text:
The host galaxy of the short GRB 050709
A. M. Nicuesa Guelbenzu, S. Klose, P. Schady, J. Greiner, D. H. Hartmann, L. K. Hunt, B. Magnelli, N. Masetti, M. J. Michałowski, E. Palazzi, A. Rossi, M. Wieringa, B. Stecklum
Exact Sciences School
The host of the short gamma-ray burst (GRB) 050709 is a morphologically disturbed low-luminous galaxy. At a redshift of z = 0.16, it belongs to one of the cosmologically nearest short-GRB hosts identified to date. Consequently, it represents a promising target for sensitive, spatially resolved observational studies. We have used the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) mounted at the Very Large Telescope to characterize the GRB host galaxy. In addition, we performed deep radio-continuum observations of the host with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and with ALMA at 1.3 mm. Moreover, we made use of archival Spitzer Space Telescope 24 μm and Hubble Space Telescope/F814W imaging data of this galaxy. The spatially resolved MUSE data reveal that the entire host is a source of strong line emission, in particular from Hα and [O III] λ 5007, superimposed on a rather weak stellar continuum. Using the Balmer decrement, we map the internal host-galaxy reddening and derive an extinction-corrected star formation rate based on the flux in the Hα line of 0.15 ± 0.02 M yr-1. The galaxy is detected neither by ALMA nor by Spitzer, excluding a substantial amount of optically obscured star formation activity. Using the O3N2 metallicity indicator, we measure an average 12 + log (O/H) = 8.40 ± 0.05 (corresponding to ∼0.5 solar). Diagnostic emission line diagrams show that a substantial fraction of all MUSE spaxels that cover the GRB 050709 host galaxy lie close to the star-formation demarcation line. Some spaxels even suggest line emission by shocked gas. The ATCA observations reveal faint diffuse radio emission at the eastern part of the host in excess to that expected from pure star formation, possibly further evidence for nonthermal processes. The kinematics of the Hα-emitting gas suggests a rotationally supported host-galaxy system, apparently in contrast to its irregular photometric morphology. A comparison with the field-galaxy population reveals, however, that the kinematics of the gas in the 050709 host fits into the ensemble of merging galaxies well. Finally, we use the ATCA radio data to set deep constraints on any late-time flux from the GRB afterglow or a potentially associated kilonova radio flare ∼10 years after the burst.
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202039689
Gamma-ray burst: individual: GRB 050709
10.1051/0004-6361/202039689
Dive into the research topics of 'The host galaxy of the short GRB 050709'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
gamma ray bursts Physics & Astronomy 100%
gamma radiation Earth & Environmental Sciences 95%
radio Earth & Environmental Sciences 41%
telescopes Physics & Astronomy 31%
star formation Physics & Astronomy 29%
kinematics Earth & Environmental Sciences 19%
Nicuesa Guelbenzu, A. M., Klose, S., Schady, P., Greiner, J., Hartmann, D. H., Hunt, L. K., Magnelli, B., Masetti, N., Michałowski, M. J., Palazzi, E., Rossi, A., Wieringa, M., & Stecklum, B. (2021). The host galaxy of the short GRB 050709. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 650, [A117]. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202039689
Nicuesa Guelbenzu, A. M. ; Klose, S. ; Schady, P. ; Greiner, J. ; Hartmann, D. H. ; Hunt, L. K. ; Magnelli, B. ; Masetti, N. ; Michałowski, M. J. ; Palazzi, E. ; Rossi, A. ; Wieringa, M. ; Stecklum, B. / The host galaxy of the short GRB 050709. In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. 2021 ; Vol. 650.
@article{3847b6e6fdad4fd086eba295c357969b,
title = "The host galaxy of the short GRB 050709",
abstract = "The host of the short gamma-ray burst (GRB) 050709 is a morphologically disturbed low-luminous galaxy. At a redshift of z = 0.16, it belongs to one of the cosmologically nearest short-GRB hosts identified to date. Consequently, it represents a promising target for sensitive, spatially resolved observational studies. We have used the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) mounted at the Very Large Telescope to characterize the GRB host galaxy. In addition, we performed deep radio-continuum observations of the host with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and with ALMA at 1.3 mm. Moreover, we made use of archival Spitzer Space Telescope 24 μm and Hubble Space Telescope/F814W imaging data of this galaxy. The spatially resolved MUSE data reveal that the entire host is a source of strong line emission, in particular from Hα and [O III] λ 5007, superimposed on a rather weak stellar continuum. Using the Balmer decrement, we map the internal host-galaxy reddening and derive an extinction-corrected star formation rate based on the flux in the Hα line of 0.15 ± 0.02 M yr-1. The galaxy is detected neither by ALMA nor by Spitzer, excluding a substantial amount of optically obscured star formation activity. Using the O3N2 metallicity indicator, we measure an average 12 + log (O/H) = 8.40 ± 0.05 (corresponding to ∼0.5 solar). Diagnostic emission line diagrams show that a substantial fraction of all MUSE spaxels that cover the GRB 050709 host galaxy lie close to the star-formation demarcation line. Some spaxels even suggest line emission by shocked gas. The ATCA observations reveal faint diffuse radio emission at the eastern part of the host in excess to that expected from pure star formation, possibly further evidence for nonthermal processes. The kinematics of the Hα-emitting gas suggests a rotationally supported host-galaxy system, apparently in contrast to its irregular photometric morphology. A comparison with the field-galaxy population reveals, however, that the kinematics of the gas in the 050709 host fits into the ensemble of merging galaxies well. Finally, we use the ATCA radio data to set deep constraints on any late-time flux from the GRB afterglow or a potentially associated kilonova radio flare ∼10 years after the burst. ",
keywords = "Gamma-ray burst: individual: GRB 050709",
author = "{Nicuesa Guelbenzu}, {A. M.} and S. Klose and P. Schady and J. Greiner and Hartmann, {D. H.} and Hunt, {L. K.} and B. Magnelli and N. Masetti and Micha{\l}owski, {M. J.} and E. Palazzi and A. Rossi and M. Wieringa and B. Stecklum",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 ESO.",
doi = "10.1051/0004-6361/202039689",
journal = "Astronomy and Astrophysics",
publisher = "EDP Sciences",
Nicuesa Guelbenzu, AM, Klose, S, Schady, P, Greiner, J, Hartmann, DH, Hunt, LK, Magnelli, B, Masetti, N, Michałowski, MJ, Palazzi, E, Rossi, A, Wieringa, M & Stecklum, B 2021, 'The host galaxy of the short GRB 050709', Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 650, A117. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202039689
The host galaxy of the short GRB 050709. / Nicuesa Guelbenzu, A. M.; Klose, S.; Schady, P.; Greiner, J.; Hartmann, D. H.; Hunt, L. K.; Magnelli, B.; Masetti, N.; Michałowski, M. J.; Palazzi, E.; Rossi, A.; Wieringa, M.; Stecklum, B.
In: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Vol. 650, A117, 01.06.2021.
T1 - The host galaxy of the short GRB 050709
AU - Nicuesa Guelbenzu, A. M.
AU - Klose, S.
AU - Schady, P.
AU - Greiner, J.
AU - Hartmann, D. H.
AU - Hunt, L. K.
AU - Magnelli, B.
AU - Masetti, N.
AU - Michałowski, M. J.
AU - Palazzi, E.
AU - Rossi, A.
AU - Wieringa, M.
AU - Stecklum, B.
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 ESO.
N2 - The host of the short gamma-ray burst (GRB) 050709 is a morphologically disturbed low-luminous galaxy. At a redshift of z = 0.16, it belongs to one of the cosmologically nearest short-GRB hosts identified to date. Consequently, it represents a promising target for sensitive, spatially resolved observational studies. We have used the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) mounted at the Very Large Telescope to characterize the GRB host galaxy. In addition, we performed deep radio-continuum observations of the host with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and with ALMA at 1.3 mm. Moreover, we made use of archival Spitzer Space Telescope 24 μm and Hubble Space Telescope/F814W imaging data of this galaxy. The spatially resolved MUSE data reveal that the entire host is a source of strong line emission, in particular from Hα and [O III] λ 5007, superimposed on a rather weak stellar continuum. Using the Balmer decrement, we map the internal host-galaxy reddening and derive an extinction-corrected star formation rate based on the flux in the Hα line of 0.15 ± 0.02 M yr-1. The galaxy is detected neither by ALMA nor by Spitzer, excluding a substantial amount of optically obscured star formation activity. Using the O3N2 metallicity indicator, we measure an average 12 + log (O/H) = 8.40 ± 0.05 (corresponding to ∼0.5 solar). Diagnostic emission line diagrams show that a substantial fraction of all MUSE spaxels that cover the GRB 050709 host galaxy lie close to the star-formation demarcation line. Some spaxels even suggest line emission by shocked gas. The ATCA observations reveal faint diffuse radio emission at the eastern part of the host in excess to that expected from pure star formation, possibly further evidence for nonthermal processes. The kinematics of the Hα-emitting gas suggests a rotationally supported host-galaxy system, apparently in contrast to its irregular photometric morphology. A comparison with the field-galaxy population reveals, however, that the kinematics of the gas in the 050709 host fits into the ensemble of merging galaxies well. Finally, we use the ATCA radio data to set deep constraints on any late-time flux from the GRB afterglow or a potentially associated kilonova radio flare ∼10 years after the burst.
AB - The host of the short gamma-ray burst (GRB) 050709 is a morphologically disturbed low-luminous galaxy. At a redshift of z = 0.16, it belongs to one of the cosmologically nearest short-GRB hosts identified to date. Consequently, it represents a promising target for sensitive, spatially resolved observational studies. We have used the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) mounted at the Very Large Telescope to characterize the GRB host galaxy. In addition, we performed deep radio-continuum observations of the host with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and with ALMA at 1.3 mm. Moreover, we made use of archival Spitzer Space Telescope 24 μm and Hubble Space Telescope/F814W imaging data of this galaxy. The spatially resolved MUSE data reveal that the entire host is a source of strong line emission, in particular from Hα and [O III] λ 5007, superimposed on a rather weak stellar continuum. Using the Balmer decrement, we map the internal host-galaxy reddening and derive an extinction-corrected star formation rate based on the flux in the Hα line of 0.15 ± 0.02 M yr-1. The galaxy is detected neither by ALMA nor by Spitzer, excluding a substantial amount of optically obscured star formation activity. Using the O3N2 metallicity indicator, we measure an average 12 + log (O/H) = 8.40 ± 0.05 (corresponding to ∼0.5 solar). Diagnostic emission line diagrams show that a substantial fraction of all MUSE spaxels that cover the GRB 050709 host galaxy lie close to the star-formation demarcation line. Some spaxels even suggest line emission by shocked gas. The ATCA observations reveal faint diffuse radio emission at the eastern part of the host in excess to that expected from pure star formation, possibly further evidence for nonthermal processes. The kinematics of the Hα-emitting gas suggests a rotationally supported host-galaxy system, apparently in contrast to its irregular photometric morphology. A comparison with the field-galaxy population reveals, however, that the kinematics of the gas in the 050709 host fits into the ensemble of merging galaxies well. Finally, we use the ATCA radio data to set deep constraints on any late-time flux from the GRB afterglow or a potentially associated kilonova radio flare ∼10 years after the burst.
KW - Gamma-ray burst: individual: GRB 050709
U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/202039689
DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/202039689
JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics
JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics
M1 - A117
Nicuesa Guelbenzu AM, Klose S, Schady P, Greiner J, Hartmann DH, Hunt LK et al. The host galaxy of the short GRB 050709. Astronomy and Astrophysics. 2021 Jun 1;650. A117. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202039689


