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Purdue researchers working with Abu Dhabi on cybersecurity of drones as city seeks to become a tech hub of Middle East
Published : Friday, October 2, 2020, 1:31 pm
ACROFAN=Jae-Yong Ryu | jaeyong.ryu@acrofan.com | SNS
Abu Dhabi has intentions of making the city a leading hub for technology and innovation in the Middle East.
Part of that evolution is utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, to assist with as many tasks as possible, from delivering packages to aiding in police operations to helping investigate crashes on highways to delivering high-value transports, like organs for transplant.
With autonomy, though, comes risks of hackers and complications between interacting agents.
A group of Purdue University researchers have been tasked to make sure drones and their systems could operate securely, safely and efficiently in the United Arab Emirates capital. Inseok Hwang, a professor in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, is principal investigator on a three-year, $2.3-million grant from the Technology Innovation Institute in Abu Dhabi to study the application of secure drone swarms in urban environments.
The project requires expertise in autonomous vehicles, control, sensing, virtual reality and security. James Goppert, a visiting assistant professor in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics and managing director of the UAS Research and Test Facility, and Dongyan Xu, the Samuel D. Conte Professor of Computer Science and director of CERIAS (Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security), Purdue's cybersecurity research and education center, are co-principal investigators on the project.
"We will address this problem in a highly integrated, interdisciplinary way," Hwang said. "We will consider it from the program level to the high-level network of systems, so we accomplish the hierarchic way from the very detailed lower level, the software and hardware level, to the large network of vehicles and from the single vehicle to multivehicle. So it's multidimensional. That's one of the unique pieces of this project."
The project will utilize one of Purdue's unrivaled assets, the UAS Research and Test Facility. The 20,000-square-foot, 35-feet high facility, located at Hangar 4 of the Purdue University Airport, features the largest indoor motion capture system in the world and offers unique capabilities for novel research.
Goppert will build a mixed reality environment, combining a virtual reality urban environment with a scaled physical model of the city. The drones will fly and navigate the city, and the environment can be programmed to simulate a wide range of settings, including weather, traffic and urban development, to test the drones' applicability and agility. The testing will be done with single vehicles as well as swarms, which could include 10 drones.
Hwang said he hasn't seen any research done using mixed reality to this scale. Neither has Goppert.
"Our unique capability is that we have such a large environment to do it," Goppert said. "Just running so many vehicles at once is going to be a challenge. In the past, several vehicles have been used. But if we're going to be running swarms where each vehicle needs a rendered virtual mixed reality image, that's going to be really computationally challenging. That's what we're pushing forward.
"We thought we could try to bring it as close to real-life as possible to get as many of the bugs worked out before they actually deploy such a system. We can do it all in software, but there's an added advantage in bringing it closer to reality by making some of it actual robots."
Hwang and Xu will have a multitiered approach from the cybersecurity and robustness standpoint. Xu will investigate from the cyber perspective of security, encryption, authentication and peer-to-peer communications. Hwang will develop a mathematical model and use the control theoretical solution approach, assessing potential cyberattacks on the systems and working to design a controller in such a way that the system becomes more resilient to attacks.
"This project reflects exciting synergies between two areas of technical excellence at Purdue: aeronautics and astronautics, and cybersecurity," Xu said.
Ultimately, all of the research will be integrated and pieced together around the state-of-the-art test bed, which could happen toward the end of the second year of the three-year grant.
With a variety of drones tasked with different assignments, "how do we make sure they play well together?" Goppert said. "We're trying to simulate that within our facility."


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Covid Vaccine Now Available For California Children Ages 5-11
Posted by Marissa Johnson | Nov 5, 2021 | News & Crime Watch
The Food and Drug Administration met last week, and authorized 28 million children in California and other western states ages 5 to 11 to receive the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine in a continued effort to eradicate the novel Coronavirus. Children will need two doses of the vaccine, three weeks apart. Each dose is a third of what is given to people age 12 and older. Children ages 5 to 11 comprise approximately 9% of California's population.
Just days after its approval by Director Rochelle Walensky of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health officials are now urging parents and caretakers to contact their pediatrician to ask questions, and set up an appointment for their child to be vaccinated. Major pharmacy chains such as Walgreens, Rite Aid and CVS will be offering appointments as early as November 7. Parents are advised to book an appointment either with their child's pediatrician or one of these major pharmacy chains.
Safety Monitoring
According to the CDC,
"COVID-19 vaccines have undergone – and will continue to undergo – the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. Vaccinating children will help protect them from getting COVID-19 and therefore reducing their risk of severe disease, hospitalizations, or developing long-term COVID-19 complications.
– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Although side effects are still being monitored, the FDA stated that the Pfizer vaccine has met all criteria for safe administration for emergency usage in children ages 5 to 11.
In an FDA news release it states:
"The vaccine was found to be 90.7% effective in preventing COVID-19 in children 5 through 11. The vaccine's safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children age 5 through 11 who received the vaccine and no serious side effects have been detected in the ongoing study."
-Food and Drug Administration
Elk Grove Unified School District
In a recent letter issued to families in the Elk Grove Unified School District regarding the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, it states:
" It (vaccine) will not take place until full FDA approval is given. The anticipated timeline is for the summer of 2022 starting with children in grades 7-12."
-EGUSD Communications Department
In the meantime, vaccine clinics will be set up for families who wish to have their age 5-11 student vaccinated, and will be available at the following sites:
Saturday, Nov. 13 / 10 AM – 1 PM / Valley High School
Clinic available for anyone 5 years and older. Pfizer 1st, 2nd and 3rd booster doses available.
Thursday, Nov. 18 / 3 – 7 PM/ Samuel Kennedy Elementary School (Flu vaccine also available)
Saturday, Dec. 4 / 10 AM– 1 PM/ Valley High School
Thursday, Dec. 9 / 3 – 7 PM / Samuel Kennedy Elementary School (Flu vaccine also available)
Will the EGUSD COVID-Clinic Testing Locations Change Hours With the Time Change?
Yes. Starting Monday, November 8th, the new hours for the EGUSD COVID-19 Testing locations will be from 7:30 AM to 5 PM. We will update our testing location information next week, which will also note holiday closures. Stay tuned for more information.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


