text:
<?php

namespace Netvlies\Bundle\NetvliesFormBundle\Admin;

use Netvlies\Bundle\NetvliesFormBundle\Entity\Form;
use Sonata\AdminBundle\Admin\Admin;
use Sonata\AdminBundle\Datagrid\ListMapper;
use Sonata\AdminBundle\Form\FormMapper;
use Sonata\AdminBundle\Route\RouteCollection;

class FormAdmin extends Admin
{
    protected $translationDomain = 'NetvliesFormBundle';

    protected $datagridValues = array(
        '_page'       => 1,
        '_sort_by' => 'label',
        '_sort_order' => 'ASC',
    );

    protected function configureFormFields(FormMapper $formMapper)
    {
        $formMapper
            ->with('admin.form.section.general')
                ->add('label', null, array('label' => 'admin.form.field.name.label'))
                ->add('successAction', 'sonata_type_translatable_choice', array(
                    'label' => 'admin.form.field.name.successaction',
                    'required' => true,
                    'choices' => Form::getSuccessActions(),
                    'catalogue' => $this->translationDomain,
                    'attr' => array('class' => 'form_success_action'), ))
                ->add('successUrl', null, array('label' => 'admin.form.field.name.successurl', 'required' => true, 'attr' => array('class' => 'form_success_url')))
                ->add('successMessage', null, array('label' => 'admin.form.field.name.successmessage', 'required' => true, 'attr' => array('class' => 'form_success_message')))
            ->end()
            ->with('admin.form.section.fields')
                ->add('fields', 'sonata_type_collection',
                    array(
                        'label' => 'admin.form.field.name.fields',
                        'required' => false,
                        'by_reference' => false,
                    ),
                    array(
                        'edit' => 'inline',
                        'inline' => 'table',
                        'sortable' => 'position',
                    )
                )
                ->add('addCaptcha', null, array('label' => 'admin.form.field.name.captcha')
            )
            ->end()
            ->with('admin.form.section.mail')
                ->add('sendMail', null, array('label' => 'admin.form.field.name.sendmail', 'attr' => array('class' => 'form_mail_toggle')))
                ->add('mailRecipientName', null, array('label' => 'admin.form.field.name.mailrecipientname', 'attr' => array('class' => 'form_mail_related'), 'required' => true))
                ->add('mailRecipientEmail', null, array('label' => 'admin.form.field.name.mailrecipientemail', 'attr' => array('class' => 'form_mail_related'), 'required' => true))
                ->add('mailSubject', null, array('label' => 'admin.form.field.name.mailsubject', 'attr' => array('class' => 'form_mail_related'), 'required' => true))
                ->add('mailBody', null, array('label' => 'admin.form.field.name.mailbody', 'attr' => array('class' => 'form_mail_related'), 'required' => false))
                ->add('mailSenderName', null, array('label' => 'admin.form.field.name.mailsendername', 'attr' => array('class' => 'form_mail_related'), 'required' => true))
                ->add('mailSenderEmail', null, array('label' => 'admin.form.field.name.mailsenderemail', 'attr' => array('class' => 'form_mail_related'), 'required' => true))
            ->end()
            ->with('admin.form.section.results')
                ->add('storeResults', null, array('label' => 'admin.form.field.name.results'))
            ->end()
        ;
    }

    protected function configureListFields(ListMapper $listMapper)
    {
        $listMapper
            ->addIdentifier('label', null, array('label' => 'admin.form.list.label'))
            ->add('results', 'string', array('label' => 'admin.form.list.results', 'template' => 'NetvliesFormBundle:FormAdmin:results.html.twig'))
            ->add('viewResults', 'string', array('label' => 'admin.form.list.viewResults', 'template' => 'NetvliesFormBundle:FormAdmin:view_results.html.twig'))
        ;
    }

    protected function configureRoutes(RouteCollection $collection)
    {
        $collection->add('results', $this->getRouterIdParameter().'/results');
        $collection->add('viewResults', $this->getRouterIdParameter().'/view-results');
    }

    public function getFormTheme()
    {
        return array('NetvliesFormBundle:FormAdmin:form_admin_fields.html.twig');
    }

    public function getTemplate($name)
    {
        switch ($name) {
            case 'edit':
                return 'NetvliesFormBundle:FormAdmin:edit.html.twig';
                break;
            default:
                return parent::getTemplate($name);
                break;
        }
    }
}


The Autopsy of Jane Doe is one of those sleeper hits that sneaks by mainstream quite often due to the behemoth that is Hollywood inundating the theaters with regurgitated garbage. A lot of horror fits into the small-budget category, unfortunately. Though, the teams still manage to make great flicks.
The movie begins at a crime scene with a female body disintered in a curious condition.
This unidentified young woman is brought into the small-town morgue of coroner Tommy Tilden and his son Austin, who are tasked with preforming her autopsy.
Once they start, though, slowly they are dragged into a world of terror.
The internal condition of the girl keeps getting worse as they find more and more details of what terrible things may have happened to her.
Putting the pieces together, the weather takes a turn for the worse, and other things begin to go haywire.
There is a very awesome scene which reminded me of a very mature zombie flick. I actually got on edge at times--and that's a rare thing these days with horror movies, indeed.
It's not often a horror movie really melds visual horror with intelligent horror. Just take a look at all the cliched haunted house movies as of late, or boys/girls who's mouths elongate when they scream.


Great deals , easy to shop !!
I like iOffer because I can get the most wanted items for a really good deal.
Great prices and value, makes for amazing gift giving !
Always find such great stuff and cheap . and fast deivery ...Never had a Bad time shopping...found some real awesome CD'S and Rare DVDS!!!
I love shopping on iOffer because all the sunglassses i purchased are good quality and the delivery is faster than expected. Keep up the good work!!!!
I love the variety of quality goods and pieces. Respect!
I love that I can find those hard to find rare movies that I have been searching for and can't find anywhere else!


Final Cut Pro X: Apple's Biggest Mistake?
So what happened, and why does Apple now appear to be not stumbling, but tumbling down a steep, muddy, prickly slope in the wake of the software's release? Read on to to find out why Final Cut Pro X is the program — nay, the app — that launched a thousand complaints.


text:
Afobe Rejoins Wolves
Wolves are delighted to announce the signing of Benik Afobe on loan from AFC Bournemouth until the end of the season.
The DR Congo forward, who scored 23 goals in 48 games for Wolves, rejoins the club after leaving for Bournemouth in 2016.
Afobe first came to prominence as a prolific goalscorer in Arsenal's academy, leading to him signing professional terms aged just 17.
After a number of injury affected loan moves, he jumped to peoples attention with 19 goals in 30 games on loan with MK Dons, including 2 goals in the League One sides 4-0 win over Manchester United in the League Cup in August 2014.
It was that form that persuaded Wolves to bring him to Molineux in January 2015, where he scored on his debut after coming on as a sub against Blackpool.
He would go on to score 13 goals in 21 appearances as Kenny Jackett's team just missed out on the Championship play offs.
Having scored Wolves first goal of the new 2015/16 season he'd go on to score 10 times in 27 games before moving to the Premier League with Bournemouth, scoring in 3 of his first 4 games in the top flight.
Despite having represented England at youth level, including equalling Michael Owen's goalscoring record in the Victory Shield, Afobe has since gone on to play International football for DR Congo, qualifying through his parents, where he scored on his debut in a friendly against Botswana last June.
Wolves Chairman Jeff Shi said, "I have heard a lot of good things about Benik, personally when we came to the club he had already left.
"It's destiny in life that we meet again, so I'm very happy to welcome him back."
Sporting director, Kevin Thelwell said, "We're delighted to have Benik back. He's a player we know very well, he's really capable of playing at this level and capable of taking us to the next level, and the frontline becomes more and more exciting.
"It's all about trying to find players who are going to improve who we are and what we do, and in Benik Afobe we've found just that.
"He has a massive affinity with the fans. He's got a massive affinity with the football club, and would probably argue it's his first love, even though he spent a lot of time at Arsenal.
"I think he recognises what's going on at the club and wants to be a part of it, and we've got him in to be part of the final promotion push."
#WolvesTransfers
Quiz | Goal of the day: Afobe vs Leeds
Quiz | Wolves' pre-season opponents
Mid-January transfer round-up

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


FoodWIse (formerly WNEP) is a collaborative effort between the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension and the Wisconsin Department of Health and Social Services. Funded in part by a federal grant from the Food and Nutrition Service (USDA), the primary goal of FoodWIse is to provide practical food, nutrition and budgeting information to families eligible for food stamps.
Growing numbers of Wisconsin individuals and families are facing economic challenges and the problems of food insecurity. More people are living in poverty, and increasing numbers are the working poor. They are confronted with difficult choices in the areas of food and shelter needs, credit obligations, and high medical bills. In response to the diverse needs and resources of the economically poor, our purpose is to develop and implement community-based nutrition education programs, within a university research-based context. We collaborate with community, state and federal organizations in the design and implementation of nutrition education programs.


