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Secret Trials, Secret Laws
by Jason Kuznicki · May 26, 2011
Spencer Ackerman reports on a secret USA-PATRIOT Act:
You think you understand how the Patriot Act allows the government to spy on its citizens. Sen. Ron Wyden says it's worse than you know.
Congress is set to reauthorize three controversial provisions of the surveillance law as early as Thursday. Wyden (D-Oregon) says that powers they grant the government on their face, the government applies a far broader legal interpretation — an interpretation that the government has conveniently classified, so it cannot be publicly assessed or challenged. But one prominent Patriot-watcher asserts that the secret interpretation empowers the government to deploy "dragnets" for massive amounts of information on private citizens; the government portrays its data-collection efforts much differently.
Is the secret interpretation of this law justified by the law's text? It could be, but if it is, we may never know. Is it consistent with the rule of law? Absolutely not.
The rule of law entails publicly known laws and procedures. To proceed on a secret interpretation of the law — in a secret court, no less — is to abandon all pretext that the people are sovereign, that they consent to be governed, and that they can hold the government accountable.
Seems like a perfect opportunity for a whistleblower. Anyone wanna step up?
Tags: civil libertiesRon Wyden
Jason Kuznicki
Jason Kuznicki is a research fellow at the Cato Institute and contributor of Cato Unbound. He's on twitter as JasonKuznicki. His interests include political theory and history.
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Pat Cahalan says:
Probably not. It didn't work out grand for Mark Klein.
For the record, I'm not surprised, in fact it's nice to get some confirmation that I may be correct in my surmises about how the system is actually designed. I wrote a ton about the NSA program when it was first revealed. The nature of the technology is such that "information dragnet" is an inherent necessary step.Report
Jason Kuznicki in reply to Pat Cahalan says:
It didn't work out grand for Mark Klein.
True, true. Or Bradley Manning. But if we ever needed someone to reveal something, now sure seems like it.Report
Pat Cahalan in reply to Jason Kuznicki says:
Well, if you're going to compare the two, I could see myself pulling a Mark Klein in some circumstances. Bradley Manning, probably not. That says something either about my prudence or my courage or both.Report
WardSmith in reply to Pat Cahalan says:
@Pat I don't want you to think I'm stalking you, but this forum was a better place to tell (one of) my Milgram type stories. I am extremely reluctant to possibly reveal my identity by posting this, but in fact over a decade ago I was an owner of the /only/ ISP to fight the federal government over installation of a Carnivore system. Naturally we lost, the Fed's have unlimited funds and sticks at their disposal. And lest the die-hard librul democrats here scream Bush!, in fact this was all under the Clinton administration.
Re: my Milgram experience. Having stood up to far worse previously (earlier Milgrams) the cost to me personally (to the tune of 7 figures) and the opprobrium of my business partners was something I could stand, as I can stand the slings and arrows wending my way in the changing minds thread. My issue isn't that I can't stand the aspersions, but that it irritates me when they are (to me) unfounded. I haven't done a word count ala BlaiseP, but I've read and reread my posts to visually pattern match to find my "contumacious" language. Sorry Blaise that I am so resistant to authority. So sue me – you won't be the first and likely won't be the last.Report
Pat Cahalan in reply to WardSmith says:
Ah. You were a client of Hogan & Hartson? You don't have to answer that. Our contentious thread elsewhere aside, I'd like to buy you a beer. You and Joseph Nacchio, should he ever get out of the clink.
You have my sympathies; the Carnivore system, its predecessor, and its successor represent 15+ years of the FBI and the federal government (under multiple administrations) trying to screw civil liberties in spite of repeated attempts to stop them. Good on you for fighting that fight.Report
DensityDuck says:
Maybe if Americans weren't so worried about people knowing the length of their todgers we wouldn't have this mess.Report
Burt Likko in reply to DensityDuck says:
Do you think Thomas Jefferson would have tolerated the USA Patriot Act? Would George Washington have submitted to a full body pat-down or nude-imagery scatter scan? It's not just about refusing to dangle one's dongle for the delight of poorly-paid TSA workers, DD.Report
DensityDuck in reply to Burt Likko says:
I'd think that John Adams would have been entirely okay with it, considering that he signed the Alien And Sedition Acts.Report
tom van dyke in reply to DensityDuck says:
John Adams likely lost his 2nd term because of it. Jefferson pardoned everybody under the Sedition Act and refunded the fines. And served 2 terms.Report
DensityDuck in reply to tom van dyke says:
The point wasn't "everyone loved the Alien And Sedition Acts"; it was to refute the old Libertarian saw that The Founding Father Would NEVER Countenance This!Report
DD, I think a libertarian would argue such tyranny by Leviathan was almost immediate, that the Constitution was under threat from the drop of the hat.
The Federalist Party went on to disappear within only a few years, don't tread on me, amen. The Sedition Act expired in 1801, and although never tested in the Supreme Court, most scholars believe it would not have survived review.Report
James K says:
So basically, the Patriot Act is now Catch 22? It empowers them to do things that it allows them to keep secret from you.Report
Scott in reply to James K says:
I trust King Barry to do the right thing for the kids so don't worry. After all, isn't being a Dem and doing whatever you do for the kids enough to get you a pass on obeying the law?Report
Jason Kuznicki in reply to Scott says:
Interesting to note that the biggest opponents of the USA-PATRIOT Act renewal are on opposite sides of the aisle — Ron Wyden and Rand Paul. I'm cheering for them both, insofar as their partisans will let me.Report
> I'm cheering for them both, insofar as their
> partisans will let me.
"We don't want you rootin' for our guys, on account o' you're a dirty libertarian".Report
Basically.Report
greginak in reply to Jason Kuznicki says:
The amendment Paul is for is the Leahy-Paul Amendment.Report
tom van dyke in reply to Jason Kuznicki says:
Glenn Greenwald: Democrats hypocrites [dog bites man?]
"So when they were out of power, the Democrats reviled the Patriot Act and constantly complained about fear-mongering tactics and exploitation of the Terrorist threat being used to stifle civil liberties and privacy concerns. Now that they're in power and a Democratic administration is arguing for extension of the Patriot Act, they use fear-mongering tactics and exploitation of the Terrorist threat to stifle civil liberties and privacy concerns ("If somebody wants to take on their shoulders not having provisions in place which are necessary to protect the United States at this time, that's a big, big weight to bear," warned Feinstein)."
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/05/23/bipartisanship/index.htmlReport
Rufus F. in reply to tom van dyke says:
Which is what I said at the time during the Bush years! "Hey, you people okay with this shit? How will feel when it's President Hillary holding the reins?" I didn't pick that one right. But, now, lemme say, "You people okay with this shit? How will you feel when it's President Romney holding the reins?"Report
Mike Schilling in reply to tom van dyke says:
Feinstein hasn't changed her tune; she's always been a security state fan. Not that Greenwald would let facts get in the way of a diatribe.Report
Rufus F. in reply to Mike Schilling says:
It's a bit immature, but every time I see her on any news program, I think of this intro:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCPn0l220MYReport
dexter in reply to Scott says:
No.Report
Boegiboe says:
I miss the golden age of HammurabiReport
greginak says:
FWIW The Leahy -Paul Amendment failed in the senate it lost 72-23
Of the 23 supporting the amendment 18 were D's, 1 I ( Bernie Sanders) and 4 R'sReport
John G. Youman says:
*Warning* I have came up, w/ what some might call a crazy idea!
The shame of the election last November, was that the 1 Senator who voted no, on the original Patriot Act, was voted out of office. Sen. Russ Feingold, say what you will about him, but Feingold was true a civil libertarian.
This is what kills me about the Tea Party. When they 1st appeared, I ask were the hell were they when the first law enacted that really infringed on freedom & violates the Constitution since it was written had been law since 2002. Health Care? Shut up, it needs some work! And yes, I know there is 2 sects of the Tea Party. The Paul & the Palin.
This made me think of Kain's article's 'nostalgia & freedom' & 'Redistribution &the State'. The great analogy he gave on how liberals & libertarians were really cousins. Got me think about this. First thing we need is to shack up the status-quo! I am a firm believer in that.
My "dream" 2012 Presidential ticket? Well here we go! I want a Gary Johnson & Russ Feingold to run as 3rd party independents in the general. As of now, I am supporting Johnson in the GOP primary, but it is hard to watch when the media treats him like Dennis Kucinich. Also, I am liberal/moderate on economics & taxes, so I don't support him on a lot of those issues. But person freedom is my #1 concern. Without it we are no longer a Republic. My moderate/liberal economy side of me comes from being the child of 2, of the school districts best High School & Jr. High teachers.
(FYI: My Pops voted Republican for President since he was 21. He was also never a member of any teachers union for 33 years.) But now he is upset w/ the GOP & is talking about voting for Obama! Now that does depend on the candidate, but he didn't like any of them until I introduced him to Gov. Johnson.
Now you might be at your computer, screaming what an idiot I am. What's my reasoning for thinking these 2 men on the same ticket, could win a 3 way race. When I think of Johnson & Feingold, I see men of integrity & men who know & love the Constitution. Neither has a big ego & they will work w/ members of the other party, to do what is right for America. Plus they could beat Obama or whoever the GOP candidate is. I know as many liberals as I do conservatives who are pissed at Obama. If I am wrong tell me how real change, can be put in Washington, DC.Report
Obama has signed the Patriot Act via auto pen. Apparently he can't be bothered to actually sign a bill as the constitution requires. Ironic for such a controversial bill or maybe not considering how he can't obey the War Powers Act either.Report
greginak in reply to Scott says:
This might interest you:
https://ordinary-times.com/burtlikko/2011/05/27/autopen/Report
Scott in reply to greginak says:
I disagree. The Constitution says the pres has to sign the bill not have his signature affixed. Surely the framers meant that the Pres would physically sign the bill. I'm confident Burt can come up with something better than his reductio ad absurdum argument. Certainly a Harvard law grad and con law prof can be expected to obey the law?Report
Burt Likko in reply to Scott says:
I thought I did:
What matters is that the President review the bill which Congress passes and indicate his approval or disapproval of it in some permanent, recordable sort of way which other people can later objectively verify to determine if bill "X" was or was not thus approved into law.
But if that's not good enough for you, well, I may as well stick with the first argument, which at least had the benefit of being moderately amusing.Report
Scott in reply to Burt Likko says:
Burt:
Funny, my copy of the US Constitution doesn't say that, "the President review the bill which Congress passes and indicate his approval or disapproval of it in some permanent, recordable sort of way which other people can later objectively verify to determine if bill "X" was or was not thus approved into law." My copy say something about signing the bill. I thought that the letter of the law actually meant something, silly me.Report
mark boggs in reply to Scott says:
See, mine doesn't say anything about signing statements either. So, I assume for consistency sakes you were all over the last 8 or so executives for their use of them, right? Or is it just the letter that follows the executive's name that makes this auto-pen so detestable?Report
Scott in reply to mark boggs says:
First, the subject here is the use of the auto pen not singing statements but if you want to take that subject up, fine.
As one of my law profs said, it depends. Is the pres who is using the singing statement doing so to blatantly undermine or ignore the law or is he using it to clarify a vague point in the law to his favor? I see the former as not acceptable but the latter is okay. If the Pres is seeking to undermine or ignore the law then someone should take him to court. In cases of the latter, if the congress doesn't like it then the congress should not be as vague as often as they are.Report
I guess I'm trying to figure out what makes the windmill of the autopen so worthy of tilting at while the overuse of signing statements, which the executive has historically used in an attempt to direct federal agencies as to which parts of these bills should be implemented and how, has you shrugging your shoulders.
Trust me, I understand the power of binary thinking. I'm just questioning whether your concern about Obama's autopen is not a product of such thinking.Report
I didn't think my response was tantamount to a shoulder shrug. I'm so sorry that your pet peeve isn't mine.Report
True. I have developed an overly sensitive pet peeve towards partisans who can find the most trivial things to be threats to the Republic while finding themselves able to muster only yawning nonchalance towards other threats to the Republic depending on who is doing the threatening.Report
Scott in reply to Scott says:
Funny thing is that I didn't say that only Dems were bad for using singing statements. I guess if you want to read it that way then fine but clearly your reading comprehension skills need some work.
Why exactly are you so desperately trying to change the subject from what Barry did? I guess if the auto pen can sign laws for Barry then his kids can or even you and I could. What happened to folks obeying the letter of the law?Report
First off, I was comparing what seems to be your sense of outrage about this with what I'm guessing was yawning indifference to Bush's use of signing statements, so it may be your reading comprehension that could use some polishing.
And I'm betting that if Barry's kids can sign laws into effect or you and I can, we also have the ability to launch nukes, right? Same safeguards and all.
To be truthful, I just like tweaking the noses of people who seem to be selectively outraged by the actions of the "other" side, when their side does all the same things. It distracts us from actually solving problems. But, I do understand the tendency.Report
Strange that you're more horrified about how or whether he "actually" signed it and less so about what it actually signifies in law.Report
Thanks for assuming that I think that all provisions of the act are just peachy. I think some provisions are better than others.Report
