text:
Never Let Go
April 20, 2018 by Marcus Leave a Comment
"I love it here," Shane said, swinging his legs that dangled over the edge of the wharf.
Damien smiled. "Me, too."
Six months after his suicide attempt, Shane was getting his life back on track. He and Damien had sold their homes and together bought a house in Muskoka Lakes. A talented abstract painter often compared to Jackson Pollock and Piet Mondrian, he was painting again and preparing for an exhibit in the fall. He'd never expected to fall in love, to find someone who'd love him just as he was. But Damien appeared and, most of all, stayed. His best friend. His rock. His protector.
Shane's gaze locked onto those deep-set azure blue eyes that made him forget about the past and begin to imagine living a truly happy life. God, why did he stay? He reached for Damien's hand. "Thank you."
Damien shook his head. "Stop thanking me."
"You saved my life," Shane said with emphasis. "You saved me."
That was true. Shane knew he wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for Damien. And while he felt better, it felt like he was always being tested. Especially on the nights he couldn't sleep. Or the days he didn't feel like talking to anyone, not even Damien. Or when he cried without really knowing why. But every day he took his meds, determined to conquer the dark knight of misery vying for his soul.
That dark knight had almost won. Shane didn't remember much about the day he'd overdosed, but he could still hear the doctor's flat voice explaining how his heart had stopped. The paramedic's vigorous CPR revived him … and broke a few of his ribs. He'd been unconscious, too, for three days. But when he opened his eyes, Damien was there.
"Hasn't left your side," the nurse had said with admiration. "Not even to take a shower, despite our encouragement." She chuckled. "He's a keeper."
"I'm … I'm sorry," Shane said, his voice hoarse and unsteady. "I'm sorry." Then, when he felt Damien's strong arms around him, tears streaked down his face. He cried for his long-dead mother, cried for this love he didn't understand, cried for a life he was constantly trying to escape.
"Don't be sorry," Damien said. "You're here. You're all right. That's all that matters."
Shane felt the pressure on his hand, and Damien's tanned aristocratic face came back into focus.
"You okay?" Damien asked.
Shane nodded. "I am. I was just, you know, thinking about that day … at the hospital." He matched Damien's pressure. "You smelled awful."
They laughed.
Shane gently pulled his hand away, then shifted his body to face Damien, leaving only his left leg hanging off the wharf. "You're sure about this, right? I'm taking my meds. I'm committed to staying healthy. And, God, I love you, Damien Miller. But —"
"There's no but, Shane." Damien slid his body closer and took Shane's face in his hands. "I'm exactly where I want to be." He leaned in, pressed his lips to Shane's and held them there for about ten seconds. "For me, nothing's changed."
"It could happen again," Shane said, his voice dipping low. "And it if does … that could be the time I get it right."
"If you're trying to scare me away, it's not working."
"You could be living a normal life with someone who's not —"
"Stop." Damien swept up both of Shane's hands in his. "Do you remember our second date?"
Shane felt the heat burn in his cheeks and looked down. He'd been such a prick the night they met at Mikey's, yet he agreed — like Damien had suggested — to them having dinner together. His treat for how he'd acted. They'd gone to Station Bel-Air, a French bistro on Front Street West. Even though they talked at Mikey's, conversation didn't come easy for them. And at dinner, the dominating silence had Shane second-guessing his choices. They didn't look at each other, their eyes shifting to the door every time it opened. They only spoke when their server came to take their drink order and when she returned to see if they'd made any decisions on food. What the fuck am I doing here? he'd wondered, checking the time at regular five-minute intervals.
"Want to just call it a night?" Shane asked, gulping the last mouthful of his wine.
"Maybe that's not a bad idea," Damien said.
"I mean, really, you don't want to date a crazy person."
Damien's eyes went wide. "Well, that explains everything."
Shane bristled. "Go to hell!"
There was a silence, then they both broke out laughing.
"Are you…" Damien stared at the open menu. "Are you really crazy?"
"They call it bipolar disorder these days," Shane said, matter-of-fact. He saw the surprise in Damien's eyes and beyond it something more. Was it … compassion? "Look, now's the time to get up and walk away. I wouldn't blame you."
Damien reached across the table and placed his hand on Shane's. "I'm told I'm a great listener."
Shane tried to pull his hand away, but Damien held on. "It's not something I really talk about."
"You can with me."
Shane, his gaze locked on Damien, drew in several deep breaths. Something in those eyes inspired confidence and trust. "I was nine when my father killed my mother…"
The sound of a speedboat zooming across the lake made Shane raise his head. "You should have walked away that night."
"That was the moment I fell in love with you," Damien said.
"Out of pity?"
"Respect. That you survived. That, despite everything, you've built the life you imagined."
That was, at least, partly true … when his mind wasn't broken. Now he had people waiting almost two years for a commissioned work.
"Come on." Damien stood and held out his hand. "Let's grab something to eat."
Shane grasped the large hand and rose. "Stay with me?"
Damien pulled him in close. "Always."
Filed Under: Short Stories Tagged With: amwriting, communication, contemporary, depression, family, fiction, flash fiction, flashfiction, fridayfiction, grief, lgbt, lgbtq, love, memories, mental health, relationships, short stories, shortstory, suicide, unconditional love, writing
"Goddammit, move!" Damien slammed his fist into the steering wheel. Traffic on the eastbound QEW hadn't moved in twenty minutes. The worst part was that he could see the exit for Islington Avenue, and that meant he was almost home. He turned on the radio and, searching for news, kept switching channels. No one talked about an accident, just the usual heavy rush hour gridlock. "Fuck!"
He'd been staying with Shane for almost a month, and waking up to those mesmerizing coffee-brown eyes made him smile. But the forty minutes added to his commute — most of that time spent parked on the highway — had him rethinking his decision. Well, not really. He wouldn't abandon Shane, not when he needed him the most.
"Hey, Siri, call Shane's mobile."
"Calling Shane Wright … mobile," the robotic voice said.
Like his three previous calls, Shane's voicemail cut in right away. Damien didn't want to admit it, but something was wrong. He knew as much by the way Shane, over the past few days, wouldn't look at him. And when he went to touch Shane — kiss him goodbye in the morning, reach for his hand, hug him when he came home — there was always resistance. More than that. Avoidance. The silence made his stomach churn. Shane, lost in his labyrinth, wouldn't let him in. Damien swallowed hard. When he thought about the past few weeks, and Shane being back on his meds, he wasn't sure that anything had changed.
Traffic began to move again. Fifteen minutes later, Damien pulled up next to Shane's black Matrix and scrambled out of the car. He jammed the key into the lock of the grey-brick house on Lake Crescent and opened the door. He roamed from room to room on the lower level, immured in a silence that had a metallic taste swirling in his mouth.
"Shane," Damien called out, mounting the stairs. "We don't have a lot of time if you want to get something to eat before the game." It took a lot of convincing, perhaps even begging, but Damien had finally persuaded Shane to go to a Raptors' game with him. It wasn't necessarily the date night he imagined, but he'd have done anything to get Shane out of the house.
Damien, at the end of the hall, pushed on the bedroom door that had been left ajar and entered the room. "Come on, sleepyhead," he said as he sat down on the bed and gently shook Shane. "You agreed to go, so there's no backing…" His voice trailed off when he saw the empty pill bottle on the nightstand. His mouth went dry as he placed his fingers on Shane's neck. He found a pulse … barely. He yanked his phone from his inside jacket pocket and dialled 9-1-1.
"Don't you die on me," he said, tears banking in his eyes. "I still need you."
He heard the sirens growing louder and, when it sounded like they were wailing inside the house, raced downstairs to open the front door. He led the paramedics upstairs and, back in the bedroom, watched as they worked on Shane. Damien couldn't stop crying because Shane never responded, never opened his eyes, never twitched.
The next thing he knew, Damien was climbing into the back of the ambulance, never taking his eyes off Shane. He found himself smiling and crying as he thought about the day they'd met and the rocky debut to their romance.
It'd happened two years ago at Mikey's, one of the less popular hangouts on Church Street. Damien, seated at the bar, didn't seem to blink as he watched the Penguins take on the Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final. At a commercial break, he drained his beer stein and that was when he saw the man at the other end of the bar. Something about him — the smooth caramel skin, the way he nursed his drink, his focus on the book he held in his hand — everything had Damien swooning. He slid off his barstool and walked over to the guy who he'd already decided would be his future husband.
"What's that you're reading?" Damien asked, his voice cracking.
"A book," was the curt reply.
"Right." Damien held out his hand. "I'm Damien."
Damien started to walk away, then spun around. "Fuck you. I'm just trying to talk to you. You could say, 'Hey, not interested,' instead of being a world-class prick."
"You're right," the guy said, putting down his book. "I've had a crap day, but that's no reason to take it out on you. Shane." He extended his hand and, after a quick handshake, added, "Let me buy you a drink."
"I think a better apology would be dinner." Damien winked. And when Shane flashed him a broad, life-affirming smile, that was the moment he knew he was hooked.
The rapid beeping of the heart rate monitor made Damien look up. His gaze latched onto the flat line streaming across the screen.
"No shock advised," was the audible prompt. "Begin CPR."
Damien let go of Shane's hand and felt himself gasping for air as the paramedic began vigorous chest compressions.
"Stay with me," he said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Please, stay with me."
As they sped through the city streets, Damien thought about God, salvation and eternal life. Now, he wasn't sure about any of them.
The Flowers Need Watering: A Novel
When Mateo's present and past collide, he's questioning everything he knows about family, friendship, and love. The biggest test is this: is he willing to forgive? Read The Flowers Need Watering today and find out! Available on Amazon.
April 6, 2018 by Marcus Leave a Comment
Do it, Shane thought, limping into the dark living room and collapsing onto the sofa. And this time … get it right.
In the silence, all he heard was the ticking of the clock hanging above the fireplace. His stomach gurgled and, suddenly, it felt like the room was spinning. He thrust himself forward until his head was between his knees and took in several deep breaths, pushing them out forcefully through his nose. When he calmed down, he could barely hear the whistle of his breath. Just the tick-tock of the clock that had him remembering the moment that had set him on the path to madness.
Tick. Shane was nine years old again, wearing his Spider-Man pyjamas and standing at the top of the staircase with his hands over his ears to block out the yelling. Tock. The light over the staircase came on and, seeing his mother sprint towards him, his hands fell to his sides. Tick. She swept him up in her arms and carried him downstairs and out of the house. Tock. She set him down on the front porch, cupped his face in her hands and then leaned forward to kiss his forehead. Tick. "Go next door to Mrs. Dodd's," she'd said, tears streaming down her face. "Have her call the police. And don't come back. Go!" Tock. Shane took off running in his bare feet. Tick. Before he made it to the end of the walk, he heard a popping sound, followed by a high-pitched shriek. Tock. He tripped and fell to the ground. Tick. He stood and, when he heard two more pops, bolted towards his neighbour's house.
The doorbell sounded. Shane, his heart thumping, didn't move. A year ago, on a night like this, he'd decided to lay his burdens down. He'd just swallowed ten of his Tegretol pills when his phone rang, Damien Miller's name on the call display. Damien, a scruffy Robert Downey Jr. lookalike, came into his life when he needed an anchor and became his hope, his joy, his everything. At that moment, Shane felt a presence, something — maybe that still, small voice — that made him answer the call. He tried to speak, but no words came as he cried. Through his sobs he heard Damien's reassuring voice, "I'm on my way."
The repeated pounding on the door brought Shane back to the present. He rose slowly and made his way into the foyer.
"I've been trying to reach you all evening," Damien said as he stepped into the house. He closed the door, then reached for the light switch to his left and flipped it on. His eyes went wide. "Jesus! You look like shit."
"Thanks." Shane slinked back into the living room and collapsed onto the sofa.
Damien, following behind, turned on a lamp before sitting down next to Shane. "Did you have that dream again?"
"It's not a dream," Shane said. "I lived it, remember?" Even now he could still smell the hint of sage as Mrs. Dodd held him as they watched his parents' bodies, each draped in a white cloth, being rolled away on gurneys.
Damian reached for Shane's hand. "I know. I just meant —"
"I know what you meant." Shane, locking his gaze onto those cinnamon-brown eyes that somehow made him smile through the pain, pulled his hand away. "I'm tired, Damien."
Damien wrapped his arm around Shane's shoulders and drew him in close. They sat in silence for a moment, then he kissed the top of Shane's shaved head. "You're taking your meds, right?"
Shane squirmed out of the hold and rubbed his eyes. "I ran out."
"When?" Damien asked, almost shouting. "I'm sorry. But you can't just go off your meds and not expect —"
"You don't know what it's like." Shane rose and crossed the room, standing in front of the fireplace with his back to Damien. "My head hurts all the time. I can't eat. I don't feel like being with you even when I want to." He spun around, tears pooling in his eyes. "I can't fucking concentrate. I haven't worked in almost a month. What the hell am I still doing here?"
Damien bounced off the sofa and rushed to Shane, taking him into his arms again. "You're still here because I need you."
Shane twisted away and returned to the sofa. "You don't need a pathetic —"
"You're not pathetic." Damien moved to the sturdy wooden coffee table, sat down on its edge and took Shane's hands in his. "Tell me how I can help."
"Let me go," Shane pleaded. "For Christ's sake, let me go. Fuck, I'm going to end up just like my father anyway."
At fifteen, Shane was diagnosed with bipolar depression. That was when his grandmother, who'd taken him in after his parents' deaths, told him how his father was schizophrenic. "Your mother loved your father very much," his grandmother had said with a hint of guilt, or shame, or maybe both. "They were soul mates. That's why she stayed. But your father … he tried to self-medicate. He didn't want her help, or anybody else's. And I really don't think that it could have ended differently."
Maybe that was what hurt the most … that his mother had given her life for his.
"You're not your father," Damien said, matter-of-fact, and glanced at his watch. "The pharmacy's closed by now. I'm crashing here tonight. Hey, it's not up for debate. We'll go get your meds first thing in the morning."
"Why?" Shane blinked rapidly, but the tears still flowed.
Damien shrugged. "Why, what?"
"Why do you stay?"
"You haven't figured that out yet?" Damien, smiling, squeezed Shane's hands. "Because I love you. That's the only why I need."
The App: Love's Surprise
March 30, 2018 by Marcus Leave a Comment
Parker's stomach flipped when he entered Balzac's. Between the animated voices and the pounding, grinding and gurgling coming from behind the counter, he couldn't hear himself think. He edged his way around the tables and people standing in line, his heart thumping in his chest as he scrutinized the crowd. No Blue Jays cap. Surprised? Not really. Yet he couldn't get that familiar metallic taste out of his mouth. Should he have known better? Absolutely. But deep down, he still believed in love and, despite his past, that he deserved to be happy.
After one more sweep of the coffee shop, Parker retraced his footsteps towards the entrance. He kept his head down, like a man walking to the execution chamber and finally ready to admit his guilt. He couldn't bear the shame of it. Why had he thought that Jay would be any different? "God, I'm an idiot!"
Nearing the entrance, Parker stepped aside as a group of burly young men barrelled inside. When he took a step forward, that was when a warm hand grabbed his wrist. He spun around. The Blue Jays cap! And below the bill were those ocean blue eyes that probed and sometimes terrified him. "You!"
"Parker —"
"I can't believe you did this," Parker said, his voice pitching high. He couldn't stop the tears pooling in his eyes and, swallowing his shock, rushed outside. He walked quickly, almost running, along the dark sidewalk through the mist-like drizzle. He heard the patter of feet behind him and picked up his pace. But it was too late. The hand on his shoulder pressed down and brought him to a stop. He could not — would not — look into those eyes again.
"Give me a chance to explain," Jacob Harding said in a whisper. When there was no response, he slid his hand down Parker's arm and led him into the deserted Liberty Village Park. They stopped near the large Perpetual Motion sculpture, Jacob unable to catch Parker's eye. "Please, Parker … look at me."
Parker jerked his arm free. "I can't," he said, strained. "I don't … know who … you are."
"I'm your friend."
"Friend?" Parker lifted his head, his eyes roaming the unshaved, rugged face before him. "Friends don't —"
"Calm down, Parker," Jacob cut in, raising his voice to match Parker's. "Just let me —"
"Explain?" Parker took a step back when Jacob went to touch his arm. "You called yourself Jay. And don't tell me to fucking calm down."
Jacob removed his ball cap long enough to run his hand through his hair. "Jay's a family nickname."
Parker bristled. "The deception. The duplicity. The lies."
"Fine, I lied," Jacob spat. He bit down on his lip and adjusted his hat. "I just … I didn't know how to tell you."
"This is sick." Parker's voice cracked with disgust. "And mean."
Jacob made another unsuccessful play for Parker's arm. "I never meant to…"
"I don't understand this." Parker rubbed his eyes. "I mean, you score all the time with guys, jocks —"
"Big talk. I'm a flirt. I like the attention." Jacob pursed his lips and rolled them. "I'm a one-man kind of guy. Silly or not, I believe that my soul mate's out there."
"And you think that's me?" Parker swooned, and before he could gather up his strength, Jacob stepped forward and drew him close, so close he could smell the bacon Jacob had had for breakfast. "You could have any guy."
"So you say." Jacob tightened his hold, their waists and stomachs pressed firmly together. "I'd still like to have that coffee with you."
Parker, his eyes narrowing, twisted out of the embrace. "Like a date?"
Jacob chuckled and readjusted his cap. "That's kind of how it works. Dating, that is. Two people do something together so they can get to know each other."
"I know what dating is." Parker sucked his teeth. "But I don't…"
Jacob went over and took Parker's face in his hands. He hesitated just a moment, then drew Parker to him until their mouths met. Being there, like that, with their lips pressed together, said more than words ever could. They stayed like that for about thirty seconds, then he pulled out of the kiss and smiled. "Let's talk over coffee."
Parker backed away. "What? And let the world hear how much of a fool I am?"
"You're not a fool." Jacob tugged on the sleeve of Parker's grey jacket. "Let's go to my place. We'll have privacy."
"I'm not sure about that, either."
Jacob rolled his eyes. "We're just going to talk. I don't sleep with a guy on the first date. Or we can go to your place."
Parker shook his head. "Let's just walk."
They walked in silence, Parker catching Jacob's sidelong glances but never letting their eyes meet. The shock lingered, and he wondered if this was some type of practical joke. It wasn't funny, or maybe it was in a twisted, macabre way. Or maybe this was about his pride, now wounded and bleeding, because he hadn't seen the signs. He never thought of himself as Jacob's type. And a frantic search through his memories revealed that there had never been any awkward moments between them, moments that could have paved the way for a season of love. Like a hand accidentally brushing against an arse. Like seeing each other naked in the locker room when they worked out together. Like… Jesus! He tried to tell me at Octavo yesterday.
Waiting for the light to change at the King and Bathurst intersection, Jacob bumped into Parker. "You okay?"
Parker turned, his gaze levelled at those magnetic eyes, and opened his mouth to speak. No words came. He just didn't know what to say. Then it happened — the sudden bulge in his pants that made him look away. Christ, what am I supposed to do?
The answer surprised him.
Delete the app.
Filed Under: Short Stories Tagged With: amwriting, communication, contemporary, dating, family, fiction, fictionfriday, flashfiction, gayfiction, lgbt, lgbtq, love, online dating, online dating apps, relationships, shortstory, understanding, writing
The App: Taking Up the Dare
Ding!
Parker, stretched out on the sofa, dropped the remote as he sat up. His gaze landed on his phone and the alert on the screen: "You have 1 new message!" One time, just once, he wanted the courage to ignore those damn push notifications, but this wasn't it. He snatched his phone off the coffee table, swiping and tapping with a sniper's precision.
Hi, Sexy!
He fell back into the sofa and groaned. He still hadn't answered the message he'd received as he walked home from Octavo earlier in the day. As much as Parker wanted to hit the Delete button, he couldn't. This time, though, he wasn't trying to 'guard his manners.' On a night when he chose to stay home instead of dancing the night away at FLY, his faceless admirer was a comfort — an unexpected companion on his lonely planet.
Hi, Parker finally sent. I thought you were partying it up tonight.
LOL? Parker scrunched his eyebrows. Is that some new type of Morse code?
Laughing out loud, was the quick reply. Flattered that you remember me, or my plans.
Your plans, Parker shot back.
Parker picked up the remote, flipped through a few channels, then turned off the TV. When he looked at his phone again, a barrage of questions lit up the screen.
What part of the city? What do you do? Any plans for tomorrow? Are you still there?
Parker, feeling a knot tighten in his stomach, didn't know how to respond.
Sorry … didn't mean to overwhelm. Just interested.
In what? Parker asked.
In getting to know you.
Parker burst out laughing, but it wasn't funny. Jacob, who'd been on Cuddlr longer, had warned him about the 'stalkers' — the guys who wanted to get married after five minutes of texting. His best plan was to shut this down. Now! It's getting late.
Ah … so, you're not interested.
It's hard to… Parker bit down on his lip. Would you be excited about chatting with a picture of the CN Tower?
Because it's all about looks.
Parker typed a response, but erased it and opted for, Given the app we're using…
I didn't say I was looking for sex.
Didn't say you weren't. Parker cringed. That wasn't what he wanted to send, it was just a reflex.
You're right. It's getting late.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend, Parker texted before he could change his mind.
I was just trying to be friendly. Sorry if I offended you.
Parker felt his chest tightening. Why couldn't he be ruthless? Why did he feel like he had to be the guy who was nice to everyone? Sorry. This app makes me suspicious, more than usual.
Especially of guys with no clear face pic, right?
There was a pause that made Parker's heart race. Had he just crossed a line?
I may not share a face pic right off the bat, but that doesn't make me a loser, a troll, or any less human.
At that moment, something happened that had Parker wincing at the metallic taste in his mouth. He was the guy the pretty boys ignored, which made him doubt his worth and feel almost unlovable. Now, he was doing the same thing and being a prick.
I'm the loser, Parker replied.
His response had them exchanging messages like Andy Murray and Milos Raonic battling it out on the courts of Wimbledon, yet neither of them tried for match point. They talked about the upcoming provincial election, Madonna's fall at the Brit Awards and, to Parker's surprise, family. At work was a will far greater than his own that chipped away at the walls around him, let him get personal. Then he saw the time. 1:18 a.m.
I guess you didn't make it out tonight, Parker wrote. Or maybe you've been at the bar all this time?
Thanks for chatting.
Coffee?
White. Toned. Single. That limited profile description had Parker recalling Jacob's other warning about faceless profiles. "They're old or absolute trolls," Jacob had said bitterly. "Don't expect a Liam Hemsworth lookalike." Even after three hours of chatting, he wasn't sure he was ready to move from the virtual world into the real one.
I didn't mean tonight. Another long pause. Still there?
Then came, Six-two with dark-brown hair, fit, cute and young at heart.
Young … at … heart. Parker weighed that up, again remembering his friend's blunt counsel: "Young at heart equals old." It shouldn't have made a difference, but the next message he sent was, I don't even know your name.
Parker.
So, Parker … coffee tomorrow? Say, eleven?
It stunned Parker to find himself typing, Where?
Balzac's in Liberty Village.
How will I recognize you?
Light-blue polo shirt, white and blue striped shorts, and a Blue Jays hat.
Parker surprised himself again with his reply. All right. Eleven. Balzac's. Goodnight.
Night, Sexy!
Parker returned his phone to the coffee table and tucked his legs under his body. He felt nauseous.
This was crazy, wasn't it? It couldn't possibly lead to something meaningful, right? No, not when Parker couldn't imagine falling in love like this. And, really, what it came down to was pride. He didn't want to look like a fool if the guy stood him up or was old enough to be his father. Then he'd cut himself off again.
Parker drew in several deep breaths. That made him feel better. For a brief moment he thought about cancelling, but he wouldn't do that. That was something weak men did. He'd show up and let it play out because he had low expectations.
Or so he thought.
Filed Under: Short Stories