CLEVELAND (AP) — As Joe Thomas crashed to his knees and grabbed his left arm, instinctively pulling his injured limb tightly to his body while screaming in pain, an audible gasp flowed through the crowd inside FirstEnergy Stadium.
This couldn't be happening. Not to Thomas. Not to Cleveland's unbreakable iron man left tackle.
High above the field in the radio broadcast booth, Doug Dieken, the team's venerable color commentator who made 203 consecutive starts at left tackle and also wore No. 73 for the Browns uttered words that reverberated across the NFL.
"Oh, no," Dieken said, his voice a jumble of shock and dread while watching his close friend.
While blocking on a routine running play he had completed thousands of times without incident or injury, Thomas tore a tendon, ending his season and pushing his career to unexpected crossroads.
Without warning, an extraordinary run of durability forged by good luck, hard work and other-worldly toughness — it drew comparisons this week to other notable streaks like Cal Ripken playing in 2,632 consecutive games and Joe DiMaggio hitting safely in 56 straight — was over.
Thomas had never missed a snap in his career. When the enormously popular 6-foot-6, 312-pounder trotted to the sideline as Cleveland's offense continued its drive, he was not part of the action for the first time in 10,363 consecutive plays, a stretch that almost defies logic.
"Unreal," said former NFL offensive tackle Tony Boselli, whose career was cut short by injury.
Boselli wasn't alone as players, coaches and fans around the league reflected on Thomas' accomplishment, which has gone under appreciated because he's played on so many losing teams with Cleveland. In an innately violent sport, where collisions and injuries rule, Thomas has been the exception — the outlier.
While the Browns will adopt the next-man-up philosophy, plugging second-year lineman Spencer Drango into Thomas' spot this week against Minnesota in London (Sunday at 9:30 a.m. ET), coach Hue Jackson is realistic about what's missing.
To truly grasp how Thomas, 32, suited up each week and made 167 consecutive starts, a look behind the curtain is necessary.
He played through injuries, including a torn knee ligament, several knee strains and two high ankle sprains. Thomas also trained smartly, never pushing too hard while incorporating stretching exercises that made him more pliable than many peers.
His work ethic, dedication to his craft and selflessness endeared Thomas to teammates, some of whom have moved on but look back on their time with him as significant in their own development.
"He's like an all-timer," said Jets quarterback Josh McCown, a 15-year veteran who spent two seasons in Cleveland. "I've played this game for a long time with a lot of teams and a lot of teammates, and he's got to be one of my all-time favorites. He's a good man, a high-character person, and he works his tail off and shares his knowledge with others, serves his team to the utmost, and he's great at his job. Not good, but great. He's a special dude.
In Cleveland, Thomas is more than just an excellent football player.
He represents this lunch-pail, work hard/play hard city perhaps better than any athlete before him. The kid from Wisconsin who took the lessons his folks taught him to heart. The guy who went fishing with his dad on draft day rather than walking onto the stage at New York's Radio City Music Hall.
And while the Browns have basically stunk for his entire tenure, Thomas has shined.
McCown marvels at Thomas' steadiness from one losing season to the next. Thomas has played for six coaches, blocked for 20 different quarterbacks and been on teams with a combined 48-119 record. And while the Browns have never been to the postseason — and don't appear as if they'll be contending anytime soon — with Thomas, his level of play hasn't wavered.
"There was never a day when Joe came to work and was like, 'Aww, man, here we go again. We're 2-6 or 1-4.' He never did that," McCown said. "Every day, Joe was the same guy. Every day. That's what's special about him. That's just what made him awesome. For 10 years and different coaches, Joe was like, 'boom' — consistent.
If Cleveland had a football Mount Rushmore, Thomas would be immortalized alongside Paul Brown, Jim Brown and Otto Graham. One of just five players to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first 10 seasons, he'll one day be get a bronze bust in Canton.
Before he underwent surgery, Thomas, who is facing at least six months of rehab, said he would wait until the offseason to consider whether to keep playing. He'll talk it over with his wife, Annie, and do what's best for his family.
It's hard not to imagine a comeback, or Thomas ending his career on a down note.
Then again, that might be an apt finish.
Whatever Thomas decides, Boselli has one wish.


Do you or your business have marble flooring that you have been paying hundreds to have professionally cleaned and maintained each year? You're not alone. A lot of people are hiring professional carpet cleaners to come in to clean and polish their marble flooring. Marble flooring is like many things and requires a little TLC (tender-loving-care). A fun fact about marble flooring is that it's made up and formed from sea shells that ended up along sea billions of years ago. Some of it is made of limestones now a day found by miners internationally.
Because of its' delicate material, strong chemicals and abrasives will do more harm than justice for your marble flooring. It makes the surface of your flooring scratchy and will leave marks and maybe even stains depending on what you are using. You need to use the right materials whenever you're trying to clean the marble flooring in your home or in a business. You want to care for your natural stone using dust mops such as Swiffer Sweepers instead of brooms as that can also cause harm to your flooring.
Here's what a lot of people didn't know about marble flooring, all you need is a sponge mop and water. Using the mop cover the desired part of the flooring in clean warm water with a couple drops of dish soap. When finished you're going to want to dry the floor with either a terry cloth or another soft cloth such a microfiber or cotton. For harder stains, you will have to put a little elbow grease into it and rub the spot with the cloth until it is gone. For the grout it's similar steps but if needed you can use a toothbrush to get rid of any stains or dirt that has built up in between the marble tiles.
For polishing of marble flooring, you can buy polish solutions meant specially for polishing marble flooring but it is recommended to hire a professional to polish your floors to make sure it is done correctly. Professionals tend to have the correct machines to give you the beautiful, smooth polished flooring many are looking for. Another tip when polishing your floors always make sure you are checking the reviews on the products you choose to use as some can cause damage to your floors instead of good.
If you follow these simple steps you will have beautiful flooring. Again, it's a matter of putting some TLC into your floors and always making sure you follow your checks and balances when choosing products for cleaning your floors.
We partner professional Flooring Maintenance companies to provide professional Marble Polishing services with best quotes. Contact us to get your best quotes for Marble polishing services.


Fatty Acids Market demand is driven by growing awareness towards consuming sustainable products owing to rising health consciousness for numerous applications and it was estimated at over 21 million tons. They are also likely to promote steady pricing in the market and counter volatile crude oil prices arising out of supply-demand deficit.
Most of them are derived from hydrolysis of tallow (hard animal fats), soybean, palm kernel, coconut and fractional distillation of crude tall oil. Acids obtained from these sources are comprises of different types such as saturated, monosaturated and polysaturated.
Saturated products include stearic acid, palmatic acid and myristic acid. Monosaturated products include palmitoleic acid & oleic acid whereas polysatuared includes linoolenic and linoleic acid.
Growth of personal care industry is likely to support fatty acids market size growth. They are used in cosmetics & toiletries applications. Stearic acid, lauric acid and oleic acid are suitable for cosmetics & toiletries applications. Known for high stability, mild odor and white color, the stearic acid market size was estimated at 5.74 million tons in 2014 and is likely to grow with an estimated CAGR of 4.5% up to 2023.
The U.S. oleic acid market has witnessed strong growth in recent times; driven primarily by broader C18s use oilfield and drilling applications and benchmark fatty acid market price trend.


The news is depressing. The world seems on the verge of becomig a fiery hellscape any second now.
So, before everything devolves into Thunderdome and we're all riding in dune buggies that run on pig poop, we've decided to host a night of entertainment that will help you forget about your worries and get you through the rest of your week.
Hence the name: Fun Town USA.
Come enjoy a great live comedy show that includes a free drink and entry to our raffle giveaway - plus, a money back guarantee if you don't like the show.
Fun Town USA is a 90-minute live standup comedy showcase and singles mixer produced by The OC Comedy Festival featuring a lineup of some of the best professional comedians from Orange County and across the country.


We went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows over the Thanksgiving Holidays. Not to give anything away, but if you are a Harry Potter fan who has read all the books, then you will like this movie. It moves the story along and sets up the final film beautifully. If you aren't a H.P. fan, chances are you aren't going to see this movie anyway.
Basically, it's not a stand alone. It's part of the series and it does it's job really well. It ignites the memories of the books and gets you to start asking questions again. Me...I had several questions, which made me want to re-read the book again or if you are really lucky, like me...you can text your son-in-law and ask him to remind you of the importance of Harry taking Malfoy's wand. I feel so much better, now that I remember (with a little help).
If you've read all the books, go see this so you are primed for the final film in July. That's what this one is all about.
We loved it! Can't wait for the last one.
The kids saw it over Thanksgiving weekend too & they thought it was fairly good.


text:
Dropping Off Your Baggage
By Angela Copeland
Have you ever had a date with someone who had recently been through a bad breakup? There's a good chance they were nervous to go through the same thing again. You can practically see the fear in their eyes. In relationships, we call this sort of thing emotional baggage. And, it can be tough to overcome. What's interesting is that companies can have emotional baggage too.
With companies, the baggage starts in the form of a bad hire. It's a bad hire that happened long before they met you. It's like an ex-spouse. It's someone who is long gone, but whose emotional damage still remains. The company hasn't forgotten them, years later.
You may wonder what exactly I'm talking about. Here's an example. An interviewer may say to a job seeker, "We hired an entrepreneur once before. That person was really controlling. He was hard to work with. Ever since, I really don't like hiring anyone who has ever been self-employed." (Disclosure: Yes, this really happened.)
For a job seeker who's currently self-employed, for example, this statement is a hard one to overcome. How can you combat worries about problems caused by an employee that no longer works at the company? In this example, it might be best to be friendly and understanding, and try to reassure the interviewer. Show them you can get along well with others. Quiet their fears.
In reality though, it's possible that old employee wasn't difficult because they had been self-employed at some point. Perhaps they were difficult because they are just a difficult person. Wouldn't that make a little more sense?
These types of generalizations are biases, plain and simple. It's like assuming that because you dated a chemist once who was very rigid, all chemists are rigid people. But, that's not true. Each person has their own unique personality, with positive and negative features.
Just like in the world of dating, if you want to find your perfect match, you've got to stop looking at things through an old lens. You can't assume every relationship won't workout. Otherwise, you'll never get anywhere. Similarly, you've got to judge each job seeker on their character and their individual experience. Don't hold them up to a standard set by someone else long ago.
Ask the job seeker about their skills, and their past jobs. Ask them why they're interested in the role. Learn about them. Find out if they will get along with your team. Evaluate them, based on what's important today – not something that happened before. Try your best to look at them as a unique person.
If you can drop off your emotional baggage, you might just find that you pick up a great new hire. The more that biases drive your decision making process, the less you're evaluating the current candidate. You're allowing the old employee who isn't even there anymore to continue to run the show.
Angela Copeland, a career expert and founder of Copeland Coaching, can be reached at copelandcoaching.com.
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Travelin' through the storms of life


Cleaning box complete. You can clean with it any caliber of guns.
Multi-shot magazine for FX Typhoon, cal. 5,5 mm. - 10 shot, metal made.
NIKON brand pencil to clean lenses of viewfinders, cameras, telescopes, binoculars, etc.


