An image of the Pennsylvania legislature's proposed Congressional map has been released. It appears to be nominally in compliance with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's order, since it splits fewer counties than the current map. However, as we have seen in North Carolina, a prettier map can still conceal ill intent.
Despite the low resolution, enough information is available to conclude that this is still a partisan gerrymander. Of course one can do a detailed partisan calculation, and Dave Wasserman thinks that it's still 12 R, 6 D, and Nate Cohn thinks it's 13 R, 5 D. It is absolutely central to remember that even under compactness-based rules, a wide range of partisan outcomes is possible – and this plan is extreme.
1) Packing and cracking. A display of population density reveals that some districts enclose high-density areas (Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, and Philadelphia), while other lines split densely-populated communities down the middle (see the Scranton, Harrisburg, and Reading areas). Because Democrats tend to be abundant in high-density areas, this is a sign of how they were packed and cracked.
2) Majority-minority districts. According to news reports, Pennsylvania Republican legislators are touting the fact that this map has two districts (PA-1 and PA-2) that are majority-black, thus complying with the Voting Rights Act. However, because whites split between Republicans and Democrats, it's not necessary to pack that many blacks into a district in order to give them a shot at electing someone. These days, it's only necessary to create an "ability-to-elect" district with, say, 30-40% black voters. That generates a district that is safe for blacks (and thus Democrats) without wasting too many votes – similar to the safe districts that Republicans draw for themselves. Such symmetry would pass our lopsided-wins test, and treats the two parties equally.
3) The process was skewed. Democratic legislators were frozen out of the process. If the intent was to strike a bipartisan balance, that would not have occurred. Single-party control does not favor balanced outcomes.
Based on these three bits of evidence, it appears that Republicans are not dealing in good faith with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's order.
I have followed your site irregularly since the 2014 elections and am truly glad you are delving into elements of our democracy that have (somehow, almost inconceivably) gone unchecked for so many years . Your co-authoring an amicus brief on the case at the center of all this is also inspiring.
This recent news is truly unfortunate and, unsurprisingly, predictable. I could be wrong, but I suspect the court will end up redrawing the map and partisan bitterness will ensue from there. My only hope is that any chaos will be contained and not contribute further to the collapse of democracy. Aside from the case possibly going to the Supreme Court, do you have any thoughts on what may happen (culturally, politically, etc.) if the PA court draws the map?
I think this is just a bad moment in this particular dispute. Things will be fine in a few weeks. The partisanship of the "solution" is plain, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will draw a fairer map. There are quantitative, neutral tests that will prove it. See the Vox piece we wrote recently.
I presume the governor just vetos the plan and the court draws their own map.
But in the bizarre case where the governor were to sign it, would the court accept it?
My guess is that the court would reject the plan. In any event, both the court and the governor have retained good experts, so the legislature's proposed plan is unlikely to become law.
All they care about is giving their preferred news outlet some talking points.
There is nothing cynical about observing the fact that liberals average much better educated and are thus less likely to fall prey to fake news than conservatives.


When creating/editing a KSC Graph the resources of the graph can be selected, but the selection is not visualized.
The problem here is, that the class "success" is added, but does not exist anymore. "table-active" should be used instead.


text:
module Lita
  module Handlers
    class DestinyHandler < Handler
      # Required configuration attribute
      config :api_key, type: String, required: true do
        # Do validation against provided api_key, MUST be 32 chars.
        validate do |value|
          # Raise error unless api_key is 32 chars.
           "must be 32 characters" unless value.respond_to?(:size) && value.size == 32
        end
      end

      # Bring in Destiny module
      include Destiny

      # Nightfall Route
      route(/^(nightfall)/i, :nightfall , help: { "!nightfall" => "Get this weeks nightfall description and skulls" })

      # Weekly Strike Route
      route(/^(weekly)/i, :weekly , help: { "!weekly" => "Get this weeks nightfall description and skulls" })

      # Xur Route
      route(/^(xur)/i, :xur , help: { "!xur" => "Get Xur's inventory when availible" })

      # PoE Routes
      route(/^(poe32)/i, :poe_32, help: { "!32" => "Get this weeks level 32 Prison of Elders information." })

      route(/^(poe34)/i, :poe_34, help: { "!34" => "Get this weeks level 34 Prison of Elders information." })

      route(/^(poe35)/i, :poe_35, help: { "!35" => "Get this weeks level 35 Prison of Elders information." })

      # Nightfall Activity Method
      #
      # Calls #build_activity_message(activity)
      # where activity would be nightfall.
      #
      def nightfall(response)
        # Set up our client
        destiny_client = Destiny::Client.new(api_key)
        # Set attachment color
        color = "#d35400"
        # Set attachment thumb_url
        thumb_url = "http://i.imgur.com/J9oBqJK.png"
        # Build the activity message with nightfall info
        build_activity_message(destiny_client.nightfall, response, color, thumb_url)
      end

      # Weekly Strike Activity Method
      #
      # Calls #build_activity_message(activity)
      # where activity would be the weekly strike.
      #
      def weekly(response)
        # Set up our client
        destiny_client = Destiny::Client.new(api_key)
        # Set attachment color
        color = "#f39c12"
        # Set attachment thumb_url
        thumb_url = "http://i.imgur.com/HhXoUCX.png"
        # Build the activity message with weekly info
        build_activity_message(destiny_client.weekly_strike, response, color, thumb_url)
      end

      # Xur Items Method
      #
      # Calls #build_xur_message()
      # Returns Xur inventory when availible.
      #
      def xur(response)
        # Set attachment color
        color = "#9b59b6"
        build_xur_message(response, color)
      end

      def poe_32(response)
        build_poe_message(32, response)
      end

      def poe_34(response)
        build_poe_message(34, response)
      end

      def poe_35(response)
        build_poe_message(35, response)
      end

      # Begin private methods
      #
      private

      # Set our api_key for calling in route methods.
      #
      def api_key
        config.api_key
      end

      # Generalized Response Method
      #
      # Used by activity methods to bring concise activity info
      # into the chat.
      #
      def build_activity_message(activity, response, color, thumb_url)
        skull_fields = []
        activity[:activeSkulls].each do |skull|
          # Remove _ in symbol names
          skull.to_s.split(/ |\_/).map(&:capitalize).join(" ")
          skull_hash = {
            title: skull,
            value: "",
            short: true
          }
          skull_fields << skull_hash
        end
        # Create our attachment structure
        attachment_options = {

            color: "#d35400",

            title: "#{activity[:specificActivity][:activityName]}",

            text: "#{activity[:specificActivity][:activityDescription]}",

            fields: skull_fields,

            thumb_url: thumb_url
        }

        text = "#{activity[:specificActivity][:activityDescription]}"
        # Create Attachment
        attachment = Lita::Adapters::Slack::Attachment.new(text, attachment_options)
        robot.chat_service.send_attachments(response.room, attachment)
      end

      # Xur Response Method
      #
      # Builds response to bring Xur items into chat.
      #
      # TODO: Is slow due to each item having to be polled from Bungies server.
      def build_xur_message(response, color)
        # Set up our client
        destiny_client = Destiny::Client.new(api_key)
        # Set xur to our clients xur method
        xur = destiny_client.xur

        # Check vendorDetails to see if anything is availible.
        if xur.nil?
          # If nil, send to chat that he isn't there.
          response.reply "Xur isn't in the game world right now."
        else
          # If not nil, cycle over items and build our items array.
          items = []
          xur.each do |key, value|
            value.each do |key, value|
              item_name = destiny_client.get_manifest_item(6, key[:item_hash])['itemName']
              item_cost = key[:item_cost]
              item_cost_name = destiny_client.get_manifest_item(6, key[:item_cost_hash])['itemName']
              constructed_item = "#{item_name}, #{item_cost} #{item_cost_name}"
              items << constructed_item
            end
          end
           # Once parsed, send completed message to chat.
          response.reply "*Xur is selling:*\n#{items.join("\n")}"
        end
      end

      def build_poe_message(level, response)
        # Set up our client
        destiny_client = Destiny::Client.new(api_key)
        # Returns:
        # {"activityHash"=>3508129769, "iconPath"=>"/img/destiny_content/arena/32_challenge.v2.png",
        # "rounds"=>[{"enemyRaceHash"=>711470098, "skulls"=>[4]}, {"enemyRaceHash"=>3265589059, "skulls"=>[2]},
        # {"enemyRaceHash"=>711470098, "skulls"=>[11]}, {"enemyRaceHash"=>3265589059, "skulls"=>[12]},
        # {"enemyRaceHash"=>3265589059, "skulls"=>[3]}],
        # "bossFight"=>false, "bossSkulls"=>[], "activeRewardIndexes"=>[0], "isCompleted"=>false}
        arena = destiny_client.arena(level)
        arena_hash = arena['activityHash']
        arena_rounds = arena['rounds']
        arena_name = destiny_client.activity_search(arena_hash)[:activityName]
        arena_description = destiny_client.activity_search(arena_hash)[:activityDescription]

