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Q: I want to use a regex to check for files that have spaces in the name and replace the spaces with underscores I wrote an app that uses ffmpeg to convert files to different fomat in a particular folder. The folder hosts .mpg, .mp3, .avi, .flv ... or whatever audio/video files one decides to add. The problem occurs when I use my app to select a file to convert that has spaces in the name; the app closes immediately, without having converted the file to a different format. Currently, I have to rename any files that has spaces in the name before it will convert via my app->ffmpeg. I'm attempting to write a function that will from the start of my app check file names in a particular folder for spaces, replace those spaces with underscores ('_'). I'm having some trouble with regex; I'm not good at writing/configuring them to solve problems. Can someone advise me on the correct regex to use to find white/blank space in a file name? Below is what I have so far:
import os
import re

pattern = r"([^\s]+(?=\.(mp3|mov|mpg|mp4|flv|avi|mpeg4|mkv|mpeg|mpg2|.wav))\.\2)"

def replace_Wspace(self, fName):
    if re.match(pattern, fName):
        fname = fName.replace(' ', '_')
    return fname

I'm adding the section of code from my app that handles the call to ffmpeg, as requested:
def convertButton(self, e):

    unit1 = self.format_combo1.GetValue()
    #Media Formats
    unit2 = self.format_combo2.GetValue()
    unit3 = self.format_combo3.GetValue()
    unit4 = None
    unit5 = self.format_combo5.GetValue()
    bitRate = self.format_combo6.GetValue()
    unit6 = bitRate
    if unit3 == '-qmax':
        unit4 = self.format_combo4.GetValue()
    else:
        pass

    os.chdir("c:\\d-Converter\\ffmpeg\\bin")
    wrkdir = os.getcwd()

    newfile = unit1
    stripped = newfile.strip('mpeg3aviovfl4w2c.') #Strips the extension from the original file name

    progname='c:\\d-Converter\\ffmpeg\\bin\\ffmpeg.exe' + ' -i '

    preset1_a='-vn -ar 44100 -ac 2 -ab'
    preset1_b='-f mp3 '
    preset_mp3='.mp3'

    chck_unit1 = self.my_endswith(unit1)

    while True:
        if unit5 == 'video to mp3':

            if unit6 == 'k/bs' or unit6 == '':
                amsg = wx.MessageDialog(None, 'You must select a bit rate.', 'Media Converter', wx.ICON_INFORMATION)
                amsg.ShowModal()
                amsg.Destroy()
                break

            elif unit5 == 'video to mp3' and unit6 != 'k/bs' or unit6 != '':
                self.button.Disable()
                self.button2.Enable()
                self.format_combo1.Disable()
                self.format_combo2.Disable()
                self.format_combo3.Disable()
                self.format_combo4.Disable()
                self.format_combo5.Disable()
                self.format_combo6.Disable()
                startWorker(self.LongTaskDone, self.LongTask3, wargs=(progname, wrkdir, unit1, preset1_a, unit6, preset1_b, stripped, preset_mp3))
                break
            elif unit1 != unit1.endswith(".mpg") or unit1.endswith(".mpeg") or unit1.endswith(".avi") or unit1.endswith(".mp4") or unit1.endswith(".flv"):
                bmsg = wx.MessageDialog(None, 'You must select a valid format to convert to .mp3.', 'Media Converter', wx.ICON_INFORMATION)
                bmsg.ShowModal()
                bmsg.Destroy()
                break

        else:
            pass

        if unit1 == 'Select Media' or unit1 == '':
            amsg = wx.MessageDialog(None, 'You must select a media file!', 'Media Converter', wx.ICON_INFORMATION)
            amsg.ShowModal()
            amsg.Destroy()
            break

        elif unit2 == 'Select Format' or unit2 == '' or unit2 == chck_unit1:
            amsg = wx.MessageDialog(None, 'You must select a valid format', 'Media Converter', wx.ICON_INFORMATION)
            amsg.ShowModal()
            amsg.Destroy()
            break

        elif unit3 == 'Select Quality' or unit3 == '':
            amsg = wx.MessageDialog(None, 'You must select quality', 'Media Converter', wx.ICON_INFORMATION)
            amsg.ShowModal()
            amsg.Destroy()
            break

        elif unit3 != 'Select Quality' or unit3 != '':
            self.format_combo5.Disable()

            if unit3 == '-qmax':
                if unit4 == '0' or unit4 == '':
                    amsg = wx.MessageDialog(None, 'You must select number between 1-8.', 'Media Converter', wx.ICON_INFORMATION)
                    amsg.ShowModal()
                    amsg.Destroy()
                    break
                else:
                    self.button.Disable()
                    self.button2.Enable()
                    self.format_combo1.Disable()
                    self.format_combo2.Disable()
                    self.format_combo3.Disable()
                    self.format_combo4.Disable()
                    self.format_combo5.Disable()
                    startWorker(self.LongTaskDone, self.LongTask2, wargs=(progname,wrkdir,unit1,unit3,unit4,stripped,unit2))
                    break
            elif unit3 == '-sameq':
                self.button.Disable()
                self.button2.Enable()
                self.format_combo1.Disable()
                self.format_combo2.Disable()
                self.format_combo3.Disable()
                self.format_combo4.Disable()
                self.format_combo5.Disable()
                startWorker(self.LongTaskDone, self.LongTask, wargs=(progname,wrkdir,unit1,unit3,stripped,unit2))
                break

def LongTask(self, progname, wrkdir, unit1, unit3, stripped, unit2):
    convert_file1 = progname + wrkdir + '\\' + unit1 + ' ' + unit3 + ' ' + stripped + unit2
    self.statusbar.SetStatusText("Converting: " + unit1 + "...")
    os.system(convert_file1)
    print convert_file1

def LongTask2(self, progname, wrkdir, unit1, unit3, unit4, stripped, unit2):
    convert_file2 = progname + wrkdir + '\\' + unit1 + ' ' + unit3 + ' ' + unit4 + ' ' + stripped + unit2
    self.statusbar.SetStatusText("Converting: " + unit1 + "...")
    os.system(convert_file2)

def LongTask3(self, progname, wrkdir, unit1, preset1_a, unit6, preset1_b, stripped, preset_mp3):
    convert_file3 = progname + wrkdir + '\\' + unit1 + ' ' + preset1_a + ' ' + unit6 + ' ' + preset1_b + stripped + preset_mp3
    self.statusbar.SetStatusText("Converting: " + unit1 + "...")
    os.system(convert_file3)
    print convert_file3

def LongTask4(self, progdir, wrkdir, prog_dir, progdir3, f_string, s_string2, vid_format):
    convert_file4 = progdir + f_string + prog_dir + s_string2 + progdir3 + f_string.strip('mpegaviw24ofl.') + vid_format
    self.statusbar.SetStatusText("Converting: " + f_string + "...")
    os.system(convert_file4)
    print convert_file4

A: Instead of regex, use use fName.endswith(), you can provide a tuple as an argument of all of your audio extensions and it will return True if fName ends with any of them, for example:
audio = ('.mp3','.mov','.mpg','.mp4','.flv','.avi','.mpeg4','.mkv','.mpeg','.mpg2','.wav')
if fName.endswith(audio) and ' ' in fName:
    return fName.replace(' ', '_')
return fName

If there are no spaces or it has a different extension, it will return the original string without changes.
Alternatively, you could use os.path.splitext():
audio = set(('.mp3','.mov','.mpg','.mp4','.flv','.avi','.mpeg4','.mkv','.mpeg','.mpg2','.wav'))
if os.path.splitext(fName)[1] in audio and ' ' in fName:
    return fName.replace(' ', '_')
return fName

A: I don't think you need regex for this.  You can simply use if ' ' in file:
Like so:
import os
dir = '.'
for file in os.listdir(dir)
  if ' ' in file:
    os.rename(file,file.replace(' ','_'))

Might want to print file to test that you're in the right directory, before you try a mass rename.
If you need to make sure it's an acceptable file format, use os.path.splitext() to get the extension:
extensions = ('.mp3','.mov','.mpg','.mp4','.flv','.avi','.mpeg4','.mkv','.mpeg','.mpg2','.wav')
fname, ext = os.path.splitext(file)
if ext in extensions:
  ...

A: F.J's answer is great. If you are really concerned about spaces, and you do want to change them like iTunes does, I would only add that you may want to do something like this:
audio = ('.mp3','.mov','.mpg','.mp4','.flv','.avi','.mpeg4','.mkv','.mpeg','.mpg2','.wav')
spaces=['\t',' ','\r','\n','\v']  # etc -- other nasty space like characters...
if fName.endswith(audio) and any(space in fName for space in spaces):
    return ''.join(c if c not in spaces else '_' for c in fName)
...

