text:
Patreon CPO says the company will double in size in 2022
Amanda Silberling
21 December 2021, 11:39 am ·7 min read
Creator monetization startups are cropping up left and right as the tech world embraces the fast-growing creator economy. But Patreon, founded in 2013, has been around since before words like "influencer" were in our vocabulary — back when "Tik Tok" was a Kesha song, rather than the social platform that everyone is trying to emulate.
After tripling its valuation to $4 billion earlier this year, Patreon is at a crossroads. Will it continue to be the company to beat when it comes to building for creators? At the same time, can Patreon stay ahead of its competition while making creators feel that the product is looking out for their best interests?
"We are not going to be one of those companies that defined the first eight years, but not the next eight years [of the creator economy]," Patreon Chief Product Officer Julian Gutman told TechCrunch.
Speaking with TechCrunch about the platform's plans for 2022, Gutman said that Patreon hopes to stay ahead of the curve by aggressively hiring, especially in product and engineering. Gutman himself only joined Patreon in January, bouncing over from Instagram, where he was head of Product for Instagram's home feed experience. In August, Patreon also hired Senior VP of Engineering Utkarsh Srivastava, who formerly led teams at Google and Twitter.
"We've hired 60 folks across product, engineering and design in the last quarter, and kind of expect that pace of hiring to continue into the next year," Gutman said. "We have folks joining from Instagram, Uber and Square, and all these companies that I would say are like the first generation of the creator economy."
Patreon isn't a new company, but Gutman thinks that since its mission from the get-go has been to help creative people make money, it's better prepared to lead in this supposed "second generation" than social media platforms like his former employer Instagram. Regardless, social platforms are investing heavily in direct-to-creator payments. But Patreon's model enables sustainable, monthly creator payouts, as opposed to one-time surprise bonuses.
The business of Patreon
Patreon has 400 employees now, but Gutman said the company hopes to end next year with closer to 1,000 employees. Within product, engineering and design specifically, Patreon hopes to scale from 150 employees (including 60 recent hires) to 400 in 2022.
"I think it's a reflection of what we want to build, and the pace and the quality at which we want to build it," Gutman said. "We're really excited for potential creators right now, and we want to just be giving them as many tools as possible as quickly as possible to help them."
Patreon has already teased some of the projects it's working on for 2022, including a native video platform (so exclusive video content can live on-platform, not in an unlisted YouTube link), an improved posting experience with more formatting options, different ways of organizing content on a Patreon page, more data and analytics, a cleaner app design, simpler playback experiences for multimedia and more. The platform is even planning to revamp its billing system, which Patreon says has been "a source of confusion and frustration" for many of its creators.
But another big question for Patreon is whether it will bring crypto technology to the platform. Earlier this fall, Gutman, along with founder and CEO Jack Conte, confirmed that Patreon is exploring crypto as a way for creators to make money. Patreon floated the idea of crypto creator coins in its fall Creator Policy Engagement Program update, but at a subsequent livestream, creators expressed concerns about how Patreon dabbling in crypto could impact their relationships with their patrons.
The actions that Patreon takes as a company impact the livelihoods of the creators making a living on their platform. Some creators on that livestream worried that if Patreon launched creator coins, their crypto-averse patrons might unsubscribe, even if they themselves weren't using those tools.
"There are some really interesting fundamental pieces of [crypto] technology that are actually quite aligned with our mission and what everyone's wanted for the creator economy for a long time — rights ownership, independence, owning your content, owning your business, owning your audience, decentralization, all these themes," Gutman told TechCrunch. "But I don't think we're ready to jump on any particular application or bandwagon."
Patreon does not have a dedicated team working on crypto, though there are some people in the company who are passionate about crypto and formed what Gutman called "an internal pod in their spare time." He said that early next year, Patreon might consider building a small team of a few people dedicated to investigating how the company could possibly leverage crypto to support creators.
"It's not, 'hey, let's go build an NFT platform right now,' but you know, a couple of folks that are focused on this full time," Gutman said. "And by the way, they might conclude, 'Hey, you know what, there's nothing for us to build here right now,' which is a totally fine, reasonable conclusion."
Patreon isn't taking the question of whether or not to dip its toes into crypto lightly. The choice could divide its community and force creators to act as spokespeople for the company's decisions, which can alienate individual creators' patrons.
Discord pushes pause on exploring crypto and NFTs amidst user backlash
Earlier this month, Kickstarter announced it would move its crowdfunding platform to the blockchain, sparking backlash from users, especially those who have environmental concerns about some blockchain technology. Meanwhile, in November, Discord CEO Jason Citron tweeted an image of the crypto wallet MetaMask integrated into the chat platform's interface. But even crypto-savvy users worried that linking crypto wallets with Discord accounts could make it easier to carry out fraud and scams on the platform. After some users urged each other to cancel their paid Discord Nitro subscriptions in protest of the company's perceived movements toward crypto, Citron put out a statement saying that Discord doesn't have plans to pursue the technology at this time.
"I think one other important thing for us is over the next few years, we want to provide a toolset that creators can piece together differently," Gutman said. "So we might have a crypto part of the toolset if we think there's something there that creators might choose to use."
But more immediately, Gutman emphasized that community will be a focus for Patreon in 2022.
"When people think creators, they think content. But so much of what creators do is community today," Gutman said. "They really are these community leaders. They help communities come together around a shared topic of interest or a shared passion, and I think it's a really undervalued part of what creators offer the world, particularly in this day and age."
Right now, a popular perk for creators to offer their fans is access to private, patron-only Discord servers. Gutman said that Patreon wants to create on-platform products for building community in addition to its suite of integrations with platforms like Discord.
"We are creator-first, so if creators want to use an integration and they prefer an integration, we're really excited by that," Gutman said. "It's not so much an on-platform versus off-platform type of battle, but we are really excited to look at building more first-party community tools, and one of the things we're excited about is where content meets community."
Changes at a company like Patreon can be anxiety-inducing for creators who rely on the platform for their livelihood. In the new year, Patreon plans to conduct a creator census to maintain a direct line of communication with the people who stand to be most affected by big shifts in the company's product plans.
Kickstarter plans to move its crowdfunding platform to the blockchain
Discord is working on premium memberships, a new monetization option for creators
Pinterest invests in creator tools with acquisition of video creation and editing app Vochi


text:
Defense Ministry considering UAV option
by James Simpson on Jan 7, 2011 • 10:00 pm No Comments
Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk via Wikipedia
On December 30, the Daily Yomiuri reported that Japan is looking into UAV technology for the surveillance of China and North Korea. This is backed up by the Midterm Defense Buildup Program from 2011, which the Cabinet approved on December 17. The paper's sources in Ichigaya stated that senior SDF officers will look at the US experience with the Global Hawk, Northrop Grumman's long-range high-altitude drone. This would be a departure from previous research since 2003 into a domestically produced capability.
The US has flown the Global Hawk in both Iraq and Afghanistan. With a range of over 16,000 km and 18,000 metre ceiling, it can stay in the air for over 30 hours and gather strategic and tactical IMINT in a 550 km radius without putting its operator in danger. Although there has been some concern over the cost efficacy of the Global Hawk procurement programme in the US, at first glance it would appear to be a great choice for the JSDF as they face the current instability on the Korean Peninsula and rising China.
The Yomiuri article suggests that they would be used for territorial overwatch, stating that "three reconnaissance drones would be necessary to cover all of Japan's territory and surrounding waters." That would be at a unit cost of about ¥7.5 billion, plus the cost of the infrastructure. The article also mentions concerns over subsequent personnel cuts, although these officials don't have to worry. A UAV fleet would be unlikely to replace the current 100-bird strong MSDF P-3C reconnaissance fleet in the short term. The Global Hawk will be a valuable strategic tool, but it is unlikely that it will mothball its manned counterpart after the Ministry spent so much money putting them into service. Just look at how many Type 74 tanks are still service in the GSDF.
A Kyodo report gives possible operational scenarios for the Global Hawk, "to defend remote Japanese islands and counter suspicious ships in and near Japanese waters, while at the same time looking at the possibility of operating them as part of the country's shield against ballistic missiles". This kind of territorial security mission would be a cakewalk for the Global Hawk, but if Japan is looking to keep an eye on China and North Korea, as the Yomiuri article hints at, then Japan would be much better off improving its spaceborne IMINT capabilities (namely the Information Gathering Satellite constellation).
If the Defense Ministry can pin down just what it wants a long-range UAV to be capable of, and use the capability in tandem with the current P-3C fleet, they will be able to constantly monitor Japanese territorial waters. That seems to be a realistic aim, but a couple of questions remain: Is it possible within the current budget, and who would fly them?
Hey! Who's Flying This Thing? (fool.com)
China's Drones Raise Eyebrows (online.wsj.com)
Cope North 2010 Underway
"Did you lose something?": MSDF flying boat drops radio antenna connector component mid-fl...
New Minister and a Change of Pace at Ichigaya
A former contributor to World Intelligence (Japan Military Review), James Simpson joined Japan Security Watch in 2011, migrating with his blog Defending Japan. He has a Masters in Security Studies from Aberystwyth University and is currently living in Kawasaki, Japan. His primary interests include the so-called 'normalization' of Japanese security (i.e. militarization), and the political impact of the abduction issue with North Korea.
James Simpson has 254 post(s) on Japan Security Watch
Tags: hardware, News	Categories: aircraft / hardware / Intelligence / News / reconnaissance / unmanned systems
Previous postMid-Week Summary: Jan 5 2011 Next postGSDF YouTube video: jump school, MILES, donuts

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Are "Arc" and "Arch" interchangeable? I've checked the dictionaries and both words have a common meaning:
arc - a shape or structure resembling an arc.
arch - a curved symmetrical structure spanning an opening and typically supporting the weight of a bridge, roof, or wall above it.
Can both these words be interchangeable?