This boardgame was created by "team Malmö Jams Too" as part of the 2015 MJT Card/Board game jam. The theme of this jam was "Time Travel Frenemies".
Check the screenshots for a description of the game, contents, the rules and to see what the game generally looks like. We hope to add a gameplay video to this page soon.
Stay tuned for more on the time traveling adventures of Beardy McPirate!


text:
Q: Should EasyMock be used to mock only external services? I have a question concerning the use of EasyMock in junits. We have configured a framework for junits which uses inmemory derby database and EasyMock to test our service project. We use in memory derby for dao layer completely. The question arises on weather to use  EasyMock completely or easymock and derby together in the service layer. Below is the scenario :
    //class under test is in user-service project
    class ServiceClassUnderTest {
             IUserService userService;
             IAddressService addressService;

             public Address getUsersAddress(String id) {
                        User user = userService.getUserById(id);
                        // some logic goes here
                        Address address = addressService.getAddresdByUser(user);
                       // some validations goes here
                        return address;
             }
      }

The class under test is in user-service project  and so is the IUserService interface. While IAddressService interface is in address-service project used as a dependency in user-service project.
Now the problem is in the change of approach suggested by some colleagues.
Approach we used to follow
Prepare test data for userService as its in the same project and mock addressService as its part of a dependency project and we might not have much idea about its behaviour and table structure
Advantage : cleaner approach as we have mimimal code for mocking and test data is in separate sql files
Suggested approach
Mock all services irrespective of its being in the same project or part of a dependency project
Disadvantage : more mocking relevant code then actual test related code, making it difficult to maintain and compromises readability.

The code example given is to only explain the scenario where as in real project we have a lot more complex structure with several service beans in a single class.
Could you please give me your suggestions on which approach is better and why considering the arguments provided by me for both approaches ??

A: A definitive is hard without have the complete big picture. Assuming you really want unit tests, I usually do this:

*

*Test only the query done to the DB with an actual DB

*Mock everything that is used by my tested class.

This "everything" should be no more than 3 or 4 dependencies. Otherwise, I will refactor until I get something that is readable.
Having more test code than production code is normal.
If I end up having trivial code in my tested method, I just don't test it. However, a test can also be used to document. So this is a blurry line.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
#include "Box2DPhysicsWorld.h"
#include "Box2DRigidBodyDelegate.h"
#include <Diversity/GameObject.h>
#include <Diversity/Graphics/DynamicMesh.h>
#include <Diversity/Graphics/Renderer.h>
#include <Diversity/Physics/DebugDrawHelper.h>
#include <Diversity/Physics/RigidBody.h>
#include <vector>

using std::unique_ptr;
using std::vector;

namespace Diversity
{
    using Graphics::DynamicMesh;
    using Graphics::Renderer;

    namespace Physics
    {
        class Box2DContactListener : public b2ContactListener
        {
            void BeginContact(b2Contact* contact) override
            {
                auto& rbA = *static_cast<RigidBody*>(contact->GetFixtureA()->GetUserData());
                auto& rbB = *static_cast<RigidBody*>(contact->GetFixtureB()->GetUserData());

                b2WorldManifold manifold;
                contact->GetWorldManifold(&manifold);

                auto collisionWithB = CollisionEvent{
                        Box2DUtils::convertVec3(manifold.normal), rbB.getGameObject()};

                rbA.sendEvent(collisionWithB);

                auto collisionWithA = CollisionEvent{
                        Box2DUtils::convertVec3(manifold.normal), rbA.getGameObject()};

                rbB.sendEvent(collisionWithA);
            }

            void EndContact(b2Contact* contact) override
            {
            }
        };

        Box2DPhysicsWorld::Box2DPhysicsWorld(
                float updateRate, int velocityIterations, int positionIterations)
        {
            world.reset(new b2World(b2Vec2(0, 0)));
            contactListener.reset(new Box2DContactListener);

            world->SetContactListener(contactListener.get());

            time = 0;

            timestep = 1.0f / updateRate;
            this->velocityIterations = velocityIterations;
            this->positionIterations = positionIterations;
        }

        Box2DPhysicsWorld::~Box2DPhysicsWorld()
        {
        }

        b2World& Box2DPhysicsWorld::getWorld()
        {
            return *world;
        }

        Vector3 Box2DPhysicsWorld::getGravity() const
        {
            return Box2DUtils::convertVec3(world->GetGravity());
        }

        void Box2DPhysicsWorld::setGravity(const Vector3& gravity)
        {
            world->SetGravity(Box2DUtils::convertVec3(gravity));
        }

        void Box2DPhysicsWorld::update(float deltaTime)
        {
            time += deltaTime;
            if (time > FLT_EPSILON)
            {
                float stepsf;
                time = std::modf(time / timestep, &stepsf);
                time *= timestep; // remainder is in number of timesteps,
                // convert back to
                // seconds

                int steps = static_cast<int>(stepsf);

                for (int step = 0; step < steps; ++step)
                {
                    world->Step(timestep, velocityIterations, positionIterations);
                }
            }
        }

        float Box2DPhysicsWorld::getMaxDelta() const
        {
            return timestep * positionIterations;
        }

        // TODO
        /*void Box2DPhysicsWorld::render(Graphics::Renderer& renderer) {
                if (debugDraw) {
                        world->DrawDebugData();

                        debugDraw->render(renderer);
                }
        }*/

        unique_ptr<RigidBodyDelegate> Box2DPhysicsWorld::createRigidBody(RigidBody& component)
        {
            return unique_ptr<RigidBodyDelegate>(new Box2DRigidBodyDelegate(component));
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Yes! it's another giveaway to celebrate the new year. Blacktree shop is sponsoring an adorable bonjour mademoiselle watch in black for one lucky winner. With the infamous moustache icon and pu leather strap, it gives preppy and fashionable parisian vintage feel, great for everyday wear.
Blacktree Shop is a curated online boutique based in Indonesia that specialized in jewellery. It has unique and edgy jewellery and accesories collection that suits different style. Pre order system is required for the pieces, and the valentine edition has just opened. So go to their page and don't miss out!
I am following via GFC and liked the page on Facebook!
and I'm Following you via BlogLovin' too..
thanks for tis giveaway !
seriously fhenny that watch is the cutest.
following Blacktree Shop's twitter done!
cute watch! i followed GFC and liked the fanpage :) hope can win this!
nice blog sis ☺ wanna follow each other maybe ?
Cute watch :) Thanks for this giveaway :)I am followed you via GFC and bloglovin. liked the page on Facebook!
I just start tweeting! <3 I love this, really!


I was wondering how to make a higher resolution, let's say HD (1280x720). I already tried implementing that in AM and it's working, but as custom resolution.
But, the problem is appearing when you play it on lower resolution, the frames are clipped.
I know that I'm using code to make the 1024x768 stretched on every resolution, but is there any chance to make this for HD?
Or, maybe in some future updates, this will be really awesome.
I'm interested in this also!
Alongside PNG support, I think that this one is also something that we need.
I also wonder if there is a possibility of some kind of code that could support HD resolution and some sort of scaling?
In case anyone has viewed this thread but missed my plugin, would like to point out ChangeDisplayResolutionEx can do this.