Consumer bankruptcy lawyers across the region have been busy for the last several weeks fielding calls from and meeting with anxious clients hoping to file for bankruptcy relief before the implementation of the new federal bankruptcy reform law. With the combination of such extensive media attention and a very complex change in the law that affects so many individuals and families living on the edge of financial insecurity, rumor and misinformation about the law has been widespread. This has lead to an unprecedented spike in last-minute, panicked bankruptcy filings. The Roanoke, Virginia bankruptcy clerk's office reported that a record-breaking 813 petitions were filed in the western half of the state, including Lynchburg and surrounding counties, in one single day before the law changed in mid-October. By comparison, just over 4800 petitions were filed in all of 2004.Now that the dust has settled and the new law is firmly in place, was the frantic rush to file necessary? While it is safe to say that many of the details of the new law will need to be sorted out by the courts in the coming months and years, the fundamental framework and protections of our bankruptcy system have not disappeared. It may be helpful, though, to separate fact from fiction with respect to the new law.The following are some of the more common "myths" I have collected from clients over the last few weeks.
MYTH #1: You cannot file for bankruptcy after October!
This, of course, is wrong. In fact, most all of the same bankruptcy protections available to clients under the former law are still available under the new law. The source of this rumor is not clear but it may have sprung from the fact that some, very high-income individuals may have more trouble filing a Chapter 7 and walking away from their debts due to a bright line "means test" under the new law. However, even if an individual exceeded the income limitations for a Chapter 7, they would still have other effective bankruptcy options for dealing with their debts, such as under a Chapter 13 repayment plan where debt can often be wiped out over time for just a small fraction of what is owed.
MYTH #2: Medical bills and credit cards cannot be wiped out under the new law!
Medical bills and credit cards will continue to be the most common types of debt discharged by all types of bankruptcy under the bankruptcy reform law. There are no limitations on the amount or type of medical bills or credit cards that a client may include in his or her bankruptcy. As under the prior law, though, recent cash advances and luxury credit card purchases incurred on the eve of filing will remain problematic for clients trying to discharge those debts under the new law.
MYTH #3: You cannot file for bankruptcy relief under the new law if you own your own home or own more than one car!
The new law does not contain any restrictions about the number of homes or cars you may own before you may file. The real issue is whether any of those assets will be lost in a Chapter 7 proceeding because its value or "equity" may be beyond the amount that our state laws allow you to exempt and protect from creditors. It is true that Virginia's exemption laws are some of the stingiest in the country, but these have not changed in any way under the new bankruptcy reform law. Just as under the old law, Chapter 13 under the new law will remain an attractive option for clients that do not want to lose any property in their bankruptcy.
MYTH #4: You can no longer reduce car payments or stop home foreclosures!
Although Congress did succeed in making it more difficult to reduce a client's secured debt payments, such as car loans, they may still be adjusted and restructured to make them more affordable. Also, one of the most powerful aspects of the bankruptcy process has been the ability to stop a foreclosure and allow a person to catch up their missed mortgage payments over time if they have fallen behind. This extraordinary power remains unchanged.
Of course, not everything about the new law is the same as under the former law.
TRUTH #1: Filing bankruptcy under the new law will be more complicated and time-consuming.
Bankruptcy will require a bit more advance planning on the part of clients and lawyers going forward. Congress's new law does impose a multitude of paperwork requirements and legal disclosures that must be provided to clients before they may file. Documentation and extensive proof of assets and their values will be must in every case as well. In addition, clients will not be able to file for bankruptcy without completing a credit counseling course and they will not receive a discharge of their debts until they undergo a separate debtor education course. These new requirements are made even more difficult because the overwhelming majority of credit counselors operating in the country today are not "approved" by the bankruptcy courts yet.
TRUTH #2: Filing bankruptcy will be more expensive.
Both the credit counseling and the mandatory debtor education course are new requirements and the clients will have to bear these expenses as a part of their bankruptcy. Currently the cost to satisfy both requirements ranges from $100 to $200 per case. Also, with the additional demands on the lawyers imposed by this new law, attorneys' fees are expected to rise as well. Interestingly, though, while the court's Chapter 7 filing fee increased by $65 under the new law, the Chapter 13 filing fee actually decreased by $5.
TRUTH #3: The new law is more complex and include potential pitfalls for the unwary.
The bankruptcy reform law is the product of heavy creditor lobbying and attempts to end all abuse of the system. While this may be a lofty goal, the end result is a very complicated piece of legislation with detailed tests and penalties that are triggered under certain specific factual scenarios. Individuals trying to represent themselves as well as inexperienced attorneys will find the law difficult to follow and unforgiving. Across the country many attorneys are giving up their practices in this area of the law, which may decrease the availability of competent bankruptcy lawyers to assist clients who wish to file for relief.Regardless of what Congress intended to happen when it reformed the bankruptcy laws, the truth is that bankruptcies will continue. Illness, unemployment, divorce, and financial mismanagement will continue to occur, and bankruptcy will continue to be an option of last resort for individuals and families. Many of the details of the new law may even be softened by the courts as they try to manage a system that is at its core, of course, designed to give people a fresh start. Only time will tell what the real impact of the legislation will be, but for now, little is expected to change.


To listen authentically, one needs to listen to understand as opposed to listening to respond. In order to do this, the design workshop facilitator needs to be cognizant of their own strengths and weaknesses. The design workshop facilitator focuses on the end users and the end users' observations, questions, and interviews to insure that the app that is built is relevant to the people it serves.
Many tenets of theater and improvisation have important tools that support authentic listening. If you think about a favorite scene in a play or in a movie one of the reasons the scene is successful is because the actors and improvisers know that the most important person on stage, is not themselves but their scene partners.
For the design workshop facilitator, ostensibly, your scene partners are the end users or the customers. Only by truly listening to the end users will you all be able to create a relevant app.
Conference Calls are meetings too.
With the miracle of the internet comes the ability to have daily meetings in present time from far corners of the planet. And yet. I notice that people think conference calls are a chance to do errands, take a walk or eat a big lunch.
Conference calls are meetings too. They deserve the respect of preparation and attention that all meetings get.
Time Out: Don't Bring Up Gender OK?


