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CSE Alumnus's Startup Shows Tech Takeovers Can Happen... Even in Smaller Markets
Just because he's not in Silicon Valley or San Diego doesn't mean that CSE alumnus Matthew Der (M.S., Ph.D. '13, '15) couldn't work for a dynamic startup that would attract a blue-chip takeover. That's exactly what happened to Notch, Co., a tech consulting firm in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia. A year after CEO Paul Hurlocker and Der's brother David started the company in 2014, Matt Der joined as Chief Technology Officer in 2015 after completing his Ph.D. in Computer Science at UC San Diego, with a focus on machine learning. His dissertation involved "Investigating Large-Scale Internet Abuse through Web Page Classification."
CSE alumnus Matthew Der
(Ph.D. '15)
At Notch, Der oversaw the company's data science and machine learning consulting. "Having a Ph.D. in machine learning is a big differentiator, especially in a mid-sized market," Der said after Notch won a local Emerging Technology Business Award in 2017. "It immediately gave us street cred, sales material and conversation starters."
Notch attracted so much attention that one of its own customers, credit-card giant Capital One Financial Corporation, bought the company outright in December (for an undisclosed price). Thirteen Notch employees have now moved to Capital One's campus in nearby Goochland County. (Capital One was already the largest employer in the Richmond region.)
In making the move, Der and his colleagues joined the larger company's team that was already working on using AI and machine learning in the credit-card industry, notably in areas such as cyber security, fraud prevention and customer service. "Capital One is already using machine learning and data in innovative ways," said Der. "We are joining at a time ripe with opportunity to further transform the business with machine learning, and permeate it throughout the company."
While the acquisition presumably buttressed Der's bank account, he is staying put at Capital One for the immediate future while resuming involvement in academia as well. "There is a lot of good we can do given Capital One's size and customer base," he noted. "Hopefully having a Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC San Diego will allow me to engage with Capital One's partnering universities to conduct research and fill Capital One's talent pipeline."
Matt Der (far right) in new Capital One offices with fellow former Notch executive (l-r) Mike Upchurch, David Der and Paul Hurlocker
As a graduate student, Der was involved in CSE's AI, Systems and Networking and Security research groups under advisors Lawrence Saul, Geoffrey Voelker and Stefan Savage. He was also affiliated with the Center for Networked Systems (CNS).
Richmond Times-Dispatch Article
Prior CSE Article on Matthew Der
Computer Science Major Honored for Undergraduate Research in Applied Cryptography
Computer Science and Engineering undergraduate Julia Len recently got word that she is a runner-up for a prestigious award honoring outstanding undergraduate researchers. The awards are given annually by the Computing Research Association (CRA) to undergrads at North American universities who show "outstanding research potential in an area of computing research."
5th-year CS major Julia Len
Len is currently doing a fifth year of undergraduate work at the University of California San Diego after changing her major from Bioengineering to Computer Science mid-way through her undergraduate studies. The student was honored for research she carried out last spring in a CSE 191 course (Projects in Cryptography) taught by CSE professor Mihir Bellare. Doing a project in applied cryptography, Len helped develop cryptographic hash functions that provide provable security guarantees.
"Hash functions are some of the most vital cryptographic tools," noted Len. "For example, the TLS protocol underlying HTTPS -- which we rely on for everyday interactions with popular websites -- uses hash functions to create digital certificates that authenticate servers. If an adversary were to find a collision for such a hash function, certificates could be forged and allow servers to be impersonated, putting personal information at risk of theft."
"Our project improved the design of hash functions after analyzing hash functions constructed using the Merkle-Damgard transform," she added. "The most commonly utilized hash functions are constructed using the Merkle-Damgard transform, which iterates a compression function to produce a hash function. Our work proved that weakening the condition on the compression function would still result in a collision-resistant hash function."
Click here to watch streaming video of Julia Len presenting paper at CCS 2017 in Dallas.
According to professor Bellare, Len contributed to a method for designing hash functions that are less likely to fail in the future. "Her work provides new design paradigms that yield hash functions with improved provable-security guarantees, decreasing the likelihood of failure and moving us towards greater security in future Internet communications," observed Bellare. "Julia obtains this as part of a general framework that also explains the weaknesses of the current design paradigm and unifies different approaches and results in the area."
The project was so successful that it became the subject of a joint academic paper by Len with Bellare and CSE Ph.D. student Joseph Jaeger. On behalf of her coauthors, Len flew to Dallas last November and presented their joint paper* on collision-resistant hashing at the 2017 ACM Computer and Communications Security Conference (CCS). The meeting brings together information security researchers, practitioners, developers and users from all over the world to explore cutting-edge ideas and results. (Also attending CCS 2017 -- to accept the CCS Test of Time Award -- was CSE professor and security researcher Hovav Shacham.)
"Julia has done innovative, timely, real world-relevant research in cryptography leading to a paper she co-authored at CCS 2017, considered to be a first-tier conference in security and cryptography," Bellare noted in a letter nominating Len for the CRA award. "She also presented the paper in Dallas, and it's very rare for an undergraduate to present at a first-tier conference, and much of the work was done while she was a junior!"
Len is a former president of the UC San Diego Scholars Society and is active in the UC San Diego chapter of Women in Computing. She became a CSE Tutor in Spring 2016, and since then has tutored for courses including Introduction to Modern Cryptography (CSE 107), Theory of Computability (CSE 105), Discrete Mathematics (CSE 20), and Computer Organization and Systems Programming (CSE 30). Len was also head tutor for the popular lower-division course, Introduction to Computer Science and Object-Oriented Programming: Java (CSE 11).
A Regents Scholar, Len is looking forward to graduating this June, and she has already applied to multiple Ph.D. programs in Computer Science. She plans to pursue cryptography research for her doctorate, and isn't wasting any time: she wants to start grad school this fall.
The very competitive CRA program selects four winners and four runners-up each year. Julia Len is one of four students nominated from UC San Diego this year, and she is the first student from UC San Diego to get this far in the CRA competition.
The CRA awards were sponsored this year by Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs, which alternates as sponsor every other year with Microsoft Research.
*Bellare, M., Jaeger, J., & Len, J. (2017, October). "Better Than Advertised: Improved Collision-Resistance Guarantees for MD-Based Hash Functions." In Proceedings of the 2017 ACM SIGSAC Conference on Computer and Communications Security (pp. 891-906). ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3133956.3134087
CRA 2018 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award Winners
Streaming Video of Julia Len Presentation at CCS 2017
U.S., Japanese Research Institutions Sign Memorandum of Understanding on Artificial Intelligence Cooperation
The University of California San Diego and Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) have forged a five-year pact to cooperate on research in the fields of computer science and technology.
SDSC CTO and CSE lecturer Philip Papadopoulos (left) and
Satoshi Sekiguchi of Japan's AIST sign the new MOU.
On January 10, representatives of both institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining some of their specific areas for potential collaboration. AIST was represented by Satoshi Sekiguchi, Director General of the Japanese institute's Department of Information Technology and Human Factors. UC San Diego Executive Vice Chancellor Elizabeth H. Simmons pre-signed the non-binding MOU (because she was on travel), and at the ceremony San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) Chief Technology Officer Philip Papadopoulos also signed on behalf of UC San Diego. The signing took place at the UC San Diego Faculty Club.
"We are building on a history of more than 15 years collaborating with AIST on specific projects," said Papadopoulos, who is also an academic lecturer in CSE. "What has changed is that the MOU is expanding the partnership to other units across our university via a campus-wide agreement that will broaden an already close relationship between our two institutions."
Faculty and officials from UC San Diego and AIST pose
for group portrait after the MOU signing ceremony. Pictured
(clockwise from top left): Frank Wuerthwein, Michelle
Hermas, Gerald Po, George Sugihara, Tom Tabor, Tiffany
Trader, Jan Zverina, Shava Smallen, Shoko Itoh, Nadya
Williams, Jason Haga, Larry Smarr, Satoshi Sekiguchi,
Philip Papadopoulos, Michael Norman, and Jeffrey Elman.
The MOU covers research, education and the application of scientific knowledge in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). This collaboration is also expected to extend into data-intensive science and robotics. Specific types of activities in the MOU include organizing workshops in fields of mutual interest in Japan and the U.S.; exchanges of AIST researchers with faculty and postdoctoral scholars from UC San Diego; and AIST hosting UC San Diego students to work on related research projects in Japan.
The two sides will also collaborate on cyberinfrastructure projects, notably involving the UC San Diego-based and National Science Foundation-funded Pacific Research Platform (PRP) and Cognitive Hardware and Software Ecosystem Community Infrastructure (CHASE-CI), as well as AIST's AI Bridging Cloud Infrastructure (ABCI). Both PRP and CHASE-CI are led by Calit2 Director Larry Smarr, a professor of Computer Science and Engineering in UC San Diego's Jacobs School of Engineering. PRP links more than 25 universities and other research institutions in the western U.S., while CHASE-CI's 10 member research universities are deploying a cloud of affordable graphics processing units (GPUs) networked together with non-von Neumann architectures to facilitate development of next-generation cognitive computing.
