text:
Wisercise and 2 Step 4 Kids Classroom Program
A classroom-based grade-specific educational tool that encourages short bouts of physical activity integrated with academic lessons. Participating schools will receive curricular materials and training providing teachers with learning activities that incorporate movement to reinforce academic concepts. The curricular materials are linked to the grade level expectations (GLEs) established by the Louisiana Department of Education.
See _URL_ for more information.


Contents || Index
Circular Profile Plot
This tool is part of the Circle (measurement) Tool, rather than the Profiles Tool, because you need to position a circle rather than a line in order to generate the plot.
The image is in the lx-images folder distributed with Lispix. It is lx-images / electron-diffraction / Au-rings.tif
 1. Open the image with File / Open.
 2. Open the Circle Tool: TOOLS / Circle.
 3. Select the rings image by clicking on it to make it active, then click Image! in the circle tool.
 4. Turn on the circle: Circle On!
 5. Positon the circle by dragging the small circular handle in the center.
 6. Set the radius of the circle to the maximum radius you wish to plot.
 7. Plot using Analysis / Ring average plot.


text:
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Help your friends to new knowledge
Bisnode Group Analytics has joined forces with local analytics teams to see if data science and machine learning can be used to predict which national team will win football's biggest competition. By leveraging all historical data about national team games over the past 4 years, Bisnode has developed a model that estimates the probability of a win, draw or loss, as well as goal difference for any future game between the national teams involved in the competition.
"Our first objective was to develop a model able to predict the result of a single game, based on the teams' characteristics," says Pierre Deville, Head of Data Science and Analytics at Group Analytics. "The second objective was to determine the most likely scenario for the competition and other derived statistics by running large-scale simulations, considering the specifics of the tournament."
The first model was based on historical data regarding type of tournament, the location of the game, the score, and so on. Team ratings were fed into an advanced machine learning model using a technique known as eXtreme Gradient Boosting to calculate probable outcomes for each game. Using this predictive model, Bisnode Group Analytics ran simulations for the actual games that will take place.
"By generating millions of simulations, we derived probabilistic information associated to any team reaching any stage of the tournament," says Goran Loncar, current Director of Group Analytics. "Our approach not only allowed us to estimate the probability of a team reaching a certain stage, but it also provided the most likely scenario for the entire tournament, as well as the overall chance for each team to lift the cup."
BISNODE USED MACHINE LEARNING, the subfield of computer science that "gives computers the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed". Evolved from the study of pattern recognition and computational learning theory in artificial intelligence, machine learning uses algorithms that can learn from and make predictions based on data.
BISNODE USED DATA MINING, an analysis technique that focuses on detecting patterns and trends in data, to feed the predictive model and rank the teams.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
Hello and welcome to Healthcare Magic. Thanks for your query.
is a relatively safe medication even for log term use. However, it can have mild interactions when taken with othe medication. Moreover, as you get older and as your kidney
functions decrease, there may be more pronounced side effects. In whatever case, when you can avoid medication by following dietary and lifestyle medication, that would be the best and safest approach. I would suggest the following remedial and preventive measures:
1) Avoid foods that cause gastric irritation like spicy foods, coffee, tea, carbonated drinks, etc. Smoking
and alcohol are also gastric irritants.
2) Eat at regular intervals and avoid delaying meals.
3) Increase the fibre content in your diet - take more of vegetables and fruits.
4) Avoid eating outside; especially avoid all kinds of junk food and fast foods.
5) Try to have a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and proper sleep habits.
5) Try to avoid stress
and try relaxation methods like deep breathing, meditation
Dr. Sheeba Stephen


text:
Action against cartels is a specific type of antitrust enforcement. A cartel is a group of similar, independent companies which join together to fix prices, to limit production or to share markets or customers between them.
Instead of competing with each other, cartel members rely on each others' agreed course of action, which reduces their incentives to provide new or better products and services at competitive prices. As a consequence, their clients (consumers or other businesses) end up paying more for less quality.
This is why cartels are illegal under EU competition law and why the European Commission imposes heavy fines on companies involved in a cartel.
Since cartels are illegal, they are generally highly secretive and evidence of their existence is not easy to find. The 'leniency policy' encourages companies to hand over inside evidence of cartels to the European Commission. The first company in any cartel to do so will not have to pay a fine. This results in the cartel being destabilised. In recent years, most cartels have been detected by the European Commission after one cartel member confessed and asked for leniency, though the European Commission also successfully continues to carry out its own investigations to detect cartels.
Since 2008 companies found by the Commission to have participated in a cartel can settle their case by acknowledging their involvement in the cartel and getting a smaller fine in return.

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) has developed a CIGS solar panel that prevents potential induced degradation (PID).
PID lowers power generation capacity at mega-solar (large-scale solar) power plants, etc. The development was announced March 18, 2014.
For the new CIGS solar panel, AIST employed an ionomer resin, which is made by adding a small number of metal ions to an interpolymer of ethylene and methacrylic acid to form bridges between molecules, as a sealing material instead of EVA.
In its own experiment, AIST found that CIGS solar panels are more resistant to PID than silicon-based solar panels. In addition, it succeeded in further improving PID resistance by using an ionomer resin, which has a high volume resistivity, as a sealing material.


Sir Arthur Keith
Sir Arthur Keith, detail of a pencil drawing by William Rothenstein, 1928; in the National Portrait Gallery, LondonCourtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London
Sir Arthur Keith, (born February 5, 1866Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland—died January 7, 1955, Downe, Kent, England), Scottish anatomist and physical anthropologist who specialized in the study of fossil humans and who reconstructed early hominin forms, notably fossils from Europe and North Africa and important skeletal groups from Mount Carmel (now in Israel).
A doctor of medicine, science, and law, Keith became a professor at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (1908), was professor of physiology at the Royal Institution of Great Britain (1918–23), and was rector of the University of Aberdeen (1930–33). His major works include The Antiquity of Man (1915), Concerning Man's Origin (1927), and A New Theory of Human Evolution (1948). In his writings on human evolution, Keith tended to emphasize the competitive factor and interpreted racial and national prejudice as inborn. He was knighted in 1921.


text:
Long dresses, top hats and lots of red, blue and grey uniforms made their way into Joel Stone Heritage Park on Monday, June 18th in Gananoque. These men and women, all looking like they just stepped out of 1812, were joined by local dignitaries, school groups and residents from Gananoque, the Township and its islands.
This was one of the lead events commemorating the bicentennial of the War of 1812 in eastern Ontario and as the signs flying on flag poles around the town state… "Where it all began…" Over the next three years there will be a number of commemorations, re-enactments, and ceremonies in Ontario and Quebec celebrating various events and locations pertaining to the war.
The dedication of the Joel Stone Heritage Park is Gananoque's contribution to the recognition of Canada's 1812 heritage. Joel Stone was a United Empire Loyalist from Connecticut who was given a land grant in New Johnston (near Cornwall) and established a saw mill and ferry across the Gananoque river. He was the Colonel of the 2nd Leeds Incorporated Militia Regiment and fought in several engagements of the war. The village itself was invaded on September 21, 1812 by American forces who took advantage of the absence of the local militia.
Following the attack, a blockhouse and naval station were constructed as part of the system of defense for the St. Lawrence River, the vital supply route for British North American forces defending Upper Canada. Without the supply route, British forces would not have been able to defend what we now know as the Province of Ontario.
The park was built on waterfront and reclaimed land at the west end of Water Street and is composed of a park, amphitheatre, gun position, playground, beach and lighthouse. The entryway is composed of two flanking stone walls with plaques explaining the park and its significance. On walking through the entry there is a model of the village as it was during the 1812 war. Continuing due south, on the waterfront is a gun position with three guns: a restored 1807 24-pound cannon, and two recently manufactured 8-pounder replicas.
On the east side of the Park is an amphitheatre with stone block seats facing west. Continuing west is the playground, water park for children and sand beach areas, followed by an open park extending to the tip of the point jutting into the St. Lawrence River. On the point is a large 80 foot flag pole and new lighthouse erected at the entrance to the Gananoque Marina.
The ceremony began with musical prelude by Gananoque Intermediate Secondary School and the Lasalle Adult Secondary School bands. A parade of honour began the proceedings with Pipers, a Royal Canadian Legion Colour Party, First Nations flag bearer and members of Canadian Forces Base Kingston who led the procession with representatives of municipal, provincial and Federal governments.
The British High Commissioner who resides in Ottawa, Dr. Andrew Pollock, led the opening remarks along with the Mayor of Gananoque, Ms. Erika Demchuk; the Hon. Gord Brown, MP; and Mr. Steve Clark, MPP. The guest of honour was John R. Matheson. M.P. for Leeds 1961-68. He was a member and "driving force" of the House of Commons flag committee, which was responsible the design of the Canadian Flag.
Following the remarks historians, Paul Scott and Stewart Deline gave short talks on the history of the war from British North American and Aboriginal perspectives. Throughout the ceremony all speakers addressed the long standing friendship between the United States and Canada as they both share the St. Lawrence River and the peace they have found since the end of the War of 1812.
The event was well attended by the public, townsfolk dressed in period costumes and uniforms, and many school children.
Re-enactors of the Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry and the Glengarry Light Infantry fired a salute, followed by the firing of cannons by re-enactors of the Royal Navy Gun Crew and Royal Artillery.
Firing the Cannon
The objects seen above leaning against the wall are tools used by gunners to load and clean cannons. Unlike muskets and other flintlock weapons which can be reloaded and fired immeadiately, cannons present a different danger when not properly handled and maintained.
After loading the charge (gunpowder in a linen bag), a wad of paper or hay was rammed in, and the ball was thrown in and rammed again. This would ensure the propellant and projectile were as close as possible to the breech. Following firing, a wet sponge would be used to clean the inside of the barrel to ensure there were no embers for when the next charge was loaded. A corkscrew was used to remove the charge if there was a misfire or to clean the barrel of dirt. Not following these steps could produce a misfire or catastrophic explosion.
Modern re-enactors only use partial loads or 1-2 pounds of powder designed to produce a flash and loud noise, compared to a full load of between 10 to 12 pounds of powder depending on the gun, thus reducing the potential for accidents.
Offshore during the ceremony H.M.S. Revenge sailed past the park as a reminder of the Royal Navy presence in 1812.
Future events in eastern Ontario include the commemoration of the raid on Gananoque 24-26 August, 2012; Dunvegan's War of 1812 Re-enactment Weekend (Glengarry Pioneer Museum) September 23-24, 2012; and the Battle of Crysler's Farm July 13-14, 2013.
Other nearby historic sites commemorating the War of 1812 are Kingston, a major Royal Navy yard during the war; and Fort Wellington, which has a recovered naval gunboat in a newly renovated visitor centre opened in time for the 1812 commemorations.
You can track future 1812 events on the web-site _URL_
By Morley Verdier with photographs by Anthony Galpin
Morley Verdier, holds a masters degree from Royal Military College in Kingston. He is a retired public servant, having worked in several Departments of the Canadian government in Ottawa including the Senate. He began researching his grandfather's initial service with the 16th Battalion – Canadian Scottish and later with the 1st Division HQ and discovered his father was a cartographer and machine gun officer. Morley latest project includes the Russell Legion Branch 372 memorial project which identified and catalogued all service members listed on the five cenotaphs in Russell township – Russell, Embrun, Limoges, Vars and Casselman, Ontairo. In addition to his interest in the War of 1812 he is the current President of the National Capital Civil War Round Table in Ottawa.
Anthony Galpin just completed grade seven at Gananoque Public School. He attended the June 18th ceremony with his class. He took a series of photographs of the day and was pleased to share them with TI Life.


