text:
The Last of Us Part II's Hate Is Somewhat Justifiable
By Jarren Navarreteon June 27, 2020
The Last of Us™ Part II_20200602164111
So The Last of Us Part II has just been released… and the majority hate it. There is a large dissonance between critics and users that cannot be ignored even by those not really paying attention to all the controversy. But why is it exactly so divisive among the masses? Most of the gripes and critiques from the user scores have something to do with its narrative and how Part II executes its plot.
Amidst all the hate this game has been getting, I'm not really ashamed about liking it. I loved the first game, and while I feel that the sequel didn't match up to its predecessor, I still really liked it nonetheless. And it's a bit of a shame that many speculate that I've either been paid to give the game a good score or am catering to an agenda as to why I gave The Last of Us Part II such a high score. Check my review here if you're interested.
However, it was difficult to talk about my primary gripes with the game without breaking the embargo. As we have been given the condition to remain silent of the later sections of the game. And for the most part, I understood why that was there, and I am fine with it.
But I couldn't really talk about the narrative until now. So if you're interested in getting The Last of Us Part II, haven't played the game yet, or just don't want to be spoiled then now's your chance to close this article.
That being said, I believe that there is a problem with how The Last of Us Part II executes its plot.
How does one make a likable character?
The Last of Us Part II boasts interesting people to get to know, but never truly gives us the time to take a shine to them. Many of the named characters can feel like somebody we occasionally meet in a convenience store. Or coworkers from the same company that works in a different department that we occasionally go out to drink with.
We see small snippets of their character that imply they have lives beyond the story of Ellie and Abby. But the implication isn't enough to truly make them memorable or for us to care of them. In fact, some deaths in Part II can feel like a cheap swing of shock factor.
Dropped a Bridge On Them…Then Forgot
To give an example, take a look at Jesse and Manny. Two individuals from Ellie and Abby's social circle.
Jesse is a likable down-to-Earth young man with a helpful personality. It isn't hard to get attached to him, but then the game does him dirty. He is killed without much fanfare as he immediately gets shot in the head by Abby the moment he barges out the door. My issue with this isn't so much that he died without a dramatic ending. My issue is that he is immediately forgotten by the plot and characters and he is never mentioned again. A tad bit ironic considering he died in a theater.
Manny is treated with even less respect. He barely gets any screen time and dies without Abby or her friends mentioning him ever again. He's a local Casanova who frequently sleeps with girls and has a father to care for. Despite his charm, he gets shot in the head by Tommy as he is helping Abby and is never mentioned again.
Perhaps one could say that their deaths were realistic. After all, we've been killing people in this game without much issues that it isn't too surprising seeing the main cast be subjected to the same rules. However, from a storytelling standpoint, this is a terrible way to treat your cast.
What Could've Been
Some already established characters feel like a waste of potential not to use. Tommy, an ex-member of the Fireflies, never truly has any interaction with the WLF, who some of them were former members. In fact, the man barely even has any interaction with the game.
Tommy Miller, who is Joel's flesh-and-blood brother, is placed into a background role in Ellie's quest for revenge. Instead, we get Dina, who despite being likable, wasn't really much of a memorable character. To be honest, Dina doesn't really have much going for her than being Ellie's girlfriend. Well, she's pregnant but what did that do for the story? Dina feels like a character with no real ties and the plot could've probably proceeded without her. She didn't feel as impactful as Naughty Dog was clearly trying to make her be.
And while Dina did ultimately save Ellie's life a few times and over, there doesn't seem to be any real attachment from the players to her. As the game focuses too much on hate and revenge, to get us attached to the character. She's charming, but not memorable and ultimately replaceable.
Perhaps it could've been better had Tommy been the one to accompany Ellie. Or perhaps rendezvous with her halfway throughout the game. It could've been an interesting contrast to see how different the dynamic between Joel and Tommy was. Tommy already has ties to the Fireflies and an even more understandable reason for wanting to hunt Abby down. Instead, he gets shifted into a few cutscenes and mentions that barely flesh him out.
And of course, I can't ignore the elephant in the room.
Joel Miller, the character we've played as got attached to and journeyed with gets killed brutally with a golf club to the head. For fans, this is the biggest issue with Part II. Not Joel's death, but how he died. Watching a character we grew to love from a title we all revere get beaten to death feels like the most disrespectful way to go. But I believe that was the point. The fact that he died in such a manner fuels Ellie's, and by extension the player's, desire for revenge.
The problem is, is that this doesn't help make Abby more sympathetic. No matter how hard Naughty Dog tried to humanize her, fans have already decided to hate her. Nothing she did could've changed their minds. And while I myself found her likable, I still couldn't forgive her for Joel's death nor did I ever want to play as her.
Fans of the original seem to universally hate this character, and she might have been more likable or at least divisive had Naughty Dog portrayed her better. Perhaps allowing us to take control of Abby before she starts her revenge quest and showing what her group was like before they left for Joel would've given players time to get a different impression of her.
There are several key factors why Abby is so easy to dislike by many. Right from how she was introduced, her own conflict, and the execution of her character. Her chances for a good first impression are marred even more considering her killing Joel was already leaked some time before the game's release.
Abby's a bit whimsical in the worst of times. And some of her more reckless decisions had placed her and her group into worse shit. Not even touching that she gets her group of friends killed as a consequence of her revenge on Joel, but she leaves her station and commits insubordination for the sake of an old flame. And much later on, starts turning on them and kills members of WLF without any internal conflict. Her own brothers-at-arms killed by her own hand and she doesn't show an ounce of hesitation doing it. To add insult to injury, she also betrays her pregnant friend by having sex with said old flame while he was in a relationship.
It feels a bit that her character is a bit of a wild card and has no real attachment to her group. She has no real sense of loyalty to the organization who raised her despite living with them her whole life. And she abandons them for an old flame, who for some reason shot his comrade for the very enemy they're fighting against.
At times, she can seem downright unsympathetic. Her motivation for wanting to kill Joel was understandable, but very difficult to agree with. Not just because we, as the player, are attached to him. But because of the brutal way she kills such a beloved character, who mind you saved her life. She comes off as unnecessarily ruthless and it's honestly understandable that some fans would want her dead.
Her one truly redeeming trait is her sisterly protectiveness towards Yara and Lev. That and her sparing Ellie's life were the sole factors of why I'd probably chosen to spare her life in the ending if Naughty Dog ever gave us the option.
Perhaps we would've been much better off if The Last of Us Part II gave us the final decision and the final say. The resolution between Ellie and Abby's animosity towards each other were the primary complaints of many. With quite a bit of the player base believing that Abby got off scot-free while Ellie's life is in shambles.
I know that when it comes to story, Naughty Dog has always been adamant about having it their way. It's a narrative driven plot, I can understand that. There are no alternative endings--no true say from the ones playing the game. We're just there to guide Ellie and Abby to finish their journey. The destination is the same and the route is fixed. But despite all that, I can't help but feel it's a wasted opportunity.
Lack of Communication Kills
Another part that would irk many is the broken dynamic between Joel and Ellie. Particularly relating to the events of the first game. Was Joel right for what he did? The ending leaves that open ended.
However, in this game Joel seems to be portrayed in the wrong. Or at least, it comes off as such. Many variables of his decision to save Ellie's life has never been given a mention. Such as the Fireflies not really waiting for Ellie's consent to have the operation and them threatening to kill Joel if he interfered. With these factors, it honestly seemed that Joel was in the morally right to save Ellie from the Fireflies, whose decision to kill a little girl for a shot of at a cure seemed inherently desperate and selfish.
That's not touching arguments from the more medically well versed individuals, who point out the impossibility of creating vaccine from fungi. But that's a discussion far above my league to explain.
With all these factors that would make it understandable, why doesn't Joel just go ahead and explain that to Ellie? While the fight between the two did add some tension and drama between the original dynamic, it was almost unnecessary. If Joel had just explained to Ellie that the Fireflies tried to kill both of them, only sparing Joel because of Marlene's insistence, then perhaps an argument between the two would've erupted but it wouldn't be anywhere near the tension both of them feel for each other now. Instead, Joel hesitates and Ellie treats it as if it was an entirely selfish decision on his part.
Admittedly, Ellie was most likely raised around the Fireflies and Marlene was her mother's friend, whom Joel killed. So it's understandable that the two would have some tension after the final events of the first game.
It's honestly a bit of a shame that the interaction with Joel was kept to a minimum. We only ever get to truly bond with him in Part II during flashbacks. But by then, he's already dead. And for newcomers who never played the first game, they might not understand or be able to sympathize as to why Ellie wants revenge so badly enough to cause the destruction of so many groups.
The Controveries
Of course, that's not touching some of the controversy surrounding the game that further alienated players from it.
Neil Druckmann is infamous for his strong political beliefs. And even more so for statements online that further push others away. This isn't to say that he's in the wrong for expressing himself, but political ideologies have always been the most divisive sort on any entertainment medium.
One statement from the creative director had him praising one of the gaming communities' biggest enemies, Anita Sarkeesian. Druckmann expressed admiration for the feminist which earned him quite the ire from the players. And there's been heated debates on the web as to whether or not Anita really did have influence when it comes to the works of Naughty Dog.
There's also a sex scene in the game which I feel is in poor taste. In the heat of the moment, Abby and Owen do the nasty right in front of the camera. And while there's a discretion shot of the act happening, it did show Abby's nipples even for only a flash of a second. This entire sex scene felt out of place and unnecessary, not to mention uncomfortable.
Not to mention that it reveals a double standard when it comes to Sony. The Japanese tech giant that was adamant on censoring sexual explicit content somehow allows this as an exception past their guidelines. I feel there is hypocrisy present that players understandably took ire in.
Another final controversy I should note is Naughty Dog's deliberate false advertising in the trailers by replacing character models shown. I understood that they wanted to keep people in suspense for Joel's death but giving your players false information isn't helping your case.
People who played the game will recognize some scenes are delibrately altered
There are a lot of narrative decisions that I can criticize The Last of Us Part II for, but I ultimately winded up enjoying the game for what it was. People might not like me for doing so, but I do acknowledge where the strong dislike is coming from. And I feel that these factors are what contributed to why players show a strong distaste for the game.
Contrary to what defenders are saying, I don't believe that most people who hate the game are transphobic or homophobic in any way. They do have legitimate criticisms as to why they found the game's story to be too dark and depressing. At the same time, I don't agree what attackers are saying when they justify review bombing a game for something they haven't even played.
Could the story have been done better? Sure. Would I have loved to spend more time with a beloved character? Hell yes. Naughty Dog definitely took a large gamble by taking the characters that we love and treating them in such a brutal fashion. Which understandably earns the ire of the fans who have come to love them. And ultimately I believe this is where your mileage my vary. Do you think Naughty Dog did these characters justice? Or did they portray them poorly?
I would love to hear what people think about controversies surrounding The Last of Us Part II. Do you agree with me? No? Leave us your thoughts so we can have something to think about.
PlayStation Tournaments PS5 Coming Later This Year


