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org.drip.state.identifier

Class EquityLabel

java.lang.Object

org.drip.state.identifier.EquityLabel

All Implemented Interfaces:

LatentStateLabel

public class EquityLabel
extends java.lang.Object
implements LatentStateLabel

EquityLabel contains the Identifier Parameters referencing the Latent State of the named Equity Curve.
  Currently it only contains the Reference Entity Name.

Author:

Lakshmi Krishnamurthy

Method Summary

All Methods Static Methods Instance Methods Concrete Methods

Modifier and Type
Method and Description

java.lang.String
fullyQualifiedName()

Retrieve the Fully Qualified Name

boolean
match(LatentStateLabel lslOther)

Indicate whether this Label matches the supplied.

static EquityLabel
Standard(java.lang.String strReferenceEntity)

Make a Standard Equity Label from the Reference Entity Name

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

equals, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Method Detail

Standard

public static final EquityLabel Standard(java.lang.String strReferenceEntity)

Make a Standard Equity Label from the Reference Entity Name

Parameters:

strReferenceEntity - The Reference Entity Name

Returns:

The Equity Label

fullyQualifiedName

public java.lang.String fullyQualifiedName()

Description copied from interface: LatentStateLabel

Retrieve the Fully Qualified Name

Specified by:

fullyQualifiedName in interface LatentStateLabel

Returns:

The Fully Qualified Name

match

public boolean match(LatentStateLabel lslOther)

Description copied from interface: LatentStateLabel

Indicate whether this Label matches the supplied.

Specified by:

match in interface LatentStateLabel

Parameters:

lslOther - The Supplied Label

Returns:

TRUE - The Supplied Label matches this.

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text:
Google's Cloud TPU Matches Volta in Machine Learning at Much Lower Prices
Over the past few years, Nvidia has established itself as a major leader in machine learning and artificial intelligence processing. The GPU designer dove into the HPC market over a decade ago when it launched the G80 and its parallel compute platform API, CUDA. Early leadership has paid off for Nvidia; the company holds 87 spots on the TOP500 list of supercomputers, compared with just 10 for Intel. But as machine learning and artificial intelligence workloads proliferate, vendors are emerging to give Nvidia a run for its money, including Google's new Cloud TPU. New benchmarks from RiseML put both Nvidia and Google's TPU head-to-head — and the cost curve strongly favors Google.
Because ML and AI are both new and emerging fields, it's important that tests be conducted fairly and that the benchmark runs don't favor one architecture over the other simply because best testing parameters aren't well-known. To that end, RiseML allowed both Nvidia and Google engineers to review drafts of their test results and to offer comments and suggestions. The company also states its figures have been reviewed by an additional panel of outside experts in the field.
The comparison is between four Google TPUv2 chips (which form one Cloud TPU) against 4x Nvidia Volta GPUs. Both have 64GB of total RAM and the data sets were trained in the same fashion. RiseML tested the ResNet-50 model (exact configuration details are available in the blog post) and the team investigated both raw performance (throughput), accuracy, and convergence (an algorithm converges when its output comes closer and closer to a specific value).
The suggested batch size for TPUs is 1024, but other batch sizes were tested at reader request. Nvidia does perform better at those lower batch sizes. In accuracy and convergence, the TPU solution is somewhat better (76.4 percent top-1 accuracy for Cloud TPU, compared with 75.7 percent for Volta). Improvements to top-end accuracy are difficult to come by, and the RiseML team makes the small difference between the two solutions out to be more important than you might think. But where Google's Cloud TPU really wins, at least right now, is on pricing.
RiseML writes:
Ultimately, what matters is the time and cost it takes to reach a certain accuracy. If we assume an acceptable solution at 75.7 percent (the best accuracy achieved by the GPU implementation), we can calculate the cost to achieve this accuracy based on required epochs and training speed in images per second. This excludes time to evaluate the model in-between epochs and training startup time.
As shown above, the current pricing of the Cloud TPU allows to train a model to 75.7 percent on ImageNet from scratch for $55 in less than 9 hours! Training to convergence at 76.4 percent costs $73. While the V100s perform similarly fast, the higher price and slower convergence of the implementation results in a considerably higher cost-to-solution.
Google may be subsidizing its cloud processor pricing, and the exact performance characteristics of ML chips will vary depending on implementation and programmer skill. This is far from the final word on Volta's performance, or even Volta as compared with Google's Cloud TPU. But at least for now, in ResNet-50, Google's cloud TPU appears to offer nearly identical performance at substantially lower prices.
Western Digital's My Cloud Storage Devices Have Hard-Coded Backdoor
Western Digital's My Cloud network attached storage (NAS) devices claim to offer an easy, all-in-one solution for storing your data at home. However, they might also be providing an easy, all-in-one solution for hackers to steal your data take control of your device.
Google Details Spectre and Meltdown Fixes for Its Cloud Services
It wasn't easy, but Google rolled out patches to its services, and you didn't even notice.
Intel Disclosed Spectre, Meltdown to Chinese Companies Before US Government
Intel's Spectre and Meltdown notification process and the rollout of fixes have been pretty rocky. The company is now under fire for notifying its Chinese customers of the flaws before the US government.
Behind Harman's Bid to Remake the Car, With Samsung's Clout
Samsung-Harman alliance wants to provide infotainment, self-driving tools, and lots more displays.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This year, Queen, one of the most iconic bands in music history, are getting their own feature film, Bohemian Rhapsody, with a focus on the legendary front man, the one and only Freddie Mercury.
While we're eagerly awaiting the arrival of Bohemian Rhapsody this October, the film has had a rough journey getting to the big screen. Of course it's going to be worth it, with the film exploring everything from how the band came to be, to the creation of one of the biggest songs in pop culture and Mercury's friendship with Mary Austin.
Sacha Baron Cohen (Ali G Indahouse, Borat, Grimsby) was initially set to portray Mercury, a role about which he was passionate. Oscar nominee Peter Morgan (The Crown, The Queen, Frost Nixon, The Damned United) was enlisted to write the screenplay, promising to bring his characteristic blend of authenticity and insight.
Nevertheless, Queen expressed concern that they did not want the film to hurt Mercury's legacy. Fast forward a few years to 2013, and Cohen left the production of the Queen biopic. Supposedly, he wanted the film to focus deeper on Mercury's life, something with which guitarist Brian May was uncomfortable. May revealed that they left on good terms, however.
Ben Whishaw (Paddington, Skyfall and this year Mary Poppins Returns) signed on as Cohen's replacement around the same time that Dexter Fletcher (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Layer Cake) was confirmed to be directing. The news was received warmly, owing to Fletcher's critically acclaimed directorial features Wild Bill, Sunshine on Leith and Eddie the Eagle. It finally looked like the film was going ahead.
Early in 2014, Fletcher left the film, four years after it was first announced. Again, this was over creative differences. Whishaw also commented during this time that there were scripting issues delaying the production. Eventually, Whishaw left too, while rumours circulated that Cohen was back to portray Freddie Mercury.
A new screenwriter was brought on, Anthony McCarten (The Theory of Everything, Darkest Hour), and shortly after the film received the working title of Bohemian Rhapsody, which eventually stuck. Fletcher's replacement was Bryan Singer, famous for directing The Usual Suspects, Superman Returns and numerous films in the X-Men franchise.
Bohemian Rhapsody was still missing its Freddie Mercury though, and you can't have a film about Queen without him. In 2016, Rami Malek (Mr. Robot, Night at the Museum) was cast, and it's been almost smooth sailing since then.
Malek watched all the footage he could of Mercury and read up on the legend, determined to get the part right, which is already convincing from the looks of the trailer. He sought to get under the skin of the late singer, one possessed of unforgettable stage presence, who tragically passed away from complications from AIDS in 1991.
Gemma Arterton was announced to portray a very important woman in Mercury's life, Mary Austin, but the role eventually went to Lucy Boynton (Sing Street, Murder on the Orient Express). The remaining Queen band members are played by Ben Hardy (Eastenders, X-Men: Apocalypse), playing Roger Taylor, Gwilym Lee (Jamestown, Midsomer Murders) as Brian May and Joseph Mazzello (Jurassic Park, The Pacific) as John Deacon.
Further casting additions include Mike Myers (Austin Powers) as EMI records executive Ray Foster, Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones) as Queen manager John Reid and Tom Hollander as Jim Beach, Queen's other manager.
There was one last major blip in Bohemian Rhapsody's production. In December last year, Singer was fired with only two weeks left to film. Rumours indicate that Singer was falling out with the cast and turning up late to the set. Regardless, Dexter Fletcher returned as director to complete the film. However due to rules by Directors Guild of America, Singer will receive the directing credit, not Fletcher.
However, in the indomitable spirit of Mercury himself, the film overcame all the troubles to rock on. It's hard to believe that we will finally be able to see the story of how one of the most famous bands in the world came to be, and how they put their stamp on music history.
Click here to book your tickets for Bohemian Rhapsody, released in Cineworld on 24th October. Tweet us @Cineworld if you think the movie will rock you.


"The BDH field office managers have been excellent communicators, and they have first-class, on-staff trim carpenters that turn out a beautiful product. We would recommend BDH Constructions and their staff as conscientious, attentive, and professional."
"Architects expectations are usually too high to be exceeded but on each of the projects I have completed with BDH they have done just that. I have found BDH to be team players, highly professional and equally concerned about delivering value, quality and a product that will further enhance their reputation."
"From the day we commenced construction at "Vue" we found BDH to be one of the most professional and ethical builders we have dealt with. Critically, they share our commitment to quality and customer service. We look forward to working with them again on our next project."
"From the ground breaking to the handover, I find BDH Constructions to be an effective, professional organisation which delivers on its promises. Everyone associated with BDH is responsive and accessible to our staff and design professionals... I would recommend BDH Constructions for any residential, commercial, industrial or public construction project."
"The team of tradesmen at BDH Constructions Pty Ltd were extremely professional throughout the entire building process, whereby the project owner was constantly reassured of all expectations being met and often exceeded."


Well today was a bit of a shocker.
I have heard that this sort of thing creates a number of emotional conditions that start with anger and progress through who knows what. In my case we'll see. I founded the company in question and defined most of it's products. I contributed to securing most, if not all, of the foundation customer accounts by working out the technical road blocks and in some cases even building custom software.
This is the first time in 33 years that other tech companies have had a shot at making me an offer. I don't expect to be on the market for long so….