text:
Anomalies in quantum mechanics: The 1/r(2) potential
An anomaly is said to occur when a symmetry that is valid classically becomes broken as a result of quantization. Although most manifestations of this phenomenon are in the context of quantum field theory, there are at least two cases in quantum mechanics—the two-dimensional delta function interaction and the 1/r2 potential. The former has been treated in this journal; in this article we discuss the physics of the latter together with experimental consequences.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS


text:
AMP08D is amplifier for controls of hydraulic proportional valves with two solenoids. Depending on the polarity of the input reference is operated one of the two solenoids of the valve, and depending on the value of the reference is regulated current through the respective solenoid.
The main features of AMP08D are :
There are provided 5 multiturn trimmers :
–ramp - It adjusts the length of the leading/ trailing edge of the output current to reach the reference.
For each solenoid have two trimmers for setting the current:
- Z - It adjusts the current at the minimum value of the input reference
- G - It adjusts the current at the maximum value of the input reference.
These two trimmers allow adjusting the steering zone of the valve. The output current of the amplifier is given by:
y - is the output in percentages;
x - is the input in percentages;
G – is the value from trimmer G- number from 0,5 to 1
Z - is the value from trimmer Z- from 0% to 50%.
LEDs for status indication are 4:
-POW - lights when the power supply voltage is between working limits
-O1 – lights when is controlled output 1 of amplifier
-O2 – lights when is controlled output 2 of amplifier
-EN/ERR – lights green (when on terminal EN is applied voltage for enabling of the amplifier and input voltage is between ±0,1V and ±10V) or lights red (when on terminal EN the voltage is bellow min limit or input voltage is outside ±0,1V ± 10V).
AMP08D is for DIN mount and can be used to control valves up to 60W.
Go to ring-bg.com for full description.
- Brand: Ring Injenering Ltd
- Product Code: AMP08D
- Availability: 5


text:
Several kind of citrus
, the most common hesperidium, cut open and ready to eat.
A hesperidium (plural hesperidia) is a modified berry with a tough, leathery rind. The peel contains volatile oil glands in pits. The fleshy interior is composed of separate sections, called carpels, filled with fluid-filled vesicles that are actually specialized hair cells.
The outer ovary wall becomes the thick spongy layer, while the inner ovary wall becomes very juicy with several seeds.
Oranges and other citrus fruits are common examples.
Unlike most other berries, the rind of hesperidia is generally not eaten with the fruit because it is tough and bitter. A common exception is the kumquat, which is consumed entirely.
The outermost, pigmented layer of rind contains essential oils and is known as the flavedo. When scraped off and used as a culinary ingredient it is called zest. The inner rind (known as pith or albedo) of the citron or lemon is candied in sugar and called succade.
Linnaeus gave the name Hesperideæ to an order containing the genus Citrus, in allusion to the golden apples of the Hesperides.
See also
- Bailey, L. H.; Bailey, E. Z. (1976). Hortus (Third ed.). New York: Macmillan. p. 275. ISBN 0-02-505470-8.


{"title": "Non-linear CCA and PCA by Alignment of Local Models", "book": "Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems", "page_first": 297, "page_last": 304, "abstract": "", "full_text": "Non-linear CCA and PCA\n\nby Alignment of Local Models\n\nJakob J. Verbeeky, Sam T. Roweisz, and Nikos Vlassisy\n\ny Informatics Institute, University of Amsterdam\n\nz Department of Computer Science,University of Toronto\n\nAbstract\n\nWe propose a non-linear Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) method\nwhich works by coordinating or aligning mixtures of linear models. In\nthe same way that CCA extends the idea of PCA, our work extends re-\ncent methods for non-linear dimensionality reduction to the case where\nmultiple embeddings of the same underlying low dimensional coordi-\nnates are observed, each lying on a different high dimensional manifold.\nWe also show that a special case of our method, when applied to only\na single manifold, reduces to the Laplacian Eigenmaps algorithm. As\nwith previous alignment schemes, once the mixture models have been\nestimated, all of the parameters of our model can be estimated in closed\nform without local optima in the learning. Experimental results illustrate\nthe viability of the approach as a non-linear extension of CCA.\n\n1 Introduction\n\nIn this paper, we are interested in data that lies on or close to a low dimensional manifold\nembedded, possibly non-linearly, in a Euclidean space of much higher dimension. Data\nof this kind is often generated when our observations are very high dimensional but the\nnumber of underlying degrees of freedom is small. A typical example are images of an\nobject under different conditions (e.g. pose and lighting). A simpler example is given in\nFig. 1, where we have data in IR3 which lies on a two dimensional manifold. We want\nto recover the structure of the data manifold, so that we can \u2018unroll\u2019 the data manifold\nand work with the data expressed in the underlying \u2018latent coordinates\u2019, i.e. coordinates\non the manifold. Learning low dimensional latent representations may be desirable for\ndifferent reasons, such as compression for storage and communication, visualization of\nhigh dimensional data, or as preprocessing for further data analysis or prediction tasks.\n\nRecent work on unsupervised nonlinear feature extraction has pursued several comple-\nmentary directions. Various nonparametric spectral methods, such as Isomap[1], LLE[2],\nKernel PCA[3] and Laplacian Eigenmaps[4] have been proposed which reduce the dimen-\nsionality of a \ufb01xed training set in a way that maximally preserve certain inter-point rela-\ntionships, but these methods do not generally provide a functional mappings between the\nhigh and low dimensional spaces that are valid both on and off the training data. In this\npaper, we consider a method to integrate several local feature extractors into a single global\nrepresentation, similar to the approaches of [5, 6, 7, 8]. These methods, as well as ours,\n\n\fdeliver after training a functional mapping which can be used to convert previously unseen\nhigh dimensional observations into their low dimensional global coordinates. Like most\nof the above algorithms, our method performs non-linear feature extraction by minimizing\na convex objective function whose critical points can be characterized as eigenvectors of\nsome matrix. These algorithms are generally simple and ef\ufb01cient; one needs only to con-\nstruct a matrix based on local feature analysis of the training data and then computes its\nlargest or smallest eigenvectors using standard numerical methods. In contrast, methods\nlike generative topographic mapping[9] and self-organizing maps[10] are prone to local\noptima in the objective function.\n\nOur method is based on the same intuitions as in earlier work: the idea is to learn a mixture\nof latent variable density models on the original training data so that each mixture compo-\nnent acts as a local feature extractor. For example, we may use a mixture of factor analyzers\nor a mixture of principal component analyzers (PCA). After this mixture has been learned,\nthe local feature extractors are \u2018coordinated\u2019 by \ufb01nding, for each model, a suitable linear\nmapping (and offset) from its latent variable space into a single \u2018global\u2019 low-dimensional\ncoordinate system. The local feature extractors together with the coordinating linear maps\nprovide a global non-linear map from the data space to the latent space and back. Learning\nthe mixture is driven by a density signal \u2013 we want to place models near the training points,\nwhile the post-coordination is driven by the idea that when two different models place sig-\nni\ufb01cant weight on the same point, they should agree on its mapping into the global space.\n\nOur algorithm, developed in the following section, builds upon recent work of coordination\nmethods. As in [6], we use a cross-entropy between a unimodal approximation and the true\nposterior over global coordinates to encourage agreement. However we do not attempt to\nsimultaneously learn the mixture model and coordinate since this causes severe problems\nwith local minima. Instead, as in [7, 8], we \ufb01x a speci\ufb01c mixture and then study the com-\nputations involved in coordinating its local representations. We extend the latter works as\nCCA extends PCA: rather than \ufb01nding a projection of one set of points, we \ufb01nd projections\nfor two sets of corresponding points fxng and fyng (xn corresponding to yn) into a single\nlatent space that project corresponding points in the two point sets as nearby as possible.\n\nIn this setting we begin by showing, in Section 3, how Laplacian Eigenmaps[4] are a special\ncase of the algorithms presented here when they are applied to only a single manifold.\nWe go on, in Section 4, to extend our algorithm to a setting in which multiple different\nobservation spaces are available, each one related to the same underlying global space but\nthrough different nonlinear embeddings. This naturally gives rise to a nonlinear version of\nweighted Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA). We present results of several experiments\nin the same section and we conclude the paper with a general discussion in Section 5.\n\n2 Non-linear PCA by aligning local feature extractors\n\nConsider a given data set X = fx1; : : : ; xN g and a collection of k local feature extractors,\nfs(x) is a vector containing the, zero or more, features produced by model s. Each feature\nextractor also provides an \u201cactivity signal\u201d, as(x) representing its con\ufb01dence in modeling\nthe point. We convert these activities into posterior responsibilities using a simple soft-\nmax: p(sjx) = exp(as(x))= Pr exp(ar(x)). If the experts are actually components of a\nmixture, then setting the activities to the logarithm of the posteriors under the mixture will\nrecover exactly the same posteriors above.\n\nNext, we consider the relationship between the given representation of the data and the\nrepresentation of the data in a global latent space, which we would like to \ufb01nd. Throughout,\nwe will use g to denote latent \u2019Global\u2019 coordinates for data. For the unobserved latent\ncoordinate g corresponding to a data point xn and conditioned on s, we assume the density:\n(1)\n\np(gjxn; s) = N (g; (cid:20)s + Asfs(xn); (cid:27)2I) = N (g; gns; (cid:27)2I);\n\n\fwhere N (g; (cid:22); (cid:6)) is a Gaussian distribution on g with mean (cid:22) and covariance (cid:6). The\nmean, gns, of p(gjxn; s) is the sum of the component offset (cid:20)s in the latent space and a lin-\near transformation, implemented by As, of fs(xn). From now on we will use homogeneous\ncoordinates and write: Ls = [As(cid:20)s] and zns = [fs(xn)>1]>, and thus gns = Lszns. Con-\nsider the posterior distribution on latent coordinates given some data:\n\np(gjx) = X\n\np(s; gjx) = X\n\np(sjx)p(gjx; s):\n\n(2)\n\ns\n\ns\n\nGiven a \ufb01xed set of local feature extractors and a corresponding activities, we are interested\nin \ufb01nding linear maps Ls that give rise to \u2018consistent\u2019 projections of the data in the latent\nspace. By \u2018consistent\u2019, we mean that the p(gjx; s) are similar for components with large\nposterior. If the predictions are in perfect agreement for a point xn, then all the gns are\nequal and the posterior p(gjx) is Gaussian, in general p(gjx) is a mixture of


