text:
Q: What is an algorithm I can use to program an image compare routine to detect changes (like a person coming into the frame of a web cam)? I have a web cam that takes a picture every N seconds. This gives me a collection of images of the same scene over time. I want to process that collection of images as they are created to identify events like someone entering into the frame, or something else large happening. I will be comparing images that are adjacent in time and fixed in space - the same scene at different moments of time.
I want a reasonably sophisticated approach. For example, naive approaches fail for outdoor applications. If you count the number of pixels that change, for example, or the percentage of the picture that has a different color or grayscale value, that will give false positive reports every time the sun goes behind a cloud or the wind shakes a tree.
I want to be able to positively detect a truck parking in the scene, for example, while ignoring lighting changes from sun/cloud transitions, etc.
I've done a number of searches, and found a few survey papers (Radke et al, for example) but nothing that actually gives algorithms that I can put into a program I can write.

A: I believe you are looking for Template Matching
Also i would suggest you to look on to Open CV

A: We had to contend with many of these issues in our interactive installations. It's tough to not get false positives without being able to control some of your environment (sounds like you will have some degree of control). In the end we looked at combining some techniques and we created an open piece of software named OpenTSPS (Open Toolkit for Sensing People in Spaces - http://www.opentsps.com). You can look at the C++ source in github (https://github.com/labatrockwell/openTSPS/).
We use 'progressive background relearn' to adjust to the changing background over time. Progressive relearning is particularly useful in variable lighting conditions – e.g. if lighting in a space changes from day to night. This in combination with blob detection works pretty well and the only way we have found to improve is to use 3D cameras like the kinect which cast out IR and measure it.
There are other algorithms that might be relevant, like SURF (http://achuwilson.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/object-detection-using-surf-in-opencv-part-1/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SURF) but I don't think it will help in your situation unless you know exactly the type of thing you are looking for in the image.
Sounds like a fun project. Best of luck.

A: *

*Use color spectroanalisys, without luminance: when the Sun goes down for a while, you will get similar result, colors does not change (too much).

*Don't go for big changes, but quick changes. If the luminance of the image changes -10% during 10 min, it means the usual evening effect. But when the change is -5%, 0, +5% within seconds, its a quick change.

*Don't forget to adjust the reference values.

*Split the image to smaller regions. Then, when all the regions change same way, you know, it's a global change, like an eclypse or what, but if only one region's parameters are changing, then something happens there.

*Use masks to create smart regions. If you're watching a street, filter out the sky, the trees (blown by wind), etc. You may set up different trigger values for different regions. The regions should overlap.

*A special case of the region is the line. A line (a narrow region) contains less and more homogeneous pixels than a flat area. Mark, say, a green fence, it's easy to detect wheter someone crosses it, it makes bigger change in the line than in a flat area.

*If you can, change the IRL world. Repaint the fence to a strange color to create a color spectrum, which can be identified easier. Paint tags to the floor and wall, which can be OCRed by the program, so you can detect wheter something hides it.

A: The problem you are trying to solve is very interesting indeed!
I think that you would need to attack it in parts:
As you already pointed out, a sudden change in illumination can be problematic. This is an indicator that you probably need to achieve some sort of illumination-invariant representation of the images you are trying to analyze.
There are plenty of techniques lying around, one I have found very useful for illumination invariance (applied to face recognition) is DoG filtering (Difference of Gaussians)
The idea is that you first convert the image to gray-scale. Then you generate two blurred versions of this image by applying a gaussian filter,  one a little bit more blurry than the first one.  (you could use a 1.0 sigma and a 2.0 sigma in a gaussian filter respectively) Then you subtract from the less-blury image, the pixel intensities of the more-blurry image.  This operation enhances edges and produces a similar image regardless of strong illumination intensity variations. These steps can be very easily performed using OpenCV (as others have stated).  This technique has been applied and documented here.
This paper adds an extra step involving contrast equalization, In my experience this is only needed if you want to obtain "visible" images from the DoG operation (pixel values tend to be very low after the DoG filter and are veiwed as black rectangles onscreen), and performing a histogram equalization is an acceptable substitution if you want to be able to see the effect of the DoG filter.
Once you have illumination-invariant images you could focus on the detection part.  If your problem can afford having a static camera that can be trained for a certain amount of time,  then you could use a strategy similar to alarm motion detectors. Most of them work with an average thermal image - basically they record the average temperature of the "pixels" of a room view, and trigger an alarm when the heat signature varies greatly from one "frame" to the next.   Here you wouldn't be working with temperatures, but with average, light-normalized pixel values.  This would allow you to build up with time which areas of the image tend to have movement (e.g. the leaves of a tree in a windy environment), and which areas are fairly stable in the image.  Then you could trigger an alarm when a large number of pixles already flagged as stable have a strong variation from one frame to the next one.
If you can't afford training your camera view, then I would suggest you take a look at the TLD tracker of Zdenek Kalal. His research is focused on object tracking with a single frame as training.  You could probably use the semistatic view of the camera (with no foreign objects present) as a starting point for the tracker and flag a detection when the TLD tracker (a grid of points where local motion flow is estimated using the Lucas-Kanade algorithm) fails to track a large amount of gridpoints from one frame to the next. This scenario would probably allow even a panning camera to work as the algorithm is very resilient to motion disturbances.
Hope this pointers are of some help.  Good Luck and enjoy the journey!   =D

A: Use one of the standard measures like Mean Squared Error, for eg. to find out the difference between two consecutive images. If the MSE is beyond a certain threshold, you know that there is some motion.
Also read about Motion Estimation.

A: if you know that the image will remain reletivly static I would reccomend:
1) look into neural networks. you can use them to learn what defines someone within the image or what is a non-something in the image.
2) look into motion detection algorithms, they are used all over the place.
3) is you camera capable of thermal imaging? if so it may be worthwile to look for hotspots in the images. There may be existing algorithms to turn your webcam into a thermal imager.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
8 Questions with Oliver Heldens
At just 19 years old, Dutch house artist Oliver Heldens is well beyond his years when it comes to producing. After an incredible set at Main Stage East at this year's Electric Zoo festival, Oliver earned himself heaps of new fans. There is a great chance that Heldens could become one of the scene's best artists in the near future. Before he took the stage, Oliver sat down with DJOYbeat for a few minutes to talk.
You're about to take the stage at Electric Zoo, but you've been hitting up a few festivals this summer. What's it like to take the stage in front of all those people?
It's awesome. Especially since I can do my own thing, which is a little different than big EDM. So, I'm glad to do it.
You recently wrapped up Creamfields. Is there any festival you want to do in the future?
TomorrowWorld. I'm going there next month for the first time. It's going to be awesome.
Is there any one out in Europe that'd you'd recommend an American should check out?
Sensation out of Amsterdam is really nice. The concept and decorations are great.
Pete Tong recently dropped "This" with you and Sander Van Doorn. What was the process like working with Sander?
It was really nice. Sander was a big inspiration for me so it was nice to bring it back. I went to his studio and I had a bunch of projects and things. We put my stuff in his work and we put it together to finish.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/165857787″ params="color=00aabb&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="166″ iframe="true" /]
Who is another inspiration that you'd love to work with?
Chocolate Puma. I might get to soon. We've been working together for months to get studio time, but every time I'm in Europe and they're in the States or the other way around.
What else can fans look out for from you?
I just did a remix for Tiësto for "Lights Years Away" from his new album. I also did one with Zeds Dead. It was really nice since I've been listening to their stuff for years. I already have a new solo track that will be coming out in 2015 and I'm working with Tiësto. Lots of studio sessions planned during ADE. Hopefully with Chocolate Puma and Netsky.
Your dad is a big fan of your music! Was your family always behind you as a musician?
They always supported me in a sense. They let me make music and they supported me. School was important than music though. There was also a time that I was making so much music that I skipped some school work; that stressed them. But since "Gecko," things have exploded. They let me finish a lower school level and focus on the music.
Oliver, the floor is yours. What else would you like to share with the fans?
Thank you for the support of my fans. I like that I can help introduce people to something new. There are DJs that play deep and tech at clubs that thank me for being a game changer and bringing it back. I really appreciate that and that I'm looked like that. If fans can check out my SoundCloud that'd be great. There's tons of more stuff to come.
Want More On Oliver Heldens?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
using System;
using System.Numerics;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace Quadruped
{
    public class AdvanceInterpolationController : IDisposable
    {
        private readonly InterpolationGaitEngine _engine;

        private const float LegHeight = -9f;
        private const int LegDistanceLongitudinal = 15;
        private const int LegDistanceLateral = 15;

        private LegFlags _lastUsedCombo = LegFlags.RfLrCross;
        private StepStage _moveStage;
        private bool _keepRunning;

        public Vector2 Direction { get; set; }
        private Vector2 _odometry = Vector2.Zero;

        public event EventHandler<QuadrupedTelemetrics> NewTelemetricsUpdate;
        public event EventHandler<Exception> GaitEngineError;

        public int Speed
        {
            get => _engine.Speed;
            set => _engine.Speed = value;
        }

        public LegPositions OriginalRelaxedStance => new LegPositions
        (
            new Vector3(LegDistanceLateral, LegDistanceLongitudinal, LegHeight),
            new Vector3(LegDistanceLateral, -LegDistanceLongitudinal, LegHeight),
            new Vector3(-LegDistanceLateral, LegDistanceLongitudinal, LegHeight),
            new Vector3(-LegDistanceLateral, -LegDistanceLongitudinal, LegHeight)
        );

        public LegPositions RelaxedStance { get; set; }

        public AdvanceInterpolationController(InterpolationGaitEngine engine)
        {
            RelaxedStance = OriginalRelaxedStance;
            _engine = engine ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(engine));
            _engine.NewTelemetricsUpdate += (sender, telemetrics) => NewTelemetricsUpdate?.Invoke(sender, telemetrics);
            _engine.GaitEngineError += OnGaitEngineError;
            EnqueueInitialStandup();
            _keepRunning = true;
            Task.Run(ControlLoop);
        }

