text:
Q: Calculating KL Divergance in Python I am rather new to this and can't say I have a complete understanding of the theoretical concepts behind this. I am trying to calculate the KL Divergance between several lists of points in Python. I am using http://scikit-learn.org/stable/modules/generated/sklearn.metrics.mutual_info_score.html to try and do this. The problem that I'm running into is that the value returned is the same for any 2 lists of numbers (its 1.3862943611198906). I have a feeling that I'm making some sort of theoretical mistake here but can't spot it.
values1 = [1.346112,1.337432,1.246655]
values2 = [1.033836,1.082015,1.117323]
metrics.mutual_info_score(values1,values2)

That is an example of what I'm running - just that I'm getting the same output for any 2 input. Any advice/help would be appreciated!

A: I believe your trouble is that mutual_info_score only works with labels for input, not real values. The examples here only use integer input, and code using integers produces different values, e.g.:
values1 = [0,0,1]
values2 = [1,1,1]
mutual_info_score(values1,values2)

Prints 5.5511151231257827e-17.
values1 = [0,0,1]
values2 = [1,1,0]
mutual_info_score(values1,values2)

Prints 0.63651416829481289.


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text:
The Best Rappers of 2021, Ranked
Featuring SGaWD, Yaw Tog, Ish Kevin & more
Written by The Native - 13.Dec.2021
Around this time last year, The NATIVE editorial team put out its inaugural list of the best rap artists on the continent for the calendar year. Of course, it generated its fair share of controversy, chief of which was our pick for the top spot. Beyond the virtual brouhaha, and the fact that it's really, really difficult to select the ten best rappers even if the criteria—output, skill, and commercial impact—is clear, it highlighted something irrefutable: rap music is very much alive, diverse, and well across Africa.
We're back again with the same list, pretty much the same criteria, and a fresher outlook. That doesn't mean there won't be any complaints or grievances, partly because lists are meant to stir chatter. While this year's list has been expanded to twelve rap artists, it's still not enough to fully convey the breadth of the rap artists who've made 2021 a wondrous year for rap music in Africa.
In fact, in the spirit of self-awareness, I'll give a short rundown of rappers who could've made this list: Blaqbonez, whose 2021 momentum is nothing to scoff at; 25k, who dropped one of the hardest street rap albums in years; Breeder LW, a dynamic rap artist with a formidable album; Black Sheriff, for delivering a quintessential Ghanaian Drill anthem; Madumane and Focalistic, both championing the fusion of Amapiano and rap; DETO BLACK, whose debut EP is a sneering masterclass… I could go on. But none of this is a cop-out, especially as this eventual list was thoroughly debated. You might have gripes, you might not; whatever the case, this is The NATIVE's ranked list of the best African rap artists of 2021.
12. Zilla Oaks
On his sophomore album, 'NO ZZZ', Abuja-based rapper, Zilla Oak puts together a musically versatile affair that culminates in one of the best-rounded rap projects of this year. Where his first full-length mostly leaned into the exuberant bounce of Trap, 'NO ZZZ 2′ is far more varied in approach, showcasing Zilla's wider delivery range and his much tighter pen game, as he explores even more relatable themes.
"'Still up' definitely hits the hardest," Zilla says of one of the songs he resonates with personally the most. "It's one of those songs I was like, 'let me just rap from the beginning to the end with no chorus and still not have a boring record'," he adds. "Another track would be 'Yuu' cus it was an emotional side of me talking about my last relationship and how things went sour, just me being more vulnerable in my music so I could have a lot more people relate with it." He constantly tried to prove himself and entertain his listeners with his elevated bars alone and not just with his chorus. When making music, Zilla is clearly inspired by whatever he is feeling at the moment, painting his reality in some of the most impressive rap music from this year.
Ada Nwakor
11. Buruklyn Boyz
There's a strong case to be made for Kenya being one of the strongest hubs for Drill music in Africa—it's perhaps the second most vibrant behind Ghana's Asakaa movement. At the very centre of Kenyan Drill's emergence is Buruklyn Boyz, a creative collective with rappers Mr Right and Ajay as its leading names. The pair initially came up as rap artists with versatile palettes, but it was the authenticity with which they reaped their Buruburu locale that was the main draw. It's fitting, then, that their name-making, viral single from late last year is named after their country's capital city.
A few months after Ajay released the first set of Drill tracks, "Psycho" and "Trapping," the pair decided to fully hone in on the rap subgenre, debuting "Nairobi" to rave reactions. Together, they meld effortlessly, whether it's sharing joyful aspirations on "Dream Ya Kutoka Kwa Block" or tagging each other in on the reverential "Location 58." Tapping into the influence of Chicago Drill more than any of their African peers, Buruklyn Boyz' brand of Drill is lyrically vibrant and musically haunting. The rappers' lingual mix of Sheng, Kiswahili, and English sprinkles is always matched by phenomenal production marked by eccentric melodic samples that lend their work a bluesy yet explosive feel. Throughout this year, and at this moment, it's impossible to claim any other artists made more exciting Drill music than Buruklyn Boyz.
Dennis Ade Peter
10. SGawD
2021 was undoubtedly the year for female rappers across the continent. From artists such as Daisy Firecracker to Somadina, we've seen female rappers prove themselves over and over. SGaWD is not left out of this conversation. The newcomer and Fresh Meat alum, SGaWD has shaped her sound in such a way that's ever so fearless and unapologetic, taking full control of her artistry and owning it.
Because her aim is to change the rap game one verse at a time, SGaWD brought to our ears her debut EP 'Savage Bitch Juice', a 6-tracker that found her spitting heavy bars. Some standout tracks such as "Rude" & "Ain't No Way" find SGaWD reminding listeners why she deserves to be heard and setting a vast tone for where she can go in her career. SGaWD is known for spitting out the most disrespectful bars to anyone who doesn't respect her prerogative to live life on her terms and she's managed to show off her skills even in the most subtle ways possible.
Wonu Osikoya
9. Ish Kevin
Like many of his peers around the continent, Pop Smoke is the obvious reference point for the Drill explorations of Rwandan rap superstar, Ish Kevin. In his earlier work, Ish Kevin predominantly dealt in the localised variant of Trap music—KinyaTrap—before switching things up following the untimely passing of Brooklyn Drill's totem figure. In 2021, it's absolutely spot-on to refer to Ish Kevin as one of the best and biggest Drill artists in Africa—and by extension, one of the best and biggest rap artists in Africa.
Even though he was slightly less prolific than his previous two calendar years, every output from the artist felt definitive. He opened the year with his biggest song yet, "Amakosi," an insanely catchy anthem with the conceited hallmarks of Brooklyn Drill, but with a distinctly Rwandan pulse via Ish Kevin's lingual choice, his titanic presence and limber flow over the groovy beat. Drill Movement I followed soon after, a freewheeling EP of solo and collaborative Drill thumpers with a self-anointing verve. By summer, he sealed his place as Rwandan Drill's frontrunner with "No Cap," a sturdy banger acclaimed as one of the hardest Drill songs of the year by GRM Daily. His gift as a formidable rap artist is undeniable, as is his star power, and the success of his recent Stadium-size headlining concert is overwhelming evidence.
8. Show Dem Camp
This year, the most potent piece of socio-political commentary in Nigerian music is "Big Dreams," a short skit on Show Dem Camp's 'Clone Wars V: The Alogrhythm.' On it, a vocal parody of a typical Nigerian politician in office wakes up in the morning and relishes making life harder for its young population of dreamers. It's funny, it's real, it's uncomfortable, it's heartbreaking, and most importantly, it's a show of solidarity from two rap artists whose work has always been defined by the constant perils and fleeting joys of the Nigerian reality.
Through the functional dichotomy of their two project series—Palmwine Music being the other—the duo have been in a groove for about half-a-decade now, allowing familiarity to colour their music without remotely coming off as uninspired. On SDC's latest, they both find a balance between offering personal perspective and musing on societal conditions. The drive to remain original in an industry filled with clones continues to be an effective talking point, while they address the pandemic and the fatal fallout from last year's protests with nuance, empathy, and hopeful vim. The project is packed with dazzling moments from both rappers that emphasise why they've consistently been the best out, whether it's Tec's swaggering opening verse on the minor hit "Big Tycoon," or Ghost effortlessly blacking out on lead single "Rise of the Underdogs 2." In a year without their primary commercial gambit, Show Dem Camp let the more cerebral aspect of their craft speak for them, and it was always going to pay dividends.
7. Yaw Tog
It's not every day that an artist's debut single makes them the de-facto leader of a music scene, but that's what happened when Yaw Tog's anthemic "Sore" trickled out of Kumasi. Boasting production by Chris Rich, "Sore" united the best and brightest of Asakaa and established Tog as the golden boy of the scene. 2021 has seen the young rapper continue to show proof of why he's so highly regarded. The most obvious showing is his cross-continental remix of "Sore," featuring British-Ghanaian rapper Stormzy and Ghanaian sing-rap hybrid Kwesi Arthur, at the top of the year.
With specific references to his come-up and the Kumasi streets that had comforted him, the remix lived up to its predecessor. Released less than a month later, 'Time' showed layers to the high-schoolers abilities. The drill songs on 'Time' are bursting with slick rhythmicity. On "Boyz," he tries a Trap flow that rides on top of a gritty Drill instrumental while leaning on soulful melodies on "Fake Ex" to offset uncomfortable emotions. All of this said, Yaw Tog's greatest achievement this year is how he has thoroughly energised his scene with his youthful zest while wearing his crown with a calm swagger.
Wale Oloworekende
6. Ladipoe
Since Ladipoe's introduction into the Nigerian rap scene through Show Dem Camp's "Victoria Island of Broken Hearts," his consistency has earned him a title as one of Nigerian rap's most prolific front runners. A year after soundtracking our lockdown blues with the Headies-winning smash hit, "Know You," Ladipoe ran the summer of post-lockdown reopening with his Buju-assisted banger, "Feeling," before rounding out the year with 'Providence,' an impressive EP that doubled as a victory lap and statement of self-assurance.
On the 6-song set, he flexes his powers as a versatile rap artist, curating a set of songs with varying vibes, all tied together by a new sense of clarity. Pulling in Rema and Amaarae for guest moments on 'Providence' underlines Ladipoe's knack for honing the right artist to assist and bring out the essence of what he tries to portray with his music. Despite this, he's more than capable of holding his own while going solo on the title track and "LOTR II," where he showcases his advanced and unique level of lyricism and creativity. Ladipoe's calm raps and catchy melodies have continued to put him on the highest pedestal of rap music on the continent, and there seems to be no sign of him stopping anytime soon.
5. Jay Bahd
Possessing a booming voice and magnetic presence much like the late Pop Smoke, Jay Bahd's menacing, brawling flow and his unabashed embrace of Akata (urban Kumasi culture) on songs like "Suzzy" and Kawabanga's "Akatafoc" always earmarked him as a talent to watch out for, while his mob-leading, chaos-inducing helming of "Condemn" confirmed Jay as one of his city's leading light.
In 2021, Jay Bahd's voice extended far beyond Kumasi when his love for high fashion and the drippy lifestyle birthed "Go Get," a single that mentioned Virgil Abloh and led to a shoutout from the American-Ghanaian designer. Months later, as Jay Bahd's profile ascended beyond Ghana, he released "U CAN'T SHOW ME NATTIN," a rare solo cut where he defiantly announced that he was going to be in the streets for life. All that set the pace for his debut project, the mysticism-embracing 'The Return Of Okomfo Anokye' where the singer dissected crime, love, and hope in Kumasi over maximal drill beats. For all the grit of Jay Bahd's bars, there's also a poetic stream of consciousness on display on songs like "247" with O'Kenneth and Sean Lifer, and "Summer Vibes" with Sean Lifer and City Boy. The success of 'The Return Of Okomfo Anokye' has catapulted the rapper to the fore of continental conversations, ensuring that Jay is one of the biggest rappers this year.
4. A-Reece
In 2020, A-Reece mostly kept to himself after the creative triumph of 2019's 'Reece Effect.' On rare dispatches from 2020 like the Ayanda Jiya-featuring "Re$idual $elf Image," the rapper leaned into the story of his life via conversation samples and a soft-speaking flow that hinted at an artistic evolution. The actualisation of that evolution was presented on his 13-song, March-released mixtape, 'Today's Tragedy, Tomorrow's Memory.' Grappling with the death of his dad and the effect that had on his mental health and his music-making abilities, A-Reece turned to the project format for some aural healing.
On the opener, "MARK 15:35," he softly whispers potent lines like, "God gives and he takes/ Sometimes it feels like he made a mistake," with the emotional clarity of a tortured soul. Regret colours "THE SAME THING" where A-Reece juxtaposes loss with love and paints a picture that visualises the loss of a loved one but by the time 'Today's Tragedy, Tomorrow's Memory' slinks to "MORNING PEACE," the rapper is dealing with his pain with a forward-looking acceptance that teeters between toxicity and intense attraction. Not many rappers operating this year dived into the exploration of self with the purposefulness that A-Reece does here; relying primarily on a dreamy fusion of soul and jazzy instrumental for his work, the rapper makes a powerful dedication to grief, pain, growing up, and the eternal self.
3. Sarkodie
Sarkodie has been defying the law of gravity for over a decade now. The Ghanaian rap artist is the living, breathing representation of longevity in a terrain with zero assurances for rappers in general, remaining a dynamic force, both as a clever lyricist and effortless hit-maker. In 2021, he's still very much in contention for being the best rapper roaming the continent, all factors considered. The best part is, he's still doing it in some artistic style, dropping one of the best full-length projects of his career, yet.
Released in the summer, 'No Pressure' is the latest flex of apotheosis from Sarkodie, an album made by an artist with a deserved, boulder-sized chip on his shoulder. "Don't call me the best/Point of correction, there's no competition," he casually quips on "Rollies & Cigars." The 16-track set is a potent reminder of all the things that make Sarkodie irrefutably great, including throwing down boastful one-liners, spinning dance-ready bangers with intoxicating raps ("No Fugazy"), and memorable Afropop-inflected bops ("Non-Living Thing"). Twelve years after his debut album, Sarkodie's run as the rapper's rapper and people's rapper is still ongoing—and it doesn't look like he's slowing down now or anytime soon.
2. Blxckie
Although Blxckie's rise to fame seemed fast-paced, the South African rapper had been working on his craft years before becoming a breakout act during last year's lockdown, when he scored his first viral hit with the Lucasraps-assisted "Big Time Sh'lappa." In the time since then, Blxckie has proven to be one of the most prominent rap voices in Africa and for all the right reasons. This year alone, the 21-year old released his debut album 'B4NOW,' one of the best LPs of 2021, and he followed up with a deluxe edition shortly after the success of the original version.
'B4NOW' is a strong statement by the South African rapper letting listeners and fans know he is exactly who he says he is: a rap prodigy with no musical boundaries. On a track like "Hut," Blxckie is found gassing himself and making braggadocious quips such as, "I don't got enemies, just a couple niggas hating 'cause I'm moving fast and they moving like centipedes," reminding himself and listeners that he's his only competition. Shortly after the deluxe edition release of 'B4NOW,' Blxckie followed up with the melodic "Kwenzekile," another hit single in time for the festive season. This year has been a banner year for Blxckie, as he's managed to make a mark in the industry in just a matter of months, shipping out hit after hit along with some of SA's finest rap artists, while remaining in tune with a cult-like fanbase that has driven the speedy growth of both his music. Blxckie is indeed the man of the moment.
Wonu
1. PsychoYP
At 23, PsychoYP might be one of the most charismatic rap artists in Africa. Even though it was apparent in the half-a-decade since debuting his first EP, his great 2021 run made it impossible to notice. Crafting his style in such a way that's consistently striking and driven by a restless versatility, the Abuja-bred rap artist is a standout voice in Africa's rap terrain, boasting a discography with remarkable projects. He continued that streak this year with the release of his latest project, 'Euphoria,' again proving to listeners his enigmatic abilities at merging pristine beat selection and exuberant themes as his calling card.
The body of work is a statement by the artist, reinforcing and intensifying the reason he's at the forefront of the hip-hop uprising in this part of the world. When he's not speaking on feeling at his best and wanting to always feel that way on tracks like "Euphoria," he's making it clear to his opps and haters on "Smoke 4 Free" that they can certainly get the heat if they seem to cross his path in any way. The entire body of work has YP putting his opps in check, spitting out braggadocious bars over melodiously produced beats, fusing trap, hip-hop & Afropop all into an imposing and addictive 9-track run.
What's most interesting about the young talent is his creative ability to walk his way through any genre he finds himself working with whilst still showcasing his strength one way or the other. On standout single, "Big Moves," he gets imperial: "For all upcoming artists, rappers, let me give you an advice, the best thing you can do is to go hustle for a YP feature because that nigga?," a clear reaffirmation of his position as one of the best rappers on the continent. With the self-confidence and braggadocious he emits through his music, PsychoYP's star power shined the brightest in 2021.
Featured image credits/NATIVE
Written by Ada Nwakor, Wonu Osikoya, Wale Oloworekende and Dennis Ade-Peter
ICYMI: 11 Projects You May Have Missed This Year

