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Home DepartmentsUp and Coming
Dutch Artist Thomas Raat
by Ryland Quillen
Unlike most of his contemporaries, Dutch artist Thomas Raat — whose colorful and intricate compositions recall the great European modernist graphic design tradition — isn't particularly concerned with the emotional aspects of art but instead focuses on the visual techniques and functionality of the medium. Referencing a deep and thorough understanding of modernist philosophy and analytical thinking, Raat creates large-scale paintings and sculptures that employ the use of symmetry, repetition, and other basic principles of design to create pleasing and visually stimulating compositions. Rather than obsessively creating works that are revolutionary in their representational form, Raat's more interested in unraveling the mystery behind why we make art, and why we want to live and interact with it. He says, "There's this relationship with art that you're supposed to have. I don't feel like a creative individual making art. I see myself more as an observer, as a journalist. Instead of writing an essay, I make something visual." We asked him to elaborate.
Describe your most recent project and how it was made.
Most of my recent projects are based on what I'd like to call "slipstream modernism." The point of focus is the moment when the avant-garde and its aesthetics turn into something far more conventional than their original context. I'd like to position my works at this specific turning point, the moment when the experimental becomes conventional. An example of this can be seen in the series of paintings An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth and More… (above) that draws from the cover designs of popular "egghead" paperbacks published from the late 1940s until the early '70s. The repurposing of the predominantly abstract imagery of the jackets mediates an abstruse range of synthetic epistemologies (from "freedom and responsibility" to "the law of civilization and decay") as well as the needs or demands of various book series and the branding orientations of the publishing houses that commissioned them. The work operates at the technical interface between abstract painting and visual construction and on the generic borderlines between art, design, and the history of ideas; and how this intervention precipitates a salient crisis in the signifying assumptions delivered to non-figurative compositionality in the mid-twentieth century — and its later reassessments.
A more recent project at Juliette Jongma Gallery in Amsterdam is based on a similar concept and continues my exploration into the influence of Modernism into everyday life. In this show functional objects become formal forms; doors become paintings and door handles become their gestural motifs; a wallpaper piece based on a work by infamous Dutch artist Hans van Meegeren (whose kitsch, 1960s reproductions of animals hung in almost a third of Dutch households). Through different forms of reproduction, doubling, and inversion, in a painterly fashion I play with the power and significance of cultural transition and change.
Describe your next project and how you're currently making it.
At the moment I'm working on a show for the SCHUNCK Museum in Heerlen, the Netherlands. It's an amazing building and its architectural style is in the Netherlands known as het Nieuwe Bouwen — the Dutch equivalent of Bauhaus. It used to be a department store in the 1930s and I'd like to play with its former function as a store and the way commercial goods were displayed opposed to its current function as a museum that deals with displaying artworks. I'm working on several large-scale installations built up by deconstructed, mass-produced salon tables that will be transformed into sculptural forms. I'm also collecting simple, run-down, secondhand chairs that mimic modernist furniture designs (above). I'm stripping the chairs from all their old layers of paint and from there they will be reconstructed and repainted. Every chair will have a specific color pattern so all these chairs will become individual and unique (in contrast to their mass produced background), yet functioning in the installation as one family of sculptures that plays with the archetype of a modern chair.
Tell us one thing that's been inspiring you lately and why.
In my off time, I visit odd and small local museums where time and the lack of money has clearly paid its toll. Recently I did a small European tour and visited the Etrusk Museum in Tuscany, the Prouvé house in Nancy (above), L'Aubette in Strassbourg, and the Vitra House in Weil am Rhein. These places bring a variety of things together which inspire me — be it a pattern on the floor, a doorknob, or visiting one of many French brocantes (secondhand shops) we find along the way. Driving in the car going from one place to another, when I have time to think, ideas pop up which I can potentially use for new works. At least, this has been the case in most of my recent trips.
Show us your studio and tell us what you like about it.
I recently moved to a new studio in Zaandam, which is located just outside of Amsterdam. It has become very difficult to find decent studio spaces in Amsterdam that are still affordable so I started looking a bit further and found a great studio located in an old paint factory. It's not that far from where I live in Amsterdam, so if the weather is good I take my bike and cycle over. Although the building is a bit worn down, it's absolutely perfect in terms of size and creative possibilities. The studio overlooks the water and there is beautiful light all day and its industrial charm makes it a fantastic spot. The building is shared with furniture makers, designers, and artist all working in private studios but we also run shared workshop facilities which is a big bonus. The dynamics of all the people working there is great and hopefully we're able to stay here for a long time.
Tags: Amsterdam, Exhibitions, furniture, Painting, sculpture
Eylem Aladogan, Artist
When Dutch artist Eylem Aladogan took her first trip out West in 2006 — three months of driving alone through the Nevada, Utah, and Arizona desert — there was plenty to be afraid of: the wide-openness of the landscape, the sensation of smallness and isolation, the possibility that the only hotel for miles around would be fully booked for the night. "These feelings of restriction at the same time you're constantly going, driving forward, really inspired me," says the 34-year-old, who's based in Amsterdam. "There's so much energy when you feel that every day." Enough, it would turn out, to fuel her art for the next four years, as she worked out a way to visually harness those opposing forces of anxiety and empowerment.
Ryan Wallace, Artist
To get an idea of how Ryan Wallace approaches materials, look no further than one of the walls of his studio, paneled with the kind of slatboard that a Chinatown souvenir shop might use to stack metal shelves full of I ♥ New York T-shirts. When Wallace found the studio last year, it was perfect otherwise — a clean, well-lit space above Paulie Gee's pizza in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, right near his apartment. "At first I thought the wall was kind of gross," he says. But he slowly began to accept it on a purely functional level; the way things could be hung at different heights was ideal for a painter. "I thought, 'What can I do with this?' A thing like that gets planted in my head, and eventually it finds its way into the next thing I'm doing."
Brooks Hudson Thomas of Specific Merchandise
I'd known about the Los Angeles design shop Specific Merchandise for nearly a year before I figured out that its name was a play on the idea of the general store. "I wanted to have a huge range of things, but when I started thinking about it, I liked the idea of flipping that and being specific rather than general," says Brooks Hudson Thomas, the former Blackman Cruz manager who set out his own shingle at the beginning of last year on a stretch of Beverly Boulevard that includes Lawson-Fenning, L.A. Eyeworks, and the former digs of TenOverSix. "One model I had in mind was a museum shop, but sort of trying to kick its ass. The other was stores like Moss, Matter, and The Future Perfect, which also have that blurry store/gallery vibe."


The University's Congregation is one of the most important events in the HKU calendar and a once-in-a-lifetime event for graduates. The 200th Congregation will be held from November 12 to December 7, 2018 to confer degrees upon graduands of Class of 2018. For details, please visit the 200th Congregation website.


WITHDRAWING from British Forces Germany (BFG) – and the resulting reshuffle of units in the UK – will bring many benefits to Service families, including more stability, continuity of education, access to wider family support and better employment opportunities for dependants.
But rebasing will also increase the demand for Service Families Accommodation (SFA) in the UK and there is uncertainty about how the MOD will cater for the needs of 16,000 returning troops.
"Families are used to difficulties obtaining housing and school places so are understandably concerned," says Catherine Spencer, AFF Chief Executive.
Last year eight units relocated and 23 internal moves are planned for 2014. By 2016 nearly 70% of troops will be home from Germany; the remainder by 2020. The majority of units will be concentrated into seven geographic areas and, during 2014/15, will move into existing buildings and quarters.
Relocating so many families is a complex undertaking. The Army Basing Team (ABT) is responsible for delivering the £1.6bn plan successfully.
Working with the chain of command, the Army Infrastructure Team, Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and national/local authorities, ABT has identified units' needs and analysed issues at each location, providing DIO with the Army requirement – who in turn are developing potential infrastructure solutions.
Col Neill Page, ABT's Deputy Team Leader, explains: "We have conducted a snapshot data-capture exercise to understand the structure of families affected by rebasing.
More than half the rebasing budget (about £1bn) is being ploughed into living accommodation. In excess of 400 SFA will be upgraded.
Nearly 200 new SFA are due for delivery in March 2014 with a further 1,700 family homes in the pipeline.
Discussions are underway with DIO about extending the housing notification window so that families can research their new location ahead of their move.
Briefings on key moving and schooling dates have been held in Germany and Aldershot; BFG families will be updated regularly as their relocation approaches.
"Our work has highlighted where we predict SFA shortfall and we're developing a plan with DIO to provide families' accommodation to meet rebasing timelines," Col Page adds.
Parents will be reassured to learn that the Directorate Children & Young People (DCYP) has set up the Education of Service Children Change Programme, which encompasses several schemes related to rebasing and its impact on Service children.
The Assistant Director Children's Education Advisory Service is leading a project to support pupils returning to the UK – and those affected by an internal unit move – in partnership with the ABT, Department for Education (DfE) and local authorities.
Unit Welfare Officers have been advised to prioritise families with children at important stages of their education in the removal schedule.
For those remaining in Germany throughout drawdown, significant work is underway to ensure Service Children's Education (SCE) schools retain high quality teachers until closure, with funding to support small classes.
SCE will liaise with English and Scottish local authorities to ensure school changes are seamless with minimal impact on children's learning.
The UK schools application process varies according to location; visit the appropriate local authority website for details.
ABT is also working to ensure that existing UK infrastructure can cope with increased demand and that potential issues are resolved early.
It is hoped that relocating families will transition smoothly into civilian services.
Many councils recognise that rebasing offers positive social and economic opportunities.
Fife Council has visited Germany to advise units on the Scottish education system. Wiltshire Council, tasked with accommodating 4,000 returning troops around Salisbury Plain, is planning a similar briefing.
For many, the dismantling of BFG is an emotional as well as physical upheaval.
Meanwhile, ABT will keep the chain of command and families in the loop through quarterly newsletters and information packs.


