text:
The Only Game That al-Assad Understands: Facing An Unprecedented Disaster!
By Tariq Alhomayed
US President Barack Obama warned the tyrant of Damascus, saying "if you make the tragic mistake of using chemical weapons there will be consequences." However Bashar al-Assad does not understand such language, for until now more than 40,000 Syrians have been killed, whilst his hands are stained with their blood, and so he is unconcerned about meaningless televised words.
Al-Assad's crimes surpass all the crimes that have been committed in our region, historically and in modern times, whilst the danger that he represents increases day by day, particularly as his downfall is imminent. So here we see Arab League Secretary-General saying that al-Assad's ouster "could happen at any time", and that the situation on the ground "clearly shows that the Syrian opposition is making political and military gains" adding that "the battle is now raging in Damascus." So the tyrant is under siege, whilst his regime is crumbling and his control of the capital – rather than Syria as a whole – is slipping. In addition to this, we now see official Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Jihad al-Maqdisi, defecting, or at least taking the decision to flee. Al-Maqdisi is the mouthpiece of the tyrant, and I met him by chance in one of London's streets just weeks before he was appointed Syrian foreign ministry spokesman. He stopped me and said "we read your articles, and we know you and are monitoring you." I was accompanied by an intelligent companion, who said "beware!" However al-Maqdisi has now left al-Assad, which is something that Gaddafi's spokesman did not do, even after the death of the tyrant. This indicates that al-Assad's inner circle is no longer coherent, particularly in light of the noticeable silence from Bouthaina Shaaban, Walid Mualem, Farouk al-Sharaa and the arrogant Faisal al-Miqdad.
The issue does not stop here, for flights to Damascus have been put on hold and the UN has suspended its operations in Syria and withdrawn its non-essential personnel, as has the European Union mission. This tell us that the al-Assad regime is crumbling and that its collapse is imminent; this also means that al-Assad is closer – more than any time before – to using chemical weapons, despite the US and European warnings. What we must pay attention to here, and this is something that we have repeatedly referred to, is that the only thing that al-Assad has yet to do, with regards to the list of threats that he made, is to use chemical weapons. This tells us that he will not hesitate to use such weapons. Therefore the only game that al-Assad and his gang understands is the game of power, and if al-Assad and his gang heard US President Obama say clearly: "stop, and you have three days or less to step down otherwise a coalition of the willing will take action to eradicate you" then at this point the criminal of Damascus will yield, whilst his gang will think about the consequences of their actions. Without such firm language, al-Assad will neither listen nor stop his crimes, including the use of chemical weapons. So what we must remember here is that al-Assad is on a suicide run, the victims of which will be greater than anyone can imagine!
Therefore, what President Obama must understand is that al-Assad's ouster is guaranteed, and this will take place faster than expected, however the price of his ouster will be horrifying, in terms of the political, security and human cost, particularly if we consider the immediate post-Assad period, where there will be no international presence [in Syria]. Therefore if the international community does not take action to guarantee the manner in which al-Assad is toppled, and the immediate post-Assad period, then this will have terrible consequences. This is not a pessimistic reading of the situation, but a warning; al-Assad's end must come about in the expected and studied manner, otherwise we will be facing an unprecedented disaster!
Tariq Alhomayed is the Editor-in-Chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, the youngest person to be appointed that position. He holds a BA degree in Media studies from King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, and has also completed his Introductory courses towards a Master's degree from George Washington University in Washington D.C. He is based in London.
.Com - Muxlima.Com from The Awqaf London
الله أكبر :: Allah Is Great
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About Dr. Bruzzo | Michelle Y. Bruzzo M.D., P.A.
Dr. Bruzzo started practicing Internal Medicine in September of 1999 and most recently converted to a concierge model of practice in 2011. This allows her to have a lengthy appointment per patient in order to spend quality time with each patient in her practice.
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Bhatti, N., Hanbury, A., Stöttinger, J. (2018) Contextual local primitives for binary patent image retrieval, Multimedia Tools and Applications, 77-7.
Mörzinger, R., Horti, A., Thallinger, G., Bhatti, N. (2011) Classifying Patent Images, , CLEF (Notebook Papers/Labs/Workshop), .


text:
#include <keyx/AsymmetricWrappedExchange.h>
#include <MslCryptoException.h>
#include <MslEncodingException.h>
#include <MslError.h>
#include <MslInternalException.h>
#include <MslKeyExchangeException.h>
#include <MslMasterTokenException.h>
#include <crypto/ICryptoContext.h>
#include <crypto/IRandom.h>
#include <crypto/JcaAlgorithm.h>
#include <crypto/OpenSslLib.h>
#include <crypto/SessionCryptoContext.h>
#include <entityauth/EntityAuthenticationData.h>
#include <io/MslEncoderFactory.h>
#include <io/MslObject.h>
#include <tokens/MasterToken.h>
#include <tokens/TokenFactory.h>
#include <util/AuthenticationUtils.h>
#include <util/MslContext.h>
#include <util/MslUtils.h>

using namespace std;
using namespace netflix::msl::crypto;
using namespace netflix::msl::entityauth;
using namespace netflix::msl::io;
using namespace netflix::msl::tokens;
using namespace netflix::msl::util;

using Mechanism = netflix::msl::keyx::AsymmetricWrappedExchange::RequestData::Mechanism;
using RequestData = netflix::msl::keyx::AsymmetricWrappedExchange::RequestData;
using ResponseData = netflix::msl::keyx::AsymmetricWrappedExchange::ResponseData;
using KeyExchangeData = netflix::msl::keyx::KeyExchangeFactory::KeyExchangeData;

namespace netflix {
namespace msl {
namespace keyx {

namespace {
/** Key key pair ID. */
const string KEY_KEY_PAIR_ID = "keypairid";
/** Key mechanism. */
const string KEY_MECHANISM = "mechanism";
/** Key public key. */
const string KEY_PUBLIC_KEY = "publickey";
/** Key encrypted encryption key. */
const string KEY_ENCRYPTION_KEY = "encryptionkey";
/** Key encrypted HMAC key. */
const string KEY_HMAC_KEY = "hmackey";
} // namespace anonymous

// -------- AsymmetricWrappedExchange::RsaWrappingCryptoContext -------- //

AsymmetricWrappedExchange::RsaWrappingCryptoContext::RsaWrappingCryptoContext(const string& id,
    std::shared_ptr<PrivateKey> privateKey, std::shared_ptr<PublicKey> publicKey,
    const AsymmetricWrappedExchange::RsaWrappingCryptoContext::Mode& mode)
: id(id)
, privateKey(privateKey)
, publicKey(publicKey)
, mode(mode)
{
    if (mode != WRAP_UNWRAP_OAEP && mode != WRAP_UNWRAP_PKCS1)
        throw MslInternalException("RSA wrapping crypto context mode not supported.");

    // As an optimization, convert any incoming key into its OpenSSL EVP_PKEY version
    if (privateKey && privateKey->getFormat() == PrivateKey::DEFAULT_FORMAT)
        privateKeyEvp = RsaEvpKey::fromPkcs8(privateKey->getEncoded());
    if (publicKey && publicKey->getFormat() == PublicKey::DEFAULT_FORMAT)
        publicKeyEvp = RsaEvpKey::fromSpki(publicKey->getEncoded());
}

shared_ptr<ByteArray> AsymmetricWrappedExchange::RsaWrappingCryptoContext::encrypt(shared_ptr<ByteArray>,
        shared_ptr<MslEncoderFactory>, const MslEncoderFormat&)
{
    throw MslCryptoException(MslError::ENCRYPT_NOT_SUPPORTED);
}

shared_ptr<ByteArray> AsymmetricWrappedExchange::RsaWrappingCryptoContext::decrypt(shared_ptr<ByteArray>,
        shared_ptr<MslEncoderFactory>)
{
    throw MslCryptoException(MslError::DECRYPT_NOT_SUPPORTED);
}

shared_ptr<ByteArray> AsymmetricWrappedExchange::RsaWrappingCryptoContext::wrap(shared_ptr<ByteArray> data,
        shared_ptr<MslEncoderFactory>, const MslEncoderFormat&)
{
    if (mode == RsaWrappingCryptoContext::Mode::NULL_OP)
        return data;
    if (!publicKey || !publicKeyEvp)
        throw MslCryptoException(MslError::WRAP_NOT_SUPPORTED, "no public key");
    if (publicKey->getFormat() != PublicKey::DEFAULT_FORMAT)
        throw MslCryptoException(MslError::WRAP_ERROR, "bad key format");
    try {
        shared_ptr<ByteArray> result = make_shared<ByteArray>();
        if (mode == Mode::WRAP_UNWRAP_PKCS1) {
            rsaEncrypt(publicKeyEvp->getEvpPkey(), *data, false, *result);
        } else if (mode == Mode::WRAP_UNWRAP_OAEP) {
            rsaEncrypt(publicKeyEvp->getEvpPkey(), *data, true, *result);
        } else {
            throw MslInternalException("Invalid cipher algorithm specified.");
        }
        return result;
    } catch (const MslEncoderException& e) {
        throw MslCryptoException(MslError::CIPHERTEXT_ENVELOPE_ENCODE_ERROR, e);
    }
}

shared_ptr<ByteArray> AsymmetricWrappedExchange::RsaWrappingCryptoContext::unwrap(shared_ptr<ByteArray> data,
        shared_ptr<MslEncoderFactory>)
{
    if (mode == RsaWrappingCryptoContext::Mode::NULL_OP)
        return data;
    if (!privateKey || !privateKeyEvp)
        throw MslCryptoException(MslError::WRAP_NOT_SUPPORTED, "no private key");
    if (privateKey->getFormat() != PrivateKey::DEFAULT_FORMAT)
        throw MslCryptoException(MslError::UNWRAP_ERROR, "bad key format");
    try {
        shared_ptr<ByteArray> result = make_shared<ByteArray>();
        if (mode == Mode::WRAP_UNWRAP_PKCS1) {
            rsaDecrypt(privateKeyEvp->getEvpPkey(), *data, false, *result);
        } else if (mode == Mode::WRAP_UNWRAP_OAEP) {
            rsaDecrypt(privateKeyEvp->getEvpPkey(), *data, true, *result);
        } else {
            throw MslInternalException("Invalid cipher algorithm specified.");
        }
        return result;
    } catch (const MslEncoderException& e) {
        throw MslCryptoException(MslError::CIPHERTEXT_ENVELOPE_ENCODE_ERROR, e);
    }
}

shared_ptr<ByteArray> AsymmetricWrappedExchange::RsaWrappingCryptoContext::sign(shared_ptr<ByteArray> ,
        shared_ptr<MslEncoderFactory>, const MslEncoderFormat&)
{
    throw MslCryptoException(MslError::SIGN_NOT_SUPPORTED);
}

bool AsymmetricWrappedExchange::RsaWrappingCryptoContext::verify(shared_ptr<ByteArray>,
        shared_ptr<ByteArray>, shared_ptr<MslEncoderFactory>)
{
    throw MslCryptoException(MslError::VERIFY_NOT_SUPPORTED);
}