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The Roster
Curated Manuscripts
Video Journeys
Month In History
About Shapell
Lincoln is "Not in a Sentimental Mood" Having Heard Reports of the Bloody Battle of the Wilderness
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Autograph Letter Signed
1 page | SMC 1554
Ladies and gentlemen, you, no doubt, desire to have a speech from me. In lieu of a speech, I propose that we give three cheers for Major General Grant and all the armies under his command. - Abraham Lincoln, Remarks of a Marine Band Concert, May 7, 1864
On May 7, 1864, President Lincoln received a first-hand report – his first – from the Battle of the Wilderness. Because the field telegraph was down, it was not until a young reporter for the New York Tribune, Henry Wing, arrived in Washington at 2:00 a.m. on a special locomotive, that Lincoln learned the results of the most ferocious fighting ever seen in North America: Grant had lost 18% of his command – 17,666 men. And that wasn't the only bad news that Lincoln heard. Far from the Wilderness, the Red River Campaign was also a dismal failure; there, just three days before, the valiant Jewish Colonel of the 67th Ohio Volunteers, Marcus Spiegel, had been killed in battle. At Calcasieu Pass in Louisiana, the Confederates had captured the U.S.S. Granite; on the James River, in Virginia, the Commodore Jones was torpedoed, and sunk. When Lincoln was asked, then, on that dismal day, to provide a "sentiment" for an autograph collector from, most likely, Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph J. Lewis, his reply was short, and to the point:
"I would give a sentiment, but just now I am not in a sentimental mood."
The war was in its third year and, as Lincoln would famously soon say, it had deranged business, destroyed property, ruined homes, increased debt and carried mourning into almost every home. Waiting for the news from the Wilderness, and then getting it, was terrible...
The Commissioner of Internal Revenue had unwittingly picked the worst possible moment, then, to do a favor for his neighbor, Mrs. Sarah B. Meconkey, of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Meconkey, Lewis wrote Lincoln on that dreadful 7th day in May, was "a most estimable and loyal lady of Pennsylvania" who, "piously concerned for the health and personal welfare of the President inquires how he sustains the burden of his multiplied cares at this trying period." Lewis continued that he "thought it best to refer the inquiry to the President himself for an answer" and then, gave away the game:
...with the assurance that nothing can afford her higher gratification than a cheerful line under your hand, with the addition, if it may be, that you feel that you have just grounds for confidence in a near deliverance of our bleeding country from its present perils and troubles.
What Mrs. Meconkey wanted, piously concerned or no, was an autograph letter, and she wanted it, ostensibly, for the Great Sanitary Fair to be held next month in Philadelphia, as an donation to be auctioned. She got it, in fact, just two days later when, the military situation having improved, Lincoln's dark mood lifted, and his fabled graciousness, returned. Here is what he wrote her:
Madam:
Our mutual friend, Judge Lewis tells me you do me the honor to inquire for my personal welfare. I have been very anxious for some days in regard to our armies in the field, but am considerably cheered, just now, by favorable news from them. I am sure you will join me in the hope for their further success; while yourself, and other good, mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters, do all you and they can, to relieve and comfort the gallant soldiers who compose them.
A. Lincoln
Whether it was Lewis' influence, however, that swung the pendulum in favor of a quick reply, or Lincoln's own knowledge that Mrs. Meconkey was the step-mother of Richard Meconkey, a frequent visitor in the family quarters of the White House - the young man, the best friend of his own son Robert - is unknowable.
What is less elusive, given time, is the faint trace of pursuit of a presidential letter: a Lincoln letter, specifically, to complete a set of such letters assembled by the noted autograph collector, Ferdinand J. Dreer. Mr. Dreer was one of the planners of the Curiosities and Autographs Department for the Great Sanitary Fair in Philadelphia Fair, and he planned to auction off a bound set of presidential letters next month, June 7 - 28, at the Fair. But he didn't have a full set: he was missing the current president, Lincoln. And he hadn't much time to find one, either. He had first tried, through a Mrs. Field of Philadelphia - and failed. Mrs. Field, on May 28th, had written to Charles B. Sedgwick of the Naval Department, asking his assistance in obtaining a Lincoln letter for inclusion in the collection of autograph letters of the Presidents gathered for the Fair. Though she was quite emphatic that a "letter" by Lincoln was required, Sedgwick, in sending her request to John G. Nicolay, the President's secretary, wrote instead to beg an "autograph." It would seem that Nicolay either did not read Mrs. Field's actual note, and/or had referred it to Lincoln as a simple request for a signature- as had, indeed, been requested by Sedgwick. If Lincoln did send a signature, it must have been a great disappointment, and only added to the desperation to obtain a letter from the sitting President. It is easily surmised then, that among a certain set of friends and neighbors in the Philadelphia area, the hunt was on, and fast, to get a Lincoln letter. This Mrs. Meconkey managed to do - with, it seems, not only Lincoln's compliance, but his full understanding of the matter. He did, after all, conclude his letter of May 9th to her with a gracious and sweeping compliment to the "mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters" who do all "they can, to relieve and comfort the gallant soldiers", which clearly was a nod to the women's auxiliaries so crucial to the Sanitary Fairs themselves.
Ferdinand Dreer's complete set of Presidential letters, Washington through Lincoln, was sold, at the Grand Central Fair held for the Sanitary Commission at Philadelphia in 1864, to the New York collector Stephen Whiney Phoenix. And it was Phoenix's bequest of the bound autograph set - along with some 7000 other books and manuscripts - to Columbia in 1881, that laid the foundation for that University's Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
Autograph Letter Signed ("A. Lincoln"), as President, 1 page, oblong octavo, Executive Mansion, May 7, 1864. To "Dear Sir" who was, in all likelihood the Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph J. Lewis, writing to get an autograph for Mrs. Sarah B. Meconkey, a resident of Lewis' hometown, West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Frankness
Related to This Manuscript
With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial
all pages and transcript
Executive Mansion,
Washington, May 7, 1864.
I would give a sentiment, but just now I am not in a sentimental mood.
Palestine, Truman Says, is a "Matter of Considerable Disturbance" to be Determined by U.N.
David Ben-Gurion Compares, Favorably, the Fledgling IDF to George Washington's Revolutionary Army
Millard Fillmore on Civil War: Abolitionists Pervert Cause and Lincoln Tempts Tyranny
T.E. Lawrence Wants to "Clear Up" The "Jewish Section" of Palestine in 1917
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Home News manchester united morgan schneiderlin news
Manchester United News: Morgan Schneiderlin keen to avoid Liverpool curse
In the latest Manchester United news, new signing Morgan Schneiderlin has claimed that he will do everything in his power to avoid the fate of his former teammates at Liverpool.
Southampton trio Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren joined Liverpool in a 50 million pound transfer spree last summer. However, none of them managed to make any impact whatsoever.
Liverpool Transfer: Saints duo failed to make an impact at Anfield
With Lambert sold already after 12 months and Lovren not a popular name amongst the fans, Schneiderlin is keen to avoid a similar fate.
The French midfielder acknowledges the step up to Manchester United and says that he has prepared for this, all his career and is ready to show his worth.
: "All my life, I have been working for this moment to happen", he said.
"In my life before, I could have moved but I was not physically ready when I was younger.
"With the experience I have behind me, it's a good step up. There are new players, good players, a good club with a good structure. I can't wait to show what I can do.
"I went to Southampton when they were in the Championship and the target was to get in the Premier League and we went down.That was the best thing to happen to me. I grew up with the club, at Southampton.
"I learnt a lot in my League One and Championship days and it was the best thing for me to grow with the club.
"Southampton toughened me up, physically and mentally. Going into League One could have made me sad or worried about my future. But I was surrounded by good people who made me understand how I have to get better, which part of my physicality I have to improve.
"I'm really grateful for that. I worked really hard on my fitness and the way I understand the game. Playing in League One against strong, physical players can only help."
Manchester United News: Schneiderlin keen to do well for his new club
Schneiderlin is arguably one of the best defensive midfielders in the league and despite his mixed debut against Spurs, he broke up the play efficiently and kept his side in control.
If the Frenchman can work on his passing, he could well be one of the best signings for Manchester United this summer.
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Mass Communications Graduate. Football writer with an interest in News, Opinions, Scout reports, Betting tips, Match reports, Previews and Tactical Analysis. Contact - sai[at]sportslens[dot]com