The you are catching all potential space like characters in fName into '_'
So if you have:
fName='file name\twith\nstuff\vin it'

it turns into:
file_name_with_stuff_in_it


I wear this hat farming in 100degree days.....I am working on an organic vegetable farm and this hat is the best!
I bought this hat because I'm going on a backpacking trip to the grand canyon and I will desperately be in need of some sun protection. The wide brim and 50+ spf rating is perfect for such an occasion. The hat is very well made and the leather chin strap works well to keep it on in the fierce Chicago winds. This product is well worth the cost over cheaper options because it is well made and looks great.
A good, wide brim but the sizing is off based upon the measurement chart in comparison to my head measurement.
This is my third Gardner unisex hat that I have purchased through Tula. I love the style, I love the comfort, I love the durability and I love the sun protection I get while wearing my favorite hat. Everywhere I go I am always getting compliments on my hat. :) I Couldn't find another one like it or replace it with anything else; never quit making them please!!!
Love the hat but it was too big. Will return.


Cancer is a serious health concern that can strike anyone at any age. Although it is possible to manage the presence of cancer, it can also often be a terminal disease. Being aware of certain factors that can contribute to a heightened risk of cancer is a good idea, and something everyone should take note of!
Cancer is the collective term for more than 100 diseases that are characterised by the growth of cells in an uncontrollable and abnormal way.
Within a healthy body it is normal that cells will grow, die and be replaced. When cancer is present these cells will often continue to multiply instead of dying naturally. This mass of cancerous cells is known as a tumour.
Malignant cells from a tumour can break away into the circulatory system and travel to other parts of the body. These cells may then form new tumours. This is known as metastasis and is normally the reason for a terminal diagnosis.
If you have a family of history of cancer then this does not necessarily mean you are going to develop cancer.
Faults within a gene can cause the cell to stop working properly. When the cell does not work properly due to these faults, it can then become cancerous and begin to grow in an abnormal way.
Certain people are considered to be at a heightened risk of developing cancer because they have inherited a faulty gene. However, these faults can also occur as a result of gene changes during the natural life cycle of the body.
Inside each of the cells in the body is a nucleus, which is essentially the control centre for the cell. There are 23 chromosomes contained within each nucleus and these chromosomes are made up of genes. It is the job of these genes to tell cells how to behave, and to control the growth and development of the body.
Certain faulty genes that increase the risk of a person developing cancer can be passed from parent to child. This can be because of a fault in the sperm cell or the egg cell. These faulty genes are known as cancer susceptibility genes. When a person has a faulty gene, every child that they parent will have a 1 in 2 chance of inheriting that gene. This does not mean that the child will definitely develop cancer, it simply puts them at an increased risk. Additional gene mutations will need to occur for a person with a faulty gene to develop cancer. Approximately 2% of all cancers are connected to a faulty gene.
Certain environmental exposures can cause damage to our cells and cause cancer to develop. The biggest culprits are tobacco smoke, ultraviolet rays from the sun and radiation.
It is possible to limit your exposure when it comes to tobacco smoke and the sun, but other carcinogens are harder to avoid. Sometimes these things are in the air that we breathe, the food that we consume and the materials that we come into contact with.
Fat tissue, also known as adipose tissue, increases the presence of oestrogen in the body. Too much of which can contribute to breast cancer and endometrial cancer.
Increased insulin levels, which can contribute to the development of tumours.
Obese people experience higher levels of chronic inflammation, which has been linked to an increased risk of cancer.
Smoking is the biggest preventable cause of cancer, and is responsible for the most cancer deaths. A healthy diet is the second biggest preventable cause, and choosing a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whilst avoiding red meats and processed foods, is known to reduce the risk of cancer.
Exercising regularly can also help with cancer prevention as this has a direct impact on your weight, your hormone levels and digestion. It is important to adequately manage all of these things to best equip your body to prevent cancer.
The lymphatic system plays an essential role in cancer prevention as it helps to fight bacteria and eradicate abnormal cells, such as those that may become cancerous. The lymphatic system is made up of of several tubes and lymph nodes that are connected throughout the entire body. If your lymphatic system isn't functioning well then you are then at a heightened risk of developing cancer. By managing your stress levels, exercising regularly and following a diet that encourages the removal of toxins from the body, you will be promoting the optimum health of your lymphatic system.
There is a strong link between the quality of sleep you enjoy and your chance of developing several health conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, stroke and heart disease. Research suggests that the incidence of breast, prostate and colorectal cancers are heightened by a poor sleep pattern. The average adult should aim to get between seven and eight hours of undisturbed sleep each night. Failure to do so can cause inflammation in the body and compromise the immune system.
There are several early warning signs that can indicate the presence of cancer. Common signs include persistent breathlessness, persistent indigestion, an ongoing change in your bowel motions, blood in your urine or faeces, trouble swallowing, unexplained weight loss, unusual swelling and night sweats.
If you believe you are experiencing one or more early symptom of cancer then it is essential that you visit your doctor as soon as possible. If they are in agreement that you are at risk, then screening tests can be organised. Early detection greatly improves the outcome of treatment, which is why screening is so important.


Respawn's Co-CEO Vince Zampella spilled his best-kept secret in a tweet about the newest addition to the battle royale game roster: Apex Legends.
Over the weekend, various sources hinted that a game called Apex Legends is set in the Titanfall universe. The extensive rumors have suggested that EA and Respawn Entertainment are revealing a new battle royale game on Monday. Mere hours before the formal announcement, the game is now confirmed.
Top streamers and esports FPS players were invited to Los Angeles in the past week. The attendees, who remain anonymous, stated the game felt good and were genuinely excited for it.
Apex Legends is rumored to be a free-to-play, class-based battle royale title, and is part of the Titanfall series. The game will feature classes/heroes with unique abilities, a maximum of 60 players per server, and a maximum of 3 players per team.
According to reports, Apex Legends will operate on a modified version of Valve's Source engine. Although free to play, micro-transactions for loot boxes for cosmetic items and in-game content will be available, similar to Overwatch.
Having a troubled history, Titanfall has started rocky. It is the brainchild of Respawn Studios, who recently had a much-publicized divorce with Activision.
As an Xbox One exclusive, Titanfall is a multiplayer shooter without a single-player campaign. Though it is undeniably a well-executed game, its success was thwarted by not delivering enough content.Titanfall 2 is one of the best first-person shooters of this age. The game became an immediate crowd favorite after it was released in the fall of 2016. The game was celebrated for both its fun multiplayer and unforgettably epic single-player campaign.
Can't wait to know more? See the official announcement for yourself on the brand-new Play Apex Twitch channel. The stream will start at 4 pm in the UK, 11 am ET, and 8 am PT.


text:
Classification of Your Loan A/c Based on the Repayment
Bank shall recognise & Classify your Loan A/c based on your repayment.
The Loan A/c will be classified as STANDARD (STD), where the payment of the Principal or interest payment or any other amount is regular without any delay i.e. repayment is done within the due date as per the Sanction terms/Loan agreement.
In event of default i.e. delay of repayment, the Bank will classify the loan account as special mention accounts (SMA) as per the following categories:
Loans other than revolving facilities
Loans in the nature of revolving facilities like cash credit/overdraft
SMA Sub-categories Basis for classification – Principal or interest payment or any other amount wholly or partly overdue SMA Sub-categories Basis for classification – Outstanding balance remains continuously in excess of the sanctioned limit or drawing power, whichever is lower, for a period of:
SMA-0 Up to 30 days
SMA-1 More than 30 days and upto 60 days SMA-1 More than 30 days and upto 60 days
Non-performing Assets: A non-performing asset (NPA) is a loan or an advance where;
Interest and/ or instalment of principal remains overdue for a period of more than 90 days in respect of a term loan.
The account remains 'out of order' as indicated at paragraph 2.2 below, in respect of an Overdraft/Cash Credit (OD/CC).
The bill remains overdue for a period of more than 90 days in the case of bills purchased and discounted.
The instalment of principal or interest thereon remains overdue for two crop seasons for short duration crops,
The instalment of principal or interest thereon remains overdue for one crop season for long duration crops,
The amount of liquidity facility remains outstanding for more than 90 days, in respect of a securitisation transaction undertaken in terms of the Reserve Bank of India (Securitisation of Standard Assets) Directions, 2021.
in respect of derivative transactions, the overdue receivables representing positive mark-to-market value of a derivative contract, if these remain unpaid for a period of 90 days from the specified due date for payment.
In case of interest payments, banks will classify an account as NPA only if the interest due and charged during any quarter is not serviced fully within 90 days from the end of the quarter.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


There are lots of organisations with terrific possible that fall short due to the absence of understanding the owners have about marketing or really making a sale. There will be several site visitors who come to see the vehicles, but without that included push, there will certainly be no sales. A web site without a sales channel is the exact same, which is why you need to acquire Click Funnels in order to get the most number of sales feasible.
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Clickfunnels Cyber Monday Tv Deals Rates: Is it actually worth it?
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When you pay a routine web designer to develop an internet site for you, the final end result may be visually pleasing, but they typically do not pay attention to making a sale through the system. When it concerns any kind of business web site, the factor for any individual to release an online room committed to their organisation is to lead any type of possible customer who sees the website to eventually purchase. Click Funnels has put together a number of web site templates that contain a total sales funnels from the welcome screen to the last Thank You screen. It is similar to having a salesperson who would take your customers via till the last sale.
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Without fail week after week events having to do with co-founder matching or co-founder dating are consistantly the most highest clicked events on [Startup Digest]. Also privately I get asked at least 5-10 weeks for personal introductions to co-founders. Clearly this is a very underserved problem in the Startup Ecosystem and events like FounderDating and Startup Weekend are playing big roles in alleviating this. I've been looking more intro the co-founder matching problem myself and wanted to share some good articles I've found on the topic.
If you have any additional articles or resources to share leave a comment!
Bedlam Series is a premiere rivalry. I guess a handful of suspensions was enough to satisfy the NCAA.