I don't know about you but I have a bucket list. I was inspired by the movie 'The Bucket List' starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicolson. The movie plot follows two terminally ill men (Freeman and Nicolson) who come together by chance, become unlikely friends and then decide to go on a road trip. They write down their 'wish list' of things to do before they "kick the bucket" – hence the name – The Bucket List. The destinations they visit include watching the pyramids in Egypt, visiting the Taj Mahal in India, speedway driving in California, lion safari in Tanzania, motorcycling along the Great Wall of China and climbing on Mt Everest. Of course Nicolson is very rich and can afford to travel all around the world to tick off their bucket list items.
For the rest of us we have to take a more leisurely pace. Whether you get a map of the world and pin those cute little flags into the desired destination, make a list and put it on the fridge or cut out glossy brochure images of where you would like to go, it is all about visualising being at the destination of your dreams. For others it may be a more sentimental journey, reconnecting with family and friends or visiting a place that holds importance in your memory.
Once you have your list it is then a matter of prioritising your destinations, maybe grouping them into a logical order to travel in and then finding out how much it is going to cost you. On my bucket list I had dancing salsa in Cuba, swimming in the Caribbean sea and a late addition of taking my grandson to Disneyland. So with Cuba and the Caribbean firmly in mind I set about working out the logistics.
Depending on your destination the modes of transport may well be limited. Travelling within NZ you have car, air, train or boat as options. Destinations outside NZ you first need to take a flight or board a ship. Not a lot of choice there.
Part of travelling is the fun of using other modes of transport that you may not have considered like trains, cruising, motor biking, or even horse back.
Some destinations are limited by the air carrier and where they fly to. Some need a combination of flights on differing airlines. With travelling to Cuba it meant either flying to Canada and then directly to Havana or going via Mexico. The USA was just thawing it's relations with Cuba but had not yet allowed flights to Cuba directly from the US. So we flew from Christchurch, Auckland, San Francisco (with a stop over), Mexico City, and then onto Havana Cuba.
If you are not in a hurry or don't have to worry about returning to work before your leave runs out, you have the option of using local transport to get from A to B. This lets you experience the country side and the people on a whole other level. We decided to circumnavigate Cuba. Their are options to take motorbike trips, ride the old American cars plus a few other of the usual bus options. We opted for a cruise. We took a cruise boat from Havana and stopped at several stops around Cuba as well as Montego Bay Jamaica. It was simply amazing!
The great thing about cruising is that you get on board unpack your bags and you don't have to do anything until you reach your final port of call. Yet you travel from destination to destination along the way. I find cruising relaxing and it is like having all your housework and cooking done everyday while you enjoy the wonders of the world.
You can choose to take shore excursions and explore each stop as much or as little as you like. On-board there is an abundance of food options along with fantastic entertainment, on-board shopping as well as space to just soak up the sun while the ship gently moves through the sea.
Don't be lured into selecting a destination because there is a 'really cheap airfare and hotel package' going. Often they can be cheap as it is the low season and the weather is not as desirable. It is no fun being stuck in the Pacific Islands from December to March during the monsoon season. While November to April is the official hurricane season with global warming it has meant weather forecasts are less predictable than the past. Just look at our mild winter this year. I use the weather underground website to research my desired destination and the weather history for that location over the period of my intended travel. While the weather is what it is, if you want a beach holiday in the warmth then make sure that the cheap airfare advertised doesn't have a high probability of lightning storms, hurricanes, sand storms, snow storms, typhoons or it is the middle of tornado season. Why tempt fate? Unless of course your bucket list includes the ability to chase tornadoes through central Texas.
Have you experienced any amazing weather events during your travels? If so share them in the comment area. We would love to hear about your adventure.
Cheryl Tóvizi is the Digital Strategist for Eldernet. An experienced IT person with a strong desire to help make useful information easy to find. She is also a grandmother raising her grandchild. A lively 8 year old who helps keep her connected to the wonders of the world through the eyes of a child.
Previous Why work beyond 65?


Weight loss can be hard. Many people are frustrated with diets that seem to only produce short-term, if any, success. The NuLean® Weight Loss program helps you make healthier choices so you can not only lose stubborn weight, but maintain a healthy weight for the rest of your life.
According to recent studies, 70% of Americans are overweight and 51% of all Americans want to lose weight. Being overweight is not just a cosmetic or body image issue, it is also a real life-and-death issue. Being overweight significantly increases our chance of developing cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, chronic pain, and a whole host of other health conditions.
I know from personal experience the stressful battle of being overweight and how challenging it can be to overcome. At times in my life I have been 50 to 60 pounds overweight. I have struggled with high blood pressure, with finding weight loss solutions on my own and ultimately with not being a good role model to my patients as a healthcare practitioner. I felt a nagging disappointment that I was not living up to the model of health I should for my patients. That's the bad news of this story.
The good news is through trial and error, intense study, and years of research I have learned the approach that has worked for me and I truly believe will work for the vast majority of people who want to safely and effectively lose weight. I am down from my worst weight of 251 pounds and am currently at 212 pounds. My ideal weight is somewhere between 194 and 200 pounds and I will likely be there in the near future.
In our clinic we utilize a weight-loss system called NuLean®. I use this system for several reasons. First, it is one of the best and safest ways to lose weight I have encountered. I was able to lose over 20 pounds in 8 weeks at one stretch. Additionally, I like the fact that it is backed up by a published scientific study in which the average person lost 7.5 pounds in the first week. I personally lost 6 pounds the first week and 6.5 pounds the second week. The average person can expect to safely and consistently lose somewhere between 10 and 20 pounds per month.
Furthermore, I like that all the ingredients used in the NuLean® program products are clean (chemical- and toxin-free) and natural. I have yet to find another diet program on the market with products that don't contain artificial coloring or sweeteners, preservatives, synthetic and cheap vitamins, potentially harmful stimulants, food products loaded with trans fats, or other products that are counter-productive to your health goals. I know weight loss can be achieved with other systems, but NuLean® is different. NuLean® will not only help you lose weight, but will actually cleanse your body of toxins. No other weight loss product can do that.
If you are truly interested in weight loss, print the NuLean Weight Loss Questionnaire and return it to our office. Review the brochure and price comparative analysis. Visit www.NuLean.com, and educate yourself. Be sure to check out the How It Works, Products, Testimonials, Clinical Study, and Ingredients tabs. Watch the testimonial videos on the NuLean® home page. Once the questionnaire is returned to our office, a free 15-minute consultation will be set up to meet with me. If we decide together you are a good candidate for our program, we will schedule an appointment with our nurse, Heidi McCone, R.N. She will be your health coach throughout your NuLean® experience.
Change is often the biggest obstacle to long-term success. But, if you make the necessary lifestyle changes we recommend, you can experience huge success. You may need to change the types of food you eat, how you grocery shop and plan meals, and how often you exercise. You will need to keep your appointments, invest some money in your health, and stick to your assignments. If you are ready to take this positive step to improve your health, we are ready to help you succeed.


HONG KONG (Reuters Breakingviews) - Giant lenders like the $290 billion Industrial and Commercial Bank of China are ramping up loans to small businesses at the behest of Beijing. That will check their bias towards large state-owned enterprises. But it ignores perverse incentives at work within the banks and it is a misguided way to stimulate private investment.
HONG KONG (Reuters Breakingviews) - Weijian Shan spent his youth labouring in the Gobi Desert. Now he runs $30 bln at PAG, after stints at TPG and the World Bank. One of the first Chinese to study in America after the Cultural Revolution, Shan discusses trade tensions, and the economic risk of historical amnesia.
HONG KONG (Reuters Breakingviews) - Chinese financial xenophobia has thrown a wrench in MSCI's plans to offer up smaller local companies. Days after expanding the weight of mainland shares in its benchmarks, the index provider had to drop a popular tech stock thanks to policies capping foreign shareholdings. If happens too often, its indexes will be less representative of demand, and economic reality.
HONG KONG (Reuters Breakingviews) - Mizuho's harsh medicine gives investors a taste of Japanese banking ills. The country's second-biggest lender by assets took a $6 billion hit and slashed its annual profit forecast on Wednesday by 86 percent. Losses on dozy rural branches and duff offshore trades are symptomatic of ultra-loose monetary policy. New rules to ease consolidation should at least offer some relief.
HONG KONG (Reuters Breakingviews) - U.S. President Donald Trump's hard line on Beijing is softening by the minute. He has tweeted that he will delay hiking tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods, citing "substantial progress" on trade talks. He's easing up on telecoms giant Huawei too. Stock market wobbles have pushed the president toward a quick-and-dirty settlement that will empower Chinese conservatives.
HONG KONG (Reuters Breakingviews) - China bears and bulls can pick their data in the Year of the Pig. Stock markets are charging; bonds defaulting. Lunar New Year holiday spending was weak, but January exports boomed. State-owned companies and contradictory industrial and monetary policies are muddying traditional performance measures. They betray an economy going in two directions at once.
HONG KONG (Reuters Breakingviews) - Xinjiang is becoming an extreme example of the economic woes ailing China's poorest provinces. Beijing says it is de-radicalising the Uighur population in the far-western region with vocational training camps. Mass detentions, however, are not helping businesses or jobs, and investment has tanked. It's the bleeding edge of a damaging capital retreat from the country's hinterland which has already pushed at least 23 regions to slash 2019 targets: hardly a recipe for revival.
HONG KONG (Reuters Breakingviews) - China's next phase of stimulus depends on the tax man. Industrial bellwether Caterpillar warned this week of cooler mainland demand for its diggers and trucks - a reminder that Beijing will not be building its way out of economic trouble. Monetary policy has remained cautious too. That leaves efforts to reduce the fiscal burden as the best way to get companies spending again.
HONG KONG (Reuters Breakingviews) - Trade with China gets the attention these days, but shrinking business investments into and out of the country present a longer-term concern. Inbound funds from overseas grew less than 1 percent in yuan terms last year, to $131 billion. Flows to North America and Europe tanked. Weaker demand is a problem, but deepening suspicions are as much to blame.
HONG KONG (Reuters Breakingviews) - Can Sino-American trade disputes be settled on the mat? Don't expect Xi Jinping and Donald Trump to don tights for a Presidential SmackDown. But don't be surprised to see Tencent, China's $370 billion technology champion, tag up with World Wrestling Entertainment to bring more American professional brawlers like Triple H and The Undertaker to the People's Republic, and build a Chinese league.


