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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2016 AUSTRALIAN RANGELAND SOCIETY ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
(From the Range Management Newsletter 16/2)
The Australian Rangeland Society held its Annual General Meeting via teleconference on Wednesday 25th May, 2016.
The Financial Report for the year ended 31st December 2015 was tabled at the meeting. This report includes the Directors' Report as well as the major financial statements for the Society (Statement of Comprehensive Income, Statement of Financial Position, Cash Flow Statement and Notes to the Financial Statements).
Highlights from the Directors' Report is given below. For those interested, more detailed financial records for the Society can be viiewed by clicking the following link – 2016 ARS AGM Financial Statements.
Highlights from the Directors Report
Your directors present their report on The Australian Rangeland Society – hereafter "the Society" or "ARS" – for the year ended 31st December 2015.
The names of directors in office at any time during year are:
J.A. Taylor (Principal, TaylorMob RD&E Services, Age 65) – 1/1/15 to 27/5/15
P.F. Marin (Senior Consultant, MLCS Corporate Pty Ltd, Age 42) – 1/1/15 to 27/5/15
C. Ireland (Principal, Ireland Resource Management, Age 68) – 1/1/15 to 31/12/15
D.G. Phelps (Senior Scientist, DPIF, Qld), Age 48) – 27/5/15 to 31/12/15
D.G. Burnside (Director, DG Burnside & Associates, Age 65) – 27/5/15 to 31/12/15
The Society's operations for the year resulted in a loss of $32,428.
The Society publishes and circulates three issues of the Range Management Newsletter newsletters and six issues of The Rangeland Journal to the members annually, runs a biennial conference, provides grants to assist members with travel and research, maintains a publicly accessible website and social media and promotes the advancement of the science and art of using Australia's rangeland resources for all purposes commensurate with their continued sustainability and productivity. There were no significant changes in the nature of these activities in the 2015 Year.
Review of operations
The Society's governing Council met 4 times by teleconference, and once face-to-face during 2015 and held an Annual General Meeting on 27 May 2015 (a total of 6 meetings). A further "out of session" meeting was held as a face-to-face joint meeting of the Council and the Publications Committee in Alice Springs (held during the Alice Springs Biennial Conference).
The agenda for every scheduled meeting included discussion of membership, finance and Publication Committee reports, and matters related to the Biennial Conferences of the Society.
At the AGM, held on 27 May 2015, the following changes to the Office-Bearers and general Council members were accepted.
President John Taylor – retired (completed two four-year terms)
David Phelps – continuing Member – appointed as President
Secretary Carolyn Ireland – continuing Member – re-appointed as Secretary
Finance and Audit Officer Peter Marin – retired (completed two four-year terms)
Donald Burnside – appointed as Finance and Audit Officer
General Council Members Annabel Walsh – retired (completed two four-year terms)
Graeme Tupper – retired (completed two four-year terms)
Ben Forsyth – retired (completed one four-year term)
Andrew Ash – continuing General Council Member
Dionne Walsh – appointed as a General Council Member
Cathy Waters – appointed as a General Council Member
Angus Whyte – appointed as a General Council Member
Megan Munchenberg – appointed as a General Council Member
The following were members of the ARS Council, and attended meetings during 2015.
Meetings attended (including AGM)
Meetings eligible to attend (including AGM)
Carol Ireland
Andrew Ash
Peter Marin
Annabel Walsh
Graeme Tupper
Ben Forsyth
Dionne Walsh
Cathy Waters
Angus Whyte
Megan Munchenberg
Don Burnside
Major Council activities during 2015 are presented below.
An audit of governance training and experience among Council members was completed. The completed audit showed a good range of governance, scientific, practical and organisational skills appropriate for the Society's needs.
Strategic Planning. The SWOT commenced in 2014 was completed and in 2015, work commenced on the development and implementation of strategies to progress opportunities and address the Society's weaknesses and threats.
Advocacy activities in urging the continuation of the Rangelands Australia educational initiative, and training in range management generally, in requesting the Commonwealth Government to continue the Australian Collaborative Rangeland Information System (ACRIS), and in supporting public sector investment in rangeland research and development.
Implementing plans to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Society in 2015. These included a special article in the Range Management Newsletter, specialist labelling on merchandise distributed at the 18th Biennial Conference in Alice Springs, and announcements during the conference and at the associated general meeting.
The Society's website was upgraded in 2015 with a contract let to Fat Beehive Pty Ltd for a redesign of the website, and on-going maintenance. A new system for paying subscriptions via an electronic gateway was introduced. Scanning of past issues of the Range Management Newsletter (RMN) was completed and all past issues will be publicly available when loaded onto the new site. Only access to the most recent issue of the RMN will be restricted to members. Scanning of past proceedings of the Biennial Conferences was completed by staff of the Global Rangelands Repository at the University of Arizona and will be publicly available when loaded onto the new website. (Additional details are provided in the Publications Committee Report).
Consideration of recommendations from the Publications Committee for appointments and renewal of appointments of Associate Editors, Advisory Editors and the Editor-in-Chief of The Rangeland Journal. Council accepted the recommendation from the Publications Committee that the Rangeland Journal Lecture delivered at each subsequent Biennial Conference be re-named the John Milne Memorial Rangeland Journal Lecture. (Additional details are provided in the Publications Committee Report).
Planning for the 19th Biennial Conference commenced, with a bid for the conference to be held in Port Augusta in September 2017 presented to Council by an Organising Committee chaired by Dr Jen Cleary. The ARS Conference Proposal was accepted with a recommendation passed onto the Organising Committee emphasising the need for the conference to generate a significant financial return. The Council is represented on the Organising Committee by the ARS Secretary, Dr Carol Ireland and the ARS Finance and Audit Officer, Dr Donald Burnside. The 2017 Organising Committee subsequently sent out tenders for the Professional Conference organiser to four possible bidders.
Revisions of the guidelines for ARS travel grants and scholarships to clarify the maximum amount to be offered to individuals and the total annual allocation were ratified at the 2015 AGM.
Three applicants were received and approved for 2015 ARS Travel Grants. The successful applicants, Kate Forrest, John Gavin and Sarah McDonald are all planning to attend the International Rangeland Congress in Saskatoon, Canada in July 2016.
Council let a contract to Heidi Wright for initial management of the Society's social media accounts. Policy documents drafted by Ms Wright for the operation of these accounts were considered by the Publications Committee. Ms Amber Marshall, appointed as Social Media Editor (SME) assumed full responsibility for all social media accounts from 5 December 2015. The number of Facebook likes has been steadily rising and the Society appears to have built a firm foundation for its social media activity. Council approved a role statement for the SME indicating that the line of responsibility is directly to the PC rather than to the Web Site Editor. (Additional details are provided in the Publications Committee Report).
Given that there has been no substantial rise in membership fees for many years, Council resolved to increase membership fees for 2016 by approximately 25 per cent. A new category of "concessional member" was introduced for members over 65 years and not gainfully employed. Council also decided to explore the opportunities for life or multi-year memberships.
In addition to Council, the Society continues to rely heavily on volunteers who fulfil vital roles. As of 31 December 2015 these are:
Dr A. J. Ash
Professor S. Blake
Dr D.G. Burnside
Dr J. Davies
Dr N.J. Duckett Editor, Range Management Newsletter
Professor D.J. Eldridge
Mr R. Grant Editor ARS web site
Dr R.B. Hacker Chair
Dr K.C. Hodgkinson
Ms A.H. Marshall Social Media Editor
A/Assoc. Professor R.D.B. Whalley A/Editor-in-Chief, The Rangeland Journal
Sadly Dr J. A. Milne, Editor-in-Chief of The Rangeland Journal, passed away in September 2015. Associate Professor R.D.B. Whalley assumed this role in an acting capacity pending appointment of a new Editor-in-Chief. Ms A.H. Marshall was appointed to the new role of Social Media Editor during the year. Mr R Grant did not accept extension of his appointment beyond 31 December 2015 and was replaced by Ms C Osborn from 1 January 2016. Dr P. E. Novelly was appointed Editor-in-Chief from 1 March 2016.
Associate editors of The Rangeland Journal
Dr A. Ash Australia
Professor A. Cingolani Argentina
Dr B.T. Bestelmeyer USA
Dr B. Cooke Australia
Professor O.P. Dube Botswana
Dr F. Hou China
Professor B. Hubert France
Mr N.D. Macleod Australia
Dr A.J. Pressland Australia
Dr D. Race Australia
Dr D.M. Stafford-Smith Australia
Dr L. Wang China
Dr G. M. Wardle Australia
Dr I.W. Watson Australia
A/Assoc, Professor R.D.B. Whalley Australia
The terms of Drs Ash and Cooke terminated on 31 December 2015 and they did not accept reappointment. Prof. Cingolani and Drs Hou, Wang and Watson were appointed as Associate Editors during the year.
Advisory Editors of The Rangeland Journal
Dr J. R. Brown USA
Dr M.H. Friedel Australia
Professor I. Gordon Australia (formerly Scotland)
Professor J. Huang China
Professor 0. Sala USA
Professor D. Wang China
Dr A. Waters-Bayer The Netherlands
Dr I. Wright Ethiopia
Both Dr B. H. Walker and Prof Z. Nan declined to extend their appointments beyond September 2015. Replacements have not been appointed at the time of writing.
The Rangeland Journal (TRJ)
The Journal received 127 manuscripts in 2015, representing a steady level of submission compared to 2014 and 2013 (125 and 127 submissions, respectively), and an upward trend from 2009 (81 submissions). The increase in submissions reflects a healthy interest in the Journal together with the decision to move to publication of six issues per annum from 2014, two of which are Special Issues dedicated to particular themes and which are able to draw on substantial bodies of work. The Special Issues published in 2015 were entitled:
Enhancing the Resilience of Coupled Human and Natural Systems of Alpine Rangelands on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau(Guest Editors: Shikui Dong and Ruth Sherman)
Innovation in Australian Rangelands. A special issue from the 18th Biennial Conference of the Australian Rangeland Society (Guest Editors: Jocelyn Davies, Digby Race and Boyd Wright)
The Journal published 635 pages in 2015 (610 in 2014), compared to a range of 417-455 from 2010-2013 when only four issues per annum were being published. Only two papers were published as Open Access, which is consistent with previous years apart from one Special Issue in 2014. There was a significant increase in the number of papers submitted from Australia (52 in 2015, 31 in 2014) and the Middle East (17 in 2015, 7 in 2014), and a sharp decrease in papers from the Asia‐Pacific region (24 in 2015, 60 in 2014). Consistent with the increased rate of submission the rejection rate has also increased to 55% (53% 2014; 41-42% for the period 2010-2012).
The Journal has a significant web presence on the CSIRO Publishing site. Archival back content (all Volumes to date) is available to all subscribers and this capacity has been increasingly used by subscribers/ARS members over the last two years. Individual TRJ papers were downloaded 29,204 times (approx. 80 papers per day) in 2015 compared to 27,262 (approx. 75 papers per day) in 2014. As at 31 December 2015, there were 1,716 subscribersto the free Early Alert Service.
The Impact Factor (IF – based on the ratio of citations to papers published in the previous two years) increased only marginally to 1.096 for 2014 compared to 1.064 for 2013. (As the IF for each year is published in June of the following year, data for 2015 are not yet available). This IF places the Journal in rank 103 out of 145 journals listed in the Ecology category, a slight improvement on the ranking for 2013 (109/141).
The following table shows the number of copies of the six issues of the Journal printed and distributed in 2015.
No. of copies for members
No. of copies for institutional subscriptions
No. of advances
No. of copies for store
Total copies
Issue 37/1
Two Rangeland Journal lectures were delivered during the year:
Prof Stuart Bunn – Challenges for sustainable water management in the rangelands. This lecture was a keynote paper delivered at the Biennial Conference in Alice Springs in April.
Dr Phillip Thornton – Rangeland systems in Africa: what might they look like in 2050? This lecture was delivered at the Queensland Bioscience Precinct at the University of Queensland on 15 September and was well received by an audience of about 40.
At Council's request the Publications Committee developed a paper on the implications of open access (OA) publication for the future finances of the Journal. The recommendation, adopted by Council, was to monitor the level of OA publication, and adjust institutional subscriptions, membership fees and the OA publishing fee in order to maintain revenue neutrality. As noted above the level of OA publication, with the occasional exception, remains very low.
In September the Journal was deprived of the services of an excellent Editor-in-Chief with the untimely death of Prof. John Milne. Prof Milne was largely responsible for the success which the journal has enjoyed in recent years, and particularly for the successful move to publication of six issues per year. A world-wide search for a replacement was initiated and in the interim the previous Editor-in-Chief A/Assoc. Prof. Wal Whalley agreed to act in this role until a permanent replacement could be found. The Society owes a considerable debt of gratitude to Assoc. Prof. Whalley for the manner in which he readily stepped back into this role, avoiding a potentially disastrous situation. A new Editor-in-Chief, Dr Paul Novelly, was appointed with effect from 1 March 2016.
The future for The Rangeland Journal looks bright. Two Special Issues are under contract for 2016 and prospects are developing for 2017. Indications are thus that the current rate of publication should be sustainable in the short-medium term. An issue that will require attention in the coming year is the termination of the current contract with CSIRO Publishing in December 2016.
The Society Website
Development of the new web site, launched in August, has been outlined above. Design of the site was intended to make it more engaging for visitors and to make the content more readily visible. Interest is provided particularly by the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds that appear on the home page and have largely replaced the 'Latest news' feature as a means of conveying recent developments. Feedback from members has been limited but positive.
The website continues to be the Society's flagship communications channel. Activity in the social media space is designed in part to attract members and others to the web site and encourage non-members to join via the 'Join now' tab on the home page. It is intended that the 'Biennial conference' tab on the home page will serve as the web site for future conference organising committees, avoiding the need to maintain separate web sites. The new social media accounts will also be at the service of future conference organising committees.
Uploading of past issues of the Range Management Newsletter and biennial conference proceedings was not completed by the end of the year and will be finalised in 2016. The decision not to upload this material to the old site meant that uploading could not proceed until after the launch of the new site in August.
The commitment of Website Editor Mr Russell Grant in maintaining the site for over four years, to 31 December 2015, is gratefully acknowledged.
The Range Management Newsletter
This year saw two notable events for the Range Management Newsletter. In July, the first newsletter to be uploaded using the new website framework was completed. The new system is more user-friendly for uploading and editing articles and includes several new features. Feedback from readers has been positive with a number of comments indicating that the newsletter now looks more contemporary and professional.
In November, we reached the end of an era with the printing of the last hard-copy issue of the newsletter; all future issues will be published in electronic form only. Many thanks must go to Graeme Tupper for his diligent work organizing the printing and posting of each issue again this year. Graeme has been managing this job since 2008 and he should be thanked for all his efforts in doing this very mundane task for such a long time.
Three issues of the newsletter were produced in 2015 as usual. Whilst the submission rate of both long and short articles was similar to that of previous years, the Editor would be more than happy to receive more contributions. The flow of information about ARS business from Council and from the Publications Committee has remained excellent, and John Taylor, David Phelps and Ron Hacker should be thanked for their help in this regard.
A major goal for the newsletter for 2016 is to increase the promotion of newsletter articles through the various ARS social media platforms – hopefully this may lead to an increase in both the number and diversity of articles submitted for publication in future issues!
This year saw the launch of the Society's active engagement in social media with the establishment of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts linked to the new web site. The Society's objective for use of social media is to:
Promote the ARS as a primary source of current information relevant to the use and management of Australian rangelands, and as an organisation providing attractive benefits to members.
Because of the novelty of this medium of communication Council elected to employ a professional social media consultant to undertake the initial management of the accounts, define the strategies necessary to achieve the objective, draft a role statement for a volunteer Social Media Editor (SME), and hand over the management of the accounts to the SME as a 'going concern'.
This contract was let to Wright Social and Ms Heidi Wright assumed the management of the accounts for a period of 16 weeks from 17 August to 4 December. In addition to active management of the accounts Ms Wright produced the documents 'Social Media Engagement Strategy 2015-17', 'Social Media Policy and Guidelines 2015', and 'Conditions of Use' which have subsequently been combined into the 'Social Media Users' Manual' which now guides all social media activity and management. This contract was successful in establishing a viable social media presence, with just over 500 Facebook likes (the minimum considered desirable for a viable site) recorded by early December.
The newly appointed SME, Ms Amber Marshall, assumed responsibility for the accounts on 5 December. She has subsequently progressed the Society's social media presence along the three key pillars of the social media strategy: 1) ARS-centric stories, 2) Helpful and educational resources, and 3) Fun, relevant and inspiring content. As of 12/4/16 the ARS had 585 Facebook likes, 535 Twitter followers, and 91 Instagram followers.
18th Biennial Conference – Alice Springs, April 2015
The biennial conference is a significant event in the Society's calendar and provides the main mechanism for members and guests to interact and exchange ideas about the use and management of Australia's rangelands.
An active Organising Committee chaired by Dr Pieter Conradie designed and ran the 18th Biennial Conference, held in Alice Springs in April 2015.
The Organising Committee members were:
Mr Pieter Conradie (Chairperson), NT Department of Primary Industry & Fisheries
Ms Michelle Armistead, CSIRO
Mr Gary Bastin, FARS
Mr David Campbell
Dr Margaret Friedel, Honorary Fellow, CSIRO (Chair, Program Sub-committee)
Ms Sally Leigo, NT Department of Primary Industry & Fisheries
Dr Bill Low, Low Ecological Services
Ms Camilla Osborn, Centralian Land Management Association
Dr John Taylor, President, Australian Rangeland Society
Mr Chris Watson
Mr Ray Bird (Co-ordinator), Meeting Masters
Dr Steve Morton, Honorary Fellow, CSIRO
Dr Diane Pearson, Territory Natural Resource Management
Ms Michelle Rodrigo, NT Department of Land Resource Management
Dr Dionne Walsh, NT Department of Primary Industry & Fisheries
Ms Coral Allan, Mr Jimmy Cocking, Ms Ros Consoli, Mr Angus Duguid, Mr Jock Duncan, Mr Ben Forsyth, Ms Heidi Groffen and Ms Ilse Pickerd also contributed to the development of the Conference.
The conference was very successful, attracting a record 339 delegates from all jurisdictions in Australia, and several international locations. In particular, the conference was attended by a large number of people local to the Alice Springs area.
The key note speakers, especially Fred Chaney AO, were exceptional and gave the audience much to consider. It is a great achievement when the opening address can stimulate discussion for the rest of the conference, and beyond.
The theme of "Innovation in the Rangelands" was adopted by the Committee and applied during the conference in the legacy it leaves. The use of technology was outstanding in both concept and application, with the twitter live-feed inviting and stimulating much discussion across the globe in a seamless and integrated fashion. At one stage the ARS conference was the highest trending conference in Australia, which is testimony to the success of this initiative. The posting of key addresses on YouTube was superb, with over 1,270 views of the videos. Up until June 2015, there were 275 views of Fred Chaney's opening address, further supporting the choice of a prominent and outspoken public figure. These videos have allowed engagement of an audience far beyond the conference attendees, providing a valuable source of information to rangeland stakeholders around the world, provide a legacy product where speakers were not able to provide a written paper, and also promoting the valuable role that the ARS performs.
The spoken and poster sessions were all well run, well attended and presented a stimulating range of topics that represented the diverse range of people working within the rangelands. The Program Sub-committee is congratulated for their hard work and efforts in bringing together these sessions and the publication of a high quality set of proceedings. The Field Tours were also well-run, interesting and enjoyable. Finally, the social events, especially the Final Conference Dinner held in a spectacular Old Quarry location was an exciting and memorable evening.
Total conference income (spread over the 2014 and 2015 years) was $261,030 comprising registrations of $205,390 and sponsorship of $55,640. The total cost (also spread over the 2014 and 2015 years) was $249,571, and there was a modest profit of $11,459. However, the costs of the conference did not include the expense ($9,091) of publishing a special issue of The Rangeland Journal that featured papers delivered at the conference.
As noted in previous years, it is becoming more difficult to achieve the high profits from the Biennial Conferences that were realised in the years before 2010, mainly due to the difficulties in attracting sponsorship, but also because of the fewer number of rangeland scientists and extension officers employed by state and territory agencies, who have in the past been strong supporters of the conferences. This issue is being partly offset by the inclusion in conference programs of a wider range of topics outside of traditional rangeland ecology and grazing management, which is increasing the appeal of the conference to other disciplines and rangeland interests.
As shown elsewhere, an Organising Committee is planning the 19th Biennial Conference to be held in Port Augusta SA in September 2017.
Membership numbers for the years ending 2012 through to 2015 are shown in the table below. Membership has continued to decline over recent years, with members failing to rejoin out-numbering new members in most years. Membership has stabilised in 2015, with the number of new members being just above the number failing to rejoin. This was due to people joining who attended the 18th Biennial Conference in Alice Springs.
December 2012*
ARS members at 31 December
Members joined during year
Members left during year
Institutional subscribers to TRJ
* conference year ** this number includes 20 people eligible for complimentary membership (recipients of honoraria and Associate Editors)
Of the 221 members at 31 December 2015, 20 were eligible for complimentary membership, although some of these continue to pay subscriptions. There were 169 standard fee-paying members, 22 members receiving only the RMN and 12 students.
In addition to publishing The Rangeland Journal, CSIRO Publishing manages subscriptions for the Society's "Library" subscribers as well as some of its "Institutional/Corporate" subscribers. Mailing labels were prepared for 95 CSIRO subscribers for the last hard copy Newsletter of 2015.
The financial affairs of the Society remain on an adequate footing with a loss from ordinary activities of $32,428 (2014: loss of $42,730) and total equity/accumulated surplus of $125,533 at 31 December 2015 (2014: $157,961).
The Society's total equity is $125,533 which is considered adequate to cover any liabilities.
Unusual (one-off) expenses in 2015 included costs associated with the set-up of a new website and the design and launch of the Society's Social Media. Not-withstanding these one-off expenses, the loss of $32,428 for the Society in 2015 was less than the loss in 2014 because the 2015 Alice Springs Conference made a modest operating profit, given that most of the Conference income was received in calendar 2015. However, it is concerning that recent Biennial Conferences have not been able to make sufficient profits every second year to cover the normal operating losses from the rest of the ARS activities.
Addressing this situation and moving to year-in-year-out financial surpluses has commenced as follows:
A 25 per cent increase in subscriptions in 2016 (agreed by Council in December 2015);
Moving from hard copy to electronic distribution of the Range Management Newsletter, with savings in printing and postage;
Moving to payment of subscriptions via a website gateway which will reduce bank fees and costs associated with membership management;
Establishing a higher target for the profit from the 19th Biennial Conference to be held in September 2017;
Preparation for renegotiating the contract for publishing The Rangeland Journal; and
Approaching former members of ARS to encourage them to re-join.
The Society maintains appropriate systems and protocols to allow it to complete its commitments to standard reporting of its financial position as required under law.
VALE STEVE BLAKE
NEXT ROUND OF ARS AWARDS CLOSES 30 NOVEMBER
IRC TRAVEL GRANT REPORT
IRC PRE-CONGRESS TOUR – THE RANGELANDS ON THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES
NEW CARBON MAGAZINE SHOWCASES NRM COLLABORATION
2017 ARS BIENNIAL CONFERENCE
2017 SOCIETY FOR RANGE MANAGEMENT ANNUAL MEETING
2016 ARS MEMBERSHIP RATES
AUSTRALIAN RANGELAND SOCIETY CONTACTS 2016