*

*We went through the arc.

*We went through the arch.

A: Here is the Oxford Dictionary definition for arc that you referred to:

arc noun
1A part of a curve, especially a part of the circumference of a circle:
the point where a tangential line touches the arc of a circle
1.1 A shape or structure resembling an arc:
the huge arc of the sky

Note that, although definition 1.1 refers to a structure, the word arc in the following example (and in all of the other examples quoted) if followed by of. arc is not an actual structure: it serves only to define the shape of the real structure (the sky).
The definition in the Oxford dictionary would be better written as

the shape of a structure resembling an arc.

Here are the definitions from the Cambridge dictionary: as you can see, there is no (STRUCTURE) meaning for arc.

arc
  noun [ C ] (CURVE) the shape of part of a circle, or other curved line.
arch
  noun [ C ] (CURVED STRUCTURE) a structure, consisting of a curved top on two supports, that holds the weight of something above it.
  noun [ C ] (SHAPE) something that has the shape of an arch, often used for decoration:

A: No. An arch (noun) suggests something that is connected to the ground, like the underside of a bridge or a tunnel. An arc (noun) can be free-floating.

A: I am a native French speaker, and a translator.
I'd like to make a short terminology comparison.
In English, for architecture, use arch, as in "pointed arch", in all cases. For geometry, use arc, or bow, like in bow-window.
In French, arc's first meaning is "bow"  (cf. archer).
Arche (Fr) is used to describe a large, primarily bow structure, typically in a bridge or a large space. But Arc (Fr) is just generic or for smaller construction elements. Pointed arch e.g. is said Arc Brisé (and not Arche). And for geometry as well it is Arc.
Exception:
On Paris' Champs Élysees, you have the Arc de Triomphe, Rome has the Arc de Titus, which both are rather Arches (Fr) really by their dimensions, but for that kind of monument Arc is the traditionally used terminology.
London has the Marble Arch.
And finally rainbow is said Arc-en-ciel (litt. a bow in the sky). How nice is that !
I hope this can somehow help & that no one will be upset this little linguistic invasion of mine.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Theatricality as medium
Samuel Weber*
Ever since Aristotle's Poetics, both the theory and the practice of theater have been governed by the assumption that it is a form of representation dominated by what Aristotle calls the mythos,or the plot.This conception of theater has subordinated characteristics related to the theatrical medium, such as the process and place of staging, to the demands of a unified narrative. This readable, thought-provoking, and multidisciplinary study explores theatrical writings that question this aesthetical-generic conception and seek instead to work with the medium of theatricality itself. Beginning with Plato, Samuel Weber tracks the uneasy relationships among theater, ethics, and philosophy through Aristotle, the major Greek tragedians, Shakespeare, Kierkegaard, Kafka, Freud, Benjamin, Artaud, and many others who develop alternatives to dominant narrative-aesthetic assumptions about the theatrical medium. His readings also interrogate the relation of theatricality to the introduction of electronic media. The result is to show that, far from breaking with the characteristics of live staged performance, the new media intensify ambivalences about place and identity already at work in theater since the Greeks. Praise for Samuel Weber: What kind of questioning is primarily after something other than an answer that can be measured . . . in cognitive terms? Those interested in the links between modern philosophy nd media culture will be impressed by the unusual intellectual clarity and depth with which Weber formulates the . . . questions that constiture the true challenge to cultural studies today. . . . one of our most important cultural critics and thinkers-MLN.
Fordham University Press
Arts and Humanities(all)
Dive into the research topics of 'Theatricality as medium'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Theatricality Arts & Humanities 100%
Aristotle Arts & Humanities 33%
Aristotle's Poetics Arts & Humanities 29%
Tragedian Arts & Humanities 29%
Electronic Media Arts & Humanities 28%
Mythos Arts & Humanities 28%
Ambivalence Arts & Humanities 27%
Cultural Critics Arts & Humanities 26%
Weber, S. (2004). Theatricality as medium. Fordham University Press.
Weber, Samuel. / Theatricality as medium. Fordham University Press, 2004. 408 p.
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AB - Ever since Aristotle's Poetics, both the theory and the practice of theater have been governed by the assumption that it is a form of representation dominated by what Aristotle calls the mythos,or the plot.This conception of theater has subordinated characteristics related to the theatrical medium, such as the process and place of staging, to the demands of a unified narrative. This readable, thought-provoking, and multidisciplinary study explores theatrical writings that question this aesthetical-generic conception and seek instead to work with the medium of theatricality itself. Beginning with Plato, Samuel Weber tracks the uneasy relationships among theater, ethics, and philosophy through Aristotle, the major Greek tragedians, Shakespeare, Kierkegaard, Kafka, Freud, Benjamin, Artaud, and many others who develop alternatives to dominant narrative-aesthetic assumptions about the theatrical medium. His readings also interrogate the relation of theatricality to the introduction of electronic media. The result is to show that, far from breaking with the characteristics of live staged performance, the new media intensify ambivalences about place and identity already at work in theater since the Greeks. Praise for Samuel Weber: What kind of questioning is primarily after something other than an answer that can be measured . . . in cognitive terms? Those interested in the links between modern philosophy nd media culture will be impressed by the unusual intellectual clarity and depth with which Weber formulates the . . . questions that constiture the true challenge to cultural studies today. . . . one of our most important cultural critics and thinkers-MLN.
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text:
De Europese emissiestandaard is de emissienorm voor voertuigen die in de Europese Unie van kracht is.
De emissiestandaard wordt voortdurend strenger: voertuigen mogen steeds minder schadelijke stoffen in het milieu uitstoten.

Overzicht
Door de Europese Unie is de emissiestandaard meerdere keren gewijzigd:

EURO I, Euro 1 of Euro1 (Europese richtlijnen 70/220/EEC, 91/441/EEC, 93/59/EEC, 96/69/EC en 91/542/EEC) werd de emissiestandaard voor voertuigen in de Europese Unie in 1992.
Euro II, Euro 2, Euro2 of EC 96 (Europese richtlijnen 94/12/EC, 96/69/EC en 91/542/EEC) is de emissienorm voor voertuigen die in de Europese Unie in 1995 van kracht werd.
Euro III, Euro3 of Euro 3 (Europese richtlijn 98/69/EC) is de emissiestandaard voor voertuigen die van kracht werd in de Europese Unie in 1999.
Euro IV, Euro 4 of Euro4 (Europese richtlijn 98/69/EC) is de emissienorm voor voertuigen die in de Europese Gemeenschap in 2005 geïntroduceerd werd. De Euro IV-norm werd van kracht in oktober 2006.
Euro V, Euro 5 of Euro5 (Europese richtlijn 99/96/EC) is de emissienorm voor voertuigen die in de Europese Unie in oktober 2009 van kracht werd.
Euro VI, Euro 6 of Euro6 is de emissienorm voor voertuigen die in de Europese Unie op 31 december 2013 van kracht werd voor nieuwe personenwagens. De Amerikaanse, met Euro6 vergelijkbare, EPA 13-norm is al in vijf Amerikaanse staten ingevoerd.

Geschiedenis
De Europese normen zijn tot stand gekomen in het kader van de EG-typegoedkeuring. De fabrikanten hadden met lede ogen aangezien hoe Duitsland en Frankrijk ertoe waren gekomen emissiegrenzen in te stellen. Als de normen en testen naar het Europese niveau konden worden getild, zouden ze gehomologeerde wagens op de ganse interne markt kunnen verkopen zonder nog rekening te moeten houden met nationale regels over luchtverontreiniging.