This is the deluxe version of our robot power distribution modules. The module features support for two independent drive and control batteries as well as additional power output connections. Perfect for solutions requiring much more power. The module features screw terminal connectors for your control and drive batteries, charging, power switch, and external LED. A low current switch can be wired to the designated switch header to control the smaller 10A relay. The adjacent LED header is equipped with a 1k resistor so an external LED can be wired directly to the circuit board.
The 10A relay supply power to (10) 0.100" friction lock headers. An optional connector kit can be found on the bottom of this page. The 30A relays have (5) high current outputs with 5.0mm screw terminals. The 30A relay also supplies power to (2) additional low current 0.100" friction lock header.
Support for two independent drive batteries and charging.
Support for two independent control batteries and charing.


With the UK capital's roads regularly clogged with traffic, it's no surprise that for ten years running our annual pollution limits have been breached within the space of just a few weeks.
The Mayor's new Ultra-Low Emission Zone should help, but longer term we may need much greener cars to really make the capital cleaner. BBC Inside Out investigates.
This video features H2ME vehicle and HRS. Enjoy!


Four inspirational Year 10 girls from Gateacre School were announced Junior Science Winner of The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition 2019 at Birmingham NEC, for their project "Naturally Infused".
Sciontec Liverpool, the new development company formed out of Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool), has launched its search for an investor to bring forward new world-class science and tech workspaces across the city.
Schools in Liverpool are to get more than half a million pounds to spend on improving physical and mental health – funded by the sugar tax.
St Julie's Catholic high School in Woolton is the latest to be opened as part of a multi-million pound investment by Liverpool City Council.
THAT was the year that was for Liverpool City Council's Ways to Work programme!
The training and employment programme has smashed all targets and helped more people than ever before to get the help they need in finding the job they want.


An URL filter excludes certain URL types from execution.
Binary Data Non-ASCII content data with a 200 (ok) status code. This will strip away all images and other kinds of binary data.
Cached Data (304) Browser-side cached URLs received with a 304 (found) status code. Recommended.
Errors All errors status code 400 and above, and all URLs with an incomplete response. If not enabled, a reported error will count as a successful connection.
Host filtering can be used to exclude and/or include traffic from particular hostnames.
The filter can consist of a list of hostnames, separated by comma.
You can also explicitly exclude hosts by adding ! before the hostname.
All traffic not from www.example.com or media.example.com will be excluded.
Traffic from media.example.com will be excluded.


text:
Mid-Season Grades: Chicago Bulls
GRADE: B-
Kyle Brown, Reporter
What defines success for an NBA basketball team? Is a team's success based solely on their record, or is success more about players maturing and improving? Is there some sort of middle ground that factors in the record while also looking into the growth of the players? The Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors have both had extremely successful seasons but for very different reasons. The Timberwolves' young core of Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Zach LaVine is unrivaled throughout the league, while the Warriors are on pace to have the best regular season record in history. So which team should be considered more successful? And where do the Chicago Bulls fit in with their mediocre record and collection of young talent?
Let's start with their record; the Bulls are 27-25 and would be the 7th seed in the Eastern conference if the season ended today. That may seem disappointing compared to previous seasons, but they are only 3.5 games behind the 3rd seed Boston Celtics. If they can string together a solid week or two of games suddenly they regain home court advantage for at least the first round of the playoffs.
Watching the Bulls lately has admittedly been a pain. They are often stagnant on offense and lethargic on defense. However, it's incredibly difficult for a coach to roll out a successful squad when players are constantly injured. The Bulls have played 52 games this season and the only Bull to play in every game so far is Taj Gibson, who just went down with a foot injury. When Gibson watches in street clothes as Chicago takes on Cleveland on February 18th, the Bulls will be one of only five teams (Warriors, Kings, Lakers, and Mavericks) to not have a single player take part in every game.
Even with the myriad of injuries, the Bulls defense has still been very consistent. Chicago is 2nd in the league in opponent's field goal percentage, holding opposing teams to only 43.1% shooting. Another product of their defensive intensity is blocked shots. They come in at 5th in the league with 5.9 blocks per game. Chicago's big men don't just deny shots, they also collect missed shots better than any other team, grabbing a league-leading 47.9 rebounds each night. Pau Gasol, averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds, is leading the Bulls frontcourt. Nikola Mirotic (11 and 6), Taj Gibson (8 and 7), and rookie Bobby Portis (7 and 5) round out an impressive rotation of big men.
Speaking of Bobby Portis, the 22nd pick in last year's draft has already exceeded expectations. He has continued to improved and his play from January compared to February attests to that. In the 17 games he played in January he averaged 5.2 points and 4.4 rebounds on 39.8% shooting from the field. In the six February games he is averaging 9.5 points and 5.7 rebounds on 46.3% shooting. Granted, it's a small sample size, but those numbers represent a solid improvement in production as well as efficiency. Portis' blend of athleticism, scoring touch, and constant intensity has allowed him to get acclimated to the NBA quickly and should allow him to continue to grow as a Bull.
As for the Bulls' backcourt, Jimmy Butler is emerging as one of the premier two-way players in the league while Derrick Rose is slowly but surely returning to his former self. Back in 2011 the Bulls nabbed Butler with the 30th pick in the 1st round of the draft. Normally, players drafted outside the lottery don't amount to much more than decent rotation players. Normally, seniors that struggled offensively for their entire collegiate career who get drafted don't suddenly gain the ability to carry a team offensively. Jimmy Butler, however, is no normal player. In his 5th NBA season he is averaging career highs in points (22.4 per game), assists (4.3 per game), usage rate (24.9%), and PER (21.9). It looks like Butler has made the leap from good starter to NBA star.
As for Derrick Rose, he is finally settling in and getting comfortable. In October, Rose only averaged 13.7 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 rebounds. In the five games he played so far in February, he's averaging 19.4 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.6 rebounds. Again, a very small sample size but encouraging nonetheless. Also, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, Rose had a back-to-back line of 20+ points, 8+ assists, and 6+ rebounds in each game for the first time since 2010. Rose may never return to MVP form, but he is proving that he can be a solid starter on a playoff squad.
It may be too early to call this season successful, but to call it a failure is definitely wrong. The Bulls are only 3.5 games out of 3rd place in the East. They also have Portis, Mirotic, and Doug McDermott who all have bright futures. Rose is gaining momentum. Butler has taken the next step into NBA superstardom. Injuries have definitely affected this season, but we shouldn't consider the season a failure based on something completely out of the control of players and coaches.
All statistics from NBA.com unless otherwise noted.
GRADE: D-
Maddie Spagnola, Reporter
When the Chicago Bulls TV ratings go down a total of 29% since last season, in one of the biggest sports markets in the country, you know there's a problem. The Bulls have had many heartbreaking injuries and tough stretches in recent history, but fans were faithful and still watched. What's different with this season?
Going into the All-Star break, the Bulls had a 27-25 record. After losing six of their last seven games, the Bulls hope to get a road win against Cleveland and a home win against Toronto this week. Playing two of the top teams in the East, while currently sitting in the seventh place, they hope to play better than they have all season. After watching the first half of this season, that seems pretty unlikely though.
There is a problem with the Bulls, and there's more than one. Well, just to start, injuries to key players have plagued the team – Jimmy Butler is going to be out for possibly two more weeks, Joakim Noah is out for the season and Nikola Mirotic has lost 18 pounds after an emergency appendectomy and his return to play is unknown. All three players are important keys to the offense, and Jimmy Butler is their best defender. The Bulls lack of defense is another major problem. No one on the team knows how to properly defend. Former head coach Tom Thibodeau (let go in favor of first year NBA coach Fred Hoiberg), thought defense was the most important thing in the game, but this team has really shown that the Bulls lack fundamental defensive skills. They show no effort on "D", don't play help line, and they only have one player, Butler, who can defend almost anyone.
Why is it that the Bulls don't play defense? Maybe it's that they just take their time up and down the court, they complain on every no-call, and they just don't care!
Watching the Bulls in the past, they have always shown great heart with a push to win and finish games. This season they greatly lack heart, effort, and the drive to win games. "It's all about effort," Derrick Rose says, and that is something the Bulls are clearly missing. They rarely have strong starts, don't know how to finish games and they play lazy.
The Bulls have made watching their games very hard for fans. The team was booed by their home crowd before heading into the All-Star break. The faithful fans might stay, but the Bulls will have to step up, or their post season will be very short this year. This season is shaping up to be a complete failure for everyone, from owner Jerry Reinsdorf and front office duo Gar Forman and John Paxon, to new head coach Hoiberg and every single player who has stepped on the floor. Although Forman told WSCR AM670 reporter David Shuster they were "very active" at the trade deadline, they failed to make any significant moves or free up much salary cap space. They deserve to hear the boo's if they don't turn things around after the All-Star break.