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Alien: Isolation Sales Pass 1 Million Mark
After three months.
By Luke Karmali
Updated: 1 May 2017 3:09 pm
Posted: 21 Jan 2015 5:20 pm
SEGA has revealed Alien:
Alien: Isolation (for PC)
$39.99on Humble Bundle
Isolation sales have passed the 1 million mark.
The figure, which covers games sold through to consumers rather than just shipped to retailers, marks a significant achievement for the survival horror title based on Ridley Scott's iconic film.
If you're still enjoying the game, you'll be pleased to know there's still some DLC left to come.Five are expected in total, the third of which was recently detailed.
Alien: Isolation was developed by Creative Assembly. It launched on PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on October 7, 2014, to mixed reception from critics. Our review of Alien: Isolation called it "mediocre," while a recent opinion piece from IGN called it the "bravest game of 2014."
Have you played Alien: Isolation?
Luke Karmali is IGN UK News Editor. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on Twitter.
If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, learn more.
Discover the true meaning of fear in Alien: Isolation, a survival horror set in an atmosphere of constant dread and mortal danger. Underpowered and underprepared, you must scavenge resources, improvise solutions and use your wits, not just to succeed in your mission, but to simply stay alive.
Franchises:Alien
Genres:Adventure, Action
Blood, Strong Language, Violence, Includes online features that may expose players to unrated user-generated content
Platforms:PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Developers:Creative Assembly
Publishers:SEGA, Feral Interactive
Release Date:October 7, 2014
Humble Bundle $39.99

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Victorian Silver Beetle Brooch
The Victorians were great fans of novelty jewelry. Ornaments of curiosity were designed with consideration for beauty and color, but also with the intent to amuse and delight the wearer. Such eccentric styles include mounted hummingbird heads, tiny golden renderings of mice, and bejeweled insects, just to name a few. This c. 1880 English brooch would have been classed as a "Cleopatra ornament", though it bears little relation to the jewels of Ancient Egypt. This silver pin features a (real) beetle with legs and underside rendered in silver.
Materials: silver, beetle
Size: 1 1/4 x 1/2"
VICTORIAN (1837 - 1901) The Western world was thoroughly transformed during Queen Victoria's epically long reign. New technology, urbanization, and industrialization created a middle class flush with disposable income, and for the first time, jewelry was mass-produced to sell to everyone. The Victorians were avid consumers and novelty-seekers, especially when it came to fashion, and numerous fads came and went throughout the 19th century. In jewelry, whatever fashion choices Queen V. made reverberated throughout the kingdom. The Romantic period reflected the queen's legendary love for her husband, Albert. Jewelry from this period featured joyful designs like flowers, hearts, and birds, all which often had symbolic meaning. The queen's betrothal ring was made in the shape of a snake, which stood for love, fidelity, and eternity. The exuberant tone shifted after Prince Albert passed away in 1861, marking the beginning of the Grand Period. Black jewelry became de rigeur as the Queen and her subjects entered "mourning," which at the time represented not just an emotional state, as we conceive of it today, but a specific manner of conduct and dress. She wore the color black for the remainder of her life, and we see lots of black onyx, enamel, jet, and gutta percha in the jewelry from this time. Finally, during the late Victorian period, which transitioned along with a rapidly changing world into the "Aesthetic Movemement", there was a return to organic and whimsical motifs: serpents, crescent moons, animals, and Japonaisserie designed for the more liberated "Gibson Girl". During the second half of the 19th century, America entered the global jewelry market, with Tiffany and Co. leading the way. Lapidaries continued to perfect their techniques, and the old European cut emerged toward the end of the Victorian period. The discovery of rich diamond mines in South Africa made the colorless stones more accessible than ever before.
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Advanced Business Manager has the capability to automatically extract and process data from your business documents. This allows you to save time entering documents, like invoices and orders, by simply scanning and uploading, or emailing, them directly into ABM. You can even automatically forward emails sent to a specific email address for receiving invoices or orders straight to the data extraction system, without you having to handle them at all.
"The business is rapidly growing, and there are not enough hours in the day to achieve value add tasks, When you have time-saving tools like the Xtracta App, it increases efficiencies and frees staff to focus on value-add projects."
The new functionality is designed to streamline administration functions and bring new efficiencies to ABM users' businesses. Functions such as entering and processing supplier invoices and customer orders can now be fully automated. New document workflows are being added continually, with Customer Remittances due to be available shortly. In addition, the system can be customised to handle other documents you may deal with, such as service requests, timesheets and stock requisitions and process them according to your requirements. Please feel free to talk to your local support partner about your individual customisation needs.
Once a document is uploaded or emailed into ABM, its data will be read and it will be available for review and approval into the ABM database in seconds, with a copy of the original document attached. The service can work with scanned, photographed (great for receipts) or digital documents such as PDF or word documents. All data is carefully validated and controls can be set for whether the documents can be processed immediately or require approval. If any information was missing from the document, the user can quickly make the required changes.
Powered by our technology partner Xtracta's data extraction technology, the feature utilises artificial intelligence (A.I.) to read and comprehend documents in the same manner as humans do. With strong data validation and a powerful machine learning capability, the service is highly accurate and improves over time.
Contact you local support partner to find out more about ABM Xtracta and whether it is the right fit for your business.


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Q: Nine-patch images for web development I'm wondering if there is something like 9-patch in Android, but for web development?
Disclosure: I have no idea about web development at all, but I was curious to know if it exists. And a simple web search with the term 9-patch didn't bring up any related results, so I figured it has either another term or it doesn't exist or is not used widely enough.
Anyone knows?

A: If you're still interested I created a Javascript file that uses canvas to create real nine patch image support for the web.  The open source project can be found here:
https://github.com/chrislondon/9-Patch-Image-for-Websites

A: Yes. It is used for border-image in CSS 3:
http://www.css3.info/preview/border-image/
http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-background/#border-images

A: Well, I took the trouble to correct deserts errors I found in the link above.
Knowing NinePath android is a useful tool adding dynamic painting and recognition of padding (which was missing in the previous pluying). I could add one few scripts for complete functionality.
Replace the following code in the library path9.js!
function NinePatchGetStyle(element, style)
{
    if (window.getComputedStyle)
    {
        var computedStyle = window.getComputedStyle(element, "");
        if (computedStyle === null)
            return "";
        return computedStyle.getPropertyValue(style);
    }
    else if (element.currentStyle)
    {
        return element.currentStyle[style];
    }
    else
    {
        return "";
    }
}

// Cross browser function to find valid property
function NinePatchGetSupportedProp(propArray)
{
    var root = document.documentElement; //reference root element of document
    for (var i = 0; i < propArray.length; i++)
    {
        // loop through possible properties
        if (typeof root.style[propArray[i]] === "string")
        {
            //if the property value is a string (versus undefined)
            return propArray[i]; // return that string
        }
    }
    return false;
}

/**
 * 9patch constructer. Sets up cached data and runs initial draw.
 * @param {Dom Element} div El Elemento dom en donde se pinta el ninepath
 * @param {function} callback La funcion que se llamara cuando se termina
 * la carga de la imagen y el pintado del elemento div.
 * @returns {NinePatch} Un objeto nine path
 */
function NinePatch(div,callback)
{
    this.div = div;
    this.callback =callback;
    this.padding = {top:0,left:0,right:0,bottom:0};
    // Load 9patch from background-image
    this.bgImage = new Image();
    this.bgImage.src = NinePatchGetStyle(this.div, 'background-image').replace(/"/g, "").replace(/url\(|\)$/ig, "");
    var este = this;

    this.bgImage.onload = function()
    {
        este.originalBgColor = NinePatchGetStyle(este.div, 'background-color');
        este.div.style.background = 'none';

        // Create a temporary canvas to get the 9Patch index data.
        var tempCtx, tempCanvas;
        tempCanvas = document.createElement('canvas');
        tempCanvas.width  = este.bgImage.width;
        tempCanvas.height = este.bgImage.height;
        tempCtx = tempCanvas.getContext('2d');
        tempCtx.drawImage(este.bgImage, 0, 0);

        // Obteniendo el padding lateral derecho
        var dataPad = tempCtx.getImageData(este.bgImage.width-1,0,1,este.bgImage.height).data;
        var padRight = este.getPadBorder(dataPad,este.bgImage.width,este.bgImage.height);
        este.padding.top = padRight.top;
        este.padding.bottom = padRight.bottom;
        dataPad = tempCtx.getImageData(0,este.bgImage.height-1,este.bgImage.width,1).data;
        var padBottom = este.getPadBorder(dataPad,este.bgImage.width,este.bgImage.height);

        este.padding.left = padBottom.top;
        este.padding.right = padBottom.bottom;

        // Loop over each  horizontal pixel and get piece
        var data = tempCtx.getImageData(0, 0, este.bgImage.width, 1).data;

        // Use the upper-left corner to get staticColor, use the upper-right corner
        // to get the repeatColor.
        var tempLength = data.length - 4;
        var staticColor = data[0] + ',' + data[1] + ',' + data[2] + ',' + data[3];
        var repeatColor = data[tempLength] + ',' + data[tempLength + 1] + ',' +
                data[tempLength + 2] + ',' + data[tempLength + 3];

        este.horizontalPieces = este.getPieces(data, staticColor, repeatColor);

        // Loop over each  horizontal pixel and get piece
        data = tempCtx.getImageData(0, 0, 1, este.bgImage.height).data;
        este.verticalPieces = este.getPieces(data, staticColor, repeatColor);

        // use this.horizontalPieces and this.verticalPieces to generate image
        este.draw();
        este.div.onresize = function()
        {
            este.draw();
        };
        if(callback !== undefined)
        {
            if (typeof(callback) === "function")
                callback();
        }
    };
}

