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Home › Modern History › John Quincy Adams: American President & Patriot
John Quincy Adams: American President & Patriot
Posted on February 10, 2016 by hradmin — No Comments ↓
Phyllis Lee Levin
From the book: The Remarkable Education of John Quincy Adams
A patriot by birth, John Quincy Adams's destiny was foreordained. He was not only "The Greatest Traveler of His Age," but his country's most gifted linguist and most experienced diplomat. John Quincy's world encompassed the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the early and late Napoleonic Age. As his diplomat father's adolescent clerk and secretary, he met everyone who was anyone in Europe, including America's own luminaries and founding fathers, Franklin and Jefferson.
In his diary entry for September 3, 1783, John Quincy Adams wrote one line: "Signature of the Definitive Treaty" signed in the Hotel d'York on the Rue Jacob. (The Continental Congress would officially ratify the Treaty of Paris on January 14, 1784.)
On September 7, he wrote of attending the theater but skipped the truly momentous news of that day in Passy, historic in terms of the fate of his family as well as his country. On that day Benjamin Franklin put into John Adams's hands official notice of Congress's resolution dated back to May 1, authorizing both men and John Jay, any of them "in the absence of the others, to enter into a Treaty of Commerce, between the United States of America, and Great Britain," and in the meantime, "to enter into a commercial Convention, to continue in force, one year."
The appointment, though official orders would not arrive until May 1784, was enough to renew John Adams's faith in his pursuit and to refurbish his ambition. That same morning, as he explained to Abigail, the waiting had made him anxious; he was still uncertain as to how to proceed. But there was much to be done. "It is of great importance that such a treaty should be well made." The loan in Holland required attention; when the present one was fully implemented, another must be opened, which only he or his successor could accomplish. And there were "still other things too to be done in Europe of great importance."
Painting of John Quincy Adams circa 1850. By Daderot – Own work, CC0.
Image is in the public domain via Wikimedia.com
At last, possibilities he had explored for hundreds of hours past crystallized, and his letters to Abigail were full of optimism and purpose. "Will you come to me this fall and go home with me this spring," he asked. And would she bring Nabby and leave the boys with her brother-in-law, Mr. Shaw, the schoolmaster. As to his work, in order to save Congress expense, "I shall have no other secretary than my son. He however is a very good one."
John Adams's expectant note to Abigail belied his own intense problems. Suffering from a debilitating fever, he felt himself in deplorable physical condition. In general he was unhappy at the Hotel du Roi. He minded the location, at the confluence of so many streets that it was a kind of thoroughfare. Moreover, he minded the noise, the constant roar, like incessant rolls of thunder, of the stream of carriages that rolled by—only from two to five in the morning was there something like stillness and silence. Sometimes he thought it would kill him.
Read more about our other great presidents John Adams, Andrew Jackson and George Washington here
In this critical state and on the advice of his physician James Jay, "the country air being thought necessary for him, we removed from Paris to Auteuil," John Quincy noted in his diary on Monday, September 22, to lodgings Thomas Barclay had leased from the Count de Rouault, where his father might enjoy the gardens, one full of vegetables and fruit, grapes, pears and peaches, the other, of flowers. There John Quincy Adams would take up his duties as replacement for the beloved John Thaxter, who had served his father as "nurse, physician and a comforter at Amsterdam" as well as secretary. He also managed to continue his studies, some probably begun under Dumas's tutelage, including translation of Horace's Odes and Caesar's Commentaries. Auteuil was the seat of the revered poet Nicolas Boileau. Benjamin Franklin's friend Madame Helvetius lived a few doors away. But neither medicine nor diet, the tranquil views of the village of Issy, of the Castle Royal of Meudon, of St. Cloud and of Mont Calvare, nor walks in the Bois de Boulogne, nor rides on horseback provided a cure. Not even the garden, which John Adams acknowledged was of excellent quality, despite his complaint that "every thing suffers for want of manure." Though he had recovered from his fever, he was still "extremely emaciated and weak."
Urged by friends to take the waters at Bath, John planned for a six-week visit. But first there was to be a stay in London, which he had contemplated for several months before his present illness. Prior to learning of his new commission, John's anger with his government was clear in a letter to Abigail: "if I cannot obtain leave, I must take it." But that anger was tempered by eloquent praise of John Quincy Adams. John planned to "take my son with me, whose company is the greatest pleasure of my life."
Father and son and one servant, Leveque, left Auteuil on Monday, boarded a packet boat at Calais at 9 a.m. Thursday morning, October 23, 1783; 18 hours later, a pilot boat put them on Dover's shore at 3 a.m. They had suffered a horrendous voyage, "never before so sea sick, nor was my son," the father wrote. One day and 72 miles later, having asked to stay at the best inn in London, they were carried off to Osborne's Hotel in the Adelphi Buildings. To their surprise they found themselves in a street marked "John's street"; the postilion turned a corner, and they were in "Adams- Street" and "I thought surely we are arrived in fairy land. How can all this be?" John Adams had wondered.
Painting of Admiral of the Fleet James Gambier (left) shakes hands with John Quincy Adams. By Amédée Forestier (Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C.) [Public domain]
This was to be the first of many visits that would culminate in John Quincy Adams's appointment as his country's minister to Great Britain a distant 22 years later. More tantalizing was John Quincy Adams's father's notation in his diary of an afternoon call on Joshua Johnson, merchant, future United States consul and his son's eventual father-in-law, whom they had met in Nantes. Johnson had moved back to London and now lived with his family in Cooper's Row, in view of the great hill crowned with the forbidding Tower of London. The Johnsons' home served the Adams men as a mailing address during this visit to England. They would dine at the Johnson home later in their stay, on November 13, before their departure for Bath. If John
Quincy's future wife, Louisa Catherine Johnson, was present, she was then eight years old.
By October 1 John Quincy Adams felt settled but found his studies far more arduous than he had counted on. Greek was to be "the grand object" that claimed his greatest attention. He was to master nearly all of the New Testament and between three and four of the eight volumes of Xenophon's Cyropaedia, plus five or six books of Homer's Iliad. More secure in Latin, he had already done part of Horace's four books of lyric poetry. In English, he had to study Watts's Logic: Or, The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry After Truth and John Locke's Human Understanding, and something in astronomy.
Given the formidable task ahead, he felt obliged to ask Nabby for a temporary suspension of their agreement to write frequently, at least until he got to Cambridge. He planned to do little socializing in Haverhill, and he anticipated a continual sameness in the days ahead, which meant that he should have little of interest to write her. Still, he would set apart half an hour two days a week to write at least something.
Studying through the winter, progress was painfully slow at times. Getting through 100 verses in the Old Testament was relatively easy, though it was time-consuming to look up the vocabulary. But the more he read in both Greek and Latin, the more deeply he admired both the classic and the lyrical poets. He felt rewarded for all his pains in making the acquaintance of Virgil and in Horace he found many "noble sentiments." The Latin lines copied into his diary may have had deep personal resonance for him; in translation, they read, "Cease to ask what the morrow will bring forth, and set down as gain each day that fortune grants!"
Initially, on arriving at the Shaw home, John Quincy Adams had been glad his trunks were delayed: the lack of decent clothes provided him with an excuse to refuse invitations. He was not eager to make new acquaintances given his experience of the last eight years: no sooner had he made friends, he had been obliged to leave them, probably never to see them again. As a result, his heart, "instead of growing callous by a frequent repetition of the same pain, seem'd to feel every separation more than any of the former ones." Not for the first time he declared himself "really weary of this wandering, strolling kind of life" and vowed to "form few new acquaintances, have few friends," but such as he might—quoting Hamlet—"Grapple to my heart with hooks of steel."
In spite of his intense resolve, he did make new friends with members of a prosperous Haverhill family, the Whites; he enjoyed his first Thanksgiving celebration, a recently established custom determined by the governor of Massachusetts on December 15, and seemed a bit disappointed that Christmas, "a great and important day among Roman Catholics and the followers of the Church of England," was not observed in this country, nor anywhere, he believed, by the dissenters.
Nevertheless his preparation for Harvard was his first priority. Unforeseen interruptions were inevitable, but where he could help it, he remained focused. His Aunts Mary and Elizabeth were keenly aware of their nephew's motivation and commitment. Both women were sympathetic, but only to a point. They frankly disapproved of his sleeping habits. Elizabeth wrote that her nephew was not quite so fleshy—she had written "fat" in the initial draft—and wasn't prey to distractions; to the contrary, "he was too much engaged to suffer any thing but sickness or death to impede his course." Mary, in the same sentence that she assured Abigail that Cousin John, as she called her nephew, had not lost his studious disposition by coming to America, also told her sister that she was almost afraid to let her children visit Haverhill this last vacation lest they interrupt him. And because he never retired before one o'clock in the morning, she feared "he would wear out both body and mind."
Had Aunt Mary been privy to her nephew's diary, she would have learned that he could not study in the morning because the household was so busy, "but that when every body else in the house was in bed, I have nothing to interrupt me"—hence the late hours.
Predictably, given the realities of his life in Haverhill, John Quincy Adams admitted to an "impatient state of mind." Early on he had fretted about how to continue with his journal, facing as he did a continual repetition of one day like another. But then he decided that his approach would be different: "Little narrative, and the most part of what I write will be observations." It was to be the same with his letters, in which with disarming, if not reckless, candor, he would dramatize not only his "family values," but his moral, emotional and philosophical struggles to bridge the transition from a worldly life abroad to the confines of "so small and retired a town as this."
On Monday, June 30, John Quincy Adams left Boston for Philadelphia to report to President George Washington for instructions, traveling first to Providence, then down the river to Newport. He then sailed toward New York on the Romeo and, owing to a dead calm, had to row from Hell Gate into New York City, where he stayed for three days with his sister Nabby and her husband, Colonel Smith, in their home at 18 Cortland Street. Dinner guests that day included Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord and Bon Albert Briois de Beaumetz; also Louis Saint Ange Morel, Chevalier de La Colombe. John Quincy Adams wasn't surprised finding these famed Frenchmen at the Smiths' table. His father had commented on the great number of men of talent in the United States—not only from France but from Switzerland, England, Scotland and Ireland—and feared they would do more harm than good "if 'we are not upon our guard."
Photograph of John Quincy Adams in later life.
Still, they were an impressive group with memorable pasts: Talleyrand, bishop of Autun and ambassador to England; Beaumetz, a prominent member of the National Assembly of France; Colombe, aide-de-camp to the Marquis de Lafayette during the American Revolution, who had escaped from Austria where Lafayette remained imprisoned. Both had been promoters and victims of the French Revolution. John Quincy Adams found Talleyrand reserved and distant, Beaumetz more sociable and communicative. He and Colombe had spoken for half an hour before they realized they had been fellow passengers on the Sensible nearly 16 years ago. Now banished from France and from England, it seemed that America, "this country of universal liberty, this asylum from the most opposite descriptions of oppression," was the only one in which they could find rest. Obviously quite taken by his formidable companions, it was natural to look with reverence, or at least with curiosity, so John Quincy told himself, on men who have been so highly and so recently conspicuous upon the most splendid theater of human affairs.
But parties had successfully destroyed one another, and in the general wreck it was not easy to distinguish between those whose fall has been the effect of their own incapacity, and those who have been only unfortunate. As he wrote his mother, "tempora mutantur et nos mutamur in illis," "The times change and we change with them." Presently, Talleyrand and Beaumetz were exploring business opportunities on behalf of themselves and friends abroad, particularly investments in land. That probably accounted for their presence at the Smiths, the colonel momentarily being a vastly successful landowner in 1794.
But truly, he thought the times unique, that "Perhaps there never has been a period in the history of mankind, when fortune has sported so wantonly with reputation, as of late in France." The tide of popularity ebbed and flowed with nearly the same frequency as that of the ocean, though not with the same regularity. The list of the fallen was long, including Necker, Lafayette, Petion, Condorcet, Brissot, Danton and "innumerable others [who] have in their turns, been at one moment the idols and at the next the victims of the popular clamor. In the distribution of fame, as in everything else," he wrote in his diary, "they have been always in extremes."
Phyllis Lee Levin is the author of several books including The Remarkable Education of John Quincy Adams. She has been a reporter, editor, and columnist for The New York Times and lives in Manhattan.
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Tagged with: John Quincy Adams, phyllis lee levin, The American Revolution, The War of 1812, war of 1812