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Spoiler-Free First Review of The Force Awakens
It is 04h00 am here in London and I just arrived after a first viewing of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Before I get some sleep prior to our second viewing tomorrow afternoon I want to share with you a first, entirely spoiler-free, review.The Force Awakens is a thoroughly entertaining movie that will without doubt find a good place within the, now, 7-film Star Wars canon. Let me talk you through a couple of positives, a couple of negatives and some final remarks.
The absolute highlight of this film is Rey, Daisy Ridley's performance and her story-arc. Rey's story is credible, well-written her character is charming, witty and strong. The dilemma's she faces are well-considered and sufficiently deep for a newly introduced character. Poe and Finn are great characters too. Poe is indeed the self-confident swashbuckler with a good heart and less of an edgy side than Han in the Originals. Finn is in many ways as much a heroic character as he is a comic relief character. His charming clumsiness reminds one of another beloved comedy character in Star Wars albeit without any slapstick. BB-8 is a wonderful addition to the Star Wars Universe and he responds and mixes really well with the other main characters. General Hux is truly menacing with his fascistoid manners and played very convincingly. Kylo Renn is an interesting character whose psychological make-up contains interesting weaknesses and ambiguities. Han Solo is well-written and has an arc that is as satisfying as Finn's or Poe's. Maz Kanata is a good and very promising new character albeit no Yoda yet!
Finally the visualization of the story is gorgeous in practically all scenes. There is never a dull moment and camera-angles are often interesting and typically very supportive of the overall narrative.
Kasdan and Abrams are lazy story-tellers. Almost all characters, except Finn and Rey, have significant off-screen action. The authors have clearly fallen into a few of the traps that the EU would consistently fall into regarding badly written super-weapons demonstrations. The carelessness with which some story-lines are simply left dangling is puzzling as there seems to be no really good reason for it. Leia and Phasma could have been developed better and Snoke is not yet impressive as a narrative device or as a character.
Despite the gorgeous visualizations, the visual story-telling is fairly thin. Discrepancies between story-time and 'theatre-time' towards the end of the film are not very disturbing but a little annoying anyway.
Final Remarks
The Force Awakens is a very entertaining film that definitely will reward multiple viewing. Rey is an outstanding new character and Finn and Poe are also highly interesting and entertaining. It will be great to see where these characters will take us in Episodes VIII and IX. I will be very interested to see how my first impression changes after multiple viewings.
My Quality-Ordering of Star Wars Movies
From best to least-best: III, V, VI, I,VII, II, IV.
December 17, 2015 December 22, 2015 Rogue 47
6 thoughts on "Spoiler-Free First Review of The Force Awakens"
timontatooine says:
I agree with practically everything you say. Rey was definitely the standout for me, very well-acted by Daisy Ridley and certainly a worthy addition to the universe, and of course it was great to see all the old cast back. I was pleasantly surprised by how funny it was, with the humour hitting the right notes for me just about every time. I enjoyed Hux a lot, but I must admit I wasn't overly impressed by the rest of the villains, two of whom were my most anticipated characters and ended up being the two biggest disappointments. I also felt the narrative was nothing special, many points of it severely unbaked or rehashed, lacking the substance of 1-6 and the innovative spirit which distinguishes the two previous trilogies. At the moment I'd say it's my least favourite of the 7 by quite a ways, but I'm going again tomorrow and then a third time on Monday so hopefully I'll pick up a bit more of the good in it with more viewings.
I personally think it won't reward multiple viewing if you found the first one lacking. JJ just doesn't have the visual flair of Lucas even at his weakest. Few of today's generation have, honestly.
Thank you for your comment. I must say I enjoyed the 2nd & 3rd viewing significantly more, also because I watched in knowing the flaws and hence noticing them less while seeing a little more of the good stuff 🙂
The standouts for me were John Boyega and Harrison Ford as Finn and Han Solo. The two of them gave this movie a great deal of energy and at the same time, struck me as the two most interesting characters in the movie.
I wish I could say the same about Daisy Ridley's portrayal of Rey. But the character struck me as a borderline "Mary Sue". It seemed as if Abrams and Kennedy were trying to make her as some kind of "Girl Power" character, and I honestly do not find such characters that interesting. Especially when they are portrayed with the unrealism that seemed to taint Rey's character. In the end, her interactions with Finn and Han that made her even slightly interesting to me.
Rey's character didn't seem 'girl poer'ish to me at all. For example I really like that she never appears to 'demand' some form of equal treatment, rather from her reactions you can see she assumes it to be the normal. It are Finn's assumptions that make him behave 'out of tune' with the actual situation. But then Finn does this all the tike, not just with respect to Rey. Also her skills with a blade seem perfectly reasonable for someone who is proficient with a staff … which she shows she is and which makes sense given where she lives. Finally she may acquire some other skills surprisingly quickly, but she acquires them not in a well-trained form rather in a very unrefined rough form. When she draws on them in the final scene you see it is imprecise and untrained. But it is enough against a badly wounded opponent who is additionally startled by surprise and agony.
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You heard the camel, it's Hump Day!
Like most, there's not many teams in action today, and ones that are playing are scheduled for a shotgun start. Florida at the New York Islanders starts the festivities at 7 p.m., followed half an hour later by Montréal at Winnipeg (RDS/SN). 8 p.m. brings with it the Pittsburgh at Washington (NBCSN/TVAS) contest, with tonight's nightcap – San Jose at Calgary (SN/SN1) – dropping the puck at 9:30 p.m. All times eastern.
Florida at New York: The Isles ended the Panthers' season last year in six games in their Eastern Quarterfinals matchup.
Pittsburgh at Washington: The same goes for these clubs in the Eastern Semifinals, but a game between these two is about more than a single playoff series.
One of these matchups is a rivalry; one isn't. One is between teams qualifying for the playoffs; one isn't. Guess which game we're watching.
It's the third time these squads have played this season, and the third time we've featured the matchup. The stories of their rivalry have been told before, with yet another chapter added last May when the Penguins eliminated the Capitals in six games. There's no point in delving into them further other than to say that these clubs simply do not like each other.
In a sense, it is a special rivalry. The Nationals and Pirates have no animosity towards one another. Neither do the Redskins or the Steelers. It has nothing to do with the cities, only the clubs. Maybe it's the fact that this rivalry doesn't face a weird sort of peer pressure from the city brethren that makes it so intense. These teams just don't like each other.
Making the visit to the nation's capital this evening are the 26-8-5 Penguins, winners of their last five games and the second-best team in both the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference. As one might expect , they've found that success by being very good at scoring the puck, already notching 137 goals in 39 games this season – the highest scoring-rate in the NHL.
Leading that charge has been the one and only Sidney Crosby with 44 points – one more than Evgeni Malkin. He's been most impressive when he's the last one to touch the puck, lighting the lamp a club-leading 26 times. Good for .79 goals per game, Crosby could be in line for a record year. His career-high came in the 2009-10 season when he buried the puck 51 times. At the pace he's at right now, he could exceed that tally by nine goals if my math is correct.
One of the reasons Pittsburgh has been so good offensively has been due to their explosive power play, converting 22.6% of their opportunities – tied for the fourth-best mark in the league. Phil Kessel, who could miss tonight's game due to illness, has led the charge in this department with his 16 man-advantage points, but once again Crosby takes the clubhouse scoring title, notching nine power play goals.
What could hold the Penguins back from reclaiming the Stanley Cup this season might be their penalty kill, which ties for ninth-worst after stopping opposing power plays only 79.8% of the time. Although Ian Cole has been effective with his team-leading 16 shorthanded blocks (tied for 33rd most in the league), he's been let down by Marc-Andre Fleury, whose .852 save percentage on the penalty kill ranks 15th-worst among the 50 goalies with 11 or more appearances.
Hosting the Pens this evening are the 26-9-5 Capitals, winners of their last six games and the third-best team in both the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference. They've found that success by playing a brick wall of a defense, allowing only 80 goals against – the fewest in the league.
As mentioned Monday, 19-8-4 Braden Holtby is having himself a whale of a season, saving .931 percent of shots faced for a 1.9 GAA – the third and second-best marks in the league, respectively. For those wondering, he earned the Vezina Trophy last season with a .922 save percentage and 2.2 GAA. In other words, there's no telling yet how good this guy can be.
He hasn't done it alone, though. Thanks to Karl Alzner's 76 blocks and the rest of the blueline, he's faced only 27.9 shots-per-game, which ties for the fiffh-lowest average in the league.
Where that defense has been especially helpful has been on the penalty kill. Washington ranks third-best in this situation, nullifying 86.8% of their penalties. Just like he does in even-strength situations, Alzner has headed the charge for the special teams too, notching a team-leading 20 shorthanded blocks.
Currently, the season series favors the Capitals thanks to Andre Burakovsky forcing overtime during these clubs' first game of the season on October 13. Although the Pens won that game in a shootout, they fell 7-1 a month later on this surface.
Some players to keep an eye on this evening include Pittsburgh's Crosby (26 goals [most in the league] among 44 points [third-most in the NHL]), Kessel (26 assists [tied for seventh-most in the league]), Malkin (43 points [tied for fourth-most in the NHL] on 27 assists [tied for fifth-most in the league]) and Justin Schultz (+24 [tied for best in the NHL]) & Washington's Holtby (five shutouts [tied for most in the league] on a 1.9 GAA [second-best in the NHL] and a .931 save percentage [tied for third-best in the league] for 19 wins [seventh-most in the NHL]) and Alex Ovechkin (19 goals [tied for seventh-most in the league]).
I'm somewhat surprised that Washington is favored -121 by Vegas, but they claim to be the experts.
Then again, what do I know? I miss my picks more often than not.
In my opinion, the Caps are more than capable of neutralizing Pittsburgh's offense, so the game could come down to if the action on the other end of the surface. Given the Penguins' inability to keep pucks off their own crease, I'm giving the edge to Ovechkin and the Capitals.
Rob Ramage (1959-) – The first pick in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Rockies, this defenseman played 1044 games in the NHL, most of which in St. Louis. He won two Stanley Cups and was a four-time All Star.
Rory Fitzpatrick (1975-) – The 47th-overall pick by Montréal in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, this blueliner played 287 games over 10 seasons in the NHL, spending most of that time in Buffalo. He was not a very good defenseman, ending his career with a -48 and only 35 points scored. But, he owns the distinction of being the only Rory to play a game in the NHL, so he's got that going for him – which is nice.
Led by Brad Marchand's two-goal night, the Bruins leveled the season series against the Blues to 1-1-0 in yesterday's DtFR Game of the Day.
Boston didn't waste much time getting to work, as First Star of the Game Frank Vatrano (Second Star Torey Krug and David Pastrnak) scored his power play wrister only 8:19 after the initial puck drop. With 4:40 remaining in the opening period, Brandon Carlo (Vatrano and David Krejci) doubled the Bruins' score, followed 2:32 later by Marchand's (Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron) first goal of the night. Boston took the 3-0 lead into the first intermission.
Only 1:31 after returning to the ice for the second period, it was more of the same. Krug (Ryan Spooner and Marchand) takes credit for the power play wrister that proved to be the game-winner, but Colton Parayko (David Perron and Jaden Schwartz) pulled the Blues back to 4-1 only 2:26 later with his first goal of the season. That differential that held to the second intermission.
St. Louis tried to make a game out of the evening with a power play wrister from Patrik Berglund (Perron and Alex Pietrangelo) with 9:46 remaining in regulation, but was unable to truly get anything else going. Marchand (Pastrnak and Bergeron) took advantage of an empty net with 77 seconds remaining to ensure that Kyle Brodziak's (Scottie Upshall) goal with 25 seconds to go wouldn't affect the outcome of the contest.
Tuukka Rask earns the victory after saving 14-of-17 shots faced (82.4%), leaving the loss to Third Star Carter Hutton, saving 26-of-27 (96.3%). The reason he was named a star is because he came into the game as relief for Jake Allen, who saved only eight-of-11 (72.7%) before being lifted after the three-goal first period.
Boston's victory was the fourth-straight by the road team in the DtFR Game of the Day series, pulling the visitors within seven points of the hosts and their 47-29-14 record.