// Stores the HTMLDivElement that's using the 9patch image
NinePatch.prototype.div = null;
// Padding
NinePatch.prototype.padding = null;
// Get padding
NinePatch.prototype.callback = null;
// Stores the original background css color to use later
NinePatch.prototype.originalBG = null;
// Stores the pieces used to generate the horizontal layout
NinePatch.prototype.horizontalPieces = null;
// Stores the pieces used to generate the vertical layout
NinePatch.prototype.verticalPieces = null;
// Stores the 9patch image
NinePatch.prototype.bgImage = null;

// Gets the horizontal|vertical pieces based on image data
NinePatch.prototype.getPieces = function(data, staticColor, repeatColor)
{
    var tempDS, tempPosition, tempWidth, tempColor, tempType;
    var tempArray = new Array();

    tempColor = data[4] + ',' + data[5] + ',' + data[6] + ',' + data[7];
    tempDS = (tempColor === staticColor ? 's' : (tempColor === repeatColor ? 'r' : 'd'));
    tempPosition = 1;

    for (var i = 4, n = data.length - 4; i < n; i += 4)
    {
        tempColor = data[i] + ',' + data[i + 1] + ',' + data[i + 2] + ',' + data[i + 3];
        tempType = (tempColor === staticColor ? 's' : (tempColor === repeatColor ? 'r' : 'd'));
        if (tempDS !== tempType)
        {
            // box changed colors
            tempWidth = (i / 4) - tempPosition;
            tempArray.push(new Array(tempDS, tempPosition, tempWidth));

            tempDS = tempType;
            tempPosition = i / 4;
            tempWidth = 1;
        }
    }

    // push end
    tempWidth = (i / 4) - tempPosition;
    tempArray.push(new Array(tempDS, tempPosition, tempWidth));
    return tempArray;
};

NinePatch.prototype.getPadBorder = function(dataPad,width,height)
{
    var staticRight = dataPad[0] + ',' + dataPad[1] + ',' + dataPad[2] + ',' + dataPad[3];
    var pad={top:0,bottom:0};

    // Padding para la parte superior
    for (var i=0;i<dataPad.length;i+=4)
    {
        var tempColor = dataPad[i] + ',' + dataPad[i + 1] + ',' + dataPad[i + 2] + ',' + dataPad[i + 3];
        if(tempColor !==staticRight)
            break;
        pad.top++;
    }
    // padding inferior
    for (var i=dataPad.length-4;i>=0;i-=4)
    {
        var tempColor = dataPad[i] + ',' + dataPad[i + 1] + ',' + dataPad[i + 2] + ',' + dataPad[i + 3];
        if(tempColor !==staticRight)
            break;
        pad.bottom++;
    }
    return pad;
};

// Function to draw the background for the given element size.
NinePatch.prototype.draw = function()
{
    var dCtx, dCanvas, dWidth, dHeight;

    if(this.horizontalPieces === null)
        return;
    dWidth = this.div.offsetWidth;
    dHeight = this.div.offsetHeight;

    dCanvas = document.createElement('canvas');
    dCtx = dCanvas.getContext('2d');

    dCanvas.width = dWidth;
    dCanvas.height = dHeight;

    var fillWidth, fillHeight;

    // Determine the width for the static and dynamic pieces
    var tempStaticWidth = 0;
    var tempDynamicCount = 0;

    for (var i = 0, n = this.horizontalPieces.length; i < n; i++)
    {
        if (this.horizontalPieces[i][0] === 's')
            tempStaticWidth += this.horizontalPieces[i][2];
        else
            tempDynamicCount++;
    }

    fillWidth = (dWidth - tempStaticWidth) / tempDynamicCount;

    // Determine the height for the static and dynamic pieces
    var tempStaticHeight = 0;
    tempDynamicCount = 0;
    for (var i = 0, n = this.verticalPieces.length; i < n; i++)
    {
        if (this.verticalPieces[i][0] === 's')
            tempStaticHeight += this.verticalPieces[i][2];
        else
            tempDynamicCount++;
    }

    fillHeight = (dHeight - tempStaticHeight) / tempDynamicCount;

    // Loop through each of the vertical/horizontal pieces and draw on
    // the canvas
    for (var i = 0, m = this.verticalPieces.length; i < m; i++)
    {
        for (var j = 0, n = this.horizontalPieces.length; j < n; j++)
        {
            var tempFillWidth, tempFillHeight;

            tempFillWidth = (this.horizontalPieces[j][0] === 'd') ?
                    fillWidth : this.horizontalPieces[j][2];
            tempFillHeight = (this.verticalPieces[i][0] === 'd') ?
                    fillHeight : this.verticalPieces[i][2];

            // Stretching :
            if (this.verticalPieces[i][0] !== 'r') {
                // Stretching is the same function for the static squares
                // the only difference is the widths/heights are the same.
                dCtx.drawImage(
                        this.bgImage,
                        this.horizontalPieces[j][1], this.verticalPieces[i][1],
                        this.horizontalPieces[j][2], this.verticalPieces[i][2],
                        0, 0,
                        tempFillWidth, tempFillHeight);
            } else {
                var tempCanvas = document.createElement('canvas');
                tempCanvas.width = this.horizontalPieces[j][2];
                tempCanvas.height = this.verticalPieces[i][2];

                var tempCtx = tempCanvas.getContext('2d');
                tempCtx.drawImage(this.bgImage,
                        this.horizontalPieces[j][1], this.verticalPieces[i][1],
                        this.horizontalPieces[j][2], this.verticalPieces[i][2],
                        0, 0,
                        this.horizontalPieces[j][2], this.verticalPieces[i][2]);

                var tempPattern = dCtx.createPattern(tempCanvas, 'repeat');
                dCtx.fillStyle = tempPattern;
                dCtx.fillRect(
                        0, 0,
                        tempFillWidth, tempFillHeight);
            }

            // Shift to next x position
            dCtx.translate(tempFillWidth, 0);
        }

        // shift back to 0 x and down to the next line
        dCtx.translate(-dWidth, (this.verticalPieces[i][0] === 's' ? this.verticalPieces[i][2] : fillHeight));
    }

    // store the canvas as the div's background
    var url = dCanvas.toDataURL("image/png");
    var tempIMG = new Image();

    var _this = this;
    tempIMG.onload = function(event)
    {
        _this.div.style.background = _this.originalBgColor + " url(" + url + ") no-repeat";
    };
    tempIMG.src = url;
};

The usage is the following:

    var elemDom = document.getElementById("idDiv");
    var background = "border.9.png";
    if (background.match(/\.9\.(png|gif)/i)) // Es nine path?
    {
        elemDom.style.backgroundRepeat = "no-repeat";
        elemDom.style.backgroundPosition = "-1000px -1000px";
        elemDom.style.backgroundImage = "url('"+background+"')";
        var ninePatch = new NinePatch(elemDom,function()
        {
            elemDom.style.paddingLeft = ninePatch.padding.left;
            elemDom.style.paddingTop = ninePatch.padding.top;
            elemDom.style.paddingRight = ninePatch.padding.right;
            elemDom.style.paddingBottom = ninePatch.padding.bottom;
        });
    }

A: I forked https://github.com/chrislondon/9-Patch-Image-for-Websites and fixed the bugs based on the above comments. Now the 9-Patch javascript works well. Please check out https://github.com/blackmonkey/jQuery-9-Patch

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Comedy Vlogger Sherine Arafa: "I am a feminist and I want to see change!"
September 11, 2017 by Bronwen Mehta
Making a name for herself in the rapidly expanding world of YouTubing is Sherine Arafa with her bold and sarcastically humorous videos that have us crying with laughter and sharing her page like crazy. We met with this charismatic character to find out the secrets behind making people laugh!
From picking fun at make-up tutorial videos to showing the humorous side of our social media obsession, Sherine turns our every day experiences on their head in an amusing fashion. Where does her inspiration for these comedic gems come from? "Something needs to really piss me off. For example with the Paki Fierce make-up video, I saw a lot of make-up videos and it really shocked me that people follow them, like why?!", Sherine exclaims. Instead of doing what the rest of us do and just complaining about our annoyances, making fun of them was Sherine's method of relieving her frustration.
Credits: Youtube/Sherine Arafa
Comedy and pushing boundaries is clearly in Sherine's blood; "Since I was a kid I loved the camera and attention. I remember at school, my drama teacher told my parents she would have a heart attack because she would discover on the day that we'd do a performance that I'd changed everything". Although her parents were fairly traditional, Sherine admits that they were a big influence on shaping her boisterous character, "I got my sense of humor from both my parents. The creativity and the eye, I definitely got from my father, the movie director Sherif Arafa".
With this humor and bluntness, Sherine was destined to be a comic and it all began one day whilst in her car. "I was stuck in traffic and overwhelmed by the billboards advertizing upcoming shows. I was sure that everyone is so bored of the same old thing. No one is doing something that is different and funny or talking about the simple issues". Inspired by Bassem Youssef and Ellen DeGeneres, Sherine made the first video with just a tripod and a wig and things exploded from there.
"I actually love the negative comments and reply to them because I love teasing them."
Sherine tells us, "I knew from day one that I am going to do this! People's positive feedback made me want to move forward, because I had a lot of ideas, but I didn't know whether people would respond to them". The support wasn't just from the public, her family and friends have been an essential base throughout. Sherine reveals, "My mom was helping me from the beginning because I literally didn't know what I was doing. Now I have friends helping me with the filming and the editing". Sherine's son is the most important critic, she tells us, "I always show him the videos first and if he laughs I think oh great! It is so cute when he says, 'mamma funny' and he wants to watch it over and over".
With the internet being how it is however, Sherine has inevitably stirred up some outrage, but if anything the negative comments fuel her further. "In my first video I mentioned something about religion. People called me an atheist and said I didn't know anything about religion. I actually love the negative comments and reply to them because I love teasing them. It was my first video and I couldn't believe people were taking me seriously", Sherine tells us with a laugh.
"By me as an Egyptian woman saying this is happening, people will be like, 'oh maybe we do have this issue'."
Although westerners still dominate YouTube, Sherine thinks it is important for Egyptians to be represented, "We are not imitating, we have a different message. Besides, a lot of people don't watch what is happening abroad, so it is important that they see things like this. Many people say, oh we don't have this problem here in Egypt if they see a westerner making the video. So by me as an Egyptian woman saying this is happening, people will be like 'oh maybe we do have this issue'", Sherine explains. Speaking in Arabic in her videos comes part of the package for Sherine, "I hate people who talk in English in their videos to make people think 'oh I am rich and cool and went to an international school'", she tells us defiantly.
In future what topics can we expect to be laughing about with Sherine? "I want to tackle things like religion maybe, as well as virginity and the fear of sex before marriage", although these issues seem quite serious, Sherine promises that they will be addressed in her usual hilarious fashion. "I am doing this for fun. Yes I am a feminist and I want to see change and if I am part of that, that is great. But if I took this content seriously it wouldn't be as entertaining or funny".
Check out Sherine's YouTube channel here, Facebook page here or find her on Instagram at @sherinearafa_
Tags: bassem youssef, Ellen DeGeneres, Sherine Arafa, youtube
Did Obama's Daughter really Quote Prophet Muhammed on her Graduation Cap?
December Romance
Sima Najjar "We can lift up or destroy each other, it is a choice and I always choose to support"
The power of cheesy pick-up lines with 'Romanceya Manseya'
Egyptians taking over the vlogosphere!