As we learned more about the Society of Friends, I began to see why it had been so influential in the formation of the culture of the United States.
In 1693 William Penn gave the property, now in the prime section of downtown Philadelphia, to the Society of Friends, known as Quakers. The meeting house was built later. Betsy Ross, that intrepid upholsterer who performed the renegade act of creating the first American flag, worshiped here. And I worshiped in that same meeting house Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014.
We crossed the flag-stoned, high-walled courtyard and burial ground to reach the simple red brick building, its worn white door opening by an old-fashioned hinge lock. The greeter explained where the worship would take place and welcomed us into a large parlor where coffee, tea and other refreshments sat freely available. About 15 people stood or sat in quiet conversation.
Readily agreeing, we followed him to a large, wooden double door. We walked down a few stairs, and entered the original 1804 worship space. The large rectangular room could hold over 1000 if packed in tightly.
A balcony surrounded three sides. Our guide explained that the youth sat there, chaperoned by adults holding long poles which would be used to tap inattentive or talkative youth on the heads.
At the front of the room were a set of "facing benches," i.e., benches slightly elevated from the rest of the room. Generally, those designated as elders and ministers sat there although there are no formal set-apart clergy among the Quakers. In this particular room, a curved panel extended over the facing bench–an early sound board that permitted those speaking to be better heard.
It was at the facing bench where young people who were choosing to commit themselves to each other in marriage would go to exchange their vows. Although this would be done without the help of any ordained clergy, it was a time happily celebrated by the Society of Friends.
We also learned that a Quaker worship house is not built to last forever. It and the furniture are built to be used, and then to be reused or destroyed.
At 10:30, we walked into the room that serves now as their worship center, for the congregation can no longer fill that large room. Aged wooden and cushioned benches lined all four sides of the unadorned room. Nothing on the walls, windows uncurtained. Worn industrial carpeting covered the floors.
No elevated benches here; people sat where they wished. Quaker worship begins when the first person enters that room. All others then enter in silence and take their seats.
About 60 people joined us in time. For 25 minutes, we sat in silence with one another. Most people had their eyes closed, focusing on centering themselves on the inner light. A few slept lightly. Peacefulness permeated.
Anyone may speak at any time. However, they are to ask themselves if the message that they are receiving is for the public or just for themselves. When someone does speak, it is expected that there will be silence in the room afterwards. The message is never answered by someone else. There is no argument, no discussion. It simply stands as it is.
Periodically, the entire time of worship will be spent in silence. On this particular day, four people had a message, each one speaking five minutes or less. It was explained to us before we went in that we would know when worship was over when two people stood up and shook hands. After approximately an hour, exactly that happened. Just before that moment, I was aware that something had changed in the room. The deep and quiet peace that permeated the space had changed to something that was now open to conversation.
Several announcements followed and then those who were visiting or anyone else who wished to were invited to introduce themselves. We did so, and then the meeting was dismissed. Several people came up to talk to us and we had opportunity to learn more about the history of Quakerism.
Inward revelation of truth; not dogmatic theology.
A primary principle of worship in the Society of Friends: when someone has a message, the rest of the community receives that message as true to that person. It is just to be heard, not argued with or even answered. It may not be true for anyone else in the worship service, but it is to be trusted as a revelation given by God to a person formed by the spiritual disciplines integrated into the lives of those who have committed themselves to the Society of Friends.
Because they are not doctrinal in orientation (i.e.,one can be Buddhist or Jewish or Christian AND be a member of the Society of Friends), those kinds of boundaries don't define what is true or not. But other boundaries do, and I've listed some of them above. They are a deeply ethical people and their guidelines insist on much personal maturity and self-responsibility for thoughts and actions.
Essentially, they trust one another to hear the voice of God, EVEN if the revelations of others are different from one's own personal beliefs and revelations. That is why the speakers are just received, not greeted with a list of those who would speak for or against what was just said. Again, it is trust, deep, profound trust.
In the UMC, those who are like-minded in various disputed issues meet behind closed doors, create statements that are often anonymous in authorship, float them through various media outlets, wait for the inevitable backlash and then seek to discredit or expel their opponents.
Proposals are carefully crafted to come before the various committees at General Conference, fought over, and narrowed and honed in those committees. Some actually reach the floor of the General Conference. Opponents to the various proposals have their arguments prepared, and hope, with those logical arguments, to destroy the basis for their opponents' proposals.
Our "holy conferencing" is almost totally adversarial in nature, unless one is with those who only agree with the issue on the table.
Listening, trusting, and believing that God is speaking to all of us are not components of our conferencing. We are out to win–and when one side wins, they seek to defeat thoroughly, even to the point of expelling from our covenant connection, those with whom we are in opposition.
What if we actually trusted one another WHEN, not if, we differ?
What if we could trust that God is working in and among us, we who have worked hard to bring our minds, souls, bodies and spirits into the mold of Christ-likeness, DESPITE our differences?
What if we could trust one another in our differences as we work to define the nature and grace of God, salvation, sanctification and social principles within our distinctively United Methodist ways that are as consistent as possible with our Articles of Religion and Wesley's Sermon's and Explanatory Notes? I write "as consistent as possible" because, again, each of us will define "consistency" different. That is the glory of our humanness–we have individual minds, creative processes, experiences and educations, making doctrinal differences not just possible but inevitable.
What if we could see the power in those differences, so that they enrich us, rather than impoverish us?
What if we could just trust?
What if we did not feel the need to immediately form a counter-argument to each proposition with which we differ, but could trust that is it right for that one, again under the general umbrella of the UM world?
What if we could simply let statements stand, and be held together because we do believe that God is indeed working in us, rather than condemning to eternal separation those with whom we differ?
I know this is a complicated thing to do. Distrust comes much easier than trust. Our litigious nation, built on taking apart the jot and tittle of every law, every proposition, every ordinance, has produced the opposite of a culture of trust.
But we are the church–we are supposed to be operating on a different level.
We, as United Methodists, are formed by the means of grace, which includes the holy conference. Such conferencing is NOT debate, it is not "Three arguments for and three arguments against" followed by a vote with its inevitable winners and losers.
We are called to be one people, held together as we become the mind of Christ for the people of our worlds.
This has never been an easy process. It never will be. I've been doing a great deal of reading recently about the formation of the Nicene Creed and the challenges of agreement facing the Church Fathers–who made sure that the Church Mothers were unheard in that discussion. Things have not changed in that regard. But we can and should be doing it better than we are right now.
Here is a reasonably complete list of the various proposals to reform/split the UMC and their possibilities of actually passing. I appreciate all the work that has gone into trying to re-thinks and re-create the structure of the UMC. None will actually work, however, until we learn to honor and trust one another on a far deeper level we do now. Only then can we find unity that does not demand unanimity–and which opens the doors to real grace.
It is complicated, but I like it.
You may be one of the few who does like the idea. I get the impression most would prefer simply to destroy those with whom they differ rather than listen with grace.
I, too, like the idea of respecting the speakers thoughts and ideas and then just listening without response, argument, or belittlement. O for us UMCers to emulate the Society of Friends. Maybe, just maybe, with a lot of respectful listening, a middle way, or "via media", can be found.
I do hope so. But as I am noticing the lack of response to this particular blog post, I am guessing that this way is just too hard. It really is easier to simply shoot the other side down.
I think this would be a great idea and a welcome change. Many who are turned off by the condemning actions of many churches might be more attuned to a change as this.


Rescind Con-Con | No Convention of States!
Once state legislators discover the hidden dangers of calling for a convention (Convention of States), they quickly pass a resolution or bill to RESCIND any and all existing calls, such as the Model Resolution below. Legislatures that pass convention calls have not conducted adequate research, depending instead on information supplied by special-interest lobbyists.


We're all familiar with the idea of a dream dinner party, yes? This tag takes that idea of coming up with the perfect guest list that isn't set in reality – i.e. famous people, dead people, etc. are all allowed – but in this tag all of the people are fictional! Who would you invite to your literary dinner party?
I saw this tag at Not So Modern Girl's blog. I don't know who originally dreamed up this tag, but I love the idea – so much so that I'm tagging myself in!
I immediately thought of Lara Jean from To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. Lara Jean always seems to be cooking or baking something and I think she'd probably bring food even if I didn't ask her to. I'm pretty sure it would even be themed to the evening in some way.
Mr. Bingley from Pride and Prejudice seems to like throwing a good party and definitely has the funds for it. He's also known for being sweet and charming to everybody which is always a plus.
Hermione Granger is clever and passionate and might go off on a tangent if anybody mentions Elf rights or mispronounces a charm or something. I'll take that risk for the thrill of having one of the most brilliant witches from Harry Potter attend my dinner party.
For some reason this one took me longer to decide on. I read plenty of books that have funny, amusing moments but most of the heroines are more bad assed than amusing, I guess? I finally decided on Isabel Spellman from The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz who is certainly known for throwing her wit around a situation.
Oh gosh this is hard. I definitely gravitate towards books with characters I can relate to – and I can't relate to that person at all. I'm going to go with Winter from The Lunar Chronicles because she's one of those people that everyone likes, even though she's not necessarily a Cool Girl Type, she's definitely popular and friendly. And who wouldn't want her at their dinner party?
Catherine from Heartless by Marissa Meyers is one of those characters who is commonly known as a villain but turns out to be severely misunderstood. In this novel she's fairly bad assed and also a great baker – here's hoping she brings some dessert to share!
Cress and Carswell from the Lunar Chronicles because they are adorable together and should add some fun conversation to the party. Carswell strikes me as someone who would liven up a party – and Cress will keep him in line! Yes, that makes 3 characters from The Lunar Chronicles and three different titles by Marissa Meyers that I've referenced. Apparently she owns my soul right now. Or has written some incredible characters.
I know Doctor Who is a tv show, but the character is fictional and there have been books. I can't really throw this party without hoping that my favorite Time Lord will show up. Bonus points for the current incarnation played by Jodie Whittaker.
Ginny Weasley from the Harry Potter universe is fantastic and not really given enough page-time in the books at all. I'd love to get to know her better without being overshadowed by her famous beau.
There are seriously too many to choose from, but if we're going to have Hermione and Ginny, then Luna Lovegood really aught to come along as well.
This party sounds awesome and also like it might possibly go off the rails entirely.
Whoever actually read this post!
That would be a fun dinner party!


Kingston's new addition to the HyperX line moves away from traditional driver positioning in favour of a brand new design in gaming headsets. The HyperX Cloud Alpha comes with a dual chambered design, allowing for greater distinction of sound by separating the bass from the mids and highs.
Although the dual chambered design isn't a new concept, it is brand new in the gaming sector, enabling the Cloud Alpha's 50mm neodymium drivers to boast less distortion and blending of the different ranges.
The Cloud Alpha also ships with a detachable noise-cancelling microphone and braided cable, complete with in-line audio control. Another large selling point is its multi-platform compatibility, designed to work with PC, PS4 and Xbox One via a 3.5mm input.
You can get your hands on the HyperX Cloud Alpha headset on September 25th, priced at $100.
KitGuru Says: HyperX has continued to impress over the years so I am looking forward to seeing what this headset has in store next month. Are you planning on upgrading your current audio setup? Do you think the Cloud Alphas would do the job?


