text:
Tesla Roadster carries Asimov sci-fi classic to the stars
Tesla Roadster carries Asimov ...
The very first Arch library, containing The Isaac Asimov Foundation Trilogy
Arch Mission Foundation
The Arch library encodes data on quartz discs
Diagram of the Arch disc
The hope is to one day scatter the discs all over the world and across the Solar System to preserve human knowledge
Peter Kazansky in his optoelectronics lab at the University of Southampton
It's always good to take a good book on a long road trip and it seems that SpaceX considered this when it recently shot a Tesla Roadster into interplanetary space. Along with the spacesuited Starman dummy driver and a miniature version of the Roadster, the company included a copy of Isaac Asimov's sci fi epic, The Foundation Trilogy. Instead of a dog-eared paperback stuffed into the glovebox, the trilogy is actually laser etched on a quartz disc called an "Arch library," which is designed to survive intact for billions of years.
We live a world of impermanence. And while that may be sad when we contemplate the fate of spring flowers and mayflies, it's disastrous when it comes to information. Civilization is built on words – the accumulation of centuries of information that forms our collective memory and provides us with the tools to sustain our way of life, and if we lose that collective memory, civilization suffers.
Every year, the amount of data and the rate at which we produce it rises by leaps and bounds, but we store that information on paper or in digital formats that only last about 20 years unless they are regularly copied. To prevent neglect, war, or catastrophe from erasing all this knowledge the way the great libraries of ancient times have vanished, the Arch Mission Foundation is developing a number of new data storage techniques that are both high density and have a longevity that can be measured in geological epochs.
The idea is to store a large amount of vital information about our world in a miniature form, mass produce the copies and spread these not only all over the world, but all over the Solar System. When the Tesla Roadster was shot into space on the maiden flight of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy on February 6, it was carrying one of two of the first Arch Libraries (pronounced "Arks") – though, in this case, they consisted only of a single work of fiction to serve as a demonstration. The other of the two copies is in SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk's personal library.
The Foundation Trilogy was chosen because it was the inspiration for the Arch Mission Foundation. The three-volume series was originally published as a series of connected short stories in Astounding Science Fiction magazine in the 1940s. Based on Edward Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, it chronicled the attempt 30,000 years from now to shorten the dark age predicted to come after the collapse of the Galactic Empire by establishing a foundation to gather all of civilization's knowledge into an Encyclopedia Galactica.
The novel was printed on the Arch library disc using "5D optical storage" technology developed by a team led by Peter Kazansky at the University of Southampton's Optoelectronics Research Centre. The text was written on the quartz silica glass using pulses from a femtosecond laser to etch code in three nanostructure layers separated from one other by just one millionth of a meter.
According to the team, the code can be read using an optical microscope and a polarizer and when fully developed the technology will be able to store 360 terabytes of data on a 3.75-in (9.53-cm) wide quartz disc that will remain stable under extreme conditions for 14 billion years. Whether it will outlive the Roadster is another matter.
The video below introduces the concept of the Arch library.
Source: Arch Mission Foundation
SpaceTesla MotorsSpaceXFalcon Heavy
Wolf0579 February 13, 2018 02:34 PM
"... to the stars" Seriously? I'm real sick of this to the stars crap, when the object were talking about won't even leave the local star's gravitational influence.
Daneel February 13, 2018 06:09 PM
Destination is obviously Trantor!
Rosearray February 13, 2018 07:05 PM
Well...after all, Earth is just a pebble in the sky...
Stephen Colbourne February 14, 2018 01:06 AM
This is a bit of a tease. Imagine an alian race finding this disc, and expecting some kind of "Encyclopedia Galactica" of the then extinct human race and then only discovering a fiction book about the great idea of having an "Encyclopedia Galactica". Could they not at least have put a concise encyclopedia on as well.
space junkie February 14, 2018 01:50 AM
Trilogy ? I thought there were four books in the series. Foundation, Second Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Foundation's Edge.
ESA solves the riddle of why the Huygens probe spun the wrong way
NASA noodles with Moon bases grown from fungi
Boeing releases capsule video of Starliner's first orbital mission
A second planet may have been spotted around our nearest neighbor star
F/A-18 Super Hornet gets service-life-extending sensor pod
Mosquitoes resistant to all types of dengue virus engineered


Stalevo tablets contain three active ingredients, levodopa, carbidopa and entacapone. These are all medicines used in Parkinson's disease to increase the level of dopamine in the brain.
Unfortunately levodopa treatment tends to become less effective over time, and patients tend to experience 'end-of-dose' deterioration, where the duration of benefit after each dose of levodopa becomes progressively shorter. Entacapone is used as an add-on treatment for Parkinson's disease because it prolongs the effect of levodopa.
Entacapone works by inhibiting the action of an enzyme in the body known as COMT. This enzyme normally breaks down levodopa that is left in the body after a dose so that the body can start to remove it. By stopping the action of this enzyme, entacapone increases the amount of levodopa that is available to pass into the brain with every dose of this medicine.
The three active ingredients have been combined in each tablet of this medicine to treat people with Parkinson's disease whose symptoms are not controlled by levodopa/carbidopa (Sinemet) or levodopa/benserazide (Madopar) alone, and who therefore need entacapone to increase the length of time the levodopa controls their symptoms. The medicine should make Parkinson's treatment simpler to remember and take, because all three active ingredients are contained in one tablet.
You should also let your doctor know if you lose your appetite, lose weight, or feel generally weak during treatment, particularly if this gets progressively worse within a relatively short period of time.
This medicine can cause sleepiness and on rare occasions people have experienced a sudden onset of sleep during their daily activities. In some cases this occured without any warning signs. Although this is rare, you should exercise caution when driving or performing other potentially hazardous activities. People who have experienced sleepiness or an episode of sudden onset of sleep while taking this medicine should not drive or operate machinary. Caution should be observed when drinking alcohol or taking other medicines that cause drowsiness, as this may increase the risk of drowsiness.
This medicine may affect the results of certain laboratory tests, including those for testing sugar (glucose) levels in blood or urine. If you have diabetes ask your doctor for further information about this. Tell your doctor that you are taking this medicine if you have any blood or urine tests.
This medicine may discolour your urine a reddish/brown. This is normal and not harmful.
Severely decreased kidney function and people having dialysis for kidney failure.
People who have an abnormal heart rhythm following a previous heart attack.
History of a rare muscle disorder called non-traumatic rhabdomyolysis.
History of a rare condition called the neuroleptic malignant syndrome.
Rare hereditary problems of fructose intolerance, glucose-galactose malabsorption or sucrase-isomaltase insufficiency (Stalevo tablets contain sucrose).
This medicine should be swallowed whole not chewed.
This medicine may colour the urine reddish-brown.
Inability to resist urges to gamble (pathological gambling).
This medicine should not be taken at the same time as, or within two weeks of taking non-selective monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), for example the antidepressants phenelzine, isocarboxazid and tranylcypromine, and the antibiotic linezolid. In addition it should not be taken in combination with BOTH a selective MAO-A inhibitor, eg moclobemide, AND a selective MAO-B inhibitor, eg selegiline or rasagiline, though it can be used with either of these on their own.
If this medicine is taken in combination with the MAO-B inhibitor selegiline, the daily selegiline dose should not exceed 10mg.
Entacapone may enhance the effect of warfarin. If you are taking warfarin your blood clotting time (INR) should be monitored when you start and stop treatment with this medicine.
Tricyclic antidepressants (eg amitriptyline, imipramine) may decrease the therapeutic effects of this medicine, and may also rarely increase the risk of a dangerous rise in blood pressure (hypertensive crisis).
This medicine can be used with other medicines for Parkinson's disease, eg anticholinergics, amantadine or dopamine agonists, however both the desired effects and side effects of treatment may be intensified. Your doctor may need to adjust the dose of one or more of your medicines to get the correct balance to control your symptoms with minimum side effects.
There are currently no other medicines available in the UK that contain all three active ingredients that are in Stalevo tablets.
Sinemet contains levodopa and carbidopa alone.


