UFT President Mulgrew and Council of Supervisors and Administrators, a principals union, outside Stuyvesant High School this morning. A top Department of Education official said Friday that effects from delays caused by city's new electronic grading system were "overblown" and estimated that only a small percentage of students would participate in graduation ceremonies without knowing their final grades. "Every kid will have their diploma before the end of [the school year], no one's being kept from walking," Chief Academic Officer Shael Polakow-Suransky said at International High School at Lafayette in Brooklyn, shortly before taking stage to speak at the school's graduation ceremony. "I know that it's stressful and I feel bad for the kids that it's stressful," he said, then added, "I do feel like it's a little bit overblown." Polakow-Suransky's comments came following days of complaints from teachers about the grading process of four of the most-taken Regents tests — Living Environment, Global Studies, U.S. History, and English. The exams are being scored electronically this year through a "distributed scoring system" to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the process used in previous years, which involved teachers grading their own students' exams.
There was apparently a better choice than CTB McGraw-Hill to oversee the new electronic grading system that this week faltered in spectacular fashion: Pearson. But Pearson's services could have cost the city nearly three times as much as McGraw-Hill's, a bargain that the Department of Education concluded was worth the risk, according to details about the contract submitted to the Panel for Educational Policy for approval last year. "The near-term advantages achieved from Pearson's proposal did not warrant its significantly higher cost," the contract document says. A litte more than a year after the city inked the contract — a three-year, $9.7 million deal — the ambitious scoring system developed by McGraw-Hill is under fire for a series of sweeping technical glitches that has left tens of thousands of students wondering how they did on their end-of-year state exams. Many of those students are seniors whose graduation is contingent on passing the exams even as ceremonies began this week. "I've been doing grading for 18 years and this is the absolute worst," said Dino Sferrazza, a social studies teacher at Benjamin Cardozo High School.
A teacher took these pictures of a computer screen at a Regents exam scoring site today. One message shows that all of the items that had been scanned had already been scored. The other shows that many answers remain to be graded. The Department of Education originally said scoring would be complete today, but the timeline has been extended. The Department of Education is desperately recruiting teachers to make up for Regents exam scoring time that CTB/McGraw-Hill lost. The department needs thousands of graders to work through tens of thousands of test questions that were supposed to be scored already. The scoring hit snags because of breakdowns in the electronic process that the testing company set up, leaving students without scores as high school graduations begin. "As you know, there have been problems in processing and scanning exam materials for the June Global and US History exams which have resulted in delays grading these exams," reads an email that history teachers received late Wednesday. Later, it notes, "Participation is voluntary, and we encourage you to consider taking part in this activity and help to complete the scoring of these exams in as timely a manner as possible." Several teachers said they and their colleagues were torn about whether to take the overtime offer, which would net them just under $42 an hour on Friday night and over the weekend.
A slew of glitches in the city's electronic grading for Regents exams have delayed scores for several subjects, just days before high schools are set to begin holding graduation ceremonies. The problems represent at best a significant inconvenience and cost and at worst a threat to students' scores and graduation status, according to educators with knowledge of the grading process. This is the first June that all Regents exams taken at city high schools are being graded through "distributed scoring," an arrangement devised to prevent teachers from scoring tests taken by students at their schools. Until last year, teachers graded their own students' exams, but under pressure to show that test scores are not inflated, the state barred that practice. The city's scoring system extends the state's rules. After a pilot last year, the Department of Education opted to have four of the most-taken tests — Living Environment, Global Studies, U.S. History, and English — scored electronically. McGraw-Hill, the vendor administering the process, collects the exams at schools, transports them to a scanning site in Connecticut, and then distributes answers one by one to teachers stationed at computers in city grading centers. The company is getting $3.5 million this year from the city to administer the distributed scoring program, part of a $9.6 million, three-year contract to manage the logistical acrobatics that the new arrangement requires.
The union is blaming the city Department of Education and planning to complain to the state about widespread Regents exam scoring problems, according to this message that just went out to UFT members: Dear colleagues, The city Department of Education has bungled the Regents distributive scoring process this month. In response to the state Education Department's requirement that teachers not score their own students' exams, the city DOE created a convoluted system that is extremely inefficient.
The Regents exam that high school students are most likely to fail will not be scored under a new system designed to curb score inflation. In recent years, exams across the city received a disproportionate number of 65s, suggesting that teachers might be bumping up the scores of students on the verge of passing, sometimes illicitly. Aiming to reduce incentives to pad scores, the Department of Education last year began rolling out a system in which teachers are not permitted to grade exams taken by students in their school. A year ago, 27 schools participated in "distributed scoring," and 163 schools used the model in June. Overall, the proportion of exams scoring exactly 65, the score needed to pass, fell by half. This month, all exams for all schools were supposed to be scored under the model. But when the department put out a call for teachers to grade the global history exam, only about 1,000 signed up, officials said. That meant the department was short at least 700 teachers to ensure that all global history exams could be graded on time. The shortfall means the department's shift to distributed scoring will be incomplete when students take exams later this month.
Percentage of Regents exams scoring exactly 65, from 2010 to 2012. A series of changes to the way Regents exams are graded has dramatically slimmed down the number of scores that are exactly passing, according to the Department of Education. In 2010, 7 percent of exams citywide received the lowest passing score, a 65. This year, that proportion was just 3.5 percent, officials said. The number of 65s awarded on the five exams required for graduation rose sharply between 2006 and 2009. The recent decline came as the city implemented several new rules prompted by the bulge in the number of 65s, which suggested that teachers might be bumping up the scores of students on the verge of passing, sometimes illicitly. Department officials said the reduction in the number of 65s showed that the policy changes had successfully curbed incentives to pad students' scores. "Even if the higher percentage of 65s wasn't due to intentional cheating but well-meaning people making sure kids have the best chance to graduate, what we see … is that there isn't that incentive to push a score to 65," said Deputy Chief Academic Officer Adina Lopatin. The department released the data in response to a new report by the Independent Budget Office that looks at Regents passing patterns for students who entered high school in 2005. Confirming conventional wisdom and a slew of recent studies, the report found that the more Regents exams a student had passed early in high school, the more likely he was to graduate on time.
The brand-new library at Evander Childs opened so teachers from other schools could grade Regents exams there. Last year, the Evander Childs Campus got a new library, replete with rows of new computers and a mural depicting scholarly pursuits. The library opened its doors for the first time last month — but not to students. Instead, it housed teachers from other high school campuses, who convened there to try out a new model for grading students' final exams. Regents exams, which students must pass to graduate from high school, have been scored by the teachers who administered them since the Regents exam program began in the nineteenth century. But mounting concerns about cheating — spurred on by the finding that students hit the minimum passing score at a disproportionately high rate — have prompted the city and state to make changes to how the exams are graded. The state's test security overhaul calls for schools to stop grading their own Regents exams by June 2013. The changes are meant to reduce opportunities and incentives for teachers to inflate their students' scores, which under state law could factor into teachers' evaluations in the future. The shift would bring Regents exam grading in line with how most states score high-stakes exams and with New York State's requirements about elementary and middle schools' exams. Buoyed by its own concerns about cheating and softer forms of score inflation, the city has sped that timeline up. In January, a handful of schools tested out a system to ensure that teachers do not grade their own students' exams. Department of Education officials expanded that system, known as "distributed scoring," to more than 160 schools this spring. Most of the schools deployed teachers to centralized locations such as Evander Childs, and teachers from 17 schools tested a system for grading exams online. In total, about 107,000 exams were graded under distributed scoring last month. Teachers who participated in the pilot gave it mixed reviews. Some said the system made them better graders because they considered only the answers, not the students, when assigning scores. But others said the system of musical graders was complicated, time-consuming, and likely to lead to unfairly deflated scores. And a small number of missing tests highlight the potential cost of logistical mishaps.