        # For 32 & 34. Only goes to Round 5
        parsed_rounds = []
        arena_rounds.each_with_index do |round, index|
          enemy = destiny_client.enemy_race(round['enemyRaceHash']).capitalize
          raw_skulls = round['skulls']
          skulls = []
            raw_skulls.each do |skull|
              parsed_skulls = destiny_client.skulls(skull).capitalize
              skulls << parsed_skulls
            end
          parsed_round = "Round #{index+1}: #{enemy}     (#{skulls.join(", ")})"
          parsed_rounds << parsed_round
        end

        # For 35, final skolas round.
        if arena['bossFight'] == true
          skulls = []
          raw_skulls = arena['bossSkulls']
          raw_skulls.each do |skull|
            parsed_skulls = destiny_client.skulls(skull).capitalize
            skulls << parsed_skulls
          end
          parsed_round  = "Round 6: Skolas     (#{skulls.join(", ")})"
          parsed_rounds << parsed_round
        end

        round_fields = []
        parsed_rounds.each do |round|
          round_hash = {
            title: round,
            value: "",
            short: false
          }
          round_fields << round_hash
        end
        # Create our attachment structure
        attachment_options = {

            color: "#d35400",

            title: "Level #{level} Prison of Elders: #{arena_name}",

            text: "#{arena_description}",

            fields: round_fields,

            thumb_url: "http://i0.wp.com/planetdestiny.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/arena-icon.png"
        }

        text = "#{arena_description}"
        # Create Attachment
        attachment = Lita::Adapters::Slack::Attachment.new(text, attachment_options)
        robot.chat_service.send_attachments(response.room, attachment)
      end
    end

    # Register the handler
    Lita.register_handler(DestinyHandler)
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Each blog participating in this event has a prize that is at least $25 and related to spring in some way. Make sure that you Flutter by the other blogs to see what "Spring has in Store" for you in the giveaway department!
Objects With Purpose candles deliver non-toxic sophisticated conscientious candles to everyone using organic coconut butter wax. OWP encourages family and friends to make a habit of creating meaningful purpose in every day life, with the simple act of lighting a candle. You can read my Objects With Purpose Candle Review for more details on the wonderful candles I received!
Disclaimer: An email address is required to enter. The winner will be chosen randomly through Giveaway Tools and contacted via email. A reply to the winning email is required within 24 hours before a new winner is chosen. One person entering per household please. U.S. only. This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM EST on March 25, 2012.
I was provided with product for this review. All views and opinions with regard to Objects With Purpose Giveaway and review or the company are my own and were not influenced by the company.
I like Sandalwood & Tuberose.
Archetype Rising sounds like it would smell great!
Lawn Bowling would be my favorite.
I think fight or flight would be my favorite.
I like the Fight or Flight one!
I think Asher would be my favorite.
I just love several scents yet Sandalwood & Tuberose are great scents indeed.
The jasmine and vanilla one!
Dahlia would probably be my favorite.
the archetype rising seems best!
They all sound nice by the description. I really like anything with vanilla in it and with the ones described I think that I would like to the Dahlia.
I would love a medium sized Francesca scented candle, I love the smell of chai spices.
I think Dahlia sounds nice.
The Lawn Bowling scent sounds great!
I would like the Rose/Lychee scent.
Fight or flight is my favorite. What a great combination!
My favorite fragrance of theirs is thevAntonia's Turn candle with pathcouli sandalwood & tuberose.
Archetype Rising sounds like it smells good!
Archetype Rising sounds like a fragrance I would like.
Francesca's Chai would be my choice!
Francesca's Chai sounds wonderful! Thanks!
Dahlia sounds like it would smell awesome!
Asher sounds like a good scent.
Fight or Flight sounds very interesting.
Asher fig and sage sounds nice.
Fig and Sage sounds wonderful!
Asher, or maybe Fight or Flight…. Thanks for the chance!
Asher sounds like it smells great!
For Sure I would pick the Fig & Sage scent!
I like the peony, cucumber, firewood candle scent.
I think Jasmine and Vanilla sounds awesome.
I'd like to try the Dahlia, I've never smelled it before.
I think Francesca's Chai sounds amazing!!
Archetype Rising – great combination!
The Dahlia, especially would love to have the Dahlia, Grande Tin wearable candle!!
I like the Fight or Flight.
I would like to try the Dahlia.
I like Lawn Bowling. Sounds interesting!
I have not had the pleasure of smelling any of these products, but I do like the Better Homes and Garden scent of Soft Cashmere. Is Archetype Rising like that?
I'd love to try Archetype Rising.
Fight or flights sounds nice.
I also like their P.S. Personal Space Room Spray!


I'm looking for a room for the weekend. Starting Thursday Evening. Floor space is more than fine as I really don't plan to sleep there. I only live about an hour from Downtown, but it's nice to have someplace to change, get cleaned up, and top off the drinks without the 2 hour round trip home, or a lot of bags to carry all the time. I would prefer a room with people who are planning on drinking and having a good time.


It's another sign of the times; we know technology is a growing part of our lives. But when it comes to shopping, humans want less human interaction and more tech.
A new survey conducted by HRC Retail Advisory says 85% of you want to check prices at scanners as opposed to having to ask an actual human to help you. Smart Shopping expert Trae Bodge with TrueTrae.com told KTRH retailers are going to have to re-think things.
"It's going to be a fine balance for retailers to find that point for when they need customer service reps and when customers want to be left alone. They will have to study their customers to see what they want," Bodge explained.
That said, when it comes to buying electronics, the poll showed you still want someone to actually work with you. Bodge explains why.
"There are so many options. Things change so rapidly. For instance, every season there's new technology when it comes to television" Bodge said.


A premier global platform for the International Conference on Polymer Chemistry (ICPOLC-19) welcomes you to its official web page. We're very happy and proud of our pioneering and innovative renaissance, which has enabled us to introduce and research many revolutionary concepts and philosophies. To be held on 15th - 16th-May-2019 at Singapore, Singapore and organized by World Researchers Forum, this event first of its kind, (ICPOLC-19) will provide unique and rational opportunities to all the attendees, research scholars, students from different domains and also encourage them to create a niche for themselves. This event strives towards achieving excellence in the cutting edge of all the scholars from all the disciplines and tries to bridge the basic and advanced gap between their derived thoughts..
For students registering late an extra amount of USD 20 will be charged.
After completion of registration process, participant are required to send the Screen shot of transaction or registration fees payment proof to us (mail to : [email protected]) on or before the last date of registration.
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Maximum up to five authors/ co authors per paper is allowed for participate.
No registration will be entertained after last date of registration.
Submit Camera ready paper as per the guidelines.
Academic World Research is a pin board to find and book mark international conference of your need that suits your academic and professional requirements.


text:
Salmon Cove () is a cove  southeast of McCall Point on the east side of Lallemand Fjord in Graham Land. It was mapped by the Falklands Islands Dependencies Survey from surveys and air photos, 1956–59. It was named by the UK Antarctic Place-names Committee for Eric M.P. Salmon, an assistant Falklands Islands Dependencies Survey meteorologist who spent several seasons in Antarctica between 1950 and 1956, and visited this cove in 1956.

References

Bays of Graham Land

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Francesc Castro Giner, Ph.D.
Francesc is a Senior Postdoctoral researcher in the Aceto lab. Previously, he worked as a bioinformatics scientist at the Functional Genomics Centre of University of Zurich, Switzerland, and as a Postdoctoral researcher in cancer genomics at the Molecular and Population Genetics Laboratory of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, UK (see Findlay et al. Nature Communications, 2016, Castro-Giner et al. Nature Review Cancer, 2015, Davis et al. Nature Medicine, 2015). He has also been member of the National Centre for Genomic Analysis based on Barcelona, Spain (see Alioto et al. Nature Communications, 2015, Balbás-Martínez, Nature Genetics, 2013). Francesc earned his PhD from the University Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain, with a thesis focused on gene and environment interactions in complex disease.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A watercolor painting by artist, Keith Thompson of Gallery Ireland featuring an autumn tree painted on the estate of Kilkenny Castle.
Artwork only price:$65 inc. a double mount but without frame or glass.
Collection only price:$95 inc. double mount, glass, frame & fittings.


