text:
Q: Потеря размеров изображения при LSB алгоритме Задали в университете реализовать LSB алгоритм используя изображения .png формата в качестве подопытного кролика.
Вот такой метод был написан для того, чтобы прятать текст:
private void Hide_Text(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        SaveFileDialog save = new SaveFileDialog();
        save.Filter = "PNG файлы(*.png)|*.png";
        save.CheckFileExists = false;
        save.OverwritePrompt = true;
        if (TextToHide.Text != "")
        {
            if (save.ShowDialog() == true)
            {
                string PathToImageWithText = save.FileName;
                var context = DataContext as ImageContext;
                BitmapSource bs = new BitmapImage(context.ImageUri);
                int stride = (int)bs.PixelWidth * (bs.Format.BitsPerPixel / 8);
                byte[] PngBytes = new byte[(int)bs.PixelHeight * stride];
                bs.CopyPixels(PngBytes, stride, 0);
                BitArray PngBits = new BitArray(PngBytes);

                string text = TextToHide.Text + ";"; ;
                byte[] textBytes = System.Text.Encoding.GetEncoding(1251).GetBytes(text);
                if(textBytes.Length * 3 > PngBytes.Length)
                {
                    MessageBox.Show("Количество символов превысило количество пикселей, для текста не хватает места", "Ошибка", MessageBoxButton.OK, MessageBoxImage.Information);
                    return;
                }
                BitArray textBits = new BitArray(textBytes);

                for (int i = 0; i < text.Count(); i++)
                {
                    PngBits[i * bs.Format.BitsPerPixel + 16] = textBits[i * 8];
                    PngBits[i * bs.Format.BitsPerPixel + 17] = textBits[i * 8 + 1];
                    PngBits[i * bs.Format.BitsPerPixel + 18] = textBits[i * 8 + 2];
                    PngBits[i * bs.Format.BitsPerPixel + 8] = textBits[i * 8 + 3];
                    PngBits[i * bs.Format.BitsPerPixel + 9] = textBits[i * 8 + 4];
                    PngBits[i * bs.Format.BitsPerPixel] = textBits[i * 8 + 5];
                    PngBits[i * bs.Format.BitsPerPixel + 1] = textBits[i * 8 + 6];
                    PngBits[i * bs.Format.BitsPerPixel + 2] = textBits[i * 8 + 7];
                }

                byte[] bytesWithText = new byte[(int)bs.PixelHeight * stride];
                PngBits.CopyTo(bytesWithText, 0);
                WriteableBitmap wb = new WriteableBitmap(bs);
                wb.WritePixels(new Int32Rect(0, 0, bs.PixelWidth, bs.PixelHeight), bytesWithText, stride, 0);
                context.TransformedImage = wb;
                CreateThumbnail(PathToImageWithText, wb.Clone());
            }
        }
    }

Все работает, вопрос заключается в другом.
самая главная прелесть LSB в том, размер изображения не меняется в результате того, что вы что-то в него прячете.
Но вот мое изображение размером 930кб пройдя через все это становится размером 598кб
Может быть кто-то знает, что является причиной подобных изменений??

A: Причиной таких изменений может быть формат PNG в котором данные (т.е. значения пикселей) сжимаются без потерь, а поскольку содержимое изображения меняется, то даже не смотря на то, что высота и ширина остаются прежними, после изменений оно может просто более лучше сжаться.
Попробуйте грузить в формате BMP и сохранять тоже в BMP (в нем сжатия не бывает почти всегда кроме экзотики RLE).


This site is a source of online gardening information, inspiration and entertainment for all gardeners from the expert to the reluctant, wherever you may be. For gardeners who want information and advice on choosing and growing plants, laying a patio, or decks, erecting a shed, garden office or summerhouse etc. Without wanting to become a horticulturalist or take a garden design course to get there. We don't do trendy, we do what works and what you want in your garden.
Autumn- Boston Ivy - Parthenocissus tricuspidata. This plant will thrive in sun or shade and is very accommodating in this respect being useful to cover something unsightly, though being deciduous, only for part of the year! The leaves are redder and stay on the plants in this colouring for longer the more sun they get.
Winter - A world of white. An ethereal world made so by the application of water vapour in the air and a few degrees change in temperature, isn't it great that the world can change so fundamentally so easily?
There's nothing mystical or magical about having "green fingers". Gardening like everything else is a mixture of inspiration and perspiration, and is biased towards the second of these.
Green-fingeredness is not something you are or aren't born with, and it can certainly be learnt. Like other skills some people will be naturally better than others. If you put in the time and effort and are prepared to learn, then you can develop the verdant digits so envied by those for whom everything botanical seems to perish as soon as their back is turned.
Gardening isn't a black art and can be learnt by any-one, it just sometimes requires a mental leap into believing that you really can understand these funny plants and their peculiar foreign ways.
Effort - One rule of thumb I use is "don't use a trowel if you can get a spade in". People frequently garden on too small a scale, tickling the soil as it's easier, rather than getting deeper down into it. The effort can be spread over more than one day and is probably better that way so you get to look at your plants more often. Look at it like a free visit to the gym with an end result other than just a pool of sweat on the floor.
Frequently inspect your plants so that you know as soon as possible when they need attention.
When planting, prepare the soil well, and do it every time you plant.
Weed frequently, dig out the roots of perennial weeds, don't just cut off the top-growth.
Make borders wide, they look so much better.
Dead-head frequently for a continuous show of blooms.
OK you get the idea now.
Empathy - The most difficult aspect to learn. It entails looking at life from the plants point of view, seeing why it is happy or unhappy in its current position. Thinking about the impact of flowering, pruning, pests etc. But at least it's easy because you can relax when you do it.
Plants are living things, and like other living things they have their foibles and preferences. The commonest reasons that plants fail are that they are planted in the wrong place (some-times the wrong continent) and they are not allowed to establish themselves properly. When you first get some new plants treat them like children, appropriate attention early on is worth ten times the remedial work when things have gone wrong due to a lack of care.
Knowledge - While it is certainly very useful to carry around a knowledge base of plants, soil conditions, pests etc. in your head, it's not necessary as long you know where to find the information.
If you can't afford a selection of books then there are plenty of web sites to get the information from, though books do have their conveniences. Another important thing is to apply the knowledge up front, think about what plants you are going to buy before you buy them, and where they are going to go before you plant them.
Gardening takes a plot of land, a hoe and willing muscles. Scratching the soil, harvesting garden fruits, are peaceful results. With a garden, there is hope.
Gardening is ultimately a folly whose goal is to provide delight.
I don't think we'll ever know all there is to know about gardening, and I'm just as glad there will always be some magic about it!
I also know that we should cultivate our gardens.
Gardening is an exercise in optimism. Sometimes, it is a triumph of hope over experience. A garden is a delight to the eye and a solace for the soul.


text:
Credit: Kacey Musgraves/Instagram
Kacey Musgraves checked out the "Floating Heads" exhibit at Glasgow, Scotland, UK's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in November 2018.
Museum Context
While in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK in August 2018, Tamera Mowry was excited she got "to go to an official Harry Potter store" — the popular Museum Context.
Meldrum House
Malin Akerman went to Oldmeldrum, Scotland, UK's Meldrum House in June 2018 and said, "What a special weekend with my favorite partner in crime."
People's Palace, Glasgow
"Just out here experiencing Glasgow Scotland" is what Macklemore said when he was at the People's Palace, Glasgow in March 2018.
St. Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh
Kim Cattrall thanked the "Reverend Peter Sutton" of St. Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh in June 2018 for presiding over the service for her late brother. She added. "Lighting a candle in memory of our brother, son, father, & husband, Christopher Adrian Alexander Cattrall. Forever in our thoughts. RIP."
GlenEagles Hotel
James Marsden was "Looking forward to #InternationalScotchDay" in February 2018 while standing outside "GlenEagles Hotel in Scotland."
Anna Paquin traveled to the Wallace Monument in September 2017.
Anna Paquin was "So impressed" with Stirling Castle when she visited on a "great family day out" in August 2017 — she said it's "So beautifully maintained and staffed" and added, "#Scotland really is a beautiful country."
Briarlands Farm
"Just can't get enough goats" is what Anna Paquin said when she visited Briarlands Farm in August 2017 and called the experience "a fantastic day out for the family."
Blair Drummond Safari Park
Anna Paquin saw several lions when she visited Blair Drummond Safari Park in August 2017 and commented, "The safari park makes it feel less cruel having these majestic beasts so far from their natural homes."
"We had a blast" is what Kevin Bacon said when he and Kyra Sedgwick when they were at The World's End in June 2017.
In June 2017, Gerard Butler shared a flashback photo of his time in "beautiful Scotland."
Tron Kirk
John Stamos saw Tron Kirk when he was in town in May 2017 and also shared a shot of him "Petting a Scotty in Scotland."
Eva Longoria pointed to the castle when she traveled to it in May 2017.
Fabhatrix
While "#hat shopping in #Edinburgh" at Fabhatrix in March 2017, Al Roker said, "The #CatInTheHat has nothing on . . . me."
Midhope Castle
Rebe McEntire came to Midhope Castle in March 2017 and said she "got to see where Jamie Fraser lived in Outlander!!!!"
Mark-Paul Gosselaar shared a shot of his son in Stow from when his family went to "Scotland for Xmas" in December 2016.
Joshua Radin posted several pictures when he was in Edinburgh in December 2016 and said, "It's just too beautiful here in Edinburgh. Sorry for blowing up your feeds."
Kevin Connolly came to Royal Mile while in "Edinburgh Scotland!!!!" in November 2016.
Ewan McGregor and his dad "Had a great burl up to" The Green Welly Stop in November 2016 and said, "Of all the places I have ridden, Scotland has some of the best roads for bikes."
The Fairy Pools, Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye
In October 2016, Josh Gad posted a throwback photo of him at The Fairy Pools, Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye and said he was "Hiking through the fairy gardens of #Scotland with my wee one on my back."
Kingsbarns Golf Club
Josh Duhamel played a round at Kingsbarns Golf Club in September 2016 and asked, "Who knew golf in Scotland could be so romantic."
Old Course at St. Andrews
Josh Duhamel had "Fun at St. Andrews" in September 2016.
Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Ewan McGregor checked in to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in July 2016.
Ewan McGregor and a friend made it to "the top of Schiehallion" in July 2016.
Leith Links
Ewan McGregor was checked in to Leith Links in June 2016.
Arthur's Seat
Ewan McGregor said it was "Very nice to be back" when he was checked in to Arthur's Seat in May 2016.
The Sheep Heid Inn
Kelly Clarkson was "Having a beer and a cappuccino in the oldest pub in Edinburgh" — The Sheep Heid Inn — in June 2015.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