text:
You are here: Home / Archives for Yasmeen
June 28, 2011 By Yasmeen Leave a Comment
At a fundraiser held by a school for learning-disabled children, a father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After thanking the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:
"When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Zishan, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?"
The audience was silenced by this query.
The father continued. "I believe, that when a child like Zishan, physically and mentally handicapped comes into this world, an opportunity is created to realise how true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child."
Then he told the following story:
Zishan and his father had walked past a schoolyard where some boys, were playing cricket. Zishan asked his dad, 'Do you think they'll let me play?'
Zishan's father looked over at the boys, and was reluctant to ask, as he knew that most of the boys would not want someone like his son on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
So, Zishan's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Zishan could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by 10 runs, will soon be going into our last over, with one wicket in hand. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat, if we lose another wicket.'
Zishan hobbled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His father watched with tears in his eyes. The other boys noticed the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the last over with one run remaining off two balls, a wicket fell.
Now, with one run remaining off two balls, the potential winning run was in reach and Zishan was scheduled to be next to bat. Zishan's father anxiously thought. At this juncture, do they let Zishan bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Zishan was given the chance to bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Zishan didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
However, as Zishan stepped onto the pitch, the bowler, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Zishan's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Zishan could at least make contact. The first ball came and Zishan swung clumsily and missed. The bowler again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Zishan. As the ball came in, Zishan swung at the ball and hit a 'high ball' right to the fielder.
The game should've been over there and then. The fielder could've easily caught the ball and Zishan would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the fielder dropped the ball, and proceeded to throw it right over the bowler's head, out of reach of all his team mates. Everyone from the bench and both teams started yelling, 'Zishan, Run! Run!' Never in his life had Zishan ever run that far, he scampered across the pitch, wide-eyed and startled, but he made it to the opposite end of the pitch.
As his bat crossed the line, his team-mates rushed in, and hauled him up on their shoulders. Everyone suddenly burst into cheer about the hero who had won the game for his team.
'That day", said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.
Zishan didn't make it to another summer. He died soon after, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and seeing his mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
Filed Under: Short Stories Tagged With: Inspirational, other short story
June 17, 2011 By Yasmeen 2 Comments
Ten year old Nooruddeen stared impatiently at the clock. Two minutes to go, he watched as the second hand ticked its way steadily round in almost slow motion. At last the bell rang and the entire school ruptured with the sound of squeaking chairs and running footsteps.
He sprang from his chair and darted for the door. He ran home, not even noticing the street cricket game that the neighbourhood kids had begun to play. When he reached home, he ate the sandwich, which his mom had prepared, and quietly went to his room to start on his homework. His mom noticed that her son was not really being his usual playful self, and tapped on the room door.
"Is everything alright? You've been very quiet since you got home."
"I'm fine, mom. Just doing my homework. Please let me know when dad gets home from work." her son replied.
His mom's curiosity grew, but she accepted the response, and decided to start on supper.
The afternoon went by quite quickly, and the little boy's father was soon home. Nooruddeen was out of his room, before his mom informed him of his dad's return. He opened the door just as his dad turned the key. His dad greeted him with a smile; he knew his son had something on his mind.
As his father laid down his bag, and handed mom the bag of goodies she had requested, his father asked, "How is it, son? How was school?
Nooruddeen replied, "School was good, dad. I actually wanted to let you know that I passed the Math test with an A…"
Dad responded pleased, " Good stuff!"
His son added, "Remember you promised that I could ask for anything if I passed well."
His dad's face cast a knowing smile and he replied, " Yes, I do. What do you want, son, you've earned it. Name it?'
Nooruddeen promptly responded, " All I want is to shave my head."
His mom, who had been quietly listening to the exchange between father and son, let out a little laugh. The father's brow furrowed, and he asked with feigned confusion, " Err, what did you say?"
His mom heard him, all right, and began frantically ranting about how the youth of today were so impressionable, and this was only the beginning of worse to come.
All the while the little boy, listened, and waited for his mom to finish. He then repeated, " Dad, you promised me 'anything', and I would like to shave my head bald, please."
The father protested in vain, " I know I said that, but I assumed you would want a bike or something reasonable, not this"
His mom then jumped in, " You can't be serious?"
The little boy remained unmoved, " This is all I am asking for."
The father stared at his son , and gave in, much to the dismay of his wife. That said and done, the next day, the father accompanied his son to the local barber.
On the way there, thoughts of dread were coiled in his mind. He could not figure out what they, as parents, had done wrong. He looked at his son, walking beside him…for the first time he did know what Nooruddeen was thinking. This disturbed him.
As the barber began shaving Nooruddeen's head, he looked curiously at the boy's father, who pretended not to notice and flipped a magazine. In less than ten minutes, it was all over. Nooruddeen happily sprang out of the chair, and ran his hand over his clean-shaven head, quite pleased with himself, as he went out the door and waited for his dad.
As his father stepped out, he noticed another little boy, head shaven too, and a man approaching them from around the corner. The boy seemed to know his son, and was clearly impressed with his son's new hairstyle. The man, who appeared to be the boy's father, spoke at this point to him, "You should be very proud of your son…" Nooruddeen's dad was bewildered and asked," Whatever do you mean?"
The man smiled and said," My son was diagnosed with cancer and had been attending chemotherapy sessions, which caused him to lose all his hair. He had been having a rough time at school. All the other kids were teasing him pretty badly. Your son just told him, not to worry, he would sort it out."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Let me explain how to choose the best forex broker to help you decide which one is right for you.
Here is a summary of the criteria that you should consider but please continue reading for more details.
There are a plethora of forex brokers to choose from and new ones being established every year.
Since there are so many, the forex trading industry is very competitive and this is a good thing for traders.
The forex broker with the biggest marketing budget can potentially attract a lot of new business, particularly the beginner. However, just because they have a big marketing budget does not necessarily make them the best forex broker to trade with.
Once you receive some education and experience from reading blogs and possibly interacting with others on forums, you will become even more aware about the many choices available.
This might lead you to shop around for better trading conditions and it is not unusual for any trader to trade with multiple brokers throughout their trading career.
Some traders even have trading accounts with different brokers to help them diversify risk and to receive a multiple benefits.
This list is not exhaustive and is in no particular order, but I want to start with what I believe is the most important. After that, how to choose the best forex broker to trade with will depend on your own preferences and requirements.
This is just a general guide.
A forex broker's reputation extends to more than just the financial services license they hold and what authority regulates them.
A good reputation is everything because then you would expect to be treated fairly.
You can start right by choosing a broker that has a solid reputation in the market and who is also licensed and regulated by a respected governing authority. Both of these points are somewhat subjective.
Different regulators from different jurisdictions also offer different layers of protection to investors depending on the country of residence.
For example, some jurisdictions have an investor compensation fund while others do not. This means that investor's funds are protected and insured up to a certain amount in case the forex broker files for bankruptcy. However, all forex brokers are required to keep client funds in a segregated account. They cannot use your money for their day to day operations.
So even if they do end up filing for bankruptcy, the receiver tasked with winding down the company should still be able to return client funds back to the original funding source.
When you visit a forex broker's website, their license number along with who they are regulated by can usually be found in the footer. They may also mention what countries residents are prohibited from opening an account with them.
Some forex brokers also have several licenses from multiple jurisdictions as part of their commitment to compliance and the regulatory framework. This also demonstrates that they take the safety and security of your funds seriously.
Once you have this information, you can visit the regulators website to verify their license number against the financial services register. If they hold a valid license, they will be on the register.
Another thing that can help you determine a forex broker's reputation is how they are perceived in the market place by their existing clients. Reviews can help you get a better idea about the experiences of others trading with the forex broker you are interested in before you open an account.
Trust Pilot is one independent review site you can check.
Some forex brokers even display their Trust Pilot rating on their website.
When choosing a forex broker, it would be a good idea to also check how long they have been in business for, or the year that they were established. You can normally find this information on the about us page on their website. A forex broker with a successful business model will have a longer track record and is more likely to be around for years to come.
How to choose the best forex broker also depends on your own trading requirements.
Forex brokers either have a market makers business model or they are part of an Electronic Communication Network (ECN). The difference between the two is that the former keeps your deals or orders in house and the latter processes them with an external liquidity provider.
ECN is the best technology the industry has, but some well capitalized market makers also act as liquidity providers.
In the forex market, someone is always making a market for someone else.
These should be as tight and as low as possible because it will mean that you have a lower cost of trading. The spreads vary between brokers, currency pairs and asset classes. This information should be available on the broker's website or you can register a demo account to check the trading conditions before opening an account.
Swaps change in line with the monetary and economic policy of the respective central bank. The forex broker has limited control of these however, they can and do put their own small spreads on these too.
Swaps will vary from one forex broker to the next but those that offer the MT4, MT5 and cTrader platform usually debit or credit your deal depending on the currency pairs you are trading. Some brokers will only debit you deal or charge a roll over fee when you trade on their proprietary platform. Check the broker's website for more information.
This can make all the difference to your trading results, particularly in regards to the profitability of a deal.
Most brokers do execute your deals within milliseconds though so we may be splitting hairs here. However, when you want to buy or sell during fast moving markets, it is important that your deal gets filled at the quoted price or as close to the quoted price as possible.
Flash crashes and black swan events do happen in the markets and it is possible to lose more than your deposit or balance.
Some forex brokers provide negative balance protection and EU regulated brokers are now required to do so. This ensures that you can't lose more than what you have deposited to your trading account.
Another way to help avoid a negative balance is not to trade under capitalized or over leveraged. This is within your control by risking only a small percentage of your balance at any one time.
Some traders like trading with higher leverage while others are not too concerned about it.
Trading using high amounts of leverage is risky because you can potentially to lose your investment faster.
There may be some advantages too, such as magnifying potential profits but if you are more concerned about capital preservation then using higher amounts of leverage becomes less relevant.
Leverage restrictions may also apply depending on the broker's jurisdiction.
Forex brokers have evolved over the years to expand their product offering to other asset classes. Nowadays, you can also trade commodities, indices, stock CFD's and cryptocurrency.
Some brokers also offer more currency pairs than others and the more markets you have access to, the better. This means that you can take advantage of different opportunities from a single trading platform. If your main or only interest is forex, then all the brokers offer the major currency pairs, a great selection of the minors as well as some exotic currencies from most continents.
We have written an article that explains the differences between an ECN vs Standard account.
Basically the differences are between ultra-tight variable spreads with a separate fixed commission or a higher spread without the separate fixed commission. The former is usually the most competitive option.
Some forex brokers also provide preferential or VIP services depending on the size of your investment or trading volume.
Further to this, you may also have a choice between a hedging and a netting account.
With the former account type, you can be both long and short the same currency pair at the same time. With the latter, you can only be long or short the same currency pair. Any subsequent sells will be netted off of long positions and any subsequent buys will be netted off of short positions.
Most traders prefer the hedging account and non US brokers usually provide this by default.
The most popular forex trading platform on the market at the moment is MT4.
This is a trading platform developed by MetaQuotes, which they license to forex brokers. They also developed its successor, which is MT5. Nearly all forex brokers offer MT4 because it has been widely adopted by the forex trading community.
There is not much in the way of trading platforms that separates forex brokers unless they develop their own. Some have but it is far easier to offer something that is familiar and already widely adopted. Those that have their own trading platform usually offer MT4 as well just because of its mass appeal.
Another great option is the cTrader platform developed by Spotware. This is a feature rich and easy to use trading platform offered by some brokers.
All these platforms are accessible and available as a desktop download, through a web browser or a smart phone application. You literally can trade from anywhere with any forex broker.
What platform you choose depends on your preferences.
Forex brokers want to make it as easy and as convenient as possible for you to fund your trading account.
For this reason, most of them offer a variety of funding methods and a low first time minimum deposit requirement to help you get started.
Typically, you can fund your account and start trading from as little as $200.
The best forex brokers will accept credit/debit card, bank transfer and some kind of e-wallet like PayPal, Skrill or Neteller.
Furthermore, they should not charge you to deposit funds and free withdrawals are a great benefit. This does vary much depend on the method used.
In most cases, the forex broker will absorb any credit or debit card processing fees but bank transfers usually have a cost.
You might have some questions before opening your trading account.
This is the ideal time to test the forex broker's customer service and response times.
You can most probably contact all forex brokers in these ways.
Since forex is a global business, they might have translated their website and provide multilingual support to assist you in your native language. This is always a good indicator that they are doing a lot of business in those respected countries.
If you are interested in several brokers but you are not sure which one to go with, why not contact them all.
A friendly voice on the telephone or a knowledgeable person responding to your email might help you to choose the best forex broker to trade with.
There is a chance that you might like them all so there is nothing stopping you from opening several accounts at the same time.
This is how you will really know how to choose the best forex broker because you would get to test their live trading conditions and experienced the full range of their customer service first hand.
Opening a trading account is quick and simple.
Anyone over the age of 18 that can prove their identity and residential address can start trading with a relatively small amount of money.
To help you get started trading, forex brokers might provide you with a platform tour or education and regular webinars.
Along with this website, there is plenty of help out there.
Some forex brokers are able to provide you with trading signals from a third party and the ability to copy other traders.
MT4, MT5 & cTrader have copy trading features built in to the trading platform. So you could mirror the trades of other traders automatically simply by subscribing to their signals.
You might want something more sophisticated and the best forex brokers want to cater to these requirements too.
For instance, some algorithmic traders have proprietary systems that trade in high frequency. They might require a FIX API (Financial Information Exchange, Application Programming Interface) to communicate directly with the trade server. This allows them to bypass the trading platform altogether.
Other algorithmic traders might want a virtual private server (VPS) for their expert adviser (EA) so their computer isn't on all the time. VPS's also improve execution speeds and this has wider appeal.
These features might make all the difference in how you choose the best forex broker to trade with.
This is a moot point but one that should be mentioned before closing this off.
Some would say that you should not judge a book by its cover. Especially since most trading is done on downloadable platforms. However, every broker will make an impression on you by the way they present themselves.
Their online presence and site usability experience is how they do that.
Does their brand resonate with you?
You might need fewer reasons to choose them or not then.
I hope you are more informed about how to choose the best forex broker now.