text:
by Kevin Helms
India to Introduce Crypto Bill Next Parliament Session - A Look at Community Responses
The Indian government has submitted a draft crypto bill to the supreme court and expressed its intention to introduce the bill in the next parliament session. The court subsequently set a new date to hear the case relating to crypto regulation. Meanwhile, the Indian crypto community has ramped up efforts to influence the government's final decision on the country's crypto policy.
Also read: Indian Supreme Court Heard Crypto Case in Depth Today
Government Unveils Plan for Crypto Bill
The Indian government has been deliberating on the crypto report submitted by an interministerial committee (IMC) tasked with studying all aspects of cryptocurrencies and providing recommendations. The report containing a draft crypto bill was made public on July 22 but the bill has yet to be introduced in parliament.
During Thursday's supreme court hearing of the crypto case, the government unveiled its plan regarding the bill. Financial Express publication reported that the government informed the court that the IMC has recommended a "complete ban on private cryptocurrencies" in India, adding:
The Banning of Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2019, will be introduced in parliament in the next session.
An Indian platform for crypto regulatory news and analysis, Crypto Kanoon, reported that the government requested the court to adjourn the crypto case until "January as it intends to introduce the bill in parliament in [the] winter session." Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament, has three sessions. The winter session takes place in November and December.
While the Indian government intends to introduce this bill, Nischal Shetty, CEO of local exchange Wazirx, emphasized that it is not set in stone as the crypto community in India is working tirelessly to convince the government that the bill is flawed. "I'm sure such a rough draft bill which does not even classify crypto properly will not be presented in parliament," he opined.
Even though the supreme court postponed hearing the petitions relating to India's crypto regulation, it heard the writ petitions against the banking restriction by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in some detail on Thursday. News.Bitcoin.com previously reported on the RBI hearing which will resume on Aug. 14. As for the petitions concerning the crypto regulation, the court is expected to hear the case in January next year.
Bill Seeks to Ban Crypto
Constituted on Nov. 2, 2017, under the chairmanship of former Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs Subhash Chandra Garg, the IMC has representation from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the RBI, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, and Central Board of Direct Taxes.
The committee met three times before submitting its crypto report and draft bill to the Ministry of Finance. The report itself is dated Feb. 28. "The committee has recommended a law banning the cryptocurrencies in India and criminalizing carrying on of any activities connected with cryptocurrencies in India," the report reads. Among other prohibitions, the bill states that "No person shall mine, generate, hold, sell, deal in, issue, transfer, dispose of or use cryptocurrency in the territory of India." News.Bitcoin.com previously reported on the content of this bill.
The finance ministry has confirmed that the report is being examined by relevant regulators. However, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently admitted that she had not spent time on the report but saw a presentation on it and thought that it was a "very futuristic and well-thought-out report."
Flawed Report, Community's Efforts to Inform Government
Since the public release of the IMC report, the Indian crypto community has ramped up efforts to help the government see how flawed the report is, pointing out many areas that indicate the lack of understanding of cryptocurrency and its underlying technology on the IMC part.
Sathvik Vishwanath, CEO of local crypto exchange Unocoin, told news.Bitcoin.com that, to his knowledge, there was never any invitation from the government to industry stakeholders to discuss the drafting of this bill. "In the draft bill, there are many major flaws," he expressed. "They have a wrong understanding of the technology and usage of crypto assets."
Shetty has been running a social media campaign called "India Wants Crypto" which has entered its 282nd day.
"We're doing everything we can on our end to ensure that the government involves the stakeholders," he shared with news.Bitcoin.com Friday. "I'm confident the government will set up a standing committee first (even the IMC report recommends that). If the standing committee is set up, we'll see deeper industry participation and this will lead to a more comprehensive and well-planned crypto regulation in India."
Elaborating that "Behind the scenes, we're meeting elected representatives from all over the country," he added:
We want to ensure that our leaders hear our point of view since this whole ban narrative has been created due to a misunderstanding that crypto is here to replace INR. Crypto is more an asset and utility and that's the biggest use case currently prevalent in India.
Sumit Gupta, CEO of local crypto exchange Coindcx, also shared some thoughts with news.Bitcoin.com Friday. "We are hopeful that the government will consider the case presented by the crypto community and will make an informed decision that is in the best interest for the country," he believes. "The Indian crypto community is actively working on sharing across our points to government officials for informed decision making."
Further, many think that the Indian government should take into account more recent crypto developments since the report was drafted such as the crypto guidance by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the G20 meetings where India and the finance minister independently declared their commitments to applying the FATF standards.
Crypto 101 Kit Sent to Finance Minister
Sohail Merchant, CEO of local crypto exchange Pocketbits, announced on Aug. 3 that he had sent a letter to the finance minister along with a "crypto 101 kit" on behalf of the crypto community in India. "The negative public perception of crypto needs to be changed with facts," he tweeted.
Sohail Merchant's crypto kit and documents to the Indian finance minister.
In his letter, Merchant pointed out that the IMC's ban recommendations "are based on the premise that cryptocurrencies lack the characteristics of currency hence cannot be legal tender" and that "their usage for payments could compete with the use of INR, which could lead to less control over monetary policy." However, Merchant argued that "the community has not requested crypto assets to be regulated as legal tender or currency," reiterating:
Our request to be considered is that crypto assets can be classified as a commodity or an asset; it is a store of value. As Indian citizens, we want to exercise our right to trade and commerce, which was granted to use by The Constitution of India.
Banning Not a Solution
The Indian crypto community has been trying to convince the government that banning cryptocurrencies is not a solution. "If the ban comes into effect, the black market will continue to thrive. It will be the common man, compliant businesses, and innovators building upon these protocols that will be affected," Merchant wrote in his letter to the finance minister. "If a standing committee is constituted to deliberate on regulating crypto assets, we as an industry are willing to work along and help draft a framework," he offered.
His letter echoes a statement issued on July 31 by The Indian National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) regarding the banning of crypto assets. Nasscom is a non-profit information technology industry association self-described as "the apex body for the 154 billion dollar IT BPM industry in India." Among its initiatives, the group "Liaisons with government and industry to influence a favourable policy framework," its website states.
The association said it believes the recent IMC proposal "to ban all cryptocurrencies, barring those that are backed by the government, is not the most constructive measure. Instead, the government should work towards developing a risk-based framework to regulate and monitor cryptocurrencies and tokens." This suggestion is in line with the guidance for a risk-based approach to crypto assets and service providers issued by the FATF for in June.
Emphasizing that "A ban would inhibit new applications and solutions from being deployed and would discourage tech startups" and "would handicap India from participating in new use cases that cryptocurrencies nad tokens offer," Nasscom reiterated that "A ban is more likely to deter only the legitimate operators as they have no intent to be non-compliant."
Endorsing her association's stance, Nasscom President Debjani Ghosh tweeted Friday:
We cannot close the door on new technologies. We need to learn, experiment and create the right regulatory frameworks to get the best out of these technologies. Banning is not the answer.
Do you think the Indian crypto community will succeed at convincing the government to introduce positive crypto regulation instead of a ban? Let us know in the comments section below.
Disclaimer: Bitcoin.com does not endorse or support claims made by any parties in this article. None of the information in this article is intended as investment advice, as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or as a recommendation, endorsement, or sponsorship of any products, services, or companies. Neither Bitcoin.com nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock and Sohail Merchant.
banning, bill, Bitcoin, BTC, crypto, crypto assets, Cryptocurrencies, Cryptocurrency, Digital Currency, draft, Government, hearing, India, Indian, Regulation, Supreme Court, Virtual Currency
REGULATION | Lubomir Tassev
A prolonged legal battle, which may hold the key to XRP's future, has been extended again. The class action lawsuit… read more.
Oklahoma Lawmaker Launches Bill to Create Crypto Depository for Government Use
REGULATION | Kevin Helms
A bill has been introduced in the U.S. state of Oklahoma to establish a new type of state-chartered financial institution… read more.
Kevin Helms
A student of Austrian Economics, Kevin found Bitcoin in 2011 and has been an evangelist ever since. His interests lie in Bitcoin security, open-source systems, network effects and the intersection between economics and cryptography.


Under $15 Gift Guide: Museum of Modern Art!
Lovelies, I adore the holiday season, mostly because I love hunting for the perfect, perfect gift for my loved ones. Being from New York, I always think about Manhattan during the holidays; even though the city can be overwhelming at times, there's something truly magical about the bustling holiday crowd weaving in and out of each other on the classic streets in Manhattan. In honor of our city, I'll be doing some Lovely New York Museum Gift Guides to help you pick out the perfect present for the lovely people in your life this year.
I swear by that subway wallet! It's practically indestructible.


text:
Tucma o Tucuma es el nombre indígena local que recibió en tiempos precolombinos una región sudamericana formada por valles de alturas medias (entre 2000 y 3000 metros), y las yungas húmedas de las sierras subandinas y los cordones orientales del sistema pampeano, que coincidía con la actual región noroeste de la República Argentina.

Historia

Antes de la invasión española, a fines del siglo XVI, el área estaba habitada por la Confederación Diaguita-Calchaquí en el oeste, las culturas tonocoté y lule-vilela en el centro, la cultura sanavirona en el sur y los pueblos guaycurúes en el este. Los pueblos originarios tucumanos formaban una unidad cultural, aunque había diferencias lingüísticas. Las excavaciones arqueológicas revelaron la presencia de dos tradiciones cerámicas distintas llamadas Sunchituyoj y Averías, que data al menos desde el año 1000.

Cuando el Imperio Español conquistó la región en el siglo XVII, creó una organización territorial a la que denominó «Gobernación del Tucumán», castellanizando el nombre indígena. Con respecto al número de indígenas que habitaban Tucma, se considera que en 1583 había cerca de de 270 000.

Ya en el siglo XIX, durante el proceso de descolonización, la región se organizó en siete provincias: Catamarca, Córdoba, Jujuy, La Rioja, Salta, Santiago del Estero y Tucumán. Esta última mantuvo castellanizado el nombre original de la región.

Referencias

Bibliografía

Noroeste argentino

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
How a Millennial Couple Survived a Digital Detox Vacation—And Lived to Tell the Tale
One couple traveled to Mexico to experience a disconnect from screens at the Banyan Tree Mayakoba. The luxurious resort in Playa del Carmen centers around well-being, with private villas and tons of amenities on-site; this checked all the boxes in our …
Covid-Fearing Deadheads Finally Get Refunds for Mexico Shows
Finally, amid the push from the Deadheads, on Wednesday, the band and CID announced that anyone can now get a refund.
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport has record-breaking year for new air service
In 2021, JetBlue, Spirit, and Sun Country announced they would enter the Milwaukee market.
Mexico says it won't turn away cruise ships carrying covid outbreaks
Passengers who are not showing symptoms will be allowed to enter Mexico from cruise ships, the health department says.
Texas' spectacular skywalk elevates our top travel stories of 2021
Even though Houston is a terrific place to live (obviously), sometimes it's nice to get away. Indeed, Houstonians are a well-traveled group that are eager to explore the latest hotspots …
A Wider Catchment Area: Spirit Airlines In New Jersey And New Hampshire
Spirit Airlines entered several new cities in 2021 and grew others. In New Jersey, Spirit grew its position…
Shahini Fakhourie – High-End Sustainable Streetwear
Shahini Fakhourie is an emerging black-owned minimalist, high-end streetwear designer brand with a concentration in art, fashion…


text:
Blue Jackets Struggle To Create Offense In Loss to Opportunistic Coyotes
By Rob Mixer on December 3, 2019 at 9:30 pm @robmixer
Aaron Doster – USA TODAY Sports
The Blue Jackets give it a go in the third period, but their offensive struggles were bright as a supernova tonight at Nationwide Arena.
Sure, the Coyotes don't give up much. But Columbus did its part with 35 shots on goal, a bevy of chances in the third period, but their ability to finish plays off remains a major concern – and it played a large part in their 4-2 loss on Tuesday night.
COYOTES 1 2 1 4
They got as close as 2-1 and 3-2 (the latter in the third period), but Arizona never trailed in the game. Darcy Kuemper made 32 saves to lock down the win for the Coyotes, who tried to squeeze the life out of the Blue Jackets with swarming defense and a refusal to yield too many quality chances.
But when Dean Kukan, elevated to the top pairing in Zach Werenski's absence, scored a power play goal (!) in the second period, it looked like the Blue Jackets might be getting a foothold in the game. It didn't last long.
An opportunistic and stingy team, the Coyotes don't need to be reminded to pounce when opponents make mistakes. When you play these guys, it's a chess match. And the Blue Jackets blinked first.
Clayton Keller scored on a Coyotes power play to restore their lead at 2-1, and moments after Pierre-Luc Dubois was stuffed on a wrap-around attempt, Lawson Crouse scored down the other end for Arizona. That sequence, while familiar, has been a troubling refrain for the Blue Jackets this season: when they don't capitalize, they pay for it in more ways than one.
Thin, the margin is.
Werenski (shoulder) is expected to miss up to a month. Markus Nutivaara (upper body) has resumed practicing but a timetable for his return is currently unclear.
The Blue Jackets welcome back Artemi Panarin when they host the New York Rangers on Thursday night at Nationwide Arena.


