text:
Don Van Vliet, né Don Glen Vliet le  et mort le , est un musicien et artiste visuel américain, plus connu sous le pseudonyme de Captain Beefheart. Son œuvre musicale fut principalement réalisée avec un ensemble fluctuant de musiciens nommé le Magic Band, actif depuis le milieu des années 1960 jusqu'au début des années 1980.

Van Vliet est l'inventeur d'une musique révolutionnaire, sorte de blues-rock déconstruit à la manière du free jazz, qu'il accompagnait de sa voix inquiétante et surprenante (elle s'étalait sur cinq octaves), mais aussi à l'harmonica ou, plus rarement, au saxophone et au clavier. Ses compositions sont caractérisées par un assortiment singulier de signatures rythmiques mouvantes et de paroles surréalistes. Figure excentrique de la scène underground américaine, sa démarche exerça une influence inestimable sur les musiques déviantes à venir, comme le punk rock ou la new wave, en dépit de sa maigre réussite commerciale.

Van Vliet se joignit au Magic Band en 1965 et s'imposa vite en leader autoritaire. Ses premières productions étaient ancrées dans le blues et le rock, mais Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band (nom sous lequel la formation était connue) adopta peu à peu une approche plus expérimentale. 1969 vit la sortie de son chef-d'œuvre, Trout Mask Replica, produit par son ami de longue date Frank Zappa, dont l'influence et le caractère révolutionnaire sont encore loués de nos jours. Beefheart sortit plusieurs autres albums au cours des années 1970 mais son groupe subit d'importants changements dans sa composition et ne connut qu'un succès commercial fort limité. Plus tard il joua avec d'autres musiciens plus jeunes et connut une gloire relative avec ses trois derniers albums, sortis entre 1978 et 1982.

Van Vliet mit fin à sa carrière musicale vers 1982 et fit dès lors peu d'apparitions en public, préférant une vie tranquille dans son comté de Humboldt natal et se consacrant à la peinture. Son intérêt pour les arts plastiques remonte à un talent précoce de sculpteur ; son œuvre a été rapprochée du primitivisme et de l'expressionnisme abstrait et a reçu une reconnaissance internationale.

Biographie

Enfance
Van Vliet naît à Glendale (Californie). Son père, chauffeur-livreur pour la société Helms Bread, est originaire du Kansas et d'ascendance néerlandaise. Sa mère venait de l'Arkansas ; son nom de jeune fille est Warfield, d'origine anglaise ; elle est une cousine de Wallis Simpson, l'épouse d'Édouard VIII du Royaume-Uni. On dit que Don ajouta le préfixe 'Van' à son patronyme afin de mettre en avant ses origines néerlandaises, en hommage aux maîtres de la peinture des Pays-Bas.

Bien qu'issu d'une famille aux origines modestes et n'accordant que peu d'intérêt aux arts, Van Vliet révèle très jeune un talent prodigieux en peinture et sculpture, avec des œuvres réalisées à partir de matériaux qu'il trouve dans la nature. Il est remarqué par Augustinio Rodriguez, qui l'invita à venir sculpter avec lui chaque semaine sur le plateau d'une émission télévisée. Mais ses parents le découragent de poursuivre dans cette voie, en rejetant plusieurs offres de bourses d'études, notamment en Europe, et, craignant pour leur enfant, font le choix de s'installer au beau milieu du désert de Mojave, puis à Lancaster. Van Vliet conserve toutefois son intérêt pour l'art, et ses peintures figurèrent plus tard sur plusieurs de ses albums.

Adolescence - Rencontre avec Frank Zappa
Étudiant à l'université d'Antelope Valley de Lancaster, Van Vliet se lie d'amitié avec Frank Zappa. Tous deux passent de longs moments enfermés à écouter des disques de rhythm and blues. Van Vliet devient amateur de blues, en particulier de Howlin' Wolf. Avec Zappa, ils commencent à collaborer en écrivant des parodies de chansons pop et le script du film  Captain Beefheart vs. the Grunt People ; il s'agit là de la première apparition de ce qui deviendra son nom de scène en 1964. Selon Frank Zappa, le nom (« Capitaine Cœur de Bœuf ») était une allusion à une expression de son oncle Alan, qui avait l'habitude de s'exhiber en train d'uriner devant la petite amie de Van Vliet en lui disant : « Aaah ! Quelle beauté ! On dirait un bon gros morceau de cœur de bœuf ! ». Dans une entrevue de 1970 avec le magazine Rolling Stone, Van Vliet déclare « ne me demandez pas pourquoi et comment » lui et Zappa avaient trouvé ce nom. Il affirma plus tard lors d'une émission du Late Night with David Letterman que le nom faisait référence à « un bœuf enfermé dans mon cœur contre cette société ».

Plus tard Van Vliet s'inscrit en art, mais il décide de quitter l'université l'année suivante. Après avoir travaillé comme gestionnaire d'une boutique de chaussures, il déménage à Rancho Cucamonga, afin de se rapprocher de Zappa, avec qui il joue pour les premières fois en public. Avec leur groupe "The Soots", ils jouent des morceaux aux thèmes surréalistes et humoristiques, ou des reprises d'artistes de blues comme Little Richard. Zappa tente en vain de démarcher des maisons de disques ; il rapporte qu'un employé de  lui déclara, après avoir écouté deux morceaux du groupe : « Nous ne pouvons pas sortir ça, le son de la guitare est saturé ». Van Vliet est décrit comme relativement timide à cette époque, mais capable d'imiter la profonde voix du bluesman Howlin' Wolf. Il devient peu à peu plus à l'aise en public et, après avoir appris à jouer de l'harmonica, commence à jouer dans de petits clubs de la région, accompagné par des groupes locaux comme The Omens et The Blackouts.

Le Magic Band

Débuts
Au début de 1965, Van Vliet est contacté par , un guitariste de rhythm and blues de Lancaster. Ensemble ils forment le premier Magic Band ; c'est à ce moment que Don Vliet devient « Don Van Vliet », Alex Snouffer devenant « Alex St. Claire ». La formation est complétée par Doug Moon (guitare), Jerry Handley (basse) et Vic Mortenson (batterie) bientôt remplacé par Paul Blakely).

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band signent chez A&M Records et sortent deux singles en 1966 : une version de "Diddy Wah Diddy" de Bo Diddley puis "Moonchild", écrit par David Gates, qui furent des succès locaux. Le groupe commence à jouer dans des salles underground de la région, comme le Avalon Ballroom de San Francisco.

En 1966 les démos de ce qui deviendra Safe as Milk, premier album du groupe, sont présentées à A&M.  (le « M » de A&M) qualifie cette nouvelle orientation de « trop négative » et le groupe est congédié du label.

Rejoint par  à la batterie, le groupe signe, en 1966, chez Buddah Records. French est l'élément le plus stable du groupe, avec qui il reste jusqu'en 1971, avant de revenir en 1975-1977, puis en 1980 (en tant que guitariste sur les disques Doc at the Radar Station et Ice Cream for Crow). French a la patience requise pour traduire les idées musicales de Van Vliet (qu'il exprime fréquemment en sifflant ou en frappant sur un piano) aux autres musiciens. En l'absence de French ce rôle est tenu par Bill Harkleroad. En 1966 le groupe partage l'affiche à San Francisco avec les groupes Big Brother and The Holding Company et Love.

Safe as Milk demande un gros travail ; c'est ainsi que le prodige de la guitare Ry Cooder, âgé de 19 ans seulement, est sollicité. Ils commencent à enregistrer au cours du printemps 1967, Richard Perry assurant le travail de production (une première le concernant). Le style du groupe s'affirme à ce moment : mélange étrange de blues et de country, et rythmiques titubantes, et commence à faire parler de lui : on remarque la qualité du jeu de guitare slide de Cooder et, surtout, le chant « hargneux » de Beefheart. Diverses légendes commencent à circuler, aidées par les déclarations plus ou moins mensongères de Beefheart dans des interviews. On dit par exemple qu'il  détruit par ses hurlements un micro au cours des sessions d'enregistrement. Cooder quitta le groupe en juin 1967.

En août est recruté le guitariste  et le Magic Band (dans la configuration Snouffer/Cotton/Handley/French) commence à enregistrer en vue du second album. On rapporte qu'ils tentent de se lancer dans la conception d'un double-album intitulé It Comes to You in a Plain Brown Wrapper, comprenant un disque enregistré live (en concert ou en studio). À la suite de l'échec commercial de Safe as Milk, le groupe se retrouve cependant une nouvelle fois sans label pour l'appuyer. Le producteur indépendant Bob Krasnow accepte toutefois de financer des sessions qui débouchent finalement sur Strictly Personal, sorti sur son label , dans lequel se confirme l'orientation free jazz de la musique de Beefheart. Les notes de l'édition originale de l'album affirment qu'il a été enregistré en « une nuit à Los Angeles en 1965 » ; en réalité les bandes dataient de novembre et décembre 1967.

Le groupe effectue sa première tournée outre-Atlantique ; au cours de son premier séjour en Angleterre, en janvier 1968, Captain Beefheart fait la connaissance de Peter Meaden, icône mod et ancien manager de The Who. Alors que le groupe est en tournée, Krasnow modifie les enregistrements du groupe et ajoute de nombreux effets sonores sur la version finale, qui figure ensuite sur l'album. Beefheart n'apprécie pas cette initiative et, contrarié, fait le choix de retourner en Californie et de se rester un temps dans un endroit isolé.

Trout Mask Replica

Il y retrouve son vieil ami Frank Zappa, qui lui fit la proposition d'enregistrer en totale indépendance un nouvel album et de le publier sur son nouveau label Straight Records.

C'est ainsi que le  sort le chef-d'œuvre incontesté de Van Vliet, Trout Mask Replica. Combinant un grand nombre d'influences (blues, rock, musique psychédélique, free jazz...) dans une démarche iconoclaste et en rupture totale avec les conventions de la musique rock, il est immédiatement accueilli comme un monument de musique avant-gardiste.

Van Vliet profite de l'engouement soudain des médias, en particulier, d'une interview avec le magazine Rolling Stone, pour lancer d'autres légendes sur le groupe, aujourd'hui encore tenues pour véridiques par certains critiques.

Selon Steve Huey, l'influence de l'album est « plus sensible dans l'esprit que dans l'imitation proprement dite, comme une catalyse plutôt que comme un véritable point de départ », et il inspire d'innombrables expérimentations postérieures de rock surréaliste, au cours des périodes punk et new wave.

Travaux ultérieurs
En 1969, la participation de Captain Beefheart à l'album Hot Rats de Frank Zappa est particulièrement remarquée par son interprétation du titre Willie the Pimp, seule partie chantée de l'album.

