing the highroad. I say we, but in fact for some months I had been alone, and my husband had just returned from one of his sporting and scientific expeditions in South America. He had already won fame as a naturalist, and had succeeded in bringing home alive quite a variety of beasts, usually of the reptile order, whose extreme rarity seemed to be a merciful provision of nature. But all his previous triumphs were completely eclipsed, I soon learned, by the capture alive, on this last expedition, of an abominably poisonous snake, known to those who knew it as the Blue Dryad, or more familiarly, in backwoods slang, as the “half-hour striker,” in vague reference to its malignant and fatal qualities. This precious reptile was destined for the Zoological Gardens. Being in extremely delicate health at the time, I need hardly say that I know nothing of these growsome details until afterward. Henry (that is my husband), after entering my room with a robust and sunburned appearance that did my heart good, merely observe—as soon as we had exchanged greeting—that he had brought home a pretty snake which “wouldn’t do the slightest harm”—an evasive assurance I accepted as became the nervous enthusiastic naturalist. I believe I instinctively came into the house. Fortunately the weather was very hot, so that it was decided that the Blue in flannel and securely confined in a basket, should be left in the sun and the farthest. Corner of the veranda, during the hour or so in the afternoon when my husband had to visit the town on business. Ho had gone off with a cousin of mine, an officer of Engineers in India, stationed, I think, at Lahore, and home on leave. I remember that they were a long time, or what seemed to me a long time, over their luncheon; and the last remark of our guest as he came out of the dining-room remained in my head as even meaningless words will run in the head of any idle invalid shut up for the most of the day in a silent room. What he said was, in the positive tone of one emphasizing a curious and surprising statement, “D’you know, by the way, it’s the one animal that doesn’t care a rap for the cobra.” And, my husband seeming to express disbelief and a desire to change the subject as they entered my boudoir, “It’s a holy fact! Goes for it, so smart! Has the beggar on toast before you can say ‘Jack Robinson!’ ” The observation did not interest me, but simply ran in my head. Then they came into my room, only for a few moments, as I was not to be tired. The engineer tried to amuse Stoftles, who was seized with such a lit of mortal boredom that he transferred his attentions to Ruby, the Gordon setter, a devoted and inseparable friend of mine, under whose charge I was shortly left as they went out. I suppose I may have been asleep for ten minutes or so when I was awakened by the noise of Ruby’s heavy body jumping out through the open window. Feeling restless and seeing me asleep, he had imagined himself entitled to a short snell off guard. Had the door not been ostentatiously latched, he would have made his way out by it, being thoroughly used to open doors and such tricks—a capacity which, in fact, proved fatal to him. That it was unlatched, I saw in a few moments, for the dog on his return forced it open with a push and trotted up in a disturbed manner to my bedside. I noticed a tiny spot of blood on the black side of his nose, and naturally supposed he had scratched himself against a bush or a piece of wire. “Ruby,” I said, “what have you been doing?” Then he whined as if in pain, crouching close to my side and shaking in every limb. I should say that I was myself lying with a shawl over my feet on a deep sofa with a high back. I turned to look at Stoffles, who was slowly perambulating the room, looking for flies and other insects—her favorite amusement on the wainscot. When I glanced again at the dog, his appearance filled me with horror; he was standing, obviously from pain, swaying from side to side and breathing hard. As I watched, his body grew more and more rigid. With his eyes fixed on the half-open door, he drew back as if from the approach of some dreaded object, raised his head with a pitiful attempt at a bark, which broke off into a stilled howl, rolled over sideways suddenly, and lay dead. The horrid stiffness of the body, almost resembling a stuffed creature overset, made me believe that he had died as he stood, close to my side, perlum meaning to defend me, unable to resist the unintelligible idea that the dog had been frightened to death, I followed the direction of his last gaze, and at first saw nothing. The next moment I observed round the corner of the veranda door a small, dark and slender object, swaying gently up and down like a dry bough in the wind. It had passed right into the room with the same slow, regular motion before I realized what it was and what had happened. My poor, stupid Ruby must have nosed at the basket on the veranda till he succeeded somehow in opening it, and have been bitten in return for his pains by the abominable beast which I now saw angrily rearing its head and hissing fiercely at the dead dog within three yards of my face. I am not one of those women who jump on chairs or tables when they see a mouse, but I have a constitutional horror of the most harmless reptiles. Watching the Blue Dryad as it glided across the patch of sunlight streaming in from the open window, and knowing what it was, I confess to being as nearly frightened out of my wits as I ever hope to be. I simply dared not speak or move a finger for fear of attracting the beast’s attention to myself. Suddenly, Stoffles, weary of patting flies and spiders on the back, appeared gently purring on the back of the sofa. Stoffles, as I have said, was inordinately vain and self-conscious. Stalking along the top of the sofa back and bearing erect the bushy banner of her magnificent tail, she looked the most ridiculous creature imaginable. She had proceeded half way on this pilgrimage toward me, when suddenly, with the rapidity of lightning, as her ear caught the sound of the hiss and her eyes fell upon the Blue Dryad, her whole civilized “play-acting” demeanor vanished, and her body stiffened and contracted to the form of a watchful wild beast with the ferocious and instinctive antipathy to a natural enemy blazing from its eyes. In one light bound she was on the floor in a compressed, defensive attitude, with all four feet close together, near, but not too near, the unknown but clearly hostile intruder; and to my surprise the snake turned and made off toward the window. Stoffles trotted lightly after, obviously interested in its method of locomotion. Then she made a long arm and playfully dropped a paw upon its tail. The snake wriggled free in a moment, and coiling its wide length, some three and a half feet, fronted this new antagonist. At the very essence, I need hardly say, I expected that one short stroke of that little pointed head against the cat's delicate body would quickly have settled everything. But one is apt to forget that a snake can move but slowly and awkwardly over a smooth surface, such as a tiled or wooden floor. A snake that “darts” when it has nothing secure to hold on by, only overbalances itself. This particular reptile, perhaps by some instinct, now wriggled itself out on large and thick fur rug about twelve feet square, (upon which arena took place the extraordinary contest that followed. The audacity of the cat astonished me from the first. I have no reason to believe she had ever seen a snake before, yet by a sort of instinct she seemed to know exactly what she was doing. As the Dryad raised its head, with glittering eyes and forked tongue, Stolles crouched with both front paws in the air, sparring as I had seen her do sometimes with a large moth. The first round passed so swiftly that mortal eye could hardly see with distinctness what happened. The snake made a dart, and the oat, all claws, two rapid blows at its advancing head. The first missed, but the second I could see came home, as the brute, shaking its neck and head, withdrew further into the rug. But Stolles. crept after it, with an air of attractive carelessness which was instantly rewarded. A full two feet of the Dryad’s body straightened like a black arrow, and seemed to strike right into the fury side of its antagonist—seemed, I say, to slow-going human eyes; but the latter shrank, literally tell back, collapsing with such suddenness that she seemed to have turned herself inside out, and became the mere skin of a cat. As the serpent recovered itself, she pounced on it like lightning, driving at least half a dozen claws well home, and then, apparently realizing that she had not a good enough hold, sprang lightly into the air from off the body, alighting about a yard off. There followed a minute of sparring in the air; the snake seemingly half afraid to strike, the cat waiting on its every movement. Now the poisonous snake, when provoked, is an irritable animal, and the next attack of the Dryad, maddened by the scratchings of puss and its own exertions, was so furious, and so close to myself, that I shuddered for the result. I could not have left my position on the sofa without almost treading upon Stoffles, whose bristling back was not a yard from my feet. At last, I thought—as the Blue Dryad, for one second coiled close as a black silk cable, sprang out the next as straight and sharp as the piston rod of an engine—this lump of feline vanity and conceit is done for, and—I could not help thinking—it will probably be my turn next! Little did I appreciate the resources of Skiffles, who without a change in her vigilant pose, without a wink of her fierce green eyes, sprang haggard and upward to the top of me, and there confronted the enemy calmly as ever, sitting, if you please, upon my feet! Trembling all over with fright, I could not but observe that she was trembling, too—with rage. The last act rapidly approached, and no more strategic catastrophe was ever seen. For a snake, as everybody knows, naturally rears its head when fighting. In that position, though one may hit it with a stick, it is extremely difficult, as this battle had shown, to get hold of. Now, as the Dryad, curled to a capital S, quivering and hissing, advanced for the last time to the charge, it was bound to strike across the edge of the sofa on which I lay, at the head of Stoffles, which vanished with a juggling celerity that would have dislocated the collar-bone of any other animal in creation. From such an exertion the snake recovered itself with an obvious effort, quick beyond question, but not nearly quick enough. Before I could well see that it had missed its aim, Stoffles had launched out like a spring released, and, burying eight or ten claws in the back of its enemy’s head, pinned it down against the stiff cushion of the sofa. The tail of the agonized reptile flung wildly in the air and flapped on the arched back of the imperturbable tigress. The whiskered muzzle of Stoffles dropped quietly, and her teeth met once, twice, thrice, like the needle and hook of a sewing machine in the neck of the Blue Dryad; and when, after much deliberation, she let it go, the beast fell into a limp tangle on the floor. When I saw that the thing was really dead, I believe I must have fainted. Coming to myself, I heard hurried steps and voices. “Great heavens!” my husband was screaming, “where has the brute got to?” "It’s all right," said the engineer; “just you come and look here, old man. Commend me to the coolness of that cat. After the murder of your priceless specimen, here’s Stoffles cleaning her fur in one of her serenest attitudes.” From the gland of the beast, as I afterward learned, they extracted enough poison to be the death of twenty full grown human beings. Tightly clasped between its minute teeth was found a few long hairs, late the property of Stoffles,—O. H. Powell, in “Animal Episodes and Studies in Sensation.” SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL Wild birds do not sing more than eight or ten weeks in the year. In a year a horse will eat nine times his own weight, so will a cow, an ox six times ond a sheep six times. The greatest force known to science is that produced by the contraction and expansion of metals, resulting from the action of heat and cold. It is stated that the right hand, which is more sensitive to the touch than the left, is less sensitive than the latter to the effect of heat and cold. Lightning rods may be valuable if large enough, and insulated sufficiently to carry away a bolt of lightning. The common lightning rod is not of much use. In a recent lecture Professor Bergmann, of Berlin, stated that in fifty cases of perforating the skull for epilepsy, he knew of only one permanent cure. It has been calculated by Robert Ball that the whole coal supply of our planet would barely suffice to produce heat equal to that which the sun dissipates in one-tenth of a second. At the beginning of a recent thunder shower after a warm and windless day, Maurice Despres, of Cordova, Spain, noticed electrified drops that cracked faintly on touching the ground and emitted sparks. The phenomenon lasted several seconds, ceasing as the air became moistened. The first use of the phonograph in telegraphy seems to have been in Spain, where receiving operators were unable to take down rapidly enough messages received by telephone, and repeated into a phonograph. This repetition, being heard at the sending end, serves also as a control for the correctness of the message. A new laboratory turbine, claiming great steadiness, noiselessness and economy of water, has been designed by a German chemist, and is to be made in Berlin by Koehler and Martini. A circular piece of wire gauze, rotating in a thin cylindrical space, is attached to the axle. The water jet strikes the edge of the gauze at a tangent, escaping by a pipe in the center opposite the axle, and may readily be made to give a speed of 4000 revolutions per minute. Professor Esohenhagen, of Potsdam, has continued his researches on the small variations of the earth's magnetism first announced by him last year. The most important oscillations have a period of about thirty seconds and occur chiefly between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., but on two days since last October — November 7, 1890, and February 4, 1897 — shorter waves, lasting twelve or fifteen seconds, were observed. Groups of waves have been noticed on several occasions. The cause of the phenomenon is not known. Enon is uncertain, but it is believed to be atmospheric. A Spelling Test. If you can spell every word correctly in the following rhymes—all legitimate expressions—you may consider yourself qualified to enter a spelling bee: Stand up, you spellers, now and spell—Spell phenacetosoope and knell; Or take some simple word as chilly or gauger or the garden lily. To spell such words as syllogism, And lachrymose and synchronism, And Pentateuch and saccharine Apocrypha and coladino, Jepine and homeopathy. Paralysis and chloroform. Rhinoceros and pachyderm, Metempsychosis, gherkins, basque, Is certainly no easy task. Ivalodioscope and Tennessee, Kamchatka and erysipelas, And etiquette and sassafras, Infallible and ptyalism. Allopathy and rheumatism, And cataclysm and beleaguer. Twelfth, eighteenth, rendezvous, intriguer, And hosts of other words all found On English and on classic ground. Thus, Bering Straits and Michaelmas, Thermopylae, jalap, Havana, Cinquefoil and ipecacuanha, And llappauhaunock and Shenandoah And Skuyiklll and a thousand more, Are words some prime good spellers In dictionary lands like this, Nor need one think himself a soroyle If some of those his efforts fail. Nor doom himself undone forever To miss the name of either river. The Duelper, Seine or Ouadalquiver, HOUSEHOLD AFFAIRS. Ink From Paper. Ink may be removed from paper The stain is not too old, as follows: Take a teaspoonful of chlorinated lime and add just enough water to cover it. Moisten a soft cloth in the mixture and put (do not rub) the stain gently, and it will slowly disappear; If one application is not enough, try a second, and afterward wash the spot with clean water in the same way as the lime was applied. Dow to Handle the Family Wash. “The laundry work, one of the most important of domestic tasks, is, as a rule, left entirely to the management of untrained household servants,” writes Mrs. S. T. Borer in the Ladies' Home Journal, telling how to do the family washing. “And being untrained, they naturally select the most difficult way of doing what, under proper conditions, should be easy work. The person responsible for the family wash should really understand a certain amount of chemistry in order to preserve the coloring in different fabrics, and to understand how to remove stains and various spots. To prevent the flannels from shrinkage, she should know the condition and character of the fiber of wool, and the difference between that and the fiber of cotton. If the coloring matter in a colored garment is acid, an alkaline soap will dissolve or neutralize it, and the garment will come from the wash entirely faded. The average housewife returns to the laundry all articles improperly laundered, but she fails to pin to each article a little suggestion of how they may be made better, with the result that the articles are returned again the next week in exactly the same unsatisfactory condition.” The Ashland Times. The celebrated Ashland ham, from the Clay estate, were prepared under the supervision of Mrs. Henry Clay herself by the following formula: For every ton hams of moderate size, three and a half pounds of fine salt, one pound of saltpetre and two pounds of brown sugar were thoroughly mixed. The hams were well rubbed with this mixture all over. They were then packed in a tight box and kept in a cool outhouse for three weeks. Next they were put into a hogshead and covered with brine strong enough to float an egg. After three weeks in this they were taken out, thoroughly rubbed with fresh salt and hung up to dry. The next step was to the smokehouse where they hung in the smoke of green hickory or walnut wood till of the color of bright mahogany, when each ham was sewn up in canvas, the bag white washed and hung up to dry. These Ashland hams enjoyed a fine reputation about the middle of the century. It is quite probable that the three weeks during which they remained in the outhouse (prevented from tainting by the mixture with which they had been rubbed, which was all the time slowly permeating them), was really the secret of their tenderness. We all know that freshly killed meat is not as tender as that which has been hung in the butcher's icebox for ten days or two weeks; thus the ripening or breaking down of the fiber of the hams before being put in to the brine should certainly inure to their tenderness and delicacy. Household Hints. To whiten lace, stand in soapsuds exposed to the rays. Of the sun. To remove paint from window glass cab a little vinegar on the spots. To clean white silk lace, soak it in milk overnight and souse in warm soapsuds the next morning. To blacken brown boots, cut a raw potato in halves, with which rub the blacking in well and then polish. An excellent furniture polish is made by mixing turpentine with beeswax to the consistency of a thick cream. To polish brown boots there is no better preparation than melted beeswax applied with a clean cloth and well rubbed in. Grass stains may be removed from light summer frocks by dampening the soiled part in a little alcohol and rubbing well until no trace of the green is left. Wash flatirons occasionally with warm water, to every two quarts of which has been added half a tablespoonful of melted lard. Wipe thoroughly and set in a warm place till perfectly free from moisture. In canning fruit liable to easily ferment, it is an exceedingly good idea to put a teaspoon of brandy on top of each can. Housewives who have tried this have found it an infallible preventative for fermentation. To prevent colored things from running: Boil a quarter of a pound of soup till nearly dissolved, then add a small piece of alum and boil with it; wash the things in this latter, but do not soap them. If they require a second water, put alum in that also, as well as in the rinsing blue water. To clean carpets without taking them up: First, thoroughly sweep the carpet; then put four teaspoonfuls of ammonia to a pail of water and scrub the carpet with a medium brush and wipe with a cloth exactly as you would do in cleaning an unpainted floor; change the water, frequently; leave the windows open and the carpet will soon dry. A servant is much more likely to be fastidious in her dish washing and careful with dish towels if she is provided with proper ones in the beginning. The ideal cloth for washing dishes is made by taking a square cheese cloth, doubling it twice (making four thicknesses) and quilting it in larges meshes on the sewing machine. This makes a towel, soft, thick, agreeable to handle and easily kept white. Peculiar Device Against Fire The Theater Pranoais at Paris has a peculiar device to insure the greatest possible safety for the audience. Not only can the scene be separated from the audience by a hermetically closing steel curtain, but the roof of the scene can be uncovered at a moment’s notice, so that a draught of air is produced, which carries away the smoke and noxious gases produced in the fire. These, it is said, constitute the greatest danger to the audience, often rendering escape quite impossible. It is on the scene that the fire usually breaks out. PEARLS OF THOUGHT. Life was Riven to enjoy, not to drag out in complaint. A boy always thinks lots of a chum who has a pretty sister. Genius may be swift, but perseverance has the surest feet. A man is never so easily deceived as when trying to deceive others. A gossip is a person who can make five by adding two and two together. What a happy world this would be if man could only believe all he says. No man can make a fool of himself all the time. He has to sleep occasionally. By two things a man is lifted up from things earthly, namely, by simplicity and purity. When we read, we fancy we could be martyrs; when we come to act, we cannot bear a provoking word. It is a pretty saying of an old writer that men, like books, begin and end with a blank leaf—infancy and senility. Everywhere and always a man’s worth must be gauged to some extent, though only in part, by his domesicity. He is an unphilosophical man who permits his dinner to cool while he meditates upon where he shall obtain his supper. Men of humor are, in some degree, men of genius; wits are rarely so, although a man of genius may, amongst other gifts, possess wit. There are secret ties, there are sympathies, by the sweet relationship of which souls that are well matched at each other, and are affected by we know not what, which cannot be explained. The people who try to make a heaven of this earth through their generous deeds, tender sympathies, devoted friendship, kindly words and sweet affection need not waste time in thinking of an imaginary heaven beyond death. A HUNDRED YEARS’ SUPPLY. A Powerful Divine Plight Made Six Thousand Doses. “It isn’t always safe to base your estimates of value on size or quality,” said a Washington physician to a Star reporter. “I was convinced of that when I was the resident physician at one of the largest hospitals in town and was younger than I am now. On one occasion the senior attending physician came to me and said that he wished I would secure a certain drug which he said was then being used with remarkable success in some of the principal hospitals in Europe. I asked him how much I should get, as it was something I had never heard of before. “ ‘Oh, just get a little; it’s very powerful; an ounce or two would be enough, I should think.’ “Well, I telephoned and to a wholesale druggist and gave an order for an ounce. A couple of days afterward the druggist sent me word that there wasn’t as much as an ounce of the drug in the whole United States, so I told him to get me all he could. During the course of the week, he sent me three or four drams. The stuff had a name in inverse ratio to the quantity, a half dozen chemical phrases linked together with hyphens, but in direct ratio to its strength. I remember the little phial cost an even $29, and when I came to investigate, I found that a dose was such a small fraction of a grain that I had just 6000 doses on hand. That bottle stared me in the face as long as I remained at the hospital until it came to be a veritable nightmare. When I left, I think there were still 5986 doses on hand, and I shouldn’t wonder if that supply is sufficient to last through the next century. Captain laminin. History tells us nothing of Captain Landais, except that he was a Frenchman, whose had temper had led to his discharge from the French navy, and who, at the time he was placed in command of the Alliance, was so an unpopular that it was difficult to get Americans to serve under him. Captain Landais showed great jealousy of Jones in regard to his leadership in the squadron against Great Britain, and had shown insubordination and even a mutinous spirit. In the famous battle, while the Richard, lashed to the Serapis, was pouring deadly shot into the enemy’s vessel, the Alliance, Captain Landais, approached, and, sailing around the struggling combatants, delivered several broad sides in such a way as to injure both vessels equally. On board the Richard eleven men were thus killed and an officer mortally wounded. The opinion generally prevailed afterwards that Landais fired into the Richard for the purpose of killing Jones and compelling his vessel to surrender, in order that he (Landais) might retake her, together with the Serapis, and get all the honor of the victory.—Atlanta Constitution. Men tin flantronomei. “I wonder,” remarked the Observant Matron, “how men succeeded in making the world in general believe they alone knew enough to order a decent meal. Long years of experience have taught me that the average man’s idea of a dinner is a steak or roast beef, anything else he may order being suggested by the waiter. Of course, men are never tired of amusing themselves with the idea that a woman’s luncheon usually consists of pickles and cream puffs, though the same meal of the ordinary man is enough to make Lucullus turn in his grave. The other day I heard one order a piece of huckleberry pie after eating three crullers and drinking a cup of chocolate. And when the waitress replied they hadn’t any huckleberry, but she could give him cranberry pie, he took it.”—New York Press. One Way. Van Islie—I had an awful lot of trouble to get rid of that girl. Ten Broke—How did you do it? Van Islie—Proposed to her.—The Yellow Book. Table Bay, Cape of Good Hope, Africa, is full of lobsters and crawfish, and the business of canning them promises to become a big industry. THINGS. Many things Ammon must learn from it, he would make his record true. To think without contusion, let him know. To love his fellow man, slumber, to act from honest motives, to trust in God and heaven. Dr. Henry Van Dyke, HUMOR OF THE OAY. Willie “Papa, what’s the ‘Great Divide?’’ Pa—“It comes after an election.”—Chicago News. She—“This flat is so cold." He— “Well, how can you expect a fire-proof flat to be warm?”—Truth. Lancelot—“Poets are born, not made.” Maud Sharpe—“I know. I wasn’t blaming you.”—Tit-Bits. Ho—“She asked me what color hair liked best.” She—“That’s just like Maud. She is always so anxious to please.”—Judy. Little Elmer—“Pa, what does ‘repiescat in pace’ mean?” Prof. Broadband—" ‘Please stay dead’ is neat enough.”—Puck. Brown—“It makes me tired to hear people call it the Klondike fever.” Yeast—"What would you call it?” “The Klondike chill.” “I’m anxious to meet Mr. Hobbey; they say he talks just like a book.” “Yes; he does—just like a blank book!” “Yes; he does—just like a blank book!” —Detroit Free Press. “Tommy,” said the teacher, “what is meant by nutritious food?” "Something that ain’t got no taste to it,” replied Tommy.—Tit-Bits. He—“I am willing to admit I was wrong,” She—“I expect you to do more than that. You must admit that I was right!”—Puck. N. Peck—“My wife hasn't spoken a cross word to me for two weeks.” Betterhaws—“When is she coming back?”—Indianapolis Journal. “Dar ain’t no worse victim oh misplaced confidence,” said Uncle Eben, “and don’t you know everything.” —Washington Star. Irascible English Man—“Aw, look here, you needn’t pokefun at Punch!” Amiable American—“Why not? It’s the very thing it lacks.”—Brooklyn Life. Teacher—“What is the difference between a fixed star and any other star?” Pupil—“It depends a good deal upon the advance agent.”—Boston Transcript. Baggs—“Say, do you believe that story of the goose laying a golden egg?” Jaggs —“Well, it would be just like a goose to do such a foolish thing,”—Chicago News. “What a beastly cold you’ve got, Bam! Where did you get it?” “It’s not cold; it’s hay fever. I got it dancing with that grass widow the other night,”—Punch. It “It must take great nerve to charge a battery.” “Oh, not so much,” said the ex-umpire. “I’ve put fines on the pitcher and catcher many a time, - Indianapolis Journal. “It’s Gill a good judge of cigars?” Bill—"I think he must be. He had two last night, and he gave me one. He must have kept the best one.”—Yonkers Statesman. Baggs—“All this talk about the world coming to an end is rank nonsense.” Jaggs—"Why is it?” Baggs—“How can anything round come to an end? I’d like to know!”—Chicago News. “No, I can’t give you a job. I’ve as many hands now as I can find work for." “Well, that needn’t stand in your way, governor. The little I’d do wouldn’t make no difference.”—Tit-Bits. Mamma—“Bessie, why don't you wash the dishes? It’s easier to do a thing than to sit and think about it.”—Browning’s Monthly. “No man can know everything,” said the high-minded youth. "Between you and me,” replied Senator Sorgum, “that’s a fact.” But there’s no excuse for a man's making the mistake of owning up to it.”—Washington Star, Smith—“Your friend Wheeler is a crank on punctuality, isn’t he?” Brown—“I should say he is. Why, he even carries his watch in the rear pocket of his trousers, just to prevent his ever being behind time."—Chicago News. The Strangest Sight. What is the strangest sight I ever saw? A sand-hill crane dance on the shore of the Indian River in Florida. There were ten birds of the average size and one overgrown fellow. The latter acted as master of ceremonies. In fact, he led the dance, even as Lish Dyer leads in New York. Eight formed into a square, making four couples, and all the figures of the quadrille were presented. They went forward and back, swung partners, crossed over, “chased” in superb style, bowed to partners, right-and-left to places, and, indeed, went through the entire performance in a weird and ghostlike manner. Once in awhile the two odd chaps would slip into the center and execute a flourish, which the master of ceremonies suddenly terminated with a vicious flap of the wings, driving the intruders back to their places as wall flowers. Could anything funnier be imagined? The sand-hill crane is four feet long, with a wing-spread of seventy or seventy-two inches. Its legs or a like pipe stems, three feet in length, and loosely jointed about the middle. It was a dance never to be forgotten, and was worth going all the way to Florida to see. The birds wore uniforms of leaden-gray. New York Press. Irult Juice Shoe Polishing. | common_corpus | {'identifier': 'sn86074033_1898-01-22_1_2_1', 'collection': 'US-PD-Newspapers', 'open_type': 'Open Culture', 'license': 'Public Domain', 'date': '1898.0', 'title': 'None', 'creator': 'None', 'language': 'English', 'language_type': 'Spoken', 'word_count': '6691', 'token_count': '8997', '__index_level_0__': '13059', 'original_id': '253e53bf2b1659c8de2f3e2ab36d62eb8023830b5b2f695c660d20c47303d6d6'} |
Jimmy Carter
December 04, 1978
William A. Steiger Statement on the Death of the Representative From Wisconsin.
The death this morning of Congressman William Steiger deprives the Congress of a youthful but experienced leader.
Congressman Steiger, the youngest Member of Congress when he was elected in 1966, quickly earned the respect of his colleagues. His energy, independence, and good humor will be sorely missed by the people of Wisconsin and by his colleagues.
Rosalynn and I extend our deepest sympathies to Congressman Steiger's wife and family on their loss. | the_stack | {'hexsha': 'b0f4ff104f888c13bc76a35f7b06ff021d54134e', 'size': '568', 'ext': 'txt', 'lang': 'Text', 'max_stars_repo_path': 'separate_presidents/39.carter/December 04, 19785ac865b5-c751-407e-b262-9f3df911d2ea.txt', 'max_stars_repo_name': 'burcukolcak/presidentialdocuments-scraping', 'max_stars_repo_head_hexsha': '1dff9f58815c4d1fbaf14fa0d46d89511991dfc3', 'max_stars_repo_licenses': "['MIT']", 'max_stars_count': '', 'max_stars_repo_stars_event_min_datetime': '', 'max_stars_repo_stars_event_max_datetime': '', 'max_issues_repo_path': 'separate_presidents/39.carter/December 04, 19785ac865b5-c751-407e-b262-9f3df911d2ea.txt', 'max_issues_repo_name': 'burcukolcak/presidentialdocuments-scraping', 'max_issues_repo_head_hexsha': '1dff9f58815c4d1fbaf14fa0d46d89511991dfc3', 'max_issues_repo_licenses': "['MIT']", 'max_issues_count': '', 'max_issues_repo_issues_event_min_datetime': '', 'max_issues_repo_issues_event_max_datetime': '', 'max_forks_repo_path': 'separate_presidents/39.carter/December 04, 19785ac865b5-c751-407e-b262-9f3df911d2ea.txt', 'max_forks_repo_name': 'burcukolcak/presidentialdocuments-scraping', 'max_forks_repo_head_hexsha': '1dff9f58815c4d1fbaf14fa0d46d89511991dfc3', 'max_forks_repo_licenses': "['MIT']", 'max_forks_count': '', 'max_forks_repo_forks_event_min_datetime': '', 'max_forks_repo_forks_event_max_datetime': '', 'avg_line_length': '81.1428571429', 'max_line_length': '240', 'alphanum_fraction': '0.8204225352', 'original_id': 'f353e217cc538da48c3c72fa1cbf7968ca8f077635b94882614f060d8669ab52'} |
/*
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http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.
*/
package workqueue_test
import (
"sync"
"testing"
"time"
"github.com/fission/fission-workflows/pkg/util/workqueue"
)
func TestBasic(t *testing.T) {
// If something is seriously wrong this test will never complete.
q := workqueue.New()
// Start producers
const producers = 50
producerWG := sync.WaitGroup{}
producerWG.Add(producers)
for i := 0; i < producers; i++ {
go func(i int) {
defer producerWG.Done()
for j := 0; j < 50; j++ {
q.Add(i)
time.Sleep(time.Millisecond)
}
}(i)
}
// Start consumers
const consumers = 10
consumerWG := sync.WaitGroup{}
consumerWG.Add(consumers)
for i := 0; i < consumers; i++ {
go func(i int) {
defer consumerWG.Done()
for {
item, quit := q.Get()
if item == "added after shutdown!" {
t.Errorf("Got an item added after shutdown.")
}
if quit {
return
}
t.Logf("Worker %v: begin processing %v", i, item)
time.Sleep(3 * time.Millisecond)
t.Logf("Worker %v: done processing %v", i, item)
q.Done(item)
}
}(i)
}
producerWG.Wait()
q.ShutDown()
q.Add("added after shutdown!")
consumerWG.Wait()
}
func TestAddWhileProcessing(t *testing.T) {
q := workqueue.New()
// Start producers
const producers = 50
producerWG := sync.WaitGroup{}
producerWG.Add(producers)
for i := 0; i < producers; i++ {
go func(i int) {
defer producerWG.Done()
q.Add(i)
}(i)
}
// Start consumers
const consumers = 10
consumerWG := sync.WaitGroup{}
consumerWG.Add(consumers)
for i := 0; i < consumers; i++ {
go func(i int) {
defer consumerWG.Done()
// Every worker will re-add every item up to two times.
// This tests the dirty-while-processing case.
counters := map[interface{}]int{}
for {
item, quit := q.Get()
if quit {
return
}
counters[item]++
if counters[item] < 2 {
q.Add(item)
}
q.Done(item)
}
}(i)
}
producerWG.Wait()
q.ShutDown()
consumerWG.Wait()
}
func TestLen(t *testing.T) {
q := workqueue.New()
q.Add("foo")
if e, a := 1, q.Len(); e != a {
t.Errorf("Expected %v, got %v", e, a)
}
q.Add("bar")
if e, a := 2, q.Len(); e != a {
t.Errorf("Expected %v, got %v", e, a)
}
q.Add("foo") // should not increase the queue length.
if e, a := 2, q.Len(); e != a {
t.Errorf("Expected %v, got %v", e, a)
}
}
func TestReinsert(t *testing.T) {
q := workqueue.New()
q.Add("foo")
// Start processing
i, _ := q.Get()
if i != "foo" {
t.Errorf("Expected %v, got %v", "foo", i)
}
// Add it back while processing
q.Add(i)
// Finish it up
q.Done(i)
// It should be back on the queue
i, _ = q.Get()
if i != "foo" {
t.Errorf("Expected %v, got %v", "foo", i)
}
// Finish that one up
q.Done(i)
if a := q.Len(); a != 0 {
t.Errorf("Expected queue to be empty. Has %v items", a)
}
}
type CustomItem struct {
key interface{}
value interface{}
}
func (i *CustomItem) ID() interface{} {
return i.key
}
func TestInsertItemsWithIdentifiers(t *testing.T) {
q := workqueue.New()
item := &CustomItem{key: "foo", value: "bar"}
q.Add(item)
// Start processing
i, _ := q.Get()
if i != item {
t.Errorf("Expected %v, got %v", "foo", i)
}
// Add it back while processing
if !q.Add(i) {
t.Errorf("Expected %v, got %v", true, i)
}
// Finish it up
q.Done(i)
// It should be back on the queue
i, _ = q.Get()
if i != item {
t.Errorf("Expected %v, got %v", "foo", i)
}
// Finish that one up
q.Done(i)
if a := q.Len(); a != 0 {
t.Errorf("Expected queue to be empty. Has %v items", a)
}
}
| mini_pile | {'original_id': 'f7864cc5119d01c30ab7c5ec593b1ccad46fdd9963efc167ecba756c8f32a268'} |
Friday
Oct 22, 2010 at 12:01 AMOct 22, 2010 at 10:17 PM
With just weeks until the Congressional midterm elections that will shape the legislative leadership, Democrats are increasingly focused on generating uninterest within the base of unlikely voters who they say are more likely to respond to their unenthusiastic message than “traditional voters.”
Editor's note: This is a satirical column and is not meant to be taken as fact.
With just weeks until the Congressional midterm elections that will shape the legislative leadership, Democrats are increasingly focused on generating uninterest within the base of unlikely voters who they say are more likely to respond to their unenthusiastic message than “traditional voters.”
Laying out an unfocused agenda leaden with apathy and laden with unresponsiveness during a series of dispirited campaign rallies across the nation, Democratic candidates in tough reelection campaigns say their ideas seem to be resonating with the unmotivated masses.
After months of trying, without success, to energize, cajole, wheedle and even shame the left into action for the upcoming elections, Democratic strategists have turned their sights on the politically directionless, a largely overlooked but influential group of electorally uninvolved Americans. And now, as the midterm election nears, these Democratic strategists think they may have found an approach to win over a vast new bloc of indifferent support to match the Tea Party momentum that has propelled Republicans this year.
“There are millions of unlikely voters who didn’t come out in 2008, some were even first-time unlikely voters who are still planning not to vote in the midterm this fall. That is a huge segment of our adult population. We don’t have the luxury of continuing to ignore them just because they don’t vote,” one Democratic congressman said. “I think the takeaway for us is it is easier to maintain indifference than enthusiasm.”
“We’re done blaming (House Speaker Nancy) Pelosi and distancing ourselves from the president. Frankly, we just can’t be bothered, what with so much else going on in our lives,” said a longtime Democratic strategist.
Democrats have stepped up their unlikely-voter campaign efforts significantly in recent weeks, holding late-night fundraisers at 24-hour laundromats in New Jersey and Illinois, and a webcast town hall meeting last week on MTV and five other channels aimed at the millions of young unlikely voters, some of whom showed up to watch outfitted with backward facing tri-corner hats and carrying signs with messages such as: “Don’t Tread On My Indifference” and “You Can’t Make Me Get Involved.”
“Enthusiasm and hundreds of millions in secret campaign contributions will make you look stronger on television news shows and in the polls, but that isn’t going to get you very far with unlikely voters,” noted a Democratic senator.
“Tiresomeness and detachment may not be sexy, but it gets the job done a heck of a lot better than zeal and anger,” he added. “And we’re here to finish the job, no matter how boring that may seem.”
Ed Blank, president of a local unlikely voter group in Virginia, said that it had taken awhile for the Democrats to find an incoherent message that spoke to the indifference of unlikely voters, but that over the last month the party seems to have found its footing with a murky and uninteresting message that is empathetic with the lackadaisical concerns of unlikely voters.
“I see the ennui,” Mr. Blank told reporters on Tuesday. “I don’t see them out there that much. They don’t seem to be doing door knocks. And when they are out there, they don’t seem to be focused on things and they don’t seem to understand the importance of this election.”
“It’s great that the Democrats are showing an apathetic spirit in the weeks before an election, but what these unlikely voters need to see is that same apathetic spirit when they’re governing,” said Joe Bland, a co-founder of the Unconcerned Unlikely Voters Campaign Committee, a group started last year to advocate for less involvement, fewer goals and more lackluster candidates.
Democratic leaders said the appeal to the base of unlikely voters stems entirely from political reality. “It’s not frustration at all,” one House committee chairman said. “It’s fundamental. Almost the entire Republican margin is based on the gap between the votes of likely voters — but what about the unlikely voters? They don’t’ tend to vote Republican, so we figure there has to be a way to use this to our advantage. If this works the way we hope it will, it could be a game-changer for the party.”
A leader with the liberal group Democracy for America, said activists were willing to put aside any squabbles with unlikely voters now if it means winning their support for the midterm elections.
“We’re soldiering on,” he said. “We’re going to do this one way or the other. We’re going to work to keep the majority. At the end of the day, whatever issues we have with what the unlikely voters don’t say and don’t do, well, we can have that conversation on Nov. 3.”
No Way, an organization of unenthusiastic Democrats, produced a study showing that unlikely voters are the largest share of the electorate and substantial enough to keep Congress in Democratic hands. Citing Gallup polling data, the study said self-described unlikely voters invariably outnumber Democratic, Republican, or independent voters.
“Unlikely voters have a clear choice now,” said a Democratic congressman, brimming with the party’s newfound confidence and world-weariness. “There is only one party that is willing to stand up for tedium and torpor, and I am confident that that will show on Nov. 2.”
Philip Maddocks can be reached at pmaddock@cnc.com.
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Digital access or digital and print delivery. | mini_pile | {'original_id': '9ff88a0a138497b555e10390cce9850ab3ea36aceb14250748997dc170c5f1a1'} |
Hosta Plants Grow in Shade
February 26, 2014 in Flowers and Bulbs by Christine
Hosta Plants Grow in Shade
Hosta Plants Grow in the ShadeThere are a wide variety of different Hosta Plants, each with its own unique needs and attributes. While the overall species is known for being able to grow in low level sunlight and shaded conditions, these are not ideal conditions for all of them. Care for Hostas extends well beyond this myth as each type of plant is unique. Depending on whether the grower is cultivating green, yellow, or white Hostas there will need to be different procedures taken to ensure that the plants can all reach their full potential.
Green Hostas are immensely popular in Australia. They are easy to plant, pretty to look at, and are known for their wonderful smell. Primarily, most varieties of the green Hosta can be planted in the shade. With the exception of the Hosta Plantaginea all of the other green Hosas can thrive in reduced sunlight. While green Hostas can grow in low lighting, they still require some sun. A general rule of thumb is to allow green Hosta plants exposure to the morning sun, while keeping them shaded in the afternoon. This allows for the plants to still get their nutrients, while also protecting them and keeping their leaves from getting burnt.
Yellow Hostas are slightly different from their green counterparts. These plants actually do better with more sunight exposure. Anyone with a Hostas garden should make sure to place these plants in an area that maximises the amount of sun that they can get. This allows them to retain their vibrant yellow color and provides them with the nutrients that they need. Yellow Hostas that are planted in the shade will begin to turn green and will never do particularly well. Additionally, because these Hostas need more sunlight it is important to make sure that they are well watered. Doing so can prevent any unfortunate mishaps.
White Hosta plants are rather unique. Certain varieties can receive full sun exposure, while others need to be shaded. While each type is different thicker leaved white Hosta plants are generally known for being durable in direct sunlight, while thinner leaved plants should be planted in partial shade. Depending on the type, use the same rules that would typically be associated either with green or yellow Hostas. Also, growers who are unsure whether their plant needs shade or sun should seek out information on the variety. It is a good idea to research the specific type of white Hosta before planting it, this ensures that the plant will be placed in its ideal conditions.