Kelly, Wright & Associates provides HVAC design services including audits, feasibility studies, life cycle analyses, payback analyses, master planning, central heating and cooling plants, commercial kitchens, laboratories, and all types of air distribution systems. The designers at KWA often run multiple iterations of different design ideas in order to provide the best solution for each project, taking into account owner requirements and desires, budget concerns and payback analysis, energy usage, maintenance, etc.
Implementing the latest versions of AutoCAD MEP and Revit MEP, the KWA team provides three-dimensional mechanical engineering designs with fully coordinated ductwork and equipment sizes, locations, and elevations. A leader in the development and utilization of AutoCAD mvparts, KWA is pushing the envelope of 3D mechanical engineering design.
Kelly, Wright & Associates provides waste & vent and domestic water plumbing system designs as well as specialty designs like solar hot water heating, compressed air, medical gas, vacuum, grease waste, as well as many LEED & water-saving solutions.
Kelly, Wright & Associates offers complete fire protection engineering services to our clients. This includes the capability of properly coordinating fire protection system designs with the work of other disciplines and integrating them into the contract documents for a complete package. This offers the advantage of discovering coordination issues and resolving them prior to issuing the plans for bidding and permits, all with the Owner's and Client's best interests in mind.
Additionally, with a registered Fire Protection Engineer, Kelly, Wright & Associates can provide our clients with FPE services including the design of fire alarm systems, smoke control systems, code/standard analysis, clean agent systems, foam/AFFF systems, explosion protection, water mist systems, as well as full fire protection and life safety audits.
Kelly, Wright & Associates endeavors to be at the leading edge of technology. We have implemented a 3-D HVAC drafting standard for all new projects. We have joined with an internet-based company to create three dimensional smart blocks for use with AutoCAD MEP. We are also competent in the use of Autodesk Revit. Through diligent training and the use of these tools, we can provide 3-D HVAC documentation, collision detection and Building Information Modeling (BIM) on a cost-competitive basis. As the technology for 3-D piping design progresses, we envision doing the complete plumbing and fire protection design work in 3-D to better coordinate with the other disciplines.


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Q: 100 coins made up of pennies, dimes and quarters worth $5.00 I'm currently working through the book 'Elementary Number Theory' by Underwood Dudley, and I came across an example of seeing whether or not we can have 100 cents, dimes and quarters be worth exactly $5.00.
Before I begin, I know the above task is impossible, but I want to know the logic behind the steps we took to arrive at that conclusion.
In the example we derived 2 equations,
$c+d+q = 100$ and $c+10d+25q=500$
Which was relatively straightforward. But what I have trouble with is the following:
When we subtract the 1st equation from the 2nd, we get $9d+24q=400$, which I know is to cancel out the c, but why?
The 2 values are of different types, the first equation deals with the number of coins, the second deals with the number of cents, if we subtract the 2 equations, then aren't we subtracting coins from cents, which shouldn't be possible?
Then the example goes to show that it's not possible to have exactly 5 dollars with 100 coins comprised pennies, dimes, etc.. by applying a previously defined lemma on the equation $9d+24q=400$, which is out of the scope of this question, so what I'm after is:
Is there a way to visualize what we're doing to the equations in terms of the objects in this question? (coins, pennies, etc...)? I just want an intuitive understanding of what we're doing here.
I've tried to visualize the 2 equations as scales that we need to balance, but I can't quite fit my model into this question as the scales differ in units of measurement (coins vs pennies).

A: One point of view is, once you have abstracted the "real-world" quantities (number of coins, number of cents) into equations with named variables, you can go at it with algebra and never mind what the next equation "means" in "reality."
You may have to take this view some day for some problem.
For this problem, in the equation $9d+24q=400,$ you know that every coin contributes at least one cent to the total value; the $9$ represents the number of extra cents that each dime contributes, and the $24$ represents the number of extra cents that each quarter contributes.
If the $100$ coins were all pennies we would be $400$ cents short of five dollars, so the $d$ dimes and $q$ quarters need to contribute a total of $400$ "extra" cents:
$$9d+24q=400.$$

A: The variables $c,d$ and $q$ are unitless. Their domain is $\{0,1,2, \dots\}$

*

*The number of pennies is $c$ coin.

*The number of dimes is $d$ coin.

*The number of quarters is $q$ coin.

$$c \ \text{coin} + d \ \text{coin} + q \ \text{coin} = 100 \ \text{coin}
  \implies c + d + q = 100$$

*

*The value of $c$ pennies is
$c \ \text{coin} \times \dfrac{1 \ \text{cent}}{\text{coin}}
    = c \ \text{cent}$

*The value of $d \ $ dimes is
$d \ \text{coin} \times \dfrac{10 \ \text{cent}}{\text{coin}}
    = 10d \ \text{cent}$

*The value of $q \ $ quarters is
$q \ \text{coin} \times \dfrac{25 \ \text{cent}}{\text{coin}}
    = 25q \ \text{cent}$
$$c \ \text{cent} + 10d \ \text{cent} + 25q \ \text{cent} = 500 \ \text{cent}
  \implies c + 10d + 25q = 500$$

A: The logic is this:

*

*$c+d+q=100$ represents number of coins

*$c+10d+25q=500$ represents number of coins, weighted by number of cents each is worth (not just number of cents).

Therefore they are consistent and can be subtracted.

A: First, we display the equations as a matrix:
$$ \left[
\begin{array}{ccc|c}
  1&1&1&100\\
  1&10&25&500\\
  0&0&0&0
\end{array}
\right] $$
After some work, we arrive at the following canonical matrix:
$$ \left[
\begin{array}{ccc|c}
  1&1&1&100\\
  0&1&\frac{24}{9}&\frac{400}{9}\\
  0&0&0&0
\end{array}
\right] $$
The number of variables, n, is equal to 3, and note that $rank(A)=rank(A|B)$ - so on paper, this set of equations is supposed to have an infinite amount of solutions, which is given by:
$$
    \begin{pmatrix}
    \frac{10}{9} \\
    -\frac{24}{9} \\
    1 \\
    \end{pmatrix}t+
\begin{pmatrix}
    \frac{500}{9} \\
    \frac{400}{9} \\
    0 \\
    \end{pmatrix}
$$
Now, this is true for any $t$, but from the question, $t$ has to be a natural number!
Next, from the second row of the solution, we get that $-24t+400\geqslant0$ (the number of dimes can't be negative), and after a simplification: $t\leqslant 16\frac{2}{3}$, which means that $0\leqslant t\leqslant16$.
Now, a quick check for all values of t which are natural numbers, we find no possible value which gives us a natural number (which is supposed to be d, the number of dimes).
Thus we finally conclude that there is no solution to this question.

A: One way to visualize things is to imagine replacing each dime with a stack of ten pennies and each quarter with a stack of twenty-five pennies.  When you subtract the equation $c+d+q=100$ from $c+10d+25q=500$ to get $9d+24q=400$, what you are doing in effect is to remove one penny from each stack, where $q$ of the stacks started with $25$ pennies, $d$ started with $10$ pennies, and $c$ of the stacks consisted of a single penny.
(Note, the impossibility resides in the fact that $9d+24q$ is divisible by $3$ whereas $400$ is not.)


text:
VoIP Revenue To Hit $23B By 2009
By Greg Scoblete ⋅ Published: October 26, 2005
Boston — According to a new report from the research firm Inofentics, VoIP service revenue in North America will balloon into a $23.4 billion dollar business by 2009, up from $1.24 billion in 2004.
Internet telephony will add subscribers at a fast clip as well, the study noted.
"VoIP subscriber growth is skyrocketing right along with revenue growth. We're forecasting triple-digit growth from 2005 to 2006, with 6 million new subscribers a year every year from 2006 to 2008, when there will be over 24 million," said Kevin Mitchell, principal analyst of Infonetics Research and author of the report, in a statement announcing its release.
Vonage leads the field but its dominant share is eroding in the wake of gains by cable companies like Cablevision and Time Warner, Mitchell noted. Those two multiple system operators alone own 40 percent of the VoIP market, and they only sell within a limited geographic footprint, not nationally like Vonage or AT&T.
According to Infonetics Research, the top three providers as of the second quarter 2005 were Vonage with 32 percent, Time Warner with 25 percent and Cablevision with 19 percent. No other service provider had a greater than three percent market share. Cablevision was the only provider to lose ground, dropping 2 percentage points since the last report.
By By Greg Scoblete
CTA: U.S. Tech Industry Revenue To Hit A Record-Breaking $487 Billion In 2021
SanDisk Q1 Revenue, Net Jumps SanDisk Q1 Revenue, Net Jumps
Microsoft 2009 Revenue, Net Income Declines
Worldwide Headphones Revenue To Hit $8.2B: Study
PC Shipments To Hit 299 Million In 2009
Scandal-hit Toshiba says 6800 more jobs to go and loss to hit a record
LG Guidance Shows Profit & Revenue Growth, But Comes In Under Expectations
Consumer Tech Revenue To Grow 6% To $377 Billion In 2018: CTA
NPD Report: 7% Revenue Gain Expected For U.S. Consumer Electronics Industry In 2021
MVNO Touch Mobile Revises VoIP Prepaid Plans


text:
A Bike King Story
Like most stories, this one starts a long time ago. During a time when life and bicycles seemed a bit simpler. A time when a person would say "When I grow up I want to be..." and then would pursue that, whatever it was. Forming the life they lived with what they felt could take them to wherever they wanted to go. Bike King's founder, Gil, did that. What he wanted to do was work with bikes.
Starting in the sixth grade, at age 12. He set up shop in the families garage and worked there. Gil would work on his families as well as neighbors bikes. He would pass out fliers around town to find more bikes to work on. Gil had realized that the fun was not only in riding bicycles but fixing them too.
While in the seventh grade Gil had heard the bike shop in Forest Lake, now in a garage, was getting a bigger place to operate from. Gil now thought "Finally a closer place to buy bicycle parts." Little did he realize that this was going to become a stepping stone to his future.
After a few years of seeing Gil coming in and buying all types of bicycle parts, the store owners realized this young kid must know what he is doing. This led to a phone call that even surprised him. The owner had called and asked if he would be interested in coming to work at the store.
During the next few years, the owners realized the value he had brought to their operation and when he finished high school in 1986 hired him full time. Gil would stay on and gain even more experience. Not just in service, but in sales and customer relations as well. This was his dream job. He soon was thinking this is what he wanted to do, own his own bicycle store. While pursuing such a goal, Gil knew additional knowledge would be needed to help him achieve this.
Then in 1991 he enrolled in business school to get that last ingredient necessary to make his dream become reality. In early 1994, while in business school, Gil had decided to make a move. After nine years of at he first job. Gil wanted experience working for another bicycle store prior to opening his own. This turned out to be a decision that would benefit him more than he would have ever imagined.
After graduating from business school in December 1994 the time had come to start what he had been dreaming of all these years. Opening his own bicycle store. Bike King was going to become a reality. Having 10 years of industry experience behind him, he then took the vital steps in finding a location. Research showed that the greatest need for a bicycle store was going to be Inver Grove Heights. Gil opened in April of 1995. The choice of location was perfect.