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newswire article reporting united states 28.Jul.2011 07:08
government | social services
U.S. Election 2012- Alexander to Obama: Feed the Nation's Hungry
author: Lynn Lomibao
As the lines for the nation's hungry have increased, President Obama and Congress have consistently subsidized big corporations and banks, billionaires and big corporations have received big tax breaks, the U.S. military and foreign operations are expanding abroad, the U.S. has engaged in a war with Libya, and it is now being estimated that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will cost the U.S. government $4 trillion.
Alexander says no blank checks for Wall Street, feed the poor
Stewart Alexander for President
http://socialistparty-usa.org/
http://www.peaceandfreedom.org/home/
Standing on a major intersection in Temecula, California, a tall white male holds a sign that reads "$25 Buys a Family of 4 Meals for a Week." In the neighboring city of Murrieta, the local food pantries are overwhelmed due to the numbers of residents in need of assistance to feed their families. Temecula and Murrieta are two upscale Riverside County communities, south of Los Angeles that has been hit hard by the lingering recession and high unemployment.
In Los Angeles and Orange Counties, the situation is worse; 1 in 5 is receiving some form of public assistance and 1 in 7 is receiving food stamps. Los Angeles and Orange Counties are listed among the nation's wealthiest counties, yet more than half a million people are seeking help from food pantries.
Presidential Candidate Stewart Alexander says California and the nation remains in the grips of a deepening recession due to President Obama's failing leadership; "President Obama and Congress have gone on a reckless spending spree while millions are left unemployed, homeless and hungry. This is Obama's depression."
More spending in Washington and increasing the nation's debt ceiling is not the answer to solving the nation's homeless, unemployment and hunger crisis. According to Alexander, "President Obama and the U.S. Congress have placed corporate greed above the human needs of the nation."
As the lines for the nation's hungry have increased, Obama and Congress have consistently subsidized big corporations and banks, billionaires and big corporations have received big tax breaks, the U.S. military and foreign operations are expanding abroad, the U.S. has engaged in a war with Libya, and it is now being estimated that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will cost the U.S. government $4 trillion.
Alexander says President Obama and Congress are now asking the working people to make unreasonable sacrifices to allow Washington to conduct business as usual; "Obama and Congress are asking working people to accept austerity measures, cuts in food programs, housing, healthcare, and other critical needs, while the nation's wealthiest accumulate unimaginable wealth."
Socialists, nationwide are calling for greater assistance for the nation's hungry, homeless, seniors, the disabled, vets, the unemployed and the under-employed. Socialists have remained deeply opposed to Congress raising the debt ceiling. Alexander says, "President Obama and Congress should not hold the weakest among us hostage as a means to subsidize more welfare spending for the rich."
For more information search the Web for: Stewart Alexander for President; Stewart Alexander 2012
http://www.stewartalexandercares.com/
Need overwhelms Southern California food pantries: http://la.indymedia.org/news/2011/07/247000.php
Pantry Struggles to Feed Hundreds of Families:
http://temecula.patch.com/articles/400-families-need-food-pantry-shelves-are-bare
Democrats, Republicans Push for Deeper U.S. Spending cuts: http://wsws.org/articles/2011/jul2011/budg-j25.shtml
Article by Stewart Alexander
http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard/myarticles/Stewart-A--Alexander/3439
Socialist Party of California Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Socialist-Party-of-California/123576857687203
California to Host Socialist Party USA National Convention: link to redquixote.wordpress.com
Stewart Alexander 2012 in Irregular Times:
link to irregulartimes.com
Left United's Editorial Action Wing- Stewart Alexander 2012: http://stewartalexander2012.blogspot.com/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


