Update2: A Biden spokesman said on Friday that the former Vice President doesn't remember the alleged 2014 incident.
Of course - he did appear to take a long, unsolicited sniff of Eva Longoria's hair at the same event.
Update: Biden's odds of winning the Democratic presidential nomination according to PredictIt have dropped considerably since Flores' article came out, putting him behind Bernie Sanders.
Former Democratic nominee for Nevada lieutenant governor Lucy Flores has accused former Vice-President Joe Biden of smelling her hair before planting a "big slow kiss" on her head in what has become somewhat of a predatory trademark maneuver.
The day of the 2014 rally, speakers gathered and took photos before going on stage. Flores (right) is pictured with Longoria and Biden before the uncomfortable encounter.
Flores notes in her article how after some time had passed, "pictures started to surface of Vice-President Biden getting uncomfortably close with women and young girls."


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My road to transfomation began with one thought, "Maybe I should just drive into that reservoir and end it all?" It was a flash of of thought, but I did think it for a moment. I was young, healthy, married, and the mother of two young children. It should have a been a pretty good time in my life, but that thought really took me by surprise. I recognized that I had never had these thoughts before and something was very wrong. Instead of driving into the reservoir that day, I drove straight home.
That night I had a long talk with my husband. I remembered that I had always been a happy-go-lucky person and I was no longer that person. What happened? What transformed me from an out-going, smiley person into a person so miserable that I had thought about driving into a reservoir? We realized that after the birth of our children I began to change. Years of late nights, lack of sleep, and loss of identity left me feeling angry, resentful, fatigued, and impatient. How could I get back to my old self? How could I begin to feel better?
It was then that I began attending a weekly yoga class on Thursday nights. What happened after that was pure magic. Little by little, I started feeling better. Yoga became my time, my time away, my time to talk with other adults, my time to sweat, my time to recharge. I loved it when my instructor would remind the class of different ways to look at life and all of life's challenges. Slowly, but surely, I started feeling better. More patient, less angry, stronger, more confident. I began to see my children's faces. I even began to play! Just play! I started to change my whole outlook on life.
Yoga, meditation, and regular exercise helped me come back from this dark place. I now recognize that life is made of both difficulties and joy, that nothing is permanent, and that actually being present takes practice. Once we can truly experience "now", we can truly begin living.
It is through teaching yoga, mediation, Reflexology, public speaking events, my online offerings, and in-person events, I can help you begin to live a more joyful and present life.


text:
#JayZ444 is dominating the internet, as fans are about to crash TIDAL to be signed up in time for #444 and they only have 5 minutes left…
Home » Hip Hop News » #JayZ444 is dominating the internet, as fans are about to crash TIDAL to be signed up in time for #444 and they only have 5 minutes left…
Kanye West's wife, Bianca Censori, says she was not a huge fan of his music, growing up
R. Kelly's infamous Atlanta mansion is for sale for $1.9 million [VIDEO]
Rick Ross has a fish tank worth 1 million dollars built in his home [VIDEO]
Megan Thee Stallion said she wishes Tory Lanez would have just killed her if she knew she was going to go through all of this, while testifying
By Chox-Mak
To think, back when Jay Z was on it, he dropped albums every year. It was that consistency that put him in this position. Early on, Jay Z said the world would miss him when he was gone, and then he retired, leaving the game hanging.
When Jay Z returned, it looked as if he'd continue delivering albums every year. However, he only went back-to-back once, before he began making people guess. He came back strong with The Blueprint 3, before taking four years off.
Four years since Magna Carta Holy Grail and Jay Z is now returning. In only a few minutes, Jay Z would have yet another album out, number thirteen. Now, Twitter is flooding over to TIDAL to sign up just before the album drops, so they can have it.
Read the tweets about "444" below:
Follow Hip-HopVibe.com on Twitter @HipHopVibe1.
Related Topics:4:44, chox mak, jay-z, magna carta holy grail, the blueprint 3, tidal
Kendrick Lamar is going to be a daddy! His fiancee, Whitney Alford, is pregnant!!!
JAY-Z reportedly explains #Lemonade on #444, due to him having a threesome in Paris? Early fan reviews say this new Hov is the Album of the Year

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Walking shows sees attendees amassing a hefty pile of brochures, tear sheets and business cards at the end of each day. If you're travelling from one country to another in covering a series of shows, this extra weight can ultimately become burdensome. So hats off to Jonathan Derda of Peachtree Audio who lifted the email address from my business card and shot me a .pdf detailing everything I'd witnessed the previous day in their room at T.H.E Show Newport Beach.
As efficient and environmentally friendly as the email follow-up is, it can't hold a candle to the way KEF delivered the particulars of their new Reference series at the Munich Hi-end show: hi-res photos, press release doc and white paper were supplied on a USB key, itself scale model of their infamous Blade loudspeaker. Clever-cute, huh?
Kent Engineering and Foundry = KEF. In the early 1970s, founder Raymond Cooke invested heavily in (then super-duper-expensive) computer hardware; a move that would enable KEF to better acquire, store and model loudspeaker measurements. This new technology subsequently informed the design process of the Model 104, KEF's first 'Reference' loudspeaker.
Since its 1973 debut, the Reference Series has remained at the heart of the KEF product line. That said, updates have become increasingly less common in recent years with the last Reference line refresh being 2006's relatively minor update to the Model 207 that itself first appeared in 2001.
Bringing it up to date with "new technologies and advanced materials that didn't exist previously" KEF have announced their 2014 Reference range. Gone is the super-tweeter vibin' coaxial extrusion. This latest update couples sleek minimalism to a hint of conservatism that's in no way as radical an aesthetic departure as the still phenomenally successful LS50 standmount.
Each loudspeaker features a Uni-Q driver that's an iterative development of the array found in the Blade floorstander: a 25mm vented aluminium dome tweeter coaxially aligned with a 125mm midrange driver. Each model is a 3-way design with low frequency augmentation (< 350Hz) coming from a new 165mm bass driver of which there are one in the Reference 1, two in the Reference 3 and four in the Reference 5.
Drivers are mounted in a super-rigid front baffle that's a sandwich of aluminium and resin composite pressed under extreme temperatures.
Ports. From The Reference white paper: "The port allows the bass to be augmented around the region that the vent is tuned and allows greater bass extension from a given size of loudspeaker." On the rear of each Reference model, you'll find an ovoid port with flared opening, designed as such to minimise turbulence and midrange colouration. And in a nod to the see-sawing pros and cons of sealed boxes vs. bass reflex designs, KEF have included two flexible port inserts: one short and one long, allowing the end user to tune each loudspeaker to their room and/or personal tastes. The longer liner gives a response that more closely approximates a sealed box design.
The Reference Series debuted at this year's Munich Hi-end show where the Reference 5 floorstander handled most of the weekend's demo duties. They were powered by a full complement of Arcam electronics.
With all the ambient noise and chatter, it's impossible to call out their abilities with refinement and subtlety but one things for sure, those big floorstanders can play LOUD. Not once did they sound light with low end heft or any hint of strain – quite a achievement given the large-ish space allocated to KEF/Arcam. Even with long port liner in place, you probably wouldn't want to run the Reference 5 in a hotel bedroom.
The Reference 1 standmounts would likely be a better fit for the smaller listening (bed)rooms of the Hilton hotel in Irvine but, according to 'Marketing Samurai' Stephanie Scola of KEF America, insurmountable logistical challenges barred their journey across the Atlantic in time for T.H.E. Show that took place two weeks after Munich. Here's hoping then that KEF get to show off their new Reference series at the New York Audio Show in Brooklyn in late September, at which time they're also slated to see some west coast action courtesy of San Francisco's Audio Vision.
Each model will be available in three standard wood finishes: Deep Piano Black, Luxury Gloss Rosewood and Satin American Walnut. If you've of need something more out there, KEF will also be producing a limited run of 'Kent Engineering and Foundry' special edition finishes of Blue Ice White or Copper Black Aluminium (pricing on which is TBA).
Next article Blurred lines – are you sure you want it?
I really dig the site – the layout, your perspective on perfectionist audio, insight on tube gear and more importantly (for me) , music in general. I'm a musician (clearly, I'm no writer) in Phoenix , Arizona, and am returning to my passion for an exquisite listening experience after almost 20 years away.
I picked up a pair of KEF r300 stand-mount speakers a couple months ago. So far, they are exactly what I needed for my small listening space. Hoping to go all tube with a new amp one day. In the meantime, budget demands I use my nova125.
Thanks for the words of appreciation Darren. Funnily enough, I think my next KEF investigation will be a pair of R300.
Nice! Look forward to seeing that next KEF post.
As you indicated, that's what our lot turns into doing the show rounds when asked to schlep a mounting pile of paper goods with information far better shared via USB sticks. In this day'n'age of virtual music, using costly paper brochures which invariably end up in the trash is so last century, ain't it?
Kudos for shouting out for USB sticks, email dissemination or on-line press rooms with professional photography in various resolutions, white papers, specs, tech talk and the works.


