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Tag Archives: Disgaea
Disgaea: Hour/Afternoon of Darkness – PS2, PSP, NDS
Posted on July 18, 2016 by jplaj
Despite only two weeks passing since my last entry, I haven't written anything for nearly two months. Instead of spending my time playing video games like a good, responsible 32-year-old, I've been working backstage at our local production of 42nd Street, a show so bad that it literally tries to justify its lack of plot by telling the audience "At least the girls are hot!" And while yes, they were, I'm not yet sure it makes up for working a 20+ hour a week job for no pay, being forced to listen to the same misogynistic songs with no relevance to the story. Really. The only character with any internal conflict in the whole show is the antagonist, who eventually decides that having an accomplished career on Broadway was simply holding her back from what she really wanted in life: a husband. Still, there's a sunny side to every situation, and sitting through hour after thrilling hour of watching people exercise with metal shoes provides an excellent counterpoint to make a horrible, tedious, level-grinding RPG not seem as bad.
Okay…so maybe it was a *little* worth it for the backstage costume changes.
Thankfully, there's a PSP port of Disgaea, Nippon Ichi Software's magnum opus, their lightning bolt of inspiration, which after it struck, they sequestered themselves in a rubber-lined mine shaft hoping for that lightning to strike again. Disgaea tells the story of Laharl, prince of the Netherworld, who wakes up after a short two-year nap to find out that his father, the Demon Overlord, has died, and that all his vassals are as eager to swear fealty to Laharl as if the ring they had to kiss had a raging case of herpes. Together with Etna, the one vassal who remains faithful to him only because she can't double-cross him if he's her enemy, they set off on a quest to build power and overcome all the rivals for the throne. But when he foils an assassination attempt by angel trainee Flonne, a character straight out of a remake of It's a Wonderful Life written by Seth MacFarlane, she introduces the concept of love into his black heart and textbook creative writing class scenarios ensue. The story is simple. Character goes on quest, learns something about himself. No twists or turns. But it's well written, has a cartoonishly dark sense of humor done in an anime inspired episodic format, and next to the plot of 42nd Street, Disgaea is Citizen Fucking Kane.
NIS is so good at cramming things into small spaces, they're permanently banned from Old Country Buffet
However, NIS seems to have interpreted the "Less is More" philosophy as meaning "Less story is more room for piling on additional, confusing gameplay mechanics." In what has become NIS's trademark move, they have patched together ideas from at least a dozen other games, resulting in something convoluted, yet intriguing. It's sort of like buying a car with a lighthouse on the top—you don't really understand it, but it gives you some options you wouldn't have had otherwise. Unfortunately, none of these are thoroughly explained unless you buy the strategy guide, and you can't even look them up on the Internet since the game doesn't mention them at all, so you wouldn't know about anything you could. For developers who want people to think their games are fun, tutorials should not require top-level governmental security clearances. Although for reference, even the American government managed to let information about Watergate, Monica Lewinsky and WMDs slip, and none of those existed for the purpose of enhancing an enjoyable experience (Well…maybe Lewinsky). Maybe NIS could give the government a few pointers..
…I tried. I can't come up with anything to say about this that's funnier than anything anyone said about George Bush's snack food assassination attempt.
That isn't to say they're bad features. In fact, for the most part, they bring a lot to the tactical RPG genre. Take geocrystals, for instance. Regions of tiles on battle maps are sometimes color-coded, and any crystal growing on that color tile imbues every tile of that color with its properties—sort of like "The floor is hot lava," if certain regions could also be "the floor is bubbling acid," "the floor is delicious ice cream" or "the floor will increase the chance that your masseuse will give you a happy ending." This reminded me fairly strongly of the battle judges from Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced, except I had the ability to change and manipulate the rules, if I went and stood on the hot lava anyway, I could just take the 20% damage without bringing the game to a halt, and I didn't hate them more than the dog from Duck Hunt.
I know my candidates have to have at least level 500 before I'll vote for them.
Also, gone are the days of wandering from node to node hoping for a random battle encounter. In Disgaea, players can fight monsters in Item World, a randomly generated dungeon within items. Players can use this to upgrade item stats, collect stat bonuses to move freely from item to item, or simply to grind levels. Because why stop at level 99, when you could stop at level 9999? And why stop there when you could reset your characters to level 1 and do it all over again? I did have fun with Disgaea, but you might be able to guess that it's a rather time-consuming game. In fact, I've put more hours into this than I have Fallout or Skyrim. My game timer is on 140 hours with only a small amount of the extra content touched. That's almost six straight days—that's enough to kill two Korean kids back-to-back! I don't care what you're doing for six straight days, it'll get old. Ever go camping for six days straight? Once the moss takes root, you end up looking like Treebeard. For the less active readers, six days of sitting on the couch eating ice cream and…well, it's not moss, but something will take root. Hell, you can't have six days of sex. I've tried…you start to get sore after about an hour or two.
When you need a full gross of characters to pick from. Because that one point of difference in attack will make or break the game.
Every thing in the game is designed for the purpose of raising your stats, which makes it easier to level up, which in turn allows you to raise your stats. It's a mobius strip of grinding. And having so much variation in level just means you're as evenly matched with the enemies as a rhinoceros on steroids versus a freshly baked apple turnover. Unfortunately, near the beginning of the game, Etna managed to strike a lucky shot against a supposedly unkillable monster, thus bumping her up about thirty levels (at which point, she rightly could have slain Laharl and spent the rest of the game as the overlord). From that point on, the game simply alternated between tedium of leveling up and the boredom of mowing through enemies. I haven't even touched on some of the more interesting features of the game, like making proposals to the Netherworld senate, which allows you to bribe the senators—much like the American senate—and to "persuade by force" when they reject your proposals. There's also a weird infusion of 1950s sci-fi about two-thirds of the way through the story. All of that was fun, but when I realized that I was really just having fun with a colorful GUI for Algebra, I thought I should move on to a new game.
Give it a shot, though, if you've got a week.
Getting back into the swing of this comedy thing after a few weeks off. Working on a book review, since those seem to be popular, and maybe one of these days I'll get around to finishing my post on Luigi's Mansion.
Posted in Disgaea, Nintendo DS, PS2, PSP, RPG, RPGs, Uncategorized	| Tagged Disgaea, nds, ps2, psp, RPG	| Leave a comment


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Introduction Evolution of parallel and distributed architectures, Urgency of parallel/distributed programming models and tools, "Parallel" vs. "distributed" dichotomy revised.
Part I: Parallel and distributed programming paradigms. Structured programming, Parallel design patterns and algorithmic skeletons.


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Fábio Crippa (* 1929 in São Paulo; † 23. Januar 2011 ebenda) war ein brasilianischer Fußballtorhüter.

Crippa bestritt zwischen 1950 und 1956 80 Spiele für Palmeiras São Paulo, dabei musste er 101 Tore hinnehmen. 1951 gewann er mir Palmeiras das 1951. Im selben Jahr noch war sein größter sportlicher Erfolg der Gewinn der Copa Rio gegen Juventus Turin.

Er starb im Januar 2011 im Alter von 82 Jahren an der Alzheimer-Krankheit.

