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Home » Archives by category » Destinations » Game Parks
DR Congo Will Open Virunga, Salonga Parks to Oil Companies
Kinshasa has defended its right to declassify sections of the parks over the protests of environmental activists. The two UNESCO World Heritage sites are home to countless rare plants and animals. The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo said late on Friday that it was opening parts of its famous Virunga and Salonga National […]
July 2, 2018No CommentRead More
Ellen DeGeneres – Spending Time With Gorillas Changed My Life
Popular American TV talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres, described her experience trekking the gorillas as life changing. "Spending time with these gorillas changed my life. Thank you to everyone who is helping Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund," Ellen wrote on Twitter. Spending time with these gorillas changed my life. Thank you to everyone who is helping […]
June 2, 2018No CommentRead More
Africa's mountain gorilla population now exceeds 1,000
A new survey shows Africa's critically endangered mountain gorillas have exceeded 1,000 after conservation efforts, making them the only great ape in the world considered to be growing in number. The WWF says mountain gorilla numbers have increased to 604 from an estimated 480 in 2010 in the Virunga Massif, a hilly area encompassing parts […]
Luambe National Park Now The World's Most Carbon Neutral
Luambe National Park in Zambia has achieved a conservation milestone this week as it became the most carbon neutral National Park in the world. Luambe's carbon neutral status is a result of the USAID-funded Community Forests Program (CFP) implemented by BioCarbon Partners (BCP) (http://BioCarbonPartners.com), in partnership with the Zambian Government. This world-first level of carbon […]
December 30, 2017No CommentRead More
Facebook & Instagram help put African tourism on the social media map
Attending the Annual World Tourism Conference in Rwanda, Facebook (www.Facebook.com) and Instagram representatives were in Kigali this week (28-31 August) to discuss and explore ways in which social media can be used to effectively drive tourism growth across the Continent. Showcasing how both platforms can be used as a tool to creatively help change the […]
September 5, 2017No CommentRead More
Uganda Wild Authority Captures Man-Eating Crocodile
Residents of Masindi, Nakasongola and Kiryandongo districts are breathing a sigh of relief after a crocodile suspected to have eaten three children in the area in the last two months was captured on Friday. Mr Jossy Muhangi, the Uganda Wild Authority (UWA) spokesperson, confirmed the predator was captured at River Kafu that straddles the boundary […]
Why Tanzania Will Not Burn Illegal Ivory
After several attempts by conservation groups to push the government of Tanzania into burning a huge stockpile of ivory, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism says it won't happen, with Minister Jumanne Maghembe saying the tusks will be used for scientific research. "Our position is clear, that, we are keeping them for scientific research […]
Rangers in Kenya kill one of most famous lions because they didn't have tranquilizers
Mohawk the lion, one of Kenya's most famous big cats, was fatally shot Wednesday by wildlife rangers. In a country that has invested millions in protecting its wildlife, Kenyans are trying to figure out what went wrong. The animal management team that first arrived had no tranquilizers, only rifles. A second, with tranquilizers, was on […]
March 31, 2016No CommentRead More

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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SRF & Yogananda
Calendar of Service
About Paramahansa Yogananda
Paramahansa Yogananda (1893–1952) is considered one of the preeminent spiritual figures of modern times.
Author of the best-selling spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi, this beloved world teacher came to America in 1920 from his native India, and was the first great master of yoga to live and teach in the West for an extended period (more than 30 years). He is now widely recognized as the Father of Yoga in the West. He founded Self-Realization Fellowship (1920) and Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (1917), which continue to carry on his spiritual legacy worldwide under the leadership of Sri Mrinalini Mata, one of his closest disciples.
You can read more about Paramahansa Yogananda Here.
About Self-Realization Fellowship
For more than eighty-five years, Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) has been dedicated to carrying on the spiritual and humanitarian work of its founder, Paramahansa Yogananda, widely revered as the father of Yoga in the West.
SRF is a worldwide religious organization with international headquarters in Los Angeles. As expressed in the Aims and Ideals formulated by Paramahansa Yogananda, the society seeks to foster a spirit of greater understanding and goodwill among the diverse peoples and religions of our global family, and to help those of all cultures and nationalities to realize and express more fully in their lives the beauty, nobility, and divinity of the human spirit.
You can read more about Self-Realization Fellowship Here.
356 NE 80th Avenue Portland, Oregon 97213
PortlandCenterSrf@gmail.com
© 2019 SRF Portland OR


The "Always" permission is used for the less precise but more battery-friendly location monitoring modes, like the "significant changes" API or region monitoring. "Always" means that you want access to the location data 24/7, so obviously you can't use the standard API that returns precise GPS data every second, at least not all the time, or you'd drain any iPhone in a couple of hours.
Few apps should actually need this permission, and I think the main point of this change was to discourage apps from spying on you permanently unless they have a really good reason. One app for which this does make sense is Swarm/Foursquare, which wants to provide users relevant info while they move around the city. Also any apps that detect beacons will require this, or apps that execute some reminders or actions when you come to a different place (e.g. todo apps).
If you only use location data while the user is interacting with the app in the foreground, then it's recommended that you stop monitoring location immediately when the app starts hiding into the background. If you don't do this quickly enough, the user will see this blue bar for a couple of seconds after closing your app (you can see this e.g. in the Google Maps app).
Note: it's perfectly acceptable for apps to include both permission options – in fact I'd say that it should be considered a good practice for apps that request the "Always" permission to also fall back to "While Using". Again, a good example is Foursquare. By default it asks for "Always", so that it can show you notifications when you come near interesting places. However, if the user does not want to be tracked by Foursquare all the time, but they still want to be able to use location data in the app (in order to search for nice cafes or restaurants nearby or to check in to them), they can give Foursquare the "While Using" permission and only let it access their location while the app is active. A nice app should respect that decision and not present the user with an "all or nothing" choice.
At the moment most apps I use on my iPhone have been updated to only require a "While Using" permission, except those that are basically abandoned and haven't been updated in the last few months. Also, both Foursquare apps give users a choice to allow access either always or while using (Foursquare added this earlier, Swarm only recently).
1. Add description keys to Info.plist.
Add an NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription or NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription key to the Info.plist (or both if you want to allow both options). This should include a short explanation why the app needs location data, and will be displayed in the location permission popup.
This is absolutely essential – if you don't add the required key, the methods requesting authorization will silently fail. You won't even get a warning. So if you don't get any popups, first make sure that the key is there and is named correctly (e.g. not "WhileInUse" instead of "WhenInUse"…).
2. Check current authorization status.
First, call CLLocationManager.locationServicesEnabled(). If it returns false, then location access is disabled globally and there's no point requesting it for your app.
3. Request the location access permission.
If they haven't granted or refused the permission yet, create an instance of CLLocationManager, set its delegate property and call either requestWhenInUseAuthorization or requestAlwaysAuthorization. If you want to allow both options, just ask for "Always" and allow user to choose "While Using" manually in settings by including a second plist key.
If you don't call this and go straight to startUpdatingLocation, it won't return any location data; again, as with the missing plist keys – you won't get any errors, it will just silently fail, leaving you wondering what's wrong.
Note: remember to keep a reference to the manager somewhere – if the popup shows up but then disappears by itself, it's probably because the manager got cleaned up by ARC.
On iOS 7 the popup was triggered by simply starting location tracking, so if you skip this call it will work as before.
4. React to authorization callback.
When the user responds to the permission popup, you get a callback to locationManager:didChangeAuthorizationStatus:. Check the returned status and react accordingly (either start monitoring location or give up).
One thing commonly used together with Core Location is a MapKit map view. In the Interface Builder, you can configure it to show location by checking the "Shows: User Location" checkbox in the map view attributes section.
Trying to start MapKit location updates without prompting for location authorization. Must call –[CLLocationManager requestWhenInUseAuthorization] or –[CLLocationManager requestAlwaysAuthorization] first.
Even if you set up everything correctly as described above, and request authorization immediately in viewDidLoad, it will show the popup first, but then it will print the warning anyway, even if the user clicks "Allow".
So assuming that getting this warning is a bad thing (I have no idea if ignoring it has any consequences), that makes this checkbox basically useless at the moment, as far as I understand. What you should do instead is disable showing user location in the XIB, check the permission in viewDidLoad, and only then once you have the permission enable that feature in code by setting the map's showsUserLocation to true (and possibly also the userTrackingMode property).
Hi! For those involved in iOS localization projects, I recommend trying a software localization tool like https://poeditor.com/. Its work interface is flexible and simple to use, there are plenty of features (API, tagging system, automatic translation, GitHub integration, WordPress plugin), making your localization workflow easier.