 (1970) se situe dans la même veine expérimentale. Pour l'enregistrement de ce disque, le groupe voit l'arrivée d' (ancien des Mothers of Invention) à la batterie et aux marimbas. Sur Decals, pour la première fois la formation est créditée dans le titre comme « The Magic Band » et non « His magic band » comme précédemment ; le journaliste  l'interprète comme « une concession rechignée à ses membres, d'un minimum d'humanité semi-autonome ».

Les deux disques suivants,  (simplement crédité à « Captain Beefheart ») et  (crédité à « Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band »), sortis en 1972, étaient beaucoup plus conventionnels. En 1974, immédiatement après l'enregistrement de , dans la continuité des passages les plus commerciaux des albums précédents, le Magic Band, dont le noyau était alors John French, Art Tripp III, Bill Harkleroad et Mark Boston, décida de ne plus travailler avec Van Vliet, un guide qu'ils jugeaient trop sévère, et formèrent le groupe . Van Vliet assembla rapidement un autre Magic Band, au son beaucoup plus lisse et accessible, et auquel certains fans déçus affublèrent le surnom de « Tragic band ». Unconditionally Guaranteed et son successeur  (1974) ont un son se rapprochant du soft rock, complètement différent de tous les autres disques de Beefheart, et aucun ne reçut d'accueil favorable.

En 1975, Frank Zappa revient vers son ami Captain Beefheart, pour ce qui sera leur dernière collaboration. Zappa présente son compagnon comme « juridiquement asservi dans toute la région », après avoir signé « une ahurissante série de contrats avec tous les gars qui lui tendaient un stylo ». C'est ainsi presque sans le sou qu'il participe à la tournée Bongo Fury de 1975. Zappa le décrit encore comme particulièrement dur à vivre en tournée, car « il transportait la majeure partie de ses possessions terrestres – ses œuvres d'art, des livres de poésie, un sax soprano – dans un sac plastique qu'il oubliait partout » et se plaignait sans cesse de ne pas s'entendre sur scène, et ce quel que soit le volume des retours. Le fruit de ce travail collaboratif figure sur l'album Bongo Fury (1975) issu de la tournée du même nom de 1975. On trouve également certains de leurs enregistrements de jeunesse sur les collections de raretés de Frank Zappa The Lost Episodes (1996) et  (1996).

De 1975 à 1977, aucun nouveau disque ne parut (la version originale de Bat Chain Puller fut enregistrée en 1976, mais ne fut jamais publiée). En 1978 fut constitué un groupe totalement nouveau, formé de Richard Redus, , ,  et Robert Williams. Ils étaient issus d'une nouvelle génération de jeunes musiciens, s'avérant particulièrement aptes à jouer la musique de Beefheart, ayant été pour certains d'entre eux des fans de longue date.

 (1978) fut largement considéré comme un retour aux conceptions stylistiques excentriques et novatrices des premiers albums de Van Vliet.  (1980) confirma la résurgence des moments les plus créatifs de la carrière musicale de Beefheart. Publié par Virgin Records en pleine ère post-punk, sa musique se trouva alors accessible à un public plus jeune et plus réceptif. Van Vliet déclara à propos de sa musique à cette époque : « je fais une musique non-hypnotique pour briser l'état catatonique... et je pense que c'est à présent une de celles qu'il faut ». Vers le même moment il fit deux apparitions dans l'émission de David Letterman et joua également pour le Saturday Night Live.

Son dernier disque,  (1982), fut enregistré avec Gary Lucas (qui était également son manager), Jeff Moris Tepper, Richard Snyder et Cliff Martinez. la même équipe réalisa une vidéo pour promouvoir la chanson "Ice Cream for Crow", qui fut rejetée par MTV car jugée « trop étrange » mais incluse dans le programme de Letterman sur NBC-TV. Peu après, Van Vliet mit fin à ses activités musicales pour se consacrer à la peinture.

Reformation
Le Magic Band s'est reformé en 2003, sans Beefheart et sous la direction de John French, avec Gary Lucas et Denny Walley à la guitare,  à la basse et Robert Williams à la batterie. Pour leurs deux premiers concerts, au festival All Tomorrow's Parties à Camber et au  de Londres, French joua de la batterie pendant la première partie, avant d'être remplacé par Williams pour passer au chant. Williams quitta le groupe après ces deux spectacles et fut remplacé par Michael Traylor. La même année sortit un nouvel album studio intitulé Back To The Front chez ATP Recordings, suivi de 21st Century Mirror Men en 2005. Après un concert aux États-Unis et une trentaine en Europe, le groupe mit fin à ses activités en 2006.

John Peel, au départ sceptique à propos du groupe reformé, diffusa dans son émission un enregistrement du groupe au festival All Tomorrow's Parties, puis s'en trouva si ému qu'il ne put parler et dut passer un disque afin de reprendre ses esprits. Environ un an plus tard, le groupe enregistra une Peel Session pour lui.

Peinture
Van Vliet a ensuite résidé dans le nord de la Californie. À partir du milieu des années 1980, il abandonne la musique et devient quelque peu reclus, soutenant qu'il pourrait gagner bien plus d'argent grâce à la peinture. Certains critiques l'accueillent défavorablement comme un . Avec les années cependant, son œuvre reçoit peu à peu un accueil positif. Ses créations, tout comme sa musique, sont considérées comme radicales et novatrices, et se vendent à prix fort. Certaines sont comparées aux œuvres de Jackson Pollock et de Franz Kline.

Au début des années 1980, Van Vliet met en place un partenariat avec le galeriste Michael Werner. Eric Feldman affirmera plus tard dans une interview que Michael Werner avait dit à Van Vliet qu'il devrait cesser de jouer de la musique s'il voulait être respecté en tant qu'artiste peintre. Gordon Veneklasen, l'un des directeurs de la galerie en 1995, décrit Van Vliet comme un « peintre incroyable », dont l'œuvre  Il est considéré comme un moderniste primitiviste et un expressionniste abstrait. Morgan Falconer d'Artforum le mentionne lui aussi comme situé dans une « esthétique néo-primitiviste », établissant ensuite que son œuvre est influencée par les peintres du mouvement Cobra, une ressemblance également reconnue par le critique d'art Roberto Ohrt. Selon John Lane, directeur du musée d'art moderne de San Francisco dans les années 1990, bien que l'œuvre de Van Vliet puisse être associée avec la peinture expressionniste commune, plus importants sont sa qualité d'artiste autodidacte et le fait que sa peinture .

Van Vliet déclara à propos de sa propre œuvre :

Van Vliet met fin à ses activités de peinture vers la fin des années 1990 ; vers le même moment, il apparaît qu'il souffre d'une maladie dégénérative.

Des expositions tenues en 2007 de ses peintures réalisées à la fin des années 1990 aux galeries Anton Kern et Michael Werner de New York ont été accueillies favorablement. En 2012-2013, une salle lui est consacrée lors de l'exposition de la collection de Michael Werner au musée d'art moderne de la ville de Paris.

Activités ultérieures et décès
En 2003, Captain Beefheart apparaît sur la compilation Where We Live: Stand for What You Stand On: A Benefit CD for EarthJustice, chantant une version parodique de Joyeux anniversaire intitulée Happy Earthday. La chanson dure 35 secondes ; elle est enregistrée au téléphone par le compilateur de l'album.

Il meurt le 17 décembre 2010 à 69 ans des suites d'une sclérose en plaques. Divers hommages lui sont rendus : Rock & Folk lui consacre la première page de son numéro 522 (février 2011) ; Jeff Bridges conclut l'épisode de Saturday Night Live du 18 décembre 2010 par un

Héritage et influence
Selon Michka Assayas, « Avec dix ans d'avance, Beefheart a anticipé les tendances les plus radicales du rock dit indépendant, de Pere Ubu à Nick Cave, en passant par les Residents, Public Image Limited », et PJ Harvey, pour qui les disques de Captain Beefheart avaient la préférence au sein de la discothèque familiale.

L'animateur de la BBC John Peel affirma : « S'il y a jamais eu un génie dans l'histoire de la musique populaire, c'est Beefheart. J'ai entendu des échos de sa musique dans quelques-uns des disques que j'ai écoutés la semaine dernière et j'entendrai d'autres écho dans la musique que j'écouterai cette semaine ».

De nombreux artistes l'ont cité comme une influence primordiale, en particulier des pionniers du mouvement punk comme the Clash, John Lydon et Siouxsie and the Banshees. Michael Azerrad présente les Minutemen comme des fans absolus de Beefheart et décrit leur musique des débuts comme du « Captain Beefheart hautement caféiné dévalant du James Brown ». L'inflexion de l'orientation artistique de Tom Waits avec son Swordfishtrombones en 1983 était, selon ses dires, la conséquence de son initiation à la musique de Beefheart par sa femme. Il est cité dans la Nurse with Wound list.

En 1988, l'album hommage Fast 'n' Bulbous - A Tribute to Captain Beefheart est une preuve de l'influence de Beefheart sur le mouvement post-punk, avec des groupes comme Sonic Youth, The Membranes et XTC.

Parmi d'autres musiciens directement influencés par Beefheart on pourrait également citer les précurseurs de la new wave Devo ou le groupe de rock indépendant Franz Ferdinand. Le groupe britannique de shoegazing Spotlight Kid a trouvé son nom en s'inspirant directement du titre de l'album de Beefheart The Spotlight Kid.