De totstandkoming van de normen verliep in een complex samenspel tussen de EEG en de Economische Commissie voor Europa van de Verenigde Naties (VN/ECE). De eerste stap werd gezet in 1970 met de goedkeuring van richtlijn 70/220/EEG. Ze volgde getrouw de CO- en HC-normen van ECE reglement nr. 15 (R15), alsook de erin vooropgestelde testcyclus. De ECE-reglementen werden aangenomen op grond van een verdrag ondertekend te Genève op 20 maart 1958 en herzien op 5 oktober 1995. Eind jaren 60 kreeg het beleid binnen de ECE vorm door de Groupe des Rapporteurs pour la Pollution et l'Energie (GRPE).

De lidstaten moesten richtlijn 70/220/EEG omzetten tegen 1973. In de volgende tien jaar stelde de EEG zich tevreden met het bindend maken van de regels die binnen ECE als vrijblijvend richtsnoer waren vastgesteld. Deze werden regelmatig bijgewerkt (met in 1977 de eerste norm voor NOx), zonder ooit ambitieus te worden.

In 1983 ging Duitsland, in de ban van een kiescampagne rond Waldsterben, voor het eerst aandringen op strengere regels. Het wilde dat Europa de normen van de Verenigde Staten overnam, ingevoerd door het Clean Air Act Amendment van 1970. Deze US-83-standards, die driewegkatalysatoren vereisten, golden sinds 1972 ook al in Japan. Tegenkanting van Frankrijk en Italië leidde ertoe dat het nog tot 1988 duurde vooraleer US-83 in afgezwakte vorm werd goedgekeurd. Doordat de Eenheidsakte kort nadien de unanimiteitsvereiste losliet, kon in 1989 ook een regeling worden doorgedrukt voor kleine auto's.

Een nieuwe richtlijn scherpte ook de norm voor de middenklasse aan en voerde een geharmoniseerde testcyclus in, de New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). Deze was opnieuw tot stand gekomen binnen de Motor Vehicle Emissions Group en staat daarom ook gekend als MVEG-B. Hoewel de test nu ook een buitenrit simuleerde, was hij nog steeds weinig realistisch. Deze uniforme regels gingen in op 1 juli 1992 en stonden gekend als Euro 1.

Europa had nu het voortouw genomen en exporteerde zijn normen wereldwijd. De waarden werden regelmatig aangescherpt, en telkens bracht de ECE haar regels in lijn: R15 werd vervangen door R83 (emissies van M1 en N1-voertuigen), R84 (brandstofverbruik) en R101 (emissies van koolstofdioxide en brandstofverbruik), zelf weer herhaaldelijk herzien, geamendeerd en verbeterd. De NEDC-test werd nog bijgeschaafd in 2000 (meetellen van eerste 40 seconden na het starten), maar bleef een slechte benadering van de werkelijkheid.

Met ingang van 2009 kwam er een volledige harmonisatie van de EG-typegoedkeuring.

Naleving
De controle op de naleving gebeurt door voertuigen te testen op de rollerbank. De bij de typekeuring gebruikte testmethode staat gekend als New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). In de loop der jaren is deze methode notoir onbetrouwbaar geworden, onder meer omdat de fabrikanten geleerd hebben om er met allerlei kunstgrepen op in te spelen. Daardoor is de test een steeds minder accurate weergave van de werkelijke uitstoot, vooral van CO2 en NOx.

Al in 2006 was duidelijk dat de emissies van stikstofoxiden door dieselwagens nauwelijks verminderden, ondanks de verscherping van de normen op papier. Dit werd aangetoond door de metingen van de voorgeschreven testcyclus te vergelijken met deze van een realistische testcyclus. Nadien werd dit bevestigd op de weg. In 2014 liet de International Council on Clean Transportation een verkeerstest uitvoeren met 23 modellen. De reële NOx-emissies van Euro-6-voertuigen bleken gemiddeld het zevenvoudige te bedragen van de toegestane waarde. Eerder was het TNO tot gelijkaardige resultaten gekomen. Het stelde zelfs vast dat het verschil tussen praktijk en typekeuring nog toenam. Anderzijds blijkt ook dat de waargenomen concentraties dieselroet nabij drukke wegen daalden op een manier die consistent is met de invoering van de Euro 5 norm.

Eind september 2017 zou de onbetrouwbare NEDC vervangen worden door WLTP, een wereldwijde testmethode ontwikkeld binnen het World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP 29) van UNECE. Hoewel ze een beter beeld zou geven, blijft het een typekeuring die speelbaar is en geen acht slaat op wat er nadien op de weg wordt uitgestoten. Met mobiele meetapparatuur is dit niettemin perfect te achterhalen. Het principe dat voertuigen moeten getest worden in normale rijomstandigheden, is overigens in 2007 opgenomen in Europese wetgeving doch dode letter gebleven. In de nasleep van Dieselgate gingen stemmen op om toch een standaard voor real-world driving emission (RDE) te implementeren.

De Real Driving Emissions Tests kwamen er, maar tegelijk voerde de Europese Commissie correctiecoëfficiënten in die de grenswaarden in sommige gevallen ruim verdubbelden, zogezegd om rekening te houden met "statistische en technische onzekerheden". Het Gerecht van de Europese Unie vernietigde de verhoging van de grenswaarden wegens onbevoegdheid, nadat beroep was ingesteld door de Stad Brussel, Ville de Paris en Madrid. De onwettige bepalingen blijven echter tijdens een overgangstermijn gehandhaafd.

Toegangsverboden
De Europese emissiestandaard is vaak het uitgangspunt voor de toepassing van lage-emissiezones, milieuzones en andere maatregelen die tot doel hebben de stedelijke luchtkwaliteit te verbeteren. Het gaat om systemen die de toegang ontzeggen aan bepaalde voertuigen, waarbij eerst de meest vervuilende worden geweerd (bv. euro 1) en dan een aanscherping volgt volgens een vast tijdspad.

Vanaf 1 oktober 2018 mogen in Lombardije geen voertuigen aangedreven door een dieselmotor volgens de norm Euro III, meer rijden.

Zie ook
 Enhanced environmentally friendly vehicle
 Chronologie van de bromfietswetgeving in Nederland (2018)

Externe links
 Dieselnet pages on EU emission standards.

Emissiestandaard
Europese richtlijn
Motortechniek

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A rift within Slovakia's government prevented one of the Eurozone's poorest countries from approving an increase in the EU's bailout fund on Tuesday.
The vote on the bailout was blocked by the neo-liberals of the Freedom and Solidarity Party, as well as the social democrats of the Socialist Smer Party.
The leader of the Freedom and Solidarity Party, Richard Sulik, fiercely opposed the increase in the bailout funds, saying it was not fair to pay for Greek debt from Slovakia's pocket.
Both Slovakian Prime Minister Iveta Radicova and her main political opponent now say they will work to get the bill approved swiftly. Still, it is not clear when another vote will be held.
Slovakia is the last of the 17 members of the Eurozone to approve the proposed expansion of the European Financial Stability Facility, which has been designed to protect weaker economies in the Eurozone from the sovereign debt crisis.
Had Slovakia approved the move, it would have contributed around 1 per cent of the 440-billion-euro bailout package.
Financial advisor Patrick Young says Slovakia has done a good job of balancing its own budget in recent years, and the Slovakian people simply do not want to pay for Greece's debt.
Slovakians, as the lowest wage-earners in the Eurozone, are incredibly fiscally pragmatic, added Young. So they can hardly feel any solidarity with the Greek government, which lied about their figures just to get into the Eurozone, he concluded.


text:
On Investigative Journalism
I was listening to some dam fine journalism the other day.
Don't see the player? Try their website. http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/430/very-tough-love
Ira Glass of This American Life spent a few weeks in Glynn County, Georgia investigating a "drug court" that seems to have the power to legally imprison people without oversight, for indefinite amounts of time and relatively small charges. In the show's two acts he touched on two points I found very pertinent.
The judge behind the injustices, Amanda Williams, has enough power as not to be challenged by anyone in her county.
What she is doing is legal and the victims have no recourse. They can't appeal once they enter the Drug Court program.
There will always be people who overstep their power, make mistakes, make bad judgments, etc. It's why we have checks and balances. No one can rule absolutely. What makes me angry is that there is no checks on Judge Amanda Williams. She has overstepped her bounds (on the record) on multiple occasions, and it takes an out of state reporter to come in and show what's happening.
Since this is the kind of journalism and programming I want to encourage I've donated $10 to the "This American Life" show. If this is the kind of thing you want to encourage too, please donate at least a dollar, either via paypal or by buying the episode on the iTunes Store.
Listen to the episode or read the transcript (pdf).
Next up;
This Developers Life did an interview with Remon Zakaria, an Egyptian programmer who runs a successful business working on projects with American companies. Remon was an active participant in the recent revolution, against his family's wishes and with a company to run.
His turning point was when they shut off the internet and phones. He discovered that most phones still had data connections; they were limited to the networks they were on. To keep his team busy he had them develop a Twitter-like program that could run on every phone they could find (Nokia, Android, and weird java implementations on feature phones), but instead of requiring the internet they would scan the phone's subnet for other phones. They would connect with them, transferring messages and information about other phones. This led to a localized Twitter that could connect people in an area.
He talks about why older people trusted the TV more then any social media. That led to a great disagreement in what was actually going on in the streets and if his family should be involved. He also covers how life has changed since the revolution ended. It's worth a listen.
On charging money
The Feynman Series - Beauty - Honors - Curiosity


