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History of the Somerville Fire Department
In 1838, Charlestown, MA authorities paid a sum of $400 to have a two-story wooden engine-house built at the corner of Washington and Prospect Streets (this area is property of Somerville today). In this engine-house, the "Mystic No. 6" was stored. Mystic No. 6 was not much more than a "tub" measuring three feet six inches long, by two feet wide. It consisted of an oblong wooden tank sheathed with metal, pistons which worked perpendicularly, and handsome lancewood brakes. It could not "draught" water, and all it threw was water which was poured into it by buckets. A law was enforced starting that year which required each household to have two buckets hung in their front hallway. When an alarm was sounded for a fire, each man was to run with his buckets to the fire location and lineup with the others to pass the buckets of water from a well or cistern to the men who operated Mystic No. 6.
In 1842, Somerville set off from Charlestown to become a town of its own. Mystic No. 6 was left as a legacy to Somerville and the engine's valuation of $50 was entered into the town's record books. All firemen at this time were volunteers and were paid a generous sum of $1.50 per year.
On November 12, 1849 town officials appropriated $1,438.75 for the purchase of a "good and sufficient fire engine". The first-class modern suction machine, one of the best ever made by the celebrated Hunneman & Co. of Roxbury arrived about January 1, 1850 and was dubbed "Somerville No. 1". It had six and a half inch cylinders, folding brakes and all of the latest improvements. On January 15th of that same year, Nathan Tufts Jr. was named the first Chief Fire Engineer and George Brastow was named the clerk by the town's selectmen. The first fire that the new department responded to was the burning of Johnson's barn which was located on School St. toward Union Square.
In 1853, the members of the fire department requested a pay raise from $1.50 to $12.00 per year. When the board of selectmen refused to consider it, the department went on strike. The town fathers yielded, however, and the strike was short-lived. This was also the year that Mystic No. 6 was sold for the amount of $33.00 and it was taken to East Boston and broken up for old junk. It was also in 1853 that the first flagstaff in town was erected by the firemen in Union Square.
The engine-house was destroyed by fire on December 24, 1855 but Somerville No. 1 was saved. A new brick building was erected on the same plot of land in 1856 for a cost of $5,000.
The first report made by fire engineers was made by Chief Samuel H. Gooding, in 1862, for the preceeding year, in which he states that the department consists of one engine company, "whose membership has been reduced by members being in the army." He recommends the placing of larger wheels and a "stouter beam" on the engine, also the purchase of a hook and ladder truck for one horse to carry the ladders distributed about town which can not be found when wanted: to quote his own words, "they being out among the neighbors generally." He also recommended the purchase of an extra hose carriage. There were 8 fires that year, with a loss of about $3,300. Of the 800 feet of hose, 200 feet were good, 300 feet were fair and 300 feet were poor. There was also 6 ladders, 1 hook, 6 reservoirs and 3 hydrants.
In April of 1863, an amount of $300 was appropriated for a hook and ladder truck. One was finally purchased in September of that year for the amount of $350 but it was not formally manned at that time. In April 1865, a sum not to exceed $4,000 was appropriated to purchase a hose carriage and horse, and provide a suitable place to locate it in East Somerville. In June of 1865, engineers purchased a second-hand hose carriage formerly used by Gen. John E. Wool Hose Co. of Troy, NY for the sum of $600 and it went into service on October 1st of that year as "Liberty Hose Co. 1". The company disbanded on July 9th, 1866 due to internal dissention and fighting, but a new company was formed within a few days, taking the name of "John E. Wool."
In March of 1866, the selectmen and engineers were instructed to purchase a steam fire engine, horses and all appurtenances thereto not to exceed in cost $10,000 and to locate the same. It arrived on May 26th and occupied Hand Engine 1 Station in Union Square. Hose No. 1 Station was built on Webster Street in East Somerville that same year. Winter Hill Hose Co. 2 was organized in 1869 and occupied a station on Marshall Street in 1872.
A new station was erected at the corner of Highland Avenue and Walnut Street (the Somerville Public Library now occupies this site) in 1871 and Engine Co. 1 was relocated from the station in Union Square to this new station on July 20th, 1871. George H. Foster Hose Co. 3 was organized when Engine Co. 1 was transferred to its new station, and with Hook & Ladder Co. No. 1, which was organized in 1870, it occupied the station that Engine 1 vacated in Union Square.
The first Silby engine owned by the town was purchased in 1873 and it was also that year in which the "John E. Wool" was sold to the town of Everett for the amount of $400 and later went out of service and was returned to its original company in Troy, NY. It was also in 1873 that the George Brastow Hose Co. No. 4 was organized and assigned to a building at the corner of Highland Avenue and Grove Street. It was at this point in time that every apparatus in the city (Somerville became a city on January 1, 1872) was equipped with horses.
The Gamewell fire alarm telegraph system was established in 1874 at a cost of $34,500 and it went into service on June 17th of 1874. The first box alarm pulled in the city occured on June 25th, 1874 when Box #34 was pulled on the corner of Broadway opposite Marshall Street.
In 1874 a new ladder truck was bought and the Winter Hill Company became the Robert A. Vinal Hook & Ladder Company. Chief James R. Hopkins declined to allow the new ladder truck to be named for himself. In 1877, the power to remove men was placed in the hands of the Mayor and the Aldermen. In 1885 the department became all uniformed.
Hose Co. No. 5 was organized on August 15th, 1889 and placed into service in September of 1889 at a brick station located at the corner of Somerville Avenue and Lowell Street. A huge Central Fire Station was built in 1894 at Highland Avenue and Medford Street. The new station sheltered Engine 1, a hose wagon and the new chemical engine A. It also included accommodations for a combined aerial-ladder truck and a water tower. The second floor of the station was used for sleeping rooms, a recreation room, hayloft, workroom and the chief's quarters. The third floor was used exclusively as the headquarters of the of the fire-alarm telegraph system. The station which had stood at the corner of Highland Avenue and Walnut Street was torn down. Also in 1894, a station was built on Highland Avenue near Cedar Street to house two pieces of apparatus. A truck was bought shortly thereafter and Hook & Ladder Co. No. 2 was organized to operate out of the new station.
In 1896 a new fire station, designed to accommodate three pieces of apparatus, was erected at the corner of Broadway and Cross Street. To this building Hose Company No. 1 was transferred from the old wooden building on Webster Street and reorganized into an engine company. Relief Engine Co. 2 was also assigned to this new station.
The station at Teele Square was erected shortly before the turn of the Century, and covers all of the territory west of Willow Avenue.
Since 1900, the department has become completely motorized.
In 1918 the Somerville Fire Dept. joins the International Association of Fire Fighters as Local 76.
The above histories were written by John C. McNally, William E. Brigham & H.H. Easterbrook. Special thanks to Somerville Firefighter Bob "Monty" Doherty.
Page Last Updated: Mar 05, 2012 (12:11:59)


Customized Dihedral Forcefields
To enable efficient simulation of conformational changes of molecules during the deposition process, rotations around single bonds are applied in Deposit – so called dihedral moves. The change in energy connected to such a dihedral move is computed using dihedral forcefields. These forcefields then determine the flexibility of the molecules during deposition. As the molecular packing and therefore the electronic structure in thin films are highly sensitive to the flexibility of the deposited molecules, an accurate, molecule-specific description of the energy profile of the dihedral rotations is essential.
The DihedralParametrizer (DHP) therefore automatically computes dihedral forcefields for organic compounds using quantum-chemistry. The principle works as follows:
For each dihedralangle:
 1. Rotate the the side group step-wise around the single-bond
 2. For each step:
 - Keep the angle fixed and relax the rest of the molecule, to avoid clashes
 - Compute the energy for this configuration using one of our DFTEngines
 - Correct the energy by internal forcefield values later applied in Deposit
For molecules with multiple dihedralangles, this protocoll is modified to account for correlation effects in conformational changes.
Further details on the DHP method are provided at our DHP documentation page.


text:
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Convention Center, Exhibit Hall BC, Second Floor
Reliable haploid induction rates (HIR) are of utmost importance when employing inducer genotypes for maize doubled haploid (DH) line development using the in vivo haploid induction technique.This work investigates the influence of the genetic constitution of inducers and donors as well as of the environmental conditions on HIR. In a first experiment, we compared HIR of three temperate inducer genotypes in subtropical and tropical environments in Mexico using a temperate liguleless tester as female parent. Testcross progenies were grown in the greenhouse until four-leaf stage and monitored visually. Haploid plants showed the liguleless phenotype. In a second experiment, a total of 150 genetically diverse tropical donors (landraces, improved open-pollinated varieties [OPV], and elite single crosses) were employed as female parents. In this experiment haploid seeds were identified using an embryo color marker. HIR were calculated by dividing the number of haploid plants/seeds by the total number of plants/seeds. Mean HIR was 14.9% (7.9-17.8%) using the temperate liguleless donor, but was only 4.8% (0-19.7%) using the tropical donors. Inducers and donors both had a significant influence on HIR. However, no significant differences were found for HIR between the donor groups of landraces, OPV, and single crosses which indicates that all groups are equally suitable for in vivo haploid induction. Although HIR of the temperate inducers were sufficiently high for large-scale application in tropical environments, haploid seed identification remains an obstacle along with poor agronomic performance of inducers and, consequently, low seed multiplication rates, which currently prevent breeders from adoption of the DH technique in tropical maize breeding programs. Therefore, the development of inducer genotypes with good adaptation to tropical/subtropical conditions and high HIR as well as a novel haploid seed identification system are premises to promote application of the DH technique in tropical maize.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
Cradleboards were given to young girls to play with to help develop skills used when adulthood was reached. This cradleboard was made for a child. The cradle sack is made from red trade cloth and holds a cotton fabric doll. The facial features of the doll are hand embroidered and have human hair braids. On the left hand side of the board, just out of view, is a small beaded pouch that represents where the umbilical cord was kept. The only time the umbilical cord could be removed from the pouch, was if the child faced a life-threatening illness. The Medicine man or woman would use it in their healing.
Bison (Bos bison) Buckskin, wood, tradecloth, glass beads, hair. L 68.3, 31.2 cm
Nez Perce National Historical Park, NEPE 1629