Van Vliet a fait l'objet d'un documentaire de la BBC en 1997, The Artist Formerly Known As Captain Beefheart. Le photographe néerlandais Anton Corbijn est également l'auteur d'un court métrage d'une dizaine de minutes intitulé Some Yo Yo Stuff: An Observation of the Observations of Don Van Vliet sorti en DVD. Quelques-uns de ses récents sons et bruitages ont été capturés par son guitariste  et figurent sur ses albums Moth to Mouth (2002) et Head Off (2004). Le Magic Band, mené par John French, avec les deux ex-membres Denny Walley,  et Gary Lucas s'est reformé en 2003 et a effectué une tournée au Royaume-Uni en 2005

Discographie

Albums studio
 1967 : Safe as Milk (Buddah Records) avec Ry Cooder
 1968 : Strictly Personal
 1969 : Trout Mask Replica
 1970 :
 1971 : Mirror Man
 1972 :
 1972 :
 1974 : Unconditionally Guaranteed
 1974 :
 1978 :
 1980 :
 1982 :
 1984 :  (EP)
 2012 :

Albums en concert
 1969-10-28 : Amougies Festival (Belgium) - featuring Frank Zappa
 1994 : London 1974
 2000 :
 2000 : [Merseytrout] : Live in Liverpool 1980
 2002 : [Magnetic Hands] : Live in UK 1972 - 1980
 2003 : [Railroaddism] : Live in USA 1972 - 1981
 2006 : Live in Amsterdam 1980

Compilations
 1992 : I May Be Hungry but I Sure Ain't Weird
 1993 : A Carrot Is As Close As A Rabbit Gets To A Diamond
 1998 : Electricity
 1999 : Grow Fins: Rarities 1965–1982
 1999 : The Dust Blows Forward
 2002 : The Best of Captain Beefheart
 2006 : The Buddah Years

Singles
 1966 : "Diddy Wah Diddy" / "Who Do You Think You're Fooling"
 1966 : "Moonchild" / "Frying Pan"
 1967 : "Yellow Brick Road" / "Abba Zaba"
 1970 : "Pachuco Cadaver" / "Wild Life" (France seulement)
 1972 : "Click Clack" / "I'm Gonna Booglarize You, Baby"
 1973 : "Too Much Time" / "Clear Spot"
 1974 : "Upon the My-O-My" / "Magic Be" (Royaume-Uni)
 1978 : "Sure 'Nuff 'n Yes I Do" / "Electricity"
 1982 : "Ice Cream for Crow" / "Tropical Hot Dog Night" / Run Paint Run Run" / "Light Reflected off the Oceands of the Moon"

Collaborations

avec Frank Zappa
 1969 : Hot Rats
 1975 : Bongo Fury
 1976 : Zoot Allures
 1975 : One Size Fits All
 1996 : The Lost Episodes
 1998 :
 1998 : Cheap Thrills - [The Torture Never Stops (Original Version)]

Autres
 1977 : The Tubes, Now
 1978 : Jack Nitzsche, Hard Workin' Man, sur la bande originale du film Blue Collar
 2000 : Gary Lucas, Improve the Shining Hour
 2000 : , Moth to Mouth

Notes et références

Annexes

Bibliographie

 Michka Assayas, Dictionnaire du rock, Éditions Robert Laffont, coll. « Bouquins », Paris, 2000
 Michael Azerrad, Our Band Could Be Your Life - , Back Bay Books / Little, Brown and Company, New York, 2001
 Michel Delville & Andrew Norris, Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, and the Secret History of Maximalism. Cambridge: Salt Publishing, 2005
 Frank Zappa et Peter Occhiogrosso, Zappa par Zappa, L'Archipel, Montréal, 2000 , traduit de l'anglais par Jean-Marie Millet
 Guy Cosson, Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, Éditions Parallèles, Paris, 1996
 Benoît Delaune, Captain Beefheart and his magic band(s), Éditions Le Mot et le reste, 2011
 Pascal Comelade, « Captain Beefheart a rejoint l'hyper-espace », Rock & Folk, 522, juillet 2011

Liens externes

 The Captain Beefheart Radar Station

Chanteur américain du XXe siècle
Chanteur américain du XXIe siècle
Peintre américain du XXe siècle
Musicien expérimental américain
Nom de scène
Naissance en janvier 1941
Naissance à Glendale (Californie)
Groupe musical formé en 1965
Artiste de Buddah Records
Artiste de Mercury Records
Artiste de Reprise Records
Artiste de Virgin Records
Artiste de Warner Bros. Records
Décès en décembre 2010
Décès dans le comté de Humboldt (Californie)
Mort de la sclérose en plaques
Décès à 69 ans
Personnalité inhumée en Californie


text:
Tomb of Antenor
Antenor Square
Padua, Italy
The tomb of the mythological founder of Padua is not hidden in some obscure crypt, but stands right in the middle of the city square.
The Tomb of Antenor lies in the middle of Antenor square in Padua. René Dinkel
Tomb of Antenor. Unknown
Julius Spada (Atlas Obscura User)
The smaller tomb of Lovato Lovati. MM
Top Places in Padua
Scrovegni Chapel
St. Anthony's Tongue
Palazzo del Bo Anatomical Theater
The legendary figure Antenor appears in various accounts of Greek mythology, such as Homer's Iliad, as a wise and old counselor to King Priam of Troy during the Trojan War. Antenor is reported to be a traitor to the Trojans, having helped the Achaeans. After the fall of Troy, Antenor fled from the city and according to some texts, such as Vergil's Aeneid, settled in Northern Italy, founding the city of Padua.
In the center of Padua resides a small medieval shrine said to contain the remains of the legendary founder of the city. The tomb was built in the 13th century after a sarcophagus containing human remains, a sword, and two jars of gold coins was found.
The objects were was said, by judge and scholar Lovato Lovati, to be the casket and remains of Antenor. Lovati wanted his own final resting place to be close to Antenor, and today his tomb lies near that of the mythical founder of Padua.
However, some recent studies found that the remains contained in the tomb don't belong to Antenor at all, but rather may belong to an Hungarian warrior from the 9th century or an unknown person from the 2nd or 3rd centuries.
Culinary Naples: Producers, Purveyors, and Pizzaioli
From street food to lavish feasts, piping-hot coffee to smooth aperitivos, folk songs to opera, hilltop farms to urban wilds, immerse yourself in the greatest culinary and cultural experiences of Naples, meeting lively local Neapolitani for whom this is the only way to live.
mythology tombs legends medieval
StepYoshi
Julius Spada, diffendale
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomba_di_Antenore
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antenor_(mythology)
11 Via S. Francesco
Pietra del Vituperio (Stone of Shame)
Capital Without Column
The world's oldest surviving anatomical theater, where "the dead are pleased to help the living."
In medieval times this small stone seat was used as a bizarre way to punish insolvent debtors.
Something's missing between the arcades of the Palazzo della Ragione in "the city of the three withouts."
Padua Astronomical Clock
One of the world's oldest working clocks is curiously missing the Zodiac sign of Libra.
Modena Archivolt
One of the earliest depictions of an Arthurian scene that is shrouded in mystery.
Zennor, England
Mermaid Chair
This wooden chair dates possibly back to the 15th century, and commemorates a local legend.
Glastonbury, England
'King Arthur's Tomb'
In the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey lies the alleged resting place of the legendary king.
Snugborough, Ireland
Darby's Bed
A Neolithic passage tomb said to have sheltered two legendary Irish lovers.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Is maple syrup a safe sweetener for diabetics? below you'll find some good information from gina, a type i diabetic , who saw a tweet i put up a while back with a link to an article related to diabetics and maple syrup .. Maple syrup. made from the sap of maple trees — mostly sugar maples — the sap is boiled down to create a thick, amber liquid that's not just sweet — it's also full of calcium, potassium, manganese, phosphorous, magnesium and iron, as well as vitamins b2, b5, b6, niacin, biotin and folic acid.. The best diabetic syrup recipes on yummly | diabetic pecan pie, diabetic lemon cranberry bars, diabetic rosco de anis which type of dish are you looking for? cake pancake bar no preference. skip. maple syrup, cocoa, baking soda, beaten egg, all-purpose flour and 5 more ..
The best anti-cancer and anti diabetes food. there is no doubt that maple syrup is the favorite of everyone. this is probably the best anti-cancer and anti-diabetes food today. the studies have shown that the syrup could be more effective than broccoli, blueberries, tomatoes, and carrots in fighting cancer growth.. One tablespoon of maple syrup contains 13.4 grams of carbohydrate! when used in moderation with carbohydrate counting, small amounts of maple syrup can be safely incorporated into a healthy meal plan. fingersticks will tell you how your blood glucose responds to the addition of maple syrup or any other food in your meal plan.. This is the perfect type of questions for me because im a 13 year old type 1 diabetic. go with maple grove farms sugar free syrup butter flavored-( 12 carbs), or blackburns sugar free syrup- (9 carbs).
One tablespoon of maple syrup contains 13.4 grams of carbohydrate! when used in moderation with carbohydrate counting, small amounts of maple syrup can be safely incorporated into a healthy meal plan. fingersticks will tell you how your blood glucose responds to the addition of maple syrup or any other food in your meal plan.. Diabetes, either type 1 or 2, is a disorder that can result in dangerously high levels of sugar in the blood (glucose). maple syrup, even "pure" or organic, is a very quick-acting source of carbohydrates, meaning, it causes a rapid rise in glucose. this rapid rise is not good for anybody, diabetic or not.. The best diabetic syrup recipes on yummly | diabetic pecan pie, diabetic lemon cranberry bars, diabetic rosco de anis which type of dish are you looking for? cake pancake bar no preference. skip. maple syrup, cocoa, baking soda, beaten egg, all-purpose flour and 5 more ..


He said his party identified 52.67 lakh defective and duplicate voters in September 2018 and brought the matter to the attention of the CEC several times.
New Delhi: YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy met the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora on Monday and submit a memorandum against the alleged autocratic functioning of the N Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP government in Andhra Pradesh.
"The TDP government in Andhra Pradesh is doing everything in its power to subvert democracy and steal the election. I met the Chief Election Commissioner and informed him of the various ways in which the current government is undermining the electoral process. I requested him to intervene in the matter and ensure that free and fair elections are held in Andhra Pradesh," Reddy, Leader of the Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly told reporters after the meet.
Jagan, as he is widely known, alleged that the "unfair and unethical means" used by the TDP government included manipulation of electoral rolls, misuse of government machinery and partisan use of police officers to intimidate the opposition and keep a tab on them.
He claimed that the number of defective voters increased by 59.18 lakh at the behest of the TDP government. "Out of 3.69 crore voters, if nearly 60 lakh are "invalid or defective", it reflects very badly on the election process, Jagan said.
He said the Election Commission should consider conducting elections in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on the same day as there were many voters who have votes in both the states.
Jagan also claimed that the TDP was misusing government machinery by conducting various surveys and gathering data to identify voters sympathetic to YSRCP and delete them from the voters' list. He alleged that the TDP had parked Rs 4,000-5,000 crore in all the 175 Assembly constituencies for distribution among the voters.
Jagan alleged that the TDP government was giving out of turn promotions to police officers, especially to those belonging to Naidu's community. He demanded that Director General of Police R.P. Thakur, Additional DGP A.B. Venkateswara Rao and DIG G. Srinivas be removed from election duty.
though the original voter list provided to political parties by the EC doesn't contain photos.
Jagan alleged that the TDP government was giving out of turn promotions to police officers, especially to those belonging to Naidu's community. "Many honest police officers are being threatened and abused by TDP MLAs without any follow up or formal action against them," YSR Congress Party President said.