text:
ACCESSIBLY LIVE OFF-LINE
ACCESSIBLY LIVE OFF-LINE is a news service reporting on the multi-media. This includes, but not limited to, news and reviews on the fields of television and radio programming, feature films, regional theater in Los Angeles, California, USA edited by Rich Borowy, Editorial Manager
Accessibly Live Off-Line on Facebook
accessiblyliveoffline	in Vol. 24-No. 6	 February 11, 2019 February 11, 2019 1,849 Words
COOKIE TIME IN THE VALLEY
Actually, it's cookie time in the Los Angeles region. The Girl Scouts within this area has already launched their annual fund raising drive of selling Girl Scout Cookies, a tradition that goes back a little over 100 years.
Although these stats do vary depending on the community and the region one dwells in, The Girl Scouts is an organization that teaches those of the named gender "..life skills, STEM, the outdoors, and entrepreneurship with civic engagement to deliver crucial, life-changing, girl-led programming" (The previous quote was extracted from the Girl Scouts organization.) And although the age of the scouts ranges between five and eighteen years, most of the scouts as witnessed by this writer appear between the ages of eight through thirteen.
Many of these scouts usually sell their cookies by setting up a table in front of a retail outlet that caters to heavy traffic (supermarket, big box store, etc.) or through a community based organization. (Churches, etc.) Although a few will still go door-to-door in their neighborhood, many of them do not take this function due to safety issues.
But it's not just the Girl Scouts doing all of the selling. Many of the moms (and perhaps a few dads) are performing the selling on their daughter and/or daughter-figure's behalf. When yours truly was working as a researcher at a local TV station's news room, one of the staff number, a mother of not one, but to two girls that were scouts, were going around the TV station's work spaces asking those at work if they wanted to grab a box or two of the GS cookies. Many of the newsroom staff did. However at the time, I was shunning away from sweets. Every time I was asked by this mom of two GS in the family, I had to say "thanks but no thanks!" The woman, whose name is now long forgotten, was a good sport about me turning her down, although she did ask me once a week through a six week period. (I don't think she remembered asking me before.) But whatever the case, I did hear that she sold a lot of cookies, even selling a few boxes to the on-air news staff!
That wasn't my only experience with GS cookies. Many years before, my elder sister who was about thirteen at the time, did her part in selling GS cookies! She had a knack for being a self starting person, holding a keen savvy in convincing anybody in buying a box or two! With this savvyness, she actually convinced me to assist her in fobbing off cookies to those that were NOT friends, family members, co-workers, or anyone known to our clan.
So we spent our after school days (along with a few weekends) in the month of March and early April going through our neighborhood door-to-door in selling cookies. Keep in mind that this attempt was done around c.1972, a time where it was actually possible by having a pair of kids with a pull along aluminum shopping cart full of cookies while caring a pouch full of dollar bills and quarters going on their own unsupervised with the hopes of selling cookies to people around a number of blocks away from where we lived. (For the record, we lived in the community of Evanston, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago that resembles Pasadena or South Pasadena to give one an idea of what the community resembled!)
At the time, a box of cookies cost $1.25. That price was rather expensive for a box of cookies where one can get the same amount of cookies at the local Dominic's or Jewel supermarket for 39 cents. However, those supermarket cookies were just cookies. What my elder sis was selling was Girl Scout cookies!
She was a complete whiz in selling these cookies! She had this charm and personality that just about everyone fell for. With me as her faithful(?) assistant, we were able to sell these boxes to a point where we would sell out in only a matter of hours, only to go back to our place to reload! I didn't do much in the selling part. She sweet talked her way to those standing at their doorways in getting a box of cookies for themselves. One person even ordered a case (12 boxes to a case) of thin mints for a party this person was throwing that Saturday night! (I don't know what the party was to commemorate as we were not invited!) And although a few did say "no thanks", it was always done with good intentions. So nobody slammed any doors in our faces!
And when she decided to move her operations to the north side of town, near the campus of Northwestern University, that is when she stuck the motherload! That part of town has a lot of ritzy homes where many of the NU staff lived. And these folks appeared to have deeper pockets as nobody objected to the $1.25 price. That area also borders to the nearby suburb of Kennelworth, home to a lot of "old money" families!
After the sales were done, she sold a total of fifty-five cases at twelve boxes to a case. At one time, our living room resembled a warehouse stacked with case upon case of GS cookies. My mom became the unofficial inventory manager, keeping track to how many boxes of what variety was ready for delivery.
And not surprising, the thin mints were the biggest sellers as they still are in this day and age. It goes to show that people's tastes do not necessarily change as much as one may realize!
It turned out that my sis became in the top five sellers of cookies in her district, and was the only one whose mom was not a scout leader! As a reward, she was able to go to a Girl Scout camp located near the Wisconsin border for two weeks for free, a premium that only a handful of Girl Scouts could ever reach!
And what did I get out of this assisting? I received a 1972 Girl Scout calendar in June(!), and a damaged box of Girl Scout cookies where most of the cookies were broken! I think the cookies I got was an Oreo-type knockoff. But I did enjoy them while tuning in on an episode of The Flip Wilson Show on TV.
So when you are visiting your local supermarket or any other retailer and you spy upon a group of Girl Scouts standing around a card near the store's entrance, make sure that you do your part to grab a box or two of your favorite variety of cookies. It may cost you more than a buck and a quarter per box, but you are doing your part for the youth of America! (PS..I think I still have that calendar tucked away somewhere. I can always use it again in 2028!)
The Glendale Centre Theatre presents CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES, a musical comedy about a group of women dedicated to doing their part in working their cooking skills set within a sub-basement of their community church.
The setting is the said basement kitchen located inside a Lutheran church in small town Minnesota. It's the middle 1960's, and the ladies in question consist of Mrs. Vivian Snustad (Kate Landro), Mrs. Marvis Gilmerson (Kristen Hamilton, Mrs. Karis Engelson (Charlotte Carpenter) and her daughter Miss Beverly Engelson (Amanda Walker). Their purpose in the church is to take charge in cooking dinners and treats that are part of various fund raising events. Overseeing everything is Pastor Genderson (Patrick Foley). These woman work hard in getting everything is proper order. Beverly helps when she is home from her studies at the University of Minnesota located in "the cities" not so far away from their little village. Over time, a few things are in its ever changing moments at the church, such as having the hymn book go from black covers to red, catering the funeral for the church's janitor that maintained the heating system, and eventually arranging the wedding of Beverly a few years later. With their Norwegian heritage in play that features lutefisk (dried codfish) and lefse (potato pancakes) on the menu, it's this fine group of women that keep their church in full fledged order!
This musical, with book by Jim Stowell and Jessica Zuehike, and music and lyrics by Drew Jansen, is a charming piece that is set in a period and location where everything seems to be simpler, in spite of those "changes" that is going on at the time. (Guitar music played during services?) The cast of the five performers that appear in this show take their characters to life where they are as appealing and delightful, even adding a northern Minnesota "accent" to their speech with a few you betchas and an uff da added for authentic flavor! Much of what these ladies create in their sub terrain kitchen space isn't necessarily healthy as Miracle Whip is found in the icebox and Crisco is set inside the cupboard. An attempt of serving a vegetarian pasta dish throws them off a bit. But if they want to keep up with the times, so be it!
Many of the regular GCT behind-the-scenes crew members are once again involved in this production, from Steven Applegate's transcribed musical direction, Paul Reid's choreography, Angela Manke's period costume design, to George Strattan's stage direction. This team effort enhances the spirit to what this little theatre in Glendale strives for by presenting family friendly programs that appeal to its patrons! And in a few years (2022 to be exact), the GCT will commemorate its seventy-five years of existence! For a community theatre that's been running for close to three quarters of a century, they must be doing something right! Shows such as this one proves this point!
CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES is a stage piece that will please those that enjoy a musical that is irresistible as a good ol' fashioned church luncheon. And remember–when lutefish is outlawed, only outlaws will have lutefisk!!
CHURCH BASEMENT LADIES, presented by and performs at The Glendale Centre Theatre, 324 North Orange Street, Glendale, until March 9th. Showtimes are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 7:30 PM, with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM. No Sunday performance on March 3rd.
For more information, call (818) 244-8481, or via online at
http://www.GlendaleCentreTheatre.com
is a presentation of Linear Cycle Productions
Details@AccessiblyLiveOffLine.com
AccessiblyLiveOffLine@gmail.com
Details@LinearCycleProductions.com
http://www.AccessiblyLiveOffLine.com
https://www.facebook.com/accessiblylive.offline
@AccessiblyLive (Twitter)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEHxSllfDItpWh3z8vuUb_w
(Accessibly Live's channel on YouTube)
http://www.LinearCycleProductions.com
#AccessiblyLiveOffLine
(Look for us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and see us on YouTube!)
ACCESSIBLY LIVE OFF-LINE (C) 2019 Linear Cycle Productions. All rights reserved. The views and opinions are those of the writers, and not necessarily of the staff and management. 'Nuff said!
GROUP (TV) THERAPY
WHAT IS A (BRAND) NAME?