// -------- AsymmetricWrappedExchange::RequestData::Mechanism -------- //

const Mechanism Mechanism::RSA(rsa, "RSA");
const Mechanism Mechanism::ECC(ecc, "ECC");
const Mechanism Mechanism::JWE_RSA(jwe_rsa, "JWE_RSA");
const Mechanism Mechanism::JWEJS_RSA(jwejs_rsa, "JWEJS_RSA");
const Mechanism Mechanism::JWK_RSA(jwk_rsa, "JWK_RSA");
const Mechanism Mechanism::JWK_RSAES(jwk_rsaes, "JWK_RSAES");
const Mechanism Mechanism::INVALID(invalid, "INVALID");

const vector<Mechanism>& Mechanism::getValues()
{
    static vector<Mechanism> values;
    if (values.empty()) {
        values.push_back(RSA);
        values.push_back(ECC);
        values.push_back(JWE_RSA);
        values.push_back(JWEJS_RSA);
        values.push_back(JWK_RSA);
        values.push_back(JWK_RSAES);
        values.push_back(INVALID);
    }
    return values;
}

// -------- AsymmetricWrappedExchange::RequestData -------- //

RequestData::RequestData(const string& keyPairId, const Mechanism& mechanism,
        shared_ptr<PublicKey> publicKey, shared_ptr<PrivateKey> privateKey)
	: KeyRequestData(KeyExchangeScheme::ASYMMETRIC_WRAPPED)
	, keyPairId_(keyPairId)
	, mechanism_(mechanism)
	, publicKey_(publicKey)
	, privateKey_(privateKey)
{}

RequestData::RequestData(shared_ptr<MslObject> keyRequestMo)
	: KeyRequestData(KeyExchangeScheme::ASYMMETRIC_WRAPPED)
{
	shared_ptr<ByteArray> encodedKey;
	try {
		keyPairId_ = keyRequestMo->getString(KEY_KEY_PAIR_ID);
		const string mechanismName = keyRequestMo->getString(KEY_MECHANISM);
		try {
			mechanism_ = Mechanism::fromString(mechanismName);
		} catch (const IllegalArgumentException e) {
			throw MslKeyExchangeException(MslError::UNIDENTIFIED_KEYX_MECHANISM, mechanismName, e);
		}
		encodedKey = keyRequestMo->getBytes(KEY_PUBLIC_KEY);
	} catch (const MslEncoderException& e) {
		stringstream ss;
		ss << "keydata " << keyRequestMo->toString();
		throw MslEncodingException(MslError::MSL_PARSE_ERROR, ss.str(), e);
	}

	if (!encodedKey || !encodedKey->size())
	    throw MslCryptoException(MslError::INVALID_PUBLIC_KEY, "empty public key");

	switch (mechanism_) {
        case Mechanism::rsa:
        case Mechanism::jwe_rsa:
        case Mechanism::jwejs_rsa:
        case Mechanism::jwk_rsa:
        case Mechanism::jwk_rsaes:
            publicKey_ = make_shared<PublicKey>(encodedKey, "RSA");  // assumes key encoding is SPKI
            break;
        default:
            throw MslCryptoException(MslError::UNSUPPORTED_KEYX_MECHANISM, mechanism_.name());
  }
}

shared_ptr<MslObject> RequestData::getKeydata(shared_ptr<MslEncoderFactory> encoder,
        const MslEncoderFormat& /*format*/) const
{
	shared_ptr<MslObject> mo = encoder->createObject();
	mo->put(KEY_KEY_PAIR_ID, keyPairId_);
	mo->put(KEY_MECHANISM, mechanism_.name());
	mo->put(KEY_PUBLIC_KEY, publicKey_->getEncoded());
	return mo;
}

bool RequestData::equals(shared_ptr<const KeyRequestData> obj) const
{
	if (!obj) return false;
	if (this == obj.get()) return true;
	if (!instanceof<const RequestData>(obj)) return false;
	shared_ptr<const RequestData> that = dynamic_pointer_cast<const RequestData>(obj);
	// Private keys are optional but must be considered.
	const bool privateKeysEqual =
	        (privateKey_ && that->privateKey_) &&
			((privateKey_ == that->privateKey_) ||
			(*privateKey_->getEncoded() == *that->privateKey_->getEncoded()));
	return KeyRequestData::equals(that) &&
			keyPairId_ == that->keyPairId_ &&
			mechanism_ == that->mechanism_ &&
			*publicKey_->getEncoded() == *that->publicKey_->getEncoded() &&
			privateKeysEqual;
}

bool operator==(const RequestData& a, const RequestData& b)
{
	shared_ptr<const RequestData> ap(&a, &MslUtils::nullDeleter<RequestData>);
	shared_ptr<const RequestData> bp(&b, &MslUtils::nullDeleter<RequestData>);
	return ap->equals(bp);
}

ResponseData::ResponseData(shared_ptr<MasterToken> masterToken,
        const string& keyPairId, shared_ptr<ByteArray> encryptionKey, shared_ptr<ByteArray> hmacKey)
	: KeyResponseData(masterToken, KeyExchangeScheme::ASYMMETRIC_WRAPPED)
	, keyPairId_(keyPairId)
	, encryptionKey_(encryptionKey)
	, hmacKey_(hmacKey)
{}

ResponseData::ResponseData(shared_ptr<MasterToken> masterToken,
        shared_ptr<MslObject> keyDataMo)
	: KeyResponseData(masterToken, KeyExchangeScheme::ASYMMETRIC_WRAPPED)
{
	try {
		keyPairId_ = keyDataMo->getString(KEY_KEY_PAIR_ID);
		encryptionKey_ = keyDataMo->getBytes(KEY_ENCRYPTION_KEY);
		hmacKey_ = keyDataMo->getBytes(KEY_HMAC_KEY);
	} catch (const MslEncoderException& e) {
		stringstream ss;
		ss << "keydata " << keyDataMo;
		throw MslEncodingException(MslError::MSL_PARSE_ERROR, ss.str(), e);
	}
}

shared_ptr<MslObject> ResponseData::getKeydata(shared_ptr<MslEncoderFactory> encoder,
        const MslEncoderFormat& /*format*/) const
{
	shared_ptr<MslObject> mo = encoder->createObject();
	mo->put(KEY_KEY_PAIR_ID, keyPairId_);
	mo->put(KEY_ENCRYPTION_KEY, encryptionKey_);
	mo->put(KEY_HMAC_KEY, hmacKey_);
	return mo;
}

bool ResponseData::equals(shared_ptr<const KeyResponseData> obj) const
{
	if (!obj) return false;
	if (this == obj.get()) return true;
	if (!instanceof<const ResponseData>(obj)) return false;
	shared_ptr<const ResponseData> that = dynamic_pointer_cast<const ResponseData>(obj);
	return KeyResponseData::equals(that) &&
			keyPairId_ == that->keyPairId_ &&
			*encryptionKey_ == *that->encryptionKey_ &&
			*hmacKey_ == *that->hmacKey_;
}

bool operator==(const ResponseData& a, const ResponseData& b)
{
	shared_ptr<const ResponseData> ap(&a, &MslUtils::nullDeleter<ResponseData>);
	shared_ptr<const ResponseData> bp(&b, &MslUtils::nullDeleter<ResponseData>);
	return ap->equals(bp);
}

namespace {
} // namespace anonymous

AsymmetricWrappedExchange::AsymmetricWrappedExchange(shared_ptr<AuthenticationUtils> authutils)
	: KeyExchangeFactory(KeyExchangeScheme::ASYMMETRIC_WRAPPED)
	, authutils_(authutils)
    , ENCRYPT_DECRYPT({JsonWebKey::KeyOp::encrypt, JsonWebKey::KeyOp::decrypt})
    , SIGN_VERIFY({JsonWebKey::KeyOp::sign, JsonWebKey::KeyOp::verify})
{
}

shared_ptr<ICryptoContext> AsymmetricWrappedExchange::createCryptoContext(shared_ptr<MslContext>, const string& keyPairId,
        const RequestData::Mechanism& mechanism, shared_ptr<PrivateKey> privateKey, shared_ptr<PublicKey> publicKey)
{
    switch (mechanism) {
//        case Mechanism::jwe_rsa:  FIXME TODO
//        {
//            final CekCryptoContext cryptoContext = new JsonWebEncryptionCryptoContext.RsaOaepCryptoContext(privateKey, publicKey);
//            return new JsonWebEncryptionCryptoContext(ctx, cryptoContext, JsonWebEncryptionCryptoContext.Encryption.A128GCM, Format.JWE_CS);
//        }
//        case Mechanism::jewjs_rsa:
//        {
//            final CekCryptoContext cryptoContext = new JsonWebEncryptionCryptoContext.RsaOaepCryptoContext(privateKey, publicKey);
//            return new JsonWebEncryptionCryptoContext(ctx, cryptoContext, JsonWebEncryptionCryptoContext.Encryption.A128GCM, Format.JWE_JS);
//        }
        case Mechanism::rsa:
        case Mechanism::jwk_rsa:
        {
            return make_shared<RsaWrappingCryptoContext>(keyPairId, privateKey, publicKey,
                    AsymmetricWrappedExchange::RsaWrappingCryptoContext::Mode::WRAP_UNWRAP_OAEP);
        }
        case Mechanism::jwk_rsaes:
        {
            return make_shared<RsaWrappingCryptoContext>(keyPairId, privateKey, publicKey,
                    AsymmetricWrappedExchange::RsaWrappingCryptoContext::Mode::WRAP_UNWRAP_PKCS1);
        }
        default:
            throw MslCryptoException(MslError::UNSUPPORTED_KEYX_MECHANISM, mechanism.name());
    }
}

shared_ptr<KeyRequestData> AsymmetricWrappedExchange::createRequestData(shared_ptr<MslContext> /*ctx*/,
        shared_ptr<MslObject> keyRequestMo)
{
	return make_shared<RequestData>(keyRequestMo);
}

shared_ptr<KeyResponseData> AsymmetricWrappedExchange::createResponseData(shared_ptr<MslContext> /*ctx*/,
        shared_ptr<MasterToken> masterToken, shared_ptr<MslObject> keyDataMo)
{
	return make_shared<ResponseData>(masterToken, keyDataMo);
}

shared_ptr<KeyExchangeData> AsymmetricWrappedExchange::generateResponse(shared_ptr<MslContext> ctx,
        const MslEncoderFormat& format, shared_ptr<KeyRequestData> keyRequestData, shared_ptr<MasterToken> masterToken)
{
	if (!instanceof<RequestData>(keyRequestData)) {
		const KeyRequestData& krd = *keyRequestData;
		throw MslInternalException("Key request data " + string(typeid(krd).name()) + " was not created by this factory.");
	}
	shared_ptr<RequestData> request = dynamic_pointer_cast<RequestData>(keyRequestData);