text:
Biden, McCarthy Start Debt Ceiling Talks
There Was No Red Wave, 'That's for Darn Sure'
GOP could still take House and Senate, but Democrats will be breathing easier Wednesday morning
By Arden Dier, Newser Staff
Posted Nov 9, 2022 7:03 AM CST
Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-NH, reacts to cheering supporters during an election night campaign event Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in Manchester, NH. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
View 3 more images
Was it a red wave? A bluenami? The consensus, it seems, is neither. As Lindsey Graham announced just before 11pm ET Tuesday on NBC News, it's "definitely not a Republican wave, that's for darn sure." Some reaction to early midterm results:
'Red wedding': Though Republicans could flip the House and Senate, "the 'red wave' is off," reports the Washington Post. "From red wave to red wedding," tweeted Ben Shapiro, referencing a surprise bloody massacre in Game of Thrones. Fox News contributor Marc Thiessen said early results were "a searing indictment on the Republican Party" and urged the party to "turn back," per the Daily Beast.
Relief for Democrats: Overall, Democrats performed better than expected, likely helped by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. In exit polls, nearly three in 10 voters named abortion rights as their most important issue, "which was nearly as large as the share of voters who named inflation," per the Post.
Independents: According to exit polls, independent voters favored Democrats 49% to 47%, which is unusual considering "the opposition party has won independents by double digits in each of the last four midterm elections," per the Post.
A GOP 'mistake': Republicans failed to flip the Senate seat of Democrat Maggie Hassan in New Hampshire. Speaking on NBC, Graham hinted that Republican candidate Don Bolduc, a retired US Army General, was too extreme. "If you run that far behind your governor candidate, you probably made a mistake," he said, per Axios.
Or not: Trump had a different take, however. On Truth Social, he blamed his chosen candidate for disavowing the lies about election fraud, which Bolduc previously backed. "Had he stayed strong and true, he would have won, easily," Trump wrote, per the Independent.
Trouble for Trump: Control of the Senate rests on toss-up races in Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia. Republicans need to nab two of the three for a majority. If they don't, Trump could take the blame as many of his picks had "image problems," per the Post. It notes "Trump might've cost his party a very winnable Senate majority," perhaps for a second time.
Florida: There's more bad news for Trump, but good news for Republicans overall, in Florida, which experienced "a localized red wave," per Rolling Stone. Gov. Ron DeSantis not only won easily but gets credit for the sweep, adding to Trump's anxieties. The Post sees it as "the biggest signal to date that he will be a force to be reckoned with if he runs for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024." Per CNN, exit polls showed 45% of Florida voters want DeSantis to run for president, while 33% want Trump to run.
The House: With votes still being counted, a Republican majority in the House is likely though not a guarantee as Democrats have claimed many toss-up races. The Post notes "the average gain for the opposition party in House races over the past 100 years is 29 seats, which Republicans appear unlikely to match."
Abortion: Pro-abortion activists will find relief in some states rejecting abortion restrictions. Measures to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution look poised to pass in California, Vermont, and Michigan, while Kentucky and Montana are on course to reject anti-abortion measures.
(Read more Election 2022 stories.)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Моран () — тауншип в округе Тодд, Миннесота, США. На 2000 год его население составило 515 человек.

