On March 13, 2019, PPGMR attorneys Julie Greathouse, Kim Logue, and Molly Shephard and Robert H. Shulman and Patricia M. Weaver of Paley Rothman Goldstein Rosenberg Eig & Cooper Chtd. were featured in Law360 upon the filing of an opening brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit on behalf of client Murphy Oil Corp.
The Junior League of Little Rock (JLLR) profiled Kim Logue, PPGMR attorney and JLLR president, in its annual publication Interaction for her long-standing efforts to positively impact the lives of women and children in Central Arkansas. PPGMR Law is proud to have outstanding community leaders like Kim as members of our team.
Arkansas Business has selected Julie D. Greathouse to be included in the Arkansas 250. The publication released November 5, 2018 features the top 250 people in Arkansas who are making an impact at the local, regional and state levels. Julie was selected for her achievements and dedication to Arkansas and her community. PPGMR Law is proud to have Julie leading our firm in the great state of Arkansas.
U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers publicly announced the 2019 Edition of the "Best Law Firms" rankings. PPGMR Law is pleased that seven of the firm's practice areas have been recognized as best in metro class as part of the 2019 "Best Law Firms" ranking by U.S. News - Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms."


The CSU's intervention as a third party would allow for more discussion around how Bill 62 would affect students. File photo Brian Lapuz.
The Concordia Student Union pledged to intervene as a third party in the court challenge against Bill 62, the Quebec law that's been widely criticized for prohibiting face coverings while receiving or providing public services.
"It's clear that Bill 62 is discriminatory, and the CSU has to take more action in challenging this law," said Ahmed Badr, external affairs and mobilization coordinator of the CSU, at a council meeting on Feb. 14.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association began challenging the law last fall at the Quebec Superior Court, but the CSU's involvement would allow for more discussion around how the law would affect students in particular.
Since being introduced in the National Assembly, the CSU has openly opposed the law because it affects Muslim women's right to to wear the niqab or burqa in public spaces. CSU council also agreed to set aside at least $5,000 to pay for the litigation.
"Bill 62 is one of the worst legal expressions of Islamophobia in Quebec, it's shameful," said Sau Mei Chiu, a lawyer the CSU is in contact with about the intervention.
Through referendum in December, undergraduate students voiced opposition to the law, saying they don't want the university to enforce it.
It has since remained unclear how Concordia intends to react if the law is enforced. Concordia President Alan Shepard has criticised Bill 62 for limiting academic freedom and access to education, but wouldn't confirm whether the school plans to change its internal regulations to conform with the law.
Mei Chiu suggested the CSU look into contesting the section of the bill that provides a framework on religious accommodations, since the provincial government will likely refer to that section of the law as a defense against accusations of discrimination. In that section, women who wear the niqab or burqa can request they be exempt from the law, but it's unclear how many women would qualify for religious accommodation through it.
Ouellet Nadon & Associées, the legal firm pushing for the intervention, hopes that the Fédération des femmes du Québec and other student unions will consider joining in on the intervention. Those not formally joining can also help by donating towards their legal fees, said Mei Chiu, one of the firm's lawyers.


Just purchased a pair of KYB rear shocks for my 97. Looking to get standard and not lowering springs. (I actually plan to use my hatch to lug around music gear). Any pointers in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Best deal I've seen is on ebay for a used pair pulled from a 1996 328is with 120k miles, but not sure of compatibility. Thanks.
328is springs won't work. They're too long if I recall correctly.
Shameless plug: I have one rear spring from my 318ti I'm willing to sell for $25 shipped. Let me know if you're interested in purchasing it.
Is it a "non-lowered" spring? Might take you up on it if I'm able to find another that's sold by itself.
It is the sport model spring from BMW. Lowered a few millimeters from the non-sport models.
I may have a set of base springs from a 96 base for sale in a couple days, I'll keep you posted.
Please let me know about the set. I have received the shocks but haven't been able to look for springs because I was in the middle of a move. Thanks.


The blade and the jaws are made of stainless 71 layers of Damascus steel, the blade is capable of 8CR13 MoV, also stainless. As Grip scales are made of noble olive wood. The blade is not locked. A highlight of this pocket knife is finely decorated spring, which continues on the back of the blade.
Handy, compact and elegant, this damask pocket knife.


Trouble between Turkey and the Kurds led oil prices to rise to $59 per barrel on Sept. 26, their highest level in more than two years.
Kurds held a referendum in their enclave in Iraq calling for setting up an independent Kurdish homeland for the ethnic group, who spill over the borders of neighboring Turkey, Iran and Syria.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been an implacable opponent of Kurdish identity. He has come down hard on the group following the referendum, including making a threat to ban exports of oil from the enclave that formerly remains part of Iraq, but in practice is run relatively independently from the center.
Turkey threatened to cut off the 700,000 barrels a day of oil that Iraqi Kurdistan ships to the Mediterranean via a Turkish pipeline. Erdogan is afraid the referendum will provoke Kurds living in Turkey to push for independence as well as to demand more rights to language and separate education. Turkish authorities have been waging a de facto civil war against predominately Kurdish cities in its southern and eastern regions. Analysts doubt that Erdogan will carry through on his threat, but the possibility has been enough to send oil prices soaring.
The jump in oil prices will come as a blessing for Russia, which remains heavily dependent on oil revenues to run its economy. A new three-year budget is about to be submitted to the Duma for approval that has a very conservative estimate of $46 for the average price of oil in 2017, $44 in 2018 and $42 in 2019 and 2020.
But those prices look very low compared to the average of price of oil each month this year, which has bounced between a low of $46.17 in June and a previous high of $54.3 in February. Average monthly oil prices have been over the $50 mark in five out of the last eight months.
Underestimating the oil price in the budget has been a favorite habit of the Duma in the boom years. The result is that significant "surplus" funds are generated each year that deputies could then assign to pet projects, which are a major source of corruption.
More recently the prudent liberal fraction in government introduced a "budget rule" where the estimate of oil prices was averaged over the last three years and that was used to set the budget estimate.
The estimate is important as it dictates the amount of money the government can spend and plans have to be made to fit the projected revenue. Using an average over several years was supposed to remove some of the unpredictability; however, following the collapse in oil prices in 2014 from more than $100 to under $50, the government has been forced to abandon the rule for the meantime.
Still, the higher than budgeted price of oil has already made itself felt. While the share of oil revenues in total federal revenues has fallen steadily from more than half to between 25 and 30 percent now, Russia is still heavily reliant on the petromoney. In 2016 the Ministry of Finance faced a major crisis as it was short some RUB2 trillion of revenues to pay for everything, even with a hefty deficit, as the average price of oil in 2016 was $43.
Russia's economy doesn't work at $40 oil and has a deficit of more than 3 percent of GDP and has to tap international capital markets to fund the difference. The economy struggles through with $50 oil with a federal budget deficit on the order of 2 percent but can finance the deficit entirely from domestic resources.
Anything above and the deficit falls to under 1 percent and the deficit is easy to cover. Currently, the breakeven price of oil for the deficit is around $70, down from $115 in the boom years, and it is continuing to fall.
The rise in oil will have several positive effects on Russia. One rule of thumb is each $10 rise in the price of oil results in an additional 2 percent of GDP growth.
Another rule of thumb is the dollar-denominated Russia Trading System (RTS) index is simply 20-times the price of oil. At $50 the RTS index should be 1,000 and indeed the index has been trading around 1,000 for more than a year now. Stocks started to gain on the recent rising prices of oil and at $59 the index should be 1,180 and at the time of writing the index was 1,138.
The ruble is obviously affected by a sharp change in the cost of oil and here the rule is that there is a RUB2 change in the exchange rate for each $10 change in oil prices. Again the ruble has been strengthening and gone from trading in the mid- to low-60s to trade at RUB57.6 to the dollar at the time of writing.
It remains to be seen if these higher prices stay, but the higher than expected prices so far this year, above the $46 forecast, mean the Ministry of Finance has already cut its forecast for the amount it needs to borrow this year. Russia's finance ministry reduced the net domestic borrowing programme from RUB1.05 trillion (€15bn) annually to RUB0.87 trillion, according to the draft federal budget, as the deficit is expected to be lower than the 2 percent initially expected.
The Ministry of Finance forecast for growth has also been marginally increased from 2 to 2.1 percent in the last month. And analysts have been predicting a fall in the ruble from the 60s to as low as RUB50 vs dollar, which now looks increasingly likely.
Where does oil go from here? OPEC met again in the last week and say they will stick to their production cut deal signed last year, but the targets remain the same – and Russia has complied with their part of the bargain by cutting 300,000 barrels a day from production so far. The experts have said that demand is recovering with the general global economic recovery but there is still a way to go before demand and supply match.
In Russia, most economists are working on the assumption of $60 oil in the long-term, although some, like Alexander Isakov, the chief economist at VTB Capital, are more pessimistic and predict $50 oil thanks to the increasing efficiency of the U.S. shale oil producers.
But what is clear now is that oil will not return to its previous highs of over $100 per barrel and that this year is going to be a lot easier to cope with for Russia's finance ministry than any year in the last seven.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed an order lifting most sanctions on agricultural imports from Turkey today.


