text:
layout: page
title: tentang saya
tags: [about, mahfud, uin, sif]
date: 2016-03-21
---

saya adalah seorang mahasiswa jurusan sistem informasi disebuah universitas islam negri di kota pekanbaru.

## kampus uin

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    http://onlinetest.pusat-bahasa.info/file/599453984IMG_7130.JPG
    http://pasca-uinsuska.info/file/812603306951118656748gapura.jpg
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{% include gallery images=images caption="uin sultan syarif kasim pekanbaru" cols=2 %}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This versatile ultra light 100% polyester fabric can be used for many different applications, roll-up banners, hanging fabric banners, trade show displays, and durable flags.
With a consistent, tight weave pattern, PFL has the special ability to resist feed bunching.
Graded light weight fabric at 150 Denier, PFL can easily be recycled, making it an eco-friendly printing solution.


text:
Celebrity News August 08, 2017
What May Have Led to Chris Pratt & Anna Faris' Surprising Split
Many are still shocked about Chris Pratt and Anna Faris' sudden separation, but what happened?
Chris and Anna were married for eight years and are "really disappointed" that they couldn't make it work. A source told People magazine, "Anna is a very sweet girl, and it did often seem that the distance between her and Chris — his busy schedule and hers — was hard on her."
The source added, "He was gone on various projects and that's never easy. She always seemed so happy when he was back from filming. I assume it was hard for both of them, with a young child and busy careers, to balance all of that."
In December, Anna opened up about "feeling so hurt" by the rumors that they were facing marital problems. She said on her podcast, "I take pride in how great my relationship is with Chris, but having said that, of course in this crazy world where he's off doing movies and I'm in L.A. raising our child, of course I'm going to feel vulnerable, like any normal human would."
TMZ reports that Chris and Anna didn't see eye-to-eye on their views on family. A source told the site that Anna wanted a home base in Los Angeles and desired more children, while Chris' shooting schedules made it difficult for them to be together all the time. He also wasn't ready to have more kids.
Sources also told the site that the two are already moving toward a divorce. What's at stake? He's now worth a reported $30 million, while she's worth $20 million. They bought a Los Angeles home together in 2013, which was worth around $3 million. Chris and Anna will also have to work out a custody agreement over their son, Jack.
#TrendingStories#CelebrityNews#ChrisPratt#AnnaFaris
Chris Pratt & Anna Faris: 'We Are Legally Separating'
'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' Made How Much Money at the B.O.?!
Chris Pratt Explains THAT Funny Behind-the-Scenes Photo from Anna Faris' Live…

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
pyayml
======

validator
https://webmaster.yandex.ru/xsdtest.xml


Burpees: These are a great way to get rid of that extra layer of flab that is hiding your abs. Master the burpee and you'll see the change within no time! Do 3 sets of 20 burpees and you'll feel the difference.
Jump squats: Another effective way to lose fat and turn those legs into tree-trunks! Do 10-12 Jump squats per set with a total of 3 sets.
Jump rope: Not to be overlooked as this is one of the few exercises that works your entire body. Do a set or two of 50-100 to get charged and you should be good!
Push-ups: They may sound very basic but they're not. Mastering the push-ups will not only give you broad shoulders, but also tone your arms and will build a bigger, stronger chest. Do 3 sets of 15-20 push-ups based on difficulty and you'll be good to go.
Tricep- dips: This is a supremely effective way of getting your triceps toned and strong. Not only does it work you triceps, but will also give you broad shoulders! All you need is 3-4 sets of 15 each and you'll be an ace in no time!
Pull-ups: Turn those shoulders into boulders with this on and we guarantee you that you won't regret it! Mix it up with a combination of chin-ups and pull ups and you're sorted! 2-3 sets should do the trick!
Planks: This exercise will torch your core and force those abs to show themselves. 3 sets of 1 minute planks should do the trick. Mix it up with side planks and get rid of them love handles.
Mountain climbers: This one will force the fat out of your belly! Extremely effective in torching the fat and working your lower abs! Do a set of 3 one-minuters for the full effect.
Squats:Simple yet effective. This will rid you of your thigh fat and get your legs toned in no time. It is difficult to master squats but once there, you will feel (and see) the difference!
Lunge walks: Mix up your lunges and walk your way to getting stronger legs. Do 3 sets of 10 and it'll be more than enough.
Calf raises: Bigger calves = Healthy legs! Complete your summer bod with these and you'll feel like an Olympian! Do 2 sets of 20 each for best results.
Repeat the whole circuit 2-3 times and challenge yourself! Get it done while the sun still shines men. There is still time!


text:
package com.javatoscala;

import static com.javatoscala.PimpMyApiTest.Filters.TXT_FILE_FILTER;
import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
import static java.util.Arrays.asList;

import java.io.File;
import java.io.FileFilter;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

import org.junit.Test;

public class PimpMyApiTest {

	@Test
	public void testTheBestJavaCanProvide(){
		List<String> paths = new ArrayList<String>();
		for(File file : findRecursively(new File("/Users/maty/devl"), TXT_FILE_FILTER)){
			paths.add(file.getAbsolutePath());
		}
		for(String expected : asList("/Users/maty/devl/build/apache-maven-3.3.9/lib/ext/README.txt")){
			assertTrue(expected + " not found in " + paths, paths.contains(expected));
		}
	}

	public static List<File> findRecursively(File file, FileFilter filter) {
		List<File> files = new ArrayList<File>();
		if(file.isDirectory()){
			if(file.listFiles() != null){
				for(File foundFile : file.listFiles()) {
					if(filter.accept(foundFile)){
						files.add(foundFile);
					}else{
						files.addAll(findRecursively(foundFile, filter));
					}
				}
			}
		}
		return files;
	}

	public static class Filters {
		public static final FileFilter TXT_FILE_FILTER = new FileFilter() {
			@Override
			public boolean accept(File pathname) {
				return pathname.getAbsolutePath().endsWith(".txt");
			}
		};
	}

}


text:
Raymond Glen Smith (March 19, 1931 – March 30, 1999) was a Canadian ice hockey player who played two games in the National Hockey League.  He played with the Chicago Black Hawks.
He is the most recent player listed by the NHL (1950-51) to wear the number 1 while not playing the position of goalie.

References

External links

1931 births
1999 deaths
Canadian ice hockey right wingers
Chicago Blackhawks players
Ice hockey people from Saskatchewan

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Rudy Aernoudt, né à Thourout, est un professeur, écrivain, homme politique, économiste et philosophe belge.

Il est directeur du cabinet du président du Comité économique et social européen. Il donne des cours de corporate finance aux universités de Gand et de Nancy, ainsi qu'à UCLouvain BMI Executive Institute dans son International Executive MBA.  Il est également le seul à avoir été directeur de cabinet au niveau européen, belge, wallon et flamand. Il a reçu plusieurs prix dont le prix pour la démocratie Aron-Condorcet.

Carrière professionnelle
Diplômé d'un master en économie à la KU Leuven, en économie européenne au Collège d'Europe et en philosophie à la KU Leuven, Rudy Aernoudt commence sa carrière comme fonctionnaire des autorités de la Commission européenne. Il est principalement chargé des programmes d'accès aux financements.

Il a été à la base de plusieurs actions de capital-risque en Europe. Il a cofondé EBAN, le réseau européen des Business Angels et pour les entrepreneurs, il est considéré comme "le père des réseaux des Business Angel en Europe". En , il devient chef de cabinet du président de l'European Economic and Social Comité, le Français Henri Malosse. Il devient ainsi le seul Belge à avoir exercé les fonctions de chef de cabinet aux niveaux européen, national (belge) et régional (Wallonie et Flandre). Selon le journal De Morgen, ce fait mérite sa nomination pour le livre des records Guinness. Sur la base de son expérience aux États-Unis, il a conçu et lancé une initiative d'investissement inspirée du SBIC à la Commission appelée ESCALAR, qui soutient le capital-risque et le financement de la croissance pour les entreprises prometteuses, leur permettant de se développer en Europe et de contribuer à renforcer la souveraineté économique et technologique de l'Europe. Qu'il a expliqué par exemple à Euronews .

Il est l'un des rares belges à faire carrière des deux côtés de la frontière linguistique en étant tour à tour chef de cabinet de Serge Kubla, ministre MR (droite libérale francophone) puis de Fientje Moerman, ministre OpenVLD (droite libérale néerlandophone). De 2001 à 2003, il a été chef de cabinet adjoint du ministre Serge Kubla, ministre wallon de l'Économie, des Entreprises, de la Recherche et développement. De 2003 à 2006, il a été directeur du cabinet de Fientje Moerman, au niveau fédéral pendant une année et après au niveau régional flamand. De cette expérience et de ses convictions il tire l'ouvrage qui le fera connaitre du grand public Wallonie - Flandre, Je t'aime moi non plus publié en 2006.  Il cherche à y battre en brèche les différents clichés flamands véhiculés sur la Wallonie et entend démontrant la pertinence de l'unité belge. Cet ouvrage se veut également une réponse au "manifeste de la Warande", œuvre de quelques anciens grands patrons flamands entendant démontrer la pertinence de l'indépendance flamande du point de vue économique.  Lui-même devient alors secrétaire général de l'administration flamande et on le considère comme un des plus brillants hauts fonctionnaires. La même année, après son départ du cabinet et sa nomination, il dénonce des malversations de son propre cabinet auprès de la ministre, Fienje Moerman, qui est contrainte à la démission.

Rudy Aernoudt continue sur sa lancée en publiant l'année suivante Bruxelles, l'enfant mal-aimé qui insiste sur les atouts malheureusement trop peu exploités que représentent Bruxelles pour la Belgique.

Mais 2007 est aussi l'année de la crise communautaire et de la victoire électorale du cartel  CD&V/ NVA qui a des visions sur l'avenir du pays radicalement opposées à celles de Rudy Aernoudt. Il est ainsi brutalement licencié au lendemain d'une interview parue dans Le Soir où il met en cause la légitimité d'Yves Leterme pour mener une réforme de l'État au détriment de l'État fédéral. Le gouvernement flamand déclare que "toute collaboration était devenue impossible". Rudy Aernoudt donnera sa version des faits dans "Péripéties d'un "cabinettard" et, après un premier procès perdu, obtient la condamnation du gouvernement flamand.