"Very energetic, after smoking. Pretty popular lately but not a surprise! Very convenient strain for tasks around the house. You might groove a little bit...... that's if you choose to listen to music while your doing your daily chores :)"


How to choose a date for travel and travel? This question is asked by many people who want to go on vacation or on a weekend. Even for a normal car trip to the store, these rules also apply. Elective science in astrology can tell what period for a particular trip can be favorable. These data are listed in the table at april 2019 year. Using the table, you can be sure that the time chosen for the trip will be fruitful, and the trip itself will be pleasant and useful. City New York.
As for the general recommendations of astrologers, it is undesirable to go on a journey a week before the eclipses, for the period of this phenomenon and a week after it. It is good to go on a journey when the moon forms favorable aspects with other planets. Do not go on the road at a time when the moon forms tense aspects with other planets - take care of the trip, postponing it for later. Successful trips!
Accounting for all the planets of the horoscope. The choice of time for this method is based on the influence of the moon phase, its location in the sign of the Zodiac, eclipses of the lunar and solar, the moon without course, aspects and retrograde planets, except for lunar days, months of the year and days of the week.
The choice of favorable time depends on the method, the more complex the method, the less time for action we have. The following types of selection are available for the current calendar.
Accounting for houses and horoscope. The choice of time for this method takes into account the influence of the moon phase, its location in the sign of the zodiac, eclipses of the lunar and solar, the moon without course, aspects and retrograde planets, houses of the horoscope, namely the position of the cusps of houses, the influence of the rulers and co-registrants of houses, the finding of planets in houses of the horoscope, aspects of the planets to the cusps of houses.
Accounting for the influence of the planets on houses. The choice of time for this method takes into account the influence of the moon phase, its location in the sign of the zodiac, eclipses of the lunar and solar, the moon without course, aspects and retrograde planets, houses of the horoscope, namely the position of the cusps of houses, the influence of the rulers and co-registrants of houses, the finding of planets in houses of the horoscope, aspects of the planets to the cusps of houses. In this method, the "necessary" houses of the horoscope are also "amplified", i.e. the position of the rulers and co-registrars of certain houses in the sign of the Zodiac, retrograde and aspects to other planets is considered.