Reporting to the Vice President for College and Community Engagement, the Program Administrator for the Abele Scholars Program is a full-time, 12-month professional staff member with primary responsibilities for managing the Abele Scholars Program and developing/coordinating activities to support the Abele Scholars. The Program Administrator will work with campus partners to assist Abele Scholars in taking advantage of existing support structures, and where appropriate, serve as a resource and partner to other scholarship programs on campus. Support for professional development will be funded by the Abele Foundation as part of the grant that supports the Scholars program.
Help students navigate the institution by directing them to resources that will aid in their success.
Develop a comprehensive menu of programs to support Scholar success academically, personally and professionally.
Collaborate with faculty as needed.
Build partnerships with key offices such as Enrollment/Admission/Financial Aid to build external relationships with College Access Organizations and other organizations to strengthen ties with academically qualified but under-resourced and under-represented students who are pursuing a liberal arts education.
Implement a peer and alumni mentoring program to build a sense of community between and among the first-year cohort and the senior Scholars and establish connections with alumni.
Act as a first-year advisor for incoming Scholars, as well as coach and direct students to available resources, as needed.
Engage in regular one-on-one meetings with Scholars, and facilitate group meetings when appropriate.
Participate in regular assessment of all aspects of the program.
Participate in professional development activities to stay current with best practices.
Coordinate and be present for events and activities both on and off-campus that enhance opportunities for student success. Availability on evenings or weekends will be occasionally necessary for specific events.
Monitor the grades of Abele Scholars and keep track of academic performance.
Assessment and dissemination of the Abeles Scholars program and events.
Manage the Abele Scholars budget and programs (throughout the academic year and summer) for Scholars in their first-year and up through the fourth year, and attend to development of the necessary skills and knowledge that are pertinent to students' needs as they progress at the institution.
Work closely with Advancement to gather necessary data for use in preparing required reports to the Abele Foundation.
Establish goals for student success and implement strategies to measure progress toward those goals.
Collaborate with the Office of Admissions and engage in the recruitment process where appropriate, including but not limited to establishing partnerships with regional high schools and college access organizations.
Manage and update the Abele Scholars website.
Act as a liaison to the Abele Family Foundation.
Partner with the Admissions Office in the design and implementation of the Scholar selection process annually.
Develop 2-3 events for the Abele Scholars in collaboration with the Abele Family Foundation.
Communicate goals and objectives with the Executive Director of the Abele Foundation and prepare/file reports when needed.
Serve as a resource and partner to other scholarship and special programs on campus such as the Crigler Institute, Supporting Inclusive Excellence (SIE), Fellowships in the Ursinus Transition to an Undergraduate Research Experience (FUTURE), Ursinus Readiness STEM Award for Baccalaureate Leadership Education (URSA), and Ursinus Science Scholars (USS) by serving as a secondary point of contact for students where necessary and appropriate.
Assist with event planning and programming that are of mutual benefit to scholars in these programs, as well as to those in the Abele program.
Master's degree, or equivalent experience, in Counseling, Higher Education Administration, Student Affairs, or related field.
3-5 years of experience working directly with students in an academic or student affairs capacity.
Demonstrated success working on programs that support retention and academic success of students.
Familiarity or experience with the financial aid/renewal process.
Commitment to a residential liberal arts education and demonstrated education,experience and skills in the areas of advising and counseling, career readiness/preparedness, residence life/student affairs, and/or enrollment and retention management.
Familiarity with designing a short-term curriculum and programs to introduce students to residential, liberal arts setting.
Demonstrated skills in managing administrative and related functions.
Ability to work independently yet work collaboratively with students, faculty, and staff.
Interested candidates should apply online. Once you create an applicant account, you will be prompted to upload your cover letter, resume, and a list with contact information for three references to the applicant database.


A Common problem with the FJR1300 is that road dirt gets thrown off the back wheel all over the rear tail unit and pillion. This rear fender extender all but eliminate the problem. It is are made exclusively for the FJ Owners club and follows the lines of the o/e rear mudguard exactly. It offer approx. 5" of extra length to the o/e rear guard and come with a recess to fit the o/e rear reflector. Supplied with instructions and s/s fittings.THIS PRODUCT IS ONLY AVAILABLE FROM THE FJ OWNERS CLUB.


We moved to Bangladesh in March 2011 and took our cat with us - now we have to go back to Spain and want to take the cat again. It is so difficult to get the right information here in Bangladesh. We have a passport and a microchip as well as all vaccinations. We know that the vet has to fill in some paper but it is not clear for us if we just can bring the cat into Spain again without any problems - and also not clear if we can get the cat out from Bangladesh.
Here are the pet import requirements for Spain. Among other things, you'll need to make sure your rabies vaccination is still up to date, and you'll need to obtain an international health certificate within ten days of departure. Remember to choose a pet-friendly airline, and don't hesitate to contact us if you need anything else. Happy traveling!


Josh Wolf, who was jailed a record 226 days for protecting source materials, reports that he has now been mugged in San Francisco by an inmate he met in prison.
Wolf printed an account of his Feb. 4 mugging in the Palo Alto Daily Post, where he works as a reporter.
Wolf identified his attacker at Terrell Trammell, 28, who he met at the Dublin Federal Detention Center three years earlier. Wolf said he didn't know why Trammell decided to mug him.
After work one evening, Wolf said he ran into Trammell at Volare's Pizza at 456 Haight St., struck up a conversation and then left.
I awkwardly fished out a lighter from my pocket as he crossed the street. But when I went to hand it to him, I was greeted with a punch to the face. The pizza went flying.
I lost my glasses and called out for help, as a quick series of jabs to the face continued. But my cries were only greeted by a friend of his I had first seen at the pizza place coming to his aid. I fell to the ground asking, "What do you want?" as I began to wonder if this was a robbery or simply a beating. The punches became kicks. I shielded my face.
"Let's go," said the friend as the kicks continued.
Trammell then grabs me by the jacket and reaches into my inner pocket, where he had likely seen me put my iPhone after I got a call at the pizza place. He grabs my left pocket, where my car and house keys are kept. He tears the pocket, but runs away with his friend before he can grab the keys.
Blood squirting from my nose, heart pounding, I lie on the ground for a moment, collecting myself as I watch the feet of my two assailants dart away.
Wolf reports that Trammell is now in jail on robbery charges. He is not eligible for bail because he is on federal probation.
Wolf was sent to prison in 2006 by federal Judge William Alsup after he refused to testify before a federal grand jury about the identities and activities of protesters he had covered for his video blog, and for refusing to surrender his video outtakes. He was held in contempt of court for 226 days and was released after posting the video to his Web site.
If anybody doubts Josh is a journalist, they should check out his series on red-light cameras that issue bogus tickets. He's definitely a solid reporter.
Of course Wolf is a journalist– he writes articles about contemporary events and has them published. Nothing else matters.
Oh, dear. I'm spending more time on this.
And, BTW, I don't have a degree at all. The Chicago Sun-Times hired me because I was good and I learned on the job.
If the first and fourth posters don't think Josh Wolf is a journalist, they probably don't think Thomas Paine or John Peter Zenger were either. Sheesh! Learn a bit about history before you slam somebody like Wolf.
Back in the day, real reporters, editors and news photographers rarely described themselves as "journalists" — that's a name academics have attached to the business, trying to make it sound more professional than it is.
Tom D, if there are no rules then why not let anyone and everyone with a camera, notepad and pen become journalists. Oops, we are headed that way. We both know that there are rules, which include ethics, media law, fairness, and a host of other things we learn not on the job or through a blog.
Newspapers nowadays are hiring community college students, not even with an AA in hand, to write stories. Sad state of affairs. What's next, high school freshmen?
Just because Mr. Wolf had a camera in his hand does NOT make him a journalist. He was there to document the protest for his side. Since when did journalist take sides? He even admits that he learning that journalism is about being fair, not offering opinions, of getting the facts and letting the readers decide.
Of course, that makes the Daily Post a training newspaper for all those wannabe journalist who never went to school and took all the required classes.
Anyway, when readers realize that there are no real journalists out there anymore, that the valued tradition of being fair, of having ethics and proper training are gone, perhaps then we'll all cry for what's lost. Hopefully, that day will come sooner than later.
This guy is a joke. Calling him a reporter is a slap in the face to every working journalist who actually learned their craft. I've seen better writing in a 5th grade composition class. No wonder newspapers are going under.
You would think the Daily Post could find some real talent with all the recent layoffs of qualified people.
Dear Anonymous, what are the "rules" of journalism? I've got even longer in the business than you and I don't think I know what the rules are. And who does get to declare someone a journalist? Newspapers can't decide, you suggest. Okay. Then who?
I say anybody who wishes can be a journalist. I mean, if Katie Couric and Matt Drudge, why not Wolf? Or me? Or you?
Josh Wolf's account as decribed in the Palo Alto Post also describes his ambivalence about contacting the police but without giving the predicate to those feelings. He then says that without a witness the DAs office will not prosecute, even though this incident landed the perp back in jail.
So, did Josh Wolf ever go to j-school where you learned the "rules" of journalism?
And does his hiring by the Daily Post now make him a "real" reporter compared to this wannabe reporter?
The Daily Post follows in the SF Chronicle's footsteps, if newspapers say Wolf is a journalist, then he must be. After almost 30 year of being in journalism, I am dismayed at the way journalism is going.


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Q: A xml file with correct format but without indentation and space count a xml file I know a normal xml file have indentation and space, like:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  <root>
   <child foo="bar"></child>
  </root>
</xml>

but if I write it in a single line like
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><root><child foo="bar"></child></root></xml>

does it count a xml file?
if it's a rss feed xml, the reader can read it correctly?

A: Both examples are not valid XML! The XML header <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> is not an element and thus will not be closed at the end. This is a valid XML file:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<root>
  <child foo="bar"></child>
</root>

Writing XML as a single line is valid as well, but it depends on your XSD if both versions are equal. If you allow mixed-content, then spaces and indents matter.

A: Generally, indentation is optional. There are complex rules as to whether indentation is significant, that is, whether the whitespace changes the information content of the XML message. For purposes of validation against a DTD or XSD schema, indentation is ignored if it occurs in an element with "element-only content", but not if it occurs in an element with "mixed content". If you are processing using XSLT 2.0 or XQuery, the same rule affects whether the indentation whitespace is seen by your application or not. But with lower-level parsing interfaces, your application will always be notified of the whitespace, and must make its own decision about whether to ignore it or not.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Q: Informix 11.70.FC8GE - How to pass a LIST data type to a SPL using a SELECT I saw another question concerning pushing SET data types to c# code, but it didn't really answer what I was trying to do.
I am trying to pass a LIST data type to a SPL using a select.  I know in a SPL a LIST can be DEFINED and set as such:
DEFINE a LIST(INTEGER NOT NULL);
LET a = LIST{(SELECT unique b from numberTable)};

I also know that a list can be sent to a SPL if its variable is a LIST.
execute procedure someProc(LIST{1,2,3});

Knowing these two things I want to try to create a LIST from a SELECT for the variable.
execute procedure someProc(LIST{(SELECT unique b from numberTable)});

So I created a small test case.
create table tab1 (a int);

insert into tab1 values (1);
insert into tab1 values (2);
insert into tab1 values (3);

create procedure retInt(c LIST(INTEGER NOT NULL))
RETURNING INTEGER;

DEFINE b INTEGER;

FOREACH SELECT * INTO b from TABLE(c)
        return b with RESUME;
end FOREACH

end procedure;

-- Works
execute procedure retInt(LIST{1,2,3});

-- Doesn't work
-- returns 284: A subquery has returned not exactly one row.
execute procedure retInt(LIST{(SELECT a from tab1)});

I also tried type cast the select like this
execute procedure retInt((SELECT a from tab1)::LIST(INTEGER NOT NULL));

Needless to say that created a syntax error.
I may be trying to do something that isn't possible.  Looking through IBM's documentation I did not find anything, however sometimes I feel that their documentation can be difficult to use.
Any thoughts?
Thank you in advance,
Caton

A: In Informix you cannot build a LIST directly from a SELECT statement unless the select returns exactly 1 row.
I suspect that in the example that you gave the query is returning exactly 1 row and the LIST is created.
Informix won't let you create a LIST from a SELECT that returns multiple rows, but it accepts creating a MULTISET from a SELECT that returns multiple rows, that then can be cast to a LIST.
EXECUTE PROCEDURE retInt((MULTISET(SELECT ITEM a FROM tab1)::LIST(INTEGER NOT NULL)));

The keyword ITEM is required to create a MULTISET of INTEGER values, instead of a multiset of ROW values.