The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art, and Antique Show returns to the Palm Beach County Convention Center February 13-19. This year, it will boast more than a billion dollars' worth of items from 170-plus international exhibitors. It will also include a contemporary Focus section featuring new and modern art, objects, and design.
Enjoy a free concert featuring the Latin and Salsa rhythms of La Herencia Latina Orchestra and art demonstrations at the Plaza del Mar Pergola located at 250 S Ocean Blvd, Manalapan, FL 33462.
The Breakers Palm Beach, 1 S. County Rd.


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Turkey upset world champion France with a 2-0 home win
Turkey, with a rocky and effective football, left in evidence this Saturday the current world champion, France, which, with all its stars, offered one of its worst versions and was surpassed.
The French team was erratic in attack and defense. He barely threatened the local team, whose enthusiasm grew as he contemplated the possibility of triumph closer. One of the worst unemployed was Antoine Griezmann, still a striker for Atlético de Madrid. The other 'Les Bleus' mattress player, Thomas Lemar, did not even have minutes.
We already say that, in general terms, the criticism of the Deschamps team was fierce, but it has focused especially on the attack. 'L'Equipe' has not had any regard. "There were no shots to the goal in 90 minutes. 'Les Bleus' were completely harmless against Turkey. The logical consequence of individual failures on the front of the tricolor attack, "the newspaper said.
Ten years ago the French attack did not end a game without a single shot on goal. The last time had been against Spain, in 2012, in the 0-2 of the European Championship.
The newspaper 'Le Parisien', gave just a three out of ten to the Atlético de Madrid striker. "His permutations with Mbappé in the first half did not bother anyone in the Turkish camp. In the vanguard, he barely had half a chance. Outside his area, he was drowned by the fighting spirit of the Turks. "
In the case of Mbappé, for example, he lost 22 balls in the time he was on the pitch. "We tried to talk a little about the game in the dressing room. We hardly had opportunities. We did not shoot at goal, there were no shots on goal. We miss more tactical work and we were not well, "said Griezmann at the end of the clash.


New for 2013, the Jaquet Droz Grande Heure GMT watch.
I am already familiar with and smitten by the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde, which with its classic interlocking layout of sub-dials provides an uncluttered panorama. But this Grande Heure GMT model presents a new plainness - only that which is necessary remains, resulting in a dial which although reduced to only its essential elements is both functional and exquisite.
The piece has just two hands, rose gold for local time and blued for indicating the second time zone. These encircle a Grand Feu enamel dial of the utmost quality, marking the hours whose diminutive Arabic numeras have been painstakingly painted around the dial edge.
A traditional Grand Feu enamel dial is created using fine glass powders, which are laid onto metal before being oven-fired. The extreme heat melts the ultra-fine powders. The result, when successful is loupe-worthy perfection of the utmost purity and the craftsmen and women at Jaquet Droz are experts in the art of enamel dial-making, producing showcase dials which are quite rightly featured throughout their portfolio.
Inside is the Jaquet Droz in-house automatic calibre 5N50.4 featuring a 22kt gold rotor which produces a power reserve of 68 hours.
The Jaquet Droz Grande Heure GMT is presented in a 43mm 18kt rose gold case, more details at the brand's official website here.
Although They Never Actually Went Away... Tutima Are Back.


The 60 kilometer long Zhi'na Railway between Zhijin and Nayong has 4 beam bridges over 100 meters high. Kalahe is the easiest bridge to see being located at the eastern edge of Nayong city at kilometer 50. Similar in height and located just to the north is the nearby Galahe road bridge that opened 3 years earlier in 2013.
The 391 meter long Kalahe Railway Bridge has a span configuration of 24+32+ 68+128+68 +32+24 meters. The 36 kilometer section of the line located entirely within Nayong County has 23 bridges and 16 tunnels making up 49% or 18 kilometers of the total length.
Kalahe Railway Bridge satellite image.
Kalahe Railway Bridge location map on the Zhi'na Railway.


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Through glass: 1960s norwich – part 4, streets
Through glass | 8 comments
Difficult to subdivide these really, so the obvious one was to produce a post of 1960s Norwich street scenes or buildings which were shot. Some things are instantly recognisable, others less so. some things just haven't changed much beyond a coat of paint, others are lost below concrete, brick or tarmac.
1960s Norwich part 4
Briton's Arms
Britons Arms or Goddes House (and the King's Arms) is a very old building believed to date from the mid 14th century. Its proximity to St Peter Hungate hints at previous uses that possibly relate to the church it has had numerous uses including from 1760 to 1941 as a pub and more recently as quite a famous cafe and has been used along with the environs in a fair few films because of the medieval appearance of the street.
Tombland
A changed corner between Tombland (nothing to do with tombs it's a Viking marketplace) and Upper Kings Street, Norwich. The building that you can see there now is rather different although part of this still exists minus the corner. Curiously if you look near the corner now you can still see the boot scraper which would have been next to the front door is still embedded in the wall although the door has long since gone. What is here now is next to All Bar One, and includes a rather strange lump of concrete which is so out of tune with the surroundings it's like an alien spaceship has smacked into it. Love a bit of concrete me, just maybe not here, 1960s Norwich in this case being far preferable.
Pykerel's House or the Rosemary Tavern, St Mary's Plain.
Pykerel's House or Pilgrim's House or The Rosemary Tavern, St Mary's Plain. A 15th Century Great Hall. It has variously been a merchant's house, A mayor's house, a pub and then a residence again, 500 years old-ish. In 1942 an incendiary found it's way down two to three thousand feet and sets fire to the thatched roof but it survived and is still there, near the edge of the Moss Pool.
Magdalen Street – Stump Cross
The first two buildings on the right of the photo still exist they sit next to the church of St Saviour, Norwich, the building next to it have gone, now a flyover roughly four buildings wide.
The Grosvenor Rooms
Variously a cinema and a venue, famously the Beatles played here. In this photo the band on the billing is the Clearways who toured in the summer of 1963, which would place this photo to then.
Dale's Discount Stores.
I believe this is Ber Street, Norwich, but I'm not 100% sure and the label is missing on this slide. Proves, along with Tony's Discount Warehouse in the 1980s that discount stores aren't a new idea. Tony used to sell Mayonnaise on a short date by the litre, we discovered there's only so much mayonnaise you can eat in a week, not a litre was what we discovered. See also broken biscuits and dill pickles.
Willmott's
45- 51 Prince of Wales Road. read more on Joe Mason's excellent blog here. This has gone, replaced by a curious building with a colonial style roof that looks like the architect may have been watching the Amityville horror and Blade Runner at the same time then got confused in a dream.
A much hacked about frontage with a wood frame, it's actually not much changed on Streetview.
Corner of St Stephens Street and Chapelfield Road.
Much changed in the massive widening and revamp of Stephens Street in the 1960s, most of the widening was to the other side of the road. This is where Wilko is now The framework of part of which is evidently going up in the background, you can also see the twin reveals of what I think was the original 1903 Co-op, QD, now Poundland. I'd guess the photographer would be run over if he stood here now, or he or she may be in the relative safety of the roundabout. Googlemap it here.
St Benedicts Street & St Swithins Alley
Henry Jarvis and Sons Housewares now The Norwich Charitable Trusts building. The Railings are those of Norwich Arts Centre.
Bewick House (Britannia Chambers)
Thorpe Road, a rather nice building covered in Costessey ware decoration. It's not changed much, although lime green railings seem to have gone out of fashion for some reason. Now home to Norfolk Wildlife Trust I believe. More here.
W& G Boston.
Corner of Farmers Avenue and Orford Street. It's still there although it stopped being a gentleman's outfitters in the 1970s. The Boston's were prolific and had several businesses in the area including pram shop and a pawnbrokers according to Joe Mason. Set back from the street this is I think now Example.
Bretts Household Store
St Benedicts Street, Norwich again, Now Red's Convenience Store. MkIII Cortina parked up I think which is nice.
Thanks again to Julie Chettleburgh.
Part 1 – is here
Part 2 – Norwich Pubs is here
Part 3 Norwich churches is here
Part 4 Norwich streets is here
Reg Walker	on November 25, 2016 at 5:47 pm
Lovely……just how I remember Norwich when I moved here in 1968.
bEn	on November 25, 2016 at 6:47 pm
Great pics Nick – I moved into the old post office/ bakery at the bottom of Carrow Hill about 3 years ago and have been doing the property up. It still has the original oven from the 19th C when it sold bread to workers at the Carrow site. I don't suppose you have any old photos of the property in your collection? Best wishes, Ben
Nick	on November 25, 2016 at 7:34 pm
Hi Ben, I don't think so, have you tried Picture Norfolk and Plunkett?
Rob	on February 12, 2019 at 1:23 pm
There was a Dales Discount Store at numbers 113-117 Magdalene Street in 1971-75 (and also one at 3 Back-Of-The-Inns). I can't quite read the name of the shop next door – looks like a Family Stores? A tobacconist on the other side. There is a Road Closed sign reflected in the window of the Bestway Cleaners – maybe to do with the construction of Anglia Square? Demolition? The shops look pretty empty.
Nichola	on February 25, 2020 at 6:10 pm
slide 046, Dales Discount Stores
Kelly's of 1964/65 shows 60 Magdalen Street as Moncur, tobacconist, 62,Dale's ,general stores,
64 Herbert, fruiterers
66 Nigel Alexandre, ladies' hairdressers
I think we can safely say this is of Magdalen Street although at first I thought it was St Giles Street.
JOHN JONES	on July 1, 2019 at 5:16 pm
Good colour photo's, I particularly remember Henry Jarvis in St Benedicts street like a small department store if i remember correctly, also willamotts on bottom end of Prince of wales road which i believe sold electrical goods including records
Lynne	on January 12, 2020 at 9:33 am
My family moved to Norwich in 1965 and bought a set of Christmas lights from willmotts.
dale	on August 28, 2020 at 11:05 pm


text:
Kollo (auch: Kolo) ist eine Stadtgemeinde und der Hauptort des gleichnamigen Departements Kollo in Niger.