Well, the only outrage you seemed to exhibit was the fact that the President "auto-signed" it. If that made me assume you thought the law was important enough to actually have the man's real hand sign in real ink with a real pen so that he could successfully convey the importance, and by extension, necessity, of this bill to you, I'm sorry.Report
*Sorry for the poor editing*Report
Now Barry's autopen has its own twitter feed. I'm sure it has some wild stories just like Barry's teleprompter!
http://twitter.com/#!/ObamasAutopenReport
Christopher Carr says:
I think people don't know what the term "rule of law" actual means, but if they did, they'd doubtlessly agree that rule of law is a good thing and that the last two (at least!) Presidents have put shat all over it.Report
mark boggs in reply to Christopher Carr says:
*My* president understands the rule of law. *Their* president doesn't. Even when they do the exact same thing. By definition, *my* guy epitomizes rule of law. *Their* guy is just a lawless dick.Report
Christopher Carr in reply to mark boggs says:
So how do we put an end to that or neuter it? Naive question I'm sure, but one that really should be answered sooner or later before things spiral out of controlReport
Ain't that the rub? I certainly lean to the left but am so disillusioned by the continuation of the policies of the past administration, and the defense of it by people who spent 2001-2009 saying we lived in a dictatorship.
As long as the success of *my* team is more important than the general success of *our* country, or the ability to analyze what might actually work, the spiral will continue. Especially if the success of *my* team is defined by obstructing and defeating any proposal of the other team, no matter how useful or utilitarian, simply to deny them credit for anything that might work.Report
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6 Reasons Buffett Bought Into Teva Pharmaceutical, As Told by a Teva Shareholder
Believe it or not, Teva is a great fit for Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio.
(TMFUltraLong)
The past couple of years have been rough on Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE:TEVA) and its shareholders. The largest maker of generic drugs and developer of a handful of brand-name medicines lost practically half of its value in 2017, and it tumbled by well over 80% from its all-time highs in less than three years.
Teva has a laundry list of problems
The list of reasons why Teva ran into a brick wall last year is a mile long. Fundamentally, the wheels fell off the bus. The company cut its sales and profit guidance on a handful of occasions, slashed its dividend by 75% in the summer, and then eliminated it completely a few months later in order to conserve more of its cash.
It also has struggled for multiple quarters with generic-drug pricing. Aside from grossly overpaying for Actavis, and in the process becoming the world's largest generic-drug producer, pricing power on generics has eroded, pressuring Teva's core business.
Making matters worse, the company agreed to settle on bribery charges in three countries where it had allegedly bribed physicians to prescribe its medicines in late December 2016, forcing it to replace some of its top executives after its CEO and CFO stepped down last year.
As the coup de grace, the company's top-selling branded drug, Copaxone, an injectable treatment for multiple sclerosis, began facing generic competition late in the year. Teva exhausted a multitude of legal recourses to keep these generics off the market, but now has around $4 billion in annual sales exposed to generic competition priced at a clear discount to Copaxone.
That was Teva's 2017, in a nutshell.
Image source: The Motley Fool.
Buffett surprises Wall Street by buying into Teva
However, this past week brought something of a shock to Wall Street. As disclosed in 13F filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, buy-and-hold stock mogul Warren Buffett purchased a $358 million stake in Teva Pharmaceutical during the fourth quarter (about 18.8 million shares, or 1.8% of Teva's outstanding shares), making it the only new position for the Oracle of Omaha. As a shareholder of Teva, this move caught me by surprise.
What's truly notable about the purchase is that Buffett doesn't have a lot of exposure to healthcare. His investment team sold down Berkshire Hathaway's (NYSE:BRK-A)(NYSE:BRK-B) stakes in Johnson & Johnson and Sanofi somewhat recently, while continuing to maintain a healthy position in dialysis giant DaVita. Aside from these positions, it's a sector that Buffett otherwise treads lightly or avoids altogether.
Six reasons Buffett's purchase makes sense
Though Teva does have a lot of kinks to work through, I believe there are six reasons behind Buffett's acquisition. We've heard numerous theses up to this point of why he bought into Teva from those on the outside looking in, but here's a take from a Teva shareholder -- me.
1. Healthcare is mostly inelastic
To begin with, Buffett prefers businesses that can essentially run themselves and have clear competitive advantages. The "advantage" of the healthcare industry, and a company like Teva Pharmaceutical that provides generic and brand-name prescription medicines, is consumers don't have control over when they get sick or what ailment they have. Illness doesn't care about inflation, recessions, or politics. It means there's always steady to growing demand for prescription medicines, which checks off an important box on Buffett's investment wish list.
2. The generic-drug trend is Buffett's friend
Buffett and his team are probably betting on a long-term bull market in generic drugs. Even though pricing has been a bit weaker in recent quarters, and Teva has cautioned it could remain that way for a few more quarters, the overall trend in the industry is a push toward higher generic-drug usage. As brand-name drugs move higher in price, consumers, insurers, and physicians will likely push for broader generic-drug use.
According to QuintilesIMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, generic drugs are expected to total 91% to 92% of all prescriptions written by the turn of the decade, up from 88% in 2015. Between limited exclusivity for brand-name therapies and price inflation, volume alone can make Teva a long-term winner -- and I believe Buffett knows it.
Let's not also forget that longevity has increased in nearly all countries around the world. As access to medical care improves, the market for prescription medicines as both treatment and maintenance therapies should rapidly grow.
3. Little pipeline oversight is needed with Teva
Possibly the biggest deterrent for Buffett when it comes to drug companies is that he just doesn't have the time or patience to read through copious amounts of clinical trial data. That's why pharmaceutical stalwarts like Merck and Pfizer aren't currently part of Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio. With Teva, that's not as big of a concern.
You see, generic drugs made up 57% of total sales for Teva in 2017, and Copaxone, which is now facing generic competition, was the only major unknown within the company's branded portfolio. There's nothing specific in the product portfolio or pipeline that's going to require Buffett to sit on the edge of his seat and wait for clinical trial data. That isn't to say he and his investment team at Berkshire won't be reviewing Teva's pipeline a few times a year, so much as that he won't have to read each and every clinical update. That's another checkmark for Buffett.
4. Teva's management is making tough choices
Even though Buffett has said that he doesn't focus on the management teams of the businesses he invests in, he probably appreciates the no-nonsense leadership of new CEO Kare Schultz and Teva's steadfastness in making tough decisions to pay down its debt.
Teva has already eliminated its dividend, saving more than $1 billion annually in the process, and it announced in December that it would be shedding around 14,000 jobs, or a quarter of its workforce. These layoffs, along with numerous asset sales where these employees had worked, should lop $3 billion off expenses by the end of 2019. On a percentage basis, we're talking about an almost 16% reduction in total expenditures for one of the world's biggest drugmakers.
It also jettisoned all aspects of its women's health operations for more than expected (over $2 billion), which is a big reason why debt levels fell $2.2 billion in the fourth quarter to $32.5 billion. A few more noncore asset sales may still be on the docket to help lower debt levels even more.
5. The company is healthfully cash flow positive
Despite all of its woes last year, Teva remains healthfully cash flow positive, generating $3.5 billion from operations in 2017. Excluding net capital expenditures, it generated $2.7 billion in free cash flow. In other words, the dire straits that Teva was deemed to be in by Wall Street may have been overstated, and Buffett probably realizes this.
Even with the expected erosion of Copaxone sales in 2018 -- Copaxone is Teva's highest-margin product -- we're still looking at an estimated $2.6 billion to $2.8 billion in free cash flow, according to the company's outlook. That's more than enough capital to continue paying down debt and advancing its world-leading generic drug portfolio.
6. Buffett loves a good turnaround story
Last but not least, let's not overlook the fact that Buffett has historically loved a good turnaround story from time to time.
For example, back in 2011, Berkshire Hathaway invested $5 billion in the struggling Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), which was a far cry from the usual set-it-and-forget-it business he usually buys. However, Bank of America did have a lot going for it, including a well-known brand, a lot of customers, and huge market share in the United States. When Buffett exercised his Bank of America warrants in 2017, his bet netted about $12 billion in profit when all was said and done.
While Teva is unlikely to make Buffett anywhere near that amount, he likely sees a company with strong generic market share that's complemented by high-margin brand-name products. He probably also believes that generic pricing power will return given the aforementioned demand growth expected from generics over the long run.
All things considered, Teva checks off a lot of the boxes that Buffett would look for in an investment.
A Fool since 2010, and a graduate from UC San Diego with a B.A. in Economics, Sean specializes in the healthcare sector and investment planning. You'll often find him writing about Obamacare, marijuana, drug and device development, Social Security, taxes, retirement issues and general macroeconomic topics of interest. Follow @TMFUltraLong
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On The Road, Edinburgh: 1746 vs. 1776
Posted on July 27, 2016 by suehollisterbarr
I stood at a crossroads. On my left was the most decadently opulent building in Edinburgh, The Palace of Holyroodhouse, one of the official residences of an actual, currently reigning queen. On my right side, romanticized by a glowing halo of dusk only Edinburgh could produce, was a makeshift camp on open ground, complete with ragged cloth stretched over random poles and a blazing fire.
Is there any question about which of these appealed most to my American, passed through adolescence in the 1960s, Occupy Wall Street, perspective?
The makeshift camp's blazing fire illuminated its written-on-rag reminder of one thing: The Declaration of Arbroath. Okay, that was 1320, more than four centuries before the white, European-centric part of my country won its war of independence and came into existence. And, yes, Westminster's methods of achieving "unity" with Scotland…such as Henry VIII's "rough wooing" and the Duke of Cumberland butchering Highland women and children after his victory at Culloden as late as 1746…were far less civilized than they are today. But can any Scot who still honors those long centuries of bloodshed and sacrifice sleep peacefully as part of Great Britain? In this proud, ancient land, I would think none could ignore these famous words from The Declaration of Arbroath: "…for, as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom…for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself."
Or am I just a silly American, reared on a Brigadoon-inspired, overly romanticized (translation: overly simplified and inaccurate) vision of what Scotland really is? How easy for me to contrast the defeat in 1746, at the last battle for Scotland's independence at Culloden, with my own country's successful and permanent break in 1776 from England, Great Britain, the United Kingdom, whoever those people were/are? How much easier for my country…separated by a vast ocean rather than occupying the same, relatively small island…to make that break permanent? And…perhaps, to be fair…how much more appropriate?
When my rebel soul staunchly supported Scotland's referendum for independence in 2014, an English friend frowned, saying, "We're better together." Fortunately he failed to unearth my hypocrisy by asking if I'd support a referendum in which the southern part of the United States demanded to be allowed the separation from the union it sought during the American Civil War. Is the concept of Great Britain, or the United Kingdom, any different than the United States of America?
It's so easy to romanticize/simplify Scotland's history. Was Bonnie Prince Charlie all that bonnie, or was he an Italian-born lover of France who only first set foot in Scotland so he could use a Scottish uprising to draw some of England's military away from its concurrent war with France? Was Culloden purely a battle between the Scots and the English, or were there warring Highland clans fighting on opposite sides?
Dusk drew on. I walked between the Queen's opulent palace on one side and the makeshift camp of those who remembered The Declaration of Arbroath on the other, to ascend the Radical Road made famous by these words from Sir Walter Scott: "If I were to choose a spot from which the rising or setting sun could be seen to the greatest possible advantage…it would be that wild path… Edinburgh…a close-built, high-piled city, stretching itself out beneath in a form, which, to a romantic imagination, may be supposed to represent that of a dragon…the sea…mountains…country… But as the path gently circles around the base of the cliffs, the prospect, composed as it is of these enchanting and sublime objects, changes at every step, and presents them blended with, or divided from each other, in every possible variety that can gratify the eye and the imagination. When a piece of scenery so beautiful, yet so varied,…is lighted up by the tints of morning or of evening, and displays all that variety of shadowy depth, enchanted with partial brilliancy, which gives character to even the tamest of landscapes, the effect approaches near to enchantment."
I can't help myself; I'm a romantic.
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South India's glamour queen Namitha is now going to produce films under her new banner. The actress has has now flown back to Mumbai where she is reportedly working hard to lose her excess weight. Meanwhile, she also is listening to scripts from Mumbai. Sources say that the actress intends to act in her production only if the director feels confident about her.
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All our shared hosting domains were not vulnerable at the time of the HeartBleed bug disclosure as our systems did not run the versions that were vulnerable.
If you have any questions. Please put in a support ticket and we will be happy to answer any of your concerns.