After a hearing pursuant to § 242(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1852, petitioner, an alien who had been convicted in 1938 of violation of the Marihuana Tax Act, was ordered deported. Section 241(a)(11) of the 1952 Act makes such conviction at any time ground for deportation, and § 241(d) provides that the deportation provisions of § 241(a) shall apply even though the facts giving rise to the alien's deportability occurred prior to the date of enactment of the 1952 Act. The validity of the deportation order was challenged by petitioner in a habeas corpus proceeding.
1. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 expressly supersedes the hearing provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act. Pp. 349 U. S. 305-310.
2. The fact that the special inquiry officer was subject to the supervision and control of officials in the Immigration Service charged with investigative and prosecuting functions did not so strip the hearing of fairness and impartiality as to make the procedure violative of the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. P. 349 U. S. 311.
3. Petitioner failed to support his claim that, within the meaning of this Court's decisions in the Accardi cases, his case was prejudged by the Board of Immigration Appeals and by the special inquiry officer. Pp. 349 U. S. 311-314.
4. The prohibition of the ex post facto clause of the Constitution does not apply to deportation of aliens. Galvan v. Press, 347 U. S. 522; Harisiades v. Shaughnessy, 342 U. S. 580. P. 349 U. S. 314.
Petitioner, a native of Tunis, Africa, was ordered deported after a hearing pursuant to § 242(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, 66 Stat. 209, 8 U.S.C. § 1252(b). It was found that he had been convicted in 1938 of violation of the Marihuana Tax Act, 26 U.S.C. § 2591, and sentenced to imprisonment for one year. Section 241(a)(11) of the 1952 immigration law [Footnote 1] makes such conviction at any time ground for deportation, and § 241(d) [Footnote 2] provides that the deportation provisions of § 241(a) shall apply even though the facts giving rise to the alien's deportability occurred prior to the date of enactment of the 1952 Act.
they moved to reopen the hearing to apply for such relief. The special inquiry officer denied the motion. On appeal, the Board of Immigration Appeals affirmed the order of deportation. Though no formal application for suspension of deportation under § 244(a)(5) had been filed, the Board considered whether such relief was merited, but exercised its discretion against the remission.
Petitioner then brought this action for a writ of habeas corpus, challenging the validity of the deportation order on the grounds, inter alia: (1) that the hearing under § 242(b) of the Act failed to comply with the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act in that the special inquiry officer was under the supervision and control of officials in the Immigration Service who performed investigative and prosecuting functions; (2) that § 242(b) violated the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment because it failed to provide for a fair and impartial hearing; (3) that, on the date of petitioner's arrest, the Attorney General made a public statement, which "was bound to have great effect upon the special inquiry officer," to the effect that petitioner was an undesirable citizen for whose deportation the proceedings were "specially designed," and, further, that, in 1952, the Attorney General "prepared a list of 152 persons [including petitioner] whom he desired to deport"; and (4) that the retroactive application of § 241(a)(11) was unconstitutional as an ex post facto law.
Court, certiorari having been granted to resolve issues having a significant bearing on the administration of our immigration laws. 348 U.S. 805.
Applicability of the Administrative Procedure Act.
or prosecuting (other than in the permitted dual capacity). An alternative method is permitted by § 242(b), however, under which an additional immigration officer presents the evidence while the special inquiry officer presides. See 8 CFR § 242.53. Special inquiry officers are subject to such supervision as the Attorney General prescribes, 66 Stat. 171, 8 U.S.C. § 1101(b)(4), and at present they are subject to the supervision of district directors of the immigration districts to which they are assigned, as well as higher Service officials, all with enforcement responsibilities of the type proscribed by § 5(c) of the Administrative Procedure Act.
Under the allegations here made, the single attack of the petitioner pertains to the supervision of the special inquiry officer by the investigative and prosecuting officials of the Immigration Service. The alternative procedure of § 242(b) was employed in this case, so the presiding officer did not undertake the functions of prosecutor; and there is no allegation that he engaged in investigative or prosecuting functions in this or any factually related case. For the sake of clarity, however, we shall consider all of the differences in the hearing provisions of the two Acts in determining whether the Administrative Procedure Act is to govern.
1952 Immigration Act, and, in effect, reinstated the Sung case by making the hearing provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act directly applicable to deportation proceedings. A comparison of the pertinent provisions of the two statutes is perhaps the strongest indication that the Congress had no such intention.
1. Section 242(b) of the Immigration Act begins by enumerating the functions of the special inquiry officer, that he shall administer oaths, receive evidence, etc. A similar, though more extensive and detailed, provision appears in § 7(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act, but, of course, this section makes no mention of functions stemming from the special inquiry officer's dual role as prosecutor and judge.
2. Section 242(b) then directs that a determination of deportability be made only upon the record of a proceeding at which the alien had a reasonable opportunity to be present. A similar direction as to the record appears in § 7(d) of the Administrative Procedure Act, and as to the party's personal appearance in § 6(a).
3. Section 242(b) then deals with matters peculiar to deportation proceedings, which have no direct analogues in the Administrative Procedure Act: safeguards to be established to protect mentally incompetent aliens; the right of the inquiry officer to proceed if the alien deliberately absents himself; the option to pursue the alternative procedure, described above, in which one official prosecutes and another decides.
4. Next in § 242(b) is the limitation already noted on the special inquiry officer's sitting in the same case in which he has also engaged in investigative or prosecuting functions. The more restrictive analogue in § 5(c) of the Administrative Procedure Act has also been presented.
first of these gives the alien the right to reasonable notice of the charges against him and of the time and place at which the proceedings shall be held. A similar requirement appears in § 5(a) of the Administrative Procedure Act.
6. The second provision which § 242(b) requires to be included in the regulations is the privilege of the alien to be represented by counsel of his own choosing. Section 6(a) of the Administrative Procedure Act bestows a similar privilege on any person compelled to appear in person before the agency.
7. The regulations under § 242(b) must also provide that the alien be given a reasonable opportunity to present and examine evidence and to cross-examine witnesses. The same ground is covered in § 7(c) of the Administrative Procedure Act.
8. The regulations promulgated under § 242(b) must require that decisions of deportability be based upon reasonable, substantial and probative evidence. To the same effect is § 7(c) of the Administrative Procedure Act.
9. Finally, in addition to the requirements of § 242(b), there is the direction of § 101(b)(4) of the Immigration Act that the special inquiry officer shall be subject to such supervision as the Attorney General shall prescribe. This covers the same question as the portion of § 5(c) of the Administrative Procedure Act dealing with the supervision and control of hearing officers.
Administrative Procedure Act and the Immigration Act, and the framework of the latter indicates clearly that the Administrative Procedure Act was being used as a model. But it was intended only as a model, and when, in this very particularized adaptation, there was a departure from the Administrative Procedure Act -- based on novel features in the deportation process -- surely it was the intention of the Congress to have the deviation apply, and not the general model. Were the courts to ignore these provisions and look only to the Administrative Procedure Act, the painstaking efforts detailed above would be completely meaningless. Congress could have accomplished as much simply by stating that there should be a hearing to determine the question of deportability.
"The procedure [herein prescribed] shall be the sole and exclusive procedure for determining the deportability of an alien under this section."
stated that § 242(b) sets up special procedures for deportation proceedings, that these are made exclusive, and that the exemption from the Administrative Procedure Act in the Supplemental Appropriation Act of 1951 is repealed because it is "no longer necessary." S.Rep. No. 1137, 82d Cong., 2d Sess., p. 28. The House Report is to the same effect, stating that the prescribed deportation proceedings shall be the sole and exclusive procedure, "notwithstanding the provisions of any other law." H.R.Rep. No. 1365, 82d Cong., 2d Sess., p. 58. Throughout the debates, it is made clear that the Administrative Procedure Act does not apply directly, but that its provisions have been specially adapted to meet the needs of the deportation process. See particularly the detailed statement of Senator McCarran, 98 Cong.Rec. 5625-5626, wherein he recognizes a departure from the "dual examiner provisions" of the Administrative Procedure Act, the very section here in issue.
Exemptions from the terms of the Administrative Procedure Act are not lightly to be presumed in view of the statement in § 12 of the Act that modifications must be express, cf. Shaughnessy v. Pedreiro, 349 U. S. 48. But we cannot ignore the background of the 1952 immigration legislation, its laborious adaptation of the Administrative Procedure Act to the deportation process, the specific points at which deviations from the Administrative Procedure Act were made, the recognition in the legislative history of this adaptive technique and of the particular deviations, and the direction in the statute that the methods therein prescribed shall be the sole and exclusive procedure for deportation proceedings. Unless we are to require the Congress to employ magical passwords in order to effectuate an exemption from the Administrative Procedure Act, we must hold that the present statute expressly supersedes the hearing provisions of that Act.
The Hearing Procedures and Due Process.
As noted above, the only complaint which petitioner can urge concerning the hearing procedures in this case is the objection that the special inquiry officer was subject to the supervision and control of officials in the Immigration Service charged with investigative and prosecuting functions. Petitioner would have us hold that the presence of this relationship so strips the hearing of fairness and impartiality as to make the procedure violative of due process. The contention is without substance when considered against the longstanding practice in deportation proceedings, judicially approved in numerous decisions in the federal courts, and against the special considerations applicable to deportation which the Congress may take into account in exercising its particularly broad discretion in immigration matters.
[petitioner] was an undesirable citizen, and had been guilty of many crimes, and that the proceedings were specially designed to deport petitioner,"
"the Attorney General, sometime in 1952, prepared a list of 152 persons whom he desired to deport, and that [his] name was included on this list."
evidence which we will supply -- that the real basis for the denial of suspension here was the fact that Marcello was one of these hundred whom the Attorney General had named. . . ."
No evidence of this was forthcoming. As to petitioner's charges concerning the Attorney General's "list," the record is completely barren.
Nor does petitioner fare better in seeking to base prejudgment on the unfavorable publicity accompanying his arrest. He introduced newspaper clippings into evidence to show the adverse local publicity and alleged that this publicity must have had a "great effect" upon the special inquiry officer. But the record indicates clearly that petitioner's case could not possibly have been prejudiced in the hearing before the inquiry officer. On the question of petitioner's deportability, the sole issue decided by him, the hearing officer merely applied the statute to the undisputed facts. Petitioner admitted that he was deportable under the Immigration Act of 1952 if the Act could constitutionally base deportation on his 1938 marihuana conviction. And the hearing officer could be expected, in any event, to take the law as Congress enacted it. In view of this Court's decisions on the ex post facto objection, the only ground of attack, he could do nothing else. Petitioner waived the only issue on which prejudgment was possible when he declined to apply for discretionary relief at the proper time. See 8 CFR § 242.54(d).
