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You are at:Home»English»Columnists»INTO THE NEXT STAGE: Jay Leno — My Mistake for Thinking Too Highly of You
INTO THE NEXT STAGE: Jay Leno — My Mistake for Thinking Too Highly of You
Posted On February 6, 2014 Columnists
By GUY AOKI
In the '90s, it seemed as if I was always defending Jay Leno. When the Emmy nominations were announced, his name was usually missing, but less funny critical favorites like David Letterman would get the nod not just for "Best Show" but "Best Writing." I rolled my eyes.
No matter how well Leno did in beating Letterman week after week since 1995, the press would only focus on the weeks when Dave did better than usual. They dismissed Leno as an everyman comedian with no edge, safe for the masses.
Screw that. Joke for joke, he was funniest. Letterman fooled everyone with his curmudgeon personality. His material was rarely funny. I gave up switching to watch his Top 10 lists when I realized, on average, only two of them were funny (the rest often made no sense at all).
Leno also seemed to be progressive in his humor. When the O.J. Simpson case was inescapable, most comedians couldn't help themselves — they focused on the fact that Judge Lance Ito was Asian. With the exception of one skit — "Ito" called the lawyers in for a conference and then did a Benihana routine — Leno's jokes focused on what happened in court that day. I appreciated that. He wasn't a predictable simpleton like so many of the others.
In 1998, at an anniversary party for Dick and Kari Clark at their home in Malibu, I expressed my frustration to Leno, saying the critics never gave him a break and that he was funnier than Letterman. He appreciated it but quickly reminded me that Letterman was funny too.
I told him how much I appreciated him not focusing on Ito's ethnicity. "Aw, naw, naw," he said in his much-imitated whiny voice, "dere's no need fo dat!" Also that when he did skits with children, he featured kids of all ethnicities, Asians included.
In 2000 when NBC held its Diversity Seminar for all their writers and producers, Leno was the lunch speaker, and he said he was always mindful about including a mix of people in everything he did. I reminded him of our conversation and thanked him again for being a good example of getting what diversity's supposed to be all about.
But beginning in 2002, I caught Leno making jokes about Chinese restaurants serving and Korean people eating dogs. After South Korean skater Kim Dong Sung lost the gold medal in the 1500-meter short-track skating competition to Apolo Anton Ohno, Leno quipped, "He was so mad, he went home and kicked the dog, and then ate him!"
Karen Narasaki and Charles Kim of Korean American Coalition had a conference call with Leno, who said he researched it and some people in Korea did, in fact, eat dog. Well, he was asked, is it also true that some blacks eat fried chicken and watermelon? Well, yeah… Are you going to do jokes about that? Well, no… Why not? Because [his then-bandleader]Kevin Eubanks is his friend and Leno wouldn't want to upset him.
No, because the NAACP would've called for your firing the very next day.
See, that would've been the equivalent: Every time a black person is in the news, make a joke about him eating fried chicken and watermelon. Leno wouldn't do it not because there's anything wrong with that activity but because it's a stereotype against black people.
But the preponderance of jokes about Asians eating dog created the false impression that it was that common and encouraged resentment against "savages" who would eat man's best friend. Big difference. And because the jokes involved Koreans nationals but also Chinese restaurants in the States, people weren't going to distinguish between foreign Asians and Asian Americans.
Narasaki told Reuters that Leno "said he didn't intend to offend anybody or hurt anybody, and if he had known then what we were telling him he wouldn't have told the joke." But knowing that it did, Leno still persisted.
The following year: "Oh, in Colorado, state legislatures there announced they want to change the legal status of cats and dogs from property to companions. Dog and cat would be a companion rather than property. Very similar to legislation in North Korea, where they changed the status of cats and dogs from appetizer to entrée."
In 2011, Leno joked that the economy was so bad, "my cat sold my dog to a Chinese restaurant!" In 2012 on North Korea's failed missile launch: "Kim Jong Un was so upset, he went home, kicked his dog, then ate him!"
Later that year: "A Chinese buffet restaurant in Kentucky has been closed after a dead deer was found in the kitchen… I mean, road kill that was found on the highway was being brought into the kitchen and was being prepared! I love this! Oh yeah!… Did you hear? The owner's explanation for the dead deer was that … 'we ran out of cat!'"
Over the years, I'd asked NBC to let me meet with Leno. I wanted to remind him of my previous praise for him but to explain why these dog-eating jokes were problematic. Although it was promised to me, it never happened. Instead, in October 2012, an executive let another civil rights leader speak to Leno and his producer on a conference call. The comedian was extremely defensive, and it settled nothing.
In fact, the following December, Leno reported: "North Korea's official news agency now claims to have discovered a unicorn lair… And most citizens in North Korea had the same response when they heard about the unicorns: 'Hey, can we eat 'em?!' … Today, North Korea released video of the unicorn. You be the judge, here it is, take a look. Yeah, see that? [A video of a bulldog dressed in a pink outfit with a unicorn horn on top is shown.] I'm not buying it."
This time, the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition, which annually meets with the networks pushing for diversity — and of which I was co-chair for two years — had enough. Its various members wrote letters to "Tonight Show" sponsors asking them to raise the issue with NBC. They did. Some even told NBC Chairman Bob Greenblatt they'd consider pulling their advertising unless these kinds of jokes stopped. Greenblatt called Leno and told him the dog-eating jokes would end. Finally, they did.
In a sense, I'm still defending Leno today. Quit blaming him for Conan O'Brien's failure as his replacement. It wasn't Leno's idea to leave or return — NBC forced him out then asked him back. Why did the network fire Leno twice — in 2004 (when they gave him five years' notice) and in 2013 when he's still #1 in viewers as well as in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 age range? Why doesn't CBS give Letterman the boot instead? He's always in second and third place.
Leno was ready to retire anyway? Hell, Johnny Carson talked about leaving "The Tonight Show" for more than a decade before he finally did. On a professional level, I believe Jay Leno should remain at his current gig. (Yes, his replacement, Jimmy Fallon, creates music performances that go viral. But the guy's just not funny. "Thank-you notes?" Oh, puhleeze. Annoying. And he's only got four or five jokes in his monologues to Leno's 20-30. Conan O'Brien was hilarious, and we all know what happened to him.)
But on a personal level, I'm disappointed that the man I thought was better than the rest was, in many ways, the worst of them. Hopefully when history looks back on his dog-eating jokes, it'll be with a sad shake of the head, and he'll be regarded as part of an ignorant, older time when comedians uncaringly — and defiantly — perpetuated stereotypes against a group of people even when asked not to.
Leno's final "Tonight Show" airs tonight. Bye, Jay (shaking my head sadly).
This 1988 issue of The Tozai Times included a cover story about redress by Guy Aoki.
"Indulge Me a Bit…" Department: That was the way Joy Yamauchi began her editorials in The Tozai Times beginning February 1992 in place of Publisher Chet Yamauchi. She reported her father was fighting cancer, which he unfortunately succumbed to in May of that year. I was saddened to learn Joy herself passed away from that same disease this past Jan. 8 at the young age of 58.
Tozai Times was the first publication where I wrote about Asian American subjects (most of the time, I interviewed pop music artists and wrote album reviews for magazines like Music Connection and BAM). I covered everything from the "King of Origami" to filmmaker Steven Okazaki's "Living on Tokyo Time" (1987) to George Takei's then-impending star on Hollywood Boulevard (1986).
In 1988, I outlined my concerns about "The Image of the Asian Male" in the media, saying something had to be done to change things. I didn't quite know what at the time, but four years later, I co-founded MANAA.
The most heartfelt, important piece I wrote was about being part of NCRR's 1987 lobbying delegation to Washington, D.C. fighting for passage of the redress bill. I remember talking to Joy on the phone after she read it. "Wow, Guy, very sensitive!" She was moved.
When I bumped into Chet after dropping off another article on a Saturday afternoon in their East L.A. offices right next to his Classic Catering business, he offered his encouragement as well: "Hey, that was a great article you did!" Unfortunately, it was almost ruined in the editing process with bizarre changes of tenses here and there and ungrammatical insertions.
Still, I appreciated being allowed to hone my writing skills for the tabloid-sized monthly. Writing for it and Music Connection helped me get a gig at The L.A. Times in 1988 (Joy told my inquiring future boss: "Yeah, Guy never misses a deadline!").
In a way, some of the spirit of Tozai continues on as regular columnists Wimpy Hiroto and Warren Furutani and cartoonist Neal Yamamoto are nowadays found right here in The Rafu Shimpo. Thanks, Joy.
'Til next time, keep your eyes and ears open.
Guy Aoki, co-founder of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, writes from Glendale. He can be reached at [email protected] Opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of The Rafu Shimpo.
THROUGH THE FIRE: Retribution, Justice and the Central Park Five
THROUGH THE FIRE: Still Moving Mountains
Sid on February 9, 2014 10:36 am
Ha ha. That's actually pretty funny. >>> "Oh, in Colorado, state legislatures there announced they want to change the legal status of cats and dogs from property to companions. Dog and cat would be a companion rather than property. Very similar to legislation in North Korea, where they changed the status of cats and dogs from appetizer to entrée."