text:
import basap from '../src/base';
import uiRouter from 'angular-ui-router';
import ngRoute from 'angular-route';
import ngNewRouter from 'angular/router';

//////////////////////////////////////
////////// [SELECT ROUTER] ///////////
// select the router you wish
// to test then comment out the
// remaining routers.
//////////////////////////////////////
var deps;
deps = [ 'ngRoute'];
//deps = [ 'ui.router'];
///deps = [ 'ngNewRouter'];

//////////////////////////////////////
/////////// [APP OPTIONS] ////////////
// since the app is located in the
// example folder we mount our app
// in this location.
//////////////////////////////////////
var options = {
    mount: '/example'
};

///////////////////////////////////////
////////// [CREATE APP] ///////////////
///////////////////////////////////////
// using Basap we create our
// app pasing in core
// dependencies and any options
// see: base.js contructor for options.
////////////////////////////////////////
var app = basap('basap', deps, options);

export default app;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Science Update: Arthritis drug reduces Zika birth defects in mice, according to NIH-funded study
Credit: Stock Image
An arthritis drug reduced the severity of Zika virus-related birth defects and improved survival among baby mice, according to a study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. Offspring of pregnant mice treated with the drug anakinra scored higher on tests of neural and physical development than offspring of untreated mice. They also had a lower rate of birth defects such as contracted limbs, kinked tails, and fused fingers and toes.
The study was conducted by Irina Burd, M.D., Ph.D., of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and colleagues. It appears in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insights. NIH's Office of the Director and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development provided support for the study.
Zika virus is transmitted through mosquito bites, sexual contact, blood transfusion, and from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Many people infected with the virus have mild or no symptoms. However, infection during pregnancy may cause birth defects such as microcephaly (small head size), intellectual and developmental disabilities, hearing and vision loss, and joint problems.
Although Zika infects fetal tissue, some studies suggest that much of the effects on the fetus and placenta result from inflammation. Other studies indicate that fetal and placental cells infected with the virus produce higher amounts of substances that trigger inflammation, some of which may contribute to the death of cells. One such inflammatory substance, Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), is higher in people infected with Zika. It is not known whether IL-1β is also elevated in the placentas of pregnant women with Zika.
The Interleukin 1 receptor agonist blocks IL-1β from binding to cells and is found in amniotic fluid and in umbilical cord blood. Anakinra is a modified form of Interleukin 1 receptor agonist used to treat arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. Previous studies have shown that treating pregnant animals with anakinra reduced inflammation-related damage to the placentas and nervous systems of their offspring.
In the current study, researchers infected pregnant mice with Zika strains from Nigeria, Puerto Rico, and Brazil. Mice infected with Zika began producing IL-1β in the placenta at higher levels, compared to mice not infected with the virus.
After 8 days, 1.8 percent of the offspring of 322 mice infected with Zika had birth defects such as contracted limbs, kinked tails, and fused fingers and toes. However, among a comparable group of mice whose placentas were injected with anakinra after Zika infection, none of the offspring had these birth defects. Among untreated mice, nearly 40 percent of fetuses died before full term, compared to nearly 21 percent of fetuses from mice treated with anakinra. Offspring of treated mothers also performed better on assessments of neurological and physical function.
Anakinra also improved the function of the placenta. Compared to untreated mice, treated mice had placentas with more blood vessels and that implanted more securely in the uterine wall. Moreover, the researchers linked inflammation, not the amount of viral material in the placenta, to the severity of Zika-related effects.
Based on their findings and the results of other studies, the researchers hypothesized that Zika virus may damage the fetus indirectly through inflammation of the placenta.
"Until now, the focus of research has been on finding vaccines and antiviral drugs, but our study strongly suggests that the placental immune response should not be overlooked as a target for treatment," Dr. Burd said.
The researchers call for more studies of the safety of administering anakinra during human pregnancy.
Lei, J, et al. IL-1 receptor antagonist therapy mitigates placental dysfunction and perinatal injury following Zika virus infection. Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.122678 .

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I was about to pour out my heart's sadness to my elder sister Pallavi over the phone for big bowl of leftover dahi vadas and what I heard is that she is also in same boat like me. She was making kadhi with left over dahi vadas.
I took the recipe and tried it this afternoon. 6 Big dahi vadas with filling inside now mixed in kadhi and big bowl of kadhi wiped out in 10-15 minutes.
Can you imagine? I mean never saw any leftover thing reinvented and liked this much. Please try if you have leftover dahi vadas after Diwali party or like that situation.
7- Salt – according to taste as well as turmeric powder too.
1- This whole process is quite tricky.
2- Just cut the dahi vadas into halves.
3- Now mix in water, left over dahi of vadas and besan.
4- Mix or blend very well so that no lumps of the besan left.
5- Now heat the refind oil and put jeera, methidana powder, salt, turmeric powder, red chillies powder and chopped green chillies.
6- Fry for a while and add besan curd mix water into it.
7- Bring it to boil and now add dahi vadas to it.
8- Mix well with light folds.
9- Simmer it for 20-22 minutes on alow flame.
10- Cover the lid when done and serve after 10 minutes.
11- Tastes great with onion fried rice of freshly made simple boiled rice.
Healthy Diwali with home made bundi laddus.
10 Easy ways to handle teenagers acne problem.