text:
Best Business Schools in America
By Corey Mann
Originally posted October 30, 2019
Are you looking to advance in your financial or business career? If so, further education is a surefire way to increase your credibility in the job market. With an MBA program, you will learn transferable skills that can directly influence your growth as a professional. Below, learn more about the best business schools in America today and find the best program that fits your specific needs.
Overall, what are the best business schools in 2019? According to the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings, the most prestigious MBAs can be found at the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, Harvard University, MIT and the University of Chicago.
What Factors Determine the Best Business Schools?
U.S. News & World Report utilizes a variety of factors when determining the best MBA programs in the country. The components that make up a great business school include:
Mean GPA and GMAT scores
Employment data for graduates
Average starting salary
For the past three years, Harvard has held the top spot as the United States' premier business school. However, the Crimson were dethroned in 2019 by one of the most reputable universities in the world with twice the acceptance rate, according to CNBC.
1. The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
After ranking third in 2018, the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School rose to the top for the first time in its history. Here's why:
The employment rate for alumni three months after graduation is at 94.6%, while their average starting salary is $165,528. Moreover, the acceptance rate is a staggering 20.7%. This compares with Harvard's acceptance rate of 10.4%. With an overall score of 100 according to U.S. News & World Report, Penn's Wharton School is proving to have the best MBA program in the country.
2. Stanford Graduate School of Business
There is always a lot of talk about Harvard, but Stanford University actually came in second on the U.S. News list for 2019. The Stanford Graduate School of Business has the second-best average starting salary for alumni at $162,704. It also has some of the cheapest tuition and fees at $70,590.
The average undergraduate GPA is 3.73, so Stanford Graduate School of Business is a bit more selective in the students it admits. The next highest is Harvard at 3.71, while Penn's Wharton School has an average undergrad GPA of 3.6.
The Stanford Graduate School of Business has the best MBA program on the West Coast, but it's extremely difficult to gain acceptance. The school currently only accepts 6.1% of applicants.
3. Harvard Business School (Tie)
After three years at the top, Harvard University's business school dropped two places into a tie for third in 2019. The average starting salary for its graduates is comparatively low at $159,314. This is the fourth-highest in the country, below Penn's Wharton School, Stanford and the 12th-ranked University of Virginia.
On the other hand, Harvard does have the highest number of full-time students on the list at 1,873. This may play a role in its employment rate three months after graduation, which is 89.3%.
It's true that Harvard's Business School is no longer the outright leader as the best business school in the U.S. Nevertheless, it's still Harvard. Graduating with an MBA from Harvard is, and will always be, the gold standard for business professionals around the world.
3. University of Chicago Booth School of Business (Tie)
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is the leading MBA program in the Midwest. In fact, Forbes ranks the Booth School as the best in the country.
Its acceptance rate is at 22.9% and the average undergraduate GPA is 3.58. As you can see, it's one of the more accepting programs near the top of the list. It's also one of the less expensive MBA's with tuition and fees at $73,209.
Its most impressive statistic is its employment rate three months after graduation at 95.5%. This is by far the best on the list.
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management (Tie)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has always been known for its science and engineering programs, but it's proven to be no slouch in the business department either. The Sloan School of Management has 813 full-time students with a 93.5% employment rate three months after graduation.
The average starting salary for these graduates is currently at $159,245. Furthermore, MIT has a middle-of-the-road acceptance rate in comparison to the rest of the field. The average undergraduate GPA is 3.57, but the Sloan School's acceptance rate is only 13.1%.
Other Business Schools Gaining Recognition
Outside of the top five best business school in the country, there are a few schools that are consistently rising in the rankings. For example, the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business is gaining recognition for its return on investment.
The University of Michigan's Ross School of Business provides one of the best MBAs you can find with an easier path to acceptance. (It has an average undergrad GPA of 3.48 and a 27.1% acceptance rate.) Other standouts include Dartmouth College, New York University, Cornell University, Northwestern University and the University of California, Berkeley.
The Best Business Schools and Your Path to Professional Success
The job market is as competitive as ever. Therefore, finding the best business schools in the country can give you an upper hand in the future.
Are you finding it difficult to afford the tuition of the MBA program of your choice? If so, sign up for our daily e-letter to learn more about investment trends. We can guide you on a path to financial freedom through the help of our seasoned experts.
Articles by Corey Mann
Top 10 Best Places to Retire in Virginia in 2020
Cash App Investing Review: Look Out Robinhood
SECURE Act Retirement Bill Makes Important Changes for Better or for Worse
Invest in Mobile Homes in 2020: Is it Smart?
Warren Buffett's Favorite Indicator Is Flashing Red
The Right Man… at the Right Place… at the Right Time
Why Trump's Trade Pact With China Is a Very Big Deal
How the "Master Narrative" Undermines Investors

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: How to make vertical line like this? I have a contact info list like this: Example
How to make the vertical line that separates email and hotline like in the picture, many thank

A: You can use the pipe character from your keyboard. It looks like that:
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-OR-
You can split the line into 2 elements and add a border to one of them.
Just an example:
HTML

Email

Hotline

CSS
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


We can help you craft compelling sales copy to engage, influence and motivate your prospects into action.
The ability to write effective copy comes from practice, trial & error, testing, and experience. Our CEO, Ford Saeks believes in "sharpening the saw" and just completed and passed this copywriting expert certification.
Okay, so you have a pleasantly-designed website with benefit-driven copy, and now you're waiting for the leads to roll in. Instead of the phone ringing, however, you hear crickets. What could be the problem? Why aren't visitors booking your services and buying your products? Well, don't give up just yet. We've put together a list of hidden conversion killers in your copy. You can make the changes detailed in our solutions to increase your website traffic and revenue.
Fresh, relevant content is a must for boosting your search rankings and growing your online presence. That means blogs, articles and Web page copy… just to name a few. And for some, that can seem a little daunting.
So here's a Web copywriting tip that will make things a lot easier, for both pros and newbies alike. In fact, it's the best tip I've come across in all my years of Web copywriting.
One of the most difficult components of website design, social media and online marketing is content creation.
What do I need to say? Who am I trying to reach? What am I going to blog about? These are questions that we get asked quite frequently. Now let's take a look at how we can make content creation easier.
Step 1: Identify your goal.
Why are you creating the content? Website, blog, social media post? Promotion, SEO, or are you trying to keep in touch with customers?
What are your overall business goals? – Any content you create should always tie back to your fundamental business goals.
Who are you trying to reach? – What does your average client look like? Who are you writing for?
What is your company culture? – Write towards your strengths and expertise. What makes you the company your target should use?
Step 2: Make the plan to reach your goals.
Are You Using Generational Marketing to Speak in Your Customer's Language?
Take a good look at your marketing materials and website. Does the language used sound formal, manufactured or "sales-y"? If you answered "yes," you're far from alone, but you need to hear this: high-pressure sales messages and corporate-speak are out! Straight talk and human language are in.
In today's marketplace, the consumer base is dominated with Generation X-ers and Y-ers. They don't want to spend time interpreting complicated, obscure messages. They want honesty, authenticity and transparency.
Visuals May Grab Attention, But It's the Copy That Sells!
Anytime we start a project, whether it's a full makeover or just a few tweaks here and there, our goal is to help our clients get more leads, generate more traffic, and grow their business. And nothing makes us happier than seeing how the changes positively impact traffic and conversions. But, we love it even more when our clients are featured as real-life examples that others should look up to!
Now, that's what we like to hear!
Congrats to Bob on his recognition and success!
And motivate them to take action!
Imagine yourself standing in a long checkout line at the grocery store. You're surrounded by sleazy tabloids and "fluffy" gossip magazines, but there's no way you'd let anyone catch you looking at them. Yet… you're curious. You just can't help using your peripheral vision to take a peek.
As your eyes scan all the headlines, you see one that intrigues you. That can't be true… could it? Before you know it, you're throwing the magazine in the cart hoping no one will notice your lapse in judgment.
So what happened? The headline stopped you in your tracks. What's more, the headline intrigued you enough to buy the story.
Now, I'm not here to talk to you about impulse magazine buys in the checkout line, but what this scenario does do is illustrate the importance of a headline that motivates a prospect to take action.
When it comes to marketing your business, headlines are arguably the most important element of your copy– whether it be for your website, a print promotion, an email blast or any other marketing piece. The reason? Because the headline is what attracts your prospect. And, if your headline doesn't blow their socks off, it could be the last thing they read.
They're Just Words… Or are They?
One of the first things I have copywriters do when they start at Prime Concepts is to read information on writing with keywords. The information is definitely helpful since we are a custom website design, online marketing, graphic design, interactive design and internet marketing company.
Really, though, I've learned how important it is for all companies to incorporate keywords into their web content. But what if your website has already been built and you don't have a new website planned anytime soon? You can still incorporate keywords into articles, newsletters and blog posts you put on the web.
I have been truly impressed by the talented, hardworking people the Prime Concepts Group is made of. With that said, we've got some grammar and punctuation issues! And if we do, that means your organization probably does too.
The signs of frightful blogging are obvious… foaming at the mouth, ghastly tales of competitors and unnerving lists of links. All are toxic recipes for disaster and can come back to haunt you and ultimately hurt your business.
This doesn't mean you should let your fear of blogging hold you back; it is a powerful tool if done correctly.


