text:
The Wind Chill Factor by Thomas Gifford
Ballantine, Copyright 1975
I am not I;
he is not he;
they are not they.
In the 70s, you couldn't pass a book rack without seeing a few novels about surviving Nazis or a group trying to bring the Reich back in power. These were the days before skinheads or swastika-tattooed headbangers; when we were reading fiction of intrigue about organized evil waiting to spring up and return the "glory" of the old Fatherland. The reading audience were adults that lived through WWII and their baby-boomer children; the theme was a hit and authors provided them with suspenseful plots involving attempts to return sleeper neo-Nazi organizations into power. There were plenty of good ones, but Thomas Gifford's debut novel may have been the best of the bunch.
Half of his head was gone, one whole side: no eye, no cheek, no ear, strings of frozen matter protruding stiffly from the stump of throat and the pellet-chewed shoulder... I picked up the shotgun I'd used. We began to walk back to the house.
John Cooper gets a urgent telegram from his brother to return to their hometown of Cooper Falls in Minnesota. Upon arrival, he finds his brother dead and mysterious acquaintances of the family are there to "assist" him. Secret family documents are found and then stolen, which coincide with townspeople being murdered, along with the destruction of public buildings. Eventually attempts are made on Cooper's life and he is determined to find out what his brother discovered and how it is related to his family's mysterious past. The family legacy takes John Cooper to Buenos Aires-Glasgow-London-Munich and back to his hometown, along the way unraveling hidden secrets that when finally exposed, brings mounting burden for him as he struggles to understand his family's cognitive integrity. This all leads to a rising Nazi terror organization called Die Spinne, and it's past involvement with Washington, London, and Cooper's family.
"Everything I believe in has been proven a lie, everything I had ever looked to as an anchor in my life. Nothing is what it seemed. There's just nothing left."
High suspense and intrigue is the game here, and wonderfully delivered by a master storyteller. The machinery is in play to bring a Fourth Reich into power, and this time they have learned from their mistakes. But there is a struggle between the old Nazi guard and the upcoming new younger order; causing people to be silenced and unexpected alliances to be made. We take a worldwide journey with John Cooper, an average American who uncovers the deeply hidden history of his family that no man would suspect-a nest full of rattling, hissing Nazis, which included his grandfather, father, and lost little sister. Cooper, even when surrounded by people, is really alone, and he's a frightened man as he discovers the truth-that no one is what they make out to be. And as readers, all we are left with is sympathy for him- no more- because now he has nothing. He is left empty.
A tight high driving plot, along with bittersweet empathy for John Cooper-an amazing novel. Since his death in 2000, Thomas Gifford has become a forgotten author. This is a shame, he has a fine bibliography of international crime thrillers and in my opinion wrote the best neo-Nazi rebirth novel with "The Wind Chill Factor."
Labels: 70s, Ballantine, espionage, novel
Will the Nazis ever cease being fodder for crime fiction? I hope not less we forget. It's just the writers that disappear.
Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin said...
That cover design wouldn't work today - and yet, as you say, at the time this book was published the people reading were often the folk who went through the real war. Guess that's why I like old paperbacks - they ain't been touched by the PC brigade.
Good point, This book really stuck me-especially the ending paragraph when John Cooper is "reflecting on a shadow in the window," -that being his lost sister or the lost innocence of his family that he once knew. Frederick Forsyth's "The Odessa File" and Ira Levin's "The Boys from Brazil" are very good, but Thomas Gifford's novel is exceptional....
Lee Goldberg said...
I loved that book, too. He wrote another one that I recall as being just as good...THE CAVANAUGH QUEST.
Lee: Right you are. I hope Thomas Gifford doesn't fade away as an author. His work should be remembered and read.
John Kelly said...
Thomas Gifford's "The Wind Chill Factor" and "The Cavanaugh Quest" were two of the best thrillers that I read in the seventies. Great plots and great characters. It's a shame he didn't get more recognition.
Thank you for your good, and useful review.
I would suggest:
Paul Manning († 1995) Martin Bormann - Nazi in Exile 1981
Please, read the review: The Unvarnished Truth, April 5, 2002 By John C. Sanders
This review is from: Martin Bormann: Nazi in Exile (Hardcover)
http://www.amazon.com/review/R2YZW0ACFBWWL2/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R2YZW0ACFBWWL2
Howard Blum (born 1948) Wanted!: The Search for Nazis in America 1976 Quadrangle/New York Times Book Co.
Eric Frattini (born 1963) El oro de Mefisto 2010. (not really a super book, in my opinion)
aindabru@gmail.be
Ross Dennis said...
A fabulous author...not forgotten by avid readers. I (quite literally) have read the cover off The Cavanaugh Quest and have now very happily started purchasing and reading his other books including the Wind Chill Factor which should arrive to me next week. Very clever plot writing and narrative style.
I knew Tom since I was a kid. My mother would take me over to his mother Mable's home and I would often play the violin for her and the her beloved Siamese cat Princess. He always treated me like I was #1, even as a kid. As I grew older and read his work, I never realized how brilliant he was. I just knew him as "Giff", that big guy that was super cool and always made me laugh!
The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins
Plunder by Benjamin Appel
"Murder By The Dozen" by Hugh Wiley
Criss-Cross by Don Tracy
Kiss Off The Dead by Garrity
A Stone Around Her Neck by Bob McKnight
The Long Riders by Dan Cushman
The Quiet Woman by Bruno Fischer


The Medavie Health Gallery inspires visitors of all ages with a holistic understanding of how their brains and bodies work and how they make decisions.
Interactive exhibits and local, cutting-edge technology show how we can thrive in the 21st century in a new brain-body partnership that responds to today's world.
Secrets of Your Insides: Visit a giant Health-bot, who will help you discover a best you!
You're in Control: Learn about the brain and how it helps build your health.
Personal Well-being: Discover how exercise, eat and sleep affect your personal well-being.


Line of Fire by Richard Aplin received a lukewarm response in most of the reviews when it was released, but it did feature an impressive real-time scaling routine to shrink the graphics.
Glade to see that you uploaded a new rip after more than a year. Seriously, I am. Congratulations and thanks for your the work.


I'm loving that there are people in the world who take up for where the rest of us slack. I love animals but goodness I would NEVER be able to handle having 22 foster puppies living in my house!!! Courtnee Palmer is doing just that and she really needs some help! All of these dogs have been rescued and need loving homes. They are ADORABLE and you can read more about them (and see precious pictures like the one below) here! Please try to help out in anyway you can!!!
I'm loving catching up on THREE WEEKS worth of laundry now that my washing machine is fixed! Turns out it wasn't really "broken" but that the seal liner was torn due to someone (coughZACHcough) leaving golf tees and pens in his pocket when I wash them. Good lesson to learn right?
and can't wait to take the time to figure it all out. I'm a faithful Picasa user but I know my pictures can be a LOT better with a little more work. It's just about finding the time to play with it and learn. Anyone know anything about Lightroom?
I'm loving the little baby countdown widget I found so every time I get on the blog I can see how Blitzen (YUP! We picked a nickname!) is growing and changing and I can see how many days I have until I get to meet him or her. LOVE IT!
I'm loving that I just placed a Stella and Dot order last night to freshen up my jewelry wardrobe! I have lots of new, gorgeous, pieces on the way and can't wait to host some trunk shows and hook people up with FREE jewelry!!! Don't forget Mother's Day is right around the corner and jewelry makes a wonderful gift…especially these Garden Party Chandelier Earrings! I have been wanting these FOREVER!!!
I'm loving that the royal wedding is this Friday….JUST KIDDING. I don't care one bit about it! I think Prince William was super cute years ago but he peaked in his early teens and has gone downhill since! I think Kate is very pretty but I honestly just don't get why their wedding is SUCH a huge deal. They don't even live in America people!
A picture from MY wedding weekend!
Who doesn't love getting to picture Robert Pattenson page after page???
I'm loving that I bought an extra copy of the book to share with one of YOU! I know the movie is already out and many of you probably already rushed to see it but those of you who enjoy reading a book before seeing the movie (like me!) are in luck!
Can't wait to read all about what everyone else is loving and see who will be reading Water For Elephants along with me!!! Good luck!


text:
Michael Lowy
Michael Löwy (born 1938, Brazil) is a French Brazilian Marxist sociologist and philosopher. He is emeritus research director in social sciences at the CNRS (French National Center of Scientific Research) and lectures at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS; Paris, France). Author of books on Karl Marx, Che Guevara, Liberation Theology, György Lukács, Walter Benjamin, Lucien Goldmann and Franz Kafka, he received the CNRS Silver Medal in 1994.
The Theory of Revolution in the Young Marx
This book proposes a Marxist analysis of young Marxs intellectual evolution, from left neo-hegelianism to his new philosophy of praxis. It distinguishes itself from most other books on the early Ma...
Satyendra PS
Henri Lefebvre
Henry Lefebvre (1901-1991) was a French Marxist philosopher and sociologist, best known for pioneering the critique of everyday life, for introducing the concepts of the right to the city and the p
Jayati Ghosh
Jayati Ghosh is Professor of Economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She has authored and co-edited several books and more than 120 scholarly articles. She is Executive Secretary of In
A. Mangai
A. Mangai is the pseudonym of Dr. V. Padma, who teaches English at Stella Maris College, Chennai. She has been actively engaged in theatre for close to three decades. She writes bilingually in Tami
Vishwajyoti Ghosh
Vishwajyoti Ghosh is the author of the graphic novel Delhi Calm, a political graphic novel set in the '70s and a visual book of postcards Times New Roman & Countrymen. Ghosh is also the creator
Ian Angus is editor of the online ecosocialist journal Climate and Capitalism, and co-author of the Belem Ecosocialist Declaration. His previous books include Two many People? Population, Immigrati
Romila Thapar
Romila Thapar (born 30 November 1931) is a distinguished Indian historian whose principal area of study is ancient India. She is the author of numerous substantial books including the popular class
Ninotchka Rosca
Ninotchka Rosca is a novelist and journalist. Her two novels – State of War (1988) and Twice Blessed (1992) – are considered classics of modern Philippine literature. She interviewed an
E.V. Ilyenkov
Evald Vassilievich Ilyenkov (1924-79) was a Marxist philosopher in the erstwhile Soviet Union.
Ramnika Gupta
Ramnika Gupta is founder and President of Ramnika Foundation, member of the CPI(M), a tribal rights champion, former trade union leader, politician, writer and editor. She is the coordinator of the
Arindam Das

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Combining leading technologies with end-market expertise, co-creation leads to incredible applications and fast time-to-market.
If your company is stuck in DIY-land of endless prototypes and proof of concepts, we should talk.
Every process has its nemesis. For risk-based thinkers that nemesis is known as The Blind Spot.
What do we need to successfully build a network of IoT 'things'?
B+B SmartWorx CTO Mike Fahrion explains why all forward-looking equipment manufacturers and service providers want some version of a connected product or connected service..
B+B SmartWorx CTO Mike Fahrion draws a connection between the graduation season and the needed mindset for those entering the world of the Industrial Internet of Things.
Mike Fahrion, B+B SmartWorx CTO, shares his thoughts on an IoT connected journey and explains why the biggest mistake companies are making is not getting started.