factors relied on by the Board in reaching its conclusion. It is sufficient to observe that all had basis in the record, and that none stemmed from any sort of dictation by the Attorney General.
Finally, we note that, even as to his claim relating to adverse publicity, petitioner introduced no evidence other than the newspaper clippings. Surely, on this meager showing, the district judge was warranted in finding -- as he did -- that the special inquiry officer, the only official mentioned in petitioner's pleadings, was not controlled in his decision by superiors in the Department of Justice. The decision of the district judge cannot be set aside as clearly erroneous. Accordingly, we hold that, under our Accardi decisions, petitioner has failed to make out a case for a new hearing.
Petitioner's last objection stems from the fact that his conviction under the Marihuana Tax Act was not ground for deportation at the time he committed the offense, and that he was not forewarned of all the consequences of his criminal conduct. It is urged that we depart from our recent decisions holding that the prohibition of the ex post facto clause does not apply to deportation, and strike down as unconstitutional the retroactive application of the new grounds for deportation in § 241(a)(11) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952. We perceive no special reasons, however, for overturning our precedents on this matter, and adhere to our decisions in Galvan v. Press, 347 U. S. 522, and Harisiades v. Shaughnessy, 342 U. S. 580.
66 Stat. 204, 8 U.S.C. § 1251(a)(11).
66 Stat. 208, 8 U.S.C. § 1251(d).
66 Stat. 214, 8 U.S.C. § 1254(a)(5).
Section 7(a) of the Administrative Procedure Act directs that, in general, administrative hearings shall be held before hearing officers appointed pursuant to § 11 of the Act.
"Attorney General James P. McGranery announced today that Carlos Marcello of Miami, Florida, and Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, has been arrested on a deportation warrant by the Immigration and Naturalization Service."
"The arrest in New Orleans was the first major deportation move undertaken since the new Immigration and Nationality Act became effective December 24, 1952. The action was another step in the Attorney General's program of denaturalization and/or deportation of undesirable persons of foreign birth who are engaged in racketeering or other criminal activities."
"Marcello, born February 6, 1910, in Tunis, Africa, entered the United States for permanent residence October 7, 1910, at New Orleans."
"He allegedly is engaged in large-scale slot machine operations and other gambling activities in Louisiana."
"The deportation warrant was based on his conviction in 1938 for violation of the Marijuana Act. Such a conviction is a deportable offense under the new Immigration and Nationality Act."
"The action follows lengthy investigations by both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Immigration and Naturalization Service. His conviction under the Marijuana Act was one of only two in his checkered career. The other case in which he was convicted was under Louisiana State law, the conviction being for assault and robbery, and, on May 13, 1930, he was sentenced to serve a term of 9 to 14 years in the Louisiana State Penitentiary. The Governor of Louisiana gave him a full pardon for this crime July 16, 1935."
"Marcello served a year and a day after his conviction under the Marijuana Act."
A fair hearing necessarily includes an impartial tribunal. Petitioner claims that the circumstances here deprived him of that kind of tribunal. The officer who conducted the hearings, decided the case and made recommendations for deportation was connected with the Immigration and Naturalization Service. This hearing officer was subject to the supervision, direction, and control of the Attorney General and his subordinate supervisory officers of the Immigration Service who perform investigative and prosecutorial functions. Thus, the hearing officer adjudicated the very case against petitioner which the hearing officer's superiors initiated and prosecuted. Petitioner's argument is that requiring him to have his cause adjudicated by such a subordinate of the prosecutors deprives him of due process. This due process challenge cannot be lightly dismissed, but I find it unnecessary to rest my dissent on a determination of that question. For Congress, in the Administrative Procedure Act, [Footnote 2/2] has barred hearing officers from adjudicating cases under the circumstances here, and I think that Act is applicable to this case.
or direction of any officer, employee, or agent engaged in the performance of investigative or prosecuting functions for any agency."
"Proceedings under law relating to the exclusion or expulsion of aliens shall hereafter be without regard to the provisions of sections 5, 7, and 8 of the Administrative Procedure Act. [Footnote 2/3]"
Were this express modification of the Procedure Act still in effect, we would have to reach the constitutional question raised by petitioner. But this appropriation rider was repealed in the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act. [Footnote 2/4] The result of this repeal was to leave § 5(c) of the Administrative Procedure Act applicable to immigration cases unless, as the Government contends, other provisions of the 1952 Immigration Act made the Procedure Act inapplicable. I think this contention of the Government should not be sustained.
"No subsequent legislation shall be held to supersede or modify the provisions of this Act except to the extent that such legislation shall do so expressly."
The 1950 appropriation rider was an express modification of the prior Procedure Act, but, unlike the Court, I find no such express modification in the 1952 Immigration Act. Indeed, that Act's legislative sponsors disclaimed any purpose to bring about even an implied modification.
"Notwithstanding any other law, including the Act of June 11, 1946 [the Administrative Procedure Act], the proceedings so prescribed shall be the sole and exclusive procedure for determining the deportability of an alien who is in the United States. [Footnote 2/5]"
Hearings on these proposals brought strong protests from some organizations, including the American Bar Association, against the provision making the Administrative Procedure Act inapplicable to deportation proceedings. [Footnote 2/6] Afterwards, the sponsors of the immigration measures introduced new bills which significantly omitted from that provision the words "Notwithstanding any other law, including the Act of June 11, 1946 [the Administrative Procedure Act]." Consequently when the bill finally passed, there was no language which "expressly" superseded or modified the binding requirement of § 5(c) of the Administrative Procedure Act.
"The Administrative Procedure Act is made applicable to the bill. The Administrative Procedure Act prevails now. . . . The bill provides for administrative procedures, and makes the Administrative Procedure Act applicable insofar as the administration of the bill is concerned. [Footnote 2/7]"
appropriation bill several years ago when it legislated to overturn a decision of the Supreme Court, which ruled that the Administrative Procedures Act is applicable in deportation proceedings. We undo that. So here, instead of our destroying the Administrative Procedures Act, we actually see that it is reinstated in every instance. [Footnote 2/8]"
"We have been very zealous to see that the philosophy underlying that act [Administrative Procedure] is embodied in this measure. I am sure that if the gentleman will look at page 163, paragraph 46, he will find that the law as it was before the House adopted this amendment to an appropriation bill, has been reinstated, and that the decision of the Supreme Court in the Sung case will be the law of the land when this code is adopted. [Footnote 2/9]"
As previously pointed out, the Sung case held that § 5(c) of the Administrative Procedure Act did apply to deportation cases.
the other day, we had pointed out to us an instance in which the immigration authorities had relieved an immigration hearing officer from his duties because they believed that the hearing officer had failed adequately to present available derogatory information against an alien. [Footnote 2/10] It is hard to defend the fairness of a practice that subjects judges to the power and control of prosecutors. Human nature has not put an impassable barrier between subjection and subserviency, particularly when job security is at stake. That Congress was aware of this is shown by the Procedure Act, and we should not construe the Immigration Act on a contrary assumption.
I would reverse this case.
Japanese Immigrant Case, 189 U. S. 86, 189 U. S. 100-101; Wong Yang Sung v. McGrath, 339 U. S. 33, 339 U. S. 49-51.
60 Stat. 237, 5 U.S.C. §§ 1001-1011.
64 Stat. 1048, 8 U.S.C. (1046 ed.) § 155a.
66 Stat. 166, 8 U.S.C. § 1101 et seq.
Joint hearings before the Subcommittees of the Committees on the Judiciary S. 716, H.R. 2379, H.R. 2816, 82d Cong., 1st Sess. 526-537, 591, 691-692, 739.
Shaughnessy v. Accardi, 349 U. S. 280, 349 U. S. 284 (dissenting opinion).
The Constitution places a ban on all ex post facto laws. There are no qualifications or exceptions. Article I, § 9, applicable to the Federal Government, speaks in absolute terms: "No . . . ex post facto Law shall be passed." [Footnote 3/1] The prohibition is the same whether a citizen or an alien is the victim. So far as ex post facto laws are concerned, the prohibition is all-inclusive and complete.
There is a school of thought that the Ex Post Facto Clause includes all retroactive legislation, civil as well as criminal. See Crosskey, Politics and the Constitution, Vol. I, c. XI; Vol. II, p. 1053. Mr. Justice Johnson took that view, maintaining that a restriction of the Clause to criminal acts was unwarranted. See Ogden v. Saunders, 12 Wheat. 213, 25 U. S. 271, 25 U. S. 286; Satterlee v. Matthewson, 2 Pet. 380, 27 U. S. 416. The Court, however, has stated over and again since Calder v. Bull, 3 Dall.
386, that the Ex Post Facto Clause applies only in criminal cases. See Carpenter v. Commonwealth, 17 How. 456, 58 U. S. 463; Johannessen v. United States, 225 U. S. 227, 225 U. S. 242; Bugajewitz v. Adams, 228 U. S. 585, 228 U. S. 591; Mahler v. Eby, 264 U. S. 32, 264 U. S. 39.
At the same time, there was a parallel development in the field of ex post facto legislation. Chief Justice Marshall, in Fletcher v. Peck, 6 Cranch 87, 10 U. S. 138-139, refused to construe the Ex Post Facto Clause narrowly, and restrict it to criminal prosecutions. The Fletcher case held that property rights that had vested could not be displaced by legislative fiat. That liberal view persisted. It was given dramatic application in post-Civil War days. The leading cases are Cummings v. Missouri, 4 Wall. 277, and Ex parte Garland, 4 Wall. 333, where the right to practice a person's profession was sought to be taken away, in the first case by a State, in the second by the Federal Government, for acts which carried no such penalty when they were committed. The essence of those proceedings was the revocation of a license. Yet the Court held them to be violative of the Ex Post Facto Clauses because they were "punishment" for acts carrying no such sanctions when done.
Deportation may be as severe a punishment as loss of livelihood. See Bridges v. Wixon, 326 U. S. 135, 326 U. S. 154; Delgadillo v. Carmichael, 332 U. S. 388, 332 U. S. 391. As Mr. Justice Brandeis stated in Ng Fung Ho v. White, 259 U. S. 276, 259 U. S. 284, deportation may result "in loss of both property and life, or of all that makes life worth living."
In the absence of a rational connection between the imposition of the penalty of deportation and the present desirability of the alien as a resident in this country, the conclusion is inescapable that the Act merely adds a new punishment for a past offense. That is the injustice that the Ex Post Facto Clause was designed to prevent.
"No State shall . . . pass any . . . ex post facto Law. . . ."
In Mahler v. Eby, 264 U. S. 32, the Act in question provided that aliens in certain classes (including those convicted under specified statutes) should be deported if the Secretary of Labor found those aliens to be undesirable residents of the United States. Thus, the primary basis for deportation was a finding by the appropriate administrative official that an alien was presently an undesirable resident. In Bugajewitz v. Adams, 228 U. S. 585, the Court stated with regard to the alien to be deported, " . . . we must take it at least, that she is a prostitute now," and concluded that, with regard to her, it was "not necessary to construe the statute as having any retrospective effect." Id. at 228 U. S. 590-591.
Johannessen v. United States, 225 U. S. 227, involved an attempt to cancel a certificate of citizenship on the ground it had been fraudulently and illegally procured. The Court pointed out that the Act did not impose a new penalty on the wrongdoer, but merely provided a method for depriving him of a privilege "that was never rightfully his." Id. at 225 U. S. 242-243.