The match of Numancia U19 vs Eibar U19 in Spain Youth League is started at 2019-4-7 17:01. For this match, the initial Asian Handicap is Numancia U19-0.5,-1.0; The initial Goals Odds is 3.0,3.5. Totally, Numancia U19 and Eibar U19 fought for 2 times before. Over Goals occurred for 0 times and Over Corners occurred for 0 times. Numancia U19 got 0 win, 1 draw and 1 lost with 0 Goals For and 3 Goals Against.
For the last 10 matches, Numancia U19 got 3 win, 4 lost and 3 draw with 18 Goals For and 16 Goals Against. The average of Goals For is 1.8 per match and the average of Goals Against is 1.6 per match. The rate of Over Goals is 75%; The rate of Handicap Win is 45%; The rate of win is 30%; The average of corners is 5.4 per match and the rate of Over Corners is -.
For the last 12 matches, Eibar U19 got 7 win, 3 lost and 2 draw with 23 Goals For and 19 Goals Against. The average of Goals For is 1.9 per match and the average of Goals Against is 1.6 per match. The rate of Over Goals is 75%; The rate of Handicap Win is 50%; The rate of win is 58%; The average of corners is 4.8 per match and the rate of Over Corners is 100%.
Except the history stats of Numancia U19 vs Eibar U19, ScoreBing also offers predictions and lineups of Numancia U19 vs Eibar U19, that may help you predict or replay the match.


text:
Q: how to show tick mark on seek bar for api 23 and less I want to display tick mark on discrete seekbar for api lower then 24 , i am able to show tick mark on an above api 24 because the attribute ,
android:tickMark="@drawable/tickmark"

is introduced in API 24,
please help.

A: you can use app:tickMark instead of android:tickMark


text:
package krasa.build.backend.facade;

public class UsernameException extends Exception {

	public UsernameException(String message) {
		super(message);
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


It's every girl's dream to have healthy long eyelashes. They are the ultimate sign of beauty, because they are appreciated all around the world. Unfortunately it's difficult to achieve such beauty without the use of cosmetic products that, in the long run, are damaging to our eyelashes. Some people take it further and get hair transplant surgery onto their eyelids to fill them up. Obviously that is a terrible idea.
The truth is, in order to grow your eyelashes naturally, you just need to pay attention to your daily habits closely. If you do not take this advice seriously, you interrupt your eyelash growth cycle. The next time you get an itch around your eye, be careful not to rub you entire eye. All you end up doing is crushing and tearing precious little eyelashes that'll take forever to grow back. Another great nugget of advice is to wash your face every night before bed. Finally, you can also choose to eat food that is good for hair growth. Those include eggs, nuts, berries, avocados, spinach, fish and sweet potatoes.
Honestly, following all those methods will only get you so far. In order have extraordinarily beautiful eyelashes, you have to go beyond what is achievable by the human body alone. Don't worry though, that doesn't meaning doing something detrimental to yourself. All you need is some essential organic castor oil for eyelash growth.
Afida's essential eyelashes oil can fulfill that role. It's the best eyelash growth product on the market. It's made entirely of natural and organic ingredients. The effects are noticeable only two weeks after you start applying it. After you begin to see the effects of the essential eyelashes oil alone, pairing with up with a bit of mascara will put your eyelashes in a league of their own. The magic of the oil doesn't end there. This oil will also reduce the dark circles around your eyes until they completely disappear, and keep them at bay!
There you have it. In order to get long luscious eyelashes, you now know what you have to do. It all comes down to the little habits you form daily. First and foremost watch out for them and make sure you have them in order. That will get you to a point where once you use the essential eyelash oil, you will see results that will be beyond belief. If you're going to follow these steps, be prepared to deal with everyone in your circle asking you how you managed to pull this off!


What other names is Bayberry known by?
Árbol de Cera, Arbre à Cire, Candleberry, Cirier de Pennsylvanie, Morella caroliniensis, Morella cerifera, Morella pensylvanica, Myrica, Myrica caroliniensis, Myrica cerifera, Myrica heterophylla, Myrica pensylvanica, Myrica pumila, Myrique de Pennsylvanie, Southern Bayberry, Southern Wax Myrtle, Tallow Shrub, Vegetable Tallow, Wax Myrtle, Waxberry.
Bayberry is a shrub that grows in Texas and the eastern US. The root bark and berries are used to make medicine.
Despite safety concerns, some people take bayberry for head colds, painful and swollen intestines (colitis), diarrhea, and nausea. In large amounts, bayberry is used to cause vomiting.
Some people also use it to stimulate the circulatory system.
Bayberry is sometimes used as a gargle for sore throat, as a douche for vaginal discharge, and as an ointment for skin ulcers and wounds.
In manufacturing, the wax extract taken from the berries is used in fragrances and candles.
Sore throat, when used as a gargle.
Vaginal discharge, when used as a douche.
Skin ulcers and wounds, when applied to the skin.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of bayberry for these uses.
Bayberry contains chemicals called tannins. These tannins have a drying effect on the skin.
Bayberry is considered POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken by mouth. Bayberry can cause nausea, vomiting, and liver damage. It also contains a cancer-causing chemical.
There isn't enough information to know whether it is safe to apply bayberry to the skin or use as a gargle or douche.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Bayberry is considered POSSIBLY UNSAFE to take by mouth or apply to the skin if you are pregnant or breast-feeding because it contains a chemical that can cause cancer. Bayberry can cause nausea, vomiting, and liver damage.
High blood pressure: Bayberry contains large amounts of chemicals called tannins. Tannins can increase the amount of sodium that the body retains. This can cause extra fluids to build up, and that can raise blood pressure. It's especially important to avoid bayberry if you have high blood pressure.
Water retention (edema): Bayberry might make edema worse. It's especially important to avoid bayberry if you tend to retain water.
The appropriate dose of bayberry depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for bayberry. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.


The Gold Hog ® (UR) mat effectively turns your sluice bed into a "quasi" fluid bed, maintaining a constant active exchange of the heaviest materials. With the ability to hold large gold (over 1/4") and extreme fine gold (-100) it is designed and tested to withstand the harshest conditions.
Gold Stream Sluice Rather than create "another stream sluice" we decided to create a TOTAL SOLUTION. The Gold Hog stream sluice is a COMPLETE package with everything you'll need.
Gold Hog Mat Review Gold Hog . Customer Feedback and Reviews The pics are from my first run with gold hog matting and gold recovered. GOLD HOG MATTING - Crisson Gold Mine – Best Gold in . Pan for Gold and Gemstones at one of the oldest continually ran gold mines in the United States. Gold concentrates for sale.
Sluice Mats Gold and Gem Gazette Magazine. gold hog talon mat. Scrubber Mat Click to view larger can be ordered via the GoldHog website. goldhog scrubber mat.
Understanding when to use Vortex and when to use high flow mat in gold sluice.
Mar 16, 2016· The updated Bedrock mat (2.0) is a great finishing mat and fine gold mat in smoother flowing sluices. It likes smooth fast water and is great at the end of a sluice. It creates almost zero turbulence but has great exchange rates.
I installed some of your matting in a 12"x 4' sluice box,UR under 1/2" expanded metal in the header, scrubber mat the rest of the way down the box, which is fed by a goldfield prospector screen plant.
"Gold Hog" mats can be mixed and matched and interchange with common interlocking male and ends. This means that the customer picks the requested mat types, cuts them to their sluice width and assembles them to the proper length.
If anyone is considering buying a Gold Hog product I can recommend them very highly. I don't write reviews of products anywhere but Gold Hog as a company and their products stand out from the overcrowding of much lower quality companies and products.


It has been widely accepted that chorus-driven resonant interaction is an important mechanism responsible for the phase space density (PSD) evolution of electrons in the radiation belt. Recently, a research group from Space Environment Prediction Center (SEPC), affiliated to National Space Science Center (NSSC) presented a quantitative analysis of the effect of the seed electron injection on the evolution of the radiation belt electrons via quasi-linear theory.
Seed electrons, which transport towards the earth from the magnetotail during substorms, are an important source of energetic electrons in radiation belt.
Applying the hybrid finite difference method, YAN Qi and his supervisor from SEPC, Dr. LIU Siqing and Dr. SHI Liqin solved the Fokker-Planck equation and studied the effect of seed electron injection on acceleration of radiation belt electrons driven by chorus waves.
Based on simulation, the results suggest that in the absence of injection, the electrons can be accelerated by chorus waves at large pitch angles, which produced enhancements in the PSD of electrons by a factor of 100-1000 within 1-2 days; while in the presence of injection, chorus waves yield increase in PSD of electrons by accelerating the injected seed electrons.
The study suggests that the injected seed electrons play an important role in the evolution of the radiation belt electrons, therefore may have certain potential value on the prediction of energetic electron flux of radiation belt during substroms.
The study is published on Science China Technological Sciences, doi: 10.1007/s11431-01205078-0. (Full text).
For more information on SEPC, please visit http://eng.sepc.ac.cn/index.php.


Sorry, I was bit slow posting this video. When I watched it last week I intended to put it up right away. Better late than never. I liked this one because it reminded me of an eastern version of Kootenay Street Segment. Not quite as slick but still entertaining. This pick gives you an example of what 45cms does to a major city like Montreal.
On the upside, you get some pretty decent turns without having to leave the city!


text:
Q: I am trying to return a nonzero exit code on an Xcode Run Script build phase, but it's not working I have a script in my build phase that I am trying to 'return exit 1' after I throw a build error.
This is coming from a command line tool that is logging 'return exit 1' after there is a problem. The exit 1 shows up on the log, but Xcode still is telling me I need to return a nonzero exit code...