I saw Black Flag live for the first time around 1984 and they blew my mind, full throttle. To see Henry Rollins powered by the band's onslaught was to see rage and force and commitment unleashed. It was scary fun and is forever seared onto my DNA. I owe a debt to that band (among others). That must be why I find it so much fun to see him now tell it like it is, in his "cranky old man" guise -- but he really gets it right, and you don't have to be a "young person" to need to be reminded of this advise. It is not fair, but so what? Be stronger and don't let their good fortune or bad ways get in the way of what you know must be done.
And check out this show too when it really was just people in a garage letting loose.


text:
Houston energy innovation incubator adds 3 startups to program
Rice University rolls out hybrid MBA track
houston innovators podcast episode 169
Houston founder shares expansion plans for female-focused coworking
first-class facility
United opens $32M expansion of high-tech training center, plans to hire hundreds
United Airlines plans on hiring 1,800 local employes — many of whom will be trained at a newly expanded training facility. Photo via United.com
A new study highlights United Airlines' multibillion-dollar impact on the Houston economy as the company eyes the addition of 1,800 local employees this year.
The study, done by Chicago-based consulting firm Compass Lexecon, shows United's hub at George Bush Intercontinental Airport along with spending by foreign visitors arriving on flights operated by United and its partners contribute an estimated $5.3 billion in annual gross domestic product (GDP) in Texas.
Furthermore, the study says United's direct employment in Houston accounts for $1.2 billion in annual economic activity, and the local hub indirectly supports 56,000 local jobs. Houston is one of United's seven U.S. hubs.
"United continues to be a great partner and business leader in the city of Houston, connecting Houstonians to the world and investing in vital infrastructure projects that help enhance the travel experience for millions of travelers," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner says in a news release.
The economic impact study was released in conjunction with the opening of the $32 million expansion of United's flight attendant training center in Houston. Highlights of the 56,000-square-foot facility include a roughly 400-seat auditorium, and a 125,000-gallon pool and mock fuselage for practicing evacuation of a plane during a water landing.
This year, the Chicago-based airline is on track to add 15,000 workers, including 4,000 flight attendants. United employs more than 11,000 people in Houston and plans to hire 1,800 more in 2023.
The airline plans to train more than 600 flight attendants per month at the enlarged Houston facility.
"The best flight attendants in the industry deserve the best, most modern training facility in the country," United CEO Scott Kirby says in a news release. "This expansion project is yet another example of an investment we made during the depths of the pandemic that will support our employees, further improve our ability to deliver great service, and set United up for success in 2023 and beyond."
New United flight attendants will go through a six-and-a-half-week training course at the Houston facility and then return every 18 months to stay up to date on flight qualifications.
United posted profit of $737 million last year, down 75.5 percent from the pre-pandemic year of 2019, on operating revenue of nearly $44.5 billion, up 3.9 percent from 2019.
In 2022, the airline's investment arm, United Ventures, announced an investment of up to $37.5 million in Houston-based NEXT Renewable Fuels. The company, which produces renewable fuel for the aviation sector, is developing a biofuel refinery in Oregon.
NEXT plans to go public this year through a SPAC merger with a publicly traded shell company.
Compass LexeconFlight Attendant Training CenterGeorge Bush Intercontinental AirportHouston EconomyMayor Sylvester TurnerUnited AirlinesUnited Venturesunited

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Developed simple winform app that uses gecko, won't run on another computer I developed a simple windows form app that displays a webpage inside a Gecko webrowser. It works fine on my computer(win10, visual st.2017), I also tried it on another computer running win10 and it also runs fine, but when I tried running it on the client's computer it just won't launch, as if nothing happens, the cursor changes to a circle(thinking) and then nothing.
I installed .net 4.6 no change, disabled antivirus no change, installed firefox no change. Tried another winforms app that simply opens an empty window and it works fine, and another console application works fine, it's just this app that uses Gecko webbrowser that doesn't work.
I tried simply copying my bin\debug folder and running the app, and I also tried installing the app from the setup.exe after making a release version also won't run, it gives error that plugin-hang-ui.deploy.exe not found, I have plugin-hang-ui.exe in Firefox folder under bin\Release.
My code:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Security.Cryptography;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using Microsoft.Win32;
using System.IO;
using Gecko;

namespace ScreenPlayer1
{
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
    static string serial = "thefirst1";//This is unique per user.
    private const int SW_HIDE = 0;
    private const int SW_SHOW = 1;
    [DllImport("user32.dll")]
    private static extern int FindWindow(string className, string windowText);
    [DllImport("user32.dll")]
    private static extern int ShowWindow(int hwnd, int command);
    int hWnd = FindWindow("Shell_TrayWnd", "");
    string UserAgent = "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; Win64; x64; rv:65.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/65.0";
    public Form1()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        Xpcom.Initialize("Firefox");
        GeckoPreferences.User["full-screen-api.enabled"] = true;
        GeckoPreferences.Default["full-screen-api.enabled"] = true;
        GeckoPreferences.User["general.useragent.override"] = UserAgent;
        GeckoPreferences.Default["general.useragent.override"] = UserAgent;
        WindowState = FormWindowState.Maximized;
        TopMost = true;

    }

    /// <summary>
    /// //hash stuff
    /// </summary>
    static string ComputeSha256Hash(string rawData, string salt)
    {
        // Create a SHA256
        using (SHA256 sha256Hash = SHA256.Create())
        {
            string salted = "6++6" + rawData + salt;
            // ComputeHash - returns byte array
            byte[] bytes = sha256Hash.ComputeHash(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(salted));

            // Convert byte array to a string
            StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
            for (int i = 0; i < bytes.Length; i++)
            {
                builder.Append(bytes[i].ToString("x2"));
            }
            return builder.ToString();
        }
    }
    /// <summary>
    /// end hash stuff
    /// </summary>
    ///

    private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        Random r = new Random(), s = new Random(), t = new Random();
        string salt = "s" + r.Next(1, 100) + s.Next(1, 100) + t.Next(1, 100);
        string get_serial = ComputeSha256Hash(serial, salt);
        string mode = "client";

        if (!File.Exists("mode.txt"))
        {
            string message = "Set as server?", caption = "Mode not set, choose yes for server no for client!";
            MessageBoxButtons buttons = MessageBoxButtons.YesNo;
            DialogResult result;

            // Displays the MessageBox.

            result = MessageBox.Show(message, caption, buttons);
            if (result == DialogResult.Yes)
            {
                mode = "server";
                System.IO.File.WriteAllText(@"mode.txt", mode);
            }
            else
            {
                mode = "client";
                System.IO.File.WriteAllText(@"mode.txt", mode);
            }
        }
        else
        {
            mode = System.IO.File.ReadAllText(@"mode.txt");
        }

        if (mode == "client")
        {
            int hh = ShowWindow(hWnd, SW_SHOW);
            FormBorderStyle = FormBorderStyle.None;
        }
        try
        {
            geckoWebBrowser2.Navigate("http://www.example.com/scr/prl.php?usr="
                               + get_serial + "&sts=" + salt + "&mode=" + mode);
            geckoWebBrowser2.Width = geckoWebBrowser2.Parent.Width;
            geckoWebBrowser2.Height = geckoWebBrowser2.Parent.Height;
        }
        catch (Exception sysEx)
        {
            System.Diagnostics.EventLog.WriteEntry("Bad web browsing!", sysEx.ToString());
        }
    }

    private void Form1_Closing(object sender, FormClosingEventArgs e)
    {
        int hwnd = ShowWindow(hWnd, SW_SHOW);
    }

    private void geckoWebBrowser2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {

    }
}

}
Help would be appreciated, thanks.