География

По данным Бюро переписи населения США площадь тауншипа составляет 93,3 км², из которых 92,1 км² занимает суша, а 1,2 км² — вода (1,28 %).

По восточной части населённого пункта протекает река Лонг-Прери.

Достопримечательности
Католическая церковь св. Исидора, построенная здесь польскими иммигрантами в 1899 году.

Демография
По данным переписи населения 2000 года здесь находились 515 человек, 186 домохозяйств и 143 семьи. Плотность населения — 5,6 чел./км². На территории тауншипа расположено 235 построек со средней плотностью 2,6 построек на один квадратный километр. Расовый состав населения: 96,70 % белых, 0,58 % афроамериканцев, 0,78 % коренных американцев, 1,55 % — других рас США и 0,39 % приходится на две или более других рас. Испанцы или латиноамериканцы любой расы составляли 1,55 % от популяции тауншипа.

Из 186 домохозяйств в 33,9 % воспитывались дети до 18 лет, в 67,7 % проживали супружеские пары, в 4,3 % проживали незамужние женщины и в 23,1 % домохозяйств проживали несемейные люди. 19,4 % домохозяйств состояли из одного человека, при том 7,5 % из — одиноких пожилых людей старше 65 лет. Средний размер домохозяйства — 2,77, а семьи — 3,20 человека.

28,9 % населения — младше 18 лет, 7,0 % — в возрасте от 18 до 24 лет, 27,6 % — от 25 до 44, 25,4 % — от 45 до 64, и 11,1 % — старше 65 лет. Средний возраст — 38 лет. На каждые 100 женщин приходилось 111,1 мужчин. На каждые 100 женщин старше 18 приходилось 119,2 мужчин.

Средний годовой доход домохозяйства составлял 27 083 доллара, а средний годовой доход семьи — 29 125 долларов. Средний доход мужчин — 24 464 доллара, в то время как у женщин — 16 528. Доход на душу населения составил 15 144 доллара. За чертой бедности находились 13,1 % семей и 18,0 % всего населения тауншипа, из которых 19,3 % младше 18 и 23,6 % старше 65 лет.

Примечания

Тауншипы округа Тодд (Миннесота)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


So often the key to winning this race is staying in contention until Friday and Saturday's race defining stages. Daryl Impey did just that. The 33-year-old South African finished second on the penultimate and queen stage of the Santos Tour Down Under to take the overall lead on countback with one day remaining. His Mitchelton-SCOTT teammates kept him safe on Sunday's 90km criterium around Adelaide to preserve the biggest victory of his career and become the first South African rider to win the event.
With a number of different stage and jersey winners, there are plenty of contenders for this prestigious award but I'm going to plump for the race winner, Daryl Impey, whose stealthy three runner-up places secured him the race leader's ochre jersey and his team's fourth race victory here.
If you can finish second behind Ewan in Stirling, second behind Sagan in Uraidla and second behind Porte on Willunga then you absolutely deserve to win the Tour.
It is a relief, you can never say it is done until it's done. We had things under control especially with the experienced guys like Mat Hayman and Damien Howson who did some awesome work on the front this week so I was in good hands … It's one of the most special races of the season so I would like to come back next year and wear the number one, you don't get too many opportunities to do that.
Before moving onto this year's winners, let's look at how the youngsters from Team UniSA, last year's fresh faces, have fared. Two have joined Sunweb (Jai Hindley and Michael Storer), Lucas Hamilton is with Mitchelton-SCOTT and Miles Scotson is with the Mitchelton development squad.
We have three fresh faces. Midge's #youngdude for this race, Nicholas Dlamini, a neo-pro with Team Dimension Data, waltzed off with the King of the Mountain's crown. Good pick, Midge! We'll be keeping an eye out for him in future races and, maybe, grabbing a quick interview.
Our second is winner of the Best Young Rider jersey, Sky's Egan Bernal (6th overall), whose victory in last year's Tour de l'Avenir has already marked him out for future stardom. And finally, one of our 2017 #youngdudes, Ruben Guerreiro (Trek-Segafredo), finished 9th overall and runner-up in the young rider's jersey, a fiercely fought contest. Keep a look out for all three in subsequent races.
I've said this before and I'll say it again. The forward-thinking TDU organisation puts many prestigious European races to shame. Its Festival of Cycling includes both a men's WorldTour and women's internationally ranked race, plus loads of activities for fans all week long. While not everyone has the luxury of a single venue host, it's the way the organisers ensure rider and spectator safety while still allowing significant interaction between the two that makes this event – now celebrating 20 years – such a success. It was the first event to do away with podium girls, but even better, it's guaranteed equal prize money for men's and women's races.


text:
[ref-link](http://zake7749.github.io/2016/08/28/word2vec-with-gensim/)

# Into word2vec-training Folder

## Step 1 : Download The Raw Data On Wiki
Organize the article on Wiki to train the model, can choose what kind of data you like [Data Link](https://dumps.wikimedia.org/zhwiki/20160820/zhwiki-20160820-pages-articles.xml.bz2)
* Output : `word2vec-model/data.xml.bz2`

## Step 2 : Get Raw Data
Using the function `WikiCorpus` from `gensim.corpora`, to get the sentence of the article
```sh
python wiki_to_txt.py <filename of data.xml.bz2>
```
* Output : `word2vec-model/wiki_texts.txt`

## Step 3 : Translation
In some article, there are some simplified chinese words which have same meaning with traditional one, we use `opencc` to translate it.
```sh
opencc -i wiki_texts.txt -o wiki_zh_tw.txt -c s2tw.json
```
* Output :  `word2vec-model/wiki_zh_tw.txt`

## Step 4 : Cut the Sentence
Using the `jieba` to cut the chinese senetence into short words
```sh
python wiki_seg_jieba.py
```
* Output : `word2vec-model/wiki_seg.txt`

## Step 5 : Start Training
With `wiki_seg.txt`, we use `word2vec` to train the matching model
```sh
python w2v-train.py
```
* Output : `word2vec-model/`[model.bin] (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9bH77JfnfxlZlhFaXdudjEwVEU/view?usp=sharing)

# Into article-keywords Folder

## Step 6 : Find the Target Article-keywords:
Put the article in  medium length into `target_article.txt` in `article-keywords`.

