text:
Senator Syverson's Week in Review: August 14 – 28, 2015
Springfield — As state government's budget impasse continues eight weeks into the 2016 fiscal year, State Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) said the latest unemployment figures and economic assessment supports the Rauner Administration's push for a better business climate as part of a budget deal with the legislative majority.
The budget impasse between the administration and Democrat majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives leaves Illinois government running mostly by court-imposed orders and agreements. Only state education spending and federal funding for programs have received legislative approval and were signed into law by Gov. Bruce Rauner. Sen. Syverson said at the root of the budget impasse is years of fiscal mismanagement that left Illinois with few resources.
Illinois Job Growth Lags Nation
The latest report from the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) shows the state ended July with an unemployment rate of 5.8 percent, down from 5.9 percent in June. Illinois also gained about 1,900 nonfarm payroll jobs, but job growth continues to trail behind other states. IDES Director Jeff Mays said if Illinois employment growth had matched the rest of the nation this year, "Illinois would have added 40,000 more jobs by now."
That trend was confirmed by a corresponding report from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). According to the DOL, Illinois's rate of job growth in the past year was both slower than surrounding states and last among neighboring states in per-capita job growth. So, while the report shows that Illinois gained 50,000 jobs over the past year, our neighboring state Indiana gained 64,000 – almost 30% more – despite having only half the population.
"F" doesn't mean "Friendly" for small businesses
According to an annual survey released this month, Illinois gets an "F" on its small-businesses report card. The fourth annual Thumbtack.com Small Business Friendliness Survey, which polls nearly 18,000 small business owners across the country, gave Illinois its worst possible grade, tied with three other states: California, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Each of our neighboring states made out much better, ranging from a "C+" (Iowa and Kentucky) to a high of "B+" (Indiana).
Opportunity Elsewhere?
Another report on Illinois' economy indicates that thousands of Illinoisans found job opportunities, in other states. The Illinois Policy Institute (IPI), a public policy think tank, cites figures from the Internal Revenue Service. IPI reports, "…in 2012, Illinois lost more taxpayers and taxpayer wealth to a greater number of states than ever before." The Institute's analysis indicates that nearly 67,000 taxpayers and their dependents left Illinois taking with them $3.7 billion in annual income.
The reports are among many revealed in recent years and months that bolster the claim that Illinois must do more to improve its business/jobs climate. Numerous reforms to ease state regulations and lower the cost of hiring were proposed by Republican lawmakers in recent years and in 2015. The year began with hope that a new governor, elected on an argument that change was needed, would usher in a revitalized Illinois economy; however, most of the proposed changes ran into partisan opposition.
Regulation Reform = Economic Growth
Gov. Rauner signed legislation during the week that supporters said is an example of what can be accomplished when political parties and opposing interests work together for the benefit of the entire state.
Senate Bill 1672 creates a state process for Illinois companies seeking an air permit for a new or expanded facility. Currently, companies must go through the federal government to obtain the permits. It's a process that can take years to complete, which can lead to delays in construction and hiring or decisions not to build. Under the new state permit process, companies will receive their regulatory decision within one year.
The World's Best Schools Are in Illinois
One bright spot for Illinois' future remains its institutions of higher learning. Illinois universities and colleges are among the best in the nation and the world, according to one newly-released report.
The Academic Ranking of World Universities recently released its annual rankings of the world's top schools. The University of Chicago, Northwestern University in Evanston and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign were named to the list. The three schools achieved at least one Top 20 ranking in subject areas that included, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Engineering/Technology and Computer Sciences, Life and Agriculture Sciences, Clinical Medicine and Pharmacy, and Social Sciences.
Disaster Recovery Assistance #2
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture granted the state's request for official disaster designation covering 101 of Illinois' 102 counties, resulting from the damage caused by heavy rainfall and flooding earlier this summer. Now, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is making federal economic injury disaster loans available.
The disaster loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and private nonprofit organizations. The SBA can be contacted for applications and more information at 1-800-659-2955. Information about the Agriculture Disaster Declaration can still be obtained through county Farm Service Agency offices.
Farmers prepare for harvest
With both corn and soybean crops nearing maturity, farmers are prepping their combines to get ready for harvest 2015.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 88 percent of soybean plants have already set pods, with 55 percent of corn having reached the dent stage, and 3 percent of corn considered fully mature. Last week the state saw an average of 1.39 inches of rain, seven-tenths of an inch above normal, leaving 5.4 days suitable for fieldwork. Farmers continued to make progress baling hay, with 78 percent of the third cutting now complete, up from just 59 percent last week.
The Department reports crop quality is holding steady, with 56 percent of corn rated as good or excellent, and 52 percent of soybeans achieving similar grades. Heavy rains during May and June are still impacting many fields, including some that were completely flooded out. Due to plant biology, the actual damage to the corn from water was similar to what happens during a drought. Click here to learn more about the impact of heavy rainfall on this year's crops: http://youtu.be/hC-3U54V0qM
Red-light Camera Scandal
Chicago's red-light camera scandal that cost Illinoisans millions of dollars recently scored its second major conviction. On Aug. 20, 2015, a former executive for Redflex Traffic System Inc., Karen Finley, plead guilty to helping orchestrate a $2 million plan to bribe one of Chicago's top transportation officials. The bribe involved a scheme to award the Arizona-based company the city's red-light camera contracts. John Bills oversaw the awarding of contracts for the installation and operation of the red-light camera system. Bills' trial is scheduled for Jan. 2016.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Bills was coerced by Martin O'Malley, Finley's hired accomplice who was convicted last December for his involvement. The latest conviction underscores the ethical and effectiveness issues surrounding Illinois' controversial red-light camera program raised by many Senate Republicans for years. Improving driver and pedestrian safety was the reason city officials justified the installation of red-light cameras in 2003. However, there is little evidence or research to prove that red-light cameras reduce the number of traffic light-related accidents.
After years of failed efforts to shut down the red-light program in Chicago and surrounding suburbs, two Senate Republicans sponsored legislation this spring prohibiting non-home rule units in the counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, Madison, McHenry and St. Clair from enacting or enforcing existing automated red light camera systems. House Bill 173 passed the House, but failed to advance in the Senate.


text:
namespace geometry_msgs
{

  class Wrench : public ros::Msg
  {
    public:
      geometry_msgs::Vector3 force;
      geometry_msgs::Vector3 torque;

    Wrench():
      force(),
      torque()
    {
    }

    virtual int serialize(unsigned char *outbuffer) const
    {
      int offset = 0;
      offset += this->force.serialize(outbuffer + offset);
      offset += this->torque.serialize(outbuffer + offset);
      return offset;
    }

    virtual int deserialize(unsigned char *inbuffer)
    {
      int offset = 0;
      offset += this->force.deserialize(inbuffer + offset);
      offset += this->torque.deserialize(inbuffer + offset);
     return offset;
    }

    const char * getType(){ return "geometry_msgs/Wrench"; };
    const char * getMD5(){ return "4f539cf138b23283b520fd271b567936"; };

  };

}
#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Saints canonized at ceremony at St. Steven's Orthodox Cathedral
Source: MyNewsLA.com
Natalya Mihailova | 06 September 2015
The first American-born Orthodox Christian priest was among two saints canonized Saturday morning during a ceremony at St. Steven's Serbian Orthodox Cathedral.
Icons of Bishop Mardarije and Archimandrite Sebastian at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Serbian Orthodox Church, Fair Oaks, Calif. written by iconographer Miloje Milinkovic
Bishop Mardarije, Archimandrite Sebastian to be canonized September 5
St. Sebastian, the American-born man, and St. Mardarije were celebrated during a 9:45 a.m. canonization service that followed a grand procession of nearly 100 interdenominational church leaders.
The procession was led by the 85-year-old Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Irinej. Irinej is the 56th patriarch in a line of popes that originated in 1219.
About 1,000 attendees were there, pushing into the cathedral's overflow space, Fr. Russell Radiocich told City News Service.
St. Sebastian, the American-born man, and St. Mardarije were celebrated during a 9:45 a.m. canonization service that followed a grand procession of nearly 100 interdenominational church leaders. The procession was led by the 85-year-old Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, His Holiness ...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Swing text looks bad I am overriding the paintComponent() method of a JCOmponent and drawing text in a window. I'm running on Ubuntu and using the font "Ubuntu Mono" (the default font for the Ubuntu text editor). When my java app displays the text, it looks wimpy and blurry. What am I doing wrong?
I'm drawing the text like this:
graphics.setRenderingHint(RenderingHints.KEY_ANTIALIASING, RenderingHints.VALUE_ANTIALIAS_ON);
graphics.setRenderingHint(RenderingHints.KEY_TEXT_ANTIALIASING, RenderingHints.VALUE_TEXT_ANTIALIAS_ON);
graphics.setRenderingHint(RenderingHints.KEY_RENDERING, RenderingHints.VALUE_RENDER_QUALITY);
Font font = new Font("Ubuntu Mono", Font.PLAIN, 18);
fontMetrics = graphics.getFontMetrics(font);
graphics.setFont(font);
graphics.drawString(value, getX(), getY() + fontMetrics.getHeight());

In my java app, it looks like this:

In the Ubuntu TextEditor, it looks like this:

Edit: Would performance suffer if .png images were used instead of drawText()? This is a business application, not a game that requires smooth animation.
Edit: I changed the colors to match TextEditor's colors and that actually helped a little on the quality, but the characters are still so much thinner... you almost can't see a ".". In gimp I can recreate the TextEditor look by creating text w/ the right font w/ antialiasing on.

A: Strangely enough, I tried using "Monospaced" instead of "Ubuntu Mono" with:
graphics.setRenderingHint(RenderingHints.KEY_ANTIALIASING, RenderingHints.VALUE_ANTIALIAS_ON);

and it looks good enough for me. That's what I'm going to use.

