Nicely maintained, luxury condo in a gated community near UF & Shands! Floor plan features a huge living room, dining area, open and upgraded kitchen, and half bathroom downstairs. Off of the living room, there is a large screened-in porch for relaxation with a storage closet. Nicely updated laminate wood flooring downstairs. Upstairs there are 2 master bedrooms each with their own large closets and private bathrooms. Community is on several direct bus routes to to UF Campus, Shands, and Butler Plaza. Close to UF & Shands!


Role-playing is an active participation tool that facilitates cooperative learning. It has also proved to be more effective in developing competencies than traditional methods. Competencies, as well as being necessary for the student's professional development, are also required for European Higher Education Area adaptation, in which Spanish universities are now engrossed.
The example of "Learning by doing" is especially difficult to achieve in disciplines like social sciences, that don't count with laboratories or "field work".
That is why this technique is essential to make theory and practice compatible as is required in order to adapt subjects to the new education system based on the Bologna's agreement.
Consequently, the objective of this paper is to show the effect and use of role-playing applied to management area.
Therefore, we analyze and design the role-playing, putting it in practice in the classroom. This paper shows the seven year applied experience of this technique in several Human Resource Management (HRM) subjects of different academic degrees: Degree in Business Administration & Management, Degree in Tourism, Degree in Employment and Labour Relations and Degree in Marketing Research Techniques.
HRM, from a systematic perspective, consists of different processes. Amongst these processes, the recruitment and selection phase are considered to be fundamental from finding, pre selecting, selection testing up until the hiring of the chosen candidate. This is why role-playing is one of the proposal practices to be used in HRM subjects when applied to the final employee hiring process in a firm.
To be able to manage the whole hiring process, the activity was divided in many phases, which developed in different sessions throughout several weeks. Role-playing was applied to groups of thirty students and each session lasted two hours.
Experience has taught us that with this activity the student is able to learn and make his own the company's employee hiring process. As well as being able to perceive and face business reality better from both the possible candidates and the employer's point of view. Also, it is worth considering the fact that role-play brings with it empathy and a greater understanding of others. This is obvious to both teachers and students alike, as well as the difficulties and the efficiencies of this tool for the learning process in the highest level of cognitive knowledge.
By playing both roles it is easier to accept others points of view and at the same time learn about how one could react when being in that same situation. Therefore it helps to resolve conflicts assuming responsibly when making final decisions. Although this is an exercise and great risk are not being taking, the more emotional involvement the students feel the better it prepares them for future real cases.
To conclude, this paper has shown the importance of role-playing as a learning tool and development of skills like work cooperation, problem and conflict solving, decision making, and managing complex systems.
The relevance of this paper is justified by: firstly, the limited use of role-play in the business management area and secondly, a technique that brings a change in the traditional philosophy of teaching based in the innovative educational system, nowadays required by the European Higher Education Area.
keywords: role-playing, human resources, cooperative learning.
M. Ortiz-de-Urbina-Criado, S. Medina-Salgado, C. De La Calle-Durán (2010) LEARNING ROLE-PLAYING METHODOLOGY IN HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT, INTED2010 Proceedings, pp. 2578-2586.


With the firearms overhaul a while back and the medical overhaul a few patches ago, I would very much love to see a carpentry overhaul worked into an update. Keep in mind, I am suggesting an entire overhaul, not a small change or addition; i'm not asking them to add everything I have suggested in the next update, I understand that some/all of these suggestions will take lots of time and may not even be possible to add to the game. That being said, please read on.
Perhaps metalworking (unless your character was employed as a metalworker in his past life, he will have to read a few carpentry books to learn how), welding, electricity work (add an "electrician" character, some books on electric work, etc.), and other things like this could be added to the game.
Some more recipes like: different sizes of boxes/crates (have a different inventory count and take up different amounts of space), the ability to add wooden/metal security bars to doors, craft-able ladders and hatches, reinforcing doors/walls/windows/ with metal bars (you will have to know how to weld, skill books! ), and concrete/brick walls (again, skill books... or just choose to be a construction worker when you're creating a character).
The construction worker should spawn with a few levels of carpentry already unlocked (do this with the other jobs as well, like a police officer, doctor, etc.).
New tools like drills, jackhammers (not sure what we'll do with this, would be cool tho ), wrenches, chainsaws, box cutters, tire irons, mallets, hatchets, sheers... those are all that are coming to mind currently :/.
Tool boxes: contains several tools, nails/screws, and other items like wire, twine etc.
That is really all that I can think of/want to include in my suggestion. If you want to add to this suggestion, ask me to remove an item from this suggestion, or whatevs please post a comment.
PS: I know that they wouldn't have made a suggestions thread without wanting people to suggest things, but writing this suggestion made me feel selfish D: ... Thank you devs for creating such a great game and for taking suggestions, love what you all have created for us!
PPS: The " :P" face may have been overused... .
This was the first thing I posted on here btw, please be nice peeps!
ALSO: I'm sure some of these may have already been suggested so sorry for re-suggesting them. These were just my suggestions, not trying to steal somebody else's idea or spam the forums.
1. Great ideas, though I don't think the 1st is very plausible. There are so many things to be done that a total overhaul of anything they haven't already announced seems improbable. I suggested improving the system with some redos a while ago but I'm not sure if they have the time and resources to do anything major to carpentry since it is already working well.
2. Electric work was something they talked about at some point in history, but it hasn't come up since. Maybe it'll be introduced with cars and generators. Simple welding stuff and the likes would also be neat-o.
3. Locks are planned for doors, so I could see them expanding to making safes and the like. It's really not hard to make a wooden safe with a lock. I made one in 5th grade. So yeah, I agree. I'd consider it likely that there's more to come anyways.
4. The construction worker already has quite an advantage on building so I'm not 100% about this. The devs did say however that they want to have more separation between traits and professions so something similar to this could be in the plans.
5. I'd make a need for those items before introducing them to the game. Otherwise they're just going to warrant more posts about "why can't I use [item] for this?!?".
6. Yes! This'd be nice.
Alright, perhaps a complete "redo" wasn't necessary but changing certain things like the skill books, learning how to craft certain items, etc. would be nice.
I think we have to balance our suggestions on the basis of implementability as much as we do gameplay balance.
The idea that we would commit the developers' efforts towards revamping a functional (if imperfect) system and prioritize that over adding new features seems a bit far out. As a community, what would we like to focus the attentions of the developer on? I would definately say "New Stuff" over "Recreate Stuff" every time.
Still, your suggestions have merit, though I think the way they have recipes locked to level (Rain Barrels, Stairs, etc) more or less simulates what you're suggesting anyway. Perhaps I'm missing nuance, but I think they should shelve revamping carpentry until we get more base-game features.


CHICAGO — One man was killed and another wounded after a fight led to a shooting outside a River North nightclub.
Police were still searching for suspects Friday night and combing through surveillance footage.
The shooting happened just after midnight Friday in the 600 block of North Franklin Street, outside Sound Bar.
According to the Chicago Police Department, about 15 people were involved in a large fight when someone opened fire.
A bouncer at Sound Bar was shot multiple times. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 1 a.m. Friday. He has been identified as 28-year-old Thurman Bailey.
A second man, 58, was shot in the leg and arm, police said. His condition had stabilized.