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Q: Index/match referencing to column name I've tried to create a code which could handle my complex set of data which will be highly dynamic. There are two workbooks, both will change in terms of numbers of rows and columns. However, the columns which is of my interest will have names which will not change over time.
My aim is get the name from one workbooks/worksheet based on a code represented in both workbooks.
So for I have named the columns of interest which will be included in the index/match formula but don't how to progress from that.
Problem 1: How to setup the formula
problem 2: How to reference to the matching cell
Here the Code:
sub indeD()
    Dim selRange As Range
    Dim ColNum As Integer
    Dim ColKod As Integer
    Dim CWS As Worksheet
    Dim wb As Workbook
    Dim lastRow As Range

    'Find the column number where the column header is
    Set CWB = Workbooks("teknikersenast")
    Set CWS = CWB.Worksheets("Data")
    ColNum = Application.WorksheetFunction.Match("Efternamn", CWS.Rows(1), 0)
    ColKod = Application.WorksheetFunction.Match("Teknikerskod", CWS.Rows(1), 0)

    'Set the column range to work with
    Set selRange = CWS.Columns(ColNum)
    Set TRange = CWS.Columns(ColKod)

    Workbooks("Maptivexx").Worksheets("sheet1").Range ("F2").FormulaR1C1 = _
      "=INDEX(selRange,MATCH(Workbooks("Maptivexx").Worksheets("sheet1").Range ("E2"),TRange,0))"

    Application.DisplayAlerts = True
    Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub


text:
declare -A config_overrides

_env_variable_prefix=$1
[ -z ${_env_variable_prefix} ] && return 1

IFS=" " read -r -a _config_files <<< $2

# dispatch env variables
# workarround for whitespaces in env vars
printenv | grep "$_env_variable_prefix" > /tmp/override_config.tmp
env_arr=()
while read line; do
    env_arr+=( "$line" )
done < /tmp/override_config.tmp

rm -f /tmp/override_config.tmp

# for env_variable in $(printenv | grep $_env_variable_prefix);do
for env_variable in "${env_arr[@]}";do
    # get key
    # IFS not working because values like ldap_query_filter or search base consists of several '='
    # IFS="=" read -r -a __values <<< $env_variable
    # key="${__values[0]}"
    # value="${__values[1]}"
    key=$(echo $env_variable | cut -d "=" -f1)
    key=${key#"${_env_variable_prefix}"}
    # get value
    value=$(echo $env_variable | cut -d "=" -f2-)

    config_overrides[$key]=$value
done

for f in "${_config_files[@]}"
do
    if [ ! -f "${f}" ];then
	echo "Can not find ${f}. Skipping override"
    else
	for key in ${!config_overrides[@]}
	do
	    [ -z $key ] && echo -e "\t no key provided" && return 1

	    sed -i -e "s|^${key}=.*|${key}=${config_overrides[$key]}|g" \
		${f}
	done
    fi
done

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The hop-forward beer — SuperCritical Ale — was brewed with aromatic compounds known as terpenes from the Blue Dream and Girl Scout Cookies cannabis strains, according to the two companies. It is only available in California and contains no THC.
As part of the partnership, Lagunitas helped Canna Craft develop a new line of "Supercritical" vaping oils that have a hoppy aroma and do contain high-inducing THC.
Recreational use of marijuana in California will become legal next January, and the state's cannabis crop is already estimated to be worth $7 billion, making it the most valuable agricultural product in the state, The Press Democrat reported.
Joe Lewis, the attorney representing Long Trail, explained in the release that registered trademarks give Long Trail "the exclusive right" to the slogan of "all of the goods and services set forth in the registrations," including T-shirts, sweatshirts and other clothing products.
Amazon is adding delivery of beer, wine and cider in a fourth city. Prime members in Portland, Oregon can now get free two-hour delivery and $7.99 one-hour delivery of some alcohol products, according to the Portland Mercury.
Here's how it works: Prime members can order alcoholic beverages (excluding spirits) daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. as long as they are older than 21, possess a valid identification and place a $30 minimum order.
Portland joins Seattle, Cincinnati and Columbus as cities where Amazon Prime members can have alcoholic beverages delivered to their doorsteps.
Amazon's announcement that it would expand alcohol delivery came as Whole Foods Market shareholders voted to approve the e-commerce giant's $13.7 billion acquisition of the high-end grocery chain. One day later, Amazon promised to slash prices on various grocery staples like organic bananas and organic large brown eggs.
In other delivery news, BJ's Restaurants and Brewhouse announced earlier this week the launch of a "fully integrated online ordering platform" along with alcohol delivery.
The company is testing the program in a select California markets for of-age customers through BJ's online platform and the DoorDash mobile application. Consumers will be able to add six-packs of five different varieties of the chain's beer, according to a press release.
"We are excited to provide a new generation of customers, particularly millennials, with a simpler and more convenient way to order their favorite menu item," BJ's CEO Greg Trojan said via a press release.
In a similar move earlier this summer, Buffalo Wild Wings announced plans to test out beer delivery.
Toast, a restaurant point-of-sale system backed by Google's venture capital wing, analyzed sales data from thousands of New England restaurants and found that macro beer brands sold better on-premise than many craft brands, according to the Boston Business Journal.
"It's a reminder bigger brands are still relevant and a restaurateur needs to pay attention to these bigger brands that continue to dominate the market," Toast co-founder Aman Narang told the outlet.
In Massachusetts, Bud Light was the most popular seller, followed by Corona, Coors Light, Miller Lite and Budweiser, the Business Journal reported. However, when the data was broken out by beer company, Anheuser-Busch InBev products led on-premise sales, followed by MillerCoors, Harpoon and Boston Beer, maker of Samuel Adams.
Of all the New England states, Vermont proved to be the most craft-friendly with no macro brands among its top sellers in dining establishments. Fiddlehead Brewing reportedly was the top-selling brand, followed by Switchback Ale and Alchemist's popular Focal Banger and Heady Topper IPAs.
Yesterday, Brewbound reported on similar findings from e-commerce platform Drizly, which indicated that millennial consumers were shifting their spending toward "macro" beers.
The Beer Institute, citing Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) figures, yesterday published an unofficial estimate of domestic tax paid shipments for U.S. beer producers through July. Despite shipment volume increases over the last two months, July shipments (14.4 million barrels) declined 4.6 percent versus last year.
Year-to-date through July, shipments had declined 2 percent (or more than 2 million barrels) compared to the same seven-month period last year, the trade organization estimated.
Shipment volumes through the first seven months of 2017 have exceeded 101 million barrels, according to BI Chief Economist Michael Uhrich, who analyzed the data.
Citing Nielsen data, the Journal reported that retail sales of craft beer during the first half of the year had declined by $143 million.


text:
Q: Signed/unsigned situation when converting c# to java I'm currently converting the following piece of code to java from c#:
    public static byte MakeCS(byte[] arr)
    {
        byte cs = 0;
        for (int i = 0; i < arr.Length; i++)
        {
            cs += arr[i];
        }
        return cs;
    }

My naive conversation is to just change the arr.Length to arr.length ;)
However this gives me incorrect checksums since java has signed bytes and c# has unsigned ones (I tried changing the c# code to sbyte and it worked fine).
What is the correct way to handkle the situation? I know I can "convert" a java byte to unsigned by bitand'ing it with 0xFF, but I'm not sure where to do this!
Thanks!

A: You only need to change the return value and make the return type int
return cs & 0xFF;

You don't need to change the type of cs as it will give the same result whether its an int, short or long after using 0xFF.  You don't need to mask each value either.
public static void main(String... args) {
    byte[] bytes = { 1, -128, -1 }; // check sum is -128 or 0x80 or 128 (unsigned)
    System.out.println("makeCS "+ makeCS(bytes));
    System.out.println("makeCS2 "+ makeCS2(bytes));
    System.out.println("makeCS3 "+ makeCS3(bytes));
}

public static int makeCS(byte... arr) {
    byte cs = 0;
    for (byte b : arr)
        cs += b;
    return cs & 0xFF;
}

public static int makeCS2(byte[] arr)
{
    int cs = 0;
    for (int i = 0; i < arr.length; i++)
    {
        int add = arr[i];
        cs += (0xFF & add);
        cs &= 0xFF;
    }
    return cs;
}

public static short makeCS3(byte[] arr)
{
    short cs = 0;
    for (int i = 0; i < arr.length; i++)
    {
        cs += arr[i];
    }
    return cs;
}

prints
makeCS 128
makeCS2 128
makeCS3 -128

A: Try this:
public static byte MakeCS(byte[] arr)
{
    int cs = 0;
    for (int i = 0; i < arr.Length; i++)
    {
        int add = arr[i];
        cs += (0xFF & add);
        cs &= 0xFF;
    }
    return cs;
}

This will truncate the sign portion of the int before adding it to CS, and ten truncate everything past the eight's bit once again to emulate unsigned addition.