"AIST has been an active collaborator with Calit2's Qualcomm Institute from its inception," said CSE's Smarr. "We look forward to this expanded framework for collaboration, and in particular, to deepening our collaboration on artificial intelligence and high-speed networking."
In addition, AIST and SDSC will be sharing best practices on complementary systems such as SDSC's Comet petascale supercomputer which, like Japan's ABCI, is a hybrid computing cluster.
UC San Diego researchers will gain access to Japan's Artificial Intelligence
Bridging Cloud Infrastructure (ABCI) Open Innovation Platform
"When it launches, ABCI will be the world's first large-scale, open innovation platform for AI research and development and it will significantly accelerate AI deployment in the physical space," said AIST's Sekiguchi. "Using top-level, high-performance compute and data capabilities to achieve more than 550 Petaflops of computing power (at half precision), the ABCI platform integrates high-performance computing, big data, ultra-high bandwidth and low-latency hardware in a modern design to accelerate joint academic-industry research and development." Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is funding the acceleration of AI deployment with a grant of approximately $175 million (19.5 billion yen), which includes 5 billion yen for the ABCI facility.
Attending the signing ceremony were (l-r) UC San Diego's
Jeff Elman, Michael Norman, Larry Smarr; AIST's Satoshi
Sekiguchi and Jason Haga; and UCSD/SDSC researcher
Philip Papadopoulos.
AIST's vision is to create a global partnership with UC San Diego and other Pacific Rim organizations. Under this MOU, AIST gains access to UC San Diego researchers and students who will bring new perspectives and knowledge, while UC San Diego benefits from access to ABCI's large-scale computational resources - giving university researchers the opportunity to perform data-intensive research for AI on an unprecedented scale.
Previously, AIST and UC San Diego worked together through UC San Diego's Pacific Rim Application and Grid Middleware Assembly (PRAGMA) computer science research community to maintain services provided by AIST during the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake. PRAGMA - which is led by SDSC's Papadopoulos - was established in 2002 with UC San Diego and AIST among its founding members.Through the long-term partnership described in the MOU, both organizations stand to benefit from joint research projects developed together in AI broadly, as well as in related fields. Together with UC San Diego, AIST aims to create a dynamic, innovative and exciting computer science research environment for the future.
Pacific Research Platform
CNN Coverage of ABCI
ABCI PDF
Authorities Release Math-CS Student Who Inadvertently Crossed Border
A UC San Diego senior majoring in Mathematics-Computer Science spent nearly a week in detention at the U.S.-Mexico border after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities detained the student.
Orr Yakobi (right) with his attorney Jacob Sapochnick
after the student's release from detention.
Israeli-born Orr Yakobi was finally released from federal custody at the Otay Mesa Detention Center on Friday, Jan. 12, after a number of political and other leaders lobbied for his freedom -- including lawmakers Scott Peters and Todd Gloria, as well as UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla, CSE Chair Dean Tullsen, and Mathematics Chair Lei Ni. In Khosla's letter to the director of ICE's field office in San Diego, the Chancellor noted that Yakobi "is a valued and active member of our UC San Diego community, and we would very much like to have him return to our campus so he can fulfill his ultimate goal of obtaining his degree."
The 22-year-old Yakobi is part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, brought to the U.S. as children through no fault of their own. In Yakobi's case, he was five years old when his parents moved from Israel. When the DACA program was instituted, Yakobi applied to the program and was accepted. He has never traveled to Israel since he arrived in the U.S., speaks with an American accent, has been an honors student at UC San Diego, and expects to graduate this quarter with only a couple of courses to finish his degree. He is also a freelance computer programmer to help pay for school.
Yakobi (far left) with teammates who took the grand
prize in The Basement incubator's annual
competition among student startups.
Last April, Yakobi and two fellow students won the university's top award for student startups in UC San Diego's The Basement incubator. Their startup -- Sin Fronteras Tax -- took first prize on Triton Entrepreneur Night. The company is an intermediary to facilitate speedy tax refunds for international workers who paid U.S. taxes but could not easily collect their refunds. (Yakobi estimated that billions of dollars in annual IRS refunds are not collected by immigrants out of fear that refund requests could put them on a watchlist for potential illegal migrants.
Despite being released from ICE custody, the UC San Diego student still faces possible deportation along with other DACA beneficiaries. The Administration has threatened to cancel DACA in March if Democrats in Congress do not approve billions of dollars in spending for a physical border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Even if DACA persists, Yakobi remains at risk of being dropped from DACA on a technicality: he was arrested after leaving an outlet mall near the border in San Ysidro with his UC San Diego roommate Ryan Hakim, who inadvertently drove onto I-5 South after exiting the mall -- not realizing that there were no more off-ramps on the U.S. side. Hakim and others launched an online petition to urge Yakobi's release; at last check, more than 7,500 signatures had been collected.
The DACA program forbids most travel outside the United States (without a special permit) as long as DACA children and young adults want to remain in the program. Yakobi was not driving, but after recognizing that there was no U.S. exit ahead of them, Hakim made a U-turn and was stopped by border agents. They took Yakobi into custody, handcuffed him, and began preliminary proceedings to deport the student (even though it was clear that he passed the border unintentionally just 45 seconds before making the U-turn).
Orr Yakobi
As of Yakobi's release from detention, his attorney Jacob Sapochnick said Yakobi's DACA status had not been terminated. "There's nothing in the paper work," said Sapochnick. "As far as we know, it's a clean release." If deportation proceedings are not pursued by U.S. authorities, Yakobi should be able to complete his undergraduate degree by the end of March. But he and many other students in the DACA program will be watching closely what happens in Washington, D.C., especially given the March 5 deadline to end the program (unless an agreement between Congress and the Administration can be ironed out beforehand). Indeed, thousands of people protected by DACA are already in deportation proceedings at a rate of some 122 every day, and an estimated 22,000 will have lost their DACA protections by the March 5 deadline. If DACA is permanently axed, another 700,000 people could lose the right to stay and work in the U.S. -- and they'll be obliged to return to home countries they don't remember, and in many cases where they don't even speak the language.
Joint Cyber Security Course Focuses on Technology and Public Policy
The winter quarter is barely underway, and already we're looking ahead to the spring quarter. According to CSE professor Stefan Savage, he will again teach a policy-focused course on Cyber Security next quarter. As previously, the course will be co-taught by School of Policy and Strategy (GPS) Dean Peter Cowhey. The course has been offered half a dozen times starting in 2011.
The course will focus on the intersection of cybersecurity and public policy at both the national and international levels. It will draw graduate students from both the Jacobs School of Engineering, including CSE, as well as from GPS and the Department of Political Science.
CSE professor Stefan Savage (left) and School of Global
Policy and Strategy Dean Peter Cowhey will co-teach a
joint course on cyber security and public policy in the
spring quarter.
"There are no magic fixes for cybersecurity," Cowhey said in connection with a previous iteration of the policy course. "It's a set of evolving, ongoing problems that require a multilayered policy response to reduce risks of cybersecurity threats."
Topics will include the technical challenges involving cybersecurity, an understanding of the range of threats, fundamental problems of designing prudent national policies that are politically feasible, and the possibilities and limitations regarding the design of appropriate cooperative strategies.
"In addition to our own lectures (which split between technical and policy arenas) we've traditionally brought in strong area experts to speak as well," says Savage. "Those area experts will come from industry, government, law enforcement and the intelligence community."
The course is principally evaluated via a group project - and in an email announcing the course, Stefan assured that the groups will be "engineered to make sure each group has both policy geeks and technical geeks to flesh out a policy question in detail." Enrolled students will each also be responsible for an individual paper about the component of group project handled by the particular student.
"This is a different kind of course, but if you have interests in how public policy really works and how a technical person can influence it," adds Savage, "I can guarantee it will be eye opening."
There is a new course number (due to the renaming of IR/PS to become GPS). GPAA 477 will take place every Wednesday evening in the spring quarter, from 6:30-9:20 p.m.
Design@Large Speakers Set for Winter 2018 Quarter
Jeff Elman
CSE will continue to host the Design Lab at UC San Diego's popular Design@Large lecture series, with all of the talks in the Winter 2018 quarter scheduled to take place in CSE room 1202 every Wednesday at 4pm. The speakers are all scheduled, barring last-minute replacements (see below).
Following the inaugural talk in the Winter 2018 series by UC San Diego Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Science Jeffrey Elman, upcoming speakers this season will include:
Danielle Bragg
Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at 4:00pm
Danielle Bragg (University of Washington) is a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science at UW. Her research interests combined accessibility, human-computer interaction, and applied machine learning. Bragg's talk: "Building Accessible Information Systems: A Data-Driven Approach." She will present three systems that expand and enrich access to information: 1) ASL-Search, an American Sign Language (ASL) dictionary trained on data from volunteer ASL students, 2) Smartfonts and Livefonts, scripts that re-imagine the alphabet's appearance to improve legibility for low-vision readers, and 3) ASL-Live, the first animated reading/writing system for ASL.