A: Read the .png image and cache it to a BufferedImage. Performance would not suffer - actually using an intermediate image like this has better performance than drawing text in the first place.
Make sure you make it a compatible image like so:
private Image getCompatibleImage(BufferedImage img) throws IOException {
        GraphicsConfiguration c = GraphicsEnvironment
                .getLocalGraphicsEnvironment().getDefaultScreenDevice()
                .getDefaultConfiguration();

        if (c.getColorModel().equals(img.getColorModel()))
            return img;

        BufferedImage compatible = c.createCompatibleImage(img.getWidth(),
                img.getHeight());
        Graphics cg = compatible.getGraphics();
        cg.drawImage(img, 0, 0, null);
        cg.dispose();

        return compatible;
    }

This will save per-pixel conversion on some monitors for increased performance.

A: You're not necessarily doing anything wrong.  From the API for RenderingHints (emphasis mine):
these keys and values are hints, there is no requirement that a given implementation supports all possible choices indicated below or that it can respond to requests to modify its choice of algorithm. The values of the various hint keys may also interact such that while all variants of a given key are supported in one situation, the implementation may be more restricted when the values associated with other keys are modified. [snip]
Implementations are free to ignore the hints completely, but should try to use an implementation algorithm that is as close as possible to the request.

A: Instead of forcing rendering hints try to use native desktop settings for fonts, ie:
Toolkit tk = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit();
Map desktopHints = (Map)(tk.getDesktopProperty("awt.font.desktophints"));

...

if (desktopHints != null) {
    graphics.addRenderingHints(desktopHints);
}

(source - Filthy Rich Clients)
EDIT:
Be sure to try out various hints for for controlling text rendering quality. Here is the reference and examples.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
The Imperial Guards () of the Qing dynasty were a select detachment of Manchu and Mongol bannermen responsible for guarding the Forbidden City in Beijing, the emperor, and the emperor's family. The Imperial Guards were divided into three groups: the Guard Corps, the Vanguard, and the Imperial Bodyguard.

Guard Corps
The Guard Corps (Manchu: bayara; ) was assigned to protect the imperial palace. Soldiers from the Manchu and Mongol banners would be admitted to serve in the unit. The Guard corps was about ten times the size of the Vanguard and Imperial Bodyguards, and was the largest formation of the Imperial Guards.

Vanguard
The Vanguard (Manchu: gabsihiyan; ) corps was assigned to march ahead of the emperor when he left the palace. Soldiers from the Manchu and Mongol banners could join. The Vanguard consisted of about 1500 men.

Imperial Bodyguard
The Imperial Bodyguard (Manchu: hiya; ) corps was assigned to protect the emperor at all times. Only Manchu bannermen could join, and most members came from the upper three banners. Like the Vanguard, the Imperial Bodyguard consisted of about 1500 men.

See also
Manchukuo Imperial Guards
Imperial Guards (Tang dynasty)
Shuai jiao
Wu Chien-ch'uan
Wu Quanyou
Yang Luchan

References

Citations

Sources

Former guards regiments
Military history of the Qing dynasty
Chinese ceremonial units
Royal guards
Military units and formations of the Qing dynasty

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Fifty years have passed since Miss Elizabeth was a girl, but she still remembers Willie Rudd, the black housekeeper who helped raise her. She remembers the feeling of sitting on Willie Rudd's lap while the housekeeper sang to her. And she remembers how Willie scrubbed the floor on her hands and knees. What would Miss Elizabeth say to Willie Rudd if she were alive today? She decides to write her a letter telling her how things would be different. Now, Willie Rudd would come in the front door—not the back. She would ride in the front of the bus with Miss Elizabeth, and they could sit together at movies. The two of them would have a wonderful time. And in her heartfelt letter, Miss Elizabeth has the chance to tell Willie Rudd something she never told her while she was alive—that she loved her.
Although a lovely tribute to an important person in a little girl's life, the author leaves much to the imagination, as if Willie only existed as Miss Elizabeth's caretaker and housemaid. She doesn't comment on the child's feelings about seeing the person she loves "scrubb[ing] the floor on her hands and knees." She doesn't speculate on Willie's family life, the hardships she likely endured, the trials of segregation, and her other encounters with white people. It gives the impression to its audience, children, that blacks naturally take on the roll of serving white people.
"She remembered the feel of Willie's big lap, covered with a flowered apron, the feel of Willie's generous bosom against her cheek. This kind of stereotype is reproduced innumerably among whites as if all black women had "generous bosoms." More comments on the mammy stereotype in later posts.
The book does confirm an increasing desire of whites raised by black women—that there is a wish to thank her and to tell her they loved her. Perhaps because of the popularity of The Help, whites are returning to childhood memories to consider the important relationship—though one sided or not—with their caretakers.
On December 1, 1999, Howell Raines, the Executive Editor of The New York Times from 2001 until he left in 2003 and contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio, published a remarkable tribute to the African American woman who raised him. It appeared in the New York Times Magazine. I present it in its entirety.
You are currently browsing the Reviews category at JUST LIKE FAMILY.


New SCP draft, looking for advice and critique.
Any feedback is appreciated! Thank you!
There are some drafts that are so beyond my ability to write that I am unable to critique.
The only thing I can say is that @-2 is used in the last log on the hallowed trees, rather than @-b.
Edward Buck, this is particularly unhelpful.
Then don't comment on them! Remember, if someone seems to be getting posts from the outside, people will assume they're getting feedback, and they'll be less likely to come and give feedback themselves, whereas in this case, it's you blatantly saying 'I can't give feedback to this'. Don't post in those situations, please. You're not doing the author any favours, nor the staff who work with them.


On the village square, 2 adj. gîtes with accomm. on 1st floor. Living/ kitchen area, 1 bedroom (1 double), mezzanine (2 double beds), bathroom, wc. Electric heating, TV. Loggia (11 m²), garden furniture. Shared garage and laundry (washing machine and drier). Surf area : 89 m². Bed linen rental. TOURIST ATTRACTIONS: Clermont l'Hérault, Lac du salagou, Cirque de Mourèze, Villeneuvette (former royal factory), Valmagne Abbey, Aniane (astronomical observatory), Hérault Gorge, Grottes de Clamouse, St Guilhem le Désert, Montpellier, Bessilles leisure park.


Work continues on the book, but things have been quiet blog wise and will probably be that way for a while yet. So to keep you guys occupied, I figure I'll share a link that was shared with me this morning via Chris Roberson's blog.
Bruce Ross is a guy who makes cool custom action figures, and here he takes a crack at General Ursus. While I hardly think it's a dead on likeness, it does make for an interesting Apes soldier at the least. Next up, he's going to tackle Dr. Zaius. I'm curious to see how that one turns out.
There are more pictures at the site along with commentary by Ross on inspiration and materials used to make it. Check out some of his other figures as well, some of them are really awesome.
In the coming up department, we plan to begin profiling the artists working on Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes sometime in October, so be on the lookout for that. And we'll have updates for you on the novel's progress, conventions we'll be appearing at and more in the months to come.
Just before Comic-Con we hired POTA expert Rich Handley to serve as our editor as we get ready to move into the next draft of the novel. Rich is now nearly finished his run through of the current draft and has been nothing but enthusiastic about what we've done. His red pen has been hard at work despite that, because he knows we can do better, and we know we can as well.
The artists involved in the project continue to move forward and hand in some beautiful work which we'll be teasing bits and pieces of in the months to come. So all is going well with the Conspiracy.
In other news, today's edition of AMC's SciFi Scanner Daily Scan blog notes that Hulu.com has seen fit to put the entire run of the animated Return to the Planet of the Apes series. Hulu gets the episode order wrong, but someone in the comments on the Return page was good enough to post the correct order (but we know you knew that already).
If you don't have a copy of the DVD, check it out, Hulu.com streams to your computers for free.
Ken Kelly is a friend to the Apes. He's going to be contributing to the Conspiracy illustrated novel. If you look to the left you'll see an angry Ursus daring you to click on him, that's one of Ken's pieces.
He's also been a friend to the crew at BLAM! Ventures since we were booth neighbors at a Big Apple Con a few years back, so we're kind of fond of him here. While we'll be doing a profile on him here at some point in the future, I just wanted to point you in the direction of something that showed up in my Google Reader tonight.
Ken's Robert E. Howard series of painting has been featured on the Golden Age Comic Book Stories blog. It's a gorgeous collection of paintings from the late '70s through to 1980. For those of you not familiar with Ken's work (and you really should be, or we'll have to send Ursus to "help" you get familiar with them) go check it out!
Well, at least from me—others in the BLAM! clan may have final thoughts to post yet. It's past time I finished the tale of my SDCC odyssey, however.
But first, pictures! That have nothing to do with Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes! But do have a Star Wars theme!
while a bunch of soldiers tried to shoot her. Or something.
And… The Littlest Stormtrooper in Pigtails.
Really, there's not much left to talk about after the above, other than to say I had a really good time at this con. The best I've had in years, actually. I got burned out on them and had put a moratorium on attending for the past year or so, but I'm glad I finally made it to Comic Con. My only regret—and this is common to cons I attend away from home—is that I really don't get to see too much of the host city. If it weren't for the ever present Day Job and the tiny amount of vacation days I am allotted, I would love to take a few extra days to enjoy the sights, sounds, tastes and whatnot.
Enough of my lament, time to leave San Diego Comic Con 2009 to the history books.
Yeah, one more day, then I will post it. Really. Truly. In the meantime, I'm going to do a little cross-blog promotion.
My blog, The Manakalita Manifesto, is now not only a place for my personal blatherings and stories, but is also home to the first in what I hope to be a series of interviews with creators I admire.
For the inaugural edition, I asked a writer familiar to The Conspiracy Apes blog: Chris Roberson. If you recall, Chris was the first--as far as I can tell--person outside of the fan clubs to write about the Conspiracy novel. His entry on us got noticed by a few others and the story is making its way onto the web in part because of that post.
I had originally asked him to do an interview earlier in the year for a book he had released in late 2008, but that didn't work out. Fortunately, Chris is a pretty prolific guy, and his latest novel is out now in the UK, and here in October. That made it the perfect time to have a chat with him about the new book, and a few other things he's got going on.
Please check out my interview with Chris, and I promise not to shill for my blog here anymore (than necessary).
I spent most of last week down with the flu, but am feeling much better now. Just wanted to take a moment to say thanks to out neighbors at Comic Con this year, a bunch nicer people you couldn't have asked to be next to.
The people at Haunted Memories make creepy changing portraits–lenticular pictures that transform rather nice looking folks in antique photos into all sorts of undead, invisible, anthropomorphic and other assorted wonders.
I picked up a trio of pictures while there, one for myself and the other two as gifts (well received gifts). They do custom jobs as well.
On the other side were the folks at BOOM! Studios (oh the irony, BLAM! Ventures and BOOM! Studios next to each other, now if there were only a POW! Press to complete us). They get cool points for making sure our booth stayed open to traffic when their singing lines got long.
I wanted to get a chance to peruse their fare, but unfortunately my other duties called. Someday I will pick up their Farscape comics, as I miss that show and am keen to see where they took it.
Getting late and sleep calls, I will do a final wrap tomorrow with a couple of amusing pictures I took on my limited journeys around the main floor.


text:
Un elefant anomenat Vera (títol original: ) és una comèdia estatunidenca dirigida per Howard Franklin, estrenada l'any 1996. Ha estat doblada al català.