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Nice infographic, thank you! E-mail signature delimiter is double dash with space, not only two dashes (see RFC3676: http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc3676#section-4.3).
Thanks for stopping by, Pavel.
Indeed, that is a typo, and it's funny that you bring it up as within our algorithms we of course start from "dash dash space" but if there are human errors i.e. "dash dash return" we account for that and other anomalies as well.
Great article! The graphics are particularly informative.


text:
\section{Introduction}

Forcing of nonlinear systems does not always have the results that one might expect.
Subharmonic and chaotic resonances are prominent examples of such response.
Recent paleoclimate reconstructions provide indications of nonlinear properties of
Earth climate at the late Pleistocene \cite{rh},\cite{sal} (the period from 0.8 Myr to present).
Long term decrease in atmospheric $CO_2$, which could result in a change in the internal
response of the global carbon cycle to the obliquity forcing,
has been mentioned as one of the principal reasons for this phenomenon (see, for instance,
\cite{berg1}-\cite{clar}). At present time one can recognize at least three problems
of the nonlinear paleoclimate, which we will address in present paper using recent data and
speculations.

{\bf A}.  Reconstructed air temperature  on millennial time scales are known
to be strongly fluctuating. See, for instance figures 1 and 2.  While the nature of the trend
is widely discussed (in relation to the glaciation cycles) the nature of these strong fluctuations
is still quite obscure. The problem has also a technical
aspect: detrending is a difficult task for such strong fluctuations.
In order to solve this problem a wavelet regression detrending method was used in present investigation.
Then a spectral analysis of the detrended data reveals rather surprising nature of the strong
temperature fluctuations. Namely, the detrended fluctuations of the reconstructed temperature
are completely dominated by so-called one-third subharmonic resonance, presumably related to
Earth precession effect on equatorial insolation.

{\bf B}. Influence of Galactic turbulent processes on the Earth climate can be very significant for time-scales
less than 2.5 kyr.

{\bf C}. Nonlinearity of the Earth climate can also results in a chaotic response to an
external periodic forcing. Already pioneering studies of the effect of external
periodic forcing on the first Lorenz model of the chaotic climate (convection)
revealed very interesting properties of chaotic response (see, for
instance, \cite{golub},\cite{ahlers},\cite{fran}).  The climate, where the chaotic behavior
was discovered for the first time, is still one of the most challenging areas for the chaotic response
theory. One should discriminate between chaotic weather (time scales
up to several weeks) and a more long-term climate variation.
The weather chaotic behavior usually can be directly related to chaotic
convection (as it was done for the first time by Lorenz), while appearance of the
chaotic properties for the long-term climate events is a non-trivial and
challenging phenomenon. It was suggested that such properties can play a significant role
for glaciation cycles at multi-millennium time scales \cite{sal},\cite{hC},\cite{b}.

Cyclic forcing, due to astronomical modulations of the solar
input, rightfully plays a central role in the long-term climate models.
Paradoxically, it is a very non-trivial task to find imprints of this forcing in
the long-term climate data. It will be shown in present paper that just unusual
properties of nonlinear and chaotic response are the main source of this problem.

\begin{figure} \vspace{-0.5cm}\centering
\epsfig{width=.45\textwidth,file=fig1.eps} \vspace{-5cm}
\caption{The reconstructed air temperature data (dashed line) for the period 0-340 kyr.
The data were taken from Ref. \cite{Fuji} (see also Ref. \cite{ka}). The solid curve
(trend) corresponds to a wavelet (symmlet) regression of the data. }
\end{figure}
\begin{figure} \vspace{-1cm}\centering
\epsfig{width=.45\textwidth,file=fig2.eps} \vspace{-5cm}
\caption{The wavelet regression detrended fluctuations from the data shown in Fig. 1.}
\end{figure}

\section{Subharmonic resonance}

   Figure 1 shows reconstructed air temperature data (dashed line) for the period 0-340 kyr
as presented at the site \cite{Fuji} (Antarctic ice cores data, see also Ref. \cite{ka}).
The solid curve (trend) in the figure corresponds to a wavelet (symmlet) regression of the data (cf Ref. \cite{o}). Figure 2 shows corresponding detrended fluctuations, which produce
a statistically stationary set of data. Most of the regression methods are linear in responses.
At the nonlinear nonparametric wavelet regression one chooses a relatively small number of wavelet
coefficients to represent the underlying regression function. A threshold method is used to keep or
kill the wavelet coefficients. In this case, in particular, the Universal (VisuShrink) thresholding
rule with a soft thresholding function was used. At the wavelet
regression the demands to smoothness of the function being estimated are relaxed considerably in comparison
to the traditional methods.
Figure 3 shows a spectrum of the wavelet regression detrended data
calculated using the maximum entropy method (because it provides an optimal spectral
resolution even for small data sets). One can see in this figure a small peak corresponding
to period $\sim$ 5kyr and a huge well defined peak corresponding to period $\sim$15kyr.
We also obtained analogous results (approximately 10\% larger) from the "Vostok" ice core data
for period 0-420kyr (for the data description see Refs. \cite{vostok1},\cite{vostok2}).

In order to understand underlying physics of the very characteristic picture shown in the Fig. 3
(cf. Ref. \cite{bR}) let us imagine a forced excitable system with a large amount of loosely
coupled degrees of freedom schematically represented by Duffing oscillators
(which has become a classic model for analysis of
nonlinear phenomena and can exhibit both deterministic and chaotic behavior \cite{ot}-\cite{nm}
depending on the parameters range) with a wide range of the
natural frequencies $\omega_0$ :

$$
\ddot{x} + \omega_0^2 x +\gamma \dot{x} +\beta x^3 = F \sin\omega t    \eqno{(1)}
$$
where $\dot{x}$ denotes the temporal derivative of $x$, $\beta$ is the strength of nonlinearity, and
$F$ and $\omega$ are characteristic of a driving force. It is known (see for instance Ref. \cite{nm})
that when $\omega \approx 3\omega_0$ and $\beta \ll 1$ the equation (1) has a resonant solution
$$
x(t) \approx a \cos\left(\frac{\omega}{3}t + \varphi \right) + \frac{F}{(\omega^2-\omega_0^2)}
\cos \omega t   \eqno{(2)}
$$
where the amplitude $a$ and the phase $\varphi$ are certain constants.
This is so-called one-third subharmonic resonance with the driving frequency
$\omega$ corresponding approximately to 5kyr period (the huge peak in Fig. 3
correspond to the first term in the right-hand side of the Eq. (2)).
For the considered system of the oscillators an effect of synchronization can take place
and, as a consequence of this synchronization, the characteristic peaks in the spectra
of partial oscillations coincide \cite{nl}.
It can be useful to note, for the climate modeling, that the odd-term subharmonic resonance
is a consequence of the reflection symmetry of the natural nonlinear oscillators
(invariance to the transformation $x \rightarrow -x$).

\begin{figure} \vspace{-1cm}\centering
\epsfig{width=.45\textwidth,file=fig3.eps} \vspace{-5cm}
\caption{Spectrum of the wavelet regression detrended fluctuations shown
in Fig. 2.}
\end{figure}

Origin of the periodic energy input with the period $\sim$ 5kyr can be related
to dynamics of the energy that the intertropical regions receive
from the Sun (equatorial insolation). Indeed, it is found in Ref. \cite{blm} that
a clear and significant 5kyr period is present in this dynamic over last 1 Myr.
The amplitude of the 5kyr cycle in the insolation decreases rapidly when getting
away from the equator. Using the fact that double insolation maximum and minimum arise
in the tropical regions in the course of one year, the authors of the Ref. \cite{blm}
speculated that this period in seasonal amplitude of equatorial insolation is determined
by fourth harmonic of the Earth precession cycle. It should be noted, that the idea of a significant
role of tropics in generating long-term climatic variations is rather a new one (see Ref. \cite{blm}
for relevant references). In Ref. \cite{hag}, for instance, the authors speculated that the
high frequency climate variability (in the millennial time scales) could be related to high
sensitivity of the tropics to summer time insolation. Then, the oceanic advective transport
could transmit an amplified response of tropical precipitation and temperature to high latitudes.
Physical mechanism of this amplification is still not clear and the above discussed one-third subharmonic
resonance can be a plausible possibility (in this respect it is significant, that we used the
Antarctic data).