Our breakthrough Brightening Complex formula combines multiple ingredients that serve to lighten skin by reducing melanin production at the cellular level in a completely unique and safe way, thus reducing dark skin spots. The Intensive Brightening Complex focuses on the problem of unwanted hyperpigmentation, which shows up as age spots, dark circles, especially under the eyes, and general skin discoloration. The powerful ingredients, such as superoxide dismutase and melatonin, work synergistically, with other antioxidants, to block melanin formation; and the ingredients are blended to enhance the overall effectiveness to reduce the appearance of unwanted hyperpigmentation. Also, the antioxidants work to reduce the MMPs and thereby reduce the daily damage incurred by the environment.
Our research team has focused on the biology of how melanocytes make melanin. By understanding the proteins and enzymes that lead to the production of melanin, we have established a formula that can reduce this process leading to a more even skin tone.
Superoxide Dismutase (SOD): a powerful antioxidant that decreases melanin synthesis in melanocytes and works synergistically with other ingredients to brighten the skin; protects the skin from free radical damage from environmental insults reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and other signs of aging.


Cool spray paint art on the Embarcadero! – Cool San Diego Sights!
Cool spray paint art on the Embarcadero!
I took this fun photograph near Anthony's Fishette. A spray paint artist had placed these colorful pieces of artwork out for passersby to admire and hopefully purchase. These appear to be smaller renditions of the more elaborate "space art" productions that I've seen in the past. In addition to a few cosmic planets, I see several outlines of the Coronado Bay Bridge, a Buddha, a Mario, a skull and crossbones, and a variety of cool faces.
I really like how these images, weighed down on the sidewalk with small rocks, combine in a fantastic mosaic. The colors are intense and the effect is bold!
Someone checks out space art on the sidewalk.
I spotted the same artist displaying his work on some grass near the convention center during 2015 San Diego Comic-Con. I learned his name is William J. Dorsett. Cool guy! Check out his Mind Magick Creations website!
The work of William J. Dorsett displayed near the convention center during 2015 San Diego Comic-Con.
A local artist shows his stuff outside 2015 San Diego Comic-Con!
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Next Next post: Kid musician street performers by USS Midway.