text:
Interview: Oculus VR Founder Palmer Luckey On The State And Future Of VR
By Niels Broekhuijsen
We got the chance to interview Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus VR. He shared his anti-FUD thoughts on a Matrix-ish future and imagined a future with VR hardware on board an HMD. (Among other things.)
At Gamescom 2015, we had the chance to speak to Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus VR. In a brief conversation, we gathered some of his thoughts on the current state of VR, and where he sees it headed going in the future. So, without further ado, here are our questions, and his answers.
Tom's Hardware: If there was one challenge in VR that you had to overcome that you really wish wasn't an issue, which would it be?
Palmer Luckey: Probably unlimited GPU horsepower. It is one of the issues in VR that cannot be solved at this time. We can make our hardware as good as we want, our optics as sharp as we can, but at the end of the day we are reliant on how many flops the GPU can push, how high a framerate can it push? Right now, to get 90 frames per second [the minimum target framerate for Oculus VR] and very low latencies we need heaps of power, and we need to bump the quality of the graphics way down.
If we had unlimited GPU horsepower in everybody's computer, that will make our lives very much easier. Of course, that's not something we can control, and it's a problem that will be solved in due time.
TH: Isn't it okay to deal with the limited power we have today, because we're still in the stepping stones of VR technology?
PL: It's not just about the graphics being simple. You can have lots of objects in the virtual environment, and it can still cripple the experience. Yes, we are able to make immersive games on VR with simpler graphics on this limited power, but the reality is that our ability to create what we are imagining is being limited by the limited GPU horsepower.
TH: What is the most fun challenge that you've overcome in creating a VR experience?
PL: I'm a hardware guy, so for me it's all about building hardware that functions really well.
Many people think that the limiting factor for virtual reality is going to be the price. The reality of it is, we're trying to make the hardware as affordable as possible, and the money will be made on software. The one thing people forget, however, is that the PC that it will take to run a VR experience will be the defining factor in the total cost. Even if we sell our hardware for as little as $100, or even $50, the PC that it will take to run VR will take the total cost up much further, and that isn't something we can control.
TH: So far, I've only had good VR experiences, but I only saw my first demos recently. What is the worst VR experience that you've been through?
PL: I won't say, but it wasn't with our hardware. I'm pretty picky.
TH: Where do you see VR going in 10 years' time?
PL: It's hard to say. Ten years is a long way to shoot out, but it's all the obvious places. It will get more comfortable, more affordable, much higher resolution, the form factor will be brought down to a point where the device will look much more like an ordinary pair of sunglasses instead of a big bulky headset.
TH: Any fears of a Matrix-like future -- say, do we reach a point in development where we have a "perfect" headset?
PL: The thing to remember about science fiction is that it's looking to create a conflict to make an interesting story. Sci-fi is not a good indicator of where our technology will actually lead society. Nobody would want to watch the Matrix if the story was just about VR being really popular, and if it was a story telling how the world was a better place with it. I'm not concerned. I think that in the long run it will be a net positive to society.
TH: So, you don't fear that there will be a point when we need to say to ourselves: "We should tone it down a little, this is getting dangerous?"
PL: It is up to individuals to do that. My place is not to tell people when they've been using VR too much, or to try to control their usage. Anything that's fun to do gets abused by some people. You have to rely on people to use their own judgement.
I'd be very upset if someone were to put hardened controls on how much I could play a game, or be on the Internet or such.
TH: But you'll at least have usage terms written somewhere, indicating that you cannot be held accountable if people forget to eat [or such]?
PL: Maybe. [long pause] I don't think we will have to do that.
TH: If people do not have adequate hardware, will you be doing something to protect them against a bad experience [i.e., becoming sick]?
PL: Probably not. Trying to control that would be very difficult. What we could do is warn the user that what they are seeing is a very low frame rate, rather than just blocking it entirely. Also, we're just not going to support it. If someone is having very low framerate issues, and they have hardware that's far below our recommended spec, it's very easy to just say, "Look, we can't support it. None of our hardware was designed to work with your low-end PC."
TH: By what time do you expect VR to trickle down to a more mainstream audience, say consoles?
PL: It's hard to say. It's only a matter of time. It's all about tradeoffs between quality and costs. As the quality goes up, and the costs go down, and as the content available becomes more diverse, more people will become interested. However, you don't necessarily need to sell to everyone who has a game console to be successful in the short term.
The goal in the long run is not only to sell to people who buy game consoles, but also to people who buy mobile phones. You need to expand so that you can connect hundreds of millions of people to VR. It may not necessarily exist in the form of a phone dropping into a headset, but it will be mobile technologies -- mobile CPUs, mobile graphics cards, etc.
In the future, VR headsets are going to have all the render hardware on board, no longer being hardwired to a PC. A self-contained set of glasses is a whole other level of mainstream.
Follow Niels Broekhuijsen @NBroekhuijsen. Follow us @tomshardware, on Facebook and on Google+.
Niels Broekhuijsen
Niels Broekhuijsen is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He reviews cases, water cooling and pc builds.
CoryInJapan
I think its great that we dont have enough GPU power. It will really put on the pressure for the GPU guys to get more competative, and have more motivation to release an"actual new line of cards". Instead of a slightly improved line, or a rehash. *fingers crossed* for both AMD and Nvidia to do their best their capable of. Time will tell the story.
rapman4488
Well Nvidia should be releasing Pascal next year and the new architecture brings insane performance improvements. Jen-Hsun Huang said in a press conference in March that he estimates up to a 10x theoretical performance increase over Maxwell. I would say that in real world tests, (game framerates) a 2x improvement would sound pretty realistic and conservative. A 2x performance increase is massive and that is definitely on the conservative side of his estimate. This should hopefully bring us far over that current barrier VR has with GPU power mentioned in the article.
sephirotic
I'm really disappointed that neither the bigger games: Oculus nor Valve's VR invested in eye tracking technology. Eyetracking is CRUCIAL for a full a completely immersive experience, as it can push, with adaptive rendering, the quality of the image to the next level. It is also ESSENTIAL for a full 3D experience as it can simulate depth of field. The biggest problem that stereoscopic films and technology has always suffered is from the lack of selective depth of field, many people, including me, don´t like 3D cinema and televisions and fell dizzy and weird because you can´t choose what we want to focus. Eyetracking can correctly identify what your eyes are trying to focus on and simulate how the light rays hit your retina avoinding brain confusion to fail to achieve focus.
When I discovered tha FOVE VR was investing in eyetracking, Oculus and Vive Vr instantly lost my money. I will support FOVE, (and you guys should too) because I really wish it attains significancy in the VR game and force the competition to implement eyetracking too on a second generation devices.
sintheticreality
Oculus and Valve/HTC are actually heavily investing in eye-tracking. There are several firms that both companies have been working with to incorporate eye-tracking into future iterations of their head-mounted displays. I think we'll see eye-tracking and facial tracking in the 3rd or 4th-gen headsets, so only a few years away. A generation in VR will move, as admitted by people within Oculus like Palmer and others, in a similar speed to smartphones. So, 1-2 years for each new hardware release.
quilciri
but at the end of the day we are reliant on how many flops the GPU can push,
I immediately pictured "Occulus" in some epic-looking stonework font on the cover of their debut metal album, "Pushing Flops". I'm going to go get some coffee now and get those synapses firing correctly.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Yukon Territory. The destination of many during the gold rush of 1898, a destination today for hunters from around the world. I hunted the Ruby Range near Kluane Lake in 2013 for Dall Sheep with my great friend and hunting partner Mark Streissguth. We had an amazing hunt on which we both killed excellent Rams and even rebooked our 2015 return before we left camp.
This year I flew into Whitehorse on the 12th of September, linked up with Mark, picked up a few last minute supplies, and prepared to head back into the Ruby Range. The following day we flew in via Beaver on floats and landed on Gladstone Lake. Our outfitter, Ross Elliott, owner of Ruby Range Outfitters has one of several camps on Gladstone. We got settled into the hunter's cabin while Ross and his son Dustin tended to the 17 mountain horses they had in camp. The excitement level was high for Mark and me as we carried several tags between us. We each had tags for Dall Sheep, Mountain Caribou, and Alaskan Yukon Moose. I was lucky enough to also have a bonus tag for a Tundra Grizzly. Despite having numerous tags in hand, what gripped us most was the adventure, the hunt itself, we were about to embark upon.
The next day we all saddled up together and headed north out of camp on what would be a two hour ride into caribou country. It wasn't long before we spotted our first herd of about 50 animals. There were 4 bulls in the herd.
With my new Red Rock Precision 28 Nosler in hand I lined up for the shot. "Dustin, you ready?" "Yep." I let one fly and heard the 180 grain Berger VLD impact. The bull didn't move. I shot again, heard the hit again yet the bull still stood there. I thought about shooting a third shot but decided to watch for a second. We couldn't believe it. He just tipped over. I safed out my gun and we ran down the hill to check him out. Day one and one tag already filled. After skinning, quartering, and caping the bull we rode back to the Gladstone camp.
We both grabbed our head lamps and rifles while the bruin was ripping plywood off the side of our cabin. We made a quick plan and busted out the door. Mark went right and I went left, only to catch a glimpse of the Griz disappearing into the darkness. The bear came back at 4:00 AM and busted into the cook shack of our camp, but again escaped when we pursued. The next morning we saddled our horses and headed out to find this guy. It wasn't long before Dustin spotted him on a ridge across the lake. The problem was, it was a long shot with no means of getting closer. We decided to take the shot, only because of the conditions: no wind, no elevation change, a perfect prone shooting position, and time to shoot. A clean shot resulted in a quick kill. He's a 7'2" mountain Grizzly with a 22" skull. This bear had destroyed three of my outfitters camps in the previous weeks. Needless to say, we were all thrilled at the outcome of this amazing day in the Yukon.
On day 4, Mark decided to stay in the Gladstone camp where the potential for finding caribou was best. I headed down the lake toward Ross' Swanson Creek camp in route to an alpine basin where Dustin had spotted a number of good rams during his previous hunt. We rode for around three hours, crossed the river, and arrived to find the Swanson Creek cook shack in shambles from menacing grizzly. After about three hours of repairing the cabin and cleaning up debris, we got in a few hours of glassing above Gladstone Creek. We spotted a beautiful black bear, got some great photos, and headed back to camp.
The following day Dustin and I loaded the horses and headed further down Gladstone Creek in route to sheep country. Not long after crossing the creek, we spotted a huge bull moose across the valley. He had great fronts, many points, and had to be mid 60's in width. He was on the move just above timber line, also headed down stream. He was a definite shooter. He was headed for the low country down near Kluane Lake. At the time we thought he must be getting out of Dodge because of oncoming weather, or that he is just on the move looking for cows because the rut was on. We spent the rest of the day on horseback attempting to get in front of him so we could cross to his side and possibly cut him off. He, however, was moving too fast and we eventually lost him in the timber. By this time it was too late and our alpine basin spike camp would have to wait another day. We had just enough time to locate a spot with enough grass for the horses to pitch our tents before darkness. I went to sleep that night listening to the bells on our hobbled horses and dreaming of a heavy broomed off Dall Ram.
We woke the next morning to a great surprise; eighteen inches of fresh snow. We were stunned. I started a big campfire and we sat there for two hours drinking coffee contemplating our next move. Making our way into the higher sheep country, where there was inevitably even more snow, was not in the cards. We decided to feed our remaining oats to the horses and head to Kluane Lake in an area Dustin knew to hold great moose. Seven hours on horseback and a sore you-know-what later we arrived at The Ruby Range Cove camp on the lake.
Our first day at the Cove, we rode about an hour to a ridge overlooking the lake. We glassed for moose, spotting 11 throughout the day. Just before dark we found a great bull that we would definitely try to get the following morning. Well, we spent the next two days covering miles of country in two feet of snow attempting to relocate him. This was not to be, he had moved on, apparently to find more cows.
By this time Mark had joined us at the Cove and we all decided to head out in the Outfitters boat to look for sheep along the peaks surrounding Kluane Lake. The snow had definitely pushed some of these Dall down, as we saw 150 sheep in an afternoon. The crazy thing was, they were all ewes and lambs and there was not one ram amongst them. Dustin decided to land the boat where we could start a fire, have lunch, and continue to glass, in hopes of finding a Ram. I still couldn't get my mind off the big bull moose and, after scanning intently for sheep, I turned my scope to the hills above the Cove where we had spotted him several days earlier. It must have been five miles away but because of the snow I was able to make out some movement across my view. Yes it was a bull moose. Was it him? I had no idea. Dustin turned his scope on him and confirmed a bull and he looked good.
So there began our stalk. In a boat we had to first cross Kluane Lake. Back at the Cove, we saddled the horses and headed up. It was about an hour ride to get us in a position 1,000 yards from where we last saw the brute. Scopes out, searching intently, we located three cows but no bull. My excitement dwindled over the next hour. It was right about the time we were beginning to pack up, Dustin said "wait, I got something." He studied his scope for what seemed an eternity and finally said "I got him." The bull had bedded in a clove of willows and Dustin found one visible tine from a 1,000 yards out. I love my guide.
We planned our stalk to a snowy knoll we believed would put us at 200 yards. Leaving the horses, we moved out, wind right to left. Half way to the knoll, now out of site of the moose, the wind turned against us. I thought for sure we were busted, for it was right at our backs.
We hustled through the deep snow, dripping sweat at 10 degrees, hoping our scent had not pushed the bull out of range. Just before we topped out I chambered a round, reminded Dustin to call out the range, and mentally prepared for the shot. We peaked over the bank and the bull was standing, looking directly at us. The cows had already fled and it was obvious we had only seconds before the bull would move out too. Dustin had already called out 157 yards and, before he finished saying "he's a shooter," my bullet was on the way. He was hit, took only a few steps, and crashed into the willows. I can't explain our emotions at that moment. We had hunted this moose for four days and began this stalk from five miles away. We approached and were overjoyed at the magnificent bull we laid our eyes on. I was blown away.
We did what we could that evening and spent the next two days tending to the moose. All meat, cape, and antlers were salvaged. The tenderloins were fabulous and enjoyed by all back at the Cove. We spent our final days of the hunt on Kluane Lake in search of Dall rams. We did find a few smaller legal rams, but chose not to pursue in hopes they too would someday grow into the beautiful trophies found throughout the Ruby Range.
Over the years Mark and I have hunted together many times. From Sonora to the Yukon we've chased big game all over North America. On one of these hunts long ago he said something to me I will never forget; "Mike, collect hunts, not trophies." His message struck home. Although he and I together took some amazing animals on this trip to the Yukon, it is the scenery, the adventure, the comradery, the beauty of the Yukon - the hunt with my great friend that I will carry with me always.
Submit a review for Mike Opitz!