Argument
Jack Corcoran s'entera un bon matí que el seu pare, que creia mort des de feia anys, acaba de morir i li ha deixat en herència 35.000 dòlars, i una elefanta anomenada Vera. No sabent què fer d'ella, intenta desfer-se'n, prometent-la un dia a Mo, la cuidadora d'un zoo que compta enviar Vera al Sri Lanka, després a Terry, propietari d'un circ. Però per col·locar el seu « gran » paquet, ha de travessar diversos Estats, passant per Kansas City, a continuació per Nou Mèxic, fins a la seva destinació final, Los Angeles. En aquesta aventura, una relació única es lliga entra Jack i Vera.

Repartiment
 Bill Murray: Jack Corcoran
 Jeremy Piven: Walter
 Janeane Garofalo: Mo
 Pat Hingle: Vernon
 Linda Fiorentino: Terry Bonura
 Matthew McConaughey: Tip Tucker
 Keith David: Hurst
 Harve Presnell: Trowbridge Bowers
 Anita Gillette: Mamà
 Tai: Vera (l'elefanta)
 Tracey Walter: Wee St. Francis

Referències

Pel·lícules de comèdia dels Estats Units
Pel·lícules del 1996 doblades al català
Pel·lícules dels Estats Units del 1996
Pel·lícules de comèdia del 1996


text:
A New Tomorrow Starts With You
Water heater can be produced with nuclear reaction
How Your Welding Business Can Take Part in Nuclear Disarmament
Health Benefits of Steam Showers For Nuclear War Victims
Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament
Engaging People in a Sauna Instead of Suffering in a Nuclear War
Playing Air Hockey As A Therapy For Nuclear War Victims
World Nuclear News
Speech: The developing world's right to have nuclear energy
Access to affordable, technology-neutral financing is essential if energy-poor countries are to enjoy the benefits of nuclear power in the way the Western world already does, World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León told the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum today. The following is her statement to the panel titled Delivering energy access in the developing […]
Darlington unit 3 ready for disassembly
Darlington unit 3 is ready to begin the next stage of its refurbishment - disassembly - after successful separation of the reactor and its systems from the three remaining operating units at the station. Installation of the final 5-tonne section of steel bulkhead needed for the isolation was completed 10 days ahead of schedule.
Armenia plans to extend operations at Metsamor unit
Armenia plans to extend the service life of its nuclear power unit in Metsamor beyond 2026 and has not abandoned plans to build a new unit, ARKA news agency reported on 14 January, following Cabinet approval of the government's new energy strategy to 2040.
Japan, UK team up for nuclear robotics and automation research
The UK and Japan have signed a research and technology deployment collaboration agreement to help automate nuclear decommissioning and aspects of fusion energy production. The collaboration is expected to lead to new robotics and automation techniques used in Japan and the UK.
US government approves GLE restructure
A proposed restructuring of GE-Hitachi Global Laser Enrichment LLC has received the final key approval from the US government. The restructure will see Australian research and development company Silex Systems and Canadian company Cameco Corporation increase their holdings in the company to 51% and 49%, respectively.
E3 dispute Tehran's justification for uranium enrichment
Iran has no credible civilian use for uranium metal and must reverse its latest move towards increased enrichment, the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the UK - the E3 countries - said on 16 January. In response, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran said it wanted the International Atomic Energy Agency to "avoid mentioning […]
Leningrad II-2 achieves 1 TWh milestone
Unit 2 of the Leningrad II nuclear power plant in western Russia passed 1 terawatt hours of electricity production on 15 January, a milestone in its four months of pilot operation that started in November last year.
IAEA assists in securing Congolese disused radioactive sources
Two disused radioactive sources, previously used in cancer treatment, have been transported to safe and secure storage locations in the Republic of the Congo. The relocation of the sources - which are expected to be exported outside the country next year - was supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
India produces first indigenous eye cancer treatment
India's Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has developed a process to harvest medical-grade ruthenium-160, allowing the indigenous production of plaques of the material for use in eye cancer therapy. Ruthenium is a fission by-product of the nuclear reprocessing cycle.
Belarusian unit brought to 100% capacity
Unit 1 of the nuclear power plant under construction in Belarus reached 100% of its capacity on 12 January, Russia's Rosatom said yesterday. The reactor, near Ostrovets in the Grodno region of Belarus, is of the AES-2006 design, which is the latest version of the VVER-1200 and the first of its kind built outside Russia.
[email_verification]
Posted on February 15, 2017 March 26, 2020 by nucleardisarmament_zgzxic


JOHANNESBURG — Conservationists are monitoring some 200 endangered frogs that were released along South Africa's coastline after a captive-breeding program at the Johannesburg Zoo.
The release last month of the Pickersgill's reed frogs happened in KwaZulu-Natal province, where the species' wetland habitat along the Indian Ocean coast has come under severe pressure from human development.
The Endangered Wildlife Trust, a South African group, will follow the progress of the frogs, which were transported in plastic jars by road to their new homes near the city of Durban.
The Pickersgill's reed frog is about 2.5-3 centimeters (1-1.2 inches) long. The males are smaller than the females.


text:
Speaker: Conventional Attitudes Impeding Health Category Killers
Conventional assumptions about the role of supermarkets may be impeding the development of a health-oriented category killer, an industry consultant told a National Grocers Association workshop audience here.
Elliot Zwiebach | Feb 12, 2008
LAS VEGAS — Conventional assumptions about the role of supermarkets may be impeding the development of a health-oriented category killer, an industry consultant told a National Grocers Association workshop audience here. According to Art Turock, a Kirkland, Wash.-based consultant, "Supermarkets gave Whole Foods 20 years of dominance," and it's that kind of thinking that could hinder the industry from taking the lead in the push for health. He suggested supermarkets consider hiring nutritionists as sales professionals without operating responsibilities "to conduct wellness classes and educational tours; to make referrals to pharmacists and from pharmacists to dietitians; and to deal with outreach to the medical community. Ten years from now, this will be antiquated thinking." Turock said the only chain he's aware of that has staff dietitians and that charges fees for consultations is Hy-Vee, Des Moines, Iowa.
Read More of Today's Headlines


text:
Q: Is there anyway to create face recognition and detection app using iPhone X ARKit? I want to create an app where user first input his face and iPhone will capture that. Later, when the user again input his face iPhone will tell if its same real person or not. I also want to differentiate between 2D fake images and real human face? Can I do that with ARKit iPhone X or is there any-other way to do so?
I am able to detect the face but don't know how to filter 2D fake images and real face and how to match.
Can I scan face through iPhone X and save the 3D image somewhere and then later on check and match again with that same 3D image using iPhone X?
Help would be much appreciated!

A: Is it important to take a picture about the user's face, or faceID is enough?
Because you can use FaceID (or TouchID) in your app with
TJBioAuthenticaiton


The IoT continues to progress rapidly, and the results will make our futures brighter. It has grown out of just computers and expanded into the real world. Now, nearly everything is connected to the internet, from vacuum cleaners to coffee machines to toasters. Previous predictions are becoming a reality, and this intelligence of everyday objects is called the Internet of Things.
If we take a step back and examine how these devices are developed, we can easily predict what the future holds for this trend.
In the next 2-3 years, an estimated 20 billion devices will be connected to the internet. The 2016 statistics, revealed by Gartner, show that about 3.9 billion devices were connected worldwide, compared to 4.9 million devices in 2015. IoT is here to stay, and it will grow exponentially over the next few years.
When everything is connected to the Internet, the Internet roaches will try to breach systems. In October 2016, a type of new malware infected many IoT devices, including CCTV cameras and DVRs. This strain of malware was named Mirai, and it infected devices using the default username and password of each device. The malware then launched a "Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)" attack via a botnet. This attack affected many large corporation websites as well as hosting websites throughout the globe.
Open Source was the malware strain that infected the hosting services, which means the code is open source and is available for anybody to modify. The code was later modified to infect Windows and other devices connected to the Internet.
IoT won't just impact people on an individual level, in the future, it could manage companies, corporations, and even entire cities. These smart cities will eventually become possible with this technology, and companies looking to become more efficient and productive will take full advantage of IoT. Cities will use this technology to increase intelligence, manage taxes, receive data, function remotely, and monitor everything imaginable, from hospitals to government facilities.
Artificial Intelligence will become available for consumers, and you'll see more of smart homes, temperature controls, lighting controls, and automated coffee makers. Every device will adapt to your habits and have a "brain" of sorts. We already see AI in virtual assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa, but consider this at more advanced level. These devices will now record what you say and store it in the cloud to help you more effectively and eventually improve machine learning.
Machine learning is the process where devices like computers learn everything themselves, without having to be programmed by humans. Such machines only focus on the data they fetch rather than receiving data. Artificial Intelligence will help these machines grow to suit the patterns of your daily life and adjust themselves accordingly.
When it comes to IoT, there is always the risk of being breached. However, where routers are concerned, there will be improved security. Today, when routers are installed in homes, they don't usually have security levels and can be breached very easily. But with IoT becoming a reality, more efforts have been exerted recently to improve the security of routers in your home. When there are a lot of devices connected to the internet in your home, the only entry point to these is the router. When routers become more secure, all your devices will be protected. Additionally, you can imagine how scary a router breach would be.
The conventional devices today don't offer a lot of security because of the market demand to produce routers quickly, and the security is usually overlooked. These routers don't provide any additional security other than firewall or password protection, which is why the IoT is so keen to offer more protection to routers to ensure your devices are safe.