Fußballtorhüter (Brasilien)
Sportler (São Paulo)
Brasilianer
Geboren 1929
Gestorben 2011
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Dataiku is Named to the 2019 Forbes Cloud 100
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dataiku, one of the world's leading Enterprise AI and machine learning platforms, has been named to the Forbes 2019 Cloud 100, the definitive ranking of the top 100 private cloud companies in the world, published by Forbes in partnership with Bessemer Venture Partners and Salesforce Ventures.
"AI and machine learning are beginning to touch every part of the enterprise, so it's an honor to be recognized for our achievements by Bessemer Venture Partners, Salesforce Ventures and Forbes," said Florian Douetteau, CEO of Dataiku. "This acknowledgement is a testament not only to our product, but also to our global team who share a wider vision for the future of AI as one that is operationalized, responsible, and collaborative."
As part of the rigorous selection process for the Forbes 2019 Cloud 100, Bessemer Venture Partners received submissions from hundreds of cloud startups. The Cloud 100 Judging Panel, made up of public cloud company CEOs, reviewed the data to select, score, and rank the top 100 private cloud companies from all over the world. The evaluation process involved ranking companies across four factors: market leadership (35%), estimated valuation (30%), operating metrics (20%), and people & culture (15%).
"The private cloud ecosystem has matured, making the competition to land one of the coveted spots on the Cloud 100 list steeper than ever," said Byron Deeter, a top cloud investor, and partner at Bessemer Venture Partners. "In fact, the average valuation of a company on our inaugural list just four years ago was $1 billion, while the average valuation on this year's list spiked to $1.7 billion. Our 2019 Cloud 100 includes over 60 private cloud unicorns! These founders represent the absolute best in cloud computing today, and they will most certainly follow in the footsteps of our esteemed Cloud 100 alumni. In total, already 25 Cloud 100 alumni have gone public, and dozens have been acquired for over $1 billion each. Congratulations to these cloud leaders!"
"There has been tremendous growth in the cloud market in recent years, as more and more companies are adopting cloud technologies to enable their digital transformation and change how they do business. The opportunity is massive in the cloud sector, which is evident in both the public and private sectors. There are now more than 15 public SaaS companies valued at over $10B whereas even 5 years ago there were only 2," said Matt Garratt, Managing Partner, Salesforce Ventures. "The growth we are seeing is not limited to the Bay Area and San Francisco, as we are seeing more $1B+ cloud companies spring up throughout the U.S. and globally. Salesforce Ventures is excited to be partnering with Bessemer Venture Partners and Forbes for the fourth year in a row to recognize the next generation companies who will land on the Cloud 100 list—those who are not just predicting what's coming but working to create the future."
"For four years now, we have ranked the best and brightest emerging companies in the cloud sector," said Alex Konrad, Forbes editor of The Cloud 100. "With so many businesses growing fast in the cloud, from cybersecurity and marketing to data analytics and storage, it's harder than ever to make the Cloud 100 list –but with more elite company if you do. Congratulations to each of the 2019 Cloud 100 honorees and the 20 Rising Stars honorees poised to join their ranks!"
The Forbes 2019 Cloud 100 and 20 Rising Stars lists are published online at www.forbes.com/cloud100 and will appear in the September 2019 issue of Forbes magazine.
Each year the CEOs of The Cloud 100 and the 20 Rising Stars companies are honored at the exclusive Cloud 100 Celebration hosted by Bessemer Venture Partners, Salesforce Ventures, and Forbes. A special thank you to our sponsors Amazon Web Services (AWS), Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Cooley, FuelxMcKinsey, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Nasdaq, Qatalyst Partners, and Silicon Valley Bank who make this event possible.
Bessemer Venture Partners
Bessemer Venture Partners is the world's most experienced early-stage venture capital firm. With a portfolio of more than 200 companies, Bessemer helps visionary entrepreneurs lay strong foundations to create companies that matter, and supports them through every stage of their growth. The firm has backed more than 120 IPOs, including Pinterest, Shopify, Yelp, LinkedIn, Skype, LifeLock, Twilio, SendGrid, PagerDuty, DocuSign, Wix, and MindBody. Bessemer's 15 partners operate from offices in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, New York City, Boston, Israel, and India. For more information, please visit www.bvp.com.
About Forbes
The defining voice of entrepreneurial capitalism, Forbes champions success by celebrating those who have made it, and those who aspire to make it. Forbes convenes and curates the most-influential leaders and entrepreneurs who are driving change, transforming business and making a significant impact on the world. The Forbes brand today reaches more than 120 million people worldwide through its trusted journalism, signature LIVE events, custom marketing programs and 40 licensed local editions in 70 countries. Forbes Media's brand extensions include real estate, education and financial services license agreements. For more information, visit: https://www.forbes.com/forbes-media/.
Salesforce Ventures
Salesforce is the fastest growing top five enterprise software company and the #1 CRM provider globally. Salesforce Ventures—the company's corporate investment group—invests in the next generation of enterprise technology that extends the power of the Salesforce Customer Success Platform, helping companies connect with their customers in entirely new ways. Portfolio companies receive funding as well as access to the world's largest cloud ecosystem and the guidance of Salesforce's innovators and executives. With Salesforce Ventures, portfolio companies can also leverage Salesforce's expertise in corporate philanthropy by joining Pledge 1% to make giving back part of their business model. Salesforce Ventures has invested in more than 300 enterprise cloud startups in 20 different countries since 2009. For more information, please visit www.salesforce.com/ventures.
About Dataiku
Dataiku is the centralized data platform that democratizes the use of data science, machine learning, and AI in the enterprise. With Dataiku, businesses are uniquely empowered to move along their data journey from data preparation to analytics at scale to Enterprise AI. By providing a common ground for data experts and explorers, a repository of best practices, shortcuts to machine learning and AI deployment/management, and a centralized, controlled environment, Dataiku is the catalyst for data-powered companies. Dataiku brings the discussion on topics paramount to the continued growth of data science, machine learning, and AI to the forefront with EGG San Francisco Conference on November 20th at the SFJAZZ Center.
SOURCE Dataiku
https://www.dataiku.com
Dataiku Enhances Its Partner Network to Accelerate Everyday AI

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Latest Entertainment News and Gossip (Archive 4) , Page: 1976
Teresa Giudice Spotted Attending Church With Her Family on Her Last Day Before Prison Sentence
The 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' star was all smiles when attending Sunday mass with her husband Joe Giudice and their four daughters at the Sacred Heart Church in New Jersey.
Video: 'Price Is Right' Contestants Make Excessive Bid for iPhone 6
Two contestants on the game show have no idea the price of a new 16GB iPhone 6, guessing that it costs at least $7,500.
'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies' Rules Box Office for Third Straight Week
The third and last installment in 'The Hobbit' movie franchise reigns weekend box office with approximately $21.9 million, while 'Into the Woods' trails behind with $19.1 million.
Lil Twist Teams Up With Justin Bieber for New Song 'Intertwine'
The slow-tempo and sexy R'n'B jam, which features Bieber on the chorus, is appearing on Twist's upcoming 'The Golden Child 2' mixtape that's due out later this month.
Brad Pitt Leads Hilarious Sing-Along on How to Pronounce David Oyelowo's Name
The 'Fury' actor demonstrates to the audience at Palm Springs International Film Festival how to pronounce David's last name by singing it to the tune of the popular soccer chant 'Ole, Ole, Ole'.
Drake Bell Says He Will Never Play Guitar Again After Shattering His Wrist
The former Nickelodeon actor sounds gloom on Twitter as he tells his followers that his doctor said he would never be able to play guitar again.
Kelly Clarkson Gives Hints About Her New Album
The 'Stronger' hitmaker says she will collaborate with someone she has worked with in the past for the follow-up to her 2011 album.
'Newsroom' Star Alison Pill Engaged to Joshua Leonard
The 'Newsroom' star is engaged to her boyfriend whom she began dating after she split from Jay Baruchel, and she proudly shows off her engagement ring.
Sarah Palin Fires Back at PETA Over Controversial Pictures of Her Son Stepping on Dog
The former Governor of Alaska accuses PETA of double standard, asking the group if they criticized President Obama for eating dog and Ellen DeGeneres for posting a picture similar to hers.
Kim Kardashian Looks Unrecognizable on the Cover of Love Magazine
The wife of Kanye West bares her midriff and shows bleached eyebrows for the upcoming edition of the Love magazine.
ESPN Anchor Stuart Scott Dies of Cancer at 49
The former 'Monday Night Football' anchor passed away over the weekend after battling cancer for seven years.
Nikki Reed and Paul McDonald Finalize Divorce
The 'Twilight Saga' actress and the 'American Idol' alum officially end their marriage almost a year after announcing their split.
Macklemore Confirms He Is Expecting First Child With Fiancee
The rapper and his fiancee Tricia Davis confirm the pregnancy news by sharing a video of their visit to doctor for sonogram.
'Ant-Man' Debuts 'Human-Sized' Teaser Trailer
The preview video gives a brief sneak peek to Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Carey Stoll.
Bruce Jenner and Sons in Talks for Their Own Reality Show
The former husband of Kris Jenner is allegedly approached to star in his own reality TV show with his three sons from previous marriages.
'Beverly Hillbillies' Actress Donna Douglas Lost Battle With Cancer
The former beauty queen who played Frankie to Elvis Presley's Johnny passed away on New Year's Day at the age of 82.
Madonna Defends 'Rebel Heart' Images of Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela
The Material Girl insists that she's not comparing herself to any of the great heroes in the photoshopped pictures, 'I'm admiring and acknowledging there (sic) Rebel Hearts.'
Report: Macklemore Expecting First Child With Fiancee Tricia Davis
The rapper whose real name is Ben Haggerty is allegedly very protective of his fiancee when they rang in New Year in Las Vegas.
Jennifer Aniston to Receive Montecito Award at Santa Barbara Film Festival
The fiancee of Justin Theroux will be honored at a ceremony on January 30, thanks to her brilliant performance in 'Cake'.
Oldest Grand Ole Opry Member Little Jimmy Dickens Dies at 94
It's announced that the country music singer famous for his novelty songs passed away from cardiac arrest in a Nashville hospital.