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Who is the queen of music9 min read
Aug 4, 2022 6 min
There is no one definitive answer to this question. Music is a vast and varied form of art, and there are many different types and styles of music. There are also many different artists who could be considered the queen of music. Some of the contenders for this title include Beyoncé, Adele, Taylor Swift, and Madonna.
Each of these artists has achieved tremendous success and popularity in the music industry. They have all released numerous hit songs and albums, and they have all won numerous awards. They have also all inspired other artists and helped to shape the direction of contemporary music.
Beyoncé is perhaps the most well-known and successful artist of the bunch. She has sold over 100 million records worldwide, and she has won numerous awards, including 22 Grammy Awards. She is also a talented actress and has starred in several hit movies.
Adele is another highly successful artist. She has sold over 100 million records worldwide, and she has won numerous awards, including 10 Grammy Awards. Her soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics have resonated with audiences around the world.
Taylor Swift is another popular artist who has achieved great success in the music industry. She has sold over 50 million records worldwide, and she has won numerous awards, including 10 Grammy Awards. She is also a talented songwriter, and many of her songs have been hits.
Madonna is another iconic artist who has been making music for decades. She has sold over 300 million records worldwide, and she has won numerous awards, including 20 Grammy Awards. She is a trendsetter and a pioneer in the music industry, and she has influenced the sound of popular music for generations.
There are many other artists who could be considered the queen of music. This is a title that is subjective and up for debate. It is up to the individual to decide who they think is the queen of music.
1 Who is considered the queen of music?
2 Who is the current king of music?
3 Who is the king or queen of music?
4 Who is Queen the singer?
5 Who is the current pop queen?
6 Who is the best singer in the world?
7 Who is Kpop King?
Who is considered the queen of music?
There is no definitive answer to who is considered the queen of music, as there are so many talented female artists out there. However, there are a few contenders who could be considered in the running.
One possible contender is Madonna. She is one of the most successful female artists of all time, with over 300 million records sold worldwide. She has achieved massive success in both the pop and dance music genres, and has also starred in several successful movies.
See also What does e mean on apple music
Another possible contender is Beyoncé. She is one of the most popular artists in the world, and has achieved massive commercial and critical success with her solo albums. She is also well known for her powerful and emotive performances, and has won numerous awards including 22 Grammy Awards.
Finally, there is Whitney Houston. She is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with over 200 million records sold. She is also one of the most awarded artists in history, having won more than 400 awards during her career. Her voice is considered one of the most powerful in the music industry, and she has been praised by critics and fans alike for her exceptional vocal range.
So, who is the queen of music? There is no definitive answer, but these three artists are certainly contenders.
Who is the current king of music?
There is no one definitive answer to this question. There are a number of current contenders for the title of king of music, and the title is constantly changing hands. Some of the more popular current contenders include Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, and Kanye West.
Justin Bieber is a Canadian singer and songwriter. He first came to prominence in 2009, when he was discovered by Scooter Braun, a talent agent. Since then, Bieber has become one of the most successful pop singers in the world. His 2011 album, "Under the Mistletoe," was the first Christmas album to ever debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter. She first came to prominence in 2006, when she released her debut album, "Taylor Swift." Since then, she has become one of the most successful female singers in the world. Her 2012 album, "Red," was the best-selling album of the year in the United States.
Kanye West is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He first came to prominence in 2004, when he released his debut album, "The College Dropout." Since then, he has become one of the most successful and influential rappers in the world. His 2010 album, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," was named the best album of the decade by Rolling Stone magazine.
Who is the king or queen of music?
There is no easy answer when it comes to who the king or queen of music is. There are so many talented artists out there that it is hard to choose just one. However, there are a few artists who stand out among the rest.
One of the biggest contenders for the title of king or queen of music is Adele. She has sold over 100 million records and has won countless awards, including five Grammy Awards. Her soulful voice and emotional lyrics have captivated audiences all over the world.
See also How to change apple music name
Another artist who is often considered to be the king or queen of music is Beyoncé. She has sold over 150 million records and has won numerous awards, including 22 Grammy Awards. Her powerful voice and stunning choreography have made her one of the most popular artists in the world.
There are also a few artists who are quickly gaining popularity and could soon be contenders for the title of king or queen of music. These artists include Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and Sam Smith.
So, who is the king or queen of music? There is no easy answer, but there are a few artists who stand out among the rest. Adele, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and Sam Smith are all worthy contenders for the title.
Who is Queen the singer?
Queen is a British rock band that was formed in 1970. The band has produced many hit songs over the years, and is still active today. The band is made up of four members: Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon, and Freddie Mercury.
Queen was formed in 1970 by Brian May and Roger Taylor, who were both students at London's Imperial College. The two friends recruited John Deacon to play bass and asked their friend, Freddie Mercury, to join as the lead singer. The band's name was suggested by Mercury, who saw the name "Queen" in a magazine and liked it.
Queen released their first album in 1973, and it was a success. The band went on to produce many more hit albums and singles over the years. Mercury was the band's vocalist and songwriter, and his unique style helped make Queen one of the most popular rock bands in the world.
Sadly, Mercury died of AIDS in 1991. The other members of Queen decided to continue on as a band, and they continue to tour and produce new music today.
Queen is a legendary rock band that has produced many hit songs over the years. The band is still active today, and their music is enjoyed by fans all over the world.
Who is the current pop queen?
There is no clear answer to this question as different people have different opinions, but there are a few singers who could be considered contenders for the title of current pop queen.
One possible candidate is Ariana Grande, who has had a string of successful singles and albums in recent years. Her vocal range and ability to write catchy pop songs have won her a large following, and she has become one of the most popular singers in the world.
Another possible pop queen is Taylor Swift, who has also had a hugely successful career and is considered one of the biggest stars in the music industry. Her songwriting skills and ability to connect with her fans have won her numerous awards and made her one of the most popular artists in the world.
See also How long does the billboard music awards last
Other singers who could be considered contenders for the title of current pop queen include Madonna, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga. All of these singers have had long and successful careers and continue to produce music that is popular with fans around the world.
Who is the best singer in the world?
There are many great singers in the world, but there can only be one best singer. Who is the best singer in the world?
There is no easy answer to this question. There are many different voices and styles that make up the best singer in the world. Some singers are great at rock music, while others are great at ballads. Some singers are great at opera, while others are great at pop music.
There are many different factors that can make someone the best singer in the world. Some singers are great at reaching high notes, while others have a powerful voice that can fill a stadium. Some singers are great at connecting with their fans, while others have a unique style that sets them apart from the rest.
There are many great singers in the world, but there can only be one best singer. It is up to the fans to decide who that is.
Who is Kpop King?
Kpop is a genre of popular music that originated in South Korea. The term is a portmanteau of "Korean pop."
Kpop is characterized by a wide variety of styles and genres, but most importantly, it is known for its catchy and upbeat melodies, colorful choreography, and participant fan culture.
Kpop has become a global phenomenon in recent years, with artists and groups achieving success in countries all around the world.
There are many talented and successful Kpop artists and groups, but there is one artist who stands out above the rest: Kim Jong-un, also known as Kpop King.
Kpop King is the undisputed king of Kpop. He is a talented artist with a vast repertoire of songs and styles. His music is always fresh and exciting, and his choreography is always on point.
Kpop King is also known for his impressive stage presence. He is a master of showmanship and knows how to put on a show that fans will never forget.
Kpop King is loved and admired by fans all around the world. He is a true icon and superstar in the world of Kpop. There is no one who can come close to matching his level of success and popularity.
awards including Grammy Awardsmillion records worldwide numerousmillion records worldwide numerous awardsnumerous awards including Grammynumerous awards including Grammy Awards


I receive lots of question about what are most interesting books about space and universe and what books I should recommend. Well, here are 5 books that I think every space enthusiast should read.
Spooky Action at a Distance - The Phenomenon That Reimagines Space and Time--and What It Means for Black Holes, the Big Bang, and Theories of Everything. If you are familiar with Quantum Entanglement and intrigued by this mysterious phenomenon then this is the best book for you and if you haven't heard about Quantum Entanglement, then this-is-a-must-read-book for you.
"Spooky Action at a Distance" by science writer George Musser dives into the different ways that researchers are grappling with this concept of "nonlocality" — what Albert Einstein legendarily called "spooky action at a distance" in the quantum mechanics world. This book will not only help you understand Einstein's "Spooky Action at a Distance", it will also help you to get a better understanding of space-time itself. You can buy this book here or download it here for free.
This is one of my favorite. Theoretical astrophysicist Kip Thorne has spent his whole career discovering subjects that once appeared downgraded to science fiction, for instance whether time travel is possible, and how humans could possibly travel from one galaxy to other via wormholes. In "Black Holes and Time Warps," Kip Thorne offers an introduction to these fascinating concepts and also other mind-bending topics, at a level suitable for nonscientists. You can buy this book here or download it here for free.
"Cosmos," by well-known astronomer and the best science communicator Carl Sagan, is an awesome book, diving deep into the history of science, philosophy and the universe itself. The book acts as a partner with Sagan's treasured 1980s TV show, "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage." This book is a gorgeous glimpse inside one of the ultimate scientific minds in entire history. Although some of the content in the book seem old, the book still lives up to its hype and is also one of the best popular science books ever written, and the language is just beautiful. You can download it here.
As the name indicate, this is pretty exciting stuff and the concepts are beautifully explained in a language that anyone can easily understand and enjoy. We're really not equipped to comprehend the cosmos as a 10-dimensional entity — and yet "Hyperspace" clarifies this revolutionary idea in such an articulate and appealing way that it makes a good deal of sense. You can buy this book here.
Clayton Anderson's new biography covers his whole 30-year NASA career, but it doesn't pinch on the precise, quirky details along his path to space (and his 15 distinct applications before approval to the program). He gets way deep into the details of training and the bonding with his astronaut class as well as traversing the power structures inside NASA and finding his way through two major space missions — 5 months on the ISS and then a dozen-day shuttle mission. You'll definitely enjoy this. You can download this book here.


Out Loud in the Library at Windward Community College presents We Go Jam Reading, Music and Book Signing on Thursday, February 21, 2013 from 6 to 8 p.m., celebrating the newly released book with contributing authors Puakea Nogelmeier, Jerry Santos, Calvin Hoe, Thelma Chang, Aiko Yamashiro, and editor Susan Yim.
Meet on the breezeway outside the Windward CC's new Library Learning Commons entrance at 6 p.m. for music by the college's TRiO students and from 6:30 to 8 p.m. for the reading and music in the library atrium, first floor.
This event is sponsored by Hawai'i Council for the Humanities (HCH) and Windward CC, and is free and open to the public.
We Go Jam: Celebrating Our Music, Our Soundscape, Our Hawai'i, published by HCH, will be on sale for a special price of $10 per book during the evening. PLUS, 10 books will be given away in a "Write to Win" contest: write 100 words or less about what a song, or music, means to you. Bring your writing to the event, or be inspired at the event.
"Nothing brings us together quite so whole-heartedly as does music, connecting us to a place and telling stories about ourselves and the world around us. We Go Jam is a pure humanities project and we are happy to join Windward Community College in celebrating the music of Kāne'ohe and Windward O'ahu," said Bob Buss, HCH executive director.
Out Loud in the Library is coordinated by Windward CC English instructor and award-winning poet Janine Oshiro. For more information, contact Windward CC marketing director Bonnie Beatson at 235-7374 or beatson@hawaii.edu.


