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theartsdesk in Germany - Baltic mastery in Berlin and Leipzig
Neeme Järvi conducts an Estonian epic, Latvian Andris Nelsons becomes 21st Gewandhauskapellmeister
by David NiceWednesday, 28 February 2018
Andris Nelsons at his inauguration (c Gert Mothes), the Ruubel twins at their Berlin recital and Neeme Järvi after conducting Tobias's 'Des Jona Sendung'
Punching well above their weights, population-wise, on the international music scene, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are celebrating, and being celebrated, in style over the year of their 100th birthdays. Berlin has just finished a 10-day "Festival Baltikum" at the fabulously recreated, Schinkel-designed Konzerthaus in the old city centre, in which championship of a massive Estonian oratorio finally reached Germany's current capital of musical culture. Leipzig, its second in terms of size, if not ambition - where the composer Rudolf Tobias first conducted the disastrous 1909 premiere of the oratorio, Des Jona Sendung (Jonah's Mission) - meanwhile welcomed one of the world's top five younger-generation conductors, Latvian Andris Nelsons, as its 275-year-old orchestra's 21st music director.
Nelsons' inaugural concert was not quite the brilliant fanfare it should have been - put that down to programming and a less than successful first half - but there's no question of the inspirational spark which left the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in long-term mourning over his departure (they're happy now, and rightly so, with another already great Baltic conductor, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla). The big event of the two, for me at any rate, was veteran Neeme Järvi conducting the handsome Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, with its utterly distinctive brass ensemble, in the Berlin premiere of Des Jona Sendung (Joonase lähetamine is the Estonian title, but the German language and the German public were its original targets).
Reconstruction of the score was a labour of love on the part of a remarkable man who played an active political role in the restoration of Estonian independence, the musicologist and pianist Vardo Rumessen, who died in 2005. When I met him in Tallinn in 1989, he was already driven by his passion for the Tobias oratorio and gave me a copy of his first booklet on the subject (pictured right). Estonia's greatest ambassador abroad, Järvi senior, who left Soviet Estonia for America with his family in 1980 and who returned for the first time that year, had a passionate belief in the music's value and urged me to approach successive BBC Proms directors to get the work performed there. I had no success, but I also refrained from listening to Järvi's 1995 recording. If a work of this scale didn't impress in the restrictive light of CD, it might put me off; the live experience had to be the thing. Now that I've finally heard it, I know Järvi was right: this is the perfect Proms spectacular.
Jonah's Mission in the Rumessen reconstruction calls for a large orchestra, five soloists including a bass-baritone for the crucial role of the prophet himself, organ and substantial choral forces; Konzerthaus size limited the numbers of the Latvian State Choir, Cantus Domus and the children of the Staats- und Domchor Berlin, while the Albert Hall could probably afford at least 100 more, and its extra advantage would be to place Tobias's Chorus Mysticus up in the gallery.
Nevertheless this was still a spectacular with the flowing sense of occasion that only a conductor of Järvi senior's stature and sense for atmosphere could muster. Now in his 81st year, he needs to sit at the podium from time to time, but used the contrast with the full-height moments to great dramatic effect. (When I interviewed him the following day he wryly impersonated the great Hans Knappertsbusch in old age rising majestically from his chair.) The joining of forces might have benefitted from a few more rehearsals, but no one could better manage the sweep of the big choral and orchestral outbursts, or the eerie atmosphere that Tobias conjures in the first four numbers of Scene II, "The Night of Being Forsaken by God" (Jonah in the belly of the whale). Is Tobias derivative? It's true that the mighty fugue at the end of that second part is indebted to the examples in Brahms's Ein Deutsches Requiem. Parts of the storm at sea can sound a bit generic. But little else sounds quite like any other composer. You could call some of the harmonic progressions gauche, but they sounded individual in a live context; the wildness of the religious zealots in Scene III, "Ecclesia", is hair-raising, and if the heedless revels of the people of Ninevah in Scene IV, "Judgment", inevitably seem polite compared with the Babylonian processionals of Walton's Belshazzar's Feast, composed over 20 years later, they contrast operatically with the imprecations of Jonah. The role has surely never had a more jaw-droppingly powerful interpreter than Estonian Ain Anger, the real bass article and an artist with an ability to lift the key drama right off the page (pictured above courtesy of the orchestra: Järvi shakes Anger's hand after the performance).
On that evidence, it seems a pity that Tobias felt obliged to adopt the format of so many stop-start numbers - 38 in all - since he has a real scene-painting flair that he doesn't always set straightforwardly to work. Judgement on the final chorus, which goes into unexpected spheres including a Nielsenesque pastoral, should be reserved until Estonian choral conductor Tõnu Kaljuste premieres his new performing version this summer; apparently much of this was Rumessen's work. But if so, it's splendid, and no one would forgive Kaljuste if his authenticity didn't find a place for the massive tam-tam crashes in an undoubted highlight, perhaps the most overwhelming Sanctus setting in any choral work (even bearing in mind Bach's and Verdi's heaven-stormers).
That came as an encore which drew a standing ovation. Estonia can be happy that Berlin approves. Which it also did, equally deservedly, a perfect "espresso-konzert" at two pm in the Konzerthaus's state-of-the-art Werner-Otto-Saal. Co-leader of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and a vibrant presence in Paavo Järvi's Estonian Festival Orchestra, Triin Ruubel is up there among the top violin soloists, and her twin sister Kärt is also forging a career as a pianist (the two in the Berlin recital pictured left) They chose an all-Estonian programme ranging from salon charmers by Heino Eller as well as an unusual bonne bouche by that otherwise deeply serious symphonist Lepo Sumera - familiar in its orchestral guise as a favourite encore of Paavo Järvi in Pärnu - to three more substantial works.
Tubin's flamboyant Capriccio brought Kärt Ruubel's virtuosity to the fore - dazzling partnership here - and Pärt's somehow always deeply moving and meditative Spiegel im Spiegel tested her crystalline evenness and Triin's long line to limits that relied on intense concentration from the audience. It was fascinating, too, to hear Conversio from Pärt's very different junior by 24 years Erkki-Sven Tüür: a minimalist mechanism that breaks down across the compellingly-sustained span at which Tüür excels.
Triin Ruubel's line and ardour should have been matched by Latvian star violinist Baiba Skride in Berg's Violin Concerto at Nelsons' Leipzig inaugural concert two evenings later. Skride, however, was often nearly inaudible in a hall which usually catches every nuance; much more came from the low and middle-range lines in Berg's spider-web of sound. One fascinating link with the Ruubels is that Baiba also has a hugely talented pianist sister (albeit not twin), Lauma. I was captivated by her recording of Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel's Die Jahr, a collection of 12 piano pieces the manuscripts of which, beautifully illustrated by Fanny's artist husband, can be seen on the second floor of Leipzig's stunning Mendelssohn House Museum. Flooded with light on a brilliant winter afternoon, the first floor where Mendelssohn lived with his wife and his five children has been lavishly reconstructed; it is fine and apt that the sister he forbade to publish her works has much of the floor above devoted to her, alongside the Kurt Masur Archive.
The hall which then-Kapellmeister Masur oversaw through to its opening 37 years after the destruction of the previous Gewandhaus in World War Two has a democratic layout similar to Berlin's Philharmonie, but the sound is warmer, and the innate culture of the Gewandhausorchester is a thing of wonder in its generous home. Nelsons has already begun to mould that to his own fiery but disciplined personality in several Bruckner recordings; and his interpretation of Mendelssohn's "Scottish" Symphony, No 3, was full of his atmospheric pianissimos – not for nothing did he study with Neeme Järvi, among others – and his ineffable rubato in phrasing, the ultimate skill in creative conducting which his predecessor, Riccardo Chailly, never had to the same degree. It was a shame, though, to waste the inaugural-commission slot at the beginning of the concert on Steffen Schleiermacher's Relief. Its generic start did give way to some interesting brass sonorities, but the strings were woefully under-engaged - the piece, though described as a Concerto for Orchestra, could be scored entirely without them – and there was no sense of dynamic celebration here. That had to wait until the following morning in the handsome great hall of the Altes Rathaus right in the centre of Leipzig's old town, with worthies from the early 15th century through to the 18th looking down on Nelsons' official inauguration.
Speeches from Mayor Burkhard Jung and Latvian Ambassador to Germany Inga Skujina, punctuated by light but revelatory Reinecke and Klughardt from Gewandhaus musicians, were warm and witty; Nelsons' own, in thickly accented German, charmed in its brevity, punctuated with bursts of laughter (Nelsons pictured above, centre, by Gert Mothes with Gewandhausdirektor Andreas Schulz and Jung). Plain "Andris" on posters all round the city, he is a true Mensch, no doubt about that. Leipzig is lucky to share him with Boston; the world already benefits from recordings and performances in both cities and there will be much more to come.
Programmes for the rest of the 2017-18 seasons of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra here and of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig here
David Nice's blog on Neeme Järvi in Pärnu after his 80th birthday
Read more classical music reviews on theartsdesk
No-one could better stage-manage the sweep of Tobias's big choral and orchestral outbursts than Järvi
Opolais, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Nelsons, RFH review - splendid and awful stretches
theartsdesk in Estonia and Latvia - Pärnu Music Festival's great orchestra goes south
Prom 49: Hardenberger, Boston SO, Nelsons
theartsdesk Q&A: Conductor Neeme Järvi
theartsdesk in Tallinn: From Dusk to Black at Estonian Music Days
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'I Would Like The Champions League But The League Is What Makes The Players Follow You,' Says Pep Guardiola
Adnan Riaz in Football
Last updated 8:26 AM, Monday July 01 2019 GMT+1
Pep Guardiola has made a shocking claim about players following him over his domestic success rather than his progress in the Champions League.
The Manchester City boss, 48, enjoyed a monumental season as his side captured a historic domestic treble.
But the Spaniard has failed to win the Champions League during his time in Manchester and many have been quick to criticise him for it.
And now Guardiola has admitted that his success domestically is far more important than what he has done in Europe's elite club competition.
"Winning is very addictive and gives you energy. This gives you the league, no more competition," the ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss told Catalan newspaper Ara.
"That's why when they tell me, 'But he has not won the Champions League,' I answer that I would like to clarify that I would like the Champions League, but the league is what makes the players follow you, because every three days you win.
Credit: PA
"Instead, when you lose, players stop believing in you. The league puts you in place.
"That is why I have had it, from managing the [Barcelona] B team, as the absolute priority.
"I cannot leave everything at random from a less controllable competition such as the Champions League or the cups, as they are in England."
Guardiola is putting plans in motion for City's title defence next season by targeting Atlético Madrid star Rodri and Juventus' João Cancelo to bolster his squad options.
But the City boss recently dropped a bombshell that he would be returning to Barcelona "sooner or later."
He added: "But as president, forget about it.
"To be president, you have to know [what you're doing] and be prepared -- to have knowledge that I don't have.
"I'm trying to be a good coach -- that hasn't gone too badly in this decade. I will return to Barcelona to live, sooner or later."
Agree or disagree with Guardiola?
Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: Manchester City, Football News, Football, Pep Guardiola, Premier League, EFL Cup, FA Cup, Champions League
Adnan Riaz
Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]
Follow @AdnanRiaz9
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Here is the end of year list of the web site indiepoprock.net.
Too bad my French is poor ('high school' level only and that's some years ago), but that site looks interesting indeed. Nice to read that Portishead is working on a 4th album and Wilco will release new DVD in March.
What do you do for that site, Nassim? Do you write articles and/or reviews?
Sorry for the mistakes (I just saw the "i have been written ) but I'm quite tired... going back to work after new year's eve is kind of a challenge.