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C4PMC
North Yorkshire Moors Moorland Organisation repair and reopen village cricket club
In Gillamoor, a small village in the North York Moors, there has been no cricket team for the last 5 years.
In that time, the cricket field and play area had become overgrown, untidy and unloved; a sad sight for a village which used to have a thriving cricket team.
Having seen what was going on, a team of local game keepers decided to spend a few evenings each week through the summer to try and revitalise the area.
By cutting back, strimming, litter picking and generally tidying up the area, the cricket field is now playable, and the play area has become somewhere for children to easily access and enjoy.
Local keeper Sam Farrow, who instigated the clean-up, explained why he got involved:
"Living near to Gillamoor, I drove past the cricket club every day, and as a keen cricketer myself, I thought it was a huge shame to see it going to waste. As keepers, we had equipment available to us to fix up the the field to its former glory, so we thought we should give it a go, and see if we could improve it in our spare time. It's fantastic to see cricket being played in Gillamoor again, and to see local kids able to enjoy the play area."
Local resident Adam Durrant agrees:
"I'm a keen cricketer and part of the Gillamoor team before, so I was very sorry to see the Gillamoor cricket team disappear and the field to become so run down. We are all so grateful to the keepers and lads who spent their evenings working to make the field playable again and we can't wait to get back out on the cricket circuit, representing our village. Everyone in the village has been so excited to get playing again, we can't thank the keepers enough."
Over the last couple of Sundays, the club has been holding some friendly "all welcome" cricket games. Next year, they hope to enter a team into the local Feversham cricket league, which has been described as "one of Yorkshire's most remote competitions."
Wild Justice suffer yet another legal defeat: their attempt to challenge burning rules is thrown out
Packham 'plays victim' as true victims suffer in silence as a result of his actions
The problem with the politicisation of the rewilding movement
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Extra -length (14 ) and thick 3/8 premium grade vinyl / nitrile foam pad is engineered for high-quality protection while minimizing compression set. It provides superior protection when fielding and sliding. Nylon/spandex fabric fits comfortably back of the leg without restricting freedom of movement.


Sydney North Health Network is seeking to enhance access to and coordination of local primary health care services for people with chronic disease, who need better support around psychosocial, health, social and welfare needs.
Previous work with the HealthOne Project and the Local Health District, has identified that limitations and delays in psychosocial, social and welfare needs has an impact of health outcomes and the journeys of people through the health system.
We are hence inviting proposals for a Social Work Service to support GPs meet the specific needs of people with chronic disease, who need better support around psychosocial, health, social and welfare needs, in order to reduce the likelihood of admission or re-admission to hospital.
For further information and to access the request for proposal application form (RFP), please see the attached document. An online link to the application form will also be available on our website later this week. Submissions close 10am on 3 June 2016.
An information event on this RFP will be held on 23rd May at 4pm at the SNHN offices and via teleconference. To register for the event please email Deb Clark on dclark@snhn.org.au.
For more information , please contact Deb Clark on dclark@snhn.org.au.


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How Did the Boxing Ring Get its Name, Where Did it Come From, and Why is it Square?
In the days of bare-knuckle boxing, before modern rules, a circle was drawn in the dirt and prize fighters were ringed by the fans.
When one of the men was knocked out of that circle, he was simply pushed back into the ring by the crowd.
In 1867, Marcus of Queensbury introduced a number of rules to boxing, including three-minute rounds and a roped-off square, which fans continued to call the "boxing ring".
How Did Boxing Day Originate and How Did the Holiday After Christmas Get its Name?
What Was the Shortest Boxing Match of All Time?
What Was the Longest Boxing Match Ever Fought?
What Did The Boxer Rebellion In China Have to Do with Boxing?
Why Are the Windows of Old Wooden Ships Square and Why Are the Windows of Modern Steel Hulled Ships Round?
Why Are Soap Bubbles Round and Not Square?
What Does the Phrase "Up to Scratch" Mean and Where Did the Expression Come From?
Why Does the Letter K Stand For a Strikeout On a Baseball Score-Sheet?


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Q: .jar garbled output on web browser when downloaded I deployed my .jar file to the web server and attempted to download the .jar file using the old Nokia phone via its web browser. Upon finishing downloading, a garbled output is displayed on the web browser instead of prompting for installation. What went wrong? Do I have to create some sort of installation file for my .jar application? Thanks.

A: A MIDlet is a combination of a jad and jar file.  While some browsers permit direct installation of the jar, one would usually point a browser to the jad to install.
And ensure the MIME types are set correctly.
jads need a MIME type of text/vnd.sun.j2me.app-descriptor, and jars are application/java-archive.