Tricia Wang
Tricia Wang (co-founder of Constellate Data) is a global technology ethnographer. Constellate Data helps companies understand people with data. With more than 15 years' experience working with designers, engineers, and scientists, Wang has a particular interest in designing human systems. She also advises organizations on integrating Big Data and what she calls Thick Data - data brought to light using digital-age ethnographic research methods that uncover emotions, stories, and meaning in order to improve strategy, policy, products, and services.
Bill Buxton
Bill Buxton (Microsoft Research) is a principal researcher and advocate for innovation, design and consideration of human values, capacity and culture in the conception, implementation and use of new products and technologies. Prior to joining Microsoft in 2005, Buxton had his own Toronto-based boutique design and consulting firm, Buxton Deisgn. His research focuses on human-computer interaction and computer vision.
Morana Alac
Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at 4:00pm
Department of Communication professor Morana Alac (UC San Diego) is also a professor of Science Studies. She is trained in semiotics (with Umberto Eco) and cognitive science (with Ed Hutchins). Her research deals with ordinary, interactional and practical aspects of science. In particular, she is interested in the ways in which scientists study cognition in environments heavily sustained by advanced technologies, notably brain imaging and machine learning laboratories. By looking at live activities in the lab, Alac pays particular attention to the interface between body and technology.
Erin Glass
Wednesday, February 14, 2018 at 4:00pm
Erin Glass (UC San Diego) is the Associate Director of the Center for the Humanities on campus. She joined UCSD as the Digital Humanities Coordinator, a newly-formed pilot position split between the Library and the Division of Arts and Humanities. Prior to her move, Glass served as a Digital Fellow at The CUNY Graduate Center where she worked with Matt Gold (Editor of Debates in the Digital Humanities) on multiple participatory software initiatives that fostered collaborative research and pedagogy, including Social Paper, which received a 2014 NEH Digital Start-Up grant.
Kelly Gates
Kelly Gates (UC San Diego) is an Associate Professor of Communication and Science Studies. Professor Gates' research focuses on the critical analysis of digital media technologies. Her main emphasis has been the politics and social implications of computerization, and particularly the automation of surveillance, in the United States from the mid-twentieth century to the present. Gates' 2011 book, Our Biometric Future: Facial Recognition Technology and the Culture of Surveillance, explores the effort underway since the 1960s to teach computers to see the human face.
Batya Friedman
Batya Friedman (University of Washington) is a Professor in the Information School, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Computer Science, and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Human-Centered Design and Engineering. She directs the Value Sensitive Design Research Lab. Friedman pioneered value sensitive design (VSD), an approach to account for human values in the design of information systems. First developed in human-computer interaction, VSD has since been used in information management, human-robotic interaction, computer security, civil engineering, and other fields.
Elizabeth Simmons
Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 4:00pm
Elizabeth Simmons (UC San Diego) was recently appointed executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at UC San Diego. She is a highly distinguished physicist who focuses on particle theory and is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She previously held two leadership roles at Michigan State University, a public research university with a student population of more than 50,000. Simmons is a physicist who focuses on particle theory in her research.
All Design@Large seminars are open and free to the public. For updates on the series, visit the Design@Large page on the Design Lab at UC San Diego website.
Disciplines of Engineering Career Fair
Decaf job fair set for Jan. 18 in Price Center
It's time for the latest iteration of the Disciplines of Engineering Career Fair (Decaf), which will welcome approximately 50 companies and other exhibitors to UC San Diego to network and look for potential student recruits for internships or full-time jobs.
Date: Thursday, January 18
Time: 10am - 3pm (9am for FLO Early Access)
Location: Price Center Ballrooms (East & West)
The annual job fair is open to all UC San Diego students and alumni with valid UC San Diego identification. This event provides companies a unique opportunity to interact and engage with UC San Diego's talented engineering students regarding career options, internships, and permanent or summer employment opportunities.
Open exclusively to UC San Diego students and alumni, Decaf is coordinated by the Triton Engineering Student Council and over 40 pre-professional engineering student organizations at the Jacobs School of Engineering. These engineering societies, representing the spectrum of disciplines at the Jacobs School, work in close collaboration to maximize the attendance of UC San Diego's 8,500 undergraduate and graduate student engineers and to ensure the satisfaction of companies involved.
F.L.O. Early Access enables you to get early access to Decaf (an hour before other students), allowing you to get the first crack at speaking with representatives from every company attending. Students qualify for F.L.O. if they attended any of the pre-Decaf workshops hosted by organizations in association with the Triton Engineering Student Council (TESC).
Website: tesc.ucsd.edu/decaf
Mark Your Calendars for CSE Day 2018
The student-run Computer Science and Engineering Society (CSES) is putting the finishing touches to the 2018 CSE Day at UC San Diego. The student community is invited to attend any of the sessions slated for this year's celebration.
Date: Monday, January 22, 2018
Time: 10:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Room 1202, CSE Building
Organizers bill CSE Day as "UC San Diego's principal Computer Science and Engineering undergraduate event." As in past years, it will be a full day of events, games, talks, free food and giveaways. Undergraduates are invited to join the annual celebration of computer science and engineering, and there is more information available on the Facebook event page for CSE Day.
The featured sessions include a Developers' Fair, a Tech Talk, Recruiter Panel, conversations with CSE alumni, and a game of CSE Jeopardy to end the day. Plus lunch and dinner will be served.
Take the CSE Alumni Survey. It only takes a few minutes. We'd really like to hear from you!
The Jacobs School of Engineering offers a variety of ways to support the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. As the 2016-'17 academic year gets underway, please consider giving online to the CSE Engineering Tutor Program or the Paul R. Kube Chair of Computer Science. You can also honor your favorite teacher when you donate to the CSE Teaching Endowment Fund.


You know Sherlock Holmes from novels, television and film.
Mr. Holmes gives us the man behind the myth — the real detective that was fictionalized some 30 years after his last case.
This Holmes is 93 years old, frail and in the early stages of what appears to be Alzheimers. Aware that his memory is fading, he returns to his country home (and his bees) to attempt to piece together the forgotten details of his final case — a failure that made him leave sleuthing for good.
But why can't he remember that mistake?
Ian McKellen is wonderful in the title role…more human and less ticky than his predecessors, although just as brutally honest. Laura Linney's accent comes and goes as the dour housekeeper, but Milo Parker is winning as her son Roger, who helps Holmes care for his bees and ultimately find his past.
There's even a little something for fans of Young Sherlock Holmes, which I am…so I left the theater happy.
Last night Julianne Moore won a SAG Award for her work in Still Alice.
I saw the movie on Sunday, so I know why.
Her portrayal of a 50-year old Columbia University professor with early on-set Alzheimer's is amazing…because you can't see what she's doing.
And everyone around her in the movie looks like they're acting.
In the movie scene represented by the still above, Julianne's character is out running in her New York City neighborhood, and is suddenly lost. She starts to hyperventilate, and everything becomes an unrecognizable blur. The audience is in there with her.
I won't pretend this movie is easy to watch, but I think it's important to see.
It's one of those online programs you take at your own pace. I was inspired — or is the right word shamed — by colleagues from other countries who can speak two or more languages fluently.
And here I stumble about, barely doing English justice.
So now at night, while I'm plopped down in front of the TV watching Dancing with the Stars, I'm conjugating Spanish verbs. It's a lot of fun (or, I should say, 'muy divertido').
Studies reveal it's good for me, too.
In Europe, my perception of intelligence increases twofold if I, an American, speak a second language. Much more importantly, my long-term brain health is given a tremendous boost, too.
Specifically, a study at York University in Toronto found that patients diagnosed with Alzheimers who spoke a second language exhibited symptoms as much as five years later than their monolingual counterparts.
Wow. That's the most effective advertisement for the Rosetta Stone I've ever heard.
So, if you know a second language, practice it. And if you don't, consider learning one. It's good for your brain.
If it were possible, would you want photos of every moment of your life?
(I feel I should exclude soccer moms from this question, because they seem to take an awful lot of photos.) But for the rest of you — would you…really?
Well, this reality is just around the corner. UK-based firm Vicon has licensed technology for one such camera that you wear around your neck. It can be programmed to take photos as often as every 30 seconds in response to changes in your body temperature or the environment.
The original intent of the camera was to help Alzheimer patients look back on the events of their day, but now we can use it to bore our friends and family on Facebook with the day-to-day minutiae of our lives.
Imagine! Whereas before we could only share photos of those events where we remembered to whip out the ol' digital camera, now the Vicon neck camera will be clicking along all day, every day. We can share even our most forgettable moments.
I know I'm looking forward to that.
And I'm guessing Facebook is going to have to start charging for photo upload — can you imagine the file space that will be required after the Vicon camera is made available in 2010?
We really need that 'unlike' button.