Let's simulate the real life situation. You are a successful businessman, you successfully increase revenues, but you are an ambitious person and want more. You want to take your company on the higher level – the cross-border market. And first steps are to study and analyze foreign mark as the economic system. Such factors are taken into account as its scope, risks of loss, general economic situation in the other country. It helps you to work out promotion and marketing strategy. But not least important is to be versed in questions of social and cultural specialties of cooperation. Each country has its national characteristics, own history and social and political formation, own customs and laws. You have to know about and take into account as all these distinctions so mentality of customers. For example, the British are very composed and patiently listen to partners when negotiating; on the contrary, Italians are highly emotional and impulsive and openly indicate their feelings.
Business Translation helps you bost your Company business by making it understandable in the language of your Customers.
The following item of your moving to success is to involve the trusted professional translation agency in process. In the time of intense competition the perfectly created product gives great advantages. You have to clearly define goals of project, and linguist experts offer variety of services, the main among them is localization of translating. Local means regional, territorial, so the final result must be the same. Translators adapt the text to cultural context of country, and make customers to take it for the text written by the native speaker and for them. It is wrong to make word-to-word translation of certain socio-cultural information which will be unclear to foreign public, such as, phrases from movies, songs or poetry. Lingual matches have to be found between idiomatic and folk expressions.
Translation Company that will help you increase your revenue and overcome your competitors.
There are objects and events that are peculiar to the certain social group and may have no equivalents in the second language. If some terms are absent in target language, they must be replaced by proper real words. They can be job titles, names of clothes, dishes, dances or geographical objects. The complexity is that it is not enough to translate, but it is necessary to express ethnographic and country specific sense of words. Another point is to pay attention to units of measurement. Though the metric system is used widely, but we must keep in mind foots, yards, pounds and inches. Also don't forget to adapt if necessary units of measure of temperature, currency, formats of writing of numbers, date and time. It is known that in the different countries addresses to the person you are talking to differ depending on his social status (Sir, Frau, Madame, etc.). Text makers must have lively imagination and creative thinking to convey the meaning of jokes, proverbs and word-plays.
Language Services that will make your business grow and prosper!
Among the great amount of professional translating services localization is often used for working out websites and soft. Big corporations or small startups are interested to have site aimed on target users. Content of site has to be understandable, easy in use and seemed to be made in native language. In such way you can quickly find potential customers and gain their trust.


text:
Tarot of Jean Noblet
Tarot of Jean Dodal
Maitre Jacques
Jacques Viéville
Peeking Through the Bars of the Tarot's Occult Prison
by Enrique Enriquez
The Tarot is a creation of Christian Medieval Europe
Say that to a typical Tarot fanatic. Some of these zealots will stare at you without blinking, and then change the subject. Others will accidentally swallow their own wigs. Some will even start vomiting up lentil soup, like Linda Blair in "The Exorcist."
Because the Tarot has been held hostage for over 200 years.
As in any other kidnapping, the motive here is money. Every year, several dozen decks are launched on the market, each featuring the most absurd ideas, theories and points of view. Based on the belief that "no one really knows where the Tarot comes from", a few publishers and authors fill their pockets with money, leaving the true Tarot buried under a ton of lies.
A kidnapping which has lasted 200 years…
It only requires a good look at the Tarot, a single glance empty of ego or personal agendas, to understand that the Tarot comes neither from Egypt, nor from Atlantis, nor from an extinct planet called Krypton. It only takes one good, humble look to see how the Tarot doesn't contain the secret recipe for making Mary Magdalen's favorite salad dressing. It only takes one sober look to understand that the Tarot comes, as I said before, from Christian Medieval Europe. The Tarot developed there. There is no need to go so far astray to understand its true purpose and meaning.
There are many more-or-less logical theories about the Tarot's connection with medieval Christianity. One of my favorite texts on the matter comes from Michael Hurst, and you can read it here. You can also consult Jean Claude Flornoy's thoughts here, or search the enormous amount of historical data which can be found here.
I have read the words of a very agitated author who claims that a careful look at the life of the Buddha can help you detect a myth of redemption in the Tarot. I wonder why this author had to go so far, when in fact one can find such a myth in the very same culture in which the Tarot originated: Christian Europe. The fluffy logic of today's average Tarot enthusiast is that we can only speculate about the origins of the Tarot. That is true. But why do we have to take our speculations as far as ancient Egypt, Lady Godiva's menstrual cramps, or the lost Atlantean recipe for clam pie? Christian Europe should suffice.
Obsessed as all these authors have been at finding the Tarot's "occult" code, they have ignored the "public" code, apparent just by looking at the images depicted in the Tarot de Marseille.
Why is it so important to insist on all of this? First, to vindicate the Tarot as an unique instrument of spiritual inspiration native to the Western world. The Tarot can be as useful today as it was 500 years ago because, as Michael Hurst would put it, it invites us to "know our place, practice our virtues, and trust god." This is a useful and powerful message, no matter what our personal beliefs may be. Second, it is important to insist on all of this because the Tarot's contemporary image has been shaped by con-men and lunatics, giving rise to all kinds of absurd theories and bizarre explanations.
Talking about the bizarre, it is good to remember that the idea of the Tarot coming from Egypt was an invention of Antoine Court de Gebelín, an "occultist" who, the story goes, "discovered" the Tarot in 1771 when he saw some ladies playing cards. The Rosetta Stone had been discovered a few years earlier. Egypt was fashionable at that time, and Court de Gebelín had a ball projecting all his fantasies onto the Tarot. He also took some liberties: he gave a fourth leg to Le Bateleur's table, put a zero on Le Mat's card, turned Le Pendu upright… Up until that time, the Tarot had been a work of sacred art, transmitted through a lineage of master image-makers. Master card-makers would contribute their talent to the tradition, reproducing images from an unknown artist. Court de Gebelín started the "Tarot of the Ego." He was the first untrained amateur who dared to redesign these images and claim authorship over them. Today we know that all Court de Gebelín "saw" in the Tarot was false. It was all a fantasy. But these fantasies were perpetuated by several generations of "occultists" who followed suit, adding their egos, and their last names, to the Tarot. The biggest problem we have is that, since Court de Gebelin and friends first laid their eyes on the Tarot, they decided to see in it something else, not the Tarot. This misunderstanding, fostered by a mixture of arrogance and ignorance from these so-called occultists, has given us a carnival of pseudo-tarots, all of them mirrors of their author's ego, none of them truthful to the Tarot's true nature or purpose. From this period come all the alleged relationships between the Tarot and the Cabala, Astrology, the Emerald Tablet, Mexican cock-fights, Yoga, the Chakras and Josie & the Pussycats.
No wonder the image of a Tarot reader conjures up suspicion and contempt in the mind of the general public!
The most notable of these "occultists" was Arthur E. Waite who, in the beginning of the 20th Century, commissioned Pamela Colman Smith to create a new design for the Tarot. Waite is known worldwide for "illustrating" the so-called minor arcana. With this gesture, the "Tarot of the Ego" evolved into the "Tarot for Kids". This is the Tarot of those who prefer to read Paulo Cohelo instead of Dante. The Tarot of those who will choose Prozac over Plato, any day. The Rider Waite-Smith deck was built, then, upon a mistaken tradition, one which laid the foundations for all the silliness and madness we observe today in the Tarot: "The Blinking Navel Tarot", "The Ron Jeremy Tarot", "The Krishnamurti Casual Friday Tarot," and a myriad of other clones, all absurd, all far removed from the original source.
Con-men and madmen…
When we look at the Marseille Tarot, La Papesse informs us that knowledge triumphs over ignorance and deceit. Fortunately, there are some people interested in freeing the Tarot from its kidnappers. For them, a return to source-material is necessary. The re-edition of the Jean Noblet Tarot, the oldest remaining Marseille-type deck, means that for the first time in over three centuries we can look at the Tarot as it was, without intermediaries or layers of fairy dust. At the same time, access to historical material is becoming easier. All the lies that have long been encumbering the Tarot will persist only among those who get a kick out of conspiracy theories. Beyond the sirens' song of the market, the possibility of experimenting with the Tarot as an unique visual pathway to self-knowledge has been re-opened…
To History home page
© 2021 Association letarot.com - Le Grand Moulin 53270 Sainte-Suzanne, France - (33) (0)2 43 01 44 43 | Réalisation Les Sentinelles du Web


