My family went up to Washington State on vacation, and while there we went to a children's museum. They had a mock police car, fire truck, ambulance, and helicopter that kids could go in and play with the many controls. Some switches would turn lights on and off, others would play sounds. My son absolutely loved it. He needed one of his own. I made a big order off Adafruit the next day.
And what better thing to build than a spaceship control panel?
I want to create it such that it can be expanded in the future as he gets older. Then instead of just toggling lights and playing canned sounds, he would actually have to follow certain procedures to make things happen.
For this first iteration I won't get too complicated. I'll have a variety of inputs that control lights and sounds. I actually put a lot of time into which buttons and switches to have. The Apollo sim I linked to above it awesome, but I want my son to be able to replicate future space travel among the stars ("Foundation" style). So the controls I ultimately went with could be used for privateers smuggling cargo across the Confederation, battling Romulans near the neutral zone, or searching for the mythical planet Earth. At this point the buttons will repeat the same sounds every time you push them, but when my son gets older I can tie in a microcontroller to put more logic in the responses.
A spare IKEA side table was a quick way to give it a stable base.
I found a 3-D space program on the Kindle that is absolutely perfect for the control panel.
The shield, cargo bay, and tractor beam switches toggle their corresponding white LEDs and close a relay for the Audio FX board to play an appropriate sound.
The Visual Scanner, Radar Scanner, Initiate Takeoff, and Initiate Landing buttons are all momentary buttons. While pressed, the white LED illuminates and the Audio FX board plays an appropriate sound. When released the LED extinguishes.
The weapon systems are probably the most complicated. The red momentary buttons are only illuminated (and functional) if the protected arming switches are raised. Pressing them causes some nice launch effects to be played.
The Initiate Warp Speed button is always illuminated, but it plays a nice sound effect when pressed.
Great project! When I was young, I did very similar one with friends. Many switches and bulbs ;-) and also couple motors. Than was funny!
Thanks :-) My friends and I had a cardboard box covered with black sharpie drawings, but it will still great.
I'm planning on adding some computer fans (for when he toggles "Life Support") and some larger lights (for Star Trek style "Red Alert"). I'm sure I'll have a version 2.0 update when he gets older.


Keeping track of all your appointments, tasks, meetings, and shopping lists just got much easier with the BlackBerry. These apps provide calendars and calendar entries that you can use to stay on top of what you have to do today (and remember what day it actually is).
Prod you to action at a particular time when you come across a message that you want to respond to by mail or phone.
Remind you about a missed phone call, choosing the best time for a response.
Send you a wake-up message when you have a task to do, such as a calendar appointment, a job you need to do at a particular time, an app that needs to be run.
You can reply to e-mail and return phone calls directly from the reminder without having to look up addresses or phone numbers. E-Mail follow-up reminders include full contact information and a summary of the original message. Phone call follow-ups include a call-back number and any available caller-ID information.
The Dilbert Calendar delivers a daily animated Dilbert cartoon to your BlackBerry, integrated to your device's built-in calendar. So you can both amuse yourself and become depressed while you survey your day of disorganized meetings, pointless conference calls, and doomed-before-they-start product launches.
You can get the Dilbert Calendar in a free trial to see whether you want to sign up for a subscription (which range from by the month to half-year to year).
The New Yorker Calendar, distributed by the same company as its Dilbert cousin, works the same way: one cartoon or short video each day, along with a connection to your BlackBerry's calendar for appointments. The calendar is offered free, but the subscription is valid for only a few days. You can pay for a subscription by the month, half-year, or year.
LaterDude Pro, from MobileUtil, is a quick and easy way to remind yourself to get something done: Reply to an e-mail, phone someone whose call you missed, answer an SMS text, or be somewhere and do something at a specific time.
After downloaded and installed, the app insinuates itself into the BlackBerry operating system and appears in most menus. The automated entries can be edited and refined from the keyboard of your phone. After the entry is to your satisfaction, click Save to add the event to the calendar.
SBSH Calendar Pro is an extension or an enhancement to the BlackBerry's built-in calendar database. It also synchronizes your BlackBerry to any calendar software you maintain on your personal computer with your phone. It's all automatic, too.
The calendar integrates appointments, tasks, and to-do lists. You can make any item private or public. You can categorize your schedule in the way that works best for you. All the items you enter in Calendar Pro are searchable within the app: appointments, meetings, and tasks.
SBSH Historia is a highly specialized call-logging app. When you give it permission, it idles quietly in the background waiting for you to make or receive a call by using your BlackBerry. When the moment arrives, it springs into action and makes a record of as much detail as is available: incoming or outgoing, the number dialed or that called you, the caller ID or the contact information from your address book, and the date and time the call began and ended.
You can also open up your calendar and add notes about the subject of the conversation, enter any follow-up tasks, and even send a copy of the calendar notation by e-mail or SMS to yourself, to the person you spoke with, or to another address.
My List gives you a list of your lists of things that need to be done, and it also gives you a way to track items that are completed and those that are yet to be done.
My List comes with a set of predefined categories, including Daily and Weekend, Shopping, House Ideas, Books, Music, and various celebrations. You can create others of your own. Within each category, you then create items.
After you accomplish a particular task or purchase an item, you can check it off on your list but leave the category still in place. Or you can delete the item or the category after a complete list has been fulfilled.


text:
Q: Get one item from a list in parent scope I have the following Angular controllers:
function TagListController($scope) {
  $scope.model = {
    tags: ['tag 1', 'tag 2', 'tag 3' ],
    template: 'list'
  }
  $scope.showTemplate = function (template) {
    $scope.model.template = template;
  };
}

function TagEditController($scope) {
  $scope.tagToEdit = $scope.$parent.model ???
}

And I have the following HTML to show a list of tags and to edit a tag:

    <a href="" data-ng-click="show('edit')"

Using model.template I am able to show the Edit template.
But how can I, in EditTagController, use the tag which Edit link was clicked?
I know it will be one of the items in $scope.$parent.model.tags.
I just don't know how to select it and the best way to select it.

A: This would be a good place to use a factory or service.
See this jsBin
You want to store common data inside of your factory instead of dealing with $parent or $rootScope.
You could create a factory like this:
function tagService() {
  var observerCallbacks = [];

  var currentTag;

  function getCurrentTag() {
    return currentTag;
  }

  function setCurrentTag(tag) {
    currentTag = tag;
    notifyObservers();
  }

  function notifyObservers() {
    angular.forEach(observerCallbacks, function(callback) {
      callback();
    });
  }

  function registerObserverCallback(callback) {
    this.observerCallbacks.push(callback);
    notifyObservers();
  }

  return {
    getCurrentTag: getCurrentTag,
    setCurrentTag: setCurrentTag,
    registerObserverCallback: registerObserverCallback,
    notifyObservers: notifyObservers
  };
}

Here, I'm also using the observer pattern to notify anybody who is listening for changes any time setCurrentTag is called.  That way, if you change tags, both controllers know.
Your TagListController might look like:
function TagListController($scope, tagService) {
  $scope.model = {
    tags: ['tag 1', 'tag 2', 'tag 3' ],
    template: 'list'
  };

  $scope.editTag = function(tag) {
    tagService.setCurrentTag(tag);
    $scope.model.template = 'edit';
  };
}

And your TagEditController like:
function TagEditController($scope, tagService) {
    tagService.registerObserverCallback(function() {
    $scope.tagToEdit = tagService.getCurrentTag();
  });
}

A: How about using Angular routing? You could set up a route like "yourapp/tags/{tag}" to your EditTagController and that way you will get the current tag as a parameter.
Something like this

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
OpEdNews Op Eds 9/9/2021 at 10:12 AM EDT H2'ed 9/9/21
Losing Sight Of The Needs Of Children And Their Families
By Carl Petersen (Page 1 of 1 pages) No comments
(6 fans)
(Image by Nick Melvoin for School Board 2022) Details DMCA
st year, Nick has fought to safely reopen schools for full-time instruction" - Nick Melvoin's campaign website
Last January, as Los Angeles plunged into the depths of the post-holiday COVID-19 surge, LAUSD Board Member Nick Melvoin made one of his many appearances on FOX11. The subject of his conversation with host Elex Michaelson and initial COVID-19 denier Dr. Drew centered not on how to keep children and their families safe, but instead on why campuses were not open. Ignoring the pain of families mourning loved ones lost in the pandemic, Melvoin used the appearance to talk about how "kids are suffering academically, emotionally." Maintaining that "their parents are suffering" (from having their children at home?), the board member was pushing the talking point that "we need to do all we can to get kids back" on campus.
Melvoin also used his appearance to admonish UTLA for saying that the return to campus policy had to go beyond vaccinating teachers saying that the decision to reopen campuses should not be the choice of a labor union. Remember that this conversation occurred just weeks after the infection rate had reached the highest point of the pandemic.
The push to prematurely open school campuses, as voiced by Melvoin, has had negative consequences that continue through today. The state legislature ignored the concerns of BIPOC communities that were hardest hit by the pandemic and pushed through requirements that forced the LAUSD to dismantle the Zoom School infrastructure that helped teachers to continue educating students through the campus shutdowns. In its place, parents who are not yet satisfied that it is safe to have their children return to physical schooling have been forced into the district's City of Angels school. This program was designed for independent study, not remote classroom instruction. The school's underlying infrastructure has nearly collapsed under the weight of its new responsibilities resulting in a steady stream of complaints from parents.
With the new school year only a few weeks old, Melvoin's position has once again been proven wrong. Even with overall infection rates much lower than they were during the holiday surge, 6,500 LAUSD students missed school because of COVID-19 during the first week of school. One LAUSD school has already reported an outbreak linked to transmission within a classroom. Of course, this did not occur in Melvoin's power base at Palisades Charter High School but at Grant Elementary School in East Hollywood where 88.3% of the students are socioeconomically disadvantaged.
(Image by California Department of Education) Details DMCA
Contrary to Melvoin's assertion, UTLA was completely correct in maintaining that the district needed to focus on more than vaccinations. While many of those that Melvoin supported as they tried to force open campuses before it was safe are the same people who have derided mask mandates and mandatory testing, these protocols are helping to mitigate the spread within our schools. Data from the Parents Supporting Teachers Covid Dashboard for LAUSD shows that while there were 2,605 active cases on school campuses linked to community-based spread last week, only one case was classified as a school-linked case.
Of course, we would all be in a better situation if our leaders were modeling better mask-wearing behavior, especially for students who are too young to be vaccinated:
Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for students with special education needs and public education. He is an elected member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council and serves as the Education Chair. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own.
Carl Petersen Social Media Pages:
Carl Petersen is a parent, an advocate for students with special education needs, an elected member of the Northridge East Neighborhood Council, a member of the LAUSD's CAC, and was a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race. During the campaign, the Network for Public Education (NPE) Action endorsed him, and Dr. Diane Ravitch called him a " (more...)
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"We're at a paradigm-shift moment in history, where we will look back at it and realize that a particular model of how we govern our affairs together became outdated. Kall's book Bottom-Up offers great alternatives and solutions that are not found in conventional governing models."
Carne Ross , is a former British diplomat, a strategy coordinator for the UN, and author of the book, The Leaderless Revolution.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