text:
In 2016 DMA Rankings, D.C. Moves Up One Spot, Tampa Up Two
NEXT:NPPA Wants California Governor to Veto Drone Bill
PREVIOUS:KLAS Names News Director
Top 10 | TV Biz | TV Trends
By Chris Ariens on Sep. 4, 2015 - 12:27 PM Comment
The U.S. has lost nearly 500,000 TV households in the last year, according to the Nielsen rankings of the top local TV markets.
The 2015-2016 study, out today, puts the total number of TV households at 113,314,430, a loss of -494,480 from last year. Compared to the 2013-2014 study, the loss is -2,496,400, down -2.2 percent.
In the Top 10 markets, only 5 grew their TV households: Dallas (5), San Francisco (6), Washington, D.C. (7), Atlanta (9), and Houston (10). New York (1), Los Angeles (2), Chicago (3), Philadelphia (4), and Boston (8) lost TV homes.
The only mover in the Top 10: Washington, D.C./Hagerstown, MD is now No. 7 ahead of Boston/Manchester which drops to No. 8. D.C. added +34,740 TV households while Boston lost -11,750.
The biggest mover in the Top 20 is Tampa/St. Pete jumping up two spots, from 13 to 11, pushing Phoenix to 12 and Detroit to 13. Cleveland swaps spots with Orlando, with the Ohio city now 18 and the Florida city now 19. Both markets added TV households. Charlotte moves from 24 to 22, which pushed Pittsburgh to 23 and Portland, OR to 24.
Here are the full listings from Nielsen
Dean, School of Communication and the ArtsGraystone GroupPoughkeepsie, New York


Since the days of the original Xbox, there has been one racer that has seemed to be the go to racer on Microsoft's console platform, and that game is Forza Motorsport. It's is a closed-circuit racing franchise that aims to provide a somewhat sim-like experience for fans to enjoy. I can remember playing the first game in the series and thinking that it was a step forward in the racing genre as it leaned towards a more realistic approach then arcade like. It's been 12 years since the first game was released, and the Xbox One now sees the latest incarnation, Forza Motorsport 7. To think that the franchise is now on its 7th version in 12 years is somewhat impressive, as the game keeps evolving with each iteration, and the latest one is no different. The game is accessible to a wide range of gamers, there are 32 racing environments to challenge racers, more than 700 cars, lots and lots of track options, and of course there are the graphics and sound.
When you first start playing the single player experience (career), you are thrust into a few real-life driver's shoes and tasked with driving their vehicles. For example, in the first race you take on the role of Michael Muller, and you race in Dubai, the new fictional track created by Turn 10. There are a total of three introductory races with three different drivers, and they are basically a tutorial for those few who may not have played a Forza Motorsport game before. Once you complete them, it's off to the full single player game. You can choose from a male and female driver this time around, and you can put them in different driving gear (suits and helmets) when you start. As you progress you'll earn more gear which can make them look more unique.
Forza Motorsport 7's career mode is called the Forza Driver's Cup. There are a total of six different cups to win in your quest to be crowned the Forza Driver's Cup champion. As would be expected, the higher the cup, the faster the cars become, the bigger the tracks are, and the more laps you are expected to complete. You can fine tune your racing experience, from the AI difficulty (Drivatar based again), car assists, and more. You even have the ability to turn off the 'aggressiveness' of your opponents. This will disable the other cars from doing literally anything (e.g. side swiping you or blocking your lane) to stop you from being number one. I raced with this on and off, to see the difference, and to tell you the truth, at this point, prior to the game hitting its retail launch date (the day of writing this review) I didn't notice too much, if any, difference. You'll find that the AI opponents can be tough, especially at the start of a race, and finding your way through the pack can be 'bumpy', as you'll rarely, if at all, get out of the pack without a scratch, as there is more bumping and grinding of bumpers and side panels then you'd hope for.
You don't have to worry about finishing every event in each cup to win the virtual hardware as you only have to focus on accumulating a set amount of points to win the cup and go to the next one. This is a great feature as it allows the game to feel less like a grind (race wise) as you try to make to the final Forza Driver's Cup podium. Each event in each cup varies from specific cars, challenges to showcase events. The latter can range from silly, like bowling with your vehicle (make your way around a track hitting large pins for points), to more realistic, such as reliving what the game calls "Moments in Racing" where you relive and recreate specific moments in real racing. I found that even though I was racing in closed circuits for the whole game, that it didn't always feel like a chore to get it done, as I was able to pick and choose which events I wanted to race as I attempted to get the set number of points to complete each cup.
If you are wondering how much time you'll spend becoming the Forza Driver's Cup champion, it really depends on what you are going to do. If you are just straight out racing, and not tuning your cars, shopping the online auctions (which are yet to go live), or creating your car liveries, I think I can give you a reference point. After winning the third cup (called the Evolution Cup) out of the six available, my actual race time, that is the actual time on the track, was just over 6 hours of driving. Now remember, as you progress the events get longer, so expect even more time to acquire the last three cups.
As you race in the career mode (and Free Play) you'll earn in-game credits (CR) as well as XP. The credits allow you to buy vehicles. XP is used differently this time around. As per usual, it is used to 'level up', but this level is not reflected in your rewards. New to Forza Motorsport 7 are Milestone Awards, and these are awarded each time you reach 25,000 XP. The rewards are not based on how high, or how many times you have reached the 25,000 XP mark, but it is based on your Tier Level. This is where your in-game credit management will be very useful, and important, in getting to the higher Tier Levels. Let me explain.
Your Tier Level is based on your car collection. You start off in Tier 1, and have access to an initial group of cars where you can buy (collect) specific ones that interest you and add them to your garage at any time. There are five tiers of cars, but more Tier Levels for you to level up. In terms of the five tiers that the cars are in, they are common – uncommon – rare – super rare – legendary. Within these tiers each car has a 'collector score' attached to it, and the higher the tier the higher the price and the higher the collector score. As you accumulate cars, your total collector score adds up and this dictates which Tier Level you will be at. With that in mind, as you climb the Tier Level and reach milestone rewards, your Tier will allow a certain level of rewards. You can choose one of of the three rewards offered, which includes in-game credits, cars and gear. Some of the cars will be free, but some will result in you having to spend in-game credits, but these are usually higher tiered cars with a high collector score at a very heavily discounted price. The game really does force you to pick and choose what milestone reward you deem the best in terms of what is most advantageous to you at the time.
It should be noted that some cars in the Car Collection cannot be bought, as they can only be acquired through such things as Prize Crates, Specialty Dealer, Forzathon, competing in various events in the single player races/mode, and by completing Showcase Events. The "Speciality Dealer" offers up nice cars but they are very few and can range from affordable to very expensive.
If you want to just race a track, away from the confines of the career mode, or try to become proficient at a track that is giving you trouble, you can hit up the Free Play mode. Here you will be able to choose which track environment you want to race, and which course set up you wish to run on. You can also choose which class of cars you'll race against, how many opponents, and of course the time of day and the weather. You can earn XP and credits here too, so if you feel the need to just race and not worry about it affecting your career standings, and get some much-needed practice in, it's here that you'll be spending some time.
As this game is aimed at any level of racer, the options offered are amazing. From making a race super easy for total novices to making it very sim-oriented and hard to control with little room for error for advanced players, all gamers will find a lot to adjust. Turn 10 has always boasted they want to make the Forza Motorsport franchise a game for everyone, and I believe they have really done that. From auto-braking, full race lines, to turning off the AI aggression or turning on a feature called Friction Control, that when you race on a wet track or go off the track into the grass it does not affect the speed or control you have. Anyone can find a series of settings to make this a racing game for them, and that includes the true gearhead. There are not only game assists to turn off, but as one would want in a sim-based game, you can also tune your car to your hearts content, making the vehicle drive the way you want (e.g. gear ratios, tire camber, brake settings, tire size, right height, etc.).
Turn 10 have made some changes to the wet weather and corresponding wet tracks that are a result. In Forza Motorsport 6, huge puddles would form, which of course would cause you to hydroplane or lose some control should you try to go through them. It affected how you raced in the virtual wet weather. In Forza Motorsport 7, wet weather once again plays an important role in car control; however, the big puddles are not nearly as prevalent this time around. It doesn't mean puddles don't exist, they are just not as 'big' looking but yet they do indeed affect how your car controls should you go through them. Overall, it's a nice subtle change.
I am always amazed by how racing game dev-teams can make cars control so differently, and Forza Motorsport 7 is no different. Each class and make of car handles so differently from each other that you'll need to adjust on the fly. From a Mazdaspeed 3 hatchback, a Formula Mazda open cockpit racer or Audi R15 Le Mans car to a 1969 Camero with a blower, Dodge Challenger Demon, Subaru 22B or Ram Runner pick-up, they all handle differently and require a driving finesse that are each their own. Don't expect to just get in any car and drive to victory, well, at least on the Above Average or Highly Skilled settings and above, as you'll have to really learn the ins and outs of the vehicle you are driving at the time. Turn 10 has once again done a great job in car control and how each one feels like it is a vehicle of its own.
Last year Forza Motorsport 6 offered up the gameplay feature of mods (via mod cards), and this year that is taken much further in such that Prize Crates are the way you acquire them, along with other items, such as cars, driver gear, and emblems. For the uninitiated, mods are cards that you can use during races, giving you extra credits or XP based on the card you use (e.g. race in cockpit mode only, race in rain, race at night, finish 200m in front of other cars, etc.) The Prize Crates are bought with the in-game credits you earn. Now, they are not necessary to win, but they can very much help you earn extra XP and credits through the mods that you can get, as well as a rare car now and then. Of course the extra XP helps get rewards, and the extra credits help buy cars.
There are different types of crates, each representing different things, such as mods only to those with a chance for mods, cars, drivers gear and emblems all in one. What you get is random though. There are also different levels of crates, such as ones that allow you a much better chance for the very rare stuff, but they cost more. You have to be smart at buying the creates, or you'll find yourself racing tracks just to earn credits to buy more creates and/or cars. At the time of writing this review, there have been rumblings of Turn 10 monetizing Forza Motorsport 7, via these creates, but there has been nothing officially announced in terms of what, when and how this will be.
Of course, what would a racing game be without any multiplayer goodness? Forza Motorsport 7 has you covered. There is a split screen mode for you to sit on the same couch with a friend and enjoy some high-speed racing action. For those looking for a 'bigger' multiplayer experience, you can head online and race up to 23 other racers. The 23 other racers can be all online players, or they can be a mix of online racers and Drivatars. As in the past, you can make our own lobby and control all the game options from track or type of car to the number of cars you race against and more. I had a chance to head online and play on release day (the day of writing this review) and for the most part it was hassle free and lag free; however, what hasn't changed is how when racing with complete strangers in public lobbies the race can turn into one hell of a crashfest in the first few turns, as everyone won't give up a line, or will do whatever it takes to get a head of you at the start. That is why I prefer to race in private rooms with my online friends.
As with past Forza games, liveries, tuning and photos are back. You can once again share your car designs, your tuning set-ups as well as photos and replays. You can also search for something that you might be interested in. As an added bonus, if you've created any liveries, or have specific car set-ups (tuning), from some previous Forza games you can transfer these into Forza Motorsport 7. As a bonus, if you are a diehard Forza fan, you might just get a few 'rewards' when you first fire Forza Motorsport 7 up too, depending on how much you've played any of the previous games in the Forza franchise, both Motorsport or Horizon.
Leagues are back in Forza Motorsport 7, but as of writing this they were noted as "coming soon" on the menu screen. Here you can race in a scheduled race series where players are organized by skill level. The events can be weekly (they were in FM6) and start off with an introductory league followed by a class challenge and then specific car challenge. It's a true test of one's skill as you go against other real people for bragging rights. Forzathon will also be implemented in Forza Motorsport 7. For those who don't know what this is, it is a small period of time, usually a few days, where if you complete certain challenges you are rewarded for doing so. Exactly what will be rewarded is yet to be announced.
Visually, Forza Motorsport 7 is a great looking game. I was impressed by its predecessor, but this follow up is even better. We all know that this game is set to be a demo of what the Xbox One X can do, but even on the Xbox One S it's a looker. You'll notice how the textures are very detailed (e.g. new Dubai track has some incredible rock textures throughout) and that the lighting/shadows in the game are very much improved. This is very evident when racing on tracks where the sky is partly cloudy and partly sunny, as one section of the track is bright whereas the other has a darker look due to the cloud cover. The cloud system in Forza Motorsport 7 is the same one used in Forza Horizon 3, so it's dynamic and can change from sunny to overcast to raining (with thunder and lightning). And speaking of the rain, when you race on any wet track for the first time and watch as you get water splashed onto your car from the car in front of you, you'll realize the detail of the visuals.
I noted that the color pallet is somewhat different then I remember on many of the tracks, and I don't mean in a bad way. If anything, some of the old favorites that you might be used to racing (e.g. Silverstone, Nürburgring, and Laguna Raceway to name a few) seem to have an even more realistic look to them, and not video game like. Along with this, the textures of the various track surfaces you will be racing on are varied and very noticeable. Finally, you can see how your windshield wipers start to 'rattle' at high speed, the individual suspension moving up in down when racing in an open cockpit car, the heat waves rising from the very hot track, and if you look around at the inside of your car (e.g. sides) anything that is loose will also be rattling or shaking (e.g. strap door handles). All of this moves in 1080p@60fps without so much as a hiccup. Racing with 24 other cars that look details, and move smoothly along the track, is impressive.
Adding to the great visuals is the great sound. Each car continues to sound distinctly different, from a Mazdaspeed 3, the Nissan GT-R Forza Edition to any of the 1960's muscle cars or the newly introduced Mercedes Racing Truck (Rig). Environmental effects continue to make the game sound even better too, be it the sound of the car if you are inside the cockpit or using an outside view, to the 'whoosh' of the wind as you speed by the pillars on one bridge found on the Prague track or when you enter a tunnel when in the Alps, Dubai, or Rio, and the whine or roar of your car starts to echo somewhat. You can't forget the sounds of your car going over the rumble strips of any track too, and each time you do it in a different car, it manages to sound different depending on what you are driving. There is music in the game, but I chose not to listen to it as I wanted to hear the roar of my cars. There will be support in the future for any music you have on One Drive, so you'll eventually be able to drive to your own tunes.
Having put many hours playing Forza Motorsports 7 since we got our review copy, I am amazed that I found so much to enjoy given it's the seventh iteration of the game. This version of the franchise continues to evolve the sim/circuit experience that it aims to conquer, and it is accessible to all levels of racing fans and general gamers alike. The visuals and sound make for a presentation that is next to none on the Xbox One, and the gameplay feature set is one that will keep you playing for months to come. The Prize Crates have me a bit concerned about the possibility of monetization, but there is nothing written in stone yet. Right now I have to give a big ol' congratulations to Turn 10, as they have once again set the bar high for the Forza Motorsport franchise, and I will be honest here, I can't wait to see what the retail version looks like on the Xbox One X come November 7th.