Public Wi-Fi networks are everywhere.
They're in coffee shops, hotels, airports, restaurants, you name it, there's a Wi-Fi hotspot, and more often than not, they're free.
When I walk through town, my phone connects to a Wi-Fi hotspot. I walk past a bus and my phone tries to connect to the onboard Wi-Fi.
And they're great don't you think? After all, they save your data.
But are they that great, really? Are they completely safe?
Is it safe to do my internet banking on the coffee shop Wi-Fi?
Well, in this post I'm going to highlight some of the dangers of using public Wi-Fi, what you should look out for, what you can do to protect yourself on public Wi-Fi and ultimately answer the question of whether public Wi-Fi networks are safe (or not).
What is all the fuss about? How dangerous is it really when I'm just sitting there just checking my email in the corner of a coffee shop?
Well, it turns out that there are quite a few big problems with using a public Wi-Fi networks.
The first of these problems is that they allow for snooping, due to the open nature of these networks.
Secondly the network that you are connecting too might be infected with malware and compromised.
And thirdly, the network that you think you are connecting to might even be malicious.
Let me explain in a little more detail.
Wi-Fi networks use radio waves to broadcast and receive network traffic and as such, they are transmitted openly between devices on the network.
It's a bit like someone overhearing your private conversation in a busy restaurant. Or perhaps more relevant, it's like listening to someone's walkie-talkie conversation.
Not only is the network traffic broadcasted openly, the traffic is generally unencrypted.
Unlike your home Wi-Fi which requires you to enter a password to access, when you connect to an open Wi-Fi network such as the one at your local coffee shop, you don't always have to enter a password to get on it.
If you don't have to enter a password, then the network is unencrypted.
And with the right eavesdropping software, others can take your information without you releasing.
So for example, say you go to any unencrypted website and submit an online form, people can quite easily see what you've typed in. They can also see what websites you've visited.
Even if you connect to a website that's encrypted such as WhatsApp or your bank's website, any snoopers would still know about it, even they wouldn't know what information you were typing in or sending.
So what software do the snoopers use?
Well there are a number of different tools out there such as Firesheep and network analysis software such as Wireshark which enable snoopers to capture your network packets in real time and snoop on your web activity.
When you connect to a public Wi-Fi network, you're opening yourself up to the risk of malware.
The guy sitting next to you running Windows XP without antivirus protection is potentially putting your computer at risk of infection, especially if you allow file sharing across a public network.
Moreover, with file sharing enabled, hackers can plant infected software on your computer.
Some hackers have even been known to compromise the connection point itself, causing malware to be installed when users connect to the hotspot.
Perhaps the biggest risk in connecting to public Wi-Fi networks is when the actual hotspot itself has been designed to be malicious.
In this situation, the business's hotspot could be compromised or there could be a fake hotspot set up to lure people into connecting to it.
Fake hotspots can be configured to look just like a legitimate free Wi-Fi hotspot. It could even say something along the lines of "Coffeeshop Wi-Fi" when your device scans the various networks which are available, so be aware of these.
These networks are very easy to setup.
For example, devices such as the Wi-Fi Pineapple Nano demonstrate how hackers can easily set up a malicious network.
The way these devices work is that when your device tries to connect to a Wi-Fi network it has previously remembered, the Wi-Fi Pineapple has the ability to chirp up and say "that's me, connect to me!".
Once someone has connected to the Wi-Fi pineapple, the hacker has effectively positioned himself between you and the connection point.
So instead of going directly to the real coffee shop Wi-Fi, you're actually sending your information and traffic to the hacker, who then relays it on.
And you wouldn't notice any difference. You can still surf the web, check your emails, watch YouTube videos etc, but the hacker will have access to every piece of information that you send out across the internet.
Even worse, the hacker can setup fake HTTPS websites so the secure website that you think you're connecting to could actually be a spoof website that the Wi-Fi Pineapple device has created.
OK so public Wi-Fi networks are pretty dangerous right? Well, yes they can be, but there are things you can do and should do to protect yourself.
The first thing I recommend is very simple. DO NOT do your online banking or similar things that involve sensitive information.
Wait until you're home or connected to your mobile carrier's network (3G or 4G) before doing these things unless you want to expose your sensitive information.
It's fine for general web browsing or watching a film on Netflix for example, but don't use public Wi-Fi for anything sensitive.
And don't forget apps on your phone too. These all transmit data over the internet, often in the background, even though they don't use a web browser to do this.
So again, the advice is don't use your online banking app or similar when you're on public Wi-Fi.
OK with that out of the way, what else can we do?
So if you're surfing away on public Wi-Fi, try to use encrypted websites.
In other words, make sure the website you're looking at is using a HTTPS connection.
There are lot's of websites out there at the moment that don't use HTTPS and so the exchange of information between your computer and a non-secure website is sent over in plain text.
What this means is that anyone with the right skills and wrong intentions could potentially intercept that exchange of information and sniff that traffic quite easily.
But of course it depends on what you are doing.
If you're just searching for an article on your favourite website, then it's not such a big deal.
However, if your're entering your email password on a non-secure, non-HTTPS website, then your password could be stolen.
When you use HTTPS, the data is encrypted and scrambled when it is sent to the website's server that you're visiting.
So if your traffic did happen to get sniffed, the data would be complete gobbledygook to any prying eyes and therefore completely useless to them.
To ensure that you're always using the HTTPS version of a website, there's a really useful browser plugin called HTTPS Everywhere that you may wish to consider using.
It's also worth bearing in my that the mobile app version of the service you're using maybe communicating over a non-secure connection. Unlike websites, mobile apps don't have a visible indicator to show that they secure.
So my advice would be to use the mobile website rather than the app for the service you're connecting to so that you can check for the https bit at the start of the web address.
I have already mentioned that if you connect to a public hotspot then you are a risk of malware infection if there are any compromised devices on the same network.
One thing you can do about this is to make sure that you the select the "Public network" Wi-Fi option in Windows and not the "Home network" or "Work network" options.
Whilst you're at home, it's normal to share files with your printer and even allow remote logins to your home computer, but you don't want to be enabling these things when you're on a public network.
By selecting the "Public network" option in Windows, your connection is locked down preventing any files that are on your computer from being shared with other computers across the network.
Windows will automatically ask you whether you're connecting to a home network, work network or if it's public network when you first connect to network and by selecting one of these options, your security settings will be set accordingly.
The public setting will give you the most security, which is the one I recommend when you're on a public Wi-Fi hotspot.
If you want to however, you can customize some of the settings.
From here, your can toggle on and off things like file sharing, public folder sharing and a few other things.
Make sure that file sharing and public folder sharing is turned OFF on public Wi-Fi networks like in the image below.
Enabling Two-Factor authentication on your favourite websites and services (where available) is a really good practice to get into.
All the big services such as Facebook, Google and Twitter provide two-factor authentication, but it's not enabled by default. If you haven't enabled it on these services, do so as soon as possible, especially before you connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot.
If you make a mistake and enter a password on a non-secure (non-https) website on a public network and that password is sniffed, then you still have an extra layer of protection, as the hacker will need access to your mobile phone to access or change anything on your account.
Also, make sure you don't use the same password for every website you sign in on because if that password is stolen, then the accounts for all those websites could potentially be compromised.
Personally I use LastPass to manage my passwords. It enables me to use a unique password for each website without having to remember them.
The best bit about LastPass?
Most Operating Systems such as Windows, Mac OS and Ubuntu have at least a basic firewall in place, but it's definitely worth checking that it's enabled on your computer, especially before you connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot.
I've highlighted above how easy it is for a hacker to set up a fake Wi-Fi network, and when they do, they will tend to use something along the lines of "Free Costa Wi-Fi" to lure people into connecting.
However, the legitimate coffee shop Wi-Fi might not be named as such. My advice would be to confirm the name of the Wi-Fi with the company first before connecting to ensure that you're connecting to the official network.
OK so this a big one, VPN's or Virtual Private Networks are DEFINITELY something I wholeheartedly recommend.
VPN's pretty much beat all other ways of protecting yourself whilst you're browsing on a public Wi-Fi network.
When you connect through a VPN, your internet connection is encrypted. Which means that you are secure if even if the website's your using aren't secure and and don't offer SSL encryption.
So for example, if you're sat in your local coffee shop on the free Wi-Fi, people in your local vicinity will only be able to see that you're connected to one secure connection, i.e. your VPN. They won't be able to see what you're doing on it or what websites you're visiting, they will just see that you are visiting a VPN.
What this means is that when you connect to the internet via a VPN, not even your Internet Service Provider (ISP), public Wi-Fi network owner, nor a hacker can snoop on what you are doing.
This is because all your activity and traffic is routed through a separate secure, private network.
In other words, your privacy and security are protected at all times.
You also get other added advantages such as being able to access content only available in certain countries.
If you want to learn more, I recommend you check out this explainer about VPN's and why you need one.
OK so what are the available options for VPN's?
If you're not sure where to start with VPN's and you want something basic to get you started when you're using public Wi-Fi hotspots and to access region-restricted websites, I can recommend a couple of simple options.
I personally like and recommend IpVanish and TunnelBear. IpVanish is fast, has unlimited bandwidth and they don't log any of your traffic, which some VPN providers do. They also provide software and apps for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.
TunnelBear is also good and they provide a free option, but there's a limit in terms of data usage.
Finally, if you want to completely guarantee your security and you're not actively using the internet, maybe you'rw playing a game or typing a Word document or something, then simply turn off your Wi-Fi. It's really easy to do too. If you use Windows, then you can click on the wireless icon in the task bar and turn it off. If you're using a laptop, there's probably a shortcut on there too. On my laptop, I simply press the function key [fn] and [F12].
And if you do go with my recommendations, then they will go a long towards improving your security generally, not just when you are browsing on public hotspots.
Finally, has this been useful or do you have your own way of staying safe on public Wi-Fi? Maybe you have a favourite browser extension I've not listed or you may even use a SOCKS proxy over SSH. Either way, it would be great to hear from you. Let me know in the comments.