Geographie

Lage und Gliederung

Kollo liegt am Fluss Niger. Die Gemeinde wird zur Übergangszone zwischen Sahel und Sudan gerechnet. Die Nachbargemeinden sind N'Dounga im Nordwesten, Kouré im Osten und Youri im Südwesten.

Die Gemeinde Kollo besteht aus einem urbanen und einem ländlichen Gemeindegebiet. Das urbane Gemeindegebiet ist in neun Stadtviertel gegliedert. Diese heißen Aoula Koira, Camp de Garde, Kollo Carré, Kollo Fandou, Kollo Madina, Kollo Zarma, Prison, Sahara und Sirignère. Bei den Siedlungen im ländlichen Gemeindegebiet handelt es sich um 19 Dörfer, zehn Weiler und drei Lager.

Klima
In Kollo herrscht trockenes Wüstenklima vor. Die klimatologische Messstation im Stadtzentrum liegt auf  Höhe und wurde 1931 in Betrieb genommen.

Geschichte
Kollo wurde in der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts vom Zarma-Herrscher Issa Korombé aus Karma erobert, der im Bündnis mit Dargol stand. An der Wende vom 19. zum 20. Jahrhundert kam Kollo unter französische Herrschaft, unter der der Ort bis zur Unabhängigkeit Nigers 1960 verblieb. In den 1920er Jahren galt die durch Kollo führende und 1375 Kilometer lange Piste von Niamey nach N'Guigmi als einer der Hauptverkehrswege in der damaligen französischen Kolonie Niger. Sie war in der Trockenzeit bis Guidimouni und wieder ab Maïné-Soroa von Automobilen befahrbar.

Kollo wurde 1980 zur Hauptstadt des neugeschaffenen Arrondissements Kollo, des späteren Departements gleichen Namens. Im Jahr 2002 wurde Kollo von einer Gemeinde (französisch: commune) zu einer Stadtgemeinde (commune urbaine) erhoben. Das Gemeindegebiet wurde um Teile des Kantons Kouré vergrößert, die nicht der neu gegründeten Landgemeinde Kouré zugeschlagen wurden. Bei der Flutkatastrophe in West- und Zentralafrika 2010 wurden 2412 Einwohner von Kollo als Katastrophenopfer eingestuft. Besonders stark war das Dorf Winde Korkoy betroffen.

Bevölkerung
Bei der Volkszählung 2012 hatte die Stadtgemeinde 32.829 Einwohner, die in 4253 Haushalten lebten. Bei der Volkszählung 2001 betrug die Einwohnerzahl 29.359 in 3801 Haushalten.

Im urbanen Gemeindegebiet ohne den ländlichen Siedlungen lebten bei der Volkszählung 2012 14.746 Einwohner in 1972 Haushalten, bei der Volkszählung 2001 10.533 in 1428 Haushalten und bei der Volkszählung 1988 5757 in 800 Haushalten.

In ethnischer Hinsicht ist die Gemeinde ein Siedlungsgebiet von Zarma und Fulbe.

Politik und Justiz
Der Gemeinderat (conseil municipal) hat 12 gewählte Mitglieder. Mit den Kommunalwahlen 2020 sind die Sitze im Gemeinderat wie folgt verteilt: 5 AMEN-AMIN, 4 PNDS-Tarayya, 2 MODEN-FA Lumana Africa und 1 MNSD-Nassara.

Jeweils ein traditioneller Ortsvorsteher (chef traditionnel) steht an der Spitze von 18 Dörfern im ländlichen Gemeindegebiet.

Die Stadt ist der Sitz eines Tribunal d'Instance, eines der landesweit 30 Zivilgerichte, die unterhalb der zehn Zivilgerichte der ersten Instanz (Tribunal de Grande Instance) stehen. Das Zentrum für berufliche Wiedereingliederung Kollo ist mit einer Aufnahmekapazität von 1500 Insassen das größte Gefängnis des Landes.

Wirtschaft und Infrastruktur

Wirtschaft

Die Stadt liegt in einer Zone, in der Regenfeldbau betrieben wird. In Kollo wird ein Viehmarkt abgehalten. Der Markttag ist Freitag. Das staatliche Versorgungszentrum für landwirtschaftliche Betriebsmittel und Materialien (CAIMA) unterhält eine Verkaufsstelle in der Stadt.

Gesundheit und Bildung
Im Stadtzentrum sind ein Distriktkrankenhaus und ein über ein eigenes Labor und eine Entbindungsstation verfügendes Gesundheitszentrum des Typs Centre de Santé Intégré (CSI) vorhanden. Die deutsche Hilfsorganisation humedica betreibt seit 2009 ein Krankenhaus in Kollo.

Am traditionsreichen Institut Pratique de Développement Rural de Kollo (IPDR Kollo) werden verschiedene landwirtschaftliche Studiengänge angeboten. Das Institut wurde 1933 gegründet. Allgemein bildende Schulen der Sekundarstufe sind der CEG FA Aoula Koira Kollo und der CES Kollo. Das auf einen Schwerpunkt auf die arabische zusätzlich zur französischen Sprache hinweisende Kürzel CEG FA steht dabei für Collège d'Enseignement Général Franco-Arabe und das Kürzel CES für Collège d'Enseignement Secondaire. Beim Collège d'Enseignement Technique de Kollo (CET Kollo) handelt es sich um eine technische Fachschule.

Partnerstadt
Seit 2010 besteht mit Enid in den Vereinigten Staaten eine Städtepartnerschaft.

Persönlichkeiten
 Koulba Baba (1899–1975), Erzähler, geboren im Dorf Sébéri
 Omar Hamidou Tchiana (* 1970), Politiker

Literatur

Weblinks

 Observations for location Kollo, brousse et rizières In: West African Bird DataBase (englisch).

Einzelnachweise

Ort in Niger
Tillabéri (Region)
Ort am Niger
Ort in Afrika

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


[A]rmed with her instrument and a clear vision of the need to recompose the climate change tragedy, she managed to create a movement that is growing in strength and voice."
From small ripples come waves. It also makes sense, in the context, to speak of tides turning, or sea change."
[A] record so carefully considered that making a song and dance about it all feels a little garish."
[A] cosmic wasteland of sound and feeling."
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Foon's hypnotic vocals are intoned against a backdrop of seamlessly-mixed live and electronic percussion, delayed guitars, and droning strings; the whole merges dreamily into a single horizon"
Lost Voicesis a burning lament, a hopeful swing at the void, bright moments of clarity wrenched from the impenetrable."


Avery and I made our annual visit to Macy's Holiday Display. For the first time ever we did a lot of waiting in line, starting with a wait in line to get in the elevators! When we got to the 8th floor and saw the crowd, I wanted to skip it and just do some shopping. Avery would have none of that! To her credit, she never once complained about any of the waiting. We spent over 2 hours there, mostly waiting in lines. After we got our cookie and visited the toy shop, she picked out a green party dress. We came home and spent the afternoon "yogaing" and general diddle farting around. I wish I could figure out why my Outlook mail rules have stopped working.


Good value, decent quality and prompt delivery.
A lovely shoe, my sister loved them.
Love Sole Women's Studded High Top Trainers are great shoes but size are little bigger then usual.
The Love Sole Women's Studded High Top Trainers are beautiful and lightweight shoes. My wife was very happy with them. I want to recommend them to others.
The Love Sole Women's Studded High Top Trainers are very good quality, bought it for my sister, and she is happy with it. Recommend it!


Join Alden Estates of Skokie for a special Halloween Adventure on Wednesday, October 31 from 2:00-4:00pm at the facility at 4626 Old Orchard Road in Skokie. There will be trick or treating, crafts, games, delicious food and fun for the whole family!
Children must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, please call Ashley at 847.676.4800.


text:
package vmess

import (
	"crypto/md5"
	"crypto/rand"
	"io"
	mrand "math/rand"
	"net"

	"github.com/v2ray/v2ray-core"
	v2io "github.com/v2ray/v2ray-core/io"
	vmessio "github.com/v2ray/v2ray-core/io/vmess"
	"github.com/v2ray/v2ray-core/log"
	v2net "github.com/v2ray/v2ray-core/net"
)

// VNext is the next Point server in the connection chain.
type VNextServer struct {
	Address v2net.Address // Address of VNext server
	Users   []core.User   // User accounts for accessing VNext.
}

type VMessOutboundHandler struct {
	vPoint    *core.Point
	dest      v2net.Address
	vNextList []VNextServer
}

func NewVMessOutboundHandler(vp *core.Point, vNextList []VNextServer, dest v2net.Address) *VMessOutboundHandler {
	handler := new(VMessOutboundHandler)
	handler.vPoint = vp
	handler.dest = dest
	handler.vNextList = vNextList
	return handler
}

func (handler *VMessOutboundHandler) pickVNext() (v2net.Address, core.User) {
	vNextLen := len(handler.vNextList)
	if vNextLen == 0 {
		panic("Zero vNext is configured.")
	}
	vNextIndex := mrand.Intn(vNextLen)
	vNext := handler.vNextList[vNextIndex]
	vNextUserLen := len(vNext.Users)
	if vNextUserLen == 0 {
		panic("Zero User account.")
	}
	vNextUserIndex := mrand.Intn(vNextUserLen)
	vNextUser := vNext.Users[vNextUserIndex]
	return vNext.Address, vNextUser
}

func (handler *VMessOutboundHandler) Start(ray core.OutboundRay) error {
	vNextAddress, vNextUser := handler.pickVNext()

	request := new(vmessio.VMessRequest)
	request.Version = vmessio.Version
	request.UserId = vNextUser.Id
	rand.Read(request.RequestIV[:])
	rand.Read(request.RequestKey[:])
	rand.Read(request.ResponseHeader[:])
	request.Command = byte(0x01)
	request.Address = handler.dest

	go handler.startCommunicate(request, vNextAddress, ray)
	return nil
}

func (handler *VMessOutboundHandler) startCommunicate(request *vmessio.VMessRequest, dest v2net.Address, ray core.OutboundRay) error {
	conn, err := net.Dial("tcp", dest.String())
	log.Debug("VMessOutbound dialing tcp: %s", dest.String())
	if err != nil {
		log.Error("Failed to open tcp (%s): %v", dest.String(), err)
		return err
	}
	defer conn.Close()