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Apple To Rip Up In-Store, Mobile Channels
Apple is about to complete its conversion to a merged-channel retailer—and maybe put its first stake in the ground for mobile payments, too. On November 3, Apple is expected to roll out a new system that will merge its in-store and mobile-commerce channels, offer a 12-minute turnaround time for M-Commerce orders and reward brick-and-mortar stores for pushing customers to shop online and pick up in-store. And—as you may have heard—it's letting customers do self-checkout, too.
If that sounds like an afterthought, it very nearly is, even though self-checkout alone would be a big deal for most chains. What Apple is primarily trying to do is demolish the wall between stores and M-Commerce. It may not work—that 12-minute turnaround promise may just be impossible, and some of Apple's plans for prioritizing customers can collapse when things get busy. But if it does work, it may also represent Apple's demonstration of how it plans to offer mobile payments to other retailers—without either NFC or mimicking a plastic card.
According to sources quoted by the mobile and gadget blog BGR, what Apple will officially unveil is a new app for its mobile devices that will let customers do in-store pickup of M-Commerce orders, in addition to self-checkout for products the customer scans while inside a store.
Nice as those features are—and yes, self-checkout that actually works is a big deal—what's more important to both Apple and other chains is what Apple is doing under the covers. For the site-to-store feature, Apple is reportedly promising a turnaround time of 12 minutes (three to forward the order to the store, two for associates to set aside the item and an extra seven just in case things get busy). If true, that almost makes self-checkout irrelevant, since it takes some customers 12 minutes just to get the attention of an Apple Store associate to check them out.
(To be clear, that's for items that are in-stock and don't require special handling in some way. A customer who wants to buy an iPhone case can pick it up in 12 minutes. The iPhone itself still requires all the activation song-and-dance, which takes longer.)
But the shift in Apple's retail model doesn't stop there. Customers using their iPhones to order will reportedly get priority in the store over walk-in customers. (That sounds like the perfect way to drive off new customers, and it's one of the more questionable items in Apple's new approach.)
And pick-up-in-store sales will be credited as revenue to the store where the item is picked up, not to Apple's E-Commerce operation. That resolves one of the nastiest problems dogging merged-channel efforts: the fact that fulfilling a site-to-store order costs the store in labor but doesn't show up as sales to make the store manager look good.
That was the Amazon model—E-Commerce separate from and competing with in-store—that chains have been trying to make work for a decade. The result has been dueling online and in-store inventories, site-to-store that takes days instead of minutes and zero reason for store managers (and even division executives) to make merged-channel work.
Apple's change to that model appears to be very simple: The sale is credited not to the division that collects the money but to whoever actually delivers the product. Apple's change to that model appears to be very simple: The sale is credited not to the division (online or in-store) that collects the money but to whoever actually delivers the product. The result: No more channel competition. Store managers will want those easy, pre-sold, in-and-out merged-channel customers. Sure, associates may not be able to upsell those customers. But that's Apple.com's job. Store associates can focus on moving merchandise out of the store as quickly as possible—and presumably taking care of those lower priority walk-in customers.
Pushing customers to do in-store pickup could also save Apple some E-Commerce shipping costs. But with only about 300 stores, almost all in urban areas, there's still going to be a need for dedicated fulfillment centers. And turning that job over to the stores doesn't make sense—you don't want your fulfillment warehouse to be sitting on the most expensive retail square footage available. But it still looks closer to real merged-channel than anything else we've seen.
Unfortunately for bigger retail chains, this may not be a model they can pull off, even with a single view of inventory (imperative for site-to-store-in-minutes) and adjustments to store management. Apple has a limited number of SKUs, an often-fanatical customer base and enough high-margin products to make the model more forgiving of any missteps. (And although some high-margin products such as phones take a while to configure, there's no special reason a $1,000 laptop customer couldn't be in and out as quickly as the guy who's picking up an inexpensive screen protector.)
But for, say, an apparel retailer with a large number of size and color varieties even for a single pair of pants, finding exactly the right item for a customer in 12 minutes is a much more challenging race—and then the customer will most likely want to try on the item anyway. Rushing customers in and out just isn't going to happen. Some of Apple's merged-channel model just won't transfer to the rest of retail.
But the mobile-payments piece just might.
We've been assuming that mobile payments meant a replacement for Visa—or at least a replacement for that plastic rectangle, with an NFC-equipped phone mimicking a contactless payment card. That would require an iPhone with an NFC chip—which Apple didn't deliver last month.
But now Apple is redefining mobile payments as mobile ordering plus site-to-store.
Say you're a retailer who has done a mobile-payments deal with Apple. How might that work? The customer pays on your E-Commerce or M-Commerce site using iTunes (or whatever Apple decides to call its payment system), and then a certain number of minutes later picks up the desired item and is good to go. Apple would handle the money for the site-to-store sale, but it would also handle the messaging to the store about the transaction so stock could be pulled, the order verification once the customer walks into the store and the E-receipt delivery.
That doesn't sound anything like Google Wallet, ISIS or PayPal's in-store approaches. But offering that as a service could be Apple's way into the game—and with Apple currently the darling of chains when it comes to in-store mobile POS devices, Apple may already have its foot in the door for mobile payments—no NFC required.
Costco changes menu; Alibaba, Guess open store—roundup
Costco changes up its menu items, and Alibaba and Guess partner for a physical store.
by Jacqueline Renfrow Jul 9, 2018 12:00pm
New CCO prepares Walmart for the future
Janey Whiteside, Walmart's new chief customer officer, is well acquainted with the importance of customer service in modern retail.
Whole Foods joins Prime Day; Tariffs hike consumer prices—roundup
Whole Foods will offer deals on Amazon's Prime Day, and tariffs against China are causing pricing hikes.
by Jacqueline Renfrow Jul 6, 2018 11:40am
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Sun and the city
In Worcester the other day, I paused briefly as the afternoon sun went down, moved out of collision range of passing Christmas shoppers, and spent a few moments admiring the impressive array of buildings on the city's main street. It's a row of varied structures including a house, a couple of banks, a church, and a hotel, and positioned as it is in the centre of the city it's surprisingly easy to walk past, dodge other pedestrians most of whom are heading resolutely for the shops, and not give any of it a second glance.
But, as regular readers will know, it's one of the points of this blog to linger over architecture that's most often unregarded or taken for granted. So what have we got here? First, in the foreground, my photograph shows half of an early-18th century brick building that I take to have been built as a house. This shows the decorative grace that Georgian classicism can achieve – acanthus keystones above the windows, swags below, neat quoins and cornice, and a finely detailed Ionic doorway. Next to it is a former bank, designed in the Edwardian baroque style by Charles Heathcote of Manchester in 1906. Although smaller than its neighbours, it manages to be very grand, its Portland stone frontage oozing telling details like those columns on the upper floor, the circular window above the doorway, and the iron balcony on the side wall, as if to enable the manager to look down on the hoi polloi below and calculate their credit ratings by eye before they even reach the front door.
Beyond that building is the other bank, dating to 1861–2. Its detailing is a little more restrained than that of its smaller neighbour, more Renaissance palace than baroque, as Pevsner observes. It was built for the Worcester City and County Bank as their headquarters, and this local business fittingly chose a local architect, E. W. Elmslie, who made such a mark on Malvern.
Next in line is St Nicholas Church, now, like the first bank, given over to eating and drinking. The architect of this building of the 1730s is not known but Pevsner tells us that the landmark tower is taken from a design by James Gibbs, one he did but rejected for the church of St Mary Le Strand in London. Its recessed stages culminate in an octagonal cupola with a delicate circular columned lantern at the top. At ground level this striking tower is set off by tall Doric pilasters and a pediment and the whole thing is a grand climax to this part of the street. Its stone catches the sun beautifully too, as it did on the cold winter's afternoon when I took the photograph.
Visible beyond the church is part of a brick building, also warmed by the sun and partly striped with pale Doulton terracotta. This is a long block, originally housing the Hop Market and Commercial Hotel, built in two stages between 1899 and 1907. The visible end is the later part of the structure and has a striking open lantern topped with another small dome on the street corner, a colourful counterpart to the tower of St Nicholas.
Each of these buildings provides much to take in for anyone with the time to stand and stare. But even the casual passer-by can appreciate how well they work together: a coming together of periods, building materials, and styles that both enlivens a city street and gives it a sense of grandeur. It's one of those bits of a provincial city not at all where time has stood still but where something of the quality attainable by local architects and builders has been preserved. We should be grateful for that.
Labels: bank, church, Elmslie, Georgian, Gibbs, house, Townscape, Victorian, Worcester
The room now standing on Platform 2
The Resident Wise Woman tells me that in her youth, taking the train home to the Cotswolds from Oxford, she would hear the guard on Oxford station announce her train: 'Calling at Charlbury, Kingham, Moreton-in-Marsh, Evesham (Capital of the Vale), Worcester Shrub Hill, and Worcester Foregate Street'.* And so it was that the litany of stations on the 'Cotswold Line' traced the train's journey across the hills, down to the Vale of Evesham and on towards the River Severn at Worcester. And being a hill person, the Resident Wise Woman knew that, as she stepped up from the windy platform on to the chugging diesel multiple unit, she'd soon be on her home turf.
Worcester Shrub Hill, back then, was just a name to her and to me too. So we didn't know that this station, perched high among factories on the edge of the city centre, housed a rare and unexpected bit of Victorian luxury. In the 19th century, it was not unusual for railway stations to have a ladies' waiting room where female travellers could sit in comfort and safety before their train arrived. And the lucky ladies who travelled from Worcester Shrub Hill station could wait in the magnificent setting of this room on platform 2. Built in c.1864, the ladies' waiting room is clad on the outside in glorious majolica tiles made by Maw & Company of Broseley (originally the firm was based in Worcester). The rich red columns and arches surrounding them are part of the room's cast-iron facade, made by the Vulcan Iron Works of Worcester. The overall effect – especially since the waiting room was restored about ten years ago – is one of polychromatic magnificence outside, clean pale walls inside.
No one knows the full story of this structure. No comparable waiting room, with iron walls and tiled facade, has survived. It seems to have been a one-off, and an informative notice on the station speculates that it may have been built for exhibition purposes, to show what could be done with the most up-to-date Victorian materials. The mid-19th century, after all, was a golden age of ironworking, with foundries supplying all kinds of building materials, from enormous columns and beams for giant train sheds to delicate shop fronts. And tiles were becoming increasingly popular for facades – soon, there would be tiled shops, tiled pubs, even office blocks with ceramic cladding. Maw's were pioneers of using these brightly coloured tiles for architectural use.
The stylistic inspiration is a typically Victorian hotch-potch. Some of the ornament looks Islamic, some Classical, some medieval. But the decoration does hang together visually, while also giving travellers – and potential clients – a sense of what can be achieved with these materials. For waiting passengers, the room is more than fit fo purpose, and must raise, at the very least, an appreciative smile.
* Evesham, by the way, is pronounced by local people as something like 'EEV-uh-shum', with three syllables, and this is what I hear in my mind's ear when I remember this story.
Labels: cast iron, Maw, railway, Shrub Hill, station, tiles, Victorian, waiting room, Worcester
Building touched with emotion
Annette Carruthers, Mary Greensted, and Barley Roscoe, Ernest Gimson: Arts & Crafts Designer and Architect
Published by Yale University Press
The time is ripe for a new study of Ernest Gimson, a man whose multiple careers as architect, designer and craftsman, seem to exemplify the Arts and Crafts movement. Three scholars who have long been deeply immersed in Gimson's world and work have obliged, and the resulting book, drawing on Gimson's buildings, designs, extensive archive of drawings, and on the writings and work of contemporaries, fulfils its promise.
The first section deals with Gimson's life. His upbringing in Leicester is covered, together with his time articled to a local architect, followed by a longer period in the office of J. D. Sedding in London. Already interested in such progressive ideas as Secularism, Gimson is brought through Sedding's office into contact with luminaries such as William Morris, and he soon shows interests in socialism and in the work of the SPAB. Still a young man, he travels to Italy and France, widening his visual education like many a young architect of the time, and designs both houses and furniture, but he also starts to learn craft skills such as plastering.