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Rian Johnson Talks About Working With Laura Dern
Two people making their big Star Wars debut this year are The Last Jedi star Laura Dern and director Rian Johnson. Johnson took the sequel trilogy baton from JJ Abrams and will soon be passing it off to Colin Trevorrow, but not without leaving his mark on the Star Wars galaxy. One of of his decisions was to cast Dern, best known for her role in Jurassic Park as a new character in the film.
Speaking with LA Weekly, as part of a feature on Dern, Johnson had high praise for his star, telling them,
"[Working with Dern on the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi] was like two indie kids getting away with something. We kept catching eyes, like, 'Are they really letting us do this?'
When you're around her, it's like sunlight. I'm sure you're getting a lot of people who've worked with her struggling to put it into words. I'm trying to describe it without being too cheesy. She's a force. She definitely has the Force."
Johnson also explained why he cast Dern in the role, saying,
"I just thought she was the coolest person on the planet since I saw Blue Velvet. It hit me right between the eyes, that shot of her coming out of the shadows — oh my God, that film."
While Dern's role is still a mystery, and likely will remain that way for a few months yet, it's always nice to see Star Wars cast and crew excited to be working together.
Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi hits theaters on December 15th. The film is written and directed by Rian Johnson and stars Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, and Laura Dern.
Source: LA Weekly
Dominic Jones Episode VIII Laura Dern News Rian Johnson Sequel Trilogy News


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Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided) Mammoth Cave
No visit to Mammoth Cave National Park would be complete without a tour of the cave. There are many wonderful things to do at the park, like kayaking or hiking, but the cave is what makes the area so unique and interesting. Of course, when you visit the world's longest cave system you can expect numerous tours that cover a wide variety of abilities, lengths, and sights. The Extended Historic Tour at Mammoth Cave is a great way to explore the cave while walking where people have explored and worked for thousands of years.
Unfortunately, when I visited Mammoth Cave National Park in south-central Kentucky, we were in the middle of a global pandemic. So my choices were limited. In fact, we had one choice of cave tour, and it wasn't as long as it normally is. But I was extremely thankful to still be able to explore this amazing ecosystem below the surface of the earth.
Our tour was called the Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided). This self-guided tour includes the upper portion of the Extended Historic Tour, but because of COVID, the lower potions where spaces can get tight were restricted. The tour begins and ends at the Historic Entrance and takes you to the Tuberculosis Hospital Ruins deep inside the cave. It has a side trip down Audubon Avenue. In total, it's about 2 miles and takes about an hour and a half. It's rated easy and has 160 total stairs.
The Extended Historic Tour—Normally at Mammoth Cave
The Extended Historic Tour, one of the most popular tours of the park, takes you along this path but loops deeper underground through the features like the Wooden Bowl Room, Fat Man's Misery, and the Ruins of Karnak. But because of COVID, this portion was closed.
Mammoth Cave National Park, has two different tours with the name Extended Historic Tour—one called the Extended Historic Tour and the Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided). The Self Guided tour only takes you to the tuberculosis camp and back the way you came, unlike the guided tour which loops via a lower portion.
Historic Entrance, Rotunda, and Audubon Avenue
The Historic Entrance is Mammoth Cave's largest natural entrance. It's easy to see how the cave system was not kept secret throughout history. Once you enter the cave, you pass through the Houchins Narrows, which opens up to a large space called the Rotunda.
This room is massive. And you can really get a feel for why the early visitors called the cave, Mammoth Cave. It has a circular breakdown-dome ceiling giving the large room an even larger feel. Here in the Rotunda, you can see one of two niter works where people long ago mined in the area. Niter or saltpeter is potassium nitrate.
During the early 1800s, people mined saltpeter. There are numerous wooden artifacts that are pointed out by placards as well as along the walk. It's really interesting to view these well-preserved artifacts.
From the Rotunda, swing a right toward Audubon Avenue, named for the famed John James Audubon. On your walk to the end of Audubon Avenue, keep your eyes on the sides of the path for more artifacts.
At the end of Audubon Avenue, you can view ancient artifacts left by those who used Mammoth Cave during prehistoric times. From there, you retrace your steps back to the Rotunda and saltpeter vats.
Broadway to Tuberculosis Huts
From the Rotunda, you make your way further into what is known as the main cave. You pass through an area named Broadway, It was named so because it resembles the urban canyon of Broadway. The cave makes a slight curve to the left as you pass by a nook. The nook is known as The Church, a beautiful cave feature.
After you pass The Church, be on the lookout to your right for more wooden artifacts from the 1800s. Seven saltpeter vats and a pump tower once operated along this stretch of cave.
Just before you get to the end, the cave makes a sharp turn. Acute angles are not often seen in this main trunk of Mammoth Cave, but it's a great reminder of the river that once carved the world's longest cave system.
When you reach the end of the tour, you are treated to two stone structures that were built for those suffering from consumption or, tuberculosis. The clinic was a medical experiment in 1842. The cave air was thought to have curative properties for those battling the disease.
To finish this tour, you simply turn around and retrace your steps back out of the cave.
Above the water table
One thing I found interesting about the Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided) at Mammoth Cave was that it does not take you below the water table. It may take you underground quite a ways, but not below the water table.
This is called a dry cave. When I planned my trip to Mammoth Cave National Park, I expected to see stalactites and stalagmites, like in Blanchard Springs Caverns in Arkansas. However, because we did not drop below the water table, these distinct cave features have not formed at this location. However, other tours at Mammoth Cave do go lower underground where you can see those features.
412 miles surveyed so far
The Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided) is only a fraction of Mammoth Cave. To date, there have been 412 miles of cave surveyed, but there is a potential for 1,000 miles within this cave system. Mammoth Cave isn't called the longest cave system in the world for no reason.
The park's pamphlet shows the extensiveness of Mammoth Cave. The portion I've written about is highlighted in yellow in this zoomed in version. The entire cave system is below.
This tour only covers about 1 mile of the cave. In addition to the Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided), Mammoth Cave National Park offers around 20 different cave tours. And believe me, when COVID is over, I will be going back.
Dog Kennel
Mammoth Cave National Park is dog friendly! Dogs, of course, are not allowed in the cave, but the park offers dog kennels at a low cost so you can feel comfortable leaving your four-legged friend behind.
The Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided) at Mammoth Cave
Even though I only got to visit a small fraction of Mammoth Cave, I was so glad I got to explore the world's longest cave system. The historical aspect of the Extended Historic Tour is well worth a trip to the national park.
Pin it! Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided) Mammoth Cave
Tags:Cave TourKentuckyLongest CaveMammoth Cavemammoth cave national parkNational Parks
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1 thought on "Extended Historic Tour (Self Guided) Mammoth Cave"
Ren January 15, 2021 at 8:06 am
This is one of the places we are hoping to visit when we take a long vacation. We really enjoyed the Kentucky State Park system, pretty sure this will be a great one to visit. You have made Scott want to visit this summer!


Expert insight into specific details of products is essential in regard to analysing key attributes and features of interest. Digital imagery analysis is a key method to attain specialist insight and to help progress development and production needs. However it is essential that the full capabilities of digital imaging analysis are available and overseen by seasoned experts, within a controlled environment.
Our scientists analyse digital images submitted by customers from a wide array of industry backgrounds. We possess the expertise to analyse images including those obtained through surface area chemical imaging techniques, from Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) instruments, via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), from global infra-red maps and also from simple household cameras.
Image analysis by Intertek scientists will also eliminate subjective variability and conjecture due to our proven and effective methodology which includes a stable, controlled environment using trusted and calibrated equipment, and with utmost confidentiality assured throughout the process.
Manufacturing and quality control, such as black speck analysis on Millipore filters.


Stickpage Forum > Creative > Animation Den > One hit pwn!
View Full Version : One hit pwn!
Sorry,i did'nt know any websites with cool sticks lol.So i had to make my own stick figures.
You hardly see that anymore.
Alrite for ur first but ya, beginner please.
It's better, but still - something strange has happened in it.
Learn to shut the **** up about stupid things.
I didn't know that we were talking about stupid things.


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About CRI
Occupational Skills
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Pullman & Comley and Career Resources Distribute Computers to Connecticut's Unemployed
by Liz Dupont-Diehl | Jul 23, 2012 | Press Release, Success Stories
A personal computer is a valuable job search tool, but for the unemployed and underemployed, a home computer might not be affordable during their time of need. Local law firm Pullman & Comley donated 175 gently used PCs to the long-term unemployed clients and other participants in Career Resources, Inc.'s programs.
The computers were distributed Friday at the Career Resources, Inc. office in Bridgeport.
One recipient, Samaris Alarcon, was laid off last year. "It's been a long road," she said. Alarcon took the initiative to enroll in Career Resources Inc.'s job training programs and now has her GED, a job training certificate and a computer of her own! "I am ecstatic and excited about receiving a computer," she said.
Career Resources, Inc. provides youth and adults throughout Connecticut the skills, resources and support necessary for personal development, economic self-sufficiency and career advancement, and provides planning and staffing resources to the business community in support of workforce development and economic growth.
"Career Resources is one of the premier agencies in the region offering job placement assistance and career services to those who need it the most." said John Stafstrom of Pullman and Comley. "By donating our former equipment for training purposes, we are pleased to support Career Resources' mission of helping people get back on their feet and find jobs."
Career Resources, Inc. Executive Director, Scott Wilderman said recently, "The generous contribution by Pullman & Comley gives our clients hope, a belief that the community understands their plight. And the computers give them a tool to find work and a better chance to land a job."


The old lodge never looked greater that when graced with the beauty of a rustic rug! Horizontal stripes in ivory, medium gray with red is complemented with ivory, red and serrated black diamonds. Warm, inviting, rugs inspired by Navajo weaving traditions and reproduced to have the literal feel, texture, weave and look of the Navajo hand-woven rug. New Zealand wool and color fast Swiss dyes, these rugs are sure to become treasures of the Sierra Madre!!


In an interview with New York radio station Hot 97, Blige candidly discussed her decision to appear in the commercial and described her feelings once it became a target for criticism.
The ad, which surfaced online in April, featured Blige singing the ingredients of Burger King's new chicken wrap sandwich. The video quickly went viral and drew tremendous criticism from many who believed it stereotyped Blacks.
In the midst of the incident, Blige said in a statement that she understood why fans were upset and said the ad was unfinished, according to Billboard magazine. But other than that brief statement, she remained tightlipped on the matter.
Shortly after its release, Burger King pulled the commercial, citing licensing concerns as the cause for its removal. The company also apologized to Blige in a statement, according to Billboard.
"Unfortunately, the Mary J. Blige commercial was released prematurely before all of the licensing and final approvals were obtained. We would like to apologize to Mary J. and all of her fans for airing an ad that was not final. We know how important Mary J. is to her fans,"" the statement read.
Blige's ad was part of the restaurant's media push to advertise its new menu items. Other celebrities such as Jay Leno, Salma Hayak and David Beckham also appeared in the series of commercials.


