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Freshwater Crisis / Global Climate / Water-Energy Choke Point
Challenged By Drought, Fire, Earthquake, and Flood, California Departs On New Path
by Keith Schneider June 20, 2015 July 6, 2015
The depleted condition of Lake Oroville is an apt example of California's challenge in the 21st century. The state is drying. The lake in northern California is 42 percent of capacity and receding daily. Photo/ Keith Schneider
OROVILLE, CA — Until visitors peer over the crest of 770-foot Oroville Dam, which stores the cold Sierra waters of the Feather River and is the tallest dam in the United States, it's hard to tell a drought grips Butte County, or any of the other neighboring Central Valley counties in this part of northern California.
The dirt-lined transport canals are filled to the top with water that slakes the thirst of thousands of hectares of rice, sunflowers, peaches, corn, soybeans, and all manner of California's agricultural cornucopia. Unlike the southern reaches of the Central Valley, there's no sign of the empty spaces of brown dirt where tomato fields lie fallow, or laser-leveled orchards under moisture duress that have been ripped out.
Quite the contrary. The region's bullet-straight two lane highways pass by new orchards under cultivation, the roots of each infant tree politely dressed in swirls of drip irrigation line, and saluted by the short red plastic stake of a single spray irrigator. More surprising are the throngs of sunburned bathers and jet ski operators enjoying the deep cooling depths of two blue and bountiful manmade lakes that flank Highway 162. The highway is the primary route to enter this city of 16,000 residents, and to climb the Sierra foothills to reach the dam and its visitors center.
The sight from the trail across the dam's spillway describes a much different story. The Lake Oroville reservoir, California's second largest, is 42 percent of capacity, according to the state Department of Water Resources. It looks it. Two million of its 3.5 million acre-feet of water are gone. A bathtub ring of rock and soil, 200 feet wide, circles the lake like a light brown rebuke to the will of its essential purpose.
A Drain on Storage
Week by week the ring grows a little wider as the reservoir drains to irrigate fields and supply thirsty towns across the state that receive Lake Oroville's liquid offering. The steadily receding water level is intently followed along the Sierra front like the won-loss record of high school football teams. "What's happening is kind of out of our hands," said Karen Wilson, a mother of two young children, who works part-time at an Oroville convenience store. "We do what we can. Don't wash the car. Short showers. Live with brown grass. Dishwater on the gardens. You kind of hope the people in charge of the big stuff know what they're doing."
Perhaps because Californians exist in a perpetual state of peril aggravated by a fast-rising population, a consensus emerged a long time ago that to live and thrive here comes with a public responsibility to match supplies of energy, water, food, transportation, and housing with demand. Photo/Keith Schneider
In much of the skeptical, government-suspicious United States that's an odd appeal — looking to the authorities for guidance. In its matter of fact way, though, Wilson expresses the conviction held by most Californians that the authorities are actually capable of responding well to urgent conditions.
In two weeks of travel across northern California, and in interviews with water and energy resource authorities in Oakland, Sacamento, Davis, and Modesto, a visitor from the grumpy Midwest became convinced Californians have strong reasons for putting their trust in "the people in charge."
More so than any state in the United States, and nearly any region of the world, the people in charge of California have shown a capacity to recognize and reckon with deep drought, high heat, sea level rise and several more of the high risk ecological realities of the 21st century. The result is a state that has set out on a very new path for building its economy and sustaining the quality of life on a foundation of legal requirements fit for the time — drastically reducing climate emissions, increasing energy efficiency, requiring net zero energy use in new buildings, conserving water, and electrifying transporation.
Frankly, in a world that is largely ignoring the regular outbursts of a truculent planet, it's a relief. Thank goodness for California.
Earth Pushes Back
Fifteen years into the 21st century it's abundantly evident that ecological, economic and demographic conditions are radically different than they were in the 20th. Seven billion people inhabit a planet that is pushing back hard against mankind's elevated and foolish sense of dominion. Earthquakes, vicious floods, and murderous landslides now regularly bury villages, kill thousands, and utterly ruin hydropower projects in the Himalayas, where 100 million more people live than in 1990. Tsunamis kill 240,000 people in the Indian ocean, 18,000 people in Japan, and shut down Japan's nuclear power sector. Plagues of plant diseases wipe out grain crops in Latin America and feast on Canada's Rocky Mountain forests. A 12-year drought in Australia shuts down the largest rice industry in the southern hemisphere. In China, 8-year-olds in major cities are treated for lung cancer.
Californians use over 40 million acre feet of water annually; 80 percent of it is devoted to agriculture. Here, water floods a rice paddy near Oroville. Photo/Keith Schneider
The United States is no stranger to the turmoil. Hurricanes drown New Orleans and New York. Great Plains tornadoes are killing and injuring record numbers of Americans. Sea level rise regularly floods the streets of Miami. Poison algae shuts down drinking water systems on Lake Erie. Farmers drain the precious waters of the Ogallala aquifer. Deep snow buries the Northeast and turns airports into sleepover hostels.
In almost all of the world, despite the mounting calamity, people largely react with an indecorous and dangerous indifference, even haughty ignorance. Challenged by annual Himalayan floods, earthquakes, and landslide disasters Indian authorities still insist on pushing ahead with plans for more big hydropower dams. China promised in November to reduce its climate-changing carbon emissions but the country's annual consumption of coal draws closer to 4 billion metric tons, four times more than is mined in the United States.
Kentucky's cultural and political networks are devoted to burning more coal as the foundation of a 21st century state economy. North Carolina discourages its coastal cities and counties from planning for sea level rise. Florida prohibits state employees from uttering the words "climate change."
California New Dreaming
And then there's California. Perhaps because Californians exist in a perpetual state of peril aggravated by its fast-rising population, a consensus emerged a long time ago that to live and thrive here comes with a public responsibility to match supplies of energy, water, food, transportation, and housing with demand. And to provide adequate safeguards. In any given year, after all, Californians confront real emergencies — killing floods, huge wildfires, earthquakes, and drought. The 21st century has added intense heat, sea level rise, and a plague of Sierra forest-killing beatles to the list.
A state formed from the rush for gold, and nurtured by the bright sun, California wasn't always so dangerous. In the 20th century, when California had more moisture, less people, and unlimited moxie, Californians believed they could overpower and subdue the Earth. In every corner of the state's governing and business infrastructure Californians installed an abundance of measures to pursue a lifestyle of color, speed, style, and abundance.
The Oroville Dam, completed in 1968, and Lake Oroville are apt examples. Among the largest of the West's dams, and capable also of generating nearly 800 megawatts of hydroelectric capacity, Oroville Dam fit the American 20th century's development strategy of building big, centralized, expensive, and durable economic infrastructure. The dam and its reservoir are fixtures in the state's essential water supply network that collects fresh water from the north and distributes it through a network of rivers and canals to farms and cities throughout the state. California would not be California without its surface water collection, storage, and transport system.
The current depleted condition of Lake Oroville is an apt example of California's challenge in the 21st century. The state is drying. California isn't yet in a full blown panic about its fourth year of deep drought because water management professionals and governors of both parties recognized that California's water-scarce condition could be the new norm. They accepted the scientific consensus that it could get considerably worse. The way out of the trouble was to convince state residents of the need for collective action, and stamp behavioral changes in homes and businesses that diminish demand and provide a higher measure of safety.
Sacramento's new wired arena for its NBA Kings team. Photo/Keith Schneider
New Statutes
And that is precisely what California, unlike any other state and almost any other country, did and is doing. Through a series of remarkably astute and aggressive measures approved by Democratic and Republican lawmakers, California has systematically enacted legislation that forms a model for dealing with Earth' s new conditions that is proving to be effective. Among the most signficant measures:
— A 2002 statute to require sharp reductions in climate-changing emissions in vehicles, which account for 40 percent of greenhouse gases.
— A 2005 executive order that mandated a 20 percent cut in climate emissions from all sources from 1990 levels by 2020, principally by encouraging the development of new buildings that either were so efficient or generated their own power, achieving "net zero" energy use.
— A 2006 statute that established market tools and new regulations to cut climate emissions 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020, and 80 percent by 2050.
— A 2009 statute that requires water consumption in cities to be cut 20 percent from 1990 by 2020, and is leading to a nearly 30 percent reduction in water consumption on farms by 2050– a reduction of 10 million acre feet of water annually, according to a Legislative report. Demand for water — 44.5 million acre feet in 2013 — will hold steady through 2050, according to the Department of Water Resources even as the state's population could reach 60 million, 21 million more than today.
— A 2010 statute requiring more aggressive and advanced steps for reducing solid waste 75 percent by 2020 through recycling, composting, waste reduction, and bio-processing to produce electrical energy.
— A 2011 statute requiring California's utilities to generate 33 percent of their electricity by 2020 with renewable sources other than hydropower.
— A 2014 statute that draws California groundwater supplies and use under state oversight in order to limit the serious groundwater depletion, pollution, and land subsidence in the Central Valley.
Long flooded by crime and deterioration, Oakland is emerging as one of California's great cities — served by transit, clean streets, clean air, and great neighbiorhoods. Photo/Keith Schneider
The effect of these and other measures is that state residents are settling into a new kind of California dream that is cleaner, more resource efficient, less polluting, and more right-sized for its time. Oakland, once viewed as among the country's most dangerous cities, is luring new residents to streets lined with new housing, parks that boast clean natural streams that once were concrete lined culverts, and a wastewater utility that recycles food wastes into electricity. The city's port, one of the country's largest, provides electrical power to arriving ships to end the use of polluting diesel generators while they are loading and unloading. Sacramento is building an epic wired smart arena in its developing downtown that will guide NBA fans around traffic jams and allow them to enter its ticketless confines using facial recognition scanning technology. A $20 billion idea for a high-speed rail network that connects Los Angeles to major cities in the Central Valley and Bay Area survives and is starting to show promise of actually getting built.
While these new indicators of progress gain momentum many of the old indicators, such as job growth and business starts, are a pure reprimand to the familiar and persistent challenge to an old convention — that reducing climate emissions and pursuing energy developnment that avoids fossil fuels cripple economies.
California's unemployment rate, 6.3 percent in May, is half what it was in 2010. The state has been adding 50,000 new jobs monthly. Business starts are way up. Housing values are climbing.
In Oroville, a steady stream of late model cars and apparently content visitors arrive at the Oroville Dam to gauge the lake's receding surface. The blue green water and sable-colored tub ring are a tableau of poetic deficiency, an adventure in unyielding water scarcity and ecological risk. But the murmurs of concern and the long gazes don't express fright. It's California. The state has a plan. It's working.