An honorary citizen of over 20 cities around the world but a prisoner in the United States of America. He is called the 'voice of the voiceless' yet he has been on death row for half his life.
The event that changed the life of Mumia Abu-Jamal occurred almost three decades ago in 1981, when a police officer was shot and killed. Abu-Jamal himself was injured and taken to the hospital. The next day he was arrested and charged with first degree murder. Since then, he became one of the most well-known alleged political prisoners in the world and continues to maintain his innocence to this day.
"Revolution means change. It means total change," Abu-Jamal has said.
He has continued to fight the American judicial system from behind bars.
"This was a police frame-up against a revolutionary journalist and activist, very well known organizer in Philadelphia, outspoken against police abuse," said Sarah Flounders, from the International Action Center.
Abu-Jamal's case is one of the most debated in modern legal history, with many high profile politicians, academics and celebrities among his supporters.
"Mumia Abu-Jamal is a civil rights issue that spins several spectrums; race, class and definitely the politician power structure of America," said Immortal Technique, a rapper and political activist.
"Kicked into" the Black Panther Movement after being beaten by the police in his teen, Abu-Jamal claims his work has been monitored by the FBI since he was 14 years old.
Supporters believe convicting him was an attempt by the government to silence him.
"He was somebody who was very effective in reaching people," said rose.
However, Abu-Jamal's imprisonment simply amplified his voice and spread his reach across the world.
He is the holder of numerous honorary memberships and awards. His writings are distributed across the planet and there is even a street named after him in France, actions condemned by the US Congress.
The defense claimed Abu-Jamal did not receive a fair trial. Issues ranging from witnesses being police informants to the prosecution knowingly withholding evidence have lead to that argument.
Among the unanswered questions – ballistics.
In addition, new evidence from the defense that shows Abu-Jamal's innocence has been consistently dismissed.
"The courts haven't investigated many leads," Rose said.
Calls for a new investigation and countless appeals to the US President and Justice Department have gone unanswered.
"I am fighting my conviction, fighting the sentence, fighting for my life, and fighting to create a revolution in America," Abu-Jamal said.
The media has chosen to largely stay away from the case.
"It's a deliberate action on their part to keep the story suppressed, because it so vivid exposes the nature of the system," said one Mumia supporter.
The hearing in Philadelphia will decide whether Abu-Jamal will be executed or receive life in prison without parole.
Abu-Jamal's former lead attorney, Robert R. Bryan is convinced the case can still be won and that Abu-Jamal can be set free.
"This case can be won, by won I mean A. his life being saved and B. I feel that we can free him," Bryan said.
A number of Nobel Prize winners, Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu, and many others across the world have spoke out in support of Abu-Jamal.
Abu-Jamal's case has become a representation and symbol for the anti-death penalty movement internationally.
This case and the US stance on the death penalty undermines America's ability to speak out against human rights abuses by other nations, explained Bryan.
"We ourselves are big offenders," he added.
There is an international effort to free Abu-Jamal, but very little media coverage.
Bryan said the world cares about abolishing the death penalty in their own nations and elsewhere, including in the US, Iran, and China.
"Mumia has become a symbol of everything that is wrong with capital punishment, people executing other people in the name of the government," he explained.
Dr. Malik Zulu Shabazz, the chairman of the New Black Panther Party, explained he and his group want to help free Abu-Jamal.
"We are there at the courthouse today, in Philadelphia, we are in the streets and we are a part of that movement that is around the world right now and through America that are rallying behind the cause of Mumia Abu-Jamal," said Shabazz.
Abu-Jamal was previously hopeful about his situation following the election of President Obama.
However, the climate in the US has changed, Obama does not have as much influence to take a stand against the death penalty as he once did, argued Shabazz.
The people need to keep the momentum and pressure on the US government.
Activists need to raise awareness about the Abu-Jamal case and others cases of political prisoners.
Shabazz argued that all cases of those targeted as political prisoners must be heard. It is up to the people to raise the voice of those behind bars. The people must rally and demonstrate to be heard.
Former Congresswoman and past US presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney in 2009 called for a civil rights investigation into the case, but she has received no response from the US government.
She argued that there is a consistent thread that runs through the justice system that has created a lesser standard for African Americans.
The world is watching what is going on in the United States, she argued. The US is under the scrutiny of the world, especially the criminal justice system.


text:
Q: SocketChannel DiscordSocketClient.GetChannel(id) returns null with correct channel's id given As in title. Var channel keeps being null even if channel's id is correct.
public class MyRegistry : Registry
    {
        public class Task : ModuleBase
        {
            public Task()
            {
                var channel = CommandHandler._discord.GetChannel(CHANNELS_ID);
                IMessageChannel chnl = channel as IMessageChannel;
                JobManager.AddJob(() => chnl.SendMessageAsync("test"), (s) => s.ToRunEvery(3).Seconds());
            }
        }
        static void Initializer()
        {
            JobManager.Initialize(new MyRegistry());
        }
    }

I also tried:
var channel = CommandHandler._discord.GetGuild(SERVERS_ID).GetChannel(CHANNELS_ID);

But it's still null, even with valid ulogs.
How should I appeal to specified channel?

A: I have no clue why, but skipping SocketChannel and IMessageChannel declarations worked:
public class MyRegistry : Registry
    {
        public class Task : ModuleBase
        {
            public Task()
            {
                JobManager.AddJob(() => (CommandHandler._discord.GetChannel(CHANNELS_ID) as IMessageChannel).SendMessageAsync("test"), (s) => s.ToRunEvery(3).Seconds());
            }
        }
        static void Initializer()
        {
            JobManager.Initialize(new MyRegistry());
        }
    }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


AVAILABLE Nov 14th at 10AM AEDT.
WIPOUCHmini Set contains 2x WIPOUCHmini (of same print).
WIPOUCHmini (13.5x14.5cm) can fit approximately 15-30 wet wipes.
Depending on wet wipes brand, size and thickness.
WIPOUCH is an original invention and a trademark of C'est Petite Vienna. All text, images and designs are the property of C'est Petite Vienna. WIPOUCH designed and assembled in Australia.


text:
Pediatric endocrinology (British: Paediatric)  is a medical subspecialty dealing with disorders of the endocrine glands, such as variations of physical growth and sexual development in childhood, diabetes and many more.

By age, pediatric endocrinologists, depending upon the age range of the patients they treat, care for patients from infancy to late adolescence and young adulthood.

The most common disease of the specialty is type 1 diabetes, which usually accounts for at least 50% of a typical clinical practice. The next most common problem is growth disorders, especially those amenable to growth hormone treatment. Pediatric endocrinologists are usually the primary physicians involved in the medical care of infants and children with intersex disorders. The specialty also deals with hypoglycemia and other forms of hyperglycemia in childhood, variations of puberty, as well other adrenal, thyroid, and pituitary problems. Many pediatric endocrinologists have interests and expertise in bone metabolism, lipid metabolism, adolescent gynecology, or inborn errors of metabolism.

In the United States and Canada, pediatric endocrinology is a subspecialty of the American Board of Pediatrics or the American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics, with board certification following fellowship training. It is a relatively small and primarily cognitive specialty, with few procedures and an emphasis on diagnostic evaluation.

Most pediatric endocrinologists in North America and many from around the world can trace their professional genealogy to Lawson Wilkins, who pioneered the specialty in the pediatrics department of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the Harriet Lane Home in Baltimore in between the late 1940s and the mid-1960s.

The principal North American professional association was originally named the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society, now renamed the Pediatric Endocrine Society. Other longstanding pediatric endocrine associations include the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology, the British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology, the Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group and the Japanese Society for Pediatric Endocrinology. Professional associations of the specialty continue to proliferate.

Training for pediatric endocrinology consists of a 3-year fellowship following completion of a 3-year pediatrics residency. The fellowship, and the specialty, are heavily research-oriented and academically based, although less exclusively now than in past decades.

See also
 Robert Lustig, an American pediatric endocrinologist
 Melvin Grumbach, an American pediatric endocrinologist

References

Endocrinology, Pediatric
Endocrinology

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Dario Cioni
Predictor-Lotto
THE COMBINATION COMPETITION IN RUTA DEL SOL (2.1) - 825 km - 18-22 February
STAGE 1 IN RUTA DEL SOL (2.1) - 146.5 km - 18 February
No. 2 Ruta del Sol (2.1) - 825 km - 18-22 February
Firenze-Pistoia (1.1) - 35.5 km (ITT) - 27 October
No. 6 Tour de Romandie (PT) - 655 km - 25-30 April
No. 18 Deutschland Tour (PT) - 1400 km - 1-9 August
No. 2 Stage 4 in Giro d'Italia (PT) - 220 km - 11 May
No. 3 The Italian Championship - Individual Time Trial - 21 June
No. 5 Stage 18 in Giro d'Italia (PT) - 34 km (ITT) - 27 May
No. 13 Giro d'Italia (PT) - 3415 km - 7-29 May
Miscellaneous He will ride for the Liquigas-Bianchi team again next season. (source: cyclingnews.com)
THE ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP - INDIVIDUAL TIME TRIAL - 44 km - 22 June
No. 2 Stage 18 in Giro d'Italia (GT) - 118 km - 28 May
Stage 4 in Tour de Romandie (2.HC) - 127 km - 1 May
No. 3 Tour de Suisse (2.HC) - 1340 km - 12-20 June
No. 4 Giro d'Italia (GT) - 3425 km - 8-30 May
Stage 19 in Giro d'Italia (GT) - 122 km - 29 May
No. 5 Tour de Romandie (2.HC) - 625 km - 27 April-2 May
Firenze-Pistoia (1.3) - 33 km (ITT) - 23 October
Miscellaneous In the end of October, after having done several blood tests, being tested by the Italian federation and at the UCI's laboratory in Switzerland, he received a certificate from the UCI allowing him to race with a high hematocrit because he has a naturally high level. (source: cyclingnews.com)
In the beginning of October, he graduated in Sports Management at the European School of Economics with his thesis, "The management of a professional cycling team". He obtained the highest mark of the whole course. (source: cyclingnews.com)
Mapei - Quick Step
Miscellaneous He will ride for Fassa Bortolo next year.
GRANDE PREMIO DO MINH0 (2.4) - 725 km - 18-22 July
THE METAS VOLANTES COMPETITION IN GRANDE PREMIO DO MINH0 (2.4) - 725 km - 18-22 July
STAGE 3 IN GRANDE PREMIO DO MINH0 (2.4) - 139.9 km - 20 July
No. 3 Opening criterium in Tour de Langkawi (2.3) - 64.4 km - 4 February
No. 5 Österreich-Rundfahrt (2.3) - 1090 km - 11-17 June
STAGE 2 IN TOUR OF SLOVENIA (2.5)
Italian riders 2007
All Italian riders


text:
The 1963 Masters Tournament was the 27th Masters Tournament, held April 4–7 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. 84 players entered the tournament and 50 made the cut at eight-over-par (152).

Jack Nicklaus, 23, won the first of his record six Green Jackets with a three-foot (0.9 m) par putt on the final hole to finish one stroke ahead of runner-up Tony Lema. Nicklaus shot a 66 (−6) in the second round, which was key in his victory. It was the second of his record 18 major titles; his third came three months later at the PGA Championship in July.

Gene Sarazen, the 1935 champion, made the cut at Augusta for the final time at age 61 and finished 49th.

It was the last Masters for Horton Smith, winner of the inaugural event in 1934 and again in 1936. He was the only competitor to have participated in every edition of the tournament, and had a lung removed in 1957. Battling Hodgkin's Disease, Smith was partly aided by a golf cart and shot 91 and 86; he died six months later in Detroit at age 55, shortly after attending the Ryder Cup matches in Atlanta.

George Bayer won the Par 3 contest with a score of 23.

Field
1. Masters champions
Jack Burke Jr. (4), Jimmy Demaret (8), Doug Ford (4,9,10,11), Claude Harmon, Herman Keiser, Cary Middlecoff (2), Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer (2,3,8,9,11), Henry Picard, Gary Player (3,4,9,10), Gene Sarazen, Horton Smith, Sam Snead (8), Art Wall Jr. (9,11), Craig Wood
Ralph Guldahl and Ben Hogan (2,3) did not play.