Coming up next are general thoughts on the most proficient method to make little lawn arranging that is roused by the regular natural surroundings we ordinarily observe in various pieces of the world. It additionally incorporates the kinds of plants present and how they are treated for support.
Tropical patio – A tropical lawn is for the most part made out of sharp hues and various shapely components. In the tropics, daylight is pervasive accordingly various types of living things can be found. To copy this impact, incorporate brilliant blossoms with a few shapes. Expansive leaves, prickly branches, thick roots and frightening venous stems are marks of tropical woods. Make a point to incorporate these components in your patio scene. Obviously, since downpour is a steady in the tropics, incorporate into your patio a great deal of liquid water. You can keep the water quiet, streaming, trickling or gurgling. Hues pull in many creepy crawlies, so be careful about bugs that are not individuals well disposed. In any case, you will likewise observe a bundle of moths and butterflies that will be pulled in to your tropical patio.
Bamboo lawn – Bamboos are everlastingly green and are a most loved in calm nations since they don't change shading or lose their allows for pre-winter and winter. Bamboos are congested grass and can grow up to a few feet high. Incorporate a panda-molded shake to help you to remember these delicate, bamboo backwoods staying animals. When you have a feeling that your bamboos have developed too enormous; slicing them won't go to squander. These solid bamboos are effectively etched to wind up minor designs – or make them into chopsticks!
Bonsai garden – Bonsais are pruned plants with scales down trees. Initially from Japan, an ordinarily vast tree is compelled to develop into little twins of the first since they don't have space for their underlying foundations to grow. To redress, they are compelled to constrain their sizes into reasonable sums. Growing a bonsai is a difficult undertaking; anyway dealing with a few of these to make your lawn scene has advantages of its own. When you have gathered some of these, aced how to keep up them and orchestrated them as you wished in your patio, you will feel like a goliath strolling along a smaller than expected woods. Since bonsais are very little not the same as their substantial guardians aside from their sizes, hope to see small organic products developing on them also. Get familiar with how bonsais are kept up. The normality of watering these bonsais relies upon where they initially originated from. On the off chance that their parent stemmed in the tropics, at that point watering them will be more regularly than those bonsais which began from calm ones.
Desert flora garden – Cacti are plants that require minimal measure of water. In opposition to prevalent thinking, desert flora need water as well. In any case, the consistency and measure of water it needs is significantly less than that of different plants which develop in different pieces of the world. These thorny animals come in various shapes and sizes, and once in a while they grow a blossom or two. Despite the fact that watering them need not be done all the time, a consistent wellspring of daylight is an unquestionable requirement. Come winter time, it is ideal to ensure them inside nursery since low temperatures can solidify up the water they put away inside and will in the long run kill the plant.


text:
Exaggerated 17-hydroxyprogesterone response to short-term adrenal stimulation and evidence for CYP21B gene point mutations in true precocious puberty
Mariangela Cisternino, Elisabetta Dondi, Miryam Martinetti, Renata Lorini, Laura Salvaneschi, Mariaclara Cuccia, Francesca Severi
OBJECTIVE: Following the observation of two patients affected by true precocious puberty who went on to develop polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and who were found to be heterozygotes (carriers) for 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD), we decided to evaluate the frequency of heterozygosity for adrenal 21-OHD in patients with true precocious puberty. STUDY DESIGN: We investigated 32 girls affected by true precocious puberty, by the single- dose ACTH stimulation test, HLA typing and the molecular analysis of the CYP21B gene encoding for the 21-OH enzyme. In order to detect gene deletions or point mutations. Twenty-eight cases were on LHRH analogue treatment and the remaining four, untreated owing to parental refusal, were investigated 0- 5-1.5 years after spontaneous menarche. RESULTS: After ACTH testing, 13 out of the 32 (41%) cases displayed higher 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) levels than normal but less than those found in patients affected by nonclassical adrenal hyperplasia (CAH); these levels were similar to those observed in obligate heterozygotes for CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD). HLA typing showed a significantly increased frequency of the HLA alleles A28 and B14 which are peculiar to the HLA haplotypes of nonclassical CAH due to 21- OHD. Molecular analysis of the CYP21B gene showed that in four out of the 10 tested patients with an exaggerated 17-OHP response there were heterozygous point mutations of the CYP21B gene. In contrast, no CYP21B gene abnormalities were detected in the eight tested patients with normal 17-OHP. No differences were found between carriers and non-carriers of the 21-OHD with regard to age at onset of precocious puberty, clinical features, bone age acceleration and gonadal suppression induced by LH-RH analogue treatment. Two out of the four untreated patients who were investigated after menarche were found to be carriers of the 21OHD; these girls showed signs of androgen excess, irregular menses and polycystic ovaries. CONCLUSIONS: A high frequency of heterozygosity for adrenal steroid 21-OHD was found in our patients with true precocious puberty. This adrenal defect does not seem to influence the pattern of central precocious puberty, but these patients require long-term follow-up as they might go on to develop polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Whether or not heterozygosity of the 21-OHD may be related to the premature activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonodal axis remains to be defined.
Clinical Endocrinology
17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone
Histocompatibility Testing
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone
HLA-B14 Antigen
Sequence Deletion
Cisternino, M., Dondi, E., Martinetti, M., Lorini, R., Salvaneschi, L., Cuccia, M., & Severi, F. (1998). Exaggerated 17-hydroxyprogesterone response to short-term adrenal stimulation and evidence for CYP21B gene point mutations in true precocious puberty. Clinical Endocrinology, 48(5), 555-560. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2265.1998.00404.x
Exaggerated 17-hydroxyprogesterone response to short-term adrenal stimulation and evidence for CYP21B gene point mutations in true precocious puberty. / Cisternino, Mariangela; Dondi, Elisabetta; Martinetti, Miryam; Lorini, Renata; Salvaneschi, Laura; Cuccia, Mariaclara; Severi, Francesca.
In: Clinical Endocrinology, Vol. 48, No. 5, 1998, p. 555-560.
Cisternino, M, Dondi, E, Martinetti, M, Lorini, R, Salvaneschi, L, Cuccia, M & Severi, F 1998, 'Exaggerated 17-hydroxyprogesterone response to short-term adrenal stimulation and evidence for CYP21B gene point mutations in true precocious puberty', Clinical Endocrinology, vol. 48, no. 5, pp. 555-560. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2265.1998.00404.x
Cisternino M, Dondi E, Martinetti M, Lorini R, Salvaneschi L, Cuccia M et al. Exaggerated 17-hydroxyprogesterone response to short-term adrenal stimulation and evidence for CYP21B gene point mutations in true precocious puberty. Clinical Endocrinology. 1998;48(5):555-560. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2265.1998.00404.x
Cisternino, Mariangela ; Dondi, Elisabetta ; Martinetti, Miryam ; Lorini, Renata ; Salvaneschi, Laura ; Cuccia, Mariaclara ; Severi, Francesca. / Exaggerated 17-hydroxyprogesterone response to short-term adrenal stimulation and evidence for CYP21B gene point mutations in true precocious puberty. In: Clinical Endocrinology. 1998 ; Vol. 48, No. 5. pp. 555-560.
@article{9a0244ac107647a4ad547c09ff30cf96,
title = "Exaggerated 17-hydroxyprogesterone response to short-term adrenal stimulation and evidence for CYP21B gene point mutations in true precocious puberty",
abstract = "OBJECTIVE: Following the observation of two patients affected by true precocious puberty who went on to develop polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and who were found to be heterozygotes (carriers) for 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD), we decided to evaluate the frequency of heterozygosity for adrenal 21-OHD in patients with true precocious puberty. STUDY DESIGN: We investigated 32 girls affected by true precocious puberty, by the single- dose ACTH stimulation test, HLA typing and the molecular analysis of the CYP21B gene encoding for the 21-OH enzyme. In order to detect gene deletions or point mutations. Twenty-eight cases were on LHRH analogue treatment and the remaining four, untreated owing to parental refusal, were investigated 0- 5-1.5 years after spontaneous menarche. RESULTS: After ACTH testing, 13 out of the 32 (41{\%}) cases displayed higher 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) levels than normal but less than those found in patients affected by nonclassical adrenal hyperplasia (CAH); these levels were similar to those observed in obligate heterozygotes for CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD). HLA typing showed a significantly increased frequency of the HLA alleles A28 and B14 which are peculiar to the HLA haplotypes of nonclassical CAH due to 21- OHD. Molecular analysis of the CYP21B gene showed that in four out of the 10 tested patients with an exaggerated 17-OHP response there were heterozygous point mutations of the CYP21B gene. In contrast, no CYP21B gene abnormalities were detected in the eight tested patients with normal 17-OHP. No differences were found between carriers and non-carriers of the 21-OHD with regard to age at onset of precocious puberty, clinical features, bone age acceleration and gonadal suppression induced by LH-RH analogue treatment. Two out of the four untreated patients who were investigated after menarche were found to be carriers of the 21OHD; these girls showed signs of androgen excess, irregular menses and polycystic ovaries. CONCLUSIONS: A high frequency of heterozygosity for adrenal steroid 21-OHD was found in our patients with true precocious puberty. This adrenal defect does not seem to influence the pattern of central precocious puberty, but these patients require long-term follow-up as they might go on to develop polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Whether or not heterozygosity of the 21-OHD may be related to the premature activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonodal axis remains to be defined.",
author = "Mariangela Cisternino and Elisabetta Dondi and Miryam Martinetti and Renata Lorini and Laura Salvaneschi and Mariaclara Cuccia and Francesca Severi",
journal = "Clinical Endocrinology",
T1 - Exaggerated 17-hydroxyprogesterone response to short-term adrenal stimulation and evidence for CYP21B gene point mutations in true precocious puberty
AU - Cisternino, Mariangela
AU - Dondi, Elisabetta
AU - Martinetti, Miryam
AU - Lorini, Renata
AU - Salvaneschi, Laura
AU - Cuccia, Mariaclara
AU - Severi, Francesca
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Following the observation of two patients affected by true precocious puberty who went on to develop polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and who were found to be heterozygotes (carriers) for 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD), we decided to evaluate the frequency of heterozygosity for adrenal 21-OHD in patients with true precocious puberty. STUDY DESIGN: We investigated 32 girls affected by true precocious puberty, by the single- dose ACTH stimulation test, HLA typing and the molecular analysis of the CYP21B gene encoding for the 21-OH enzyme. In order to detect gene deletions or point mutations. Twenty-eight cases were on LHRH analogue treatment and the remaining four, untreated owing to parental refusal, were investigated 0- 5-1.5 years after spontaneous menarche. RESULTS: After ACTH testing, 13 out of the 32 (41%) cases displayed higher 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) levels than normal but less than those found in patients affected by nonclassical adrenal hyperplasia (CAH); these levels were similar to those observed in obligate heterozygotes for CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD). HLA typing showed a significantly increased frequency of the HLA alleles A28 and B14 which are peculiar to the HLA haplotypes of nonclassical CAH due to 21- OHD. Molecular analysis of the CYP21B gene showed that in four out of the 10 tested patients with an exaggerated 17-OHP response there were heterozygous point mutations of the CYP21B gene. In contrast, no CYP21B gene abnormalities were detected in the eight tested patients with normal 17-OHP. No differences were found between carriers and non-carriers of the 21-OHD with regard to age at onset of precocious puberty, clinical features, bone age acceleration and gonadal suppression induced by LH-RH analogue treatment. Two out of the four untreated patients who were investigated after menarche were found to be carriers of the 21OHD; these girls showed signs of androgen excess, irregular menses and polycystic ovaries. CONCLUSIONS: A high frequency of heterozygosity for adrenal steroid 21-OHD was found in our patients with true precocious puberty. This adrenal defect does not seem to influence the pattern of central precocious puberty, but these patients require long-term follow-up as they might go on to develop polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Whether or not heterozygosity of the 21-OHD may be related to the premature activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonodal axis remains to be defined.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Following the observation of two patients affected by true precocious puberty who went on to develop polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and who were found to be heterozygotes (carriers) for 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD), we decided to evaluate the frequency of heterozygosity for adrenal 21-OHD in patients with true precocious puberty. STUDY DESIGN: We investigated 32 girls affected by true precocious puberty, by the single- dose ACTH stimulation test, HLA typing and the molecular analysis of the CYP21B gene encoding for the 21-OH enzyme. In order to detect gene deletions or point mutations. Twenty-eight cases were on LHRH analogue treatment and the remaining four, untreated owing to parental refusal, were investigated 0- 5-1.5 years after spontaneous menarche. RESULTS: After ACTH testing, 13 out of the 32 (41%) cases displayed higher 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) levels than normal but less than those found in patients affected by nonclassical adrenal hyperplasia (CAH); these levels were similar to those observed in obligate heterozygotes for CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD). HLA typing showed a significantly increased frequency of the HLA alleles A28 and B14 which are peculiar to the HLA haplotypes of nonclassical CAH due to 21- OHD. Molecular analysis of the CYP21B gene showed that in four out of the 10 tested patients with an exaggerated 17-OHP response there were heterozygous point mutations of the CYP21B gene. In contrast, no CYP21B gene abnormalities were detected in the eight tested patients with normal 17-OHP. No differences were found between carriers and non-carriers of the 21-OHD with regard to age at onset of precocious puberty, clinical features, bone age acceleration and gonadal suppression induced by LH-RH analogue treatment. Two out of the four untreated patients who were investigated after menarche were found to be carriers of the 21OHD; these girls showed signs of androgen excess, irregular menses and polycystic ovaries. CONCLUSIONS: A high frequency of heterozygosity for adrenal steroid 21-OHD was found in our patients with true precocious puberty. This adrenal defect does not seem to influence the pattern of central precocious puberty, but these patients require long-term follow-up as they might go on to develop polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Whether or not heterozygosity of the 21-OHD may be related to the premature activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonodal axis remains to be defined.
JO - Clinical Endocrinology
JF - Clinical Endocrinology