De 2007 à 2010, il est maître de conférences à l'ULg dans le cadre d'un cours en néerlandais intitulé "Inleiding tot goed bestuur" (introduction à la bonne gouvernance), cours dont la neutralité est mise en doute par le Mouvement des jeunes socialistes.

En , il devient le directeur de cabinet du président du Comité économique et social européen, le Français Henri Malosse. De ce fait il est probablement le seul, en tout cas le seul Belge, qui a été directeur de cabinet tant au niveau européen, national (belge) et régional (Wallonie et Flandre). Selon le journal De Morgen un fait qui mérite sa nomination dans le Guinness book of records.

Il écrira plusieurs ouvrages et articles sur la corruption, sa nature, ses conséquences et la manière de la combattre et de la contourner. En 2012 il publiait même un roman (de duivelszak) à ce sujet.

Carrière politique
Rudy Aernoudt poursuit son parcours politique en 2008 en créant un mouvement bilingue, "België Anders / La Belgique autrement" (qui organise une série de conférences). Il intervient ponctuellement dans différentes universités (Gand, Bruxelles) et devient directeur-général de OLPC, un spin-off du MIT.

En 2008, il crée le parti LiDé, qu'il quitte en 2009 pour devenir avec Mischaël Modrikamen, en , le coprésident du Parti populaire, une autre formation politique qui a été victime des tensions internes. Il voulait faire une alliance avec le MR mais le FDF a mis son veto en menaçant de quitter le MR. Il est exclu du PP fin  à la suite de ce qui semble être une lutte de pouvoir interne, exclusion dont il conteste la régularité tout en dénonçant ce qu'il considère être une dérive du parti. Modrikamen a à son tour été exclu en  par Aernoudt et ses condisciples. Aernoudt a été plébiscité avec  de préférence mais a quitté la politique active, en tout cas en termes de parti politique.

Publications
 La Politique structurelle en Europe, avec Richard Skrzypczak, collection Réflexe Europe, documentation française, 1998, 230 p, .
 Waarom corruptie welig tiert ?, Roularta Business Books, 2000, 145 p, .
 Bedrijfsfinanciering, een benadering vanuit de praktijk, Roularta business books, 2000, 220 p, .
 Financing SMEs, the European Approach, proceedings of the European Conference, Chief Editor, Roularta Books, 2001, 222 p. (fr)(en), .
 Duurzaam ondernemen in de Europese Context, Garant Éditions, 2001, 230 p, .
 Verdien Risicokapitaal, avec E. Lacroix, B. Huybrechts, et al., Intersentia, 2002, 144 p, .
 La Paresse économique, pour en finir avec la troisième voie, Vif-L'express, traduction Isabelle DELATTRE, 2002, 95 p, .
 Corporate Finance Yearbook, Chief Editor, Intersentia, Anvers-Oxford-New York 2002, 250 p, .
 Business Angels, Rare vogels of ware engelen ?, avec H. Goossens, Roularta Business Books, 2002, 145 p, .
 The taste of entrepreneurship: Financing and Research, proceedings of the European conference, Chief Editor, Roularta books, 2003, 110 p. (fr)(en), .
 European Enterprise policy, From SME policy to entrepreneurship policy, Intersentia, Antwerp-Oxford-New York, 2003, .
 Corruption à foison, L'Harmattan, Paris, 2003, 150 p, .
 Corporate Finance Yearbook 2004, Chief Editor, Intersentia, Antwerp-Oxford-New York 2003, 250 p, .
 Waarom het Konijn eruitziet als een eend ? pleidooi voor een nieuw sociaal én economisch model, Roularta Business books, 1998, 110p, .
 Ondernemingsfinanciering, over bankkredieten, business angels en risicokapitaal, Roularta Business Books 2004, 328 p, .
 L'Éloge du (non) travail, L'Harmattan, 2005, 130 p, .
 Bazel II, Hoe er voordeel uit halen ?, Intersentia, 2005, 145 p, .
 Arbeid, Lust of Last?, Roularta Business Books, 2005, 121 p, .
 Wallonie - Flandre, Je t'aime moi non plus, Roularta Books, 2006, 250 p, .
 Bruxelles : l'enfant mal-aimé, Roularta Books/VIF éd, 2007, 180 p, .
 La Politique, ça trompe énormément - Descente aux enfers politiques, Roularta Books, 2008, 270 pp, .
 Leven zonder job - Van jobtaker naar jobmaker, Roularta Books, 2011, 211p, .
 De Duivelszak, Roularta Books, 2012. .
 Entrepreneurship, A way of life, Intersentia, 2015
 Financieel Management toegepast, Derde editie, Intersentia Antwerpen, 2019.
 Financial Management in Practice, Intersentia, Second edition, Cambridge, 2020.
 Entrepreneurship, no guts, no glory, Intersentia, Cambridge, 2020
 Corona: electroshock,pour la Belgique, éditions Mardaga, 2020
 L'Europe vue de l'intérieur. Vers un nouvel élan ?, éditions Mardaga, 2022, 208 p.

Références

Liens externes

 Le CV de Rudy Aernoudt

Naissance en novembre 1960
Naissance à Thourout
Personnalité du Parti populaire (Belgique)
Économiste belge du XXIe siècle
Étudiant de la Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Bekende Vlaming


Mention Ferrari to anyone and they get dreamy eyed, mention their favourite model immediately and usually comment on the latest travails of their Formula One team. Even though it is a rarefied brand with cars made in very limited numbers and for a very specific clientele, everyone in the world knows who they are, what they do and feels it is a special kind of car. Enzo Ferrari surely did not even think that the firm he started way back in 1929 in Modena, Italy, would become such a prominent global brand.
Such a storied and legendary car (and fantasy) maker could not stay long without a museum. A place where the visitor could embrace the brand's story and ethos, admire the exquisite cars that make up it's glorious history and maybe get a piece of it for himself. Built around an existing building in Modena, an early 19th century house restored to its original condition, the building reminds one of a classic Ferrari engine hood, with the curved shape, the vents and the bright Ferrari yellow (contrary to what most people believe, the brand's colour is yellow as you can see in their logo, and is also Modena's).
The building was not finished without trouble. Future Systems, the architectural practice that won the 2004 competition for the museum was dissolved in 2009, as the construction was about to start, due to the demise of Jan Kaplicky, the head architect. Andrea Morgante, his former associate and director of this project, was appointed by Ferrari to finish the task. With the help of his new studio, Shiro, he made it.
The total area encompassed by the museum is 5,000 square meters for both buildings. The old one, build in 1830, having been the house and workshop of Enzo Ferrari, now houses the history of the firm, in an interior construction designed by Andrea Morgante, to remind one of a book's pages, fluttering open to give a glimpse of its contents. Te construction, which keeps each further chapter a secret until the visitor advances to it, runs the whole length of the 40m workshop, while the house encompasses two smaller exhibitions and administrative offices.
The new building, sloping gently to embrace the old, much like the new technology of Ferrari embraces it's long history, has on display the main exhibition of Ferrari cars, including the most prestigious ones: about 40 models, selected on a rotating basis from amongst all of Ferrari cars ever, based on the company's own specimens and the collaboration with many Italian and international car museums and collectors around the world.
Apart from the impressive curved aluminium roof, the building has a double curved structural glass facade that filters sunlight in the vast, almost continuous interior. Thermo sensors, photovoltaic technology, water recycling and the use of geothermal energy (a very sensible move since half the permanent exhibition space is below ground level), make the building almost unique in Italy for employing energy saving systems that are environmentally friendly in a museum.


UbiQD's name is a play on the words "ubiquitous quantum dots," and ubiquitous is exactly what Dr. Hunter McDaniel wants his company's product to be.
Quantum dots are colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals—vanishingly small nanoparticles of material. According to UbiQD's website, "simply put, quantum dots are nanomaterials reshaping how we use color and light." UbiQD is targeting different quantum dot applications than other companies because their patented technology does not include toxic heavy metals like cadmium and lead, which are found in previous generations of quantum dots.
The Regional Development Corporation (RDC), an economic development organization working to create jobs and attract revenue in Northern New Mexico, first recognized UbiQD as a company with high growth potential in 2015. The RDC honored the company with a Northern New Mexico 20/20 Award, a designation reserved for companies on track to double their workforce and/or revenues before the year 2020.
In that same year, UbiQD was one of four companies to receive an investment from the Venture Acceleration Fund (VAF), the only program in Northern New Mexico that provides seed money for early-stage technology startups and growth-oriented businesses that lack the collateral for debt financing. Administered since its inception in 2006 by the RDC, the VAF is funded primarily by Los Alamos National Security (LANS) with additional support from Los Alamos County, Santa Fe County, City of Santa Fe Economic Development and New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).
Mentored by RDC staff and LANL's Feynman Center for Innovation, McDaniel was able to receive "no-strings-attached money that we were able to use for very critical early expenses. It's validation and it fills that critical hole at the beginning when it's hardest to raise money." That said, "even more valuable than the money was the vetting process," according to McDaniel—seeing that others besides himself saw potential in the company.
UbiQD went on to win a Phase 1 SBIR (Small Business Innovation & Research) grants from the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Closer to home, the company also won the 2016 Ski Lift Pitch competition, sponsored by startup accelerator ABQid.
UbiQD unlocked the VAF money in two stages in 2015—when they first made a domestic sale of their technology, and when they made their first international sale. The company counts Cornell University, University of Texas, LANL, Stanford, Unilever, Nikon, University of Milan, and the University of British Columbia among their national and international research clients. Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies as well as research and development scientists also count themselves among UbiQD's ever-growing list of clients.
UbiQD currently has seven full-time, several part-time employees, and has doubled its workforce each year since its inception. Highly skilled employees will continue to fuel the company's growth. As they anticipate more growth, Bergren said that chemical engineering graduates as well as materials science graduates will be in particular demand.
UbiQD's current focus is on developing luminescent solar concentrator technology for urban centers. In this application quantum dots absorb sunlight and convert it to infra-red light, which is then diverted to solar cells on the window's frame. "It's a simple cost-effective way to generate electricity from a window," McDaniel said.
There are a lot of possibilities for UbiQD to grow exponentially in the coming years. McDaniel cited commercial buildings as the prime example. Tall buildings, many of which already use advanced window technologies, would theoretically be able to upgrade with UbiQD's technology, and therefore, be self-powered.
As far as what's next for UbiQD, LED lighting and security-ink applications are also gaining momentum, said Bergren. UbiQD is actively seeking partners wanting to jointly develop products and technology in these and other areas.
The company moved into its own Los Alamos-based facility last July, from its initial location at the New Mexico Consortium (also in Los Alamos). The RDC will continue to support UbiQD's astonishing growth trajectory in the coming months and years with mentoring, support and assistance to help UbiQD create jobs and attract the highly skilled workforce they'll need to support their current and future growth.