New York: Biblo and Tannen, 1969. Reprinted. Octavo; G/G; pp 146; red spine with black text; reprint of 1942 edition; dust jacket has slight sunning to exterior; some age toning to front and rear; rubbing to corners; cloth has light sunfading to exterior; strong boards; text block has light shelf wear to exterior edges; interior clean.


I really like this Ace because the coffee cup with the heart looks like it belongs on a messy kitchen counter and makes me think of the potential for expressing our love in the day to day, ordinary give and take of our relationships, however imperfect.
That little wave of water could be the energy inherent in this card, frisking about, wanting us to notice and tap into it. Or maybe it is the result of tapping into it- the emotional wave caused by some act that has suddenly made love visible.
There is a thirst here, a thirst for life and love.


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Globalization;
using System.Linq;
using System.Reflection;
using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Elasticsearch.Net;
using Nest;
using Umbraco.Core.Logging;
using Umbraco.Core.Models;
using Umbraco.Core.Services;
using Umbraco.Elasticsearch.Core.Config;
using Umbraco.Elasticsearch.Core.Utils;
using Umbraco.Web;

namespace Umbraco.Elasticsearch.Core.Impl
{
    public abstract class IndexService<TUmbracoDocument, TUmbracoEntity, TSearchSettings> : IIndexService<TUmbracoEntity>
        where TUmbracoEntity : class, IContentBase
        where TUmbracoDocument : class, IUmbracoDocument, new()
        where TSearchSettings : ISearchSettings
    {
        private readonly IElasticClient _client;
        private readonly UmbracoContext _umbracoContext;
        private readonly Lazy<string> _indexTypeName;

        protected string IndexTypeName => _indexTypeName.Value;

        protected TSearchSettings SearchSettings { get; }

        protected IndexService(IElasticClient client, UmbracoContext umbracoContext, TSearchSettings searchSettings)
        {
            _client = client;
            _umbracoContext = umbracoContext;
            SearchSettings = searchSettings;
            _indexTypeName = new Lazy<string>(InitialiseIndexTypeName);
        }

        protected IndexService(TSearchSettings searchSettings)
            : this(UmbracoSearchFactory.Client, UmbracoContext.Current, searchSettings)
        {
        }

        protected virtual string InitialiseIndexTypeName()
        {
            var indexName = _client.Infer.TypeName<TUmbracoDocument>();
            return typeof (TUmbracoDocument).GetCustomAttribute<ElasticsearchTypeAttribute>()?.Name;
        }

        public void Index(TUmbracoEntity entity)
        {
            if (!UmbracoSearchFactory.HasActiveIndex) throw new InvalidOperationException("Unable to index node without a currently active index");
            Index(entity, UmbracoSearchFactory.ActiveIndexName);
        }

        public void Index(TUmbracoEntity entity, string indexName)
        {
            if (!IsExcludedFromIndex(entity))
            {
                try
                {
                    var doc = CreateCore(entity);
                    if (doc != null)
                    {
                        var response = IndexCore(_client, doc, indexName);
                        if (!response.IsValid)
                        {
                            LogHelper.Warn<IndexService<TUmbracoDocument, TUmbracoEntity, TSearchSettings>>($"Unable to create document for indexing from '{entity.Name}' with Id: {entity.Id} Reason: {response.ApiCall.ServerError.Error.Reason}");
                            entity.SetIndexingStatus(IndexingStatusOption.Error,$"Unable to create document for indexing from '{entity.Name}' with Id: {entity.Id} Reason: {response.ApiCall.ServerError.Error.Reason}");
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            entity.SetIndexingStatus(IndexingStatusOption.Success,$"Indexed '{entity.Name}' into '{indexName}'");
                        }

                    }
                    else
                    {
                        LogHelper.Warn<IndexService<TUmbracoDocument, TUmbracoEntity, TSearchSettings>>($"Unable to create document for indexing from '{entity.Name}' with Id: {entity.Id}");
                        entity.SetIndexingStatus(IndexingStatusOption.Error, $"Unable to create document for indexing from '{entity.Name}' with Id: {entity.Id}");
                    }
                }
                catch (Exception ex)
                {
                    LogHelper.Error<IndexService<TUmbracoDocument, TUmbracoEntity, TSearchSettings>>($"Unable to create document for indexing from '{entity.Name}' with Id: {entity.Id} due to exception", ex);
                    entity.SetIndexingStatus(IndexingStatusOption.Error, $"Unable to create document for indexing from '{entity.Name}' with Id: {entity.Id}");
                }
            }
            else
            {
                Remove(entity, indexName);
            }
        }

        protected virtual IIndexResponse IndexCore(IElasticClient client, TUmbracoDocument document, string indexName = null)
        {
           return client.Index(document, i => i.Index(indexName).Id(document.Id));
        }

        public void UpdateIndexTypeMapping(string indexName)
        {
            var mapping = _client.GetMapping<TUmbracoDocument>(m => m.Index(indexName));
            if (mapping.Mapping == null && !mapping.Mappings.Any())
            {
                UpdateIndexTypeMappingCore(_client, indexName);
                LogHelper.Info(GetType(),
                    () =>
                        $"Updated content type mapping for '{typeof (TUmbracoDocument).Name}' using type name '{InitialiseIndexTypeName()}'");
            }
        }

        public string EntityTypeName { get; } = typeof (TUmbracoDocument).Name;

        public string DocumentTypeName { get; } =
            typeof (TUmbracoDocument).GetCustomAttribute<ElasticsearchTypeAttribute>().Name;

        public long CountOfDocumentsForIndex(string indexName)
        {
            var response = _client.Count<TUmbracoDocument>(c => c.Index(indexName).Type(DocumentTypeName));
            if (response.IsValid)
            {
                return response.Count;
            }
            return -1;
        }

        protected abstract IEnumerable<TUmbracoEntity> RetrieveIndexItems(ServiceContext serviceContext);

        protected virtual IBulkResponse RemoveFromIndex(IList<string> ids, string indexName)
        {
            if (ids.Any())
            {
                return _client.Bulk(b => b.DeleteMany<TUmbracoDocument>(ids, (desc, id) => desc.Index(indexName)).Refresh(Refresh.True));
            }
            return null;
        }

        protected virtual void AddOrUpdateIndex(IList<TUmbracoDocument> docs, string indexName, int pageSize = 500)
        {
            if (docs.Any())
            {
                LogHelper.Info(GetType(), () => $"Indexing {docs.Count} {DocumentTypeName} documents into {indexName}");
                var response = _client.Bulk(b => b.IndexMany(docs, (desc, doc) => desc.Index(indexName).Id(doc.Id)));
                if (response.Errors)
                {
                    LogHelper.Warn(GetType(), $"There were errors during bulk indexing, {response.ItemsWithErrors.Count()} items failed");
                }
                LogHelper.Info(GetType(), () => $"Finished indexing {docs.Count} {DocumentTypeName} documents into {indexName}");
            }