	// If the master token was not issued by the local entity then we
	// should not be generating a key response for it.
	if (!masterToken->isVerified())
		throw MslMasterTokenException(MslError::MASTERTOKEN_UNTRUSTED, masterToken);

	// Verify the scheme is permitted.
	const string identity = masterToken->getIdentity();
	if (!authutils_->isSchemePermitted(identity, getScheme())) {
		stringstream ss;
		ss << "Authentication scheme for entity not permitted " << identity << ":" << getScheme().name();
		throw MslKeyExchangeException(MslError::KEYX_INCORRECT_DATA, ss.str()).setMasterToken(masterToken);
	}

	// Create random AES-128 encryption and SHA-256 HMAC keys.
	shared_ptr<ByteArray> encryptionBytes = make_shared<ByteArray>(16);
	shared_ptr<ByteArray> hmacBytes = make_shared<ByteArray>(32);
	ctx->getRandom()->nextBytes(*encryptionBytes);
	ctx->getRandom()->nextBytes(*hmacBytes);
	shared_ptr<SecretKey> encryptionKey, hmacKey;
	try {
		encryptionKey = make_shared<SecretKey>(encryptionBytes, JcaAlgorithm::AES);
		hmacKey = make_shared<SecretKey>(hmacBytes, JcaAlgorithm::HMAC_SHA256);
	} catch (const IllegalArgumentException& e) {
		throw MslCryptoException(MslError::SESSION_KEY_CREATION_FAILURE, e).setMasterToken(masterToken);
	}

	// Wrap session keys with public key.
	shared_ptr<MslEncoderFactory> encoder = ctx->getMslEncoderFactory();
	const string keyPairId = request->getKeyPairId();
	const RequestData::Mechanism mechanism = request->getMechanism();
	shared_ptr<PublicKey> publicKey = request->getPublicKey();
	shared_ptr<ICryptoContext> wrapCryptoContext = createCryptoContext(ctx, keyPairId, mechanism, shared_ptr<PrivateKey>(), publicKey);
	shared_ptr<ByteArray> wrappedEncryptionKey, wrappedHmacKey;
	switch (mechanism) {
        case Mechanism::jwe_rsa:
        case Mechanism::jwejs_rsa:
        {
            shared_ptr<JsonWebKey> encryptionJwk = make_shared<JsonWebKey>(JsonWebKey::Usage::enc, JsonWebKey::Algorithm::A128CBC, false, "", encryptionKey);
            shared_ptr<JsonWebKey> hmacJwk = make_shared<JsonWebKey>(JsonWebKey::Usage::sig, JsonWebKey::Algorithm::HS256, false, "", hmacKey);
            shared_ptr<ByteArray> encryptionJwkBytes = encryptionJwk->toMslEncoding(encoder, MslEncoderFormat::JSON);
            shared_ptr<ByteArray> hmacJwkBytes = hmacJwk->toMslEncoding(encoder, MslEncoderFormat::JSON);
            wrappedEncryptionKey = wrapCryptoContext->wrap(encryptionJwkBytes, encoder, format);
            wrappedHmacKey = wrapCryptoContext->wrap(hmacJwkBytes, encoder, format);
            break;
        }
        case Mechanism::jwk_rsa:
        case Mechanism::jwk_rsaes:
        {
            shared_ptr<JsonWebKey> encryptionJwk = make_shared<JsonWebKey>(ENCRYPT_DECRYPT, JsonWebKey::Algorithm::A128CBC, false, "", encryptionKey);
            shared_ptr<JsonWebKey> hmacJwk = make_shared<JsonWebKey>(SIGN_VERIFY, JsonWebKey::Algorithm::HS256, false, "", hmacKey);
            shared_ptr<ByteArray> encryptionJwkBytes = encryptionJwk->toMslEncoding(encoder, MslEncoderFormat::JSON);
            shared_ptr<ByteArray> hmacJwkBytes = hmacJwk->toMslEncoding(encoder, MslEncoderFormat::JSON);
            wrappedEncryptionKey = wrapCryptoContext->wrap(encryptionJwkBytes, encoder, format);
            wrappedHmacKey = wrapCryptoContext->wrap(hmacJwkBytes, encoder, format);
            break;
        }
        default:
        {
            wrappedEncryptionKey = wrapCryptoContext->wrap(encryptionBytes, encoder, format);
            wrappedHmacKey = wrapCryptoContext->wrap(hmacBytes, encoder, format);
            break;
        }
	}

	// Create the master token.
	shared_ptr<TokenFactory> tokenFactory = ctx->getTokenFactory();
	shared_ptr<MasterToken> newMasterToken = tokenFactory->renewMasterToken(ctx, masterToken, *encryptionKey, *hmacKey, shared_ptr<MslObject>());

	// Create crypto context.
	shared_ptr<ICryptoContext> cryptoContext = make_shared<SessionCryptoContext>(ctx, newMasterToken);

	// Return the key exchange data.
	shared_ptr<KeyResponseData> keyResponseData = make_shared<ResponseData>(newMasterToken, request->getKeyPairId(), wrappedEncryptionKey, wrappedHmacKey);
	return make_shared<KeyExchangeData>(keyResponseData, cryptoContext);
}

shared_ptr<KeyExchangeData> AsymmetricWrappedExchange::generateResponse(shared_ptr<MslContext> ctx,
        const MslEncoderFormat& format, shared_ptr<KeyRequestData> keyRequestData,
        shared_ptr<EntityAuthenticationData> entityAuthData)
{
	if (!instanceof<RequestData>(keyRequestData)) {
		const KeyRequestData& krd = *keyRequestData;
		throw MslInternalException("Key request data " + string(typeid(krd).name()) + " was not created by this factory.");
	}
	shared_ptr<RequestData> request = dynamic_pointer_cast<RequestData>(keyRequestData);

	// Verify the scheme is permitted.
	const string identity = entityAuthData->getIdentity();
	if (!authutils_->isSchemePermitted(identity, getScheme())) {
		stringstream ss;
		ss << "Authentication scheme for entity not permitted " << identity << ":" << getScheme().name();
		throw MslKeyExchangeException(MslError::KEYX_INCORRECT_DATA, ss.str()).setEntityAuthenticationData(entityAuthData);
	}

	// Create random AES-128 encryption and SHA-256 HMAC keys.
	shared_ptr<ByteArray> encryptionBytes = make_shared<ByteArray>(16);
	shared_ptr<ByteArray> hmacBytes = make_shared<ByteArray>(32);
	ctx->getRandom()->nextBytes(*encryptionBytes);
	ctx->getRandom()->nextBytes(*hmacBytes);
	shared_ptr<SecretKey> encryptionKey, hmacKey;
	try {
		encryptionKey = make_shared<SecretKey>(encryptionBytes, JcaAlgorithm::AES);
		hmacKey = make_shared<SecretKey>(hmacBytes, JcaAlgorithm::HMAC_SHA256);
	} catch (const IllegalArgumentException& e) {
		throw MslCryptoException(MslError::SESSION_KEY_CREATION_FAILURE, e).setEntityAuthenticationData(entityAuthData);
	}

	// Wrap session keys with public key.
	shared_ptr<MslEncoderFactory> encoder = ctx->getMslEncoderFactory();
	const string keyPairId = request->getKeyPairId();
	const RequestData::Mechanism mechanism = request->getMechanism();
	shared_ptr<PublicKey> publicKey = request->getPublicKey();
	shared_ptr<ICryptoContext> wrapCryptoContext = createCryptoContext(ctx, keyPairId, mechanism, shared_ptr<PrivateKey>(), publicKey);
	shared_ptr<ByteArray> wrappedEncryptionKey, wrappedHmacKey;
	switch (mechanism) {
        case Mechanism::jwe_rsa:
        case Mechanism::jwejs_rsa:
        {
            shared_ptr<JsonWebKey> encryptionJwk = make_shared<JsonWebKey>(JsonWebKey::Usage::enc, JsonWebKey::Algorithm::A128CBC, false, "", encryptionKey);
            shared_ptr<JsonWebKey> hmacJwk = make_shared<JsonWebKey>(JsonWebKey::Usage::sig, JsonWebKey::Algorithm::HS256, false, "", hmacKey);
            shared_ptr<ByteArray> encryptionJwkBytes = encryptionJwk->toMslEncoding(encoder, MslEncoderFormat::JSON);
            shared_ptr<ByteArray> hmacJwkBytes = hmacJwk->toMslEncoding(encoder, MslEncoderFormat::JSON);
            wrappedEncryptionKey = wrapCryptoContext->wrap(encryptionJwkBytes, encoder, format);
            wrappedHmacKey = wrapCryptoContext->wrap(hmacJwkBytes, encoder, format);
            break;
        }
        case Mechanism::jwk_rsa:
        case Mechanism::jwk_rsaes:
        {
            shared_ptr<JsonWebKey> encryptionJwk = make_shared<JsonWebKey>(ENCRYPT_DECRYPT, JsonWebKey::Algorithm::A128CBC, false, "", encryptionKey);
            shared_ptr<JsonWebKey> hmacJwk = make_shared<JsonWebKey>(SIGN_VERIFY, JsonWebKey::Algorithm::HS256, false, "", hmacKey);
            shared_ptr<ByteArray> encryptionJwkBytes = encryptionJwk->toMslEncoding(encoder, MslEncoderFormat::JSON);
            shared_ptr<ByteArray> hmacJwkBytes = hmacJwk->toMslEncoding(encoder, MslEncoderFormat::JSON);
            wrappedEncryptionKey = wrapCryptoContext->wrap(encryptionJwkBytes, encoder, format);
            wrappedHmacKey = wrapCryptoContext->wrap(hmacJwkBytes, encoder, format);
            break;
        }
        default:
        {
            wrappedEncryptionKey = wrapCryptoContext->wrap(encryptionBytes, encoder, format);
            wrappedHmacKey = wrapCryptoContext->wrap(hmacBytes, encoder, format);
            break;
        }
	}