"Our goal is to nurture service, philanthropy, academic excellence, and leadership in future physicians"
Pre -med ? We've got your back.
Molding Doctors is a organization at UT Dallas geared towards helping students explore opportunities available to them throughout their pre-medical experience.
Starting from 2007, we have provided students with a multitude of medically-related service and social events, and have been growing in membership and opportunities every semester.


text:
Newly-appointed Perlis exco told to focus on development, forget differences
ARAU: The Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail has asked the state executive council members and elected representatives who won the 15th General Election to focus on development in the state and forget their political differences.
The Perlis Ruler urged all parties to focus their time and energy on economic development to face global economic uncertainty.
"We need to focus on the economy to quickly recover like other states during the global economic collapse," he said at the appointment and swearing-in ceremony for the members of the state executive council at Istana Arau on Friday (Nov 25).
Also present was Raja Muda of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail.
Earlier, six State Legislative Assembly members consisting of four PAS assemblymen and two Bersatu assemblymen were sworn in before Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin.
He also advised those appointed today to protect the good name of the state.
"The people will always be watching, so set a good example all the time and avoid doing things that the people despise such as corruption," he said.
The Ruler also asked the new government to continue the development projects carried out by the previous government for the welfare of the Perlis people. – Bernama
← Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Power Environmental Solutions Develops New Ionic Wind Type Electrode ESP
Two suspects arrested for drug offences at JB nightclub →


text:
LAUNCH Beyond Waste
Nitin Gupta: Attero Recycling
Nitin Gupta at the Beyond Waste Forum
Challenge: LAUNCH Beyond Waste
Attero Recycling
India's first low cost, efficient metal extraction technology for e-waste. With an integrated recycling and refurbishing facility and proprietary metallurgical processes (patent pending), Attero is the only end-to-end e-waste recycling company in India.
E-waste is the darker side of today's digital age, containing 1000 different substances, many of which are toxic. In terms of volume, e-waste comprises more than 80% of solid waste, and most of this ends up in landfills with severe environmental consequences. In the illegal e-waste trade, women and children process e-waste without protective gear. This is a global concern: while the developed world consumes the largest share of the 1 billion PCs sold worldwide, the less developed countries tend to pay the price. In a time of growing oil prices and climate change concerns, a complete e-waste solution is necessary.
Attero is the only end-to-end e-waste recycling company in India. It has developed a unique metal extraction technology for e-waste which extracts pure precious and semi-precious metals as a substitute for metals from virgin mines. With an integrated recycling approach, refurbishing facility and proprietary metallurgical processes, Attero works across the complete value chain, right from collecting e-waste through an extensive reverse logistic chain, reconditioning life of products for further reuse, and recycling the end-of-life products to extract pure metals.
"We at Attero, look at e-waste not just as waste, but as an important resource that can be made useful instead of shunning it as a social and environmental burden." – Nitin Gupta, Cofounder and CEO of Attero
Attero's vision is to ensure that all e-waste is recycled in the most environmentally friendly manner at the lowest cost possible. In India, Attero is a major source of pure metals, both precious and non-precious, which can be used to manufacture new products. It is expanding an extensive network of collection systems across India to reach the 1 billion plus person population with a door-to-door collection service.
"Our technology is disruptive because going forward we believe that most of the demand for metals would be met by recycling and extracting pure metals from e Waste. As per our estimates if we keep increasing the processing of e-waste, Attero would be a leading producer of some types of metals in India." – Rohan Gupta, Cofounder and COO of Attero


text:
/**
 *
 */
package gov.va.med.imaging.storage.cache.exceptions;

/**
 * @author VHAISWBECKEC
 * Thrown when a method is called on a Region that requires that the Region
 * be initialized.  The implementations of Region may throw this on most any
 * method.
 */
public class RegionNotInitializedException
extends CacheStateException
{
	private static final long serialVersionUID = -6223321558753527355L;

	/**
	 *
	 */
	public RegionNotInitializedException()
	{
	}

	/**
	 * @param message
	 * @param cause
	 */
	public RegionNotInitializedException(String message, Throwable cause)
	{
		super(message, cause);
	}

	/**
	 * @param message
	 */
	public RegionNotInitializedException(String message)
	{
		super(message);
	}

	/**
	 * @param cause
	 */
	public RegionNotInitializedException(Throwable cause)
	{
		super(cause);
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Armido Rizzetto (23 de março de 1893, data de morte desconhecida) foi um ciclista italiano. Ele foi um dos atletas representantes da Itália nos Jogos Olímpicos de 1920 em Antuérpia, onde competiu na prova de velocidade.

Naturais de Este (Pádua)
Ciclistas olímpicos da Itália
Ciclistas nos Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 1920
Ciclistas de pista

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Public deserves assurance of board of trustees' commitment to ethics reforms.
Copyright 2013: Houston Chronicle Jan. 24, 2013 Updated: Jan. 27, 2013 1:27 a.m.
We were enthusiastic and early backers of the Houston Community College System's $425 million bond issue, eventually approved by HCC voters in last November's elections.
Our comfort level with HCC's bond request in a stagnant national economy, and with taxation pressures rising locally, was greatly boosted by the HCC Board of Trustees' institution of ethics reforms guaranteeing appropriate arm's length in the handling of contracts.
As many longtime Houston residents are well aware, HCC has too frequently been plagued by problems involving the approval of contracts to board members' supporters and relatives.
Our endorsement of the bond issue was conditioned on the assurance that such problems would not arise as this bond package was being parceled out for needed expansion of facilities. We endorsed the $425 million in large part because we were persuaded that HCC had cleaned up its ethical act.
Under the guidance of then-chairman Richard Schechter, the HCC board two years ago committed to "doing things the right way," as HCC Board Chairman Bruce Austin wrote in a recent Outlook piece.
1) The decision to return former board member Herlinda Garcia as an interim replacement for outgoing chair Mary Ann Perez, who resigned following her election to the Texas House of Representatives. Out of a presumably large universe of possible replacements, why the choice of Garcia? She returns with baggage from her former service, including well-remembered inflammatory remarks that essentially sabotaged efforts to bring suburban districts into the system. Why her and why now?
2) Why the sudden resignation of Schechter? It was under the Houston attorney's strong and progressive leadership as board chair that much-needed reforms were initially negotiated and put in place. Why is Schechter leaving so quickly after re-election? Does his leaving signify a shift in power on the board that might lead some members to believe they can move away from commitments to transparency and arm's length, especially in the area of assigning contracts?
We hope not. But already, we are hearing word of board members with agendas focused on jobs and contracts for favored groups.
We don't like what we're hearing. There must be no going back to the practices of the "bad old days," particularly with so many dollars on the table as the result of trusting voters' approval of the bond issue.
3) The decision of Chancellor Mary Spangler to take medical leave creates a gap in HCC leadership at the highest level. The Board of Trustees has selected its general counsel, Renee Byas, to serve as interim chancellor, a move viewed by many observers as a safe choice.
But given the circumstance immediately facing the system - the proper assignment of large contracts to the most qualified bidders - we can't help but wonder if Deputy Chancellor Art Tyler might have been the preferred choice. Tyler is in charge of overseeing the contracting process and his background as a military investigator gives him the skill set best suited to ensure that ethics rules are followed to the letter.
There was a time when HCC was considered relatively small potatoes politically; a backwater where cronyism could flourish under the radar. That time is long past. HCC matters. We encourage the Houston region's business leadership, led by the Greater Houston Partnership, to join us in keeping careful watch over the workings of the system's elected governance body at this critical juncture - for the benefit of the system and the dynamic economic region it serves.