Even so, showrunner David Benioff has just revealed an offscreen death that's truly shocking.
We're just two months away from the final season of HBO super successful fantasy drama Game of Thrones.
Out of all of the characters on Game of Thrones, Ser Pounce-a nonmagical and perfectly ordinary cat owned by King Tommen Baratheon, First of His Name, in King's Landing-may have made the biggest impact with the least amount of screentime.
That's right, Tommen's adorable cat is dead. "So she came up with her most diabolical (execution)", Benioff said. And then Ser Pounce had to suffer an even bigger indignity: an off-screen death.
"Ser Pounce's death was so frightful we couldn't even put it on the air", Benioff claimed.
Showrunner Dan Weiss, chiming in, said that if we buy "the super-extended, super-charged Game of Thrones box set", there will be an entire episode devoted to the death of Ser Pounce.
In reality, the writers explained that the cat was simply too much trouble on set. Was he still at the Red Keep?
"That cat was really not fun to work with", Benioff says.
And given that the cats have their own agendas means that one of the white walkers have retrieved it and that later, it would come back to attack Cersei. Weiss agreed, adding, "Dogs generally do what you ask them to do if they're smart and well-trained".


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Q: Building a list of dictionary values, sorted by key I have a python dictionary that looks something like this:
attributes = {
    'size': ['s','m','l'],
    'color': ['black', 'orange'],
}

I want to get a list of values. If I use values(), I get this:
>>> attributes.values()
[['black', 'orange'], ['s', 'm', 'l']]

However, I want the resulting list of lists to be sorted by the dictionary key in reverse order -- ie, size and then color, not color and then size. I want this:
[['s', 'm', 'l'], ['black', 'orange']]

I do not necesarilly know what the dictionary keys will be beforehand, but I do always know if I want them in alphabetical or reverse alphabetical order.
Is there some pythonic way to do this?
The only thing I can think of seems... not very python-like:
keys = sorted(attributes.keys(), reverse=True)
result = []
for key in keys:
    result.append(attributes[key])

It's hard to go from attributes.values() to all of that just to sort the list!

A: This code:
keys = sorted(attributes.keys(), reverse=True)
result = []
for key in keys:
    result.append(attributes[key])

Is basically the use case for which list comprehensions were invented:
result = [attributes[key] for key in sorted(attributes.keys(), reverse=True)]

A: The easiest way is to use OrderedDict, which remembers the order in which the elements have been inserted:
import collections

result = collections.OrderedDict(sorted(attributes.items(), reverse=True))

>>> result.values()
[['s', 'm', 'l'], ['black', 'orange']]


Singapore businesses are being urged to take a more proactive outlook on increasing the gender balance in board rooms, with many businesses becoming slow to react.
The report, by Human Capital Leadership Institute (HCLI and BoardAgender), used qualitative interviews with 41 Singapore-based businesses and ranked the firms according to how they sit within four philosophical approaches to the issue. The aim was to see if it can push better behaviours within businesses that would help Singapore reach its target of 20% representation by 2020.
According to the data, 10% of businesses were classed as resistive deniers, 7% passive onlookers, 54% a meritocracy onlooker and just 29% leading the charge as conscious champions.
Data from the Diversity Action Committee (DAC) in 2017 found Singapore's female board representation to sit at around 12.2%, needing firms to increase this by over 7% in two years. The number has risen in recent years, as even in 2016, the number was being quoted at around 9.7%.
By comparison, Germany has 27.2% female board representation and the figure is 27% in the UK. The US sits at 20% and Hong Kong 15%.
According to HCLI and BoardAgender, the volume of businesses sitting in the 'meritocracy onlooker' category chimes with Singapore's broader favouring of merit but was leading to slower progression.
Dr Don Chen, assistant vice president of knowledge and Solutions at HCLI and lead researcher of the project said that women can fall off the radar of committees due to not fitting a set mould or typical profile, which may end up impacting, or narrowing, a meritocratic approach.
"Meritocracy and gender diversity are not mutually exclusive. Boards need to strike a balance between looking for candidates who fit their archetype to a 'T' and the benefits of gender diversity where members bring a greater variety of skills and perspectives to the table," said Dr Chen.
To be able to hit the target, Chen believes more businesses need to shift into the mindset of the 'conscious champions'.
Two Singapore-firms recognised for their approach to gender diversity, in a separate study by Bloomberg, are small examples of businesses taking new steps towards a more gender balanced working environment.
The report gives two suggestions for transformation that businesses can adopt to move the process along. The first stage is 'adopt a deliberate and targeted board renewal process' which addresses common issues around entrenched board directors or replacements that copy the profile of the former member. The second is 'protect the independence of nominating committees to enhance selection process' which suggests having nominating committees that are more progressive and balanced.
Boards and nominating committees need to re-examine their perceptions of what 'suitable' means in the context of board roles in Singapore. Search criteria for directors needs to be adjusted to meet future business needs, not just existing business concerns.
Realistic gender diversity goals need to be set for companies and/or boards. Stakeholders who are proficient change agents need to be activated to revolutionise existing practices.
Review board guidelines and the status quo, revise the current nomination and selection approach to maximise the potential in the talent pool to achieve diversity.
The report was sponsored by Accenture, ADP, Goldman Sachs, Singtel and TAFEP.


It is just the way that makes the most sense to me.
Being aware of the world that my multi racial son lives in and guiding him through it.
Breastfeeding in public. I was so shy and scared at first. In Asian society it is very stigmatized, so it was great to overcome it.
Not getting enough asleep. I just take lots of deep breaths, and know that everything will pass. That is how I deal with the stress.
Be patient. Everything has its adjustment period.
Paul Simon and Neutral Milk Hotel.
Like what ya see? We'll be introducing more awesome Woke Mamas. But we want to hear from YOU. Share your stories on social media using #WokeMamas or fill in a profile here.


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text:
Online Ticketing Powered by LONDON BOX OFFICE .co.uk London Theatre Tickets Specialists
serving theatregoers since 1999
Theatre-Tickets.com
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Call 0844 871 7627 to book directly from the theatre or Buy Tickets Online
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The Duke of York's theatre is the perfect venue for this latest production of Schiller's play Mary Stuart, a piece that depicts the final days in the life of Mary, Queen of Scots, the days that led to her execution. The play contains five acts, each broken into several scenes, and explores the two queens' rocky relationship. First performed in 1800 in Weimar, Germany, it inspired Donizetti's 1835 opera Maria Stuart and has seldom been off the stage, somewhere in the world, ever since it premièred. This is powerful stuff, a fictional meeting between the two queens that has fired the imagination of thriller-loving audiences for more than two hundred years.
The plot? Mary Stuart is imprisoned in England, allegedly for murdering her husband Darnley, but in reality because of her claim to the throne. Queen Elizabeth I, Mary's cousin, arranges a meeting that ends in anger and fury, thanks to Mary's unwillingness to submit to Elizabeth's wishes. The fictional Mortimer is planning to break Mary out of prison, but he is discovered and commits suicide. Elizabeth eventually signs Mary's death warrant, claiming it's because 'her people' want Mary to die. And the rest, as they say, is history. The brilliant Juliet Stevenson and Lia Williams play both roles, interchanging them depending on a toss of a coin before each performance. It's a classic!
Find the Duke of York's
http://duke-of-yorks.theatre-tickets.com/ is not affiliated nor endorsed by any production company or theatre venue. The website is provided for informational purposes only and whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information on these pages is correct, we cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Images are the property of the copyright holders and are used with permission. The booking process is provided by LondonBoxoffice.co.uk and booking fees may apply.