The following categories only apply to Americans

2. U.S. Open champions (last 10 years)
Tommy Bolt, Billy Casper (8,11), Jack Fleck (8,10), Ed Furgol, Gene Littler (8,9,11), Dick Mayer, Jack Nicklaus (8,9,10)

3. The Open champions (last 10 years)

4. PGA champions (last 10 years)
Jerry Barber (8,11), Walter Burkemo, Dow Finsterwald (8,11), Chick Harbert, Jay Hebert (11), Lionel Hebert (8), Bob Rosburg (9)

5. U.S. Amateur and Amateur champions (last 10 years)
Charles Coe (6,8,a), Richard Davies (6,a), Labron Harris Jr. (6,7,a)

Deane Beman (6,9) and Harvie Ward did not play. Other champions forfeited their exemptions by turning professional.

6. Selections for the 1963 U.S. Walker Cup team
Robert W. Gardner (a), Downing Gray (7,a), Billy Joe Patton (7,a), R. H. Sikes (a), Charlie Smith (a), Ed Updegraff (a)

7. 1962 U.S. Amateur quarter-finalists
Homero Blancas (a), Charles Coody (a), Paul Desjardins (a), Jim Gabrielsen (a), Bill Newcomb (a)

8. Top 24 players and ties from the 1962 Masters Tournament
Julius Boros, Gay Brewer (9), Jacky Cupit, Gardner Dickinson, Paul Harney (10), Don January, Billy Maxwell (9), Johnny Pott, Mike Souchak (9,11), Ken Venturi

9. Top 16 players and ties from the 1962 U.S. Open
Bob Goalby (9), Tommy Jacobs, Bobby Nichols (10), Phil Rodgers, Doug Sanders

10. Top eight players and ties from 1962 PGA Championship
George Bayer, Dave Ragan

11. Members of the U.S. 1961 Ryder Cup team
Bill Collins

12. Two players selected for meritorious records on the fall part of the 1962 PGA Tour
Tony Lema, Jerry Pittman

13. One player, either amateur or professional, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-Masters champions
Bo Wininger

14. One professional, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-U.S. Open champions
Wes Ellis

15. One amateur, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-U.S. Amateur champions
Bill Hyndman (a)

16. Two players, not already qualified, from a points list based on finishes in the winter part of the 1963 PGA Tour
Mason Rudolph, Dan Sikes

17. Foreign invitations
Al Balding (8), David Blair (a), Antonio Cerdá, Bob Charles, Chen Ching-Po, Bruce Crampton, Gerard de Wit, Juan Antonio Estrada (a), Jorge Ledesma (a), Stan Leonard, Ángel Miguel, Kel Nagle, Koichi Ono, Chi-Chi Rodríguez, Miguel Sala, Alvie Thompson

Numbers in brackets indicate categories that the player would have qualified under had they been American.

Round summaries

First round
Thursday, April 4, 1963

Source:

Second round
Friday, April 5, 1963

Source:

Third round
Saturday, April 6, 1963

Source:

Final round
Sunday, April 7, 1963

Final leaderboard

Sources:

Scorecard

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

References

External links
 Masters.com – Past winners and results
 Augusta.com – 1963 Masters leaderboard and scorecards

1963
1963 in golf
1963 in American sports
1963 in sports in Georgia (U.S. state)
April 1963 sports events in the United States


This church is situated at the edge of an ancient oak common, on rising ground above the picturesque village of Hartley Wintney, and within the Central Hartley Wintney Conservation Area. Wishing to avoid the many difficulties encountered during previous attempts to extend, the church approached CPL Architects to determine a realistic brief, and to negotiate with the Hart District Council. The resulting proposals received planning approval in 2009, and the building works were completed in late 2013. The new facilities provide a variety of good quality teaching spaces, dedicated areas specifically for youth work, and major new halls for both church and community use. In addition, the new building includes a coffee bar with terrace overlooking the common, whilst the space created between the extension and the existing building provides a secure all weather play area for both nursery and crèche groups, directly accessible from the new hall accommodation.


text:
Court refuses to get involved in tobacco fight
The Supreme Court has refused to get in the middle of a patent fight over a way to cure tobacco that may make it less carcinogenic.
The high court on Monday refused to hear an appeal from R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., who is being sued by Star Scientific, Inc.
Star Scientific, Inc. says R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. infringed on its patents on a way to cure tobacco minimizing the formation of tobacco-specific nitrosamines or TSNA, which may be carcinogenic.
But a trial court says the patents are unenforceable, because the inventor kept from the Patent and Trademark Office key documents and information — including that low-TSNA tobacco already had been grown in the U.S.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit overturned that decision, saying a judge cannot throw a patent out without clear and convincing evidence that a deception was intentional.
R.J. Reynolds lawyers wanted the high court to look at the case again, saying the appeals court ignored previous rulings on how to judge when a patent applicant doesn't turn over all required information.


I have lifted you and your family up in prayer. I think about how we met at the writer's conference and how you had no idea about what you were to face with your husband after returning home. We sure don't know what all is ahead, but we do know He is faithful. I so appreciate your posts.
Thanks so much for your prayers. We got more bad news today and the news just seems to keep getting worse. We are surviving on prayers now so keep them coming. I am so grateful for your friendship.
Hi, I wish I had more knowledge to help you, but I'm quite new at this myself – and still learning! I can point you to a wonderful blog and superb teacher who has been a great help to me. You can access Edie Melson's considerable expertise at http://www.thewriteconversation.com/ – Edie is a great resource, and very understanding of those of us who are just beginning. Good luck.
You can't defeat despair, but like the quote from John's gospel you can overcome it. Despair is part of the price of living just as grief is the price we pay for love. In this world there is no clear cut joy or sadness, but they touch each other as two ends of a circle." to paraphrase Rollheiser. If we honor our despair and give voice to it as the Psalmists did we can move.
It's all good. Easier said than done.
Good Evening, Dear Julia, Thank You for "sharing" in the Upper Room your link to Beyond Despair. I have found encouragement and a "cyber" family in Christ through this form of sharing. Since I do not have a permanent home, i no longer have a "readily" available church family to bible study or fellowship with during the week; therefore, the sites shared have become my "church family".
John 16:33 definitely encourages me to take heart and the reminder daily "Greater is He in me than he who is in the world." The father of lies daily desires us to despair. He will us any weapon and disguise to draw us away from God's Word and Will. I look forward to praying with you and all who come here to share.
a single day!" says the LORD.
I am blessed daily to "Count it All Joy" in the assurance that in all things, Abba, my Beloved Papa, has gone before me, He loves me, and He knows the last day of my journey. Why wouldn't I trust Him with every second of the journey? Today, I had a greater need for His armor; as I am in the "waiting room". He blessed me with a "resale store" and I was able to purchase Warren W. Wiersbe book "Be Strong" a study of OT Joshua. Again thank you that I am here sharing, yours & others encouragement in Him. A testiment that He will bless me( as my journey is a "homeless" one); that He will provide brothers and sisters in Him along the way.
May the LORD Bless thee indeed, increase your territory and keep you from all evil and give you a "Canaan Rest" as you serve Him.
ps just started sharing in UR, blogs and twitter (can't believe it, even, twits-such "funny" words for my generation) in March. and i have dyslexia; so sharing in writing is out of my comfort zone. Didn't know why but He did; so i obeyed.
Hi Kate, thanks so much for your words — they have been a comfort to me this morning. Like you, I have found great solace among friends whom I meet online. I hope to hear from you again here and at Upper Room, where I occasionally have devotionals published in both print and online editions – my next one is due for the Mar-Apr edition, I believe. Thanks again for sharing your faith and reminding me that God works for good in all things. Blessings to you!
Thank you for your beautiful words. I know the feeling of not being able to go about my business because of despair. It is the enemy!!!
Hi Carla, thanks for your kind words and for joining us here. Together, we shall overcome!
I was in Banff this past July. What a beautiful place! For me, it's a reminder that God's intricate beauty in our world and His work in us in the good times and during the dark ones is beyond our understanding. And that I don't need to understand it all but just persevere with faith that He surrounds me and lives in me.
Yes, the beauty of Banff and the surrounding areas is almost other-worldly, isn't it? We celebrated my parents' 50th anniversary there. They are now heading toward their 64th, and I'm so grateful we still have their support to comfort us.
Been there, done that, but an Elk ate my T-shirt . . .eh?
Actually, I think you were standing there when I took this photo. Watch for the photo taken at Lake ("go have your own vacation!") Louise, coming up sooner or later.


"The International AIDS Conference is the largest conference on any global health issue in the world. First convened during the peak of the AIDS epidemic in 1985, it continues to provide a unique forum for the intersection of science, advocacy, and human rights. Each conference is an opportunity to strengthen policies and programmes that ensure an evidence-based response to the epidemic.
The first named storm, Alberto had already passed through the gulf coast by the end of May.


A mayor's proclamation recognizes and celebrates in order to promote public awareness for causes, boost charitable fundraising efforts, highlight artistic and cultural contributions, and to bestow special honors upon individuals.
A mayor's proclamation will not be issued for matters of political controversy, ideological or religious beliefs, events or organizations with no direct relationship to the city, and campaigns and events contrary to City policies.
We ask that you submit the online proclamation request no less than 14 business days before you will need the completed proclamation.
Details to be included in the Proclamation.


text:
Q: How come my array index is faster than pointer Why the array index is faster than pointer?
Isn't pointer supposed to be faster than array index?
** i used time.h clock_t to tested two functions, each loop 2 million times.
Pointer time : 0.018995

Index time : 0.017864

void myPointer(int a[], int size)
{
     int *p;
     for(p = a; p < &a[size]; p++)
     {
         *p = 0;
     }
}

void myIndex(int a[], int size)
{
     int i;
     for(i = 0; i < size; i++)
     {
         a[i] = 0;
     }
}

A: Array dereference p[i] is *(p + i). Compilers make use of instructions that do math + dereference in 1 or 2 cycles (e.g. x86 LEA instruction) to optimize for speed.
With the pointer loop, it splits the access and offset into to separate parts and the compiler cannot optimize it.

A: It may be the comparison in the for loop that is causing the difference. The termination condition is tested on each iteration, and your "pointer" example has a slightly more complicated termination condition (taking the address of &a[size]). Since &a[size] does not change, you could try setting it to a variable to avoid recalculating it on each iteration of the loop.

A: I would suggest running each loop 200 million times, and then run each loop 10 times, and take the fastest measurement. That will factor out effects from OS scheduling and so on.
I would then suggest you disassemble the code for each loop.

