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Credit to rotten websites wiki
Why the website Sucks Now
'''''FANDOM''''' (Full name '''''FANDOM powered by Wikia'''''), formerly known as '''''Wikia''''' and '''''Wikicities''''', is a wiki hosting service that was launched on October 18, 2004. The site is free of charge, but is for profit and mainly derives that from advertising and sold content. FANDOM communities consist of online encyclopedias, each one specializing in a particular subject or theme, most of popular fiction franchises of books, films, games, and other media. The main purpose of articles in a FANDOM community is to cover information and discussion on a particular topic in a much greater and more comprehensive detail level than can be found on Wikipedia articles.
Before being rebranded as FANDOM, the site was far more focused on fan made communities, with its homepage being far easier to navigate. By logging into the FANDOM homepage, however, you will be assaulted with an array of random posts covering various pop-culture news. Even if you use the search function in the "Discover Wikis" section you'll still be greeted with various blogs and the search results for wikis are crammed away pathetically in the corner, almost as if the site had forgotten what it's supposed to be about.
Speaking of blogs, the majority of them are literally Buzzfeed level clickbait garbage. With some more focused on left-wing ideologies than creating content that fans would like to read, from blogs complaining how Soul Caliber VI's female characters is "a letdown", to blogs defending Battlefield V's historically inaccurate choice to add women in the frontlines, to blogs claiming that Yaoi and Yuri is harmful for the LGBT community. These blogs eventually became less common after numerous creative staff members were laid off.[1]
Sometimes, these blogs could also be inappropriate. One example is one that had a censored out swear word that was made to promote the horror movie Happy Death Day 2 U. It appears on the very top of the Featured Pages section on any Wiki you go on. The title had to be changed on some Wikis to a less inapporopriate title.
The auto-playing "Featured Videos" are just as bad at times, containing multiple inaccuracies and normally only feature a summarized version of the page. A good example is on Castlevania Wiki's Alucard page, the video uses footage of Alucard from Hellsing (Anyone who watched the OVA will know that the Hellsing Alucard is actually Vlad Dracula himself). The ones on RWBY Wiki was so bad that they have to add disclaimers on the pages.[2] The fact that these autoplay videos were added without wiki users' agreement didn't help either.[3] Not to mention they also hog the CPU and RAM for older computers. Thankfully the videos start off as muted.
Like many other pro-SocJus websites, FANDOM will try and insert politics at any given opportunity. For example, on Piper's page on Nukapedia (Fallout Wiki), FANDOM inserted an introduction video of her that includes a reference to "fake news" and an allusion to President Trump. This annoyed the admins of Nukapedia as they format pages to educate readers about Fallout and editorializing is simply out of place.
Fandom runs on a heavily modified version of MediaWiki which was rendered obsolete years ago. This editing system, despite being easier to use, is much more restricted in terms of function.
Thanks to the great amount of advertisements and multiple features that often cannot be turned off that hogs CPU and RAM, it is very unfriendly to older computers. Prior to the rebrand, it was more accessible for unregistered users but now it's almost impossible to browse without getting infested with ads unless an adblocker is used.
Some seem to believe that FANDOM has been manipulating Google search results as it's hard to find any criticism directed to it with Google.
FANDOM recently has become more and more pro-Political Correctness and censorship, a good example is when they marked the term "SJW" as spam and prevented any edits containing the words from being submitted and pages containing the words from being edited until any mentions of "SJW"s are removed. Needless to say users were quick to come up with alternatives.[4]
Another example was when they shut down Trollpasta Wiki for no apparent reason in mid 2018 (Trollpastas are parodies of Creepypastas, in which they are deliberately poorly written in order to mock the stereotypical bad Creepypasta stories tropes like their clichés, bad grammar and dumb characters). The excuse they've given was that "communities which consist only of offensive material and personal attacks will be closed" which is clearly a false claim as Trollpasta Wiki was never designed to offend. Also, the wiki purged thousands of pages that contained offensive terms (such as the N word back) in 2015 to 2016 after being warned that VSTF (Volunteer Spam Task Force) has been pushing to shut it down.
Speaking of VSTF, they take anything like some random, unknown person's complaints very seriously, in Q3 2018 they even suggested to close down wikis for "Pushing GamerGate thoughts". (However, the user who wanted to close wikis for being pro-GG was banned from another wiki for posting actual bestiality porn)[5]
Another aspect is that FANDOM is seemingly allergic to negative content or any type of criticism (positive or not), even fact-based ones, as if the site cares so much about its precious ad revenue. Because of this policy, FANDOM staff closed down the popular Crappy Games Wiki and Awful Movies Wiki.
Referring to the last pointer, FANDOM staff does not work coherently, leading to discrepancies and disappointment. For example, Crappy Games Wiki had been reviewed mere days before its closure, obviously by another staff member, who deemed it didn't actually warrant closure.
Staff almost never listen to feedback and other people's criticism. Despite backlash within VisualEditor, autoplaying videos, and rebranding the entire website to fandom.com, they still do not listen to their users and instead actually argues back at them saying that "it will benefit everyone". They also state they try to reduce the memory and CPU required to access FANDOM, but cramming more ads (especially video ads) and autoplaying videos does not solve this problem.
They used to have a skin named Monaco that was quite beloved by the userbase, which was replaced with one called Oasis that decreased space for actual content in favor of space for ads.
Inconsistent policy about creating wikis. Everyone is free to create their own wiki without restrictions, but any wiki can still be closed if one of FANDOM higherups thinks it must be closed because it violates their Terms of Use, meaning users "being free to create their own wikis" is completely false.
Hypocritical advertising. FANDOM claims to offer a friendly and welcoming environment for everyone, yet the staff can abruptly close even very old and very frequented wikis without a warning, and obviously not caring about any lost content related problem the users they should care about may experience. They are often using a sort of courteously intolerant behavior when their decisions are questioned, often using the same copypasted reply in their messages. Community Central, the core of the service, is full of users biased in favor of FANDOM whose comments are left untouched.
FANDOM also claims that adding video to Wiki pages will help decrease the number of overall ads, which should be "a better experience." However, you may get stuck watching a whole minute worth of ad before the featured video plays without an adblocker.
Since the re-brand was completed, FANDOM has stated they want to focus more on "Family-Friendly" content. The way they have been doing this is that they have locked editing on the LyricWiki and threatened to shut down the Wikia version on Uncyclopedia just because they aren't "Family-Friendly" enough.
However, this is very hypocritical on FANDOM's behalf because many Wikis containing so-called "Inappropriate Content" like M rated Video Games or R/NC-17 rated movies get to stay on the site while other topics are threatened to be closed.
==Why the website Sucks Now==
Redeeming Qualities
#Before being rebranded as FANDOM, the site was far more focused on fan made communities, with its homepage being far easier to navigate. By logging into the FANDOM homepage, however, you will be assaulted with an array of random posts covering various pop-culture news. Even if you use the search function in the "Discover Wikis" section you'll still be greeted with various blogs and the search results for wikis are crammed away pathetically in the corner, almost as if the site had forgotten what it's supposed to be about.
#Speaking of blogs, the majority of them are literally [[Buzzfeed]] level clickbait garbage. With some more focused on left-wing ideologies than creating content that fans would like to read, from blogs complaining how ''Soul Caliber VI's'' female characters is "a letdown", to blogs defending Battlefield V's historically inaccurate choice to add women in the frontlines, to blogs claiming that Yaoi and Yuri is harmful for the LGBT community. These blogs eventually became less common after numerous creative staff members were laid off.<ref>https://np.reddit.com/r/KotakuInAction/comments/97boq1/news_fandom_also_known_as_wikia_has_fired_nearly/</ref>
#* Sometimes, these blogs could also be inappropriate. One example is one that had a censored out swear word that was made to promote the horror movie ''Happy Death Day 2 U''. It appears on the very top of the Featured Pages section on any Wiki you go on. The title had to be changed on some Wikis to a less inapporopriate title.
#The auto-playing "Featured Videos" are just as bad at times, containing multiple inaccuracies and normally only feature a summarized version of the page. A good example is on Castlevania Wiki's Alucard page, the video uses footage of Alucard from ''Hellsing'' (Anyone who watched the OVA will know that the ''Hellsing'' Alucard is actually Vlad Dracula himself). The ones on RWBY Wiki was so bad that they have to add disclaimers on the pages.<ref>https://rwby.wikia.com/wiki/Ruby_Rose?oldid=861533</ref> The fact that these autoplay videos were added without wiki users' agreement didn't help either.<ref>https://rwby.wikia.com/wiki/Thread:535079</ref> Not to mention they also hog the CPU and RAM for older computers. Thankfully the videos start off as muted.
#Like many other pro-SocJus websites, FANDOM will try and insert politics at any given opportunity. For example, on Piper's page on Nukapedia (''Fallout'' Wiki), FANDOM inserted an introduction video of her that includes a reference to "fake news" and an allusion to President Trump. This annoyed the admins of Nukapedia as they format pages to educate readers about ''Fallout'' and editorializing is simply out of place.
#Fandom runs on a heavily modified version of MediaWiki which was rendered obsolete years ago. This editing system, despite being easier to use, is much more restricted in terms of function.
#Thanks to the great amount of advertisements and multiple features that often cannot be turned off that hogs CPU and RAM, it is very unfriendly to older computers. Prior to the rebrand, it was more accessible for unregistered users but now it's almost impossible to browse without getting infested with ads unless an adblocker is used.
#Some seem to believe that FANDOM has been manipulating Google search results as it's hard to find any criticism directed to it with Google.
#FANDOM recently has become more and more pro-Political Correctness and censorship, a good example is when they marked the term "SJW" as spam and prevented any edits containing the words from being submitted and pages containing the words from being edited until any mentions of "SJW"s are removed. Needless to say users were quick to come up with alternatives.<ref>https://np.reddit.com/r/KotakuInAction/comments/91jhec/fandominaction_the_term_sjw_is_now_considered/</ref>
#*Another example was when they shut down Trollpasta Wiki for no apparent reason in mid 2018 (Trollpastas are parodies of Creepypastas, in which they are deliberately poorly written in order to mock the stereotypical bad Creepypasta stories tropes like their clichés, bad grammar and dumb characters). The excuse they've given was that "communities which consist only of offensive material and personal attacks will be closed" which is clearly a false claim as Trollpasta Wiki was never designed to offend. Also, the wiki purged thousands of pages that contained offensive terms (such as the N word back) in 2015 to 2016 after being warned that VSTF (Volunteer Spam Task Force) has been pushing to shut it down.
#*Speaking of VSTF, they take anything like some random, unknown person's complaints very seriously, in Q3 2018 they even suggested to close down wikis for "Pushing GamerGate thoughts". (However, the user who wanted to close wikis for being pro-GG was banned from another wiki for posting actual bestiality porn)<ref>https://np.reddit.com/r/KotakuInAction/comments/97aj87/censorship_fandominaction_crappy_games_wiki_and/</ref>
#Another aspect is that FANDOM is seemingly allergic to negative content or any type of criticism (positive or not), even fact-based ones, as if the site cares so much about its precious ad revenue. Because of this policy, FANDOM staff closed down the popular Crappy Games Wiki and Awful Movies Wiki.
#*Referring to the last pointer, FANDOM staff does not work coherently, leading to discrepancies and disappointment. For example, Crappy Games Wiki had been reviewed mere days before its closure, obviously by another staff member, who deemed it didn't actually warrant closure.
#Staff almost never listen to feedback and other people's criticism. Despite backlash within VisualEditor, autoplaying videos, and rebranding the entire website to fandom.com, they still do not listen to their users and instead actually argues back at them saying that "it will benefit everyone". They also state they try to reduce the memory and CPU required to access FANDOM, but cramming more ads (especially video ads) and autoplaying videos does not solve this problem.
#They used to have a skin named Monaco that was quite beloved by the userbase, which was replaced with one called Oasis that decreased space for actual content in favor of space for ads.
#Inconsistent policy about creating wikis. Everyone is free to create their own wiki without restrictions, but any wiki can still be closed if one of FANDOM higherups thinks it must be closed because it violates their Terms of Use, meaning users "being free to create their own wikis" is completely false.
#Hypocritical advertising. FANDOM claims to offer a friendly and welcoming environment for everyone, yet the staff can abruptly close even very old and very frequented wikis without a warning, and obviously not caring about any lost content related problem the users they should care about may experience. They are often using a sort of courteously intolerant behavior when their decisions are questioned, often using the same copypasted reply in their messages. Community Central, the core of the service, is full of users biased in favor of FANDOM whose comments are left untouched.
#*FANDOM also claims that adding video to Wiki pages will help decrease the number of overall ads, which should be "a better experience." However, you may get stuck watching a whole minute worth of ad before the featured video plays without an adblocker.
# Since the re-brand was completed, FANDOM has stated they want to focus more on "Family-Friendly" content. The way they have been doing this is that they have locked editing on the LyricWiki and threatened to shut down the Wikia version on Uncyclopedia just because they aren't "Family-Friendly" enough.
#* However, this is very hypocritical on FANDOM's behalf because many Wikis containing so-called "Inappropriate Content" like M rated Video Games or R/NC-17 rated movies get to stay on the site while other topics are threatened to be closed.
==Redeeming Qualities==
As mentioned above, it's a bit easier to use and understand than MediaWiki.
#As mentioned above, it's a bit easier to use and understand than MediaWiki.
There are still quite a few well-designed wikis on the site.
#There are still quite a few well-designed wikis on the site.
The clickbait blogs when viewing wikis can be easily removed through an adblocker or editing your global CSS on Community Central.
#The clickbait blogs when viewing wikis can be easily removed through an adblocker or editing your global CSS on Community Central.
The videos are now disabled, albeit only for logged-in users.
#The videos are now disabled, albeit only for logged-in users.
Dont clsoe this. The community should give there input.<ac_metadata title="Fandom rottenwebsites article"> </ac_metadata>
Dont close this
Give your thoughts in the replies<ac_metadata title="Fandom rottenwebsites article"> </ac_metadata>
Latest revision as of 21:38, April 24, 2019
FANDOM (Full name FANDOM powered by Wikia), formerly known as Wikia and Wikicities, is a wiki hosting service that was launched on October 18, 2004. The site is free of charge, but is for profit and mainly derives that from advertising and sold content. FANDOM communities consist of online encyclopedias, each one specializing in a particular subject or theme, most of popular fiction franchises of books, films, games, and other media. The main purpose of articles in a FANDOM community is to cover information and discussion on a particular topic in a much greater and more comprehensive detail level than can be found on Wikipedia articles.
Why the website Sucks Now Edit
Redeeming Qualities Edit
Dont clsoe this. The community should give there input.
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
Retrieved from "https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Board_Thread:General_Discussion/@comment-35030550-20190424213403?oldid=2777247"