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41st annual Tuba Christmas returns to Victoria this Saturday
Cormac O'Brien
Tuba Christmas is on this Saturday! Photo ItkasanImages
Victoria's holiday celebrations are getting down to brass tacks with the 41st annual Tuba Christmas taking place this Saturday, December 14th!
At 1:00 p.m., Market Square will be filled with the dulcet tones of some of the region's finest tuba and euphonium players. It's a tradition that dates back to 1974 in New York City, and now takes place in over 200 cities worldwide.
See also: WestJet just launched their annual Christmas Miracle video (VIDEO)
Victoria is joining in for another year, and its impromptu band will be once again headed by UVic School of Music professor and Victoria Symphony Orchestra's principal tubist Paul Beauchesne.
Part of the afternoon's fun stems from the fact that the tuba is an often unheralded instrument, Beauchesne tells Victoria Buzz in an email.
"As tuba players, we are often relegated to the back of the band or orchestra, in a supportive role," he says. "Tuba Christmas is a way to gather the community together, to put the tuba front and centre to showcase its capabilities, and to raise some money for a good cause."
This event is open to all with admission by donation supporting the Times Colonist Christmas Fund for the Salvation Army, Mustard Seed Street Church, and Our Place Society.
In his email, Beauchesne explained that winter is the perfect time to feature the tuba because the instrument lends itself well to the harmony-rich sound of Christmas carols as performed by a mens' choir or barbershop quartet.
Some of the songs that will be performed were arranged by renowned American composer Alec Wilder, while others were arranged by local composers Tobin Stokes and Scott MacInnes.
Their annual favourite songs played are 'Silent Night' and 'Carol of the Bells.'
Embouchure enthusiasts and curious onlookers alike venturing down to Market Square can expect a great turnout. Last year, a record 120 musicians performed, and Beauchesne is eager to see how many join this year.
"It truly is a great event and an important part of the annual Christmas tradition for many people here in Victoria," Beauchesne said.
5 things to do in and around Victoria today, Friday January 17th
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Only the best grapes contribute to the creation of this wine. The wine "T." acquires the initial of the late marquis Tommaso Misciattelli Mocenigo Soranzo, who introduced the sacred indigenous Umbrian grape varietal Sagrantino to the estate (from which this wine is solely made). All grapes are grown on the estate of Montegiove and come from the single vineyard "La Selva". The wine is produced exclusively from carefully selected grape clusters, handpicked at perfect ripeness and meticulously vinified, aged and fined in the castle cellars. The vineyard, is located on a site carefully selected with respect to soil and sun exposure, at altitudes from 450 to 480 meters. "T." is aged 24 months exclusively in medium toasted new French Sessile barriques and tonneaux, seasoned for 24 and 36 months. After barrel aging, this wine receives at least 24 months of additional maturation in bottle. The resulting wine has an intense dark garnet red colour, enjoyable toasted aromas, intense blackberry and deep dark cherry flavours, prominent tannins, and a strong evident personality. This wine is suited for long ageing and is ideally paired with venison, wild boar, or roasted and braised meat.


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Orlando Brown vs the Raiders: The Unappreciated Contributor
The Chiefs' LT has taken some (mostly undeserved) heat this year, but his play against a good Raiders pass rush shouldn't be ignored
Orlando Brown was always going to be judged with a very critical eye. That's just the truth when it comes to players who are acquired for a first round pick, or players who replaced a fan favorite (at least a recent fan favorite), OR players who are viewed as part of a larger overall issue regarding the front office.
All three of those things are true about Brown.. People are going to be eager to pounce on a player who cost a first round pick (or the equivalent of one). Eric Fisher had gone from mostly derided to beloved by Chiefs fans. And Brett Veach's tendency to trade away high draft picks has become the source of much heated debate among Chiefs fans. With all that is going to come scrutiny, and scrutiny he essentially asked for by requesting a trade to become a team's starting left tackle.
In other words, Brown was always going to be fighting an uphill battle. Which is fine, because he's probably bigger than the hill he needs to climb.
(we'll circle back to that snap, but as a preview, any time your lineman ends up in this position it's a good thing)
I've had a lot of people ask me about Brown's play over the year, with many of those questions being assumptive that Brown has struggled. I'll be saving his full-fledged review for the bye week or the end of the season, but it's worth noting that the perception of Brown has been heavily influenced by Patrick Mahomes' adjustments to the new offensive line and less consistent play on the right side of the line.
But we'll talk about those issues another day. For now, I want to walk through the Raiders game. A lot went right for the Chiefs that has been talked about, but one thing that's largely flown under the radar is that Brown, against a good pass rush, went largely unnoticed throughout the game. And so it seemed worth my time to take a look at how he performed in the most important game of the year yet for Kansas City.
Before we being, here's a reminder of how I look at offensive lineman snaps:
I chart every pass blocking and run blocking down for wins, losses, and neutral snaps ("PBW" = pass block win, "PBL" = pass block loss, and the same with run blocking), as well as for pressures/hits/sacks allowed on the quarterback. A win is a snap in which the lineman executes an excellent 1x1 block or a great combo block (starting with a double team then getting into space alone) or even a double team that's dominant. A loss is when a blocker gets beaten or misses a block. A neutral snap is when the blocker might give ground but fights the defender to a draw, or has little to do on the snap.
It's worth noting that losses are far, far more important than wins for offensive linemen, as in general a dominant block doesn't guarantee that a play succeeds but losing on a snap can doom a play to failure. So a player having a high win percentage matters a lot less than a low loss percentage, and "neutral" snaps are still a victory of sorts (especially against elite competition).
Let's dive into the numbers, and then talk about what Brown did against Las Vegas.


Becky Holnagel serves as chief actuary for AF Group. In this role, she leads all actuarial operations and activities, including pricing, reserving, reinsurance, statistical reporting, forecasting, large account pricing and management reporting.
Holnagel joined AF Group in 2006. Prior to this, she served as a senior actuarial analyst for MEEMIC Insurance Company in Auburn Hills, Mich., and as an actuarial analyst and commercial lines underwriter for Citizens Insurance Company in Howell, Michigan.
She received her bachelor's degree in Mathematics from the University of Michigan – Flint and is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS). In addition, she is a member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA) and has a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation.