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Collier, Dangerfield Lead No. 2 UConn Past Temple 88-67
Published January 19, 2019 • Updated on January 19, 2019 at 2:31 pm
Napheesa Collier had a season-high 30 points and 12 rebounds and Crystal Dangerfield tied her career-high with 24 points to lead No. 2 UConn to an 88-67 victory over Temple on Saturday.
The Huskies (16-1, 5-0 American) have won five in a row since their lone loss, 68-57 at Baylor on Jan. 3. UConn remained undefeated in league play since joining the American Athletic Conference, improving to 106-0.
Megan Walker added 11 points and Katie Lou Samuelson had 10 for UConn. Dangerfield added nine assists.
Aliya Butts had 17 points to lead the Owls (4-13, 0-5), who lost their sixth straight.
The game originally was scheduled for Sunday but pushed up a day due to the forecasted winter storm for the Northeast.
Temple got within 66-52 early in the fourth quarter, but UConn methodically pulled away.
The Huskies, who entered leading the country with an average margin of victory of 27.8 points, won easily despite a subpar shooting performance from long range. UConn was 7 for 25 (28 percent) on 3-pointers. The Huskies led 42-25 at halftime despite missing 10 of 13 3-point tries.
Dangerfield shot 6 for 8 in the opening 20 minutes, and finished the half with a coast-to-coast layup after a UConn defensive stop to make it a 17-point game at the break.
It was the 12th straight victory over Temple for the Huskies, who improved to 12-2 all-time against the Owls. Temple coach Tonya Cardoza, who helped UConn to five national titles as an assistant coach there from 1994-2008, fell to 0-12 against the Huskies.
UConn: The Huskies return home for a pair of conference games before a highly anticipated matchup at No. 4 Louisville on Jan. 31.
Temple: The Owls will look to finish with three wins in the Philadelphia Big 5 on Wednesday at Penn. Villanova, which handed Temple its lone loss in the city series on Dec. 9, already has claimed the Big 5 title.
UConn: Host SMU Wednesday.
Temple: At Penn Wednesday.
PennsylvaniaLouisvilleassistant coachKatie Lou SamuelsonCrystal Dangerfield


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Secret Agent 009
Mrs. Renfro's 5th Grade Website
Reading Websites
Math Websites
Spelling Websites
Mrs. Johnson's Group
Mrs. Brown's Group
Secret Agent 0010
Secret Agent 21
CRCT Released TESTS
predict information based on title, topic, genre, and prior knowledge
identify and analyze main ideas, supporting ideas, and supporting details
classify, categorize, and analyze words into groups with common characteristics
identify and use homophones, synonyms, and antonyms for given words in text
interpret maps, graphs, charts, diagrams, captions, and illustrations
identify imagery, figurative language (e.g., personification, metaphor, simile, hyperbole), refrain, rhythm, and flow when responding to literature
read for a variety of purposes, including to answer literal, inferential, or evaluative questions using evidence from literary or informational text
make and defend judgments and inferences and draw conclusions about setting, characters, and events using convincing evidence from the text
analyze data presented in a graph
investigate expressions by substituting numbers for the unknown
determine and justify the mean, range, mode, and median of a set of data
compare and contrast multiple graphic representations (such as bar, circle, and line graphs) for a single set of data and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each
use variables, such as n or x, for unknown quantities in algebraic expressions
compute the volume of a cube and a rectangular prism using a formula
identify the units used in computing volume as cubic centimeters (cm¦), cubic meters (m¦), cubic inches (in¦), cubic feet (ft¦), and cubic yards (yd¦)
estimate the volume of simple geometric solids in cubic units
find multiples and factors
explain the process of multiplication and division, including situations in which the multiplier and the divisor are both whole numbers and decimal fractions
analyze the effect on the product when a number is multiplied by 10, 100, 1000, 0.1, and 0.01
model multiplication and division of common fractions
analyze and explain the relationship of the circumference of a circle, its diameter, and pi ( p ÿ 3.14)
estimate the area of fundamental geometric plane figures
use formulas to find area of polygons, including triangles and parallelograms
vary sentences by structure (declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory), order, and complexity (simple, complex, compound)
use and identify the eight parts of speech (e.g., noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective, conjunction, preposition, interjection)
identify and use subjects (simple and compound), pronouns, predicates (simple and compound), modifiers (words and prepositional phrases), adjectives and adverbs and recognize that a word performs different functions according to its position in the sentence
use and recognize correct punctuation, including semicolons, apostrophes, and quotation marks
recognize the difference between primary and secondary sources
recognize the difference in summarizing, paraphrasing, and plagiarizing
use organizational features of printed text, such as table of contents and bibliography, to locate relevant information, to obtain and organize information and thoughts
acknowledge and use appropriate resources to gather information from reference works (e.g., books, periodicals, electronic information, dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedia, atlases, almanacs, magazines, and newspapers)
select a focus, an organizational structure, and a point of view based on purpose, genre expectations, audience, length, and format requirements
exclude extraneous details and inconsistencies
lift the level of language using appropriate strategies including word choice
use commas to punctuate compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences
investigate the properties of a substance before, during and after a chemical reaction to find evidence of change
demonstrate how plants are sorted into groups
determine the role of anti-bacterial agents that promote health and well-being
demonstrate examples of physical changes by manipulating common household/classroom items (tearing or cutting paper/aluminum foil) and separating mixtures
explain the role of technology and human intervention in the control of constructive and destructive processes including seismological studies, flood control, dams, levees, and storm drain management
discuss what a gene is and the role genes play in the transfer of traits
compare and contrast the structure and function of single-celled and multi-celled organisms
identify parts of a plant cell (cell membrane, cell wall, cytoplasm, nucleus, chloroplasts) and explain the function of each
use magnifiers (microscopes, hand lenses) to observe cells and their structure
compare and contrast animal cells and plant cells
explain why scientists use classification in the study of living things
recognize that the changes in state of water (vapor/steam, liquid, ice) are due to temperature differences and are examples of a physical change
investigate common materials to determine if they are insulators or conductors
formulate logical conclusions based on experimental results using tables, charts, graphs and the scientific method
distinguish observations from ideas and speculations about those ideas
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/explorations/bug/level1/interactive.htm
Classification!!!!
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/underground_railroad/plantation.htm


ConnectionName See ConnectionName (CON) connection parameter.
Force Start See ForceStart (FORCE) connection parameter.
IdleTimeout See IdleTimeout connection property.
MatView See MatView (MATVIEW) connection parameter.
For more information about connection parameters, see Connection parameters and Connection parameters and connection strings.


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Ancient Bronze-Age Prosthetic Hand Discovered In Switzerland
By Leah Silverman
The 3,500-year-old bronze and gold foil hand has baffled archaeologists in what is one of the country's most unique finds from the Bronze Age.
Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern/Philippe JonerThe bronze hand and other items found at the site in Switzerland.
The notion of a cyborg has been alive in well in human history for millennia, or at least the discovery of a nearly-lifesized bronze cast prosthetic hand suggests.
Originally uncovered in 2017 near Lake Biel in Bern, Switzerland by treasure hunters using metal detectors, the bronze-cast hand was brought to the Bern Archaeological Service for review along with a bronze dagger and rib bone also uncovered at the site of the metal hand.
The one-pound bronze limb features a gold foil cuff around the wrist and an attachment within that reportedly would have allowed the cast to be mounted. Radiocarbon dating was done on the glue attaching the foil to the wrist, placing the artifact from around 1,400 and 1,500 B.C. or the middle Bronze Age.
Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern/Philippe JonerThe one-pound bronze hand with gold foil.
"We had never seen anything like it," said Andrea Schaer, head of the Ancient History and Roman Archeology Department at the Bern Archaeological Service of the 3,500-year-old hand. "We weren't sure if it was authentic or not – or even what it was."
"It may have been this man's insignia," Schaer continued, "and when he died it was buried with him." She posited that the hand could have been a replacement for one he lost while alive, though the prosthetic appeared too delicate to have been for practical use.
Alternatively, the hand could have been on a statue, mounted on a stick like a scepter, or worn as a prosthetic as part of a ritual.
The find encouraged Schaer to lead a team back to the site of its burial for further artifacts. For seven weeks, the team excavated the area which was actually a badly-damaged grave, located on a plateau above Lake Biel near the tiny village of Prêles in Switzerland.
Here they found the bones of a middle-aged man, a long bronze pin, a bronze spiral likely intended to be a hair tie, and fragments of gold foil which matched those on the bronze hand. A broken finger of the bronze hand was also recovered in the grave which suggests that the hand was originally buried with the man.
The discovery is absolutely unique as metal objects in Bronze Age burials are rare. Further, gold is almost never found in Bronze Age burials in Switzerland. The find is believed to certainly be unique in Europe.
"The fact that we know of thousands of Bronze Age graves and have never found anything like this shows it's pretty special," Stefan Hochuli, head of the Department of Monument Preservation and Archaeology said. "It gives us a glimpse into the spiritual world of this society – and it's a lot more complex than we often think."
Next up, check out this Bronze-age discovery of a 3,000-year-old sword that was still sharp. Then, read up on these fascinating facts about Vikings.
Leah Silverman
Leah is the Assistant Editor for All That's Interesting. Her work has appeared in Town & Country, Women's Health, Esquire, and Publishers Weekly.
La Noche Triste: When The Aztecs Almost Thwarted A Spanish Takeover
How Audie Murphy Went From Fending Off 200 Nazis By Himself To Becoming A Hollywood Star
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Ashland Craft Releases New Single "Two Wildflowers and a Box of Wine" (Listen)
Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Carrie Underwood & More Among Finalists for the 2016 American Country Countdown Awards
Juliet Schroder April 6, 2016, 2:01 pm
The finalists for the 2016 American Country Countdown Awards are finally here!
It has been revealed that country superstar Luke Bryan dominates the list with seven category nods, followed by newcomer Sam Hunt with five, Thomas Rhett and Zac Brown Band each with four, and Florida Georgia Line with three. A Thousand Horses, Blake Shelton, Cam, Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay, Jana Kramer, Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne, Chris Janson, Chris Stapleton, Garth Brooks, Karen Fairchild, Kenny Chesney, Little Big Town, Michael Ray, and Miranda Lambert also received nods.
In addition to the finalists, it was announced that Carrie Underwood has been added to the performance lineup for the evening, joining previously announced finalists Florida Georgia Line and Thomas Rhett.
The 2016 American Country Countdown Awards will air live from the "Fabulous" Forum on Sunday, May 1st @ 8PM ET/PT on FOX.
Below are the finalists for the 2016 AMERICAN COUNTRY COUNTDOWN AWARDS:
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR
BREAKTHROUGH MALE OF THE YEAR
BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE OF THE YEAR
BREAKTHROUGH GROUP/DUO OF THE YEAR
"Stay A Little Longer" – Brothers Osborne
"Home Alone Tonight" – Luke Bryan featuring Karen Fairchild
"Strip It Down" – Luke Bryan
"Die A Happy Man" – Thomas Rhett
"Storyteller" – Carrie Underwood
"Traveller" – Chris Stapleton
"Kill The Lights" – Luke Bryan
"Montevallo" – Sam Hunt
"Jekyll + Hyde" – Zac Brown Band
DIGITAL SONG OF THE YEAR
"Girl Crush" – Little Big Town
"Kick The Dust Up" – Luke Bryan
DIGITAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
"Anything Goes" – Florida Georgia Line
"Tangled Up" – Thomas Rhett
TOURING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
American Country Countdown Awards
Previous article CMA Fest Announces National Anthem Singers and Opening Acts
Next article Pepsi SpringJam Welcomes ACM Winners & Performers in Panama City Beach This Weekend
Kelsea Ballerini Wins Big at the 2016 Radio Disney Music Awards + the 2016 American Country Countdown Awards
2016 American Country Countdown Awards – Full Winners' List!
2016 American Country Countdown Awards – Best and Worst Dressed!
2016 American Country Countdown Awards – Red Carpet Arrivals
#FBF: Our Favorite ACCA Moments – See What Made The List!
CMA Fest Announces National Anthem Singers and Opening Acts
Pepsi SpringJam Welcomes ACM Winners & Performers in Panama City Beach This Weekend