Study Help Essay Questions
1. Lewis' structure of Babbitt.
2. Aspects of American home life satirized by Lewis.
3. Babbitt as a caricature.
4. The "dull" things in Babbitt's life.
5. Lewis' attitude toward Myra Babbitt.
6. Lewis' feelings about Midwestern morality.
7. Babbitt: a hypocrite or an honest man?
8. Lewis' portrait of Zenith: accurate or inaccurate?
9. Lewis' parody of Tanis Judique and her bohemian friends.
10. Lewis' attitude toward Seneca Doane.
11. The friendship between Paul Riesling and Babbitt.
12. Characteristics of Lewis' writing style.
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Ready to get started? Awesome, skip ahead to the kits.
I've been writing Laravel since version 4.1.
During that time I've automated the upgrade of 30,000 Laravel applications and personally upgraded hundreds of Laravel codebases.
If there's one thing I've learned from all this, it's that adopting the conventions and features provided by Laravel make crafting and maintaining your Laravel applications easier.
But, that's not always so clear. There are all sorts of ways to write your application code. Even Laravel provides multiple ways to do the same thing.
So how do we choose?
In BaseCode, I focus on practices which provide less complex, more readable code. This lays a foundation. But what does that look like in Laravel?
Lately I've been sharing ways to streamline Laravel on Twitter. These have gotten a fair amount likes, and generated some good discussion.
So I took these and other proven streamlines and expanded on them to create a free field guide. That's right, FREE!
It's a field guide, not a book.
BaseLaravel outlines a set of core principles which serve as motivation behind all of the practices for streamlining Laravel applications.
These principles and practices include:
 - Writing code that prioritizes readability by humans, not a computer
 - Following conventions from Laravel and the community
 - Introducing objects to encapsulate complexity
 - Abstracting large components into supporting Laravel components
 - Avoiding tangled application components by honoring MVC
 - Improving code flow with symmetry
 - Making your Laravel applications easier to maintain
 - Understanding refactoring is an incremental process and not immediate
This isn't a book, it's a field guide. BaseLaravel applies everyday practices to everyday code. There's no fluff. No theory. I refactor real-world code to demonstrate the evolution of code.
Each topic is neatly organized into a chapter. You don't need to read it cover to cover. You are welcome to choose your own adventure. If you have a codebase with a lot of controllers, read Controllers. Bogged down in the data layer, read Models. Crafting a lot of Blade templates, read Views.
What's available in each kit?
Field Guide
Every kit includes the first 3 chapters of BaseLaravel.
 1. Introduction: Principles
 2. Chapter 1: Controllers
 1. Temporary Variables
 2. Request Object
 3. Form Requests
 4. Middleware
 5. Dispatching Jobs
 6. Responding with Resources
 3. Chapter 2: Models
 1. Inheritance
 2. The order of things
 3. Creation Methods
 4. Accessors, Mutators, and Casts
 5. Query Methods
 6. Eloquent Collections
 4. Chapter 3: Views
 1. Modern Directives
 2. Template Hierarchies
 3. Stacks
 4. Error Handling
 5. Be Dumb
 6. Components
 5. Epilogue: Moving Forward
Code Samples
Every kit also includes a download of the complete code examples used in BaseLaravel. The folders are organized by chapter and files are named for each the example with before and after suffixes for comparison.
Group Q&A Calls
With the Premium Kit you also get access to the group calls. These will be live-streams lasting about 20 minutes each where you can ask me any questions so you get the most out of BaseLaravel.
Bonus Chapter
The Premium Kit also includes a bonus chapter:
Chapter 4: Additional Streamlines
 1. Config Files
 2. Fluent Method Chains
 3. Container
 4. Macros
 5. Exception Handling
 6. Real Time Facades
 7. Events
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Finally, the Premium Kit includes over 2 hours of additional video content which demo the BaseLaravel practices in action by refactoring real-world Laravel applications.
 1. Frame from It's all a WIP video
 It's all a WIP
 2. Frame from Deciding on Middleware video
 Deciding on Middleware
 3. Frame from Maximizing Form Requests video
 Maximizing Form Requests
 4. Frame from Using real time Facades video
 Using real time Facades
 5. Frame from Leveraging custom exceptions video
 Leveraging custom exceptions
 6. Frame from Streamlining Controllers video
 Streamlining Controllers
 7. Frame from Automating these streamlines video
 Automating these streamlines
 8. Frame from Routing tips and tricks video
 Routing tips and tricks
 9. Frame from Breaking up views video
 Breaking up views
 10. Frame from Structuring Models video
 Structuring Models
 11. Frame from Streamlining Eloquent queries video
 Streamlining Eloquent queries
 12. Frame from Keep on WIP'n video
 Keep on WIP'n
Choose your kit
Free Kit
Read the BaseLaravel principles and practices to start streamlining your Laravel applications.
 - First 3 chapters of BaseLaravel
 - Download PDF, epub, or mobi
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Not only read, but see these streamlines in action, as well as ask specific questions in group calls.
 - Everything included in the Free Kit
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These are historic times. That's one of the reasons I made BaseLaravel free. However, if you are a student, live in a country with low purchasing power, or otherwise can not afford the Premium Kit, feel free to email me.
Frequently asked questions
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Sure. Just send payment to and I'll get your account set up.
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Jason McCreary
Who is JMac?
Hi. I'm Jason McCreary. I go by JMac because I always seem to work with other programmers named Jason.
I love building things and sharing my knowledge. I created Laravel Shift, recorded Confident Laravel, wrote BaseCode, and speak at conferences.
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Pune's waste-pickers handle about 20 thousand kilograms of dirty diapers and sanitary pads every day, exposing themselves to diseases like staphylococcus, hepatitis, e coli, salmonella and typhoid
A Simple Red Dot On Your Menstrual Waste Can Change A Sanitation Worker's Life
"Initially when I joined SWaCH in 2004, it was shocking to see my co-workers removing sanitary waste from the wet waste with their hands. It has been 13 years and even today I have to hand segregate the menstrual waste and deal with flies, insects and the unbearable smell on a daily basis. Twice I was diagnosed with bacterial infection, but now I am used to it.", 43-year old Sarru Waghmare's shocking words point to the cruel reality of a waste picker's life.
Even the most well-meaning of us, dispose our waste without much thought to where it ends up, how and by whom it is handled. Sarru Waghmare works at the Pune waste picket cooperative SWaCH (Solid Waste Collection and Handling). Like her, several other workers face health issues ranging from headache, loose motions to fever.
We live in a society where even discussing menstruation is a taboo. Not surprisingly, the issue of how our menstrual waste is handled is totally brushed under the carpet. However, as Sarru Waghmare's words show, it is a conversation that needs to be brought out into the mainstream.
Sanitary waste is a silent and a mounting problem in India. Every day, SWaCH workers collect 6.5 lakh kilograms of waste from over five lakh houses of Pune, which they hand-segregate into dry and wet waste. Out of that, 3 per cent is sanitary waste, meaning they handle nearly 20 thousand kilograms of dirty diapers and sanitary pads every day.
red dot campaign
Red Dot Campaign was launched on February 7
To talk about this, SWaCH along with Kagad Kach Patra Kastakari Panchayat (KKPKP), a trade union of waste pickers, and the Pune Municipal Corporation have started the arduous process of inculcating sanitary waste management techniques in more than 5 lakh households of Pune.
The Red Dot Campaign was formally launched on February 7 this year. The city-wide project was launched in two parts, one to raise awareness on ways to dispose sanitary waste and the other, to make sanitary napkin manufacturers more accountable.
Residents of Pune were asked to wrap up their sanitary pads and diapers in paper that was marked with a red dot. This would help SWaCH workers identify sanitary waste and treat it accordingly. To make it easier for the residents to dump waste in pushcarts, the carts were painted red.
The SWaCH team also manufactures fifty thousand red-labelled bags per month and sells them for merely Rs.1.25 per bag as part of their campaign.
red dot campaign
To promote the awareness in an appealing way, the SWaCH team came out with stickers for shops, mugs, flyers and banners. Keeping digitization in mind, all information related to the red dot can also be accessed with a simple QR code.
Health and Dignity at stake?
Every day, waste pickers rummage through waste to segregate it, exposing themselves to various diseases, like staphylococcus, hepatitis, e coli, salmonella and typhoid. In fact, the stress of handling people's waste on a daily basis has many more ramifications.
Malati Gadgil, who heads the campaign, tells us how many sanitary workers even lose the will to eat because of their work.
We all like to eat in clean surroundings and with clean utensils. You can hardly go from changing a diaper to eating right away even if it is your child. Imagine being faced with it every day.
The kind of waste they get exposed to is not just harmful for them but also against their dignity of labour.
It is hard to categorize diseases but handling blood and feces is an issue which is why even hospitals and path labs are careful, using disposables and gloves etc., added Ms Gadgil.
red dot campaign
Red-labelled bags ensures segregation of Sanitary Waste
As a woman myself, I can empathize with the indignity of handling sanitary waste and like other women not be exposed to it. A simple red dot can ensure that no one has to go through this," said P. Ritika, student volunteer with SWaCH.
Terming the Red Dot Campaign as beginning of a revolution in waste management, Isak isamail Shaikh, PMC Health Inspector said, "The red dot difference is there for all to see as citizens have started giving the waste in a separate identifiable form. It will make a big difference to those working in the SWM (Solid Waste Management) field."
Since it has been just a month since the launch, the change is slow but steady says Ms Gadgil.
People are responding to the campaign, they are neatly wrapping up the sanitary waste, but it is a long way to go.
As Ms Waghmare goes from door to door collecting waste, she is changing people's approach towards sanitary waste by educating them.
It is hard to change the mentality of people and often they ward off the issue by saying that it is not their responsibility or they do not have time to mark it a red dot.
She further adds, SWaCH members are hopeful and slowly but steadily, we will bring a change.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the AEM Pilot?
The AEM Pilot is an interactive web-based tool for states and K-12 districts. Its purpose is to help states and K-12 districts self-assess and monitor their progress toward developing more robust, sustainable systems for the provision and use of accessible educational materials and technologies (AEM). Using scaffolds such as guiding questions and exemplars, the AEM Pilot helps states and K-12 districts build a shared vision for the improvement of their AEM-related services.
Why use the AEM Pilot?
The AEM Pilot is built around the Quality Indicators for the Provision of AEM in K12, a synthesis of AEM-related best practices identified through a rigorous process involving substantial input from the AEM community. Through their use of the AEM Pilot as a self-assessment and progress monitoring tool, states and K12 districts can translate these best practices into actionable steps for improving the timely, consistent and coordinated delivery of AEM-related services for all students who need them. These services are key to increasing the participation and progress of students with disabilities in the curriculum in ways that are consistent with civil rights laws and other legal mandates.
Who should use the AEM Pilot?
The AEM Pilot is built for teams (or "crews") with a broad representation of professionals with roles and responsibilities that impact the provision of accessible materials and technology across a state or district. A key goal is to promote communication and collaboration and create sustainable practices for the timely provision of high-quality AEM, and this can only be done with a team effort. The size and composition of the crew for a given state or district will vary based on the unique characteristics of that state or district. We recommend that you think about roles instead of specific titles when putting together your crew. Your crew can include any of the following roles, which are discussed in more detail in the Manual: leadership, teachers and other instructional staff, technology, data management, library and media services, families and students. Assembling a crew that represents a cross-section of relevant personnel will ensure that broad perspectives are considered as decisions about AEM are made. Furthermore, having a diverse crew will help you tap into multiple networks and make information gathering and dissemination much easier.
How does the AEM Pilot work?
The AEM Pilot has two key components for each Quality Indicator: Guiding Questions and a Self-Assessment. The Guiding Questions are meant to prime crew members for reflection through the use of a number of exemplars that place the Quality Indicator in the context of state and district practices. For each guiding question, there is space for crew members to document their discussions in preparation for the Self-Assessment. These notes can be revisited, edited or printed at any time. The Self-Assessment is where the crew members will prepare their reports and track their progress toward achieving their goals for a given Quality Indicator.
The AEM Pilot is designed to support continuous improvement and refinement over time. To get started with the tool, a state or district will conduct an initial self-assessment for a Quality Indicator called a "cycle." The AEM Pilot will save data and provide action steps your crew can use to make progress between a number of these cycles. In this way, the tool will serve a dual purpose for both self-assessment and progress monitoring.
Can our crew complete a cycle in multiple sittings?
Yes, you can work at your own pace by starting a cycle and coming back to it later. For each Quality Indicator, you can enter your information (your rating and rationale, goal, action steps and timeline) and choose the "Save as Draft" option at the bottom of the Self-Assessment page. When you return to the Console, the Self-Assessment button for that Quality Indicator will indicate that it is "In Progress." You can select that button to return to your draft and make any changes. Only when you select "Generate Report" at the bottom of the Self-Assessment page will your cycle be marked as completed. You can see a list of all of your cycles for each Quality Indicator in the Console, along with a timestamp to let you know when it was completed.
Is there a recommended order for how to proceed through the AEM Pilot?
For the initial self-assessment or cycle, we recommend the state or district address the Quality Indicators in order. This will help crew members see how the indicators fit together into a whole more powerful than its parts. With subsequent cycles, states and districts can focus on specific quality indicators that need more attention in order to improve their system.
How long does it take to complete a "cycle" in the AEM Pilot?
The amount of time it takes to complete a cycle will depend on a number of factors that reflect the unique characteristics of your state or district: the size of your state or district, the knowledge of AEM and experience level of your crew, how well your crew communicates and works together, and the current status of AEM in your state or district can all play a role in how long it takes to complete your cycles. The more prepared your crew is, the more efficiently they will move through the self-assessment activities. The Manual includes some tips to optimize the productivity of your crew (you will find the bottom of the "Putting Together a Strong Crew page).
What information does a report from the AEM Pilot include?
The AEM Pilot is a process facilitator that guides a crew through collaborative decision-making. The output of a self-assessment cycle for a Quality Indicator will include the following information provided by the crew in a report:
- Your crew's rating for the Quality Indicator
- Rationale used to select that rating
- Goal for the next cycle
- Action items with a timeline
The Console is where you can view the reports for any cycles you have completed. Just select the link for the desired cycle to view a report you can print out at any time.
Is the information we enter into the AEM Pilot confidential and secure?
If we need help or still have questions, how do we reach out?
To provide feedback or ask a question about the AEM Pilot, send an email to _EMAIL_.
By seeking and blundering we learn.