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Q: PDO error uncaught exception SQLSTATE[HY000] I keep getting this error but i don't know why....
The error is:
Uncaught exception 'PDOException' with message 'SQLSTATE[HY000]:

General error' in test.php:25\nStack trace:\n#0 test.php(25):

PDOStatement->fetch()\n#1 {main}\n  thrown in test.php on line 25

My query is like this:
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("

SELECT *,t1.id AS theID FROM users
   t1 LEFT JOIN users_settings t2
ON t1.id=t2.tid
   INNER JOIN extra_settings t3
ON t2.bid=t3.id");

try {
    $stmt->execute();
} catch (PDOException $e) {
    echo $e -> getMessage();
}

while($row = $stmt->fetch()){ //error is here
    //do stuff
}

The script works but the error displays anyway =/
What does the error mean and how do i fix it ?

A: That's because you have to run the while loop within the try statement:
try {
    $stmt->execute();
    while($row = $stmt->fetch()){
        //do stuff
    }
}
catch (PDOException $e) {
    echo $e -> getMessage();
}

You are seeing this message because there is something wrong with your query. Try:
SELECT *,t1.id AS theID FROM users
   t1 LEFT JOIN t2.users_settings
   ON t1.id=t2.tid
   INNER JOIN t3.extra_settings
   ON t2.bid=t3.id

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


After I failed my monthly goals in July, I decided I needed to try something new. I have more tasks and work requirements on my plate now, but still the same 24 hours in a day. So something needed to change.
So in August, I instigated a new schedule to see if that would help. And wow did it ever! This was why I managed to complete almost all of my August goals and started a few new projects.
The biggest surprise was writing 14k for my new WIP in just 3 days.


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Michelle Bernard
President & CEO of the Bernard Center For Women, Politics & Public Policy
Topics: Journalist, Political, CEO, Women in Business, Author,
Author, CEO, Journalist, Political, Women in Business
Motivational Keynote Speaker Michelle Bernard is best-recognized as a featured political and legal analyst for MSNBC. She is also the President & CEO of the Bernard Center for Women, Politics & Public Policy based in Maryland. The organization's mission is to influence the conversation of the public, media and major policy makers to advocate for the improvement of the socioeconomic status of women, minorities, and the poor as well as encourage increased participation by women and minorities in the political world. Michelle is regularly booked as a keynote speaker for women's conferences, leadership summits and other special events discussing public policy and the advancement of society.
Michelle graduated with a bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Howard University where she also minored in Political Science. After concluding her undergraduate career, she attended law school at Georgetown University. Post-law school she worked as a partner for the Patton Boggs Law Firm and was a member of the Bush-Cheney Presidential Inaugural Committee in 2000.
Prior to creating the Bernard Center for Women, Politics & Public Policy, Motivational Keynote Speaker Michelle Bernard acted as the President and CEO of the Independent Women's Forum which is a non-profit focused on policy issues in regards to women. She has published 2 books, the first in 2007 titled Women's Progress: How Women Are Wealthier, Healthier, and More Independent Than Ever Before. She published her second book in 2013 titled Moving America Toward Justice: The Lawyers' Committee For Civil Rights Under Law.
In 2014, Michelle was named a rising star on Essence Magazine's annual Money & Power list. In addition to her work for MSNBC, Michelle makes regular appearances on CNN and NPR. She is also a columnist for major publications such as The Washington Post and the Huffington Post.
Contact Celebrity Speakers Bureau today to discuss booking Motivational Keynote Speaker Michelle Bernard for your next women's expo, corporate conference, special event or fundraiser.
Former United States Congressman
Former White House Chief of Staff
Seth Goldman
Tea-EO Emeritus of Honest Tea
CEO of Apple
Founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics
Barrister at Doughty Street Chambers
Marketer and Author
Political Commentator


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Sept. 16, 2021, 2:36 p.m. EDT
ClearPath Finds That Nuclear Power Is Essential for Decarbonization
Sep 16, 2021 (Investor Brand Network via COMTEX) -- ClearPath , a not-for-profit organization, states that in addition to longer operation for nuclear power plants and utility commitments to net-zero emissions, public policy is needed to help avert the plateau to 2050. In a new report, the DC-based organization warned that continued load growth in states that don't have climate targets and the closure of existing nuclear plants, as well as the exhaustion of economic coal-to-gas shifting in the future, would result in shallow decarbonization.
The company expects carbon dioxide emissions to stop decreasing after 2025 and plateau until 2050, even with the recently enacted state-level clean energy standards and federal incentives…
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Energy Fuels Inc. (ASE:UUUU) (TSE:CA:EFR) are available in the company's newsroom at http://ibn.fm/UUUU
About MiningNewsWire
MiningNewsWire (MNW) is a specialized communications platform focused on developments and opportunities in the global resources sector. The company provides (1) access to a network of wire services via NetworkWire to reach all target markets, industries and demographics in the most effective manner possible, (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ news outlets (3), enhanced press release services to ensure maximum impact, (4) social media distribution via the Investor Brand Network (IBN) to nearly 2 million followers, and (5) a full array of corporate communications solutions. As a multifaceted organization with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, MNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. By cutting through the overload of information in today's market, MNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. MNW is where news, content and information converge.
To receive SMS text alerts from MiningNewsWire, text "BigHole" to 21000 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
For more information, please visit https://www.MiningNewsWire.com
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When Kaine served as Governor, Virginia launched the Guaranteed Admission Agreement (GAA) program that offered students who earned an associate degree from a community college with a 3.0 grade point average guaranteed admission to a public four-year university. The program significantly expanded students' access to affordable postsecondary degrees. In the Senate, Kaine has introduced bipartisan legislation that would improve the quality of CTE programs across the nation.


A Combined Insurance survey of more than 400 of its new sales agents, reveals that sales training and career advancement opportunities rank top when applying to and choosing an insurance sales employer.
Combined Insurance, a leading provider of individual supplemental accident disability, health and life insurance products and part of the ACE Group of Companies, reports that the survey also revealed from what industries respondents had come, what factors motivated their search for new employment, and why they chose the company.
Combined Insurance's new hires represent a diverse cross-section of sales-oriented job seekers. Ages range from the 20s through 50-plus, with the majority having education beyond high school. In addition, 63 percent of those surveyed were already employed when they chose the position with Combined Insurance and most of those who responded as unemployed, had been so for only one to four months.
The survey also revealed that more than 90 percent of respondents had previous sales experience of some kind, with just over 50 percent having prior insurance industry experience. Other top sales experience categories included retail, financial services, banking, and real estate.
Respondent reasons for choosing Combined Insurance over other insurance sales opportunities showed training and career advancement to be top differentiators.
For more information about Combined Insurance's sales opportunities visit: combinedinsurance.com/careers.
Combined Insurance (www.combinedinsurance.com) is a leading provider of supplemental accident, health and life insurance products and is a member of the ACE Group of Companies. With a field sales force and corporate staff in excess of 10,000 people worldwide, Combined Insurance meets the growing coverage needs of policyholders around the globe. For more information, call 1-800-490-1322 or visit combinedinsurance.com.


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Sony and Panasonic reportedly end OLED alliance, as 4K takeover looms
By Chris Smith 25 December 2013
RIP OLED?
Sony and Panny to focus their efforts on 4K in 2014
Sony and Panasonic are reportedly calling time on their agreement to co-develop less expensive OLED televisions, as both companies step up their efforts in the 4K sector in 2104.
Japanese news source Nikkei said the pair will call it quits when their contract comes to an end next week, after failing to reach its goal of sufficiently lowering the production costs.
"The two companies had planned to combine Panasonic's production method, which involves printing organic material onto a substrate, with Sony's OLED technology," Nikkei reports.
"They aimed to establish a technological base for mass production in 2013, potentially working together on manufacturing thereafter."
The end for OLED?
After abandoning the OLED section, which is only expected to amassed 5,000 total sales in 2014, compared to the estimated 1.95 million 4K sales.
Both companies will go their separate ways to focus on developing 4K televisions which, as luck would have it, are also in need of a price drop in 2014.
Is this the beginning of the end for OLED televisions having never made it to the mainstream? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
With OLED being pushed aside, why not check out the 10 best 4K TVs in the world today.
See more Television news


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Timaspis lampsanae är en stekelart som först beskrevs av Jean Pierre Omer Anne Édouard Perris 1873.  Timaspis lampsanae ingår i släktet Timaspis och familjen gallsteklar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Gallsteklar
lampsanae

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Smartphone cameras are getting better each year, of that there is no doubt, but when it comes to the flagship phones the margins of difference in quality are harder to decipher.
In recent years it's been Huawei which has led the charge in terms of smartphone cameras, and their latest offering, the P30 Pro, appears to have picked up where its predecessors left off.
To find out just how good the P30 Pro is, and whether it can live up to the claims of its manufacturer, we recently received one for review. While the fully fledged review is coming later this week, we have been testing out the camera setup on this latest offering.
Here's how it has performed so far.
When it comes to all round shooting the P30 Pro has not disappointed so far, but that's to be expected as it's based a similar triple lens setup (40MP wide, 20MP ultra-wide and 8MP periscope) to that of the P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro, both of which featured great photography functionality. There's also a new ToF (Time of Flight) sensor added to the mix for depth of field shots.
While those two devices are impressive, the P30 Pro has them beat in a couple of ways.
First the object detection on the P30 Pro seems to react faster than the previous models. We're not sure if Huawei has done some tweaking in that regard, but this smartphone is able to discern different objects with far greater accuracy and speed.
The upshot of this is that the onboard system can adjust the settings accordingly with greater speed, allowing you to snap away quicker. One of the issues we encountered with the Mate 20 Pro is that is any person was dedicated in a scene, it immediately went into portrait mode and tried to create a bokeh effect, even if you weren't necessarily taking a portrait.
This is not an issue we've experience yet on the P30 Pro.
One of the other areas where Huawei has been touting the capabilities of this new smartphone is low light photography.
In fact the maximum ISO on the P30 Pro is 409 600, which is not only the best available on any smartphone camera right now, it's dangerously close to DSLR level. While I won't be ditching my trusty Canon for the P30 Pro, it does perform expertly in low light conditions.
In extremely dark situations the standard mode was okay, but in night mode yielded far more detail without sacrificing the quality of the image. A note about the night mode though, is that it may take a while to render depending on how much light is in the environment.
In my general experience this far, I've had to hold the phone steady for about five to six seconds after pressing the shutter button in order to get the shot I needed. It's not a big thing, but something to consider if you want to do some action night photography.
Normal mode (left), Night mode (right).
The other big talking points about the P30 Pro is its zooming ability. More specifically the 50 times digital zoom that it can muster. To put that to the test, as well as giving it something extra to deal with, we took a picture of a waning moon in the middle of the night.
At 50 times zoom the P30 Pro was able to capture quite a bit of impressive detail, including some of the craters on the moon's surface.
I didn't even have to put it in night mode to get the shot below, which is perhaps even more impressive.
One thing I did notice though is some shakiness while pinching to zoom to the 50 times mark. Huawei has a slider on the camera app, but even this proved a little shaky.
As such a tripod or something to steady the phone might be the best option if you're planning to a lot of work with the enhanced zooming capabilities.
I've only had the P30 Pro for a week, but even in that time it's proved impressive, especially in terms of its photography functionality.
If you own a P20 Pro, I'd argue that it's worth upgrading to based on the other improvements that Huawei has made across the board. If however you recently got a Mate 20 Pro, the argument is harder to make given how great that device is.
Nevertheless the early verdict is that Huawei has produced one the best mobile photography tools in the P30 Pro so far this year.
Check in later this week as I review the device in full and give a proper verdict on it as a whole.
After Shazam & Aquaman how are DCEU villains supposed to compete?
Six South African start-ups: what would the Dragons think?