text:
/*
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 */
package com.facebook.presto.operator.scalar;

import com.facebook.presto.metadata.FunctionRegistry;
import com.facebook.presto.metadata.SqlOperator;
import com.facebook.presto.spi.PrestoException;
import com.facebook.presto.spi.type.Type;
import com.facebook.presto.spi.type.TypeManager;
import com.facebook.presto.spi.type.VarcharType;
import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
import io.airlift.slice.Slice;
import io.airlift.slice.Slices;

import java.lang.invoke.MethodHandle;
import java.lang.invoke.MethodHandles;
import java.util.Map;

import static com.facebook.presto.metadata.OperatorType.CAST;
import static com.facebook.presto.metadata.Signature.comparableWithVariadicBound;
import static com.facebook.presto.spi.StandardErrorCode.INVALID_FUNCTION_ARGUMENT;
import static com.facebook.presto.spi.type.StandardTypes.VARCHAR;
import static com.facebook.presto.util.Reflection.methodHandle;
import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkArgument;
import static io.airlift.slice.SliceUtf8.offsetOfCodePoint;

public class VarcharToVarcharCast
        extends SqlOperator
{
    private static final MethodHandle TRUNCATE_METHOD_HANDLE = methodHandle(VarcharToVarcharCast.class, "truncate", Slice.class, int.class);

    public static final VarcharToVarcharCast VARCHAR_TO_VARCHAR_CAST = new VarcharToVarcharCast();

    private VarcharToVarcharCast()
    {
        super(CAST, ImmutableList.of(comparableWithVariadicBound("F", VARCHAR), comparableWithVariadicBound("T", VARCHAR)), "T", ImmutableList.of("F"));
    }

    @Override
    public ScalarFunctionImplementation specialize(Map<String, Type> types, int arity, TypeManager typeManager, FunctionRegistry functionRegistry)
    {
        checkArgument(arity == 1, "Expected arity to be 1");
        VarcharType fromType = (VarcharType) types.get("F");
        VarcharType toType = (VarcharType) types.get("T");

        MethodHandle methodHandle = getMethodHandle(fromType, toType);
        return new ScalarFunctionImplementation(false, ImmutableList.of(false), methodHandle, true);
    }

    private static MethodHandle getMethodHandle(VarcharType fromType, VarcharType toType)
    {
        if (toType.getLength() < fromType.getLength()) {
            return MethodHandles.insertArguments(TRUNCATE_METHOD_HANDLE, 1, toType.getLength());
        }
        return MethodHandles.identity(Slice.class);
    }

    public static Slice truncate(Slice slice, int length)
    {
        if (length < 0) {
            throw new PrestoException(INVALID_FUNCTION_ARGUMENT, "Length smaller then zero");
        }
        else if (length == 0) {
            return Slices.EMPTY_SLICE;
        }
        int indexEnd = offsetOfCodePoint(slice, length);
        if (indexEnd < 0) {
            return slice;
        }
        return slice.slice(0, indexEnd);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This Guatemala Quetzal to Pakistani Rupee conversion tool allows you to compare the live inter-bank currency rate with competitive travel money exchange rates available within the foreign exchange markets.
Looking to make a Guatemala Quetzal to Pakistani Rupees money transfer?
The Guatemala Quetzal to Pakistani Rupee exchange rate (GTQ PKR) as of 21 Apr 2019 at 5:04 PM.
Below you can see the chart for the Pakistani Rupee rate today compared to the Guatemala Quetzal.
To convert Guatemala Quetzal to Pakistani Rupees or determine the Guatemala Quetzal Pakistani Rupee exchange rate simply use the currency converter on the right of this page, which offers fast live exchange rate conversions today!


Wedding days are really welcome although they do become moments to regret after a few years have passed. It's highly natural to feel immensely anxious before the big day approaches and why not; you are indeed saying farewell to the glamorous singular life and stepping into something a far more complicated. As they say, "Don't marry unless you almost have to", but if you do make up your mind and intend to marry, then make sure you live the day to the fullest because what lies ahead is a totally different and a lot more cumbersome cattle of fish. A groom must dress the most gracefully on his wedding day and it certainly goes without saying. You shall not be allowed to wed if you are not looking like you are ready to take the task upon your shoulders. How to, then, live up to the expectations of the sisters-in-law and everyone? How to impress without even saying a word? How to look so dashing and yet so traditional? All these questions have hints in them and inevitably everyone will be able to point to the answer I.e. Wear the traditional attire, for God's sake. A good traditional wear makes you look very graceful yet doesn't make you appear to be having no sense of fashion whatsoever. A sherwani goes a long way in making the groom appear to be actually wedding-worthy!
Men traditional sherwani for wedding is not hard to find if you are looking at the right places. Everybody in the Southern Asia almost prefers to look traditional and yet stylish; and they have no better choice than the ethnic dress that everyone fancies. IF you are wondering exactly what would earn you the dearest spot in the wife's mind before actually saying a husband's word, then you are looking to find good traditional attire for yourself.
This entry was posted in Sherwani Corner. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
\section{Introduction}
The simulation of hadrons containing one or more heavy quarks has been at the forefront of lattice QCD calculations
for many years. Such hadrons can be problematic for lattice calculations because systematic errors which scale with the
quark mass can make simulations with isotropic relativistic actions unreliable. The static limit, NRQCD and the
Fermilab approach have all been used for simulations with $b$ quarks as have simulations at lighter quarks which
are then extrapolated to the bottom quark mass. Results from the static limit can also be combined with those of
lighter quarks to make an interpolation to the $b$ quark mass.

The static limit, where $m_Q\rightarrow\infty$, is the lowest-order term in a $1/m_Q$ expansion of the
Heavy Quark Effective Theory (HQET) Lagrangian. In this limit the approximate heavy quark spin and flavour
symmetries become exact. It is believed that calculations in this limit can be relevant to $b$-physics; however,
historically the signal-to-noise ratio in static-light correlation functions has been particularly poor. All-to-all
propagators have been used in previous static-light simulations since they lead to an increase in statistics by placing
the source and sink operators at every spatial site on the lattice~\cite{Michael:1998sg,Green:2003zz}.
More recently, in
Ref~\cite{DellaMorte:2003mn} a modified static quark action has been shown to give improved
discretisation errors and signal-to-noise ratios in correlation functions.

In this work, all-to-all propagators are used on anisotropic lattices for optimal determination of the particle
energies. This algorithm has been described in detail in Ref~\cite{Foley:2005ac}.

A 3+1 anisotropic action is used with $N_f=2$. The gauge action is a two-plaquette Symanzik-improved
action which is described in Ref~\cite{Morningstar:1999dh}. The quark action has been designed
for large anisotropies. The usual Wilson term appears in the fine temporal direction and doublers are
removed in the coarse spatial directions by a Hamber-Wu term. Further details can be found in
Ref~\cite{Foley:2004jf}. This action is written
\begin{equation}
S_q = \bar{\psi}\left(\gamma_0\nabla_0+\sum_i\mu_r\gamma_i\nabla_i\left( 1-\frac{1}{6}a_s^2\Delta_i\right)
      -\frac{ra_t}{2}\Delta_0+sa_s^3\sum_i\Delta_i^2+m_0\right)\psi .
\end{equation}
where $\mu_r=(1+\frac{1}{2}ra_tm_0)$, $r=1$ is the usual coefficient of the Wilson term in the temporal direction
and $s=\frac{1}{8}$ is the analogous coefficient in the spatial directions.
\section{The static-light spectrum}
The static-light spectrum of hadrons can be classified according to the angular momentum of the
light degrees of freedom, $J_l$. For static-light mesons the $S$, $P$ and $D$ wave states have
\begin{equation}
J_l = \underbrace{\frac{1}{2}^-,}_{\mathbf S}\; \underbrace{\frac{1}{2}^+,\;
      \frac{3}{2}^+}_{\mathbf P},\; \underbrace{\frac{3}{2}^-,\; \frac{5}{2}^-}_{\mathbf D} .
\end{equation}
Interpolating operators are constructed for the light degrees of freedom which transform
according to the irreducible representations of $O_h$. The relation between these irreducible
representations and continuum quantum numbers can be determined by subduction. Table~\ref{tab:IrrepsofOh} lists
the irreducible representations of the proper subgroup $O$ as well as the angular momenta of the lower-lying corresponding
continuum states.
\begin{table}[h]
\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{c|c|c}
\hline
Lattice Irrep & Dimension & Continuum Irreps \\
\hline
\hline
$A_1$ & 1 & $0, 4, \ldots$ \\
$A_2$ & 1 & $3, \ldots$ \\
$E$   & 2 & $2, 4, \ldots$ \\
$T_1$ & 3 & $1, 3, \ldots$ \\
$T_2$ & 3 & $2, 3, \ldots$ \\
\hline
$G_1$ & 2 & $\frac{1}{2}, \frac{7}{2}, \ldots$ \\
$G_2$ & 2 & $\frac{5}{2}, \frac{7}{2}, \ldots$ \\
$H$   & 4 & $\frac{3}{2}, \frac{5}{2}, \ldots$ \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\caption{The irreducible representations of the lattice rotation group, $O$ and their continuum analogues.}
\label{tab:IrrepsofOh}
\end{center}
\end{table}
Note that, for example, to study the $D$-wave mesons requires operators in the $G_2$ and $H$ irreducible
representations. To construct the operators needed in a
study of $S, P$ and $D$ wave states single-link and planar-diagonal displacements were used.
\section{Results}
The preliminary results described here were obtained on dynamical lattices with
 $N_f=2$ and stout-link smeared gauge configurations~\cite{Morningstar:2003gk}.
All-to-all propagators~\cite{Foley:2005ac,O'Cais:2004ww} with two sets of time-diluted noise
vectors were used to improve the resolution of signals and enable us to determine
both mesons and baryons. This lowest level of dilution was sufficient to
obtain good signals in our static-light simulation. Five levels of Jacobi smearing were applied
to the light quark fields and the two-point static-light correlation function was subsequently optimised
using variational techniques.