Compare Old & New World wines - An analysis of famous wine critics
Updated: Jun 30, 2020
What does Old World Wine mean? Find out the differences between New World and Old World wine and how wine-making practices and regional climate significantly affect the taste of wine.
The spread of wine-making and Vitis vinifera grapes from the Middle East into Europe defines what areas are part of the Old World (in terms of wine). Public Domain Map by Anonymous circa 1570
New World vs. Old World Wine
Old World Wine
Old world wines are from countries or regions where winemaking (with Vitis vinifera grapes) first originated.
Old world wine countries include France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Hungary, and Germany. Based on the definition, countries like Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, and Moldova are also able to be considered old world wine regions!
New World Wine
New world wines are from countries or regions where winemaking (and Vitis vinifera grapes) were imported during (and after) the age of exploration.
New world wine countries include: the United States, Australia, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, and New Zealand are New World wine regions. Also, based on the definition, China, India, South Africa, and Japan are new world wine regions.
Do Old World Wines Taste Different Than New World Wines?
Yes, they often do. The differences in Old World and New World wines come from winemaking practices (tradition) and the effect of the land and climate on the grapes (the "terroir").
 - Old World wines are often described as tasting lighter, having less alcohol, having higher acidity, and tasting less fruity.
 - New World wines are often described as tasting riper, having higher alcohol, having less acidity, and tasting more fruity.
Despite these common descriptors between New and Old World wines, there are plenty of exceptions to the rule. This is because winemakers have a fair amount of control when it comes to affecting how a wine will ultimately taste. Call it a winemaking preference if you want. Many Old World regions have rules and regulations that dictate winemaking practices, which decides a wine's style.
For example, if you made Malbec with the same winemaking methodologies in Mendoza, Argentina, and then in Cahors, France, the wines would taste similar but not the same. In this case, The difference is in the conditions (the climate, the microfauna, etc.) of the two regions.
Two Examples
Bordeaux Merlot vs. California Merlot
2008 Rombauer Merlot California Critic Review
"This elegant, focused version delivers currant and floral herb aromas and appealing cherry, caramel, and spice flavors. Drink now through 2017." -Wine Spectator ANALYSIS Wine Spectator is quick to announce the fruit characteristics of this wine first and also discuss "Caramel" and "Spice," which indicate oak aging. "Floral Herb" is mentioned as an aroma but not a flavor, saying that this wine may smell complex but tastes more fruity. Rombauer has long been known for making very fruit-forward wines in the past, and Wine Spectator says this one is not as bold or lush as the others with the word "Elegant."
2009 Chateau Siaurac France Critic Review
"Attractive truffle, graphite and plum notes intermixed with mocha and black cherry cascade from the glass of this supple, chunky, fleshy wine. There is good glycerin, purity, and overall character to this wine, which can be drunk over the next decade." -Robert Parker ANALYSIS Robert Parker reveals the most prevalent flavors of this wine first in his description of Chateau Siaurac. By saying the words "Graphite," "Truffle," and "Chunky," he is telling us that the wine is more earthy. The indication of its expected age-worthiness of a decade, Parker is saying that the wine has the 4 components that make a wine age-worthy. This does not mean that the wine will necessarily drink well now.
Loire Sauvignon Blanc vs. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
2011 Brancott Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand Critic Review
"Brancott sets the style for clean, oceanic Marlborough sauvignon with this mouthwatering wine. There's a touch of flint in the aroma, bright passionfruit flavors, and fresh acidity to balance it." -Wine & Spirits ANALYSIS Wine & Spirits suggests that the wine has a unique mineral aroma, but says that overall it tastes of passionfruit. "Passionfruit" in Sauvignon Blanc is a ripe flavor, whereas flavors like "Lemon" and "Pepper" indicate a less ripe grape.
2011 Les Roches Touraine Blanc France Critic Review
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By stripping waste and other non-value-added steps from the production process, lean manufacturing has saved companies billions
of dollars. But why stop there? If a company is using traditional testing methods to release its products to market, the adoption
of rapid microbial methods (RMMs) is one of the most important additions a company can make to its lean initiatives.
THE VALUE OF RAPID METHODS
Lean quality is achieved by extending the principles of lean manufacturing to microbial testing. RMMs are being adopted by
increasing numbers of pharmaceutical companies around the world to reduce lead times while ensuring product safety. Implementing
rapid methods can unlock huge savings by shortening microbial hold times to just 24 hours for microbial limits, and cutting
sterility testing time by more than 50%. This translates into an average 5–year net present value savings of $500,000 or more
Improved efficiency also reduces recovery time in the event of contamination. During production, when so much is at risk,
the benefits of rapid methods are doubled. The faster that corrective action can be initiated, the faster recovery can occur,
which reduces the potential impact on customer relationships and the bottom line.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR
HOW RAPID METHODS WORK
Products that are susceptible to microbial contamination but expected to be shipped contamination free are screened before
being released into distribution. That screening adds multiple days to the production cycle and extends lead times. Microscreening
typically takes 3–7 days for microlimits testing and 14 days or more for sterility. That's a long time to wait when there
is a good production process in place that is turning out products free from bioburden almost all the time. The wait time
is frustrating, and expensive.
Well-validated, rapid methods are just as effective as traditional microbiological methods, only faster. Results can be delivered
in as few as 24 hours using a rapid method featuring adenylate kinase (AK). AK-amplified bioluminescence combines the use
of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the gold standard of rapid detection methods, with a patented enzyme technology to deliver
accurate results quickly.
All living organisms contain the compound ATP as a vital part of their energy metabolism. In the standard bioluminescence
test, when ATP is detected, a reaction occurs that generates a photon of yellow-green light, similar to that of a firefly.
It is a very sensitive technique, but limited by the fact that an organism contains only a small amount of the metabolite
Adenylate kinase (AK) is another vital part of energy metabolism. When supplied with an excess of ADP (adenosine diphosphate),
AK acts as a catalyst, converting ADP into ATP. Because AK is an enzyme rather than a metabolite, it can be harnessed to generate
almost unlimited amounts of its product. After 25 minutes, for example, the amount of ATP can be 1000 times greater than that
which the organism originally contained. As a result of this amplification and the reduced dependence upon microbial growth
for detection, AK-amplified bioluminescence provides faster results when screening for microbial contamination.


