text:
Pentagon: despite the increase in losses, the Afghan army is achieving good results
Pentagon deputy head Christine Wormut said that, despite the increase in losses (by 60% compared to last year), the Afghan army was successful in fighting the Taliban. Losses are caused by more active actions of the armed forces.
"These losses are growing ... because the Afghan security forces are increasing the pace of their operations - they are doing more, and they are fighting the enemy," the newspaper said. Look.
"They (the Taliban) are being hit more than last year, they are not able to achieve their strategic and operational goals. They claim that they are fighting with foreign forces in Afghanistan, but these statements sound more and more unfounded as the Afghan security forces themselves do more and take responsibility for defense, and the contribution of the coalition becomes smaller, "she said.
Wormuth also noted Pakistan's assistance, "which puts pressure on the Taliban on its side of the border, which prevents extremists from feeling as safe in their shelters as they used to."
Nevertheless, according to the deputy minister, "as the coalition forces led by the United States from Afghanistan were withdrawn, the Taliban intensified attacks aimed at harming innocent citizens and undermining confidence in the government in Kabul." She said that in addition to the Taliban, "the attacks are carried out by members of such extremist groups as Al-Qaida, the Islamic State, Haqqani and others."
Media reports also speak about activating extremists. Yesterday, for example, the BBC transmitted information about a terrorist act committed by a suicide bomber outside a former CPA base in Afghanistan.
"The terrorist who drove a car filled with explosives blew up right outside the checkpoint at the entrance to the Chapman camp in the eastern Afghan province of Khost on Sunday evening," the report said. At least 17 people died.
According to the publication, at the base currently located units of the forces of Afghanistan and American instructors.
As the deputy head of the Khost provincial police said, "the bombing on Sunday took the lives of the staff of the Afghan security unit guarding the Chapman camp, as well as the relatives of the soldiers who were waiting for them at the checkpoint." Foreigners are not injured.
None of the groups has yet claimed responsibility for the explosion.
Photos used:
Trailer 14 July 2015 14: 06
And the rest, a beautiful marquise, all is well, all is well! (with)
Baikonur 14 July 2015 14: 11
They just want to throw Afghanistan! Just like Iraq, leave for a couple of years, then the IG will be sent there, supported, and then they will help the government!
In short, destroy and pump oil! And heroin, again!
sl22277 14 July 2015 14: 23
The name will be changed, ISIS will be renamed into something else. Otherwise, I agree with you.
olafcik 14 July 2015 16: 29
Afghanistan puts pressure on the Taliban, Pakistan puts pressure on the Taliban ....... and the Taliban are unclear where they are taking weapons from and hammering everyone .....
Strange ...........
Vitaly Anisimov 14 July 2015 17: 10
I think it's just the opposite .. Look at Ukraine being praised! Also, despite the increase in losses)))) Oh, striped lying ghouls, the basis of your policy is blood and robbery ...
manguest 14 July 2015 14: 07
They are so eager to shed mattresses from Afghanistan that they will weave every crap about the power and might of local warriors.
amirbek 14 July 2015 14: 17
how good is the harvest of GMOs going to be budded ... said one afghan
nikpwolf 14 July 2015 14: 21
Yes, they are not going to molt anywhere. They didn't come for that (strategic position, cut of a waterfall of financing, arms and drugs trade). And poor Afghans are being trained to protect their lives by breastfeeding. And they imitated the legitimacy of what was happening.
kursk87 14 July 2015 14: 08
The United States is responsible for the events that take place in Afghanistan. Washington provided support and military assistance to the Taliban in the fight against the Soviet army. It is thanks to the states in the region that radical Islamic groups operate in the creation of which the US CIA directly participated. After all, as you know chaos, this is a well-organized order
GRAY 14 July 2015 14: 12
However, coalition forces are also raking quietly.
The Danish newspaper "Berlingske" reported that the Danish army, during its participation in the hostilities of the ISAF multinational force in Afghanistan, lost six Leopard 2A5DK tanks completely disabled, which now, after the final withdrawal of the Danish contingent, should be taken out of Afghanistan and returned to the manufacturer - a German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW). Although the Danes themselves would prefer to leave the disabled tanks in Afghanistan, the end-user certificate signed by the Danish side during the acquisition of Leopard 2 tanks from Germany in 1997 requires the mandatory return of all decommissioned KMW tanks. As a result, Denmark will have to spend a total of 25 million Danish kroner (about $ 3,7 million) on the removal of disabled six tanks from Afghanistan by air, as well as one lost Piranha III armored personnel carrier.
https://strategyreports.wordpress.com/2012/09/16/συμπεράσματα-από
-την-ανάπτυξη-των-leopard-2a5-dk-τ /
kil 31 14 July 2015 14: 12
"These losses are growing ... as Afghan security forces increase their operations You throw them to the slaughter themselves sit in the green zone. You are planning operations; there is no loss experience in these operations. You don't even help with aviation. Leave there faster, they will sort things out among themselves, without prompting.
YohanPalych 14 July 2015 14: 23
Pentagon: despite the increase in losses, the Afghan army is achieving good results ((
Mikelanjelo 14 July 2015 14: 44
Loss growth is a really good result
sir_obs 14 July 2015 14: 24
Somehow, good results do not combine with rising losses.
surovts.valery 14 July 2015 14: 34
In 1961, the Viet Cong controlled a significant territory of South Vietnam and could block traffic on the country's roads at almost any moment. American military advisers were convinced that a large-scale invasion from the north should be expected, as was the case in Korea, and recommended that Ngo Dinh Diem create a regular army with an extensive command and control system and equip it with heavy weapons and artillery. But such an army was unable to effectively resist the swift attacks of the partisans.
Another serious problem was the mass flow of weapons into the hands of the Viet Cong, either during the war or through defectors. The rapid weakening of the position of the South Vietnamese government forced the United States to provide him with additional military assistance in 1961, which made it possible to improve the situation temporarily in 1962.
The same rake as in Afghanistan (now in Urkain).
From 1965 to 1968, repeated attempts were made to begin peace negotiations, but they were unsuccessful, as were the efforts of international mediators. UN Secretary-General U Thant, after meeting with representatives of North Vietnam in Rangoon (Burma) in March 1967, reported: "Hanoi understands the principle of reciprocity as follows: in South Vietnam, there is a civil war, Hanoi supports one side, the United States supports the other. If the US ceases to help, then Hanoi is ready to do the same. " The United States claimed to protect South Vietnam from external aggression. Three main obstacles stood in the way of the peace talks: 1) Hanoi's demand that the United States finally and unconditionally stop the bombing of North Vietnam; 2) the refusal of the United States to do so without concessions from North Vietnam; 3) the reluctance of the South Vietnamese government to enter into negotiations with the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam.
The result of Vietnam is known to everyone, and the rake is always the same, no one has invented a "safe" one (for those who step on them). We are waiting for the outcome of American Afghanistan and American Ukraine.
propolsky 14 July 2015 14: 51
There is an ordinary division of the country into "Arlecchino" and "Pierrot", and Karabas leads this theater and plays this play depending on his needs.
Masya masya 14 July 2015 14: 53
Rather, the statements of the United States are unfounded, both about Afghanistan and about Ukraine ... As always, from a bad mind to a healthy one!
Tor5 14 July 2015 14: 53
The mare died, the house burned down ....
polite people 14 July 2015 15: 20
The well-known fact that the US Army is suitable only for the bombing of civilians. Everything. The rest is a bunch of cowards. And no Hollywood can fix this situation.
Why does the United States blame everyone for "aggression"?
Yes, that's why ...
Major Yurik 14 July 2015 16: 25
The sheriff's Indians don't care about problems! Good Indian - dead Indian! Here is a short list of the attitude of the Yankees to the people, where the hell brought them to introduce "democracy". For 200 years, nothing has changed, except for the names of peoples eating the fruits of "freedom" in mattress. "Chosen" nation, damn it!
demo 14 July 2015 17: 06
By the logic of the Americans!
More on 60% of people die - this is because they started to fight.
What have you been doing there for 10 years?
Just set up drug supply channels?
Belousov 14 July 2015 18: 09
Indeed, good results, especially when the losses are not yours, utyrk ... Throwing like cannon fodder on the principle of "succeed / fail", that's all the tactics with the strategy of the Americans.
padded jacket colorado 14 July 2015 18: 48
Strange logic, the more losses the better. And when everyone mows out, it's absolutely super. The mattresses in their repertoire just to rake the heat with the wrong hands


Description: Large sized sterling silver fleur-de-lis style lever backs. The open ended loop makes it easy to attach your dangle creations of bead or gemstones. Tools required for attachment. Sold by the pair.