text:
In France, a pandemic dilemma over holiday rights for elders
by John Leicester
Marguerite Mouille, left, is greeted by her grandson Thierry Mouille at a nursing home in Kaysesberg, eastern France, Monday Dec. 21, 2020. Thierry Mouille is torturing himself over the government's Christmas offer of a three-week window of relaxed rules. He's changed his mind again and again about whether to bring his 94-year-old grandmother Marguerite out to share a holiday meal. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
Not once in the long months since the pandemic struck has 74-year-old Jean-Francois been able to leave his nursing home in eastern France to visit his daughter or sister.
In fact, the retired metal worker thinks it's been two months since he last stuck his nose outside at all, as nursing homes across France shielded their vulnerable residents from another nationwide surge of virus infections and deaths.
Yet freedom now beckons.
Until Jan. 3, France is springing nursing home residents for the holidays. The aim is to alleviate some of the mental suffering and solitude of the pandemic by allowing multi-generation family reunions, which have been off-limits during repeated lockdowns for fear of relatives infecting each other.
And so a year full of sorrows and privations is ending with nursing home residents and their families facing the agonizing dilemma of whether a few days, or hours, of communal Christmas and New Year's cheer are worth risking lives for.
As well as trips out of the nursing homes, the three-week window of relaxed rules also allows visits to care homes with COVID-19 cases and to residents who are infected. Visits were previously allowed only in homes with no infections.
Madame Geltzenlichter Raymonde receives a visit from her son and his wife at a nursing home in Kaysesberg, eastern France, Monday Dec. 21, 2020. France is springing elderly residents from care homes for the holiday season. The aim is to alleviate some of the mental suffering and solitude of the coronavirus pandemic by letting care-home residents spend time with family members over Christmas and New Year's. But the 20-day window of opportunity is creating a dilemma for some families. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
On the other hand, even without the pandemic, this might be the last chance for many elderly people to celebrate Christmas with their families.
Jean-Francois' daughter wants him to join them around the Christmas tree. But he would rather stay put, as the risk of infection unnerves him.
"I'm very scared," he said.
The year-end gift of freedom also comes with strings attached: Residents face a government-mandated week of solitary confinement in their rooms when they return. Jean-Francois doesn't relish that prospect. But he is also mindful of not hurting his daughter's feelings, which is why he didn't want to be identified by his full name in explaining his preference to spend the holidays apart.
"Family is sacred," he said in a phone interview. "But to then spend a week in total confinement in my room is a big thing."
A medical personnel guides residents of a nursing home to the dinning room in Kaysesberg, eastern France, Monday Dec. 21, 2020. France is springing elderly residents from care homes for the holiday season. The aim is to alleviate some of the mental suffering and solitude of the coronavirus pandemic by letting care-home residents spend time with family members over Christmas and New Year's. But the 20-day window of opportunity is creating a dilemma for some families. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
"A week isn't very long," he added, "but it's extremely long for us."
The director of Jean-Francois' home is trying to limit family outings as much as she can. Lucile Grillon says some of her staffers are still traumatized by the two dozen deaths they saw when the epidemic hit France with full force in March. She wants to spare them and her residents more misery if she can.
She says some residents are secretly relieved that she is frowning on trips outside.
The three nursing homes that Grillon manages have so far successfully kept out infections during the autumn-winter surge in cases that has pushed France's death toll past 60,000, nearly one-third of them inside nursing homes. During visits in homes, residents and loved ones are encouraged not to touch or embrace each other or exchange gifts. Grillon fears these barriers against the virus will be forgotten in family settings, with festive gift-giving and feasting.
Medical personnel serve food during lunch time at a nursing home in Kaysesberg, eastern France, Monday Dec. 21, 2020. France is springing elderly residents from care homes for the holiday season. The aim is to alleviate some of the mental suffering and solitude of the coronavirus pandemic by letting care-home residents spend time with family members over Christmas and New Year's. But the 20-day window of opportunity is creating a dilemma for some families. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
From her perspective, in one of France's regions hit hardest by the latest surge of infections, "it's completely irresponsible to let residents out," Grillon says. "The virus isn't going to say, 'It is Christmas. I'm not going to contaminate people.'"
In the northeast town of Kaysersberg, Thierry Mouillé tortured himself over the government's Christmas offer. He changed his mind again and again about whether to bring his 94-year-old grandmother Marguerite out to share a holiday meal.
"It's awful," he said. "The choice between one special visit at Christmas and confinement for a week, or multiple little visits on days that aren't as special."
Mouillé says he understands residents who don't want to leave; he also understands families who fear this Christmas could be their loved ones' last, and don't want to pass up this opportunity to surround them with holiday affection while they still can.
His grandmother let him make the decision. On Wednesday evening, Mouillé finally decided to join her on Christmas Eve to listen to carols together but not to take her out.
Many nursing homes are taking the view that the holidays are an unmissable family occasion. Directors of homes struck by cases are also hoping that residents who tested positive have some immunity that could protect them during family reunions.
Valerie Martin is letting out six of her residents on Christmas Day and has requests for another four for New Year's Day. The home she manages on the outskirts of Lyon made headlines earlier this year when she and other staff members locked themselves in with their residents for 47 days to minimize the risk of infecting them. The home stayed COVID-free until November, when a resident returning from a hospital stay brought the virus back with him. The home has since had 35 cases and seven deaths.
Martin says some families pleaded with her to lock in everyone over the festive period, to lower the risk of further infections.
Angele Martin gets Christmas cookies from her family at a nursing home in Kaysesberg, eastern France, Monday Dec. 21, 2020. France is springing elderly residents from care homes for the holiday season. The aim is to alleviate some of the mental suffering and solitude of the coronavirus pandemic by letting care-home residents spend time with family members over Christmas and New Year's. But the 20-day window of opportunity is creating a dilemma for some families. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
She says that's impossible.
"There are people who are in fine health, who aren't COVID-positive, and I am not going to deprive them of their families simply because we are scared of the virus," she says. "I'm always on the side of freedom for the residents."
French nursing home sees 9 deaths in 1 week as virus returns
Citation: In France, a pandemic dilemma over holiday rights for elders (2020, December 23) retrieved 18 January 2021 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-12-france-pandemic-dilemma-holiday-rights.html
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I am trying something new using something old to attract some additional traffic to my new political blog.
I have an existing subscriber base on a YouTube channel, where I have not been active recently. So this morning, I created a 60 second video commercial for my political blog to upload to that existing YouTube channel.
Become a video element on the blog's sidebar to increase conversions from referral and search traffic into subscribers.
From Mixergy, an interview podcast featuring lessons learned from successful entrepreneurs, I understand that YouTube videos are one of the most successful methods for attracting traffic that will convert. In addition, one of the ads often running at the beginning of Mixergy interviews touts the A/B tested benefit of video embedded on a site for increasing conversions.