Please note: The digitized files create the entire round and square hot pads in the hoop, including the quilting. You must have a copy of the winter 2014 issue of Quilting Celebrations if you want the pattern and instructions for making this project without using machine embroidery.
You must have an 8" hoop to stitch this project ITH.


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University of Alaska, Anchorage, , Anchorage, Alaska
Company Name: University of Alaska, Anchorage
County: Anchorage
City/town: Anchorage
Web site: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/
Review: The University of Alaska Anchorage is the largest school of the University of Alaska System, with about 17,200 students, about 14,000 of whom attend classes at Goose Lake, its main campus in Anchorage. The University of Alaska Anchorage (locally called UAA) is divided into six teaching units at the Anchorage campus: the colleges of Education, Health and Social Welfare, Arts and Sciences, Business and Public Policy, the Community and Technical College, and the School of Engineering. Included with UAA for administrative purposes are four community campuses: Matanuska-Susitna College, Kenai Peninsula College, Kodiak College, and Prince William Sound Community College. UAA offers graduate school degrees, including the master's degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree through its Graduate Division. The university's history in Anchorage began in 1954, when the Anchorage Community College opened, using the Anchorage High School building during evenings. Anchorage Senior College began teaching upper-division classes in 1969, and then it became the four-year University of Alaska Anchorage in 1976. UAA, the community college, and the rural extension units were merged in 1987 to form the present institution.
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text:
Q: return object in an array with the most props Say I have an array of objects like this:
const arr = [
   { a: 1, b: 2, c: 3, d: 4 },
   { a: 1 },
   { a: 1, b: 2, c: 3 },
   { a: 1, b: 2 }
];

How can I return the object with the most properties/keys? Preferably using in an efficient and terse manner using higher order functions.

A: You could assign to a single object.

const
    array = [{ a: 1, b: 2, c: 3, d: 4 }, { a: 1 }, { a: 1, b: 2, c: 3 }, { a: 1, b: 2 }],
    object = Object.assign({}, ...array);

console.log(object);

If you have different values, you could reduce the array.

const
    array = [{ a: 1, b: 2, c: 3, d: 4 }, { a: 1 }, { a: 1, b: 2, c: 3 }, { a: 1, b: 2 }],
    object = array.reduce((a, b) => Object.keys(a).length > Object.keys(b).length
        ? a
        : b
    );

console.log(object);

A: You can get the number of keys from an object by calling Object.keys(obj) and then checking it's length property.
With that, you could reduce the array by checking each pair of objects and return the one with the most keys as a one liner:
const biggestObject =
    arr.reduce((a, b) => Object.keys(a).length > Object.keys(b).length ? a : b);


text:
438 F. 2d 254 - United States v. M Thompson
438 F2d 254 United States v. M Thompson
Vance M. THOMPSON, Elizabeth T. Russell, H. Ripley Thompson, John G. Thompson, Ruth T. Trammel, Vance M. Thompson, Jr., and William H. Thompson, a Partnership, d/b/a The Summit House Apartments, and Robert C. Jordan, as Trustee, Appellants.
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit.
February 26, 1971.
Moses, McClellan, Arnold, Owen & McDermott, Wayne W. Owen, Little Rock, Ark., on brief for appellants.
W. H. Dillahunty, U. S. Atty., and Walter G. Riddick, Asst. U. S. Atty., Little Rock, Ark., on brief for appellee.
Before GIBSON and BRIGHT, Circuit Judges, and McMANUS, District Judge.
GIBSON, Circuit Judge.
Appellants, who were defendants in the original foreclosure proceedings, appeal from a denial of their motion in the District Court to set aside a foreclosure decree and order of confirmation. The facts of the controversy are not in dispute.
Appellants in this case owned an apartment house in Little Rock, Arkansas, which was insured to the extent of 100 per cent by the Federal Housing Administration. Appellants were not personally liable on the mortgage. Upon appellants' default in payments on the mortgage, which was owned by the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, the Government honored its insurance obligation, and then brought suit in April 1966 to foreclose the mortgage. On August 24, 1967, the District Court filed a memorandum opinion directing foreclosure and ordering an appropriate decree to be entered. United States v. Thompson, 272 F.Supp. 774 (E.D.Ark. 1967). Counsel for the Government prepared a decree and submitted it to appellants, whose counsel, who was the same in that proceeding as this one, approved it as to form. The decree was filed October 23, 1967. The terms of the decree provided that the sale should be for cash.
The Government (Secretary of Housing and Urban Development) was the only bidder at the sale and purchased the property for $2,600,000. (The amount due on the mortgage was something in excess of $3,400,000.) On February 27, 1968, the District Court entered its confirmation of sale. On February 27, 1969, the Eighth Circuit affirmed the trial court's decision. Thompson v. United States, 408 F.2d 1075 (8th Cir. 1969).
On March 5, 1970, the appellants filed the motion to vacate the confirmation and set aside the sale on the ground that the sale was in violation of an Arkansas statute, Ark.Stat.Ann. § 51-1109, which required that any judicial sale be upon a credit of not less than three, nor more than six months, and not for cash. It was also alleged that the Government was negotiating a private sale, not yet complete, of the property for $3,500,000, and that a new foreclosure sale would bring a greatly increased price. The trial court denied the motion and refused to pass on the merits of the contentions, holding that appellants' participation in the 1967 proceeding estopped them from now attacking the foreclosure decree and sale.
The Government contends that, although it was not so designated below, this proceeding must be denominated as a motion for relief from a final judgment or order under Rule 60(b), Fed.R. Civ.P. That rule provides six reasons for granting the relief requested. Reasons (1), (2), and (3) require the motion to be made within one year, which was not done here. Reason (5), satisfaction of the judgment, is not applicable here. Therefore, appellants must be relying on either reason (4), "the judgment is void," or reason (6), "any other reason justifying relief." In either case, the motion must be made within a "reasonable time" after the entry of the order.
The Government argues that this motion was not made within a reasonable time. Appellants fully participated in the foreclosure proceedings, had notice of, and approved the final order of sale. An appeal was taken from this order, which was affirmed. Appellants did not object to the cash sale at that time, although they were fully informed of it. Appellants' attorney was the same at that time as this and should have raised the question then. Obviously, rights of the sale purchaser, the Government, could be seriously prejudiced by appellants' delay in raising this question.
We think the District Court properly held that the grounds of the motion could not be asserted at this time. The most that can be said for appellants' position is that they failed to bring the Arkansas statute to the District Court's attention at the time the decree was entered. "It is generally held that neither ignorance nor carelessness on the part of an attorney will provide grounds for 60(b) relief." Hoffman v. Celebrezze, 405 F.2d 833, 835 (8th Cir. 1969).
Furthermore, the same result would be reached on the merits. If it is contended that the judgment is void under Arkansas law for failure to follow the statutory requirement (a question which is by no means clear), and that a void judgment may be set aside under 60(b) (4) without regard to a time limit, see 7 Moore's Federal Practice, ¶60.25 [4], the answer is that Arkansas law does not govern this suit. Unfortunately, appellants do not deal with this issue, but rely solely on their contention that the sale is void under Arkansas law. The only federal case relied on by appellants is O'Connor v. Townsend, 87 F.2d 882 (8th Cir. 1937). However, this case was a diversity case and hence is not in point on this issue. We believe it is clear that the Government is correct in its contention that federal law controls in this case and that under the applicable principles the Arkansas statute should not be applied.
The rule governing this case is that while state law will be followed to determine what security interests the Government obtains in its financial transactions in nationwide programs, federal law will be applied to determine what remedies are available to the Government to enforce its security interest. United States v. Stadium Apartments, Inc., 425 F.2d 358 (9th Cir. 1970); United States v. Chester Park Apartments, Inc., 332 F.2d 1 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 379 U.S. 901, 85 S.Ct. 191, 13 L. Ed.2d 176 (1964); United States v. Helz, 314 F.2d 301 (6th Cir. 1963); United States v. View Crest Garden Apartments, Inc., 268 F.2d 380 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 361 U.S. 884, 80 S.Ct. 156, 4 L.Ed.2d 120 (1959).
In applying this rule in the area of federal mortgages, the courts have held that the United States is entitled to a receiver to manage the foreclosed property, despite local law to the contrary, United States v. Chester Park Apartments, Inc., supra, and United States v. View Crest Garden Apartments, Inc., supra; that the local law of coverture is not a defense to a personal judgment based on a note secured by a federal mortgage, United States v. Helz, supra; that the United States is entitled to a deficiency judgment following a foreclosure sale, despite local laws prohibiting deficiency judgments, United States v. Wells, 403 F.2d 596 (5th Cir. 1968); that the United States is not bound by state law regarding the time in which a deficiency judgment must be sought, United States v. Merrick Sponsor Corp., 421 F.2d 1076 (2d Cir. 1970); and that the United States is not bound by state law allowing for the redemption of property after foreclosure, United States v. Stadium Apartments, Inc., supra.
In light of the foregoing authority, it seems evident that the Arkansas statute requiring foreclosure sales to be for credit and not for cash need not be applied to federal foreclosures, that is those foreclosures where the security interest is held in some manner by the United States Government. Even fewer policy justifications can be suggested for this Arkansas rule than for the other local state rules discussed and rejected in the cases above. The appellants urge that the obvious purpose of the statute is that a sale for credit will result in a higher price than a sale for cash. This is speculation of the highest order, in view of the fact that the credit period is only for three to six months and, most significantly, that the credit purchaser must execute a bond with good surety for the amount of the purchase price. Under current practices, if a purchaser could get a surety bond guaranteeing that he would ultimately pay the amount he bid, he could get cash, or its immediate equivalent, through the means of a loan commitment from a reputable mortgage investor and possibly short term interim bank financing. It would indeed be unusual and foolhardy for a purchaser even to bid unless he had either cash or a loan commitment in hand at the time.
Since appellants have not briefed this issue for our benefit, it seems appropriate to note that in reaching our decision we have taken into consideration the case of United States v. Yazell, 382 U.S. 341, 86 S.Ct. 500, 15 L.Ed.2d 404 (1966), the only case we have found which even remotely suggests that the state rule should be applied in this case. The Yazell case involved a Small Business Administration disaster loan made to a Texas husband and wife which was secured by a chattel mortgage. Following a default on the loan and foreclosure of the mortgage, the United States sought a deficiency judgment against the husband and wife. Texas law provided that a married woman could not subject her separate property to the obligations of a loan until she first obtained a court decree removing her liability to contract. The Supreme Court held that federal policy would not override the state law protecting the wife's separate property.
In the case at bar, however, we deal with no statute limiting the extent of contractual obligations incurred by any maker of a mortgage note. We are concerned only with the details in the manner in which a real estate mortgage need be foreclosed. Clearly, Yazell has no application here. We think it clear that the Arkansas restriction on the foreclosure remedy here was no more valid than the Idaho restriction in United States v. Stadium Apartments, Inc., supra.
The judgment of the District Court is affirmed.