text:
Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens
Home > Florence > Museums | Gardens | Art
by David Francis (subscribe)
David Francis is a freelance writer based in Adelaide.
Published October 24th 2013
See what Florence has to offer all in one great location
Ah, the Renaissance – those were the days, when Luca Pitti in Firenze (Florence) could build himself a home fit for royalty.
Remember to look up. Part of the ceiling in one of the museums.
Starting in the 1450s, the banker had Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace) built as his residence, just down the road from the now famous tourist attraction Ponte Vecchio. It was so grand, the ruling Medici family purchased it in 1549 and used it as their residence for many generations.
A fairly decent backyard
Shortly after the First World War the Pitti Palace and its magnificent backyard, the Boboli Gardens, were opened to the public by the King of Italy and it was transformed into several museums.
A courtyard inside the front entrance
You need at least a day to try and take in what's behind the (relatively) unassuming front walls.
The Orange Grove in the Boboli Gardens
There are museums of theatrical costumes from the 16th to 20th centuries, art galleries, the Royal Apartments where the Medici family and later the Italian Royal Family lived, and galleries dedicated to silver and gems or porcelain.
Boboli Gardens is a vast area, with many pathways to explore
Tickets can be purchased to enter all or some of these areas, as well as the gardens. A ticket to the gardens also gets you access into some of the museums, but not Palatine or Modern Art. A single ticket can be purchased to access these two galleries.
The two main art galleries are the Palatine Gallery, housing Renaissance art including works by Titian and Raphael, and the Gallery of Modern Art. Don't be fooled by the latter – it was established in 1748 with that name and doesn't contain any paintings created this side of World War One.
Don't miss out on going into the Boboli Gardens. It is full of statues and fountains, with paths heading off all over the place.
It is quite deceptive in scale, and at first appears to be contained to an area directly behind the palace. If you follow this route, you will end up at a small gallery at the rear of the estate, up some steps, situated in a rose garden overlooking the Tuscan hills.
As you return, the views in the other direction over the city of Florence are stunning.
Explore. You will find paths that seem to lead away forever. Start following some of these, and you will eventually find all sorts of groves, buildings (including a replica of a Pompeii household), parks, fountains, statues, grottoes, and, of course, an amazing variety of plants and trees.
A grotto tucked away in a corner of the estate
You can just see parts of Palazzo Pitti if you wish but, whichever part you choose, you will be amazed.
Pompeii by David Francis
subscribe to David Francis's articles
Why? An amazing collection of art, treasure, jewelery and clothing in a palace set in magnificent grounds
When: Tuesday to Sunday open 08:15 every day except Christmas Day, New Year's Day and May 1st. Museums close 18:50, gardens vary on time of year.
Website: www.polomuseale.firenze.it
Where: Piazza dei Pitti, 1 50125 Florence, Tuscany, Italy
Cost: Palatine and Modern Art galleries EUR8.50 for both. Boboli EUR7.00 includes some other museums.
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Lovely article. Just shows you two people can go and see completely different things. I never saw the grotto or orange grove so liked your pics. The gardens were far too much walking for me. The collection of antique carved ivory is superb.
1 reply reply
by Kat May (score: 3|1434) 2151 days ago
My Italian language teacher is going to Italia very soon. From Trieste, she is returning 'home' for a holiday with her husband. I will forward this article to her. Firenze may be on her travel agenda. Wish I were going with them. Great article and beautiful photographs.
by Gloria (score: 2|439) 654 days ago
Wonderful memories of Boboli Gardens,thank you.Florence is such a beautiful city,so much to enjoy.
by Olive (score: 0|2) 1513 days ago
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Best way to verify that untrusted node code doesn't send information over the network I am hoping to use two untrusted node files.  I want to be sure that they don't send any information over the network maliciously.  I have access to the source code and have read it some what carefully but it is quite lengthy and complex, and some of it is minified, and someone writing very sneaky code could potentially do something tricky that I might have missed.
Is there an easy way to be sure (ie if it doesn't use the request or socket modules) that it cannot possibly be sending any data out over the network.
The code only requires the sys, fs, and tail modules and I will be running it without the request or socket module installed.
I am very new to node, are the other easy precautions that I can take?

A: This process is good for anything suspect, not just node.js
General Precautions:

*

*run inside a virtual machine

*ensure the host is adequately firewalled

*run Wireshark locally to observe network traffic requests

Sometimes you need to go a step further. Some programs (on Windows in particular) can actually tell if you are attempting monitoring... (although I'd be a little surprised if a Javascript program could do that).  But doing this can be educational anyway.

*

*set up a second machine that acts as a gateway to the network

*ensure it is adequately firewalled

*connext the test machine physically only to the gateway

*run Wireshark on the gateway and observe traffic from the test machine

That wont catch everything, you should still monitor with wireshark what happens in a real situation in case any traffic is context dependent.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Evident to everyone but himself, frank the alligator was not actually a chameleon.
For Mike, a flaming bag of dogshit simply wasn't good enough.
With Steve Irwin gone, the crocodiles were free to terrorize suburbia once again.
Unfortunatly, this Jehova's witness didn't make it indoors before 2 a.m., revealing his true form.
You thought you could escape me by retiring? Think again, Hook!
Claw returns to the swamp of his birth, only to find it changed.
Finally, the gator collapsed against his house and wept. His life was empty.
In a world that didn't understand, an alligator and a house explore a love that defied tradition, species, and even logic.
The guard-bird was subsequently fired.
When the spell broke, Gator Bob stopped dancing, astonished that she was not in fact a princess, but a two-bedroom, two-bath house with nary a pool or basement.
The Jones' new theft-deterrent system was subtle, yet effective.
"Don't be silly Timmy. Alligators can't ring the doorbell. Now go and answer the door."
I told you, Frank, people are going to be afraid to wipe their feet on that thing. You could have at least killed it first.


This AVR Sensor Board V3 node has been built using a different voltage regulator, together with modified values for the battery sense resistor divider, to allow it to be powered directly by the car battery. It has a bi-directional serial connection to the existing car PC and zombie mode is entered (by sensing the 5V supply from the USB serial lead via a resistor divider) when the PC is not running.
The node operates as a car battery voltage sensor regardless of zombie mode.
The car PC based APRS tracker is modified so that whenever it transmits an APRS position update it also sends a suitably formatted location string on the serial connection to the UKHASnet node. The node software then transmits this string as the payload of a UKHASnet format packet.
Received UKHASnet packets are sent to the PC, which gateways them to the Internet over a 3G connection and also displays them on the APRS tracker display. The node also acts as a repeater and will also gateway its own transmissions, thus providing battery voltage and location to the Internet.


This cheerful Candy Bouquet features sweet candy or chocolate. Carefully assembled by hand this delicious and sweet-to-eat gift is sure to brighten anyone's holiday season while saying Merry Christmas in a very memorable way!
Add a personal sentiment to be included with your order.


I just saw a post that basically said they like kissing so much they wanna lie around in bed all day and kiss.
I don't really like kissing so I'm not a good judge of this here, but damn, do people really wanna do that ALL DAY LONG?!
No wonder they got upset and wanted more. Yikes.
Omfg! What if this is why you get a song stuck in your head! Because your soulmate is singing it somewhere!