UPDATED 7/10/2012: Last night the board appointed county assistant prosecutor Chris Seufert to fill Turley's seat until voters go to the polls next spring. Seufert was one of four candidates vying for two seats in last April's vote and lost to Fred Sanchez and Allison Wurst. He will now join them on the board.
A member has resigned, so Park Hill School District's Board of Education will be accepting letters of application from residents interested in filling his vacant seat until a new member can be elected next April. Rick Turley submitted a letter of resignation earlier this week.
After the board formally accepted Turley's resignation during their June 14 meeting, they advertised the vacancy and provided information for district residents interested in filling his position. The application deadline is noon on Friday, June 29, and the tentative interview date is Monday, July 9.
UPDATE 6/29/2012: According to district spokesperson Nicole Kirby, eight residents have applied for the opening. Those eight are Denise McPherson, Chris Seufert, Sherri Scott, Jeff Goodwin, Michael Short, James Pasley, Matt Mauer and Bobby Woodward. And the interviews will take place July 9.
In addition to being taxpayers who have lived in the district for at least a year, applicants must be U.S. citizens and at least 24 years old, according to Missouri statute.


text:
Sanofi and Regeneron Announce Positive Dupilumab Topline Results from Two Phase 3 Trials in Inadequately Controlled Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis Patients
Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that two placebo-controlled Phase 3 studies evaluating investigational dupilumab in adult patients with inadequately controlled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) met their primary endpoints. In the studies, known as LIBERTY AD SOLO 1 and SOLO 2, treatment with dupilumab as monotherapy significantly improved measures of overall disease severity, skin clearing, itching, quality of life, and mental health.
"These are the first Phase 3 studies of a systemic therapy to demonstrate a significant improvement in moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, a chronic, debilitating inflammatory disease that impacts over one million Americans,"said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron and President of Regeneron Laboratories. "These data provide strong evidence that the IL-4 and IL-13 signaling pathway is a fundamental driver of inflammation in atopic dermatitis. Dupilumab is the first in a new class of immunotherapies - in these 16 week trials, dupilumab blocked the aberrant activation of this pathway, resulting in significant efficacy without evidence of immune-suppressing side effects. We continue to evaluate the role of IL-4 and IL-13 signaling in related inflammatory conditions, including asthma and nasal polyposis, where we have ongoing dupilumab clinical development."
"There are no approved systemic therapies in the U.S. for people with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, underscoring the clear unmet need. These results may bring new hope to AD patients, many of whom have suffered for years," said Elias Zerhouni, M.D., President, Global R&D, Sanofi. "In the U.S., where dupilumab in atopic dermatitis has been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the U.S. FDA, we plan to submit a regulatory application in the third quarter of this year and will work to bring this innovative therapy to patients as quickly as possible."
A total of 1,379 adult patients with moderate-to-severe AD were enrolled in the identically-designed SOLO 1 and SOLO 2 trials. Patients were enrolled if they were not adequately controlled with topical medications, or if topical treatment was not medically advisable. All patients were assessed via the 5-point Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) scale, ranging from 0 (clear) to 4 (severe); entry criteria required a baseline score of 3 or 4. Patients were also assessed using the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) and other measures. Patients were randomized into one of three treatment groups: dupilumab 300 mg subcutaneously once per week, dupilumab 300 mg subcutaneously every two weeks, or placebo for 16 weeks following an initial dupilumab loading dose of 600 mg subcutaneously, or placebo. Results at 16 weeks included the following:
For SOLO 1 and SOLO 2, respectively, 37 and 36 percent of patients who received dupilumab 300 mg weekly, and 38 and 36 percent of patients who received dupilumab 300 mg every two weeks , achieved clearing or near-clearing of skin lesions (IGA 0 or 1), compared to 10 and 8.5 percent with placebo (p less than 0.0001). This was the primary endpoint of the study in the U.S.
For SOLO 1 and SOLO 2, respectively, the percent improvement in EASI from baseline was 72 and 69 percent in patients who received the 300 mg weekly dose, and 72 and 67 percent for patients who received dupilumab 300 mg every two weeks, compared to 38 and 31 percent for placebo (p less than 0.0001).
For SOLO 1 and SOLO 2, respectively, 52.5 and 48 percent of patients who received dupilumab 300 mg weekly, and 51 and 44 percent of patients who received dupilumab 300 mg every two weeks, achieved EASI-75 compared to 15 and 12 percent with placebo (p less than 0.0001). This was the key secondary endpoint in the US for these studies and one of the primary endpoints in the EU.
For the 16-week treatment period, the overall rate of adverse events (65-73 percent dupilumab and 65-72 percent placebo) was comparable between the dupilumab groups and the placebo groups. The proportion of patients who completed the treatment period was 88-94 percent for dupilumab and 80.5-82 percent for placebo. The rate of serious adverse events was 1-3 percent for dupilumab and 5-6 percent for placebo. Serious and severe infections were also numerically higher in the placebo groups in both studies (0.5-1 percent dupilumab and 2-3 percent placebo). Adverse events that were noted to have a higher rate with dupilumab treatment across both studies included injection site reactions (10-20 percent dupilumab; 7-8 percent placebo), conjunctivitis (7-12 percent dupilumab; 2 percent placebo); approximately 26 percent of patients in both studies reported a history of allergic conjunctivitis at study entry. No patient discontinued therapy due to injection site reactions and only one patient discontinued therapy due to conjunctivitis.
More detailed results from SOLO 1 and SOLO 2 will be submitted for presentation at a future medical congress.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted dupilumab Breakthrough Therapy designation in AD in November 2014. Dupilumab is currently under clinical development and its safety and efficacy have not been fully evaluated by any regulatory authority.
The LIBERTY AD Phase 3 clinical program consists of five trials in patients with moderate-to-severe AD at sites worldwide.
About Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis - a serious form of eczema - is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by itchy, inflamed skin that can be present on any part of the body.1,2 Though symptoms appear externally, atopic dermatitis is characterized by underlying systemic inflammation.3 Atopic dermatitis affects approximately 7-8 million adults in the U.S. and 1 to 3 percent of adults worldwide.4,5,6 Based on a survey of 200 physicians, there are approximately 1.6 million moderate-to-severe diagnosed and treated patients in the U.S. with uncontrolled disease.7 About 70 percent of people with atopic dermatitis have a family history of other common atopic diseases, such as asthma or hay fever.2,8 The intense itching, scratching and skin damage associated with the disease can sometimes lead to infections, caused by bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus.12 In addition, the physical manifestations of the disease can lead to anxiety, depression, and feelings of social isolation.13,14,15,16,17
Sanofi, a global healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi has core strengths in diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, consumer healthcare, emerging markets, animal health and Genzyme. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).
About Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading science-based biopharmaceutical company based in Tarrytown, New York that discovers, invents, develops, manufactures, and commercializes medicines for the treatment of serious medical conditions. Regeneron commercializes medicines for high LDL cholesterol, eye diseases, and a rare inflammatory condition and has product candidates in development in other areas of high unmet medical need, including oncology, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, pain, and infectious diseases. For additional information about the company, please visit www.regeneron.com or follow @Regeneron on Twitter.
Sanofi Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements include projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, intentions and expectations with respect to future financial results, events, operations, services, product development and potential, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "plans" and similar expressions. Although Sanofi's management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Sanofi, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, future clinical data and analysis, including post marketing, decisions by regulatory authorities, such as the FDA or the EMA, regarding whether and when to approve any drug, device or biological application that may be filed for any such product candidates as well as their decisions regarding labelling and other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of such product candidates, the absence of guarantee that the product candidates if approved will be commercially successful, the future approval and commercial success of therapeutic alternatives, the Group's ability to benefit from external growth opportunities, trends in exchange rates and prevailing interest rates, the impact of cost containment initiatives and subsequent changes thereto, the average number of shares outstanding as well as those discussed or identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by Sanofi, including those listed under "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in Sanofi's annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2015. Other than as required by applicable law, Sanofi does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements.
Regeneron Forward-Looking Statements and Use of Digital Media
This news release includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties relating to future events and the future performance of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Regeneron" or the "Company"), and actual events or results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Words such as "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "believe," "seek," "estimate," variations of such words, and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements concern, and these risks and uncertainties include, among others, the nature, timing, and possible success and therapeutic applications of Regeneron's products, product candidates, and research and clinical programs now underway or planned, including without limitation dupilumab; unforeseen safety issues resulting from the administration of products and product candidates in patients, including serious complications or side effects in connection with the use of Regeneron's product candidates in clinical trials, such as the clinical development programs evaluating dupilumab; the likelihood and timing of possible regulatory approval and commercial launch of Regeneron's late-stage product candidates, such as dupilumab for atopic dermatitis or other indications; determinations by regulatory and administrative governmental authorities which may delay or restrict Regeneron's ability to continue to develop or commercialize Regeneron's products and product candidates, such as dupilumab; ongoing regulatory obligations and oversight impacting Regeneron's marketed products, research and clinical programs, and business, including those relating to patient privacy; competing drugs and product candidates that may be superior to Regeneron's products and product candidates; uncertainty of market acceptance and commercial success of Regeneron's products and product candidates and the impact of studies (whether conducted by Regeneron or others and whether mandated or voluntary) on the commercial success of Regeneron's products and product candidates; the ability of Regeneron to manufacture and manage supply chains for multiple products and product candidates; coverage and reimbursement determinations by third-party payers, including Medicare and Medicaid; unanticipated expenses; the costs of developing, producing, and selling products; the ability of Regeneron to meet any of its sales or other financial projections or guidance and changes to the assumptions underlying those projections or guidance; the potential for any license or collaboration agreement, including Regeneron's agreements with Sanofi and Bayer HealthCare LLC, to be cancelled or terminated without any further product success; and risks associated with intellectual property of other parties and pending or future litigation relating thereto. A more complete description of these and other material risks can be found in Regeneron's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. Any forward-looking statements are made based on management's current beliefs and judgment, and the reader is cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements made by Regeneron. Regeneron does not undertake any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, including without limitation any financial projection or guidance, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Paris, France and Tarrytown, NY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regeneron uses its media and investor relations website and social media outlets to publish important information about the Company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Regeneron is routinely posted and is accessible on Regeneron's media and investor relations website (http://newsroom.regeneron.com) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/regeneron).
1. World Allergy Association 2004:http://www.worldallergy.org/professional/allergic_diseases_center/atopiceczema/. Accessed March 21, 2016.
2. Bieber T. Mechanisms of disease: atopic dermatitis. N Engl J Med. 2008;358:1483-9
3. Leung DYM, Boguniewicz M, Howell MD, Nomura I, Hamid QA. New insights into atopic dermatitis. J Clin Invest. 2004;113:651-657.
4. Silverberg JI, Hanifin JM. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013;132:1132-1138.
5. United States Census Bureau. Quick Facts. http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/04,53,51,00. Accessed March 21, 2016.
6. Nutten S. Atopic Dermatitis: Global Epidemiology and Risk Factors. Ann Nutr Metab. 2015;66(suppl 1):8-16.
7. Adelphi Final Report, data on file
8. Bantz SK, Zhu Z, Zheng T. The Atopic March: Progression from Atopic Dermatitis to Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma. J Clin Cell Immunol. 2014;5(2):202. doi:10.4172/2155-9899.1000202.
9. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Atopic Dermatitis. 2014: Available online:http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/atopic_dermatitis/atopic_dermatitis_ff.asp. Accessed: March 21, 2016.
10. Misery L, Finlay AY, Martin N, et al. Atopic dermatitis: impact on the quality of life of patients and their partners.Dermatology. 2007;215:123-129.
11. Zuberbier T, Orlow SJ, Paller AS, et al. Patient perspectives on the management of atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006;118:226-232.
12. Boguniewicz M. & Leung D. 2011. Atopic dermatitis: a disease of altered skin barrier and immune dysregulation. Immunological Reviews. 22(1): 233 - 246.
13. Simpson EL. Comorbidity in atopic dermatitis. Curr Dermatol Rep. 2012;1:29-38.
14. Gupta MA, Gupta AK. Depression and suicidal ideation in dermatology patients with acne, alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Br J Dermatol. 1998;139:846-850
15. Kimata H. Prevalence of suicidal ideation in patients with atopic dermatitis. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2006;36:120-124.
16. Yarbrough KB, Neuhaus KJ, Simpson EL. The effects of treatment on itch in atopic dermatitis. Dermatol Ther. 2013;26:110-119.
17. Anderson RT, Rajagopalan R. Effects of allergic dermatosis on health-related quality of life. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2001;1(4):309-315.


