text:
History - Zhou, Qin and Han Dynasties
LATE SPRING AND AUTUMN PERIOD: JIN-WU ALLIANCE (584-520 B.C.), RISE AND FALL OF WU (515-473 B.C.) AND FALL OF JIN (497-453 B.C. )
PERIOD IV: THE JIN-WU ALLIANCE (584-520 B.C.)
states in eastern China in the 8th century BC
Dr. Robert Eno of Indiana University wrote: "The dominating role of Jin through the greater part of the sixth century was not uniform and required frequent maintenance. Chu, in particular, was periodically able to challenge the hegemonic position of the Jin dukes. In 597 B.C. Qi crippled the forces of Jin in one of the greatest battles of the Spring and Autumn period, and for several years thereafter, the king of Chu was acknowledged as hegemon. However, Jin revived, and by 589 B.C. its duke once again occupied pride of place among the assembly of patrician lords. [Source: Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu /+/ ]
"In 584 B.C., a patrician refugee from Chu named Qu Wuchen, who had become a court advisor in Jin, suggested a bold plan to the duke of Jin. Over the preceding century, a new political force had gradually become significant in the area surrounding the delta of the Yangzi River in the southeast. This state was known as Wu. The rulers of Wu traced their lineage to the pre-dynastic clan of the Zhou. They considered themselves the descendants of Taibo, the eldest son of the Old Duke, ruler of the Zhou tribe. Taibo, the legend went, had abdicated in order to ensure that the Zhou throne would pass to his nephew, the future King Wen, and by this act he ensured the greatness of the Zhou and the conquest of the Shang. The rulers of Wu, who by virtue of this claim of descent shared with the state of Jin the surname of Ji, thus pictured themselves as a distant colony of the Zhou people who had been engaged for centuries in civilizing the wild coastal regions of the southeast. /+/
"The people of these regions were, indeed, very different from those of the central plains of China. They were closely related to a group of advanced hunter-gatherers known as the "Yi" tribes, which occupied large regions of the Huai River valley and coastal plains. Their culture was sharply distinct from others in China. Unlike Chinese men, who wore long hair elaborately dressed, the people of Wu cut their hair short. They also tattooed their bodies, a custom unknown to the Chinese. /+/
"Whether Wu was in fact a Chinese state ruling over a non-Chinese population, or instead a non-Chinese people which had laid claim to Chinese descent in order to gain political respect, Wu had become a significant player in the multi-state structure of China during the late seventh century by launching raids on the eastern lands of its neighbor, the state of Chu. Chu itself was considered a newcomer to the Chinese cultural sphere, and it is likely that its military might was more sharply feared and resented by the Central States than was that of Jin, simply because its armies appeared as forces of cultural as well as military invasion. In any event, the actions of Wu were not unwelcome to the states of central China. /+/
"In 584 B.C., Qu Wuchen proposed to the duke of Jin that his state extend the offer of an alliance to Wu and coordinate further efforts to harry Chu and keep it from focusing its strength upon the Central states. The duke adopted the plan and sent Qu himself as emissary to the ruler of Wu. Qu's mission was successful, and later that same year, Jin and Wu both sent troops against Chu. Chu was now facing a war on two fronts. Battlefields on these fronts were up to four or five hundred miles distant and the forces of Wu turned out to be far better at warfare than might have been expected.Wu did not employ the chariot warfare which still dominated the North China Plain. Chariots were useless in the hilly lands of the southeast, divided by innumerable waterways and wetlands. Instead, Wu combined infantry troops with skilled naval forces, which could move rapidly on the rivers of south China. /+/
"The alliance of Jin and Wu was a great success. After two years, Chu sued for peace, and even agreed to a formal alliance with Jin and Wu. Wu's territorial domains had now expanded, reaching northward all the way to the lower coast of Shandong, and Qi, seeing that it, like Chu, could be subjected to a war on two fronts, prudently requested to join the alliance. Jin was now clearly supreme once again. In 578 B.C., it defeated armies from Qin, and three years later inflicted a decisive defeat on Chu when the latter disturbed the tranquility of the alliance. The hegemony of Jin appeared stable for generations to come. /+/
Good Websites and Sources on Early Chinese History: 1) Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu; 2) Chinese Text Project ctext.org ; 3) Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization depts.washington.edu ; 4) Zhou Dynasty Wikipedia Wikipedia ; 5) Ancient China Life ancientchinalife.com ; 6) Ancient China for School Kids elibrary.sd71.bc.ca/subject_resources ; 7) Oriental Style ourorient.com ; Books: Cambridge History of Ancient China edited by Michael Loewe and Edward Shaughnessy (1999, Cambridge University Press); The Culture and Civilization of China, a massive, multi-volume series, (Yale University Press); Mysteries of Ancient China: New Discoveries from the Early Dynasties by Jessica Rawson (British Museum, 1996); "Early Chinese Religion" edited by John Lagerwey & Marc Kalinowski (Leiden: 2009); A fully annotated translation of the "Shiji" text appears in William Nienhauser, et al., The Grand Scribe's Records (Bloomington), v. 1. The best concise narrative history of the Western Zhou is Edward Shaughnessy's chapter, "Western Zhou History," in Michael Loewe & Edward Shaughnessy, ed., The Cambridge History of Ancient China (Cambridge: 1999), 292-351.
Good Chinese History Websites: 1) Chaos Group of University of Maryland chaos.umd.edu/history/toc ; 2) WWW VL: History China vlib.iue.it/history/asia ; 3) Wikipedia article on the History of China Wikipedia 4) China Knowledge; 5) Gutenberg.org e-book gutenberg.org/files ; Links in this Website: Main China Page factsanddetails.com/china (Click History)
RELATED ARTICLES IN THIS WEBSITE: ZHOU, QIN AND HAN DYNASTIES factsanddetails.com; ZHOU (CHOU) DYNASTY (1046 B.C. to 256 B.C.) factsanddetails.com; IRON DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER ADVANCES IN THE ZHOU PERIOD factsanddetails.com; ZHOU RELIGION AND RITUAL LIFE factsanddetails.com; ZHOU DYNASTY LIFE factsanddetails.com; ZHOU DYNASTY SOCIETY factsanddetails.com; BRONZE, JADE AND CULTURE AND THE ARTS IN THE ZHOU DYNASTY factsanddetails.com; MUSIC DURING THE ZHOU DYNASTY factsanddetails.com; ZHOU WRITING AND LITERATURE: BRONZE INSCRIPTIONS, BAMBOO SLIPS AND THE BOOK OF SONGS factsanddetails.com; SIMA QIAN ON THE EARLY ZHOU KINGS AND THE DEFEAT OF THE SHANG BY THE ZHOU factsanddetails.com; DUKE OF ZHOU: CONFUCIUS'S HERO factsanddetails.com; HISTORY OF THE WESTERN ZHOU AND ITS KINGS factsanddetails.com; EASTERN ZHOU PERIOD (770-221 B.C.) factsanddetails.com; SPRING AND AUTUMN PERIOD OF CHINESE HISTORY (771-453 B.C. ) factsanddetails.com; MID SPRING AND AUTUMN PERIOD: DUKE HUAN OF QI (680-643 B.C. ) AND ASCENDANCE OF JIN (636-620 B.C.) factsanddetails.com; WARRING STATES PERIOD (453-221 B.C.): UPHEAVAL, CONFUCIUS AND THE AGE OF PHILOSOPHERS factsanddetails.com; POLITICS, REFORMS AND ALLIANCE-BUILDING DURING WARRING STATES PERIOD (453-221 B.C.) factsanddetails.com; THREE GREAT 3rd CENTURY B.C. CHINESE LORDS AND THEIR STORIES factsanddetails.com
Decline of the Ducal House in Jin
Dr. Eno wrote: "Paradoxically, however, this rise in the power of the dukes of Jin in interstate relations was paralleled by a decline in their domestic standing. The system of marshaling the centrifugal warlord clans that had been devised by Duke Wen required a skilled man on the throne. The Jin ducal house was itself weak, and the duke needed to co-opt the interests of his hereditary generals and play them off against one another. In 573 B.C., the ruling duke was unable to display the ruthlessness required to be successful in such a delicate game. He spared the lives of the leaders of certain rebellious clans, who predictably responded by assassinating him and seizing effective power. [Source: Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu /+/ ]
"Over the next century, although the dukes continued to represent Jin effectively at the assemblies of patrician lords, the actual power in the state rested with shifting coalitions of warlord clans, each dominating certain local territories and a portion of the state army of Jin. Within a few years of the warlord insurgency in Jin, the battles among the military clans reached the high pitch of a civil war. It became obvious to all who knew of these events that the hegemony of Jin was likely to deteriorate, which would surely lead to the renewed threat of Chu upon its neighbor to the north. /+/
"(As a courtesy to all the traditional narratives of ancient Chinese history, this account must note here, in its proper sequence, that in 551 B.C., Confucius was born in the state of Lu. Although in terms of ultimate influence on Chinese society, it may be that no event of the Spring and Autumn period was of more importance, in his own day Confucius was known to few outside the northeastern quadrant of the Zhou cultural sphere and was generally perceived as a frustrated political failure.)
Peace of Xiang Xu
Dr. Eno wrote: "In order to forestall an outbreak of renewed fighting between Jin and Chu, which was sure to engulf all the central states in another prolonged war, a minister of the state of Song by the name of Xiang Xu developed a plan. He proposed that an assembly of the patrician lords be called with the goal of arranging a shared hegemony between Jin and Chu. The agreement that Xiang proposed was designed to bind all the states to oaths forswearing offensive warfare in general, and was by far the most idealistic political initiative of the entire Classical period. [Source: Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu /+/ ]
"The states of Qin and Qi declined to participate in this assembly. But the rulers of Jin and Chu did attend, along with the most powerful lords of the Central States. Wu was not yet eligible to participate in assemblies of the patrician rulers, as it was still considered more barbarian than Chinese. However, by virtue of its alliance with Jin it was effectively represented. /+/
"As it turned out, the peace proposed by Xiang Xu fit the practical plans of both Jin, which was in a weak position, and Chu, which was not yet prepared to undertake a major initiative. As a result, in 546 B.C. Xiang Xu's plan was adopted, and for the next several years, the usual rhythm of incessant squabbling and border fighting among the states does indeed subside from the record of the historical chronicles. But by 538 B.C., Chu had endured peace long enough. Under a vigorous new king, the armies of Chu prepared to establish a new power balance." /+/
King Ling of Chu
Zhou-era antlered crane
Dr. Eno wrote: "The disruption of the Peace of Xiang Xu was principally the work of one man, the ambitious King Ling of Chu. His story was generally taken as one of the great cautionary tales of Spring and Autumn history. It revealed for its ancient audience the precariousness of political success dependent upon the character of a ruler without virtue. [Source: Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu /+/ ]
"The principal wife of King Ling's father had borne the former king no sons, although he had fathered many sons by various favored concubines. Unable to decide which of these to designate as heir, the king determined to leave the choice to the deities who attended to the fate of the state of Chu. He held lavish ceremonies at the major rivers and mountains of his domain, and to the spirits of these places he mounted great sacrifices, displaying in the course of the rituals a disk of jade. He asked the spirits to ensure that when next he commanded his sons to bow before him, the son whom they wished to see installed as the ruler of Chu would fall upon the disk in making his prostrations. /+/
"Returning to his capital, the king then buried the disk in the throne room and summoned his sons. As they bowed, the eldest straddled the disk, the second son – Prince Yuan, the future King Ling – passed his elbow over it, and all the others performed their bows at other spots. Only the youngest, too little to walk before the throne unaided, pressed his hands directly over the spot where the disk was buried. The troubled king sighed that difficult times lay ahead. The spirits had clearly chosen the son least likely to be accepted by the state and by his jealous brothers, and he dared not abide by their decision. /+/
"Upon the death of the old king, his eldest son was enthroned as the new king. Prince Yuan was distressed that he had been passed over for the throne and he divined by means of turtle shell as to whether the state would come into his hands. When the divination was negative, he exploded in anger, shouting, "If Heaven will not give me this piddling realm, I will take it for myself!" Prince Yuan's brother ruled for fifteen years, and upon his death his son was installed as his successor. The young new king was in need of senior advisors, and he naively chose his uncle, Prince Yuan, to be his chief minister. The prince quickly established a reputation for brutality which made him much feared throughout the state. /+/
"In the young king's fourth year, Prince Yuan was en route as an emissary to Zheng when a messenger rode up reporting that the king had fallen ill. The worried prince immediately rushed back to the palace to attend to his royal nephew. He found the king in bed and strangled him to death, in this way terminating his illness, and then ensured that the king's two little sons would not grieve overmuch by having them murdered. By this subtle stratagem the prince fulfilled his vow and in 640 B.C. was installed as King Ling of Chu. /+/
"King Ling's ambitious temperament was not changed by has accession to the throne. He determined to gain sole control over the double hegemony established by the Peace of Xiang Xu. King Ling recognized that Jin was in decline, and that for the states of central and eastern China the state of Wu represented the greatest threat. He determined to cast himself as the protector of the east and attract the allegiance of the Chinese states by guaranteeing protection against Wu, a role which Jin, as Wu's ally, could not offer. /+/
"In 538 B.C., King Ling notified the duke of Jin that he intended to call an assembly of the patrician lords, thereby using a courteous diplomatic form to convey the message that he now intended to act as sole hegemon. Jin did not at that time have the resources to undertake action against Chu, and in the end, Chu managed to persuade or coerce all the states of eastern China into alliance with it. The histories recount various conversations that King Ling is said to have had with his ministers. These share the quality of illustrating the grandeur of the king's ambitions, which seem to have outstripped those of any other ruler of this period. King Ling appears to have imagined himself as the successor to the throne of the Zhou kings, and according to the tales he was assured by his sycophant ministers that once his campaigns against Wu were complete, no ruler would dare to refuse his wishes." /+/
King Ling's Demise
Dr. Eno wrote: "In 529 B.C., the king launched his long-prepared campaign against Wu. He conceived it on a scale matching his ambitions, and expended so much manpower on constructing encampments and military works as he slowly proceeded that the people of Chu grew restless under the enormous strain he was placing upon them. When the king personally went to join his armies in a distant camp near Wu, senior members of the king's clan – including his youngest brother, who had once knelt on the old king's jade disk – executed a coup d'état. They seized the capital and put to death King Ling's son and heir. Then they prepared to resist the return of the king's massive army. [Source: Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu /+/ ]
"But the king's response to the coup was as weak as his previous conduct had been vicious.When news was brought to him of the insurgency and the death of his son, he began to wail without restraint. "He threw himself upon the ground and shrieked to his attendants, "Could other men love their sons they way I loved mine?""Why, they love them the more," his aides replied. "The poor man knows that when he dies his corpse will be tossed in a ditch unless he has a son to bury him and sacrifice to him.""I have killed the sons of many men," said the king. "After all, how could I fail to come to this?"When his advisors urged him to lead his troops back towards the capital and see how things stood, the king was unwilling. "The wrath of the people cannot be opposed. All the cities will be against me now." /+/
"As they watched the king's majesty dissolve, his followers slipped away one by one and his great mass of troops dispersed. The king's response to the crisis made no sense to them. At this very time the capital was in turmoil, so accustomed to living in terror of King Ling that a mere rumor of his return had already panicked the people and led the princeling who had been installed as King Ling's successor to commit suicide. /+/
"But in the meantime, King Ling found himself utterly alone. He wandered aimlessly among remote hills; none of the people who happened upon him dared to take him in. Finally, the king encountered a former attendant. "Find some food for me!" he pleaded. "I haven't eaten in three days.""The new king has issued an ordinance," replied the man. "Anyone who dares to feed or to accompany your majesty will be punished by the extermination of his entire clan. Besides, I wouldn't know where to get any food for you." Night having fallen, the king had no alternative. He lay down with his head pillowed on the knee of his former servant. But once he had fallen asleep, the man slipped a clod of dirt under the king's head and ran off. When the king awoke, he was too weak to climb to his feet, and lay waiting for death. /+/
"In the meantime, the son of a former officer of Chu was searching for the king. Years before, his father had twice violated of the laws of Chu, but being a loyal subject who was acting in good faith, the king had pardoned him. "To pardon twice a man who had broached the king's own laws, there could be no kindness greater than this!" With these thoughts, the son had entered the hills where the king was said to be wandering, determined to rescue him. /+/
"He found the king on the point of death, and carried him back to his own home. There, the king finally committed suicide. The loyal son buried him, and in order to give the interment the sanctity a king deserved, he killed two of his own daughters and had them buried along with the king, to serve him after death. In the meantime, the youngest brother of King Ling had ascended the throne of Chu, thus fulfilling the wishes that the spirits of the state had expressed so many years before." /+/
PERIOD V: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE STATE OF WU (515-473 B.C.)
Pair of dragons
Dr. Eno wrote: "After the death of King Ling of Chu, the Jin-Wu alliance was in full control of the balance of power and the dukes of Jin returned to the role of hegemon which they had played so regularly for a century. However, the state of Jin remained internally unstable, and the fact that the dukes were hegemons did not enhance their power. Rather, the duke served as a figurehead for the warlords of Jin, whose combined might exceeded any other state, but whose domestic squabbles brought into question how that military power could be applied in a sustained campaign, if one were called for. [Source: Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu /+/ ]
"Consequently, Jin's hegemony, which in appearance lasted from 520-482 B.C., was a weak form of leadership, and the rhythm of scattered warfare gradually regained the steady beat that had prevailed prior to the Peace of Xiang Xu. During the first decade of this period, the state of Chu seemed to be recovering from the disruptions of King Ling's reign. Its armies grew along the middle reaches of the Yangzi River in the vicinity of Ying, the capital city of Chu. The Jin hegemons were not strong enough to form stable alliances to counter the growing threat of Chu, and under the leadership of its new ruler, King Ping, it appeared that Chu would soon be able to resume its campaign to destroy Jin's ally in the Yangzi delta, the state of Wu. /+/
"The rise and fall of the state of Wu is one of the most dramatic tales in the Spring and Autumn histories. Its central characters include successive rulers of Wu, who called themselves kings, in the style of the Chu lords. But the most poignant player in this story was a refugee from Chu, named Wu Zixu, who served both kings. (It is an accident of transcription that Wu Zixu's surname appears in English as identical to the name of the state of Wu. The Chinese characters are different, and Wu Zixu's ancestors were all from Chu. To avoid confusion, he is generally referred to here as Zixu, rather than by his surname.)" /+/
Wu Zixu and the Rise and Fall of Wu
Dr. Eno wrote: "The story of Wu Zixu begins in Chu, his family homeland, where his father was appointed tutor to the crown prince by King Ping. The young prince received an estate from the king, and when he went to live there, his tutor accompanied him along with his two sons, Zixu and his elder brother. In 527 B.C., King Ping sent his prime minister to the state of Qin to procure from that ducal house a wife for the prince. However, when the prime minister saw the woman whom the Qin were to promise in marriage, he galloped back to Chu. "This woman of Qin," he told his king, "is the most beautiful in the world. Marry her yourself! You can get another woman for the prince." King Ping, being a man of the world, saw no purpose in wasting such a woman on his son. He followed his minister's advice and, finding his new bride as stunning as he had been told, he took his minister even closer into his counsels, which had, of course, been the minister's goal from the start. [Source: Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu /+/ ]
"What the prince thought of all this we do not know, but thereafter the prime minister became watchful of the prince, anticipating that ultimately he would seek revenge against the man who had denied him so beautiful a wife. He came to view the day that King Ping died and the prince succeeded to the throne as his own doom, and began to plant in the king's mind suspicions about his son, hoping that the king would designate a different successor. "It's all because of that woman of Qin," he told the king. "He hates you for it. Your majesty had best defend yourself! The prince is raising troops in his estate and contacting lords outside of Chu. He means to stage a coup d'état." In time, the king became convinced by these slanders and he summoned to his court the prince's tutor, Zixu's father. Zixu's father maintained the innocence of the prince, which enraged the king. He threw Zixu's father in prison. When courtiers loyal to the prince rushed to the prince's estates to warn him what had transpired at court, the prince recognized the hopelessness of his case and fled to the state of Song. /+/
"The prime minister was upset that the prince had escaped, but he was even more concerned that men of ability would follow the prince into exile and plot a future insurgency. He was above all fearful of the two sons of the prince's tutor. "His sons are both clever men," he told the king. "If we do not have them executed, it will spell anxious days for us in the future. Hold the father as hostage and summon the sons to come here."Accordingly, the king sent a messenger to the prison to speak to Zixu's father. "If you can bring your two sons here the king will let you live; otherwise, you shall die." "My older boy is obedient," said the tutor. "If I call him he will come. But Zixu is tough and obstinate. He's capable of great things. He'll see that to come is to be captured, and knowing the way things are now he'll never come." Nevertheless, the king sent a message to the two sons. "If you come, I will set your father free. Otherwise he will die."
"The two brothers discussed what to do, and in the end Zixu's older brother said, "I know that if I go I will not be able to carry on my father's destiny and extend the family line, nor will I be able to avenge his disgrace. But I cannot bear to ignore his plea to save his life. You escape and carry out vengeance for our father. I will go die for him."Zixu followed his brother's wishes, and while his father and brother were being murdered at the capital, Zixu fled to join the prince in Song. When his father learned of the outcome of the king's manoeuver, he said, "Zixu has escaped. Chu is in peril!"" /+/
