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COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY.
The Treaty of Rome (1957), the founding document of the European Economic Community (EEC), committed its signatories to establishing a Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and set out a list of contradictory objectives for that policy. The motivations for this policy were politically strong. In 1959 agricultural workers formed 24 percent of the employed labor force in France, a similar proportion in the German Federal Republic, and 33 percent in Italy. Their electoral judgments counted, particularly in Germany and Italy, where they were closely tied to the Christian Democratic political parties. And agricultural exports were an import contribution to Dutch and Italian trade. Even so, the idea of enforcing a common trading and pricing policy on so great a number of small-scale farmers would probably not have become so important were it not that in every member state of the Community agriculture had already been receiving a wide range of state subsidies—for output, for new investment, for veterinary services, for fuel, for exports—as well as being favored by the tax system. During the throes of the Great Depression there had been little support for the idea of a free domestic market in agricultural products; in the food shortages of the aftermath of World War II, there was even less. Sales were regulated in some member-states of the EEC, notably Germany and the Netherlands, by producers' associations such as the Deutscher Bauernverband, or, in the Netherlands, the Stichting voor de Landbouw. Everywhere in the EEC, ministries of agriculture functioned rather like national agricultural corporations managing the sector with state largesse.
One notable aspect of the CAP, however, was that although the common market of the EEC was shaped with the intention of sweeping away barriers to trade within the Community, the effect of the CAP was to increase the extent of regulation and controls on traded agricultural produce within the market and to sustain high levels of protection on the same products against nonmember states. Since the CAP came into effect the standard of living of those still employed in the sector has greatly improved, fulfilling one of the CAP's intentions. For most of the agricultural produce that can be produced in Europe's climate, the EC/EU is more or less self-sufficient.
Financial support for agriculture has dominated the Community's budget. Expenditure on agriculture and fisheries amounted to 80.6 percent of the 1973 general budget. Agreement on budgetary reform in 1988 led to a steady decline in this share. In 1999 it was only 45.5 percent. There are, however, other items in the budget that provide some measure of support for agriculture. Until 1970 the budgetary contributions of the member-states were related through a system of "keys" to their Gross Domestic Output. Persistent demands by France that the Community be financed through its own resources (ressources propres) led to a fundamental change in 1970. The customs dues raised by the Common External Tariff were allocated to these "own resources." Levies on agricultural produce crossing internal frontiers, their purpose being to standardize prices within the Community, were also allocated to the Community's own budget. One percent of the Value Added Tax (VAT) collected in all the member-states was allocated in the same direction. Lastly, direct financial contributions from the member-states had to be made to bring the Community's own resources up to a maximum of 1.27 percent of the Community's GNP in 1999. That last step carried with it, of course, the implication that the European Community had some attributes of a nation.
In many parts of the Community, agriculture is a small-scale activity. The number of separate enterprises under supranational management through common community rules made the task of managing almost impossible. One result was that the CAP took up such a large share of the funding that other policies were underfunded. Furthermore, national contributions to the common budget dominated political arguments between the member states, and often within them. One result of the CAP has been to preserve small farms throughout a half century of change in the organization of European industry and services—change that has been driven by trade liberalization and increasingly open markets. It would be difficult to argue that in the early stages of the EEC this was not politically and socially a wise choice. As subsidized enterprises tend to do, however, the system has partially outlived its usefulness.
The European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (usually referred to by its French acronym FEOGA), although in 2006 only a minor cog in the subsidization machinery, was the major distributor of subsidies until the 1990s. Its expenditures supported farmers' incomes by subsidizing the prices of more than two-thirds of the EC's agricultural products through guaranteed prices and sales. This involved purchasing and storing produce that could not otherwise attract the fixed price and frequently selling it later to Eastern European countries or providing it as food aid to the third world. Some products continue to be directly subsidized, and many products remain protected by import regulations. Final EC prices are fixed annually by the national ministers of agriculture acting as an EC committee. Since ministries of agriculture have acted in all countries as supporters of farmers' pressure groups, the prices have been high. Excess production has been one result.
Like developed non–European Union (EU) countries that export agricultural produce, the European Union subsidizes agricultural exports. This practice has led to high-level trade disputes with the United States, Australia, and Argentina. It has led also to clamorous protest from those who believe exports from the poorest third-world countries should be encouraged by subsidies rather than made more difficult by subsidies to producers from rich European and American states. In 2006 export subsidies constitute a much smaller share in the CAP's subsidy expenditure than at any time in the CAP's history.
Community subsidies for exports take the form of "restitutions," which are, in plainer English, refunds allowing exporters to close the gap between Community prices and the price at which they will have to sell in the unsubsidized world. In 1986 such restitutions absorbed about 40 percent of the FEOGA guarantee fund. In 2005 they amounted to less than 20 percent of the same fund and are due for further reduction. Protest over the extent and size of agricultural subsidies has been increasing within the European Union since 1984, when the first serious attempts were made to hold agricultural expenditure to a lower rate of increase than that of the union's overall budget. Efforts to reduce EU food surpluses have been slow and controversial because the financial consequences do not fall equally on the member states. In the 1990s some countries, particularly the United Kingdom, used EU subsidies to stop production on less fertile land. Restrictions on domestic milk production have been in operation since 1986. Similar procedures have been cautiously adopted for cereal farming, a sector which for the first twenty years of the CAP was notorious for its large share of export subsidies, which it obtained because of the influence of large-scale grain farmers in national farmer's organizations in France and the United Kingdom. Further financial restrictions came in 1988, when the rate of growth of annual agricultural expenditure was fixed at no more than three-quarters of the growth of total EC expenditure.
In the 1990 world trade talks, usually known as the Uruguay Round, the United States led a challenge to the European Union, calling for a 75 percent cut to its agricultural subsidies. The talks collapsed over this issue. The European Union's response fell far short of the United States' demand. It was not clear that the United States' own extensive agricultural subsidies were as low as the level it demanded from the European Union.
It is difficult to predict the extent to which the 1990s policy changes within the CAP will survive in the greatly enlarged European Union of the twenty-first century. Attempts to freeze farm spending between 2000 and 2006 were rejected by Germany, although the level of spending was increased only slightly and part of the increase was to help the new member states to adapt to the new, and for them unexpected, harsher regime. They had been expecting to benefit from the extensive and proliferating programs of agricultural subsidy. The special program of subsidization, the Special Assistance Programme for Agricultural and Rural Development (SAPARD), that they were offered, was directed toward increasing investment in farming methods, marketing techniques, conservation, village preservation, rural heritage projects, and other matters that seem of more immediate concern to farmers in western Europe. (The list does not include many of the easier pickings that had earlier been provided for western European farmers.)
The CAP should be understood as a lingering consequence of the Great Depression of the 1930s, which cemented agricultural protection firmly into place and stimulated increases in food output across Europe as a way of reducing imports. The complex interplay between national government policies and farmers' own bureaucracies has only since 1990 slowly adapted to fit the agricultural sector into a less regulated trade regime. The European Union's reactions have not been slower than those in other parts of the world, especially when the political complexity of its constitutional arrangements are taken into account. Indeed, it may well be that the most potent force for change has not been international pressure but internal dissent among the early EU members, where agricultural labor is now only a very small part of the total labor force and has far less political leverage with national governments.
The CAP's contribution to the construction of the European Community also has to be recognized. It presided over an unprecedented movement of labor out of the agricultural labor force and into other branches of the labor force. Between 1951 and 1959, at least 350,000 agricultural workers per year left the land and were absorbed into other jobs. Such a large change would not have been possible without a rapid growth in manufacturing. One consequence was a sharp improvement in labor productivity in the agricultural sector. The determination of governments in the 1930s to keep people on the land was swept away. In the more backward sectors of the European Union, labor productivity in agriculture improved the most spectacularly. In the German Federal Republic, it improved by 5.5 percent annually between 1949 and 1959, in France by 4.9 percent, and in Italy by 4.7 percent. United Nations estimates suggest that the improvement of total productivity in Europe was greatest in the northwest, where labor markets were tightest. In that region, about two-thirds of the investment in agriculture went to labor-saving machinery. The CAP made changes in total productivity throughout the German economy relatively easy, resolving one of the worst problems of the 1930s and in doing so making domestic politics far more peaceful. The same can be said about its political impact in France and Italy.
See alsoAgriculture; European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC); European Union; Rome, Treaty of.
Hill, Brian E. The Common Agricultural Policy: Past, Present, and Future. London, 1984.
Milward, Alan S. The European Rescue of the Nation-State. 2nd ed. London, 2000.
Tracy, Michael. Government and Agriculture in Western Europe, 1880–1988. 3rd ed. New York, 1989.
Alan S. Milward
Encyclopedia of Modern Europe: Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction
"Common Agricultural Policy ." Encyclopedia of Modern Europe: Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction. . Encyclopedia.com. 13 Jan. 2021 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"Common Agricultural Policy ." Encyclopedia of Modern Europe: Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction. . Encyclopedia.com. (January 13, 2021). https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/common-agricultural-policy
"Common Agricultural Policy ." Encyclopedia of Modern Europe: Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction. . Retrieved January 13, 2021 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/common-agricultural-policy
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Product/service offer
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ILO Budapest Newsletter 2020 December
This issue reports on ILO response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Central and Eastern European region. It introduces programme results and new projects, and features fresh publications and new staff. Labour migration and an interview with the new UN Resident Coordinator are in the focus of this edition.
© iStock 2021
Health and safety at work in the COVID-19 pandemic: A key to reviving the labour market and the economy
The ILO has been supporting its constituents in the region since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure health and safety at the workplace. Without the protection of workers, the recovery of the economy cannot be possible.
ILO Budapest Newsletter 2020 September
This issue reports on ILO response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Central and Eastern European region, highlighting the new rapid assessment reports in Serbia and Montenegro. It introduces programme results and new projects, and features fresh publications and staff.
ILO/EBRD rapid assessment finds coronavirus crisis cost Serbia equivalent to 510.000 full-time jobs
In Serbia, the coronavirus pandemic has led to a decline in working hours during the second quarter of 2020, equivalent to the loss of 510,000 full-time jobs. However, by offering the most generous and comprehensive economic package among the Western Balkan economies, the Serbian government contained "the expansion of poverty", according to the new rapid assessment report, joint work of the ILO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
COVID-19 and the World of Work: Rapid Assessment of the Employment Impacts and Policy Responses SERBIA
Serbia went for the biggest Covid-19 response package in the Western Balkans to retain jobs and to protect incomes. The new report shows how many and which jobs are at risk. The publication also assesses the welfare effects of the government interventions and provides policy recommendations.
Rapid assessments on the impact of COVID-19 on enterprises in four Western Balkan countries reveal significant disruption and job loss but also readiness to resume operations
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures caused significant losses and disruptions for enterprises in the Western Balkans. To assess the challenges and needs of the business sector and identify relevant support measures, Employers and Business Membership Organizations in the region carried out a survey among their member enterprises. A total of 1600 enterprises responded to the survey between 8 April and 11 May 2020 in Albania, North Macedonia, in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republika Srpska Entity) and Serbia. The survey was based on the ILO "Enterprise survey tool: Assessing the needs of enterprises resulting from COVID-19" and was conducted in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The informal economy in selected European countries
Overview of the informal economy in Serbia
ITUC Global Rights Index 2020 shows workers' rights violations occur too often in Central and Eastern Europe
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) released its yearly Global Rights Index in June 2020. This year, the report affirms that the violations of workers' rights is increasing globally, and is the highest in seven years. For Central and Eastern Europe the ratings indicate that the situation is more stable than globally, but many workers in the region still lack access to rights.
A comparative overview of drivers and outcomes of labour law and industrial relations reforms in selected Central and Eastern European countries
This report seeks to provide a comparative overview of the policy goals and rationale which led to the reform of labour law and industrial relations systems, and the outcomes of these changes in law and practice, in selected CEE countries.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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People's Choice Awards: Watch the red carpet live stream here!
By Samantha Highfill
January 08, 2014 at 11:00 PM EST
Awards season 2014 has officially arrived! The People's Choice Awards — where you, the people, vote on your favorite movies, TV shows, albums, and more from 2013 — airs tonight at 9 p.m. on CBS. But if we're being honest, the red carpet is half the fun of any awards show. So just in case you can't make it home when the red-carpet show begins at 8 p.m., we've got a live stream of the entire event! This way, you won't miss any amazing dress sightings and wardrobe mishaps, or those heart-warming moments when your favorite celebs interact like old friends.
Watch the red carpet live stream below:
The red carpet starts at 8 p.m., followed by the People's Choice Awards at 9 p.m. on CBS.
By Samantha Highfill @samhighfill