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Would the Torah Look Different If God Revealed It Today?
The Torah was given 3500 years ago; it's filled with things that are directed toward ancients. Things like:
Sacrifice: Hundreds of commandments regarding sacrificing animals, which hasn't been done in 2000 years. Ancient cultures utilized blood sacrifice in idolatry, but today it's virtually disappeared. And because the Temple isn't standing, we can't keep these commandments today even if we wanted to.
Agricultural prominence: The Biblical holidays coincide with agricultural events. Ancient Israel was almost entirely agricultural, but today agriculture makes up a tiny percentage of human work.
Care for women: A judicial system providing care for women (e.g. levirate marriage, where a man is obligated to marry his dead brother's widow). In ancient cultures, women were almost entirely dependent on their husbands to provide food and wellbeing. Today, thanks to education and cultural changes, women are able to provide for themselves independently of men.
Plural marriage: Polygamy and concubines were permitted, likely because women and infants so often died during childbirth. Multiple female sexual partners would ensure children, who would then take care of parents in old age. But today, thanks to modern medicine, mother and infant mortality is exceptionally rare.
Slavery: Torah legislates slavery to reduce its ills (e.g. "You shall not return an escaped slave to his master."). Up until the 20th century, slavery was prevalent in virtually every culture. Today, it's all but abolished.
Work: Lighting a fire on shabbat was forbidden, possibly because fires were often used for work purposes. Today, a fire can be started effortlessly with a press of a thumb or flick of a switch. Moreover, people have fires for non-work reasons.
This is just a sampling; there are dozens of other commandments that, while they were important in the context of ancient Israel, are far less important now.
In fact, we religious people don't keep many of these commandments. Faithful Jews and Christians don't practice levirate marriage today, for example; there's no need.
The corollary is, the Torah doesn't address modern problems. For example,
Automobiles: Is it permissible to drive a car on shabbat? Turning the ignition technically starts a fire inside a combustion engine, and starting a fire is prohibited on shabbat.
Medicine: Many medical pills use gelatin capsules, which is often made from animals the Torah forbids eating.
Food: Kosher laws don't address certain animals unknown to ancient Israel (e.g. turkeys). Moreover, could pork be kosher if fed a clean diet, or did God give kosher laws for reasons besides health? And by extension, if kosher laws are solely for health, would God forbid modern kosher-but-unhealthy foods, like fast food? (And yes, there are kosher McDonalds in Israel.)
A kosher McDonalds in Israel
Restaurants: Modern restaurants have grills on which both kosher and non-kosher animals are cooked. Is it permissible to eat kosher food cooked on a grill which inevitably brought it into contact with non-kosher food?
Electricity: Does electricity fall under the "no fire on Shabbat" prohibition? Flipping a light switch is technically starting a spark, which is technically a fire.
Construction: Modern houses are built differently than in ancient times. The Torah requires that ancient houses be built with guardrails on the roof so as to prevent people falling off. Today, most homes are not built by the person living in them, and it's a very rare event to have someone walking on your roof.
Clothing: The Torah prohibits wearing wool and linen together as a garment. But modern clothing is often made up of multiple pieces of clothing (shirt, undergarment, pants, socks, etc.) How does one apply this commandment today, when clothing is made up of many pieces of garments, and each garment may be made up of multiple kinds of cloth?
Garment corners: God commanded Israel to put fringes on the 4 corners of their garments. Modern garments don't have 4 corners. Do we put the fringes on belt-loops? Or as an undergarment (tallit katan)? Or do we even need to wear them?
Since the Torah doesn't address such questions, we're left to do our best to apply them in principle. Orthodox Judaism defaults to the most stringent application: no, we cannot drive on shabbat. Meanwhile, leftist streams of Judaism and Christianity all but dissolve the Torah; replacing it with a humanistic whatever-feels-good morality.
In the Messianic movement, most of us take a more pragmatic walk: yes, wear tzitzit in whatever way you can, because the principle is remembering God's commandments, not whether you have 4 corners on your garment. Yes, you can eat clean animals even if cooked at a non-kosher restaurant, because contamination is a reality of the world.
Is the Torah irrelevant?
Liberal and leftist streams of Judaism and Christianity look at all this and say, "All those laws were for a different time, and need not be kept today."
This isn't to say the Torah is irrelevant. The values of the Torah are eternal; codifying a divine moral system in which murder, rape, and cruelty is immoral, while legislating care and provision for widows, orphans, and the poor.
And this is true historically. The values of the Torah set the stage for Western civilization, and enabled further moral advancements. For example, it was British and American Christians who, informed by the Biblical value that all men are on equal standing before God, abolished slavery. The whole world followed suit, and here we are a few hundred years later and slavery has all but disappeared.
Would a 21st century Torah look different?
Since we've achieved moral advancements built atop the Torah would the Torah look differently if God revealed it today?
This question came to mind while watching Ben Shapiro, an Orthodox Jew and political conservative, engage in a discussion with an atheist at a secular university. Here's the engagement in question:
Student: You had a great discussion with [atheist author] Sam Harris on your show about ignoring certain doctrinal texts, yet still believing in ideas like revelation.
Ben Shapiro: Yes.
Student: My question is, if you truly believe in the supernatural side of monotheism, why is it OK to perform, as you describe it, an "ongoing dialectic" – over time, pick and believe certain piece of doctrine, when you realize that the original parts were from an omniscient Being.
Ben Shapiro: So the answer that I gave Sam Harris, is that the omniscient Being, in this case God, gave us flawed human beings this book. This book was directed at a certain time and place. The people living 3000 years ago didn't have the same education and values, the same evidence, the same scientific knowledge. They didn't have the same 3000 years of development we've had since Sinai – and so God was speaking to a specific people at a specific time.
So a lot of the commandments are specifically directed at converting people away from more primitive practices to less primitive practices. To take an example, animal sacrifices. We now look at them and say that's really primitive, pretty terrible. [Medieval Jewish sage] Maimonides puts this forth in 1100 [AD], this idea that there were pagan practices in which animals were slaughtered on behalf of pagan gods. And the idea was that you were appeasing these gods, and that these were use of animal sacrifices for perverse purposes. People weren't willing to give up the perverse purposes at that time, and God knew that, so God converted the use of those purposes to the worship of Him.
Here's the point. God didn't just say to human beings, "Here's the Law, I mean exactly what I say, forever, on these areas, without regard to what human beings are." God injected an enzyme into human development. That enzyme, in my view, is revelation. And without that enzyme, there is no catalyst for Western civilization… Human beings using their reason and logic to apply eternal principles to new circumstances and new evidence over time.
The question the student poses is, if the Bible is from an omniscient God, why is it OK to not keep certain commandments?
Shapiro's answer is that God gave the Bible to an ancient people with the understanding that people must interpret the Bible in new circumstances and evidence that would later arise. So while the principles of the Bible are eternal, circumstances may arise that change our application of those principles.
The principle to care for widows, orphans, the poor, women and children are eternal. But how we care for them looks different than 3500 years ago. (For example, we don't leave the corners of our harvest fields for the poor, since many of us don't have fields. Instead, we might give directly, or to charitable organizations that help the poor.)
The principle behind the commandment to create guardrails on the roof – to make homes safe for those in and around it – is eternal, but keeping it might look different in today's culture.
Yes, a hypothetical 21st century Torah would look very different, but only in application. The eternal principles behind the application would remain the same.
Does this mean God changes? No; it means God gave an ancient people a law code – a civilizational document – for how to live good and upright lives. The principles behind this remain the same, even if applying those principles looks different 3500 years later.
Does this mean God wasn't omniscient, or does this disprove divine authorship of the Torah? No; it means God was omniscient to the extent that He allowed human progress to shape the application of the eternal principles. God doesn't assume we're robots stuck in time, and it's why the principles of the Bible remain relevant and applicable today.
found in torah


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Pension info
everything about pension
Veterans pension and survivors benefit
RecommendationsComments: 0Steven Jones
Can veterans get pension and compensation?
You cannot receive a VA non-service connected pension and service-connected disability compensation at the same time. However, if you apply for a pension benefit and are awarded payments, VA will pay you whichever benefit is greater.
Does VA pay survivor benefits?
A VA Survivors Pension offers monthly payments to qualified surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of wartime Veterans who meet certain income and net worth limits set by Congress. Find out if you qualify and how to apply.
Who qualifies for VA pension benefits?
Age 65 or older with limited or no income, OR.
Totally and permanently disabled, OR.
A patient in a nursing home receiving skilled nursing care, OR.
Receiving Social Security Disability Insurance, OR.
Receiving Supplemental Security Income.
Will my spouse receive my VA pension when I die?
No, a veteran's disability compensation payments are not continued for a surviving spouse after death. However, survivors may be entitled to a different type of benefit called Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.9 мая 2017 г.
What is the difference between veterans compensation and pension?
Income: VA Pension benefits are given only to veterans who can demonstrate financial need. Standard VA Disability Compensation does not take into account income when awarding benefits. Compensation rates are based on level of disability, whereas pension rates are based on income level.
How long does a VA pension claim take?
about 3 to 4 months
How much does a widow get from VA?
How Much Does VA Pay? The basic monthly rate of DIC is $1,340 for an eligible surviving spouse. The rate is increased for each dependent child, and also if the surviving spouse is housebound or in need of aid and attendance.
You might be interested: Civil war pension records national archives
How long can a widow receive survivor benefits?
Widow Or Widower
receive full benefits at full retirement age for survivors or reduced benefits as early as age 60. If you qualify for retirement benefits on your own record, you can switch to your own retirement benefit as early as age 62.
When a veteran dies Is there a death benefit?
VA will pay up to $796 toward burial and funeral expenses for deaths on or after October 1, 2019 (if hospitalized by VA at time of death), or $300 toward burial and funeral expenses (if not hospitalized by VA at time of death), and a $796 plot-interment allowance (if not buried in a national cemetery).
What is the income limit for aid and attendance?
For a single surviving spouse the basic MAPR in 2020 is $9,224 and the deductible is $461. Claimants, qualifying on income alone without a rating for aid and attendance or housebound, typically need to make such little money they are likely below the poverty level.
How much money is a military pension?
Military retirement pay is calculated at 2.5% per year of service, times the average of the highest 36 months' base pay. ** For example, if you have 24 years of service, you will receive 60% of the average of the highest 36 months' base pay.
What is a VA pension benefit?
Veterans Pension is a needs-based benefit paid to eligible wartime Veterans who. meet certain age or disability requirements.
Who gets my VA disability when I die?
If you're the surviving spouse, child, or parent of a service member who died in the line of duty, or the survivor of a Veteran who died from a service-related injury or illness, you may be able to get a tax-free monetary benefit called VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC).
You might be interested: Best state to retire with a pension
Can a 100 disabled veteran get food stamps?
The Food and Nutrition Act considers a person as disabled for the purpose of determining SNAP eligibility and benefits if the person receives any of several disability benefits, including SSI, SSDI, veterans' disability compensation (but only for those with 100 percent disability ratings), and Medicaid (see Appendix A …
Pension info © 2021


Brave the wild west like you've never seen it before in this super cowboy run game, one of our favorite shooters for racking up huge killstreaks! Make sure your trusty six-shooter is loaded, because you're going to need it. An army of goblins, trolls, skeletons, feral dogs, and even bomb-dropping crows stands in your way. If you want to get past everything, you will have to time your jumps and your shots perfectly.
Excuse the pun, we couldn't help it! Honestly, though, if you want to beat our killstreak record of 27 and our high score of $45,000, you will have to be inventive. Jump over rogue wagon wheels and take out as many enemies as you can, but beware of who may be waiting for you once you land… You're up against an entire legion in super cowboy run.


WASHINGTON – The U.S. Small Business Administration unveiled today a new cybersecurity webpage for small businesses at www.sba.gov/cybersecurity on the 12th Anniversary of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The SBA launched the online tools and resources to highlight Cybersecurity at Work from October 5-9th and in recognition of President Obama's annual proclamation to educate Americans about cyberthreats and cybersafety.
A 2013 survey by the National Small Business Association indicates that 44 percent of small businesses reported being the victim of a cyberattack, with an average cost of approximately $9,000 per attack. Small businesses have valuable information cybercriminals seek, including employee and customer data, bank account information, access to business finances, and intellectual property. Small business employers also provide access to larger networks such as supply chains.
The website at www.sba.gov/cybersecurity also includes key steps to take if a firm is the victim of a cybersecurity attack, as well as links to tools from the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The SBA encourages small business employers to take the Cyber Security for Small Businesses web course for best practices on protecting businesses and customer information, and to visit www.sba.gov/cybersecurity for tips and resources on safeguarding data against cyberthreats.