Wu Zixu Arrives in Wu
Dr. Eno wrote: "The prince did not remain long in Song, which was in a state of civil war. He moved on to the state of Zheng, where Zichan was prime minister. In 522 B.C., the prince incautiously let himself become involved in intrigues of state, selling his services to the state of Jin as its agent in a plot to overthrow the government of Zheng.When Zichan learned of the activities of his guest, he executed him, and Zixu decided it would be good to move on. [Source: Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu /+/ ]
"He traveled across Chu towards Wu, disguised as a commoner. But he was a wanted man in Chu, and as he neared the Yangzi River crossing to Wu, he was recognized and pursued. Rushing to elude the Chu search party, he came to the river and saw a ferryman waiting by the bank. Although he had no money, he told the ferryman to take him across. The ferryman observed the hurried manner of his passenger and calmly rowed him over to Wu. As he stepped off, Zixu handed his sword to the ferryman. "This sword is worth its weight in gold. It is my payment." The ferryman replied, "According to the orders of the king of Chu, the man who captures Wu Zixu will receive lands worth 50,000 piculs of grain and a jade insignia of patrician rank. What is your sword compared to that?" And he rowed back without the sword. /+/
"When Zixu finally made his way to the capital of Wu, he sought an audience with the king. At the time, the king's cousin, Prince Guang, was the general-in-chief of the forces of Wu, and Zixu initially presented himself at the prince's compound, offering to serve as his retainer and requesting that the prince arrange a royal audience for him. The king received Zixu with honors, and instructed him to remain in the service of Prince Guang." /+/
Wu Zixu Engineers a Coup in Wu
Dr. Eno wrote: "Some time later, a border dispute arose between Wu and Chu. Zixu again appeared in court. "Chu can be destroyed," he advised the king. "I request that you appoint Prince Guang to attack." But Prince Guang spoke in opposition. "This Wu Zixu had both his father and brother murdered by the king of Chu. He only advises attacking Chu in order to achieve his personal vengeance. In fact, it is not yet possible to defeat Chu." The king followed Prince Guang's advice. But Zixu had observed Prince Guang closely and now understood that the prince's real purpose was to seize the throne of Wu for himself. Shortly before, Zixu had encountered a brash and matchless swordsman who was wandering in Wu, picking fights with any man who crossed him. Now, he introduced this man to Prince Guang and recommended that the prince take him into his service. Then Zixu excused himself from the prince's court and retired to farm in an obscure corner of Wu, awaiting events. [Source: Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu /+/ ]
"As Zixu had suspected, it did not take long before the prince made use of his new retainer. In 516 B.C., King Ping of Chu died, and the king of Wu calculated that an attack on Chu while funeral arrangements were proceeding would take the state by surprise. He sent an army under two of his younger brothers to invade Chu, but the attack was unsuccessful. The Chu army flanked the forces from Wu and cut off their route of escape. /+/
"With the king's two brothers trapped in Wu, Prince Guang saw a chance to realize his secret ambition and seize the throne from his cousin's branch of the lineage. He called his new retainer to him. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained!" he said. "I am, in fact, the rightful ruler of this state, and I want to take what belongs to me." "With the king's brothers stuck in Chu," replied the swordsman, "there is no one to fear at court. Killing the king would be nothing to a man like me!"
"The two staged an elaborate dinner for the king, and the prince concealed a group of armed men in a chamber near the banquet hall. At the proper moment, the prince limped away from the hall complaining that his foot was sore and needed attention. As he went to the chamber where his troops were hiding, his retainer approached the king's table carrying the pièce de resistance of the banquet: an enormous steamed fish. As he passed the king's bodyguard, he pulled a sword from the fish's mouth and while he was slicing the king into pieces, the prince's men fell upon the company. Prince Guang was in possession of the state of Wu in time for the dessert course, and took the title of King Helü." /+/
Invasion of Chu
Dr. Eno wrote: "Having seized the throne, King Helü recalled Zixu to his service and made him his chief advisor. Zixu, along with a second refugee from Chu laid plans with the king for a campaign against Chu. In 506 B.C., the armies of Wu struck. The force of their attack was overwhelming and after overrunning the eastern border regions of Chu, they so routed the Chu forces that the way was clear for them to sweep 250 miles up the Yangzi to the capital city of Ying. The ruler of Chu was King Zhao, the son of King Ping. As the Chu troops approached the capital, he concluded that the only hope for the survival of the state and his clan's royal office was to abandon the city and flee to another state. Once free of immediate danger to himself, he could go begging for troops from other patrician lords afraid of Wu. [Source: Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu /+/ ]
"The sack of Ying was the first time during the entire Spring and Autumn period that any great power had seen alien troops in its capital city. Not only did the army of Wu occupy the city and the king set up his personal quarters there, but Wu Zixu finally gained his revenge in the most public way possible. /+/
"The fact that his great enemy, King Ping, had been dead for ten years did not stop him. Zixu ordered the troops of Wu to burst into the burial chambers of the king and drag his coffin into the sun. Then, spilling the king's embalmed corpse out, he ordered that it be whipped with 300 lashes as payment for the death of Zixu's father and brother. Only then was his vengeance against Chu complete and his father's prophecy truly fulfilled." /+/
Conquest of Yue
jade human figure pendant
Dr. Eno wrote: "With the sack of Ying in 506 B.C., Wu, which only fifty years before had been a half-barbarian minor power, significant only as a regional ally of Jin, now possessed greater power than had any state since the fall of the Western Zhou. King Helü sat in the capital of Chu, luxuriating in the tyrannical powers of a conquering lord over a people not his own, forgetful of his tasks back in Wu. Throughout China, patrician lords were astounded that the ruling house of a major power could be routed from its homeland, that the great state of Chu could, seemingly, have dissolved overnight. [Source: Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu /+/ ]
"However, one state saw in this situation only opportunity. The state of Yue on Wu's southern border took advantage of King Helü's absence from his state to send a raiding party into Wu. Yue was a coastal state located south of the Yangzi. Its rulers claimed to be the descendants of the legendary Emperor Yu, who was said to have lived well over a thousand years before. In fact, its history prior to this time is virtually unknown. Its people were almost surely ethnically distinct from heartland Chinese, and no Chinese lord had ever acknowledged Yue to be a state in the Chinese sense. /+/
"When King Helü learned of the raiders from Yue, he was not greatly concerned. Unwilling to leave the pleasures of Ying, he sent a detachment of troops back to deal with Yue. The Wu soldiers seem to have had little trouble driving the invaders back south. However, the king's younger brother, observing that the king did not seem anxious to occupy his throne in Wu, determined to seat himself upon it. He issued orders for the troops under his command to steal away from the areas around Ying and slip back into Wu. Once there, he announced to the people of Wu, who may have been wondering what had become of their absentee king, that he had now been replaced. /+/
"King Helü was aroused at last. He quit Ying and rushed his army back to Wu. His frightened brother fled and order was quickly restored. The exiled king of Chu, seeing that his capital was at last free of Wu troops, marched back in just in time to receive Helü's brother as a refugee and make him a lord of Chu. But before he could stabilize his restoration, King Helü ordered a new invasion of Chu, this time under the charge of his son Fuchai. Fuchai once again drove the king of Chu from his capital, and confirmed that the entire south of China remained under the suzerainty of Wu. /+/
"For almost ten years, Wu retained its power over the south while its ally, Jin continued to dominate the rest of China and hold the title of hegemon. Then in 496 B.C., King Helü learned that the leader of the Yue people had died, and he decided it would be a good time to repay Yue for its troublesome raid nine years earlier. He and his son Fuchai led an army into the wilds of Yue to teach the barbarians a lesson. /+/
"The new ruler of Yue went by the title King Goujian. He had succeeded peacefully to the chieftainship of his father, and was not yet tested as a general. Nevertheless, he devised a creative tactical approach. When his army had come within range of the forces of Wu, he sent three of his braves off to challenge the enemy. The three men galloped within sight of the assembled troops of Wu, and then began to shout raucously while repeatedly charging the line of troops. Then they grasped their swords and cut their own throats. /+/
"As the soldiers of Wu watched this performance transfixed, Goujian released his main army onto their flank. The Wu forces had no time to redeploy and were routed. In the battle, King Helü was wounded in his hand. Later, infection set in and the king realized that his wound would be mortal. He sent for his son Fuchai. "When you are king," he said, "will you forget that it was Goujian who killed your father?""I will never dare forget," answered his son, and that night the king died. /+/
King Fuchai ignores Zixu's warning
Dr. Eno wrote: "From the day that he became king, Fuchai began a relentless preparation for war to avenge his father's death. King Goujian of Yue, hearing of the mobilization in Wu, determined to attack Wu before it was prepared. His minister of war, a master general named Fan Li, warned him to change his plans. "I have heard that weapons are ill-omened devices," he said. "Strife is the conduct of last resort. He who secretly plots contrary to virtue, delights in the use of ill-omened devices, and tests himself through conduct that should only be used as a last resort will be opposed by the Lord on High. There can be no profit in such conduct.""I've made up my mind," said the king, and he launched his armies. King Fuchai of Wu turned loose upon them the crack troops he had been drilling day and night, and smashed the invading army. [Source: Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu /+/ ]
"King Goujian retreated with 5,000 men, but was surrounded by Fuchai's forces. He turned to his general Fan Li. "I have come to this pass because I did not heed your advice," he said. "What can I do now?" Fan Li, who, judging by the histories, had learned to speak by listening to sage platitudes, replied as follows. "One whose cup runs over may follow the path of heaven; one who has set aright that which was toppling over may follow the path of Man; in facing crises that may come upon you, follow the path of Earth. Offer up words of profound humility and ritual courtesies of the highest degree, and if these are not enough, sell your own person for the best price you can get." Goujian did as his minister had said. He groveled before Fuchai and pleaded to be permitted to administer his state in the service of Wu. "I will be your servant," he said, "and my wife shall be your concubine." /+/
"King Fuchai was very pleased, and inclined to grant Goujian his wish. But Wu Zixu was furious. "The king of Yue is a man capable of enduring bitter days. If you do not wipe out the state of Yue now, you will most certainly regret it later."Fuchai did not have as much confidence in Zixu as his father, and had long since appointed another man to be prime minister. He did not listen to Zixu, and he concluded a treaty with the state of Yue. /+/
Death of Wu Zixu
Rhinoceros bronze belt hook
Dr. Eno wrote: "In 489 B.C., King Fuchai learned that the duke of Qi, his powerful neighbor to the north, had died and civil war broken out among the patrician families of the state. He ordered his armies to prepare for a northern expedition. Zixu had kept his eye steadily upon the conduct of Yue, and he approached Fuchai at court. "King Goujian of Yue no longer eats sumptuous dishes, but instead travels about offering condolences to those in mourning and comfort to the sick. He is planning something. If we cannot manage his death Wu will face troubled times. Our possession of Yue is like a man with a tumor in his belly. Yet you foolishly make plots about Qi and ignore Yue!" But the campaign against Qi turned out to be a complete military success, and the king began to treat Zixu with increasing coldness, favoring instead his prime minister, whose words were far more congenial to his ear. [Source: Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu /+/ ]
"In 485 B.C., Fuchai renewed his pressure to the north. He wanted to achieve in Qi what his father had in Chu – the sacking of the capital – and he planned a great naval campaign that would send the ships of Wu around the Shandong peninsula to land on its northern shore, near the ducal city. Once again Zixu warned the king to attend to Yue instead. "If you conquer Qi," he said, "it will yield as many riches for you as a field of rocks." Again the king ignored him, and sent him instead on a mission to Qi in preparation for war. /+/
"Zixu took his son to Qi with him. "I have remonstrated with the king over and over," he told his son, "but he will not listen to me. I see now that Wu is to be destroyed. What use is there in you being destroyed along with it?"While in Qi, Zixu visited a patrician who was a personal friend, and entrusted his son to his care. /+/
"In the meantime, King Goujian of Yue had not been idle. While he had become an exemplary ruler at home, in line with the preachings of his minister of war, his diplomatic methods were more traditional. He sent weighty bribes to the Wu prime minister, who looked upon Yue with increasing favor. Now that he was effectively in Yue's pay, he grew concerned that Zixu's incessant warnings would finally influence the king. When a member of his entourage informed him that Zixu had left his son in Qi he rushed to the king with the news. "Your majesty has had the sense to ignore Zixu's prattlings and he has turned against your majesty. He has entrusted his son to Qi; where do his true loyalties lie?"
"What you imply I have long suspected," replied the king. And he ordered that a runner be sent to Zixu bearing a sword with the message, "Take this and die." Zixu grasped the sword and turned to his followers. "When I am dead, pull my eyes from my head and hang them from the eastern tower of the capital wall. Then I will be able to see the bandits from Yue pour in and extinguish the state of Wu." Then he cut his throat and died. /+/
"When King Fuchai was told of Zixu's last words he flew into a rage. He seized Zixu's corpse and had it thrown in a bag. Then he ordered that the bag be flung into the Yangzi, where it could float out into the sea. Later, Zixu's admirers built a shrine on the banks of the river so that his spirit would have a place to receive sustenance. /+/
King Fuchai's Short Season as Hegemon
Dr. Eno wrote: "The naval campaign against Qi was a fiasco, and Wu's wars of conquest were coming to an end. Nevertheless, in the summer of B.C. 482, King Fuchai achieved his greatest dream. He assembled the patrician lords of northern China and was acknowledged as hegemon, with the confirmation of the Zhou royal house. The state of Wu had accomplished an astonishing transformation of the Chinese political map, and Fuchai openly reveled in his new role. But even while he was being toasted by the lords in the north, his kingdom was collapsing at home. King Goujian of Yue seized the opportunity of Fuchai's absence to send a raiding party to ambush and kill the crown prince of Wu. Then he dispatched an invasion force. [Source: Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu /+/ ]
"When news of these events reached him Fuchai burst into a fury, and when he further found that members of his party had passed word to the other lords of this turn of events, he drew his sword and beheaded seven men right in his tent at the assembly encampment. Four days later, at the formal oath taking ceremony of the assembly, a wrangle developed between Fuchai and the duke of Jin over who would actually be first to smear his lips with the ritual blood of the covenant, the privilege of the hegemon. Though Fuchai appears, in most accounts, to have won out, the recorder of the assembly still listed the duke of Jin's name first in the list of dignitaries. Fuchai's triumph had degenerated into ambiguous bickering. As soon as the assembly was closed, King Fuchai rushed back home, but as he approached he learned that the situation was all but hopeless. Before the summer of his hegemony had turned to fall, he was forced to sue for peace with Yue, offering gifts and money. /+/
"In the end, Wu Zixu's last prophecy came true. In 476 B.C., King Goujian of Yue decided to extend his influence into central China, and to do so, he needed to remove Wu and extend his borders north. He dispatched a final campaign to Wu and easily defeated the soldiers that Fuchai was able to assemble. Having taken Fuchai captive, and perhaps recollecting the mercy that he had been shown twenty years earlier, he brought Fuchai before him and offered him a comfortable retirement estate near the sea, with 100 families of attendants to serve him. /+/
""I am an old man," said Fuchai. "I do not have the strength to serve your majesty. How I regret that I did not listen to the words of Wu Zixu. It is I who have brought myself so low." Then he slit his throat, and as he bled to death, he covered his face with his hands and whispered, "I cannot face Zixu!"King Goujian gave Fuchai a state burial, but he executed his prime minister without ceremony: he had been disloyal to his lord and accepted the bribes of Yue. /+/
"King Goujian did indeed go on to effect for Yue a transformation even greater than that which Helü and Fuchai had managed for Wu. He marched his troops north across the Huai River, and the rulers of Jin and Qi sued for peace. The Zhou king sent to him sacrificial meats from his ancestral temples, and Goujian, who just a short time before had been viewed as chief of a distant tribe of tattooed barbarians, was ennobled as a patrician lord. In acts of diplomatic skill, he returned to various states lands that had been seized from them by Wu, and with his troops free to roam anywhere in south, east, or central China, he was ultimately acknowledged as hegemon, the last ruler to truly deserve that title. But after Goujian's death about 465 B.C., little more is heard of Yue. It fades from the histories as suddenly as it appeared, and with it disappear the delicate balances that supported the hegemon system. /+/
PERIOD VI: THE DISSOLUTION OF JIN (497-453 B.C. )
Dr. Eno wrote: "There is no consensus among historians concerning the date at which the Spring and Autumn period ends. The actual chronicle after which the period is named, The Spring and Autumn Annals, which was a court record of the state of Lu, closes with the year 481 B.C. That date is sometimes taken to mark the end of the period; others are Confucius's death (479 B.C.) and the end of the Zuo zhuan commentary to the "Annals" (464 B.C.). The date that makes the most historical sense, however, is 453 B.C., the year that the state of Jin finally fell apart. [Source: Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu /+/ ]
"The state of Jin had long represented both the strengths and the weaknesses of the Zhou system of clan rule. Since Duke Wen of Jin had reorganized Jin into a type of corporate militarism, with the great warlord clans sharing control of the state armies, the warrior traditions of those clans had ensured that Jin would be fierce in war and a terror to its neighbors, but their internal wrangles also meant that civil disruptions frequently weakened the state's ability to act with resolve in multi-state affairs. /+/
"Throughout the sixth century, the more powerful warlord families gradually extinguished the weaker clans. The dukes, increasingly figurehead rulers, lost power every time a consolidation reduced the opportunities to play the clans off of one another. By the beginning of the fifth century, only six major clans remained. Four of these united against the remaining two in a civil war that stretched from 497 to 490 B.C., at which time the smaller group perished, leaving only the four allied clans in the field. /+/
"The four clans bore the surnames Zhao, Han, Wei, and Zhi. By 458 B.C., the leader of the Zhi clan had emerged as the most powerful man in Jin, and he set out to seize the throne for himself, and move the ducal line of succession from the founding Ji clan to his own. /+/
"The most powerful of the remaining three clans was the Zhao, which controlled the northeast section of Jin, relatively far removed from the capital area. Seeing the imminent rise of the leader of the Zhi, he fortified Zhao into a stronghold, fearing attack. The leader of the Zhi did indeed organize an army against the Zhao. He coerced the other two great families, Han and Wei, into alliance with him, and the combined forces stormed the clan city of Zhao in 455 B.C.. /+/
"But the defenses of Zhao had been well planned and the city well provisioned. The attack degenerated into a prolonged siege. As they waited for over a year before the Zhao city walls, the leaders of the Han and Wei clan armies became increasingly restive. Their exhausting efforts were, after all, being made on behalf of a man who planned to usurp the throne, and whose gratitude towards their families could not be relied on. In time they initiated contact with the defenders inside the walls and concluded a secret compact. /+/
"In 453 B.C., the armies of Han and Wei turned on the Zhi clan. In one stroke, they eliminated the clan entirely. Once the leaders of the Zhao emerged, the three clans put into effect the pact they had agreed on during the siege. They divided the state of Jin into three separate states. The Zhao family lands in the northeast became the state of Zhao. The lands of the Han family in the south, in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, became the state of Han. The Fen River valley north of the bend of the Yellow River belonged to the new state of Wei, and its lands stretched awkwardly across the midsection of the region of Jin, flanking Han on the east. /+/
"The state of Jin, the most powerful state of the Spring and Autumn period, was no more. It had long been a conglomerate polity rather than a unified ruling house, and now its dukes and the name of Jin itself disappeared. In its place were three very well balanced states of considerable stature. All three would become major actors in the succeeding centuries of the Warring States period. /+/
"With the dissolution of Jin, the only remaining powerful branch of the Zhou ruling clan was gone. Throughout the chaos of the Spring and Autumn centuries, Jin had, at least, provided a psychological anchor of semi-legitimacy. No other state had better claim to be protector of the Zhou. Furthermore, its patrician warrior nature had represented better than any other state the cultural character of the Zhou. Its extinction did indeed signal the end of an era. The Warring States years which followed represent a period of transition to an entirely new political culture." /+/
Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons, University of Washington
Text Sources: Robert Eno, Indiana University indiana.edu /+/ ; Asia for Educators, Columbia University afe.easia.columbia.edu <|>; University of Washington's Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, depts.washington.edu/chinaciv /=\; National Palace Museum, Taipei npm.gov.tw \=/ Library of Congress; New York Times; Washington Post; Los Angeles Times; China National Tourist Office (CNTO); Xinhua; China.org; China Daily; Japan News; Times of London; National Geographic; The New Yorker; Time; Newsweek; Reuters; Associated Press; Lonely Planet Guides; Compton's Encyclopedia; Smithsonian magazine; The Guardian; Yomiuri Shimbun; AFP; Wikipedia; BBC. Many sources are cited at the end of the facts for which they are used.