Any good quality GRE forums?
Gmat Daily HARDER than Gmat Official Review?
Should I get my profile evaluated first?
Programs other than MBA that don't require GMAT (Canada)?
Hiring Full Time GMAT Writers!
All, how do I delete my account?
Account expires July 20th looking for $75 OBO Let me know!
It keeps saying it's being flagged for review?
Appointment Letter or email from Pearson VUE?
What if a test center where one is registered is shutdown?
How will i get invited to the Ursula blog?
Does anyone interested in sharing cost of Egmat verbal online?


text:
Bio-Inspired Drone Splits into Five Mini-Drones Mid-Air
Roboticists at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have been experimenting with drones that mimic samara seeds in nature and in a new paper in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters they explore what happens when five of the drones are attached together and then separate in mid air. The device, inspired by maple seeds, is designed to free-fall from an aircraft or drone and steer itself towards a target destination, while carrying a small payload. It is ideal for surveillance missions and data collection operations. In disasters like oil spills and forest fires, it can be deployed to monitor the situation or deliver emergency medical supplies.
A samara is a type of dry fruit where one seed is surrounded by papery tissue that helps carry the seed away from the tree as the wind blows. Samaras have a wing-like shape on one side that causes them to spin as they float to the ground from the branches of tree. As kids you might have tossed them into the air yourself, watching as the "whirlybirds" spun out in different directions.
In a this paper published in the journal IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design describe how they created a drone comprising five samara-like mini-drones — giving each an actuated flap for a bit of extra navigational control. They then pulled a Voltron, combining five of the mini-drones into one bigger, ceiling fan-shaped drone that's even easier to control.
Researchers believe the samara auto rotating wing drones themselves could one day conceivably carry small payloads like sensors or emergency medical supplies, with these small-scale versions in the video able to handle an extra 30 grams of payload. They could be used to disperse sensors or emergency medical supplies the same way samaras scatter maple seeds. While they might not have as much capacity as a traditional fixed-wing glider, they have the advantage of being able to descent vertically, and can perform better than a parachute due to their ability to steer.
In a video, the team demonstrates how it could drop one of these bigger drones from above, guiding its descent until it gets closer to the ground:
The concept features a collaborative autorotation in the initial stage of drop whereby several wings are attached to each other to form a rotor hub. The combined form achieves higher rotational energy and a collaborative control strategy is possible. Once closer to the ground, at that point, the researchers could trigger the drone to break into its five mini-drones, with each heading off in its own direction. The mini-drones can exit the collaborative form and continue to descend to unique destinations. A section of each wing forms a flap and a small actuator changes its pitch cyclically. Since all wing-flaps can actuate simultaneously in collaborative mode, better manoeuvrability is possible, hence higher resistance against environmental conditions. The vertical and horizontal speeds can be controlled to a certain extent, allowing it to navigate towards a target location and land softly.
The researchers plan on improving the design of their little drones, with the goal of increasing the rotation speed and improving the control performance of both the individual drones and the multi-wing collaborative version. In their paper, the team suggests these samara-inspired devices could one day accurately deliver payloads for military, research, or humanitarian missions from high above their destinations.
The research paper titled, 'Dynamics and Control of a Collaborative and Separating Descent of Samara Auto rotating Wings,' appears in the current issue of IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters.
Citation: S. K. H. Win, L. S. T. Win, D. Sufiyan, G. S. Soh and S. Foong, "Dynamics and Control of a Collaborative and Separating Descent of Samara Autorotating Wings," in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 3067-3074, July 2019. doi: 10.1109/LRA.2019.2924837, URL: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=8744585&isnumber=8668830
Cite this article as: Phillip Smith, "Bio-Inspired Drone Splits into Five Mini-Drones Mid-Air," in DroneBelow.com, July 16, 2019, https://dronebelow.com/2019/07/16/bio-inspired-drone-splits-into-five-mini-drones-mid-air/.
Volocopter Reveals Design for New Urban Air Mobility Aircraft
A Drone Aerodynamics Investigation
Neural Network Provides Stable Drone Landing
Kidney Flown Thousands of Meters by Drone Successfully
Related Topics:Aerial systems, Aerodynamics, Aircraft, Bio-Inspired, biomimetics, Collaboration, cooperating robots, Featured, Payloads, Prototypes, Rotors, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Surface acoustic waves
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While Planned Parenthood wants us to believe that it's all about women's health, pro-lifers say that PP is all about killing babies, and Rush Limbaugh has often suggested that abortion is virtually a sacrament to these people. Surely these are mischaracterizations. Surely.
Claudia Stravato and Amanda Stukenberg are not pro-life advocates; they are staunchly pro-abortion. In this article, they claim to be long-time supporters of abortion rights, condemn the right as judgmental, and even call abortion services "a need".
The organization has deviated from its mission, and allowed itself to become mired in a culture war over abortion that has jeopardized the other 97 percent of services it provides… By defining itself as the champion for abortion rights, Planned Parenthood lost its place as the champion for prevention.
Recent reforms within the organization have fed the stereotype of Planned Parenthood as a pseudo nonprofit run by New York suits chiefly concerned with dominating the abortion industry.
We'd have to agree with parts of that criticism.
The CEO of the Planned Parenthood clinic in Houston, Peter Durkin, calls abortion services, "a vital part of the 'continuum of care' and 'a moral imperative.'" He calls for abortionists "to have the courage of our convictions… Particularly in red states, we have to say, 'I'm proud of this service.'" "By this service, he delicately refers to abortion.
So, while Planned Parenthood is taking away the right of their clinics to choose, and while abortionists are working up the nerve to be proud of "this service", we need to have the courage of our convictions.
Planned Parenthood is all about abortions. We are not the only ones to see it.


Brearley entrance examinations are required in addition to the standardized testing and take place at the School. The examination date for Class VI is Wednesday, November 28, 2018. Check-in is at 3:30 pm. The examination date for Classes VII and VIII is Monday, November 26, 2018. Check-in is at 3:40 pm. Only students who apply by November 20, 2018 are eligible for testing on these dates.
An applicant's file must be complete by January 11, 2019, in order to be considered in the first round of decisions. The Office of Admission will notify families on February 5, 2019, for Classes V–VIII. Accepted students will be invited to spend a day at the School. All schools belonging to the Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY) have agreed to a common parent reply date of February 26, 2019, for Classes V–VIII.


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Manchester's markets: "Finding out about the heritage of places helps people to strengthen their connections to where they live."
Posted by Emma Yates-Badley | Apr 14, 2019 | Art, Arts, It's Not Grim Up North, Northern Soul writes...
In the past, daily and weekly markets were routinely held in towns and villages up and down the country. Fast forward to 2019 and it's a different picture. While communities across the North have seen a recent resurgence in local markets, supermarkets and the internet have largely replaced the shared experience of market shopping, those places where people came together to buy from artisans, tradesmen and farmers and to catch up with friends and family.
Now a new multimedia exhibition hopes to preserve the heritage of Manchester's neighbourhood markets and encourage local people to celebrate their social history. "We are community and socially focused," says Phil Lukes, group culture lead at One Manchester, the housing and community services provider. "We believe in helping our residents to manage their money, find work, start up businesses, and stay healthy and connected to the culture and heritage of the city and its neighbourhoods."
One Manchester, which owns and manages more than 12,000 homes in central, south and east Manchester, has secured £69,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help locals curate an exhibition inspired by the social, trade and civic heritage of Gorton, Moss Side and Longsight markets. Marketplace is currently on display at Central Library.
"The exhibition involved many of our customers, and their stories of markets as social and cultural hubs will form new archive material that will be accessible by anyone at the library," explains Lukes. "It also comprises filmed poems developed by customers, oral histories recounted by market users and traders and photographs exploring markets as cultural and social spaces."
Back in September 2018, One Manchester invited people to take part in a training and engagement programme. The group's partners in this project are Manchester Markets, Manchester Central and local libraries as well as the North West Film Archive, Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre, Science and Industry Museum, and the Museum of Transport, Greater Manchester.
Lukes says: "We connected with over 200 residents and engaged more than 80 of them in activities such as archiving, oral history, creative writing, photography and social media workshops delivered by the various partners on this project, and the market community themselves. The market traders of Gorton and Longsight have given their time generously and we hope that they will feel well represented and proud to be recorded as part of this history for future generations to discover.
"Taking part in the project helped them understand and appreciate their local history and work with a team of professionals to develop an exhibition which demonstrates how the markets and market traders have helped to shape their communities. What you will see and hear has been made or discovered by those who took part."
The development of Marketplace meant that One Manchester was able to approach the National Heritage Lottery Fund which not only provided the funding but also helped to hone ideas with one-to-one support and workshops. But how did Marketplace originate? "Over time we developed a group of active One Manchester cultural ambassadors. Early on in their development, we consulted with them about what kinds of culture and heritage projects we should develop and there was a strong interest in local and social history.
"Most of our neighbourhoods have or had a local market and some initial research showed us that very little had been documented about them. After some wider consultation in local community venues, we knew that there was enough interest for us to develop our project idea. With the support of partners such as the City Council, Archives + and North West Film archive, we have been able to deliver what we envisioned."
Sharing stories, oral histories and images is a way to connect people and communities. What can we learn from their preservation?
"Finding out about the heritage of places helps people develop and strengthen their connections to where they live and the recording and sharing of oral histories and images is vital to ensure that people can do this. Many markets in Manchester have now closed, and online shopping is having a massive impact on their place in our local areas and our high streets, so it's now more important than ever to document and preserve this vibrant part of Manchester's history."
He adds: "One of our aims of the project was that local heritage would be better explained and understood, and although there is much more to find out, our sharing of what we've found with Manchester's archive organisations mean there's a clearer picture of the heritage of the markets and an understanding of the positive impact they've had on the places and people who live, work and shop in them.
"There will be a box for comments, so visitors can tell us what they think of it or share their own market stories and memories. In fact, although we have created and discovered a wealth of new archive material about the markets, our project is relatively short and there is so much more to discover. If readers have any memorabilia that they want to share to add to the story we would welcome, it and share it with our archive partners."
So, what's coming up in 2019?
"One Manchester will continue to develop new projects and partnerships which help improve opportunities for residents in our places and support them to become economically and socially connected," says Lukes. "We have plans for each of our key areas, looking at how we can create thriving communities for our residents, and we're keen to ensure that culture plays a big role in these plans."
By Emma Yates-Badley
The exhibition runs until April 27, 2019 in the Lower Ground Floor Exhibition Space at Manchester Central Library.
PreviousGreat Northerners: Frank Randle
NextReview: Mark Thomas – Check Up: The NHS at 70, The Playhouse, Liverpool
Emma Yates-Badley
Emma Yates-Badley was born and raised in Warwickshire but has lived in Manchester, on and off, for the past decade. Emma was Northern Soul's Deputy Editor and Literary Editor. A keen writer, she has an MA in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University and is currently working on a non-fiction book. A social media addict, Emma can be seen tweeting nonsense @emmayatesbadley.
Review: Fatherland, Royal Exchange, Manchester International Festival
I thought rampant sexism was a thing of the past. I was wrong.
Review: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds


BFUHS Recruitment 2019 All Latest and Upcoming Notifications released on BFUHS Recruitment 2019-20 are updated right here. Instant availability of Information provided on BFUHS Recruitment 24 Apr 2019 are for the benefit of the jobseekers and aspirants looking for jobs with BFUHS. Subscribe now to achieve your dream job through BFUHS Recruitment 2019-20.
Junior Resident MBBS degree from a institution recognized by the Medical Council of India.
1. Last date and time of receipt of application form at the office of the Registrar, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Sadiq Road, Faridkot 15.04.2019 upto 05.00 PM.
2. The applications received without a valid bank draft or without legible copies of documents or apparently containing incomplete information and those received after prescribed date & time will be summarily rejected.
3. Applicant must possess the requisite qualification by the last date of receipt of application. Candidates already in service must route their application Through Proper Channel.


Chennai, India (BBN) – The Sensex and Nifty ended marginally higher on Monday as gains in oil refiners such as Reliance Industries Ltd and ONGC Ltd helped offset losses in IT stocks.
Profit-booking by funds and retail investors after posting heavy gains on Friday on Moody's rating upgrade dampened the domestic sentiment, reports The Hindu Business Line.
Domestic sentiment was also hit as Asian shares eased, with investor sentiment hurt by a retreat on Wall Street and sliding Chinese stocks.
The 30-share BSE index Sensex closed up 17.1 points or 0.05 per cent at 33,359.90 and the 50-share NSE index Nifty ended higher by 15.15 points or 0.15 per cent at 10,298.75.
The Sensex had gained 582.36 points in the previous two sessions.
Among BSE sectoral indices, realty index was the star-performer and was up 2.22 per cent, followed by metal 1.33 per cent, infrastructure 1.07 per cent and power 0.96 per cent. On the other hand, IT index fell 0.41 per cent, TECk 0.23 per cent and banking 0.07per cent.
Top five Sensex gainers were Coal India (+1.98%), NTPC (+1.52%), ONGC (+1.41%), Kotak Bank (+1.3%) and Reliance (+1.01%), while the major losers were Dr Reddy's (-2.05%), ICICI Bank (-2.03%), State Bank of India (-1.29%), Cipla(-0.99%) and Infosys (-0.99%).
Reliance was the biggest contributor to gains on the NSE index, closing over 1 per cent higher as oil prices dropped overnight.
According to provisional data, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers as they bought shares worth Rs. 1,466.94 crore and foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) also bought Rs. 1,276.62 crore on Friday.
Moody's Investors Service upgraded India's sovereign credit rating for the first time in nearly 14 years on Friday, saying continued progress on economic and institutional reforms would boost the country's growth potential.
"There will be no major correction in the next month or so," said R.K. Gupta, managing director at Taurus Asset Management.


The Team Bulls pair of Simon Stiebjahn and Tim Bohme finished the Bridge Cape Pioneer Trek international mountain bike stage race on Saturday like they started it a week ago - with a stage win - in the process extending their lead to secure the overall title.
In the women's event, it was the South Africans Candice Neethling and Cherise Stander (#iride4Burry) who won the event's final stage, but the overall title went to the Asrin Cycling pair of Catherine Williamson (GBR) and Alice Pirard (BEL).
Stage 6, an 86km leg from Herold to Oudtshoorn took place in warm, sunny conditions, stark contrast to the final rain-flooded last stage a year ago. And what was anticipated to be a relatively tame finale became a fiercely contested affair.
Eager to put Team Bulls under pressure in the hope that they could reclaim some lost time and possibly the overall win, the South African duo of Philip Buys and Matthys Beukes (SCOTT Factory Racing) were the early aggressors. But with 30km remaining, on the rough jeep track trails of the Chandelier Game and Ostrich Farm, Stiebjahn and Bohme took control and increased the pace, leaving the field in tatters behind them.
They opened a gap on the field with only Asrin Cycling's James Reid (RSA) and Herman Persteiner (AUT) able to join them, setting up a two-team duel for the stage. Asrin Cycling were unable to tame Team Bulls though and the Germans claimed the win a time of two hours 28 minutes 55 seconds, neatly bookending their campaign after having won the opening prologue stage.
Asrin Cycling had to settle for second on the stage, but moved up one place on the General Classification to fourth. Third on the stage was the EAI Cycling duo of Gawie Combrinck (RSA) and Johann Rabie (RSA), former road racing pros, who finished third overall. Buys and Beukes were home fourth and sealed their second spot on the GC, conceding more time to their German rivals.
The seven-day race, which attracted over 400 riders from 15 nations, ultimately became a duel between SCOTT Factory Racing and Team Bulls, who swapped the race lead and claimed all the stage wins between them, Buys and Beukes claiming four and Stiebjahn and Bohme winning three. "The profile of the last stage was not ideal, but there were a few small climbs near the end so Tom and me decided to go hard there. We felt the best way to defend our lead was to attack. We knew that if we got a gap we might break the SCOTT guys mentally. And it worked," said Stiebjahn.
"The sprint worked out well too. The Asrin guys were actually riding to move up the GC, so they had already put in a big effort and we were able to get away with about 500 metres to go and stayed away," explained Stiebjahn.
"We're very happy with this result. The Cape Pioneer Trek is a great preparation race for the Cape Epic. Tim and me were third at the Cape Epic this year in our first stage race together. We came to the Cape Pioneer Trek to use it for Cape Epic preparation because it's quite similar in many ways," added Stiebjahn.
The women's title race saw South Africa's Robyn de Groot and Sweden's Jennie Stenerhag (Biogen Toyota Cape Brewing Co.) winning the first four stages. But a mechanical on Day 5 saw them lose significant time and the overall lead to Williamson and Pirard, who won Stage 4 and finished second on Stages 5 and 6, both won by Neethling and Stander.
Stenerhag and De Groot finished second overall with the Meerendal Wheeler pair of Esther Suss (SUI) and Theresa Ralph (RSA) rounding out the final General Classification podium.
In the other team racing categories, South Africans Brian Lennox and Hannes Hanekom (Klein Karoo Giants) won the Amateur division title, while German Max Friedrich and Jana Mischance (Firebike Tomotion by Blacktusk), claimed the overall Mixed title. With 45 finishing teams, the Amateur division was the largest of the race.
Heinz Zorweg (AUT) and Bartie Bucher (SUI) of Team Meerendal Wheeler 2 won all seven stages and finished an impressive 11th overall on their way to dominating the Masters (50-years and over) division, while South Africans Johan Labuschagne and Gerrie Beukes (Klein Karoo Veterans) eventually sealed the competitive Veteran men's category after having to claw their way into contention after a poor start.
In the Solo men's division, Travis Walker (RSA - Kargo Pro Racing) won the title rather convincingly, while Christine Janse van Rensburg (RSA), was finally confirmed as the dominant winner of the Solo women's category.


Dominic Cheek Chooses Wildcats from Collin Orcutt on Vimeo.
Dominic Cheek officially declared his intention to attend Villanova University Friday at a press conference in Jersey City, choosing that school over defending NCAA champion Kansas.
The story was first reported by ZAGSBLOG early Friday morning.
***Check out the video above from the press conference taken by CUNY graduate students Collin Orcutt and Michael Preston.