Bright and Sunny Home with Vaulted Ceiling, Great Flow and Open Floor Plan. Living Room Has Gas Fireplace. Main Level Has Gorgeous Hardwood Floors. Kitchen Has Loads of Cabinets, Island, First Floor Laundry. Patio is Great For Entertaining. Close Access to Freeway, Shopping and Hospital. Hurry!


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Woman seriously hurt in stabbing outside Hamilton Central Library
Chris Herhalt, CP24.com
Last Updated Wednesday, June 26, 2019 5:42PM EDT
A woman in her 20s is in serious condition in hospital after she was stabbed outside Hamilton's main library branch on Wednesday afternoon.
Hamilton Paramedics said they were called to the Hamilton Central Library, on MacNab Street North and York Boulevard, just before 4 p.m. for a report of a stabbing.
They said the woman suffered "penetrating trauma to her upper body" and was rushed to a local hospital trauma centre for treatment.
A Hamilton Public Library spokesperson told CP24 that the woman was stabbed outside the library and then ran inside to seek help.
Paramedics treated her outside the library before she was transported to hospital.
She is now in stable condition.


From the technology behind it all to possible downsides, we take a closer look at 48MP smartphones.
The camera company called Light which made the 16-lensed DSLR might be making a phone. The Light smartphone could have nine lenses.
Why haven't we seen another 41-megapixel smartphone camera?
The Lumia 1020 camera was light years ahead of the competition. So why haven't we seen other smartphones with similar technology since?
Samsung has unveiled a new series of ISOCELL image sensors for smartphones. Here's everything you need to know.
Everything you need to know about how your smartphone's camera works, from lens to apertures to sensor sizes and megapixels.
Developments in "metalenses" could pave the way for superior smartphone cameras.
A number of CMOS image sensor manufacturers saw sales grow last year, as new mobile technologies and demands have rebooted the industry.
OmniVision has just announced a new image sensor for smartphones that is capable of 240 fps video capture at 1080p.
The two devastating earthquakes that hit Japan this past week have caused problems for Sony's CMOS camera sensor production plants in the area.


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MLB Draft 2015: Kyle Garlick's tough decision to leave Oregon results in being picked by Los Angeles Dodgers
Updated Jun 11, 2015 ; Posted Jun 11, 2015
By Tyson Alger | The Oregonian/OregonLive
AX244_334E_9.JPG
Oregon's Kyle Garlick (4) is congratulated after hitting a three-run home run against Xavier during the eighth inning of an NCAA college baseball regional tournament game Sunday, June 1, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn. Oregon won 11-8 in 10 innings. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Kyle Garlick wasn't exactly hoping to become the single-season home run leader at Cal Poly Pomona.
A year ago, Garlick had just finished his third full season at Oregon. He had hit .251 with five home runs and 42 RBIs, numbers he had hoped would demonstrate to a professional organization that he was worthy of being drafted. But over the course of the three-day 2014 MLB Draft, Garlick's name was never called, which sent him on a life-changing course.
In the year since, Garlick transferred away from Oregon, stuck by his mother's side as she beat breast cancer, batted .358 with a record 17 home runs for the Broncos and, on Wednesday, topped it off by receiving a call from the Los Angeles Dodgers that, though a year later than hoped, couldn't have been more welcomed by the 6-foot-1 outfielder.
"I kind of had a feeling it was going to happen. I was talking to a few different teams. It was just a stressful few days for me, man," Garlick said. "I kept going back and forth, trying to keep myself busy. Checking the list and then I finally got called. It was super exciting."
His 28th-round selection came after a rather improbable year for the Chino Hills, California, native. Garlick spent four years in Eugene, putting together three quality seasons for the Ducks and one year lost to injury. He's Oregon's all-time leader in triples, is third in RBIs and only five people have played more games in an Oregon uniform. But after not being selected a year ago, Garlick was a man without a plan.
To return to the Ducks in 2015, Garlick would have had to enroll in graduate school at Oregon with little help from a scholarship. It would have also meant another long period of time away from his mother, Cary, who was diagnosed with breast cancer around the start of the 2014 season. Taking everything into consideration, Garlick decided to move home to California and hope he would play well enough to stand out at the Division II level.
He did, and then some. Garlick homered in his first two games with his new team and seemingly never stopped. He finished the year batting more than 100 points better than his career Oregon average, set the school record for home runs and drove in 56 runs. He was the primary catalyst behind a Broncos team that won 14 more games than the year before and made it to the semifinals of the DII College World Series. Garlick noted that the DII pitching staffs weren't as deep, but also believes that he was playing noticeably better.
"All season long, when I got my pitch, I wasn't missing it," Garlick said. "Most years, there's a time of the year where I'm struggling. I was locked in all season."
Garlick's monster season also came as his mom was given a clean bill of health. Garlick said his mom has been cancer-free for six months, and the two of them were together on Wednesday when they found out he was drafted.
"My dad was at work so it was just me and my mom waiting for the call to happen. Then my name popped up on the screen and both of us started going nuts," he said. "It means a lot. She knows how much I put into playing baseball and I know how much they've done for me, from driving me to practice every day and all sorts of stuff. We both got emotional. She started crying. It's awesome to have parents like that."
It was an especially cool time for Garlick because of the disappointment he felt a year before. His 2014 season at Oregon wasn't spectacular, but Garlick figured it was enough for a team to take a flier. Teams had inquired about his signability before the draft, leading Garlick to believe that something would happen. Still, for three days, his phone never rang.
"Last season, same time as this year, I was talking to a lot of teams and a couple of teams were asking me what my signing number was and that they were interested in me," Garlick said. "When the draft started, I didn't hear from anybody. I was sad, it was a letdown. I just had to keep working hard."
He did, and now Garlick is on a course to Arizona to begin his professional career in the Arizona League. He's not rich. The Dodgers gave him a $1,000 signing bonus, but for Garlick, it's more about the opportunity.
"I'm heading out of here on Monday so I have the weekend to spend the last few days with my family," he said. "It's been a crazy experience. I've been ready for this moment for a long time."
-- Tyson Alger
talger@oregonian.com
@tysonalger


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Leda Mileva (en búlgaro: Леда Милева) (Sofía, Bulgaria, 5 de febrero de 1920 - 5 de febrero de 2013) fue una escritora, traductora y diplomática búlgara. Era hija del poeta búlgaro Geo Milev.

Muerte
Falleció el 5 de febrero de 2013, mismo día de su cumpleaños número 93 por causas que aún se investigan.

Referencias

Enlaces externos
 Ichikawa Danjūrō XII at Kabuki21.com

Escritoras de Bulgaria
Traductoras de Bulgaria
Escritores de Bulgaria del siglo XX
Escritores en búlgaro
Fallecidos por cáncer de páncreas
Búlgaras del siglo XX
Nacidos en Sofía
Fallecidos en Sofía
Fallecidos por cáncer en Bulgaria


For the fifth year running, I'll be participating in Studio Nocturne, an exhibition by 10 night photographers that's part of San Francisco Open Studios. I'll be showing some new work as well as old favorites.
This year, for the first time, we'll be on the ground floor of Building D, where we'll have a lot more room. Also, Charity Vargas will be joining us for the first time. Among other work, she photographs the UC Berkeley campus at night. Hours are 11 a.m.–6 p.m. There will be lots of other artists exhibiting at Fort Mason Center, and it's always a fun show with lots to see, so come on out this weekend!
You can learn more about the artists, get links to their websites, see example images, and get more details of the event at the Studio Nocturne 2009 website.
I'm again pleased to be included in this year's Studio Nocturne, an exhibition of work by 10 night photographers that's part of San Francisco Open Studios this weekend. I'll be showing some new work as well as old favorites.
Click the postcard image for details. Also, you can read bios of all the artists, get links to their websites, see example images, and get more details of the event at the Studio Nocturne 2008 page on the Nocturnes website.
Come to Building "A" at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, where dozens of other artists also will be exhibiting. Hours are 11 a.m.–6 p.m. It's always a fun show with lots to see, so come on out and say hello!
I'm happy to be included again in this year's Studio Nocturne, an exhibition of work by 10 night photographers, and part of San Francisco Open Studios this weekend.
The show will again be held in Building "A" at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, where dozens of other artists also will be exhibiting. Hours are 11 a.m.–6 p.m. It's always a fun show, so come on out, introduce yourself, and show your support for the arts!
This preview show (which I named—clever, huh?) affords you an opportunity to see some of the work that will be on display at Studio Nocturne (Oct. 13/14 at Fort Mason Center, details to follow). Calumet Photographic is at 2001 Bryant St. (at 18th St.), San Francisco. Hours for the show, which is upstairs, are Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m., through September 29. I was there for the hanging, and there's some nice work up. It's worth a look.
I'm happy to be included again in this year's Studio Nocturne, an exhibition of work by 13 night photographers, part of San Francisco Open Studios.
The show will be held in Building "A" at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco this weekend, where many other artists will also be exhibiting. Hours are 11 a.m.–6 p.m. It was a fun show last year and promises to be just as good this year, so come on out, say hello, and show your support for the arts!
Several of my fellow night photographers in the Nocturnes collective are participating in this San Francisco Open Studios preview exhibition. For the fourth time, members of the Nocturnes will be showing our work at Fort Mason Center on weekend three of Open Studios. Our work will be on display through January 28. Details to follow.
I'm very pleased to be included in this year's Studio Nocturne, an exhibition of work by 13 night photographers.
The show will be held in Building "A" at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, where many other artists also will be exhibiting. It promises to be an first-rate show, so come out, say hello, and show your support for the arts!
Fort Mason Foundation liked my work so much, they chose to reprint Overpass 1 in their monthly calendar of upcoming events. They've also offered me a solo show next July.