text:
Debenhams' demise leaves 14m sq ft hole in high street
Once Debenhams has cleared its stock, it will abandon 13,628,740 sq ft of floor space – equivalent to 177 Premier League football pitches
Debenhams has collapsed into liquidation as Covid lays waste to British retail, leaving hundreds of suppliers facing losses of up to £229m and blowing a 14m sq ft hole in high streets across the country.
The 242-year-old department store is to permanently shut its doors, putting 12,000 jobs at risk, a day after Sir Philip Green's retail empire collapsed with 13,000 roles in danger.
All 124 Debenhams stores will be shut after remaining stock is sold off at discounts as high as 70pc. The chain – which has failed to find a new owner since it fell into administration in April – owes £229m to trade creditors, according to new documents filed at Companies House.
Some of the hardest hit suppliers will be beauty companies which once banked on the firm as a magnet for shoppers. In June Estée Lauder, Coty and Clinique were owed £2.8m, £1.4m and £1.6m respectively.
Read more: Debenhams launches pre-Christmas fire sale as liquidation looms
Debenhams' liquidation is a further blow to the ailing high street and could spark a domino effect as footfall at smaller neighbouring shops plunges.
Richard Lim, chief executive of Retail Economics, said: "This is a truly devastating week … this puts up to 25,000 jobs at risk in just a couple of days."
The retailer's total shop floor space, which is now at risk of being abandoned, spans 13,628,740 sq ft according to consultants Local Data Company and Altus – the equivalent of 177 Premier League football pitches. Another 1,844,123 sq ft is at risk if all Arcadia stores close too.
Restructuring experts at Hilco will kick off a fire sale of Debenhams' goods worth an estimated £300m when lockdown ends on Wednesday. There was already a virtual queue online last night as shoppers flocked to its website for bargains.
Administrators at FRP said: "On conclusion of this process, if no alternative offers have been received, the UK operations will close."
Mr Lim added: "We can not overstate the significance of this collapse given the vast property portfolio, number of jobs impacted and the reverberations felt across the industry.
"The reality is that Debenhams has been outmanoeuvred by more nimble competitors, failed to embrace change and was left with a tiring proposition. The impact of the pandemic has accelerated its demise but underlying issues within the business were the root cause."
Debenhams was the sixth largest clothing retailer in the UK five years ago but now no longer even sits in the top ten, GlobalData said. Like Arcadia, the chain struggled to compete with bargain fashion retailers such as Primark, Boohoo and Asos and failed to adapt quickly enough as shoppers moved online.
Onerous leases, some more than 20 years long, added to Debenhams' woes – as did a mountain of debt that it was lumbered by under its private equity owners.
Sir Ian Cheshire, Debenhams' former chairman, said that the company's shops became a "straitjacket" and it would have been better off with just 70 branches.
Debenhams has been owned by hedge funds including Silver Tree and Golden Asset Management since a debt-for-equity swap last year which took it off the stock market. The deal wiped out equity investors including Mike Ashley's Frasers Group, which had a £150m stake.
Mr Ashley has since repeatedly tried to take control of Debenhams, and had an offer to buy the firm rejected by FRP before liquidiation because it was less than half of the £300m asking price.
Debenhams store closures list
Frasers may yet table another offer for the retailer, although industry insiders have said the firm will now be more inclined to go after its best-performing stores. The likes of Next, B&M and Marks & Spencer are also expected to cast an eye over prime sites. The likes of Boohoo, which has been buying distresses brands from administrations but not their stores, could try to buy the website.
Chloe Collins, a retail analyst at GlobalData, said: "Debenhams' store closures may be a saving grace for Marks & Spencer – 48.4pc of its UK clothing shoppers also bought fashion at M&S, so the latter is likely to benefit from transferred spend."
The fate of Debenhams was sealed after JD Sports walked away from formal talks about a takeover bid on Tuesday.
It ended discussions in part due to uncertainty around Arcadia's future, given Sir Philip's brands are Debenhams' largest concession holders. JD's top brass was also spooked by the drop in the share price in response to a prospective takeover bid. The stock was down 11pc last week but rose 2.8pc on Tuesday.
Administrator Geoff Rowley, at FRP Advisory, said: "The decision to move forward with a closure programme has been carefully assessed and, while we remain hopeful that alternative proposals for the business may yet be received, we deeply regret that circumstances force us to commence this course of action."
A spokesperson for the Debenhams' pension schemes said they were being assessed by the pensions lifeboat since April last year, when Debenhams went ahead with a company voluntary arrangement.
An insider said the schemes are relatively well funded and unlikely to need a bailout.
Read more: Too little too late: the undignified demise of Debenhams
JD Sports,


The likelihood is that the photos haven't been selected in the photo gallery widget.
In Site Builder, go to the Photo Gallery page and open the widget.
Click on the Photo & Video Gallery settings then click on Select Photos & Videos.
Filter by the required category or select Show next 30 until you see your 'non-displayed' photos.
Check the box underneath the images and make sure that you save and close the page to move on.
Save the widget and your photos should appear in the gallery.


As the UK government lobbies to host crucial UN climate talks in 2020, it can rightly claim to have demonstrated leadership on this pressing global issue. We were the first country in the world to set legally binding budgets for carbon. We have shown it's possible to grow our economy while reducing emissions to meet the first three legally binding carbon budgets. And we are preparing to go further: climate change minister Claire Perry recently indicated that she wants the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), which sets the budgets, to investigate a target for net zero emissions by 2050.
Hatred is quite a strong emotion to feel for inanimate evidence notes intended to show that a company has paid towards recycling its packaging, but bear with me and I'll explain what's got me so wound up.
After years of waiting, we finally have it: this morning, Theresa May launched her government's 25 year plan for the environment. By far the most talked about aspect of the long awaited and wide ranging strategy is the prime minister's promise to "demonstrate global leadership" by addressing needlessly produced plastic. This will be achieved, she vowed, through action "at every stage of the production and consumption of plastic". Bold words indeed.
How much do we care about owning the products we use?
Recent research has shown that the number of people who own their own homes is at a 30 year low and, with growing anxiety about young people being unable to get on the property ladder, the government has started to act. In the budget, Philip Hammond aimed to revive "the dream of home ownership" by abolishing the stamp duty for homes up to £300,000, designed to appeal to the group increasingly known as 'generation rent'.
This post is by Marcus Gover, chief executive of WRAP, a longstanding member of Green Alliance's Circular Economy Task Force, which works with leading businesses to develop practical ways to make the circular economy happen.
I often find myself explaining to people what the circular economy is not. People commonly think that it's another way of talking about recycling, that it's the latest passing corporate fad, or that it's only relevant to the waste and resources sector. None of these things are true.


text:
Q: Compare size of change rather than number I need to compare values from a list that represent log magnitudes of change:
      '1.3118   2.07985',
      '1.18887  0.990066',
      '2.63964  2.31757',
      '0.828566 1.03155',
      '-0.895715    -0.993696',
      '1.24353  1.35931',
      '1.2916   1.03409',
      '-0.747429    -1.18246',
      '1.30936  1.20244',
      '1.40537  1.27763',
      '-1.07762 -0.978337',
      '0.755268 0.837232',
      '0.919512 1.09517',

For each row, I want to make a comparison and store the value with the greatest magnitude of change. For example as I currently have it (thanks to help on this question Regex value comparison) this comparison:
if ($condition1_match > $condition2_match) {
    push @largest_change, $condition1_match;
}

would rightly value -0.895715 as smaller than -0.993696. However I want to write comparison that recognises -0.993696 as a higher fold change than -0.895715

A: You could just use the absolute values:
if (abs $condition1_match > abs $condition2_match) {
    push @largest_change, $condition1_match;
}

And of course the other way round, also:
elsif (abs $condition1_match < abs $condition2_match) {
    push @largest_change, $condition2_match;
}


text:
Bachelor in Cyber Security
Bachelor in Applied Data Science
Bachelor in Digital Forensics
Bachelor in Interactive Media - Animation
Bachelor in Interactive Media - Games
VFX - Visual Effects
Sound and Music Production
Technical Design with CAD 2D/3D
3D Game Design
3D Film Production
Network and IT Security
Network and System Administration
Practical information Online Vocational Studies
Technical Design with CAD
Bachelor's Degrees abroad
IT study programs
Design study programs
3D study programs
Payment, loans and grants
About Noroff
School regulations
Contact Noroff
Visit Noroff
Semester start
Dr. Filipe Pais Ph.D.
Associate professor, Interactive Media
Dr. Filipe Pais is a lecturer, researcher and artist interested by the ways technologies affect and shape human and social behaviour. Besides his activity as a lecturer in the field of interactive media (arts and design), he's a research associate at the Reflective Interaction group from EnsadLab (the laboratory of ENSAD - École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Decoratifs) in Paris.
During his doctoral research entitled Experience and Meaning-making Process in Interactive Arts - The influence of play and aesthetic distance in interactive art encounters (UT Austin Portugal, Feup, University of Porto), Filipe was interested by the aesthetics of play in art experience. After this, he worked as a post-doctoral researcher in the project The Behavior of Things (EnsadLab and University Paris 8) that explores the notion of behaviour in objects that are normally inanimate (ex. a door that sighs, or a video camera that refuses to surveille). He was also a student of Seap, a Master of Arts and Politics conducted by Bruno Latour (Sciences Po, Paris).
His artworks have been featured in different art festivals and events in Portugal and abroad. Lately, he curated the exhibitions From Bits to Paper (Le Shadok, Strasbourg) and Re-enter Lisbon (CPAI, Lisboa).
Noroff is an educational institution in Norway, consisting of university college, vocational school and online studies. We have campuses in Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger and Kristiansand. Read more about us.
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Starting on a positive note, Juliet Moreau is a YA heroine that I can definitely respect. After being "orphaned" previous to the events in The Madman's Daughter, she found a job to keep her off the streets and out of brothels. Any lady who can make it (even barely) on their own in 19-20th(ish) century London is impressive in my book. I loved how she would not take no for an answer when she set her mind to something, even though most of it was folly. Juliet did get annoying when the love triangle surfaced (yes, there is one of those), but I'll make allowances for her because women tended to be a little silly when it came to love in her time period.
I love old school sci-fi and horror, and I enjoyed the very dark novel that The Madman's Daughter is based on, The Island of Doctor Moreau. There are parallels between the two novels, but The Madman's Daughter is its own book. The Island of Doctor Moreau focuses more on the horrors that the narrator, Prendick, faces on the island. The Madman's Daughter has some of that horror, but is more of a love triangle needing to be sorted against a dark backdrop, making it more appealing and accessible to young readers than its predecessor.
The problem that I had with The Madman's Daughter is what I said before - the romance. It takes away from the tension that is created by the horrors of the island and what Juliet's father has been doing. I found it hard to care whether or not Juliet, Montgomery or Edward survives the island when their focus is more on each other. By the time the plot thickened and there were twists to the triangle, I really didn't care what they did.
Though The Madman's Daughter wasn't my favorite, it's still a book with merit that I know a lot of readers will enjoy. I may not finish this series of Shepherd's, but I will be following her future work with interest.
I'm always a bit nervous reading reviews for books I really loved since you never know if others will as well. I understand your issues though. I think if I wasn't so enraptured by the rest I easily could've been as well. If you do decide to read the next book the romance aspect isn't as prevalent but it does still have some. Great review though.
It's hard for me when I love the originals so much, and since romance wasn't something in the original, it kind of made me side-eye this one. I mean, the writing was good, and I never wanted to DNF, but it was really hard for me to decide if I liked it or not in the end.
You'll want to skip book two, because apparently the romance takes over EVEN MORE and gets worse. So yeah. I thought Madman's was fairly good, though. If only it were a standalone.
I tried to start book two, but I got really bored. But then again, I've been so snobby about everything that it's a wonder that I'm still reading.
I have to say I barely even noticed the romance in it because I was so intrigued by the mystery of it all. But, to be fair, I've never read The Island of Dr. Moreau so I was experiencing that part of the story for the first time! You are making me want to go back and read the original. I might like it even better!