18+ ready made widget with dynamic sidebbar.
Alberta barley farmers pay $1.00 per tonne of barley sold to the Alberta Barley Commission (ABC). This deduction comes off of all barley (feed, food and malt) sold in the province of Alberta. The $1.00 collected by ABC is—as it always has been—used for marketing development, research and policy development.
There is now an additional $0.04 per tonne being collected through the wheat and barley check-off.
The $0.04 is for the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC), which provides technical assistance for people using Canadian malt around the world.
As an Alberta barley farmer, if you sell your grain to a Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) licensed company, you will see a check-off of $1.00 per tonne for the Alberta Barley Commission and a second check-off of $0.04 per tonne for Deduction of Levy on your Cash Purchase Ticket (CPT).


Great culture is growing quickly. Good opportunities for people. Contributes towards society in many ways.
Great variety of work and opportunities to work on interesting projects.
Bureaucracy, politics, and inappropriate targets/measures (e.g. teams are measured on utilisation) lead to some bad behaviours across the business.
Cut out the bureaucracy and politics, let engineers focus on research.
Upper management is in need of some diversity - only one senior/exec I know of who isn't white, male, 50+ and out of touch with what is happening at the coal face.
lovely surroundings and I managed to make some good friends amongst the bad.
all that glitters is not gold - lovely surroundings but quite a toxic atmosphere in certain areas of the site that I believe are due to two PA's that have worked there for a long time and for some strange reason the MD chooses to turn a blind eye to their vile behaviours as employees and co-workers. No-one really knows what work they put out but everyone knows they spend most of their working day spying and gossiping around the building about anyone and everyone. in my opinion a lot of public funding money wasted on paying the wrong employees/senior management in addition to unnecessary luxuries.
give out employee questionnaires and ask for their advice on how you can better the working atmosphere at the MTC.
Friendly people, flexible working hours, highly skilled people, good food, reasonable training opportunities. As long as government funding continues, the outlook is great.
Pay is on the low side, not much out-of-ours socialisation with colleagues.
Very disconnected from the "real world". Lots of "academics" with PHDs who no nothing about manufacturing or the constraints within the industry. Was there for less than a year as i couldn't bare looking busy any more, the whole place functions on working on projects for paying customers where they re-invent the wheel and claim it as new technology. I lost count of the number of times they were looking at groundbreaking technology i have seen in action in manufacturing ten years previously.
Enjoy the bubble before people cotton-on to the vast waste of taxpayers money you're throwing away each year.
The building looks quite nice from a far.
From the top down the place is rife with bullying. A CEO who swans around like royalty that will not engage with anyone in a position less senior than his own. A layer of middle management that is quite literately not needed as they offer nothing constructive to the company. An estates team dictated by probably the biggest bully of them all. An atmosphere throughout the office you could cut with a rusty spoon.
Unless you bow down and kiss someones rear you won't see a penny of the joke of a 1% annual pay rise they offer.
Apart from that it's a cracking place to work.
Retire, move on and leave it to the generation that are willing to embrace the 21st century work ethic. Inject some colour and stop making everything teal!
Lose the Gurkha's in the conference center. You are not in the army now so let it go. You do not need trained killers to man a load of meeting rooms and a theatre it just looks ridiculous.
Glassdoor bietet 41 The Manufacturing Technology Centre-Bewertungen, anonym von The Manufacturing Technology Centre-Mitarbeitern gepostet. Lesen Sie die Mitarbeiterbewertungen auf Glassdoor, um zu entscheiden, ob The Manufacturing Technology Centre für Sie das richtige Unternmehmen ist.


text:
/**
 * @file
 * DNN inference functions interface for native backend.
 */

#ifndef AVFILTER_DNN_DNN_BACKEND_NATIVE_H
#define AVFILTER_DNN_DNN_BACKEND_NATIVE_H

#include "../dnn_interface.h"
#include "libavformat/avio.h"

/**
 * the enum value of DNNLayerType should not be changed,
 * the same values are used in convert_from_tensorflow.py
 * and, it is used to index the layer execution/load function pointer.
 */
typedef enum {
    DLT_INPUT = 0,
    DLT_CONV2D = 1,
    DLT_DEPTH_TO_SPACE = 2,
    DLT_MIRROR_PAD = 3,
    DLT_MAXIMUM = 4,
    DLT_MATH_BINARY = 5,
    DLT_COUNT
} DNNLayerType;

typedef enum {DOT_INPUT = 1, DOT_OUTPUT = 2, DOT_INTERMEDIATE = DOT_INPUT | DOT_INPUT} DNNOperandType;

typedef struct Layer{
    DNNLayerType type;
    /**
     * a layer can have multiple inputs and one output.
     * 4 is just a big enough number for input operands (increase it if necessary),
     * do not use 'int32_t *input_operand_indexes', so we don't worry about mem leaks.
     */
    int32_t input_operand_indexes[4];
    int32_t output_operand_index;
    void *params;
} Layer;

typedef struct DnnOperand{
    /**
     * there are two memory layouts, NHWC or NCHW, so we use dims,
     * dims[0] is Number.
     */
    int32_t dims[4];

    /**
     * input/output/intermediate operand of the network
     */
    DNNOperandType type;

    /**
     * support different kinds of data type such as float, half float, int8 etc,
     * first support float now.
     */
    DNNDataType data_type;

    /**
     * NHWC if 1, otherwise NCHW.
     * let's first support NHWC only, this flag is for extensive usage.
     */
    int8_t isNHWC;

    /**
     * to avoid possible memory leak, do not use char *name
     */
    char name[128];

    /**
     * data pointer with data length in bytes.
     * usedNumbersLeft is only valid for intermediate operand,
     * it means how many layers still depend on this operand,
     * todo: the memory can be reused when usedNumbersLeft is zero.
     */
    void *data;
    int32_t length;
    int32_t usedNumbersLeft;
}DnnOperand;

typedef struct InputParams{
    int height, width, channels;
} InputParams;

// Represents simple feed-forward convolutional network.
typedef struct ConvolutionalNetwork{
    Layer *layers;
    int32_t layers_num;
    DnnOperand *operands;
    int32_t operands_num;
    int32_t *output_indexes;
    uint32_t nb_output;
} ConvolutionalNetwork;

DNNModel *ff_dnn_load_model_native(const char *model_filename);

DNNReturnType ff_dnn_execute_model_native(const DNNModel *model, DNNData *outputs, uint32_t nb_output);

void ff_dnn_free_model_native(DNNModel **model);

int32_t calculate_operand_data_length(const DnnOperand *oprd);
int32_t calculate_operand_dims_count(const DnnOperand *oprd);
#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The Table saw is the center peice of most woodworking shops and finding the correct table saw is important. At the Tool Store.ca we sell tablesaws from both King, Makita and General. We have Table saws including Bench Table Saws, Portable Table Saw, Contactor Saws even 5hp Cabinent table saws.


text:
Q: Redirect all request HTTP to HTTPS I have an angular 2 application running with express and I would like to redirect all requests http to https, I follow some tutorials from the web but no one was working.
My application is hosted on Heroku.
I have two configuration files for express :
server/app.ts
import * as express from 'express';
import { json, urlencoded } from 'body-parser';
import * as path from 'path';
import * as cors from 'cors';
import * as compression from 'compression';

const app: express.Application = express();

app.disable('x-powered-by');

app.use(json());
app.use(compression());
app.use(urlencoded({ extended: true }));

if (app.get('env') === 'production') {

// in production mode run application from dist folder
 app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, '/../client')));
}

// catch 404 and forward to error handler
app.use(function(req: express.Request, res: express.Response, next) {
 let err = new Error('Not Found');
 next(err);
});

// production error handler
// no stacktrace leaked to user
app.use(function(err: any, req: express.Request, res: express.Response, next: express.NextFunction) {

  res.status(err.status || 500);
  res.json({
    error: {},
    message: err.message
  });
});

export { app }

server/bin/www.ts
#!/usr/bin/env node

/**
 * Module dependencies.
 */

import { app } from '../app';
import { serverPort } from '../config';
import * as http from 'http';

/**
 * Get port from environment and store in Express.
 */
const port = normalizePort(process.env.PORT || serverPort);
app.set('port', port);