text:
package org.apache.druid.server.coordinator.rules;

import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonCreator;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonProperty;
import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableMap;
import org.apache.druid.client.DruidServer;
import org.apache.druid.timeline.DataSegment;
import org.joda.time.DateTime;
import org.joda.time.Interval;

import java.util.Map;
import java.util.Objects;

/**
 */
public class ForeverLoadRule extends LoadRule
{
  private final Map<String, Integer> tieredReplicants;

  @JsonCreator
  public ForeverLoadRule(
      @JsonProperty("tieredReplicants") Map<String, Integer> tieredReplicants
  )
  {
    this.tieredReplicants = tieredReplicants == null ? ImmutableMap.of(DruidServer.DEFAULT_TIER, DruidServer.DEFAULT_NUM_REPLICANTS) : tieredReplicants;
    validateTieredReplicants(this.tieredReplicants);
  }

  @Override
  @JsonProperty
  public String getType()
  {
    return "loadForever";
  }

  @Override
  @JsonProperty
  public Map<String, Integer> getTieredReplicants()
  {
    return tieredReplicants;
  }

  @Override
  public int getNumReplicants(String tier)
  {
    Integer retVal = tieredReplicants.get(tier);
    return (retVal == null) ? 0 : retVal;
  }

  @Override
  public boolean appliesTo(DataSegment segment, DateTime referenceTimestamp)
  {
    return true;
  }

  @Override
  public boolean appliesTo(Interval interval, DateTime referenceTimestamp)
  {
    return true;
  }

  @Override
  public boolean equals(Object o)
  {
    if (this == o) {
      return true;
    }
    if (o == null || getClass() != o.getClass()) {
      return false;
    }
    ForeverLoadRule that = (ForeverLoadRule) o;
    return Objects.equals(tieredReplicants, that.tieredReplicants);
  }

  @Override
  public int hashCode()
  {
    return Objects.hash(tieredReplicants);
  }
}


text:
Subscriber Support
Lawsuit: Former Providence priest trafficked children for sex
Brian Amaral Journal Staff Writer bamaral44
Feb 27, 2020 at 4:50 PM Feb 27, 2020 at 10:15 PM
And, the suit says, the Diocese actively thwarted efforts to stop the predator priest, instead giving him a new assignment, to St. Martha Church in East Providence.
A priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence trafficked children for sex, using the guise of international charitable work to prey on boys at orphanages in Haiti and rectories in Rhode Island, a lawsuit filed Thursday says.
The diocese and its defenders looked the other way and actively thwarted efforts to stop the predator priest, the suit says. In one instance, a parishioner who later became associated with the diocese's legal counsel reported leaving a party at a rectory because he was made uncomfortable by the presence of boys, some dressed in diapers, according to the suit.
And even today, the diocese continues to blithely minimize the toll of child sexual abuse, the suit says, such as when a West Warwick parish priest said recently that "pedophilia doesn't kill anyone."
The allegations are laid out in a complaint filed Thursday in Superior Court, Providence, against the diocese, Bishop Thomas Tobin, retired Bishop Louis Gelineau, and St. Joseph Church in Providence.
Reached Thursday, Gelineau declined to comment, citing his advanced age — he turns 92 in May — and frail health. He would not be able to analyze the issues or recall facts enough to make a comment, he said.
The diocese did not respond immediately to a request for comment sent after 4 p.m. Thursday.
The plaintiff, Robert Houllahan, a 51-year-old Providence resident, says he was molested as a child by the Rev. Normand Demers — who received the "protection and affirmative assistance" of the diocese and its leaders, the suit said. Houllahan is represented by attorney Timothy J. Conlon, who has represented numerous other priest-abuse victims.
Houllahan himself does not say he was trafficked to the United States for sex, but said he saw children from Central America when he was brought upstairs to Demers' private quarters in the rectory of St. Joseph in Providence. Houllahan was molested there by two men, Demers and an unidentified person, the suit says.
Demers, who died in 2018, was included last year in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence's list of clergy who it deemed had been "credibly accused" of sexually abusing minors.
Demers was removed from ministry in 2002, more than a decade after the diocese became aware he'd been accused of misconduct with minors at an orphanage in Haiti. He continued to serve as a Rhode Island priest despite the allegation, until a letter accusing him of sexual abuse at Fatima Hospital surfaced in 2002, according to Journal archives.
The suit says Demers was involved with foreign missions that had been described as "orphanages" or "schools," but that were in fact known to the diocese as a source of child sexual-abuse victims both within the country and outside the country.
He brought child victims into the country as "sponsored" students and housed them on property supplied by the diocese and its leaders, the suit says. He also shared a child victim with at least one other predator, the suit says.
Demers used parish property to house boys, keeping between three and six with him and "sending back" at least one of them who rebuffed his sexual advances, the suit says.
But when people tried to report Demers' conduct to the diocese, all its leaders did was protect their own, the suit said.
In 1989, for instance, a woman went to Haiti to become the new director of an orphanage and school that Demers had helped establish. She soon became concerned, though, because a teenage boy was sleeping in Demers' room. Once she started working with the boys, she learned he was a "threat" to them.
The boys reported that he used clothes brought from Rhode Island as an excuse to undress and then molest them, the suit says.
She went to the police there, and Demers was arrested and held.
But then-Auxiliary Bishop Kenneth Angell, at the direction of then-Bishop Gelineau, promised the director that if she cooperated in dropping the charges against Demers, he'd be brought back stateside to "face this," the suit alleges.
Based on the promises that Demers would be investigated, prosecuted and punished on his return, she signed a document allowing him to be released.
Demers not only faced no immediate consequences when he came back to Rhode Island, he received a new assignment at St. Martha Church in East Providence in 1990. He denied the allegations when they surfaced in 2002.
Civil litigation has helped expose the extent of past sexual abuse, Houllahan's suit says. But he also takes aim at the diocese and its leaders for more current statements, like the West Warwick priest, the Rev. Richard Bucci, who told WJAR that, unlike abortion, "pedophilia doesn't kill anyone." He later backtracked from those comments, but they're cited in the lawsuit.
Pedophilia can, in fact, be deadly, the suit notes; multiple victims of clergy sexual abuse in Rhode Island and throughout the country have died by suicide.
"The long-term effects of abuse can have generational costs — first in terms of the costs of treatment and injury to the victims, but secondarily in the destruction to the lives of the victim's parents and other childhood family members, and thereafter to the victim's spouses and children," the suit says.
bamaral@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: bamaral44
providencejournal.com ~ 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902 ~ Do Not Sell My Personal Information ~ Cookie Policy ~ Do Not Sell My Personal Information ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service ~ Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy


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<?

/**
 * Signals that a method has been invoked at an illegal or inappropriate time.
 * @package    ab
 * @subpackage base
 */
class IllegalStateException extends ABException {}
?>


Whew! Sorry for the blog lull, folks! My husband and I went on a much-needed vacation and I haven't been too eager to plop back down in front of the ol' computer since getting home! Once you take a break its hard to get back into the swing of things, no?? Well, at this time of year most folks are graduated, and so is this guy! This is a session I have been wanting to share but just haven't had the chance until now. TJ just graduated from Baylor University and is heading to law school at SMU (smarty pants!)! He's a great guy and we had a lot of fun strolling around Waco. All the best to you TJ, thanks for being such a great sport!