\section{Galactic turbulence and the temperature fluctuations}

Since the high frequency part of the spectrum is corrupted by strong fluctuations (the Nyquist frequency
equals 0.5 [$(500y)^{-1}$]), it is interesting to look at corresponding autocorrelation function $C(\tau)$
in order to understand what happens on the millennial time scales.
Figure 4 shows a relatively small-times part of the correlation function defect.
The ln-ln scales have been used in this figure in order to show a power law (the straight line)
for structure function: $\langle (v(t+\tau)- v(t))^2 \rangle$ :
$$
1- C(\tau ) \propto  \langle (v(t+\tau)- v(t))^2 \rangle \propto \tau^{2/3}  \eqno{(3)}
$$
This power law: '2/3', for structure function (by virtue of the Taylor hypothesis
transforming the time scaling into the space one \cite{my},\cite{b1})
is known for fully developed turbulence as Kolmogorov's power law.

\begin{figure} \vspace{-0.5cm}\centering
\epsfig{width=.45\textwidth,file=fig4.eps} \vspace{-4.5cm}
\caption{A small-time-scales part of the autocorrelation function defect of the wavelet regression
detrended fluctuations from the data shown in Fig. 2. The straight
line indicates the Kolmogorov's '2/3' power law for the structure function in ln-ln scales.}
\end{figure}
Although, the scaling interval is short, the value of the exponent is rather intriguing.
This exponent is well known in the theory of fluid (plasma) turbulence and corresponds to so-called
Kolmogorov's cascade process. This process is very universal for turbulent fluids
and plasmas \cite{gibson},\cite{clv}.
For turbulent processes on Earth and in Heliosphere
the Kolmogorov-like scaling with such large time scales certainly cannot exist. Therefore, one should think about
a Galactic origin of Kolmogorov turbulence with such large time scales (let us recall that diameter of the Galaxy
is approximately 100,000 light years).
This is not surprising if we recall possible role of the
galactic cosmic rays for Earth climate (see, for instance, \cite{b},\cite{uk}-\cite{kirk}).
In this respect, it should be also noted that the '2/3' scaling law can reflect not the velocity
field of the galactic interstellar media but the turbulent electron density field
(presumably produced by supernova) according to the Obukhov-Corrsin turbulent mixing process (see, for instance,
Ref. \cite{gibson1},\cite{gs} and references therein).

\section{Atmospheric $CO_2$ dynamics at multi-millennium time scales}

The angle between Earth's rotational axis and the normal to the plane of its orbit
(known as {\it obliquity}) varies periodically between 22.1 degrees and 24.5 degrees
on about 41,000-year cycle. Such  multi-millennium timescale changes in orientation change
the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth in different latitudes.
In high latitudes the annual mean insolation (incident solar radiation) decreases with
obliquity, while it increases in lower latitudes. Obliquity forcing effect is maximum
at the poles and comparatively small in the tropics.
Milankovi\'{c} theory suggests that lower obliquity, leading to reduction in summer insolation
and in the mean insolation in high latitudes, favors gradual accumulation of ice and snow
leading to formation of an ice sheet. The obliquity forcing on Earth
climate is considered as the primary driving force for the cycles of glaciation (see for a recent
review \cite{rh}). Observations show that glacial changes from -1.5 to -2.5 Myr (early Pleistocene)
were dominated by
41 kyr cycle \cite{hC},\cite{rm},\cite{h1}, whereas the period from 0.8 Myr to present (late Pleistocene)
is characterized by approximately 100 kyr glacial cycles \cite{hays},\cite{im}.
While the 41 kyr cycle of early Pleistocene glaciation is readily related to the 41 kyr period
of Earth's obliquity variations
the 100 kyr period of the glacial cycles in late Pleistocene still presents a serious problem.
Influence of the obliquity variations on global climate started amplifying around 2.5 Myr,
and became nonlinear at the late Pleistocene. Long term decrease in atmospheric $CO_2$, which
could result in a change in the internal response of the global carbon cycle to the obliquity forcing,
has been mentioned as one of the principal reasons for this phenomenon (see, for instance,
\cite{berg1}-\cite{clar}). Therefore, investigation of the historic variability in
atmospheric $CO_2$ can be crucial for understanding the global climate changes at millennial
timescales.
\begin{figure} \vspace{-0.5cm}\centering
\epsfig{width=.45\textwidth,file=fig5.eps} \vspace{-4.5cm}
\caption{A reconstruction of atmospheric $CO_2$ based on deep-sea proxies,
for the past 650kyr. The data were taken from \cite{berg-data}.}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure} \vspace{-0.5cm}\centering
\epsfig{width=.45\textwidth,file=fig6.eps} \vspace{-4.5cm}
\caption{Spectrum of atmospheric $CO_2$ fluctuations for the data shown in Fig. 5}
\end{figure}
 Figure 5 shows a reconstruction of atmospheric $CO_2$ based on deep-sea proxies,
for the past 650kyr (the data taken from \cite{berg-data}). Resolution of the data set is
2kyr. Fluctuations with time-scales less than 2kyr could be rather large
(statistically up to 308ppm \cite{berg-data}), but they are smoothed by the resolution.
Figure 6 shows a power spectrum of the data set calculated using the maximum entropy method.
The spectrum exhibits a peak indicating a periodic component
(the arrow in the Fig. 6 indicates a 100kyr period) and a broad-band part with exponential decay
$$
E(f) \sim e^{-f/f_e}   \eqno{(4)}
$$
A semi-logarithmic
plot was used in Fig. 6 in order to
show the exponential decay more clearly (at this plot the
exponential decay corresponds to a straight line). Both
stochastic and deterministic processes can result in the
broad-band part of the spectrum, but the decay in the
spectral power is different for the two cases. The exponential
decay indicates that the broad-band spectrum
for these data arises from a deterministic rather than a
stochastic process. For a wide class of deterministic
systems a broad-band spectrum with exponential
decay is a generic feature of their chaotic solutions
Refs. \cite{oht}-\cite{fm}. Let us recall that the discussed above Duffing oscillators
can exhibit both deterministic and chaotic behavior \cite{ot}-\cite{nm},\cite{oht} depending on the
parameters range.

Nature of the exponential decay of the power spectra
of the chaotic systems is still an unsolved mathematical
problem. A progress in solution of this problem
has been achieved by the use of the analytical continuation
of the equations in the complex domain (see, for
instance, \cite{fm}). In this approach the exponential decay
of chaotic spectrum is related to a singularity in the
plane of complex time, which lies nearest to the real axis.
Distance between this singularity and the real axis determines
the rate of the exponential decay. For many interesting cases
chaotic solutions are analytic in a finite strip around the real time axis.
This takes place, for instance for attractors bounded in the real
domain (the Lorentz attractor, for instance).
In this case the radius of convergence of the Taylor series
is also bounded (uniformly) at any real time.
If parameters of the dynamical system fluctuate periodically
around their mean values with period $T_e$, then the restriction of the Taylor series
convergence (at certain conditions) is determined by the period of the
parametric modulation, and the width of the analytic strip around
real time axis equals $T_e/2\pi$ \cite{b}. Let us consider, for
simplicity, solution $u(t)$ with simple poles only, and to define the Fourier
transform as follows
$$
u(\omega) =(2\pi)^{-1/2} \int_{-T_e/2}^{T_e/2} dt~e^{-i \omega t} u(t)  \eqno{(5)}
$$
Then using the theorem of residues
$$
u(\omega) =i (2\pi)^{1/2} \sum_j R_j \exp (i \omega x_j -|\omega y_j|)  \eqno{(6)}
$$
where $R_j$ are the poles residue and $x_j + iy_j$ are their location in the relevant half
plane, one obtains asymptotic behavior of the spectrum $E(\omega)= |u(\omega)|^2$ at large $\omega$
$$
E(\omega) \sim \exp (-2|\omega y_{min}|)  \eqno{(7)}
$$
where $y_{min}$ is the imaginary part of the location of
the pole which lies nearest to the real axis. Therefore, exponential
decay rate of the broad-band part of the system
spectrum, Eq. (4), equals the period of the parametric forcing.

The chaotic spectrum provides two different characteristic
time-scales for the system: a period corresponding to
fundamental frequency of the system, $T_{fun}$, and a period
corresponding to the exponential decay rate, $T_e = 1/f_e$
(cf. Eq. (4)). The fundamental period $T_{fun}$ can be estimated
using position of the low-frequency peak, while the
exponential decay rate period $T_e = 1/f_e$ can be estimated
using the slope of the straight line of the broad-band part
of the spectrum in the semi-logarithmic representation (Fig. 6).
From Fig. 6 we obtain
$T_{fun} \simeq 95 \pm 8$ kyr (the peak is quite broad
due to small data set) and $T_e \simeq 41 \pm 1$ kyr
(the estimated errors are statistical ones).