This authentic Alexander McQueen Twin Skull Box Clutch Python Long crafted in purple genuine python skin with brown undertones and aged gold-tone hardware is a stand-out evening clutch. Alexander McQueen's iconic crystal studded twin skull opens this statement clutch to feature a compact brown leather interior that holds all bare necessities. This bold and edgy clutch personifies the brand's signature style made for daring fashionistas. Authenticity code reads: 300791 000926. **Note: Shoe photographed is used as a sizing reference, and does not come with the bag. These are professional pictures of the actual bag offered by Rebag. This item can only be shipped within the United States.
Condition: Very good. Slight scuffs marks in interior leather.
Measurements: Height 3", Width 9", Depth 1.5"


Even though this apparently is not a movie produced by Lifetime, "A Champion's Fight" has Lifetime written all over it. It's based on a Lurlene McDaniel story of two teenagers in love, but the young man has cancer. McDaniel has written many novels for teens, often with a spiritual theme.
I can really see this film appealing to a young crowd, as it was intended. It's very sports-oriented - the boy, Luke, is the star quarterback at the high school. Beth Broderick plays the girl's mom, and she's always good, conveying an attorney's sophistication and later, compassion and support. Adrienne Barbeau is Luke's mom.
The story is poignant and also predictable. There really isn't anything exceptional about it, except Barbeau's problems with her employer.
Given all that, I cried like a baby and hated myself.
Patricia: Julie, nobody can tell you that they know what you're going through but I remember how I felt when my mother died. I was only 14 years old and there was really nobody to share it with. There were days when I thought I would just up and die.