text:
Heat-stable vaccines urgently needed to reach the one in five children missed by immunisation worldwide
Photograph by Nabila Kram
New MSF study shows a tetanus vaccine remains effective for up to a month when used outside of a strict cold chain
Geneva/Paris, 22 April 2014 —The need for vaccines to be kept constantly cold is proving a major barrier in improving poor immunisation coverage rates, with one in five children born each year missing out on life-saving vaccinations, international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said today. But the logistical hurdles imposed by the 'cold chain' – the requirement to keep vaccines between 2oC and 8oC – could be eased if pharmaceutical companies generated more information on how sensitive to heat vaccines really are; a new MSF study on a tetanus vaccine confirms that some vaccines can be safely used outside the cold chain.
"In our experience, the need to keep vaccines in the cold chain all the way to the patient is quite simply one of the biggest barriers to effective vaccination responses by groups like MSF", said Dr Greg Elder, Deputy Director for Operations at MSF. "If more vaccines could be safely used outside of the cold chain for a period of time, particularly for the last stretch of their journey to people living in the most remote areas, we'd be able to reach far more children."
Currently, the requirement for a vaccine to be transported and stored in a constant cold chain, from the time it leaves the manufacturer until it is used at a vaccination point, places huge logistical challenges on vaccination providers who must ensure that the cold chain is maintained each step of the way. Although this is not a significant challenge in wealthy countries, it is a considerable obstacle in developing countries, particularly in areas that are hot, isolated and lack reliable electricity for refrigeration. This difficulty in getting vaccines to some places is a significant cause of low immunisation rates in some countries, leading to more than 22 million children below the age of one who are not fully vaccinated each year.
But growing evidence shows that some vaccines can be safely kept out of the cold chain for certain periods of time. Called the 'controlled temperature chain' (CTC), some vaccines can leave the cold chain for a short period just before they're used, which would ease the logistics of transporting the vaccine in the last, critical, stage of its journey, from district or health post to remote villages.
"This is a barrier that can be addressed and overcome; it's a question of political will and of acting to meet the needs of kids in developing countries rather than just for the economic bottom-line", said Kate Elder, Vaccines Policy Advisor for MSF's Access Campaign. "To ease the burden of the cold chain, we need pharmaceutical companies to use their existing data, and generate new information where needed, to show the true heat stability of their vaccines and demonstrate that some are effective when used outside of the strictest cold chain. This has been done before, but in very rare cases – we need more companies to step up."
Only one vaccine so far has been recommended for use by World Health Organization (WHO) in CTC conditions. The MenAfriVac vaccine, used to vaccinate against strains of meningitis A in the sub-Saharan African meningitis belt, was approved in November 2012 for use at up to four days at up to 40oC.
MSF's research arm Epicentre, has recently conducted a study showing that one tetanus toxoid vaccine can also be safely used in CTC conditions. During 2013, Epicentre, MSF, and partners carried out a study to determine the stability and continued efficacy of the Serum Institute of India's tetanus toxoid vaccine, when kept in a controlled temperature chain at ambient temperatures of up to 40oC for up to 30 days. In Chad, the study compared the vaccine's effectiveness in two groups of women who received the vaccine, either after being kept in a strict cold chain, or out of the cold chain for up to 30 days. The study showed that both groups of women were adequately protected against tetanus.
Photograph by Natacha Buhler
"The study results suggest that the tetanus vaccine from the Serum Institute of India is stable, safe and immunogenic outside of the strict cold chain", said Dr Rebecca Grais, Director of Epidemiology at Epicentre. "This result I hope will encourage clear guidelines on the more flexible use of the tetanus toxoid vaccine in CTC conditions, so that more people who live in remote areas can be immunised."
The positive results from the Epicentre study, and the precedent of re-licensing of the MenAfriVac vaccine, should push pharmaceutical companies to more actively generate and release data on heat-stable vaccines and seek approval to re-label them for use outside of a strict cold chain.
"In the immediate term, the onus is on the pharmaceutical companies to generate data and take the initiative with regulatory bodies so that their vaccines can be relicensed for use outside of the strict cold chain", said Ms Elder. "Longer-term we want the next-generation vaccines to be developed and licenced with ambitious heat stability targets so that this problem is avoided from the outset."
Give All Children A Fair Shot
Join us in demanding a lower price
for pneumonia vaccine, and help save nearly
1 million children every year!


text:
import base64
import json
import logging
import tba_config

from google.appengine.api import memcache
from google.appengine.ext import ndb
from google.appengine.api import urlfetch

from models.sitevar import Sitevar

class WebcastOnlineHelper(object):
    @classmethod
    @ndb.toplevel
    def add_online_status(cls, webcasts):
        for webcast in webcasts:
            cls.add_online_status_async(webcast)

    @classmethod
    @ndb.tasklet
    def add_online_status_async(cls, webcast):
        memcache_key = 'webcast_status:{}:{}:{}'.format(webcast['type'], webcast.get('channel'), webcast.get('file'))
        cached_webcast = memcache.get(memcache_key)
        if cached_webcast:
            if 'status' in cached_webcast:
                webcast['status'] = cached_webcast['status']
            if 'stream_title' in cached_webcast:
                webcast['stream_title'] = cached_webcast['stream_title']
            return

        webcast['status'] = 'unknown'
        webcast['stream_title'] = None
        if not tba_config.CONFIG['update-webcast-online-status']:
            return
        if webcast['type'] == 'twitch':
            yield cls._add_twitch_status_async(webcast)
        elif webcast['type'] == 'ustream':
            yield cls._add_ustream_status_async(webcast)
        elif webcast['type'] == 'youtube':
            yield cls._add_youtube_status_async(webcast)
        # Livestream charges for their API. Go figure.
        # elif webcast['type'] == 'livestream':
        #     yield cls._add_livestream_status_async(webcast)

        memcache.set(memcache_key, webcast, 60*5)