text:
Suicide, not murder 1
In a must-read article, Mark Steyn writes in the National Review about the possibility of American decline, pointing out that it is a matter of choice, and that the Democrats now in power are offering that choice. Here are some paragraphs:
Permanence is an illusion – and you would be surprised at how fast mighty nations can be entirely transformed. But, more importantly, national decline is psychological – and therefore what matters is accepting the psychology of decline. Within two generations, for example, the German people became just as obnoxiously pacifist as they once were obnoxiously militarist, and as avowedly "European" as they once were menacingly nationalist. Well, who can blame 'em? You'd hardly be receptive to pitches for national greatness after half-a-century of Kaiser Bill, Weimar, the Third Reich, and the Holocaust.
But what are we to make of the British? They were on the right side of all the great conflicts of the last century; and they have been, in the scales of history, a force for good in the world. Even as their colonies advanced to independence, they retained the English language, and English legal system, not to mention cricket and all kinds of other cultural ties. Even in imperial retreat, there is no rational basis for late 20th century Britain's conclusion that it had no future other than as an outlying province of a centralized Euro nanny state dominated by nations whose political, legal and cultural traditions are entirely alien to its own. The embrace of such an alien fate is a psychological condition, not an economic one.
Is America set for decline? It's been a grand run. The country's been the leading economic power since it overtook Britain in the 1880s. That's impressive. Nevertheless, over the course of that century and a quarter, Detroit went from the world's industrial powerhouse to an urban wasteland, and the once golden state of California atrophied into a land of government run by the government for the government. What happens when the policies that brought ruin to Detroit and sclerosis to California became the basis for the nation at large? Strictly on the numbers, the United States is in the express lane to Declinistan: Unsustainable entitlements, the remorseless governmentalization of the American economy and individual liberty, and a centralization of power that will cripple a nation of this size. Decline is the way to bet. But what will ensure it is if the American people accept decline as a price worth paying for European social democracy.
Is that so hard to imagine? Every time I retail the latest indignity imposed upon the "citizen" by some or other Continental apparatchik, I receive e-mails from the heartland pointing out, with much reference to the Second Amendment, that it couldn't happen here because Americans aren't Euro-weenies. But nor were Euro-weenies once upon a time. Hayek's greatest insight in The Road To Serfdom is psychological: "There is one aspect of the change in moral values brought about by the advance of collectivism which at the present time provides special food for thought," he wrote with an immigrant's eye on the Britain of 1944. "It is that the virtues which are held less and less in esteem and which consequently become rarer are precisely those on which the British people justly prided themselves and in which they were generally agreed to excel.
The virtues possessed by Anglo-Saxons in a higher degree than most other people, excepting only a few of the smaller nations, like the Swiss and the Dutch, were independence and self-reliance, individual initiative and local responsibility, the successful reliance on voluntary activity, non-interference with one's neighbor and tolerance of the different and queer, respect for custom and tradition, and a healthy suspicion of power and authority." Two-thirds of a century on, almost every item on the list has been abandoned, from "independence and self-reliance" (40 per cent of people receive state handouts) to "a healthy suspicion of power and authority" – the reflex response now to almost any passing inconvenience is to demand the government "do something", the cost to individual liberty be damned. American exceptionalism would have to be awfully exceptional to suffer a similar expansion of government and not witness, in enough of the populace, the same descent into dependency and fatalism. As Europe demonstrates, a determined state can change the character of a people in the space of a generation or two. Look at what the Great Society did to the black family and imagine it applied to the general population: That's what happened in Britain…
One sympathizes with Americans weary of global responsibilities that they, unlike the European empires, never sought. The United States now spends more on its military than the next 40 or so nations combined. In research and development, it spends more than the rest of the planet put together. Yet in two rinky-dink no-account semi-colonial policing campaigns, it doesn't feel like that, does it? A lot of bucks, but not much of a bang. You can understand why the entire left and an increasing chunk of the right would rather vote for a quiet life. But that's not an option. The first victims of American retreat will be the many corners of the world that have benefitted from an unusually benign hegemon. But the consequences of retreat will come home, too. In a more dangerous world, American decline will be steeper, faster and more devastating than Britain's – and something far closer to Rome's.
In the modern era, the two halves of "the west" form a mirror image. "The Old World" has thousand-year old churches and medieval street plans and ancient hedgerows, but has been distressingly susceptible to every insane political fad from Communism to Fascism to European Union. "The New World" has a superficial novelty – you can have your macchiato tweeted directly to your iPod – but underneath the surface noise it has remained truer to older political ideas than "the Old World" ever has. Economic dynamism and political continuity seem far more central to America's sense of itself than they are to most nations. Which is why it's easier to contemplate Spain or Germany as a backwater than America. In a fundamental sense, an America in eclipse would no longer be America.
But, as Charles Krauthammer said recently, "decline is a choice." The Democrats are offering it to the American people, and a certain proportion of them seem minded to accept. Enough to make decline inevitable? … In the words of [the seldom so insightful historian] Arnold Toynbee: "Civilizations die from suicide, not from murder."
Posted under Britain, Collectivism, Commentary, communism, Conservatism, Defense, Demography, Economics, Ethics, Europe, Germany, government, liberty, Progressivism, Socialism, Totalitarianism, United Nations, United States, War by Jillian Becker on Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Tagged with Arnold Toynbee, Charles Krauthammer, communism, decline, Europe, European Union, fascism, Friedrich von Hayek, Germany, Great Britain, Mark Steyn, the Great Society, The New World, The Old World, the road to serfdom
In commemoration of the fall of the Berlin wall 0
Today, November 9, 2009, is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
It was one of the greatest events of history.
The wall both literally and symbolically marked the division between tyranny and freedom.
It was erected on Sunday, August 13, 1961, to prevent people living under the Soviet-controlled Communist regime in East Germany from fleeing into free West Berlin. About 1500 people a day had been migrating westward.
Within 24 hours West Berlin was sealed off from the so-called Democratic Republic of Germany.
At first it was a fence consisting of barbed wire, spread over some 96 miles.
In 1962 an inner wall was built. The 100 yard gravel area between the fence and the wall was booby-trapped with trip wires, and mined.
In 1975 a stronger, higher, thicker wall made of concrete and reinforced with mesh fencing and barbed wire was constructed. It was known as the 'Grenzmauer 75'. Soldiers stationed in some 300 watchtowers had a clear view of the space, and orders to shoot down anyone attempting to cross it.
Over 100,000 people tried to escape to freedom. Some 5,000 succeeded, mostly in the early years before the 'Grenzmauer 75' was built. Later, successful crossings were made through tunnels. Two families succeeded by hot-air balloon, and one man in a light aircraft. At least 136 people were killed in the attempt, most famously 18-year-old Peter Fechter, shot on August 17, 1962, as he tried to climb the wall. He lay for hours in the space between the wall and the fence, crying out for help while he bled to death. The East German border guards waited for him to die before they carried him away.
Twenty-five years later, on June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan of the United States stood on the west side of the Brandenberg Gate beyond which the wall ran, and said to the Russian leader in a famous speech, 'Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!'
The speech was symptomatic of the firm stand he maintained against the Soviet Union.
Two and a half years later the wall was brought down.
Its fall heralded the collapse of Soviet Russia and its evil empire. It marked the end of the Cold War and the victory of the free world, led by the United States of America.
The conquering hero of that stupendous victory was President Reagan. How he won the Cold War is the subject of volumes, but win it he did.
Of inestimable help to him was Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of Great Britain.
A few days ago Mikhail Gorbachev, George H. W. Bush who was president of the US when the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991, and Helmut Kohl who was Chancellor of West Germany at the time, met on the stage of a Berlin theatre to commemorate the fall of the wall.
Margaret Thatcher, who had not wanted the reunification of Germany but nevertheless played a decisive part in defeating the Communist tyranny over Eastern Europe, was not included.
The president of the United States, Barack Obama, has refused to attend any of the celebratory ceremonies in Germany. His excuse is that he is 'too busy'.
Jillian Becker November 9, 2009
Posted under Articles, Britain, Commentary, communism, Europe, Germany, liberty, News, Russia, Socialism, Soviet Union, Totalitarianism, United Kingdom, United States, War by Jillian Becker on Monday, November 9, 2009
Tagged with Berlin wall, BRD, Cold War, DDR, Democratic Republic of Germany, Federal Republic of Germany, George H. W. Bush, Great Britain, Helmut Kohl, Margaret Thatcher, Mikhail Gorbachev, November 9 1989, Peter Fechter, Ronald Reagan, Russia, Soviet Union, United States, USSR
Obama's foreign relations 0
We have no respect for Gordon Brown personally, but he is the Prime Minister of Great Britain – America's closest ally – and as his country's representative he should have been treated with respect and courtesy by the President of the United States on his recent official visit to the US. Instead, Obama was off-hand and rude to him, later making the silly and childish excuse that he was 'tired'. Obama is not, however, too tired to court the heads of Islamic states, and even travel abroad to confer with them.
Frank Gaffney writes:
On Friday, President Obama reiterated for the umpteenth time his determination to develop a "new relationship" with the Muslim world. On this occasion, the audience were the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Unfortunately, it increasingly appears that, in so doing, he will be embracing the agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood – an organization dedicated to promoting the theo-political-legal program authoritative Islam calls Shariah and that has the self-described mission of "destroying Western civilization from within."
As part of Mr. Obama's "Respect Islam" campaign, he will travel to Turkey in early April. While there, he will not only pay tribute to an Islamist government that has systematically wrested every institution from the secular tradition of Ataturk and put the country squarely on the path to Islamification. He will also participate in something called the "Alliance of Civilizations."
The Alliance is a UN-sponsored affair that reflects – as, increasingly do most things the United Nations is involved in – the views of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). The OIC is made up of 57 Muslim-majority nations. Thanks to support from Saudi Arabia and its proxies, the Muslim Brotherhood has become a driving force within the Conference and their agendas largely coincide.
For example, in 2005 a communiqué issued after a summit in Mecca declared: "The Conference underlined the need to collectively endeavor to reflect the noble Islamic values, counter Islamophobia, defamation of Islam and its values and desecration of Islamic holy sites, and to effectively coordinate with States as well as regional and international institutions and organizations to urge them to criminalize this phenomenon as a form of racism."
Ominously, as part of its bid to "criminalize" Islamophobia, the OIC is seeking "deterrent punishments." It insists that not only freedom of expression but all human rights be circumscribed by the OIC's 1990 Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, which concludes with the caveat that, "All the rights and freedoms stipulated in this Declaration are subject to the Islamic Shariah." Translation: Liberties enshrined in the UN's foundational Universal Declaration of Human Rights are largely rendered null and void.
Not that the UN has been a great upholder of liberty in practice. Quite the contrary, in fact. It is now such a threat to liberty, the best thing that could happen to it is its total abolition, before it evolves into an Islamic World Government imposing Shariah on us all.
Posted under Commentary by Jillian Becker on Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Tagged with Alliance of Civilizations, Gordon Brown, Great Britain, News, Organization of the Islamic Conference, Shariah, Turkey, United Nations, US foreign policy