Special room rates available on site of the convention. Call them while rooms are still available.
HARK, GAMERS OF EXEMPLARY SKILL!!!
Welcome to the homepage of the fourth annual D8 Summit, a regional gaming convention benefiting Illinois Valley PADS. IV-PADS is an amazing homeless shelter, as it keeps families intact while helping the families to get back on their feet. This is the third year that the D8 Summit board has partnered with IV-PADS, which speaks volumes of the quality of help they provide our community.
Unless you are busy gaming with us. That's cool too.
This step-by-step set of instructions should make it relatively pain-free to register to attend and get your favorite games.
1) Register for your badge. Badges are available for individual attendees for individual days, or for the entire weekend. There are Very Important Gamer (VIG) badges available also, while they last, which include additional games and perks.
2) Procure Swag!!! When you get a badge is the best time to add special 2019 D8 Summit items to your badge. Ordering now means we will have the item for you when you attend the convention. Also, certain items such as apparel are only available for online order.
3) Find Lodging. There are numerous lodging options if you are traveling to the 2019 D8 Summit. You will find that not only is the convention itself a value, so is the cost of rooms in the area. We do have a room block on the convention site while it lasts, so reserve a spot early.
5) Attend. This is the best part. You get to meet a great group of gamers, enjoy our shared passion for games, and raise some money for a great cause. As our motto proclaims, "When you game for charity, everybody wins!"
If you are looking for a great place to stay, consider staying with our convention host. The Grand Bear Lodge and Resort offers rustic comfort. It also offers convenience, as you won't have to drive anywhere to enjoy your games. The room rate (while rooms are available) is $119 a night if you call and reserve your space now.
In addition, you can purchase day passes to the indoor water park, newly renovated and ready for fun. Ask when you reserve your room.
Contact information is available to your right, or you can visit their webpage.