Billion Dollar Unicorns: Will A Sales Strategy Change Help Cloudera?
Billion Dollar Unicorn Cloudera (NYSE: CLDR) listed in April last year. Many expected it to be a strong IPO, but the company has not done very well under public scrutiny. Recently, it reported its fourth-quarter results where the weak guidance sent the stock to its lowest levels since it listed.
Revenues for the quarter grew 42% over the year to $103.5 million, ahead of the market's forecast of $93.7 million. Net loss of $0.10 a share was also better than the Street's estimates of a loss of $0.23 per share.
Subscriptions revenues grew 50% to $84.3 million and Services revenues grew 15% over the year to $19.2 million. International revenues continued to grow and it reported a 66% growth over the year.
Cloudera ended the year with revenues growing 41% to $367.4 million. Net loss increased from $187 million or $5.15 per share to $386 million or $3.38 per share for fiscal 2018.
While it did surpass market expectations for the quarter, it was the outlook that scared the investors. For the current quarter, Cloudera forecast revenues of $101-$102 million with a net loss of $0.17-$0.19 per share. The Street had forecast revenues of $102.4 million with a net loss of $0.17 per share. Even for the year, Cloudera forecast fiscal 2019 revenues at $435-$445 million, significantly short of the market's forecast sales of $460.5 million. It expects to end the year with adjusted losses of $0.59-$0.62 per share, compared with the Street's forecast of a loss of $0.59 a share.
Cloudera attributed the lower revenue forecast to its planned change in sales strategy. During the results announcement, the company claimed that it made mistakes in its sales strategy by focusing on customers who weren't driving enough revenue. It claimed that it was focused on pursuing too many new customers outside of its target market and thus fell short in bookings within existing customer expansion. It also realized that it was spending a lot more to acquire new customers and increase spending among existing customers. To address this, it is making changes to its field sales organization. It is looking to hire a new head of sales to drive its business to $1 billion in revenue. It is adding specialists to focus on cloud computing, machine learning, and analytics. Implementing this change, and seeing benefits from the change will take time. That is the reason, the company expects a nearly 20% growth in revenues over the year, compared with the Street's estimates of 40% growth.
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1884 - The National League agrees to allow overhand pitching, but rules that pitchers must keep both feet on the ground throughout their pitching motion in order to reduce the velocity of their pitches. They still must throw the ball at the height requested by the batter. In addition, teams are now required to supply a separate bench for each club at their park to limit inter-team fraternization.
1888 - The Joint Rules Committee reduces the number of balls for a walk from five to four, establishing the four balls/three strikes count that remains in effect more than a century later. It also eliminates an out on a foul tip if the catcher catches it within 10 feet of home plate.
17-year-old pitcher Eiji Sawamura gives up one hit, a home run to Lou Gehrig, as the touring MLB All-Stars win in Japan, 1–0. At one point, Sawamura strikes out four future Hall of Famers in a row: Charlie Gehringer, Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, and Gehrig.
The St. Louis Browns Bruce Campbell to the Cleveland for Johnny Burnett, pitcher Bob Weiland, and cash consideration.
Catcher Moe Berg shoots movie film showing the roofs of Tokyo. The film will allegedly be used as a guide by U.S. bombers during World War II.
1950 - Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Roy Hamey resigns and is replaced by Branch Rickey.
Chicago Cubs slugger Hank Sauer is named National League Most Valuable Player by the Baseball Writers Association of America. The Cubs finished in fifth place, despite Sauer's 37 home runs and 121 RBI.
Commissioner Ford Frick states his belief that the Pacific Coast League will eventually reach major league status.
1956 - The St. Louis Cardinals trade OF Rip Repulski and SS Bobby Morgan to the Philadelphia Phillies for OF Del Ennis.
Shigeo Nagashima, a slugger star at Rikkyo University, signs with the Yomiuri Giants for a record bonus of $69,000. He will go on to have one of the great careers in Japanese baseball.
The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Athletics execute a 13-player trade. Among the players involved are second baseman Billy Martin, outfielder Gus Zernial and pitcher Mickey McDermott, who are headed to Detroit. The Athletics acquire pitcher Duke Maas, catcher Henry House, and outfielders Bill Tuttle and Jim Small.
1958 - The Detroit Tigers trade infielder Billy Martin and starter Al Cicotte to the Cleveland Indians for relievers Ray Narleski and Don Mossi and shortstop Ossie Alvarez.
New York Yankees center fielder Mickey Mantle collects his third American League MVP Award. Mantle, who hit .321 with 30 home runs, also led the AL in walks (122) and slugging percentage (.605), while helping the Yankees to a berth in the World Series against the San Francisco Giants.
Sale of the Cleveland Indians is completed as Bill Daley and Gabe Paul take control.
1967 - New York Mets pitcher Tom Seaver, who posted a 16-12 record with 170 strikeouts and 2.76 ERA, is named National League Rookie of the Year by the BBWAA.
1969 - San Francisco Giants first baseman Willie McCovey edges New York Mets pitcher Tom Seaver as National League Most Valuable Player. McCovey hit .320 and led the league in home runs (45) and RBI (126), while Seaver posted a 2.21 ERA with 208 strikeouts and a league-leading 25 wins.
Joe Schultz is fired as manager of the Seattle Pilots.
In an outfielders trade, the Cleveland Indians send José Cardenal to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for Vada Pinson.
1971 - The Sporting News announces Gold Glove Award winners. Among newcomers are outfielders Amos Otis in the American League and Bobby Bonds in the National League.
1974 - Texas Rangers right fielder Jeff Burroughs, who batted .301 with 25 home runs and a league-leading 118 RBI, wins the American League MVP Award. Oakland teammates Joe Rudi, Sal Bando and Reggie Jackson are the runner-ups.
1975 - The San Francisco Giants fire manager Wes Westrum, coaxing Bill Rigney out of retirement to replace him.
1979 - The Atlanta Braves sign relief pitcher Al Hrabosky, a reentry free agent formerly with the Kansas City Royals, to a five-year pact worth $2.2 million.
Four days after his 20th birthday, New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden becomes the youngest player ever to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Gooden posted a 17-9 record with a 2.60 ERA and a major league-leading 276 strikeouts.
Seattle Mariners first baseman Alvin Davis, who hit .284 with 27 home runs and 116 RBI, wins the American League Rookie of the Year Award. Teammate pitcher Mark Langston and Minnesota Twins outfielder Kirby Puckett are the runner-ups.
New York Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly, who hit .324 with 35 home runs and 145 RBI, easily wins the American League Most Valuable Player Award over Kansas City Royals third baseman George Brett (.335, 30, 103).
The Pittsburgh Pirates name Jim Leyland their manager, replacing Chuck Tanner. Leyland will lead the Pirates to the playoffs in 1990 and 1991.
1987 - Don Zimmer is hired by long time friend Jim Frey to manage the Chicago Cubs. Zimmer will compile a 265-258 record during his three-plus-year tenure with the Cubs.
1989 - Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Robin Yount edges Rubén Sierra of the Rangers to win his second American League MVP Award. Yount, who won the award as a shortstop in 1982, becomes only the third player to win MVP awards at two different positions, joining Hank Greenberg and Stan Musial.
Oakland Athletics outfielder Rickey Henderson edges Cecil Fielder of the Tigers for the American League MVP Award. Henderson hit .325 with 28 home runs and a major league-best 65 stolen bases.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens is suspended for the first five games of the 1991 season and is fined $10,000 due to his unruly behavior toward the umpires in Game Four of the American League Championship Series.
1995 - The New York Yankees trade minor league pitcher Mike DeJean and a player to be named to the Colorado Rockies for catcher Joe Girardi. Girardi will solidify the catching for New York, while DeJean will set a ML mark for most appearances without a loss. DeJean will post a 7-0 record through 1998, while making 88 appearances, breaking a little-known mark set by Phil Paine from 1951-58.
Free agent first baseman Andrés Galarraga signs a three-year $24.8 million contract with the Atlanta Braves, ending a five-year career with the Colorado Rockies that helped put Colorado on the baseball map. Galarraga batted .316 with 172 home runs and 579 RBI with the Rockies, including a National League batting crown (1993), consecutive RBI titles (1996-97), and a HR title (1997).
Jeff Conine, another player who exploded after expansion in 1992, is dealt to the Kansas City Royals by the cost-cutting Florida Marlins.
1998 - The New York Mets send catcher Jorge Fábregas to the Florida Marlins in exchange for relief pitcher Oscar Henríquez.
2000 - Free agent infielder José Vizcaíno is signed by the Houston Astros.
2001 - Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki becomes only the second player in major league history to win the Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. Suzuki joins Boston Red Sox outfielder Fred Lynn, who in 1975 achieved this double distinction.
1858 - Joe Sommer, outfielder (d. 1938)
1866 - Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Hall of Fame executive (d. 1944)
1869 - Clark Griffith, Hall of Fame player, manager and executive (d. 1955)
1880 - George McBride, infielder (d. 1973)
1882 - Andy Coakley, pitcher (d. 1963)
1888 - Rabbit Powell, outfielder (d. 1962)
1890 - Leon Cadore, pitcher (d. 1958()
1897 - Larry Benton, pitcher (d. 1953)
1929 - Lou Berberet, catcher
1945 - Jay Johnstone, outfielder
1945 - Rick Monday, All-Star outfielder
1967 - Alex Arias, infielder
1971 - Gabe White, pitcher
1975 - J. D. Drew, outfielder
1979 - Lino Urdaneta, pitcher
1959 - Roy Thomas, outfielder (b. 1874)
1968 - Fresco Thompson, infielder (b. 1902)
1997 - Dick Littlefield, pitcher (b. 1926)
1998 - Dick Sisler, All-Star player and manager (b. 1920)