I created it as a draft quality piece because something is better than nothing and I can polish after testing with the draft. For the script, I just took the content from my blog's About page and abbreviated it down to identifying the problem and the solution plus a call to action.
While I would have liked to get the video down to 30 seconds, I am pleased enough with the 60 seconds run time given the length of my typical You Tube videos. For my narrated part, I had to speak at about twice my normal (aka slow) rate to get the commercial down to a minute.
If you have tried something like this, what lessons learned do you have?
Search traffic to my new blog has NOT been happening. Yesterday, I was surprised when I started getting search hits from Bing and Yahoo on the term "FY 2013 Continuing Resolution". This was exciting because: (1) I was seeing search referrals, (2) I had just posted the piece in the morning, and (3) I found that it had the #1 position for those terms on those search engines. Meanwhile, I was nowhere for those terms on Google.
While I think about search engine optimization (SEO) as something that I ought to think to do, I don't really try to study the best practices and apply them when I edit, if I edit a post. But this difference in search position in Bing, Yahoo, and Google raised my curiosity, are headlines really much more important to Bing and Yahoo for search results? While Google is bigger, what if I did something small as a test to target these other search engines? I might actually get more search referrals just by putting a little more thought into my post titles; just as I had been testing with my posts to Reddit.
According to Adam Bauthues, I am actually seeing Bing credit the keywords in my post's URL, which is auto generated by WordPress to match my headline.
Included in a post full of blog writing tips, Annabel Candy shared some specific ways to write better headlines, which really focus on the theme of making headlines more useful and informative for potential readers considering your post from a long list of other options…be explicit about your post's value to them.
She also recommends breaking up a long post with subheading to make the post easier for readers to scan quickly and highlight the value available by reading all that text. I do recall a solicitation for SEO consulting services that shared the tip that such subheadings, using header tags in HTML, increase the visibility of our writing on search engines.
I have noticed that successful channels on YouTube often change the headline for their videos, which I assume is to increase visibility and attractiveness. Have you tried changing your headline on posts with disappointment traffic? If so, what did you find from your effort?
In doing an autopsy on my least successful posts in attracting traffic, I have tested them by gauging general interest for the topic using simple Google searches, or getting metrics for those ideas using Google's Adwords Keyword Tool. In addition to identifying alternative terms with better metrics, I have sometimes found that there was not much interest in those ideas. Do you perform any such testing either before or after you post? If so, what did you learn?
Personally, I am going to give a bit more thought to my post headlines and test the results. It is a small first step that is not too difficult to implement.
Starting a new blog focused on politics, I decided to try reddit as a source to kickstart some traffic. As reddit referrals are now 50% of my traffic, I think that the experiment has had a successful start, so let me share some of my lessons learned.
Self-promoting blog content on reddit is easy and without significant friction.
The reddit post title attracts the interest as that is what the users primarily will see, so experiment and test.
Reddit's system for voting and comments are used actively and provide insightful metrics when feedback is not being left on a new blog.
Older evergreen blog posts that are not attracting traffic can be resurrected with a reddit post.
Subreddits are great for doing segmentation testing as you can target specific communities and tailor titles to that community.
Posting the same post to different subreddits on different days can keep posts active overtime and allow for easy differentiation of traffic from different subreddits for results tracking.
Subreddits have their own personalities and can sometimes respond differently than their name would suggest.
Controversy resulting from matching a post with a subreddit can help traffic to your site even if it is not helping your link karma. Highly recommended.
Reddit offers a good opportunity to reach new potential readers from outside your usual circles of communication.
If you have not been using Reddit to promote your own blog content, using the above lessons learned, I have a suggestion for how to start with a test using the traffic stats already tracked for your blog.
Start by picking seven of your posts that you think deserve more eyes. In doing so, do not ignore older posts that still have timely information.
Brainstorm types of people that you think would be interested in each specific post.
Use the search feature on reddit to find subreddits that are a community for those types of people.
Throughout the week, submit links for your posts to various subreddits and track the results using your own blog's traffic stats.
At the end of the week, review your own lessons learned and plan how you could use reddit to promote your blog content.
You can check out reddit's FAQ for how-to details.
If you try this experiment, please share your own lessons learned.
I was participating on a discussion podcast for the Objectivist Seminar and I was asked if I was the Jim Woods of "Word by Woods".
Let me just say that I was both shocked that my identity online was my posts here and that I have neglected to support that "brand".
Ironically, my to-do-list for today included engaging with the Objectivist Seminar, which reminded me that my prior efforts on this blog have been effective and should be extended.
You may have noticed that Words by Woods is undergoing a spring sprucing.
Taking advantage of new themes created by PRODOS, we are now brought to you in the very sharp looking "Gather Your Thoughts 05" and feature 10 widgets along the right of the page.
enable you to subscribe to track comments on a particular post.
lots of new links that I track through my Google Reader subscriptions.
The RSS widget is not correctly parsing the link location for the "Top Stories" and "Obloggers" feeds, as a temp work around removing the trailing URL for the website that was appended to the item location.
Diana Hsieh at NoodleFood has started a mailing list for Objectivist bloggers to facilitate communication and share blogging tips/news.
She has some good blogging tips available in an old NoodleFood entry.
Below is a list of new blogs I plan to check out.
I have added several new links for my convenience and hopefully yours as well.
Bloodstomper Threatened Me! What to do?
"I wish I could personally torture you and all of your friends–and your mom! Yes, I know you did it, and I would love to torture you until you confessed. Then I could torture you some more! I need to torture you really, really bad. You might even die, so I really need to torture you until you confess!
I'm not sure what to do at this point as this guy or gal seems absolutely insane based on' the comment. Do I contact Yahoo about a TOS violation and find out how to obtain his information in order to forward it to the police? Could his ISP help me track him down through the IP address? Should I call my attorney for some advice?
UPDATE 9/17/2006: From research on other posts, it seems possible that Bloodstomper is either a woman or a frustrated transvestite that calls himself Barbie instead of Bill.
I will move those types of posts here as I find Prodos' ThinkerToThinker platform to be superior to AOL's Journals platform.
However, I will still continue the Frank Wolf WatchÂÂon AOL, which is appropriate because AOL HQ is in the district. I have a new entry there from an LTE to the Loundoun Independent regarding Congressman Wolf's opposition to Capitalism.
A self-reported faculty member at Meredith College has commented on my post regarding that college's rejection of a donation from the BB&T Charitable Foundation to fund a program in business ethics.
His point was that conditions made on the donation were a threat to academic freedom.
For brevity, let me suggest that Meredith College was seeking freedom from reality, more specifically that the producer of value has a right to set the terms by which it is used. The college's objection was not over BB&T Charitable Foundation giving money, but that it as the producer of the value should set the terms for how that money would be used.
While Meredith College is free to insist on this condition, BB&T Charitable Foundation was correct to refuse, and it is my hope that they will find a partner who would with deal with them on their terms.