The simulation parameters for this study are given in Table~\ref{tab:params}.
The ratio of scales $\xi = a_s/a_t$ is 6 and the intricacies of non-perturbatively tuning the
gauge and fermion anisotropy, $\xi$, are discussed in Ref~\cite{Morrin:2005tc}.
\begin{table}[h]
\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{c|c}
\hline
\hline
Volume & $8^3\times 80$ \\
Configurations & 176 (mesons); 136 (baryons) \\
$\beta$ & 1.5 \\
$a_s$ & 0.21fm \\
$a_tm_{\rm sea}, a_tm_{\rm light} $ & -0.057 \\
$m_\pi /m_\rho$ & 0.55\\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\caption{Simulation parameters. The light and sea quark masses are close to the strange quark and their negative value in
this table is an artefact of the Wilson additive quark mass renormalisation.}
\label{tab:params}
\end{center}
\end{table}
The results presented here are determined on a lattice extended in the temporal direction. This is motivated by
our initial studies of the static-light mesons on an $8^3\times 48$ lattice. The quality of the data is now so good
on these lattices that a very slowly falling signal was observed. This could not have been resolved with larger
statistical errors. The comparison of data from the $8^3\times 48$ and the $8^3\times 80$ lattice is presented in
Figure~\ref{fig:short-lattice}. The plot clearly shows that the longer lattice allows for a more reliable determination
of the energy. The statistical errors are less than a percent in the region where a plateau is observed.
\begin{figure}[h]
\centering
\includegraphics*[width=6.5cm]{short_lattice.eps}
\caption{A comparison of the effective mass of a static-light meson on $8^3\times 80$ and $8^3\times 48$ lattices.
The longer lattice allows a more reliable determination of the ground state. }
\label{fig:short-lattice}
\end{figure}
\subsection{Mesons}
Figure~\ref{fig:mesons} shows the effective masses of the static-light meson $S$, $P$ and $D$ waves. The states
are labelled by their lattice irreducible representations and the corresponding continuum spin-states are listed in
Table~\ref{tab:IrrepsofOh}. The plot demonstrates that all-to-all propagators yield a dramatic improvement
in signal quality and allow the resolution of excited states.
\begin{figure}[h]
\centering
\includegraphics*[width=6.5cm]{m3.eps}
\caption{Effective masses of the orbitally-excited static-light meson. States are labelled as in
         Table 1 and by the parity of the meson.}
\label{fig:mesons}
\end{figure}
In the static limit mass splittings can be straightforwardly compared to their continuum values. In this study
we find that these splittings can be determined very precisely. Figure~\ref{fig:splittings1} shows our preliminary
results for the $P-S$ splitting and the splitting between the $\frac{3}{2}^+$ and $\frac{1}{2}^+$ P-wave states.
We find that the $\Delta M(P-S)=0.0481(8)$ and
$\Delta M(P_{\frac{3}{2}^+} - P_{\frac{1}{2}^+}) = 0.0119(7)$.
Figure~\ref{fig:splittings2} shows preliminary results for the $D-S$ splitting.
The states are labelled by the irreducible representations of $O$ (as in Table~\ref{tab:IrrepsofOh})
and the parity of the meson. Within errors, no splitting is observed between the lowest-lying states
in the $G_2^-$ and $H^-$ channels. This may indicate the inversion of the natural ordering of the $D$-wave multiplet predicted
by some quark models, implying that the $\frac{3}{2}^-$ D-wave is in fact heavier than the $\frac{5}{2}^-$ D-wave.
This has not been observed in other lattice studies.
However, these are preliminary results and a conclusive statement can only be drawn when we
have analysed the systematic errors including finite volume and discretisation effects. This is work in progress.
\begin{figure}
\centering
\includegraphics*[width=6.5cm]{gs.eps}
\caption{The mass-splitting between $S$ and $P$ wave states (blue points) and between the $\frac{3}{2}^+$ and
$\frac{1}{2}^+$ P wave states (red points). The solid lines are best fits to the splittings (not the difference of fits to
effective masses).}
\label{fig:splittings1}
\end{figure}
\begin{figure}
\centering
\includegraphics*[width=6.5cm]{ds.eps}
\caption{The mass-splitting between the $D$ and $S$ waves, labeled $H^-$ and $G_1^-$ respectively.}
\label{fig:splittings2}
\end{figure}
The minimum timeslices used in Figures~\ref{fig:splittings1} and~\ref{fig:splittings2} is chosen by demanding that the
effective masses of the particles involved have also reached a plateau at this time.
\subsection{Baryons}
Using all-to-all propagators we have constructed local operators for the isoscalar ($\Lambda_b$) $\frac{1}{2}^+$ and
the isovector ($\Sigma_b$) $\frac{3}{2}^+$ baryons. The projectors, $\frac{1}{2}(1+\gamma_0)$ and
$\frac{1}{2}(1-\gamma_0)$, applied to the light quark fields, as well as time-reversal symmetry, were used to improve signals
in fits to the effective masses. Figure~\ref{fig:baryons} shows the effective masses of the $\Lambda_b$ and $\Sigma_b$.
The effective mass of the $B$ meson is included for reference. The mass splittings are $a_t\Delta = 0.68(2)$ and
$a_t\Delta = 0.078(14)$ for the $\Lambda_b$ and $\Sigma_b$ resectively.
\begin{figure}[h]
\centering
\includegraphics*[width=6.5cm]{b2.eps}
\caption{The effective masses of the isoscalar ($\Lambda_b$) $\frac{1}{2}^+$ and
         the isovector ($\Sigma_b$) $\frac{3}{2}^+$ baryons.}
\label{fig:baryons}
\end{figure}
\section{Conclusions and outlook}
In this paper we have presented preliminary results for the masses and mass-splittings of static-light mesons and baryons,
with $N_f=2$.
Using all-to-all propagators and anisotropic lattices, excellent signals for
the $B$-meson and its radial excitations: $P$ and $D$ waves are found.
Mesons are determined from 176 configurations while 136 configurations are
 used to study baryons. Even for this preliminary dataset, splitting between
$P$ and $S$ waves, between $P$ waves and between $D$ and $S$ waves can be
determined at the percent level. Our results also suggest an inversion in
the natural ordering in the $D$-wave multiplet. This warrants further study and
is work in progress.
The masses of the $\Lambda_b$ and $\Sigma_b$ baryons and their splittings are
also determined.
These results are very encouraging and we plan to extend this study to larger
volumes with correctly renormalised parameters, $\xi_q$ and $\xi_g$.
\section*{Acknowledgments}
This work is supported by IRCSET Embark Initiative awards SC/03/393Y and RS/2002/208-7M,
and the IITAC PRTLI initiative.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


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Qualcomm files lawsuits in China to ban iPhones
A man looks at Apple's new iPhone 8 (L) and his iPhone 7 at the Apple Store in Tokyo's Omotesando shopping district, Japan, September 22, 2017. REUTERS/Issei Kato
(Reuters) - Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) confirmed an earlier report that the chipmaker had filed lawsuits in China, seeking to halt the manufacture and sale of Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) iPhones in the country.
Qualcomm filed the suits in a Beijing intellectual property court, claiming patent infringement and is seeking injunctive relief, a company spokeswoman confirmed on Friday, but did not provide further details.
Bloomberg had earlier reported about the lawsuits in China. (bloom.bg/2z6qMwu)
Apple's shares were marginally up, while Qualcomm shares were marginally down in late-afternoon trading.
The iPhone maker has always been willing to pay fair and reasonable rates for the patents it uses, Apple told Reuters in an email.
"In many years of ongoing negotiations with Qualcomm, these patents have never been discussed and in fact were only granted in the last few months," Apple said.
Apple is waging a global legal battle on Qualcomm's long-held practice of charging a percentage of the total price of iPhones and other Apple devices as a licensing fee for its patents.
Reporting by Aishwarya Venugopal and Laharee Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Martina D'Couto and Shounak Dasgupta


The Johnsonburg Community Center would love to have you visit us! We have various programs throughout the year for members and non-members. The amenities of the building include but are not limited to a community pool, fitness room, gym, activity rooms, etc. Our history and the town's history is apparent when you step into our historical building.
Our Website will be undergoing maintenance and updates: if information is missing or incorrect please call (814)965-2010. THank you.