    @classmethod
    @ndb.tasklet
    def _add_twitch_status_async(cls, webcast):
        twitch_secrets = Sitevar.get_or_insert('twitch.secrets')
        client_id = None
        if twitch_secrets and twitch_secrets.contents:
            client_id = twitch_secrets.contents.get('client_id')
        if client_id:
            try:
                url = 'https://api.twitch.tv/helix/streams?user_login={}'.format(webcast['channel'])
                rpc = urlfetch.create_rpc()
                result = yield urlfetch.make_fetch_call(rpc, url, headers={
                    'Client-ID': client_id,
                })
            except Exception, e:
                logging.error("URLFetch failed for: {}".format(url))
                raise ndb.Return(None)
        else:
            logging.warning("Must have Twitch Client ID")
            raise ndb.Return(None)

        if result.status_code == 200:
            response = json.loads(result.content)
            if response['data']:
                webcast['status'] = 'online'
                webcast['stream_title'] = response['stream']['channel']['status']
            else:
                webcast['status'] = 'offline'
        else:
            logging.warning("Twitch status failed with code: {}".format(result.status_code))
            logging.warning(result.content)

        raise ndb.Return(None)

    @classmethod
    @ndb.tasklet
    def _add_ustream_status_async(cls, webcast):
        try:
            url = 'https://api.ustream.tv/channels/{}.json'.format(webcast['channel'])
            rpc = urlfetch.create_rpc()
            result = yield urlfetch.make_fetch_call(rpc, url)
        except Exception, e:
            logging.error("URLFetch failed for: {}".format(url))
            raise ndb.Return(None)

        if result.status_code == 200:
            response = json.loads(result.content)
            if response['channel']:
                webcast['status'] = 'online' if response['channel']['status'] == 'live' else 'offline'
                webcast['stream_title'] = response['channel']['title']
            else:
                webcast['status'] = 'offline'
        else:
            logging.warning("Ustream status failed with code: {}".format(result.status_code))
            logging.warning(result.content)

        raise ndb.Return(None)

    @classmethod
    @ndb.tasklet
    def _add_youtube_status_async(cls, webcast):
        google_secrets = Sitevar.get_or_insert('google.secrets')
        api_key = None
        if google_secrets and google_secrets.contents:
            api_key = google_secrets.contents.get('api_key')
        if api_key:
            try:
                url = 'https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/videos?part=snippet&id={}&key={}'.format(webcast['channel'], api_key)
                rpc = urlfetch.create_rpc()
                result = yield urlfetch.make_fetch_call(rpc, url)
            except Exception, e:
                logging.error("URLFetch failed for: {}".format(url))
                raise ndb.Return(None)
        else:
            logging.warning("Must have Google API key")
            raise ndb.Return(None)

        if result.status_code == 200:
            response = json.loads(result.content)
            if response['items']:
                webcast['status'] = 'online' if response['items'][0]['snippet']['liveBroadcastContent'] == 'live' else 'offline'
                webcast['stream_title'] = response['items'][0]['snippet']['title']
            else:
                webcast['status'] = 'offline'
        else:
            logging.warning("YouTube status failed with code: {}".format(result.status_code))
            logging.warning(result.content)

        raise ndb.Return(None)

    @classmethod
    @ndb.tasklet
    def _add_livestream_status_async(cls, webcast):
        livestream_secrets = Sitevar.get_or_insert('livestream.secrets')
        api_key = None
        if livestream_secrets and livestream_secrets.contents:
            api_key = livestream_secrets.contents.get('api_key')
        if api_key:
            try:
                url = 'https://livestreamapis.com/v2/accounts/{}/events/{}'.format(webcast['channel'], webcast['file'])
                base64string = base64.encodestring('{}:'.format(api_key)).replace('\n','')
                headers = {
                    'Authorization': 'Basic {}'.format(base64string)
                }
                rpc = urlfetch.create_rpc()
                result = yield urlfetch.make_fetch_call(rpc, url, headers=headers)
            except Exception, e:
                logging.error("URLFetch failed for: {}".format(url))
                raise ndb.Return(None)
        else:
            logging.warning("Must have Livestream API key")
            raise ndb.Return(None)

        if result.status_code == 200:
            response = json.loads(result.content)
            if response['items']:
                webcast['status'] = 'online' if response['items'][0]['snippet']['liveBroadcastContent'] == 'live' else 'offline'
                webcast['stream_title'] = response['items'][0]['snippet']['title']
            else:
                webcast['status'] = 'offline'
        else:
            logging.warning("Livestream status failed with code: {}".format(result.status_code))
            logging.warning(result.content)

        raise ndb.Return(None)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The Maelbeek subway station was the site of a terrorist bomb blast last month.
The Brussels subway station where a suicide bomber killed 16 people last month reopened today, following a decision by transport and security officials who met Sunday.
All 69 subway stations are now operating as usual in the Belgian capital, although extra security measures remain in place, STIB, the company running the subway, said.
At Maelbeek, the targeted station, only two exits are open. Military and police officers are stationed and on patrol throughout public transport locations.
Many commuters today stopped on their way to work to write messages on a wall of remembrance set up by the STIB.
Members of a commission investigating the attacks have already visited the two bomb sites -- Maelbeek and Brussels Airport -- and are expected to deliver a report recommending security improvements.


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text:
Q: How to add regularizations in TensorFlow? I found in many available neural network code implemented using TensorFlow that regularization terms are often implemented by manually adding an additional term to loss value.
My questions are:

*

*Is there a more elegant or recommended way of regularization than doing it manually?

*I also find that get_variable has an argument regularizer. How should it be used? According to my observation, if we pass a regularizer to it (such as tf.contrib.layers.l2_regularizer, a tensor representing regularized term will be computed and added to a graph collection named tf.GraphKeys.REGULARIZATOIN_LOSSES. Will that collection be automatically used by TensorFlow (e.g. used by optimizers when training)? Or is it expected that I should use that collection by myself?

A: If anyone's still looking, I'd just like to add on that in tf.keras you may add weight regularization by passing them as arguments in your layers. An example of adding L2 regularization taken wholesale from the Tensorflow Keras Tutorials site:
model = keras.models.Sequential([
    keras.layers.Dense(16, kernel_regularizer=keras.regularizers.l2(0.001),
                       activation=tf.nn.relu, input_shape=(NUM_WORDS,)),
    keras.layers.Dense(16, kernel_regularizer=keras.regularizers.l2(0.001),
                       activation=tf.nn.relu),
    keras.layers.Dense(1, activation=tf.nn.sigmoid)
])

There's no need to manually add in the regularization losses with this method as far as I know.
Reference: https://www.tensorflow.org/tutorials/keras/overfit_and_underfit#add_weight_regularization

A: As you say in the second point, using the regularizer argument is the recommended way. You can use it in get_variable, or set it once in your variable_scope and have all your variables regularized.
The losses are collected in the graph, and you need to manually add them to your cost function like this.
  reg_losses = tf.get_collection(tf.GraphKeys.REGULARIZATION_LOSSES)
  reg_constant = 0.01  # Choose an appropriate one.
  loss = my_normal_loss + reg_constant * sum(reg_losses)

A: A few aspects of the existing answer were not immediately clear to me, so here is a step-by-step guide:

*

*Define a regularizer. This is where the regularization constant can be set, e.g.:
regularizer = tf.contrib.layers.l2_regularizer(scale=0.1)

*Create variables via:
    weights = tf.get_variable(
        name="weights",
        regularizer=regularizer,
        ...
    )

Equivalently, variables can be created via the regular weights = tf.Variable(...) constructor, followed by tf.add_to_collection(tf.GraphKeys.REGULARIZATION_LOSSES, weights).

*Define some loss term and add the regularization term:
reg_variables = tf.get_collection(tf.GraphKeys.REGULARIZATION_LOSSES)
reg_term = tf.contrib.layers.apply_regularization(regularizer, reg_variables)
loss += reg_term

Note: It looks like tf.contrib.layers.apply_regularization is implemented as an AddN, so more or less equivalent to sum(reg_variables).

A: I tested tf.get_collection(tf.GraphKeys.REGULARIZATION_LOSSES) and tf.losses.get_regularization_loss() with one l2_regularizer in the graph, and found that they return the same value. By observing the value's quantity, I guess reg_constant has already make sense on the value by setting the parameter of tf.contrib.layers.l2_regularizer.

A: If you have CNN you may do the following:
In your model function:
conv = tf.layers.conv2d(inputs=input_layer,
                        filters=32,
                        kernel_size=[3, 3],
                        kernel_initializer='xavier',
                        kernel_regularizer=tf.contrib.layers.l2_regularizer(1e-5),
                        padding="same",
                        activation=None)
...