Thus, the obliquity period of 41 kyr is still a dominating factor in the chaotic $CO_2$
fluctuations, although it is hidden for linear interpretation of the power spectrum.
In the nonlinear interpretation the additional period $T_{fun}\simeq 100$ kyr may correspond
to the fundamental frequency of the underlying nonlinear dynamical system and it determines the
apparent 100 kyr 'periodicity' of the glaciation cycles for the last 650 kyr
(cf Refs. \cite{sal},\cite{ru},\cite{hug1} and references therein). \\

The data were provided by World Data Center for Paleoclimatology, Boulder and
NOAA Paleoclimatology Program. I also acknowledge that a software provided
by K. Yoshioka was used at the computations.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


Will Getting a Loan Help me to Make Ends Meet?
Many people find it difficult to make ends meet at the end of the month. They may be desperately waiting for pay day as there is no money left to buy things. At this point it can be tempting to get a loan to help, perhaps an overdraft or a payday loan from the likes of Emu.co.uk so that you can afford the things that you need.
What many people forget when getting a loan is that they are expensive. All loans will cost money, unless they are interest free which is rare. This means that although they may help you at the time of getting them out, it will be even harder to manage when you have to repay them. Therefore it will be even harder to make ends meet.
You may be in a situation though where you feel that you have no choice but to get a loan. However, it is worth making sure that you look at all of the options first. If you are struggling with your bills, for example you may be able to switch to a cheaper provider. You may also be able to talk to the company and ask them if they can lower what you pay for a period of time while you get yourself sorted out financially. Some will happily do that as long as they know that you are determined to get your finances in order.
If you are struggling to buy food, then make sure that you use up everything that you have in your cupboards and freezer. It may be possible for you to get help from a local food bank to get enough to keep you going until you next get paid or get money in. You may also be able to get help from friends and family if you ask them. When you do buy food go for the cheapest options that you can, so oats rather than expensive cereal, buy ingredients to make meals from scratch rather than expensive ready meals or take aways and look out for reduced items but only buy them if they are the cheapest option.
If you are struggling with rent/mortgage or loan repayments then talk to your landlord/lender and see whether you can negotiate to pay less for a while. It may even be worth considering moving to somewhere cheaper to help, although this can be complicated and you may need a lump sum of money to be able to do so.
All of these are just short term solutions and ideally you will need a long term plan to make sure that you are managing every month in the future. To do this you may need to think of ways to bring more money into the household. This could include getting a better paid job, asking for a rise, working more hours, working a second job, doing some freelance work, starting a business or selling things to make money. You may also need to think of ways that you can reduce the spending in the household as well. This could include reducing spending on luxury items, buying cheaper things, switching to cheaper suppliers and things like this. It can be difficult to make changes like this, but unless they happen then you will continue to find it hard to make ends meet.
It could be wise to keep a household budget to note what is coming in and going out so that you can check whether you can afford to spend or whether you need to get some more income in order to pay for things. This is much cheaper and more effective than using a loan to tie you over until pay day. It will take a bit of practice, but there is plenty of information online to teach you how to do it and lots of money saving tips as well. It will take determination and it may feel hard to start with but hopefully you will start to become happier because you are not constantly trying to afford things but you are managing the money that you have well so that you have enough for all of the essentials. This should mean that you will never need to consider getting a loan to help you.
Should I get a Loan to pay for Christmas?
Christmas is a time of year that many people really look forward to, but it is also a time when some people really worry about money. There are so many things to spend money on at Christmas such a gifts, travel, food, decorations, wrapping, postage and cards to name just a few. This means that many people spend a great deal more money at this time of year and finding that money can be tricky.
It is not surprising, therefore, that many people are tempted to take out loans in order to help with the cost of it all. However, taking out a loan will mean that you will end up paying more money for the items than you would if you did not borrow due to the costs of the loan. You will also have to find the money to repay it as well. Therefore it is worth thinking hard before borrowing money like this.
It can be wise to have a think about alternative ways to manage the costs of Christmas without having to borrow money. Some people will save some money each month so that they have enough by the end of the year to afford what they want. This works well if you have good self-discipline and know that you will not spend the money in the meantime. You also need to have enough spare cash each month to be able to put a bit away.
If you think saving will not work for you, then buying gifts throughout the year could be better. Starting in the January sales buying cards and wrap can be a great way to save some money. Then look out for other items in sale time as well. You could even buy some food items early as long as the use by date is good. The only problem with this idea is that you might see a better present after you have bought one and end up buying that as well and therefore spending more money or you may be tempted to eat the food in advance and then not have it for Christmas. So there is a big element of self-discipline with this idea as well.
Some people will have a 'no gift pact' with some friends and family which can save a lot of money. It can be a great relief to some people if you suggest that you no longer exchange gifts as they may be struggling financially as well. It can be a hard thing to bring up in conversation but you can find online information about it and perhaps if you share it on social media with all friends and family on there and say you are happy to do this with anyone that contacts you privately, it could help. Another way is to suggest that gifts are only bought for the children in a family rather than all family members.
You may also be able to save money by cutting down a bit. You could try to look for cheaper items to give as gifts, reuse old decorations, do not invite so many people round so you do not need so much food, save gift wrap and gift bags and reuse, re-gift presents that you have been given, buy second hand items or make gifts. There are many ideas online for things that you can do in order to save money and it can be a lot of fun looking at them and trying some different things.
It can be wise to think about ways that you can avoid getting a loan. It may be hard work, mean cutting down or going without but it will help you to be better off in the future. You may feel mean by not spending as much money on people than you are used to but people would not want to think of you having to get a loan just to buy them a gift. People receiving gifts, usually, assume that you are giving because you can afford it and not that you are borrowing money to pay for it.
Getting a loan can be stressful at the best of times. Getting one at Christmas, when you then need to find money to start repaying in January, when you may not have a lot of money can be very difficult. You may be repaying it the whole year and not have money available to save towards next Christmas. It can be a lot better to spend less and then you can save up for next year without having the worry of loan repayments.
How do I repay my Credit Card?
Although less than half of credit card holders have outstanding debt on their credit cards, many of those that do would like to pay it off. It can seem very daunting to start paying it off, especially if the debt has built up to a large amount. However, there are ways that it can be paid off and it does not have to be that difficult.
The first thing to notice is that each month you will only have to pay back a minimum amount. This amount tends to be the amount of interest and possibly not even any of the outstanding balance. Therefore it could mean that you will never pay off any of the actual debt. If you can pay back a bit more than that minimum, even if it is just a little more, then you will start to reduce the debt and this should be a big help towards paying off the debt. You should be able to easily change the direct debit so that it is a higher amount.
However, just paying a little bit extra will still not repay the debt very quickly. It can be worth trying to think of ways that you can pay off chunks of it so that you can completely repay it as quickly as possible. The first place to look is your savings account. If you have any savings, then it is unlikely that they will be earning more money in interest than you will be paying on the credit card. If they are earning less interest then it makes sense to use them to pay off the card. You may want them as an emergency fund, but you have your credit card for that or you may be saving up for something. If you are then you need to decide whether the debt or the item you are saving for is more important.
It is also good to take a look at your monthly incomings and outgoings. If there is a difference and you have some spare money, you can use this to pay off some of the debt. You may need to make some changes though so that you have more spare cash to be able to do this. This does take self-discipline and it is wise to make sure that you keep reminding yourself that it will not always have to be like this but think about how good it will be once the debt has been paid off.
There may be some things that you can do to increase the amount of spare money that you have without having to make any major changes. For example, you could swap utility companies, service providers, banks or retailers. Once you have done the initial research and identified who you need to swap to and made the change you will notice no difference but be paying less and therefore have some extra money. You could also see if you can negotiate a pay rise so that you get a higher income without having to work any extra hours.
You may have to make some changes to your lifestyle though, if the above is not possible or if it does not make a significant difference. It may be that you will need to start analysing your spending so that you know exactly what you are buying. Then you can think about whether all of your purchases are necessary and whether you can go without some things. It may be that you buy quite a few luxury items or things that are not necessary and that you can cut down on these sorts of purchases so that you have extra money to repay the credit card. You could also consider earning more money. It may be that you can work more hours, do some freelance work, start a business or do a second job. There are lots of ways to earn extra money and it is just a case of finding one that suits you and fits around your lifestyle.
So it can take quite a commitment to pay off a credit card particularly if you have a lot of outstanding debt. However, if you keep the right frame of mind and remember what you are aiming towards, you should be able to use a combination of techniques to pay if off. Make larger monthly payments, use your savings, spend less and earn more so that you have the funds to be able to pay it back.