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The Atlantic is looking for a Python programmer to join its Platform Engineering team in our DC office to help build the future of journalism. The Atlantic has, for more than 160 years, advanced ideas that matter and sparked global conversation on the most important issues of our time. As the third-longest-running magazine in America, we find ourselves at a remarkable moment: one of both continuation and transformation, of upholding our legacy while continuously reinventing ourselves for the future.
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Write well-documented and maintainable Python code
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Work with our product team to implement and deploy new features to TheAtlantic.com and CityLab.com where they will be viewed by millions of people
As an Engineer you are…
A talented programmer: You've written Python code in a professional setting and are knowledgeable about best practices including PEP8, unit testing, and documentation.
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Employees at The Atlantic are entitled to benefits including: 401(k) savings plan with employer match, health care with domestic partner coverage, flexible vacation policy, commuter benefits, and generous parental leave.
Atlantic Media Values:
Across Atlantic Media, generally, the firm looks for two "pillar gifts" in you, and everyone else. In all of us, these are more aspirational than actual, but they are central in our intentions –
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Spirit of Generosity: Atlantic Media seeks in its ranks those with natural disposition toward service and selfless conduct. Atlantic Media writing should be cut from the same cloth – critical on the merits, but informed by charity and forbearance in measuring motive and personal character.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Is that the worst of the WASP's or what? What's up with that? Love her outfit!!
Unfortunately, my son and many of his friends who graduated from Calvin College in 2006 may fit the profile here. I got to meet a lot of them at his wedding this past August in downtown Grand Rapids. They like hanging out in East Grand Rapids, Grand Haven and the trendy bars in downtown GR. I found myself coming in conflict with many of them in the half-inebriated conversations we had at the wedding reception. Many of them had been sucked into Rob Bell's Church. That's what happens when you go through a divorce- your kids do not get adequately catechized into Reformational Christianity. I tried using R.C. Sproul tapes and material but it did not stick with my kids because I was not with them all the time. Hopefully, I will be able to influence them in a reformational direction as they experience the ups and downs of life as they grow older. Although there were also a few of his friends who were avid White Horse Inn listeners and Modern Reformation readers. It was an interesting and fun wedding reception to say the least.
John, this IS NOT your fault. Close relative sent the "kids" to school in New England. They got thier respective BA's. Like you I met them again at a wedding and was utterly shocked at what I found. My relative was/is a commited and intelligent Evangelical and essentially "Reformed" in perspective. He and his wife definatly raised their children better thatn what I found when I re-united with them at the wedding. Through college, all three had morphed from fine young adults into Obamanarian neo-progressives opposed. Two were living with their "someone special", and the opinions they were seriously advocating were breath taking in their shallow wrong-headedness. Their views were largely ignorant and in an odd way "programed". Since then my wife and I made some hard decisions about our son's College education, and our efforts to prepare them for college. In short, my New England relatives scared the sox off me and my wife! My oldest is in his second year and so far our approach has seemed to work. He loves Jesus and is still "keeping covenant". PTL!
I would concur that they all have a penchant for Obama styled politics. One of my son's friends had become a very well respected campaign manager for some high profile politicians in Michigan (his name is Don Goris). He is a very personable and likable type but wrongheaded I believe in his politics and theology. Although when I tried to engage him in political or theological talk he, like a good politician, tried to steer the conversation in a different direction. I pointed this out to him but he continued to refuse to go in the direction I was pressing him to go. I finally gave up, hey, it was my son's wedding and I was having a good time. I did not want my son accusing his old man of stirring up controversy at his wedding.
I am 30 year old confessional Presbyterian who votes Democratic and likes Sufjan Stevens and Wendell Berry.
I am not sure if it is my fault or not. They have not been exposed to a good confessional Church on a regular basis which it is my duty to expose them to. 3 of them have attended the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church I attend but show not interest in becoming a member there. I exhort them regularly to attend a good Church and try to define to them what a good Church is but it irritates them. I continue to do it anyways though.
Neoz, no problem with Berry or the Democrats. But what's up with Stevens?
2) What they want to be is a doctor or a lawyer or enter some other profession. In that situation doing one's undergraduate degree at an Ivy League or other top university will significantly improve their chances of getting into one of the top medical or law or business schools in the country than going to some obscure, private Christian college. If your children want to enter one of these fields of work, then there are pathways they have to follow and that means being exposed to education which is not Christian friendly.
3) Therefore, I would argue, the only area in which an institution's "bias" is important, and in fact essential, is if one wishes to study divinity/theology/Bible studies or wants to train for the ministry. Obviously in the latter's case the question of where to go is further influenced by one's denomination. But within that framework, where one goes is very important and one needs to ensure the institution is rock solid in its theology. Other than studying in this area, I think parents should wish for their children to experience the best education possible and they will receive excellent, world standard education at institutions which, unfortunately, are hostile to our Christian, Reformed faith.
4) And ultimately, don't we, as Reformed folk, believe that if our children are members of the covenant community, elected by God to be saved, then no amount of liberal, relativistic education will prevent this from happening. Sure, university can do a lot of damage in terms of one's world view (to use a totally neutral, uncontentious phrase!), but it can't stop God regenerating and saving His people. And we can't save them ourselves by making them go to Backwoods Christian College just because there they won't be taught anything contrary to the Bible. Sooner or later we are exposed to the ideologies of the world and we need to be able to confront them and defend ourselves against them. When educating our children as they grow up I quite agree we need to be very pro-active. But when they reach adulthood things change.
My son recently graduated from Calvin College, and he turned out OK. He joined the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod down the street from the school, which I think was a help and a counter-weight to the crappy Chapel services. Beating yourself up now about what was done in the past isn't very profitable, though. Hang in there with him.
Alexander, this might throw a different light on Ivy League schools improving ones chances in life. Plus, I wonder if faith might check the ambition of students' and parents' desires for success.
I think I am more disappointed (rather than beating my self up) in my sons lack of desire to understand the struggle I have endured in coming to the theological positions I now adhere to. He is more enthralled with some philosophy, theology and pursuits that he knows I am in disagreement with but he thinks he knows better than me right now. And I am really not sure how deeply he is into it because he refuses to talk about it with me. His best friend is a very smart kid who was raised in a OPC Church but who had some severe conflicts with his father and he now has kind of turned his back on his faith. So, the issues are getting somewhat complex with my son these days and I am having a hard time knowing how to act towards him- whether I should try to be understanding and non-confrontational in order to build the relationship back or press him on what he actually believes and try to correct him. He is an adult now and on his own but I wish he would ask me more questions in regards to how I came to my convictions. I also would like to see him and his new wife settle into a good Church before they start raising a family.
Indeed: the old debate between those who go to university for four years and those who enter employment as soon as they finish school. Of course there's more to it than just attending an elite school: one has to study a productive course as well. Certainly one can make a lot of money in life without going through university, but more and more a university education is necessary to advance in life. And the fact is if someone can say they graduated from Harvard that has a cache. Now there is the argument that some have made that the important point is that the person got into Harvard or another elite school not that they spent four years there, i.e. It's the name that matters. But that's because certain institutions get you through more doors.
Now of course there's more to life than money- whereas the piece you linked to appears to judge success in narrowly monetaristic terms- but are you saying it's wrong for a Christian to pursue medicine, law or business? And is it wrong to want to have an excellent education, which elite universities provide?
Alexander, nothing is wrong for Christians except for racketeering and prostitution. The problem today among most evangelical colleges and universities is the mantra of leadership and changing the world that makes people who only clean toilets for a living seem insignificant. As long as physicians, attorneys, CEOs, and graduates of elite colleges recognize the religious significance of diaper changing and seed planting, we should be okay. But given the way many Americans view those who till the land, I'm not encouraged with the quest for an education and its benefits.
I think the following website/ book will be insightful in regards to the culture on some Christian College campuses, I speak as the wife of a Calvin grad who later returned to his alma mater as a faculty member, we're now at another Christian University closer to my family. I could write a lengthy comment on these issues or I could just direct you to the following link and trust that you'll find some answers.
The Anatomy of a Christian Hipster and the Are you a Christian Hipster multiple choice diagnostic are particularly revealing.
I couldn't agree more about the elitism inherent in the transformationalists. I think a significant reason for this is that they have co-opted the world's obsession with status and occupation, but that's hardly surprising with folk who are obsessed with transforming the world's culture because really what that means is they're obessed with the culture itself and they want to be the cool cats in town.
My use of elite universities was just to make my argument in its most extreme form, that if my kid got into Harvard I think it would be wrong to tell him he can't go just because he'll likely be exposed to liberal, anti-Christian teaching. But my point extends to all universities and colleges and many other institutions: our children are going to be exposed to teaching contrary to our faith and we can't keep them in cotton wool and we have to trust that what they were taught growing up will take root. If they're meant to be saved, they will be and their salvation won't be undone by what they're taught at university.
And, further to that, the best strategy to adopt probably isn't constantly bringing up contentious issues with our children in an attempt to show them they're wrong and we're right. Eventually one has to make up one's own mind and find one's own way of doing that. Even if one ends up agreeing with everything one's parents' said, that's a process one has to go through on one's own.
Dr. Hart – i have heard you mention Berry quite a bit. If one is to be introduced to his writings, where do you suggest they start?
DJ, you're opening up a shade-grown, bird-friendly, organically-mulched can of worms now. Try http://www.frontporchrepublic.com/ for a little taste of Berryfied localism.
thanks brad. are you a berry fan?
I'd recommend the essays in Berry's book, What Are People For? Just dip in and start being provoked.