This Friday (March 22) is World Water Day, a day aimed at advancing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 6: ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week's story is by Heather Ray, GreenUP Water Programs Manager.
The theme for World Water Day 2019 is "Leaving no one behind".
Many people around the world and in Canada, especially those in First Nation communities, do not have access to safe and clean drinking water.
"Not only is clean water seen as sacred to indigenous cultures but water must be kept to a certain standard to be safe to drink — a level of purity which is currently not being maintained in many rural and first Nation communities across the country," says Madison Laurin, Operations Coordinator at the Trent Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Science (TRACKS) program.
TRACKS and the GreenUP Wonders of Water (WOW) program are bringing awareness to the messages behind World Water Day by hosting a contest. The #PtboStudents4water4all contest encourages teachers and students to show their gratitude for Nibi (the Anishinaabemowin word for water) by tweeting a photo or video of how they say thank you to water.
Last year, the WOW program, along with Nourish, attended the Peterborough Children's Water Festival to ask students about their relationship with water. At the festival each year, students interact with water and learn with amazement, but each year we see that we all have more to learn and appreciate about our connection with water. Many of us, including myself, are often not aware of our daily interactions with water, from our morning shower to the water that cooks our evening meal.
More than 700 children under 5 years of age die every day from diarrhoea linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation.
Women and girls are responsible for water collection in 8 out of 10 households with water off-premises.
Around 4 billion people (nearly two-thirds of the world's population) experience severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year.
Have you ever said thank you to water? On World Water Day and every day, you can connect with and help protect water for all by showing your gratitude for water.
You can find out more about the WOW and TRACKS World Water Day 2019 contest and more about TRACKS youth program by visiting www.tracksprogram.ca and be sure to follow the hash tags #worldwaterdayptbo and #ptbostudents4water4all on Twitter.
To learn out more about World Water Day, visit www.worldwaterday.org.
You can download the Nibi Giinwiindawan (We Are Water) curriculum from Nourish at nourishproject.ca.


Are you searching for business opportunities in Nigeria? The best bet is to learn how to create information products.
Presently, there are many Nigerians that have turned their lives from rag to riches by becoming an information entrepreneur.
Before sharing cases studies of some Nigerians that have discovered goldmine in information products, let me elaborate on the business.
Information product is anything that describes a step by step solution to a specific problem bothering a specific target market audience in the society. It can be in the form of a book, manual form, audio visual CD, e-book.
The cost of producing it is very minimal when you compare it to the cost of starting a retail store business.
It's an ideal business for people that have limited capital to start a business or those that are wondering how they will make money from their passion or experience acquired in a particular field.
It's one of the easiest and profitable opportunities in Nigeria to earn substantial income if you understand the process.
Here is a case study by Lawal Ibidapo as reported by him in the Success Digest Extra Newspaper on how he discover business opportunities in Nigeria: "In September 2005, I was bankrupt and I was so disturbed that I didn't know what else to do while sitting in a restaurant in O.A.U, Ife.
Two SMS entered my phone (which has been switched off for 3 weeks) notifying me that 2 people had paid for prepaid credit cards which I was selling then.
I quickly calculated my profit and I realized I just made N22,500 profit. I was so excited, that immediately I decided to heed my friend's advice that I should create my first e-book which I did.
I paid N7,500 for the advertisement of the e-book and that was a turning point.
"Mr O.I. Tobias using the right business technique, sells contact addresses of where people can export snail from Nigeria for N10,000.
And the people who need the contacts rush him with their money to get what he has; just contact addresses!


We are more than happy to transfer firearms for our customers. Sending or receiving we are your one stop shop. Whether you need your rifle in Colorado for an Elk hunt, or your pistol shipped to California for an IPSC / USPSA match we are happy to ship / transfer you gun to wherever you need.
Having a firearm sent to you?
To receive a firearm/receiver for transfer to you our fee is $20.00 per firearm/receiver. If transferring more than 2 firearms/receivers it is $10.00 per firearm/receiver.
As an SOT/Class III dealer we are more than happy to assist you in transferring an NFA item to yourself or your trust. This service is all inclusive and we charge a $100 fee.


My mind took over last week. So I did every self help technique written on a million mental health website. I was sucked into finding the perfect way to cure this anxiety I had. Hours reading strategies for the monster in my head.
I reached out to friends and temple members and shared my shameful mental breakdown. My community surrounded me with love. I was safe and protected by people. That was the answer.
All that insanity looking for an answer from books that kept saying this is the way to get out of the mental pain caused more anxiety.
POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS COULDN'T HELP ME. PEOPLE DID. WE NEED TO DEVELOP A SUPPORT NETWORK FOR TIMES LIKE THIS. THE HUMAN TOUCH.
Trying to get positive and working hard to change my thinking only made me feel more like a loser. Today I am recovering from this dark mental episode and moving forward in baby steps. I did a lot of iPad painting during the episode. Now I want to do an oil painting. I think that will help soothe my mind.


text:
The Bandera County Courthouse, circa 1920. Photo courtesy of Bandera County Convention and Visitor's Bureau
Frontier Tales
By Rebecca Huffstutler Norton
Courtesy of The Hill Country Weekly
The early settlers of the Texas Hill Country were a diverse group of people coming to find their own Utopia. While we think of the German settlers of Kendall County and the Polish settlers of Bandera County, there is one group that has often been overlooked in the annals of Texas history. In 1854, a group of 250 men, women and children arrived at the newly established town of Bandera. Led by Elder Lyman Wight, this area was truly on the frontier – a wilderness with just a few shingle makers camped along the Medina River.
Elder Wight and his people called themselves Latter Day Saints, or more commonly, Mormons. They had migrated to Texas from Illinois in 1846 to escape persecution. Their intentions were to establish a new Zion on the Texas frontier. Settling first near Austin on the Colorado River, they later located a few miles below Fredericksburg along the Pedernales River, calling their new settlement Zodiac. They built a general store, a saw mill, a grist mill and a cabinet shop. When a flood washed away their mills, the colony decided to move to a new site on Hamilton Creek below Burnet. Wight's son, Levi Lamoni's autobiography recounts the challenges they faced, "…it was thought best by the community to seek other fields of labor and adventure, consequently we moved about fifty miles and located in Burnet County, Texas, and built another mill …. We now experienced frequent visits by the Indians of the western wilds of Texas … several times they took all our horses, killed our milk cows, and drove our oxen to such a distance that it took us several days to recover them. They finally took and retook our horses until we saw them no more."
Hoping to find a safer location, the entire flock moved to their final destination on the Medina River, 12 miles below Bandera. Established against a high bluff, they called their new home Mountain Valley. Here they built chairs, tables and bedsteads to sell for income. With abundant fishing, hunting and pecan groves, the area seemed ideal but, once again, troubles with the native Indians arose. Letters written by Lyman Wight during this time show that he desperately sought protection from the authorities in Austin. When Wight suddenly died in 1858, the colony disbanded.
While the site of their last home is now covered by Medina Lake, remnants of this early attempt to find Utopia still exist. The bluff that sheltered them is known as Mormons Bluff. The family names of the settlers – the Goodales, Chipmans and Hay - are still present in Bandera. Their gristmill makes up the mantel of a fireplace in the Frontier Times Museum while a rawhide chair from their furniture makers sits next to it. Wight's remains were taken to Zodiac to be buried in their cemetery. These graves may still be found by the intrepid seeker, the last vestige of an often-overlooked story of the early frontier.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Roberta G. Williams
Expert Profile
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles
American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Cardiologists, American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, author, Blood Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Cardiac Advisory Committee of the National Heart, chair, chairman, Chapel Hill, chief, Childrens Hospital (Show more tags)
American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Cardiologists, American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, author, Blood Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Cardiac Advisory Committee of the National Heart, chair, chairman, Chapel Hill, chief, Childrens Hospital, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, director of the echocardiography laboratory and medical director of the cardiothoracic intensive care service, Duke University, Gifted Teacher, governor of the Southern California chapter, Los Angeles, Los Angeles,California,United States, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, North Carolina, North Carolina,United States, President, Roberta G. Williams, Society of Pediatric Echocardiography, Southern California, the American College, UCLA, University of North Carolina, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USC Keck School of Medicine, vice president of pediatrics and academic affairs
pediatric cardiology workforce
access to health care, quality of care and reimbursement
Dr. Roberta G. Williams is a specialist in pediatric cardiology at the USC Keck School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. Previously, she was the chair of pediatrics at the Keck school and vice president of pediatrics and academic affairs at Childrens Hospital. She earned her B.S. in zoology from Duke University and her medical degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She served as director of the echocardiography laboratory and medical director of the cardiothoracic intensive care service at Boston Children's Hospital. She went on to become chief of pediatric cardiology at UCLA, and eventually became interested in issues of health policy and the pediatric cardiology workforce. She served as governor of the Southern California chapter of the American College of Cardiology and was active at the state level in addressing issues of access to care, quality of care and reimbursement. In 1995, she became chair of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina, returning to Los Angeles to join USC in 2000. The author of two books on echocardiography, she serves as an appointee to the Cardiac Advisory Committee of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. She has served as president of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Heart Association and has been chairman of the cardiology section of the American Academy of Pediatrics. In 2002, she received the Gifted Teacher Award from the American College of Cardiologists. She also received lifetime achievement recognition from the Society of Pediatric Echocardiography.
4650 Sunset Blvd. #29
Office Fax:
rwilliams@chla.usc.edu
Children's Hospital Los Angeles Staff Profile