text:
Pro-Pakistan slogans raised in Jammu, clashes erupt between students, stranded passengers, six injured
Jammu: Clashes erupted in Jammu on Monday near Science college Jammu after valley bound passengers in winter capital raised pro-Pakistan slogans.
Eye-witnesses told KNO said that stranded passengers assembled near Mufti house on Kanal road Jammu against administration's failure to evacuate them to the Valley.
The situation took ugly turn when the students of the nearby college attacked the protesting valley bound passengers that led to clashes in the area.
"Stranded passengers raised pro-Pakistan slogans like Pakistan Zindabad," they said, adding that students of the nearby Science College attacked the valley bound passengers, which according to reports are 2500 to 3000 in number.
The flight that was to take some of them to valley had only two seats for the passengers that irritated the stranded people, reports said, adding that "in the ensuing clashes between the students and stranded passengers, stone pelting erupted in the area," they said.
Two stranded passengers and four students have been injured in the stone pelting in the area. Police as per eye-witnesses have reached the spot and is trying to pacify the situation. "Police is large number have been deployed in the area to let the situation deteriorate further and to not let students again create ruckus in the area," they said.
Top officials including district commissioner is on the spot to control the situations.
Reports reaching KNO said that the students again attacked passengers but police swung into action and cane charged rioting students.
Srinagar-Jammu highway, the only road connectivity of the valley with rest of the world remains closed for sixth consecutive day.
The passengers had been demanding special flights to airlift them to valley as they claimed that prices of commodities in Jammu has soared too high and hotel bills have been raised by the profiteers.
The stranded passengers are accusing government of playing cruel joke with them by not taking any concrete measures for their quick and safe return home.
However, sources told KNO that at least 200 stranded passengers including Women, old-aged have been identified who will be airlifted to Kashmir shortly.
Authorities have identified 200 passengers out of at least 3000 and shall be airlifted to the Valley shortly, they said.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
const db = require('../config/db.js');