text:
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: MADDI LELLI + MICHIGAN MEDICINE
During the Fall 2018 semester, Maddi Lelli (BFA '19) partnered with members of the Perioperative Care Unit at Michigan Medicine for an independent study to address wayfinding within the U-M Hospital.
Working with Rama Mwenesi, Perioperative Services Quality Assurance/Quality Innovations Manager and Jill Maloy, Operations Manager for Operating Rooms and Post Anesthesia Care Units, Lelli re-designed five hospital building maps in need of a re-fresh. She also created a proposal for a new map to detail the Michigan Medicine courtyard. Her design proposal includes a colorblind-friendly color scheme, inclusive and intuitive iconography, and an overall increase in legibility across both the icons and the text.
"I presented these designs and my research to a board of hospital administrators and staff, and I am currently still in touch with the PeriOp Unit administrators who are working diligently to implement some of my designs in the new year," said Lelli.
For Lelli, the journey with Michigan Medicine began in Professor Kelly Murdoch-Kitt's Interaction Design studio course (ARTDES 345), where the class worked with the Perioperative Care Unit on a range of bespoke design projects including patient family handouts, an online patient portal proposal, and new iconography for the hospital maps.
Top, L-R: Ashley Vines, Keirston Picard, Steve Martin, Maddi Lelli, Sicillia Ellison.
Bottom, L-R: Theresa Folmar, Jill Maloy, Kelly Murdoch-Kitt, Rama Mwenesi.
Photo credit: Michigan Medicine Perioperative Services Department
"Kelly has so much design knowledge and always knows how to point me in the right direction with regards to my research. Her straight-forward critiques are something I really appreciated," said Lelli.
While the course drew to a close at the end of the Winter 2018 term, Lelli didn't feel as if her work was done. "I kept thinking...what if we could indirectly improve the health of patients by decreasing stress, freeing up hospital staff, and changing the patient's outlook on the hospital as a whole? These things are all possible through better design," Lelli said.
Detail of Michigan Medicine map. View/download the full map (PDF).
Understanding the criticality of research in demonstrating the effects of design on physical health, Lelli's proposal was influenced by Don Norman's thoughts on the Aesthetic-Usability Effect (found in his 2004 book, Emotional Design: Why We Love (Or Hate) Everyday Things); Roger Ulrich's "View Through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery" study; and Doug Dietz's MRI scanner re-designs for General Electric.
"Being able to measure the effectiveness of my proposed changes was another really important aspect of the project," said Lelli. "I had to propose some ways of getting feedback from patients and their families." Through interviews with hospital administrators, staff, nurses, patients, and families, Lelli was able to gather the necessary data to support efficacy. She also met with the designer of the old maps to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the re-design.
For other students embarking on design projects with outside partners or clients, Lelli offers this advice for healthy collaborations: "In the digital age it can be temptingly easy to do everything over email, but I found the in-person conversations that I had with Rama and Jill produced some of the best feedback and learning experiences."
To learn more about Maddi Lelli's project, visit her portfolio.
Posted April 15, 2019 in Undergraduate, Student Voices
Learn more about Kelly Murdoch-Kitt


text:
Q: Converting a Crystal Report Formula to a CASE expression With attempting to convert a crystal report formula into a SQL CASE expression, I seem to be having trouble understanding the concept of "total_pallet_weight" and "order_no" utilizing the "AND" in the formula with "cubic feet" and "order_no". I thought with my attempt below I would start out with a CASE just for "total_pallet_weight" then have a sub CASE for cubic feet to represent the "AND" in the formula. But I'm not to familiar with how the syntax "({a_ras_shipping_order_PCF_vw.total_pallet_weight},
{a_ras_truck_shipment_vw.order_no}) > 0" works. Is the forumla saying "total pallet weight + order_no > 0"?
Crystal Report Formula:
IF Sum ({a_ras_shipping_order_PCF_vw.total_pallet_weight},
{a_ras_truck_shipment_vw.order_no}) > 0
AND Sum ({a_ras_shipping_order_PCF_vw.cubic_feet},
{a_ras_truck_shipment_vw.order_no}) > 0
THEN
Sum ({a_ras_shipping_order_PCF_vw.total_pallet_weight},
{a_ras_truck_shipment_vw.order_no})
/Sum ({a_ras_shipping_order_PCF_vw.cubic_feet},
{a_ras_truck_shipment_vw.order_no})
ELSE 0

Attempt at replacing formula:
CASE WHEN (SUM(TCT.[weight]) + SUM(TPM.[weight])) > 0
     THEN
        ,CASE WHEN (SUM(CONVERT(DECIMAL(10,4), (TRCB.skid_height_inches *
         TPM.dim_ext_x * TPM.dim_ext_y) / 1728))) > 0
             THEN (SUM(TCT.[weight]) + SUM(TPM.[weight])) +
             (SUM(CONVERT(DECIMAL(10,4), (TRCB.skid_height_inches *
             TPM.dim_ext_x * TPM.dim_ext_y) / 1728)))
             ELSE 0
        END
     ELSE 0
  END AS 'Total_PCF'

Syntax for "total pallet weight"
SUM (TCT.[weight]) + SUM(TPM.[weight]) AS 'Total_Pallet_Weight'

Syntax for "cubic feet"
CASE WHEN TRCB.skid_height_inches > 0 AND TPM.dim_ext_x > 0 AND
TPM.dim_ext_y > 0
THEN CONVERT(DECIMAL(10,4), (TRCB.skid_height_inches * TPM.dim_ext_x *
TPM.dim_ext_y) / 1728)
ELSE 0 END AS 'cubic_feet',

A: It looks as though "order_no" is not used a reference for the CASE expression unlike the formula. With making some minor tweaks and replacing my "+" in my sub CASE with "/" I received the correct outcome.
CASE WHEN (SUM(TCT.[weight]) + SUM(TPM.[weight])) > 0
     THEN
        CASE WHEN (SUM(CONVERT(DECIMAL(10,4), (TRCB.skid_height_inches *
             TPM.dim_ext_x * TPM.dim_ext_y) / 1728))) > 0
             THEN (SUM(TCT.[weight]) + SUM(TPM.[weight])) /
             (SUM(CONVERT(DECIMAL(10,4), (TRCB.skid_height_inches *
             TPM.dim_ext_x *
             TPM.dim_ext_y) / 1728)))
             ELSE 0
        END
     ELSE 0
  END AS 'TOTAL_PCF'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Camping is the ideal wholesome activity that can be shared with family and friends. Many shy away from it, but it really isn't. It does not need to be if you have the best information. Continue reading to get some great camping guidance that can transform you an seasoned camper quickly.
While it may be that there's enough wood around to keep a fire going for a long time, you may encounter only wet wood that won't burn. It's always recommended that you bring extra wood of your own and keep it where it won't get wet.
Duct tape is a valuable item to carry when you are camping. It works quickly in a pinch for tent holes, tent holes, shoes with worn soles, sealing mosquito nets, sealing up your mosquito netting and many, and so much more.
If you are new to camping, you should initially stay near home. You may run into problems that will require you to shorten your trip, or you may find you don't like camping. You might find that you haven't packed enough clothes or food. Many issues can occur for new campers, so camp close to home the first time.
Always pack enough food and the proper foods. Food poisoning will put a damper on your trip in no time. Prepare your food in the proper way and research any precautions you need to take.
If you bring a dog camping with you, make sure they are on a leash and that you watch them carefully. Many folks are fearful of dogs. You must always respect your fellow campers in the area. Also, dogs can cause damage if you let them run free, dogs can get into trouble and cause damage to the site if not supervised.
The whole point behind camping is to be one with nature, but you should make sure to be well prepared. While a sleeping bag is a necessity, it's also recommended to have extra blankets. This makes sure that any warmth that is not handled by the sleeping bag can help you stay warm if it cools down at night or you may use them for extra blankets.
When you get to the campsite, pitch your tent on the softest, softest ground you can find. Choosing a slanted or rocky area to camp at can make you uncomfortable when in your tent. Always put down a tarp first to prevent any water from getting into your tent.
Pack extra flashlights and plenty of batteries when you are packing for your camping trip. You may need to be able to see clearly once the sun sinks in front of you after sunset at some points during your trip. Having enough light sources can prevent nasty falls or surprise encounters with wildlife. If you're taking kids along with you, be sure they each have their own flashlight.
Plan what you're going to wear before setting off on a camping attire in advance of your trip. Make sure you have clean clothes for the duration of your trip. Pack clothing items appropriate for your campsite's climate and weather. Sturdy shoes or boots are considered essential gear for any camping trip.
Always pack a first-aid kit and a survival kit. These essential items can be the difference between a ruined or shortened trip and being able to handle an unforeseen complication. Being prepared also keeps minor emergencies from worsening and can buy you time when helping a sick or injured person to safety.
Camping can make for a great experience or it can be a hellish trip. The difference between these two comes down to how prepared you are. If you prepare for different scenarios, then you will be more likely to enjoy your trip.
Seal all your tent. You can buy a tube at most sporting goods stores if your tent didn't include any. This will prevent rain or little critters from getting into your tent.
Now that you've come to the end of this article, you realize how easy camping can be. Even a novice can learn to love it. All you need to do is put the tips above to use when planning your next trip. Before you know it, you'll be enjoying the great outdoors and making memories of a lifetime.