The Power Circles program is a confidential, facilitated peer network group for women who have been in business at least one year. This group of entrepreneurs meet monthly to help each other solve business problems quickly and efficiently, increase each other's entrepreneurial savvy, and decrease the sense of isolation that many early to mid-stage business owners have had. Each group has a trained facilitator that will guide the group to learn about common challenges they have in their businesses.
Power Circle facilitated by a business expert.
Members are surrounded by a group of supportive business owners who understand what the other members are going through.
Members get the opportunity to share experiences and brainstorm creative solutions to business challenges in a supportive and interactive environment.
Each month will feature educational topics with occasional expert speakers.
Commitment: 12-month minimum commitment requirement.
Are you interested? Complete the application HERE.
Join our next Power Circle group! Fill out an application HERE.
Right now, there is a Power Circle in session, facilitated by Melissa Blackburn.
Backed by 15+ years of operations management experience, Melissa brings an eye for detail and deep understanding of corporate culture to Haven. She has a track record of proven success implementing process improvements to help startups scale while keeping an eye on the bottom line. Her passion and energy are an inspiration to others also working hard on side-hustles. These are key reasons she has built relationships that last. Her vast network will benefit Haven's community by connecting them with the right people and resources when they need them most. As a professional new to the work-from-home mother lifestyle, Melissa brings a unique perspective to help build amenities and features in the space that matter to those who are also attempting to run a business and a family in parallel. She is the co-owner of Haven Collective.


Now that spring has arrived, you may be obtaining prepared for the begin of baseball and softball season. In addition to beginning the recruitment process for your teams, you may also be in need of some new baseball and softball gear. Instead of heading to a second store to discover bats, gloves, and other products your teams can play with, why don't you go to the sporting goods shops in your area? Contrary to popular perception, they have goods that are extremely affordable. It doesn't matter what you need for everyone to play, you can get it if you are willing to see what these shops have in stock.
Some youth baseball store baggage are made to have specific sorts of baseball equipment. For example, people can find helmet or bat baggage to have these. These may come with specially sized compartments to correctly organize and protect the equipment.
As a big energetic family members, we have lots of bikes and sports gear to manage. Instead then just have all those things rolling, bouncing, and lying around, we've discovered that overhead garage organizers are a easy, but essential part of our garage. For the bikes, we bought some Prostor ceiling mount bike lifts. These permit us to use the space over, whilst still permitting easy access to the bikes when we want to use them. For the basketballs, soccer balls, and baseball equipment stores, we bought a couple of Prostor ball and bat sport racks. These are fantastic. They are strong metal and have a really good easy finish. They were simple to mount up on the wall and does exactly what we wanted them to do – keep things off the floor!
Do not more than pack; more than packing requires up a lot of tent area. If you're going on a four working day trip then bring clothes established for two days. Remember to bring a mild jacket, warm sweater, shorts, shirts, trousers and extra underwear. If you want to go climbing, bring hiking boots.
If you are heading to stain the wooden on the baseball equipment, then attempt purchasing your 1X6 boards in a great quality wooden like maple or birch. If you strategy on painting them, then your can use MDF or pine.
There are numerous types of baseball gloves because various positions require a various kind of glove. The catcher's mitt. The catcher's mitt requires the heaviest cushioning simply because it frequently requires the most impact from quick balls. It has closed webbing, a smaller sized pocket and no fingers. The first two traits enable the catcher to choose up the ball from the glove quicker with his throwing hand.
It by no means occurred to me until high college that "them" were the blacks across the creek. After all, my parents had been usually well mannered and friendly with the African-American associates of the WWII vintage army club to which they belonged.
For younger gamers, rubber-spiked cleats are the norm. Usually only higher college-aged gamers put on spiked or metal cleats, which can be a tad little bit harmful for extremely younger players. These times, caps are often included in the cost of league uniforms. But no baseball uniform would be complete with out 1. Players might also want to purchase a couple of extra caps so that they have a few to put on throughout practice periods. Caps are an essential component of the sport, shielding players from dangerous sunlight rays and allowing them to obviously see the taking part in field.


text:
Q: C++ Namespace inferred Been a long time since I used C++ and came across something in some code I was reading today:
Why doesn't exists below need qualifying with std::filesystem::. I've not been able to work out how that prefix is inferred (partly as I don't even know what to search for).
#include <iostream>
#include <filesystem>

int main()
{
    std::filesystem::path input_path("c:\\temp\\foo.txt");
    std::error_code fs_error;
    if (!exists(input_path, fs_error))
    {
        std::cout << "Error: folder or file " << input_path << " doesn't exist" << std::endl;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I've been fortunate, I found a job I love. I've shot for Samsung, British Airways, EY, Vigorsol, Philips, Dove, MedSailors, Yacht Getaways, Wild Kiwi, Axe, The FA, Courier, Next, Gumtree, Weetabix, Virgin Media, Dulux, Dazed and Confused, Box tv and others. I'm available for commissions worldwide. Thank you for taking the time to look at my work.


As an international publication, we generally try to stay out of UK domestic political matters at M&V, but the rise of far-right politics, fake news and media manipulation all appear to be sending humanity into a sharply negative era.
Circulated with the subject Towards a 2nd vote, a group of high-profile UK musicians have written the letter below to their prime minister, Theresa May, to complain about Great Britain and Northern Ireland leaving the European Union. Although written by Irish musician Bob Geldof, from a rock music stance, and a little over the top, the arguments apply equally to classical music, and the letter has been co-signed by various classical musicians including Simon Rattle, Howard Goodall and John Eliot Gardiner.
Imagine Britain without its music. If it's hard for us, then it's impossible for the rest of the world. In this one area, if nowhere else, Britain does still rule the waves. The airwaves. The cyberwaves. The soundwaves. It is of us. It is our culture.
Why are we closing down these possibilities for ourselves and for those as yet unknown to us? Brexit will impact every aspect of the music industry. From touring, sales, copyright legislation, to royalty collation. Indeed it already has. As a result of the referendum vote, the fall in the pound has meant hugely increased equipment costs, studio hire, and touring costs all now materially higher than before - and not forgetting that squeezed household incomes means less money to go to clubs and buy tracks, T-shirts, gigs and generate the vast income necessary to keep the up and comers on the road and musically viable.
This is all a serious madness. We must take back our future. We must reform and restructure the EU. When Europe is in a mess, the Brits get stuck in. They don't withdraw, they double down. They get in close and messy. Make Europe the continent that we and the people of Europe want. Not the one dreamt up in another time by the ideologues, or by the undemocratic fiat of mediocre politicians or the dull exhortations of a pallid bureaucracy. A new one. A different one. An exciting one. A rock'n'roll one.
Let's rock Europe and let's save our music, our musicians, our music jobs and our songs. Let's save our voice.


THIS YEAR GREAT FOREST EVENTS ARE GETTING BEHIND THE ATHLETES OF TOMORROW!
ALL KIDS under the age of 12 can enteR THE 5k or 10k at GREAT FOREST EVENTS for $10 per ENTRY!
EVERY SCHOOL REPRESENTED AT THE GREAT FOREST EVENTS IS IN THE DRAW TO WIN AN AWESOME SPORTS PACK.


Because of the way the API works, we have to request a separate report for every "Advertiser", and this causes the query to run very slowly and many time out if the account has a large number of advertisers attached to it. To work around this issue, we have included a special fix that lets you to define an "Advertiser" filter to limit the number of requests.
Note that as Data Studio handles filters post-query, this workaround doesn't work for that system.


Is there any PS Vita Jailbreak/Mod/CFW??
someone help with gettin my backup for ps vita to work ?!
Ps Vita Exploit - 100-N-1 megamix patched?
Removing PSN account but keeping DL games?
Worth picking up a PlayStation TV?


text:
Q: Bad Swing UI scaling on high resolution (MS Surface) I'm currently working on a little Java application, that involves Swing GUIs. On my development PC everything looks fine but when I run it on my MS Surface, some icons seem to be too large for the components (or the components too small for the icons).
Here's what I mean:

Google research has lead me to conclude that this is due to Surface's high resolution and Win8's zooming to let some items appear a little larger. So I reset that zoom to 100% and it actually fixed the bad scaling.
Unfortunately, this doesn't really fix my problem. Everything is far too small without the zoom, so I'd rather not disable it. But is there any clever way to solve this? Can I just "unscale" my program's or Java's icons? Ideally, I would even like upscale the entire frame, because everything is rather small.
Edit: obviously, I've also tried just resizing the actual JFrame but it has no effect on the dialog size. I'm calling the dialog by
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(frame, msg, "Information", JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE);

by the way.