text:
Agenda and draft minutes
Thursday, 14th September, 2017 7.30 pm
Printed draft minutes PDF 84 KB
Venue: Committee Room 3 - Waltham Forest Town Hall. View directions
Contact: Perminder Purewal, Democratic Services Officer 020 8496 4537 | Email: perminder.purewal@walthamforest.gov.uk
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTE MEMBERS
Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Geoff Walker and Shumon Ali-Rahman (co-optee).
The following substitute member arrangement was in place:
Councillor John Moss for Councillor Geoff Walker.
Members are required to declare any pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest they or their spouse/partner may have in any matter that is to be considered at this meeting. Interests are defined in the front cover of this agenda.
Councillor Richard Sweden declared a non-pecuniary interest in Agenda Item 8 (Communicating with Partners around the Needs of Vulnerable Adults) as he is managed but not employed by NELFT.
Notwithstanding his interest in this item Councillor Sweden was able to remain in the room and participate in the debate.
MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING PDF 84 KB
To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 25 April 2017.
The minutes of the meeting held on 25 April 2017 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.
Minute 6 –Promoting Health and Wellbeing Through the Borough's Leisure Centres
James Holden was asked to enquire about the outcome of discussions with the Dolphins Swimming Club about the provision of disability swimming for its members at Leytonstone Leisure Centre.
Minute 8 – Mental Health Update
James Holden was asked to re-circulate to Members of the Committee the recommendations made following the Committee's consideration of the report on mental health services and to provide feedback on the progress made.
Minute 9 – Substance Misuse
It was noted that the recommendations made by the Committee to support the work of the Council and its partners in treating substance misuse will be submitted to Cabinet at its meeting on 10 October 2017 and were likely to be adopted.
Members of the public are welcome to participate in scrutiny meetings. You may speak for three minutes on a topic related to the Committee's work, and fifteen minutes in total is allowed for public speaking, at the discretion of the Chair. If you would like to speak, please contact Democratic Services (details above) by 12 noon on the day before the meeting.
Mary Burnett speaking on behalf of WF Save Our NHS addressed the Committee on her concerns about developments within the East London Health and Care Partnership (ELHCP) and more specifically its proposal to appoint one Accountable Officer for all 7 Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG's) within the North East London STP to replace five current posts as a condition to access transformation funding from NHS England.
She reminded the Committee of the Cabinet's decision in January this year not to sign up to the North East London Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) because of the need to address a number of outstanding issues and drew attention to her concerns and those expressed by City and Hackney CCG and the Inner London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JHOSC) about the Single Accountable Officer proposal. Mary Burnett suggested there had been no public consultation on the proposal which she considered threatened the accountability of statutory organisations as well as the role of local authorities in health service planning and scrutiny. She was of the view that the NHS is pushing the changes through to enforce spending cuts given the challenges faced by the health and care system in north east London.
She asked the Committee to challenge the Single Accounting Officer proposal and to join with other local authorities to request full and proper public consultation.
Members of the committee had various concerns about the proposal and in response to questions received further information from Ian Tomkins and Henry Black from the East London Health and Care Partnership about the driver for the proposed change and the model it was proposed to adopt. In summary they made it clear that the Single Accounting Officer proposal was very much work in progress and that the focus was more on local service delivery and control and how to make best use of the available resources and avoid duplication.
The Committee agreed to ask Mary Burnett to provide a summary of her concerns about the current proposals to enable the Committee to determine what action it should take.
INDUSTRIAL ACTION AT WHIPPS CROSS HOSPITAL PDF 50 KB
The Committee received a report on the on-going strike by Unite members employed as cleaners, porters, catering and security staff at Whipps Cross Hospital and all other hospitals managed by Barts Health Trust over the past several weeks because of a pay dispute with their employer, Serco.
The Committee was concerned at the affect the industrial action has had on patient care and safety at Whipps Cross Hospital but was informed that Serco has today made an offer which is to be discussed.
The Committee asked to be kept informed on the situation.
THE ELHCP NEW PAYMENT SYSTEM PDF 46 KB
Presentation from Ian Tompkins(East London Health & Care Partnership) on the Partnership's New Payment System.
ELHCP Payment Development - JHOSC Sept 2017 , item 6. PDF 503 KB
ELHCP Payment Development Consultation - 11 July 2017 - Update , item 6. PDF 1 MB
The Committee was invited to comment on a Consultation Paper published in July by the East London Health and Care Partnership entitled 'Payment Development and the Drivers for Change'. The consultation paper set out a number of payment options that might be adopted as part of the Partnership's new approach to managing health and care across East London in a more integrated way and to support system development.
In his presentation of the proposals and the timetable for change Henry Black emphasised out that the new payment system will not be introduced until robust testing has been carried out and would not be in place until 2019. He pointed out that current payment systems are fragmented and do not support collaborative working.
The consultation paper which Mr Black said was more of an engagement exercise to gather as much information as possible sought responses from a range of organisations as well as clinicians, other health and care professionals, front line staff, finance managers, local councils, patients and the public and posed 13 specific questions. The Chair suggested the Committee should concentrate on Questions 1 and 9 which dealt with priorities to support better outcomes for patients and the steps needed to secure practical engagement among ELHCP member organisations
The Chair was particularly interested to know how much the proposals were driven by savings and how much by achieving better outcomes. The ELH&CP representatives commented that the intention is to make best use of the available resources and to reform the current system and shift the balance to prevention and self-care. It was considered important to incentivise GPs to provide better sign-posting and avoid unnecessary referrals to A and E departments.
The Committee highlighted the fact that the new payment system should aim to encourage professionals to focus on prevention.
Councillor Sweden welcomed the assurance given that the new systems will be rigorously modelled before they go live.
The Committee thanked the ELH&CP representatives for their presentation and looked forward to receiving a progress report on the introduction of the new payment system in due course.
CURRENT HOSPITAL DISCHARGE ARRANGEMENTS PDF 84 KB
Arising from discussion at the last meeting the Committee received a report on the process of hospital discharges and how health and social care partners are working together to ensure that discharges are timely and effective. The report summarised the action plan recently agreed by partners to ensure that supported discharge for patients that have on-going voluntary, health or social needs are effectively undertaken to enable them to maximise their independence.
Nick Davies and Deborah Madden presented the report. They pointed out that most people, in the region of 90%, are discharged from hospital without the need for support from social care or health services. For those residents that do need support the Integrated Discharge Team (IDT) based at Whipps Cross Hospital, staffed by a nurses and social workers, works with patients to ensure
that supported discharges take place successfully.
Members discussed the report and asked several questions.
Councillor Shameen Highfield raised the issue of transport home for patients on discharge. Deborah Madden advised that Barts Trust has recently taken back transport services in house including out-patients services and anticipated some improvement in transport arrangements.
Councillor Sheree Rackham enquired about the availability of nursing home placements for patients ready to be discharged. It was pointed out that this was a real challenge for the IDT because of the capacity challenge not only in Waltham Forest but throughout London for nursing home provision and there was no quick fix. Each case needed to be assessed on its merits.
The Committee was interested to know the A&E targets for the efficient operation of the hospital and particularly the target that Delayed Transfers of Care do not exceed 10 in any one day which it was reported is difficult to maintain.
The Committee was assured that the needs of patients are properly assessed before discharge arrangements are put in place and that lessons continue to be learnt from previous cases to mitigate any future problems.
The Committee noted the report which members found very interesting and helpful.
COMMUNICATING WITH PARTNERS AROUND THE NEEDS OF VULNERABLE ADULTS PDF 42 KB
In response to concerns arising from knowledge of a case regarding the way in which a health partner recently communicated with a vulnerable adult, the Committee received a report from the North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) on the procedures in place for dealing with referrals to community and mental health services. Sue Boon introduced the report. She described the action taken in response to a referral; drew attention to the way information from third parties is treated; gave examples of good practice in making referrals; and suggested ways in which communications might be improved.
She particularly emphasised the importance of third parties obtaining the consent of individuals where possible before making referrals and highlighted the issues of confidentiality that need to be addressed in communications with referrers including access to clinical records.
The Chair was particularly interested to learn that NELFT have a system in place for dealing with referrals by MPs and suggested the system should be extended to include enquiries from councillors. He also felt it would be useful if NELFT was able to produce some sign-posting information for councillors to ensure that enquiries they have are directed to the appropriate service. Councillor Rusling also suggested that it would be helpful if a workshop could be organised soon after the Local Council Elections in May next year for councillors to learn more about services for vulnerable adults and assist them in providing information and advice to their constituents.
Councillor Sheree Rackham was concerned that in her experience Members do not receive feedback following referrals made by them and asked that this be addressed.
Sue Boon agreed to give further consideration to the points made by members and to take appropriate action.
The Committee thanked Sue Boon for her report and presentation and looked forward to the further action to be taken in particular around ensuring that councillors are given appropriate guidance on how to engage with residents with mental health issues.
THEMED REVIEW: PRE AND POST-NATAL SERVICES FOR MOTHERS IN WALTHAM FOREST PDF 46 KB
Health Scrutiny Committee- themed review on maternity services in the borough , item 9. PDF 89 KB
Consideration was given to a report of Mark Bursnell, Policy and Public Affairs Officer.
The report reminded the Committee of its chosen topic for this year's themed review – the provision of pre and post-natal care services for mothers in Waltham Forest – and set out data on the current demand for these services and the initiatives that have been introduced to raise awareness of the services available.
The Committee discussed the specific areas it wished to focus upon in conducting the review.
The key points identified for research were:
Promotion of the services provided by the Neighbourhood Midwives Service recently launched in the borough - to include a Members' visit.
Provision of information and advice services to expectant mothers and pre-conception advice to include health promotion and dietary support.
Preparation of a Road Map of Services provided by different hospitals for expectant mothers to choose from when planning for births to include information on the different approaches and services offered.
Support for mothers with mental health issues.
Review of the services provided at children's centres.
The Committee noted the report and asked the officers to progress the issues identified as part of the review.
WORK PROGRAMME 2017/18 PDF 46 KB
Work Programme - Health July 16 , item 10. PDF 90 KB
Health Terms of Reference , item 10. PDF 59 KB
Provisional Work Programme 2017/18
The Committee approved its Provisional Work Programme for 2017/18 as set out in the report subject to the inclusion of the Annual Report of the Waltham forest Children's Death Overview Panel on the agenda for its 22 November 2017 meeting rather than its meeting on 24 April 2018.
The Committee authorised the officers to make any necessary further adjustments to the Work Programme as a consequence of this decision.
Whipps Cross Hydrotherapy Pool
In discussing the Work Programme the Chair drew the Committee's attention to Bart's Trust proposals concerning the Whipps Cross Hydrotherapy Pool.
The Committee was concerned about the future of this service and asked James Holden to raise the raise the following questions with the Trust:
What benefits does hydrotherapy have for patients?
What is the current use of the hydrotherapy pool?
What are the alternative proposals for hydrotherapy treatments?
How many people use hydrotherapy for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis and why is this condition not an NHS service?
What evidence is there that has led to the shift towards land based therapies?
How many staff are employed at the hydrotherapy pool and what will happen to them?
How many patients with learning disabilities have been stopped from using the hydrotherapy because of concerns about incontinence.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Princess Meghan Markle? Duchess of Sussex? What title will Harry's bride hold?
Media speculation is rife about future role of the Prince's actor bride-to-be
by The Week team
US actor Meghan Markle will wed Prince Harry in the spring
Tommasso Boddi/Getty
No sooner had Prince Harry announced his engagement to his American girlfriend Meghan Markle than speculation began on both sides of the Atlantic about his wife-to-be's future title.
Prince Harry: I wish I'd opened up over Princess Diana's death
"She will make history as the first American, the first actress and the first biracial person to be welcomed into the British royal family, most likely as a royal duchess with the Her Royal Highness title," USA Today reports.
The Daily Mail says Markle is likely to be known as the Duchess of Sussex - a title that has not been filled since 1843. The Daily Express says Markle could either become the Duchess of Sussex, "or alternatively she could reject the title and become 'Princess Meghan'".
Town and Country says she that while she will be a princess, she won't take the title Princess Meghan: "According to the customs of British peerage, a woman takes the title of her husband, meaning Meghan would become HRH Princess Henry of Wales, but she's not a British 'blood' princess, so calling her Princess Meghan would be incorrect".
Prince Harry, 33, and his 36-year-old girlfriend will wed in the spring at Windsor Castle. The Sun says Prince Harry won't lose his place in line for the throne just because he's marrying a divorcee.
The couple will live at Kensington Palace but further details about the wedding day have not been released.
Markle was raised in Los Angeles but for the past six years has been living in Toronto, where the US legal drama Suits, in which she co-stars, is filmed. She is not expected to return for the upcoming eighth season of the show.
Parks, mindful robots and selfish vaccines
'Vaccine success is on the brink of transforming the lockdown debate'
Instant Opinion
Quiz of The Week: 9 - 15 January
Quizzes and puzzles
Tories plot leadership revolt against Johnson over lockdown
How scientists developed a Covid-19 vaccine in record time
Stalin-themed kebab shop closes after one day
Who are the richest people in the world?