text:
Action on doorstep callers welcomed
CONSUMER watchdogs in West Yorkshire have welcomed a crackdown on doorstep callers.
The county's Trading Standards Service welcomed the publication of a report by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on doorstep selling and underlying problem of doorstep crime.
It is an issue which affects many vulnerable people in West Yorkshire.
The report follows a year-long investigation by the Government watchdog into doorstep conmen and their sharp trading practices.
It highlights shortfalls in the law in place to protect consumers from the tactics employed by many salespeople.
It recommends changes in the law and announces that it is to run a national consumer education campaign, with organisations such as Trading Standards, to provide consumers with information on their rights when buying via doorstep selling, to encourage the benefits of shopping around and to inform them about the psychological techniques used by some salespeople.
Martin Wood, West Yorkshire's Chief Trading Standards Officer said: "Last year we received nearly 400 complaints related to doorstep selling, ranging from excessive prices, shoddy workmanship and in some cases intimidation tactics.
"Our Rapid Response Team has been despatched in more than 130 of those cases, enabling us to save thousands of pounds for consumers faced with predatory salespeople.
"Unfortunately the instances of doorstep crime are on the increase and it is a sad fact that the majority of victims are the most vulnerable members of the community."
Lysa Ralph, national senior safety manager at Help the Aged, said: "We know that bogus callers often target vulnerable older people and that older people are particularly likely to fall victim to this type of crime.
"Criminals are targeting older people across the country, charging outrageous prices for shoddy work or no work at all.
"A total ban on all doorstep selling for property repairs will be the only sure way to protect older people from rogue traders and distraction burglars.
"We know that this is a huge problem, which is massively under-reported."
PEOPLE are being warned not to fall for a new scam.
The warning came from West Yorkshire trading standards after a flurry of complaints.
Victims receive postcards saying they have an overseas parcel awaiting collection.
They are asked to phone the company which sent the cards to arrange delivery.
But the number is a premium rate line - with a message lasting seven minutes.
Callers are expected to stay on the line until they are given their unique reference number, without which they cannot arrange for their parcel to be delivered.
Clr Gerry Harper, chairman of West Yorkshire Trading Standards Committee, said: "At £1.50 a minute, a call to this company would cost £10-plus, as customers supposedly need to identify their despatch reference number, which the company claims is necessary to arrange delivery.
"Our evidence suggests that the same batch number is printed on every card.
"I would urge everyone who has received such a postcard to think carefully about whether they are, in fact, waiting for a genuine overseas parcel delivery before ringing the number."
Anyone who has received a postcard, or who has, in fact, subsequently received a parcel, is asked to phone the West Yorkshire trading standards consumer helpline on 0113 3 848.


In recent months there have been more and more reports of people abusing the ranking system (and, more importantly, other people getting upset about this ). So, I would welcome discussion on what sort of solution should be implemented to stop this sort of behaviour.
1. Change the ranking system to make it cheat-proof (seems hard, suggestions welcome).
2. Add an option to exclude particular users from the ranklist - and perhaps a forum for discussing potential "bans" (Wikipedia style).
3. Do nothing - we'll live with it.
I'm sorry but what does "abusing the ranking system" mean?
I mean how could it be abused?
I would have to agree with zzz, it is going to be difficult for users to suggest solutions unless they know the problem. I am aware that this is a catch 22 in some way.
If you look at the history of submissions for user neophd, you'll see that, several times, the user submitted, within a very short time frame, accepted solutions for a set of problems that were used in the same programming contest. For instance, in 2008-03-31, between 18:00 and 18:15, the user submitted accepted solutions for the problems "Glass Beads", "Skyscraper Floors", "Commedia dell Arte", "Substitution Cipher", "Copying Books", and "Adding Reversed Numbers". All these problems were used in 1998 ACM Central European Regional, and the solutions can easily be found on the web. A judge setter confirmed that the solutions submitted by the user are exactly the contest sample solutions. The user did this many, many times. With this expedient alone, as of May 15, this user is on position #37 in the global ranking. I'd call this an abuse of the ranking system.
By the sheer number of TLEs and WAs that appear in the judge status, I think it's safe to say that most SPOJ users are honest and this sort of thing is an exception. The only solution I see (besides having more problems that weren't used in past competitions) is blacklisting. The SPOJ administrators probably shouldn't be bothered about this, though. But I can't help finding it annoying.
I agree with mpr. I think a blacklist can solve most problems.
About the topic, i think the test cases should be shuffled or add more cases, in order to avoid that someone submit the solution(TEXT) used in contests.
OK, it looks like an "exclude from ranklist" flag, per user, per contest, should be sufficient to enable blacklisting. I will add this option shortly.
I'm still not convinced whether blacklisting in the main SPOJ problemset (in English) is a good idea.
I agree - it may cause some tension if people are blacklisted dubiously.
Wouldn't it be easier to do things on a per-problem basis? If the author sees that someone has just submitted code that obviously isn't theirs, they can 'delete' the solution, email a warning, and see how things go from there?
I do agree with TripleM. We problemsetters can deal with cheating much easily with the ability of deleting some "cheat" submissions.
"Why bother with cheating? There are no prizes at all, we just do it for fun and if someone is cheating he/she is just wasting time in a very pointless way?"
There is some truth in statements like this, but let's face it, we all like SPOJ's ranking system and it is one of the reasons, for me at last, to keep solving problems. There is a sense of achievement when we go up a little bit in the ranks after an acceptance, or when we submit the best solution for a problem (even if it is not a challenge problem). It is difficult to explain this to some people, but if you are reading this post you probably agree with me.
There is also a "patriotic" pride when we help our country to go up in the countries rank, specially when you want to stimulate other people to study algorithms (as in my case, because I'm a CS teacher) and your country has no tradition in programming (I'm from Brazil).
The problem with cheating is that it really makes things look pointless. Our little "abstract" sense of achievemente becomes even more abstract, because the same thing that we got from struggling is obtained by others with no efforts.
Most people that complained about the Brazillian guy that cheated are from Brazil, and they, alas we, were dismayed because he messed up our local rank an the countries rank. Suddenly, the whole thing seemed very meaningless. The effect in the global rank is not that significant, but try to imagine what it would be like if the top ranker was a cheater, or if there were lots of cheaters in the top 50.
Some people may be thinking now "If you feel this annoyed why don't you just quit?". Well, I lost my impulse in SPOJ when the cheating came up in a newsgroup of brazillian SPOJ members. Some people felt just like me. I don't think that problems like this should be ignored.
But I don't think this is an unsolvable problem. I recovered my impulse when the supposed cheater changed his name and country. I think he recognized that his acts were the results of poor judgement. This kind of cheating will happen again in rare ocasions, but a little talk with the administrators or something like that will (probably) get things straight. A per-problem elimination of dishonest solutions may set things right. But there must be a way to detect cheating before the number of bad submissions gets too high.
A curious way to facilitate the correction of cheating is to allow users to disqualify their own solutions if they think they are dishonest. I think that neophd himself would do something like that if he had the opportunity.
This really makes me lose motivation, please expel this scum.
This user neophd is too cheeky. His action(pretending to be a Chinese user) will lose credits of our Chinese users. BTW, the user name he pretend is really the name of a Chinese ACMer from Zhejiang Univ.
Please ban this user id and delete all his submissions.
It seems that neophd has finally got our point. He started a new account where he promises to submit only honest solutions.
I'm willing to believe him. I know that this is the second time I do so, and in the first time I got very disappointed, but this time he communicated his decision directly into our forum.
I still would like to see his previous account erased, and probably so do he (unless, of course, he doesn't have an archive of his honest solutions), but I wish his new account will show his real potential and provide him some real fun.
as an example of honest attitude to the contest, from my compatriot Ivan Metelsky, a very talented programmer, member of our national team.