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


text:
Claws of the Dragon
In Barsaive a name is truly a thing of power: a True Name gives a Pattern stability and allows it to grow. Knowledge of a Name can also give one power over a Pattern; knowing a Pattern's name is almost universally the first step to tying a Thread to a True Pattern.
It is important to draw the distinction between names and Names. Simply, only recognized proper names have power. All wolves share a similar patter, which is called "wolf," but Wolf is not the Name, just a description. A Name is a sign, perhaps even a requirement, of uniqueness.
Names can be set quickly in a ritual or more organically simply by use. It is worth noting that many Namegivers use an informal name or nickname when meeting strangers, for knowing somebody's Name gives one power over them; but as these nicknames become woven into the True Pattern of the individual, they in turn become Names.


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A new quality assessment test was carried out to examine the relationship between the perception of audio and video resolutions. Three video resolutions and four audio resolutions were used to answer the question: "Does lower resolution video influence the perceived quality of audio, or vice versa?" Subjects were asked to use their own equipment, which they would be likely to stream media with. They were asked to watch a short video clip of various qualities and to indicate the perceived audio and video qualities on separate 5-point Likert scales. Four unique 10-second video clips were presented in each of 12 experimental conditions. The perceived audio and video quality ratings data showed different effects of audio and video resolutions. The perceived video quality ratings showed a significant effect of audio resolutions, whereas the perceived audio quality did not show a significant effect of video resolutions. Subjects were divided into two groups based on the self-identification of whether they were visually or auditorily inclined. These groups showed slightly different response patterns in the perceived audio quality ratings.
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Incorporating Biodiversity & Human Values into Planning
The 'Green Infrastructure' concept can be defined as 'an interconnected network of green space that conserves natural ecosystem values and functions and provides associated benefits to human populations'. Like our grey infrastructure of roads and rail, our green infrastructure seeks to create a network of human and biodiversity value.
The promotion and development of the Green Infrastructure approach can assist in halting the loss of biodiversity and decline in ecosystem services while enhancing the human environment including our opportunities for recreation. Perhaps it is the case that biodiversity continues to decline because its value is not reflected in decision making by business and government. Green Infrastructure seeks to address this problem by providing a location-related evidence base which highlights the value of biodiversity and ecosystem services to the economy and society.
Valuing Green Infrastructure
Green Infrastructure planning allows for the integration of the value of biodiversity into business decisions in sectors such as agriculture and water supply, and also local and central Government decisions. Ecosystem services supplied by Green Infrastructure include:
- provisioning, such as the production of food and water,
- regulating, such as the control of climate and disease,
- supporting, such as nutrient cycles and crop pollination, and
- cultural, such as spiritual and recreational benefits. (Comhar SDC).
Working with clients and partners across disciplines, Compass have been involved in a number of Green Infrastructure projects, with our staff providing policy and strategic guidance, as well as data collation, analysis and scenario testing services.
The diagram below shows a typical Green Infrastructure project implementation workflow.
For more on our latest Green Infrastructure work please view the Comhar Sustainable Development Council report: "Creating Green Infrastructure for Ireland: Enhancing natural capital for human wellbeing" – available by clicking here.


Nate Nate - 8 months ago 80
SQL Question
Error when inserting row into MySQL database from Python
I'm trying to update an empty mySQL database using Python.
This is the error I receive:
pymysql.err.InternalError: (1416, 'Cannot get geometry object from data you send to the GEOMETRY field')
Here's the problematic code:
with connection.cursor() as cursor:
# Create a new record
sql = "INSERT INTO 'projects' ('name', 'country', 'activation_date', 'active') VALUES (%s, %s, %s, %s)"
cursor.execute(sql, ('Nate', 'USA', '2016-06-23 09:11:32', '1'))
Here is what the table looks like in the database (it's empty):
enter image description here
enter image description here
It looks like you're using the MySQL type linestring to represent a string, while in MySQL the correct type to represent a string of characters would be text or varchar(). linestring is a representation of a geometric line, as you can see here:
To fix this, simply change the column types of name and country to varchar() or text. See:


text:
AudioLord of the Flies Study Guide for iPad by RocketBook
Go to the head-of-the-class with comprehensive AUDIO study guides for your iPad. RocketBook, in collaboration with iPREPpress has created mobile AUDIO study guides for a number of novels and plays that are required reading at the high school level.
* All the audio is resident in the APP, not streamed from the Internet. You can use this product anywhere!
But these are study guides like you've never seen before. Designed especially for teen audiences, the professional narration and background music make the presentations engaging and easier to remember.
Even though these study guides are much more stimulating and memorable than the stale, printed or audio study notes from other sources, the material is very solid. Presented chapter-by-chapter, each lesson includes:
* Chapter summary and contains:
- Character development
* Chapter analysis and contains:
With its 12 audio lessons, Lord of the Flies by William Goldinng, springs to life. Use Rocketbook as a complement to your reading assignment. It will enhance your reading experience and help you retain the key facts to ace your book reports and tests.
These guides are especially helpful for students with learning disabilities but they are excellent for all students.
RocketBook has over 35 audio and video titles including:
Romeo and Juliet
The Scarlet Letter
The Great Gatsby
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Pride & Prejudice
Each audio and video study guide app has been meticulously created by iPREPpress LLC, a leader in educational iPod, iPhone and mobile device development and distribution.


text:
FRC IDC Box Male Header Straight (5x2,10 Pins)
PCB Mounted box header, dual row shrouded header with polarity notch,triangle denotes pin 1, Use with IDC Feale Socket Connectors for interconnection through Flat Ribbon Cable.IDC socket connector used to make physical connections in a variety of applications. They are common in industrial applications, where the accuracy of connections, the ability to make them reliable and where there may be many wires that need to be connected at once are all vital considerations.
This IDC product technology allows cost-effective connections between circuit boards based on a permanent connection (using transition connector) or removable connection (using IDC flat cable connectors).
They are also ideally suited for environments where dust and other hazards may pose significant threats to electronic equipment
- Type : Male Straight
- Pins : 10
- Color : Black
- Flammability Rating :UL94V-0
- Pitch : 2.54mm
- Operating Temperature: -40 to 125 degrees
- Current Rating :3A max
- Working Voltage: 250 Vac


text:
Could household disinfectants be contributing to the growing number of children who are overweight or obese? A new study finds antimicrobial and antibacterial agents affect gut microbiome، as the Technical Times said.
The surprising discovery was made by researchers from the University of Alberta who studied data from AllerGens' Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development or CHILD to investigate the link between cleaning products and overweight children. They examined exposure of children to three categories of household cleaners: disinfectants، detergents، and eco-products. The study was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The researchers، who tracked 727 children، found that frequent use of disinfectants، including baby wipes، increases the risk of obesity in young children. Children from homes that use disinfectants at least twice a week are likely to have higher levels of the gut microbes Lachnospiraceae، the bacteria linked with obesity، at 3 to 4 months old compared to families that do not use common household cleaners as frequently. At 3 years old، these same children have higher body mass compared to those who were not exposed to the heavy use of disinfectants at home as infants. "We didn't just find an association،" said principal investigator Anita Kozyrskyj. "Our'mediation' statistical analysis suggests that a gut microbiome enriched with Lachnospiraceae early in infancy was likely directly responsible for children becoming overweight or obese."


text:
Students Integrate Technology into Teaching
By Karen Angelo
Students in the UTeach program who are teaching STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – are integrating technology into their lesson plans, thanks to a donation of 35 Android tablets from the Verizon Foundation.
Alicia Negrón, a junior biological sciences student who is also enrolled in the UTeach program to earn a STEM teaching minor, is convinced that the technology will get her middle-school students excited about learning.
She says: "The tablets will provide much more of a visual aid prompting interaction with the students that will help them better remember and recall information."
Negrón tested the tablet in a UTeach class using an application that simulates an ecosystem. "The ecosystem app is effective in teaching concepts that cannot be shown in a laboratory experiment or through PowerPoint pictures. Interactive visual aids get students engaged in learning."
UMass Lowell was also awarded a $66,500 grant by the UTeach Institute in Austin to infuse mobile technology into the program.
Two Degrees, Two Career Choices Upon Graduation
UTeach UMass Lowell allows science and engineering undergraduates to earn a STEM teaching minor along with their bachelor's degree, and obtain a Massachusetts Initial License to teach science, technology, engineering or mathematics in middle or high school.
"I've learned so much about what it takes to be an effective, respected teacher including basic lesson design and classroom management skills," says Negrón. "I recommend UTeach to prospective students because I truly think it is a worthwhile investment."
UTeach was first developed at the University of Texas Austin over 15 years ago. UTeach UMass Lowell was launched in 2012 under a $1.6 million Massachusetts Department of Education grant and is the only university in New England to offer it.