The book next describes how Gimson becomes one of those young architect-designers who follows the example of Morris and moves to the country – not merely by finding a rural retreat, as Morris had done at Kelmscott, but by going the whole hog and setting up house and workshop in the Cotswolds. The book's account of his life at Sapperton in Gloucestershire is full and absorbing. We learn about his marriage, his friends and colleagues the Barnsleys, who also move to Sapperton, and his houses. Above all, we learn about the variety of his work.
Never let it be said that a country life is a quiet one. Gimson soon became occupied practising a range of arts and crafts – architecture, design, plastering, chair-making – and of creating the conditions where related activities – furniture workshops, a smithy – could flourish. He found himself running workshops, managing numerous employees and apprentices, sorting out accommodation for single workers, and arranging for everyone's work to be exhibited both in Gloucestershire and in London. He was pricing jobs, overseeing work, ensuring that high standards of craftsmanship were maintained, and balancing the requirements of designers, makers, and clients. And then there were houses to design, architectural competitions to enter, and projects for various churches and historic buildings.
Further light is shed on all this by a fascinating chapter on Gimson's approach to design. This highlights they way he saw design as being integrated with every other concern of an architect – in other words, a design should emerge from a project's construction and materials, and the tools and techniques used to produce it. This chapter also has illuminating things to say about Gimson's love of drawing, his use of natural motifs and patterns, his interest in craftsmanship and building materials, and his Morris-like ideals of work. At the end of the chapter, the story of the chance survival of many of Gimson's drawings. Daniel Herdman, Librarian Curator at Cheltenham, rescued them when they were on the point of being consigned to a bonfire. They remain a part of the outstanding Arts and Crafts collection in Cheltenham's museum, The Wilson,* and are beautifully reproduced in the book, as are the many photographs of Gimson's buildings and the objects he designed.
The second part of the book consists of a series of stunningly illustrated chapters on the various aspects of Gimson's work – from plasterwork and metalwork to interior design and architecture. All are fascinating, but those on interiors and architecture will most interest readers of this blog. Nearly all his buildings use traditional materials and draw on vernacular architecture in their design. Yet the authors of this book show their unusual qualities too – innovative house plans, dramatic roof frameworks, meticulous workmanship, and occasionally unexpected choices of colour. The buildings range from small workers' cottages to large middle-class homes to still larger houses, like Waterlane House, a Cotswold residence that Gimson enlarged seamlessly. Not everyone will know the striking hall and gorgeous library that Gimson designed for Bedales School – the latter a feast of interior woodwork. Fewer still will be familiar with the ambitious proposals he entered for the competition for a plan and design for the city of Canberra, all towers, domes, and Byzantine-looking arches. The proposed HQ for the Port of London Authority is also unknown to most non-specialists. Whether it is these grand schemes or little known cottages, Ernest Gimson does its subject a service by bringing them and their architect to wider notice.
Gimson himself was noticed by his contemporaries, by colleagues who carried on the tradition, like Peter Waals and Harry Davoll, and by members of groups like the SPAB, with which Gimson worked. W. R. Lethaby, architect, writer, and teacher, was one of those whose judgement continued to be respected when he described Gimson's work approvingly as 'building touched with emotion'. If time has been less kind to the ethos of craftsmanship that Gimson lived by and fostered, the buildings and craft objects remain – houses still lived in and loved, the Bedales library still in use, furniture and metalwork still cherished or admired in museums. The authors of Ernest Gimson deserve congratulation for making this legacy more widely known and more deeply understood.
* The Wilson is hosting a special exhibition, Ernest Gimson: Observation, Imagination and Making, until 25 February 2020.
Labels: arts and crafts, book, Ernest Gimson, Gloucestershire, review
Eric Musgrave, Leeds Then and Now
Published by Pavilion Books
Leeds Then and Now is one of a stable of books featuring paired photographs of buildings and streets from great cities, each pair accompanied by succinct and informative text. They're not the first books to take this approach, but they are certainly among the best. The quality comes through most immediately in terms of the visuals, well chosen historical images from a range of dates, some as old as the 1860s, some as recent as the 1970s, twinned with excellent photographs of the same scenes today taken by David Major. The text for each pair of images is succinct and informative. Both author and photographer have local roots and their knowledge of and pride in Leeds shines through.
The range of subjects extends from the city's major buildings – such as the Corn Exchange, Town Hall, and City Market – to lesser structures that form part of the complex mix that makes up most of the central streets of Leeds. Impressed on a recent visit how well the greatest of the buildings are standing up to the trials of modern life, I turned to the pages on the Town Hall. Here, a photograph of 1905 shows Cuthbert Brodrick's monumental urban temple substantially the same, less hemmed by signs and bollards than it is today, but without the trees that now soften its corners. The Corn Exchange is likewise slightly encumbered with signs compared to earlier, but the great sweep of street that runs up to it is still largely clear, and similar to how it was apart from one modern interloper. Another big building, the mock-Egyptian Temple Works, was looking dark and soot-blackened in 1935, but at least you could see it – when the 'now' photograph was taken the main block was hidden behind scaffolding and protective plastic; the frontage has also acquired railings that weren't there in the 1930s. One hopes that the works will be restored and thrive, as have most of the city's fine arcades like the Grand, Cross, and County, the latter a masterpiece of the great architect Frank Matcham, normally at work designing theatres. An image of 1949, however, shows the striking Victoria Arcade, one that has been lost.
I can get annoyed with a plethora of intrusive modern signs, but a look at the some the street views shows how much interesting signage we have lost. The losses range from Victorian and Edwardian monsters to more elegant bits of Art Nouveau, not to mention some jazzy signs from the 1930s onwards. A stretch of Briggate, for example, displayed enormous signs, with letters almost six feet high, across the upper floors of the Cash Boot Company in 1944. These signs are long gone, and the part of the front that remains has been cleaned so that its bricks and stone gleam; also gleaming is a facade of 2010 fronting one shop, a completely glass-clad front butting comfortably up against brick, stone and terracotta.
So Leeds Then and Now shows us some of what has been lost – stretches of Gothic or Renaissance shops demolished in the 20th century, 16th or 17th century merchants' premises knocked down by the Victorians, Dickensian enclaves such as Rotation Office Yard, a striking Victorian market hall, the dazzling timber-framed premises of the Universal Furnishing Company, and so on and on. But it also makes us look more closely at what is still there, from details of 19th century shops to the City Markets (still fulfilling their function) to the Third White Cloth Hall, which is now a Pizza Express. Meanwhile we can weigh up for ourselves whether we're grateful for some of the new building or in mourning for demolished architectural glories; sad about the vanished Victorian shop signs or pleased that the buildings beneath them can be more clearly seen. Either way, the book is a feast, and will encourage readers not only to study its engaging images further, but also to look carefully at what's left – in my case by making further visits to Leeds.
Labels: book, Cuthbert Brodrick, Eric Musgrave, Leeds, Leeds then and now, review
Deco displayed
Elain Harwood, Art Deco Britain
Published by Batsford, in conjunction with the Twentieth Century Society
Art Deco is fashionable now. For decades the jazzy and decorative design style encapsulated in many cinemas, factory fronts, apartment blocks, shops, and office buildings had been out of favour. So many Deco buildings have been knocked down that it's sometimes hard to know where to look to find the survivors. It's even a challenge to define exactly what Art Deco is.
Elain Harwood's new book certainly helps a lot. It's got an elegant picture-book format – at its heart are about 115 double-page spreads with one building each and one stunning colour photograph per building. But don't let that fool you. The text is packed with information about the buildings, which are arranged by type, making it easier to compare wonders such as the Carreras cigarettre factory in London (all black cats and "Egyptian" lettering) and the more stripped-down but magnificent India tyre factory in Renfrewshire; or to weigh-up the virtues of the interiors of the Midland Hotel in Morecombe with the Regent Palace of Hotel in Westminster. All this provides a colourful picture of Art Deco buildings. They can vary from highly ornate structures that allude to the past, like the jaw-dropping interior of the Granada Cinema, Tooting, made over in around 1930 by émigré theatre designer Theodore Komisarjevsky, to the stripped-down architecture of buildings like the Saltdean Lido.
Can structures as different as these all be Art Deco? Well, yes, they can. One of the best bits of Harwood's book is the Introduction, which explains how in the 1920s and 1930s architecture in Britain came under an array of influences – decorative developments in France, a leaner architecture in the Netherlands, a new appreciation of Viennese turn-of-the-century design and the closely related work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the theatre sets and costumes of the Ballets Russes, a fresh awareness of certain historical sources (notably ancient Egypt), the advances in building materials happening at that time. This rich soup of influences helped designers in Britain develop in different but parallel directions, creating a range of styles from the full-blown cinematic Art Deco to the plainer mode sometimes called jazz moderne or streamlined modern or just moderne. None of the latter was quite as plain and spartan as the purer architectural functionalism of white boxes and strip windows, though some came close.
It's not all about classification, though. A joy of the book is the stories that some of these places throw up. Harwood entertains her readers with tales of firemen making covert use of light sockets to run wireless sets at Heston and Isleworth Fire Station; of the beehives and putting green once on the roof of Adelaide House in the City of London; of an intrepid flight across the Atlantic in a Puss Moth in 1931. And she reminds us of the not always obvious visual effects of Art Deco architecture. Some buildings, like Osterley Underground station, need to be seen lit up at night to reveal their full glory; some have details undreamed of (by me, at least), like the unaltered manager's flat in Blackpool's White Tower Casino.
Art Deco Britain is a cornucopia of buildings, although there could, as Harwood herself says, easily have been twice as many. I'm grateful for the hundred-odd that are here, and that the appreciation of these buildings will be extended and enhanced by this beautiful and informative book.
Labels: Art Deco, Art Deco Britain, book, Elain Harwood, review
For the next ten days or so, I am offering a small clutch of reviews of recent books that might appeal to readers of this blog. First of all...
Gillian Darley, Excellent Essex
Published by Old Street
There used to be lots of county books: county histories, county guidebooks, meandering accounts of counties by bellettrist old "countrymen" full of clichés about nestling villages and "delightful churches". There's not so much of this about now, and some say we think less about counties than in the days of before local government changes messed about with county boundaries and names in the 1970s. That's debatable, but people certainly have prejudices about counties, and none more so than about Essex – Essex Man and The Only Way is Essex are familiar parts of Britain's media landscape. Gillian Darley's Excellent Essex blows all this out of the window, and wafts some welcome fresh air into the idea of the county book.
Excellent Essex does a good job of evoking the great variety of Essex, which is part rich countryside, part London fringes, part absorbing towns, with a very long coastline thrown in too. And of confronting the contradictions of a place that's widely pro-Brexit but has always welcomed newcomers. Darley knows her Essex, and gives us absorbing nuggets of history and topographical fact about all these aspects of the county. Essex is full of memorable architecture, much of it there thanks to the wealth coming in from local industries – whether it was Courtauld's textiles, Bata footwear, or Tiptree jam. Interesting and sometimes highly influential ideas have been born, or at any rate bred, in Essex, which has been home to future American Pilgrims, Tolstoyan anarchists, and women's suffrage campaigners.
Darley, who has an honourable track-record of writing about architecture and its contexts, is the ideal author for all this, and is alert to the county's sometimes surprising buildings and their stories. Essex is where we will find historical wonders like Thaxted Guildhall and the pargetted quaintness of Saffron Walden. It is home to Critall metal-framed windows, the Bata buildings of East Tilbury, and the glorious "seaside modern" houses of Frinton – all at the heart of English modernism of the 20th century. The county is also, of course, the site of the memorable and wonderful House for Essex, created by the architectural practice called FAT along with Essex man and artist Grayson Perry. The county also has its share of plotlands and the various offbeat joys of Canvey Island. All human culture, oner might say, is here, from the music of Gustav Holst (who spent a lot of time in Thaxted) to that of Sandie Shaw and Wilko Johnson, from the art of the Great Bardfield painters to that of Alfred Munnings or, yes, Grayson Perry.
Essex is, then, as diverse in its combination of old and new, high and low art, idealism and entrepreneurship, inventiveness and conservatism, as England as a whole. Gillian Darley does a superlative job of portraying this, and her account, rich with history and anecdote, also makes the trip to Essex a highly entertaining ride.
Labels: book, Essex, Excellent Essex, Gillian Darley, review