text:
package org.tensorflow.op.annotation;

import java.lang.annotation.Documented;
import java.lang.annotation.ElementType;
import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
import java.lang.annotation.Target;

/**
 * Annotation used by classes to make TensorFlow operations conveniently accessible via {@code
 * org.tensorflow.op.Ops}.
 *
 *
An annotation processor (TODO: not yet implemented) builds the {@code Ops} class by
 * aggregating all classes annotated as {@code @Operator}s. Each annotated class must have at
 * least one public static factory method named {@code create} that accepts a {@link
 * org.tensorflow.op.Scope} as its first argument. The processor then adds a convenience method in
 * the {@code Ops} class. For example:
 *
 *
{@code
 * @Operator
 * public final class MyOp implements Op {
 *   public static MyOp create(Scope scope, Operand operand) {
 *     ...
 *   }
 * }
 * }

 *
 *
results in a method in the {@code Ops} class
 *
 *
{@code
 * import org.tensorflow.op.Ops;
 * ...
 * Ops ops = new Ops(graph);
 * ...
 * ops.myOp(operand);
 * // and has exactly the same effect as calling
 * // MyOp.create(ops.getScope(), operand);
 * }

 */
@Documented
@Target(ElementType.TYPE)
@Retention(RetentionPolicy.SOURCE)
public @interface Operator {
  /**
   * Specify an optional group within the {@code Ops} class.
   *
   *
By default, an annotation processor will create convenience methods directly in the {@code
   * Ops} class. An annotated operator may optionally choose to place the method within a group. For
   * example:
   *
   *
{@code
   * @Operator(group="math")
   * public final class Add extends PrimitiveOp implements Operand {
   *   ...
   * }
   * }

   *
   *
results in the {@code add} method placed within a {@code math} group within the {@code Ops}
   * class.
   *
   *
{@code
   * ops.math().add(...);
   * }

   *
   *
The group name must be a valid Java
   * identifier.
   */
  String group() default "";