	requestWriter := vmessio.NewVMessRequestWriter()
	err = requestWriter.Write(conn, request)
	if err != nil {
		log.Error("Failed to write VMess request: %v", err)
		return err
	}

	requestKey := request.RequestKey[:]
	requestIV := request.RequestIV[:]
	responseKey := md5.Sum(requestKey)
	responseIV := md5.Sum(requestIV)

	response := vmessio.VMessResponse{}
	nBytes, err := conn.Read(response[:])
	if err != nil {
		log.Error("Failed to read VMess response (%d bytes): %v", nBytes, err)
		return err
	}
	log.Debug("Got response %v", response)
	// TODO: check response

	encryptRequestWriter, err := v2io.NewAesEncryptWriter(requestKey, requestIV, conn)
	if err != nil {
		log.Error("Failed to create encrypt writer: %v", err)
		return err
	}
	decryptResponseReader, err := v2io.NewAesDecryptReader(responseKey[:], responseIV[:], conn)
	if err != nil {
		log.Error("Failed to create decrypt reader: %v", err)
		return err
	}

	input := ray.OutboundInput()
	output := ray.OutboundOutput()
	finish := make(chan bool, 2)

	go handler.dumpInput(encryptRequestWriter, input, finish)
	go handler.dumpOutput(decryptResponseReader, output, finish)
	handler.waitForFinish(finish)
	return nil
}

func (handler *VMessOutboundHandler) dumpOutput(reader io.Reader, output chan<- []byte, finish chan<- bool) {
	for {
		buffer := make([]byte, BufferSize)
		nBytes, err := reader.Read(buffer)
		log.Debug("VMessOutbound: Reading %d bytes, with error %v", nBytes, err)
		if err == io.EOF {
			close(output)
			finish <- true
			log.Debug("VMessOutbound finishing output.")
			break
		}
		output <- buffer[:nBytes]
	}
}

func (handler *VMessOutboundHandler) dumpInput(writer io.Writer, input <-chan []byte, finish chan<- bool) {
	for {
		buffer, open := <-input
		if !open {
			finish <- true
			log.Debug("VMessOutbound finishing input.")
			break
		}
		nBytes, err := writer.Write(buffer)
		log.Debug("VMessOutbound: Wrote %d bytes with error %v", nBytes, err)
	}
}

func (handler *VMessOutboundHandler) waitForFinish(finish <-chan bool) {
	<-finish
	<-finish
	log.Debug("Finishing waiting for VMessOutbound ending.")
}

type VMessOutboundHandlerFactory struct {
}

func (factory *VMessOutboundHandlerFactory) Create(vp *core.Point, rawConfig []byte, destination v2net.Address) (core.OutboundConnectionHandler, error) {
	config, err := loadOutboundConfig(rawConfig)
	if err != nil {
		panic(log.Error("Failed to load VMess outbound config: %v", err))
	}
	servers := make([]VNextServer, 0, len(config.VNextList))
	for _, server := range config.VNextList {
		servers = append(servers, server.ToVNextServer())
	}
	return NewVMessOutboundHandler(vp, servers, destination), nil
}

func init() {
	core.RegisterOutboundConnectionHandlerFactory("vmess", &VMessOutboundHandlerFactory{})
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
День покая́ния и моли́твы — праздник Евангелической церкви в Германии, празднуемый в предпоследнюю среду перед началом протестантского литургического года, который начинается в первое воскресенье Адвента, то есть предрождественского периода. Иными словами, праздник приходится на среду с 16 по 22 ноября каждого года. Ранее праздник был официальным выходным днем на всей территории Германии, однако сейчас от работы освобождаются только жители Саксонии. В 2019 году он приходится на 20 ноября, а в 2020 — на 18 ноября.

История появления праздника
В Библии рассказывается об Ионе, посланном Богом в иракский город Ниневию, чтобы возвестить городу о его гибели (Иона, 3:3-10):

«И встал Иона и пошел в Ниневию, по слову Господню; Ниневия же была город великий у Бога, на три дня ходьбы. И начал Иона ходить по городу, сколько можно пройти в один день, и проповедовал, говоря: еще сорок дней и Ниневия будет разрушена! И поверили Ниневитяне Богу, и объявили пост, и оделись во вретища, от большого из них до малого. Это слово дошло до царя Ниневии, и он встал с престола своего, и снял с себя царское облачение свое, и оделся во вретище, и сел на пепле, и повелел провозгласить и сказать в Ниневии от имени царя и вельмож его: "чтобы ни люди, ни скот, ни волы, ни овцы ничего не ели, не ходили на пастбище и воды не пили, и чтобы покрыты были вретищем люди и скот и крепко вопияли к Богу, и чтобы каждый обратился от злого пути своего и от насилия рук своих. Кто знает, может быть, еще Бог умилосердится и отвратит от нас пылающий гнев Свой, и мы не погибнем". И увидел Бог дела их, что они обратились от злого пути своего, и пожалел Бог о бедствии, о котором сказал, что наведет на них, и не навел».

С точки зрения теологии практика покаяния обоснована следующими положениями:

 Дни покаяния — это дни заступничества церкви за вину верующих перед Богом;
 В дни покаяния церковь должна выполнять свою охранительную функцию по отношению к грехам времени;
 Дни покаяния служат человеку для того, чтобы испытать свою совесть перед Богом.

В Средневековье было два типа дней покаяния: одни устраивались централизованно властью, другие, например, дни религиозного поста, выделялись из церковного порядка. Оба порядка были приняты Евангелической церковью.

Нерабочий праздничный день
Исторически в разных частях Германии празднование Дня покаяния и молитвы приходилось на разные дни. К концу XIX века во всей стране насчитывалось более 24 дней, на которые выпадал праздник. Чтобы унифицировать этот церковный праздник, на Немецком Церковном Евангелическом соборе в 1878 году было предложено зафиксировать дату на предпоследнюю среду перед Адвентом. Однако официально дата празднования закрепилась только в «Законе о праздниках» в 1934 году.

Во время Второй мировой войны День молитвы и покаяния был перенесен на воскресенье и, таким образом, упразднен как отдельный церковный праздник. Это было необходимо для мобилизации всех сил на войне. После окончания войны он был вновь перенесен на предпоследнюю среду литургического года.

В ГДР он был нерабочим праздником, пока не был отменен в 1967 году в результате введения пятидневной рабочей недели.

Западногерманские земли (за исключением Баварии) объявили его после войны законным праздником. Бавария же признала его лишь в 1952 году, однако на законодательном уровне он был принят только в регионах с преимущественно евангелистским населением.

Законы «О праздниках» в большинстве регионов Германии позволяют любому работнику освобождаться от работы в этот день, ссылаясь на религиозные обязанности. Отпуск или отгул брать не требуется, этот день станет неоплачиваемым выходным.

Только в Саксонии он существует по сей день в качестве официального выходного дня.

В Баварии в День покаяния и молитвы во всех школах посещение уроков остается на усмотрение учеников и родителей. с другой стороны, в день покаяния и молитвы учителя хотя и свободны от занятий, но не свободны от службы. «Во многих школах Баварии этот день используется для проведения так называемого образовательного дня, посвященного актуальным аспектам образования и воспитания. Тем не менее, преподавателям, которые желают взять выходной, должна быть предоставлена такая возможность». Это отражено в Основном законе Федеративной Республики Германия и Конституции Баварии.

Упразднение праздника как официального
В 1994 году было принято решение отменить День покаяния и молитвы как выходной, начиная с 1995 года, чтобы компенсировать дополнительную нагрузку на работодателей, которая заключалась в том, что они должны были платить взносы за страхование жизни и здоровья рабочих. Критики отмены указывают, в частности, на то, что желаемый эффект, а именно снижение финансовой нагрузки на работодателя, не был достигнут, несмотря на отмену праздника.

Связь с другими религиями
В иудаизме существует праздник Иом-Кипур, который в Электронной еврейской энциклопедии трактуется как «самый важный из праздников в еврейской традиции, день поста, покаяния и отпущения грехов».

В исламе есть праздник Ид аль-Фитр (или Ураза-Байрам). После праздничной молитвы мусульмане накрывают столы. Люди приглашают друг друга на праздничные угощения, а после и сами посещают своих родителей, родственников, больных, дарят им подарки.

Примечания

Христианские праздники
Лютеранство в Германии


text:
Q: App ends on Button Click My program contains an activity to save place and date to database. But the app unfortunately  ends while clicking in the ok button.here are the codes with logcat
FirstActivity.java
package example.showevent1;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.app.DialogFragment;
import android.support.v4.app.FragmentActivity;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.AdapterView;
import android.widget.ArrayAdapter;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.EditText;
import android.widget.Spinner;
import android.widget.TextView;
import android.widget.AdapterView.OnItemSelectedListener;

public class FirstActivity extends FragmentActivity implements OnItemSelectedListener {
    /** Called when the activity is first created. */

    public TextView userSelection;
    public EditText userText;
    private static final String[] items={"Yalahanka","Rajai nagar","Sivaji Nagar","Koramangala","RT Nagar", "Banashankari","Yashwanthpura","Hebbal"};
    DatabaseHandler db = new DatabaseHandler(this);
    public FirstActivity(){

    }

    public FirstActivity(TextView userSelection2, EditText userText2) {
        // TODO Auto-generated constructor stub
        this.userSelection=userSelection;
        this.userText=userText;
    }
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_first);
        userSelection=(TextView)findViewById(R.id.textView1);
        userText=(EditText)findViewById(R.id.editText1);
        Button okButton = (Button)findViewById(R.id.button1);
         Spinner my_spin=(Spinner)findViewById(R.id.spinner1);//data1
        my_spin.setOnItemSelectedListener(this);
        ArrayAdapter aa=new ArrayAdapter(this, android.R.layout.simple_spinner_item,items);
        aa.setDropDownViewResource(android.R.layout.simple_spinner_dropdown_item);
        my_spin.setAdapter(aa);

    }
    @Override
    public void onItemSelected(AdapterView arg0, View arg1, int pos, long arg3) {
        userSelection.setText(items[pos]);
    }
    @Override
    public void onNothingSelected(AdapterView arg0) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
        userSelection.setText("");
    }
    public void showDatePickerDialog(View v) {
        DialogFragment newFragment = new DatePickerFragment();
        newFragment.show(getFragmentManager(), "datePicker");
    }
    public String getName(){
        return this.userSelection.toString();
    }
    public String getPhoneNumber(){
        return this.userText.toString();
    }

    public void add_data(View v){
        db.addContact(new FirstActivity(userSelection,userText) );
    }
    }