A: Installed Visual Studio 2019 with .NET and added GeckoFX from NuGet packages. After that my app worked like charm!
This is not the answer I expected, but since there was no other answer it should do.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Remembrance and sacrifice: Young vet puts story of Chosin on film
Posted Aug 5, 2010
By Sean Kirst | skirst@syracuse.com
Mike Greenlar/The Post-StandardJoe Owen: Witness to extraordinary courage at the Chosin Reservoir.
You know, but you don't know. Brian Iglesias, during his training as a Marine, had studied the epic battles in corps history. He was taught about hand-to-hand warfare at Belleau Wood in World War I, about the harrowing Pacific landings of World War II. He also learned of the
Chosin Reservoir
in North Korea, where thousands of outnumbered Marines were attacked by skilled Chinese soldiers in subzero conditions.
Iglesias, 33, told himself that he understood. Then he went to Iraq. He experienced combat in city streets and alleyways. He watched as good friends turned into casualties. He was eventually hit by a blast from an "improvised explosive device," the technical name for the roadside booby traps that have claimed so many American lives.
For Iglesias, back in the States, the desperate nature of the Chosin Reservoir took on larger meaning. In Iraq, he'd spent his free time reading a book — "This Kind of War" — about the bloodshed in Korea. He had a new appreciation for what it meant. He wondered why Chosin seemed lost from the public consciousness, even as the great American battles of other wars grew in popular legend.
As a teenager, Iglesias recalls, he was expelled from high school after the cops charged him with weapons possession. He joined the Marines Corps, which provided him with structure and purpose. Years later, home from Iraq, he came up with a way of saying thanks. He enrolled in Syracuse University's Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities. He wanted to make a documentary about the Chosin Reservoir, and he needed the business skills to pull it off.
"Once I was done, I found another vet (Anton Sattler, a fellow Marine captain) in exactly the same situation," Iglesias said. "We just went around the country, sleeping in our van, living on energy drinks, and we interviewed 185 vets in 27 cities."
In that way, Iglesias — who remains a captain in the Marines Corps Reserves — came into the friendship of Joe Owen, of Skaneateles.
"What he realizes is that you might never know it, but there might be 20 guys walking down the street in Syracuse, and they might have been to Chosin," said Owen, 85, who appears in the film. "And there is a significance to what happened there."
This December will mark the 60th anniversary of the battle. Owen wrote his own book — "Colder than Hell" — about the campaign. He was among thousands of American servicemen sent in pursuit of fleeing North Korean troops by military leaders who refused to heed the warnings of their own intelligence. Relentless, battle-hardened Chinese soldiers awaited the Americans in a harsh and treacherous landscape.
For the Marines, once the trap snapped shut, the last chance at survival was to fight their way out.
Owen, a second lieutenant, estimates that about 270 of the 300 men in his unit were killed or wounded. Owen was shot multiple times. He was left with permanent damage to his right arm. Sprawled on the ground, he asked a young medic for morphine. The painkiller was frozen, Owen said. The only way to melt it was by sticking the syrette — or injection tube — into your mouth.
Even as he was flown from the battlefield to a hospital, Owen said, he grieved about being forced to leave his men.
"These guys were all so humble," Iglesias said. "They wanted to talk about their buddies. They barely talked about themselves."
His documentary, called "Chosin," is taking off. Iglesias, who hopes to do an autumn screening in Syracuse, said a major cable network intends to air the film. It will be shown in theaters in Los Angeles and New York City, he said, beginning in September. Iglesias has also agreed to serve as executive producer on a Hollywood movie — "17 Days of Winter" — that will draw from his research.
Everything is happening fast, but Iglesias said the mission hasn't changed. He is profoundly aware that most Korean War veterans are deep into their 70s and 80s. Their blood and sacrifice helped create a free South Korea, now among the world's great economic engines.
It is difficult, 60 years later, to understand how much that cost. Before Iraq, Iglesias knew, but didn't know.
Today, eyes wide open, he guides us back to Chosin.
Sean Kirst is a columnist with The Post-Standard. He will be out of the office until Aug. 16. Respond here or at skirst@syracuse.
As for 'Chosin,' it will be screened at 1 p.m. Saturday at the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs.


When was the Monolake project born? Did you make and release music before the first Monolake 12 inch?
Monolake was born when the Chain Reaction label started and we had the chance to release a 12 inch without any effort. I released an ambient CD, Piercing Music prior to the first Monolake release and I wrote music for short films.
Monolake's music was straight away a fairly definite one... Was there some sort of concept or compositional systematism that you decided to explore when you created the Monolake identity or is Monolake's music just reflective of your own aesthetic taste and musical ideals ?
Just our own personal preferences.
Would you agree with the fact that some sort of 'recipe' can be found in Monolake's music ?
I still do not know what makes a Monolake track even if I try to think of it. But I know that the music can be described more by words like space, time, continuous change, color, rhythm and not so much by song, melody, chord progression. I had a time when I thought this should change and on Cinemascope there are some of the results, but I now feel more like finding another structural approach. We will see. Fortunately I do not have the impression that Monolake is bound to a specific style or sound. Monolake is not just dub, and berlin minimalism is fine but not our entire musical cosmos.
How do you start working on a track ? Do you start with a sound, a rhythm, an atmosphere? Also, Monolake's tracks seem to be almost melody-less, the melodies being replaced by blurry atmospheres and vapour-liked drones of sounds, which contain as much textural activity than melodic suggestion. What is the very essence of a Monolake track, its core? Is it sounds, rhythms, atmospheres?
See above. Some Monolake tracks start because I want to explore a specific sound generation technique, some because I feel like doing some techno, some for other reasons.
Also, in a way, Monolake's tracks seem rather to be linear sound installations occupying portions of time than true time compositions, evolving vertically"more than horizontally. Your musical art could be compared to painting, except it's painting with sounds on time canvas. Would you agree with such a comparison?
Apart from that, how would you explain the extensive use of repetition and linear rhythm in Monolake's music?
Whenever I explore more nonlinear beats I end up finding one specific part in it which could go on for ever. Then I take this part. But I still would like to create more broken beats, see Cut on Cinemascope, and I will continue doing some experiments in this direction. I find it essential that music never fully repeats, there always has to be some change. Thats why I am still using an analog console and MIDI synthesizers. I enjoy the fact that MIDI timing is inaccurate and unpredicteable. It is much more complicated to make good sounding lively music if you actually do have sample accurate playback. I would asume this is why so much laptop productions sound so dead. It's like early computer animation - to perfect geometry to be real.
Where does the Cinemascope title come from? How important is the visual aspect in Monolake's music ?
I studied sound engineering for film and I like film. Most of the time I do not have specific images in mind, but I like the idea of music as color and as film without images.
You create your own sound applications, within Max/MSP or Reaktor. Do you think it is necessary for an electronic artist to be also a sound designer and a programmer?
No. It is necessary for me because I love creating software. It is good to know your tools / instruments very well if you want to become a master. Every serious artist I know does obviously have a profound understanding of his/her instruments. But with understanding I do not necessarily mean technological knowledge down to writing c++ code. Just learn to use your tools, what ever they are.
How would you rely to the world beauty? Would you agree with the statement that Monolake's music is above all a quest for beauty in sound?
I completely agree. I love beauty, but what is it? In general I find a complex mixture of sound more beautiful than a melodic love song and this somehow reflects my general approach towards life.
You seem to be really attracted by Asia (Hong Kong, Korea...). Where does that interest come from? How is it related to Monolake?
I am just fascinated by Asia. I love the density of the cities, the way they are illuminated, the way they build houses, the contrast between extreme hectical moments and silence... it is always refreshing to come in contact with a culture that is so much different from the western, American, European culture. I do not have the impression that western culture is so much changing these days but that the most exciting things go on in asia. Just look at cities like Shanghai which really seem to explode.
Do you think it is necessary to create your own tools in order to create a completely original music, far from the standards of mainstream music which also undermine the conception of music software?
No. A million more books can be written using a pencil from the last century. Or Word, which is the same.
How painful is the compositional process of a Monolake track?
Unfortunately I am a perfectionist.
Is its a long, painful task, or do you also keep more spontaneous first takes? Do you work a lot with sequencing or do you just edit real-time performances?
Being an artist of the label, you were first affiliated to Chain Reaction's very peculiar aesthetic did you use to rely to that aesthetic or did you always feel different to other Chain Reaction artists (who all have their very own distinctive aspects, but who also often explore similar grounds) ?
I do not like dogmatism. I spent most of the last 32 years of my life with re-defining what I am. Of course I do like early Basic Channel tracks but I also like so much more music and that's why I felt the need to free Monolake from that closed circle a bit. And by freeing I do not mean changing from Berlin Dub to Clicks and Cuts.


House Bill 1025 by Rep. Lowery would designate February 19 as Rotary Day. There are over 100 Rotary Clubs in Arkansas with over 5,000 members who work to serve Arkansans through service projects.
Rotary first entered Arkansas in 1913 when the Rotary Club of Little Rock was organized.
Rotary Youth is a division of Rotary which works to develop young leaders in education and services. This division includes Rotaract club, Interact clubs, Rotary Youth Exchange, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, and Rotary Foundation Global Grant Scholars at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.
Rotary has a global membership of 1.2 million people.
The Arkansas House of Representatives proclaimed Rotary Day as February 19 at the State Capitol and support the ongoing work of Rotary International.


text:
Dole Candidacy; Spike Lee; Rem Koolhaas
Editor of The Weekly Standard William Kristol and Republican Political Strategist Ed Rollins examine what Bob Dole needs to accomplish to win the presidency. Filmmaker Spike Lee talks about his new film "Girl 6," about an aspiring actress in New York City who becomes a phone sex operator to pay the bills. Architect Rem Koolhaas talks about the Euralille project, his new book "S, M, L, XL," and the potential virtues of "Bigness."
William Kristol Rem Koolhaas Ed Rollins Spike Lee
Entertainment Politics Art and design
Rem Koolhaas
Architect Rem Koolhaas talks about the Euralille project, his new book "S, M, L, XL," and the potential virtues of "Bigness." 15:14
Spike Lee talks about his new film "Girl 6," about an aspiring actress in New York City who becomes a phone sex operator. 18:27
Robert A. M. Stern
Books, History, Art and design
Architect Robert A. M. Stern provides a history of New York City architecture and urbanism. 37:06
Gehry and Piano
The influential architecture of Frank Gehry and Renzo Piano is discussed by the architects and critic Ada Louise Huxtable. 52:50
Daniel Libeskind; Dennis Quaid
Entertainment, Art and design
Dennis Quaid introduces "The Rookie" and "Far From Heaven"; architect Daniel Libeskind on his plans for ground zero. 54:39