1000s of diverse titles published since 1974
Water Jet Shiphandler's Guide
Water Jet Shiphandler's Guide
John Kinkela
Available May 2021
Add to Cart
The increasing popularity of water jet–propelled vessels both in the civilian and military sectors of the maritime industry has outpaced the commonly available and approachable books on these ships. Many mariners who operate these styles of vessels have received training in their operation from vessel-specific instruction. This has left a knowledge gap between the various different vessel types in what works and what does not. Inside are descriptions and pictures of the various parts of water jet propulsion and control systems. Also included are explanations and suggestions on how to make full use of the remarkable maneuvering potential that water jet propulsion offers, followed by an explanation of how to efficiently and safely make use of the higher speeds that water jet vessels can obtain. Last, there is an extensive glossary of terms typically used in the community of high-speed water jets.
Size: 8 1/2″ x 11″ | 128 color images and illustrations | 96 pp
ISBN13: 9780764361401 | Binding: soft cover
John Kinkela was raised in New Jersey and attended SUNY Maritime, graduating with a BS in marine environmental science and a 3rd Mates Unlimited license in 2001. John sailed on various ship types to obtain an Unlimited Master Mariner's license in 2008. Also in 2008, he joined the crew of the High Speed Vessel (HSV) Swift as chief mate. After sailing for 14 years, eight of those as chief mate, John has been an instructor of high-speed navigation and water jet shiphandling for the US Navy's Littoral Combat Ship at the US Navy's Surface Warfare Officer's School in Newport, Rhode Island, since 2014. He lives with his wife and three children on the Jersey Shore near Asbury Park and can be contacted by email at _EMAIL_.


[plat-n-eyt] /ˈplæt nˌeɪt/
verb (used with object), platinated, platinating.
to platinize.
Read Also:
 - Plating
 [pley-ting] /ˈpleɪ tɪŋ/ noun 1. a thin coating of gold, silver, etc. 2. an external layer of metal. 3. the act of a person or thing that. [pleyt] /pleɪt/ noun 1. a shallow, usually circular dish, often of earthenware or porcelain, from which food is eaten. 2. the contents of such a dish; […]
 - Platini
 1. a combining form representing in compound words: platinocyanic. /French platini/ noun 1. Michel. born 1955, French footballer, manager, and administrator; scored 41 goals in 72 games for France (1976–87); manager of France (1988–92); president of UEFA from 2007; European Footballer of the Year (1983–85) combining form 1. of, relating to, containing, or resembling platinum: […]
 - Platinic
 - Platinic-acid


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How can I denote a limit in LaTeX, such as $f(n) \rightarrow_{n \rightarrow \infty} 0$?
And when I have a fraction and so on and I want to use an absolute value $| \frac{x}{y}|$, how can I make the $|$ signs much bigger (similarly to \left( and \right))?
share|improve this question
5 Answers 5
up vote 8 down vote accepted
For the first question, you can typeset limits using the \lim command:
\[ \lim_{x\to\infty}\frac{1}{x} \]
For the second question, the \left, \middle and \right commands can be used to achieve vertical extension of some delimiters:
\[ \left\lvert\frac{1}{2} \right\rvert \]
To obtain fine control on the size of extensible delimiters there are also the following command groups (which in some circumstances, must replace the \left \middle \right construct):
\bigl - \bigm - \bigr
\Bigl - \Bigm - \Bigr
\biggl - \biggm - \biggr
\Biggl - \Biggm - \Biggr
These groups provide delimiters of increasing sizes; the first column gives four sizes of opening symbols; the second column gives four sizes of relation symbols, and the third column gives four sizes of closing symbols..
There are some cases in which the above commands should replace the \left, \right ones: when the latter produce delimiters which are too big, and when there are several delimiters together. Compare the result of
\[ \left\lvert\lvert x\rvert -\lvert y\rvert \right\rvert \]
\[ \bigl\lvert\lvert x\rvert -\lvert y\rvert \bigr\rvert \]
In the first case, the inner and outer delimiters have the same size and the result can be ambiguous; in the second case, the outer delimiters are bigger, improving readability.
share|improve this answer
Use the \DeclarePairedDelimiter command from the mathtools package. It has a lot of other usefull stuff also (one of those must have toolboxes)
 \abs{\frac{x}{y}} \quad % same as \lvert\frac{x}{y}\rvert
 \abs[\Big]{\frac{x}{y}} \quad % same as \Bigl|\frac{x}{y}\Bigr|
 \abs*{\frac{x}{y}} % same as \left|\frac{x}{y}\right|
enter image description here
share|improve this answer
Probably you need amsmath's \xrightarrow: after \usepackage{amsmath} you can say
f(n) \xrightarrow{n\to\infty} 0
The condition will go above the arrow, which will be extended to accommodate the condition. If you want the condition below the arrow, use the optional argument:
f(n) \xrightarrow[n\to\infty]{} 0
(don't forget the trailing pair of braces). Follow Gonzalo regarding the absolute value.
share|improve this answer
I always use $\xrightarrow{\scriptscriptstyle\!\!n\rightarrow\infty}$, but this is too tall and increases the skip between lines (ugly). How can I lower the position (closer to the arrow) and further decrease the font size of $\scriptscriptstyle\!\!n\rightarrow\infty$? – Leon Aug 1 '11 at 20:51
_USER_: maybe a new question is appropriate. – egreg Aug 1 '11 at 21:51
As for your first question, I think you're looking for
instead of the suggestions of the other answers. What they state is correct notation, but not what you described. I'm not saying this is the best solution though, the explicit limit is nicer in most cases.
share|improve this answer
 1. $\lim_{n \rightarrow \infty} f(n)=0$
 2. $\bigl|A\bigr|$, $\biggl|AA\biggr|$, $\Biggl|AA\Biggr|$, $\left|AA\right|$...
share|improve this answer
Your Answer


text:
Anger - The Door To all Evil
- Arabic Introduction: Glory Be To allah
- The Qualities of the Believers
- Legitimate Reasons for Anger
- Anger that is Praiseworthy
- Was the prophet Ever Angered?
- Anger Management in Western Socities
- The Cure for anger in Islam: A Prophetic Prescription
- Angry:But against Whom?
- Du'a (arabic)
Why do we get angry? What is the cure to our anger? In this Inspiring talk, given on Friday during the blessed month of Ramadan 1425/2004 at the Islamic Cultural Centre of New York. Shaykh Muhammad al Yaqoubi provides an analysis of anger - its causes and effects, and makes a comparison between anger management in western socities and the cure for it in Islam.
The Islamic Ditye of Ramadan
Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi
Shaykh Muhammad al-yaqoubi's Biography
Shaykh Muhammad al-yaqoubi is one of the leading scholars of Islam in the world today, He is an outstanding spiritual guide and an eloquent public speaker in both Arabic and English. His words have transformed the lives of thousands of Muslims and non-Muslims around the world. He is a descendant of Prophet from a family of scholars that have taught the sacred knowledge for centuries. He was trained very closely by his father the late Shaykh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi, one of the greatest scholars of the modern times and a true man of allah. shaykh Muhammad was given several ijazas (licenses) in various disciplines by some of the top ulema (scholars) of Syria from the early 70's and onward, all of which have contributed to his incredible success as one of the shining stars of our time, He is indeed an ocean of knowledge and lantern of guidance


text:
Graves are about identity, that we are here – that we exist. Here lie one hundred of our ancestors in unmarked graves. Although a free people they were taken to Wybalenna to help establish the 'friendly mission' and a promise of return to their homelands. It soon became a 'death camp'. They were betrayed, abused and left to die. Some of our old people died not only at the hands of the soldiers but of dispossession of land and broken hearts. In this ﬁeld were once one hundred crosses that marked these graves. The stolen plaque read: To commemorate approximately 100 Aborigines buried in the vicinity of Wybalenna 1833–1847 erected by the Junior Farmers of Flinders Island.
Phyllis Pitchford, 1994


text:
Regardless of whether you can appreciate the fact that wind turbines provide a valuable source of renewable resource electricity or you simply hate the look of them because they destroy your idea of what a landscape should look like, the fact is that wind power plants are popping up all over the country. Some people may have been wondering why there are red flashing lights mounted on top of the wind turbines that they see powering wind farms around the country.
The reason is because the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements state that all structures that are more than 200 feet tall must have aircraft warning lights. Due to the fact that a wind farm can comprise more than 200 wind turbines, lighting every single one of them is not only impractical it can also present a distinct annoyance to neighbours in the area. For this reason the FAA has considered an alternative to placing a light on every single wind turbine tower.
The compromise is to place lights on the perimeter wind turbines at a distance of no more than half a statute mile from the next. The flashing red lights are then synchronised so that they all flash on and off at the same time. These lights are only to be required at night and they are affixed to the nacelles of the wind turbines which is at the top of the tower, rather than at the highest point of the turbine.
Depending on whom you choose to listen to, red aviation lighting either does or does not attract migrating native birds. According to the FAA the flashing red lights that are used as aviation warnings do not have any noticeable effect on the birds in the area. However those who are in opposition to wind farms and the turbines that power them cite the possibility that birds will be more attracted to red flashing lights than they will to a white light.
No matter what the structure – radio tower, lighthouse or wind turbine – there will be the risk of bird strike. The question still to be answered is whether the number of bird and bat strikes is higher as a result of the presence of red flashing lights.
A constant concern that is voiced from local residents is the disruption the red blinking lights will cause to the surrounding area. It is not clear whether those who are opposed envisage that the lights are going to shine into the windows of their homes or simply disrupt their outlook at night.