        private async Task ControlLoop()
        {
            while (_keepRunning)
            {
                if (Direction.X == 0f && Direction.Y == 0f)
                {
                    if (_moveStage == StepStage.Moving)
                    {
                        EnqueueHalfStep(Direction, GetNextLegCombo(), 0.75f);
                        _moveStage = StepStage.NotMoving;
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        await Task.Delay(10);
                    }
                }
                else
                {
                    if (_moveStage == StepStage.NotMoving)
                    {
                        EnqueueHalfStep(Direction, GetNextLegCombo(), 0.75f);
                        _moveStage = StepStage.Moving;
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        EnqueueHalfStep(Direction, GetNextLegCombo());
                    }
                }
                _engine.WaitUntilCommandQueueIsEmpty();
            }
        }

        public void EnqueueHalfStep(Vector2 direction, LegFlags forwardMovingLegs = LegFlags.RfLrCross, float legShift = 1.5f, float liftHeight = 2, bool normalize = true)
        {
            // identity comparasion to prevent error on float.NaN
            if (direction.X == 0f && direction.Y == 0f)
            {
                return;
            }
            if (normalize)
            {
                direction = direction.Normal();
            }

            if (forwardMovingLegs != LegFlags.LfRrCross && forwardMovingLegs != LegFlags.RfLrCross)
            {
                throw new ArgumentException($"{nameof(forwardMovingLegs)} has to be {nameof(LegFlags.RfLrCross)} or {nameof(LegFlags.LfRrCross)}");
            }
            LegFlags backwardsMovingLegs = forwardMovingLegs == LegFlags.LfRrCross ? LegFlags.RfLrCross : LegFlags.LfRrCross;

            // Move LR and RF forward
            var nextStep = RelaxedStance
                .Transform(new Vector3(legShift * direction.X, legShift * direction.Y, liftHeight), forwardMovingLegs)
                .Transform(new Vector3(-legShift * direction.X, -legShift * direction.Y, 0), backwardsMovingLegs);
            _engine.AddStep(nextStep);

            nextStep = nextStep
                .Transform(new Vector3(legShift * direction.X, legShift * direction.Y, -liftHeight), forwardMovingLegs)
                .Transform(new Vector3(-legShift * direction.X, -legShift * direction.Y, 0), backwardsMovingLegs);
            _engine.AddStep(nextStep);

            // Move all
            nextStep = nextStep.Transform(new Vector3(-legShift * direction.X * 2, -legShift * direction.Y * 2, 0));
            _engine.AddStep(nextStep);
            _odometry += direction * legShift * 4;
        }

        private void OnGaitEngineError(object sender, Exception exception)
        {
            GaitEngineError?.Invoke(sender, exception);
        }

        private LegFlags GetNextLegCombo()
        {
            _lastUsedCombo = _lastUsedCombo == LegFlags.RfLrCross ? LegFlags.LfRrCross : LegFlags.RfLrCross;
            return _lastUsedCombo;
        }

        public void EnqueueInitialStandup()
        {
            var currentPositions = _engine.ReadCurrentLegPositions();
            _engine.AddStep(currentPositions);
            float average = (currentPositions.LeftFront.Z +
                             currentPositions.RightFront.Z +
                             currentPositions.LeftRear.Z +
                             currentPositions.RightRear.Z) / 4;
            if (average > LegHeight + 2)
            {
                _engine.AddStep(RelaxedStance.Transform(new Vector3(0, 0, -LegHeight)));
            }

            _engine.AddStep(RelaxedStance);
        }

        public void Start() => _engine.StartEngine();

        public void Stop()
        {
            _keepRunning = false;
            _engine.Stop();
            _engine.DisableTorqueOnMotors();
        }

        public void Dispose()
        {
            _engine.NewTelemetricsUpdate -= NewTelemetricsUpdate;
            _engine.Dispose();
        }
    }

    public enum StepStage
    {
        NotMoving,
        Moving
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: GOCD - Multiple OS GOCD Agents and pipelines I am trying to build an application, where some of them should execute on a windows OS and some in linux like Centos/Ubuntu. While designing a pipeline, how can I assure that all the windows related tasks/jobs should go to the windows agent and all the linux related jobs should go to the appropriate linux OS.
What would be ideal approach to achieve this.

A: [Just to add more information]
You generally enable/add Go agents(which are installed on different operating systems) via the "AGENTS" tab in the Go dashboard. You can tag a Go agent with multiple resources using the "RESOURCES" button in the "AGENTS" tab.
And when you create a job in a stage(in a pipeline), you can mention the resources(which Go agent(s)) to be used to run this job in the "Resources" field of the "Job Settings" tab.
Based on the resources mentioned the Go server will use those Go agents to allocate the jobs. You can tag a Go agent with multiple resources.
Hope this helps.

A: I have several pipelines that must run on specific machines.  I accomplish this using two methods.
The first is using environments.  I assign specific pipelines to a specific environment (e.g. Developement, QA, Production).  I then assign an agent that has the ability to execute Development related tasks/jobs to the Development environment.  I assign agents that can execute QA related tasks/jobs to the QA environment.
This ensures that pipelines that reside in the Development environment are executed by only agents that are also assigned to the development environment.
If your agent has the ability to execute both Development and QA tasks, then assign the agent to both the Development and QA Environment.
Your can use this same concept to ensure that only windows agents reside in a particular environment.
For example, you can have a Developement-Win environment that you assign pipelines and agents that should handle windows builds.  Another called Development-Linux that you assign agents and pipelines that should handle linux builds.
Since I have agents that can build for multiple environments (Dev, QA and Prop) I also use the "Resources" that are assigned under the "Job Settings" tab.  If the job needs to execute on a windows host, then I will assign a resource of "win2012".  This tells me that the agent must have the resource of "Windows 2012" in order to execute this particular task.
I assign the agent the resource of "win2012" to indicate that it is a windows 2012 resource.
With the combination of the environment configuration and the resource settings the job will only be executed by an agent that meets both the resource requirements and is in the proper environment.
If you have multiple resource requirements for the task you can assign each of them by using a comma separated list.  Some of the resources that I use are msbuild, subversion, sqlcmd.  This tells me that the agent must have access to msbuild (to compile the code), subversion (to acquire it from SVN), and sqlcmd (to execute sql queries against SQL Server).  I then mark agents that contain these particular resources.  Only if an agent meets all of these resource requirements will be assigned the task.


Lambert, Betty Jane - Age 88, of Boynton Beach, FL., formerly of Flushing, died April 6, 2019. Memorial service will be held 11AM Friday April 26 at Mayfair Bible Church 5339 Pierson Rd. Flushing. Betty was born June 21, 1930 in Detroit, the daughter of Thomas and Bertha (Gunter) Dawkins. She married Frank Lambert in Detroit on October 1, 1955 he preceded her in death October 31, 2011. Betty was a member of Mayfair Bible Church. She volunteered for the American Red Cross and Hospice. Betty enjoyed painting, drawing, and going to the casinos. She is survived by her children: Kirk (Kim) Lambert of Beaverton, Laura (Nathan) Bronsted of Livonia, Monica (Al) LEcuyer of St. Helen, Matthew (Katy) Lambert of Pinckney; 11 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; brother: Robert (Theresa) Dawkins of Big Rapids; sister: Roberta Armbruster of Florida; many nieces and nephews. Betty is preceded in death by her parents; brother: David; sister Norma Jean. Tributes may be shared on the obituaries page of www.sharpfuneralhomes.com.
To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of Betty Jane Lambert, please visit our Tribute Store.
Guaranteed delivery before Betty's funeral service begins.
"Email Address" would like to share the life celebration of Betty Jane Lambert. Click on the "link" to go to share a favorite memory or leave a condolence message for the family.


While the new tax law increases business car deductions, you must have the records to back up your business use to qualify. Otherwise, you could find yourself facing steep taxes, interest, and penalties from an audit. Here's how to maximize your deductions while protecting them from IRS attack.


American rapper Eminem has finally responded to Machine Gun Kelly (MGK) with a new diss track called Killshot, a response to MGK's Rap Devil.
MGK's response came after Eminem's Not Alike on his recently-released album Kamikaze.
Killshot has the rapper dropping lines like: "I'm 45 and I'm still outselling you." He also responds directly to some of the claims on Rap Devil.
Would You Like To Try Cuddles On The Beach?


text:
Shadow mornings at STS
Elementary School Middle School Senior School
Last week, STS welcomed over 60 new students in Elementary, Middle and Senior School to attend our Shadow mornings, an annual event hosted by our STS Enrollment department. Shadow mornings give new students the opportunity to experience a day in the life of an STS student before officially beginning classes in the fall. Upon the new students' arrival, students are paired with an STS buddy who accompany them throughout the day's activities. The activities that took place during Shadow Mornings varied throughout the divisions giving all new students the opportunity to get a glimpse of what their time at STS would be like. Starting at a new school in a completely different environment can be nerve-wracking and intimidating, and because of this, it is our priority at STS to make every member of our community feel welcomed and cared for.
Our buddy system during Shadow mornings ensure that our new students have a familiar face to come to as they adjust to their new environment at STS. During our Elementary School Shadow morning, our new students were paired with their STS buddies to complete a design challenge in separate teams. In Grade 1, students were assigned to build marshmallow toothpick towers that would be strong enough to withstand the power of a windstorm. In Grade 2, students were tasked with building a tower made of playing cards that would stand tall against any motion. The Grade 5 students used their iPads to code and program their sphero bots in a particular direction and the Grade 6 students constructed eclipse apparatuses that mimicked a solar eclipse when used in a dark room with a flash light. The design challenges allowed new students to build a relationship with their new peers and to collaborate with them in order to achieve a common outcome using inquiry-based skills.
A special thank you to all the STS students who acted as STS buddies during Shadow mornings and beyond. We are looking forward to officially welcoming all new students in the Fall of 2019.