Hungary could become a country which stands on its own feet, joining the ranks of proud and successful nations, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said at a commemoration of the March 15 national holiday in Budapest today.
He said the country was at the threshold of a new era, which could make it free and strong. It could stop the demographic decline of the Hungarian population, stop being pickpocketed by others and provide jobs and opportunities for everyone, he said.
Marking the 166th anniversary of the start of an anti-Habsburg revolution, Orban addressed commemorators in the park of the National Museum, one of the sites where the uprising had broken out.
Orban said that the freedom fight of 1848-49 had allowed the extraordinary capabilities of the Hungarian nation to shine through and the holiday has been "adored" by Hungarians ever since.
Hungarians have always wanted to be masters of their own destiny and a Hungarian hero is one who triumphs over fate, Orban said. That fate had been Habsburg rule in 1848, stationing Soviet troops in 1990, and a permanent place on the dunce's seat in Europe in 2010, he said.
Orban said Hungary has been able to improve its performance over the past four years due to the unity of Hungarians.
"Hungary is the most unified country in Europe today," he said.
He noted the government's measures since 2010, which he said had protected families from usury, monopolies, cartels and "bureaucrats of an empire". He added that jobs had been protected and new ones created by the hundreds of thousands while the debt trap was defeated. He said the government's moves to reduce household utility bills had been attempts to reduce "the most unfair of burdens", in a similar way that the 1848 revolution had made this a priority.
Orban greeted Polish visitors to the event and ended his speech with the remarks: "Long live Hungarian freedom, long live our country!". The speech was subtitled on giant screens in Polish.


Court Catering Equipment specialises in the design, supply and installation of commercial catering equipment. Whether upgrading an existing installation or creating a brand new facility, we ensure equipment is installed on time and within the agreed budget. River Cafe, London: Originally, this project involved updating the restaurant over two years. However, a fire rapidly brought forward the deadline. What so impressed the judges was that Court Catering Equipment literally sprang to the rescue, accelerating their design and installation, including a superb wood burning oven, innovative underground ventilation solution and bespoke designed fabrication for the open-plan kitchen. "Never in our wildest dreams could we have imagined we'd have a restaurant as good looking as this," co-owner Ruth Gray told the press. More of Court Catering Equipment's customers explain below the benefits of working with this leading London equipment distributor.
Contact Court Catering Equipment now to see how we can help with your project.


text:
using System;
using System.IO;

namespace NLayer.Buffer
{
    public sealed class ByteBufferStream : Stream
    {
        private IByteBuffer byteBuffer;

        public IByteBuffer ByteBuffer
        {
            get
            {
                return byteBuffer;
            }
        }

        public override bool CanRead
        {
            get
            {
                return true;
            }
        }

        public override bool CanSeek
        {
            get
            {
                return false;
            }
        }

        public override bool CanWrite
        {
            get
            {
                return true;
            }
        }

        public override long Length
        {
            get
            {
                return byteBuffer.Length;
            }
        }

        public override long Position
        {
            get
            {
                throw new NotImplementedException();
            }
            set
            {
                throw new NotImplementedException();
            }
        }

        public ByteBufferStream(IByteBuffer byteBuffer)
        {
            this.byteBuffer = byteBuffer;
        }

        public override long Seek(long offset, SeekOrigin origin)
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }

        public override void SetLength(long value)
        {
            throw new NotImplementedException();
        }

        public override int Read(byte[] buffer, int offset, int count)
        {
            int readable = Math.Min(count, byteBuffer.ReadableBytes);
            byteBuffer.Read(buffer, offset, readable);

            return readable;
        }

        public override void Write(byte[] buffer, int offset, int count)
        {
            byteBuffer.Write(buffer, offset, count);
        }

        public override void Flush()
        {
            // Imaginary flush ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Mussaenda longisepala är en måreväxtart som beskrevs av Geddes. Mussaenda longisepala ingår i släktet Mussaenda och familjen måreväxter. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Måreväxter
longisepala

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: Career search url shows specific user If I go to http://careers.stackoverflow.com/search it shows a certain user. Is there any specific reason for it?
Update:
Since the link is now giving a 404, adding a screenshot using Google Cache:

A: Because a Careers user chose an alias called search (sure he had done this for the reason to be run into this way ;). It's not a search page.

(So it's no more weird than, say, http://careers.stackoverflow.com/jeff)
The search, in the term of searching, is still there. You can search for jobs as seen on the main page. E.g. http://careers.stackoverflow.com/jobs?searchTerm=Unicorns


KZKS FM is a "Classic Rock" Station covering the Western Slope from Glenwood Springs along the I-70 corridor to the Utah border. DRIVE 105 is the strongest single signal in the upper and lower valleys of Montrose, Delta, Ouray & Ridgeway. Our signal covers 12 Counties with a population of over 227,000 potential listeners with a core audience of ages 25 to 64.
We are "The Classic Rock Station". Tony Scott brings listeners Livin' Lovin' Led, Monday Montage, Tuesdays Gone, Who Dat and many other favorite shows and McKenzie Rae brings you Connect the Classics, The Rock Report and Thursday Long Shots. These are just a few of the specialty programming available that listeners look forward to each week. We feature the music of AC/DC, Boston, Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Billy Idol, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, Steve Miller, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin and Allman Brothers just to name a few.
Drive-105 goes acoustic every Sunday morning from 9-Noon with The Acoustic Storm.
Jeff Parets presents the full spectrum of acoustic rock, including rarely heard "unplugged" versions of classic tunes in their purest form.


The video message played by the Foreign Office during a press conference after Jadhav's meeting with his family was recorded before their meeting, officials said.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan today issued a new video of Indian prisoner on death row Kulbhusan Jadhav in which he is seen thanking the Pakistan government for arranging a meeting with his wife and mother.
"I requested a meeting with my wife and mother and I am thankful to Government of Pakistan for this gesture," Jadhav said in the brief video message.
The 40-minute meeting took place at the heavily guarded Foreign Affairs Ministry building, and came after the International Court of Justice asked Pakistan in May to stay his execution.
It was the fist time that Jadhav was meeting his family since his arrest in March last year, and Pakistan portrayed it as a humanitarian gesture to mark the birthday of the country's founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
During the press conference, the Foreign Office spokesperson made old allegations against Jadhav.
The spokesman said that Jadhav was sentenced to death by a military court on charges of espionage and terrorism.
India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.