text:
Local Newsrooms Facing Major Coronavirus Paradox Right Now
By: Danya Henninger
From critical updates to stories of solidarity, local reporting is being more widely read than ever. Yet funding for that work has been mowed down by the ensuing economic fallout. Forced penny-pinching by companies large and small means advertising has all but dried up. And event sponsorships? Yeah, not happening anytime soon.
As budgets sink into a quicksand of pandemic red, news organizations across the U.S. have been laying off staff, or even shutting down entirely. So the financial lifeline Facebook just threw the industry is extra welcome. Even better: it's not meant to be a bailout. It's a bet on local readers — aka, you.
As part of an emergency grant funding program, administered nationwide by the Philly-based nonprofit Lenfest Institute, the social media giant last week awarded $16 million to more than 200 North American media companies.
Of that, nearly $465,000 went to seven outlets right here in Philadelphia. The local grantees include:
The Philadelphia Inquirer ($150k)
AL DÍA News ($99k)
The Philadelphia Tribune ($75k)
Billy Penn at WHYY ($50k)
WURD Radio ($40k)
Indonesian Lantern Media ($25k)
Philadelphia Public School Notebook ($25k)
Using collaboration to reach new communities
The city's overall strong showing, with seven orgs deemed worthy of receiving grants, is a testament to the strength of the region's media landscape, said Lenfest CEO Jim Friedlich. "One of the grant reviewers joked that it was more competitive than getting into Harvard. Statistically, I believe this to be true," Friedlich said. "It speaks to Philadelphia's evolution as a news ecosystem, arguably the most effective and collaborative one in the country."
All but one of local grantees are members of Broke in Philly, the reporting collaborative on economic mobility run by Resolve Philly. "The Notebook is one of the many newsrooms that belong to the reporting collaborative organized by Resolve, and we develop projects together," said Notebook Executive Director Lauren Wiley. "This type of teamwork leads to excellent journalism and stronger newsrooms. This grant, and other community support we have received recently, will fund our reporting."
The cash infusion is useful not just to strengthen current work, publishers say, but to get information to new audiences. "Billy Penn's and WHYY's record-breaking traffic shows the public wants and needs vital information more than ever," said Sandra Clark, WHYY vice president for news and civic dialogue. "This support allows us to better reach those in underserved communities not necessarily represented in those numbers."
Beyond a sorely needed band-aid, the Facebook grants are designed to help Philly news outlets become self-sustaining into the future. With the cushion they provide, the thinking goes, organizations can worry less about running out of cash as the viral economic crisis deepens. Instead, they can concentrate on building out models that tap into direct audience support.
Even Philly Mag's starting a paywall
Asking readers and listeners to pay for news isn't new. People have been donating to public media for decades, and subscribing to their local paper for even longer. The rush to put everything on the internet for free caught that paradigm in a headlock, but it's been slowly clawing back. Viz the New York Times' record digital subscription success, or the Guardian's eye-popping membership numbers.
Can local publications make it work? This funding helps advance plans to try.
"As a participant in Facebook's Local News Accelerator," said Lisa Hughes, publisher and CEO of the Inquirer, "we will use the money to support and speed up our transition to a digital-first news organization, including helping to grow our digital subscriptions."
The Inquirer recently gave itself five years to transition away from ads and rebuild its bottom line atop a base of reader support. Others are following suit.
A paywall is now up at the Philadelphia Tribune, the nation's longest-running Black newspaper, which also participated in the Facebook Accelerator program (as did Billy Penn). As of September 2019, you need to hand over a few bucks to read more than 10 online articles.
Even Philadelphia magazine is exploring the paywall route.
While implementation may be accelerated by COVID, which is bringing Philly Mag its first-ever outside CEO, second-generation owner David Lipson told Billy Penn it's been in the works for about a year.
Membership is intrinsic to journalism
Another way to tap into reader support is by asking them to become members. That's how WURD Radio plans to deploy the Facebook money.
"We will use these funds to help us to continue to build our membership program," said WURD President and CEO Sara Lomax-Reese, "so we can better serve our listeners while finding new ways to create pathways to greater business sustainability."
As regular readers know, Billy Penn is also working to strengthen our membership program, which we view a way to connect with our audience — one of journalism's central roles.
Efforts spurred by BP's grant will include growing our 18,000-person daily email, launching a members-only newsletter, and maintaining the bump in donations that generous readers have provided in response to coronavirus coverage.
For all the lamentation over online advertising, of which a reported 65% or more goes to Facebook and Google, lots of publishers agree it's not what the news industry should focus on right now.
Friedlich, of the Lenfest Institute, said these relief grants fall in line with the kind of thing one Philadelphia visionary had in mind. "Several years ago, I spoke with the late Gerry Lenfest about what was then the predominant news industry view that Facebook and Google were the enemy," Friedlich recalled.
He well remembers the philanthropist's response. "You want my advice?" Lenfest told Friedlich about the looming digital behemoths. "Go and make friends with them."
* Danya Henninger is editor at Billy Penn, a Philadelphia local news site. She's been writing for Billy Penn since it launched in Oct. 2014. In January 2018, she was named acting editor, and assumed full responsibility for the newsroom in March of that year.
Past journalism gigs include being a restaurant critic for the Courier-Post of Cherry Hilland NJ Monthly, a food columnist for Philly.com, a beer columnist for Philly Beer Scene, local editor of Zagat Philly and editor of Drink Philly and The Drink Nation.
Her work has been published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Vice Munchies, All About Beer, Craft Beer + Brewing and Edible Philly. She grew up in New York City, then wholeheartedly adopted Philly as her new hometown. In 1997, she founded a photo-video firm called Imagic Digital with her husband, Mark Henninger.
Published in COVID-19, Economy, Entertainment, People, Politics, Profil and Technology
indonesian lantern
Philadelphia Enquirer


I purchased several new packs of SIMs and I have added two packs to the inventory for LTE/3G. When I select any of them to Provision I only have one rate plan option "PayG for .50 USD LTE". If I select that I get an error saying "Error occurred while provisioning selected device(s): Device does not belong to this product". Not sure why I don't see the other rate plan options listed on the website. I talked with someone in sales and he said put a ticket in but I don't see that as an option.
Thank you for posting you problem on the NEO Community web. I have verified that your account has the SIMs in inventory, and have been able to confirm you now have multiple rate plans to chose from. I just tried to provision the previously mentioned devices (via your customer claim) with a rate plan of "10MB for 5 USD LTE" but they still failed. As a result this issue was escalated to our engineering team requesting assistance with resolution. Please log into your Neo account and confirm for us which rate plan you would like on the devices.


SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – When an air conditioning unit hasn't been replaced since 1967, it may be time for an upgrade. That's how the federal government feels about the air conditioner in one of the Springfield Boys and Girls Club's gyms.
The new air conditioning unit will compliment a recent renovation of the gym. The current air conditioner reportedly makes so much noise that during performances in the gym, the audience the boys and girls performing on the stage.


As i am on my holiday, i thought i would share you with yet another writing article which i had enjoyed reading.
The stuff that IDEAS are made of « Short of Stories.
Of course, sometimes it is not very interesting, others times it is hilarious!
Oh, do remember to have some way of taking notes. There have been times when i see an interesting character and dream up a fascinating story but have no way to record it, then i find i have forgotten most of it by the time i get to some paper and a pen.


If you love Shakespeare, you will not want to miss the opportunity to see a free production of Shakespeare's Hamlet.
In the case of inclement weather, the performance will be held at Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25 ½ Court Street, Plymouth. We will see you there!


text:
× Menu
OECD.org
OECD Better Life Index
OECD Forum Network
OECD Legal Instruments
FATF - Financial Action Task Force
IEA – International Energy Agency
ITF – International Transport Forum
NEA – Nuclear Energy Agency
SWAC – Sahel and West Africa Club
MOPAN – Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network
OECD Home
Chinese Taipei^Taipei
China (People's Republic of)
Serbia and Montenegro (pre-June 2006)
Agriculture and fisheries
Chemical safety and biosafety
Corruption and integrity
Green growth and sustainable development
Industry and entrepreneurship
Insurance and pensions
Regional, rural and urban development
Social and welfare issues
OECD Home TaxTax policy analysisLatin America and the Caribbean: Tax revenue gains under threat amid deteriorating regional outlook
Tax policy analysis
Base erosion and profit shifting
Consumption tax
Exchange of information
Fiscal federalism network
Global relations and development
Tax and crime
Latin America and the Caribbean: Tax revenue gains under threat amid deteriorating regional outlook
Watch the replay of the launch event
07/05/2020 – Tax revenues in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) increased to 23.1% of GDP on average in 2018, according to the new edition of Revenue Statistics in Latin America in the Caribbean published today. However, these gains are now under threat as a result of the region's deteriorating fiscal outlook, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the global economic crisis.
The increase of 0.4 percentage points (p.p.) from their level in 2017 is the highest level of tax revenues ever recorded in the region. However, LAC tax revenues remain far below the OECD average (34.3% in 2018). Against this background, the capacity to finance public goods and services and to cushion economic shocks in the region remains limited.
Revenue Statistics in Latin America and the Caribbean 2020 is a joint publication by the Inter-American Centre of Tax Administrations (CIAT), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Centre for Tax Policy and Administration and the OECD Development Centre. This is the ninth edition in the series and the second produced through the European Union's Regional Facility for Development in Transition for Latin America and the Caribbean. This year's edition covers 26 countries, including Saint Lucia for the first time.
Tax-to-GDP ratios (measured as tax revenues, including social security contributions paid to general government, as a proportion of GDP) continued to vary widely across the region in 2018, from 12.1% in Guatemala and 13.2% in the Dominican Republic to 33.1% in Brazil and Barbados and 42.3% in Cuba. Fifteen countries reported an increase in their tax-to-GDP ratios between 2017 and 2018, while seven recorded a decrease and three remained at the same level. Three Caribbean countries (Trinidad and Tobago (up 3.3 p.p.) Belize (up 1.4 p.p) and Guyana (1.3 p.p.) recorded the largest increases while the largest decreases were in Argentina (down by 1.3 p.p.) and Nicaragua (0.8 p.p.).
Although revenue performance improved across the LAC economies in 2018, the region has subsequently faced major headwinds, which have intensified as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While stronger domestic and external demand underpinned the increase in tax-to-GDP ratios in 2018, economic conditions across the region deteriorated in 2019, in large part due to a decline in commodity prices. According to a special feature in the new report, hydrocarbon revenues across the region's main producers increased from 2.0% in GDP in 2017 to 2.7% in 2018 but are estimated to have fallen to 2.5% in 2019. Hydrocarbon revenues are declining precipitously in 2020 as a result of collapsing oil prices.
LAC's relatively low levels of revenue-generation constrain spending on public services - including health - and raise questions about how countries will finance the emergency social protection measures they are introducing to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, weaker administrative systems for managing taxes and transfers relative to those in OECD countries reduce the range of tools available to the region in effectively responding to the crisis. Looking ahead, in the wake of COVID-19, it will be necessary for LAC economies to strengthen the role of tax systems to stimulate inclusive economic development and, in the longer term, to restore their public finances onto a more sustainable footing.
Although the region's tax structure has moved closer to that of OECD countries as a result of higher revenues from direct taxes and lower trade taxes, persistently low revenues from key taxes, such as personal income taxes (PIT), remain a constraint on revenue generation and a source of vulnerability. At just 2.2% of GDP, the region's revenues from PIT in 2017 were far below the level in OECD countries (8.3%), while social security contributions amounted to 4.0% of GDP in 2017 compared to 9.1% in the OECD. At the same time, the region is far more reliant on taxes on consumption than OECD countries. Together, this reduces the potential for redistribution and tackling vulnerabilities in a context where persistent inequalities have been an important factor behind social unrest across the region in recent times.
Other highlights from the new report include a special feature on equivalent fiscal pressure (EFP) in the LAC region. EFP tracks a broader range of fiscal revenues than taxes collected by governments, including non-tax revenues from natural resources and mandatory contributions to private social security schemes. In 2018, EFP averaged 25.0% of GDP across the region, up from 24.4% in 2017 and 17.4% in 1990.
Tax-to-GDP ratios
The highest tax-to-GDP ratios in the LAC region in 2018 were in Cuba (42.3%), Brazil and Barbados (both 33.1%). The countries with the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios were Guatemala (12.1%), the Dominican Republic (13.2%) and Paraguay (14.0%).
The average tax-to-GDP ratio in the Caribbean sub-region was 25.7% in 2018, versus 23.1% in South America and 21.0% in Central America (including Mexico).
Evolution of tax revenues at regional and sub-regional level since 1990
LAC's average tax-to-GDP ratio rose from 15.9% in 1990 to 23.1% in 2018.
Between 1990 and 2018, revenues from VAT as a percentage of GDP more than doubled for LAC countries on average, from 2.3% of GDP to 6.0%.
Over this period, LAC's average tax-to-GDP ratio has trended towards the OECD average, which increased from 31.9% in 1990 to 34.3% in 2018.
The Caribbean's tax-to-GDP ratio has remained consistently above the LAC average and increased by 1.5 percentage points between 2016 and 2018, the best performance amongst the three sub-regions covered in the report.
Tax structure
On average, LAC's share of revenues from taxes on incomes and profits grew by 8.0 percentage points (from 19.7% to 27.8% of total tax revenues) between 1990 and 2018.
Since 2007, corporate income tax (CIT) revenues as a percentage of GDP have declined, whereas revenues from PIT have increased. In 2018, the LAC averages for CIT and PIT revenues as a percentage of GDP stood at 3.5% and 2.3% respectively.
The share of VAT revenues in total tax revenues reached 27.8% in 2018, an increase of 11.6 percentage points since 1990.
The share of social security contributions in total tax revenues has increased by 4.2 percentage points since 1990, reaching 17.1% in 2018.
Resource revenues and environmentally related taxes
Hydrocarbon revenues across the region's main producers rose from 2.0% of GDP in 2017 to 2.7% in 2018. Revenues from mining increased from 0.3% of GDP to 0.4% of GDP in 2018.
Revenues from hydrocarbons and mining are estimated to have declined to 2.5% of GDP and 0.3% of GDP, respectively, in 2019.
Environmentally related tax revenues (ERTR) in 23 LAC countries for which data is available were equivalent to 1.1% of GDP on average in 2018 versus 2.3% of GDP in the OECD.
ERTR ranged from 0.02% of GDP in Belize to 2.3% of GDP in Honduras in 2018.
Revenues from energy products amounted to 0.6% of GDP on average in 2018, representing around 60% of environmentally related tax revenue. Revenues from motor vehicle and transport services taxes amounted to 0.4% of GDP.
CIAT: Publication and Communication Coordination, Neila Jaén (njaen@ciat.org; T: +507 307 2428)
ECLAC: Public Information Unit (prensa@cepal.org; T:+56 2 2210 2040)
IDB: Knowledge, Innovation and Communication Sector, Mildred Rivera (mildredr@iadb.org; T: +1 202 623 2319)
OECD: Centre for Tax Policy and Administration (Natalie.Lagorce@oecd.org, Tel: +33 1 45 24 99 61); OECD Development Centre (Bochra.Kriout@oecd.org; Tel.: +33 1 45 24 82 96)
MyOECD
© Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Follow us (Social Media):
Oecd Direct