        }

        public void Build(string indexName, Func<ServiceContext, IEnumerable<TUmbracoEntity>> customRetrieveFunc = null)
        {
            var pageSize = IndexBatchSize;
            LogHelper.Info(GetType(), () => $"Starting to index [{DocumentTypeName}] into {indexName} (custom retrieval: {customRetrieveFunc != null})");
            var retrievedItems = customRetrieveFunc?.Invoke(_umbracoContext.Application.Services) ?? RetrieveIndexItems(_umbracoContext.Application.Services);

            foreach (var contentList in retrievedItems.Page(pageSize))
            {
                var contentGroups = contentList.ToLookup(IsExcludedFromIndex, c => c);
                RemoveFromIndex(contentGroups[true].Select(x => x.Id.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)).ToList(), indexName);
                AddOrUpdateIndex(contentGroups[false].Select(CreateCore).Where(x => x != null).ToList(), indexName, pageSize);
            }
            _client.Refresh(indexName);

            LogHelper.Info(GetType(), () => $"Finished indexing [{DocumentTypeName}] into {indexName}");
        }

        protected virtual int IndexBatchSize => SearchSettings.GetAdditionalData(UmbElasticsearchConstants.Configuration.IndexBatchSize, 500);

        protected abstract void Create(TUmbracoDocument doc, TUmbracoEntity entity);

        protected virtual void UpdateIndexTypeMappingCore(IElasticClient client, string indexName)
        {
            client.Map<TUmbracoDocument>(m => m.AutoMap().Index(indexName));
        }

        private TUmbracoDocument CreateCore(TUmbracoEntity contentInstance)
        {
            try
            {
                var doc = new TUmbracoDocument
                {
                    Id = IdFor(contentInstance),
                    Url = UrlFor(contentInstance)
                };

                Create(doc, contentInstance);

                return doc;

            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                LogHelper.Error(GetType(), $"Unable to create {contentInstance.Name} due to an exception", ex);
                contentInstance.SetIndexingStatus(IndexingStatusOption.Error, $"Unable to create {contentInstance.Name} due to an exception");
                return null;
            }
        }

        public void Remove(TUmbracoEntity entity, string indexName)
        {
            try
            {
                RemoveCore(_client, entity, indexName);
                entity.SetIndexingStatus(IndexingStatusOption.Success, $"Removed '{entity.Name}' from '{indexName}'");
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                LogHelper.Error(GetType(), $"Unable to remove '{entity.Name}' due to an exception", ex);
                entity.SetIndexingStatus(IndexingStatusOption.Error, $"Unable to remove '{entity.Name}' due to an exception");
            }
        }

        protected virtual void RemoveCore(IElasticClient client, TUmbracoEntity entity,
            string indexName = null)
        {
            var idValue = IdFor(entity);
            var documentPath = DocumentPath<TUmbracoDocument>.Id(idValue);
            if (client.DocumentExists(documentPath, d => d.Index(indexName)).Exists)
            {
                client.Delete(documentPath, d => d.Index(indexName));
            }
        }

        public virtual bool IsExcludedFromIndex(TUmbracoEntity entity)
        {
            var propertyAlias = SearchSettings.GetAdditionalData(UmbElasticsearchConstants.Configuration.ExcludeFromIndexPropertyAlias, UmbElasticsearchConstants.Properties.ExcludeFromIndexAlias);
            return entity.HasProperty(propertyAlias) && entity.GetValue<bool>(propertyAlias);
        }

        public abstract bool ShouldIndex(TUmbracoEntity entity);

        protected virtual string UrlFor(TUmbracoEntity contentInstance)
        {
            return UmbracoContext.Current.UrlProvider.GetUrl(contentInstance.Id);
        }

        protected virtual string IdFor(TUmbracoEntity contentInstance)
        {
            return contentInstance.Id.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


As I mentioned in my previous post, to get to Tianmen Mountain requires a 20 to 30-minute cable car ride. According to Google, this cable car rail is claimed to be the world's longest with a total length of 24,459 feet (7,455 meters) and 98 cars.
The scenery changes frequently during the journey as you can tell from the gallery below. As we left the station, we floated across the city before heading into the rural and mountainous area. I didn't take many pictures during the ride. I was sitting looking upward while trying to contain my vomiting. It wasn't the height that made me feel sick, it was the constant swinging and each time the car dipped, I felt like we were about to plummet to the ground.
As we soared higher, I began training myself to take large deep breaths. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. After a minute though, I had to stop because the other three passengers were looking at me, worried I might give birth at any moment. Thankfully, we arrived and I was on the ground again.


text:
Q: passing commandline arguments to a selenium python webdriver test case The following code is written using selenium python web driver which is run in saucelabs.I am providing the browser name,version and platform in a list,how do i do the same by providing the browser details through command line arguments? I am using py.test to execute the test cases.
import os
import sys
import httplib
import base64
import json
import new
import unittest
import sauceclient
from selenium import webdriver
from sauceclient import SauceClient

# it's best to remove the hardcoded defaults and always get these values
# from environment variables
USERNAME = os.environ.get('SAUCE_USERNAME', "ranjanprabhub")
ACCESS_KEY = os.environ.get('SAUCE_ACCESS_KEY', "ecec4dd0-d8da-49b9-b719-17e2c43d0165")
sauce = SauceClient(USERNAME, ACCESS_KEY)

browsers = [{"platform": "Mac OS X 10.9",
             "browserName": "chrome",
             "version": ""},
           ]

def on_platforms(platforms):
    def decorator(base_class):
        module = sys.modules[base_class.__module__].__dict__
        for i, platform in enumerate(platforms):
            d = dict(base_class.__dict__)
            d['desired_capabilities'] = platform
            name = "%s_%s" % (base_class.__name__, i + 1)
            module[name] = new.classobj(name, (base_class,), d)
    return decorator

@on_platforms(browsers)
class SauceSampleTest(unittest.TestCase):
    def setUp(self):
        self.desired_capabilities['name'] = self.id()

        sauce_url = "http://%s:%s@ondemand.saucelabs.com:80/wd/hub"
        self.driver = webdriver.Remote(
            desired_capabilities=self.desired_capabilities,
            command_executor=sauce_url % (USERNAME, ACCESS_KEY)
        )
        self.driver.implicitly_wait(30)

    def test_sauce(self):
        self.driver.get('http://saucelabs.com/test/guinea-pig')
        assert "I am a page title - Sauce Labs" in self.driver.title
        comments = self.driver.find_element_by_id('comments')
        comments.send_keys('Hello! I am some example comments.'
                           ' I should be in the page after submitting the form')
        self.driver.find_element_by_id('submit').click()

        commented = self.driver.find_element_by_id('your_comments')
        assert ('Your comments: Hello! I am some example comments.'
                ' I should be in the page after submitting the form'
                in commented.text)
        body = self.driver.find_element_by_xpath('//body')
        assert 'I am some other page content' not in body.text
        self.driver.find_elements_by_link_text('i am a link')[0].click()
        body = self.driver.find_element_by_xpath('//body')
        assert 'I am some other page content' in body.text

    def tearDown(self):
        print("Link to your job: https://saucelabs.com/jobs/%s" % self.driver.session_id)
        try:
            if sys.exc_info() == (None, None, None):
                sauce.jobs.update_job(self.driver.session_id, passed=True)
            else:
                sauce.jobs.update_job(self.driver.session_id, passed=False)
        finally:
            self.driver.quit()

A: So this is a bit complicated because you can pass an array of browsers into the @on_platforms decorator. My solution will only work for a single browser, as it looks like that's what you're doing right now.