Have a listen as we also discuss the 'war on drugs', the media, politics, and most of all we speak of substance and food addiction. As ever, this was all recorded in front of an audience at Waterstones Tottenham Court Road.
Don't forget, we rely on 'shares' to help us widen this conversation. If you like this podcast then please do let your social media friends know about it. Also, don't forget to find other episodes on iTunes, the Acast link/app, or however you consume your podcast treats.
Let's have a chat; let's readdress the way we deal addiction! Thanks Marcus.


text:
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 Saattukujooq (Insel, Maniitsoq) (auch Qeqertaq Portusoorsuaq), Insel im Distrikt Maniitsoq, Grönland
 Saattukujooq (Insel, Nuuk), Insel im Distrikt Nuuk, Grönland
 Saattukujooq (Insel, Qaqortoq) (auch Ikerasaaqqap Nunaa), Insel im Distrikt Qaqortoq, Grönland
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 Saattukujooq (Insel, Qeqertarsuaq), Insel im Distrikt Qeqertarsuaq, Grönland
 Saattukujooq (Insel, Inussuttalik), Insel im Distrikt Uummannaq, Grönland
 Saattukujooq (Insel, Qinngusaaq), Insel im Distrikt Uummannaq, Grönland

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
import logging

from matplotlib.markers import MarkerStyle
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
import scipy.optimize as optimize

from .feedback import compute_from_transfer_function

logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

def measure_board_rms(control_board, n_samples=10, sampling_ms=10,
                      delay_between_samples_ms=0):
    '''
    Read RMS voltage samples from control board high-voltage feedback circuit.
    '''
    try:
        results = control_board.measure_impedance(n_samples, sampling_ms,
                                                  delay_between_samples_ms,
                                                  True, True, [])
    except RuntimeError:
        # `RuntimeError` may be raised if, for example, current limit was
        # reached during measurement.  In such cases, return an empty frame.
        logger.warning('Error encountered during high-voltage RMS '
                       'measurement.', exc_info=True)
        data = pd.DataFrame(None, columns=['board measured V',
                                           'divider resistor index'])
    else:
        data = pd.DataFrame({'board measured V': results.V_hv})
        data['divider resistor index'] = results.hv_resistor
    return data

def find_good(control_board, actuation_steps, resistor_index, start_index,
              end_index):
    '''
    Use a binary search over the range of provided actuation_steps to find the
    maximum actuation voltage that is measured by the board feedback circuit
    using the specified feedback resistor.
    '''
    lower = start_index
    upper = end_index
    while lower < upper - 1:
        index = lower + (upper - lower) / 2
        v = actuation_steps[index]
        control_board.set_waveform_voltage(v)
        data = measure_board_rms(control_board)
        valid_data = data[data['divider resistor index'] >= 0]

        if (valid_data['divider resistor index'] < resistor_index).sum():
            # We have some measurements from another resistor.
            upper = index
        else:
            lower = index
    control_board.set_waveform_voltage(actuation_steps[lower])
    data = measure_board_rms(control_board)
    return lower, data

def resistor_max_actuation_readings(control_board, frequencies,
                                    oscope_reading_func):
    '''
    For each resistor in the high-voltage feedback resistor bank, read the
    board measured voltage and the oscilloscope measured voltage for an
    actuation voltage that nearly saturates the feedback resistor.