/**
 * Create HTTP server.
 */
const server = http.createServer(app);

/**
 * Listen on provided port, on all network interfaces.
 */

server.listen(port);
server.on('error', onError);
server.on('listening', onListening);

/**
 * Normalize a port into a number, string, or false.
 */

function normalizePort(val): boolean | number {

  const normalizedPort = parseInt(val, 10);

  if (isNaN(normalizedPort)) {
    // named pipe
    return val;
  }

  if (normalizedPort >= 0) {
    // port number
    return normalizedPort;
  }

  return false;
}

/**
 * Event listener for HTTP server 'error' event.
 */

function onError(error) {
  if (error.syscall !== 'listen') {
    throw error;
  }

  const bind = typeof port === 'string'
    ? 'Pipe ' + port
    : 'Port ' + port;

  // handle specific listen errors with friendly messages
  switch (error.code) {
    case 'EACCES':
      console.error(bind + ' requires elevated privileges');
      process.exit(1);
      break;
    case 'EADDRINUSE':
      console.error(bind + ' is already in use');
      process.exit(1);
      break;
    default:
      throw error;
  }
}

/**
 * Event listener for HTTP server 'listening' event.
 */

function onListening() {
  const addr = server.address();
  const bind = typeof addr === 'string'
    ? 'pipe ' + addr
    : 'port ' + addr.port;
  console.log('Listening on ' + bind);
}

A: Here is how I did it using nodeJS:
var app = express();
var httpapp = express();
options = {
       key: fs.readFileSync('.key'),
       cert: fs.readFileSync('.crt'),
       requestCert: true
}

var http = require('http').createServer(httpapp);
var server = require('https').createServer(options, app);
var port = process.env.PORT || 3000;

//Redirect http to https

httpapp.get('*', function(req, res) {
        res.redirect('https://127.0.0.1:' + port + req.url)
});

I am not familiar with deploying apps to Heroku, but I would imagine, this would be a similar process. I am not 100% sure if you need two express apps, but I added an http and https one anyway.