Nada Lygrisse, DO graduated from the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital in Wyandotte, Michigan. Dr. Lygrisse's commitment to her patients mirrors the network's mission to improve the quality of life of the people in the communities we serve.


text:
Tweet turned out to be worth Dh1m for The Entrepreneur winner
Loulou Khazen Baz was crowned winner of The Entrepreneur last night for her start-up Nabbesh.com, having applied to be on the reality TV show after seeing a tweet from its sponsor.
Loulou Khazen Baz was crowned winner of the reality TV show The Entrepreneur last night. ANTONIE ROBERTSON / The National
Triska Hamid
It was the tweet that changed her life and bagged her Dh1 million in prize money to establish herself as a top entrepreneur in the region.
Loulou Khazen Baz was crowned winner of the reality TV show The Entrepreneur last night for her start-up Nabbesh.com, an online skills marketplace aimed at the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.
"I saw the tweet from du [the show's sponsor] and followed the link. It was a four-page application process. I didn't even think about it, I just filled it in and said 'OK, let's wait and see'."
After the gruelling shortlisting process and four weeks of filming Ms Baz was finally announced the winner and awarded Dh1m (US$272,260) to develop her business idea.
Nabbesh is a website that helps to connect skilled individuals with those interested in hiring them either on a short-term or long-term basis. Users can list their skills and services while recruiters can post their requirements.
The website helps to connect them together using geo-location services.
Ms Baz was one of two women in the final 10. Her socially aware, digitally focused idea caught the attention of the four judges.
"I could see them nodding during my pitch. They loved it." After the show, two of the judges told her it was a fantastic concept and "they wanted to support me beyond the show".
The 31-year-old UAE resident of Lebanese descent funded the project herself which she began in August last year after leaving her job at a venture capitalist firm.
"I wanted to be part of something bigger and create something that had social benefit. I became very bored and demotivated. I had all this work experience but there was no channel to say these are my skills and I can do some consulting for a fee. There was no skills marketplace and so I decided to create one."
The numbers supported her quest. With one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world, the Middle East is in need of such a service.
"Labour force participation is 50 per cent in Mena compared with 65 per cent in the US. Among women it is 25 per cent in Mena, so there is a massive opportunity," said Ms Baz.
Since April the website has racked up 3,000 subscribers, with thousands more expected thanks to the exposure it has achieved on the show.
One of the biggest hurdles is to find the right talent. "We had a whole fiasco [in the beginning], trying to find the right people for the job. I am not from a technology background so it was very challenging," said Ms Baz.
The prize money will go towards building up her team and presence in the region. There are currently 10 employees, all recruited via Nabbesh.com.
"We need to grow the technology and marketing team if we want to make an impact and be regional."
She is also concentrating on social and digital media, marketing the brand and the idea through various networks. Nabbesh has signed up with Microsoft to create a Windows 8 app, but Ms Baz also plans to have an offline presence to reach out to those in remote areas or without internet access.
Currently the platform is available only in English, but plans are already under way to launch an Arabic version.
"It has the potential to change the lives of millions. The time of entrepreneurship is now. It has a role in creating jobs, improving the economy and politics," said Ms Baz.
[ thamid@thenational.ae ]
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Press Club, a wine bar and lounge, offers world's finest wines and beers in a sophisticated, social atmosphere. Press Club's menu of seasonal small plates and thoughtful pairings offers the ultimate wine experience in one of San Francisco's most notable destinations.
Located on the fourth floor of the iconic METREON, City View lives up to its name with floor to ceiling windows revealing an unobstructed view of San Francisco's renowned cityscape. Between the expansive 18,000 square-foot interior and 12,000 square-foot outdoor terrace, whether it's a product launch or conference, cocktail party or wedding, City View at METREON makes every event a special occasion.
The House of Shields has been in existence since 1908. Following an extensive restoration over the summer and fall of 2010, H.O.S. is again open for business. In keeping with tradition, there is no clock on premises, nor is there a T.V. We look forward to serving you. We are located directly across the street from the Palace Hotel on New Montgomery. Catering is available for all private events either for the upstairs mezzanine or for full bar buyouts. Please email us at thehouseofshields.com for all inquires.
SPiN, the original ping pong social club merging sport, design and art, founded in NYC, is bringing their balls to the Bay! The new location at 690 Folsom will feature 12,000 sq ft of ping pong pandemonium with 17 tables, a private VIP lounge, a full restaurant and a unique San Francisco cocktail program. Our artwork features original pieces by world-renowned street artists such as Shepard Fairey, Stikki Peaches, Pemex & Rpes and many more. Fully equipped for live music , performances and DJs, SPiN will be ultimate nightlife destination to bring entertainment, social interaction and a little healthy competition to spice up your typical night in San Francisco. To learn more about SPiN, check out www.wearespin.com.
The Metreon is a shopping center located in downtown San Francisco at the corner of 4th Street and Mission Street. It is a four-story 350,000 square foot (33,000 m²) building built over the corner of the underground Moscone Center convention center. Metreon opened on June 16, 1999, as the first of a proposed chain of Sony "urban entertainment centers", aggregating dining, gaming, music, exhibitions, shopping, and movies. Sony intended the ambitious 85 million dollar project to be not only a theme park and gallery for Sony products but also a way to reinforce a sophisticated image for the Sony brand.In 2006 Metreon was sold to Westfield, a mall developer, and it was refashioned as a food-oriented mall. In 2011, with few exceptions, remaining businesses in the mall were closed. Westfield began a major renovation with an emphasis on dining, including Target Corporation creating a large downtown department store that now takes up the second floor. In April, 2012, the Westfield sold the Metreon to Starwood Capital Group. Westfield currently continues to be responsible for management.HistoryThe Metreon's original attractions included a movie theater including both standard and IMAX screens, a multimedia edutainment presentation involving audio-animatronics and 3-D film based on the famous book The Way Things Work by David Macaulay, a play area for young children based on Maurice Sendak's popular children's book Where the Wild Things Are (sharing a floor with an In the Night Kitchen themed restaurant), and an arcade and bar, the Airtight Garage, based on French comic artist and graphic designer Jean "Moebius" Giraud's graphic novel of the same name and featuring all original games.


2017 has proved to be a busy year for legislation in blockchain technology. While not every state is necessarily coming around to the blockchain, most are at least addressing the technology.
It's reported by BlackLine Advisory Group that as of July 27, "at least 16 bills have been enacted or proposed this year," while "at least 26 states — ranging from Alaska to West Virginia — have either introduced or enacted legislation regulating blockchain in some manner." However, the legislation varies widely: Arizona has made it illegal to track the use of a firearm with a blockchain; Texas legislators have proposed amending their constitution to protect the right of its citizens to use digital currency when procuring goods and services; and Utah has subjected digital currencies to the state's Unclaimed Property Act, perhaps to keep tabs on forgotten digital wallets for fear that they are left collecting dust. It's clear that at the state level, the United States is keenly aware of the blockchain.
One of the more financially innovative of these state governments is Illinois. In 2015, Mike Wons joined the State of Illinois' Department of Technology and Innovation as the first statewide Chief Technology Officer. Won's main priority has been to lead the Illinois "FIRST" IT Strategy.
The Illinois FIRST plan focuses on accelerating the statewide modernization and competition for high-value customer-centric technology. The strategy assesses emerging technologies in cybersecurity, cloud services, analytics, data integrity and workflow automation, then devises actionable guidelines, plans and resources for businesses to follow toward implementing technology to improve services for citizens.
On Nov. 30, 2016, the Illinois FIRST Strategy appointed their first business owner liaison for blockchain, Jennifer O'Rourke, who is also the assistant deputy director at the Illinois Department of Commerce's Office of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology. On the same day, the initiative put out numerous requests for information on the regulatory environment around blockchain application in the private sector, and solicited suggestions regarding how it might improve services for citizens. Out of the responses came 25 different use cases; these were narrowed down to five, selected as proofs of concept, to be delivered by the end of 2017.
Wons also suggested that a low budget has been both the carrot and stick for the Illinois Blockchain Initiative. "Not having a budget forced us to become more efficient so it has been sort of a godsend. We don't want to stay in this position forever because we realize that there are things that still need to be resolved with our debt." As of June 2016, Politico reported Illinois as having compiled $14.6 billion in unpaid bills, running a deficit of $6 billion, and accumulating a pension liability of approximately $130 billion.
While Illinois' debt is a likely motivator for the state's development in technological innovation, blockchain technology could be another carrot — or incentive-driven solution ― to at least some of the state's financial woes. Illinois' five blockchain-technology use cases, which have now turned into official projects, range in sector and scope but include managing property deeds within Cook County; credentialing for student transcripts; credentialing healthcare providers; creating a clean-energy marketplace through blockchain technology; and finally, marshaling some vital credentialing, such as making birth certificates available electronically.
Illinois' third use case employs the blockchain as a shared and decentralized registry to manage the credentials and licensure of health professionals. The project's goal is to use blockchain as a solution that can streamline a specific, cumbersome, multi-party process. The expected outcome will be reduced time and expense of collecting and verifying multiple pieces of a professional's credentials in order to issue them licenses.
To initiate this use case, the Illinois Blockchain Initiative has partnered with the blockchain healthcare innovation company Hashed Health, based out of Nashville, Tennessee. Together, they will explore opportunities to improve medical credentialing in Illinois through a pilot program. The concept is to use a blockchain-based registry to streamline the sharing of medical credential data and smart contracts to automate workflow related to multi-state and interstate licensure.