We Got This Wednesdays: Best Vintage Toy?
Mark and Hal set out to travel through time and find the best vintage toy of all time! Joining them on this quest is fellow WorkJuice Player and host of "The JV Club" Janet Varney.
Which plaything will survive to win the title of Best Vintage Toy? Don't worry. We Got This.


21/02/2008 · Marita said... this is really a great idea. I did this years ago and I still use my rugs (or my dog do now) But instead of using a cutter, I used scissors and cut the t-shirts around and around getting loooong strips with no knots.... I've made a video showing you the best way to cut up t-shirts to make rag rugs. Most recently I've started on a brand new rug project, my largest and most ambitious to-date. It's a no-sew braided rug from a mix of t-shirt and woven fabrics.
In the following 7 short videos, Alexa demonstrates how to create your own rag rug. If you need help, come along to one of the Makeries (check out our events page for dates and times). The first video plays the rest of the videos in order, or scroll down to see the individual videos.
After years of looking for the most durable, yet simplest homemade rugs to wash, I have finally hit on a winner – shag throw rugs made of old T-shirts and towels. Besides being easy to make and care for, the rugs are fabricated from goods from the rag bag.
How to Make Rag Rugs As I've mentioned before, we've been very excited to get moved into our farmhouse since we basically found out we didn't have any other options. But even though that was the case, we are determined to make the best of it that we can.
If you are going to make a t shirt rug of your own, buy a razor wheel cutter and a cutting mat. You'll give up quickly if you try to cut recycled t shirts with scissors. I use my Gingher shears to trim and snip, not for serious cutting when I need to generate hundreds of yards of cut fiber.
Monica Resinger of Ruby Glen shows you how to take old T-shirts and use them to crochet yourself a round rag rug. You can also use this same pattern to make potholders or coasters.


Apparently this happened in Indonesia. A pair of young men on a motorcycle managed to ride into a ditch and both died from the impact with the concrete walls. The video shows the people responding to the crash recovering the motorcycle, thus uncovering the fresh corpses massaged by the flowing water.
The fatal accident occurred on highway BR 116 in Teresopolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The driver of the Post Office truck reportedly lost control of the vehicle, fatally crushing a pedestrian and a bicyclist who were using the shoulder of the highway.


Fujikyu Corporation operates in the Misc. apparel & accessory stores sector. In addition to historical fundamental analyses, the complete report available to purchase compares Fujikyu with three other companies in this sector in Japan: Happiness And D Co Ltd (2018 sales of 20.33 billion Japanese Yen [US$181.35 million] ), Tabio Corporation (16.39 billion Japanese Yen [US$146.16 million] ), and Sekido Co., Ltd. (8.39 billion Japanese Yen [US$74.80 million] ).
Sales Analysis. Fujikyu reported sales of ¥20.17 billion (US$179.92 million) for the fiscal year ending June of 2018. This represents a decrease of 5.7% versus 2017, when the company's sales were ¥21.39 billion. The sales level in 2018 was fairly close to the level five years ago: in 2013, Fujikyu had sales of ¥22.35 billion.


Sensor data visualization tools provide an excellent opportunity to see patterns which may otherwise remain hidden in those datasets.
Security and occasional performance issues aside, IoT has already created more productive environments in the business realm; by 2025, its direct economic impact on retail, manufacturing, healthcare and other key industries will top $3.9 trillion.
Continuous data acquisition is what makes connected devices so valuable. By analyzing sensor data, companies can identify bottlenecks in supply chains, predict equipment failure, successfully address overstaffing issues and optimize operational costs.
The data generated by over 8.4 billion consumer and business-specific IoT devices around the globe is largely underutilized. A company that makes use of an oil rig enhanced with 30 thousand sensors, for instance, only processes 1% of the data collected by the IoT solution and mostly focuses on sensor readings which help them detect and manage abnormalities. Furthermore, the amount of sensor data produced by IoT solutions is enormous: by 2020, it is expected to reach 44ZB (1000% up from 2013).
Not only are the acquisition, storage, analysis and implementation of IoT data rather costly, but also businesses often lack tools and expertise to interpret and present the data effectively. And that's why the Internet of Things' future and commercial adoption largely depend on data visualization technologies.
In the age of IoT, data analytics is no longer limited to the number of website visitors and their demographics; modern technologies allow us to trace the links between seemingly unrelated things like the type of food people consume and a heatwave registered in a certain area.
Without data presentation tools, it would be practically impossible to interpret sensor readings coming from multiple data points distributed over a network, filter out insignificant entities and timely identify changes in smaller datasets (which might denote a performance issue or a marketing trend).
On-point data visualization means stronger analytics and, subsequently, helps companies make better business decisions regardless of the data model they implement.
What kind of data we are talking about?
What are the tools enabling effective data visualization?
What impact could data visualization have on various business verticals?
Let's address them one by one, shall we?
Connected devices are enhanced with temperature, moisture, light, motion, location and other types of sensors which produce the so-called status data, which is, in a nutshell, just a stream of values that should be filtered, analyzed and managed effectively.
In order to use raw data for business processes automation and optimization, we need to turn it into actionable data – that is, enable IoT gadgets to automatically execute an action (send alert notifications to managers and users, turn on the lights, order equipment parts that will soon need replacement, etc.) once a certain type of behavior is registered.
Going back to our oil rig example, businesses should focus on high-value actionable data that is easy to access from any device, available on demand (often in real time), does affect a company's customer base and departments and could potentially entail meaningful changes – provided it is analyzed and acted upon.
The good news is, only 1.5% of the digital data produced in 2013 could be interpreted into meaningful insights, so the task is at least manageable.
While it is cloud-based or on-premises back-end solutions with complex business logic that compress and digest incoming data, we must display it in a convenient way, thus enabling users with no technology background to operate IoT solutions and make data-based decisions.
Here's where data visualization tools come in handy.
Before we enumerate several popular software libraries and platforms supporting sensor data processing and visualization, it's worth mentioning that the concept of data visualization goes beyond displaying information in graphs and charts readable to human users, since software applications can also use sensor-generated data inputs as triggers.
That's how increased automation – which is the primary goal of the Internet of Things – is achieved. Furthermore, we should not ignore the fact that IoT analytics data can be accessed from a variety of screens and even via screenless user interfaces.
What visualization tools could you use to unlock the power of Big Data and deliver the ultimate cross-platform experience?
IBM Watson IoT Platform. Being a universal hub for Watson-powered IoT solutions, the platform features built-in web applications and supports the integration with 3rd-party software via REST APIs. The service helps businesses create easily customizable minimalistic diagrams, graphs and tables displaying static and dynamic data, access device properties data and set up alerts.
Power BI. The Microsoft Power BI solution is designed to trace and visualize data gathered by a variety of sensors including temperature, sound, motion and location tags, as well as healthcare sensors, and promptly identify trends across IoT device installed base. The platform works in sync with Azure cloud-based analytics and cognitive services.
This list is by no means complete, and the choice of an actual data visualization tool depends on a company's goals, customer base, target platform and type of sensor data they intend to collect.
Here's a simple example to illustrate our point.
Core Plot, a reliable plotting library for iOS, tvOS and macOS applications, allows software developers to create high-quality 2D static charts, as well as charts which are seldom updated.
When it comes to real-time data visualization, however, the tool introduces a 2-3 second lag between data processing and presentation and seriously affects rendering speed. This makes Core Plot totally unsuitable for data visualization applications which facilitate the management of mission critical solutions – for example, medical or manufacturing equipment. In order to speed up data visualization, it is recommended that you use a low-level programming solution like OpenGL.
Either way, it is essential to consult a reliable Internet of Things development specialist to choose software components that would best meet your needs.
As of now, data is used by 95% of US organizations; 84% of those believe it is key to forming viable business strategies. However, the growing adoption of data-driven business management most often falls to performing traditional Business Intelligence (BI) operations and leaves decision makers with piles of spreadsheets – that is, information which is hard to digest.
Sensor data visualization tools provide an excellent opportunity to see patterns which may otherwise remain hidden in those datasets; according to a recent study conducted by the University of Texas, just a 10% increase in data accessibility and usability can have a profound impact on a company's revenue and customer experience.
First, it's increased employee productivity, as managers who make use of data visualization tools are 28% more likely to detect valuable information.
Second, it's reduced customer support costs: companies that implement data visualization solutions admit 48% of their customers manage to solve basic service issues without a human support specialist.
Finally, it's an opportunity to make up shortfalls in finding skilled analysts (in 2018, the demand for BAs will outgrow the supply by 50-60% in most sectors) in an effective way and subsequently enhance decision making.
R-Style Lab is a custom software development company based in San Francisco, CA. Our major focus is IoT – namely, mobile apps enabling sensor data management and visualization, powerful back-end solutions, middleware and low-level software. We're happy to share our knowledge with you!