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Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden blasted President Donald Trump's mental acuity during a Friday rally in Des Moines, IA — mocking him for thinking that wind power causes cancer.
The former vice president first attacked Trump for his failure to condemn white supremacy during their first debate, later faulting him for denying climate change.
"We don't have a lot of time. Donald Trump, when they say climate change, he thinks 'hoax,'" Biden said. "And the stable genius, as he calls himself continues to say, wind power causes cancer. The same guy who said, by the way, and you think I'm making this up, when he was advised about the increasing hurricanes coming across the Atlantic because of the warm water, he said, 'Maybe we should drop a nuclear weapon on them.'"
"Holy mackerel," Biden added, making the sign of the Cross. "This also is a guy, you may recall, the stable genius, said the problem with the Revolutionary War was we didn't have enough airports. He talks about mental acuity? Whoa."
He went on to note that protecting the climate creates jobs in both Iowa and across the country — praising the state for creating thousands of jobs because of their commitment to wind energy.
"Notwithstanding, that the stable genius says wind power causes cancer. Wind power helps save the planet, generates millions of dollars of economic growth, and provides good prevailing wage jobs," he added.
Trump was apparently watching the roasting, as he tweeted about Biden's — calling out Fox News for airing it:
Biden's speech is 90% made up stories and lies. Only broadcast on @FoxNews.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2020
Watch above, via Fox News.
Iowa Democratic PartyJoe BidenRally


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The problem with the RPG element
So, just some musings to pass the time until the next version of Eamon Deluxe is released...
I've often compared Eamon to a nascent version of the interactive fiction community with an RPG twist. That RPG twist made Eamon somewhat interesting, but lets face it, it also made it something of a pain as well. Here you are playing along with a well cultivated adventurer when *BAM*. You get killed by a sudden death trap. *BAM*. You lose a battle to some suped up boss monster (here's looking at you Guardian from Tomb of Molinar). Your character dies, and you have to start over from the beginning. Except you don't. You have three options. 1) Start over from scratch, Burly Irishman, Beginners Cave, Trollsfire, etc.; 2) Restore your character off the main hall and try again, or 3) Just simply use the plain vanilla approach of Fresh Sam to play your adventures. Thus, you either get to continuously rebuild your character over and over (if you're playing the honest way), play with the character you want (with subsequent restorations), or play a generic Fresh Sam. None of these are truly satisfying.
My point is that here we have one of the few things that distinguishes Eamon from the rest of the Interactive Fiction genre, yet actually utilizing the RPG features is tedious. Even Tom Zuchowski stated back in the March 1997 newsletter "Use the FRESH SAM program to play Eamon and don't use the Main Hall at all. That's what I have done for 10 years." But I don't give a damn about Sam. He gets killed a million times. He breaks his favorite sword. He drinks a potion and loses all of his charisma and agility. Doesn't matter.
How to fix this? Sam Ruby figured this out and wrote at least two adventures (Elemental Apocalypse and Boy and the Bard) where he provides the character to the player. The primary advantage of this is that it makes it much easier to balance the play to the player. You don't get some guy waltzing through with 1000 hd points and a 500x4342 sword, slaughtering everything in sight. Instead, you have a consistent approach to how things will be handled. The designer knows that to expect and can probably produce better programs for it.
But once you go down that path, how different is this from other interactive fiction? The player in Infocom's Planetfall is also the same every single time you play. While that player ultimately "advances" to Stationfall, he doesn't carry over the RPG experience. To compare this to Eamon, you're only going to be walking around The Shopping Mall with Trollsfire if you've actually generated a character and gone through the Beginner's Cave. Fresh Sam addicts don't get that choice.
The other option (and one that should be included if possible) is to just allow the player to start that game over without having them go back to the Main Hall. While this fixes some of the RPG element, the designer is still left with some of the game play balance issues.
So, what are your thoughts? Do you like the RPG element, or are you quite frankly annoyed with it? Do you still use the Main Hall? Fresh Sam? Have you modified your Fresh Sam to the characteristics that you would prefer? What approaches do you think would work best from a game design prospective? I'm interested to hear your thoughts!
Posted by Matthew at 11:30 PM 5 comments: Links to this post
Labels: Eamon, Interactive Fiction, RPG


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Q: MVVM is command in model a bad practice? I'm wondering, is putting command into model is bad practice in MVVM. For example, I have ListBox with Image and Button. When I click on Button I need to open url in browser. So, my code will look like this:
<ListBox ItemSource="{Binding Items">
    <ListBox.ItemTemplate>
        <DataTemplate>
            <StackPanel>
                <Image Source={Binding ImageSource} />
                <Button Content="Open url" Command={Binding OpenUrlCommand}"/>
            </StackPanel>
        </DataTemplate>
    </Listbox.ItemTemplate>
</ListBox>

ViewModel:
class MainViewModel:BaseViewModel
{
    public ObservableCollection<Model> Items {get;set;}
}

Model:
class Model
{
    public string ImageSource {get;set;}

    public string Url {get;set;}

    public ICommand OpenUrlCommand {get;set;}

    public Model()
    {
       OpenUrlCommand = new RelayCommand(openUrl);
    }

    public void openUrl()
    {
        Process.Start(Url); //Open url in browser
    }
}

Is it ok, or I should move OpenUrlCommand to MainViewModel ?