text:
Your AI Physical Therapist Will Make You Better, Faster
Zara Stone Contributor
I write about the intersection of technology and culture
AI Therapist
Sword Health
Anyone who's ever had physical therapy will tell you it's a pain. A necessary pain, sure, but nonetheless, an annoyance. It's hard enough to fit the appointments into your schedule, let alone get yourself used to the daily grind of strengthening exercises. SWORD Health, a Portugal-based startup has designed a solution to the first part of that problem. They provide users of their service with wireless motion trackers, that patients attach to their bodies, which feed data back to the company. An AI physical therapist guides patients through a number of exercises, using the trackers to give feedback in real time — "move your leg higher this time," for example. The exercises are set by a remote team of human clinicians, who'll check in periodically, and they're covered by a number of insurance companies worldwide.
AI Trainer
But pretty much everyone is doing something "AI" these days, so the real test of its effectiveness is the patient data. It's looking good.
A study published in Nature Scientific Reports in July 2018, followed two groups of patients as they recovered from a knee injury. Half of them had traditional therapy, and the other half followed SWORD's program. Their recovery was measured with the Timed Up and Go Test, a CDC recommended mobility test. The group following SWORD's regime improved twice as much as the conventional physical therapy group. The patients who were treated from their own home, they also recorded a higher active treatment time — likely due to the ease of use.
Another study, published in February 2019 in the Journal of Medical Internet Research reported that patients using SWORD's digital therapist maintained their results at three and six-month increments, without extra treatment.
" [The] demand for physical therapy is rising around the world yet, for the vast majority of people, the therapy they need, in terms of quality and intensity, is out of reach," said Virgílio Bento, SWORD Health's CEO. Bento developed the idea for the company after his brother was injured in a car accident and struggled to get the physical therapy he needed. He founded SWORD Health in 2014 and Crunchbase reports they've raised over $7 million. "[We want to] to democratize access to effective physical therapy," he said.
Of course, you'll still need to pay whatever copay is involved, and many insurers cap physiotherapy at a certain number of sessions. But even so, especially for the time-poor or people living in medical deserts, this is a fantastic solution.
Check out my website.
Zara Stone
I'm a San Francisco-based freelance journalist whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, OZY, Fusion and more. I report on technology and cu...


text:
Stories and Songs
About Stories & Songs
Welcome to Stories and Songs, featuring the work of author and storyteller, Tim Weil, whose travels and adventures over the years have brought him to many interesting places, including some quite far flung corners of the world but, other places that are closer to home.
It is to the reader's great fortune and delight that he has thought fit to record some of these experiences, by writing them down and sharing them with the world – on this website and also through public performances that he is known to give.
His reactions and unique take on events as they unfold around him, his perspective on what has been learned are always refreshing – a reminder that answers to many of the great mysteries in life reside among the mundane, just waiting to be unearthed!
How To Navigate The Site:
View All Stories - Web/Screen
View All Stories - Print-Ready
View All Songs
Choose Your Adventure: Locate Stories, Songs and Gallery Images From Keywords & Categories.
Ed Ward's Monthly Program at the Mercury Cafe (Denver)
As retold by the poet, Jaime De Angelo and published in the Whole Earth Catalog (circa 1976):
Fox was the only living man. There was no earth. The water was everywhere.
"What shall I do," Fox asked himself.
He began to sing in order to find out. "I would like to meet somebody," Fox said. Then he met Coyote.
"I thought I was going to meet someone," Fox said.
"Where are you going?" Coyote asked.
"I've been wandering all over trying to find someone. I was worried there for a while."
"Well it's better for two people to go together….that's what they always say."
"OK. But what will we do?"
"I don't know."
"I got it! Let's try to make the world."
"And how are we going to do that?"
Coyote asked.
"Sing!" said Fox.
© Stories & Songs by Tim Weil | Contact Tim


text:
What's the...
What's the story of the Adirondack chair?
Nothing is more comfortable than an Adirondack chair
Nothing says summer like the Adirondack chair. It exudes the laid-back essence of summertime. How did this chair come to be and what?s the story of the Adirondack chair?
The original, called the Westport Plank Chair, was designed by Thomas Lee of Westport, NY in 1903. Lee and his family vacationed at the foot of the Adirondack Mountains in a small town called Westport. The word Adirondack is an Anglicized version of the Mohawk word ?ratirontaks,? which means ?they eat trees,? a disparaging term the Mohawks used when talking about the Algonquian tribes. When food was scarce, the Algonquians ate the bark of trees and the buds.
Before you continue reading about the What's the story of the Adirondack chair? there is a special announcement we would like to share with you. Catalogs.com has negotiated special medicare rates for our vibrant community of seniors. If you are over the age of 60, you can head over to our Seniors Health Section which is full of information about medicare. All you need is your zip code and a few minutes of your time to potentially save 100s of dollars on your medicare bills.
The Adirondack Mountains, located a few hours north of New York City, unlike the Appalachians and Rockies, are not elongated but domed and circular shaped. This mountain range is sometimes called ?new mountains from old rocks? because it isn?t that old compared to other ranges. Larger than the state of Vermont, this range spans over six million acres in northern New York.
He Wanted Something Comfortable to Sit In
Lee came up with the idea of the Adirondack chair because he wanted comfortable and relaxing seating for his family. The first chair was made from a solid piece of wood, cut into 11 pieces. The back and seat are slanted so the seated person could sit at a comfortable angle when the seat was placed on a steep hill. Lee was ahead of his time. He designed the seat ergonomically.
Lee was also ?green? in his design. The seat was made out of one just one plank of locally grown wood.
The chair is simple, consisting of slats of wood forming both the slanted seat portion and the backrest. The arms are wide, and the legs are short. Simple and sturdy.
Someone Patents Lee?s Design
When Harry C. Bunnell, a carpenter, was shown the product by Lee he decided to make them himself, which Lee approved of. However, Bunnell patented the design. He did this without Lee?s permission. That was the end of that friendship.
Painted dark green or brown, the chairs were originally made of pine. The design changed over the years. Slatted seats and backs became part of the design because the knot-free boards of the hemlock in the original were becoming too rare and could no longer be incorporated into the design.
Contemporary types feature contoured and rounded backs, which was the innovation of Irving Wolpin, who patented this design in 1938. Today, the chairs are made out of teak, cedar, fir and plastic.
The original became popular with the gentleman farmers on the east coast but are now popular everywhere in the country. You may already have this type of seating in your backyard or on your front porch.
People love these seats because they are extremely comfortable. The sitter?s weight is spread evenly through their back and upper legs. There isn?t a lot of pressure on the lower spine or buttocks as there is is when sitting upright.
Teak is the best material for construction because it lasts forever, is resistance to water damage and insects. Cedar and eucalyptus are good choices, too. They aren?t as expensive as teak. Some consumers go the plastic route and that?s okay. They look very nice.
As they say, several slats of wood equaled one legendary chair.
adirondack mountain range
angled chair
henry bunnell
what s the story of the adirondack chair
10 Free Pet Supply Catalogs: The Latest Health & Wellness Pet Products
5 Commonly Asked Questions About the Medical Alert System
Top 10 Amazing Autumn Gardening Tips
Top 10 Ways to Create a Luxurious Bedroom
Idol Lips Plumper
Garden Tools By Lee Valley Tools