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Home > Pittsburgh Steelers > 2015 Season
Top rated - 2015 Season
January 9, 2016 - Steelers vs Bengals - Wildcard Game1637 viewsWarm up passes prior to a very heated game.
Photo: Joe Robbins/Getty Images
January 3, 2016 - Steelers vs Browns1309 viewsBen looks on during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on January 3, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
December 13, 2015 - Steelers vs Bengals1535 viewsMr. Ben is busy against the Bengals!!
Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images
November 15, 2015 -Browns vs Steelers1555 viewsBen was the Steelers Digest Player of the Week!
He wasn't supposed to play, but Ben Roethlisberger saved the day for the Steelers.
For Clark Kent, it was the telephone booth, and when he emerged from it after changing clothes, he became Superman and was ready to save the day. For Ben Roethlisberger, it was nothing quite so dramatic, and there was no change of clothes required. The process simply involved exchanging a baseball cap for his helmet, and then the short trip from
March 13, 2015 - Ben & the Steelers agree on terms for a new contract1594 viewsIt's kind of hard to contain my smile when I'm excited to be at a place like this, to be home, and to be able to be here for my whole career. I know most of you have heard me say for a long time that this is where I have always wanted to be and where I have wanted to spend my whole career. This organization has given me an opportunity to do that. I just feel very blessed to have the opportunity to play for such a great franchise, with great coaches, great teammates, and the best fans in the world. I'm extremely happy that we got a deal done. It's incredibly fair for both sides. We are just excited to move forward and get some more Lombardi trophies in that room next door. -- Ben
Photo: Steelers
March 13, 2015 - Ben & the Steelers agree on terms for a new contract1538 views"We are excited to announce today that we've agreed on a new contract, a five-year deal. We are looking forward to the future, and we certainly know that Ben has a number of great years ahead, and he will continue to lead our team. Right now, as you all know, he owns most of our (passing) records, but there are still a couple of important records that we are going after in the next few years." -- Mr. Art Rooney II.
December 13, 2015 - Steelers vs Bengals1086 viewsGiving it his best throw in the first quarter.
January 18, 2016 - Steelers vs Broncos - AFC Divisional Round1076 viewsBen walks off the field after the loss to the Broncos.
Photo: Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
September 20, 2015 - 49ers vs. Steelers782 viewsOne for Ida.
Photo: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
March 13, 2015 - Ben & the Steelers agree on terms for a new contract1737 viewsBen, Ashley, Benjamin Jr. and Baylee listen to Mr. Art Rooney II...well, maybe Benjamin Jr wasn't. He was too busy trying to hide his toy, or maybe a yummy snack, from the photographer taking the photo!
Photo: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
March 13, 2015 - Ben & the Steelers agree on terms for a new contract1458 views"There is no question Ben has grown over the years and truly has become a leader of our team." – Art Rooney II
First and foremost, our goal is to win Lombardi trophies. I'm excited to be able to really put the pedal to the metal. I think we have a good, young football team that has a lot of talent and a lot of ability. Walking down the hall, I asked if there was room in that trophy display for more trophies, because that has to be our ultimate goal. I trust that Coach (Mike) Tomlin and the organization will put the best team on the football field, and we are going to give it everything we have. -- Ben
March 13, 2015 - Ben & the Steelers agree on terms for a new contract1455 viewsThe Roethlisberger family, Mr. Dan Rooney, Coach Tomlin and General Manager Kevin Colbert listen to Mr. Art Rooney II's comments at the podium during the press conference.
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Arrowhead Mills Organic Gluten-Free Maple Buckwheat Flakes, 10 oz.
It's easy to have that wholesome goodness when you start the day with Arrowhead Mills deliciously crunchy toasted Maple Buckwheat Flakes Cereal. This low fat and cholesterol free lightly sweetened whole grain cereal is reminiscent of grandma's buckwheat pancakes covered with maple syrup.
Wheat free, made with non-gluten ingredients.
The most accurate information is always on the label on the actual product. We periodically update our labels based on new nutritional analysis to verify natural variations from crop to crop and at times formula revisions. The web-site does not necessarily get updated at the same time. The values on the website are intended to be a general guide to consumers. For absolute values, the actual label on the product at hand should be relied on.
Ingredients: organic whole grain buckwheat grits, organic whole grain brown rice flour, organic evaporated cane juice, organic whole grain buckwheat flour, organic maple syrup, sea salt, honey, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and natural Vitamin E (to preserve freshness).
This Item: Arrowhead Mills Organic Gluten-Free Maple Buckwheat Flakes, 10 oz.
Almonds, Raw - 16 oz.
Brazil Nuts, Whole, Raw & Unsalted - 12 oz.


The nature of our business presents a lot of challenges for safety: Calderys' plants are located in 16 countries with different safety standards; our employees work both on their own and on customers' sites; we often work with subcontractors, whose safety is also our responsibility. In order to efficiently handle safety for all stakeholders we have adopted the Imerys Safety System (ISS) which consists of three pillars: compliance, continuous improvement, and communication & training.
Compliance: Safety compliance requirements include local laws and regulations, but also the Group's EHS policies, procedures, and safety audit protocols. To ensure compliance, regular audits are conducted by our EHS Team.
Continuous Improvement: Some of the tools Calderys has implemented for continuous improvement include gap analysis and improvement plans, sharing root causes and lessons learned on incidents, and "Behavior-Based Safety" programs to improve safety culture.
Communication & Training: We are constantly working on improving communication and training tools in order to establish a safety culture across all regions and markets. At Calderys we believe in leading by example and we have created various programs to create a safety mindset for managers and employees at all levels.


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Q: What is the probability that this is a "Wheel of Fortune" machine? I recently took a HackerRank test for a Data Science position and got the following question wrong:
A casino has 10 slot machines. Eight of them are "Wheel of Fortune" themed, and two are "Jeopardy" themed. However, you do not know which machines are which. A "Wheel of Fortune" slot machine wins on 20% of spins which a "Jeopardy" machine wins on 50%. Say you play a round and are a winner. What is the probability that this is a "Wheel of Fortune" machine?
I used posterior probability to calculate this:
WoF = Wheel of Fortune
J = Jeopardy
W = Win
L = Lost
P(WoF|W) = (P(W|WoF) * P(WoF)) / P(W)

P(WoF) = 80/100 = 4/5
P(W|WoF) = 20/100 = 1/5
P(W) = (20/100)*(8/10)+(50/100)*(2/10) = 13/50

P(WoF|W) = 8/13

I came up with the answer of 8/13. Can anyone help me identify what I did wrong?

A: I am not convinced you did anything wrong here. Having looked at the work provided I suspected the answer was correct, so I went ahead and made a quick simulation in Python to test the answer you provided (8/13 or ~0.6154). Note that this simulation assumes the probability of picking a machine to play is uniform across all machines.
import random

machine_list = [1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]

def pick():
    p = random.randint(0,9)
    return machine_list[p]

def play():
    p = pick()
    if p == 1: #J
       w = random.randint(1, 2)
        if w == 1:  # win
            return 3
        if w == 2:  # lose
            return 4
    if p == 0: #WoF
        w = random.randint(1, 10)
        if w <= 2:  # win
            return 1
        else:  # lose
            return 2

winlist = []
woflist = []

for i in range(10000000):
    p = play()
    if p == 1 or p == 3:
        winlist.append(p)
    if p == 1:
        woflist.append(p)

print len(woflist) / float(len(winlist))

With the following output:
0.615330464637

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Antarctica: Green With Envy?
The Washington Post reports that researchers in Antarctica have discovered "rapidly growing banks of mosses on the ice continent's northern peninsula, providing striking evidence of climate change in the coldest and most remote parts of the planet."
Holy cow! How fast is the previously chilly continent turning green? According to the article: "The scientists found two different species of mosses undergoing the equivalent of growth spurts, with mosses that once grew less than a millimeter per year now growing more than 3 millimeters per year on average." That's less than a quarter of an inch annually.
Probably wouldn't pack your golf clubs just yet.
The lead author of the study stated: "Even these relatively remote ecosystems, that people might think are relatively untouched by human kind, are showing the effects of human-induced climate change."
Less than one percent of Antarctica supports plant life currently, but the researchers believe these parts of the continent "are likely to be getting greener." Rob DeConto, a glaciologist at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, who is entirely unconnected to the study, none-the-less opined: "This is another indicator that Antarctica is moving backward in geologic time—which makes sense, considering atmospheric CO2 levels have already risen to levels that the planet hasn't seen since the Pliocene, 3 million years ago, when the Antarctic ice sheet was smaller, and sea-levels were higher. If greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked, Antarctica will head even further back in geologic time… perhaps the peninsula will even become forested again someday, like it was during the greenhouse climates of the Cretaceous and Eocene, when the continent was ice-free."
Talk about "Back to the Future!" Or is it forward, into the past?
Millions of years ago, long before humans (or cows), Antarctica was so warm it was forested? And we're now worried about moss growing three millimeters per year on a tiny part of the continent??!! CO2 levels- and sea levels- were much higher then than they are now? (It's too bad Barack Obama wasn't around at the time).
So, to recap, we "know" that climate change is "human-induced," and may even take us back to the extremes that existed eons before there were any humans around?
It is difficult to judge which is more insane: leftist dogma, or the morons who believe it.
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In the Empty Quarter…do I need to be told? Hydrate or die?
Landscape design, construction and maintenance under the sun on the world's largest continuous sand desert–the Empty Quarter–the Rub al Khali. Is it like…just another day at the office?
I've been writing a landscape story titled, The 23 Club. Above, I have summarized it in a five minute clip.
In this story an American expatriate landscape architect confronts the strange multi-cultural realities of Arabian Peninsula work. Those social peculiarities layer with the powerful presence of the Empty Quarter landscape…the Empty Quarter, an enigmatic sand desert which, alone by its very presence, negates life.
The multi-media clip opens a window on the physical geography and cultural issues that swirl about the story–the construction of an iconic five star destination resort in that oil-rich, sand desert which, until recently, had been populated only by the transient Bedu.
If you are attracted to ethnobotany or plants, gardens and landscapes and have the wonder; but you do not have the time or money to travel to the Arabian Peninsula for these, then, just be glad to be here.
Multi-culturalism: not a mental exercise. The real landscape.
I slept well. I dreamt deep.
When I opened my eyes…it was hard to focus…near and far…both fuzzy. Then the foreground cleared and I could see in the distance…across the broad green pastures…I saw the city center.
It had developed over time, drawing resources and energy from the sun, the earth and water–all the while transforming those flows into new forms, new shelters.
The shelters were populated by all diversities of living entities with energy flows, day after day, night after night, until…until…like a Roman settlement in North Africa, they just no longer could sustain neither the energy flows, nor the diversities of living entities.
And the next day, the sun rose; and I was home before the sun set.
I walked through the forest. Neither the date, nor the day mattered. It was in the north. It was in the mountains. Spruce forest. Densely packed, tall trees, more than 100 feet each.
I walked a ridge in that forest. The canopy sheltered. I wasn't cold. Somewhere, way up there, was sun. Thin, narrow, fractured beams twinkled and sparkled near my feet.
Delicate cloud edges whisped. They came close…on the edges of forming or dissipating or both…here and there…from time to time.
I was tired from walking and climbing. I looked for a place to sit. My Irish roots have always worked magic for me in forests. So it was today when I was invited to sit down and take the shelter of a mushroom.
The ground was soft and the mushroom stem gently molded itself to my spine and rib cage. I was comfortable. My breathing became easy. It slowed. The rhythm eased my eyelids shut.