const report_schema = new db.Schema(
    {
        id: {
            type: String,
            required: true,
            unique: true
        },
        symptoms: String,
        diagnosis: String,
        conclusion: String,
        remark: String,
        diagnosed_by: [String],
        prescription: [{
            name: String,
            days: Number,
            times: Number,
            remark: String
        }]
    },
    {
        timestamps: {
            createdAt: 'created',
            updatedAt: 'updated'
        }
    }
);

module.exports = db.model('Report', report_schema);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Each addition to our product line continues to focus on ease-of-use and non-invasive sample collection.
2. Unprecedented advances in genetics: In the past year, we saw the African genome sequenced and we saw a large international consortium of researchers discover a significant link between autism and DNA. We also saw that an entire fetal genome can be sequenced from maternal circulation. This could lead to the advent of a whole new range of minimally invasive prenatal diagnostic tests. However, few would argue that the most memorable moment of 2010 was Craig Venter's assembly of a synthetic genome. By sticking together particular sequences of DNA, Venter synthesized a functional bacterial genome. We don't yet know if this is really a step toward creating life in a lab, but it could lead to new sources of biofuel or even speed up flu vaccine production.
3. Breaking down barriers to DNA sample collection: We continued to break down barriers to DNA sample collection through our Helping Hands program. Established in 2009, the program supported multiple event-based collections in 2010 including Spit for the Cure™ events in Little Rock, AK and Roswell Park, NY, and the National Walk for Epilepsy in Washington, DC. One exciting new event-based collection we added this year was for the Anthony Nolan Trust, a bone marrow donor registry in the UK. We supported their efforts to collect DNA samples at the Isle of Wight Music Festival, attended by over 50,000 people. Anthony Nolan switched from collecting blood samples to collecting saliva using Oragene•DNA and our participation at this event proved that more samples could be collected with less effort than ever before.
4. Personalized medicine is real: We've been hearing the promises of personalized medicine for some time now with its magic formula of 'the right treatment for the right patient at the right time'. I believe the promise of personalized medicine is now real. This year alone, we saw the first TV ad for a drug offering genetic testing. Companion diagnostics are now in full force in drug development and there is growing pressure to measure the effectiveness of drugs in the future. We're excited about this as we see Oragene•DNA as a unique, enabling technology for personalized medicine applications. In fact, we're being considered for the Personalized Medicine World Congress "Most Promising Company Award" for 2011.
5. Fostering the next generation of scientists: In April, we introduced a program geared towards helping students in high schools, colleges and universities learn more about DNA collection and preparation. The program, titled DNA Genotek's Science Education Program, offers Oragene•DNA kits at no charge to classrooms in accredited high schools, colleges and universities to be used for teaching purposes. Who knows? Maybe someone participating in this program will make it to my top 10 list in 2020.
6. Our customers continue to amaze us: Each year, I am amazed at the work our customers do with our products and 2010 was no exception. There are novel applications of our product that we would never have thought possible and new genetic breakthroughs in diseases that we hear about every day. A few of the highlights of the year for me were the decision by Anthony Nolan Trust to switch from blood collection to Oragene and the subsequent rapid increase in donors to their bone marrow registry, and the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative's 95% compliance rate with Oragene in their study designed to identify host correlates of protection against TB following BCG vaccination. There are so many other worthwhile projects with Oragene that I could write a separate top 10 list on them. I know that our customers will continue to amaze us in 2011.
7. Getting involved in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria: DNA Genotek joined the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in 2010. Understanding the genetic basis of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria is critical to discovering new prevention and treatment options. It is our hope that our work with the GBC will enable research that may one day lead to the identification of the genes involved in these diseases or genes which cause resistance to treatment so that effective measures can be taken.
8. Partnering for success: The DNA Genotek Partner Program grew again in 2010. We welcomed our first partners from Singapore, Israel, Italy, Germany and France, expanding the number of global locations where customers can have Oragene samples processed. In total, 16 new companies joining the program from more than 8 different countries. The program was introduced in 2009 and this is a great example of the type of momentum we're seeing around the world.
9. Awards and recognition: We were proud recipients of 3 major awards this year and each one is unique. First, we were the recipient of the Medical Design Excellence Award for the design of the Oragene•DNA OG-500 format followed by the Frost & Sullivan 2010 North American Genetic Sample Collection Technology Leadership Award. We ended the year with an award I'm particularly proud of – the Employee's Choice Award for Best Place to Work. This award tells me that our employees are proud to work here and motivated to do a great job for our customers.
10. Customer satisfaction is what really matters: The feedback we get from our customers humbles me on a daily basis. As a company we are committed to building quality products and to providing superior customer service. In our customer satisfaction surveys, we ask one question that matters most to us: "How likely is it that you would recommend us to a colleague?" Over and over, you do recommend us to your peers and collaborators. My sincere thanks to so many of you that share this feedback with us. It's one of the reasons I love the DNA Genotek community so much.
It's clear that the floodgates on genetic data are opening. Ten years ago, you could count the number of sequenced human genomes in single digits. Nature News recently predicted that more than 30,000 human genomes will have been sequenced by the end of 2011. The rate of discovery is escalating more than ever and our customers are each playing important roles in this process of discovery. We thank you for making DNA Genotek an integral part of this evolution.
What was your most memorable moment in genetics in 2010? Did I include it in my list? Leave a comment and let me know.


It's that time of year again. It is time for the Galentine's flower giveaway! Last year, one lucky winner sent one of her best gal pals a beautiful floral arrangement to let her know she was loved. This year I plan to do the same thing. If you know me, you know I am a big advocate of sending floral arrangement to friends. Flowers are a wonderful + thoughtful gesture to brighten someone's day. Need more reason than that? Here are my top 5 reasons to send flowers.
They're pretty + add color to any room.
Their natural fragrance fills the air + offers freshness.
They're easy to send (+ can even be sent same day) – thanks internet.
Because people don't send them as frequently, they are an underrated gesture with big impact.
There is something for everyone. Whether they like pink, purple, or even living plants, there is something for everyone.
The art of giving flowers has been all but lost in romantic relationships, but that doesn't mean we can't revive it with our female friendships. From engagements to promotions to crappy days. Giving our friends flowers is a trend I want to bring into 2019. To help you jump on board, I'll be sending the bestie of one of my followers a beautiful floral arrangement for my Galentine's flower giveaway.
Starting today (NOW) you can put your name in to win your bestie to get these flowers. To enter, be sure to follow me on Instagram + enter in the form below. You can get bonus entries by completing a few select tasks. The winner will be announced 2/10 + I'll be checking Insta to notify the winner (if you don't have an Instagram, I will contact you via email)!
If you don't win, don't fret! I have 14 other ideas to help you show your Galentine some love without breaking the bank.