A: You actually should implement the method in the Model, but the command in the ViewModel. This would be much more aligned to the MVVM architecture, and would be no additional work at all for you in this case.
In your ViewModel:
class MainViewModel : BaseViewModel
{
    private Model _model;

    ICommand OpenUrlCommand { get { return new RelayCommand(_model.openUrl); } }

    // ...
}

If you want to "send" some URL from the View, you can use CommandParameter for that, and have a typed RelayCommand.
UPDATE:
Note that, since the DataTemplate where the Command binding resides is the ItemTemplate, you should implement the Command in some ItemViewModel, not in the MainViewModel. Then, make Items an ObservableCollection<ItemViewModel> instead of ObservableCollection<Model>, and initialize the collection like this:
IEnumerable<Model> models= getSomeModelsToStartWith();
var Items = new ObservableCollection<ItemViewModel>(models.Select(m => new ItemViewModel(m));

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The government launched a new effort on Monday to speed up the time-consuming, often-frustrating process of selling your home if you owe more than it's worth.
The Obama administration will give $3,000 for moving expenses to homeowners who complete such a sale — known as a short sale — or agree to turn over the deed of the property to the lender. It's designed for homeowners who are in financial trouble but don't qualify for the administration's $75 billion mortgage modification program.
In Las Vegas, the 2,390 sales of single-family homes in February — the last month that data were available — fell 8 percent from January. January's sales fell 24 percent from December, according to the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors, which tracks homes sold using the Multiple Listing Service.
The decline in sales could be attributed to a decline in inventory, analysts said. The 20,262 homes listed at the end of February was 8.5 percent fewer than a year ago and the number of available units with no pending offers fell nearly 2 percent from January to 7,974.
The GLVAR reported that 53 percent of the homes sold in February were foreclosures, down from 57.4 percent in January. A year ago, foreclosures accounted for about two-thirds of sales.
The percentage of short sales increased to 22 percent in February, up from 21 percent in January. Short sales are cases in which the lender allows the homeowner to sell the property for less than what is owed on the mortgage.
Investors continued their dominate presence in February with 48.7 percent of sales being all-cash deals. That was up from 45.5 percent in January. Nearly 47 percent of the homes were on the market for fewer than 30 days compared to 39.4 percent in February 2009.
With the declining inventory, the price of single-family homes rose slightly in February to $135,694, a 0.6 percent increase over January's price of $134,925, according to the GLVAR. The February price is 12.8 percent lower than February 2009.
However, there are plenty of restrictions. To qualify, the home needs to be a borrower's primary residence. Homeowners either have to be behind on their mortgages or on the verge of becoming delinquent.
Currently, the program is not available for mortgages owned or guaranteed by mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, though the two government-controlled companies will soon follow suit, said the Treasury's Maggiano.


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I Ching Guidance
I Ching Resources
I Ching History
by Readingsforu | Feb 11, 2016 | Blog
The I Ching is the oldest of all the classical divination systems. It is also one of the oldest books in the world. Its first interpretive text was composed around 1000 B.C. The I Ching's actual discovery and much of its early history are the stuff of legends.
There are a number of myths surrounding the origins of the eight trigrams and the development of the I Ching divination system. In one tale, Fu Hsi, the first emperor of China (2852–2737 B.C.), is said to have observed a turtle emerging from the Yellow River. Knowing that true wisdom came from the direct and close observation of nature, he had a sudden realization of the significance of eight symbols he saw on the turtle's back. He saw how the sets of three solid or broken lines, the trigrams, reflected the movement of energy in life on Earth.
A similar myth describes Fu Hsi's contemplation of other patterns in nature, including animals, plants, meteorological phenomena, and even his own body. These myths describe how he identified the trigrams that arose from his understanding of the connection of all things, through the interplay of yin and yang.
There is evidence of early Chinese divination where tortoise shells were heated over a flame until they cracked, with the emerging patterns (presumably trigrams) being read. In some cases the shells were marked with their interpretations and stored for reference, and I have had the privilege of seeing a few of them preserved at the National Museum in Taiwan, China. Fu Hsi was the mythical First Emperor of China. He is reputed to be the inventor of writing, fish-ing and trapping, as well as the discoverer of the I Ching trigrams on the back of a turtle. He lived around 3000 B.C.
Another version also involving tortoise shells describes descendants of the "many Fu"—an ancient clan of female diviners—who read the shells of live turtles. According to the legend, they became the queens and royalty of the Shang Dynasty—which had been considered mythical until archeological evidence proving its existence was unearthed in 1899. Some say Lao Tzu, the enlightened forefather of Taoism and the author of the Tao Te Ching, was a descendent of this clan.
The Taoist/Confucian tradition posits that juxtaposing a set of the possible permutations of yin and yang with the elements of Chinese creation mythology produced the foundation of the I Ching. Pairing up the various combinations of yin (the literal ancient meaning of which is the shady north side of the hill) and yang (meaning the sunny south side of the hill) gives you four primary symbols. With the addition of another yin or yang line, the eight trigrams emerge.
The earliest composition of I Ching interpretations is attributed to King Wen. Toward the end of the Shang Dynasty, when the unjust emperor Zhou Wang imprisoned Wen, he reportedly used his confinement to meditate on the trigrams, pairing them up to produce sixty-four possible hexagrams. Each pair of trigrams took on a meaning specific to their combination. In what we might assume was an enlightened state of mind, King Wen assigned each of the sixty-four hexagrams a name, adding a few sentences to explain its meaning. It is said that his son, King Wu, added additional interpretative text, bringing the I Ching closer to its current form.
Confucius, who came a few hundred years later, was possibly the I Ching's greatest patron, taking the interpretative texts to the next level with the addition of his extensive commentaries. Confucius was primarily interested in the I Ching as a manual for how to live a life of the highest virtue, as opposed to its usefulness as a divination system. According to his Analects (VII, xvi), Confucius, who lived to be an old man, is reputed to have said, "If some years were added to my life, I would devote fifty of them to the study of the oracle, and might then avoid committing great errors."
Historical evidence substantiates the theory that the Book of Changes and its sixty-four hexagrams were part of an ancient oral tradition that predates recorded history in China. The basics of the I Ching text—the names of the hexagrams and their judgments—were likely composed in the eighth century B.C. However, the practice of using the hexagrams to refer to specific interpretations probably didn't occur until the fifth century B.C. Between 475 and 221 B.C. (known as the Warring States period), the I Ching texts were consolidated into a book to make it easier to consult and share with others during that time of extreme upheaval. Shortly after, the I Ching was spared in the Ch'in Dynasty's massive book burning because it was considered one of the five "Great Classics."
The Book of Changes was canonized and studied intently by scholars during the Han Dynasty of 202 B.C.– A.D. 220. Between the third century B.C. and the turn of the millennium, significant additions, known as the 'Wings', were written regarding the individual lines in the hexagrams, and the meaning of the trigrams. These commentaries are generally attributed to Confucius, who lived around 500 B.C. More work was done, and the I Ching we use today is not substantially different from the 168 B.C. version. The main difference is that the hexagrams appear in a different order. The order in use today was first proposed around 100 B.C., but was not the standard until the third century A.D. Throughout what we know of Chinese history, the rulers of China, as well as the general public, used the I Ching as best they could before printing was available. It is woven into the fabric of this ancient culture and its influence has been fundamental to the Eastern world-view as a whole. It has only been in the last 150 years or so that Western culture was even exposed to basic Taoist concepts—such as German and English translations of the I Ching and Tao Te Ching. Carl Jung's explanation of the I Ching's psychological validity and value, and the widespread open-mindedness about all things spiritual during the 1960s, made using the I Ching a common experience in the Western world.
Nowadays, the most common method for casting the I Ching involves tossing three coins six times to create the six-line pattern, or hexagram. A traditional technique for deriving a hexagram, dating from about 500 B.C., involves a fairly complicated process of selecting and sorting fifty sticks, usually yarrow stalks. The best yarrow stalks for this were the ones that grew on Confucius' grave, but the supply was limited! After the coins or stalks are tossed and sorted out, one looks up the interpretation in the sacred book.
Article excerpted from Divination.com
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The majority of the electricity we consume is generated by non renewable sources that release greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
Smog and air pollution – negatively impacting our cardiovascular, pulmonary and reproductive systems.
Unlike traditional depleting sources of power like coal and natural gas, the sun's power is unlimited and available everywhere in the world.
Solar power energy does not produce dangerous greenhouse gas emissions.
Solar panels are not invasive to the environment. They do not produce noise pollution, let off any form of scent and are made out of commonly available materials.
By using solar powered energy, you will be replacing the electricity you currently use, which releases greenhouse gas emissions, with clean, renewable solar power. You will therefore be reducing your carbon footprint and the amount of polluting emissions released into the atmosphere.


text:
Q: custom field values not getting to mail iam using woocommerce plugin... actually this is a php doubt I have..  Iam using some custom fields, so i shuld get values of those custom fields into my email..
When Iam using one custom field 'My Field' , iam getting value for that to my email, BUT iam not understanding how to get values of all custom fields to my email..
Below is the code that works for single custom field: (from here: https://gist.github.com/3905785 )
/**
 * Add the field to the checkout
 **/
add_action('woocommerce_after_order_notes', 'my_custom_checkout_field');

function my_custom_checkout_field( $checkout ) {

    echo '

'.__('My Field').'
';
    woocommerce_form_field( 'my_field_name', array(
        'type'          => 'checkbox',
        'class'         => array('my-field-class form-row-wide'),
        'label'         => __('Fill in this field'),
        'placeholder'   => __('Enter a number'),
        ), $checkout->get_value( 'my_field_name' ));

    echo '
';
}

/**
 * Update the order meta with field value
 **/
add_action('woocommerce_checkout_update_order_meta', 'my_custom_checkout_field_update_order_meta');

function my_custom_checkout_field_update_order_meta( $order_id ) {
    if ($_POST['my_field_name']) update_post_meta( $order_id, 'My Field', esc_attr($_POST['my_field_name']));
}