  /**
   * Name for the wrapper method used in the {@code Ops} class.
   *
   *
By default, a processor derives the method name in the {@code Ops} class from the class name
   * of the operator. This attribute allow you to provide a different name instead. For example:
   *
   *
{@code
   * @Operator(name="myOperation")
   * public final class MyRealOperation implements Operand {
   *   public static MyRealOperation create(...)
   * }
   * }

   *
   *
results in this method added to the {@code Ops} class
   *
   *
{@code
   * ops.myOperation(...);
   * // and is the same as calling
   * // MyRealOperation.create(...)
   * }

   *
   *
The name must be a valid Java
   * identifier.
   */
  String name() default "";
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


INFJ is short for Introvert, iNtuitive, Feeling, Judging - terms used in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (M.B.T.I.®) to show your preferences. M.B.T.I.® is used across the world in recruitment and team building.
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It also contains the complete INFJ Personality Profile.
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You prefer to learn in a friendly, co-operative atmosphere in which exploration and discovery are encouraged. Playing with ideas, experimenting with possibilities and thinking around your subject comes naturally to you, but you need to have a clear purpose for doing so.
Subjects that interest you absorb you deeply and you usually read as much about them as you can. Good at conceptualizing and abstract reasoning, you may however be less interested in facts and figures. You learn equally well on your own or with others, though you seek encouragement and approval from both your peers and teachers.
For you to become fully involved, your imagination needs to be stimulated, as a result of which you benefit from reading, multi-media learning, inspiring lectures, workshops and group discussions. Exercises, routine, detailed tasks and targets tend to demotivate you.
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Click below to see sample pages from the complete INFJ Career Fulfillment Guide. Each section is tailored to your specific Personality Pattern. The complete Guide is approximately 70 pages/12,500 words long. Download your copy now.


text:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<!--

-->
<!DOCTYPE struts PUBLIC
        "-//Apache Software Foundation//DTD Struts Configuration 2.0//EN"
        "http://struts.apache.org/dtds/struts-2.0.dtd">

<struts>
    <package name="tiles-default" extends="struts-default">
        <result-types>
            <result-type name="tiles" class="org.apache.struts2.views.tiles.TilesResult"/>
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text:
Q: Sum of values of a listbox in wpf I have a TextBox in WPF and a ListBox. ListBox (listAmount) is containing some values and I want the sum of that values in that TextBox (txtTotalAmount).
I am using currently this code:
int i = 0;
int sum = 0;

for (i = 0; i < listAmount.Items.Count; i++)
{
    sum = sum + Convert.ToInt32(listAmount.Items[i]);
}

txtTotalAmount.Text = sum.ToString();

And I get this error:

Unable to cast object of type 'System.Windows.Controls.ListBoxItem' to
  type 'System.IConvertible'

I will be greatfull to you.

A: The error message explains that listAmount.Items[i] returns instances of type ListBoxItem. That class is derived from ContentControl, which is why its Content property should contain the actual value you are looking for.
Therefore, try:
sum += Convert.ToInt32(((ListBoxItem)listAmount.Items[i]).Content);

The typecast is necessary because the indexer of ItemCollection is typed to object.

That said, have you tried using a collection (e.g. an ObservableCollection<int>) to store your values and set that collection as the ItemsSource of your listbox? You could then directly grab and sum up the integer values from your collection without the necessity to convert anything.
Add this declaration to your window to store a list of integer values:
private readonly ObservableCollection<int> values = new ObservableCollection<int>();

Then, after your call to InitializeComponents, assign the ItemsSource property:
listAmount.ItemsSource = values;

Add and remove your values to and from the values list whenever you like then; the contents of the list will always be reflected by the listbox.
For retrieving the sum of those values, you can then simply use the following:
int sum = values.Sum();

Note that the System.Linq namespace needs to be included with a using directive for this to work, or the Sum method will not be found.)

A: I would recommend another approach that blends better to WPF / XAML.
Use a binding on your Textbox.Text, and create a property in your object that you bind to. Perform the math in the getter of the property. I would restrain from manually assigning the Textbox.Text value every time it changes. Binding is one of WPFs biggest advantages VS Winforms.
This of course requires that your object implements the INotifyPropertyChanged interface. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.componentmodel.inotifypropertychanged.aspx
EDIT: IF you absolutely have to do it without bindings that i'd recommend summing up using a LINQ query. Simple and elegant (for this example my ListBox has an ItemSource that is an array if integers. You would of course have to adapt the Cast<> to whatever you are using).
  var numbers = new[] { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 };
  var listBox = new ListBox {ItemsSource = numbers};

  var sum = listBox.Items.Cast<int>().Sum();

A: If you know that they will always be integers you can use Linq
 listAmmount.Items.Cast<string>().Sum(x => int.Parse(x)).ToString();

Edit
Tested in wpf
textBox1.Text = listBox1.Items.Cast<ListBoxItem>().Sum(x => Convert.ToInt32(x.Content)).ToString();

A: There Is probably a much cleaner way of doing it, but this
 var items = listAmount.Items;
        int SUM;
        foreach (var item in items)
        {
            int itemvalue = Convert.ToInt32(item.ToString());