Part 1 of a two-part series on dowsing, originally published in March 2009 issue of Paranormal magazine.
The practice of dowsing remains unexplained after thousands of years of successful use. GRAHAME GARDNER outlines easy ways to explore a paranormal phenomenon that is both accessible and practical.
What image do you see in your head when someone mentions the word 'dowser'? Is it a mental picture of a tweed jacketed gentleman marching across a field clutching a forked twig, looking for underground water? These days you're much more likely to find the dowser clad in the best high-performance outdoor gear and wielding a nylon V-rod in place of the forked twig. Perhaps you might also have come across a technician from your local water board using some copper L-rods to pinpoint a leaking water main; and that therapist at the local health shop – haven't you seen her twiddling a pendulum over some charts?
Dowsing has always been a bit of a closet activity, but it's finally becoming trendy as people realize what a valuable tool it can be in all walks of life, particularly for enhancing one's intuition and decision-making ability. Dowsing may be an old technology, but it is as relevant today as it was to a Neolithic nomad in the African desert.
survey archaeological sites in advance of more expensive geophysical surveys; and map the mysterious meridians of 'earth energy' that flow through the landscape, connecting ancient sites like stone circles and old churches along invisible ley lines. Dowsing is useful in all areas of human endeavour, from the practical site work where the emphasis is on the tangible result, through to the more esoteric end of the spectrum where a dowser might be employed to clear ghosts from your home and check your aura for geopathic stress.
Sadly, there is no scientifically accepted explanation at present. No-one has yet proposed a model that can explain all aspects of dowsing, so most scientists and sceptics tend to dismiss the whole thing as nonsense. Yet anyone who has tried dowsing will know that there is definitely something going on. It is an ethereal and sometimes fickle phenomenon, but with practice results become more reliable and confidence quickly grows.
There are two main aspects of dowsing theory, which we may call the 'radiation' and the 'information' models. Empirical evidence seems to show that there is some sort of influence, probably electromagnetic in nature, given off by underground water flowing in geological faults and fissures in the ground and that this can be detected at the surface directly above. It used to be thought that the wood of the traditional 'forked twig' dowsing rod somehow vibrated sympathetically to these emanations, but today it seems clear that it is the human organism that is doing the detecting, and the dowsing tool is responding to minute muscle twitches in the hands to give the response – the twig lowers or raises, the L-rods cross, the pendulum swings, and so forth. However, this 'radiation' model can't explain the divinatory side of dowsing, nor can it explain how it is possible to dowse for things on a plan or map of the area without being physically present on site. To explain how this works we have to accept that dowsing is, at least partly, a phenomenon of the mind. The human brain processes billions of pieces of sensory information every second but our conscious mind selectively edits this information to fabricate what we perceive as 'reality'. Psychologists call this filtering process 'latent inhibition', and it is a survival trait that enables us to disregard stimuli that have had no impact on us in the past: signals that are not important to our survival from moment to moment are simply ignored by the conscious mind.
Dean Radin, in his Entangled Minds(2006) states that people with low latent inhibition tend to be more creative and open to new experiences; traits that are common to many dowsers. The process of latent inhibition does not mean non-essential signals are discarded: everything is processed on some level, but our conscious mind decides what we get to see. Our subconscious is still aware of the other stimuli, and at a deeper level may be able to access the collective unconscious and gain information about other places and events. Many successful 'remote viewing' experiments have demonstrated that this is possible – but how? Well, if you've done any reading at all on quantum physics then you may be familiar with the phenomenon known as 'quantum entanglement', which shows that two particles that have been in contact with each other maintain some sort of connection and can transfer information between them, no matter how far apart they are moved. So if we take two paired electrons, then move one to the other side of the galaxy, it will still react instantaneously to changes we make to the first electron. The implications of this are pretty staggering – as the Universe grew out of the singularity that was the Big Bang, then quite literally, everything is connected at a quantum level.
So in our model, the subconscious can access information that is normally unavailable to the conscious mind, and this can be communicated to us through the movement of the dowsing tool. By acting as a bridge between our conscious and subconscious minds, the dowsing tool provides a safe and convenient means for us to communicate with our subconscious; something that is normally only available to people in deep trance states. Unlike mediums, brain scans of dowsers at work show that both hemispheres of the brain are balanced and producing brainwaves across all frequencies; so dowsers are not in a trance, they are fully conscious, yet engaged with the deeper levels of consciousness.
Indeed, the correct state of mind for good dowsing is best described as 'engaged yet unattached'. The mind has to be focused on what you are dowsing for, yet there must be no desire to achieve a particular result. You need to be in a state of ignorance and apathy about the whole issue.
The simplest dowsing tool is the pendulum, and it's what nearly everyone starts to learn with. If you haven't got a pendulum to hand, you can easily make one with a small weight and a piece of fine cord or strong thread. A steel hex nut or a lead fishing weight is ideal. The cord should be as thin as you can manage; a fine chain is also good.
Hold the cord or chain between your thumb and index finger of the hand you usually use, with the finger pointing downwards. The idea is to minimise the contact area between the cord and your fingers. Keep your arm relaxed but free to move. Experiment to find what length of cord gives you a moderately rapid swing for you – usually around three or four inches (10cm) of cord is ideal. The best way to first start using a pendulum is to sit down and set it gently in motion, swinging backwards and forwards. It is much easier to get a response to a question when it has already been given some initial momentum, rather than going from a 'cold start'. Next you must establish a code for communicating. This will take some time to develop fully as many reactions are possible, but for the moment we're only interested in our 'yes' and 'no' responses. Sit comfortably with your feet apart, and start the pendulum swinging between your legs. Each time you do this say to yourself, 'This is my search position'. When the pendulum is swinging comfortably, ask it to 'Show me my "yes" answer'. Most people will find the pendulum develops a clockwise swing.
When you're happy that you're getting a definite reaction, repeat the exercise by asking for your 'no' response. Most people here find that they get an anti-clockwise swing developing, but it's possible that you get something else, such as a side-to-side swing. Once you have programmed these reactions, they will always be the same for you, no matter what pendulum you're using. Remember it's you that you are programming here, not the pendulum.
Next, try asking some simple questions to which you know the answer, such as 'Is my name John?' or 'Do I live in London?' Practice by asking yourself these kinds of questions until you are confident with your responses. The hardest thing is phrasing clear and concise questions about the object of your search. It's no good just asking for 'underground water' if you're looking for a place to sink a well – this could find water in pipes or septic tanks as well as aquifers or water flows. It would be better to ask for 'drinking water flowing all-year round in underground streams'. Or, if you're looking for a lost pet, it is better to say 'Where is so-and-so's dog Fido at this moment in time?', rather than simply 'Where's Fido?' Be precise.
If you're having trouble getting a consistent result, try swinging your pendulum in the search position with your eyes shut, then visualise it swinging the way you want it to whilst affirming to yourself 'This is my "yes" response'. When you open your eyes, you should find that the pendulum is behaving exactly as you pictured it.
Once you are reasonably confident with your responses, try exercises like the traditional 'three-card Monte' dowsing trick of identifying one red card out of three face-down cards; or have someone place a coin under one card and try to find that; try to identify a pound coin hidden under a newspaper with several other coins; try to dowse whether current is flowing in an electric cable. There are many little tests like this that you can devise for yourself. Practising at these is the best way to develop your dowsing.
As you get more confident with your pendulum, you may find other reactions developing. For instance, if I get a weak oval swing in a clockwise direction, it means 'yes-maybe' (and conversely for 'no-maybe'). In this case I'll try and refine my questioning further. I also get a side-to-side motion, which for me interprets as 'impossible to answer, the question doesn't make sense'.
If my pendulum simply continues in the 'search' position, for me it means 'don't know'. In either case, I know I have to ask a totally different question to try and come at the issue from another angle.
The pendulum is great for asking questions, but if you want to locate something in the field, it's better to use a tool like L-rods. Like many people, I made my first pair from some old wire coat hangers and a couple of old pen cases. Make sure the rods are free to swing, and keep your fists relaxed – the most common mistake beginners make is to grip the rods too tightly. Point the rods slightly downwards, and then slowly lift the ends up until just before they start to swing outwards. This is the most sensitive position. Focus your mind on the object of your search, and walk forwards until your rods react. The main use of L-rods is to locate tangible targets like water pipes, cables and septic tanks; but they are also good at detecting energy fields like auras and the subtle earth energies.
You can program your rods to cross when over a target like a pipe or water vein, and to open out for energy lines. They can also be used to indicate direction of flow, or to locate something by pointing in the direction that the target lies. They can also give 'yes' and 'no' answers, just like the pendulum.
If you're interested in developing your dowsing, the best way to progress is to attend some workshops and courses, and meet up with other dowsers. The British Society of Dowsers has 1,600 members and over two dozen Affiliated Local Groups around the UK. The Society organises a comprehensive series of regional workshops and training courses that can train you up to professional practitioner level in all areas. Check their website at britishdowsers.org for more information.
Thanks Jay. I'll hopefully get part 2 uploaded in a couple of weeks.