As many designers are aware of, Helvetica is a font used in many famous logos such as American Apparel, Staples, Sears, etc.
I was so excited to hear that there was a documentary made in 2007 about the font!
I will definitely be looking for a copy of the documentary tonight. Even better news? Paula Scher is one of the interviewees (she's my design idol).
I believe it is on Instant on Netflix, if you have that.


The annual Caddis Cup Fly Fishing Tournament provides a wonderful way to improve your cast, meet new folks, and soak in the scenery—all while helping to preserve our incredible lands and waters in Gunnison County. Local guides offer their fishing knowledge as each competitor strives to catch the longest brown trout, the longest rainbow trout, and the most aggregate inches. Many participants return each year and there is no shortage of camaraderie. The two-day tournament commences with a kick-off dinner at Cement Creek Ranch. Spouses and friends return for the closing awards party, complete with nibbles, noshes, prizes, and "fish tales" from the day.
Our lands and waters are preserved due to the generous efforts of our community. Businesses, large and small, support the Crested Butte Land Trust every year through sponsorships. Make a difference by supporting the Land Trust's efforts to save the places you call home today and for future generations to enjoy.


Have you ever thought to yourself, "hey, I should start a podcast?" But then you tried to do a little research and immediately felt overwhelmed? Between hosting options, recording equipment, and editing software – not to mention the actual CONTENT of your podcast – how do you know where to start? Luckily, through launching multiple podcasts, I've found what works well and what doesn't. And I'm here to help you wade through everything to find the best solutions for you. Let's do it.


text:
Race Review: Warrior Dash Kansas City
Warrior Dash is the OCR series that started it all for me and for many others in the sport. Therefore, when they are in my area, I always give them a visit to see what has been going on with their series. Here's what I thought of their Kansas City event:
Due to heavy rains parking was at a nearby school and athletes were bused over to the race area. The messages put out on Facebook instructed participants to arrive around 1 hour 15 min before their wave time. I showed up a little earlier than that and then proceeded to wait for the buses. The first bus showed up 45 minutes before the start of the race and the bus driver didn't have clear directions on where he was supposed to go. With ongoing rain, I'm pretty sure they didn't have all their volunteers show up, which complicated things behind the scenes. I applaud them for being flexible but expect them to have their plan a little tighter as an experienced race company.
Check in was super-fast with no lines. Despite feeling a bit rushed I still had time to check in, use the bathroom and do a quick warm up before the start of the event. The late buses ended up causing some anxiety but no real problems as far as I could see.
Warrior Dash is advertised as a 5k that now has a 10k option and, in some locations, even a 1-mile option. The KC course only had the 5k and 10k option. The 10k is two loops of the 5k course minus the last two obstacles. I thought they did a good job clearly labeling the turn-off to the 10k and did not feel like there was any confusion even while running full speed with a maxed out heart rate. I was a little disappointed that my GPS clocked the 5k race at around 2.5 miles.
Warrior Dash is known for their more introductory obstacles and I knew that going into the event. Still, I kind of felt let down by this race. Honestly, it felt like all I did was low crawl obstacles until the final set, which were all within a ½ mile of the finish line. While I personally didn't like this for racing, it was cool for spectators that they could see most of the fun obstacles. Plus, if you wanted to go back and play on some of the obstacles, they were all right there and it didn't require you to do a lot of running.
Towards the end of the race, I encountered obstacles like the Damn Dam, Splitsville, Fo Shizzle My Drizzle, and El Capitan. The Damn Dam was a nice take on a warped wall with the outside lanes having steps which helped prevent backups later in the day while giving people an option to challenge themselves in the middle. Splitsville and Fo Shizzle My Drizzle were both takes on balance obstacles that were made more fun through the addition of water spraying around you. El Capitan was very visually appealing with its stacked cargo containers, net high above the ground that ended with a slide. It was a fun obstacle for people to test their fear of heights as well as enjoy the massive slide.
While I thought the final set of obstacles were great, the rest of the race just seemed like running and low crawls. Missing were some of the great obstacles they've had in the past including Fisherman's Catch (their rig), Upslide Down (dragging yourself across a slide via net) and what was supposed to be a new 2019 obstacle Super Fly (their zip line obstacle). They aren't advertising for Fisherman's Catch anymore, so if I would have checked the website ahead of time I would have known that one wouldn't be there. However, they do advertise Get a Grip (a rig like structure), which they list as an obstacle but has historically been in the festival area only. Get a Grip wasn't in the festival or on the course.
Personally, I would have enjoyed if some of the more fun obstacles were out on the course instead of all crammed in at the end. This obstacle gauntlet at the end really made me feel like the rest of the course didn't have much else to offer.
Warrior Dash remains a staple of the industry provided a fun course for beginners or those looking to race OCR that is more speed based with less technical obstacles. It is also a great race to bring first timers to whether that be a friend or a family member. There was heavy rain the week of the event and it was raining on/off the day of the event so I'm sure that caused lots of unforeseen problems on the back end that I couldn't see. As an established race brand that is on their 10th year of racing, I hold them to a higher standard though.
I was a little disappointed, but I do have one more Warrior Dash on my schedule later this year. With two in a calendar year, it means I'll earn the Epic Warrior medal (also available for registering for two different distances at the same race). Hopefully, the weather will be nicer and it will be a better representation of the brand. Looking forward to one more weekend of "Mud, Sweat and Beers" in 2019.
Want to read more about Warrior Dash and 100+ other OCR events? Pick up a copy of Mud Run Guide's Ultimate OCR Bucket List, now available from Strength & Speed. You can read about them in the chapters on races with a great post-event party, races where you can earn medals for completing several of their events and you can hear about when they used to hold a world championship in the final chapter.
Have you done an Warrior Dash?
Leave your own Warrior Dash review and feedback...
This author is part of the Mud Run Crew and received a free race entry in return for an independent review. All opinions are those of the author and were not influenced by the race sponsor or Mud Run Guide.
By Evan Perperis|2019-05-30T15:36:48-04:00June 3rd, 2019|Race Recap|0 Comments
About the Author: Evan Perperis
Evan is a Conquer The Gauntlet Pro, NSCA-CPT, owner of Strength & Speed along with a Hammer Nutrition sponsored athlete whose biography "Ultra-OCR Man: From Special Forces Soldier to Record Setting Pro OCR Athlete" is now available (hard copy, digital or audiobook). His highlights included 2018's 1st place Team Atomik at World's Toughest Mudder, 2nd Pro Team Coed at North American OCR Championships in 2018 and yearly record setting Ultra-OCR events for charity raising more than $26,000. With 60+ overall OCR podium finishes, he captured his training techniques and strategies in his books, "Strength & Speed's Guide to Elite Obstacle Course Racing", "Mud Run Guide's Ultra-OCR Bible", "Conquering The Gauntlet", "CTG Pro Team Workouts To Go" and covered some of his favorite OCR events in "MRG's Ultimate OCR Bucket List" (all available from www.teamstrengthspeed.com ).