Middle Tennessee Department of Theatre and Dance aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully enter professional fields of Theatre, Dance, and live entertainment within the context of a comprehensive liberal arts education. Our training programs emphasize performance and production, with students playing key roles--both onstage and off-- in Department and student produced productions and events.
The Department of Theatre and Dance also brings regional, national, and internationally renowned artists to campus each semester through our guest artist program and Tucker Theatre events. The faculty and staff help position students for opportunities on and off campus, including internships, study abroad trips featuring performance tours to international destinations, and participation in regional and national conferences for the profession. Full programs of study culminate in either a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Theatre or a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Dance. Additionally, minors are available in Theatre, Dance, Musical Theatre, and Entertainment Arts Design.


Despite the common perception that cruising Indonesia is a complicated experience, appointing The Lighthouse Consultancy to pre-plan and coordinate the cruise time frame will ensure it runs relatively smoothly.
As of March 2016, the permitting processes for cruising in Indonesia are changing, with government departments implementing ways to simplify the application process.
Frankly, it is taking some time to work out how the regulations are interpreted in the remote ports, but what is clear is that the Permit names are changing. The Clearance Approval for Indonesian Territory (formerly known as CAIT) is being phased out and replaced with YachtERS an online registration system, and the Temporary Import process replaced with a Vessel Declaration document that will offer a more efficient application process. In reality, the documents that need to be submitted are the same as for the previous cruising permits, and so the main difference is the application time frame, which should reduce considerably from the previous 3 – 4 week time frames.
As things are gradually socialised and implemented in the remote ports the quicker permit processing will surely come into effect, but at this stage Lighthouse is still advising yachts to give as much time as possible for document procurement.
Important Note; With the longer duration of stay in the country, it is important to make plans regarding the visas considerations for crew and guests.
This process sounds more complicated than it is, however the vessel must be temporarily imported into Indonesia in order to be allowed to cruise the waters. This takes place during inspections during the initial international clearance in to Indonesia, with information submitted in the Vessel Declaration document endorsed by customs officials. The vessel is routinely exported at the end of the cruise time frame during the final international clearance.


Windows Update is designed to operate quietly in the background, but it might refuse to continue if it can not install a person upgrade. Consider running the Windows Update Troubleshooter, which you are able to hunt for in the beginning menu. If this does not help, you can try deleting Windows Update's cache from booting in Safe Mode, quitting the wuauserv service, as well as deleting the files from Word:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution.
If everything else fails, download updates utilizing the WSUS Offline Update program.
This sometimes happens on Windows 7, 7, or even 10, but it has become particularly prevalent with Windows 7. Occasionally upgrades will error out, or occasionally Windows Update may only get stuck "looking for upgrades" eternally. Listed below are a couple tactics to give it a kick start.
Recall: Windows upgrades are significant. Regardless of what troubles you are getting, we advocate keeping automatic updates turned on–it is among the very best methods to keep yourself protected from ransomware along with other dangers. Should you turn off automatic updates, you're leaving yourself exposed to new attacks.
It shuts down Windows Update Services.
It automatically renames the C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder into C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution.old , basically clearing the Windows Update download cache in order it may begin over.
It restarts the Windows Update Services.
This troubleshooter is available on Windows 7, 7, and 10. You'll discover it at precisely the exact same area on all modern variants of Windows.
To conduct the troubleshooter, hit Start, hunt for "Tracking," then conduct the choice that search includes.
From the complex settings, ensure the "Employ repairs automatically" check box is allowed, click "Run as secretary" and click Next. Giving the application administrative privileges will help ensure it may delete files from the cache.
The troubleshooter operates via its procedure and then tells you whether it may identify and repair the issue. The majority of the moment, the troubleshooter can eliminate a stuck upgrade from the queue. Go right ahead and try running Windows Update again. Even if the troubleshooter states it could not recognize the issue, it is possible the activities of stopping and starting the support and clearing the cache did the trick.
In case you are still having difficulty after conducting the troubleshooter (or in case you are the kind that just likes to do things), doing the very same actions manually might help in which the troubleshooter did not. We are going to bring the additional measure of booting in Safe Mode first, simply to be certain that Windows can definitely give up the cache of Windows Update downloads.
It is a bit more awkward than it was about the newest variants of Windows, however it is still fairly straightforward. Obviously, when you would like, you might also take a while to include Safe Mode into the Windows boot to allow it to be simpler later on.
Once you have booted into Safe Mode, the next thing to do is to prevent the Windows Update support, and also the simplest way to do this is using all the Command Prompt. To start the Command Prompt in Windows 7, then open the Start menu, then search for "Command Prompt", and then start the Command Prompt shortcut. You will also find it under Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt. Back in Windows 8 or 10, you also are able to right-click on the Start menu (or press Windows+X), select "Command Prompt (Admin)" then click Yes to let it operate with administrative privileges.


text:
55-year-old Camper from Costa Mesa Missing
By News Staff on February 29, 2020 in News Releases
News Release INYO COUNTY, CA. February 29, 2020 – On Thursday February 27 Inyo County Sheriff was notified of an overdue camper. The reporting party said that Norm Shaughnessy, a 55-year old man from Costa Mesa, CA had planned on spending the night at the Lone Pine campground and would return home Wednesday. Shaughnessy, who […]
Burn Baby, Burn! BLM Conduct Prescribed Fire to Improve Wetland Habitat
By News Staff on February 28, 2020 in Fire, General Misc. Stories, News Releases
Press Release</ You may have noticed smoke towards the north west when driving along Hwy 395. Following is an explanation from the Bureau of Land Management. BISHOP, Calif. – Interagency wildland fire crews from the Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office and the Inyo National Forest will be treating up to 70 acres of […]
Inyo County District 2 Supervisor Forum at Cerro Coso College
By Charles James on February 28, 2020 in General Misc. Stories
Current District 2 Supervisor Jeff Griffiths, in his second term, and challenger Heather Lind, who is currently on the City of Bishop Planning Commission and a substitute teacher, met at a Candidates Forum at Cerro Coso Community College in Bishop last Thursday, February 20th. The Forum was hosted by Inyo350, a local non-profit whose mission […]
Special Day of Fun on Mammoth Mountain to Honor Dave McCoy Friday
By Charles James on February 27, 2020 in General Misc. Stories, Mammoth Mountain, Public Event
Ask almost anyone that ever knew the late-Mammoth Mountain founder Dave McCoy, who died on February 8 at the age of 104, and they would tell you that he had a zest for life and felt that "fun" was an important part of his life. McCoy himself would tell you that he believed that having […]
Mammoth Lakes Foundation, REMINDER EVENT FRIDAY 2-28-20 to CELEBRATE DAVE
By News Staff on February 27, 2020 in General Misc. Stories, News Releases, Obituaries, Public Event
#ThankYouDave kicks off Friday February 28th ** 2-25-20 This update from Mammoth Mountain on the public memorial for Dave McCoy Friday. #ThankYouDave A Day of Celebration in Honor of Dave McCoy "Join us on Friday, February 28 as we host a day of skiing and celebration in honor of Dave McCoy. This day is for […]
ESIA Presents Authors and Artists Winter 2020 Series kicking off Thursday 2-27
By News Staff on February 25, 2020 in Entertainment/Local Events/Activities, General Misc. Stories, Public Event
Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association Announces Authors and Artists Series' Winter 2020 Program Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association (ESIA) is hosting the Annual Authors and Artists Series. The first program of the new year will be held in Mammoth Lakes, February 27, 2020 featuring an author talk with Joe Reidhead, author of Half Dome: The History of […]
Congratulations to this year's 2020 Poppy Awards Winners!
By News Staff on February 25, 2020 in Entertainment/Local Events/Activities, General Misc. Stories, Past Posts, Press Release
Eastern Sierra Wins Big at Visit California Poppy Awards ** This is an update by Lara Kaylor Director of Communications Mammoth Lakes Tourism** Area agencies collectively take home three awards Eastern Sierra, Calif. (February 24, 2020) — Earlier this month, the Eastern Sierra triumphed at Visit California's biennial Poppy Awards contest. This competition honors the best […]
Bishop Chamber of Commerce Wins Two Visit California Poppy Awards
By Charles James on February 24, 2020 in Entertainment/Local Events/Activities, General Misc. Stories
At last Thursday's Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Pizza Factory, Executive Director Tawni Thomson announced that the Chamber has won two Visit California Poppy awards: Best Overall Brand Identity under $1 million in recognition of its "Small Town with a BIG Backyard Campaign and tied for Best Cooperative Marketing Category which showcases […]
Mammoth Lakes Police Department Explorers Attend Academy
By News Staff on February 24, 2020 in Entertainment/Local Events/Activities, General Misc. Stories, Law Enforcement, Press Release
Press release from Mammoth Lakes Police Department From Thursday, February 13 th to Monday, February 17 th , six members of MLPD's & MCSO's MLPD Explorers Post 7880 joined their peers from all over the State of California at the Explorer Academy, an abbreviated version of the LawEnforcement Academy. In all, 135 police explorers […]
The Mammoth Community Water District Offering a $200 Rebate Program for Dishwashers
By News Staff on February 24, 2020 in Entertainment/Local Events/Activities, General Misc. Stories, Press Release
This is a great deal if you are looking to replace that old dishwasher! Save on your water and electric bill with a new energy efficient dishwasher! The Mammoth Community Water is committed to supporting its customers in their efforts to conserve water and save money. So, in February, with Board support, a $200 incentive […]
California apologizes for Japanese Internment Camps
By News Staff on February 24, 2020 in General Misc. Stories, Government Agencies/Utilities, News Releases
On Thursday, February 20, state lawmakers in Sacramento approved a resolution to formally apologize for one of California's darkest chapters in its history: the forced internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. The resolution introduced by Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi of Torrance, points out California's failure to support and defend the civil rights of Japanese […]
Here comes the Judge(s) Candidates Forum Tonight in Independence
By Charles James on February 24, 2020 in General Misc. Stories, Meet the Candidate, News Releases, Press Release
Election in One Week! The Independence Civic Club is hosting a final candidates forum for Superior Court Judge tonight, Monday, February 24 th at 6:30 p.m. at the American Legion Hall in Independence. Come hear what the candidates have to say for themselves. The candidates are Philip Ashworth, Brian Lamb, and Susanne Rizo . […]