Some of the Newer Hosta cultivars for sale in Australia are Hoster Alleghan frog, Hosta Aurora Borealis, Hosta Blue Blush, Hosta Blue Jay, Hosta Twilight, Hosta Brenda’s Beauty, Hosta Dance with me, Hosta El Nino, Hosta Hercules, Hosta Paul’s Glory. Some of the blue hostas with very blue leaves are Hosta Winfield Blue, Hosta Hadspen Blue, Hosta Halcyon and Hosta Blue Vision, while Hosta Mr Big as the name says the biggest hosta.
Hosta Care
Care for Hostas is different depending one variation of the plant, but is still relatively simple as long as growers follow the correct steps. By adhering to the the general conditions that each type of plant thrives in, and doing some basic maintenance and research, a gardener can easily cultivate their Hosta garden into vibrant and flourishing place filled with all kinds of healthy plants. By merely following guidelines and making sure that each plant is doing all right, a Hosta enthusiast can keep their plants safe and healthy with very little additional effort. Hostas can be fertilised with slow release fertiliser or liquid seaweed and require splitting up every three or four years, snails are a problem with hostas it is best to prevent snails from coming into your garden with epsom salts.
These are some of the best tips on how to grow Hostas in Australia.
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Americans have always loved luxury cars - Old Cars Weekly
Americans have always loved luxury cars
Even in the early days, there was always a place for the American luxury car.
Publish date:
Image placeholder title
Stanley steam cars were renown among early
luxury carmakers.
It’s no surprise that a luxury car in the early 1900s did not exhibit the same appearance and features of the late 1930s. But what might surprise you is that similar virtues carried through, regardless of decade.
Similarly, it wasn’t high price that distinguished an automobile as a luxury vehicle. Fit, finish, dependability, performance, roominess, and quality were among the main virtues.
Examine nearly any publication before 1905 and you will discover the high interest level on European cars. Mechanically, the De Dion-Bouton engine and body styling were adored by many early American inventors. The engine especially was sturdy and reliable, constructed to fit the dimensions of converted horseless carriages and specially made four-wheeled vehicles based on low-to-the-ground principles.
Albert de Dion in France gets the credit for that impressive influence as early as the 1880s. Georges Bouton and his brother-in-law joined in the automotive effort on the European continent. Initial De Dion engines were steam powered. By 1890, the internal combustion principle dominated the design.
Since American car development lagged behind European advancements by several years, inventors in the New World looked to Old World ideas in motorcar construction. But that did not last.
Those French cars held special magic over luxury carmakers sprouting in America in those early years of automobile industrialization. French cars had “mechanical refinement which forgets the balance between outlay and pecuniary returns in its zeal for niceties of construction,” reported The Automobile and Motor Review magazine in 1902.
The lag in development was only momentary, the magazine noted: “America is not likely soon to rival the French in the construction of racing cars, for the costly refinements by which every superfluous pound of metal is eliminated do not go well with American systems of manufacture. But may not the same…qualities that go into the production of gasoline and steam runabouts by the thousand, at prices below what would be possible abroad, stand this country in good stead in solving the problems of commercial transport?”
Indeed, road conditions and operating tolerances were different on American roads when compared to French byways. France did not have the Rocky Mountains and was not divided by huge rivers such as the Missouri and Mississippi. The Mosel River, one of the main waterways through France and Germany, was considered a moderate-size river in the United States. Still, for France, it was a main mode of water transport. Even more pronounced was the great expanse of land in America, with far ranging temperatures. Open stretches included roads through the hottest deserts in the world.
American towns and villages were more spacious than European sites, which allowed for wider streets and larger cars. It also allowed for less regulation of cars early in the industry’s rise. People were more forgiving if they had the space to be generous in sharing the road with gas-belching, steam puffing, or battery-fumed personal vehicles.
Electricity powered a fair number of luxury cars before 1920. These usually were tiller-driver conveyances with a driver’s seat that swiveled. Thus, it was easier to simply reposition the driver than to turn the car in another direction. Ladies liked the high-hat space of an electric. And steam was also a power source preferred by enough people to support several carmakers of that ilk. The best known was Stanley, the dream of two twin brothers who quietly and carefully masterminded one of the most memorable companies of its type.
By 1910, cars took on a thoroughly American appearance, although there were still reflections of French and even German design. Those early luxury cars did not always have tremendous wheelbases. One-hundred inches was a convenient stretch in the earliest days, although there was little standardization among manufacturers, so varying lengths approached or surpassed that amount. By 1920, a luxury car was l-o-n-g, taking as much as 17 or more feet for parking. By 1930 that went even higher. By 1940, luxury cars had needed a parking space at least 20 feet long, in select cases even a few feet longer.
Back then, the word “luxury” conveyed the idea of quality. Painting of car bodies involved brushing on varnish-type colorations over formed wood. Craftsmen could prepare the batch to the exacting consistency that made the brush strokes blend without leaving many lines. Hand sanding or buffing followed. This took place several times for each coat allied, until depth of shine and smooth finish was up to the carmaker’s standard. Each time the drying process usually took days to complete.
So when a deep finish was put on a car, it meant tedious reapplication with subsequent use of space. This slowed production. It meant cars took up space for a prolonged time. With manpower, slow results, and space utilization all tabulated, this raised the price of a new car. It wasn’t until faster drying, deeper shining paints were developed that the price of this process diminished.
So luxury meant a rich, deep shine that evoked the envy of neighbors.
High standards of quality control were attained through rigid inspection by experts. Then came final assembly. After that followed a test period leading to break-in. Indeed, many early cars had a small number of miles on them at the time of delivery to a new owner, since adjustments and part replacements were common. All this added to the cost of a luxury car.
Early in car history, it was the mark of a prestigious luxury carmaker to brag about making all major parts in its factory. This was to assure quality control, so the thinking went. It also carried a certain amount of assurance for the buyer. If John Q. Public, Esq., knew that the luxury carmaker of his choice also manufactured the engine, he knew they would stand behind its performance and dependability.
In the 1920s, with many small auto companies producing assembled cars via special-ordered shipments of components from various vendors coming together in the carmaker’s factory, the idea of standing behind an engine seemed to evaporate. The Moon Motor Car Company, for example, indicated in its owner’s manual in the mid-1920s that complaints about performance or the need for replacement of a major system on the car should be directed to the company that made that part. Since engines were supplied to Moon by Continental, the owner of a Moon car would have to see a representative from Continental to make good on a bad engine.
The same held for the Locheed hydraulic brake system. Moon’s idea was to have the car owner go directly to the company that was capable of a fast and reputable fix. This seemed to ease the financial responsibility on Moon. In reality, it hurt it.
Luxury car buyers tended to stick with companies that were proud of an established reputation and exhibited a keen sense of service.
When Cadillac succeeded in rising into the luxury field by 1915, it proudly took care “of its own” by offering complete quality control over all major systems. That included replacement through approved facilities. This made it vitally important for Cadillac to have dealerships with well-stocked service departments in key locales throughout America.
Packard and Pierce-Arrow did likewise. In fact, most luxury carmakers followed the trend unless their production was 1,000 units or less per year or they simply did not have the network support system.
In the 1930s, luxury cars sported metal bodies with a much smaller degree of structural wood framing, even on the highest-priced luxury cars. There were a few holdouts, such as Packard Twelves, that were produced as late as 1939. Cadillac’s V-12s and V-16s were also masterpieces in fit, finish, and overall craftsmanship, but some might argue these were not quite as extravagant as luxury versions a decade previous. Still, these magnificent multi-cylindered machines of the late ’30s were “super-classics,” if there is such a word.
Luxury carries a price. It always has, and that price reached from modestly high to astronomically unbelievable. On the high end, some Duesenbergs of the 1930s could be ordered with a custom body for $8,000-$10,000. That was a fortune in an era when the same amount could buy 20 or so new Fords or Chevrolets!
Even so, the American Rolls-Royce made in Springfield, Massachusetts, and sporting bodies by the revered name Brewster, could be purchased for as much as $20,000 which was double the price of some of its most memorable competitors. Engines were quiet, conservative overall in performance, and highly reliable. Rolls bragged that its cars never broke down.
Assurance. Peace of mind. Relaxing ride. Quiet. Impressive. Delightful. Costly. Real lookers. Fun. Fulfillment. An office or living room on wheels.
That was luxury.
to tell us what you think in the Old Cars Weekly Forums
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Article Archive
Author: Andrez
Sunday, 1 January 1995
Krang are a Sydney outfit comprised of regular members Adam Fischer, John Prendergast, Matthew Bright and Franc Conn, and their reputation for live electronic eclecticism preceded their current jaunt down to Melbourne - a reputation reiterated with resounding effect via performances at Zeitsprung 2 and Global Warming in the past couple of weeks, and equally so by the interview that follows. Krang's manipulation of traditional electronic devices, interspersed with microphonal abuse via megaphones and dictaphones to carry forth bizarre subliminal messages, is something unique, drawing as it does upon various influences as diverse as the industrial musicians of the 1970s, improvised rhythmic beats, John Cage, and contemporary acid techno.
To begin with, there's that name. Krang The Conqueror is a character drawn from 'The Avengers' comic book who travels in time and does some pretty nasty stuff. Is that where these elusive Sydneysiders got the name of the act from- "No, it's from something totally else", John answers, "although I didn't know about that one! It's actually from the most stupid place I could think of for a name - it's taken from 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'. . ." He shrugs at the concept. "It's that little Krang guy who's carried around by the robot host; I just like the way he's a total sort of despotic, megalomaniacal kind of guy but he's completely inept. He had all these great things - he drove around in this really cool vehicle called the Technodrome with Rock-Steady and Be-Bop."
Then a more meaningful or philosophical consideration was never a major part in the naming of the band- John pauses to consider further. "Well, it's also a phonetic kind of thing . . ." Here his erstwhile colleagues enter into the discussion. Adam: "Yeah, the word itself, 'krang', is kind of a sonic word." Matthew: "That's another reason why we decided to use it as our name."
Deep within the bowels of the promotional material that preceded Krang's journey down to Melbourne was the annotation that Krang's mutual interests include images of flight - stratospheric and extraterrestial - as well as aliens, TV, ecology and our planet. "Well, like with 'Ninja Turtles', it's anything sci-fi, outerspace, aliens; we're really into hollow-earth theories and all that. It's a really mixed bag", John confirms. Attaining an almost cryptic air about him, Matthew leans forward to speak. "Fridges of perceived realities", he interjects, with a wry smile to emphasize his meaning. The comment strikes a chord within his colleagues, who barely repress their smirks. "Yeah, the greyer edges of everything, you know-", John adds.
What then, is the imperative behind Krang's existence- "We're always pushing out to the edges to see what lies beyond", Matthew answers, and John agrees. "It comes across in the music we create - if you visualise it, that's what it seems to me. It's taking off; it's stratospheric, and there are lots of ascending noises to create this illusion. Our ethic is continuous revolution in sound. It's like this juggernaut going forward all the time!"
During Krang's recent hiatus in Melbourne they've performed at Global Warming, Zeitsprung 2 at the Punters Club, and will reappear again tonight at Filter. What's the audience reaction been like up to this time- "Really good!" Adam declares. "The music culture's really happening down here", Matthew goes on. "People are excited by electronic music, and there are lots of things going on." These are sentiments shared by both the other artists. "People like to hear different things", Adam continues, "and we've heard that we sound a bit different to the bands down here. They like that, too." John's response is equally positive. "It doesn't seem to be as rave-oriented down here - there's a much better live techno music scene. It's happening in Sydney too, but it's almost overwhelmed by the number of rave type of events happening every weekend. It's really hard to get the audience nu | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '0', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9676563739776612}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '22756', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:XEWRHUT5XUZMXJYOIAU3WNLFQUNWAUCK', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:e850d803-ba45-45f0-a259-36eac5a110c0>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2021, 9, 24, 11, 40, 1), 'WARC-IP-Address': '172.67.129.123', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:VDXAFCRENJ23ZQ2N2ZZLQK2AHOSDVUTI', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:59585ca6-c3ce-4208-8fc9-9e4871ddbb19>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'http://tranzfusion.net/music/features/1995/Krang/', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:ef5788f2-cd5d-4b3b-89c7-4f4b7c00359d>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '629', 'url': 'http://tranzfusion.net/music/features/1995/Krang/', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2021-39\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for September 2021\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-67-67-204\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.18 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 1.2-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: https://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.528512716293335', 'original_id': '1b6f177a5cbc57920de0d5a559c6cc307f069c40272424df30e6a0c7e983fd53'} |
Marin Juniors teams compete in tournaments, both area and overnight, that require lengthly car travel for players, coaches, and parents. It is the policy of Marin Juniors that club teams travel together as a team to/from tournament venues by way of parent coordinated carpools. Carefully planned team carpools:
• Streamline team coordination efforts
• Create a more bonded and balanced team
• Help players arrive to tournament venues on time and as a team
• Give parents a break from driving to/from every tournament, and/or the flexibility to arrive late and leave early
At the close of a tournament day, after players have been dismissed by their coaches, players may choose to ride home with their parent(s) if desired. This often means after the team's final reffing assignment, even if a player is not "on duty" for the last game.
Best practices
Teams establish a central carpool meet-up location in Central Marin and close to the highway (101). Peet's Coffee at Bon Air Shopping Center in Greenbrae has historically been the meet-up spot for many MJ teams. If the tournament location is to the south and there are families in Mill Valley/Sausalito/Tiburon, teams often move or add a second carpool location. Same goes if the tournament location is to the north and there are families in Novato. If there are families in the East Bay or San Francisco, it is not expected that they drive into Marin to carpool.
The team carpool coordinator creates a carpool sign-up for parents (via Google sheets, Team Snap, etc.) that includes each tournament, date, location, and driver slots. Carpooling responsibilities are shared across all parents, and each family aims to sign up for an equal number of shifts. As a carpool driver, your responsibility is to transport players safely and in a timely manner.
The carpool coordinator is responsible to define which players will ride in each car. This information is communicated to the team parents via email about a week prior. The carpool coordinator will blend different groupings of players in each car for each tournament day (avoiding the same players always riding together). Players are not grouped by where they live, who their friends are, what position they play, parent/player preferences, etc. Each carpool driver will have their daughter in their car along with other players.
COACH transportation
The carpool coordinator is responsible to check-in with their coaches and see if they wish to ride to/from the tournament venue with parents or drive on their own. Some coaches ride with parent drivers the whole season, while some prefer to drive themselves (coaches may have other teams to coach and need their car).
If the coaches require rides with parents, the carpool coordinator needs to ensure that coaches rotate between parent drivers for each tournament day to prevent coaches from riding in the same parent car for the whole season.
Coaches should not be expected to drive players in their own vehicles.
When meeting at the carpool meet-up, parents and players need to know whose car they are assigned to, and communicate if their player will need a ride home with the carpool or not. Parent carpool drivers need to keep track and depart on time so the team isn't late arriving to the tournament venues at the time specified by the coach. The carpool coordinator may or may not be at the meet-up!
Carpool drivers can be reimbursed for any tournament tailgate fees or parking fees by the team treasurer. Gas and toll are the responsibilities of the drivers. | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '0', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9570872783660888}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '54355', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:ZFNWPTYGFLD6CXOYQTX3KDZ3352UCCCI', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:43483153-4132-46d6-b484-45eefc74604a>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2019, 3, 18, 18, 11, 18), 'WARC-IP-Address': '198.49.23.145', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:NYUPTDQEIQOLB5VMJ33MHM7QJ64F5HEG', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:4a7a89cd-8ce5-44e2-9807-a9a4c7a4c9cf>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'http://www.marinjuniors.com/carpooling', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:f7d917b8-3c46-4ee9-849e-50e927cbcdd5>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '587', 'url': 'http://www.marinjuniors.com/carpooling', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2019-13\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for March 2019\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-186-104-161.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.15 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 0.11-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.08694231510162354', 'original_id': '27f85bbd7486cf074f73663523da50dc24d5bf8ab4ad83d0bcbd7d6ff6e36c24'} |
Culture > Books
Infuriating grace
"Infuriating grace" Continued...
Issue: "Ethiopia's new flower," May 31, 2008
WORLD: In the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, what does an understanding of Middle Eastern culture teach us about the character of Lazarus?
BAILEY: Lazarus is sick and unable to work. The community, however, respects him and each day takes and places him outside the rich man's house in the hope that the rich man will help him in ways that the community cannot. The rich man's wild guard dogs show compassion to Lazarus and lick his sores. These dogs are dangerous and are trained to attack all strangers. Yet they know that this quiet, gentle man is their friend. The rich man will do nothing for Lazarus. The dogs do what they can-they lick his sores.
When he dies, Lazarus is escorted by the angels into the presence of Abraham. Abraham spreads a banquet to welcome Lazarus and seats him in the place of honor "on his chest," that is, at his right side. The rich man then dies and goes to hell. Seeing Lazarus at Abraham's banquet, the rich man demands services. Lazarus does not explode with curses and insults. Rather, he is quiet. At the end of the conversation, Abraham tells the rich man that "the one who wants to go from here to there cannot."
Clearly, Abraham has a volunteer. Lazarus is willing to help the man who abused him, but it is too late. From the beginning of the story to the end, we are given a clear, powerful picture of a gentle, caring, forgiving man.
WORLD: What is the key to understanding the parable of the talents?
BAILEY: Behind Jesus' parable is the Song of the Vineyard in Isaiah 5. In that song, God builds a vineyard and expects good grapes from it. The vineyard produces wild grapes and its owner (God) destroys the vineyard. Isaiah then tells his readers that the vineyard is Israel and that God expects justice and righteousness but receives only bloodshed and a cry of pain. Jesus is challenged by the temple authorities about why he presumed to "cleanse the temple." Jesus refuses to answer their questions and then tells a parable which is a new version of Isaiah's story.
In Jesus' story, God is again the owner who builds a vineyard. He rents the vineyard to vinedressers. When the rent is due, the owner sends a messenger to receive payment. The messenger is treated badly as are other messengers. The owner is expected to respond by reporting to the authorities who, with the owner, will assemble a posse of armed men, surround the vineyard, and bring the violent renters to justice by force. Instead, the owner chooses to reprocess his anger into grace and send his beloved son into the vineyard, alone and unarmed.
The owner's response is love offered in total vulnerability. By so doing he enacts a costly demonstration of unexpected love. Jesus is talking about Himself, the heart of His message and His cross.
Marvin Olasky
Marvin Olasky
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Keep Reading | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '20', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9567862153053284}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '48696', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:HXOGTANBNBIBDAK4RJIO2XXQJV6VNMET', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:05bc0c16-d24a-413d-b584-75c12e4b46e8>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2015, 3, 6, 4, 7, 18), 'WARC-IP-Address': '216.74.49.79', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': None, 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:DE74HKVBTUT6QIYMRRRY3JI7E43ECZ6P', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:6b4e3a50-19ac-4499-a7cf-003d8cb7c053>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'http://www.worldmag.com/2008/05/infuriating_grace/page2', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:f5203cf9-ccc9-407c-87b9-fb99610ce53b>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '541', 'url': 'http://www.worldmag.com/2008/05/infuriating_grace/page2', 'warcinfo': 'robots: classic\r\nhostname: ip-10-28-5-156.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Nutch 1.6 (CC)/CC WarcExport 1.0\r\nisPartOf: CC-MAIN-2015-11\r\noperator: CommonCrawl Admin\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web with URLs provided by Blekko for February 2015\r\npublisher: CommonCrawl\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.0\r\nconformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.02997589111328125', 'original_id': '6008dd3eff8f6230bd2a4adc79bb63d13b8ee216b7d768ae1dc0a4ff3c805105'} |
April 30, 2017
Research Roundup: Breaking down Zika and opportunities, challenges surrounding global immunization
Program Assistant
PATH/Aaron Joel Santos
Researchers in Brazil have discovered the structure of the protein responsible for replicating the Zika virus thousands of times in cells, causing the virus to break through the cell wall and infect the body. Through many months of collecting data and studying the origins of the virus, the researchers put together a three-dimensional model of the protein and published their findings in Nature Communications. Zika is a flavivirus and in the same genus as diseases like yellow fever, dengue, and hepatitis C. Because of the genetic similarity, researchers and scientists have found that sofosbovir, a commonly used drug to treat hepatitis C, is a good therapeutic option for those suffering from Zika. The unlocking of Zika’s genetic code will lead to the development of new solutions to the virus.
A newborn baby sleeps under a mosquito net. (Photo: PATH/Georgina Goodwin)
It recently became global news that RTS,S (trade name Mosquirix™), the candidate malaria vaccine furthest along in development, is beginning vaccine pilot programs in three chosen countries: Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi. The vaccine, created through a partnership with PATH’s Malaria Vaccine Initiative and GlaxoSmithKline, is given in four doses over a specific period of time. It is not yet known if tracking of these vaccine doses will be 100 percent. Any vaccine administered in multiple doses, whether for malaria or HPV, requires a lot more work in educating individuals about the need to return for all treatments necessary to ensure the vaccine’s success. UNICEF and members of the vaccine community will work with government authorities to ensure the supply chain delivers vaccines to children in need. If successful, the burden of malaria could decrease drastically. While this vaccine is promising to many individuals in these three countries, the search for a more perfect vaccine is high on the priority list for health researchers around the globe.
In order to increase global access to immunization, successful and smooth-moving supply chains are necessary. The problem? Immunization supply chains are complex and every part of the chain needs to be working perfectly to ensure access to the vaccines. Many members of the immunization community have neglected the supply chain facet of vaccine delivery, and as a result, these supply chains have suffered and grown obsolete. With these chains being out-of-date, many children remain unvaccinated from even the most common diseases. A special issue published in Vaccine highlights these issues and brings the need for supply chain renewal to the forefront of the conversation. But even after this publication, more has to be done to ensure all members of the vaccine community work together to guarantee access to vaccines is in reach for all.
Despite vaccine initiatives being stronger than ever, there is still a glaring gap in the number of children receiving basic vaccines. Currently, there are over 19 million children who are unvaccinated, leaving them susceptible to diseases that can be protected against. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control worked together to establish the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) aimed at closing the gap of vaccine inequality around the globe. GVAP has already seen many successes, including fostering a working relationship with government institutions to implement surveillance techniques to figure out what vaccines children need most in each country. Kenya and Nepal, for example, have initiatives through pediatricians to educate families about the importance of vaccines for children’s development and longevity of life. GVAP is in the forefront of bridging the gap of health inequity and bringing immunization to all. | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '12', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9327600002288818}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '19642', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:EGBTHZBLZJ3YXE2IS62YGMZDT4X5GXOV', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:fd3fcde3-ac05-43f7-b19f-f2de15f182d1>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2020, 1, 18, 7, 22, 53), 'WARC-IP-Address': '52.25.87.207', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'application/xhtml+xml', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:6T7RSGAMZHLF73LCOMLNNJS4NJQZETZZ', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:ad480b03-cc95-4bdd-8fce-448bd65df353>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'https://www.ghtcoalition.org/blog/research-roundup-breaking-down-zika-and-opportunities-challenges-surrounding-global-immunization', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:67fb4a23-ef77-4d9d-9f93-d0f5f04dec67>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '625', 'url': 'https://www.ghtcoalition.org/blog/research-roundup-breaking-down-zika-and-opportunities-challenges-surrounding-global-immunization', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2020-05\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for January 2020\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-67-67-129.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.16 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 1.1-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.020891666412353516', 'original_id': '9536e2b8ead6ac8ff0b638ec15978502aabf1c55782065c43d3aa0cc1631d7df'} |
Q:
remove the first row for each group
suppose I have a dataset like this
df <- data.frame(group = c(rep(1,3),rep(2,2), rep(3,2),rep(4,3),rep(5, 2)), score = c(30, 10, 22, 44, 6, 5, 20, 35, 2, 60, 14,5))
group score
1 1 30
2 1 10
3 1 22
4 2 44
5 2 6
6 3 5
7 3 20
8 4 35
9 4 2
10 4 60
11 5 14
12 5 5
I want to remove the first row for each group, the expected out put should look like this:
group score
1 1 10
2 1 22
3 2 6
4 3 20
5 4 2
6 4 60
7 5 5
Is there a simple way to do this?
A:
Quite simple with duplicated
df[duplicated(df$group),]
group score
2 1 10
3 1 22
5 2 6
7 3 20
9 4 2
10 4 60
12 5 5
A:
An option with dplyr is to select rows ignoring 1st row
library(dplyr)
df %>%
group_by(group) %>%
slice(2:n())
# group score
# <dbl> <dbl>
#1 1.00 10.0
#2 1.00 22.0
#3 2.00 6.00
#4 3.00 20.0
#5 4.00 2.00
#6 4.00 60.0
#7 5.00 5.00
Another way is shown by @Rich Scriven in now deleted answer
df %>%
group_by(group) %>%
slice(-1)
| mini_pile | {'original_id': 'ac74f5a4e52a587f9372ac3c6efa67e7bc59745b39ac33535b5d808bada60a2c'} |
Dogs & Farmyard Scene
Two more probable Parker Bros. puzzles. I actually received five puzzles without a box. The other three are each missing one piece and I did not take pictures of them. Hand-sawn and stack-cut is a pretty good indication that they were probably made no later than the first decade of the 20th century. | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '0', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9833056926727296}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '1023', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:GT4OZ7S32NAPOOFWF3SLYCLRM2T7QM3T', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:18584c16-f6ab-4ae1-b571-75598cd96b7b>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2019, 2, 16, 19, 6, 8), 'WARC-IP-Address': '209.204.155.121', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:TLBDAXHZA2GXJDLJB2E3VI7NRLRXXFOF', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:83371348-1a4a-44f6-aa9e-a2b16621cf69>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'http://icollectpuzzles.com/Fun/030.htm', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:39ff22d1-9926-4da1-96f0-efb42f65bc8c>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '56', 'url': 'http://icollectpuzzles.com/Fun/030.htm', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2019-09\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for February 2019\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-154-78-3.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.15 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 0.11-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.1115427017211914', 'original_id': 'd9df2fa0b44514983b683eda5be5b020859a70103e0981f89c4afc56f81dc5bc'} |
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Title: Unearthed
Author:CJ Barry
Published in May 2003 by LoveSpell
Genre: Futuristic
IBSN: 0-505-5240-2
Related Books: (1)Unchained (3)Unleashed (4)Unraveled (5) Unmasked
He was tall, dark, and had fascinating golden eyes, and he was savior and kidnapper all rolled into one handsome and mouth-watering package. As if that wasn't bad enough, he was an alien, and most likely the man of her dreams. He was also the source of her worst nightmares. It was because of him that Tess MacKenzie, up and coming singer/songwriter, found herself in this predicament, and she wasn't too sure that she liked it one bit. It all started when someone had tried to rob her after her last gig, when that was, she was no longer sure. It was then that she saw him, the sinfully beautiful man with the golden eyes, and his short red-eyed friend. Her assailant dropped, and she just knew she wasn't gonna make Friday's gig as her nighttime world darkened further and turned to black. She had wakened from her enforced nap in a very strange room, and that fact had not made her feel any better. Then she very disoriented, but now, as she thought back on the past few days, it seemed just plain weird. Just the fact that she was in space was unsettling, but to have someone tell you that you were the key to something, and then give you little or no more information was a bit annoying.
Tess had to admit, that as far as it went, she felt a pull. It is an attraction that surely was just a physical desire. All one had to do was look at those gloriously gorgeous golden looks, the smooth tanned skin, those mesmerizing golden eyes, and the tawny brown hair that was streaked with golden highlights and any female heart would skip a beat or two. It was a natural reaction. It was nothing special. Anyone would react that way to a man like Cohl. But deep inside she feels a niggling doubt that she tried very hard to push aside, and has had little success to date. It is a longing that she is not used to feeling. Her hard work to establish her in a singing career is going right down the drain, and yet she is finding it harder and harder to care. As the problem that Cohl is faced with becomes clearer, she finds herself more willing to help him, to lend whatever assistance she can to Cohl and his mother. The more time they spend together, the more she realizes that Cohl is more than he appears to be. She soon suspects that the feeling that she thought was just lust, is something entirely different, and that is a thought for which she was not prepared. Still, there is yet another secret or so...she can feel that he is hiding something.
He was a man running from his past, from the weighty responsibility that he felt unworthy to hold. To that end, Cohl Travers has forsaken his birthright, and taken to the stars. Relic-Hunter extraordinaire, he has tracked down and secured some of the most valuable lost treasures that any have known, but none have been nearly as important as the Demisian Amulet. He needs this amulet to free his father. It is the price that has been demanded for Cohl to pay, or they would put an end to his father's life. The warring factions of the Trakas were at it again, and each sought to gain power over the other by any means possible. Legend gives the Demisian Amulet the ability to bestow the power to control and exert influence over enemies, and both the warring Traka factions want the mystic amulet badly. Cohl knew that he had no choice, and he hated that he could not give her one either. The fiery-haired beauty with the unique voice was the key to retrieving the amulet from its hiding place, but that was only if they can find the mysterious planet Demisie. His sources had pinpointed the planet's probable location, but it is Cohl and Tess who will have to go in and retrieve the amulet. He hates to drag her into this, but without her voice, there is no chance of ever laying his hands on the means to free his father.
Yre Gault was home, and yet he felt no real welcome there. To him it was a symbol of enslavement and his loss of freedom. That was something he did not want to give up, it is the reason he left in the first place. He now finds himself in a position where he has to return home and face some uncomfortable facts. One day he will be the King of this planet if his parents have their way, but it is not something he desires. He is afraid that he will make the wrong decisions, and plunge the planet into chaos. Cohl has felt the abandonment caused by the burden of ruling a planet, and he does not wish to force the burden of that experience to any wife of his. That thought alone was unsettling. When did he start to think of Tess in terms of wife? He couldn't deny the attraction, but at the same time, he had felt the same attraction for other women as well. This was slightly different, it had more of a forever feel, and that scared him to death. The sooner he got the relic, the sooner he could take her home. She didn't want to stay with him anyway, so he wanted to just stick to business. That was safer for both of them, it was definitely safer for his heart.
Welcome to C.J. Barry, a new voice in the genre of futuristic romance, and a wonderful one to boot. In her first book, UNEARTHED, C.J. takes us on a romantic adventure in to the far reaches of the galaxy, to hunt for a missing planet that holds a missing treasure. Cohl and Tess must learn the most important lessons in life, that strange circumstances can lead to even greater adventures, and the possibilities of love. That theme is effectively carried throughout the book. As they battle their attraction for each other, they must also battle the forces that threaten to stand in the way and keep them from rescuing his father. They learn that trust, love, and unity can go a long way toward establishing a good relationship. Although both are actively fighting against their feelings, they realize that it is team work that will ultimately win the day.
UNEARTHED is a terrific romantic suspense that will keep you locked within its pages. From the moment Cohl rescues and kidnaps Tess, till he realizes that what he feels could be love, you are simply carried away on the wings of the adventure. It is truly an Indiana Jones type adventure, but yet more. It is the story of two people who desperately need to find their place in life. Only by finding each other, trusting each other, and working together, can they learn that with the power of love they truly claim their true place in life. UNEARTHED is definitely one book that you should add to your collection..Tess and Cohl will call you back again and again, so you better make sure to add a copy to your keeper shelf. UNEARTHED, by C.J. Barry is available now from Dorchester's LoveSpell....more good reading from the folks at Dorchester Publishing!
Yours in good reading,
C. J. Barry Bio Interview Reviews Buy C. J. Barry BooksC. J. Barry
ad for grits literary services
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Q:
NodeJS Unhandled Promise Rejection
I have a method getModel(kind) that returns a Datastore data model in NodeJS.
I made a simple type-o in the getModel(kind) method and that uncovered an underlying issue with an uncaught promise rejection.
How can I update the code to catch these uncaught exceptions in the future?
Call getModel:
//Save the data to the database
getModel('transferrequest').create(TransferRequestNew, (err, savedData) => {
if (err) {
console.log('Transfer Request New unable to create new entity. Error message: ', err);
next(err);
return;
}
console.log('savedData: ', savedData);
res.redirect(`${req.baseUrl}/history`);
});
getModel function:
function getModel(kind) {
const model = __modelsdir+'/model-'+__databackend+kind;
return require(model);
}
Create method being called with getModel.create:
function create (data, cb) {
update(null, data, cb);
}
Unhandled Error:
(node:31937) UnhandledPromiseRejectionWarning: Unhandled promise rejection (rejection id: 1): Error: Cannot find module '/mypath/projectname/models/model-datastoretransferrequest'
A:
First of all, I would say that dynamic require is a way to get yourself in trouble. Let me structure my answer in two parts, to highlight the reasons why it should be avoided and propose few solutions instead.
Underlying problems
Synchronous loading at the runtime
require is a synchronous operation, and as we all know such operations block the Event Loop. Imagine a relatively huge amount of users consuming your application simultaneously, and the loop delay that surges above reasonable values or at least starts causing performance issues.
Hard to test such dynamic modules
How can you guarantee that your application is stable enough without proper test coverage? With dynamic require it becomes a non-trivial task. That leads to the other question - do you really have such amount of data models that they need to be created and loaded dynamically? And if not, you can make your work a lot more comfortable with well-defined and explicitly required data models rather than "magic" loading prone to errors. And also, don't forget about circular dependencies and other horrendous abominations, which will remain silent until the import moment.
Overall design of such application
It is worth reading ESLint topic on global-require and see why it's not allowed in various rule sets by default (Airbnb, for example). But you actually mentioned that yourself:
I made a simple type-o in the getModel(kind) method and that uncovered an
underlying issue with an uncaught promise rejection.
If that is enough to break your application, does this application could be considered robust? It's the same thing as with raw strings as parameters: one should rather make them constants or present as function themselves, getting rid of hard-to-debug runtime errors in exchange for simple syntax errors at startup.
Possible solutions
Explicitly required models
Create well-defined object structures that represent data structures and load them explicitly from one aggregated index.js file:
// models/transfer-request.js
class TransferRequest {
create(instance, cb) {
// Implementation...
}
}
module.exports = TransferRequest;
// models/index.js
const TransferRequest = require('./transfer-request.js');
// Other models requires...
module.exports = {
TransferRequest,
// Other models exports...
};
Create instances using Factory:
If you still want to stick with something similar to you've got now, create a model Factory using standard pattern:
class ModelFactory {
constructor(model){
switch(model) {
case 'transferrequest':
// Implementation of TransferRequest object creation...
break;
case 'othertransferrequest':
// Implementation of OtherTransferRequest object creation...
break;
default:
throw new Error('Unknown class');
}
}
}
It is times and times better to create actual model objects in clear and visible way, well-defined in code than obscuring possible options with dynamic loading.
And yes, if you still want require at a runtime, just use try/catch to handle rejections.
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In 1995, movie director James Cameron began pre-production on his latest film, which at the time had the largest movie budget of all time with $200 million. Any Hollywood actor would have been thrilled to accept a role in the monster blockbuster-in-the-making, Titanic, but that's not to assume all country stars would, as well.
Did you know Reba McEntire was Cameron's initial choice to portray Molly Brown, a historically real character? Dubbed the "unsinkable Molly Brown" by historians because of her efforts in commandeering Lifeboat 6, the role of Brown was turned down by McEntire due to scheduling conflicts with other films. Academy Award-winning actress Kathy Bates was offered the role instead, and she accepted.
It's hard not to imagine how McEntire's film career would have benefited from the maximum exposure of being associated with one of the biggest blockbusters of all time, but that doesn't mean the feisty redhead's career suffered in the least. McEntire later teamed up with Bates for the massively-popular animated movie 'Charlotte's Web,' which grossed more than $145 million in the box office. McEntire voiced the character of Betsy the cow.
McEntire also went on to a long career on the small screen as the star of 'Reba,' and also starred in 'Malibu Country.'
Best Reba McEntire Pictures Through the Years:
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Building sustainably with concrete
BASF admixtures make concrete more flowable, more durable, stronger - and improve the eco-friendliness of concrete structures.
Europe's second tallest building: after completion, the Shard in London will have a height of 310 meters. Photo: Sellar Property Group
When laying the foundation, for example, these additives allowed an almost 5,500 cubic meter single concrete pour - a record in British construction history.
"The entire foundation slab was poured on a single weekend," explains Brian Williams, Southern Regional Sales Manager BASF Admixture Systems UK. "Because right in the middle of London, causing prolonged traffic snarl-ups with the construction vehicles was out of the question. To ensure that the densely packed steel reinforcement bars at the base of the slab were coated quickly and completely within this short time, the concrete had to be particularly flowable. Clearly a job for BASF's specially developed Glenium® SKY." One further advantage of the admixture: the concrete can be pumped to an altitude of 300 meters without problems.
Another major challenge was the immense amount of concrete needed to cast the foundation. Because concrete generates heat while setting - a lot of concrete means a lot of heat. And the hotter concrete becomes, the faster it sets. This can create a serious problem: if the first poured layers set too quickly, the following layers cannot bond with them properly. The resulting concrete is neither homogeneous nor stable enough. In "The Shard", the admixture Pozzolith® prevented the concrete from setting too soon, thereby ensuring high, homogeneous concrete quality.
This high concrete quality also ensures that the construction material can cope with the huge pressure generated by the enormous height of the tower. Thanks to Glenium admixtures, the concrete withstands a pressure equivalent to the weight of a small car resting on an area the size of a big toe. This outstanding strength ensures a long lifetime for the concrete structure and makes for sustainable building usage.
Glenium superplasticizers improve not only the structural properties of concrete, but also its eco-friendliness.
Glenium® makes concrete more flowable: contructors can pour the foundation slab in record time. Photo: Klaus Helbig
Because of its versatility, concrete is the most widely used man-made material. But it has one considerable disadvantage: it causes large amounts of climate damaging carbon dioxide (CO2). This is because concrete consists mainly of cement, which in turn contains cement clinker, a material fired at almost 1,500 degrees Celsius and whose production requires enormous amounts of energy. Cement clinker accounts for about six to seven percent of global carbon emissions.
Using BASF's concrete admixture Glenium, up to 50 percent of the cement clinker can be replaced with other materials. These materials include fly ash, a byproduct of coal-fueled electric power plants, or blast furnace slag obtained during steel production and recycled for these purposes. In this way, Glenium admixtures allow savings of up to 60 percent carbon in concrete production. In 2008, BASF's concrete admixtures already racked up savings of 22 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, equal to the emissions of the entire Berlin conurbation. Glenium admixtures also save energy, valuable raw materials and landfill space that would otherwise be needed to dump fly ash and blast furnace slag.
Glenium therefore contributes considerably to reducing carbon emissions in cement production. The industry has committed itself to this effort in a global sector agreement. In the USA and China, the emphasis is on modifying the composition of the cement, for example by including higher proportions of clinker substitutes. In Europe, the focus in producing standardized composite cements is more on improved energy efficiency and alternative fuels such as biomass and refuse incineration.
The Prospects
In Europe, the use of supplementary cementitious materials so far has only been possible when the suitability was established - unlike in the USA, where BASF has developed the concept of "Green Sense Concrete".
Andreas Tselebidis, BASF's concrete admixture expert, is enthusiastic about the concept: "This concrete consists partially of recycled material like fly ash and blast furnace slag, as well as specially formulated admixtures such as Glenium®. These materials make the innovative construction material much more eco-preferable than conventional concrete."
As a cradle-to-gate eco-efficiency analysis has shown, when compared to conventional concrete mixtures, Green Sense Concrete mixtures require 30 percent less energy, cause 37 percent less climate damaging carbon dioxide and consume 35 percent less raw materials. The water consumption is also much lower: the novel construction material needs five percent less water - representing a saving of 417 liters of water per single family house, roughly equivalent to three full bathtubs. Green Sense Concrete can also be produced economically. In this way, BASF is making an important contribution to sustainable construction.
Another initiative is the establishment of the American "Green Building" certification, known as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a prestigious seal of quality awarded for outstanding achievements in sustainable construction and building management. The certification covers six aspects: environmental impact of construction and consumption of water, energy and resources, comfort and room quality. Points can be awarded in several categories for the use of BASF's Green Sense Concrete.