A: It sounds like you're expecting to use the entire 8 bits of the c# byte in order to do the sum.  In order to correctly port to Java you'll need to pick a type which has at least the same precision.  The closest type in Java is short.
public static short MakeCS(byte[] arr)
{
    short cs = 0;
    for (int i = 0; i < arr.length; i++)
    {
        cs += arr[i];
    }
    return cs;
}

Note: This isn't a perfect port though.  It opens the possibility that code which would overflow in C# won't overflow in the Java version since Java short has more precision that C# byte.


Find the roadmapping tool that matches your product management workflow.
The guide evaluates the three leading product roadmapping tools on the market – Roadmunk, Aha! and ProductPlan.
Each product management tool is evaluated based on the core set of features most important to product teams for planning, visualizing and sharing roadmaps.
Product teams like to know that their data is secure. The guide compares tools based on security certifications and processes.
Product roadmapping tools have emerged as an important part of a product team's workflow. Why? Product management tools equip a product manager with a simple but effective way to visualize their product strategy, collaborate with their team, and present it to stakeholders. Making this happen isn't so quick and easy in spreadsheets and other ad hoc tools.
Since these tools provide major value to product teams, more and more roadmapping tools are being introduced to the market. And a product manager has a variety of options to sort through once they make the decision to start using a roadmapping tool.
So, we did the research for you. Use this guide as a shortcut to making your decision.


Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chairman Jamie Fox and NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Veronique "Ronnie" Hakim announced the unveiling of the preliminary design plans for a $55 million restoration of Elizabeth Station. The project includes construction of a new station building, new elevators and stairs, vendor space and reconstruction of the passenger platforms. The project will be funded through state and federal sources.
The design of the station includes a two-story station building with a street-level ticket office, waiting room and vendor space. New, extended high-level train platforms will accommodate longer, 12-car trains and the platforms will feature covered, heated and air conditioned waiting areas.
The station will include upgraded passenger information and security systems. Additional elevators, renovations to existing elevators and additional stairways will enhance platform access. The westbound plaza entrance will be highlighted by a marquee façade, new stairs and new vendor space. NJ TRANSIT and the City of Elizabeth will collaborate to incorporate art into the design of the station.
NJ TRANSIT has coordinated the design package with Amtrak to accommodate Amtrak's future plans to add a fifth track to the Northeast Corridor, which affects station platform placement and final design approval. Upon final Amtrak approval, NJ TRANSIT will procure a design-build contractor to construct the project, with an expected completion date in 2018.
Elizabeth Station serves NJ TRANSIT's Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Rail Lines as well as local bus service, including nine NJ TRANSIT bus lines. The Elizabeth Station serves an average of 7,526 weekday passenger trips (FY2014), with 113 daily trains utilizing the station.


Las Vegas, NV (April 23, 2014) - Many primary care doctors say they are unfamiliar with guidelines on chronic kidney disease (CKD), but are willing to take steps to improve how they care for patients with CKD, according to a survey presented here today at the National Kidney Foundation's 2014 Spring Clinical Meetings.
Dr. Khaled Abdel-Kader, an assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, and his colleagues sent invitations to their Internet-based survey to 12,034 primary care physicians (PCPs), 165 of whom responded.
Fifty-one percent of the survey respondents said they were not familiar with CKD guidelines, however, most agreed with guidelines defining CKD. Most PCPs reported checking for albumin-a type of protein-in the urine of their non-diabetic patients with high blood pressure as recommended in the current CKD guidelines. This test is important for identifying patients with CKD, or with risk factors for CKD, who are at high risk of poor outcomes.
The surveyed physicians also mentioned barriers to urine testing for albumin, including the belief that the results would not change patient management, limited time and the perception that there were no guidelines to recommend testing.
While the survey didn't address patient awareness, kidney specialists "need to continue to work to help patients become more familiar with CKD risk factors," Dr. Abdel-Kader said.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, anyone who has diabetes, high blood pressure, is 60 or older or has a family history of kidney failure is at risk and "should ask their PCPs how well their kidneys are working and to test for protein in the urine, an early sign of kidney disease."
"Patients should discuss with their practitioner what they can do together to help minimize their risks of developing CKD or developing related complications if CKD is already present," said Dr. Joseph Vassalotti, Chief Medical Officer at the National Kidney Foundation. "Ways to reduce risk include controlling blood sugar and blood pressure, stopping smoking, maintaining a healthy diet and regular physical activity."
"One limitation of our survey was the low response rate," Dr. Abdel-Kader noted. "Our respondents were younger and more likely to be internists than the PCPs we targeted. Prior studies have shown that these characteristics tend to associate with greater familiarity with CKD guidelines and recommendations. Hence, recognition of CKD and guideline familiarity may be lower in the general PCP community than we document in our survey."
"The National Kidney Foundation's CKD Primary Care Initiative is designed to collaborate with PCPs to improve awareness of the value of testing for CKD and the evidence-based guideline recommendations for managing CKD. Through local education programs and symposia, we'll be working to disseminate these guidelines to PCPs around the U.S.," said Vassalotti.


Address: 1405 S. 4th St.
Established on January 4, 1817, Bond County originally extended all the way to the Wisconsin line. Bond County was named after the first Governor of the State, but actually took his name the year before the election.


Hanhun Li and Chu Fang Wu papers, 1926-1998.
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Hanhun Li and Chu Fang Wu papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
19 linear feet (13 record storage cartons; 8 Albums).
An extensive collection of diaries in Chinese.
This collection is closed for research until 2027.
Chinese oral history project collection, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University. Finding Aid . This collection contains administrative information related to the project, including the interviewee files relating to Li Hanhun's interviews.
Reminiscences of Han-hun Li, 李漢魂口述回憶錄 .
Albums (Series III), analyzed by Chengzhi Wang, 2/28/2017.
Box 13 was added to the collection in October 2018 by Yingwen Huang during the processing of the Chinese oral history project collection.
Machine readable finding aid generated from MARC-AMC source via XSLT conversion January 17, 2017 Finding aid written in English.
Li Hanhun (7 October 1895-30 June 1987) was a Chinese (Kuomintang) general of the Republican era. His name in traditional Chinese is 李漢魂, simplified Chinese李汉魂, his courtesy name Bohao (伯豪), and his assumed name Nanhua (南華). These names are variously used in writings by him, and to or on him.
At age 17 Li joined the Revolutionary Alliance, the Society chiefly instrumental in overthrowing the Manchu Dynasty and establishment of a republican government in China in 1911. He became a career military officer on graduating from the Boading Military Academy in the Academy's sixth graduating class in 1919. He was a division commander in the famous Fourth Army that helped eliminate the power of warlords and unify the nation in the late 1920's.
General Li played significant roles in the defense of China throughout the Sino-Japanese War. As that War was brewing in 1936 and factions within the Kuomingtang were in power struggles verging on civil war, Li gave up his commission with one faction leader, while issuing a universal call-out to all Chinese forces to unite under the leadership of Chiang Kai Shek in resistance against Japan. In 1938, as commander of the 64th Army, he led the battle of Luowangzhai, which halted the Japanese effort under the notorious general Kenji Doihara to gain control of China's major railroads; Doihara barely escaped capture, abandoning his sword and medals.
From 1939 to 1945, General Li served as Governor of war-torn and partially occupied Guangdong Province, during which he devoted himself to good governance and war relief efforts. As part of the latter efforts, he collaborated with and supported his wife Wu Chu Fang (吴菊芳) in a range of enterprises to mitigate the problems of war-displaced refugees.
In 1947 after the War had ended, Li was granted permission for two years of medical leave to the United States, and a study tour to the Americas and Europe to observe post war reconstruction accompanied by his wife Wu Chu Fang. Li returned to China in 1947, participated in the national election in which he was elected to the National Assembly, and also served as Minister of Interior during the brief acting-presidency of Li Zongren. When the Communists took over the mainland at the end of that year, General Li Hanhun emigrated to the United States to rejoin his family there.
Though his career in public life in China had mainly been in military service and War zone governance, General Li Hanhun was self-described as a reluctant warrior in his own writings and in his life-long devotion to Buddhism and Chinese classical learning. He was the principal facilitator in the 1934 restoration, under the abbot Xuyun, of the sixth century Nanhua Temple in Shaoguang, Guangdong, the largest Buddhist temple in Southwest China. Li's calligraphy on pillars and doorways of that Temple are still displayed today. At times referred to by his associates and contemporaries as (Confucian) scholar-general (儒將), General Li's selected writings of essays, poetry, history, diaries and autobiography have now all been published.
In 1968, General Li presented to Dr. Grayson Kirk, president of Columbia University, a collection of 6,000 rare books, "considered one of the most comprehensive collections on Chinese civilization and culture in existence outside of China today" according to the University's press release. General Li's books covered "all aspects of Chinese civilization - Confucian classics, history, philosophy, the fine arts, military science and belles-letters".
From his return to the States in 1949 onward, General Li and his family lived in the New York City area for the remainder of his life. Together with his wife Wu Chu Fang, they operated a series of three Chinese restaurants, the one in White Plains, the China Garden, being particularly successful and famous in its time. General Li died in New York in 1987 and was buried in the Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. The family history, against a backdrop of world events, is recounted in the book by his daughter Virginia Cheng Li: From One Root Many Flowers: A Century of Family Life in China and America.
Chu Fang Wu (1911-1999) was born into a feudal family at the time of China's transition from Empire to Republic. Being the only child of a father who had little interest in a daughter and a mother who died during her infancy, her life story was one of relentless striving for a place in society for herself and for those she was in a position to help, especially children and women. As a teenager, she defied the wishes of her father and insisted on getting an education. When Republic of China General Han Hun Li, a commander of the famed Fourth Army, was stationed in Ichang, Hubei where she resided in 1929, he proposed to her, asking her what she would wish as his wife; "obtaining a college education" was her reply. She recorded her life with him in war-time China, and afterwards in America, in a diary from 1939 to 1987.
As a young army officer's wife, she organized literacy and home economics classes for other officers' wives while her husband was chief civil-military administrator in Shaoguan, Guangdong. With a third child on the way, she entered the Sun Yatsen University College of Agriculture in Guangzhou (Canton) with the inaugural group of eight female students, receiving her bachelor's degree in 1941.
As the wife of the Governor of Guangdong (1939-1945), she led the rescue operation of over 20,000 refugee children from occupied territories and war zones. Seven Children's Homes and Schools were established in succession to accommodate the refugee children, ages 6-18, each nurturing and educating over 1,000 children at any given time. Also founded were a normal school, vocational high schools, and the Lixin High School for gifted students. Factories were established to accommodate those older than 18 years. The children called her Mother, even decades later when many of them have become professors, journalists, engineers, teachers, military officers, in China, Taiwan, and abroad.
She also founded the Women's Brigade, which accommodated over 1,000 young women who lost their soldier husbands in service of their country. The women learned literacy, farming, and cottage industry skills, and received military training towards civil defense.
Chu-Fang Wu was also an elected member of the first National Assembly of the Republic of China.
After the Communist takeover of China in 1949, General Li and Mrs. Li settled in New York City. Having scarce financial resources to support the four children they brought with them and then a fifth born in America, she resolved to take up one of the few career options open at that time to Chinese immigrants with limited English, that of a restaurateur. She first learned the mechanics of operating a restaurant in a "chop suey house" type of place, the Good Will, in NYC's Washington Heights, which she went into with several partners experienced in the business. Then in 1955 she opened her own restaurant in White Plains, NY, China Garden, by which she eventually broke new ground in Chinese cuisine in America. By means of innovative menus and presentations, and by working personally to educate customers to the appreciation of gourmet Chinese dining, she brought this restaurant to great heights of recognition in the New York City area.