Louisiana State - Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs (GOEA) serves as the coordinating body for the aging services network in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from an emergency or disaster. GOEA collaborates with Federal, State, and local agencies and/or organizations to ensure that a more comprehensive coordination of resources are readily available to the aging services network in the event of an emergency or disaster anywhere within Louisiana.
If you have special needs or are caring for someone with special needs, it is good to think about preparing for a hurricane or other disaster well in advance. Emergencies or disasters can occur at any time with or without warning. Do you have a plan?
The time to plan is before the storm arrives!Assemble an Emergency Preparedness Kit. Kits should contain a first aid kit and essential medications, foods that don't require cooking or refrigeration and manual can opener, bottled water, flashlights and a battery-powered radio with extra batteries, copies of important documents and other emergency items for the whole family. Emergency Preparedness and Planning is an ongoing activity that should involve the whole family.
Your help is needed in time of a disaster, register to VOLUNTEER now!
Evacuation Planning Tips - Leaving Prepared!


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E.C.Andersson Calypso Arctic Sport – Finally in Stock, Delivered in December
WatchTime
It's been a long wait for fans of E.C.Andersson Watch Company since the pre-order release of the Calypso Arctic Sport. Right on schedule, however, all orders have finally been shipped and a stock of 30 pieces remains for new customers, with immediate shipping worldwide. As has become customary, E.C.Andersson offers a 10% discount for WatchTime readers on the last remaining watches, and orders made before the 18th of December will arrive in December.
The Arctic Sport is the third iteration of the Calypso collection, and perhaps the model best manifesting E.C.Andersson's bold take on Scandinavian design. It's made with the Northern winter in mind, targeted to outdoorsmen who often find themselves in nature without access to electric or natural light. The anti-reflective dial, however, is just as legible during the few hours of sun, when snow may cast a blinding glare.
The light gray dial has a matte sand-like texture to counteract reflections while also providing an ideal contrast to the dark indices. The large, illuminated markers provide easy readability in spite of blistering snowfall, and the 100-meter water resistance makes night navigation on the high seas a breeze.
The Arctic Sports seconds hand is colored orange to be easily distinguished from its surroundings and to add a splash of life without making the watch overly flamboyant. The ability to quickly recognize the sweeping motions of the seconds hand is important in discerning that the watch is alive and accurate, even after 40 hours of resting, especially when the wristwatch might be your only reference of time.
The Calypso Arctic Sport features an automatic Caliber 9015 movement with a stop-seconds function and 42 hours of power reserve, controlled by a screw-down safety crown. The movement — which is cased within a sleek 40-mm case of 9.85 mm thickness — has been regulated by hand in E.C. Andersson's in-house Performance Center, ensuring a high degree of accuracy.
At the time of this writing, 30 pieces remain of the Calypso Arctic Sport. Visit www.ecandersson.com and use the discount code "WatchTime" in checkout to receive a 10% discount. All orders made before the 18th will be delivered in December.
www.ecandersson.com
Tags: Dive Watches, Limited Edition Watches, Sports Watches
3 Responses to "E.C.Andersson Calypso Arctic Sport – Finally in Stock, Delivered in December"
Grahame December 20, 2018
Latest update – awaiting components from suppliers i.e. watches not even assembled. It is hard to fathom how they advised WatchTime that they had shipped everything by 6 December.
Has anyone else had difficulty in getting a response to an enquiry re order status or even an acknowledgement of the request?
I haven't dealt with this company before and was very much looking forward to receiving my Calypso Arctic but I am becoming decidedly nervous as the silence continues.
Taber December 14, 2018
Same here. I got an email confirming receipt of my order but all it said is the order is in process. I have sent numerous emails via their website and have not heard anything back. I am starting to get nervous as well.
New E.C. Andersson Dive Watch Set for Summer ...
Spotlighting Today's Watch and Car ...
Dive Watches in Depth: A Dive Watch FAQ


A J-Dater has corresponded via J-Date email back and forth five times. My feeling is we need to talk on phone to see if there is a connection. If not, I want to move on.
He has not brought up talking on phone or meeting. Am I correct in thinking he should have by this point? What would u do?
I agree with you that it's about time to take the next step and talk on the phone.
I was given a great piece of advice when I was single and doing lots of online dating: get offline and onto the phone as soon as possible, then get off the phone and meet in person as soon as possible. (Obviously, this is assuming that you don't have any warning signs telling you to not take the next step).
There are a number of reasons that this is good advice. One, you want to make sure your date is who they say they are. I don't just mean that they're not an axe-murderer, but also that they generally appear the same age, weight, and friendliness as they present in their profile and photos.
Also, it's easy to get wrapped up in a fantasy about your potential partner when you haven't even met yet. I remember one time I started writing flirty and funny poetry back and forth with this guy I had met online. I started to fall for his sense of humor and quick mind before I had even spoken to him on the phone. We had a great first date, then it turned out he was dating someone else and he ended it. While it was really fun to have the online banter, I wish I had cut to the chase sooner and saved myself the disappointment and time that I lost.
I have a client who used to have whole 'relationships' over online messaging before they'd met their date in person. Sometimes, things would continue for a short while after they met, but often my client discovered they were not actually attracted to the person or the person only wanted something in cyberspace, not a real live relationship. (A couple of people kept putting off meeting in person until it became clear that they just wanted to flirt and talk online). We've worked together to change this pattern, so that now she moves things quickly from the internet to a face-to-face meeting (with a phone-call in-between for a gut check about safety and basic social skills). This saves her a LOT of time that she used to waste and now she has more energy to engage with people who are actually available.
Louise, you ask if your (potential) date should have brought up a phone call or meeting by this point. The answer is yes, according to the guidelines I'm putting out, but not everyone has read this particular playbook. Many people don't have great dating skills, but this doesn't mean they don't have good relationship skills. Also, sometimes people move at a slower pace than others and this doesn't necessarily mean they are not ready and available for a real relationship.
All that said, since you're ready, there's absolutely no reason that YOU can't suggest the next step. It's as simple as saying something like "Would you like to talk on the phone?" The old rules about gender in hetero relationships (the man has to initiate everything and the woman can only agree or set limits) no longer apply. If he's scared off or turned off by you asking for a phone call, he's probably not the one you're looking for.
Go for it and see what happens!


Just in case Miriam hasn't stopped by to replenish your well lately.
Pesach 114b of the Babylonian Talmud mandates "two cooked dishes" (in addition to charoset and chazeret) be present on the seder plate. While Rav Huna advocated for the vegan options of cooked beets and rice, Rav Yosef insisted that each should be meat, one as a remembrance of the obligatory paschal sacrifice (usually interpreted as the shankbone) and the other, a voluntary commemoration our festive celebration (usually understood as the egg).
Out of the sacrifices on your proverbial plate, what is done out of obligation (the shank bone) and what is done out of voluntary joy (the egg)? How do we choose to spend our time and resources? Where is the balance between the two? Where is the integration between obligation and joy?
(Using two brave volunteers, or in teams) Debate Rav Huna's position for a vegan seder plate versus Rav Yosef's position for a sacrificial seder plate. What are the benefits to each? Why would so much of tradition weigh on the side of the sacrificial seder plate? How does what we know about modern agricultural sustainability inform this debate?
Sherira Gaon (986-1006 CE) recorded that many added a third cooked dish to this list, in memory of Miriam (in reference to Micah 6:4, "I brought you from the Land of Egypt… I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam") How are we working to include women's voices today? In our religious practice? In our organizations?
It takes energy to cook a dish. As Passover marks the start of spring, let's take a moment to reflect: where are you directing your energy? Is that direction aligned with your driving values? How is the holiday of Passover meant to help us realign how we spend our energy with our values?
Many cultures – including our own Western one, especially when you look on social media – often hides any kind of affliction, as a source of shame or embarrassment. Yet here we are, holding it up and naming it honestly, as one of the centerpieces of tonight's celebration. How can we work to highlight, rather than hide, today's afflictions? What affliction do you wish was spoken about openly and honestly?
What can we do to mitigate affliction?
Depending on the social action priorities your community is already driving forward, connect into even larger communities to raise a voice against hunger and global poverty, or in support of women's rights, immigration, and the Reform Movement's advocacy work.
Some require that three matzot be on the table, in order to represent three different parts of ancient Israelite society, the Kohen, the Levi, and Israel. What different kinds of class systems exist in our society today? What can we do to ensure that all of us are able to experience not just sustenance but also celebration?
In Mishnah Pesachim 10:5, Rabban Gamliel states that matzah is also a symbol of redemption. When have you seen a failure or affliction be eventually turned into a learning experience and, if especially lucky, redemption?
Why do we say the blessing for matzah over the broken piece? Where can we find the holiness in the brokenness?
Depending on what is happening in your community and the context of your seder, you might want to discuss some deeply personal issues. There are organizations that can help you frame some of these discussions around infertility, child loss, the importance of therapy and other healing practices, and health issues.
We eat maror, or bitter herbs, while reclining ceremoniously.
Why is it important that we recline? Why do we express gratitude while reminding ourselves of bitterness?
Maror is a symbol of the bitterness of slavery. Modern day slavery exists; and in all its forms, it is still just as bitter. There are organizations that help. Let's discuss.
Mishnah Pesachim 10:3 lays out the different requirements for a seder plate. It lists matzah, chazeret (lettuce), charoset, and two cooked foods. However, in Pesachim 116a of the Babylonian Talmud, the rabbis debate if eating charoset is truly a commandment, as it is not a symbol found within the Torah. Rabbi Levi connects charoset with remembering the sweetness of love, quoting Song of Songs 8:5. Additionally, Rabbi Yochanan associates charoset with the memory of the mortar used by Jews when they were slaves in Egypt.
On the importance and beauty of diversity: Why would the rabbis have a single symbol seemingly hold such different meanings?
On memory: why would we need so many symbols to remind us of all the different parts of the Passover story? Why wouldn't one symbol be enough?
While the idea of welcoming the prophet Elijah, as the harbinger of a more perfect age, is recorded in the third century, the placing of Elijah's cup on our seder table cemented into tradition only by the early medieval period.
Why would the yearning for a more perfect age be so strong as to change tradition in the Middle Ages? What imperfections about today's age drive you to hope for (and maybe work towards) change?
What role does fear play in our lives today? How can we work to strengthen our hearts against the emotional slavery of today's fears?
"'Come out,' called God [to Elijah], 'and stand on the mountain before Adonai.' And lo, Adonai passed by. There was a great and mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of Adonai; but Adonai was not in the wind. After the wind – an earthquake; but Adonai was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake – fire; but Adonai was not in the fire. And after the fire – a still, small voice. And when Elijah heard it, he covered his face." (1 Kings 19:9-12) Where do you find the still, small divine voice?
Rabbi Lauren Ben-Shoshan, M.A.R.E., lived in Tel Aviv, Israel until recently, and now resides in Palo Alto, California with her lovely husband and their four energetic and very small children.