The Info Box
What is cement?
The main ingredients of cement are limestone and clay. These materials are mixed with quartz sand and iron ore, finely ground and dried. This raw mix is then fired (sintered as the experts say) at 1,450 degrees Celsius.
When it melts, it produces roundish particles measuring about three centimeters - known as cement clinker. This consists of chemical compounds which later cause the cement to set. These compounds include calcium silicates, calcium aluminates and calcium aluminum ferrites. Finally, the cement clinker is ground with gypsum or anhydrite to produce cement.
What is concrete?
Concrete consists mainly of cement, water and aggregate (sand, gravel and crushed rocks). The cement is the glue that holds everything together. When mixed with water, it sets to produce crystalline needles that firmly interlock with each other to produce a hard, rock-like material. The properties of the concrete, such as weight, varying strength levels, low shrinkage and cracking potential, corrosion resistance etc. can be varied as required by changing the mixing ratios and admixtures. Concrete can also be combined with steel as well as plastic or glass fibers, providing higher ductility and flexural properties.
How does a modern concrete superplasticizer work?
Modern superplasticizers like Glenium are based on synthetic organic polymers such as polycarboxylate ether (PCE). A PCE molecule consists of one long main chain and shorter side chains. The main chains of the PCE molecules are negatively charged. When mixed with fresh concrete, they are adsorbed onto the surfaces of the cement grains and other fine particles. The side chains of the molecules point outward like the spines of a chestnut burr and hold the particles at a distance to each other. This makes it easier for them to move against each other and the concrete becomes more fluid. Concrete can be given different properties by varying the length of the main and side chains of the admixtures.
Building sustainably with concrete
Building sustainably with concrete
Press Photo
Press Photo
Press Photo
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<div class="row">
<div class="col-lg-9 col-sm-12">
<div class="content" role="main">
<app-heroes></app-heroes>
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-lg-3">
<div class="cardbox text-center">
<p>
<app-messages></app-messages>
</p>
</div>
</div>
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@article {Zhao:2012:1533-4880:2607, title = "Synthesis and Luminescence Properties of ZnO:Eu3+ Nano Crystalline via a Facile Solution Method", journal = "Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology", parent_itemid = "infobike://asp/jnn", publishercode ="asp", year = "2012", volume = "12", number = "3", publication date ="2012-03-01T00:00:00", pages = "2607-2611", itemtype = "ARTICLE", issn = "1533-4880", eissn = "1533-4899", url = "https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asp/jnn/2012/00000012/00000003/art00124", doi = "doi:10.1166/jnn.2012.5761", author = "Zhao, Shihua and Shu, Fangjie and Li, Yanmin and Liu, Cuimei and Shan, Wenwen and Cui, Yuting and Yang, Lei", abstract = "Different ZnO:Eu3+ nanocrystalline were obtained from a facile solution method with two different precipitators. The comparison of photoluminescence property of two different ZnO:Eu3+ nanocrystalline was performed. The XRD patterns and the PL spectra indirectly indicate that the dopant Eu3+ ions had entered into the crystal lattices of ZnO. The study on the PL spectra of the as-prepared ZnO:Eu3+ nanocrystalline shows that with the change of dopant concentration, the ratio of relative emission intensity of electric dipole transition to magnetic dipole transition changes, which fully expresses that the presence of the inversion centers is associated with the dopant concentration of Eu3+.", } | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '87', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.8053939938545227}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '2043', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:VKAXSUQ6LBI6FSWFNRO3P6ZLQJHEWY5F', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:407c0e48-4b0c-45fd-ab20-a8d6e3dffb70>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2019, 5, 19, 22, 55), 'WARC-IP-Address': '104.27.41.101', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/plain', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:YCWRA4OWTK3573EKEKUG22BLIBD4WNUI', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:3c8483c6-f079-4767-965c-114201f0c11e>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asp/jnn/2012/00000012/00000003/art00124?format=bib', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:fc8de6b9-26fa-4eb2-b9d9-01741c866227>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '151', 'url': 'https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asp/jnn/2012/00000012/00000003/art00124?format=bib', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2019-22\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for May 2019\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-233-105-41.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.15 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 1.1-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.4697403311729431', 'original_id': '6d9c89e24d908bceb12d1b0637ef25ee34d4669b880ebb8f2f86cea94e76fd11'} |
"A Note" from Dusty Hughes--Joe Brook's collaborator
from the CD insert
"Metropolis" was begun in the early summer of 1986. Joe and I worked around the piano in London and then moved on for the summer to a rented house in East Hampton on Long Island.
The first draft was finished in the autumn of that year, but the libretto went through many changes in the following months as we tried to find a style that combined the haunting qualities of the film with something that was boldly theatrical and our own.
Many of the early songs did not survive this process though they may easily find a home elsewhere.
When the composer and his co-author were in different countries, the work continued by whatever means available--letter, telephone, telex, probably even osmosis in time honoured fashion.
The changes went on throughout rehearsals, one of the best songs, "One Of Those Nights" arriving less than two weeks before we opened to previews.
My admiration for Judy Kuhn and the rest of the cast is boundless.
Since Lang's is a vision of the future seen from the perspective of Europe in the twenties, it didn't seem appropriate to blandly copy either the style or the setting of the film. On the other hand, theatrical science fiction has often seemed thin and plastic.
The key to finding a theatrical form seemed to be in the character of the original fable which existed inside the epic. Lang dismissed "Metropolis" as a 'fairy story'. but fairy stories and fables often have a dark and elemental power which translate easily onto the stage. In this case the hidden story is simple and resonant.
The son, growing up without a mother, is repelled by the coldness of his powerful and distant father. The father sees the son only as the inherior of his empire. When the son rebels, he subconsciously chooses the most damaging way to do it, by falling in love with the girl from 'down there' who is herself the spiritual leader of a rebellion against the father.
The father creates the robot woman, the girl's evil double, both to discredit the girl and taunt the son.
The son's attempts to unite the upper world with the lower world seem clumsy and doomed, but the father's action brings about a revolt which leads to the destruction of the city.
So far so good, but here the film and the stage versions moved further apart as our work went on.
In the Lang film there is a 'happy ending' which seems to go against the logic of the story. The father, Jon Frederson, whose actions in the film have been increasingly psychopathic, survives to be reunited with his son and the rebellious girl--and even it seems to bless their union.
The stage libretto imagines a city of the future without mineral or nuclear energy, isolated in an endless winter, probably the last city.
The core of the original story seems to be about 'power' in every sense of the word. The images of power, darkness and light recur throughout the libretto.
Our city of "Metropolis" survives only by harnessing human power to create energy and for this it requires a vast underworld of slaves. In the Lang film they are comatose and subdued. On the stage we try to suggest that the workers have customs and rituals as well as access to small amounts of precious knowledge. Guards and spies are needed to keep them firmly in their place.
As the book developed, I blithely wrote scenes in which lifts (elevators) ded smoothly up and down, or became secret places from which characters could eavesdrop and spy. I never realised that the designer, Ralph Kotai, would take me at my word, nor that he would be given the resources to create the marvels he did.
The machines themselves are not Fritz Lang's surreal beasts, nor the sci-fi plexiglass tubes of the Pompidou Centre--but oldand weighty and three dimensional--as if material from the industrial revolution had been rescued out of necessity from the scrap heap.
So in our newly created world of "Metropolis" when the father's plans are thwarted and most of his worker energy perishes in fire and blood below, it is only logical that he turns what remains of his destructive power on himself and his city. Only the two lovers and a few children from the city below survive to start a new life in the ruins of the old.
Dusty Hughes
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Debt machine: are risks piling up in leveraged loans?
In the first in a series, regulators fear that looser lending standards for lowly rated companies could precipitate the next downturn
Joe Rennison and Colby Smith in New York
© Adam Simpson
Anastasia Beverly Hills and TPG declined to comment.
PetSmart is embroiled in a lawsuit with its lenders
But the loosening of lending standards did not stop there. Neiman Marcus, the department store, and its thriving Munich-based online retailer MyTheresa, which sells pricey garb from designers such as Versace and Balmain, is a case in point. Since Neiman Marcus bought MyTheresa in 2014, MyTheresa’s sales have nearly tripled.
That’s why creditors to Neiman Marcus were aggrieved when its owners — private equity firm Ares Management and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board — in September transferred MyTheresa to Neiman’s parent company. This potentially put the assets of MyTheresa out of reach of Neiman’s creditors just before the parent company announced it would need to restructure its nearly $5bn in debt.
But the new year has brought some renewed optimism to the market. The S&P loan index has recovered by 2.2 per cent. Douglas Peebles, head of fixed income at AllianceBernstein and long a leveraged loan bear, now thinks the market is healthier, after the sellout cleared out some of the “weak hands” in the market.
Trump is outplayed over his Mexican border Wall
Having lost the shutdown battle, the US president is in a hole of his own making
The editorial board
Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, has described the border wall as ‘immoral’
The US government shutdown that ended on Friday broke many records. At 35 days, it was the longest ever (the previous was just over three weeks). It was also the first that a US president conclusively lost. By agreeing to reopen government without having secured a single dollar of the $5.7bn he demanded for the wall, Donald Trump lost a battle that he had needlessly created.
The victor was Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives. Presidents have the usually decisive advantage of the bully pulpit. In two televised addresses during the shutdown, Mr Trump painted himself ever deeper into a corner. His descriptions of invading Hispanics made him sound anything but presidential. His poll numbers kept falling. By folding to Mrs Pelosi’s demand to reopen government before talks could begin, Mr Trump has shattered the aura of power around him. He emerges from this gratuitous brinkmanship far weaker than when he began.
The nadir was the way in which Mr Trump and his cabinet officials spoke about the idled federal workers. Having missed two paychecks, many of the 800,000 or so government employees had to rely on the food banks that sprang up as the crisis wore on. One official said they were enjoying a paid holiday — it was just that the deposits would arrive late. Another questioned why they needed to take charity at all. The latter, Wilbur Ross, the US secretary of commerce, is worth an estimated $700m. Mr Trump said that most of the furloughed employees were Democrats anyway.
Given that the unpaid workers included members of the FBI, which is investigating the president, border patrol agents and air traffic controllers, this was not merely insensitive but also tactically misguided. The event that appeared to trigger Mr Trump’s climbdown was the near-shutdown of New York’s La Guardia airport on Friday. Too few air traffic controllers had turned up to work.
The crisis is far from over. Unless Mr Trump and Mrs Pelosi strike a lasting bargain, the government could shut down again on February 15. Mr Trump only signed up to three weeks of new funding last Friday.
Mr Trump is itching to disprove conservative critics who say he blinked first. That will make it even harder for him to make the necessary concessions — such as legalising the 700,000 or so “Dreamers”, who were brought illegally to the US as children — to secure Democratic funding for the wall.
Mrs Pelosi has already described the border wall as “immoral”. Any funding would therefore need to be spent on drones, electronic surveillance and courts. Whether it is built from steel or concrete, a 2,000-mile barrier is unlikely to pass Mrs Pelosi’s “evidence-based” test of what will work. Most illegal immigrants overstay their visas rather than sneak over the border. Moreover, native-born Americans are likelier to commit crimes than newcomers. Mr Trump’s “big, beautiful wall” looks more politically unlikely than ever.
In the absence of a deal, the danger is that Mr Trump will declare an emergency and divert military funds to the wall. That could trigger a far larger crisis than the shutdown. It would almost certainly end up in the courts. Mr Trump was elected on a promise of building a wall. He was unable to advance it when Congress was controlled by Republicans. Why he believes he can pull it off now that he faces the formidably disciplined Mrs Pelosi is a mystery. Having advertised the art of the deal, Mr Trump is tasting the reality of surrender.
The Real Issue Behind the Border Wall Debate
For the United States, immigration has always been a necessity and an agony.
By George Friedman
The debate over a wall separating the United States and Mexico goes to the heart of American society. The wall itself is about preventing illegal immigration, but the debate inevitably flows to the question of immigration in general, as it always has in American history.
An Agonizing Experience
The American nation was forged from fragments of other nations. The English, Scotch-Irish, Swedish, Germans, Catholic Irish, Italians, Jews and Africans joined together, or, better yet, were crushed together, to create the American nation. It was a painful process. At any given point, Americans believed that the way America was then was the way it ought to be. Thus the settlers from England were appalled at the arrival of the Scotch-Irish, who were seen as unassimilable and irredeemable brawlers, drunkards and thugs. When the Irish Catholics arrived, many feared they could not assimilate to a predominantly Protestant society. Indeed, the debate over whether a Catholic could become president dominated the 1960 election, more than a century after the Irish influx began.
Virtually all immigrants who came to the United States were those being crushed in their own societies (except, of course, for Africans slaves, who were brought to the U.S. through no choice of their own). They left families, customs and all that was familiar for a new start. The Jamestown and Plymouth colonies were built on this process. It was the core American experience: suffering through being a stranger in a strange land while being distrusted and even loathed.
The nation-building process in the U.S. was an agonizing experience. Some have romanticized it, forgetting that the melting pot was hot enough to dissolve human souls, and that the pain fell both on the immigrants themselves and on those with whom they merged. Yet immigration was essential. The first European immigrants who arrived were too few to create a nation that could settle and exploit the continent, spark industrialization, and win wars. Had the U.S. remained simply an English nation, it would have been annihilated long ago. Immigrants were indispensable to the creation of a viable country, and, inevitably, most would come from “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses,” as Emma Lazarus put it. The United States welcomed immigrants out of necessity and even desperation, the same factors that drove immigrants to the U.S. in the first place.
But the reality of immigration lies not only in the broad story of the American nation, where the agony is lost in the glory, but in the details. I immigrated with my family to the United States from Hungary as an infant. We settled in a tenement in the Bronx. The most important part of our story was not that we were poor, but rather that our family was torn apart. My parents brought my sister and me to the United States because they had no choice. Their home abandoned them in World War II, and America welcomed them. For immigrants, however, America is a mistress who gives generously of her pleasure but is ruthless in her demands. You must be completely devoted to America to enjoy her pleasures to the fullest. My parents had lived through too much and had grown too weary to pay that price. They didn’t hope for the ecstasy America offered; they were content with sanctuary, however meager.
My hopes diverged from my parents’ needs. My parents were loving, yet, in a way, they became irrelevant. They could not guide me on my path. In those years, many immigrants settled in the Bronx. The Jewish kids banded together. So did the Irish, the Italians, the Puerto Ricans and the African-Americans. They drew strength from each other, rather than from their families. The cruel paradox of immigration is that it divides parents and children. The children long for America while the parents long for relief. And when the children band together, they learn the first lesson of America: It has pity for the weak and respect only for the strong.
You learn this lesson on the streets, where you discover that pain is not the worst thing in the world. Cowardice is. Winning is everything. Fighting fearlessly and losing brings opportunity for redemption. Fleeing the field of battle to huddle with your parents denies you pride and entry into America. America is for those who have the strength not only to play baseball or to excel in school but also to learn the lesson of the streets and to pay the price of entry.
Imagine what the Bronx was like back then. Young thugs, or would-be thugs, roaming the streets, seeking and fearing the moment when they must prove their manhood. The boys and girls, driven by hormones, as much strangers to their parents as their parents were to them, alone in a world to make what rules they could. The law was what you made of it, and the cops were just another gang, albeit a very dangerous one.
The Bronx was once a genteel borough of New York, with stately apartment buildings and vast parks. But it was at the bare limits of gentility. Those whose families came a century before were now gone, and the children of the new immigrants turned much of the Bronx into a nightmare. The parents of these children lived their lives in terror, fearing every trip to the grocery store. The dream of a little safety brought them back to the war zone.
A Predictable Response
Immigrants tend to move to neighborhoods with low rents, and they often live together so they have people around them who speak their language. They’re satisfied with simply making a home in their new land. But their settlement can create havoc for those who were there before – those who also live in low-cost neighborhoods and now must compete for jobs and housing. As the new immigrant group expands, word spreads that this particular group is uniquely dangerous, and the belief grows that immigration must be stopped. For those who have the means to insulate themselves from the fear and uncertainty, on the other hand, this process isn’t a cause for concern. For them, immigration is a concept, not a reality, and so they see it as a charitable endeavor.
The reality is that the United States cannot survive without waves of immigrants. It’s never been able to grow without immigrants, and there’s no reason to believe it can now. But the process of immigration becomes more painful the closer you come to it. The idea that those afraid of immigration are racist misses the point. Immigration directly impacts many of those who fear its effects. Many of those who don’t fear it live in well-off communities where new immigrants tend not to settle.
Fear is a predictable response to immigration. The English feared the Scotch-Irish. Protestants feared Irish Catholics. And the cycle continues. Even a group as disreputable and hated as the Scots made the transition, and now, fully integrated for centuries, they loathe and fear new arrivals.
In two centuries of debating immigration, both sides have been systematically oblivious to the realities underlying the debate. The advocates of immigration are oblivious to its disproportionate impact on those who live in poorer neighborhoods. Those wary of immigration are oblivious to the impact of ending it in a time of declining birthrates, and to the fact that immigration is embedded in the nation’s soul. The beauty of America is that every American can have an opinion that makes little sense. It is as charming as a gang brawl in a schoolyard. But in the end, America has survived this debate many times, and the outcome has always been the same.
The U.S. economy has always depended on a constant inflow of low-paid workers. What has been true since the founding remains true now or the migrants would not be still coming. This has brought with it tension, violence and pain, far more for the poorest Americans than for the wealthy, who have benefited from immigration. But we cannot stop immigration. Nor can we make those insulated from its effects understand or care about the pain this process inevitably causes. Welcoming immigrants is not an act of kindness but a necessity. Those who think of it as an act of kindness misunderstand the lives of immigrants and those who live among them. Immigration has always been a growing pain of the Republic.
What Next for China’s Development Model?
Even if China maintains its market-oriented reform momentum, tensions with the West are unlikely to be resolved quickly. While steps can be taken to reduce these tensions, they cannot be easily eliminated, which means that they will probably be a key factor shaping the future of China’s development model.
Michael Spence
china real estate development
Without question, the state has been integral to China’s development, not only by investing in areas like infrastructure and technology, but also by serving as a backstop as nascent markets and private-sector institutions developed. State involvement is also needed to help manage inequality and ensure that growth patterns are inclusive, which markets alone cannot be counted on to do.
Moreover, the Chinese state has resolved coordination problems that are not easily or efficiently handled by decentralized markets, particularly in developing countries, where market institutions and administrative capabilities may be at different stages of development. In its five-year plans, China’s government establishes clear priorities and expectations that help to ensure that complementary policies and investments occur simultaneously or are properly sequenced.
Proponents of giving markets and the private sector a “decisive” role in the economy largely do not dispute these points. Instead, they emphasize that innovation, productivity growth, and overall growth have been driven primarily by the expanding private sector. A vibrant marketplace of ideas is a key part of this model. The CPC’s increasing presence in private firms, heavy-handed economic intervention, and a growing preference for orthodoxy could pose a threat to dynamism and growth.
Already, the lack of clarity about the state’s role in private firms is hampering outward investment by Chinese multinationals, especially in industries that involve national and cyber security, a sector that is growing rapidly as the world’s economies shift onto digital foundations. If China reverts to a model in which the state owns the assets in key sectors, those sectors could underperform due to a lack of competition and experimentation, resulting in stagnation.
It is worth noting that China never adopted the shareholder-value model of corporate governance that has long prevailed in the West, though the West is now arguably moving toward a multi-stakeholder model. Instead, the Chinese authorities view corporations (and financial markets) as instruments to achieve economic and social objectives.
In a sense, therefore, China has had a kind of multi-stakeholder model all along. As environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) takes hold in the West, the Chinese and Western models may begin to converge, with the key difference that, in China, the CPC and the state represent the non-owner stakeholders, or the public interest.
The relative roles of the state and the market in China’s economy have yet to be definitively decided. The details of the model will probably be determined by pragmatic considerations and course corrections. But it is clear that achieving the authorities’ technological goals, as outlined in the “Made in China 2025” plan, will require a dynamic and relatively freewheeling private sector, as well as significant state support in the form of upstream investment in advanced education and scientific research.
China’s state-led efforts to spur innovation have raised tensions with its economic partners, especially the United States. But China can take steps to assuage its critics, especially by committing to respect intellectual property, remove non-tariff barriers to cross-border trade and (especially) investment, and eliminate joint-venture requirements for private cross-border investments, so that technology transfer is not coerced.
The bigger challenges concern the role of the state at the nexus of technology and national security. Private Chinese firms investing abroad must credibly signal that their focus is purely commercial, and that they are not pursuing other agendas, like national security. A commitment from the Chinese state to insulate the country’s private multinationals from such agendas would go a long way. No government can be expected to renounce the use of cyber tools in espionage, but governments can avoid implicating the private sector.
China’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs), by contrast, are likely to continue to face higher barriers to clearing foreign-investment review processes. Chinese SOEs can receive difficult-to-detect subsidies, privileged access to low-cost capital, and protection from competition at home. More fundamentally, when the government is the controlling shareholder, the challenge of credibly separating commercial interests from state objectives seems insurmountable.
Obstacles to cross-border investment in the Internet are also high and likely to persist. Here, too, major differences in regulation (including the state’s role with respect to content and access to data) will be difficult, if not impossible, to overcome.
Convergence with the evolving Western model is unlikely in the short run. Tensions between China and the West, especially regarding the state’s role in the market, will persist. But the market-oriented development path will certainly help reduce these tensions. Introducing much greater clarity about the division of responsibilities between the state and the market would remove a major obstacle to further progress.
The Shrinking of the Political Middle—and What It Means
As the far right and far left gain strength, countries find it increasingly difficult to get things done—both domestically and globally
By Greg Ip
Germany’s Angela Merkel won’t run again for chancellor.
Germany’s Angela Merkel won’t run again for chancellor. Photo: TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP/Getty Images
Gains right and left
In the U.S. and the U.K., the erosion of the middle has come through polarization between and within the major parties: Both American Republicans and British Conservatives are torn between their establishment and nationalist wings.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn is pulling British Labour to the left, while progressives and self-described democratic socialists seek to do the same with the U.S. Democratic Party. They are calling for interventions that Tony Blair and Barack Obama would never have entertained. Mr. Corbyn has proposed that workers receive up to 10% ownership in their companies, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, wants employees to elect at least 40% of big companies’ directors.
Similar forces can be seen in some emerging markets. Last year, both Brazil and Mexico elected presidents from parties that had never held power before, Brazil’s from the far right, Mexico’s from the far left.
A change in direction
How did politics fragment? Until a decade ago, most established parties of the left and right, in search of power and votes, moved steadily toward the center, in the process embracing many of each other’s positions. The center-left accepted globalization and deregulation, the center-right the welfare state. Both supported immigration.
This, however, left a growing share of voters dissatisfied with their choices. Sara Hobolt, a political scientist at LSE, says that in recent decades party attachment has declined in Europe and voters are much quicker to shift allegiances than a generation ago when, for example, blue-collar union members always voted for the center-left.
And, just as the internet broke the oligopoly of traditional media, it has helped to break the hold of traditional parties. “Getting your message out unfiltered to your base, or the opinion leaders within your base, has really helped these startup parties,” says Catherine de Vries, a political scientist at Free University Amsterdam.
The combination of eroding political allegiance and more powerful communications technology was a boon to startup and fringe movements. All they needed was to make the case that the center had failed, and stagnating wages, financial crises and high levels of uncontrolled immigration have given them the opening.
The demise of the political middle has made it far harder to assemble the coalitions or negotiate the compromises that governing requires. The Netherlands now has 13 parties in its Parliament, and the largest, center-right Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s, controls only 22% of seats. The second largest, at 13%, is a right-wing nationalist party.
Though French President Emmanuel Macron, himself the head of a startup centrist party, has a majority in Parliament, the far right and far left command wide public support. That shows up in the leaderless “yellow vest” protests that have paralyzed French cities and forced Mr. Macron to back down on several policies.
In Britain, the landslide defeat of Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal exposed the absence of a majority in Parliament for any of the main options: stay in the European Union, leave without a deal (“hard Brexit”), or something in between.
In the U.S., no issue illustrates the polarization better than immigration. Back in 2006, Republican President George W. Bush wanted to legalize millions of illegal immigrants while plenty of Democrats, including then-senator Mr. Obama, voted to build fencing along the Mexican border. In 2016, President Trump promised his political base he would build a wall on the border, and in last year’s midterms, many Democrats promised their base they would stop him. The resulting standoff has shut down much of the federal government for the past month.
The World Economic Forum has felt the impact directly: Mr. Macron, Mrs. May and Mr. Trump all are staying away this year to deal with political turmoil at home.
The years to come
If a shrinking middle ground makes national governance harder, it makes international governance next to impossible. Even if one country manages to strike a deal with another, “it is less able to provide the guarantee it can deliver at home,” says Ms. De Vries.
The left- and right-wing populists now governing Italy have threatened to torpedo a free-trade pact between the European Union and Canada. Belgium’s prime minister resigned last month after an anti-immigrant party quit his coalition, depriving it of a parliamentary majority, over joining a United Nations migrant-rights accord.
This makes the coming years particularly fraught as the institutions that underpin the global economic system come under strain. The World Trade Organization could grind to a halt as Mr. Trump challenges its legitimacy. His own renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement could founder in Congress over Democrats’ objections. The European Union, already grappling with the imminent exit of Britain, may be challenged from within by Italy, Hungary and Poland, whose governments all question the bloc’s premise of ever-greater integration.
At some point, political stability will likely return as centrists and fringe parties alike adjust their positions to win more votes and coexist. But, Ms. de Vries says, the forces that have generated such ideological diversity aren’t about to dissipate: “Fragmentation is the new equilibrium.”
Mr. Ip is chief economics commentator for The Wall Street Journal.
Advocates of an open economy face rough road
Martin Wolf
graphic for The World Special Report
graphic for The World Special Report
graphic for The World Special Report
graphic for The World Special Report
The World Economy Goes Hollywood
Anatole Kaletsky
confused traders
Why Old-School Chinese Stimulus Won’t Help
By Nathaniel Taplin
Donald Trump’s cold war tactics will not work with China
The Chinese will not crumble as the Soviets did in the 1980s
Jeffrey Sachs
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Friday, April 05, 2013
The Forest And The Trees
Devon Black writes that the Harper government suffers from tunnel vision. It is focused on eliminating the deficit. Why? Because, these wise ones say, it will lead to lower taxes. But will it lead to a better Canada? And, to put that question in perspective, Black looks at the legacy of the recently departed everyman of Canadian politics, Ralph Klein:
One of Klein’s most striking successes was balancing the budget in 1995, a mere three years after he entered office as premier. In 1992, Alberta faced a $23 billion deficit. Klein oversaw major spending cuts, massive layoffs (including thousands of nurses) and substantial reductions in government services, all with the goal of eliminating that deficit.
He did put Alberta back in the black, and he did so two years earlier than promised. Still, it’s hard to see the elimination of the deficit as a legacy. Alberta is once again billions of dollars in the red, and is confronting the long-term consequences of Klein’s cuts.
Once the deficit was gone, it seemed that Klein didn’t have a grand vision of the Alberta that he hoped to create. Instead, his policies were sometimes reminiscent of the dog that, having caught a car, isn’t quite sure what to do next. Ralph bucks for everyone? Sure! After all, what else would we do with all that extra money?
Klein didn't have an answer to that question, and neither do his federal stepchildren:
Without an articulation of that vision, we’re reduced to watching a sort of “placeholder politics,” biding our time until the next election. Decisions are being made not in pursuit of a better Canada, but in pursuit of another election win. This leads to a degradation of both our politics and our policy.
Moreover, without an articulation of that vision, voters don’t have the opportunity to fully evaluate the options with which they are presented. What sort of Canada does abandoning the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, or eliminating the Experimental Lakes Area, or alienating First Nations people create? What is the Conservative vision for Canada, and are they achieving it?
Alberta is in worse shape today -- after Klein -- than it was before he became premier. And Canada will be in worse shape -- after Stephen Harper -- than it was before he arrived. The man can't see the forest for the trees.
Lorne said...
In a similar vein, Owen, Nick Fillmore wrote a post recently ( punctuating the hagiography that has arisen since the passing of Klein. The fact that his death brought forth such a wave of eulogies perhaps says more about the values of the corporate press than they do about those held by average Canadians.
Owen Gray said...
Thanks for the link, Lorne. I was particularly impressed by this passage:
"In many ways, Klein was a tragic figure. A drunkard, a buffoon, unreasonably stubborn, and the sad victim of Alzheimer’s in his young, late 60s, he never had a vision for what should have been done in Alberta. He was a one-issue populist who got elected to eliminate the deficit dragon – an unnecessary calling that damaged health care, education and social services so seriously critics say they still have not fully recovered."
If -- as Twain wrote -- history doesn't repeat itself, it certainly does rhyme.
thwap said...
Klein's was part of that idiotic world view that holds that the public sector can't do anything right.
They manage roads, highways, power generation, universities, hospitals, ... but supposedly it's a given that they're incompetent.
Therefore, it's impossible for us, as a people, to decide to do something via our governments, vote the money to pay for it, and achieve something good.
And so we are left with "placeholder governments" who just sit there and cut shit, and spend on wars, policing and tax cuts.
Paul Martin's inability to do anything once he became PM is the greatest example of this.
Owen Gray said...
Precisely, thwap. The goal is to create a self fulfilling prophecy: Make it impossible for government to do anything. Then claim that government is incapable of doing anything.
It's the same argument the kid who kills his parents uses when he throws himself on the mercy of the court because he's an orphan.
Fightfordemocracy said...
It is ironic that Klein at the end of his life used the much despised health services and other support services a lot more than most of us. In fact, with his self-inflicted dementia he was a super user. Interesting that Reagan was and Thatcher is in the same boat. Rob Ford will probably follow - hard to assess Ford's health until you realize he is only 44.
Those out to destroy public services shouldn't be their greatest users. No, I'm not convinced they never took a penny, rich or not. The rich people I've met are more than happy to use public services.
Owen Gray said...
Like Ayn Rand -- who railed against "moochers" -- they are quite happy to avail themselves of services -- particularly near the end of their lives -- that they so loudly despised and did their best to destroy.
Empty barrels make the most noise, Fighting.
the salamander said...
I know about as much about Klein as I know about the editor of the Globe & Mail or who changes the kitty litter in the Harper household. Nor do I know who will have the strongest legacy.
What I do know is that concerned & caring Canadians need to copycat one of Stephen Harper's nasty ideas and turn it against him.
To wit - form a 'shadow government' extending far beyond what he did with his 'shadow MP's'
For every single announcement, obstruction, secret, failure, redaction, denial, assault, prorogue, deficit, poll, legislation.. we should be announcing either the complete opposite, or whatever common sense and what is good for the country and canadians would indicate.
When he muzzles science, we must declare science to be free. When he invokes Chinese trade we advise fresh fish from Fort Chipewayn to the parliamentary buffet. When Oliver spouts green bitumen froth, we suggest urban agriculture for the poor.
Nothing that comes from these posturing illicit dangerous fools should go unanswered, un-anticipated or be accepted. This is a government that is pro desert, anti wild salmon, pro deficit, wants a war, by the numbers is anti free choice, exports raw logs, would sell asbestos if possible.
This is a 'captured government' .. and its time to start building the intervention that will carry over after they complete their own distinct buffalo jump off the high cliffs of sanctimony, entitlement and corruption.
I hope they do a little lemming wiggle in mid air.. just to entertain us as they depart. We're already seeing the stupefying spectacle of Christy Clark warming up herself and her 'Liberals' for their spectacular leap.
Remember the idea .. 'The Shadow Government'
And let's start identifying good policy, honest practices, positive attributes .. and getting them out there in contrast to the rancid pablum Harper et al are spewing.
Apologies for veering so off course.. but the current Alberta aint Klein's Alberta .. last I looked it belonged to Stephen Harper & Ray Novak
Owen Gray said...
Far from veering off course, salamander, your suggestion is right on target.
The Harper government has so thoroughly adopted Orwellian methods that, by definition, a shadow government could show the doublespeak for what it is -- lies.
Beijing York said...
I'm not adding much to the discussion but is that not an American Idol competitor from Season 9 or 10 in your picture? Siobhan Magnus?
Owen Gray said...
That's the lady, Bejiing. The American Idol connection is a bit tacky.
But as an illustration of Harper's inability to see with depth or breadth, it seemed appropriate.
Come to think of it, perhaps that's what Stephen Harper -- in his heart of hearts -- wants to be: An American Idol. | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '1', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9638786315917968}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '121708', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:KVFZZLA35DR7TCYXMN3LYYLTGHQF63IO', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:4375c0dc-af89-4820-b446-626c9622aa04>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2017, 8, 19, 16, 57, 4), 'WARC-IP-Address': '172.217.7.161', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:R6VEZJSPK2JEH5UUTI73TBK27M4MOX5S', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:515d0fff-996c-4319-8d53-80c8c1aa14c0>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'http://nor-re.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-forest-and-trees.html', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:734d5e3b-0742-4fd5-9bea-044b748027df>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '1297', 'url': 'http://nor-re.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-forest-and-trees.html', 'warcinfo': 'robots: classic\r\nhostname: ip-10-147-224-23.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Nutch 1.6 (CC)\r\nisPartOf: CC-MAIN-2017-34\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for August 2017\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.0\r\nconformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.041109681129455566', 'original_id': '5e5693241c040d50e755c43824b06b2ab1469af5a5e42ae246cba292bba25dd0'} |
Value Network Analysis. What is it? What is it for? How can it be done?
Modelo, Prácticas 0 Comments
Versión en Español: aquí.
What is a Value Network Analysis?
It is a map that analyzes the value network of an organization in its ecosystem, allows us to analyze the exchanges from an organic, dynamic and systemic perspective. Unlike the linear graphs of business processes, which seek to trace paths to walk efficiently and that are susceptible to continuous improvement, this map attempts to represent a vast territory to explore with an open mind and discover new possibilities.
Linear graphics are still useful and practical but have their conditioning blind spots. Already in the 1967 Conway Act, software programmer Melvin Conway explains: «Organizations that design systems are limited to producing designs that are copies of the communication structures of these organizations. Or put another way: «Any piece of software reflects the organizational structure that produced it.» In other words, if we want our organizations’ software to be more effective and to help our organization make a qualitative leap in the digital age, we first need to change the way we conceive and improve organizational dynamics.
The Value Network Analysis is a way to bring out much more information, including the structures of communication, exchange, and INTANGIBLE deliverables. The intangibles are the great forgotten in the traditional processes. They remain hidden for the workers who are in charge of advancing the product line, and they are told that they only have to do certain specific activities for everything to work, while the manager has a view from the heights, where he moves political processes such as the exchange of favors and strategic agreements. However, in the digital era, we discover that we are intellectual and emotional workers, that we notice that processes get stuck or slowed down, that we intervene with our emotions, that we get angry or frustrated when we don’t know how to make some things happen or how just to achieve the right rhythm. This map helps to get out of not talking and not seeing certain aspects that were previously only in the hands of managers; that is, it allows us to explore what is happening to us and open the door to the creative potential of teams.
What are the elements of a Value Network Analysis?
Verna Allee defines a value network as a set of roles and interactions that generates a concrete result (in the form of business, economic goods and/or social goods), through the exchange of value in the way of tangible or intangible deliverables. The beauty of this definition is that it presents the elements we need to build our value map: roles, transactions, and deliverables. We can map the value network from the perspective of the entire organization, an area of it, or a particular product/service/activity. For the reasons explained in the previous section, it is preferable to always speak in terms of activity rather than in terms of process.
Here we show, as an example, Pantheon Work’s value network from a bird’s eye view:
This map allows us to visualize the three elements of a Value Network Analysis:
• Network nodes: the nodes of the value network are typically represented with an oval, and represent specific people who are contributing to the activity by playing a role in it. Of course, the same person can contribute from more than one role. In the case of Pantheon Work, there are collaborators who are also researchers or broadcasters, or organizational leaders who are also prescribers.
• Exchanges: each directional arrow is a value transaction between roles. Depending on the type of way in which the value delivery occurs, we draw the arrow either continuously or discontinuously. This takes us to the third and final element, the deliverables.
• Deliverable: the labels on the lines describe the specific way in which the value transaction takes place. We consider tangible deliverables to be those that are essential and expected/required by the roles to carry out the activity, and we draw them with a continuous line.
What are its main benefits?
When everyone involved in a network shares a vision of how value is being created and distributed, and what relationships and deliverables each role in the network needs, effective alignment and collaboration with an overall vision are achieved. From the point of view of the Pantheon Work model, it allows the twelve missions, which may naturally come into conflict, to establish their conversations in a common language (the value map) and with a common object (its optimization).
In many organizations, traditional business processes have been opened to Kaizen’s work, to work on continuous improvement, with teams from the different areas involved (i.e., they are no longer in the hands of experts who review and improve it once in a while, when the date for renewing a certification is approaching or when something is causing too much discomfort). To facilitate teamwork, the way of working processes has been opened visually on walls, with colored post-its, moving, grouping, recreating the process. For this, techniques such as Customer Journey or Agile Retrospectives are used. Our experience with Value Network Analysis is that it is an advantageous methodology for improvement, from the quality of intermediate or final deliverables to the dramatic reduction of delivery times or «time to market».
But the Value Network Analysis goes beyond the Kaizen to enable the Kaikaku opportunity. Although Kaizen is a fairly common word, Kaikaku is a Japanese word that has not yet been widely used and is increasingly a key success factor. Kaizen is continuous, progressive improvement, based on the above, and Kaikaku is transformation, a creative, disruptive leap, where we throw away the old forms and open up to new ways of creating value. The digital age not only requires some organizations to perform a Kaikaku of their business model in order to survive, but it constantly provokes unforeseen ways, and only organizations with the ability to do Kaikakus can adapt and thrive in changing environments. We have facilitated Value Network Analysis sessions that have redefined business models, or in the case of non-profit foundations, their funding sources.
Because Value Network Analysis is a powerful tool for prospering in the digital age, we have adopted it as one of Pantheon Work’s key artifacts. It is a necessary tool but not enough, so once you have adopted it we suggest complementing it with the other practices in order to obtain a greater benefit.
How to make our first Value Network Analysis?
To draw the map of a value network we follow Verna Allee’s methodology, introduced in her book The Future of Knowledge and later developed in Value Networks and the True Nature of Collaboration. This methodology offers a very effective way of visualizing, analyzing and optimizing value creation in a network. Although it is an exercise that can reach a very high degree of sophistication, its fundamentals can be learned and operationalized relatively quickly. In this post, we will focus on the visualization of the value network, and we will give you some indications of how to start the analysis and optimization. We strongly advise you to buy Verna Allee’s great books, but in this post, we are going to explain the basics, which you can complement with this article that summarizes them. You can also listen to Verna Allee’s explanation in this video.
Step by step
1. Decide which participants to invite
Ideally, it is interesting to bring together a diverse group of people from your organization and your ecosystem, or at least people from the organization who know the stakeholders. It is best not to gather too large a group, but we have done exercises with groups of up to thirty people divided into two or three different groups and working in parallel.
2. Defining the scope of the analysis
The facilitator distributes post-its and markers to the participants, and together they clarify the perspective and scope of the map to be drawn. Depending on the objective of the analysis, we will choose to have a general vision, or a more specific one, for example, focusing on a type of service or on a particular department of the organization.
Once we have announced the scope of the analysis, the facilitator asks the participants to write it on the top of the large sheet of paper (we can cut a large piece of stripe paper or white paper, or tape a few sheets of flipchart paper), along with their names and the date.
3. Write the names of 10-15 people
The facilitator asks the participants to write in post-its the names of the 10-15 people internal or external to the organization with whom they have been mostly related or who have been most decisive for them, within the scope of the map analysis (general, service, department, etc.) and in the last twelve months.The facilitator asks the participants to write in post-its the names of the 10-15 people internal or external to the organization with whom they have been mostly related or who have been most decisive for them, within the scope of the map analysis (general, service, department, etc.) and in the last twelve months.