A: No, never ever pointers are supposed to be faster than array index. If one of the code is faster than the other, it's mostly because some address computations might be different. The question also should provide information of compiler and optimization flags as it can heavily affect the performance.
Array index in your context (array bound is not known) is exactly identical to the pointer operation. From a viewpoint of compilers, it is just different expression of pointer arithmetic. Here is an example of an optimized x86 code in Visual Studio 2010 with full optimization and no inline.
     3: void myPointer(int a[], int size)
     4: {
013E1800  push        edi
013E1801  mov         edi,ecx
     5:      int *p;
     6:      for(p = a; p < &a[size]; p++)
013E1803  lea         ecx,[edi+eax*4]
013E1806  cmp         edi,ecx
013E1808  jae         myPointer+15h (13E1815h)
013E180A  sub         ecx,edi
013E180C  dec         ecx
013E180D  shr         ecx,2
013E1810  inc         ecx
013E1811  xor         eax,eax
013E1813  rep stos    dword ptr es:[edi]
013E1815  pop         edi
     7:      {
     8:          *p = 0;
     9:      }
    10: }
013E1816  ret

    13: void myIndex(int a[], int size)
    14: {
    15:      int i;
    16:      for(i = 0; i < size; i++)
013E17F0  test        ecx,ecx
013E17F2  jle         myIndex+0Ch (13E17FCh)
013E17F4  push        edi
013E17F5  xor         eax,eax
013E17F7  mov         edi,edx
013E17F9  rep stos    dword ptr es:[edi]
013E17FB  pop         edi
    17:      {
    18:          a[i] = 0;
    19:      }
    20: }
013E17FC  ret

At a glance, myIndex looks faster because the number of instructions are less, however, the two pieces of the code are essentially the same. Both eventually use rep stos, which is a x86's repeating (loop) instruction. The only difference is because of the computation of the loop bound. The for loop in myIndex has the trip count size as it is (i.e., no computation is needed). But, myPointer needs some computation to get the trip count of the for loop. This is the only difference. The important loop operations are just the same. Thus, the difference is negligible.
To summarize, the performance of myPointer and myIndex in an optimized code should be identical.

FYI, if the array's bound is known at compile time, e.g., int A[constant_expression], then the accesses on this array may be much faster than the pointer one. This is mostly because the array accesses are free from the pointer analysis problem. Compilers can perfectly compute the dependency information on computations and accesses on a fixed-size array, so it can do advanced optimizations including automatic parallelization.
However, if computations are pointer based, compilers must perform pointer analysis for further optimization, which is pretty much limited in C/C++. It generally ends up with conservative results on pointer analysis and results in a few optimization opportunity.

A: Oops, on my 64-bit system results are quite different. I've got that this
 int i;

 for(i = 0; i < size; i++)
 {
     *(a+i) = 0;
 }

is about 100 times !! slower than this
 int i;
 int * p = a;

 for(i = 0; i < size; i++)
 {
     *(p++) = 0;
 }

when compiling with -O3.  This hints to me that somehow moving to next address is far easier to achieve for 64-bit cpu, than to calculate destination address from some offset. But i'm not sure.
EDIT: This really has something related with 64-bit architecture because same code with same compile flags doesn't shows any real difference in performance on 32-bit system.

A: Compiler optimizations are pattern matching.
When your compiler optimizes, it looks for known code patterns, and then transforms the code according to some rule. Your two code snippets seem to trigger different transforms, and thus produce slightly different code.
This is one of the reasons why we always insist to actually measure the resulting performance when it comes to optimizations: You can never be sure what your compiler turns your code into unless you test it.

If you are really curious, try compiling your code with gcc -S -Os, this produces the most readable, yet optimized assembler code. On your two functions, I get the following assembler with that:
pointer code:
.L2:
    cmpq    %rax, %rdi
    jnb .L5
    movl    $0, (%rdi)
    addq    $4, %rdi
    jmp .L2
.L5:

index code:
.L7:
    cmpl    %eax, %esi
    jle .L9
    movl    $0, (%rdi,%rax,4)
    incq    %rax
    jmp .L7
.L9:

The differences are slight, but may indeed trigger a performance difference, most importantly the difference between using addq and incq could be significant.

A: The times are so close together that if you did them repeatedly, you may not see much of a difference. Both code segments compile to the exact same assembly. By definition, there is no difference.

A: It looks like the index solution can save a few instructions with the compare in the for loop.

A: Access the data through array index or pointer is exactly equivalent. Go through the below program with me...
There are a loop which continues to 100 times but when we see disassemble code that there are the data which we access through has least instruction comparability to access through array Index
But it doesn't mean that accessing data through pointer is fast actually it's depend on the instruction which performed by compiler.Both the pointer and array index used the address array access the value from offset and increment through it and pointer has address.
int a[100];
fun1(a,100);
fun2(&a[0],5);
}
void fun1(int a[],int n)
{
int i;
for(i=0;i<=99;i++)
{
a[i]=0;
printf("%d\n",a[i]);
}
}
void fun2(int *p,int n)
{
int i;
for(i=0;i<=99;i++)
{
*p=0;
printf("%d\n",*(p+i));
}
}

disass fun1
Dump of assembler code for function fun1:
   0x0804841a <+0>: push   %ebp
   0x0804841b <+1>: mov    %esp,%ebp
   0x0804841d <+3>: sub    $0x28,%esp`enter code here`
   0x08048420 <+6>: movl   $0x0,-0xc(%ebp)
   0x08048427 <+13>:    jmp    0x8048458 <fun1+62>
   0x08048429 <+15>:    mov    -0xc(%ebp),%eax
   0x0804842c <+18>:    shl    $0x2,%eax
   0x0804842f <+21>:    add    0x8(%ebp),%eax
   0x08048432 <+24>:    movl   $0x0,(%eax)
   0x08048438 <+30>:    mov    -0xc(%ebp),%eax
   0x0804843b <+33>:    shl    $0x2,%eax
   0x0804843e <+36>:    add    0x8(%ebp),%eax
   0x08048441 <+39>:    mov    (%eax),%edx
   0x08048443 <+41>:    mov    $0x8048570,%eax
   0x08048448 <+46>:    mov    %edx,0x4(%esp)
   0x0804844c <+50>:    mov    %eax,(%esp)
   0x0804844f <+53>:    call   0x8048300 <printf@plt>
   0x08048454 <+58>:    addl   $0x1,-0xc(%ebp)
   0x08048458 <+62>:    cmpl   $0x63,-0xc(%ebp)
   0x0804845c <+66>:    jle    0x8048429 <fun1+15>
   0x0804845e <+68>:    leave
   0x0804845f <+69>:    ret
End of assembler dump.
(gdb) disass fun2
Dump of assembler code for function fun2:
   0x08048460 <+0>: push   %ebp
   0x08048461 <+1>: mov    %esp,%ebp
   0x08048463 <+3>: sub    $0x28,%esp
   0x08048466 <+6>: movl   $0x0,-0xc(%ebp)
   0x0804846d <+13>:    jmp    0x8048498 <fun2+56>
   0x0804846f <+15>:    mov    0x8(%ebp),%eax
   0x08048472 <+18>:    movl   $0x0,(%eax)
   0x08048478 <+24>:    mov    -0xc(%ebp),%eax
   0x0804847b <+27>:    shl    $0x2,%eax
   0x0804847e <+30>:    add    0x8(%ebp),%eax
   0x08048481 <+33>:    mov    (%eax),%edx
   0x08048483 <+35>:    mov    $0x8048570,%eax
   0x08048488 <+40>:    mov    %edx,0x4(%esp)
   0x0804848c <+44>:    mov    %eax,(%esp)
   0x0804848f <+47>:    call   0x8048300 <printf@plt>
   0x08048494 <+52>:    addl   $0x1,-0xc(%ebp)
   0x08048498 <+56>:    cmpl   $0x63,-0xc(%ebp)
   0x0804849c <+60>:    jle    0x804846f <fun2+15>
   0x0804849e <+62>:    leave
   0x0804849f <+63>:    ret
End of assembler dump.
(gdb)

A: This is a very hard thing to time, because compilers are very good at optimising these things. Still it's better to give the compiler as much information as possible, that's why in this case I'd advise using std::fill, and let the compiler choose.
But... If you want to get into the detail
a) CPU's normally give pointer+value for free, like : mov r1, r2(r3).
b) This means an index operation requires just :  mul r3,r1,size
   This is just one cycle extra, per loop.
c) CPU's often provide stall/delay slots, meaning you can often hide single-cycle operations.
All in all, even if your loops are very large, the cost of the access is nothing compared to the cost of even a few cache-misses. You are best advised to optimise your structures before you care about loop costs. Try for example, packing your structures to reduce the memory footprint first


Unilock has a wide selection of retaining wall systems available for Bloomington, Illinois, homeowners. We offer durable concrete products that are capable of handling steep slopes while boasting the charming appearance of natural stone. Our wall systems are backed by a transferable lifetime guarantee and are expertly manufactured to maintain their integrity and beauty through harsh weather conditions.
In addition to building your retaining wall, you can also use Unilock wall products for building other vertical elements to tie into the rest of your landscaping. For example, you could use them to create steps, patio seating walls, a grill island, flower planters, and so much more.
To learn more about Unilock's retaining wall products and paving stones, please contact us today. We'll be happy to provide you with additional information as well as a free estimate.