/**
 * Add the field to order emails
 **/
add_filter('woocommerce_email_order_meta_keys', 'my_custom_checkout_field_order_meta_keys');

function my_custom_checkout_field_order_meta_keys( $keys ) {
    $keys[] = 'My Field';
    return $keys;
}

I tried below code for 2 custom fields: (below code not getting any custom field values to my mail.. ) pls tell me what am i doing wrong in below code:
/**
 * Add the field to the checkout
 **/
add_action('woocommerce_after_order_notes', 'my_custom_checkout_field');

function my_custom_checkout_field( $checkout ) {

    echo '

'.__('My Field').'
';
    woocommerce_form_field( 'my_field_name', array(
        'type'          => 'checkbox',
        'class'         => array('my-field-class form-row-wide'),
        'label'         => __('Fill in this field'),
        'placeholder'   => __('Enter a number'),
        ), $checkout->get_value( 'my_field_name' ));

    echo '
';

  echo '

'.__('Keywords').'
';

    woocommerce_form_field( 'keywords', array(
        'type'          => 'text',
        'class'         => array('my-field-class form-row-wide'),
        'label'         => __('Fill in this field'),
        'placeholder'       => __('Enter something'),
        ), $checkout->get_value( 'keywords' ));

    echo '
';
}

/**
 * Update the order meta with field value
 **/
add_action('woocommerce_checkout_update_order_meta', 'my_custom_checkout_field_update_order_meta');

function my_custom_checkout_field_update_order_meta( $order_id ) {
    if ($_POST['my_field_name']) update_post_meta( $order_id, 'My Field', esc_attr($_POST['my_field_name']));

        if ($_POST['keywords']) update_post_meta( $order_id, 'Keywords', esc_attr($_POST['keywords']));
}

/**
 * Add the field to order emails
 **/
add_filter('woocommerce_email_order_meta_keys', 'my_custom_checkout_field_order_meta_keys');

function my_custom_checkout_field_order_meta_keys( $keys ) {
    $keys[] = 'My Field,Keywords';
    return $keys;
}

A: First of all the line:
$keys[] = 'My Field,Keywords';

should be changed to:
$keys[] = 'My Field';
$keys[] = 'Keywords';

The code you had was creating one array entry with the string 'My Field,Keywords' as opposed to 2 array entries with the strings 'My Field' and 'Keywords'.
This is definitely one of the causes of the problem.
It may not be critical but you should change the id of the second div tag - having multiple elements with the same id is not good.
Make these changes and try again. If there are further problems then we can tackle them in turn.
I hope this helps.


Here's a question for you: Which causes more deaths, motor vehicle traffic accidents or firearms?
I asked a bunch of people that question, including a bunch of doctors, and everyone said that motor vehicles did, by a lot.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2013, 33,804 people died from motor vehicle traffic accidents — and 33, 636 died from firearms.
They kill the same number of people.
I was really surprised by this statistic — mostly because of how we differently we think about safety with each.
With cars, we seem to just accept as a society that they are dangerous — and that we should make laws and rules to try to limit injuries. Along with licensing requirements that universally require that you show you know both the laws and how to drive, we have all sorts of rules of the road, we require insurance, regular inspections — not to mention car seats and seat belts.
Recent reports indicate that some infants have lower blood oxygen levels when placed in car seats. Parents hearing this information might worry about the safety of car seats. However, all medical experts agree that car seats are essential for preventing death or injury to newborns and infants during motor vehicle travel. We strongly believe that the risk of injury from motor vehicle accidents outweighs the risk from brief episodes of lower blood oxygen levels.
Car seats should only be used to transport children, not as a replacement for a crib or bassinet.
Remove the infant from the car seat if he/she becomes pale, blue or has trouble breathing and call for medical assistance.
Stop intermittently during long trips to remove the infant from the car seat.
Try to limit the time a newborn infant spends in the car seat to one hour.
Have a second adult in the car observe the newborn infant during travel.
Michele DeGrazia, PhD, NNP-BC, is a neonatal nurse practitioner and nurse scientist. Lawrence Rhein, MD, is the director of the Center for Healthy Infant Lung Development.


Are you looking for unique favor bags for a wedding, prom, or birthday party? If so, these dress favor bags are an adorable addition to your party's festivities. Designed to look like miniature dresses and made using high quality materials like satin and organza, these bags offer a feminine touch. You won't have any trouble finding the perfect color theme for your special event with our many styles and colors.
Our favor bags don't have to be saved for parties. Their pretty details and colors make them a great option for everyday home decorating. To freshen up a little girl's room, fill a few of the bags with potpourri and set them up for display on a shelf. You can also place them in clothing drawers to keep laundry smelling sweet.


Now that you have found the perfect luxury apartment in an up-and-coming neighborhood with close proximity to a variety of venues and offers pet-friendly amenities, you may be thinking about bringing home a new addition to your family. We're talking about Smokey the kitten or Max the pup, of course!
Becoming a new pet owner is a big decision. When you bring home that cute little puppy with sweet puppy breath or the tiny yet adorable kitten, you are committing to being responsible for the life of the animal. This responsibility includes daily activities like watering, feeding, and exercise along with more sporadic things like trips to the groomers and regular trips to the vet for shots and checkups. If you are confident that you have the space, the time, and the desire to have a pet then you are probably ready.
Cats are relatively easy creatures because the breed of cat doesn't play as large of a role in your decision as it does when selecting a dog. Picking the right pup requires research and consideration. Take time to look into the types of breeds you are interested in before committing to a single idea. Perhaps you love the way a certain breed looks, but prefer the temperament of a different breed. Certain breeds do well in apartment settings while others do not. Experts recommend the following breeds for apartment dwellers: English Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Shih Tzu, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and Pugs. Once you have decided the best breed for you, you can start looking at your local shelter or online adoptions pages on social media.
Welcoming a new pet into your space requires a bit of planning. We recommend pet-proofing your apartment the same way you would if your niece/nephew were coming over. Puppies are clumsy and can be irritable just like a toddler so make sure they have plenty to chew on that isn't your furniture or clothes.
Finally, before bringing your new fur-baby home, be sure you have read about puppy behavior and how to properly train them. Some treats and types of toys benefit different breeds just like training techniques will vary from animal to animal.
Bring home your new pup to our pet-friendly apartments in Channelside. We love pets whether dogs or cats! Enjoy this new adventure!


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text:
United Airlines said it will fire nearly 600 employees for not complying with its COVID-19 vaccine mandate
Matthew Loh
United Airlines planes are seen at Newark International Airport in New Jersey, United States on September 29, 2021. United Airlines is firing employees over its vaccine mandate.
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
United Airlines initially announced it would fire 593 employees who are defying its vaccine mandate.
The airline later said this number has decreased to 320, and that it expects the count to drop further.
The employees taken off the termination process had submitted their vaccination cards late.
United Airlines said it would fire nearly 600 employees for failing to comply with its COVID-19 vaccination requirements, according to several news outlets.
On Wednesday, the airline confirmed that it had already started the process of terminating 593 US-based employees who declined to get their shots. United also said that 99% of its total 67,000 non-exempted employees are vaccinated, reported Insider's Taylor Rains.
"This was an incredibly difficult decision, but keeping our team safe has always been our first priority," Scott Kirby, United's CEO, and Brett Hart, the airline's president, said in a memo to staff on Tuesday, reported The New York Times.
On Thursday, United issued a statement, seen by Insider, saying that the number of people it planned to fire dropped to 320. The employees who were taken off the firing process had submitted their vaccination statuses late, and United expects to come across more of these cases.
United became the first US airline carrier to implement a vaccine mandate on August 6, requiring its employees to get vaccinated within five weeks of the FDA approving the shots. The Pfizer vaccine was approved on August 23, and United then told employees they had until September 27 to receive at least one dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
CEO Kirby said he was only aware of a "handful" of staff who resigned from the airline over the vaccination requirements.
United later announced that it would establish a policy allowing unvaccinated employees to request religious or medical exemptions. These workers would be placed on temporary, unpaid personal leave starting October 2.
But that policy was shifted back to October 15 after six employees sued the airline, saying its vaccine mandate discriminates against workers and that it denied their exemption requests, reported Reuters.
Overall, less than 3% of United's workforce has applied for the exemptions, the airline said, per Reuters.
The airline plans to hire about 25,000 people over the next few years and will require all new employees to be vaccinated, a company spokesperson told Reuters.
NOW WATCH: EXCLUSIVE: Inside Moderna's labs where the coronavirus vaccine is developed
More: insider news News United Airlines COVID-19


text:
Q: Binary file transfer Ok Win7 to Linux, not Ok Linux to Win7 I have some client server socket code and am transferring binary files between a Windows 7 machine and a SUSE Linux box. When I transfer a file from Win7 to Linux, they end up with the same MD5 Checksum so I know they are identical. But when I transfer from Linux to Win7, the checksums don't agree, indicating that the file did not transfer properly.
Anybody run into this? I'm using ObjectOutputStreams and DataInputStreams and the code is the same on both sides.
 // connect socket to server socket, etc
//........