text:
Special Bodies, Speculative Personhood: Bradley Manning and Mohamed Bouazizi
He was very sincere. We are like soulless bodies since he left.
–Basma Bouazizi, sister
If Brad Manning, 22, is the Collateral Murder and Garani massacre whistleblower then, without doubt, he's a national hero.
He may be a mutilated trunk dismembered all about, the spirit removed all around and separated from the limbs, yet he lives and breathes the vital air.
–Lucretius, De Rerum Natura
Bradley Manning and Mohamed Bouazizi's names have become known because they galvanized world attention through what has been perceived as incalculable personal sacrifices. By comparing the respectively imprisoned and immolated bodies of two of the most prominent hero-victims of the past year, we can connect the ways the US has shouldered (and skirted) responsibility for the global "war on terror" and support for despotic regimes overseas. There are remarkable similarities between the two frustrated, previously unknown men in their early twenties. Juxtaposing the consequences of their actions—from initial civil disobedience to bodily incarceration and suicide—may shed light on the post-9/11 ontology of personhood.
Discipline and Publish
It is hard to downplay the level of exposure and visibility—particularly the "Collateral Murder" video and the release of thousands of diplomatic cables—that document US atrocity and hypocrisy. Wikileaks' concept of "leakage"—draining ultra-powerful, abusive systems of their secrets and bald-faced double standards—was not novel, but its ability to monkey wrench political systems through simultaneous electronic self-distribution and publishing press partnerships was. While few if any leaks contained actual top-secret information, the consequence of massively divulging them was hypervisibility and deep embarrassment for the US government.
This hypervisibility contradicts the prior condition of Spc. Bradley Manning, the alleged (and still neither tried nor convicted) Army intelligence analyst who leaked some of the most explosive findings to Wikileaks. As published this month in Greg Mitchell's Bradley Manning: Truth and Consequences, Manning's military life was characterized by soulless routine. The information that he supposedly supplied to Wikileaks was not only available to three million personnel, but was carelessly guarded by bored army officers and their neglectful superiors.
[Ben Ali visiting Bouazizi in hospital after he immolated himself. Image from Agence France Press (AFP)]
In the chat logs of Adrian Lamo, the ex-hacker who turned Manning in to the FBI, Manning's repulsion and conscientious objection to American abuses could not be clearer. He declared that information "belongs in the public domain… [I]nformation should be free… I want people to see the truth regardless of who they are because without information, you cannot make informed decisions as a public."
Manning described the incident that spurred him to action:
i think the thing that got me the most… that made me rethink the world more than anything was watching 15 detainees taken by the Iraqi Federal Police… for printing "anti-Iraqi literature"… the iraqi federal police wouldn't cooperate with US forces, so i was instructed to investigate the matter, find out who the "bad guys" were, and how significant this was for the FPs… it turned out, they had printed a scholarly critique against [Prime Minister] Maliki…
i had an interpreter read it for me… and when i found out that it was a benign political critique titled "Where did the money go?" and following the corruption trail within the PM's cabinet… i immediately took that information and *ran* to the officer to explain what was going on… he didn't want to hear any of it… he told me to shut up and explain how we could assist the FPs in finding *MORE* detainees…
everything started slipping after that… i saw things differently… that was a point where i was a *part* of something… i was actively involved in something that i was completely against…
Manning, whom his superiors had at best ignored, now found himself at the center of willful obstruction of justice by the US military of which he was a part. He said it "wrecked" him, using the word several times.
The treatment of Manning at the Marine Corps brig at Quantico, Virginia, is by now infamous. But the episode that led to a regime of forced nudity could easily find itself in a Kafkaesque narrative. Manning had requested to be moved from "Maximum" custody (i.e., 24-hour solitary confinement), having endured seven unimaginably dark months. When Quantico commander Col. Daniel Choike claimed that he was considered at risk of self-harm, Manning remarked on the absurdity of that logic since he could "conceivably do so with the elastic waistband of his underwear or with his flip-flops." In other words, Manning tried to reason (even joke) with the Quantico commander after months of notably exemplary behavior. Almost immediately, Manning's forced nudity was enforced and was ordered to continue "indefinitely" as a "precautionary measure." He was also required to stand naked outside his cell during inspection. David Coombs, his attorney, wrote that a "sarcastic quip [w]as justification to increase the restrictions imposed on him under the guise of being concerned," noting that the designation of Suicide Risk Watch would have required a psychologist recommendation (which Choike had not obtained). Psychologists for Social Responsibility wrote an open letter to the Pentagon stating "unequivocally that removal of clothing is not an accepted or reasonable procedure for avoiding self-injury."
Manning's body was stripped of every article of clothing in front of prison guards, a "suicide-proof sleeping garment" later issued to cover his icy nakedness at night. Manning has since been transferred to the Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, presumably due to public pressure, although it is still unclear how the move will bring his case closer to a court date. But, as I will describe shortly, the shivering discipline of the law does not point merely to a cruel and empty inanity, but highlights the law's actual ubiquity. Compare the words of Candidate Obama in October 2007 ("When I'm President, we'll reject torture—without exception or equivocation") to President Obama explicitly defending Manning's treatment as "appropriate and meet[ing] our basic standards," later denouncing him as guilty before any legal proceedings had taken place by flatly remarking, "He broke the law" at a San Francisco fundraising event in April 2011. Attorney Kevin Zeese, who serves on the steering committee of the Bradley Manning Support Network, cited "undue command influence" in the US military justice code:
Can you imagine if the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamene'i, pronounced an Iranian military whistle blower "guilty" before any trial was held? Khamene'i is the commander-in-chief of all armed forces in Iran, just as President Obama is the commander-in-chief of the US armed services. Would anyone in the United States think that a trial before Iranian military officers that followed such a pronouncement could be fair? The US government would use the situation to make propaganda points about the phony justice system in Iran.
In an open statement published in The New York Review of Books, not only did 250 highly respected American legal scholars condemn Obama's rubber-stamping of Manning's "degrading and inhuman pretrial punishment," but Obama's own former mentor, Harvard constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe told the Guardian he signed the letter because Manning's treatment was "not only shameful but unconstitutional." In a scathing admonishment to Obama (who one month before signed an executive order for indefinite detention at Guantánamo) the scholars chided, "He was once a professor of constitutional law. The question now is whether his conduct as commander in chief meets fundamental standards of decency."
Equally explosive was the account of the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in the Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid. Bouazizi's act of setting himself ablaze forced world attention to the crisis of entrenched power in Tunisia and acted as the inarguable ignition of ongoing Arab uprisings in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Jordan, Mauritania, Algeria and Morocco. As Greg Mitchell remarks about the Tunisia Wikileaks cables, "The US knew about massive corruption in Tunisia back in 2006 but went on supporting the government anyway, making it the pillar of its North Africa policy."
I would like to believe that it is still possible to avoid the trap of assigning facile and wholesale credit to Wikileaks for the successive grassroots revolts across the Middle East and North Africa and still fasten Manning and Bouazizi's acts together as serving a parallel political purpose. As Manning had mused in the chat logs about the eventual release of the cables, "god knows what happens now…hopefully worldwide discussion, debates, and reforms." In the aftermath of their isolated acts and the seismic consequences, these ends and more were arguably achieved. Manning had discussed that what made him finally turn was the detention of Iraqi scholars for their criticism of US-enabled Nouri al-Maliki, who as of December 21, 2010, simultaneously held the positions of Prime Minister, Interior Minister, acting Defense Minister, and acting National Security Minister.
The iconic Agence France Press photo of Mohamed Bouazizi at a hospital in Ben Arous—white bandages covering his entire flame-engulfed face and body—was taken exactly one week after al-Maliki's whopping concession of power, on December 28, 2010. The photo practically wrote its own caption, as a team of doctors and nurses stood cross-armed facing Tunisian President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali staring at Bouazizi's unrecognizable body, their eyes gleaming, You did this. Bouazizi may have been mutilated and dismembered, as the opening Lucretius quote described, but his spirit was firmly affixed to the animus of cronyism and embedded power shared between Middle Eastern and North African rulers and their US benefactors.
Bouazizi's father died when he was three. At the age of ten, he had become the head of his family, and his sacrificial streak would continue for another decade as he stalled his own studies so that five younger siblings could stay in school. Unsuccessful in his effort to join the army, his family and friends said that the only option left to him was selling vegetables and fruit from a street cart. This humble plan could not protect him from daily humiliation and mistreatment from local police and bureaucratic officials. It was reported that a slap by a policewoman finally set him off. But what actually took place was that he was refused a meeting with a municipal officer after receiving an enormous fine for operating a street cart without a permit.
Bouazizi's failure to seek redress is reminiscent of a scene in Franz Kafka's The Trial, when K. demands to see the warrant issued for his arrest by showing his identification papers. "What are your papers to us?" the tall warder mocks.
You're behaving worse than a child. What are you after? Do you think you'll bring this fine case of yours to a speedier end by wrangling with us, your warders, over papers and warrants? We are humble subordinates who can scarcely find our way through a legal document and have nothing to do with your case except to stand guard over you for ten hours a day and draw our pay for it.