A: Here is a nasty, hacky, quick-fix solution which will stop the nasty cropping by resizing Swing's own icons to 80%.
In main, add this:
String[] iconOpts = {"OptionPane.errorIcon",
  "OptionPane.informationIcon",
  "OptionPane.warningIcon",
  "OptionPane.questionIcon"};
for (String key : iconOpts) {
  ImageIcon icon = (ImageIcon) UIManager.get(key);
  Image img = icon.getImage();
  BufferedImage bi = new BufferedImage(
          img.getWidth(null), img.getHeight(null),
          BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_ARGB);
  java.awt.Graphics g = bi.createGraphics();
  g.drawImage(img, 0, 0,
          (int) (img.getWidth(null) * 0.8),
          (int) (img.getHeight(null) * 0.8), null);
  ImageIcon newIcon = new ImageIcon(bi);
  UIManager.put(key, newIcon);
}

You might want to first check whether this is actually required - Windows 8/10 defaults to 125% but some people will switch it back to 100%. I haven't found an elegant way to do this, but something along these lines will give you an idea:
java.awt.Font font = (java.awt.Font) UIManager.get("Label.font");
if (font.getSize() != 11) {
    //resize icons in here
}

A: Most Swing Look & Feels don't support high DPI at all, not even Nimbus even though it's supposed to be scalable. I found some old blog posts saying that Nimbus might eventually offer high DPI scaling, but apparently that never happened.
The one exception is System LAF but its default font is ~10% smaller than the actual system font size, at all DPI settings. Moreover, System must be selected explicitly as described here: http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/uiswing/lookandfeel/plaf.html
There's no single scaling factor that you could set in Swing, either. The specific LAF has to provide code to handle scaling. So the best you can do is select System and hope it's good enough.
However, JavaFX does correctly and automatically scale all the way up to 150% on my system. If at all possible, I suggest you use JavaFX to build your GUI.
edit: I made a couple small test programs and took comparison screenshots for various GUI frameworks, Swing themes, and DPI settings. This might be informative for people reading this question: http://kynosarges.org/GuiDpiScaling.html

A: Based on rosa's answer i created a shorter less verbose variant:
String[] iconOpts = {"OptionPane.errorIcon",
    "OptionPane.informationIcon",
    "OptionPane.warningIcon",
    "OptionPane.questionIcon"};
for (String key : iconOpts) {
    ImageIcon icon = (ImageIcon) UIManager.get(key);
    Image img = icon.getImage();
    ImageIcon newIcon = new ImageIcon(img.getScaledInstance(img.getWidth(null),
        img.getHeight(null), 0));
    UIManager.put(key, newIcon);
}

P.S.: Due to the reputation system i was not able to comment to rosa's post.
Edit: It seems to me like Java 10 has included a fix for highdpi scaling. So maybe check the java version first before using any of the solutions here.


text:
Willamette to Battle #14 Whitworth and #6 Whitman during NWC Road Trip
Willamette (0-5, 0-1 NWC) 33 36 69
Whitworth (4-1, 1-0 NWC) 44 42 86
Willamette (0-7) 28 31 59
Whitman (6-1) 47 57 104
Pts: Jordan Jenkins - 20
Reb: Jonathan Watts - 9
Ast: Jonathan Watts - 8
Pts: Kyle Roach - 17
Reb: Jared Christy - 10
Ast: Kyle Roach - 7
Reb: Jordan Jenkins - 13
Ast: Jordan Jenkins - 5
Pts: Joey Hewitt - 15
Ast: Austin Butler - 5
Jordan Jenkins (Sr., F, Placentia, CA/Valencia HS)
SALEM, Ore. -- It's time for the opening weekend of Northwest Conference action in men's basketball for the 2018-19 season. The Bearcats will start NWC play by taking on two nationally ranked teams with games at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, on Friday, Nov. 30 at 8 p.m. (PST) and at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. Whitworth is ranked #14 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll and Whitman is ranked #6. Whitworth is 3-1 on the season, while Whitman owns a 4-1 record.
Last year on a similar road trip in February of 2018, Willamette was close at halftime against Whitman and held a halftime lead at Whitworth. In each case, the home team took control in the second half to defeat the Bearcats. Willamette trailed Whitman by just six points at halftime, 41-36. The Bearcats led Whitworth 36-34 at the break.
At home last season, Willamette almost defeated Whitworth, rallying from a 33-25 halftime deficit to eventually lead 63-62 with 1:52 remaining in the game. Whitworth, ranked #7 at the time, edged the Bearcats, 67-65.
Willamette is 0-4 this season, but the Bearcats have played a challenging schedule. One of Willamette's game was against Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.), who gave Whitman its only loss of the season 112-109 in two overtimes one day after the Sagehens defeated the Bearcats.
Three Bearcats have double-digit scoring averages. Jordan Jenkins (Sr., F, Placentia, CA/Valencia HS) leads the way with 15.3 points per game. He also ranks first on the squad with 7.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Jenkins has connected on 15 of 18 free throws (83.3%).
Trent Callan (Sr., G, Portland, OR/Lincoln HS) and Justus Eaglesmith (So., G, Sparks NV/Spanish Springs HS) are tied for second on Willamette's offensive chart with 10.8 points per contest. Callan is shooting 59.3% from the field (16 of 27) and had contributed 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Eaglesmith has achieved 66.7% accuracy on field goals (16 of 24), including 64.7% on 3-pointers (11 of 17). He leads the NWC in field goal percentage and is second in 3-point percentage.
Alec Barba (So., W, Dallas, OR/Central HS) adds 8.8 points for game for the Bearcats and has converted 10 of 27 three-point shots (37.0%). Barba scored a career-high 15 points against LeTourneau University (Texas) in the season opener.
Willamette has been strong from 3-point range with the Bearcats sinking 41.5% of their shots from long-range. Four players -- Eaglesmith, Barba, Caleb Roberts (Sr., W, Salem, OR/North HS) and Jonathan Watts (Fr., G, San Diego, CA/Rancho Bernardo HS) -- have made four or more 3-pointers and all are shooting over 34%. Their combined 3-point shooting for the four leaders is 38.2% (34 of 89).
The Bearcats have blocked 17 shots, while the opponents have blocked 13 attempts. Ryan Peterson (So, P, Edmonds, WA/Edmonds-Woodway HS) leads Willamette with six blocks on the season, while CJ Walker (Jr., P, Placentia, CA/Mayfair HS) has recorded three blocks.
Leading Whitworth on offense is Ben College with 21.5 points per game. He has connected on 48.3% of his field goals (29 of 60), including 16 of 38 on 3-pointers (42.1%). He is 12 of 13 (92.3%) at the free throw line.
Kyle Roach ranks second in scoring for the Pirates at 17.3 points per contest. He tops Whitworth with 4.3 assists per game and leads the NWC with 23 made free throws. He's 23 of 29 at the line (79.3%).
Also averaging in double figures for Whitworth are Jordan Lester at 11.5 points per game and Jared Christy with 10.0 points per game. Lester has hit 54.8% of his shots (17 of 31), while Christy has connected on 60.0% from the field (15 of 25). Christy is the Pirates' top rebounder at 8.5 per game, while Jordan is second with 7.5 boards per contest. Whitworth is averaging 80.0 points per game and limiting opponents to 71.0 points per night.
Whitman also has four players with double-digit scoring averages. Joey Hewitt ranks first with 16.6 points per game, with Dame Duckett in second at 13.2 points per game. Duckett is shooting 54.1% on field goals (20 of 37). Jack Stewart in third for the Blues with 12.6 points per contest and Austin Butler is fourth with 11.4 points per game. Butler has been successful on 65.6% of his field goals (21 of 32) and ranks first on the team with 7.2 rebounds per game.
On offense, the Blues are very strong from 3-point range, where they have converted 49.7% of their attempts. Stewart has recorded a team-high 17 three-pointer. Five Whitman players have made at least eight 3-pointers.
Whitman's long-distance shooting has been a factor in the team scoring 103.6 points per game. The team's pressure defense also has contributed. Hewitt and Stewart lead the defense with 10 steals on the season. The Blues have forced teams into 111 turnovers for 22.2 turnovers per game.