    By searching for an actuation voltage near saturation, the signal-to-noise
    ratio is minimized.
    '''
    # Set board amplifier gain to 1.
    # __NB__ This is likely _far_ lower than the actual gain _(which may be a
    # factor of several hundred)_..
    control_board.set_waveform_voltage(0)
    control_board.auto_adjust_amplifier_gain = False
    control_board.amplifier_gain = 1.

    # Set waveform voltage to a low value and obtain the corresponding
    # oscilloscope reading to calculate an approximate gain of the amplifier.
    target_voltage = 0.1
    control_board.set_waveform_voltage(target_voltage)
    oscope_rms = oscope_reading_func()
    estimated_amplifier_gain = oscope_rms / target_voltage

    # Based on the maximum amplified RMS voltage, define a set of actuation
    # voltages to search when performing calibration.
    max_post_gain_V = 0.8 * control_board.max_waveform_voltage
    max_actuation_V = max_post_gain_V / estimated_amplifier_gain
    actuation_steps = np.linspace(0.005, max_actuation_V, num=50)

    resistor_count = len(control_board.a0_series_resistance)

    # Define frequency/resistor index pairs to take measurements at.
    conditions = pd.DataFrame([[r, f] for r in range(resistor_count - 1, -1, -1)
                               for f in frequencies],
                              columns=['resistor index', 'frequency'])

    # Define function to process each frequency/resistor index pair.
    def max_actuation_reading(x):
        '''
        Measure maximum board RMS voltage using specified feedback resistor, at
        the specified frequency.

        Request corresponding oscilloscope RMS voltage reading.
        '''
        r = x['resistor index'].values[0]
        f = x['frequency'].values[0]
        control_board.set_waveform_frequency(f)

        actuation_index, data = find_good(control_board, actuation_steps, r, 0,
                                          len(actuation_steps) - 1)
        board_measured_rms = data.loc[data['divider resistor index'] >= 0,
                                      'board measured V'].mean()
        oscope_rms = oscope_reading_func()
        print 'R=%s, f=%s' % (r, f)
        return pd.DataFrame([[r, f, actuation_index, board_measured_rms,
                              oscope_rms]],
                            columns=['resistor index', 'frequency',
                                     'actuation index', 'board measured V',
                                     'oscope measured V'])

    # Return board-measured RMS voltage and oscilloscope-measured RMS voltage
    # for each frequency/feedback resistor pair.
    return (conditions.groupby(['resistor index', 'frequency'])
            .apply(max_actuation_reading).reset_index(drop=True))

def fit_feedback_params(calibration, max_resistor_readings):
    '''
    Fit model of control board high-voltage feedback resistor and
    parasitic capacitance values based on measured voltage readings.
    '''
    R1 = 10e6

    # Get transfer function to compute the amplitude of the high-voltage input
    # to the control board _(i.e., the output of the amplifier)_ based on the
    # attenuated voltage measured by the analog-to-digital converter on the
    # control board.
    #
    # The signature of the transfer function is:
    #
    #     H(V1, R1, C1, R2, C2, f)
    #
    # See the `z_transfer_functions` function docstring for definitions of the
    # parameters based on the control board major version.
    def fit_resistor_params(x):
        resistor_index = x['resistor index'].values[0]
        p0 = [calibration.R_hv[resistor_index],
              calibration.C_hv[resistor_index]]

        def error(p, df, R1):
            v1 = compute_from_transfer_function(calibration.hw_version.major,
                                                'V1',
                                                V2=df['board measured V'],
                                                R1=R1, R2=p[0], C2=p[1],
                                                f=df['frequency'].values)
            e = df['oscope measured V'] - v1
            return e

        p1, success = optimize.leastsq(error, p0, args=(x, R1))
        # take the absolute value of the fitted values, since is possible
        # for the fit to produce negative resistor and capacitor values
        p1 = np.abs(p1)
        return pd.DataFrame([p0 + p1.tolist()],
                            columns=['original R', 'original C',
                                     'fitted R', 'fitted C']).T

    results = (max_resistor_readings
               [max_resistor_readings['resistor index'] >= 0]
               .groupby(['resistor index']).apply(fit_resistor_params))
    data = results.unstack()
    data.columns = data.columns.droplevel()
    return data

def plot_feedback_params(hw_major_version, max_resistor_readings,
                         feedback_params, axis=None):
    '''
    Plot the effective attenuation _(i.e., gain less than 1)_ of the control
    board measurements of high-voltage AC input according to:

     - AC signal frequency.
     - feedback resistor used _(varies based on amplitude of AC signal)_.

    Each high-voltage feedback resistor (unintentionally) forms a low-pass
    filter, resulting in attenuation of the voltage measured on the control
    board.  The plot generated by this function plots each of the following
    trends for each feedback resistor:

     - Oscilloscope measurements.
     - Previous model of attenuation.
     - Newly fitted model of attenuation, based on oscilloscope readings.
    '''
    R1 = 10e6

    # Since the feedback circuit changed in version 2 of the control board, we
    # use the transfer function that corresponds to the current control board
    # version that the fitted attenuation model is based on.
    if axis is None:
        fig = plt.figure()
        axis = fig.add_subplot(111)

    markers = MarkerStyle.filled_markers

    def plot_resistor_params(args):
        resistor_index, x = args

        try:
            color = axis._get_lines.color_cycle.next()
        except: # make compatible with matplotlib v1.5
            color = axis._get_lines.prop_cycler.next()['color']

        F = feedback_params.loc[resistor_index]
        # Broadcast values in case sympy function simplifies to scalar value.
        values = np.empty_like(x['frequency'])
        values[:] = compute_from_transfer_function(hw_major_version, 'V2',
                                                   V1=1., R1=R1,
                                                   R2=F['original R'],
                                                   C2=F['original C'],
                                                   f=x['frequency'])
        axis.loglog(x['frequency'], values, color=color, linestyle='--',
                    label='R$_{%d}$ (previous fit)' % resistor_index)

        values[:] = compute_from_transfer_function(hw_major_version, 'V2',
                                                   V1=1., R1=R1,
                                                   R2=F['fitted R'],
                                                   C2=F['fitted C'],
                                                   f=x['frequency'])
        axis.loglog(x['frequency'], values, color=color, linestyle='-',
                    alpha=0.6, label='R$_{%d}$ (new fit)' % resistor_index)
        attenuation = x['board measured V'] / x['oscope measured V']
        axis.plot(x['frequency'], attenuation, color='none',
                  marker=markers[resistor_index % len(markers)],
                  label='R$_{%d}$ (scope measured)' % resistor_index,
                  linestyle='none', markeredgecolor=color, markeredgewidth=2,
                  markersize=8)
        return 0

    map(plot_resistor_params, max_resistor_readings.groupby('resistor index'))
    legend = axis.legend(ncol=3)
    legend.draw_frame(False)
    axis.set_xlabel('Frequency (Hz)')
    axis.set_ylabel(r'$\frac{V_{BOARD}}'
                    r'{V_{SCOPE}}$', fontsize=25)

def update_control_board_calibration(control_board, fitted_params):
    '''
    Update the control board with the specified fitted parameters.
    '''
    # Update the control board with the new fitted capacitor and resistor
    # values for the reference load analog input (channel 0).
    control_board.a0_series_resistance = fitted_params['fitted R'].values
    control_board.a0_series_capacitance = fitted_params['fitted C'].values

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The following is brief abstract of my dissertation: Purpose: The purpose of this research is to evaluate the impact of social networking sites on an organisation communication strategy, an Irish Butter company based in Dublin (Improper Butter). The research aims to highlight the potential social media has for the organisation. Methodology: For the purpose of this thesis, a case study methodology was chosen.The data analysis is based on feedback from an in-depth interview with the co-founder of the company and two focus groups with members of the target market. The overall research approach is deductive in nature, as its main aim is to explore the previously researched phenomena's from a new and a different perspective based on the literature review of this research. Results: The findings of this study show the potential for market growth by implementing a structured communication strategy in order to gain a competitive advantage. This study has shown that social media has a huge impact of the case companies communication strategy. Social media is currently the main method of communication for the company and from this research, it has become evident, that if the company strategically use each platform they can reach a large portion of their target market.