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Vincent D'Onofrio confirms Kingpin in Hawkeye is the same Kingpin from Daredevil
After a much-anticipated appearance from the Kingpin in Marvel's Hawkeye, fans have been wildly theorising as to how and why this character has finally showed up in the MCU.
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13 beautiful wallpapers for bathrooms
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Know PHHS Class of 1998 graduates that are NOT on this List? Help us Update the 1998 Class List by adding missing names.
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The Pendleton Heights High class of '98 alumni are listed below. These are former students from Pendleton Heights High in Pendleton, IN who graduated in 1998. Alumni listings below have either been searched for or they registered as members of this directory.
While you are reminiscing about the times you spent in high school at Pendleton Heights High School, you should also check out alumni photos, yearbook listings and share any reunion info if possible.


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If you had told me when I set a goal at the beginning of this year that I would be running a half-marathon in the Fall, there is a very good chance I would have laughed in your face. Even though back in January, I did have hopes of possibly (maybe) running the Disney Princess Half Marathon, I knew that wouldn't be until next year and I would have well over a year to prepare. I didn't want to commit to even that because running has been such a fight for me.
But then I turned a corner and I finally liked it. Then I started to look forward to it. And then I got some cute gear and I ran faster and longer than I ever have in my life. And I accepted that I have won. I am there. I am a runner.
That's about the time the self-sabotage set in. And birthday season rolled up with a trunk full of cupcakes and well, before you could say all you can eat sushi, I hadn't run in two weeks.
For someone who is supposed to be training for a half marathon, 2 weeks is an eternity. The first day I finally got back to it was like starting over. But then a few minutes passed and I was right back into it. That week I PR'd (personal record) and I was actually excited to get back in the game, which even now is shocking to me.
In the past when self-sabotage would sneak up on me, I felt almost powerless to fight it or by the time I realized what was happening, I wanted to just give up because it was too familiar. However, this year I am really trying to fight my bad habits. I am owning them and deciding one by one if I am going to continue to let them make choices that lead to places I don't want to go. I am surrounding myself with people and books that inspire me in my faith to make good choices and go to great places.
I want to be a great example for my kids. I want to BE here for my kids.
I don't know if you've seen the little button at the bottom of this page, but it says Fitfluential Ambassador. This year, I have partnered with the Fitfluential team to commit to making these changes for my health. Just having that little button down there is a constant reminder that I am choosing to do this each time I lace up my sneakers.
As a part of the Fitfluential community, I was given the opportunity to review some fun gear from The Universe Knows. I had no idea what they would send me, but an amazing box appeared on my doorstep right in the middle of my 2-week running hiatus and it could not have come at a better time. In fact, that little cherish the journey card was the first thing I saw when I opened the package and I knew it was only going to get better.
The Universe Knows is an online shop that sells what they call "inspiration wear" but it's not just clothing. They have journals, mugs, and even onesies for the kids! I was sent three items from the shop and each phrase is a reminder that I am on the right track.
It's so funny to me that they sent these words, because summed up that is exactly what I am trying to do this year. It's amazing how my brain reacts to seeing these little bits of encouragement when I am doing normal things like drinking my morning coffee. And the products are great quality! I definitely plan to grab a couple more mugs (because I might be addicted) and I know my hoodie will get mad use this Fall. It's really soft and the words are embroidered rather than printed so I know it will last!
The Universe Knows offers free shipping on orders over $75 and if you sign up for their newsletter, you will get 10% off your first order! Everyone needs a little inspiration right?
*Thank you to The Universe Knows for providing the above-mentioned items for this review. All opinions are my own.


Veggie Pita Wraps the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.
Combine mayonnaise, garlic, marjoram and tarragon in small bowl.
Wrap 2 pita breads in paper towels. Microwave on HIGH 20 to 30 seconds or just until soft and slightly warm. Repeat with remaining pita breads.
Spread 2 tablespoons mayonnaise mixture over half of each pita bread. Fold pita breads in half; divide cheese, alfalfa sprouts, cucumber, tomato, onion and lettuce among breads. Secure with toothpick.


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Houthi militias detain Panama-flagged ship at Hudaydah port, no reasons given
Houthi militias have reportedly taken advantage of al-Hudaydah port, the last port under its control, to steal relief aid, smuggle weapons and use it as a military base to threaten international shipping. (Reuters)
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Sunday 20 August 2017
Coalition forces have said that Houthi militias have detained a Panama-flagged vessel at Al Hudaydah port west of Yemen on Sunday.
Houthi militias have been known to have abused powers in the strategic port, having reportedly withheld three vehicles loaded with cholera medications for four days in a row in the province of al-Hudaydah last month at time of where the disease has become an epidemic in the war-torn country.
Houthi militias have reportedly taken advantage of al-Hudaydah port, the last port under its control, to steal relief aid, smuggle weapons and use it as a military base to threaten international shipping, according to the legitimate Yemeni government and the Arab coalition forces.
AL HUDAYDAH PORT
Coalition forces destroy booby-trapped boat targeting Al Mokha port
Arab Coalition: We welcome handover of Hudaydah port to neutral party


text:
HomeNewsValerie calls for expert health and equalities bodies to be saved from quango cull
Valerie calls for expert health and equalities bodies to be saved from quango cull
Valerie Vaz, MP for Walsall South and member of the House of Commons Health Select Committee, yesterday criticised the Government's inclusion of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the Human Tissue Authority (HTA), and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in the Public Bodies Bill.
Valerie Vaz MP said:
"The HFEA is an internationally recognized brand. It is widely consulted on its services and it provides information on fertility procedures, acting as a regulator for the treatment of infertility and use of embryos. Chaired by Professor Lisa Jardine, it has a world-class reputation for its specialised expertise in the medically and ethically sensitive areas of embryology and fertility treatments; other countries look to the HFEA as a model of good governance and good practice. Losing this accountability, expertise and brand name threatens the future of groundbreaking and ethically responsible research, policy-making and regulation in the UK.
"The Government has proposed that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) could take on the regulatory functions of the HFEA. But on September 14 the Commons Health Select Committee published a report highly critical of the CQC. The CQC emerged as an overburdened organisation failing to fulfil its regulatory responsibilities. It is suffering low public confidence following its failure to effectively regulate social care providers. It is difficult to envisage how it could be expected to take on the highly specific functions of the HFEA, with sensitive ethical as well as medical responsibilities which affect future generations.
"The HTA regulates the storage and use of human tissue. Chaired by Baroness Warwick it gives the public confidence that human tissue and organs will be used with proper consent. There is no guarantee the HTA will remain independent if their very existence is under threat.
"The Equality and Human Rights Commission costs £1 for every person in Britain. That is a small price to pay for equality. Equal pay is still an issue. There is still much to be done.
"In my view there is no reason for the HFEA, the HTA or the EHRC to be included in the Public Bodies Bill."
The progress of the Bill, including transcripts of Committee meetings and debates in the Chamber, can be tracked at: http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/publicbodieshl.html.
More information on the organisations can be found at their websites:
www.hfea.gov.uk | www.hta.gov.uk | http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/