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Compliance September 24, 2020
Duke Energy Faces Classic Excessive Fee Lawsuit
The complaint suggests the plan's recordkeeping expenses demonstrate that defendants failed to engage in prudent monitoring and engage in prudent practices to keep those costs at competitive levels.
A new Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, Charlotte Division, naming as defendants the Duke Energy Corp. and its benefits committee.
"Defendants have a fiduciary duty—the highest obligations under the law—to engage in prudent practices to monitor the plan's expenses and ensure they are minimized," the lawsuit states. "Defendants have failed to do this with respect to the plan's recordkeeping and managed account services. They have allowed the plan to pay roughly twice as much for the same services than other plans pay."
The plaintiffs suggest the plan, its participants and beneficiaries have suffered "significant losses totaling millions of dollars."
"Given the exorbitant excess fees defendants have allowed the plan to pay, it is reasonable to infer defendants have failed to follow these prudent practices and have thus failed to uphold their fiduciary duties," the lawsuit states.
According to the lawsuit, from the beginning of 2014 through the end of 2018, the plan had between 33,000 and 39,000 participants, and between $6.7 and $8.6 billion in assets. The plaintiffs say plans of this size are often referred to as "jumbo" or "mega" plans and have "significant bargaining power to extract extraordinarily low fees for services," including for recordkeeping and managed account services.
Responding to a request for comment, Duke Energy provided the following statement: "Duke Energy's retirement savings plan has been carefully designed and administered as a retirement savings tool for the company's 29,000 employees. Duke Energy and its fiduciaries take seriously their responsibilities under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and work diligently to fully discharge their duties under the law. The company will vigorously defend against this lawsuit."
Plaintiffs state that Fidelity has been the plan's recordkeeper since at least 2009, and that the plan's Form 5500s for 2014 through 2018 show that Fidelity's direct compensation for recordkeeping services to the plan has been between $58 and $67 per participant during the class period.
"Based on [our] investigation and publicly available filings, a prudent and loyal fiduciary of a similarly sized plan could have obtained comparable administrative services of like quality for approximately $25 to $30 per participant near the beginning of the statutory period, in 2014, and between $20 and $25 per participant toward the end of the class period," the lawsuit states. "Not only have Duke Energy's recordkeeping fees been two to three times higher than competitive marketplace rates, but the Form 5500s also demonstrate that Duke Energy has used the same recordkeeper for at least the past decade, and that the recordkeeping rates paid by participants stayed roughly the same between 2014 and 2018, while marketplace rates were dropping. This gives rise to an inference that defendants failed to monitor recordkeeping compensation during [the class period]."
The text of the lawsuit goes on to state that the managed account option in the plan is operated by Financial Engines Advisors, an independent investment advice and management services provider. Though not named as a defendant in any of the cases, Financial Engines Advisors is involved in other ongoing pieces of ERISA excessive fee litigation.
"For this service, defendants have allowed participants to pay an annual fee—0.5% of their average account balance for the year—regardless of the size of their account," the complaint alleges. "In doing so, defendants have caused the plan to pay significantly more for managed account services than other plans pay for identical services. Defendants also failed to capture tiered pricing for participants with larger account balances, which is industry standard for managed account services."
The full text of the complaint is available here.
ERISA, retirement plan litigation
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Forest garden tours now public!
Forest garden tours, first Saturday of the month, May–September inclusive!
We've taken the plunge and opened up the forest garden tours for individual members of the public to come along, rather than just taking group bookings.
Please book in advance, tickets from Eventbrite, £10 each.
Less maintenance. No, really, less maintenance. A forest garden isn't a miracle cure but by the very design (perennials, ground cover, self-fertilising) they are less maintenance. Doesn't that sound attractive?
Less grass. This is actually the same as above. But, there is generally less grass in a forest garden, just some paths. And less grass means… less mowing. That's right, even less maintenance.
More wildlife. Everybody likes wildlife. Wildlife likes wildlife, particularly for lunch. And forest gardens are, by nature, wildlife-friendly. There's a great diversity of permanent cover and plant species, in different layers (trees, shrubs, ground cover). And diversity encourages wildlife.
Stuff you can eat. It's like foraging in your own back garden, without having to ask the landowner's permission (because you are the landowner).


Launch/Supplement a complete, proven STEM – FLDOE has $50 Million!
Home / Notice / Launch/Supplement a complete, proven STEM – FLDOE has $50 Million!
If you are interested in Launching or Supplementing or Complimenting a complete, most cost-effective, proven STEM+ Academy, apply for 80%-100% grant at www.stemgrant.org.
If you wish to participate, with NO out-of-pocket cost, NEF and SUNY, both non-profits, can provide the required match donation and STEM Academy to help secure federal QZAB funds. $300 Million available nationally, given out on a first-come, first-served basis. Districts and schools with 35% or more students on F/R meal programs are eligible to participate. Go to www.qzab.org to apply and for program details and state allocations.
The National Education Foundation (NEF), the national non-profit leader in total STEM education solutions, and the State University of New York (SUNY), the largest university in the U.S., have partnered to create effective STEM Academies, capable of educating 1 Million Students in STEM for the same cost as the current White House Proposal, which is why the White House is excited to support NEF's Vision.
White House Grant: $200 Million to educate 138,000 students at $1,450 each.
Our grants help 1,000,000 students, for the same cost as the federal government.
STEM ACADEMIES, mapped to every state's standards, provide 24/7 individualized learning in STEM+ subjects from basic math, and reading to Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing and Calculus. One of our NEF-SUNY STEM high schools- Berwick ASD, PA won the national Blue Ribbon award. Two of our elementary schools at Steubenville, Ohio are ranked 2nd and 6thamong all elementary schools in Ohio.
STEM DESIGN CONTESTS: Student teams learn coding and design at levels appropriate to their age (Smart House Design for K-5 students, Smart Town for Grade 6-8 students, and Smart City for HS students), winning cash prizes at school, district, state and national levels ($100,000 prize money with 100 or more school districts participating).
STEM LABS that provide hands-on STEM training and enable students to learn valuable STEM career skills, thus preparing them to enter college or take a STEM job, right after high school graduation.
The market cost of providing all the 3 modules above is $1,450 per student per year.
a) Our program reduces the costs to $290 per student per year, with our 80% matching grant.
b) We give back up to 100% of that cost for: academic software, contest design software, STEM hands-on, stipends, student incentives, contest cash prizes, teacher professional development, job skills training for parents, support and weekly evaluation by SUNY, college credits, tech support, funds for fitness, etc.
Here's how we finance it: $300 Million available nationally with the Federal QZAB funds. NEF and SUNY, both non-profits, can provide the required match donation to help secure federal Qualified Zone Academy Bond program (QZAB) funds. Districts and schools with 35% or more students on Free- and Reduced-Price meal programs are eligible to participate. Go to www.qzab.orgto apply and for program details and state allocations.
Win-Win-Win for our school districts/schools, our Nation, and most-importantly our students, especially populations traditionally under-educated in STEM such as low socioeconomic status and girls.
Launch or supplement a complete, most cost-effective, proven STEM Academy!
© NEF Cyberlearning STEM+ 1989-2018 All Rights Reserved.


text:
2009 Academy Awards Advertising
The 2009 Awards aired 26 minutes of commercials (excluding promotional announcements and PSAs), three minutes more than the 2008 event. Hyundai replaced General Motors as the exclusive auto advertiser, and aired 4½ minutes of commercials, making it the top advertiser. Coca-Cola was next with 4 minutes, followed by JC Penney, with 3½.
New advertisers for the 2009 Awards and how many minutes they ran are listed in the chart below. Hyundai, the top advertiser, ran several general ads, as well as three 30-second spots for its Genesis brand. Sprint Nextel promoted its wireless and web access services. Bristol-Myers Squibb ran one ad for Orencia, a rheumatoid arthritis drug. National Amusements had one ad for DreamWorks Pictures' Soloist movie, and Techtronic placed a commercial for Hoover vacuum cleaners.
New Advertiser
Commercial minutes: seconds
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.
Hyundai Motor Co.
National Amusements Inc.
Sprint Nextel Corp.
Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd.
Source: Nielsen Monitor-Plus
In 2008, movies nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Director spent more than $118.8 million (all figures quoted exclude internet and outdoor advertising) on advertising in the United States. Although neither Brad nor Angelina won for their nominated categories, their movies were the biggest spenders. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which was nominated in three of the four categories, spent $31 million-more than any other movie, while Changeling, nominated in just one category, ranked second in spending: $29.6 million. Frozen River, nominated for Best Actress, spent the least, under $400,000.
Spending on movies nominated in the Best Picture and Best Director categories was $64.3 million (the same movies were nominated for both categories). In comparison, the movies in the Best Actor category spent $57.3 million on advertising, while movies for Best Actress spent $55.5.
Milk, winner of the Best Actor category, spent $11.3 million on advertising; more than double that of The Reader, the movie that nabbed the Best Actress Oscar.
($ mil)
Best Picture/Best Director
https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2009/2009-academy-awards-advertising/
Three Ways Data Can Help You Develop a Pet Product That Sells
Pet product manufacturers can innovate effectively by using data to understand consumer demographics, purchasing behavior and sales drivers.
Making Innovation Work: Three Tips for Taking 'Jobs to be Done' from Theory to Practice
What do dental chews for pets, adult incontinence undergarments and sweetened light beer have in common? On the surface, absolutely nothing. A closer look, however, reveals that each solved a specific 'job to be done.'
Why Small Brands are Stealing the Spotlight
There's been a lot of buzz around small brands right now. Smaller brands want to be the next best thing and big brands want the growth of small brands.