	// Create the master token.
	shared_ptr<TokenFactory> tokenFactory = ctx->getTokenFactory();
	shared_ptr<MasterToken> masterToken = tokenFactory->createMasterToken(ctx, entityAuthData, *encryptionKey, *hmacKey, shared_ptr<MslObject>());

	// Create crypto context.
	shared_ptr<ICryptoContext> cryptoContext;
	try {
		cryptoContext = make_shared<SessionCryptoContext>(ctx, masterToken);
	} catch (const MslMasterTokenException& e) {
		throw MslInternalException("Master token constructed by token factory is not trusted.", e);
	}

	// Return the key exchange data.
	shared_ptr<KeyResponseData> keyResponseData = make_shared<ResponseData>(masterToken, request->getKeyPairId(), wrappedEncryptionKey, wrappedHmacKey);
	return make_shared<KeyExchangeData>(keyResponseData, cryptoContext);
}

shared_ptr<ICryptoContext> AsymmetricWrappedExchange::getCryptoContext(shared_ptr<MslContext> ctx,
        shared_ptr<KeyRequestData> keyRequestData, shared_ptr<KeyResponseData> keyResponseData,
        shared_ptr<MasterToken> masterToken)
{
	const KeyRequestData& krd = *keyRequestData;
	if (!instanceof<RequestData>(keyRequestData))
		throw MslInternalException("Key request data " + string(typeid(krd).name()) + " was not created by this factory.");
	shared_ptr<RequestData> request = dynamic_pointer_cast<RequestData>(keyRequestData);
	if (!instanceof<ResponseData>(keyResponseData))
		throw MslInternalException("Key response data " + string(typeid(krd).name()) + " was not created by this factory.");
	shared_ptr<ResponseData> response = dynamic_pointer_cast<ResponseData>(keyResponseData);

	// Verify response matches request.
	const string requestKeyPairId = request->getKeyPairId();
	const string responseKeyPairId = response->getKeyPairId();
	if (requestKeyPairId != responseKeyPairId)
		throw MslKeyExchangeException(MslError::KEYX_RESPONSE_REQUEST_MISMATCH, "request " + requestKeyPairId + "; response " + responseKeyPairId);

	// Unwrap session keys with identified key.
	shared_ptr<MslEncoderFactory> encoder = ctx->getMslEncoderFactory();
	shared_ptr<PrivateKey> privateKey = request->getPrivateKey();
	if (!privateKey)
		throw MslKeyExchangeException(MslError::KEYX_PRIVATE_KEY_MISSING, "request Asymmetric private key");
	const RequestData::Mechanism mechanism = request->getMechanism();
	shared_ptr<ICryptoContext> unwrapCryptoContext = createCryptoContext(ctx, requestKeyPairId, mechanism, privateKey, shared_ptr<PublicKey>());
	shared_ptr<SecretKey> encryptionKey, hmacKey;
	switch (mechanism) {
        case Mechanism::jwe_rsa:
        case Mechanism::jwejs_rsa:
        case Mechanism::jwk_rsa:
        case Mechanism::jwk_rsaes:
        {
            shared_ptr<ByteArray> encryptionJwkBytes = unwrapCryptoContext->unwrap(response->getEncryptionKey(), encoder);
            shared_ptr<ByteArray> hmacJwkBytes = unwrapCryptoContext->unwrap(response->getHmacKey(), encoder);
            shared_ptr<MslObject> encryptionJwkMo, hmacJwkMo;
            try {
                encryptionJwkMo = encoder->parseObject(encryptionJwkBytes);
                hmacJwkMo = encoder->parseObject(hmacJwkBytes);
            } catch (const MslEncoderException& e) {
                throw MslCryptoException(MslError::SESSION_KEY_CREATION_FAILURE, e).setMasterToken(masterToken);
            }
            encryptionKey = JsonWebKey(encryptionJwkMo).getSecretKey();
            hmacKey = JsonWebKey(hmacJwkMo).getSecretKey();
            break;
        }
        default:
        {
            shared_ptr<ByteArray> unwrappedEncryptionKey = unwrapCryptoContext->unwrap(response->getEncryptionKey(), encoder);
            shared_ptr<ByteArray> unwrappedHmacKey = unwrapCryptoContext->unwrap(response->getHmacKey(), encoder);
            try {
                encryptionKey = make_shared<SecretKey>(unwrappedEncryptionKey, JcaAlgorithm::AES);
                hmacKey = make_shared<SecretKey>(unwrappedHmacKey, JcaAlgorithm::HMAC_SHA256);
            } catch (const IllegalArgumentException& e) {
                throw MslCryptoException(MslError::SESSION_KEY_CREATION_FAILURE, e).setMasterToken(masterToken);
            }
            break;
        }
	}

	// Create crypto context.
	const string identity = ctx->getEntityAuthenticationData()->getIdentity();
	shared_ptr<MasterToken> responseMasterToken = response->getMasterToken();
	return make_shared<SessionCryptoContext>(ctx, responseMasterToken, identity, *encryptionKey, *hmacKey);
}

}}} // namespace netflix::msl::keyx

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
• Cult Leader To Handle Own Case
Cult Leader To Handle Own Case
Posted on December 25, 1969 by cielodrive.com
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 25 – Charles M. Manson, leader of the hippie-style nomads charged with murdering actress Sharon Tate and six others, has received permission to defend himself when he goes on trial, but he will have to do so without professional courtroom advice.
Manson, 35, smiled under his ample, but neatly trimmed, mustache Wednesday as he heard Superior Court Judge William B. Keene declare: "I find that you are competent to defend yourself."
But Keene said Manson could have no counsel.
"You're going to call all the shots yourself," Judge Keene told Manson, but said he could seek legal advice outside the courtroom from anyone he wishes.
Keene had tried for an hour to talk Manson out of waiving his right to counsel, warning: "It is this court's opinion that you are making a sad and tragic mistake.
"But you are not going to be talked out of it," Keene said. "And I find that you have a full and complete conception of the consequences of acting as your own attorney."
He gave Manson three weeks to study two volumes of grand jury testimony, ordered him to enter a plea Jan. 14 and granted him access to the county jail's law library, telephone, typewriter and a runner to handle errands as he prepares his case.
The judge's decision was decried by two lawyers who had represented Manson in previous court appearances, Lawrence Steinberg and Luke McKissack. They also are handling an appeal for Sirhan Bishara Sirhan, convicted killer of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.
Steinberg told the judge he was committing a "grevious error." Trying Manson without defense counsel, said McKissack, "will be a disaster."
Manson said he and Joseph A. Ball, former head of the California State Bar Association appointed by Keene to advise Manson on whether he should be his own attorney, "had a nice talk." But Manson said he disagreed with Ball's advice to obtain counsel.
"Mr. Ball understands maybe all there is to know about the law but he doesn't understand the generation gap. He doesn't understand the 'free love' society. He doesn't understand people who are trying to get out from under," Manson said. "I don't think there is anyone who can give me a defense, because I don't have a defense left."
"My advice is that you do not represent yourself," Keene said.
"I respect your opinion as a person," Manson said, speaking softly and articulating each word. "But all my life I've sat in front of judges and said 'yes sir, yes sir' and then I've sat in jail and said 'yes sir, yes sir.' I see love and sincerity in your mind but not in that robe you wear."
Manson has a 20-year record of prison and probation for offenses including car theft, robbery, white slavery, forgery and parole violation.
Manson and four others, who police say are members of his hippie-style band, are charged with murder in the killings last August of Miss Tate and four visitors to her Bel Air mansion. They and a sixth defendant also are charged with murdering a wealthy market owner and his wife. All are charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
They were arrested after a raid on their military-style commune near Death Valley, where Manson was known to members of his "family" as "God" and "Satan."
Manson appeared for the hearing wearing gold pants and a purple shirt open at the neck. At one point, he stroked the hair on his chest. His shoulder-length locks were parted atop his head.
Manson To Be Own Lawyer In Trial For Tate Murders
Manson Hopes To Sell Record Album For Finances

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


It's like having two bags in one. Use the wheel and handle system to navigate from one location to another. In a hurry? Detach the wheel-and-handle system and carry the bag using either the handle or the adjustable shoulder strap when you need your hands free. Two front organizers, a zip-pocket, and a padded compartment provide room for everything you need from business cards and pens to your laptop.
Weight: Approx. 12.8 lbs. .