text:
Year A: Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Parable of the Weeds Among the Wheat
Jesus proposed another parable to them. "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds* all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the householder came to him and said, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?' He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, "First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn."
He proposed another parable to them. "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the 'birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.' He spoke to them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened."
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet; "I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation [of the world]."
Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned [up] with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear.
Where have you noticed "wheat and weeds" growing together in the Kingdom? How do you notice this in yourself and in your community?
What seeds have others planted in you that have flourished in the Kingdom?
In what specific ways have you been yeast for the Kingdom, in your family and community?
How does the reality that you are both wheat and weeds, and can never perfect yourself on your own help deepen your relationship with God?
Sr. Mary McGlone CSJ
Today's part of the parable discourse follows directly on last week's parable of the farmer's 25 percent success rate in sowing seed. It appears that Jesus had great sympathy for beleaguered planters whose poor crop yields mirrored the disappointing results of his own efforts to sow God's word.
We begin with a story in which a farmer had a wicked, wily enemy so committed to his nasty plan that he snuck into the field at night and sowed bad seed. One can imagine the aggravation of the servants when they saw what sprouted where they had worked. Woe to the weeds sullying their soil! But, the master didn't see the situation the same way they did. The owner, aware that yanking up the weeds would endanger the newly sprouting plants, tells them to keep calm and let nature take its course.
But there seems to be more to the story than simply the protection of sprouts. Somewhere along the line, there is a question of judgment. Why were the servants so sure that the "weeds" should be eliminated? Did they have an excess of enthusiasm that led the owner to see them as a greater danger to the growing wheat than the weeds would be?
The owner might have been thinking that some crops enhance one another like corn, beans and squash, the "three sisters" of pre-Columbian America. To nonexperts, the beans growing up the corn stalk can look like parasites and the squash leaves that guard the soil's moisture can be perceived as harmful sun blockers. This parable raises the question of what deserves to be called a weed. A way of stating the problem in contemporary language would be to ask when diversity is really lifethreatening and when it is just challenging to a particular vision of how things should be.
When Jesus went on to talk about the mustard seed, farmers would have been quick to get the joke. The mustard seed, proverbially small, did grow into a big bush, but not always one that was desired. The Mishna, a collection of Hebrew oral traditions, warned specifically against planting mustard because the bush was noxious and would take over everything around it. Jesus was not just talking about the prodigious growth of the kingdom of heaven, but also commenting that some people judged it to be more like a plague than a crop.
The image of the yeast has its own dose of humor. Jesus doesn't tell us exactly how much yeast the woman in question has on hand, but it had to be a substantial amount because she mixed it with 30 to 50 pounds of flour — enough to make bread for a small village. Perhaps that was precisely the point Jesus was making: Some yeast plus a lot of flour and the effort of one hard-working woman make enough to nourish an entire community. The kingdom of heaven can flourish from the most natural processes because creation was designed for it.
Finally, the disciples ask Jesus for an explanation of the parable of the weeds. Again, as in the parable of the sower, he gives them a point-by-point explanation, giving the parable an apocalyptic meaning. On the most basic level the apocalyptic interpretation promises that evil will not win in the end. But, the way good will win does not necessarily reflect human judgment. The disciples are not called to police the kingdom. The Son of Man will send the angels to do the sifting when harvest time comes. The disciples need only sow seeds and mix yeast; with just that effort the kingdom promises to sprout like weeds.
We are a Wheat-Weed reality
The wife of a man who takes seriously the spiritual life and struggles to become spiritually mature remarked, "My husband went on a prolonged retreat and when he came back, he was loving, considerate, and compassionate. That is, until his mother came to visit." The indication is he "lost" it. Whatever the combination of inner awareness and outer behavior is, the presence of this man's mother was enough to seriously disturb that connection. The high of his retreat gave way to the low of old tapes that dragged him along unresolved childhood conflicts.
Of course, he is not alone.
People leave church on Sunday buoyed by the liturgy. They feel centered, and they are confident they can face the tests of the world with steady justice and compassion. The parking lot traffic is their first undoing. Leaning on the horn, they sing a hymn not in the worship book. We all move from moments of realization and centeredness into scattered and fractured behavior. We think we are in charge, able to bring love into the situations of our life. Then we get our buttons pushed. In the Gospel of John, Peter says to Jesus, "I will lay down my life for you" (John 13:37). This is the love that Jesus says is the greatest: 'No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13). Peter can comprehend and feel that love and envision his fidelity to it.
However, Jesus does not have the same confidence in Peter that Peter has in himself: "Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times" (John 13:38). Peter's inflated sense of his fidelity will not weather the difficulties of the upcoming events. The man who realizes in his head that he will lay down his life for Jesus will not be able to pull it off.
But "the cock crowing" is more than the moment of betrayal. It symbolizes the advent of morning, the moment of illumination. Peter will be chastened, but he will also understand and return to the following of Jesus (see Luke 22:31-32). A part of what he will understand is that we can dream more than we can enact. We can have experiences of intense realizations when we love God and our neighbor, but we can lose those realizations and fail to let them influence our behavior.
In the symbols of the Gospel, wheat and weed grow together. In fact, they are so intertwined that they make an inseparable unit. Wheat grows on the earth when we successfully embody our deeper realizations of love. Weeds grow on the earth when we fail to embody those realizations. We are a wheat-weed reality.
Also, it takes time for a small seed to become a major tree and for leaven to raise the dough into bread. Time is the opportunity for repentance, the chance to change our minds and try again. We are repeat offenders, and so we become "repeat repenters." This is not a situation that is remedied in this life. We may be confident that eventually the field will be all wheat and the dough will be bread and the tree will be the home of all. But that does not relieve us of the here-and-now struggle.
The struggle is the goal
the path is what we know
all the rest is heaven.
When we fail, we feel humiliated, brought back to the truth that we have not progressed as far as we thought. But these humiliations are their own forms of progress. We learn that the movement from realization to integration, from the inner feeling of love to embodying love, is a never-ending process. We must not become discouraged. There is another way to see it. In a moment of truth we can acknowledge how we have been lost, and we can make amends. Out of our errors and frailty come some of our most profound lessons. In a heartfelt conversation, in a quiet moment when we take stock—even on our deathbed— freedom awaits. The "freedom that awaits" is to simply return to the spiritual project, carrying luminous inner spaces into the darkness of the next moment in which we live.


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Srinagar: Authorities today once again snapped internet services in border district of Kupwara as a "precautionary measure" in the wake of Sopore encounter that left two militants dead.
Sources said that the telecom authorities on the directions of authorities snapped all modes of mobile internet including 2G, 3G and 4G in Kupwara district today. Sources said that the suspension was ordered in the wake of killing of two Hizbul Mujahideen militants, one of whom was a resident of Handwara, in Sopore gunfight.


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Documenting Born Digital Creative and Scholarly Works for Access and Preservation
Digital Humanities Summer Institute June 11-15, 2018
Dene Grigar, PhD, Professor & Director, The Creative Media & Digital Culture Program, Washington State University Vancouver; President, Electronic Literature Organization; Director, Electronic Literature Lab
Nicholas Schiller, MLIS, Washington State University Vancouver; Office Coordinator, Electronic Literature Organization; Associate Director, Electronic Literature Lab
Vanessa Rhodes, B.A., The Creative Media & Digital Culture Program, Washington State University Vancouver; E-lit research assistant, Electronic Literature Lab
MacLaurin D115
#dhsi17-documenting
ELL, a Documentation Lab
March 20, 2017 - Info
The Electronic Literature Lab, located at Washington State University Vancouver, is built on the collection mode of preservation. It contains 60 vintage Macintosh and PC computers dating back from 1977, vintage software, peripherals, and a library of over 200 electronic literary works. It is used for the advanced inquiry into curating, preserving, and the production of born digital literary works. It is one of a handful of media archaeology labs in the U.S. Dene Grigar founded ELL in 2008 in response to the need for accessing early digital writing published on floppy disks, diskettes, and CDs, as well as making Flash-based works available to scholars. Current projects include preparing Turbulence.org for public access, inventorying and translating files from the rAce Online Writing Centre, and digitalizing the archives of the Electronic Literature Organization.
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NASA just launched the most powerful space telescope ever. Watch it here
By Nell Greenfieldboyce,
Scott Neuman, Amina Khan
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope launches on Dec. 25 at 7:20 a.m. from a European spaceport in French Guiana.
Updated December 25, 2021 at 1:53 PM ET
The most powerful space telescope ever built has officially left Earth. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope blasted off on Dec. 25 at 7:20 a.m. Eastern from a European spaceport in French Guiana, unleashing a rumble that could be felt in the control center.
"Go Webb!" range operations manager Jean-Luc Voyer called out after the spacecraft completed a crucial maneuver soon after liftoff. Cheers erupted in the control room. Mission members in face masks donned bright red Santa hats in celebration of the successful Christmas Day launch.
The roughly $10 billion observatory, which is bigger and more sophisticated than the iconic Hubble Space Telescope, has been in the works since the late 1980s. What it finds could revolutionize our understanding of the universe and our place in it. Watch the key moment below:
The relief among mission members as they cheered, clapped and hugged was almost palpable: Even though aerospace experts consider the Ariane 5 rocket to be highly reliable, there was always the fear of a launch mishap or an explosion that would obliterate its precious cargo in an instant.
"I think the first few minutes of the launch will be the most worrisome as there is nothing to be done if something goes wrong," Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science told NPR.
But so far, the spacecraft has had what officials called a "flawless" launch.
"A revolutionary technology"
The massive telescope is designed to capture infrared light, especially from galaxies so far away that their light has been traveling through space for almost the entire history of the universe.
"We are expecting to see the light from the first galaxies that formed some 100 [million], 200 million years after the Big Bang," NASA administrator Bill Nelson said in a pre-launch briefing. "It will deliver world-class science. It's a revolutionary technology that will study every phase of 13-and-a-half billion years of cosmic history."
Humanity's last view of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope as it begins its journey. The spacecraft was successfully launched Dec. 25 at 7:20 a.m. Eastern.
What's more, he said, the James Webb Space Telescope will be able to study the atmospheres of planets beyond our solar system, to try to determine if they might be habitable — or maybe even inhabited.
"It's going to give us a better understanding of our universe and our place in it," Nelson said.
Speaking after the launch, Nelson alluded to the long delays that had plagued the $10 billion project and helped drive up its ultimate price tag.
/ ESA-M.Pedoussaut
ESA-M.Pedoussaut
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is secured on top of the Ariane 5 rocket that would go on to successfully launch it to space from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.
He also cautioned that "there are still innumerable things that have to work" to make the telescope a success — 344 of them, to be exact.
"We know that in great reward, there is great risk," he said. "And that's what this business is all about. And that's why we dare to explore. The James Webb Space Telescope is very much a part of that exploration."
The telescope is named after a former NASA administrator who led the agency in the 1960s, and it stands about three stories tall, with a mirror that's 21 feet across. The instrument is so big that it had to be folded up to fit into its rocket, and will need to unfold out in space.
The development of its complex technology was marked by repeated delays and major cost overruns, and in 2011, some lawmakers in Congress even tried to kill it.
"As with most extraordinary projects that are transformative, there have been some speed bumps, there have been some setbacks along the way," Nelson noted. "We've always known that this project would be a risky endeavor. But, of course, when you want a big reward you have to usually take a big risk."
After launch, 2 weeks of terror
After safely reaching space, the telescope still needs to go through a nerve-wracking, 29-day campaign to get set up and positioned at its observation point, about a million miles away from Earth.
Minutes after separating from the Ariane 5 rocket, the spacecraft deployed its solar panel for power. Later today, it will use its small rocket engines to make a course correction maneuver. A day after launch, it will release its high-gain antenna.
In the first two weeks after launch, controllers at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore will methodically send orders to the telescope, taking it through a series of steps that will unfurl its sunshield, which is the size of a tennis court, and unfold the "wings" of the large mirror.
The unfurling of the thin, flexible sunshield, which has five layers, is what engineers have focused on in terms of thinking about potential problems that might crop up while deploying the telescope's key components.
"The sunshield is the one that has some risk to it, and we've certainly tried to concentrate on that," Mike Menzel, NASA's lead mission systems engineer, said in a briefing for reporters.
Assuming all goes well, the telescope will start to cool down to a frosty minus 370 degrees Fahrenheit. Getting that cold is absolutely crucial: It keeps the telescope's own heat from interfering with the infrared light that it's trying to capture from distant objects.
Controllers will also need to precisely align the mirror's 18 hexagonal segments, using tiny motors that can move each separate segment, and the telescope will undergo calibration testing and various checkouts. The first images from the telescope should be released about six months after launch.
Some astronomers have already been granted time to use the telescope and funding after submitting research proposals. One of them is Jackie Faherty, an astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
Before the launch, Faherty said she felt anxious and hopeful that everything would go well because of her own personal investment in the telescope — but she also wanted it to succeed because of its significance for science and humanity more broadly.
"My career is kind of anchored in this," Faherty said. "But then, I'm just a human, and I'm like 'Wow, what are we about to do?' We're launching this amazing engineering feat into the cosmos."
Scott Neuman
Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.
See stories by Scott Neuman
Amina Khan