All Elements languages have the ability to specify the nullability of type references. Type references can be variables, fields, properties or method parameters. For brevity, we'll use the term "variables" throughout this topic to refer to all four kinds of references.
Nullable variables may either contain a valid value or they may not — in the latter case they are considered to be nil (in Oxygene and Swift parlance) or null (in C# parlance). Non-nullable variables must always contain a value and cannot be null or nil.
The different languages have different ways of expressing the nullability of a variable.
Oxygene and C#
In Oxygene and C#, the default nullability of a variable is determined by its type. For value types (structs, enums and simple numeric types), variables are assumed to be non-nullable by default, and always have a value. Reference types (i.e. classes or interfaces) are considered nullable by default, and may be nil.
For example:
var i: Int32; // non-nullable by default, initialized to 0
var b: Button; // nullable by default, will be nil
Int32 i; // non-nullable by default, initialized to 0
Button b; // nullable by default, will be null
Nullability of a type can be changed by explicitly amending the type name with a modifier. In Oxygene, value types can be made nullable with the nullable keyword, and reference types can be made non-nullable with the not nullable keyword combination. In C#, value types can be made nullable by appending? to the typename, and reference types can be made non-nullable by appending!, respectively.
For example:
var i: nullable Int32; // nullable
var b: not nullable Button := new Button(); // not nullable
Int32? i; // nullable
Button! b = new Button() // not nullable
In the above example, the value type Int32 was modified to make the declared variable nullable, while the reference type Button (we're assuming Button is a class) was made non-nullable. As you will also notice, the non-nullable variable requires immediate initialization (in this case by assigning a newly created Button instance), because the default value of the type, nil or null, would be invalid for a non-nullable variable.
Note that type inference will always favor the type's default nullability. For example, in the code below, s will be inferred to be a regular nullable string, even though it's being assigned a decidedly non-null value.
var s := 'Hello';
var s = "Hello";
The Swift language behaves slightly different. Regardless of the underlying type, all types are treated as being non-nullable by default – even reference types.
For example:
var i: Int32 = 0; // non-nullable by default
var b: Button = Button(); // non-nullable by default
In addition, you'll also notice that Swift requires any non-nullable variable to be explicitly initialized with a default value. Where Oxygene and C# would assume a default value of 0 for the integer, Swift requires an initial value to be provided.
Swift has two ways to mark a variable as nullable, and that is either by appending a! or a? to the typename:
var i: Int32! // nullable
var b: Button! // nullable
var i2: Int32? // nullable
var b2: Button? // nullable
Conceptually, the nullable variables declared with! and? are the same. Both i and i2 are of type nullable integer and initially are nil; both b and b2 are of type nullable Button and also initially nil.
The difference lies in how the two sets of variables can be used in subsequent code.
The variables declared with! are what Swift calls implicitly unwrapped nullables. That means that even though the variable may be nil, you can use it as you please, and – for example – directly call members on it or (in the case of the integer) use it in an arithmetic expression. If you try to call into a member of i or b and the actual variable is nil at runtime, a Null Reference Exception will be thrown. (This is how all nullable types behave in Oxygene and C#, meaning that all nullable types in those languages are implicitly unwrapped nullables.)
By contrast, the variables declared with? do not allow direct access to the type they may (or may not) reference. All you can do with variables i2 and b2 is to compare them to nil, and to explicitly unwrap them in order to gain access to their content.
Note: While this syntax is not recommended for user code, the ¡ (inverted exclamation point) suffix can be used in Silver's Swift dialect to mark a type as being nullable only if it is a reference type – essentially giving it the same nullability behavior of the type name being used on its own in Oxygene or C#. This is mainly used by code generators to express this behavior where the kind of type is not known at generation time.
var i: Int32¡ // not nullable, since Int32 is a value type
var b: Button¡ // nullable, since Button is a reference type
Unwrapping them can be done in two ways:
Unwrapping a Nullable Inline
You can use the! or? operator on the variable to explicitly unwrap them in place before calling a member. For example:
let t1 = b2!.title
let t2 = b2?.title
Using! will check if the b2 variable has a value. If it does, the title property on that Button instance will be called and returned into t1. If it does not, a Null Reference Exception will be thrown. Assuming the title property was declared as type String, then t1 will also be of type String, i.e. it will be assumed to be non-null.
When using? instead, the variable will still be checked for a valid value, and if it has a valid value, that instance's 'title property will be called. However, if b2 is nil instead, the call to title will be bypassed, and t2 will be initialized to nil instead. As you might expect, this means t2 itself will be of type String? –in other words a nullable String. (In essence? behaves similarly to the Colon Operator (:) in Oxygene and the similar "Elvis" operator (?.) in C#.)
Conditionally Unwrapping a Nullable
If you are planning to do more extensive calls on a nullable variable, it often makes sense to conditionally unwrap it into a new non-nullable variable with Swift's if let construct:
if let b3 = b2 {
 let t3 = b3.title
The if let construct checks if the right hand of the assignment contains a value or is nil. If it contains a value, that value is assigned to a new, non-nullable variable (in this case b3) for the scope of the following block, and that block is executed. If the right hand side of the assignment is nil, the whole block is skipped.
Note how inside the block, members of b3 can be called without the need for! or?.
Comparing Swift Nullables to Oxygene and C#
Conceptually, nullable Variables in C# and Oxygene behave equivalent to implicitly unwrapped nullables in Swift declared with!. They can contain nil, but you can still access all their members directly – at the risk of a Null Reference Exception (NRE) occurring, if you don't make sure a variable is not nil.
Oxygene and C# have no equivalent for Swift's more strict wrapped nullable types declared with?.
A second crucial difference to keep in mind, especially when working with both C# and Swift, is that while Swift uses both?and! to mark a variable as nullable,! has in fact the opposite meaning in RemObjects C#, marking an otherwise nullable reference type as *not nullable.
Nullability of Types Compared:
Type Value Type Reference Type
Oxygene Non-Nullable Int32 not nullable String
Oxygene Unwrapped Nullable nullable Int32 String
Oxygene Wrapped Nullable N/A nullable String
C# Non-Nullable Int32 String!
C# Unwrapped Nullable Int32? String
C# Wrapped Nullable N/A String?
Swift Non-Nullable Int32 String
Swift Unwrapped Nullable Int32! String!
Swift Wrapped Nullable Int32? String?
The Oxygene Colon (:) Operator
Oxygene pioneered the colon operator to allow safe member calls on potentially nil variables. Both C# (in RemObjects' dialect and in the upcoming C# 6.0) and Swift take on the same concept by combining the? operator with a subsequent dot (.) for member access.
For example:
var b: Button;
var i = b:title:length; // i is nullable Int32
Button b;
var s = b?.title?.length; // i is Int32?
let b: Button?
var i = b?.title?.length // i is Int32?
Version Notes
 - The advanced nullability features discussed below are new in Version 8.2.
Exposing Wrapped Nullables to Swift from Oxygene and C#
For the purpose of being able to create APIs in Oxygene and C# that play well with Swift, the languages provide a way to mark variables as wrapped, even though the languages themselves do not use the concept. If a class type is explicitly marked as "nullable", it will appear as a wrapped nullable when referred to from Swift:
var b: nullable Button; // already nullable by default, "nullable" makes it wrapped to Swift
Button? b


text:
Most animals never even see their parents. Many never meet their fathers and some do not meet their mothers either. Some insects, fish, amphibians and reptiles hatch from fertilised eggs and face life on their own. And those animals who are raised by parents, are often reared by their mothers. But we found that there are some animal fathers who are great dads too.
Catfish: A male sea catfish keeps the eggs of his young in his mouth until they are ready to hatch. He does not eat during this period, which may go several weeks.
Cockroach: A father cockroach eats bird droppings to obtain precious nitrogen, which he carries back to feed his young.
Duck: Most male ducks live as bachelors, but the ruddy duck of North America helps care for his young.
Earthworms: Since earthworms have both male and female sex organs, every earthworm can be both a mother and a father. Animals that have both male and female organs are called hermaphrodites.
Wolf: When the mother wolf gives birth, the father stands guard outside their den and brings food for the mother and pups. As they grow, he not only plays with them but also teaches them how to survive. Wolves continue to live together much as human families do.
Frog: The male Darwin frog hatches his eggs in a pouch in his mouth. However, unlike the catfish, the existence of the pouch does not stop him from eating. Soon, the tadpoles lose their tails, become tiny frogs and jump out of his mouth!
Monkey: There are small monkeys in South America called marmosets. Among these monkeys, the fathers take care of their babies from birth. When a marmoset is born, the father cleans it, keeps it safe and carries it to the mother only when it needs to be nursed. When the baby can eat solid food, it is the father who feeds the child.
Penguin: A father emperor penguin bears the cold winds in the Antarctic for 60 days or more to protect his eggs, which he keeps on his feet, covered with a feathered flap. During this time, he does not eat a thing!
Most father penguins lose about 25 pounds while they wait for their babies to hatch. Afterward, they feed the chicks a special liquid from their throats. The father penguin can go to eat and rest only after the mother comes to take charge.
Rhea: Rheas are large South American birds and look like ostriches. Among rheas, it is always the father who takes care of the young. From the eggs to chicks, he feeds and protects them until they are old enough to survive on their own.
Sand grouse: A father Namaqua sand grouse of Africa's Kalahari Desert flies as far as 50 miles a day in order to soak himself in water so that his chicks can drink water from his feathers when he returns to his nest.
Sea horse: The male sea horse has a pouch in which the mother lays her eggs. The father then looks after the eggs for about two months, until they hatch and leave the pouch. He continues to protect the young until they are able to live on their own.
Siamese fighting fish: When the mother lays her eggs, the father catches them in his mouth, then drops them into a nest he has prepared. He guards the nest and protects the baby fish till they hatch.
Now, isn't that a huge list of great dads?