An estimated 5,000 children have been abducted by Lord's Resistance Army rebels in northern Uganda in the past nine months.
Sickening, my heart goes out to those poor children.
The East African country of Uganda has no proven oil or gas resources, although there are signs that the western Rift Valley may contain hydrocarbon deposits. Recently, Uganda joined forces with neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo to explore possible oil reserves in the lake district which lies on their common border.
There may be hope for these children yet: this articletalks about the search for oil in Uganda. Maybe if they find some, gwb can come and liberate these children, and bring a little democracy 'round at the same time.
Gee, Uganda might be next eh! Oil and Democracy in the same sentence. I love it !


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The Belladonna Ink stories can be enjoyed in any order — jump in wherever you'd like!


text:
Peanut allergies cracked?
Researchers in Australia have made a discovery that raises hopes for the treatment of peanut allergy – a potentially lethal threat to many. We delve deeper with lead researcher, Professor Mimi Tang.
During the summer a small glimmer of hope appeared on the horizon for people with a peanut allergy when researchers at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, said they had made a breakthrough in managing the condition (Hsiao, et al, 2017).
The researchers, led by Professor Mimi Tang, set out to test the potential of oral immunotherapy (giving small doses of an allergen in a bid to desensitise the immune system) as a treatment. They changed tack when they wondered what would happen if they added a probiotic. So in the 2013 study, which involved 62 children with a peanut allergy, they gave one group a probiotic and peanut oral immunotherapy (PPOIT) treatment, and the other a placebo. After 18 months, 82% of the children given the PPOIT developed short-term tolerance to peanut, compared to just 4% in the placebo group. Vitally, the recent follow-up study four years later in 48 of the children, found that 80% of the children who responded to PPOIT initially were still eating peanuts in varying amounts as part of their normal diets (16/20). And 70% who had a further challenge test demonstrated long-term tolerance.
The study is now changing the way clinicians think about managing peanut allergy, and Professor Mimi Tang, is hoping it will have far-reaching consequences:
What was the impetus for the research?
We have seen some immunotherapy treatments achieve lasting effects for other allergic conditions. You could almost call them a cure. For example, immunotherapy for insect stings or grass pollen appears to have achieved long-term remission for a large number of individuals. One of the most researched approaches in food allergies has been oral immunotherapy. This involves giving patients increasing amounts of the food. But while it seemed to be good for desensitising people, it was uncertain that it could induce any lasting remission.
What is the difference between desensitisation and lasting remission?
Desensitisation is where you suppress the reaction without changing the underlying allergy. You just change the immune reactivity. So if treatment is stopped for a while and then the patient eats the allergen, they are likely to have an allergic reaction. On the other hand, 'tolerance' is a word we use with caution. True tolerance would mean permanent removal of the allergy without the need to continue in taking the allergen. We don't know if that is achievable in food allergy. So for now we prefer the term 'sustained unresponsiveness'. This means that you still have a degree of protection even if you stop treatment for weeks, months, or longer. Oral immunotherapy seems to be good for desensitisation, but we wanted to find something that could induce a long-lasting remission (sustained unresponsiveness) or switch off the disease altogether.
Is that how the idea of the probiotic came about?
I think that immunotherapy just reminds the immune system to react in the usual way to the allergen like a booster vaccine. We thought we needed to do something else to encourage the immune system to respond differently. So we added an immune modifying agent. We combined the standard oral immunotherapy for peanuts with a probiotic. Both were taken at the same time, as a powder, every day for 18 months. The probiotic was a fixed dose, whereas the peanut immunotherapy started very low and gradually built up to the equivalent of around eight peanuts. At the end we tested for desensitisation. We then stopped the treatment for between two to six weeks, and tested again for sustained unresponsiveness.
How reliable were the impressive results?
That two- to six-week period between stopping treatment and the sustained unresponsiveness test was relatively short. Some individuals may just have been desensitised. So we did the 2017 follow-up study of children from the 2013 trial to see if the original protection had persisted. We asked them about their peanut intake, their reactions to peanuts, and gave them a skin-prick test. They also had the option to take part in a food challenge where they stopped eating peanuts for at least eight weeks. This revealed that anybody who responded to the probiotic peanut therapy in the first instance was likely to have retained protection four years later. Nobody would claim this is a cure, but it's exciting because it's the first time any treatment has demonstrated long-term remission after immunotherapy.
We are now running a large trial that compares probiotic and peanut therapy with just peanut therapy alone. We're also running an open study to confirm the findings of our 2013 trial. If our data are repeated and confirmed, and we show it's as effective in other forms of food allergy, this therapy could be rolled out into a clinical setting in the next decade. It could change the way we manage food allergy. And we really need something, because the food allergy burden is out of control. Fingers crossed, if it pans out, this will be a major breakthrough.
Professor Mimi Tang is group leader of allergy and immune disorders, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Australia.
Allergy in the UK
An estimated 1% to 2% of adults and 5% to 8% of children have a food allergy – that's around two million people
Up to 1 in 55 children has a peanut allergy
Hospital admissions for children with food allergies have risen 700% since 1990
(Food Standards Agency, 2016)
Food allergy facts
Food allergies may trigger anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal if not treated immediately, usually with an adrenaline injection
There is currently no cure for food allergies. Treatments are being tested, but the only reliable way to prevent a reaction is to avoid the food
Most children grow out of allergies to eggs, milk, wheat and soya by about the age of five, as their guts and immune systems mature
They are unlikely to grow out of allergies to peanuts, seafood, fish and tree nuts
Allergies run in families: children whose parents or a sibling have an allergic condition are at a higher risk of developing one. Though it may not be the same one.
(NHS Choices, 2014)
Picture credit | Getty
FSA. (2016) Allergy basics and stats. See: bit.ly/2AtiPUb (accessed 4 December 2017).
NHS Choices. (2014) Food allergy and intolerance myth buster. See: bit.ly/2ByJRc5 (accessed 4 December 2017).
Tang ML, et al. (2015) Administration of a probiotic with peanut oral immunotherapy: a randomized trial. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 135(3): 737-44.
Hsiao KC, et al. (2017) Long-term clinical and immunological effects of probiotic and peanut oral immunotherapy after treatment cessation: four-year follow-up of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health 1(2): 97-105.
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Ticket Prices: Children 3 & under: Free, 10 & Under $7.50, all others $12.50 All prices include State of Maine Sales tax.
Costumes encouraged...come dressed as your favorite superhero and get a special gift from our friends at Maine Family Federal Credit Union.
Bring the whole family for a morning of fun as Lost Valley Ski Area kicks off World Free Comic Book Day. Stop by the Great falls Comic Expo table and grab your passport to a day of fun.


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The estimable John F. Burns updates the unfolding Murdoch meltdown in today's Times.
Question: will we ever see Murdoch in handcuffs, or slinking into a courthouse with a trenchcoat over his head?
What is becoming clear, media analysts say, is that the push-the-legal-limits newsroom culture that has gone untrammeled for years at the British tabloids and has even found its way into some of the country's upmarket broadsheets, including Mr. Murdoch's Times and Sunday Times, could be a casualty of a new culture of caution.
Already, some who work at British newspapers say, the scandal has had a chilling effect on newsrooms, with editors, reporters and their proprietors less eager to trumpet splashy exposes that might involve, or be perceived to involve, less than ethical standards of news gathering.


Reviewing the defensive performance of Teams in Malaysia Super League and Premier league. The number of 'Cleansheets' and 'Goal Conceded' by the teams from GW1 until GW15.
In the Malaysia Super League, after 15 games, Felda and JDT still leading the defensive performance table. Felda United conceding 14 goals and JDT only conceding 8 goals. JDT hold the record for the team with the highest Cleansheets right now, already recording 8 Cleansheets.
In the Premier League, only 4 teams conceding less than 20 goals, they are Negeri Sembilan, Melaka United, Kuala Lumpur and JDT 2.