For the current, single browser, situation -- you're looking for argparse. Here's my suggested fix:
import argparse

def setup_parser():
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Automation Testing!')
    parser.add_argument('-p', '--platform', help='Platform for desired_caps', default='Mac OS X 10.9')
    parser.add_argument('-b', '--browser-name', help='Browser Name for desired_caps', default='chrome')
    parser.add_argument('-v', '--version', default='')

    args = vars(parser.parse_args())

    return args

desired_caps = setup_parser()
browsers = [desired_caps]
print browsers

But if you're looking to test multiple browsers (which I suggest you do!), you should not try and use command line arguments for the desired_caps of each individual browser. You should instead  load a json config file for the browsers and the desired_caps for each one that you want Sauce to run.
Maybe have a different config file for each set of browsers, and then use command line arguments to pass in the config files you want to load.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Corn and Sausage Chowder is a hearty pick-me-up for a cold day. Red pepper flakes give it a bit of zip. The variation includes pimento cheese spread.
Scramble and brown the pork sausage in a Dutch oven. Drain off the fat. Add water, potatoes, onion, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and heat through.
•	Use 2 cans creamed corn instead of the 1 quart creamed corn.
•	Use 1 can whole kernel corn, one 8 ounce box of frozen instead of the fresh kernel corn.
•	Use 1 small can evaporated milk instead of the heavy cream.
•	Add 1 cup pimento cheese spread. Add it when you add the corn.
•	If you use a spicy sausage, you may want to omit the red pepper flakes.
•	Corn bread and a tossed green salad.


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Escort Missions Suck
Russ Pitts | 20 Nov 2007 08:45
Editor's Choice - RSS 2.0
"Generally, escort missions are used to change up gameplay," says John Feil, the level designer at LucasArts responsible for the escort missions in Star Wars: Episode One - Battle for Naboo. "There really aren't a lot of types of missions out there. If you don't want your game to be 100 percent full of 'find the foozle and kill it/deliver something/save it from certain doom' [missions], then you start considering escort missions."
Or, as Dansky says: "You decide you need an escort mission when you look down at the checklist of all mission objectives and see 'eliminate all enemies,' 'eliminate all enemies,' 'eliminate all enemies' and 'eliminate all enemies.'"
"The first problem an escort mission solves, is 'Where do I go?'" says Feil. "In most escort missions, the thing you are escorting knows the way out. Using a mission like this, you can be sure that the player is unlikely to get lost."
Feil says escort missions also prevent players from wandering too far and exploring undeveloped areas, eliminate the need for players to seek out enemies to kill and allow the designers to make it possible to tell a story to a player who's no longer running all over the map exploring and searching for opponents. Escort missions create a single focus point from which the player dares not stray, to which enemies will flock and through whom the story can be channeled "without having to be a 'floating head' contacting him through remote means," Feil says. "I still don't like them, though."
"I still think the best balm for repetitive/limited quest options is a brilliant story," says Leanne Taylor, scriptwriter for Pandemic. "If you're gathering something, it's usually for a puzzle or for someone who'll then turn around and use what you collected to kill a bunch of other things while you're escorting him. It's sad, but no one seems to be able to come up with anything better."
And yet, they keep trying. But not purely out of a need to solve problems. Some designers genuinely want you to care about the characters they create, and putting you in a situation where their lives are in your hands is often seen as a shortcut to emotional investment.
Putting your life on the line to save someone else "is really cool in war movies," says McGann, "but never translates well into videogames. Escorts attempt, and fail, to touch at the heart of sacrifice, protection and even love, in putting someone else's wellbeing in front of your own, but with saves and loads what really is the emotional investment there, beyond frustration when they die and you fail over and over again?"
Escort missions are an attempt to solve a problem with tools wholly incapable of doing the job. Neither the technology nor the craft are to a point where it's even remotely possible to create an escort mission that doesn't flat out piss you off. It's like trying to build a house with only a pair of pliers and some duct tape. You can do it, but it won't be pretty, and you wouldn't want to live in the resulting structure.
russ pittseditors choiceescort missionsissue_124jeff mcgannjohn feillarry sonntagrichard danskytracy seamster
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


During the revamp of the Freelance Success website designer Cath and I had a chat about the Job Search page, and in particular my old link to the website Freelancer.com. Another recent article in the SMH about this portal made me realise that it's worth a closer look – and even closer crtiticism.
Freelancer.com proudly proclaims that it's the World's Largest Outsourcing Marketplace, with $1.1b worth of jobs posted, but it's clearly not designed to make freelancers a more valuable commodity. The website brags to potential clients that freelancers can be hired "to do your contract work at a fraction of the cost". Highly skilled jobs such as writing an article or designing a logo are listed for as little as $2 a pop. Even more worrying, some jobs are decided upon by blatant and direct competition without any form of financial reward for the creative work. The website invites clients to "host a contest for freelancers! Judge every entry, request edits and only award the best one or your money back!" Of course freelancing is about competitive pricing and vying for work with your peers. This is not, however, the healthy business model that Freelancer.com promotes. This website is not looking for the best value. This website is looking for cheap. It's a race to the bottom. Devaluing creative work, and outsourcing to the most exploitable person who will do that work, does nothing for our creative industries or our power as a self-employed collective. It cheapens the fundamental role that we play in our economy, and encourages clients to view us as worthless. We are not worthless, Freelancer.com!
Do yourself a favour. Stay away from this website, and discourage your peers from joining. These are not the clients you are looking for!
Until next time, happy freelancing. Remember to value your work!


Join us for a day of interactive maple education for all sizes of producers!
Learn to Make Better Maple Syrup! Talk with Experts!
Keep up with Trends! Share experiences! See new technology!
Growth rates of trees tapped with high-yield sap collection practices—are Conservative Tapping Guidelines sustainable? Are existing tapping guidelines appropriate to use with current sap collection practices that enable the collection of much greater amounts of sap? This study examined the growth rates of trees from 18 Vermont sugarbushes that were tapped with high-yield sap collection practices, developed an interactive model of the tapping zone, and investigated whether the current Conservative Tapping Guidelines are appropriate to use with these practices.
It is well established that tubing and spout sanitation practices have large effects on sap production. Replacement of droplines, use of new spouts, check valves, and tubing/spout cleaning all produce increases in sap yield. Each of these practices also come at a cost, therefore the resulting net profit (gross profit minus cost) will vary tremendously. This presentation will explore results of studies investigating the effects of different replacement and cleaning strategies on the amount of sap producers can expect to get out of their woods, as well as the projected net profits they can put in their pocket, based upon the strategy used, and will introduce a tool to help producers choose the approach that best fits their operation.
Henry Marckers, VT Agency of Agriculture and Matt Gordon, VMSMA Executive Dir.
A discussion of the new system. What it means to sugarmakers, consumers and packers. The reasoning behind the change. What are the next steps? Time line? Available Supplies?
Filtering is extremely important throughout the sugaring process. Whether filtering sap or syrup learn what you need to do to make the highest quality final product for your buyers—consumers or packers. Brad will discuss the new clear filter press and have some demos.
How to get the best out of your tubing set-up. From mainlines to drops, learn the best practices of how to set up an efficient tubing/vacuum system. Get tips whether your woods are flat, steep or somewhere in between.
The last twenty years have seen tremendous improvements in the materials and methods that maple producers use to collect sap from their woods, with the result that yields are considerably higher than they were a short time ago. Despite this, syrup yields on a per acre basis are relatively low, and the availability of well-stocked maple stands in some production areas is limited. Development of high-yielding traditional sugarbushes with traditional methods is a long-term endeavor and fairly costly. This presentation will outline a new method of collecting sap that can be applied to both naturally regenerating dense maple stands as well as plantations of maple saplings that requires less land and has yields greatly exceeding those possible with current methods.
In this two part session, Bill Scott, FFA Instructor Emeritus leads beginning sugarmakers from the tree to the sugarhouse, discussing taping, tubing, filtering basics and other techniques. The second session reviews boiling techniques, best practices when it comes to drawing syrup off, filtering, grading and canning.
Is 3/16" Tubing the Answer to Vacuum Systems?
New experimentation shows great promise in getting vacuum without the equipment when using 3/16" tubing. Sugarmakers Art Kruger and Miles Tudhope, each having very different sugarbushes, will discuss how the tubing worked from them. Tim Wilmot, Proctor Research Specialist, will speak from his controlled experiments at the Proctor Research Center.
Many producers sell their product in bulk, but there is a great market for value added products. Ruth will demonstrate some of the more interesting ways to use maple. Go beyond cream, candy and granulated sugar.
Glenn will explore the best practices for boiling no matter if you are the backyarder or a 50,000 tap operation or burning with wood, oil or other fuel.
In part two of this session, Bill Scott, FFA Instructor Emeritus reviews boiling techniques, best practices when it comes to drawing syrup off, filtering, grading and canning.
Learn how to become certified, whether your operation is large or small. Henry and Matt will discuss the guidelines and criteria for certification. Kurt and Tom will offer input as to their experiences and what they had to do to meet the certification standards. Kurt has an established traditional operation and Tom's operation has been recently established.