text:
This is the finance section of futureuniversetv.com
What Does The Term Metaverse Refer To ? – FutureUniverseTV Presents An In-Depth Understanding
What Does The Term Metaverse Refer To? FutureUniverseTV Presents An In-Depth Understanding.
What Does The Term Metaverse Refer To
Following Facebook's announcement that it would rebrand itself as Meta and make the metaverse widely accessible as soon as possible, senior managers from a wide range of sectors have repeatedly asked us about the impact of the metaverse on the organization of businesses. From a pragmatic perspective to a philosophical perspective, the questions are varied. However, at their core, they are concerned with whether the metaverse is likely to become a legitimate context for a variety of forms of social interaction. As a result, this will have profound implications for how companies design their organizations, formulate and implement a future-proof strategy, and manage increasingly distributed workforces.
Neal Stephenson coined the term "metaverse" in a 1992 novel. As of today, it is referred to as a technology platform that enables immersive social interaction across a variety of virtual spaces, mediated by avatars (digital representations of users). In spite of the fact that the metaverse has sparked much of our imagination since its inception, it has been unable to gain much traction in the commercial sphere. Second life, an online multimedia platform, is the most recent example of something close to a mass-market product.
It was predicted that this platform would enable users to perform all real-life activities in a virtual environment as early as the early 2000s. As Second Life failed to deliver on its promise, skepticism prevailed in the metaverse. Since Facebook publicly committed to investing massively in the technologies that would popularize the metaverse in October of last year, the world has finally begun to realize the significance of this parallel universe. There is a possibility that the "metaverse winter" has ended.
At present, the majority of metaverse use cases are found in the entertainment sector (we recommend watching Ready Play One if you haven't already). Despite the fact that the gaming industry was the obvious first mover, the music and movie industries quickly followed and many "in-game" performances developed. In 2020, Travis Scott's rap concert on Fortnite attracted a record number of attendees of 12.3 million. A number of other popular musicians have also held mega-sized concerts on metaverse platforms, including Ariana Grande, Deadmau5 and Grimes. What are the implications of the metaverse for players outside the entertainment industry?
Earlier this year, Decentraland hosted a Metaverse Fashion Week, during which major fashion brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Tommy Hilfiger, and Elie Saab tried to woo the virtual crowd. In addition to being able to afford a VR headset and have access to a high-speed internet connection, an audience that can explore new concepts such as the metaverse is likely to have enough disposable income to purchase a US$1,000 designer bag. What are we to make of the fact that people are willing to pay real money for a virtual handbag? Is it possible that major brands will begin to compete fiercely for prime properties in popular "cities" in the metaverse, just as they do in real life? Does it work the same way as art or gold where speculation and signaling may drive prices more than utility derived from consumption?
Gamers are very interested in the metaverse. Would it be useful to companies as a whole? A first consequence of the pandemic has been the mainstreaming of distributed working. With tools like Slack and Zoom, we are comfortable with virtual collaboration, but our ability to learn, create, and communicate may suffer if we restrict our interactions to these platforms. We were drawing down on our stock of social capital that had been built up through face-to-face interactions during the lockdown. This is not a very sustainable approach. Metaverse-based virtual collaboration may be more effective at cultivating deeper connections and richer collaborations, since it is more immersive and interactive than technologies such as Zoom and Slack. As a result of more spontaneous encounters in the metaverse and higher quality feedback cues during these interactions, this possibility is enabled.
The "office" of choice for remote workers is being challenged by companies such as Meta and Virbela. The second reason is that gamers of today will become employees of tomorrow in the long run. In the metaverse, if you are unaware of how teens (and beyond) interact socially in multi-player online games, you are missing out on a very valuable source of insight. In the future, how teens interact in a virtual work environment may indeed be the best indicator of how they will bond, form and break relationships, collaborate and compete. Consider inviting your management team to a game of Fortnite or Minecraft with your kids.
What is the role of avatars in the metaverse? Are they a bug or a feature? Do co-workers really interact as cartoon characters? A realistic representation in an immersive experience is not currently possible due to the limitations of the technology. It is possible that representations in the metaverse could take completely different forms as a result of rapid technological advancement. As avatars become more realistic, they may become virtual representations of individuals' "real" selves. This is the idea behind Meta's Cambria – a VR headset that tracks face and eye movement in real time to accurately mimic facial expressions.
Avatars that mimic the user's facial expressions have also been added to Zoom. A second, more playful alternative is that the metaverse may expand the parameters of social interaction that are acceptable. The virtual world may introduce new functionality to masks that people might wear during "normal" social interactions, such as carnivals and parties. For example, the designated devil's advocate in a brainstorming session may appear as a devil avatar, with no ambiguity regarding his or her role or expected behavior. I believe that this raises a number of questions regarding how people present themselves.
Finally, avatars are able to communicate information that is not conveyed by our real-life personas. The concept of network centrality might become more transparent during interaction, for example, similar to the visibility of one's number of followers on LinkedIn. Be prepared to appear at a cocktail party in the metaverse with your social indicators hovering above your avatar!
Would it be possible to build true collaborative relationships in the metaverse based on trust? Are people who have real-world connections likely to use it occasionally for professional collaborations? Trust built in the metaverse might be enough for collaboration. The nature of collaboration itself will change because the nature of work will be modified to fit the metaverse's constraints, like being digitized. Collaboration might go from unstructured and tacit to quite structured and explicit. There may still be a need for real-world interaction for other kinds of collaboration.
In contrast, frequent business travelers would appreciate the opportunity to choose between a punishing three-day, two-night transatlantic trip or "let's meet up in the metaverse". This would enable them to reduce their carbon footprint while showing up as their trusted avatars – a vast improvement over meetings over Zoom or Teams. Furthermore, collaborative play in the metaverse may be easier and may develop trust even more quickly than in real-world interactions. It is well known that putting together a paintball team building event requires a considerable amount of planning and scheduling. This may be much easier in the metaverse.
Human beings are hardwired to connect in person, aren't they? In what way can we expect that impulse to disappear? We're hard-wired to connect, as a group capable of incredibly flexible forms of organizing ourselves, based on evolutionary psychology. For a significant part of our evolutionary history, we connected face-to-face in small groups. Human societies grew, though, and tribes, nations, and religions developed enormously and very quickly. It's not just people who are present that we keep connections with, it's people who are remembered or imagined too. It's plausible that we can form meaningful connections with people we've only interacted with in the metaverse. Maybe these connections aren't as rich as face-to-face ones, but they don't have to be. It is possible to complement real-world interactions with those in the metaverse rather than to replace them.
Using imperfect representations of the world around us, cognitive science teaches us that we process and act. How are our daily interactions with each other different from those in the metaverse? On an abstract level, it's the same. According to cognitive psychologist Don Hoffman, natural selection has given each species an ecological niche that's not "real", just useful. As long as a species can survive and adapt to the represented environment, the three-dimensional representation of our world doesn't matter more than another species' two-dimensional one.
There are, however, a number of layers of representation that can be constructed. Metaverses are layers of representation that exist within what we typically accept as our reality (although philosopher Nick Bostrom argues that the reality we experience may be a simulation as well). Is the metaverse another form of interaction based on imperfect mutual representation? . In the early months of a child's life, humans begin to learn about the permanence of objects. Similarly, once we realize that virtual objects, environments, and social relationships continue to exist after we log off, the metaverse will become increasingly perceived as persistent – and perhaps as real as the real world around us.
Thanks For Reading This Blog Post On "What Does The Term Metaverse Refer To?"
Author Anthony AriesPosted on January 6, 2023 January 5, 2023 Format ImageCategories Finance, Future Technology, MetaverseLeave a comment on What Does The Term Metaverse Refer To ? – FutureUniverseTV Presents An In-Depth Understanding
What Is Web 3.0 in Cryptocurrency – FutureUniverseTV Presents A Practical Understanding
What Is Web 3.0 in Cryptocurrency? FutureUniverseTV Presents A Practical Understanding.
What Is Web 3.0 in Cryptocurrency
A number of Web 3.0 applications, also called dApps, short for decentralized applications, are being built on Ethereum, called by some the "world computer." Rather than hosting these applications on a centralized server, Ethereum uses user-operated nodes on the blockchain to allow anyone to use them without having their data monetized.
There is no central entity that can block one's access to these dApps. Additionally, the Ethereum network provides built-in payment capabilities through its native cryptocurrency, ETH. As part of the ethos of the semantic web, payments on Ethereum do not require personal information, and there is no central authority that can prevent or undo payments. It is likely that cryptocurrency payments will become an important part of Web 3.0, since they are able to offer cheaper and near-instant transactions that are available 24 hours a day. LBRY – the cryptocurrency behind the decentralized digital marketplace LBRY – will also play an important role in redefining the relationship between content creators and consumers. LBRY allows creators to upload original content and decide how they wish to monetize it. The LBRY token is used by creators as a method of payment for views generated, and by consumers as a method of purchasing their content.
We will be shaped by Web 3.0 in the future. There are already some applications that take advantage of the characteristics of Web 3.0, even though the concept of the semantic web is currently viewed as far-fetched and futuristic. Among the most popular cryptocurrency projects is Filecoin, an open-source decentralized storage network. FIL – the native crypto token of the network – allows computer owners around the world to rent out their spare disk space in exchange for FIL, the protocol's native server.
Odysee is another semantic web-oriented project, built by LBRY, which is a decentralized, blockchain-based, peer-to-peer video sharing network that directly rewards content creators with LBRY Credits. Using tools for the Web 3.0 data economy, Ocean Protocol aims to unlock the value of data. By using the open-source protocol's Ocean Market App, data owners can publish data using Ocean data tokens, and users can purchase access to the data, while data providers are rewarded with OCEAN tokens.
Early iterations of Web 3.0 native applications pave the way for an open-source, privacy-preserving, human-centric future web in which machines and users exchange data and value over peer-to-peer networks. Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), global decentralized autonomous companies (DACs), self-sovereign identities, and decentralized data marketplaces will also be introduced by Web 3.0. Furthermore, it will redefine human-machine interactions by facilitating trustless data transfers, automated payments using cryptocurrencies, seamless ownership transfers, and much more. Biological and artificial intelligence will become global interconnected and interoperable for the first time in history with the advent of Web 3.0.
Thanks For Reading This Post On What Is Web 3.0 in Cryptocurrency.
Author Anthony AriesPosted on December 25, 2022 December 26, 2022 Format ImageCategories Finance, Web 3.0 TechnologyLeave a comment on What Is Web 3.0 in Cryptocurrency – FutureUniverseTV Presents A Practical Understanding
What Is Bitcoin And How To Use It – FutureUniverseTV Shares Tips And Tricks
What Is Bitcoin And How To Use It? FutureUniverseTV Shares Tips And Tricks.
What Is Bitcoin And How To Use It
Unlike third-party involvement in financial transactions, Bitcoin (BTC) is a cryptocurrency, a virtual currency that acts as money and a form of payment outside the control of any one person, group, or entity. The currency can be purchased on several exchanges and is rewarded to blockchain miners for their efforts in verifying transactions.
An anonymous developer or group of developers using the name Satoshi Nakamoto introduced Bitcoin to the public in 2009.
Since then, it has become the world's most well-known cryptocurrency. Several other cryptocurrencies have been developed in response to its popularity. Alternatively, these competitors serve as utility tokens or security tokens in other blockchains and emerging financial technologies.
Find out more about the cryptocurrency that started it all-its history, how it works, and how you can obtain it.
The key takeaways
The world's largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization is Bitcoin, which was launched in 2009.
Bitcoin is a digital currency created, distributed, traded, and stored using a blockchain, a decentralized ledger system.
Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus is responsible for securing Bitcoin and its ledger, as well as introducing new bitcoins into the system through the "mining" process.
Various cryptocurrency exchanges offer Bitcoin for purchase.
Throughout its relatively short history, bitcoin has experienced several booms and busts as a store of value.
In the wake of Bitcoin's widespread popularity and success, a host of other cryptocurrencies have been developed.
Bitcoin: An Introduction
The domain name Bitcoin.org was registered in August 2008. Currently, this domain is WhoisGuard Protected, which means the identity of the person who registered it is not publicly available.
An anonymous person or group utilizing the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto published the Cryptography Mailing List at metzdowd.com in October 2008: "I have been designing an electronic cash system that is peer-to-peer, without any trusted third parties involved." This now-famous white paper published on Bitcoin.org, entitled "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System," would become the Magna Carta for how Bitcoin operates today.
Bitcoin Block 0 was mined on January 3, 2009. Also known as the "genesis block," this block contains the text: "The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks," perhaps indicating that the block was mined on or after that date, and possibly also providing relevant political commentary.
There is a halving of bitcoin rewards every 210,000 blocks. As an example, the block reward in 2009 was 50 new bitcoins. In May of 2020, the third halving occurred, resulting in a reward of 6.25 bitcoins for each block discovered.
The smallest unit of bitcoin is known as a Satoshi, which is divisible up to eight decimal places. In the event that the miner community accepts the change, Bitcoin may eventually be made divisible to even more decimal places if necessary.
In terms of digital currency, Bitcoin is not difficult to comprehend. Using a cryptocurrency wallet, for example, you can send smaller portions of your bitcoin as payment for goods and services. When you try to understand how it works, it becomes very complex.
On January 8, 2009, the first version of Bitcoin software was announced to the Cryptography Mailing List. On January 9, 2009, Block 1 was mined, and Bitcoin mining began in earnest.
Bitcoin's Blockchain Technology
In addition to cryptocurrencies, blockchains require a distributed network in order to function. The blockchain is a distributed ledger, a shared database that stores data. An encryption method is used to secure the data within the blockchain.
The blockchain processes transactions by copying information from previous blocks, encrypting the new data, and confirming the transaction through validators, known as miners. Upon verification of a transaction, a new block is created, and a Bitcoin is given as a reward to the miner(s) who verified the data within the block. This Bitcoin can then be used, held, or sold.
SHA-256 is the hashing algorithm used by Bitcoin to encrypt the data stored in the blocks on the blockchain. In simple terms, the transaction data stored in a block is encrypted into 256-bit hexadecimal numbers. In that number is contained all the transactional information and information related to the blocks that preceded that block.
Blockchain refers to the ledger in which data is linked between blocks.
The transactions are queued for validation by miners within the network. During the Bitcoin blockchain network, all miners attempt to verify the same transaction at the same time. A nonce is a four-byte number included in the block header that miners try to solve with mining software and hardware.
Blockchain block headers are hashed repeatedly by miners until they meet a target number. Upon "solving" the block header, a new block is created to encrypt and verify additional transactions.
There are many types of hardware and software that can be used to mine Bitcoin. Before Bitcoin became popular, it was possible to mine it competitively on a personal computer; however, more miners joined the network as it became more popular, which decreased the chances of being the first to solve the hash. If your computer is equipped with newer hardware, you can still use it to mine bitcoins, but the chances of solving a hash individually are extremely slim.
Due to the fact that you are competing with a network of miners that generates around 220 quintillion hashes (220 exa hashes) per second, you are at a significant disadvantage. ASICs are specially designed machines designed specifically for mining, which are capable of generating approximately 255 trillion hashes per second. An advanced computer hashes approximately 100 mega hashes per second (100 million hashes per second).
There are several options available to you if you wish to become a Bitcoin miner. You can use your existing computer to mine Bitcoin with mining software compatible with Bitcoin and join a mining pool using your existing computer. In contrast to large ASIC mining farms, mining pools are groups of miners who combine their computing power.
By joining a pool, your chances of receiving rewards increase, but the rewards are significantly reduced as they are shared.
ASIC miners can also be purchased if you have the financial means. The cost of a new one is generally around $20,000, however, used ones are also available as miners upgrade their equipment. If you purchase one or more ASICs, you should consider some important costs, such as electricity and cooling.
Many mining programs and pools are available for you to choose from. There are several well-known programs, including CGMiner and BFGMiner. Make sure to find out how the pool pays out rewards, if there are any fees, and read some mining pool reviews before selecting a pool.
How Do You Buy Bitcoin?
In the event that you do not wish to mine Bitcoin, it may be purchased through cryptocurrency exchanges. In spite of the high price of bitcoin, you are able to purchase portions of bitcoin in fiat currency, such as U.S. dollars, on these exchanges. If you create an account on Coinbase, for example, and fund it with funds, you will be able to purchase bitcoin. In order to fund your account, you may use a bank account, a credit card, or a debit card.
How Is Bitcoin Used?
It was originally designed and released as a peer-to-peer payment system. Because of its increasing value and the competition from other cryptocurrencies and blockchains, its use cases are expanding.
It is necessary to have a cryptocurrency wallet in order to use Bitcoin. In order to conduct a transaction, you need to enter the private keys associated with the bitcoins you possess. There are many merchants, retailers, and stores that accept bitcoin as payment for goods and services.
Bitcoin will generally be accepted in brick-and-mortar stores that display a sign that reads "Bitcoin Accepted Here"; transactions can be conducted using QR codes and touchscreen applications. By adding Bitcoin as another method of payment to its other online payment options, such as credit cards, PayPal, etc., an online business can easily accept Bitcoin payments.
The Salvadoran Government adopted Bitcoin as a legal trend in June 2021, making it the first country to do so.
Investing and Speculating
The popularity of Bitcoin attracted investors and speculators. Cryptocurrency exchanges that facilitate the sale and purchase of bitcoin emerged between 2009 and 2017. In 2017, when the price of bitcoin broke $1,000, prices began to rise, and demand slowly increased. The price of Bitcoin continued to rise and many individuals purchased them in order to hold them. Traders began trading cryptocurrencies on cryptocurrency exchanges on a short-term basis, and the market exploded.
As a result of the crash in 2022, Bitcoin's price plummeted. It reached a peak of $47,454 in March 2022, and it is now $15,731 as of November 2022. There are a number of factors contributing to the decline in Bitcoin, including inflation, rising interest rates, supply chain issues caused by Covid. In addition, some of the most important tokens and exchanges in the crypto world have crashed, raising concerns about the stability of digital currencies.
Risks of Investing in Bitcoin
Bitcoin has attracted the attention of speculators in recent years due to its rapid price appreciation. In December 2019, bitcoin was trading at $7,167.52, and a year later, it had appreciated more than 300% to $28,984.98. Bitcoin reached a record high of $68,990 in November 2021, but then fell over the next few months to hover around $40,000. The price of bitcoin began to drop in early 2022 and has continued to do so throughout most of 2022.
It is estimated that the all-time high price of bitcoin was reached in November 2021 at $68,990.
Due to this, many people purchase Bitcoin in order to benefit from its investment value rather than to use it as a medium of exchange. As a result of its digital nature and lack of guaranteed value, its purchase and use entail several inherent risks. A number of investor alerts have been issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) regarding Bitcoin investments.
Bitcoin (and other virtual currencies) are not uniformly regulated, which raises concerns about their long-term viability, liquidity, and universality.
The majority of individuals who own and use Bitcoin did not acquire their tokens through mining operations. Instead, they trade Bitcoin and other digital currencies on popular online markets called cryptocurrency exchanges. As with any digital system, Bitcoin exchanges are at risk from hackers, malware, and operational errors.
The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) do not insure Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. Third-party insurance is provided by some exchanges. The prime dealer and trading platform SFOX announced in 2019 that it would be able to offer FDIC insurance to Bitcoin investors, but only for transactions involving cash.11
It is important to note that even with the security measures inherent within a blockchain, there is still the possibility of fraudulent activity taking place. Among other things, the SEC brought legal action against an operator of a Ponzi scheme related to Bitcoin in July 2013.
As with any investment, Bitcoin values are subject to fluctuations. Over the course of its short existence, the currency has experienced wild swings in value. It is highly sensitive to newsworthy events due to its high volume of buying and selling on exchanges. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported that Bitcoin's price declined by 61% in a single day in 2013, and by 80% in 2014.13
How Long Does It Take to Mine One Bitcoin?
The mining network validates a block and creates the reward on average in 10 minutes. There is a reward of 6.25 Bitcoins per block in Bitcoin. For one Bitcoin to be mined, it would take approximately 100 seconds.
In the short history of Bitcoin investing, prices have fluctuated dramatically. You should consider your financial profile, your investment portfolio, your risk tolerance, and your investment objectives in order to determine whether it is a good investment. Prior to investing in cryptocurrency, it is always advisable to consult with a financial professional for advice.
How Does Bitcoin Make Money?
Those who validate blocks successfully and receive rewards are rewarded by the Bitcoin network of miners. Through cryptocurrency exchanges, bitcoins can be exchanged for fiat currency, and can be used to make purchases from merchants and retailers that accept the currency. Bitcoins may be purchased and sold by investors and speculators for a profit.
Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin were the first to be developed and are intended for use as a form of payment outside of legal tender. Bitcoin has become increasingly popular and its use has expanded since its introduction in 2009, leading to the creation of a number of new competitors.
Although Bitcoins are generated in a complex manner, investing in them is more straightforward. Bitcoin can be purchased and sold on crypto exchanges by investors and speculators. The investor should carefully consider whether Bitcoin is the right investment for him or her before making any investment, particularly one that is so new and volatile as Bitcoin.
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This a multi facet content to inform and share with you important facts about Bitcoin. Hope it benefits you in anyway. Thanks For Reading This Blog On What Is Bitcoin And How To Use It.
Author Anthony AriesPosted on December 20, 2022 December 19, 2022 Format ImageCategories Cryptocurrency, Finance, Tech BlogLeave a comment on What Is Bitcoin And How To Use It – FutureUniverseTV Shares Tips And Tricks