4. Grouping in roles
Participants group the post-its according to the role they have played (how they contribute) in the creation and exchange of value. If anyone has played more than one role, replicate the post-it. It is essential to be clear that the role it plays does not refer to its job description in the organization chart, nor a mission of the Pantheon Work model.
Verna Allee explains the meaning of this step in this way: «Changing the mentality to roles rather than positions opens up a world of possibilities. You can’t manage a network of value, you can only serve it through the roles you play. Of course, it can be the case that a person can appear in different roles, this appears in another fragment of Allee’s book: «I work in a small company and we all play multiple roles. Will this approach still work for us? This is actually an ideal approach for a small business because it helps people avoid the trap of organizing the business around key people rather than around roles that are key to business activities.
Ideally, we will group them into 8-10 roles. When mapping manually (without the assistance of any technology), it is difficult to handle more than 12 roles and 50 transactions.
5. Describe relationships and deliverables
We will copy in post-its the names of the roles and we will distribute them in the big sheet where we are going to draw the map. The best thing is to put the central role of your analysis (your organization, your department, etc.) in the center, and the rest of the roles around, bringing closer those that we consider having a more significant number of transactions. The idea is that every relationship is a transaction of some kind. The next step is to describe the relationships and deliverables that exchange the roles we have defined, and draw an arrow between the roles where we can place them.
We include tangible and intangible deliverables that are exchanged roles. We call them «deliverables» because it can be verified that they are delivered or not, and we express them with names (not with verbs or adjectives).
For this first exercise, we propose you to simplify the notation of Verna Allee’s methodology, drawing a single line for all deliverables that move in one direction, and we distinguish two categories of deliverables:
• Tangible deliverables, in green color: the contractual, directly linked to the activity, those that are demandable between roles because so required by the contractual or normative relationship between them. Generally, they are those deliverables that contribute directly to the production and delivery of a product, service or financing. Therefore, an order, a report and an invoice are traditional examples of tangible deliverables.
• Intangible deliverables, in purple color: those that are delivered as a courtesy to build a fluid and robust relationship, but which are not in principle enforceable by the other. For example, exchange of favors, information, documents, power on decision-making, products, services, money, best practices, contacts, attention, advice, or any other deliverable that brings us some value, such as reputation, visibility, recognition, guidance, clarity, etc..
(Of course, you can use the traditional notation explained in the post What is a Value Network Analysis or draw later when you have collected all the elements. The original notation requires a bit of practice, but is more powerful at the cognitive level).
6. Indicate satisfaction with deliverables
Participants evaluate with colored stickers the satisfaction of the roles with the deliverables they are receiving, in those that are most important. They can be used:
• blue sticker: the recipient is satisfied
• yellow sticker: the recipient is not satisfied.
Working groups are usually quite creative when working with a value map. Sometimes they may want to indicate satisfaction or dissatisfaction with more than one sticker, inconsistency in satisfaction by placing both a blue and yellow sticker, etc. In our opinion, it is worth being flexible with the methodology as long as the fundamentals are maintained: roles are roles, deliverables are effectively deliverables, and we clearly indicate in which direction they move.
7. Sequence transactions to validate the map
Sequencing consists of observing on the map the order in which transactions usually take place. This is not to reduce everything to a linear process, but to identify the multiple interdependencies between the roles. As Verna Allee says, «in process engineering, the goal is to determine a single optimal process and eliminate variation to obtain consistent results. With value network analysis it is objective to optimize multiple pathways and achieve consistent results while allowing for the variations needed for innovation, resilience, and network agility.
To facilitate sequencing, we ask the group about the first thing that happens in a typical scenario, and we follow the path. Then we can approach other beginnings, and other habitual ways.
Extra-ball: generating insights
We’ve already completed the map! In another post, we explain with an example of how we can analyze and optimize the flow of value in the network. As a foretaste, here are some trigger questions to debate about it that lead to compelling insights, which you can develop and make actionable with your preferred methodologies (design thinking, lean management, etc.):
• Who is more active on the net? Why?
• Who is less active in the network? Why?
• Who should appear and who doesn’t? Why?
• What relationships should be initiated? Strengthen? Take back?
• What opportunities do we have to expand or strengthen the network?
• Do all deliverables add value or do they generate another deliverable as a response?
• Is any exchange of deliverables weak or at risk?
• Does the network add value to all roles?
• Does anyone receive much more than they do?
In a future post, we will see the analysis of a specific case, that of the sale of training programs from the postgraduate school of a Spanish university to companies and professionals.
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Q:
Ensuring a file is flushed when file created in external process (Win32)
Windows Win32 C++ question about flushing file activity to disk.
I have an external application (ran using CreateProcess) which does some file creation. i.e., when it returns it will have created a file with some content.
How can I ensure that the file the process created was really flushed to disk, before I proceed?
By this I mean not the C++ buffers but really flushing disk (e.g. FlushFileBuffers).
Remember that I don't have access to any file HANDLE - this is all of course hidden inside the external process.
I guess I could open up a handle of my own to the file and then use FlushFileBuffers, but it's not clear this would work (since my handle doesn't actually contain anything which needs flushing).
Finally, I want this to run in non-admin userspace so I cannot use FlushFileBuffers on a whole volume.
Any ideas?
UPDATE: Why do I think this is a problem?
I'm working on a data backup application. Essentially it has to create some files as described. It then has to update it's internal DB (using SQLite embedded DB).
I recently had a data corruption issue which occurred during a bluescreen (the cause of which was unrelated to my app).
What I'm concerned about is application integrity during a system crash. And yes, I do care about this because this app is a data backup app.
The use case I'm concerned about is this:
A small data file is created using external process. This write is waiting in the OS cache to be written to disk.
I update the DB and commit. This is a disk activity. This write is also waiting in the OS cache.
A system failure occurs.
As I see it, we're now in a potential race condition. If "1" gets flushed and "2" doesn't then we're fine (as the DB transact wasn't then committed). If neither gets flushed or both get flushed then we're also OK.
As I understand it, the writes will be non-deterministic. i.e., I'm not aware that the OS will guarantee to write "1" before "2". (Am I wrong?)
So, if "2" gets flushed, but "1" doesn't then we have a problem.
What I observed was that the DB was correctly updated, but that the file had garbage in: the last 2 thirds of the data was binary "zeroes". Now, I don't know what it looks like when you have a file part flushed at the time of bluescreen, but I wouldn't be surprised if it looked like that.
Can I guarantee this is the cause? No I cannot guarantee this. I'm just speculating. It could just be that the file was "naturally" corrupted due to disk failure or as a result of the blue screen.
With regards to performance, this is something I believe I can deal with.
For example, the default behaviour of SQLite is to do a full file flush (using FlushFileBuffers) every time you commit a transaction. They are quite clear that if you don't do this then at the time of system crash, you might have a corrupted DB.
Also, I believe I can mitigate the performance hit by only flushing at "checkpoints". For example, writing 50 files, flushing the lot and then writing to the DB.
How likely is all this to be a problem? Beats me. But then my app might well be archiving at or around the time of system failure so it might be more likely that you think.
Hope that explains why I wan't to do this.
A:
Why would you want this? The OS will make sure that the data is flushed to the disk in due time. If you access it, it will either return the data from the cache or from disk, so this is transparent for you.
If you need some safety in case of disaster, then you must call FlushFileBuffers, for example by creating a process with admin rights after running the external process. But that can severely impact the performance of the whole machine.
Your only other option is to modify the source of the other process.
[EDIT] The most simple solution is probably to copy the file in your process and then flush the copy (since you have the handle). Save the copy under a name which says "not committed in the database".
Then update the database. Write into the database, "updated from file ...". If this entry already exists next time, don't update the database and skip this step.
Flush the database to disk.
Rename the file to "file has been processed into database". Rename is an atomic operation (so it either happens or not).
If you can't think of a good filename for the different states, then use subfolders and move the file between them.
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November 2016 Babies
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Very very light spotting 5 days before period
Bookmark Discussion
katiekatie1119 wrote:
So my period is so Friday and I have had very light spotting today... and bright red... it's so light that it basically just looks like a red tint in my urine when I wipe. I'm basically preparing myself for being pregnant because, I mean what else could it be right!? Implantation bleeding? Btw, I'm an extremely dramatic person so I know for a normal person they would think it could be multiple things but I've already convinced myself that baby # 2 is on it's way lol... sigh I would have very mixed feelings about being pregnant again... sometimes I think I'm so ready and then other times it scares the complete *** out of me (pardon my language) I will be thrilled if I'm pregnant but also relieved if I'm not if that makes sense lol... sighhh I guess we will find out in the next week or so.
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totally get how you are feeling...I thought I was pregnant - but several tests later and a Dr visit, I am not! We are planning for another one, just not quite yet...a few big family events happening over the next month and I want to be able to fully enjoy them! (with out being super tired and be able to have a few celabratory drinks!
I thought that too when that happened to me after my first. It was just a weird irregular period but yeah, I remember convincing myself of that too. | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '0', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9726327657699584}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '161786', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:P5MXXASBIHT3VCLKP25H53PDXIU4Y2ST', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:17e11313-e50f-4f09-ae47-5e1708824abb>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2018, 8, 19, 0, 32, 6), 'WARC-IP-Address': '23.13.169.223', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:YXWN65H4EUW5AQKB7XNQUBRCCIINC56Z', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:5a5bc295-7b8f-420e-b083-b3516535ade9>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'https://www.whattoexpect.com/forums/november-2016-babies/topic/very-very-light-spotting-5-days-before-period.html', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:4c1e30a9-6325-4570-aa06-76e26e8bb876>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '276', 'url': 'https://www.whattoexpect.com/forums/november-2016-babies/topic/very-very-light-spotting-5-days-before-period.html', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2018-34\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for August 2018\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-11-199-188.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.15 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 0.11-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.03974205255508423', 'original_id': 'd50fd7df9b9850e98857a070a9b8766cfb71f02c9065b3ea168ee33f24233868'} |
Saturday, December 30, 2006
The Giggly Wigglies
Dear reader, I have a problem, it's not a big one but it's a problem just the same. The thing is you see, I can't actually get a great photo of both of my girls together. It doesn't matter when you try and photograph them or indeed how many sweeties you promise to give them afterwards, they just can sit in the same place without it turning into random silliness and giggles!
I suppose really if I'm honest this is a pretty acurate description of their characters, i don't have the alternative photo yet, thats the one where they shout scream ang pull each others hair out yet, I fear dear reader though that it's not very far away!!
1 comment
Samantha said...
If you ask me (which you didnt, but I'm gonna tell you anyways LOL), you really dont have a problem at all :) I think that picture is the perfect picture! As well as the one where they are pulling out each others hair! You are catching them as they are normally, instead of looking like perfect children that dont move!
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The Destitute Woman & Legal Plunder
Imagine you and I are strolling down the street one fine day on our way to have a nice lunch and we come across a woman who is truly destitute. She needs many things including food to feed her baby. Imagine also that you just cashed a check and you know, and I know, that you have $200.00 in your pocket.
Now imagine that I decide that you should give the $200.00 dollars to the woman. (Remember, she is truly needy.) So I take out my handgun and I order you, at gunpoint, to turn over the $200.00 to the woman.
Not wanting your brains splattered all over the street, you comply, but it’s not over. Let’s just say that I am so moved by this woman’s situation that I order you to come to my house tomorrow and the next day and every day until you die and give me more money so that I can provide for her and her children and her grandchildren indefinitely. Furthermore I make it clear to you that if you do not do as I command, I will use force against you and your loved ones.
Of course, if I behaved this way toward you, I would be acting criminally because I have no right to force you to part with your property even if the cause is a worthy one. The question then becomes would this action on my part be legal and righteous if it was done not just by me, but collectively. Let’s say, everybody on the whole street agrees that we should take your money and give it to the needy woman. Is there any moral principle that makes collective force acceptable when the use of force individually would be a crime?
The answer is, of course, no.
Frederic Bastiat dealt with this very question many years ago in a book called “The Law.” Bastiat said that law itself was nothing but the collective organization of the individual right to lawful defense. He reasoned that if every person has the right to defend his liberty, his person and his property, then it follows that a group of men have the right to organize and support a common force to protect these rights constantly.
So common rights are based on individual rights and the common force that protects these rights can have no other purpose or mission than that for which it acts as a substitute. Therefore, if I can’t INDIVIDUALLY use force against your liberty or your person or your property, then the common force—the collective force – cannot lawfully be used to destroy your person, or your liberty, or your property.
Now since men are fallen creatures and work is required for making a profit that can be used to satisfy men’s needs and wants, it will naturally occur to some men that it may take less effort to steal the profit that other men earn rather than to take the time and expend the effort to earn profit for themselves. Men will tend to do this so long as the effort and risk are minimal. According to Bastiat, one purpose of the law is to restrain the exercise of this sinful behavior by punishing the plundering of men by other men. In other words, the punishment that the law meets out will turn men back to the honest and peaceful methods of earning profit for themselves, thus satisfying their own needs and wants and allowing all to live in peace. However, since those who are in authority in the land are also tempted to steal, it is common and natural that they will invent “laws” which allow them to steal the profit and the substance of others by means of the very laws they have created.
Bastiat calls this activity “legal plunder” and says this:
“It is impossible to introduce into society a greater evil than this: the conversion of the law into an instrument of plunder. What are the consequences of such a perversion…”? In the first place, it erases from everyone’s conscience the distinction between justice and injustice. No society can exist unless the laws are respected to a certain degree. The safest way to make the laws respected is to make them respectable. When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law. These two evils are of equal consequence, and it would be difficult for a person to choose between them.”
When the local or state or national government violates God’s law, what Jefferson and our Founders called “THE LAW OF NATURE AND OF NATURE’s GOD,” or when it violates the limits placed on it by the constitution, which is its contract with “We the People,” it is acting criminally. And when government uses the force of law to break the law, “We the People” must think clearly and act morally. Out of our love of our Country and for the honor of God, we must weed out the evil of socialism… first in our own thinking, and then, in our civil government.
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In some embodiments, an antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof as described herein contacts a cell expressing an L-type voltage-gated calcium channel and thereby modulates an activity of the cell. In some embodiments, the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof inhibits the activity of the cell. In particular embodiments, inhibiting the activity of the cell reduces activity of the cell by a statistically significant amount. In particular embodiments, inhibiting the activity of the cell results in a decrease of cellular activity of 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or 100% (including all integers and ranges in between).
In some embodiments, the antibody or antigen-binding fragment increases the activity of the cell. In particular embodiments, increasing the activity of the cell increases the activity by a statistically significant amount. In particular embodiments, increasing the activity of a cell results in an increase of cellular activity of 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or 100% (including all integers and ranges in between). In certain embodiments, increasing in activity of a cell results in a 2-fold, 3-fold, 4-fold, 5-fold, 6-fold, 7-fold, 8-fold, 9-fold, 10-fold, 20-fold, 30-fold, 40-fold, 50-fold, 60-fold, 70-fold, 80-fold, 90-fold, 100-fold, 200-fold, 300-fold, 400-fold, 500-fold, 1,000-fold, 10,000-fold, or greater than 10,000-fold increase (including all integers and ranges in between) of channel activity.
In certain embodiments, modulation of an activity in a cell is quantified by standard techniques known in the art. In some embodiments, modulation of activity of an L-type voltage-gated calcium channel is measured by contacting the cell with an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof, measuring the activity of the cell, and comparing the measurement to a measurement of a control cell. In some embodiments, cell activity is measured in cultured cells, animal models, or samples or biopsy taken from a subject. Techniques to examine cellular activity are well known in the art, and include assays to examine cell survival, transcription, translation, lipid synthesis, differentiation, absorption, secretion, division, growth, migration, and remodeling. Appropriate functional assays can be readily determined by one skilled in the art taking into consideration the cell type involved and the activity to be measured.
In certain embodiments, antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof as described herein contact voltage-gated calcium channels that are expressed in immune cells, such as hematopoietic cells. Hematopoietic cells include cells from the myeloid lineage (including monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, erythrocytes, megakaryocytes, platelets, mast cells and dendritic cells) and cells from the lymphoid lineage (including T cells, B cells, and natural killer (NK) cells). In some embodiments, the antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof decrease immune cell activity. In some embodiments, antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof increase immune cell activity. In some embodiments, antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof increase and decrease immune cell activity, for example, by initially increasing immune cell function and then decreasing immune cell function, or by increasing the activity of one population of immune cells and decreasing the activity of another population of immune cells.
Examples of immune cell activity include, but are not limited to, a cellular process of an immune cell, as well as cellular processes or activities that contribute to an innate or adaptive immune response. Activities contributing to adaptive immune response include activities performed by cells of lymphoid lineage, such as T cells and B cells. In T cells, these activities include, but are not limited to, inducing maturation of B cells in plasma cells and memory B cells, activation of cytotoxic T cells and macrophages, cytokine production and secretion by helper (CD4⁺) T cells; lysing cells (such as virally infected cells or tumor cells) by cytotoxic (CD8⁺) T cells; suppression of T cell mediated immunity by regulatory (suppressor) T cells; expansion by cell division in memory T cells. T cell activities also include T cell receptor binding to antigens and T cell maturation. In B cells, activities include antibody production and secretion by plasma cells, antigen binding to the B cell receptor, and B cell receptor activation. B cell activities also include maturation and survival. Examples of immune cell activity that contributes to innate immunity include release of histamine-containing granules and chemokines by mast cells, engulfment of cells, pathogens, or particles by phagocytes and macrophages; release of oxidizing agents, free oxygen radicals, and hypochlorite by neutrophils; release of histamine, toxic proteins, and free radicals by basophils and eosinophils; and destruction of infected cells by Natural Killer (NK) cells. Certain embodiments contemplate, but are not bound by, a model whereby these examples of immune cell function are considered positively coupled to calcium signaling.
Maturation generally refers to a process whereby a less specialized cell develops into a more specialized cell type. Maturation involves signal-regulated adjustments in cells, immune cells, and/or thymocytic cells that lead to cellular specialization. Examples of maturation in the immune system include, but are not limited to, monocyte maturation to macrophage; B thymocyte maturation to B lymphocyte, and further maturing to a plasma cell or memory B cell; and T thymocyte maturation to T lymphocyte, and further maturation to cytotoxic T lymphocyte, cytokine induced killer T cell, helper T cell, regulatory T cell, or a natural killer T cell.
In some embodiments, an antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof as described herein contacts an immune cell expressing an L-type voltage gated calcium channel and thereby modulates an activity of the immune cell. In some embodiments, the antibody or antigen-binding fragment inhibits the activity of the immune cell. In particular embodiments, inhibiting the activity of the immune cell reduce activity by a statistically significant amount. In particular embodiments, inhibiting the activity of the cell results in a decrease of cellular activity of 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or 100% (including all integers and ranges in between).
In some embodiments, the antibody or antigen-binding fragment increases the activity of the immune cell. In particular embodiments, increasing the activity of the immune cell increase the activity by a statistically significant amount. In particular embodiments, increasing the immune cell activity results in an increase of immune cell activity of 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, or 100% (including all integers and ranges in between). In certain embodiments, increasing the activity of an immune cell results in a 2-fold, 3-fold, 4-fold, 5-fold, 6-fold, 7-fold, 8-fold, 9-fold, 10-fold, 20-fold, 30-fold, 40-fold, 50-fold, 60-fold, 70-fold, 80-fold, 90-fold, 100-fold, 200-fold, 300-fold, 400-fold, 500-fold, 1,000-fold, 10,000-fold, or greater than 10,000-fold increase (including all integers and ranges in between) of channel activity.
Appropriate functional assays can be readily determined by one skilled in the art taking into consideration the cell type involved. For example, cell survival, cell proliferation, cell differentiation and/or cell activation of an immune cell could be assessed by standard techniques. For example, changes in gene expression associated with particular processes can be measured with known techniques in the art, for example, fluorescence in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, qPCR, and western blot analysis. Alternatively, measurements of processes such cytokine secretion or cytolytic ability can be directly assessed using techniques known in the art. Suitable assays to assess immune function of various hematopoietic cells are known in the art.
Some embodiments relate to methods of contacting immune cells with antibodies or antigen-binding fragments described herein to modify activity of an immune cell for the purposes of treating a subject in need thereof. In some aspects, the subject is in need of treatment for a disease. In particular embodiments, immune cells are contacted in vitro for the purposes of treating a subject, for example, through adoptive cell transfer. Adoptive cell transfer, as used herein, refers to the transfer immune-derived cells, back into the same patient or into a new recipient host with the goal of transferring the immunologic functionality and characteristics into the new host. If possible, use of autologous cells helps the recipient by minimizing graft versus host disease issues. In certain embodiments, an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof described herein is administered to the subject.
As used herein, the term “immune response” includes T cell mediated and/or B cell mediated immune responses. Exemplary immune responses include T cell responses, e.g., cytokine production and cellular cytotoxicity. In addition, the term immune response includes immune responses that are indirectly affected by T cell activation, e.g., antibody production (humoral responses) and activation of cytokine responsive cells, e.g., macrophages. Immune cells involved in the immune response include lymphocytes, such as B cells and T cells (CD4+, CD8+, Th1 and Th2 cells); antigen presenting cells (e.g., professional antigen presenting cells such as dendritic cells, macrophages, B lymphocytes, Langerhans cells, and nonprofessional antigen presenting cells such as keratinocytes, endothelial cells, astrocytes, fibroblasts, oligodendrocytes); natural killer cells; myeloid cells, such as macrophages, eosinophils, mast cells, basophils, and granulocytes. In some embodiments, the antibodies or antigen-binding fragments described herein are effective to reduce inflammatory cell trafficking to the site of inflammation. In some embodiments, the term “immune response” encompasses activation of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and release of inflammatory mediators on macrophages, dendritic cells, histiocytes, Kupffer cells and/or mastocytes. Examples of inflammatory mediators include lysosome granules, histamine, IFN-gamma, IL-8, Leukotriene B4, nitric oxide, prostaglandins, and TNF-alpha.
In particular embodiments, antibodies and antigen-binding fragments described herein that decrease L-type voltage channel activity are used as immunosuppressants, which find application, for example, in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, in reducing the risk of transplant rejection, and/or in the treatment of other disorders requiring suppression of the immune system, such as treatment of allergy. In some embodiments, antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof that inhibit L-type voltage-gated calcium channels expressed in T cells or B cells are useful, for example, as immunosuppressants. In another example, antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof that inhibit L-type voltage-gated calcium channels in mast cells are useful, for example, to reduce mast cell activity and treat allergy.
Examples of autoimmune diseases that may be treated in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention include, but are not limited to, X-linked agammaglobulinemia, systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory (rheumatoid) arthritis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, pernicious anemia, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), psoriasis, renal fibroses, pulmonary fibroses, hepatic fibroses, Addison's disease, Type I diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), dermatomyositis, Sjogren's syndrome, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, Reiter's syndrome, and Grave's disease. Clinical indicators of response can be measured for each of these diseases. For example, a reduction in pain, reduction in inflammation of tissues (for example, joints), improved tissue (for example, kidney) function, or improved ability to digest food can serve as indicators of successful immunosuppression.
Certain embodiments contemplate the administration of a therapeutic agent targeted to a voltage-gated calcium channel expressed in hematopoietic cells in conjunction with an anti-inflammatory agent or immunosuppressive agent. Certain embodiments contemplate the administration of an antibody or antigen-binding fragment described herein in conjunction with a known anti-inflammatory agent or immunosuppressive agent. Certain embodiments contemplate the administration of an antibody or antigen-binding fragment described herein in conjunction with an anti-inflammatory agent or immunosuppressive agent. Examples of immunosuppressive agents include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (such as diclofenac, diflunisal, etodolac, flurbiprofen, ibuprofen, indomethacin, ketoprofen, ketorolac, nabumetone, naproxen, oxaprozin, piroxicam, sulindac, tolmetin, celecoxib, or rofecoxib), steroids (such as cortisone, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone, prednisolone, prednisone, or triamcinolone) and immunosuppressive agents (such as cyclosporin, tacrolimus, mycophenolic acid, or sirolimus). Other examples include biological response modifiers (such as Kineret® (anakinra), Enbrel® (etanercept), or Remicade® (infliximab)), disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) (such as Arava® (leflunomide)), Hyalgan® (hyaluronan) and Synvisc® (hylan G-F20).
In particular embodiments, antibodies and antigen-binding fragments described herein that increase activity of an L-type voltage-gated calcium channel that is expressed on an immune cell. These antibodies are used, for example, to increase or generate an immune response. Such agents and methods may be useful in the treatment of cancer and/or treatment of immune suppression.
Certain embodiments therefore relate to the treatment of cancer in a subject in need thereof, comprising administering to the subject an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof, as described herein. In some embodiments, the subject is not significantly immunosuppressed or immunodeficient. Examples of cancers include breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, testicular cancer, head and neck cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer (e.g., renal cell carcinoma), soft tissue sarcoma, squamous cell carcinoma, CNS or brain cancer, melanoma, non-melanoma cancer, thyroid cancer, endometrial cancer, an epithelial tumor, bone cancer, and hematopoietic cancer. In certain embodiments, the lung cancer is osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, or a Ewing Sarcoma Family of Tumors (ESFTs). In certain embodiments, the gastrointestinal cancer is esophageal cancer, stomach (gastric) cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, gallbladder (biliary) cancer, small intestinal cancer, colorectal cancer, anal or rectal cancer, or gastrointestinal carcinoid or stromal tumor. In certain embodiments, the melanoma is lentigo maligna, lentigo maligna melanoma, superficial spreading melanoma, acral lentiginous melanoma, mucosal melanoma, nodular melanoma, polypoid melanoma, desmoplastic melanoma, amelanotic melanoma, soft-tissue melanoma, or uveal melanoma. In certain embodiments, the hematopoietic cancer is a lymphoma, leukemia, or multiple myeloma. In certain embodiments, the lymphoma is a T-cell lymphoma, B-cell lymphoma, small lymphocytic lymphoma, mangle cell lymphoma, anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), follicular lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In certain embodiments, the leukemia is chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), hairy cell leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, myelocytic leukemia, acute myeloid or myelogenous leukemia, or chronic myelogenous leukemia. In certain embodiments, the brain cancer is a glioma, meningioma, pituitary adenoma, vestibular schwannoma, primary CNS lymphoma, neuroblastoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor (medulloblastoma), or glioblastoma multiforme.
Certain methods include the treatment of cancers that express (e.g., over-express) one or more Cav1 channels. For instance, in certain embodiments, the cancer expresses (e.g., over-expresses), Cav1.1, Cav1.2, Cav1.3, Cav1.4, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the cancer expresses (e.g., over-expresses) Cav1.1 and the therapeutic antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof binds (e.g., selectively binds) to Cav1.1. In some embodiments, the cancer expresses (e.g., over-expresses) Cav1.2 and the therapeutic antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof binds (e.g., selectively binds) to Cav1.2. In some embodiments, the cancer expresses (e.g., over-expresses) Cav1.3 and the therapeutic antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof binds (e.g., selectively binds) to Cav1.3. In some embodiments, the cancer expresses (e.g., over-expresses) Cav1.4 and the therapeutic antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof binds (e.g., selectively binds) to Cav1.4.
FIG. 10 illustrates the association between Cav channel expression and certain cancer types. Thus, certain embodiments relate to the treatment of any one or more of the cancers in FIG. 10, which optionally express (e.g., over-express) one or more Cav1 channels. In some embodiments, the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof binds to Cav1.1 and is used in the treatment of a skeletal muscle cancer, larynx cancer, thyroid cancer, prostate cancer, leukemia, solid tumor, Burkett lymphoma, meduloblastoma, endometrial cancer, or lung carcinoma that expresses (e.g., over-expresses) Cav1.1 (see, e.g., FIG. 10). In some embodiments, the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof binds to Cav1.2 and is used in the treatment of a cancer of the spleen, cancer of the thymus, uterine cancer, brain cancer, colon cancer, chondrosarcoma, lymphoma, leukemia, neuroblastoma, or Hodgkin's lymphoma that expresses (e.g., over-expresses) Cav1.2 (see, e.g., FIG. 10). In some embodiments, the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof binds to Cav1.3 and is used in the treatment of a cancer of the bone, brain, lung, intestine, pituitary gland, pancreas, adrenal gland, kidney, testis, bronchial epithelium, or breast (e.g., breast carcinoma) that expresses (e.g., over-expresses) Cav1.3 (see, e.g., FIG. 10). In some embodiments, the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof binds to Cav1.4 and is used in the treatment of a cancer of the lung, muscle, thymus, pineal gland, small intestine, spleen that expresses (e.g., over-expresses) Cav1.4, or in the treatment of leukemia, lymphoma, or meningioma that expresses (e.g., over-expresses) Cav1.4 (see, e.g., FIG. 10).
Some methods include administering an antibody in combination with an additional cancer therapy. In certain embodiments, the additional cancer therapy selected from one or more of an anti-cancer agent, radiotherapy, surgery, transplantation, photodynamic therapy, symptomatic care, and antibiotic therapy. In certain embodiments, the additional anti-cancer agent is selected from a small molecule and an antibody. In certain embodiments, the small molecule is a cytotoxic, chemotherapeutic, or anti-angiogenic agent. In certain embodiments, the small molecule cytotoxic, chemotherapeutic, or anti-angiogenic agent is selected from one or more of alkylating agents, anti-metabolites, anthracyclines, anti-tumor antibiotics, platinums, type I topoisomerase inhibitors, type II topoisomerase inhibitors, vinca alkaloids, and taxanes.
In certain embodiments, the additional small molecule is selected from one or more of chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide, cilengitide, lomustine (CCNU), melphalan, procarbazine, thiotepa, carmustine (BCNU), enzastaurin, busulfan, daunorubicin, doxorubicin, gefitinib, erlotinib idarubicin, temozolomide, epirubicin, mitoxantrone, bleomycin, cisplatin, carboplatin, oxaliplatin, camptothecins, irinotecan, topotecan, amsacrine, etoposide, etoposide phosphate, teniposide, temsirolimus, everolimus, vincristine, vinblastine, vinorelbine, vindesine, CT52923, paclitaxel, imatinib, dasatinib, sorafenib, pazopanib, sunitnib, vatalanib, geftinib, erlotinib, AEE-788, dichoroacetate, tamoxifen, fasudil, SB-681323, semaxanib, donepizil, galantamine, memantine, rivastigmine, tacrine, rasigiline, naltrexone, lubiprostone, safinamide, istradefylline, pimavanserin, pitolisant, isradipine, pridopidine (ACR16), tetrabenazine, bexarotene, glatirimer acetate, fingolimod, and mitoxantrone, including pharmaceutically acceptable salts and acids thereof.
In certain embodiments, the additional antibody is selected from one or more of 3F8, 8H9, abagovomab, adecatumumab, afutuzumab, alacizumab (pegol), alemtuzumab, altumomab pentetate, amatuximab, anatumomab mafenotox, apolizumab, arcitumomab, bavituximab, bectumomab, belimumab, bevacizumab, bivatuzumab (mertansine), brentuximab vedotin, cantuzumab (mertansine), cantuzumab (ravtansine), capromab (pendetide), carlumab, catumaxomab, cetuximab, citatuzumab (bogatox), cixutumumab, clivatuzumab (tetraxetan), conatumumab, dacetuzumab, daclizumab, dalotuzumab, detumomab, drozitumab, ecromeximab, edrecolomab, elotuzumab, enavatuzumab, ensituximab, epratuzumab, ertumaxomab, etaracizumab, farletuzumab, FBTA05, figitumumab, flanvotumab, galiximab, gemtuzumab, ganitumab, gemtuzumab (ozogamicin), girentuximab, glembatumumab (vedotin), ibritumomab tiuxetan, icrucumab, igovomab, indatuximab ravtansine, intetumumab, inotuzumab ozogamicin, ipilimumab (MDX-101), iratumumab, labetuzumab, lexatumumab, lintuzumab, lorvotuzumab (mertansine), lucatumumab, lumiliximab, mapatumumab, matuzumab, milatuzumab, mitumomab, mogamulizumab, moxetumomab (pasudotox), nacolomab (tafenatox), naptumomab (estafenatox), narnatumab, necitumumab, nimotuzumab, nivolumab, Neuradiab® (with or without radioactive iodine), NR-LU-10, ofatumumab, olaratumab, onartuzumab, oportuzumab (monatox), oregovomab, panitumumab, patritumab, pemtumomab, pertuzumab, pritumumab, racotumomab, radretumab, ramucirumab, rilotumumab, rituximab, robatumumab, samalizumab, sibrotuzumab, siltuximab, tabalumab, tanezumab, taplitumomab (paptox), tenatumomab, teprotumumab, TGN1412, ticilimumab, trastuzumab, tremelimumab, tigatuzumab, TNX-650, tositumomab, TRBS07, tucotuzumab (celmoleukin), ublituximab, urelumab, veltuzumab, volociximab, votumumab, and zalutumumab, including antigen-binding fragments thereof.
Also included are compositions for use in treating cancer, comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof, as described herein. Some embodiments include compositions (e.g., pharmaceutical compositions), comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, an anti-cancer agent, and an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof, as described herein.
Certain embodiments of the invention provide for the use of the antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof described herein to increase an immune response in an immunocompromised subject, for example, to treat or prevent an opportunistic infection in an immunocompromised subject. Immunocompromised subjects are more susceptible to opportunistic infections, for example, viral, fungal, protozoan, or bacterial infections, prion diseases, and certain neoplasms. Those who can be considered to be immunocompromised include, but are not limited to, subjects with AIDS (or HIV positive), subjects with severe combined immune deficiency (SCID), diabetics, subjects who have had transplants and who are taking immunosuppressive agents/therapies, and those who are receiving chemotherapy for cancer. Immunocompromised individuals also include subjects with most forms of cancer (other than skin cancer), sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, those who do not have a spleen, subjects with end stage kidney disease (dialysis), and those who have been taking corticosteroids on a frequent basis by pill or injection within the last year. Subjects with severe liver, lung, or heart disease also can be immunocompromised.
Formulations and Administration
The antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof as described herein may be administered in any manner which is medically acceptable. This may include injections, by parenteral routes such as intravenous, intravascular, intraarterial, subcutaneous, intramuscular, intratumor, intraperitoneal, intraventricular, intraepidural, or others as well as oral, nasal, ophthalmic, rectal, or topical. Sustained release administration is also specifically included in the invention, by such means as depot injections or erodible implants. Localized delivery is particularly contemplated, by such means as delivery via a catheter to one or more arteries, such as the renal artery or a vessel supplying a localized tumor.
The subject antibodies may be formulated with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The term “pharmaceutically acceptable carrier” means one or more organic or inorganic ingredients, natural or synthetic, with which the antibody is combined to facilitate its application. A suitable carrier includes sterile saline although other aqueous and non-aqueous isotonic sterile solutions and sterile suspensions known to be pharmaceutically acceptable are known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
Solutions or suspensions may include, for example, a sterile diluent (such as water), saline solution (e.g., phosphate buffered saline (PBS), physiological saline, Ringer's solution, isotonic sodium chloride), fixed oil, polyethylene glycol, glycerin, propylene glycol or other synthetic solvent; antimicrobial agents (such as benzyl alcohol and methyl parabens); antioxidants (such as ascorbic acid and sodium bisulfite), chelating agents (such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)); and/or buffers (such as acetates, citrates, phosphates, and other organic acids), including combinations of the foregoing. Also included as suitable carriers are solutions containing thickening and solubilizing agents, such as glucose, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol and mixtures thereof. A surfactant may be added to facilitate the formation of a homogeneous solution or suspension. Surfactants are compounds that non-covalently interact with the antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, so as to facilitate dissolution or homogeneous suspension of the conjugate in the aqueous system.
Additional examples of carriers include low molecular weight (e.g., less than about 10 residues) polypeptides or peptides; proteins such as serum albumin, gelatin, or immunoglobulins; hydrophilic polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone; amino acids such as glycine, glutamine, asparagine, arginine, or lysine; monosaccharides, disaccharides, and other carbohydrates including glucose, mannose, or dextrins; sugar alcohols such as mannitol or sorbitol; salt-forming counterions such as sodium; and/or nonionic surfactants such as polysorbate 20 (TWEEN™) polyethylene glycol (PEG), and poloxamers (PLURONICS™), and the like.
In some embodiments, the antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, is entrapped in microcapsules prepared, for example, by coacervation techniques or by interfacial polymerization (for example, hydroxymethylcellulose or gelatin-microcapsules and poly-(methylmethacylate)microcapsules, respectively), in colloidal drug delivery systems (for example, liposomes, albumin microspheres, microemulsions, nano-particles and nanocapsules), or in macroemulsions. Such techniques are disclosed in Remington's Pharmaceutical Sciences, 16th edition, Oslo, A., Ed., (1980). The particle(s) or liposomes may further comprise other diagnostic agents, such as detectable entities.
In particular embodiments, the antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, is a freeze-dried or lyophilized, cryodesiccated. These terms refer to a dehydration process of freezing the antibody composition and then reducing the surrounding pressure to allow the frozen water in the composition to sublimate directly from the solid phase to the gas phase. Also included are solid compositions such as powders, granules, compressed tablets, pills, capsules, and the like. In some embodiments, solid composition contain one or more inert diluents or edible carriers. In certain embodiments, one or more of the following may be present: binders such as carboxymethylcellulose, ethyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, gum tragacanth or gelatin; and excipients such as starch, lactose or dextrins, disintegrating agents such as alginic acid, sodium alginate, Primogel, corn starch and the like.
Certain embodiments include kits, comprising one or more of the antibodies, or antigen-binding fragments thereof, as described herein, optionally in one or more containers. The kits can include written instructions on how to use and/or prepare the antibodies for use, for example, as a medicament. In some embodiments, the written instructions describe how to use the antibodies, or antigen-binding fragments thereof, to administer antibodies or antigen-binding fragments thereof to a subject in need thereof.
An “effective amount” refers to that amount which is capable of ameliorating or delaying progression of the diseased, degenerative or damaged condition. An effective amount can be determined on an individual basis and will be based, in part, on consideration of the symptoms to be treated and results sought. An effective amount can be determined by one of ordinary skill in the art employing such factors and using no more than routine experimentation.
The kits herein may also include a one or more additional therapeutic agents or other components suitable or desired for the indication being treated, or for the desired diagnostic application. An additional therapeutic agent may be contained in a second container, if desired.
The following Examples are offered by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.
EXAMPLES Example 1 Design and Generation of Antibodies Directed Against L-Type Voltage Gated Calcium Channels
Antibodies were designed to the target L-type voltage-gated calcium channel subtypes Cav1.1, Cav1.2, Cav1.3, or Cav1.4. For each channel, an amino acid sequence was selected to use as targets for use as an antigen for generating mouse monoclonal antibodies. Amino acid sequences were selected to meet several criteria. First, the amino acid sequences had to be unique to their respective channels. Second, the amino acid sequences had to reside on an exposed portion of the channel positioned outside of the cell. Third, the amino acid sequence had to be found in both the mouse and human channel. Fourth, the sequence needed to be in a region of the channel that would affect the channel's activity when bound by an antibody.
For each of the L-type voltage-gated calcium channel subtype, an amino acid sequence located in the extracellular domain of the pore loop between transmembrane segments S5 and S6 of motif I of the alpha 1 subunit was selected (see FIG. 1). The amino acid sequences are displayed in table E1. Each sequence that was selected is unique to the channel subtype, positioned in an extracellular region of the channel, and conserved in mouse and human. Further, the extracellular domain of the pore loop between transmembrane segments S5 and S6 contributes to channel selectivity.
TABLE E1 Target Amino Acid Sequences Description Sequence SEQ ID NO: Cav1.4 GPGRPGDAPHTG 1 Cav1.3 LTKETEGGNHSSGKSG 2 Cav1.2 ATKADGANALGGKGA 3 Cav1.1 PMQIELRHREWVH 4
Monoclonal antibodies were generated using standard methods known in the art. Briefly, each peptide from table E1 was used to immunize 2 mice. After an immune response was detected, spleens of immunized mice were harvested, and lymphocytes were then isolated and fused with myeloma cells to generate hybridomas. Hybridomas were subcultured and cryopreserved (FIG. 2).