text:
Royals Rumblings
Royals Rumblings - News for August 23, 2021
Nicky Lopez enjoys quite a weekend in Chicago.
By Max Rieper Aug 23, 2021, 8:15am EDT
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Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images
Lynn Worthy writes that the Royals were rolling in Chicago.
"It's fun. What, seven guys had multiple hits today? It's contagious," Benintendi said. "Once you start seeing it, you want to be a part of it. Obviously, you wanting to be a part of it is not that easy to just go out there and get hits.
"But we took our singles today. The wind was blowing in. Nothing was really carrying out to the outfield, so we just tried to single them to death. Once you get the leadoff guy on, there's a lot of motion going. If we can keep doing that, that would be awesome."
Mike Matheny likes what the Royals are doing on the bases.
"I thought this was as good of a series as I've seen in a long time as far as baserunning goes," Matheny said. "Guys just really putting on the pressure. I know it's something they're taking a lot of pride in, they're looking at how they can help change the game by putting that offensive pressure on the bases."
He also had some strong words about Kris Bubic having his no-hit bid interrupted by a rain delay on Saturday.
"That's just a shame that he wasn't able to keep rolling there, I've never seen anything like that," Matheny said. "It's an embarrassment, I think ... to have something as special going on as what we were witnessing right there. You pull us off that field, that rain better hit us or something better happen worse than what [did] happen."
Emmanuel Rivera celebrated his first MLB home run on Friday.
"It felt like I was a kid, when I was playing baseball when I was a little kid," Rivera said with assistant strength and conditioning coach Luis Perez translating. "Very unique emotions. It felt very good."
Tyler Dierking at Inside the Royals writes that it may be Emmanuel Rivara who is blocking playing time for Edward Olivares.
Nicky Lopez had quite a weekend in Chicago, playing in front of friends and family.
"Wrigley is one of those ballparks that I grew up kind of watching," Lopez said. "It was always on TV. It was WGN every single day, it seemed like, with my grandpa and my family because they were big Cubs fans growing up. Now, they're Royals fans."
Lopez, 26, described playing in that ballpark as a "dream come true" and the atmosphere as "electric."
And he had a great weekend off the field too.
She said YES!!! ❤ I cannot wait to continue this journey with you! You are my world and I love you! cheers to many more years stuck with me! : @SamShazam_ pic.twitter.com/SDPAp2LzwJ
— Nicky Lopez (@nick3lopez) August 22, 2021
Craig Brown at Into the Fountains sings Nicky's praises.
Pete Grathoff writes that former Royal Frank Schwindel is thriving with the Cubs.
Miguel Cabrera joins the 500-home run club.
The Orioles lose their 18th game in a row, the longest losing streak since the 2005 Royals.
The Pirates place outfielder Gregory Polanco on waivers.
How the NL Cy Young race shows the divide in pitcher evaluation.
A look at what the Baseball Hall of Fame may look like over the next 20 years.
NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo joins the Brewers ownership team.
Cleveland players have a blast with Little Leaguers.
The Red Sox and Orioles will play in the 2022 Little League Classic.
The Athletics will pursue ballpark plans in both Oakland and Las Vegas.
Brock Lesnar returns to WWE at SummerSlam.
The rookie standouts from the NBA Summer League.
Paw Patrol crushes Hugh Jackman at the box office.
Amazon plans to open brick-and-mortar department stores.
Your song of the day is The Doobie Brothers with What a Fool Believes.


Distill an entire year of products, technologies and experiences into just five 'best ofs'? Almost impossible, you might think. But nigh-impossible or not, it's happening. So here are the five 'things' I feel had the biggest impact on my 2013.
Much gun. Very sword. Such pirate.
In cognitive psychology you might hear people talk about the primacy effect and the recency effect. These describe the tendency people have to remember the first and last things in any group.
I bring this up, because there's an argument to be made that Black Flag is here only because of how late it arrived in the year, that perhaps Tomb Raider or Far Cry 3 or Bioshock Infinite could be here instead. It's possible, but I'm not entirely buying it.
I've been a big fan of the Assassin's Creed series, especially all three of the AC2 games. Sadly Assassin's Creed 3 happened, a game I personally found interminably boring and buggy. Black Flag was not just a great return to the series, but just a great game on its own — packed with side-quests and collectibles, a plot that didn't need spreadsheets to follow and characters you could really enjoy playing and meeting.
It's telling, to me, that I'm still playing it — well after I've needed to do any more writing on it. If we did Game of the Year awards, this would be it for me. Instead, I'm just going to stop writing about it now and try and get that last Legendary Ship — it's what Kenway would want.
I spent a lot of time with a few different fitness trackers over this (and last) year, but it's the Jawbone Up wristband that I think has had the biggest impact on my fitness regime.
For one, there's a lot to be said about the simplicity of something that just sits on your wrist — it's certainly a lot harder to lose than anything designed to clip on one's belt.
The Up tracks your steps constantly, but that's probably the least interesting thing it does. It's also a sleep tracker, using your movement during sleep to work out how much deep sleep you're getting compared to light sleep and even calculate any time you've spent awake.
On the back of this, it's also a great 'silent' alarm — you specify a time you'd like to wake up and give the Up a window of time (for example, ten minutes) before that. The Up then senses when you're at your most shallow sleep in that time frame and wakes you up by vibrating.
It also works a great short sleep alarm — only starting to time your nap when you fall asleep. Actually, there's quite a lot it can do: it's able to monitor your specific workouts (e.g. weights, running, cycling etc.) and the app has great social functionality — share steps and sleep time with others to get encouraging comments (assuming you got the right 'team mates').
It's not perfect, of course — the food diary isn't overly well optimised for Australia, for example. Possibly the worst is the battery — failure rate is, anecdotally at least, quite high, with my current Up being my third.
But for all that, the Up remains a very valued part of my exercise planning and an often depressing reminder that I really need to get more sleep.
Pacific Rim copped a lot of flak from some critics and viewers. Some objections leveled against the film included calling it "wafer-thin psychodrama" and complaining that the action was lost in a sea of "plot talk". Giles Hardie on the SMH was particular vicious, suggesting that "a monster ate the script writer" and criticising the intelligence of the film, giving it "5 IQ points out of 5".
To its critics I ask just one question: "did you not see the part where a giant exoskeleton controlled by mind power punched a monster in the face? Because I did and it was magical".
I like intelligent cinema as much as the next man in cowboy boots and a flannelette shirt. I've even watched a couple of the ones that have the words down the bottom — "sub titles" I believe they're called? I'm even fairly confident I could point to Hal Hartley in a police line-up, although I'm not sure what he'd be doing in one.
But all that lefty intellectualism doesn't mean we can't still appreciate cinema as escapist artform. And it's hard to imagine anything more escapist than this. At the very least, it proved that you can direct CGI action scenes that makes sense and don't look like a bucket of engine parts being flung in front of a camera, thank you very much Mr Michael Bay.
Idris Elba plays a commander called Stacker Pentecost.
Ron Perlman plays a criminal called Hannibal Chau.
The rocket elbow that lets a Jaeger punch harder.
Did you read the part about Pentecost and Chau?
In short, this was probably the best film of the year — assuming you're the kind of person able to relax and just enjoying the ride, rather than getting all agitated about "plot holes" and "bad Aussie accents" and "saving the sword 'til last".
Not one of these three things is correct.
At the start of this year I discovered that my face was being used in some ads for a Forex "trade at home" company advertising on Facebook. Not a "your friend likes this" style ad, but one that named me as Stephen, a 44-year old Melburnian who making thousands of dollars a week.
The kicker was the fact that I didn't actually have a Facebook account at the time — it had been inactive for quite a while. And the photo wasn't even from that inactive Facebook account — it was my company headshot for this website.
But, it got me back on Facebook, which in turn has given me a greater appreciation for Twitter. Some anonymous Internet sage once said, "Facebook will make your despair for your nearest and dearest, Twitter will make you admire a total stranger".
It's not quite that bad, given that I'm a discerning sort when it comes to friends, but around election time I found myself making some judicious use of the "remove from my feed" option for many of the people of fundamentally diametric political persuasions.
Now, I'm finding Facebook a pleasing haven of clever individuals willing to admire many, many, many photos of my cat.
Quickflix adds some much needed video-on-demand support for the PS4.
At times, 2013 felt like the year everyone learned how to work a VPN, purely so they could access Netflix. This was the year that people declared, in no uncertain terms, that they've had enough of shoddy treatment from broadcast TV and they wanted to watch the shows they wanted, at the time they wanted, on the device they wanted.
But while people were flinging open windows to declare that they were mad as hell and possibly not going to take it anymore, there was actually a hell of a lot of change happening to video services in Australia.
Commercial catch-up TV, for example, caught up with ABC's iView and, more importantly, the players started making sure they had an app on as many of the smart TVs and gaming consoles and smartphones and tablets that they could find.
Foxtel launched Play, an IPTV service that works on any PC or Mac, plus a variety of devices. It joined Foxtel Go, the mobile video player which was initially for iPad, but on Samsung devices soon after.
Quickflix continued its device dominance, becoming the first third-party video-on-demand app to hit the PlayStation 4, as well as edging its way onto LG TVs and now even TiVO.
EzyFlix launched a contract-free video on demand service and Ultraviolet — the free digitial copy that many DVDs and Blu-ray are now shipping with — finally arrived in Australia.
Smart TV also got cleverer about video services. Samsung revealed its vision for Smart TV functionality that lets you aggregate all your subscription and video on demand services. For example, you can sign in to your Quickflix account and add in EzyFlix details — then when you search for a movie, you get the results from both services, letting you choose the cheapest to rent, or the best price to buy, or even the HD version.
It's all far from perfect, I admit, and Aussies can still get mucked around on blockbuster TV series such as Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad, where — thanks to social media — just a few hours delay can be the difference between having an episode spoiled or being able to enjoy it in peace.