text:
``cosmology`` file I/O uses the Unified Table I/O interface, which has added
support for reading and writing file paths of the form ``~/file.ecsv`` or
``~<username>/file.ecsv``, referring to the home directory of the current user
or the specified user, respectively.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Liberty Center, Liberty Campus, Hinesville, GA
From Strip Shopping Center To State-Of-The-Art
Hussey Gay Bell is the Architect and Engineer of Record for this project which consisted of the design and construction of a new $5 million, 21,000-square-foot Liberty Center in Hinesville, Georgia. Located at the southeast corner of the intersection of Memorial Drive and Welborn Street, the new building replaces an existing smaller classroom facility located in 10,500 square feet of leased commercial space in a strip shopping center with administrative space, faculty/staff offices, common areas, student services and support areas on donated land. The design of the facility was sensitive to the aesthetic fabric of the existing community and complements the existing downtown streetscape while incorporating sustainable construction materials and high-quality finishes which are typical of University System of Georgia facilities. The new building primarily serves military personnel, their families and non-traditional students at Fort Stewart, Liberty County and the surrounding areas. Academic programs at the Liberty Center will include a full range of undergraduate coursework and degrees. Current enrollment is 300 with projections anticipated to be approximately 700 with the new facility online. Project was constructed by Statesboro-based, Lavender & Associates, and reached completion in the Spring of 2016.
Liberty Campus, Hinesville, GA
Once housed in a strip mall shopping center, the new $5M, 21,000 SF Liberty Center provides active duty soldiers, their families and area residents a facility conducive to learning and access to higher education.
Mercer School of Medicine, Savannah, GA
Mercer, Science & Engineering Building, Macon, GA


It looks for answers for two Big Questions: 1. Why are ideas of socialism and welfare state so attractive for many people? (With sub questions: Is it related to the myths about them? Are the socialism and welfare myths interrelated?) 2. How subjection to these myths is related to impairing of individual responsibility and their voluntary solidarity?
We want to find the answers by five hypotheses: 1. Accepted and spread socialism and welfare state myths contributes to the appeal of their ideas for many people. 2. Socialism and welfare state myths are linked in such a way that the subjection to one myth supports the other myth and vice versa. 3. Experience with socialism does not mean better resistance to the socialism and welfare state myths and to the limiting of liberties. 4. Subjection to the socialism and welfare state myths influences how people depend on the state and the effectiveness of its intervention and power distribution, and by that deepen their dependency and entitlement mentality and weaken personal responsibility. 5. Subjection to the socialism and welfare state myths influence the weakening of voluntary solidarity.
The aim of the project is to confront socialism and welfare state myths with reality and contribute to their eradication and to long term change in people´s thinking towards reinforcing their responsibility. Its impact should be increased interest, knowledge and understanding of these myths by Slovak public with assumed long term and universal usability of the project. We mean to achieve this by activities linking research and its transformation impact on the society.


text:
British Jews apply for German nationality as Brexit looms
British Jews apply for German nationality as Brexit looms /node/1444196/world
Holocaust survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, center, her daughter Maya Jacobs Lasker-Wallfisch, left, and her grandson Simon Wallfisch, right, the son of Maya Jacobs Lasker-Wallfisch, pose for a photo after an interview with the Associated Press in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019. (AP)
Britons holding dual citizenship from an EU country like Germany will retain the privilege of free movement and work across the soon-to-be 27-nation bloc
BERLIN: Simon Wallfisch grew up in London as the grandson of an Auschwitz survivor who had sworn to never return to the country that murdered her parents and 6 million other Jews.
But more than 70 years after the Holocaust, Brexit has prompted Wallfisch and thousands of other Jews in Britain to apply for German citizenship, which was stripped from their ancestors by the Nazis during the Third Reich.
"This disaster that we call Brexit has led to me just finding a way to secure my future and my children's future," said Wallfisch, 36, a well-known classical singer and cellist who received his German passport in October. "In order to remain European I've taken the European citizenship."
Britons holding dual citizenship from an EU country like Germany will retain the privilege of free movement and work across the soon-to-be 27-nation bloc.
Many Britons whose ancestors came from other parts of Europe have been claiming citizenship in other EU member states so they can keep ties to the continent. But for Jews whose families fled Germany to escape the Nazis, the decision has meant re-examining long-held beliefs about the country.
The German Embassy in London says it has received more than 3,380 citizenship applications since the Brexit referendum in June 2016 under article 116 of the German Constitution, which allows the descendants of people persecuted by the Nazis to regain the citizenship that was removed between 1933 and 1945.
In comparison, only around 20 such requests were made annually in the years before Brexit.
Wallfisch's grandmother, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, was 18 in December 1943 when she was deported to Auschwitz, the Nazi death camp in occupied Poland where more than 1 million Jews were murdered.
She survived because she was a member of the camp's girls' orchestra. As a cellist, she had to play classical music while other Jews were taken to the gas chambers.
In November 1944, she was taken to Bergen-Belsen — the concentration camp where diarist Anne Frank died after also being transferred from Auschwitz at about the same time — where she was eventually liberated by the British army in April 1945.
Lasker-Wallfisch immigrated to Britain in 1946, got married and had two children. Her career as a famous cello player took her around the world, but it took decades until she overcame her hatred enough to set foot on German soil again in the 1990s.
In recent years, Lasker-Wallfisch, 93, has become a regular visitor, educating children in Germany about the Holocaust and speaking last year during the German parliament's annual Holocaust memorial event.
On Sunday's International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Lasker-Wallfisch, her grandson Simon and her daughter Maya Jacobs Lasker-Wallfisch performed for the first time together on stage at the Jewish Museum Berlin in commemoration of their family. They played music with other members of their extended family and read letters from the past as a tribute to those who survived and those who perished in the Shoah.
Before the show, the three generations sat together on the red couch in the museum's dressing room and told The Associated Press about the emotional thoughts that went into the younger two's decision to take German citizenship.
"We cannot be victims of our past. We have to have some hope for change," said Maya Jacobs Lasker-Wallfisch, a 60-year-old London psychotherapist who is Simon's aunt and is still waiting on her German citizenship to be approved. "I feel somehow in a strange way triumphant. Something is coming full circle."
More than just retaining the ability to travel easily or maintain business ties, Jacobs Lasker-Wallfisch said there are other, more emotional reasons to acquiring German citizenship, with Britain due to leave the European Union on March 29.
"I feel an aliveness here (in Berlin) that I have not experienced before, but it totally makes sense because after all I am German," Jacobs Lasker-Wallfisch said. She added that if the country behind the Holocaust is now one that welcomes the descendants of the victims, "that's a good thing."
But Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, who lived through the horrors of the Holocaust, remained skeptical and pessimistic.
"Jewish people never feel secure," she said to her daughter and grandson, reminding them of her own past. "I had German nationality — it did not buy me security."
Topics: British jews Germany Holocaust
Holocaust museum stokes controversy among Hungary's Jews
Philippine leader who compared self to Hitler visits Israeli Holocaust memorial
Updated 15 min 29 sec ago