My son was born at the end of January, about a week before the due date and certainly earlier than I was expecting (first babies are more likely to be late). The delivery was under not-ideal circumstances as I had to rush into hospital (nearly had to go in an ambulance, but a lift appeared right on time) and 12 hours later had an emergency cesarean section. I was in hospital for a week after the birth as the baby had feeding issues initially and then my blood pressure went right up and I had to be monitored and put on medication before I could be discharged. I'm still being checked regularly and have to take medication, though it's being reduced now so hopefully I won't be on it for a lot longer.
We've now been home a couple of weeks and I'm settling into parenthood with loads of help and support from my wonderful husband, who has gotten 6 weeks off work. We're both pretty tired, but I think we've got the basics sorted out and we have support from local family and friends. I'm not sure I'm fully enjoying all the changes yet, but I'm sure that'll come as I feel better and the baby grows.
I haven't been outside of the house much since being discharged from the hospital, just a couple of trips round the corner so far. We have had various guests and lots of well-wishes, which is nice, turns out having a baby makes you kinda popular. We do have plans to get out of the house more, including visiting a few relatives in a different part of the country and going to register the baby in the city centre. Plus there are various baby groups/sessions in the local area. I do still need to figure out how to operate all the foldy bits on the pram and how best to handle it on the bus (I've seen a lot of people using prams on the bus, there are times it looks tricky).


This summer may be one of our warmest ones yet. Blasting the air conditioning, opening all your windows, and plugging in fans at full blast may provide some temporary comfort but may end up hurting your wallet with high energy bills while at the same time being harmful to the environment. Here are few tips on how to stay cool without overheating your wallet.
– If you have a programmable thermostat set it to 85ºF when you are away from home and try to keep it 78ºF or higher when you are home. You will save about 1 – 3 percent per degree for each degree that it is above 72ºF.
– Make sure your air conditioning is up to date with service, especially updated air filters. Dirty filters restrict air flow and will increase energy use.
– Combining a ceiling fan with your air conditioning will allow you to raise the thermostat by 4º without a reduction in comfort.
– Windows are one of the largest sources of heat gain. Block the sun by pulling shades and blinds down during the day – your air conditioner will not have to work as hard.
– If it is cooler at night, turn off your a/c and open the windows to naturally vent out warm air. Close the windows as soon as you wake up to capture the cooler air in your home.
– Make sure you check for any leaks in and around your windows.
– On hot days try to avoid using the oven or stove. Instead use the microwave or go outside and grill!
– Only wash full loads of laundry, and use cold water. Make sure you use your washer and dryer after peak hours. Line-dry if you can.
– Using the dishwasher actually uses less water than washing them by hand. Wash a full load after peak hours and air dry.
– Take shorter and cooler showers to avoid adding extra heat to your home.
– Switch to energy efficient light bulbs and turn off the lights when you are not using them.
– Keep your fridge stocked. A full fridge keeps it from warming up when the door is open.
Follow these tips in order to keep cool and save money and energy. Do you have any energy saving tips for the summer?
This entry was posted in Maintenance, Vendors. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Q: Shuffling an ordered list with a given degree of randomness I feel like the following problem should have a well-known answer, but unfortunately I don't know the keywords to look up.
I would like a procedure that takes as an input an ordered list of items, and outputs a shuffled version of that list. The procedure should have a tunable 'knob' that determines the degree of randomness (defined in some appropriate sense) in the output list. In particular:

*

*If the knob is set to 0, the output should be identical to the input

*If the knob is set to 1, the I output should be a complete shuffle, such that none of the input order is preserved (in expectation)

*A small value of the knob should make items likely to move around by a few places up or down the list, but big jumps should be rare
Is there a way to make these ideas precise, and is there a known procedure for this problem?
Any leads would be appreciated.

A: One approach could be to give each element a random value which is close to its original position when the knob is close to $0$ and which is almost uniformly distributed when the knob is close to $1$, and then order the output by these random values
For example this is an R function
shuffle <- function(x, knob=1){
  if(knob <= 0) {return(x)}
  if(knob >= 1) {knob <- 1}
  n <- length(x)
  a <- 1 + ((1:n)-1)/(n-1) * (1/knob-1)
  b <- 1 + (n-(1:n))/(n-1) * (1/knob-1)
  x[order(rbeta(n,a,b))]
  }

which applied to the first half of the alphabet with the knob set to $1,0.2,0.02$ might give
> set.seed(2018)
> shuffle(LETTERS[1:13], knob=1)
 [1] "G" "E" "H" "M" "J" "D" "C" "F" "A" "I" "K" "L" "B"
> shuffle(LETTERS[1:13], knob=0.2)
 [1] "C" "B" "E" "A" "J" "D" "F" "H" "I" "M" "G" "L" "K"
> shuffle(LETTERS[1:13], knob=0.02)
 [1] "A" "B" "D" "C" "F" "E" "H" "G" "J" "I" "K" "L" "M"