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You are here: Home / News / U.S. Army veteran Daniel Bailey Jr. fights Jonathan Javier Fierro on March 12th
U.S. Army veteran Daniel Bailey Jr. fights Jonathan Javier Fierro on March 12th
February 24, 2022 By NB News Leave a Comment
U.S. Army veteran Daniel Bailey, Jr. gets first title shot March 12th vs. Jonathan Javier Fierro in battle of undefeated featherweight prospects
BOSTON (February 24, 2022) –- U.S. Army veteran Daniel "The Dedication" Bailey, Jr. (10-0, 5 KOs) will get his first title shot March 12th, when he takes on 18-year-old Mexican knockout artist Jonathan "Diamante Zurdo" Javier Fierro (12-0, 11 KOs) for the vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) Featherweight Championship.
The 10-round bout will take place at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington. The winner will earn a WBA top 15 rating.
Bailey, managed by Ryan Roach's Fighter Locker, was born in Miami and fights out of Tampa. The cousin of 2-division World champion Randall Bailey, Daniel was honorably discharged from the military after serving a 6-year stint. He was a 4-time U.S. Army champion, rated as high as No. 1 in the country as an amateur boxer. He was stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs (CO), where Daniel was enrolled in the special soldier-athlete program there, World Class Athlete Program (WCAP).
"I'm super grateful for this opportunity," the 25-year-old Bailey spoke about his NABA title shot. "I feel like all of my hard work has paid off and this will be my opportunity to show a glance of my greatness. I won't disappoint. I'm not thinking about where this fight is going to take me. I'm just focused on getting a win."
"This fight is very special for Team Bailey," Roach commented. "We started building together from the ground up. To fight for a top 15 WBA world ranking in just 11 fights shows what we can do if the fighter stays ready and I do my job as a manager.
"I truly love this matchup for us because I think he has the perfect style for Daniel to showcase his skills. We have a game plan as a team. We have brought in some great sparring for Daniel. I am very excited for this opportunity and it makes all the travel away from family, hard work and sleepless nights worth it."
Fierro has stopped 11 of his 12 opponents as a professional, including 23-11 Victor Ruiz in the opening round of his last fight, back on November 13th in Phoenix.
"My opponent is from Mexico and he's strong," Bailey added, "but he signed on to fight the wrong fighter. I'm clicking! It's a bad deal for anyone who signs on to fight me. I'm getting better every day."
WEBSITE: fighterlocker.com, punch4parkinsons.com
FACEBOOK: /fighterlocker
TWITTER: @RoachRyan, @DanielBaileyJr
INSTAGRAM: @RyanRoach82
ABOUT FIGHTER LOCKER: Established in 2019, Fighter Locker is a comprehensive sports agency that manages professional boxers. Fighter Locker also helps to brand boxers by finding their voice with a 100-percent customized service. Fighter Locker does not really believe in working models. It believes in partnership optimization models in motion.


League needs more players to kick off the season.
Students interested in playing lacrosse are urged to join the Alamo Community College Lacrosse League.
Fire science freshman Joshua Wells and a few friends – kinesiology freshman John Paul, fire science freshman Noel Endujo and kinesiology freshman Max Tesalona – decided to start the league.
Wells called the student success center and proposed the idea to Mary Elise Ferrer, student success coordinator in the office of student life.
Students aren't the only ones supporting the lacrosse league.
Kinesiology Professor Andreia Breaux is a huge advocate.
The league held its first meeting Sept. 17 with more than 20 students attending. Wells stressed that the league requires more players to get started.
"We need at least 10 to 15 players per roster and at least three women in the league," he said.
Many potential players at the meeting had no lacrosse experience. Wells and his player-coaches organized a practice at noon Sept. 27 in San Pedro Springs Park to cover the basic fundamentals of the game. The players recommend that students dress lightly for the practice.
Wells plans to showcase his idea to each of the Alamo Colleges in the city. He has not scheduled the next meeting yet.
For more information, call Joshua Wells at 210-867-1079.