My world fell to pieces at precisely 2.54am 30 years ago. I was asleep on the sixth floor of the Grand Hotel in Brighton when I was woken by a sound that only slowly I came to realise was the hotel falling apart. For an instant, it seemed like a dream, but the billowing, choking dust that filled my eyes and throat said otherwise.
After the initial shock, there was a silence so profound that it still screams in my ears today. Then alarm bells kicked in. It was a bomb. And it was time to get out.
I was one of the lucky ones – close but no scars. Others weren't so fortunate.
The snippets of memory left behind as we clambered out through the darkness seem somehow ludicrous. On the rear fire escape I found Sir Robin Day, the master interrogator, clad in an outrageous silk dressing gown with a folded newspaper under his arm. Less well clad was the government minister who cowered in a corner. He was stark naked, except for an inadequate towel. I took pity, asked no questions, and gave him my coat.
Further down the escape route was yet another senior politician, Sir Jock Bruce-Gardyne, immaculately attired in a three-piece suit complete with club tie that screamed of resilience under fire, an effect ruined by two brightly coloured but wildly clashing socks. Thereafter he was known as "One Sock Jock".
Many others were in deep distress, covered in charnel dust, struggling to hide their fears. Debris was still falling. This was conference; it was supposed to be party time.
I went in search of Norman and Margaret Tebbit. I was his special adviser, had driven them to the conference after a light lunch prepared by Margaret. It was to be the last meal she ever made.
Misguided party officials began spreading the rumour that there were no casualties, everyone was out, but that was nonsense. I had spent much of the previous day in the Tebbits' room working on speeches with him. The room was directly behind the proud hotel sign that adorned the front of the building and that now sagged pathetically. Behind it the window frames were empty, staring like the eye sockets of a skull.
The emergency services began searching for survivors – and bodies. They found Norman beneath tons of rubble. Fred Bishop, the fireman who was digging him out, asked, "Are you OK, Norman?" "Get off my bloody foot, Fred!" he cried in agony. Norman, like Margaret, was savagely injured, but not so badly. They had lain together for hours, in the crushing darkness, holding each other's hand, saying goodbye.
I headed for the local hospital and helped set up a rudimentary communications room, not easy in the days before mobile phones and crisis management protocols. The Tebbit children had to be contacted before they woke up to find journalists pounding at their doors. The news of Margaret, in particular, wasn't good. The doctors told me she had "a problem with her back". It was a problem that still today confines her to a wheelchair.
John Wakeham, the government Chief Whip, was in a nearby hospital room. His wife had been killed and he had received massive injuries, particularly to his legs. There was talk of them being amputated. The fact that he survived was a marvel; that he ever walked again was closer to a miracle.
Five people were murdered that night. And all our lives changed.
This moment, perhaps more than any other, showed her true mettle. This wasn't considered or calculated, it was Maggie, raw, resilient, speaking from the gut. It was the making of her. Yet despite her defiance, the rules of the political game would change dramatically. Now, instead of spontaneity, we do security. We play politics from behind bullet-proof screens and body scanners. We talk of threat levels and facial-recognition software. And the first view a schoolchild will get on a visit to our Parliament is of a police officer in body armour cradling a 9mm Heckler & Koch sub-machine gun.
The days of the walkabout, of prime ministers such as John Major campaigning from a soap box in the street, are largely gone. Politicians are distanced from the electorate – and perhaps from real life.
There has been a loss of innocence and our politics are the poorer for it – except, paradoxically, in Northern Ireland itself. Does it matter if former IRA terrorists now occupy senior positions in Stormont, if the Queen can visit Ireland in peace and friendship? While there are still men of evil and violence, they now lurk in the shadows rather than march through the streets. So much has changed there, mostly for the better. Perhaps it is time to forget.
But I can't. I remember a few days after the bomb when I was called to the police station at Brighton to reclaim the Tebbits' belongings that had been dug out of the rubble. On all sides of a large room were plastic bags filled with intimate items. In one bag, smothered in dust, was Margaret's handbag. It was so terribly battered and torn, like Margaret herself. I left the station, sat down on the steps, and I wept. Then I dropped the bag in a rubbish bin. I couldn't give it back to her.
I can still smell the dust from that bag. So when my path crosses that of Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, usually in a broadcasting studio, I leave.
For me, there are too many memories. I had spent an afternoon at the start of the historic 1979 election talking to Airey Neave, Margaret Thatcher's chief of staff, about his plans for the future. The next day he was murdered by a car bomb yards from where we had been sitting. Another dear friend, Ian Gow, was killed 11 years later.
And how many innocent people were murdered over the years – over the centuries – in Northern Ireland itself? It was a dirty war of sometimes unspeakable excess on all sides, Catholics, Protestants and the British Army, but I don't accept there was a moral equivalence. The figures speak for themselves. Some 3,680 people were killed during the Troubles. Fifty-nine per cent were victims of republicans, 29 per cent victims of loyalists. The security forces were responsible for 365 deaths and few were criminally culpable.
It is a story laden with ironies. Those convicted of the bombing – Patrick Magee and four others – have been freed; only the victims and their families are still serving a sentence, every day.
There are those who argue that the bomb was necessary, that it kick-started the peace process. That is largely wishful thinking. To the contrary, it was the realisation that the IRA could never bomb their way to their goals that forced them to the negotiating table. The ensuing talks resulted in a deal that was in many ways disgraceful, full of inconsistencies, devoid of justice – except that it has brought hope. There would never be a neat solution. It was time for Ireland to stop choking on its past.
And here is perhaps the ultimate irony. It was recently revealed that, in 1983, Margaret Thatcher told her private secretary, Sir John Coles, that she wouldn't be long in office. "My party won't want me to lead them into the next election – and I don't blame them." Behind the iron carapace, she was sometimes a woman of damp eyes and vulnerabilities. Yet a year later, the heat of the Brighton bomb seemed to recast her, made the metal even tougher. She didn't quit, she carried on, and on, and on.
The IRA tried to destroy her. Instead, they helped to create her. History spins on such delicate threads.


text:
Q: Add a new disk as mirroring (raid 1) to existing disk I have disk1 with Windows Server OS and all my applications and DB installed and configured. Can I now add a fresh disk (disk2) to this existing disk1 and make it as mirroring disk (raid1) using windows disk management? Will this automatically write all the content of disk1 to disk2. And if disk1 crashes, will disk2 still work. And can I remove the disk1 which has crashed, add a new fresh disk (disk3) and mirror it with disk2?

A: Yes, you are correct.
There are inumerable internet guides available on how to do this. As several steps are involved, Windows RAID guides may give the impression this is a somewhat complicated process. It is not.
The Windows Disk Manager guides the process making it very easy to add a RAID configuration and rebuild a failed set. Therefore my suggestion is to get your hands dirty on a test system first and follow up by more in-depth reading about RAID therory and practice afterwards.
What is not covered as often in the internet guides is when a mirrored boot disk fails and how to replace the failed member in such a set. It was quite a while since I had to do this using Windows software RAID and I cannot remember exactly what had to be done. But if the "wrong" disk failed I faintly recall a text file having to be updated with the remaining member guid, or something of the sort. And possibly this fossilized NT4-age artefact has now been replaced with a more helpful mechanism in more recent versions of the OS...
Maybe try your hands with a virtual machine using VMware workstation, VirtualBox or other VM manager? It makes adding and removing different disks easy and with a VM snapshot you can easily reset the whole system if you get yourself cornered. Just to start practicing and building the disk management skillset before going bare metal if that is your goal.
A final caveat: sometimes a new RAID practicioner will confuse RAID with backup. They are not the same and cannot be replacements for each other.
RAID lessens the risk of a system or data availability failure by adding redundant online copies of data. If data is corrupted or deleted, it is not recoverable through RAID even though the system may still be functioning in other respects thanks to RAID.
A backup safeguards data by storing offline copies of it. If the online data is lost or corrupted it can therefore be restored.
Critical systems usually have both RAID and backups for this reason.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
Q: Animations not playing on load or on click in Javascript Working on a  tip calculator with an animation on an h1 tag and a slideDown and slideUp on click on the h2 tags. Problem is, none of the animations are playing and the click event isn't working either.
Here is the HTML file
<!DOCTYPE html>

    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>Tip Calculator</title>
    <link rel="shortcut icon" href="images/favicon.ico">
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="midtermcss.css">

Tip facts

Things to know before you tip

Tips Account for 44 Billion dollars of the Food Industry

7 States require servers to be paid minimum wage like everyone else

Minnessota

Montana

Washington

Oregon

California

Nevada

Alaska

Current Federal minimum tipped wage is $2.13 per hour can you live on that?