            SUM += itemvalue;
        }

A: Use :
listAmount.Items[i].ToString()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
University of Minnesota study finds people are consuming less trans-fatty acids
People are eating less trans-fatty acids than they were two decades ago, according to research conducted at the University of Minnesota published in this month's Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Lesbians' weight patterns may trigger more heart disease
Lesbians weigh more and carry more excess weight around their waistlines than their heterosexual sisters do, and these differences could place them at higher risk for heart disease, says a new study published in the journal Women's Health Issues.
Sir Arthur C. Clarke to address Los Alamos Space-Elevator Conference
Sir Arthur C. Clarke, world-renowned science fiction author, will address the Second Annual Space Elevator Conference held Sept.
Two commonly prescribed diabetes drugs may cause heart failure and fluid buildup
Two diabetes medications taken by more than 6 million Americans may lead to serious side effects, including the onset of congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema, according to researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
NHLBI study finds moderate physical activity promotes weight loss as well as intense exercise
Women trying to lose weight can benefit as much from a moderate physical activity as from an intense workout, according to a new study.
The cogs that move the science policy wheel
On 18-19 September, AAAS, the science society, celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Science and Technology Fellowship Program, launched in 1973 to provide the US Congress with the technical expertise that underlies so much federal legislation.
Atomic force microscope used to measure how well live bacteria stick
Virginia Tech researchers are using a modified form of atomic force microscopy (AFM) to observe at subatomic levels the efficiency of the attachment of bacteria to silica surfaces.
New pollutant cleanup technique puzzles, pleases chemists
Scientists looking for ways to clean up a common, persistent type of organic pollutant have developed an approach that not only restores the power of a naturally occurring pollution buster but also boosts it to levels of effectiveness that they can't currently explain.
Purdue biologists receive nearly $18 million to study infectious diseases
As part of a major U.S. presidential initiative to combat bioterrorism, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a pair of grants to Purdue University researchers to help the group study viruses thought to have potential as biological weapons.
Chandra 'hears' a black hole
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory detected sound waves, for the first time, from a super-massive black hole.
Pitt researchers find long-term weight loss in women
Women who exercised 250 to 300 minutes per week and reduced calorie and fat intake, lost up to 15 percent of their body weight, or about 25 pounds, in about six months and kept the weight off for the remainder of the year, according to a study by University of Pittsburgh Associate Professor John Jakicic published in the Sept.
Process developed for solvent-free acrylic fiber and cheap, fast carbon fibers
While the materials' qualities make them important to the aerospace industry, present processing technology makes carbon fiber too expensive for broader use, such as in the automotive industry.
Processing with flavonoids can mean tastier, heart healthy food
A Penn State food scientist has shown that adding heart healthy flavonoids during processing can produce tastier food products, including ultrapasteurized milk without a cooked or scalded flavor.
Scientific equipment including the first European student experiment reaches the ISS
Preparations for the Spanish Soyuz mission on the International Space Station (ISS) in October took another step forward with the successful docking of an unmanned Progress spacecraft with the International Space Station on 31 August at 05:41 Central European Time.
Los Alamos hosts Gamma-Ray Burst anniversary conference
Scientists from around the world are convening this week to debate and share their latest research at the Gamma-Ray Burst 2003 Symposium in Santa Fe, September 9 - 12, 2003.
Female physicists lead the way on Jefferson Lab experiment
A recent physics experiment at the U.S. Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) in Newport News, Va., set what may well be a new record for accelerator physics: the most female scientists on an experiment.
Pay-as-you-go motoring just around the corner
Death and taxes may be unavoidable, but road tolls and car insurance could be made fairer if satellite-assisted distance pricing is implemented.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Alveolus, Inc., announce agreement
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Alveolus, Inc., have announced the establishment of a program to pursue research and physician education in the field of interventional pulmonology.
Printing plastic circuits stamps patterns in place
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Viagra (R) can take effect in as little as 14 minutes in many men, study shows
A study of men with erectile dysfunction (ED) found that within 14 minutes more than one third of those taking Viagra (R) 100 mg achieved an erection that resulted in successful sexual intercourse.
Designing a better catalyst for 'artificial photosynthesis'
Scientists studying the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) to carbon monoxide (CO) -- a crucial step in transforming CO2 to useful organic compounds such as methanol -- are trying to mimic what plants do when they convert CO2 and water to carbohydrates and oxygen in the presence of chlorophyll and sunlight.
Safeguarding the country's food supply is focus of symposium, Sept. 9
Protection of the nation's agriculture and food supply has taken on an increased sense of urgency in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9-11-01.
Chicago area chemist Lee Marek wins ACS Helen M. Free award
Lee Marek of Naperville, Ill., received the 2003 Helen M.
A sophisticated virtual simulation tool to test-drive new cars
An innovation in driving simulation design that has completely virtualised the driving experience will soon allow European car manufacturers to test new car designs quickly, cheaply and more effectively than ever before.
Exercise and breast-cancer prevention: study finds it's never too late to start
Increased physical activity, even when begun later in life, reduces overall breast-cancer risk by 20 percent among women at all levels of risk for the disease.
Most physicians willing to serve but unready for bioterrorism
Despite the terrorist attacks of September 11, the anthrax mailings, media coverage and a proliferation of programs about bioterrorist agents, a survey conducted in 2002 found that although four out of five physicians were willing to care for victims of a bioterrorist attack, only one out of five felt well prepared for such a role.
Society lauds FDA menopausal hormone therapy information campaign
The Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR) today joined other health organizations in supporting the launch of the U.S.
Finding the link between fat and high blood pressure
How fat contributes to high blood pressure is the focus of a new study at the Medical College of Georgia that is part of a National Institutes of Health initiative to understand the relationship between obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Researchers develop system to detect biowarfare agents on navy ships
An Ohio State University professor is part of a team that developed a new protocol that the U.S.
UNC study shows Internet offers youths easy way to buy cigarettes
Children and adolescents can buy cigarettes easily through the Internet since cigarette venders have weak or nonexistent age verification methods, a new University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study concludes.
NIAID launches malaria vaccine trial in Africa
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), one of the National Institutes of Health, has reached a milestone in its efforts to support accelerated development of malaria vaccines.
American Neurological Association 128th Annual Meeting
Some highlights of the 128th Annual Meeting of the American Neurological Association in San Francisco, October 19 - 22, 2003 are as follows: viruses and bacteria-threats from bioterrorism and Mother Nature, lessons learned in animal models of neurologic disease, origins of sleep disorders, surprising commonalities of epilepsy, migraine, and other episodic disorders.
Similar genetic origins possible for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
A study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, University of Cambridge and the Stanley Medical Research Institute appears to offer the first hard evidence that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, severe psychoses that affect 2 percent of the population, may have similar genetic roots.
Society for Biomolecular Screening to hold ninth annual conference
Innovators and decision makers in pharmaceutical and biotech industries will gather to share the latest theories, applications, technological innovations, and breaking industry news in all aspects of drug discovery, including genomics, proteomics, nanotechnology, and more.
« September 08, 2003 | Previous
Next | September 10, 2003 »


Do you keep a hand written journal?
U have a notebook i write down what I ate, what exercise I did. calories WW points.
I agree, good mental therapy. I write down my game plan for the next day. meetings/exercises/work/chores before i go to bed.
next day it gives me a goal. If i get it all done or most i feel like I did good.
I like to write down gossipy stuff too. I predict what is happening. i only tell these secrect to Mrs.Pennypacker.
Sometimes. a lot of times i am right! it is funny.


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text:
Germany's impending 'Brexit' moment
Like their British and American counterparts, German elites are blind to the grievances created domestically by Germany's course towards European hegemony.
Angelos Chryssogelos
Kramp-Karrenbauer announces resignation as CDU boss.
Four years after the populist ruptures of 2016 – the vote to leave the EU in the UK and Donald Trump's election in the US – the academic literature and public debate are in broad agreement that a combination of cultural discontent, economic grievances and deficiencies of political representation lies behind the rise of populism. But as these factors have been overanalyzed, it is easy to forget that not all of them were present at the time of these populist successes.
By most indicators, by 2016 the American economy had fully rebounded from the economic recession. Similarly, while benefiting from the single market, the UK remained outside of arrangements like the Eurozone and Schengen it saw as burdensome. Hence, British elites could plausibly claim that the UK was enjoying the best of both worlds from EU membership. Yet it was this beneficial arrangement that a majority of British voters rejected.
Western grievances
The lesson from 2016, we now know, is that conventional indicators of economic prosperity and national interest that elites deploy to measure their achievements fail to capture all the grievances of western societies. This is an ominous realization for Europe's biggest power and economy, Germany, as it now enters a period of sustained political crisis and stalemate.
The latest episode in the story of German political crisis is the resignation of the leader of the ruling CDU party, Annegret Kramp-Karenbauer, after the CDU branch in the eastern state of Thuringia voted with the far right AfD in the local parliament to elect a new state president. This violated CDU's pledge – upheld most notably by Kramp-Karenbauer's mentor, Chancellor Angela Merkel – not to cooperate with the AfD. Despite her denunciation of the vote, Kramp-Karenbauer's handling compounded concerns with her leadership, resulting in her resignation.
As the CDU is now again electing its new leader, the ongoing crisis of Germany's main parties comes into even starker relief. In recent years it was common to focus on the woes of the social-democratic SPD, the partner of Merkel's CDU in government. In recent years the SPD suffered catastrophic results in regional and national elections and numerous leadership changes. Yet the Thuringia episode shows that the crisis of mainstream politics now fully engulfs the CDU as well.
The Thuringia episode shows that the crisis of mainstream politics now fully engulfs the CDU as well.
Much like the US and UK in 2016 however, German elites would be excused for finding discontent perplexing. In the last decade Germany successfully handled EU crises to its benefit while avoiding most sacrifices expected from it as the bloc's leading economic and political power. In the Eurozone crisis, Germany sustained the common currency by offloading the costs of adjustment on debtor states while avoiding any measures that it would have to finance like pooled debt or a Eurozone budget.
In the refugee crisis, after the explosion of arrivals in 2015, Germany appears sheltered as a series of agreements has confined the problem of migratory flows to the frontline Mediterranean states. All this time, Germany prevaricated on calls to assume bigger responsibilities in defense and security. In effect, Germany may be seen to draw on the benefits of the 'international liberal order' while freeriding on the defense commitments of the US, NATO and EU partners like France.
Not unlike the UK in 2016 then, Germany seems to be enjoying the best of both worlds: a position of primacy in European affairs that serves all its national interests – political, economic and security – with most of the costs shouldered by Germany's partners. And yet, in precisely this moment of unrivalled primacy, Germany's society appears more restless than ever.
Yet, in precisely this moment of unrivalled primacy, Germany's society appears more restless than ever.
Shared desire?
The assault on the German political and economic consensus comes from two sides. On the right, the AfD expresses cultural discontent with multiculturalism and immigration. AfD strength lies particularly in places like Thuringia, states in eastern Germany with a post-communist legacy of economic malaise that feel 'left behind' as economic benefits flow elsewhere.
The assault from the left comes from the cosmopolitan urban youth and focuses on environmental issues like climate change. In the past Merkel had astutely moved her economically liberal party to the centre on such issues, like when she agreed to a gradual phasing out of nuclear power in 2011. But the intensity of environmental demands in light of the climate crisis is now much bigger, and the young are frustrated with the gradualism of the CDU and SPD – parties with deep ties with the management and trade unions of the powerful car industry.
On the face of it, AfD's nativism and the cosmopolitan universalism of the climate movement share very little. Yet they express a shared desire among vast parts of German society – left and right, young and old, West and East – to see the state curb the excesses of globalization. Whether it is limiting immigration or putting a break on environmentally harmful economic growth, both nativists and cosmopolitans understand prosperity, security and the national interest in radically different ways from political and economic elites.
They express a shared desire among vast parts of German society – left and right, young and old, West and East – to see the state curb the excesses of globalization.
The analogy with the UK and the US in 2016 is striking. Much like their British and American counterparts, German elites are blind to the grievances created domestically by Germany's course towards European hegemony: the growing economic gap between West and East, the challenges of multiculturalism, the rising cost of living in big cities for the young, and the precarity of employment in sectors outside the export-oriented industries that enjoy privileged access to Germany's two main parties. These trends are not captured in the measures of 'success' – growth, employment, Germany's hegemony of the EU – that elites like to talk about.
A bulwark no longer
Of course, it is inconceivable that Germany would ever consider leaving the EU, like the UK did. For historical and institutional reasons, it is also very unlikely that Germany will ever elect as its chancellor an avowed populist like Donald Trump. Rather, Germany is now entering a period of party system fragmentation, electoral volatility, unstable coalition governments and social polarization, all features of the politics of most other European countries.
For the last ten years, German elites successfully used EU membership to accrue political and economic benefits while offloading costs to Germany's partners and avoiding the responsibilities and costs of European leadership. The irony is that the success of this strategy has now engendered the kind of divides inside Germany that it had forced upon most of the rest of the EU. After years of appearing like a bulwark of stability, German politics finally come to resemble the messy reality of post-2016 Anglo-Saxon democracies.