## Step 7 : Cut Target Article Into Short Pieces
* Recommend Use `jieba` to seperate the words if your model is trained by jieba's method.
* But if you have the model trained by CKIP way, please use it and get better matching effect
```sh
python jieba_seg.py target_article.txt
```
### or
Register the account and password on CKIP. `CKIP` can provide better effect to cut the chinese sentence than `jieba`; However, the shortcome of `CKIP` is slower to `jieba` because it needs to send sentence by part with Internet and get resouce back.
```sh
python ckip_seg.py target_article.txt
```
Rember to put your account and password into `ckip_account.txt` in two lines

* Output : `article-keywords/target_article_seg.txt`

## Step 8 : Find keywords in target article
First, Use `Counter()` to get the frequency of each words in target article. Second, each words to add the frequcy of similar words in order, and sort it. Third, from top of the list, eliminate the following words on list, which is very similar with previous one.
```sh
python find_key_weight.py target_article_seg.txt
```
* Output : `article-keywords/target_article_keywords.txt`, list of the keywords in target article which all of them are not similar to each other.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Blow-molding is a process that creates a comfortable plastic seat that is extremely durable. The seat for this plastic folding chair is made by taking a single piece of stain-resistant resin plastic and blow-molding it so that the result is a comfortable contoured form. The same process is done with the back of the chair making this folding chair surprisingly comfortable for a chair at this price.
The Blow-Molded Folding Chair is built with two crossbars for extra strength. When you need a folding chair that looks good, is comfortable, and yet affordable, you should consider these plastic folding chairs.
Comfortable Seating: A contoured seat and back make this a very comfortable folding chair.
Exceptional Material: Scratch- and stain-resistant resin plastic surfaces are built to outlast.
Strong Frame: The textured black powder-coated frame has two cross-bars for added strength.
Sturdy Construction: All connection points are riveted (not screwed) for long life.
Super Portable: Transport up to 60 chairs on the optional Heavy Duty Chair Carrier (model HCT-505-HD) with Optional Extension Kit (model HCT-EXT8).
Unlimited Uses: These lightweight folding chairs are appropriate for indoor or outdoor use, conferences, special occasions, religious services, assemblies and much more.


text:
Katedra w Kaliningradzie (ros. Кафедральный собор в Калининграде, Домский собор Богоматери и Святого Адальберта, niem. Königsberger Dom) – dawniej główna świątynia w Kaliningradzie (do 1946 Królewiec), znajdująca się w historycznej części miasta Knipawa. Katedra została wzniesiona w stylu gotyckim w 1333 r. i jest jedną z nielicznych, okazałych budowli, które zachowały się z przedwojennej architektury miasta. Początkowo kościół katolicki był siedzibą biskupów sambijskich, od 1525 do 1945 r. był świątynią luterańską. Obecnie katedra pełni funkcję centrum religijnego i kulturowego miasta. W katedrze mieszczą się m.in. czasownia prawosławna, kaplica protestancka, muzeum budynku, muzeum Immanuela Kanta. W katedrze odbywają się koncerty muzyki poważnej i religijnej, okazjonalnie nabożeństwa katolickie, prawosławne i protestanckie.

Historia

Powstanie katedry

Poprzednik katedry, mały kościółek, został wzniesiony w południowo-wschodniej części Starego Miasta w latach 1297–1302. Inicjatorem budowy nowej świątyni był biskup Sambii Jan Clare. W 1327 r. Wielki Mistrz zakonu krzyżackiego, Werner von Orseln przekazał grunt leżący na wyspie Knipawie między ramionami Pregoły pod budowę nowej katedry.

Około 1330 r. (dokładna data jest nieznana) rozpoczęto prace budowlane. Pierwotnie zamierzano wznieść kościół obronny z grubymi murami i okienkami strzelniczymi. Jednak zakon krzyżacki nie zezwolił na to żeby w pobliżu Zamku powstała twierdza i wstrzymano budowę. 13 września 1333 r. biskup podpisał umowę pomiędzy Zakonem i Kościołem dotyczącą budowy katedry i od tego momentu kontynuowano budowę tylko świątyni bez obronnych umocnień. Ta data jest uznawana za początek budowy katedry królewieckiej.

Teren na wyspie był bagnisty i przez to budowniczy musieli najpierw wbić w ziemię setki dębowych pali, zanim można było zacząć właściwą budowę. Katedra na Starym Mieście została rozebrana i uzyskane w ten sposób materiały budowlane można było użyć do budowy nowej na wyspie. Specjalnie dla transportu materiału została wzniesiona w murach miejskich Starego Miasta nowa brama i nowy most.

Most został po zakończeniu budowy rozebrany, natomiast brama została zachowana i istniała przez sześć wieków. Po stosunkowo krótkim czasie 50 lat katedra została w 1380 r. w dużym stopniu ukończona. Praca nad freskami wewnątrz katedry trwała jeszcze do końca XIV wieku.

Późniejsze przebudowy
Około 1440 r. katedra została przebudowana na kościół halowy. W nawie głównej założono sklepienia gwieździste, natomiast w nawach bocznych sklepienie trójdzielne. Podwyższono wtedy wieże zachodnie. Spłonęły one w 1544 r. Po tym pożarze odbudowano tylko południową, a pozostałości wieży północnej przykryto prostym dachem. W 1640 na wieży południowej zawieszono zegar. Od 1650 w wieży północnej znajdowała się Biblioteka Wallenrodzka. W 1695 r. katedra otrzymała organy. Podczas restauracji w latach 1901–1907 przywrócono fasadzie zachodniej wygląd z XIV wieku.

Do II wojny światowej katedra miała następujące rozmiary:
 długość: 88,5 m;
 wysokość południowej wieży: 50,75 m;
 wysokość nawy głównej: 32,14 m.

Zniszczenia II wojny światowej

W wyniku nalotów alianckich w czasie II wojny światowej katedra została w znacznym stopniu zniszczona. W latach 70. XX wieku mury częściowo zabezpieczono i pozostawiono w formie trwałej ruiny. W 1992 r. rozpoczęto odbudowę katedry finansowaną głównie z funduszy niemieckich. Po odbudowie katedra ma stać się salą koncertową, gdyż strona rosyjska nie zgadza się na przywrócenie jej funkcji sakralnych. Pracami od początku kieruje inżynier budowlany Igor Odincow.

Pochowani

Katedra była miejscem spoczynku wielkich mistrzów krzyżackich, książąt pruskich i profesorów uniwersytetu. Koronacje natomiast odbywały się na zamku.

W ścianie wschodniej prezbiterium zachowała się część pomnika grobowego księcia Albrechta z 1572 r. oraz wykonane w alabastrze, późniejsze epitafium Bogusława Radziwiłła i jego żony Anny Marii. Oba zostały odrestaurowane w 2009 r.

W XVI–XVIII w. odbywały się tu – obok niemieckich – także polskie nabożeństwa ewangelickie, odprawiane od 1529 r. przez ks. Jana Wnorowskiego, a następnie przez duchownych z kościoła św. Mikołaja na Steindamm.

Wybrani pochowani:
 Luther z Brunszwiku
Ludwig von Erlichshausen
 Henryk VI Reuss von Plauen
 Henryk VII Reffle von Richtenberg
 Martin Truchsess von Wetzhausen
 Johann von Tieffen
 Albrecht Hohenzollern
 Jerzy Wilhelm Hohenzollern
 Anna Maria Radziwiłł
 Bogusław Radziwiłł
 Immanuel Kant

Przypisy

Bibliografia
 Caspar Stein, Das Alte Königsberg. Eine ausführliche Beschreibung der drei Städte Königsberg... anno 1644, Hamburg, Verein für Familienforschung in Ost- und Westpreussen, 1998,  (reprint wyd. Königsberg 1911)
 Dehio-Handbuch der Kunstdenkmäler West- und Ostpreussen. Die ehemaligen Provinzen West- und Ostpreussen (Deutschordensland Preussen) mit Bütower und Lauenburger Land, bearb. von Michael Antoni, München; Berlin, Dt. Kunstverl., 1993,
 Baldur Köster, Königsberg. Architektur aus deutscher Zeit, Husum, Husum, 2000,
 Igor Aleksandrovič Odincov, Kafedral'nyj sobor v Kaliningrade, nauč. red. I. S. Kuznecova, Kaliningrad, Jantarnyj skaz, 2005 (Игор Александрович Одинцов, Кафедральный собор в Калинингрaде, науч. peд. И. С. Куэнецова, Kалининград, Яантарный скаэ, 2005) = Igor Odinzow, Der Königsberger Dom, wiss. Red. Irina Kusnezowa, Kaliningrad, Jantarnyj Skaz, 2005,
 Prusy Wschodnie – dokumentacja historycznej prowincji. Zbiory fotograficzne dawnego Urzędu Konserwatora Zabytków w Królewcu = Ostpreussen – Dokumentation einer historischen Provinz. Die photographische Sammlung des Provinzialdenkmalamtes in Königsberg, oprac. i red. bazy danych Jan Przypkowski, Warszawa, Instytut Sztuki PAN, [2006],