Example 2 Characterization of Hybridoma Antibody Directed Against L-Type Voltage Gated Calcium Channels
ELISA experiments were preformed to characterize monoclonal antibodies generated to target the extracellular pore domain of the L-type voltage-gated calcium channels. Sixty-three antibodies of interest were tested for their abilities to bind to the peptides with amino acid sequences from Table E1 that were used to generate the antibodies. Antibody binding was tested in wells coated with BSA and all the peptides with from each L-type voltage gated calcium channel, BSA and the Cav1.1 peptide, BSA and the Cav1.2 peptide, BSA and the Cav1.3 peptide, and BSA and the Cava.4 peptide. Binding was detected with a mixture of IgG and IgM secondary antibodies, and signal was compared to negative controls. Representative results of these experiments are presented (FIG. 3). The results indicated that the antibodies could specifically bind to the target peptides. Clones were observed that bound only to Cav1.1 (for example, see clones 1E7 and 1F4; FIG. 3), only to Cav1.2 (clones 1F7 and 6C6; FIGS. 3 and 9), only to Cav1.3 (clones 11310, 1611, and 2D4; FIG. 3), and only to Cav1.4 (clones 1C10 and 263, FIG. 3). In addition, some antibodies were observed that could bind to two Cav1 channels (for example, clones 1A3, 169, and 1C8) or three Cav1 channels (1D2). These results demonstrate that monoclonal antibodies that recognize extracellular pore loops of L-type voltage gated-calcium channels were successfully generated.
To determine if the antibodies could bind to L-type voltage gated calcium channels expressed on immune cells, flow cytometry experiments were performed to test the binding of the monoclonal antibodies to immune cells. Splenocytes and thymocytes were isolated from spleens and thymi that were harvested from wild-type C571316 mice. Cells were prepared for flow cytometry. Supernatants containing antibody were collected from hybridoma cultures to test the ability of the monoclonal antibodies to bind to the cells. FITC conjugated Goat anti-mouse IgG andante mouse IgM was used for secondary antibody to detect monoclonal binding.
Antibodies collected from hybridoma clones were tested for their ability to bind to wild-type mouse splenocytes. Splenocytes consist of a variety of cell populations such as T and B lymphocytes, dendritic cells and macrophages. Negative controls included unstained (no antibody or media), negative control DMEM media, negative control IgG2b antibody, and negative IgM antibody. Binding was quantified as a ratio of test antibody signal to negative control igG2b antibody (FIG. 4) or negative control IgM antibody (FIG. 5). Representative results (FIGS. 4 and 5) demonstrate that monoclonal antibodies that bind to splenocytes were identified, for example, clones 3A1, 5F4, and 7D10.
A similar experiment tested antibodies collected from hybridoma clones for their ability to bind to wild-type mouse thymocytes. Thymocytes are hematopoietic progenitor cells present in the thymus that differentiate into mature T lymphocytes. Immunosera from mice immunized with Cav1.1, Cav1.2, Cav1.3, and Cav1.4 were used as positive controls. Negative controls included unstained (no antibody or media), negative control DMEM media, negative control IgG2b antibody, and negative IgM antibody. Binding was quantified as a ratio of test antibody signal to negative control igG2b antibody (FIG. 6) or negative control IgM antibody (FIG. 7). Representative results (FIGS. 5 and 6) demonstrate that monoclonal antibodies that bind to thymocytes were identified, for example, clones 1E10 and 7E3.
Taken together, these results demonstrate that monoclonal antibodies were generated that can recognize extracellular pore loops of L-type voltage-gated calcium channel alpha 1 subunits and that can bind to targets on immune cells. Following this series of experiments, 31 clones on interest were identified (Summarized in FIG. 8) based on their ability to bind to an L-type voltage-gated calcium channel subtype and to bind to a target on a splenocyte or thymocyte. Twenty-eight hybridomas were identified that produce antibodies selective for one subtype (Cav1.4, Cav1.3, Cav1.2, or Cav1.1), three hybridomas were identified that produce antibodies selective for two subtypes (Cav1.4 and Cav1.2; or Cav1.3 and Cav1.2), and one hybridoma was identified that produces antibody selective for three subtypes (Cav1.4, Cav1.3, and Cav1.2).
Example 3 Hybridoma Antibodies Bind to and Inhibit Growth of Jurkat T-Cells
The hybridoma clones were additionally evaluated in a flow cytometry-based binding assay using the human Jurkat leukemia cell line (Jurkat). Cell binding and growth inhibition assays were performed using standard techniques. The results are shown in Table E2 below.
TABLE E2 Jurkat Binding and Growth Assays Growth Cell Inhibi- Clone Binding Specificity Iso- binding tion ID Cav1.1 Cav1.2 Cav1.3 Cav1.4 type Jurkat 1C8 Yes IgG Yes Yes 1C10 Yes IgG Yes Yes 1D2 Yes Yes Yes IgM Yes Yes 1E7 Yes IgM Yes Yes 1F4 Yes IgG Yes Yes 2D5 Yes IgG Yes Yes 5F4 Yes IgG Yes Yes 5G10 Yes IgG NS Yes 6A3 Yes Yes IgG Yes Yes 6C6 Yes IgG Yes NS 6E1 Yes IgG Yes Yes 6H7 Yes IgG Yes Yes 8G1 Yes IgG Yes Yes 9C3 Yes IgG Yes Yes 10E11 Yes IgG Yes Yes NS—Non-specific at time of assay.
These results show that supernatants from the hybridoma clones in Table E2 were able to bind to and inhibit the growth of human Jurkat T-cells, evidencing the therapeutic potential of these antibodies in the treatment of various cancers, including hematopoietic cancers.
The invention claimed is:
1. An isolated antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, which binds to an alpha 1 subunit of an L-type voltage-gated calcium channel, wherein the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof, specifically binds to an amino acid sequence of an extracellular domain selected from SEQ ID NO:1 and which comprises a heavy chain variable region (V_(H)) having the V_(H) sequence of SEQ ID NO: 13; and a light chain variable region (V_(L)) having the V_(L) sequence of SEQ ID NO: 17, wherein (i) V_(H) comprises V_(H)CDR1, V_(H)CDR2 and V_(H)CDR3 amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOS:14-16; and (ii) V_(L) comprises V_(L)CDR1, V_(L)CDR2 and V_(L)CDR3 amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOS:18-20; wherein the antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof has binding specificity for Cav1.4 (SEQ ID NOS:5 and 9) and does not significantly bind to Cav1.1, Cav1.2 or Cav1.3..
| common_corpus | {'identifier': 'US-202016751951-A_4', 'collection': 'USPTO', 'open_type': 'Open Government', 'license': 'Public Domain', 'date': '2020.0', 'title': 'None', 'creator': 'None', 'language': 'English', 'language_type': 'Spoken', 'word_count': '5367', 'token_count': '9119', '__index_level_0__': '23262', 'original_id': 'e65b7a5c6c2c66196ec1cc70cc085f6be5c8d0a7f9f4304d81d7136468bfa9a8'} |
= 5.8 - 6. What is the nearest to 0 in 3, l, w?
l
Let l = 4.71 - 0.71. Let s = -5.7 + 5.75. Let r = s - -0.15. What is the closest to r in -5, 0.7, l?
0.7
Let i = -1944.8 + 1945. Let k be (-2)/5 + (-2)/(-30). Which is the nearest to 2/3? (a) i (b) k (c) -4/5
a
Let h be (6 - (-180)/(-25))/((-2163)/14). What is the closest to 0.1 in 0.1, h, 0.5, 3?
0.1
Let k = -22333 - -22328. What is the nearest to 0.16 in -1/2, 7/2, k, 5?
-1/2
Let o = 0.279 + -5.279. What is the nearest to 0 in o, 3/5, -1.4?
3/5
Let r = -90/923 - 4/71. Let b = 36/65 + r. Let k = 5743 - 22973/4. What is the nearest to -1 in -1/7, k, b?
k
Let p = 76 + -77. Let o be p/(((-10)/2)/5). Let r be 8/(-2) + 16/4. What is the nearest to 1 in o, -4, r?
o
Let g = 58 + -58.1. Let l = 50 - 203/4. Let i = 49/2 + -24. What is the nearest to g in l, i, -2?
i
Let j = -17/9 - -13/9. Let f = -0.15598 + 635.05598. Let q = f - 635. What is the nearest to 1/2 in q, -4, j?
q
Let o = 0.2 - 0.26. Let x = -0.56 - o. Let v be (-38)/32*(2 + 2) + 5. Which is the nearest to 2/19? (a) 3 (b) x (c) v
c
Let y be 0 - (2 + (-34)/18). Let x = -0.22327 + -0.27673. Which is the closest to 0? (a) x (b) 1/3 (c) y
c
Let p = -49.76 + 46.76. Which is the closest to 136/15? (a) 2/3 (b) p (c) 2
c
Suppose -11*k + 6*k - 16 = -3*c, -12 = 2*k - 4*c. Let d(s) = 2*s**2 + 12*s + 21. Let y be d(k). Let z = 4.05 - 0.05. What is the closest to -1 in y, -0.2, z?
-0.2
Let x = 1 + 1. Suppose -11*z = -7*z - 8. Let v be ((-5)/(z + -1) - -13) + -3. Which is the nearest to x? (a) v (b) -0.3 (c) 0.2
c
Let d = 86255815188966/3881826955 + -70/33755017. Let v = 22220 - d. Let y = v + 2/115. Which is the closest to 4? (a) -4/5 (b) -1 (c) y
c
Let h = 513.6 - 504.6. What is the closest to -1 in h, -1/3, 6, -0.2?
-1/3
Let q = -26 + 36.6. Let n = q - 3.6. Let s = n + -7.4. Which is the closest to 0.1? (a) 2 (b) 5 (c) s
c
Suppose 5*d - 35 = 5*g, -4*g = 4*d - 1 - 3. Let m be (-2)/(-120)*(-5)/10*-2. Let i = m + 7/12. What is the nearest to 1 in d, 11, i?
i
Let j = 554 - 1107/2. Which is the nearest to -1? (a) j (b) -5 (c) 57
a
Let d = 1885 - 1880. What is the closest to 2 in d, 0.5, 0.34?
0.5
Let i = 25172 + -25108. What is the closest to 39/5 in 0.4, -5, i?
0.4
Let f = 3901.1 - 3901.1. Let q = 0.03 - -2.97. What is the nearest to f in -1, q, 6?
-1
Let s(t) = -t**2 + t - 13. Let u = 84 + -84. Let i be s(u). What is the nearest to i in -2, 0, 2/5?
-2
Suppose -9*z = -2*z + 31780 - 31773. Which is the nearest to -0.06? (a) 3 (b) 12 (c) z
c
Let q = -0.126 + 9.726. Let j = q - 10.1. Which is the closest to -0.2? (a) j (b) 0 (c) -1
b
Let j = -3.499 - -3.399. What is the nearest to 27 in -2, 0, j?
0
Let l = 17.02428 + -0.02428. What is the nearest to -1 in -0.1, 3, l?
-0.1
Suppose -68 = 11*f + 152. Let s = 6/25 + 8/175. Which is the nearest to f? (a) -1/4 (b) 2 (c) s
a
Let q = -1.11544 + 0.11544. What is the nearest to 0.1 in q, 0.07, -9, -12?
0.07
Let i = 2.682 - 2.582. Which is the nearest to i? (a) -9 (b) -0.8 (c) 0.2
c
Let b = -34 - -55. Let z = -21.1 + b. Let s be ((-4)/1)/(-4)*5/(-1). What is the closest to z in s, -2/3, -0.01?
-0.01
Let n = 25/4 - 117/20. Let v = 37/10 + -343/90. Which is the nearest to 0.14? (a) n (b) 1/4 (c) v
b
Suppose o = 5*y - 30, 6 = 27*o - 24*o + y. What is the nearest to 0.2 in o, -46, -1?
o
Suppose -4*t = 137 + 163. Let l = 77 + t. Let d = 43.8 + -44. What is the nearest to 0.1 in -1/6, l, d?
-1/6
Let t = -364/835 + 6/167. Let f be (17 - 15)*1/(-6). What is the nearest to 3 in -0.5, -9, f, t?
f
Let x(f) = -6*f - 6. Let w be x(-5). Suppose -5*q - 3*g - w = g, 3*g - 4 = -q. Let i be 18/q - -2 - 4/16. What is the closest to 1 in -5, i, 0.1?
0.1
Let t be 954/(-504) + (-4)/(-28). Which is the closest to 11? (a) t (b) -1.6 (c) 0
c
Suppose 2*f + 2*t - 6 = -16, 0 = f + 5*t + 13. Which is the nearest to 57? (a) -2.9 (b) f (c) -1
c
Let h = -5674 - -5673.9. Let d be 52/(-40) + 3/(-15). What is the closest to -0.08 in d, 2, h, 0?
h
Let p = -460.1 + 460. Let h = 4.2 + -16.2. What is the nearest to p in 1, h, 2?
1
Suppose m = 3*h - 25, -m = -5*h + h + 25. Let l = 28 + m. Let i be (-2)/l - (1 + -1). Which is the nearest to i? (a) 1 (b) -1/2 (c) -4
b
Suppose 0 = -32*v - 443 + 507. What is the nearest to v in 5, -5, 25?
5
Let k = 60 + -75. Let h be ((-12)/k)/((-4)/(-6)). What is the closest to -0.1 in -0.5, 3, h?
-0.5
Suppose 0 = -9329*u + 9278*u. What is the closest to -0.3 in u, 3/8, 1?
u
Let i = 4/79 + 63/316. Let m = 85 - 88. Which is the closest to 0? (a) i (b) -0.5 (c) m
a
Let c = 46 + -55. Let u be 41/85 - c/(-15). Let q = -786 + 786.5. What is the closest to 1 in u, -1/3, q?
q
Let g be 1/1 - (-1 - -1). Let o = -1866/403 + 28796/6045. Which is the nearest to -1? (a) 2/9 (b) o (c) g (d) 4
b
Let x = -28162 - -28165. Let m(b) = -b**2 - 5*b - 4. Let v be m(-5). Let g = -0.1 + 0. What is the nearest to g in v, x, -0.5?
-0.5
Let j = 0.07 - -0.43. Let b = -95 - -99. Suppose o = b*o - 5*o. What is the closest to o in j, 4, 3?
j
Let s be (-140)/15*(-15)/10*(2 - 3). Suppose 3*h = 160 + 218. Let f be 468/h + (-4)/s. Which is the nearest to -2/3? (a) -0.5 (b) 0.06 (c) f
a
Let j = 272 + -282.5. Let n = -10.48 - j. Which is the closest to 0? (a) -1 (b) n (c) 2 (d) 1/6
b
Let l = -4185 + 4188. What is the nearest to 1 in l, -2/17, -2, -77?
-2/17
Let s be (11/(-5) + 4)/(24/280). Suppose 3*j + 24 = s. Which is the closest to 0.2? (a) -3 (b) j (c) 2
b
Let w = 0.30619 + -0.10619. Let f(p) = 2*p**2 - p. Let d be f(1). Suppose 2*l - 3*l - d = 0. What is the closest to l in 2, w, -0.03?
-0.03
Let n be 9 + -6 + (159/51)/(-1). Let h = -605 + 605.1. What is the nearest to -2/3 in h, n, -4, 5?
n
Let o be -19 - 171/(162/(-18)). What is the closest to 2 in o, 2/7, 22, -1/10?
2/7
Let s = -92.82 + 93. Let h = s + 0.42. Let g = -0.25 + -0.25. What is the closest to -2/5 in g, h, -4?
g
Suppose 0 = 5*d + x + 3*x + 106, -4*d - x - 76 = 0. Let y be d/(-351)*13 - 1/15. What is the closest to -1 in -2, 1, y?
-2
Let v = 5.7 + -6. Let n = -20341/7 + 122053/42. Which is the nearest to 1/5? (a) v (b) n (c) 0.2 (d) 2
c
Let i = 52453/28 + -13066/7. Which is the closest to -1? (a) i (b) 3/7 (c) -47
b
Let l be (-896)/(-20) - 3*(-7)/105. Let r be (-12)/22*15/l. What is the nearest to 2 in -0.2, -0.12, r?
-0.12
Let u = -34403 + 34402.7. Let g = -4 - -5. Which is the nearest to g? (a) 0.1 (b) 4 (c) -0.07 (d) u
a
Suppose -7*l = 3*l + 230. Let p be (l/4 + 2)*(-20)/(-60). What is the closest to 1/4 in 0, -21/8, p?
0
Let t be (-1 - -2) + (-28 - -29). Suppose 5 = 5*w - 0. Let m = w + -2. Which is the nearest to m? (a) 5/6 (b) t (c) -1/7
c
Let a = 153 + -92.3. Let c = a + -60. Let s = 9 + -14. What is the nearest to 0 in s, -2, c?
c
Let m = 2.916 + 0.084. Let g = -117/287 + 5/41. Which is the closest to g? (a) m (b) -1 (c) 0 (d) -0.4
d
Let w = -302/605 - -12/121. What is the nearest to 3 in -4, 9, w, -5?
w
Let f = 18.16 - 18.16. Which is the nearest to 0.1? (a) f (b) -1 (c) -14 (d) -2
a
Let w = 53 - 54.24. Let n = -1.9 - -2.14. Let h = w + n. Which is the closest to 1/4? (a) 3/4 (b) h (c) 38
a
Let t = -59/594 - 83/54. What is the closest to 1 in 5, t, -1, 17?
-1
Let k be (-1050)/(-261) - (5 + 22/(-22)). Which is the closest to 1? (a) k (b) 2/35 (c) -0.1
b
Suppose 0 = -5*w - 5. Let r be w - 34/(-8) - 3. Let p = -3934 - -3930. Which is the nearest to -0.1? (a) 0.09 (b) p (c) r
a
Let y = -0.5698 + 0.0698. Let c = -0.03 + 0.43. What is the nearest to 0 in c, y, -4, -3/2?
c
Let v = -7318 + 7304. Let y = -7 + 12. Which is the nearest to 0.1? (a) -6 (b) y (c) v
b
Let p be ((-2)/(-8))/((-26)/(-8)). Let d = 48895/3 - 391163/24. Which is the closest to 1/3? (a) p (b) -3/5 (c) d
a
Let h be 612/(-48) - 2/8. Let o = h + 14. Suppose -4*u + 4*p = 12, -2 - o = -u - 5*p. Which is the nearest to -2? (a) 0.1 (b) u (c) -5/3
b
Let r = 176.38 - 179. Let z = -2.92 - r. Which is the closest to 9? (a) z (b) 0.5 (c) -2/5 (d) -1
b
Let d be 10*11/(-990) - 19/(-9). Let x = -0.3 + 0.2. Let m = 3.5 - 3. What is the nearest to 0 in x, d, m?
x
Let j = 0.564 + -0.564. Which is the nearest to 0.3? (a) 5/4 (b) j (c) -0.3 (d) -67
b
Let k = -2.781 - -12.781. What is the closest to -0.3 in 2/21, -0.4, -14, k?
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Audit concerns when migrating from traditional firewall to NGFW
Learn about a potential audit concern when transitioning from a traditional firewall to a next-generation firewall.
My organization is looking to transition from a traditional firewall to a next-generation firewall (NGFW), but I'm concerned about the overlap when both will be in use. Are there any inherent dangers involved with running them side-by-side during the transition? Or could there even be advantages depending on how we write our firewall policies?
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I would argue that there is no harm in utilizing a traditional firewall inline with an NGFW. However, if by "side-by-side," you mean the traditional firewall protects one portion of the network and the NGFW protects another, then I would say while it doesn't necessarily harm your network, this configuration can obfuscate audit results.
In firewall-speak, the term "5-tuple" has become a major part of the lexicon. A play on words making reference to a database term for row, 5-tuple refers to the five database columns referenced in traditional firewalls: source IP, destination IP, source port, destination port and protocol. When someone uses the term "next-generation firewall," they are referring to a firewall that from an audit and logging perspective takes the 5-tuple concept to a more granular level. For example, an NGFW not only takes into account the 5-tuple, but also adds dimensions to each column such as user, application, reputation, etc.
Keeping this background information in mind, you can see why I don't necessarily admonish the use of hybrid firewall products; however, given the differences in granularity, I would argue that using them may cause difficulty when attempting to figure out why certain packets are allowed into the network while others are dropped at the enclave.
That said, NGFWs are quickly becoming the norm in many enterprises, and while there's certainly no problem with having both an NGFW and traditional firewall as inline devices on the network perimeter, I'm confident you'll quickly find that the NGFW is far more capable than your legacy firewall. Once you see it in action, you'll be itching to retire the traditional firewall as quickly as possible.
This was first published in April 2014
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Press Release
25 June 2018
New study explains Antarctica’s coldest temperatures
Tiny valleys near the top of Antarctica’s ice sheet reach temperatures of nearly -100 degrees Celsius, according to a new study published this week in Geophysical Research Letters. The finding could change scientists’ understanding of just how low temperatures can get at Earth’s surface, and how it happens, according to the researchers.
Blowing snow conditions at a camp site near Vostok Station in Antarctic summer.Blowing snow conditions at a camp site near Vostok Station in Antarctic summer. Photo credit: Ted Scambos, NSIDC. High-resolution image
After sifting through data from several Earth-observing satellites, scientists announced in 2013 that they found surface temperatures of -93 degrees Celsius (-135 degrees Fahrenheit) in several spots on the East Antarctic Plateau, a high snowy plateau in central Antarctica that encompasses the South Pole. That preliminary study has been revised with new data showing that the coldest sites actually reach -98 degrees Celsius (-144 degrees Fahrenheit). The temperatures are observed during the southern polar night, mostly during July and August.
When the researchers first announced they had found the coldest temperatures on Earth five years ago, they determined that persistent clear skies and light winds are required for temperatures to dip this low. But the new study adds a twist to the story: Not only are clear skies necessary, but the air must also be extremely dry, because water vapor blocks the loss of heat from the snow surface.
The researchers observed the ultra-low temperatures in small dips or shallow hollows in the Antarctic Ice Sheet where cold, dense, descending air pools above the surface and can remain for several days. This allows the surface, and the air above it, to cool still further, until the clear, calm, and dry conditions break down and the air mixes with warmer air higher in the atmosphere.
“In this area, we see periods of incredibly dry air, and this allows the heat from the snow surface to radiate into space more easily,” said Ted Scambos, a senior research scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado Boulder and the study’s lead author.
The record of -98 degrees Celsius is about as cold as it is possible to get at Earth’s surface, according to the researchers. For the temperature to drop that low, clear skies and dry air need to persist for several days. Temperatures could drop a little lower if the conditions lasted for several weeks, but that’s extremely unlikely to happen, Scambos said.
Finding the coldest place
The high elevation of the East Antarctic Plateau and its proximity to the South Pole give it the coldest climate of any region on Earth. The lowest air temperature ever measured by a weather station, -89 degrees Celsius (-128 degrees Fahrenheit), was recorded there at Russia’s Vostok Station in July 1983.
But weather stations can’t measure temperatures everywhere. So in 2013, Scambos and his colleagues decided to analyze data from several Earth-observing satellites to see if they could find temperatures on the plateau even lower than those recorded at Vostok.
In the new study, they analyzed satellite data collected during the Southern Hemisphere’s winter between 2004 and 2016. They used data from the MODIS instrument aboard NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites as well as data from instruments on NOAA’s Polar Operational Environmental Satellites.
The researchers observed snow surface temperatures regularly dropping below -90 degrees Celsius (-130 degrees Fahrenheit) almost every winter in a broad region of the plateau, more than 3,500 meters (11,000 feet) above sea level. Within this broad region, they found dozens of sites had much colder temperatures. Nearly 100 locations reached surface temperatures of -98 degrees Celsius.
The atmosphere in this region can sometimes have less than 0.2 mm total precipitable water above the surface. But even when it is that dry and cold, the air traps some of the heat and sends it back to the surface. This means that the cooling rates are very slow as the surface temperatures approach the record values. Conditions do not persist long enough—it could take weeks—for the temperatures to dip below the observed records. However, the temperature measured from satellites is the temperature of the snow surface, not the air above it. So the study also estimated the air temperatures by using nearby automatic weather stations and the satellite data.
Interestingly, even though the coldest sites were spread out over hundreds of kilometers, the lowest temperatures were all nearly the same. That got them wondering: Is there a limit to how cold it can get on the plateau?
How cold is it really?
Using the difference between the satellite measurements of the lowest surface snow temperatures at Vostok and three automated stations, and the air temperatures at the same place and time, the researchers inferred that the air temperatures at the very coldest sites (where no stations exist) are probably around -94 degrees Celsius, or about -137 degrees Fahrenheit.
The research team has also developed a set of instruments designed to survive and operate at the very coldest places through the winter and measure both snow and air temperatures. They are planning to deploy the instruments in the next year or two, during the Antarctic summer when the temperatures are a comparatively mild -30 degrees Celsius (-22 degrees Fahrenheit).
SastrugiThe East Antarctic Plateau is a windswept desolate expanse the size of Australia with few bases or instruments. Photo credit: Ted Scambos, NSIDC. High-resolution image
Ski tracksSki tracks crossing East Antarctica. The Antarctic polar plateau is a desolate, high-altitude windswept expanse that a few explorers and adventurers have crossed. Photo credit: Ted Scambos, NSIDC. High-resolution image
TraverseA science traverse in 2007 to 2009 crossed the East Antarctic Plateau in late summer. The coldest conditions are a few months later, in July and August, during polar night. Photo credit: Ted Scambos, NSIDC. High-resolution image
SastrugiPersistent winds shape the surface of East Antarctica’s snow into small dune forms called ‘sastrugi.’ Photo credit: Ted Scambos, NSIDC. High-resolution image
See the American Geophysical Union news release here.
Download a copy of the paper here.
Media contact
Natasha Vizcarra
Media Liaison
National Snow and Ice Data Center
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rebecca nicholas
Rebecca, our lead chiropractor here at Back2Balance, loves the sunshine, but also knows some of the myths that abound about the sun. In this blog Rebecca explores the health benefits of exposure to the sun, and how to get a well balanced enjoyment of this fleeting thing call sunshine.
Sunshine, oh that word gives me a wonderful feeling of warmth, of blue skies with little fluffy white clouds passing over, and the smell of fresh cut grass. The British sunshine can be lovely (when it does appear), but we get inundated with conflicting information about the sun. This blog is designed to give some balanced feedback on the most common facts and myths surrounding this natural phenomenon!
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin, (your body cannot produce it from other compounds) and is produced by your skin when UVB sun rays hits your skin. We need vitamin D for many bodily functions. It is now well known to be needed for calcium and phosphorus absorption. In fact, it is a cofactor for over 70% of the body’s reactions, therefore a very very important vitamin to be sufficient in. Nearly all of it comes from sunshine, hence the nickname the sunshine vitamin. It is also found in salmon, sardines, egg yolk, and shrimps. Some foods are also fortified with added (fake) vitamin D.
Deficiency of vitamin D often leads to rickets, which was thought of as a childhood disease that was eradicated but has been on the rise once more. Vitamin D deficiency has also been shown to play a part in many health conditions Inc. cancers, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and the flu. Some studies have shown that adequate and possibly supplemented vitamin D, can help with weight loss, increase immune system function, and depression.
DSC_0115The current recommended intakes for vitamin D are as low as 200 IU daily for those aged 19-50, and go only as high as 600 IU daily for those over the age of 70. Other sections of society have different requirements too, so a pregnant woman for example would need more than a healthy 20 year old. I normally advise people to take 1000-2000 IU daily as a minimum supplement. You may think this is high, but there have been studies with people taking far higher doses without negative effect. This is especially important in the winter months, or if you have ongoing reasons to cover up when you go outside.
_89639816_thinkstockphotos-122462927So, its benefits are obviously not in question. What is in question is how do we get enough vitamin D, and safely, without increasing our chances of getting skin cancer from over-exposure.
An fascinating research study published in the journal of internal medicine in 2016 followed nearly 30K+ Swedish women over 20 years. The conclusion was that increased sun exposure had a direct correlation with increased life expectancy. Specifically women who had high sun exposure lived 0.5-2 years longer, compared to those who avoided the sun. To make this finding even more outstanding; those who avoided the sun but didn’t smoke had the same life expectancy as those women who smoked and had high sun exposure! Wow! I would like to add that more research needs to go into the reasons why, and how the sun exposure gave a longer life expectancy, but still a rather eye opening study, and one that starts challenging the mainstream view towards sunbathing.
It is undeniable that high doses of sunshine causes skin cancer, and obviously skin ageing. What must be noted here is that skin cancer rarely kills. Saying that, I’m not advocating getting skin cancer in order to live longer. Rather to show that the sun is not dangerous if used in the right way. So it is very important that you get enough sunshine, but not too much, a balanced approach.
I’ve also read articles and papers talking about the dangers of sunscreens. Oh boy, we are all screwed aren’t we?! What are we meant to do to protect against skin cancers!? Fascinating figures are emerging, showing increasing cases of skin cancer specifically in those people using the highest amount of sunscreen! What is causing this and why? It could be several factors….Maybe it’s people’s perceived false sense of security using their sunscreen. brighton-crowds_670402nTypically sunbathers apply sunscreen once, don’t reapply regularly or when getting wet, and then stay a lot longer out in the sunshine thinking they are protected. Or could it be because of the chemicals and toxins used in many high street retailers? The long list of chemicals in these products (together with fragrances and preservatives) are also producing many skin reactions, including higher numbers of allergic dermatitis. Two such controversial chemical filters contained in sun cream and thought to produce free radicals in the skin include oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate. Oxybenzone converts UV light to heat and is believed to cause hormonal disruption and cell damage, which can lead to cancer, while retinyl palmitate has been shown to speed up malignant cell growth and the spread of skin cancer.
In summary, it’s physiologically important for all of us to produce enough vitamin D for health and longevity. It’s equally important to make sure we don’t over expose our skin, but to do it safely, with either UV tops (and other ways to cover up) or natural sunscreens.
Check this fab fact sheet about sun cream. sun-cream-on-hand-443596
Go out in sun in the morning and late afternoon, missing the mid day rays (Mad dogs and Englishmen…………).
Have your face, arms and legs uncovered. Depending on skin colour, 10-15mins for a fair skinned Caucasian may be all you need from March-October.
If out in sunshine during 11-3pm wear clothes and hats. Think about wearing a UV protection t-shirt.
Wear sunglasses in the sunshine. Opticians recommend this for cataract protection.
Don’t wash off the vitamin D from your skin, it takes over 24 hours to be fully absorbed through the different layers of your skin!
Last but no means least, get a healthy sunscreen, that has been vigorous tested both for ingredients, and for effectiveness (UVA and UVB).
Over the past 10 years, several researchers have found an association between extremely low vitamin D levels and chronic, general pain that doesn’t respond to treatment. The link enclosed tells you more.
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Are independents a danger to democracy?
Liam Weeks*
Recent media reports of the voting intentions of independent TDs re-the Finance Bill seem to imply that independents undermine the stability of Irish democracy.
The claim is that Jackie Healy-Rae, Michael Lowry et al are acting selfishly by not voting in favour of the Finance Bill or by attempting to extract promises from the government in return for their support.
So, to clarify, because such TDs don’t vote in a particular way in the Dáil (how can anyone deem what is the ‘correct’ way to vote in parliament?), they are deemed dangerous and self-interested. This may well be a fair point. It explains why independent candidacies are generally not permitted in Iceland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
If it can be shown that independents in Ireland espouse anti-democratic sentiment, for example, there may well be a case for banning them, à la neo-nazi parties in Europe.
I have yet to read the political speeches of every independent, but from what I have browsed over, fascism is not their political ideology.
Let’s be clear. The current independents in the Dáil are just the same as the party TDs. In fact many of them come from the same gene pool, having served a previous career in party politics. Independents, the same as all TDs, represent their constituents to the best of their abilities. They stand for their local area; this is what gets them elected. Brian Cowen aims to deliver for Cork; Micheal Martin for Cork, Jackie Healy-Rae for Kerry South and so on. Party TDs do not vote with a party line for the good of the nation. They do so because it allows them to maximise the return for their constituencies; parties can deliver more than independents, so it pays to stick to a party.
Some might reply to this that the real issue is the calibre of the independents, that is, the latter consist of a bunch of political cranks in whom the serious parties are not interested. First, I have yet to see any reasonable method that measures the ‘quality’ of our parliamentarians. Who are we to judge whom the people of a particular constituency deem worthy of representing them? Second, do we really want to be critical of someone who goes on his/her own against the might of a party machine, someone who does not want to be told what to do by a whip and wants to act independently? After all, life would be so much easier in a party than outside of it. Chances of political advancement would be higher, as would opportunities to deliver for constituents. One could be part of a sociable team and blame the party whip for any unpopular line they had to take on policies.
Why then is there so much criticism of these individuals who choose to go against the established grain then. What about others who stood up to political corruption, who exposed wrongdoings by multinational corporations, who took on vested interests? There are countless examples of individuals who improved the lives of many for standing up for what they believe in and taking on the establishment. Do we really want a cosy cartel of parties omnipotent in the Dáil? Is it not a healthy sign of our democracy that anyone can get elected to parliament, be it Thomas Burke to campaign for free British tv channels or Tom Foxe for a local hospital? Forget the issue on which they stood. The point is they stood against the parties, challenged a prevailing government policy and delivered. Of course some might argue that we should trust governments to make policy and that it should not be interfered with by independents or any interest group. I haven’t met too many such individuals in recent months.
To return to the issue of the Finance Bill, let’s be clear. Contrary to media opinion its passing does not depend on 7 independents. It depends on the Dáil, i.e. every TD. Rather than criticise independents, why not also heap blame on the opposition parties, all of whom have said they will vote against the Bill. Why not criticise the members of these parties who choose to obey the whip rather than their conscience? Are they doing so out of self-interest, in the hope that such loyalty will be rewarded with a place at the cabinet table in the next government? In today’s Irish Times, Stephen Collins notes that if a compromise over the passing of the Finance Bill cannot be reached ‘the alternative is just too awful for anybody to contemplate’.
Laying aside a major assumption that there is a correct way to vote on this bill, if the alternative is so awful then why are there no articles critical of the stance of the opposition parties? They may well respond that their role is to oppose, but is that what we want? Would we not rather TDs obeying their conscience than the party whip?
There seems to be a consensus that one of the reasons for the failure of the Dáil to perform adequately in the face of a financial crisis is its lack of powers vis-à-vis the executive. One of the dominant factors creating such a powerful executive is party discipline. If backbench TDs were more independent-minded, it might afford the Dáil more power. Is this a scenario too awful for anybody to contemplate?
*Liam Weeks is an IRCHSS CARA Fellow at Macquarie University, Sydney. His research is funded by the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences with co-funding from the European Commission. He is not intending to run as an independent at the next election.
11 thoughts on “Are independents a danger to democracy?
1. “So, to clarify, because such TDs don’t vote in a particular way in the Dáil, they are deemed dangerous and self-interested.”
I stopped reading at the Straw Man.
2. I have mixed, if not downright confused views in relation to this issue. When we consider it we should possibly also consider the influence exerted in Government by very small parties like the PD’s and the Greens who at times held public support akin to the margin of error in opinion polls. Could this influence on public policy not be characterised in a similar manner as that of independents?
3. Some very good points in this. One point I would say firstly though is that the reason that most people get riled up by the antics of certain independents is that it is quite obvious that much of the grandstanding that takes place generally has little to do with ideological beliefs and more to do with seat preservation. Therefore it tends to be opportunistic and inconsistent – Healy-Rae & Lowry voted for the Budget. What’s changed?
However I completely agree that the focus on the voting intentions of Lowry & Healy-Rae, and claims that they are ‘holding the country to ransom’ are ludicrous. Leaving aside the farcical stand of the main opposition parties, what way did the other Independents vote? Using this logic, did Finian McGrath & Maureen O’Sullivan not also hold the country to ransom? What of Sinn Fein? It seems ‘economic treason’ is now rife in Leinster House.
The media reporting on the ‘facilitation’ which is taking place is a massive dumbing down of this nation. The concept of the main opposition parties voting against this bill under whip, filling the airwaves with rhetoric on the unfairness of it, whilst simultaneously facilitating it’s passing and indeed hoping that it passes (& facilitating pairing arrangements!!) is beyond ridicule really. It seems that the sole raison d’etre of the Irish Republic this week is to pass a bill regardless of what it contains and as quick as possible. This despite the fact that the bill enacts in law some of the most penal & socially divisive fiscal changes in the state’s history. In addition, this passing must take place with as much dramatic effect as possible. It is hoped that we will see ‘debate’ carrying on until the early hours in the next couple of nights as a nation holds its breath waiting for confirmation to come through on the transistor that the bill has made it. Perhaps they will one day make a movie out of these dramatic events. Picture the kid in A Time to Kill running out of the courthouse shouting “he’s innocent”, and replace him with Eamon O’Cuiv shouting “It’s passed. Up Galway”.
However in saying this, the lack of transparency over what ‘secret deals’ are taking place with Lowry & Healy-Rae is a little nauseating. Regardless of whether or not there is political grand standing taking place, we as a people deserve to know exactly what aspects of the bill are being changed and/or what other benefits are accruing to the constituencies of these Deputies. It is not unreasonable that the spectre of Healy-Rae on the news this evening claiming that he has won concessions for South Kerry would irritate people – regardless of how true his claims are.
4. @Liam
Excellent defence of having an electoral system that enables citizens who are not members of political parties to be elected to the Dáil.
The real question is the extent to which the usual pattern of the Government dominating the Dáil is a threat to democracy.
FYI, If I remember correctly Independent TD Finian McGrath was among Independent TDs who voted in support the nomination of Bertie Ahern to be Taoiseach in June 2007.
5. Most of the countries you mention have some form of list PR electoral system. And most also have some lower threshold of the national vote that parties must exceed before they get any seats. Probably necessary to prevent having a large number of smaller parties. Israel has a particularly low threshold (was 1 and now is 2%) and consequently a real problem with fragmented unstable coalitions.
List PR has its upsides. But one of its downsides is a heavy bias against those not belonging to any party. Not sure how one would fix that. I think one would definitely have to treat independents as a special case. If independents get 10% of the national vote they should really get 10% of seats. But perhaps Irish style PR-STV could be used for all candidates on the ballot paper for independents. Can’t think of any fairer way to slice up the independent share of the vote in a list system.
People have previously suggested list systems for the Seanad. But I’d fear that unless we were careful we could also largely eliminate any prospects of independents getting elected to it, which would be a real shame.
6. One of the notable aspects of yesterday’s debate in the Dáil (apart from the fact that very little of it concerned the Finance Bill) was that the demands of Lowry (and by extension Healy-Rae) were national in nature and ones that many people outside their constituencies or even rural Ireland would share.
• This is what I noticed too – that the independents that held out and delayed pledging support to this were defacto acting in the national interest and not merely to get a hospital or casino built in their town. Shame though they couldn’t have stood up and represented their constituents on national issues when it came to the bank guarantees or welfare cuts etc.
A threat to democracy is coming from the ” we just need to put businessmen in there to sort it all out” suggestions.
Michael Martin has already signaled support for technocrats a la USA’s “democracy”.
Whatever the consequence had the Finance Bill been defeated (as if Labour and Fine Gael would’ve let that happen) much of the commentary came form over- zealous pundits.
The shameful betrayal of democracy lies with Fianna Fail who have hobbled on for the last few months with little support and arrogantly boasted of having a mandate from 2007 ergo they can essentially do as they please – be that bank guarantee or IMF/EU bail-in/out.
7. @A Alan Rouge.
Absolutely agree. Who would these business men have been in the last two decades?? Sean Fitzpatrick, Michael Fingleton, Sean Quinn and God help us Michael O’LEary …..?