text:
Horatio McCulloch
Landscape – Evening
Horatio McCulloch RSA
RSA Obituary, transcribed from 1867 RSA Annual Report
Horatio McCulloch R.S.A. was born in Glasgow in 1805, and very early in life devoted himself to landscape painting, but it is understood that he had a weary struggle during his earlier life.
About 1825 he was employed by Mr H Lizars to colour Selbys work on Ornithology and Dr Lizars Anatomy. He remained with Lizars about a couple of years, and then returned to Glasgow, where he studied and worked with great assiduity, and in 1828 began to exhibit in the Exhibitions of the Dilettante Society there. In 1829 he had one picture in the Exhibition of the Scottish Academy and again in 1831, 1833 and 1834. They attracted attention, for in the latter he was elected an Associate of the Academy, and the year following his picture 'A Vision Cadzow Park' stamped his position decisively, and he was elected an Academician on the first vacancy by 1838. From this time he never failed to contribute largely to the Annual Exhibitions, and was until the close of his life the most popular landscape painter of his day in Scotland.
During his life his works influenced the Scottish School of Landscape painting to a greater extent than those of any other artist of the time. They are confined almost entirely to Scottish Subjects – Highland, Lake and Lowland river scenes. Many have been acquired and were very popular.
He died at Trinity, near Edinburgh in 1867.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Over the summer, Liverpool were linked with a £40m double swoop for Southampton stars Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne. Lallana signed for LFC, but Clyne stayed at St. Marys, and new reports (predictably) suggest that the Reds are back in the race to sign the coveted defender.
* Liverpool have submitted a £10m bid for Clyne, which Southampton have swiftly rejected.
* The Reds are 'expected to return with an improved offer' in the near future.
£10m? No wonder Southampton rejected the offer. It's typical lowball tactics from Liverpool, and given the inflated fees associated with any moderately talented British player, a £10m bid was always going to fail.
Plus, Manchester United are reportedly willing to pay £25m for Clyne (a laughably exorbitant fee), so £10m is never going to cut.
Grossly inflated fees for British players are par for the course these days, though (Luke Shaw anyone?) and as the fees for Lallana (£26m), Downing (£20m), Carroll (£35m), and Allen (£15m) show, Liverpool are not immune to this madness.
"We're still speaking with Clyney and his agent, but of course we have to know in 10 days. He's very happy and of course there is some interest but nobody has really bid for the player".
"I've been really impressed with him [Clyne]. He's athletic, technically good and he's showing plenty of promise. He'll learn an awful lot from Ronald Koeman".
"Clyne is one of the best right full-backs that I've had in my teams in the last 15 years. I like to play with offensive right and left full-backs and he has those qualities".
I see no incentive for Clyne to leave St. Mary's for Anfield. Historically, Liverpool is a much bigger club, but overall, the Reds have regressed badly this season, and I doubt many players will want to join a club where managerial change is a possibility in the near future.
Wherever Clyne ends up, the transfer fee is likely to be £20m+, and in my view, there are better options out there for that kind of money.
Koeman: "If you want Clyne, then the starting price is £20m. We won't accept anything less. £20m or no deal".
Ayre: "Okay, understood. How about £10m?"
Again, as with Bertrand I think we've missed the boat on this one.
No player will come in until after the 'end of season review'.
honestly if that's the kind of tactics Rodgers is looking to use at liverpool he can resign because it'll never work, we're not in the 80's anymore.
Only IMO of course but Trippier can hit quality crosses all day long and would be about a quarter of the price of Clyne. Or we spend a lot more abroad and find someone who's already a level above either of them.
Utd aren't interested and even so why would they pay £25M for someone who only has a year left on their contract?
Let's do Arsenal with 10mn and 1 pound bid.
All speculation so far in fact it always is until a player is officially signed. The last few transfer windows have been pretty crap and frustrating.Why do we always bid lower for players? No wonder we get gazumpt and loose out on targets. We definitely need experienced players in this summer.
I hope we also sign LB...Moreno is very inconsistent and cannot be relied upon for entire season.
If we keep buying players from clubs below us that is what we become. It's already starting to happen. It's not rocket science. Carroll/Adam/Downing/Allen/lambert/loveren/lalana/ etc and now we are linked with clyne and benteke... We are a absolute joke, nobody wants these players are we paying 20 mill plus... Since when did Benteke suit our style of play? Carrol mk 2.... We are going nowhere fast. Only Ancelotti can save us but why would he come?
But will a player come to Liverpool if he is playing for a club which finishes above Liverpool?
Who wouldn't want to come to a league with the biggest amount of TV money? We are nothing but a team with a small club mentality... We could get these quality players if we pay the wages that the top 4 do, instead we pay crap wages but spend millions on crap players who can't make the squad. We are a joke. 23 mill on Adam lalana but we don't want to give sterling 100k plus a week, who plays every game and has the potential to be world clas. It's a joke.
Reports saying he is keen on the move and United have pulled out.
Dude.. we haven't been a big club for a very long time.
The last major competition we won was 10 years.
We do not need to sign players from those teams. There is an entire avenue in Europe with great players in different leagues where you could get them at cheap prices. These clubs are all in debt and players would not require sky high wages either.
I agree that money talks but Liverpool always throw money on multiple cheap players instead of buying one or two good ones.
..... is that not a bit of gross overpraise JK?
Why should we just accept that? What other company would allow this stupid business policy?
I don't think so. Koeman just states that Clyne is one of the best RBs he has ever managed which can be true.
LFC were also willing to pay Falcao his wage demand before he chose Utd.... Wage is just another inaccuracy people like to throw around.... And then people call Sterling a mercenary.... The conflict is hilarious.
Is there anything we can do? It has been happening since last several years. Liverpool is behind other teams solely due to bad management.
Fine, name me some of those players who are better then what we have and are not currently playing for CL teams that wont cost us 10's of millions of pounds.
I remember people screaming that we should of signed Michu and what a great bargain he was.. where is he now?
You say you not a disillusioned liverpool fan but then complain that we have a small club mentality because we are not signing World Class Players.
We are not signing World Class players because we are no longer relevant in Europe.
History means sweet fa for most players, all they want is money + CL football.
Sorry mate but you are living in a different world if you believe Costa would of turned down Chelsea for Liverpool.
Or maybe its because the really great players simply do not want to play for a team who have only won 1 meaningful thing and that was 10 years and its rare we can offer CL football.
Moreno is not on £100k.. And Sterling is a 20 yr old kid... He is not worth £100k, especially on this seasons performances...Coutinho is not even on £100k a week.
Also, what has sterling done that makes him be a potential world class player.
Your the one talking about history. I haven't even mentioned it.... And your argument is weak.. Are you telling me we couldn't have signed mata at United... morata from real who is now tearing it up at juve.. Or Bacca who just won the Europa cup or Jackson Martinez years ago... We finished second, we knew Suarez was going but we bought lambert and Mario and markovic and Adam l for 20+... Tell me how that is not a small club mentality.
You don't realise that Chelsea were always going to sign him.
Costa and Mourinho share the same agent, they both know each other well.
Mourinho has signed 12 players that are represented by Jorge Mendes.
Typical response form someone who doesn't know anything of football past a game of Fifa.
What interest? They said he is a good young player and that is it.
Lets see who is really interested when the transfer window opens.
I bet only 1 club put in a firm bid and that will be City,if he is a good as you say, then a host of clubs should be bidding for him.
As for the mercenary, its because he is asking for so much money when he has accomplished nothing.
Yes we didn't stand a chance of any of those players.
Sorry it hurts but there it is.
Look at the players we have signed over the last 15 years or so by various managers.
How many came from Top European clubs?
Maybe 2 or 3 out of hundreds.
We triggered Costa 1aug 2013 but out clause 2 months after Jose return to Chelsea 3 June 2013. Believe me, Chelsea were not interested then... If they were why didn't they trigger his buy out clause of 21.8 mill instead of paying 32 mill a year later. They could have saved 10.2 mill if as you as say Chelsea were "always going to sign him"
Why do you think Costa decided to stay and not come to us?
1, He saw no point making the move to Liverpool as we are not bigger then Athletico and he was right as they went on to win the league that year were as we won nothing.
2 He knew Chelsea would be coming for him at the end of the year.
Either way, him deciding to stay at Atletico shows that Liverpool does not have the pulling power you think it does.
Really? We didn't stand any chance?.... We didn't stand any chance because we have a small club mentality and are happy with Borini and Allen instead of going all out and buying quality. Tell me honestly do you really think that's the best we can get?....I think you underestimate Lfc because you have got comfortable with our pathetic recruitment team.
So you mean Liverpool couldn't have done any better? We are where we deserve?
It's funny; we bang on and on about how our league is the 'best' in the world, and to be fair, as far as watching and competing teams for the top honours, it probably is...but..
1 major trophy in 10 years which was 10 years ago.
4 Top 4 Finishes in 10 years.
Of course we deserve to be where we are.
I don't like it but its the plain truth.
Seems maybe this transfer price/negotiation thingy is a potato becoming too hot to handle so I won't argue anyone on the break down of how it gets done, but I think we'd all agree that as long as LFC start getting the 'final' price right then perhaps the proceeding back and forth is of little importance.