TinyEyes will show you how a baby sees an image that you provide. Our baby-vision simulation method is based on scientific studies of infant visual perception. Please remember that this is our best scientific guess about how a baby of a particular age would see the world. There is quite a bit of individual variability, so any particular baby may see things differently.
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Sometimes the objection is raised that the position that the human nature of Christ was sinless is at odds with Chalcedonian Christology. According to the logic of the objection, Chalcedon pointed to the fact that Christ should be as truly and fully human as we are, and this, so the objection goes, inevitably entails that he must have borne a sinful human nature as we all do.
This objection arises from a theologically valuable sensitivity to avoid any latent Christological docetism that would remove Christ from our human condition and thus run the danger of eliminating any relevance that his human life and death may have had for us. But the objection attempts to avoid this danger in the wrong way.
In fact, there are three problems with it. First, it is historically mistaken. The Council of Chalcedon had nothing to do with justifying the view that Christ bore a sinful humanity. On the contrary, its definition makes it clear that Christ did not assume our sinfulness.
Second, the objection turns Christ into a sinner. As Oliver Crisp has justifiably argued, to say that Christ has a fallen nature means that he also bears original sin and is sinful, which is fatal to the argument. Indeed, to turn Christ into a sinner is a cost that Christian theology cannot afford [T. F. Torrance agrees, see hyper-link].
Third, the objection implies a false understanding of human nature. Sin is not a defining charcteristic of human nature. If this were the case, only sinners would be real human beings —- Adam before the fall, or the saints in the eschatological kingdom, would not be. If being a real man means being a sinner, then given the relational understanding of sin outlined above, alienation from God and authentic humanity would be coterminous. However, this is not a tenable theological position, but a worn-out claim of modernity.
It is my position that Christ truly did assume "sinful humanity" in His incarnation, but He immediately and eschatologically sanctified this humanity, in His 'humanity,' by the Spirit; so that while He was "limited" by the effects of the Fall (e.g. hunger, thirst, sickness, etc.), He never participated in the principle of the Fall (i.e. a 'fallen nature'). In this sense then, it can be said that Christ 'assumed sinful humanity, and thus healed it,' but in a way that non posse peccare ("not able to sin") is retained. I think the key point of Bathrellos' offering is his differentiation between being human, and sinful; the former does not require the latter —- but the latter certainly requires the former. Which means that to be truly human is to be rightly related to God, which is an always already reality for Christ within the ontological and thus economic relations of God's life for us.
So to say that Christ needed to be able to sin — if not He didn't really become human — is to misunderstand the Incarnation in adoptionistic kind of ways!
We are dealing with anthropology here, or what it is that defines man. Rationalism has been articulated by many throughout the history of the church, many being theologians. The maxim I mention is "Cartesian rationalism," we also have other versions (with similar consequences in general) like Thomas Aquinas' version of rationalism which has been called the Intellectualist strain; what is common to all rationalism[s] is that they hold that "man's rationale" or "intellect" or "mind" is the defining feature of man. As we can see from Rene above, the consequence of such anthropology is that man becomes the standard by which all reality is adjudicated; even God.
Do you see how "rationalism" = the original lie offered to both Eve and Adam?