George Faber declares the original name of Jesus was Jescua Hammassiah. Godfrey Higgins has discovered two references, one in the Midrashjoheleth and the other in the Abodazara [early Jewish commentaries on the Scriptures], to the effect that the surname of Joseph's family was Panther, for in both of these works it is stated that a man was healed "in the name of Jesus ben Panther." The name Panther establishes a direct connection between Jesus and Bacchus who was nursed by panthers and is sometimes depicted riding either on one of these animals or in a chariot drawn by them. The skin of the panther was also sacred in certain of the Egyptian initiatory ceremonials. The monogram IHS now interpreted to mean Iesus Hominum Salvator [Jesus Savior of Men], is another direct link between the Christian and the Bacchic rites. IHS is derived from Greek which as its numerical value 608 signifies, is emblematic of the sun and constituted the sacred and concealed name of Bacchus. [See The Celtic Druids, by Godfrey Higgins.] The question arises, Was early Roman Christianity confused with the worship of Bacchus because of the numerous parallelisms in the two faiths? If the affirmative can be proved, many hitherto incomprehensible enigmas of the New Testament will be solved.
Physiologus wrote, that the panther was a great friend of all animals with the exception of the dragon (symbol of evil). Physiologus continued and explained how the panther slept in its den for three days (like Christ in the grave); then rose, howled and released from his mouth an immensely sweet scent, that lured all the animals to follow him so he could embrace them.
The panther therefore symbolized Christ and his resurrection as well as the spreading of the good word announced in the Gospel (the sweet scent), so that mankind should follow it.
The symbol of the panther is thousands of years old. It can be found on pictures in caverns from Stone Age and later in all early cultures from Asia Minor to Egypt and Greece. In Greek mythology, it is depicted together with the god Dionysius. Later, it appeared in the Roman Bachus, and with them it spread over all Mediterranean countries during the ancient times. In early Christianity, the writer Physiologus from Alexandria used the image of a panther in his book about animals, as a symbol for the Gospel diffusion. The idea was that the panther diffuses a sweet scent (which was a symbol of the Gospel), and animals that follow this scent are also caught by it. His only enemy was a dragon (a symbol of evil).
principles of loyalty, and the code of honor. See King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and The Holy Grail.
Poetry: Alfred Tennyson arranged his twelve Arthurian poems to describe a life cycle that corresponded with the cycle of seasons, the early tales of hope and promise set in spring, the stories of sensuality and passion in summer, the sagas of decay and decline in autumn, and the completion in barren winter. He framed the poems with a "Dedication" to Prince Albert, written in commemoration of his death in 1861, and the epilogue "To the Queen," written in 1872, underscoring the work's national significance.
ARGENT The French word for silver, of which metal all white fields or charges are supposed to consist.
AZURE The French word for blue: it is represented in heraldic engraving by parallel lines, horizontally.
BEND. One of the honourable ordinaries formed by two diagonal lines drawn from the dexter chief to the sinister base; it generally occupies a fifth part of the shield if uncharged, but if charged, one-third.
CANTON. The French word for corner. It is a small square figure, generally placed at the dexter chief of the shield. When it is charged the size may be increased. It is said to represent the banner of the ancient knights banneret.
DOVE The Tallow Chandlers of London had a grant in 1456 of Six pieces azure and silver with three doves in the azure each with an olive sprig in her beak.
ENSIGNED. This word, in heraldic description, means having some charge placed above.
FIMBRIATED. An ordinary having a narrow border of a different tincture is said to be fimbriated.
GULES. Signifies red. It is represented in engraving by lines running parallel with each other, from the chief to the base.
HARP National Arms of Ireland. The traditional and well-known arms of Ireland are Azure a harp or (gold harp on blue field). Generally known as the Brian Bó Rúadh harp, for a famous Irish king, who died in 1014. It is located in the Trinity college library in Dublin.
KING ARTHUR'S FULL ARMS. Late French style: Azure, thirteen crowns Or; crest a dragon Or issuant from a crown; mantlings: parry azure and Or, lined ermine; supporters; two white greyhounds collared gules; motto: "Pendragon." The greyhounds are probably borrowed from the arms of the contemporary king of England, Henry VII.
KNIGHT A title of honour conferred upon a subject for eminent services performed in war. In the course of time, knights who had gained riches and high titles formed societies under the control and direction of their monarchs in every part of Europe.
MANTLE A long robe or cloak of state.
MERCURY The name of the planet, used by ancient heralds to describe purple in blazoning the arms of sovereigns.
MIDDLE-EARTH Emblems and Heraldry. Elves, Men, Dwarves, and even Maiar in Middle-earth are all known to have used emblems, arms and heraldic devices of various kinds.
OAK Trees and Plants have been widely used through the ages as charges on shields. For Trees, the Oak tree appears to be the most widely used in the tree category. Illustrations of trees and plants on a shield.
OR The French word for gold. This tincture is denoted in engraving by small points.
ORLE Is a perforated inescutcheon composed of double lines going round the shield at some distance from its edge; it is half the width of the bordure.
PALE One of the honourable ordinaries formed by two perpendicular lines drawn from the base to the chief. The pale occupies one-third of the shield.
PHOENIX A coat of arms representing the city of Cirencester, England. go to Phoenix navigation.
SALTIRE One of the honourable ordinaries, by Scottish heralds called St. Andrew's Cross, being a representation of the cross of his martyrdom. It is formed of two bands crossed diagonally in the form of the letter X. If uncharged it occupies one-fifth of the shield, if charged one-third.
SHIELD Lozenge Shield: The escutcheons of maiden ladies and widows are painted on a lozenge-shaped shield. Pointed Shield: The Norman pointed shield is generally used in Heraldic paintings in ecclesiastical buildings. Shield, heater: The best known heraldic shield is that called the heater-shaped, a type common during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Tourament Shield: A tournament shield - heraldry, defence.
SIR GAWAIN Sir Gawain's shield: Gules, a pentagle Or. Arms of Sir Sawain: Purpure, a double-headed eagle Or.
SIR LANCELOT DU LAC: Argent, three bends Gules.
The grace and purity of the swan were emblematic of the spiritual grace and purity of the initiate. This bird also represented the Mysteries which unfolded these qualities in humanity. This explains the allegories of the gods [the secret wisdom] incarnating in the body of a swan [the initiate].
WASHINGTON FAMILY COAT OF ARMS The Coat of Arms of George Washington's family. It is said to be in inspiration of the stars and stripes on the flag of the United States.
.... Numerous instances may be found, either in stained glass, monumental brasses, or illuminated genealogies, of female figures bearing heraldic devices on their apparel. A married lady or widow had her paternal arms emblazoned upon the fore part of her vest, which by ancient writers is called the kirtle, and the arms of the husband on the mantle, being the outer and most costly garment, and therefore deemed the most honourable. This is called bearing arms kirtle and mantle.
.... The harp, now used to represent Ireland, was first introduced into the royal arms at the Union of the Crowns in 1603. It had previously, however, appeared on the Irish coins of the Tudor sovereigns, which, before that time, had borne the three crowns in pale, which had been granted by Richard II. to Robert de Vere, Duke of Ireland, as an augmentation to his arms. It was also carried at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth as the banner of Ireland.
The Illustrated Chronicles of Matthew Paris Observations of Thirteenth-Century Life: translated, edited and with an introduction by Richard Vaughan; illustrations selected by Nigel Wilkins; photography by Ian Cannell.
The two metals of heraldry are gold [OR] and silver [ARGENT]. Gold is represented by yellow, silver by white. Metallic colours are not used alongside white and yellow on the same achievement. Steel helmets are depicted as gray.
The traditional heraldic colours are: red [gules], blue [azure], green [vert], purple [purpure], and black [sable].
Additional colours are sometimes used, but considered untraditional: orange or tawny, dark red, and sky-blue.
by perpendicular lines from the chief.
Sanguine is dark red, or murrey colour: it is represented by diagonal lines crossing each other.
Furs are worn by royalty and peers - garments of state that denote dignity.
They are sometimes used on the shield as decoration.
as of the Third Crusade  hereditary decorations of weapons of warfare were in existence.
As Raglan Castle heraldry demonstrates within the Herbert family coat-of-arms, there is clearly a combined English and French heraldry entering the mainstream in Europe at this point. Construction of the Raglan Castle we know today began around 1430, according to historical records about the castle's many stages of development. The Herbertorum Prosapia shows the Herbert arms halved with those of the Gam family at the time. Aside from the heraldry factor, keep St. Joan of Arc in mind. Her 5/30/1431 "trial"
Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine in, The Lion in Winter [comparison w/Hillary Clinton].
"It did not matter whether certain animals existed; what did matter was what they meant."
[some 5 feet 4 inches long] is very similar to Anduril, the sword of Aragorn.
Faramir: "Where does my allegiance lie, if not here?"
Winchester Castle, Hampshire The Great Hall and Round Table, on the wall: first and finest of all 13th century halls, with the greatest symbol of medieval mythology, The Round Table of King Arthur.
The destruction of the fellowship of the Round Table, and the death of Arthur, may be described in the Annales Cambriae [the Annals of Wales], which refers to the 'battle of Camlann, where Arthur and Medraut fell'. Medraut [Mordred] is sometimes portrayed as Arthur's own kin, but always an incarnation of evil: to defeat him, Arthur must sacrifice himself.
Heraldry in film is essential if the audience is to intuitively embrace the energy of the story and each individual as development of the character advances during a movie. Films with heraldry as key to a storyline: Braveheart, 'First Knight', 'The Lion In Winter', and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - these films provide memory of lost chords. They can be overwhelming reminders of the common bond for our waking consciousness. Tolkien's fantasy is so vivid, both for written page and silver screen, because everything he created is part of old Europe. Films with that resonance of common ancestry are usually listed as favorites by all age groups, in part due to authentic historical legacies we share.
Tolkien drew from Norse legends as well. His wizards reveal characteristics akin to Odin, the Norse god, believed to have fashioned the universe, created man and established the laws that controlled the destiny of the world.
Click 'Lion In Winter' poster above for Katharine Hepburn fanpage. Prince Valiant and Queen Aleta, figures from the Arthurian Legend, became an integral part of American life. They appeared the Sunday paper each week for decades. After several years, the comic strip eventually inspired a film with Robert Wagner, Janet Leigh, and James Mason.
Most Tarot decks of the Middle Ages show the city of the artist or his patron as a backdrop model for New Jerusalem, Tarot Trump XXI. The Visconti Tarot is a classic 'old school' image with geometric design for the victorious soul. Well known decks created a blend of the inner mysteries and ideas atmospherically current at the time of the artist's rendering. Cards were painted with the background, theme or sub-text point of centre based on the collective consciousness where the deck was produced. Biblical verse, a common association, is found in the Book of Revelations, Chapter 21. See the Twelve Tribes of Israel Banners. Symbols go back to Moses, the Lawgiver [at least] because the camp formed a circle with the Ark of the Covenent in the centre.
Several films in the sci-fi genre refer to the suggestion of New Jerusalem, as the 'last human city' Zion, in The Matrix trilogy, and the futuristic world in the supernatural Nicolas Cage thriller, Knowing.
'The Last Valley' [and other gems from Michael Caine] and 'Brigadoon' angle the vision of Trump XXI so the city represents promise of the triumphant soul with an infusion of intense energy directly pertaining to the story being told.
"The wall was built of diamond, and the city of pure gold, like polished glass."
EL CID is Spain's patron saint. The film picks up his story in the year 1043, when El Cid (Charleton Heston) takes a 'short cut' to meet his bride (Sophia Loren) and rescues a mission under attack by a Morrish warlord, Ben Yussef (Herbert Lom) - a pivotal moment in life follows. El Cid is moved by spirit to free the dreaded Moors he overcomes in battle, gaining their oath to never attack Castile. In the process he wins the allies needed to overcome a far greater threat to Europe.
By extension, the ever-popular, effervescent book turned stage play, turned flick-fave 'Finian's Rainbow' (Fred Astaire's last film) leads to the rainbow's end and heart of gold. Tagline: If all you want out of a movie is a great, big, wonderful time - just follow the rainbow - whistle the songs - and join in the fun.
Welsh heraldry is prominent in Zeppelin cult classic, 'The Song Remains The Same' ~ so full of symbols, mystic signs, portents and cosmic forces, it should be analyzed as evolving life form rather than a movie.
This page has been visited more than a gazillion times.