A: There is a quantity called Kendall's tau, which would be close to what you want. It is defined more generally but specifically, for two permutations, the Kendall tau distance between them is the number of pairs that are in different order in the two permutations.
For example, the Kendall tau distance between $\pi=(0 3 1 6 2 5 4)$ and
$\sigma=(1 0 3 6 4 2 5)$ is four because the pairs $0-1, 3-1, 2-4, 5-4$ are in different order in the two rankings, but all other pairs are in the same order.
One way of defining the distance is to write
$$
K(\pi,\sigma)=\sum_{\{i,j\}\in P} \mathbf{1}\left\{i ~and~ j~are~in~opposite~order~in~\pi~and~\sigma\right\},
$$
where the sum is over $P,$ the unordered pairs of distinct elements.
This distance is $0$ if the two permutations are the same and $n(n-1)/2$ if they are opposite ordered.
Given a permutation $\pi$, and a value $r\geq 0$ for the Kendall tau, one can generate a permutation $\sigma$ such that $K(\pi,\sigma)=r:$
Let $\sigma=\pi,$ and if $r=0,$ stop output $\sigma.$
Otherwise choose uniformly at random $r$ positions $I_r$ such that $$I_r=\{i_1,\ldots,i_r\} \subset \{0,\ldots,n-1\},$$ and uniformly at random $r$ positions $J_r$ from the remaining positions such that $$J_r=\{j_1,\ldots,j_r\} \subset \{0,\ldots,n-1\} \setminus I_r.$$
For $k=1,\ldots,r,$ let $TEMP:=\sigma(i_r),$ $\sigma(i_r)=\pi(j_r),$ and $\pi(j_r)=TEMP.$

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
How To Turn Your Kitchen Into a High-End Luxury Space With Luxury Kitchen Design in Fort Lauderdale, Fl
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A lot goes on in the kitchen, from late-night talks to homework sessions and celebrations. Typically, the kitchen is a place where memories are made.


text:
Q: ArgumentError: Error #2025: The supplied DisplayObject must be a child of the caller I am trying to get rid of an object but it's throwing an error not exactly sure what is the problem.
The error I am getting:
ArgumentError: Error #2025: The supplied DisplayObject must be a child of the caller.
    at flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer/removeChild()
    at SchoolBook_Final_fla::MainTimeline/garbage_cl_2()[SchoolBook_Final_fla.MainTimeline::frame2:98]
    at Function/SchoolBook_Final_fla:MainTimeline/choice_play_ev/SchoolBook_Final_fla:play_target()[SchoolBook_Final_fla.MainTimeline::frame2:81]

My code:
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.ui.Mouse;
import flash.events.Event;

var week_pick:Weekday_Choice = new Weekday_Choice ();
var weekdayArray: Array = new Array ();
var monday:Mon_D_but = new Mon_D_but ();
var tuesday:Tues_D_but = new Tues_D_but ();
var wednesday:Wed_D_but = new Wed_D_but ();
var thursday:Thurs_D_but = new Thurs_D_but ();
var friday:Fri_D_but = new Fri_D_but ();
var choice_play: Array = new Array ();

choice_play.push(monday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday);
//Adding Week Pick
addChild(week_pick);
//Placing all the Buttons
choice_play[0].x = 73.1;
choice_play[0].y = 316.75;

choice_play[1].x = 251.9;
choice_play[1].y = 278.35;

choice_play[2].x = 399.95;
choice_play[2].y = 375.85;

choice_play[3].x = 345.2;
choice_play[3].y = 602.4;

choice_play[4].x = 80.15;
choice_play[4].y = 603.05;

for (var a = 0; a < choice_play.length; a++)
{
    //Asking all the Buttons to stop
    choice_play[a].alpha = 0;
    choice_play[a].stop();
}
//Event for the week pick to start
week_pick.addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, moveon);
//Getting the function started
function moveon(event:Event)
{
    if (week_pick.currentFrame == 103)
    {

        week_pick.stop();
        for (a = 0; a < choice_play.length; a++)
        {
            addChild(choice_play [a]);

        }
        //adding an Event listener for clicking the buttons
        this.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,choice_play_ev);

    }
}

function choice_play_ev(play_event: MouseEvent)
{
    trace ("Event gets added");
    trace (play_event.target);
    //Work if the target isn't the background clip
    if (play_event.target != week_pick)
    {
        trace (play_event.target);
        //Turn back the opacity for what ever was cliked on
        play_event.target.alpha = 1;
        //asking the choice to play it's animation
        play_event.target.addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, play_target);
        this.removeEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,choice_play_ev);
        function play_target(play_event_cl:Event)
        {

            play_event_cl.target.play ();
            if (play_event_cl.target.currentFrame == 15)
            {
                //remove the [;ace event listener once the animation is done
                play_event.target.removeEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, play_target);
                garbage_cl_2 ();
            }
        }
    }
}

function garbage_cl_2 ()
{

    trace("it works");
    for (a = 0; a < choice_play.length; a++)
    {
        //remove all the choices from the display list
        removeChild(choice_play [a]);
    }
    //Remove all the choices from the array for better garbage cleaning
    choice_play.splice(0, choice_play.length);
    removeChild(week_pick);
    week_pick.removeEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, moveon);
    trace("The choice_play is " + choice_play.length);
    gotoAndStop(3);

}

Can somebody help me out with this please? Also tell me why is it throwing the error?

A: Your loop inside the garbage_cl_2 () function
for (a = 0; a < choice_play.length; a++)
{
    //remove all the choices from the display list
    removeChild(choice_play [a]);
}

and / or the call removeChild(week_pick); tries to remove a MovieClip that's not direct child of the current MovieClip object. The current clip is the one whose timeline contains the frame with the code of the garbage_cl_2 () function. The removeChild() method can only remove a direct child of a DisplayObjectContainer instance - if the current clip is not the direct parent of these clips, you need to specify the parent clip like so:
parentclip.removeChild ( ... );


Two tigers and a strawberry.
Wednesday is our traditional "weekly quotes" day - we examine quotes or a story related to mindfulness, meditation, living in the present moment, happiness, and similar topics.
A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger chasing after him.
Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to see, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him.
Only the vine sustained him. But, two mice - one white and one black - started to gnaw away at it.
The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other.
You can attribute many different meanings (or lessons) to this story.
The most obvious is enjoy the present moment. In the case of the man hanging from the vine, if he is caught up in his mind, habitually chasing after experience he believes will deliver pleasant feelings and running from experience he believes will deliver unpleasant feelings, he will be oblivious to the strawberry before him (i.e., he'll never be content with here and now).
It goes deeper than this, however.
...we spend most of our time running from here to there trying to avoid the "tigers" in our lives.
But, it's impossible to avoid them. That doesn't stop us from trying, though.
We attempt to escape by changing our external circumstances. We constantly try to arrange our lives so we're surrounded by what we like, and protected from what we dislike. And, failing those efforts, we choose to distract ourselves with things like entertainment (games, tv, music, activities), food, relationships, drugs, alcohol, or a new purchase from the store.
At best, these things provide temporary relief. At worst, they create more tigers.
We even turn things we label "pleasant" or "good" into self-imposed suffering. How? Because we don't realize the truth of impermanence. Or, if we do realize it, we ignore it. Instead, we cling to the good things. We try to keep them from ending. And, when they do change or go away, we attempt to replace or replenish them.
These efforts also create more tigers, because nothing stays unchanging over time.
Our attempts to control will eventually fail, just like the vine will eventually give way.
The strawberry, on the other hand, doesn't represent an escape from reality - it represents reality itself. It's what exists beyond the mental constructs that condition our behavior and keep us running from the unpleasant and chasing after the pleasant.
And, the good news is, we can be content with reality even if our external situations aren't always as we want.
Joy, sadness, pleasure, pain - it all comes and it all goes. Instead of trying to surround ourselves with what we like and protect ourselves from what we dislike, we can learn to recognize the transient nature of experience. We can understand that it's impossible to control - all we can do is have wholesome intentions, make skillful decisions, and take appropriate actions.
We can realize there is no permanent state of comfort or discomfort. And, the stories our minds tell us about the things that are happening cause us to suffer more than what's actually happening.
In short, the sweet taste of the strawberry (reality) can be experienced if we stop getting caught up in our minds - if we stop allowing ourselves to be held hostage by the next thought, emotion, or urge that pops into our heads.
How sweet reality tastes without the self-imposed suffering!


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Home » News » Epic Launches Great PC Game Sale, Refunds Recent Purchases
Epic Launches Great PC Game Sale, Refunds Recent Purchases
The Epic Games Store has been ramping up in recent months, grabbing PC exclusivity for major titles like Borderlands 3, acquiring Rocket League developer Psyonix, and taking a firm stance on its plans to acquire more exclusive titles unless competitor Valve increases revenue share for developers. And now the Epic Store is ready to start offering customers some serious discounts on the games it's curated, as it launched its first storewide sale today.
Dubbed the Epic Mega Sale, the store is offering markdowns up to 75% off on some PC games. In addition, $10 is slashed off the price of any game over $15, including already discounted games and pre-orders, at no cost to the publisher or developer. That encompasses upcoming games like Borderlands 3, one of its biggest exclusives, which you can now pre-order for $50, and the recently announced John Wick game, John Wick Hex, which you can pre-order for $8 instead of $20.
Just purchased something from Epic and wish you'd waited? If you bought a game between May 2 and May 15 in the Epic Store, you'll be refunded the difference between what you paid and the sale price. And if you've pre-ordered a game from the Epic Store that cost more than $15, you'll receive a $10 refund within the next couple of weeks. The only exceptions to the $10 off deal are DLC, game add-ons, season passes, and in-game purchases, such as V-bucks in Fortnite.
In addition to all the store-wide discounts, Epic announced its free biweekly game deal is expanding during the Mega Sale, which runs now through June 13. In that time period, a free game will be given away every week, starting with today's offering, genre-bending anthology Stories Untold.
Dates for Steam's 2019 Summer Sale leaked (once again) yesterday–it'll start June 25 and last two weeks–so Epic's Mega Sale seems strategically timed to precede that one. While Steam's sale will no doubt have the greater volume of games, Epic's deals (particularly the $10 off one) are nothing to sneeze at, and it's a good chance to grab cheaper pre-orders on upcoming games and some free PC titles. Either way, June is gearing up to be a great month for PC gamers on a budget.
SHOP THE EPIC MEGA SALE »
Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales.