Linki zewnętrzne
 Oficjalna strona katedry

Architektura gotyku w Rosji
Dawne kościoły protestanckie w Rosji
Katedry w Rosji
Katedra
Katedra Matki Bożej i św. Wojciecha w Kaliningradzie
Świątynie pod wezwaniem św. Wojciecha
Katedra Matki Bożej i św. Wojciecha
Zabytkowe kościoły w Rosji


text:
| How-To - Project Vehicles
2005 Mustang Real Street Car - Real Crazy - NMRA Real Street Race Car
Who would buy a new '05 mustang and turn it into an nmra real street race car?
Robin LawrenceWriterCourtesy Of Robin LawrencePhotographer
Horse Sense:
A little history lesson. The '88 LX coupe that I have raced in the NMRA is getting long in the tooth. 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords Editor Steve Turner has asked several times when I was going to build a new car. I was quite attached to my little red '88 coupe. It has a history. It participated in every NMRA Race from 2000 to 2004. It was the third car in the Factory Stock 11-second club. For 2003, I made the switch to the 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords magazine Real Street class. It was July of that year the red coupe became the first car in the nines. Still Mr. Turner persisted in prodding me to consider a new ride. More on that later.
Have you ever wanted to do something but just couldn't justify it? Well, I had listened to Jim Schenk from Car Shop in Moline, Illinois, talk about how cool it was on the Hot Rod Power Tour. With a full schedule of NMRA races, it wasn't really possible. I talked to Steve Turner and asked, "What would you think if I took my Real Street car on the Hot Rod Power Tour?" Steve said, "Cool, and you can write about your exploits in 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords." Hmm, this ought to be fun. It was looking like I needed a plan.
So, a month before the SEMA show in Las Vegas, I notice a post on the FFW message board about Ford Racing's Body-In-White program. I must admit that I didn't look at the new Mustang when Ford had some at Columbus and then Martin, Michigan. The pictures I had seen in the magazines really didn't do the car justice. It wasn't until Dr. Jamie Meyer made the lap down the track at Martin, that I really took notice. As I stood at the fence watching Jamie's blistering 14.70, I was taken with the retro styling of the '05 Mustang. Hmm, those new Mustangs are hot. Well, at least the looks were. After filling out the application, I thought I would not hear anything. Well, about three weeks later, I got an e-mail notification that we had been approved for a Ford Racing BIW.
As required, we sent the $3,500 to secure our car. Once at the SEMA show, a problem arose. I knew that we could never take the '05 Mustang BIW on the Power Tour as it is a non-VIN car. They are sold for the purpose of racing and are never to be licensed or titled. Once the sponsors learned that I had an '05 Mustang in planning for the NMRA Series for 2005, they were not going to settle for my old '88 coupe on the Power Tour.
To solve the VIN problem, I elected to buy a low-option V-6 Mustang to build our '05 Mustang Real Street car. While it seems costly, it also solved many other problems. First, it gave us the ability to drive the car on the Hot Rod Power Tour. Second, it seems that some parts needed to complete the car would have availability problems since Ford is building the new Mustangs as fast as they can.
OK, we really didn't tear into the car immediately. We needed to do a little promotion prior to dismantling the it. Well, actually it was way too much fun to drive. Here we are at Car Shop in Moline, Illinois (our engine guys), to get a few shots of the "before" picture. In this shot, you can see the high ride height that Ford builds into these cars.
We turned to fellow Real Street racer Bruce Hemminger to locate a suitable Red V-6 Mustang to use as a donor car. We took delivery of the car from Bruce in December two days before the PRI Show. We then commenced with dismantling the car. I must say that it's an uneasy feeling taking apart a brand-new $20,000 car. My wife could not understand why it was necessary to destroy such a nice car.
Prior to removing the drivetrain, I worked out a deal with Mustang Parts Specialties in Winder, Georgia, a nationally recognized outlet for used Mustang parts, to purchase the pieces that we removed from the car. It saved us the time required to list and ship the parts individually. The engine and transmission came out as a unit. It was a change from working on a car with rusty, old bolts. With barely 500 miles on this car's odometer, even its exhaust was easily removed. After the interior was removed, it was off to Racecraft in LaSalle, Illinois, for the rollcage, K-member, and Strange/Motive 9-inch rear axle assembly
This intimate disassembly emphasized that several things are radically different in the new Mustang. One is the location of the fuel tank under the rear seat area. Another is the three-link rear suspension compared to the previous four-link design. But it's the total package that really stands out. My hat is off to the engineers who designed the new Mustang. Taking the car apart was a breeze. It seems they used common sense and considered future modifications in their efforts. The framerails are spread wider apart, the rear overhang is longer while the front is less. The weight bias is the best we have ever seen in a Mustang, something we hoped would be an advantage in our class.
The changes throughout the chassis seemed to have prioritized rigidity while saving weight where possible. The hood is aluminum and weighs about 25 pounds-some aftermarket hoods aren't that light. The K-member is a welded-stamped-steel design and is lighter than the previous stamped-steel units. Our efforts to take weight out of the car were diminished by Ford's focus on saving weight. Before you say the cars are heavy, remember they put the weight where it would do the most good-in the structure.
Next month, we will talk about the unique parts that Racecraft developed to put the '05 Mustang on the racetrack.
This is the rear axle and gas tank. The driveshaft has been removed as well as the exhaust system. Unlike the GT, the V-6 uses a one-piece driveshaft that has an accordion-style slip coupler in the middle of the shaft. We will install a one-piece driveshaft from Strange Engineering.


Vintage Army Humor Postcard. This vintage postcard is from MWM and is part of the Army Comic Series. It is a Color-Litho Bursheen Finish. The postcard features a roll of toilet paper near a toilet with war enemies pictures on it. It says I'm going to wipe them out. The post card is approx. 5 1/2" x 3 1/2". There is wear, aging and browning. The corners have some bumping.
Here is a vintage postcard featuring a little boy running to an outhouse. The caption reads " When to this little place you have to job... Please don't use the whole darn catalogue." It has been used. There is some wear aging and discolorations to the card. The corners are creased/bumped.
Vintage Dear John Notes. This is a boxed set of vintage Dear John Way Out (Back) Notes. The stationery features outhouse (bathroom) humor. They were made by Vagabond Creations and date to 1967. The sheets are approx. 9" x 5 3/4". There are 24 sheets total, 2 of each design, with 24 envelopes. There isbrowning of the papers on both the sheets and the envelopes. The glue on the envelopes may not hold due to age, which is typical. They also have an old smell to them.
Here is a vintage postcard featuring a dog being sprayed by the fire hydrant. The caption reads " There hasn't been anything happening here lately - but this is news." It has been used. There is some wear aging and discolorations to the card. The corners are creased/bumped.
Here is a vintage postcard featuring a dad and screaming babies. The caption on the card reads "I've never been up in an aeroplane yet ~ I'm up enough in the night for my fancy!" The postcard is unused but someone did write Nappannee card in pencil on it. There is some wear aging and discolorations to the card. The corners are creased/bumped.


Popular restaurant, meeting place and drinking hole for sailors.
They also have a washing machines (they'll do it for you if you ask) and will act as poste restante for parcel deliveries. 5 euros for a load, plus 5 if they dry it.
Showers at 2 euros, most welcome as we normally use black camping bag on deck.We charged appliances too.
Wide ranging menu and beautifully presented food.
Added by Anthea Evenden on 24/05/2018 06:25:02.
Last updated by David Millner on 03/08/2018 08:16:00.


text:
Men's basketball visits Florida
By Matt Harms
The men's basketball team stole a win on their sojourn to Florida over break.
While the rest of us were coping with cold weather over break, the men's basketball team took a five-day trip to Florida to play against two quality opponents: Weber International University and Warner University.
In their first contest on Dec. 17, Goshen (11-9) notched a narrow 72-69 victory against Warner University (11-6), ranked #28 nationally. Playing close throughout, Goshen pulled away late and used a strong defensive stand to close out the game.
"We dug in on the last possession," said head coach Gary Chupp, "and got the defensive stop when we needed."
The Leafs won despite being outshot 51 percent to 42 percent largely because of their ability to hit the outside shot. They hit 10 three-pointers compared to Warner's two. Juniors Errick McCollum and Nate West led the Leafs with 17 points each.
The following day, Goshen lost a tight game to Weber International University (11-4). Down 46-36 at halftime, the Leafs attempted a second-half comeback but could not put Weber International away, losing 81-79. Despite a strong offensive outing and 27 points from top scorer Errick McCollum, 19 Goshen turnovers led to easy points for Weber International.
"They completely out worked us," said Chupp, "They pressured us and we really let them take the game to us."
While in Florida, the team took some time to relax.
"We had a great time getting to know one another in a different setting than the basketball court," explained Chupp. "Some of the highlights were attending a Magic vs. Spurs game, cleaning Coach Young's clock in bowling and hanging out at the beach in Daytona."
Goshen also won against 25th ranked Grace College (10-7) over break before going 1-2 to start the second semester. Their next game is against Marian College at home on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 3:00 pm.
Written by Matt Harms


text:
Q: Database design for UserConsent I am trying to create a table where I will be storing if we have user's consent to send emails. Those things can be weeklyEmails, monthylEmails, passwordChangesEmails, profileChangesEmails and so on.
This is what I have thought of making for now:
*********************** UserConsent Table ***************************

   |columns|                      |datatype|
    ID                              uuid
    User_id(Foreign_key)            uuid
    weeklyEmails                    boolean
    monthlyEmai                     boolean
    passwordChangeEmails            boolean

The downside of this is let's say in the future I want to add another consent like profileChangeEmails or dailyDigestEmails, I will have to write database migrations and add a new column.
Is there a better way to do this where there is no need to create a new column?
It's for a relational database.

A: Your solution seems adequate.
One thing to think about is whether it is worth it to separate into a 1:1 model like you have specified, rather than just add columns to the user table. If you have a reasonably small user table, it would probably be simpler to add the columns so you don't have to deal with relationship management.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
UAE leaders offer condolences on death of Saudi prince.
Zaki Nusseibeh meets with UN official.
December 19, 2019 businessarabia.qa
Zaki Nusseibeh, Minister of State, today met with Vladimir Voronkov, Assistant Secretary-General of Counter-Terrorism Affairs at the United Nations, UN, on the sidelines of a regional conference currently being held in Abu Dhabi on 'Empowering Youth an…
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed chairs meeting of Education and Human Resources Council.
November 27, 2019 businessarabia.qa
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and President of the Education and Human Resources Council, chaired the meeting of the council, held at the Youth Centre in Abu Dhabi.During the meetin…
Launch of the Pottery Craftwork Educational Project for People of Determination in Kazakhstan.
Ammar Omar Al-Breiki, Acting Charge d'Affaires at the UAE Embassy in Kazakhstan, launched the pottery education project in the presence of Mira Al Azizi, head of the Economic, Political, and Media Affairs Sections at the UAE Embassy, at the headquarter…
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan names Emirates Diplomatic Academy graduates 'Ambassadors of Tolerance'.
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Emirates Diplomatic Academy, EDA, attended the graduation ceremony of the 2019 batch of EDA students, held…
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed visits Prince Saud Al Faisal Institute of Diplomatic Studies.
October 31, 2019 businessarabia.qa
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, has visited the Prince Saud Al Faisal Institute of Diplomatic Studies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.During his visit, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed was acco…
UAE lends a helping hand to Australia.
Saudi Judiciary rulings on murder of Khashoggi emphasis Kingdom's commitment to enforce law in fair manner: UAE.
International court of justice holds proceedings on objections to ICAO jurisdiction.
Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural)
Categories Select Category Arts & Culture Business Education General Health Key Issues Legal Rights Legal-Judicial Press Release Sports Uncategorized
Qatar beach volleyball team advance in FIVB World Ranking
Doha Festival City to host Mini Athletics Championships for kids
President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has sent a message of condolences...
The Business Arabia is the trustworthy source of revealing the news of every sector from all over the world and mostly from the arab region. The world's overall economy is dependable on… Read More
Business Arabia


Kalashnikov, manufacturer of the legendary AK-47, has built a new drone platform it hopes will bring cheap, capable, and deadly micro-bombers to the masses.
The FAA released a report today on the frequency of encounters between drones and aircraft. The two vehicles are running into each other with increasing frequency, and the costs of the entanglement are very real.