Tiny, colorful jewels, the Olandsk Dwarf breed are not only ornamental, but productive - and there is nothing cuter than tiny, sunny side up eggies on toast!
These Dwarfs have become our favorites here on Gryphon Tor Farm!
Join our discussions on the Olandsk Dwarf Facebook discussion group!
I have always had a penchant for the rare and unusual, and for challenges. The Olandsk Dwarf chicken meets all of these criteria, and we are delighted to welcome them to Gryphon Tor Farm in 2012. We were proud to bring in our inaugural stock from Greenfire Farms and Mother Nature's Daughter.
The Olandsk Dwarf is a very small and colorful breed of chickens, known for their laying ability. They are true dwarfs, and have no larger counterpart in poultry, unlike bantam breeds that were bred down from large fowl. The breed was recently imported to the US by GreenFire Farms, who report that in 1989, only 54 Olandsk Dwarfs existed worldwide. In recent years, US breeders have propagated the breed more widely, but it is likely that they are still just a few hundred in number. It is difficult to conduct any sort of accurate poll on numbers.
In 2014, Greenfire conducted an importation of new bloodlines directly from Olandsk, and we were able to obtain two roosters from this importation, one of which proudly carries lavender, a color new to US stocks. We can hardly wait to see what happens next!
As one of the smallest laying breeds, the Olandsk Dwarf is perfect for the backyard hobbyist, and of course they eat less than full-sized chickens. Smaller eggs have a certain appeal to those who love eggs but are trying to maintain a healthy diet - two Olandsk eggs served sunny side up are very cute on a piece of toast!
The Olandsk Dwarf originates, logically enough, from the island of Öland, off the southeastern coast of Sweden. It is generally accepted that their forebears were "British Garden Hens," brought over centuries before. Over time, the breed became a "landrace," meaning that natural selection and necessity shaped the Olandsk Dwarf for size, hardiness and production to suit the region.
As a landrace, no official standard of perfection exists for the Olandsk Dwarf... yet. They are surprisingly similar in type and style for a landrace breed, and I think breeders could settle on a standard with little argument, although the new colors recently introduced from Sweden have caused quite the kerfuffle!
We are quite curious to see if this distinctive and practical breed will attract enough breeders to be considered for inclusion within the APA.
The brightly spangled color patterns of the established Olandsk Dwarf flocks in the US include red, white, black and blue, with a lot of variation between individuals. This makes them very easy to tell apart in a small flock, especially nice for those who like to name their chickens! In Sweden, both straight and rosecombs are seen, along with occasionally feathered shanks, but the US strains thus far are all straight combed and have featherless shanks.
One of the characteristics that drew us to the Olandsk Dwarfs are their bright, social personalities. They are not flighty like many bantams and our roosters rarely fight, preferring to posture and strut to establish their precedence.
Gryphon Tor's Olandsk Dwarf flock is bred to focus on high production, small size and gentle personality as our primary goals. The challenge in this breed lies in its small gene pool, and we expect to work hard for several years to bring in as many strong birds as we can from lines that are now diversifying across the US, culling very strictly for defects (culls will make great pets but will not be used in our breeding program).
MotherNaturesDaughter (Cheryl Horning). You can find Cheryl under her pseudonym on the Backyard Chickensforum, where she dispenses all manner of useful information for her fellow breeders. Her stock of course also originates with GreenFire Farms. She often has birds or eggs for sale on BYC or on eBay under the account1chickenaddiction (with 100% positive feedback!).
Blacksage Farm, nestled into the hills near Temecula in Southern California.
Alisa, the owner, is very active on the Blacksage Farm Facebook page!
High View Farm, located in TX, and the source of a very nice young quad we obtained in December, 2012. Samantha was terrific to deal with.
Black Walnut Farms - they often have eggs on offer.
GreenFire Farms, the original importer of the breed to the US. Importing any livestock is a daunting endeavor, and requires a substantial investment of both time and money. As of this writing in January 2015, GreenFire has released unrelated Olandsk Dwarves from a new importation, which will allow us to build stronger bloodlines.
They have many other interesting rare poultry varieties on their site as well - worth looking at!
Do you raise Olandsk Dwarf chickens?
Are you fully committed to development and support of this unique breed? If so, I'd be happy to link you here as well!
Drop us a line too, as we will be looking for a few top notch OD Roosters each year to breed out our flock!
Please click here to join the Facebook discussion group on the amazing Olandsk Dwarf!


Hopefully the first 3 steps in this series have you at least planning how to improve your own situation. By the time you reach this step in the plan, hopefully you have a well balanced budget and have started your own debt snowball. So what's next?
What the heck is a debt snowflake you ask? The debt snowball is like the engine in our debt repayment machine… debt snowflakes are like putting a turbocharger on that engine. To be more specific, the debt snowball is paying down your debts at a set rate with a predetermined out of pocket expense to you. So what if ol' grandma gives you a $100 bill for your birthday? Feeling compelled to improve your situation more, you write a check for that extra $100 and make an extra payment mid-month to your current loan under attack by the debt snowball. This micro-payment is called a debt snowflake. It is an extra principal payment that knocks your balance down so that the next months debt snowball payment is already ahead of schedule. Sometimes we have sent in a half a dozen extra micro-payments of $20 or $50 dollars when we got really motivated and boy did it help. By doing this your $100 from grandma ends up saving you $115 since you don't have that extra interest. Like I said… turbocharge!
How can you get extra money for snowflakes?
There are tons of ways to get extra money for snowflakes. Notice I said get… not necessarily make. You don't have to actually make $20 extra for a snowflake payment, if you do something frugal that saves you $20 that month… that is $20 from your budget you can put towards a snowflake. Starting to make sense? I hope so. Snowflakes can come from extra income, gift money, money saved or many others… as long as it is money made or freed up in the budget… it counts.
Contact your cable provider and just get the basic cable or drop cable and use rabbit ears, you can free up an extra $20-$60 a month doing this.
Drop your cell phone all together, save an extra $50 a month. If you can't handle that, do a tracphone or something of the like for emergencies (costs like 9 bucks a month), save an extra $40 a month.
Contact your credit card companies and demand a lower rate. Tell them you are thinking of transferring a balance and might be interested if they lowered your rate. Tell them whatever you have to to get them to lower your balance. We had several credit cards at 12% and 15% which we got lowered to 9%-10% after simply calling them and demanding it. If you drop your APR by 4-5% on a 5k balance… that's real money.
Use cash gifts from family for snowflake payments. But you deserve a gift… give me a break… you already got your gifts… now you need to pay for them. Come up… grow up.
Embrace frugal living. We have cut out so much fat from our budget just from trying and adopting frugal living habits. While each habit may seem like it only saves a dollar or two a month… guess what, if you do a dozen of them, that's an extra $25 bucks. It adds up. There are hundreds of frugal living tips in our Frugal Living Section, see for yourself.
Re-visit the budget. This is a living document in the sense that you don't just make it and ignore it. Tweak it as you go along and squeeze out every penny you can as you re-engineer your bad spending habits.
Instead of going to the movies with your friends on the weekend, stay home and fill out a couple online paid surveys. Maybe you will make $10 or more dollars instead of spending $20 at the movies.
Have a garage sale. We had one early on and made almost $400 from it. We need to have another one while I'm thinking of it.
Use your imagination. If you spend money on it… find a way to make it cheaper! Use the savings for debt snowflakes!
Do you see now? When you only have an extra $20 in your budget to put towards your debt snowball… coming up with yet another $20, $50 or $100 debt snowflake just turbocharges your progress. If you can come up with an extra $20 a month through frugal living, that's $240 a year… $50 a month is an extra $600 a year and if you can manage to scrounge, save and rummage an extra $100 a month… that's $1200 a year.
It all adds up! You can see now how in reverse, spending money beyond your means compounds your debt in the bad direction. So every time you pull out your wallet, think to yourself…"Do I really need this, or would I get more enjoyment out of sending that money to pay off debt?". I choose debt every time.
Get the debt paid off first, then you can buy yourself those fancy coffee drinks or electronics… WHEN YOU CAN PAY IN CASH UP FRONT! Seriously, it's a mindset… you need to re-engineer your way of thinking. Nobody is going to just call and magically pay your debt off. You need to take responsibility for your debt, suffer through hard work and with determination you can be debt free. There is a wonderful guy I will talk about more coming up named Dave Ramsey, he has this saying… "Live like no one else so you can live like no one else!" Think about that, let it set in. Live well below your means now so that you can afford to live at your means later.