text:
Text Size a a a Print
By Minister
By Portfolio
Search By Minister
Search By Portfolio
Archived Statements
Barnett Liberal National Government
Carpenter Labor Government
Gallop Labor Government
Court Coalition Government
Lawrence Labor Government
Hon Graham Jacobs MBBS FRACGP MLA
Former Minister for Water; Mental Health
Homeless youth with mental illness catered for in Fremantle
Western Australia's first accommodation service to support homeless young people with a mental illness was opened in Fremantle today by Premier Colin Barnett and Mental Health Minister Graham Jacobs.
Dr Jacobs, who launched the service with the Premier, said young people would be assisted to build their life skills and achieve better health outcomes.
"The State Government is delivering improved services for Western Australians with a mental illness," he said.
"A key priority is providing mental health services which intervene early and keep people well in the community, reducing the need for acute care.
"With rates of mental illness considerably higher among homeless young people than the wider youth population, there is a clear need for this new service."
The new service is called Ngatti, a Noongar word meaning 'continue to move forward.'
It would accommodate up to 16 young people, between the ages of 17 and 22, who have a severe and persistent mental illness or who are at risk of developing mental illness.
"Ngatti will help young people to move forward by supporting their involvement in social, physical, vocational and recreational activities; and helping them reconnect with the community," the Minister said.
Life Without Barriers, a non-government organisation, would manage Ngatti and provide 24-hour onsite psychosocial support and rehabilitation.
Clinical services would be delivered by the South Metropolitan Area Health Service Youth Reach South.
Dr Jacobs said Ngatti was one of several new community accommodation initiatives for people with a mental illness. The Perth Supported Accommodation Facility, which would support up to 34 homeless adults with a mental illness, would open soon in East Perth.
Dept of the Premier and Cabinet


The fee is $20 per week for 9 holes with a cart.
League play requires a minimum of 8 players.
League play rotates nines weekly.
League players can play 9 holes before or after for only $10.00.
League players can get a discount on six pack prices in the Pro Shop.
Here at Blackheath Golf Club we pride ourselves on the high quality of magnificent golf, superb amenities and outstanding service that we offer our valued customers. We have worked hard over the years to become a staple of the community, and in the process we have earned recognition as one of the region's premier golf experiences.


He loved me; Blessed Be His name.
Litianna had written down these heartfelt words in her diary before she went to sleep. The diary was closed, but Litianna would like to remember everything happening to her today.
Litianna was my name. I grew up in a very religious family and had always been faithful in attending church. At one point in my life, I had accomplished a very important career goal. Having just about everything I had ever wanted, I still felt empty. There was a void that I tried to fill with different things, but not Jesus.
I began to make friends with my colleagues in the same company where I was working as an executive manager of Human Resource Department. Although I still believed in God, I feared Him and felt He was far away, someplace called heaven--a place I had doubts of ever getting to. I became involved in the social life. As a result, I stopped looking for God.
One day, I suddenly became jobless. I lived in distress, hopelessness, and shame. My friends turned away. In spite of my mother's attempts to bring me to the Church, I saw no need for it in my life. As a result of her persistence, I finally attended a Sunday School class. During the class, I heard the teacher reading "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2). At this time, I realized that I had gone on my own way of life. I fought my old life with flesh and blood but not with faith in Jesus Christ. And at the same time, I remembered George Muller's testimony. There is never a time when we may not hope in God! Whatever the necessities, however great our difficulties, and though to all appearances help is impossible, yet our business is to hope in God, and it will be found that it is not in vain.
After the class, I told the teacher that I was so grateful because inviting Christ into my life in the first Sunday school class was the greatest day of my life.
Litianna made a wise decision for her life by putting hope in Jesus Christ, her Savior. Are you willing to do this like her right now? Jesus Christ is waiting for you moment by moment, hour by hour, and day by day. You must make a dedication, a full consecration now before the pull of worldly ambition becomes too strong.


text:
%  Save back to the original image with a portion of slices that was
%  loaded by "load_untouch_nii". You can process those slices matrix
%  in any way, as long as their dimension is not altered.
%
%  Usage: save_untouch_slice(slice, filename, ...
%		slice_idx, [img_idx], [dim5_idx], [dim6_idx], [dim7_idx])
%
%  slice  -  a portion of slices that was loaded by "load_untouch_nii".
%	This should be a numeric matrix (i.e. only the .img field in the
%	loaded structure)
%
%  filename  - 	NIfTI or ANALYZE file name.
%
%  slice_idx (depending on slice size)  -  a numerical array of image
%	slice indices, which should be the same as that you entered
%	in "load_untouch_nii" command.
%
%  img_idx (depending on slice size)  -  a numerical array of image
%	volume indices, which should be the same as that you entered
%	in "load_untouch_nii" command.
%
%  dim5_idx (depending on slice size)  -  a numerical array of 5th
%	dimension indices, which should be the same as that you entered
%	in "load_untouch_nii" command.
%
%  dim6_idx (depending on slice size)  -  a numerical array of 6th
%	dimension indices, which should be the same as that you entered
%	in "load_untouch_nii" command.
%
%  dim7_idx (depending on slice size)  -  a numerical array of 7th
%	dimension indices, which should be the same as that you entered
%	in "load_untouch_nii" command.
%
%  Example:
%	nii = load_nii('avg152T1_LR_nifti.nii');
%	save_nii(nii, 'test.nii');
%	view_nii(nii);
%	nii = load_untouch_nii('test.nii','','','','','',[40 51:53]);
%	nii.img = ones(91,109,4)*122;
%	save_untouch_slice(nii.img, 'test.nii', [40 51:52]);
%	nii = load_nii('test.nii');
%	view_nii(nii);
%
%  - Jimmy Shen (jimmy@rotman-baycrest.on.ca)
%
function save_untouch_slice(slice, filename, slice_idx, img_idx, dim5_idx, dim6_idx, dim7_idx)

   if ~exist('slice','var') | ~isnumeric(slice)
      msg = [char(10) '"slice" argument should be a portion of slices that was loaded' char(10)];
      msg = [msg 'by "load_untouch_nii.m". This should be a numeric matrix (i.e.' char(10)];
      msg = [msg 'only the .img field in the loaded structure).'];
      error(msg);
   end

   if ~exist('filename','var') | ~exist(filename,'file')
      error('In order to save back, original NIfTI or ANALYZE file must exist.');
   end

   if ~exist('slice_idx','var') | isempty(slice_idx) | ~isequal(size(slice,3),length(slice_idx))
      msg = [char(10) '"slice_idx" is a numerical array of image slice indices, which' char(10)];
      msg = [msg 'should be the same as that you entered in "load_untouch_nii.m"' char(10)];
      msg = [msg 'command.'];
      error(msg);
   end

   if ~exist('img_idx','var') | isempty(img_idx)
      img_idx = [];

      if ~isequal(size(slice,4),1)
         msg = [char(10) '"img_idx" is a numerical array of image volume indices, which' char(10)];
         msg = [msg 'should be the same as that you entered in "load_untouch_nii.m"' char(10)];
         msg = [msg 'command.'];
         error(msg);
      end
   elseif ~isequal(size(slice,4),length(img_idx))
      msg = [char(10) '"img_idx" is a numerical array of image volume indices, which' char(10)];
      msg = [msg 'should be the same as that you entered in "load_untouch_nii.m"' char(10)];
      msg = [msg 'command.'];
      error(msg);
   end