Am very intrigued by your thought-opener regards what direction a 'Ancelotti type' would take us though, as Thexcuriousxwanderer suggested to me on the previous thread, perhaps we should loan Brendan out thus allowing us to retain him until he's learnt not to be such a naughty boy and make room for an Ancelotti or Klopp experiment in the meantime.


When you choose a rubberquality it is important to know what substanses your profile will be in contact with. Against only normal weather, EPDM is the quality to choose.
If the profile is in contact with chemicals, neoprene (CR) quality is the right quality.
Against oil and petrol Nitril (NBR) quality is the best choice.
There is also a flameresistant quality which is frequently used offshore.
The hardness is measured in shore A (shA) on the scale of 1-100. For comparison - summertyres for cars have for example around 60o sh.A.
Spongerubber (with closed cells) is a type of rubber containing aircells. This is different from spongerubber with open cells which is not water tight. Spongerubber can also be produced with skin (extruded spongerubber). This type will be more robust against tares, rips and other external damages. Extruded spongerubber with skin has a hardness of around 60o sh.A.
43-336-X Flameresistant neoprene (CR) 60osh.


Nursing is often considered more of a 'calling' as opposed to a career. Most individuals aspire to become nursing professionals in order to help others. The significance attached with the profession may be different for every individual; nonetheless, it is a rapidly growing profession in Orlando as healthcare coverage increases and healthcare services become more affordable. With a view to the increasing demand for healthcare professionals, the number of colleges and vocational training schools offering nursing courses is on the rise.
Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) Program- this program takes around 2-3 years to complete and prepares aspiring nurses to sir for the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) exam and apply for licensure. This degree offers courses in nutrition, psychology, nursing, physiology, anatomy, chemistry and microbiology. Supervised clinical experience is also required for the successful completion of this program.
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Program- this program typically takes one year to complete and is generally offered by technical schools and community colleges. The LPN program combines classroom learning with practical experience in order to equip candidates with the necessary knowledge and skills required to provide hands on basic healthcare services to patients. Upon completion of a state approved LPN program, candidates are eligible for the NCLEX-PN which they must pass in order to obtain a license to work.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program- this program takes on average four years to complete and offers in depth theoretical understanding in the field of nursing and sciences. Courses offered in this program focus on subjects like chemistry, psychology, nutrition, physiology, microbiology, anatomy and various social and behavioral sciences. Candidates are also required to complete a set number of supervised clinical hours. Depending upon the previous qualification, the duration of BSN programs may vary as many institutes offer abridged programs.
Masters in Nursing (MSN) Program- this is basically a science-based program focusing on subjects relevant to nursing practice that include pharmacology, biology, chemistry, physiology, anatomy and pathology. The program offers comprehensive knowledge and also offers the opportunity to focus on a particular branch of nursing or science. Duration of the MSN program varies across institutes, it can range from 2-4 years depending on the enrollment status of the student which could be full-time or part-time, and the previous qualification or work experience.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for LPNs was $42,490 in 2014 and the median annual wage for RNs in 2014 was $66,640. The forecasted growth rate from 2012 to 2022 for employment of LPNs is at 25% and that of RNs is expected to be around 19%. The growth rate for these professions is greater than the average growth rate of all occupations which is at 11%.


Back of home with fenced backyard. Front of home with landscaping and spacious driveway. Game room with ping pong, shuffleboard, basketball and dart board. Roof top deck with great views. Soak up the sun on the roof top deck. View towards the gulf from rooftop deck. Enjoy the view of Santa Rosa Sound from the roof top deck. Additions to be completed early summer 2015. Additions to be completed early summer 2015 Additions to be completed early summer 2015. Private pool.
Super nice Gulf view home with private pool and manicured fenced yard. Whether you are sitting on the roof top deck looking at the Gulf of Mexico or sitting by the pool watching the children play, you are sure to be delighted with this vacation home.
This home underwent a major renovation in 2015 and is like new! The home now has six-bedrooms and 4.5-baths. There are a total of three king bedrooms, one queen bedroom, one bedroom with twin over full bunk beds, and a sixth bedroom with a daybed with trundle. There is also one sleeper sofa bringing the number of guests this home will accommodate to 15. A total of five TVs: one in the den and four in the bedrooms.
The home also has a HUGE ground level game room with ping pong, shuffle board, basketball, and darts that opens up to the pool area. In addition to the roof top Gulf facing deck, the newly renovated home has three decks on the back at different levels all of which are connected by steps and offer ground level access to the pool area.
Very short walk to beach access. Book now to secure your vacation in the newly enhanced 1205 Maldonado!
This is our 4th year going down to Pensacola Beach. In the past, we have always rented small condos. We always meet with friends and their families down so that we can all spend time together. (We all live in different cities/states, and see each other only on occasion.) This year we all decided to get a house together. There were 5 adults and 6 kids so space was a must... and a POOL. This house was perfect for us. Everyone had their own space. The pool was perfect after spending time on the beach and the kids still wanted to be in water.
The rooftop deck was amazing and perfect for stargazing each night. We even sat up there one evening watching a storm roll past in the distance.
This house was perfect for our 3 families and will definitely be staying here again in the future!
Our ONLY complaint/issue with this house is the size of the washing machine. When you are staying in a million dollar home and have 11 people in the house, you cannot have a TINY stackable washer and dryer. It would do 3 towels at the most and took forever to dry. If I could give the owners a recommendation, it would be to put a full size washer and dryer in the garage as well. This house can sleep up to 16 (I think), and with that many people staying in a house for one week, it requires a lot of laundry to be done.
Thank you for taking time to post your review. We're so glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay and will discuss with the owner of the home about a larger washer and dryer. We appreciate the feedback and look forward to your return!
The amount of room in the house was excellent. The stairs were the biggest downfall to the house. The kitchen/living area is on the top. We had our annual family vacation here and was not disappointed. The walk to the beach was minimal and the beach area was not crowded during the entire week.
Thank you for staying with us! We're so glad to hear that you enjoyed the home at 1205 Maldonado and we look forward to your return!
Thank you for choosing Paradise Beach Homes. We are glad to hear you enjoyed your stay at Maldonado 1205 and look forward to seeing you on your next visit to Pensacola Beach!
My family took my dad to Pensacola for his 75th birthday. He always wanted to go to Naval Air Museum. We made the right choice with our house..for sure. The property had everything we needed. It was clean and close to the beach. The pool was a great plus. The folks at Paradise Beach Homes were wonderful to work with. We had a fantastic time...already talking about returning next year...and staying at the same property.
Really enjoyed this home. The pool was such a great asset for us. Yard and pool were very clean and the adjacent game room with ping pong was lots of fun.
We had a wonderful family reunion in this house! Would definitely rent here again - location, beach, pool, and house amenities were perfect!
I brought my whole family down, 8 adults, 8 grandkids. I like to be a little closer to the beach but it wasn't too bad. House had plenty of room. Kids loved pool after spending the day at the beach. Adults and kids enjoyed the game room. The landscaping was beautiful. Only problems were minor, a couple of chairs around the pool were broke and the fans in the game room were not working. We called and someone came over within the hour and removed the broken chairs. next day some brought some floor fans. The over head fans were fixed at the end of the week. These were minor and did not affect the good time we had.
The location of this rental place was great. The pool area was nice for our family to visit. Although, the pool could have been cleaner. The rental company sent people over to help with a few miner things right when we called. It was the perfect place to watch the Blue Angels show. All in all it was a great place!
Everything was very easy, booking, check-in, was all painless. We had a couple accidents in the house that I'm still waiting to hear back about but as embarrassing as it was to have to tell them, they were very professional and understanding about the situations. I would highly recommend staying here, the roof balcony is definitely my favorite part.
The house was nice. There was plenty of room and the furniture in the living area was comfortable.
Positives: close to a paved walkway to the beach, large nice pool, several bedrooms with comfortable beds.
Cons: 28 steps to get to the main living area, I would suggest at least a dumbwaiter if not an elevator. Not having a porch in the front where you can look over the ocean. The rooftop deck was nice, but again more steps and HOT because it was uncovered.
Great Place for many family members!
loved the house completely!! would totally stay there again!! only drawback would be that it would have been nice to have a refrigerator in the garage with an ice maker. 16 people in 1 house and that little ice maker they had didn't work out too well.
This property was BEAU-T-FUL. It had everything I could ask for in a property and more. The kids were entertained with the pool and game room and the adults enjoyed the rooftop sitting and waking up sitting on the decks in the mornings. The only improvement is that there needs to be two outdoor trash cans instead of one. Other than that, this place is amazing.
House had all we needed. Kitchen well appointed but would have liked more dining table and chairs as could only seat 12 and we had 16.Pool was great and appreciated floats, sand toys, etc provided. would love to know where elephant on TV cabinet came from. We all want one!!