text:
Metroplus
An immigrant remembers
Hoshang Merchant recalls that the beautiful rocks on the way to Gachibowli were a welcome distraction from the potholed roads
December 05, 2013 07:14 pm | Updated 07:14 pm IST - HYDERABAD:
Uma Magal
Areial view of Gachibowli. Photo: G. Krishnaswamy
Hoshang Merchant: "The heart doesn't have white hair you know!"
I must admit, this article pretty much writes itself, based as it is on interviewing the articulate and humorous Hoshang Merchant for the documentary on the rocks of Hyderabad. Pulling at his long beautiful white beard, with eyes by turn twinkling at some wicked sally or darkened over a revealed loss, he shared his passion and insight with us, not only about the rocks but also Parsi migration to the city.
A poet and a professor, Merchant spent ten years in California and Purdue and another ten in the Middle East. "I wanted to live in Iran" he says "I'm Zoarashtrian and, there, they would give work permits and welcome us. Then war broke out and I had to leave. I came to Hyderabad because I got a job here. The literature department was the best in the country. When I saw the Charminar chauraha and the Irani chai shops, it reminded me of Iran. I felt so at home that I decided to stay on."
Hyderabad is very welcoming of outsiders. He quotes the old Hyderabadi saying " Gandipet ka paani piye toh iddharich marna! " (Once you've drunk of the waters of Gandipet lake you have to die here!) Parsi migration, he says, followed the railway lines. Railway jobs and business brought them here. They also followed the army and would sell liquor to it. They became administrators in the Nizam's government, motor mechanics etc. and grew into an influential and well regarded community of Hyderabad.
Over the course of our research, a great many people have recalled a particular drive, through beautiful rock vistas, when going from the city to the University of Hyderabad in Gachibowli. I too know that drive well from riding the bus during my student days at the University. The landscape then, with its mix of tall sheltering trees, agricultural farmland, wildflowers and stunning rock formations, was simply magical. Merchant recalls taking the 217U bus to the University to teach. "The buses were so horrible and the potholes so many," he exclaims, "that I would only look at the scenery!" The rocks enroute inspired him to write the following poem:
Golconda Rocks
The earth heaved
Lava congealed
Rocking them to birth
Four squares
Nicely rounded
Two of the breast
Two of the buttock
Atop the kitchen floor
Is stacked its meaning
Mounds of flatbread
The landscape is too inhuman
So a stone
Impersonates human kind
From a moving bus
Stones throw up perspectives
One slowly opens
A door
-then shuts it
One stands
And withstands
It is all in the eye
This balancing
The poem inspires me to immediately board the bus with a camera, and film what is so vividly described: the continuous unfolding of different scenes with rocks, as they open, take centrestage and then get left behind, while riding the bus; the astonishing multitude of visuals - a human figure in rock over here, a figure from the epics there, a family portrait, a stack of rotis , a musical instrument, animals, incredible gravity defying rock balancing acts... On lucky occasion, they even go beyond all such recalls of our known world and gift us a flash of connection to the mystery and wonder of nature.
However, most of these rock scenes in and around Hyderabad are no more. Our haphazard, unplanned development is swallowing them all up. Speaking of which, Hoshang Merchant acknowledges ruefully that he is part of the tide: "I am an immigrant, I am part of the development, I live in a high rise..."
Most of us are also part of the development that has brought fresh opportunity and energy to our city. A quick comparison with many other cities is enough to showcase this advantage for Hyderabad. It is today a cosmopolitan bustling city of the world. However this development must be planned in balance with sensible caretaking of our uniquely beautiful and ecologically valuable rocky landscape. Else, we will not only squander the benefits, for ourselves today, of living in an area so blessed, we will also fail the profound responsibility of safeguarding it for the generations to come.
(The writer Uma Magal is a documentary film maker, writer and teacher) This is the 8 in a series of articles based on research for a documentary on the rocks of Hyderabad.
human interest / Hyderabad / The Hindu MetroPlus
EPFO portal offers link to opt for higher pension


text:
Q: ATM Machine customers.txt file I'm a new user in stack overflow.. okay so I'm doing an ATM Java program.. my problem is, I'm having a hard time trying to figure out how to make a file reader (mine is customers.txt) in my ATMSimulator.java..
Here is my ATM.java :
/*
An ATM that accesses a bank.
*/

public class ATM
{
public static final int CHECKING = 1;
public static final int SAVINGS = 2;

private int state;
private int customerNumber;
private Customer currentCustomer;
private BankAccount currentAccount;
private Bank theBank;

public static final int START = 1;
public static final int PIN = 2;
public static final int ACCOUNT = 3;
public static final int TRANSACT = 4;

/*
    Construct an ATM for a given bank.
    @param aBank the bank to which this ATM connects
*/

public ATM (Bank aBank)
{
    theBank = aBank;
    reset();
}

/*
    Resets the ATM to the initial state
*/

public void reset()
{
    customerNumber = -1;
    currentAccount = null;
    state = START;
}

/*
    Sets the current customer number and sets state to PIN.
    (Precondition: state is START)
    @param number the customer number
*/

public void setCustomerNumber (int number)
{
    assert state == START;
    customerNumber = number;
    state = PIN;
}

/*
    Finds customer in bank. If found, sets state to ACCOUNT, else to START
    (Precondition: state is PIN)
    @param pin the PIN of the current customer
*/

public void selectCustomer (int pin)
{
    assert state == PIN;
    currentCustomer = theBank.findCustomer (customerNumber, pin);

    if (currentCustomer == null)
        state = START;
    else
        state = ACCOUNT;
}

/*
    Sets current account to checking or savings. Sets state to TRANSACT.
    (Precondition: state is ACCOUNT or TRANSACT)
    @param account one of CHECKING or SAVINGS
*/

public void selectAccount (int account)
{
    assert state == ACCOUNT || state == TRANSACT;

    if (account == CHECKING )
        currentAccount = currentCustomer.getCheckingAccount ();
    else
        currentAccount = currentCustomer.getSavingsAccount();
    state = TRANSACT;
}

/*
    Withdraws amount from current account.
    (Precondition state is TRANSACT)
    @param value the amount to withdraw
*/

public void withdraw (double value)
{
    assert state == TRANSACT;
    currentAccount.withdraw(value);
}

/*
    Deposits amount to current account.
    (Prcondition: state is TRANSACT)
    @param value the amount to deposit
*/

public void deposit (double value)
{
    assert state == TRANSACT;
    currentAccount.deposit (value);
}

/*
    Gets the balance of the current account.
    (Precondition: state is TRANSACT)
    @return the balance
*/

public double getBalance()
{
    assert state == TRANSACT;
    return currentAccount.getBalance();
}

/*
    Moves back to previous state
*/

public void back ()
{
    if (state == TRANSACT)
        state = ACCOUNT;
    else if (state == ACCOUNT)
        state = PIN;
    else if (state == PIN)
        state = START;
}

/*
    Gets the current state of this ATM.
    @return the currnt state
*/

public int getState ()
{
    return state;
}
}

Here is my Customer.java :
/*
A bank customer with a checking and a savings account.
*/

public class Customer
{
private int customerNumber;
private int pin;
private BankAccount checkingAccount;
private BankAccount savingsAccount;

/*
    Construct a customer with a given number and PIN.
    @param aNumber the customer number
    @param aPin the personal identification number
*/

public Customer (int aNumber, int aPin)
{
    customerNumber = aNumber;
    pin = aPin;
    checkingAccount = new BankAccount();
    savingsAccount = new BankAccount();
}

/*
    Test if this customer matches a customer number and PIN
    @param aNumber a customer number
    @param aPin a personal identification number
    @return true if the customer number and PIN match
*/

public boolean match (int aNumber, int aPin)
{
    return customerNumber == aNumber && pin == aPin;
}

/*
    Gets the checking account of this customer
    @return the checking account
*/

public BankAccount getCheckingAccount()
{
    return checkingAccount;
}

/*
    Get the savings account of this customer
    @return checking account
*/

public BankAccount getSavingsAccount()
{
    return savingsAccount;
}
}

Here is my Bank.java :
import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Scanner;

/*
A bank contains customer with bank accounts
*/

public class Bank
{
private ArrayList<Customer> customers;

/*
    Construct a bank with no customers
*/

public Bank()
{
    customers = new ArrayList<Customer> ();
}

/*
    Reads the customer numbers and pins
    and initializes the bank accounts
    @param filename the name of the customer file
*/

public void readCustomers(String filename)
    throws IOException
{
    Scanner in = new Scanner (new File(filename));

    while (in.hasNext())
    {
        int number = in.nextInt();
        int pin = in.nextInt();
        Customer c = new Customer (number, pin);
        addCustomer (c);
    }
    in.close();
}

/*
    Adds a customer to the bank.
    @param c the customer to add
*/

public void addCustomer (Customer c)
{
    customers.add(c);
}

/*
    Find a customer in the bank.
    @param aNumber a customer number
    @param aPin a personal identification number
    @return the matching customer, or null if no customer matches
*/

public Customer findCustomer (int aNumber, int aPin)
{
    for (Customer c : customers)
    {
        if (c.match(aNumber, aPin))
            return c;
    }
    return null;
}
}

Here is my BankAccount.java :
/**
A bank account has a balance that can be changed by deposits and withdrawals
*/
public class BankAccount
{
private int accountNumber;
private double balance;

/**
    Counstruct a bank account with a zero balance.
    @param anAccountNumber the account number for this account
*/

public BankAccount(){}

public BankAccount(int anAccountNumber)
{
    accountNumber = anAccountNumber;
    balance = 0;
}

/**
    Construct a bank account with a given balance.
    @param anAccountNumber the account number for this account
    @param initialBalance the initial balance
*/
public BankAccount(int anAccountNumber, double initialBalance)
{
    accountNumber = anAccountNumber;
    balance = initialBalance;
}

/**
    Gets the account number of this bank account.
    @return the account number
*/
public int getAccountNumber()
{
    return accountNumber;
}

/**
    Deposits money into bank account
    @param amount the amount to deposit
*/
public void deposit (double amount)
{
    double newBalance = balance + amount;
    balance = newBalance;
}

/**
    Withdraws money from the bank account.
    @param amount the amount to withdraw
*/
public void withdraw(double amount)
{
    double newBalance = balance - amount;
    balance = newBalance;
}

/**
    Gets the current balance of the bank account.
    @return the current balance
*/
public double getBalance()
{
    return balance;
}
}

And I'm having a problem with customers.txt in ATMSimulator.java:
import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.Scanner;

/*
    A text based simulation of an automatic teller machine.
*/

public class ATMSimulator
{
    public static void main (String [] args)
{
    ATM theATM;

    try
    {
        Bank theBank = new Bank ();
        theBank.readCustomers("customers.txt");
        theATM = new ATM (theBank);
    }

    catch (IOException e)
    {
        System.out.println ("Error opening accounts file.");
        return;
    }

    Scanner in= new Scanner (System.in);

    while (true)
    {
        int state = theATM.getState();
        if (state == ATM.START)
        {
            System.out.print ("Enter customer number: ");
            int number = in.nextInt();
            theATM.setCustomerNumber(number);
        }

        else if (state == ATM.PIN)
        {
            System.out.println ("Enter PIN: ");
            int pin = in.nextInt();
            theATM.setCustomerNumber (pin);
        }

        else if (state == ATM.ACCOUNT )
        {
            System.out.print ("A = Checking, B = Savings, C = Quit: ");
            String command = in.next();

            if (command.equalsIgnoreCase ("A"))
                theATM.selectAccount (ATM.CHECKING);
            else if (command.equalsIgnoreCase ("B"))
                theATM.selectAccount (ATM.SAVINGS);
            else if (command.equalsIgnoreCase ("C"))
                theATM.reset();
            else
                System.out.println ("Illegal input!");
        }

        else if (state == ATM.TRANSACT)
        {
            System.out.println ("Balance = " + theATM.getBalance());
            System.out.print ("A = Deposit, B = Withdrawal, C = Cancel: ");
            String command = in.next();

            if (command.equalsIgnoreCase ("A"))
            {
                System.out.print ("Amount: ");
                double amount = in.nextDouble();
                theATM.deposit (amount);
                theATM.back();
            }

        else if (command.equalsIgnoreCase ("B"))
        {
            System.out.print ("Amount: ");
            double amount = in.nextDouble();
            theATM.withdraw (amount);
            theATM.back();
        }

        else if (command.equalsIgnoreCase ("C"))
            theATM.back();

        else
            System.out.println ("Illegal input!");
        }
    }
}
}

I had created the customers.txt file, but the output is error.. please help me

A: I'll address your question not the sh.. big amount of code.
You efficiently read from file in this way.
try( BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new FileReader("filename.txt"))){
   String line;
   while((line = br.readLine()) != null){

   }
}catch(IOException e}{
     e.printStackTrace();
}

If you wish to read from console:
try( BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in))){
   String line;
   while((line = br.readLine()) != null){

   }
}catch(IOException e}{
     e.printStackTrace();
}

To indicate the end of input in the console use ctrl + z.