You database connection has been reset. Any pending transactions or session state has been lost.
I do not have DBA credentials to do a further check (I have a developer role).
Does someone encountered that message before?
Personally I always (latest) download SQL developer with builtin Java.
It seems the problem was in the connect identifier... it has been changed wihout I be informed, and I still had the previous string.


MMN started way back when in 1996, currently this BBS is the last installation of what MMN used to be. This is of course not attached the to the business side of MMN.
Although there is a website, all the basics are on the board itself and some mirrored over at our groups.io page.
There isn't much likely to be published up on this site, so you may notice some links will take you off to my long standing blog or to groups.io.
The board, and by default this website, is hosted on my home connection on my aged Frankenserver. There may be some kind of downtime at random intervals, don't worry to much about it.


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September 11, 2020 October 16, 2020 monkeyhammer81Leave a comment
All Them Witches – Nothing As The Ideal (New West Records)
Wow. Musically this is a treat.
This Nashville quartet is steeped in blues, psychedelia, prog, and stoner metal. While they are a hard rock outfit, they employ classical guitar, gothic tones, and their own blend of everything that came out of the Delta Swamp (Dr. John, Soylent Green, Junior Kimbrough, etc).
This is their 6th album, if you don't count live releases, which I don't. That's in just 8 years, making them almost as prolific as King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard or Steve Buscemi. Much like the aforementioned genre-bending geniuses, you never quite know what to expect from these cats. Even just on this record, there are significant differences among the tracks.
The album opens with a slow build into a Tool-esque jam in 6/8 ("Saturnine & Iron Jaw"), "Everest" is a Led Zeppelin-meets-Donovan guitar instrumental, which bleeds into a Soundgarden-style downbeat banger ("See You Next Fall"). That gets followed up by a folk/country/blues track ("The Children of Coyote Woman"). The latter of these brings me to my next point, because it is the first song on the album that truly works with this dude's voice. Up to this point, his voice is sort of like a blemish on an otherwise pristine surface. It's not bad enough to make you stop listening, may even make it interesting, but causes you to hold back.
The next 2 songs show a different characteristic to his voice without actually changing what he's doing. The music just finally suits the nearly monotonous style of the singing. "The Children of Coyote Woman", "41", and the album closer, "Rats in Ruin", almost seem like they came from a different band.
The album returns you to regularly scheduled programming: brilliant music and subpar-if-interesting vocals. I, personally, still found that the record was a great listen, but I would understand if you don't agree.
FFO: Deaf Radio, Agents of Oblivion, King Gizzard
Sprain – As Lost Through Collision (The Flenser)
As happens very rarely, words are failing me somewhat with this album. It isn't that I don't have things to say, it's just that nothing seems adequate. This is a once-in-a-decade act that shows up to confuse the populace, inspire creativity in garage-ready groups, then disappear and become a thing of legend.
The artistry of Sprain is something that (most likely) only a snob of the highest caliber can ascertain. The rest will hate it as much as BWG's love them some Punkin' Spice. The guitar work is all angles and sharp edges. The drums are erratic and the bass drones and pops at strange moments. The vocals are at once subdued and over the top.
5 songs make up the 45 minute runtime of the album. "Slant" opens up as a good lead in to the rest of the songs, as it contains elements of slowcore and the violence of cathartic post-indie artcore, which I think I just made up. It is also one of 2 tracks that comes in under 6 minutes.
The second song, "My Way Out", takes a different tack, slowing and mellowing to the point of near-nonexistence (around the 3:00 mark). But don't let it lull you to sleep! At around the 6:00 mark, the lightning hammer of an angry god crashes upon your unsuspecting soul (or ears, as the case may be). Seriously, I wasn't ready for it and spilled my beverage.
Track 4, aptly titled "Everything", is a 15-minute slog through a war torn mindscape, haunted by squealing electric nightmares, devastating thunderquakes, and the endless torment of Limbo.
If you value artistic integrity, grit, skill, and pure emotion over aesthetics, this will be your favorite record of 2020.
FFO: Slint, Unwound, The Jesus Lizard
Big Sean – Detroit 2 (G.O.O.D. Music)
Detroit 2 was released nearly 8 years to the day of the release of Big Sean's fourth mixtape, Detroit. Back then, Sean was doing it: his first studio album, Finally Famous, had dropped the year prior. A week after Detroit would be the release of Cruel Summer, a compilation album showcasing several G.O.O.D. Music artist, including Sean on two smashers: Clique and Mercy. He was still with his high-school sweetheart too.
Fast-forward to today: Detroit 2 is Big Sean's sixth studio album, and he hasn't slowed down a lick. He's quietly made a name for himself as one of the best rappers in the game. And, like all the greats do, he spans a variety of topics on Detroit 2, without holding anything back. Whether it's the diagnosis of his heart condition on "Lucky Me", the squashing of the apparent non-beef with Kendrick Lamar on "Deep Reverence", or the vulnerable matters-of-the-heart jam "Guard Your Heart", Sean puts it all out on the table.
As far as the music itself, Big Sean has one of those unique talents in the rap game. He has ridiculously-nuanced flows, can change said flows up on a dime, and yet still maintains a sort of conversational tone. The beats are amazing (the aforementioned "Lucky Me" and "Full Circle" being tops in that arena), and the featureds are out of this world too. Nipsey (RIP), Post Malone (who does a great job on "Wolves"), and super-dope spoken-word tracks from both Dave Chappelle and noted queen Erykah Badu.
You might be thinking to yourself, "wow, that sounds like a lot. This joint must be 20 tracks long!" 21, actually. But Detroit 2 never slogs, it never slows, and it never fails to impress. Outstanding work from one of the faces on Detroit's hip-hop Mt. Rushmore (Em, the late J. Dilla and the late Proof, if you were wondering).
FFO: Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak
Hannah Georgas – All That Emotion (Arts & Crafts Productions Inc)
On the second track, "Easy", Hannah sings, "I swear I had a million things to say / I woke up and I can't think of anything."
It's such a simple line that struck me in a way I can't quite elucidate. Maybe it's the plunking of indeterminate stringed instruments and keys, or maybe it's her haunting, semi-ethereal voice burrowing into my psyche, but I felt this on a very real level.
And that can be said of the whole album. Most of the songs are about heartbreak and loss, pretty typical pop-music fare. But she delivers it with such conviction and lack of irony that it feels more pure, more visceral than other products in the pop milieu. Her lilting deadpan is something that other artists aspire to, but wind up sounding disaffected or bored. Hannah is aching, and you can feel it with her.
The music is slow, as the content would necessitate. It's sparse and deliberate, but not exactly minimal, drawing from folk-rock, 90s alternative, Taylor Swift, and Sheryl Crow.
I could see this being the soundtrack to an indie film. So, that should happen.
FFO: Lana del Rey, Florence & The Machine
6ix9ine – TattleTales (Create Music Group)
Oh, where to start, where to start.
How about we get this out of the way first: I actually like 6ix9ine, or Tekashi 69, or Wallah Dan, or whatever the hell you want to call him. It's like how, when it gets to a certain point of coldness outside, it can actually start to feel warm again. 6ix9ine's music is so bad, it somehow loops back around and becomes enjoyable again.
And that brings us to 6ix9ine's first album since being released from prison. To make a long story short, 6ix9ine faded jail time, his entourage shot a dude during his meal celebrating fading jail time (you can't make this shit up), and to avoid jail time yet again, he ratted out his Nine Trey Gangsters crew. After sending up the team and becoming a marked man, he decided to stay out of the public eyJ/K HE LITERALLY CALLED HIS ALBUM TattleTales. So much for trying to not, like, get shot and such.
As far as the album… I mean, it's trash. Let's not mince words here. 6ix9ine has this rapping style where he's either yelling at you (the vast majority of tracks), or he's crooning like early Drake. And neither style is good. At all. The beats are forgettable-to-regrettable, and the lyrics… let's get a quick sampling, shall we?
From "GOOBA":
"Drop it down and wobble, wobble up, mami booted up/She get down and gobble, gobble up 'cause my money up/Slide, slide in the Bentley truck-a, the Wraith truck-a/Your bestie is a dick sucker, I big dub her"
From "PUNANI" (yes, "PUNANI"):
"Fat punani-nani, fat punani-nani/That tsunami-nami, that tsunami-nami/Fat punani-nani, fat punani-nani/That tsunami-nami, that tsunami-nami"
From… no, I can't do this to you anymore, Dear Readers. You deserve better. You ALL deserve better.
FFO: Angry lawnmowers, overaggressive garbage disposals, wood chippers with chips on their shoulders
Hurts – Faith (Lento)
This "pop" duo has been incredibly popular in Europe for about a decade. Their debut album went 13 times platinum throughout the EU, and 4 times over in the rest of the world, earning them numerous awards and accolades. It's pretty easy to see why. Europeans love American music from the 80s, especially Germany and the Balkans, for whatever reason.
Hurts sounds like many different acts from that era, from Depeche Mode to Duran2 to Tears For Fears to The Cure. Every track sounds a little bit different, but with a common thread of lively, danceable dark-pop.
The album opener, "Voices", is the lead single from the album. It is an insanely catchy hook with a modern ideal of how music breaks and swells work. Faith gets darker quick with the next track, "Suffer", but in a red velvet vampire lounge kind of way, making it my favorite track of the bunch. That is followed up by a Nicki Minaj-style hip hop beat with a spoken/yelled, atonal chorus of "Fractured", the song's title.
The rest of the record is just as diverse, with multiple influences and reference points. Here's a quick rundown:
"Slave To The Chorus" – Jonas Brothers
"All I Have To Give" – Nate Reuss
"Liar" – Phil Collins
"Somebody" – Imagine Dragons
"Numb" – Britney Spears
"Redemption" – Josh Groban
"White Horses" – Tears For Fears/Don Henley
"Darkest Hour" – Kelly Clarkson/Jimmy Eat World
For sheer listenability, I rate this album pretty high. It's a little hard to grasp though, because it doesn't sound cohesive. If any track from Faith popped up in my feed, I wouldn't turn it off, but I would probably have to ask, "Who is this?"
Prizm – All Night (FiXT Neon)
This is the answer to the question no one asked: What would the next Spice Girls record sound like?
With wardrobe and album art that fell straight out of a 1986 workout montage, Prizm is poised to take over roller-skating rinks and Dance Dance Revolution arcade games any moment now.
I don't mean this to sound disparaging…okay, that's not entirely true. I'm clearly not a fan. But let's be clear, if this came on during a couples skate, you and me would be all over that ridiculous, badly lit oval.
FFO: Spice Girls, Paula Abdul, T.A.T.U.
Start with: "Mine", "All Night"
Diesel Machine – Evolve (Metalville)
Despite the fact that these guys have been around since the mid-90s, their work is a little hard to find. Okay, I'll be honest: this is the only one of their albums on Spotify, and I searched in exactly ZERO other venues for their previous efforts. I'm told this is their 3rd. I don't care.
It's heavy, nearly toneless, aggressive to the point of monotony, and angry to point of being ridiculous. I would have been absolutely in love with this when I was 14-20…maybe 25.
The drummer is amazing.
FFO: Coal Chamber, Pissrazor, Skinlab, Sepultura
Start with: "Exit Wound", "Shut It"
Declan McKenna – Zeros (Tomplicated Records)
It's hard to nail Zeros down, since Englishman Declan McKenna is a bit all over the place. It's kinda Elton John ("Be An Astronaut"), kinda The Killers ("You Better Believe!!!"), kinda The Shins ("Emily"), kinda… kinda everything, really. That shotgun approach does work in some cases – The 1975's Notes On a Conditional Form comes to mind – but it's a bit too scattered here.
The music sounds good, don't get me wrong… and vocally, Declan does outstanding work for a 21-year-old. But it's really tough to get into a rhythm here. "Emily" and the closing track, "Eventually, Darling", were my favorites, and worth spinning by themselves for sure.
FFO: All the weird, dissimilar artists I named above
Car Astor – you say you love me… but i don't believe you (Blue Elan Records)
Jeremy suggested that I spin you say you love me… but i don't believe you, and as always, his suggestion was spot-on. I won't be writing much about it, which isn't an indictment – it's just pretty explainable. Car Astor's put together a very solid, very minimalist acoustic album. Her voice is light and airy, as you would expect, almost sleepy – but in a good way. Nothing tends to stand out, but every track is very pleasing to the ear. I'd say that "i'm scared for the day that i meet her" was the best of the bunch, but if you like one, you'll like them all.
FFO: Phoebe Bridgers, Japanese Breakfast
Godcaster – Long Haired Locusts (Ramp Local)
I like experimentation. I like weird. I enjoy music that many would consider unlistenable. This is beyond me.
Imagine if Frank Zappa, Les Claypool, Mike Patton, and Jello Biafra dropped enough acid to trip a rhino, then threw their instruments against the wall, went for a swim in Lake Erie, got back out and stumbled to a recording studio.
If you can wade through the bad production, incomprehensible (and mostly inaudible) vocals, and lyrics undergoing an existential crisis, the musicianship is actually pretty amazing. But that's a task. I listened to the whole thing and my brain had melted by track 6, "Serpentine Carcass Crux Birth".
FFO: Victim's Family, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Ruins
Start with: "Don't Make Stevie Wonder", "The Skull!!!"
Lang Lang and Johann Sebastian Bach – Bach: Goldberg Variations (Deutsche Grammaphon)
Do you like Bach? We got Bach!
Acclaimed pianist Lang Lang performs several variatos from noted aria BWV 988. (Variatos and arias are actual things; the Internet told me so.) It definitely doesn't slap, but it does it's own thing. It would be perfect to crank whilst reading your absolute thickest book.
If orchestral tunes aren't your bag, at least give "J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 – Variato 8 a 2 Clav." a listen. I lied above – this one track really does slap.
FFO: Uhhh, Mozart I guess? Beethoven? The other ones that you know? Probably all the ones that you know.
– Z.
6ix9ine, all night, all that emotion, all them witches, as lost through collision, bach: goldberg variations, big sean, but i don't believe you, car astor, declan, declan mckenna, detroit 2, diesel machine, evolve, fairlykickass, faith, fka, godcaster, hannah georgas, hurts, johann sebastian bach, lang lang, long haired locust, music, new music, nothing as the ideal, prizm, reviews, sprain, tattletales, tekashi 69, you say you love me, zeros
Podcast the Twelfth: Our Favorite Guilty Pleasure Songs