Charging with Credit/Debit cards tends to reduce the average tip

Tip Calculator

        Total Amount Of Bill:
        <input type="text" id="billAmount">

        Percent To Tip:
        <input type="text" id="percentTip">

        How Many People?:
        <input type="text" id="amountPeople">

        Tip Total:
        <input type="text" id="totalTip">

        <input  type="button" id="calculate" value="Calculate">

Here is the JS file.
$(document).ready(function() {
    // runs when an h2 heading is clicked
    $("#faqs h2").toggle(
        function() {
            $(this).toggleClass("minus");
            $(this).next().slideDown(1000, "easeOutBounce");
        },
        function() {
            $(this).toggleClass("minus");
            $(this).next().slideUp(1000, "easeInBounce");
        }
    );

    $("#faqs h1").animate({
        fontSize: "400%",
        opacity: 1,
        left: "+=375"
    }, 1000, "easeInExpo")
        .animate({
        fontSize: "175%",
        left: "-=200"
    }, 1000, "easeOutExpo");

    $("#faqs h1").click(function() {
        $(this).animate({
            fontSize: "400%",
            opacity: 1,
            left: "+=375"
        }, 2000, "easeInExpo")
            .animate({
            fontSize: "175%",
            left: 0
        }, 1000, "easeOutExpo");
    });

});

var $ = function(id) {
    return document.getElementById(id);
}
var calculateClick = function() {
    var billAmount = parseFloat($("billAmount").value);
    var percentTip = parseFloat($("percentTip").value);
    var amountPeople = parseInt($("amountPeople").value);

    if (isNaN(billAmount) || billAmount <= 0) {
        alert("Your bill can't be 0 or less.");
    } else if (isNaN(percentTip) || percentTip <= 0) {
        alert("The percentage should be a whole number.");
    } else if (isNaN(amountPeople) || amountPeople <= 0) {
        alert("You are 1 person never count yourself as less.");
    } else {
        var total = billAmount * (percentTip / 100) / amountPeople;
        $("totalTip").value = total.toFixed(2);
    }
}

window.onload = function() {
    $("calculate").onclick = calculateClick;
    $("billAmount").focus();
}

Last but not least the CSS file since the open and minus classes are listed in there
        * {
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
}

body {
    font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
    background-color: white;
    margin: 0 auto;
    width: 500px;
    border: 3px solid blue;
}
section {
    padding: 0 1em .5em;
}
section.js {
    padding: 0 1em .5em;
}
h1 {
    text-align: center;
    margin: .5em 0;
}
label {
    float: left;
    width: 10em;
    text-align: right;
}
input {
    margin-left: 1em;
    margin-bottom: .5em;
}
#faqs h1 {
    position: relative;
    left: -168px;
    font-size: 125%;
    color: blue;
}
h2 {
    font-size: 120%;
    padding: .25em 0 .25em 25px;
    cursor: pointer;
    background: url(images/plus.png) no-repeat left center;
}
h2.minus {
    background: url(images/minus.png) no-repeat left center;
}
div.open {
    display: block;
}
ul {
    padding-left: 45px;
}
li {
    padding-bottom: .25em;
}
p {
    padding-bottom: .25em;
    padding-left: 25px;
}

I can't figure out for the life of me why the animations work in a separate test file but when I use them now in my tip calculator they don't. I'm using Murach's Javascript and Jquery book but this section has been terribly hard to understand.

A: Your issue is that you include jQuery but later on in the global scope you redefine the $:
var $ = function(id) {
    return document.getElementById(id);
}

Fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/AtheistP3ace/u0von3g7/
All I did was change the variable name holding that function and replace it in the areas you were using it. Specifically:
var getById = function(id) {
    return document.getElementById(id);
}
var calculateClick = function() {
    var billAmount = parseFloat(getById("billAmount").value);
    var percentTip = parseFloat(getById("percentTip").value);
    var amountPeople = parseInt(getById("amountPeople").value);

    if (isNaN(billAmount) || billAmount <= 0) {
        alert("Your bill can't be 0 or less.");
    } else if (isNaN(percentTip) || percentTip <= 0) {
        alert("The percentage should be a whole number.");
    } else if (isNaN(amountPeople) || amountPeople <= 0) {
        alert("You are 1 person never count yourself as less.");
    } else {
        var total = billAmount * (percentTip / 100) / amountPeople;
        getById("totalTip").value = total.toFixed(2);
    }
}

window.onload = function() {
    getById("calculate").onclick = calculateClick;
    getById("billAmount").focus();
}

$ is just shorthand for jQuery. When you include jQuery it creates two functions for you that both do the same thing. jQuery and $. If you set $ equal to something else you have effectively overwritten jQuery library included in your page and it will no longer operate as you would expect. All jQuery functionality begins with using $ or jQuery function. Once that returns a jQuery object to you, you can begin chaining and calling functions off those objects but to get a jQuery object you need to use the jQuery or $ function.
You mentioned in a comment above your teacher had you do that to fix something. I imagine it was because jQuery was not initially included so he just created the $ selector function to get you moving but I would hope he explained why he did that and how it can affect things later.


text:
Q: Do not show autocomplete popup when cycling through options in ST3 Sublime has built-in auto complete. It works fine, but I would really like to know how to disable autocomplete popup but still be able to cycle through completions using Tab with word under cursor changing right away?

A: You should be able to achieve this with a combination of two settings, shown here with the default values:
    // When enabled, pressing tab will insert the best matching completion.
    // When disabled, tab will only trigger snippets or insert a tab.
    // Shift+tab can be used to insert an explicit tab when tab_completion is
    // enabled.
    "tab_completion": true,

    // Enable auto complete to be triggered automatically when typing.
    "auto_complete": true,

auto_complete controls whether the autocomplete popup appears automatically or not, so setting that preference to false in your user preferences will stop the popup from appearing unless you manually cause it to appear with the appropriate key binding (the default is Alt+/ on Linux and Ctrl+Space everywhere else).
Regardless of the value of that setting, if tab_completion is set to true (which it is by default) then that command will try to insert the best matching completion at current cursor location, and as long as you don't move the cursor or take any other actions you can continue to press Tab to cycle between all of the available completions.


text:
Q: Qubes 4.0 will not boot upon changing hdd so I am running Qubes 4.01, I decided to remove the hdd with qubes installed, plug in a new hdd and install windows onto that one,
then upon plugging in the hdd with qubes installed onto it, it simply won't boot into qubes, instead it will boot into BIOS (and yes I have tried
changing boot priority) my Qubes is encrypted.

A: May be your grub has been corrupted.
Try to fix /boot/grub2/grub.cfg manually using live operating system.
If that doesn't work then export your necessary Domain disk image
(like /var/lib/qubes/appvm/personal/privet.img) in a persistant storage
using live operating system and after that install qubes once again and  import that(those) disk images to your newly installed qubes.
I hope at last you can try this.


text:
package ch.idsia.benchmark.mario.engine.sprites;

import ch.idsia.benchmark.mario.engine.Art;
import ch.idsia.benchmark.mario.engine.LevelScene;

public class FireFlower extends Sprite
{
private int width = 4;
int height = 24;

private LevelScene world;
public int facing;

public boolean avoidCliffs = false;
private int life;

public FireFlower(LevelScene world, int x, int y)
{
    kind = KIND_FIRE_FLOWER;
    sheet = Art.items;

    this.x = x;
    this.y = y;
    this.world = world;
    xPicO = 8;
    yPicO = 15;

    xPic = 1;
    yPic = 0;
    height = 12;
    facing = 1;
    wPic = hPic = 16;
    life = 0;
}

public void collideCheck()
{
    float xMarioD = world.mario.x - x;
    float yMarioD = world.mario.y - y;
    float w = 16;
    if (xMarioD > -16 && xMarioD < 16)
    {
        if (yMarioD > -height && yMarioD < world.mario.height)
        {
            world.mario.devourFlower();
            spriteContext.removeSprite(this);
        }
    }
}

public void move()
{
    if (life < 9)
    {
        layer = 0;
        y--;
        life++;
        return;
    }
}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This lovely cascade is intriguing for it's uniquely carved rock features and cool, clear pool below the falls.
Cachoeira da pedra furada bem proximo a cachoeira da ostra.
Short Hike: The waterfall is located along the Ostra Trail. It is well worth a stop to cool off and take in the views.
Shared by Rafael Porto on May 14, 2017. All Page Views: 118. Last Month: 3.