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Skoda Kamiq vs Volkswagen T-Cross (International-spec): In Pics
null | 2 March 2019 5:00 PM GMT
The Skoda Kamiq and Volkswagen TCross will kickstart a new innings for Volkswagen Groups mainstream brands in India, starting from 2020 After over eight years, Volkswagen and Skoda will introduce allnew locally manufactured products since the Polo in 2010
Here's a pictorial comparison of Volkswagen Group's upcoming compact SUVs for the Indian market
The Skoda Kamiq and Volkswagen T-Cross will kickstart a new innings for Volkswagen Group's mainstream brands in India, starting from 2020. After over eight years, Volkswagen and Skoda will introduce all-new locally manufactured products since the Polo in 2010.
While the VW T-Cross was revealed in October 2018, the Skoda Kamiq was unveiled in February 2019. Both the SUVs are likely to be showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo followed by their launch, most likely in the second half of this year. Here's a pictorial comparison of the two global-spec compact SUVs to see how similar or different they are from each other.
Note: Both the India-spec Kamiq and T-Cross are expected to look relatively more rugged than their international models, with subtle aesthetic changes. Also, the T-Cross is available in two wheelbase measurements (Brazil/China-spec with 2,651mm and Euro-spec with 2,563mm). And since India is expected to get the larger wheelbase model, we have used images of the same.
VW T-Cross (Brazil-spec)
4,199mm (-42mm)
1,568mm (+37mm)
2,651mm (0)
The design of both the SUVs is inspired by their bigger siblings, Kodiaq and Tiguan, respectively.
The Kamiq has a split headlamp setup, something we have also seen on SUVs from Hyundai and Kia. The T-Cross, on the other hand, has a conventional headlamp layout.
Full-LED headlamps are offered on both the SUVs, but the Skoda Kamiq packs dynamic turn indicators as well.
Underpinned by the same MQB A0 platform, both SUVs have an identical wheelbase of 2,651mm.
While the Kamiq is slightly longer than the T-Cross, the VW is marginally taller.
Both the SUVS offer upto 18-inch alloys, however, the India-spec models are expected to get 17-inchers.
Ulike the Volkswagen, the Skoda features a clamshell bonnet and a rear quarter glass. The rear quarter glass should make its cabin feel relatively airier.
Like the front, the rear too carries forward the family SUV look for both. That said, the T-Cross features connected tail lamps, unlike other VW SUVs such as the Tiguan, but the wraparound layout of the tail lamps with geometric LED elements are in line with the brand's styling.
The Kodiaq gets sculpted wrap-around tail lamps, also seen on other Skoda SUVs.
While the Kamiq's interior will inspire future Skoda models, the T-Cross' cabin has been lifted straight from the new Polo (yet to be launched in India).
The infotainment displays are placed very differently in the two. While the Kamiq gets a free-floating setup which is popular nowadays, the T-Cross' dash-embedded unit is positioned conventionally.
The Skoda Kamiq and Volkswagen T-Cross feature VW Group's 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster which is expected on the India-spec models as well. The digital instrument cluster also displays full-screen navigation maps.
Features expected on the India-spec SUVs include panoramic sunroof (already on offer globally), dual-zone climate control with rear AC vents, wireless phone charging and leather upholstery.
The Skoda Kamiq offers upto 9.2-inch display for the infotainment system.
On the other hand, the T-Cross packs upto 8-inch display, same as the new Polo.
The India-spec SUVs are expected to get an 8-inch system in their range-topping variants.
The Euro-spec Kamiq gets Octavia RS inspired sporty front seats, whereas the T-Cross features regular ones. It remains to be seen what will be on offer on the India-spec models as both are expected to share components like seats, for economies of scale.
The Kamiq has a 400-litre boot which can be expanded to 1395 litres with the rear seats folded down. The VW T-Cross, on the other hand, features variable boot space, thanks to the sliding second-row seats. Depending on the position of the second row, the boot space of the T-Cross varies between 373 and 420 litres. Moreover, like the Kamiq, the rear seats also fold flat to expand the space further.
To know what engines both these SUVs are expected to get in India, head over to our spec comparison here: Skoda Kamiq vs Volkswagen T-Cross: Spec Comparison
Volkswagen T Cross


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A collection of my assets (mostly scripts) for Unity.