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text:
Journalist brutally beaten in central Moscow
Published time: 8 Nov, 2010 06:04 Edited time: 9 Nov, 2010 02:34
Oleg Kashin (RIA Novosti / Mikhail Pochuev) © RIA Novosti
Journalist Oleg Kashin writing for the Russian Kommersant newspaper has been brutally beaten in the center of the Russian capital. Investigators cite his professional activities as a possible motive of the crime.
"The investigation is working on different versions of the committed crime, of which the priority ones are the journalist's professional activities and his personal civil stance, which Kashin expressed in his blog," said Russia's Investigation Committee's statement.
Investigators are studying Kashin's publications and correspondence on the Internet, as well as his contacts. Nearly 30 people have been questioned and police have also examined his flat and office.
According to Kommersant editor-in-chief Mikhail Mikhailin, Oleg Kashin has been operated on for the second time. Mikhailin added that the journalist's state is assessed as serious but stable.
Oleg Kashin is still in an induced coma in order to avoid shock from the pain.
The journalist was attacked on Friday night near his home. Witnesses said two men were beating the man with a heavy object. Oleg Kashin suffered severe injuries and has been taken to hospital.
A criminal case has been launched on charges of murder attempt. President Dmitry Medvedev has instructed Prosecutor General Yury Chaika and Interior Minister Rashiod Nurgaliev to take the case under his special control, Interfax reports.
Later, Dmitry Medvedev wrote also in his Twitter, "I have ordered the Prosecutor General's Office and the Interior Ministry to take the journalist Kashin's attempted murder case under special control. The criminals should be found and punished."
"The investigation is considering various motivesbehind the assassination attempt, including his work, of course. Currently, the investigators are studying the CCTV footage. It's clear that there were two attackers", the agency quoted Investigation Committee spokesperson Vladimir Markin as saying.
Several activists protesting the road development through the Khimki Forest, which requires extensive logging, have also been attacked in recent months.
A solo picketer at the Moscow Department of Internal Affairs with a sign declaring "Journalist Oleg Kashin was beaten up. I demand finding those responsible." Ria Novosti
The editor-in-chief of Kommersant newspaper, Mikhail Mikhailin, believes that the assault was connected with Kashin's publications."During the attack they broke his fingers. When he was found, he had his telephone, money and documents," Mikhailin said."Apparently, those who did this do not like what he says and writes." Former chief editor of Kommersant, Andrey Vasiliev, noted that Oleg Kashin was also an outspoken blogger –so his views could provoke such a response."Of course, the reason for this attack is Kashin's professional activity. He was a popular blogger, and he was more open and outspoken online than in the paper. Kommersant has a more reserved style," said Vasiliev. "This beating is very similar to the attack on journalist Michail Beketov which took place a couple of years ago. The smashing of his fingers, for example, so that he couldn't write any more. There is an element of a horror show here."The journalist specializes in political and social news. He has been covering a number of controversial issues, including the situation surrounding Khimki Forest.
Pistol that killed Politkovskaya traced to shady workshop


GraphIt may have caught your attention for the success of its approach, but I suspect for many readers it's not something you'll be immediately applying. Darwinian Data Structures (DDSs) on the other hand looks to be of immediate interest to many Java and C++ projects (and generalises beyond those languages).
What I would have called an ADT (e.g., a List), the authors call Darwinian Data Structures. The 'Darwinian' part comes from the fact that ADTs have multiple concrete implementations, and Artemis, "a multi-objective, cloud-based search-based optimisation framework" finds the best implementation class (e.g. ArrayList, LinkedList) for your specific use case. It does this using the NSGA-II genetic algorithm-based optimiser in the current implementation.
Artemis achieves substantial performance improvements for every project in 5 Java projects from DaCapo benchmark, 8 popular projects, and 30 uniformly sampled projects from GitHub. For execution time, CPU usage, and memory consumption, Artemis finds at least one solution that improves all measures for 86% (37/43) of the projects. The median improvement across the best solutions is 4.8%, 10.1%, and 5.1% for runtime, memory, and CPU usage.
Switching to LinkedList and comparing performance over the same test set for 30 runs, we get a median 46% reduction in execution time.
We are interested not just in searching the space of Darwinian data structures, but also tuning them via their constructor parameters.
For example, choosing an appropriate initial capacity size for an ArrayList.
There's a one-off up-front exercise to analyse the collections library / libraries of interest and build a dictionary that describes the search space. Then given the source code and test suite of a project Artemis explores the AST to find uses of DDSs, outputting a templated version of the source code with replacement points for each usage. A search algorithm is then used to find the best choice in each location, with the test suite being used to judge performance.
Given an AST, it's easy to find declarations using the abstract data type (e.g. List), but in the code bases under study the authors also found many cases where programmers had over-specified, using a concrete type for variable and parameter type declarations, e.g.
Artemis will apply further transformations to replace these with the abstract type instead, thus permitting DDS exploration.
Many programs make extensive use of collection types, resulting in a very large overall search space. Artemis profiles the input program while running the test suite to identify the highest value points in the program to explore and thus prunes the search space. Profiling is done using the JConsole profiler.
The overall search space for a given DDS consists of all the possible concrete implementation types, together with the parameter spaces for their respective constructor arguments.
For each generation, NSGA-II applies tournament selection, followed by a uniform crossover and a uniform mutation operation. In our experiments, we designed fitness functions to capture execution time, memory consumption, and CPU usage. After fitness evaluation, Artemis applies standard non-dominated selection to form the next generation. Artemis repeats this process until the solutions in a generation converge. At this point, Artemis returns all non-dominated solutions in the final population.
In the evaluation, the initial population size is set to 30, with a limit of 900 function evaluations.
To assess fitness Artemis relies on running the test suite. Therefore the results will only apply to production use cases to the extent that your test suite mirrors production usage.
Even though performance test suites are a more appropriate and logical choice for evaluating the non-functional properties of the program, most real world programs in GitHub do not provide a performance suite. For this reason, we use the regression test suites to evaluate the non-functional properties of the GitHub projects of this study whenever a performance test suite is not available.
Artemis is evaluated on three different groups of projects. The first group comprises 8 popular GitHub projects selected for their good test suites and diversity: http-java-client, jOOL, jimfs, gson, cglib, solo, GraphJet, and joda-time (see https://darwinianoptimiser.com/corpus). The second corpus is based on the DaCapo benchmarks, which were built from the ground up to be representative of usage in real world projects. DaCapo is a little dated now though (2006, and Java 1.5, but a refresh is on the way) and only 5 out of 14 benchmarks could be used in the end. For this reason, a third corpus of 30 projects uniformly sampled from GitHub such that they have a defined build system etc. was also added.
The selected projects include static analysers, testing frameworks, web clients, and graph processing applications. Their sizes vary from 576 to 94k lines of code with a median of 14,881. Their popularity varies from 0 to 5462 stars with a median of 52 stars per project. The median number of tests is 170 and median line coverage ratio is 72%.
Artemis finds optimised variants that outperform the original program in at least one measure for all programs in our representative corpus. For 88% of the programs the solution found by Artemis outperformed the original on all measures.
Artemis extracted a median of 12 Darwinian data structures from each program and the optimal solutions had a median of 5 data structure changes from the original versions of the program. The most common changes made by Artemis across the corpus are shown in the table below.
The cost of using Artemis is negligible, with an average (Azure cloud spend) of £1.25 per project, providing engineers with insights about the optimal variants of the project under optimisation. (Across the corpus, the cost of running an Artemis optimisation ranges from £0.02 to £7.86).
… we conclude that Artemis is a practical tool for optimising data structures in large real-world programs.
Appropriately packaged and with the right level of polish, Artemis could make a very nice cloud service: authorise it on your GitHub repository, and receive pull requests with source code changes and associated performance impact assessments. Alternatively, since nothing matches the performance profile of production traffic like production traffic, you could imagine an integration with an A/B testing and CD pipeline (aka 'Continuous Experimentation).