text:
Justia Dockets & Filings Fourth Circuit South Carolina District Court Morris v. Social Security Administration Filing 22
Morris v. Social Security Administration
ORDER RULING ON REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS adopting 17 Report and Recommendations. Signed by Honorable Timothy M Cain on 1/5/12. (alew, )
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF SOUTH CAROLINA GREENVILLE DIVISION Deborah Morris, Plaintiff, versus Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, Defendant. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) Civil Action No. 6:10-1786-TMC OPINION and ORDER Plaintiff brought this action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405(g) for judicial review of a final decision of the Commissioner of Social Security ("Commissioner") denying her claims for Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits ("DIB") under the Social Security Act (the "Act"). This matter is before the court for a review of the Magistrate Judge's Report and Recommendation ("Report"), filed on November 10, 2011. (Dkt. # 17). The Magistrate Judge makes only a recommendation to this court. The recommendation has no presumptive weight, and the responsibility to make a final determination remains with this court. Mathews v. Weber, 423 U.S. 261 (1976). The court is charged with making a de novo determination of those portions of the Report to which specific objection is made, and the court may accept, reject, or modify, in whole or in part, the recommendation of the Magistrate Judge, or recommit the matter to him with instructions. 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND The Plaintiff filed an application for disability benefits on January 23, 2007, with an alleged disability onset date of January 21, 2005. The applicant was denied initially and on reconsideration by the Social Security Administration. An Administrative Law Judge ("ALJ") conducted a hearing on June 11, 2009 and on August 19, 2009, the ALJ denied Plaintiff benefits. 1 The ALJ'S finding became the final decision of the Commissioner of Social Security when it was approved by the Appeals Council on May 21, 2010. The Plaintiff then filed an action for judicial review. The matter was referred to a United States Magistrate Judge for a report and recommendation pursuant to Title 28, U.S.C., Section 636(b)(1)(B) and Local Rule 73.02 (B)(2)(a), D.S.C. The Magistrate Judge to whom this case was referred filed a Report on November 10, 2011, in which he recommended that the Commissioner's decision be reversed and remanded for further administrative proceedings. The parties were advised of their rights to file specific objections on November 10, 2011. (Dkt. # 17). The Commissioner filed objections on November 30, 2011. (Dkt. # 18). The Plaintiff filed a Response in Support of the Magistrate Judge's Report and Recommendation on December 14, 201. (Dkt. # 21). The matter is now ripe for review. STANDARD OF REVIEW The role of the federal judiciary in the administrative scheme established by the Social Security Act is a limited one. Section 405(g) of the Act provides, "[t]he findings of the Commissioner of Social Security as to any fact, if supported by substantial evidence, shall be conclusive . . . ." 42 U.S.C. § 405(g). Substantial evidence has been defined . . . as "more than a scintilla, but less than a preponderance." Thomas v. Celebrezze, 331 F. 2d 541, 543 (4th Circ. 1964). This standard precludes a de novo review of the factual circumstances that substitutes the court's findings for those of the Commissioner. Vitek v. Finch, 438 F.2d 1157 (4th Circ. 1971). The court must uphold the Commissioner's decision as long as it is supported by substantial evidence. Blalock v. Richardson, 483 F.2d 773, 775 (4th Circ. 1972). From this it does not follow, however, that the findings of the administrative agency are to be mechanically accepted. 2 The statutorily granted right of review contemplates more than an uncritical rubber stamping of the administrative agency. Flack v. Cohen, 413 F.2d 278, 279 (4th Circ. 1969). "[T]he courts must not abdicate their responsibility to give careful scrutiny to the whole record to assure that there is a sound foundation for the [Commissioner's] findings, and that this conclusion is rational." Vitek, 438 F.2d at 1157-58. DISCUSSION An individual is disabled if she is unable "to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve months." 42 U.S.C. § 416(i)(1). In his Report, the Magistrate Judge sets forth the relevant facts and legal standards which are incorporated herein by reference. The Magistrate Judge recommended that the decision of the Administrative Law Judge be reversed under sentence four of 42 U.S.C. Section 405 (g) for the following reasons: (1) That the ALJ did not state what weight was given to the opinions of Drs. Van Pelt and Kanos, given that said opinions did not appear to be inconsistent with the record of the case as a whole; (2) that the ALJ failed to determine, in her residual functional capacity assessment finding, the amount of time the plaintiff could stand, walk, and sit in a normal work day, as required by SSR 96-8p, 1996 WL 374184; (3) that the ALJ failed to consider whether the Plaintiff was disabled for at least a closed period of time; (4) that the ALJ did not comply with SSR 00-4p by (a) failing to question the vocational expert ("VE") regarding any potential conflicts in the hearing, and (b) failing to have the vocational expert provide numbers from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles for various jobs the VE testified the Plaintiff could perform, such that as a result, the VE, in providing testimony, relied upon information that was not included in the record. 3 In his first objection, the Commissioner alleges that the Magistrate Judge did not apply the proper standard of review to the ALJ's evaluation of physician opinions (Dkt. 18, at 1) and failed to fully discuss the ALJ's reasons for rejecting the opinions of Dr. Van Pelt and Dr. Kanos. 20 C.F.R. Section 416.927 (b) requires that all medical opinions in a social security disability case be considered and, unless a treating physician's opinion is given controlling weight, weighed according to the following non-exclusive list: (1) the length of the treatment relationship and the frequency of the examinations; (2) the nature and extent of the treatment relationships; (3) the evidence with which the physician supports his opinion; (4) the consistency of the opinion; and (5) whether the physician is a specialist in the area in which he is rendering an opinion. 20 C.F.R. Section 416.927 (d) (2)-(5). Statements that a patient is "disabled", "unable to work", or similar statements, are not medical opinions, but are, rather, administrative findings reserved for the Commissioner's determination. SSR 96-5p, 1996 WL 374183, at *5. As noted by the Magistrate Judge in his Report, the opinion of a treating physician is entitled to controlling weight if it is well-supported by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques and is not inconsistent with the other substantial evidence in the case. 20 C.F.R. Section 416.927 (d) (2); Masro v. Apfel, 270 F.3d 171 (4th Cir. 2001). An ALJ must give specific reasons for the weight given to a treating physician's medical opinion. Treating source medical opinions are entitled to deference and must be weighed using all of the factors provided in 20 C.F.R. Section 416.927. SSR 96-2p; 1996 WL 374188, at *5. The record reflects that the Plaintiff sought treatment from Dr. Van Pelt in September 2006 and thereafter sought a second opinion from Dr. Kanos, who examined her in December 2006 and November 2007 (Tr. 241-43; 245-47; 382-83). Both physicians provided opinions in 4 June 2009 as to the Plaintiff's limitations. Dr. Kanos stated that he based his opinions on his physical examination of the Plaintiff, as well as the medical history and radiology (Tr. 388). Dr. Van Pelt based his opinion on the Plaintiff's pain distribution, Spurling's sign, and MRI findings (Tr. 389). The ALJ noted that the descriptions contained in the reports of Dr. Kanos and Dr. Van Pelt were "quite vague and general, lacking specificity which might otherwise make it more convincing" (Tr. 12-13). However the record further contains detailed treatment notes and reports from both physicians, to include the analysis of the Plaintiff's symptoms based on physical examinations, medical history, and findings of various diagnostic tests, to include x-rays and MRI studies (Report, at 11, 12). As noted by the Magistrate Judge, the ALJ did not state what weight was given to the opinions of Dr. Van Pelt and Dr. Kanos, as the treating physicians, which do not appear to be inconsistent with the record as a whole. Accordingly, the court finds that the Magistrate Judge did apply the appropriate standard of review, as the Report reflects careful scrutiny to the record as a whole to assure a sound foundation for the findings based upon rational conclusions. Thomas v. Celebrezze, 331 F.2d 541 (4th Cir. 1964). The Commissioner's second stated objection to the Report is that the Magistrate Judge recommended remand with an instruction to consider a closed period of disability, when the evidence plainly did not support a closed period. The Commissioner argues that if the case is remanded, the Court should decline to instruct the ALJ to consider a closed period of disability because the ALJ would already be under an obligation to utilize the five-step sequential evaluation process and consider if the Plaintiff was disabled at any point during the relevant period, pursuant to 20 C.F.R. Section 404.1520. 5 As the Magistrate Judge noted in the Report, the record reveals that out of work excuses were written for the Plaintiff by her doctors on June 13, 2005; July 8, 2005; and August 9, 2005, and that on March 20, 2006, Dr. Million, who had treated the Plaintiff for carpal tunnel syndrome, indicated that Dr. Rubel had placed the Plaintiff "out of work for more proximal problems" (Report, at 14). Given the authority cited by the Commissioner and the evidence in the record, both cited above, the Court sees no harm in directing, upon remand, that the ALJ consider whether a closed period of disability has been established. In a footnote, the Commissioner noted non-specific objections to "each of the Magistrate Judge's recommendations, with the exception of the recommendation to uphold the ALJ's finding regarding Plaintiff's credibility". (Dkt # 18, at 1). However, with the exception of this cursory notation, the only bases provided by the Commissioner for any objections to the Report are those referenced and addressed above. Absent a specific objection or basis therefor, the court is disinclined to speculate as to the alleged error(s). A party's general non-specific objection is insufficient to challenge findings by a magistrate judge. 28 U.S.C.A. § 636(b)(1). The court has carefully considered all objections to the Report, and finds the same to be without merit. CONCLUSION After a thorough review of the record, the court finds the Magistrate Judge's Report provides an accurate summary of the facts and law applicable to this case. The court adopts the Report of the Magistrate Judge and incorporates it herein by this reference. The Commissioner's objections are overruled. For the reason set out hereinabove and in the Report, pursuant to 6 sentence four of 42 U.S.C. Section 405 (g), the Commissioner's final decision is reversed and remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with this order. IT IS SO ORDERED. s/Timothy M. Cain United States District Judge Greenville, South Carolina January 5, 2012 7