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Commission Upholds Order That Christian Baker Must Make Cakes for 'Gay Weddings'
By Heather Clark on May 31, 2014 7 Comments
DENVER — The Colorado Civil Rights Commission has upheld an administrative judge's ruling that a Christian baker in the state must service same-sex 'weddings' despite his biblical beliefs not to be a partaker in other men's sins.
As previously reported, Dave Mullin and Charlie Craig visited Masterpiece Cake Shop in Lakewood, Colorado in July 2012 to look for options for their upcoming same-sex ceremony celebration. As Colorado has a constitutional amendment enshrining marriage as being between a man and a woman, the men planned to travel to Massachusetts and then return to Colorado for a separate celebration.
However, after their arrival at the cake shop, Mullin and Craig were advised by owner Jack Phillips that he does not make cakes for same-sex ceremonies.
"My first comment was, 'We're getting married,' and he just shut that down immediately," Craig, 31, stated.
Phillips told Christian News Network that he does not make cakes for such occasions because of his Christian convictions.
"I'm a follower of Jesus Christ, and I believe that the relationship is not something that He looks favorably on," the master pastry chef stated. "If Jesus was a carpenter, He wouldn't make a bed for this union."
Phillips, who attends a Baptist church, explained that when he informed Mullin and Craig that his bakery does not make cakes for same-sex "weddings," the men immediately left. He stated that one of them made a comment on his way out the door that the bakery was a "homophobic cake shop."
Mullin, 28, indicated to Denver Westward that is indeed what took place.
"It was the most awkward, surreal, very brief encounter," he stated. "We got up to leave, and to be totally honest, I said, '(expletive) and your homophobic cake shop.' And I may or may not have flipped him off."
Phillips, who also declines to make Halloween cookies at his bakery, had told the men that he would be happy to make them any other type of baked goods outside of having to facilitate the ceremony, which he believed was a form of personal participation.
However, Mullin and Craig then filed charges with the Colorado Human Rights Commission with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In December, Judge Robert Spencer sided with the ACLU, contending that Phillips should have made the cake because he was not told that there would be any words or symbols written on it.
"Phillips was not asked to apply any message or symbol to the cake, or to construct the cake in any fashion that could be reasonably understood as advocating same-sex marriage," he wrote. "The act of preparing a cake is simply not 'speech' warranting First Amendment protection."
On Friday, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission upheld Spencer's ruling, stating that Phillips violated the state's civil rights law.
"I can believe anything I want, but if I'm going to do business here, I'd ought to not discriminate against people," Commissioner Raju Jaram said.
According to the Christian legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which has been representing Phillips in court, the baker was ordered to prove that he has complied with the order to make cakes for same-sex ceremonies. But Phillips said that he will not comply.
"I will stand by my convictions until somebody shuts me down," he told the Associated Press.
"In America, we don't separate a person's creative expression from what he believes," attorney Nicolle Martin also remarked in a statement following the ruling. "Jack simply exercised the long-cherished American freedom to decline to use his artistic and creative talents to promote a message with which he disagrees. Because the government should not force him to choose between his faith and his livelihood, we are considering an appeal to the Colorado Court of Appeals."
Commission Upholds Order That Christian Baker Must Make Cakes for 'Gay Weddings' added by Heather Clark on May 31, 2014
View all posts by Heather Clark →


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Trade liberalization folly: From high road to low road
By Vivek Dehejia
Resident Senior Fellow, Vivek Dehejia writes in Mint on the protectionist turn of the Modi government. Excerpts below:
"Shortly after the Union budget, economist Pravin Krishna and I had warned in these pages of the protectionist folly of reversing a quarter-century of trade liberalisation and embarking on the path of renewed trade protection (https://goo.gl/GfH36U). Relatively few voices were calling this out at that time amid general praise for the budget. Then, on 25 July, Arvind Panagariya—one of the world's leading trade policy economists, and until last year vice-chairperson of NITI Aayog —joined the battle, arguing in a sharply worded column in the Times of India of the damaging effects of the government's protectionist turn. The article's title summarised his argument well: "India's trade policy folly: Current turn to import substitution will take economy down from turnpike to dirt road".
Panagariya's column followed hot on the heels of the departure of Arvind Subramanian as chief economic adviser, marking the departure of the last of a trio of American-trained and -based economists from senior positions in the current government. The other two were Panagariya himself and, earlier, Raghuram Rajan, who left when his contract as Reserve Bank of India governor was not renewed in 2016.
These departures were welcomed by nationalist outfits with ties to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)—in particular, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), which has staunchly opposed economic reforms, of labour law in particular. The SJM's chief, Ashwani Mahajan, was quoted by Reuters on 12 July as saying that the country would not lose if these "foreign economists" were to leave, and that India's problems could only be solved by those "connected to the soil". These views chime with the Swadeshi bent of sections of the RSS and BJP, who seem to believe that India is somehow immune from the laws of conventional economics."
Tags : Narendra Modi , Trade , protectionism , BJP , reform , elections


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Miller co-founded Pillow.com, which provides short-term rentals solution for the multifamily sector, in 2013. In 2018, Miller sold the company to Expedia (EXPE). Prior to Pillow, co-founded Notehall.com in 2009, a marketplace for study materials used by over half a million students, and participated in Dreamit's accelerator program. Miller sold Notehall to Chegg (CHGG) in 2011.


Guide the goodness and you will manifest life.
Serve with perfection and you can find meaning.
Live in creativity and you will flow in the present.
Elevate the fruits and you will stay in delight.
The sun departed with an orange trail and showed the ripeness of the day.
I left the eternal's embrace and I followed the path to the next cycle.
I was aware of the silent heights and I heard voices from the earth.
I went to meet the others and I returned to the lake where it all began.
I looked for the first time into their eyes and I felt their hidden suffering.
I activated the force of peace and I learned about the joy of caring.
I elevated each simple movement and acted from my real nature.
I began to create and the universe flowed in the Eternal Present.
integrates the inner nature with life.
The key is the alignment.
in the action and flow.
although you are capable of creating unique actions.
The key is the offering.
your creations to the river of universal goodness.
a seed exists that can sustain your life.
and channel your actions to realize your essence.
Integrate your light in life.
within innovation you will find the force.


America's local governments frequently pledge a slice of their revenue to investors to make their bond deals more attractive by adding an extra layer of security. But Puerto Rico's record-setting bankruptcy has cast that safety in doubt. … The Puerto Rico sales-tax bonds, known as Cofinas, are similar to those issued by Chicago's Sales Tax Securitization Corp. … While those Chicago bonds have AAA ratings from Fitch Ratings and Kroll Bond Rating Agency, investors demanded yields … about 1.7 percentage points more than benchmark debt, nearly twice the premium investors demanded a year earlier.


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Duke University Study Finds Racial Disparity in Convictions by All-White Juries
Filed in Research & Studies on April 20, 2012
A new study led by researchers at Duke University finds that all-White juries convicted Black defendants significantly more often than when the defendant was White. The research examined 700 non-capital felony cases in Florida from 2000 to 2010. The results showed that when the jury pool was all White, Black defendants were convicted 81 percent of the time. When the defendant was White, the conviction rate was 66 percent.
The study also showed that the addition of just one Black member of the jury eliminated the racial disparity. In fact, Whites were slightly more likely to be convicted than Blacks.
Lead author, Patrick Bayer, chair of the economics department at Duke, stated, "Simply put, the luck of the draw on the racial composition of the jury pool has a lot to do with whether someone is convicted and that raises obvious concerns about the fairness of our criminal justice system."
The article was published on the website of the Quarterly Journal of Economics. To download, click here.
Here is a video of Professor Bayer discussing the study.
Related: Duke University


When we think of individuals in higher education, we tend to automatically think of eighteen to twenty-one-year-olds, who have walked straight from their high school education into the next stage of their educational journey. This makes sense. After all, the vast majority of students do fall into this demographic. But student bodies are becoming increasingly diverse, and now mature students make up a much larger percentage than they may have in the past. An adult student is essentially anyone aged over twenty-one when they begin their studies in college. Now, everyone's experiences as a student are bound to vary. But is there anything that mature students can do to ensure that their time within higher education is as productive and positive as possible? Let's run through a few simple steps that can help you to truly excel as an adult student!
A Change in Career - if you don't enjoy what you're currently doing for work and you want your life to head in a different direction, you might consider a new career path. Sometimes you will find that positions you are interested in require specific qualifications. Heading back to college could allow you to acquire these.
Career Progression - perhaps you want to stay in a similar role to the role you currently have but want to progress up the ladder into a promoted position. A degree in the right subject could help you get promoted.
Passion - if you are deeply invested in a topic or field of academia and you have the free time and money to invest into pursuing education for its own sake, you could flourish by enrolling on a course.
If you are simply heading back to college because you don't know what you want in life and are trying to find purpose and direction, you might want to really give some time and thought to where you want to go before signing up to a course. You don't want to sign up to anything, just for the sake of it.
If you do decide to head to higher education, you need to make sure that you choose the right course to suit your needs. Don't just sign up to the first thing you see. Consider your wants and needs. What are you planning on doing with your life and which course will guide you in the right direction? Which course ticks all of the boxes of the job you are trying to achieve or the subject you are trying to master? Remember that courses going by the same name don't necessarily endow you with the same knowledge or skills. A course at one college could vary drastically from a course of the same name at a different college. So, whether you opt for online training in lean manufacturing or a degree in fine arts, you're going to have to commit time to ensure you make the right choice.
Nowadays, there are more modes of study than ever. So, don't assume that you're going to have to sign up to a full-time course and spend all of your time studying on campus. While this is an option and should be embraced by anyone who wants to study in this way, the majority of institutions have alternative options that could help a course to better fit into your lifestyle. Part-time courses take twice as long to complete, but could fit in around work or other commitments that you may already have. Online courses offer even more flexibility, as you can study from the comfort of your own home rather than having to attend teaching and other events on-campus.
It is essential that you don't feel excluded when you begin studies as an adult student. Being an active part of the student community can be a significant part of anyone's educational experience. Adult students can form a significant part of this community, and your participation is just as important as anybody else's. Take a look at the different societies that you can sign up to. Many colleges have a mature students' organization where you can get to know other people who are in a similar situation to yourself. Attend student events that interest you. Be a part of the grander scheme of things!
Scheduling is vital for any student. But it can prove even more essential for adult students who may have more responsibilities outside of studies than other students. If you have kids, a job, or other commitments, you're really going to have to take prioritizing your time a priority. It can be so easy to fall behind on your studies and difficult to catch back up. So, it's best to stay on track from the outset!
Remember that academic staff and services are there for your benefit. It is their role to help you with your studies and your journey. So, don't feel afraid to make use of them! Reach out to them if you are struggling or experiencing any difficulties at any point. They should be able to guide you in the right direction and alleviate any worries.
Heading to college as an adult student can be a relatively daunting experience. But remember that the student experience can be daunting for everybody involved. Higher education is a tough and testing time, but do your best to make the most of it and gain absolutely everything that you can from your time spent studying! Hopefully, these tips will help you to achieve this!