//=======================
// read the file
try {
size = file.length();
byteArr = new byte[(int) size];
dis = new DataInputStream(new FileInputStream(file));
dis.read(byteArr, 0, byteArr.length);
} catch (Exception e) {
System.out.println(e.getMessage());
e.printStackTrace();
}

//=======================
// then send it
try {
oos.writeObject(byteArr);
oos.flush();
} catch (Exception e) {
System.out.println(e.getMessage());
e.printStackTrace();
}

// then close oos, dis, etc

A: InputStream.read is not guaranteed to fill the input array. It guarantees at least 1 byte is read and no more than can fit in the array, or 0 bytes if the end of file is reached, or an IOException. It may be that under linux you are not getting the whole file in one go.
Also, why are you filling a byte array and then sending it as an object? Streams are conceptualised as streams of bytes, there is no need for an array.
eg.
int bufferSize = 4096;
byte[] buffer = new byte[bufferSize];

FileInputStream input = new FileInputStream(file);

int read;
while ((read = input.read(buffer)) != -1) {
    output.write(buffer, 0, read);
}

// flush and close everything


text:
Archive | limbaugh RSS feed for this section
Liberals are the true aggressors in culture wars
If you're not with us, you're against us. President Bush popularized this expression after 9/11 to describe his foreign policy doctrine: Countries couldn't support or indulge terrorists and be our friends at the same time. But his detractors quickly turned it into a fairly paranoid vision of domestic political life, as if Bush had been talking about domestic opponents and dissenters.
The irony is that few worldviews better describe the general liberal orientation to public policy and the culture war. The left often complains about the culture war as if it's a war they don't want to fight. They insist they just want to follow "sound science" or "what works" when it comes to public policy, but those crazy knuckle-dragging right-wingers constantly want to talk about gays and abortion and other hot-button issues.
LIBERALISM "MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY"
It's all a farce. Liberals are the aggressors in the culture war (and not always for the worse, as the civil rights movement demonstrates). What they object to isn't so much the government imposing its values on people — heck, they love that. They see nothing wrong with imposing their views about diet, exercise, sex, race and the environment on Americans. What outrages them is resistance, or even non-compliance with their agenda. "Why are you making such a scene?" progressives complain. "Just do what we want and there will be no fuss."
Undermining Catholics
Consider President Obama's decision to require most religious institutions— including Catholic hospitals, schools, etc. — to pay for contraception, sterilizations and the "morning after" pill. When "ObamaCare" was still being debated, the White House had all but promised Catholic leaders that it would find a compromise to spare the church from the untenable position of paying for services that directly violate their faith. Now that ObamaCare is the law, the administration says the church, like everyone else, must fall in line.
Or consider the still-raging controversy over the Susan G. Komen For the Cure's entirely reasonable — albeit very poorly handled — decision to withdraw its funding of Planned Parenthood, America's largest abortion provider. The Komen foundation is singularly dedicated to raising research money for, and awareness about, breast cancer. It's the folks with those pink ribbons. The organization decided to withdraw its comparatively meager funding in part because Planned Parenthood doesn't offer mammograms. (Planned Parenthood's president, Cecile Richards, was caught misleading people on this very point last spring.)
Other factors included the fact that Planned Parenthood is under investigation by Congress and the obvious but unstated fact that the organization is wildly controversial. It's this last point that infuriates the left. Pro-choice activists and their allies believe that Planned Parenthood should not be controversial, nor should abortion be up for discussion, either.
If you have a problem with either it is because you are an ideologue, an extremist or a zealot opposed to the interests of womankind. And any attempt to suggest that abortion should offend the consciences of mainstream Americans, never mind such a revered organization as Komen, is simply unacceptable.
Resist, and you will pay
It's clearly not about the money. Komen's $600,000 in donations amount to less than .01% of Planned Parenthood's budget (as opposed to the nearly half that comes from taxpayers). It's about making it very clear: Resistance is not just futile, but dangerous.
That was evident almost immediately. Komen's website was hacked, its Wikipedia page filled with smears. Various allegedly objective news outlets rallied to Planned Parenthood's defense as if the behemoth abortion provider was a victim of the tiny little breast cancer foundation.
Komen apologized and seemed to offer a reversal of its policy. This "just goes to show you, when women speak out, women win," responded House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
This, of course, is ridiculous propaganda. Women are not a monolithic political bloc and were not unanimously opposed to Komen's decision. Indeed, roughly half of women are pro-life and, you can be sure, Komen will lose donations from women and men who do not want to see their donations going to abortion providers. But for a certain type of upper-class liberal woman, it simply must be asserted, if not believed, that there is only one acceptable definition of a woman's perspective when it comes to issues such as abortion.
You can understand why Komen wants to get out of the culture war crossfire. It just wants to spend its finite resources on the race for a cure. But that's not good enough. The real motive behind this backlash is to make it very clear: You must choose a side — ours. And once you choose our side, you can never change your mind without severe consequences. And what is true of liberal politics is also true of liberal public policy.
As the Obama administration has made clear to the Catholic Church, there is no neutrality, no safe harbor from liberalism's moral vision. You're either with us, or against us — which means we shall be against you.
WRITTEN BY:Jonah Goldberg is author of the forthcoming book, The Tyranny of Clichés
COMMENTS BY GARY GATEHOUSE
You liberals crack me up so righteous so intelligent,you spend most of your time trying to convince others that these things are true. BOTTOM LINE "you announce to the world your stand for the 1st amendment as long as it falls under your socialist banner 'MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY"
A PICTURE OF A LIBERAL AND A RESULT OF LIBERALISM'S MORAL VISION
Categories democrats, fluke, liberals, limbaugh
"I got one of these email things," Limbaugh said on his program this afternoon.
"And, of course, I've only seen it a thousand times, and knew it before I received the first one. And you probably have seen this one going around. This one is, 'Where are all of Obama's former girlfriends?' It's a takeoff on where are all of the students Obama taught who claim to have been inspired by him when he taught law at the University of Chicago. Where are all of the former classmates of Obama who can tell wonderful stories about their experience with Obama on campus or in the classroom?"
Limbaugh continued, "They are interesting because those people haven't surfaced. There aren't any ex-girlfriends that have admitted it. Students that have been inspired by Obama as a professor, they haven't come forth.
"Media hasn't dug 'em up. It is interesting from the standpoint that the guy has not been vetted yet. Look what they're trying to do to Michele Bachmann, what they're planning on doing to [Rick] Perry and so forth."
He concluded, "I'm just saying it's very strange that we know so little about a guy who's written two autobiographies. It really is strange."
Categories limbaugh, obama, obama birth certificate wnd constitution birthers, perry
Asian-American lawmakers demand Limbaugh apology
Rush Limbaugh's imitation of the Chinese language during a recent speech made by Chinese President Hu Jintao has stirred a backlash among Asian-American lawmakers in California and nationally.
California state Sen. Leland Yee, a Democrat from San Francisco, is leading a fight in demanding an apology from the radio talk show host for what he and others view as racist and derogatory remarks against the Chinese people.
In recent days, the state lawmaker has rallied civil rights groups in a boycott of companies like Pro Flowers, Sleep Train and Domino's Pizza that advertise on Limbaugh's national talk radio show.
"The comments that he made — the mimicking of the Chinese language — harkens back to when I was a little boy growing up in San Francisco and those were hard days, rather insensitive days," Yee said in an interview Thursday. "You think you've arrived and all of a sudden get shot back to the reality that you're a second-class citizen."
During a Jan. 19 radio program, Limbaugh said there was no translation of the Chinese president's speech during a visit to the White House.
"He was speaking and they weren't translating," Limbaugh said. "They normally translate every couple of words. Hu Jintao was just going ching chong, ching chong cha."
He then launched into a 20-second-long imitation of the Chinese leader's dialect.
The next day, Limbaugh said he "did a remarkable job" of imitating China's president for someone who doesn't know a language spoken by more than 1 billion people.
"Back in the old days, Sid Caesar, for those of you old enough to remember, was called a comic genius for impersonating foreign languages that he couldn't speak," Limbaugh said. "But today the left says that was racism; it was bigotry; it was insulting. And it wasn't. It was a service."
A telephone and e-mail to Limbaugh's station operator Clear Channel Communications Inc. was not returned Thursday. Clear Channel's Premiere Radio Networks Inc. is home to Limbaugh, Jim Rome, Ryan Seacrest, Glenn Beck, Bob Costas and Sean Hannity.
An e-mail to Limbaugh's show requesting comment was also not returned.
Yee has been joined by Asian-American state and federal lawmakers who say Limbaugh's comments are inciting hate and intolerance amid a polarized atmosphere. A number of civil rights groups, including Chinese for Affirmative Action, Japanese American Citizens League and the California National Organization for Women, have joined Yee in calling on sponsors to pull advertisements from Limbaugh's program.
An online petition has been created on Yee's website.
http://dist08.casen.govoffice.com
"I want an apology at the very least," said New York Assemblywoman Grace Meng, a Queens Democrat. "Making fun of any country's leader is just very disrespectful for someone who says he is a proud American."
She added: "He was, in his own way, trying to attack the leader of another country, and that's his prerogative as well, but at the same time he offended 13 percent of New York City's population."
There are about 14 million, or 4.5 percent, Asian-Americans in the United States, more if counting those of mixed races.
In California, Asians make up more than 12 percent of the state's 38 million population.
While Asian-American lawmakers demand an apology from Limbaugh, some are increasingly concerned for Yee's personal safety. Public officials have been put on alert after the deadly rampage in Tucson where U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot while meeting with constituents.
Shortly after condemning Limbaugh's remarks, Yee said he received racist death threats to his San Francisco and Sacramento offices. The lawmaker also received a profanity-filled telephone message Thursday.
The caller, who did not identify himself, called Yee a "cry baby" and urged him to resign from office.
Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Tony Beard Jr. confirmed the Legislature has launched an investigation and is cooperating with other security agencies.
He said Yee had received similar faxes in April after he called on a state university to disclose how much it was paying Sarah Palin for a fundraiser.
"We need to stand up for civility and be respectful of one another. Otherwise the consequences are dreadful as we can already see in the death threats against Senator Yee," said Rep. Judy Chu, a Democrat who represents a large Asian district outside Los Angeles.
Yee, who has a chance to become San Francisco's first elected Asian mayor, said he has no plans to change his behavior because doing so would amount to "stepping down." He said his staff has received additional security training.
"It's just been a disappointing experience," Yee said. "I'm not angry about it, more disappointed that in the year 2011, we still have individuals who are racist."
Threats to minority lawmakers are not new. California state Assemblyman Paul Fong said he was the target of racist comments in 2009, when he introduced a resolution officially expressing California's regret for the way it treated Chinese living in the state.
Comments from Gary Gatehouse
Hey Senator YEE-The American people who care, don't expect Limbaugh to apologize to the Chinese people-we will expect Limbaugh to apologize when your guy the china man on the piano apologizes to the American people and Korean War Veterans for playing that anti America music at OUR paid for STATE DINNER where two socialist brothers met-Obama and the guy you really hold allegiance to China's President
The Communists Chinese Government were/are allied with the North Korean communists. How can this not be taken as a slight to the allies at the very least? Calling them Jackals is profane. They insult the American people with this propagandists instrumental. Chinese govt have shown aggression and will continue to.
Please do not play innocent communists.
Drop Senator YEE a e-mail and let him know what your think of his Bull Shi.
Categories america, china, communist, limbaugh, obama