Although proper Design for Manufacturing requires the utmost care be taken during the design of your product, manufacturing is not the only step that should be on your mind when designing: assembly is critical as well. Whether you assemble the product yourself or someone else does, it's important to anticipate what will unfold on the assembly line and how your design can affect the process. Here are a few tips for how to best design your product with assembly (and disassembly) in mind.
Consider all of the tools needed to perform assembly, and how the technician will use them. Try to change your design to minimize the number of tools required. For example, if a driver is required for a single bolt of one type, change the design so a more common bolt and tool can be used. When it comes to fasteners, consider the time it takes to install and the tool needed to do so. Using fewer tools and types of fasteners simplifies both the purchasing and assembly processes. The best solution, though, is to design fasteners out altogether by utilizing fastening features such as internal clips.
Milled plastic clips for holding a wire in place.
For the tools that are required, note their physical limitations and size: will the technician be able to fit them into the space they're needed to do their job? When considering fastening screws on the inside of a product, ensure the tool can access the fastener at all. Adding a tool access hole into your design may remove the need for technicians or customers to disassemble a significant portion of the product. Also ensure your technicians can see what they're doing at all times, as a fastening step will take much longer and be far more challenging if they can't see anything.
Without a tool access hole (left), the bolt is inaccessible and cannot be installed.
Also consider if any custom tools will have to be purchased or fabricated. These can be simple jigs for aligning components, a special attachment for an off-the-shelf tool, or tooling for installing press-in fasteners. It may be possible to change the design so these aren't necessary, or utilize unmodified off-the-shelf tools. Don't forget that you'll likely need multiple of each tool, once you move past a certain number of production units, so keeping cost low is key!
Also, ask yourself if precision interfaces and locations are present in your product. Instead of building tight tolerances into the parts of the product, consider the possibility of building one or two fixtures for precise assembly. By doing this, you remove the burden of dealing with tight tolerances from your contract manufacturers, therefore dropping the price of your parts. Instead, focus on the design and manufacture of the precision fixture, which can lead to the same end result, but relies on precision in assembly rather than precision in manufacturing. In the same vein, if precise location isn't required, consider designing in self-locating features to your parts to make it difficult, or impossible, to assemble incorrectly.
The safety and comfort of your technicians is important. If they aren't comfortable while doing their work, the end product will suffer as a result. It's likely that the design of your product can be changed to reduce the physical effort needed to put it together. Safety is paramount, of course: consider beforehand if a particular assembly step requires a loud operation. If so, use safety protection and require others nearby to do the same.
If the assembly environment contains any potential airborne projectiles, such as clipped ends of wires or splattering liquid, safety glasses should be worn. Gloves are also fantastic for protecting both the technician and the product: hand oils can quicken the spread of rust on an unprotected steel surface, for example. The chance of this occurring during assembly can be reduced with a coating or material choice: the operator could first coat the steel with oil to protect the surface, or aluminum could be selected in the design phase, for an even greater rust-resistant part.
Also consider how your technicians will interact with the product or part they're assembling: excessive movements of a heavy part can be taxing. However, a clever design choice can improve ergonomics for your technicians. For example, placing many of the fasteners along a face that can be accessed from the same orientation reduces burden on the technician. If you can't design in hand-holds or features that make it easy to carry the product, consider designing a custom fixture that makes it easier to move the product around. Fixtures that keep your product stationary on the line are always helpful, too.
One of the biggest challenges is the ability to foresee issues with wiring, as it's time-consuming to model the exact path it will follow in a 3D model and therefore sometimes neglected in CAD. As a result, it's important to consider the requirements of your wiring: the size of holes needed for connectors to pass through, the path the wiring will travel, and opportunities to provide strain relief. It's important to walk through the assembly steps before wrapping up the design, and ask yourself if the product can even be assembled as-is. If your wiring harnesses are being made elsewhere during production, it's important to either receive a sample or make one yourself, to test the fit. If you're not careful, you may design an impossible-to-assemble product by removing access to wiring before it's connected to a PCB, for example.
Designing out fasteners by using clever techniques such as internal clips is just as possible as removing the need for cable ties and other wire retention products by designing in wiring channels or other fastening features.
Channels can be added for routing wiring.
The way a product is disassembled largely affects the speed with which you turn around test results or support requests. Consider the inevitable occurrence of a used product showing up on your bench again, whether it's at the end of a lot of testing, returning from a review or from an unhappy customer. The product will have to be disassembled and inspected quickly. This is where designing in an unnecessarily rigid seal, maybe one that's glued instead of fastened with a more temporary method, can add significant time to your process. Similarly, don't use a permanent fastening method like rivets in an area that may need disassembly.
If the customer may end up doing some disassembly themselves, you can reduce the burden on your support team by incorporating features to make certain components obviously disassemble-able. Consider using a different finish or color for fasteners that can be removed by customers, and include the tools required for them to do so. When it comes to applying threadlocker, use the super strong stuff on any fasteners that you never want touched, but use slightly less strong liquid for anything the customer may interact with, and instruct them on how to deal with it.
In general, there are a few key takeaways when it comes to Designing for Assembly: First, reduce overall part and tool count. Next, reduce the complexity of your mass-produced parts, both for the sake of easy assembly and lower part costs. Carefully consider how your wiring will be routed throughout your product, and design your parts to be assembled without fail.
The disk part can be installed in four orientations, increasing the risk of incorrect placement.
Now, with a flat edge, the disk part can only be installed in one orientation.
Ideally, your parts are symmetric and can be installed in a variety of orientations, but if they must be asymmetric, make it blatant in your design. And finally, consider the health of the workers on the assembly line, and how they're interacting with the product.
In the end, though, it's all about consistent improvement through many iterations: you're going to miss some things from the start, but by keeping a close eye on how your product is assembled (and trying it for yourself!), you can rapidly improve the design to make everyone's lives easier, and more profitable.


When Dr. Muhammad Babar was asked to join a delegation of 12 American-Muslim leaders on an AJC-sponsored trip to Israel this past November, he felt conflicted.
Yet Babar, founder and president of Muslim Americans for Compassion and Doctors for Healthy Communities, did go. He interacted with Israelis and Palestinians, and he came home with his own understanding of the Middle East situation.
The AJC Project Interchange, which sponsored Babar's trip, advances understanding of Israel for decision-makers and opinion leaders across key fields. Participants experience Israeli society, connect with their Israeli counterparts, and learn about challenges facing the country.
Babar's group met with "policy makers, academics and common people," he said. They went to Akko and Haifa, spent a day in Ramallah in the West Bank, and met a Druze leader.
They also visited the Dome of the Rock, the Al Aqsa Mosque, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
At the same time, Babar was disturbed by how extremists in Israel and the Palestinian territories exploit the situation, making it difficult for people to connect with one another.
In public, though, an anti-Israel image is projected.
Babar also found disturbing the suffering of the Palestinian people. In the Gaza Strip alone, he said, roughly 2.5 million people live on a small plot of land.
Neither side understands or empathizes with the other, Babar believes. In Israel, for instance, Arab and Jewish children attend different schools and rarely get to interact until they reach college.
There are some bright spots that hold hope for the future. In Haifa, Babar visited the Convent of Nazareth School, where children of different faiths attend classes together. He was so impressed by the program that he plans to support it through his organization, Muslim Americans for Compassion. He hopes the Jewish community will join him in that effort.
At the Western Wall, a spot he described as central to all three Abrahamic religions, Babar said he felt close to heaven and "the prophet" Solomon. He said he rested his head on the stonework and prayed to "our creator" for peace on earth.


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Softbank's Stock Falls The Most In 7 Years Over Coronavirus Fears, Earnings Results
March 11, 2020 May 28, 2020 OfficeChai Team
Softbank, which has been going through a tough few quarters with its star portfolio companies Uber, WeWork and Oyo Rooms all struggling, is now battling a problem it could scarcely have predicted a while ago — the coronavirus. Softbank Group's stock yesterday fell 10 percent, which is its biggest decline since October 2012. "It was a one-two punch of coronavirus fears and terrible earnings results," said Justin Tang, head of Asian research at United First Partners in Singapore.
Some of Softbank's portfolio companies, and in turn, its own stock, are particularly vulnerable to the Coronavirus. One of WeWork's biggest bets is WeWork, but with Corornavirus now spreading around the globe, more and more people are working from home, which could mean that WeWork's properties could see lower demand over the next few months. WeWork's business model leases out properties for long periods, divides them up, and then gives them out to freelancers and companies for short periods. If fewer people go in to WeWork's spaces over the next few months, it'll still have to pay its fixed lease amounts, but its revenues could take a hit as people work from home.
Another one of Softbank's big bets is even worse affected — travel and tourism is one of the industries that's the most impacted through the coronavirus, and that could mean a torrid couple of quarters for Oyo Rooms. With several countries now issuing travel advisories, and even companies cutting down on non-essential travel, Oyo Rooms could see dramatically lower demand for its properties. Also, China, which is the epicenter of the epidemic, is Oyo's largest market, which means that the company could be particularly severely hit. Another big Softbank company, Uber, is in the travel space as well, and could could its revenues fall in the coming months.
These could lead to bigger challenges for Softbank, which has been struggling to raise a follow up fund to its mega $100 billion Vision Fund. Even before the coronavirus had reared its head, WeWork had seen its IPO spectacularly collapse, and its valuation go from $47 billion to $8 billion. Oyo Rooms too is seen to be struggling, and has let go nearly one-third of its staff across global markets. And with coronavirus now shaping up be a major disrupter, Softbank faces another challenge that threatens its ambitions of being the world's largest startup investor.
Posted in Startups, Stories