text:
Vagabond, In Search of Strength
Creative space Fake News
Fake news: Mental health initiative betrays confidence, students feel caged
December 14, 2019 December 14, 2019 feedsnitt 0 Comments cybercrime, mental health, satire, trauma
Disclaimer: Don't believe fake news. If someone says fake news is fake, don't believe them either
Initially, it just seemed to be a benign initiative to help students combat depression and anxiety issues. As the sheen started wearing away, the horrific realities began surfacing. The online portal 'Confide', which captivated frustrated students with its noble intentions had turned out to be an arena for manipulation and experimentation.
'Confide' was started on September 11th 2018, as a social media platform for the students within the college to share and discuss their grievances. The anonymous administrator of the platform went by the name 'Liberator123'. With its alluring interface and interactive sessions with top psychologists from around the world, Confide proved to be a haven for depressed youngsters desperately seeking help. Some were struggling to cope with academic pressure, while others had personal issues to tend to like financial stresses, floundering romantic relationships or the loss of a loved one. The platform seemed to have the answer for all their problems, and justified its tagline of 'the light at the end of the tunnel'.
Vikas Shah, a 3rd-year Mechanical Engineering student, says, "I used to spend 4-5 hours on the platform every day on weekdays and 8-9 hours on Saturdays and Sundays. It was the only place, though virtual, where I found true peace. The admin would ask a lot of questions about our feelings, emotions, thoughts and perspectives, and would then proceed to offer methods to infuse more positivity into our days." So what went wrong after that? A 2nd year Computer Science student, who prefers to remain anonymous, answers, "He started revealing his true colours. Our problems and fears were being used against us. I was going through an awful phase financially. My father had just lost his job, and my mother was working overtime to keep the household afloat. I found consolation in Confide and poured all my problems into the platform to lift the weight off my head. A few months later, I started getting emails asking me to pay a few thousand rupees to continue. 'We will leak such contentious and controversial information if you don't comply with our demands', it said. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't even go to anyone for help. The monetary demands only increased over time, plunging me further into financial crisis. There was only so much I could pay without my parents' knowledge. I am now working part-time during weekends to pay the amount." This is the story of just one of the students.
Almost all 'Confiders' have been subject to such blackmailing or manipulation. Some students who were grappling with falling grades found themselves spiralling downward even more in the semester following their joining the platform. More than 80% of the students who had joined the platform to battle the mental trauma associated with their strained relationship broke up with their partners in less than a month. The cybercrime cell is now hot on the mastermind's trail, trying to track the serial manipulator down. Stealth Shiva contacted an officer from the cybercrime cell and asked about the progress that had been made.
The officer said, "The IP address of the administrator seems to be untraceable. We haven't been able to get any insights into the way he operated."
As the students and the police department were left scratching their heads, Stealth Shiva received a call from an unknown number, claiming to be a whistle-blower from Confide. The information provided by him is documented here: "The mastermind feels each person's feeling stems from a combination of their memory and their perception of that memory. What causes fear in one person might not trouble another person at all. Each person has experienced life differently and is programmed to respond to his circumstances distinctly. But every person has a vulnerable spot inside them which can be exploited. If appropriately identified, the spot can be repeatedly struck to break the person and drown them in insanity. But the mastermind wants his influence to encompass the whole country. There are too many people, and as a result, too many variables involved. But some common triggers could send shivers down the spine of a majority of the populace. Some of them are financial insecurities, danger to oneself or their loved one, being convicted of a crime, etc. These common triggers could be used to bring the bulk of the population under a single umbrella. Then, through rigorous questioning and discussions, the distinct fears hidden inside each individual can be narrowed down to and then exploited.
'Liberator', as he calls himself, is designing complex machine learning algorithms to reach his depraved goals. The potential of AI is beyond the comprehension of most people. But, in the hands of criminal geniuses like him, the possibility becomes horrifically tangible. Ideological conquest is the most efficient method of conquest. Unfortunately, not many recognised this fact. With their sparse population, the Europeans conquered much of the world and left a permanent stamp on their colonies mostly using ideological conquests. With great strides in technology, the opportunities for this has only multiplied. The AI system was being programmed to come up with scenarios to exacerbate the plight of the participants to a point where they could never pick themselves up.
"No one can really stop him! He is everywhere but can't be seen! He might even be listening to us speaking…" the whistle-blower said, his voice trailing off, before hanging up.
It is really frightening to think that such a person was sitting among us in the class, hanging out with us late at night and dining with us in the mess. He blends with the community seamlessly which makes him indiscernible. He seems to have recognised the fact that it is "more efficient" to live unnoticed in a crowd than to flee and go into hiding. What is the fate of the institute? What is the future of the nation? Only time will tell…
Stealth Shiva hopes that the mastermind is tracked down and his mission is stalled before the situation goes out of hand.
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Avicii's Final Words Before 2018 Suicide Revealed in New Biography
Måns Mosesson's upcoming book, "Tim – The Official Biography of Avicii."
Avicii's final words have been released more than three years after his demise.
The 28-year-old Swedish DJ committed suicide in April 2018 by suffocating himself with a shattered glass bottle.
The DJ had struggled with drug and alcohol addiction following a meteoric rise to stardom due to the success of his music, which included hits like "Wake Me Up" and "Levels."
Måns Mosesson's upcoming book, "Tim – The Official Biography of Avicii," will include his final journal notes penned before his suicide. On January 18, the book will be released, detailing the "Levels" songwriter's mental health and substance misuse issues.
Bergling's parents, Anki and Klas Bergling, as well as relatives, friends, and coworkers, were interviewed for the book, and journal entries from the star's stay in treatment and hospital while battling his addictions were retrieved.
The EDM singer discussed his long fight with drug and alcohol addiction… I had a hard time accepting never drinking again though strongly suggested from all doctors to wait at least a year before even having a beer." That reminded me of a worrisome shift in the rehab movement: California rehab, which proposes that addicts can drink and consume marijuana in moderation. It's a prescription for disaster, according to experts.
He continued… "Of course, I didn't listen to the majority of the doctors, I listened to the couple who said it was OK if I was careful. I was ignorant and naive and touring the world, still on the never-ending tour …because once you've circled it once, guess what?"
"You start right back over again," another entry said. "Those days in hospital were the most anxiety and stress-free days I can remember the past six years, those were my true vacations, as depressing as it might sound."
"The relief of going from extreme pain to none, knowing that no one is expecting anything other than for you to wait it out and then recover was huge.
"It was an extreme relief considering the insane schedule I had kept up until that point."
"The shedding of the soul is the last attachment, before it restarts!" wrote his final message in his journal, written just one day before his death.
Following a family intervention, Avicii spent time at the Ibiza Calm recovery clinic in 2015. He wrote of his agony while he was there.
"It needed to be explained to me very logically and caveman-esque for me to truly understand its nature and how it was harming me. Ouch, pain. Why me pain now? Uncomfortable feeling," he said. "Future Tim deal with pain. Future Tim deal with pain better than present Tim because already there's too many present pains more urgent to deal with."
His family issued a statement following his passing, expressing their condolences to the DJ's family. Their statement stated, "Our beloved Tim was a seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers to existential questions. An over-achieving perfectionist who traveled and worked hard at a pace that led to extreme stress."
"He really struggled with thoughts about meaning, life, and happiness," they added. "He could not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace."
The statement concluded with a key message. It said, "Tim, you will forever be loved and sadly missed. The person you were and your music will keep your memory alive."
The Grammy nominee had a number of health issues in the years preceding up to his death, including a 2012 hospitalization for severe pancreatitis, which was apparently exacerbated by heavy drinking. He had surgery to remove his appendix and gallbladder two years later. Due to his health, he was forced to stop playing live in 2016.
Bergling's parents established the Tim Bergling Foundation after his suicide, a project that pushes for the acknowledgement of suicide as a worldwide health emergency and actively strives to eliminate the stigma associated with suicide and mental health concerns.
The foundation supports science-based organizations that work to prevent mental illness and suicide, particularly among young people, via research and prevention.
The book will be launched next month.
Porn Star Maitland Ward Blasts Billie Eilish for Calling Porn 'A Disgrace'
Sony Plans to have return Emma Stone as Spider-Gwen