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Connecting to %s | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '49', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.965828776359558}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '126474', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:BZDKYSWQSLDRLC6TBREIY7VBJXOYKIZ2', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:2abad03b-8851-4767-b4bd-f5df5ea63ebe>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2021, 9, 26, 14, 7, 35), 'WARC-IP-Address': '192.0.78.25', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:7MDCHH74W5OZ223M5MMX5V5OBQ3ITIGW', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:0ed6cffb-6fa5-4159-9fb3-a459ebbd9e7b>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'https://politicalreform.ie/2011/01/26/are-independents-a-danger-to-democracy/?replytocom=3599', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:b5da5749-ccef-455f-ab19-568fdfdf9d8d>', 'WARC-Truncated': None}", 'previous_word_count': '2089', 'url': 'https://politicalreform.ie/2011/01/26/are-independents-a-danger-to-democracy/?replytocom=3599', 'warcinfo': 'isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2021-39\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for September 2021\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)\r\nhostname: ip-10-67-67-93\r\nsoftware: Apache Nutch 1.18 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)\r\nrobots: checked via crawler-commons 1.2-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.1\r\nconformsTo: https://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.025775551795959473', 'original_id': '6926dc20d41393e79d005821aa7b7fc8615190eaa83088b225a867f0a79926ac'} |
Red Bull x Stab Minor Threat
Red Bull North America engaged Stab to take part in their Minor Threat boat trip in the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia in 2011. The deal? Craft a theme shoot that can go viral. Armed with 5000 ping pong balls, 20 cameras in a boardbag and 15 marine safety flares, Stab pulled together a variety of different shoots. Some weren’t hugely successful. Some surpassed expectation. When Bruce Irons rode the tube at night with a flare on the tail of his board, the results shook the world. The footage appeared on the world’s biggest news stations (the still images ran in The Wall St Journal) and the footage was screened on the news of CNBC, ABC, CNN in the US and BBC and Channel 4 in the UK. Oh, and we copped 1.5m views on YouTube as well. | dclm_baseline | {'bff_contained_ngram_count_before_dedupe': '0', 'language_id_whole_page_fasttext': "{'en': 0.9249557256698608}", 'metadata': "{'Content-Length': '21568', 'Content-Type': 'application/http; msgtype=response', 'WARC-Block-Digest': 'sha1:JTAKHLJW7UIQ36O4ZHVGWPRCDJI5NJHW', 'WARC-Concurrent-To': '<urn:uuid:cb9831ab-bb16-4d1b-9599-f184bf88b0f6>', 'WARC-Date': datetime.datetime(2017, 8, 19, 14, 41, 51), 'WARC-IP-Address': '101.0.115.127', 'WARC-Identified-Payload-Type': 'text/html', 'WARC-Payload-Digest': 'sha1:ISH2CX23PHFSPVJBULIWVBQL2SF77F54', 'WARC-Record-ID': '<urn:uuid:6087f3b6-2057-4188-aa83-15d984772ab3>', 'WARC-Target-URI': 'http://www.rollingyouth.com/our-work/redbull/', 'WARC-Type': 'response', 'WARC-Warcinfo-ID': '<urn:uuid:53a3294e-df40-49bc-a93d-9fc85b4b1e03>', 'WARC-Truncated': 'length'}", 'previous_word_count': '148', 'url': 'http://www.rollingyouth.com/our-work/redbull/', 'warcinfo': 'robots: classic\r\nhostname: ip-10-145-170-239.ec2.internal\r\nsoftware: Nutch 1.6 (CC)\r\nisPartOf: CC-MAIN-2017-34\r\noperator: Common Crawl Admin\r\ndescription: Wide crawl of the web for August 2017\r\npublisher: Common Crawl\r\nformat: WARC File Format 1.0\r\nconformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf', 'fasttext_openhermes_reddit_eli5_vs_rw_v2_bigram_200k_train_prob': '0.038774073123931885', 'original_id': 'f744d66b1a61a38f364deb778d55139c81d596e2eb1601755af9f9d9449941ba'} |
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Building Up with Precast Concrete Panels – Part II
Building Up with Precast Concrete Panels – Part II
Building Up with Precast Concrete Panels – Part II2018-12-122018-11-14/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/swa-simplylogo_horizontal-copy-3.svgSuperior Walls Canada/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/06/swa-simplylogo_horizontal-copy-3.svg200px200px
In our last blog, we explored the use of Superior Walls Xi PlusTM panels in the construction of a 35-unit independent living residence for seniors in Canada. But that’s only part of the story.
One of the most beneficial aspects of using precast concrete panels on the 51 Kaatz Drive project came in the construction of the four-story elevator shaft.
While concrete block construction has been the industry standard for elevator shafts in years past, the fast installation of Superior Walls products speeds up the construction schedule. As well, these walls remain non-combustible and heat transfer is minimized as they are insulated panels.
“A concrete stairwell or elevator shaft can give building occupants additional time to escape from a burning structure because the material resists the movement of the fire,” says Ray Wentz, special projects manager at Superior Walls by Magnis. “A zone delineated by concrete within a building can provide escape routes during a fire by maintaining structural integrity and allowing people to get away from the building. At the same time, this allows firefighters to more safely enter the structure and fight the fire from multiple locations and levels.”
Constructing an Elevator Shaft
During the construction of 51 Kaatz Drive, the Superior Walls precast concrete panels were placed in the elevator shaft with the concrete side faced inward and with a fire guard facing outside. The exterior facing wall was covered with 5/8” drywall providing the structure with its appropriate fire rating.
“The new technology in precast concrete panel construction is now better suited to Canadian conditions,” says Wentz. “We are able to apply an integrated rigid foam insulation component to the panels that brings it up to a R24 rating. Combined with the speed of installation on the job site, this is a real win for the construction industry.”
In 2012 the Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC) declared that Superior Walls precast concrete insulated wall panels were evaluated for use in Canada. | mini_pile | {'original_id': 'c199550ade76489d6c614127125a13da5235e6416ac20dcee25283dad9163309'} |
[fred parsons is heard outside sayings ''Is Mr, Latch in P " They all look up,] Put that away, [journey- man puts away the money. Enter fred parsons. WILLIAM goes to meet him,] Now, who is this ? What, 109 Mr. Parsons ! Well, Esther, how often have we asked ourselves when we should be honoured by a visit ? FRED Latch, I want a few words with you — quite private. WILLIAM If you'll wait here with Esther, I'll get rid of those chaps. [ESTHER shakes hands with fred]. I hope I may have the honour of drinking a glass of champagne with you, sir ? And, John, you'll join us ? Ketley, Journeyman — ^two of my old friends, sir. \Jhey go out. KETLEY and WILLIAM ate the last to leave the stage. 7o KETLEY.] He ain't proud ; he'll shake hands with you in the bar. [Exeunt.'] ESTHER So, Fred, you've come to see me at last. FRED I'd have come before, but I wasn't sure that you would care to see me. There's nothing in common between us now, Esther ; you belong to a different world. ESTHER If it's only to reproach me you've come, Fred- FRED No, not to reproach you, but to help you if I can. ESTHER To help us ? no FRED If I can. I belong to the Committee for the Suppres- sion of Illegal Betting, and we've got information that betting has been carried on here. I've come to v^arn you. If it was found out that I had been here, I shouldn't be trusted again. But, Esther, I can't see you ruined without trying to save you. ESTHER It's very good of you, Fred ; but what can I say ? William will be back in a minute. You can tell him. FRED Yes ; but now that we're alone I would like to try to persuade you to get him to give up this betting. ESTHER How can I, Fred ? Situated as we are. FRED The wrong road is the only road. Esther, Esther ! ESTHER No, Fred, no. FRED It's a sore trial to me to find you here in a public- house. It breaks my heart to see you here. ESTHER I believe you did care for me, Fred. I was sorry to break it off, you know I was, but it wasn't my fault. FRED Nor was it mine. If William hadn't come back that in day and taken out Jackie for that suit of clothes he'd have been too late. You remember, Esther, how I pitched Jackie's boat into the corner and how Jackie cried ? If I hadn't let my temper get the better of me that day, I've often thought that it might have been different. But all that's over now. How is Jackie ? Has he forgiven me ? Does he ever speak of me ? ESTHER Indeed he do, Fred ; he often and often asks why it is that you never come to see us. FRED He's at school, I suppose ? ESTHER Yes, at school every day, busy as a little bee. \Enter WILLIAM.] William, Fred has come to warn us that the house is being watched. WILLIAM There's nothing wrong with the 'ouse. What does he mean ? FRED I've come to tell you. Latch, that a trap has been laid, or if it hasn't been laid already it will be. WILLIAM It's a lie ; there's no betting here. ESTHER Fred has come out of kindness — don't you see, William ? 112 WILLIAM For your sake ? ESTHER Why not for my sake ? And he has just come so that you may stop the betting-men from taking money if any should come into the bar. Isn't that it, Fred ? FRED Yes. Your wife, Latch, is an old friend of mine, as you know well, and it was for her sake — though perhaps I have done wrong in coming here. But I couldn't help it. WILLIAM You spoke of a trap. Sending a plain-clothes officer to ask me if I would lay him the odds ? FRED It may be so — ^that, or some other trap. What I do know is that the house is suspected, and for Esther's sake I have come to beg of you to leave it. If you could only see the evil of betting I'm sure you would give it up. Every day brings to us a tale of fresh misfortune, a hearth ruined, the mother in the work- house, the daughter on the streets, the father in prison, and all on accoimt of betting. There isn't a shop-boy earning eighteen shillings a week that hasn't been round here to put his half-crown on some horse. This house is the immoral centre of the neighbourhood. No one's money is refused. We can't let this sort of thing go on. WILLIAM Give the house up and turn my hand to what ? Are you and your committee going to keep me ? 113 H FRED It seems to me that if a thing is wrong it should be stopped. But I did not come here to argue with you but to warn you. There's one notorious character — a welcher, I think you call him — who is known to frequent this public-house. WILLIAM I allow no welchers in my bar. That cove you speak of is Bill Evans. He's hanging round here after Sarah Tucker, the girl wot was with Esther in situation at Woodview. She came to us for protection from him, and he suspects she's here. ESTHER We're keeping her until she can get a situation ; but she mustn't see that brute again. WILLIAM If he ever comes into my bar again I'll let him know for what ! [A loud voice is heard.'] Who's that ? A VOICE Hi ! mister, are you there ? WILLIAM It's Bill Evans. Quick, Esther, don't let Sarah show herself ! [esther disaf pears through door on left, bill enters.] Now, what do you want here ? And who, I'd like to know, gave you leave to make free with my house ? I had you put out of the bar and now you've found your way upstairs. Out you go ! BILL Now, mister, not quite so hasty. You have my wife here. 114 WILLIAM Your wife ! How do I know if you have a wife ? I don't know your women ; it's enough to know you. BILL A little more manners, if you please. My wife or my Poll — what does it matter ? You know her well enough, since you were in Sussex together. And she's here, I know, a-hiding WILLIAM It's pretty likely she is hiding, wherever she is. BILL She's my wife ; it's none of your business what I does to her. WILLIAM Your wife ! When did you get married to her, I'd like to know. BILL In Brussels. WILLIAM And was it in Brussels you sent her out on the streets to get money for you ? BILL She told you that ? WILLIAM It's none of your business what she told me. Brussels isn't the same place as here, and the police over there — — 115 BILL It don't suit you very well, mister, to talk of the police to me. Perhaps they'll be knocking at your door before they find time to come knocking at mine. Do you 'ear ? WILLIAM Yes, I 'ear. BILL Well, are you going to give me back my wife ? WILLIAM She ain't here. BILL That's a lie ! Come, are you going to fetch her, or shall I beckon the boy in blue ? He that's waiting at the corner. WILLIAM What do you want her for ? BILL A man has a right to his own wife. [Enter esther.] 'Ere you, missus, have you any news of Sarah for me ? ESTHER She's a long way from you wherever she is. BILL A jolly girl Sarah ; one I won't be parted from for all the money in your till. ii6 ESTHER She's not here. [bill sidles towards the door Esther has come through,'] WILLIAM Come back from that door. BILL Ah ! so she's in there, is she ! [Door of ens and sarah appears.] SARAH Is that you, Bill ? BILL Well, what do you think ? Come and have a look if you ain't sure. SARAH Leave me here for a bit longer. BILL But you see I'm that tired every minute I'm out of your company. SARAH Don't make me go to-day ; I've been ill. BILL Come now, quick step, none of that nonsense ! What are you waiting for ? 117 WILLIAM Now then ; no one raises his hand to a woman in my 'ouse. BILL 'Ere, you shut up. SARAH I'll come with you ; I'll get my hat. [Exit.'] BILL Well, now, that bit of business has been settled to my satisfaction ; there's just one other little thing to do. WILLIAM And that is to take your 'ook. BILL I'm not going to worry you, I like you too well for that — ^if it wasn't for the damned bad luck I've had ever since our return. Now, what would you say to a little bet ? I've a good tip for the Chester Cup. How much will you give ? WILLIAM Is that all you have to say to me ? BILL A quid — ^twenty- five to one. WILLIAM You aren't worth a quid, nor yet a thin 'un ; a tanner, or the change out of one — three coppers. BILL I'm good for a quid sooner or later, though you did take my wife from me. ii8 ESTHER William don't want to have nothing to do with you. BILL Look 'ere, missus, you folks have taken my wife and taught her to say her prayers, and to look on me as 'ardly worth the change out of a tanner ; three coppers, 'e said. Don't you think you might do something for me ? I'm tired of the life I'm leading and I want to start afresh in a new country. Now, what do you say, governor^ to a loan of twenty-five pounds ? WILLIAM Well, that's a good one! Lend the likes of you twenty- five quid ! BILL Well, governor, I'm tired of the old country, and you say you don't like to see me hanging round 'ere. Don't you think it would serve your turn to have me out of the way ? Me and Sarah might sail for a new country and a new life. WILLIAM A new life ? BILL Yes, a new life ; only a matter of five-and-twenty quid. Now then, governor, we've been cackling long enough. Cough up. Five-and-twenty. WILLIAM Why should I give you money ? BILL Cough up at once. We're only wasting time. 119 WILLIAM You'll get nothing out of me that's worth your while. BILL Then you'll choke, that's all. WILLIAM What do you mean ! [sARAH af fears with her hat on.] BILL Never mind. You just give me the money smart, that's all. WILLIAM I'll see you damned first ! BILL [Putting on his hat] So long, then, boss ! I must be going 'ome to write a letter to the boy in blue that's been yearning his heart out this long while for some news of this 'ere 'ouse. WILLIAM So peaching is your game, is it ! Out you go ! BILL Come now, five-and-twenty pounds. WILLIAM [Taking him by the shoulder] Out you go ! BILL Hands off, mate, or it will be the worse for any one that comes interfering with me ! 120 WILLIAM [Pushing him towards the stairs'] Get out of this, you dirty cur, low ponce, back to Brussels! BILL 'Ere, easy now ! \They struggle, '\ ESTHER Try to get your man away. [sARAH and ESTHER try to separate them, william pushes BILL dozen the stairs and he is heard jailing?^ WILLIAM \0n the staircase'] Two seconds I give you to get out of my bar. Or do you mean to wait for me to pitch you out ? A swine like you only fit for Brussels porkshops ! You won't go ? We'll see about that. [He goes down the stairs^ SARAH [Clinging to Esther] Esther, he'll kill me — ^he'll kill me to-night ! ESTHER They're fighting now. Blows, more blows. What was that ? SARAH I heard nothing. ESTHER It was like a groan. There, again. Somebody is being killed. Fred, come ! [She rushes towards fred.] Come, for he may be killing my husband ! [bill rushes in brandishing a knife,] 121 BILL Keep off, or it will be the worse for you. [Looking round.] Where does that door lead to ? Keep off, or m serve you as I served him. [ESTHER, SARAH, and FRED Struggle with him. bill deals FRED a heavy bloza, tears himself away jrom ESTHER, who throws herselj bejore the door. T^wo policemen enter, bill turns on them^ hut is quickly disarmed^ ESTHER What has he done in the bar, for I heard a fall and a groan ? My husband — has he been hurt by this man or stabbed ? FIRST POLICEMAN A man is lying on the iioor in the bar, under the counter near the door. SECOND POLICEMAN A tall man. BILL That's he ; God rest his soul. But it was done in fair fight. ESTHER Husband ! Stabbed ! \llurning^^ Dead ! \^he runs down the stairs^ BILL I say that it was done in fair fight, and with my last breath. I did it, for he had me by the throat and I should have strangled. 122 FIRST POLICEMAN [Indicating sarah] Who is this ? BILL She's my Poll ; and a very good Poll she's been to me ; one that will soon forget the hard words. Perhaps once or twice I did knock you about — and if I did put you on the streets SARAH You couldn't starve, Bill. I'll go to the station with you. [Exeunt constables, sarah, and bill, fred is left alone ; he sinks into a chair. A moment after ^ enter ginger.] GINGER Hello ! What's the matter ? Hurt ? [fred tries to get uf] No, sit down. FRED I shall be all right presently. A glass of water. [ginger -pours some water into one of the glasses,] GINGER Now, drink this. Has he had his knife into you too ? FRED A blow — only a blow. GINGER A pretty heavy one. Drink some more. He'll hang for this. 123 FRED [After drinking] You said somebody would be hanged ? GINGER It was Bill Evans that struck you, wasn't it ? FRED Hang ! Why should they hang him ? I'm not dead. GINGER No ; but William died on the way to the hospital. FRED I don't think I understand. I'm still a bit dazed. GINGER Sit quiet. Have some more. [He holds the glass to his lips and sprinkles hisfaceJ] FRED ' And Esther — ^where is she ? GINGER Gone to the hospital. FRED Is she ill ? GINGER No, no ; you'll hear all about it presently. You're sure you're not seriously hurt ? FRED No, no ; let me think. Bill Evans was trying to escape through that door ; we stopped him. The 124 police I remember now. You say William was stabbed and that he died on the way to the 'ospital ? The man Evans will be hanged. But Esther — what will become of her ? GINGER I'm afraid there are hard times in front of her. She won't be able to carry on the business. FRED And will have to face the world again — she and her boy. You see, I knew her from the beginning, she and her child. GINGER So there is a child ? FRED Yes, Jackie. [He gets up.] You're a stranger, then. I thought that you were one of the betting men about the place. GINGER No ; I am Arthur Barfield. Esther and William were servants at Woodview a long time ago, and I hadn't seen William for years till I met him last week at the races. Now do you understand ? FRED Esther often spoke to me of Woodview and of you and your mother. GINGER My mother used to think a great deal of Esther, and 125 was very sorry when she had to leave Woodview. Now what are you thinking of ? FRED I am just trying to think that perhaps your mother might be glad to have her back — if it wasn't for the boy. If she would leave Jackie with me, it might be managed that way. What do you think ? GINGER Very likely it could. But you're talking too much. You really must sit down and keep quiet. FRED [Sinking back] But tell me, what will become of Esther ? Shall I tell her that ? I have forgotten. GINGER That my mother will be glad to see her ? Yes, you can tell her that. Have some more water. FRED No, no ; I'm coming round. GINGER You will if you stop talking. You've received a heavier blow than you think for. FRED I'll rest here till Esther comes back. I dare say Jackie will soon be home from school. [Enter ketley, journeyman, and randal.] GINGER [Going to the door] Well, John, this is a bad business. 126 RANDAL Very bad, sir, very bad. JOURNEYMAN You didn't see the fight, sir ? William was having the best of it till the fellow got out his knife, and he must have got in somewhere about the heart, for there was hardly a groan. KETLEY A moan ; he moaned and turned white as my shirt. JOURNEYMAN Do you know the chap yonder ? He seems pretty bad. Did Bill get the knife into him too ? GINGER No ; only a blow of a fist. He'll be better presently. I'll ask the doctor to come round and look at him. [Exit GINGER. The tape begins clicking ; ketley and JOURNEYMAN go to z"^.] RANDAL Which is it ? KETLEY [Reading] Chester Cup — ^V-A-N — [The tape stops] — ^Vanity ! JOURNEYMAN It may be Vanguard ; he's in the race. [The tape begins again,] I-T-Y. KETLEY Vanity ! I knew I was right ; the omens is always 127 right ; it's we who aren't always in the humour to read them. What did you say ? That at the weights Vanity couldn't win ? JOURNEYMAN Well, you've got your vanity, and it would be hard to find a greater vanity than a bet with a dead book- maker. RANDAL Briar Rose — a straight tip, I thought. [Hopelessly.] Luck will never come my way again. [Curtain,] 128 Act V Scene : mr. Arthur barfield's room at Woodview, There are saddles^ spurs, boots, ^c, lying about. Pictures of race- horses on the walls, randal is moving about the room ; jackie is standing watching him. RANDAL You had better be off to school ; it's half-past eight. JACKIE I've still ten minutes. Please finish the story. RANDAL Well, you might as well clean these spurs while you're waiting. \}le hands him a pair,] Where was I ? At that moment the Demon looked over his shoulder JACKIE You're leaving out something. You told me that Mr. Barfield didn't want the horse to win by twenty lengths. RANDAL Of course not ; otherwise they would be laying odds on him for the Chesterfield. No one wants his horse to win by twenty lengths. JACKIE Then why did the Gaffer turn pale when he saw the Demon look over his shoulder ? 129 I RANDAL Because if a horse isn't giving out his running But I can't tell the story if you stop me. JACKIE Well, don't be waxy. Go on — from when the Demon took up the whip. RANDAL The moment the Demon struck the 'orse he swerved right across the course, under the stand, and, seeing what was happening, the Tinman sat down and began riding. JACKIE The Tinman was riding Bird- Catcher ? RANDAL You're out there. He was riding Man-at-Arms. About half-way up the rails the Tinman got level with the Demon. It looked as if it was all up ; but Silver Braid took to galloping of his own accord, and having such a mighty lot in hand, he won on the post by a head — a short head. JACKIE And if Silver Braid hadn't won, what would have happened ? RANDAL It's 'ard to say. The Gaffer would have been a busted flush, and the horses would have been sold and the place shut up. 130 JACKIE It wasn't the first time that a horse saved Woodview. RANDAL Not by a long chalk. When Rosacrucian won the City and Suburban the bailiffs were trying to get in here. [jACKiE goes over and looks at a picture.] JACKIE Rosacrucian is the horse I'd like to ride. RANDAL The 'andsomest horse that ever was seen at Newmarket Heath. The bookies said, " Why, he's only a harab ! '* and laid twenty to one against him. JACKIE Was Rosacrucian before Silver Braid ? RANDAL Years before. JACKIE And were you here when all these horses won ? RANDAL Yes, I was with the Gaffer when Don Louis — that one over there — was nobbled, and that's forty year ago. It must be quite that. JACKIE What's nobbled ? 131 RANDAL A week before the Cambridgeshire was run they got into his stable. JACKIE Who ? RANDAL Parties that didn't want him to win ; and they put a bandage round his leg and hit him all the way down with a ruler — ^that's how it was done. JACKIE Shame ! They ought to have been hanged. RANDAL We were up night and day stuping the near fore leg. JACKIE And he won all the same ? RANDAL Yes, and by a dozen lengths. JACKIE That was bad riding. RANDAL It didn't matter ; we knew he would never stand training again. JACKIE You had a near squeak with Ben Nevis ? 132 RANDAL We had more than a squeak, we was done that time. The owner of the second horse lodged an objection on the ground that the Gaffer had not paid his forfeits. The Gaffer was had up before the stewards of the Jockey Club. He died soon after, and Mr. Arthur took it into his head that Woodview was unlucky, and went away to train in the north. JACKIE Did you go with him ? RANDAL No ; I went to London to try my luck. And damned bad luck I had ! And damned bad luck followed Mr. Arthur into the north, all the horses breaking down or running second. Them were his very words to me in the King's Head the day that your poor father was killed. He says, " John, I couldn't stand it any longer, so I sold the place up and am back in Woodview again training on the Downs. After all we had better luck there than anywhere else. If you like to come to Woodview again you can." JACKIE And he brought mummie back too ; so you're all the same as years ago, only I wasn't here then. [He goes to the window,'] RANDAL My young man. I think it's about time you started for school. Have you the spurs finished ? [jACKiE hands him the spurs.] 133 JACKIE I have a few minutes still, and there's no use my going until I know if Chimney Sweep has won his trial. Mr. Barfield can't be long now. [He takes up his school books and swings them by the strap.] I wish he'd hurry. He'll come in pretty muddy, I reckon. They goes through some plough as they come round by Summersdean. While you're taking off his spurs and his gaiters he'll be telling you about the trial, how Chimney Sweep finished, and his chances for the National. When you go up in the morning with his clothes and his 'ot water you remains in his room for ages talking of the entries, the gallops and the trials — so they says in the stables. RANDAL They says more than their prayers in the stables. JACKIE I wonder, Mr. Randal, if he'd let me valet him — I mean when you're dead. RANDAL When I'm dead ! JACKIE That won't be for a long time, I know ; but RANDAL But what ? JACKIE Wouldn't it be nice if you was to send me to Liverpool to valet Mr. Barfield, if you're not going yourself ? 134 RANDAL Send you to valet Mr. Barfield ! Mr. Barfield is very- particular about his top-boots, and it isn't every one that can bring up a pair of tops that he'll pull over his legs. JACKIE But you could teach me. You said yesterday that the boots I cleaned wasn't half bad for me. RANDAL Blacking a pair of laced boots is one thing, and I admit that you did get a fair polish on them for a kiddie like you ; but tops and Mr. Arthur's tops ! The tops he'll pull on the morning of the Grand National is — well, quite another pair of boots. JACKIE But you could teach me. Tops is cleaned with cream, and you've got the recipe in your wonderful press in the pantry. You might give it. RANDAL The recipe ? JACKIE Well, a little of the cream. You will, won't you, if Mr. Barfield takes me to Liverpool with him ? I'd love to go ! Is there any chance, do you think ? I'd see the race from the stand. The black jacket and cap going over the fences and the horse coming up to the brook — ^the great black Chimney Sweep tearing at it and Mr. Barfield a-steering of 'im. The sight would be that fine I'd go out of my wits. 135 RANDAL I think you would. [Enter ginger. He is dressed in riding breeches. Throws himself into a chair, jackie puts his school books aside and whispers to randal, " May I take off his spurs P " randal nods, jackie goes over to GINGER.] GINGER That horse Chimney Sweep is a brute to ride — pulling all the way, three miles, twenty fences, his head low down, swinging it over the ground, sawing at the bit ; a wonderful fencer, the finest I ever rode, never laid an iron on anything, and won easily. But I say. Jack, I hope you don't repeat down in Shoreham anything you hear up here. JACKIE No, sir ; they never gets nothing out of me. GINGER Gad, I am tired I RANDAL You're looking a bit white after your ride. GINGER And I'm feeling a bit white, I can tell you, and what I'm thinking is that if I get the pounds off I may be too weak to ride a finish, just as I was when The Gardener was beaten. RANDAL But the year he won, it was your riding that did it. 136 GINGER I knew he was going well within himself, so I kept on and they never caught me. [Getting up and going over to the picture.] A great old horse ! Another big dose of salts and a long sweating walk should rid me of them ; a little hot tea when I come in, and for dinner a lean cutlet. JACKIE [To RANDAL] Mr, Randal, won't you speak for me ? GINGER What is this ? What is he asking you ? RANDAL He wants me to send him to Liverpool to valet you ; he'd like to see you jump the brook, and if you're thinking of giving up riding, sir GINGER He won't have another chance. Do you know, John, I think that the coming Liverpool will be the last time I shall ride. It's getting flesh off that is so awful ; yet there was a time when I was as light as he is. [He lifts jackie upJ\ Not more than five-seven. What do you think, John ? RANDAL [Taking up jackie] About what you says, sir ; five-six or seven. JACKIE Silver Braid didn't carry much more when he won the Cup. Was it five-ten ? 137 GINGER He was in at five-ten, but he carried six stone ; the boy couldn't get off the last two pounds. JACKIE Then I'm too heavy ? GINGER No ; you're about five-seven. JACKIE But with the saddle and bridle ? GINGER One rides the weight that one stands ; the clothes that one takes off counterbalance the saddle and bridle. Look at that saddle ! I've ridden many a race in it, but I'll never ride it again. Far from it ! And here's the bridle. A couple of pounds, and the boots three or four ounces. [Taking out a racing caf and jacket.'] How would you like to be taught riding. Jack ? Here's the cap and jacket the Demon wore. [Puts the cap on Jackie's head.'] Now for the jacket ! JACKIE [Getting into the jacket] What about the breeches ? GINGER You can have the breeches on if you like. We might get him into the breeches, John. They'll just about fit him. [Enter esther. On seeing jackie in the caf and jacket she stands unahle for a moment to find sfeech.] 138 ESTHER I beg your pardon, sir ; I was looking for Jackie. It's time for him to go to school. GINGER Very likely it is, Esther, but it won't matter if he's a few minutes late. You've just come in time to see him in the cap and jacket the Demon wore when he won on Silver Braid. [He ficks up jackie.] And about five-seven, Esther, and we want a new light- weight in the yard. But you don't seem pleased. What is it ? ESTHER I think he'd better go to school, sir. \_She takes the caf off jackie's head and the jacket jrom his shoulders and hands them to randal.] GINGER Esther, I can't allow anybody to dictate to me in my own house. ESTHER But your mother promised me, sir, that he should go to school every day. GINGER [Signs to randal to withdraw, randal and JACKIE go out] The boy is getting on for fourteen. ESTHER It wasn't of his schooling I was thinking. 139 GINGER You didn't like to see him in the jockey's cap and jacket — ^is that it ? ESTHER Yes, sir. GINGER And why, may I ask ? ESTHER I didn't intend him for a jockey, sir. GINGER I thought I was doing the lad a good turn ; most parents would jump at the chance I am offering Jack. ESTHER I dare say they would, sir ; but then that's perhaps because they haven't seen as much of racing as I have. GINGER The same old song ! It seems never to die out of my life. As soon as my mother has dropped singing it, you take it up. ESTHER I have only my boy, sir ; he's all I have. GINGER But what are you thinking of putting him to ? Have you any idea ? 140 ESTHER Not exactly, sir. GINGER What do you mean by not exactly ? Randal will teach him to wait at table, but he's too small for a footman ; he's just the right size for a jockey. He won't begin to put on flesh for years ; his father was always a thin-gutted fellow. Jack will be able to ride seven stone for a long while, and if he should happen to ride the winner in a big race or two he'll be drinking champagne with lords. ESTHER I don't think, sir, I would like him to drink with lords, or anything like that. GINGER The same old song ever since I can remember. Well, what do you want to do with him ? ESTHER Nothing that you would approve of, sir. GINGER Well, let's hear it. ESTHER Fred Parsons GINGER Another of the singers, the same old song, one of them 141 that thinks everything in life wrong except chapel. Where is he now ? ESTHER He's timekeeper at the dockyard in Portsmouth, and he has been looking out for something for Jackie. He wrote last week saying that a messenger-boy was wanted. GINGER Eight shillings a week ? ESTHER That's it, sir. GINGER And does Jackie agree to all this ? ESTHER Well, 1 haven't spoken to him about it yet. GINGER And when do you intend to speak about it to him ? ESTHER He'll have to know about it this afternoon. Mr. Parsons is coming up from Portsmouth to take Jackie back with him for a day or two ; that is, if you can spare him. GINGER Does my mother know about this ? 142 ESTHER She read Parsons' letter for me, sir. [Enter mrs. barfield] GINGER Mother, I was just going to send for you. W e want your advice. [He wheels a chair j or ward j or his mother^ MRS. BARFIELD About what, my dear Arthur ? GINGER About Esther and her boy. I'll just tell my mother what has happened, Esther. I'd come in from riding, mother. You'll be glad to hear Chimney Sweep won the trial ? MRS. BARFIELD And you're going to ride him at Liverpool ? GINGER My last race, mother. I'm getting too heavy. I can't stand this wasting any longer ; every bit I put into my mouth turns to tallow under the ribs. Well, I had come in from riding, and you know we're short of a boy in the stables ; we want a light-weight. As Jackie was taking off my spurs I looked up, and half in fun I said, " Why, that's just the fellow we want. Let's see how he'll look in a cap and jacket." We took out the Demon's cap and jacket and put him into them. It was then that Esther came into the room 143 and without a word took the cap and jacket off and said that Jack must go to school. MRS. BARFIELD Well, you know, Arthur, we promised her that he should go to school in the morning and work in the pantry in the evenings. GINGER But that's not the point, mother. Esther doesn't mind him working an odd day in the pantry and missing his school ; what she doesn't want is for him to become a jockey. She thinks a messenger-boy in the dockyard would suit him better. I said to her, " Well, you may be right and you may be wrong, but it seems to me that the boy shouldn't be considered like a box or a trunk at a railway station with a label on him ' Portsmouth.' He should have his choice." But no. Esther got a letter, it appears, from that very, very pious man, more chapel-going than you ever were, my dear mother, even in your worst days, to whom everything is wrong except going to chapel. MRS. BARFIELD It really seems to me, Arthur, that this is a matter between Esther and her son. GINGER But the boy should be consulted and not flung into something that he may have no taste for, and which, as I told you, Esther, leads nowhere. MRS. BARFIELD Esther, what do you think ? 144 ESTHER We've seen so much racing, ma'am, you and I GINGER The old song, the old song. MRS. BARFIELD V No, my dear boy, I'm not going to sing any old song \ to you any more. You see, Esther, when we have been in life for a long time the edges get worn away, we become like pebbles in a brook. It isn't that I am less God-fearing now in my old age than I was when I was a girl ; I hope there has been no backsliding ; but one isn't so anxious as one was to reform the world. One feels that to be impossible, and that perhaps if we could reform it we mightn't be as well pleased with it as we thought for. We didn't make the world, Esther, and if the world is what it is, it is because God intended it so. My son keeps a racing stable, and he is as honourable in his calling as any other man in his. He has been a very good son to me, Esther, and I don't think that he would advise you to do anything. wrong. y^ ESTHER Then you think, ma'am, that GINGER Esther, please to understand that I don't propose to make a jockey of the boy against his will. MRS. BARFIELD I think, Esther, Mr. Barfield is right. You might regret it very much afterwards if you sent him away to Portsmouth without his consent. 145 K GINGER And sending him with that nasty, cantankerous, narrow-minded little bigot. MRS. BARFIELD Don't speak of Mr. Parsons like that, Arthur. Remem- ber he is Esther's friend and has stood hy her when there was nobody else to stand by her. GINGER I'm sorry, Esther. ESTHER It doesn't matter, sir, it doesn't matter. I suppose he should be given his choice. But there was William GINGER There are mishaps always, Esther. Besides, William was a betting man, and racing and betting aren't the same thing. I'm glad to see that she's coming round to my view. You really can't send him off to run messages. Mother, you'll speak to her. [Exit GINGER. ESTHER takss a dustcr and begins dusting some furniture, '] MRS. BARFIELD Then, Esther, it's understood ? ESTHER I suppose so, ma'am. MRS. BARFIELD But what is the matter, Esther ? 146 ESTHER I don't know how I'm going to tell Parsons, ma'am. He has set his heart on getting the boy this place. MRS. BARFIELD But Jackie may choose to go to Portsmouth. ESTHER I'm afraid not, ma'am ; he's grown too fond of the stables. He thinks of little else but horses. MRS. BARFIELD But no matter what choice he may make, you'll stay on here with us, Esther, won't you ? ... Or did you think of marrying Mr. Parsons ? ESTHER He has waited for me so long. MRS. BARFIELD And would you like to marry him ? ESTHER Well, ma'am, this is the way it is. I've been working hard ever since I was fifteen, and when a woman has worked for twenty years she feels that the time has come for a little rest in her life, and she would like to have somebody to look after her ; that's all, ma'am. That's all. And then there's just the wish to make somebody happy. Fred has waited for me all his life. It seems hard that he should be disappointed in the end. MRS. BARFIELD But he ought to be able to see that the boy must be given his choice. H7 ESTHER 'E don't think like Mr. Arthur. It will seem to him like saying you have your choice to go the right way or the wrong way. MRS. BARFIELD I was like that once myself. It was always the right way and the wrong way. [Enter randal.] RANDAL Somebody has come to see, Esther, ma'am. MRS. BARFIELD Mr. Parsons ? RANDAL That's the name he gave, I think. MRS. BARFIELD Will you show Mr. Parsons up here, John. [Exit RANDAL.] You had better see him here, Esther ; you'll be undisturbed, and I'll send Jackie to you. [Exit MRS. BARFIELD. FRED PARSONS etlterS a moment after. 1 FRED ' How do you do, Esther ? [Looking round the room^ he sees pictures of race-horses^ bridles^ sfurs^ and zvhips.] Why am I brought up here ? ESTHER Mrs. Barfield said it would be better to see you here, 148 on account of the other servants, and as we have things to talk about FRED I've got the place for Jackie, and the wages are better than we expected ; he'll begin at ten shillings a week. Don't you think that's very good, Esther, for a boy of his age ? ESTHER Yes, Fred, it's very good. FRED I was thinking I might take him along with me by the afternoon train, and it can be all settled this evening. ESTHER I don't think I could get his clothes ready by then ; and he's wanted in the pantry. FRED Then you haven't told them ? . . . May I sit down, Esther ? I've walked rather fast from the station. ESTHER Yes, sit down. FRED And won't you ? But what is the matter, Esther ? No, I can't sit down. I must have it out with you, I can't wait. ESTHER I haven't spoken to Jackie about this plan of yours. 149 FRED Why should you speak to him ? Doesn't his mother know what is best for him ? ESTHER But if he doesn't like it ? FRED He'll soon grow to like it. Or perhaps you have some other plan for him. ESTHER Mr. Barfield wants me to make a jockey out of him. FRED Esther ! You aren't going to begin that wickedness all over again ? ESTHER But don't you think, Fred, that Jackie should be given his choice ? FRED His choice of being a jockey ! Give a child his choice of going to the devil ? ESTHER But he is that taken up with the life here in the stables. FRED Then, Esther, you are going to allow your son to take up the same life of wickedness as his father. [EnUr JACKIE.] How are you, Jackie ? I've got good news i;o for you. I've got an appointment for you as messenger boy in the dockyard ; ten shillings a week to begin upon, and afterwards if you give satisfaction there's plenty of opportunity for bettering yourself. Aren't you glad ? [jackie hesitates,'] ESTHER Just say what you have in your mind, Jackie. JACKIE Why can't I stay here, mummie ? FRED If you come to Portsmouth, Jackie, you'll see great ships — you'll live among ships. JACKIE Are there any horses in Portsmouth ? [parsons shakes his head.] Then if I go to Portsmouth I'll never see a horse again ; and I shan't see mummie either. ESTHER I'll go to Portsmouth with you. [jackie looks from one to the other!] JACKIE But, mummie, why can't you stay here and let me be a jockey ? Mr. Barfield says if I have any luck and win I may be drinking champagne with lords. FRED Like father like son. JACKIE Oh ! can't I stay here with you, mummie ? 151 ESTHER Yes, dear. Run away now to the pantry. [Exit JACKIE.] FRED Like father like son. ESTHER You mustn't speak ill of my boy to me ; any other boy would have chosen as he did. FRED 1 hope you won't regret your choice, Esther, that's all. I thought we would have watched the boy grow up together in the service of the Lord, but now you'll have to leave him here going down to the devil. ESTHER I must keep my boy. FRED Esther, I've waited all these years for you ; you surely will not refuse me now ? ESTHER I must stay with my boy. FRED Is that your last word, Esther ? ESTHER Yes, Fred. FRED And we say good-bye ? 152 ESTHER You wouldn't like me afterwards if I was to leave my boy. I must stay with him. You know I am doing right, Fred, you that has worked for righteous- ness all your life. \He goes out. A moment after jackie enters and rushes into his mother^ s arms.^ [Curtain,] Printed by BALLANTYNE &> COMPANY LTD AT THE BALLANTYNE PRESS Tavistock Street Covrnt Garden London 14 DAY USE K.TUKN TO DBSK BKOM WHICH BOKKOWBD LOAN DEPT. -^ ^ 3 , . J «« tV.P last date stamped%elOw, or This book .^ du-n *e last^da^ ^^^ Renewed books a.e subject to immed^ate^caU. LD 2lA-50m-8 '57 (C8481sl0)476B General Library University of California Berkeley /. fere Soob and UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA UBRARY. | common_corpus | {'identifier': '1001questionsans00hathrich_4', 'collection': 'US-PD-Books', 'open_type': 'Open Culture', 'license': 'Public Domain', 'date': '1883.0', 'title': '1001 questions and answers on geography', 'creator': 'None', 'language': 'English', 'language_type': 'Spoken', 'word_count': '7485', 'token_count': '10138', '__index_level_0__': '24720', 'original_id': 'b86c5eb44e05d5092a504979a0bd8713545ad08933d96bad3ff702f49ccc0f1b'} |
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This is another excellent guest article from my good friend Tom Miller. Tom runs WTF Professor and creates some of the most in-depth, well-researched content on studying and learning I’ve ever seen.