The New Year will get off to a solid animated start on Disney Channel and Disney XD with exciting new episodes — including the recently announced season two premiere cross-over event for Milo Murphy's Law, "The Phineas and Ferb Effect." Fans can also catch exciting new episodes of Black Panther's Quest and Star Wars Resistance, magical mishaps in Elena of Avalor, hilarious family foibles in Big City Greens and pre-k friendly premieres for Vampirina, Fancy Nancy and Puppy Dog Pals.
7:00–8:00 A.M. EST [Disney Channel/Disney XD] Milo Murphy's Law Season Two Premiere "The Phineas and Ferb Effect" Milo and his friends, along with their newly discovered neighbors — Phineas, Ferb, Perry the Platypus, Candace, Isabella, Baljeet and Buford — must work together to overcome Murphy's Law in order to stop a pistachio invasion. Guest stars include Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical) as Candace, Alyson Stoner (Camp Rock) as Isabella, Vincent Martella (Everybody Hates Chris) as Phineas, David Errigo Jr. (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V) as Ferb, Dee Bradley Baker (Mickey and the Roadster Racers) as Perry the Platypus, Maulik Pancholy (30 Rock) as Baljeet and Bobby Gaylor (The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore) as Buford.
9:00–10:00 P.M. EST [Disney XD] Marvel's Avengers: Black Panther's Quest "Vibranium Curtain Part One" Black Panther devises a plan to get the information he needs, but he isn't the only one with a plan.
"Vibranium Curtain Part Two" Captured by his enemies, Black Panther must break out of prison with an unlikely ally.
10:30–11:00 A.M. EST [Disney Channel] Vampirina "The Woodsie Way/TNN" Vee and her friends go on their first hiking trip with the Woodchuck Woodsies. / One of Vee's oldest friends from Transylvania, Frankie Bolt, comes to visit her in Pennsylvania. Marsai Martin (black-ish) and T.J. Holmes (Good Morning America) guest star as Frankie and her father, Franken, respectively.
11:00–11:30 A.M. EST [Disney Channel] Fancy Nancy "What's Bugging Nancy?/Nancy Clancy, Pet Psychic!" Nancy struggles to accept Bree's interest in bugs. Tatyana Ali (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) returns as Bree's mom. / Nancy believes she can read animals' minds. Christine Baranski (The Good Fight) returns as Ms. Devine.
8:50–9:20 P.M. EST [Disney Channel] Big City Greens "Uncaged" Cricket and Tilly's mother, Nancy Green, returns to the city. Wendi McClendon-Covey (The Goldbergs) returns as Nancy Green.
8:30–9:00 A.M. EST [Disney Channel] Big City Greens "Harvest Dinner/Winner Winner" Bill and Nancy prep a special harvest dinner while Cricket and Gramma race Tilly to get a missing ingredient. Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs) returns as Nancy Green. / At the local community center, Tilly wants to win a trophy and begins training with the center's director. Betsy Sodaro (All Hail King Julien) guest stars as Community Sue.
9:00–9:30 P.M. EST [Disney XD] Marvel's Avengers: Black Panther's Quest "T'Chanda" Black Panther discover secrets about his grandfather, T'Chanda. Mark Hamill (Star Wars films) guest stars as Arnim Zola and Hayley Atwell (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) returns as Peggy Carter.
10:00–10:30 P.M. EST [Disney Channel] Star Wars Resistance "Bibo" Neeku adopts a strange sea creature and gets way more than he bargained for when it brings chaos to the platform. Elijah Wood (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) returns as Jace Rucklin.
8:30–9:00 A.M. EST [Disney Channel] Big City Greens "Night Bill/Cheap Snake" When Bill sneaks out at night with a mysterious duffel bag, the kids hide in his truck to see where he goes. Wallace Shawn (The Princess Bride) guest stars as Jyle. / Cricket impulsively buys a giant pet snake.
11:30 A.M.–12:00 P.M. EST [Disney Junior] Elena of Avalor "Two Left Fins" After being invited to attend his first Royal Retreat, Prince Marzel tries hard to impress and accidentally turns the visiting kings into Sirenas. Returning guest stars include Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin) as Princess Marisa, Prince Royce (East Los High) as Prince Marzel, Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica) as King Pescoro, Echo Kellum (Arrow) as King Joaquin and Aasif Mandvi (A Series of Unfortunate Events) as King Raja.
9:00–9:30 P.M. EST [Disney XD] Marvel's Avengers: Black Panther's Quest "Yemandi" Black Panther discovers secrets about his ancestor, Yemandi.
10:00–10:30 P.M. EST [Disney Channel] Star Wars Resistance "Dangerous Business" In exchange for parts, Kaz minds acquisitions for Flix and Orka and comes into conflict with a shady alien customer in league with the First Order. Jim Rash (Community) and Bobby Moynihan (DuckTales) return as Flix and Orka, respectively.
9:30–10:00 A.M. EST [Disney Channel] Puppy Dog Pals "Windy City/Sham-pooch" When Bob is disappointed that there's no wind to test his new kite invention, Bingo and Rolly go on a mission to the Windy City. Ernie Hudson (Grace and Frankie) guest stars as Buddy. / Keia is nervous to go to the groomer for the first time.
7:00–7:30 A.M. EST [Disney Channel] Milo Murphy's Law "Game Night/Pace Makes Waste" Milo, Melissa and Zack try to finish playing a board game for the first time in Milo's life. / When there's a big charity stock car race in town, Murphy's Law wreaks havoc. Current and former NASCAR racers Rusty Wallace, Joey Logano, Ty Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Erik Jones and William Byron guest star as themselves; and sports announcer Mike Joy guest stars as himself.
8:00–8:30 A.M. EST [Disney Channel] Big City Greens "Hiya Henry/People Watching" Tilly tries ventriloquism for the Big Coffee open mic night. / The family plays the people watching game, making up stories about city folk passing by. Wendi McClendon-Covey (The Goldbergs) returns as Nancy Green.
9:00–9:30 P.M. EST [Disney XD] Marvel's Avengers: Black Panther's Quest "Bashenga" Black Panther discovers secrets about his ancestor Bashenga, the founder of Wakanda.
10:00–10:30 P.M. EST [Disney Channel] Star Wars Resistance "The Doza Dilemma" Synara settles into life on the platform, but her pirate compatriots have other plans for her.


text:
Сулут () — село в Исмаиллинском районе Азербайджана.

География

Расположено на реке Сулутчай в 45 км к востоку от районного центра Исмаиллы.

История

Одно из ранних исторических упоминаний Сулута относится к эпохе правления Ширваншахов. В те времена Сулут являлся крепостью, располагавшейся к востоку от другой крепости Нийалкала. Через него шла торговля из Лагича с Шемахой и другими городами. В Сулуте находилась одна из ханских ставок последнего ширванского хана Мустафы.

В царский и советский периоды

Сулут относился к Гоузскому магалу Шемахинской губернии, существовавшей в 1846—1859 годах, пока она не была переименована в Бакинскую губернию.

В 1859 году в связи с разрушительным землетрясением в губернском городе Шемахе высочайшим указом от 6 декабря управление Шемахинской губернией и все находившиеся там губернские учреждения были переведены в Баку и губерния была переименована в Бакинскую.

Высочайшим указом «О преобразовании управления Кавказского и Закавказского края» от 9 декабря 1867 года учреждалась Елизаветпольская губерния, в состав которой вошли некоторые уезды Бакинской губернии. В дальнейшем Сулут числился как один из населённых пунктов Шемахинского уезда Бакинской губернии.

В 1928 году у дороги между Сулутом и Мюджи были обнаружены русские медные монеты 1858 и 1770 годов.

В ноябре 1931 года был образован Исмаиллинский район Азербайджанской ССР. В 1970-х годах Сулут являлся центром Сулутского сельского Совета (сельсовета) данного района.

Население

По данным списков населённых мест Бакинской губернии от 1870 года, составленных по сведениям камерального описания губернии с 1859 по 1864 год, в селении Сулутъ (название приводится по источнику) имелось 83 двора и 675 жителей (355 мужчин и 320 женщин), состоящих из азербайджанцев, обозначенных «татарами»-суннитами.

Материалы посемейных списков на 1886 год приводят данные о численности, этническом и конфессиональном составе села. Согласно этим материалам, в Сулутъ Шемахинского уезда насчитывалось 96 дымов и 982 жителя и все «татары»-сунниты (азербайджанцы-сунниты).

Согласно материалам Азербайджанской сельскохозяйственной переписи 1921 года Сулут с казмами (землянками) Шангадан, Гирлар, Кала меша и Гузай входили в состав Басхальского сельского общества Шемахинского уезда. Численность населения — 416 человек (214 хозяйств). Преобладающей национальностью являлись азербайджанские тюрки (азербайджанцы).

По данным издания «Административное деление АССР», подготовленного в 1933 году Управлением народно-хозяйственным учётом АССР (АзНХУ), по состоянию на 1 января 1933 года Сулут являлся центром Сулутского сельсовета Исмаиллинского района Азербайджанской ССР. В селе насчитывалось  799 жителей, 407 мужчин и 392 женщины. Население всего сельсовета (сёла Кела-Зейва, Сарсура) на 99,3 % состояло из «тюрок» (азербайджанцев).

В середине 1980-х годов в Сулуте проживало 1012 человек (1985). Население было занято виноградарством и животноводством. Функционировали средняя школа, клуб, библиотека, медпункт.

Известные уроженцы

В Сулуте родился Герой Советского Союза Бахаддин Шахвелед оглы Мирзоев.

Достопримечательности

В окрестностях Сулута находится ледяная пещера, о которой упоминается еще в XIX веке. К северу от села находятся бывшая летняя ханская резиденция и развалины ханского судилища.