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text:
Would a bicycle stay upright if moving on a treadmill and why?
I suspect not, because moving forward (or backwards for that matter) is an important part, but I would like to confirm.
UPDATE: Clearly it's possible http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuJvH1W7s1Y Can someone explain why?
everyday-life newtonian-mechanics
ShagglezShagglez
$\begingroup$ This is similar to the interminable airplane on a treadmill question that did the rounds a few years ago, e.g. blog.xkcd.com/2008/09/09/… - I don't think it has much place on bicycles.SE - maybe move to Physics? $\endgroup$ – Unsliced Jan 15 '13 at 10:28
$\begingroup$ No need for the video -- clearly rollers do the same thing. As Alex says, the reason is that you can steer, and steering to keep the bike under you is how you balance. $\endgroup$ – Hot Licks Jan 15 '13 at 12:13
$\begingroup$ @Unsliced: On the contrary it is quite different from the airplane on the threadmill question. The core difference is that in the case of the bicicle, all of the force is applied through the wheels (and thus the threadmill can be used to compensate the forward velocity of the bike), while on the case of the airplane, the thrust is independent on the wheels, and thus the threadmill cannot stop the airplane from moving forward. $\endgroup$ – David Rodríguez - dribeas Jan 15 '13 at 14:49
$\begingroup$ It's the same concept as running. $\endgroup$ – ekaj Jan 15 '13 at 18:11
$\begingroup$ The airplane on a treadmill question has been asked on Phys.SE here. $\endgroup$ – Qmechanic♦ Jan 15 '13 at 22:40
Because you can move the bike from left to right, like when you're riding, to balance it.
Whether you're moving or not doesn't matter, just that your wheels are turning so the steering works.
$\begingroup$ In some conditions, even a riderless bike could run on a treadmill. The main problem is that the bike has self-balancing, but not self-aligning to an original trajectory (it generally finds a new path after self-balancing). $\endgroup$ – heltonbiker Jan 15 '13 at 12:25
When you begin to fall to one side, you are effectively leaning into a turn. Because the contact patch of the front wheel trails slightly behind the center of the steer tube, leaning over causes the steer tube to turn at a more acute angle than the radius of the turn given sole by the lean amount. Because the handle bars are turned into a tight[er] turn, the bike begins to turn under the center of mass of the bike and rider. This animation on from Wikipedia's Bicycle and Motorcycle dynamics article shows this process.
Basically, bicycles are self-righting because they are always turning (or being turned) to stay under the rider's center of mass. At slow speeds, the weaving is noticeable as in the animation. At higher speeds the weaving will become so fast and small that it becomes imperceptible by the rider. In the presence of additional forces on the front wheel (such as a rough surface or wind), additional rider inputs are often needed to counteract these forces and keep the front wheel on the angle it needs to be to keep the bike under the rider.
This article by Dr. Hugh Hunt (University of Cambridge Department of Engineering) does the math on the gyroscopic forces when riding a bicycle and finds that at 12mph they are only strong enough to counter about 2mm of lean and not a significant contribution to stability. Additionally, it catalogs an experimental test where a second counter-rotating wheel is used to cancel the gyroscopic forces -- and the bicycle suffers no noticeable decrease in stability:
Adam FrancoAdam Franco
$\begingroup$ Yes, the geometry of the front fork and steering is set up such that the wheel will tend to turn in the direction that the bike leans. This provides an auto-righting effect. A bike with a straight 90 degree fork, with no "rake", is much harder to ride. $\endgroup$ – Hot Licks Jan 16 '13 at 1:26
$\begingroup$ The wikipedia article from which this graphic is taken discusses a balance between centrifugal forces and gravitational torques in order to maintain the upright position of the bicycle, which is how I had previously understood bicycle balance to work. It seems to me that, on a treadmill, centrifugal forces would no longer be present, and so the balancing procedure would be different insofar as centrifugal forces are important in the non-treadmill case. Can you comment on this? $\endgroup$ – kleingordon Jan 21 '13 at 2:53
$\begingroup$ Maybe centrifugal forces are still playing role, if you consider the treadmill surface's rest frame? It seems like that must be the answer, but for some reason I'm still bothered by it and would appreciate confirmation. $\endgroup$ – kleingordon Jan 21 '13 at 3:12
$\begingroup$ This is not really why bikes stay upright. The real reason is that the front wheel acts like a gyroscope. Leaning is precession, which cause the wheel to pivot around the steering mechanism so that it steers into the turn. $\endgroup$ – Olin Lathrop May 16 '14 at 18:04
$\begingroup$ @OlinLathrop Sorry, but the gyroscopic forces are not significant (only able to counter 2mm of lean at 12mph). Please see this article: www2.eng.cam.ac.uk/~hemh/gyrobike.htm $\endgroup$ – Adam Franco May 17 '14 at 19:19
The main reason is not balancing, but a physical phenomenon called gyroscopic effect. In principle this is the fact that a rotating body tries to keep the axis of its rotation fixed in space and also the reason why a spinner stays upright as long as it spins. The gyroscopic effect makes rotating things self-balancing an works better the faster the rotation is -- hence it is much harder to not fall down as you cycle very slow (which means the wheel rotate only slowly) compared to higher speeds.
If you had to balance the whole thing just by actively balancing, you wouldn't stay up for long. Compare trial cyclists: they invest hours of practice into balancing on their bike while standing and even then have to work a lot on their bike with rolling or hopping slightly back and forth or aside to keep their center of gravity balanced over their bike. You could not do this on a treadmill if you neglected the gyroscopic effect.
So what is now happening on a treadmill that keeps you up? As you tend to tilt to one side, the gyroscopic effect jumps in with some rather unintuitive behavior: if you apply a force perpendicular to the rotation axis (which is what you do when you try to tilt the bike) the gyro reacts on this with another force that is perpendicular to both the rotation axis and the initial force. So if you consider the rotation axis to be parallel to the ground (and perpendicular to the wheel plane) and the tilting force perpendicular to the ground, the resulting force will be perpendicular to both of them, i.e. lies in the plane of the wheel and parallel to the ground. This force will turn the wheel out of its initial direction like you do when you turn the handle bar to steer.
But (and here comes the magic) this will again result in another force that is again perpendicular to the ground and therefore a tilting force but in the opposite direction as the initial tilting force and therefore it will make the bike get more upright. This will again induce a "steering" force and as long as the tilting is rather small it goes back and forth resulting in some oscillation where the bike tilts slightly right and left but always stays nearly upright.
Important security notice: As already said it's quite unintuitive. Even if one in theory knows how it works, one should not try to forcefully probe some of the implications. I know of a physics professor that had a nice crash on thinking he knew how it works.
Benedikt BauerBenedikt Bauer
$\begingroup$ Whilst gyroscopic effect is certainly what would keep the wheels upright, I am not convinced it's the main force when it comes to the whole bike. Thank you for the explanation though, it's very thorough. $\endgroup$ – Shagglez Jan 15 '13 at 15:19
$\begingroup$ Just having the gyroscopic effect isn't enough, which is why it's so hard to ride on rollers. On a bike you have both forward momentum, and the gyroscopic effect. If you remove the forward momentum, even though the wheels are spinning, and you can steer to keep the wheels under you, it's still quite hard to ride. The combination of steering, forward momentum, and angular momentum of the wheels all work together to make the bike easier to balance. Remove any one of those and the stability is compromised. Anybody with ultralight wheels care to chime in on if they are any harder to balance on? $\endgroup$ – Kibbee Jan 15 '13 at 16:32
$\begingroup$ The significance of the gyroscopic effect has been shown to be negligible. $\endgroup$ – Hot Licks Jan 15 '13 at 16:42
$\begingroup$ As Daniel R. Hicks mentions, gyro not needed. Good article: news.cornell.edu/stories/April11/bicycle.html $\endgroup$ – Ken Hiatt Jan 15 '13 at 20:44
$\begingroup$ A very nice explanation of a negligible effect. Sorry for the downvote, but you are just helping preserve the myth. On normal bikes, it is caster, a.k.a. trail, the main culprit, although recently they have built self stabilizing bicycles without caster or gyroscopic effects, see Ken's link. And see also the photos on this 1970 article of an unrideable bicycle with a custom fork, and rideable bicycles with gyroscopic effect cancelled: socrates.berkeley.edu/~fajans/Teaching/MoreBikeFiles/… $\endgroup$ – Jaime Jan 15 '13 at 22:18
Centrifugal force or inertia is the main reason that keeps the bike balanced. Gyroscopic and caster effect are minor and not sufficient by themselves to mantain balance. Therefore it's very hard to balance a bike on a treadmill.
DamianoDamiano
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Other Abstract The Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis is applied to develop an empirical model to predict relativistic electron fluxes at the geostationary orbit. This model uses the solar wind parameters and geomagnetic index to forecast the EOF-coefficient, and then gives the 5 min prediction results of relativistic electron differential fluxes during the coming day according to the EOF base function. By comparing with the original relativistic electron data obtained by GOES 10 from January 2003 to June 2006, it is found that the model is capable of approximately reconstructing the real changes of relativistic electron fluxes and of effectively forecasting their 5 min variations. The mean prediction efficiency of this model is 67%.
GB/T 7714 李胜,黄文耿,刘四清,等. 地球同步轨道相对论电子微分通量的动态预报模型[J]. 空间科学学报,2017,37(3):298-311.


Last weekend I wanted to have a quick breakfast which is really different than all usuals but very easy to prepare at the same time. Sandwich being my all time favorite I tried to do something new there. The result was nice. Try it when you are bored with the same breakfast day after day….