When you're working with any level of government, you need to be certain that you're doing as much as you can in order to stay ahead of everything that is going on. How do you ensure that you're doing everything that you can in order to stay on top of things? Are there ways in which you can work out your dot medical certification without spending too much money? And are there options that can help you to get all of the certifications that you need without spending too much money to make it happen in the first place?
There are a lot of qualifications that you may be looking at in relation to everything that is going on around you, and so you want to be sure that you're going to the classes necessary so that you can work out what you need to do and how you can get it accomplished. Not only will that allow you to see what can be best for your needs, but you'll find that the whole thing is more affordable than it may have been otherwise as well.
Look at what is involved here and seek out the ways that you may want to proceed with the processes in question. You have a lot of certification options to choose from and, when you finally work out what needs to happen, you will be closer to figuring out what it is that you need to do as well. Find out what certifications you need, stay ahead of all that is going on, and find out what your next steps are going to be. In the long run, that's going to be what allows you to stay ahead of all that can come along in the midst of your progress and such.


text:
Q: "/bin/sh: XX: command not found" error when trying to install development version of R fst package from github I'm trying to install the development version of the fst package from github. (I want the development version because it maintains column classes when saving data frames, whereas the current released version does not.)
Initially, installation failed due to lack of OpenMP support. I resolved this (I think) by following the steps here for R 3.4.0 on OSX.
However, now I'm getting the following error: /bin/sh: XX: command not found. I've already set what are supposed to be the appropriate paths in the ~/.R/Makevars file, so I'm not sure what to do next to resolve the error.
Here's my code and output:
First attempt to install fst, before adding OpenMP support
devtools::install_github("fstPackage/fst", ref = "develop")

* installing *source* package 'fst' ...
  ** libs
  clang++ -std=gnu++11 -I/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Resources/include -DNDEBUG -fopenmp -I. -Ifstcore -Ifstcore/LZ4 -Ifstcore/ZSTD -Ifstcore/ZSTD/common -Ifstcore/ZSTD/decompress -Ifstcore/ZSTD/compress -I"/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/3.4/Resources/library/Rcpp/include"
  -I/usr/local/opt/gettext/include -I/usr/local/opt/llvm/include   -fPIC  -Wall -g -O2 -c FastStore.cpp -o FastStore.o
  clang: error: unsupported option '-fopenmp'
  make: *** [FastStore.o] Error 1
  ERROR: compilation failed for package 'fst'

Adding OpenMP support
To add OpenMP support, I followed the steps here for R 3.4.0, including installing gfortran 6.1 from here and clang using the pre-built OSX GUI installer provided here. Then, as instructed, I added the following to my ~/.R/Makevars file:
CC=/usr/local/clang4/bin/clang
CXX=/usr/local/clang4/bin/clang++
CXX11=$CXX
CXX14=$CXX
CXX17=$CXX
CXX1X=$CXX
LDFLAGS=-L/usr/local/clang4/lib

Second attempt to install fst
I then ran the installation code again and got the following error:
devtools::install_github("fstPackage/fst", ref = "develop")

* installing *source* package 'fst' ...
  ** libs
  XX -std=gnu++11 -I/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Resources/include
  -DNDEBUG -fopenmp -I. -Ifstcore -Ifstcore/LZ4 -Ifstcore/ZSTD -Ifstcore/ZSTD/common -Ifstcore/ZSTD/decompress -Ifstcore/ZSTD/compress -I"/Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/3.4/Resources/library/Rcpp/include"
  -I/usr/local/include   -fPIC  -Wall -g -O2 -c FastStore.cpp -o FastStore.o
  /bin/sh: XX: command not found
  make: *** [FastStore.o]
  Error 127 ERROR: compilation failed for package 'fst'

In addition to the errors, I can see that the installation output begins with clang++ -std=gnu++11 ... in the first attempt and XX -std=gnu++11 ... in the second attempt. I'm guessing I need to tell R (or some other program) about the path to clang, but I'm not sure what path is needed or where to put it (and isn't the Makevars file supposed to take care of that?), or whether there are other issues that need to be fixed as well.
Here are some of the particulars about my system:
Macbook Pro, OSX Sierra (version 10.12.5)
RStudio version 1.0.153
R Session Info
R version 3.4.1 (2017-06-30)
Platform: x86_64-apple-darwin15.6.0 (64-bit)
Running under: macOS Sierra 10.12.5

Matrix products: default
BLAS: /System/Library/Frameworks/Accelerate.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/vecLib.framework/Versions/A/libBLAS.dylib
LAPACK: /Library/Frameworks/R.framework/Versions/3.4/Resources/lib/libRlapack.dylib

locale:
[1] en_US.UTF-8/en_US.UTF-8/en_US.UTF-8/C/en_US.UTF-8/en_US.UTF-8

attached base packages:
[1] stats     graphics  grDevices utils     datasets  methods   base

loaded via a namespace (and not attached):
 [1] httr_1.2.1      compiler_3.4.1  R6_2.2.2        tools_3.4.1     withr_1.0.2
 [6] curl_2.8.1      memoise_1.1.0   git2r_0.19.0    digest_0.6.12   devtools_1.13.2

UPDATE: Based on @MarkPlotnick's comment, I changed Makevars to the following:
CC=/usr/local/clang4/bin/clang
CXX=/usr/local/clang4/bin/clang++
CXX11=$(CXX)
CXX14=$(CXX)
CXX17=$(CXX)
CXX1X=$(CXX)
LDFLAGS=-L/usr/local/clang4/lib

This resulted in the following error:

* installing source package 'fst' ...
  ** libs   /Users/eipi10/.R/Makevars:7: *** Recursive variable `CXX' references itself (eventually).  Stop.
  ERROR: compilation failed for package 'fst'

A: I ran into the issue and figured out the solution based on the comment by @Dirk in "/bin/sh: XX: command not found" error when trying to install development version of R fst package from github
I explicitly set the libraries in .R/Makevars:
CXX11=/usr/local/clang4/bin/clang++
CXX14=/usr/local/clang4/bin/clang++
CXX17=/usr/local/clang4/bin/clang++
CXX1X=/usr/local/clang4/bin/clang++

This worked for me when I encountered this problem, though on my Mac the path to the binary is /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/clang++)

A: Today, I stumbled on this exact problem. Thanks to the advice given by @Mark Plotnick, I came up with a working Makevars file without having to copy/paste the full path of C++ compiler to all other CXX variables. The following Makevars file using the GNU Makefile format works fine:
CC:=/usr/local/clang4/bin/clang
CXX:=/usr/local/clang4/bin/clang++
CXX11:=$(CXX)
CXX14:=$(CXX)
CXX17:=$(CXX)
CXX1X:=$(CXX)
LDFLAGS:=-L/usr/local/clang4/lib

Tested with using devtools::install_github to install packages that require compilation on macOS.
Note: because my Mac system uses the GNU GCC installed from Homebrew, the actual paths of the C and C++ compilers together with the library in my system are:
CC:=/usr/local/bin/gcc-12
CXX:=/usr/local/bin/g++-12
LDFLAGS:=-L/usr/local/Cellar/gcc/12.2.0/lib/gcc/12

A: /bin/bash: lz4c: command not found

sudo apt-get install liblz4c-tool

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


We will sit down with you to discuss your idea and help you develop it into an actionable decision. Our agents will help you determine which solution is best for your needs and we will present them to you with clarity.
COPYRIGHT © 2017–2020 COVALENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


text:
package org.apache.kafka.streams.processor.internals;

import org.apache.kafka.common.serialization.Serializer;
import org.apache.kafka.streams.errors.StreamsException;
import org.apache.kafka.streams.kstream.internals.WrappingNullableSerializer;
import org.apache.kafka.streams.processor.StreamPartitioner;
import org.apache.kafka.streams.processor.TopicNameExtractor;

public class SinkNode<K, V> extends ProcessorNode<K, V> {

    private Serializer<K> keySerializer;
    private Serializer<V> valSerializer;
    private final TopicNameExtractor<K, V> topicExtractor;
    private final StreamPartitioner<? super K, ? super V> partitioner;

    private InternalProcessorContext context;

    SinkNode(final String name,
             final TopicNameExtractor<K, V> topicExtractor,
             final Serializer<K> keySerializer,
             final Serializer<V> valSerializer,
             final StreamPartitioner<? super K, ? super V> partitioner) {
        super(name);

        this.topicExtractor = topicExtractor;
        this.keySerializer = keySerializer;
        this.valSerializer = valSerializer;
        this.partitioner = partitioner;
    }

    /**
     * @throws UnsupportedOperationException if this method adds a child to a sink node
     */
    @Override
    public void addChild(final ProcessorNode<?, ?> child) {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException("sink node does not allow addChild");
    }

    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    @Override
    public void init(final InternalProcessorContext context) {
        super.init(context);
        this.context = context;

        // if serializers are null, get the default ones from the context
        if (keySerializer == null) {
            keySerializer = (Serializer<K>) context.keySerde().serializer();
        }
        if (valSerializer == null) {
            valSerializer = (Serializer<V>) context.valueSerde().serializer();
        }

        // if value serializers are internal wrapping serializers that may need to be given the default serializer
        // then pass it the default one from the context
        if (valSerializer instanceof WrappingNullableSerializer) {
            ((WrappingNullableSerializer) valSerializer).setIfUnset(context.valueSerde().serializer());
        }
    }

    @Override
    public void process(final K key, final V value) {
        final RecordCollector collector = ((RecordCollector.Supplier) context).recordCollector();

        final long timestamp = context.timestamp();
        if (timestamp < 0) {
            throw new StreamsException("Invalid (negative) timestamp of " + timestamp + " for output record <" + key + ":" + value + ">.");
        }

        final String topic = topicExtractor.extract(key, value, this.context.recordContext());

        collector.send(topic, key, value, context.headers(), timestamp, keySerializer, valSerializer, partitioner);
    }

    /**
     * @return a string representation of this node, useful for debugging.
     */
    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return toString("");
    }

    /**
     * @return a string representation of this node starting with the given indent, useful for debugging.
     */
    @Override
    public String toString(final String indent) {
        final StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(super.toString(indent));
        sb.append(indent).append("\ttopic:\t\t");
        sb.append(topicExtractor);
        sb.append("\n");
        return sb.toString();
    }