Народные промыслы

Прежде в Сулуте был развит промысел — кёмюрбасма (углеобжигание). Уголь поставлялся в близлежащий Лагич.

Примечания

Населённые пункты Исмаиллинского района

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Knowing everything about tax is definitely not everyone's cup of tea because it is extremely complicated and if you do not file the tax properly then that can also become complicated. In order to maintain it the right way it is important to you have the right kind of accountants North Sydney and mentioned below are some of the important steps that you need to follow when you are planning to hire SMSF accountants either to manage your personal or professional accounts.
There are a lot of tax consultants these days but not everyone can be genuine. Though they have a professional degree with them they may not have the kind of expertise that you are looking for. Therefore spending time in understanding their expertise is very important if you are planning to get a tax consultant for yourself.
You can always get references from your friends and relatives about the accountants North Sydney who they have because these are going to be your reliable sources and they will definitely not lie to you and friends and relatives would always be able to give you the right kind of references. With this reference you will not even have to spend more time in finalizing the one you need.
Remember to get their profiles when you ask them to come and meet you because their profiles would be able to communicate a lot to you and you also can ask them about the kind of clients that they are working with and this can also give you a brief idea about their expertise.
Even before you call them to meet up with you it is your responsibility to understand everything about the account management and you need to make sure that you question them a couple of things which will actually help you to analyze and understand whether these guys you are hiring are experts or not.
You also can ask them to give a couple of references of the clients so that once they leave you can get in touch with the clients who they have shared the contacts of. By talking to the clients you will be able to get an idea about the kind of work which these people are doing for them and this is also one of the important steps which can help you to get the right kind of an accountant.
When you ask them for the profile it is important to understand about the university from where they have graduated because there are so many universities that actually produce a lot of tax accountants these days. Since most of the universities are just doing it for the purpose of education those professionals may lack technical expertise. Hence, knowing about this can be a great deal before you hire them.
DVDOWN UNDER has been here since the beginning of DVD in Australia. Below is a quick rundown of our company's 10+ years of history and evolution.
Late 1997 is when we started as a simple DVD news & review website, then known as DVD Station.
Early 1998, we changed our name to reflect the Australian DVD market closer and, rather fittingly, came up with DVDOWN UNDER as our brand name.
Several Months later, we decided to expand into retail. We made an off-shoot of DVDOWN UNDER called…DVD Station, which became our online store for almost nine years following.
Through DVD Station we are initially offering Blank DVD cases, before moving onto the incredibly popular plastic DVD sleeves explicitly designed for the original cardboard case used to house Warner DVDs.
Audio and Video cables soon followed.
October 2004, just one year later, we expanded yet again, offering the complete range of region 4 DVDs available from local distributors in the land down under.
The year 2005 saw many-a-change for the Home Theatre/Cinema industry with the advent of 2.35 Full-screen movies for the home, and DVDOWN UNDER was there all the way offering "2.35" Anamorphic Lenses from Prismasonic, as well as "2.35:1" Projector screens from LP Morgan…..Now, you could genuinely request no more black bars top and bottom of your big screen!…. No longer was it a requirement to leave the comfort of your home to go out to the movies to experience the super-wide movie images, sans the black bars top and bottom, with films like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Indiana Jones. With the correct equipment, you could have just that in your home theatre/cinema room.
And of course, if you are now practically living in your Home Theatre/Cinema, why not do it in ultimate comfort, which is why we decided to add Topform Home Theatre seating to our ever expanding product list.
The year 2006 soon rolled around, and the excellent Calibre Vantage HD video processor [with Realta HQV processing] was added to our "toy" list to celebrate the New Year in Style.
Toward the end of 2006, High Definition discs were all the talk. DVDOWN UNDER added both HD DVD and Blu-ray movies to an ever-growing catalogue of goodies.
August 2007 saw DVDOWN UNDER become an official reseller for the excellent USA made Panamorph lenses.
November 2007 After nine years of retailing, news'ing and reviewing, we decided it was time for an overhaul. With a brand new website, we re-launched our retail division as DVDOWN UNDER, and our original news & review site was renamed cinema 1080 (under construction) to reflect the move to high definition closer.
So there you have it. DVDOWN UNDER has been here since the beginning, and with over ten years of industry experience under our belts have made sure to keep on top of the latest technologies and movie offerings for all of our customers to enjoy.
If you have any queries, comments or suggestions regarding any of the products we offer, please let us know.
Internet browser when the URL address starts with HTTPS to read the Certificate information.
We have setup HTTPS access to encrypt the details of your login account data, Order processing, and Credit Card Details submission.
Due to the requirement of 128-bit Secure Data Encryption, the time it takes to generate an HTML page is also a little longer.
DVDOWN UNDER has merchant facilities set up with St George Bank and processes all payments over a 128bit secure connection which encrypts all data. This is also the same for when you enter in your credit card details during the order process; you are doing so with SSL 128-bit encryption with GEOTRUST, so it's a very safe process to pass over your details to us.
No Additional Credit Card fees/charges will be incurred by customers who choose to pay with this method.
At present, your Credit Card will only be charged once your order is ready to ship, and no earlier.
Will typically be charged up to 3 business days before the date of shipment of your order.
In instances where some stock is allocated earlier than the expected shipping date (e.g., to secure a limited-time-only special promo price), your payment may be charged at an earlier time.
Where your order contains Home Cinema Items (totalling over $250) and is not in stock, your order will be charged within 2 business days of your order placement date.
B-PAY allows you to pay for your order through your BANK using their Internet Banking, or Phone Banking facilities, making it the SAFEST way to pay for your order over the internet.
Our B-PAY options [FOR ORDERS TOTALLING $25 AND OVER ONLY] allow for you to pay for your order using any of the account types listed below that you have linked to your Internet Banking, or Phone Banking facility.


text:
Q: How to trigger an SCR after a certain time since the start of a cycle of mains voltage? I am looking for an Arduino code that uses PWM. Mine's a little different than most PWM programs however because I am looking to create some sort of reference point within the code to not only vary the duty cycle, but to control where my output pulse will trigger on the sine wave. It's a little hard to visualize, so here are a few pictures:
What I want to find:

What I've been finding:

The image above is the typical PWM code I've been finding, but it is irrelevant to my application because I will be triggering an SCR (which only recognizes the rising edge of the output pulse).
Below is a general idea of how I want to control the SCR firing angle:

So I'm thinking I will need some sort of reference point within the code to make the falling edge of the duty cycle be where my output pulse will trigger. That is my only clue how to attack this problem. Please let me know if I was not very clear on certain specifics with this issue.

A: As far as I understood, you want to clip some portion of the sine wave using an SCR. Also, you want to control the SCR with an Arduino. To do that, as you have noted, you will need a reference point, and that is the start of the sine wave. To achieve what you are trying to do, please follow below instructions.
After the start of the sine wave cycle, start a count-down timer in the software. When the timer finishes counting, fire up the SCR. The SCR will then be using this fire until the end of the sine wave cycle and will stay ON until then. Now, repeat the same for other cycles.
Warning: Below circuits include contact with mains voltage. Please be careful and know how to interact with mains voltage before attempting to build these circuits.

Above circuit create a digital output with respect to mains. It will give a LOW output at SYNC_In whenever a zero-crossing is detected. But be careful, because this will generate an output whenever the AC sine wave crossing zero level in either directions, meaning that this will output  at every half cycle, or at 100 Hz if your mains is at 50 Hz.
Now that you have a circuit that tells you whenever a cycle begins, you can create a software that will fire up the SCR, a certain time after a cycle begins. To control the SCR, I would recommend you using an optocoupler.
Here is an example pseudo code that does this job:
while (true)
{
    // control_value variable holds the value that tells us after how much time
    // since the start of the sine wave, we should fire the SCR.
    unsigned char control_value;

    unsigned char timer1;
    bit SYNC_Control;

    while (1)
    {
        while (SYNC_Signal)
        {
        } // SYNC signal is LOW each time a cycle begins. Wait for first LOW.

        // We have got a SYNC signal. Invert the
        // control bit so that we trigger once at every two SYNC signals.
        SYNC_Control = ~SYNC_Control;

        if (!SYNC_Control)
        {
            // This is not the signal we want.
            goto end; // Exit the function. The function will search for an another SYNC signal next time.
        }

        // _50_us is a timer and increments every 50 microseconds.
        // _500_us is a timer and increments every 500 microseconds.

        // Record the beggining time of the cycle and use it as reference.
        timer1 = _50_us;

        while ((unsigned char) (_50_us - timer1) < control_value)
        {
        } // Wait until control_value*50us is passed.