text:
History Mystery: Ur The Legendary City Of Abraham Part.V
Separate from the cornfields, were the gardens and orchards, which produced cucumbers, gourds, lentils, melons, onions, and pomegranates destined for the markets and the palace and temples warehouses. Beyond the fertile valleys, sheep and goats grazed in the pastureland that spread along the desert margin. The coarse grasses were not suitable for feeding cattle, so they were fattened on stocks of barley brought from the plain. Official caravans passing through these upland regions to gather tithes went with escorts of soldiers armed with lance and dagger. The routes were well-worm, but raiding tribes from the desert were always a menace. In about 2000 BC, the Amorites from the west and the Elamites from the foothills of Iran to the east descended on the capital in a cloud of destruction. Sir Leonard Woolley's team unearthed the evidence: temples had been sacked, monuments had been smashed, and buildings had been razed to the ground. Yet Ur not only survived but continued to flourish, although on a reduced scale, into the time of Abraham, who is thought to have been alive in about 1500 BC.
Could this great city really have been the home of Abraham, a Semite always thought of as a tent-dwelling nomad? It Abraham's family lived in Ur, they can only have done so temporarily – by 1500 BC the city was an age-old metropolis, and its citizens had been living the urban life for more than two thousand years. It is likely that the tribe of Abraham was one among many who drove their flocks from the wastes of Arabia into the fertile plain. They must often have passed through the swarming, urban communities that sprawled before them. Coming from the calm silence of the desert, they would have experienced an acute culture shock as they gazed on the city's grand palaces, temples, and busy workshops. And Sumerian legend left its mark on the tribe in one immensely significant respect: in the Bible story of the great flood. The Sumerians' royal chronicles allude to a colossal rising of the waters which once engulfed their land. The flood legend is also at the heart of the Epic of Gilgamesh, a favourite myth of their civilization. Gilgamesh – half-god, half-man was said to have been king of the powerful city – state of Uruk. Part of the epic relates how the gods decided to wipe out mankind in a deluge. Only one faithful believer, a certain Uptnaishtim, was to be spared from the catastrophe. He built an ark and loaded it with the 'seed of all livings things'. The storm raged for six days and nights, and on the seventh, it subsided. 'All mankind had turned to clay,' and the ark lay stranded on a mountain top. Three birds were then sent out in succession, just as in the Bible, to look for dry land. When exploring Ur, Wooolley came upon something which seemed to tie the flood to a specific time and location.
Digging below the royal cemetery he discovered a clear layer of silt 3m (10ft) thick interrupting the continuous evidence of prehistoric human habitation. Broken vessels dating back to about 4000 BC were discovered above and below the silt, but not within it. The clean clay was a flood deposit: the sign of a massive inundation which partially buried the original settlement. Was this evidence of the flood described in the scriptures, a huge deluge that had engulfed the entire valley of the Tigris and Euphrates? Initially, Woolley thought it might be. Today, scholars are more cautious. The inundation was not as extensive as Woolley first believed. Other major floods had occurred at various times in Sumerian history. And since flood myths are found all round the world, it is even conceivable that all date back through tribal memory to the melting of the waters at the end of the Ice Age in around 8300 BC. Cultures as distant as Aztec Mexico and Hindu India speak of a great purification of the earth by water. Whatever the truth, it is clear that the Sumerian myth caught the imagination of the Semitic tribe of Abraham, and helped to shape the from which the Biblical version was to take. Much of modern civilization can be traced back to the inventive Sumerians: the wheel, the plough, patterns of city life and social organization – even the art of writing itself. It seems incredible today that this vibrant culture could ever have been forgotten.
Yet such was its fate. During the course of the 1st millennium BC the centre of civilization in the Middle East shifted from Mesopotamia to the Iranian plateau, where a Persian dynasty with alien gods was building a mighty empire. The ancient cities of Sumer declined. Various rulers of Ur tried to restore the city to some of its former glory – notably Nabonidus, a 6th century Babylonian king who rebuilt parts of the great ziggurat. But Ur was slowly dying and, in about 316 BC, an unexpected event dealt a fatal blow to the great city. The Euphrates, whose waters had so long nourished the prosperity of Ur, changed its course. It started to nun some 14 km (8 ½ miles) east of the city.
Ur was starved of its shipping trade. The canals which had once watered the fields were dry, and the city was stranded like a beached leviathan on a flat desert waste. The remaining inhabitants abandoned the site. Wind and sandstorms did the rest, eroding walls and monuments and heaping up accumulations of dust, until all that remained was a series of gentle hillocks overlooked by a hump-backed monument – a hump which the Bedouins called Tell al-Muqayyar - the Mound of Pitch.
History Mystery: Amarna Capital Of Heretic Pharaoh -2
History Mystery: Babylon the city of Nebuchadnezza...
History Mystery: Susa Home of the Elamites Part.IV
History Mystery: Susa Home of the Elamites Part.III
History Mystery: Susa Home of the Elamites Part.II
History Mystery: Susa Home of the Elamites Part.I


text:
Q: How to fix 'Exception: Java gateway process exited before sending its port number' in Eclipse IDE I am trying to connect MySQL using pyspark in pydev environment of Eclipse IDE.
Getting below error:
Exception: Java gateway process exited before sending its port number
I have checked Java is properly installed and also set PYSPARK_SUBMIT_ARGS to value --master local[*] --jars path\mysql-connector-java-5.1.44-bin.jar pyspark-shell in windows-> preferences->Pydev->Python Interpreter->Environment.
Java Path is also set. Tried setting it via code also but no luck.
#import os
from pyspark import SparkContext
from pyspark import SparkConf

from pyspark.sql.context import SQLContext

#os.environ['JAVA_HOME']= 'C:/Program Files/Java/jdk1.8.0_141/'

#os.environ['PYSPARK_SUBMIT_ARGS'] = '--jars D:/Softwares/mysql-connector-java-5.1.44.tar/mysql-connector-java-5.1.44/mysql-connector-java-5.1.44-bin.jar pyspark-shell'

conf = SparkConf().setMaster('local').setAppName('MySQLdataread')

sc = SparkContext(conf=conf)

sqlContext = SQLContext(sc)

dataframe_mysql = sqlContext.read.format("jdbc").option("url", "jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/").option("driver", "com.mysql.jdbc.Driver").option("dbtable", "XXXXX").option("user", "root").option("password", "XXXX").load()

dataframe_mysql.show()

A: My problem was slightly different, I am running spark in spyder with windows.
when I am using
from pyspark.sql import SQLContext, SparkSession

I had the issue and followed google search links and not able to solve the problem.
Then I changed the import to:
from pyspark.sql import SparkSession
from pyspark import  SQLContext

and the error message disappeared.
I am running on Windows, anaconda3, python3.7, spyder  Hope it is helpful to someone.
Edit:
Later, i found the real problem is from the following.  When any of the configuration was not working properly, the same exception shows up.  Previously, I used 28gb and 4gb instead of 28g and 4g and that cause all the problems I had.
from pyspark.sql import SparkSession
from pyspark import  SQLContext
spark = SparkSession.builder \
    .master('local') \
    .appName('muthootSample1') \
    .config('spark.executor.memory', '28g') \
    .config('spark.driver.memory','4g')\
    .config("spark.cores.max", "6") \
    .getOrCreate()


From being a simple homemaker and a mother of two beautiful angels, my passion for crafts has transformed me into a fulltime religious crafter.
Crafts n Crafts- a Women's lifestyle company focused on creating happiness everyday through a homemade lifestyle. On this website, I share home décor and crafts.
I started Crafts n Crafts – my beautiful mess in December 2010. Today, I mainly focus on creativity. I would say I have just enough free time to keep redecorating my studio but never enough to get bored.
At Crafts n Crafts, I try to transform paper into anything and everything.


text:
Wolfgang Kermer, né le  à Neunkirchen (Sarre), est un historien de l'art, artiste, auteur et professeur émérite allemand. De 1971 à 1984, il était recteur de la . Il vit en France à Cendrecourt et en Allemagne à Kusel.

Biographie
Wolfgang Kermer naît le  à Neunkirchen (Sarre). Fils d'un chef d'orchestre autrichien, son père est mort lorsqu'il avait un an. Après une scolarité classique et un Abitur à Neunkirchen (Sarre), Wolfgang Kermer a étudié à partir de 1956 à Sarrebruck (Hochschulinstitut für Kunst- und Werkerziehung der Schule für Kunst und Handwerk et Université de la Sarre), Stuttgart (Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart et Université de Stuttgart), Paris (École du Louvre) et Tübingen (Université Eberhard Karl de Tübingen). Titulaire d'un diplôme d'État (professorat d'arts plastiques) à l'Académie des beaux-arts de Stuttgart en 1961 et d'un doctorat ès lettres obtenu en 1966 à l'Université de Tübingen, cet auteur et éditeur de plusieurs ouvrages sur des sujets de l'art du  et sur la réforme de l'enseignement supérieur artistique, de catalogues d'expositions et de périodiques a occupé jusqu'à 1997 pendant vingt-cinq ans une chaire d'histoire de l'art à l'Académie des beaux-arts de Stuttgart et puis dirigé, en tant que recteur élu plusieurs fois, cette Université des arts du Land de Bade-Wurtemberg de 1971 à 1984. Pendant son rectorat, l'Académie a été réorganisée à deux reprises, en 1975 et 1978, en raison de nouvelles lois sur les universités d'art. Dans ses recherches en histoire de l'art, Wolfgang Kermer s'est tourné depuis les années 1970 plus en plus vers le travail artistique et pédagogique de peintres tels que Willi Baumeister, Gunter Böhmer et Adolf Hölzel en leur consacrant plusieurs publications et expositions.

En 1987, à Stuttgart, Wolfgang Kermer découvre l'essentiel du patrimoine artistique de la peintre Alice Haarburger, assassinée pendant la Shoah. Avec la publication du premier article biographique sur l'artiste, une dissolution indigne de son œuvre a été évitée.

Concernant son propre travail artistique, L'Est républicain écrivait en 2006 : . Entre 1954 et 1964, les travaux artistiques de Wolfgang Kermer (peintures, dessins, gravures et photographies) ont fait l'objet de nombreuses expositions individuelles et participations à des expositions collectives en Allemagne. De 1960 à 1964 il fut membre du groupe d'artistes . En 1961, la galerie d'avant-garde Zimmergalerie Franck à Francfort-sur-le-Main lui consacrait une exposition personnelle, tout comme le Graphisches Kabinett à Sarrebruck. Au milieu des années 1960, non seulement il a détruit bon nombre de ses œuvres, dont il n'était plus satisfait, il arrêtait son travail artistique pendant plusieurs années pour se consacrer exclusivement vers les études d'histoire de l'art. Ses recherches sur un sujet particulier de la peinture sur panneau médiévale – les diptyques – l'ont counduit à de nombreux musées et collections européens afin de pouvoir étudier les œuvres originales et les compiler dans un catalogue critique.