At Clover Leaf, we offer an exclusive range of handmade bespoke wedding stationery and greeting cards for all occasions, offering a selection of styles from traditional to contemporary, to suit all budgets.
" Over the moon with my items! Ordered 4 for my bridesmaids and they are perfect!!"
" Arrived very quickly and is absolutely beautiful! "
" Thank you, thank you, thank you, the invitations are beautiful :) "
" Beautiful gift, made my mum cry she was so touched! Thanks a million."


Matthew Starr and Monique Moses assemble a class of your favorite stand up comedians to get schooled by an amazing teacher/expert. Think there's no such thing as a stupid question? Just you wait. Doors: 6:30 Show: 7:00 Tickets $8 adv/ $10 door. 21+ This event is mixed seated and standing room. Seats are first-come first-served. YOUR CLASS: Trash Class w/ Robin Nagle! -- Robin Nagle is the anthropologist-in-residence for the Department of Sanitation (yes this is a real job and yes we all want it) and professor at NYU. Her book Picking Up is a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to wrestle with garbage in Gotham – 12,000 tons of it every day (and that's only about a third of the total). YOUR COMEDIANS: TBD! YOUR HOSTS: Matthew Starr is a comedian who has been featured on Above Average, CollegeHumor, and AV Club. He is very excited to be hosting this show at Caveat! Monique Moses is a Canadian born, Caribbean bred comedian based in Brooklyn. She's been featured on Above Average, Refinery 29's Riot and Funny or Die, and has created content for Comedy Central and IFC Comedy Cribs.


The Intel Core i7-9750H is a high-end processor for laptops with six cores based on the Coffee Lake architecture (2019 refresh, CFL-HR). The processor clocks at between 2.6 and 4.5 GHz (4 GHz with 6 cores) and can execute up to twelve threads simultaneously thanks to Hyper-Threading. According to Intel, the CPU is manufactured in an improved 14nm (14nm++) process. Compared to the predecessor, the Core i7-8750H, the 9750H offers only improved clock rates.
The Coffee Lake architecture is similar to Kaby Lake and differs only in the amount of cores (now max. eight cores for the high end versions) and the improved 14nm process (14nm++ according to Intel).
Due to the two additional cores, performance has increased by almost 50% compared to a similar clocked Kaby Lake processor like the Core i7-7820HQ (2.9 - 3.9 GHz). Single-core performance has not improved since its Kaby Lake predecessor. As a high-end model, the i7-9850H is suitable for the most demanding applications and games.


text:
Home » University of North Texas
The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public university in Denton. Eleven colleges, two schools, an early admissions math and science academy for exceptional high-school-age students from across the state, and a library system comprise the university core. Its research is driven by about 38 doctoral degree programs. North Texas was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later. UNT is the flagship institution of the University of North Texas System, which includes additional universities in Dallas and Fort Worth. UNT also has a satellite campus in Frisco.
https://www.unt.edu
Stressor
Carbon or Cash: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Environmental and Economic Messages on Attitudes about Wind Energy in the United States Peterson, D., et al. May 2019 Journal Article Wind Energy general Socio-economics, Stakeholder Engagement
State of the World's Raptors: Distributions, Threats, and Conservation Recommendations McClure, C., et al. November 2018 Journal Article Wind Energy general, Land-Based Wind Birds, Raptors
Environmental and Structural Safety Issues Related to Wind Energy Dai, K., Gao, K., Huang, Z. May 2017 Book Chapter Wind Energy general, Land-Based Wind, Offshore Wind Ecosystem
Challenges and opportunities for animal conservation from renewable energy development Katzner, T., et al. August 2013 Journal Article Wind Energy general Dynamic Device Ecosystem


Rexon Vacuum Turbine Oil Purification System is used for purifying and processing the unqualified turbine oil, especially for the seriously emulsified turbine oil.
Rexon Vacuum Turbine Oil Purification System is used for purifying and processing the unqualified turbine oil, especially for the seriously emulsified turbine oil. According to turbine oil's nature of high water content, and easy emulsifiable during high temperature use, this turbine oil filtration system is designed very powerful of water removal capacity. It can rapidly and effectively remove large quantity of water and moisture from oil completely, and at the same time to remove gas and impurities from oil, and make the oil recover to the new oil property.


According to a study by the Department of Health, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, June to November is the official peak of the flu season in the Philippines. These months coincide with the start of the rainy season and school opening.
A decrease in temperature increases the likelihood of catching a cold. Colder weather during the Ber months is a more favorable environment for viruses and bacteria to thrive. Meanwhile, in a study published by US universities and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), apart from loving cool weather, the flu also likes humid and rainy conditions. No wonder students have the most number of sick days during the first quarter of the school year.
We can't prevent the flu, but we can take measures to help enhance our child's immune system and make it as strong as possible.
A healthy diet, daily doses of Vitamin C, ample rest, and exercise are some steps we can keep illness at bay.
1. Help your kids enjoy two servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetable a day. Getting all these fruits and vegetables into your child can prove to be a struggle, but you can make it fun! Did you know that one 8oz glass of Mott's 100% Apple Juice has 2 servings of fruit? It has no artificial flavors, colors, and sweeteners.
Help your child start strong with his or her day by giving one glass before heading out to school. Healthy decisions you make today, no matter how small, lead to a healthy future. This is the foundation of Mott's Start Strong campaign.
2. Vitamin C won't prevent a virus, but it shortens the course of colds. She also reminds parents to consult their doctor before starting any course of vitamins. Because Mott's 100% Apple Juice is made of real apples, it's an excellent way to get Vitamin C naturally!
3. Get your child to sweat it out! Regular exercise not only keeps us fit, it helps reduce stress and the release of stress-related hormones. Staying active helps the body circulate more white blood cells that fight disease and viruses.
4. Teach your child how to wash his or her hands properly. Handwashing helps get rid of germs and the spread of infections, especially since germs enter the body through the eyes, nose, and mouth. Don't forget to drink a lot of water too to flush out toxins.
Disease is like an invisible enemy, and we need to do all we can to keep our kids stay strong and healthy.
Starting your kids strong with Mott's 100% Apple Juice daily is a healthy habit that is easy and fun plus a yummy way to provide the healthy goodness they need.
Find out more about the healthy benefits of a glass of Mott's 100% Apple Juice by visiting https://mottsinternational.com/ph/bts2018/.