If you’ve got an exam coming up, I think you’ll find this post in particular to be very helpful. After you’ve read it though, I’d highly recommend checking out Tom’s other work as well.
Take it away, other Tom!
Let me know if this sounds familiar…
You’re a few weeks into your shiny new semester and the buzz and excitement of starting fresh is starting to ebb away. The initial days of chillin’ out, going to class, learning for the sake of learning, and then hanging out with friends afterwards is over, and the workload is starting to pile up…
Maybe you’ve had a few homework sets, quizzes, and late nights trying to get project assignments done. It’s starting to feel like work. All in all though, nothing too horrible. Not as fun as before, but still manageable.
And then you get to class and hear it…
Innocently enough, at the end of lecture as you’re packing up…
“Okay so quick reminder for you guys, problem set due next class, and the first midterm will be in 2 weeks.”
Your heart drops.
Here come the butterflies…
“Oh god, here it comes… I always feel like I can learn the stuff okay but the tests always screw with me…”
With that short little reminder from ole’ prof, a million negative thoughts are set into motion, and the semester difficulty dial has now gone well past “tough” and is rapidly approaching “OH HOLY CRAP I’M SCREWED.”
Just the thought of having to do a few short problems within one 50-minute class period is enough pressure to make you feel like you have to throw up and have a brain aneurysm all at the same time…
“How is it that I find it so easy when I’m at home doing my homework or reading through notes, but then it’s so hard on the one thing that counts the most towards my final grade?”
And the problems…
Ugh! It’s like 3 freaking problems, with 50 steps each, that are almost impossible to finish within the time limit, and if it’s on the one concept that you don’t know you’re totally screwed.
How is that fair??
How does that actually test what we’ve learned??
Is this all just part of a conspiracy to make college students live in constant fear of being disowned by their parents, relatives, and friends because they’ve never seen a test grade so embarrassingly horrible before!!??!?!?
The “I thought I knew it but blanked on the exam” Phenomenon
The sad truth is, most of us look at exams in all the wrong ways…
We associate them with our identity as a student. A 97 and we’re on Cloud 9, whereas a 64 can send us into a deep depression. This type of thinking promotes a Fixed-Mindset, which prevents us from doing what we should be doing after any type of exam performance: reviewing our mistakes, working on our weaknesses, and getting better.
We put a ton of pressure on ourselves to be perfect, leading to procrastination and self-sabotage…
“Well if I hadn’t waited until 5 hours before the exam to study… then maybe I would have done well…”
And finally, and most importantly, we think that exams test our knowledge of what we’re learning…
Huh?
Isn’t that the point of having exams in the first place?
Yes, in an ideal world that would be true. But the reality is, what we’re looking at here is not a test of how much we’ve learned, but instead our ability to PERFORM…
Our ability to apply what we’ve learned to a very specific type of problem that our professors have decided reflects a depth of understanding of the topic that they deem appropriate.
Think of it like this…
Let’s say you’re a car mechanic. You’ve been training for years. You have a garage full of every specialty tool known to man. You can replace suspensions, do brakes, align steering, and you’ve even done full engine rebuilds.
But then one day a friend calls up and you agree to help.
“Should be a quick job,” you tell him.
He has his 2008 BMW X5 towed to your garage, and it won’t start. Even though you know it’s probably battery-related, you’ve never worked on BMW’s before, and spend the first hour just trying to figure out how to get the battery out.
Then you find out there’s some special wrench you don’t have.
The saga continues late into the night. Turns out the battery is okay, but from what you can read online you think there’s something wrong with the CPU. After 24 hours of struggling, you give up, and have it towed to the nearest BMW dealer, where they quickly have the CPU reset, and your friend drives his car off the lot in a matter of minutes.
So what happened here?
Yes, you’re embarrassed, but is it because you’re a crappy mechanic? No, of course not. You’ve got a huge body of knowledge, and had that been any other make or model you were used to, you would have had it back to your friend in a few hours.
The problem was, you didn’t have the specific and practical knowledge necessary to provide the solution that was needed in that particular context.
And this is what happens when we’re faced with exams.
This gap between our knowledge and our ability to apply that knowledge to perform under a very specific set of circumstances is what leads to what I call the…
“I thought I knew it but blanked on the exam” Phenomenon
Somehow we’re fooled into thinking that we know enough to solve exam problems in the absence of our notes and review materials, under pressure, and the result isn’t always what we want it to be…
The “Perform Like An Athlete” Metaphor
That’s great… but how does this help me??
Well, by thinking about exams in this way, we set the stage for developing a more effective strategy for preparing for them.
Think about it for a sec…
What do we usually do to study for exams?
Review our notes.
Go to review sessions.
Do tons and tons of practice problems.
And the more the better right? The more stuff I can cram into my head the better off I’ll be…
But that’s where our mistake lies… Because instead of focusing on a wide breadth of understanding (knowing a little about a lot), we need to focus on depth of understanding (knowing a lot about a little), honing in on a very specific understanding of how to solve problems likely to show up on the exam.
If we can switch our mindset here, we can put in more effective practice that’s going to pay off on game day.
In many ways this is like an athlete preparing for a performance.
There are a million plays that the Patriots could have studied and prepared to run against the Seahawks in last year’s Super Bowl….
But that’s not what they did, because it would have taken time and focus away from the SPECIFIC plays that they determined would be MOST EFFECTIVE against that Seahawks team. By doing this, they were able to invest the large majority of their time in preparing to run those most effective plays well, when it would count the most.
And we should adopt a similar attitude when it comes to preparing for tests.
Ever wonder how some students barely spend any time preparing for exams, and don’t really seem to know that much more than you do, but for whatever reason come away with a 95 when you’re stuck with a 72?
This is why.
They tightly hone in what they think could show up on the exam, and then practice solving those types of problems.
Simple enough to say, but tough to execute.
The Exam Prep Cycle: The 5-step process to making the actual test a mere formality
A big part of overcoming the procrastination involved in studying is breaking it down.
Instead of just writing “STUDY” on the calendar and proceeding to do everything BUT studying, by being specific about exactly what we’re going to do we increase the chances that we’ll actually get started instead of simply getting overwhelmed and continuing to binge-watch Netflix.
When we know what we have to do (i.e. we plan everything out), the “doing” part actually becomes easier. Because instead of this nebulous looming “studying” that we need to do for an exam we’re already nervous about (big time fear of the unknown), which quickly stops us in our tracks with overwhelm, knowing that I have to do X today, and Y tomorrow, in order to get Z result the following day makes the problem we’re facing more cognitively manageable (a. la. The “Goldilocks” Principle).
So that’s what we’ll do here with what I call the Exam Prep Cycle: a systematic 5-step preparation sequence designed to fit nicely within the 1-2 weeks leading up to each of your exams.
It’s the formula for executing on the “Prepare Like An Athlete” principle.
Step 1: Pre-Exam Notes Consolidation and Practice Exams
Timeframe: 6-10 days before the exam
Duration: 2 hours
First, back in this post, I talked about how consistently taking notes on the right things, and consolidating that information on a weekly basis can help set the stage for understanding the concepts you need to when exam time rolls around.
So now is the time to “cash in” and condense all of THAT information down to 1 pre-exam summary sheet. If you can wrap your head around getting all of the information covered over a 4-8 week period onto one sheet of paper, it’s a good bet that that information is nicely and efficiently stored in your memory as well, allowing for quick access during exams.
Don’t worry if you haven’t done this, though. Just a quick organization of your notes should do the job if you haven’t taken advantage of consolidation up until this point…
Next?
Practice Exams.
One of the biggest problems with the way we typically study for exams is that we don’t ACTUALLY STUDY WHAT’S GOING TO BE ON THEM.
Here and here, we covered how to use sites like Koofers.com to pull problems from old exams, and organize your study efforts around solving them. So now we want to use the same methodology to build a collection of problems you suspect could show up on the exam, organized in as similar a format to the actual exam as possible.
For example, let’s say we’re taking a Calc exam on derivatives, and the professor says there will be 3-4 short answer problems and 2 long-answer problems.
So we might find and copy over problems like this:
And this:
From old exams and paste them into a Google doc.
Make sure to find problems with solutions. You’ll need these to go back and check yourself after you take your practice exam.
You’ll need to create at least 2 different practice exams for each Exam Prep Cycle, the first for your initial Exam Rehearsal (see Step 2) and the second for your second rehearsal following your exam study sessions (see Step 4).
And use your detective skills. If the professor drops hints about what might show up during class, or puts specific emphasis on a particular type of problem during lecture or discussion, make sure it include it. It’s your job here to put yourself in your professor’s shoes, and build exams that cover a diverse set of problems you think he or she could reasonably expect you to solve.
Step 2: Exam Rehearsal #1, Evaluation
Timeframe: 5 days before the exam
Duration: 1.5 hours
Just like Tom Brady wants to see the practice squad defense imitate what he’s going to see with the Seahawks defense during the Super Bowl, we want to set ourselves up to experience the actual “game-time” conditions of the exam we’re about to take.
And that’s exactly what Exam Rehearsals are for: study sessions specifically designed to train you to perform at your best under test conditions.
These make each of the following steps you take during “studying” much more targeted than simply “reading through everything,” and “doing practice problems.” After your first Exam Rehearsal, you’ll know EXACTLY what you need to spend your time on next.
So for Exam Rehearsal #1, you’ll use the first of your practice exams to get a “lay of the land.” Here, what we’re doing is getting into test mode, and identifying the gaps in our understanding and problem-solving abilities. We’ll then use this to gauge where we’re at and how much time we need to spend studying before the exam itself.
First set yourself up right.
Like Thomas covers in his 10 Study Tips for Earning an A on Your Next Exam video, you want to simulate the test conditions as much as possible in order to get a realistic assessment of how you might perform during the actual test itself.
Set a timer for the time allotted for the exam and replicate the conditions in the exam room as much as possible.
Once you’ve got the setup correct, take the exam as if you were doing it for a grade. Do the whole thing, start to finish, and don’t take breaks or stop to reference your study materials. You want an honest assessment of your current “test-preparedness” and what things you need to spend your subsequent study sessions on.
Once you’re finished, review and grade yourself. You want to be BRUTALLY HONEST here, and use your best judgment to grade yourself as your professor might. Address each and every small detail, go back and correct your mistakes, and note specific concepts or problems that you need to go back and spend some practice time on during your test prep study time.
This gives you a nice dose of reality a week before the actual exam, eliminating any false illusions you have about what you think you know how to do vs. what you ACTUALLY know.
NOTE: Do NOT obsess about your score here.
If it’s good, GREAT – you’ll have less you need to worry about over the next couple of days.
If it’s bad (like… real bad), GREAT – you’ve just prevented a disaster from happening on the actual exam, and identified exactly what you need to work on before you do take it. So don’t let fear of a bad score stop you from executing this step.
Step 3: Exam-Specific Study Sessions
Timeframe: 2-5 days before the exam
Duration: 2-8 hours depending on confidence level and Exam Rehearsal #1 score
Here’s where that initial rehearsal really pays off: when you actually have to put in the work to study for your exam.
Now like we talked about, studying for an exam usually consists of sporadic marathon-style sessions locked in the library a day or two before the test is given. But during these super-targeted study sessions we’re not “just studying,” but instead putting in a very specific type of practice.
First, block off a few hours of time to solve problems from scratch a. la. Active Recall. This means problem solution only, no notes, no studying beforehand, and just going to town. Active Recall is your secret weapon to deeply entrenching the problem solving steps you’ll need during your exam.
Then, as needed, make time for what I call Reverse Learning. When you hit a sticking point during a practice problem, it usually means that you’re not all that solid on either the problem solving method, or the actual concept itself. This is an indication that you need to go back and dissect a problem solution similar to the one you’re working on. Give yourself a private Q&A session until you understand what’s going on. Then you can jump back into Active Recall mode and really solidify what you just clarified for yourself.
For both of these types of study sessions, use the problem types you identified for additional work during Step 2 to practice during these sessions. You know from your first Exam Rehearsal what areas you’re weak in, so we want to focus here first.
Then, you’ll also want to hit some additional problems that may not have shown up on your first practice exam, but you expect are likely to be on the exam and/or be especially challenging.
By the time you’ve finished this step, you’ll have covered the big gaps in your knowledge and improved on your weak areas, and should be ready for…
Step 4: Exam Rehearsal #2, Getting Comfortable
Timeframe: 2 days before the exam
Duration: 1.5 hours
This one (if you’ve done your work correctly up until this point) should be more a confidence-booster than anything else. Here our focus should be on getting familiar with the exam so that it’s like a “familiar old friend“.
We’re getting comfortable in the test environment and we’re solidifying our test strategy. This is where we take all the work that we did over the past couple of days and put it to the test.
Exam Rehearsal #2 should happen a couple days before the actual exam, just in case it doesn’t go well. That way, instead of freaking out and staying up all night panicking when you’re still getting half of the problems wrong, you’ll have some extra time the day before to tune up whichever areas you’re still struggling with.
Focus on not only taking the exam, but doing so intelligently. This is the perfect time to practice your test strategy (if you have one), and get as comfortable as possible with the test format.
Step 5: Quick Refresh and Pre-Exam Mental Rehearsal
Timeframe: day before the exam
Duration: 1 hour
Ah yes, the day before… The exam is right around the corner, and if you’ve followed this process you now have the luxury of doing some light refreshing of the material, while at the same time getting yourself mentally prepared for the test tomorrow – all while your classmates freak out, pound Red Bull, and try to absorb information from the textbook by way of forehead contact…
Here, all we’re doing is a little bit of light Active Recall, just to keep yourself fresh with the material. Just do a quick refresher here, so that the information you’ll need to use is at the tip of your tongue.
Also, if you can, take advantage of visualization (back to our athletics metaphor) to “see” yourself working through potential challenges and obstacles you might encounter during the test, and ultimately coming out successful.
Now, with this visualization, it’s not enough to just think happy thoughts. It’s not like we’re saying, “Oh, just imagine yourself doing well on the exam and then you’re going to do well.” Instead, it’s about using this mental rehearsal to prepare yourself for every conceivable scenario, and work out what the next steps will be once you hit that obstacle in your head before you actually get to the exam itself… Because as we all know, it’s rarely the case where you get to the exam and everything goes perfectly.
When doing this, you want to go through a sequence of different situations that you could imagine happening:
Completely blanking on a problem
Making a mistake halfway through a page-long solution and trying to back-track to fix it
Forgetting your calculator or equations sheet
etc.
This mental preparation will help to calm any test anxiety you’re carrying with you, and get you as ready as possible to perform at your best when it counts.
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Social Media Political Derangement Syndrome
Every four years we have to suffer through a Presidential campaign, but in the era of social media the agony has truly been heightened to an almost unbearable level. Not only do we have to listen to candidates and pundits, now we have to bear our (supposed) friends sharing their own, often wharped, views about the various candidates and their supporters. I have to admit I kind of snapped this morning and wrote this on Facebook:
An interpretation of modern American politics based on extensive reading of my friends' Facebook and Twitter posts – in four paragraphs:
Teach a Republican to fish and he hires all the non-union fishermen, pays them minimum wage, decimates the fishery, ships the entire catch to the Cayman Islands and has them stored in a secret freezer. He keeps a small portion in the states to live off of day-to-day and pays capital gains on it. Fires all the fishermen and figures out a way to get more fish in China. Blame the lack of fish in American waters on the Godless Democrats' turning us into a non-Christian nation and hope that no one has actually read the Bill of Rights.
Teach a Democrat to fish and he establishes a Department of Fishing, writes 3,425 pages of regulations, hires all the fishermen, pays them so-so wages but gives them killer pensions, accidentally decimates the fishery and taxes the cattlemen to help pay for the clean up. When they get mad he starts talking about rising tides lifting all boats, but gets distracted and starts blaming the Republicans for global warming.
The Green Party candidate doesn't eat fish so he fries up some tofu and calls the Democrat and Republican mean names.
Admittedly it's not very witty, nor very inciteful, but it made me feel better. Sure, I could turn off social media, but then I'd lose out on this unprecedented opportunity to learn exactly how wharped many of my "friends" are.
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[Page 311]
Chaim Berman,The Community Leader and Folkist
by Levi Resnick, Bogata
It was the last Sunday in the month of March, 1941. The time was 11:30 and the Kovno–Moscow express pulled into the Vilna station. We had almost a half–hour, so we went out of our sleeping car to look, maybe for the last time, at “Jerusalem” of Lithuania (as Vilna was fondly called by Jews).
Be Well
And there was much to see! Not far from the tracks waited Herman Kruck, Chaim Yaakov Bjustovski, Israel Raban, Paulina Prelutzki and others, whose names I no longer remember. They had all come to bid farewell to the group of Jewish journalists and writers who had the good fortune to leave Lithuania, the 13th Soviet Socialist Republic. The “farewell” was a sad one, with tears which appeared involuntarily on everyone's cheeks. Each one of us thought: “Who knows if we're not seeing each other for the last time?” Because, as we mentioned at the time, our group was permitted by the Soviets to leave their territory for effective dollars that were paid for us in America.
At a distance from the group, standing all alone, due to fear, it seems, of being identified with counter–revolutionaries, was Noah Prelutzki – may God avenge his blood. He who loved companionship, avoided us because at the time, he was the head of the Yiddish Language Department at Vilna University. All of his life he had hoped and striven for this opportunity, which was so dear to him and for which he was willing to sacrifice his life. The Jewish Communists knew of this weakness of his and as soon as Lithuania became the 13th Republic they offered him the position which he couldn't decline. So he stood at a distance, his head buried in the collar of his coat, and his eyes filled with tears. Maybe he already regretted his decision? Who knows? He was certainly a sacrifice to the dear mother tongue – Yiddish! It didn't take long! Three months later on June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany attacked Russia and all of our colleagues, who didn't have the good fortune to leave, were, together with all of Vilna's Jews, subjected to a martyr's death. We honor their memory!
Noah Prelutzki and Chaim Berman
I remember, as if it were today, during my visit to Kozienice in 1937, that I met Chaim Berman by accident. In fact, it wasn't an accident. I was invited to dine with him. I was already acquainted with his “credo”. Although I was a Zionist, his personality impressed me due to his enthusiasm and down to earth attitude, about which, we will write later.
[Page 312]
When I returned from Kozienice to Warsaw, I told Noah Prelutzki of my impressions of my trip to Kozienice, and especially about his fellow party member, Chaim Berman. I remember it as if it was today, that the conversation about Chaim lasted several hours. He praised his “disciple” as he called Chaim, and to me he said: “You're really a capable member of the Poale–Zion movement and party, but since you've been in Chaim's home, You're worth something, as far as I'm concerned!”
Kozienice's Folks–Party Members
The Jewish Folks–Party was founded in Russia in 1906 by Professors Simon Dubnow, Yefroikin and Kreinin. The party platform stated that since Jews are spread among the nations, and will remain in those countries, which are not to be considered exile, but homelands, they will increase and obtain national, cultural and community autonomy, consisting of communal unity, with their own languages and schools.
The Folks–Party in Poland in 1916 had grown under the leadership of H. D. Nomberg, Noah Prilutzki, Shmuel Hirschhorn, Leo Finklestein and others. The Party proclaimed Yiddish as the national language. It established Yiddish schools, participated in the political life, was successful in some elections to the Polish parliament, and city councils, and published their own organ, “Dos Folk” (the People). Since 1926 the party was splintered and lost its influence among Jews. There were various reasons for this decline. Even though the Folks–Party lost its former influence among Jews, Kozienice remained perhaps the only remaining stronghold of the Party. This was thanks to Chaim Berman, who tried until the last moment of his life, to keep the contact between the Party and the handworkers of Kozienice, thanks to the encouragement of his mentor, Noah Prilutzky.
Not only the Folks–Party was active in Kozienice, but also other parties, with which our Jewish lives in Poland were blessed: Zionists with their leaders, Yosef Lichtenstein, Motl Goldstein and others. The “Bund” had a group of activists, with Jonah Weinberg and others. At the head of the Poale–Zion stood Shmuel Sharber. There was also a large group of Agudas Yisroel. But the Folks–Party had the largest number of members, maybe because the majority of workingmen were shoemakers, who belonged to the Party. The success of the Party was mainly due to Chaim Berman.
The Secret of Chaim's Success
We often write disparagingly of the Jewish Shtetl. We would make fun of the little town, but the truth is that Jewish life in the small communities was different from life in the big city, and not only statistically. Fewer Jews lived in these towns, but this was an advantage since in the big city people did not know each other, whereas to the shtetl everyone knew everyone else, and could even trace their ancestry way back. The quality of life was different. Parents could feel secure believing that their children were safe under the protection of the Kozienicer Maggid.
[Page 313]
One had to have tact and community experience to deal with the mass of handworkers, who were far from the religious influence which blew from the Maggid's street. Chaim's success enabled him to stand for many years at the head of the Folks–Party, and fill other and different positions. The fact that he had had to go to work at a young age enabled him to accomplish this. He had also attended the Yeshiva at Lodz for a few years where he ate each day in different homes. Also his work as a photographer there helped him a great deal in his later dealings with people of all sorts. A good photographer can set his camera for just the right moment, when the person who is being photographed, changes his appearance. This means that even though he's a bitter person, with a sour outlook all his life, he must smile and appear as a pleasant and often lovable person to others in his photograph.
If the photographer is not able to improve the character of the sour face, there is another solution, retouch the photograph. Lines of mouth and lips can be arranged to make it seem that the subject is smiling. In other words, photography means that a photographer can be God's partner so that the person photographed will truly be in the image of God.
What was Chaim's greatness, that he was able to hold on to, for 20 years, the same community posts? We all know of the insults and criticism that is heaped upon community leaders. How could he hold on to these political posts, in spite of opposition from within his own party, the Zionists, the Agudah, and the Bund, how was he able to overcome his political opponents? Let us leave the questions for a while and give some biographical details about him, which will clarify and answer to the questions.
His Youth
He was born in Kozienice to Kalman and Sara–Malka (his father was called Kalman Toibes). At home there were three other brothers and a sister. His father was a photographer. They were fairly well–off. He went to Heder and learned in the House of Study till his Bar Mitzvah. He then left home for the Lomzer Yeshiva, where he learned for a few years, ate “days” (every day somewhere else) just like other Yeshiva boys. There he got the urge to leave and go out to the wide world to see how the other half lived. He was very capable with a good head and an excellent memory. He remembered everything he read in Peretz, Mendele and Sholom Aleichem. From their heroes he learned about the poor masses of workers.
In Lodz
Chaim ran away from the Lomzer Yeshiva to the industrial city of Lodz, where there were many workers. There he learned his father's profession, photography. He also learned of the oppression of the Jewish worker, who wasn't admitted into the large factories, but had to go to small factory owners who exploited them, not merely for the sake of exploitation, but because the small owners themselves barely made a living.
[Page 314]
With his keen sense of observation, Chaim saw how on Friday afternoons, there would be a rush to bring the finished woven goods to the Jewish factory owners, and to receive from them the raw materials for the next week's work. They would also be paid so that they in their turn could pay the shopkeepers, butchers and coal–mongers in order to renew their credit for the following week.
Chaim saw in Lodz, which was ripe with new ideas, the need and enslavement of the handworkers. They worked from dawn to late at night. Their homes consisted of one large room which served as living room, kitchen, bedroom and workroom. He saw that even on the Sabbath they were so tired that they couldn't catch their breath. He also saw that the sackmakers and bootmakers, the most widespread Jewish occupations, in the large industrial city (Lodz) did not live any better or more comfortably. Handworkers needed work–cards, which they had difficulty getting because of language difficulties and a lack of proper education.
Chaim wandered through the streets, and saw the poverty which reigned everywhere. He heard the sigh of the masses, and saw how children begged for bread, which could not be given, even though their fathers worked 20 hours a day. His heart ached especially because these workers could not get into the large factories only because they were Jews. After a few years of work in Lodz, during which he thoroughly mastered photography, he went to Warsaw, where he practiced for two years, and then returned to Kozienice.
But this wasn't the same Chaim, who had left to learn in the Lomzer Yeshiva. He was entirely different; not only his clothing, but his ideas and ideals. He was determined to improve the lot of the Jewish handworkers, and obtain for them the same rights which their neighbors, the gentiles have.
Chaim Berman and His Handworkers
When he arrived he found a broad field to work in. Yisroel Domb, Motl Goldstein and others had formed a group which they called “Brotherly Love.” The aim of the group was cultural. They would gather every evening, discuss a specific topic, discuss and read a Yiddish book.
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They also had a Torah Scroll so they could pray together on the Sabbath. Every Sabbath our friend, Itshe Nashelsker taught Bible. This went on for a while, Chaim became interested in the group, but he was interested in political activity as well as culture. Two things happened which hastened the establishment of the Folks–Party. First, Chaim was thrown out of the Study House. When he came to pray and already had his phylacteries on, he was pelted with towels as a protest against his having discarded the long coat and traditional Jewish headgear. Also the group “Brotherly Love” did not have any better luck. Avraham Chaim Freilich went into the group's meeting place, and together with the beadle of the synagogue, took back the Torah Scroll. That put an end to the group. Chaim Roth organized a group which included Yisroel David Domb, Yitzhak Potachnik, Melech Avenshtern, Shmuel Ziterman and others. He invited Noah Prilutzky to come to Kozienice, and the Folks–Party was founded in collaboration with the Handworkers Organization. First he organized the shoe workers, who were the majority in Kozienice.
The leaders of the Handworkers were, besides Chaim Berman, Yitzhak Eliyahu Korman, Isaachar Lederman, Itshe Kestenberg, Yaakov David Kestenberg and others. Chaim devoted himself completely to the work. He ran and intervened for the benefit of different handworkers. He was all over, yelling, doing and helping. When the government closed down the local branch of the Party, they came running to Chaim and he in turn called upon Noah and together they would get the local branch reopened.
Chaim was not only the leader of the Folks–Party, but he was also chosen as Elderman in the city council, and inspector in the community (for a given time he was also presiding officer). As is known, an alderman was paid for his work. Chaim donated this money for the upkeep of his institutions. He also conducted literary readings on literature and politics. He established a dramatic circle group which presented The Dybbuk, The Slaughter, The Kreutzer Sonata and other presentations.
From Where Did Chaim Get His Strength
As we see, he had the energy to hold a number of positions that were not similar, but demanded different approaches. He also had his own family that he had to support. Where did he get the resources to do all this? Where did he get the spiritual strength in one and the same evening to deal with entirely different themes? In the Folks–Party, with the handworkers, to deal with economic matters relating to raw materials for making shoes; and later to run to his drama circle to direct the productions, or to stand up himself and do an entire role from memory? His knowledge came from the Kozienicer House of Study together with the Hasidic enthusiasm of Kotzk, Ger, Sochachev, Aleksander and Modzhitz, and from the dry misnagdim (opposed to Hasidism) but extremely sharp methodology of the lomzer Yeshiva. Both of these methodologies influenced Chaim's approach to his party work and to economic and cultural matters.
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With Hasidic enthusiasm, but with the cold logic of a Litvak he analyzed everything that there was to see and to learn in a city like Lodz in those days. In Lodz he witnessed the founding of the two religious workers parties, the Hapoel Hamizrachi and the Poale Agudas Yisroel. Who can forget how they were ridiculed, “new workers with their tephillin bags under their arms!”
Today it is quite normal to see a scholar from the Etz Chaim Yeshiva in Jerusalem, who is also a tank commander in the Israeli army, but in those days it created quite a stir. It caused many tragedies when the student son–in–law left his father–in–law to go out to make a living on his own. Bundists and Poale Zion members would sneer at the new proletarians with beards and sidelocks.
Chaim observed this odd occurrence on the Jewish street. He ran to every gathering of the old parties and also of the new ones. He heard all the speakers: Yisroel Lichtenstein of the Bund; Leizer Levine of the Poale Zion; Moshe Limon of the Zionists; Avraham Levinson of the Hitachdut and also Yitzhak Rivkind and Yitzhak Piltz of Hapoel Hamizrachi and certainly Benjamin Mintz, A. G. Fridenson and David Zilberstein of Poale Agudas Yisroel. These were divinely inspired orators, who filled auditoriums with listeners, who swallowed each word and thought. He himself learned in Lodz, not only how to be an orator but also the method of how to conduct himself on stage, modulate his voice, how to gesture and basically how to win over an audience. And he also learned the theater in Lodz.
Lodz had not only the nicest theater building in all Poland on Constantine Street, but also the greatest actors performed there. The critics who wrote at the time included Dr. Mokdoni, Isaiah Unger, Moshe Broderson, Zalman Zylbertzveig, and the poet Yitzhak Katzenelson. Choruses were conducted by Glatstein. From there stems Chaim's later triumphs in Kozienice as a speaker, political activist, and disseminater of culture. To hold on to, for so many years, to so many communal positions one needed an iron will and steel patience.
Chaim Was Never Tired
Chaim was the typical activist, who never liked to rest on his laurels. He was never tired when he had to deal with intervening on behalf of a fellow Jew. He was always ready to run, to oppose an edict, and there were plenty of edicts in Poland. The authorities always had edicts in their arsenal which gave them the right to close down a workers club. Chaim did not tire of running from one official to another in order to nullify one edict after another. In the final years when the antisemitism reached its height and got worse from day to day, it was impossible for Jewish leaders to breathe. Jewish representatives in government positions found the antisemitism endemic. In the small towns it was even worse than in the bigger cities. In the cities there was at least a Jewish senator or deputy, who was able to try to nullify an edict.
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In a small town like ours only Chaim could do it. He had to be aggressive and display “Chutzpah” in order to accomplish anything. Even the biggest antisemites would listen to him in the council room. He did not try to please the gentiles in his speeches, but sought to present the Jewish case. He was also very modest. He would not talk down to people, but tried to lift them to their level. His Jewish knowledge was well rounded, well thought out and presented. He did not speak from the top of his head and his thoughts were well prepared. In this way Chaim led his handworkers for many years. He advised them to be not only capable workers, but also proud Jews, who are not afraid of every goy. The Kozienice shoemakers, not only knew their trade well, but they could read books, be involved with world politics and know what was going on in the Jewish world. Chaim's language was humane without frills. He spoke right to the matter at hand, calling a spade a spade. He learned this directness from his teacher, Noah Prilutzky. He wasn't afraid to grab the bull by the horns, to see the great danger that is facing the handworkers. He was successful more than once in postponing the carrying out of some order that would have harmed the handworkers.
Chaim Loved the Individual as Well as the Community
It made no difference to him if he had to run for an individual or a group. He always possessed a few new thoughts which would prove to the goy that he was wrong. And the goyim had an unusual respect for Chaim. For him they had open ears. They didn't consider him the typical Jew, but a proud Jew, who speaks their language, with a pure accent, and giving them the feeling that he is speaking to equals. This approach caused a favorable response on the part of the officials involved. One could not refuse Chaim. The goyim respected him. They knew that when he intervenes, it is not on his own interest, but for the community, and therefore they also loved him. They knew that before them stands a Jew of stature who is worthwhile listening to. They knew that they couldn't get rid of him with a simple response. They must hear him out and grant his request, and if not, he would unleash his entire arsenal of words in the city council. They also knew that it wasn't advisable to be his enemy, but much better to be his friend, and not bother the Jews whose cause he was defending.
September 1, 1939
This is how it was until September 1, 1939, a Friday morning, when the radio announced that the German armies had crossed the Polish border. There was confusion in the town. People fled from their homes into the streets and back not knowing what to do.
The shoemakers worked all week and on Friday they would finish quickly, so they could run to the bakery of Yisroel Yitzhak Frisch to buy a large “tacks” cake. (It was a simple butter cake but was so called because the money for the cake came from banging tacks into shoes). Whoever banged faster earned more, and could therefore buy a bigger cake. The children counted the days until Friday, awaiting father's coming home with the cake. This Friday the shoemakers forgot to buy the cake, and the children, although they knew what war means, instinctively felt that today is different and it's pointless to await father's coming with the cake.
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Without Chaim
Chaim's house was filled with people. They came to ask advice, and what to do. All had forgotten that there was no point to asking because Chaim was no longer the former Chaim Berman. He no longer had a say. His good friends, the goyim, hearing the German military march, understood that it would be better not to befriend the Jews, and even though it wasn't said openly, it would be better to put some distance between themselves and the Jews. The Poles learned Hitler's hatred of Jews very well. Till now it had been hidden, since we were after all neighbors for so many years, and weren't there advantages for them, such as borrowing money, etc. But now with the German armies marching so quickly on Polish soil, and the Polish army retreating, it wouldn't be long before they'd be in Kozienice.
Chaim made out as if he didn't see the change in his good goyish friends. He knew what was happening. He began to liquidate papers, lists of names of activists, in order to eliminate any sign of those who had cooperated with him. He knew well that there was no place to run. As a folkist he would be just as unwelcome among the Russians as among the Nazis. He decided to place his life and that of his family in the hands of fate. What will be will be!
The Nazis, may their name be obliterated, quickly began to persecute Jews. They were helped in this by the former “good goyim”, who were not only neighbors, but could even speak a good Yiddish. The goyim knew exactly what each Jew had, how much money, how much merchandise, and if someone had hidden something, they the “dear neighbors”, knew exactly where it was. Previously they had spoken nicely, but each one of them had made the reckoning of how much he would get, if this or that Jew had to flee or was driven out by the Nazis.
Chaim No Longer Intervened
He engaged in his profession. He realized that if he intervened, he would willingly or unwillingly, be drawn into the Judenrat. And the new “leaders”, when they came to ask his advice, he had one answer for them, “I am no longer Chaim Berman. I know nothing, and don't want to know about anything.” Since he knew that he was the best photographer in town, he hoped that in some way this would help him survive this evil time. “I want”, he would answer, “to keep my good name. Whatever happens, I won't change my mind.” He didn't change his mind, and turned everyone away. They begged him not to be stubborn and to help lead in the conduct of Jewish life. Also the Nazis wanted him to assume the leadership of the Judenrat, but he managed to avoid them. His being such a good photographer helped him do this. They came to him for photos which they would send home to their wives and brides in Germany.
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Chaim really thought that he could survive the evil times. Other Jews thought the same. I must note that at the beginning, as long as the town was occupied by the regular German army, Jews were able to breathe. At least there was hope for survival. Even the biggest pessimist could not predict what was to come. It wasn't long before the Gestapo arrived in town. They spread out over the whole town like a pestilence, and every day there were new decrees. We Jews felt it. There was talk of sending Jews to work camps. In every home people began to pack up their belongings. Everyone looked for his best goyish neighbor in order to give him things to keep until this was over. I need not mention what eventually happened to these things. We all know! Day by day things got worse. They began to send Jews to work camps. Among them were Chaim, his wife Ghana, and their two sons, Amos and David. They were sent to Volanov. They managed to stay together until the end of 1941, when Chana and David were shot by the beasts. It's not difficult to imagine what Chaim went through. He also wanted to be shot, but the murderers didn't want to do him that “favor”. He remained in the camp together with his son, Amos.
Death in the Cellar
Afterwards, his brother Zelick, who had hidden himself in the cellar of a Christian, sent false papers with someone in order to smuggle Chaim and his son out of the camp. The person came back, but without Chaim. Afterwards, Zelick once again sent a Christian woman, who succeeded in smuggling out Chaim and his son. They were hidden in the same cellar.
In the early months of 1942, Chaim became ill with typhus. Conditions in the cellar weren't sanitary. There weren't any medicines to relieve Chaim, who suffered. Chaim's screams were so piercing that the goy, who's basement it was;chased Zelick and Amos up into his house. What he did to Chaim has remained a secret, which Chaim carried to his grave. When Zelick and Amos returned to the cellar, they no longer heard Chaim's screams for he was dead. His brother and son wrapped his body in a sheet, dug a grave in the basement and buried him there. Later Zelick got sick with typhus, and lay on the grave of his brother until he was smuggled out of the cellar. Amos went to Warsaw. He wanted to reach acquaintances, but he was recognized by goyim, who turned him over to Germans, who shot him.
Burial on the Kozienice Cemetary
In the latter half of 1945 the war was over. A few Kozienice Jews returned from the camps. They asked about everyone and discovered that Chaim was buried in the cellar. They exhumed the body. They included Hese Honickstock, of blessed memory, who died in Rio De Janeiro, Paula Luxemburg, Balvina Kohn, Mindele Domb, Gershon Borenstein, Yehudit and Sarah Hershenhorn, and others. The corpse was brought to the cemetery, of which no sign remained. They dug a grave and buried the one who gave so much of his life to the benefit of Kozienice.
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The Prophet Amos
Having been in Chaim Berman's home, the writer of these lines heard how Chaim named his son for the prophet Amos. I wondered how come a Jew, a Folkist like Chaim, was naming his first–born for one of the twelve minor prophets, Amos, and Chaim replied: “It was not a capricious act.” Since my days in Yeshiva, Amos' simple words of rebuke from a shepherd's mouth ring in my ears. He was not an aristocrat, but a simple person, like my Jews, the handworkers. I gave my oldest son his name hoping that in his life he will symbolize the personality of the prophet Amos. Let us here say, in memory of Chaim Berman, who esteemed Amos, that the prophet criticized the rich for their treatment of the poor. He prophesied the earthquake and the destruction of the kingdom of Israel. Only at the end of his book do we find his words of redemption: Behold the days are coming when the ploughman overtakes the reaper – when the hills are aflow with the juice of grapes – and I will bring about the restoration of my people Israel. Chaim, may God avenge his blood, more than once warned the Polish city fathers that a day would come when they would be punished for their previous crimes against Jews.
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The Korman and Shpiegel Families
by Feige Gunik, Kiryat Chaim
At 27 Bzhuska Street stood a beautiful house, built of red brick. The house was divided into two equal parts with a few steps. The house was built before the war by two brothers–in–law: Yitzhak Eli Korman and Yisroel Shpiegel. Both had shoe making establishments. They were well–off and conducted themselves as observant and upright Jews. Both engaged in community tasks, and were members of the directorate of the Handworkers Org., and were also members of the Folks–Party. Yitzhak Eli Korman was also elected to the city council as the representative of the Handworkers Org.
The two families lived together peacefully. Yisroel Shpiegel's family consisted of six people: Yisroel, Gitele, his wife, and four children. The Korman family also consisted of six people: Yitzhak, his wife, Altele and four children. The Shpiegel children studied in the Folkshul. Their son, Arele, studied medicine and married Shifra Kohn. The children of the Korman family also studied. The oldest, Z'ev (Velvel), finished Gymnasia (High School), and moved to his uncle, Yisroelke Korman, in Columbia. When the war broke out, both families became impoverished. Their finished shoes and leather were confiscated. Now the two had to work for others, but even then they still gave to others, who were poorer, as much as they were able to.
Dr. Arele Shpiegel and his wife Shifra died while working in a hospital in Russia. The other members of the family died in Treblinka. Only a daughter, Felly Shpiegel, who was married to David Goldman, remained alive. They live in Brussels, Belgium.