   if ~exist('dim5_idx','var') | isempty(dim5_idx)
      dim5_idx = [];

      if ~isequal(size(slice,5),1)
         msg = [char(10) '"dim5_idx" is a numerical array of 5th dimension indices, which' char(10)];
         msg = [msg 'should be the same as that you entered in "load_untouch_nii.m"' char(10)];
         msg = [msg 'command.'];
         error(msg);
      end
   elseif ~isequal(size(slice,5),length(img_idx))
      msg = [char(10) '"img_idx" is a numerical array of 5th dimension indices, which' char(10)];
      msg = [msg 'should be the same as that you entered in "load_untouch_nii.m"' char(10)];
      msg = [msg 'command.'];
      error(msg);
   end

   if ~exist('dim6_idx','var') | isempty(dim6_idx)
      dim6_idx = [];

      if ~isequal(size(slice,6),1)
         msg = [char(10) '"dim6_idx" is a numerical array of 6th dimension indices, which' char(10)];
         msg = [msg 'should be the same as that you entered in "load_untouch_nii.m"' char(10)];
         msg = [msg 'command.'];
         error(msg);
      end
   elseif ~isequal(size(slice,6),length(img_idx))
      msg = [char(10) '"img_idx" is a numerical array of 6th dimension indices, which' char(10)];
      msg = [msg 'should be the same as that you entered in "load_untouch_nii.m"' char(10)];
      msg = [msg 'command.'];
      error(msg);
   end

   if ~exist('dim7_idx','var') | isempty(dim7_idx)
      dim7_idx = [];

      if ~isequal(size(slice,7),1)
         msg = [char(10) '"dim7_idx" is a numerical array of 7th dimension indices, which' char(10)];
         msg = [msg 'should be the same as that you entered in "load_untouch_nii.m"' char(10)];
         msg = [msg 'command.'];
         error(msg);
      end
   elseif ~isequal(size(slice,7),length(img_idx))
      msg = [char(10) '"img_idx" is a numerical array of 7th dimension indices, which' char(10)];
      msg = [msg 'should be the same as that you entered in "load_untouch_nii.m"' char(10)];
      msg = [msg 'command.'];
      error(msg);
   end

   v = version;

   %  Check file extension. If .gz, unpack it into temp folder
   %
   if length(filename) > 2 & strcmp(filename(end-2:end), '.gz')

      if ~strcmp(filename(end-6:end), '.img.gz') & ...
         ~strcmp(filename(end-6:end), '.hdr.gz') & ...
         ~strcmp(filename(end-6:end), '.nii.gz')

         error('Please check filename.');
      end

      if str2num(v(1:3)) < 7.1 | ~usejava('jvm')
         error('Please use MATLAB 7.1 (with java) and above, or run gunzip outside MATLAB.');
      elseif strcmp(filename(end-6:end), '.img.gz')
         filename1 = filename;
         filename2 = filename;
         filename2(end-6:end) = '';
         filename2 = [filename2, '.hdr.gz'];

         tmpDir = tempname;
         mkdir(tmpDir);
         gzFileName = filename;

         filename1 = gunzip(filename1, tmpDir);
         filename2 = gunzip(filename2, tmpDir);
         filename = char(filename1);    % convert from cell to string
      elseif strcmp(filename(end-6:end), '.hdr.gz')
         filename1 = filename;
         filename2 = filename;
         filename2(end-6:end) = '';
         filename2 = [filename2, '.img.gz'];

         tmpDir = tempname;
         mkdir(tmpDir);
         gzFileName = filename;

         filename1 = gunzip(filename1, tmpDir);
         filename2 = gunzip(filename2, tmpDir);
         filename = char(filename1);    % convert from cell to string
      elseif strcmp(filename(end-6:end), '.nii.gz')
         tmpDir = tempname;
         mkdir(tmpDir);
         gzFileName = filename;
         filename = gunzip(filename, tmpDir);
         filename = char(filename);     % convert from cell to string
      end
   end

   %  Read the dataset header
   %
   [nii.hdr,nii.filetype,nii.fileprefix,nii.machine] = load_nii_hdr(filename);

   if nii.filetype == 0
      nii.hdr = load_untouch0_nii_hdr(nii.fileprefix,nii.machine);
   else
      nii.hdr = load_untouch_nii_hdr(nii.fileprefix,nii.machine,nii.filetype);
   end

   %  Clean up after gunzip
   %
   if exist('gzFileName', 'var')

      %  fix fileprefix so it doesn't point to temp location
      %
      nii.fileprefix = gzFileName(1:end-7);
%      rmdir(tmpDir,'s');
   end

   [p,f] = fileparts(filename);
   fileprefix = fullfile(p, f);
%   fileprefix = nii.fileprefix;
   filetype = nii.filetype;

   if ~isequal( nii.hdr.dime.dim(2:3), [size(slice,1),size(slice,2)] )
      msg = [char(10) 'The first two dimensions of slice matrix should be the same as' char(10)];
      msg = [msg 'the first two dimensions of image loaded by "load_untouch_nii".'];
      error(msg);
   end

   %  Save the dataset body
   %
   save_untouch_slice_img(slice, nii.hdr, filetype, fileprefix, ...
	nii.machine, slice_idx,img_idx,dim5_idx,dim6_idx,dim7_idx);

   %  gzip output file if requested
   %
   if exist('gzFileName', 'var')
      [p,f] = fileparts(gzFileName);

      if filetype == 1
         gzip([fileprefix, '.img']);
         delete([fileprefix, '.img']);
         movefile([fileprefix, '.img.gz']);
         gzip([fileprefix, '.hdr']);
         delete([fileprefix, '.hdr']);
         movefile([fileprefix, '.hdr.gz']);
      elseif filetype == 2
         gzip([fileprefix, '.nii']);
         delete([fileprefix, '.nii']);
         movefile([fileprefix, '.nii.gz']);
      end;

      rmdir(tmpDir,'s');
   end;

   return					% save_untouch_slice

%--------------------------------------------------------------------------
function save_untouch_slice_img(slice,hdr,filetype,fileprefix,machine,slice_idx,img_idx,dim5_idx,dim6_idx,dim7_idx)

   if ~exist('hdr','var') | ~exist('filetype','var') | ~exist('fileprefix','var') | ~exist('machine','var')
      error('Usage: save_untouch_slice_img(slice,hdr,filetype,fileprefix,machine,slice_idx,[img_idx],[dim5_idx],[dim6_idx],[dim7_idx]);');
   end

   if ~exist('slice_idx','var') | isempty(slice_idx) | hdr.dime.dim(4)<1
      slice_idx = [];
   end

   if ~exist('img_idx','var') | isempty(img_idx) | hdr.dime.dim(5)<1
      img_idx = [];
   end

   if ~exist('dim5_idx','var') | isempty(dim5_idx) | hdr.dime.dim(6)<1
      dim5_idx = [];
   end

   if ~exist('dim6_idx','var') | isempty(dim6_idx) | hdr.dime.dim(7)<1
      dim6_idx = [];
   end

   if ~exist('dim7_idx','var') | isempty(dim7_idx) | hdr.dime.dim(8)<1
      dim7_idx = [];
   end

   %  check img_idx
   %
   if ~isempty(img_idx) & ~isnumeric(img_idx)
      error('"img_idx" should be a numerical array.');
   end

   if length(unique(img_idx)) ~= length(img_idx)
      error('Duplicate image index in "img_idx"');
   end

   if ~isempty(img_idx) & (min(img_idx) < 1 | max(img_idx) > hdr.dime.dim(5))
      max_range = hdr.dime.dim(5);

      if max_range == 1
         error(['"img_idx" should be 1.']);
      else
         range = ['1 ' num2str(max_range)];
         error(['"img_idx" should be an integer within the range of [' range '].']);
      end
   end

   %  check dim5_idx
   %
   if ~isempty(dim5_idx) & ~isnumeric(dim5_idx)
      error('"dim5_idx" should be a numerical array.');
   end

   if length(unique(dim5_idx)) ~= length(dim5_idx)
      error('Duplicate index in "dim5_idx"');
   end

   if ~isempty(dim5_idx) & (min(dim5_idx) < 1 | max(dim5_idx) > hdr.dime.dim(6))
      max_range = hdr.dime.dim(6);

      if max_range == 1
         error(['"dim5_idx" should be 1.']);
      else
         range = ['1 ' num2str(max_range)];
         error(['"dim5_idx" should be an integer within the range of [' range '].']);
      end
   end

   %  check dim6_idx
   %
   if ~isempty(dim6_idx) & ~isnumeric(dim6_idx)
      error('"dim6_idx" should be a numerical array.');
   end

   if length(unique(dim6_idx)) ~= length(dim6_idx)
      error('Duplicate index in "dim6_idx"');
   end

   if ~isempty(dim6_idx) & (min(dim6_idx) < 1 | max(dim6_idx) > hdr.dime.dim(7))
      max_range = hdr.dime.dim(7);

      if max_range == 1
         error(['"dim6_idx" should be 1.']);
      else
         range = ['1 ' num2str(max_range)];
         error(['"dim6_idx" should be an integer within the range of [' range '].']);
      end
   end

   %  check dim7_idx
   %
   if ~isempty(dim7_idx) & ~isnumeric(dim7_idx)
      error('"dim7_idx" should be a numerical array.');
   end

   if length(unique(dim7_idx)) ~= length(dim7_idx)
      error('Duplicate index in "dim7_idx"');
   end

   if ~isempty(dim7_idx) & (min(dim7_idx) < 1 | max(dim7_idx) > hdr.dime.dim(8))
      max_range = hdr.dime.dim(8);

      if max_range == 1
         error(['"dim7_idx" should be 1.']);
      else
         range = ['1 ' num2str(max_range)];
         error(['"dim7_idx" should be an integer within the range of [' range '].']);
      end
   end

   %  check slice_idx
   %
   if ~isempty(slice_idx) & ~isnumeric(slice_idx)
      error('"slice_idx" should be a numerical array.');
   end

   if length(unique(slice_idx)) ~= length(slice_idx)
      error('Duplicate index in "slice_idx"');
   end

   if ~isempty(slice_idx) & (min(slice_idx) < 1 | max(slice_idx) > hdr.dime.dim(4))
      max_range = hdr.dime.dim(4);

      if max_range == 1
         error(['"slice_idx" should be 1.']);
      else
         range = ['1 ' num2str(max_range)];
         error(['"slice_idx" should be an integer within the range of [' range '].']);
      end
   end

   write_image(slice,hdr,filetype,fileprefix,machine,slice_idx,img_idx,dim5_idx,dim6_idx,dim7_idx);

   return					% save_untouch_slice_img

%---------------------------------------------------------------------
function write_image(slice,hdr,filetype,fileprefix,machine,slice_idx,img_idx,dim5_idx,dim6_idx,dim7_idx)

   if filetype == 2
      fid = fopen(sprintf('%s.nii',fileprefix),'r+');

      if fid < 0,
         msg = sprintf('Cannot open file %s.nii.',fileprefix);
         error(msg);
      end
   else
      fid = fopen(sprintf('%s.img',fileprefix),'r+');

      if fid < 0,
         msg = sprintf('Cannot open file %s.img.',fileprefix);
         error(msg);
      end
   end