reproducing the part of the table for 5 years of HRT use below.
 Age group Baseline risk (per 1000) Relative excess risk Absolute excess risk (per 1000)
 50-54 1.2 0.43 0.52
 55-59 1.6 0.23 0.37
 60-64 2.1 0.05 0.10
 Total 0.99
The table is a bit complicated, so some words or explanation are probably helpful. The baseline risk is the probability (per 1000) of developing ovarian cancer over a 5 year period in the relevant age group. The relative excess risk is the proportional amount by which that risk is increased by 5 years of HRT use starting at age 50. The absolute excess risk is the baseline risk multiplied by the relative excess risk.
The risk in each 5 year period is then added together to give the total excess lifetime risk of ovarian cancer for a woman who takes HRT for 5 years starting at age 50. I assume excess risks at older age groups are ignored as there is no evidence that HRT increases the risk after such a long delay. It's important to note here that the figure of 1 in 1000 excess ovarian cancer cases refers to lifetime risk: not the excess in a 5 year period.
The figures for incidence seem plausible. The figures for absolute excess risk are correct if the relative excess risk is correct. However, it's not completely clear where the figures for relative risk come from. We are told they come from figure 2 in the paper. Maybe I'm missing something, but I'm struggling to match the 2 sets of figures. The excess risk of 0.43 for the 50-54 year age group matches the relative risk 1.43 for current users with duration < 5 years (which will be true while the women are still in that age group), but I can't see where the relative excess risks of 0.23 and 0.05 come from.
Maybe it doesn't matter hugely, as the numbers in figure 2 are in the same ballpark, but it always makes me suspicious when numbers should match and don't.
There are some further statistical problems with the paper. This is going to get a bit technical, so feel free to skip the next two paragraphs if you're not into statistical details. To be honest, it all pales into insignificance anyway beside the more serious problem that correlation does not equal causation.
The methods section tells us that cases were matched with controls. We are not told how the matching was done, which is the sort of detail I would not expect to see left out of a paper in the Lancet. But crucially, a matched case control study is different to a non-matched case control study, and it's important to analyse it in a way that takes account of the matching, with a technique such as conditional logistic regression. Nothing in the paper suggests that the matching was taken into account in the analysis. This may mean that the confidence intervals for the relative risks are wrong.
It also seems odd that the data were analysed using Poisson regression (and no, I'm not going to say "a bit fishy"). Poisson regression makes the assumption that the baseline risk of developing ovarian cancer remains constant over time. That seems a highly questionable assumption here. It would be interesting to see if the results were similar using a method with more relaxed assumptions, such as Cox regression. It's also a bit fishy (oh damn, I did say it after all) that the paper tells us that Poisson regression yielded odds ratios. Poisson regression doesn't normally yield odds ratios: the default statistic is an incidence rate ratio. Granted, the interpretation is similar to an odds ratio, but they are not the same thing. Perhaps there is some cunning variation on Poisson regression in which the analysis can be coaxed into giving odds ratios, but if there is, I'm not aware of it.
I'm not sure how much those statistical issues matter. I would expect that you'd get broadly similar results with different techniques. But as with the opaque way in which the lifetime excess risk was calculated, it just bothers me when statistical methods are not as they should be. It makes you wonder if anything else was wrong with the analysis.
Oh, and a further oddity is that nowhere in the paper are we told the total sample size for the analysis. We are told the number of women who developed ovarian cancer, but we are not told the number of controls that were analysed. That's a pretty basic piece of information that I would expect to see in any journal, never mind a top-tier journal such as the Lancet.
I don't know whether those statistical oddities have a material impact on the analysis. Perhaps they do, perhaps they don't. But ultimately, I'm not sure it's the most important thing. The really important thing here is that the study has not shown that HRT causes an increase in ovarian cancer risk.
Remember folks, correlation does not equal causation.
Hospital special measures and regression to the mean
Forgive me for writing 2 posts in a row about regression to the mean. But it's an important statistical concept, which also happens to be widely misunderstood. Sometimes with important consequences.
Last week, I blogged about a claim that student tuition fees had not put off disadvantaged applicants. The research was flawed, because it defined disadvantage on the basis of postcode areas, and not on the individual characteristics of applicants. This means that an increase in university applications from disadvantaged areas could have simply been due to regression to the mean (ie the most disadvantaged areas becoming less disadvantaged) rather than more disadvantaged individual students applying to university.
Today, we have a story in the news where exactly the same statistical phenomenon is occurring. The story is that putting hospitals into "special measures" has been effective in reducing their death rates, according to new research by Dr Foster.
The research shows no such thing, of course.
The full report, "Is [sic] special measures working?" is available here. I'm afraid the authors' statistical expertise is no better than their grammar.
The research looked at 11 hospital trusts that had been put into special measures, and found that their mortality rates fell faster than hospitals on average. They thus concluded that special measures were effective in reducing mortality.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. The 11 hospital trusts had been put into special measures not at random, but precisely because they had higher than expected mortality. If you take 11 hospital trusts on the basis of a high mortality rate and then look at them again a couple of years later, you would expect the mortality rate to have fallen more than in other hospitals simply because of regression to the mean.
Maybe those 11 hospitals were particularly bad, but maybe they were just unlucky. Perhaps it's a combination of both. But if they were unusually unlucky one year, you wouldn't expect them to be as unlucky the next year. If you take the hospitals with the worst mortality, or indeed the most extreme examples of anything, you would expect it to improve just by chance.
This is a classic example of regression to the mean. The research provides no evidence whatsoever that special measures are doing anything. To do that, you would need to take poorly performing hospitals and allocate them at random either to have special measures or to be in a control group. Simply observing that the worst trusts got better after going into special measures tells you nothing about whether special measures were responsible for the improvement.