text:
Fashioning a Romance
By Andrew Faught
Joe Danczuk '15 was enrolled at UMD for all of a day when he met Christina Germano Danczuk '15 at a dinner their roommates organized at their adjacent off-campus apartments. Christina had an intellectual air and was friendly. Joe created an altogether different impression.
"The joke is that Christina appreciated my style: a Nike T-shirt and shorts," Joe says. "I was not a good dresser back then. But I am now, thanks to Christina's efforts to buy my clothes!"
After a decade of dating, the pair wed last September in Newport, Rhode Island It's been a whirlwind ever since for the Hoboken, New Jersey, couple.
"We haven't even had time for a proper honeymoon: we got married on a Saturday, and Joe started his second year of law school that Wednesday," says Christina, a public relations manager for Amazon Web Services.
"We still find ways to celebrate and spend quality time with each other, whether that's carving out time for a date night, going to a Broadway show or just making sure we have dinner together every night — usually followed by some 'Downton Abbey,' our current Netflix show."
Besides attending Columbia Law School, Joe is also a captain in the New York Army National Guard. The couple still make time to visit College Park, especially during football season. As students, they were "tailgating pros" in Lot 11B on game days, Joe says.
Given Joe's military service and varied postings, the two are never quite sure what each Valentine's Day will bring. One of their favorites was in 2016, when Christina flew to Dallas to meet Joe, who at the time was stationed at nearby Fort Sill in Oklahoma. They explored the city and the Fort Worth stockyards.
They've also spent Valentine's Day in Germany and Israel, where Joe was taking part in training.
For now, Joe says their goals are "just to be as happy and loving as we can in this world, loving to each other and everyone else, too." While the newlyweds eventually plan to start a family, they remain a party of two for now. "Perhaps we'll start with a dog soon," Joe adds. "Christina's already picked out a name: Howie."
Though married for just five months, Christina has recognized a few ways to maintain matrimonial bliss.
"We recommend always staying in communication and focusing on the big goals of your lives." And, she adds, "look past the small inconveniences or annoyances."
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text:
Nice Towns
Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by cactustwirly, 7 Jul 2019.
7 Jul 2019 #1
Was visiting relatives in Shropshire this weekend, and was very impressed with Shrewsbury.
Very nice town, with loads of quaint medieval buildings.
Bridgnorth and Ludlow are very nice as well!
Should really put the whole of Shropshire, as the scenery is very pretty as well
Shrewsbury (and I too like it, could be tempted to live there in the right circumstances to be honest) to me has the feel of a small city rather than a town - a bit like the likes of Worcester and Durham. I recall being quite surprised on finding it was in fact just a town.
Ormskirk is quite pleasant, as an aside.
class387 Established Member
It does, but in terms of actual size it's quite small, many other towns are actually bigger.
gazthomas Established Member
Alresford
St Albans (a city by name but really a town)
Hitchin, Ludlow and Bridgnorth (as the OP/previous posters have said)
J-2739 Established Member
Stevenage New Town has nice Brutalist architecture.
Milton Keynes is bigger than quite a number of actual cities, but city status has little to do with size.
The North Briton Member
Louth (Lincs)
Samuel88 On Moderation
The only thing wrong with Shrewsbury (and Shropshire as a whole) is if you fancy a trip there during a Sunday and you're carless, you're stuffed! I think it's disgraceful that a town as large as Shrewsbury has no bus service on a Sunday but that's a topic for another thread...
7 Jul 2019 #10
radamfi Established Member
Somewhere that is nice to visit may not be a particularly good place to live. There are many drab, dull but functional places that turn out to be more "nice" in the long run than many of the places mentioned on this thread.
W-on-Sea Established Member
Another vote for Shrewsbury.
I was pleasantly surprised by Petersfield when I spent a few hours there.
Ditto, Dorking.
Stroud has character in abundance, and is probably large enough to be an interesting place to live, too.
Agree about St Albans
I can think of a few other larger towns (eg Reading, Nottingham) that probably make good places to live too, without being overwhelmingly delightful at first glance.
And others (Cheltenham, Droitwich) which in some ways might appear to qualify for this kind of list, but which have something inescapable that is slightly odd and jarring about them accompanying the positives.
W-on-Sea said: ↑
Haha, I wouldn't say Reading or Nottingham are that good places to live, Reading has some really rough suburbs, so does Nottingham.
My parents used to live in Nottingham, and they couldn't wait to move out.
Samuel88 said: ↑
Well it is a very rural county, so this isn't particularly surprising
Cowley Established Member
I spent last weekend with family in Bristol (Montpelier).
They'd just moved there from Nottingham, and although it's only 70 odd miles from me I'd never really spent any proper time there.
I thought it was great. Friendly, vibrant and colourful too. Loads of people talked to me (which you don't always expect in a large city), and I'm really looking forward to going back for more.
bramling Established Member
South-east / Barnard Castle
gazthomas said: ↑
Amused at Hitchin cropping up. It's a "desirable" town for sure, but nice? Increasingly congested, several rough estates on the periphery, new housing being stuffed in every nook and cranny possible, and most of all it's increasingly full of some of the smuggest people one could ever meet. If some of the people were visiting a chocolate shop they would choose themselves off the shelf and relish every indulgent mouthful!
And whilst the town centre is reasonably smart, it's nothing compared to things which can be found elsewhere in the country. Okay if you like doing a cafe-crawl I suppose.
ChiefPlanner Established Member
Berkhampstead
Sheringham, Cromer, Falmouth, Penzance, Appleby, Settle, Skipton, Knaresborough, Whitby, Sandwich, Deal, Folkestone, Hastings, Weymouth, Tunbridge Wells, Southport, Wigan, Hebden Bridge, Huddersfield.
Typhoon Member
yorksrob said: ↑
Definitely agree with Deal. It has retained its character from the past, whether its the old town, the pier, the Timeball, the (occasional) fishing boat, the history. Easy to while away an hour or two. Unfortunately, like most places, the High Street has been hit of late.
Typhoon said: ↑
I visited it again recently for the first time in donkeys years. I was very pleasantly surprised.
radamfi said: ↑
MK is a very practical place to live, particularly for young families (e.g. the freedom that can be given to kids to cycle a long way from home on traffic-free Redways is unrivalled in the UK) - but other than for the Xscape, Bletchley Park and the theatre/stadium gigs there's not much point in visiting it as a tourist per-se - so it goes both ways.
Cowley said: ↑
Like any big city it's got some fairly nasty bits too, but I do like the feel of Bristol. Got a number of friends who live there too.
Bury Saint Edmunds is very attractive as well.
One hears good reports and a direct train from St Pancras assists. On the list.
Brecon is another nice town.
ChiefPlanner said: ↑
Indeed (although I personally prefer the route from Charing Cross)
Journeyman Established Member
I lived on the outskirts of Oxford for three years. Yes, it's a beautiful city, but I didn't find it a user-friendly place to live at all.
DerekC Member
Berkhamsted (there are umpteen ways of spelling it) used to be a nice country town, but is now very posh and dominated by its public school/commuter elite.
Another vote for Petersfield .. and Ledbury's nice, based on a week's stay earlier in the year. It still has an ironmonger, a butcher, a baker and lots of other small shops.
Journeyman said: ↑
That can often be the way. I find Oxford a great place to visit for shopping or leasure.
Berkhamsted is nice but nothing special.
Chesham is pleasant but struggling while Amersham always feels to be a bit up itself.
I'd add my vote to Whitby but Abergavenny I would class as "mostly harmless". The covered market is nice if you turn up on the right day. (maybe always parking at the bus station car park means that I see the worst of the town)
306024 Established Member
Frinton-on-Sea. Within the gates (sorry barriers now) of course.
Berko is a nice place to live rather than to be bothered visiting, I'd say. Not that I've actually lived there, but from observation. Other than for the museum I'd put Tring in the same bracket - perfect semi-rural commuterville with an excellent (if a bit unpunctual at the moment) train service to London.
Really, this thread is a bit difficult because there are a lot of quite nice places in the UK.
Indeed. I had to miss off a few on account of them being cities.


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text:
API
===

.. highlight:: python

The idea is to follow as closely as possible the CMSIS-DSP API to ease the migration to the final implementation on a board.

First you need to import the module::

    import cmsisdsp as dsp

If you use numpy::

    import numpy as np

If you use scipy signal processing functions::

    from scipy import signal

Standard APIs
*************

.. code-block:: C

     void arm_add_f32(
            const float32_t * pSrcA,
            const float32_t * pSrcB,
            float32_t * pDst,
            uint32_t blockSize);

.. py:function:: dsp.arm_add_f32(pSrcA,pSrcB)

   Return a list of random ingredients as strings.

   :param pSrcA: array.
   :type pSrcA: NumPy array
   :param pSrcB: array.
   :type pSrcB: NumPy array
   :return: array.
   :rtype: NumPy array

Example::

      import cmsisdsp as dsp

      r = dsp.arm_add_f32([1.,2,3],[4.,5,7])

You can use a CMSIS-DSP function with numpy arrays: ::

   r = dsp.arm_add_f32(np.array([1.,2,3]),np.array([4.,5,7]))

The result of a CMSIS-DSP function will always be a numpy array whatever the arguments were (numpy array or list).

Functions with instance arguments
*********************************

When the CMSIS-DSP function is requiring an instance data structure, it is just a bit more complex to use it:

First you need to create this instance::

      import cmsisdsp as dsp

      firf32 = dsp.arm_fir_instance_f32()

.. code-block:: C

   void arm_fir_init_f32(
               arm_fir_instance_f32 * S,
               uint16_t numTaps,
         const float32_t * pCoeffs,
               float32_t * pState,
               uint32_t blockSize);

.. py:function:: dsp.arm_fir_init_f32(S,numTaps,pCoeffs,pState)

   Return a list of random ingredients as strings.

   :param S: f32 instance.
   :type S: int
   :param pCoeffs: array.
   :type pCoeffs: NumPy array
   :param pState: array.
   :type pState: NumPy array
   :return: array.
   :rtype: NumPy array

Example of use::

   dsp.arm_fir_init_f32(firf32,3,[1.,2,3],[0,0,0,0,0,0,0])

The third argument in this function is the state. Since all arguments (except the instance ones) are read-only in this Python API, this state will never be changed ! It is just used to communicate the length of the state array which must be allocated by the init function. This argument is required because it is present in the CMSIS-DSP API and in the final C implementation you'll need to allocate a state array with the right dimension.

Since the goal is to be as close as possible to the C API, the API is forcing the use of this argument.

The only change compared to the C API is that the size variables (like blockSize for filter) are computed automatically from the other arguments. This choice was made to make it a bit easier the use of numpy array with the API.

Now, you can check that the instance was initialized correctly::

.. code-block:: python

   print(firf32.numTaps())

The filter can then be called:

.. code-block:: C

   void arm_fir_f32(
               const arm_fir_instance_f32 * S,
               const float32_t * pSrc,
                     float32_t * pDst,
                     uint32_t blockSize);

.. py:function:: dsp.arm_fir_f32(S,pSrc)

   Return a list of random ingredients as strings.

   :param S: f32 instance.
   :type S: int
   :param pSrc: array of input samples.
   :type pSrc: NumPy array
   :return: array.
   :rtype: NumPy array

Then, you can filter with CMSIS-DSP::

   print(dsp.arm_fir_f32(firf32,[1,2,3,4,5]))

The size of this signal should be blockSize. blockSize was inferred from the size of the state array : numTaps + blockSize - 1 according to CMSIS-DSP. So here the signal must have 5 samples.