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A History of Music and Technology: The Synthesizer
Pink Floyd's Nick Mason charts the work of synth pioneers Bob Moog, Don Buchla and Dave Smith in the story of one of the most influential electronic instrument of all time.
The first synthesizer was so big, it filled an entire room, but during the 1960s inventors built downsized machines which would go on to revolutionise pop music.
We learn how the synth came to sing with multiple voices, and how Japanese giants came to dominate the market - but arguably at a cost to creativity.
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1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and set aside. Place the caps, stem-side down on a baking sheet and brush the outsides with the oil. Bake until soft, but still holding their shape, 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, crisp the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve the skillet and drippings. Finely chop reserved mushroom stems and add to the bacon drippings along with the shallot and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until mushrooms are dry, about 5 minutes. Add spinach and continue to cook until the spinach wilts,1 minute.
3. Transfer mixture to a bowl and add the bread cubes and lemon zest. Chop the cooked bacon, and combine with the mushroom mixture. Place the caps stem side-up on a separate baking sheet and evenly fill each cap with the stuffing. Bake until the mushrooms are hot and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Place a piece of blue cheese on each mushroom and continue to bake until the cheese just begins to melt, about 3 minutes. Serve.


While there are hundreds of fitness trackers that focuses on the period when you're active, wearable tech that focuses on on those periods when you're inactive, such as prolonged sitting, are far and few. Off the top of my head, 3 comes to mind; Lumo Lift, Upright Posture Trainer ($129.95) and Poze.
If you're office bound, chances are you spend the bulk of your day seated while you hammer away at your keyboard. It doesn't help that ergonomics usually doesn't rank high on most people's list unless there's some discomfort involved.
Upright is an interesting smart wearable that tracks posture and reminds the user to sit upright through a series of vibrations. Recently I had the opportunity to review the Upright posture trainer and here's what I have to say.
The Upright posture trainer was offered to GadFit at a discount in return for an objective review.
The Upright posture trainer is a wearable that's attached on the skin surface with adhesive patches. The entire package contains 60 adhesive patches, enough for 2-3 rounds of training depending on what programme you've been prescribed. The company has also included a handful of alcohol pads. The Upright posture trainer can be used on both the upper and lower back depending on which area the wearer wishes to work on. It's very important to ensure that the Posture trainer is snugly attached to the adhesive patches before pasting it on your body. The better the you wear it, the more responsive the device will be. I usually press the adhesive patches unto the Upright device and run my fingers up and down the patch to ensure a tight velcro catch. The Upright posture trainer connects magnetically to the provided charging dock which is powered by a micro USB cable. A single charge powers the device for about 10 days and I've only needed to charge it twice throughout the course of my program. The company has a superb library of articles, short videos and FAQs on their website and mobile app on how and where to place the Upright device.
During the course of the review, I sent a list of queries to Upright only to have my question attended and answered within 4 hours. I'm unsure if this is the norm but it sure is impressive.
Upon installing and signing up on the mobile app, the user will be provided an individualised program ranging from 15-28 days which is determined by individual's height, weight, age, BMI. In my case, I was given 18 sessions starting with a simple 5 minutes which eventually progressed to an hour. The wearer can only train once per day so I couldn't do all 18 sessions within a single week. The first 3 sessions were really easy and eased the wearer for the eventual hour long sessions.
The rationale behind this is simply that a person needs time to build up the core muscles to maintain the upright posture and more importantly, form the habit of sitting upright. The Upright posture trainer's sole function is to remind the user, via vibration buzzes, when the wearer deviates from the pre-set upright posture. The vibrations comes on almost instantly and there's no lag.
The Upright device will capture the user's upright and slouch posture as part of the calibration process before every training. The mobile app must remain open in the background during training but the user can still use other apps. At the end of each session, I could continue wearing the device and receive feedback on my posture even though that doesn't modify nor count towards future sessions.
I personally thought the Upright posture trainer worked splendidly if the user calibrated the device accurately. This is because the device would recognise the wearer's upright posture and only buzzes if it deviates from that posture. In my opinion, the user must really understand what constitutes poor posture for him or her and what needs to be worked on instead of following the slouching example as shown in the mobile app.
Take me for example, I have no issues sitting upright but the problem I have is that I tend to lean forward and round my upper back or some would call forward head posture. So I used the Upright device on my upper back instead.
Did it work? I would like to think so. After only the third session, I was acutely aware of the way I sit. I don't recall ever being so particular about sitting upright. Previously, I was only bothered when I felt muscles soreness; that was my reminder for sitting upright.
If you're wondering if the Upright can cure chronic back problems, do bear in mind that it's not a medical device. After using it, I see it more as a device that inculcates good posture habits primarily through the buzzes and in the process builds up the core endurance to maintain that habit. There were just a few occasions when the Upright trainer just ceased working properly. For example, it would stop detecting the correct posture or buzz incessantly even thought I'm in the correct posture. A re-calibration usually solves this.
So how long does it take to form good sitting posture habits? Upright follows the 21 days guideline which was first written by Dr. Maxwell Maltz's back in 1960 when the plastic surgeon noticed his patients taking about 21 days to get used to their new look; it's not a rule per se but an observation. Recent scientific investigation has put that number anywhere between 18 and 254 days; depending on the task, circumstances and the individual. With the average duration to form a habit listed at 66 days.
So it really boils down to the individual.
Upright's partnerships with Leumit Health Services , Sport Clinic, SAP and Siemens have been documented with positive findings.
According to representatives from Upright, Stanford University, Texas University and San Francisco University are currently in the midst of conducting their research and the final results will be shared publicly in the next 3 – 5 months. I'm looking forward to the results.
Given that Lumo Lift is priced at $79.95 and the Poze will retail at $68, the Upright may appear a tad pricey given the single function and a mobile app with no means for sharing to social media.
In theory, the Upright posture trainer works by operant conditioning. The user is gently buzzed every time he or she is off the ideal upright posture. So to avoid being buzzed, the user tries to maintain the so -called upright posture. In doing so, the user trains up the core muscles to stay upright.
I've finished my 18-session training program and found myself much more aware of my posture whenever I'm sitting. Whether that translates into better posture after I stop using the device remains the question to be answered. But I know I can whip out the Upright posture trainer when I require more training; I still have about 40 adhesive patches to go.
*Update 9th January: After about a month of not using the Upright Posture Trainer, I found myself returning to my less than ideal sitting posture with forward head tilt. I've also received reminders from the Upright Posture Trainer app to continue my training. Like all good habits, proper sitting posture needs to be maintained and up kept. I guess there's use for the remaining 40 adhesives after all.
The effects of sitting for extending duration have been linked to health concerns such as obesity and metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that includes increased blood pressure and high blood sugar and more.
Due to the nature of my job, I've had the luxury of staying pretty active and clock well over 20k steps on a daily basis. Yet I've seen friends of mine who literally stay rooted to their chairs for hours at a go The only periods when they get up? Lunch, toilet breaks or to head to another meeting. Doesn't sound really healthy does it. Besides using wearables such as the Upright posture trainer, include walks every 45 minutes, factor in stretching exercises if it helps, and correct your sitting posture. Sitting for extended periods is difficult to avoid as the bulk of work these days revolve around the computer but you can take steps to mitigate the detrimental effects.
You can purchase the Upright Posture Trainer at $129.95 from Amazon where there's usually a small discount, great return policy, and free delivery depending on where you reside. In return your purchase helps to offset the costs associated with the running of this site. Thanks for reading!