Varna Airport serves the Northeast of Bulgaria and provides convenient links to major airports such as Sofia, Vienna, Istanbul, Moscow, Belgrade and Tel Aviv.
The airport is situated on the Northern Black Sea coast, about 8 km outside the city of Varna.
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The airport is situated on the Southern Black Sea coast, between the city center of Burgas and the tourism resort of Sunny Beach.
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Fraport Twin Star Airport Management AD - the operator of the airports in Varna and Burgas, has been investing exclusively in the training and development of its staff and relies on the quality of the services rendered. Our employees and workers are the company's most valuable asset.
Discover our current job openings.


text:
Media Websites
Digital Spy unveil new look
(December 2013)
f-user 3 December 2013 7:45pm
Anyway, after another wave of spam hit ChannelWiki I'm going to call it a day as it's getting harder to maintain. This is unrelated to the links but like I said it's difficult to maintain and keep free of spam. It was a tough decision but it had to be made and I'm sorry.
I'd love for the pages (which get well over 1,000 pageviews a day) to be moved to the TV Live wiki. Also as a way of protecting our contributors hard work.
rob Founding member 3 December 2013 7:47pm
f-user posted:
Anyway, after another wave of spam hit ChannelWiki I'm going to call it a day as it's getting harder to maintain. This is unrelated to the links but like I said it's difficult to maintain and keep free of spam.
I'd love for the pages (which get over 1,000 pageviews a day) to be moved to the TV Live wiki. Also as a way of protecting our contributors hard work.
Please feel free to contribute to my wiki. In the meantime, let's try and get back on topic...
rob posted:
I agree wholeheartedly. I will move the pages.
Regarding the DS design, anyone experiencing issues with SessionIDs (user login).
Asa Admin 5 December 2013 7:25pm
It's a pretty inoffensive design, does the job. The logo is very basic - maybe mixed in with the blue circle logo would give it a little something. I don't know why the header needs to be permanently on view though, it seems to be a design trend these days but I wonder just how much that menu is used to navigate around the site vs other links on the page?
There needs to be a delay on the menu too to stop the effect as you immediately move the mouse down the page.
AJ 6 December 2013 10:42am
Hmm... pretty bland. I agree that the menu doesn't need to be there all the time - and if they insist on it, then they should reduce the height of it.
Another way around it would be for it to hide as you scroll down, and reappear as you scroll up.
pad 9 December 2013 12:24pm
It's better now than when it first launched. It does use colour and current flat trends/whitespace that modern sites tend to have.
The editorial site is certainly better; though they're still wimping out of updating vBulletin on the forums. They've made more effort to make the ads integral rather than slapped on; though I use AdBlock anyway.
BBC TV Centre 9 December 2013 10:21pm
DS is looking a little grim and bereft of colour.
Also what is with the massive squashed in the middle look for which sites are so keen to adopt these days?
9 days later
jake-watson 18 December 2013 12:00am
Its growing on me but the adverts still make me sick, either taking up the entire screen or following you down the page, if not making the top portion of the screen cluttered with adverts or covering the articles. I understand they are needed to make money for the site but its all too much!
As for the implementation, they really should have tested the site offline before making it live as the work in progress was painful to everyone going by the number of threads and posts on the issue.
benriggers 18 December 2013 8:08pm
jake-watson posted:
Its growing on me but the adverts still make me sick, either taking up the entire screen or following you down the page, if not making the top portion of the screen cluttered with adverts or covering the articles.
Use Adblock Plus. I don't have any of these problems and the site looks much neater
Site videos
The Last News at Ten. (1999)
Viz Mosart Demo - How to Quickly Switch Between Regions
Play Your Cards Right (Australia, 1984)


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After solid growth in 2017, investment in equipment and software should remain strong in 2018 and is projected to expand 7.9 percent (up from 7.0 percent in the Q3 Economic Outlook published in July) according to the Q4 update to the 2018 Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlook released today by the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation.
Strong economic momentum should drive investment activity through the rest of the year, though certain industries appear to be peaking and may begin to weaken in the months ahead.
Overall, the economy is expected to grow 2.9% in 2018, unchanged from our most recent forecast and well above last year's 2.2% growth rate.
• Capital spending has been solid to date this year. Business confidence levels are currently elevated, supported by strong fundamentals in the U.S. economy. This should translate into steady expansion in equipment and software investment through the rest of the year with overall investment up 7.9% in 2018.
• Credit market conditions remain healthy for Q4, with little change in supply or demand relative to Q3. Despite the late stage of the credit cycle and rising interest rates, financial stress decreased in the second quarter. The Federal Reserve is likely to raise its benchmark interest rate once more in 2018 for a total of four rate hikes over the year to curb inflationary pressures.
• Overall, 2018 is likely to be a solid year for the U.S. economy and may approach 2015's 2.9% expansion as the best year for growth since the recession. The U.S. economy has continued to post strong gains throughout 2018, with positive contributions to GDP from most major sectors of the economy.
Materials handling equipment investment growth should remain modest.
All other industrial equipment investment growth is likely to continue to decelerate.
Medical equipment investment growth will likely remain stable.
Mining and oilfield machinery investment growth may strengthen.
Aircraft investment growth should remain solid.
Ships and boats investment growth is expected to accelerate.
Railroad equipment investment growth should improve.
Trucks investment growth should remain solid.
Software investment growth may soften.
The Foundation produces the Equipment Leasing & Finance U.S. Economic Outlook report in partnership with economic and public policy consulting firm Keybridge Research. The annual economic forecast provides a three to six-month outlook for industry investment with data, including a summary of investment trends in key equipment markets, credit market conditions, the U.S. macroeconomic outlook, and key economic indicators.
The Q4 report is the final update to the 2018 Annual Outlook before the publication of the 2019 Annual Outlook in December.
Download the full report at www.leasefoundation.org/industry-resources/u-s-economic-outlook/. All Foundation studies are available for free download from the Foundation's online library at http://store.leasefoundation.org/.


text:
package org.spongepowered.common.event.tracking.phase.packet;

import net.minecraft.entity.player.EntityPlayerMP;
import net.minecraft.network.Packet;
import net.minecraft.network.play.client.CPacketUseEntity;
import org.spongepowered.api.event.cause.NamedCause;
import org.spongepowered.api.item.inventory.ItemStack;
import org.spongepowered.common.event.InternalNamedCauses;
import org.spongepowered.common.event.tracking.PhaseContext;
import org.spongepowered.common.item.inventory.util.ItemStackUtil;

import javax.annotation.Nullable;

final class InteractAtEntityPacketState extends BasicPacketState {

    @Override
    public boolean ignoresItemPreMerges() {
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean isPacketIgnored(Packet<?> packetIn, EntityPlayerMP packetPlayer) {
        final CPacketUseEntity useEntityPacket = (CPacketUseEntity) packetIn;
        // There are cases where a player is interacting with an entity that doesn't exist on the server.
        @Nullable net.minecraft.entity.Entity entity = useEntityPacket.getEntityFromWorld(packetPlayer.world);
        return entity == null;
    }

    @Override
    public void populateContext(EntityPlayerMP playerMP, Packet<?> packet, PhaseContext context) {
        final CPacketUseEntity useEntityPacket = (CPacketUseEntity) packet;
        final ItemStack stack = ItemStackUtil.cloneDefensive(playerMP.getHeldItem(useEntityPacket.getHand()));
        if (stack != null) {
            context.add(NamedCause.of(InternalNamedCauses.Packet.ITEM_USED, stack));
        }
        final net.minecraft.entity.Entity entity = useEntityPacket.getEntityFromWorld(playerMP.world);
        if (entity != null) {
            // unused, to be removed and re-located when phase context is cleaned up
            //context.add(NamedCause.of(InternalNamedCauses.Packet.TARGETED_ENTITY, entity));
            //context.add(NamedCause.of(InternalNamedCauses.Packet.TRACKED_ENTITY_ID, entity.getEntityId()));
        }
        context.addEntityDropCaptures()
                .addEntityCaptures()
                .addBlockCaptures();
    }

    @Override
    public boolean doesCaptureEntityDrops() {
        return true;
    }
}


Since the creation of computers, there is an ever-increasing need for technical support services. Technical support refers to a range of services provided by companies to their customers for products such as software, mobile phones, printers, and other electronic, mechanical or electromechanical products. Usually, technical support services are providing user-friendly assistance for individuals having technical problems with electronic devices rather than providing training on how to use the product.
Technical support services are delivered based on the premise that it is possible to fix issues occurring at the locations where users are using the services. It is done by interacting with the users through many remote methods of communication like telephone, email, live chat interface or using special software or software extensions.
Call In: It is also known as "break-fix" IT support or "Time and Material". It is a common type of support system in the tech industry, where the customer has to pay for the technical devices and materials and also the technician based on the pre-negotiated rate.
Managed Services: This kind of service is usually provided to large-scale customers rather than individual consumers. A list of service is provided to the customers at a fixed rate depending upon the service contract. Services provided could be 24/7 monitoring of servers and help desk including on-site visits or remotely solving technical issues.
Block Hours: It is a kind of prepaid support system which allows customers to use the hours flexibly without the hassle of paperwork or multiple bills. This type of support system the customer gives an opportunity for a customer to pay for a certain amount of time, which can be used per month or per year.
Computer support is the process of providing troubleshooting, maintenance, and repair services to a computing device. A service provider or a technician provides a range of service operations ranging from general operating problems and software, hardware or network issues.
A network engineer is responsible for evaluating and maintaining the integrity of an existing network. The network support engineer's role involves a set of core standards for operating network along with handling software and hardware for network systems and day-to-day administration for a department.
Software support and technical support are interrelated, since the services include incident-based support, revenue derived from long-term technical support contracts or pay-as-you-go. Software support services also encompasses remote troubleshooting capabilities, installation assistance, and basic usability assistance. The remote troubleshooting services are delivered via telephone and online communication media like email, chat assistance or without human assistance through remote methods or automated software that may reside on the customer's device or the web.
Software support services also include new product installation services & software updates, migrating to newly released software, proactive or reactive on-site services, and support for custom application or infrastructure software. These services may be delivered by a product vendor, a consulting firm or third-party software maintainers.