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Home > David Copeland – Executive Vice President and General Counsel
David Copeland – Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Mr. Copeland joined the Company in January 2011 as Senior Vice President and General Counsel. He was appointed as the Company's Corporate Secretary in July 2011 and Executive Vice President in May 2013.
Mr. Copeland has 38 years of experience in the legal profession, including 29 years as internal counsel for various energy companies. Prior to joining the Company, he co-founded Concho Resources Inc., in Midland, Texas, where he served as an executive officer and general counsel, and later as its Senior Counsel through December 2010. From August 1997 through March 2004, Mr. Copeland served as an executive officer and general counsel of two energy companies he co-founded in Midland, Texas. Mr. Copeland started his career in 1982 with the Stubbeman, McRae, Sealy, Laughlin & Browder law firm in Midland, Texas.
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* Currently, I am not actively seeking speaking opportunities. However, if you have a group interested and would like to contact me, please don't hesitate. I am pleased to visit with you about it.
Since 2009, Kimberly has traveled from California to New Hampshire and many states in between to speak to women gathered in large sanctuaries, small conference rooms and every size in the middle. She is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a degree in psychology, and was selected as the 2009 National Young Mother of the Year by American Mothers, Inc.
Contact us for a promotional packet to be mailed or emailed to you. Kimberly will be traveling from Kansas City.
Kimberly enjoys writing new teachings specific for retreat and event themes. You may also request a list of previous topics.
Frequent speaking requests: MOPS, Mother's Luncheons, Christian Business Women meetings and Women's Conference Workshops.
"I have been with her in a variety of settings and witnessed her talent as a speaker, leader and team player. She has a way of getting to the heart of her message and touching all of those that hear. She shares personal experiences and special stories. She makes everyone she meets feel that they have made an instant friend…" Cristi Bulloch, National Resource Director, American Mothers Inc.


Is there a way to Increment Limited Edition on item Revoke?
ProgressiveReward sample cloud script question!
How do you add or subtract statistics values through cloud script?
Is there a region lock option?


By Angie Drobnic Holan on Tuesday, March 7th, 2017 at 9:16 a.m.
Walking a fine line between the free market and a safety net, Republicans on March 6 released their legislative plan to replace Obamacare — more formally known as the Affordable Care Act — without throwing millions of people off their health insurance coverage.
It's too soon to tell how much the plan will cost or if people currently covered will retain their coverage, and at what cost. That information will come later, after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office finishes analyzing the plan.
But we can draw a few initial conclusions about the plan, which the Republicans are calling the American Health Care Act, or AHCA.
The requirement to buy insurance goes away. People will no longer be fined on their tax returns if they lack insurance under the plan. Large companies will no longer have to pay penalties for not offering insurance.
There are still tax credits for people to buy insurance. The plan includes an "advanceable" tax credit, based on age and families size, which people can use to buy insurance. Whether it's as bigger or smaller than Obamacare will depend on specific circumstances. The plan's advocates say the credit will be between $2,000 and $14,000 a year "for low- and middle-income individuals and families who don't receive insurance through work or a government program."
Insurers still have to cover pre-existing conditions, but they will be able to charge more for people who are recently uninsured. The plan allows insurance companies to charge higher rates if a person has a significant lapse in coverage. Higher rates will be charged if a person was uninsured for 63 continuous days during the previous 12 months.
Move toward allowing different types of policies, such as catastrophic policies. The Obama administration required insurance companies to cover basic care without exclusions; they called it "essential health benefits." Those rules stay in place for now for private insurance. But the GOP plan ends essential benefits for some in Medicaid, and Republicans have said they intend to encourage more limited policies and policies that kick in only in cases of major illness or injury.
Adult children and college students can stay on their parents' plans. As under Obamacare, children will be able to stay on their parents' health insurance until they turn 26.
Medicaid will eventually be reduced, but it might expand first. The Medicaid expansion remains at first but new enrollment freezes in 2020. Other limitations will also be applied to the program.
The taxes from the 2010 health care law will be repealed. That includes taxes on prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, health-insurance premiums and medical devices. As for how the plan will be paid for, an explanation on the House GOP website says, "We are still discussing details, but we are committed to repealing Obamacare and replacing it with fiscally responsible policies that restore the free market and protect taxpayers."
Correction: Tax credits under the GOP plan will be $2,000 to $14,000 per year; this story originally specified a different time period. We also clarified that essential benefits stay in place for private insurance.


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Q: Laravel MM sync throws Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\HasOne exception I try to save many to many relations inside loop here is the code
                $user = User::firstOrCreate(
                [
                    'username' => $member->username,
                    'email' => $member->email
                ],
                [
                    'password' => $member->password,
                    'name' => $member->fullname,
                    'email' => $member->email,
                    'firstname' => $member->firstname,
                    'lastname' => $member->lastname,
                    'username' => $member->username,
                    'active' => $member->active
                ]
            );

            if ($user) {

                $user->account()->firstOrCreate([
                    'user_id' => $user->id,
                    ],
                    [
                        'address' => $member->address,
                        'phone' => $member->phone,
                        'web' => $member->web,
                        'company' => $member->company,
                        'company_email' => $member->company_email,
                        'company_phone' => $member->company_phone,
                        'fax' => $member->fax,
                        'company_fax' => $member->company_fax,
                        'has_newsletter' => $member->newsletter,
                        'published' => $member->listing,
                        'zip' => $member->zip,
                        'association_id' => $member->association_id,
                        'affiliate_id' => $member->affiliate_id,

                    ]);

                if ($member->activity_group_ids) {
                    $user->account()->occupations()->snyc(explode(',',$member->activity_group_ids));
                }

                $user->assignRole('member');
            }

but I keep getting  Call to undefined method Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Relations\HasOne::occupations()
my models:
User
/**
 * @return HasOne
 */
public function account()
{
    return $this->hasOne(Member::class);
}

Member
/**
 * @return BelongsTo
 */
public function user()
{
    return $this->belongsTo(User::class);
}

/**
 * @return BelongsToMany
 */
public function occupations()
{
    return $this->belongsToMany(OccupationGroup::class, 'members_occupational_groups', 'member_id', 'occupation_group_id');
}

OccupationGroup
/**
 * @return BelongsToMany
 */
public function members()
{
    return $this->belongsToMany(Member::class, 'members_occupational_groups', 'occupation_group_id', 'member_id');
}

What is wrong in this case?


text:
Michael Dow  is an Australian Paralympic swimmer and weightlifter who won two gold, two silver and a  bronze medal at the 1964 Summer Paralympics. He was one of only two Victorian athletes selected to compete at these games.

Biography

Dow contracted poliomyelitis at 4 years of age while living with his family in Borneo. The family moved to Venezuela in 1954 and returned to Melbourne Victoria in 1959. His interest in sport developed through newspapers, that included articles about sporting opportunities for the disabled and achievements of people with spinal cord injuries. In addition, the Victorian Paraplegic Sports Club supported  local, national and international competitions for people with a disability which included the Victorian Championships held annually at Albert Park, The Australian Championships held bi-annually, and  the Inaugural Commonwealth Games held in Perth Western Australia, in November 1962. This event is held every four years.

Selection for the 1964 Summer Paralympics was based on Dow's outstanding results achieved at the National Championships. He competed in sprint, long distance track, javelin, and weightlifting that was an Australian innovation, the program being developed in Perth.

At the 1964 Summer Paralympics, he won two gold medals in the Men's 50 m Breaststroke incomplete class 3 and Men's 50 m Freestyle Supine incomplete class 3 events, a silver medal in Men's Weightlifting Featherweight event, a bronze medal in the Men's 50 m Freestyle Prone incomplete class 3 event., and a silver medal in the 4 x 60 metre wheelchair relay.