The description of the property was not entirely accurate, but it was going through a renovation at the time. The new side of the house once completed provided a gameroom with a ping-pong tablet, shuffleboard table, and pop a shot basketball which our family very much enjoyed during our stay. The home was only 1.5 blocks off the beach which was very convenient, and our family enjoyed the pool in the backyard. The main living area and pool were larger than appeared in the pictures. The cleaning company they use though left something to be desired. Also, the management property was a little difficult to deal with before arriving to the property, but during our stay they were prompt in dealing with any issues.
Nice property despite the need to climb two sets of stairs to get to the kitchen/living area. Great observation/cocktail deck.
A small family reunion combined with sunny and occasionally breezy weather made for a delightful vacation again at Pensacola Beach made possible by PBH.
Stayed at this home for one week in June 2014. Chose the propert based on cost, location, and pool. Based on those three criteria, the home met my expectations. However, the home has a strong odor of mustiness upon entering the first floor. The smell is mostly confined to that area. The kitchen pots and pans need a complete overhaul. It seems to be equipped with leftovers from the owner's kitchen. Nonstick pans are very scratched and pots are too few. The kitchen sink's faucet needs to be replaced due to a broken sprayer and low water pressure. Some of the electrical outlets did not work or tripped the GFCI often. Also, the bedroom with the bunk beds needs to have a ceiling fan in it for air circulation. But all those things aside, the roof top view was amazing both day and night, the pool was refreshing, and everyone got a great leg workout due to the four floor setup of the home.
Wonderful house and perfect location to the beach !
The only issue we had was the stairs. All 48 of them! Other than that the house was great as well as the roof top deck overlooking the area and the ocean. Nice short walk to the beach (5 minutes tops). We had a great time and look forward to doing it again real soon !!


Another fun and successful fundraiser hosted by ORBIS Canada! Last Sunday, ORBIS Canada hosted their 6th Annual Pull for Sight Fundraiser at the FedEx Canada Hangar at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Teams of up to 25 raced to pull a FedEx 757 Cargo Plane 12 feet. This was my fourth year as the photographer for this event and it's always a fun filled day for a great cause.
Custom ORBIS Cupcakes by Pretty Sweet Toronto!
Filed under Blog. Tagged Canada, Corporate Event, Event, Event Photography, Fun, Fundraiser, ORBIS Canada, Photographer, Photography, Toronto, Toronto Event Photographer, Toronto Photographer.


text:
De IJzeren Pagode (铁塔) is een boeddhistische Chinese pagode uit 1049 die deel uitmaakt van het Youguo-tempelcomplex (佑 国寺) in de Chinese stad Kaifeng. Samen met de Liuhe-, Lingxiao-, Liaodi-, Pizhi- en Beisi-pagodes wordt de IJzeren Pagode gezien als een meesterwerk van de architectuur uit de Song-dynastie (960-1279).

De IJzeren Pagode wordt niet zo genoemd omdat hij van ijzer is gemaakt, maar omdat de kleur ervan op die van ijzer lijkt. Het is een bakstenen pagodetoren die op dezelfde locatie is gebouwd als een eerdere houten pagode die in 1044 na een brand als gevolg van blikseminslag verloren ging.

Boeddhistische tempel in Henan
Chinese oudheid

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A Detroit police officer has been shot in the head and police are actively working to take down the suspect.
Detroit, MI - A Detroit police officer was shot in the head Wednesday night, and the suspect is not yet in custody.
The shooting happened just before 11 p.m. at in the 5500 block of McDougall, near Kirby, according to Detroit PD.
The officer was in a standoff with a barricaded gunman when he was shot in the head, according to The Detroit News.
The unidentified officer was transported to the hospital in critical condition. He is a member of the 7th Precinct Special Operations Unit, according to The Detroit News.
"He's a great, hard-working officer. Members often see him at community meetings, talking with residents," Commissioner Willie Burton told the media. "We had eight officers shot in the line of duty last year and we're back at this again."
This officer is the third officer to be shot in Michigan on Wednesday. There was also an officer murdered in Colorado.
UPDATE: Suspect in custody. Officer still critical.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the wounded officer and his family.
Prayers to blood and blue... so sad so many blue family is being attacked..
Auto death penalty means throw a grenade at him. End ofstory. Tax payers pay nada. Give the Police Officers a raise.
Unfortunately Michigan does not have the Death Penalty for any Crime.


I am now beginning to look into automating the curtains. I really want that controlled by Homey when it arrives, that would be so cool and handy! So this is not really a Homey-question but more of a domotica question instead.
Since I have the possibility now to pick the kind of system I want, has anyone got any suggestions on what kind of system to choose? Who has already done this recently?
I am in the Amsterdam (Netherlands) region. Any help is appreciated.
Look at robbshop.nl they have some options or you can make it yourself with a move?
I have used the Kallox system and the solution from Rob Shop. The Kallox system is easy to fit but make a lot of noise. Then you do not minded the noise this is a good set to start with.
What about using something like "Lamellen rails" and order a "MOVE" to control them ?
I think this should be possible as long as the curtains aren't too heavy.
Move actually really does look superb! The possibility to make it work on batteries really is a big plus. And it is so easy to install. Only thing is that I am worried that it might take quite long before the Move gets delivered and there is no way to see how loud the motor is.
But of course I could just go and order the curtains already and install the Move later. Thanks for the tip!
I'm also looking for a good but not to expensive option. How about https://www.autogordijn.nl/rail-op-maat.php ?
Me: Graag zou ik de luxe elektrische gordijnrail een keer in het echt willen bekijken voordat ik deze bestel. Kan ik hiervoor een afspraak maken? Ook wil ik graag weten of het gordijn ook met de hand bediend blijft in het geval dat de stroom uitvalt of dat als je bijvoorbeeld aan het gordijn trekt, deze verder automatisch dicht gaat?
dan lichte wrijving want de motor draait onbelast mee. Het automatisch openen/sluiten van het gordijn als u aan het gordijn trekt is een optie die u aan en uit kan worden geschakeld en zit dan ook ingesloten in de besturing van de motor.
Me: Kan ik het systeem ook aansluiten aan bijvoorbeeld de Fibaro inbouw schakelmodule 2x1,5KW of de Fibaro rolluik/zonwering schakelaar zodat ik de gordijnen via z-wave kan bedienen?
I hope is engine is quiet and fast.
The price is pretty low!
I have a forest shuttle L installed. The rail has 4 bends in it, and still runs smooth. Currently it is controlled with RF. Once homey arrives, I will start to figure out how I can get Homey to "learn" the existing remote codes, and thereby use it to control the curtains.
The L model has a multi receiver incorporated. I can't find what the 'multi' means but the talk about working on support for an app that supports Z-wave (Forest App (Z-wave), No (is being worked on)).
Hm, you need to specify this when you order the L, then the Z-wave module is integrated.
Homewizard has his own system. But I don't know if homey can control them. Maybe they have a special protocol like the heatlink.
I have been reading about automating my curtains for a while now (still have to do it lol) but as I read, controlling the autogordijn/Kallox system isn't that convenient as you only can open or close the curtains (they go all the way) with one fibaro 2x1,5kW. To stop you would need another fibaro module and that would be very costly. The use of a Fibaro roller shutter wouldn't work because the the system works with 12/24VDC and the fibaro module is working at 110-230VAC.
The good thing is that Qubino recently launched their flush shutter DC module (This works with 12/24VDC) so if I'm correct this must work with positioning.
Would the Fibaro Rgbw be an option. It uses 12/24 V and has 4 outputs. Check the manual at Fibaro.
I'm using Harrison curtains. You can control them by 433 mhz, so creating a driver for Homey must be possible.
Forget about "autogordijn". I have two of them and they are extremely loud. Also extremely cheap, but the next time I'll spend a bit more for a quieter brand.
Homewizard has very nice curtains but I don't know if homey can control them. They have their own protocol I think.
I have got the Forest Shuttle L in both the living room (with one bend) and in the bedroom (straight).
Very very happy with them, very quiet, the motors are not visible and they have a very long (white) 220V cable which you can run down to the socket. The rails have their own seperate remote but since I now use Homewizard I bought two ASN-650 from KAKU/CICO to control them and this works flawless! They also can be controlled manually, meaning a small tug and they open/close automatically. No experience with opening them completely by hand, that has never been necessary :-) (but should be no problem, should work the same way as described above).
@emile will homey be able to open up the curtains at a certain percentage as well?
I'm planning to buy a forest shuttle for masking my projection screen.
If the curtains allow it, then yes.
@Moek: The forest shuttle z-wave controller is supposed to have position feedback (and should allow intermittent positions to be programmed). The RF controls are either "open", "stop", "close" and does not have something like "80% closed".
@cjvs Yes you're right, thanks. I completely missed the RF-part @emile will z-wave control also be supported?
@moek Homey will be able to control automatic curtains via Z-Wave, not at launch though.
I have Zigbee motion and door/windows sensors, but Zigbee won't work at launch?
I have Z-wave roller shutter modules, but they won't work at launch either?