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To mark this cornerstone, Dimitris and Janet have put together a vid summarizing all of the features so far, especially for you Game Masters out there.
Game on and happy worldbuilding Anvilites!
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text:
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova () consist of the National Army (which is divided into the Land Forces Command and the Air Forces Command) and the Trupele de Carabinieri  under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Until 2012, the Moldovan Border Police (then known as the Border Troops) belonged to the armed forces.

History

On 2 November 1990, prior to the formation of the state of Moldova, the Supreme Soviet of the Moldovan SSR ordered creation of the Republican Guard (Romanian: Garda Republicană) as a militarized government agency. This force subsequently became the Moldovan military upon independence.

Moldova has accepted all relevant arms control obligations of the former Soviet Union. On October 30, 1992, Moldova ratified the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which establishes comprehensive limits on key categories of conventional military equipment and provides for the destruction of weapons in excess of those limits. It acceded to the provisions of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in October 1994 in Washington, DC. It does not have nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons.

Moldova joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Partnership for Peace on March 16, 1994.

A transition to a professional force of 12,000 to 15,000 volunteers was planned at first, but when fighting erupted in 1991 between supporters of the central government in Chișinău and supporters of separatist regions (Transnistria conflict), males between eighteen and forty years of age were mobilized, and the size of Moldova's military was temporarily expanded to meet the demands of the Transnistria War. In early 1995, the armed forces totaled some 11,000 volunteers, and there were plans to gradually create a professional army.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a series of explosions in Transnistria in 2022, the President of Moldova Maia Sandu declared on 27 April of that year that the Moldovan army had been left largely neglected for three decades and that it was unable to defend Moldova in the face of danger. She said the Moldovan army would go through a process of modernization and professionalization in the future. Later, on 4 May, the President of the European Council Charles Michel said that the European Union would provide aid to Moldova, including additional military equipment for its armed forces. The support would come from the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace and would not include lethal weaponry. This caused controversy among the socialist opposition leaders of the time, who strove for further cooperation with Russia.

General Staff

The General Staff of the National Army is currently composed of the following:

 Headquarters of the General Staff (Chișinău)
 Land Force Command
 Air Force Command
 Personnel Directorate
 Operations Directorate
 Logistics Directorate
 Strategic Planning Directorate
 Communication and Information Systems Directorate
 Education, Training and Doctrine Directorate
 Planning, Finance and Monitoring
 Legal Section
 Medical Section
 Military police

National Army

Land Force Command

At the beginning of 1994, the Moldovan Ground Forces (under the Ministry of Defense) consisted of 9,800 men organized into three motor rifle brigades, one artillery brigade, and one reconnaissance/assault battalion. The Library of Congress Country Studies wrote that its armaments consisted of fifty-six ballistic missile defenses; seventy-seven armored personnel carriers and sixty-seven "look-alikes." ("Look-alikes" is a Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty term denoting modifications of armored personnel carriers for specialised missions such as anti-tank missile carriage, reconnaissance, or engineer duties). This data appears garbled; in the 1995/96 edition of the IISS Military Balance, armored infantry fighting vehicles were listed as 54 BMDs (Boyevaya Mashina Desanta, Airborne Combat Vehicle), there were sundry armored personnel carriers, and 67 "look-alikes".

Artillery included eighteen 122 mm and fifty-three 152 mm towed artillery units; nine 120 mm combined guns/mortars; seventy AT-4 Spigot, nineteen AT-5 Spandrel, and twenty-seven AT-6 Spiral anti-tank guided weapons; one hundred thirty-eight 73 mm SPG-9 recoilless launcher, forty-five MT-12 100 mm anti-tank guns; and thirty ZU-23 23 mm and twelve S-60 57 mm air defense guns. Moldova has received some arms from former Soviet stocks maintained on the territory of the republic as well as undetermined quantities of arms from Romania, particularly at the height of the fighting with Transnistria.

By 2006–7, the Moldovan Ground Forces had been reduced to a strength of 5,710, including three motor rifle brigades, one artillery brigade, and independent Special forces and engineer battalions, plus an independent guard unit. Equipment and weaponry included 44 BMD-1 AIFVs, and 266 APCs, including 91 TAB-71s, as well as 227 artillery pieces.

In 2022, during the Russian war in Ukraine, various Western countries pledged to support Moldova's territorial integrity and provide energy and military aid. During a visit to Chișinau, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said that Germany is prepared to offer purchases of drones and military training to Moldova. Later that month, Moldovan Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatii expressed that 90 percent of Moldova's military equipment dates back to the Soviet era and is in need of urgent replacement. He also mentioned that the armed forces face equipment shortages due to insufficient funding.

Air Force Command

In 1994 the Moldovan Air Force consisted of 1,300 men organized into one fighter regiment, one helicopter squadron, and one missile brigade. Armaments used by the air force included thirty-one MiG-29 Fulcrum aircraft, eight Mi-8 Hip helicopters, five transport aircraft (including an Antonov An-72 Coaler), and twenty-five SA-3 Goa/SA-5 Gammon surface-to-air missiles.

The 86th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment had been located at Mărculești since October 1951, and had been reequipped with MiG-29s in 1988. It had been part of the 119th Fighter Aviation Division, which had been resubordinated to the Soviet Black Sea Fleet since December 1989.

The United States purchased twenty-one of the MiG-29s in October 1997 to prevent their sale on the world market and for research purposes. All the spare parts for those aircraft were also purchased, as were the accompanying 500 air-to-air missiles.
 All the aircraft were transported from Moldova to the National Air Intelligence Center (NAIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, in Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport planes over a period of two weeks.

 all the MiG-29 fighters had either been sold or scrapped, and the Moldovan Air Force had only 2 An-2 Colts, 1 An-26 Curl, 2 An-72 Coalers, 8 Mi-8 Hips, and 12 SA-3 'Goa' SAMs in service, manned by 1,040 personnel.

Carabinieri
The Trupele de Carabinieri is the gendarmerie-type force of the military, based on the Italian Carabinieri. The Moldovan Carabinieri is designed to ensure, together with the General Police Inspectorate or independently, public order and the protection of rights and freedoms of citizens.

Other forces

Border Police

The Moldovan Border Police was founded on 3 September 1991, being entrusted to the Ministry of National Security under the subordination of the subunit of the former Soviet Border Troops deployed on Moldovan territory. On 11 January 1992, Colonel in June 1992, the Border Troops became an official separate branch of the armed forces, In December 1999, it was reorganized into the Department of the Border Guard Troops of Moldova and was withdrawn from the Ministry of National Security a month and a half later. On 1 July 2012, Prime Minister Vlad Filat ordered its shift from the armed forces to the internal affairs ministry.

Danube Force
The Danube Forces of Moldova is a small militarized river flotilla. It is based in the port of Giurgiulesti. They have at their disposal several unarmed and auxiliary boats of various types.

Equipment

Professional holidays
On 3 September, the National Army marks its professional holiday, Ziua Armatei Naționale (Day of the National Army). The President of Moldova as well as the Prime Minister of Moldova usually present congratulations to all active servicemen. On September 2, the Ministry of Defense organizes large demonstrations on the occasion of holiday. Military and civilian staff lay flowers at the Stephen the Great Monument and the Eternity Memorial Complex. There is also a ceremony of the decoration of state and National Army distinctions, as well as honor diplomas to the best military and civilian employees. Festive activities are also organized in Balti, Cahul, Edineţ and Ungheni, in common with the local public administrations. In 2018, the National Army Day silver jubilee celebrations were held at the base of the 1st Motorized Infantry Brigade "Moldova" in Bălți.

On 2 March, the armed forces celebrates its Remembrance Day, which honours the memory of the Transnistria War. Remembrance Day events are usually organized throughout the country from 1–4 March. Flowers are usually laid at the Stephen the Great Monument. The participants have also organized the Memory March, walking from Great National Assembly Square to the Maica Indurerata (Grieving Mother) Monument at Eternitate Memorial.

Military awards

Medal "10 years of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova"
Veteran of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova
Medal "For service to the Motherland"
Medal "For the strengthening of the military community"
Medal "For the Merit of the Carabinieri"
Medal "For Impeccable Service in the Ministry of Internal Affairs"
Medal "15th anniversary of the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan"
Medal "10 years of the War in Transnistria"
Medal "10 years of the Border Troops"
Medal "10 years of the Moldavian Army"
Medal "10 years of the Carabinieri Troops"
Commemorative Medal "75 years since the victory in the Second World War
Commemorative Medal "The 70th anniversary of the victory over fascism in the World War II"

Veterans' organizations
Moldovans who served in WWII, the Soviet–Afghan War, as liquidators at the Chernobyl disaster, and the Transnistrian War are eligible for a range of benefits such as discounts, medical services, and free use of public transportation. In 1990, the Republican Council of Soldiers-Internationalists was created, it was headed by the military commissar of the then Oktyabrsky District of Chișinău, Colonel Vitaly Zavgorodniy, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. The Union of Veterans of the War in Afghanistan of the Republic of Moldova is a veteran's group based in Moldova that advocates for the well-being of veterans of the Afghan War. On 15 May 2000, after the Government's initiative to abolish benefits for veterans of the war in Afghanistan, sympathizers went to Great National Assembly Square. In 2001, the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova, which came to power, radically changed the position of all veterans in the country.