text:
Harness your inner Greek scholar and approach this math puzzle logically
Inspired by the great Greek philosopher Aristotle, whose works contain the earliest known formal study of logic, the aim of this puzzle is to make every row add up to 38. This will take a very logical mind, indeed – there are fifteen rows in all directions to complete, top to bottom as well as diagonally. Each is made up of three, four or five pieces. This brilliant mathematical concept allows you to complete the puzzle by using every number from one to nineteen.
Challenging, sophisticated and beautifully designed, this antique finish wooden puzzle seamlessly merges math and logic into a fitting tribute to the founder of Western science and philosophy. While this puzzle wasn't invented by Aristotle, it's not hard to imagine that it would have piqued his interest!
Antique finish wooden puzzle measures 5" x 5".
WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD – Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.


text:
Known as contour bias (see this page from the book Universal Principles of Design), rounded corners make objects appear less harsh and more friendly. The book cites the seminal work on contour bias as being this article Humans Prefer Curved Visual Objects by Moshe Bar and Maital Net
However, note that rounded corners are not necessarily the right answer - the book also says:
Objects with pointed features, elicited stronger activations in the
region of the brain related to associative processing, meaning that
although angular objects were less liked they elicited a deeper level
of processing than did the contoured objects - they were in effect,
more interesting and more thought-provoking to look at
So perhaps it is a question of whether you wish content to appear more friendly or more noticeable. As the book continues:
Angular objects are more effective at attracting attention and
engaging thought; contoured objects are more effective at making a
positive emotional and aesthetic impression.
I was thinking about what we find in nature - and subconscious interpretation.
We are preconditioned over time to what we find in the natural world. Curves are more likely found in nature, while square corners are pretty unlikely, and often where they might occur (eg due to fractures, breaks or other forces) they get worn down over time to make a natural curve again. Square corners simply do not have a place in natural world.
For this reason, when we try to create a natural looking page we create rounded corners rather than square corners. This helps the border or the frame to sit more comfortably in the content. However, if we use square corners, those sharper points become more noticeable (the subconscious is hardwired to look for danger and threats).
Square corners start to distance themselves from the content. The result being that square frames are interpreted more as a separate window - providing a view through into the content inside. Little surprise then, that art is hung in a square frame - the frame doesn't get seen as part of the picture - which allows you to see the whole picture unhindered. It's about separation of figure and ground.
For this reason, I'd expect the message inside a square button to be more clearly perceived if inside a square cornered frame than a rounded one. Indeed, a serious message or warning does seem to carry more importance and command more respect in a square shape than a friendly rounded one. And no surprise that even more pointy triangles are used for warning signs.
So - it seems to me that both square and rounded have their place depending on context and how the message is intended to be perceived - whether the message is serious and needs to be presented unhindered for maximum impact, or a natural and organic, friendly and inviting environment is more appropriate.


Brendan Enrick
Daily Software Development
Try Writing Try Methods
When I say "Try Methods", I am of course referring to the common prefix "Try" on a method, which implies that the method is going to attempt to do what you're asking by using an output parameter for the operation and using the return value to indicate whether the attempt succeeded.
The common ones that people see in the.NET Framework are the TryParse methods, which attempt to parse something and if it can't be parse, they assign the default value to the output parameter and return false. If the succeed, the parsed value will be placed in the output parameter and the return value will be true. If the code failed, the convention is to use the type's default value to assign to the output parameter. This lets you write code like this:
int someNumber;
int.TryParse(userInput, out someNumber);
// use the number entered or the default 0
int result = 1 + someNumber;
This is also great when you're going to be checking whether the method succeeded. In fact, you can use the try method directly in the if block, which usually makes things nice and clean. Here is an example of using them like that:
int someNumber;
if (int.TryParse(userInput, out someNumber))
 // Do something with someNumber
 // Invalid input: handle this case accordingly
Yes, you know all of this and have seen it before, however, are you writing these types of methods yourself or is your only experience with them the standard TryParse ones?
What I am trying to emphasize here is that you need to write your own Try methods in your code. You will thank yourself later.
Everyone can see the obvious benefit of not having to check for the default value to see if it the method worked. You also don't have to have ugly Try-Catch logic in your code. You get an if statement instead.
The real benefit of a writing a Try method has nothing to do with what I've already said. The most important benefit, in my opinion, is that you have a return value from it that isn't the value you are using for your logic. By having this return value for its success, you have to decide on how to handle the case where it failed.
There are important cases that might be forgotten, but having a return value means that I need to handle the return value. When I have it, I need to decide what to do with it. There may be a message I need to display to a user. There may be logging I need to do. I might be able to ignore that case. What is important, however, is that I thought about how to handle it. I had the chance to make sure that I handled the case correctly.
Create your own "Try" methods. I recommend looking into creating your own "TryParse", "TryGet", TryDelete", and anything else that has a chance of failure that you may want to handle.
Parameter Order Should Be Consistent
I was looking at a piece of code recently and noticed that someone was checking for a null parameter and throwing an ArgumentException, so I figured since ArgumentNullException inherits from ArgumentException I would just replace it with the more specific exception. Little did I know that Microsoft has a wee little bit of a problem with consistency on these.
With ArgumentExceptions it is important to have a message as well as specify which parameter is causing the trouble, so there are 2 string parameters in the ArgumentException constructor. What you might not know if you haven't switched one to the other is that they changed the order of those parameters. What I mean is that you call them like this.
throw new ArgumentException("The Message", "paramName");
throw new ArgumentNullException("paramName", "The Message");
throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException("paramName", "The Message");
How can they possibly switch those?!?! If I am not mistaken the lower two exceptions actually inherit from the first one, so it is quite surprising that the ordering was not maintained in the second two. I need to keep an eye out for other such inconsistencies while I am working. They obviously can't easily fix it now, because too much code depends on the current ordering. I try to maintain consistence parameter ordering, but I am also not working on a framework.
.NET 3.5 is Open Source
Some very surprising news has come from Scott Guthrie in a recent blog post he has made. Visual Studio 2008 and.NET 3.5 will be shipping with the source for the base class libraries. As with a lot of the recent technology coming from Microsoft, the source code is open and not hidden away.
In the past, tools like Reflector have allowed developers to see what is going on within those libraries. These tools will no longer be as necessary. This source code is being released under the Microsoft Reference License (MS-RL). It seems Microsoft has started a new trend for itself in releasing its source code.
Debugging will now become much much easier with this code being open source. In the past developers have not been able to step into any of the base class libraries. Now that the source is open for everyone to see, people are able to go in and step through this code. This should make debugging much easier and better.
I think this is great that Microsoft is releasing more source code to the general public.
Happy coding.


text:
INDIANAPOLIS – A new center at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis has a tall order to fill – improving the quality of life for billions of people.
The Center for Urban Health, hosted by the School of Science at IUPUI, will focus on the issues that affect individuals living in urban environments. The world's population is swelling, as are urban areas. Global population is projected to reach seven billion within the next year and nearly 50 percent will live in cities.
"Cities present unique challenges to the health of the individuals who reside in them. We need to know how to help more than three billion people live in a healthy way in places with high population density; a legacy of environmental burdens; current atmospheric and soil contamination; limited amounts of green space, and many other particularly urban issues," said Gabriel Filippelli, Ph.D., professor of earth sciences in the School of Science at IUPUI, the biogeochemist who is the founding director of the Center for Urban Health.
Filippelli previously served as chairman of the Department of Earth Sciences in the School of Science. He is a national leader in the emerging field of medical geology and served as the first elected chair of the Geological Society of America's Geology and Health Division.
Among the initial areas of focus of IUPUI's Center for Urban Health are chronic poisoning from lead in soil; sexually transmitted diseases in inner city teenagers; the affect of urban "heat islands" on older adults, and the relationship of childhood obesity to green space availability and proximity.
The urban health focus and breadth of research of the new IUPUI center is unusual, according to Filippelli. Environmental health centers, which are found at many universities, typically look at specific issues like autism or sexually transmitted diseases, but not on how these or other health conditions are affected by built up environments found in New York, Tokyo, Chicago, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo, Detroit, Moscow, Indianapolis, Mumbai or other urban areas around the globe.
The Center for Urban Health is a consortium of the IUPUI schools of science and liberal arts, the IU School of Medicine and its Department of Public Health.
The School of Science at IUPUI is committed to excellence in teaching, research and service in the biological, physical, behavioral and mathematical sciences. The School is dedicated to being a leading resource for interdisciplinary research and science education in support of Indiana's effort to expand and diversify its economy. For more information, visit _URL_