A: Hey so the path for the text file you passed in the method readCustomer is not the right path. So what you can do is put in src and package name in the path as follows: "src/packageName/customer.txt"
so when you call it in your main it would be
public static void main (String [] args)
{
    ATM theATM;

    try
    {
        Bank theBank = new Bank ();
        theBank.readCustomers("src/packageName/customer.txt");
        theATM = new ATM (theBank);
    }

Hope this helps.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Home » Discover » Recommended Reading » The Prize: Who's in Charge of America's Schools?
Mark Zuckerberg, Chris Christie, and Cory Booker were ready to reform our failing schools. They got an education.
When Mark Zuckerberg announced to a cheering Oprah audience his $100 million pledge to transform the downtrodden schools of Newark, New Jersey, then mayor Cory Booker and Governor Chris Christie were beside him, vowing to help make Newark "a symbol of educational excellence for the whole nation." But their plans soon ran into the city's seasoned education players, fierce protectors of their billion-dollar-a-year system. It's a prize that, for generations, has enriched seemingly everyone, except Newark's children.
Dale Russakoff delivers a riveting drama of our times, encompassing the rise of celebrity politics, big philanthropy, extreme economic inequality, the charter school movement, and the struggles and triumphs of schools in one of the nation's poorest cities. As Cory Booker navigates between his status as "rock star mayor" on Oprah's stage and object of considerable distrust at home, the tumultuous changes planned by reformers and their highly paid consultants spark a fiery grass-roots opposition stoked by local politicians and union leaders. The growth of charters forces the hand of Newark's school superintendent Cami Anderson, who closes, consolidates, or redesigns more than a third of the city's schools—a scenario on the horizon for many urban districts across America.
Russakoff provides a close-up view of twenty-six-year-old Mark Zuckerberg and his wife as they decide to give the immense sum of money to Newark and then experience an education of their own amid the fallout of the reforms. Most moving are Russakoff's portraits from inside classrooms, as homegrown teachers and principals battle heroically to reach students damaged by extreme poverty and violence.
The Prize is an absorbing portrait of a titanic struggle, indispensable for anyone who cares about the future of public education and the nation's children.


text:
Georgia's Michelle Green Named Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week
By Lance Swan
Georgia pitcher/designated player Michelle Green has been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week for the week of March 28-April 3, it was announced by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on Wednesday.
Green, a senior from Duluth, Ga., went 3-0 in the circle and 9-for-16 (.562) at the plate last week, leading the 11th-ranked Bulldogs to a 5-1 record.
"It is a great honor to receive such a prestigious award from the NFCA," said Green. "But I could not have done it without my teammates and coaches, because they have provided me with great support at the plate and in the field this season."
Against Mercer, Green pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout over the Bears, tying her own school record with 17 strikeouts. She helped her own cause, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored.
Green followed up her dynamic pitching performance with another three-hit complete game against then-No. 14 Florida. Green surrendered just one earned run against the Gators, and went 2-for-3 at the plate.
In the finale against Florida, Green went six innings, scattering four hits and holding the Gators scoreless. Her RBI double proved to be the game winner, as the Bulldogs clinched the series with a 4-3 win.
"Michelle did a great job for us this week," said Georgia coach Lu Harris-Champer. "We are very proud of her and honored that she has been given this award. It is nice to see her compete at a high level during her senior season."
For the week, she compiled a 0.37 ERA and struck out 34 and had four doubles and six RBIs.


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News in BriefStudent arrested for aggravated assault
Student arrested for aggravated assault
By Yolanda Cruz
The University of Southern Mississippi police arrested fraternity member Elijah Dollar after responding to a fight call at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday. Dollar, a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, was charged with aggravated assault and had his first court appearance Monday morning in Forrest County Justice Court.
"They had a verbal altercation earlier in the evening, which escalated into a fight in the early morning hours," said Detective Captain Rusty Keyes. The stabbing took place on the front porch of the SAE house, and Keyes said the weapon of use is under investigation, noting that it was not a knife.
The victim Kevin Inmon II, who was another member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, has been released from Forrest General Hospital after being stabbed by Dollar.
Dean of Students Eddie Holloway said Dollar's fraternity membership has been revoked, and he is prohibited from entering campus without approval from the dean of students and university police. It is still not confirmed if SAE will be put on probation for the incident. Holloway said SAE has not been in trouble with the Dean of Students in recent years.
Keyes said if it turns out that alcohol was involved, the investigation will be turned over to the Dean of Students Office. Once UPD's investigation is completed, it will then be turned over to the Forrest County District Attorney's office.
Reported by Kirstie Lowery and information compiled by WDAM
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Yolanda Cruz
Social Media and Copy Editor. Senior News Editorial Journalism major/Political Science minor at The University of Southern Mississippi. Honors College Ambassador. Love reading, watching movies, and listening to music. Hoping to move to a big city one day.
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Fire Station projects are finished!
We are happy to announce that the renovations of both Station 1 and 2 are finished. All equipment has been returned to the new stations. Thank you to the Middlebury community for your support!


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More than 600 students representing 15 states and federal territories competed for the national title at the 55th Shell Traffic Games recently.
Held at Litar Lalulintas Majlis Perbandaran Seremban, winners received prizes from Dato' Ismail Lasim Negeri Sembilan State Exco. Teams from Negeri Sembilan became the overall champions for this year's National level Shell Traffic Games.
Students aged between 11 and 14 from primary and secondary schools around Malaysia moved on to the national-level after emerging as champions of Shell Traffic Games held in their respective states from March this year.
Inaugurated in 1957, the same year Malaysia won its independence, the Shell Traffic Games is believed to be the longest running corporate social responsibility programme and shared a long and memorable history of the sustainable achievement for Malaysian.
Held in all state capitals and practically every district and division in Sabah and Sarawak, the games are conducted on a specially equipped site in a safe location using pedal cars, bicycles and pedestrians.
"It is our hope that the lessons from the Shell Traffic Games will instil a sense of responsibility in the hearts and minds of the students as future road users, to help make our Malaysian roads safer. The Games represents an important area in road safety lessons for the young in Malaysia as it provides the practical platform for students to apply the theories taught to them in schools," added Rozano.
Road safety is one of the top priorities in Shell. The company partners with various local and national agencies as well as non-government organisations to help reduce road accidents through educational seminars and workshops for drivers, contractors and haulers. Shell's initiative is in support of the United Nations' declaration of 2011-2020 as Decade of Action for Road Safety.
Shell Malaysia invests RM1 million annually in Shell Traffic Games to teach students the various aspects of road safety. The company believes in sustaining a long-term investment in road safety education for young Malaysians because every road safety lesson learnt at the Shell Traffic Games is a lesson learnt for the protection of human life.
Team from Negeri Sembilan came on top as the overall National champion and walked away with RM4,000 including a challenge trophy for each team. The first runner up was awarded cash prizes of RM3,000 each to teams from Melaka and Terengganu, and RM2,000 each for Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur and Melaka for second runner-up. All winners received a trophy and a medal.
"The issue of road safety has been aggressively discussed amongst Malaysian especially so, in recent years. At the heart of the issue is education and awareness of road safety, and more than ever it is important for our children to acquire road safety skills from a young age. We also seek to educate more members of the public on road safety so we can make Malaysia roads safer for everyone," concluded Rozano.