        TRIAC_Gate = 1; // Then fire the SCR.
        delay_ms(1);
        TRIAC_Gate = 0; // SCR is ON now, we do not need to set this pin high anymore.
end:
        NOP();
    }
}


(a) may be used improperly as the auditor may waste time asking unnecessary questions using a standard ICQ.
(b) may encourage auditors to perform work in a mechanical fashion without considering the circumstances of a particular client.
· May be used to highlight the existence of controls and the division of responsibilities.
· Disadvantages: danger is that they might not be fully understood by the auditor and so are misinterpreted.


text:
Sampling equilibrium, with an application to strategic voting
Martin J. Osborne, Ariel Rubinstein
We suggest an equilibrium concept for a strategic model with a large number of players in which each player observes the actions of only a small number of the other players. The concept fits well situations in which each player treats his sample as a prediction of the distribution of actions in the entire population, and responds optimally to this prediction. We apply the concept to a strategic voting model and investigate the conditions under which a centrist candidate can win the popular vote although his strength in the population is smaller than the strengths of the right and left candidates.
Games and Economic Behavior
Strategic voting
Voting model
Sampling equilibrium
Osborne, M. J., & Rubinstein, A. (2003). Sampling equilibrium, with an application to strategic voting. Games and Economic Behavior, 45(2), 434-441. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0899-8256(03)00147-7
Sampling equilibrium, with an application to strategic voting. / Osborne, Martin J.; Rubinstein, Ariel.
In: Games and Economic Behavior, Vol. 45, No. 2, 11.2003, p. 434-441.
Osborne, MJ & Rubinstein, A 2003, 'Sampling equilibrium, with an application to strategic voting', Games and Economic Behavior, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 434-441. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0899-8256(03)00147-7
Osborne MJ, Rubinstein A. Sampling equilibrium, with an application to strategic voting. Games and Economic Behavior. 2003 Nov;45(2):434-441. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0899-8256(03)00147-7
Osborne, Martin J. ; Rubinstein, Ariel. / Sampling equilibrium, with an application to strategic voting. In: Games and Economic Behavior. 2003 ; Vol. 45, No. 2. pp. 434-441.
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title = "Sampling equilibrium, with an application to strategic voting",
abstract = "We suggest an equilibrium concept for a strategic model with a large number of players in which each player observes the actions of only a small number of the other players. The concept fits well situations in which each player treats his sample as a prediction of the distribution of actions in the entire population, and responds optimally to this prediction. We apply the concept to a strategic voting model and investigate the conditions under which a centrist candidate can win the popular vote although his strength in the population is smaller than the strengths of the right and left candidates.",
keywords = "Bounded rationality, Sampling equilibrium, Strategic voting",
author = "Osborne, {Martin J.} and Ariel Rubinstein",
journal = "Games and Economic Behavior",
T1 - Sampling equilibrium, with an application to strategic voting
AU - Osborne, Martin J.
AU - Rubinstein, Ariel
N2 - We suggest an equilibrium concept for a strategic model with a large number of players in which each player observes the actions of only a small number of the other players. The concept fits well situations in which each player treats his sample as a prediction of the distribution of actions in the entire population, and responds optimally to this prediction. We apply the concept to a strategic voting model and investigate the conditions under which a centrist candidate can win the popular vote although his strength in the population is smaller than the strengths of the right and left candidates.
AB - We suggest an equilibrium concept for a strategic model with a large number of players in which each player observes the actions of only a small number of the other players. The concept fits well situations in which each player treats his sample as a prediction of the distribution of actions in the entire population, and responds optimally to this prediction. We apply the concept to a strategic voting model and investigate the conditions under which a centrist candidate can win the popular vote although his strength in the population is smaller than the strengths of the right and left candidates.
KW - Bounded rationality
KW - Sampling equilibrium
KW - Strategic voting
JO - Games and Economic Behavior
JF - Games and Economic Behavior


Premia is the region to the west of the Moriennal on the northern continent of Tahloor. It is mostly desert, though it has a vast mountain range to the south and east. The entire western region of Premia is known as the region of the Black Sands.
Premia is populated by the Ha'tall.


text:
TV3 banned from New Zealand Parliament for three days
7 November 2019: Hungarian state-owned enterprise acquires Hirtenberger Defence Group
12 September 2019: Sitting Tongan Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva dies aged 78
17 March 2019: New Zealand mosque murder suspect appears in court at Christchurch
24 November 2015: Ferry MV Suilven sinks in Suva, Fiji
19 October 2015: Searchers find wreckage of New Zealand fishing boat 'Jubilee'
Location of New Zealand
Pillars of Wikinews writing
Writing an article
House Speaker Margaret Wilson told New Zealand television station TV3, owned by Canwest, they are banned from recording New Zealand Parliament for three days.
The ban comes after they showed footage of the New Zealand First Member of Parliament (MP) Ron Mark repeatedly pulling his middle finger at National MP Tau Henare on August 1.
TV3's ban will come into force tomorrow.
The Parliament's media rules state that only the Speaker or an MP who is standing and speaking can be recorded. TV3 broke this rule as Mark was sitting during his gestures.
"The rules are arcane. We were only showing what would have been observed by members of the public if they had been sitting in the public gallery on that day," said the Director of News and Current Affairs for TV3, Mark Jennings. "Politicians behaving badly is a news story, and the public have a right to see what is really going on in the debating Chamber."
"We will accept our punishment and get on with our job, but it is time politicians took responsibility for their behaviour and stopped shooting the messenger," Jennings said.
"That argument was not accepted last year, and I do not accept it now", Ms Wilson says referring to a breach of the rules last year.
"In addition, this time TV3 repeated the shots in question even though it knew they were in breach of the rules. This was clearly a premeditated breach."
Have an opinion on this story? Share it!
NZPA. "TV3 punished for finger footage" — stuff, August 28, 2006
"TV3 banned from Parliament" — Newstalk ZB, August 28, 2006
"TV3 gets 3-day parliamentary ban" — NBR, August 28, 2006
Retrieved from "https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=TV3_banned_from_New_Zealand_Parliament_for_three_days&oldid=4590812"
Politics and conflicts
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Homechoice@Renfrewshire - Choice Based Lettings is currently operating in the Foxbar area of Paisley and also Gallowhill Court and Glencairn Court in Paisley.
Every week, properties available for let are listed below. Latest properties are advertised from 10am every Monday.


This article first appeared in the April 2012 issue (#226) of .net magazine – the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers.
.net: What's quantitative usability testing?
RM: As the usability industry evolves, we're finding that many managers insist upon quantitative answers to usability questions as well as the traditional qualitative information. They want to see proof that usability is improving year on year, so they can demonstrate to their managers that the money they put into UX is worthwhile.
It's possible to make good quantitative usability measurements, but it costs a lot more than traditional testing and you have to be very careful about how it's carried out. Qualitative measuring is a friendly method in that you can make mistakes with it and still get good results. Quantitative measuring is a much more brittle method – it only gives good results if you are disciplined and follow the methods rigorously.
.net: What mistakes do usability testers make?
RM: A big one is incorrect handling of numbers. For example, every measurement has a degree of uncertainty associated with it and that should be included in the results. That's non-trivial – the uncertainty is part of the truth, but many practitioners don't include it.
I have conducted a number of so-called Comparative Usability Evaluation studies where we took a large number of teams and had them carry out the same quantitative study on a website. Many of the teams used the correct methodology and arrived at similar results, but some of the teams arrived at results that were so far from each other that their uncertainty intervals didn't overlap. So some of the studies were simply wrong. We investigated what went wrong in these studies, and we found the problems were mostly around poor recruitment of people to test the website and incorrect handling of measurements.
A key finding in all of this is that those teams whose studies were fundamentally flawed were unaware of it – and these were people who were being paid to teach or practise usability. That worries me a bit, because these people didn't understand their own limitations and I didn't see any sense of caution about promoting their results. This is a problem in the community generally; I rarely see any discussion of usability testing mistakes. It's a mark of maturity in a profession when mistakes are seen as an asset that can be used to improve future performance.
.net: What factors contribute to this culture?
RM: Our profession is still young, and many people see what they're doing as an art as opposed to an industrial process. We've been doing usability testing reasonably systematically now for about 25 years – it's not an art any more, it should be an industrial process we can measure, standardise and in which we can certify people.
But a lot of usability professionals don't like that view, because they really value the freedom they feel they have in applying design rules and making interesting little twists to usability testing. Sometimes these adaptations are for the better, but in most cases they are not. I have written a checklist that sets out the essential qualities of a good usability test, and I think something like that should be part of the contract when a company commissions usability testing.
.net: So you think there should be accreditation for usability testing?
RM: Yes, very strongly, because there are too many poor practitioners out there. There are efforts underway in Europe led by the German Usability Professionals Association to develop accreditation at the basic level, and at every opportunity I push for it to be done at the advanced level also.
.net: What are the biggest UX mistakes you still see on websites?
RM: The number one mistake is badly phrased error messages – either nothing happens when an error is made, or the message is incomprehensible because it's written in technical language. After that, failing to make options visible to the user.
.net: What is the very first thing that should be considered when designing a site or solving a problem?
RM: The most important thing is to get the tasks right: work out what it is that users want to do on a site and make it highly visible.