AIDT is seeking energetic individuals to work, on a contract basis, as part of a team to evaluate the skill and assessing the Electrical, Mechanical, and Tooling abilities of potential employees applying for various technician openings. The position will be located at The AIDT Assessment Center. 7262 Governors West Dr., Suite 202, Huntsville, AL 35806.
This position is a contract position with AIDT.
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text:
Q: Passing variable by reference to several threads corrupts heap This is part of a test for thread safety. I'm running an anonymous lambda in different threads.
I use the variable i as thread id.
Originally I passed every variable from main scope by using [&], but this corrupts the heap.
Solved it now by passing i by value, but for the life of me I can't figure out why this would cause problems on the heap since the threads are only reading i.
Can anyone explain?

Minimal compilable example producing error:
#include <thread>
#include <vector>

using namespace std;

int main(int argc, char** argv) {
    vector<thread> threads;
    vector<string> vec1;
    vector<string> vec2;
    for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
        threads.push_back(
            thread([&vec1, &vec2, &i]() {
                for (int j = 0; j < 10; j++) {
                    const string str = "foo";
                    if (i == 0) {
                        vec1.push_back(str);
                    } else {
                        vec2.push_back(str);
                    }
                }
            })
        );
    }

    for (auto& thread : threads) {
        thread.join();
    }

    return 0;
}

Output:
*** Error in `/vagrant/bin/TempFileTest': double free or corruption (fasttop): 0x00007f00240008c0 ***
======= Backtrace: =========
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x777e5)[0x7f002a0e97e5]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(+0x8037a)[0x7f002a0f237a]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(cfree+0x4c)[0x7f002a0f653c]
/vagrant/bin/TempFileTest(_ZNSt6vectorINSt7__cxx1112basic_stringIcSt11char_traitsIcESaIcEEESaIS5_EE19_M_emplace_back_auxIJRKS5_EEEvDpOT_+0x1a3)[0x4021b3]
/vagrant/bin/TempFileTest[0x401e83]
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6(+0xb8c80)[0x7f002a70ac80]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0(+0x76ba)[0x7f002a9db6ba]
/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6(clone+0x6d)[0x7f002a17941d]
======= Memory map: ========
00400000-00403000 r-xp 00000000 08:02 2622834                            /vagrant/bin/TempFileTest
00602000-00603000 r--p 00002000 08:02 2622834                            /vagrant/bin/TempFileTest
00603000-00604000 rw-p 00003000 08:02 2622834                            /vagrant/bin/TempFileTest
02182000-021b4000 rw-p 00000000 00:00 0                                  [heap]
7f001c000000-7f001c021000 rw-p 00000000 00:00 0
7f001c021000-7f0020000000 ---p 00000000 00:00 0
7f0024000000-7f0024021000 rw-p 00000000 00:00 0
7f0024021000-7f0028000000 ---p 00000000 00:00 0
7f0028d67000-7f0028d68000 ---p 00000000 00:00 0
7f0028d68000-7f0029568000 rw-p 00000000 00:00 0
7f0029568000-7f0029569000 ---p 00000000 00:00 0
7f0029569000-7f0029d69000 rw-p 00000000 00:00 0
7f0029d69000-7f0029e71000 r-xp 00000000 00:32 313                        /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libm-2.23.so
7f0029e71000-7f002a070000 ---p 00108000 00:32 313                        /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libm-2.23.so
7f002a070000-7f002a071000 r--p 00107000 00:32 313                        /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libm-2.23.so
7f002a071000-7f002a072000 rw-p 00108000 00:32 313                        /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libm-2.23.so
7f002a072000-7f002a232000 r-xp 00000000 00:32 45                         /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc-2.23.so
7f002a232000-7f002a432000 ---p 001c0000 00:32 45                         /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc-2.23.so
7f002a432000-7f002a436000 r--p 001c0000 00:32 45                         /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc-2.23.so
7f002a436000-7f002a438000 rw-p 001c4000 00:32 45                         /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc-2.23.so
7f002a438000-7f002a43c000 rw-p 00000000 00:00 0
7f002a43c000-7f002a452000 r-xp 00000000 00:32 314                        /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libgcc_s.so.1
7f002a452000-7f002a651000 ---p 00016000 00:32 314                        /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libgcc_s.so.1
7f002a651000-7f002a652000 rw-p 00015000 00:32 314                        /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libgcc_s.so.1
7f002a652000-7f002a7c4000 r-xp 00000000 00:32 311                        /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6.0.21
7f002a7c4000-7f002a9c4000 ---p 00172000 00:32 311                        /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6.0.21
7f002a9c4000-7f002a9ce000 r--p 00172000 00:32 311                        /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6.0.21
7f002a9ce000-7f002a9d0000 rw-p 0017c000 00:32 311                        /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libstdc++.so.6.0.21
7f002a9d0000-7f002a9d4000 rw-p 00000000 00:00 0
7f002a9d4000-7f002a9ec000 r-xp 00000000 00:32 61                         /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread-2.23.so
7f002a9ec000-7f002abeb000 ---p 00018000 00:32 61                         /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread-2.23.so
7f002abeb000-7f002abec000 r--p 00017000 00:32 61                         /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread-2.23.so
7f002abec000-7f002abed000 rw-p 00018000 00:32 61                         /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread-2.23.so
7f002abed000-7f002abf1000 rw-p 00000000 00:00 0
7f002abf1000-7f002ac17000 r-xp 00000000 00:32 42                         /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.23.so
7f002adf6000-7f002adfc000 rw-p 00000000 00:00 0
7f002ae15000-7f002ae16000 rw-p 00000000 00:00 0
7f002ae16000-7f002ae17000 r--p 00025000 00:32 42                         /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.23.so
7f002ae17000-7f002ae18000 rw-p 00026000 00:32 42                         /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.23.so
7f002ae18000-7f002ae19000 rw-p 00000000 00:00 0
7fff30694000-7fff306b5000 rw-p 00000000 00:00 0                          [stack]
7fff30761000-7fff30763000 r--p 00000000 00:00 0                          [vvar]
7fff30763000-7fff30765000 r-xp 00000000 00:00 0                          [vdso]
ffffffffff600000-ffffffffff601000 r-xp 00000000 00:00 0                  [vsyscall]
Aborted (core dumped)

Minimal compilable example without error (notice no & on i):
#include <thread>
#include <vector>

using namespace std;

int main(int argc, char** argv) {
    vector<thread> threads;
    vector<string> vec1;
    vector<string> vec2;
    for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
        threads.push_back(
            thread([&vec1, &vec2, i]() {
                for (int j = 0; j < 10; j++) {
                    const string str = "foo";
                    if (i == 0) {
                        vec1.push_back(str);
                    } else {
                        vec2.push_back(str);
                    }
                }
            })
        );
    }

    for (auto& thread : threads) {
        thread.join();
    }

    return 0;
}

I'm using:
Ubuntu 16.04
gcc 5.4.0

A: As a side note, you can spare yourself a lot of grief and reduce code size if you just capture the vector itself conditionally:
for (int i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
    auto& vec = (i == 0 ? vec1 : vec2);
    threads.push_back(
        thread([&vec]() {
            for (int j = 0; j < 10; j++) {
                const string str = "foo";
                vec.push_back(str);
            }
        })
    );
}

A: Both for and the thread uses the same memory address of i (because you pass it by reference). Correct way is to let the thread have its own copy of i, which would be the same for the thread lifetime and independant from the loop changes.