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Dine Out Maine: At Sichuan Kitchen, don't let appearances fool you
This understated restaurant is turning out Sichuan cuisine that will have you coming back for more.
By Andrew Ross
Sichuan poached fish at Sichuan Kitchen in Portland. Staff photo by Derek Davis
If you are a design snob, you may have walked past Sichuan Kitchen on Congress Street without giving it a second thought. Maybe their penchant for Comic Sans made you turn up your nose. Perhaps it's the restaurant's spartan interior design, making the dining room feel like a minimalist stage set for a slow-moving Norwegian sitcom about people living in a duplex apartment.
Possibly it's not aesthetics but fear of spice that has kept you away. If you, like many people, believe that Sichuan (formerly written as "Szechuan") cuisine is all about atomic levels of peppery heat, you might have allowed your misconceptions to convince you not to visit owner Qi Shen's new restaurant.
SICHUAN KITCHEN
Smoky tofu salad at Sichuan Kitchen.
RATING: *** 1/2
WHERE: 612 Congress St., Portland 536-7226, sichuankitchenportland.com
SERVING: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday to Saturday
PRICE RANGE: Appetizers and small plates $7 to $13, entreés and noodles $12 to $22
NOISE LEVEL: Library circulation desk
VEGETARIAN: Some dishes
GLUTEN-FREE: Some dishes
RESERVATIONS: Not necessary
BAR: Beer, cocktails and wine
BOTTOM LINE: When Qi Shen and her husband moved to Portland seven years ago, they found Chinese-American restaurants, but none that specialized in the complex flavors of her home province. "When I wanted to go out, I would have to go to Boston or New York to have Sichuan food. I thought about it, and my family had the cooking skills, so we put the puzzle together and decided to open Sichuan Kitchen," she said. The restaurant opened this January, with her father as head chef in the duplex space's second-floor kitchen, lowering finished dishes down to the tidy dining room via a dumbwaiter they installed themselves. Ignore the décor; the restaurant's space is a work in progress. Instead, focus on the menu's extravagance of flavors – everything from pungent and sweet doubanjiang paste painted onto the double cooked pork, to shamelessly garlicky noodles with wok-fried minced pork loin. And yes, you will find spicy dishes, like bone broth-poached Swai fillets slicked with chili oil and showered in crispy, numbing Sichuan peppercorns. But it's not all about heat. Perhaps the restaurant's best dish is neither elaborate nor spicy: a simple plate of cabbage slices sautéed in a luxuriously savory sauce of soy, sugar and black vinegar. Good enough on its own to spur a return visit, it may just shatter your misconceptions about both cabbage and Sichuan food in the very same bite.
Ratings follow this scale and take into consideration food, atmosphere, service, value and type of restaurant (a casual bistro will be judged as a casual bistro, an expensive upscale restaurant as such):
* Poor ** Fair *** Good **** Excellent ***** Extraordinary
The Maine Sunday Telegram visits each restaurant once; if the first meal was unsatisfactory, the reviewer returns for a second. The reviewer makes every attempt to dine anonymously.
Either way, you're missing out on something special.
Shen and her kitchen team – both of her parents (who together once operated a large banquet restaurant in Chengdu), an aunt and a local line cook – have assembled a menu of traditional regional dishes from across China's rainy, hot and mountainous Sichuan province. They take the restaurant's theme seriously, as well. You will not find egg rolls or American inventions like crab rangoons here. And while you can find gung pao (kung pao) chicken ($15) and mapo tofu ($13) on the menu, that is because both dishes hail from the region.
"There is so much to authentic Sichuan food," Shen explains. "There are hundreds of dishes and hundreds of styles and flavors: fresh, sweet and yes, even some spicy, but not all! Every single dish has its own shape and flavor."
Some take on forms that echo the familiar, like Zhong dumplings ($7), crescent-shaped parcels filled with lean ground pork loin and ginger. Served in a small bowl and double-drizzled with sweet, smoky chili oil and a housemade infusion of soy sauce, garlic, sugar and aromatic spices like star anise, the dumplings must be sloshed around to mix the duo of sauces before they are eaten. The slick little dough packages resist being grabbed by chopsticks once they're coated, but the effort is well worth it.
You'll also spot something recognizable in the Sichuan noodles with pork ($12), which apart from the slice of steamed bok choi added as garnish, might as well be a bowl of spaghetti bolognese with a fake ID. But look closer and you'll see that the noodles are square-cut egg-and-wheat pasta, tacky with a sesame paste dressing that grabs hold of toppings like green onion and the quick-fried pork crumble, arcing with lightning bolts of ginger and garlic.
Yet to get to the restaurant's best dishes, you have to be willing to give up preconceptions about what Chinese food is (and, more importantly, is not). There's an appetizer of smoky firm tofu, slow-braised with cloves, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon and fried peanuts ($8) – a plateful of seductive fragrance and wacky Cubist geometrics.
Or a generous if slightly too-fatty entrée-sized portion of thinly sliced pork belly ($16), marinated in funky doubanjiang, a sauce made from red peppers and fermented beans. Despite the presence of chili, the dish is primarily savory and a little sweet. "Doubanjiang gives it just an entry level of spice. You can't taste much heat because it has a very rounded flavor from the fermented soybeans. It's not what people expect," Shen explained.
Equally surprising was what arrived at the table when I ordered the modest-sounding Sichuan poached fish ($22): a tureen of broth-simmered Swai fillets, skinny stalks of Chinese celery and organic leeks, all sprinkled with dried chilies and a constellation of crispy, mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns. While the dish was very salty (probably too salty) on its own, when ladled over a scoop of steamed rice, its parade of flavor contrasts found a much better balance and rhythm.
At the opposite end of the flashiness spectrum is a bare-bones platter of wok-sautéed cabbage ($8). Served with no garnish whatsoever, its austerity makes it look like something taken from a Russian babushka's wartime recipe book. But a slice or two, coated with a caramel-brown sauce of soy, sugar and tart black vinegar made me set down my chopsticks and urge my dinner guest to get stuck in before I ate the entire plateful. I never envisioned that something could actually make me crave cabbage, and I certainly never imagined it would be a dish that looks as humble as this.
Restaurant workers prepare for evening service at Sichuan Kitchen.
Nor would I have pictured a torrid cabbage love affair beginning in such a largely unadorned dining room. According to Shen, that's a temporary situation: "It took us a year and a half to renovate, and this is a historical building, so the standards are different. We just didn't have the finances to do a lot (of decorating)," she said. At the same time, her vision for the space is driven by her awareness that Sichuan Kitchen is not a typical Chinese-American joint. "I didn't just want to put a red lantern or a dragon up to express, 'Hey, I'm a Chinese restaurant,' " she said.
Proceeding deliberately with design choices seems like a wise choice for a restaurant as unique as hers. What Qi Shen is doing – has already done – at Sichuan Kitchen is impressive, and if the space never gets its fairytale, cygnet-to-swan makeover, that's OK. It won't take long before rumors of slippery dumplings and simple yet irresistible cabbage lead diners to her quietly understated doorstep.
Andrew Ross has written about food in the United Kingdom and in New York, where he co-founded NYCnosh, a food website. He and his work have been featured on Martha Stewart Living Radio and in The New York Times. He is an Internet researcher and higher education consultant. Contact him at:
Twitter: @AndrewRossME
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Penguins Limp Towards Finish Line as Frustration Mounts
By Lee C.J. Sobotka April 9th, 2015
So, who's excited for tomorrow's Pittsburgh Penguins game against the New York Islanders?
Don't everybody raise your hands at once.
It's understandably difficult to get excited for what could possibly be the final home game of the season. The team hasn't exactly been playing exciting hockey as of late, and it could all come to a merciful end in just a few days. Regardless of the Pens still controlling their own destiny to make the post season, their lackluster play does not raise hopes or expectations.
Seemingly, the fan base has resigned themselves to a future reality where if they make the playoffs – and that's a big IF – they will exit after the 1st round, much to the chagrin of everyone.
A Perfect Storm
Losing Letang has had a ripple effect on the Pens. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
The recent goal scoring slump that has mired most of the players on the team, as well as being forced to play more minutes due to injuries and cap concerns has created a perfect storm of tired, frustrated players trying to hold back the red hot Ottawa Senators. As Brian Keenan of PensInitiative.com showed the other day, the Penguins have been a good puck possession team according to "fancy stats," but penalties are killing them. I believe this penchant for taking penalties is due to the physical, emotional and psychological pressure for players to perform all while playing more minutes without top players.
The Standard is the Standard
It's not a stretch to think that if the team was healthy, they would be better – but that's not to make excuses. Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is fond of the phrase, "The standard is the standard." This axiom holds true for hockey too. Losing the likes of Kris Letang and Olli Maatta, while being forced to play shorthanded on defense, would destroy any team's blue line.
The Pens, however, have weathered the storm on defense. They aren't losing games because teams are scoring on them with impunity, they're losing because once their opponent gets a lead on them, no matter how small, it feels like too much to overcome.
What Do The Penguins Do Now?
Marc-Andre Fleury has been exceptional this season. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
Well, first they need to take care of business against the Islanders and in the finale at Buffalo. They need to find something, anything, to feel good about. At this point, the only thing that is going to make this team feel better is wins.
Awards do not matter.
Playoff seeding does not matter.
Wins matter.
Wins are all that matters.
Marc-Andre Fleury deserves them. He has been stellar this year, yet has had losses forced upon him because of the failure of the offense in front of him. He deserves better than to have the team all slumping at the same time while he goes out and wastes quality start after quality start.
If the Penguins are to have any hope for wins in the postseason, they need to start building that foundation now. Winning begets confidence and confidence breeds winning. Fleury has kept the team in the thick of things and now it's time for them to start winning for him.
Sadly, I'm not optimistic.