DatePickerFragment.java

package example.showevent1;

import java.util.Calendar;

import android.app.DatePickerDialog;
import android.app.Dialog;
import android.app.DialogFragment;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.widget.DatePicker;

public class DatePickerFragment extends DialogFragment
                            implements DatePickerDialog.OnDateSetListener {

    @Override
    public Dialog onCreateDialog(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        // Use the current date as the default date in the picker
        final Calendar c = Calendar.getInstance();
        int year = c.get(Calendar.YEAR);
        int month = c.get(Calendar.MONTH);
        int day = c.get(Calendar.DAY_OF_MONTH);

        // Create a new instance of DatePickerDialog and return it
        return new DatePickerDialog(getActivity(), this, year, month, day);
    }

    public void onDateSet(DatePicker view, int year, int month, int day) {
        // Do something with the date chosen by the user
    }
}

database handler. I used only addcontact and getcontact methods
package example.showevent1;

import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase;
import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteOpenHelper;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;
import android.content.ContentValues;
import android.content.Context;
import android.database.Cursor;
import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteDatabase;
import android.database.sqlite.SQLiteOpenHelper;

public class DatabaseHandler extends SQLiteOpenHelper {

    // All Static variables
    // Database Version
    private static final int DATABASE_VERSION = 1;

    // Database Name
    private static final String DATABASE_NAME = "contactsManager";

    // Contacts table name
    private static final String TABLE_CONTACTS = "contacts";

    // Contacts Table Columns names
    private static final String KEY_ID = "id";
    private static final String KEY_NAME = "name";
    private static final String KEY_PH_NO = "phone_number";

    public DatabaseHandler(Context context) {
        super(context, DATABASE_NAME, null, DATABASE_VERSION);
    }

    // Creating Tables
    @Override
    public void onCreate(SQLiteDatabase db) {
        String CREATE_CONTACTS_TABLE = "CREATE TABLE " + TABLE_CONTACTS + "("
                + KEY_ID + " INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT," + KEY_NAME + " TEXT,"
                + KEY_PH_NO + " TEXT" + ")";
        db.execSQL(CREATE_CONTACTS_TABLE);
    }

    // Upgrading database
    @Override
    public void onUpgrade(SQLiteDatabase db, int oldVersion, int newVersion) {
        // Drop older table if existed
        db.execSQL("DROP TABLE IF EXISTS " + TABLE_CONTACTS);

        // Create tables again
        onCreate(db);
    }

    /**
     * All CRUD(Create, Read, Update, Delete) Operations
     */

    // Adding new contact
    void addContact(FirstActivity contact) {
        SQLiteDatabase db = this.getWritableDatabase();

        ContentValues values = new ContentValues();
        values.put(KEY_NAME, contact.getName()); // Contact Name
        values.put(KEY_PH_NO, contact.getPhoneNumber()); // Contact Phone

        // Inserting Row
        db.insert(TABLE_CONTACTS, null, values);
        db.close(); // Closing database connection
    }

    // Getting single contact
    FirstActivity getContact(int id) {
        SQLiteDatabase db = this.getReadableDatabase();

        Cursor cursor = db.query(TABLE_CONTACTS, new String[] { KEY_ID,
                KEY_NAME, KEY_PH_NO }, KEY_ID + "=?",
                new String[] { String.valueOf(id) }, null, null, null, null);
        if (cursor != null)
            cursor.moveToFirst();

        FirstActivity contact = new FirstActivity();
        // return contact
        return contact;
    }

    // Getting All Contacts
 /*   public List<Contact> getAllContacts() {
        List<Contact> contactList = new ArrayList<Contact>();
        // Select All Query
        String selectQuery = "SELECT  * FROM " + TABLE_CONTACTS;

        SQLiteDatabase db = this.getWritableDatabase();
        Cursor cursor = db.rawQuery(selectQuery, null);

        // looping through all rows and adding to list
        if (cursor.moveToFirst()) {
            do {
                Contact contact = new Contact();
                contact.setID(Integer.parseInt(cursor.getString(0)));
                contact.setName(cursor.getString(1));
                contact.setPhoneNumber(cursor.getString(2));
                // Adding contact to list
                contactList.add(contact);
            } while (cursor.moveToNext());
        }

        // return contact list
        return contactList;
    }     */

    // Updating single contact
   /* public int updateContact(FirstActivity contact) {
        SQLiteDatabase db = this.getWritableDatabase();

        ContentValues values = new ContentValues();
        values.put(KEY_NAME, contact.getName());
        values.put(KEY_PH_NO, contact.getPhoneNumber());

        // updating row
        return db.update(TABLE_CONTACTS, values, KEY_ID + " = ?",
                new String[] { String.valueOf(contact.getID()) });
    }*/

    // Deleting single contact
 /*   public void deleteContact(FirstActivity contact) {
        SQLiteDatabase db = this.getWritableDatabase();
        db.delete(TABLE_CONTACTS, KEY_ID + " = ?",
                new String[] { String.valueOf(contact.getID()) });
        db.close();
    }*/

    // Getting contacts Count
    public int getContactsCount() {
        String countQuery = "SELECT  * FROM " + TABLE_CONTACTS;
        SQLiteDatabase db = this.getReadableDatabase();
        Cursor cursor = db.rawQuery(countQuery, null);
        cursor.close();

        // return count
        return cursor.getCount();
    }

}

activity_first.xml
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
    android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
    android:background="@color/color_1"
    tools:context=".FirstActivity" >

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignLeft="@+id/spinner1"
        android:layout_below="@+id/spinner1"
        android:layout_marginTop="28dp"
        android:background="#ffff99"
        android:onClick="showDatePickerDialog"
        android:text="@string/dt"
        android:textColor="#b22924" />

    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/textView1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignLeft="@+id/spinner1"
        android:layout_alignParentTop="true"
        android:layout_marginTop="31dp"
        android:text="@string/select"
        android:textAlignment="gravity"
        android:textColor="#b22924"
        android:textSize="20sp"
        android:textStyle="bold" />

    <Spinner
        android:id="@+id/spinner1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignParentLeft="true"
        android:layout_below="@+id/textView1"
        android:layout_marginTop="36dp"
        android:background="#ffff99"
        android:textColor="#b22924"
        android:fadingEdge=""/>

    <EditText
        android:id="@+id/editText1"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignBaseline="@+id/button1"
        android:layout_alignBottom="@+id/button1"
        android:layout_alignRight="@+id/spinner1"
        android:background="#ffff99"
        android:ems="10" >

        <requestFocus />
    </EditText>

    <Button
        android:id="@+id/button2"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_alignRight="@+id/textView1"
        android:layout_below="@+id/button1"
        android:layout_marginTop="56dp"
        android:text="@string/button"
        android:onClick="add_data" />

</RelativeLayout>

logcat

08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453): FATAL EXCEPTION: main
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453): java.lang.IllegalStateException: Could not execute method of the activity
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at android.view.View$1.onClick(View.java:3599)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at android.view.View.performClick(View.java:4204)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at android.view.View$PerformClick.run(View.java:17355)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:725)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:92)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:137)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5041)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:511)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:793)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:560)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453): Caused by: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:511)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at android.view.View$1.onClick(View.java:3594)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     ... 11 more
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453): Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at example.showevent1.FirstActivity.getName(FirstActivity.java:57)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at example.showevent1.DatabaseHandler.addContact(DatabaseHandler.java:63)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     at example.showevent1.FirstActivity.add_data(FirstActivity.java:64)
08-02 06:54:04.539: E/AndroidRuntime(1453):     ... 14 more

A: Check this error message in your Logcat android.widget.Button cannot be cast to android.widget.EditText
Go to the line 36 of your FirstActivity.java. There you would be trying to something like
userText = (EditText) findViewById(R.id.editText1);
Here the R.id.editText1 seems to be of type Button. Check if you are using the correct id in this case as in the name you specified in the XML layout file is same as the one you are trying to use.

A: Try clean your project. Sometimes after layout change project building is broken.
And it's definetly a bad practise to store data in an Activity class, you should create a new class to do it.

A: Your constructor assigns userSelection and userText to themselves rather than the passed in values:
public FirstActivity(TextView userSelection2, EditText userText2) {
    // TODO Auto-generated constructor stub
    this.userSelection=userSelection;
    this.userText=userText;
}

This is causing the null pointer you see, as you're creating a new Activity with the constructor but not assigning the values that you're giving it.
Step 1: Get rid of the Activity constructors.  You shouldn't be using a new instance of Activity as a holder for some contact data and it's causing this cascading series of Exceptions.
Instead of passing in the whole Activity, pass in only the String values of the TextView or EditTexts that you want to save to the database, or create a new "Contact" class to hold the state.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


NorthCon in Germany lures 2,500 intensive gamers for 'all-out' competition.
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Extreme Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXTR) today announced that it is continuing its tradition of supporting leading gaming events as a Gold Level sponsor of NorthCon 2012, Germany's largest gaming and computer festival, where the company worked with its partner Innovalan to provide the high speed backbone network. At the NorthCon LANparty, 2,500 gamers met to play and compete on a state of the art high performance Ethernet LAN with full gigabit connections to many of the gaming systems and 10GbE for interconnects and the network backbone.
NorthCon hosts a multi-day video gaming tournament near Hamburg, held at the "NorthCon eSport arena that attracts international attention from leading players and teams who will play the world's most exciting titles, such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and League of Legends.
The LAN Party requires an ultra-fast and reliable network and Extreme Networks purple Ethernet gear has successfully delivered the network. At NorthCon, the network team deployed Extreme Networks award-winning BlackDiamond® 8810 chassis switch to provide an ample number of high-speed Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports, with the resiliency, high availability and low ping times that these intensive gamers require. An impressive Gigabit connection to the outside Internet allows others to join the action.
"Extreme Networks is a first class choice to support the NorthCon gaming event in 2012," said Marco Grimm of Innovalan, a leading solutions integrator. "High bandwidth, extreme reliability and low latency associated with Extreme Network switches have all been essential for a temporary network of this size and scale."
"Fun, excitement and fast connectivity is what Extreme Networks is all about and why we were so thrilled to assist NorthCon with this intense gaming event," said David Ginsburg, CMO of Extreme Networks. "Just like the gamers, we love meeting the challenge of nonstop action powering thousands of users all at once."
NetSolutionStore.com is a division of Virtual Graffiti Inc, an authorized Extreme Networks reseller.