The latest RFID survey of 669 supply chain executives from Larstan Business Reports yielded some interesting findings.
Interestingly, half feel that their existing systems can already accommodate the anticipated flood of data coming from RFID deployments, which by some measures will be 100 to 1,000 times the amount generated today.
Two-thirds cite retailer mandates as the reason for their RFID projects.
60% believe in RFID's promise of boosting efficiency and reducing labor.
Half believe that RFID standards and consequent interoperability are critical to a successful supply chain transformation; in the transportation and logistics vertical, this feeling was held even more strongly, at 69%.
90% argue that a foreseeable "timely and substantial" return-on-investment is necessary before embarking on RFID deployments.
The first take-away from this report seems to be that the need for middleware has been overstated. Whether this is true remains to be seen, and will probably only be determined when considerably more implementations graduate from simple slap-and-ship to more integrated and comprehensive systems. The second observation is that while suppliers do believe in RFID's theoretical potential, they remain wary of drinking the Kool-Aid. Despite retailers' and vendors' efforts to sell a larger and longer-term vision, many suppliers still insist that a quantifiable, near-term ROI is the only defensible justification of RFID.


As estate planners, we help our clients understand the need to have thoughtful and ongoing discussions about estate planning, the orderly transfer of wealth, and decision making authority during one's life and at death. A basic estate plan includes a will, a durable general power of attorney form, and a healthcare power of attorney document.
But most Americans don't even have a will. Let's look at three popular myths that prevent people from adopting estate plans: cost, control, and complexity.
When perceived cost is the major concern, people often turn to do-it-yourself online legal forms, which are often problematic. We have seen many examples of estate planning documents completed online—even ones that are supposed to be Washington-state specific—with serious errors or missed planning opportunities. For example, you may want to leave special gifts to individuals or make charitable gifts that are not covered by online forms. Effective planning usually requires customization.
To prevent errors and costly omissions, it's best to hire a reputable estate planning lawyer. You can find qualified attorneys online or through referrals from CPAs, investment advisers, family, or friends. Many lawyers will waive their fee for the initial meeting, since that meeting is an opportunity for you and the lawyer to vet each other. To establish expectations, request a fee estimate. Many lawyers will prepare estate planning documents for a reasonable flat fee.
The cost of not having an estate plan is usually much higher than the legal fees spent to create a plan. Those costs can include guardianship proceedings, fights among children over control or division of assets, and taxes that might have otherwise been avoided.
People often imagine that estate planning is so time consuming and complex that they need a law degree to understand the process. But a reputable estate planner will explain each aspect of estate planning up front; provide readable estate planning documents; and even send an explanatory letter, outline, or flowchart for your easy reference.
Some people believe that signing basic estate planning documents amounts to handing control of your assets over to someone else. However, adopting a basic estate plan doesn't mean losing control. In fact, you're more likely to lose autonomy from a lack of estate planning, such as when a court appoints someone you have not personally selected to control your wealth.
A reputable estate planner will dispel these myths and put you at ease by drafting understandable documents and explaining how they help preserve your autonomy. The many benefits include peace of mind, protection during incapacity, and an orderly transition of wealth. It's time to move past the myths and understand what estate planning can do for you and your family.
Myth: Estate planning is only for the very wealthy.
Reality: Everyone should have at least a basic estate plan to protect family and minimize expense and taxes.
Myth: It will take too much time.
Reality: With good legal counsel, it doesn't take much time to put together a basic estate plan to accomplish your primary aims.
Myth: I will lose flexibility to make changes later on.
Reality: Basic estate planning documents can be changed any time before death, as long as you are competent to make changes.
Myth: I will have to make difficult decisions.
Reality: Estate planning does call for decisions, but it is far easier to make tough decisions in advance, rather than in a crisis. If you do not make the decisions, the court will do it for you.
Myth: I shouldn't start until I know what I want to do.
Reality: Good legal counsel will focus you on the right questions and help you decide what makes sense for you.
Jay Riffkin (top) is an associate in Dorsey & Whitney's Tax, Trusts, and Estates practice group. He helps clients through all stages of estate planning. Walter Impert is a partner in Dorsey & Whitney's Tax, Trusts, and Estates practice group, and he focuses on all aspects of wealth management, including estate planning.
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Fall Out Boy Comic Cannibalizes Pinocchio, Pygmalion
Author: Scott ThillScott Thill
Popcorn punk band Fall Out Boy has conquered the charts and MTV with ease. Now the quartet is hopping into comics with Fall Out Toy Works, a five-issue miniseries that re-engineers Pinocchio and Pygmalion for pop culture.
Using his band's recent tune "Tiffany Blews" as a point of departure, Fall Out Boy bassist, singer and lyricist Pete Wentz worked with designers Darren Romanelli and Jeff Krelitz to conceive the comic's story of a futuristic toymaker hoping to build the perfect female droid. Wentz then signed on Bulletproof Monk scribe Brett Lewis and artist Sam Basri to give an old story new flesh.
"The idea of manufactured love, that something nonhuman could be taught human love, is at the core of some of the greatest narratives of all time," Wentz told Wired.com in an e-mail interview about Fall Out Toy Works, out Tuesday from Image Comics. "And this is a world where proof that technology can move faster than the morality or laws that are supposed to control it exists. Even when things are created with the best of intentions, they can be used in the worst ways depending on who controls them. Or if they find a way to control themselves."
More issues of Fall Out Toy Works arrive in 2010, as does a motion comic from Double Barrel Motion Labs featuring the band's music and voiceovers from Wentz and lead vocalist Patrick Stump. The multiple dimensions of the project are what attracted Wentz, who admitted that he's somewhat new to the comics game.
"I'll be honest, I'm not a huge comics guy," Wentz confessed, although he says he grew up with Wolverine and Daredevil. "I liked the 'What If' series with The Watcher. I liked the one where Superman died. I also have all three of the first Star Wars comics."
What drew Wentz back to comics was not the format itself, but its ability to blend seamlessly with other media. He's not alone: From Disney's acquisition of Marvel to the rise of motion comics and onward into the future, graphic novels dominate pop culture like never before.
"I'm sure people smell money," Wentz said of the comics gold rush, especially now that they "have seen a couple of really great comic movies. Of course, there have been some terrible ones as well. But what I like about this project is that it's not just meant to be a comic, but a world. From the music to the animation to the comic to the microsite, I like the idea that art can be cohesive across mediums."
Image courtesy Image Comics
Marvel Moves Into Motion Comics With Spider-Woman
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Surrogates' Sci-Fi Crime Drama Stays True to Comic's Roots
Spidey Won't Sing, Musical Director Reassures Marvel Fans
After Watchmen, What's 'Unfilmable'? These Legendary Texts