The Baby Blue & Baby Pink mixes are all small buttons, and the Lace mix has buttons of all sizes.
The prices are good too - just £1.25 for 50g ....or £2 for 100g!
this weekend was a weekend of two halves - Saturday I spent HOURS doing the accounts *yawn*, but it meant I had the whole of Sunday to sew - yippee!
the buy 3 for the price of 2 offer on sewing threads is still live but will be gone tomorrow, so best be quick if you need some bargain threads. click here to read the details. click here to see the threads.
When I launched my 40% wool felt last year it also meant that I changed the colours of threads I sell - but I didn't update the photos and, as all my website shoppers will know, when they bought threads the photos were of felt colours, rather than reels of cotton.
Which is, quite frankly, a little bit rubbish.
But today I have finally rectified this - I have photographed all 45 threads, alongside the felt they match, AND I have a special offer too!
If you buy two reels of thread you get a third for free - it's a wonderful way to celebrate right?
All the thread colours are well stocked as I type, but it is first come first served - offer ends on Monday 29th April (or before if all the thread is sold!!) I will definitely be re-stocking all the colours so you'll always be able to get matching threads.
buy two reels of thread and get the third for free!
PS you can see all the codes on the website too!
PPS if you fancy stocking up and buy a thread rainbow please use the code Ibought45 it will reduce the price from £69 to £44.25. Which is a total bargain!
I think this tutorial has been waiting for some sunshine - sewing all of these colours whilst sitting in the sun was so much fun - the perfect crafty pick-me-up!
If you would like to make your own bunch of ever-lasting flowers then this is the blog post for you!
buttons - in all sorts of sizes and colours, the more the merrier I think!
To start - cut out lots of felt flower shapes using the templates. There are no set colour combinations, or any limit to which shapes to use - the choice is entirely yours - when cutting the felt out I cut two layers for each flower shape, but only one for each circle - the circle flowers are all made with 3 different size circles which makes them sturdy.
To give the circle flowers some more oomph I stitched all three layers together in the centre with a ring of running stitches (imagine there is a 2p piece in the middle of the flower and stitch around it)...pull the thread tight and the flower will gather and become 3d.
Once all your flower shapes have been cut out and you've gathered your circle flowers you can start embellishing - you can add buttons, fabric scraps, fabric yo-yos, embroidery stitches - whatever you fancy doing will work!
Once all your flowers are embellished you need to attach the second layer (the back) of your flower shapes (remember you cut 2 of each earlier?) I used felt glue but you can stitch them together round the edge if you prefer.
Next you need to wire them - just like a florist would. I had some wire & wire cutters in my old art box, if you don't have any ask around - someone you know will have some in the shed somewhere! I cut a long length and folded it in half, carefully poked it through my stitching (see the little loop on the left?) and then wrapped and wrapped and wrapped until the whole stem was wired.
I left all of my stems quite long and folded them at the bottom so they are the perfect heights for my vases - that way I can re-arrange in the future and none of them will be too short - of course I only figured this out half way through, but most of them are left long!
I filled my vases with buttons because I like buttons, but you don't need to do that...nor do you need to get out in the sunshine and take photos of your flowers, but if you do I (and my readers!) would love to see them!
...finishing touches, photographs, some instruction typing and the tutorial will be ready - after all this build up i just hope you like it!
...they are Brights & Pastels - and each bundle has half a metre per colour.
The packs come in 10 colour ways and 5 different sizes - 6", 12" or 24" squares, mini rolls or half metre cuts - I sell tonnes more 6" square packs than I do half metre packs!
If you had one (or both!) of these what would you sew?
look at all these bright colours!
my voice is back - hurrah!
Since I last mentioned my latest tutorial here I have made no more progress *sigh*- but today felty colours and buttons have been selected and patterns/templates have been drawn up - and tonight, after a little sewing for orders, I will make a start....and so far this weekend is free for sewing and I plan to use it fully !
There will be a tutorial - soonish!
I figured that whilst I am stuck in the land of silence (oh yes, I am still voice free!) I may as well tackle the VAT return....it's the last one as a sole trader and the first one with EU sales that are zero rated so I really had to concentrate! I have done it but it's not submitted because I have asked my accountant to check it - I think it's OK but it's good to make sure!
Tomorrow I will do something fun.
With proper buttons, not fake-o pretend-o calculator buttons.
This weekend the nasty cold/virus thing that's doing the rounds came and found me.
It was particularly bad timing because yesterday was John's birthday - we did still manage a couple of hours out and about in the sunshine with some nice birthday food and some cold beers (for John). I also did a lot of napping and some resting on the sofa in Pj's...... and today I feel fine, full of beans and ready to work - but my voice has gone!! Sometimes I sound like a goat, sometimes like a squeaky thing, other times there's no sound at all!!
It's a bit weird because I like to talk.
Even when there is no one else here I talk to myself - one good thing is that I don't need to be able to talk to pack the parcels, and boy did I do a lot of that today!
PS chocolate birthday cake doesn't work as medicine and magically give your voice back.
PPS nor do Custard Creams!
The teeny tiny buttons ta-dah!
The Teeny Tiny Buttons are finally back!
They are now available in 45 colours - which are dyed especially for me, to match all my felt colours.
The ever popular 2 hole version has been joined with a teeny tiny 4 hole version, which also come in all 45 colours - did I mention that the colours match the felt I sell?
...although I think you'll have a hard job picking a single colour! They are all so glorious!
They also come in packs which match my felt colour packs - good idea huh?
...I just love them all!
glorious, amazing, fantastic new buttons!
PS: there are 202, 500 buttons on that table - I'm in button heaven!!


The Dollar Redesign Project was a contest that allowed people to submit redesigns of the current US currency in an effort to "rebuild financial confidence and revive our failing economy". Hundreds of different designers submitted what they thought US money should look like. The submissions were colorful, unique and maybe a bit off the wall.
You can view the submissions and list of winners by clicking here. Although the contest is over, they are still accepting submissions if you want to show off your own design.
What do you think about this project? Is it something worth doing or do you think our money is fine the way it is?


Tamshingphala Choepa festival is held in Tamshing Monastery. The monastery belongs to Nyingma sect and follows the Pelling tradition of Pema Lingpa. Tamshing Temple, in the Bumthang valley is celebrated for its cultural significance, mission and direct connection to the Buddhist Bhutanese saint Pema Lingpa. Tamshing is headed by The Venerable Lhalung Sungtrul Rinpoche the 11th direct incarnation of Pema Lingpa. The monastery was built in in 1501 by Pema Lingpa .


Live in Westboro! This bright and stylish 1 bedroom condo features modern finishes in a prime location. Open concept design with upgraded hardwood flooring, newer high quality appliances and quartz counters. Master bedroom features sliding doors and balcony unobstructed Southern views! 3 Piece bathroom complete with glass enclosed shower and quartz vanity. Convenient in-unit laundry. Includes 1 underground parking and storage locker. Fantastic building amenities include: Fitness center, theatre room, games/common room and roof top terrace with BBQ's. Enjoy the many amenities of Westboro just outside your door!


text:
Canthyporus exilis är en skalbaggsart som först beskrevs av Karl Henrik Boheman 1848.  Canthyporus exilis ingår i släktet Canthyporus och familjen dykare. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Dykare
exilis

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


RHRLI wants you to know the distinct differences between FUE and FUT and why they're important. We offer a Robotic FUE procedure that we believe is the best permanent solution to hair loss out there. It's called the ARTAS® System, and RHRLI is the only hair loss treatment center on Long Island that offers this revolutionary procedure. We want our customers to understand our procedure and why it differs from FUT procedures.
FUT, which is also called "strip surgery" is an invasive surgical procedure. It involves taking a strip of scalp from the back of the transplant patient's head and removing it, so the hair can be transplanted elsewhere. When the procedure is over, sutures are needed to close the wound on the patient's scalp. The procedure leaves a long horizontal scar along the back of the head.
FUE is a minimally invasive procedure. Hair follicles are harvested individually from donor areas on the back and side of the head. There are no linear surgical incisions left on the back of the head. Because the ARTAS® System is a robotic FUE procedure, the donor hair harvesting process is done with extreme precision. This makes ARTAS® more accurate than other FUE procedures which use handheld devices.
The differences between FUE and FUT are also highly significant once the procedure is over. Because FUE is minimally invasive, recovery time is shorter. With FUT procedures, many patients are going to need post-operative pain medication. They'll also be more susceptible to long term side effects such as possible nerve injury or abnormal traction or healing of the nerve. FUT patients often feel short term side effects as well including numbness and tingling, scalp tightness and lingering pain. In many cases, ARTAS® patients don't even need pain medication after their procedure. If they do, it's usually a mild pain reliever like acetaminophen. Most ARTAS® patients get back to normal activities in just a few days while FUT patients are known to have prolonged recovery times of even several weeks. Some FUT patients are known to have difficulty sleeping on the sutured area for a number of weeks as well.
As you can see, the difference between FUT and Robotic FUE from ARTAS® is extremely significant. If you're looking for a permanent solution to your hair loss, you want a procedure that's minimally invasive and that uses robotic precision to give you a healthy new head of hair. You want the ARTAS® difference. To learn more, contact RHRLI today.