The rate of unemployment for university graduates in Tunisia (Bouazizi was never able to go to college) is nearly 25 percent. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the unemployment rate for college graduates is at 10 percent but is actually 25 percent if one considers teenagers, a figure higher than it has ever been since 1970. The rate of "idle" youth—a term used to describe economically disadvantaged young people in the Middle East and North Africa—could be expanded to include those working in the service industry, in the military, or the chronically underemployed. Seen in that light, American and Tunisian statistics are stunningly similar.
Bouazizi was both mistreated and made unseen as an impoverished street merchant. By turning him away from seeking redress (since he and his family's welfare were at the mercy of the law), the bureaucratic officials further negated his civil personhood. Days after his self-immolation, 24-year old Hussein Nagi Felhi climbed an electric pole to his death, shouting "no for misery, no for unemployment" as the fence pummeled his body with 30,000 megawatts of electricity. The act was repeated at least 14 more times in the region over the subsequent months.
Losing One's Skin, Or Guantánamo and Beyond
As Colin Dayan traces in her new book, The Law is a White Dog (2011), rightless persons, who have lost the right to have rights, are never outside the law. Although accounts of Guantánamo Bay, Abu Ghraib and secret and known US prisons cite a '"legal black hole" as being "beyond the law," today legal boundaries are equated with the legitimacy of the government's goals. US systems of discipline and punishment parallel the history of American slavery; the aggressively legalistic nature of personhood in this system points to "not an absence of law but an abundance of it that allows government to engage in seemingly illegal practices."
I argue that this "hyperlegal negation of civil existence" is in collusion with "official secrecy," the foundation of K.'s legal nightmare in The Trial, not to mention the procedural designation of "enemy combatant" to prisoners in Guantánamo and tens of other GWoT (global "war on terror") extraordinary rendition sites. In other words, the dissolution of personhood, rather than depending on a vacuum of law, co-exists with both hyperlegality and pro-forma secrecy. K.'s defense counsel reminds him that the proceedings in his case will not be made public:
The legal records of the case, and above all the actual charge-sheets, were inaccessible to the accused and his counsel, consequently one did not know in general, or at least did not know with any precision, what charges to meet in the first plea; accordingly it could be only by pure chance that it contained a really relevant matter.
In receiving "special permission" to visit the Arizona prison complex where she began research in 1995, Dayan notes the "overuse of the word special"—special operations team (executioners), special isolation units (solitary confinement), special management units, special treatment units, special housing units, and even the listing of visitors as special persons. Special personhood and official secrecy go hand-in-hand. Kafka's Trial again: "For the Defense was not actually countenanced by the Law, but only tolerated, and there were differences of opinion even on that point, whether the Law could be interpreted to admit such tolerance at all" (my emphasis). The Law preserves negligible tolerance for the defense of the accused along with its "official secrets." (In The Trial, these are quite literally kept in desk drawers.) Therefore, the realm of that which is always pending and always in legal limbo defines the category of the special, dutifully consigning "specialness" even to those who act in defense of the "special," whether they be Dayan as a visitor to an Arizona jail or Bradley Manning's supporters who were subpoenaed by a grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia.
To be clear, the special body that is summoned can have speculative personhood conferred to it. In Latin, the word evocatio (from e—"out of, from" and vocare—"to call") is at once a "calling forth" and a "summoning away." It originated with military proceedings that either threatened or took hold of those who surrender. In the Western mystical tradition, this calling forth or evocation relates to the conjuration of ghosts. Dayan writes, "When ghosts come before the law they are sometimes treated as if real insofar as they have legal effect. What seems supernatural or even extraordinary, once in the presence of judges becomes merely unusual." The Law spooks by deracinating the summoned from their skin and flesh, turning "humans into things, ghosts into persons, and corpses into spirits." Even if the Law does not leave physical scars—in fact, especially if it does not—the practice of solitary confinement evokes imaginary non-beings out of thin air, whispers delusions in a prisoner's head, and neutralizes all traces of individuality. An inmate in Arizona SMU (an ultra-maximum security prison that, from the outside, looks like a "nuclear waste storage facility") told Dayan:
If they only touch you when you're at the end of a chain, then they can't see you as anything but a dog. Now I can't see my face in the mirror. I've lost my skin. I can't feel my mind.
This erasure of personhood is the subject of physician Atul Gawande's essay, "Hellhole," where he records the physical damage of forced social isolation: "EEG studies going back to the nineteen-sixties have shown diffuse slowing of brain waves in prisoners after a week or more of solitary confinement. Without sustained social interaction, the human being may become as impaired as the one that has incurred a traumatic injury." On the radical erasure achieved by the CIA's "debilitation, disorientation and dread" program of scrambling human selfhood, another inmate wrote Dayan: "I get to watch as my mind gets disfigured beyond anything I can recognize."
We might conjure K.—who I imagine to be Kafka's precursor to Mohamed Bouazizi just before he faces the rawness and inhumanity of his bureaucratic inferno, the singular hell that drives him to visible combustion—for whom the weightiness and corporality of the law reveals a viciously intractable system nearly immune to reform:
Almost every accused man, even quite simple people among them, discovered from the earliest stages a passion for suggesting reforms which often wasted time and energy that could have been better employed in other directions. The only sensible thing was to adapt oneself to existing conditions. One must lie low, no matter how much it went against the grain, and try to understand that this great organization remained, so to speak, in a state of delicate balance, and that if someone took it upon himself to alter the disposition of things around him, he ran the risk of losing his footing and falling to destruction, while the organization would simply right itself by some compensating reaction in another part of its machinery—since everything interlocked—and remain unchanged, unless, indeed, which was very probable, it became still more rigid, more vigilant, severer, and more ruthless. One must really leave the lawyers to do their work, instead of interfering with them.
I emphasize losing one's footing in this excerpt because earlier, when K. glimpsed into the lawyer's room at the Law Court offices, he noticed "a hole in the floor, not so big that you could fall through the floor, but big enough to let a man's leg slip through." Conditions for defense lawyers—the "special persons" of "special persons"—were kept this way in order to "eliminate them as much as possible."
As for actual prisoners, such as those Dayan visited in "special security units," one can often find a searing display of bodily mutilation. "Row after row of slit wrists, first-degree burns, punctured faces, bodies smeared with feces, eyes pouring blood. A sign above the photo exhibit reads, 'Idle Minds Make for Busy Hands.'" Dayan recalls Descartes' "Second Meditation": "I have no senses. Body, shape, extension, movement and places are chimera… I have no senses and no body. So what remains true?" Whether in the sardonic drama of Bouazizi's hell or the solitary confinement of Arizona's SMU prisoners, the accused is first made to lose his mind, then to lose his skin.
In that vein, the question is not merely whether legal procedure has been stalled in determining Bradley Manning's guilt or innocence; the question of innocence no longer seems grounded in any legitimate concern. Wikileaks' latest release of the "Gitmo Files" proved without a shadow of a doubt that the US knowingly imprisoned at least 150 men officials knew to be innocent. The files reveal the same incarcerator mentality as the Arizona prison complex and the reports of US-buttressed torture cells overseas despite the legal consensus that confessions made under torture are inadmissible. Take the Detainee Assessment Brief (DAB) on Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi, a Tunisian national who the US Naval Station/Joint Task Force memorandum to the US Southern Command identifies as an "al-Qaida [sic] member, head of Tunisian faction in Afghanistan." Under Prior History, al-Yazidi's file reads: "Detainee did not complete high school. Detainee traveled from Tunisia to Mazzarrone, Sicily, Italy and worked in a vineyard until the end of 1987. He traveled to Milan, IT, planning to continue his education. Due to financial difficulties…"
Despite a clear admonition that the "detainee remains careful to avoid associating himself with al-Qaida [sic] or any senior extremists [and] avoids implicating himself in any type of leadership or management role." The memo recalls 40 Reports of Disciplinary Infraction, including hostility, "provoking words and gestures,: and perhaps the most surreal admission, that al-Yazidi "returned his library book with defacements."
I am tempted to ask, sincerely and not rhetorically, what the way out of this quagmire might be. In doing so, I point to Gawande's acerbic questioning of American society:
Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain [a prisoner of war for five and a half years in Vietnam] addressed the question of whether prolonged solitary confinement is torture. This would have been political suicide. The simple truth is that public sentiment in America is the reason that solitary confinement has exploded in this country, even as other Western nations have taken steps to reduce it. This is the dark side of American exceptionalism. In much the same way that a previous generation of Americans countenanced legalized segregation, ours has countenanced legalized torture (my emphasis).
Less than 150 years since the end of legal slavery—the primogenitor of a system that churned out special bodies and speculative personhood—and less then 45 years since the end to de jure racial discrimination, the US still must make a choice: either it willfully tortures or it does not, either it supports regimes it knows to carry out torture or it does not, either it mass incarcerates or it does not, either it turns persons into shells of their former selves or it does not. No true political progress is possible without this examination.
Saturday, April 30, 2011 - 2:01:00 AM