The Republic of Ireland caused the shock of all shocks on Thursday night when they beat Germany 1-0 in Dublin and they come into this game against Poland full of confidence. Martin O'Neill's side were excellent in the victory over Germany and while they rode their luck a little they deserved the victory. Shane Long the Southampton striker came off the bench to score the winner in the seventieth minute and he is likely to be rewarded with a start in Warsaw. Wes Hoolohan, Robbie Brady and James McCarthy were magnificent against the Germans and O'Neill will be hoping for more of the same against the Germans especially from Everton midfielder McCarthy who harassed, harried and kicked anything that moved on Thursday night. Ireland know they must either win the game or get a 2-2 or higher draw to book their place in the Euro's.
Poland snuck a drawy against Scotland with virtually the last kick of the game and Robert Lewandowski's ridiculous goal scoring record continues as he has now scored two or more goals in each of his last five appearances for club and country. Poland though were somewhat lucky to get away with a draw and they will know that they now face an Ireland team full of confidence and with nothing to lose. Poland are in a tough position on Sunday as well , they are at home and will want to go out and win but they know a loss will put them in the playoff rather than straight through to the Euro's. Milik, Lewandowski and B?aszczykowski will provide the attacking emphasis and the Bayern Munich striker is one of the best strikers in the world, can Ireland handle him on Sunday night?
For those who've followed me here over the years you know I am Irish and obviously I try not to be biased in any prediction I give involving my own country. However this may be a little biased, I think Ireland are going to get something from this game, they put in a magnificent performance against the World Champions Germany on Thursday and I think the confidence gained from that will be essential on Sunday, I'm taking Ireland +1 here and will be tuned in to cheer the boys in Green on Sunday evening.


text:
Tripterospermum es un género  de plantas con flores perteneciente a la familia Gentianaceae.  Comprende 43 especies descritas y de estas, solo 21 aceptadas.

Taxonomía
El género fue descrito por  Carl Ludwig Blume y publicado en Bijdragen tot de flora van Nederlandsch Indië 849. 1826.

Especies seleccionadas
 Tripterospermum affine
 Tripterospermum alutaceofolium
 Tripterospermum angustatum
 Tripterospermum australe
 Tripterospermum brevilobum
 Tripterospermum bulleyanum
 Tripterospermum trinerve

Referencias

Gentianinae


text:
Last offered: Winter 2017 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-ED
FEMGEN 134: The Marriage Plot (ENGLISH 134)
The centrality of the marriage plot in the development of the British novel beginning in the 18th century with Samuel Richardson's Pamela and ending with Woolf's modernist novel Mrs. Dalloway. The relationship between novelistic plotting and the development of female characters into marriageable women. What is the relationship between the novel and feminine subjectivity? What aspects of marriage make it work as a plotting device? What kinds of marriages do marriage plots allow? Is the development of women's political agency related to their prominence in the novel form?
Last offered: Spring 2018 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-SI
FEMGEN 139B: American Women Writers, 1850-1920 (AMSTUD 139B, ENGLISH 139B)
This course traces the ways in which female writers negotiated a series of literary, social, and intellectual movements, from abolitionism and sentimentalism in the nineteenth century to Progressivism and avant-garde modernism in the twentieth. Authors include Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Jacobs, Rebecca Harding Davis, Emily Dickinson, Kate Chopin, Edith Wharton, Gertrude Stein, Willa Cather, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
Last offered: Autumn 2018 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-A-II
FEMGEN 144F: Female Modernism: Women Writers in Paris Between the Wars (ENGLISH 144F)
The course will focus on expatriate women writers - American and British - who lived and wrote in Paris between the wars. Among them: Edith Wharton, Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, H.D., Djuna Barnes, Margaret Anderson, Janet Flanner, Natalie Barney, Kay Boyle, Mina Loy, Romaine Brooks, Mary Butts, Radclyffe Hall, Colette, and Jean Rhys. A central theme will be Paris as a lure and inspiration for bohemian female modernists, and the various alternative and emancipatory literary communities they created.
Instructors: Castle, T. (PI)
FEMGEN 144F | 5 units | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II | Class # 19462 | Section 01 | Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit | SEM
01/06/2020 - 03/13/2020 Tue, Thu 9:00 AM - 10:20 AM at 160-319 with Castle, T. (PI)
FEMGEN 145: Culture Wars: Art and Social Conflict in the USA, 1890-1950 (AMSTUD 145M, ARTHIST 145, ARTHIST 345)
This course examines social conflicts and political controversies in American culture through the lens of visual art and photography. We consider how visual images both reflect and participate in the social and political life of the nation and how the terms of citizenship have been represented¿and, at times, contested¿by artists throughout the first half of the 20th century. The class explores the relation between American art and the body politic by focusing on issues of poverty, war, censorship, consumerism, class identity, and racial division.
Last offered: Spring 2014 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-AmerCul, WAY-A-II, WAY-ED
FEMGEN 150: Sex, Gender, and Power in Modern China (CHINA 115, CHINA 215, FEMGEN 250)
Investigates how sex, gender, and power are entwined in the Chinese experience of modernity. Topics include anti-footbinding campaigns, free love/free sex, women's mobilization in revolution and war, the new Marriage Law of 1950, Mao's iron girls, postsocialist celebrations of sensuality, and emergent queer politics. Readings range from feminist theory to China-focused historiography, ethnography, memoir, biography, fiction, essay, and film. All course materials are in English.
Last offered: Spring 2018 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-Gender, WAY-A-II, WAY-ED
FEMGEN 150D: Women Poets (ENGLISH 150D)
The development of women's poetry from the 17th to the 20th century. How these poets challenge and enhance the canon, amending and expanding ideas of tone, voice and craft, while revising societal expectations of the poet's identity. Poets include Katharine Philips, Letitia Barbauld, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Charlotte Mew, Sylvia Plath, and Adrienne Rich.
Instructors: Boland, E. (PI)
FEMGEN 150D | 5 units | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II | Class # 33323 | Section 01 | Grading: Letter or Credit/No Credit | SEM
01/06/2020 - 03/13/2020 Mon, Wed 11:30 AM - 1:20 PM at 200-202 with Boland, E. (PI)
FEMGEN 160: Performance and History: Rethinking the Ballerina (TAPS 160, TAPS 260)
The ballerina occupies a unique place in popular imagination as an object of over-determined femininity as well as an emblem of extreme physical accomplishment for the female dancer. This seminar is designed as an investigation into histories of the ballerina as an iconographic symbol and cultural reference point for challenges to political and gender ideals. Through readings, videos, discussions and viewings of live performances this class investigates pivotal works, artists and eras in the global histories of ballet from its origins as a symbol of patronage and power in the 15th century through to its radical experiments as a site of cultural obedience and disobedience in the 20th and 21st centuries.
FEMGEN 176: Feminism and Contemporary Art (ARTHIST 176, ARTHIST 376, CSRE 167)
(Same as ARTHIST 176) The impact of second wave feminism on art making and art historical practice in the 70s, and its reiteration and transformation in contemporary feminist work. Topics: sexism and art history, feminist studio programs in the 70s, essentialism and self-representation, themes of domesticity, the body in feminist art making, bad girls, the exclusion of women of color and lesbians from the art historical mainstream, notions of performativity.
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VHS2DVD Aviators is just one of my favorite artist. All of his song is just amazing. Favorite track: Red Water Dreams.
mrbushido90 Amazing! I truely love the varaity in this album, heck it may finally knock "Let there be fire" from my most listen album. Keep going man! Favorite track: All Hallows.
Zelí I absolutely love all of the lore that can be found on this album. It also has a great mix of 5 minute and 7 minute songs as well as a great blend of different themes and music styles. Favorite track: Lost Boys (feat. Moonraccoon).
Comes in a rugged plastic and cardstock DigiPak with artwork by ABluSkittle. Digital release pre-order included.
NOTE: CDs are not manufactured and shipped until after the digital album is released. Estimated shipping date is February 7th, 2019.
Includes unlimited streaming of Godhunter via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Produced by Aviators and Moonraccoon. Artwork by James Workman.
"The godhunter waits for you"
Bring the fire when they call you "traitor"
Alone I've been wondering, how long has it been?
But why do I think of you whenever it rains?
Why do I hear you in all of my dreams?
So when will the thunder cry out your name?


text:
Thanks for your interest in contributing to TwitterOAuth. We appreciate contributions small and large.

## 🌱 Grow

If you have an idea for something new or would like to improve something. Please [open a quick issue](https://github.com/abraham/twitteroauth/issues/new) explaining the changes and the reasons for them. Everyone's time is important and we don't want you duplicating work someone else might already be working on.

GitHub has [outlined instructions](https://help.github.com/articles/fork-a-repo/) for forking a repo. To work on an update to this repo, you will:

- Fork the repo
- Make the changes
- Submit a pull request

Once the [pull request](https://help.github.com/articles/about-pull-requests/) is reviewed, if the changes are approved they will be merged in to the project.

## 🐛 Bugs

Please [open a new issue](https://github.com/abraham/twitteroauth/issues/new) and details what you are trying to do, what is happening, and what you expect to happen. Err on the side of providing more details.


Bailey Square Surgery Center is the state's very first freestanding multispecialty ambulatory surgery center. Founded in 1973, Bailey Square Surgery Center led the way in developing a safe, convenient, high-quality alternative to in-patient hospitalization. Since then, outpatient surgery has become more than accepted; it has grown to be the preferred alternative.