A: Value of i changes at each iteration loop (in main thread) whereas you read it in other thread (without synchronization) -> UB.
Moreover, once the primary loop ends, you have dangling reference to i.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Terms, conditions, limits and exclusions apply to the products referred to above.
The information provided here is general advice only and has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs.
You should consider these POINTS, having regard to the appropriateness of GENERAL advice, and the relevant Product Disclosure Statement, available by calling us on 03 9379 4555, before deciding to acquire, or to continue to hold, A product.


Hydroxycut Acai is a little different then what we're used to seeing from MuscleTech—the company that makes the Hydroxycut brand. We typically see more stimulant driven products but recently the weight loss products they've released appear to be more natural, relying more on organic substances then stimulants.
Will Hydroxycut Acai help me lose weight?
Based on the ingredient table, I would think that it does have weight loss capabilities. The vitamins listed in the table could be more window dressing then anything else. Don't get us wrong, they've got great health benefits, no question there, but we're talking fat burners here and to be quite honest, those ingredients really don't play a huge roll in that process.
Sure Vitamin B6 can improve metabolism and Thiamin is thought to convert blood sugar into usable energy. These help the process but they're not the active ingredients in the product. They're there just to even the product out and to make you feel like you're getting your money's worth.
Is Acai the driving force?
I wouldn't even say the Acai berry extract is the driving force in the product. Again, it has its health benefits like antioxidants and amino acids but as the driving force for fat loss in this product I would have to say no. The jury is still out on just how effective of a fat burner the acai extract really is.
So what is the main weight loss ingredient in Hydroxycut Acai?
The problem resides in Hydroxycut's failure to list the amounts of caffeine anhydrous into their product. By listing it as a proprietary blend, the true amounts are hidden and it's hard to tell how effective it will be as weight loss agent. Because of that reason, it's really hard for us to make a recommendation either way.


The gardens are ever so slowly waking up, where there was snow yesterday, there are flowers today! A small Cyclamen coum ssp. coum was buried under snow yesterday morning when I left for work. But as I pulled into the drive in the afternoon this is what greeted me! This little plant was much smaller last year and now there are loads of self-sown seedlngs all around it. I am becoming so in love with cyclamen nowadays! They are easy from seed as long as you soak them for a day in water with a drop of dish soap in it, then sow at 65 degrees.
Plant seedlings out into a partly shady well drained soil. The corm should be just below soil surface and they like to go dry during the summer.
Sprinkle a little lime on them each spring as like a slightly elevated PH.
So of course I had to take a walk through the rest of the gardens, actually it was creeping on hands & knees, to do a bit of exploring and feeling around for other buried treasures! This is the time when I do alot of loosening up of the winter mulch of shredded leaves & pine needles that I spread late last fall. It really packs down over the soil and I always feel it needs to be fluffed up now. But what I'm really doing is looking to see what is poking up through the soil and what will be blooming soon and what just didn't make it through the winter.
Here's another early spring blooming bulb that is so hardy here.
These small Iris need a bit of sun to do their best, so in almost every pool of sunlight I've popped a few of these in. And up the pop a few more each spring.
Almost every day I dig up a clump of something to divide and pot up in preparation for the American Primrose Society National Show the last weekend of this month at Tower Hill Botanical Gardens in Boylston, Mass. I'll be there as an organizer and a vendor, so try to come and enjoy the show benches full of the most beautiful flowering Primula of all sorts, colors, forms and sizes. For more information go to www.americanprimrosesociety.org See you there!


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text:
Association between body energy content in the dry period and post cal...
Association between body energy content in the dry period and post calving production disease status in dairy cattle
G. L. Smith
N. C. Friggens
Cheryl Ashworth
Mizeck Gift G Chagunda
Open Access permissions
Download as Adobe PDF
Rights statement: © The Animal Consortium 2017. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Licence: Creative Commons: Attribution (CC-BY)
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731117000040
The transition from gestation to lactation is marked by significant physiological changes for the individual cow such that disease incidence is highest in early lactation. Around the time of calving, cows rely on mobilisation of body energy reserves to fill the energy deficit created by an increase in nutrient demands at a time of restricted feed intake. It is well established that monitoring of body energy reserves in lactation is an important component of herd health management. However, despite their influence on future health and productivity, monitoring of body energy reserves in the dry period is often sparse. Further, there is increasing concern that current dry off management is inappropriate for modern cattle and may influence future disease risk. This study aimed to identify candidate indicators of early lactation production disease from body energy data collected in the dry period and production data recorded at the time of dry off. Retrospective analysis was performed on 482 cow-lactations collected from a long-term Holstein-Friesian genetic and management systems project, the Langhill herd in Scotland. Cow-lactations were assigned to one of four health groups based on health status in the first 30 days of lactation. These four groups were - healthy, reproductive tract disorders (retained placenta and metritis), subclinical mastitis and metabolic disorders (ketosis, hypocalcaemia, hypomagnesaemia and left displaced abomasum). Analysis of variance, employing a generalised linear model was used to determine effects for the candidate indicator traits. Cows which were diagnosed with a reproductive tract disorder in the first 30 days of lactation experienced a significantly greater loss in body energy content, body condition score and weight in the preceding dry period than healthy cows. The rate of change in body energy content during the first 15 days of the dry period was -18.26 mega-joules (MJ) per day for cows which developed reproductive tract disorder compared to +0.63 MJ per day for healthy cows. Cows diagnosed with subclinical mastitis in the first 30 days of lactation had significantly greater milk yield at dry off in the previous lactation than cows that developed a reproductive tract disorder or metabolic disease in addition to a significantly higher yield to body energy content ratio at dry off than healthy cows. Physiological and production traits recorded in the lactation and dry period preceding a disease event differed between cows which developed different diseases post-calving. Differences in these traits allow the development of new disease indicators for use in models for the prediction of disease risk in the transition period.
transition period, lactation management, production disease, disease indicators


Malta-based cryptocurrency exchange OKEx has added support for four USD-pegged stablecoins.
In a support notice published on its website, OKEx said that TrustToken's TrueUSD (TUSD), Circle's USDCoin (USDC), the Gemini Dollar (GUSD) and Paxos Standard Token (PAX) are now live on the platform. The exchange will support two markets for each of the stablecoins, with bitcoin (BTC) and Tether (USDT).
Three of the stablecoins – USDC, GUSD, and PAX – were all launched by their respective companies last month, while TUSD was released in March of this year. All of the coins are backed by the US dollar on a 1:1 proportion. The Gemini Dollar and the Paxos Standard Token are approved by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS).
The OKEx listing news comes on the heels of Tether losing its USD peg, falling to an 18-month low of $0.925284 on October 15. At press time, USDT is trading at $0.978475, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
Tether is the most commonly used stablecoin, but it has been embroiled in controversy for its alleged involvement with crypto exchnage Bitfinex to manipulate the price of bitcoin. There were also rumors that it doesn't hold enough reserves to fully back all the tokens in circulation. Tether has consistently denied this, but has not produced conclusive evidence that it is reserved 1:1.