J Opt Soc Am A Opt Image Sci Vis. 2003 Jul;20(7):1434-48.
Hierarchical Bayesian inference in the visual cortex.
Traditional views of visual processing suggest that early visual neurons in areas V1 and V2 are static spatiotemporal filters that extract local features from a visual scene. The extracted information is then channeled through a feedforward chain of modules in successively higher visual areas for further analysis. Recent electrophysiological recordings from early visual neurons in awake behaving monkeys reveal that there are many levels of complexity in the information processing of the early visual cortex, as seen in the long-latency responses of its neurons. These new findings suggest that activity in the early visual cortex is tightly coupled and highly interactive with the rest of the visual system. They lead us to propose a new theoretical setting based on the mathematical framework of hierarchical Bayesian inference for reasoning about the visual system. In this framework, the recurrent feedforward/feedback loops in the cortex serve to integrate top-down contextual priors and bottom-up observations so as to implement concurrent probabilistic inference along the visual hierarchy. We suggest that the algorithms of particle filtering and Bayesian-belief propagation might model these interactive cortical computations. We review some recent neurophysiological evidences that support the plausibility of these ideas.


text:
Q: SelectList values determined by previous SelectList Values What would I need to understand to implement two selectLists with the second dependent on the first?
The make is selected which filters the engine sizes. This will eventually return the carDetails

public IActionResult Create()
{
      ViewData["MakeId"] = new SelectList(_context.Sport, "MakeId", "MakeName");
      ViewData["EngineId"] = new SelectList(_context.Venue, "EngineId", "EngineName");

      return View();
}

I have researched the "where" function but cannot see how to make it work with this scenario.
The view currently uses "cshtml" (Razor) files. An example of the contents is:

                <select asp-for="MakeId" class="form-control" asp-items="ViewBag.MakeId"></select>

A: You can do it by having one select list being populated when the page loads. You can then allow the user to choose what thy want and have an onChange() on the dropdownlist that calls a javascript function.
You can now use an ajax call to call the controller and get the data to populate the second dropdownlist.
Your HTML for your dropdownlist should look something like this:
            <select class="form-control" data-val="true" id="AN ID" name="A NAME (NOT NEEDED)"></select>

In your success part of your ajax call you can do something like this:
            //Create a markup for a select
            var markup = "<option Value='0'>Select option</option>";

            //Populate the markup
            for (var i = 0; i < result.length; i++) {
                markup += "<option Value=" + result[i].Value + ">" + result[i].Text + "</option>";
            }

            //Populate dropdown with value
            $("#//DROPDOWNLIST ID").html(markup).show();

This will allow you to populate dropdownlists sequentially


text:
#ifndef __SCALERTYPES__
#define __SCALERTYPES__
#ifndef __SCALERSTREAMTYPES__
#include <ScalerStreamTypes.h>
#endif
#if PRAGMA_ONCE
#pragma once
#endif
#ifdef __cplusplus
extern "C" {
#endif
#if PRAGMA_IMPORT
#pragma import on
#endif
#if PRAGMA_STRUCT_ALIGN
    #pragma options align=mac68k
#elif PRAGMA_STRUCT_PACKPUSH
    #pragma pack(push, 2)
#elif PRAGMA_STRUCT_PACK
    #pragma pack(2)
#endif
#if PRAGMA_STRUCT_ALIGN
    #pragma options align=reset
#elif PRAGMA_STRUCT_PACKPUSH
    #pragma pack(pop)
#elif PRAGMA_STRUCT_PACK
    #pragma pack()
#endif
#ifdef PRAGMA_IMPORT_OFF
#pragma import off
#elif PRAGMA_IMPORT
#pragma import reset
#endif
#ifdef __cplusplus
}
#endif
#endif /* __SCALERTYPES__ */


Join the ranks of the extraordinary in an outfit of regal bearing. The patterned silk blouse picks up the bronze of the extravagantly soft Italian leather skirt, designed in godets for fullness. The formal distinction of the double-breasted jacket is at home in the company of the silk blouse with its matching cadet blues.


text:
Wales' landmark new £6.5M Construction centre officially opens in Swansea
Oct 18, 2018 | Uncategorised
The Construction Wales Innovation Centre (CWIC), based at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David's (UWTSD) new £350million SA1 Swansea Waterfront Development, has officially opened today (Thursday 18th October). CWIC is a landmark agreement between the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and a consortium led by UWTSD. CWIC will support future workforce needs, skills development and innovation in the Welsh construction sector. The new centre will provide state-of-the-art facilities and training for individuals and construction companies, with CITB investing £6.5m. The CWIC hub will provide a Construct Zone, classrooms, dedicated IT suites and conference facilities. A dedicated scaffolding training facility will also be sited close by. Alongside the hub based in Swansea, CWIC is already delivering courses across Wales through partner colleges, Coleg Sir Gâr, Coleg Cambria, Coleg y Cymoedd and Coleg Ceredigion as well as the Building Research Establishment (BRE). It is estimated that 1,200 students will be trained through CWIC facilities across Wales each year. The official opening was attended by representatives from across the construction and education sector, including CITB Board Chair Peter Lauener, CITB CEO Sarah Beale, UWTSD Vice-Chancellor Professor Medwin Hughes, DL, and UWTSD Council Chair, The Venerable Randolph Thomas. The event also marked the launch of the Construction Skills and Innovation Roadmap for Wales. The roadmap has been produced to highlight the need for an integrated strategy for workforce development over the next decade for the sector.
CWIC, through its pan-Wales Hub and Spoke delivery model is ideally placed to oversee the delivery of this strategy in conjunction with the CITB and UWTSD.
The latest CITB Construction Skills Network research predicts the Welsh Construction industry is set to grow quicker than any other part of the UK – with over 12,000 new roles set to be created in the industry by 2022. The new centre will help meet the skills needs for future projects including the South Wales Metro, Wylfa Newydd and major construction activity that will follow, regional, city and growth deals across Wales. Last month two new Higher Apprenticeship programmes in Construction Management and Quantity Surveying were launched to meet construction growth in Wales.
The University is working directly with industry partners and in collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), The Construction Wales Innovation Centre (CWIC) and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) to deliver these programmes at The Faculty of Architecture, Computing and Engineering from October 2018. Professor Medwin Hughes, DL, Vice-Chancellor of UWTSD, said: "Co-locating and collaborating with industry partners are key to the University's vision for SA1 Swansea Waterfront. Together, we are transforming the delivery of education to create a pipeline of employment-ready graduates across a range of disciplines and sectors. The development of the Construction Wales Innovation Centre, in partnership the CITB, BRE and FE partners, is an example of how we are exploiting of collective expertise and the latest technological advances in order to support the burgeoning construction industry throughout Wales. Similarly, our partnership with the Welsh Government and the City and Council of Swansea on the development of the SA1 Swansea Waterfront has enabled UWTSD to develop purpose-built facilities at the heart of the city connecting education, innovation, business and industry to make a positive economic contribution to the Swansea Bay City region and further afield."
Mark Bodger, Partnerships Director CITB Wales, said: "I am delighted that CWIC has officially opened its new state of the art facilities where thousands of learners will get cutting-edge training that meets the needs of our changing industry. CWIC reaffirms CITB's commitment to the construction industry in Wales and shows what can be achieved by working in collaboration with employers, education providers and Welsh Government. "CWIC has already made a huge impact on the sector in Wales through its partners across the nation, and the SA1 hub will help the industry to deliver and expand on its ambitions." Jane Davidson, Pro Vice Chancellor at University of Wales Trinity Saint David, said: "The UWTSD Group has a strong tradition in offering skills solutions for the construction industry at all levels. It is now particularly pleasing to be collaborating with CITB on delivering a much wider national vision for Wales. The launch of the CITB funded CWIC is a significant initiative on this journey and will be a major catalyst for delivering the Welsh Government's Employability Plan for Wales."