If you want to filter more than 5 samples, then you can just call the function again. The state variable inside firf32 will ensure that it works like in the CMSIS-DSP C code::

    print(dsp.arm_fir_f32(firf32,[6,7,8,9,10]))

If you want to compare with scipy it is easy but warning : coefficients for the filter are in opposite order in scipy ::

    filtered_x = signal.lfilter([3,2,1.], 1.0, [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10])
    print(filtered_x)

FFT
***

The CMSIS-DSP cfft is requiring complex signals with a specific layout in memory.

To remain as close as possible to the C API, we are not using complex numbers in the wrapper. So a complex signal must be converted into a real one. A function like the bewlo one can be used::

   def imToReal1D(a):
       ar=np.zeros(np.array(a.shape) * 2)
       ar[0::2]=a.real
       ar[1::2]=a.imag
       return(ar)

In the same way, the return array from the CMSIS-DSP FFT will not be containing complex Python scalars. It must be converted back with a function like::

   def realToIm1D(ar):
       return(ar[0::2] + 1j * ar[1::2])

Then, the utilisation of the API si very similar to what was done for the FIR example:

Then, you create the FFT instance with::

    cfftf32=dsp.arm_cfft_instance_f32()

You initialize the instance with the init function ::

    status=dsp.arm_cfft_init_f32(cfftf32, nb)
    print(status)

You convert the complex signal to the format expected by the wrapper::

    signalR = imToReal1D(signal)

You compute the FFT of the signal with::

    resultR = dsp.arm_cfft_f32(cfftf32,signalR,0,1)

You convert back to a complex format to compare with scipy::

    resultI = realToIm1D(resultR)
    print(resultI)

Matrix
******

For matrix, the instance variables are masked by the Python API. We decided that for matrix only there was no use for having the CMSIS-DSP instance visibles since they contain the same information as the numpy array (samples and dimension).

So to use a CMSIS-DSP matrix function, it is very simple::

    a=np.array([[1.,2,3,4],[5,6,7,8],[9,10,11,12]])
    b=np.array([[1.,2,3],[5.1,6,7],[9.1,10,11],[5,8,4]])

Numpy result as reference::

    print(np.dot(a , b))

CMSIS-DSP result::

    v=dsp.arm_mat_mult_f32(a,b)
    print(v)

In a real C code, a pointer to a data structure for the result v would have to be passed as argument of the function.

The C API is:

.. code-block:: C

   arm_status arm_mat_mult_f32(
                const arm_matrix_instance_f32 * pSrcA,
                const arm_matrix_instance_f32 * pSrcB,
                      arm_matrix_instance_f32 * pDst);

The Python API is:

.. py:function:: dsp.arm_mat_mult_f32(pSrcA,pSrcB)

   Return the matrix product pSrcA * pSrcB

   :param pSrcA: array of input samples.
   :type pSrcA: NumPy array
   :param pSrcB: array of input samples.
   :type pSrcB: NumPy array
   :return: the matrix product.
   :rtype: NumPy array

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Incestophantes khakassicus är en spindelart som beskrevs av Andrei V. Tanasevitch 1996. Incestophantes khakassicus ingår i släktet Incestophantes och familjen täckvävarspindlar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

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khakassicus

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Spatial memory impairment and changes in hippocampal morphology are triggered by high-fat diets in adolescent mice. Is there a role of leptin?
Involvement of the anterior cingulate cortex in the expression of remote spatial memory.
Visual and proprioceptive representations in spatial memory.
Allocentric and egocentric updating of spatial memories.


text:
Q: Why does sending SMS on a serial port sometimes freeze the hardware? I have a small program, that sends sms messages over SerialPort. It works nice for 7-8 days in a row, sending hundreds of messages per day. But sometimes it hangs on sending the message, and only a hardware reset can solve it.
The problem occurs when the modem is waiting for the message (showing the "> " string), and I sent my message. When a modem receives the CTRL+Z (ASCII#26) character, it should send back an "OK". But I never recevice this response, and from that time, every write attempt ends with a System.TimeoutException: The write timed out. exception.
I can catch the exception, but I can't do anything to resolve the problem (except for the hardware reset). From the 1st timeout exception, the serial port won't work - not even for hyperterminal. I had the chance to try 2 different modems, but both of them produces the same simptoms. (Different modems, but same computer.) I don't have the means to test it for 10 days on a production like environment, on a different machine.
I used a serial monitor software, and it also showed, that the serial port (or the modem) sends back a write timeout error. When I initialize my serial port I set the WriteTimeout property to 100 (ms). I have to use hardware handshaking according to the modem's manufacturer.
I send only simple text messages (no PDU, no more than 160 char).
I already found this thread, talking about write timeouts and hardware handshaking. I could raise the write timeout value, but I would like to know why this problems occurs only occasionaly. And I would like to know if this is my problem at all...
I'm using C# 4.0, the program runs on a Windows 2008 64 bit server.
Any ideas?

UPDATE
Following the hint from Dennis, we have found a solution. The watchdog part is my own software, detecting the timeout exception. When this happens, the program will send a command to a specialized hardware to toggle the power of the modem. At first, this specialized hardware would have been a relaycard, but we found a special extension cord, that can be controlled over RS-232 or USB or ETHERNET. (Switching on and off it's plugs.)

A: This is a well-known problem for people, who often works with GSM-modems. In general, you can do noting here at software level, and the hardware reset is the only effective way.
If you will look into any ATM, which works through the GSM newtork, you will find there a small watch-dog device, which is intended for the single thing - to make a hardware reset (it turns the power off, than on).

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George Floyd Was Killed In Minnesota. Why Are People Protesting In Dallas?
Published June 5, 2020 at 2:59 PM CDT
Protesters take a knee during a rally in Dallas on Monday, June 1.
The demonstrations in response to the killing of George Floyd by Minnesota police aren't happening because of just one incident. The outrage is fueled by a pattern of police brutality and centuries of inequality. A pattern that haunts African-American communities across the country — and that set the stage for a special Dallas City Council meeting Friday afternoon.
"Dallas knows its share of George Floyds," said Dominique Alexander, founder and president of the Next Generation Action Network, which helped organize a number of the North Texas protests. He spoke to the media on Monday - hours before Dallas police confronted hundreds of protesters on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge - about his frustration with city leadership. Alexander pointed to the deaths of Botham Jean, who was gunned down in his own apartment by an off-duty officer, and Diamond Ross, who died while in police custody.
"We are one second away from creating a new hashtag," Alexander said, his exasperation clear. "We're tired of these new hashtags. These attorneys are tired of having to represent families in their critical hours. I'm tired of responding to families who've lost their loved ones to fatality. And then the system slaps them back in the face with a lack of transparency."
Over the past week, Alexander's organization has led a coalition of activist groups that organized rallies, marches and a vigil. Some events ended in conflict with Dallas police. Which is why Alexander, attorney Jasmine Crockett and fellow activists Carlos Quintanilla and Changa Higgins met with city leaders.
"Our meeting with the City of Dallas was outright disappointing," he said. "We didn't get anywhere, because the City of Dallas has a problem. It has amnesia."
The press conference was held outside Dallas police headquarters minutes after their meeting with City Manager, T.C. Broadnax, Assistant City Manager Jon Fortune, Police Chief Reneé Hall, State Senator Royce West, council member Casey Thomas and others.
During the meeting, Alexander said later, his group voiced concerns about several issues: the killings of black and brown men and women by police, the use of tear gas and nonlethal ammunition against peaceful protesters and the disparities in black and brown communities related to education, quality of life, economic development and overall respect.
The number one issue the group had with city officials was linked to the recently revamped Community Police Oversight Board, formerly known as the Citizens Police Review Board.
"The way the office of oversight was implemented in the City of Dallas was wrong," said Alexander. "We are demanding that the City Council and the mayor have an emergency session about these issues, not only in law enforcement, [but] for the pain that's going against African-American and Latinos in this community."
Credit Hady Mawajdeh / KERA News
Protesters face off with law enforcement officers on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge on Monday, June 1.
The following day, after Dallas police fired rubber bullets, smoke bombs and flash bombs in front of kneeling protesters, Mayor Eric Johnson called a Friday afternoon meeting of the City Council to discuss the city's response that led to the declaration of a local state of disaster.
What Is The Community Police Oversight Board, And What Does It Do?
The Community Police Oversight Board is similar to its predecessor, the Citizens Police Review Board.The purpose is the same: to review the facts and evidence about events like police misconduct or shootings by an officer. It's still made up of 15 members. The members are still appointed by the city council. And the board members are still supposed to reflect the diversity of the city.
The new board was born after months of contentious town hall meetings. The Dallas City Council approved its creation by a unanimous vote in April 2019. And its approval led to the hiring of the city's first Community Police Oversight Monitor, Tonya McClary.
McClary is basically an intermediary for the police department and the board. As the monitor, she reviews already completed police investigations and reports the findings to board members.
Neither McClary, nor the Oversight Board have the power to subpoena police or city employees. They cannot plan, oversee or execute independent investigations. And all disciplinary decisions are made by the Dallas Police Department's leadership.
What Would Protesters Like To See Changed?
Protesters are seeking a number of changes. They want to demilitarize the police. They want to end police brutality. They want officers punished for racial profiling. They'd also like to see swifter action against officers who use excessive force.
Carlos Quintanilla, of the group Acción America, and Changa Higgins, of the Dallas Community Police Oversight Coalition, say a key change would be to give the oversight board independence from the police department. They want the Board to have the power to investigate and make recommendations that an officer should be fired for doing something unlawful.
"You can't have a police oversight board without any power. Without the power to investigate, without the resources to hire investigators, without access to the bodycams, without access to the evidence," Quintanilla said. "What they're trying to do is bamboozle us to believe that this is going to happen. But not having those powers is like going into a battle without any armor."
How Have City Leaders Responded To Demands By Protesters?
City leaders haven't directly addressed the recommendations by the Next Generation Action Network and its allies, beyond scheduling Friday's meeting.
The mayor called a special meeting Friday to discuss the response to civil unrest in Dallas. Here is the information: pic.twitter.com/O4nrwjEcD2
— Office of Mayor Eric Johnson (@DallasMayor) June 3, 2020
Thursday did bring lots of action from city leadership.
Police Chief Hall held a conference call with members of more than 30 area community organizations. She strongly denied using tear gas on protesters -- something a number of them told KERA they witnessed. Hall also pointed out that demonstrations on Tuesday and Wednesday (after the city expanded the boundaries of its downtown curfew zone) are the most peaceful of the last week.
The chief also fielded questions about arrests and police body cameras. Hall says the department does not have enough for every officer, but she's hoping that will happen in coming months.
Hall also issued an order focused on the use of force and what an officer should do if they see another cop "taking things too far."
"They have a duty to ensure that if they witness or are part of a use of force situation that is unnecessary or excessive, they have a duty to intervene and stop it or they are subjected to the same penalties as the officers who are using it," Hall said.
City Manager Broadnax also released a plan to improve race relations, policing policies and to calm protesters' minds. The four-page document is called "One Dallas: R.E.A.L. Change (Restore Trust and Build Relationships in Policing)."
The action plan, presented at Friday's city council meeting, would guide the city's focus on areas Broadnax hopes will deliver responsible, equitable, accountable and legitimate efforts to restore trust in the community.
It includes a review this summer of all use-of-force policies and creating a policy regarding the release of bodycam and dashcam footage during critical incidents. Broadnax also says the city will implement a program by January aimed at building community relationships.
Got a tip? Email Hady Mawajdeh at hmawajdeh@KERA.org. You can follow Hady on Twitter @hadysauce.
Texas NewsprotestsGeorge Floyd
'We're Tired Of Getting Killed': The Voices Of Texas Protesters
Head Of Houston Police Union Urges Cops To Speak Out When Fellow Officers Do Wrong
Gov. Abbott Calls For Resignation Of Bexar County GOP Chair After Racist George Floyd Comments