I just wanted everyone to know that I know that I don't write "correct" haiku. Also, I don't care.
This is a page that links to lots of other pages about haiku.
This is a blog post by a violinist full of MUSIC HAIKU. She does write (multiple) haiku with an "s," but whatever.
SOON TO COME: informative haiku post. Super interesting (not boring). Get excited.
FEEDBACK REQUESTED. ALSO, Tell Me What You'd Like to Hear, Honey.
Perhaps you've had an idea for a haiku, or a series of haiku but haven't had the time/energy/patience/wherewithal/desire to post one yourself. Well let me know and maybe I'll write or collaborate with some of my cohorts on a new project.
If you'd like to submit your own haiku (singular and/or plural) click "Submit" or click HERE. If you'd like to see other submissions click "Friend(')s" or click HERE.
I don't generally do this sort of thing but I wanted to update you on some exciting things that are abound.
The "Friend(')s" page is up and running with an archive of all the guest submissions (we have 2!). Feel free to go to the "Guest Submissions" page at any time and submit a haiku or two (<- rhyme) anonymously or otherwise. This is exciting.
Additionally, Aaron Quinn (also @ BusTown) wrote a (couple of?) piece(s) based on my haiku (and one non-haiku). He is guitarist/new music composer/husband (WHOA!)/friend/ and despite his best efforts otherwise, a super rad guy based in Columbus (but probably not forever). Check out his stuff! More to come on this.
Also, Dan DiPiero and I are planning a series of haiku WITH ILLUSTRATION soon. He is a drummer/new music composer/illustrator/food connoisseur/and author based in the quasi Los Angeles (Cal Arts) area but FROM Cleveland, whom I met in Columbus and hopefully someday soon back in the midwest. I'm not sure what this will be exactly but I'm thinking of calling it "People and Me and People" or something. Get excited and check him out too. I've been meaning to collaborate with him for a long time and it should be an exciting venture. More to come on this TOO.
Thank you for reading. Any day I get more than 3 readers I feel lucky and strange. SUBMIT SOMETHING. Loves.
Haiku write me (and right me).
I Wish I Were a Bear; I Want To, Want To Maul You.
in the way of waste.


text:
// Copyright Yahoo. Licensed under the terms of the Apache 2.0 license. See LICENSE in the project root.
package com.yahoo.vespa.model.admin;

import com.yahoo.config.model.api.ModelContext;
import com.yahoo.cloud.config.SlobroksConfig;
import com.yahoo.cloud.config.ZookeepersConfig;
import com.yahoo.cloud.config.log.LogdConfig;
import com.yahoo.config.model.ConfigModelContext.ApplicationType;
import com.yahoo.config.model.deploy.DeployState;
import com.yahoo.config.model.producer.AbstractConfigProducer;
import com.yahoo.config.provision.ApplicationId;
import com.yahoo.config.provision.ClusterSpec;
import com.yahoo.config.provision.Zone;
import com.yahoo.vespa.model.AbstractService;
import com.yahoo.vespa.model.ConfigProxy;
import com.yahoo.vespa.model.ConfigSentinel;
import com.yahoo.vespa.model.HostResource;
import com.yahoo.vespa.model.Logd;
import com.yahoo.vespa.model.admin.clustercontroller.ClusterControllerContainer;
import com.yahoo.vespa.model.admin.clustercontroller.ClusterControllerContainerCluster;
import com.yahoo.vespa.model.admin.metricsproxy.MetricsProxyContainer;
import com.yahoo.vespa.model.admin.metricsproxy.MetricsProxyContainerCluster;
import com.yahoo.vespa.model.admin.monitoring.MetricSet;
import com.yahoo.vespa.model.admin.monitoring.Monitoring;
import com.yahoo.vespa.model.admin.monitoring.builder.Metrics;
import com.yahoo.vespa.model.filedistribution.FileDistributionConfigProducer;
import com.yahoo.vespa.model.filedistribution.FileDistributionConfigProvider;

import java.io.Serializable;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Optional;

import static com.yahoo.vespa.model.admin.monitoring.MetricSet.empty;

/**
 * This is the admin pseudo-plugin of the Vespa model, responsible for
 * creating all admin services.
 *
 * @author gjoranv
 */
public class Admin extends AbstractConfigProducer<Admin> implements Serializable {

    private static final long serialVersionUID = 1L;

    private final boolean isHostedVespa;
    private final Monitoring monitoring;
    private final List<Configserver> configservers = new ArrayList<>();

    private final Metrics metrics;
    private MetricsProxyContainerCluster metricsProxyCluster;
    private MetricSet additionalDefaultMetrics = empty();

    private final List<Slobrok> slobroks = new ArrayList<>();
    private Configserver defaultConfigserver;

    /** The log server, or null if none */
    private Logserver logserver;

    private LogForwarder.Config logForwarderConfig = null;
    private boolean logForwarderIncludeAdmin = false;

    private final ApplicationType applicationType;

    public void setLogForwarderConfig(LogForwarder.Config cfg, boolean includeAdmin) {
        this.logForwarderConfig = cfg;
        this.logForwarderIncludeAdmin = includeAdmin;
    }

    /**
     * The single cluster controller cluster shared by all content clusters by default when not multitenant.
     * If multitenant, this is null.
     */
    private ClusterControllerContainerCluster clusterControllers;

     // Cluster of logserver containers. If enabled, exactly one container is running on each logserver host.
    private Optional<LogserverContainerCluster> logServerContainerCluster = Optional.empty();

    private ZooKeepersConfigProvider zooKeepersConfigProvider;
    private final FileDistributionConfigProducer fileDistribution;
    private final boolean multitenant;

    public Admin(AbstractConfigProducer<?> parent,
                 Monitoring monitoring,
                 Metrics metrics,
                 boolean multitenant,
                 boolean isHostedVespa,
                 ApplicationType applicationType) {
        super(parent, "admin");
        this.isHostedVespa = isHostedVespa;
        this.monitoring = monitoring;
        this.metrics = metrics;
        this.multitenant = multitenant;
        this.fileDistribution = new FileDistributionConfigProducer(parent);
        this.applicationType = applicationType;
    }

    public Configserver getConfigserver() { return defaultConfigserver; }

    /** Returns the configured monitoring endpoint, or null if not configured */
    public Monitoring getMonitoring() {
        return monitoring;
    }

    public Metrics getUserMetrics() { return metrics; }

    public MetricsProxyContainerCluster getMetricsProxyCluster() {
        return metricsProxyCluster;
    }

    /** Used by model amenders */
    public void setAdditionalDefaultMetrics(MetricSet additionalDefaultMetrics) {
        if (additionalDefaultMetrics == null) return;
        this.additionalDefaultMetrics = additionalDefaultMetrics;
    }

    public MetricSet getAdditionalDefaultMetrics() {
        return additionalDefaultMetrics;
    }

    /** Returns a list of all config servers */
    public List<Configserver> getConfigservers() {
        return configservers;
    }