text:
How To Clean Up the Common Core Mess in Massachusetts
By Sandra Stotsky | August 12, 2020, 14:44 EDT
Printed from: https://newbostonpost.com/2020/08/12/how-to-clean-up-the-common-core-mess-in-massachusetts/
With the onset of Common Core, Massachusetts's education standards for public schools have declined. How can the state regain lost ground?
It's actually not that hard. Solid standards already exist. What's needed is the will to implement them.
Massachusetts can again develop effective non-Common Core standards for mathematics and English/reading if the state legislature requires either a return to the state's pre-Common Core standards in English language arts/reading, science, or mathematics, or the development of K-12 standards in mathematics and in English/reading with the following features and guiding policies.
In mathematics:
1. Standards for all basic arithmetical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, short and long division) and standard algorithms should be taught at the same grade levels as in Singapore Math's original series for the elementary grades. The four operations should be learned with all the real numbers, positive and negative, and fractional forms like common fractions, decimals, and percents.
How do we know Singapore Mathematics works? Three Massachusetts public elementary schools in the North Middlesex Regional School District (which serves Ashby, Pepperell, and Townsend, all along the New Hampshire border) began teaching it in 2000. The results were encouraging, as articles here, here, here, and here show.
2. Standards that enable all children in public elementary schools to be prepared via their mathematics curriculum to enroll in and complete a traditional Algebra I course in grade 7 or 8 before going on to advanced science and math in high school. Before 2010, about half of all grade 8 Massachusetts students had completed a traditional Algebra I course before entering grade 9. It sets them up for success in science, which depends on math.
3. Standards/lessons from Dolciani-authored or co-authored mathematics textbooks in grade 8 and above, where possible. Mary P. Dolciani and the publisher Houghton Mifflin were known as the "king and queen" of secondary mathematics texbooks — from the 1960s to the 1990s. Dolciani died in 1985. Many, perhaps most, secondary algebra teachers in this country were trained on Dolciani-authored textbooks and continue to value them for their structure and method.
As one teacher commented: "The books were literate in their context, never watered down, but not so abstract that a high school student couldn't read and follow. What makes this book so unique is the fact that mathematical induction is introduced in Chapter 3 and is carried throughout the book. Normally mathematical induction is included at the end of a precalculus text and is never covered. No other precalculus book prior or since has used this approach. Mathematical induction is a proof-driven treatment for the topics which follow. It makes the students think in a logical manner and enables them, by proof, to understand the full argument of why certain 'things happen' in math as they do."
4. Standards for Euclidean geometry (with proofs) addressed in separate units in grades 6, 7, and/or 8 (as in Singapore Math), along with standards for separate algebra units, or in a full course in grade 9.
5. Standards that enable high-achieving math students to enroll in and complete a traditional Algebra II course in grade 10 or 11 and to study trigonometry or a pre-calculus course in grade 11 or 12.
In English/reading:
1. In the primary grades, explicit reading instruction with systematic phonics/phonemic awareness. Usage/grammar/roots and prefixes/suffixes, as well as sentence structure and spelling (in other words, writing mechanics) should also be taught.
2. Standards in grades 3-8 that require about half of what all elementary students read in whole-class history or language arts lessons to come from the excellent series of informational books on historical people and events in U.S. and world history published in the 1950s and 1960s by Random House Publishers. See this link.
3. Standards in grades 9-12 that require all high school students to become familiar with historically and culturally significant whole works from the following ten Literary Periods: Classical (1200 BCE–455 CE); Medieval (455 CE–1485 CE); Renaissance (1300–1660): Restoration and 18th Century (1660–1790); Colonial and Early National (1600–1830): Romantic (1790–1870): Realism and Naturalism (1870–1910); Modernist (1910–1945); Post World War II (1945–1980); and Contemporary (1980-2020). ("BCE" here refers to "Before Common Era," often rendered "B.C." elsewhere; "CE" here refers to "Common Era," often rendered "A.D." elsewhere.) Most of these Literary Periods are spelled out in an appendix in the latest version of Florida's English language arts standards (page 165), together with the names of authors whose works illustrate their features and a list of the features themselves.
4. Standards for a coherent literature/reading curriculum for K-12 that address, as did the Massachusetts pre-Common Core English language arts/reading standards, all four major types of literature: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and dramatic literature. See the appendices in the latest version of Florida's English language arts standards for lists of recommended titles and authors, from K to grade 12, for poetry, fiction, and dramatic literature.
5. Reading lists showing titles or authors of well-known informational texts in these literary periods that serve as historical context for the literary works selected by the English teacher for classroom instruction. Appendix A and Appendix B in the 2013 version of the Massachusetts English Language Arts Curriculum Framework (which is a condensed version of the 2001/4 English Language Arts Curriculum Framework, composed by Sandra Stotsky) contain lists of recommended authors for K-8 informational reading (vetted by The Horn Book editors and listed under "essays" or "nonfiction" or "historical documents"), as well as recommended authors for 9-12 (vetted by a diverse group of literary scholars).
6. Reading passages for test items for each tested grade that come from works by authors in these literary periods. As a committee of Massachusetts secondary school English teachers recommended after the first edition of its English standards in 1997, about 60 percent of the passages should be literary, and 40 percent non-literary. Passages from well-known speeches or biographies may be literary or non-literary. (Again, for lists, see the appendices of the recent Florida English Language Arts standards.)
For teacher licensure or certification in Massachusetts:
1. All elementary, early childhood, and special education teachers (grades K-6) should continue to be required to pass the Reading Licensure Test (MTEL 90) developed in Massachusetts in 2001/2 (or its equivalent). This licensure test helped all teachers of young children to teach beginning reading so effectively that Massachusetts students on average earned first place on National Association of Educational Progress tests in grade 4 and grade 8 in reading and in mathematics from 2005 on. (Reading is crucial in mathematics because of word problems.) Massachusetts students still have the highest state averages in the country, probably because many teachers use the methods they learn to pass the test.
For a description of the Reading Licensure Test's development, see here.
2. All prospective elementary, early childhood, and special education teachers should be required to take and pass the Bay State's elementary mathematics licensure test (MTEL 53). The skills the test forces teachers to learn helped Massachusetts students earn first place on National Association of Educational Progress tests from 2009 on. This test has a relatively low pass rate overall.
3. All cut-off scores for performance levels on all student or teacher tests should be set by Massachusetts parents, grade 11 or 12 teachers, and state legislators — instead of using the cut-off scores the state is given from outside the state and/or from the United States Department of Education.
4. The state's board of higher education and governor need to require the mathematics, science, and English teaching faculty at each public college or university in the state to analyze the state's current high school standards for grades 9-12, and issue a signed public report containing their analysis.
5. The governor and state secretary of education need to ask the math and English teaching faculty at each public college in the state to recommend in writing what standards should be added or changed to make sure that Massachusetts high school students are prepared for freshman and sophomore credit-bearing courses at that college if they plan to attend college in Massachusetts.
Stopping the Nonsense, and Strengthening Public Education
The chief purpose of a standards revision committee would be to strengthen public education in Massachusetts in order to remedy recent federal and state policies designed for low achievers. All students once learned that, regardless of academic achievement, they were politically equal to each other in our civic culture, with a shared civic identity. Yet, policy makers and philanthropists have led low achievers to believe they haven't succeeded in school because of bigoted educators and communities.
As my last four books try to make clear, all parents and educators must revive the civic mission of their own public schools, and actively help to restore educated citizenship as the goal of K-12 public education. They will also have to help the state legislature to nullify the four-year state "plan" in education that was submitted to the U.S. Department of Education in 2016 for approval under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act without state legislative approval.
Academic standards in public schools aren't hopeless, but they need help. It starts with the will to do something about them.
Sandra Stotsky, former senior associate commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, is professor of education emerita at the University of Arkansas. Portions of this article appeared in an earlier article at IdahoFreedom.org. Read other articles by Ms. Stotsky published by New Boston Post here.


The fifth-generation Civic Type R (CTR), codenamed FK8, is the latest in an illustrious line of hot Hondas worshipped by hot-headed boyracers in Singapore.
The previous FK2 CTR, also a turbocharged 2-litre Euro hot hatch made in Britain, was only available as a grey import, with around 30 units believed to have been registered here.
The most common CTR in Singapore is the FD2, one of the best-selling JDM (Japan domestic model) performance cars of all time in the parallel-import business. On sale from 2007 till 2010, the FD2 CTR sports saloon found about 800 buyers in total (guesstimate).
The official CTR marketed by Kah Motor during the same time period was the FN2, a 201bhp 2-litre three-door hatchback available in three colours. Around 180 FN2 CTRs were sold, with legit warranty and proper aftersales support.
The second-generation CTR, the EP3 from 2001-2006, was a rare grey-import Honda, with fewer than 10 units (guesstimate) finding homes on our island.
Even rarer, and also racier and more remarkable, was the EK9 CTR from 1997-2000. It was facelifted in 1999, first hit the streets of Singapore that year and was followed by another four units. One was in Starlight Black and the rest were in Championship White, the signature colour of Honda Type Rs.
I bought one of the white EK9s, second-hand in 2001. Happily, I became a true-beng driver, whose Type R ah bengness ended in 2004 when I sold the hot Honda hatchback (and sobbed).