The phenomenon that Dr. Ely Karmon of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism has called "a growing trend of solidarity between leftist, Marxist, anti-globalization and even rightist elements with Islamists" has lately emerged as the dominant trend in "anti-war" activism in Canada.
Central to the phenomenon is a strategic collaboration between ostensibly left-wing activists in and far-right Islamists that animates the leadership of Canada's main "anti-war" organizations. It has accommodated Israel's most committed and unambiguously antisemitic enemies, and has enjoyed particular success in framing public debates about Canada's role in the NATO-led mission serving in Afghanistan.
The Canadian left has exhibited a peculiar reluctance to face up to it, despite repeated warnings, perhaps most noticeably from progressive Canadian Muslims. The overall trend Ely Karmon describes has also implicated important public policy debates in Canada with respect to Israel, Iran, and even Darfur. It has advanced rapidly, almost completely eluding the notice of the Canada's news media. It is marked by a tendency to isolate Canada's mainstream Jewish activists.
While anti-Zionism became a central feature in the politics of the New Left after the 1967 War, the 2006 Second Lebanon War further entrenched anti-Zionism and an overt identification with Israel's enemies as a ubiquitous element of left-wing politics in Canada.
Canadians of all political tendencies have long harbored deep misgivings about the United States, and about the exercise of American military power, but Canadian nationalism is not merely a reactionary anti-Americanism. It's more in line with the kind of progressive nationalism that aims to secure economic and political self-determination against a much larger and more powerful neighbor.
Unabashed and heartfelt pro-American sympathies were commonplace following the events of September 11, 2001, and there was little opposition when Canadian soldiers joined with NATO and American troops in the initial overthrow of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Iraq was a different matter. Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien won wide praise across the country when he decided to keep Canada out of any formal enlistment in the Anglo-American coalition, but even then, the Canadian engagement in Afghanistan was properly regarded as a separate matter.
By this time, Stephen Harper, the leader of a newly-minted conservative party, was at the helm of a minority parliament in Ottawa. One of the most America-friendly prime ministers in Canadian history and, more recently, Israel's most outspoken defender at the UN alongside the US, Harper proved wholly inadequate to the task of defending the Afghanistan mission in the kind of multilateralist, humanitarian language that Canadians had long spoken and understood.
The Liberals, meanwhile, had elected a new leader, Stephane Dion, who had no particular interest in advancing or defending the Afghan cause. From the traditionally isolationist province of Quebec, Dion was intent upon distancing himself from the policies of his Liberal predecessors, and he also had to keep an eye out on the nominally socialist New Democratic Party, which was intent on replacing the Liberals as the official opposition.
By 2006, public support for the mission was waning. Its rising death toll had become associated with Prime Minister Harper, whose Conservative Party aimed for closer ties with the White House. There were few liberal-left voices willing to make the progressive case for Afghanistan.
In these ways, the path was cleared for an unequivocal "troops out" position to emerge from the margins of Canadian politics, as much by default as by design.
The NDP, which has traditionally opposed Canadian military and foreign-policy alliances with the United States, set out to capture the "anti-war" vote as its own. At the NDP's September, 2006 convention, delegates adopted a position that could have been lifted straight off a placard from an American demonstration against the war in Iraq: "Support Our Troops. Bring Them Home".
There were other forces at play, however, that allowed something more than mere pacifist isolationism to loom over the politics of the liberal-left in Canada.
By 2001, the NDP, the trade unions, the university faculties, and a variety of national "activist" organizations were firmly in the hands of a generation that had come of age in the heady days of the 1960s New Left, and the deeply rooted social-justice traditions of the Canadian left had been nearly eclipsed by the kind of counterculture politics with which Americans are more familiar.
Down the road not taken by the Canadian left lay a range of progressive analyses of the Afghanistan question. The intervention was sanctioned by the United Nations, after all, and consisted of a multinational effort by soldiers from nearly 40 countries in aid of a fledgling democracy, and against an array of obscurantist, anti-modern, viciously misogynistic and violent gangsters.
Just one progressive analysis available was the kind articulated by Fred Halliday, who compares the campaign in Afghanistan to the struggle against fascism in Spain during the 1930s,  but the more utilitarian doctrine of the "Responsibility to Protect" was especially well-suited to the Canadian disposition. Canada had championed the doctrine through the United Nations, and one of its architects was Michael Ignatieff, the former Harvard University human rights scholar who had returned to Canada to stake out a centre-left position in the Liberal Party. But when it came to Afghanistan, the Canadian left tended to succumb to the reflexive habits of the counterculture, and the beckoning appeal of the transgressive. So, to make sense of 9/11 and everything that followed, a residual conception of Third World resistance to American hegemony was close to hand, and it flowered like the new buds of spring. Across Canada, there were marches and parades, and die-ins and teach-ins. It was just like the 1960s again, but for two big differences.
But there is second significant factor that makes Canada's new "anti-war" formulation completely different from its predecessors. Uprooted from a solid working-class conception of internationalist solidarity, it came to serve as the base for a mobilization on behalf some of the most pro-war, antisemitic, homophobic, and tyrannical Islamists in the world.
In Montreal, some young Lebanese Canadians showed up at an "anti-war" rally on 18 July with a sign that read "Peace for Lebanon and Israel." They were shouted at and pushed around, and had their sign ripped up. The parade proceeded, with groups of marchers carrying the flag of the clerical-fascist Hezbollah, and other marchers carrying huge photographs of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
A few days later, at a large demonstration in Toronto sponsored by the city's Stop the War Coalition, there were more Hezbollah flags, young men in Hezbollah t-shirts, and more placard-sized photographs of Nasrallah and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Meanwhile, in Vancouver, the Stop War Coalition offered up its podium to a high-profile Palestinian activist, Rafeh Hulays, who announced to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that he doesn't subscribe to any "anti-war" position when it comes to Israel. Of the world's many "monsters," he wrote, Israel is "the biggest, ugliest, and most dangerous."
Through the summer of 2006, it was commonplace to hear left-wing voices dismissing any public rebuke of these obvious contradictions as a "smear" of the peace movement, contrived from isolated incidents and heat-of-the-moment excesses involving a minority of protesters.
But these contradictions run straight across the movement's leadership, right up to the national umbrella organization, the Canadian Peace Alliance.
Vancouver's Stop War Coalition purports to speak on behalf of several dozen British Columbia labor organizations, student unions, individual politicians and entire political parties, including the NDP. More than two years before the emotional placard-waving of the Second Lebanon War, the coalition formally protested the federal government's decision to outlaw the Canadian activities of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, The PFLP General Command, and the Palestine Liberation Front.
It's hard to see how any of this is "progressive," or is about peace, or about ending the war in Afghanistan. It's much easier to see how it never was about these things at all.
Among them was James Clark of the Toronto Stop The War Coalition, who was quoted verbatim to the effect that "Islamophobia" in the west could be exploited to "educate and mobilize" against western governments. He vowed that Canadian anti-war activists, inspired by the "Arab resistance" in Lebanon and Iraq, would work with Muslims in Canada to help defeat imperialism.
The involvement of so many Canadians at the Cairo conference eventually attracted some unwelcome attention in the Canadian news media, but it was after the fact. Canadian journalists, who do not generally subject the politics of the "anti-war" movement to any serious scrutiny, were obliged to rely mainly on the accounts of the conference participants themselves, and the Al-Ahram report. This presented something of a problem, context-wise.
But a greater problem was the ease with which Canada's "anti-war" activists could pass off their 2006 trip to Cairo as a kind of information-gathering exercise, when in fact, the event was only the most recent in a series of Cairo conferences they had attended.
The first Cairo conference, in 2002, reportedly funded by Egyptian companies with business interests in Iraq, was facilitated partly by John Rees of the British Socialist Workers Party (SWP) and the British renegade MP George Galloway. Galloway's Respect Coalition, formed after he was expelled from the Labour Party for urging troops in Iraq to disobey their commanding officers, began largely as an alliance between the SWP and the Islamist Muslim Association of Britain (to the great amusement of many observers of extremist movements, Respect has recently split into two factions, following a vicious row between Galloway and his former SWP allies).
The word "Palestine" appears in the first sentence of the 2002 declaration, but the declaration doesn't even mention Afghanistan, where American, British and Canadian troops had already been fighting the remnants of the Taliban regime for about a year.
On it went like this, year after year.
Back in Canada, the Cairo conventioneers dutifully carried out their annual work plans, organized "Israeli Apartheid" campaigns, and in their "anti-war" propaganda they took pains to conflate Canada's military contributions in Afghanistan with the Anglo-American effort in Iraq, and with the Israel-Palestine conflict. They set the Canadian Peace Alliance and its affiliates to the tasks of the Cairo agenda, recruited for more Cairo delegates, and continued the work of forging common cause with Islamists.
At times, the effort has taken on comical aspects. Last May, Canada's key "anti-war" leaders (many of whom are directly affiliated with Britain's SWP) organized a Marxism 2007 "Festival of Resistance" in Toronto. Its theme was "Building Unity: Muslims and The Left." The main panelists included Cairo conference veterans, Khomeinists, and leaders of the right-wing Canadian Islamic Congress. "Toronto's downtown war-withdrawers," joked Tarek Fatah, a founder of the liberal-left Muslim Canadian Congress. "Trotskyites march with the very people who would hang them."
Galloway's engagement at the publicized celebration occurred in Ottawa, Canada's capital city. It went completely unreported by Canada's news media.
The declaration was written at a time when embassies around the world were still smoldering, and families were still mourning their dead, following the riots that erupted after the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published a series of cartoons that were said to be a blasphemous affront to the dignity of the Prophet Mohammed.
"Islamism is not the new revolutionary movement against global forces of oppression, as a section of the left in this country erroneously perceives," the declaration asserted. But in Canada's "anti-war" circles, another view of the cartoon affair was circulating.
Contemporary "anti-war" cultural codes show up in the fashion statements college students make when they wear kaffiyes, Palestinian checkered scarves, over their Che Guevara T-shirts. They show up in everyday conversation: mention the word "Afghanistan" on the bus on the way to work in Canada, and straight away someone will sneer the name "George Bush."
In Vancouver, meanwhile, there was no shortage of that paranoia at work at the 2006 World Peace Forum. After Canadian Jewish Congress activists spent a year preparing workshops and programs leading up to the forum, the CJC found itself excluded, along with other pro-Israel Jewish groups.
It is hard not to notice these cultural codes emerging in Canada's "anti-war" ideational package, perhaps especially during and after the 2006 Second Lebanon War. Its anti-Zionism is often barely distinguishable from antisemitism, and having lost its grounding in a solid progressive politics, it hasn't taken much of a leap to get from conventional Canadian nationalism to a reactionary anti-Americanism that regards Israel as an objectionable surrogate for the United States, and Jews as objectionable surrogates for Israel.
It is in this same context, Volkov writes, that Jews become legitimate targets: "Thus, the position on the Jewish question, even if not in itself of paramount importance, came to indicate a belonging to a larger camp, a political stand and an overall cultural choice."
On that crucial question, Volkov's conception, however, perfectly describes the various declarations that have come out of the Cairo conferences. It could be summarized by exactly the same headline, "Anti-Globalists Reach Out to Islamists," that appeared in last April's Al-Ahram.
A few months after last year's Cairo conference, the Tehran Times could well have gone with the headline "Islamists Reach Out to Anti-Globalists" to cover its accounts of the latest move - a Tehran conference last October - in Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's strategy of courting Western leftists via his "global progressive front," co-sponsored with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez.
But like George Galloway's celebrations in Ottawa with the SSNP, the overtly sinister is never far away from cross-pollinations of this kind.
When word got out about Dossa's attendance at the Tehran gathering, it caused quite a stir back in Canada.  But Dossa had many defenders, not least the Literary Review of Canada, which gave Dossa space to lash out at his "Islamophobic" critics. The Tehran event wasn't a "holocaust denial" conference - that's just what the Zionists say, Dossa wrote. It was "a Global South conference convened to devise an intellectual/political response to western-Israeli intervention in Muslim affairs."
"If indeed the joint anti-Zionist and anti-Israel language of the left in the 1960s and 1970s served as a cultural code to indicate belonging to the camp of anti-imperialism, anticolonialism and a new sort of anticapitalism, has it now lost its symbolic meaning? Is it now a matter of direct and full-scale attack upon the Jews?"
So when one looks at the convergence of "anti-war" activism with the Islamist agenda, and the counterculture template considered by the Canadian philosophers Andrew Potter and Joseph Heath, and the liberal-left incoherence examined by Nick Cohen, Fred Halliday and Paul Berman, how then to answer Volkov's question: "Is it now a matter of direct and full-scale attack upon the Jews?"
In this way, too, the 21st century versions of those New Left militants are different from their predecessors. You could say that they're more effective.
They have preempted the possibility of a legitimately robust international peace movement that might have found a way to intervene on behalf of ordinary Israelis, Palestinians, and Lebanese during the bloody crises of this century's first decade. And they have given courage and comfort to antisemitic fanatics and anti-modernist zealots from the crowded tenements of Gaza to the scorched opium fields of Kandahar.
In Canada, they have effectively infantilized important Canadian debates about the Afghanistan mission, upending these debates into a lurid discourse about American imperialism.
They have undermined labor-movement solidarity campaigns on behalf of the persecuted trade unionists of Iran. They have "problematized" the potential for Canadian leadership in a multilateral intervention on behalf of the suffering people of Darfur.
What this implies for the left in Canada, over the long run, can't be known. But the damage, already, has been incalculable.
**Terry Glavin is a Canadian writer and independent journalist.
4 Volkov, Shulamit. "Readjusting Cultural Codes: Reflections on Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism." The Journal of Israeli History, Vol. 25 No.1, March, 2006.
7 Potter, Andrew and Heath, Joseph. Rebel Sell: Why The Culture Can't Be Jammed. Harper Perennial, 2000.
10 Postone, Moishe. "History and Helplessness: Mass Mobilization and Contemporary Forms of Anticapitalism," in Public culture 18:1, Duke University Press, 2006.
30 Galloway visit: http://www.ssnp.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=002598 ; SSNP: Ehud, Ya'ari. "Behind The Terror," Atlantic Monthly, June, 1987.
35 The Canadian Press. "Protestors Rally Across Canada to Speak Out against Wars in Afghanistan, Iraq." March 15, 2006.