text:
|Global Knowledge Gateway||
Know Your Boundaries
Decisions on reporting boundaries need to be informed and transparent if investors and other stakeholders are to be able to compare and benchmark non-financial performance. Seeking to address this need, and a lack of guidelines in the area, the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) has a released a paper, currently open for consultation, that nails down the critical issues for groups of companies in determining boundaries for non-financial reporting. Proposals for Boundary Setting in Mainstream Reports discusses the extent to which non-financial reporting should include information about the activities of a parent company and its subsidiaries, joint ventures, associates, investees, suppliers, and upstream and downstream activities.
The paper explains how organizational boundary setting affects the usefulness and understandability of non-financial information. The CDSB has usefully navigated the complex and multifaceted issue of boundary setting, which is caused by various reporting frameworks and regulations, and because the financial world has traditionally been largely disconnected from the physical world in reporting.
The language of boundary setting is derived from multiple disciplines and is defined in various ways, including in financial reporting (IFRS 10, 11, and 12), integrated reporting (International Integrated Reporting Framework), and sustainability reporting (Global Reporting Initiative, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and Greenhouse Gas Protocol, among others).
The application of the concept of consolidation used in financial reporting to non-financial reporting extends the scope and content of disclosure beyond those matters where an organization has direct control or significant influence. The problem is that the various standard setters differ in their requirements, although there is a high degree of commonality between the International Integrated Reporting Framework, the SASB, and the CDSB's Reporting Framework, which are all focused on providers of financial capital as the primary user. These frameworks recommend that financial information beyond financial consideration should be reported only where necessary for investors to understand the organization's performance with respect to non-financial areas of performance and impact.
The CDSB makes six proposals to encourage a standardized and practical approach to organizational boundary setting in mainstream corporate reporting. Mainstream reporting includes the financial statements as well as other information outside financial statements that assists in the interpretation of a complete set of financial statements or improves users' ability to make efficient economic decisions, such as management commentary or management discussion and analysis.
I encourage you to respond to CDSB, or in our comments section below, with any suggestions regarding the design and application of these proposals. The proposals are summarized below:
Proposal 1: Clarify the link between the objectives of non-financial reporting, materiality, the audience for reporting, and organizational boundary setting
This proposal is designed to help reconcile a wider stakeholder view of what is material for disclosure while also recognizing the limitations of matters over which the organization has control or influence.
Where the objective of non-financial reporting is to inform investors on how management uses and manages resources for organizational success, the boundary of the organization can be the organization as understood for financial consolidation purposes (i.e., entities the reporting organization has control and influence over). Risks arising beyond the organizational boundary, such as supplier vulnerability, would be reported as risks. Where the objective is to demonstrate to society the organization's stewardship and accountability to the environment and society, the reporting boundary might extend beyond those entities and activities over which the company has control and influence. But the difference between these objectives needs to be understood and distinguished.
What does this mean in practical terms? Where non-ﬁnancial reporting requirements are added to existing mainstream reporting requirements, the boundary used for existing mainstream reports should apply equally to non-financial reporting requirements. If any information is required about the outcomes or impacts of business activity beyond the reporting boundary used for mainstream reporting, the circumstances in which such information should be provided should be specified and the resulting information separately labeled.
Proposal 2: There should be a single, standardized approach to group organizational boundary setting in mainstream reporting (that should have the characteristics outlined in proposals 3-6)
Non-ﬁnancial information can be prepared at activity, facility, or entity level, often because of the requirements speciﬁed by regulators. Investors need consolidated non-ﬁnancial information disclosures for corporate groups, much as they need, and rely on, consolidated financial statements. Using IFRSs, consolidation does not involve aggregating local statutory accounts prepared for each of the entities within the consolidation. Rather, consolidation requires the preparation of a group account. Where an organization is subject to different reporting demands (including boundary demands) from local authorities, these should be disregarded for consolidation as these reports are local statutory reports that cannot be the base for a group report.
The CDSB proposes that a similar approach to ﬁnancial consolidation is taken for group non-ﬁnancial information reporting and that such group disclosures should not simply aggregate the facility or entity level reporting prepared according to national requirements or voluntary initiatives as they can be deﬁned differently in each country and for each business, making comparisons difficult. Furthermore, in the case of large conglomerates with intercompany trading, an approach that simply aggregates national, entity level reporting could result in double counting, particularly where two or more entities within the group have prepared entity level results with different boundaries.
Proposal 3: The consolidated group boundary should align with consolidated proﬁt and loss/comprehensive income ﬁnancial reporting
The CDSB proposes that non-ﬁnancial information disclosure should be aligned with the preparation of a proﬁt and loss (P&L), or comprehensive income statement, as non-ﬁnancial reporting reﬂects resources used and affected during the year, much as income statements reﬂect revenue earned and expenses incurred. It follows that the classiﬁcation of joint arrangements as joint operations or ventures should follow IFRS 11 for non-ﬁnancial reporting purposes.
Proposal 4: Non-ﬁnancial information should be reported by the user of resources (the user is the party that has the right to use and/or direct the use or operation of the resource and to derive or control output or utility from the use of that resource)
The CDSB proposes that the user of resources should report outcomes from the use of resources for conducting business activities because the deﬁnition of user aligns with the deﬁnition of control in IFRS 10. Additionally, the user of an asset is, in many cases, more likely to have access to information that supports the production of disclosures on results and performance.
Proposal 5: No distinction should be made between ﬁnancial and operating leases for non-ﬁnancial information reporting purposes
As the user of an asset or resource should report on the results and outcomes from that use, the type of arrangement under which use is permitted becomes irrelevant to reporting. Therefore, the CDSB proposes that no distinction should be made between ﬁnancial and operating leases for non-ﬁnancial reporting purposes.
Proposal 6: Policies applied for the preparation of consolidated climate change-related disclosures should be stated
As with financial statement preparation, the CDSB proposes a similar approach for the preparation of explanatory notes to non-ﬁnancial information, including a narrative on how the group's organizational boundary has been determined and what it includes.
Based on the assumption that investors demand consistency in financial and non-financial reporting, then action is needed. Do these proposals work in practice to help meet this objective?
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Do you have a perspective you'd like to share with the global profession? Email _EMAIL_ to inquire about becoming a Gateway contributing author.


Tim Keefer > Gantry > Gantry::Conf::FAQ
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Gantry::Conf::FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions regarding Gantry::Conf
Why should I use Gantry::Conf at all?
There are many reasons why we feel Gantry::Conf is helpful both during development and after deployment. The next two entries should hopefully answer this question for you as they outline a few common scenarios programmers and system administrators often face.
How is Gantry::Conf helpful during development?
Easy separation of development configs from production configs
Often programmers have a separate development environment from their production environment. By using blocks and dev instances you can avoid spending any serious time setting up your application in the development environment. Take this configuration example:

 dbuser nobody
 dbpass secret
 dbconn "dbi:Pg:dbname=dev"

 dbuser apache
 dbpass secret2
 dbconn "dbi:Pg:dbname=production"

 ConfigureVia FlatFile Config::General /etc/apps/app1.conf
 use production

 use dev
By separating out our production and dev database information into shared blocks we can essentially switch between our production and dev environments by simply changing the instance we are using. If you were working on a script this would be a simple matter of running:
 $ script.pl --instance=app1-dev
instead of:
 $ script.pl --instance=app1
How is Gatnry::Conf helpful in production?
Gantry::Conf has several advantages in a production environment. First, it provides a single place for all config information, if you commit to it. Even if you don't commit to it for all apps, it still provides control to the installing admin over how and where conf information is stored. For instance, the admin could put the config information directly into /etc/gantry.conf, or into a separate file in /etc/gantry.d. She could even set up a secure web server where all boxes would go to get their conf.
The short answer is, Gantry::Conf is flexible and production environments benefit from flexibility.
How do I pass my instance information into my application?
There are many possible ways to do this a few of which are:
Command line arguments
If your application accepts arguments on the command line we suggest adding an --instance option to pass in the instance's name.
In a mod_perl environment you could use a PerlSetVar, possibly named GantryConfInstance, to pull in this value for your application.
Again in a mod_perl environment, another option would be to use ModPerl::ParamBuilder to pass the instance name.
Hard coded
We include this for the sake of completeness, but advise against it. You could always simply hard code your instance information into your application, but this will greatly reduce the flexibility you have.
How do I add a different provider for an existing ConfigVia method?
Place your provider module in the Gantry::Conf::Provider::Method::* namespace. Make sure your public API matches the existing providers which use the same method. For instance the flat file providers all implement a config method which is called as a class method and receives a file name.
How do I add to the ConfigVia methods?
If none of the existing provider methods will do, you need to work in Gantry::Conf. In particular, you need to augment the dispatch hash with the name of your provisioning method and a sub name which will handle it. Then you need to implement the method you put in %dispatch.
Gantry(3), Gantry::Conf(3), Gantry::Conf::Tutorial(3)
Frank Wiles
Copyright (c) 2006, Frank Wiles.
syntax highlighting:


HL7 Terminology
2.1.17 - Continuous Process Integration (ci build)
CodeSystem: ActivityDefinitionCategory
Defining URL:_URL_
Status:Draft as of 2020-04-09T21:10:28+00:00
High-level categorization of the type of activity.
Publisher:HL7 (FHIR Project)
OID:2.16.840.1.113883.4.642.1.1243 (for OID based terminology systems)
Value Set:_URL_ ( is the value set for all codes in this code system)
Source Resource:XML / JSON / Turtle
This code system _URL_ defines the following codes:
treatment TreatmentThe activity is intended to provide or is related to treatment of the patient.
education EducationThe activity is intended to provide or is related to education of the patient.
assessment AssessmentThe activity is intended to perform or is related to assessment of the patient.
2020-10-14reviseVocabulary WGGrahame GrieveReset Version after migration to UTG


Installation overview
Installing a StorageGRID system in a Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) or CentOS Linux environment includes three primary steps.
 1. Preparation: During planning and preparation, you perform these tasks:
 - Learn about the CPU, network, and storage requirements for StorageGRID.
 - Identify and prepare the physical or virtual servers you plan to use to host your StorageGRID grid nodes.
 - Prepare the RHEL or CentOS hosts, which includes installing Linux, configuring the host network, configuring host storage, installing Docker, and installing the StorageGRID host services.
 2. Deployment: When you deploy grid nodes, the individual grid nodes are created and connected to one or more networks. When deploying grid nodes:
 1. You deploy virtual grid nodes on the hosts you prepared in Step 1.
 2. You deploy any StorageGRID appliance Storage Nodes, using the StorageGRID Appliance Installer.
 3. Configuration: When all nodes have been deployed, you use the StorageGRID Grid Manager to configure the grid and complete the installation.
This document recommends a standard approach for deploying and configuring a StorageGRID system, but it also provides information about these alternative approaches:


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Tipster Alexandre Marion sends us a tip about the AutoCAD Block Attribute Manager command, better known as Battman.
"I've found a command called Battman (pretty easy to remember, right?) that lets you reorganize a block the way you want it, without having to enter the Block Editor. This really helps out in situations such as dealing with a block made by someone with no experience."
Notes from Cadalyst Tip Patrol: Battman is the command you want to use in AutoCAD to help you manage the block attributes of a specific block. It doesn't change the information that you put into a block that has attributes; it manages the attribute objects of a block instead.
To use it, type Battman on the Command line. This will bring up the Block Attribute Manager window. Select a block, then edit the settings of the attributes in that block. If you edit a block's attributes, remember to press the Sync button; this will update every instance of that block in your file.


The Karma Finance Brand Personality and Message
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We have decided on the all-important core message and brand personality going forward. This will begin our PR efforts and present the face of the Karma Finance project to the general public.
What is Karma Finance?
Karma Finance is DeFi for students. It is a way to invest in our future by staking value in a decentralized platform that students from anywhere can claim. They can then use what they receive to help cover their tuition, textbooks, and other expenses.
Our Brand Personality
Karma Finance is the 'Magician' archetype. Brands in this archetype include Disney, Tesla, MasterCard, Olay, Dyson, Adidas, and Sony. The archetype motto is "Anything can happen". Such brands turn dreams into reality and make the impossible, possible.
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Magician brands spellbind their customers via their dreams and freedom from established rules. Their focus is on magic and responsibilities, appealing to customers to join them on an enchanting journey that will transform their lives. An innate understanding of the universe is expressed in product innovation that can make dreams come true.
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Adding a Little Flow to the Magic
By incorporating the principles found in Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book Flow in our development process, we can create an optimal experience for core users by facilitating:
1. Complete concentration on the task at hand;
4. An intrinsically rewarding experience;
5. Effortlessness and ease;
6. A balance between challenge and skills;
7. Merging of actions and awareness, losing self-conscious rumination;
8. A feeling of control over the task.
Karma Finance as a Self-Improvement Ritual
When students use Karma Finance tools, it's also a self-improvement ritual. They can radically change their psychological and emotional confidence by positive beliefs that reinforce their personal power.
First, we manifest the outcome of success by a shift of the mindset, beliefs and values to help them forge their own path to success. Much of this is about changing their concept of money and how it can be used advantageously. By using the Karma DeFi protocol, the student increases their chances of creating new, net-positive opportunities for themselves.
The student is then encouraged to create ritual-like habits that are practised every day without fail, building up their will and discipline. This is where the KarmaFi mobile app comes into play. It will help shift beliefs which will directly impact the student's thinking and decision-making processes throughout the day. They will be rewarded by Karma 'angels' for their more objective decision-making, gradually seeing more positive outcomes as a result.
The Karma Finance protocol and KarmaFi mobile app will be a symbol and representation of personal power. Students will find that the best 'emerging technology' that can be used is their own mind.
That's the magic of Karma Finance.
Official Links
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Securities disclaimer
A decentralized protocol for direct, P2P giving where both the sending and receiving parties increase the value of rewards through various mechanisms.
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Asia, Culture
The Brahui: A Tale of the Mountain Dwellers of South Asia
Every place has a story of a past hidden away from the outside world. Obscure from the modern world, the Brahui group is a part of one such fascinating story from the hills of Pakistan.
Source: ancient pakistan
The tribes of these pastoral nomads live in some of the most isolated and harshest regions of Pakistan. Social isolation has restricted the world in knowing about a group that has survived through centuries. So, what is this ancient group we are talking about? Come, let's find out!
The Brahui: A Diverse Ethnic Group Living in South Asia
Source: balochilinguist
The Brahui is an ethnic group majorly found in South-Asian countries such as Balochistan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Brahuis are also found in small numbers in Iran and a few other Middle-Eastern states. This Dravidian-speaking group is quite large, with a strength of about 2.2 million people.
Also called Brohi or Brahvi group, these people mainly occupy Balochistan from Bolan Pass to Ras Muari, Karachi. The Bolan Pass is a mountain range through the Toba Kakar Range of Balochistan province in Western Pakistan. Ras Muari or Cape Monze is a beach located off the shore of the Arabian Sea in Karachi. The Brahui group mostly comprises of Sunni Muslims. Sunni comes from Sunnah, which refers to the behaviour of the prophet, Prophet Muhammad.
Brahui: A Life of Superstition and Religious beliefs
They follow religious practices mentioned in the holy book Qu'ran. Brahui group speaks of a culture involving revered saints or pirs. Every family worship a particular holy being. A few people even store mud from the saint's shrine for religious purposes. The Brahui group is quite superstitious and believes in the practices of exorcism involving evil spirits. This group even conducted events to ward off evil whenever a male child is born in a family.
Oral Folk LiteratureStory of the Mulla and Qadi
Source: wikipedia
The culture of Brahuis is quite rich in oral folk literature. One popular story is of Mulla Mansur who worked for a Qadi. Even though the Mulla served the religious leader with utmost dedication and loyalty, he was treated with a beating over very small things. However, after a couple of years, Mansur left working for the Qadi and traveled to different parts of the world. When he went back home after some time, everyone including the king was in awe of his wife's beauty.
The story takes a different turn when the Qadi tries to entice the Mullah's wife into sexual activity but miserably failed in his endeavors. She then publicly condemned the religious leader's actions. This folk tale represents a culture about leaders who claim to be men of god but indulge in unholy practices.
The Rural "Mountain Dwellers" of South Asia
The mountain dwellers living in the rugged mountains of South Asia have always lured historians and writers into their world. One main point of interest is the mystery behind the origins and very little shreds of historical evidence on the Brahuis. Even though the story to explain that the Brahui language belongs to the Dravidian language family is quite fascinating, a few are of the opinion that the ethnic Brahui group are descendants of people of the Indus Valley Civilization.
What's big than the mystery of how one of the world's first civilizations perished. If writers and historians are to be believed, all those who survived the end, migrated to present-day Baluchistan to ensure the continuity of their ancient language. However, one should not believe this because there is no proper evidence to support the theory.
The rise and fall of the Khanate of Kalat
Source: wikipedia
The dusty pages of a history book mention that the Brahuis first came into picture sometime around the 17th century when the Khanate of Kalat was an independent political entity. It existed from 1666 to 1955. Located in the modern-day province of Baluchistan, Khanate of Kalat was founded by Mir Ahmad Khan. The Khanate's last ruler was Mir Ahmad Yar Khan Ahmadzai.
The self-governing state entered into an alliance with British India in 1839. However, after more than 300 years of independent rule, the Khanate of Kalat acceded into the princely state of Pakistan in 1948. It remained a part of the princely state till 1955 when it was incorporated into the country.
A diverse linguistic connection
One unique thing about this group is the diverse languages spoken amongst its people. A few of the groups speak Brahui, a language spoken in the central part of Balochistan, majorly in Kalat, Khuzdar, and Mastung districts. However, according to reports, many people have stopped speaking Brahui. Some Brahuis are fluent in both Balochi (North-western Iranian Language) and Brahui. Although, there also people who speak only Balochi.
Sarawan Barahuis and Jhalawan Brahuis constitute a significant part of the Brahui group. However, there is another small part of Iltazai, Kalandari, Mirwari, Rodeni, Sumalari, Kambrani, Achmadzai, and Gurguari Brahuis.
Origin based on a Hypothesis
There are many contradicting theories about the origin of the Brahui language. According to a few individuals, the "ethnic" language has only recently been a part of Balochistan. Whereas, others believe it is an old part of a family of Dravidian languages. Professor Josef Elfenbein said that the Brahui was part of a Dravidian "invasion" of North-Western India in the 3rd millennium BC.
In addition to this, Elfenbein told that other than the Dravidians who moved to the Southern region, lived in the Jahlawan and Sarawan since before 2000 BC. Brahui is influenced by other languages spoken in the areaPashto, Persian.
Brahui migrated from Central India?
Source: balochilinguist
Another popular belief is that Brahui migrated to Balochistan from the central part of India after 1000 AD. The non-existence of any older Iranian (Avestan- a language of Zoroastrian scripture) in the Brahui language supports this hypothesis. Brahui language borrows a lot of vocabulary from Balochi. It migrated to this particular area from the West only around 1000 AD. However, some people argue that the migration took place sometime between the 13th or 14th century.
Is Brahui not a Dravidian Language?
According to a hypothesis, Brahui is not a Dravidian language. It can still be connected with other Dravidian languages and Elamite (extinct language) to create the Zagrosian language family, which originated in Southwest Asia (South Iran). It was widely spread in South Asia and a few parts of Eastern West Asia before the Indo-Aryan migration.
So, if you are a traveler intrigued by the way the Brahui group lives, works, and adheres to "societal" norms, pack your bags, and head to the rugged mountains of South Asia.
Curated by Ruchit Rastogi