Any ideas?
EDIT
Here is the type of script:

A: Your script is presumably a (bash) shell script. In that case you shouldn't be using return exit 1; you should just be using exit 1.


text:
var util = require('util'),
    extendWithGettersAndSetters = require('../util/extendWithGettersAndSetters'),
    Relation = require('./Relation');

function CssUrlTokenRelation(config) {
    Relation.call(this, config);
    this.tokenNumber = this.tokenNumber || 0;
}

util.inherits(CssUrlTokenRelation, Relation);

extendWithGettersAndSetters(CssUrlTokenRelation.prototype, {
    tokenRegExp: /\burl\((\'|\"|)([^\'\"]+?)\1\)/g,

    createUrlToken: function (href) {
        // Quote if necessary:
        if (/^[a-z0-9\/\-_.]*$/i.test(href)) {
            return 'url(' + href + ')';
        } else {
            return 'url(\'' + href.replace(/([\'\"])/g, '\\$1') + '\')';
        }
    },

    get href() {
        this.tokenRegExp.lastIndex = 0; // Just in case
        var tokenNumber = 0,
            matchToken,
            url;
        while ((matchToken = this.tokenRegExp.exec(this.cssRule.style.getPropertyValue(this.propertyName)))) {
            if (tokenNumber === this.tokenNumber) {
                url = matchToken[2];
            }
            tokenNumber += 1;
        }
        return url; // Undefined if not found
    },

    set href(href) {
        var cssUrlToken = this.createUrlToken(href),
            tokenNumber = 0;
        this.cssRule.style.setProperty(this.propertyName, this.cssRule.style.getPropertyValue(this.propertyName).replace(this.tokenRegExp, function ($0) {
            tokenNumber += 1;
            if (tokenNumber - 1 === this.tokenNumber) {
                return cssUrlToken;
            } else {
                return $0;
            }
        }.bind(this)), this.cssRule.style.getPropertyPriority(this.propertyName));
    },

    inline: function () {
        Relation.prototype.inline.call(this);
        this.href = 'data:' + this.to.contentType + ';base64,' + this.to.rawSrc.toString('base64');
        this.from.markDirty();
        return this;
    },

    attach: function () {
        throw new Error('Not implemented');
    },

    detach: function () {
        var value = this.cssRule.style.getPropertyValue(this.propertyName),
            matchToken = value && value.match(this.tokenRegExp);
        if (matchToken) {
            if (value === matchToken[0]) {
                this.cssRule.style.removeProperty(this.propertyName);
            } else {
                // FIXME: Leaves an extraneous space char in some edge cases:
                var tokenNumber = 0;
                this.cssRule.style.setProperty(this.propertyName, value.replace(this.tokenRegExp, function ($0) {
                    tokenNumber += 1;
                    if (tokenNumber - 1 === this.tokenNumber) {
                        return '';
                    } else {
                        return $0;
                    }
                }.bind(this)), this.cssRule.style.getPropertyPriority(this.propertyName));
            }
        }
        delete this.cssRule;
        return Relation.prototype.detach.call(this);
    }
});

module.exports = CssUrlTokenRelation;


I love wearing dresses in the winter. Actually… I simply love wearing dresses (as regular readers will no doubt have gathered by now given the number of times dresses are featured). I love the simplicity of single item dressing. Plus – I love boots, and a dress is a great accessory to a killer pair of boots. This Tippi dress, inspired by Hitchcock's Marni, is great for holiday parties, proper in the front and a little 'party' in the back. Hand dyed cupro. $160 USD.
Popomomo believes that sustainability is an important function and purpose of design. All pieces are designed and made of sustainable fabrics in Los Angeles.


Discussion in 'Native Lens Sample Image Showcase' started by mauro, Oct 4, 2016.
I have noticed that no one has started a thread for this new lens.
Got this lens just before a trip to Iceland. Here are some shots.
I just got the lens together with the GX-8. We went to the pumpkin patch yesterday.
After a week or so of use, I have to agree that 12-60 is not great on the tele end, but it is adequate. On the other hand, it is a very nice, weather-proof, wide angle (12-20) zoom, with the option of going longer if I want. And I paid $0 for it (bundled with the GX8).
zoom, with the option of going longer if I want. And I paid $0 for it (bundled with the GX8).
I took this shot with the GX85+12-60 combo, Nissin i40 external flash triggered with the onboard flash (no TTL as Panasonic canceled that ability with the internal flash), this one's at 50mm f/5.6 ISO400 1/60s, the lens is still sharp at this setting unlike some review suggested being soft towards its end, and ACR does a perfect job automatically handling moire, if any, comes with the AA filter-less sensor in the camera, there's no moire or artifacts in the fabric in sharp focus.
something to say about the 12-60 lens, it's so fast in operation, I couldn't have captured this if the 12-32 lens were used. there's absolutely no lag during CAF burst, no lag stopping down apertures, no hesitation in AF in good light, which is so amazing for a kit lens.
a test of bokeh of the 12-60 lens at its max zoom and aperture. it is what it is, no surprise here.
met this guy playing diabolo tricks with his home-made 35 metres long ribbon attached to the diabolo.
Amalfi Coast. Raw shot with GH1. Postproduction in Rawtherapee.
phew! so you created all these with 1, a camera released seven years ago and 2, a $100 kit lens and 3, freeware?
I would rather say, a very capable photographer, and besides, cheap is good.
Thanks but too much praise. We agree on cheap though. For general photography any 12 megapixel camera and standard prime will do.


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Tonight we are going to look at loops and conditions.
Often when you write code, you want the same block of code to run over and over again in succession. Instead of adding the same lines multiple times in a script we can use loops to perform a task in repetition.
The loop above will continue to run as long as i is less than or equal to 5. i will increase by 1 each time the loop runs because we've used the auto-incrementor operator (++).
The third for loop parameter could also be negative (in which case it would be called a decrementor), which then could be used in conjunction with a less than operator (< or <=) for the ending condition (the second for loop parameter). The first for loop parameter introduces the variable that will manage the loop and sets its initial value.
Other interesting for loop examples include generating factorials and generating prime numbers.
The while loop loops through a block of code while a specified condition is true.
Note: The <= could be any ending condition operator.
The do...while loop is a variant of the while loop. This loop will execute the block of code ONCE, and then it will repeat the loop as long as the specified condition is true.
Note: this section is adapted from an on-line tutorial.
that repeats a specified action where we need to identify the end condition.
and if... else statements are much more common in Web development.
to true, the statement or block of statements after the if is executed.
alert("Visitor is Male");  // Boolean test of whether (male) is true.
alert("Sky is blue");  // Boolean test of whether (sky) is blue.
alert("Visitor is Female");  // Boolean test of whether (male) is false.
Click here to gain access to comprehensive research on public awareness, attitudes, and behaviors concerning the ocean, climate change, and related issues.
// For each annual flower, run this code. The "indIndex" is the loop iteration index on the current element.
// Bind the onclick event to simply alert the iteration index value.
which each iteration tries to dynamically set some object value, you probably have run into situation where all values post-loop are the same.
This has to do with when the variable is being bound.
every time I step back and look at what jQuery is doing for us, it's simply stripping away more and more potential headaches at page run time.
Take a look at this online article about more examples of using the JQuery .each() method.