text:
<?php

namespace ClanmanagerBundle\Entity;

use Doctrine\ORM\Mapping as ORM;
use Doctrine\Common\Collections\ArrayCollection;

/**
 * Profile
 *
 * @ORM\Table()
 * @ORM\Entity(repositoryClass="ClanmanagerBundle\Entity\ProfileRepository")
 */
class Profile {

    /**
     * @var integer
     *
     * @ORM\Column(name="id", type="integer")
     * @ORM\Id
     * @ORM\GeneratedValue(strategy="AUTO")
     */
    private $id;

    /**
     * @ORM\OneToOne(targetEntity="User", inversedBy="profile")
     * @ORM\JoinColumn(name="user_id", referencedColumnName="id")
     * */
    private $user;

    /**
     * @var string
     *
     * @ORM\Column(name="name", type="string", length=32, nullable=true)
     */
    private $name;

    /**
     * @var string
     *
     * @ORM\Column(name="facebookname", type="string", length=32, nullable=true)
     */
    private $facebookname;

    /**
     * @var string
     *
     * @ORM\Column(name="facebookprofile", type="string", length=64, nullable=true)
     */
    private $facebookprofile;

    /**
     * @ORM\OneToMany(targetEntity="Player", mappedBy="profile")
     */
    protected $players;

    public function __construct() {
        $this->players = new ArrayCollection();
    }

    /**
     * Get id
     *
     * @return integer
     */
    public function getId() {
        return $this->id;
    }

    /**
     * Set user
     *
     * @param \ClanmanagerBundle\Entity\User $user
     * @return Profile
     */
    public function setUser(\ClanmanagerBundle\Entity\User $user = null) {
        $this->user = $user;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Get user
     *
     * @return \ClanmanagerBundle\Entity\User
     */
    public function getUser() {
        return $this->user;
    }

    /**
     * Set facebookname
     *
     * @param string $facebookname
     * @return Profile
     */
    public function setFacebookname($facebookname) {
        $this->facebookname = $facebookname;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Get facebookname
     *
     * @return string
     */
    public function getFacebookname() {
        return $this->facebookname;
    }

    /**
     * Set facebookprofile
     *
     * @param string $facebookprofile
     * @return Profile
     */
    public function setFacebookprofile($facebookprofile) {
        $this->facebookprofile = $facebookprofile;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Get facebookprofile
     *
     * @return string
     */
    public function getFacebookprofile() {
        return $this->facebookprofile;
    }

    /**
     * Set name
     *
     * @param string $name
     * @return Profile
     */
    public function setName($name) {
        $this->name = $name;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Get name
     *
     * @return string
     */
    public function getName() {
        return $this->name;
    }

    /**
     * Add players
     *
     * @param \ClanmanagerBundle\Entity\Player $players
     * @return Profile
     */
    public function addPlayer(\ClanmanagerBundle\Entity\Player $players)
    {
        $this->players[] = $players;

        return $this;
    }

    /**
     * Remove players
     *
     * @param \ClanmanagerBundle\Entity\Player $players
     */
    public function removePlayer(\ClanmanagerBundle\Entity\Player $players)
    {
        $this->players->removeElement($players);
    }

    /**
     * Get players
     *
     * @return \Doctrine\Common\Collections\Collection
     */
    public function getPlayers()
    {
        return $this->players;
    }
}


This application does not need an internet connection and works best in outdoors.
By default, it uses device sensor to determine the altitude, but you also have the option to use NOAA data files to get the altitude of your location. On newer devices, using device sensor is more accurate.
It also allows you to get a picture of where you are and save it in photo album. Picture will be sealed with coordinates of current location along with altitude and local date/time.
Barometric Pressure is calculated based on elevation. On newer devices such as iPhone 6/6+ value is being delivered directly from device built-in barometric sensor.


text:
infographic of the day
Infographic Of The Day: Are U.S. Cities Like Detroit Really Dying?
Between 2000 and 2010, new suburbs sprung up in unholy rings around the U.S.'s major cities, but these maps show that a tiny heartbeat of life is still resurgent in urban centers.
By John Pavlus 1 minute Read
Flight to the suburbs, urban decay, ruin porn–we've all become yawningly familiar with these tropes of modern migration. But a set of fascinating new maps based on data from the 2000 and 2010 U.S. Census shows that, if you look really closely, those ho-hum trends aren't as simple as they seem. Would you believe that buried in the downtown heart of supposedly dead Detroit, there's actually been an influx of residents? Well, here's the proof in black and white–or rather, blue and red (the blue areas have seen population growth over the past decade; red areas have declined):
You practically need a microscope to notice, but as DataPointed points out, you can clearly see a "speckled blue island surrounded by a sea of red" right smack in the city center. What that means is that while Detroit's population bled out by 25% over the past 10 years–see all that red on the map?–the undeniable truth is that "downtown is flashing the signs of a comeback." Granted, the overall trend of Detroit's population loss persists, but the full story is a complex interplay of people moving around the area–both inside and outside its borders–as issues of cultural values, macro economics, and personal economics play themselves out.
DataPointed calls this phenomenon "growth rings"–a clear ring of new suburbs circling the outskirts of the city, with declining areas inside it, and then a pulsing core of resurgent growth at the center. You can see Houston up top. Here's Las Vegas:
And New York:
But the most tragic map is, of course, reserved for New Orleans, whose population base was devastated by Katrina:
These are the best kinds of data visualizations: they offer a fractal-like wealth of zoomable detail, but they also tell a compelling narrative. Let's face it, census data maps–even pretty ones–are narcoleptically boring, most of the time. But these ones, with their jewels of surprising optimism buried in a sea of blah, definitely deserve our attention–especially when we're used to taking our talking points about places like Detroit from condescending hipster stunts. Look closer, people.
[Read more at Datapointed.net]
John Pavlus is a writer and filmmaker focusing on science, tech, and design topics. His writing has appeared in Wired, New York, Scientific American, Technology Review, BBC Future, and other outlets
IRS stimulus check update: What to know about mailed payments and the Friday deadline
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And another Inside Learning Tecnology podcast with Matthew Boyle of Inside Learning. This is starting to become a bit of a habit and one I am really enjoying.
In Episode 5: Permissions may vary we discuss new approaches to learning and teaching, why teachers should be role models as learners, the challenges of filtering internet content for schools and my plan to upgrade from my 3 year old iPhone 3GS to a shiny new iPhone5 (which was announced while we were recording).


Do you have a dog named Max? Is your heart smaller than others? Do your friends refuse to touch you even with a thirty-nine and a half foot pole? If you said yes to any of these, it is a clear indicator that you are not in the Christmas spirit. It could be because you hate cold weather, or maybe you are tired of the same old Christmas songs every year. No matter what the reason for your holly not being jolly, I know a perfect way to ring in the Christmas season: movies! We have compiled a list of Christmas movies that will make you want to have the best Christmas season ever!


Just noticed a styling bug on SO job messages inbox app. It appears that the 'Messages' sidebar container is missing a left margin and/or padding. This is only happening with window width of 980px and greater.
Browse other questions tagged bug design jobs-messages .


SANTIAGO, CHILE—November 11, 2013—GE's Power Conversion business (NYSE: GE) today announced that it has finalized the acquisition of the Chilean power electronics company Ingeniería y Desarrollo Tecnológico S.A. (IDT). With this move, Power Conversion is actively positioning the company to build a stronger regional presence and capture a greater share of the mining segment.
IDT designs, develops and manufactures integrated solutions in the field of power electronics with its key innovations targeting the mining industry in Chile and Peru. With this acquisition, GE will build on IDT's technology and solutions to offer them across Latin America and then globally. These integrated solutions include rectifiers (high-power equipment for any kind of electrolysis process), harmonic filters (power quality assurance) and integrated power Erooms of electrical equipment (including medium- and low-voltage variable speed drives, switchgears and motor control centers). With almost half of the power rectifier installed capacity in the mining industry in Chile depending upon IDT's solutions, the company is a key player in the regional mining space. Additionally, IDT's nearly 100 employees and more than 30 years of experience will bring world-class engineering expertise, customer relationships and technologies to the Power Conversion portfolio.
Based on the quality of the company's technology capabilities and the expectations of more than $150 billion of mining investments in the next decade in Chile and Peru, it is expected that the business will create a large regional mining platform to provide solutions to its customers in Chile and Peru. To support the enhanced volumes, GE is planning to significantly expand IDT capacity by investing in a larger facility that also would support other GE businesses in Chile. Moreover, the synergies with Power Conversion and the global scope and scale of GE coupled with its broad array of solutions makes this business particularly well positioned for significant top and bottom line growth going forward.
IDT is focused on technology and innovation to bring customers the solutions to electrify the mining industry that best meet their needs especially in terms of efficiency and reliability. This culture of innovation and quality fits perfectly into that of Power Conversion and the company's capacity for providing high-technology electrical and control systems for optimizing processes across a variety of industries. This transaction will advance Power Conversion's objective of growing its business in the mining industry through providing complete solutions from a single reliable source with a strong local engineering and service commitment.
Since its first steps in Chile in 1927, GE always has considered it to be a promising country. With the integration of these two companies, GE will strengthen its positioning as a key partner to governments and private companies by reinforcing its infrastructure.
All IDT employees will be integrated into GE Chile where they will continue to add value to the company bringing along all their expertise and knowledge.
"We are really proud that a Chilean company has come to GE's attention due to its excellence and innovative products. Now that IDT is part of our portfolio, we are confident that mining companies will find an end-to-end solution as well as a world-class technology within GE," said Hugo Silva, head of GE Mining Latin America in Chile.