I love it when I stumble across something unique at a yard sale or flea market, that I know I'm unlikely to come across again. A few weeks ago, I got an antique car windshield at a yard sale and that was definitely the first time I'd ever found one of those.
The man selling it had several of them, but the rest had broken pieces off the glass, so I only purchased this one.
I debated a few different sayings to paint on it, but decided on "Take the Scenic Route", because I love getting off a well-traveled (and usually boring) highway and seeing the sights on back-country roads instead.
Over the weekend, I drove a few hours away and went to a vintage market with my cousins, taking the back road coming and going. I never tire of seeing the scattered farmhouses and the rural scenery. Later this week, I'll show you the things I brought home from the trip.
Fun Things from Today's Sponsor!
Angie, I am so glad you had a nice week-end with your cousins. Can't wait to see what you bought. I just know you will do some exciting things with everything. Love the sign … just so perfect for an antique car windshield. I am sure it has seen a lot of Scenic Routes.
What a wonderful find and love the inscription!
I definitely wouldn't have passed that up either. It looks awesome!
Love it! I've never ever seen one in all my antiquing adventures. What a great find.
What a fabulous find, and I love the saying you chose!
What a great find Angie, I love what you did with it!
Oooh, I love this. Great idea!


text:
BCS heads begin talks on playoff
Mar 27, 2012 at 12:01 AM Mar 27, 2012 at 12:05 PM
BCS leaders finally are starting to get into some specifics in their discussions about possible � maybe even likely � changes in college football's postseason and how to determine a champion.
They are finding out just how tricky the process will be. And it's still far from being finished.
"The complexity is phenomenal, the level of details requires a great deal of time," BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock said yesterday, after the 11 conference commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director met for about 7� hours in Grapevine, Texas.
This was the third meeting this year, coming just more than a month after the group met over two days at the same hotel connected to a terminal at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
"There's no consensus yet on anything," SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said. "The first couple of meetings, we talked a lot about just college football in general, the regular season. This time, less of that and more about how we need to start getting closer to where the rubber meets the road. And there's lots of different options, and start to analyze each one of those and the pros and cons that go with them."
MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said while progress is being made, things are also getting more complicated.
"The deeper you get, the deeper you're going to have to dig," Steinbrecher said.
While the commissioners have acknowledged a four-team playoff is among the options being considered, and there seems to be considerable talk about that, Hancock cautioned that isn't a done deal.
"There's a long way to go and a lot of people still to hear from," he said.
The next meeting is scheduled April 24-26 in Hollywood, Fla., when the Football Bowl Association holds its annual meetings.
The group released a statement after the meeting that concluded with: "We're making good progress toward our self-imposed goal of making a final recommendation this summer to our governing bodies."
Among the things that have to be taken into account with a four-team playoff system would be where games would be played (Neutral sites or on campuses?) and how teams would be selected (Current ranking system, new ranking system or a selection committee?). Some have suggested a format that requires teams in a conference to win their league to be eligible for a playoff.
Also taking part yesterday were television consultants hired to help provide advice about the potential value of different postseason models being considered.
The BCS is in the middle of a four-year deal with ESPN that runs through the 2014 season. A new BCS format must be in place before the fall, when television negotiations with ESPN open, though Hancock indicated last month that the contract did allow for a delay if needed.
Hancock wouldn't get into specifics about the potential value of a new TV deal but expects "good numbers."
Chuck Neinas, the interim commissioner of the Big 12 through June, said the figures he heard yesterday are encouraging.
"A buck or two," Neinas said, with a smile. "We're still in the embryonic stage."
SABAN SIGNED THROUGH '19 SEASON: Alabama Coach Nick Saban said he received overtures for other jobs after claiming a second national title in three years. Instead of bolting, he has received a raise and contract extension worth $5.62 million a year that he said represents his intention to finish his career in Tuscaloosa.
The university's board of trustees approved a two-year extension for Saban yesterday that will run through Jan. 31, 2020. He'll receive $5.32 million in 2012 with a $50,000 raise next year and $100,000 annually after that.
Saban will make nearly $45 million over eight years in base salary ($245,000) and what Alabama calls "talent fees."
Tribune Publishing
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Session by Reem Al-Ashry (http://reemalashry.wordpress.com/) in WordCamp Egypt 2009, discussing the Top 10 WordPress popular and features used plugin.
2. Agenda : 1- TinyMCE Advanced2- cForms ||3- WP-UserOnline4- Akismet5-Google XML Sitemaps 3. Agenda :6- All in One SEO Pack7- Sociable8- WP Super cash9- Subscribe to comments10- DataBase Back up 4. 1- TinyMCE Advanced 5. - Change Font family and size- Search and replace- insert emoticons- support XHTML tags- adding and editing tables- adding inline CSS to any element 6. 2- cForms || 7. - Making a customizable contact form without knowledge of php, CSS- fancy group of styles for your form- make multiple forms at the same page- make a captcha for security . 8. 3- WP-UserOnlineDisplays how many users are online ,where they are and who they are . 9. 4- Akismet - Very powerful Anti-spam tool- checks comments for spam 10. - Akismet stats : 11. 5- Google XML Sitemaps 12. -Generates an XML file for yourblog's content-Giving Search engines a Backend access to your Blog-Automatically notifies search enginesabout Updates in your Blog- Helps in better indexing for your Blog 13. 6- All in ONE SEO Pack - Generates meta titles-Generates descriptionfor your posts- avoid duplicate content- Better page rank and indexing in search engines 14. 7- Sociable - Bookmark posts on social bookmarking Web-sites 15. 8- wp super cash -Cashes pages as HTML files from yourblog-The web server will serve the staticHTML files faster than php scripts-Useful in large blogs-Saves time 16. 9-Subscribe to comments - Send notification mail to commentors when a new comment is posted on your blog . 17. 10- Wp DataBase Backup 18. So,What is your favourite plugin ?? 19. Thanks !


text:
Q: Point of Borel Sets One definition of a Borel set is as follows:
If $S$ is a topological space (where
it supports the concepts of open set): , then the Borel $\sigma-$ algebra on $S$ , denoted by $\mathbb{B}(S)$
, is the $\sigma-$ algebra generated by all the open sets.
I hope my question is not too broad- what is the advantage of working with a Borel Sigma algebra, as opposed to a generic sigma algebra?

A: For example: suppose that a $\sigma $-algebra contains a topology (this is the case of Borel). Then every real valued continuous function is measurable.


Inspired by the compassionate love of Christ, Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains walks with the vulnerable, through services that heal, strengthen, and provide hope.
We believe that all people, from the newborn infant to the most elderly person, deserve to be valued in our community. Therefore, Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains is committed to offering love and support to the people it serves, regardless of race, religion, gender, or age, to help equip them to live full and whole lives.
Founded in 1948 to provide adoptive placement for babies, over time programs were added to meet new community needs: birth parent counseling, foster care, aging services, international adoptions, services to refugees, aid following disasters, and parent education. Since 2000, LFSRM has added: an African American Caregiver Support Program; an infant adoption awareness training program for healthcare providers; foster care services for unaccompanied refugee minors; an employment training center for refugees; and basic legal immigration services. In 2012 LFSRM assumed operations of a SafeTouch Body Safety program, family visitation facility, and parenting education classes in Weld County, and opened a refugee services office in Albuquerque, New Mexico. LFSRM is now one of the largest private foster care providers in the state and the largest refugee resettlement agency in the Rocky Mountain region.
With offices located in Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Greeley/Evans and Fort Morgan, CO and Albuquerque, NM, and services provided in Wyoming, Montana and Western Nebraska, LFSRM now responds to critical social and emotional needs of approximately 30,000 people annually. The issues encountered daily by LFSRM staff and volunteers include unintended pregnancy, family violence, child abuse and neglect, the impact of man-made and natural disasters, older adult isolation, and the plight of refugees and documented immigrants. LFSRM develops and provides programs that not only respond to such issues, but also help to prevent these situations from occurring in the first place.


An AIGA post from last summer (The Amazing Visual Language of Processing) has got me thinking about the tension in the relationship between design and technology, especially in a firm like Stamen.
One of the ways in which we describe our work to ourselves is a balance between Divergence and Convergence, words that my dad explained to me a while back in a design context. Divergence means sketching, exploring, playing, choosing the right metaphors to use. Convergence means you have a goal in sight, and you're problem-solving to attain it within known constraints. We shift from one mode to another over the course of a client engagement, and we're starting to get better at self-awareness in this process. There's a perpendicular division/dialogue as well, between what and how, and I think it operates above the project level, maybe even above the company and industry level in some cases.
Our What is the content you see in a Hindsight or Swarm, the visual presentation of an information source like home construction or popular news stories. This is the obvious bread and butter of what we do, and generates a lot of phone calls, e.g: "we saw Digg Labs, and we have this new website idea that we can't talk about, but we'd like a Labs of our own, please, for when we launch." I think a lot of traditional design (for an ever-changing definition of "traditional") happens here: if you already know how to do CMYK or HTML, you can focus on the communication, the content, and finally the finesse.
Our How is the way we get things done, and is the sum total of all the data, web, presentation, shaping, protocol, publishing, processing, algorithmic, and other domain knowledge we've built up over the years. I think about this a lot. In addition to being a partner/owner, my official role is Director of Technology. This means that much of my time is spent with a machete in the jungle of new stuff that might be interesting to us at some point in the future: new technology, new sources of interesting data, and new ways of cramming it all through the thin straw of the web for viewing in a browser.
The thing that keeps me going is that all this How work is really fascinating. A lot of it happens in the early phases of a project, and not all of it sees the light of day, but I like to think that one of our competitive advantages as a company is having a deep well of technique to draw from, and the ability to keep a dialogue going between the two poles. The reason I say above that this dialogue frequently seems to span companies is because in many cases, it is obstructed by force of habit. If you already know how to do something, there's no need to learn to do it another way. Dialogue keeps novelty flowing up and back to the visible work, and inspiration and movement down and towards the coalface where all the dicking around happens. Groups that lack this line of communication seem to either get stuck in techno-noodling/experimentation on one hand or cul-de-sacs of process fervor on the other.
Some of the most interesting people I know are adept at shuttling back and forth along the line between the two poles. Matt Biddulph seems to spend 75% of his time running Dopplr, and the other 75% of his time exploring hardware, Erlang, Second Life, and Jabber. My friend Bryan is a builder and carpenter, and talking to him about his new house show a similarly expansive scope: I'm fascinated by the idea of pointing to doors and windows and being able to assert that they should be moved this way or that, holes for new doors punched in existing walls, and entire new spaces carved out of basements and foundations. Eric Sink had a great way of explaining this constant peering-into-things in a 2003 blog post where he talks about constant learning ("Don't work for a manager who is actively hindering your practice of constant learning. Just don't do it."). I also enjoyed Clayton Christensen's Innovator's Dilemma and its examples drawn from the disk drive industry (the mayflies of computing) for an extended explanation of the ways in which an existing What can block the view to a new How, to the point that entire companies and even industries are plowed under. For whatever reason, technology (as much a moving target as "traditional") freaks people out, e.g. Miko's extensive comments on the GiveWell fiasco from last month: "Though the 'elders' were universally extremely bright and accomplished people, I was struck by what I can only call a sort of fundamental insecurity.... As soon as technology is mentioned, many of them seem to forget what they already know, and fail to ask the basic questions they have been asking all their lives."
Back to the convergence/divergence thing, I think the what/how conversation spins on a different axis, more slowly than individual projects. Just as an example, the granularity of Stamen's mapping work exploded this past year when we started the Modest Maps project and introduced a city-scale level of detail to our work and served as the backdrop to a series of efforts at representing time. The previous year, our work with Digg (designing their API, the Labs work) led to a multi-client exploration of liveness. This year, we've identified responsiveness as a seam to mine, looking at ways in which new and old projects might incorporate user feedback to change the underlying systems.