This camper features front bed, fold down dinette, single slide, rear kitchen with microwave & cooktop and more. Stop by today for a look.
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text:
MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO COVID-19 WORKERS
By Nelson A. King
Jennifer Hudson performs "I'll Fight" from RBG at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press, file
The United Nations says music, talent and hope last weekend united millions across the world online in support of coronavirus (COVID-19) workers.
The global body said the "One World: Together At Home" event "saw many of the biggest names in music join the UN health agency and Global Citizen movement in supporting the millions of healthcare and other front line workers who are helping stave off the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic."
It said superstar Lady Gaga, promised and delivered a "love letter to the world," featuring "an extraordinary multi-generational line up of performers," including the Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Billie Eilish, Paul McCartney, Beyoncé, John Legend, Lizzo, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift and dozens of others, that delivered eight hours of music interwoven with testimony from workers across the world, and the communities that are supporting them in the battle against COVID-19.
"We face a crisis unlike any other. To overcome it, we must unite", said the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in a video message. "Tonight, through the universal language of music, we salute the bravery and sacrifice of health heroes and others. As we do so, let's remember the most vulnerable."
Beyonce performs at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, U.S. on Feb. 12, 2017.REUTERS / Lucy Nicholson, file
Amidst the intimate and heart-felt performances recorded by artists mostly sheltering in place in their own homes, the UN said its chief took the opportunity to reiterate his call for a global ceasefire in bloody conflicts across the world, "to focus on our common enemy — the virus."
He pointedly thanked the viewers, performers, organizers, scientists and sponsors of the global event, for their support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and other humanitarian agencies, which are leading the multilateral effort to reverse the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Together, we will defeat this virus and rebuild a fairer world — as united global citizens and united nations" Guterres said.
Speaking earlier in the night, the President of the UN General Assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, told the millions of viewers online that in the 75 years since the founding the UN, "solidarity has been our first and best line of defense."
"Today, we stand together as one world, to thank our healthcare workers and frontline essential community workers," he said. "You embody the very best of humanity.
"By caring for the most vulnerable in our communities, often at great personal sacrifice, you are protecting everyone, everywhere," Muhammad-Bande added. "You are at the forefront, weathering this storm. Remember that we are with you."
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, told the global audience that by being at home, we were "helping our brave health workers", and echoing the theme of the UN drive towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), she said it was key to "leave no one behind and accelerate in our race to find a vaccine."
"After all, COVID-19 anywhere is a threat to people everywhere", she said. "Let's keep fighting together to stop the pandemic, support the most vulnerable and build back better, in solidarity."
In a world where so many are now living out their lives confined to home, the UN said the unprecedented sight of so many of the world's top singers and entertainers doing the same, "made the intimacy and humility on offer in their words and music all the more powerful, and genuine."
The UN said the only comparable event, in support of efforts to improve famine relief across the world in the mid-1980s through Live Aid, was "a carnival of stadium rock and pop, that would be unthinkable in the coronavirus era."
Rounding off the night, the WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, took to Twitter, describing the final quartet (led off by Lady Gaga and surprise guest, Celine Dion), as "a beautiful finale to an important concert: One world, #TogetherAtHome, which brought solidarity, compassion, artistry and, yes, humor to millions of people over many hours and time zones."
Ineffable Records leads on Indie label
Hoodcelebrityy 'Catch It'
Trinidadian soprano Jeanine De Bique gains international acclaim
Lily Rayne drops song, visuals for 'Pink Lemonade'


(Also note the use of the ampersand between the variables, encoded as an HTML entity to pass validation).
It cannot be used with the Automatic PHP portfolio method.
As such, the method doesn't offer many advantages over the Simple CSS Gallery technique. To eliminate those issues and gain more efficiency, you need a different method: one that uses either the image's filename or metadata to create the caption.
Creative Commons licensed photographs by John Schinker.


It's a much denied fact, but we all look for support. And when all else fails, we look for an ideology we could stick to. So as to say, if at the end of the day, everything else is taken away from you, you could still say, you stood by what you believed in. Or pretended to believe in.
I am going fishing. For one such comforting ideology to stick to. You see I do not have many other sources of solace or engagement. So I would rather hunt down my beliefs, and try to knit them into what they call a belief system. And call it a day. And go off to sleep again, as my mom says.
It's a funny post, me writing about all this. You see I never had the time or more importantly the stretchable attention span to look for an ideology, I was running the rat race like all of you. I don't intend to call you a rat anyway, if you quit, I do bow before thee. Why I was engaged breathlessly doing what everyone else was doing was because the risks of being unique and hence ostracize-able weren't involved at all. So there was a comfort, a safety rather. It's my typical middle class, I-don't-want-to-be-left-homeless fear. It has nothing to do with anything. I have been brought up on fear. Not that I aspire for the filthy rich worthless millionaires, or sympathize any less for the decaying chunk of the population in slums.
Just that I have been so busy with me, that there has hardly been anytime to be actually concerned per se. But now, I have been lounging lazy for two months, and I need something desperately to comfort myself. So I am here to knit my belief system. So that I can call something my own.
I was never slightly inclined towards the left, but as a kid I have seen appalling poverty around. I mean really! So I began thinking that something should be done about all the poor people. I read a few books, I wouldn't name them and bore you to death, but the filth in their lives was so accurately described, I was drawn closer and closer to wanting to find a solution.
Then I saw the helplessness of it. Conversations with people, with myself, the absolute inability of the system to change, the lackadaisical attitude towards it all, frustrated me. And since I had so many other frustrations in my life, I quit on this one and became indifferent.
Later, I read some more books and gave my heart to individualism. And thanks to my stint with a master's degree, I supported the staunch capitalist, and became a vague rightist. You get these bi-directional sways of my heart, don't you?
There were too many questions, a quagmire of them actually. A mess inside my mind, justifications I sake, guilt I felt. The lingering silence became very disturbing, but that disturbance is anyway a respite from my perennial issue of heartache.
However, now I have stopped looking for the absolut. My solution, if I may call it one, is that I have begun seeing things on scale, that extends indefinitely in opposite directions. And everything can be explained in a relative context to something else. But that something else is never the absolute, can be explained again with respect to something else. And so we move on the scale, in either direction, and sometimes multi-dimensionally.
And if the luster of the title attracted you, but the post bored you to death, but still you read on till the end, then you may in fact ask for an apology!
Regarding that poverty thing, I sometimes contemplate things in my pea sized brain and it always tells me a tape on repeat. It says that You (In my case the You is Me), You cannot change things no matter how hard you tried. There can only be a slap with one hand, not claps. The poor have to make some effort to rise if You were to make any advances towards their upliftment. Alright I am drifting, but you don't owe me any apology.
Lol, my bad. The spirits the shine, not bored just fine.
Though it may sound terribly selfish, I totally totally agree with you!
In love with what you said. But I am too lazy to shift my furniture. Hence I play that game inside my mind and the consequences are so much more severe!
C'mon Rishi! Something has to matter, when there is nothing else to. I am looking for that something, trying to hold on to it, for now atleast. Survival tactic.


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IELTS is recognized by most Australian, British, Canadian, Irish, New Zealand and South African higher educational institutions, over 2,000 academic institutions in the U.S. and a number of professional organizations. This test is also a prerequisite for immigration to Australia and Canada. It is criticized in Canada because English accents, which are used in section Listening, are very far from those used in a typical Canadian location.
All candidates must complete four modules - Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking - to obtain a final score, which is written in the IELTS Test Report Form (TRF). All the candidates perform the same modules: listening (Listening) and interviews (Speaking), while the reader (Reading) and the letter (Writing) differ depending on the version of the test - Academic and General.
The test duration - 2 hours 45 minutes.
IELTS result or Test Report Form is valid for two years.
Completely fluent in the language: uses English appropriately, accurately and easily with complete understanding. This result is hard to achieve.
Almost completely is fluent in the language, rarely admits occasional inaccuracies and discrepancies. Proves own thoughts in a good way and understands others easily.
Good command of the language, though from time to time there are inaccuracies, inconsistencies and misunderstandings in some situations. Generally knows how to use language well and understands others.
An individual has effective command of the language despite some inaccuracies, inconsistencies, confusion. Properly can use and understand language, in particular, in normal everyday situations.
Not fully understands the language, in general understands many situations, though is likely to make many mistakes. The candidate understands the number of those topics which are for professional or general interest.
Basic knowledge is limited to familiar situations. Has frequent problems in the use of language.
Expresses and understands only general things in a limited number of familiar situations. Very often is confused in the use of language.
Normal communication is not possible. Big problems in understanding written and spoken language.
Does not really know the language, with the exception of a small number of individual words.
What is needed for preparation and delivery of the course?
These four aspects are very important for the teacher, because a teacher not only teaches you, but also serves as your advisor who in the smallest details can help you to ensure your successful preparation. He needs to know what kind of score is required by your employer, school or immigration, given the duration and the duration of the course (usually 3 months for the students to the level of Upper Intermediate), to offer you the most reliable and cost effective training schedule.
Usually, the course consists of 26-28 sessions. The first classes will be a test to determine the level of English. After passing it through, a teacher with you will analyze your mistakes and determine your level of knowledge of the English language in accordance with the international standard - Elementary (initial), Intermediate (average), Upper Intermediate (above average) Advanced (High). The first lesson the teacher will propose a strategy for learning English, which, in his opinion, would be the most effective for you - it may be a combination of studying certain grammatical material with a drill sections IELTS, IELTS purely training sections or, in the case of limited English proficiency, the teacher can advise you to visit a few lessons of General English course to improve your level of English, and then recommend a course of training to start IELTS.
IELTS course starts as a test pilot, and with reference to the examination itself, for which you will be provided with a copy of the informational booklet IELTS. With it you will learn everything you need for the test. The teacher will be happy to answer any questions about the exam and its structure. After that, he will provide you with textbooks that will be used in training. Educational-testing center has free access to the original literature, such as the Cambridge Press, Longman, MacMillan, so you'll be provided with all necessary materials during the course.
After determining your level and becoming familiar with the structure and procedures of IELTS you start training. Success in passing of any exam depends on the professionalism of the teacher, which we guarantee and on your diligence and perseverance. Be prepared for the fact that during the course instructor will provide you with a lot of materials for self-studying. Also it is recommended to attend classes regularly, as regularity is the key in the development of a foreign language competency. Friendly atmosphere, zeal and regularity will make a contribution to your success on the exam, and the teacher will be your mate after the first meeting and prior to the announcement of the results of your exam.