In your loss function:
onehot_labels = tf.one_hot(indices=tf.cast(labels, tf.int32), depth=num_classes)
loss = tf.losses.softmax_cross_entropy(onehot_labels=onehot_labels, logits=logits)
regularization_losses = tf.losses.get_regularization_losses()
loss = tf.add_n([loss] + regularization_losses)

A: I'll provide a simple correct answer since I didn't find one. You need two simple steps, the rest is done by tensorflow magic:

*

*Add regularizers when creating variables or layers:
tf.layers.dense(x, kernel_regularizer=tf.contrib.layers.l2_regularizer(0.001))
# or
tf.get_variable('a', regularizer=tf.contrib.layers.l2_regularizer(0.001))

*Add the regularization term when defining loss:
loss = ordinary_loss + tf.losses.get_regularization_loss()

A: cross_entropy = tf.losses.softmax_cross_entropy(
  logits=logits, onehot_labels=labels)

l2_loss = weight_decay * tf.add_n(
     [tf.nn.l2_loss(tf.cast(v, tf.float32)) for v in tf.trainable_variables()])

loss = cross_entropy + l2_loss

A: Another option to do this with the contrib.learn library is as follows, based on the Deep MNIST tutorial on the Tensorflow website. First, assuming you've imported the relevant libraries (such as import tensorflow.contrib.layers as layers), you can define a network in a separate method:
def easier_network(x, reg):
    """ A network based on tf.contrib.learn, with input `x`. """
    with tf.variable_scope('EasyNet'):
        out = layers.flatten(x)
        out = layers.fully_connected(out,
                num_outputs=200,
                weights_initializer = layers.xavier_initializer(uniform=True),
                weights_regularizer = layers.l2_regularizer(scale=reg),
                activation_fn = tf.nn.tanh)
        out = layers.fully_connected(out,
                num_outputs=200,
                weights_initializer = layers.xavier_initializer(uniform=True),
                weights_regularizer = layers.l2_regularizer(scale=reg),
                activation_fn = tf.nn.tanh)
        out = layers.fully_connected(out,
                num_outputs=10, # Because there are ten digits!
                weights_initializer = layers.xavier_initializer(uniform=True),
                weights_regularizer = layers.l2_regularizer(scale=reg),
                activation_fn = None)
        return out

Then, in a main method, you can use the following code snippet:
def main(_):
    mnist = input_data.read_data_sets(FLAGS.data_dir, one_hot=True)
    x = tf.placeholder(tf.float32, [None, 784])
    y_ = tf.placeholder(tf.float32, [None, 10])

    # Make a network with regularization
    y_conv = easier_network(x, FLAGS.regu)
    weights = tf.get_collection(tf.GraphKeys.TRAINABLE_VARIABLES, 'EasyNet')
    print("")
    for w in weights:
        shp = w.get_shape().as_list()
        print("- {} shape:{} size:{}".format(w.name, shp, np.prod(shp)))
    print("")
    reg_ws = tf.get_collection(tf.GraphKeys.REGULARIZATION_LOSSES, 'EasyNet')
    for w in reg_ws:
        shp = w.get_shape().as_list()
        print("- {} shape:{} size:{}".format(w.name, shp, np.prod(shp)))
    print("")

    # Make the loss function `loss_fn` with regularization.
    cross_entropy = tf.reduce_mean(
        tf.nn.softmax_cross_entropy_with_logits(labels=y_, logits=y_conv))
    loss_fn = cross_entropy + tf.reduce_sum(reg_ws)
    train_step = tf.train.AdamOptimizer(1e-4).minimize(loss_fn)

To get this to work you need to follow the MNIST tutorial I linked to earlier and import the relevant libraries, but it's a nice exercise to learn TensorFlow and it's easy to see how the regularization affects the output. If you apply a regularization as an argument, you can see the following:
- EasyNet/fully_connected/weights:0 shape:[784, 200] size:156800
- EasyNet/fully_connected/biases:0 shape:[200] size:200
- EasyNet/fully_connected_1/weights:0 shape:[200, 200] size:40000
- EasyNet/fully_connected_1/biases:0 shape:[200] size:200
- EasyNet/fully_connected_2/weights:0 shape:[200, 10] size:2000
- EasyNet/fully_connected_2/biases:0 shape:[10] size:10

- EasyNet/fully_connected/kernel/Regularizer/l2_regularizer:0 shape:[] size:1.0
- EasyNet/fully_connected_1/kernel/Regularizer/l2_regularizer:0 shape:[] size:1.0
- EasyNet/fully_connected_2/kernel/Regularizer/l2_regularizer:0 shape:[] size:1.0

Notice that the regularization portion gives you three items, based on the items available.
With regularizations of 0, 0.0001, 0.01, and 1.0, I get test accuracy values of 0.9468, 0.9476, 0.9183, and 0.1135, respectively, showing the dangers of high regularization terms.

A: Some answers make me more confused.Here I give two methods to make it clearly.
#1.adding all regs by hand
var1 = tf.get_variable(name='v1',shape=[1],dtype=tf.float32)
var2 = tf.Variable(name='v2',initial_value=1.0,dtype=tf.float32)
regularizer = tf.contrib.layers.l1_regularizer(0.1)
reg_term = tf.contrib.layers.apply_regularization(regularizer,[var1,var2])
#here reg_term is a scalar

#2.auto added and read,but using get_variable
with tf.variable_scope('x',
        regularizer=tf.contrib.layers.l2_regularizer(0.1)):
    var1 = tf.get_variable(name='v1',shape=[1],dtype=tf.float32)
    var2 = tf.get_variable(name='v2',shape=[1],dtype=tf.float32)
reg_losses = tf.get_collection(tf.GraphKeys.REGULARIZATION_LOSSES)
#here reg_losses is a list,should be summed

Then,it can be added into the total loss

A: tf.GraphKeys.REGULARIZATION_LOSSES will not be added automatically, but there is a simple way to add them:
reg_loss = tf.losses.get_regularization_loss()
total_loss = loss + reg_loss

tf.losses.get_regularization_loss() uses tf.add_n to sum the entries of tf.GraphKeys.REGULARIZATION_LOSSES element-wise. tf.GraphKeys.REGULARIZATION_LOSSES will typically be a list of scalars, calculated using regularizer functions. It gets entries from calls to tf.get_variable that have the regularizer parameter specified. You can also add to that collection manually. That would be useful when using tf.Variable and also when specifying activity regularizers or other custom regularizers. For instance:
#This will add an activity regularizer on y to the regloss collection
regularizer = tf.contrib.layers.l2_regularizer(0.1)
y = tf.nn.sigmoid(x)
act_reg = regularizer(y)
tf.add_to_collection(tf.GraphKeys.REGULARIZATION_LOSSES, act_reg)