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11/08/10 | Science Center Companies
Lilly to Acquire Avid Radiopharmaceuticals
INDIANAPOLIS and PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced that it has signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held company developing novel molecular imaging compounds intended for the detection and monitoring of chronic human diseases. Avid's lead program in development is florbetapir F 18 (18F-AV-45), a molecular imaging agent under investigation for detecting the presence of amyloid plaque in the brain. Beta-amyloid plaque is a defining pathology of Alzheimer's disease. A marketing application for florbetapir has recently been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The acquisition of Avid also provides Lilly with a diagnostics development platform covering several disease areas, including Parkinson's disease and diabetes.
"The acquisition of Avid Radiopharmaceuticals aligns well with Lilly's innovation-based strategy, offers a potential near-term revenue opportunity, leverages our neuroscience expertise and will immediately bolster our diagnostics capabilities," said John Lechleiter, Ph.D., Lilly chairman and chief executive officer. "We look forward to partnering with Avid's experts during the regulatory process for florbetapir, and are intent on gaining FDA approval for this promising diagnostic intended to help clinicians and researchers identify the presence of beta-amyloid plaque in the brain."
"We are very excited to join the great scientific team at Lilly and continue our work to develop new molecular imaging agents capable of changing the medical management of significant chronic human diseases," said Daniel M. Skovronsky, M.D., Ph.D., Avid's founder and chief executive officer. "We've had a productive and long-standing relationship with Lilly, and believe in their approach to providing improved outcomes for individual patients."
Under the terms of the agreement, Lilly will acquire all outstanding shares of Avid for an upfront payment of $300 million, subject to adjustment based on existing cash on hand at closing. Avid stockholders will also be eligible for up to $500 million in additional payments contingent upon potential future regulatory and commercial milestones for florbetapir. Upon completion of the acquisition, Avid will continue to operate from its facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Avid will provide uninterrupted support for ongoing academic clinical trials, including the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), as well as ongoing clinical trials for other pharmaceutical companies. The transaction is contingent upon clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and other customary closing conditions, including requisite approval of Avid stockholders. Barclays Capital served as exclusive financial advisor to Lilly, while Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated served as exclusive financial advisor to Avid.
"The acquisition of Avid supports our efforts to provide patients and physicians with diagnostics that enable speed of intervention, improve diagnosis accuracy and inform therapeutic choice," said Tiffany Olson, Lilly's vice president of diagnostics research and development. "In addition to florbetapir, we look forward to supporting the continued clinical development of Avid's earlier-phase diagnostics pipeline."
About Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease is a chronic neurodegenerative condition that currently affects over 5 million Americans. Alzheimer's is a fatal form of dementia that causes progressive decline in memory and other aspects of cognition. It occurs when neurons in the brain begin dying prematurely. Researchers do not know exactly what causes Alzheimer's, but one hypothesis is that the amyloid beta protein plays an important role. Currently, Alzheimer's disease cannot be definitively diagnosed until after death, when a brain autopsy is performed. Accurate diagnosis during life can be challenging.
About florbetapir
Florbetapir, used with positron emission tomography (PET) technology is being assessed for the ability to detect beta-amyloid plaque deposits in living patients. Florbetapir was the first beta-amyloid imaging compound to enter multi-center, IND clinical studies in the U.S., and has now been studied in more than a dozen trials in over 700 subjects ranging from cognitively normal individuals to those with Alzheimer's dementia. In addition to the pivotal Phase III Image-to-Autopsy study, other clinical studies are also being conducted in the E.U., North and South America, Australia and Asia.
About Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc.
Avid Radiopharmaceuticals is a leader in the development of molecular imaging products with the potential for more effective detection, diagnosis and monitoring of major chronic human diseases. Based in Philadelphia, PA, the company is a pioneer in the development of molecular imaging. In addition to florbetapir, Avid is currently conducting Phase I and II trials with 18F-AV-133 for imaging the vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2) in diseases involving dopaminergic degeneration (Parkinson's disease and Dementia with Lewy Bodies) and beta cell dysfunction (Type I and Type II Diabetes Mellitus). More information about Avid is available at www.avidrp.com.
About Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers — through medicines and information — for some of the world's most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com. C-LLY
This press release contains forward-looking statements about the benefits of a merger between Lilly and Avid and the potential of Avid's product pipeline. It reflects Lilly's and Avid's current beliefs, assuming that the transaction is successfully closed; however, as with any such undertaking, there are substantial risks and uncertainties in the process of implementing the transaction and in drug development. There is no guarantee that the merger will close, that Lilly will realize the expected benefits of the transaction, or that florbetapir will be approved by the FDA on the anticipated timeline or at all, that florbetapir will be commercially successful, or that Avid's pipeline will yield commercially successful diagnostic radiopharmaceutical products. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, please see Lilly's latest Forms 10-Q and 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The companies undertake no duty to update forward-looking statements.


The Bush Children's Education Foundation of NSW Inc. (BCEF) was established in 1965, and has provided financial assistance to thousands of young people in the bush whose educational opportunities are limited due to isolation and economic circumstances.
The Foundation operates under the patronage of His Excellency General, The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retired) Governor of New South Wales.
The purpose of the Foundation is to enable students who live in remote areas to attend school. Assistance is available to subsidise the boarding expenses of secondary school aged children from families with restricted financial resources. Boarding places may be at country boarding schools or community operated hostels.
Many children from remote areas of New South Wales are not able to attend school and university because of family circumstances and distance from schools. While excellent distance education facilities now exist, this cannot offer the daily face-to-face teaching, social, recreational and sporting contact which city children take for granted.
Since 2007, the Foundation extended its support to include young people going on to tertiary study.
The Bush Children's Education Foundation relies solely on donations from the public to fund annual bursaries and scholarships for eligible students. Click DONATE TO BCEF to visit the donations page.