President Donald Trump, un-buoyed by his former chief of staff John Kelly, went on a bender this past weekend, and America is left with the hangover. No, the Leader of the Free World's drug of choice isn't alcohol, it's Twitter, and there was no one able to cut him off.
The President isn't binge watching, he's binge tweeting.
From Saturday morning at 7:05 AM to Monday morning at 7:35 AM, President Trump launched 35 angry, narcissistic, lying, threatening, attacking, and often rapid-fire tweets and retweets.
His targets: "Nancy and Cryin' Chuck," aka, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate Democratic Leader. Then there's "Elizabeth Warren, often referred to by me as Pocahontas," and "Jeff Bozo," the publisher of the "lobbyist newspaper, the Amazon Washington Post." That would be Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Jeff Bezos, the founder of the publicly-traded company Amazon.com, and separately, privately, the owner the Washington Post. The two businesses are not linked.
But facts like "Amazon.com does not own The Washington Post," are too trivial for this President, who was confronted with possibly the worst news yet in the Mueller investigation over the weekend.
Trump has been using the four-week long shutdown to distract from the ripening Mueller investigation, which many believe is nearing a conclusion.
On Friday, The New York Times revealed the FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation into the sitting President of the United States to determine if he is a Russian spy, a Russian asset, or in some way working for Russia and Vladimir Putin.
On Saturday, The Washington Post reported Trump has gone to "extraordinary" lengths to cover up his discussions with Vladimir Putin. He has refused to allow note takers in the room, and once, when there was a note taker, he took her notes and swore her to secrecy.
Or his repeated theme, that's he's waiting in the White House for Democrats to come to the table, which they did – and he kicked them out and stormed out of the room.
The President also retweeted RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, who has become one of his top protectors.
This tweet is especially egregiously misleading. Almost all of the 90% of heroin that "comes from south of the border" comes in through legal ports of entry, not smuggled by migrants crossing the Rio Grande or climbing over a wall.
The Washington Post, Trump's "favorite" paper, explains that "while 90 percent of the heroin sold in the United States comes from Mexico, virtually all of it comes through legal points of entry." So a wall isn't going to change that.
But again, facts are too trivial for this President.
And the longest-running shutdown of the federal government continues, with no end in sight.


Pupils aggressiveness, teacher education, preshool education.
Action research at the Teachers Training Faculty still going on. Repository of the Project is Institute for Educational Research, for STEP Project, Finland Government.


Start hanging out with Thai people enough and you'll soon learn that having an affair is as normal as eating pie. The term Gik or Kik refers to the person you are having an affair with in English I guess you would call this person your lover, however in Thailand being a Kik doesn't necessarily mean you have sexual relations with the person you are a Kik to. It's more like a companion for when you're feeling lonely and/or just want to go out and have fun.
For the most part Thai men married or not are typically the ones who have Kik's but Thai women are just as likely to have a Kik too if they are not married. It's kind of like a play date for them especially when a Thai male is married the wife will stay at home and he'll go out with his Kik. Married Thai women know that their partner are out with their Kik and it's typically accepted or tolerated. I can't speak for Thai women however i'm pretty sure it's justified as long as the guy keeps taking care of her and her kids financially. For a Thai women being single and having kids is definitely something they don't want to experience.
Working out who is and isn't a Kik is a somewhat challenging task. Take for example this girl I'm seeing who is about 36y/o. I've been out with her friends a few times now and one of her friends a lady about 40y/o with 4 kids. The first few times we had dinner together she was with this guy called A. Now I just assumed these two were married because of their age and by the way they were acting. Now I went out with them again and this time there was another guy with us but A wasn't there but some other guy was.
At first I didn't even realise they were an item or anything because you know how Thai people are kind of conservative and need to drink a bottle of red before they start showing any kind of affection. So we're drinking away and this new guy goes off to play some cards at another table. (I don't gamble) Anyway so I asked this girl Som (that's her name) if she had any kids, she said 4. I said oh ok wow that's a lot. A must have his hands full is he at home with the kids?
By the look on her face I could tell that I've either said something wrong or embarressed her and glad that I decided to ask her when she was alone and not in front of anyoen else. Turns out Mr A is just 1 of several Kiks she has and that the four kids of hers all have different fathers. geez even more surprisingly is her affluence.
Well Som and her new Kik start showing a bit more affection and I start to get it a bit more but wonder what the deal is with this guy. So I ask my girl about this dude and she tells me he has a wife and two kids that are at home in bed while he is out with us. She also tells me he's a big into the soapy massages as well and owns a local Toyota dealership. Neither Som or anyone else really seem bothered by all this and are all casual about the affair. Som get's a bit more drunk when I ask her about what the deal is and she tells me she doesn't sleep with any of her Kiks but I find that extremely hard to believe if at all.
Even if she doesn't do anything the way they are cuddling and acting out makes believe their is more too it. "Just Friends" don't cuddle and hold hands. The ease and relaxed nature of Affairs in Thailand are tolerated and accepted it's a part of their culture which Thai people in Thai style would refuse to admit just as Som refuses to admit there are any sexual relations between her and her Kiks.
Thailand has a culture of acceptance in all parts of life and at the same time avoiding confrontation. You'll hear many Thai girls saying that they hate Thai guys because they "nork jai" or cheat on their wives/girlfriends but it's the culture of acceptance and non confrontation that perpetuates the Kik culture.
It's often unlikely that when a Thai woman marries that she will either become or take on a Kik. When they have children and a family they want to do whatever it takes to make everyone happy and this is why the Thai woman is a much sought after wife. But until you marry her watch out because just like Thai guys Thai women will have their Kiks too.
The 'mai noi' is a more 'permanent' addition normally a home is provided and everything paid for. The Gik maybe (sometimes) get's an 'allowance'. I always think of a Gik as a 50% GF without the hassles.
They say, if a man's not married by the time he's 40 he's either gay or a rascal… which one are you?
Hi Chris, I'm working in Bangkok- teaching English at a Nursing College." There are a gazillion beautiful nurses there. I'm hoping to get a few of the married ones to "have-an- adventure," and try-out a farang. I'll let you know if i meet with any success.
Pattaya is great! Nurses go off dude! Love it!


Robert And Sarah Paid Off The Mortgage!
Robert and Sarah are in Financial Peace Plaza to celebrate debt freedom! They paid off $100,000 in student loans and their $150,000 mortgage in five years!
Robert and Sarah are in Financial Peace Plaza to celebrate debt freedom! They paid off $100,000 in student loans and their $150,000 mortgage in five years! Robert is 30, and Sarah is 28. They made about $250,000 a year to pay this off.


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Kapil Sibal Lays Foundation Stone for India's 3rd Research Base at Antarctica – "Bharati"
Union Minister for Earth Sciences, Human Resource Development, Science & Technology and Communications & Information Technology Shri Kapil Sibal laid foundation stone for India's 3rd Research Base at Antarctica – "Bharati" today at New Delhi. He said, " The first Indian station in Antarctica, Dakshin Gangotri, established in 1983-84, "Maitri"- the second Indian station on mountainous – 'Schirmacher Oasis' in 1988, Research station – Himadri- at Svalbard region of Arctic and now construction of a new research station – Bharati- at Larsemann Hills, east Antarctica is an achievement. This will be completed by 2012."
Shri Sibal said, "The Bharati will be a unique station with advanced facilities. It will accommodate around 70 people. 35 scientists and 10 logistic people will remain throughout the year. They will experiment on movement of platonic plates, microbes surviving in this atmosphere, magnetic properties, aerosol etc. The station will incur the cost of Rs. 200 crore. The Maitri station will be restructured to present standard and ultra modern facilities, the Minister added.
Polar Research Programme of India includes Polar Regions, Arctic and Antarctica, with their wilderness, mysterious nature and scientific potential have always inspired mankind to launch innumerable expeditions to unravel the secrets hidden under the vast expense of snow and ice.
India entered the Antarctica foray in 1981 with launch of its first scientific expedition to Antarctica. In all thirty expeditions to Antarctica have been launched till date with one special expedition to Weddle Sea, one for exploration for krill resources, four to Southern Ocean ad another four to Arctic.
India's 3rd Research Base at Antarctica – "Bharati" will undertake multi-disciplinary research and observation studies including biological, geological, physical, chemical, suspended particulates in oceans, aerosols, meteorological sciences. The proposal to establish 3rd Indian station at Antarctica was mooted at the 30th Antarctica Treaty consultative Meeting (ATCM) in May 2007. India hosted this meeting of ATCM for the first time ever since India joined the Antarctic Treaty in 1983 and was granted the consultative status. One of the significant outcomes of 30th ATCM meeting was the ATCM's acceptance of the Indian proposal for a new Indian Research Base at the Larsemann hills, East Antarctica. This paved the way for India to proceed with the establishment of 3rd station at the Antarctica.
The site survey and shifting of the construction machinery was completed in 2009-10.The first phase of the construction activity is progressing as per schedule. 65% of the task has been completed till date and rest will be completed by the end of the current season.
Tags: 3rd Indian station at AntarcticaArcticHuman Resource DevelopmentKapil SibalPolar RegionsResearch Base at AntarcticaScience & Technology and Communications & Information TechnologyUnion Minister for Earth Sciences
Yoga has "avatars" in America
More Than 63,000 People Visited Rashtrapati Nilayam, Bolarum, Hyderabad


Adventure awaits on Pine Mountain in Archery Camp!
Calling all Robin Hood and Katniss trainees! Grab your bow and quiver of arrows, and learn the ways of archery during this high-energy week! With an emphasis on safety and proper shooting technique, we'll spend 3-4 hours on the range each day, developing skills for shooters of all abilities — with plenty of fun archery activities and challenges thrown in, too!