text:
Mirror 8 of 2020 12 Nov 2020
Nabil's miraculous escape - an appeal for help
4 August should have been the happiest day in the life of Jad, a young Lebanese man. For it was the day when his wife Christelle gave birth to their first son, Nabil, in St. George's Hospital, in Beirut.
Their happiness lasted just fifteen minutes. For at 6.07 p.m. 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate exploded in Hanger 13 in the nearby port of Beirut. Over 200 people died and more than 6,500 were wounded. "Everything flew through the air; I thought war had broken out. My first thought was for my wife and child. It was a miracle. When I see the cradle in which Nabil was lying, I can only give thanks to God. It was directly beneath the shattered window, covered in shards of glass that had dug into the blankets like small lances. But Nabil was completely unscathed, untouched."
Jad took the uninjured child into his arms – and marvelled. Something similar must have happened in the stable of Bethlehem, around 300 km to the south of Beirut when Joseph first set eyes on the newborn Child. At that time, two thousand years ago, God was also protecting the newborn child. But St. George's Orthodox Hospital, the oldest and one of the three largest hospitals in the country, was almost completely wrecked. Christelle had to be taken with Nabil to another hospital 50 miles (80 km) away.
Those were hard and challenging moments for this young father. They changed his whole life, just as Saint Joseph's life was changed when, after being warned by the angel in a dream, he took the Child and his Mother that very night, and fled into Egypt (cf Mt 2:14). "The explosion has changed my life," says Jad. Despite all the difficulties, he says he has worked and fought to build the country "which I love. But in order to remain, we need security and the feeling that someone cares about us Christians. We feel quite alone, abandoned, forgotten.
The destruction is almost beyond belief. 300,000 people were directly affected by the explosion, which particularly devastated the Christian quarter of the city. Thousands have been left homeless and wondering how they are going to survive the winter. The social, economic and political crisis in Lebanon had already plunged the country into deep poverty. Nonetheless, Jad is still thankful for the "miracle" in the hospital. "I say to our child again and again, 'You are
alive because Christ has saved you. Your mother and I were both injured, but you didn't receive a scratch. Never forget that. Jesus was with you at that moment. Have no fear, He will always be with you'."
The three Wise Men brought the Child in Bethlehem gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. What gift does Jad wish for his child? "Peace, security – and the strength to bear the cross of Christ. For being close to Christ means shouldering his cross. My son has lived that reality since the fifteenth minute of his life, and we Christians in Lebanon know this all too well. We have lived through wars and persecutions. We are alive because we have a mission to fulfil. We must bear witness to Christ."
His testimony is also a call for help – which ACN has heard. Let us help all those carrying their cross, just as little Nabil and his parents Christelle and Jad are doing.
To help our brothers and sisters in Lebanon select from the drop-down options below:
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Persecuted and Forgotten? Is a Report on Christians oppressed for their Faith" and it presents the findings of ACN's ongoing research, assessing recent patterns of hatred and discrimination. Covering the period from July 2017 to July 2019, this edition focuses on key developments in 12 countries where the suffering of Christians is particularly severe
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text:
Warren, Buttigieg scrap puts Democratic divide on display
by: WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., holds up two fingers as she speaks during a campaign stop, Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Elizabeth Warren has spent weeks absorbing attacks from moderate rivals looking to blunt her surging campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Now, as the Massachusetts senator risks losing momentum, she's starting to hit back.
After a Democratic Party fundraiser in Boston on Thursday night, Warren blasted Pete Buttigieg, who is emerging as a leading moderate candidate in the lead-off Iowa caucuses set for Feb. 3. She criticized the South Bend, Indiana, mayor for holding closed-door fundraisers with big donors.
"I think that Mayor Pete should open up the doors so that anyone can come in and report on what's being said," Warren said. "Those doors shouldn't be closed, and no one should be left to wonder what kind of promises are being made to the people that then pony up big bucks to be in the room."
Like Warren, Buttigieg has spent much of the past year presenting himself as someone uninterested in political squabbling. But that didn't stop his senior adviser, Lis Smith, from chiding Warren for not being forthcoming about her past legal work representing corporate clients.
"If @ewarren wants to have a debate about transparency, she can start by opening up the doors to the decades of tax returns she's hiding from her work as a corporate lawyer — often defending the types of corporate bad actors she now denounces," Smith tweeted.
Warren responded by suggesting to reporters in New Hampshire on Friday that Buttigieg was trying to "deflect" the issue, adding, "But he's going to be in New York next week, and he's going to do three big fundraisers with rich people."
While testy exchanges are to be expected with voting now looming, this one reflects the deep divides over the Democratic Party's philosophical direction. The progressive populism that helped fuel Warren's rise over the summer has become something of a liability as moderates including Buttigieg and former Vice President Joe Biden question the feasibility of her approach — and find voters are receptive to that skepticism.
"I think there's no doubt that the center approach is getting another look right now," said Mitch Landrieu, a former mayor of New Orleans who was once mentioned as a possible 2020 contender and believes the country wants a "transition" away from President Donald Trump rather than a full political "transformation."
The latter is exactly what Warren has been pitching voters for the better part of the past year, championing a wealth tax, a "Medicare for All" plan giving government-sponsored health care to every American and canceling trillions in college debt. Those issues dominated the primary for months but are now starting to be edged out by questions about whether a more practical approach will be needed to topple Trump in the general election.
Biden is aggressively pitching a more pragmatic center-left agenda, emphasizing his decades in the Senate.
"The Medicare for All option may be a nice idea, but it is very, very, very difficult to get done," Biden said this week in Iowa. "I don't think the bulk of the enthusiasm of the Democratic Party is for Medicare for All."
Billionaire Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor, has joined the race betting he also can be a more-moderate alternative — and Warren has similarly critiqued him. Appearing this week on his own network, Bloomberg TV, Warren said of the ex-mayor: "I don't think, as a Democratic Party, that we should say that the only way you're going to get elected, the only way you're going to be our nominee, is either if you are a billionaire or if you're sucking up to billionaires."
Warren's polls began to stall in late October, when she announced plans to spend $20.5 trillion over a decade to implement Medicare for All but then unveiled a more gradual "transition plan." The senator said that she'd push to get the full proposal through Congress by the end of her third year as president and, in the meantime, use existing, public insurance options to expand health care coverage.
Some saw that as too similar to "public option" plans being championed by Biden and Buttigieg, who argue that candidates backing Medicare for All will spook general election voters who aren't ready to fully scrap their private, usually employer-based health insurance plans.
Kevin A. Nathan, a 48-year-old cybersecurity administrator who attended a recent Warren event in Raleigh, North Carolina, said Warren may need a "strong undercard" in her choice of running mate — should she be the Democratic nominee — to reassure those afraid she's too liberal to beat Trump.
"I think if people took time to dive into her policies rather than let others tell them about who she is she'd be electable," Nathan said.
The race's other leading progressive voice belongs to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has remained among its front-runners despite having a heart attack — even when it looked like Warren might run away with the most liberal wing of the party over the summer.
Sanders has lately reminded voters that he plans to send a Medicare for All bill to Congress during his first week as president — drawing a stark contrast with Warren over a progressive issue on which the pair otherwise agree and countering the notion that the primary will come down to a center-against- left dogfight.
"There's a corporate wing of the party who are desperate to hold onto power," said Jeff Weaver, Sanders' chief strategist. "It's not moderate vs. liberal or progressive vs. moderate. It's progressive vs. corporate, and progressive is going to win."
Warren's campaign spent only about $520,000 on TV advertising in Iowa through mid-November but says it has reserved $4.7 million worth of television airtime there and in the states that vote next: New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina in January and February. Her backers note that none of the candidates bunched near the top of the polls has begun pulling away — meaning there's still time to make up ground.
"Fundamentally, most Democratic primary voters are progressive," said Adam Green, a leading liberal activist and Warren ally. "They want someone with big ideas, and they also want to defeat Trump."
Green said Warren getting months of attacks has frightened primary voters and affected her polling — but that it won't last as candidates including Buttigieg face the added scrutiny that comes with their own rises.
"By January," he said, "it starts to stabilize."
That's already beginning to happen. Buttigieg is under scrutiny for refusing to discuss the three years he spent working for the consulting firm McKinsey & Co., pointing to a nondisclosure agreement he signed. A voter pressed Buttigieg on the issue Friday as he campaigned in New Hampshire.
"It's not like I was running the place," he said. "It was my first job out of school." He added that the company "basically reflects what's wrong with corporate America."
Associated Press writers Hunter Woodall in Concord, N.H., and Bill Barrow in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, contributed to this report.
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