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PRESOCRATIC ROOTS : THE ELEATES
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The path entanglements are so numerous and so fast that it is impossible to follow them and the noted path is always infinitely simpler and shorter than the real one. Likewise, the apparent average speed of a grain during a given time (quotient of displacement by time) varies wildly in size and direction without any limit when the time of observation decreases [...] Of course, one cannot fix a tangent at any point of the trajectory either, even in the crudest way. This is one of the cases in which we cannot help thinking of those continuous functions that do not admit any derivative, which we would wrongly regard as mere mathematical curiosities, since nature can suggest them as well as derivative functions
Jean PERRIN
Presocratics
Pythagoreans
Eleatic School
Atomists
Petros Kokkalis
The Unity of Man
Order and Necessity
Nature and Artifice
The Tree and the Ring
The Eleatic school
translated by Alison Quayle
So far (1) – admittedly not without bias, and with some modern and personal interpretations – I have discussed three different approaches to the production, recall or discovery of Knowledge. The Milesians invented coherent explanatory models that resembled astronomical and meteorological phenomena. The Pythagoreans regarded the immanent wisdom of Number as more important (2), seeing it as the creator of the Law (Λόγος ) that governed the world. The "inspired" authors spoke prophetically of a knowledge inherited either from Truth itself, or from the manifestations of Truth, or even from the memory of their own past. They all had to deal with the problem of the relationship between the real world and what we perceive of it. Empedocles probably went furthest into the question of how we can approach the Truth through our sensory organs alone, but he did not draw any general conclusions about the intrinsic nature of things. It is the school of Parmenides, himself heir to Pythagoras and to a certain extent to Xenophanes, that deserves the credit for looking deeper into this duality: what can we say about the real world, and the way it appears, if we maintain that wherever we choose to look at them from, the Laws of the Universe must remain unchanged?
Discussion of the arithmetical properties of the world began in Western Greece, with the development of the esoteric school of Pythagoras and his successors. This research, rooted in the ancient knowledge of Babylon and Egypt, saw its success spread as its applications aroused interest. They included establishing the structure of musical harmony; a reasoned approach that led to the creation of metal alloys and of metallurgy; the rules of proportion in painting, sculpture and architecture; and the demonstration of biological cycles, which were associated with meteorological and astronomical cycles. Found throughout this part of the Greek world before the teachings of Empedocles, this philosophy was based on the theory that privileged prophets should speak of the truth they had learnt to a small elite. This was in complete contrast with the methods of the Ionian physicists, who had produced hypotheses and models. What was original about Parmenides and his successors was the way they revealed what their initiation into the mysteries of the Truth had shown them, by highlighting the paradoxes inherent in the approaches of their predecessors and contemporaries, especially the Pythagoreans.
Parmenides was born around 515 BCE in the town of Elea (founded in about 540 by Ionians who had fled from the conquering Persians). He composed a verse text, On Nature, to explain his thought to the public (3). It is both a cosmology and an epistemology (4), each dependent on the other, and it describes the paths of knowledge as well as its aim. There were two paths, the Way of Truth (ὀδός ἀληθειης ) and the Way of Opinion (ὀδός δοξών ), also known as the Way of Belief. Truth represented the intrinsic state of nature, an objective state, completely independent of the observer; and Opinion represented our perception of nature, or the way we rationalised it (5).
First of all, Parmenides set out to demonstrate, by logical reasoning, the contradictions our senses necessarily led us into. By definition, truth is not contradictory, and if a paradox appeared at some point, it was not that the truth was different, but that our senses were misleading us. Every being – and as we will see, Parmenides believed there was a single, immobile Being (τὸ ἐόν , also translated as what is) – resulted from the fusion of a material structure and a motive force (ψυχή ) that gave it life (ζωή ), spirit (νοῦς ), and thought (φρόνησις ).
For Parmenides, truth could be reduced to the following reasoning, which had innumerable consequences:
(i) What is, is; what is not, is not.
(ii) What is is eternal, uncreated (ἀγένητον ) and imperishable (ἀνώλεθρον ).
(iii) What is is complete (οὐλομελες : whole, without separate parts), immobile (ἀτρεμές ) and without end (ἀτέλεστον ).
(iv) What is is eternally present: it has no past and no future.
(v) What is is One and continuous.
These properties of Being or what is derived from the following simple logical chain:
1. What is cannot not be.
2. Beginning or ending presupposes non-existence before or after, and this is impossible by virtue of 1.
3. Movement is also impossible, as it would require what is to appear where it was not before, and to disappear from where it was.
4. The same reasoning that applied to space also applied to time, therefore what is had neither past nor future.
5. What is is indivisible and homogeneous (ὅμοιον ) otherwise it would lack one thing at one point and another thing somewhere else. If it lacked something, it would lack everything, also by virtue of 1 (in fact there would be local Non-Being, which is impossible).
6. Consequently what is is continuous and One, and the void does not exist.
Parmenides did not go beyond these simple consequences, and in particular he visualised Being or what is as having limits (since it possessed all attributes, including limit), and he identified it with the sphere - not simply Anaximander's sphere, which must naturally be in something, but a sphere in its pure form, similar to the immutable sphere of space-time (making due allowance for the conceptual anachronism).
It is the same, and it rests in the self-same place,
abiding in itself.
And thus it remains constant in its place;
for hard necessity (ἀνάγκη ) keeps it in the bonds
of the limit (πείρας )
that holds it fast on every side.
Furthermore, since there was an ultimate limit, Being was finite:
It is complete on every side, like the mass of a rounded sphere,
equally poised from the centre in every direction;
This placed it in explicit contrast with Anaximander's primary element, which was infinite, and generated intrinsic change, whereas Parmenides' Being resulted in eternal permanence. This, then, was the Way of the Truth, and yet everyday observation proved that it was possible to see things differently:
For this reason all these things are but names
which mortals have given,
believing them to be true (6)
coming into being and passing away, being and not being,
change of place and alteration of bright colour.