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First salvo: missile tests mark intensified US-China competition
This exercise signals a step-change in Beijing's response to the US and allied military presence in China's near seas.
DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missiles drive through Tiananmen Square during a military parade on September 3, 2015. (Getty/Asahi Shimbun)
Published 5 Jul 2019 10:30 0 Comments
In a major first, China has test-fired anti-ship missiles over the contested waters and islets of the South China Sea. While much remains to be learned about these exercises, they mark the first salvo in a newly-intensified dynamic of military competition between the US and China.
Much about these tests remains unknown. Reporting from CNBC and NHK, both quoting US military officials, suggests these tests could have involved anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs), though that is still to be confirmed. It appears the missiles originated from the Chinese mainland, but some speculate they were launched from a newly-established launch site on Hainan Island. Initial Pentagon comments that the missiles were fired from one of China's newly constructed military outposts in the South China Sea may have been a mis-statement and awaits further clarification.
Assuming these tests indeed employed ballistic missiles, the most likely candidates are the Dong Feng (East Wind) 21D and/or Dong Feng 26 ballistic missiles, probably the former. These weapons, often referred to as "carrier killers", have maneuverable warheads which, upon descent, would be able to target and hit large, moving objects at sea such as warships.
The DF-21 has been in China's arsenal since the early 1990s and China confirmed development of the upgraded "carrier killer" version, the DF-21D, in 2011; it has a range of about 1,500 kilometres. The DF-26, first deployed in 2016, with a range of up to 4,000 kilometres, is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads. In addition to threatening warships, the DF-26 also poses a highly credible threat against distant US bases in the western Pacific, such as on Guam.
The tests have launched a new chapter in the ongoing escalation of Sino-US military competition offshore from the Chinese mainland. This is not only because they overlap with heightened US-China trade tensions or an uptick in US naval activity in the region or recent reports of laser attacks on Australian helicopter pilots during training missions over the South China Sea.
ASBM tests, and the possibility that other missile types were tested, such as anti-ship cruise missiles, are on an entirely different scale of importance. Their use in this type of exercise would mark a major advance in Beijing's coercive and deterrent capability vis-à-vis the US.
True, analysts have known of the DF-21D and DF-26 for some years. The Pentagon stated as early as 2013 that the DF-21D "gives the PLA the capability to attack large ships, including aircraft carriers, in the western Pacific Ocean."
That said, these tests would be the closest the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has ever come to the real thing. A test such as this would provide a treasure trove of data, and not just about hitting a moving target at sea. The PLA will also draw crucial lessons as to readiness, communications, satellite reconnaissance and telemetry, use of downrange and over-the-horizon target acquisition capabilities, warhead maneuverability, and much more. If these tests involved multiple missile types (both ballistic and cruise), it would come even closer to a real-life scenario and thus offer even more important lesssons.
Regardless of the exact missile types, with this exercise Beijing sends a powerful political and military message to the US and its allies about the PLA's deterrent capabilities, especially within and around China's "first island chain". This is important because of Chinese ambitions to fully secure its maritime approaches, assert control over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands (currently administered by Japan), and, ultimately, gain control of Taiwan. To do so will mean deterring the US in a crisis and, if need be, defeating it in a conflict.
These imperatives explain the immense Chinese investments over the past 25 years to develop and deploy a range of offshore and land-based missile systems designed to deny an adversary access to China's near seas. They also help explain the sweeping PLA reform and re-organisation effort begun in 2016 which aims, in part, to integrate enhanced capabilities in command, control, communications, battlefield intelligence, space-based assets, surveillance, reconnaissance, and precision targeting.
Today, China possesses thousands of conventionally-armed ballistic and cruise missiles - on land, at sea, and in the air - which can destroy US and allied military assets, bases, surface combatants and more across the first island chain and beyond. It is this multi-dimensional and omni-directional threat which has Pentagon planners most worried. These missile tests, which would have required cooperation across different PLA services, show the ongoing reforms in action.
US, Australian, and other allied intelligence agencies will scrutinise these tests to assess their intentions, outcomes, and implications. But we can already say that they signal a step-change in Beijing's response to the US and allied military presence in the seas adjacent to China. We should expect further testing of more sophisticated reconnaissance and targeting assets, and the deployment of additional missile capabilities and other anti-ship weapons. They will increasingly complicate US and allied military options in the western Pacific, including in the South China Sea.
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Ken is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) in Canada, who never remembers life without spreadsheets and computers! Since the late 1990s, he has spent his career in the hospitality and tourism industry, in the finance and IT fields. Ken is currently the Director of IT at a resort on Vancouver Island.
To this day, he dedicates a significant portion of his time to developing automated solutions and internal controls, as well as focusing time and energy on improving Business Intelligence systems. Through his work, he designs and develops new systems, using such technology as Excel spreadsheets and VBA (Excel's programming language), automating as many tasks as possible, and thereby saving significant costs and maximizing efficiencies. Ken says, "I love the power that Excel puts at my finger tips and I'm still amazed by the things it can do."
Ken has worked as a freelance MS Office developer, mainly in Excel, but also with Access, Word and Outlook, and currently teaches courses whenever he can. Ken's true passion lies with sharing his knowledge about Excel, and teaching people how to get the most from it.
Ken runs a popular site solely dedicated to Excel training. Even NASA has made use of it, using some of his PDFCreator examples to automate the production of PDF reports that monitor the power supply levels on the International Space Station!
Ken was awarded the prestigious Microsoft Most Valuable Professional – Excel award in 2006; a distinction he has won every year since! The Microsoft MVP Award recognizes exceptional technical community leaders from around the world who voluntarily share their high quality, real world expertise with others. In Microsoft's words, "MVPs are a highly select group of experts representing technology's best and brightest who share a deep commitment to community and a willingness to help others." Worldwide, there are over 100 million participants in technical communities; of these participants, there are fewer than 4000 active Microsoft MVPs. Of this pool of MVPs, fewer than 200 hold the distinction of MVP-Excel globally.
I am a firm believer that properly set up, a computer can process numbers and data far more efficiently and accurately than any human, and that human brainpower should be devoted to solving problems.
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Who will be the greatest losers in respect of their deeds
Many men are born greedy and selfish. For all along their lives, their effort is to make money no matter how, yet come out clean of their misdeeds and project them as the winners and stand tall in the eyes of the onlookers by displaying their good will and generosity by overtly helping others, yet in their hearts satisfyingly themselves that their "good deeds' will earn them more rewards in this world or even in the hereafter.
At many a places in the Qur'an, Allah has warned those who will be ultimate losers. See one of our early posts: The Utter Losers - Who? [Surah 2 Al Baqarah: 27]
Herein under we share today three verses (103-105) from Surah 18. Al Kahf (The People of Cave) in which Allah tells His revered Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:
قُلۡ هَلۡ نُـنَبِّئُكُمۡ بِالۡاَخۡسَرِيۡنَ اَعۡمَالًا ؕ
(18:103) Say, (O Muhammad): "Shall We tell you who will be the greatest losers in respect of their deeds?
And then Allah tells whose deeds will be wasted a way and why?
اَ لَّذِيۡنَ ضَلَّ سَعۡيُهُمۡ فِى الۡحَيٰوةِ الدُّنۡيَا وَهُمۡ يَحۡسَبُوۡنَ اَنَّهُمۡ يُحۡسِنُوۡنَ صُنۡعًا
(18:104) It will be those whose effort went astray in the life of the world and who believe nevertheless that they are doing good.
This verse has two meanings. The one is the same that we have adopted in the translation. The other meaning is this: Those who confined all their endeavors to the worldly life. That is, whatever they did, they did for this world without paying any regard to God and the Hereafter. As they considered the worldly life to be the real life, they made the success and prosperity in this world their sole aim and object. Even if they professed the existence of Allah, they never paid any heed to the two implications of this profession: to lead their lives in a way to please Allah and to come out successful on the Day they shall have to render an account of what they did in this world. This was because they considered themselves to be mere rational animals who were absolutely independent and free from every kind of responsibility and had nothing else to do but to enjoy the good things of the world like animals in a meadow.
Yusuf Ali Explanation: That is, those who prided themselves on their works in this life, and now find that those works are of no avail. Their loss is all the greater because they had a misplaced confidence in their own deeds or in the assistance of false "protectors". Allah is the only Protector: no one else's protection is of any use.
Many people have such a smug sense of self-righteousness that while they go on doing wrong, they think that they are acquiring merit. So, in charity, all the elements that make for outward show or selfishness (as to get some worldly advantage) nullify the deed of charity. In the same way hypocrites sometimes affect to be surprised that their declared effort for somebody's good is not appreciated, when they are really seeking some hidden gain or false glory for themselves. The sincere are only those who believe in their spiritual responsibility and act as in Allah's sight.
This verse thus tells how misguided these people are. They have no inclination that whatever they do in this world takes them further into error and is thus completely wasted. Hence, they continue spending their whole lives in such vain pursuits. [3]
Tafsir by Hayya Alal Falah: [4] This verse, as well as the other verses up to the end of Surah Al-Kahf, not only is an explanation upon the qualities of the faithless persons, but also is a kind of summary for all the subjects which were discussed in this Surah. They are especially the matters concerning the story of the Companions of the Cave, Moses, Khidr, Zul-Qarnayn and their efforts and struggles against their opponents.
At first, it refers to the greatest losers, the most wretched persons among all mankind. But, in order to move the sense of curiosity of the hearers upon such an important subject, the Qur'an propounds it in the form of a question, and commands the Prophet of Islam (S) as follows:
"Say: 'Shall We inform you of the greatest losers in (their) deeds?"
Then, immediately after this question, the Qur'an itself answers it, so that the hearer does not spend a long time wandered, and it implies that the greatest losers are:
"Those whose effort is lost in this world's life, while they think that they are working good deeds."
Certainly the meaning of 'to lose' in this text is not only that a person loses some profits, but the real loss is that he loses the main capital, too. What a capital can be higher and worthier than intellect, talent, God-given-powers, lifetime, youth, and health.
These very things, which produce our deeds and our actions, are the fruit of our powers and abilities. When these powers turn into some destructive and vain deeds, it seems all of them have lost and vanished.
The true and double loss is where a man loses his own material and spiritual capitals on a wrong and deviated way, and he imagines that he has done a good action. Such a person has neither obtained any useful result from these efforts, nor has he learnt a lesson from that loss, nor is he secured from the repetition of that event
Unfortunately this is the case for a lot of people, including the Muslims. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was asked who is the truly bankrupt and he said:
"The real bankrupt of my Ummah is one who comes on the Day of Resurrection with prayer, fasting, and charity, but he cursed others, slandered others, unlawfully consumed the wealth of others, shed the blood of others and beat others; so his good deeds would be credited to the account of those (who suffered at his hand). If his good deeds run out before the score is settled, their sins would be added to his account and he would be thrown in the (Hell) Fire".
The verse 105 further clarifies "Those' as mentioned in verse 104 above:
اُولٰۤـئِكَ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا بِاٰيٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَلِقَآئِهٖ فَحَبِطَتۡ اَعۡمَالُهُمۡ فَلَا نُقِيۡمُ لَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ وَزۡنًـا
(18:105) Those are the ones who refused to believe in the revelations of their Lord and that they are bound to meet Him. Hence, all their deeds have come to naught, and We shall assign no weight to them on the Day of Resurrection.
"So worthless will be their deeds" in the sense that they will be of no avail to them in the life after death, even though they might have considered them as their great achievements but the fact is that they will lose all their value as soon as the world shall come to an end. When they will go before their Lord, and all their deeds shall be placed in the scales, they will have no weight at all whether they had built great palaces, established great universities and libraries, set up great factories and laboratories, constructed highways and railways, in short, all their inventions, industries, sciences and arts and other things of which they were very proud in this world, will lose their weights in the scales. The only thing which will have weight there will be that which had been done in accordance with the divine instructions and with the intention to please Allah. It is, therefore, obvious that if all of one's endeavors were confined to the worldly things and the achievement of worldly desires whose results one would see in this world, one should not reasonably expect to see their results in the Hereafter, for they would have gone waste with the end of this world. It is equally obvious, that only the deeds of the one, who performed them strictly in accordance with His instructions to win His approval with a view to avail of their results in the Hereafter, will find that his deeds had weight in the scales. On the contrary, such a one will find that all his endeavors in the world had gone waste.
Yusuf Ali Explanation: What weight can be attached to works behind which the motives are not pure, or are positively evil? They are either wasted or count against those who seek to pass them off as meritorious!
You may like to listen to prominent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan explaining the above said ayah:
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:
The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
The exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. [2]
In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources:
Posted in: Chapter 18,Selected Verses from Quran,Surah Al Kahf,Verse 104