How to restore fluid responsiveness?
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How to implement the brain protective ventilation?
How to screen for lesions?
Prophylactic antiplatelet therapy for TBI patients: is it needed?
Big Data Integration and Analytics at Acute Care Setting: Why It Matters?
Are there better predictors for guiding VA-ECMO weaning?
Which is better for cardiogenic shock: VA-ECMO or Impella?
LV unloading on VA ECMO: When and How?
Drive pressure: an alternative indicator of transpulmonary pressure?
Non-ARDS patients: is driving pressure important?
How to set APRV when running ECMO?
High-flow nasal oxygen therapy: comfort is key!
Ventilator nebulization therapy: When? What? How?
Early enteral nutrition in critically ill patients: how early is it?
How do PPIs work in ICU?
Early nutritional support for shock patients: still early?
Permissive underfeeding: is your patient hungry?
What are the differences of sepsis between patients with immunodeficiency and normal host?
Long-term mortality of critically ill patients: what are the determinants?
How to develop critical care where family members take part in?
How to determine the sensitive indicators of ICU care quality?
How to standardize subglottic secretion drainage?
How to carry out ICU transitional care?
How is the implementation of blood glucose management led by nurses?
ICU aspiration management, how to do it?
Cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation dominated by nurses, how to implement?
How is the implementation of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation led by nurses?
Fluid Responsiveness monitoring - What does a nurse do?
How to carry out quality research?
Stress injury care for critically ill patients: what can the guideline tell us?
Practice guidelines for sedation and analgesia management: what is the point?
Open ICU: can we achieve it?
Risk factors of ARDS: preventable or not?
ARDS: is there any cure for medication?
Focus on Hot Topics-Topic 1: The mortality of sepsis and septic shock has decreased, what else can we do?
How to regulate immune function in patients with sepsis?
Should ECMO be carried out more earlier?
Do we need protect the lung during ECMO?
Should fluid therapy be first?
Vascular tension-directed fluid therapy: yes or no?
The function of vitamin on critically ill patients: small role, but big function.
Real-world clinical research: empirical medicine or evidence-based medicine?
How to improve clinicians' compliance with best clinical evidence?
Demanding patient or family satisfaction?


Realtors from reputable firms can be trustworthy most of the time. However, that doesn't mean that they are telling you everything you need to know as a seller or as a buyer.
1. The best properties are sometimes not listed.
There is what realtors call the "reservation system" where the really good properties are directly offered to wealthy buyers before putting them on the market. Sometimes, the realtors would advise sellers to wait for a possible negotiation before putting the property in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) database because this usually gives them higher commission but lower marketing expense.
This "reservation system" is the reason why we exist. As a property finder and real estate agents, www.li-realestatefinder.com helps to list all the best options for buyers and find the best realtor for the job.
2. A property may not be as valuable as the seller thinks it is.
An experienced realtor would easily know a real estate's real value with just one inspection. Sometimes, the address gives it all.
However, most realtors won't tell sellers that their houses are not as valuable as they think they are for two reasons. First, they don't want to offend the sellers, especially if the hard-earned properties have a lot of precious memories with them. Second, they don't want to lose the sellers as clients. Most of the time, realtors would wait for the signing first before breaking the news to the sellers.
The good news is that they would still tell the sellers the truth at some point in the process of marketing. Whether the sellers will take it lightly or not is the big problem.
3. Realtors are mandated by law to report major property issues to buyers.
It's included in their legal obligations when they were given license by the state. Any problems about the real estate they are selling, whether personally discovered or declared by the seller, should be reported to all buyers. This is good news for buyers, but definitely not for sellers and realtors. Obviously, problems can push prices down, which give realtors lower commissions.
It's hard to go around this violation if a buyer doesn't know that there is a violation to begin with. Hence, all buyers should be vigilant. The information we provide in this website are intended for that reason.
4. All offers should be recorded in black and white.
Every offer a buyer makes should be put on paper for formality and disclosure. Some realtors think that this is an unnecessary step since the information would be passed on to the seller anyway. So, why bother writing down and printing every step of the negotiation? It's because any problem that emerges as the negotiation pushes through usually requires documentary support. It doesn't hurt to be too safe, does it?
5. Commissions are not untouchable.
Normally, commissions are not even talked about between a realtor and buyer. In fact, the commission is none of the buyer's concern. This is a matter between the seller and the realtor.
However, for the sake of transparency, a buyer should know that realtors could always change their commission rate if they want to. In fact, many of them do it to close deals of a lifetime or please special and loyal clients.
In the real estate industry, a lowered commission is still far better than a lost commission. When both the seller and buyer are adamant on their prices, sometimes, it is the realtor that gets in between to meet the price, even if it means giving up half of his commission. This is usually the case for properties that have been in the market with no prospective buyers for a long time. It's only natural that a realtor would immediately jump on the opportunity that rarely happens.
6. Realtors are not financial advisers.
If you think that heeding a realtor's advice regarding investments is a smart move, it shows how gullible you can be out there. Realtors are trained and licensed to sell, not give financial advice. As a matter of fact, many of them have no idea about financial management at all.
They are more on the negotiation part. They know how to convince people. They know how to pamper their clients. They know the properties they are selling and the real estate industry they are moving around. However, they are not experts when it comes to making your money grow. Managing a property is also the job of property managers.
7. Seventy percent of show requests go unanswered.
Seven out of 10 people who inquire about a listed property do not get the answer they need. You are very lucky if you always belong to the 30%.
Realtors are busy negotiating with buyers and arranging selling terms and prices with sellers. They have a queue of buyers from which they can get commissions, so a request usually falls on deaf ears.
Most realtors prioritize clients who they think are really serious in buying. These are the ones who make a call during office hours and talk to the realtor in person. Why would a realtor entertain faceless inquirers if he has a lot of potential buyers stepping in right into his office?


text:
<!DOCTYPE html>

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						jQuery/Bootstrap App Drawer 15/08/2016

What a crazy year it's been. When I put the "more content coming soon" spiel on my homepage, I did not expect that
							"soon" would take so long. A lot has happened in the past year, including a new job in an old city!

A few months ago, I was tasked with creating an easy way for our users to navigate between our district's many different
							web apps. I took some inspiration from the content drawers that most people are used to seeing on various Microsoft
							and Google sites.

							I was quite happy with the result -- below are some examples of how it turned out and how it works, and you can check out
							the Github repo
							here.

					WP8 and the Web 28/02/2015

During my tenure at Microsoft, I was developing primarily with C#; but, on occasion, some aspect of the project would
							involve a bit of web development. I've been adding to my MySpace HTML knowledge with bits and pieces of JavaScript,
							and rudimentary understandings of a few of the "cool" frameworks and libraries like AngularJS, EmberJS, and Bootstrap.
							The thing about bits and pieces, though, is that they're not useful without context. And that brings me back to the
							here and now: I want to create a Windows Phone application for AngelList job-hunting, and I have no idea how to work
							with an external API.

So here I am at the AngelList API start page trying to register my new application. I get really creative with the
							name of my app (AngelJobs), I ignore the other two fields, and I hit "register." That didn't work, and I see this
							now:

Ughhh. I don't know what they're asking for here. I'm writing my app for Windows Phone, not for web! I'll use a C#
							JSON serializer, write a couple of customized GETs and POSTs, and I should be good, right? Not understanding what
							I'm doing, I fill both fields in with some random info so that I can just register the damn thing.

Time-jump ahead a couple of hours after wrestling with Visual Studio to get a new MVVMLight WP8.1 project set up and
							navigating properly (future blog post on that) and I now have a super basic wireframe to work with. I wire up a button
							linking to a new .xaml page containing a native WebBrowser content panel, which I initialize with the the following
							command:

I hook up my Lumia 920 and deploy the app, and after pressing my super snazzy login button, I get the AngelList OAuth
							page to pop up and ask me for permissions and my login information!

Awesome!

...But wait...

I used a fake Callback URL when I registered this application. Specifically, I had created a dummy page on my personal
							domain host and added some dummy text to it. Turns out this is what a callback does:

-_______-

Now I feel like the dummy. In any case, I know that at this point I'm decently close to figuring out how to get my
							application to log in. Time for bed now, though. More on the next page.

I sit back down in front of Visual Studio the next evening, and though the UX designer in me is tempted to start hacking
							away at beautifying the tiny bit of app that I have so far I know that I need to figure out what this callback stuff
							is all about.

Because I'm using phone:WebBrowser to make the initial API URL call, I can't see the navigation bar that
							I would normally see using native Windows Phone IE. As far as I know, the AngelList API just had the WebBrowser control
							navigate to the dummy URL I'd used when registering my app. It isn't until I try copy/pasting the full authorization
							URL into an InPrivate browser on my desktop that I see what is actually happening. I enter my AngelList account information
							on the new OAuth page and click "Log in and Allow" once more.

EUREKA!!

I don't know why I didn't try using the desktop browser sooner, but now I know my "dummy" URL from before is actually
							doing something! Now I can write some simple code-behind to grab the response code from the callback URL, and POST
							my application's OAuth credentials to receive an access token.

Finally, as confirmed by a double-check with Postman,
							my response variable is now populated with a JSON array containing the access_token. From here, I'll
							use this token to make GET requests to the AngelList Jobs API to populate a template view on the MainPage							of my app.