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Costa Cruises are offering what they are called a 'Grazie-Giving Sale' which will run from November 24 to the 29. The sale will offer some very low rates on their cruises, including a seven-night Mediterranean cruise on Costa Diadema, with rates starting at $449 for an inside cabin and $549 for a balcony cabin.
Their phone lines will be closed on Thanksgiving, but the online booking will remain open for the course of the promotion as long as ship rooms remain available.
Scott Knutson, the vice president of sales and marketing for Costa Cruises North America made a statement about the offer.
They are also offering a ten-night Caribbean cruise with rates as low as $449 to stay in an inside stateroom, or balcony cabins starting at $749. Their seven-night winter Mediterranean cruise prices will begin at $449.


text:
Otters have almost completely recolonised Great Britain.
Wild carnivores stage a comeback in Britain
Once-endangered carnivorous mammals such as otters, polecats and pine martens have staged a remarkable comeback in Britain in recent decades, a new review shows.
The study found that – with the exception of wildcats – the status of Britain's native mammalian carnivores (badger, fox, otter, pine marten, polecat, stoat and weasel) has "markedly improved" since the 1960s.
The species have largely "done it for themselves" – recovering once harmful human activities had been stopped or reduced, according to scientists from the University of Exeter, Vincent Wildlife Trust, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and Scottish Natural Heritage.
Hunting, trapping, control by gamekeepers, use of toxic chemicals and destruction of habitats contributed to the decline of most predatory mammals in the 19th and early 20th Centuries.
"Unlike most carnivores across the world, which are declining rapidly, British carnivores declined to their low points decades ago and are now bouncing back," said lead author Katie Sainsbury, a PhD researcher at the Environment and Sustainability Institute at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall.
"Carnivores have recovered in a way that would have seemed incredibly unlikely in the 1970s, when extinction of some species looked like a real possibility."
The researchers collected survey reports from the last 40 years and compared changes in the species' distribution extent and population sizes. They also reviewed human activities that have helped or hindered Britain's native carnivores in recent decades.
Otters have almost completely recolonised Great Britain. Badger populations have roughly doubled since the 1980s.
Polecats have expanded across southern Britain from Wales, and pine martens have expanded from the Scottish Highlands.
Fox numbers have risen since the 1960s, though an apparent decline in the last decade may be linked with dwindling rabbit numbers.
"Most of these animals declined in the 19th Century, but they are coming back as a result of legal protection, conservation, removal of pollutants and restoration of habitats," said Professor Robbie McDonald, head of Exeter's Wildlife Science group (https://wildlifescience.org).
"The recovery of predatory mammals in Britain shows what happens when you reduce the threats that animals face. For the most part these species have recovered by themselves."
"Reintroductions have also played a part. Fifty one pine martens were recently translocated to Wales from Scotland and these martens are now breeding successfully in Wales. Otter reintroductions helped re-establish the species in the east of England."
Thought must now be given to how growing numbers of these animals interact with humans, the researchers say.
Some of the species can pose problems for gamekeepers, anglers and farmers, and work must be done to find ways to prevent conflict and allow long-term co-existence as the species expand their ranges and numbers.
Wildcats are the exception to the pattern of recovery. The species is now restricted to small numbers in isolated parts of the Scottish Highlands. Some estimates suggest there are as few as 200 individuals left. Their decline has largely been caused by inter-breeding with domestic cats, leading to loss of wildcat genes.
The status of stoats and weasels remains obscure.
Professor McDonald said: "These small and fast-moving predators are hard to see and to survey. Ironically, the best means of monitoring them is from the records of gamekeepers who trap them. People are key to carnivore recovery.
"By involving local communities from the outset, we have been able to secure the return of healthy numbers of pine martens to Wales. Translocations were needed because natural spread, something the Trust has been monitoring in polecats over the past 25 years, will take much longer for the slower breeding pine marten" said Dr Jenny MacPherson of Vincent Wildlife Trust.
The paper, published in the journal Mammal Review, is entitled: "Recent history, current status, conservation and management of native mammalian carnivores in Great Britain."