Glycoside Hydrolase Family 10 (GH10) contains endo-1, 4-β-xylanase which catalyzes the hydrolysis of xylan, the most abundant hemicellulose in lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, different bioinformatic approaches were used to comprehensively analyze the distribution, the phylogeny, the function and the evolutionary origin of a large GH10 protein dataset. The goal was to explore the correlation between sequence similarity and function of GH10 proteins to better understand xylan utilization pattern within the family.
Predicted glycoside hydrolase family 10 sequences from fungal, bacterial, archaeal, and non-fungal eukaryotic genomes as well as biochemically characterized proteins were used to perform a phylogenetic analysis. Based on the tree topology, 626 GH10 sequences were classified into 50 well-supported subfamilies. Among the analyzed sequences, 42 remained unclustered. The complex topology of the family tree suggests multiple duplication events followed by lineage specific gene loss during evolution. In addition, the Maximum Likelihood phylogeny of GH10 proteins does not mirror the previously established species taxonomic tree, suggesting that the divergence of the GH10 family ancestral gene preceded the appearance of the eukaryotic lineages.
A set of non-fungal GH10 proteins were manually curated employing criteria used in mycoCLAP, a database for biochemically characterized fungal lignocellulose active enzymes. Experimental data of biochemically characterized GH10 proteins were mapped onto the phylogenetic tree to establish relationships, if any, between biochemical properties and sequence similarity. Only 24 subfamilies contain members with characterization, demonstrating that 26 phylogenetically diverse subfamilies remain uncharacterized. Among the subfamilies with experimental data, a distantly related subfamily with tomatinase activity was identified. By comparing the tertiary structures of well-characterized subfamilies, I have identified subfamilies that display different xylan substrate preferences and hydrolysis patterns. Correlations were also observed between sequence similarity and the pH and/or temperature optimum in the GH10 family. The accumulation of mutations within subfamilies reflects how they have diverged over time. Subfamily discriminating residue analyses were performed to identify subfamily-specific polymorphisms. Detailed lists of subfamily discriminating residues are provided. The majority of these residues are involved in secondary structure formation based on alignment to 3D structures, suggesting they might be functionally and structurally important.


In DJ-Catalog2 it is possible to create so-called combinations. They are kind of sub-products based on the main product, which is distinguished by a selected range of additional attributes (extra fields).
A combination is not a stand-alone product, it is not a child product (variant). The combination is an item that has an indiviudal price, stock level, SKU code and a set of field-value combinations of your choice.
A perfect example would be a t-shirt (main product) which comes in different colors (red, green, blue) and sizes (S, M, L). In such case, the combination could be a red t-shirt in S size which may have different price and stock level than a blue t-shirt, L size.
Of course, the product page, pictures, description and all other attributes defined in the main product would be common for all those combinations.
When you create at least one such field (Cart variant), the additional tab is created within product edit form called "Combinations" and this is the place where you can manage existing combinations and create new ones.
Please note that this tab will appear only once you save a product!
In the left column, you need to select groups of fields that you wish to be used for creating combinations. After selecting a group you will be presented a set of attributes which can be enabled or disabled by clicking the checkbox next to each.
Only enabled fields will be used in your product combinations.
Note that if you do not want to set different prices for your combinations then set their price to 0.00. In this case, the price of your main product will be used instead.
If you are selling product combinations then it is a good idea to set "On stock" property of the main product to "Always".


How Can Professional Services Help With Water Damage Repair?
Water damage, no issue exactly how small and also undetectable, can be equally damaging to your house as something as extreme as floods. Even if the water penetration is the result of an unnoticeable water place, it could cause considerable damage to your property.
To start with, the roofing of your residence, which undergoes damage as a result of various reasons like climate extremities, continual hitting from tree branches, old or poor-quality roofing system tiling etc. Water dripping down any component of the roof signifies mold removal.
Secondly, water could permeate via windows and doors, in the instance, they have not installed appropriately, as well as trigger considerable mold repair. Water intrusion could additionally harm the insulation system within your residence. Notification your doors and windows very carefully throughout rainfall and various other weather changes for feasible indications of mold damage.
Finally, blocked or overflowing gutters and drains pipes could be a considerable source of water damage in your residence. During heavy rainfall, if the gutters are obstructed, it fails to send down the water moving from the roofs, leading to a huge quantity of water collecting near the base of your house. Such buildups are dangerous for the structure of your home, triggering dampness to permeate right into your home.
Additionally, devices like washing machines, dishwashers, clothes dryers, fridges, etc. must be consistently inspected and also regulated for proper maintenance and prevention of feasible leaks, which could be a reason for water damage.
Finally, water damage can also be caused by factors as significant as sewage overflow and also flooding.
Gauging devices like hygrometers and wetness detectors to determine the exact degree of mold removal triggered.
Sensing units like the infrared electronic camera to spot water infiltration also in remote corners, where mold and mildew retention can trigger significant damages.
Extremely effective gas pumps to pump out high degrees of water.
High-quality Dehumidifiers for ample drying out of the location or items.
Superior products for deodorizing and disinfecting the affected place or objects.
These specialist water damage repair services are trustworthy and available at your service 24 hours and also 7 days a week. They fast to reach you within about an hr, which is exceptionally vital throughout periods of an emergency situation.
Water damage, no issue just how minor and also undetectable, can be just as damaging to your house as something as serious as floods. Any kind of damages triggered to your items due to water absorption needs instant focus and also in a lot of cases mold removal requires expert help. Also if the water penetration is the result of an undetectable water place, it could create significant damages to your residential or commercial property. Blocked or overruling seamless gutters as well as drains can be a substantial reason of water damage in your home. During hefty rainfall, if the gutters are blocked, it falls short to send down the water moving from the roofs, resulting in a huge amount of water building up near the base of your home.


text:
Clonakilty 2007
12th August 2009 innov
We had a marvellous weekend of fun in Clonakilty this year that will be remembered for many a year.
As part of the Festival of West Cork, the 28th Annual South of Ireland Band Championships was held on Saturday 7th July 2007 in the beautiful west Cork town of Clonakilty.
This is an entertainments style competition where each band must play a 15 minute programme which must include a march. Eighteen bands in all took part in Junior, Intermediate and Senior sections, eleven concert bands and seven brass bands. A number of bands travelled over 250 miles to take part in this very enjoyable festival, and the Senior section also included a concert band from Germany, The Waldaschaff Concert Band who visited Clonakilty on their way to the WASBE Conference in nearby Killarney in Co Kerry.
Clonakilty is a very special place to visit, there is always a great atmosphere in this holiday town even when there is no festival taking place. Each band that takes part in the competition is encouraged to give a performance on the main street and this further enhances the festival atmosphere.
Twelve members of the band travelled down by private car on the Friday 6th to make sure that all arrangements were in place and to sample the nightlife. They were delighted to receive an invitation from the Lourdes Brass Band to join them in their hotel for a social evening.
The bus carrying the remainder of the band left Ardee at 8am. Entertainment on the bus was provided by Laura and Claire in the form of games, quizzes and videos. The bus arrived bang on time at 1.30pm at the Clonakilty Quality Hotel for lunch. Afterwards the band travelled to the Clonakilty Community College for a short rehearsal and tune-up. The band was under the direction of Alan Kelly who was conducting the band for the first time in competition. Harry Kelly was unable to travel due to family commitments.
Ardee took the stage in a very professional manner and played a very entertaining programme, starting with The Liberty Bell March, followed by James Bond 007 and the final piece was a selection from the musical, Chicago. Immediately after the competition performance, all of the members walked to the main street and gave a 45 minute recital for the large crowd that had gathered. After this, it was a mad rush back to hear the results.
With twenty prizes on offer, most bands will come home with something. A special prize was created this year to celebrate the date (07/07/07) and this was won by Ardee Concert Band who gave an excellent performance, under their conductor Alan Kelly, of James Bond 007, arranged by Johan de Mey.
First prize in the competition went to the Lourdes Brass Band from Drogheda in Co Louth who gave a very entertaining performance which included the trombone section dressing as nuns for I Will Follow Him, second prize went to the Waldaschaff Concert Band and third went to Ardee Concert Band.
To end this special day, many of the bands took part in a Massed Band performance of some marches in the beautiful Kennedy Square in the town centre.
The fun continued in the local hotels and pubs where many of the visiting bands stayed over and enjoyed sing-songs etc into the wee hours.
The Emmet Hotel on Kennedy Square was the headquarters for the Ardee members and at about twelve o clock, Austin fired up his keyboard and Paul tuned his guitar and what ensued for the next three hours was one of the best singsongs ever experienced by the members. Many excellent contributions from Austin, Laura and Claire and solo spots from Anne O Brien, Niall, Betty, Dermot, Anthony kept the craic mighty. An excellent rendition of Irelands Call from Oisin Clarke was one of the highlights.
The music continued on Sunday when the Waldaschaff Concert Band played at the 12pm Mass and gave a recital afterwards.
A huge thank you must go to the excellent organising committee of Fiona Reilly, Anne O Brien, Fiona Byrne and Fionnuala Carroll without whom, the band would not have travelled.
General News. permalink.
Seventeen Pieces Recorded For New CD
Ardee Concert Band to perform at Farmleigh.
Updated 03 March 2022
Ardee BAFTA Awards Jan 2017
Ardee Concert Band
Ardee Youth Band
Christmas Concert 2015
Latest News 2019 … Click Here