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Episode 72: "Right now, you are in the season of needing help, but eventually you'll be the one giving it. It's all a circle." with Kate Turza, Postpartum Doula
June 27, 2017 / Kellie Edson
Today I so enjoyed chatting with Kate Turza. Kate is a mom of 3 and postpartum doula. After navigating difficult postpartum periods with each of her children, she realized that there needs to be better support for new moms. She began her postpartum doula training when her youngest was 3 months old, and has been practicing for over 2.5 years now. She moderates an in-person new mom support group in her area, as well as a Facebook group for new moms, she's also created a directory of professionals in her area (East End Parent Support). She's also on the board of a non-profit, Long Island Birth Network, which provides education, support, and resources for expecting and new families in her area.
The challenge of having 3 kids under 4 when she had her 3rd
How you're always tired once you have kids
Consider negotiating bring baby with you back to work if you can
How we don't have enough maternity leave
How she decided to become a postpartum doula
Breastfeeding challenges from a retained placenta
An overview of what Postpartum Doulas do
How a Postpartum Doula should be called a "Fourth Trimester" Doula
The challenge of not dwelling on our decisions
The importance of knowing where your postpartum support is in your area
The importance of non-judgmental support just for you
The importance of checking in
This episode of the Postpartum Podcast is sponsored by ICON UNDIES. Did you know that 1 in 3 women experience little bladder leaks when they run, jump, sneeze, or laugh? This is especially true for new moms. But because of Icon, You don't have to worry! Their undies feel like a regular, beautiful pair of underwear, but can hold up to 6 teaspoons of liquid without the bulky, bunchy plasticy feel of a pantyliner. Icon is also offering listeners of the podcast $5 off your order with code postpartum at checkout.
Today's episode is also sponsored by Ecocentric Mom. Pregnancy & new motherhood are the most thrilling times in any woman's life. - but they can also be the scariest. We're overwhelmed with information about what products are safe & effective for ourselves and our babies. Ecocentric Mom helps you navigate those choices by delivering monthly discovery boxes of products to help you care for yourself and your growing family. Each month subscribers receive organic, natural or handmade products and lifestyle accessories chosen just for your stage of motherhood - from pregnancy to postpartum and beyond. Podcast listeners are invited to use code POSTPARTUM10 to receive a 10% lifetime discount on your subscription.
You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it here.
June 27, 2017 / Kellie Edson/ Comment
postpartum doula, new mom, new baby, motherhood
Episode 40: "The Days are Long and The Years are Short" with Sarah Homec of Mommy Mailbox
May 10, 2016 / Kellie Edson
I so enjoyed chatting with Sarah Homec, who is one of the cofounders of Mommy Mailbox and mom to 3 boys. Her youngest was just 4 months when we recorded this, and I so appreciated her willingness to talk about motherhood right while she's in the thick of it with her newest addition. Mommy Mailbox also has generously offered to giveaway one of their June Mommy Mailboxes to one lucky listener! Be sure to enter the rafflecopter giveaway below.
In this episode we chat about:
How Mommy Mailbox got started and how it works
Her C-Section Stories
The importance of having a village of friends around you
The challenges of going from one to two kids and two to three
How good just a clean house can make you feel
The illusive idea of balance in motherhood and how it's more like a pendulum
You can learn more about Mommy Mailbox here and be sure to enter the rafflecopter giveaway below for a chance to win the June Mommy Mailbox!
You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it directly here.
The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com. To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go to http://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum
May 10, 2016 / Kellie Edson/ Comment
mommy mailbox, sarah homec, c section, mom tribe, new mom, balance, motherhood


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les sens propre et sens figuré dans le langage ;
 les nombres figurés en arithmétique sont des nombres qui peuvent être représentés par un ensemble de points formant une figure géométrique.
 un figuré en cartographie, en dessin technique ou d'architecture est une représentation graphique d'un phénomène ou de la nature d'une surface, dont la signification est souvent donnée par une légende. On peut utiliser les termes de figurés de surface, figurés ponctuels (points) et figurés linéaires (lignes) pour caractériser plus précisément les différents éléments d'une légende cartographique.

Voir aussi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


No, it has nothing to do with psyconauts. Its merely a mod for a few more tools. I currently only have the thought in my head, thus the version 0.0. This will be my first mod, so bear with me.
hitting a mob with this will temporarily turn their eyes bright blue ( <-not unlike this) and cause them to follow you and attack any nearby hostile mobs. the effect lasts for 1 minute, and the tool has 20 uses.
using this will instantly teleport your character directly to where it hits. unfortunately, you would not be able to use a normal arrow while this is in your inventory. whether the arrow is retrievable or not is still being decided.
I'm not sure how well this one will work, so I'll finish it last. Maybe then I'll have a good idea of how it should work.
So that's it! Tell me any other things i should make or improve on! Give suggestions for other tools and any tips you could give me would be greatly appreciated. I don't know how long until they're out, but it will be quite a while.
these are the weakest idea i have, but perhaps has the widest variety. they would be crafted any of 3 ways.
whether they would give x-ray vision, allow you to see mobs through walls, or simply let you zoom your vision in or out i am uncertain. tell me what you think they should do.
You current ideas looks promising, but still very basic. Using the enderpearls are great, seeing as they have no use as of yet. I'd love if you could somehow implement a leveling system which includes the enderpearl. I have no idea what so ever how to though.
Also, i'd love to contribute with art if needed.
Thanks for the feedback! Its basic because it is my first mod, and I don't really want to start out too strong. I used ender pearls for multiple reasons. One, they currently had no use. Two, they come from the mysterious teleporting enderman, and must hold some sort of magical properties. As for the leveling system, the real one is being released in 1.9 or 1.10, so it will have to wait until then. I was thinking temporary level boosts when used directly, however. I'll keep in touch if I'm having trouble with the art.
hello i like you idea and you said that you'ed like help well i am here for that i can code and oh i can get more people to help i have some awesome friends that would love to help!