Foreign forces
Other military forces also remain within Moldova. In early 1994, the government of Transnistria had armed forces of about 5,000 which included the Dniester battalion of the Republic Guard and some 1,000 Cossacks.

As of early 1994, the former Soviet 14th Guards Army (about 9,200 troops) consisted of one army headquarters, the 59th Guards Motor Rifle Division, one tank battalion, one artillery regiment, and one anti-aircraft brigade. Their equipment and weaponry consisted of 120 main battle tanks, 180 armoured fighting vehicles, and 130 artillery pieces/multiple rocket launchers/mortars. The remainder of the 14th Guards Army had been over the border in Ukraine and was absorbed by the Ukrainian armed forces.

Around 1994, peacekeepers in Transnistria consisted of six airborne battalions supplied by Russia, three infantry battalions supplied by Moldova, and three airborne battalions supplied by Transnistria.

Since 2007 the Russian force, now designated the Operational Group of Russian Forces in Moldova, under the command of the Western Military District had withered away to a strength of some 1500 which included two motor rifle battalions, an independent security and support battalion, a helicopter detachment and several smaller, administrative detachments.

See also
 Moldova–NATO relations

References

External links
Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Moldova
MDNationalArmy


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Park Board weighs Graco Park deal
By Eric Best
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is expected to pass an agreement to rename undeveloped parkland along the Northeast riverfront in return for a dropped lawsuit and funds to begin building a new regional park.
The deal, announced at the end of September, would result in what may be the first park in the city to be named after a corporation, in this case Graco Inc., a manufacturer of fluid handling equipment whose offices are located adjacent to the former Scherer Bros. Lumber Co. site. Under the agreement, Graco will buy a portion of the site that's been set aside for private development, help fund flood mitigation and end a legal battle against the board that could've ended up costing taxpayers millions.
The board's Administration & Finance Committee voted 3-1 during an Oct. 4 meeting to move the deal to the full board, which was slated to vote Oct. 17, after this issue went to press.
President Brad Bourn called the deal "one of the most important votes" the current board members will take this term. While many commissioners criticized the renaming, several argued that the benefits outweighed the costs.
"Is this the best thing that we can deliver for the people of the city of Minneapolis? I do believe so," Bourn said.
The six-part agreement would see Graco buying a 2.2-acre portion of Parcel D located next to its riverside facility for $1.1 million, its fair market value. The remaining 1.35 acres of Parcel D, a portion of the former lumberyard slated for private development, would see about $1.8 million in funding from Graco for improvements.
The Graco Foundation would donate $3 million to the Park Board to develop the 5.5-acre Scherer site, or what would be named Graco Park for the next 30 years under the agreement. The land, which will become a part of the Above the Falls Regional Park, largely consists of land between the East Bank Trail and the shoreline. In return, Graco will drop a lawsuit with the Park Board over an easement the board needed to build a trail.
The board estimates the total financial impact of the deal at $10.6 million. That figure accounts for the nearly $5 million contribution of the company and Graco Foundation as well as the dropped condemnation claim, prepaid park dedication fees and the cost of flood protection.
A spokeswoman for Graco said the company hadn't yet begun planning what it intends to build on its portion of Parcel D. If the deal is approved, Graco agrees to develop something that would help activate the park and serve as a buffer from its industrial activity.
Commissioners Jono Cowgill (District 4), Kale Severson (District 2) and Londel French (at-large) approved the resolution. Commissioner Chris Meyer, whose District 1 includes the site, abstained, saying he would consult with residents and neighborhood organizations before weighing in. Commissioner Steffanie Musich (District 5) was the sole "no" vote.
Musich said she's received many calls from constituents who opposed the renaming.
"As we saw with the renaming of Bde Maka Ska, names are important to the residents of Minneapolis," she said.
At-Large Commissioner Meg Forney said the agreement felt like a branding deal.
"(It's) so thoroughly against the core of what I stand for as a commissioner. This is the hardest thing for me to deal with," she said.
Cowgill, the committee's chair, described the renaming as a "hard pill to swallow," but said it would free up park dollars to use on other projects. Severson argued the deal could speed the development of the Upper Harbor Terminal just upriver on the North Side.
"Let's not miss an opportunity to have a great asset on the riverfront," he said.
With vocal support from the committee and the board's leadership — Bourn and Vice President AK Hassan — the agreement is likely to pass the full board.
Tom Evers, executive director of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, a nonprofit that has raised funds for several large-scale park projects on the riverfront, called it a "big step forward" for the board's larger plans for the riverfront. But Evers said the new name may discourage other donors.
"It's not an ideal proposition," he told commissioners. "It does challenge fundraising directly for this site from other corporations."
Michael Schroeder, assistant superintendent of planning services, said the first phase of improvements to Graco Park include permanent trails that would extended underneath the Plymouth Avenue Bridge, connecting the park to the Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park trail system.
A seasonal building with bathrooms and possibly concessions could be built near a newly created beach in Graco Park. The board is planning to build walking paths out from the beach onto Halls Island. Crews recreated the island, which was absorbed into the shore after the lumber company filled in a back channel in the mid-1960s.
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Southwest Journal
© Minnesota Premier Publications


Canada: Court Of Appeal Refuses To Recognize Freestanding "Tort Of Harassment"
Ontario's Court of Appeal has issued a landmark decision in Merrifield v. Canada (Attorney General),1 emphatically rejecting the notion that "harassment" is a tenable cause of action and a freestanding tort.
Mr. Merrifield was a former RCMP employee assigned to its Threat Assessment Group.� Following more than seven years of "strained relations" (characterized by Mr. Merrifield as bullying and harassment) between Mr. Merrifield and several of his superiors in the RCMP, Mr. Merrifield left his employment and sued the RCMP for damages for harassment, intentional infliction of mental suffering, loss of income and general damages, among other things.
Was the conduct of the employer toward the employee outrageous?
Did the employer intend to cause emotional distress or did they have a reckless disregard for causing the employee to suffer from emotional distress?
Did the employee suffer from severe or extreme emotional distress?
Was the outrageous conduct of the employer the actual and proximate cause of the emotional distress?
In the result, the lower court found that the four elements of the tort were satisfied and ordered the RCMP to pay Mr. Merrifield $100,000 in general damages, $41,000 in special damages and $825,000 in costs. �The RCMP appealed the lower court's decision to the Court of Appeal.
Was flagrant and outrageous (whereas the proposed tort of harassment would require only outrageous conduct)?
Was calculated to harm the employee (whereas the proposed tort of harassment would require either subjective intention or objectively-defined reckless disregard)?
Caused the employee to suffer a visible and provable illness (whereas severe or extreme emotional distress would be sufficient for the proposed tort of harassment)?
Therefore, there was no compelling policy rationale for recognizing harassment as a new tort (and, in any event, the Court of Appeal cautioned that judges cannot simply create a new tort anytime they consider it appropriate to do so).
The Court of Appeal then went on to conclude that the lower court, in Mr. Merrifield's case, erred in applying the test for the intentional infliction of mental suffering and made palpable and overriding errors in its fact finding. �In the result, the lower court's judgment was set aside.
At this time, it is unknown whether or not Mr. Merrifield will seek leave to appeal before the Supreme Court of Canada.� For now, however, the Court of Appeal's decision has left employee-side counsel with one less arrow in their quiver when it comes to claiming damages against employers.� Unless the Court of Appeal's decision is overturned by the Supreme Court at a later date, employees seeking damages related to harassment will have to meet the much more onerous test established under the tort of intentional infliction of mental suffering.