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Project Integration Manager I
BAE Systems El Segundo, CA
Job Description The Project Integration Manager I at Los Angeles AFB, CA supporting the US Space Force (USSF) Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), Launch Enterprise Directorate (SMC/ECL) Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) Contract oversees and manages the technical project(s) and serves as a liaison between project management and planning, project team, and line management. Prepares project execution plan and identifies technical and business resources needed. Reviews status of projects and budgets, manages schedules and prepares status reports. Assesses issues and develops resolutions to meet productivity, quality, and client-satisfaction goals and objectives. Provides technical and analytical guidance to project team. Experience in space/launch systems engineering and integration. Possess demonstrated ability to actively participate in cross-functional planning for mission integration and development of mission integration plans. Have the ability to clearly articulate ideas, recommendations and options to the customer and coordinate with numerous stakeholders/customers from DoD agencies to commercial industry. Participation in USSF mission dress rehearsals and experience with DoD or USSF space system console operations is important. Experience in assisting Government personnel with mission assurance and fleet surveillance duties in accordance with the 30 OG's Mission Assurance and Launch Verification processes. Knowledge - Complete understanding and application of principles, concepts, practices and standards or wide application of technical principles. Full knowledge of industry practices Contacts - Contacts are frequent with individuals representing other departments, and/or representing outside organizations. Contacts involve obtaining or providing information or data on maters of moderate importance to the function of the department or which may be of sensitive nature. Problem Solving - Develops solutions to a variety of complex problems. May refer to established precedents and policies. Discretion and Latitude - Work is performed under general direction. Independently determines and develops approach to solutions. Plans, schedules and arranges own activities in accomplishing objectives. Work is reviewed upon completion for adequacy in meeting objectives. Impact - Exerts some influence on the overall objectives and long-range goals of the organization. Erroneous decisions or failure to achieve objectives would normal have a serious effect upon the administration of the organization. Liaison - Represents organization as a prime contact on contracts or projects. Interacts with senior internal and external personnel on significant matters often requiring coordination between organizations. se&i10Required Education, Experience, & Skills Education Level: Minimum: Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering or STEM-related field Experience: Minimum: 5-years experience for Bachelors Proposed: 7-years experience for Bachelors, 5-years experience for Masters Security Clearance: SecretPreferred Education, Experience, & Skills Experience in space/launch systems engineering and integration. Possess demonstrated ability to actively participate in cross-functional planning for mission integration and development of mission integration plans. Have the ability to clearly articulate ideas, recommendations and options to the customer and coordinate with numerous stakeholders/customers from DoD agencies to commercial industry. Participation in USSF mission dress rehearsals and experience with DoD or USSF space system console operations is important. Experience in assisting Government personnel with mission assurance and fleet surveillance duties in accordance with the 30 OG's Mission Assurance and Launch Verification processes.About BAE Systems Intelligence & Security BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it's what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts - defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team-making a big impact on a global scale. At BAE Systems, you'll find a rewarding career that truly makes a difference. Intelligence & Security (I&S), based in McLean, Virginia, designs and delivers advanced defense, intelligence, and security solutions that support the important missions of our customers. Our pride and dedication shows in everything we do-from intelligence analysis, cyber operations and IT expertise to systems development, systems integration, and operations and maintenance services. Knowing that our work enables the U.S. military and government to recognize, manage and defeat threats inspires us to push ourselves and our technologies to new levels. At BAE Systems, we celebrate the array of skills, experiences, and perspectives our employees bring to the table. For us, differences are a source of strength. We're laser-focused on high performance, and we work hard every day to nurture an inclusive culture where all employees can innovate and thrive. Here, you will not only build your career, but you will also enjoy work-life balance, uncover new experiences, and collaborate with passionate colleagues.
BAE Systems • El Segundo, CA 90245
Job Description The Project Integration Manager I at Los Angeles AFB, CA supporting the US Space Force (USSF) Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), Launch Enterprise Directorate (SMC/ECL) Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) Contract overs... Read More
Launch Project Integration Manager I
SAIC • El Segundo, CA 90245
Job Description Description Duties and Responsibilities: Summary: SAIC is currently looking for Project Integration Managers to support launch system SE&I activities for the Launch Enterprise (ECL) at SMC. This position in El Segundo, CA. Key ... Read More
Project Integration Manager II
Job Description The Project Integration Manager II at Los Angeles AFB, CA supporting the US Space Force (USSF) Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), Launch Enterprise Directorate (SMC/ECL) Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) Contract over... Read More
Mission Manifest and Integration Lead
Job Description Description SAIC is currently looking for a Systems Manager to provide management and oversight for mission manifest and mission integration activities on National Security Space Launch (NSSL) vehicles for the Launch Enterprise D... Read More
Manager I - Verification Engineering
Hyperloop One • Los Angeles, CA 90011
To connect the world, we must reflect the world. At Virgin Hyperloop, we're bringing together unique perspectives, empowering our community to celebrate all voices, and creating equal opportunities to build, grow, and thrive. WHY WE NEED YOU The... Read More
Barry Wehmiller Design Group • Los Angeles, CA 90012
About Us:Design Group operates from more than 45 offices in the United States and India, providing engineering, consulting and technical services for the world's leading companies in the food and beverage, life sciences, advanced technology, indus... Read More
Program Manager I
Job Description The Program Manager I at Los Angeles AFB, CA supporting the US Space Force (USSF) Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), Launch Enterprise Directorate (SMC/ECL) Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) Contract oversees and mana... Read More
Software Integration & Test Engineering Manager 3
Northrop Grumman • Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Do you want to work at an international company with endless opportunities for growth and advancement? Are you eager to join a trust-based, globally-connected team, where your contributions will define what's possible? The Payload and Ground Syst... Read More
Knowledge Manager II
Job Description The Knowledge Manager II at Los Angeles AFB, CA supporting the US Space Force (USSF) Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), Launch Enterprise Directorate (SMC/ECL) Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) Contract Analyzes and d... Read More
Vulcan Certification & Development Lead
Job Description Description Summary: SAIC is currently looking for a Systems Engineer/Manager to provide management and oversight of Vulcan launch services for 1) launch vehicle certification 2) launch vehicle development activities 3) program ... Read More


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« Don't say 'sacrifice'
Brothers and Sisters: A Grimm tale »
Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita
By Elizabeth, on October 12th, 2014
"Didn't you know that manuscripts don't burn?"
I first read The Master and Margarita when I came across it in the Tawa College library. It must have gone deep into me because I didn't realise until I reread it many years later how much it had influenced me.
It comes at its main story by two debonair flanking movements. The devil and his retinue appear in Moscow in the slightest of disguises, and go largely unrecognised because vain members of Masslit – the writers union – and venal theatre managers, and rapacious, luxury-starved Muscovites, are all too busy being themselves, thus collaborating with the devil's obscure mission – which might simply be to host his annual slap-up party. It is a book in which a novelist is driven mad by despair, and burns the manuscript of his book about which editors and critics have only wanted to know why he, 'a Muscovite in this day and age', wrote a novel 'on such a curious subject'. The Master's novel concerns Pontius Pilate. The reader encounters the novel's story of Pilate in chapter two, around 150 pages before the man writing the Pilate novel – the Master – makes his appearance. We don't know why we're being told about Pilate. We do know it's riveting. The Pilate chapters, which appear at intervals in the novel, are measured, realist, vivid. So is the ostensibly most fantastical chapter, in which the Master's lover, Margarita, turns into a witch and flies around the city causing mayhem, then travels upriver on a senses-saturating summer night. Margarita's every witchy move is real, concrete, logical. But the novel also has scenes in a confined commonplace present: the offices of a theatre manager, where a couple of worldly men get excited trying to work out why someone would be pretending to be the theatre treasurer and claiming to have been magically transported to Yalta. They discuss a series of telegrams from someone in Yalta. And the telegrams keep arriving, carried by the same girl from the post office, giving the two guys just enough to react to each message before she walks in with the next. It plays like a stage farce.
It is this melting, shimmering quality that I most love. The novel manages to be is stately and tragic – in Pilate's and the love story – while also being antic and flamboyant. It thrives on madness and mixedness, but the net result is a strong sense of mission which I suppose could be distilled down to this idea: How easy it is for cruel and implacable individuals to create a world in which it is almost impossible for decent people to do good. Just that idea, with myriad proofs. It's a novel in which almost all the heroes are compromised or defeated, and have given up on civilisation to save their souls.
When I read The Master and Margarita at sixteen I thought it was the strangest and most astonishing book. I've read it twice since. It has changed and deepened, both with my accumulated life and with history, and is still the strangest and wildest, and wisest, book I've read. And the next time someone asks me dubiously about my use of fantasy I will wish that Woland would dispatch the black cat Behemoth to smack them in the ear.
Uncategorized "books don't burn", fantasy, Mikhail Bulgakov, my favourite books, non-realist fiction, Russian literature, the devil, The Master and Margarita | Email | Posts
1 comment to Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita
Katrina Hatherly
June 20, 2016 at 3:32 am · Reply
Ha! I had the strongest feeling to look up "the devil in works by Elizabeth Knox" and although I am a remove away from finding that, I have found this article about The Master and Margarita which I want to read again now. Thanks. Katrina
Useless Grasses: On Imagination
My Prime Minister's Award Speech
Cast Down: My Olympic Essay
Nigel Cox's Skylark Lounge
My notes for a panel on the topic "Is Romance Dead"
Brothers and Sisters: A Grimm tale
My History with Horror
Where Wake Came From
Eleanor Catton's The Luminaries
My Interview for YALSA
Letting in the Ghosts: Why certain things are in Mortal Fire
Margaret Mahy's The Other Side of Silence
amongamidwhile
Bat, Bean, Beam
Booknotes Unbound
Delia Sherman
DimPost
Ellen Kushner
eyelashroaming
gwendabond.com
hickville comics
jonathanking
lawrence patchett
let me be frank
Lynn Davidson: Writer and Teacher
Megan Whelan Turner
Muse by Craig Ranapia
pantograph-punch.com
rachael-king.com
Swimmingwithbooks
These Rough Notes
tina makereti