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INVESTMENT LEADERS
Interview with Vladimír Masár chairman of Deloitte
The Slovak Spectator (TSS): Deloitte did a survey last year that found that 81% of the top companies surveyed in Western and Eastern Europe predicted that the new member states of the EU would become more attractive for investors following enlargement. Has this prediction come true?
He worked in external economic relations with the Czechoslovak state bank from 1981 to 1990 after graduating from the Economic University in Bratislava. He served as deputy director of the VÚB bank and assets operations manager at Tatra Banka before becoming deputy finance minister of the fledgling Slovak Republic. He was chairman of the preparatory commission for the establishment of the National Bank of Slovakia and served as the central bank's first governor from 1993 to 1999. He is now chairman of the Deloitte practice in Slovakia, in charge of developing businesrelations with decision-makers. Vladimír Masár.
photo: Tom Nicholson
Vladimír Masár (VM): I think in Slovakia's case it has unequivocally been the case, because the investment boom we are witnessing at the moment has become one of Slovakia's defining characteristics. Foreign investment is no longer merely flowing into existing companies or privatization, as was the case until recently, but we are now getting new greenfield investments. We are also seeing some very large investments that represent a significant share of our GDP. What is more, over the past several years we have been catching up, in terms of the ratio of foreign investment to GDP, to those countries that had earlier outpaced us, particularly in the Visegrád regional grouping [containing Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic - ed. note].
From this perspective, Slovakia's entry to the European Union had a number of effects, as did its joining NATO. It raised the overall credibility of the country, as well as the country's ratings from ratings agencies and investors themselves. This increased credibility was then reflected in new perceptions of Slovakia's political stability and its economic attractiveness.
TSS: Is there also room for improvement in connection with reforms? How have reforms influenced investors?
VM: There always is room for improvement. Every economic system can be bettered, including ours. Problems remain in Slovakia in areas like the enforceability of the law, corruption, and other chronic problems. The investment boom wasn't brought about by the reforms that are now being carried out, and it will take some time before the impact of the reforms will be seen in the behaviour of new investors. We can expect that they will gradually analyze the positives and negatives of the current reforms. One exception may be tax reform, which due to its simplicity and the lower income tax rate may even now make Slovakia attractive for investors.
TSS: There are apparently two views of what the Slovak economy needs right now. One, pursued by the ruling coalition Christian Democrats (KDH), calls for the thorough investigation of past economic crimes, particularly those connected with privatization in the 1990s, while the other line, perhaps best represented by Finance Minister Ivan Mikloš, calls for consolidation and the development of what has been achieved so far, and less emphasis on economic "housecleaning". Which view do you subscribe to?
VM: I don't think you can draw it in such black and white terms. No one says we should just investigate crimes and neglect economic development, just as no one is calling for economic development by any means possible, even illegal acts. I think investigations should be governed by the law - if something is illegal, it's not a matter for debate but for investigation in accordance with the law. Conversely, if something was legal, we shouldn't create a scandal on the grounds of a political decision or other elements that often have no economic foundation.
The Eastern Bloc as a whole underwent a huge social, political, economic and legislative transformation, which gave rise to different views among people as to what was moral or immoral, ethical or unethical. The change from public to private ownership of property, however, had to take place, as it was necessary for the transformation of the political system.
It's completely natural that a large part of our population still thinks along the lines that "if something is not in my interest, it is to my disadvantage." But the important thing is that after all the steps that were taken along the path of turning a socialist economy into a market economy, today we can say we have a developing market economy that matches the parameters of other developing economies, and that we have overcome the handicap of having been a new country that had to develop all of the systems, state institutions and other elements of being independent. We have shown that we have a viable economy.
TSS: Slovakia has not managed to successfully prosecute a single major player in a suspect privatization despite general agreement that privatization was significantly corrupt. Doesn't that represent a barrier for foreign investors, a kind of moral risk in the economy?
VM: Legislation on all significant forms of privatization, whether coupon privatization, small-scale privatization, privatization by the managements and employees of companies, or other forms, was prepared under considerable time pressure and often included many unclear, even contradictory provisions. Therefore, I believe that investigating and securing evidence of infractions of laws is very difficult.
I think that foreign investors also understand the complexity of this time period and see it to a certain extent as a necessary evil related to the transformation of the economy. What's now important for them and their potential investments is a transparent and stable environment.
TSS: Another survey that Deloitte published this year showed that Slovakia had the cheapest labour force in the EU 25, when wage, insurance and funds costs were factored in, or about 250,000 Sk per year. Is this healthy for Slovakia?
VM: Having a low-cost workforce has its advantages and many disadvantages. The advantage is that under certain parameters and for a certain kind of investor, Slovakia appears to be an attractive destination with low wage costs.
On the other hand, these low wages to a great extent are related to the high unemployment rate in this country, which no one can take any pleasure in. Slovakia and Poland today have among the highest unemployment rates in Europe. Our main economic goal should be an increase in the living standard of our population, and that can't happen if wages stay the same and prices rise. So our goal should not be to keep wages permanently low or pat ourselves on the back because we have low wages, but to increase labour productivity and thereby ensure a high level of employment at high wages. This would prove that our economy is able to compete.
TSS: But if that happens, doesn't Slovakia, having attracted many investors for its low wage costs, run the risk of seeing these investors move further east in search of ever cheaper wages?
VM: Not if we increase labour productivity. If investors are able to make similar profit margins at high wages as they do now at low wages, by which I mean that these higher wages would correspond with increased labour productivity, investors will have no reason to leave the country. Of course, if higher wages do not lead to increased productivity, profit margins will fall and investors will start looking for other countries where they can achieve better margins.
On the other hand, one must realize that both the mentioned reforms and the ongoing investment boom are important only if they result in a better standard of living for our people. If they don't improve the standard of living in Slovakia, then, in economic terms, they are a waste of time for us.
TSS: Some investors have reported that Slovak labour productivity is higher than they originally expected. How do you explain this?
VM: Slovakia used to have a significant defence industry within the former Eastern Bloc, and the defence industry tends to have the most modern technology and workers of above-average skills and experience. Given the structure of the industry that existed here before the 1989 revolution, Slovak labour was already relatively highly qualified. Given the unemployment rate, moreover, I think many of our qualified workers are prepared to work under conditions that would be unacceptable to their Western European counterparts. We see this in the various cross-border activities of our people, where even highly qualified people do jobs [in foreign countries] for less pay than they might otherwise earn [if they were citizens of the host country], merely because the wage they get is still higher than what they could earn in Slovakia.
TSS: The rise of financial groups and private equity funds in Western Europe, where huge assets may wind up in the hands of a few people, is a hot and sensitive topic of debate in the West. Slovakia, too, has seen the startling growth of corporate raiders. Are people right to regard these firms with suspicion?
VM: I think it's natural that just as wealthy economic groups arose in Western Europe or the US and Canada, the same thing is happening here. On the other hand, regarding the speed with which these groups have arisen, the transparency with which they accumulated their wealth, and related issues of legality and morality, or their stability in cases where they are based on one person or a small group of people - and I'm not singling any company out here - I think it's completely natural that questions should arise. It's one thing when the wealth is accumulated within a certain group over decades or even centuries, and it's another thing altogether when the accumulation takes place in the course of such a short period as we witnessed in Eastern Europe. People are naturally more cautious in such cases. On the other hand, I still feel that Slovaks have greater tolerance for rich foreigners than for rich Slovaks.
TSS: You served as the governor of Slovakia's central bank from 1993 to 1999. With the deadline for Slovakia's transition to the euro steadily approaching, what are the most important tasks the central bank faces?
VM: The most important thing will be how well prepared the Slovak economy is for the Slovak currency to be fixed in the European currency system, because anchoring it requires a certain stability in the budget and currency and the meeting of certain macroeconomic goals such as inflation, interest rates and the state of public finances. Meeting these criteria is the important thing. Political decisions regarding entry into the common currency system should be fully supported by a stable economy prepared for such a step.
I often get asked if it is to our advantage to adopt the euro, and I say that having your own monetary policy confers both advantages and disadvantages, depending on the situation in which you operate. Today we're in the position that we should try to adopt the euro as quickly as possible.
TSS: In a sense, the central bank is now finishing the job you started. Do you envy them?
VM: Not really, because creating the national bank and creating all the related systems was very interesting and exciting. I think it was actually a more beautiful period than the current one, because it's nicer to start something than finish something. I think that in the short existence of the Slovak currency, despite the enormous pessimism that accompanied its birth, it acquired a certain stability and credibility on the domestic market and in terms of international convertibility, and that the central bank was a stabilizing force in the development of the economy. That pleases me, and I regard it as natural that just as Slovakia has become a part of the European Union politically, we should become a part of the European Monetary Union.
TSS: In 2002, before Slovakia joined the NATO alliance, a Western journalist asked a group of young Slovaks why their country needed to join a military alliance, and received the answer that Slovaks would benefit not so much from NATO itself, but from the better laws and more transparent processes the country was being forced to adopt to gain entry. Do you agree with this view of the integration groups Slovakia joined last year?
VM: I had a very similar experience at a conference where I was asked about the Maastricht criteria [that countries' economies must satisfy before they can adopt the euro - ed. note]. I was asked whether I supported the process merely because the criteria had been laid out by Maastricht. I answered that it was far more important that our economy met these criteria, regardless of whether we joined the European Union, than for us to join the EU as the result of some integration process. I believe these criteria, and those laid down by NATO during Slovakia's accession, are very healthy for our society, and that it is very important to implement them because to a certain extent they guarantee efficiency in the improvement of our democracy.
4. Jul 2005 at 0:00 | Tom Nicholson, Spectator staff


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Q: cannot get nativescript-plugin-firebase demo-push app to work Can anyone help me install the nativescript-plugin-firebase Push-demo application.  I could not manage to install and make it work. So please is there a guidance step by step for beginners?
This is the demo link:
https://github.com/EddyVerbruggen/nativescript-plugin-firebase/tree/master/demo-push
@Eddy Verbruggen: Your help will be appraciated
Regards

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A new International Associated Laboratory "IM-LED (Impacting Materials with Light and Electric Fields and Watching Real Time Dynamics)" was launched.
IM-LED is an international collaboration project between France and Japan, directed by Prof. Eric Collet of Université de Rennes 1 and Prof. Shin-ichi Ohkoshi of the University of Tokyo. In this new International Associated Laboratory, we conduct research on light- and electric-field-responsive materials and their dynamics, and aim for the establishment of the basics for next-generation ultrafast optical communication and optical computers.
The signature ceremony of this agreement took place on December 12, 2016, at the French Embassy in Japan. The ceremony was held in the presence of French Ambassador, Mr. Thierry Dana, and Deputy Director of Institute of Physics, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Doc. Niels Keller, with participation of the representatives of the four universities from France, Université de Rennes 1, Université de Nantes, Université du Maine, Université de Versailles de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, and four universities from Japan, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tohoku University, and Kyoto University. The scientific program and addresses from each university were given at the auditorium of the French Embassy, followed by the signature ceremony and reception, which were gorgeously held at the French Embassy Residence.
Copyright © International Associated Laboratory (LIA), France-Japan international collaboration project IM-LED. All rights reserved.


India has provided a financial assistance of NRs 19.6 million for the construction of a school building in Nepal's Lalitpur district.
India's ambassador to Nepal, Ranjit Rae inaugurated the newly constructed school building under Nepal-India Economic Cooperation Programme.
Addressing a function Rae underlined the importance of the NepalIndia Economic Cooperation Programme as a cornerstone of the development partnership between the two countries.
He expressed hope that the various projects implemented under the programme will help the people of Nepal in their strides towards peace and prosperity.
Established in 1960 as a primary school and subsequently upgraded to higher secondary level in 2005, the school provides educational opportunities to over 600 students, Indian embassy said.
Government of India has also granted NRs 3 million for procurement of furniture and computers for the school.
Ten ambulances and six school buses have also been provided for use in the district.
India has also granted NRs 32.6 million for the renovation of 9 historical sites and work on four other projects amounting to NRs 125.7 million is in progress in the district.