   %  Set bitpix according to datatype
   %
   %  /*Acceptable values for datatype are*/
   %
   %     0 None                     (Unknown bit per voxel) % DT_NONE, DT_UNKNOWN
   %     1 Binary                         (ubit1, bitpix=1) % DT_BINARY
   %     2 Unsigned char         (uchar or uint8, bitpix=8) % DT_UINT8, NIFTI_TYPE_UINT8
   %     4 Signed short                  (int16, bitpix=16) % DT_INT16, NIFTI_TYPE_INT16
   %     8 Signed integer                (int32, bitpix=32) % DT_INT32, NIFTI_TYPE_INT32
   %    16 Floating point    (single or float32, bitpix=32) % DT_FLOAT32, NIFTI_TYPE_FLOAT32
   %    32 Complex, 2 float32      (Use float32, bitpix=64) % DT_COMPLEX64, NIFTI_TYPE_COMPLEX64
   %    64 Double precision  (double or float64, bitpix=64) % DT_FLOAT64, NIFTI_TYPE_FLOAT64
   %   128 uint8 RGB                 (Use uint8, bitpix=24) % DT_RGB24, NIFTI_TYPE_RGB24
   %   256 Signed char            (schar or int8, bitpix=8) % DT_INT8, NIFTI_TYPE_INT8
   %   511 Single RGB              (Use float32, bitpix=96) % DT_RGB96, NIFTI_TYPE_RGB96
   %   512 Unsigned short               (uint16, bitpix=16) % DT_UNINT16, NIFTI_TYPE_UNINT16
   %   768 Unsigned integer             (uint32, bitpix=32) % DT_UNINT32, NIFTI_TYPE_UNINT32
   %  1024 Signed long long              (int64, bitpix=64) % DT_INT64, NIFTI_TYPE_INT64
   %  1280 Unsigned long long           (uint64, bitpix=64) % DT_UINT64, NIFTI_TYPE_UINT64
   %  1536 Long double, float128  (Unsupported, bitpix=128) % DT_FLOAT128, NIFTI_TYPE_FLOAT128
   %  1792 Complex128, 2 float64  (Use float64, bitpix=128) % DT_COMPLEX128, NIFTI_TYPE_COMPLEX128
   %  2048 Complex256, 2 float128 (Unsupported, bitpix=256) % DT_COMPLEX128, NIFTI_TYPE_COMPLEX128
   %
   switch hdr.dime.datatype
   case   2,
      hdr.dime.bitpix = 8;  precision = 'uint8';
   case   4,
      hdr.dime.bitpix = 16; precision = 'int16';
   case   8,
      hdr.dime.bitpix = 32; precision = 'int32';
   case  16,
      hdr.dime.bitpix = 32; precision = 'float32';
   case  64,
      hdr.dime.bitpix = 64; precision = 'float64';
   case 128,
      hdr.dime.bitpix = 24; precision = 'uint8';
   case 256
      hdr.dime.bitpix = 8;  precision = 'int8';
   case 511
      hdr.dime.bitpix = 96; precision = 'float32';
   case 512
      hdr.dime.bitpix = 16; precision = 'uint16';
   case 768
      hdr.dime.bitpix = 32; precision = 'uint32';
   case 1024
      hdr.dime.bitpix = 64; precision = 'int64';
   case 1280
      hdr.dime.bitpix = 64; precision = 'uint64';
   otherwise
      error('This datatype is not supported');
   end

   hdr.dime.dim(find(hdr.dime.dim < 1)) = 1;

   %  move pointer to the start of image block
   %
   switch filetype
   case {0, 1}
      fseek(fid, 0, 'bof');
   case 2
      fseek(fid, hdr.dime.vox_offset, 'bof');
   end

   if hdr.dime.datatype == 1 | isequal(hdr.dime.dim(4:8),ones(1,5)) | ...
	(isempty(img_idx) & isempty(dim5_idx) & isempty(dim6_idx) & isempty(dim7_idx) & isempty(slice_idx))

      msg = [char(10) char(10) '   "save_untouch_slice" is used to save back to the original image a' char(10)];
      msg = [msg '   portion of slices that were loaded by "load_untouch_nii". You can' char(10)];
      msg = [msg '   process those slices matrix in any way, as long as their dimension' char(10)];
      msg = [msg '   is not changed.'];
      error(msg);
   else

      d1 = hdr.dime.dim(2);
      d2 = hdr.dime.dim(3);
      d3 = hdr.dime.dim(4);
      d4 = hdr.dime.dim(5);
      d5 = hdr.dime.dim(6);
      d6 = hdr.dime.dim(7);
      d7 = hdr.dime.dim(8);

      if isempty(slice_idx)
         slice_idx = 1:d3;
      end

      if isempty(img_idx)
         img_idx = 1:d4;
      end

      if isempty(dim5_idx)
         dim5_idx = 1:d5;
      end

      if isempty(dim6_idx)
         dim6_idx = 1:d6;
      end

      if isempty(dim7_idx)
         dim7_idx = 1:d7;
      end

      %ROMAN: begin
      roman = 1;
      if(roman)

         %  compute size of one slice
         %
         img_siz = prod(hdr.dime.dim(2:3));

         %  For complex float32 or complex float64, voxel values
         %  include [real, imag]
         %
         if hdr.dime.datatype == 32 | hdr.dime.datatype == 1792
            img_siz = img_siz * 2;
         end

         %MPH: For RGB24, voxel values include 3 separate color planes
         %
         if hdr.dime.datatype == 128 | hdr.dime.datatype == 511
            img_siz = img_siz * 3;
         end

      end; %if(roman)
      % ROMAN: end

      for i7=1:length(dim7_idx)
         for i6=1:length(dim6_idx)
            for i5=1:length(dim5_idx)
               for t=1:length(img_idx)
               for s=1:length(slice_idx)

                  %  Position is seeked in bytes. To convert dimension size
                  %  to byte storage size, hdr.dime.bitpix/8 will be
                  %  applied.
                  %
                  pos = sub2ind([d1 d2 d3 d4 d5 d6 d7], 1, 1, slice_idx(s), ...
			                    img_idx(t), dim5_idx(i5),dim6_idx(i6),dim7_idx(i7)) -1;
                  pos = pos * hdr.dime.bitpix/8;

                  % ROMAN: begin
                  if(roman)
                      % do nothing
                  else
                     img_siz = prod(hdr.dime.dim(2:3));

                     %  For complex float32 or complex float64, voxel values
                     %  include [real, imag]
                     %
                     if hdr.dime.datatype == 32 | hdr.dime.datatype == 1792
                        img_siz = img_siz * 2;
                     end

                     %MPH: For RGB24, voxel values include 3 separate color planes
                     %
                     if hdr.dime.datatype == 128 | hdr.dime.datatype == 511
                        img_siz = img_siz * 3;
                     end
                  end; % if (roman)
                  % ROMAN: end

                  if filetype == 2
                     fseek(fid, pos + hdr.dime.vox_offset, 'bof');
                  else
                     fseek(fid, pos, 'bof');
                  end

                  %  For each frame, fwrite will write precision of value
                  %  in img_siz times
                  %
                  fwrite(fid, slice(:,:,s,t,i5,i6,i7), sprintf('*%s',precision));

               end
               end
            end
         end
      end
   end

   fclose(fid);

   return						% write_image


Is My Facility Subject To The CalARP Program?
Where Can I View The Risk Management Plan for a Business?
Where Can I Get Additional Information About CalARP?
The purpose of this program is to prevent the accidental releases of hazardous chemicals at a stationary source, which can pose a significant hazard to the community. These facilities are required to prepare a Risk Management Plan describing current and past practices and releases, what the impact of releases may be, and what they do or plan to do to prevent releases and minimize their impact if one occurs. Most CalARP/RMP facilities handle large quantities of chemicals such as ammonia, chlorine, sulfur dioxide, butane, or fumigants. These facilities are usually cold-storage warehouses, water and wastewater treatment facilities, or industrial chemical manufacturers or dealers.
There are only a few facilities in Yolo County that are regulated under this program. For more information contact Yolo County Environmental Health at (530) 666-8646.
Probably not. There are fewer than 20 facilities in Yolo County subject to this program, and they are all aware that they must meet these program standards. If you believe your business has been overlooked, contact the Yolo County Environmental Health Division (530) 666-8646.
Portions of the Risk Management Plan are public information and can be viewed at the Yolo County Department of Community Services, Environmental Health Division, at 292 West Beamer Street, Woodland, California. Please call us at (530) 666-8646 to make an appointment. Most questions can be answered more quickly by talking to our staff rather than searching through a long document for specific information.
Where Can I Get Additional Information About The CalARP Program?
Additional information, including the regulations, is available at the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).


The Cardano surge has continued over the past few days after rising by a total of 15% during the past week. The cryptocurrency has now seen a significant price surge totaling 60%.
The coin has recently reached resistance causing the bullish surge to slow down. However, this resistance is not deemed to be strong, and therefore we can expect Cardano's Bullish momentum, as long as this Alcoin season continues.
Cardano remains ranked in 10th position on the top cryptos by market cap, with a $1.82 billion market cap valuation.
Since our previous ADA/USD analysis, we can see that the market has continued to rise and has now reached our outlined resistance at $0.072 where lies the short term 1.272 Fibonacci Extension level.
From above: The nearest level of resistance now lies at $0.076 where lies the short term bearish .886 Fibonacci Retracement level. Above this, we can expect further resistance at $0.081, $0.089 and $0.1.
From below: The nearest level of support lies at $0.06947 – $0.07 area. Support beneath this can then be expected at $0.06146, $0.057 and $0.05177.
The trading volume has increased significantly toward the end of March 2019.
The RSI remains in bullish territory. However, it is pointing downward which could turn into a healthy correction following the rally.
Against Bitcoin, we can see that ADA has also reached resistance on the following chart's highlighted area of 1768 SAT, where lies the short term 1.272 Fibonacci Extension level (marked in blue). The coin has rejected slightly and is now trading around support level of 1700 – 1725 SAT.
From above: The nearest resistance level lies at 1768 SAT (as mentioned). Above this, we can expect further resistance at 1874 SAT and the area between 1959 and 2000 SAT.
From below: The nearest support lies at 1675 SAT and 1570 SAT. If the sellers push the coin beneath 1500 SAT, we can then expect more support at 1484 SAT and 1354 SAT.
The trading volume has picked up substantially throughout March.
The RSI is in bullish territory and continues to look strong.
The post Cardano Price Analysis Mar.27: ADA Encountered Major Resistance Following 60% Monthly Rally appeared first on CryptoPotato.