text:
Naoko Yamada
山田尚子, Ryuu Andou (安堂隆)
Birth:Nov 28, 1984
Hometown:Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Wiki jphttps://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/E5B1B1E794B0E5B09AE5AD90 Wiki enhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NaokoYamada Naoko Yamada is a Japanese animator and director. She worked at Kyoto Animationhttps://anilist.co/studio/2/ from 2004 to 2020. Yamada enjoyed drawing as a child and would copy images from the Patlaborhttps://anilist.co/anime/324/ and Dragon Ballhttps://anilist.co/anime/223/ series. She joined the volleyball club in primary school and the tennis and photography clubs in high school. At the Kyoto University of Art and Design she studied oil painting and was a member of the special effects club. She intended to work in film after university but instead decided to join Kyoto Animation after seeing an advertisement. Her first assignment at the studio was drawing in between frames for Inuyashahttps://anilist.co/anime/249/ which Kyoto Animation helped produce. She was eventually promoted to a key animator for Airhttps://anilist.co/anime/101/. After working as an episode director of Clannadhttps://anilist.co/anime/2167/ she was asked to make her chief directorial debut with KONhttps://anilist.co/anime/5680/ an adaptation of a sliceoflife manga. The series was very successful spurring a second season and a film. In 2013 she directed Tamako Markethttps://anilist.co/anime/16417/ and followed it with the film Tamako Love Storyhttps://anilist.co/anime/20519/ in 2014. For Tamako Love Story she was awarded the New Face Award at the Japan Media Arts Festival. She storyboarded the entire film herself and also wrote the lyrics for the opening theme song Everybody Loves Somebody. Yamadas next project was the feature film A Silent Voicehttps://anilist.co/anime/20954/ an adaptation of Yoshitoki Ooimahttps://anilist.co/staff/105951/s manga by the same name. The film reflected on elements of bullying and physical impairment in Japan. The film opened at 2 in the Japanese Box Office and grossed a total of 2.3 billion 21.7m USD the 19th highestgrossing film in Japan in 2016. The film also received multiple award nominations including Best Animation Film in the Mainichi Film Awards and the Excellent Animation of the Year in the Japan Academy Prize. For Yamada the most important part of being a director is to observe people. She describes herself as a method director emphasizing the minds of the characters. On July 18 2019 a man started a fire at the main studio of Kyoto Animation killing 36 of Yamadas colleagues and wounding 33 others. Yamada was reported not to have been hurt in the fire. Source: Wikipedia


The CPPS examination is a computer-based test offered throughout the year at AMP Assessment Centers located domestically in the United States and internationally. The examination is administered by appointment only. Available dates will be indicated when you schedule your examination. Candidates are scheduled on a first-come-first-served basis. Candidates will be given two hours to complete the examination.
Click here for the GoAmp certification website.
Select 'Candidates' at the top of the screen.
Online applicants will be notified by email as soon as they complete the application.
A candidate who submits a paper application form will be notified by email within 10 business days of receipt of his or her application form.
Click here for the GoAmp certification website.
Select "Candidates" at the top of the page.
Click the "Locate Testing Center" button at the bottom of the page.
Candidates within the US enter preferred zip code.
The cost of the CPPS examination is US $400.


The National Emergency Management Organization in collaboration with the National Meteorological Service hereby informs the general public that Tropical Storm Harvey is located near latitude 13.4North, and longitude 62.9 West or approximately 1, 700 miles east of Belize. Harvey has sustained winds of 40 miles per hour (mph) and is moving to the West at 21 miles per hour. If it maintains its projected path over the next 3-4 days based on the forecast, the country could be affected by tropical storm or higher conditions sometime between Tuesday and Wednesday or thereafter. Over the next 3-4 days the only concern for Belize is Tropical Storm Harvey.
The public is hereby advised to make some preparations to protect life and property. If you are at risk to bad weather and flooding make arrangements for the next week you will move away from the coast to higher grounds. If you have to seek shelter next week, know which shelter you will go to. Prepare how you will reach to your shelter. Check on family members and neighbors who may be in need of assistance. On the current projection for TS Harvey, the window of opportunity to relocate from coastal areas will be next Monday evening August 21st, 2017.
During the weekend, if you don't have plans to go to sea, stay on the mainland. Start reviewing and implementing parts of your family, business emergency plan. Be prepared to put up shutters, fuel up your vehicle and generator. If you can, put together at least 3 days supply of water and non- perishable food. Ensure you purchase only approved medication. Essential services and Public Officers use the weekend to prepare your home and family in the event you are called out for emergency duties next week.
Enjoy your weekend but take precaution and start your preparations. It is not expected that TS Harvey will affect the country over the weekend. Stay calm, this is just an alert.
Drivers are always reminded to drive with extreme caution.
The NEMO Emergency Hotline is 936. NEMO IS ON ALERT BUT NOT ACTIVATED.
The public is asked to pay attention to the official reports and advisories from the National Meteorological Service and NEMO. Advisories will be sent out as the need arises. All are encouraged to monitor TS Harvey.


text:
Sri Lanka Takes Baby Steps In War Crimes Probe
HEALING: Reconciliation process must be credible, internationally and locally
By Arjuna Ranawana –
Arjuna Ranawana
THE spotlight is on post-war Sri Lanka's process of reconciliation and rehabilitation because of a United States-sponsored resolution passed by the 19th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.
It calls for the implementation of the recommendations of the Sri Lanka government's own Lesson Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), for a time-bound road map to bring these into force and "address allegations" of war crimes committed during the conflict. It also asks the UN to provide technical support to the government to implement the recommendations.
Sri Lanka's 30-year long civil war that pitted the state against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ended in 2009.
The Tigers decimated any groups or leaders within the Tamil community that could challenge their leader, Velupillai Pirubhakaran. The Sri Lankan security forces countered the Tigers with an equal measure of brutality and there were many allegations made against them as well.
What is in sharp focus now is the final phase of the war. Between September 2008 and May 19, 2009, a UN report estimates that around 40,000 non-combatants were killed because of shelling by the Sri Lanka army and by the Tigers using civilians as a human shield.
A panel of experts appointed by the UN found that atrocities committed by both sides could be prosecuted as war crimes and recommended that the UN should set up an international independent mechanism to probe these allegations.
Human rights groups and Sri Lankan Tamil exiles accuse government leaders of ordering the armed forces to kill LTTE leaders who surrendered and also of executing prisoners.
The resolution is certainly only a baby step towards a full-scale war crimes probe. It does not propose any punitive measures on Sri Lanka and will not be legally binding on the administration of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.
There is also no reference to an independent international mechanism to probe violations of international law as recommended by the UN panel. But the US says it hopes this will prompt the government of Sri Lanka to "credibly investigate" alleged violations of international humanitarian law.
Human rights groups inside and outside Sri Lanka will hail this as a victory to protect the human rights of Sri Lankans and aid in the process of reconciliation but may be disappointed by the watered-down nature of the language.
Within Sri Lanka, many Tamil political groups, including some religious leaders, human rights activists and civil society groups, have welcomed the move.
Their main issue with the government is that they have little faith the administration will conduct a fair investigation into the allegations. Sri Lankan administrations throughout the years are not known for probing their own misdeeds, thus the desire for external monitoring of the process.
The Rajapakse government disagrees that the resolution is harmless. A commentator aligned with the administration, Dayan Jayatilleka, writes that it is a "smokescreen for foreign interventionism".
In Sri Lanka, the response of Rajapakse's supporters — led by hardline Sinhalese — is less measured. In fact, it has bordered on the hysterical.
The government sponsored demonstrations held before the embassies of the countries supporting the proposal and also helped stage several protests in Geneva.
Effigies of US President Barack Obama were set alight in one demonstration in Colombo.
There is broad consensus that the recommendations of the LLRC should be implemented. Rajapakse has pledged to do so.
Whether this resolution will lead to any kind of international oversight is yet to be seen. Whatever the process, it has to be credible not only in the eyes of the international community but also with the majority of Sri Lankans — for the ultimate purpose of that process should be reconciliation and the restoration of the rule of law.
For now, the UNHRC session has served the Rajapakse administration as a welcome distraction. It has raised the bogey of foreign intervention to get the minds of the people off their hunger, fear of lawlessness, endemic corruption and the culture of impunity.
Say His Name, And Say Enough Of This Madness
WikiLeaks: Alles' Had Been Providing Free After-School Tutoring To Rajapaksa's Son
Thanga / April 4, 2012
Insightful!
sjv chelvanayakam / April 4, 2012
Another Copy and Paste job by a war expert… Hmm its funny how these Tamil exiles..who funded the Brutal LTTE as you have mentioned.. who are have commited war crimes.. have no responsibility.. Now Look at India and USA screaming at InT Islamist Exiles who funded terror.. They have issued Bountys..saying Wanted Dead.. what a joke from a joker.. 'A commentator aligned with the administration, Dayan Jayatilleka' so people who disagree or have a different viwe from socalled experts like you are all aligend with GOSL.. So who are you aligned with???? so much fro democracy and free opinion
Concerned Tamil / April 4, 2012
Where is the international pressure? Where are the sanctions? All of this UN business is empty words.
Spam King / April 4, 2012
Fools spring eternal—through all cultures and all eras. No exception for our own. But rather than discount them as burdens, we'd do well to see the blessing. For like the bubbles in the fountain, they add a certain unexpectedness—more three-dimensionality—to life.
Bewildered, bemused, befuddled, benign—fools of every persuasion have proven a mainstay throughout literature. Shakespeare, Molière, Dickens, Twain—all keen observers of human character and relationships—were wont in every work to throw a fool or two into the mix. In the hands of a master storyteller, a fool can be quite instructive. And besides, life just doesn't look the same without them.
Now where literary forbears once found inspiration for metaphorical musings, scientific moderns are finding grist for the research mill.
David Blacker / April 4, 2012
As a former member of the Sri Lanka army, I will say, yes we killed, raped, and tortured. But they were all bloody Tamil Tiger terrorists anyway, so who cares. TERRORISTS DESERVE TO DIE! I AM TIRED OF THESE WEBSITES THAT PROMOTE TIGER TERRORISM! WHO IS BEHIND THIS WEBSITE? I WILL SEND A WHITE VAN.
gamini / April 5, 2012
David, stand in front of a mirror you will see a TERRORIST. I have read your comments with absolute repulsion. Yet you are entitled to view your opinion. This is the difference You and I have. Good luck! mate!
K. C. John / April 5, 2012
I am grateful to brave men like you who put your life on the line to save us from the scourge of terrorism. You are appreciated for this.
However, were you willing to sacrifice your life so that, eventually, the people of Sri Lanka would lose democracy and human rights?
Now please don't get me wrong here. I'm not referring to war time human rights. I'm "pragmatic" enough to acknowledge that those will be violated in warfare. I'm referring to the violation of human rights of the citizens of this country post war.
Please think about this, seriously.
Yes, David, terras don't deserve anything other than death.
Please send your White Van for Karuna and Pillayan without further delay.
David may have served as a solider but he is a Mad radical. There are
enough Officers in the Army to present a sober view of the battle they
had to fight, and some who are Overseas have come out with reliable
information. The Ch. 4 releases were based on them.
The term "Terrorist" vis-a-vis the Ethnic Issues of SL cannot be rolled into one.