Several times in our life, we have to work with restricted space. The space seems a lot less than what would be adequate to meet our requirements. While we are trying to fit all our possessions within the available space, it looks like the area is just not enough for all those belongings to fit in. Having an apartment meet our needs at the price we can afford seems like a lost cause. But more often than not, this sense of lost is from our own lack of judgment, not the insufficiency of space.
Below are some great tricks to make better use of your available space and meet the spacing needs even with limited capacity.
1. Use mirrors appropriately to create illusion of more space.
Strategic placement of mirrors in a room can help a long way to create the illusion of more space. Placement of mirror across a window reflects light in the best way, which makes the room feel larger. Similarly, insertion of a large window behind a trunk gives the appearance of having a huge space placed behind it.
2. Paint or put wallpaper on ceilings to make the room seem taller.
When there's something to draw the eyes upwards, it creates an illusion of having a larger room. This can be achieved by painting the ceiling with some eye-catching color or decorating it with elegant wallpaper designs. This is a great trick to make seem a room larger than it actually is.
3. Color the walls and floor with light colors.
When darker colors are used in a room, the colors absorb light instead of reflecting them. This makes the room feel significantly smaller. On the contrary, with the use of lighter colors on the floor as well as on the walls, the room has the air of having plenty of spaciousness. So, it's best to opt for light colors while choosing painting options.
4. Make wise use of multi-purpose items.
The use of multi-purpose items is a great way to avoid having to stuff a space with numerous items and hence, cleverly make use of small spaces. If same item can be used for multiple purposes, there's no need to buy further furniture to meet the needs, which ultimately helps tremendously to make more room available to put other stuffs. One example is to use a trunk both as a seat and as a storage.
5. Use hidden spaces available in the room better.
Wise use of hidden spaces also helps a lot to exploit spaces available in a room, even if they are limited. The space available inside furniture could be used as storage. The same can be done with empty space available under the bed or on the top of the shelves.
6. Use single large items than several tiny items.
It's a common convention to use many small pieces of furniture to fit in the small spaces available in a room. However, use of a single large furniture instead of all those tiny pieces is a much better thing to do. This decreases the appearance of mess and makes a room seem substantially larger.
7. Leave windows uncovered to add to the room's depth.
More light gives a space the look of grander depth. One effective way is to leave the windows uncovered. If there's any concern about privacy, use of shades or blinds instead of curtains can be a great way to achieve privacy without any crowded appearance and thus cleverly make use of small spaces.
8. Buy more glass pieces.
Glass items are not just beautiful to look at but they also provide added functionality of not consuming too much of visual space. Being transparent, they blend easily with the room. So opting for glass pieces instead of wooden objects as decorative items really helps to create the illusion of more free space.
9. Use furniture with exposed legs.
Instead of using a couch with a skirt or boxy seats, it's better to use larger pieces with open legs in a small space. They leave more of the space empty and hence, add the feel of spaciousness to the room.
10. Try to make a room multi-purpose if possible.
While one is living in a limited space, it's not a good idea to have different rooms for different purposes. It only requires more space than what is actually needed. To cleverly make use of small spaces, it's wiser to make a room multi-purpose. An idea could be to use the same room as living room as well as library.
11. Make use of appropriate roller blinds.
Use of roller blinds doesn't only serve for the decorative purposes in a room but also for creating extra space. Roller blinds consume lesser space compared to curtains which helps to make a little more space available in the room and also gives open look to the room. Check out this site to see the different ways you can use roller blinds to enhance your space.
12. Buy only those things which are absolutely necessary.
Well, the best way to make a room seem more open is to actually stuff with less goods. And, probably the finest way to achieve this is to buy only those things which are needed the most. This removes all the headache of trying to fit in things into a room and one could do with even limited space.
13. Give away items you haven't used for extensive time.
Being generous doesn't only help one to win friends but also create more room for themselves. So giving away the possessions which haven't been used once in a while might be a great idea to add extra yard or few to the room. One could get rid of items that haven't been used for more than two years unless they're precious gifts or family heirlooms.
14. Use transformable pieces of furniture.
Furniture pieces that can be transformed across multiple forms can be another valuable aid to dwellers in small spaces. These pieces ensure one doesn't have to make a lot of space available for different items as a single piece can serve the need for all those items.
15. Use furniture with storage spaces inside.
With the extra storage space available in furniture, one doesn't have to find extra room to store possessions. Furniture with storage space inside are thus great way to significantly make a room more open.
16. Hang flat screen TV on the wall.
Hanging flat screen TV on the wall makes a room look much elegant on one hand while helps to create an extra space on the other. This is because they avoid the need of space on table which would otherwise be necessary for flat screen TV with stands or other round screen TVs.
17. Elongate the space with use of striped rugs.
Just as vertical stripes on clothing give a person taller appearance, use of striped rugs gives a room the appearance of being longer than it actually is. Thus, it's great to orient the stripes on the rugs to go to the length of the room, which produces the optimal effect of spatial illusion.
Use of intense overhead lights at a point on the top groups all the light in one space. Compared to this, if several small lamps are used all over the room, light is spread in a more uniform manner. As this draws light all around the room, the room feels relatively larger.
19. Use rugs to separate a room into smaller spaces.
The use of different types and colors of rugs in a single room creates the feel of having multiple spaces within a larger one. This enhances the apparent size of the room significantly as such technique creates the illusion of having more space available than there really is. So it's good to opt for rugs to separate a room into smaller spaces.
20. Keep the space clean.
Keeping the space clean, scrubbing the floors and walls will not only add allure to a room but also make it seem much more spacious than it really is. This is because when a surface is clean and everything are put in an organized manner, the space seems taken by only few things and looks really spacious.
21. Use furniture that blends with floors and walls.
Using furniture pieces whose color blends with the floors and walls helps a lot in creating extra visual space. As the furniture blends with the surroundings, it doesn't look like it has taken much space and as such, even the limited space looks much roomy.
Storing less than often used items in the closet and hiding larger pieces that are seldom used at the current situation is a great idea to add extra yard or few to the room. Often, we place all our possessions across the room. But mostly, only few of the items are used regularly. So it would really help a lot to create extra space in the room if unused items were hidden somewhere.
23. Make use of vertical space.
Exploiting vertical space is another great idea to use small spaces better. Instead of several small storage furniture pieces scattered all across the room, if one were to use a single taller piece, it would dramatically reduce the visual space occupied, all the while also serving the purpose.
Door backs are the other remarkable idea to make better use of available space, which are often overlooked. Using hooks on the doors of closets, room or even cupboards, we can meet the need for the space to hang clothes. This avoids the need to buy hanger and other pieces, which frees up the room.
25. Let your imaginations go fluid.
The imagination and creativity of a person cannot be encapsulated in a list of few points. So the ultimate way to use small spaces cleverly is to turn towards one's own ingenuity and dexterity. Improvising the available space and trying to create extra space wherever possible, all the while trying to meet the necessities will surely do the magic.


To demonstrate the benefits of tackling the effects of unconscious bias to avoid discriminatory acts in business and the workplace.
Unconscious biases, also known as implicit or sub-conscious biases, happen automatically and are triggered by our brains making quick judgements and assessments of people and situations. Unconscious biases are influenced by our background, cultural environment and personal experiences. They have the potential to influence our behaviour and decision making and to prompt us to act in ways that are not objective, fair or based on rational evidence.
In the workplace, overcoming unconscious bias can improve how we assess risk, listen to advice, recruit or promote people, engage with customers, manage teams, provide support, as well as enabling us to process facts objectively. Such improvements can lead to fewer grievances and customer complaints and increased productivity and morale.
Even if people do not consciously intend to discriminate against individuals, they nevertheless do so because of a lack of awareness of their own biases. To avoid discrimination, it is essential that we learn to recognise and acknowledge our personal biases and find ways to mitigate their impact on our behaviour and decision making.
This course will explore the psychological explanation for unconscious bias and how our normal cognitive processes result in unintentional people pretences, leading us to treat people from certain groups more favourably than others. Participants will learn about the complexities of bias and the how other cognitive processes maintain and reinforce our original biased assessment creating a bias 'blind spot'.
Participants will be introduced to methods for managing and mitigating unconscious bias drawn from psychological and behavioural science and will use this information to 'deconstruct' a biased decision-making case study and then to develop an alternative approach. Participants will leave the workshop having identified both individual and organisational actions to take forward.
The Overcoming Unconscious Bias training course is particularly suitable for those in positions of leadership who need to understand hidden factors that contribute to the success or failure of organisational policy and strategy. It will consolidate their experience and understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion issues, acting as a revision course for them as necessary.
Other managers – particularly those involved in recruitment, selection and promotion – will benefit from time spent analysing their motives in decision-making; the course can also be targeted at employees, in particular those who have a front-line customer service role.
What exactly is Unconscious Bias?
Responsibility for unconscious bias: does 'blissful ignorance' of one's own biases provide exemption from culpability for discrimination?
"I wasn't very familiar with the extent of unconscious bias before the course. The case examples helped with this.


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title: "The OData Deep Dive with Woody is coming to Chicago and Madison"
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date: 2010-5-19
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[![clip_image002](clip_image002_thumb.jpg "clip_image002")](http://csell.net/content/binary/WindowsLiveWriter/ODataDeepDiveiscomingtoChicagoandMadison_11534/clip_image002_2.jpg)

### OData Deep Dive with Chris Woodruff

**Recommended Audiences:**

Solution Architects, Software Developers, Developers, Architects

**Abstract**

The Open Data Protocol (OData) is an open protocol for sharing data. It provides a way to break down data silos and increase the shared value of data by creating an ecosystem in which data consumers can interoperate with data producers in a way that is far more powerful than currently possible, enabling more applications to make sense of a broader set of data. Every producer and consumer of data that participates in this ecosystem increases its overall value.

OData is consistent with the way the Web works - it makes a deep commitment to URIs for resource identification and commits to an HTTP-based, uniform interface for interacting with those resources (just like the Web).   This commitment to core Web principles allows OData to enable a new level of data integration and interoperability across a broad range of clients, servers, services, and tools.

OData is released under the [Open Specification Promise](http://www.microsoft.com/interop/osp/default.mspx) to allow anyone to freely interoperate with OData implementations.

In this talk Chris will provide an in depth knowledge to this protocol, how to consume a OData service and finally how to implement an OData service on Windows using the WCF Data Services product.

**Agenda**

**Dates, Times and Locations**
  > 1\. **Chicago, IL June 21**
>
> *   a. 8:30 am - 12:00 pm
> *   b. Microsoft Offices, Downers Grove, IL
> *   c. [http://bit.ly/DownersOData1](http://bit.ly/DownersOData1)
>
> 2\. **Chicago June 21**
>
> *   a. 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
> *   b. Microsoft Offices, Downers Grove, IL
> *   c. [http://bit.ly/DownersOData2](http://bit.ly/DownersOData2)
>
> 3\. **June 22, 2010**
>
> *   a. 8:30 am - 12:00 pm
> *   b. Microsoft MTC, Chicago IL
> *   c. [http://bit.ly/MTCOData1](http://bit.ly/MTCOData1)
>
> 4\. **June 22 2010**
>
> *   a. 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
> *   b. Microsoft MTC, Chicago IL
> *   c. [http://bit.ly/MTCOData2](http://bit.ly/MTCOData2)
>
> 5\. **July 7th 2010**
>
> *   a. 1 pm - 5 pm
> *   b. Herzing College, Madison WI
> *   c. [http://bit.ly/MadisonOdata](http://bit.ly/MadisonOdata)

**Bio**

Chris Woodruff (or Woody as he is commonly known as) has a degree in Computer Science from Michigan State University's College of Engineering. Woody has been developing and architecting software solutions for almost 15 years and has worked in many different platforms and tools. He is a community leader, helping such events as Day of .NET Ann Arbor, West Michigan Day of .NET and CodeMash. He was also instrumental in bringing the popular Give Camp event to Western Michigan where technology professionals lend their time and development expertise to assist local non-profits. As a speaker and podcaster, Woody has spoken and discussed a variety of topics, including database design and open source. He is a Microsoft MVP in Data Platform Development. Woody works at RCM Technologies in Grand Rapids, MI as a Principal Consultant.