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Kwara South PDP, Ex-dep. Gov. welcomes Senator Rafiu, say Kwara overrides political difference with Saraki – Royal Times of Nigeria.
The Kwara South Senator, Dr Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim was on Monday 6th August, 2018 giving a glamorous welcome by the organized members of the Kwara South PDP members.
The PDP members chaired by Engr. Agboworin Orimadegun and the Secretary, Hon. Biodun Olawuyi led other members of the Kwara South PDP to welcome the Kwara South Senator, Dr Rafiu Ibrahim.
The PDP members said that the defection of the Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki is a welcome development and stated their readiness to work with him to salvage the country from its recent stagnation.
The convener of the meeting and former Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Babatunde Muhammed, expressed the readiness of the Kwara PDP most especially, members from Kwara South to work with the Senate President.
The former Speaker emphatically stated that those who are jumping ship because Dr Saraki defected to PDP did so based on personal hatred devoid of any principle or interest of the state.
Senator Rafiu, while appreciating the PDP members for their determination to strengthen the democratic principles, assured them of the Senate President's position on fairness, justice and equity both in party activities and governance.
He urged the people to be rest assured of total inclusiveness as no group will be marginalized in the interest of the State and the people.
A two terms Deputy Governor of Kwara State, Elder Joel Ogundeji has described the defection of the Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki as a good development in the interest of the country.
The former Deputy Governor made this known when he received the Kwara South Senator, Dr Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim in his residence in Ilorin earlier on Monday, 6th August, 2018.
Senator Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim who was in company of his people visited the former deputy governor as part of plans to properly integrate the defectors and other PDP members.
Elder Ogundeji pointed out that, "There's no point in being adamant as a party member, we welcome Senator Saraki and his political team with open hands and accept his leadership as pronounced by the national body of the People Democratic Party (PDP).
"If there are grievances, we can always come around and settle issues for the sake of development of our people and our dear State, he said.
The former Deputy Governor, affirmed that Dr Saraki is human and could be approached for corrective measures.
He reiterated that there are still work to be done, to bring back the misled members for the development of Kwara and for the actualization of the party's goal.
Elder Joel Ogundeji confirmed the unforgettable roles of Baba Saraki in the historical development of not only Kwara but Nigeria. He prayed for the soul of the late Oloyee, Dr Abubakar Olusola Saraki.
He therefore urged the people of Kwara to work with the Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki to bring about the desired development in Kwara and in the country in general.
He also thanked the Kwara South Senator, for the honour done on him with his visit.


Stephen D. Voran and Andrew A. Catellier of the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) received the Department of Commerce (DoC) Silver Medal Award for designing and executing a highly compressed speech intelligibility testing regime that produced internationally accepted authoritative results to inform international standards under development for next-generation wireless communications equipment. The Silver Medal is the second highest honor granted by the Secretary of Commerce for distinguished and exceptional performance.
The work was performed as part of the Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) program, a joint effort between the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the National Institute for Standards and Technology. The research was sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which leads an ongoing effort to enable interoperable emergency communications among 60,000 Federal, state and local public safety agencies. This work directly informed the international technical standards that will ensure that public safety mission critical voice communications requirements will be met by next-generation commercial off-the-shelf equipment worldwide.
Voran and Catellier designed and executed a testing regime that accelerated speech intelligibility testing that normally would have taken 12 months into two months. Catellier was able to present test results that showed the intelligibility performance of different LTE speech codecs at meetings of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP, the international standards organization for LTE commercial wireless broadband networks). Based on those results, representatives of the United States and five other countries took a strong and unified position on which voice codec is most suitable for the public safety user community, ensuring the next 3GPP release would contain a voice codec that meets the needs of public safety. Voran and Catellier's work directly informed the international technical standards that will ensure that public safety mission critical voice communications requirements will be met by next-generation commercial off-the-shelf equipment worldwide. The compressed testing regime devised by Voran and Catellier models a fast-response, targeted research effort that builds on long-standing expertise to produce reliable and trusted objective results to inform international standards. Including speech intelligibility testing in future evaluations of voice codecs at 3GPP ensures a single stream evolution for public safety and commercial communications technology.
For additional information regarding this award, please visit ITS Awards.
A team of three PSCR program staff received a group Silver Medal in the category of Scientific/Engineering Achievement from the U.S. Department of Commerce at ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, September 29, 2015.
Dr. Robert Johnk, Jaydee Griffith and Mitchell Powell received a U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Medal for developing and using an innovative approach to measure building-penetration characteristics of radio signals, for implementing a compact, radio signal measurement system, and for developing an efficient and effective methodology for determining optimal configurations and designs for in-building communication systems for use by first responders.
Building walls reduce radio signal power in complex ways, creating difficult and sometimes life-threatening communication challenges for first responders. The team investigated different building types and different ways to enhance coverage by LTE systems. Dr. Johnk developed an inovative test plan and, with the help of the team, performed a comprehensive series of measurements using a technologically advanced system to measure signal strengths and equipment performance. Because the system was mounted in a backpack, measurements could be conducted in places and circumstances that closely mimicked those of first responders moving through various building types during incident responses. Measurement results led to concrete recommendations (NTIA Technical Report TR-15-518 In-Building LTE Testing at the University of Colorado) for improving in-building performance of LTE communications equipment which are providing guidance to the public safety community, with the goal of enhancing the safety and effectiveness of America's first responders.
A team of ten PSCR program staff received a group Silver Medal in the category of Leadership from the U.S. Department of Commerce at ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, December 13, 2011.
Jeffrey Bratcher, Ronald Carey, John Ewan, Eric Nelson, Dereck Orr, Christopher Redding, Dr. Robert Stafford, Irena Stange, John Vanderau, and Andrew Thiessen received a group U.S. Department of Commerce Silver Medal for leading the inter-agency effort that developed and implemented the P25 CAP to meet public safety's need for objective evidence that specific LMR systems meet standards of performance and interoperability.
Previously, public safety did not have a consistent method to compare LMR based on rigorous testing for interoperability, conformance, and performance. Today, based on the efforts of the group and in cooperation with industry, the majority of P25 LMR products sold are represented in the P25 CAP.
PSCR staffers, Jeffrey Bratcher, Andrew Thiessen, and eight other team members from five different offices of NTIA received a group U.S. Department of Commerce Bronze Medal on Tuesday, December 20, 2011, for furthering President Obama's Wireless Innovation and Infrastructure Initiative goal of establishing a single, nationwide public safety wireless broadband network.
Jeffrey Bratcher (left) and Andrew Thiessen both of NTIA ITS, received a Bronze Medal award during a video-conference ceremony; the simultaneous presentation to their team members in Washington D.C. is videocast behind them.
Dr. Carolyn Ford (below) received a U.S. Department of Commerce Bronze Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement at ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, December 1, 2010 in recognition of her initiative and leadership of the PSCR program's PSVQ team and development of the VQiPS working group.
Dr. Ford's Public Safety Video Quality team developed a VQiPS user guide (PDF available here; web format available here) to help public safety agencies match their video needs to appropriate specifications, and to provide a communications framework between public safety agencies, researchers and industry for the development and dissemination of past, current and future research.
Please click here or the caption below for information about the other two ITS staff Bronze Medal winners.
From left: Carol VanStory, Robert DeBolt, ITS Director Al Vincent, Dr. Carolyn Ford.
Three PSCR program staff received a group Gold Medal in the category of Scientific and Engineering Achievement from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Department's highest honor, at ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, November 18, 2008.
Kameron Behnam, Mudumbai Ranganathan, and Stephen Quirolgico received a group U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal for their efforts to enhance public safety communications. The team received the award for developing the ITT to test the Project 25 ISSI and CSSI.
From left: Commerce Secretary, Carlos Guiterez; Stephen Quirolgico (Mudumbai Ranganathan is not pictured) of NIST OLES; Kameron Behnam of NTIA ITS; NTIA Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, Meredith Attwell Baker; Deputy Secretary of Commerce, John J. Sullivan; and Deputy Director of NIST, Patrick D. Gallagher.
A team of ten PSCR program staff received a group Gold Medal in the category of Scientific and Engineering Achievement from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Department's highest honor, at ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, November 8, 2006.
DJ Atkinson, Randy Bloomfield, Jeffrey Bratcher, Dereck Orr, Eldon Haakinson (retired), Eric Nelson, Val Pietrasiewicz, Andrew Thiessen, Ken Tilley, and Bruce Ward received a group Gold Medal for their efforts to enhance public safety communications. The team received the award for assisting government-wide planning, assessment, and standardization of technologies to achieve interoperable communications among emergency responders.
The team addressed technological advancements to improve radio coverage depended upon by police, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, dispatchers, and other first responders during local and national emergencies. This accomplishment supports the Commerce Department's goal of improving public safety communications to better serve Americans and protect American security.
The Gold Medal award specifically highlights the team's leadership in two areas: developing a national strategy for improvement of public safety communications, and assisting the development of technical standards to enable rapid deployment of a new generation of digital land mobile radio systems. Federal, state, and local public safety agencies are widely implementing these systems today.
From left: Commerce Secretary, Carlos Guiterez; Dereck Orr of NIST OLES; Bruce Ward, Ken Tilley, Val Pietrasiewicz, Andrew Thiessen, Eric Nelson, Eldon Haakinson (retired), Jeffrey Bratcher, Randy Bloomfield, and DJ Atkinson of NTIA ITS; and NTIA Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information, John M. R. Kneuer.