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AP Business Highlights: Facebook cuts jobs; Potential railroad strike delayed
By Editor | November 15, 2022 | 0
Facebook parent Meta is laying off 13 percent of its employees as it contends with faltering revenue and broader tech industry woes. The move that comes just a week after widespread layoffs at Twitter under its new owner, billionaire Elon Musk. Meta, like other social media companies, enjoyed a financial boost during the pandemic lockdown era because more people stayed home and scrolled on their phones and computers. But as the lockdowns ended and people started going outside again, revenue growth began to falter. An economic slowdown and a grim outlook for online advertising have contributed to Meta's woes.
US plan to tap businesses for green finance meets resistance
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — U.S. climate envoy John Kerry unveiled a plan at the COP27 climate summit to make it easier for private corporations to send cash to the developing world in exchange for looking green at home. Kerry's plan comes after failure to get Congress or the American public to spend billions of dollars more a year in climate financial aid. The plan to finance developing nations' transition to clean energy involves selling "high quality" carbon credits to companies trying to make their carbon emissions "net zero." However, the idea faced stiff resistance from environmental groups and climate experts, who said it would give polluters a license to keep polluting.
Cryptocurrencies slump again amid fallout from FTX sale
NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin slumped to a two-year low and other digital assets sold off Wednesday following the sudden collapse of crypto exchange FTX Trading. A day earlier, FTX agreed to sell itself to Binance after experiencing the cryptocurrency equivalent of a bank run. Customers fled the exchange after becoming concerned about whether FTX had sufficient capital. Bitcoin traded around $17,645, and overnight fell to its lowest level since December 2020. Just a year ago, bitcoin hit an all-time high of $68,990. Ethereum, the second most actively traded digital currency, fell 10 percent. Crypto exchange Coinbase and the online trading platform Robinhood also fell in early trading.
Musk seeks to reassure advertisers on Twitter after chaos
Elon Musk is seeking to reassure big companies that advertise on Twitter that his chaotic takeover of the social media platform won't harm their brands. He acknowledged that some "dumb things" might happen on his way to creating a better, safer user experience. The latest erratic move on the minds of major advertisers was Musk's decision to abolish a new "official" label on high-profile Twitter accounts just hours after introducing it. Twitter began adding the gray labels to some prominent accounts, including brands like Coca-Cola, Nike and Apple. A few hours later, the labels started disappearing.
Elon Musk sells $3.95 billion worth of Tesla stock
Twitter's new owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has sold nearly $4 billion worth of Tesla shares, according to regulatory filings. Musk, who bought Twitter for $44 billion, sold 19.5 million shares of the electric car company from Nov. 4 to Nov. 8, according to Tuesday's filings. He sold $7 billion of his Tesla stock in August as he worked to finance the Twitter purchase he was trying to get out of at the time.
Adidas' breakup with Ye drives lower earnings outlook
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Adidas has lowered its earnings forecast for the full year to account for losses from ending its partnership with the rapper formerly known as Kanye West over his antisemitic remarks. The German shoe and sportswear maker had previously said ending the partnership with Ye's Yeezy brand would cost it 250 million euros. As a result, on Wednesday it lowered its sales outlook for the year, halving net profit from continuing operations to 250 million euros instead of 500 million euros. The company had already cut its full-year earnings forecasts five days before it announced it was splitting with Ye. The company's chief financial officer says the profitability of the Yeezy shoe collaboration with Ye had been "overstated."
Defying inflation worries, US casinos have best quarter
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Gamblers are shrugging off inflation concerns and losing money at casinos at a record pace. Figures released Wednesday show the U.S. commercial casino industry had its best quarter ever, winning over $15 billion from gamblers in the third quarter of this year. The American Gaming Association says the gambling halls are on track to have their best year ever in 2022. Out of 33 states in which gambling was operational a year ago, 16 reported quarterly highs in overall gambling revenue, including five of the six largest markets: Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, New York and Pennsylvania.
More big donors supporting – and discussing – mental health
Wealthy donors publicly gave more to mental health last year than in any other year over the past decade: According to a Chronicle of Philanthropy tally of publicized donations of $1 million or more, 15 donors gave 16 such gifts totaling nearly $767 million in 2021. Raising money for mental-health programs has become more important as more Americans are experiencing increased anxiety, depression, and other mental-health disorders. Nearly 20 percent of U.S. adults, 50 million people, experienced some form of mental illness in 2019, according to a recent report by Mental Health America, and suicidal ideation, thinking seriously about ending one's own life, is on the rise.
Canada FM warns businesses against deepening China ties
TORONTO (AP) — Canada's foreign minister says China is an increasingly disruptive, global power and is warning businesses against deepening their ties, saying it carries "geopolitical risks." Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly made the remarks at the University of Toronto ahead of her government introducing an Indo-Pacific strategy next month. The remarks represent a pivot for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals, who have generally tried to avoid inflaming tensions with Beijing. China previously embraced Trudeau in part because of his father, former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, who in 1970 became one of the first Western leaders to establish diplomatic relations with Communist China.
Potential railroad strike delayed until early December
OMAHA, Nebraska (AP) — The possibility of an economically devastating railroad strike has been pushed back into early December to allow time for engineers and conductors to vote on their agreements with the freight railroads and give more opportunity for the industry to renegotiate with two unions that rejected their deals last month. Previously, a Nov. 19 strike deadline hung over the talks, but the union that represents track maintenance workers agreed Wednesday to delay any action until next month. But all 12 rail unions must approve their deals to avoid a strike and so far only seven have ratified the agreements that provide 24 percent raises and $5,000 in bonuses. Rail workers remain concerned about the lack of paid sick time and the demanding schedules in the industry.


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Osoby o nazwisku Klinghoffer
 Jicchak(-Hans) Klinghoffer (1905–1990) – austriacki-izraelski prawnik i polityk
 Leon Klinghoffer (1916–1985) – amerykański przedsiębiorca, ofiara terroryzmu
 Josh Klinghoffer (ur. 1979) – amerykański multiinstrumentalista
 David Klinghoffer – amerykański ortodoksyjny żydowski pisarz i eseista

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


(HealthDay News) — For pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus or type 2 diabetes, use of a cellphone-Internet technology (CIT) system, which collects and sends glucose readings directly to a cellphone, is associated with improved compliance in self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), according to a report published in the October issue of Clinical Diabetes.
Marguerite Lisa Bartholomew, M.D., from the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine in Honolulu, and colleagues compared a conventional voicemail system (control) with a CIT system for management of hyperglycemia during pregnancy. Seventy-four women were randomized to either CIT or control for the first three weeks (40 and 34 women, respectively); participants then switched to the other method.
The researchers found that compliance with SMBG reporting was higher for total, fasting, and two-hour postprandial glucose values with use of the CIT method. The highest compliance rate was seen for women who used the CIT first (91.7 percent), which was significantly higher than CIT compliance among women who used the voicemail method first (P = 0.048). More women preferred the CIT method versus the voicemail method (68.9 versus 24.3 percent; P < 0.001).
"The use of CIT for self-management of hyperglycemia during pregnancy increased glucose reporting compliance by a small but statistically significant amount compared to the use of the traditional control method (voicemail)," the authors write.


We're digging out and recovering from a snow-filled weekend winter wonderland (ha!). Yes, games were played, food was consumed, and life put temporarily on hold so as not to find ourselves in a ditch.
But we're back and there are a couple of new games, old games and games of all shapes and sizes.
Life is Strange 2: Episode 2 – Rules is out this week and may be tying The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit into the larger Life Is Strange universe.
An old classic, Resident Evil 2, is reborn this week for PS4 and Xbox One.
And finally, for those of you with the Playstation VR accessory, Kingdom Hearts VR is available this week too. I have not personally played any games in the Kingdom Hearts world, but the people who love them, love them, and the people who don't seem to hate them.
It's time for me to get back to the business at hand. I hope everyone has a great week, we'll see you again soon.