Woody is the co-host of the popular podcast "Deep Fried Bytes" and blogs at [www.chriswoodruff.com](http://www.chriswoodruff.com). He is the President of the West Michigan .NET User Group and also is a co-founder of the software architecture online portal nPlus1.org.

Woody has worked in many arenas throughout the years, including healthcare, manufacturing, publishing, promotion execution and the automotive industry. He has experience with starting and running new ventures, including past work with technology startups. Woody continues to develop his expertise by learning & developing new technologies to better meet the needs of his clients, while devoting his free time to improving the development community at large, and giving back to the community in which he lives.


One of the many differences between old media companies and new media companies: It's a lot cheaper to fire people at new media companies.
AOL said it will spend between $14 million and $18 million on "cash restructuring charges" — read as "severance and related costs" — on the Patch layoffs it announced today, which will range from approximately 350 to 500 people.
As Bloomberg's Ed Lee notes, that indicates AOL is not spending a whole lot on severance for Patch employees, who have been running a network of 900 local news sites.
Or at least, it's not spending a lot compared to the world's largest publishing company.


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Sniper Elite V2 (Silver Star Edition)
Compatible with Xbox360™ (X360)
NTSC U/C / Third Person Shooting
Expected stock arrival within 1-2 weeks
Sniper Elite V2 (Game of the Year Edition)
Click on a thumbnail to see more pictures for Sniper Elite V2 (Game of the Year Edition)
NTSC-J
NTSC-U/C
Xbox360™ Regional Compatibility Guide
Sniping Simulation: Sniper Elite V2 features detailed sniping simulation with advanced ballistics, taking into account gravity, wind, velocity, bullet penetration, aim stability and more. Guaranteed to provide players with the most realistic simulation of military sharpshooting yet available
X-Ray Kill Cam: Amazing "kill cam" technology showcases what really happens when a bullet enters an enemy's body, allowing players to see hearts and lungs tear, livers burst, bones and teeth shatter and entrails fall out
Authenticity: The game features authentic World War II Berlin locations as well as vehicles, weapons such as the Springfield M1903, the Gewehr 43 and the Mosin-Nagant 1891/30 and uniforms modeled after the original versions
Use The Environment: The slightest changes in the environment need to be taken into account to move into the perfect position, observe the quarry, take the shot and slip away unnoticed
Sniper's Choice: Players will often find themselves facing a choice of the perfect shot that leaves them catastrophically exposed or a more difficult route that means they can continue their mission
The sequel to Rebellion's highly-acclaimed 2005 game Sniper Elite, Sniper Elite V2 continues to offer gamers the most authentic World War II sniping experience by putting them in the middle of war-torn Berlin amidst the frenzied final battle between German and Russian forces.With an emphasis on learning to handle the anticipation and pressure of the hunt, players are forced to use skill, patience and cunning to achieve their missions as they find themselves facing life-altering choices. The celebrated "bullet cam" from Sniper Elite makes its return and will be more gratifying than ever. Skillful shots are rewarded with a slow-motion sequence of the bullet running its full trajectory from barrel to target as well as featuring graphic detail of the effects of the bullet entering and destroying a target."
Genre Third Person Shooting
Version Europe
Sniper Elite V2: Official Trailer (YouTube)
Average rating: (3.5 out of 5)
If you are familiar with Sniper Elite V2 (Game of the Year Edition), why not let others know?
LION (40) on 23, Apr. 2015 11:07 (HKT)
For those who love sniper game
Samus Aran (140) on 04, Dec. 2014 11:07 (HKT)
This game is super fun especially during headshot.
william.fu (67) on 16, Nov. 2014 00:57 (HKT)
Sniper Elite V2!!
This would be a great start for me to get into Sniper Elite III. Thanks Play-Asia for the Great Service! Keep it up!
Can't wait to unleash the X-Ray kill cam on the Fuhrer!
zachary_h (4) on 01, Aug. 2013 11:56 (HKT)
bug but fun
first level bug was a bit frustrating, but a youtube video helped me get past it. so far i am missing the old school medal of honor allied assault sniper mission, but im sure it will get better.
gubaba13 (178) on 11, Jul. 2013 18:41 (HKT)
Interesting collection for Wii U but no multiplayer...
the price for Sniper Elite V2 (Game of the Year Edition) drops.
Sniper Elite V2 (Game of the Year Edition) is available.
there are new images or links available for Sniper Elite V2 (Game of the Year Edition).
505 Games releases a new product.
the price for Sniper Elite V2 (Game of the Year Edition) drops below ...
Play-Asia.com News in Games / Xbox 360™ / Games


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The Ringling's Phantom Bodies: The Human Aura in Art Explores Heavy Themes of Human Nature
The Ringling's new exhibit is thought-provoking, chilling and emotional.
By Felicity Warner 6/22/2016 at 4:46pm
A collection of profound and emotive art pieces from several international artists makes up The Ringling's new exhibit Phantom Bodies: The Human Aura in Art. Phantom Bodies showcases four distinct sections – "Objects and Absences," "Violence, Empathy, and Erasure," "Sublimation," and "The Mind-Body Problem," which all seek to explore relationships of the mind, body and spirit in poignant experiences of memory and loss. The powerful collection of 38 paintings, photographs, videos, sculptures and installations will be available to view at The Ringling until Sept. 11, 2016. Matthew McLendon, curator of modern and contemporary art, who is overseeing this installation, told us a bit about why he thinks this exhibit is a must-see.
"I think the importance of contemporary art is that it helps to frame our experience of the time in which we live," McLendon explains. "The reason I love working with artists is that they truly 'see' things that most of us miss. The work in Phantom Bodies deals with some of the weightiest aspects of the human condition—loss, violence, trauma. Hopefully, it can help our visitors process these issues which are, unfortunately, a continuing presence in our lives."
Although the pieces within this exhibition are dark and unnerving, McLendon points out that themes of hope are also evident in many of the selections as well.
"Two of my favorite works in the exhibition are all about hope," he says. "Anish Kapoor's Mother as Mountain celebrates the creative energy of the universe through the lens of Eastern thought and religion. For Kapoor, that creative potential is feminine, so this exquisite sculpture references the female anatomy and the monumental qualities of nature. In the same gallery is Damien Hirst's The Unbearable Lightness of Being, a monumental mandala composed entirely out of butterfly wings. This work is elegantly beautiful while reminding us of the fragility of that beauty. Ultimately, however, I think about the metamorphosis of the caterpillar into the butterfly—what could be more hopeful as a metaphor than that?"
McLendon hopes that the pieces in Phantom Bodies will provoke visitors to look within and evaluate themselves and their own purposes in relation to darker moments that exist in the world.
"I hope they [visitors] take away a sense of self-analysis and a renewed sense of purpose. Among the most powerful works in the exhibition, for me, are a group of photos by Ken Gonzales-Day. He has taken archival photographs of lynchings and photoshopped out the victim so that we focus on the perpetrators of these heinous acts. These works have had a profound impact on me, and have made me look inward and ask myself the very uncomfortable questions, 'When have I not spoken up? When have I been a bystander to injustice?' We should all be asking ourselves such questions, especially today as injustice and hate crimes are on the rise again throughout the world. If the exhibition does this for some of our visitors, then it will be a success."
The Ringling, matthew mclendon, Phantom Bodies
The Best Restaurants on Anna Maria Island
10:35am By Kay Kipling
Centennial Celebration
New Mural on Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Building Salutes History
The Gifts on Our Editors' Wish Lists This Year
Marla Beck on 'Maskne' and the Importance of Skincare Rituals
12/08/2020 By Heather Dunhill
12:16pm By Staff
Local Lawmakers Vote Against Impeaching President Trump
11:57am By Cooper Levey-Baker
Port Manatee Now Receiving Imports on Eco-Friendly Container Ships
Longtime Bishop Museum CEO to Retire
Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson's Hires Program Director
New College Receives $4 Million Gift
More Than 84 Million Americans Expected to Travel for the Holidays
Sky time
Look for the Rare 'Christmas Star' in the Night Sky on Monday, Dec. 21
Do Weighted Blankets Really Help You Sleep Better?
Home Gym 2.0
How to Set Up the Perfect Home Gym