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Why You Should Be Making 6-Second Video Ads in 2018
By Shutterstock | October 10, 2017
It's no secret video has become one of the most effective and popular digital marketing techniques in recent years. But with increasing competition for eyeballs, brands are turning to shorter, snackable video content to capture viewers' attention in six seconds or less.
The shift towards short-form video advertising content is also being recognized by technology and social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Google. In an earnings call earlier this year, Facebook executives Sheryl Sandberg and Mark Zuckerberg stated their intentions to overhaul video advertising on the platform, including a greater focus on short-form ads.
"Video advertising all comes down to your audience — and younger audiences want shorter, snackable content to engage with multiple times per day, across multiple channels," observes Andy Halko, CEO of digital-branding agency Insivia.
Beyond reaching younger demographics, Facebook's move is also about competing more effectively for consumers' attention in a saturated digital advertising marketplace.
Here's why you should take a cue from the move and make super-short six-second ads in 2018, along with some examples to inspire your next video shoot.
Short form captures younger audiences
According to Halko, brands need to craft videos that are impactful and memorable to younger viewers outright — but that's not all. Brands also need to be mindful that their ads will be viewed across multiple devices, apps, and social media platforms like Snapchat.
Corona's six-second "Jump Splash" bumper ad is a great example of bite-size content that jumps off the screen no matter which device it's viewed on. The ad features stunning visuals, combined with a fun vibe that focuses not just on consuming a product — beer, in this case — on the experiences that come with it.
Corona is perhaps best known for its long-form ads (sometimes called hero ads) on television, with a similar sensibility as "Jump Splash." Corona is a brand associated with hanging out on the beach, traveling, and living a care-free life — things that appeal to young people. However, many of its intended clientele are cord-cutters who don't usually watch TV.
Using digital media channels like Facebook and YouTube helps Corona communicate its values to millennial consumers.
It's a good illustration of how businesses can leverage long-form ads they're running on traditional media channels like TV, and tie them in with short-form digital content that reaches a younger demographic.
Short form content can be utilized cross-platform
One of the best parts of the six-second format is that longer ads can be segmented or repurposed into shorter videos for different channels like Instagram or Snapchat.
Baseball is a numbers game. Especially for @bharper3407. But no number sounds as good as this… #ItComesFromBelow
A post shared by Under Armour (@underarmour) on Jul 11, 2016 at 6:22am PDT
Take Under Armour's recent "It Comes from Below" campaign, with this six-second ad featuring baseball star Bryce Harper.
The Harper ad was repurposed from a longer ad that Under Armour produced for Instagram, and integrated with a larger "It Comes from Below" campaign featuring other superstar athletes like Steph Curry and Cam Newton. They even took the short-form aspect of the campaign even further, vowing to produce a three-second Steph Curry video ad for every three-pointer he made in last year's NBA playoffs.
So, if you've already invested in long-form video ads, analyze them and think about how some of the content can be repurposed into various mini videos. It's a great way to boost your video ad presence on mediums like Instagram and Snapchat without having to spend more money on additional video production.
Short form can tell a longer brand story
One of the reasons that brands like Under Armour are repurposing long-form content into very short videos is because consumers are developing a lower tolerance for interruptive ads. But that doesn't mean you have to develop multiple six-second story arcs to meet these evolving digital demands.
"Instead of watching a two-minute video or a full episode once a week or month, now in a single day consumers have multiple engagement points of short content," says Halko. "Over time, these combine to tell a larger story."
Take KFC's recent short-form "Unboxing" campaign for the Malaysian market, in which a new menu item's release was promoted using a six-second ad inspired by movie trailers. The short teaser ads were presented as a series, finally leading to the big reveal: The new Super Jimat meal.
The KFC "Unboxing" ad is just one example of how brands can use short-form video to build up anticipation for a new product and serialize videos to tell a larger story.
Are 6-second ads right for you?
Ad Age reported over the summer that a test done by Tropicana and Facebook, for which the juice company made ads of varying lengths to show on the social platform (6, 30 and 45 seconds). The test revealed that the six-second ads performed the best, leading to better consumer recall and brand recognition.
Halko also cites the benefit of using short-form video in terms of gathering and analyzing customer data to better determine their preferences. Brands can use six-second ads to A/B test certain variables in their products, branding, or messaging to pin down what their customers like — and what they don't.
"This is the power of short-form content, when it's combined with data analysis. Whether it's Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, smart consumers and users curate their feeds carefully," he explains.
In the end, though, there are certain universal truths that apply to the six-second ad format that businesses need to be aware of to be able to use the format to its full potential, says Halko. "It's the brands that find unique ways to tell stories with short media that will win. Creativity, cross-channel integration, and purpose are still key — no matter the length."
Even if you think your brand's story is too long and complex for a six-second ad, you shouldn't dismiss the format. Map out the story you want to tell, and break it down into smaller chunks to that it's easily digestible for today's distraction-prone digital consumer.
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Mark your calendars for September 22, 2017, for the inaugural MAAR Cup benefiting the MAAR Benevolent Fund, hosted by Windyke Country Club. The MAAR Cup will feature both golf and tennis tournaments with spaces for 34 teams of golfers and 48 tennis doubles teams.
Established in 1994, the MAAR Benevolent Fund provides financial assistance to MAAR members and their families due to prolonged illness, catastrophic occurrence, or accident. A committee is responsible for promoting the existence of the Fund and coordinating any special fund-raising projects. The MAAR Benevolent Fund is one of only 15 of its kind at REALTOR® Associations nationwide, and achieved tax exempt status in July of 2011.


text:
Islamic Foundation Markfield, Leicestershire, UK
November 03 through November 10, 2014
The Mayor of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Councillor Jeffrey Bannister, opened the exhibition at The Islamic Foundation in Markfield on Tuesday, November 4th, 2014. Entitled "Tolerance, Understanding, Coexistence: Oman's Message of Islam," the exhibition was held in recognition of the UN International Day for Tolerance and showcased the diverse range of religious beliefs held in the Muslim-majority Oman.
Farooq Murad, Director of the Islamic Foundation said that the theme of the exhibition fits in perfectly with the work of the Islamic Foundation over the last 40 years. Batool Al-Toma of the New Muslims Project highlighted humanity's need to create a community and how the very essence of this community can be seen in Oman through the freedom of spiritual expression.
It was the first visit for the Mayor and his consort, Mayoress Mrs. Tricia Bannister to the Foundation, and the Mayor commented that it is "an asset not just to the Borough of Hinckley and Bosworth, not just to England or the United Kingdom, but it is a fantastic asset for the rest of the world."
Dr. Abdullah Al-Mamari from The Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs in Oman travelled to the UK to be at the opening of the exhibition. He shared a brief history of Islam in Oman and the importance of religious coexistence within the country, and thanked the Islamic Foundation for hosting the exhibition. Dr. Abdullah said in his address: "There is nothing better than to spread messages of peace and goodwill to all people. It is our strong belief that peace and stability only can be realised today in any society through dialogue and understanding."
The Islamic Foundation, established in 1973, is a unique and pioneering institution specialising in the fields of research, education and publication. Since its inception the Islamic Foundation has strived towards building bridges between the Muslim community and the rest of society by creating a better understanding between communities through greater awareness about each other.


This product need no description, just the word is enough to bring water in everyone's mouth. GiftJaipur only delivers products made in Desi Ghee. To send these samosa, minimum amount of your order should be of 300 Rs.


The Descendants is a 2011 comedy-drama film based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings.
The Descendants stars George Clooney, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard and Shailene Woodley and it was released in the United States on November 18, 2011. It is directed by Alexander Payne, with a screenplay by Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash.
The Descendants screened at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.
MOVIE2K MOVIES – DOWNLOAD AND WATCH 'THE DESCENDANTS' ONLINE!!
The Descendants opens with a shot of a woman riding in a sport motorboat in Hawaii shortly before the credits roll and Matt King (George Clooney) narrates. Matt is a wealthy lawyer descended from Hawaiian royalty and white missionaries. He is the sole trustee of 25,000 acres of untouched land on the island of Kauai'i, passed down from his ancestors. The trust will expire in seven years, and the family has decided to sell the land to Dan Hollitzer for development. Just as the family agrees on the deal and moves to sign, Matt's wife Elizabeth is in a boating accident and rendered comatose. King explains how ridiculous it is that his friends on the mainland think Hawaii is a paradise when Matt has been living in a "paradise" full of UV and urination bags by her bedside. It is now clear that the woman in the opening shot is, in fact, Matt's wife.
Matt and Elizabeth have two daughters, 10 year old Scottie (Amara Miller) and 17 year old Alex (Shailene Woodley). The elder attends boarding school on Oahu. Matt is not very close with them and has spent very little time with them over the years. With Elizabeth in the hospital, Matt is forced to confront Scottie's swearing and bullying and Alex's alcohol problems. Matt learns that Elizabeth will not be waking up from her coma. Matt tells Alex, but not Scottie, that Elizabeth is not coming out of her coma. He tells her they will need to go around and tell friends and family about what is going on. Alex refuses and bluntly tells her father that Elizabeth was having an affair at the time of the accident. Matt is shaken and frantically jogs to the home of his and Elizabeth's friends: Kai and Mark. Matt confronts them and demands information on his wife's extramarital affair. Kai is reluctant to reveal anything and Matt angrily berates her and tells her that Elizabeth is going to be taken off of life support. Kai begins to cry and Matt leaves. Mark follows his outside and tells him the name of Elizabeth's lover is Brian Speer. Matt leaves and cries on the side of a road.
Back at home Matt goes to tell Alex to get ready to go see her grandparents. He is surprised to see that Alex has a visitor: Sid (Nick Krause). Alex insists that Sid come with them and Matt grudgingly allows it. At Elizabeth's parents' house, Matt's father in law Scott (Robert Forster) berates Matt and Alex and tells them that they put Elizabeth through hell. He punches Sid in the face after he laughs at Elizabeth's mother, who suffers from dementia. On their way home Alex spots a real estate sign with a picture of Speer. Matt calls the number and finds out that Brian is on vacation. Matt, Alex, Sid, and Scottie travel to Kauai'i to search for him.
After a day or two relaxing and bonding on Kauai'i, Matt is jogging on the beach he passes a man that he realizes is Brian Speer. Matt trails him and sees him enter a cottage where his wife and two children are waiting. The cottage is owned by one of Matt's cousins Hugh (Beau Bridges). Matt later speaks with Brian's wife Julie (Judy Greer) while her children are swimming. He learns that Brian is a friend of his cousin's and has something to do with the land deal. Later, cousin Hugh tells him that Brian is Don Holitzer's brother in law and if Matt and his family decide to sell the land to Holitzer, Brian Speer is the one who stands to gain a fortune from commissions. Matt is shocked by this and decides to confront Brian Speer at the cottage. Matt confronts Brian while Alex distracts Julie.
When they arrive, Matt introduces himself as Elizabeth's husband. Matt tells him that he isn't there to cause any harm, just to let Brian know that Elizabeth is going to die in a few days and that he just wants to give him a chance to say goodbye. Brian says he loves his wife and his family and that he is truly sorry for everything. It is clear to Matt that Brian was having an affair with Elizabeth in order to get closer to him, seeing as he is the sole trustee of the land. Matt asks if Elizabeth ever told Brian she loved him. He nods his head. Matt exits the cottage and prepares to leave, but in a spontaneous moment kisses Julie. Matt, Alex, Scottie, and Sid are next seen on a plane going home, at which time Matt acknowledges the fact that Scottie is still unaware of her mother's condition.
Back at home, Matt is at the meeting with his cousins, including Hugh, to vote on what will become of the 25,000 acres. As expected, the majority vote for Don Holitzer. Just as Matt is about to sign the papers, he has second thoughts and decides to keep the land. Shocked, Hugh threatens Matt and tells him that he and the other cousins will come after him.
At the hospital, Elizabeth is close to dying. Everyone says goodbye and a surprise visitor arrives. It is Julie Speer, now fully aware of the affair between Elizabeth and her husband. Julie begins to cry and stands over Elizabeth saying that she has to forgive her even though she wants to hate her for destroying her family. Matt tells Julie to leave. Alex and Scottie say their final goodbyes. Matt kisses Elizabeth one last time, and says "goodbye my love, my friend, my pain, my joy, goodbye" as tears roll down his face. Some time later Matt, Alex, and Scottie are in a small boat scattering Elizabeth's ashes in the ocean.
The final shot in The Descendants shows Matt, now a single parent, with Alex and Scottie on the couch watching TV and eating ice cream as the credits roll.
The Descendants began its on-location shoot in Hawaii on March 15, 2010. Post-production began on June 14, and continued into February 2011. The film was originally scheduled to have a limited release on December 16, 2011 but was moved to November 23, 2011 and then November 18, 2011. The soundtrack exclusively uses Hawaiian music, featuring artists including Gabby Pahinui, Ray Kane, Keola Beamer, Lena Machado, Sonny Chillingworth, Jeff Peterson, and Reverend Dennis Kamakahi.
The Descendants has received widespread critical acclaim.
The Descendants scored an approval rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus "Funny, moving, and beautifully acted, The Descendants captures the unpredictable messiness of life with eloquence and uncommon grace." On Metacritic, the film scored an 84 based on 42 critics, indicating universal acclaim.
Roger Ebert gave The Descendants a perfect four star rating. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone also gave the film a full four star rating, his second of the year, proclaiming the movie a near masterpiece. George Clooney and Shailene Woodley have both received acclaim for their performances.