This week, a U.S. judge ordered tobacco companies to publicly admit they lied about the dangers of smoking, but they are still being allowed to cover up the lethal, radiation-linked health risks associated with tobacco use.
Does your Bottled Water Contain Nicotine? How about Pharmaceuticals?
Research has determined that commercial bottled water in Spain has over 50 pharmaceutically-active chemicals in it, as well as the highly addictive drug nicotine. Is your (or your children's) bottled water polluted with addictive chemicals?
What if the #1 reason why tobacco caused cancer was actually a hidden radioactive element, and that the tobacco industry covered it up for decades?


text:
From Cambodia, A Savory Mushroom-Pork Omelet | Christopher Kimball's Milk Street
A home cook teaches us a new style of omelet
From Cambodia, A Savory Mushroom-Pork Omelet
Jenn Ladd
Mushroom-Pork Omelet
This meaty mushroom-and-pork omelet—which is cooked more like a frittata—gets flavor from fish and soy sauces, fresh ginger, and a bit of sugar.
Soben Pin inspects each ingredient closely. She pokes at packaged chicken breasts and rifles through bunches of Thai basil and fresh mint in the cramped aisles of the Hong Kong Supermarket in Lowell, Massachusetts. She chooses smooth, plump, bright-green limes, passing over those of a deeper hue.
"This one got exposed to the sun and this didn't," she explains, comparing two.
After she hunts down her preferred brand of fish sauce—a feat given this store's selection—Soben insists we stop at an American grocery store, so she can buy ground pork there.
Shopping can take a while when you're this circumspect.
But back at Soben's kitchen, in a towering brick cotton mill-turned-apartment complex, the process of making dinner is swift. Soben, who cooked for her father nearly every day of her pre-college adolescence, has been gregarious all day. As she starts to cook, she grows quiet.
"Mommy needs to concentrate right now," she tells her 6-year-old son, Aiden, who's warbling in the living room.
Soben came to the U.S. from southern Vietnam—which claimed a large Cambodian population—when she was 14. After college, she met her husband and business partner, Roger, a longtime Cambodian journalist and publisher. Together they run a newspaper, the KhmerPost USA, in Lowell, the second-largest hub of Cambodians in the U.S. Our meal on this snowy Saturday—a simple soup and an omelet—reflects Soben's bifurcated background: One dish is Vietnamese, the other Cambodian.
Soben Pin pokes at packaged chicken breasts and rifles through bunches of Thai basil and fresh mint in the cramped aisles of the Hong Kong Supermarket in Lowell, Massachusetts.
I've researched the Cambodian pork omelet in advance—it's sweet and salty, thanks to white sugar and soy sauce. The recipes I've seen resemble a well-browned American omelet, folded over on its filling, sprinkled with herbs. It overflows with ground pork and is often served with pickled vegetables (as are many Khmer dishes).
But Soben takes the dish in a different direction. To my surprise, she cracks three eggs over top of ground pork seasoned with salt, sugar and white pepper. She uses a plastic spatula to break up the yolks and stir the ingredients together. She pours fish sauce into a large serving spoon and adds it. She cooks in sharp contrast to how she shops: loose, unfussy and fast.
She pours the egg mixture into a skillet, smooths the top, then cranks the heat on her electric range. Gradually it begins to sizzle in the oil. She puts a lid on the pan and waits. When she suspects the bottom is golden brown, she removes the lid and, with her spatula, cuts the omelet into quarters. "One thing I can't do is flip it like a chef," she says, turning and repositioning the quarters in the pan.
Just as the omelet finishes cooking, the rice cooker beeps. Dinner is served. The omelet is unlike any I've eaten before, with faint sweetness from the sugar and the onion. The fish sauce bolsters the pork's meatiness, but it also adds its distinct salty-savoriness to the omelet.
Back at Milk Street, we took inspiration from Soben's sidestep. So rather than flip our Cambodian pork omelet, we let the edges set in a skillet, then slipped it in the oven to finish cooking, much like a frittata. Pickled radishes and cucumbers—ready in 30 minutes, about the same time as the omelet takes—rounded out our take on a no-fuss family dinner.
From Cambodia, a meaty omelet with tangy pickled radishes
Whipped Feta Dip
Dutch Butter Cake
Save Room for Marmalade Bundt Cake


text:
#include "gpu-compute/tlb_coalescer.hh"

#include <cstring>

#include "base/logging.hh"
#include "debug/GPUTLB.hh"
#include "sim/process.hh"

TLBCoalescer::TLBCoalescer(const Params *p)
    : MemObject(p),
      clock(p->clk_domain->clockPeriod()),
      TLBProbesPerCycle(p->probesPerCycle),
      coalescingWindow(p->coalescingWindow),
      disableCoalescing(p->disableCoalescing),
      probeTLBEvent([this]{ processProbeTLBEvent(); },
                    "Probe the TLB below",
                    false, Event::CPU_Tick_Pri),
      cleanupEvent([this]{ processCleanupEvent(); },
                   "Cleanup issuedTranslationsTable hashmap",
                   false, Event::Maximum_Pri)
{
    // create the slave ports based on the number of connected ports
    for (size_t i = 0; i < p->port_slave_connection_count; ++i) {
        cpuSidePort.push_back(new CpuSidePort(csprintf("%s-port%d", name(), i),
                                              this, i));
    }

    // create the master ports based on the number of connected ports
    for (size_t i = 0; i < p->port_master_connection_count; ++i) {
        memSidePort.push_back(new MemSidePort(csprintf("%s-port%d", name(), i),
                                              this, i));
    }
}

BaseSlavePort&
TLBCoalescer::getSlavePort(const std::string &if_name, PortID idx)
{
    if (if_name == "slave") {
        if (idx >= static_cast<PortID>(cpuSidePort.size())) {
            panic("TLBCoalescer::getSlavePort: unknown index %d\n", idx);
        }

        return *cpuSidePort[idx];
    } else {
        panic("TLBCoalescer::getSlavePort: unknown port %s\n", if_name);
    }
}

BaseMasterPort&
TLBCoalescer::getMasterPort(const std::string &if_name, PortID idx)
{
    if (if_name == "master") {
        if (idx >= static_cast<PortID>(memSidePort.size())) {
            panic("TLBCoalescer::getMasterPort: unknown index %d\n", idx);
        }

        return *memSidePort[idx];
    } else {
        panic("TLBCoalescer::getMasterPort: unknown port %s\n", if_name);
    }
}

/*
 * This method returns true if the <incoming_pkt>
 * can be coalesced with <coalesced_pkt> and false otherwise.
 * A given set of rules is checked.
 * The rules can potentially be modified based on the TLB level.
 */
bool
TLBCoalescer::canCoalesce(PacketPtr incoming_pkt, PacketPtr coalesced_pkt)
{
    if (disableCoalescing)
        return false;

    TheISA::GpuTLB::TranslationState *incoming_state =
      safe_cast<TheISA::GpuTLB::TranslationState*>(incoming_pkt->senderState);

    TheISA::GpuTLB::TranslationState *coalesced_state =
     safe_cast<TheISA::GpuTLB::TranslationState*>(coalesced_pkt->senderState);