@fire69 When you add a Z-Wave device with capabilities that aren't yet build in the Z-Wave driver Homey tries to control the device using the Basic commands (on and off). This means Homey should be capable of opening and closing the curtains at launch.


text:
Archive for January 21st, 2010
South Carolina State Rights Resolution S.424 Adopted
Author: Al
S.424 – TO AFFIRM THE RIGHTS OF SOUTH CAROLINA BASED ON THE PROVISIONS OF THE NINTH AND TENTH AMENDMENTS TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION
South Carolina became the latest state to pass a resolution affirming their state rights over Federal Government intrusions. It included among other things, South Carolina 2nd amendment rights. Most importantly, however, was the provision disallowing the enforcement of compulsory health insurance upon the citizens of South Carolina by the Federal Government.
No law shall interfere with the right of a person to be treated by or receive services from a health care provider of that person's choice;
No law shall restrict a person's freedom of choice of private health care systems or private health care plans of any type;
No law shall interfere with a person's or an entity's right to pay directly for lawful medical services; and
No law shall impose a tax, penalty, or fine, of any type, for choosing a health care provider, to obtain or decline health care coverage or for participation in any particular health care system or plan.
Be it further resolved that it is the policy of the State of South Carolina that the Attorney General will challenge the constitutionality of any provision enacted by the United States Congress that would violate any of the policies established by this resolution and join with other states that are like-minded to make such a challenge.
Full Text of S.424
AS ADOPTED BY THE SENATE
S. 424
Introduced by Senators Bright, S. Martin, Alexander, Campbell, Fair, Knotts, Cromer, Mulvaney, Verdin, L. Martin, Shoopman, Rose, McConnell, Thomas, Cleary, Courson, Coleman, Davis, Reese, Campsen, Grooms, Ryberg, Peeler, O'Dell, Bryant and Massey
S. Printed 1/19/10–S. [SEC 1/20/10 12:09 PM]
Read the first time February 12, 2009.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONTO AFFIRM THE RIGHTS OF SOUTH CAROLINA BASED ON THE PROVISIONS OF THE NINTH AND TENTH AMENDMENTS TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION.
Whereas, the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights established a federal government limited in scope and guarantee of personal liberty so that our citizens will be free to pursue their inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as recognized in the Declaration of Independence; and
Whereas, the Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people"; and
Whereas, pursuant to the Ninth Amendment, the people are guaranteed the right to privacy as a basic human right; and
Whereas, the delivery, administration, and receipt of medical care affects personal privacy and involves the most intimate and personal of choices; and
Whereas, the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people"; and
Whereas, the Tenth Amendment defines the limited scope of federal power as being that specifically granted by the United States Constitution; and
Whereas, pursuant to the Tenth Amendment, by limiting the scope of federal power to only those specifically enumerated in the United States Constitution, the states retain plenary power to govern; and
Whereas, despite the clear limitations placed upon it by the United States Constitution, the federal government has steadily expanded its reach into the lives of our citizens and, in so doing, violates the very principles upon which this nation was founded; and
Whereas, the United States Supreme Court has said that states have great latitude in regulating medical care and standards, which have historically and constitutionally been primary state responsibilities and affect areas of core state responsibility, yet Congress and the President are reaching agreement over legislation that will result in the federal government absorbing the regulation of medical care, stripping the states of most responsibility, and taking away the free choice of the citizens of the states; and
Whereas, the federal government has spent trillions of dollars of borrowed money to run deficits, to bail out financial institutions, to prop-up auto makers, and to keep afloat other private enterprises that were mismanaged, took unnecessary risks, or were unresponsive to market demands, thus amassing a debt that will loom over and burden our country for generations to come; and
Whereas, the federal government habitually responds to its annual budget shortfalls by burdening the states with unfunded mandates, shifting costs for programs to the states, limiting state flexibility, and interfering with state revenue systems, undermining the constitutionally created balance between federal and state government; and
Whereas, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that Congress may not simply commandeer the legislative and regulatory processes of the states, and that states may provide their citizens with protections that exceed the protections by the federal government; and
Whereas, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that the United States Constitution allows states to grant rights to their citizens in their state constitutions, beyond rights granted in the federal Constitution; and
Whereas, the United States Supreme Court has recognized that federal law restricting certain rights may be ineffective in denying those rights protected in state Constitutions; and
Whereas, the State recognizes that as an independent sovereign, the State along with the other states of the union took part in an extensive bargaining process through the adoption of the Constitution and the various amendments thereto, and like any other party to any other agreement, the State is bound to uphold the terms and conditions of that agreement. Through this agreement, the states have collectively created the federal government, limiting the scope of its power and authority, as well as ensuring that certain fundamental rights are guaranteed. Also, through this process the federal judiciary has interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment to limit states' governmental authority by providing that important rights and protections afforded by the United States Constitution to the people as citizens of the United States are also extended to each person as a citizen of an individual state. Pursuant to that interpretation, this State is bound to uphold the principles and protections afforded by the Fourteenth Amendment which guarantees the privileges and immunities of the United States, due process of law, and equal protection under the law; and
Whereas, the federal government is considering legislation that may, among other things, obligate residents in South Carolina and other states to purchase health insurance; and
Whereas, the federal government is considering legislation that may, among other things, mandate that this State and other states increase its spending for Medicaid; and
Whereas, the General Assembly of this State reaffirms that the people of this State, have collectively, through the exercise of their authority as citizens of a sovereign state determined the constitutional balance of power in this State; and
Whereas, the citizens of this State have exercised their sovereign authority both directly through the passage of this state's constitution and the amendments thereto and representatively through their duly elected representatives in the General Assembly, and the General Assembly exercises the power of the people without limitation except as provided by the State Constitution; and
Whereas, one of the most fundamental powers of any state in the exercise of its sovereignty is through the power of appropriation and under our state's constitutional balance of power, the power of appropriation is firmly placed within the province of the General Assembly; and
Whereas, the General Assembly rejects any attempt by the federal government, either through the actions of the Congress or the federal courts, to limit, alter, or otherwise affect in any manner whatsoever the General Assembly's sovereign exercise of the power of appropriation; and
Whereas, there is concern that the federal government will also overstep its authority and violate the Tenth and the Second Amendments of the United States Constitution by enacting far-reaching restrictions or even a ban on gun purchases and ownership; and
Whereas, the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution provides: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"; and
Whereas, intervention by an armed South Carolina militia may prove to be the sole means for this State to protect the Liberties guaranteed it and all other states under the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; and
Whereas, due to the potential need for intervention by an armed South Carolina militia, the protections afforded under the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution are of upmost importance to the Citizens of South Carolina and the State of South Carolina; and
Whereas, it is vitally important for the future of our nation that the states stand against the relentless expansion of the federal government and restore the proper balance to our federal system. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
That the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, claims for the State of South Carolina sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the United States Constitution.
Be it further resolved that it is the policy of the State of South Carolina that:
Be it further resolved that no state agency, agent, department, instrumentality, or subdivision shall cooperate or participate in any way with any mandate passed by Congress upon notification by the Attorney General that the mandate has been successfully challenged in a court of competent jurisdiction, and further provided that there is not an order to the contrary by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Be it further resolved that the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, claims for the citizens of South Carolina and the State of South Carolina freedom from all laws and mandates that violate the rights granted under the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Be it further resolved that this resolution serves as notice and demand to the federal government, as South Carolina's agent, to cease and desist immediately all mandates that are beyond the scope of the federal government's constitutionally delegated powers.
Be it further resolved that the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, affirms its support of the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the United States Constitution.
Be it further resolved that copies of this resolution be forwarded to the President of the United States, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, and each member of South Carolina's Congressional Delegation, all at Washington, D.C., and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate of the legislatures of the other forty-nine states.
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A developer has broken ground on a new affordable housing and retail complex in downtown Vineland after securing nearly $18 million in financing.
Ballard Spahr, the law firm for Eastern Pacific Development LLC, said Tuesday that the complex will include 71 age-restricted affordable apartments and ground-floor retail space. The project will be known as Landis Square Senior Apartments, sitting at the corner of East and Landis Avenues in a designated redevelopment area in the city.
The firm announced Tuesday that its Vineland-based client had closed on the $17.8 million in financing to acquire the land and build the three-story structure. Financing for the project includes capital contributions of $13.9 million from an investor for the purchase of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits awarded by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency through a competitive process.
It is expected to be completed in about a year, according to a news release. Ten of the 71 affordable housing rental units will be set aside for seniors with special needs, with Gateway Community Action Partnership, Eastern Pacific's partner in the project, serving as the social service provider for the special needs population.
Jeffrey S. Beenstock of Ballard Spahr's New Jersey office represented Eastern Pacific in closing the financing and acquisition of the land in early November, the firm said. The project will also be funded from conventional construction and permanent loans by private banks.
Landis Square Senior Apartments is part of Landis Square East, a larger effort to redevelop the four corners of East and Landis avenues in Vineland. Eastern Pacific is the city's designated redeveloper for the overall effort, which involves demolition of a full city block containing a dilapidated motel and other structures.