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text:
MTSU, Belmont debate teams to ..
MTSU returns to ACM Awards for student learning la...
'Scrapping for Metal': Listen ..
MTSU returns to ACM Awards for student learning lab, celebration of alumni nominees
by Andrew Oppmann
Students and faculty from Middle Tennessee State University will arrive Friday, April 5, in Las Vegas to celebrate alumni nominees in the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards and get behind-the-scenes instruction in the making of the national telecast.
It marks the second year in a row that MTSU College of Media and Entertainment alumnus Pete Fisher, the academy's chief executive officer, has offered the awards show and festivities as a learning laboratory for students.
"ACM Awards weekend provides several dynamic opportunities for students and faculty to connect with country music artists and executives — as well as see the work behind the scenes in staging the telecast," Fisher said. "I'm proud my alma mater will be here."
Academy of Country Music CEO and MTSU alumnus Pete Fisher, standing at right, conducts a class in April 2018 for five students from MTSU's Department of Media Arts on the floor of the ACM Awards Show at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino's Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. From left, facing the camera, are MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, Department of Media Arts Chair Billy Pittard, media arts professor Bob Gordon and College of Media and Entertainment Dean Ken Paulson. (MTSU file photo by Andrew Oppmann)
Fisher will be joined by technical and production executives behind Sunday's telecast to present a master class to students during rehearsals. Students will see how producers and directors stage the show and will shadow media professionals as they work with the artists.
"Our trip last year to the ACM Awards reminded us once again of the importance of extending our classrooms to the most important entertainment events in the nation," said Ken Paulson, dean of the College of Media and Entertainment.
"Our students are immersed in the production and professionalism that makes a live program like this work so well. That's invaluable."
The trip also provides a chance to celebrate the eight MTSU alumni and former students being recognized during this year's ACM Awards. They are:
• 2014 audio production grads Chandler Baldwin and Jared Hampton and 2013 music business alumnus Eric Steedly, three of the five members of Lanco, nominated in the group of the year and the new duo and group of the year categories.
• Multi-Grammy winner and 2001 music business grad Luke Laird, nominated in the ACM's song of the year category for "Space Cowboy," co-written with Kacey Musgraves and Shane McAnally and the Grammys' 2019 best country song winner.
• Michael Knox, a 1991 recording industry alumnus who's produced 21 No. 1 records in the last dozen years, nominated for producer of the year and in the vocal event of the year category for "Drowns the Whiskey," Jason Aldean's collaboration with Miranda Lambert.
• Former recording industry major and multi-Grammy winner Hillary Scott, nominated with Lady Antebellum for group of the year.
• 1994 recording industry graduate and multi-Grammy winner F. Reid Shippen, nominated for the ACM's audio engineer of the year.
• Mitchell Tenpenny, a 2012 commercial songwriting graduate, nominated for new male artist of the year.
Eight MTSU alumni are among nominees for various categories for the 54th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which will be televised Sunday, April 7, in Las Vegas.
MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, who will accompany the students and faculty, said it's important for the university to make its presence known at high-profile events.
"Our university needs to be front and center during the biggest events of the music industry, given our standing as one of the top music business schools," McPhee said. "That's why we travel to the ACMs and the Grammys each year."
Billy Pittard, chair of MTSU's Department of Media Arts, which prepares students for careers in film and video production and media management, said the hands-on experience that students gain can't be duplicated in the classroom.
"Our students are getting an extremely rare opportunity to get a close-up look at the behind the scenes preparations for one of the biggest live shows on television, directed by one of the truly great live television producer/directors, Glenn Weiss," Pittard said.
"And to make it even better, they will have time with Pete Fisher. These lucky students are going to come away from this trip with their minds expanded to a whole new level of understanding."
Billboard included MTSU last month on its annual list of America's top music business schools for the sixth year in a row, ranking the university among the best producers of ready-to-work music industry pros.
In the article, "Billboard's 2019 Top Music Business Schools: Taking Classes from The Grammys to SXSW," the alphabetical listing of 21 schools in the magazine's March 23 online and print editions also adds index newcomers like California's Occidental College and the new Detroit Institute of Music Education alongside stalwarts like the programs at Berklee, New York University, the University of Southern California and Nashville neighbor Belmont University.
The trade magazine brags this year on MTSU's nine alumni who worked on 2019 Grammy Award-nominated recordings, singling out Laird and the NBC News feature on the program that aired on Grammy night, along with a note on MTSU's now-sixth annual Grammy Week trip connecting students and staff with area alumni and industry professionals.
In its mentions of distinguished alumni, professors and/or guests for each school, Billboard specifically included commercial songwriting grad Tenpenny, who co-wrote and co-produced his No. 2 debut single, "Drunk Me."
Beverly Keel
Beverly Keel, chair of MTSU's Department of Recording Industry, also plans to host a "Change the Conversation" event at the ACM Radio Awards presentation Saturday, April 6.
Keel formed Change the Conversation in 2014 with Leslie Fram and Tracy Gershon to fight gender inequality in country music. The organization funds research, mentors young women and hosts events to allow industry experts to share their insights with the group.
"Thanks to our great alum, Pete Fisher, we're going to plant a True Blue flag at the ACMs this weekend," McPhee said.
The 54th ACM Awards will air live from MGM Grand's Garden Arena at 7 p.m. CDT Sunday on CBS.
— Andrew Oppmann (andrew.oppmann@mtsu.edu) and Gina Fann (gina.fann@mtsu.edu)
"54th Academy of Country Music Awards", alumni news, College of Media and Entertainment, country music, Department of Media Arts, Department of Recording Industry, Middle Tennessee State University, MTSU, student news
Andrew Oppmann
Feb. 3 MTSU Jazz Artist Series concert honors 'exuberant' drummer Duffy Jackson January 20, 2022


This course covers advanced topics in Database Management systems, with a blend of influential and ongoing research. We will cover some of the seminal papers in the area and more recent work. The load of the course is mostly on reading (~60 papers in total or 2-3 papers per class). Students are expected to read and have a good understanding of the presented papers ahead of the lecture time. After the first 2 or 3 weeks, two or three students will carry out the lecture and lead the paper presentation in class on slides that will be provided to the whole class ahead of time. Students will be welcomed to modify and/or extend the provided slides with their own material. The students who will be doing the presentation will be randomly selected at the beginning of the class. Thus, all students will have to be prepared for the material of the day for each and every lecture of the semester. This novel method will help in the discussion and evaluation of the covered material.
There is no text for the course. All the material required for the class will be made available on the class web page.


text:
Стерліба́шевський район (, ) — адміністративна одиниця Республіки Башкортостан Російської Федерації.

Адміністративний центр — село Стерлібашево.

Населення
Населення району становить 17692 особи (2019, 20217 у 2010, 22007 у 2002).