Posted May 31st, 2018 & filed under Volunteer Spotlight.
A busy wife, mom and grandmother of 4, Cindy McAtee will celebrate her 13th year as a CASA Volunteer on June 14th. Cindy is deeply devoted to her work as a CASA volunteer. Having worked 6 cases during her time at CASA, and pushing through some very difficult case scenarios, her CASA supervisor notes: "I never have to wonder what is going on with Cindy and her CASA case. She is on time with documentation, and the connection she shares with her CASA case is so obvious and almost infectious." We recently talked to Cindy about how and why CASA continues to stay at the forefront of her busy schedule.
What made you choose CASA as a way of giving back to your community?
When we returned to Waco after retiring in 2005, I began searching for a volunteer opportunity that offered a direct hands-on approach in positively impacting the lives of others. After researching possibilities, CASA was the perfect fit.
What do you enjoy most about the time you have served as a casa volunteer?
What I have enjoyed most about my time as a CASA volunteer are the relationships built with our CASA children as well as with those professionals dedicated to the possibility of a better future for our children.
When you are working on your CASA case, what can we find you doing?
When I am not active on my CASA case, I am very involved with my four grandchildren, all under the age of two, recently adding the last two on May 16th, TWIN GIRLS! I can also be found teaching and participating in yoga classes, and enjoying every moment with my wonderful husband, Lee, of 45 years.
Have Cindy's words inspired you? If you'd like to learn more about becoming a CASA for our community's most vulnerable children, please click here.


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NBA Honors Licensees
The National Basketball Association honored two licensees for the first time as part of its annual Retail Summit Awards.Majestic Athletic was named the first apparel licensee of the year for the "Notorious," "Swagger," and "Here's
The National Basketball Association honored two licensees for the first time as part of its annual Retail Summit Awards.
Majestic Athletic was named the first apparel licensee of the year for the "Notorious," "Swagger," and "Here's to a Big Season" T-shirt programs.
Wincraft was recognized as the first non-apparel licensee of the year. An NBA licensee for more than 30 years, Wincraft offers more than 3,600 NBA products, which are manufactured in the U.S.
The NBA also named the Utah Jazz Team "Retailer of the Year." This will mark the first time the Jazz won the annual honor, which has been awarded since 2002 to recognize the accomplishments of team merchandise sales and operations.
"The Jazz demonstrated that opening a new team store and launching a new uniform simultaneously provides a successful way to increase business and engage fans," says Brian Keegan, vice president of retail marketing and development for the NBA.


The brakes on your Honda allow you stop, quickly or slowly, at a stop sign or in a traffic jam. Like most things in your vehicle, brakes wear down over time, causing them to not work as adequately as they could. Frequent brake maintenance will help keep your vehicle from not being able to stop or perform at its best! Our Ridgeland Honda service center near Jackson is highly trained in braking systems which can help your vehicle's brakes function at their fullest potential.
Routine brake service is important for your own protection, and that of other drivers around you! The more you drive your vehicle, the more your brake pads and brakes wear down, especially if you are in constant stop-and-go traffic. It is important to take care of your brakes so you have the ability to stop on a moment's notice and keep everyone safe.
What do brakes do inside a vehicle? Brakes are one of the many important parts of your vehicle. Your brakes keep your vehicle from rolling out into the street, stopping at a traffic signal and keep you from hitting things (specifically furry ones) that suddenly jump out in front of you. Your safety, as well as others, depends on the condition of your brakes.
When is it time for new brakes? There are a plethora of ways you can tell when your vehicle is in need of new brakes. A grinding sound that sounds while pressing down on your brake pedal could indicate that your brake pads have worn out, making it difficult for your vehicle to stop effectively. If your brake pedal is responding in a different way (that is not normal) or it is difficult to push down on the pedal, that could mean your calipers have worn down unevenly, causing your brakes to not work "evenly". Finally, if you feel a vibration in the steering wheel or through the pedal when you push down, that is a warning sign that you should take your vehicle in to be looked at by a certified mechanic right away.
Our service center recommends that you get your vehicle's brakes checked and replaced every 25-to-50,000-miles, however, check your owner's manual for more specific information regarding your Honda model's brakes.
At Patty Peck Honda, we are elated to offer a service center that can provide care to all makes and models throughout the greater Jackson area. We know that your vehicle's issues can present themselves at times when you really need to be somewhere, so we offer drive-up service where you can come in without setting up an appointment and we can provide you with the assistance you need in an acceptable amount of time. We only use genuine OEM parts, to ensure that your vehicle is getting the best products that will keep you on the road for a longer period of time, worry free! We have early hours of operation Monday through Friday, so that if you would like to come in before you start your work day, you have that option to do so! Patty Peck Honda has been around for 30 years helping out customers of all vehicle types and issues, and we would love to continue to help them out for another 30 more!
If your Honda is in the need of new brakes or brake pads, you can schedule an appointment at our service center near Jackson online or over the phone.


He's not a kid anymore. He's an adult. Life hasn't been easy growing up with ADD. Every day is a struggle.
As a child, he was picked on and teased by the other kids in school. Teachers wrote him off as a problem child. Socially, he was awkward and it was hard to make friends. The world around him made no sense.
Over the years, he was tested for everything from Tourette's syndrome to autism. But his parents knew it was something else. He was 7 years old when a new doctor came to town who specialized in testing and treating children with ADD/ADHD — a fairly new diagnosis at the time. He was tested and his parents' suspicions were confirmed. He had ADD, as well as dyslexia, chronic depression, and early signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Years of trial and error with medications, therapy, and counseling helped. But eventually he figured out on his own what worked for him — structure, routine, and developing a set of skills for staying on track with school work and life in general. He developed his own organizational system that made sense to him. A GPS system in his car became an essential. And writing things down and making lists helped him tremendously.
He always loved to draw — it made his world more tolerable, more fulfilling, and less stressful, and it was the one thing that captured his attention for hours. In college it became his passion. With the encouragement of an instructor who recognized his talent, he decided to make art his major. He is now focused and driven, getting excellent grades in all of his classes, and next year he will be moving out on his own while he earns his bachelor's degree.
He's still working on his social skills and self-confidence, but all the pieces are starting to fall into place. His future is full of promise and brighter than ever.
This piece was written by a Monterey County mother who requested anonymity.