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WSSU athletic director Bill Hayes to retire
Updated: 5:45 PM EST Feb 26, 2014
Winston-Salem State's athletic director and former longtime football coach has announced his retirement after some 40 years in the collegiate sports world.William L. "Bill" Hayes will retire effective Friday, school officials said in a statement Wednesday. Hayes has headed WSSU's athletic department since January 2010.University officials said it would conduct a national search for Hayes' replacement. Chancellor David Reaves said he's had on-and-off conversations about Hayes' retirement over the last year or so.Hayes was WSSU's football coach from 1976 to 1988. He led the Rams to three conference championships and back-to-back undefeated seasons. He coached another 15 years at North Carolina A&T State University and is still the Aggies' winningest coach.He's been an athletic director since 2003, first at his alma mater North Carolina Central University. He spent two years at Florida A&M before returning to WSSU.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. —
Winston-Salem State's athletic director and former longtime football coach has announced his retirement after some 40 years in the collegiate sports world.
William L. "Bill" Hayes will retire effective Friday, school officials said in a statement Wednesday. Hayes has headed WSSU's athletic department since January 2010.
University officials said it would conduct a national search for Hayes' replacement. Chancellor David Reaves said he's had on-and-off conversations about Hayes' retirement over the last year or so.
Hayes was WSSU's football coach from 1976 to 1988. He led the Rams to three conference championships and back-to-back undefeated seasons. He coached another 15 years at North Carolina A&T State University and is still the Aggies' winningest coach.
He's been an athletic director since 2003, first at his alma mater North Carolina Central University. He spent two years at Florida A&M before returning to WSSU.


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Team Finland
'Lost wallet test' finds Helsinki residents are most-honest, Lisbon least honest
Posted on 26/09/2013 by faccadmin in News
What would you do if you found a wallet stuffed with $50 cash?
Picture: Thinkstock
A TEST of "lost" wallets stuffed with $50 in cash and dropped in cities around the world has found that Helsinki is the best place in the world to lose your wallet – and Lisbon is the worst.
Readers Digest tested the honesty of hundreds of people in 16 countries by dropping wallets and recording how many were returned – and discovered that people in Helsinki are the most likely to return a found wallet, and Lisbon residents are the most likely to pocket the cash.
Around 200 wallets with a cell phone number, family photography, coupons, business cards and local currency worth around $50 were dropped in parks, shopping malls and on the pavement in 16 cities: New York, Amsterdam, Berlin, Bucharest, Budapest, Helsinki, Lisbon, Ljubljana, London, Madrid, Moscow, Mumbai, Prague, Rio De Janeiro, Warsaw and Zurich.
Ninety of the wallets – almost 50 per cent were returned, the test found. Age, sex or wealth seemed to be no predictor of honesty, the experiment found.
"It is truly inspiring to see that there are so many honest people in the world," said Readers Digest editor in chief Raimo Moysa. "And most of all, that honesty is valued among young and old, men and women, poor and rich in very different cultures.
In Helsinki, 11 of the 12 wallets dropped around the city were returned, the best result.
"Finns are naturally honest, it's typical of us," said business student Lasse Luomakoski, 27, who found a wallet on a Helsinki pedestrian street. "We are a small, quiet, closely-knit community. We have little corruption and we don't even run red lights."
Mumbai residents were the second-most-honest people, returning nine of the 12 'lost' wallets. New York City and Budapest came next in the honesty stakes, with eight of the 12 wallets returned.
"I teach my children to be honest, just like my parents taught me," said Mumbai mother-of-two Vaishali Mhaskar. Three young adults who found wallets in Mumbai called immediately, Readers Digest said.
Less honest were residents in Amsterdam and Moscow, who handed in seven of 12 lost wallets. Berlin and Ljubljana residents handed in six wallets and in London and Warsaw just five wallets were handed in.
So who is most likely to pocket your cash if you loose a wallet? Residents in Lisbon were the least honest, with only one person handing in the wallet. Also less-than-impressive were Bucharest, Rio and Zurich (four wallets handed back), Prague (three wallets) and Madrid (two wallets).
News courtesy of news.com.au
Finland, Helsinki, wallet test
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