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The history of presidential transitions
Director of the White House Transition Project, Martha Kumar discusses the history of presidential transitions. Kumar outlines how the Presidential Transition Act changed transition planning, the importance of White House design for a successful first year in office and talks about the best—and worst—presidential transitions.
Read the highlights:
Dave: What advice do you have for second–term planning?
Martha: "It's important to think through what you want in the second term, because second terms have not been historically successful. Think about how it gives you an opportunity for a new start and what kinds of items you can actually get passed."
"The second term is very different than the first because in the first term you have a new agenda lined up as you come in. In a second term, you're basically left with leftovers from the first administration of things you couldn't get through."
Dave: The transition used to be much longer. The election was held in November, and presidents used to be inaugurated in March. But in 1933, that law changed, and Eisenhower was the first president who had a shortened transition [with his inauguration] in January. Now, it's about 73, 74 days. Why was that transition period shortened?
Martha: "The transition period shortened, one, because travel and information are moving much faster now. With the kind of vulnerabilities that you have in the period of changing presidents, it's important that it's long enough to get policy and personnel in order, but not too long. In fact, if you look at President George W. Bush, his transition was only 37 days, but they had done so much work beforehand preparing for it that they were able to come in and have a very smooth beginning."
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I was in the Norfolk/Portsmouth area on business and decided to extend my stay after I was done working. I drove about a half hour east and settled into Virginia Beach for a few days. Of course (as I do wherever I go) I did a little research to see if there were any wineries in the area I wanted to visit. With the weather being sunny and absolutely beautiful, I decided to drive out to the Eastern Shore of Virginia for a day trip. The Eastern Shore is a sliver of a peninsula with the Chesapeake Bay on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. Part of the fun in getting there is driving through the 23-mile long Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel. Be sure to get out and take a few pictures before driving through the tunnel. I also took some photos while driving through (yes, I was the passenger).
On the drive there, we stopped to have lunch at Aqua Restaurant in Cape Charles. The restaurant is part of the Kings Creek Marina & Resort complex and offers a wide variety of seafood. We sat outside on the patio surrounded by water. The views were stunning and I could have sat there all day…but there was Virginia wine to taste.
After lunch, the first stop was to Chatham Vineyards. The land on which the winery sits overlooks Church Creek, after which some of the wines are named. The family produces wine from a variety of grapes (mostly reds), but my favorite was the Cabernet Franc, which had a bit of Merlot and Petit Verdot blended in. I also really enjoyed the Church Creek Vintner's blend, which was a Bordeaux-style wine with a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. I couldn't wait to get these home to pair with a nice juicy steak, though they certainly could be drank on their own.
The next stop was Holly Grove. We really had a great visit with the owner here. He was so enthusiastic and provided a great overview of his winemaking process. We tasted the slate of wines, which included some sweet wines, but the Merlot is what shined for me.
This was the other winery in this particular AVA and we'd planned to visit but ran out of time. If you're in the area, give it a go. If it's as fun and charming as the other two wineries we visited, it will be time well spent.


text:
Lindows CEO funds Xbox hacking contest
Michael Robertson acknowledges that he was the anonymous donor of $200,000 in prize money in a contest to translate the Linux operating system to Microsoft's game console.
David Becker
Jan. 2, 2003 2:45 p.m. PT
Michael Robertson, CEO of software company Lindows, has revealed himself as the formerly anonymous donor of $200,000 in prize money in a contest to translate the Linux operating system to Microsoft's Xbox video game console.
The revelation was made in a posting earlier this week on the Xbox Linux Project site at SourceForge, a site for collaborative development of open-source software projects. Robertson disclosed his identity as the person funding the contest and extended the deadline.
Robertson confirmed the SourceForge posting in an interview Thursday with CNET News.com, saying he funded the contest not for business goals but to promote open access to technology. "There is no business justification; that's not why I did it," he said. "I did it because I thought people should have the choice to run the software they want on the hardware of their choice...I don't think when you buy a car, they should be able to tell you what brand of gas to put in it."
Robertson said Microsoft's efforts to close off the Xbox are particularly alarming because the game machine is based on the same type of Intel processors used in PCs. Restricting access to the processor sets a dangerous precedent, he said, particularly as Microsoft moves forward with its Palladium project to boost the security of PCs by linking future versions of the Windows operating system with Intel and Advanced Micro Devices processors.
"I think the Xbox sets a dangerous precedent," he said. "I think there's a battle here try to pull this open Intel architecture into a closed world--that's where Microsoft wants this to head."
The project was announced last July with prizes of $100,000 each for the first developer to accomplish two goals. The first challenge was to get Linux running on an Xbox, a goal that has already been met by several developers. The project team expects to divvy up that prize money among several hackers this month, according to the site.
The second challenge, to run Linux on an Xbox with no hardware modifications, has been more of a struggle. To date, hackers wanting to run unauthorized software on the Xbox have needed a console outfitted with a "mod chip," gray-market add-ons that defeat security measures built into the machine. Microsoft has used a variety of legal, technical and other measures to defeat mod chips.
Running software without a mod chip could require hackers to crack the Xbox's built-in software to the point where it could be booted from a homemade disc, as hackers managed to do with Sega's now-defunct Dreamcast console.
Both Xbox Linux contests originally were set to expire last Monday, but Robertson extended the deadline for the second part to encourage development projects. "Michael Robertson has decided to extend the deadline for part B for another year," according to the SourceForge posting. "We are already preparing new open-analysis tools. Any experienced hacker is welcome to join the effort."
Robertson first came to prominence several years ago as founder of digital music site MP3.com. After selling the site, he started Lindows, which aims to sell a streamlined version of Linux for the average PC user.
Discuss: Lindows CEO funds Xbox hacking contest


Sarunas Atkocaitis (Sarunas) added a comment to T58465: brush lag in texture painting.
I have switched threads to 1 and it actually fixed the issue it draws without the lag, but if I put anything else then 1 to the thread count it starts lagging again.
Blender 2.79 has also the same issue for me.
Sorry, but I could not find (Render > Performance > Threads to 1) option.
I also noticed, that if the brush size is much smaller, then the issue disappears, or even with larger brush the lag is not so bad. the worst lag is with medium size brush..
Sarunas Atkocaitis (Sarunas) created T58465: brush lag in texture painting.
Sarunas Atkocaitis (Sarunas) added a comment to T58150: Blender 2.8 crashes when painting with "face selection masking" enabled.
Sorry, but I spoke too soon. It still crashes with other objects (maybe default cube is not complex enough). It still crashes with my own project, or monkey head mesh.
Have attached blend file for referance.
It always crashes on the second time.
Issue was resolved with the latest build. Thanks!
Sarunas Atkocaitis (Sarunas) created T58150: Blender 2.8 crashes when painting with "face selection masking" enabled.
Sarunas Atkocaitis (Sarunas) edited projects for T58080: Blender crashed when enabling "Cavity" in Matcap mode, added: BF Blender: 2.8, BF Blender; removed Addons.
Sarunas Atkocaitis (Sarunas) created T58080: Blender crashed when enabling "Cavity" in Matcap mode.
Sarunas Atkocaitis (Sarunas) created T56508: blender 2.8 crashes with Multiresolution modifier in sculpt mode.