text:
Studio/Gang and the new Lincoln Park Nature Boardwalk. Part One: Raising the Dead - Necropolis as an urban ecosystem.
[October 19, 2010] - Over nearly two centuries, death and rebirth, by nature and intention, on a historic section of Chicago's lakefront. (First of two parts)
Ecosystem: all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving, physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water, and sunlight.
Let's talk ecosystems. When you come right down to it, anything beyond an amoeba is an ecosystem. Each one of us is an ecosystem. The worlds we find ourselves in, the worlds we create for ourselves, the obstacles and the fulcrums encountered on the way. The family you grew up in, the relations of power between you and your parents, your siblings, your friends and adversaries, the house you grew up in, the neighborhood, the street, school and church.
And no less than a bird building a nest or a rabbit digging out a burrow - if with a measure more ability and presumption - we also fabricate our own environments, in structure and landscape. Winston Churchill once said, "We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us." That's an ecosystem.
The actual dividing line between flesh and spirit I'll leave to the divinity students, but there's no doubt but that our physical environment insinuates itself into the moods and emotions that animate our experience of being alive.
It's easy to walk the site of the stunning new Nature Boardwalk, designed by Studio/Gang around the South Pond of Lincoln Park, and feel as if it must have been there forever, but in fact it, too, is a fabrication, the end point of a succession for urban interventions.
For untold centuries,before the arrival of migrating Americans, the ecosystem of Lake Michigan varied little and evolved slowly, consisting, according to Eric. C. Grimm in the Encyclopedia of Chicago, of "a mosaic of prairie, oak woodland, and savanna, with distinctive vegetation on sand dunes adjacent to Lake Michigan" where Native Americans hunted down dwindling herds of Bison.
Then restless pioneers, the ultimate invasive species, dropped in, and the narrative speeds up. Man's view of nature at that point was as something both beautiful and threatening, to tame, pillage, and displace. In our ambition, we weren't especially tidy. Our roads were mud pits that could swallow up a wagon. We dumped our sewage into the same river and lake from which we took our drinking water. And when it came to the dead, the idea was to dump them where they wouldn't be in the way.
In 1835, just two year's after Chicago's formation as a town, it established two cemeteries, one to the south, one to the north. According to Pamela Bannos' remarkable website, Hidden Truths: Chicago City Cemetery, the 68-acre cemetery on the north side was a mile outside the then city limits, south of Oak Street, north of Chicago, with a western boundary at Rush Street, and running east two blocks to what was then the Michigan shoreline. (Ms. Bannos has been kind enough to go over our account and note some inaccuraries and clarifications. You can check them on the comments page here.)
In 1837, as the city began to boom, the State of Illinois ceded the area of the future Lincoln Park to the city for use as a replacement burial ground, "surely far enough out of town to remain forever secure from encroachment." An imposed ecosystem of death now supplanted the sandhill and pine forest. Burials, including re-internments from the older cemetery, began in 1843.
Just as the ambitious and obsessively practical Chicagoans dumped their sewage in the lake, they dumped the dead weight of their deceased without excess sentiment. As early as 1848, mayor James Woodworth was decrying the new cemetery's grounds as being "in a condition incompatible with the desires and character of the People of Chicago," calling for "a proper and tasteful adornment of the depositories of our deceased friends."
It didn't happen. The ecosystem of the City Cemetery grew increasingly rancid. Coffins buried nearest the lake were becoming exposed. During the Civil War, the Potter's Field became the resting place, in unmarked graves, of over 3,000 Confederate prisoners from the south side's infamous Camp Douglas who had perished from starvation and disease. Epidemics of cholera that claimed thousands of lives in 1848 and 1855 came to be seen as directly related to the contamination of the city's drinking water. Because the cemetery grounds were below the water table, there were concerns that bacteria from the bodies was leeching into the lake as it lapped the field of rotting corpses.
The cemetery's ecosystem became dominated by politics, as powerful interests clashed over it's future. In 1853, the land occupied by the cemetery was absorbed by the City of Chicago. For all the raw boosterism among the city's father's about Chicago's infinite future, they had seriously underestimated - or more likely, simply ignored the consequences - of how explosively it would grow. As early as 1855, editorials began to appear advocating making the still new cemetery a park, and the process began with the unoccupied northern 60 acres, soon renamed after the martyred Abraham Lincoln. Yet even after its completion, the enduring stench from the adjacent cemetery kept visitors away.
The dead, once again, became an omnipresent, inconvenient truth. In Chicago, everyone was always on the move; there was no reason why the dead should be an exception. Plans were laid to move them out, again, to locations still more distant, like Graceland cemetery, another two miles past the new city limits, expanded in 1853 to include the old cemetery's land.
Everyone knew it had to be done, but no one wanted to do it until they could figure out a way to make it pay. Although an 1864 ordinance banned new burials in the old cemetery, another 1,600 bodies were somehow added the next year, when still another ordinance officially designated the last 160 acres a public park. Lack of funding impeded the conversion, with the park commissioners actively soliciting families to donate the final resting place of their departed back to the city. Legislation to remove the bodies became a battleground between the classes. According to the book, The Ark in the Park: The Story of Lincoln Park Zoo:
Real estate speculators supported the bill. They correctly assumed because the upper classes had a positive attitude toward a park system, they would cluster around the new parks and boulevards in wealthy residential communities, thereby enhancing property values. Many who lived in working-class neighborhoods along the south branch of the Chicago River did not favor the bill because they feared that their property taxes would be raised to provide entertainment and leisure for the rich.
Amidst the panic of 1871's Great Chicago Fire, the cemetery's open land became a macabre refuge. According to a contemporary observer:
The scene in the cemetery was a very weird one, as may be imagined. It is an old burial-ground, from which many of the bodies had been removed. Leaving some old headstones scattered about, and many, with their mounds, still standing among the thick undergrowth of grass and small oak trees. By nightfall on Monday there could not have been less than thirty thousand men, women, children, huddled within this ghostly inclosure . . . Meantime the roaring ocean of flame nears us. It bombards even this sacred necropolis with its hellish missiles. Every-where among the dead leaves fall the blazing embers. The torches alight head first upon the hollow graves . . .
After the Fire, the city rebuilt hastily. When it came to designing Lincoln Park, incorporating the region's native ecosystem was never considered. Frederick Law Olsted dismissed the natural landscape as "low, flat, miry, and forlorn [of] character." According to historian Daniel Bluestone, in his essential book Constructing Chicago, "The designs for Chicago's major parks . . . all aimed at creating natural beauty from a fairly paltry environment of natural scenery." The Lincoln Park terrain created by Swedish-American landscaper Swain Nelson dredged out artificial lakes, and used the excavated soil to create hills to break the monotony of the flat surface. An 1893 traveler's guide described Lincoln Park for the hordes descending on the city for the World's Columbian Exposition:
Where nature left off art began . . . The visitor will be delighted with the undulating character of the ground, the gracefully winding and curving avenues . . . the beautiful lakes, the handsome bridges, the splendid foliage, the magnificent statuary, the gorgeous banks, beds and avenues of choicest flowers. the pretty little dells, knolls, and nooks . . . [and] the zoological collection, which has contributed in no small degree toward making Lincoln Park famous.
"Obvious tensions existed," writes Bluestone, "between the solitary contemplation of natural scenery and the gregarious engagements of the crowd." Lincoln Park Zoo is a perfect example of that conflict. It was created, against the advice of Olmsted, in 1868, with the gift of a pair of swans from Central Park in New York City. Those swans soon became a potent and enduring branding device. By the mid-1880's, large flatboats, with a dozen or so chairs under a tent and a large faux swan figure stuck on the end, had become a popular attraction on the South Pond, where they eventually evolved to a franchise of small, swan-shaped paddleboats that defined the pond until it closed in 2008 for its most recent renovation.
Those paddleboats were a part of a decrepit ecosystem that evolved in place at the South Pond by the time of that 2008 closing. An unnatural concrete and steel lining, no doubt considered "more efficient" at the time of its construction, has become bent and crumbling. Non-native fish specie abounded, such as carp and Koi goldfish, dumped into the pond by bored pet owners. The pond was as shallow as three feet deep, and so stagnant that there wasn't enough oxygen to sustain life during the winter. To be stuck under the ice meant death. The pond stank of decay.
Which didn't keep it from being a place beloved by many, who were quite vocal about the change, especially after the pond's not entirely healthy fish population was killed off by poison in advance of the dredging, leading to a discussion, "do dying fish feel pain?" When I first wrote of the new boardwalk this past July, one reader saw little more than trendy hypocrisy, "How many trees were felled and fish killed so that we might attain a great sympathy for 'nature'?"
Next: A new civic jewel: the Nature Boardwalk at South Pond.
Join a discussion on this story.
© 2010 Lynn Becker All rights reserved.


-51% OFF on This Outfit : Today Only!
Want to buy a leather jacket? Just go to Leather Jacket Black and select Men Classic Leather Jackets Smooth. We have a cluster of satisfied customers which are true evidence of our services in the leather market. Men Classic Leather Jackets Smooth is made up of PU leather which is considered as best quality leather in the market. PU leather is surely one sort of fake leather-based. Polyurethane leather fabric is faux leather-based made from high fine plastic substances, for you to be an awful lot inexpensive than actual animal leather. This jacket has viscose lining inside the jacket. Viscose is a fabric that is commonly used in coats, jackets, sweaters etc to insulate your body and keep it warm. Men Classic Leather Jackets Smooth has front zipper closure due to which it fits well on the body.
This jacket has two outside pockets. It has open hem cuffs. The stand-up collar of this Leather Jackets Smooth adds beauty to its charm. Pair it with blue jeans it will provide you a macho look in any kind of gathering. You can use this jacket with any pair. Men Classic Leather Jackets Smooth has black color.
Awesome, perfect fit and super warm!!! Just what I was looking for and the price was reasonable. I had to update this review as the hem came out of the bottom of the jacket after my second week of wear.
This jacket is very nice, my only real complaint is that has no wind breaking material so you still get chilly on windy days. But it's comfortable, soft and fits great!


We just produce 500kgs of inherent fire resistant modacrylic/cotton single jersey last week.
Oil&Gas Industry,Welding Industry,Petrochemical Industry,Power energetics,etc.
Please contact us to get competitive prices and FREE samples.


Individual arrangements are made for students to reflect their learning needs. Pupils will receive support within the classroom from teachers or learning support assistants. Some pupils are offered additional literacy and numeracy support often in small groups with a specialist teacher.