Адміністративно-територіальний поділ
На території району 15 сільських поселень, які називаються сільськими радами:

Найбільші населені пункти

Примітки

Посилання
 Сайт Стерлібашевського району
 Сторінка району на сайті Республіки Башкортостан
 Сайт районної адміністрації

Райони Башкортостану

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


passes the one million mark.
Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell drivers have proved the viability of fuel cell technology by accumulating more than 1,000,000 miles (1.6 million kms) on the roads and highways of Southern California.
UK tyre safety awareness organisation TyreSafe invites all road safety stakeholders to enter submissions for the TyreSafe Awards 2016. The awards are open to non-members of TyreSafe as well as its supporters and seek to recognise the work and achievements of those campaigning to raise awareness of tyre safety in the UK during 2015. Winners will be presented with their awards at an evening ceremony on 14 July.


text:
Q: WPF ObservableCollection not updating? Can't seem to get an ObservableCollection to update. The TreeView shows empty.
Error: this type of collectionview does not support changes to its sourcecollection from a thread differentfrom the dispatcher thread.
Class level var
public ObservableCollection<TSItem> tsItems { get; set; }

Initialize Components
tsItems = new ObservableCollection<TSItem>();
bwRun.DoWork += bwRun_DoWork;
InitializeComponent();
tvTest.ItemsSource = tsItems;

from the background worker I use the following method to add to the collection
 private void AddTreeViewItem(TSItem item)
 {
     tsItems.Add(item);
 }

xaml
<TreeView x:Name="tvTest" HorizontalAlignment="Left" Height="249" Margin="140,36,0,0" VerticalAlignment="Top" Width="257">
        <TreeView.ItemTemplate>
            <HierarchicalDataTemplate>
                <StackPanel Orientation="Horizontal">
                    <Image Source="{Binding Icon}" />
                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding Header}" />
                </StackPanel>
            </HierarchicalDataTemplate>
        </TreeView.ItemTemplate>
    </TreeView>

A: You should dispatch changes to UI thread:
 private void AddTreeViewItem(TSItem item)
 {
    Dispatcher.BeginInvoke(new Action(() => tsItems.Add(item)));
 }

A: You have to invoke back onto the UI thread before updating your observable collection.
As a shortcut to just get it working, consider Application.Dispatcher.Invoke or BeginInvoke.This requires a reference to PresentationCore so may not be great for MVVM if you want to be super pure about it.

If you want to be purer one way or another, you need to do a bit more work. Most of this involves trapping the SynchronizationContext of the UI thread.

*

*Create your own implementation of INotifyCollectionChanged that wraps a SynchronizationContext and forwards the events of an internal ObservableCollection

*Grab the SynchronizationContext in your constructor using SynchronizationContext.Current. This only works if your constructor is accessed on the UI thread.

*Pass a SynchronizationContext into every class that needs ones.

A: @Somedust is correct.  I would also add that you say that you are updating the observable collection via the background worker.  If you are doing that, you need to ensure that you are back on the UI thread when doing so.


Ok, so this episode is a bit weird, thought i'd say that from the outset. What started out as a trip to Maroush for a spot of lunch somehow manifested itself into a Full Carbon Bugatti Chiron, a Huracan Badger, the weirdest rendition of Parkour and other general weirdness.
I also made this video for another reason. A few days ago I got my hands on a new wide angle lens made by a company called Moment for my iPhone 7 plus. The lens in question is an 18mm equivalent in full frame terms and gives the iPhone a very nice wide angle of view. I wanted to include more of the environment in videos shot with the iPhone so I decided to take the iPhone 7 plus and the lens out for a test. I shot everything in the vertical video format as the initial plan was to publish the video on my IGTV channel.
It turns out Youtube also supports vertical video so I published the video on the Rawkus tv youtube channel instead.
A full video review of the lens is in the works, will share that very soon. In the mean time let me know what you guys think of the images in the video and what you think of the new vertical video format.
See you all on the next episode!
Please do share if you like. See you on the next episode which might or might not be a bit weird and vertical.


What with Amazon and Google Shopping Express winning the world's laziest misanthropes' affections, other companies are left doing everything they can to stay in the fight. In Best Buy's case, that means offering free shipping on major appliances—and (apparently) praying that folks don't realize the $30 required cord ships for more than double that.
Turns out, that free delivery only applies to the dryer itself. They charge you $69.99 to deliver the power cord along with the dryer. Dryers don't come with power cords. They must be purchased separately because there are two types.
We spoke to a Best Buy customer service representative over the phone who was able to confirm that the $70 shipping fee on the $30 cord was, in fact, legit. And while customer service reps aren't always completely clued in, but it seems that Best Buy has a standard shipping fee for any appliance-related products that don't hit the $399 minimum to qualify for free shipping—that is, $399 per product, not total. So any (in this case necessary) add-ons will seriously cut into the freeness of that shipping.


text:
James Cameron Says AVATAR Sequels Screenplays Are Written – Honest!
January 30, 2017 Rich Drees Movie News
James Cameron has been working on the sequels to his 2009 film Avatar for a long time. How long? Well, the original plan was to make the first film the start of a trilogy and the third and final installment would have been released in December 2015. Well, plans have a way of changing. Now, over a year after we should have seen the film franchise close out, Cameron has exploded his ideas for the series from two additional films to four. But the director has been dragging his feet on getting the whole thing into production, but that may soon be changing.
Speaking to The Daily Beast, Cameron stated that he finally has the scripts for the four films finished and will start simultaneous production on the films in August.
So how is Avatar 2 coming along? Obviously the first one is the all-time box office champ, so the bar is set pretty high here.
The thing is, my focus isn't on Avatar 2. My focus is on Avatar 2, 3, 4, and 5 equally. That's exactly how I'm approaching it. They've all been developed equally. I've just finished the script to Avatar 5. I'm now starting the process of active prep. I'll be working with the actors in the capture volume in August, so I'm booked in production every day between now and then. Our volume is up and running, and everything is designed, and so we're going full-guns right now. I feel like I've been let out of jail, because I've been in the writing cave for the last two years. I'm actually enjoying life. I don't enjoy writing. I wouldn't wish writing on a dog.
Now to be honest, we have heard Cameron say that he was finished with the scripts for the sequels and was gearing up for production before. Should we believe him this time? Who knows? But I think that the bigger question now is whether people will be interested in sequels to the film ten years on. Sure, Avatar was the first film to surpass $2 billion in box office receipts, but how often does the film come up in conversation now?
Disney/Fox Cancels Almost Entire Development Slate
August 7, 2019 Rich Drees Movie News
After a poor financial quarter, Disney axes almost the entirety of Fox's development slate. [click for more]
Cameron Still Working On AVATAR Sequel Scripts
December 12, 2015 Rich Drees Movie News
The director is taking one more pass through the screenplays, though production design is pretty much set. [click for more]
Is Cameron Moving AVATAR Sequels Production To New Zealand?
February 2, 2012 Rich Drees Movie News
Will the directors shoot the two follow-ups to his science-fiction epic in Wellington? [click for more]


Signed artist-made jewellery as well as one-of-a-kind collectible wrist watches are taking centre stage at the booth of Aaron Faber Gallery.
The company's expansive selection of rare and collectible pocket watches from the 18th, 19th and 20th century, many made especially for the Asian market, is also catching buyers' attention at the show.
The US-based specialist in artist-made, classic and estate jewellery, and vintage timepieces prides itself on the rarity, condition and documentation of its offerings.
Aaron Faber Gallery said it had high expectations of the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair, based on previous experience.
It expects solid demand from connoisseurs across Asia as well as India, the Middle East and Indonesia.