Within the span of eight days… so much has happened. I don't even know where to begin or how to feel or how to process everything. A small part of me doesn't know that all of this isn't like one ridiculously long dream. Something feels … surreal about these past eight days that it very well could be a dream for all I know.
Thursday I finished college, finally. After three long years I AM DONE DONE DONE. College was such an arduous process… an intermediary step before I could begin my life. But college spurred on so much mental and emotional maturity for me that I'm so grateful for all the experiences. Graduating was probably one of the most stressful things… ever. imaginable. In between studying, taking finals, crossing my fingers for good grades…everything went wrong.
I changed one of my English courses to P/NP as opposed to letter-grade. What I had forgotten was that that English class was the last of my requirements for my English minor. In a minor, you cannot receive P/NP and still have the course count. So Thursday (my LAST day) I *realize* this… and PANIC all the way to the English department. As the course did not count, I had to find a course I took that qualified for a VERY SPECIFIC requirement (literature spanning from 1700 to 1900). Luckily I took a Comp Lit class (meaning out of the English dept) that probably just barely qualified for that requirement. I didn't find out until Monday morning that everything with my English minor checked out. Luckily, my Asian American studies minor was totally fine and that went through smoothly.
But then… I call the Office of the Registrar because I received an email that I did not qualify for graduation. Again, this is on Thursday. By Thursday, I had already subleased my place, packed everything, etc. I call the office at about 3:30… and the Philosophy dept. representative says I'm missing a course… I had taken my last Philosophy class three quarters ago… My head was seriously just spinning. I felt stressed beyond belief. There was no way I had miscalculated. I had taken SO many Philosophy courses there was just no way I didn't qualify. So in a panic, I go visit the actual Philosophy department. I got there at about 3:45. There are no appts after 3:30. By that point I couldn't even breathe. I tried to stay calm while the secretary in the office tells me that I can make an appt for the next day. 9am. Bam, I make the appointment. But Friday is the LAST day of school… If I wasn't going to be able to figure it out by then… I would have been kinda screwed.
And all of Thursday I was running on 2 hours of sleep from all the stress, anxiety, and just EVERYTHING.
After that I went home and kinda … didn't know what to do with myself. I think I paced around my house for a few hours. I couldn't even get myself to finish packing. I was on EDGE.
9am, Friday. I talked to the Philosophy dept counselor to try to petition one of my many Philosophy courses to qualify for a requirement in which I supposedly was missing a course. It went smoothly. From there I knew everything was just sort of out of my hands. There was very little else I could do. So I went to run errands I needed to finish before leaving Santa Barbara. Then I received an email from the Philosophy department stating that I don't need to petition because all my requirements have been met. By that point I didn't even know what to believe or what was going on. So I called the Office of the Registrar again and the Philosophy rep. tells me she made a MISTAKE. My graduating was at stake and there was a mistake??
Monday. I was not able to fit everything into my car when I left SB on Friday. So Mom and I drove up to SB in separate cars to get the rest of my stuff. It takes a few hours for me to finish packing, etc. By 7:30-ish we get on the road to drive back to LA… but I got on the freeway first and failed to realize that my mom was not behind me (she had pulled over because one of her doors was open). I was driving in the fast lane on the freeway and I had been driving for about 15 minutes… when my rear right tire blows out. I heard it give out, but before I could brake, before I could pull over, my car was dramatically swerving to the right. My first thought was emergency light so any cars behind me or to the side of me can figure out something's wrong. It was night time, I couldn't even *remember* where my emergency light was. My hands never left the steering wheel. I tried to maneuver my car back into my lane to try to pull over. That was my goal. I never really had TIME to panic, to feel fear, or anything. I didn't even know if there were ANY cars behind me or to the side of me. In an instant, as I tried to regain control of my car, my car spun around, facing oncoming traffic. But my car hit the center divider and my car completely flipped over. The thought never crossed my mind that I was going to die, or that I might get severely injured. It all happened so quickly.
I was stuck in my car. By the time the car stopped crashing my car was still on. And the music was still playing… which was really awkward. I was carrying so many bulky items in my car that I feel so lucky that none of them hit me, which could have been bad/knocked me out/etc. I turned off the music (lol) but I was thinking to myself: "where the hell is my phone?? I need to call my mom." My phone was in a random bag, thrown in as an afterthought, before I had started driving. Just as I turned off the music, my car shut off. I don't think I would have remembered to turn off the ignition if my car was still running (which can cause an explosion if gas leaks). I think I was in my car for no more than a minute. Everything literally happened so so so quickly.
The first thing I heard was: "Can you hear me?" I yelled out yes. I couldn't see where the person was. They asked a few more times. I said yes again. Then I said, "I can't open the door." I looked out my window and there were so many people standing out there willing to help me. At that moment I could not remember how the hell to open the door. Since the ignition shut off I thought, "I can't flip the switch that unlocks it" because I have never used the manual unlock. But someone pointed to it and asked if I could get to the manual button. I felt around for a while and found it, and got the door open. I took off my seatbelt. And then two people helped pull me out. They asked me if anyone else was in the car, if I felt okay. A young blonde woman held my hands as soon as I was out of the car. My whole body was shaking, but I am not sure I would have realized it if she hadn't held me. She asked if she could pray for me… I said yes. I think it meant more to her than it did to me to pray, but I always appreciate it when someone wants to thank God or has good thoughts in mind. About five cars had pulled over to help me, even a car from the other side of the freeway, going north-bound. I was so incredibly grateful for everyone's help.
The police, ambulance, and fire fighters arrived so quickly, it was amazing. I got out of my car without a scratch, without a bruise, not even any pain from the seatbelt. And I'm so lucky my airbag did NOT deploy because that probably would have been the most damaging. A few minutes later, my mom's car pulls over and she comes out of the car bawling, in hysterics. I think she expected me to be crying and to be completely honest I wanted to but I held back. I couldn't really process everything… it all was just so… sudden. Literally before I knew it I went from driving and singing along to music to being stuck in my car upside down.
One woman consoled my mom, who could not stop crying. I sat near the center divider and just waited for the police to be ready to take the statement and whatnot. My first question to them was if I had hit anyone else, if everyone else that had stopped was okay. And then I felt bad for causing horrible traffic. It sorta became a blur. The police took my statement. And then they got me off the freeway in one of their cars to rejoin my mom (they had asked her to exit the freeway and wait for me). The cop car had to crash my car even further to get it a bit more out of the way for the rest of traffic.
Everyone was so nice, and all I can say is I am so thankful and so grateful. I lived that car accident without a single scratch. People die in car accidents for much less than what I went through. The outside of my car was completely totaled but the inside was completely fine.
My mom of course called the family. Since there was no space in my mom's car for me to ride along my uncle drove over to SB to pick me up. It was so… UNREAL. I remained calm the entire time and my mom (hours later) started saying I was like Dexter or something, as a joke. I didn't really demonstrate much emotion. I mean… it was so overwhelming I couldn't even react. Everyone just sort of took it for calm. My whole family was crying and they were all on edge.We got back to LA sometime after 11.
The jokes my brother and I made were light-hearted or whatever… but that's just to make explaining the situation a little less tense and overwhelming. I haven't really talked much about it and don't really feel I need to. I don't know how/why I survived and escaped without a single scratch. I don't think I want to question it. I mean there are jokes I can make, but ehhhh… it's just a bit much.
Tuesday. Went to the towing company to go get my stuff from inside my car, including my phone. Literally everything was in my car.
Wednesday. Job interview. I was so nervous. The whole process took about an hour, and at the end of the hour I got the job. Holy crapppp, I have a job starting January 3rd/4th!!!! I find it a little hard to show much emotion but I'm sincerely excited. I don't know how to react to very much after Monday. I still feel sort of … like all of this just isn't real.
Thursday. Flight to New York. My vacation finally begins!!!
After Monday I honestly feel like a fragment of me died. Like there's a small part of me missing. Or it's as though one of me died. And I've entered some alternate universe and in this universe I didn't die, but I did in another. I know how ridiculous all that sounds. Life goes on, and I demonstrated that by still going to my job interview and landing the position. And now I'm flying to New York. There just hasn't been a moment to BREATHE and BE, silently. Everything is so non-stop and … overwhelming. From graduating, moving, almost dying, starting a career path just days after graduation, to flying to the other side of the country.
I don't even know. I feel like crying might absolve the brewing tension within me. Crying would solidify and make real everything that has happened these last few days. But for now, I'm floating in this surreal reality. My brain just feels so overworked and overstressed and like I've been on constant alert. I think my brain is going to have to take some TIME to process what all of everything means.
I know I'm on the brink of so many new things… but yet I came so so so close to the end of my life. And the one question I keep wondering about is… what would have happened if I had died? It's sort of like knowing there's an alternate ending to a movie, but there's absolutely no way you can see it. I don't even know…!
Okay okay okay. Vacation time.
By BrigitteIn Life1 Comment on 8 days.
Calling up my friends to hang or go out to eat.
Following local businesses on Twitter.
The wide lanes on the street.
Coming home to housemates watching scary TV shows.
By no means is this list comprehensive. But, it's all in the little things. After living in the Santa Barbara area for a little over three years, it just feels so weird to get up and leave. But I'm graduating and it's time to reacquaint myself with Downey and the Los Angeles area.
Spending time with Elizabeth and Vy.
Making fabulous jokes with my little brother and playing video games with him.
Seeing my family more often.
The liveliness of Los Angeles.
There's so much to worry about and stress over right now. I'm FULLY aware of the fact that everything will get done. There's no option – I mean, it just obligatorily has to get done… but the list is so long I'm feeling pretty anxious, even as I write this. What I want to do most is curl up into a ball and hold myself to reassure myself that everything is fine. Except doing that means nothing would get done, and there's a lot to do…!!!
I have already started packing. Just books, DVDs, and magazines. Knowing how much crap I have really irks me. For a long time now I have yearned a very minimal lifestyle. Very Parisienne chic lifestyle, if you will. Anyway, what's very frustrating is knowing that I need to pack EVERYTHING but then I also need to pack for NEW YORK. Once I'm there, everything will be all said and done though. Just from now till then… AHHHHHH.


We try to help our fellow track junkies where we can. We have a constantly growing list of performance parts (especially brake pads) for the cars we see most often at HPDE events -- BMW M3s, Porsche 996/997 and Boxster/Cayman. Just because it's not listed, doesn't mean we can't get it -- drop us a line. We are constantly adding to our catalog, so please bookmark the site and check back often.
Whether you are looking for better brakes, suspension upgrades, performance parts, car care products, or specialty tools, let us help you get fast(er).


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Q: Python, Bottle, MongoDB Create Function 500 Error Code I am creating a REST service using Bottle and MongoDB. The problem is I am getting a 500 error code when trying to insert a document.
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//IETF//DTD HTML 2.0//EN">

            <title>Error: 500 Internal Server Error</title>

Error: 500 Internal Server Error

Sorry, the requested URL <tt>'http://localhost:8080/create'</tt>
               caused an error:

Unhandled exception

cURL
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -X POST -d '{"id" : "10011-2017-TEST","certificate_number" : 9278833,"business_name" : "ACME TEST INC.","date" : "Feb 20 2017","result" : "No Violation Issued","sector" : "Test Retail Dealer - 101"}' http://localhost:8080/create

The thing is though, I am able to successfully insert a document even though I get the 500 error code. Why am I getting the 500 error code? I have been trying to implement exception handling for both MongoDB and Bottle. Not sure if that is why I am getting the code. If not, how can I properly implement exception handling? I have read up on abort but I have had trouble with that. Also, when I comment out return result , I get a 200 response code, but I want to return the id of the document inserted. Thanks
Source Code:
#!/usr/bin/python
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
from bson import json_util
import json
import bottle
from bottle import route, run, request, abort, post, error
import pymongo
from pymongo import MongoClient
import datetime as datetime

connection = MongoClient('localhost', 27017)
db = connection['city']
collection = db['inspections']

@route('/create', method='POST')
def insert_document():

    try:
        data = request.json
        result = collection.insert_one(data).inserted_id
    except Exception, e:

        print ('EXCEPTION: ', e)

    return result

if __name__ == '__main__':

    run(host='localhost', port=8080)

A: Change
    return result

to
    return str(result)

or simply remove the line altogether.