text:
Tom Block Archive
Also in Film
Arab Film Festival, San Francisco CA ,
Michael McDonagh
Ghosts of Mars Scott Von Doviak
East-West Arthur Lazere
The Loss Of Sexual Innocence
There really isn't much of a plot to The Loss of Sexual Innocence, the new film by writer-director Mike Figgis. An English filmmaker named Nic (Julian Sands) is trapped in a dead marriage. He goes to Africa to make a documentary about the environment, and during the trip he begins an affair with an Italian woman (Saffron Burrows). The affair ends badly, too.
And that's basically the story. But Nic is a compulsive memorist who constantly relives scenes from his childhood and adolescence. Not only do we share these glimpses into his past, we also see Nic's dreams and even his wife's dreams. These strands – and yet another strand springing from the deepest fount of Western culture – are woven together in abrupt, non-linear patterns.
All of the narratives revolve around sex and our need for it, no matter how debased the form. Like Eraserhead, Sexual Innocence attempts to translate the trappings and nuances of sexual feeling into cinematic language. But where Eraserhead tried to evoke our deepest dread, Sexual Innocence aims for a melancholic wonder by linking sexual feeling to carefully measured images of decay, solitude, and helplessness.
These things alone would make it a movie that seems to be begging for popular rejection. But The Loss of Sexual Innocence's biggest risk – the thing that's sure to alienate a lot of people who see it – is an overly literal retelling of the story of Adam and Eve. Shot in a yellowish haze, the intermittent segment features a stupendous looking black Adam and white Eve (newcomers Femi Ogumbanjo and Hanne Klintoe). The sequence has some startling touches, to be sure: in close-up we see Eve's vagina as she urinates, and the couple is expelled from Eden to the sound of Beethoven's Ode to Joy.
Its painful modernizing touches aside, the problem with the Adam and Eve material is that it takes up time that should have been used to explain why Nic is a fitting symbol for all mankind. Figgis is trying to make a big statement about the human condition in Sexual Innocence, but he hasn't bothered to complete his sentence. It would be interesting to know just how much of his movie he actually believes. Does he really think that mankind has come unstuck from Nature in some fundamental way? And what exactly does that phrase "sexual innocence" mean to him anyway?
By their very nature, projects like this one almost have to go wrong in critical ways. And Sexual Innocence compensates at least partly for its strained allusiveness through fluid editing and a handful of beautifully crafted performances. Julian Sands never gives off the languorous vapors that a lot of actors would have brought to Nic – he's never a drag. Burrows gives such individuated detailing to both halves of a pair of twin sisters that it seems like we're watching two actresses at work. And Gina McKee, in one of the flashback sequences, gives a glowing mini-performance in a single shot.
The Loss of Sexual Innocence isn't for everyone. (It may only be for Mike Figgis.) The Religious Right won't scream bloody murder about it only because they'll never hear of it, but even hardcore cineastes may come away unhappy. It's a movie that's memorable more for its game attitude than it is for its accomplishments.
– Tom Block
Tom Block
Time Code Scott Von Doviak
Innocence Arthur Lazere
culturevulture.net – review Beverly Berning
Young Adam Arthur Lazere


Musicians have nightmares about flying with their instruments. Though a mountain dulcimer will almost always fit in overhead storage the instrument is technically too long to be considered carry-on baggage by many airlines.
I fly with my dulcimer in a gigbag with a shoulder strap.
A gigbag takes up less room than a hard case and looks smaller and more compact when noticed by flight crews. A shoulder strap lets me carry the dulcimer on my back and leaves my hands free to show my ticket when boarding. Since I am carrying my dulcimer with ease it sometimes goes unnoticed. I rarely have trouble bringing a small backpack and dulcimer on board.
If possible I reserve a seat towards the back of the plane.
Usually the rear seats board earlier and many overhead bins are still empty and available. The flight crews are usually less concerned about this odd-shaped piece of musical luggage taking up space while there is still plenty to go around.
If told my dulcimer will not fit overhead I politely explain that it has always fit in the past.
The flight crew is doing their job. They are people. Be nice to them!
If the flight crew tags my dulcimer to be checked as cargo while boarding a smaller plane I discreetly take the tag off and put it in my pocket .
I have only done this a few times. I was able to carry on my dulcimer with no problem.
There have been a few times when all the overhead compartments were full or an airline employee's purpose in life has been to keep me from bringing my dulcimer on the plane. In 30 years of flying with a dulcimer I have faced these scenarios 3 or 4 times. In these situations the only option was to have my dulcimer hand-placed in cargo. Theoretically this means it is carefully placed in cargo and carefully removed and given to me as I leave the plane.
When this has happened my dulcimer survived. I survived too but the flight was anything but relaxing!
I'm so happy to hear that your daughter got the hammered dulcimer bug! It would be great to see you again. I'm hoping to come out that way sometime and will certainly get in touch when I start planning the trip.
Years ago I was traveling back from Turkey with a saz as carry on. I had a similar positive experience. The flight crews on 3 different flights were so helpful! I wish it was always like that!
Hope we see you if you come East one day. Maybe we can set up a mini tour?
A flight case for a dulcimer should not be very large so it will probably be easy to check it as luggage. There are several companies in North America that make them to order, usually special ordered through a music store. I would try a local music store and see what they can come up with.
I don;t know what is available outside the USA. Sometimes companies that sell sound reinforcement gear sell flight cases as well.
I've been playing lap dulcimer for a little while, I flew back from the states with it with no problem, but i'm concerned going from spain (where I'm based) to other european countries. I already have a carry on where I fit my flutes and such, so this is my second hand-luggage. In a gig case it's impossible i can check it it in, and with a flight case i'm not sure if it could be checked as luggage. Any advice on buying a flight case though? or regarding non usa countries?
I was waiting for a comment like this. Thanks Gary!
Ok, about this Flying with A Dulcimer. Do you have your FAA Dulcimer license? Is your Dulcimer registered properly as an experimental aircraft or is it registered as light aircraft? We have a small local airport not to far from us, so this is very important to us. We don't want the errant Dulcimer to come crashing in on our house due to poor maintenance or an unqualified pilot.
Sorry to be such a nudge, but it's dangerous up there.


including monkey bread with warm crème anglaise and homemade jam ($8) and a berry smoothie ($7.50). Beverage options range from double espressos ($5) to Bloody Marys ($10).
Breakfast at John and Joanne Liccio's homey restaurant may lack the live music and dancing o;ered at dinner, but the couple's motto ("Home cooking without the fuss") still applies. So does their commitment to variety. The breakfast menu, served till 2 PM, includes Snap, Krackle & Pop French Toast, a signature dish of French toast dredged in cinnamon sugar and Rice Krispies ($6.95).
Then there's the Fish Platter Deluxe, with smoked salmon, whitefish salad, tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, capers, cream cheese and two toasted bagels ($15.95). Bloody Marys ($6), house wines ($6 a glass) and mimosas ($6) make for merry mornings and a tittering tiptoe one block to the beach.
Governor Christie is a repeat lunch customer at Brown's, on the Ocean City boardwalk.
"It's low-key for him; everyone politely ignores him and his entourage," says Harmon Brown, who owned the 100-seat restaurant with his wife before their son, Jim, and daughter-in-law, Melissa, took over a few years back. Melissa says the shop's beloved house-made donuts, just 85 cents each, are the fastest-selling item on the menu: "You can watch the boys making them," she says, "and a lot of people will get on their bikes and come in for co;ee and a donut real early. They come back later, when the rest of the family is up, for a full breakfast." That breakfast might include house-made chipped fried beef on English mu;n with home fries ($8.50) or three flu;y pancakes with ham, bacon, pork roll, sausage or (yes!) scrapple ($7.70).