text:
PPRuNe Forums > Wannabes Forums > Professional Pilot Training (includes ground studies)
Does the 7 year derogation still apply?
Professional Pilot Training (includes ground studies) A forum for those on the steep path to that coveted professional licence. Whether studying for the written exams, training for the flight tests or building experience here's where you can hang out.
23rd Jan 2022, 22:22
FlyingForFun
Why do it if it's not fun?
Location: Bournemouth
According to the CAA's Guidance on applying for an IR(A):
The UK CAA has adopted a derogation against FCL.625(d) (see paragraph 5.3). The 7 year period specified in FCL.625(d) commences from the date the IR(A) rating has expired.
This is in place of the original EASA text, which states that the 7 years commences when you last undertook a proficiency check (ie the start of your IR instead of the end).
But I can't find any legal reference to this derogation, and I'm not sure if the document I've linked to is still current. In particular, this derogation document doesn't seem to have the same change in it.
So, could anyone please explain when the 7 year period starts, and preferably (if it's 7 years from the expiry date) link me to the relevant legal text rather than just guidance? Thank you!
Find More Posts by FlyingForFun
24th Jan 2022, 13:35
Alex Whittingham
Location: Bristol, England
It is not exactly the same, but the intention seems to be here..
In the case of a pilot who held a third country IR that is not any longer valid but has been revalidated or renewed within the preceding 7 years the rating holder shall comply with the renewal requirements in FCL.625(c), but will also not be required to re-take the theoretical knowledge examinations. The Agency considers that this provides a level of safety equivalent to that provided by Part-FCL.
Visit Alex Whittingham's homepage!
Find More Posts by Alex Whittingham
rudestuff
Location: Wherever I lay my hat
Looking at your other posts, I'm guessing you held a CPL/IR and haven't flown for a while, and are just coming up to the 7 year mark? What are your intentions?
Find More Posts by rudestuff
selfin
Location: Dublin
Originally Posted by FlyingForFun
This is in place of the original EASA text...
That exemption still exists but the quoted guidance from CAP 804 is out of date. The relief for third-country IR holders originated as an exemption applied by the UK CAA near a decade ago under threat of legal action by some ex-pats coming back from Hong Kong (see the thread UK CAA IR Fiasco). The exemption was approved by the European Commission, under annex V to 2014/69/EU: Commission Decision of 6 February 2014 (available on EUR-Lex here), but has subsequently become an implementing rule in Part-FCL. The rule exists in the retained EU law because it came into effect before Brexit. The rule, found presently on p 160 of the UK Aircrew Regulation, is:
FCL.625
(e) Holders of a valid IR on a pilot licence issued by a third country in accordance with Annex 1 to the Chicago Convention shall
be exempted from complying with the requirements in points (c)(1) [, (c)(2)]3 and (d) when renewing the IR privileges
contained in licences issued in accordance with this Annex.
There is a similar exemption for type and class ratings in FCL.740.
Unfortunately the original derogations and subsequent rules do not explicitly say that a third-country IR can preserve the ATPL exam credit for the future issue of an ATPL. That rule nevertheless makes the cut-off point clear: FCL.025(c)(2)(i) "... 7 years from the last validity date of ... an IR entered in the licence..." For the sake of consistency one would imagine that "revalidated or renewed in the preceding 7 years" in FCL.625(d) would be interpreted accordingly.
Visit selfin's homepage!
Find More Posts by selfin
Converting an EASA Type Rating to UK


Classic Colonial offers 2,000 + Sq. Ft. of traditional charm. Situated on a corner lot, enjoy morning coffee and cool summer evenings on the wrap around porch. Fireplaced living room with hardwood flooring. Formal dining room perfect for entertaining opens to the eat-in kitchen. First floor office, mudroom and foyer. Second floor boasts three gracious sized bedrooms and a full bathroom. Plenty of windows allows for natural light which have been replaced with exceptions to a few. Third floor walk-up attic and full basement offer great storage space. Come and take a peek. You'll be glad you did.


Add a sparkling touch to your Christian celebration! Pink Cross Confetti features pastel pink crosses. A perfect accent for tables, invitations or craft projects. Use for baby showers, baptisms, communions, confirmations or any Christian celebration. Package includes 1/2oz of religious confetti mix.


text:
Highland County Sheriff's Office, Press Release
UPDATED: Highland County inmate apprehended after escape from Columbus hospital
Rem Skeens (Submitted photo)
Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera reports that Rem Michael Skeens was apprehended today by the Greenfield Police Department.
On Nov. 11, Skeens, 19, was transported to Highland District Hospital on a medical issue. According to Barrera, Skeens was being held in jail for a fourth-degree felony assault charge out of Highland County Common Pleas Court.
Skeens was transported from Highland District Hospital to the Ohio State University Hospital (Wexner Medical Center) for further treatment. While there, Skeens signed himself out of the hospital.
"He was picked up today by the Greenfield Police Department," Barrera said. "He's on his way back to the Justice Center."


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Cheap Tunes Tuesday: Harry Connick Jr, When My Heart Finds Christmas
By Austin Krueger on December 14, 2021 in Online Life
Before I get started this week—a special shoutout to loyal reader, Janis, who provided suggestions for this and last week's holiday music entries. If it's not clear, I love suggestions, especially when it's music that isn't in my wheelhouse. Today's featured act is more popular than I can imagine and, in spite of his great talent for it, music might be the last thing you recognize him for.
Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr. was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. Born in 1967, his mom was a judge, and his dad was the district attorney from 1973-2003. That background perhaps explains Joseph's later role as Executive ADA David Haden on NBC's legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit—but where did the music influence derive? Turns out his parents also owned a record store where Joseph would be exposed to artists from all genres and styles. He learned to play keyboards at age three, even playing publicly at five. Joseph then joined, performed, and recorded tracks with a jazz band at age ten. Around the same time, he performed Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 Opus 37 with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra. When it was clear he was going to have a future in some sort of performing business, he shortened the name to simply Harry Connick Jr.
Harry put out his first studio album in 1988 which was primarily an instrumental album of standards. It was well received enough that Rob Reiner reached out and asked him to provide the soundtrack for the 1989 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally…. His second album came out in 1990 for which he took home a Grammy Award. After two more successful studio efforts, Harry decided to put down his first Christmas album. When My Heart Finds Christmas hit shelves in October of 1993. Spoiler alert: this album is one of, if not the most popular holiday album in the United States the last two decades. Listening today to understand why.
I think this holiday album's popularity is partially due to the song mix. Harry composed four of the fourteen tracks and the remaining ten are all staples of holiday listening. They're done in a way that's not mind-blowingly unique, but they have his soulful, bluesy tone and composition to them. The album has sold over five million copies to date, so whatever the secret sauce is for folks, they like it. He's done two more holiday albums since, both seeing similar success but not quite to the level of this one.
In addition to many more soundtracks to his credit, Harry got bit by the acting bug as well making his on-screen debut in 1990 for the film Memphis Belle. He won Golden Globe award in 1991, changed his musical style to New Orleans funk in the mid '90s, starred in the popular television show Will and Grace, starred on Broadway—and even appeared on American Idol several times. If you forced me to pick what people know him best for today, I truly couldn't say. But when it comes to this music, this is my intro of sorts into his discography. Granted holiday tunes aren't probably the best look into his true identity as an artist, but I can understand why he sells albums. His vocal is like crooner plus—because he has more range and is more dynamic than a lot of those '50s icons. It has me more curious for his typical stuff and whether it has a more jazz, pop, or soul feel—but that will have to wait for another blog!
If Christmas music is lacking in your life, five million people can't be wrong. Give ol' Harry Connick Jr a shot today. Word is there's even an hour-long TV special of this album if that's more your speed. Happy Tuesday and Merry Christmas!
Tips for securing smart home devices


Please find below the top 10 most read articles of November 2018 on PCE. Please follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter and subscribe to our website and receive notifications of new posts by email.
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One of the most difficult and rewarding jobs on the planet is being a parent—even more so if you're a single parent. As a single parent, you still have the dream of home-ownership, but the path may be riddled with obstacles, stress, and questions. But the important thing to remember is that it's not impossible. There are plenty of options and a few good programs designed to help single parent households achieve the American dream of owning a home.
It's important that you understand what counts as income. Your loan qualifications and the amount for which you're approved are weighed and measured against your debt to income ratio. By knowing what counts as income, you can greatly improve your chances of qualifying for a home mortgage loan.
Do everything you can to make sure your credit is in good standing. Your credit report is also going to be a substantial qualifier (or dis-qualifier!) for your home mortgage loan. Although many lenders understand a hardship situation, such as divorce or illness, they still want to know that you honor your debts and pay your debtors on time. If necessary, seek counsel from financial advisers on how to repair and/or prepare your credit for a home loan application process.
As with any home buyer, you should seek pre-approval first, before you start looking at homes. Ask your lender about special programs, such as first-time home buyer programs, IDAs – Individual Development Accounts, and look into programs such as Habitat for Humanity and HUD Housing Benefits. If you've already got a real estate agent, you may ask for your agent's expertise to inquire about programs you may not have heard of, and talk with other single-parent homeowners to find out how they paved their path to success. Do research on the Internet for programs available in your area, as these may change from state to state. Your community may have specialty programs in place to help single-parent families buy a house. There are also programs designed to help you with your down payment, with closing costs, or both. Know what programs are available to assist you and take full advantage.
Work with a real estate agent who has experience working with single-parent families, and who specializes in the types of house you'd like to buy, as well as the neighborhoods in which you'd like to live. Your real estate agent is going to be your guiding light through the confusing process of buying a home. Make sure you find an agent with whom you are comfortable, can communicate well, and who is ready, available, and able to answer any questions you may have.
Know what your priorities are in finding a house. Is it crucial that you live in a particular neighborhood because of the kids' schools? Do you require a certain amount of rooms? Do you need a large yard? Where can you make sacrifices? Know your list of must-have items and deal breakers so your real estate agent can do a fabulous job of showing you only the homes that meet your criteria and that are within your budget. Also, keep yard maintenance in mind and choose a house you're able to care for properly.
Don't over-extend yourself. Remember, on top of your mortgage payment, you'll also be required to pay homeowner's insurance, utilities, and as the homeowner, you'll be responsible for maintenance and repairs. Know what your over-all budget needs to be, and stay within that budget. Just because a bank approves you for a certain amount does not mean you need to accept the whole amount if you can find a house in an affordable price-range. Buying a house above your means could mean you fail to pay your other bills on time, or worse, falter on your mortgage loan.
Buying a home is a big responsibility, especially if you're a single parent. Find out what programs are available in your area. Seek out pre-qualification for your home mortgage loan. Work with a qualified, professional real estate agent who specializes in your desired areas. Know your list of must-haves and deal-breakers before you begin to shop, and shop within your budget so you don't become house-poor or falter on your bills. Just because a situation is challenging does not mean it's impossible!
Give La'Dweena Smith at Home Smith Homes a call today at 708-231-0136.


This invoice format is designed for double window envelopes 3 5/8" x 8 3/4". The top window size is 7/8" x 3 1/2", located 3/8" from the left and 2 7/16" from the bottom.
The bottom window size is 15/16" x 3 1/2", located 7/8" from the left and 11/16" from the bottom.
Available in NolaPro 5.0.9732 and higher.