Exactly one year ago I quit my job with the dream of starting a technology company. I didn't have a plan except to work hard and learn. Yet I could have used a lot of advice in the early days, which is why I'm writing to you today. My hope is that the below advice will help guide some of you if and when you make the decision to quit your job and pursue a startup.
I have two blog posts summarizing the year and the six products I've built. The first — the post you're reading right now — is a telling of what I've done, what products I've built and what I've learned from each. The second — which I'll post tomorrow (UPDATE: here it is) — is a summary of advice for others who are in a similar position as I was a year ago.
FoneDoktor was my first project after quitting my job. I spent 2-3 months working three days a week on the project, spending the remaining two days on whatever I wanted. I worked out of my living room, where I setup a comfortable home office. FoneDoktor was my first mobile app, and really my first consumer app since college. I had a ton of fun getting back into the consumer side of things and learning Android. I decided to stop working on it after the first version was released. I still see a lot of potential for FoneDoktor, but at the time my desires shifted to the next project.
During those two extra days per week, I built two partial products — a Craigslist search tool and a celebrity photo browser powered by Twitter. I never launched either of them. However, both helped in the soul searching process while I figured out what startup I wanted to pursue.
Five months of living expenses, an incorporation, and a trip to New York for investor meetings greatly reduced my personal runway. But the whole process was totally worth it. I'm closer friends with Eric than I ever was. And for the first time in my life, I pursued my very own startup, a dream I've had for as long as I can remember.
I didn't give CriticallyIn a fair shot at success, mostly because I had doubts about its growth potential. CriticallyIn would need to compete with both Facebook and Eventbrite in the mindshare of the consumer, and the product isn't distinguished enough from the other two to become a serious contendor. That said, I had an awesome time building the product and have no regrets whatsoever. I pitched a few investors, too, and learned even more about the fundraising process.
BreakStreak is an idea I saw a lot of promise in as well, but the product itself was more ambitious than I was willing to take on — it would have required a mobile app, website, and complex logic. So I built a totally fake product as an experiment. Some of my friends were upset with me for leading them on, but overall I'm very pleased with the outcome of BreakStreak. I learned that BreakStreak was a good idea, but my product vision was off by a long shot. And I only wasted two days figuring this out!
CharmRoom is a product I built for a friend's startup as a consultant. Unfortunately I can't talk about it because it's still in a closed beta, but I had a great time building it. I worked on CharmRoom while I got MemCachier (explained below) off the ground.
MemCachier is the sixth product I've worked on this year. I'm pursuing it full time with David and Amit. We incorporated in April and have been working our asses off ever since. I've been having the time of my life, too. I'm writing code, creating marketing material, discussing and deciding on company strategy, negotiating with partners, talking to customers and working with an awesome team. We're growing fast and trying our best to keep up. I couldn't be happier.
This year has been about finding what startup I want to build. I've struggled to figure out what I truly love, and what I'm truly good at. MemCachier, I've learned along the way, is in a space that I both love and am good at. It's the perfect blend of opportunity, passion, and expertise, all packaged up in a company that I love building.
I want to thank a number of people that have helped me along the way. I couldn't have had such a great year without your help and support. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your friendship and support is a constant energy in my life that I'm incredibly grateful for.
Dust for an excuse to go to Kansas. Stoked you're back in CA!
Andrew for your athletic inspiration and BBQ ribs. You'll kill Ironman Switzerland this weekend!
A young boy traveled to Japan to a school of a famous martial artist. He wanted to be a student. This young boy — when he arrived at the dojo — was given an audience by the sensei (teacher).
"10 years at least!" the master answered.
In other words, a full, complete presence gives us more clarity and a broader view to find the way.
The last nine months have been a practice in self discovery — I've been keeping myself busy trying out startup ideas, consulting, and talking to investors and other entrepreneurs. I'm pleased to say that the search has been postponed for now. I'm working on MemCachier, a better memcache for Heroku. And I'm working on it for the long run. We're going to turn MemCachier into a thriving business, and I'm stoked for the opportunity!
MemCachier provides a caching service to web developers that gives them an easier, cheaper way to scale their website. Currently it's available as an addon in Heroku. Nerd stuff, I know. But the reality is that I'm a nerd and I'm good at nerd stuff. I couldn't be more excited. I'm working with Amit and his lab mate, David — the three of us make a great founding team.
Amit started building MemCachier about six months ago. He launched it in private, then public beta on Heroku. And earlier this week we launched into general availability. Times are very exciting, and I'm stoked to have been invited by Amit to work on this with him. My primary responsibilities will be on the business/company side of things, although I expect I'll write a little code here and there as well.
MemCachier isn't an entirely new concept — memcached has been around for a long time for websites who manage their own servers. But memcached hasn't yet been offered as an easy, managed solution in the cloud. Enter MemCachier: the primary goal is to make caching easy for developers.
Anyway, I thought I'd update you guys with what I've been working on. If any of you use a cache in Heroku, EC2, or anywhere, I'd LOVE to get your feedback.
I originally envisioned BreakStreak helping me and my friends be better about getting into a routine such as cooking more, working out, running, etc. Rather than build a full fledged product, with a mobile app, complex reminders and check ins, and payment processing, I thought it'd be great to run an experiment first. BreakStreak.com makes its users think they're using a real product, complete with all sorts of fancy features. But really they're using a totally empty, fake product that's tracking their usages in the background. Cruel, I know, but this experiment let me disprove my original hypothesis that BreakStreak is a good implementation of my original vision.
BreakStreak is essentially a wizard that takes the user through a few steps. The user is asked what routine they want to get into, along with a desired per-week frequency. Then they're prompted with a description of the product, and a few mechanisms for tuning their incentives — reminders, donations to charity if they fail, and guilt from friends. Finally, they're asked to create an account. After creating an account, they're directed to a page that explains this experiment, apologizing that BreakStreak isn't actually a real service.
I wanted to see how far along in the wizard customers would get. So I built the wizard such that only the user's progress was stored, not the actual data associated with their routine. For every single user I know exactly what part of the wizard they stopped at, what data fields they filled out (but not the values), and when they gave up with the wizard.
The results were very surprising to me. Of 271 page visits, only 4 (1.5%) actually created a real routine and a real account (another 8 created test accounts). Keep in mind, too, that those 271 page visits came from friends who found BreakStreak through my Facebook and Twitter posts — they weren't a fair representation of the average consumer.
My BreakStreak experiment proves two things: people want to be better about getting into a routine, and BreakStreak isn't the solution. The 43% conversion rate when prompted for a routine is very high. However, the 1.5% final conversion rate shows that the product has fallen short of its original vision.
I built the BreakStreak experiment in about two days, whereas the real app would have taken me many weeks. I was able to save tons of time otherwise spent on development by running an incredibly meaningful survey. Instead of asking my users if they'd pay for something, I gave them a product experience that was real and let the results dictate their buying patterns.
I've always been a fan of the Lean Startup movement, and this experiment drives home the importance of experimentation, at least for someone like me who's relatively inexperienced building consumer apps. Not to mention my sub-par design skills ;).
You sign up to perform a routine, say cooking or working out, along with a specified number per week. Every time you accomplish your goal, progress gets added to your "streak." Eventually your streak will get so long that you won't ever want to break it and start over.
You can create incentives for keeping your streak — although incentives are optional. For example, if you break your streak, you can have a SMS and/or email be sent to friends. You won't break the streak if you know your friends will find out. You can also donate $1 to charity for each activity you don't perform for a given routine. 30% of that $1 is kept by BreakStreak to help operate the website. Again, these incentives are optional.
I built BreakStreak because there are so many things I wish I spent more time doing, in particular cooking and meditating. And many of my friends have the same problem, too. BreakStreak is designed to help us set a goal and stick to it. My hope is that BreakStreak can be a common and useful tool for helping each of us hack our lives better, with the sole goal of making us happier and more proud of our accomplishments. A friend of mine, Brian, has helped me with much of the brainstorming and product ideas.
Give it a try at breakstreak.com! And let me know if you have any thoughts or feedback.
I've begun building a bunch of prototypes for ideas I have had over the last few years, each an experiment to see if my ideas have legs. My goal is to turn one of these ideas into a business as soon as one is validated. I'd like to tell you about the first of these experiments, CriticallyIn.
CriticallyIn let's you create an event that requires a minimum RSVP in order for the event to take place. There is a certain class of event that needs to hit critical mass in order for the experience to be enjoyable (think flash mobs, silent dance parties, protests, etc). CriticallyIn was built to help plan and organize those such events.
I'm using CriticallyIn to plan my Bay to Breakers MC Hammer theme, along with gauge interest for a faux cycling celebration flash mob idea I have.
I'm not going to promote CriticallyIn that heavily, because at this point I'm solely interested in running an experiment and learning from the early users of the product. If you plan an event or attend one, please let me know if you have any feedback or thoughts. And while I'm here, feel free to fill out a survey for me here :). Enjoy!
The below post has been reworked in a new post, here. And the below post is not out of date compared to the newer, linked-to post.
I've received several requests for mindfulness and meditation resources. I'll share my favorites in this post.
I got into meditation in the early part of 2012, and it's now a big part of my life. Mindfulness and meditation have changed me in many beautiful ways: I am happier and more calm; I see beauty in ordinary, everyday things; I feel immense joy much more often; and I am not controlled by negative emotions and feelings; I am accepting of whatever is happening, good or bad; I am more compassionate, towards myself and others; I am less judgemental; the list goes on!
I spend most of my meditation and mindfulness practice listening to Dharma talks, following guided meditations, doing unguided meditations, and attending Sangha. I also attended a 5-day insight meditation retreat in early 2015. Each of these categories are covered below.
Dharma in Pali (the language the Buddha spoke) means truth. Dharma talks are 60-ish-minute talks about Buddhist teachings. They tend to be very, very practical, and great listens.
A huge repository of Dharma talks are available here: dharmaseed.org. Click on "talks" and either view the most recent talks (there's an RSS feed, too), or search for things like "forgiveness" or "difficulty" or "love," whatever you're interested in hearing. My favorite teachers are Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, and any monastic such as Thanissara and Kittisaro.
My favorite Dharma talks are Wisdom, You Can't Stop the Waves, and Loving Kindness by Jack Kornfield, and That Bird Got My Wings by Tara Brach.
I listen to Dharma talks on the bus, car rides, or while working out. They have great perspectives and advice.
My all-time favorite mindfulness and meditation book is Fear, by Thich Nhat Hanh. The Issue at Hand by Gil Fronsdal is also great. Same with The Wise Heart by Jack Kornfield.
Meditation helps me practice and accept the beautiful principals of mindfulness and Buddhism that I learn in Dharma talks.
There are good, free, guided meditations at the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center. This short meditation is great, too, and anything from Dr. Robert Foster. Jack Kornfield has wonderful guided meditations for sale, too , as does Tara Brach. I enjoy meditations on loving kindness, forgiveness, breathing, awareness, joy, and working with difficulties.
If you're interested in reading a guided meditation before trying one, read this. It's a great, short meditation and a great practice.
I also meditate without a guide, using this meditation timer. I do "insight" meditation, which is all about the present moment — what thoughts, feelings, sounds, tastes, smells, and (sometimes) sights am I experiencing right now? Although when I first started I stuck exclusively to guided meditations.
What I tend to do is meditate 4-6 times per week, for 20-45 minutes each. However, when I first started, I meditated less frequently and for shorter durations.
Here's a great meditation FAQ, too.
Sangha in Pali (the language the Buddha spoke) means community. A Sangha usually meets once per week. A meeting consists of a 30-45 minute guided or unguided meditation, followed by a 45-60 minute Dharma talk given either by the resident teacher or a guest teacher.
San Francisco has many Sangha groups, as I imagine most cities do (use Google to find one in your area). I attend two regularly: San Francisco Insight and Mission Dharma.
I try to attend at least one a week. I love being "forced" to do a long meditation, and most of the Dharma talks are awesome as well.
Retreats are typically held in silence and last anywhere from one day to many months. The retreat I attended was 5 days and was very difficult, but it greatly deepened my practice. I hope to attend one retreat per year.
 Jack's CD collection comes with two CDs, each with three meditations. The three meditations are combined into one long audio track, making it hard to jump around between meditations. To help with this, I've copy-pasted the start and end of each meditation below.
There's a story about a group of people climbing to the top of a mountain. It turns out it's pretty steep. And as soon as they get to a certain height a couple of people look down, notice how far it is, and completely freeze. They had come up against their edge and they couldn't go beyond it. Their fear was so great that they couldn't move.
Other people tripped on ahead, laughing and talking. But as the climb got steeper and more scary, more people became scared and froze, too. All the way up this mountain there were places where people met their edge, froze, and couldn't go any further.
The happy people who got to the top weren't the heroes of the day. They just weren't afraid of heights. They are going to meet their edge somewhere else. The ones who froze at the bottom were not the losers. They simply stopped first and so their lesson came earlier than the others. However, sooner or later everybody meets his or her own edge.
It occurs to me that my love for adrenaline sports such as snowboarding, snowmobiling, skateboarding, and cycling is based on my desire to find my edge. I love trying bigger, scarier things. Even when I fall or get hurt, I love getting back up and trying again.