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Why shouldn't your hands and feet look and feel great too!
When you, or someone you know, is ill or suffering a long-term medical condition, it may be a lonely and perhaps overwhelming journey.
After the first three months of pregnancy, it's time to think about you. Top of the list is making sure that we create a space for you to relax and unwind.
Now is the time to admit that for too long women have had the biggest slice of the Health, Beauty and Grooming Pie. We'd like to redress that balance.


There's been another data leak, this time at T-Mobile.
In April, the No. 3 carrier in the U.S. temporarily exposed customer data on one of its websites. In doing so, anyone could access the personal account information for any customer just by typing in their cell phone number. The bug, since patched, exposed the data on a T-Mobile subdomain that's supposed to be only accessible by staff.
Instead, anyone could use the portal if they knew the website's address, according to ZDNet.
Before it was fixed, the subdomain, promotool.t-mobile.com, contained a hidden API that would return T-Mobile customer data just by adding a cell phone name at the end of the web address. The recovered data included a customer's name, address, billing account number, and in some cases, information about tax identification numbers.
The page would also show the user whether the customer was past-due on their bill or if the customer had their service suspended. You could also bring up user PINs that are used when customers contact T-Mobile phone support.
T-Mobile currently has 74 million users. Just weeks ago, T-Mobile and Sprint announced plans to merge. If approved by U.S. regulators, the combined company would have 127 million customers, which would put it behind Verizon Wireless, but ahead of AT&T, regarding customers. The $26 billion merger agreement is expected to close in 2019.
It's been a busy month for data breaches, malware, and the like.
Earlier this week, we learned the TeenSafe app was anything but safe with customer information. Previously, Grayshift, a company that unlocks iPhones for police, was hit by a breach. And then you have the Russians, who are being accused of spreading malware to hundreds of thousands of routers around the world.
If you're a T-Mobile customer, we'd like to hear from you. Did you hear from the company about this issue? Let us know in the comments below.


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text:
Take a Look at Most Jaw-Dropping Grammy Moments
From crazy ensembles to shocking performances, the award-giving show never lacks when it comes to dropping jaws.
AceShowbiz –
The annual Grammy Awards have always been about honoring the brightest musicians in the industry. However, more often than not, celebrities manage to steal attention with other things that could leave people speechless. Whether it is during performance or simply on red carpet, some moments from the awards-giving event stood out than the rest.
From crazy ensembles to shocking performances, the award-giving show never lacks when it comes to dropping jaws. While some eventually made people bewildered, some others left people in anger as it wasn't something that they would be expecting at all. There were also moments that made people feel touched.
As the upcoming 61st Grammy Awards is just around the corner, let's take a look back at the most jaw-dropping moments throughout the award show's history.
Twenty One Pilots Delivering Moving Speech in Underwear (2017)
Twenty One Pilots delivers moving speech in underwear.
When Twenty One Pilots was named the winner of Best Pop/Duo Group Performance for their hit "Stressed Out" at the 2017 Grammys, the duo took off their pants before taking the stage to accept the award. People in the audience looked confused as to why they did that, but they revealed during their speech that it was an honor to the time where they were still nobody who watched the show in their underwear. "This just goes to show that anyone, anywhere, can do anything," Tyler Joseph said.
Queen Latifah Officiates Wedding for 33 Couples During Set (2014)
Queen Latifah marries 33 couples.
There's something special when Macklemore, Ryan Lewis and Madonna performed "Same Love" at the 2014 Grammy Awards. Queen Latifah also joined them to officiate weddings for 33 couples, gay and straight, on the stage. The mass couple exchanged rings at the same time as the singer pronounced them wed, while Madonna launched into a rendition of "Open Your Heart". The crowd could be heard cheering loudly during the moment.
'Soy Bomb' Guy Crashes Bob Dylan's Performance (1998)
A performance artist crashes Bob Dylan's performance.
One of the most legendary moments in Grammys' history was perhaps the time when a New York-based artist Michael Portnoy crashed Bob Dylan's performance in 1998. The singer was belting out "Love Sick" when Portnoy jumped into the stage and removed his shirt, revealing the words "Soy Bomb" written on his chest. He then proceeded to dance with his eyes closed for about 35 seconds before getting removed by security. Dylan, meanwhile, paid no attention and just kept playing.
Lady GaGa Arriving Inside an Egg (2011)
Lady GaGa arrives in an egg.
Lady GaGa was all about theatrical in 2011, so it was only natural for her to go all out when she opened her "Born This Way" performance by coming out of a giant egg at the event. However, what made people shocked was the fact that she arrived on the red carpet inside the egg that was carried by scantily clad servants. As the egg was transparent, people still got to see the singer waving her hands from inside.
Nicki Minaj Performs Exorcism During 'Roman Holiday' Set (2012)
Nicki Minaj levitates when performing "Roman Holiday".
As if showing up with a pope-like person on the red carpet was not weird enough, Nicki Minaj performed an exorcism during her set of "Roman Holiday". The performance included a video of the rapper being possessed by her alter ego, Roman Zolanski, before viewers got to see her being chained to a wooden board as hooded priests pranced around her. She eventually began levitating over the stage while spitting her bars. Her performance at the time angered the Catholic League, who accused her of mocking the religion.
Jon Stewart Almost Baring All During Opening Monologue (2002)
Jon Stewart strips when he opens the award-giving event.
Jon Stewart made sure his opening monologue was one to remember when he hosted the Grammy Awards back in 2002. He opened the event with a skit about him getting stopped by what appeared to be airport security. The security insisted to have a full body check on the comedian, who kept refusing while saying he was the host. He then ended up getting dragged by two big men who began taking off his suit. Stewart eventually wore nothing but a boxer.
Metallica Gets Snubbed (1989)
Metallica didn't win the first Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Performance Award.
When the Recording Academy first introduced Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Performance category back in 1989, Metallica was highly favored to win the accolade for their album "…And Justice for All". Much to everyone's surprise, flute-playing band Jethro Tull, who didn't attend the event, was named the winner of the category even though their genre was nowhere close to heavy metal. The crowd erupted in outraged booing after learning this.
Jennifer Lopez and Her Iconic Dress (2000)
Jennifer Lopez stuns in her jaw-dropping dress.
The red carpet portion of an award show has always been the perfect opportunity for celebrities to amaze people with their fashion, and Jennifer Lopez definitely didn't miss the chance. The singer caused national commotion when she arrived in a green Versace gown with a "neckline" that plunged past her navel. If she were to make even one misstep, there was a big chance J.Lo would suffer wardrobe malfunction as she went braless.
Tropical Storm Barry nears Louisiana coast, thousands lose power
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text:
Obama's journey from hope to hard reality
By Dana Milbank
Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter listens as President Barack Obama delivers a statement from the Roosevelt Room at the White House on the deployment of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Obama said more U.S. troops will remain in Afghanistan than he originally planned, leaving 8,400 U.S. troops rather than the intended 5,000. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — Behold the reluctant warrior.
Five years and two weeks ago, President Obama addressed the nation about the end of the war in Afghanistan. There would be no more Americans in combat in Afghanistan in 2014, he said, vowing to match what he'd already accomplished in Iraq.
"Tonight, we take comfort in knowing that the tide of war is receding," he said. "We've ended our combat mission in Iraq, with 100,000 American troops already out of that country. And even as there will be dark days ahead in Afghanistan, the light of a secure peace can be seen in the distance. These long wars will come to a responsible end."
Some time later, he said the United States would have no more than a normal embassy presence in Afghanistan by the end of 2016.
But on Wednesday, the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner announced that the war would go on — into the term of his successor and with an 8,400-troop force that will be more than 50 percent larger than he had set in his last announcement that he was slowing the pullout from Afghanistan.
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"The security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious," Obama, in charcoal gray, said from the Roosevelt Room, his defense secretary and his top uniformed officer at his side. He allowed that "Afghan security forces are still not as strong as they need to be" and that "the Taliban remains a threat."
The 15-year war, already well longer than the Soviets' 10-year adventure there, goes on.
"Today's decision best positions my successor to make future decisions about our presence in Afghanistan," Obama said.
For Obama, it was another acknowledgment that, as he put it in 2014, "it's harder to end wars than it is to begin them."
He pulled American troops out of Iraq, but a power vacuum and Islamic State violence there has caused the military presence to creep back up, to nearly 5,000.
Since Obama surged troops into Afghanistan and then pulled them out faster than his generals wanted, he has had to keep a larger presence there than he had planned as the Taliban has rebounded.
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He successfully decapitated al-Qaida, only to see the terrorist hydra spread in the form of the Islamic State and other groups, making the world seem more chaotic and dangerous. The terrorism prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which Obama pledged to close, remains open.
U.S. forces have been involved in bombing campaigns in Libya, Syria and elsewhere, and Obama has exponentially increased the use of targeted killings in places such as Libya, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. The administration recently announced that such strikes have killed about 2,500 members of terrorists groups and between 64 and 116 civilians, though human rights advocates say the civilian figures are dramatically understated.
Certainly, there are far fewer U.S. troops in harm's way than there were at the start of the Obama presidency, but to revisit his speeches over the years is to see his journey from hope to hard reality.
In mid-2011, despite concerns in the military, he began what he said would be a "steady" Afghanistan withdrawal. "Let us responsibly end these wars and reclaim the American Dream that is at the center of our story," he said.
A few months later, he triumphantly announced that the last troops would leave Iraq, and he was still ebullient in May 2012: "My fellow Americans, we've traveled through more than a decade under the dark cloud of war. Yet here, in the pre-dawn darkness of Afghanistan, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon."
Two years ago, Obama announced that "this is the year we will conclude our combat mission in Afghanistan," declaring that by the end of 2016 the military would have but "a normal embassy presence."
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But by October 2015, Obama reported that "Afghan forces are still not as strong as they need to be," while "the Taliban has made gains." He said he would drop the military presence only to 5,500 troops by the end of 2016. That's the number Obama increased Wednesday.
"When we first sent our forces into Afghanistan, few Americans imagined we'd be there in any capacity this long," he said Wednesday. Still, "we have to deal with the realities of the world as it is." He spoke of the need for troops and funds to "keep strengthening Afghan forces through the end of this decade."
It was a sensible, perhaps inevitable decision. But it felt a long way from Oslo.
Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter @Milbank.
War in Afghanistan (2001-present)
Drag race legend 'Big Daddy' Don Garlits to try for another record at age 87