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BLOGS: Kevin DeYoung
Can We Give Thanks for Flawed Heroes?
Kevin DeYoung | November 26, 2019
More By Kevin
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Christians need heroes.
Yes, I know, Jesus is the ultimate hero. He is the only flawless hero, the only substitute-for-our-sins hero, the only dying and rising hero. But that doesn't mean Jesus is the only kind of hero.
As Christians, we are right to be inspired by faithful brothers and sisters. Why else were Timothy and Titus supposed to set the believers a good example? Why else do we have the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11? Why else are we told in Hebrews 13:7 to remember our leaders, to consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith? God says to us, just as he said to the audience in Hebrews: don't forget your heroes; learn from their example; be like them in all that was good.
But how can we tell which heroes should really be heroes?
We can all agree that every hero, except for Jesus, is flawed. We can also agree that many flawed heroes have elements of their theology, their practice, or their courage that are worth emulating. But beyond those truisms, who gets to be celebrated? Is Martin Luther off limits because of his comments in old age about the Jews? Or Calvin because of Servetus? Or Jonathan Edwards because of slavery? Is Dabney a theologian worth celebrating even if he was a strident racist? Can Martin Luther King Jr. be lauded even if his theology was not evangelical and he repeatedly violated the seventh commandment? Who gets to be the subject of inspiring Christian biographies? Who gets to be assigned in our seminaries? Who gets to have buildings and schools and conferences (and children!) named after them? Who gets to be our homeboys (or homegirls)?
Leaders in Hebrews
One way to answer the question is to look again at Hebrews 13:7, "Remember your leaders, who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith." To be sure, there are thousands of people, dead and alive, we can learn from in life. You can celebrate the courage of Jackie Robinson, the statesmanship of Winston Churchill, or the magnanimity of Abraham Lincoln without making them patron saints of evangelical Christianity. But when it comes to Christian heroes for a Christian people, Hebrews instructs us to look for three things: they taught the Word faithfully, they lived an exemplary life, and they trusted in the promises of God.
That's a start in evaluating heroes and potential heroes. We all have failings. We all have areas of our personality and practice that others would do well to avoid. But the "leaders" in Hebrews were, it seems, at least in general terms people worth imitating. We aren't talking about perfection, but examples. Ask yourself this question: if more people in the church believed what my heroes taught and lived liked my heroes lived, would the church be a healthier, holier place?
Of course, even this question can be answered in a variety of ways, depending on your context and depending on what elements you think are most important in teaching and living an exemplary Christian life. There may be different heroes for different times and different places. But we aren't left entirely to our own rankings of Really Important virtues and Really Bad vices. Perhaps we can approach some common ground in ruling a Christian hero "in" or "out" by looking at the whole life lived.
Kings in Chronicles
The assessments of the kings of Judah are instructive in this regard. Consider several examples.
Rehoboam: He may have been strong in some respects, but, overall, he did evil and did not seek the Lord (2 Chron. 12:13-14)
Asa: He did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord (2 Chron. 14:2). Asa was one of Judah's best kings, even though he was far from flawless. The high places were not taken out of Israel, but the heart of Asa was wholly true all his days (2 Chron. 15:17). Even though Asa finished his reign as a foolish, cruel, proud king, he was still afforded a place of privilege in his death, and they made a great fire in his honor (2 Chron. 16:14).
Jehoshaphat: He was another good king who did what was right in the sight of the Lord. But again, like his father, the high places were not taken away (2 Chron. 20:32-33).
Jehoram: This is as bad as it gets. He did what was evil and died to no one's regret. He was buried in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings (2 Chron. 21:20).
Joash: He did what was right all the days of Jehoiada the priest, but once Jehoiada was gone, Joash turned treacherous. When he died he was buried in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings (2 Chron. 24:2, 25).
Hezekiah: He was one of Judah's best kings, doing what was right in the eyes of Lord (2 Chron. 29:2). Even though his last days were marked with petty pride, he was honored at his death (2 Chron. 32:33).
Manasseh: He was one of the only kings who ended better than he started. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, but in his last days he humbled himself before God (2 Chron. 33:2, 12-13). Nevertheless, he was remembered as an exemplar of evil, a king whose reign was marked by sin and faithlessness (2 Chron. 33:19, 22).
This is a partial list, only seven of the 20 monarchs of the southern kingdom. But the list is enough to reinforce our main point: in determining whether a "leader" is worthy of honor, we must look at the whole life lived. Joash was not a hero in Judah for getting his reign half right. Manasseh's reign was not salvaged by his final humility, even if spiritually Manasseh was in a much better place by the end of his life. Conversely, Asa was given great honor in his death, even though he stumbled across the finish line. Hezekiah could end up on a T-shirt, Rehoboam not so much.
Heroes in the Church
So what does all this mean for us and our heroes? For starters, we should be honest—candid about the faults of the good guys and forthright about the things the bad guys got right. More than that, the examples in Chronicles suggest that we should distinguish between high places and high-handed sins. At the risk of offending everyone, my conviction is that slavery was a high place for Edwards, while racism was a high-handed sin for Dabney. Slavery hardly played any role—let alone a central role—in Edwards's thought and ministry. While Dabney's writings are often infused with racism and animated by a desire to defend slavery. Does that mean we can't learn from Dabney's theology? Of course not, but it means that I would not celebrate Dabney, like I would Edwards, as one of the great heroes of the faith.
I realize that a cursory look at Hebrews 13 and at Chronicles will not answer all the thorny questions surrounding our flawed heroes. But at least we can see that the Bible has a category for heroes, and a category for flawed ones at that. May God give us wisdom, humility, and courage to be honest about our high places, while still giving thanks for those—living and dead—whom God would have us honor.
Kevin DeYoung (PhD, University of Leicester) is senior pastor of Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, North Carolina, board chairman of The Gospel Coalition, and assistant professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte). He has authored numerous books, including Just Do Something. Kevin and his wife, Trisha, have nine children: Ian, Jacob, Elizabeth, Paul, Mary, Benjamin, Tabitha, Andrew, and Susannah.
How to Start a Pastoral Network
Are Masks a Conscience Issue?
Quiet Subversion After a Chaotic Election


Real Staffing is currently working with a Global Pharma MNC and they are currently looking for an RA Specialist to join their office in Singapore. This position is an exciting opportunity that allows you to work closely with the local and regional Medical Devices Regulatory Teams in a fast paced environment.
If you are interested in the above described position, appreciate if you can apply through the link provided or contact Angelica Desiongco at +65 68009560 for a confidential discussion.


Personal-finance security company BillGuard, which scans credit card transactions to capture scams, billing errors or hidden fees, has taken a step in proving its own worth.
The New York-based company announced it raised $10 million in venture capital.
Khosla Ventures led the second-round financing, with participation from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, Google Inc. Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt's Innovation Endeavors and existing ventures Bessemer Venture Partners and IA Ventures. The funding will be used to scale and support marketing, business development, sales, and research and development growth, according to BillGuard. The company and Khosla would not disclose the valuation. It raised $3 million in a Series A round in May 2010.


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Victoria's Secrets: Gratitude and reflection
By Victoria Schneps
Photo via Twitter/@MyFairLadyBway
Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish New Year on Sept. 19, is a time of reflection and gratitude.
During prayers, I beat my chest with my fist, asking for forgiveness for my sins. I also spent hours in the synagogue listening to the magnificent ancient prayers sung by the robust melodic large choir of men and women. They left me in awe.
Just these past weeks, I felt so grateful to spend time with my daughters. We went to see "My Fair Lady" at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center as a belated birthday gift.
Sitting in the first row of the three-quarters theater-in-the-round, I felt up close and personal with the action and the voices of the magnificently talented actors. They carried me off to another place. I forget how powerful their talent is and how it moved me.
The revival of "My Fair Lady" is as fresh as its first performance in 1956, with Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews in the lead roles.
The towering talents breathed new life into every role, with Lauren Ambrose as the perfectly pitched Eliza Doolittle and Harry Hadden-Paton as stately professor Henry Higgins.
Professor Higgins lamenting with his house staff. (Photo via Twitter/@MyFairLadyBway)
What a gift to be touched by the cast's talent in telling a timeless story of love and relationships with brilliant music, costumes and sets. They won a Tony Award for the sets, but how Norbert Leo Butz didn't win is beyond me. His rendition of "Get Me to the Church On Time" brought down the house. It was an inspired performance.
Another inspiration was meeting and helping Manda Kalimian whose passion for saving wild horses led her to create the Cana Foundation, an organization devoted to saving the horses out west.
Manda researched and investigated the way our government has corralled the horses to make way for fracking and cattle ranching.
Manda Kalimian
The Long Island Press partnered with her and held a press conference at the Hampton Classic, sharing the problem and asking for support from our legislators. Find out more about the Cana Foundation by visiting their website, canafoundation.org. One person can make a difference.
Saluting the Power Women of Staten Island
Dr. Dyanna Coomer with Rachel Rusi, CEO of Goal Mine Health Club
Over 17 years ago, when I attended a Chamber of Commerce business awards dinner and found that not one woman was recognized, I took action. I created the Power Women in Business event, which has grown since then to honor women in Queens, Brooklyn, Long Island, the Bronx and Staten Island.
Last week, I had the privilege of giving awards to 35 people on Staten Island who have been successful in many fields in their county. The elegant Hilton on Staten Island was the venue for the event that made many people proud.
We also raised $2,500 for the Florina Rusi Marke Comprehensive Breast Center, Staten Island University Hospital / Northwell Health.
It was an inspiring night to recognize each person's achievements and learn more about them. I cried as I heard the journey of Dr. Dyanna Coomer, an outstanding breast surgeon at Staten Island University Hospital, who received the Health Hero award. As an outstanding breast surgeon, she shared her journey of coming to America and pursuing her dream to become a doctor.
Perseverance and passion made it possible. She is now the proud mom of two children, a wife of a surgeon and a recognized expert in her field.
Her story is the American dream come true. I felt such joy to recognize her, and I stand in awe of all the people who we've honored and have enhanced our lives with their passion.