Après avoir réalisé des photogrammes abstraits en noir et blanc, résultats d'une rencontre décisive avec Otto Steinert à Sarrebruck, qui l'a accepté comme étudiant visiteur en 1956, et après avoir pris en charge, de 1963 à 1965, l'atelier de photographie de l'Institut de l'histoire de l'art à l'Université de Tübingen, il est passé dans les années 1970 aux photos en couleur en se basant de plus en plus sur l'expérimentation des possibilités techniques offertes par le système Polaroid SX-70, résultats présentés pour la première fois en 1983 à l'Institut français de Stuttgart, en 2003 à Soing-Cubry-Charentenay (Espace Valentin Pelzhof) et en 2003/04 à la Médiathèque « La Grenette » d'Ambérieu-en-Bugey.

Entre-temps, il a repris la route de ses « Instants fixés » avec une toute autre approche grâce à la photographie numérique, avec des travaux qu'il exposait en 2006 à Vesoul, où il rencontre a cette occasion l'écrivain André Blanchard, et en 2008 à Bourbonne-les-Bains. « Posant ses valises à l'heure de la retraite à Cendrecourt, dans la proche Haute-Saône, Wolfgang Kermer continue à s'adonner à sa passion. Ce brillant intellectuel reste d'une grande simplicité et offre un regard poétique sur le monde quotidien et banal. […] L'artiste fait des gros plans sur des choses ordinaires, à l'image de ce fruit qui vient d'être pelé sur un bout de table de cuisine. Le résultat est tout simplement génial. Ou encore, cet autoportrait en photographiant son image sur une vitrine portant des inscriptions "s'imprimant" sur ses habits, qui demande une belle ingéniosité. […] Pour en arriver à cette étape, il y a des années de travail et un sens artistique aigu ».

En février/mars 2023, le Café français de Vesoul présentait une sélection d'œuvres photographiques récentes de Wolfgang Kermer intitulés « Instants fixés ».

Wolfgang Kermer est marié avec l'artiste plasticienne France Kermer. En 2018, le couple franco-allemand a fait don de sa collection privée « Céramique française 1970–2000 » – déjà exposée en 2008 au  et en 2014/15 au  à Kaiserslautern – à la Ville de Sarreguemines, où la donation est exposée actuellement au Musée Moulin de la Blies. La donation comprend des œuvres des plus grands céramistes français de la seconde moitié du , dont Pierre Bayle, Claude Champy, Loul Combres, Robert Deblander, Alain Girel, Jean Girel, Jean et Jacqueline Lerat, Jean Linard, Daniel de Montmollin, Gilbert Portanier, André Rozay, Catherine Vanier, Antoine de Vinck, Camille Virot.

Wolfgang Kermer, dont la collection de verres modernes se trouve au Musée du Verre à Frauenau en Bavière depuis 1982, a fait don avec France Kermer au musée en 2017 sous le titre « Hommage au verrier anonyme » bien plus de 100 verres du XVIIIe au XXe siècle, des objets typiques, auparavant soufflés en grande série, mais aujourd'hui rares, provenant de verreries de l'Est de la France. Les particularités incluent, par exemple, des verres créés au XVIIIe et XIXe siècles par des verreries de la Vôge comme le "bô" fougerollais ou le biberon dit "limande".

La collection Wolfgang Kermer au musée du verre de Frauenau

Publications (Sélection)
 Studien zum Diptychon in der sakralen Malerei: von den Anfängen bis zur Mitte des sechzehnten Jahrhunderts: mit einem Katalog. Düsseldorf: Dr. Stehle, 1967 (Phil. Diss. Universität Tübingen)
 Herbert Strässer: Plastiken, Skulpturen, Reliefs, Zeichnungen. Saarbrücken, Buchdruckerei und Verlag Karl Funk, 1968
 Einige Aspekte der Kunstlehre Willi Baumeisters. In: 175 Jahre Friedrich-Eugens-Gymnasium Stuttgart. Belser, Stuttgart 1971, S. 126–152.
 Ein Spätwerk Adolf Hölzels für die Akademie. In:  3. Für die Zeit vom 1. Oktober 1972 bis 31. März 1973. Stuttgart: Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart, April 1973, S. 25–26, Abb. S. 13.
 Hommage à Baumeister: Klaus Bendixen, Karl Bohrmann, Peter Brüning, Bruno Diemer, Peter Grau, Klaus Jürgen-Fischer, Emil Kiess, Eduard Micus, Herbert Schneider, Peter Schubert, Friedrich Seitz, Ludwig Wilding. Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart, Stuttgart 1979.
 Werkstatt: die Werkstätten und ihre Lehrer. Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart, Stuttgart 1982.
 Gunter Böhmer an der Stuttgarter Kunstakademie. Edition Cantz, Stuttgart, Bonn, Wien 1987,
 Willi Baumeister: Typographie und Reklamegestaltung. Edition Cantz, Stuttgart 1989,
 Der schöpferische Winkel: Willi Baumeisters pädagogische Tätigkeit. . Hrsg. von Wolfgang Kermer. Bd. 7. Edition Cantz, Ostfildern-Ruit 1992,
 (avec Wolfgang Berger, Heike Heimann, Wolfgang Schneider, Peter Schmitt): Jörg F. Zimmermann: glass artist – verre contemporain. Arnoldsche, Stuttgart 1993,  (Text dt./engl./franz.)
 (avec France Kermer): Claude Morin: verrier de Dieulefit: Glasgestalter aus Frankreich. Arnoldsche, Stuttgart 1993,
 Aus Willi Baumeisters Tagebüchern: Erinnerungen an Otto Meyer-Amden, Adolf Hölzel, Paul Klee, Karl Konrad Düssel und Oskar Schlemmer. Mit ergänzenden Schriften und Briefen von Willi Baumeister. Beiträge zur Geschichte der Staatlichen Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart. Hrsg. von Wolfgang Kermer. Bd. 8. Edition Cantz, Ostfildern-Ruit 1996,
 Zwischen Buch-Kunst und Buch-Design: Buchgestalter der Akademie und ehemaligen Kunstgewerbeschule in Stuttgart. Werkbeispiele und Texte. Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart, 30. Oktober – 23. November 1996. Edition Cantz, Ostfildern-Ruit 1996,
 "1968" und Akademiereform: von den Studentenunruhen zur Neuorganisation der Stuttgarter Akademie in den siebziger Jahren. Beiträge zur Geschichte der Staatlichen Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart. Hrsg. von Wolfgang Kermer. Bd. 9. Edition Cantz, Ostfildern-Ruit 1998,
 Willi Baumeister und die Werkbund-Ausstellung "Die Wohnung" Stuttgart 1927. Beiträge zur Geschichte der Staatlichen Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart. Hrsg. von Wolfgang Kermer. Bd. 11. Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart, Stuttgart 2003,
 Hans Gottfried von Stockhausen: Licht und Raum: Aufsätze, Vorträge, Interviews. Beiträge zur Geschichte der Staatlichen Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart. Hrsg. von Wolfgang Kermer. Bd. 12. Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart, Stuttgart 2004,
 « Lieber Meister Hölzel... » (Willi Baumeister): Schüler erinnern sich an ihren Lehrer. Zum 70. Todestag Adolf Hölzels am 17. Oktober 2004. . Hrsg. von Wolfgang Kermer. Bd. 11. Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart, Stuttgart  2004,
 Aufruhr am Weißenhof: zu Struktur und Situation der Stuttgarter Kunstakademie zur Zeit der Studentenunruhen 1968/69. WerkstattReihe. Hrsg. von Wolfgang Kermer. Bd. 14. Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart, Stuttgart 2006,
 Willi Baumeister: Cézanne. Hrsg. und mit einer Einführung von Wolfgang Kermer. WerkstattReihe. Hrsg. von Wolfgang Kermer. Bd. 16. Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart, Stuttgart 2006,
 Fritz Arnold: Das grafische Werk 1917–1920. Mit einem Vorwort von Nicole Nix-Hauck und einem Beitrag von Nina Pirro. Herausgegeben von der Städtischen Galerie Neunkirchen aus Anlass der Schenkung und Ausstellung "Fritz Arnold: Das grafische Werk 1917–1920", Juni/August 2010. M & G Medienagentur und Verlag, Saarbrücken 2010,

Distinctions
 1984: Chevalier de l'ordre du Mérite de la République fédérale d'Allemagne
 2004: Sénateur honoraire de l'Académie des beaux-arts de Stuttgart

Références

Liens externes

Historien de l'art allemand
Photographe allemand
Artiste contemporain allemand
Professeur des universités
Recteur d'université
Étudiant de l'université de la Sarre
Étudiant de l'université de Stuttgart
Étudiant de l'université de Tübingen
Chevalier de l'ordre du Mérite de la République fédérale d'Allemagne
Naissance en mai 1935
Naissance à Neunkirchen (Sarre)
Kusel
Naissance dans le Troisième Reich


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What a nice way to spend a sweltering day in the park.
Much thanks, once again, to my good friends Tracey McHenry and Brian Donahue for sending me this picture, one they took of an ice truck they saw in a park on July 4th.
I don't know...there's something a tad disturbing about that snowman.