text:
New constitution and the future of democratic transition in Tunisia
Published in North Africa
tunisia constitution
By Fethi Jarray
Historians are unanimous that Carthage was a beacon of civilisation. Its constitution, representative institutions and political system in general were cited by Aristotle, who labelled it the best system as the time. In modern Tunisian history, the 'Fundamental Pact' is considered a constitutional precedent in the Arab-Muslim world,[1] as it was the first legal document that guaranteed the Tunisian people their political rights to have their lives, property and honour safeguarded, regardless of their religion, race or social class.
That constitutional document was followed by the constitution of 1861, which is considered one of the most significant events in the political history of modern Tunisia, as it was the first modern Arab constitution that contributed to entrenching the principles of political reform and administrative revival. After the French protectorate of Tunisia was established, this constitution constituted an intellectual reference for the struggle movement. Even the names of successive parties were derived from it, foremost of which the Tunisian Liberal Constitutional Party, which led the battle to liberate the country from colonialism, and whose leaders and fighters called for reactivating the 1861 constitution and establishing a Tunisian parliament.
The Constitution of the First Tunisian Republic was issued three years after the country's independence, and is known as the 1959 Constitution. Drafted by the National Constituent Assembly, it is considered modern in terms of its wording and content. It abolished monarchy and declared Tunisia 'a constitutional republic whose legislative, executive and judicial authorities are governed by the Constitution'.[2]
That constitution was suspended in March 2011 as it had been subjected to drastic revisions during the era of deposed President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. After the first multiparty elections in Tunisia in October 2011, the constitution was temporarily replaced by the Law of the Provisional Organization of Public Authorities,[3] until a new constitution was endorsed in late January 2014 by the National Constituent Assembly.
Context of the vote
The vote on the new Tunisian constitution – which was conducted chapter by chapter, and then a vote for the entire text – was consistent with the procedures stipulated by the Law of the Provisional Organization of Public Authorities. The process was managed in accordance with this law's provisions pertaining to the transitional phase that followed the elections held on 23 October 2011. The overall context of the vote was marked by a sharp political alignment and ideological struggle between Islamists (who led the drive for identity preservation and authenticity) and the secularists (who advocated modernity and universal rights). This resulted in a state of dual polarisation that the mechanism set to achieve consensus, approved and codified by National Dialogue Quartet, failed to break. However, the mechanism evidently helped curb the impact of the polarisation on the positions of parties.
The dialogue between the leaders of the parties represented at National Constituent Assembly was jointly sponsored by the General Union of Tunisian Workers, the Tunisian Union of Industry, Commerce and Handicrafts, the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights, and the National Bar Association. The quartet sought to activate the roadmap it had proposed as the way out of the political crisis triggered by the assassination of member of the National Constituent Assembly and the leader of the Popular Current, Mohammed Brahmi, on the anniversary of the republic, 25 July 2013. The dialogue led to the voluntary resignation of the Troika Government consisting of the Ennahda Movement, the Congress for the Republic Party and the Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties within the framework of an agreement that provided for the inseparability of constituent tracks: drafting the constitution, election of the Higher Independent Elections Commission and change of government. It was also agreed that Mehdi Jomaa, minister of industry in Ali Larayedh's government, would form a new government made up of technocratic and independent national figures to manage the remainder of the transitional phase and create the right climate for the first presidential and legislative elections under the new Constitution of Tunisia.
Despite the tension that overwhelmed most of the marathon voting sessions held by the National Constituent Assembly in an obvious race against time, dictated by the calendar of constitutional requirements set by the roadmap, the heads of the different blocs succeeded in achieving the minimum consensus necessary on the contents of most of the constitutional chapters. Consensus was reached despite the differences over terms of reference and partisan and electoral agendas that constantly cast a shadow on their positions. However, the biggest challenge that faced these parties and rendered their agreements fragile was the lack of confidence among them, and the resultant fear that marked the debates over the controversial chapters, especially Chapter VI, which was endorsed only in the final session after numerous amendments.
Elements of the Constitution
Tunisia's new constitution includes 149 articles spread over ten chapters, making it one of the longest constitutions in the world. Its final version, as at 23 January 2014, covered thirty-six pages of A4 paper. The length – compared to the 1959 Constitution, and constitutions of other countries – is attributed to the inclusion of lengthy legal details and explication of minor issues whose place might be in legislation that flows from the constitution.
If we remember the political rivalries, legal disputes and parliamentary bickering that overwhelmed the drafting of the constitution, we will discover the secret behind the verbosity and redundancy in the document; parties were meticulous in debating its clauses. They were worried that the wording of the provisions might become legal traps when the constitution takes effect, in that they may be interpreted in different, or contradictory, ways. This could, they feared, lead to the kind of polarisation that marked discussions over the constitution, particularly in relation to controversial parts such as Chapter VI, which includes a reference to 'freedom of conscience', a term that sounded vague and misleading to some. The same chapter also stipulates the state's commitment 'to prevent and address calls for apostatising others and incitement to hatred and violence.'
Despite all this, the constitution, which was enacted with consensus and drafted with a modern, twenty-first century language, claims to represent the will of a large spectrum of Tunisians. Civil society was engaged in the drafting process at a level unmatched even in the most democratic and human rights-respecting countries. In this regard, it is expected that the manner in which the new constitution was drafted would provide study material for jurists specialised in constitutional law.
The constitution's preamble made several references to Tunisian nation and its symbols, in a bid to root the document in its Tunisian environment and culture and highlight Tunisia's openness to diverse human experiences. It also included a tribute to the sacrifices of the martyrs, highlighted national sovereignty and reasserted the independence of national decision making.
The first chapter of the constitution includes the general principles that reflect the republican features of Tunisia, and the identity, nature and orientations of the Tunisian state. Article 1 stipulates: 'Tunisia is a free, independent and sovereign state. Its religion is Islam, its language is Arabic and its form of government is a republic.' Article 2 reads: 'Tunisia is a civil state that is based on citizenship, the will of the people and the supremacy of law.' Article 12: 'The state shall seek to achieve social justice, sustainable development and balance between regions,' and Article 13 reads: 'Natural riches belong to the people of Tunisia and the state exercises sovereignty over them in the name of the people.' Articles 18 and 19 stress that of the national army and security forces belong to the republic.
The second chapter deals with rights and freedoms such as the rights to life, health care, and a healthy environment. Article 22 states: 'The right to life is sacred and shall not be prejudiced except in exceptional cases regulated by law.' Significantly, a number of provisions focus on rights such as the right of access to information and a number of individual and collective liberties such as the freedoms of conscience, thought and expression and media and publishing, as well as the freedom to form political parties, trade unions and associations, and the freedom of peaceful assembly and demonstration. In addition, there are elitist freedoms such as creativity, scientific research and academic freedoms.
Chapter Two also includes references to the rights of people with special needs and the state's obligation to protect them from negative discrimination, along with explicit commitments to protecting women's rights. Article 40 includes an important provision, that, 'No amendment shall undermine human rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution.' Similar statements entailed in the general principles chapter prevent modification of Articles 1 and 2, to avoid a return to tyranny, change in the nature of the regime or the identity of the state, or any attempt to circumvent the constants of the society.
The third chapter is concerned with the legislative authority and the way it is exercised by people through their representatives in the Chamber of Deputies. Additionally, it details the legislative and oversight functions of the Chamber. Chapter Four verbosely explains the roles of the heads of the executive authority (the president and the prime minister) and their powers.
Much controversy has been triggered by Article 74 in Chapter Four regarding the age and nationality of the president, in the event that the president had dual nationality. This controversy was resolved by agreeing not to set an upper limit on the age of candidates for the post of president, and to compel each candidate with dual nationalities to provide a written pledge to renounce the non-Tunisian citizenship in the event that the candidate is successfully elected. Article 75 stipulates: 'No one shall assume the presidency for more than two full terms, consecutive or separate,' and to entrench the point, 'No modification shall increase the number or duration of presidential terms.'
As for the powers of the prime minister, Article 94 states that the premier 'exercises general regulatory power', while Article 93 clarifies that 'the head of the government is the prime minister'. Given that the cabinet is accountable to the Chamber of Deputies, which gives confidence to the government through an absolute majority vote, the Chamber has the power to withdraw confidence from the government or one of its members in the same manner, provided that the legal conditions and regulations are observed.
Chapter Five is concerned with the judiciary, 'an independent authority that ensures the prevalence of justice, the supremacy of the Constitution, the sovereignty of law, and the protection of rights and freedoms,' according to Article 102. The judiciary is divided into two parts: 'the judicial, administrative and financial judiciary', and 'the Constitutional Court'. The former will be overseen by a Higher Judicial Council 'which enjoys administrative and financial autonomy and self-governance'.
Independent constitutional bodies – the Election Commission, which manages and organises elections and referenda; the Audiovisual Commission, in charge of reforming and developing the audiovisual communication sector; and the Human Rights Commission, which monitors and works to strengthen respect for freedoms and human rights – are given their powers in Chapter Six. This chapter also creates the Sustainable Development and the Rights of Future Generations Commission, an advisory body that advises on matters related to its field of specialisation; and the Good Governance and Anti-corruption Commission, which contributes to the policies of good governance and efforts to combat graft, and promotes the principles of transparency, integrity and accountability.
Chapter Seven is concerned with local government, which 'shall be based on decentralization'. Article 131 states that, 'Decentralization shall be represented in local authorities made up of municipalities, districts, and regions.' It is stipulated in Article 132 that 'local authorities shall enjoy legal personality as well as financial and administrative independence,' and in Article 133, 'local authorities are managed by elected councils'. 'Local authorities shall enjoy dispositional power in satisfying their mandates. Decisions of local authorities shall be published in the local authorities' official gazettes,' states Article 134, while Article 136 clarifies that, 'The central government shall guarantee the provision of additional resources for local authorities in order to consolidate the principle of solidarity between groups, and to adopt the mechanism of settlement and amendment.' Other clauses provide: 'Local authorities shall have the freedom to dispose of their resources within the frame of the approved budget in accordance with good governance rules and under the financial judiciary's oversight,' (Article 137) and 'Local authorities shall adopt the mechanisms of participatory democracy, and the principles of open governance to ensure a broader participation of citizens and civil society in development programs and the municipal preparations and the follow up on their implementation as specified by the law,' (Article 139).
It is evident that Chapter Seven is particularly important because it marks a significant change in the pattern of administration towards entrenching decentralisation on the ground, in line with the abovementioned articles, which were unanimously approved by representatives at the National Constituent Council. Additionally, Article 141, which provides for the powers of the Supreme Council for Local Authorities, will be established for the first time in Tunisia.
Chapter Eight focuses on constitutional amendments, while Chapter Nine's Article 146 might be regarded as the spirit of the Constitution and the benchmark for its interpretation. It stipulates: 'The Constitution's provisions shall be interpreted as one homogenous unit.' Chapter 10, the final section, is devoted to transitional provisions. Article 148 reads: 'The state shall be committed to applying the transitional justice provisions in all fields and within the timeframe set in their respective legislation pieces. In this context, it is not acceptable to argue against that by citing non-retroactivity of laws, the existence of previous pardon, judicial connection or statute of limitations.
Effects on the transition process
We can safely say that the political class in Tunisia, regardless of its different backgrounds and ideological references, has placed its bets on the constitutional process. It has deemed the process a safe bridge to cross to a life of true democracy, with all its aspects, including coexistence, respect of others' opinions and honest competition among politicians to serve the public good within a national framework.
The moments that followed the final ratification of the constitution late 26 January 2014 displayed Tunisians' unity and agreement on the drafting of a constitution that reflects a collective national identity, and their cultural, geographic, political and intellectual characteristics. The constitution will be a reference for Tunisians when the country faces political divisions. The day of the final endorsement of the constitution, after the first reading and by consent of more than ninety per cent of deputies, coincided with the announcement of the new government that will manage the country for the remainder of the transitional phase and will create the political and social climate conductive for fair and transparent elections to be held. It will also work on reviving the economy and re-establishing security and state authority in the context of law enforcement and the activation of constitutional institutions. The success of the new government – a government of technocratic national figures – will depend on the commitment of civil society organisations, led by the General Union of Tunisian Workers, to a social compact.
* Dr Fethi Jarray is a university professor and researcher, and was minister of education in the government of Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa
* This article was published by Al Jazeera in Arabic and was then translated into English by AMEC
[1] The Fundamental Pact was a basic document issued by Mohamed Bey on 9 September 1857. It was seen as the culmination of the constitutional reforms undertaken by his predecessor, Ahmed Pasha Bey, in the military, social and educational fields, in order to reduce the cultural gap between Tunisia and the European countries. The text consists of a preamble and eleven articles. The preamble refers to the need to be guided by the provisions of the Islamic Shari'ah, since Islam was the official state religion of Tunisia, stipulates that the Bey and the population were Muslims, and that the Ottoman Empire guaranteed the safety of its citizens as a basic right. The articles of the Pact include the following:
Article 1: Full security is formally guaranteed to all our subjects, all residents of our states, regardless of their religion, nationality and race. This security will extend to their respected persons, their property and their sacred and honoured reputations. This security will have exceptions in cases that are left for the discretion of the Council [the Grand Council of the Royal Parliament] through shura [consultation], and the ruling will be submitted to us; it will be up to us to order the execution of the sentence, commute it as much as possible, or order revisiting the ruling.
Article 2: All our subjects are subject to the existing tax law – or a tax law that may be established later, even if proportions change – regardless of the position of wealth of individuals, so that the high-status people shall not be exempt from the law because of their high status and the low-status people shall not be exempt because of their low status.
Article 3: Muslims and other inhabitants of the country will be equal before the law, because this right belongs naturally to humans just because they are humans and not according to any other criterion. Justice on earth is a scale used to ensure that those who have the right will be guaranteed their rights back from those who abused them, and the weak will be supported against the strong.
Article 10: Foreigners who wish to settle in our states may exercise all industries and trades, provided that they comply with the established regulations and those that may be established later, on equal footing with other inhabitants of the country. Nobody shall enjoy, in this respect, a privilege over another.
[2] The Constitution of the Republic of Tunisia was released on the first day of June 1959, and sealed by the late President Habib Bourguiba. It contains seventy-eight articles (2003 revised version).
[3] The Law of the Provisional Organization of Public Authorities or interim Tunisian constitution is a Tunisian constitutional law approved by the National Constituent Assembly on 10 December 2011. It included a new constitutional structure of Tunisia's leadership, stipulating three presidencies: the speakership of the National Constituent Assembly (which enjoys the original power, given that its members were elected freely and directly by the people of Tunisia), the presidency of the republic, and the prime minister. This law replaced a decree issued on 23 March 2011, and the Constitution of 1959.
Tunisian Ennahda's 'second founding'
New cabinet suggests democratic consolidation and fragmentation in Tunisia
Ennahda's post-election future
Analysing Tunisia's first post-revolutionary legislative elections
The rise of 'Ikhwanophobia': Fear of the Muslim Brotherhood