Following his outstanding results at the 1964 Paralympics, Dow then decided to retire and concentrate on his studies. In 1970, he completed his Bachelor of Arts Degree at Monash University Melbourne.

Dow dropped out of competition for ten years, returned in 1979 and again in 1981 to compete in the Australian Paraplegic Championships. He then retired from competitive sport.

References

Male Paralympic swimmers of Australia
Paralympic weightlifters of Australia
Swimmers at the 1964 Summer Paralympics
Weightlifters at the 1964 Summer Paralympics
Medalists at the 1964 Summer Paralympics
Paralympic gold medalists for Australia
Paralympic silver medalists for Australia
Paralympic bronze medalists for Australia
Wheelchair category Paralympic competitors
People with polio
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
Paralympic medalists in weightlifting
Paralympic medalists in swimming
Australian male freestyle swimmers


text:
Legal Accessibility among the Visegrad Countries
On 17th of April, 2018 the International and Regional Studies Institute of the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences of the University of Szeged and Central European Service for Cross-border Initiatives (CESCI) jointly organized the opening conference of the project on legal accessibility among the Visegrad Countries.
The conference was opened by Péter Mezei, Deputy Dean for International Affairs at the University of Szeged, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, who emphasized the role and significance of international scientific cooperation among the V4 countries. He expressed that the aim of the project was to develop solutions that facilitate free movement of people between Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland.
Greetings of the Vice-dean was followed by the opening speech of Zoltán Nemessányi, Deputy State Secretary for International Cooperation in Justice, from the Ministry of Justice, who underlined that the project of Legal Accessibility was launched by CESCI in 2016. Aim of the project, which is supported by the Ministry of Justice, was to identify legal and administrative obstacles around the Hungarian borders, as well as to work out solution proposals – based on the experiences of European best practices. The unique project has gradually become a comprehensive initiative that was supported by the Cross-Border Review project launched by the European Commission in 2015 running in parallel with the CESCI project. As it was mentioned, interoperability of borders is essential for Hungary for several reasons. On the one hand, Hungary has one of the most open economies within the EU, and Hungary has to operate three different border regimes with its 7 neighbours. Moreover, there is a very large Hungarian minority on the other side of the border, and the contacts with them are traditionally extremely lively. It is no coincidence that the Ministry of Justice supports the initiative of CESCI.
First speaker of the first panel on cooperation addressing the permeability of internal borders at the level of V4 , was Krisztina Varjú, Ministerial Commissioner responsible for the Hungarian V4 presidency in 2017-2018. She spoke about the priorities of the Hungarian presidency and the achieved results. She highlighted the goal of the Hungarian presidency, namely to bring the V4 initiative as close as possible to everyday people, where the Legal Accessibility project may play important role.
Ricardo Ferreira, representative of the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission, described the Commission's Cross-Border Review project in details, and he introduced the most important aspects and possible future impacts of the Communication entitled "Boosting Growth and Cohesion in EU Border Regions". He called attention to the large number of people who live along the border (30% of the EU population) and the importance of obstacles: according to the estimates of the Politechnico Milano, eliminating 1/5 of existing obstacles could result in 2% increase of GDP in border areas. Therefore, the Commission welcomes the initiatives which follow good examples (the Nordic Council and the Benelux Union) and he promised assistance toward the initiators of this particular project.
Zsuzsanna Fejes, Deputy Director and Assistant Professor at the International and Regional Studies Institute of the University of Szeged, gave an overview of international and EU legal frameworks for cross-border cooperation. Besides of the Cross-border Review, coordinated by DG Regio, she underlined the initiative for a new legal solution, initiated by the Luxembourg Presidency in 2015 that aims to establish the European Cross-Border Convention (ECBC).
The second panel of the conference analysed national regulatory frameworks for cross-border co-operation. Katarína Mihaľová, Director of cross-border programmes at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic, spoke about legal obstacles and about the lessons learned from cross-border cooperation programmes in Slovakia. According to their experiences, the existing legal obstacles often generate problem in the domain of implementation of cross-border programmes because national legislations hinder the enforcement of EU law, which makes the daily life of the population of the border regions more difficult. She mentioned few good examples, for instance the project with title 'Bridges for Birth', implemented within the Slovak-Austrian programme, which made the hospital services in Bratislava available for the Austrian border villages.
Katarzyna Kos, legislator of the Legislative Centre of the Polish Government, spoke about the problems of cross-border issues within Polish legislative processes. She highlighted that, in order to overcome these obstacles, the legislative system of the four countries have to be firstly studied; otherwise the Nordic Council model cannot be applied to the level of the V4.
Michal Šindelař and Milan Jeřábek, researchers of the Masaryk University, briefly introduced the Czech cross-border cooperation through the example of 13 established euroregions.
Conference was closed by the presentation of Gyula Ocskay, Secretary General of CESCI, with title, 'Legal accessibility among the V4 countries'. In his presentation, he expressed that instead of random handling of existing obstacles, it would be more useful to develop permanent mechanisms that could help the work of decision-makers and those mechanisms could continuously reflect on the appeared problems. The solution could be the establishment of a platform, similar to the Nordic Council's, on the level of the Visegrad countries which would work to create conditions for free movement of citizens among the four Visegrad countries. Subsequently, the expected result of the project is to make a proposal and to develop a handbook in which the project participants propose to set up the V4 Mobility Council, its structure and rules of its operation.
The event continued with a narrower, professional working meeting and scheduling of tasks. Beside the organizers, the project partners took part at the meeting, namely the representatives of CESCI Carpathia, researchers from the Masaryk University from the Czech Republic, as well as the representatives of the Centre for European Regional and Local Studies of the University of Warsaw from Poland.
The presentations are available here.


The tax cuts enacted in 2001 and 2003, more commonly known as the Bush tax cuts, are set to expire on December 31, 2010 if Congress does not change the current law. If and when these tax cuts expire, the estate tax exemption equivalent shall be reduced to $1 million. What this means is that the government will tax the amount of your net worth that exceeds $1 million at a top rate of 50%-60% (i.e., graduated rates up to 55% plus a possible 5% surcharge). For instance, if your estate is worth $2 million when you die, $1 million will pass tax free, and $435,000 out of the remaining $1 million will go to the IRS. What makes up your estate? Essentially, anything you own minus your debt counts towards the value of your estate. Even a life insurance policy is considered an asset of your estate if you have any incidents of ownership over the policy (i.e., the ability to change the beneficiaries). To illustrate, assume you have a house worth $500,000, a $1.5 million life insurance policy, and no other assets when you die. The IRS would take $435,000!
However, there are some very effective ways to get around these high taxes, especially for married couples. A husband and a wife can set up what is known as a QTIP / Bypass Trust. This type of trust allows a married couple to double the amount of money they can pass to their heirs tax-free by fully utilizing each spouse's exemption amount. For illustration purposes, let us assume we have a married couple who has an estate worth $2 million, and that the husband dies first. When the husband dies, $1 million is placed into a bypass trust. The other $1 million can pass tax-free to the wife (either outright or in trust) because of the unlimited marital deduction. The wife can gain access to the bypass trust during her lifetime, but the money in the bypass trust will not be considered part of the wife's estate when she dies. Thus, if her trust (or outright gift) has a value of $1 million when she dies, the couple has successfully passed $2 million to their heirs without the government getting one dime. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this type of trust in greater detail, please contact the Law Office of Conrad Willkomm, P.A. Take advantage of our free consultation!


Screening to Improve Health in Very Preterm Infants in Europe (SHIPS) is a European research project about follow-up programmes for children born preterm. The project builds on the EPICE cohort which includes 6792 infants born before the 32nd week of gestation in 2011 and 2012 in 19 regions in 11 European countries. These children are now five years of age and their families will be invited to participate in the SHIPS project.
The SHIPS and EPICE projects study the use of evidence-based health care, follow-up screening and prevention programmes for very preterm infants. Evidence-based care means that clinicians and policy makers use the best scientific evidence to make decisions about medical procedures and health care services.
Very preterm infants face higher risks of health and developmental problems than children born at term. Follow-up programmes aim to identify any problems early in order to enable interventions and optimal management of health care needs. The SHIPS project seeks to create new knowledge about the effectiveness of these programmes and to use these results to develop guidelines for follow-up. The over-riding aim is to improve the health and quality of life of children born very preterm.
Information will be collected on the children's health, healthcare use and quality of life as well as on the coverage, content and costs of the follow-up and screening programmes in the participating regions. This will be done as part of four studies which include a questionnaire filled in by parents, in-depth assessments of children's development by clinical psychologists, personal interviews with selected parents about their experiences of follow-up, and structured questionnaires sent to directors of follow-up programmes in the participating regions.
The projects are carried out by a consortium including clinicians, researchers and parent representatives from the 11 participating countries.
19 regions from 11 EU Member States participate in the EPICE and SHIPS projects.