text:
Q: How to encode a tuple inside JSON I am trying to encode image shape as (4096,2048) in a JSON file, however I am getting the following error --

Not sure if the issue is with the code or the way I am giving values in JSON file.

A: The question needs a cleanup, but here goes --
You used the string (4096, 2048) which is not a valid JSON array.
Try [4096, 2048] instead.
>>> import json
>>> json.loads("(100,200)") # avoid this
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/debanjan/PycharmProjects/domain-registrar-service/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py", line 3457, in run_code
    exec(code_obj, self.user_global_ns, self.user_ns)
  File "<ipython-input-3-78540c75b201>", line 1, in <module>
    json.loads("(100,200)")
  File "/home/debanjan/.pyenv/versions/3.8.5/lib/python3.8/json/__init__.py", line 357, in loads
    return _default_decoder.decode(s)
  File "/home/debanjan/.pyenv/versions/3.8.5/lib/python3.8/json/decoder.py", line 337, in decode
    obj, end = self.raw_decode(s, idx=_w(s, 0).end())
  File "/home/debanjan/.pyenv/versions/3.8.5/lib/python3.8/json/decoder.py", line 355, in raw_decode
    raise JSONDecodeError("Expecting value", s, err.value) from None
json.decoder.JSONDecodeError: Expecting value: line 1 column 1 (char 0)

>>> json.loads("[100,200]") # do this instead
[100, 200]


text:
Real Steel (2011) [Round 2]
tags: hugh jackman, Real steel, robot boxing, rope-a-dope, Sugar Ray Leonard
by John Leavengood
MY CALL: The fights may lack the technical delight we see from Scott Adkins (Assassination Games; Undisputed II) or Michael Jai White (Undisputed II, Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown), but with Sugar Ray Leonard's choreography these fights are some good, old-fashioned bot brawler fun. I give this an unexpected B+. IF YOU LIKE THIS, WATCH: Not much like this, but this reminds me of Robot Jox (1990), a low budgeter sci-fi for the superfans out there. SIDEBAR: I stick more to the story while Marko provided a detailed critique of the moviemakers and production of Real Steel. Check it out.
In the not-too-distant future (2027) Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman; X-Men, The Prestige) plays a down on his luck, scheming ex-boxer who signed away the rights to his son at birth, owes every unsavory soul he could find some money, is behind on his rent, and even more behind on his dignity. He's down on himself so much that he won't even tolerate hearing accolades of his past triumphs. Charlie pushes everyone away so far and hard that he can't even remember how old his own son is (who is 11).
The ultimate scumbag, Charlie sells custody of his son (Max, played by Dakota Goya; Thor). But to collect, he must spend the summer with him. He uses the $50K custodial bounty to buy an ex-pro robot boxer to pit in a dirty underground fight. Guess how that turns out for this winner?
Charlie teaches Max about haste, greed, theft, and the history of sport-fighting that led to the robot boxing sensation. Max, a fan of robot boxing, teaches him how to dream with his devout support of an obsolete model junkyard robot. Because Max won't let up, Charlie has no choice but to submit and teach him about the sport. "You've played video games, right? Well this is just like that. Except that this one's a 1000 pound robot." Atom, as Max names him, is a sparring bot that mirrors fighting styles. Atom is under-sized, fast and designed to take hits, not deliver them. Charlie has doubts. Max has dreams. And Atom is special.
Charlie teaches Max what the audience wants and trains the bot to box. Max works up a mean robot shadow-dancing routine to give Atom a persona. Atom serves as a friend to the boy and an inspiration to both of them. This makes Charlie smile for reasons beyond money. When he sees Max win with Atom, it's as if Charlie begins to think he can, too. They quickly beat some big names and make one for themselves and go pro aiming for Zeus, the pro-champ and an evolving, fully autonomous robot. How do you beat that?
For the boxing enthusiasts out there, Sugar Ray Leonard sets up an original rope-a-dope for our junkyard scrapper in honor of Muhammad Ali. In Real Steel, Atom may lack the palpable emotional output of Wall-E, but this faceless robot manages to make us "feel". And it may not quite be Rocky, but when Atom wins, I feel like "I win." This father-son team and junkyard robot turned hero really made my day! The hits are hard, the drive is contagious, and the victory is emotional!
from → John Leavengood, Movies
← Real Steel
Margin Call →
John's Horror Corner: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012) « Movies, Films & Flix
John's Horror Corner: Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) « Movies, Films & Flix
Pacific Rim (2013), an epic live-action anime experience | Movies, Films & Flix
Chappie (2015), Short Circuit meets RoboCop in this visually striking and emotionally captivating take on artificial intelligence and humanity. | Movies, Films & Flix
John's Horror Corner: Resident Evil: Retribution (2012), yup… more Milla Jovovich, more clone stuff, more mutant zombies, covering more of the planet. | Movies, Films & Flix
Love, Death & Robots (2019), the animated Sci-Fi anthology series I've waited my whole life to see! | Movies, Films & Flix


Every year new shapes and patterns become a big trend in the design world. I am talking about monsteras, llamas, cactuses and so on! But there are some objects that are always a hit - no matter yearly trends. Moon, stars and clouds are perfect for kids room decor - starting from wall hangings, posters, finishing with cushions and night lamps. I am inviting you today to visit this mystery world of space objects, perfectly designed for our nurseries!
Walls are usually the most visible in the room, so let's start our space journey with wall art and decor.
Our journey is coming to an end, so let's finish it with fluffy and soft space objects!
Everybody wants to be pretty, everybody wants to be unique, and is there better thing to sparkle some joy on your days, than a shiny piece of jewelry? There's been jewellery found from 115,000 years ago, so you can imagine the types and shapes of adornments are available these days?
On this our weekly featured shop - Etsy seller Gediminas and small pieces of fantasy landscapes set in handcrafted jewelry.
When and how you started?
The whole inspiration and manufacturing process began about 1.5 years ago, when I saw these unique jewelry photos online. It interested me so much that I had to try and do it by my self, and as it turns out it was not a onetime thing, it became my passion and hobby.
What part of process do you like the most?
The most interesting and difficult part of the process for me is when I achieve the complete transparency of an object, whether it is a ring, a necklace or earrings. This creation of transparency through the resin shows me the fruits of my hard labor in making that particular piece. Difficult as achieving good transparency of resin can be quite a hard task, depending on multiple variables that can affect the process of polishing.
What kind of product you are making? How it's made? Tell us more about the materials. What is your favorite to make? And the hardest one?
I make various pieces od jewelry, whether it would be rings, necklaces, or earrings (going to add them soon) as well as thinking of branching out into furniture, such as tables, chairs and various others.
Your working team, supporters, helping hand?
For good or for worse, I work alone at the moment.
What are you proud of / reached goals?
I am most proud of my personal achievement in this site, dedication and patience allowed me to turn my hobby into my business.
In the future I seek to continue my current venture, as well as expand into other possible markets, such as previously mentioned furniture construction using wood and resin technology.
First I got inspiration when I stumbled upon "Secret Wood", whereas they create jewelry, the beaty and the necessary wits to create such things enthralled me, and since I was already working with various wood constructions, it seemed to be natural progression to incorporate wood into something or have something incorporated into the wood.
Any notes to your customers?
Every piece I create is unique, although there may be similar ones, every piece has its own story to tell. The feeling of wood grands the feeling of closeness to nature and the spectacular visages of the enclosed small worlds inside fascinates by their mysteries.
There's something about miniature things that make grown ups go a little bit crazy.
Dollhouse as a hobby become popular long time ago. Now there is a variation from traditional everyday objects made in classic 1:12 scale to new modern Monster doll home accessories.
On this our weekly featured shop we got to interview a skilled Etsy seller Lena to give us a glance what it's like to have a miniature creations shop.
It all started two years ago, at a time I was falling in love with collectible dolls and miniature craft. I believe it's not a game or a toy, it is a copy of our own lives, but in a smaller version.
What part of the process do you like the most?
Big and the favorite part of my work are personalized orders. I love to replicate actual size furniture into 4-6-12 times smaller original copy, same shape, and identical look.
What kind of product you are making? How it's made? Tell us more about the materials. What is your favorite to make? And the hardest one?
At the beginning, I was only making wicker furniture. But as my craft was growing, more and more ideas came to my head. And now I can offer wicker, sewn, crocheted, knitted items, such as plants, flowers, clothes, lingerie, bed mats and pillows, wall hangings and food ... absolutely all things for dioramas (a model representing a scene with three-dimensional figures, either in miniature or as a large-scale museum exhibit). Oh, all in miniature, of course.
I love my job and it does take a lot of time to run my Etsy shop, so I have to be smart incorporating my family. My husband helps me with packages and runs the parcels down to the post office. Kids are on quality control and help me to test my ideas. This way I save some time to spend with my family and get the job done!
There's one thing I really proud of. – my photography skills! I can say my photos are truly beautiful. There are areas to improve on, but customers are buying for my photos. That is a huge achievement for a woman, who knew nothing about the art of product photography before she started her business.
As for the future, I tend to live in the present, every dream or idea I get, I do not wait or hesitate, just do. There is one thing I haven't tried yet, doll making, but it's just a question of time when I'll add one more skill to my list.
My inspiration comes from our life, nature, plants, and things in my environment. And my customers of course! I think it's the best way to get inspired –it is to take in mind customer feedback and work on ideas from custom orders. The same way I started making Japanese hats for dolls, one of my customers asked if I could, so I learned the Japanese technique to make these hats from rye straws, them from paper. Now I have two types of Japanese hats available – sanadogasa and ichimegasa.
A little note to all my existing and future customers – please, buy more unique and one of a kind designs, because that is what I love to make!
Living Coral, also known as Pantone 16-1546, is a warm, peachy orange with a life-affirming golden undertone.
Vibrant, yet mellow, Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and vividness. There's just something about the color that feels earthbound and welcoming, optimistic and intimate.
It is excellent for home decor and space design due to nurturing nature. No wonder corals provide shelter and food to countless species of marine wildlife.
Use it as a splash of optimism in your outfit or bathe in it's playful lively presence from head to toes.
Embrace a rich, joyful and comforting touch of Living Coral - the color of 2019.