Why Tarantaise / Angus?
Tarentaise cattle originated in Spain and eventually worked their way into the United States. They were used in the mountains and out west to improve the quality of meat and maternal traits. Tarentaise milk has a high content of butter fat passing to your calf to create a lean full flavored, almost sweet succulent steak.
The cows are managed on pasture under intensive grazing management. The average production is 5,500 kilos (12,199 lbs) of milk in a 305 day lactation with no fed concentrates in the summer. Cows are dried off in the fall and kept in the barn from October through April because of snow and the danger of avalanche. Their basic ration is hay, sometimes haylage. Only high-producing cows get up to 5 lbs. of concentrates daily and then only for the six weeks leading up to their AI breeding. Most calving and breeding occur in winter.
In May the cows are turned out onto lush pastures at 2,500 feet. In June they are moved to high (and extremely steep) pastures at an average elevation of 8,000 feet. Daily temperatures often swing from below freezing to high above 80 degrees. Grazing ski slopes, the cattle are so removed from any town that the herdsmen actually stay with the cows for the entire three months and make the cheese on the spot. Tarentaise are the only cattle in Europe hardy enough to graze this region profitably. Climbing at these altitudes is what makes their remarkable natural muscling and marbling, as well as endowing the breed with a very robust cardiovascular system. This contributes to their inherent high resistance to the common respiratory/shipping disease complexes found in North America.
The first Tarentaise in North America were imported to Canada in 1972. A year later they were introduced to the U.S. beginning in the northern plains states and spreading to all corners of the continent with outstanding performance.


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The 2004 Rose Revolution succeeded in part thanks to women's vibrant participation. Now the Women's Fund in Georgia is shaking up the country's legal structure and reclaiming women's historic connection to philanthropy.
For centuries, women in the Caucasus nations advanced education and culture, and created charities. However, during Soviet rule this tradition was treated as a bourgeois relic and forced underground.
The Fund grew out of the Educational Cooperation and Development Center, a women's organization formed in 1998 that built strong ties with women's groups and local businesses. The group developed experience with grantmaking when it received a $20,000 partnership grant from the Global Fund in 2002 that it regranted to 12 small women's groups in remote areas of Georgia.
To engage the private sector in funding women's organizations, the group is advocating for legislative changes that will allow individuals and companies to make tax-deductible gifts to nongovernmental organizations. Such incentives are currently nonexistent in the region.
As the Women's Fund explains, "For Georgian women, philanthropy is the power which helps them make a choice dictated by both heart and mind. Only this kind of independent choice gives women the chance to fulfill their principles, rights and responsibilities."
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A common criticism of Social and Emotional Learning programmes such as Zippy's Friends is that they take up time which could instead be used to teach more academic subjects. However, there is growing evidence that such programmes can actually improve children's academic achievement.
Aleisha Clarke and Prof Margaret Barry of the Health Promotion Research Centre at the National University of Ireland, Galway, have reviewed the evidence on behalf of Partnership for Children. They looked not just at Zippy's Friends but at Social and Emotional Learning programmes in general.
They conclude that such programmes significantly improve children's academic performance. They note that the largest and most rigorous study to date, involving more than 300,000 children, found that 'evidence-based programmes are intimately linked to improving children's academic performance.'
They also found that such programmes are most effective when they are targeted at younger children, and when they are taught by class teachers, rather than by outside experts.
Clarke and Barry's review, which is published exclusively on this website, is a useful, easy-to-read response to anyone who thinks that programmes such as Zippy's Friends are a distraction from more academic subjects.


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We're pretty big on Babbel, the online language learning platform, and wanted to let Free Language readers know that in June they released a new browser-based speech recognition feature.
This unique tool encourages users to practice the language they are learning out loud and gives them the opportunity to fine-tune their pronunciation. Some traditional e-learning software includes this sort of tool, but none of them do it online in quite the same way. It is also one of the first applications to incorporate the new Adobe Flash Player 10.1.
Language Learning System Babbel Introduces Speech Recognition
- Foreign language pronunciation training online
- Real-time technology based on the new Adobe Flash Player 10.1
- Speech recognition with Babbel iPhone apps also planned
Babbel integrates a unique speech recognition tool into its language learning system. The feature encourages practice and gives the opportunity to fine-tune pronunciation skills. This adds yet another dynamic dimension to online language learning.
The browser-based speech analysis gives learners an instant evaluation, letting them know how close their pronunciation is to that of a native speaker. Included in all Babbel courses, the feature will take effect automatically. No installation is necessary beyond the latest Flash Player.
Many students of foreign languages, regardless of their level, lack speaking practice and often shy away from direct communication. Breaking out of the shell can take courage that is not always at hand. The idea of the speech recognition feature is to give them the confidence to open their mouths. "We're encouraging learners to speak and improve their pronunciation with a technical tool before they have to face real-life situations", says Markus Witte, Managing Director of Babbel.
In a new kind of exercise integrated into the Babbel courses, learners hear a word or phrase and are prompted to repeat it back. The quality of the pronunciation is then rated on a scale of 0-100. A result of 50 or higher means that the utterance is generally understandable. Beyond that point, the user can continue to polish their pronunciation to desired perfection.
New technology from audio software experts
The Babbel founders have an extensive background in audio technology. Among them are the original developers of TRAKTOR, the world renowned DJ software. This professional-level technology has been channeled into the online language learning system Babbel and made accessible for anyone online.
The new speech recognition tool marks a milestone in online language learning and underscores Babbel's technological lead. It works directly with the popular Flash Player and is the first to make use of its new capabilities
Another implementation of speech recognition technology is planned for the recently released Babbel iPhone apps.
Babbel is an online language learning system. Along with the website, there are apps for iPhone and a downloadable vocabulary trainer. Both beginners and returning learners will find interactive exercises for studying English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese and Swedish. Among diverse kinds of courses there are Basic and Advanced Vocabulary, grammatical exercises and pronunciation training. More than 700,000 people from over 200 countries have already registered with Babbel, while the iPhone apps have had at least 100,000 downloads.
We have reviewed Babbel for the seven languages it's currently working for. Have a look at our articles to find out much more about this unique language-learning platform:


From The.45 Automatic, " Service Pistol Surrogates" by J.B. Roberts, Jr.
Colt.45 Autos have been copied, both here and abroad, almost since the first ones were made. The first of the foreign copiers was Norway. Seeking a suitable semi-automatic pistol, the Norwegian military decided on the M1911 as early as 1912. In 1913 and 1914, the Norwegians purchased 300 commercial.45s from Colt and then, having established that no Norwegian product was acceptable, began to negotiate for a license to build guns in Norway. Under an agreement signed in January, 1915, payment of 25,000 kroner bought the Norwegians a set of Colt's drawings and the right to make M1911 pistols at their Kongsberg Weapons Factory for as long, and in whatever quantity they desired.
Formally adopted as the "Colt Automatisk Pistol Model 1912," the first 500 guns are virtual twins of the Colt product, differing only in marking. The second production lot, begun in 1919, carried a different slide marking-—11.25 m/m Auto. Pistol M/1914. The M/1914 also features a slide release lever that is distinctly different from those on both Colt and M/1912 Norwegian pistols.
The Kongsberg plant turned out about 20,000 M/1914 pistols between 1919 and the early '30s. Then, military demand satisfied, the line shut down. Under German occupation during World War II, the production of M/1914 was re-started, and another 10,000 were produced. Following the war, a few M/1914s were assembled from parts to bring the total made to just under 33,000.
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The application of the optimization technique known as dynamic programming to the design of "thinned" arrays with unequally-spaced elements is described. Dynamic programming is a systematic procedure for efficiently utilizing the capabilities of modern high-speed digital computing machines to find solutions to problems not computationally feasible by conventional means. In this paper it is applied to the design of linear arrays of 25 elements spaced within a 50 wavelength aperture. The results obtained compare favorably with similar results found by other design techniques. The effect on the sidelobes of varying the angular region of optimization and the spacing-quantization is also explored.
Date of Publication: Jan 1964