text:
Murray's AP Top 25: Boomer Sooner! Oklahoma vaults up rankings
Reno Gazette-Journal sports columnist Chris Murray is one of 65 voters in the college basketball AP poll. Here is a look at the biggest movers and shakers in his poll this week.
Team on the rise
* Oklahoma: It was a relatively mundane week with only six losses among the Top 25 teams. Oklahoma had the biggest win, topping No. 3 Wichita State, 91-83, to improve to 8-1, with four of those victories over top-100 RPI teams. I moved the Sooners from unranked to No. 12 on my ballot while Wichita State fell from No. 5 to No. 13 in my Top 25.
Team on the fall
* Florida State: The Seminoles were the big winner last week, going from unranked to No. 8 on my ballot after destroying Florida, but Florida State lost its only game this week – 71-70 to Oklahoma State – to fall from the unbeaten ranks (only four unbeaten teams remain). The Seminoles are still 9-1 but have played only on top-100 RPI team (the win over Florida). Florida State fell from No. 8 to No. 21 on my ballot.
Tracking the Wolf Pack
* Nevada: The Wolf Pack had only one game last week, dusting off Radford, 77-62, to snap back-to-back losses. Despite the 1-0 record on the week, Nevada fell from No. 11 to No. 18 in the RPI. The Wolf Pack has three games this week, a contest at home with UC Davis on Tuesday and games in Las Vegas against Southern Illinois (Friday) and San Francisco (Saturday), all part of the Continental Tires Las Vegas Classic.
Chris Murray's AP Top 25
1. Villanova (1)
2. Michigan State (2)
3. Kentucky (3)
4. Miami (4)
5. Arizona State (6)
6. Duke (7)
7. North Carolina (9)
8. Xavier (10)
9. Texas A&M (11)
10. West Virginia (12)
11. TCU (14)
12. Oklahoma (n/r)
13. Wichita State (5)
14. Gonzaga (15)
15. Virginia (16)
16. Kansas (17)
17. Purdue (19)
18. Baylor (22)
19. Cincinnati (20)
20. Seton Hall (13)
21. Florida State (8)
22. Texas Tech (24)
23. Arizona (25)
24. Tennessee (23)
25. Arkansas (n/r)
Columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at cmurray@rgj.com or follow him on Twitter @MurrayRGJ