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Bellasis, Sir William (c. 1593–1641) ?
Blackett, Sir William, first baronet (1657–1705), landowner and mine owner ?
Bonetta, (Ina) Sarah Forbes (c. 1843–1880) ?
Bonetta [née Davies], (Ina) Sarah Forbes [Sally] (c. 1843–1880), Queen Victoria's ward ?
Bruce, Sir George (c. 1550–1625), mining industrialist and landowner ?
Bulmer, Sir Bevis (d. 1613), courtier and mining projector ?
Cavendish, William, seventh duke of Devonshire (1808–1891) ?
Cavendish, William, seventh duke of Devonshire (1808–1891), landowner and industrialist ?
Clerk, John (1611–1674), merchant and landowner ?
Clerk, Sir John, of Penicuik, first baronet (1649/50–1722) ?
Clerk, Sir John, of Penicuik, first baronet (1649/50–1722), landowner and coal owner ?
Delaval family (per. c. 1520–1752), landowners and industrialists of Hartley and Seaton Delaval, Northumberland ?
Delaval, Francis Blake (bap. 1692, d. 1752) ?
Delaval, Sir John (1498–1562) ?


We used to go out to a movie every weekend, but now with theater ticket and concession stand prices so high, we decided to invest in a good DVD player and rent movies. However, when I went to the store, there were players that played blu-ray or HD. The sales clerk was steering me toward the blu-ray, which of course cost more, and I had never heard of it. Is this a passing fad?
It seems that Blu-ray is here to stay and has beaten the HD DVD competition.
All major Hollywood studios will be releasing movies in Blu-ray Disc, with several studios completely dropping HD DVDs. According to Lucas Mearian of Computer World (www.computerworld.com), Sony's Blu-ray has exclusive support from major studios and manufacturers such as Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, Disney, Apple, Dell, HP, LG, Panasonic, Pioneer, Samsung, and Sharp.
Further support for Blu-ray came from major retailers such as Woolworths, Wal-Mart, Netflix, and Best Buy. In January 2008, the British store chain, Woolworths, announced that it was going to drop HD DVD discs and only sell Blu-ray discs. In February 2008, Wal-Mart and Netflix announced plans to phase out HD DVD in favor of Blu-ray, and Best Buy will stock both Blu-ray and HD DVD, but will recommend Blu-ray to their customers. Consumers also support Blu-ray. Despite the downturn in the economy, Blu-ray disc sales nearly tripled in 2008 (Williams reporting in PCWorld, 2008, 2009).
Blu-ray disc players are expensive, but Mearian predicts that prices for Blu-ray will come down. In addition, there are combo players that support both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs.
Go to a store that can show you a movie demo comparison of Blu-ray and HD DVD side by side on the same screen. Blu-ray is sharper and clearer.
Mearian points out that the main difference between Blu-ray and HD DVD is capacity or the amount of information it can hold. Basically, single layer HD DVD has about 15GB capacity whereas Blu-ray has 25GB and therefore, better images and sound. DVDs use a red laser to read and write data. Blu-ray uses a blue laser, and hence the name.


text:
Grassley Seeks Explanation for FBI's Inconsistent Info in Dossier Inquiry
Bureau's Scant Responses to Judiciary Probe Raise More Questions on Steele ties
WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley today pressed the FBI director ahead of next week's oversight hearing for details of the FBI's involvement with Christopher Steele, the British ex-spy who authored the unsubstantiated anti-Trump dossier on behalf of opposition research firm Fusion GPS. In the limited details provided to the committee on the matter, the FBI's description of its relationship with Steele appears to be materially inconsistent with Justice Department documents later revealed to the committee.
Grassley and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein first raised questions in mid-February about the resignation of National Security Advisory Michael Flynn and the leaks of classified information involving him. Grassley then sought details from the FBI on reports that it offered to pay Steele in connection with the unsubstantiated dossier. As a result of the FBI's failure to respond to the Flynn letter, Grassley publicly pledged to suspend action on the nomination for the Deputy Attorney General position pending a response to his questions. FBI Director James Comey briefed Grassley and Feinstein the following day. While the briefing substantially addressed questions in the Flynn inquiry, it covered only a few the questions in the Steele inquiry. The FBI attempted to claim after the briefing that it had adequately responded to the Steele questions, yet many remain unanswered. Importantly, portions of Comey's description of the FBI's relationship with Steele appear to be in conflict with Justice Department documents reviewed by the committee following the briefing.
"Whether those inconsistencies were honest mistakes or an attempt to downplay the actual extent of the FBI's relationship with Mr. Steele, it is essential that the FBI fully answer all of the questions from the March 6 letter and provide all the requested documents in order to resolve these and related issues," Grassley said today in a letter to Comey.
Grassley is also asking the FBI to explain whether it was aware that Fusion GPS was allegedly working as an unregistered agent for Russian interests at the same time it was working on the unsubstantiated dossier, and whether such information was included in documents describing or relying on materials in the dossier.
Comey is scheduled to testify before the Judiciary Committee at an FBI oversight hearing on May 3.
Full text of Grassley's letter follows:
VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION
The Honorable James B. Comey, Jr.
Dear Director Comey:
On March 6, 2017, I wrote to you requesting information about the FBI's relationship with Mr. Christopher Steele, the author of the political opposition research dossier alleging collusion between associates of Mr. Trump and the Russian government. Although that letter asked for a response by March 20, the FBI has failed to provide one.
Ranking Member Feinstein and I had previously written to the FBI on February 15, 2017, asking for a briefing and documents relating to the resignation of Mr. Flynn and the leaks of classified information involving him. After a startling lack of responsiveness from the FBI, I was forced to delay Committee proceedings on the nomination for Deputy Attorney General in order to obtain DOJ's cooperation. In response, on March 15, 2017, you did provide a briefing about the FBI's Russia investigation to Ranking Member Feinstein and me. While a few of the questions from my March 6 letter were also addressed in that briefing, most were not. Nor was there any indication from the FBI before or during the briefing that the FBI considered it to be responsive to the March 6 letter.
Nonetheless, on April 19, 2017, the FBI sent Ranking Member Feinstein and me a four-sentence letter purporting to be in response to both the February 15 and March 6 letters. Two of those sentences are merely the standard closing boilerplate language in all FBI letters. The letter did not answer any questions and instead incorrectly claimed that the briefing addressed the concerns raised in both the February 15 and March 6 letters. That is incorrect. The FBI has failed to provide documents requested in the March 6 letter or to answer the vast majority of its questions.
There appear to be material inconsistencies between the description of the FBI's relationship with Mr. Steele that you did provide in your briefing and information contained in Justice Department documents made available to the Committee only after the briefing. Whether those inconsistencies were honest mistakes or an attempt to downplay the actual extent of the FBI's relationship with Mr. Steele, it is essential that the FBI fully answer all of the questions from the March 6 letter and provide all the requested documents in order to resolve these and related issues.
Also, more information has since come to the Committee's attention about the company overseeing the creation of the dossier, Fusion GPS. Namely, Fusion GPS is the subject of a complaint to the Justice Department, which alleges that the company violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act by working on behalf of Russian principals to undermine U.S. sanctions against Russians. That unregistered work was reportedly conducted with a former Russian intelligence operative, Mr. Rinat Akhmetshin, and appears to have been occurring simultaneous to Fusion GPS's work overseeing the creation of the dossier. I wrote to the Justice Department about this issue on March 31, copying you, and I have attached that letter here for your reference. The Justice Department has yet to respond.
In addition to fully answering my March 6, 2017 letter, please also provide the following documents and information:
1. Documentation of all payments made to Mr. Steele, including for travel expenses, if any; the date of any such payments; the amount of such payments; the authorization for such payments.
2. When the FBI was in contact with Mr. Steele or otherwise relying on information in the dossier, was it aware that his employer, Fusion GPS, was allegedly simultaneously working as an unregistered agent for Russian interests? Please provide all related documents.
3. If so, when and how did FBI become aware of this information? Did it include this information about Fusion GPS's alleged work for Russian principals in any documents describing or relying on information from the dossier? If not, why not?
4. If the FBI was previously unaware of Fusion GPS's alleged unregistered activity on behalf of Russian interests and connections with a former Russian intelligence operative, does the FBI plan to amend any applications, reports, or other documents it has created that describe or rely on the information in the dossier to add this information? If so, please provide copies of all amended documents. If not, why not?
Please provide all the requested documents and full answers to all the question by May 12, 2017. I hope that this matter can be resolved without additional holds on nominees. These are important issues that require public transparency. I anticipate that your responses to these questions may contain both classified and unclassified information. Please send all unclassified material directly to the Committee. In keeping with the requirements of Executive Order 13526, if any of the responsive documents do contain classified information, please segregate all unclassified material within the classified documents, provide all unclassified information directly to the Committee, and provide a classified addendum to the Office of Senate Security. Although the Committee complies with all laws and regulations governing the handling of classified information, it is not bound, absent its prior agreement, by any handling restrictions or instructions on unclassified information unilaterally asserted by the Executive Branch.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter. If you have any questions, please contact Patrick Davis of my Committee staff at (202) 224-5225.
Committee on the Judiciary
cc: The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
Ranking Member
Senate Committee on the Judiciary


text:
New Walking And Biking Trail Opening Soon Near Morganton Thanks To Help From Community
Gary Brode,
MORGANTON, N.C. — A massive effort is underway near Morganton to save nature and allow people to enjoy it.
Not long from now, the Oak Hill Community Park will be opening to the public.
Andrew Kota is the Executive Director of Foothills Conservancy. The non-profit is in the process of creating walking and biking trails on the 652 acre Oak Hill property.
In a region with plenty of hiking and biking spots, Foothills Conservancy is adding another option. Especially, for the locals.
"I think this park will offer the easiest access from some of our local communities and just sort of spread out some of the usage we're seeing throughout this region," explained Kota.
Protecting this much land, while noble, isn't cheap.
"Over $1 million was raised just for this project through local community members. We have tremendous support from all over our eight county region and beyond," Kota said.
Everyone in Morganton seems to be doing their part, including one of its local breweries.
"It's amazing what they're doing. This community is really small but mighty," said Brit Josa of Fonta Flora Brewery.
Fonta Flora Brewery and Foothills Conservancy has a long standing partnership. About six years ago, the two entities bought what is now the Whipporwill Farm. Eight acres went to a new brewery location, the rest of the 50 acres was donated by Foothills Conservancy to Lake James State Park.
"That land will forever be pristine and beautiful," said Josa of Whipporwill Farm.
When it's time to close out at Fonta Flora Brewery, customers have the option of donating to the cause.
Brewery employees and the rest of the community will be walking the Oak Hill trail by next year. The Conservancy is hoping to open up the first seven miles of the hiking and beginner biking trails by this
"Really just an opportunity to explore nature a little bit. Breathe some fresh air," said Kota while walking the trail.
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