    // Rule 1: Coalesce requests only if they
    // fall within the same virtual page
    Addr incoming_virt_page_addr = roundDown(incoming_pkt->req->getVaddr(),
                                             TheISA::PageBytes);

    Addr coalesced_virt_page_addr = roundDown(coalesced_pkt->req->getVaddr(),
                                              TheISA::PageBytes);

    if (incoming_virt_page_addr != coalesced_virt_page_addr)
        return false;

    //* Rule 2: Coalesce requests only if they
    // share a TLB Mode, i.e. they are both read
    // or write requests.
    BaseTLB::Mode incoming_mode = incoming_state->tlbMode;
    BaseTLB::Mode coalesced_mode = coalesced_state->tlbMode;

    if (incoming_mode != coalesced_mode)
        return false;

    // when we can coalesce a packet update the reqCnt
    // that is the number of packets represented by
    // this coalesced packet
    if (!incoming_state->prefetch)
        coalesced_state->reqCnt.back() += incoming_state->reqCnt.back();

    return true;
}

/*
 * We need to update the physical addresses of all the translation requests
 * that were coalesced into the one that just returned.
 */
void
TLBCoalescer::updatePhysAddresses(PacketPtr pkt)
{
    Addr virt_page_addr = roundDown(pkt->req->getVaddr(), TheISA::PageBytes);

    DPRINTF(GPUTLB, "Update phys. addr. for %d coalesced reqs for page %#x\n",
            issuedTranslationsTable[virt_page_addr].size(), virt_page_addr);

    TheISA::GpuTLB::TranslationState *sender_state =
        safe_cast<TheISA::GpuTLB::TranslationState*>(pkt->senderState);

    TheISA::TlbEntry *tlb_entry = sender_state->tlbEntry;
    assert(tlb_entry);
    Addr first_entry_vaddr = tlb_entry->vaddr;
    Addr first_entry_paddr = tlb_entry->paddr;
    int page_size = tlb_entry->size();
    bool uncacheable = tlb_entry->uncacheable;
    int first_hit_level = sender_state->hitLevel;

    // Get the physical page address of the translated request
    // Using the page_size specified in the TLBEntry allows us
    // to support different page sizes.
    Addr phys_page_paddr = pkt->req->getPaddr();
    phys_page_paddr &= ~(page_size - 1);

    for (int i = 0; i < issuedTranslationsTable[virt_page_addr].size(); ++i) {
        PacketPtr local_pkt = issuedTranslationsTable[virt_page_addr][i];
        TheISA::GpuTLB::TranslationState *sender_state =
            safe_cast<TheISA::GpuTLB::TranslationState*>(
                    local_pkt->senderState);

        // we are sending the packet back, so pop the reqCnt associated
        // with this level in the TLB hiearchy
        if (!sender_state->prefetch)
            sender_state->reqCnt.pop_back();

        /*
         * Only the first packet from this coalesced request has been
         * translated. Grab the translated phys. page addr and update the
         * physical addresses of the remaining packets with the appropriate
         * page offsets.
         */
        if (i) {
            Addr paddr = phys_page_paddr;
            paddr |= (local_pkt->req->getVaddr() & (page_size - 1));
            local_pkt->req->setPaddr(paddr);

            if (uncacheable)
                local_pkt->req->setFlags(Request::UNCACHEABLE);

            // update senderState->tlbEntry, so we can insert
            // the correct TLBEentry in the TLBs above.
            auto p = sender_state->tc->getProcessPtr();
            sender_state->tlbEntry =
                new TheISA::TlbEntry(p->pid(), first_entry_vaddr,
                    first_entry_paddr, false, false);

            // update the hitLevel for all uncoalesced reqs
            // so that each packet knows where it hit
            // (used for statistics in the CUs)
            sender_state->hitLevel = first_hit_level;
        }

        SlavePort *return_port = sender_state->ports.back();
        sender_state->ports.pop_back();

        // Translation is done - Convert to a response pkt if necessary and
        // send the translation back
        if (local_pkt->isRequest()) {
            local_pkt->makeTimingResponse();
        }

        return_port->sendTimingResp(local_pkt);
    }

    // schedule clean up for end of this cycle
    // This is a maximum priority event and must be on
    // the same cycle as GPUTLB cleanup event to prevent
    // race conditions with an IssueProbeEvent caused by
    // MemSidePort::recvReqRetry
    cleanupQueue.push(virt_page_addr);

    if (!cleanupEvent.scheduled())
        schedule(cleanupEvent, curTick());
}

// Receive translation requests, create a coalesced request,
// and send them to the TLB (TLBProbesPerCycle)
bool
TLBCoalescer::CpuSidePort::recvTimingReq(PacketPtr pkt)
{
    // first packet of a coalesced request
    PacketPtr first_packet = nullptr;
    // true if we are able to do coalescing
    bool didCoalesce = false;
    // number of coalesced reqs for a given window
    int coalescedReq_cnt = 0;

    TheISA::GpuTLB::TranslationState *sender_state =
        safe_cast<TheISA::GpuTLB::TranslationState*>(pkt->senderState);

    // push back the port to remember the path back
    sender_state->ports.push_back(this);

    bool update_stats = !sender_state->prefetch;

    if (update_stats) {
        // if reqCnt is empty then this packet does not represent
        // multiple uncoalesced reqs(pkts) but just a single pkt.
        // If it does though then the reqCnt for each level in the
        // hierarchy accumulates the total number of reqs this packet
        // represents
        int req_cnt = 1;

        if (!sender_state->reqCnt.empty())
            req_cnt = sender_state->reqCnt.back();

        sender_state->reqCnt.push_back(req_cnt);

        // update statistics
        coalescer->uncoalescedAccesses++;
        req_cnt = sender_state->reqCnt.back();
        DPRINTF(GPUTLB, "receiving pkt w/ req_cnt %d\n", req_cnt);
        coalescer->queuingCycles -= (curTick() * req_cnt);
        coalescer->localqueuingCycles -= curTick();
    }

    // FIXME if you want to coalesce not based on the issueTime
    // of the packets (i.e., from the compute unit's perspective)
    // but based on when they reached this coalescer then
    // remove the following if statement and use curTick() or
    // coalescingWindow for the tick_index.
    if (!sender_state->issueTime)
       sender_state->issueTime = curTick();

    // The tick index is used as a key to the coalescerFIFO hashmap.
    // It is shared by all candidates that fall within the
    // given coalescingWindow.
    int64_t tick_index = sender_state->issueTime / coalescer->coalescingWindow;

    if (coalescer->coalescerFIFO.count(tick_index)) {
        coalescedReq_cnt = coalescer->coalescerFIFO[tick_index].size();
    }

    // see if we can coalesce the incoming pkt with another
    // coalesced request with the same tick_index
    for (int i = 0; i < coalescedReq_cnt; ++i) {
        first_packet = coalescer->coalescerFIFO[tick_index][i][0];

        if (coalescer->canCoalesce(pkt, first_packet)) {
            coalescer->coalescerFIFO[tick_index][i].push_back(pkt);

            DPRINTF(GPUTLB, "Coalesced req %i w/ tick_index %d has %d reqs\n",
                    i, tick_index,
                    coalescer->coalescerFIFO[tick_index][i].size());

            didCoalesce = true;
            break;
        }
    }

    // if this is the first request for this tick_index
    // or we did not manage to coalesce, update stats
    // and make necessary allocations.
    if (!coalescedReq_cnt || !didCoalesce) {
        if (update_stats)
            coalescer->coalescedAccesses++;

        std::vector<PacketPtr> new_array;
        new_array.push_back(pkt);
        coalescer->coalescerFIFO[tick_index].push_back(new_array);

        DPRINTF(GPUTLB, "coalescerFIFO[%d] now has %d coalesced reqs after "
                "push\n", tick_index,
                coalescer->coalescerFIFO[tick_index].size());
    }

    //schedule probeTLBEvent next cycle to send the
    //coalesced requests to the TLB
    if (!coalescer->probeTLBEvent.scheduled()) {
        coalescer->schedule(coalescer->probeTLBEvent,
                curTick() + coalescer->ticks(1));
    }

    return true;
}

void
TLBCoalescer::CpuSidePort::recvReqRetry()
{
    panic("recvReqRetry called");
}

void
TLBCoalescer::CpuSidePort::recvFunctional(PacketPtr pkt)
{

    TheISA::GpuTLB::TranslationState *sender_state =
        safe_cast<TheISA::GpuTLB::TranslationState*>(pkt->senderState);

    bool update_stats = !sender_state->prefetch;

    if (update_stats)
        coalescer->uncoalescedAccesses++;