text:
Q: Laravel Rate limit api by user with basic auth I'm trying to setup a rate limit by user on an api route using Basic Auth in api.php but it seems that the auth user info is not being passed to the RateLimiter as I get a error "Attempt to read property id on null". Here's my code on configureRateLimit()
RouteServiceProvider.php:
 /**
 * Configure the rate limiters for the application.
 *
 * @return void
 */
protected function configureRateLimiting()
{

    RateLimiter::for('getRequest', function (Request $request) {

        return Limit::perMinute(2)->by($request->user()->id)->response(function(){

            return response()->json([
                'response' => 'failed',
                'message' => 'Too many request has been made',
            ],429);
        });
    });
}

api.php Route:
Route::middleware(['auth.basic.once'])->prefix('v1')->group(function() {
    Route::middleware(['throttle:getRequest'])->get('/animals/{id?}', [animalsApiController::class, 'show']);
});

I've attempted to use Auth::user()->id, user()->id(), and Auth::id() instead of $request->user()->id but same error. Can anyone tell me if I'm doing something wrong or if I'm missing something?
Note: When checking $request->user()->id in the controller it shows up fine

A: RouteServiceProvider.php:
 /**
 * Configure the rate limiters for the application.
 *
 * @return void
 */
protected function configureRateLimiting()
{
RateLimiter::for('getRequest', function (Request $request) {

dd(auth()->check());

    return Limit::perMinute(2)->by($request->user()->id)->response(function(){

        return response()->json([
            'response' => 'failed',
            'message' => 'Too many request has been made',
        ],429);
    });
});
}

first check login the user

A: For someone using Laravel 8 or above and sanctum for generating tokens.
The following code would help implementing rate limiting user wise where you want to limit certain users.
protected function configureRateLimiting()
{
    RateLimiter::for('api', function (Request $request) {
        $rate_limit = 100;
        if(auth()->user()){
            $rate_limit = (isset(auth()->user()->rate_limit) ? auth()->user()->rate_limit : $rate_limit);
            return Limit::perMinute($rate_limit)->by(auth()->user()->id)->response(function(){

                return response()->json([
                    'response' => 'Failed',
                    'message' => 'Too many request has been made',
                ],429);
            });
        }else{
            return Limit::perMinute($rate_limit)->by($request->user()?->id ?: $request->ip())->response(function(){
                return response()->json([
                    'response' => 'Failed',
                    'message' => 'Too many request has been made',
                ],429);
            });
        }
    });
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Mitch Rose Named Senior Vice President of Congressional and Federal Government Affairs, Comcast
Comcast Corporation has named Mitch Rose Senior Vice President of Congressional and Federal Government Affairs.
In this role, Mr. Rose will oversee all legislative efforts focused on Congress and the Administration, along with the company's political activities in Washington, DC. He will report directly to David L. Cohen, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation.
"Mitch has done a tremendous job leading NBCUniversal's federal government relations division, working with policymakers on issues related to media and the broadcast industry," said Mr. Cohen. "His experience and strategic insight navigating the complexities of Capitol Hill, combined with his exemplary leadership, make him an invaluable part of our remarkable team in Washington, DC."
In 2014, Mr. Rose joined Comcast NBCUniversal as Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for NBCUniversal. In this role, he oversaw NBCUniversal's federal government relations operations and led advocacy on a variety of issues, including those related to tax reform, the Olympics, broadcast ownership, intellectual property, and piracy.
Mr. Rose will succeed Melissa Maxfield, who has led Comcast's federal government affairs function since 2008, after first joining the company in 2003. "Melissa has played a large role in developing and strengthening our company's federal government affairs department. She has and will continue to be an invaluable partner to our Washington leadership," said Mr. Cohen. Ms. Maxfield will transition to a new senior position, reporting to Mr. Cohen as Senior Strategic Advisor Federal Government and Corporate Affairs and will direct relationships with key federal elected officials, trade, and business organizations.
Mr. Cohen also announced expanded roles for Comcast Vice Presidents Lindsey Dickinson and Sam Lancaster. In addition to her current role in helping to lead Senate legislative strategy, Ms. Dickinson will help lead the company's relationships with the Administration and Mr. Lancaster will help develop strategy for the Company's congressional advocacy.
Mr. Rose has extensive experience working in both the public and private sectors. Prior to Comcast, he was the principal founder of Mitch Rose Strategic Consulting, where he advocated for a wide range of clients on legislative and regulatory issues for eight years. Before establishing his own firm, he was Vice President of Government Relations for The Walt Disney Company. Mr. Rose also spent over 15 years on Capitol Hill. He served as Chief of Staff to Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) from 1997 to 2000. In addition, he was a Legislative Aide in the House for two years and held a variety of positions, including Press Aide, for former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kansas).
Mr. Rose earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the Washington College of Law at American University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington in Seattle.


We believe that community sponsorship of refugees should be celebrated, and that inspirational groups, individuals and local authorities should be recognised for the work they put in to make community sponsorship a success. That is why we organise the annual Community Sponsorship Awards.
The awards are also an opportunity to promote the scheme, for people across the UK to build relationships, and to hear motivational stories of welcome.
The Community Sponsorship Awards will return in Autumn 2019. Nominations will open in Spring, so stay tuned!
The First Annual Community Sponsorship Awards Ceremony took place on 2nd October 2018 at The Royal Society, London, in the presence of more than 250 people who gathered from across the United Kingdom, Canada, and the USA. They were organised by Sponsor Refugees in partnership with IOHR and GRSI.
The launch of Sponsor Refugees on 9th October 2017 saw three Pioneer Awards presented to those who have worked tirelessly to make community sponsorship a reality. The awards were presented by Ahmad Al-Rashid and the children from one of the first resettled families.


with a . . .
With a KEYSIE you can combine your Credit Cards with your KEYS for a SECURE, luxurious solution AND it prevents you from misplacing your keys!
Going Bottomless is all the Rage!!!
Keysie is so cute, clips to anything and can be warn outside or tucked inside your bag.
But it's not a bag. It's a bottomless cover that slides up the strap to expose your keys. But wait. . .there's More!
Credit cards & ID won't accidentally slide out because this pocket has a flap and a snap to securely lock them in.
Your keys are quietly undercover but ready to grab whenever you need them. That's convenience!
KEYSIE gives you an extra hand holding your keys for you. No more digging through your bag, just unlock and drop.
KEYSIE holds your most used keys, credit cards & ID in a neat, organized & convenient way.
KEYSIE tucks into a waistband or easily clips onto your little buddy's leash.
KEYSIE keeps your favorite credit cards in easy reach, at your fingertips. Cards and ID sit in a SECURED pocket so they won't fall out.
KEYSIE holds personal protection spray at your fingertips, ready when you need it. Also, it provides a convenient pocket for your school ID.
KEYSIE is perfect for a "grab and go" quick trip to the store. Keys, licence & credit card all in a neat little leather wallet. Slip it on your finger or tuck it into a jacket pocket.
KEYSIE keeps your keys in easy reach at the beach. Keys could get buried in the sand, but your whole beach bag will not. Clip it on for security. Tuck it inside or out.
KEYSIE layers easily onto your diaper bag. Let's go!
No bags allowed? No problem!
KEYSIE is sensor friendly. Tap and go!
KEYSIE tucks neatly into your evening clutch or cross-body bag.
"I love my Keysie! It keeps me organized and no more digging through my bags. My other favorite thing is having the visual reassurance before I lock my door. I clip it to my bag and either tuck it into my bag, or leave it hanging on the outside for a cute layered look. Either way my keys are always in easy reach."
"As a busy Mom I'm always running around. I like how it transfers easily from bag to bag. I especially like to clip it to my diaper bag when we go to the park. As I chase my daughter around my Keysie is tucked into my waistband. No more having my wallet sit in the stroller and keeping an eye on it. Now all my attention is focused having fun with my daughter."
Here's the SECRET to not losing your keys. . . keep it attached to your bag! Tuck it inside or out. No more digging! You can open your door without removing it so you can never misplace them again.
"I love my Keysie and use it everyday to carry my keys! I love how convenient it is to have my keys and cards in the same place, especially when I go out to run quick errands. The Keysie also looks cute on my handbag when I need to carry more. Overall it is the perfect size, convenient, and very stylish."
"I bought this one and I'm back to get another, upgrading to the Artisan Handmade for my Coach bag. It cost more but after trying it out this lower priced one I know it's totally worth it. I love having my keys always accessible, no more digging! I'm going to swap out my personal keys and have this one for my work keys and keep it on my work tote. I'm hooked! (no pun intended)"
"This is a phenomenal product for anyone who digs through bags looking for their keys. It simply solves that problem."
*Money Back Guarantee is for 30 days after purchase and does not include shipping & handling costs.