Here are today's readings Joshua 5:1-6:5 and Isaiah 65.
This devotional is about Joshua 5:13-14.
Israel has just entered the Promised Land. It is time for the current generation to take the covenant sign of Abraham (vv. 2-9). This "rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you" (v. 9a) separating them forever from the uncircumcised Egyptians as a people belonging to God. They also celebrated the Passover (vv. 10-11) which also identified them with God's deliverance from Egypt.
Then, in verse 13, we are told that "Joshua was near Jericho." What was he doing there? A little scouting, perhaps? We don't know but we do know that he had battle on this mind. God had already revealed that this would be the first city attacked in the Promised Land; now God revealed to Joshua the method Israel would use to win (vv. 2-5). Before he knew he was talking to the Lord, Joshua asked the soldier in front of him, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" (v. 13) The Lord's answer is quite curious: "Neither" (v. 14 a).
Note something important here: the "commander of the army of the LORD" was Jesus himself. We know that because "Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence" (v. 14), something mere angels never allowed. We also know this is Jesus because verse 15 says, "The commander of the Lord's army replied, 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.' And Joshua did so." Again, mere angels--powerful and wonderful though they are--do not deserve worship and veneration; only God himself does.
Now then, how could Jesus say that he was on "neither" side in verse 14? These were God's chosen people, after all. They were the recipients of the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants, God's Law, and the promises of God's blessing. This was their land which God had promised them! How could the LORD then say that he was not on their side?
The answer is that God is on his own side and Israel benefited from being on his side by grace. Their success in taking the land was dependent on them living obediently to God's commands, starting with the command to attack Jericho as Jesus directed them to in chapter 6:2-5. God would not fight for them if they tried to attack using conventional means; only the crazy form of "attack" described in 6:1-5 would do because only that method would show the supernatural power of God.
"Is God on our side?" is really the wrong question. The question is, "Are we on God's side?" Our success at anything in this life can come only by the grace of God, his unearned favor. Also "success" only matters as God defines it, not anyone else.


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Bookshelf, Featured
Romancing The Shore
Three Bestselling Maryland Novelists Reveal Their Passion For Writing And Their Love Of The Shore
Written by Katie Riley
What is it about the Shore that inspires writers? The Delmarva region has produced many well-known writers and has influenced countless others, including its fair share of romance authors. Perhaps it is the proximity to water, the lifestyle of its people or the incredible landscape, but there is something about the coast that is particularly stirring to romance novelists. Whether they are setting their books on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, like Laura Kaye's Hearts of the Anemoi series, or in the small towns of the Eastern Shore, like Sophie Moss' Wind Chime series, romance novelists are finding plenty to write about in our part of the world.
We sat down with three of the area's best romance novelists to discuss the enduring appeal of romance novels, what keeps them writing and why they love the Shore.
Sophie Moss
Sophie Moss is a USA Today bestselling author of Irish fantasy romances and heartwarming contemporary romances.
A former journalist, Moss has been writing professionally for more than 10 years and has a masters degree in teaching. She is currently working on her fourth book in the Wind Chime series, set on Maryland's Eastern Shore. She resides in Annapolis.
CS: Why did you choose the romance genre when you started writing?
SM: I studied nonfiction in college and fell in love with writing. One summer I read a Nora Roberts romance set on the Eastern Shore, and I felt proud that my home had been portrayed in such a beautiful way. I couldn't stop thinking about how good it made me feel at the end of it. I love reading small-town romances myself — it's how I unwind, because it makes me feel better about life. I hope that's what my books do for other people.
Could you tell us about your writing routine?
When I'm working on a novel full-time, I wake at 5 a.m. and start writing immediately. I usually spend four to six hours writing and then spend time in the afternoon on social media connecting with other writers and readers.
What is the hardest part of being a writer?
The amount of time between book releases. Being a writer can be a solitary pursuit; it's a lot of alone time, and so I try to take on something else between books, like volunteering with others in my community. I also just finished a masters degree in teaching because I want to get more involved in the teaching aspect of writing and engage that side of things.
Where do you get your ideas?
I read the news a lot and take ideas from what's going on in the world. When I wrote the first Wind Chime book, we had just taken out bin Laden. Navy Seals were in the news, and I was reading so much about veterans transitioning into everyday life. I wanted to write about it and show the resilience of the human spirit.
Each of the Wind Chime books is inter-connected. What's it like to write a series?
The great thing about writing a series is that your readers get to know a whole world. All of the books have a different hero or heroine, but you get to check in on the other characters and revisit them. My books always incorporate a beautiful island setting, a strong woman and a kind-hearted man. People want their happily ever after, and I'm happy to give it to them.
LAURA KAYE
New York Times and USA Today bestseller Laura Kaye is the author of over 40 books in romantic suspense and contemporary and erotic romance. She has sold more than one million books in the U.S. alone. Kaye began her career as a history professor at the U.S. Naval Academy and writes bestselling historical fiction under the name Laura Kamoie. Kaye lives on the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis with her husband and two daughters.
CSM: You had an unusual start to your writing career. Tell us about it.
LK: While vacationing in Rehoboth Beach in 2008, I suffered a traumatic brain injury. In the weeks that followed my recovery, I began having this very strong creative urge and started to write.
I had always been a longtime reader of fiction and had read mostly horrors and thrillers growing up, so I began writing a paranormal romance about a vampire. My need to create was consuming, and I wrote 150,000 words in 11 weeks. I published my first book in 2009, and I've never stopped writing.
Many of your books are set locally. How does this area play a role in your writing?
My bestselling series, Hard Ink, takes place in Baltimore and has a few scenes in Annapolis, where I live. Raven Riders is set in Frederick, Maryland, and quite a few of my books have scenes in DC, since I used to live there. My paranormal romance series, Hearts of the Anemoi is set on the Chesapeake Bay and throughout the Delmarva region. I have a lot of fun writing about places that I know well and putting them into my books.
Why do you think most people read romance novels?
They read them to be entertained, which is what any good fiction does. The thing that a romance novel can offer a reader is hope; the genre is inherently hopeful because it affirms the idea that there is someone out there for everyone. Love is a fundamental idea and relevant to most people's human experience to care about sex, romance and personal happiness.
What do you love most about being a romance author?
The readers. No one is more passionate than the readers of romance. Sometimes you find readers who are reading dozens of books at once, hundreds of books per year. The community of readers we have in the romance genre are not shy about investing money, time and affection on books and authors they love. They aren't afraid to show their support, and it's a pretty great experience to connect with them.
Mary McCarthy is the bestselling author of The Scarlet Letter Society series. Her first book, The Scarlet Letter Society, was published in June 2014, reaching No. 1 on Amazon's bestseller list in its genre. Two subsequent novels were published in the series, in 2015 and 2016. McCarthy also authored the children's book I SEA, A Beachcombing Treasure Hunt with Kirsti Scott. She writes frequently for publications such as The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun and Salon.com, among others. McCarthy resides in Centreville with her husband and four children.
How did you get your start writing romance novels?
MM: It kind of started out as a test of myself. Fifty Shades of Grey came out and I was reviewing it for an article I was writing. I found it to be anti-feminist and felt like the terminology was a bit Victorian. I thought women today deserve a braver approach, and I jokingly said, 'I can write a better novel than this.' I wrote the first Scarlet Letter Society book in six weeks.
What do you think people love about
your books?
I think women appreciate the humor in my writing and I like to write about real women that you would know in everyday life.
How have romance novels evolved in the past 20 years?
Hopefully romance novels these days are taking away the idea of the classic formula of 'woman meets rich man, falls in love, marries, and lives happily ever after.' Fifty Shades did inspire a lot of new writers and has given women so many more options to choose from, and that is always a good thing.
How does the Shore play a role in all of your books?
Tilghman Island is a character in all of my books. It's a gorgeous setting, and I was in love with it the first day I visited. I've written all my books while staying on Tilghman, so it was easy to set them there. All of my writing includes inspiration from Delmarva and references things I am passionate about, like coastal erosion and the watermen lifestyle.