These are both 16-bit general purpose timers with four modes of operation. With these modes we can allow the timers to operate as general purpose 8-bit auto-reloading timers, 13-bit and 16-bit timers. Most commonly the 16-bit timer mode (Mode 1) is used as it is the simplest mode available. Additionally, we can take outputs of these timers. Unlike typical 8051s, we can use chose from Fsys, fixed and prescaled Fsys (Fsys / 12) or external input as timer clock sources.
Timer 2 is different from Timers 0 and 1 in many aspects. Mainly it is used for waveform captures. It can also be used in compare mode to generate timed events or compare-match-based PWM. It has auto-reloading feature unlike Timers 0 and 1.
Timer 3 is an auto-reloading 16-bit timer with no output and Fsys as clock source. Like Timer 1, Timer 3 can be used for serial communication hardware (UART).
The self-wake-up timer or simply wake-up timer is a special event timer that is not available in standard 8051s. The purpose of this timer is to wake-up or restore the normal working of a N76E003 chip from low power modes after a certain period of time. It can also be used to trigger timed events or trigger other hardware.
The watchdog timer of N76E003 can be used either as a 6-bit general purpose timer or as a standard watchdog timer. Most commonly it is not used as a general-purpose timer because that is not what it is meant to be. In watchdog mode, it helps in recovering a stuck N76E003 micro by resetting it.
While using BSPs be careful about timer-based delay routines and UART routines. These built-in routines reset and reconfigure timers according to their purposes. Make sure that there is no conflicting issue when using them. To avoid such conflict, either use software delay routines or one dedicate timer for a particular job. For instance, use Timer 1 for delays and Timer 3 for UART. You have to know what you are doing and with which hardware.
Time-base generation is one of the most basic function of a timer. By using time-bases, we can avoid software delays and unwanted loops when we need to wait or check something after a fixed amount of time. BSP-based delay functions are based on this principle.
Here in this section, we will see how to create a time-base to toggle P15 LED.
For demoing time-base generation, we don't need any additional hardware since we will just be blinking P15 LED without software-based delays.
Before I start explaining the code example, I would like to discuss how Timer 0 and 1 works in Mode 1. In Mode 1, these timers behave like up-counting 16-bit timers. This means they can count (contents of TL and TH registers) from 0 to 65535 with every pulse/clock tick. There is no down-counting feature in these timers.
The source of these pulse/clock ticks can be from system clock, prescaled system clock or from external inputs. When external inputs are used, these timers can be used like counters. Unlike conventional 8051, there are options to take output from timers. The outputs change state with overflows/rollovers, i.e. when the timer counts resets from 65535 to 0.
provided that the initial count of the timer was set to 0. This is what we are doing in the set up. After setting the timer's count and the mode of operation, the timer is started.
Functions set_Timer_0 and get_Timer_0 writes Timer 0's count and reads Timer 0's count respectively.
It is needed to toggle the state of the P15 LED and yeah, that is done at every half count of the timer, i.e. at every 327ms. In the main, the timer's count is checked using get_Timer_0 function. When the timer's count is less than 32767 counts, P15 LED is held high. P15 LED is set low when the timer's count is greater than this 32767. In this way the toggling effect is achieved without software delays. However, the timer's count is frequently polled.
We have already seen the operation of general-purpose timers in Mode 1. In this segment, we will how to use these timers in Mode 0. Everything is same between Mode 0 and 1. However, the timer counts or resolutions vary in these modes. Mode 0 makes general purpose timers behave as 13-bit timer/counters.
Check the block diagram shown above and compare with the one previously shown. Note the greyed-out part in this diagram. The upper bits of TL registers are not used in this mode. Between Mode 0 and 1, personally Mode 1 is easier than Mode 0.
Here Timer 1 in Mode 0 is used to create a digital stopwatch.
The timer is, therefore, set at this count value.
Now how do we set the timer in Mode 1?
Check the register diagram below. The grey part is what is ignored. Remember that TL and TH are 16-bits as a whole but out of that we will just be using 13-bits.
Unlike the previous example, here interrupt is used to keep time. The timer run bit, global interrupt and Timer 1 interrupt are all enabled when the start button is pressed and are all disabled when the stop button is pressed or the stopwatch is reset by pressing both buttons.
At every timer overflow interrupt the timer's counter is reset to 0x1D64 to make sure that there are 667 counts before the overflow.
The time data is displayed on an LCD screen.
Timer 2, as I stated before, is different in many areas from the other timers of N76E003. In my opinion, it is best suited for measuring pulse widths, their periods and thereby frequencies. In other words, it is the best wave capturing tool that we have in N76E003s.
Unlike conventional 8051s, there varieties of option to capture wave or generate compare-match events.
In this segment, we will see how to make a frequency counter with Timer 2's capture facility. We will also see how to generate Timer 1's output.
and low for the same amount of time. So, the total time period of Timer 1's output is roughly 16ms. Therefore, the frequency of this output is about 60Hz.
P00 is the Timer 1's output pin and P12 is the capture pin of Timer 2. When P00 and P12 are shorted together, the frequency counter made here with Timer 2 and its capture unit will read 60Hz.
So how it is done by Timer 2 and the capture unit?
Next, Timer 2 is started with its interrupt enabled.
Finally, the capture pin and its channel to be used are enabled using BSP-based definition. Capture interrupt is also enabled.
"input capture pin 0 connected to P12 GPIO pin is connected to capture channel 0 to detect falling edge transitions".
Since there is one interrupt vector for all three capture channels, we have check first which capture channel caused the interrupt and clear that particular interrupt flag soon. Capture interrupt, in this case, occurs when a falling edge is detected by CAP0 channel. When such an interrupt occurs, the time of its happening, i.e. the counter value of Timer 2 at that instance is stored. This marks the first falling edge event. To measure period or frequency of a waveform, another such falling edge is needed. Therefore, when another falling edge is detected by the capture hardware, the process repeats. This results in the time capture of two events.
We know the frequency of the timer's clock and so we can find the value of its each tick. We have two captures in form of two Timer 2 counts. We can find the difference between them and thereby compute the time period (pulse_time).
Since the time period of the captured waveform is calculated, its frequency can be deduced. This is done in the main loop.
In the last segment, it was demonstrated how to capture a waveform and compute its frequency using Timer 2's capture hardware. This segment is basically an extension of the last segment. Here, it will be shown how we can use two capture channels connected to the same capture pin to find out the pulse width of a pulse. For demoing this idea, a HC-SR04 ultrasonic SONAR sensor is used. The SONAR sensor gives a pulse output that varies in width according to the distance between the sensor and a target.
HC-SR04 SONAR sensor has two pins apart from power supply pins. These pins are labelled "Echo" and "Trigger". When the trigger pin of a HC-SR04 is set high for about 10μs, it acknowledges this short duration pulse in the trigger pin as a command from its host micro to measure and return distance data.
P11 is setup as the trigger pin and P12 is set up as the echo pin. The concepts of input capture are same as in the last capture example but there are a few minor changes. Firstly, the system clock speed is set to full 16MHz using HIRC. Secondly, the setup of Timer 2 is slightly changed. Auto-reloading is enabled this time. Timer 2's clock is prescaled to 1MHz. This is done so in order to make sure that the capture has a resolution of 1μs and the timer doesn't overflow while taking measurements. The maximum possible width of a pulse from HC-SR04 is 38ms when no obstacle is detected by it but with this timer setup we can measure pulse widths up to 65ms. Timer 2 is also set up as to reset its count when a CAP0 event occurs.
In order to measure pulse widths, we can use one capture channel in both edge capture mode or use two capture channels connected to the same input capture GPIO pin detecting different edges. The latter is used here.
I didn't use BSP-based definitions for setting up captures in this example because of some limitation. BSP-based definitions reset selections. This is why I configured the input capture control registers manually. Two capture channels having different edge detections are used and both of these channels share P12 or IC0 pin.
Now when HC-SR04 is triggered, it will give out a pulse. We have to measure the width of that pulse. A pulse is defined by a rising edge and a falling edge. CAP0 channel is set to detect the rising edge of the pulse and reset Timer 2 to 0 count. CAP1 channel is used to detect the falling edge of the same pulse and read Timer 2's count. This count represents pulse width in microseconds.
In the main loop, distance is calculated using this measured pulse width time and the formula given in HC-SR04's datasheet.
The distance found between an object and HC-SR04 is displayed on a text LCD.
We all know that N76E003 is a cool chip but it lacks GPIOs unlike other chips of similar capabilities. Thus, we must be miser while using GPIOs. When it is needed to interface several inputs and outputs with a microcontroller using fewer pins, we often take the assistance of logic ICs like shift registers, counters, multiplexers, etc. We have already used this technique while making the 3-wire LCD interface. An LCD has its own controller(s) to take care of projecting data on the screen once data has been feed to it. However, that's not the case with seven segment displays and keypads when used without any specialized driver IC like TM1640/MAX7219. It is, then, a job for a host micro to do the scanning and data manipulation periodically with affecting other tasks. This can be achieved easily with a timer.
In this segment, we will see how the aforementioned is done with Timer 3. For the demo, I used a salvaged temperature controller's I/O unit. The I/O unit consists of two 4-digit seven segment displays, four LEDs and four push buttons. It is made with a 74HC164 Serial-In-Parallel-Out (SPIO) shift register and a 74HC145 BCD-to-Decimal decoder. In order to use it in real-time, its displays, LEDs and buttons should be scanned and updated at a fast rate without hindering any part of an application running in main loop.
Timer 3's internal hardware is very simple. It is an up-counting timer and is run by using system clock as clock source. There is a prescalar to reduce the system clock input. The main feature of Timer 3 is it auto-reload feature. This feature basically allows us to forget reloading its 16-bit counter unlike Timer 0 and 1. There no external input or output option for this timer. Owing to all these, it is most suitable for time-base generation and serial communication.
In this demo, Timer 3 is set to interrupt every 100μs.
Note that Timer 3's input clock and system clock frequency is 16MHz since no prescalar is used.
Now what we are doing inside the timer interrupt? According to the schematic and objective of this project, we need to update the seven segment displays and read the 4-bit keypad so fast that it looks as if everything is being done without any delay and in real time.
Inside timer ISR, both logic ICs are updated. Firstly, the number to be displayed is sent to the 74HC164 IC and then the seven-segment display to show the number is updated by writing the 74HC145 IC. At every interrupt, one seven segment display is updated. There are 8 such displays and so it takes less than a millisecond to update all these displays. Everything seems to complete in the blink of an eye. During this time the keypad is also scanned in the main. With different keys, different LEDs light up.
PWM hardware is another basic requirement for any modern-era microcontroller. We can use PWM for a number of applications like motor control, light control, switch-mode power supplies (SMPSs), etc. With PWM we can also simulate digital-to-analogue converter (DAC). Fortunately, N76E003 comes with a separate PWM block that is not a part of any internal timer. It has all the feature that you can imagine. It can be used to generate simple independent 6 single channel PWMs. It can also be used to generate complementary and interdependent PWMs with dead time feature.
PWM generated by the N76E003's PWM hardware is based on compare-match principle and this is evident from its block diagram. There are 6 PWM channels and they can be used independently or as interdependent groups to form complimentary PWMs. PWMs generated by N76E003 can be edge-aligned or centre-aligned PWMs as per user's requirement. The PWM block can be clocked directly by the system clock or by Timer 1 overflow. Additionally, there is a prescalar unit to reduce input clock source.
For demonstrating N76E003's PWM feature, I used an RGB LED. Three independent PWMs were generated using PWM channels 1,2 and 4. Let us look into the process of setting up the PWM channels and the PWM hardware. We must firstly set the PWM GPIOs as push-pull GPIOs since PWM is an output function of GPIO pins. We must also enable the PWM output channels we want to use.
Secondly, the PWM hardware is set up according to our needs. Since we need independent PWMs here, independent PWM mode is selected. Edge-align PWM is selected since it is most easy to understand and use. The PWM channels are reset before using them. The PWM outputs are non-inverted and so they are characterized as normal PWMs. Here, I use system clock as the clock source for the PWM block but it is prescaled/divided by 64 to get an effective PWM clock of 250kHz. The PWM resolution is set to 10-bits when we set the period count or maximum PWM value/duty cycle. Setting the period count yields in setting up the internal PWM counter. This gives a PWM of approximately 245Hz frequency or 4ms period. Finally, the PWM hardware is enabled after setting up all these.
To change PWM duty cycle, functions like the one shown below is called. After altering the duty cycle or compare value, the new value is loaded and run.
In the demo, the RGB LED fades different colours as a symbol of changing PWMs.
In the last section, we saw how we can generate independent PWM. Now we will see complimentary or group PWM with dead-time. We will also see the things that were skipped in the previous segment.
Complementary PWM with dead-time feature is a must-have feature of any PWM drives in today's embedded-system industry. Unlike the simple PWM we saw previously, this kind of PWM has most usage. Complementary PWM with dead-time is used in applications where we need to design motor controllers, SMPSs, inverters, etc with H-bridges or half-bridges. In such applications, PWMs need to operate in groups while ensuring that both PWMs don't turn on at the same time. One PWM in a group should be the opposite/antiphase of the other in terms of duty-cycle or waveshape.
The first type was demonstrated in the simple PWM example. The second is demonstrated here. From the perspective of a general user, the difference in them don't affect much. Make sure that you check the formulae for each type before using.
The set up for complimentary PWM with dead time is no different from the simple PWM set up. As mentioned, there are a few minor differences. First the mode is set for complimentary PWM mode. Secondly, centre-aligned PWM is used here. The outputs are also set as inverted outputs, i.e. 100% duty cycle means minimum PWM value/count. The dead time period is set and implemented.
Now what is dead time in complimentary PWMs? Well simply is a short duration delay that is inserted between the polarity shifts of two PWMs in a group.
Consider a half-bridge MOSFET configuration as shown above. Perhaps it is the best way to describe the concept of dead-time. Surely, nobody would ever want to turn on both MOSFETs simultaneously in any condition and also during transition. Doing so would lead to a temporary short circuit between voltage source and ground, and would also lead to unnecessary heating of the MOSFETs and even permanent damage. By applying dead-time this can be avoided. In half/H-bridges, complimentary PWMs ensure that when one MOSFET is on, the other is off. However, at the edges of PWM polarity shifts, i.e. when one is rising while the other is falling, there is short but certain such short-circuit duration. If a dead time is inserted between the transitions, it will ensure that one MOSFET is only turned on when the other has been turned off fully.
Since complimentary PWMs work in groups, changing the duty cycle of one PWM channel will affect the other and so we don't need to change the duty cycles of both PWMs individually. This is why only one PWM channel is manipulated in the code.
One of key feature of many modern era microcontrollers is a way to wake up a micro once it went to low power, sleep or idle mode. Like STM8s, N76E003 has this feature. The wakeup timer (WKT) is not a complex hardware. As the block diagram below shows it is just a timer-counter with LIRC as clock source. When the counter overflows, an interrupt is triggered. This interrupt wakes up the N76E003 chip.
Wakeup timer is particularly very useful when used with low power modes. In many applications, we need to measure data on a fixed time basis while at other times when measurements are not taken, idle times are passed. These idle periods consume power and so if we use a wakeup timer with low power sleep mode, we can save energy. This is a big requirement for portable battery-operated devices. Examples of such portable devices include data-loggers, energy meters and smart watches.
In the demo demonstrated here, P15 LED is toggle fast for nine times. This marks the start of the demo. After this toggling has been done, both the wakeup timer and the power down modes are turned on.
During Power Down time, all operations inside the micro are suspended. There is also another low power mode called Idle Mode. Both are similar but in idle mode peripherals are kept active.
After the first set of LED toggles and power down mode, it takes about 1.5 seconds (according to the prescalar value of 64 and 256 counts) for the wakeup timer to get triggered.
When the interrupt kicks in, the MCU is brought back to working mode and the wakeup timer is disabled. Again, the P15 LED is toggled. This time the LED is toggled at a slower rate, indicating the continuation of the rest of the tasks after power down. After this the process is repeated with power down and wake up timer reenabled.
Since interrupt is used, WKT interrupt will be triggered when its counter rolls over.
When WKT interrupt is triggered, its interrupt flag should be cleared in the software.
The watchdog timer (WDT) of N76E003 is just a reset-issuing timer and the purpose of this timer is to recover a N76E003 micro from an unanticipated event/loop that may result in unresponsive or erratic behaviour. It is clocked with LIRC oscillator and this makes it independent from main clock (HIRC or ECLK) failure.
LIRC is prescaled and feed to a counter. When the counter overflows, WDT interrupt is issued, furthermore a reset is also generated based on delay. In normal running condition, the counter must be periodically reset to 0 count to avoid reset. If for some reason this is not done then a reset will be triggered.
The watchdog timer of N76E003 can also be used as a 6-bit general-purpose timer. However, this usually not used as such. The only difference between using it as timer and as a watchdog timer is the reset part.
For demoing WDT, again the P15 LED is used. The code starts with it toggling states ten times. This marks the beginning of the code and the interval prior to WDT configuration.
Next the WDT is setup. Note that the WDT is Timed-Access (TA) protected. TA protection protects crucial hardware like brownout detection circuit and WDT hardware from erratic writes.
Without TA protection access, any changes to made to the registers of the TA protected hardware is unaffected.
After enabling access to WDT, we can set it up. Setting the WDT requires us mainly to setup LIRC clock prescalar. Once the prescalar is set we are good to go for enabling the WDT.
Before all these can be done, we have to enable the WDT hardware either through In-Application Programming (IAP) or by configuration bits during programming.