Can someone explain my MRI results?
What do these notes from Radiology mean in laymans terms?
C5-C6: There are posterio endplate hypertrophic changes eccentric towards the right, with slight effacement of the right ventral aspect of the thecal sac, and narrowing the procimal aspect of the right neural foramen. The left neural foramen is patent.
C6-C7: There is also mild endplate hypertrophic changes and broad based disc herniation/spur slight effacing the right ventral aspect of the thecal sac without central canal stenosis. Slight narrowing of the right neural foramen is seen.
1) Spontylotic changes as noted above, particularly at the C5-C6 and C6-C7 levels resulting in right neural foraminal stenosis. No evidence of dentral canal stenosis or cord compression.
At 6-7 where the disks attach there is bone growth and the space the nerve root exists the foramin is narrowing.
A chiropractor can give you a better explanation that I or your surgeon can.
My guess is that you don't need any surgery but if you do do with a minimal percutaneous approach.
The reason for the MRI was to identify possible causes of bodywide muscle twitching, peripheral neuropathy symptoms and strange nerve sensations.
Does any of the above (despite what doctors may assume) play a role in this? I see two mentions of abnormal growth in the location where nerves are .... and even though they did not see any contact while I was laying prostrate .... the spine is a moving thing, and different positions may very well elicit contact.
Have a standing MRI. See a chiropractor for a consult. Some do it for free.
Sometimes a disk under load will bulge. You could also have weak ligaments.
I usually look at the adjectives instead of the pathology noted. Most people in their 50's or 60's will have MRI's that sound much worse... even people with no symptoms.
I'll be surprised if your doctors get too excited about the MRI. No smoking gun there???
What I see in your report is slight, mild, slight.
You are correct. The spine is a dynamic system and the MRI is a static image of you laying in a neutral position. Have they looked at t-spine and brain? Even with no smoking gun, it is often difficult to get the doctors motivated to look for less likely causes.
Im pretty proactive with my health, so I wanted to ask you guys - i am 38 years old and .... well fortunate enough to have "early and slight" on an MRI ... is there anything I can do, daily, that will reverse what is starting, or dramatically reduce its progression?
I see arthritis being mentioned and degenerative disk disease .... they wont be slight or beginning stages forever. So what can I do so Im not the 78 year old guy in constant back pain?
Increase your fitness, core strength and flexibility, but do it smartly.... don't go nuts on activities that will flare you up or you'll just be fighting yourself. Ab and trunk strength is key for lumbar problems. Work on your posture if needed. If you are overweight fix that. Imagine if you back really hurts and someone gives you a 40 pound backpack to carry around all day.
It's nice to see someone here who (hopefully) won't be headed down our path.... spine surgery is better in theory than in practice.
My posture is terrible but im pretty certain its a result of my extremely short collar bone. (this may sound absurd but its a known phenomenon that longer collar bones result in better posture whereas short ones tend to draw the shoulders forward).
In any case, I have a feeling that my beginning stage issues mentioned above are *because* of my fitness. I've been very physically active and I think it creates wear and tear. Maybe if anything I need to tone it down a bit.
IMHO, being physically active makes you fit. My father has a bad back. My brother has a bad back. I truly believe that if I was not so active (soccer 6 days a week, including lots of goalkkeeping, skydiving, rock climbing, scuba, etc....) I would have been a spiney much sooner. My first MRI was in 1988 showing degenerated L4-5 and L5-S1. I did not treat for almost 10 years of intense activity... only after getting rear-ended on the freeway on the way to work, did spine become my life.
Can Someone translate My MRI results to plain English?
Unenhanced multisequence data acquisition was followed by soft copy review of multiple image series.
Note: Standard anatomical configuration, with five lumbar vertebral bodies, is assumed, as numbered on the exam and reported for the current study.
A small oval-shaped left renal lesion is seen, probably representing a cyst, but is not fully imaged or assessed by this exam.
Slight anterior wedging of the T12 and L1 vertebral bodies appears nonacute and is suspected to be congenital/developmental.
Small Schmorl's nodes are shown. Probable L1 vertebral body hemangioma. Overall vertebral marrow pattern grossly unremarkable. Normal-appearing conus termination. Multilevel disc desiccation noted, with relative reservation of hydration at L3-4.
Hypertrophic facet arthropathy and ligamentum flavum enlargement are mild to moderate overall, generally greatest inferiorly; note is made of minimal, grade 1 retrolisthesis of L4 on L5; these factors contribute to stenotic disease.
L1-2: Minimal annular bulging and anterior thecal sac flattening with gross neuroforaminal patency.
L3-4: Minimal foraminal position disc protrusions bilaterally. L3 neuroforaminal narrowing is minimal/mild on the right and mild-to-moderate on the left.
L4-5: Mild generalized annular bulging with minimally accentuated foraminal position disc protrusions. Slight anterior thecal sac flattening. Mild-to-moderate L4 neuroforaminal narrowing bilaterally.
L5-S1: Mild generalized annular bulging with suggested tiny annular fissure, with an accompanying minimal focal disc protrusion, in the left foraminal position. Moderate L5 neuroforaminal narrowing bilaterally.
Stenotic abnormalities, detailed above, result from a combination of facet hypertrophy, ligamentum flavum enlargement, limited discal displacement, hypertrophic endplate changes and, at L4-5, minimal spondylolisthesis. Please see the above report, to include the level by level description.
Small left renal lesion, possibly a cyst but not fully assessed by this exam. Other findings/details per report.


Tuesday was a roller coaster. It started so well and meditatively, with an excerpt from Geoff Dyer's forthcoming book "Otherwise Known as the Human Condition," on "reader's block," a sort of anxiety that afflicts only the person who reads for pleasure: "Reading has never felt like work in the way that writing has, and so, if I feel I should be working, I feel I should be writing. Theoretically, if I am not writing then I am free to read but, actually, I always feel vaguely guilty, and so, instead of writing (working) or reading (relaxing), I do neither." Then I chanced on Clancy Martin's account of his early sexual experiences in Guernica's new issue, which was graphic and disturbing (perhaps this was the intention). My psyche relaxed with the rest of the issue; I loved Deb Olin Unferth's memoir manifesto. I detest it when critics (or publishers) write off entire genres. The only rule about genre (in my mind) should be: form and content in perfect harmony. Genres are flexible constructs, and are useful for that reason, as my Wednesday read proves. That day, I began Mark Richard's inventive and strange and moving "House of Prayer No. 2," which is a "memoir," but one that moves freely between third-person and first, between reporting and memory.
And today? Today, I pondered "Why Students Want to Go to Harvard," a study published in the Chronicle of Higher Ed on just how great the rewards of attending a top-tier college are. "Only a certain relatively small percent of the labor force has what might be termed desirable, high-paying jobs—maybe 10 or 15 percent. But if 30 percent of adults have bachelor's degrees, a large portion of them will not get those good jobs, but some will." Guess who those "some" are.


The article raises quite a few potential challenges, but the general objective is both noble and plausible. It's also similar to the argument I made in this post and this post.
My point was that urban fruit forests result in low cost, environmentally friendly food for the entire community. That food can be used to mitigate the effects of local hunger and poverty, and/or simply to provide healthy food for those who take it.
Provo obviously wouldn't grow the same kind of food that Seattle is planning, but the city already has enough fruit and nut trees — as well as people who gleen from them — to suggest that this could work.
Close up of a young Gala apple tree in the Joaquin neighborhood.
I've written several times on this blog about the possibility of using public space to grow edible produce, specifically fruit. I think this is a wonderful idea, but I get the sense that some people see it as prohibitively impractical or some sort of pipe dream.
But as this article demonstrates, urban food production is very possible. The article details the plans to create an edible forest in Seattle. Though Provo is a very different city, the already-abundant fruit trees — as well as the increasing local interest in gleening — suggests that something similar could work in Provo.
Here's a fun little piece on people in San Fransisco who are literally grafting the branches of fruit trees onto non-fruit bearing trunks around their city. For the record, I'm not in favor of this idea in Provo, in large part because Provo's size seems to lend itself better to working within legal channels.
But the point the "guerrilla grafters" are making is that urban fruit production can be a major asset to a city. It's a very similar argument I made here, when I speculated that with Provo's high rate of volunteerism and already-abundant urban crop the city could become a leader in this movement.
In Provo, the aroma of autumn hangs in the air, the scent of ripening apples lingers in the streets.
Several years ago, Laura and I noticed Provo's many neglected apple trees — and the fruit they leave rotting on the ground — and began gleaning them. The activity has become something of an annual tradition for us, and in the past few years we've made dozens and dozens of pies, loaves of apple bread, bottles of apple sauce and other delicious food with the apples.
This year, however, competition was more fierce. There are several trees we like to visit, but each time we went there were several other people — usually couples — gleaning the trees as well.
Though my initial reaction was to be competitive, seeing other people gleaning turned out to be fairly pleasant. While enjoying the cool autumn air and the sweet smell of fruit, we got to meet other people who also felt like it was a shame to let pounds and pounds of apples go to waste. Plus, for the first time ever, we borrowed a telescoping apple picking tool, which allowed us to pick the highest apples and bring in the biggest harvest ever. We literally picked hundreds of dollars of free apples.
Gleening urban fruit is fun and has a positive impact on the community. It prevents trees from making a mess, thereby saving on grounds keeping costs, provides inexpensive (free) healthy food to residents, and can actually be a form of exercise. And at least as long as it remains a niche activity, there is a sense of camaraderie among gleaners; it's as though we're all in on a really cool secret.
In many places, gleaning is also becoming a way for cities to provide for less fortunate people. Volunteers go out and pick the fruit, and then some or all of it — depending on the particular program — is donated to local food banks and homeless shelters. It's a win-win, and if it works properly there are almost no disadvantages.
Wouldn't it be great if that happened in Provo? Even better, wouldn't it be great if Provo became a leader in urban farming, gleaning, and food production? There are many people in Provo who don't have the money to buy enough healthy food, and gleaning could become a boon for them. More selfishly, the more edible produce we grow in our community, the more delicious food we eat.
Making Provo a leader in urban food production would be comparatively easy. While it will ultimately take millions of dollars and many years to revitalize downtown, an apple tree costs only about $30. Every homeowner could afford to plant a single fruit tree. (When I moved into my home recently, Laura and I planted five.) The city also could easily plant more fruit trees in parks. We could rapidly increase the amount of food our public spaces produce, all for a very small cost.
Of course, there are challenges. One of the main concerns people have with fruit trees is the mess they make. That's a real concern, but significantly, this year I noticed that there wasn't much of a mess around the trees we visited. Enough people gleaned them that there were barely any apples on the ground. Problem solved. In other words, the demand already exists to consume all of Provo's apples. With more awareness and organization, Provo residents could easily glean and clean up after hundreds of additional fruit trees.
To realistically make Provo an urban fruit mecca, the city (or another organization, if it was interested) could organize volunteers to periodically pick the fruit. Volunteers could keep some of it, and donate what they can't use. I don't want to get into the nitty gritty details here, but we could call this organization the Provo Gleaning Committee, or something to that effect. Provo is the best place in the county for volunteerism, so finding interested people shouldn't be very difficult.
So while none of this would be free, the investment would be low and the pay off fast. It could probably be done all with donations; I know I'd contribute a fruit tree to plant in a park, and I bet others would as well. In the end, the health and community benefits would last for generations, and Provo would enjoy the collateral benefit of having a reputation as a leader in this growing movement.
To read about my first experiences gleaning apples in Provo, click here, here and here.
I thought I'd end the "Picking Apples" posts with Part 3, but I figured I'd post a few pictures. All of these pictures are of apples we picked from the second tree (see "Part 1"). Also, there are a bunch that wouldn't fit in bags, so I never really got a good picture of all the apples together. These pictures probably represent between 1/3 and 1/2 of all the apples we've picked.