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John Oliver Asks - Why Is Tuesday Voting Still A Thing?
We all know Election Day in America always falls on a Tuesday -- more specifically, the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. But have you ever wondered why? John Oliver explained this outdated electoral convention (and why it's counterproductive for democracy) on the latest episode of Last Week Tonight.
"The reason actually comes from an 1845 law, passed for a very 1845 reason," according to the show's researchers. Basically, people had trouble moving around the country in olden days. Think about it: there were very few trains, no cars, no planes and no Uber. So to help voters get to polling stations, lawmakers decided to hold elections on Tuesday, thinking people could spend Monday travelling and then cast their ballots the following day.
Which makes you wonder how many likely voters spoiled their ballots by getting dysentery.
The Pug Father / Flickr.com
While that system might've helped 19th century voters, it's becoming a big problem for 21st century Americans -- especially those in the 13 states that don't allow advanced voting or mail-in voting. Without those options, polling stations get gridlocked on Tuesday, with massive lines causing long delays. Or to use Last Week Tonight's words, Election Day is "all the wait times of Disney World, all the fun of the fucking DMV."
And that's especially inconvenient for working-class voters who are losing hours of work to exercise their democratic responsibilities. But Last Week Tonight has some solutions. The best one by far is making Election Day a holiday so that everyone has time to vote.


About the video: My finger won't straighten. What is wrong?
If you are concerned about what might be causing your finger not to straighten, listen to Summit Orthopedics' experts share some of the reasons why that might be. Featuring hand surgeons, Edward Su, M.D., David Falconer, M.D., and LT Donovan, D.O.
With icy conditions on the horizon, Dr. Parisi has suggestions to help prevent wrist fractures caused by falls.


This article is a follow-up to my recent Urban Survival: Twenty-Two Practical Tips. Please read that article if you haven't already.
Discussing advanced urban survival should start with an examination of the main differences between rural/small town areas and the big cities and urban centers. There are a lot of differences, but in this article, I want to discuss two in particular - Population Density and Space Availability.
Both of these categories presents urban preppers and survivalists with problems and opportunities different from those in small towns and rural areas.
Big cities have many more people concentrated in a relatively small area. This much greater population density means a much greater threat that city folks will have to deal with crime, violence, looting, and riots, especially after the infrastructure starts to break down after any long-term (or even short-term) grid-down situation. Pollution and sanitation will typically be bigger issues, as will the potential spread of disease. Resources such as food, water, and gasoline will quickly be depleted by the sheer numbers of people using those resources. These facts suggest that urban survival needs to place particular emphasis on sanitation and disease prevention/treatment, security and self-dense, and stockpiling/caching supplies likely to run out quickly post-SHTF.
On the other hand, being around more people can have its advantages. More people can mean more hands-on-deck in an emergency, as well as safety-in-numbers. More people probably means more available skill sets. More people may mean a greater opportunity to find and build relationships with like-minded people.
In order to turn these possibilities into reality, urban survival requires you to build community now, before any SHTF crisis. Learn to get along and work with other people, particularly those with different backgrounds from yours. Befriend your neighbors. Get to know them, their attitudes and beliefs, and their skills. Form a neighborhood watch. This can official (working with your local police, posting signs, etc.) or informal (exchanging phone numbers and agreeing to keep an eye out for strangers or anything else suspicious in the neighborhood). The point is you and your neighbors will begin getting to know one another and watching out for each other. You can build from there. Perhaps you will even find some nearby good friends with which you can form a survival group or mutual aid group (MAG).
I've written a number of articles on building community that might interest you. They are listed at the bottom of this article.
Limited space, both outdoor and indoor, is a major obstacle for urban preppers. Most apartment and condo dwellers have no space for gardening, raising chickens, or other homesteading activities (thus their frustration with a lot of typical prepper advice). Even home owners in the city typically have very small yards without much room for those type activities. Additionally, limited storage space inside apartments and condos creates a real limitation on how much food, water, gear, and other stuff you can store.
However, it is possible to overcame these space limitations. My suggestions for doing so can be summed up in three words - minimalism, prioritization, and creativity.
Reduce your wardrobe, shoes, belts, ties, handbags, etc. Chances are you have a lot of stuff in your closet (an your kids') that you no longer wear or need. Clean it out.
Reduce your collections of books, DVDs, and CDs. Decide what you really want or need, and get rid of the rest.
Throw out clutter, such as old magazines, catalogs, as well as all those receipts and warranties from 10 years ago.
Get rid of toys, games, books, puzzles, stuffed animals and other junk that your kids have outgrown, broken, or otherwise don't play with anymore.
Prioritization - This is crucial for the urban prepper and survivalist. You can't afford to waste space or money on non-essentials. Figure out what is really important and focus your time, efforts, and money on those things. Make lists based on those priorities and stick to those lists. This will also help you in your minimization activities. Once you figure out what is important, get rid of the rest. Prioritized lists will also help you avoid impulse buying, saving you both space and money.
Creativity - Do container gardening on your porch or balcony. Find out if there are any community gardens in your area you can join. See if your church could start a community garden. Store stuff under the bed. Put your bed on risers to create more storage space. Use flat storage boxes to store stuff under the sofa. Create overhead storage areas. Use water bricks to store water, dry foods (beans, rice, pasta, dog food), or even small supplies (batteries, first aid supplies, ammo, etc.). They are made to stack easily, and can even be turned into tables, nightstands, and other pieces of furniture (thereby serving a dual purpose). Another possibility is to rent a nearby storage unit. A final suggestion, watch little house videos on You Tube. They have come up with some amazingly creative ways to use space and create storage.
Tim, glad to see you've reopened the comments.
Per this article, it seems like the advantage of an urban MAG would be offset by having just that many more mouths to feed (and poop to flush). The urban environment always has the uphill challenge of longterm sustainability.
If the time horizon of the event can be measured in weeks or months, an urban MAG could manage it. If the time frame is a year or more? Stored supplies run out. You'd need to grow more food.
I just ran a quick calculation the other day, figuring one person's food to be two ears of corn. That's not a lot of food for one day, but take it as a sort of minimum. A year's supply would be 720 ears of corn. That would be around 16 bushels of corn -- per person. The bigger your MAG, the more bushels.
Growing that much food in an urban setting would a major project.