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I would wear the lightning-energized crap out of that second pair…if I were willing to buy shoes without trying them on.
I might have bought a pair to save and one to wear but eventually, one would be worn out and the other might make it to funkytown.
Honestly? I kind'a like the fan-made pair better. Plus, also am extremely leery of buying shoes without trying them on as am a very hard fit. Now as a collector's novelty, yeah…but for the same money prefer figurines and books.
Thanks! I made them with TLC! Too bad they are pretty done.
I like them, but probably wouldn't wear them — they don't look like they have enough support. I put my shoes through a lot of abuse (what with doing a lot of walking, and some weird foot/leg deformity that makes my feet turn in and thus almost walk on my ankles), and they likely wouldn't last long.
It is about time they were made — whose shoes are as important as the Flash's?
At last! Will definitely try to squeeze a pair out of anyone who cares to get me some. I'd wear them outside in…well, a flash.
Devin! I love you! As soon as I saw these I drooled alittle! Count me in! Pre-ordering NOW!
I go through a pair of Chucks every 6 months. I just destroy them. So I'd like a pair, but it will strictly for display.
I would definitely order each of the three but only for display in my won Flash museum. 🙂 Yeah, it was only a matter of time.
I like the pair I made more. So I'm probably just gonna stick with those.
I don't mind them. The only problem I have with them is I can't buy a pair of shoes I haven't tried on yet. I'll have to check out the Journey's store in my local mall this next month.


Jefferson is the youngest of seven siblings, born in Stockton, California. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Leadership Education from Santa Clara University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Communications from Cal Poly SLO.
Jefferson is also the Co-Founder/Executive Director of Camp Thrive, a non-profit organization helping low-income children to become well-rounded individuals to understand the value of spiritual reflection, leadership, and communication. His previous experience has been in the tech industry and higher education. He has a passion for working with children.
In his spare time, he enjoys playing basketball, watching movies, and spending time with his family.


Since the 1980s heyday of golf in Japan, participation in the sport across the country has dropped by 40 per cent, leaving the nation with a rather unique problem. That is what to do with the abandoned golf courses?
Despite the possibility of being levelled with development in mind, the electronics giant Kyocera has come upon a more innovative approach to using these spaces.
The firm is using abandoned golf courses to open vast solar panel arrays to help provide renewable energy to the gadget-obsessed country of Japan.
So far the move has been welcomed by many, with a need to replace nuclear power in the nation being more apparent.
The first of the projects to get underway is located in Kyoto prefecture and will launch in 2017 and see 23 megawatts of power produced, the equivalent energy needed to run 8,000 homes.
A second plant was given permission to go ahead in January 2014, but it will be considerably bigger in size when it is completed in Kagoshima prefecture.
This 2,000,000 square metre space will have the capacity to accommodate no fewer than 340,740 Kyocera solar panels.
Such an array will be able to produce 99,230 megawatts of energy a year, which could power 30,500 households.
The reasons that former golf courses make such good sites for solar energy plants include having expansive land masses, high exposures to solar irradiation and a low concentration of shade trees to interrupt the rays getting through.
Kyocera began in 1959 when it was founded as the Kyoto Ceramic Company, but was renamed in 1982.
Despite changing its name, the firm is still headquartered in the city, but had diversified from ceramics into electronics and optical lenses, as well as other things.