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% were married couples living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,598, and the median income for a family was $32,539. Males had a median income of $30,112 versus $20,754 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,730. About 17.1% of families and 20.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.8% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
Downtown New Castle is currently undergoing a redevelopment centered around the Cascade Center. The downtown streets and sidewalks were rebuilt in the early 21st century to resemble the style at the start of the 19th century. The revitalization of downtown also saw two major routes into the city, Pennsylvania Route 65 and U.S. Route 224, which have both had their terminus extended into downtown since the start of 2007.
InfoCision, a telemarketing services company, restored the former New Castle Dry Goods Co. building, where it moved its offices into from the Cascade Galleria. The building had been vacant since the late 1980s when the Troutman's department store closed and became registered on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is now known as the Pier I Complex Building.
The downtown area has also become the home of several bank offices, hosting the regional headquarters of Huntington, FirstMerit, and First Commonwealth (all descended from banks formerly based in the city but later acquired) as well as branches for PNC Bank and First National Bank. Mellon Bank also had offices across the street from the current Zambelli Plaza before selling off its New Castle-area branches to First National Bank, which closed the office building since it already had the aforementioned branch in downtown. Mellon's former parking lot was restored and is now the parking lot for the Cascade Center and other downtown businesses.
Public schools
The city itself is served by the New Castle Area School District, with several areas also served by their respective school districts. New Castle Area also serves nearby West Pittsburg. The Lawrence County Career and Technical Center is also located in the city. There are three primary centers at New Castle: John F. Kennedy, West Side and Thaddius Stevens. There is a kindergarten (Lockly) and a pre-kindergarten (Croton). The middle school is George Washington Intermediate.
Post-secondary education
New Castle proper is primarily served by four post-secondary education facilities: the New Castle Beauty School for cosmetology students in downtown, the New Castle School of Trades for technical trades in Pulaski Township, the Jameson School of Nursing (owned & operated by Jameson Health System) within the city, and the Lawrence County branch of Butler County Community College, which opened in 2008 in Union Township and serves as a primary community college to Lawrence County.
Among more traditional four-year universities within short driving distance includes Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Grove City College in Grove City, Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Westminster College in New Wilmington, and Youngstown State University in Youngstown just outside of downtown. Penn State also has two branches within driving distance: the Beaver campus in Monaca and the Shenango campus in Sharon.
Among local routes, Interstate 376, Pennsylvania Route 18, and U.S. Route 422 are the major routes running through the city, while two more major routes — Pennsylvania Route 65 and U.S. Route 224 — both terminate in the city. Pennsylvania Route 108 and Pennsylvania Route 168 also run through the city. U.S. 422 Business, a former alignment of U.S. 422, runs through the city, ending on each side of the city when the main 422 leaves the New Castle Bypass. I-376 and U.S. 422 are briefly concurrent with each other on the New Castle Bypass, though south of New Castle until Chippewa Township near Beaver Falls, I-376 is tolled by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. The area is located a short drive from Interstate 79, Interstate 80, and Interstate 76/Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The closest airport is the New Castle Municipal Airport which is a purely municipal airport with no commercial service. Most residents of New Castle use Pittsburgh International Airport which is about 42 miles (68 km) from downtown. Also, Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, Akron-Canton Airport, and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport are all within driving distance of the city center.
The local community is served by the New Castle News, a newspaper published in the afternoon Monday-Friday. On the weekends, the paper publishes the New Castle News Weekend, published on Saturday mornings. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and The Vindicator also have large distributions in the area.
The area is served by both the Pittsburgh and Youngstown television stations, with regular news coverage in the area from both. Despite being considerably closer to Youngstown, New Castle is part of the Pittsburgh DMA by Nielsen Media Research. It is, however, part of the Youngstown radio market according to Arbitron ratings, even though most Pittsburgh-area radio stations can easily be heard within the area.
New Castle was home to the first ABC television affiliate in Western Pennsylvania when WKST-TV signed on in 1953, as WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh did not sign on until 1958 and WJET-TV did not sign on in Erie until 1966. The station moved its license to Youngstown in 1964, moved to channel 33, and changed its call sign to WYTV. WYTV remains an ABC affiliate today, while the channel 45 allocation is now used by PBS member station WNEO in Alliance, Ohio. Currently, the only TV station in New Castle is WPCP-CD 27, a low-powered satellite station of Pittsburgh low-powered independent station WBGN-CD. WPXI did recently apply to the FCC for a repeater station on channel 33 in the city.
New Castle is home to two AM stations: talk station WKST 1200 and sports talk station WJST AM 1280, the latter being a Fox Sports Radio affiliate. For FM, WKPL FM 92.1, an oldies station, was licensed in New Castle before its license was moved to Ellwood City in 2004, though it still includes New Castle as one of its local communities as part of its FCC-mandated station identification. The AM stations are owned by Altoona-based Forever Broadcasting, LLC while WKPL is owned by Froggy parent Keymarket Communications of Pittsburgh.
The city was the site of an important development in the history of Warner Bros. studios, given that the first Warner Bros. theater, the Cascade, opened there in 1907. (The Warners, most of whom were Polish Jewish immigrants, resided in Youngstown.) The theater was restored and reopened in 2006. The building was nearly condemned ten years earlier after a wall fell on the sidewalk near East Washington Street (one of the city's main thoroughfares) before its historical significance was discovered, saving the building. Municipal officials have planned recent revitalization efforts around the former theater, which is now known as Cascade Center. The facility currently features two restaurants and a local stage theater, and plans are in progress to turn the complex into New Castle's version of Station Square in Pittsburgh. This revitalization plan, however, will focus on motion pictures rather than railroads.
The Cascade Center itself is named after Cascade Park, located on the outskirts of the city's East Side in Shenango Township along Pennsylvania Route 65. A former trolley park, it was restored and converted into a regular outdoor park in the 1980s with a few historical buildings as well as the park's entrance sign restored, avoiding the fate of nearby Idora Park in Youngstown. The park hosts the annual Back to the 50s Weekend classic car show, and previously hosted the similarly themed Thunder in the Cascades motorcycle show until concerns about nudity and alcohol use at the event as opposed to the more family-friendly Back to the 50's Weekend had the event moved to the Lawrence County Fairgrounds in nearby Hickory Township in the early 21st century.
The New Castle Playhouse, a community theatre, is located along Long Avenue and puts on several shows a year, and is one of the only such theatres between Youngstown and theatre-rich Pittsburgh.
The Old Princeton School, located nearby, has been the venue for rock concerts.
In the 2011 movie, Super 8, New Castle, Pennsylvania is referenced as the "fireworks capital of the world."
New Castle has a large Arab-American population whose culture is visible throughout the community. Large numbers of Lebanese and Syrian immigrants were attracted by the city's prosperity in the late


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Delivering project results: Change Management Workshop for Project Teams
Designed for a project team, this results-oriented workshop provides project teams with awareness of how change management can help them meet a project's intended outcomes. Led by a Prosci Certified Instructor, the workshop is designed to guide participants through towards? a common language and framework for change management using terms they know: intent, objectives, scope, work streams, milestones, deliverables and timelines.
This program is intended for:
- Intact project teams
- Project leaders and managers
During the four-hour Change Management Workshop for Project Teams, participants will:
- Connect employee adoption and usage to your project's results and outcomes
- Understand how change management drives better adoption and usage
- Create a common framework for engaging with change management resources/practitioners
- Learn to identify when their project needs change management resourcing
Through this workshop, participants will define success by identifying the project objectives and benefits through discussion and in-class assignments. They will also identify impacted employee groups and use the Prosci Change Management Blueprint to define and plan change management activities in their project's life cycle.
This workshop defines change management in a project context, including:
- Work Streams
- Cost-Benefit Analysis
Course Materials Included:
- Change Management Best Practices Research Expose
- ADKAR book
- Change management: The People Side of Change book
- Change Management Blueprint
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How can you tell that this visual pun was created by a north American? Because it doesn't quite work in BrE or, therefore, in Australian/NZ/South African English.
Why not? First, and obviously, because in BrE barium has the stressed vowel eə while bury has e. So for us Brits barium sounds different from bury 'em. But in AmE they are homophonous.
But secondly, I think, because we don't use the form 'em for them as freely as Americans seem to. Our weak form of them is generally ðəm, with the initial consonant retained. As the OED (1891) comments under 'em,
The emphatic form of the pronoun was early superseded by THEM pron., but the unstressed form continued to be used, being regarded as an abbreviation of them. In literature it is now obs. or arch., but is still common in familiar speech.
Obsolete or archaic… yes, but not really "still common in familiar speech" (or so it seems to me). Rather, as far as I am concerned it seems to be generally restricted to a few set formulaic expressions such as If you can't beat 'em, join 'em and give 'em the money. Beyond that, them can lose (or assimilate) its ð in the same way as that, the or they when following z in phrases such as is that, was the, claims they, sees them.
When I was a small child we spent family holidays in a friend's unimproved rural Yorkshire cottage called, for some reason, Buryemwick 'Bury them alive'. But if asked what to do with dead cats, for example, we'd never have said "bury 'em", but rather "bury them".
It would also be possible to take the final əm of barium as representing not 'em but him ('im) — but only in an accent of English that has lost the contrast between ɪ and ə in this position, as in often the case in AmE but generally not the case in English English.