(In this example it would presumably be more effective to regularize x, as y really flattens out for large x.)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home Research > Members > 1509-1558 > VACHELL, Thomas I (by 1500-53)
VACHELL, Thomas I (by 1500-53), of Coley, Berks.
? 1539
b. by 1500, 1st s. of Thomas Vachell of Coley by 1st w. Elizabeth, da. and coh. of William Cockworthy of Yarnscombe, Devon; half-bro. of Oliver Vachell. educ. M. Temple, adm. 8 Feb. 1518. m. by 1521, Agnes, da. of William Justice of Southampton, Hants and Reading, Berks. 4s. inc. Thomas II 5da.4
Commr. subsidy, Reading 1523, 1524, relief Berks. 1550, goods of churches and fraternities 1553; other commissions 1527-51; escheator, Oxon. and Berks. 1534-5, 1545-6; j.p. Berks. 1536-44; steward, duchy of Lancaster, manors of Ascot and Deddington, Oxon. 1537-d.; dep. steward, Reading 1539; overseer, lands formerly of Reading abbey and Leominster priory, and bailiff, Reading 1540; victualler, Calais and Boulogne 1544-5.5
The family of Vachell had lived in Berkshire since the early 13th century, holding land at and near Reading. The shire had sent a Vachell to Parliament in 1324 and 1329, and Reading another in 1388, but by Thomas Vachell's time the tradition of public service had failed, his father having apparently taken no part in affairs.6
Despite the family's long connexion with Reading, Vachell was a country gentleman, not a townsman, and his return to Parliament in 1529 for a borough which generally chose its Members from among its own governing group implies that he, and perhaps also his fellow, John Raymond I, were imposed upon it from outside. If Vachell was a court nominee, there is no indication why this youngish man, with no known household connexion or public office, should have enjoyed such support: his association with Cromwell, even if it predated the minister's rise to power, could hardly have been of service in 1529. As a 'King's man', too, Vachell would have given less than complete satisfaction in the House. His name occurs in a list of Members drawn up early in 1533 and believed to indicate those, or some of those, who opposed the bill in restraint of appeals to Rome. The fact that Vachell's name is linked on this list with those of several other men from Berkshire, or connected with that county, besides hinting at a measure of co-ordination, suggests that one source of opposition to the bill was fear of commercial reprisals abroad damaging to two of the country's staple occupations, sheep-rearing and cloth-making: it was probably Vachell's interest in pasture farming which in the following session got him involved in a bill limiting the size of flocks, his name being one of seven appearing on the dorse of the resulting Act. Its reappearance in a list of Members written by Cromwell on the back of a letter of December 1534 is harder to explain. From the character of this list the Members concerned appear to have been connected in a particular way with the treasons bill then passing through Parliament. At least six of those named had appeared on the list associated with the bill in restraint of appeals, and four of them belonged to the 'Berkshire group' discernible in that list: thus Vachell reappears in the company of some likely opponents of the treasons bill, but whether he is to be reckoned as one of them, or as one of its presumed supporters who make up the majority of the newly named Members, it is impossible to say.7
Vachell's restiveness—if such it was—in 1533-4 did not prevent his regular employment by Cromwell as a local watchdog. In November 1534 he reported to Cromwell that, as directed, he had been to Oxford to inquire into enclosures, and some two years later Sir George Throckmorton, riding to confer with Sir William Essex, met 'one Fachell' hastening to report to authority the circulation of seditious pamphlets, whose origin was investigated in December 1536 by a commission of which Vachell was a member. Vachell was rewarded for these services, first by the grant of the stewardship of two duchy of Lancaster manors, and then by being made Cromwell's deputy in the high stewardship of Reading, an office to which Abbot Cook had appointed the minister late in 1538. Cook's gesture did not save his abbey from suppression or himself from execution, and Vachell played a part in both episodes. In September 1539 Sir William Peniston, a neighbouring landowner who claimed to have been granted the abbey, wrote in alarm to Cromwell on hearing that the deputy steward was seeking a certain wood and fishing rights. In February 1540 Vachell was granted 20 marks a year as overseer of the abbey's former lands and a further ten as bailiff of the town. Two months later he was disputing with a rival claimant the same office at Leominster, where John Hillesley was acting as his deputy: it is not known how either this dispute or the one with Peniston was resolved. In August 1543 Vachell bought various of the abbey's lands for £127 and in the next year he obtained a 21-year lease of further ones. Additional income no doubt accrued from his supervision of a residence which the King started to build on the site of the abbey about 1541 and from his custodianship of Reading gaol.8
His activities and acquisitions did not endear Vachell to the men of Reading. The town had elected him and Raymond to Parliament again in 1536, doubtless in deference to the King's call for the return of their former Members, and probably it returned Vachell at least for a third time in 1539, when the election indenture, in common with nearly every other, is lost. The fact that this last election is not mentioned in the borough records (a unique occurrence during the century) is given point by the corporation's resolution of 11 Apr. that in future at least one of the town's Members should be a burgess, that is, presumably, a member of the merchants' guild. Such a protest could only have followed the return of two 'strangers', one of them almost certainly Vachell, who was however to continue as one of Reading's Members in subsequent Parliaments. In 1542 he was joined with a townsman, Richard Justice, and in 1545, the resolution of 1539 notwithstanding, with a 'stranger' in Cromwell's former protégé Roger Amyce; then, after missing the next two Parliaments, he attended his last in October 1553 with John Bell, another townsman.9
Vachell's unpopularity in Reading manifested itself in September 1539, when the corporation asked Cromwell to excuse the mayor-elect, Richard Justice, from having the oath administered to him by the deputy steward who, they declared, was not their friend. Cromwell insisted on this procedure and on 9 Oct. Vachell sat in the great hall of the former abbey to confirm the election; he did so twice more before the new charter of 1542 admitted the corporation's claim that the oath should be administered by the retiring mayor. When in August 1540, after Cromwell's fall, the King and Council paid a visit to Reading, the deputy steward was himself examined about complaints of the town's loss of liberties, but the continuing record of his services and rewards shows that Vachell was scarcely affected by the fate of his patron. He may have had friends in the conservative camp as his half-brother Oliver was a servant of Stephen Gardiner. The affair of the Windsor martyrs gave Vachell an opportunity to establish himself as an upholder of the Six Articles. Having been commissioned with Richard Ward I in 1543 to search for heretical books at Windsor, he was among those appointed to try the persons thus discovered: during the trial he intervened against one of the defendants, John Marbeck, who was nevertheless the only one to be pardoned, and at the end of it, although the most junior of the justices present, he passed sentence with the words, 'It must be done. One must do it. And if no man will, then will I'. The conservatism in religion thus displayed may explain the intermission in his parliamentary career during the reign of Edward VI as well as Queen Mary's grant of a pension of £10 a year for life 'for service at Framlingham', although the recipient of this reward may have been his son and namesake, who was already of age. That it was he, however, and not this son, who sat in the Queen's first Parliament is suggested by the fact that his death on 9 Dec. 1553, three days after that Parliament ended, took place in London.10
In the will which he had made on 20 Aug. 1551, at a time of religious uncertainty, Vachell gave no hint of his own doctrinal position. He also mentioned by name only his son Thomas, sole executor and sole witness, whom he nevertheless exhorted 'to be good to his brethren and sisters'. He asked to be buried in St. Mary's, Reading, where several members of his family had been baptized. His wife, who predeceased him, was probably the Agnes Vachell buried in the same church on 20 Oct. 1544.11
Author: T. F.T. Baker
1. Reading Recs. i. 166-7.
2. C. Coates, Reading, app. xiii.
4. Date of birth estimated from marriage Berks. Arch. Jnl. xl. 83-84; Quarterly Jnl. Berks. Arch. Soc. iii. 2-4; I, and A. C. Vachell, Vachell Fam. 32-33, 147-9.
5. LP Hen. VIII, iii, iv, viii, xi, xiii, xv, xvi, xviii, xx, xxi; CPR, 1547-8, pp. 75, 77; 1550-3, p. 142; 1553, pp. 351, 413; Somerville, Duchy, i. 631; Reading Recs. i. 172; R. R. Tighe and J. E. Davis, Windsor Annals, i. 544-5.
6. I. and A. C. Vachell, passim; Reading MPs, 20.
7. LP Hen. VIII, iv; vii. 1522(ii) citing SP/1/87, f. 106v; ix. 1077 citing SP1/99, p. 234; House of Lords RO, Original Acts, 25 Hen. VIII, no. 13.
8. LP Hen. VIII, vii, xi-xv, xviii, xix; Elton, Policy and police, 75; J. B. Hurry, Reading Abbey, 43, 435; CPR, 1553-4, p. 57.
9. Reading Recs. i. 172.
10. LP Hen. VIII,, xii-xv; Reading Recs. i. 172; Foxe, Acts and Mons. v. 474, 490-1; Tighe and Davis, i. 544-5; Lansd. 156 (28), f. 93; C142/100/3; E150/820/6.
11. PCC 25 Tashe; Reg. St. Mary's Reading, ed. Crawfurd, i. 1-4; ii. 89.