With personnel costs accounting for 78 percent of city expenditures over the past 10 years, there's no way Chicago could cut spending by 10 percent or more without significantly reducing manpower costs.
That means layoffs, furloughs, pay cuts or all of the above—even with a hefty property tax increase—will be needed to increase pension contributions by $590 million next year, as state law requires. Chicago already has a hiring freeze and has eliminated 2,000 vacant jobs in the past two years. The city's workforce of 33,554 last year was down 20 percent from 2003.
Most cities in financial distress try to cut everything but public safety, even though that represents the largest part of their budgets, according to a study last year by the Pew Charitable Trusts, a Washington-based foundation that focuses on state and local budget issues.
Chicago spends about 57 percent of its $3.2 billion operating budget on police, fire and the Office of Emergency Communications and Management.
That means heavier budget cuts elsewhere: fewer graffiti removal crews, more potholes unfilled and less spending on libraries, housing and economic development, for example. Philadelphia cut social service and health spending by $149 million, reduced public-safety spending by $50 million, instituted mandatory furloughs, cut the pay of top staffers and still ran a $259 million deficit in 2010.
Most of the cuts would be concentrated in the city's main operating fund, but about 20 percent of the money needed for police and fire pensions would come out of separate water, sewer and aviation funds supported by user fees, given that police and firefighters protect the city's airports and other infrastructure. Ultimately, that means less spending on maintenance, other budget cuts and higher landing fees.
Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Transit Authority have separate budgets and will not face cuts to make the $590 million police and fire pension payments. The school system has its own pension problem, but state law restricts its ability to raise taxes essentially to the rate of inflation.
Eventually, cities in fiscal distress have cut police and fire manpower, too. After closing pools and community centers didn't stop the red ink, Sacramento, Calif., eliminated its vice, narcotics and undercover gang squads in 2011, and police stopped responding to burglaries, misdemeanors and minor traffic accidents, according to the Pew study. In Chicago, however, firefighters have a union contract with a minimum manning requirement, which makes it difficult to reduce equipment or jobs below current levels without renegotiating the contract.


A company's story is not made up of product names, past successes and corporate colours. The story is or should be more visceral, more emotional, more customer-focused. The company story should answer the question "What can this company and its products and services do to make the customer's day easier?" It's as simple as that.
Why do companies make this common mistake? It's usually because they are not seeing the world through their customers' eyes. They don't see the problems that their customers see every day, at least not in the detail that the customer encounters them. They are not under the same pressures that their customers are and never will be. They might be having their own issues but they will not be the same issues.
So how can you find out what kinds of challenges your customers are facing? You can ask them. As simple as that sounds it is not done often enough and not in the way that delivers deep insights. We use a method called "Customer R&D" where we go out and videotape candid conversations with customers on their own turf and at their convenience. We are good listeners but more importantly good questioners and we have no preconceived opinions or axes to grind. We are third party gatherers who often uncover surprising nuggets of customer insight. We then bring the video back to the boardroom where we watch the video with the goal of getting a much deeper understanding of what the customer wants from us. This understanding then becomes the beginning of our company story. It's powerful because it speaks directly to the customer and it resonates because it speaks the customers' language and reflects their reality.
Even a well-established company with a mature product line can benefit from refreshing the company story. It will make the marketplace look at them in a new and hopefully more relevant way. It will make the company look responsive and forward-looking. And of course it can be the foundation for a new direction, a new product line or an initiative. And it will highlight the concerns of the customer because that's where the story will start, with the customer.
So, talk to your customers, listen well and think about what your company really does for your customers. Then tell your story and if you tell it well you will create the demand to participate.
And that's the holy grail of customer relations in my opinion.


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Principal, Cynthia Cangelose
Mrs. Cangelose began her career with Polk County Schools in 1999 as a teacher at Bartow Middle. From 2002-2004, she was a Social Studies teacher at Compass Charter. Ms. Cangelose transferred to Kathleen Middle in 2004. Since 2006, she had been a Dean at Westwood Middle. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Social Science and a Master's in Educational Leadership from the University of South Florida. Mrs. Cangelose has served Mulberry Middle as Assistant Principal and Acting Principal for the 2015-16 school year. Mrs. Cangelose was appointed principal as of the 2016-17 school year.
Assistant Principal of Administration, Sarah Miranda
Mrs. Miranda attended Florida Southern College earning a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education. She went on to earn her Master's Degree in Educational Leadership at Southeastern University. Mrs. Miranda began teaching in Polk County in 2008 at Dundee Ridge Middle School and continued at Palmetto Elementary. In 2012, Mrs. Miranda was appointed Dean of Students at Lake Marion Creek and served there until spring of 2015. From there she served as the Assistant Principal II at Denison Middle School until 2018.
Mrs. Miranda was appointed Assistant Principal of Administration at Mulberry Middle School at the start of the 2018 school year.
Assistant Principal of Curriculum, James Bracey
Mr. Bracey began his career with Polk County Schools in 2004 at Dundee Ridge Middle School where he taught science, language arts, and served as a technology resource. He taught fourth and fifth grades at Alturas Elementary (2007-2011) and served as science coach at Alta Vista Elementary (2011-2014). In April 2014, he transferred to the grants department of Polk County Schools to serve as coordinator of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant. He was appointed Assistant Principal at Mulberry Middle School in July 2015.
Mr. Bracey received a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Leo University, a Master of Science degree from Nova Southeastern University, and an Educational Specialist degree from Nova Southeastern University.
Assistant Principal, Angela Vincent
My name is Angela Vincent. I am a product of the Polk County School District. A graduate from Haines City Senior High, Polk State College and then a Bachelor of Arts, in Elementary Education from Warner University. I received both my Master's in Curriculum and Instruction and Specialist in Educational Leadership from National Louis University as well as completing the districts Aspiring Leaders Program. I also completed my Principal Certification through a partnership with USF in 2017. I am currently working on my Doctorate in Education and Ministry. I started my teaching career at Boone Middle in 1989 and then moved to Crystal Lake Middle where I served as a teacher and then dean of students. I was appointed as Assistant Principal at Denison Middle. I transferred to Stambaugh Middle and most recently to Mulberry Middle starting the 2018-19 school year.
In my leisure time I love spending time with my family, reading books, traveling (cruising), shopping, dining out, watching movies and cooking.
Dean of Students, Jazmin Merriam
Mrs. Merriam was born in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico. She began her teaching career in 1997 teaching English for adults and kids in different private and public schools in Mexico. She continued teaching as she pursued her degree as Geosciences Engineer. She worked in the oil industry for several years. In 2008 she got married, and because of that, she moved to the United States where she started working as a preschool teacher for three years. She has been working for Polk County School board since 2013 as a Spanish teacher. She is currently pursuing her Master's in Educational Leadership at Florida Southern College.
Dean of Students, David Fisher
David Fisher is currently serving as a dean of students at Mulberry Middle School. Prior to his appointment at MMS, Mr. Fisher was an administrative intern at Mulberry High School. Mr. Fisher taught music for eight and a half years in Polk County and one year in Leon County. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in music from Florida State University. Currently, Mr. Fisher is pursuing a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of South Florida.