    /** Returns an immutable list of the slobroks in this */
    public List<Slobrok> getSlobroks() { return Collections.unmodifiableList(slobroks); }

    public void setLogserver(Logserver logserver) { this.logserver = logserver; }

    /** Returns the log server for this, or null if none */
    public Logserver getLogserver() { return logserver; }

    public void addConfigservers(List<Configserver> configservers) {
        this.configservers.addAll(configservers);
        if (this.configservers.size() > 0) {
            this.defaultConfigserver = configservers.get(0);
        }
        this.zooKeepersConfigProvider = new ZooKeepersConfigProvider(configservers);
    }

    public void addSlobroks(List<Slobrok> slobroks) {
        this.slobroks.addAll(slobroks);
    }

    public ClusterControllerContainerCluster getClusterControllers() { return clusterControllers; }

    public void setClusterControllers(ClusterControllerContainerCluster clusterControllers, DeployState deployState) {
        this.clusterControllers = clusterControllers;
        if (isHostedVespa) {
            // Prefer to put Slobroks on the admin cluster running cluster controllers to avoid unnecessary
            // movement of the slobroks when there are changes to the content cluster nodes
            removeSlobroks();
            addSlobroks(createSlobroksOn(clusterControllers, deployState));
        }
    }

    private void removeSlobroks() {
        slobroks.forEach(Slobrok::remove);
        slobroks.clear();
    }

    private List<Slobrok> createSlobroksOn(ClusterControllerContainerCluster clusterControllers, DeployState deployState) {
        List<Slobrok> slobroks = new ArrayList<>();
        for (ClusterControllerContainer clusterController : clusterControllers.getContainers()) {
            Slobrok slobrok = new Slobrok(this, clusterController.index(), deployState.featureFlags());
            slobrok.setHostResource(clusterController.getHostResource());
            slobroks.add(slobrok);
            slobrok.initService(deployState);
        }
        return slobroks;
    }

    public Optional<LogserverContainerCluster> getLogServerContainerCluster() { return logServerContainerCluster; }

    public void setLogserverContainerCluster(LogserverContainerCluster logServerContainerCluster) {
        this.logServerContainerCluster = Optional.of(logServerContainerCluster);
    }

    public ZooKeepersConfigProvider getZooKeepersConfigProvider() {
        return zooKeepersConfigProvider;
    }

    public void getConfig(LogdConfig.Builder builder) {
        if (logserver == null) {
            builder.logserver(new LogdConfig.Logserver.Builder().use(false));
        }
        else {
            builder.
                logserver(new LogdConfig.Logserver.Builder().
                        use(logServerContainerCluster.isPresent() || !isHostedVespa).
                        host(logserver.getHostName()).
                        rpcport(logserver.getRelativePort(0)));
        }
     }

    public void getConfig(SlobroksConfig.Builder builder) {
        for (Slobrok slob : slobroks) {
            builder.
                slobrok(new SlobroksConfig.Slobrok.Builder().
                        connectionspec(slob.getConnectionSpec()));
        }
    }

    public void getConfig(ZookeepersConfig.Builder builder) {
        zooKeepersConfigProvider.getConfig(builder);
    }

    public FileDistributionConfigProducer getFileDistributionConfigProducer() {
        return fileDistribution;
    }

    /**
     * Adds services to all hosts in the system.
     */
    public void addPerHostServices(List<HostResource> hosts, DeployState deployState) {
        if (slobroks.isEmpty()) // TODO: Move to caller
            slobroks.addAll(createDefaultSlobrokSetup(deployState));

        if (! deployState.isHosted() || ! deployState.getProperties().applicationId().instance().isTester())
            addMetricsProxyCluster(hosts, deployState);

        for (HostResource host : hosts) {
            if (!host.getHost().runsConfigServer()) {
                addCommonServices(host, deployState);
            }
        }
    }

    private void addMetricsProxyCluster(List<HostResource> hosts, DeployState deployState) {
        metricsProxyCluster = new MetricsProxyContainerCluster(this, "metrics", deployState);
        int index = 0;
        for (var host : hosts) {
            // Send hostname to be used in configId (instead of index), as the sorting of hosts seems to be unstable
            // between config changes, even when the set of hosts is unchanged.
            var container = new MetricsProxyContainer(metricsProxyCluster, host, index, deployState);
            addAndInitializeService(deployState, host, container);
            metricsProxyCluster.addContainer(container);
        }
    }

    private void addCommonServices(HostResource host, DeployState deployState) {
        addConfigSentinel(deployState, host, deployState.getProperties().applicationId(), deployState.zone(),
                          deployState.featureFlags());
        addLogd(deployState, host);
        addConfigProxy(deployState, host);
        addFileDistribution(host);
        if (logForwarderConfig != null) {
            boolean actuallyAdd = true;
            var membership = host.spec().membership();
            if (membership.isPresent()) {
                var clustertype = membership.get().cluster().type();
                // XXX should skip only if this.isHostedVespa is true?
                if (clustertype == ClusterSpec.Type.admin) {
                    actuallyAdd = logForwarderIncludeAdmin;
                }
            }
            if (actuallyAdd) {
                addLogForwarder(deployState, host);
            }
        }
    }

    private void addConfigSentinel(DeployState deployState, HostResource host,
                                   ApplicationId applicationId, Zone zone, ModelContext.FeatureFlags featureFlags)
    {
        ConfigSentinel configSentinel = new ConfigSentinel(host.getHost(), applicationId, zone, featureFlags);
        addAndInitializeService(deployState, host, configSentinel);
        host.getHost().setConfigSentinel(configSentinel);
    }

    private void addLogForwarder(DeployState deployState, HostResource host) {
        addAndInitializeService(deployState, host, new LogForwarder(host.getHost(), logForwarderConfig));
    }

    private void addLogd(DeployState deployState, HostResource host) {
        addAndInitializeService(deployState, host, new Logd(host.getHost()));
    }

    private void addConfigProxy(DeployState deployState, HostResource host) {
        addAndInitializeService(deployState, host, new ConfigProxy(host.getHost()));
    }

    public void addAndInitializeService(DeployState deployState, HostResource host, AbstractService service) {
        service.setHostResource(host);
        service.initService(deployState);
    }

    private void addFileDistribution(HostResource host) {
        FileDistributionConfigProvider configProvider = new FileDistributionConfigProvider(fileDistribution, host.getHost());
        fileDistribution.addFileDistributionConfigProducer(host.getHost(), configProvider);
    }

    // If not configured by user: Use default setup: max 3 slobroks, 1 on the default configserver host
    private List<Slobrok> createDefaultSlobrokSetup(DeployState deployState) {
        List<HostResource> hosts = hostSystem().getHosts();
        List<Slobrok> slobs = new ArrayList<>();
        if (logserver != null) {
            Slobrok slobrok = new Slobrok(this, 0, deployState.featureFlags());
            addAndInitializeService(deployState, logserver.getHostResource(), slobrok);
            slobs.add(slobrok);
        }

        int n = 0;
        while ((n < hosts.size()) && (slobs.size() < 3)) {
            HostResource host = hosts.get(n);
            if ((logserver== null || host != logserver.getHostResource()) && ! host.getHost().runsConfigServer()) {
                Slobrok newSlobrok = new Slobrok(this, slobs.size(), deployState.featureFlags());
                addAndInitializeService(deployState, host, newSlobrok);
                slobs.add(newSlobrok);
            }
            n++;
        }
        int j = 0;
        for (Slobrok s : slobs) {
            s.setProp("index", j);
            j++;
        }
        return slobs;
    }

    public boolean multitenant() {
        return multitenant;
    }

    public ApplicationType getApplicationType() { return applicationType; }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The hammock market is full of choices, however what most people don't know is that there are two main types of hammocks, those with spreader bars and those without. A hammock with spreader bars has bars either on one or both sides of the hammock. Those without spreader bars have more of a slope to them and need a higher hanging space. To decide which one you'll want, you'll need to decide where to place the hammock and then learn how to hang it!
Made of traditional cotton or polyester, a rope hammock has a comfortable weave for relaxation.
With solid or striped patterns, fabric hammocks are low maintenance and durable.
Read a favorite book and relax with a single person hammock chair or swing.
Lightweight and versatile for campers, camping hammocks are like tents that keep campers off the ground.
Hammocks with Spreader Bars: If you are hanging a hammock designed with spreader bars, the recommended height off the ground is 4-5'. The minimum distance that is required for hanging a hammock with spreader bars is equal to the overall length of the hammock. If your hammock is 13' from hanging point to hanging point, then a minimum spacing of 13' is needed. If you need to hang your hammock farther apart than this, you can use either rope or chain to extend your hanging points. We recommend extending the hanging points in equal lengths on both ends of the hammock, and extending the hanging points no farther than an additional 18" on each end for a total of an additional 3'. If you choose to add more than 3' of length, the tipping factor increases significantly.
Hammocks without Spreader Bars: If your hammock does not have spreader bars, 6-8' off of the ground is the best height for hanging. Hammocks without spreader bars are typically more flexible in how they can be hung, and therefore can be adjusted to whatever space you have to work with. Camping hammocks usually come without spreader bars, making them easy to put up in a variety of settings. The minimum hanging distance for hammocks without spreader bars will be less than the overall length of the hammock because hammocks without spreader bars are designed to hang with a slump in them. Generally, the minimum hanging distance for hammocks without spreader bars is two thirds of the overall length of the hammock. If your hammock is 180" between hanging points, the minimum hanging distance is going to be 120". To calculate maximum hanging distance add 2' to the minimum hanging distance.
Hammock Chairs and Swings: If you have a hammock chair or swing, your hanging needs will be different. Read more about Hanging a Hammock Chair.
Where to Hang a Hammock - It's all about Location!
Now that you've purchased your hammock and calculated its space requirements, it's time to decide how to hang a hammock in your chosen location. Most people tend to think Hammocks can only be hung between two trees, but there are many other hanging options and types of stands for them. There is such a huge variety available, you are sure to find the hammock you dream of for any occasion or location you have in mind.
Decide what you want from your hammock. Do you dream of sleeping away a summer afternoon, or catching a breeze in the evening? Do you have an avid reader in the family who can spend all day in a rope hammock, but can't handle glare from the sun? Or do you want to work on a golden tan in the afternoons? Hammock stands allow you to move your hammock in and out of the sun as needed if you don't already have an ideal location between trees or hanging from a deck.
Trees are great candidates as are posts for hanging Hammocks, but there are a good number of alternatives.
We also offer Hammock Hanging Hardware to allow you to hang your hammock from the ceiling, wall, or on a porch. Always be sure that the place you want to hang your hammock will support the weight capacity of the hammock.