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text:
The 'm' word (5×8 – 1/14/11)
What is a miracle, why do we need political pundits, should Dire Straits be banned, voter ID, the science of nonsense, and the taste of rain.
1) WHAT IS A MIRACLE?
The same media forces that made the Ted Williams (homeless guy; nice voice) story into a fairy tale when it really wasn't are at work again on the recovery of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in an assassination attempt in Tucson on Saturday. At yesterday's medical briefing, a reporter asked whether her recovery so far is "a miracle."
Reporters who ask the question do so for one reason: to be able to attribute it in a story. They really want to use the "m word," but they need a reason to work it in.
Fewer than 10 percent survive the injuries that Rep. Giffords has, but 10 percent is still a big number. And as wonderful as the news has been about the congresswoman, she hasn't completely survived the attack, yet. Doctors were very measured yesterday about the dangers of the road ahead.
The question certainly put Dr. Michael Lemole, the chief of neurosugery at University Medical Center in a tough spot. He answered, "Miracles happen every day, and in medicine we like to attribute them to what we do or what others do around us. A lot of medicine is outside our control. We are wise to acknowledge miracles," he said.
You'll notice the one word he didn't use was, "Yes!"
Let's see how that played. Here's ABC News' (Australia) lead sentence to the story today:
Doctors are hailing as a miracle the speedy recovery of an Arizona congresswoman who was shot last week.
Here's the headline at WNYC, the public station in New York:
Sen. Gillibrand Witnessed Giffords' 'Miracle' Awakening
Even NPR this morning used "the m" word in describing Giffords' recovery so far.
In its front page story this morning, the hometown Arizona Republic newspaper left the Hollywood aspect of the tale out of it:
Giffords' congressional friend, who's been with her for nearly a week of agonizing days, says her recovery shows the power of friendship. She too describes it as a miracle, but she can be forgiven. She's happy, and her job doesn't require her to provide fact-based information.
Let's hope that a full recovery for Rep. Giffords doesn't require defying the laws of nature. Hopes for her recovery have, so far, hinged on the fact that from the start, her doctors haven't said a miracle will be required.
Meanwhile, NPR today is looking at why people try to assassinate politicians. Surprisingly, it often isn't for political reasons.
2) IF WE DIDN'T HAVE PUNDITS, WHAT WOULD WE PUT ON THE AIR?
If you follow me on Twitter, you know that following President Obama's speech the other night, I leveled a fair amount of criticism on the pundits, who assessed the service, not in the context of an event to heal the nation and support the victims and their families, but in how it hurts or helps the president's standing.
David Gergen, sitting in a studio inside the Washington Beltway, was particularly hideous, claiming it wasn't what the nation wanted. How did he know? He was tucked away in a studio in Washington.
Pundits have an incredible power to direct the national dialogue, so on a night when the mission was to unite a country, one had to wonder what their goal was? It's not a question that everyone on Twitter was interested in answering:
That account, it turns out, is a public relations company whose client is — wait for it — David Gergen.
Over to you, Stewart…
Veiled Criticism
As Stewart mentioned, much of punditry involved the cheering and applause in the crowd. That, the mostly white and mostly male group of pundits said, was "inappropriate." People mourn in different ways. Is this inappropriate?
3) IF THEY CAN DO IT TO MARK TWAIN…
… they can do it to Dire Straits. Officials in Canada say the group's song, "Money for Nothing" should be censored because the word "faggot" appears in it three times. Forget that the song has been out for 25 years, or that it's not used as required listening in schools. But, like Twain's use of the n-word and i-word in Huck Finn, it was intentionally used to make a point.
Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing" should be bannedMarket Research
Discussion point: When — if ever — should derogatory words be removed from works of art?
4) IS THIS YEAR FOR VOTER ID?
Yesterday, a bill to require voters in Minnesota to show their ID at the polls was filed at the Minnesota House of Representatives. With a Republican majority, is this the year the controversial measure finally becomes law?
"I tend to doubt the dynamics of voter/photo identification will change very much," Michael J. Pitts, associate professor of law at Indiana University School of Law, told the Pew Center's Election Line. "I think you'll see voter/photo ID get passed where Republicans control all the levels of government and generally not get passed where they don't."
A similar bill was introduced in Wisconsin.
Proponents say requiring an ID to vote isn't much different than, say, getting through security at an airport; you need a boarding pass an ID and people seem pretty capable of getting on the plane OK. Opponents say it's a thinly-veiled attempt to get some groups — low income, and minority groups — to stay home by making voting too difficult.
5) THE SCIENCE OF NONSENSE
Wait! I'm not a Gemini? An expert at the Minnesota Planetarium says things have shifted and wobbled in the heavens and what sign you think you are is the sign you were. The Christian Science Monitor says;
The shift is caused by precession, the wobble in the Earth's axis caused by the gravitational attraction of the moon to the Earth's equator. Precession popped into the spotlight this week after Minnesota Planetarium Society board member Parke Kunkle told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune about the gap between the astrological and the astronomical view. The story spread around the Internet quickly, but it's actually old news, Rao said.
Old news? Yeah, we kind of specialize in that in Minnesota at this time of year. That's why on a Friday morning I'm pointing out a story that was in the paper on Sunday. Then again, there were more important things going on Sunday.
Here's the actual list:
Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16.
Aquarius: Feb. 16-March 11.
Pisces: March 11-April 18.
Aries: April 18-May 13.
Taurus: May 13-June 21.
Gemini: June 21-July 20.
Cancer: July 20-Aug. 10.
Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16.
Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30.
Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23.
Scorpio: Nov. 23-29.
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17.
Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20.
So I've gone from being an honored twin, to a Taurus. I'm a car! Or a bull, which seems halfway appropriate.
(h/t: Molly Bloom)
Bonus: Scientists at MIT are developing a toothpaste dispenser that tells you what the weather will be based on the flavor. In other news: We're going to get more snow. What flavor would be appropriate?
TODAY'S QUESTION
Twin Cities home sales fell to their lowest level in eight years in 2010. Only slight improvements are expected this year. How is the housing market affecting you?
Midmorning (9-11 a.m.) – First hour: Twin Cities mayors talk budgets, LGA, and property taxes.
Second hour: The new Coen brothers movie has brought Charles Portis' "True Grit" back into the public conscious. But the reclusive Portis has a rabid fan club that believes the book isn't his most significant contribution to American literature.
Midday (11 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – First hour: Brenda Cassellius, Minnesota's new commissioner of education.
Second hour: David Brooks, speaking at the Commonwealth Club
Science Friday (1-3 p.m.) – First hour: Earth's shifting magnetic field, and plans for a more intelligent electrical distribution network.
Second hour: If you use Facebook for friends and family, is Twitter your professional
outlet? What about FourSquare, Instagram and all the others?
‹ Older The freedom to assassinate?
Newer › Viral video of the day: Up on the roof


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A delightful homage to testosterone fueled 80's action movies, with a huge cast of action veterans. It's loud, stupid, and full of disappointments and missed opportunities, but I couldn't help but be entertained by its gleefully kinetic and unapologetic mayhem. Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) heads up a group of mercenary soldiers who excel in the art of killing. The CIA hires the team to take out a South American dictator, but Ross turns down the job after doing some research on the target. However, the dictator's defiant daughter (enchanting Giselle Itié) manages to convince him to liberate her country of its vile American oppressors, and his friends decide to tag along since they have nothing better to do. It seems like everyone in the film has a desperate longing for death. Maybe that's a result of the lifestyle. Anyway, the last twenty minutes are an all-out assault on the bad guy's fortress against impossible odds, and lots of things blow up real good. The unexpectedly happy ending is a disappointment, and the epilogue is even worse.
The film stays true to its 80's action formula roots, and falls victim to its pitfalls as well. The dialog is, as you would expect, pretty bad, but nothing compared to the cringe worthy lines that both Stallone and Schwarzenegger belted out in their heyday. The acting is serviceable, with Jason Statham giving a consistently strong and sensitive performance. The real surprise comes from Mickey Rourke, whose intensely emotional flashback both elevates the film and slaps it in the face. Jet Li is the biggest disappointment, and much like his character, he's simply collecting a paycheck. It looked like he was doubled for all of his fight scenes, which makes you wonder why he was in the film at all. While the action is fast, frantic, loud, and violent, the fight scenes are woefully inadequate. I probably wouldn't have complained twenty-five years ago, but as an action connoisseur snob, I was seriously disappointed. Especially with so many talented people involved. The choreography is good, but the cinematography and editing obscure the performances so you can't see what's going on. Very frustrating, and Stallone should have known better. The production values are superb and the film looks great. Apart from the fight scenes, the chases, explosions, and gun fights are all fun to watch, even if they're hard to follow sometimes. I could nit-pick the film to death, but that wouldn't diminish the fact that I enjoyed it quite a bit and left the theater smiling, which doesn't happen very often these days.