Amy Likar, flute and piccolo, is a member of the Oakland Symphony and teaches for the Music For Excellence (MUSE) program. As a freelance musician, she has performed with numerous groups throughout the Bay Area of California. She performs in the Alcyone Ensemble with flutist Rena Urso-Trapani and Ciel, Aer et Vens with soprano Jenni Cook and pianist Miles Graber.
Ms. Likar has studied the Alexander Technique for over 20 years and received her teaching certification and training from the Alexander Training Institute of San Francisco, studying with Frank Ottiwell, Robert Britton, Larry Ball, Rome Earle, Simone Biase and John Coffin. She has also studied the Alexander Technique and Body Mapping over the past 20 years with Barbara Conable. She is a member of the American Society of the Alexander Technique (M.AmSAT) and Alexander Technique International.
Ms. Likar maintains an active studio and coaches young students to professionals. She works with singers and instrumentalists on enhancing greater freedom and ease both physically and musically.
For more information about Amy Likar, please visit her website at amylikar.com.


AR of Adelio Ratti, moved by a policy strongly oriented to the satisfaction of the customer and the professional ethics, ensures top quality components associated with production processes in continuous improvement.
Targets achieved thanks to a structured quality office, staff training, monitoring of any single production step, modern measuring instruments constantly calibrated and certified.
Our highest reliability proved over years has allowed to obtain the approval of the more important industries certified UNI ISO 9001 and to obtain the entry into FREE PASS of our products.


In the Jura, the melting of the glaciers gave rise, more than 10,000 years ago, to many basins that were transformed by melting water and springs into as many lakes. Sometimes wild and hidden, kingdoms of water sports and swimming like the famous and largest Lake of Vouglans at the exit of our village below or nearby: Clairvaux-les-Lacs, Chalain, Lac de Coiselet, the lakes of the Jura will satisfy both those who like to contemplate them and those who prefer to swim there!
Nautical activities at only 5 minutes by car from Camping la Petite Montagne: Paddle, fishing, stroll and meal in Louisiana on the Lake – electric boat rental – cruises – canoes – pedal boat – windsurfing – jet ski – diving etc…..


text:
Q: __LINE__ __FILE__ OR similar function in qml I am trying to print caller function, line number and file name without throwing an error for normal debugging purpose in QML. I can print caller function name as follows
console.log("Caller Function Name"+arguments.callee.caller.name);

A: You can override qInstallMessageHandler default function and provide your custom function which also prints line number / caller. You can find an example in the linked documentation. Another partial example:
void loggingMessageHandler(QtMsgType type, const QMessageLogContext & context, const QString & msg)
{
    QString timeStr(QDateTime::currentDateTime().toString("dd-MM-yy HH:mm:ss:zzz"));
    QString contextString(QString("[%1  %2]").arg(context.file).arg(context.line));

    mutex.lock();

    QString level;
    if(logFile.isOpen())
    {
        switch (type) {
        case QtInfoMsg:     level = QString("INF"); break;
        case QtDebugMsg:    level = QString("DEB"); break;
        case QtWarningMsg:  level = QString("WAR"); break;
        case QtCriticalMsg: level = QString("CRT"); break;
        case QtFatalMsg:    level = QString("FTL"); break;
        }
        QTextStream stream(&logFile);
        stream << timeStr << " " << contextString << "\t"  << level << "\t"  << msg << endl;
        stream.flush();
    }

#if defined(Q_OS_WIN)
    OutputDebugString(reinterpret_cast<const wchar_t *>(level.append(' ' + msg + '\n').utf16()));
#elif defined(Q_OS_ANDROID)
    android_default_message_handler(type, context, level.append(" " + msg));
#else   // MACX || IOS || LINUX
    fprintf(stderr, "%s\n", level.append(" " + msg).toLocal8Bit().constData());
#endif
      mutex.unlock();
}

If logFile is open, logging data is wrote to that in a critical section delimited by a QMutex otherwise it is simply output to the standard output of each platform.
Whatever is the handler you define, it can be combined with categorized logging (available since Qt 5.2) to easily setup a custom logging facility tailored on your needs. You just need to define your logging categories, as described in this blog post, and call qCDebug, qCInfo(), qCWarning() and so on. Depending on the active categories (set via the static function setFilterRules() of QLoggingCategory) different logging info can be printed or skipped.
That's especially interesting now that Qt 5.8 is available. Since this release, you can use categories also in QML, i.e. you can call console functions and pass along a category, e.g.
function myFancyFunction() {
    // foo code
    console.log(myFancyCategory, "message");
    // bar code
}

Also, categories declaration can be done fully in QML via the ad hoc type LoggingCategory.
ADDENDUM (Qt < 5.0)
The proposed solution works in a Qt 5.0+ environment with categories fully usable with Qt 5.3+ and QML categories available in Qt 5.8+; in a Qt 4.x environment you should override qInstallMsgHandler but you do not have a QMessageLogContext. That means you should manage file/line info outside the handler, e.g. you have to use Q_FUNC_INFO or rely on __FILE__ and __LINE__ in C++ (note that the latters have been removed in latest 5.x releases as e.g. discussed here).


text:
Jan Oblak Can Succeed De Gea
• by Ryan Baldi
After Manchester United's 0-0 draw away to Southampton on Wednesday, José Mourinho expressed his confidence in David de Gea remaining at the club beyond the summer, despite widespread reports claiming the Spaniard is all set to join Real Madrid.
With back-up goalkeeper Sergio Romero starting against the Saints and already earmarked to play in next week's Europa League final, while 20-year-old Joel Pereira is set to make his debut between the sticks against Crystal Palace on Sunday, Mourinho was asked whether de Gea had already played his last game for United.
"David? I think the first match against LA Galaxy in pre-season in Los Angeles," he said after the St. Mary's stalemate.
"I hope to play Joel against Crystal Palace, I hope to play Sergio in the final. David is top of the world and obviously we want to keep the top of the world."
However, despite the manager's assurances, there is a general feeling that the former Atlético Madrid goalkeeper will indeed be returning to Spain this summer. And if that is to be the case, there is only one man the Red Devils should be lining up to replace him: Jan Oblak.
The Slovenian international No.1, who plays for de Gea's former side Atlético, is reported to be the name at the top of Mourinho's shortlist of goalkeeping targets if their current custodian departs, with the Daily Star claiming this week that a £40million bid for the 24-year-old is being lined up.
An offer of that size is highly unlikely to be enough to convince Atleti to part ways with Oblak, who is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world and has a €100million release cause written into his contract at the Vicente Calderón.
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But the fact that United are said to be monitoring the former Benfica man — rather than the previously linked Joe Hart and Kasper Schmeichel — is a positive sign for the Old Trafford faithful.
No United fan will want to see de Gea leave the club, such is his importance to the team, as recognised by his being named the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year for the past three season before being dethroned by close friend Ander Herrera this week.
However, there has always been a general feeling that de Gea would someday return to Spain, and were it not for a failure for the appropriate paperwork to be filed before the transfer deadline two years ago, he would already be a Real Madrid player.
If de Gea goes, signing Oblak would be the best possible consolation. If anything, the Atleti stopper is the only realistic target available to the Red Devils who could even be considered an upgrade on the current Old Trafford No.1.
Oblak A De Gea Upgrade?
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Both Oblak and de Gea are unquestionably among the very best goalkeepers in the world, alongside the likes of Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer, Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon and Tottenham Hotspur captain Hugo Lloris.
To rank one above the other is splitting hairs as, in truth, there's not much to choose between the them; they are all outstanding at what they do.
Of the above mentioned group of elite keepers, each has an area where they are perhaps strongest: Neuer excels as a sweeper-keeper behind a high defensive line; Lloris is exceptional in one-on-one situations; and nobody marshal's a defence better than Buffon.
There is a strong argument to be made in favour of ranking de Gea as the best shot-stopper of the five — the Spaniard's reflexes see him pulling off the kind of saves that seem impossible to comprehend to most mere mortals.
However, when it comes to competently carrying out the full gamut of goalkeeping duties, Oblak is surely the most well-rounded. The Atleti star is dependable, communicates well and breathes confidence into his backline.
His technical qualities also leave nothing to be desired. A gifted shot-stopper, Oblak deals well with aerial balls, has a great command of how to narrow the angle on an on-rushing attacker and distributes the ball quickly and accurate via kicks or throws.
If the Red Devils were to sign Oblak, United fans would be unlikely to notice a discernible uptick in the general quality of goalkeeping on display at Old Trafford as the qualitative difference between the two players is minimal — it's not like they would be swapping Jesse Lingard for Lionel Messi.
But Oblak is perhaps the only realistic option that Mourinho could target to prevent a drop-off between the sticks.
Manchester United are ready to move for Atlético Madrid's Jan Oblak if David De Gea quits for Real Madrid. (Source: Daily Mirror) pic.twitter.com/nLNcZDAKdQ
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) May 19, 2017
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Hart and Schmeichel, both mentioned in the press as potential targets recent, are a long way from de Gea's level, while AC Milan's 18-year-old sensation Gianluigi Donnarumma is also an incredible prospect but still has flaws in his game that need ironing out.
Signing Oblak would by no means be easy for United. The Slovenian, who Atleti signed from Benfica for €16million to replace Thibaut Courtois in 2014, has been a key player Los Colchoneros seen his La Liga debut in March 2015. That Spanish club would be well within their rights to settle for nothing short of his full €100million release clause.
But as last summer showed, United are not afraid to spend big on the players they believe will deliver a big return on the pitch. And the 20-time champions of England will demand the kind of fee for de Gea that could see the record for a goalkeeper — set by Juventus' £33million capture of Buffon in 2001 — almost doubled, so cash will be available to ensure the 26-year-old is suitably replaced.
The existence of a buyout fee — compulsory in Spain — means that, by matching the figure, United would circumvent the need to negotiate with Atlético and concentrate fully on convincing the player to make Old Trafford his new home.
Of course, Mourinho's primary option will be retain de Gea, but if that becomes an impossibility, Oblak is the perfect solution.
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Atlético de MadridDavid de GeaEnglish Premier LeagueJan OblakManchester UnitedSpanish La Liga