Similar to numerous computer system problems, an absence of noise on a Facebook video can be caused by various aspects. My Facebook Videos Are Not Playing - By identifying where specifically the problem exists you can much more conveniently generate a solution - playing other videos on Facebook, videos on various web sites as well as videos saved locally on your computer needs to suggest the source of the problem.
If the absence of noise just takes place on one video on Facebook (other videos on the website play without problems), inspect the volume setting for the clip (float the computer mouse cursor over the video to see the volume control). If the volume is established correctly, after that it's most likely that the documents has been encoded or uploaded with no audio affixed. If the video is among your personal uploads, examine the source file as well as try handling and also uploading it again. If the video belongs to another person, check with the customer concerned to see if the clip must have audio as well as to flag the trouble.
If the lack of sound only happens on Facebook videos (videos from other websites and also programs play without issues), check the quantity degree on the clips you're aiming to see (hover the mouse arrow over the video to bring up the volume controls). Examine the Facebook help web pages to see if there are any known issues the site is currently experiencing. Disable any type of Facebook-related extensions you have actually mounted on your browser (check your web browser's documents for details on ways to do this) then log out as well as back into Facebook to rejuvenate several of the website's settings. Clearing up your browser's cache and cookies may also help to resolve the trouble.
If you're not obtaining noise in any type of video in your web browser, yet hearing audio from video played from regional desktop applications, your internet browser software program is likely to be responsible (you could easily evaluate for this by attempting an alternate browser to see if the concern is cleared). Check the browser's quantity degree in the Windows Quantity Mixer by clicking the speaker icon in the notice area of the desktop computer. Uninstalling and also re-installing the internet browser, removing its store of temporary cached information and also cookies, and disabling internet browser expansions (specifically those relating to sound or video) might also assist bring back the audio. Ensure you are constantly running the most recent version of your browser as well as any type of plugins running on top of it.
No volume from any kind of video on your system points to an issue with the operating system in its entirety, particularly the codecs installed on top of it. Even if the issue is limited to Facebook, a damaged Windows file could be responsible. Release the Windows Update element of Control Panel to make certain the most up to date updates have been downloaded and install and also set up, as well as install the most current motorists for your sound card as well as motherboard (from the maker's official internet site). Check the quantity setups within Windows (by means of the audio speaker symbol in the notice location) as well as on any type of exterior audio speakers you have mounted.


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MEDIA LEGAL DEFENCE INITIATIVE
London (South), London (Greater)
Voluntary - Expenses reimbursed
Charities, Advice, Policy & research, Trustee, Finance & accounting, Accountancy, Financial controller, Financial services, Legal
Trustee & non-executive director
Responsible to: Chair
Key relationships: CEO, Board of Trustees, Finance and Operations Director
Role Summary
We are seeking an individual with finance expertise and a passion for media freedom to join our Board of Trustees. As a Trustee you will play a vital role in the governance and strategic direction of MLDI, providing oversight and guidance on financial matters and strategy.
This is a voluntary position. Trustees are unpaid, although MLDI will reimburse reasonable expenses incurred in relation to the duties of Trustees.
About MLDI
The Media Legal Defence Initiative is a charity that helps journalists defend their rights. We support independent media, journalists and bloggers who are under legal threat by making sure that lawyers are available to defend them. We engage in strategic litigation to improve the regulatory environment for media freedom, make grants to organisations in various countries to run media defence programmes and build the capacity of the lawyers and organisations we work with on issues of media law. MLDI was set up in 2008 and has established itself as a leader in the field.
Ensure that the organisation functions within the legal and financial requirements of a charitable organisation, in line with good practice and in accordance with our governing document and legal requirements, including Charity Commission and Companies House requirements.
Maintain proper fiscal oversight and ensure the long-term financial stability of the organisation
Work with, and provide strategic advice to, the organisation's Chair and Senior Management.
Prepare financial reports to the board, including the formal presentation of the annual accounts, drawing attention to important points in a coherent and easily understandable way.
Keep the board informed about its financial duties and responsibilities
Ensure that the accounts are scrutinised in the manner required (independent examination or audit) and any recommendations are implemented
Ensure that appropriate accounting and financial policies, procedures and controls are in place
Advise on the financial implications of the organisation's strategic plans, including that the financial resources of the organisation meet its present and future needs
Be an active member of the trustee body in exercising its responsibilities and functions.
Person specification:
A commitment to the organisation and its values – a commitment to freedom of expression is particularly important.
Independent judgement and a commitment to Nolan's seven principles of public life: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership
Experience with accounting, finance and strategy, including a good understanding of charity finance.
An understanding of the role, contribution and legal duties of a charity board.
Experience of contributing to the strategic development of an organisation and ensuring organisational effectiveness.
Willingness and availability to devote the necessary time and effort to effectively support the organisation, including board and finance sub-committee meetings four times per year and being available to staff for advice and enquiries on an ad hoc basis.
The skills to analyse proposals and examine their financial consequences.
Preparedness to make unpopular recommendations to the board
The post is not remunerated, but all expenses are reimbursed up to the Institute's expenses limits.
Voluntary. The position is unpaid however all reasonable out of pocket expenses will be reimbursed.
THE FROEBEL TRUST
Charities Trustee & non-executive director Management jobs in London (East)
Advice Trustee & non-executive director Management jobs in London (East)
Finance & accounting Trustee & non-executive director Management jobs in London (East)
Accountancy Trustee & non-executive director Management jobs in London (East)
Legal Trustee & non-executive director Management jobs in London (East)


Adidas Dare Cologne by Adidas, Adidas Dare, a spicy, fruity blend, was introduced by Adidas in 2008 as a masculine cologne designed with the active lifestyle in mind. The top tones introduce a sweet refreshing theme with apple, bergamot and apple notes. The heart of the cologne builds into a complex sweetness with notes of rum and lavender. By the time the base of the fragrance comes around, notes of vanilla, leather and sandalwood are the most obvious providing a sense of warmth and Read More Read More earthiness.
Adidas has been around since 1948. It started in Germany as an athletic shoe producer. Eventually, the brand expanded to include sports clothing. By 1985, the company had partnered with Coty to produce its first fragrances. Like many of the other products from this brand, Adidas Dare comes in an eye-catching bottle. The dark box is mostly plain with the name of the brand and cologne stamped on the front. The bottle is black with gold accents. All products are original, authentic name brands. We do not sell knockoffs or imitations.


Novelda's CEO Cornelia Mender will be presenting at the Growth Summit conference on Wednesday November 8. Web Summit is the largest tech conference in the world with 60.000 + attendees, 1200+ speakers and more than 170 countries represented.
Novelda recently announced the appointment of Global Electronics Corporation (GEC) as its Japanese Value Added Reseller. With almost 40 years' experience in the semiconductor industry in Japan.
Novelda participated on the Norway China Business Summit in China, 7th-8th of April 2107 (Beijing and Shanghai) organized by Innovation Norway, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries and the Norwegian Embassy in China.
FlatEarth introduces the second comprehensive release of its Chips+Salsa Radar Development Kits and Salsa Software Suite. The software release is replete with enhancements, added features, and bug fixes. On the hardware side a new planar-styled antenna cape is available for the Ancho.
With collaboration with our VAR Flat Earth, Novelda is now selling two new development kits that will enable customers to experiment, set up prototypes and install small volume pilot products with both the XeThru X1 and X2 System-On-Chip (SoC) devices.
Novelda is delighted to announce that it has been shortlisted in the Elektra Awards 2015! Our X2M200 Respiration Sensor Module falls under the Product Technologies award category and will compete for the title of Semiconductor Product of the Year – Analogue.


Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can occur from any traumatic event whether witnessed or experienced.
Symptoms may include flashbacks of the event, nightmares, anxiety attacks and uncontrollable and intrusive thoughts. These symptoms can lead to depression, isolation, hyper-irritability, withdrawal and a feeling of helplessness.
It is not uncommon for some soldiers exposed to chronic or repeated exposure to battle situations to develop PTSD, while others do not develop PTSD. As such, it begs the question as to why some individuals exposed to trauma exhibit no apparent disability while others will develop symptoms.
Similarly, healthcare workers, first responders (such as police, fire, EMS, etc.), social workers and Child Protective Investigators are chronically exposed to traumatic events, but must "push through" to provide their necessary services. Similarly, some of these professionals develop PTSD while others of their colleagues seem not to.1,2 Why?
Pulido, M; Lacina, J (Fall 2010). Supporting Child Protective Services (CPS) Staff Following a Child Fatality and Other Critical Incidents. APSAC Advisor, p.16-22.
Marmar, C, et al (2006). Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress in Police and Other First Responders. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci 1071: 1-18.
Briere, Jn, Scott, C (2013) Principles of Trauma Therapy: a guide to symptoms, evaluation, and treatment. Sage Pub.
Scaer, R (2001). The Neurophysiology of Dissociation and Chronic Disease. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 26(1), 73-91.
Van Der Kolk, et al. (2007). A Randomized Clinical Trial of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Fluoxetine, and Pill Placebo in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Treatment Effects and Long-Term Maintenance. J Clin Psychiatry 68:0.