text:
Don Pinnock (TimesLIVE)
A four-year investigation, Follow The Guns, by the Conflict Awareness Project (CAP), has uncovered evidence of a gunrunning network operated over five countries and three continents.
Headed by CAP director Kathi Lynn Austin, the organisation identified members of what it calls the Rhino Rifle Syndicate. It pieced together how this syndicate hatched a worldwide conspiracy to equip poaching teams in Mozambique and SA with rifles manufactured in the Czech Republic.
Some of these rifles were intended for the American market and bore a roll-mark reading CZ-USA, Kansas City, KS. These rifles were designed and marketed to kill big game and have wreaked havoc in the Kruger National Park, home to the largest concentration of rhinos in the world.
About 90% of the weapons recovered in the Kruger were produced by Ceská zbrojovka Uherský Brod, or CZUB, the Czech Republic's biggest gunmaker. They're commonly referred to as CZs.
These rifles were chosen by the Rhino Rifle Syndicate because they fire .375 or .458 calibre rounds, cartridges powerful enough to kill big game with a single shot.
Some of the recovered CZ rifles bear trademark engravings from CZ-USA, CZUB's wholly owned US subsidiary, located in Kansas. They were ostensibly made for the American market, but were diverted to Africa for use by rhino poachers.
For many years, according to the CAP report, the Rhino Rifle Syndicate has exploited lax gun regulations and government corruption to traffic firearms undetected. Once the firearms arrive in Africa, they are acquired by a transnational criminal organisation and its local rhino-poaching affiliates.
By systematically supplying the transnational criminal organisation with firearms, says the report, the syndicate helped elevate small-scale commercial rhino poaching to an extraordinary industrial level. It obtains the CZ rifles from the manufacturer en masse and distributes them among poachers. In this way it has established a well-co-ordinated trafficking network and two dedicated international gun-supply chains.
Members of the gunrunning networks include business elites, government officials, police, safari operators, arms dealers, middlemen and local poaching bosses.
The report implicates the Mozambican ministry of the interior, and other state authorities there and in SA.
Gunrunners "proved adept at penetrating the highest levels of government, hijacking high-level security forces and the office of the national Mozambique police force, the commander's closest advisers and those in charge of the arms-licensing authority".
The report continues: "These officials enabled the gunrunning network to obtain paperwork on false grounds. They cleared the way for its criminal activities by providing seemingly legitimate licences for imports and sales.
"They assisted in countering threats by preventing law enforcement monitoring and keeping criminal investigations and prosecutions from moving forward." This ensures the success of their criminal enterprise, carrying out cross-border wildlife crimes on a catastrophic scale.
In February 2015, says the report, the head of the Kruger's anti-poaching forces, Maj-Gen Johan Jooste, released e-mail correspondence from CZUB and the results of a trace on 28 CZ rifles recovered at rhino-poaching crime scenes.
This indicated that CZ rifles were moving extraordinarily quickly from CZUB to SA's rhino-poaching crime scenes, a sign that experienced gun traffickers were at work. The information the Kruger provided was actionable. However, "Kruger authorities told us that the park did not act upon the information in a concerted fashion at the time," says the report.
According to the report, "the collective failure of Czech, Mozambican and South African authorities to address the gun-supply chains - despite the evidence provided in 2015 and 2016 - enabled them to continue their expansion".
Why the Czech Republic? The country serves as the headquarters of the highly organised Vietnamese mafia's European branch. The branch's primary base of operations is a 35ha enclave called SAPA Market, or "Little Hanoi", near Prague.
The Vietnamese syndicate's European branch has been caught smuggling an array of contraband, including cigarettes, drugs and counterfeit Gucci and Prada luxury goods.
In 2012, after Czech law enforcement arrested scores of suspected wildlife criminals and confiscated 10 rhino horns, it became clear that the Czech Republic had become a primary wildlife crime node between the eastern and the western hemispheres.
Pseudo-hunting, rhino-horn smuggling and the rhino-poaching syndicate's rifle-supply chains all converge in the Czech Republic.
By using a "follow-the-guns" methodology, the CAP documented the movement of these firearms, starting from their place of manufacture to their end use by poachers.
"The firearms predominantly moved from CZUB's company headquarters in the Czech Republic, through arms dealers in Portugal, to gun retail shops in Mozambique. After arriving at the Mozambican gun shops, the rifles were bought by South African and Mozambican middlemen.
"High-ranking Mozambique government officials and police officers conspired with the middlemen to facilitate the purchases. After the middlemen purchased the rifles, they were disseminated among poaching teams by business and political elites, safari company staff, security forces and local poaching bosses."The CAP amassed dossiers detailing crimes committed by the key individuals and companies involved in the syndicate. It presented these to law enforcement in five affected countries - the Czech Republic, the US, Portugal, Mozambique and SA. Until now, these authorities have done nothing.
Boston Globe Spotlight report: Secrets in the sky - Part One
Huge network of illegal firearms that supply poachers with guns in the Kruger
Guns and Rhinos
Paris terror attack: Why getting hold of a Kalashnikov is so easy
Interview Transcript: SLS Radio: Kathi Lynn Austin: «Pourquoi avec SAJ ce sera différent»


Lansing State Journal - Lansing, MI, USA - Paula Abdul and Miley Cyrus are among the stars who will headline the "Today" show's 13th annual concert series.
Abdul will kick off the series on the plaza outside the "Today" studio April 25, NBC announced today.
MSNBC - USA - Paula Abdul is famous for so many things — singing, dance and choreography, jewelry design, cheerleading camp director, "American Idol" judge — that she's become famous for being famous.
Now, she's subjecting her very public life to even closer scrutiny with a new reality show called "Hey Paula." But if it shows her in her many moods, some nicer than others, it doesn't answer all the questions that have been raised.
Is she a drunk? Is she addicted to painkillers? Is it true she has no social life? What was the deal with that word-slurring, incoherent television clip?
Starpulse.com - Branford, CT, USA - American Idol judge Paula Abdul is desperately searching for Mr. Right, insisting all her fame and fortune can't make up for the lack of a man in her life. The Grammy-award winning singer wants to share her success with someone else - and finding love is her top priority.
She says, "(My wish is) to find my one true love. I'm feeling more in control and comfortable in my life these days, so I hope to find someone special."


Don't expect Fond du Lac's economy in 2016 to go gangbusters, though innovation is underway.
While a majority of leaders expect business to improve in Fond du Lac, they don't expect dramatic growth in the next year.
"All in all, the economy will not really be booming next year, but it won't be too bad," Fond du Lac County Executive Allen Buechel said. "I'd expect it to build momentum."
Buechel said core companies in Fond du Lac County and beyond will drive much of the growth next year. Grande Cheese is building its headquarters in Fond du Lac. Mercury Marine and Alliance Laundry Systems are expanding. And Oshkosh Corp.'s multi-billion-dollar Army contract win in late August will drive growth in smaller Fond du Lac companies that supply the truck builder.
Grande Cheese continues to progress with construction of its headquarters – complete with an orchard and research center – on 42 acres along Camelot Drive and the Highway 151 bypass. The headquarters will employ 200 and is scheduled to open in May.
In June in Ripon, Alliance Laundry Systems embarked on a $46 million expansion of its global headquarters, which will bring 70 new jobs to the facility that employs upward of 1,700. This project follows a $25 million expansion that added 270 jobs.
Mercury Marine expects its 48,000-square-foot electro-deposition paint system plant expansion to open in June. Construction began in May 2015. The company has also leased a 70,000-square-foot swath of space at 420 Towbridge Drive. Since 2009, the company has pumped more than $580 million into its Fond du Lac headquarters.
Joe Reitemeier, president and CEO of the Fond du Lac Association of Commerce, said employers in Fond du Lac will be demanding a lot of skilled workers.
"Our growth in the next year will be highly dependent on attracting labor," he said.
The Association of Commerce has set up an online tool – Fond du Lac Works – to help connect employers and employees in northeast Wisconsin and beyond. Employers have posted about 1,000 open jobs on that site.
Steve Jenkins, president of the Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation (FCEDC), said companies are approaching 2016 with cautious optimism. It's been a long, slow recovery since the Great Recession, and businesses are starting to see growth.
On Dec. 2, the corporation released its first forecast of the 2016 economy, compiled through interviews with 40 private business leaders from around the county.
According to the survey, 54 percent of the leaders expect the county economy to be "better" next year, while 42 percent expect a "stable" economy. None said the economy would worsen in 2016.
Of those surveyed, 50 percent expect revenues next year to increase, 42 percent said revenues would stay stable and 8 percent expect a decrease.
Jenkins said the FCEDC, with partners across the Fox Valley region, will focus more fully on supporting entrepreneurship in Fond du Lac in the coming year.
The FCEDC plans to found a seed funding program to provide brand new Fond du Lac businesses with cash. Also in 2016, expect IGNITE! Business Success — an area entrepreneurship accelerator course — to spread, with sponsorship, to surrounding Fox Valley cities.
Ignite is a three-month course for prospective entrepreneurs aimed to push them from idea to executing a business plan.
This focus on supporting new business is an effort to diversify Fond du Lac's economy and show that the city can be a place where entrepreneurs can build a business from scratch.
"We as a community need to break out of the idea that we don't deserve anything better than what we have," Jenkins said. "And that only happens by collaborating."