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Home » Health News » Women with young children, key workers and BAME groups losing sleep during coronavirus pandemic
Women with young children, key workers and BAME groups losing sleep during coronavirus pandemic
03/08/2020 Comments Off on Women with young children, key workers and BAME groups losing sleep during coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused sleeping difficulties for women with young children, key workers and people of BAME heritage, a new study has found.
The study has revealed that sleep loss is affecting more people during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting rising stress levels due to anxieties about health, financial consequences, changes in social life and daily routine, all of which may affect sleep. Sleep deprivation can have knock-on effects for physical and mental health.
Conducted by Professor Jane Falkingham OBE and a team from the ESRC Centre for Population Change and Centre for Research on Ageing at the University of Southampton, the analysis used survey data from the Understanding Society COVID-19 Study collected during April 2020. It was then compared with survey data collected in 2018/19. The sample included 15,360 respondents aged 16 and above. From this sample, 12,206 people reported no problems with sleep loss before the epidemic. The pandemic lockdown led to a rise in the number of people suffering sleeping problems from one in six (15.7%) of the sample to one in four (24.7%).
The analysis provides evidence that women have been more vulnerable to sleep deprivation during lockdown. The proportion of women losing sleep over worry before the pandemic was 18.9%, rising to 31% during the pandemic. By comparison, the number of men reporting sleep loss increased from 11.9% to 16.5% during lockdown. These findings are in-line with much of the emerging research that suggests experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK have been very different for men and women.
For example, women's position in the labour market may increase their exposure to COVID-19, as women represent a significant majority of frontline workers in social care, education and health care.
For women with children aged 0-4 years, 19.5% suffered sleep loss over worry before the pandemic. This doubled to 40% during the first four weeks of the lockdown. For women with school children aged 5—18, sleep loss also rose, from 21.7% to 38%.
People from BAME heritage were more likely to experience sleep loss during lockdown than those identifying as British White, mainly due to demographic and socioeconomic differences between the groups. The proportion of people in BAME groups reporting sleep problems was 20.7% before the pandemic, and 32% during lockdown. However when the research team compared BAME and White respondents who were equal in terms of being a key worker, having financial worries or having young children in the house, they found that BAME people would be less likely to suffer from sleep loss. Again, this highlights how BAME groups are being disproportionally affected by the coronavirus pandemic. These findings join up with recent research that BAME groups have higher rates of coronavirus infection, high anxiety associated with coronavirus-specific circumstances, are more likely to be key workers, to have dependent children, and to feel lonely. All of these are likely to increase the risk of sleep loss.
For keyworkers, the proportion reporting sleep problems before and after the pandemic was 16.4% and 28.9% respectively. Keyworkers from the health and social care (HSC) sector or education and childcare (ECC) sector had the highest increase of sleep loss since pandemic lockdown, from 19% to 36.6% for the health and social care sector and from 15.8% to 33% for the education and childcare sector.
Professor Falkingham comments: "We are seeing that COVID-19 is having a disproportionate impact on the health of individuals from different ethnic groups and those employed in certain jobs. The indirect impacts of COVID-19, including the closure of schools and businesses, and the move to home working, seem to be worse for working age people and women. These factors may, in turn, impact upon sleep health."
She continues: "The COVID-19 pandemic and the policy responses to it have widened the differences in sleep deprivation across gender and ethnicity, putting women and ethnic minorities at an even greater disadvantage. Disrupted and poor sleep is associated with wider mental and physical health challenges. Policy makers and health professionals need to take action now. It will be vital that they support and promote better sleep health amongst vulnerable groups during the pandemic if they are to avoid future secondary health complications."
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andBAMEchildrenCoronavirusduringgroupskeyLosingPandemicsleepWithwomenworker'syoung
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Originates from artistic studies , primarily painting and sculpture. Throughout the years he has coupled the two: painted sculptures and model panel paintings, where 'aged' has remained the constant central theme.
Since 1977 he has concentrated part of his attention towards interior design and architecture with a clear affirmation that a painting or a sculpture always arise from a project, just as from a project develops an architecture, such as, a chair, table, sofa, mirror or a lamp. The grouping of all of these may be sculpture and colour, that which the irrational at first may be brought forth to become rational: tridimensional elements which man has lived within or beside but in any case ever present.
The Laboratorio Artistico Il Papiro was established in Rome in 1985.
Lidia Scalzo, an art teacher and eclectic artist, founded it with the desire of setting up a creative workshop inspired by the Bauhaus.
Starting with this key philosophy, it grew over time with the arrival of new artistic figures such as Rosaria Scalzo (creative and photographer) and Flavio Chimenton (decoration graduate). The workshop was transformed into Papiro Art, which offers a perfect blend of art and craft, achieving the very highest standards of art and design as broadly acknowledged by designers and architects.
The workshop is a multidisciplinary space, which researches different materials and experiments with different methods of application, even interpreting and transforming mass-produced industrial elements into something unique and exciting.
Prestigious clients, works published in the most important magazines in the sector. Regularly present at the Milan Triennale and the biggest national and international events.
It received an award from the Region of Lazio (decoration section) in 2012 and became part of the Italian artistic craft scene.
In 2014 it was selected by ANCI LAZIO as part of the Shapes project "sharing prior excellence and support for the Med creative asset" as the leading Italian enterprise for creativity, originality and excellence.
Workshop and showroom in Rome and Vetralla (VT).
"Architecture, design, graphics, interior design: everything is a project. The project is a vision of that which has yet to exist. Our ambition is to give everything we have so that this vision, shared with the client, may find the best paths in order to become a reality.
They founded the Associated Firm in 1997. Designing an urban sector, a building, an object, a piece of furniture: it is all the same to them. They deal with all fields of design, from urban planning to architecture, to environmental design, to design and graphics, always trying to delve deep into the details of each phase: production, marketing, communication, company strategies. Design rigor and clarity are the goals they aim to reach, striving to "eliminate", "simplify" and "streamline" and, at the same time, "customize" that which they are creating. The creative process is a nonstop dialectic exchange of views that is crucial to an in-depth analysis of the critical issues of a project.
The duo has already designed many works of environmental, industrial, commercial and residential architecture.
"We are constantly searching for a dialogue with the landscape context. We endeavor to find new architectural elements that are able to interpret in a contemporary key the semantics of the contex".
They collaborate with many international companies on the design front, and are also art directors for some of these companies. Their very first experience in the world of design dates back to 1999, when they created the YDF collection and brand, thanks to which they were awarded the first prize in the "Young & Design" contest. They have also designed for Blitz Bovisa, BPA, Caffè Bonomi, Diemmebi, I TRE, Lema, Luxit, Mamà Design Italia, Outlook Design Italia, Pedrali, Progetti, Rexite, Steiner, Treca Interiors Paris, and YDF.
Paolo Grasselli was born in Reggio Emilia and he graduated to the ISIA, in Firenze. He is interested in design and planning of insides. He worked for Alessi, Arcade, Cellular Italia, Knolls, Hoffmann Italia, Halto, Olivetti, Veers, Modoluce, Oliver.
Some his creations have been exposed in the Deutsches Architektur Museum of Frankfurt and Felissimo design house in New York. He had different publications on the principal magazines of design and architecture. From 1997 to 2004 he has been teacher of design at the university of the Project of Reggio Emilia.