    // If there is a pending timing request for this virtual address
    // print a warning message. This is a temporary caveat of
    // the current simulator where atomic and timing requests can
    // coexist. FIXME remove this check/warning in the future.
    Addr virt_page_addr = roundDown(pkt->req->getVaddr(), TheISA::PageBytes);
    int map_count = coalescer->issuedTranslationsTable.count(virt_page_addr);

    if (map_count) {
        DPRINTF(GPUTLB, "Warning! Functional access to addr %#x sees timing "
                "req. pending\n", virt_page_addr);
    }

    coalescer->memSidePort[0]->sendFunctional(pkt);
}

AddrRangeList
TLBCoalescer::CpuSidePort::getAddrRanges() const
{
    // currently not checked by the master
    AddrRangeList ranges;

    return ranges;
}

bool
TLBCoalescer::MemSidePort::recvTimingResp(PacketPtr pkt)
{
    // a translation completed and returned
    coalescer->updatePhysAddresses(pkt);

    return true;
}

void
TLBCoalescer::MemSidePort::recvReqRetry()
{
    //we've receeived a retry. Schedule a probeTLBEvent
    if (!coalescer->probeTLBEvent.scheduled())
        coalescer->schedule(coalescer->probeTLBEvent,
                curTick() + coalescer->ticks(1));
}

void
TLBCoalescer::MemSidePort::recvFunctional(PacketPtr pkt)
{
    fatal("Memory side recvFunctional() not implemented in TLB coalescer.\n");
}

/*
 * Here we scan the coalescer FIFO and issue the max
 * number of permitted probes to the TLB below. We
 * permit bypassing of coalesced requests for the same
 * tick_index.
 *
 * We do not access the next tick_index unless we've
 * drained the previous one. The coalesced requests
 * that are successfully sent are moved to the
 * issuedTranslationsTable table (the table which keeps
 * track of the outstanding reqs)
 */
void
TLBCoalescer::processProbeTLBEvent()
{
    // number of TLB probes sent so far
    int sent_probes = 0;
    // rejected denotes a blocking event
    bool rejected = false;

    // It is set to true either when the recvTiming of the TLB below
    // returns false or when there is another outstanding request for the
    // same virt. page.

    DPRINTF(GPUTLB, "triggered TLBCoalescer %s\n", __func__);

    for (auto iter = coalescerFIFO.begin();
         iter != coalescerFIFO.end() && !rejected; ) {
        int coalescedReq_cnt = iter->second.size();
        int i = 0;
        int vector_index = 0;

        DPRINTF(GPUTLB, "coalescedReq_cnt is %d for tick_index %d\n",
               coalescedReq_cnt, iter->first);

        while (i < coalescedReq_cnt) {
            ++i;
            PacketPtr first_packet = iter->second[vector_index][0];

            // compute virtual page address for this request
            Addr virt_page_addr = roundDown(first_packet->req->getVaddr(),
                    TheISA::PageBytes);

            // is there another outstanding request for the same page addr?
            int pending_reqs =
                issuedTranslationsTable.count(virt_page_addr);

            if (pending_reqs) {
                DPRINTF(GPUTLB, "Cannot issue - There are pending reqs for "
                        "page %#x\n", virt_page_addr);

                ++vector_index;
                rejected = true;

                continue;
            }

            // send the coalesced request for virt_page_addr
            if (!memSidePort[0]->sendTimingReq(first_packet)) {
                DPRINTF(GPUTLB, "Failed to send TLB request for page %#x",
                       virt_page_addr);

                // No need for a retries queue since we are already buffering
                // the coalesced request in coalescerFIFO.
                rejected = true;
                ++vector_index;
            } else {
                TheISA::GpuTLB::TranslationState *tmp_sender_state =
                    safe_cast<TheISA::GpuTLB::TranslationState*>
                    (first_packet->senderState);

                bool update_stats = !tmp_sender_state->prefetch;

                if (update_stats) {
                    // req_cnt is total number of packets represented
                    // by the one we just sent counting all the way from
                    // the top of TLB hiearchy (i.e., from the CU)
                    int req_cnt = tmp_sender_state->reqCnt.back();
                    queuingCycles += (curTick() * req_cnt);

                    DPRINTF(GPUTLB, "%s sending pkt w/ req_cnt %d\n",
                            name(), req_cnt);

                    // pkt_cnt is number of packets we coalesced into the one
                    // we just sent but only at this coalescer level
                    int pkt_cnt = iter->second[vector_index].size();
                    localqueuingCycles += (curTick() * pkt_cnt);
                }

                DPRINTF(GPUTLB, "Successfully sent TLB request for page %#x",
                       virt_page_addr);

                //copy coalescedReq to issuedTranslationsTable
                issuedTranslationsTable[virt_page_addr]
                    = iter->second[vector_index];

                //erase the entry of this coalesced req
                iter->second.erase(iter->second.begin() + vector_index);

                if (iter->second.empty())
                    assert(i == coalescedReq_cnt);

                sent_probes++;
                if (sent_probes == TLBProbesPerCycle)
                   return;
            }
        }

        //if there are no more coalesced reqs for this tick_index
        //erase the hash_map with the first iterator
        if (iter->second.empty()) {
            coalescerFIFO.erase(iter++);
        } else {
            ++iter;
        }
    }
}

void
TLBCoalescer::processCleanupEvent()
{
    while (!cleanupQueue.empty()) {
        Addr cleanup_addr = cleanupQueue.front();
        cleanupQueue.pop();
        issuedTranslationsTable.erase(cleanup_addr);

        DPRINTF(GPUTLB, "Cleanup - Delete coalescer entry with key %#x\n",
                cleanup_addr);
    }
}

void
TLBCoalescer::regStats()
{
    MemObject::regStats();

    uncoalescedAccesses
        .name(name() + ".uncoalesced_accesses")
        .desc("Number of uncoalesced TLB accesses")
        ;

    coalescedAccesses
        .name(name() + ".coalesced_accesses")
        .desc("Number of coalesced TLB accesses")
        ;

    queuingCycles
        .name(name() + ".queuing_cycles")
        .desc("Number of cycles spent in queue")
        ;

    localqueuingCycles
        .name(name() + ".local_queuing_cycles")
        .desc("Number of cycles spent in queue for all incoming reqs")
        ;

    localLatency
        .name(name() + ".local_latency")
        .desc("Avg. latency over all incoming pkts")
        ;

    localLatency = localqueuingCycles / uncoalescedAccesses;
}

TLBCoalescer*
TLBCoalescerParams::create()
{
    return new TLBCoalescer(this);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Juignac (okzitanisch: gleichlautend) ist ein Ort und eine Gemeinde mit  Einwohnern (Stand ) im westfranzösischen Département Charente in der Region Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Die Gemeinde besteht aus mehreren Weilern (hameaux) und Einzelgehöften.

Lage
Der Ort Juignac liegt in der alten Kulturlandschaft des Angoumois, einem Teil der Charente, in einer Höhe von rund 150 m ü. d. M. und ist etwa 36 km (Fahrtstrecke) in südlicher Richtung von der Stadt Angoulême entfernt.

Bevölkerungsentwicklung

Der kontinuierliche Bevölkerungsrückgang seit dem ausgehenden 19. Jahrhundert ist in der Hauptsache auf den Verlust an Arbeitsplätzen infolge der Reblauskrise und der zunehmenden Mechanisierung der Landwirtschaft zurückzuführen.

Wirtschaft
Lebten die Bewohner des Ortes jahrhundertelang als Selbstversorger von den Erträgen ihrer Felder und Gärten, so wurde im ausgehenden Mittelalter und in der frühen Neuzeit der Weinbau vorangetrieben, der jedoch – nach der Reblauskrise im ausgehenden 19. und beginnenden 20. Jahrhundert – das alte Mengenniveau nie wieder erreicht hat. Eine nicht unbedeutende Rolle für das Wirtschaftsleben der Gemeinde spielt auch der Tourismus in Form der Vermietung von Ferienwohnungen (gîtes).

Geschichte
Im Mittelalter lag der Ort an einer Nebenstrecke der Jakobswegs (Via Turonensis); die Kirche des Ortes gehörte zu einem Priorat, um das herum sich der Ort entwickelte.