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Former Facebook Executive Asha Sharma Appointed COO of E-Commerce Company Instacart
Last week, the San Francisco-based firm named Rama Katkar as vice president of finance.
Bhargavi Kulkarni
South Asian American Candidates Fare Poorly in New York City Council Special Election
Online grocery platform Instacart has appointed former Facebook executive Asha Sharma as its Chief Operating Officer. Sharma joins the company later this month and will report directly to Instacart founder and Chief Executive Officer Apoorva Mehta. In her new role, Sharma will oversee the Instacart Marketplace, which includes the Instacart App, Instacart Logistics, Growth and Marketing, according to a company press release. She'll also focus on engaging new and returning customers.
SuperMarket News reports that "Sharma's hiring brings back the COO position at Instacart." The San Francisco-based company had operated without a COO since August 2019 when Ravi Gupta, who also served as chief financial officer, stepped down from the role to join Sequoia Capital.
In a company press release, Mehta issued a statement welcoming Sharma. "Solving for the customer is at the core of everything we do at Instacart," he said. "We believe that our long-term success will be driven by creating products that exceed customer expectations at every touch point," he said. "To help achieve that, we're welcoming an exceptional operator and entrepreneurial product leader in Asha Sharma to serve as our new Chief Operating Officer. Asha's known for building strong teams in high growth environments and creating product experiences that are beloved by people around the world. I'm excited to welcome her to the team as we focus on unlocking more value for all the communities we serve."
Similarly Sharma issued a statement on her appointment. "I'm passionate about working on products that have a real-world impact on people around the world," she said. "I believe Instacart has only scratched the surface of what's possible, and I look forward to working with Apoorva and the team as we focus on developing new experiences that deliver unparalleled value to customers."
Sharma joins Instacart from Facebook, where she was vice president of Product for many of the company's private communications products across Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram. During her time at Facebook, Sharma also previously served as vice president of Product for Messenger, and Head of Product for Social Impact.
She was previously COO of Porch, where she was responsible for the company's operations, product, growth, and marketing efforts. Prior to joining Porch, Sharma worked as board director at the Virginia Mason Medical Center and in marketing and operations at Microsoft, her LinkedIn profile says. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management.
SuperMarket News says Sharma is the second C-suite executive to join Instacart in recent weeks. Goldman Sachs veteran Nick Giovanni started at Instacart as chief financial officer on Jan. 27. He succeeded Sagar Sanghvi, who had taken over as CFO in August 2019 from Ravi Gupta.
Last week, the company also hired Rama Katkar as vice president of Finance. Katkar, who will lead the company's finance team, with a focus on FP&A and strategic finance, will report directly to recently-appointed CFO Nick Giovanni.
Katkar comes to Instacart with more than 20 years of finance experience, including investing, strategic operations and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). She was most recently a senior vice president at Credit Karma, where she spent nearly six years leading corporate development, strategic finance and business operations.
All the Love They Could Get: Audiences Embrace LGBTQ Films at Chicago South Asian Film Festival
North America's largest third-party provider of online grocery services, Instacart partners with nearly 600 national, regional and local retailers, offering delivery and pickup from over 45,000 stores across more than 5,500 cities. Its services — also including delivery in retail sectors such as home goods, beauty care, convenience, off-price/closeout, office supplies, vitamins and supplements, pharmacy and consumer electronics — are available to 85 percent of U.S. households and 70 percent of Canadian households.
Last June, the company's founder and CEO, Apoorva Mehta, 33, became the latest executive to join the billionaire list, after its value went up thanks to the exponential growth in online shopping because of Coronavirus lockdown. Mehta began the grocery delivery startup in 2012. Forbes said Mehta's addition into the list comes after the San Francisco-based unicorn's value rose from $7.9 billion to $13.7 billion. A unicorn is a privately held startup company valued at over $1 billion.
Forbes estimates that "Mehta owns a 10 percent stake, making him the newest member of the three comma club with a net worth of $1.2 billion." Citing estimates from Instacart, Forbes reports that the company's "order volume has gone up by as much as 500 percent in the past 12 months," with the average customer spending unto 35 percent more per order.
Bhargavi Kulkarni has been a journalist for nearly two decades. She has a degree in English literature and French. She is also an adventure sport enthusiast, and in her free time, she likes to cook, bake, bike and hike.
Asha Sharma Facebook Instacart Rama Katkar Top Stories
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Chivas celebrates its 115th Anniversary with an NFT auction on Avalanche
Chivas, also known as Deportivo Guadalajara, is really making the most of its 115th anniversary. On Avalanche, Mexico's most popular soccer team is holding a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) sale to commemorate the team's beginnings. To ensure this auction runs smoothly Avocado Blockchain, Mexico's leading blockchain technology firm is working on the implementation.
This exciting NFT auction began on June 7th and will conclude on July 9th, so there is still time to take part. To the enjoyment of Chivas fans and collectors in Mexico and abroad, the NFT will include unpublished material handpicked and designed by the club.
¡Participa en el concurso para crear la obra del NFT de los ChivaHermanos! 👾🇫🇷📱
Échale un ojo a las bases y haz que tu talento sea parte de nuestra primera colección de #ChivasNFT.
👉 https://t.co/WLEBUwDIb6 pic.twitter.com/H0Jj1GMkNn
— CHIVAS (@Chivas) May 28, 2021
Not only will this benefit fans, but a portion of the auction revenues will go to the Jorge Vergara Foundation. This non-profit organization works to improve the health of children in Mexico and around the world. Fans can participate not only in the auction but also in a social media open design contest to suggest an NFT concept. The concept crowned the winner will become included in this ongoing series.
Chivas is focused on innovation and the ability to provide fans with fresh and exciting experiences. Chivas experienced a boom in the realm of NFTs and digital collectibles in Mexico. As a result of their popularity, this auction has become the most effective way for their fans to communicate with them online. This is beneficial to both the club and Ava Labs and Avocado. With the help of partners like Chivas, the adoption of digital assets and collectibles can grow even faster. They can also open up new channels of communication for the sports marketing sector.
Here's where you can learn more about NFTs, including how Paris Saint-Germain launched its first artistic NFTs with lucky buddy.


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Dave Gorman Vs. the Rest of the World
by Dave Gorman | Nonfiction | This book has not been rated.
ISBN: 0091928486 Global Overview for this book
Registered by BookGroupMan of Chester, Cheshire United Kingdom on 10/14/2021
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
1 journaler for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by BookGroupMan from Chester, Cheshire United Kingdom on Thursday, October 14, 2021
I've read a couple of Dave Gorman's books, he seems to find fun and quirky things to do ... in this he takes on the world at playing 'off-line' games.
(23/10/21) *includes spoiler* I don't really want to give away the ending, except to say that the penultimate game took an unexpected twist. Nobody died, but DG had an experience that shook his worldview and mojo. It affected the mood and finale of the book, which is a shame. The book starts with Gorman having some time on his hands, working part-time, and building up to wedding preparations, so he asked the Twitterverse if anyone wanted to play a game with him. As you can imagine he got lots of replies, but hadn't really decided how it would work … although he must have believed that a quirky book was the inevitable outcome sometime down the line! There's a lot of gentle humour, some insights into the British psyche, but mostly descriptions of Gorman travelling and playing games with various (mostly) strangers and oddball. There are some familiar favourites board games here (Monopoly, Subbuteo, Cluedo), pub & blokey games (darts, dominoes, crib, poker). But the real stars were the strange and exotic gems that he finds; throwing games, Kubb, Frisbee and the Smite world championships; modern 'German style' games that DG doesn't really get; and others that defy description, an emu-based gane, Lewes 'toad in the hole', Egyptian Laser Chess and 'IDVE' Intelligent Design Versus Evolution. This last one is, unfortunately the defining game for the book, as above, but I mostly enjoyed the journey and concept.
Journal Entry 2 by BookGroupMan at Storyhouse in Chester, Cheshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Released 1 mo ago (12/8/2021 UTC) at Storyhouse in Chester, Cheshire United Kingdom
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
This is going to the brilliant Storyhouse this evening, appropriate I'm going there for a book group. If you find this book, welcome to Book Crossing, enjoy!
"Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint."
- Mark Twain


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HCA appoints Sam Hazen Chief Operating Officer
by Nashville Health Care Council | Jan 30, 2015
HCA (NYSE:HCA) today announced the appointment of Sam Hazen as the company's chief operating officer, effective immediately.
"Sam is an outstanding leader who has provided invaluable strategic and operational leadership for many years as a member of HCA's senior management team. He is highly respected both within HCA and throughout our industry," said HCA Chairman and CEO Milton Johnson. "I am confident Sam will continue to help lead HCA to higher levels of operational performance that support the best outcomes for our patients."
A 32-year veteran of HCA, Hazen has served as president of operations for HCA since 2011, overseeing the operations of HCA's 166 hospitals and 113 freestanding surgery centers, domestically and in the United Kingdom. Prior to that, Hazen served in a number of leadership roles at the company, most notably as president of HCA's Western Group, a position to which he was appointed in 2001. In that role, he had responsibility for seven divisions and 63 hospitals in nine states.
Hazen began his career in Humana's Financial Management Training Program in 1983. He has served as CFO for hospitals in Georgia and Nevada and as a regional CFO in Kentucky. In 1994, he became HCA's North Texas Division CFO. He was named HCA's Western Group CFO in 1995 and served in that role until he was promoted to Western Group President.
Hazen earned his bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Kentucky in 1982 and his master's degree in business administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1988.
All references to "Company" and "HCA" as used throughout this release refer to HCA Holdings, Inc. and its affiliates.
Mark Kimbrough
Ed Fishbough