text:
Cape Fear Highlanders
Argyll Colony
© 2017 by Argyll Colony, Inc.
They boarded a ship in Argyllshire, 350 Highland Scots bound for Brunswick Town, North Carolina. They came by choice, looking for land to stake their claim in the new World. Over the next century came thousands more, defeated at Culloden, punished by the English Government and "cleared" off their lands " by their chiefs. Most spoke no English, they dressed in the manner of the Gaels, and were not welcomed by the English on the coast. They went forth up the river and made new lives along the Cape Fear.
Since the vast majority of Highlanders came from an agricultural society, and because the land was plentiful and fertile, most became farmers - due to the sandy soil in the region, the predominant crops were corn, rye, peas, sweet potatoes, flax and cotton. The Scots
set up blacksmith forges, built tanneries and grist mills on the streams and a number of saw mills for timber. Due to the abundance of Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina became known by its production of naval stores, turpentine, resin, tar, and charcoal. The nickname Tar Heel State is often attributed to this fact.
The colony grew along wide Cape Fear river and the lumber mills and loggers placed log rafts into the river and floated them to the market in Wilmington. The prosperous trading community of Cross Creek was formed by the Scots in 1762. By the time of the American Revolution, as many as 20,000 Highland Scots had settled along the Cape Fear and its tributaries.
The Highlanders did not mix easily with the other groups in the area such as the English, Irish, Scots-Irish, Germans, or the smaller groups of Huguenots, Welsh, and Swiss. They preferred to live among those who spoke their language and shared their customs, and usually settled in groups (Myer, 1957).
As explained in Ian Charles Cargill Graham's Colonists from Scotland: emigration to North America, 1707-1783:
"They [the Highlanders] were then as much a race apart as the Germans, less amenable to assimilation than the Lowland Scots, and far less so than the Scots-Irish with their hostile attitude to the British government. Like the Germans, they spoke a strange tongue, but unlike them, they respected the authority of the Crown…They were clearly distinguished from other colonial peoples by their dress and demeanor." (Graham, p. 107)
The steady flow of Highlanders into North Carolina (and into the new United States) ended with the onset of the Revolutionary War. At the outbreak of the war it has been recorded that the Cape Fear Scots' community split into thirds regarding what side of the conflict they supported. The members of the community who had been in the country the longest tended to support the rebel cause, and a third tried to stay neutral. There were so many MacDonalds in the Cape Fear region who took up arms for the Loyalist cause, the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge became known as "The Insurrection of the Clan MacDonald."
While the Revolutionary War was raging, most Highlanders emigrating from Scotland went to Canada, which was still part of the British Empire. After the war, the Whigs in North Carolina (anti-British) confiscated estates of Loyalists and led to the migration of many Scottish Highlanders to Canada, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas. Still, North Carolina maintained the greatest number of Highlanders and Scots of all the states and Canada.
Even after the war, Highlander interaction with other peoples was still not common due to a division between the eastern and western counties of the state. They did not grow the same crops or market their produce at the same towns. The East was settled chiefly by the English, while in the West had a large proportion of Scots-Irish and German settlers who still retained many of their native customs. For many years thereafter, poor roads and the lack of good transportation kept the two regions apart.
It would be a long time before these different people would come to know one another.
For many years the Cape Fear Highlanders maintained an insular society, but ultimately realized that if they wanted to reap the racial dividends of Anglo-Saxon America, an adoption of the English language and customs was necessary. Even so, Gaelic speakers were still commonly heard in southeastern NC up until the beginning of the twentieth century.
The following quote comes from the Statesville Record & Landmark in 1901.
"If a Scotch Highlander were to visit a certain section of Harnett county he would be tempted to believe that he was still in his own country. The Gaelic language is spoken by the people of the section in question almost as much as the English. It is said that when the Cape Fear section was first settled by the Scotch the English language was seldom heard. Parents in this particular section taught it to their children, consequently it is still in use. Even the negroes speak it."
One of the legacies left by the Argyll Colony is that they made the state of NC a symbolic homeland for many in today's Scottish-American community. Hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians with family lineage tied directly to those settlers still live in the state today, especially in Anson, Bladen, Harnett, Lee, Moore, Cumberland, Richmond, Scotland, and Robeson counties. The assimilation of the Highlanders into anglo-centric American culture has been so complete, most descendants of the Argyll Colony have little to no knowledge of who their ancestors were or what their history is.


text:
Marcigny ist eine französische Gemeinde mit  Einwohnern (Stand ) im Département Saône-et-Loire in der Region Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Sie liegt in der Landschaft des Brionnais und gehört zum Kanton Paray-le-Monial.
Marcigny ist eine der Partnerstädte der pfälzischen Kleinstadt Freinsheim.

Es waren einst zahlreiche Klöster in der Umgebung des Ortes angesiedelt. Die dort abgehaltenen Versammlungen der Ordensschwestern gaben dem Ort den Namen Marcigny-les-Nonnains.

Sehenswürdigkeiten
Touristisch ist die Kleinstadt vor allem für die Reste des ehemaligen Priorats, den Tour du Moulin, in dem heute ein Museum für alte Fayencen untergebracht ist, bekannt. Einige plastische Überreste des Priorats (ca. 1082) wurden in die Wand eines Hauses neben dem Tour du Moulin eingefügt.

Persönlichkeiten
 Adela von Blois (um 1062–1138), Tochter von Wilhelm dem Eroberer und die Mutter von Stephan von Blois, König von England
 Hugo von Cluny (1024–1109), Heiliger der römisch-katholischen Kirche und Abt des Klosters Cluny
 St. Ulrich von Zell (1029–1093), Benediktinermönch, Prior des Doppelklosters in Marcigny, Gründer und Prior des Klosters St. Ulrich im Schwarzwald, Heiliger
 Philibert Fressinet (1767–1821), General
 André Du Ryer (1580–1660), Orientalist

Literatur

 Else Maria Wischermann: Marcigny-sur-Loire. Gründungs- und Frühgeschichte des ersten Cluniacenserinnenpriorates (1055 - 1150), Fink, Münster 1986 (Münstersche Mittelalter-Schriften, Band 42), ISBN 3-7705-2383-0.

Weblinks

Ort in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Ort an der Loire

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Clubz's "Popscuro" Is For Introverts Who Like To Dance Too
And the video is a steamy love triangle.
By Patrick D. McDermott
Clubz Marina de Luis
It feels like we've been waiting a small eternity for a proper full-length debut from the great Mexican guitar-pop duo Clubz. Now, thank god, The FADER has gotten word that it's coming in May, and new single "Popscuro" — its name a very on-brand amalgamation of "oscuridad," the Spanish word for darkness, and "pop" — will definitely be on it. "We really like the punching bass line," Clubz said of the track over email. "We really got into 'Dad Rock' sounds, like late-'70s and early-'80s disco, funk, and pop."
The official video, which was filmed in Barcelona and is debuting below, has a plot like a telenovela for cool kids. A handsome letterman and a wavy-haired outsider vie for the attention of a stylish woman, and Clubz's characteristically rich atmosphere pairs great with the murky romance. Her and the jock make a cute couple, but it's the loner who winds up stealing your heart. Like the song title suggets, this is music designed for introverts who like to dance too.
Read Next: Clubz Gears Up For A New Album With A Fourth-Wall-Breaking Visual
Watch it below, and catch Clubz next month at NRMAL and in June at Primavera Sound.
clubz, Electronic, Patrick D. McDermott, Rock


Are you currently struggling to find a specialist in the best HP LaserJet 2840 cartridges? To get the broadest collection of toner cartridges for HP LaserJet 2840 laser printers, then you can find anything you're ever likely to need and lots more today from InkQatar. We will only ever sell toners that are compatible with your laser printer, meaning you don't have to be scared of the cartridges leading to issues and even producing low quality printouts. For LaserJet 2840 laser toners that you simply don't need to keep worrying about, purchase at InkQatar right now.
If you need a shop with the best customer service with the most affordable rates on HP laser printer cartridges, InkQatar will be the best supplier for you! We'll aim to assist you to reduce on the expense of buying supplies as much as possible through complimentary delivery. Of the many hundreds of purchases posted every day, around about 98% have arrived the next day. Get satisfaction when you place an order from InkQatar thanks to our cast-iron 30 day refund policy. If you happen to have any problems using your HP LaserJet 2840 laser toner cartridge within thirty days after purchase you can simply send it back to us to get the 100% refund. Order confidently every day at InkQatar.
The HP Colour LaserJet 2840 is a beautiful printer that quickly becomes the backbone of any office or business. It always delivers sharp, clear images at a good speed with as little work for the user as possible. With networking, fax and scanning capabilities, this handy all-in-one unit allows businessmen to focus on the important aspects of their job and not spend time battling with their printer.
The 2840 has two paper trays with a combined capacity of 375 sheets, meaning less time spent in filling trays. It is able to make copies (colour as well as black and white), scan, send faxes, and print. The HP Colour LaserJet 2840 produces crisp images and words while printing simple text documents in less than 18 seconds. Pages with colourful graphics finish up in less than 30 seconds. This hardworking printer uses cartridges instead of toner for better print quality.
Carefully designed to be easy to use, there is easy access to replace your HP 2840 toner cartridges and paper trays. Colours are divided into three separate HP 2840 toner cartridges so that each colour many be replaced as needed without waste. Two paper trays allow for different sized or quality papers to be at the ready at all times. The LaserJet 2840 is made with instant-on technology to save energy and time. The fax machine sends out black and white faxes at a fast 3 seconds per page. A 120 number phone book with speed dial makes sending faxes effortless.
This printer is easy to use and great for networking. Built-in digital memory card slots add to its functionality. The HP 2840 works well with both Mac and PC computers, providing quality printing and effortless document management. The control panel is well organized and easy to understand. The 2840 is capable of copying up to 50 different pages with an automatic document feeder. A selection of HP 2840 toner is available on InkQatar, helping to keep your costs to a minimum.
Colour printing is good, but not as high quality as some other printers. The HP 2840 is a little slow when it comes to printing colour documents. It can also be somewhat noisy while printing. All in all, the HP Color LaserJet 2840 is a hard working printer that any small office would be happy to have.