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UK Confidential
Martha Kearney uncovers the secrets within the newly-opened government files of 1984, the year of the miners' strike, the Brighton bomb and the Libyan Embassy shooting.
Martha Kearney uncovers the secrets within the Government files of 1984.
Margaret Thatcher's government faced some formidable adversaries. The long-anticipated battle with the National Union of Mineworkers and its leader, Arthur Scargill, finally erupted, dominating the political scene well into 1985. The charismatic Ken Livingstone, leader of the Greater London Council, was winning the costly PR war against abolition of the GLC. And terror hit home with the shooting of policewoman Yvonne Fletcher outside the Libyan Embassy and the IRA bombing of the Conservative Party Conference in Brighton.
On the world stage, the Cold War reached a crucial turning point. The cost of the nuclear arms race was rocketing and the world needed a new approach to East-West relations. Rising star of the Soviet Politburo, Mikhail Gorbachev, was invited to Britain and spent five hours at Chequers in a now famous meeting with the Prime Minister.
As the official Cabinet papers of 1984 are opened to the public for the first time, Martha Kearney discovers how these events were viewed in Government. With access to the Prime Minister's personal correspondence, minutes of top secret meetings and telephone calls, and confidential policy advice, Martha can now offer fresh insights into history.
Former Ministers and other key insiders from the time join Martha in the studio to help her interpret the papers and give their own impressions of the revelations within them.
Producer: Deborah Dudgeon
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
Sun 5 Jan 2014 22:00
See all episodes from UK Confidential
Years of the 20th century in the United Kingdom (24)
1984 in the United Kingdom (5)
Fri 3 Jan 2014 11:00
Secrets and Spies—Analysis, Edward Snowden: Leaker, Saviour, Traitor, Spy?
Radio 4 presents a selection of programmes dedicated to secrets, spies and espionage
1978—UK Confidential
This episode is related to Years of the 20th century in the United Kingdom
Episode 1—Domesday Reloaded - Me and My Square
Martha Kearney and guests reveal the truth behind previously secret government files
Factual > History
Factual > Politics
Discussion & Talk
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Martin Pakula
Member for Keysborough
Submissions Open For Review Of Victoria's Charter Of Human Rights
Victorians can help shape the future of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities with submissions now open for the Charter's review.
Attorney-General, Martin Pakula encouraged the community to have their say and make submissions to the review, which will help ensure the Charter is robust and effective.
The Andrews Labor Government announced the review in March – the first step in fulfilling the Government's election promise to refresh the Charter and resume public education to embed the values of freedom, respect, equality and dignity in society.
Mr Pakula appointed Michael Brett Young – former CEO of the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) and previously managing partner at Maurice Blackburn – to lead the review.
Introduced by the former Labor Government in 2006, the Charter contains 20 fundamental human rights based on those set out in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These include freedom of expression, privacy, liberty, equality before the law, the right to vote and rights in criminal proceedings.
The Charter requires the Victorian Government, public servants, local councils, Victoria Police and other public authorities to act compatibly with these human rights and to consider them when developing policies, drafting legislation and delivering services.
The final report will be handed to the Government by 1 September 2015, before being tabled in Parliament by 1 October 2015.
While submissions do not have to follow a particular format, they are required to address some areas of the Terms of Reference. Participants can decide whether a submission is to be referred to publicly, anonymously or confidentially.
Submissions close on 4 June 2015. To view the terms of reference, for more information, or to make a submission, visit www.charterreview.vic.gov.au.
Submissions can also be made via mail, email or telephone. People who require assistance making a submission can contact the review secretariat.
Quotes attributable to Attorney-General, Martin Pakula
"This is about restoring human rights to their proper place in the Victorian public service."
"We're inviting all Victorians to play a role in shaping how their fundamental rights are upheld by Government into the future."
schools roads local government children and youth affairs jobs dingley village transport sport and recreation keysborough south health noble park springvale police and emergency services keysborough education community safety aboriginal affairs racing justice attorney general


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Currie Wins NOMIS Foundation's Distinguished Scientist and Scholar Award
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Nancy Duff Campbell is the founder and co-president of the National Women's Law Center. This fall, she visited the Woodrow Wilson School in October…
Currie Wins Carolyn Shaw Bell Award
Janet M.
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Two shooters opened fire at a party in San Bernadino, Calif., last week, killing 14 people and injuring 21, the latest in a series of mass shootings…
More Aggressive Climate Policies Are Needed to Save the Future Poor
People often believe that future generations will be better off than their predecessors, but that may be a dangerous assumption when it comes to…
WooCast: Paul Volcker and the Importance of Public Service
Paul Volcker has spent most of his professional life in public service. In this WooCast, he discusses the importance of public service, its role in…
Princeton-Fung Global Forum Identifies Approaches for Dealing with 'Modern Plagues'
On the verdant campus of University College Dublin, nearly 300 public health experts and practitioners, government officials, scholars and students…
An Anthropological View of the Ebola Outbreak
More than 150 people gathered in Robertson Hall in early October for a panel discussion and reception by four social scientists who examined…
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On day two of the 2015 Princeton-Fung Global Forum, Tuesday, Nov.
Quiet 'Epidemic' Has Killed Half a Million Middle-Aged White Americans
Despite advances in health care and quality of life, white middle-aged Americans have seen overall mortality rates increase over the past 15 years,…
What to Expect from Open Enrollment 2015-2016
November 1 marks the start of the third annual Open Enrollment period for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Eligible Americans can shop…
Rogerson Wins R.K. Cho Economics Prize
Richard Rogerson, the Charles and Marie Robertson Professor of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of…
Twitter Chat Focuses on the Government's Role in Relief Efforts
Doug Mercado, an alumnus of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and an officer with the U.S. Agency for…


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NIC Peshawar Rocks Pakistan Startup Cup!
The 5th edition of Pakistan's biggest startup competition, Pakistan Startup Cup held its closing ceremony yesterday In Islamabad. The Pakistan Startup Cup has been initiated in Pakistan by TiE Islamabad in Partnership with US State Department and Griffin Worx, USA (which was formerly known as Startup Cup LLC). Since its inception in 2013, the Cup has attracted stellar and amazing startups from across the country.
This year's cup saw more than 2000 startups join the competition across the nation with the workshops and pitches being held at Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Faisalabad. Over a grueling 10 month period the startups passed through multiple stages of the competition and the final saw the top 3 from the six cities come together for the final 18 pitches in front of an esteemed panel of judges comprising of top entrepreneurs and business leaders from across the nation.
This was the first time in all of the Startup Cups held so far that Peshawar really made its presence felt, as two out of the three top positions went to Peshawar based startups. Nano IT Solutions bagged the Cup by securing the First position and a prize money of Rs. One million while Aprus Technologies secured the second runner up position and a prize money of Rs.500000. Both of the Peshawar based startups are incubated at the National Incubation Centre Peshawar.
Nano IT Solutions is Pakistan's first manufacturer of AR VR motion platforms used in education, gaming & training simulators. They have launched an edutainment arcade with their own locally produced motion platforms in Peshawar by the name of VRHere which has already served more than 13000 customers. They are currently digitizing local tourist experiences to be used on their AR/VR platforms (such as a Cable Car ride in Malam Jabba or a boat ride in Lake Saif ul Malook) to be integrated in their VRHere franchise across the nation.
Aprus Technologies' Electrosurgical Unit is one of these ground breaking innovations, which aims to make surgical procedures all around the world safer and more reliable. These units are used in almost all surgical procedures to cut and coagulate the tissues during surgeries. Pursuing a PhD in the same subject matter, the founder is creating a safer surgical blade that helps surgical cuts heal faster.
This year's Pakistan Startup Cup saw massive interest from KPK with more than 180 Startups joining the competition. The three finalists from Startup Cup KPK; Nano IT Solutions, Aprus and Bera, were all incubatees of NIC Peshawar. These amazing startups are reinventing the industries in their particular domain.
The winners received their awards by the guests of honor for the session, ; Mr. Shafqat Mahmood, Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training and His Excellency Paul W. Jones, Ambassador of United States of America to Pakistan. Addressing the attendees of the session, Minister stressed on the importance of innovation, creativity and initiative for successful transformation of economic landscape of Pakistan. He also appreciated young innovators for presenting localized solutions to our social problems. While the Ambassador commended the young entrepreneurs by saying,
"You all represent the next generation of business leaders and with the skills you have been honing here, you are equipped to solve the most challenging problems and create durable solutions for your communities, for Pakistan& for the global community."
Murtaza Zaidi, Director NIC Peshawar expressed his gratitude at closing ceremony of Pakistan Startup Cup,
"Today is the proud moment for NIC Peshawar. It's been 6 years since the inception of Startup Cup but not even a single company won or even made the cut to top three positions of Pakistan Startup Cup from Peshawar but this year not one but two Peshawar Based companies incubated at NIC Peshawar got the top slots. This shows the hard work and dedication of the team, mentors and all our partners."
President of TiE Islamabad, Sarah Hashwani congratulated the winners and reassured them that TiE will always support them in their future endeavors. The guests of honor for the ceremony; Mr. Shafqat Mahmood, Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training and His Excellency Paul W. Jones, Ambassador of United States of America to Pakistan showed great interest in the pitches of both startups and appreciated them for innovating their respective fields.
Launched in January 2018, National Incubation Center, Peshawar funded by Ignite, Ministry of IT & Telecom and driven by LMKT in collaboration with PTCL aims to build a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa by supporting the creation of disruptive, innovative product-based startups.