text:
Sony is leaving Turkey?
Samsung is developing an 'augmented reality' headset
Sony denies Bloomberg news, headphone pre-orders
Motorcycles, ANCMA: registrations start in January
Large fire destroys warehouse of contractor company in Werkhoven
A single man created the most successful game in the world
earthpressnews 11 January 2023 11 January 2023
Anyone who started Minecraft before 2019 should still be familiar with the name Notch. Notch is the Swede who single-handedly made Minecraft. Hardly anyone now speaks of the developer, in Minecraft itself there is only one reference to him. What is Notch doing today?
This man created Minecraft: Markus Alexej "Notch" Persson is a developer from Sweden who released the first version of Minecraft in March 2009 – at that time still in the form of a private alpha that only invited testers were allowed to play.
Persson is said to have played and learned to program his first video games on his father's Commodore 128 at the age of 7 or 8 (via gamedeveloper.com; meanwhile unavailable).
According to his own statements, he got his first job as a game developer around 2005, at that time at King.com (via YouTube). The site is best known for browser games, which are usually only played on the side. The studio's biggest hit is Candy Crush. Today King belongs to Activision Blizzard.
Minecraft is hugely popular. A trailer for the game even has over 160 million views:
A trailer for Minecraft has 160 million views: "This is not a trailer for a game, this is for a generation"
Notch doesn't want to be CEO, sells Minecraft for $2.5 billion
The launch of Minecraft: Minecraft started out as a one-man project called RubyDung, and Persson never expected it to be a huge success. At least that wasn't the plan. He created Minecraft in his spare time as a hobby.
In May 2009, Persson offered his project via an IRC channel and improved the game based on testers' feedback. In 2010 and after enough sales, the Swede finally left his job and developed Minecraft full-time.
Minecraft was successful too quickly: As the French website jeuxvideo reports, PayPal froze Presson's account in September 2010 when he suddenly had 600,000 euros to show. He had to justify that all of this is from Minecraft. The game cost 15 euros per copy at the time and sold over 1 million shortly thereafter.
To support his project, Persson eventually founded Mojang, which is still responsible for Minecraft today but is owned by Microsoft. Minecraft finally appeared as a full version in November 2011 and has since become the most successful video game of all time.
With over 238 million copies sold, Minecraft is way ahead (via Xbox.com), followed by the already beaten GTA 5 with 170 million copies (via GamesIndustry.biz). The ancient game Tetris from the Soviet Union, developed in 1984, is said to have sold over 500 million units, but developers have changed so often and versions have been changed that the number cannot be reliably traced.
By the way, one of the inspirations of Minecraft was reportedly Dwarf Fortress. The simulation with dwarves recently appeared on Steam and made the developers millionaires after 20 years. Here the trailer:
Dwarf Fortress on Steam Announcement Teaser
How did Minecraft come to Microsoft? In 2014, Persson stated that he no longer wanted to run Mojang. In a post on his website, he wrote: "I'm not an entrepreneur. I'm not a CEO. I'm a nerdy developer who likes to have opinions on Twitter." (via Archive.org)
A few months earlier, he offered Mojang for sale – with a tweet. Several large companies are said to have applied for the strange offer, including Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts and Microsoft.
Microsoft finally got the bid for a whopping 2.5 billion US dollars. The deal is still considered one of the largest in video game history and made Persson a billionaire straight away.
By the way, Microsoft and Mojang make quite active use of the Minecraft IP. A new game is scheduled to appear in the universe in 2023: the strategy game Minecraft Legends, which has already convinced me. Here the trailer:
Minecraft Legends new trailer from gamescom 2022
Controversial opinions on Twitter shoot Notch out
Here's how it went with Persson: Persson has previously supported charities such as Doctors Without Borders and the Humble Indie Bundle with Mojang, for which the studio developed a game. This raked in over $450,000 at the time (via Eurogamer). After that he withdrew Persson but from the development.
In his farewell speech, Persson explained that he doesn't see himself as a game developer and hasn't created a significant game since Minecraft. Persson purchased a Los Angeles mansion for $70 million in 2015.
Shortly after, there were reports that the billionaire was unhappy. However, he refuted this by saying that he had just had a bad day and vented it. Later, however, his tweets became significantly stranger.
Where is the controversy coming from? In the years following his split from Mojang, Notch has been very active on Twitter. After all, it's something he enjoys doing, as he himself said in his farewell to Minecraft. After all, he still has a proud 3.6 million followers in January 2023.
However, he drew attention to himself with controversial statements. Statements like, "It's okay to be white," "Most people who claim to be feminists are just overly sexist against men," or calls for a "hetero Pride Day" (via TheMarySue ).
There were also statements about conspiracy theories about "Pizzagate" and QAnon (via DenOfGeek). He also allegedly said trans women weren't women and equated transsexuality with a mental illness (via Variety).
A dispute with another user on Twitter, which lasted for quite a while and which was apparently about transsexuality, was particularly spicy.
As a result of the debates, Notch was excluded from the Minecraft 10th Anniversary Celebration. But Microsoft went one step further.
Minecraft deletes (almost) all references to Notch
Until 2019, all versions of Minecraft still contained a reference to the original creator. Until then, the phrase "Made by Notch!" or "The Work of Notch!" was always found directly in the "Splash" when the game was started.
However, these were completely removed after the controversy on Twitter. There is only a reference to the creator of Minecraft in the credits. However, Microsoft has never commented on the step.
Persson himself launched a counterattack in 2021. After a Minecraft crossover event with Sonic, the creator declared the game dead: "I don't speak ill of the dead, but yeah, Minecraft is a little dead. (If it's alive for you, cool! Rocket Arena 3 lives for Me too.)" (via Twitter)
"I might play a game"
Here's what Notch does today: After temporarily deleting his Twitter account in 2020, Notch has since become quite active on the platform again. Almost every day he posts something about video games or talks about all sorts of topics. Lastly, with some pretty bad puns for Christmas:
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Most of the time, however, it is about games that he is currently playing and that inspires him or about any situations that he has experienced. On Jan. 1, he drew attention to himself with a statement that he might be able to work on a game again.
It remains to be seen whether that really happened or whether he only said it as a joke. Because he's been bringing the same joke with a similar tweet for years. Notch's last game is Cliffhorse, which was released in 2014. Nothing is known of any new projects since then – although after the deal with Microsoft he would probably never have to work again with his wife and children.
Microsoft, meanwhile, wants to continue to grow. The historic deal with Notch was only the beginning, if anything. Next on the company's wish list is Activision Blizzard – which includes Persson's first employer in gaming, King:
Microsoft announces they want to buy Activision Blizzard
mmod-game
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Sweden got into the teeth of protesters in Muslim countries – Controversies come and go, says the researcher


Rezin's committee spent the most on fundraising and consulting services in the quarter, with all those payments ($10,036) going to Joan M Etten LLC in Park Ridge. Table 1 below shows the distribution of how Rezin's committee spent its money in the fourth quarter.
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Merson Law Wins Largest Sexual Assault Verdict in New York State History
Personal Injury News
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Jordan Merson
Former Student Gets $28 Million Jury Award Against Mount Vernon School District in Largest Sexual Assault Verdict in New York State History
This story was also recently featured in the April 2019 issue of Trial Magazine.
News Release: NEW YORK,
A Westchester Jury has awarded $28 million dollars to a former student that was raped after being led off Mount Vernon High School campus when she was supposed to be in class and on the special education bus.
The verdict is believed to be the largest physical and sexual assault jury verdict in New York State history.
The case involved a 14-year-old girl who was in the special education program at Mount Vernon High School when the sexual assault occurred.
The lawsuit brought on her behalf in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Westchester County, charged that the Mount Vernon High School failed to properly supervise her.
The jury award is one of the largest ever in the County and the trial lasted approximately one month.
The lawyers for the girl were Jordan Merson of Merson Law, PLLC, and Andrew Buzin of Buzin Law, P.C.
The claim is believed to be fully insured and the insurance carrier refused to make a reasonable settlement offer in advance of a verdict.
Mr. Buzin said, "after almost seven years of being mistreated by the School District, it took a jury to deliver justice and hold them accountable."
Mr. Merson added that, "This is a wonderful family that deserves every penny that the jury awarded. This young girl has endured unimaginable horror due to the negligence of the school district."
Biographical Information: Jordan Merson is a nationally recognized personal injury and sexual assault attorney, handling some of the largest cases in New York and the Country. He is licensed to practice in New York, New Jersey, District of Columbia, and Pennsylvania.
Andrew S. Buzin is licensed to practice in New York and Florida, and focuses on general negligence cases as well as those involving medical malpractice and wrongful death.
For further information contact Jordan Merson at jmerson@mersonlaw.com or (212) 390-1712 or Andrew S. Buzin at (646) 470-4878 or by email abuzin@buzinlaw.com.
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Tags child abuse, Child Molestation, New York City Sexual Abuse Law, School Sexual Abuse, sex abuse victim rights, sexual abuse settlement
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(CHICAGO) The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will be hosting a public hearing Oct. 20 on a proposal to build a modern roundabout at Illinois 47 and Plato Road in Kane County.
The purpose of the hearing is to obtain public input on the project. Exhibits will be on display and an audio-visual presentation will be shown continuously during the hearing. Project team members will be present to discuss the project and to answer questions.
A public forum will begin at 6 p.m., when the public will be invited to give statements to a court reporter. Written comments can be submitted at the hearing, mailed afterward or submitted via email at dot.il47atplato@illinois.gov.
Comments received by Nov. 13 will become part of the official public meeting record.


text:
Middle East 16:01, 05-Jan-2021
China calls for restraint as Iran expands uranium enrichment
Updated 17:18, 05-Jan-2021
China on Tuesday called for calm and restraint from all sides following Iran's decision to enrich uranium at its Fordow facility to 20 percent.
The Iran nuclear issue is at a critical juncture and is "extremely complex and sensitive," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said during a regular press briefing.
"China urges all sides to exercise calm and restraint, to stick to the commitments of the agreement and refrain from taking action that might escalate tensions so as to make space for diplomatic efforts and a change in the situation," she said.
The top priority is to push the United States to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and remove all relevant sanctions, Hua continued, adding that doing so could help bring the agreement back onto "the right track."
Iran's move follows a bill passed by the Iranian parliament last month. It urged the government to implement a number of steps, including a boost in Iran's uranium enrichment, in case the European signatories to the JCPOA, namely Britain, France and Germany, fail to protect Iran's interests amid U.S. energy and banking sanctions.
The landmark JCPOA, also known as the 2015 nuclear deal, was sealed between Iran and China, France, Germany, Russia, Britain and the U.S. in 2015.
However, U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement in May 2018, reinstated old sanctions and imposed new ones on Iran's energy and financial sectors and called for a new accord with the Islamic Republic whereby more restrictions could be exerted on Tehran's nuclear activities and curbs placed on the country's developing ballistic missile program.
(With input from agencies)