In 2019, Guyana will celebrate its 53rd year of being an independent nation under the theme "A united Guyanese are we at 53!" Plans to commemorate this monumental achievement of the Guyanese people have begun with the first meeting held on Monday, March 18, 2019, to successfully observe this occasion.
Through a collaborative effort between the Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport and the Ministry of Education, plans are moving apace for the 53rd Independence Flag Raising Ceremony and Cultural Display which will see an estimated 10,000 youths from across Guyana's education sector converging on the Durban Park tarmac for a mega cultural showcase and physical display on May 26, 2019.
A team of officials from both ministries, headed by Mr. Andrew Tyndall, Administrator of the Music School, came together to commence preparatory planning for what is slated to be the most magnificent display of Guyana's youth in the performing arts. This occasion will provide an opportunity for the nations' youth to showcase Guyana's diverse cultural heritage and pride in nationhood.
"The idea is like a youth rally where school-aged children will take centre stage in an all-encompassing showcase of national pride. It is never too late to be patriotic and our youth population is ideal to be part of this historic unfolding" Tyndall said.
The participation of the youth demographic provides a unique opportunity for the future leaders of Guyana to be given an opportunity to be part of an event of historical significance while networking, learning nationalistic and patriotic values and building bonds among their peers in a professional but celebratory atmosphere.


text:
Ofir Hason, CEO
Cyber warfare arenas around the world
A graduate of the Israeli Defence Forces' prestigious Intelligence Corps Unit (8200), Ofir Hason while working on the Israel Electric Corporation's cyberstrategy, identified an opportunity to establish a global network of cyber training facilities. Using his 15 years of experience in the development and characterization of complex applications, products, and critical networks led shareholders, executives and employees to one inevitable destination. They ventured on a journey of creating a new cybersecurity concept from nothing, which, at the time, was not recognized or understood by the market and involved a great deal of initiative and lateral thinking. Today, CYBERGYM has culminated into a global leader in cyber training and qualification solutions for organizations of all sizes from the financial, energy, utilities, educational and governmental sectors.
" the legacy work we did with critical infrastructure organizations, the most intensely attacked sector, like the Israel Electric Corporation, widened our client-base to include finance, insurance, government, and academic clients. "
As soon as CYBERGYM started operating, Ofir realized that it was the customer's individual needs that must be addressed. He saw this as a leverage for growth. CYBERGYM provides cutting-edge services that are tailored to meet the customer's core cybersecurity needs: training their people, using their technologies and their policies. In the early days, Ofir was deeply involved in designing and implementing solutions individually with each customer. Crucially, the solution and its implementation ensured the customer's production or services were not disrupted. Today, CYBERGYM uses a holistic approach, where the customer's threat model, technologies and security are taken into consideration. "This enables us to create long-term, individually customized solutions together with the customer," says the steadfast leader.
CYBERGYM offers thorough, intense but concise cyber training and qualifications for organizations of all sizes, utilizing four major vectors; a global network of training facilities, proprietary programs covering training for all technical, engineering, general and executive personnel in the company, their value-added services and continually updated attack database providing a concurrent set of complex cyberattacks, which can be implemented and executed in any of CYBERGYM's Arenas. "Serving the critical infrastructure sector is an integral part of our operations. Our Arenas are made up of three specialized areas, specifically build to train critical infrastructure personnel," explains Ofir. "The red room is managed by cyber-offense experts, former intelligence officers who launch authentic, real-time cyberattacks against the trainees. The trainees occupy the blue room, where they undergo and combat real attempts to breach their systems. The Arenas contain real utilities and OT infrastructures, so actual, real operational systems are hacked."
In an instance, while considering potential cyberthreats and possible training solutions, EDP-the third largest electricity production company in the world-decided to establish a CYBERGROUND, a CYBERGYM Cyberwarfare Arena that is owned by the enterprise, with additional customized control centers (NOC, SOC) required to emulate EDP's infrastructure. The Arena has been operational for over three years and is run jointly by a local team and CYBERGYM's Red Team of offensive cyber experts. Due to its ongoing success, the Arena has been expanded and upgraded twice since its establishment providing training programs for a wide range of EDP's employees.
For Ofir, research and development in the cyber arena is very important. "We not only see ourselves as suppliers of training programs and cyber Arenas, but also as a lab to test and develop new methodologies against current and emerging cyberattacks," says Ofir. CYBERGYM's vision is to build and operate a global network of cyberwarfare and knowledge centers. Over the next two years, CYBERGYM is going to realize this vision with over 15 Arenas in major cities in America, Asia, Europe and Australia. The network enables all Arenas to share knowledge, emerging offensive patterns and best practices. The project is called WCWA, which stands for World Cyber Warfare Arena, and it connects all facilities to one global Arena that is much more than the sum of its parts.
CyberGym
Ofir Hason
CYBERGYM is a global cybersecurity leader, providing organizations with the training, knowledge and tools required to defend their critical systems, infrastructures, utilities and sensitive data against complex, ever-evolving cyberthreats.
CEO Magazine


text:
Q: Tooling API response, how to print in log? I'm trying to print (system.debug) the response returned from tooling API but the debug is not displaying anything. So, I was wondering if the code below is correct.
HttpRequest req = new HttpRequest();
req.setHeader('Authorization', 'Bearer ' + UserInfo.getSessionID());
req.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/json');

req.setEndpoint('https://brave-raccoon-5j3npj-dev-ed.lightning.force.com/services/data/v47.0/tooling/sobjects/');
req.setMethod('GET');

Http h = new Http();
HttpResponse res = h.send(req);
system.debug(res.getBody());

A: You need to update your code.
HttpRequest req = new HttpRequest();
req.setHeader('Authorization', 'Bearer ' + UserInfo.getSessionID());
req.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/json');

req.setEndpoint('https://brave-raccoon-5j3npj-dev-ed.lightning.force.com/services/data/v47.0/tooling/sobjects/');
req.setMethod('GET');

Http h = new Http();
HttpResponse res = h.send(req);
while (res.getStatusCode() == 302) {
    req.setEndpoint(res.getHeader('Location'));
    res = new Http().send(req);
    system.debug(res.getBody());
}

This stackexchange post has answer to why you need to handle '302' above.
[HttpCallout error [StatusCode=302]
Hope this helps.


If you liked The Hunger Games trilogy then you will love Divergent. This book is easily one of the most action-packed and enjoyable stories ever written. It has everything from family drama, shifting alliances, knife throwing, brutal fistfights, death, and of course, an incredible love story. Each page is filled with plot twists that will keep you guessing until the very end but every situation is still somehow relatable to the average teen. This is obviously the product of an amazing writer's ability because Veronica Roth has simply outdone herself.
The story follows Tris, a sixteen-year-old girl living in a utopian society with a very rare and dangerous secret. In her society, at the age of sixteen every person is forced to choose a faction to live in for the rest of their lives. Each of the five factions endorse a specific quality in a person and each citizen takes a test to determine which faction they would fit into best. If a person does not choose or does not pass a faction's initiation, they are forced to live the poor, worthless life of a Factionless citizen. Under the society's motto of "faction over blood", Tris has to make the decision on whether to stay with her family in the faction she grew up in or move to a faction where she will feel like she belongs. Her choice is made even more difficult when she is told that she is Divergent, a word that describes people who fit into multiple factions. After picking a faction, Tris has to endure the pain of living with her choice and figuring out just what it means to be Divergent.
Divergent is filled with nonstop action and suspense and each page will leave you wanting more. From jumping off buildings to hand-to-hand combat, this book is anything but boring, but the softer, more emotional moments add just as much to the story as the action does. Tris's love story makes her character a little more vulnerable and the situation in general is rather relatable for a story that takes place in a time where murder is almost unheard of and war is a thing of the past. Tris's character is easy to empathize with even though the events of her life are completely different from anything anybody today would have to go through. She is just a teenage girl who has to make a huge decision and then live with the choice she made; all the while trying to figure out who is her friend and who is her enemy. A highly relatable situation, except for the fact that the consequences mean she has to face her worst fears and her enemies want her dead. Excitement and pure entertainment make this a book that you just will not want to put down. It has something for everybody and will have you on the edge of your seat the entire time.
Hunger Games fans will absolutely love this book, not just because of the never-ending action and the fact that both stories are centered around an over-controlling society, but because the story also ties into one of the most romantic and adorable love stories ever written. The added element of love just balances out the heart pounding and violent combat scenes. "I loved Divergent, it was similar to Hunger Games but really unique at the same time and extremely exciting", said sophomore Jordan Martin. One of the best parts about this book is that you don't even have to wait for the next installment to be published. Insurgent, the sequel, was just released at the beginning of this month, meaning you will not have to wait to know what happens next in the twist and turns of Tris's turbulent life. This is quite convenient considering that the shocking end just leaves you wanting more.


text:
Q: Not Able to Generate the XML From XSD File i tried creating XML file using Schema File but when i try to select the schema file , go on to next step i am not getting the option of the selecting Root element from the Drop down .
XSD File

 <element name="patient" type="tns:Patient" />
 <complexType name="Patient">
    <sequence>
        <element name="id" type="int" />
        <element name="name" type="string" />
        <element name="mobile" type="int" />
        <element name="age" type="string" />
        <element name="dob" type="date" />
    </sequence>
 </complexType>

enter image description here
i am attaching the screenshot of the image


i got a lot of dirty secrets to share... come to me so i can tell get laid tonight your area and maybe show you all i got(goddesslike body, angel face) im a fun girl, meet my demands and we can get something going.... im online on: sweetbutter2232 so just send me a msg...im in the mood tonight... can't wait!
Gal with an itch that needs scratching and you look like the one to handle it. You want free get laid tonight I want you. Put those luscious hands to work and get in touch so we can discuss what we both want to do!
I'm just here to see what's out there. I am looking for anything from friendship to a long-term relationship. I am a SWF, age 23, 5'1', average build. I'm just looking for a nice guy to get to know and see where it goes from there. I'd prefer white guys who are around my age and somewhat physically fit, but I'm not that picky. If that appeals to you, go ahead and send me a message.


Noah continues to be the little sunspot of our family. Unless he's tired or hungry, he is generally pretty good-natured. He doesn't mind being left with strange kids to play, as long as there are toys. He is generally pretty tolerant of Jude's regular abuse. Unfortunately, he needs to learn to stand up for himself a little more. However, his bright sunshiny personality has made my day, many a time. He is a nice balance to our family. I don't think he has ever even had a meltdown at the grocery store! I could probably learn a thing or two about dealing with life's little pitfalls from his unsuppressible good temper.
Hey there, found your blog by way of Colleen H. Just wanted to wish your Noah a Happy Day. I too have a Noah. He is 6.
AWWW!!!! I miss the boys so much!! I'm a horrible auntie. I totally forgot about his birthday (but don't tell Noah that*wink*). It's true, Noah's such a happy, squishy little guy, I wish I was there to squish him right now! Happy Birthday Noah!! Antie loves you!
Noah looks so grown up. I can't remember the last time I got to see y'all. Sigh. That's so great that he's discovering words - must thrill his mama's heart.