The Korman family also perished in Treblinka. Only Wolf Korman, who lives in Columbia, remained alive, and Yisraelik Korman in New York, and Avraham Korman, the youngest, in Paris.
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Chaim Yehiel Bornstein, The Writer
by Issachar Lederman, Rio De Janeiro
In the gallery of personalities of Nachum Sokolow, we find a note about our fellow townsman, Chaim Yehiel Bornstein, the Hebrew author and chronologer, who was unique in his generation. He was born in Kozienice in 1845. His mother was from Warsaw, an enlightened woman of a fine family. She was widowed at an early age. When he was quite young his teachers said that he would grow up to be a genius and a great man.
He studied in the House of Study in town. At age 13 he was knowledgeable in Talmud and its commentaries; immersed himself in astronomy, and studied foreign languages. At age 18 he married a Hasidic girl from Mogilnitz. His father–in–law said that he had been deceived because he took a rabbi for a son–in–law, and ended up with an accountant.
Chaim Yehiel returned to Kozienice and worked as a bookkeeper in a sugar factory which belonged to the wealthy Bornstein in the village of Menishev. His mother who helped in his development, wanted him to go to Warsaw, but he loved the quiet place where he could study in peace. From time to time his mother came to visit. She had two other sons there, Asher and Shmelke, who were in the liquor business. They had two active families who were involved in all aspects of Jewish life. His mother was the first woman in town to wear a wig that was decorated with her own hair. It's to be understood that this was frowned upon by the other mothers. He lost his job in Menishev and went to Warsaw, where he made the acquaintance of the great scholar, Ch. Z. Slonimsky.
Nachum Sokolow relates that the young Hasid from Kozienice was more expert in ancient Alexandrian tablets from Egypt, than Slonimsky, the scholar and mathematician, who enriched our literature with the treasures of his wisdom. Chaim Yehiel was the secretary of the Tlomatzke Synagogue in Warsaw. He occupied himself, especially with the chronology of the Jewish calendar. His heart was open for all sorts of problems and his soul was tied to his people and its culture.
From his prolific works, the best known are: The Debate Between R'Saadiah Gaon and Ben Meir.
The Development of Chronology in Israel, and Dates in Israel
He also translated Shekspirs Hamlet into Hebrew. His books and translations made an impression on Hebrew literature. Nachum Sokolow wrote an article about Bornstein's life and accomplishments in the 1927 issue of the annual “Hatekufah”. In old age he became blind, and his wife and children died while he was still alive. He continued creating and dictated to his secretary who entered it into the record book of the synagogue and submitted it for publication in “Hatekufah”. We Honor His Memory!
In 1906 a group of Kozienice's young men, who learned in the Study House, founded in Yitzhak Krishpels' house a library and a Drama Circle!?
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Issachar Lederman 70 Years Old
by Dr. M. Nisker, Rio De Janeiro
Who of us doesn't know Issachar Lederman! We see him everywhere where Yiddishkeit lives. We hear him everywhere where a Jewish problem arrives. Thousands of Jews heard his lectures on Jewish writers and poets, or about Jewish martyrdom. Also the Jewish community leaders in Sao Paulo, Bella Horizonta, Curitiva, Porto Alegre and other places know our Issachar. Not once did he appear on their lecture platforms spreading Jewish culture successfully. On the occasion of his 70th birthday 1 want to tell about his communal activities in the old home, Kozienice, where he was born in 1890, in a poor but proper home.
His father, a shoemaker, tried to give his son a religious upbringing, and while he was still young, sent him away to the Makover Yeshiva, where, in a period of two years he absorbed Jewish tradition and Talmudic knowledge. The young man strived for other things. He quickly became the secretary of the Handworkers Org. and in 1918 he took part in the first Polish Handworkers Convention. As a member of the Ortiker Community, he was a candidate for the city council. He took part in all the conferences of the Folks–Party in Poland, as chairman of the party in his birthplace.
In Rio De Janeiro
Due to well known reasons, Issachar was among the emigrants, who, after WWI looked for new homes. He brought his cultural baggage to Brazil. In his new home in Rio, during the first few months, he became an active communal worker. He was chosen as chairman of the Y. L. Peretz Club, a position he held responsibly until 1930, when the Club disbanded. Later he was chosen for the Executive of the Farband of Polish Jews, which was founded to replace the Peretz Club. Thanks to his worker background and social and national consciousness, our friend understood how to build up organized Jewish life wherever he lived, so that new Jewish immigrants would have a place to go for communal and cultural activities.
His Activity in Leopoldine
He was one of the most active communal workers in the suburb. In that neighborhood of Rio he was co–founder of the Library, which took the name of Simon Dubnow, because Issachar was one of his most ardent admirers. He got a letter from the great historian, thanking him for the honor. The letter has been kept to this day in the archives. In 1937 and 1938, when reactionary winds blew in our land, our friend Lederman did not get frightened but stood ready to defend the synagogue which was the center of our suburb. In 194–5, he joined the more progressive elements, where he found his proper place.
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After long years of activity in the suburb, where he was chairman, and to this day honorary chairman, he joined the “Ikuf”, where he is to this day on the executive board of the Central Committee. Tens of times he has represented the Institution. Besides Ikuf, you can meet him in the Sholom Aleichem Library, where he is vice–chairman of the Board. He is Secretary of the Board in the Farband of Polish Jews. He is an active co–editor of the beautiful and traditional publication “The Polish Jew”, where he is represented by a weekly column. His fellow townsmen chose him as Chairman of the Association of Kozienice Jews in Rio.
Lederman at 70
This communal worker, who can be found everywhere, turned 70 in November, 1960. It was mentioned in the columns of the newspaper “Unzer Shtime” (Our Voice), the only progressive Yiddish periodical in Brazil, where Lederman works since the early years of its founding and is represented in it by more than 170 different articles. In his articles which contain both Jewish and progressive themes, he urges a new lifestyle, which will bring contentment not only to Jews but to all nations in the world. He calls for world peace, which would also guarantee peace on Israel's borders. With pen and words this “young” 70 year old fights for ideals with youthful pathos to achieve his mission in life. It is difficult to list everything that he has accomplished in progressive circles. We hope that his inexhaustible spirit will continue to help us build Jewish community life in Brazil for many years to come.
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My Mother Devorah Blotman of Blessed Memory
by Itshe Blotman, Paris
I remember when my father died. My mother had a nice gravestone set up for him. For you mother we cannot set up a gravestone, to our great sorrow we do not know where your grave is. I remember Friday at noon, you would begin to prepare for Shabbat. How you prepared the white tablecloth, and set the brass candlesticks. Before the sun set, you would light the candles, circling them with your white hands and saying the blessing. When father came from the Study House and made Kiddush (the benediction over the wine) you listened religiously and said Amen.
I remember Shabbat morning when I would carry your special prayer book for you because on the Sabbath it was forbidden to carry on the street. I remember the afternoon, when father would lie down to rest and you would read the weekly Torah portion from the Tzena Urena, the special Yiddish version of the Five Books of Moses for women. When the sun started to set you would escort the Holy Sabbath with the special farewell prayer “God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob”. I remember when Shabbat ended, after the Melave Malka (escorting the Sabbath bride), you immediately began to worry about your children and grandchildren. You, mother, knew that we your children were not observant, but you never punished us for that. Never was a bad word said with you, because your good mother's heart and virtuous modesty would not let you cause your children grief. I remember how a few days before my Aiiya to Eretz Yisrael, you were depressed you had other children, but each one was dear to you as if he was an only child. Your consolation was that I was going to the land of your dreams. Every Friday, before candle lighting you would throw in a few groshen into the coin box of R' Meir Baal Hanes and say that the money is for Eretz Yisrael, the land of our forefathers. I remember how you accompanied me to the train. It was a gray, rainy day, and in my heart I felt your grief and sadness. You embraced me, kissed me and cried.
Although many years have passed since then, I can still see the tears in your eyes. Your memory, mother, is holy to us. Your charitable deeds and righteousness will remain in our memories forever.
Some Biographical Highlights About Franz Kreitzberg
He is the Painter, who on the “Bienal” in Sao Paulo, was honored as the best Brazilian painter. Franz (Ephraim) Kreitzberg was born in Kozienice in 1921 to poor parents. His father was a shoemaker. He studied in Heder, just like all Jewish children in he small towns. His parents couldn't give him any better education, so at age 12 they sent him away to an uncle in Tschenstochov. There he finished a folkshule and learned how to paint landscapes, portraits, figures and animals.
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In 1939, when Hitler invaded Poland, Franz fled to the Soviet Union, where he arrived at the Leningrad Academy and studied painting there. In 194–1, when Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, Franz enlisted in the Red Army and marched from Stalingrad to Berlin. After the war he continued his studies in Germany with the great artist, Boimeister. In 1949 he came to Brazil. For a few months he lived in Rio. For various reasons, he couldn't establish himself and lived in great poverty and almost starved. The Farband of Polish Jews bought his first painting for 5,000 Cruzeros. It was called “The Ghetto is Burning” and portrayed Mordecai Anilewitz. The painting is displayed annually at the ghetto memorial. He then lectured to the writer's circle of the Ikuf on the topic; Expressionism and Abstractionism, which was well attended.
In 1951 he went to Sao Paulo. Also there he wasn't helped much by the Jewish community. He had a few exhibits in the Folk House and other locations, but the community failed to understand his painting. For a while he worked as a designer for the Klabin firm, but the work was not satisfying. He wanted to gain entrance into the Brazilian artists family. With struggle, work and after great effort he reached his goal. Four of his paintings appeared in Sao Paulo's “Bienal”. An international jury acknowledged him as the best painter in Brazil and he got first prize, consisting of 100,000 Cruzeros. Kreitzberg was greeted by the President of Brazil, His Excellency Zuselina Kubitchek, and other exalted personalities. His picture and reproductions of his paintings continue to appear in Brazilian newspapers and journals. He is praised by the greatest critics. His paintings have been sold for very high prices. It is an honor for the entire Jewish community in Brazil and for his fellow Kozienice townsmen.
Organization of Kozienice Rio – Sao Paulo We Greet Our Fellow Townsman Franz Kreitzberg
We greet our fellow townsman, Franz (Ephraim) Kreitzberg on the great success in his career as painter which came on the occasion of his exhibit at the International Exhibition in Sao Paulo (Bienal), where he received first prize as the best painter in Brazil. We wish him even greater successes in his career.
The Board
Fires in Kozienice
In 1778 – The synagogue, House of Study the Rabbi's house and other Jewish homes burned.
In 1782 – All of Kozienice burned.
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Kozienice Personalities and Figures
by Issachar Lederman, Rio De Janeiro
When we record for eternity in our Yizkor book everything and everyone that existed and lived in Kozienice, then there appear before my eyes our homely folk–Jews who memorialized themselves forever with their good deeds in our wretched life. I want to mention a few interesting personalities of our town, and may words serve as a memorial stone for generations to come.
R' Yeshayahu Shabason
A beautiful Jew, distinguished looking, with a white beard. He was always spotlessly dressed. He made his living from a pub on Radomer Street. He saved hundreds of children from an illness which was called the “fungus–disease” and appeared in the throats of new–boms. In those days there wasn't any childrens doctor in town. The old–time barber–surgeon served as doctor, but for this childhood disease he had no cure, so many children died.
Then Yeshayahu went to Warsaw to a famous pediatrician, and the doctor showed him how to eliminate the fungus. Thanks to him hundreds of children, Jewish and non–Jewish in the whole Kozienice region were saved from this terrible scourge. He wouldn't take any money for his help. He considered it a privilege to save children. Doctors said that if Shabason had studied medicine, he would have become a great physician. He conducted his life in a fine, upright Jewish manner, raised children and grandchildren, and died after WWI at a ripe old age.
R' Yonah Zilberstein
He was a Kolebieler Hasid, a Torah scholar, distinguished looking with the high forehead of a scholar, tall and beautiful, with a long white beard; a lively and happy Jew. He was the gabbai (beadle) of the burial society (Chevra Kadisha). He would walk slowly, step by step, and a bit stooped. In the morning he walked to the study house with a big tallis sack under his arm, in which he had a large turkish tallis, with a silver neckpiece, two pairs of tfillin (phylacteries) a Beth Yaakov prayer book and a silver snuff box.
Everyone respected this Jew. He lived in a wealthy manner, in his own large house, with a flour and grain shop on Magitover Street. His wife, Riva, ran the shop. All day she sat in the shop and recited the Psalms, so that the grain and flour would go up in price by a groschen per pound. And what Jewish woman wouldn't buy her flour for the Sabbath challahs from Riva? If a poor Jewish woman came to buy, Riva knew it by the way she walked and how she said “good morning”. She knew the woman didn't have the money, so she would quickly say: “Don't be embarrassed. You'll pay me after the Sabbath. Go home and bake your beautiful challas for shabbes.” Yona and Riva lived out their years honorably and lived to see grandchildren.
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His daughters were members of the library. This is how he lived out his years, and died after WWI. His family perished, except for his daughter Yocheved, who is in Israel since before WWII.
R' Avraham Rosenberg (Soda Water Factory Owner)
He was among the old enlightened ones in town, a clever Jew, who could tell a good joke or a tasteful story, and above all a Jew who knew everything. What his eyes could see, his hands could make; all sorts of woodcuts and bone carvings; a builder of houses; a fixer of furniture; an upholsterer, and an engraver of tombstones– In short, if this man had ever finished his schooling, he would have become a great inventor. But his greatest virtue was his modesty.
He read many Yiddish and Polish books, lived a respectable family life, never became rich and never wanted to. He loved communal activities, and helped to found the first Jewish library at Yitzhak Krishpel's. Many of the books he himself bound. When WWI broke out he went with his family to Warsaw and remained there. Only from time to time did he come to Kozienice to see his old friends, and spend some time with them, especially with Yekl Shipper. He was an old man when he perished in the Warsaw Ghetto.
Itzik Klezmer (Nodelman)
Itzik Klezmer and his sons were well known in town and in the surrounding towns. . He was first fiddle, and conductor of the ensemble, most of whom were relatives or close friends. Old Shmerl and his bass, Meier–Schachne with his clarinet, the tall Yisroel with his long trumpet, and Chemya with his fiddle. The drummer was tall Yisroel's son, Elale. They played at weddings and other joyous occasions for Jews and Polish nobles, in other towns, villages and rural areas. They were the only musicians in the area.
When Itzik bent his head down on the fiddle and began to play, the women cried openly and even the men shook their heads and wiped away the tears. He was truly a violin virtuoso! Here are some words of a folk song:
Itzik with the fiddle and Shmerl with the bass, Play for me a song, in the middle of the street.
About his son Shlomo, we heard from the Kozienicer refugee, Shimon Bobtshe, who during the Holocaust worked at one of the gas chambers in Treblinka. At the door of the ovens, the Nazis set up a band to play music. Shlomo played in this band. Suddenly he saw his only, nine year old son. He begged the Nazi officer to remove his son from the queue. The officer laughed and punched him in the stomach. At that moment Shlomo hit the S. S. man with his fiddle, and marched with his son into the gas chamber. We honor his memory!?
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Motl Vadie's
This name was well known in all of Kozienice region as a Badchan (humorous performer at weddings and other celebrations). He would even entertain Rabbis and scholars. ' Together with the musical ensemble he entertained, making bride and groom joyous with his singing and jokes, which he made up on the spot. How much he gave of himself depended upon the importance of the participants. In his youth he had been a tailor. While working with needle and thread he would sing so well that it was a joy to hear him, and he would create rhymes as he talked.
When he got older his eyesight weakened, and he became a “badchan” (Humorous story teller) and became famous. He used to tell folk tales, and very juicy jokes. He was a humane Jew with talent, who didn't even know how to write. His son–in–law, the crippled Lozer, a teacher, used to write down everything that his father–in–law sang and recited, and there came to Kozienice young men, who wanted to become “badchanim” so they bought the notes cheaply.
Motl's wife used to bake honey cake for Shabbat and the holidays, and sell it. All of the Jewish organizations and synagogues, large and small would order honey cakes for Simchat Torah, weddings and circumcisions. When Motl got old, he taught his grandson, Vadie Kokos to be a “badchan”, and sent him out to weddings. Vadie Kokos was also a bit of a jester with talent, but not quite up to his grandfather. He perished together with all the Jews in the death camps.
R' Pinchas Schvartzberg
R' Pinchas was a scribe, descended from a long line of scribes. He considered himself a privileged character because of his vocation, even though he barely made a living from it. Every few years he would write a Sefer Torah for a rich man. There were five scribes in town, but each of them had some sideline in order to support wife and children. Pinchas was a clever Jew, lively, joyful and the father of a large family. Besides the scrib's work he looked for other sources of livelihood. He pickled barrels of cucumbers to sell. On the high holy days this home became a boarding house for rich Hasidim, who came to the Rebbe. He also sold Mezuzos, Tephillin, Tzitzis, Machzorim and Siddurim, and from all of these he and his family were impoverished. His four sons did not become scribes. Two became merchants and two bootmakers, but he did have a son–in–law who was a scribe. He lived out his years honorably, had “nachas” from his children and grandchildren, until the Hitler gangsters fell upon Kozienice. He was shot in the street as he was coming from the House of Study. May his memory be blessed! A fraction of his grandchildren, the three sons of Shmerl Schvartzberg, saved themselves by a miracle. Two are in North America, and the youngest, Chaim Yekl is in Brazil, where he leads a very nice family life.
[Page 335]
R' Chaim–Yekl Hirshenhorn
He was a well educated, clever Jew who was not a Hasid, but an interesting personality. He owned several houses and an oil press in which he would press oil from seeds the peasants would sell to him. The houses were not far from the river, where he had an orchard. His sons took care of it. Jews and Christians would buy the fruits. We also would go every evening to buy a pound of apples or pears. On the sabbaths the orchard was filled with young people who stayed there all day. The old Chaim–Yekl did not interfere in the running of the orchard. He made his living from the press and rents.
He had five sons. One studied in the Moscow Yeshiva. The others were merchants. Some of his grandchildren became skilled workers. After WWI the press and orchard were destroyed, and the children couldn't make a living from the houses. Chaim–Yekl and his wife passed away. Of the entire family, only a grandson survived, who had been named for his grandfather. He is in Brazil. After the Holocaust he married the daughter of Benjamin Krishpel. The grandson of Yitzhak Krishpel is active in our Kozienice Society, and helped with this Yizkor Book.
R' Yidl Grodniak and His Wife Chavele Tzorn
The world says: “God sits up above and rides down below”, but luck is essential in family life. This was true for this couple.
He and she were two different types in life. Yidl was a clever Jew, and played the role of a merchant, a wealthy Jew, and even a bit of a Hasid, a follower of Rabbi R' Zelik–Eliezer Shapiro of Kozienice. He had a dyeing plant on Koshtshelne Street in the center of town. He was a Jew who loved life and wanted to get the most out of it. But unfortunately his life was not a life! It wasn't a decent home; there were no children who would understand him, and above all, an evil wife. His wife, Chavele Tzorn was the exact opposite of her husband. She was not good for him or for others. She had a small, hard, sunken head. Instead of a wig, she wore a cap with fringes on all sides, which looked like sidelocks by the ears. Her face was constantly smeared with rouge and powder. Her dress was dirty and half torn, with two big mannish boots on her feet, winter and summer. Her pale lips and small mouth steadily spat out curses. As soon as she would see Yidl, she looked him in the eye and looked for crumbs in his beard, to make sure he hadn't had a snack or had eaten at Yaakov Shipper or Isaachar Shabason's pub, and fondled his girls and “shikses”. Woe is him if she found anything. “Yidl, Yidl, may the worms eat you already!” “Chavele, be quiet, don't yell, so people won't hear. It's a crying shame! The whole town can hear you.” But here it only began.
[Page 336]
“You should be seized and torn to shreds. Your mother should have miscarried you, before I married you. A crying shame you and your girls, eating and drinking with them at my expense.” Their son Leyzer Bozer was just like his mdther. He stood at the door, scratched himself and laughed. Dirtied with the stains of the dyes he looked just like a jester. “Yes, yes, father, mother already told me that my bride is coming. I'm going to get married, and mother told me exactly what to do on the first night after the wedding.” In the meantime there gathered a large circle of people, and it became lively because of Leyzer's words. Another joker, a young man runs over to him and pulls his hat over his eyes. His mother continues to shout: “Why have you gathered here?” She grabs a broom, and Leyzer runs after her adding to the confusion. Yidl stands aside, thinking about his misfortune, the mother and the son, and shakes his head. “Lord of the universe, of what use is my life? For whom am I slaving away? I thank you God for the favor, for this wife and son!”
Chavele jumps from her skin at these words and yells even louder. “You don't like it? Jews have an alternative! Let's go to the Rabbi and get a divorce!” “Don't you think I want to?” answers Yidl.
“Fooey Chavele” a neighbor tries to interfere. “This can lead to serious consequences. Forget about a divorce. You think my husband is any better. But let God grant us that we live out our years together!”
Chavele begins to cry and scream, “Mine, yours, all the same. Mine will drive me to an early grave!” Yidl runs out. He curses the day of his birth. No wife, no children! “Mother, mother” shouts Leyzer, “a child wants to buy 10 pounds of lime and a package of dye”. “You should perish with your father! Where has he run off to? To the grave, hopefully!”
With troubles and suffering, not living and not dying, Yidl Grodniak and Chavele ended their years together in the gas–chambers.
Feivele Qger
Jewish legends tell about reincarnation. When we mention the name of Feivele Oger, we can truly say that this Jew was reincarnated. From early morning until late at night, he was harnassed, like a horse to a wagon on four wheels. He was bent over from pulling the cart and the name Oger (stallion) suited him. Whatever he came upon, he would carry off and from this he was able to support a wife, seven children, and an old father from whom he inherited the cart.
[Page 337]
He lived with his family on the street of the bathouse in a wooden shack. In order to enter the house, one had to bend in half. When Feivele would pull the cart, we children used to run after him and shout: “Feivele, stallion! ”He wouldn't even turn around to the children. “Let them shout”, he would say. He wouldn't even harm a fly on the wall. But if a sheygetz (a non–Jewish boy) would run after him and try to hold back the cart, or to make fun of him, he would hit him, hard enough so he would remember. Not one did he have to hit, and he would continue pulling his cart and murmur: “He won't bother me anymore.”
All year you wouldn't see this Jew (Feivele) in the House of Study, not even on the Sabbath. Only on the High Holidays, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, would Feivele and his old father, drag themselves, bent over as if they were pulling the cart, to the study house. They would each carry a stool to sit on. Not far from the door, in the foyer, they would sit, not speaking to anyone, wrapped in their Talesim, and open their old Machzorim (High Holiday prayer books), which they had inherited from their grandfather, who had been in charge of the baths and the Ritual Bathouse of the Maggid. They didn't know how to pray, so they didn't bother to look into the Machzorim. Jesters used to say that they saw how they held their Machzorim upside down. When the Beadle banged on the table, they would both stand up at attention like soldiers. They would be the first to come and the last to leave. In this way this Jew, in dire poverty, worked hard without complaining, to earn his piece of bread.
Hersh–Leib Bozer, Water Carrier
Since I mentioned Feivele Oger as a reincarnation, Hersh–Leib was the second reincarnation in town. In Kozienice, there were other water carriers who carried water into Jewish homes, and from it they made a living. As far as I can remember, this occupation was exclusively Jewish. There was Isaacel and his sons, the blind Shammai and his brother, the gravedigger, and Yankele Polkovnik and his sons. Also women were water carriers; Zlatkele, Dobrele and Yonele and his wife. “At one time” water cost three coins. The housewives, who lived near the pumps, would carry their own water or paid less; three coins for two pails.
To this day Hersh–Leib is engraved in my memory, because he was the only water carrier for Rabbi Yerachmeil–Moishele. There, at the Rabbi's, he was a personality. All of the maids and the Rabbi's beadles dealt with him. He would bring the water, carry out the dirty water, helped lift the heavy filled cooking pots, clean the pots, sweep the courtyard and do the heaviest work in the Rabbi's study house for the hundreds of Hasidim who came to the Rabbi for the Sabbath and Holidays. On the High Holidays he would run around like crazy. He was the type of person who would not let himself be forgotten. He was the eternal slave. He just barely knew how to pray, but was religious. His water carrying made him one of the Rabbi's assistants. On the Sabbath he wore a high hat and a shiny long, belted coat. He had a small beard, and looked like a Purim–play performer. If anyone insulted him, or called him a name, he would hit him. He was quick to anger and had complaints against the whole world.
[Page 338]
After WWI, when the Rabbi's court declined, Hersh–Leib was water carrier for other Hasidim, but he wasn't pleased with this, and he would curse the housewives with the bitterest curses for the slightest thing. But this Hersh–Leib had two fine children, a son and a daughter. The son studied in a Warsaw Yeshiva, and ate on different days at the homes of Kozienicer Hasidim, and married a Hasidic girl from Shedletz. His daughter was a good seamstress. A year before WWII, she married Yitzhak Weinberg's son Yoske. After the wedding, Yoske Weinberg went to Brazil, where he had a sister and brother. Unfortunately, he was unable to take his wife to Brazil. The war broke out, and she perished, together with her father, mother, brother and all of the Kozienicer community.
Rachele Tsholok
I consider it an obligation to mention, with a few words, a female reincarnation in our town, whose name was Rachele Tsholok, who was Abba, the coachman's daughter, from his first wife. Rachele was nine years old when she was orphaned. From that time on, she knew every household in town and all of the housewives knew her. Wherever she went she would carry “cholent” to the baker, scrub pots and empty dirty water basins for a piece of bread and soup. As she got older her work became harder and more bitter. She was never in the same place for a night and a day. Almost barefoot, alone with swollen hands and feet, winter and summer, she would wash other people's clothes, and carry them for rinsing to the river. In the winter she would return frozen, with her teeth chattering, crying and cursing. She would throw herself down by the oven and without even eating, would fall asleep. Her price for a weeks work was 30 coins. She would wrap the money in rags. There were even some “nice” housewives, who would take the coins from her.
On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur there were some goodhearted souls like Chavele, who took her along to the women's section of the synagogue. “Let her at least pray for a good new year, poor soul!” All day Rachele would sit in shul near the door and counted the windowpanes. Women looked pityingly at her, shook their heads, and let a tear drop from their eyes. It was after all, Judgement Day. On the way home the women wished her a good year, and she would answer, smiling and shaking her head, “You too!”
But there were days when she became sad, and didn't want any work. She would sit on the hard floor by the oven, crossed her legs, put her head down, wouldn't eat and sighed, cried, cursed and sang a song. Tbe words and melody of the song were sung to me by my daughter Feigele. She had heard Rachele sing it at her grandmother's house.
Strolling, strolling,
We both went
Among thick leaves
Rachel life, Rachel life,
[Page 339]
Let us travel to uncle. Rachel–life, Rachel–life,
Groom yourself nicely.
Rachel–life, Rachel–life,
Let us go on a journey.
That is how she would sing the song several times, until she fell asleep. Children and young girls would sing the song. Older women said that a Dyubbuk sang from Rachele. She died of hunger in the Ghetto.
Jews in the Kozienice Area
In 1897 the Jewish population was as follows in these towns in the Kozienice area:
Glovatshov 1109 Jews
Greynitz 1213 Jews
Gnievashov 523 Jews
Zvolin 3242 Jews
Yanovietz 308 Jews
Magnushev 771 Jews
Ritshivol 492 Jews
Shetshechov 125 Jews
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Kozienice, Poland Yizkor Book Project JewishGen Home Page
Yizkor Book Project Manager, Lance Ackerfeld
This web page created by Jason Hallgarten
Copyright © 1999-2019 by JewishGen, Inc.
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Poetry Life and Mind-ful Things
Posts tagged ‘revenge’
How Life Is
From time to time, my eyes search the skies
If I bend an ear, I can hear the cries
It is for me to wonder, as I am perplexed
How life is at times, as real as it gets
The violence and anger portrayed day to day
It is for revenge, it is for justice some say
I am truely beholden, this way that I live
It is but one life given, for me to give
Round and round, the cycle of life bestows
Like our earth, round the sun it goes
Event after one, another continues onward
You would think lessons learned, from outside inward
Time goes by round the world as it turns
The violence unending as hearts fire burns
Is it for justice? Is it peace?
I continue to wonder, will it ever, ever cease
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Q:
Hiding message in JPG image
I am trying to hide a in an image it's working fine with .bmp & .png but when I write image as JPG and try to retrieve the hidden message it is not working.
My procedure, first read an image in format (bmp, gif, jpg,png) write message to hide and save it so that we can again read it and extract the message.
When i save it with bmp or png it works fine but when saving with jpg and try to extract the message it doesn't work.
ImageIO.write(bimg, "png", outputfile);//working
ImageIO.write(bimg, "png", outputfile);//not working
What should I do to make it work for JPEG?
note: I am reading every pixel as 4 bit integer with ARGB value and changing LSB of R,G,B to hide message.
public void stegnography(BufferedImage bimg,String msg,String filename)
{
int w=bimg.getWidth();
int h=bimg.getHeight();
//***************************************
// String msg="Hide this message:)";
System.out.println("message="+msg+" length="+msg.length());
//***************************************
if(msg.length()>255 )
{
jLabel3.setText("MESSAGE IS LARGE THAN 255 CHARACTERS");
}
else if( msg.length()*11 >w*h)
{
jLabel3.setText("Image is too small");
}
else{
//-------------------------------------------
byte[] msgbytes= msg.getBytes();
int msglendecode= (bimg.getRGB(0,0)>>8)<<8;
msglendecode |= msg.length();
bimg.setRGB(0, 0,msglendecode );//hidig msg length at first position
//System.out.println("\npixel at position (0,0) ");
// bitpattern(bimg.getRGB(0,0) );
for(int i=1,msgpos=0,row=0,j=0; row<h ;row++ )
{
for(int col=0;col<w && j<msgbytes.length ;col++,i++ )
{
if (i%11==0) {
int rgb = bimg.getRGB(col,row);
int a=((rgb >> 24) & 0xff);
int r = (((rgb >> 16) & 0xff)>>3)<<3;
r=r|(msgbytes[msgpos]>>5);
int g = (((rgb >> 8) & 0xff)>>3)<<3;
g=g|((msgbytes[msgpos]>>2)& 7);
int b = ((rgb & 0xff)>>2)<<2;
b=b|(msgbytes[msgpos]&0x3);
rgb=0;
rgb=(rgb|(a<<24));
rgb=(rgb|(r<<16));
rgb=(rgb|(g<<8));
rgb=(rgb|b);
bimg.setRGB(col,row,rgb);
msgpos++;
j++;
//bitpattern(bimg.getRGB(col,row));
}
}//for 2
}//for 1
ImageIcon image = new ImageIcon(bimg);
jLabel3.setIcon(image);
try {
// File outputfile = new File("c:/Users/yathestha/Documents/"+filename);
File outputfile = new File("c:/Users/yathestha/Documents/outpng.png");
ImageIO.write(bimg, "png", outputfile);
} catch (IOException e) {
System.out.println("error in saving image ");
}
//-------------------------------------------------
}//else
// decoding part----------------------------------------------------------------------
}
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
private void decodestegnography(BufferedImage bimg) {
System.out.println("in decode");
int w=bimg.getWidth(),h=bimg.getHeight();
bitpattern(bimg.getRGB(0, 0));
int msglength=(bimg.getRGB(0, 0)&0xff);
bitpattern(msglength);
System.out.println("Message Length="+msglength);
jTextField1.setText("");
for(int row=0,j=0,i=1; row<h ;row++ )
{
for(int col=0;col<w && j<msglength ;col++ ,i++)
{
if (i%11==0) {
int result=bimg.getRGB(col,row);
int charatpos = (((result >> 16) & 0x7) << 5);
charatpos |= (((result >> 8) & 0x7) << 2);
charatpos |= ((result & 0x3));
jTextField1.setText(jTextField1.getText()+ (char)charatpos);
j++;
}
}
}
System.out.println("decoding done");
}//function
A:
For jpeg steganography either save your result as a lossless jpeg, or simply use a different stegographic method. The only one I know is fiddling with the Discrete Cosine Transform coefficients (DCT). However, you need to be aware of rounding errors and as such the retrieval of your secret will be lossy.
I don't favour DCT and I haven't looked into it a lot, but here is a paper from 2007 which claims jpeg lossless steganography. Be warned that the algorithm is much more complex than your casual LSB substitution in the spatial domain. Hiding data in the frequency domain also means lower hiding capacity and I don't know whether this will serve you. If you are interested and can't access the paper, we can sort this out privately.
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If you’ve been paying attention to the rash of security startups entering the market today, you will no doubt notice the theme wherein the majority of them are, from the get-go, organizing around deployment models which operate from “The Cloud.”
We can argue that “Security as a service” usually refers to security services provided by a third party using the SaaS (software as a service) model, but there’s a compelling set of capabilities that enables companies large and small to be both effective, efficient and cost-manageable as we embrace the “new” world of highly distributed applications, content and communications (cloud and mobility combined.)
In the same way that I differentiated “Virtualizing Security, Securing Virtualization and Security via Virtualization” in my Four Horsemen presentation, I ask people to consider these three models when discussing security and Cloud:
By the Cloud: Security services delivered by Cloud Computing services which are used by providers in option #2 which often rely on those features described in option #1. Think, well…basically any service these days that brand themselves as Cloud…
What I’m talking about here is really item #3; security “by the cloud,” wherein these services utilize any cloud-based platform (SaaS, PaaS or IaaS) to delivery security capabilities on behalf of the provider or ultimate consumer of services.
For the SMB/SME/Branch, one can expect a hybrid model of on-premises physical (multi-function) devices that also incorporate some sort of redirect or offload to these cloud-based services. Frankly, the same model works for the larger enterprise but in many cases regulatory issues of privacy/IP concerns arise. This is where the capability of both “private” (or dedicated) versions of these services are requested (either on-premises or off, but dedicated.)
Service providers see a large opportunity to finally deliver value-added, scaleable and revenue-generating security services atop what they offer today. This is the realized vision of the long-awaited “clean pipes” and “secure hosting” capabilities. See this post from 2007 “Clean Pipes – Less Sewerage or More Potable Water?”
If you haven’t noticed your service providers dipping their toes here, you certainly have seen startups (and larger security players) do so. Here are just a few examples:
As many vendors “virtualize” their offers and start to realize that through basic networking, APIs, service chaining, traffic steering and security intelligence/analytics, these solutions become more scaleable, leveragable and interoperable, the services you’ll be able to consume will also increase…and they will become more application and information-centric in nature.
Again, this doesn’t mean the disappearance of on-premises or host-based security capabilities, but you should expect the cloud (and it’s derivative offshoots like Big Data) to deliver some really awesome hybrid security capabilities that make your life easier. Rich Mogull (@rmogull) and I gave about 20 examples of this in our “Grilling Cloudicorns: Mythical CloudSec Tools You Can Use Today” at RSA last month.
Get ready because while security folks often eye “The Cloud” suspiciously, it also offers up a set of emerging solutions that will undoubtedly allow for more efficient, effective and affordable security capabilities that will allow us to focus more on the things that matter.
In my Commode Computing talk, I highlighted the need for security automation through the enablement of APIs. APIs are centric in architectural requirements for the provisioning, orchestration and (ultimately) security of cloud environments.
So there’s a “dark side” with the emergence of APIs as the prominent method by which one now interacts with stacks — and it’s highlighted in VMware’s vCloud Director Hardening Guide wherein beyond the normal de rigueur deployment of stateful packet filtering firewalls, the deployment of a Web Application Firewall is recommended.
Why? According to VMware’s hardening guide:
In summary, a WAF is an extremely valuable security solution because Web applications are too sophisticated for an IDS or IPS to protect. The simple fact that each Web application is unique makes it too complex for a static pattern-matching solution. A WAF is a unique security component because it has the capability to understand what characters are allowed within the context of the many pieces and parts of a Web page.
I don’t disagree that web applications/web services are complex. I further don’t disagree that protecting the web services and messaging buses that make up the majority of the exposed interfaces in vCloud Director don’t require sophisticated protection.
This, however, brings up an interesting skill-set challenge.
How many infrastructure security folks do you know that are experts in protecting, monitoring and managing MBeans, JMS/JMX messaging and APIs? More specifically, how many shops do you know that have WAFs deployed (in-line, actively protecting applications not passively monitoring) that did not in some way blow up every app they sit in front of as well as add potentially significant performance degradation due to SSL/TLS termination?
Whether you’re deploying vCloud or some other cloud stack (I just happen to be reading these docs at the moment,) the scope of exposed API interfaces ought to have you re-evaluating your teams’ skillsets when it comes to how you’re going to deal with the spotlight that’s now shining directly on the infrastructure stacks (hardware and software) their private and public clouds.
Many of us have had to get schooled on web services security with the emergence of SOA/Web Services application deployments. But that was at the application layer. Now it’s exposed at the “code as infrastructure” layer.
Think about it.
/Hoff
[Update 6/7/11 – Here are two really timely and interesting blog posts on the topic of RESTful APIs:
While the study breaks down the survey in detail in Appendix 1, I would kill to see the respondent list so I could use the responses from some of these “cloud providers” to quickly make assessments of my short list of those to not engage with.
I suppose it’s not hard to believe that security is not a primary concern, but given all the hype surrounding claims of “cloud is more secure than the enterprise,” it’s rather shocking to think that this sort of behavior is reflective of cloud providers.
Let’s see why.
This survey qualifies those surveyed as such:
We surveyed 103 cloud service providers in the US and 24 in six European countries for a total of 127 separate providers. Respondents from cloud provider organizations say SaaS (55 percent) is the most frequently offered cloud service, followed by IaaS (34 percent) and PaaS (11 percent). Sixty-five percent of cloud providers in this study deploy their IT resources in the public cloud environment, 18 percent deploy in the private cloud and 18 percent are hybrid.
…and offers these most “salient” findings:
The majority of cloud computing providers surveyed do not believe their organization views the security of their cloud services as a competitive advantage. Further, they do not consider cloud computing security as one of their most important responsibilities and do not believe their products or services substantially protect and secure the confidential or sensitive information of their customers.–
The majority of cloud providers believe it is their customer’s responsibility to secure the cloud and not their responsibility. They also say their systems and applications are not always evaluated for security threats prior to deployment to customers. –
Buyer beware – on average providers of cloud computing technologies allocate 10 percent or less of their operational resources to security and most do not have confidence that customers’ security requirements are being met. –
Cloud providers in our study say the primary reasons why customers purchase cloud resources are lower cost and faster deployment of applications. In contrast, improved security or compliance with regulations is viewed as an unlikely reason for choosing cloud services. The majority of cloud providers in our study admit they do not have dedicated security personnel to oversee the security of cloud applications, infrastructure or platforms.
–
Providers of private cloud resources appear to attach more importance and have a higher level of confidence in their organization’s ability to meet security objectives than providers of public and hybrid cloud solutions. _
While security as a “true” service from the cloud is rarely offered to customers today, about one-third of the cloud providers in our study are considering such solutions as a new source of revenue sometime in the next two years.
Ultimately, CA summarized the findings as such:
“The focus on reduced cost and faster deployment may be sufficient for cloud providers now, but as organizations reach the point where increasingly sensitive data and applications are all that remains to migrate to the cloud, they will quickly reach an impasse,” said Mike Denning, general manager, Security, CA Technologies. “If the risk of breach outweighs potential cost savings and agility, we may reach a point of “cloud stall” where cloud adoption slows or stops until organizations believe cloud security is as good as or better than enterprise security.”
I have so much I’d like to say with respect to these summary findings and the details within the reports, but much of it I already have. I don’t think these findings are reflective of the larger cloud providers I interact with which is another reason I would love to see who these “cloud providers” were beyond the breakdown of their service offerings that were presented.”
In the meantime, I’d like to refer you to these posts I wrote for reflection on this very topic: | mini_pile | {'original_id': '37bf400bb3d2632135a5a388e673ee6f6124cb948ee877ff738381d4faf4d65c'} |
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