Eastern Pacific Development has already completed restoration of the historic, 800-seat Landis Theater on the intersection's northwest corner into a community performing arts showplace.


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Today we will consider an interesting mid-range smartphone at a good price this ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 in our review.
This Zenfone Max Pro M1 phone describes itself as a camera phone that takes fantastic photos, so in this test, we will definitely check the quality of photos and videos.
Also regarding the price? Yes, this is an interesting Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 offer and you can now buy a version with 4GB of RAM + 64GB of internal memory, a Snapdragon 636 and a 5000mAh high capacity battery for $ 259.99.
In this article, you will be able to learn in detail all the specifications and our opinion on the quality of the phone. So let's start with the technical specification of ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1.
The specifications of Zenfone Max Pro M1 are good but wait to read the rest of the review, because when you have it in your hand and use it is when you realize the level of this phone.
I ordered a package from China and it came to me within 2 weeks, which is very good and fast.
This is a small box of blue and gray on the front side, where the name of the model Zenfone Max Pro M1 and the letter V logo are written.
On the back of the bo,x there is a phone specification, namely the color is black, 4 / 64GB version, Snapdragon 636, 6 inches screen, 16 + 5M, and 8MP cameras.
Let's open the box and find out what's inside. The first we see is a white box with the inscription We Love Photo. It contains a SIM tool, an instruction in English, and a silicone transparent protective phone case.
Below the bo,x there is the Zenfone Max Pro M1 phone itself in a protective film. And the last is a charger, micro USB cable, and headphones.
In general, this is good equipment, and lately, you rarely see headphones and a protective case for the first time, but this is a bonus and a pleasant surprise.
Let's look at the appearance of the device.
The design of the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 in our analisis is more of a premium range than a medium range, made of the aluminum body with high-quality finishes.
Quite light in hand, with hardly any front frames, and easy to grip even with such a large screen.
Asus is a manufacturer of proven technology worldwide, and design is something that they take care of in all their products.
The Zenfone Max Pro M1 is made entirely of aerospace aluminum with high strength and lightness.
It is very nice in hand, weighs little and holds well. It may seem that with a 5.99-inch screen could be bulky, but nothing is further from reality. When having frames super reduced the size of the phone is like that of 5.5 inches.
The quality of construction is outstanding, at the height of premium models, nothing to envy to the top mobile of the market.
Behind it are the double camera, the Led flash, and the fingerprint reader. It is a fast and accurate reading, recognizes the first time and does not usually fail.
The front is almost all screen and has no physical buttons.
We only found the camera of selfies, sensors and the Led notifications.
Below it has a Jack 3.5 jack for headphones, a MicroUSB port, and speaker.
The screen leaves you breathless as soon as you turn it on. With a size of 5.99 inches in ultra panoramic format, and super-reduced frames with a front 76.2% screen. Get an immersive experience in fantastic games and videos.
ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 consists of an IPS panel with Full HD + resolution with 404 ppi, 500 nits of brightness, 1,500: 1 contrast ratio.
In other words, the screen looks spectacular. Not only because of the size but because of its great definition.
The high luminosity of Zenfone Max Pro M1 that allows it to be used outdoors without loss of visibility, and for those beautiful and intense colors that it is capable of showing.
It is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 glass, which prevents scratches when you leave it on a table or rub with the keys.
The touch of the crystal is very smooth, the finger slides easily and the response is instantaneous.
Mounts the Snapdragon 636 mid-range processor of the new generation, with Artificial Intelligence technology and AI Boost function that increases the power up to 40% more in applications and games of high demand.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Octa-core 1.8 GHz, is accompanied by the Adreno 509 GPU and 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM.
It is a powerful configuration of ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 in the test which offers powerful, fluid and stable performance.
Especially thanks to the vitamin function AI Boost that multiplies the frequency of the processor in very demanding tasks, achieving yields as high as those of the Snapdragon 660.
I have squeezed as much as possible with the most demanding games of the Play Store and moves them with great fluidity, it is also a joy with such a large and defined screen.
The use of multitasking and between applications is like a dance, super nice, without lag or slowdowns. It seems a lie that a phone of this price can go so well.
In our review of the phone, we conducted a series of benchmark tests. You can look at the results below.
I would like to note that for a Snapdragon 636 processor these are typical results. For example, Mi Max 3 or Redmi Note 6 Pro has an analog processor and tests are similar too.
As for real use? We used the phone for 2 weeks and it can be said for sure that lags or other delays were not detected.
The system works smoothly and stable. Who is interested in games? That phone is also good, but at medium graphics settings, we played heavy games such as PUBG Mobile, Legends Infinity Ops, and CrossFire: Legends, and in our test everything was smooth, it was nice to play.
The ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 in-depth review comes with Android 8.1 Oreo under the ZenUI launcher that customizes the graphical interface of Android.
Adds extra functions and optimizes the management of the Operating System.
It is a complete system with a lot of customization options and added functions. What stands out most is the Artificial Intelligence of the camera, the processor, and the battery.
In our review, when we just turned on the phone, we received new updates immediately. The company Asus always makes frequent updates for its number of phones, so there should be no problems.
The operating system is pure Android, and here you can find installed applications, such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and also Google applications, like Youtube, Chrome, Drive, and much more.
I am also very pleased with the presence of FM radio, and I know for some users this will be good pluses including me.
In daily use, fluency is absolute, without lag or latency in multitasking with dozens of open applications. It is a pleasant system to use, intuitive and customizable.
Let's talk about the quality of communication in our review about the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 phone.
Everything is fine here, there is also a new Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, but only WiFi with the usual 802.11b / g / n connection has been disappointing, that is, there is no network in the 5 GHz band.
In our WiFi test, you can see the result below, and in general, it is a good result.
As for the GPS signal, here everything is well the signal is caught literally right away and we have not found any problems.
The quality of communication and the speaker is a remarkable connection, and during the conversation, there were no delays.
The dual rear camera of the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 in the analisis is brutal, with impressive image quality and a dynamic range reminiscent of a reflex camera.
And not only is it a good sensor and good lenses, the Artificial Intelligence that detects 16 scene modes is key.
In a camera, there are 3 factors that determine the photographic quality. The first is the sensor responsible for capturing the light, the second is the lenses (the lenses in the SLR cameras), and the third is the processing of the image.
The Asus ZenFone has a dual rear camera formed by the main sensor of 16-megapixels and aperture f/2.2, plus the secondary sensor of 5-megapixels f/2.4 for depth effect.
The front camera of selfies is the 8-megapixels with aperture f/2.2 (the same as the secondary back, but brighter). It has to face recognition to unlock the mobile, and portrait mode with background blur.
The main sensor of the highest quality and is responsible for making almost all photos, with an overwhelming brightness thanks to the aperture f/2.2 which allows very good night shots.
Thanks to artificial intelligence, it is able to know when you take pictures of people, food, landscapes, animals, the sky, flowers, snow, night, text, etc.
With this information, it adapts the processing of the image to each type of scene to obtain spectacular photos.
Special mention to the portrait mode that focuses on the foreground and blurs the background, achieving the famous defocused background effect as the reflex cameras.
Noteworthy is the Pro mode that allows shooting in RAW, and manually adjust the ISO, white balance, exposure compensation, shutter speed, autofocus, and focal aperture in portrait mode.
The video has the 4K with optical stabilizer and slow-motion function. Like the photos, the video recording is excellent, especially the slow motion that looks impressive.
The battery of ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 in the test has 5000 mAh, with a duration that reaches 3 days of autonomy with more than 12 hours of the screen, giving a use between normal and intensive.
It responds very well to intensive use, in demanding games it holds the pull and does not plummet as it happens in many models. The expense is gradual with optimal management.
It has several interesting functions. One is the Powermaster function, where you can switch between 4 battery modes, regulating the power of the CPU to save energy or putting it to the maximum to play with the graphics to the fullest.
Another is the BoostMaster technology, which uses Artificial Intelligence to extend the life of the battery according to your usage patterns.
The downside is the presence of a conventional micro USB charging so charging will be long. In our test for 30 minutes, only 35% of the device was charged.
The ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 in our in-depth review is the king of the mid-range, the best of the year at this price.
It is for those who are looking for one of the best cameras on the market without going broke along the way, with a beautiful design and quality, and a performance that can with everything.
It is placed in the middle range only by the processor and the price because in the rest it is a high range written in capital letters.
Especially in the double rear camera, which is at the level of the most Premium models of 2018.
Asus manufactures state-of-the-art technology with a better quality/price ratio than its direct competition. To get something like the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 in Huawei or Samsung you have to go to higher price models.
ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1: Price and Where to buy the cheaper?
The best price for the ASUS Zenfone Max Pro M1 you will find in stores like Gearbest, with free shipping worldwide. It is the most reliable and with best after sales service, and quite fast.
So right now you can already buy a phone Zenfone Max Pro M1 at a good and low price for only $259.99 with a discount of 26% OFF. So, who wants to get a quality and reliable smartphone of the middle-range class this will be a good choice.