Adrenocorticotropic hormone or what is commonly called ACTH and in some cases corticotropin is a polypeptide which is produced and secreted on the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland , the hormone has a molecular formula C207H308N56O58S1 and it has a molecular mass of 4.5411 kilo Daltons . The effects of increased levels of ACTH include release of corticosteroids, this mainly occurs in the form where the cortisol is released from adrenal cortex. ACTH mechanism of action mainly occurs when the ACTH cell surface receptors are stimulated, these cells are located on the adrenocortical cells. When the cells are activated, it results in the biosynthesis and the secretion of glucocorticosteroids, mineralo-corticosteroids, and androgenic steroids. The adrenocorticotropin hormone receptor consists of 7-membrane of G-coupled protein receptor.
When the receptor binds to the ligand binds to the receptor, it undergoes conformational change which in turn stimulates the enzyme adenylate cyclase , adenylate cyclase increases intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate and a consequent activation of protein kinase A. When PKA is activated it leads to the stimulation of steroidogenesis. ACTH acts on several steps that are essential in the production of different corticosteroids in the adrenal cortex. It stimulates the lipoprotein uptake by the cells, this is essential in increasing bioavailability of the cholesterol to adrenal cortex cells. ACTH increass the rate in which cholesterol is transported into the mitochondria where it undergoes activation and hydrolysis.
Research shows that some cases of ACTH deficiency occurs because of congenital disorder or as part of hypopituitarism. ACTH deficiency is crucial especially in treating other diseases or conditions such as Cushing's syndrome. ACTH 1-39 is effective in increasing the production and releasing of the corticosteroids, it is essential that the levels of ACTH remain at significant amount always this protects against osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Research reveals that corticosteroid therapy can be effective in dealing with hypotension and vassopressors, however this is still under study and has not been approved for use ACTH 1-39 .


text:
module.exports = function(broccoli) {
  return require('broccoli-dist-es6-module')(broccoli.makeTree('lib'), {
    global: 'emq',
    packageName: 'ember-qunit',
    main: 'main',
    shim: {
      'ember': 'Ember',
      'qunit': 'QUnit'
    }
  });
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<TextView
	android:id="@+id/textView"
	xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
	android:layout_width="match_parent"
	android:layout_height="wrap_content"
	android:background="@color/app_bg"
	android:clickable="false"
	android:focusable="false"
	android:padding="@dimen/margin_medium"
	android:textColor="@color/main_theme"
	android:textSize="@dimen/text_body_1"/>


Wednesday 3 February saw Group members gather for what will be the last mass discussion group for a while. The event was very well received, so thank you for the positive feedback, and for coming along.
For those who couldn't make it, here is a summary of the outcome.
Innovation in our information services.
There was a general sense across all discussion groups that innovations don't need to be big, and in fact many of us just experience them as small process changes.
It was felt that innovation is innate in our culture as we are always seeking to improve and do things differently. Sometimes things have to be done in a certain way, but it is always worth questioning why and if they can be done in a better way, which leads to a slow evolution, rather than something as dramatic as innovation.
It is important to be open to change, be proactive and take on new duties, get involved in new strategies, or embrace new technologies, but it was sometimes difficult to get the support of other people such as IT departments.
It was also a case of adapting in reaction to external changes eg the cessation of print sources and move to born digital sources. Or it could be the incorporation of new technologies into working practices eg use of social media for communication and RRS feeds into intranet systems, or the use of new services/providers such as statistic-collecting service ZoHo creative or a will search service.
Some members are involved in revamping existing services such as wiki site restructuring and migrating data into new systems.
For members of staff in institutional libraries, it was felt that there was little opportunity for large-scale innovation. It tended to be along the lines of keeping up with trends eg installing new technology.
For commercial firms there is a pressure for information services to be innovative in order to be visible and relevant. The ideas seem to come from other firms and so it is again a case of copying the trends in order to stay competitive eg sector awareness, horizon scanning etc, but every firm will be inventive in the way it goes about implementing these innovations.
Some libraries have been innovative with their building and one member recently had their library used as concert space and with the event advertised on twitter.
Top tips for a successful service induction.
Sending an initial letter/email about your services but avoiding overloading it with information.
Frequently reviewing and tailoring sessions to individuals and to keep them up to date eg new trainees don't know how to use books anymore!
Sending a follow-up email after induction.
One-to-ones are better than groups.
Being generally approachable, accessible after the session etc.
Tempting membership/uptake/interaction with offer of lunch or something fun such as a quiz.
In person is better as connection problems etc through Webex etc.
Updates are usually time-consuming to produce and it was felt that is important to know that people are reading them so we can gauge how useful they are. Some members have taken the approach of ceasing producing them without complaints being received. Others have found that theirs are surprisingly widely read and so well received.
It was felt it was important to keep them as easy to read as possible in this day and age of too much information so people can see at a quick glance if there's anything relevant to them.
Sector awareness and horizon scanning were the big thing in commercial law firms, with information services being expected to have access to industry, rather than legal, information, and to monitor industry and regulatory changes which are only distant possibilities which is valued by clients and marketing departments. It can be difficult to source accurate information and find out much detail in some cases, and in others it is hard to managed the flood of information such as from parliaments.
Members recommended products such as Nexis's Newsdesk, and Linex which monitors sources including RSS feeds and press releases. It covers sectors, companies and business areas. Email lists, seminars, contacts and social events were felt to be useful sources for future awareness.
One librarian had found it useful to monitor upcoming legal changes in order to plan for the impact of related new books on the budget for budget planning purposes, but this was countered by the usual problems of publication schedule changes. We all monitored Wildy's, Avizandum and Green's lists to try to keep up to date in this area.
What we're starting to find hard to keep up to date with is the cessation of print resources in favour of electronic only. Lexis recently issued a new edition on Lexis library only – consequently it doesn't have an ISBN, and shops didn't seem to have been notified and still had the old edition for sale as if it was the latest edition. The publishers don't seem to be good at communicating these changes to its customers either, eg Lexis is changing 10 looseleaf titles to be electronic only.
Most of us were pleased to have got a job, kept their job, or simply turned up to work in 2015!
Some were more ambitious and had increased their working hours, integrated two library collections or chaired the BIALL website Committee.
Others put these achievements to shame by winning a mooting competition or BIALL Supplier of the Year!
One member has embarked on their chartership after being inspired by the article "Closing the gap: the five essential attributes of the modern information professional". If you have a Westlaw subscription you can read it here: L.I.M. 2014, 14(4), 258-265.
Speed Networking, 28 January 2015: Notes.
This is a summary of the short discussions which formed the SLLG 2015 speed networking meeting.
Many attendees commented on the interesting questions posed this year and the answers we all gave certainly backs this up as being one of the most valuable networking meetings yet for the group.
Thanks go to all the committee for running the event and noting down the discussions.
Value to a membership organisation was considered best measured in contact and networking opportunities, professional development and financial costs. Often the value of a membership organisation changes depending on variables of career progression and employer requirements.
SLLG was praised for its specific worth to law information professionals in terms of contacts and relevant training events. It was highlighted that membership costs are affordable.
BIALL was well thought of for its relevance to the law information profession and considered the most 'official' body for law librarians. It was thought to be London-centric for training and networking. The BIALL annual Conference was seen as a main reason for membership outside London.
CILIP's value was in its structured approach to the information profession. It was also noted that it has local branches which help make it less London-centric. Many employers see a CILIP membership as a mark of quality. For members, CILIP is a status. In both cases, CILIP accreditation can be used in salary negotiations. There was concern the practicality is something different, where CILIP is less relevant to law information professionals. There are few training courses offered. The worth of chartership was also questioned. It was noted the membership costs for CILIP are very high for the benefits it offers law information professionals.
SLA was considered very expensive to join. Events tend to be free meaning less incentive be a member.
Other membership organisations, such as SWOP, were not overly discussed.
There was some discussion as to the need for marketing at all when the user base was in situ (such as within an academic setting).
Do you use social media [Facebook, Twitter, blogs] for work? What are the advantages & disadvantages of using social media in the workplace? Who are the best info professional bloggers and tweeters to follow?
The majority of attendees had access to at least one platform of Social Media either through work or personally. A number of library, librarian and sector information twitter accounts / blogs are followed by attendees.
The popular feeling was social media remains a distraction from work more than a workplace resource. It was generally accepted Social Media only benefits those who are prepared to invest time focussed in posting and monitoring it. Most attendees in their daily work felt they were too busy to commit to this. There was a suggestion that blogs never attained their promise and are now dying out.
Overall, Law Firms and legal institutions are still hyper-sensitive about what information relating to them is broadcast. Some workplaces have monitored, restricted access or outright bans on the use of Social Media on the premises.
There was a sense of reticence about posting information. Most felt they had "nothing to say" or were happier to avoid potential social media pitfalls.
The SLLG Twitter account and ELISA Blog were given as good examples of Social Media. The platform, MOOTUS, was given as a social media platform to look out for in the future.
Questionnaires, surveys and training feedback forms were the main ways to gain user satisfaction information. No one was using metrics or tracking "clickthroughs" of usage.
Having a good relationship with the target of the survey and gaining their support was the most important aspect in getting valuable responses.
It was agreed good survey design is crucial to getting responses.
Feedback can also be incentivised with a prize draw entry or similar.
Follow up reminders to complete the form are also useful.
Responses tend to increase when there is a belief a response affects change.
It was noted people are more likely to respond when giving a complaint and no feedback can be good feedback and, in this regard, any good feedback must be kept.
The main theme coming from this was how much access control an information service has to keeping an eBook. A secondary concern was for the realistic longevity for eBooks.
What if the publisher withdraws the material? How long will a publisher archive old editions to purchase? What if a publisher or provider goes bust? Will IT continue to support older formats already purchased?
Preservation was also considered in the permanent record of a book's existence. Would the record be deleted if the eBook is? What is the consequence if it is?
Specific questions were raised about how an e-book may be cited in court, knowing what the edition is (particularly with contracts) and how easy an eBook is to read.
A wider theme of licensing also brought out the view an eBook is much less mobile than a physical book for the sharing needs of a library. Physical books, too, will not become obsolete and remain more useful in the long term of library holdings.
There is a need to know more about the National Library of Scotland's activity with digital preservation. Most attendees were aware Legal Deposit is gradually being transferred to electronic depositing and the British Library now allowing eBooks to be added at chapter by chapter level to its servers. This also raised concerns with issues relating to how these materials are searched for and used.
There was a feeling that eBooks are the inevitable future and law information professionals will have to find easier means to relate to them.
While some attendees wanted to employ someone with the correct qualifications, there were other less MSc qualified suggestions.
It was decided a cat would not be good for users with allergies, Sherlock Holmes lacked the people skills for a librarian, and Brian Blessed too LOUD!
Well done to all those who took part this year in giving such good answers! Next year we hope to see you all again as well as more new faces at the 2016 Speed Networking!


for comparison a nice flightshot of a 2cy mich from the metropole on bosphorus. it has the nice combination of a very pale iris with a mostloy dark bill and dark underwing pattterning. note p9 tongue. quite a classic bird, both structurally (male type) and on contrasting pattern.