Pictured above: Dani Cox, a doctoral student at the University of California Santa Barbara, looks at a sample of Sargassum, a brown, marine macroalgae. Cox is investigating how the seaweed is able to grow and reproduce so successfully in the nutrient-poor waters of the Sargasso Sea.
Many oceanographers consider the Sargasso Sea to be an "ocean desert," as high salinity and calm prevailing winds—resulting in lower nutrient supplies—make it a rather hostile place for life compared to other marine environments. For researchers like Dani Cox, a student at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), this raises questions about how Sargassum, a ubiquitous brown algae, not only survives, but thrives.
The Sargasso Sea is home to two unique species of Sargassum that float on the ocean's surface, often forming extensive mats large enough to be seen by satellites in space. For a sea that lacks land boundaries, these mats serve as important habitat and nursery grounds for over 100 different marine organisms, including sea turtles, eels, and a variety of commercially-important fish like mahi mahi and amberjacks. In fact, within the Sargasso Sea, the seaweed is considered a "keystone species" that defines the ecosystem and supports a high level of biodiversity.
Cox, a native Californian who obtained undergraduate degrees in marine science and geology at the University of Miami, didn't set out to study pelagic macroalgae communities. Instead, her interest in the subject resulted from, as she describes it, a "hot chocolate conversation" with Dave Valentine, a professor of earth science and biology at UCSB, and Cox's eventual thesis advisor.
In May 2016, Cox was on a three-week scientific cruise with Valentine and his lab, traveling by research vessel from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts to the waters just north of Bermuda. As a first-year student who had yet to begin her own doctoral research, Cox spent much of her time helping other scientists with their investigations. She was put in charge of an instrument used to measure atmospheric methane in the layer of air just above the ocean's surface.
"One day, as we were in the waters close to Bermuda, I was sitting on the back deck of the research ship with my advisor [Valentine], watching the sunset and having a cup of hot chocolate," Cox recalled. Looking out at the calm waters, Valentine wondered aloud about how the Sargassum might be nourished and sustained in such a low-nutrient environment.
Given that a number of scientists on the research cruise were already working on projects related to methylphosphonate (MPn) use as a nutrient source, Cox's first thought was that it might be MPn, which is present in ocean water in very low concentrations as a byproduct of oceanic microbial metabolism. Using the methane analyzer, she conducted a two-day experiment while the cruise was still underway. The initial results looked promising, setting her on a research path for her doctoral thesis.
MPn is a methane and a phosphate group connected by a single bond that is fairly stable. This means that it's a hydrocarbon attached to a nutrient, but it has to be acted upon by the organism in order to make that nutrient "bioavailable," or accessible to the organism for uptake and use in processes like growth and reproduction. The key, she says, is finding out the exact mechanism by which Sargassum is able to obtain these nutrients. Cox believes the answer might involve the community of microbes that live on the surface of the Sargassum; specifically, nitrogen-fixing bacteria that break down the MPn compound into its component parts.
From early September through mid-October, Cox worked in outdoor wet labs at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) conducting time-series experiments. By studying one variable repeatedly over a period of time, she hoped to elucidate the symbiotic relationship between the microbes and Sargassum.
The two species of Sargassum seaweed found in the Sargasso Sea are holopelagic, meaning they spend their entire life cycle floating in the water without ever attaching to the bottom. Over time, individual clumps of floating seaweed intertwine, forming ecologically important mats that are large enough to be seen by satellites in space.
Using a collection of specimen tubes—each containing a clump of Sargassum, some seawater, and a bit of air—Cox tracked the Sargassum's production of methane, which is directly related to MPn. For each time-series point, she took a sample of air from each tube and processed it through a methane analyzer, providing her with insight into how MPn is being used by the miniature ecosystems within the tubes.
After the measurements were processed, Cox retained the samples of water and Sargassum for future studies once she is back at UCSB, including genetic analyses to identify specific microbes. She will also be exposing the Sargassum to various antibiotic treatments to determine how the seaweed's growth is impacted if microbes are removed from its surfaces.


We have two 'brick and mortar' bookstores in Southern California dealing in new, used, rare and collectible books. The stores are completely stocked will all types of literature but we specialize in cook books, religion, education, biographies, various fiction genre, music and LP records as well as local interest books. There is a wide selection to choose from in our physical stores that are not listed on-line.


text:
Bosses to close maternity unit in Trowbridge (but beds will stay in Chippenham)
Health bosses pull the plug on maternity unit
By John Baker Reporter
THE birthing unit in Trowbridge will close from April this year, health bosses announced today.
This morning approved the plans at a Clinical Commissioning Group meeting at Dorothy House Hospice Care.
It means any pregnant women will now have to go to hospitals elsewhere for births or to Chippenham where some beds are being kept.
Units in Chippenham, Trowbridge, Frome and Paulton will continue to provide ante-natal and post-natal services but most mums will be expected to give birth at the larger hospitals in Bath, Salisbury and Swindon.
Lucy Baker, acting director for maternity services at Wiltshire CCG, said that in December only four babies were born in Trowbridge and only six in Paulton.
Sarah Merritt, acting deputy director of nursing and midwifery at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, said: "These proposals will help us provide more choices for birth to more women and will build a strong foundation on which to enhance continuity of care so that more women can see the same midwife or small team of midwives before, during and after labour.
"The addition of Alongside Midwifery Units at the Royal United Hospital in Bath and at Salisbury Hospital will give our birthing mums a new option for labour and delivery, significantly enhancing choices in Salisbury in particular.
"Our midwives and staff are excited to embrace this new way of working in purpose built facilities."
Mrs Baker added: "The decision follows a three-year period of engagement and consultation with more than 4,000 mums, families, staff and partners in the community to develop a new vision for maternity services, proposals for change and final recommendations.
"Our proposal would allow us to provide more choice for more women across our area about where and how they are supported before, during and after the birth of their baby, and allows us to make more efficient use of our resources and workforce so we can further improve our antenatal and post-natal and birthing services.
"We also want to ensure we are delivering the services that can meet the changing needs of our local women and families both now and in the future."
She told the meeting the CCH would phase in the replacement of four post-natal beds at Chippenham over the next 12 months while it works with mothers and families to support home births.
She told the meeting the decision addresses the issues posed by changes to the population. The average age of a woman giving birth in the UK is now 35 and more and more women are experiencing high risk pregnancies - for example, because of high blood pressure, obesity or diabetes - which means they need to be supported in a hospital setting with an expert medical team available.
The combination of these factors means there is vastly increased pressure on services at the Obstetric Units at theRUH, the Great Western Hospital and at Salisbury District Hospital, she said.
In addition, many women with a low risk pregnancy are choosing to have their babies in an Obstetric Unit because they are worried about having to move by ambulance to another site during or after their labour if they need the help of a doctor.
The BSW said that women need a safe, convenient alternative so staff at the three obstetric units at Bath, Salisbury and Swindon hospitals can focus on mothers who really need their care.
Mrs Merritt said: "Some of the changes we are proposing are because, particularly at the RUH, certain services are under-used and we are often staffing empty buildings and beds.
"85 per cent of women give birth in one of the three Obstetric Units with fewer than six per cent giving birth across our four FMUs in Chippenham, Trowbridge, Paulton and Frome.
"We believe we have the right number and mix of staff but they're not based in the right locations to ensure efficient use of our resources and provide women with the
services they need.
"In our FMUs - particularly at night - staff are covering areas even when there are no or very few births.
"On average only one baby is delivered every two or three days in each of these units but they need to be staffed to support births 24 hours a day seven days a week."
The plans have been developed to ensure services are efficient and sustainable to support future population growth, changes in housing policy, and the repatriation of military personnel to South Wiltshire from April 2019.
But Andy Milroy, of Trowbridge, who has campaigned against the closures, accused the CCG Governing Bodies of ignoring the results of its own consultation, which indicated that 62 per cent of the 1,855 respondents wanted the Trowbridge unit to stay open.
But Mrs Baker rejected the criticism, saying only 55 of the 88 people who responded in Trowbridge had asked for the unit to stay open.
The CCG will now launch a new Room to Grow appeal to fund the new maternity unit at the RUH in Bath at a cost of just over £6.17 million.
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