}


text:
Juliet Iwelunmor's Blog
Research is People
Academic Whispers
Previous PostBackNext Post
Keep knowing you are still here!
By Juliet Iwelunmor, PhD | December 31, 2021 January 1, 2022
I'll like to bear witness to 2021. To remain rooted in some way. To all the life we endured. And remind you all to note that we are still here. This year brought me to my knees. Made me wail in ways that I never knew existed. It wasn't just the death it brought, though that was intense and difficult. It was mostly the pain, and the uncertainty that accompanied periods of pain mixed with despair. But I'm still here. We were battered. We were bruised. We cried out from the depths of our hearts for things completely out of our control. We prayed. I remember screaming out the top of my lungs that what God cannot do does not exist. Yet, there were things or prayers that went unanswered. Times that made me question whether he existed. Surely when his children cry out to him from the depths of their sorrow, he would come to their aid. His own words makes it's known that whoever and I mean whoever goes to him for safety would say he is our God. We did. We all took turns and went and yes he did his part to keep us and protect us. And though a thousand fell dead around us, one of them was more than enough to make us question whether he remembered us. But, we are still here. And so as I look back on the year that brought so much pain mixed with so much uncertainty coupled with a never ending desire to do more with my time on earth, I am reminded by the words of Langston Hughes paraphrased for me and my family today that, "We are still here." Langston Hughes and his poetry have been a great source of comfort to me as we close out this year. Of course the word of God is forever at my side, but reading something as eloquent as still being here, made me realize that all of the pain, all of the uncertainty, even all of the struggle with this past year was worth it, because we are still here. So in closing out this chapter, this year, let me also remind you that you are still here and to me that's more than enough.
You are still here. Still here. You may have struggled. Your lives may have trembled. Beneath waves that crushed. But, you are still here. Still here. You may have been exhausted. The pandemic keeps soaring. Numbers keep rising. Heaviness and burnout on your shoulders. But you are still here. Still here. You may have dreamed dreams. Flung your arms wide as you dreamed dreams that disappeared in the morning. But you are still here. Still here. You may have failed. Your toils may have been excruciating. With a failure that endlessly echo. But you are still here. Still here. You may have sown a seed. On grounds that did not sprout. All you labor may seem useless but you are still here. Still here. You may have been heartbroken. Love may have given up on you. All it's patience, faith and hope may have failed you. But you are still here. Still here. You may have stopped laughing. You may have passed through life like shadows across the earth with no joy. But you are still here. Still here. You may have grieved. The death of a child, a partner, a loved one. Life in disarray for an end that came too soon, too painful to put to words. But despite this, you are still here. Still here. You may have fallen into despair. Fallen into the darkest and deepest pit. That you were close to death. Yet, you are still here. Still here. You may have even died. All your strength may have been gone. That you felt abandoned like the dead lying in their graves. I want you to know that you are still here. You are and it matters to me. That you keep knowing that you are still here. And for so many others, for you, the light that came to you. This light may have furiously knocked. Furiously insisted to remain. Furiously lighting up everything. Even in the midst of all the darkness around. Thank you for opening the door. Thank you for carrying your light as you showed us all how to still be here despite all the life you endured. Thank you for still being here. And I pray that 2022 will be more than you hoped for. May blessings be with you and may you find success in all you do.
Posted in The Journey and tagged as 2021, journey, keeplist, Langston Hughes, learning, poetry, still here.


text:
El Cap de l'Horta és un barri d'Alacant que rep el nom de l'accident geogràfic on es troba. Limita amb Platja Sant Joan, l'Albufereta i la mar Mediterrània. Té una població de 14.950 habitants i el seu codi postal és el 03540. Aquest cap també es coneixia amb el nom del Cap de l'Alcodre, nom que rebia de la torre de l'alcodre (actual far) de base redona.

Descripció
És un barri de molta extensió i amb un origen turístic, ja que les primeres construccions van ser segones residències per a la gent de fora encara que des dels 90 ha anat transformant-se en un barri residencial. Les construccions són urbanitzacions bé d'apartaments, bé de xalets adossats o parcel·les individuals amb xalets, pel que és considerat el barri més luxós de la capital alacantina, si exceptuem zones del centre, com l'avinguda de Maisonnave.

El seu eix principal és l'Avinguda de la Costa Blanca i els seus carrers estan retolats amb noms d'utensilis de pesca, d'aus marines, noms de peixos i de països. Al Cap de l'Horta (o l'Alcodre) hi ha un Centre de Salut al carrer de l'Arpó, les escoles públiques "Voramar", també en aquest mateix carrer, i el col·legi "el Faro". Quant als instituts, n'hi ha dos: l'IES "Cap de l'Horta" a l'Avinguda Costablanca i el nou institut (i col·legi) IES "Radio exterior", on a les seues instal·lacions també es troba el col·legi "Mediterráneo". A poc a poc, el nombre d'establiments comercials va en augment, gràcies, sobretot, a la nova zona d'Historiador Vicente Ramos, amb l'obertura del Centre Comercial "Torregolf" i a una sèrie d'establiments en els baixos dels nous edificis. També cal destacar el centre comercial "Venècia", amb més de 50 tendes. Al seu costat es troba el Centre Social del barri, on es realitzen les principals activitats culturals del barri i per a la gent major. Al seu interior també es troba la biblioteca pública.
L'única foguera del barri és Avinguda Costa Blanca-Entreplatges que va ser fundada l'any 1991 i va aconseguir una Dama del Foc el 1995, a més d'una Bellea del Foc infantil el 2001.

Platges del barri
 cala de la Palmera
 cala de Cantalars
 cala dels Jueus

Enllaços externs
 Documental sobre la realitat urbanística del Cap de l'Horta.
 Playa de San Juan Blog La Platja de Sant Joan
 Donde en Cabo de Las Huertas

Barris d'Alacant

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Chipotle Says No to GMOs
July 1, 2015 Vera Tweed
In April, Chipotle Mexican Grill became the first restaurant chain to remove all direct sources of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) from the ingredients it uses for cooking. According to the company, the tortillas, corn, rice, beans, vegetables, chips, salsa, and marinades used to cook its meats are all non-GMO.
The Denver-based chain, which has more than 1,500 restaurants in the United States as well as locations in Canada, Paris, and London, also now uses GMO-free sunflower oil and rice bran oil in place of the soybean oil it used to use.
"When it comes to our food, genetically modified ingredients don't make the cut," reads an official announcement on the Chipotle website. "The food we serve should be made with ingredients raised with care for animals, farmers, and the environment. We're doubtful that the GMO ingredients that used to be in our food meet these criteria."
However, the meat and dairy served at Chipotle are likely to come from animals given at least some GMO feed. The company says it is working to source meat and dairy exclusively from animals never fed GMOs. But right now, customers should order vegan choices for truly GMO-free meals. In addition, many of the beverages sold at the chain contain genetically modified ingredients, including those containing corn syrup, which is usually made from GMO corn.
Ridding the supply chain of genetically altered components is difficult for most restaurants. One of the reasons Chipotle was able to do this is because they have just 68 ingredients total on their menu-this includes salt and pepper. The majority of its ingredients are whole, unprocessed foods that don't come in a GMO variety. To learn more, visit chipotle.com/gmo.
-Melissa Diane Smith
Chipotle Calorie counter
Chipotle Menu Items
The following add-ons are included for each dish below: black beans, brown rice, fajita vegetable mix, and fresh tomato salsa. Tabulate the nutritional info for your Chipotle favorites at chipotle.com (click on the Nutrition tab at the top of the homepage).


text:
DROP VIEW IF EXISTS txmView;

create view txmView as
select 	dp.*,
 	u.handle,
	u.login,
	m.pin
from dataPoint dp
join user u on u.id = dp.userid
join module m on m.id = dp.moduleId
where u.handle like 'TXM%'
and dp.isControl = 0
and u.handle != 'TXM-001'
;

select
handle,
date_format( timestamp, '%Y %c %d %H' ) as yyyymmddhh,
date_format( timestamp, '%Y' ) as yyyy,
date_format( timestamp, '%c' ) as mm,
date_format( timestamp, '%d' ) as dd,
date_format( timestamp, '%H' ) as hh,
count( value ),
avg( value ),
stddev( value ),
min( value ),
max( value ),
abs(max(value)-min(value)),
min( timestamp ),
max( timestamp )
from txmView dp
group by handle, yyyymmddhh;

select
handle,
date_format( timestamp, '%Y %c %d' ) as yyyymmdd,
date_format( timestamp, '%Y' ) as yyyy,
date_format( timestamp, '%c' ) as mm,
date_format( timestamp, '%d' ) as dd,
count( value ),
avg( value ),
stddev( value ),
min( value ),
max( value ),
abs(max(value)-min(value)),
min( timestamp ),
max( timestamp )
from txmView dp
group by handle, yyyymmdd;

select
handle,
count( value ),
avg( value ),
stddev( value ),
min( value ),
max( value ),
abs(max(value)-min(value)),
min( timestamp ),
max( timestamp )
from txmView dp
group by handle;

SELECT distinct login, fp.name, ufp.totalFired FROM userFeatureProfile ufp
join featureProfile fp on fp.id = ufp.featureProfileId
join user u on u.id = ufp.userId
where ufp.userId in (select distinct userId from txmView)
and fp.name like '%risk alert%'
and totalFired > 0
order by login


text:
@echo off
pushd %~dp0

if exist bin goto build
mkdir bin

:Build
if "%1" == "" goto BuildDefaults

%SystemRoot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\msbuild Thinktecture.IdentityServer.sln /m /nr:false /t:%* /p:Platform="Any CPU" /v:M /fl /flp:LogFile=bin\msbuild.log;Verbosity=Normal
if %ERRORLEVEL% neq 0 goto BuildFail
goto BuildSuccess

:BuildDefaults
%SystemRoot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\msbuild Thinktecture.IdentityServer.sln /m /nr:false /p:Platform="Any CPU" /v:M /fl /flp:LogFile=bin\msbuild.log;Verbosity=Normal
if %ERRORLEVEL% neq 0 goto BuildFail
goto BuildSuccess

:BuildFail
echo.
echo *** BUILD FAILED ***
goto End

:BuildSuccess
echo.
echo **** BUILD SUCCESSFUL ***
goto end

:End
popd


Welcome to the skip lab!
The Self-Knowledge and Interpersonal Perception (SKIP) Laboratory explores whether people know what they and others are like. Do people know how smart they are? Do they know their reputation? Can people accurately judge others' moral character? We also explore the consequences of bright spots and blind spots in accurate perceptions. Is it adaptive to know how smart we are? Should we try to learn what other people really think about us? If so, how can we improve this knowledge?
Interested in joining? Please fill out the Lab Application!


Grahame Guilford and Company is a business consultancy helping universities commercialise their research. We can also help small businesses link up with larger companies and the HE sector. We can assist with business planning for joint ventures or spin out companies. We have done a lot of work with Swansea University, particularly around the Bay Campus and the joint ventures with Tata and Rolls Royce. We are also involved with the Life Sciences Hub Wales, 4theRegion, and the Programme Monitoring Committee for EU Structural Funding. The company's background is in life science, with thirty years experience with Amersham and GE in R&D, manufacturing, sales, marketing, research licensing and research sponsorship.