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#AskNB9ers Mailbag: Week 5
by NB9ers Draft Team | Oct 6, 2018 | 49ers
This week we have a lot of writers answering questions for out #AskNB9ers segment, so we will only be answering 3 of the questions we received! The writers that will be answering questions will be Mike A, Stefan, Matt, Zach, and Stewart. LET'S BEGIN!
What is going on with Solomon Thomas. Seems like he's don't nothing and is a total bust. Pretty disappointed in lynch and Co for botching when we need blue chip premiere talent.
— zeus (@9ersush) October 5, 2018
Mike A. ( @49ersMike_NF) –
"Bust" seems like a strong word, but given the talent we've seen so far, I do question why he was drafted 3rd (would've been 2nd) overall. Even if Thomas performs to his fullest potential and is used properly, I don't think where he was drafted makes sense. That said, he could still be a solid piece on this defense if utilized properly (and that's a big "IF").
Stefan ( @Jav95_) –
I honestly don't know. Thomas' best trait is rushing the passer from the interior. He does not get a chance to do that. It is less about Thomas' talent than the way he is used by DC Robert Saleh.
Matt ( @Atax1s) –
There's no doubt that Solomon Thomas was over-drafted. That being said, he should exclusively be positioned on the interior for maximum effectiveness and often he's lined up outside. It's a case of not putting him in position to succeed. He also has a problem with maintaining his grip which is likely due to his small hands.
Zach ( @Zachhernan) –
Solomon Thomas has largely looked like a bust since he came into the league last season, and at first we all chalked it up to him adjusting to the NFL, but now it's starting to become extremely alarming. However, Thomas shouldn't be held responsible for all of the blame, as DC Robert Saleh is completely misusing him in my opinion. I'd love to see him in a strictly pass-rusher only role and then pass judgement.
Stewart ( @SoLockedIn) –
There's no hiding the fact that Solomon Thomas has not performed to the level of the third-overall pick in 2017. As a player who dominated college guards by rushing inside, Thomas has found difficulty doing that in the NFL. He is not helped by the fact that the 49ers inherited a team with two former first-round picks on the defensive line who carry a similar skill set, so they line him up outside while they've added more talent to the interior of that defensive line. It appears like John Lynch went for the safe pick in his first draft but it hasn't paid off at this point in time.
Hey guys! Is it personnel or scheme that has the defense looking terrible out there? Part 2. If the defense improves and the offense stays steady do you see the 9ers putting together a wild card run??
— Jordan Rice (@ChristReigns412) October 4, 2018
I think it's a little bit of both but less about the scheme. Often times in a game, you see the scheme has players in position to make plays but the players aren't taking advantage of the circumstance. As far as a wildcard run if they got it together, it's not impossible to win 9 games if the defense steps up. The offense seem to be capable of scoring 27 points per game and yet, the defense just continues to give up more than that.
The 49ers defensive woes have come mainly because of inconsistencies. The scheme itself is sound and the players are often in a position to make a play, but don't execute. They are fundamentally not sound. I believe a big part of that is coaching and discipline. However, should the 49ers start putting together some full games defensively, they can definitely be competitive in any game. Sitting at 1-3 though, I don't see them winning 9 games. I don't see a wild card run.
There will be no wild card run. The defense can't tackle and are very predictable in the coverages and scheme they run. I also think that they won't be able to win track meet, shootout type games. I would be surprised if the Niners win more than 4 games the rest of the way, realistically.
While at the end of the day it comes down to the players executing on the field, I do believe the scheme they're running is constantly putting them in positions that they cannot win consistently. For example, dropping defensive linemen like Earl Mitchell and Solomon Thomas into coverage — they're not going to be able to successfully win that match up enough times for the scheme to work. Also, this scheme is extremely dependent on pass-rushers getting to the QB quickly, and that is just simply not happening. There's no way in hell this team makes the playoffs, sadly.
I think the defensive woes are down to a number of issues. First and foremost, this is a very young defensive group of players who will make mistakes — which is part of their development and growth. Secondly, I believe the players need to take more pride in their tackling, it appears that way to many players are tackling high or not wrapping up the opposition players. It could be the players aren't at peak strength, it could be a lack of discipline, it's hard to tell from the outside looking in. The third thing that stands out is the number of players that are playing hurt or nursing injuries on this team, it's scary to think the 49ers have had so many injured players over the last four seasons. One thing I do know is that this has to be cleaned up soon, with expectations already reduced with the loss of Jimmy Garoppolo, this staff has one more year to iron out deficiencies. As for wild card spot, that's out of the question, I can see them winning 2-5 games at best.
Can you give a few reasons on how our team went from playing elite defense those last few games last season to not looking anywhere close to this season so far?
— Samson Neustrom (@Samsonoxide) October 5, 2018
I think winning has a way of masking things and the play of the defense is one of them. The team was never that good on defense, especially last year. Turnovers were rare (still are), teams seemed to put up 20 or more on this defense (still are) and outside of that game against the Rams' backups, they were never truly dominant. However, there does seem to be a bit of decline this year and I attribute that to even more missed tackles this season. Why tackling has declined? I don't know, but my eyes tell me that the scheme has taken a step forward while the players have seemed to regress despite the talent on the field appearing to be better.
The defense last year did not play at an elite level to begin with. However, last year they played with a different kind of to confidence and swagger. It seems that this year they are missing some of that. Also, fundamental techniques were better last year. Maybe it was not much of a coaching point since? That said, the potential to put it all together is there. I don't expect the defense to be this bad throughout the entire season.
I think it's the fact that they don't blitz at a high rate and they also don't disguise their coverage. With this being year 2 in Saleh's system, other teams have tape on us and if they can't fool offenses through different looks, the defense becomes extremely predictable and they lack the high end talent to overcome that.
Let's get one thing straight, this defense has not been elite (or anywhere close to elite) in at least three years. The mass exodus the 49ers roster experienced after Jim Harbaugh was let go is still affecting the team today. The 49ers front office is still trying to fill all of the holes that were left by quality starters leaving so suddenly. The players on the roster today are either young and still growing, or journeyman players filling the position until someone better comes along. It's still going to take some time before this defense is a strong suit for the team.
The defense is still not giving up big plays, which should be praised at least somewhat. Last year, a few young players stepped into the lineup and played well — which gave them a nice boost heading into the offseason. This season, those players have either been banged up and or going through a slight sophomore slump. The major issue plaguing this defense is the ability to rush the passer successfully — this scheme needs multiple guys who can turn it loose on third down, and they currently don't possess one of those. Atlanta has McKinnley and Vic Beasley, the Chargers have Ingram and Bosa, Seahawks have Frank Clark, Jacksonville has Campbell, Ngakoue and Fowler. Most of the teams running a similar defense to the 49ers have either have elite or at least good pass-rushers and corners. It's time for the front office to solve those issues.
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Punch Brothers Return with a Cover of a Covers Album
Punch Brothers interpret bluegrass guitarist Tony Rice's 1983 brilliant album, Church Street Blues. It's a fascinating project and a rewarding listen.
Hell on Church Street
Punch Brothers
We haven't heard from the progressive bluegrass ensemble Punch Brothers since 2018's placid All Ashore. Frontman and mandolinist Chris Thile has remained his typically busy self in the interim, however. He wrapped up his public radio show Live From Here in 2020 May after the COVID-19 pandemic made recording episodes in front of a live audience untenable. He also released a second star-studded Goat Rodeo album in 2020 and put out a solo record in 2021 June. When Punch Brothers finally reconvened after the forced separation of the pandemic, they decided to do a covers album. More specifically, Hell on Church Street is a cover of a covers album.
Guitarist Tony Rice's 1983 record, Church Street Blues, featured a mixture of bluegrass and folk covers, primarily played solo by Rice on guitar and vocals. Rice's brother, Wyatt, sat in on rhythm guitar on a handful of the tracks, but those are the only instruments on the entire album. Even with this limitation, Rice managed an impressive array of tones and moods on the record. Listening to it almost 40 years later, the mixture of technical skill and emotional performances really stands out. It's easy to see why this record would be an appealing choice for Punch Brothers to tackle, as they've been using that exact combination for their entire career.
Hell on Church Street follows essentially the same tracklisting as Church Street Blues. The only significant change is that Punch Brothers merge "House Carpenter" and "Jerusalem Ridge" into a single epic seven-minute song, leaving their version with 11 tracks. As they often do, the band kick off the album with one of their most complex, technical pieces. Rice's version of "Church Street Blues" is a pleasant, upbeat folk song. Punch Brothers don't mess with the song's melody, and Thile sings the lyrics in a straightforward, soulful fashion.
The rest of the song, though, is a radical rearrangement. Punch Brothers change the track's time signature from the standard 4/4 to the intentionally off-kilter 5/4. Mandolin, banjo, and guitar play swift rhythmic patterns while double bassist Paul Kowert switches back and forth from plucking to bowing. Gabe Witcher plays a lot of long, extended notes on his fiddle, which helps to balance out the cascade of notes coming from the other players. They eventually make a nod to the Rice version, shifting to play it his way in the 15-second outro, which has the effect of making an unsettling but intriguing song feel like it was pleasant and upbeat.
Next up, the traditional instrumental "Cattle in the Cane" splits the difference between bluegrass and Irish folk music. Thile plays the melody on the mandolin initially, with notable assistance from guitarist Chris Eldridge. Underneath, though, Witcher plays extended tones on his fiddle that often don't line up with the key of the song, once again undermining the pleasant folk vibe of the track. Just before the one-minute mark, though, Witcher takes over the main melody, and the song goes into full catchy mode. Even once he relinquishes the lead to banjoist Noam Pikelny, the band keeps it light and breezy. Every member, including Kowert, gets a turn at the melody with ample room to solo as well.
The record's other instrumental, Bill Monroe's "Gold Rush", builds slowly, with waves of notes coming for a few seconds at a time but never locking into a groove. Witcher plays the main melody in brief snatches over and between these waves. The track's lack of center for listeners to focus on makes it feel more like an interlude than a proper song. It should also be noted that this arrangement is light years away from the traditional bluegrass track on Rice's record.
In a couple of instances, Punch Brothers go for what amounts to a straight cover of the Rice version, with allowances made for a five-piece band arrangement over Rice's solo/duo work. Bob Dylan's "One More Night" is given an upbeat bluegrass treatment, with full two-part harmony throughout. The Jimmie Rodgers song "Any Old Time" is presented as a folksy string band romp, with Punch Brothers merging the sensibilities of Rice and Old Crow Medicine Show.
"Orphan Annie" is a low-key, richly harmonized slice of bluesy bluegrass, relying heavily on Kowert's buzzing bass playing and a relatively simple banjo line. The sparse arrangement is a nice change of pace for the band. On the other end of the spectrum, "Pride of Man" opens with a haunting minor-key guitar solo and keeps the tension going throughout the song. Swirling banjo and bass accompany Thile's intense singing, and the chaotic instrumental breakdown just before the quiet finish fits the track's mood perfectly.
Thile's other band, Nickel Creek, already recorded the song "House Carpenter" with Thile on lead vocals back in 2002, which presented a challenge for Punch Brothers to do something different. Their solution here is to lean into their progressive side and throw the Bill Monroe instrumental "Jerusalem Ridge" into the mix. Punch Brothers' version of the song starts quietly but gradually increases the complexity and the tempo. The lyrics get darker as the story goes along and the music follows. As "House Carpenter"'s lyrics end, Pikelny bursts forth playing the melody of "Jerusalem Ridge" while the rest of the band swirls around him. After a minute of this, Witcher takes over the theme, and the ensemble follow him, finishing out the piece in a bluegrass style.
Hell on Church Street closes with its most famous song, Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". Punch Brothers play it noticeably quicker than Lightfoot and once again use the entire band to emphasize the song's tension. Low, rumbling bass, guitar, banjo arpeggios, and atmospheric fiddle push the story's storminess. When the song gets to the part where Lightfoot lists all the different Great Lakes, the vocals suddenly brighten up into three-part harmony. The harmonies quickly fade, though, and eventually, the band drop out, leaving Thile to sing the final verse of the song a cappella. The group return for one last run through the song's central theme, letting the final chord ring out and slowly dissipate. It isn't a warm and fuzzy way to finish an album, but it feels appropriate for this somber shipwreck song.
Punch Brothers' previous album, All Ashore, leaned a little too far in the direction of quiet folk for my taste. For Hell on Church Street, it's good to hear them getting back to the technical, challenging playing that got them tagged as "progressive bluegrass" in the first place. These tracks are filled with stylistic variety and interesting arrangement choices. It's a fascinating project and a rewarding listen. Longtime fans of the band should get a kick out of this record, and hopefully, Tony Rice aficionados will appreciate the new interpretations of these songs.
TAGS americana bluegrass chris thile folk music review nonesuch records progressive bluegrass punch brothers tony rice
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