A university in downtown Yuma? It's an intriguing thought – and also a possibility.
The City of Yuma invites you to view the conceptual plan for the area south of Giss Parkway and generally between Madison Avenue and the Union Pacific Railroad line at an open house to be held 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11 in room 190 of City Hall, One City Plaza (3rd Street between 1st and Madison avenues).


text:
Erhardt Conference
Former Cardiff Devils Hero Ben Bowns Suffers Major Career Setback In Austria
Ben Bowns, the most successful starting goalie in Cardiff Devils history, faces having to overcome a huge injury setback if he is to make a success of his move to Austria. Yorkshireman Bowns, a man at the heart of every Devils trophy success over the last six years, suffered a... Read More
9/10/2020Editor1 commentDai Puck
Lord's Men Sign Pope In New Elite Recruitment Drive
Canadian power forward Matt Pope has committed to Cardiff Devils for a second season. It was thought Pope would return to the Asian League for 2018-19, but he is among the first four players to make a Devils commitment. He has signed a new contract along with Joey Martin, Jory Haddad and... Read More
1/5/2018Terry PhillipsNo commentsDai Puck
Ace Forward Joey The Big Winner At Devils Awards
More than 500 Cardiff Devils attended Cardiff City Hall for the Elite League club's awards night. Canadian forward Joey Martin was the big winner with three trophies, lifting the club's leading scorer (27 goals + 46 assists = 73 points), forward of the year and most valuable player. The 29-year-old has enjoyed... Read More
Devils Intent On Big Weekend At Ice Arena Wales
Cardiff Devils are intent on heading into the Elite League end-of-season play-offs on a high. Coach Andrew Lord and his team have back-to-back home fixtures at Ice Arena Wales this weekend, playing Belfast Giants on Saturday (7pm) and Milton Keynes Lightning the following evening (6pm). Devils have already clinched the League and... Read More
22/3/2018Terry Phillips1 commentDai Puck
Finnerty's Storm Aim To Follow Lead Set By Devils
Former Cardiff Devils captain Ryan Finnerty brings his Manchester Storm team to Ice Arena Wales in Cardiff Bay this evening (Wednesday, 7.30pm). Canadian coach Finnerty and his Storm players chased Devils almost all the way this season and were the team who looked capable of catching the leaders. Cardiff swept to a... Read More
Devils Ready For Storm To Hit Cardiff Bay Wednesday
Cardiff Devils will play Braehead Clan or Coventry Blaze in the PredictorBet Elite League play-off quarter-finals. Champions Devils are waiting to see which of those teams claim the final play-off slot. Seven teams have made sure of their place among the eight qualifiers, while Clan, Blaze and Dundee Stars have been battling... Read More
20/3/2018Terry Phillips1 commentDai Foot, Dai Puck


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Today is another grey, cold day. I thought it would brighten up things to break out some water colors and paint something cheerful to share. Although the media is not my forte it sufficed the task at hand. I know that we are all waiting for the season of spring. The snow still coats the frozen ground. However, just a week ago as I walked the Sussex trail, I discovered green vegetation that lingered on since last summer. Very odd indeed for the month of February!
Spring transforms the landscape into bright yellow forsythias, ruby red tulips, daffodils, deep blue crocus and budding trees. A burst of natures hues is what everyone enjoys. Planting seedlings and turning over the soil that lay dormant during winter. Preparing, organizing tools, garden beds and peat pots for plantings. Yes, this is the time of year that I enjoy, and helping to create a spectacular Spring transformation.
Recently while doing computer maintenance work I came upon photo captures from the month of April. I chuckled to myself about the decision made to become adventurous that bright but semi-sunny day. Even though the black Cannondale bicycle had a flat tire from last Fall hanging from its rim, determination drove me to acquire a Skill saw. This tool was needed to complete a small project that consisted of sawing down a collection of wooden pallets. In order to achieve the desired aged quality look, the pallets weathered for two years and were now primed to be sanded and stained. With my high-tech looking black shopping cart with red rimmed wheels in tow, I decided to take to the highway. Unfortunately, this particular shopping cart had to be manufactured in China and for people with short arms. The cart handle was too short and it was necessary to utilize a homemade bright yellow hand knitted scarf to extend the length and act as a means to pulling the cart up from dragging onto the ground.
The scrap metal yard was on the way to the big box strip mall. I never visited this type of facility before and wanted to check out their inventory for creative applications. Only in late sixties mob movies that appeared on television was it possible for me to view mountains of heavy metal. Portrayed victims related to a crime were usually rubbed out, carted away by truck and buried in a yard. Very uninviting, a dangerous type of operation but right up my alley for today's excursion! At the entrance to this yard was a worn out building. No pedestrian walkway could be seen so I had to walk as if driving into this facility. Warning signs and bright yellow caution painted strips decorated the entry. A row of sharp metal prongs poked up out of the road at the gate. Undoubtedly designed to inflict a puncture into a tire when a vehicle is backing up. So once a vehicle pulls up there is no way to move but forward. I approached one door and tried to enter but it would not budge. A sign to the right directed me to enter at the back and this was the office location. I parked the black shopping cart and eagerly bounced up the steps to enter the office. Behind an antiquated bulky wooden desk sat a cheerful woman. She was busy sorting out paperwork that was organized on the desk-top. The scene was the total opposite of what I concocted in my mind or expected. Only the office props matched my vision of the ideal scrap yard scene. The office manager was delighted to see me and moved towards the door to proceed with a tour of the yard. I inquired about corrugated metal sheets, sinks, and anything else that architecturally could enhance my tiny house build. "Tony would know where those items would be so let's ask him", she said. Loud rumbling could be heard from the back of the yard and Tony was found perched on a huge power dozer that pushed and crushed mounds of heavy metal into a mountainous pile. Tony was bulging with muscles and also possessed the manly tools needed to maintain a yard. He kept the metal piles neat and orderly and one could see how Tony took pride in managing his work. We were both told where to look and the price of the panels. Throughout my tour I found some interesting objects and was given permission to take some captures.
Upon my journey I passed a billboard sign, bus stop, garden shop, barber store, military advertisement. and nature. The route was busy with daily traffic and during this walking field trip discovered that walkways, sidewalks do end and start-up again in precarious locations.
I found myself hoisting the cart over guard rails and walking onto narrow paths. At one point there was nowhere to walk but through a trailer park access road. I passed Rockefeller's International Trade Zone, where paths were manicured and decorated with handsome landscaping. People that were driving vehicles must have wondered what this woman was doing carting a shopping cart, after-all no one walks or ever uses these park like paths that decorates the Trade Zone. Island hopping was also a skill developed throughout this trip and perhaps should be added to the resume.
Why do the powers that be construct big box centers on long winding mini highways up a major hill? The average bicyclist would be walking the bicycle up this hill. Upon reaching the shopping zone, Applebee's beckoned me to stop and take lunch but I proceeded to Pet Smart, TJ MAX and then Lowes. My shopping cart filled up fast and the cashier at Lowes was helpful in organizing the Skill saw box to fit on the bottom of the cart with my other purchases on top. Exhausted, hungry and in need of refueling my system I found myself back at Applebees where I ordered a chicken, mashed potato dinner. The sunny day was becoming slightly rainy and evident that the return trip would be a trek with additional cart weight.
Traffic increases after work and there had to be a short cut or safer way and remembered one by the Trade Zone. It was a bike path that stretched through wildlife and a residential neighborhood and may be safer but longer. I really could not afford making a wrong turn by foot but decided to venture forward with this path. The bicycle path was picturesque and the lightly falling raindrops highlighted foliage. Time went on and many miles too. My legs were becoming heavy and tired. Evening was going to set in and I became worried with the thought of being in the predicament of camping in the woods for the night. Now that would be a nightmare. At the intersection I noticed a familiar sight – the entrance to the nature trail. This could be another way to travel but at this hour not an option. Black bears roam these lands and crossing their territory in the dark would be too dangerous. Upon arriving at an intersection a woman in a car was making a left hand turn towards the shopping zone. I waved her down to stop and politely inquired about finding the major route. She confirmed the correct direction to take but soon discovered that the remainder of this walk was overwhelming and a challenge.
Spring is a metamorphous. It effects animals, insects, plants, people too. At spring people do cheer up and savor the warming sun, crisp morning air that turns to sweet fragrances. Peoples smiles breaks the previous season of cold, snow, dreary days. The black bears come out of rock dwellings in search of food. All of life comes out of hibernation. Today, I noticed the forsythia are changing its growth patterns and color. The bright yellow flowers are being overwhelmed by new green growth. Branches are growing wiry and tall. Growing in every direction that is possible. Stretching out and dancing to grasp the sunshine.
There is nothing greater in life than to walk out the door and view floral abundance.