Marguerite Yourcenar
Laureate Erasmus Prize 1983
Theme: Literature
To mark the 25th anniversary of the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation in 1983, four Erasmus Prizes were awarded. The recipients were Raymond Aron, Isaiah Berlin, Leszek Kolakowski and Marguerite Yourcenar.
Historical figures play an important role in the work of the writer Marguerite Yourcenar (_PHONE_), originally from Brussels. Her powers of empathy enabled her to go back into the past. By using historical figures, she made clear the unique but at the same time universal qualities of the individual in time, as demonstrated in her best-known books: Alexis ou le Traité du vain combat (1929), Mémoires d'Hadrien (1951) and L'Oeuvre au noir (1968). She was also able to explain her fundamental humanist belief in the unchanging nature of man.
Marguerite Yourcenar grew up in France and moved to the United States in 1939. She established her name not only as a novelist but also an essayist, dramatist and translator. In 1980 Marguerite Yourcenar was admitted to the Académie Française – the first woman to receive that honour.
Marguerite Yourcenar donated her portion of the Erasmus Prize to the World Wildlife Fund in the United States.


TU Berlin
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Is the Hyporheic Zone Relevant beyond the Scientific Community?
Zitatschlüssel w11112230
Jahr 2019
ISSN 2073-4441
DOI 10.3390/w11112230
Journal Water
Jahrgang 11
Nummer 11
Zusammenfassung Rivers are important ecosystems under continuous anthropogenic stresses. The hyporheic zone is a ubiquitous, reactive interface between the main channel and its surrounding sediments along the river network. We elaborate on the main physical, biological, and biogeochemical drivers and processes within the hyporheic zone that have been studied by multiple scientific disciplines for almost half a century. These previous efforts have shown that the hyporheic zone is a modulator for most metabolic stream processes and serves as a refuge and habitat for a diverse range of aquatic organisms. It also exerts a major control on river water quality by increasing the contact time with reactive environments, which in turn results in retention and transformation of nutrients, trace organic compounds, fine suspended particles, and microplastics, among others. The paper showcases the critical importance of hyporheic zones, both from a scientific and an applied perspective, and their role in ecosystem services to answer the question of the manuscript title. It identifies major research gaps in our understanding of hyporheic processes. In conclusion, we highlight the potential of hyporheic restoration to efficiently manage and reactivate ecosystem functions and services in river corridors.
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A Myth Explaining Why Parrots Are Different Colours
A myth submitted to the site by Megan Coles
A long time ago in Greece every animal was colourful except for the parrot. The parrots were dull and boring. The parrots hated being like this because nobody liked them. The parrots were fed up with this and wished the other animals would be nice to them.
One day something amazing happened ………
It started to rain, the animal were fascinated by this as they had never seen a single drop of rain in their whole life. The sun was still shining and the air was still warm, the animals were very confused.
A couple of hours later an elephant saw the colours: Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. He trumpeted and every one looked at him. The elephant pointed his truck at the pretty colours in the sky. All the other animals were shocked. What were all the pretty colours in the sky?
The animals went over to the parrots to ask what all the pretty colours were in the sky as they were most intelligent of them all.
It was a rainbow of course.
A couple of minutes later there was a popping sound and colours were flying off in every direction. One spark landed on a parrot and the parrot turned red blue and yellow.
This started to happen on all the parrots. The only thing that was different about all the parrots was that they were all different colours.
That is why parrots are beautiful and colourful today.


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Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above)
Adult (15+) literacy rate (%). Total is the percentage of the population age 15 and above who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, 'literacy' also encompasses 'numeracy', the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of literates aged 15 years and over by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.


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An hermaphrodite, or hermie, is a plant of one sex that develops the sexual organs of the other sex. Most commonly, a flowering female plant will develop staminate flowers, though the reverse is also true. Primarily male hermaphrodites are not as well recognized only because few growers let their males reach a point of flowering where the pistillate would be expressed.
Hermaphrodites are generally viewed with disfavor. First, they will release pollen and ruin a sinsemelia crop, pollinating themselves and all of the other females in the room. Second, the resulting seeds are worthless, because hermaphrodite parents tend to pass on the tendency to their offspring.
Please note that occassionally specious staminate flowers will appear in the last days of flowering of a female plant. These do not drop pollen and their appearance is not considered evidence of deleterious hermaphroditism.
Here's an image of a hermaphrodite, specifically a female plant with staminate flowers.
Hermaphrodite photograph above by Ot1.
Hermaphrodite pics above by snoofer
Authors: Ot1 & snoofer


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The environmental setting (e.g., climate, topography, geology) and land use affect stream physical characteristics singly and cumulatively. At broad geographic scales, we determined the importance of environmental setting and land use in explaining variation in stream physical characteristics. We hypothesized that as the spatial scale decreased from national to regional, land use would explain more of the variation in stream physical characteristics because environmental settings become more homogeneous. At a national scale, stepwise linear regression indicated that environmental setting was more important in explaining variability in stream physical characteristics. Although statistically discernible, the amount of variation explained by land use was not remarkable due to low partial correlations. At level II ecoregion spatial scales (southeastern USA plains, central USA plains, and a combination of the western Cordillera and the western interior basins and ranges), environmental setting variables were again more important predictors of stream physical characteristics, however, as the spatial scale decreased from national to regional, the portion of variability in stream physical characteristics explained by basin land use increased. Development of stream habitat indicators of land use will depend upon an understanding of relations between stream physical characteristics and environmental factors at multiple spatial scales. Smaller spatial scales will be necessary to reduce the confounding effects of variable environmental settings before the effects of land use can be reliably assessed.?? Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2006.
Additional Publication Details
Can basin land use effects on physical characteristics of streams be determined at broad geographic scales?


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What is a Mechanism?
A mechanism is a mechanical device used to transfer or transform motion, force, or energy. Traditional rigid-body mechanisms consist of rigid links connected at movable joints. Whatever machines you see in your day to day life has some underlying mechanisms that govern its motion to produce the desired output. For example A NUT CRACKER works on the principle of MECHANICAL ADVANTAGE based on LEVER MECHANISM. This mechanism transfers energy from the input to the output.
Since energy is conserved between the input and output (neglecting friction losses), the output force may be much larger than the input force, but the output displacement is much smaller than the input displacement. As mentioned earlier these mechanisms involve relative motion of rigid bodies often at very high speeds which various problems like Frictional Losses, Non Linear behavior, Non uniform Heat dissipation, etc. Thus modern day scientists are working on mechanisms that more or less achieve the same motion and force transfer with the help of flexible links and linkless joints.
These 2 terms have tremendous significance when its comes to the emerging and exciting field of COMPLIANT MECHANISMS. So lets see what these wonders are and what are they capable of.
A compliant mechanism also transfers or transforms motion, force, or energy. Unlike rigid-link mechanisms, however, compliant mechanisms gain at least some of their mobility from the deflection of flexible members rather than from movable joints only. Basically not all the links of a mechanism need to be flexible for it to be termed as A Compliant System but some important links must be flexible. Fully compliant mechanisms are very unstable and unreliable.
Compliant mechanisms rely upon elastic deformation to perform their function of transmitting and/or transforming motion and force. From an overall perspective that considers performance, manufacturability, economy of material, scalability to micro and Nano sizes, adaptability to smart actuations and embedded sensors, resistance to wear, etc., compliant mechanisms are preferable over rigid body mechanisms.
Large number of compliant mechanisms are constructed of rigid links that are interconnected by Flexure Hinges design to undergo relatively low levels of rotation that traditional Revolute Pair Joints. A relatively less number of compliant mechanisms have compliant links in addition to the Flexure Hinges designed to undergo large deformation.
Currently available design techniques for compliant mechanisms can be grouped broadly into the following three categories based on the methods used as well as the type of mechanisms created using them.
- Flexural pivot-based compliant mechanisms.
- Flexible beam-based compliant mechanisms.
- Fully compliant, elastic continua.
Flexural pivot-based compliant mechanism
Flexural pivot-based designs use narrow sections connecting relatively rigid segments. Thus, compliance is lumped to a few portions of the mechanism. They are usually of monolithic construction. They can be systematically designed either by starting from an available rigid-body linkage or an intuitively conceived linkage. So in this type mainly the joints are flexible which connects rigid links with each other. The biggest problem faced in this type is the force and momentum transfer is very limited. Compliant mechanisms of this type are often restricted to a small range of motion. Their applications are in precision instrumentation and many consumer products.
Flexible beam-based compliant mechanisms
Flexible beam-based compliant designs extend the range of motion because the slender beam-like segments are designed to undergo large deformations. These are not always of monolithic construction, as they may have some rigid segments and kinematic joints. Thus, they are sometimes partially compliant. Unlike in flexural pivotbased designs, the compliance is distributed in flexible beam-based designs.
Design of Compliant Mechanisms
The first step in the design of a compliant mechanism is to establish a kinematicaly functional design that generates the desired output motion when subjected to prescribed input forces. This is called topological synthesis. Although the size and shape of individual elements can be optimized to a certain extent in this stage, local constraints such as stress and buckling constraints cannot be imposed while the topology is being determined. Once a feasible topology is established, performance constraints can be imposed during the following stage in which size and shape optimization are performed.
Topology synthesis—which involves generation of a functional design in the form of a feasible topology starting from input/output force/motion specifications,
Size and shape optimization—to meet performance requirements such as maximum stress, motion amplification or force amplification etc.
General Design procedure involves Systematic methods of design of compliant mechanisms starting from functional specifications. First is deriving the topology of a compliant mechanism given the desired input forces and output displacements. Next, is optimizing the size and shape of various elements of a compliant mechanism in order to satisfy prescribed mechanical or geometric advantage, stress constraints, size constraints etc.
Advantages of Compliant Mechanisms
There are a number of reasons why a compliant mechanism may be considered for use in a particular application.
One advantage of compliant mechanisms is the potential for a dramatic reduction in the total number of parts required to accomplish a specified task.
Some mechanisms may be manufactured from an injection-moldable material and constructed of one piece. For example, consider the fully compliant crimping mechanism shown in the figure below, along with its pseudorigid-body model. Due to symmetry, only half the mechanism is shown. The number of components required for the compliant mechanism are considerably less than for the rigid mechanism. The reduction in part count may simplify manufacturing and reduce manufacturing and assembly time and cost.
It is possible to realize a significant reduction in weight by using a compliant mechanism over their rigidbody counterparts. This may be a significant factor in aerospace and other applications. Compliant mechanisms have also benefited companies by reducing the weight and shipping costs of consumer products.
The reduction in the total number of parts and joints offered by compliant mechanisms is a significant advantage in the fabrication of micro mechanisms. Compliant micro mechanisms may be fabricated using technology and materials similar to those used in the fabrication of integrated circuits.
Disadvantages of Compliant Mechanism
Perhaps the largest challenge is the relative difficulty in analyzing and designing compliant mechanisms. Knowledge of mechanism analysis methods and the deflection of flexible members is required. The combination of the two bodies of knowledge in compliant mechanisms requires not only an understanding of both, but also an understanding of the interactions of the two in a complex system. Since many of the flexible members undergo large deflections, linearized beam equations are no longer valid. Nonlinear equations must be used that account for the geometric nonlinearities caused by large deflections.
I believe the field of Complaint Mechanisms is still in its nascent stage and lots of research and quality work needs to be done regarding the fabrication of proper materials and design of flexible linkages. On the brighter side some of the greatest and brightest minds of the country are working on this field to expand its applications.
Dr. G K Ananthasuresh from IISc Bangalore and Dr. Anupam Saxena from IIT Kanpur are among those few who have contributed quite a lot towards this field. I consider myself lucky to have got the opportunity to meet both of them personally here in NITK when they visited our college last semester for a 2 Day workshop on Kinematics and Mechanism conducted by Dr. Somasekhar Rao sir.
Below are the links to the references. Thank You