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Reading: UEFA Euro 2020 Quarterfinal Matchup Preview: Switzerland vs Spain
Home » UEFA Euro 2020 Quarterfinal Matchup Preview: Switzerland vs Spain
UEFA Euro 2020 Quarterfinal Matchup Preview: Switzerland vs Spain
Key Players Predicted Winner: Spain
After a thrilling Round of 16, eight teams remain in this year's UEFA Euro competition. With European powerhouse, Germany, eliminated, along with 2016 champions, Portugal, and world champions, France, the road to Wembly is as exciting as ever.
The Gazprom Arena in Russia will host Switzerland and Spain in what should be a very entertaining matchup if both teams play the same way they did in the Round of 16. Spain's extra-time domination saw them win 5-3 against a strong Croatian side who refused to throw in the towel after being 3-1 down with just 10 minutes left in regulation time. However, Spain vs Croatia's "match-of-the-tournament" shouts did not last long with the world tuning in to watch France and Swizterland face off. In a game where almost everyone expected the world champions to breeze through a Swiss team that finished third in their group, Switzerland had a different idea. Despite scoring first, Switzerland found itself down 3-1 in the 80th minute. Yet, showing the same resilience the Croatians showed against Spain, Switzerland found a way to level the score in the last ten minutes. Unlike Croatia however, Switzerland eventually knocked out their opposition 5-4 on PKs after Kylian Mbappe's penalty was saved by Yan Sommer.
Switzerland celebrating Sommer's penalty save which put them through to the quarterfinals. Image Courtesy of The Times of India
If Spain is to prevent Switzerland from pulling off another shock result, they will need Pedri, Morata, and Busquets to play the same way they did against Croatia. With Busquets and Pedri pulling the strings in midfield, Morata must make the most of the chances he gets in front of goal. This tournament has taught us that every chance counts and teams cannot afford to miss opportunities. Morata's winning goal against Croatia should give him some much-needed confidence in front of goal, something he has been lacking all tournament.
Barcelona star boy, Pedri, will be looking to continue his fantastic form against Switzerland. Image Courtesy of Index Journal
If this Swiss team are to pull off another shock result, they will need Xhaka, Shaqiri, and Seferovic to hit top form. Xhaka controlled the midfield against a French team that had Pogba and Kante and he will need to do the same against Pedri and Busquets. Meanwhile, the "Swiss Messi", Shaqiri, will need to channel his creativity, playmaking, and goalscoring to get past the Spanish defense and create opportunities for Seferovic. Whatever center-back duo Luis Enrique decides to go with for tomorrow's game, they will need to focus on Swiss marksman Haris Seferovic. The Benfica striker put two past France and he will be hoping to do the same against Spain.
Predicted Winner: Spain
This matchup may prove more difficult to call than it seems. While Spain may have more individual quality, they should still be wary of a strong and resilient Swiss team. And after Switzerland's last match against, Spain would be foolish to underestimate Switzerland. If this tournament has taught us anything it is to never count out the underdog, yet, I do expect Spain to make it to the semi-finals.


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Lakers Reach Major Decision on Kyle Kuzma's Contract: Report
By	Austin Boyd
Getty	Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma.
Despite being the subject of trade rumors for almost a year now, Kyle Kuzma has been able to stick with the Los Angeles Lakers. There was talk that both sides were discussing a contract extension as he was set to be a restricted free agent once this upcoming season ended. It didn't seem like anything would materialize soon but for the first time in his career, it looks like Kuzma will have security with the Lakers.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Kuzma has signed a three-year contract extension worth $40 million. He'll have a player option for the 2023-2024 season.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma has agreed to a three-year, $40M contract extension, including a player option on 2023-2024 season, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 20, 2020
Considering the fact that Kuzma struggled last season and he's the team's most valuable trade asset, it's a bit surprising that the Lakers decided to extend him now. They clearly believe he's in for a much productive season this year. Perhaps the certainly that he'll be able to play a whole season without having to worry about trade rumors will help him perform at a higher level.
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Anthony Davis & LeBron James React to News
The Lakers have a had very busy offseason. Prior to signing Kuzma, they handed big contracts to LeBron James, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Anthony Davis. While they did add some new players, it's clear they wanted to lock up several key contributors. Davis was happy about the news they're keeping Kuzma.
"I'm glad the Lakers were able to work some out with him," Davis said Sunday, via Ryan Ward.
LeBron also had a strong reaction.
KUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZ!!! Congrats bro!!! Next dinner on you for sure! Vino chronicles 🤣🤣 @kylekuzma https://t.co/anaseyjXIl
— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 20, 2020
Right now, the Lakers are a very attractive destination so it's not a surprise players want to stay with the team. Kuzma may be coming off a down year but he's shown in the past that he can be an impact player.
What to Expect for Kuzma This Season?
Through his first two seasons, Kuzma proved to be a very strong scorer. Last year, he showed improvements on defense but his scoring went down. If he's going to be worth the money the Lakers just handed him, he needs to prove that he can play well on both ends.
In the first three preseason games, Kuzma looked very good. He averaged 22 points a game. However, he didn't put up great numbers in the fourth preseason game as he only scored four points in 27 minutes. He would show up and play well at times last year but then would take a dip in production. It's hard to know exactly what the Lakers might be getting from the forward this year.
LeBron believes that Kuzma is in for a breakout year. That's certainly possible but the Lakers have so much talent, it's going to be difficult for the forward to get a lot of chances to make plays. The team hasn't revealed its starting lineup quite yet but there has been talk about Kuzma playing one of the wing positions. That would certainly be interesting and could prove to be the best spot for him.
READ NEXT: Lakers' LeBron James Has Telling Comments About Anthony Davis
After months of speculation, the Los Angeles Lakers have made a decision on Kyle Kuzma's contract.


One of our objectives is to teach our CTR investigators how to better engage community members, understand and prioritize community concerns, engage community members around research topics, and disseminate research results. With this in mind, we continually survey our network of institutions for resources, services, and tools that can help with community-centered research and improve research outcomes. Below are some of the submissions we've received. Also, be sure to look over our community-focused seminars, CTR Seminar Series, and Dissemination and Implementation Workshop.
Additionally, BTNRH also offers services regarding software to support the creation of complex plots and consultations for minority group recruitment strategies. Contact BTNRH for these services.
In October 2017, the Great Plains IDeA CTR hosted its Annual Science Meeting which included breakout workshops in topics such as community engaged research and grant writing. Below are a few of the materials made available that attendees found informative and beneficial.
Health literacy plays a critical role in engaging the public in actions and decisions about health. Health literacy is defined as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Health literacy issues affect everyone across the range of socio-demographic characteristics, including, but not limited to, age, educational attainment, income level, English language proficiency, and insurance status. It is vital to consider different levels of health literacy when designing messages for any purpose that are meant for public consumption. To educate researchers and the public of the importance of health literacy, the Nebraska Association of Local Health Departments (NALHD) has provided a best practices guide and plain language checklist.


Seaborn is a contemporary performance/ritual by the Zweitgeist collective to mark the commencement of the first Fremantle Biennale. The event is conceived as a meta-artwork that involves individual artists working with site-specific responses in a collective, equally site-specific performance piece. The emergence out of the sea of fully dressed artists at the iconic Bathers Beach, Fremantle, serves as a metaphor for the artistic 'High Tide' that the Fremantle Biennale aims to bring about. Seaborn involves the community of creators, participants and supporters in an 'alignment ritual' that articulates collective intent through collective enactment.


I have been dealing with a dry mouth for a couple of months now.
A. Dear Josie, Dry mouth can be greatly improved with omega-7 fatty acids. I recommend trying sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) oil. The fruit of the sea buckthorn, a hardy plant native to Europe and Asia, has been called a "nutrient bomb" because it is so rich in flavonoids, vitamins, and other beneficial compounds. The seeds contain exceptionally high omega fatty acids, including the rare omega-7 fatty acid (palmitoleic acid). There are excellent studies demonstrating the ability of sea buckthorn oil, when taken internally, to reduce excessive mucous membrane dryness.
I would suggest starting with 2,000 mg of sea buckthorn daily, but you can adjust the dosage as time goes on. When looking for a sea buckthorn product, make sure it contains BOTH the seed oil and pulp. While both extracts are healthy, only the pulp contains omega-7. Believe it or not, there are sea buckthorn products on the market that contain absolutely no omega-7 fatty acids! So this is definitely a case of buyer beware.


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TENDRING KEEPS FOUR GREEN FLAGS FOR ITS OPEN SPACES
Four open spaces in Tendring district have kept their prestigious Green Flag awards.
Cliff Park in Dovercourt, Crescent Gardens in Frinton, Weeley Crematorium Gardens and Clacton's Seafront Gardens have all held on to the quality mark, awarded by Keep Britain Tidy.
Michael Talbot, Cabinet Member for Environment at Tendring District Council (TDC), said community support was at the heart of the open spaces' success.
"This year, perhaps more than any other, we have as a community enjoyed our parks and open spaces as they have become a place to take our daily exercise at the height of lockdown and to meet friends in a safer, outdoor setting," Cllr Talbot said.
"Our open spaces team work incredibly hard, hand-in-hand with local volunteers, to keep our green spaces so vibrant for residents and visitors alike to enjoy.
"With the limits placed upon us by Covid-19, and our particularly hot weather this year, that is no easy job, and I applaud their dedication which is recognised by the retaining of these four Green Flags."
Clacton Seafront Gardens won its first Green Flag in 2009, with Frinton's Crescent Gardens joining its ranks the following year. Weeley Crematorium's grounds received a Green Flag in 2013, while Cliff Park was first awarded the flag in 2016.
Commenting on TDC's success, Keep Britain Tidy Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said: "This year, more than ever, our parks and green spaces have been a lifeline and we know that millions of people have used them to relax, meet friends, exercise or simply escape for a short time.
"It is testament to the incredible dedication and hard work of parks staff and volunteers that, despite the challenges that went along with record numbers of visitors, TDC has achieved the highest international standards demanded by the Green Flag Award."
The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for their management across the United Kingdom and around the world. More than 2,000 green spaces in the UK have been recognised this year.
NEWSDESKS
For more information on this news release contact Tendring District Council's Communications Manager Will Lodge on 01255 686338.
Attached image shows Cllr Michael Talbot with Sean Biswell from TDC's gardening team at the award-winning Clacton seafront gardens. Picture: Matt Cattermole/TDC
GV images of some sites available upon request.


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