Redistricting has been a contentious process since the early 1800s, when Governor Elbridge Gerry signed a bill that reshaped electoral districts in Massachusetts to benefit the Democratic-Republicans. This manipulation of the redistricting process was nicknamed a Gerry-Mander, partially after Governor Gerry, and partially after the shape of one of the Boston districts, which resembled a salamander.
The practice, now commonly referred to as gerrymandering, presents a challenge to the U.S.'s republican system, where representatives are supposed to represent all of the voters in a given district. In an attempt to curb the practice, 6 states have already implemented independent redistricting commissions designed to make the redistricting process fairer and more representative of a population.
Additionally,13 states use a hybrid method involving more than one government branch or agency working together to draw district lines.
6 states are currently considering an independent method of electoral redistricting.
The state of Arizona is in the middle of a constitutional showdown to determine whether or not its independent redistricting commission is legal. The case, Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, is currently before the Supreme Court, and could decide the fate of independent redistricting groups throughout the country.
Yet, 6 other states are considering them: North Carolina, Illinois, Georgia, Maryland, Indiana, and Kentucky.
All of these states have introduced bills that propose the establishment of an independent group that has power over the redistricting process. However, their methods of ensuring these groups remain independent differ.
Kentucky is the most notable because the appointees must be faculty members from universities in the state. North Carolina, Illinois, Georgia, and Maryland would have similar methods of appointing members to these committees/commissions, but the person(s) ultimately responsible for appointing these members varies from state to state.
North Carolina is the most recent state to try to implement an independent redistricting commission. There are currently two bills before the General Assembly. The House version, sponsored by State Reps. Charles Jeter (R), Julia Howard (R), Henry Michaux (D), and Paul Tine (I), is completely identical to the Senate version.
The proposed independent commission would present three plans for state legislative and congressional redistricting to the General Assembly and both chambers will be required to choose one within 120 days. The chief justice of the Supreme Court, the governor, the speaker of the State House of Representatives, the Senate president pro tempore, and one additional leader from both chambers will be responsible for appointing members of the commission.
If passed, the redistricting reform would be on the November 2016 ballot.
Democratic State Representative Scott Drury recently introduced a bill to amend the Illinois Constitution, specifically the Legislature Article. The bill would create an independent redistricting commission composed of eight members, evenly split between both major parties.
The speaker and minority leader of the Illinois House of Representatives will each appoint one representative and one person who is not a member of the General Assembly to be on the commission. Additionally, the president and minority leader of the Senate will each appoint one senator and one person who is not a member of the General Assembly.
Six Georgia Democrats have signed on to a bill that would amend the state Constitution to give redistricting power to an independent commission, rather than the General Assembly. The lieutenant governor, the minority leader of the Senate, the speaker of the State House of Representatives, and the minority leader of the House will each appoint one member to the commission.
Additionally, two members will be appointed by the governor and one member will be selected and appointed by the other six members of the commission. The bill also specifies that the governor is limited in his selections because only one of his appointees may share his party.
Nine legislators have cosponsored a bill in the Maryland House of Representatives to establish a Study Commission on the Redistricting Process. The commission would essentially collect and analyze information on Maryland's redistricting process, redistricting methods in other states, and testimony that relates to redistricting.
The commission also has the opportunity to suggest constitutional or statutory changes to the redistricting process in Maryland. The commission will have 15 members, who will be a combination of legislators, appointees, members of the general public, and representatives from various political organizations, including the League of Women Voters of Maryland.
Like the bill proposed in Maryland, four state lawmakers have attached their names to a bill that calls for a special interim study committee on redistricting. The committee would study state and federal laws and court cases relating to redistricting, other states' methods of redistricting, the qualifications of those involved in redistricting, experience other states have had with redistricting commissions, and other similar subjects.
Ultimately, the committee would examine the positives and negatives of changing Indiana's redistricting process and submit a report to the legislative council, including all of their research and a description of alternative ways to redraw districts.
Democratic State Senator Dennis L. Parrett sponsored a bill that calls for a Committee on Legislative Redistricting. Members of the committee will be made up of faculty members from each of the public universities in the state. Each committee member will be either the chair of the geography department of the public university or a professor of law or political science.
However, faculty members with an extensive knowledge of Kentucky's geography or redistricting laws, demographic data, statistics, and characteristics regarding the state's population are also acceptable committee members.
The committee will have the responsibility of developing plans for redistricting state legislative and congressional districts. These plans will be proposed to the Legislative Research Commission, who will then refer the plans to the Interim Joint Committee on State Government, who will then enact or reject the plans. If enacted, the plans will be reviewed by the General Assembly.


You're interested in F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda.
From Goodreads.com: "When beautiful, reckless Southern belle Zelda Sayre meets F. Scott Fitzgerald at a country club dance in 1918, she is seventeen years old and he is a young army lieutenant stationed in Alabama. Before long, the "ungettable" Zelda has fallen for him despite his unsuitability: Scott isn't wealthy or prominent or even a Southerner, and keeps insisting, absurdly, that his writing will bring him both fortune and fame. Her father is deeply unimpressed. But after Scott sells his first novel, This Side of Paradise, to Scribner's, Zelda optimistically boards a train north, to marry him in the vestry of St. Patrick's Cathedral and take the rest as it comes.
Everything seems new and possible. Troubles, at first, seem to fade like morning mist. But not even Jay Gatsby's parties go on forever. Who is Zelda, other than the wife of a famous—sometimes infamous—husband? How can she forge her own identity while fighting her demons and Scott's, too? With brilliant insight and imagination, Therese Anne Fowler brings us Zelda's irresistible story as she herself might have told it. "
I was so excited to get my hands on an ARC of this book. I screamed when I opened the envelope and succeeded in getting my husband to run into the room to see if I had been hurt. To say that this book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2013 would be an understatement. Let me just say that I was most definitely not disappointed. This is such a good book about someone that has often been maligned after her untimely death.
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald is an amazing portrait of an incredibly fascinating woman. Fowler really makes Zelda jump off of the pages! This book just about has it all. There's incredible detail and a really vivid picture of one of America's greatest literary couples and a great storyline behind it all.
So happy to see your high rating as it's on my list.
I can't wait for this one! Great review!


Hector Hugh Munro ( 1870-1916) was a British author who published under the pen name SAKI. He is remembered as a master of the short story form.
This book contains amazing short stories of the known author SAKI.
Generally people enjoy reading a story written by Saki's , but this book makes a collection of his stories. No wonder, reading the book one may lost into the language, style and elegance.
For me the best of the book was Mrs packletide's tiger story.
Mrs Packletide was an English lady who was overcome with a strong desire to shoot a tiger. Basically she was not adventurous or brave but she was smitten with jealousy when her friend, Loona Bimberton, had recently been carried in an aeroplane by an Algerian pilot. Mrs Packletide wanted to outshine her.
She planned to present a tiger- claw brooch on Loona's next birthday. All her motives were largely dominated by her dislike of Loona.
Circumstances proved to be favourable. An old and weak tiger was visiting a neighbouring village in search of food.
On the fateful night, Mrs Packletide came along with a paid companion Miss Mebbin. A platform had already been constructed in a comfortable and conveniently placed tree.
Both the ladies sat on the platform.
A goat with a loud bleat was tied at proper distance from the tiger. Meanwhile the tiger appeared on the scene and slowly walked towards the goat. Mrs Packletide fired a shot with her rifle. The tiger fell down to one side.
The excited villagers celebrated by beating drums and singing. Mrs Packletide was also too happy. Miss Mebbin was very clever and alert. She drew Mrs Packletide's attention to the fact that the bullet had actually hit the goat and the tiger had died due to heart attack, caused by the loud report of the rifle.
She blackmailed Mrs Packletide by saying what would happen if Loona learnt that Mrs Packletide had shot the goat and not the tiger.
Shrewd and clever, Miss Mebbin hinted that she wanted money to buy a weekend cottage near Dorking. To keep her mouth shut, Mrs Packletide was forced to pay for that cottage.
She confided to her friends that "incidental expenses were too heavy for such kind of hunting".
The book review presented by you is very good sreeja! keep up the spirit and read more number of good books and enrich our blog.