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Claim: The word gringo came from Mexicans' overhearing American soldiers sing the song "Green Grow the Lilacs" during the Mexican-American War.
Origins: The rather improbable saga of the origins of the word "gringo" has it that the term began during the Mexican-American War (1846-48), when Mexicans supposedly overheard American soldiers continually singing either "Green Grow the Lilacs" or "Green Grow the Rushes, O" (a song based upon a Robert Burns poem). Purportedly, the Spanish-speaking Mexicans thereupon began derisively referring to the Americans as "green grows" (rendered phonetically in Spanish as gringos), which soon became a pejorative Spanish-language term for "foreigners" (particularly Americans).
Other versions of this etymological legend attribute the singing to Irish Legion volunteers serving in Simon Bolivar's army during Venezuela's war for independence from Spain in the early 19th century, "cowboys in south Texas," or American troops attempting to track down Pancho Villa in Mexico in 1916-17.
All of these charming explanations have chronology working against them. Although the first recorded use of "gringo" in English dates from 1849 (when John Woodhouse Audubon, the son of the famous nature artist, wrote that "We were hooted and shouted at as we passed through, and called 'Gringoes'"), the word was
known in Spanish well before the Mexican-American War. According to Rawson, the Diccionario Castellano of 1787 noted that in Malaga "foreigners who have a certain type of accent which keeps them from speaking Spanish easily and naturally" were referred to as gringos, and the same term was used in Madrid, particularly for the Irish.
The true origin of gringo is most likely that it came from griego, the Spanish word for "Greek." In Spanish, as in English, something difficult or impossible to understand is referred to as being Greek: We say "It's Greek to me," just as in Spanish an incomprehensible person is said to hablar en griego (i.e., "speak in Greek"). The English version of the proverb shows up in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (1599), when Casca, one of the conspirators against Caesar, proclaims:
Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' the face again; but those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads; but for mine own part, it was Greek to me.
The same phrase was also used (at about the same time) by another Elizabethan playwright, Thomas Dekker, but its origins are much older: it comes from the Medieval Latin proverb Graecum est; non potest legi (i.e., "It is Greek; it cannot be read").
It is certainly possible (and even likely) that the Mexican-American War precipitated the introduction of the Spanish word gringo into the English language, but the word itself antedates that conflict by at least sixty years and had nothing to do with singing soldiers, American or otherwise.


How To Combat A Taller Fighter In Boxing
A taller fighter can pose a whole heap of problems for boxers who are not as blessed in the height department. It is almost certain that a fighter of an average height will come up against a taller fighter at some point, so formulating a plan to tackle a taller fighter will be something you and your coach can work on even before this happens.
What Makes Taller Fighters Tricky?
Quite simply, it generally comes down to their reach. Taller fighters typically have a longer reach, which makes it difficult to get inside and score. The enhanced reach many taller fighters enjoy also makes it easier for them to establish striking range. Many fighters blessed with taller statures and longer arms, therefore, adopt a style based almost exclusively on holding their opponents off with a solid jab and landing straight shots from behind it.
When fighting a taller fighter with a longer reach, it can often feel like battling an opponent who is almost standing on a hill. The main advantage to his reach is that he can land quicker, and cut angles much faster following a successful punch. This, of course, makes things difficult for a shorter fighter. If a taller opponent is in any way aware of the perks he holds in this department – and he more than certainly will be – it could spell for a long and frustrating night. That is unless you use his strongest attributes against them.
Rather than staying on the outside and waiting for your opening, it is almost always a better option to bring the fight to the taller opponent. Simply sitting back and allowing the rangier fighter to pick you off with jabs and straights will rarely end well. The key to beating a fighter who bosses the height department is to get inside and keep the fight there, for as long as possible.
The Basics
It sounds so easy: get inside and bring the fight to them. In reality, things will be a lot trickier. A shorter fighter will invariably have to deal with both the offense and defense of a taller boxer to get within range to attack. Expect to take shots, be pushed back, tied up, hit on the way out and be forced to move in from a reset position to have any chance of being in a position to land a shot.
Employing lateral movement and feints are also important to getting inside and within range to land. Doubling up the jab, mixing in feints, and demonstrating unpredictability and variety in punches thrown, for example, can confuse the taller fighter, who may be waiting to establish a platform to counter off. Shorter steps forward also help.
A shorter fighter will also find it easier to get inside a taller fighter who is trapped in a corner, or against the ropes. This can negate their ability to take advantage of their reach, and land step-back counter punches, too. Their ability to defend against the hooks, uppercuts and close range attacks of fighters who are smaller in stature also decreases from this position of vulnerability.
Getting Inside a Taller Fighter Using Pressure
A shorter fighter will invariably need to close the distance against a taller fighter. Luckily, there are some tried and tested ways of getting close enough to land on a fighter with a height and reach advantage. This is not to say that these are foolproof blueprints by any means, and many of these techniques will need some form of modification to work, depending on the opponent.
Aim to con the taller opponent into throwing a jab, from there you can either move under it or slip to the side and counter. Your aim should be to approach your opponent, either directly or from a narrow-angle, and move under the lead punch and attack the body. Once inside, you have the opportunity to take away your opponent's legs with body shots.
A fighter who was known for his ability to neutralize taller opponents' reach and height advantages was heavyweight legend, Mike Tyson. "Iron Mike" would aggressively pressurize opponents into making errors to get inside and cause damage with hooks and uppercuts. In the example below, watch how the 5' 10" Tyson worked his way inside the 6' 5" Tyrell Biggs, often using this technique, and variations of it.
A key aspect of Tyson's technique was his exceptional head movement and peek-a-boo defense, which allowed him to bob, weave, and slip his opponent's punches to create ways inside.
Combating a Taller but Aggressive Fighter
Another example of how a shorter fighter can overcome the height advantages of his opponent is by a sound understanding the importance of distance. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was a master of creating the illusion of a shorter distance between him and his opponent. In his masterclass against the late Diego Corrales in 2001, Mayweather faced a much taller and more aggressive opponent.
One aspect of how Mayweather baited Corrales forward was by creating the illusion that he was closer than he actually was. Mayweather's technique was to allow his head to sit over his lead leg, which invited his opponent to throw a shot, before pulling back. As the defensive master had effectively conned Corrales into believing he was within range – only for his opponent to find out too late that he had, in fact, overextended – Mayweather could then land a counter punch and move out of range.
For any smaller but faster fighter looking to find a way to deal with a taller opponent who moves forward frequently, this fight is essential viewing.
Things to Remember When Dealing With a Taller Opponent
The ultimate goal is to create the distance from which to land. A fighter's methods will vary depending on the style of the taller fighter. What is generally standard practice is that a smaller fighter with a shorter reach will have to snake his way past the guard of the boxer with the height advantage.
Overhands, hooks, and uppercuts can only be thrown once the distance is right, so the aim is to keep the opponent guessing, off-balance and disrupted as possible until an opening is created.
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