The installation explores the distortion of perception created by walls. A brick maze is embedded with a succession of porcelain eyes, the pupils made of lenses recovered from dismantling obsolete televisions, that the artist, mechanic's bag in hand, scoured the countryside for. The stories of the people she met and the knowledge that these lenses were once used for projection is buried in the DNA of the work. Looking through the lenses inverts everything on the other side; a window into the mind's eye, or a question about where reality and perception meet?


text:
konsola (architektura) – wspornik podpierający rzeźbę, gzyms, balkon, kolumnę, żebra sklepienia
 konsola (mebel) – mały stolik przyścienny
 konsola (informatyka) – wiersz poleceń, tryb tekstowy – jeden ze sposobów interakcji człowieka z komputerem
 konsola gier wideo – komputer o wyspecjalizowanej architekturze przeznaczony do uruchamiania gier wideo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Our friends are holding a science and spirituality conference in Telluride in July.
Conference Admission Ticket includes lunch and appetizers on both Friday and Saturday. A generous "Thank You!" to Telluride's Christ Church for subsidizing the price of each ticket by over $100 each.
INTERSECT: Science & Spirituality tickets and information HERE.


text:
Food & Drink » Food Reviews
Edmond's Mt. Everest Cuisines offers peak Nepali and Indian flavors
by Greg Elwell
Garett Fisbeck
Lamb thali sampler at Mt. Everest Cuisines in Edmond, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016.
You will need a Sherpa. Many have tried and failed to summit Mt. Everest, but those who do almost always need a guide. It is too difficult a trek to make without preparation and someone who knows the way.
That is not to say that you would die inside Edmond's Mt. Everest Cuisines, 1169 E. Second St. But to find the best Nepali and Indian food on the menu, it's best to talk to your server.
I was ready to gloss past MoMos ($6.95) when the owner helped guide me back, and thank goodness he did. These perfect steamed chicken and vegetable dumplings were the high point of a stellar meal.
Steamed MoMos at Mt. Everest Cuisines in Edmond, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016.
I love dumplings, but they're often very similar from restaurant to restaurant, so I tend to seek out different appetizers.
These were not the same old dumplings. Inside the beautifully crimped wrapper was a tender mix of minced chicken and vegetables that had a mild sweetness that was even better when dipped into the accompanying spicy sauce.
They come fried or covered in Nepali "chilly," but the simple steamed ones are too good to miss. Warning: Properly steaming the MoMos takes 15 minutes. Your patience will be rewarded.
The vegetable samosas (two for $2.95) are the size of your fist and hide a substantial kick of heat under their buttery, flaky fried crust. If they were not fresh out of the oil, I would have eaten them like apples.
Samosas at Mt. Everest Cuisines in Edmond, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016.
How are samosas not the most popular food in Oklahoma City? They're fried, they're full of potatoes and other starchy vegetables, they're great alone or dipped in sauces — get on this goodness, people!
To cool your scorched mouth, I suggest you try the aaloo papri chat ($4.95). It's a mix of crispy fried chunks of bread, chilled vegetables and Indian sauces, including a soothing yogurt that extinguishs any residual samosa flames.
Aloo papri chat at Mt. Everest Cuisines in Edmond, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016.
Fact: I am always drawn to the sampler on the menu. Mexican appetizer sampler? It's not like I don't know what nachos, flautas and quesadillas taste like, but there's a great joy in getting some of everything.
That makes the thali option at Mt. Everest so appealing. Thali translates to "plate" in Nepali and is a meal made up of various other foods. Unlike nachos, I had no idea what the lamb gravy in the lamb thali ($15.95) would taste like. It was amazing. My friends kept reaching over onto my plate and taking bites, acting like they were full and then eating more.
There was also a dal, which is a lentil stew, vegetable papad (kind of a creamy mix of different veggies) and some vinegary pickled bits called achar. It comes with a bunch of rice, which is fine, but the dessert is this amazing sweet cake ball sitting in a bowl of yogurt.
For Indian food lovers, I'm happy to report that Mt. Everest does have chicken tikka masala ($12.95). It's that creamy orange chicken dish that you can get at every Indian restaurant because it's delicious. It's the California roll of Indian food.
This version was OK, but not my favorite. There was a smoky, slightly charred flavor to the chicken, which is probably because it's actual grilled chicken, but it imparted a little bitterness to the dish. Your mileage might vary, though.
I was happier with the chicken madras ($12.95). Despite a reputation for being fiery, this version — with a smooth sweetness from coconut milk — had plenty of flavor without being painful to the lips and tongue.
Chicken madras with bread basket at Mt. Everest Cuisines in Edmond, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016.
You can ask for it spicier, of course. Mt. Everest is receptive to people asking for low or even no spice. But don't be like that. Go medium at least. You will learn to tame the fire or at least get some of that yogurt to do the job.
Like many Indian restaurants, Mt. Everest has a full spread of meatless options. My pick is the chana saag ($10.95), which is deeply satisfying with plenty of chickpeas. If you worry that vegetarian food will leave you hungry, this dish is for you.
Last, but certainly not least, is the naan: Indian flatbread cooked in the tandoor oven. There are several varieties, including butter ($1.95), garlic ($2.95) and aaloo ($2.95), which is stuffed with potato.
But let's be honest; you need all of these breads in your life, so your best bet is the bread basket ($7.95). It showed up at the table and we nearly cheered. The garlic naan was especially delightful, covered in greenery and quite flavorful without being too pungent.
Maybe you won't get the same rush and feeling of accomplishment as climbing Mt. Everest, but eating Nepali cuisine is a lot easier and a lot tastier, even if you find the journey through Edmond's traffic to be exhausting. It's a trek you should make soon.
Print headline: Peak flavor, Mt. Everest Cuisines brings Nepali dishes from on high.
Mt. Everest Cuisines
1169 E. Second St., Edmond
mteverestcuisines.com
What works: MoMos and Nepali thalis.
What needs work: The chicken tikka masala had some bitterness.
Tip: Ask your server for guidance if it's your first time.
Food Reviews aaloo papri chat chana saag edmond indian indian food mandras MoMos Mt. Everest Nepali samosas Sherpa thali
Chicken-Fried News: Edmond may have just elected its first black mayor, but some residents are apparently still pining for the days when it was a sundown town.
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When I say Kendall & Jordan made our jobs incredibly easy, I mean it. From the moment we started, we knew that this was going to be one of the easiest and most fun engagement sessions we've had. Kendall & Jordan have a natural chemistry that truly pops in every photo. They took direction perfectly, but most importantly, they knew how to naturally flow from pose to pose and interact with each other without feeling the pressure of the camera on them. So many times during the session, I found myself saying, "Oh my gosh, I loved what you did just now. Do that again!" Much of their natural interactions were due largely in part to the fact that these two have been together for 6 years! Their sweet love story and the story of his proposal is one of my favorites. Without a doubt, these two have true chemistry and it was a dream to capture on camera.
Kendall chose the Mariner's Museum as the location for her engagement photos after seeing some photos online and we were thrilled at her find! Neither Michael or I had visited previously, but we are always excited to shoot at new locations. Little did we know, the Mariner's Museum in Newport News was a total gem! They had beautiful greenery, stone architecture, a floating dock and even a stunning view of the sunset. What more can two photographers ask for?? We had such a great time hanging out, exploring the park and getting to know this sweet couple. When it came time for the sun to set, these two were even willing to literally RUN to chase the sunset. Can we just go on record right now to say that we have the best couples EVER?! We are itching with anticipation to shoot their beautiful wedding next June at the Woman's Club of Portsmouth. Without further adieu, take a look at our favorite shots from their stunning, Newport News engagement session.
Look at this photo and tell me this girl is not a model. Goodness! Kendall is so stunning!
We were so impressed by Kendall & Jordan's outfits for their session. We absolutely loved what they picked out and they fit perfectly with the location. The more formal outfit was perfect for the beginning of the session with the stone and greenery, but their casual outfits were perfect for the second portion of the session when the sun began it's descent and we started to get the golden tones.
This tree was on Kendall's list of places at the park she wanted to shoot at, and once we saw the tree in person, we completely agreed! It's so beautiful how the light came through and gave a beautiful, golden tone to the images.
So, Kendall & Jordan hope to move to California shortly after they get married and these images at sunset had us feeling like we were transported to California with them. These are some of our favorite location portraits we have ever taken! They have such a West Coast feel to them.
Want to see more beautiful engagement sessions?