Sehenswürdigkeiten

 Die ehemalige Prioratskirche und heutige Pfarrkirche Saint-Nazaire entstand im 12. Jahrhundert und ist aus gut behauenen Steinen gefügt; mehrfache Umbauten veränderten jedoch ihr äußeres Erscheinungsbild. Hervorzuheben ist die durch vorgestellte Halbsäulen mit aufruhenden Arkadenbögen gegliederte Apsis, deren gelaibte Fenster mit eingestellten Säulen für eine weitere Auflockerung der Wand und des Raumes sorgen. Die Apsiskalotte ist hingegen vollkommen ungegliedert und dekorlos. Der heutige Altar und die beiden seitlich knienden Engelsfiguren sind Werke des 19. Jahrhunderts.
außerhalb
 Circa einen Kilometer nordöstlich des Ortes befindet sich das im Jahr 1957 von Nonnen aus Saint-Jean-d'Angély gegründete Benediktinerinnenkloster der Abbaye Sainte-Marie de Maumont. Es befindet sich in den aufgegebenen Gebäuden des ehemaligen Château de Maumont, wurde jedoch in den Folgejahren durch Anbauten enorm erweitert. Die Abteigebäude dienen teilweise als Altersheim; darüber hinaus beherbergen die Nonnen Gäste und stellen liturgische Gewänder her.

Weblinks

 Webseite der Abbaye de Maumont (französisch)

Einzelnachweise

Ort in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Weinbauort in Frankreich

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Ksenofon Kutsiumbas (; ur. 1 maja 1980) – grecki zapaśnik walczący w stylu klasycznym. Olimpijczyk z Aten 2004, gdzie zajął siódme miejsce w kategorii 120 kg.

Sześciokrotny uczestnik mistrzostw świata; brązowy medalista w 2001; czwarty w 2002 i piąty w 2003. Trzeci na mistrzostwach Europy w 2003 a piąty w 2005. Mistrz igrzysk śródziemnomorskich w 2005, srebrny medalista w 2001 i pierwszy w mistrzostwach śródziemnomorskich w 2011. Trzeci na igrzyskach wojskowych w 2007. Wojskowy mistrz świata z 2002 i trzeci w 2003. Zdobył srebrny w 1999 i brązowy medal w 2000 na MŚ juniorów.

Jest bratem Jeorjosa Kutsiumbasa, zapaśnika i olimpijczyka z tych samych igrzysk.
 Turniej w Atenach 2004
Wygrał z Gruzinem Mirianem Giorgadze i Szwedem Eddy Bengtssonem a przegrał z Kazachem Gieorgijem Curcumią.

Przypisy

Bibliografia

Greccy olimpijczycy
Greccy zapaśnicy
Urodzeni w 1981
Uczestnicy Letnich Igrzysk Olimpijskich 2004
Ludzie urodzeni w Trikali


text:
October 22, 2016 12:01AM EDT
South Africa: Continent Wide Outcry at ICC Withdrawal
Victims' Advocates Urge Reconsideration, Support for Court
(Johannesburg) – South Africa's announced withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a slap in the face for victims of the most serious crimes and should be reconsidered, African groups and international organizations with a presence in Africa said today.
The groups urged other African countries to affirm their commitment to the ICC, the only court of last resort to which victims seeking justice for mass atrocities can turn.
The International Criminal Court premises in The Hague. © 2016 Human Rights Watch
"South Africa's intended withdrawal from the ICC represents a devastating blow for victims of international crimes across Africa," said Mossaad Mohamed Ali of the African Center for Justice and Peace Studies. "As South Africa is one of the founding members of the court, its announcement sends the wrong message to victims that Africa's leaders do not support their quest for justice."
South Africa publicly announced on October 21, 2016, that it has notified the United Nations secretary-general of its intent to withdraw from the ICC. However, there are significant questions as to whether South Africa abided by its domestic law in withdrawing without approval of its own parliament, the groups said.
"South Africa's purported withdrawal – without parliamentary approval or public debate – is a direct affront to decades of progress in the global fight against impunity," said Stella Ndirangu of International Commission of Jurists-Kenya. "We call on the South African government to reconsider its rash action and for other states in Africa and around the world to affirm their support for the ICC."
"We do not believe that this attempt to withdraw from the ICC is constitutional and it is a digression from the gains made by South Africa in promoting human rights on the continent," said Jemima Njeri of the Institute for Security Studies' International Crime in Africa Program. "The South African government is sending a signal that it is oblivious to victims of gross crimes globally."
South Africa's announcement that it will withdraw from the ICC comes after the country's court of appeal concluded the government violated its international and domestic legal obligations in not arresting ICC fugitive Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in June 2015, when he visited South Africa. A government appeal was pending, but on October 21, 2016, the government indicated that it has withdrawn the appeal.
"The decision by Pretoria to withdraw from the Rome Statute is a response to a domestic political situation," said George Kegoro of the Kenya Human Rights Commission. "Impervious to the country's political history and the significance of the ICC to African victims and general citizenry, the South African leadership is marching the country to a legal wilderness, where South Africa will be accountable for nothing."
South Africa is the first country to notify the UN secretary-general of withdrawal from the ICC. Burundi recently passed a law on ICC withdrawal but has not submitted notification with the UN secretary-general as required to trigger the process of withdrawal.
The ICC is meant to act as a court of last resort, stepping in only when national courts cannot or will not prosecute some of the most serious international crimes.
Since 2009, the ICC has faced a backlash from a vocal minority of African leaders alleging that the court is unfairly targeting Africa. While all of the ICC's investigations to date – with the exception of Georgia – have been in Africa, the majority have been initiated at the request of an African government: Central African Republic, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, and Uganda.
The situations in Libya and Darfur were referred by the UN Security Council. Kenya is the only African situation in which the government or Security Council did not make a request to the ICC regarding investigation.
At the same time, there is an uneven landscape. A number of powerful countries and their allies have been able to avoid the reach of the ICC, and of justice more generally. The ICC is constrained in reaching these countries because they are not parties to the ICC and because they or their allies on the Security Council have used the veto to block referral to the ICC of situations desperately in need of justice, including Syria.
The African Union (AU) has been a source of attacks on the ICC and in January 2016, it set up a committee to explore a strategy for ICC withdrawal. Many African governments continue to support the court, but have too often been silent in the face of attacks on it. Support has included cooperation with investigations and the referral of new situations to the court. Mali referred the crimes committed in its country in 2012, and Gabon referred crimes committed in its country in September 2016.
In July, during the AU summit, several African ICC members – Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Senegal, and Tunisia – took an important step in joining Botswana, a vocal ICC supporter, to expressly oppose an AU call for ICC withdrawal. Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Senegal also entered reservations to the July summit decision. Since 2009, activists across Africa have joined with international groups to call for African governments to support and strengthen the ICC, instead of undermining it.
"Now, more than ever, countries that believe in the rights of victims should affirm their support for the ICC," said Oby Nwankwo of the Nigeria's national Coalition for the ICC. "We should hear from Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Central African Republic, among many others, on the importance of the ICC in Africa and globally."
The following organizations that are active in an informal group that promotes justice for serious crimes endorsed this release (additional endorsements will be updated online):
African Center for Justice and Peace Studies (Uganda)
Africa Legal Aid
Burundi Coalition for the International Criminal Court
Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law–Sierra Leone
Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (Malawi)
Center for Democratic Development (Ghana)
Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (Nigeria)
Coalition for Justice and Accountability (Sierra Leone)
Coalition for the International Criminal Court
DefendDefenders (Uganda)
Federation Internationale des Droits de l'Homme
Foundation for Human Rights Initiative
International Commission of Jurists
International Commission of Jurists–Kenya
International Crime in Africa Program at the Institute for Security Studies (South Africa)
Kenyans for Peace, Truth, and Justice
Legal Defence and Assistance Project (Nigeria)
Ligue pour la Paix, les Droits de l'Homme et la Justice (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Nigerian Coalition for the International Criminal Court
Parliamentarians for Global Action
Southern Africa Litigation Centre (South Africa)
Vision Sociale ASBL (Democratic Republic of Congo)
September 22, 2016 News Release
UN/African Union: Reject ICC Withdrawal
ICC: Countries Should Press Kenya on Obstruction
July 18, 2016 Commentary
The International Criminal Court at a Crossroads
July 6, 2016 News Release
AU: Activists Challenge Attacks on ICC
July 6, 2016 Video
African Activists Speak out in Defense of the ICC
"Looking for Justice"
The Special Criminal Court, a New Opportunity for Victims in the Central African Republic
January 12, 2018 Report
"The Next One to Die"
State Security Force and Renamo Abuses in Mozambique