text:
Two UT Austin graduate students win Mellon Fellowships
Catherine A.J. Molineux, who was graduated in 1999 from The University of Texas at Austin with degrees in microbiology and history, and Victor J. Rodriguez, a UT Austin senior majoring English, have been awarded Andrew W. Mellon Fellowships in Humanistic Studies. The fellowships, which are awarded to first-year doctoral students, are aimed at helping exceptionally promising students prepare for careers in teaching and scholarship. The Mellon Fellowships pay all tuition and fees plus a $14,750 stipend. Molineux is a graduate of Austin's LBJ (Johnson) High School Science Academy who plans to continue her studies in history. She currently is a research assistant at Ambion Inc. in Austin. Rodruiguez was born and went to high school in Panama City. He earned his first degree in international studies at Florida State University, also in Panama City. He plans to do his Ph.D. studies in American intellectual history. Some 85 Mellon Fellowships were awarded this year.
AUSTIN, Texas—Catherine A.J. Molineux, who was graduated in 1999 from The University of Texas at Austin with degrees in microbiology and history, and Victor J. Rodriguez, a UT Austin senior majoring English, have been awarded Andrew W. Mellon Fellowships in Humanistic Studies. The fellowships, which are awarded to first-year doctoral students, are aimed at helping exceptionally promising students prepare for careers in teaching and scholarship. The Mellon Fellowships pay all tuition and fees plus a $14,750 stipend. Molineux is a graduate of Austin's LBJ (Johnson) High School Science Academy who plans to continue her studies in history. She currently is a research assistant at Ambion Inc. in Austin. Rodruiguez was born and went to high school in Panama City. He earned his first degree in international studies at Florida State University, also in Panama City. He plans to do his Ph.D. studies in American intellectual history. Some 85 Mellon Fellowships were awarded this year.
"Twin town" agreement unites telescope communities
The Commissioners' Court of Jeff Davis County and the Council of Sutherland in the nation of South Africa are entering into a "twin town" agreement because both communities are homes to institutions housing world-class observatories. Fort Davis is the site of The University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory and the 11-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The 9-meter Southern African Large Telescope is under construction at Sutherland. Scientists and engineers who built the Hobby-Eberly Telescope are collaborating with South African colleagues in working on the South African telescope. For more information, contact Gary Harrison, press officer of the McDonald Observatory, at (512) 475-6763.


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Park Chu-young (kor. 박주영) (ur. 10 lipca 1985 w Daegu) - koreański piłkarz występujący na pozycji pomocnika lub napastnika, reprezentant Korei i zawodnik klubu FC Seoul.

Bramki w reprezentacji

Bibliografia

Reprezentanci Korei Południowej w piłce nożnej
Piłkarze FC Seoul
Piłkarze AS Monaco FC
Piłkarze Arsenalu F.C.
Piłkarze Celty Vigo
Piłkarze Watfordu F.C.
Piłkarze Asz-Szabab Rijad
Uczestnicy Mistrzostw Świata w Piłce Nożnej 2006
Uczestnicy Mistrzostw Świata w Piłce Nożnej 2010
Uczestnicy Mistrzostw Świata w Piłce Nożnej 2014
Urodzeni w 1985
Medaliści Letnich Igrzysk Olimpijskich 2012
Południowokoreańscy medaliści olimpijscy
Uczestnicy Letnich Igrzysk Olimpijskich 2008
Ludzie urodzeni w Daegu


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Is the Era of Large-Scale Islamic Terrorism Coming to an End?
Posted by Martin Surridge	/ January 25, 2010
While the world cautiously watches the war in Afghanistan and the nuclear aspirations of Iran, a surprising geopolitical trend may be emerging which could have quite profound consequences for international security and the safety of millions throughout southwest Asia and indeed the rest of the world. Despite the global carnage that Islamic terrorist groups continue to wreak across the planet, and the failed Christmas day airline bombing in Detroit, it appears that such coordinated devastation may be in its final chapters and that we may be witnessing the end of large-scale Islamic terrorism. Before this discussion continues however, an important distinction must be made between Islamic terrorism, that is Islamist forces bent on violently reshaping the world, and merely terrorists who happen to be Muslim. The former have posed the most serious threat to international security since the end of the Cold War; the latter are comprised of Somali pirates, former Sunni insurgents in Iraq, Afghan militia and many of the terrorists in Gaza and the West Bank. While the intentions of this second group of terrorists are no less violent, they are often significantly more localized with less global reach, and are more concerned with feeding their families then overthrowing the West.
As the United States inches towards success in Iraq and an increasing number of international terrorists are apprehended, the world looks like a safer place than it was just a few years ago. While many will point to the increased danger now that Al-Qaeda have spilled over the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan, there is, it appears, less to be afraid of then previously thought. While it is true that Pakistan remains the only official Muslim-majority member in the exclusive club of nuclear nations, and that the acquisition of those warheads are sure to be the primary target for Al-Qaeda, terrorists in Pakistan are likely to face a more difficult challenge establishing permanency and supremacy than they did in Afghanistan. Firstly, Pakistan features a functioning, albeit slightly corrupt and untrustworthy, central government-a luxury that Afghanistan has arguably never had in its 3000 year history. Secondly, Pakistan has a technologically sophisticated military with years of training in counterterrorism and border conflicts with India in Kashmir.
Not for want of trying, but major Islamic terrorist networks such as the Indonesian-based militant group Jemaah Islamiyah and Al-Qaeda, have failed to hit any large international targets since the 2005 underground bombings in London. Some will point to the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India, which were attributed to South Asian militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as an example of global Islamist terrorism. However, the attack which was likely carried out by LeT was neither outside of their region of immediate influence, and has been interpreted by some as yet another instance of proxy warfare in the Pakistan-India conflict.
This decrease in the amount of attacks by global Islamic terror organizations, especially upon nations in Europe and North America, may be due to a gradual increase in the competency and extent of western military efforts in the war on terror, yet it may also be because of internal problems in the terrorist groups. To choose the most notorious of examples, Al-Qaeda, who achieved household name status after the September 11 bombings and subsequent invasion of Afghanistan, have had a sizeable portion of their financial income disrupted by officials in the U.S. Treasury department. According to David S. Cohen, assistant Treasury secretary for terrorist financing, Al-Qaeda's influence is diminishing after a strategy of targeting donors and fundraisers of terrorist groups, which has left the terrorist organization in their worst financial state in years. Leaders of Al-Qaeda have resorted to broadcasting cell phone video telecasts in order to raise funds.
However, even fully funded, organizations like Al-Qaeda and Lebanon's Hezbollah face a new problem that few leaders had to contend with twenty years ago, during the movement's infancy. Partially due to the nation-building efforts of the Bush administration in Afghanistan and Iraq, the domestic ousting of dictators in nations such as Indonesia, and gradual liberalization like in Iran and Turkey, a greater number of Muslim countries practice democracy than did only a couple of generations ago. While it is true that many countries like Iran and Afghanistan face scrutiny for what many believe to be state sanctioned election fraud, Muslims across the world, in dozens of fledgling democracies, are beginning to appreciate the idea of participatory government and the benefits that it can bring. Abu Bakar Baasyir, mastermind behind the 2002 terrorist bombings in Bali and alleged leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, recently proclaimed that democracy goes against the will of Allah and that "Islam and democracy cannot coexist." Such extreme rhetoric will do little to build support among young Indonesian Muslims, who now live in the third largest democracy in the world. As the Muslim world continues to take baby steps towards democratic government and Islamic terrorist groups take massive cultural leaps backwards into the Stone Age, one can only wonder if these financially crippled organizations can continue to find support in a world which is trying so desperately to put them out of business for good.
Martin Surridge is a freelance journalist who is currently working on his M.A. in Teaching at Walla Walla University.
Alison Agins says:
The skies are so much safer since they made me take my shoes off and my jacket, sweater, belt and I had to empty all my pockets. This elderly (69) white woman was prevented from blowing up a Southwest airplane that flew to Reno a sure fire target for extremists.
Kevin James says:
The global changes discribed in this article most likely are and will continue to have a dulling effect upon extreme Islam's ability to make the next big strike. The globalization will continue to bring about a global conscienceness among nations that will be less aminable toward allowing terror groups to exist in their boarders. But I think the primary influence upon radical Islam will be Islam itself. Through glorbalization effect and their own conviction that militant Islam is not only damaging to other nations and innocent lives, but negatively effecting Islam in general, the Islamic nations will turn the screws in a real way on the extremists. Too, Islam will have to move out of the Stone Age toward modernization if they ever hope of staying relevant in the 21st century and beyond. By not giving their people a real part of the wealth of oil enrichment and pulling up the standard of living among their people, Middle Eastern countries will be a breading ground for terrorists. I believe these countries are "getting" it and will continue to work toward giving their people a larger share of the profits. Radical Islam will dry up in such conditions.
Gregory W. Hamilton says:
Martin makes some worthy evidential observations which are backed up by the research I regularly read in sources like Foreign Affairs, The New Republic, and Foreign Policy magazine, including Political Science Quarterly. That said, the real test will be Pakistan. That will be the "make or break" scenario in the global war on terrorism and whether or not radical Islamist terrorists are on the decline toward irrelevancy, and ultimately disfunctionability, as Mr. Surridge clearly suggests. In other words, it is WAY too early to make such predictions of inevitable decline. There is always an "ebb and flow," or fluidity, involved in these kinds of foreign policy analyses.
I would love to discuss some of these things with him in over lunch sometime, or in a longer venue or setting. In all sincerity, I wish him all the best! He's on top of this subject, and involving foreign policy in general. It's nice to see for once!
America in Bible Prophecy
The Turn at the Gate: What Jesus Knew about the Separation of Church and State
An enforced uniformity of religion throughout a nation or civil state, confounds the civil and religious, denies the principles of Christianity and civility, and that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.
— Roger Williams , The Bloody Tenet of Persecution for Cause of Conscience
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