Budapest Airport and ParkCloud officials. Credit: © ParkCloud.
Budapest Airport has renewed its contract with online parking reservation provider ParkCloud after a successful two-year partnership.
ParkCloud said that the renewal of the contract highlights the success of the contract offering passengers at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport the option of reserving parking at the airport's facilities.
The collaboration is said to have contributed to an extensive growth in bookings across all six on-site parking locations.
Valid for two years, the renewed contract will continue to provide passengers with enhanced online coverage for Budapest Airport's parking facilities.
The facilities also get additional exposure to travellers flying with airlines partnered with ParkCloud, such as Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air.
Budapest Airport landside services head Manel Moreno said: "After reaching record passenger numbers at the close of 2017, it is more pertinent than ever that the services we offer our customers are reliable and add value to the overall customer journey.
The partnership between the airport and ParkCloud is supported by the integration of on-site hardware from car park management systems provider Designa.
This gives customers access to a barcode ticket allowing automated access to the car park, as well as automatic number plate recognition (ANPR).


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Act: Resources
Creating a Sustainable Future
By Rob Dietz, Post Carbon Institute
Enough is Enough: Building a Sustainable Economy in a World of Finite Resources presented by Rob Dietz. This is the first in a new lecture series sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.
Radical Realism for Climate Justice. A Civil Society Response to the Challenge of Limiting Global Warming to 1.5°C
By Lili Fuhr, P2P Foundation
Limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial is feasible, and it is our best hope of achieving environmental and social justice, of containing the impacts of a global crisis that was born out of historical injustice and highly unequal responsibility.
Libertarian Municipalism: Networked Cities as Resilient Platforms for Post-Capitalist Transition
By Kevin Carson, P2P Foundation Blog
As Michel Bauwens puts it, the commons paradigm replaces the traditional Social Democratic paradigm in which value is created in the "private" (i.e. corporate) sector through commodity labor, and a portion of this value is redistributed by the state and by labor unions, to one in which value is co-created within the social commons outside the framework of wage labor and the cash nexus, and the process of value creation is governed by the co-creators themselves.
Brendan O'Connor on Unholy Alliances
By Alex Wise, Sea Change Radio
This week on Sea Change Radio, we speak with Brendan O'Connor, a reporter for Gizmodo Media who has recently written an extensive piece chronicling the evangelical community and the elements behind the movement's embrace of climate change denialism – and the politicians, oil companies and think tanks connected to it all
The Global Climate Justice Movement in the Age of Crisis: Climate Fear, Truth, and the Public
By Margaret Klein Salamon, Ezra Silk, Anya Grenier, University of California, Santa Barbara
Three leaders of The Climate Mobilization discuss the recent controversy around the New York Magazine piece, "The Uninhabitable Earth" and the role of fear and other emotions in the climate movement. Should we tell the whole, frightening truth? Can they handle it? We argue that, when combined with a potential solution—WWII scale climate mobilization—the truth can be intensely motivating.
Review: Doughnut Economics
By Anna Laycock, STIR to Action
Using a mixture of theory, practice, storytelling and visuals, Raworth offers a picture of an economy which could genuinely sustain people and planet. For those of us working on details of the picture, Doughnut Economics offers a sense of coherence and a sense of hope.
The Mushroom at the End of the World
By David Bollier, David Bollier blog
In a world that is falling apart (no further elaboration needed), how shall we understand the dynamics of survival and collaboration? How does life persist and flourish in a world that is hellbent on commodifying and privatizing every aspect of human relations and the natural world? For anthropologist Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing, the answer is to study the strange life of the humble matsutake mushroom...
Dangerous Years: A Conversation with David Orr
By Gene Marshall, Resilience.org
I started to write a brief review of David W. Orr's 2016 book Dangerous Years: Climate Change, the Long Emergency, and the Way Forward. I found, however, that a longer "essay" was what I felt called to write. Orr's book is the best thing I have read on the overall social-change challenges of this century.
A Failure of Imagination on Climate Risks
By Ian Dunlop, David Spratt, Climate Code Red
Climate change is an existential risk that could abruptly end human civilisation because of a catastrophic "failure of imagination" by global leaders to understand and act on the science and evidence before them.
Q&A with Scholar Juliet Schor on the Striking Differences Between Nonprofit and For-profit Sharing Enterprises
By Kevin Stark, Shareable
There's really no shortage of ways that people can pool resources. But there's a huge difference in the goals between for-profit sharing economy companies like Uber and Airbnb and nonprofit groups like tool libraries, time banks, and makerspaces. Juliet Schor, professor at the sociology department at Boston College, explores this tension between for-profit and nonprofit sharing groups.
Pierre Stalder
The upward hydrocarbon consumption trend and the illusion that techno-tricks will do the job.Collapse is the only outcome of the game.
By Rob Dietz, Resilience.org
Welcome to Crazy Town
The Secret of Eternal Growth? It's Wishful Thinking
The Way of Exploitation – Can We Do Better?


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Feds' Online Poker Shutdown Assaults Internet Freedom
Michelle Minton • 05/13/2011
On April 15, a day now known as "Black Friday", the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) effectively shut down three major online poker websites by seizing their domain names. The DOJ's heavy-handed prosecution of the websites, all of which are based abroad, has made a mockery of America's stated commitment to Internet freedom. The seizures have also hindered the online gambling operations in nations where Internet poker is completely lawful and the U.S. government has no jurisdiction.
Given that the seized poker websites are housed and regulated by foreign nations—Poker Stars is registered in the Isle of Man, Full Tilt in Ireland, and Absolute Poker in Antigua—how could the U.S. government unilaterally seize their domain names? The short answer is that all of the sites end in ".com." All such domains are registered in the U.S. and, hence, are subject to U.S. civil forfeiture laws.
Author and legal scholar Larry Downes has critiqued civil asset forfeiture laws on the Technology Liberation Front blog. He argues that the laws are actually intended to punish suspects before they are convicted. "The purpose of forfeiture laws," Downes laments, "is to help prosecutors fit the punishment to the crime, especially when restitution of the victims or of the cost of prosecution is otherwise unlikely to have a deterrent effect." Domain name seizures often occur without a trial and often without any warning to the owners, as was the case in Black Friday's seizure of poker domains.
The government's move has reignited the controversy over U.S. federal agencies using domain seizures to punish foreign entities allegedly in violation of U.S. laws. While the DOJ did not technically "take down" the poker websites, federal agents obtained a court order that compelled Verisign, the global operator of the .com registry, to reroute the poker sites' domain names to a government page featuring intimidating federal logos notifying users of the seizure. As a result of the seizure, no computer in the world—even those in countries where poker is explicitly legal—could access the poker sites via their domain names.
This latest round of seizures follows a series of similar actions taken in recent months by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has seized the domain names of dozens of websites alleged to be engaged in copyright infringement. One such site, the Spain-based Rojadirecta.com, had actually been deemed legal by Spanish courts.
Perhaps in an effort to stem discussion of seizures' legality, the DOJ agreed to unfreeze the .com domains for Poker Stars and Full Tilt to allow players to cash out their accounts and allow foreign gamblers to continue playing on the sites. In return, the websites were required to promise to prevent American-based customers from playing poker games for money on their websites.
The third major site, Antigua-based Absolute Poker, has reportedly been offered the same "privilege" in exchange for agreeing to bar U.S. customers from playing for money. However, Antigua's finance minister issued a statement last week accusing the U.S. of shutting the sites down in order to stamp out competition. Online gambling is Antigua's second largest employer after the tourism industry, so it comes as little surprise that Antigua is considering rejecting DOJ's "compromise" and instead challenging the U.S. government's action before the World Trade Organization (WTO).
It is deeply troubling that the United States, a country that purports to value individual freedom, has so miserably failed to protect it when it comes to politically incorrect pursuits like online gambling. In effect, our government is bullying its own citizens and holding innocent foreign companies hostage.
Hopefully, the events of Black Friday will focus public attention on the flaws of civil asset forfeiture laws and encourage foreign nations to stand up to U.S. authorities. The DOJ's war of intimidation may have put a temporary hold on Internet poker in the United States, but its heavy-handed tactics should outrage anybody who values freedom and individual rights.
Real Clear Energy
Joe Biden's Opposition to Natural Gas Hits Home
By: Ben Lieberman
There's no doubt that the Biden Administration is fully on board with the climate activist community's war on the natural gas industry. From slow walking…
Restrictions on Natural-Gas Stoves Are Climate Policy by Another Name
It has been heartening to see the strong backlash to the recent announcement that the Biden administration's Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was considering restrictions and…
New Whole-of-Government Initiative on Junk Fees Comes with Unintended Consequences
By: Ryan Young
Today the Biden administration announced a new whole-of-government initiative on junk fees from airlines and other industries. The news comes on the same day…