The stylish and spacious restaurant offers all Guests of the Aspen Hotel great food, so that everybody can find a dish to caress the palate. The chef and his team do all their best so that the meals they serve should satisfy the most refined taste of our Guests.
Our restaurant will please even the most fastidious gourmets, since, apart from the Polish and European cuisine, we can also recommend regional dishes, prepared with fresh and natural products. The culinary creations of the chef include such delicacies as sous vide duck breasts, boar tenderloin or creamy beet soup with crunchy raviolis.
Delicious, freshly home made ice-cream crowns the excellent dinner. The rich breakfast menu, as well as the Polish and international cuisine dishes served here, enable arranging business and social meetings.
The classic decor of the restaurant, all in natural colours, introduces a nice atmosphere of intimacy, whereas the beautiful view of the mountains makes every moment a pleasant experience. The restaurant is connected with a large wood viewing terrace, from which extends an exceptional view of the Opawskie Mountains.


One of Pixar's founding employees and the ex-CTO of Lucasfilm have a new mission: Reinventing data analysis for the masses.
You may not have heard of Tableau, the Seattle-based software firm that helps Fortune 500 companies make sense of their massive spreadsheets. You may not even care about spreadsheets. But Dave Story, who left his job as the CTO of Lucasfilm to become Tableau's vice president for mobile growth, is hoping to change that.
The fast-growing company, which began at Stanford in 2003, is taking its data visualizations to the casual user, aiming to reinvent the spreadsheet for the tablet age—and in the process, it hopes, beating Microsoft or Google to the punch.
Tableau has been growing fast. It's achieved $412 million in annual revenue, with an impressive 78% growth rate. Its free platform, Tableau Public, boasts over 60,000 users—people in business, academia, government, and journalism—and publishes about 5,000 shareable data "workbooks" each week, the company says.
But having gained traction among international markets and small business users, it's now asking a question with big implications for its future: Would people with little interest in data ever sit on their sofa, in their pajamas, playing with spreadsheets for fun?
Well, maybe. The company's newest app, Elastic, takes various spreadsheet formats and rapidly converts them into tactile visualizations. By swiping fingers, pinching and pulling, and scrolling, users are able to find insights from data on their smartphone or tablet. And instead of targeting wealthy business intelligence customers, Tablaeu is going after the rest of us: When it's released in beta this year, Elastic will be free and aimed at casual or small-business users trying to make sense of Fitbit data, Mint budgets, and other artifacts of the plugged-in life circa 2015.
The UI owes much to Tinder: Users apply filters by right-swiping items, remove filters by left-swiping them, and could switch between different kinds of visualizations with finger movements.
Users load Excel spreadsheets into Elastic, which then converts them in seconds into what Story calls "Bar chart world." In a recent demonstration of Elastic at a Tableau satellite office in Menlo Park, example XLS files of restaurant POS data and Fitbit fitness challenge data were converted into visualizations within seconds.
The way we work on tablets and smartphones is largely different from desktop and laptop computers. Nearly all of us have experienced the hellishness of punching in a long email into an iPhone screen. And many of us have discovered that browsing PowerPoint slides on a laptop or on a projector is a "tactile" experience that takes unexpected, awkward turns once the slides end up on a relatively tiny phone screen.
Still, the file formats that once dominated the desktop world—Word and Excel—continue to dominate the mobile world. New mobile approaches to spreadsheets and word processing that only use proprietary formats risk being doomed to irrelevance; Microsoft's formats still cast a mighty shadow (and more on that in a bit).
Elastic is an attempt to reinvent the spreadsheet for mobile users. Instead of formulas and macros to make sense of numbers, users right-swipe, left-swipe, and pinch and zoom. And that's the way we work on tablets and smartphones: Mostly without Bluetooth keyboards, and with a hell of a lot of improvising.
Tableau's product is aimed at a very specific demographic: Users running small businesses, and managing projects such as budgeting, personal fitness, or planning a move. Elastic's capabilities, honestly, seem ill-suited to the larger companies that comprise Tableau's core audience—it doesn't handle multiple spreadsheets and query capability is limited to whatever swipes a finger can make. But for ordinary users who are just looking for a way to make sense of data dumps from their bank or Nest thermostat, it's perfect.
Elastic also skips over desktops and laptops and unapologetically targets people who work on their smartphones or tablets. As work begins to bleed into leisure time thanks to always-there devices and an expectation of a 24-hour working culture, mobile apps have become increasingly more important to the workplace. A 2014 study by Salesforce found that 65% of the mobile users they surveyed downloaded at least one business-specific app to their tablet or smartphone. In addition, tablets and smartphones are introducing computing into work situations where laptops are awkward and uncomfortable. That's why your doctor has a smartphone lying about in their pocket and your restaurant server is punching your order into a tablet.
Tableau faces stiff competition amidst fast-growing demand: According to IDC, revenue for big data analysis and services is expected to grow from $14.26 billion in 2014 to $23.76 billion in 2016, with visual data discovery tools growing 2.5 times faster than the rest of the business intelligence market.
Microsoft has begun a "mobile-first, cloud-first" approach that aims aggressively at Tableau's audience.
When Satya Nadella took the helm at Microsoft late last year, he inaugurated a new era in Redmond. One of his first acts was doing something that would have been blasphemous just a few years ago: launching Microsoft Office for the iPad, and quietly making Office for the iPhone free to use. For a tech company that studiously ignored non-Microsoft mobile hardware for years and let rivals like Kingsoft Office and Google Docs proliferate, it was revolutionary.
Nadella has ushered in what he calls a "mobile-first, cloud-first" mind-set at the organization, aiming to undo some of the damage caused by Microsoft's clunky mobile approach over the years. It also means that Microsoft is pouring resources into creating productivity software that mobile users can use—which means investing in spreadsheets for mobile. That's made Tableau and its approximately 1,900 employees work just a bit more quickly in the process.
Tableau and Microsoft aren't the only players looking to reinvent mobile spreadsheets. IBM and Apple entered into a partnership last summer that was, more or less, a de facto admission that IBM was unsure of what they were doing in the mobile enterprise sphere. While the company refocuses on cloud computing products, it is more or less reliant on Apple to build mobile software products for their large corporate and governmental user base. The first batch of apps from the partnership largely center around business analytics, and it's a safe bet that graphical manipulation of data for the business market is something they're looking at.
And then there is Google, which is in the middle of a massive drive (pun intended) to center their Microsoft Office-like mobile offerings under the Google Drive umbrella. Thanks to Android's Google origins and Drive's preloaded presence on many Android phones, the company has a healthy share of the market in mobile spreadsheets. They are also helped by the fact that many, many businesses use Google Drive and Google's office products for real-time collaboration. As of yet, Google hasn't shown much interest in the mobile data visualization side, but, well, it has released an API for Docs that allows just that.
Tableau's success in this increasingly competitive market has made the company the subject of acquisition rumors. Last month, Jim Cramer fueled them by suggesting that IBM buy Tableau. Tableau executives have downplayed talk of a purchase.
Story, whose office is decorated with Star Wars movie memorabilia and other relics of his old job at Lucasfilm, points to what he sees as a promising software trend: The devices we use and the services we pay for, he says, have led to a new era of online dashboards.
Using Jack Dorsey's Square as an example, Story cited the credit-card processing service's online dashboard as a way small businesses are able to make sense of their operations. But, he noted, many other services don't have dashboards that are as good, or don't even have dashboards at all. This, he insists, is part of Tableau's reason for being—making data visual in a way that's digestible, informative, and nice to look at.
Tableau counts among its founders and employees veterans of Lucasfilm, Industrial Light and Magic, and Pixar.
When Story talks about looking at data, he offers a glimpse of Tableau's vision: a future in which data sets will be tamed by the left-swipes and right-swipes of dating apps, by the pinching and zooming of multitouch, and by plenty of pretty visualizations. Indeed, Tableau contains a small troop of visual effects experts: Aside from Story, who was in charge of technology for all of Lucasfilm's divisions, Tableau's cofounder, Pat Hanrahan, was an early employee at Pixar Animation Studios who worked on physically based rendering, a technology that more accurately simulates materials and lights in computer graphics. And the company's senior software engineer, Philip Hubbard, previously worked for Lucasfilm's Industrial Light and Magic division, the group responsible for special effects on a range of blockbuster films.
The spreadsheets of the future may not look like a Hollywood blockbuster exactly, but they won't look like columns and rows either.


This downloadable worksheet is best suited for elementary school students and students with special educational needs, learning difficulties, e.g. dyslexia at Beginner (pre-A1) and Elementary (A1) level. It is excellent for strengthening your learners' Writing skills. It centers around the vocabulary topic of Classroom.