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Decoupling Series: What is a regulated territorial monopoly?
August 3, 2018 solarguy
This is part one of a three part series on the past, present and future of utility regulation alongside the growing renewable energy industry. REIA supports introducing a decoupling mechanism to PNM because it will change the way utilities do business in New Mexico. If you're interested specifics about the rate case, that information is here.
Status Quo Blues: Regulated Territorial Monopolies
Utilities set up as regulated territorial monopolies for a couple of reasons. As utilities began, they needed enormous initial investment, a barrier to entry requiring government intervention. With high fixed costs, utilities also needed large numbers of customers to obtain a meaningful return on investment. Because competition created crisscrossed electric wire madness, the government allowed monopolies to form. Competition usually discovers the optimal way to produce services to maximize profit and efficiency, so a monopoly does not naturally work to a customer's advantage. As a result, monopolies have potential for abusive behavior. This made government oversight and regulation necessary.
In New Mexico, the Public Regulatory Commission weighs the requests of the utility against the public interest for consistent and affordable access to electricity. Currently, regulated monopoly utilities provide a given utility service on a "cost-plus" approach. The regulators determine the price of electricity as the "cost" and guarantees a rate of return(profit) of to the utility capital investors (shareholders). In the past, this has been a good investment that brings consistent returns.
Utility Business Model:
While fixed costs can be pre-determined for service, markets fluctuate and can only be estimated. Unfortunately, this regulation method has historically rewarded higher capital spending by utilities because regulators allow almost all of the company's durable assets into the "rate base," where it can earn the allowed return (profit). This has resulted in a large pool of profits that can afford big executive salaries. Fortune Magazine summed it up nicely in the quote from Erroll Davis, the former CEO of Wisconsin Electric Power, "your new desk goes into the rate base. This is the only industry I've ever seen where you can increase your profits by redecorating your office." (Fortune, Nov. 13, 1995) As a result, utilities have a natural disincentive to cut costs, increase productivity, or eliminate waste. Coal and gas systems require centralized generating stations with high operation costs, fluctuating fuel costs (usually on an upward trend), and long-term amortization that relies on a large base of rate payers to reimburse. Up, up, and up!
But times have changed. Given more efficient ways of generating electricity, even static estimates no longer make sense. Because the utility is a regulated monopoly, is has no incentive to find better ways to provide utility service on its own.
This has given rise to legislation like the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) that legislates the percentage of generation that must come from renewable energy. In addition, independent producers, according to the New York Times, "have been responsible for 53 percent of the new generating capacity in the last four years." (New York Times, Aug. 8, 1994) The traditional utility business model is under attack from all sides, and has been for a while.
Today, renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency products trend down in price (rather than up) and involve smaller upfront capital investments followed by minimal operational expenses. This throws a wrench into the traditional economic model of a utility. For example, renewable energy built by individuals (distributed generation—or DG) creates logistical complications and competition for utilities. These renewable energy mini-power generation stations add uncertainty to the traditional grid, while also reducing rate revenue for the utility.
In New Mexico, for example, the anticipated growth in the customer base of 1% is negatively offset by a 1.5% increase in distributed generation (DG). With this direct hit to the bottom line, utilities request cost recovery mechanisms from the regulators, like solar tariffs or changes to net metering to make up for this shortfall. (See the report: "Nevada gets it wrong, big time")
Utilities see the writing on the wall. Some create rate structures or fees that disincentivizes renewable energy. Others create long term contracts with high energy users in order to keep them as customers. All of these measures work in the short term, providing temporary solutions to a growing problem. As renewable energy technology becomes ever more accessible to the mainstream market, however, the inevitability of increased adoption means these sorts of rate recovery protection attempts will fail, eventually.
If you want to support our efforts to introduce decoupling to New Mexico, please support us here.
Go to part 2: Why decoupling?
From the Directors
Save Solar!


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is a Japanese model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 1959, making her the first Japanese and Asian woman to win the title.

Biography
Kojima was a 22-year-old model from Tokyo, Japan when she bested four other finalists from Norway, the US, England, and Brazil for the 1959 Miss Universe crown in Long Beach, California. At 5 ft 6 in (167.6 cm), Akiko measured 37–23–38 inches (94.0–58.4–96.5 cm). She denied press reports on having undergone breast surgery. A year later in 1960, Akiko crowned her successor, Miss Universe 1960, Linda Bement from the United States.

In 1966, Kojima was married to Japanese actor Akira Takarada, who rose to fame in the Toho movie studios doing the Godzilla movies since 1954. Kojima settled into a quiet married life. They later had a daughter, Michiru Kojima, in 1967.  They divorced in 1984 and Kojima left with their daughter.

Forty eight years later after her reign, another Japanese national, Riyo Mori, won the Miss Universe pageant in 2007.

References

1936 births
Japanese beauty pageant winners
Japanese female models
Living people
Miss Universe 1959 contestants
Miss Universe winners

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Q: react native accessibility Android I am trying to implement Accessibility in react native application(used Accessibility API). I have a Volume button in my app, with two states (Mute state and normal state). I need to update the AccessibilityLabel according to the state change.
accessibilityLabel={this.state.muted? 'Volume Button' : 'Volume Button muted'}

I have achieved this Accessibility label in iOS, in Android it is not working?What is the solution for this? Do I need to pass any events in Android?

A: with those two props, the VoiceOver and TalkBack should work fine:
accessible={true}
accessibilityLabel={this.state.muted? 'Volume Button' : 'Volume Button muted'}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


It is change of seasons and I have not done a good job of documenting the garden.
The sunflowers flourished, seeds were ravaged by squirrels, and have been cutdown.
Our vineing flowers bloomed shockingly late along our fence line contrasting with the yellowing plants. Nasturtiums (all kinds), morning glories. They climbed the giant sunflowers, piled at the feet of mexican sunflowers.
My initial fear that our tomatoes were doomed was soothed and we spent the bulk of the summer trying in vain to build structures big enough to support the tomato vines. We have plans for next year. In spite of the autumn chill the plants have continued to produce, though it's now time for Patrick's Dream Green Tomato Salsa (ask him, it's his dream).
We learned to can and have 12 jars of tomato sauce, 3 jars of tomato juice, 7 jars of pickled jalapenos (ask him! I have NO idea what you're supposed to do with them), 2 jars of pickled okra (yum!), 7 jars of ketchup, 3 jars of garden salsa. A pressure canner would be a great holiday gift in order to allow us to experiment without killing ourselves with the botulism (hey parents!).
Herbs were either replanted and brought inside or cut and dried. I will crumble the dried ones into jars this weekend.
We have a single beautiful string of dried red peppers that we've learned is called a "ristra". As with last year's string we'll crush the peppers into a hot pepper powder that will last us all year.
The chard refuses to die. We have had chard gratins, chard pizza, chard saag, chard soup, chard quesadillas, chard ravioli, chard pasta sauce, and several chard tarts. OMG IT WILL NOT DIE. I have clear cut it several times. Apparently it grows happily over the winter in the snow. Go figure.
The kale is infested with something but seems happy enough otherwise. Peppers are still on the plants but are kind of blackened. I've run out of steam for them. The strawberries will probably try to take over that box next year.
No bigger than 4 inches.
This weekend we will get a pitchfork and a bale of hay. We will pull out all the plants from the garden except the chard (DARN). We have four heads of hardneck garlic that we'll break into cloves and plant in one of the beds. Each clove will grow into it's own head of garlic. Hardneck garlic is so strong that we should have enough to last us much of next year! We will cover the garden beds with the straw in preparation for the winter. In the spring we will have garlic scapes from the hardneck garlic heads to enjoy.
Apparently over the winter it's common for gardeners to spend time pouring over seed catalogs, dreaming of next summer's garden. I'd always sworn that gardening was a hobby I would avoid. On purpose. Never ever. It lead to dreaming, more cooking, canning, big messes, and everything else you've seen here. Yet here we are. The garden was the hobby that Patrick and I started together on purpose, a hobby that neither of us knew anything about. It was something that we could build together, learn about together, literally grow together. Look how successful we've been? Look how much dreaming we'll do together over the winter.
I already have seeds for Moon and Stars Watermelon.


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Q: Android Properties not updating after editing and committing in the onCreate method of my PreferenceActivity i set some Properties like this:
SharedPreferences preferences = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
SharedPreferences.Editor editor = preferences.edit();

editor.putBoolean("pref_mykey", true);

editor.commit();

It seems to work but the View is not updating so when i open the properties the onCreate runs and changes the values. I will then see the "old" values on the Screen until i close and reopen the prefs screen, then i do see the new properties.
I already tried this after the commit:
((BaseAdapter) getPreferenceScreen().getRootAdapter()).notifyDataSetChanged();

But without any effect. I still see the "old" Prefs until i close and reopen the PreferenceActivity .
What am i doing wrong? How can i refresh the PreferenceActivity after setting values in the onCreate method?
Thanks a lot for your help.

A: This was buggin me all day but finally found a solution.
((ListPreference)getPreferenceScreen().findPreference("key_of_preference_in_xml_file")).setValue(code);
Your example is with a boolean so it'll have to change based on what kind of preference it is.
IE:
((CheckBoxPreference)getPreferenceScreen().findPreference("key_of_preference_in_xml_file")).setChecked(true);

A: If you use a PreferenceFragment than you need to inject the PreferenceScreen in the activity.
public class SettingsActivity extends Activity implements ScanFragment.OnFragmentInteractionListener {

    private PreferenceScreen prefScreen;

    public void setPreferenceScreen(PreferenceScreen prefScreen){
        this.prefScreen = prefScreen;
    }

    @Override
    public void onFragmentInteraction(String scanContent) {
        // commiting to editor retrieved from preference manager would not refresh view
        EditTextPreference pref = (EditTextPreference)this.prefScreen.findPreference(getString(R.string.preference_url_key));
        pref.setText(scanContent);
    }

    public static class SettingsFragment extends PreferenceFragment {
        @Override
        public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
            super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
            // Load the preferences from an XML resource
            addPreferencesFromResource(R.xml.preferences);
            ((SettingsActivity)this.getActivity()).setPreferenceScreen(this.getPreferenceScreen());
        }
    }
}


Ideal for day trips of school. Spacious enough for all the essentials but small enough for your little one to carry.
Made from durable red polyester with 3D wing mirrors and shiny headlights. A drawstring closure to keep everything safe, with adjustable shoulder straps and a water bottle holder.


The Husqvarna 136Li is a lightweight, comfortable and easy to use battery chainsaw. Perfect for felling smaller trees as well as pruning and cutting branches. The intuitive keypad and instant start contribute to fast and trouble free handling, and the low noise level allows you to work without disturbing the surroundings.
The Husqvarna 136Li Battered Powered Chainsaw with 12" bar is available at KK Lawn & Sport at any of our four locations. Contact us for more information.