Counselling can provide help and support with personal and relationship issues that may be preventing you from experiencing enjoyment and fulfilment in your life. Explore the issues in a safe and supportive environment and implement strategies for change.
Individual counselling services provide a safe and supportive forum for discussing any issues causing you concern and for exploring and resolving specific problems and dilemmas. People find it helpful to talk with an experienced professional outside their own immediate family or friends. A non-judgemental and supportive approach helps you to hear yourself and make more sense of difficult situations.
Professional counsellors work within an ethical relationship based on a clear contract and professional boundaries, which protect your privacy.
I provide a confidential and professional counselling service for individuals and couples in Sydney's Inner West, Glebe.
As a counsellor, my strengths are empathy and warmth, an ability to tune in and really listen to you, and to make a difference.
I am a nationally registered counsellor with PACFA, the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia. I have Graduate Diplomas in Counselling, Psychology, Social Communications and Education, and a Masters in Music, my other passion.
Read my blog on how to choose a counsellor.
A counsellor provides a safe place where you can be listened to and understood. A counsellor supports and guides you to a greater self-understanding and helps you to make the changes you desire. A counsellor works with you in a creative and collaborative process to use your strengths and learn new skills. A counsellor does not give personal advice, rather she/he guides you towards a stronger sense of knowing the right solutions for you.
How can counselling services help me?
A skilled, trained and empathetic counsellor can help you process whatever may be troubling you. You may feel overwhelmed, stressed, anxious or depressed. You may be overly focusing on what is not going well in your life. Counselling can help you refocus on the positives and be happier.
Think about how you want your life to be. Imagine there is nothing holding you back. What would you be doing? How would you need to be to make that happen? What gets in the way? Repeated patterns of behaviour may keep you locked in to the same old outcomes. Together we can identify what you want and make that more concrete. Sometimes small actions towards bigger goals make a difference.
Contact Linda Magson, Sydney Counsellor and therapist, to make an appointment.
Sessions are one hour long, arranged at a mutually agreeable time. At the end of each session we will negotiate the actions you will focus on in between sessions. You decide on the frequency of the sessions and what you want to talk about in each session. If you want to walk and talk in the local Camperdown area there is a nice canal walk that is private, allowing you to combine exercise with a therapeutic conversation.
How should I prepare for my counselling session?
Deciding to see a counsellor can be an exciting and anxious step. It is normal to experience a range of emotions when anticipating sharing your story with a stranger. Rest assured that I will support and encourage you in an attitude of acceptance and non-judgement.
What is the issue that's brought me to seek help now?
What things have I done in the past to try to manage this issue?
How effective were these solutions and why/why not?
How would I like things to be?
Contact Linda Magson, Sydney counsellor and therapist about counselling.


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Tag: london
London confirms choice to use e-counting again
No Comments on London confirms choice to use e-counting again
Given the signs, I'm not hugely surprised that London Elects have decided to go with e-counting again for 2010. It's only likely to cost the taxpayer about £1.5 million more than doing it manually… and that doesn't seem to bother Boris, but it bothers me. The DRS release claims that, if the GLA agree to use them in 2016 too, then they will be £0.2m cheaper per election than manual counting. But based on my review of the GLA figures for manual counting, they were seriously inflated to make e-counting look more attractive (and the Electoral Commission concurred). So I challenge DRS' claim to cost-effectiveness.
As is often the case, rather than recognising the fundamental difficulties with e-counting (or e-voting), the GLA have decided that last time's problems were because of the supplier they chose. So they've dumped Indra for a joint venture between DRS Data Services and Electoral Reform Services. (Disclosure: I'm a member of the Electoral Reform Society who own Electoral Reform Services.)
These were the same two suppliers involved in running the last Scottish Parliamentary elections, which also experienced significant problems as observed by ORG. Given his background and the sensitivity of these contracts, it is interesting that Lord (Neil) Kinnock remains on the board of DRS.
ORG will be planning to observe these elections once again. I hope they are trouble-free and improve on the experience in 2008. We'll be watching!
Full announcement on the DRS website
Tags e-counting, london
London: We have a non-answer on e-counting
No Comments on London: We have a non-answer on e-counting
So London Mayor Boris Johnson did answer Andrew Boff's question on e-counting, or did he? Here's the background on the question, and the section of Mayor's question time copied in below (source [PDF]):
Question No: 3574 / 2009
Andrew Boff
For the 2012 elections would the Mayor prefer a £5million+ electronic count where the bulk of the costs would go to a foreign computer company or a £3.5million manual count where the bulk of the costs would go into Londoner's pockets?
Answer from the Mayor:
The Authority's Scheme of Delegation quite properly gives the Chief Executive, in his role as the Greater London Returning Officer, the right to take all the decisions about how GLA elections are delivered. That accords entirely with the practice across the country that politicians contest elections, and do not decide how they should be run.
The answer completely dodges the nub of the question as well as the budget setting powers of the Mayoralty along with the London Assembly. Of course politicians in power get a say in how elections are delivered, why else would a race for e-voting have been begun when Robin Cook had suggested an electronic general election after 2005 was a target?
Boris either doesn't care, doesn't understand or doesn't want to take on his Chief Executive.
The question now becomes, how do we hold the Greater London Authority's Chief Executive to account about election arrangements if the directly elected Mayor won't?
Tags e-counting, london, ORG
Where next for e-counting in London?
On 18th November I hope to find out the future of e-counting in London. Conservative London Assembly Member, Andrew Boff, will be asking London's Mayor, Boris Johnson the following question:
For the 2012 elections would the Mayor prefer a £5million+ electronic count where the bulk of the costs would go to a foreign computer company or a £3.5million manual count where the bulk of the costs would go into Londoner's pockets? (Source [PDF])
This question sums up the view the Open Rights Group and I have been advocating. Does it really make sense to splurge a huge sum of money on e-counting when we know a manual count would be cheaper, let alone easier to verify and more trusted by voters and politicians alike? In these times of restricted public funds wouldn't the millions for e-counting be better spent on other priorities – I certainly think so.
The back story is that after strong urging from the Electoral Commission and the Open Rights Group, London agreed to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of continuing with e-counting versus using manual counting. When it finally emerged the analysis was obviously biased towards e-counting, trying to minimise the greater cost of e-counting as much as possible.
When a round table was organised to discuss stakeholder views of the analysis, attendees were told that London would proceed with e-counting regardless, rather making the process and that meeting pointless. The Guardian picked up the story. At this point ORG released its own comments on London's analysis (which I led on drafting) but the Electoral Commission had yet to release theirs.
When the Commission did release their views (something which I was very remiss not to blog on then, sorry loyal readers) we were in for a pleasant surprise. The response was very direct in criticising the weakness of London's analysis and failings in the UK Government in providing a clearer framework for the use (or not) of such voting technologies. The killer quote:
"However, having studied the cost-benefit assessment, we are concerned that there are potentially a number of gaps that suggest the advantages of e- counting may have been overstated. For example, it was assumed that e- counting was free from human error. Conversely, the assumptions made about the speed and accuracy of manual counting seem overly negative. Also, important safe-guards, such as preparing a manual count as a back-up and the manual checking of a random sample of ballot papers do not appear to have been considered when costing e-counting.
"Therefore, we would suggest that a determination that e-counting is affordable and that the cost is not significantly or disproportionately more than that of manual counting cannot be made without undertaking further analysis of the costs and benefits which takes into account these and other points…"
The Commission also notes the moral hazard in there being only 2 likely suppliers for running an e-counted London election. It also adds a final significant warning:
"We believe that there are considerable risks in undertaking a large scale e-counting exercise in the absence of such a national framework and that the current cost-benefit analysis by GLRO does not sufficiently fill the gap created by this absence."
It was the strongest public statement I have ever seen from the Commission, and I couldn't have been more delighted by the firm approach they took. GLA officers are understood to be re-doing some form of analysis following the Commission's request for more work, meanwhile however procurement also seems to be going ahead. More coverage by Mark Park.
The hope is that Andrew Boff's question will reveal the current direction and show how committed Boris Johnson is to spending taxpayer funds on election technology.
notes from JK voting
A bad day for the public interest
What a strange day it has been. I've had a very productive time at work whilst lots of other things have been bubbling over:
London Elects and the Greater London Returning Officer (the people responsible for the London Mayoral and Assembly elections) had asked for responses to their cost-benefit analysis of manual vs e-counting in 2012. I had just completed ORG's response earlier this week, which argued that given the £1.5m saving from going manual, there seemed to be no good reason for e-counting. Today was a 'round table' to also explore issues covered in the analysis. However rather than being the consultation event we expected, ORG's Executive Director was told that the decision to e-count the 2012 London election had already been taken. Not even a pretence of keeping an open mind! No proper debate or consideration has taken place, just a firm commitment to press ahead with e-counting regardless of costs or consequences.
Meanwhile in Brighton & Hove I submitted a formal request to Brighton & Hove City Council's acting Chief Executive that he 'call-in' a decision made by the Tory Cabinet earlier this month. This means the decision is suspended and hopefully will be examined by a scrutiny committee. Why? Because the reports for the decision, over pedestrianising parts of East Street, failed to include comments from any residents in spite of several having provided detailed objections. Council decisions cannot be based on consultations which have failed to include residents views. This just makes people (more) cynical about consultations and prevents decisions being taken on the balanced information.
Finally some Freedom of Information requests I put in some time ago have come to fruition, somewhat explaining why such huge rent rises are being demanded from seafront businesses. The reason? A big fat commission-based fee for the consultant leading the rent reviews for the Council. More details in "Huge consultant fees encourage seafront rent hikes".
Tags brighton, e-counting, foi, london, ORG, politics, seafront