This was the Way of Opinion, which could only lead to error, but was inescapable :
While Being is, it teaches Non-Being,
To eternity she opposes perpetuity, birth and death,
To permanence, change,
To immobility, movement, to the global, the local,
To the present the past and the future,
To unity, variety,
To the homogeneous the heterogeneous and to the continuous the discontinuous.
Our senses were deceived, and taught us to imagine the universe as fundamentally discontinuous, and the world as made up of distinct objects or elements with particular qualities. This resulted in a description of the world made up partly of truth and partly of opinion, quite similar to that of the Milesians (especially Anaximander); an understanding of biology impregnated with Pythagorism ("On the right, boys; on the left, girls"); and an emphasis on a principle of attraction (here, ῎Ερως ) that harked back to Empedocles.
Thus the major discovery of the leader of the Eleatic School is the following: discontinuity is an intrinsic characteristic of our possibilities of perception, observation and measurement, it therefore underlies all our representations of the world and it is therefore impossible for us to free ourselves from it. As soon as we start to question discontinuity by reasoning (along the lines that claiming the existence of non-Being is a contradictory proposition) we come to a dead end. So since reality cannot be contradictory, why should it not be seen as continuous rather than discontinuous? The apparent paradoxes thrown up by this essential continuity would then be no more than a sign of our biased position as observers, necessarily constrained to see the world only in flashes, separate, disjointed fragments, giving us the illusion of discontinuity. And it is the human act of naming things that produces our scientific knowledge, together with the inevitable error due to the opinion that necessarily goes with that act.
This leaves Parmenides rigorously opposed to the intrinsic discontinuity of the theory of Number dear to the Pythagorean school, and also to the Heraclitean law of eternal change. His main position was that something permanent existed, something that did not change, and served as a reference for our reasoning about the world. Zeno, his successor, went on to demonstrate more clearly what did not stand up to scrutiny in the idea that the world was essentially discontinuous.
Like Parmenides, Zeno came from Elea, and he was his master's zealous disciple. Almost nothing is known of his life (except that he probably died violently, for political reasons), and much of his work is also unknown. He seems to have devoted himself to a detailed critique of the concepts of the discontinuous used by disciples of the Croton school. Like all the Eleatics, he was a heterodox Pythagorean, and he was criticized by those who accused him of breaking the rule of secrecy. In his defence, Zeno claimed that his manuscript had been stolen and published before he could decide whether the contents should be divulged. Zeno did not write a cosmogony, and his essential contribution was the method he invented - the reductio ad absurdum. Very little of it remains: only three intact fragments, striking illustrations of his reasoning technique, and six themes, developed and unfortunately considerably altered by Aristotle, who was more interested in making Zeno look ridiculous than in understanding his point of view.
Most people will recognise Zeno's problems on the nature of movement, but few are aware of how the issue arose. Pythagoreans of the Croton school claimed that everything is composed of distinct, measurable entities, and that the world can be therefore be reduced to the Finite. Those who pursued this thought furthest imagined that these entities could be relationships between whole numbers (7), arranged in a way that reflected a real discontinuous structure of both space and time. It was not until after Zeno's demonstrations, and after Anaxagoras had highlighted the principle of infinite divisibility, that Archytas used the movement of lines to create geometric forms, which were implicitly continuous. Zeno's argument involved two stages, setting out first a hypothesis in accordance with Pythagorean principles, then a chain of logical reasoning that used absurdity to show that the hypothesis did not hold. There were two different currents of Pythagorean thought. Some visualised both time and space as measured in units of the kind used in arithmetic, while others imagined the units as infinitely small, but not able to be added up ad infinitum. So Zeno put forward separate arguments to refute each of the two approaches. This is why his arguments feature two kinds of space (infinitely divisible and not infinitely divisible) and two kinds of time (infinitely divisible and not infinitely divisible). Combining them two by two, he had to visualize four ways of seeing the world, all of which were incompatible with the idea of motion, despite the fact that motion is routinely observed. Aristotle reconstructed three of them, in broad outline:
a. The "dichotomy" (or "racetrack") paradox (space infinitely divisible, time not infinitely divisible). If a moving object is to reach its goal, it must first reach the halfway point. In the same way, it must first reach the halfway point of the remaining half, and so on. Because space can be infinitely divided into rational entities, this situation is infinitely repeated. Given the discontinuous structure of space and time, each stage must take a minimum time, corresponding to the smallest hypothetically existing finite unit of time. So the moving object will take an infinite time (the sum of an infinite number of the smallest possible finite elements) to reach its goal. This contradicts observable reality, so if motion exists, time and space cannot have the discontinuous structure initially postulated.
b. Achilles and the tortoise (space infinitely divisible, and time infinitely divisible). Achilles and the tortoise have to cover the same ground, and the tortoise starts first. When Achilles starts, he must cover at least the ground already covered by the tortoise to catch him; but by the time he reaches this point, the tortoise will already have got a little way further, so the same problem arises again, and so on ad infinitum. If we accept that time and space are fundamentally discontinuous, we must accept that the sum of an infinite number of units of time is not finite, even if they are infinitely small, so Achilles cannot catch up with the tortoise (8). Once again, this contradicts what we observe, so the postulate of discontinuity must be rejected, along with the corresponding hypotheses about the fine structure of space and time.
c. The arrow paradox (space not infinitely divisible, and time infinitely divisible). If space is made up of distinct, measurable units, a moving arrow must be able to jump from one interval to the next (9). The arrow occupies a space equal to itself, and since it cannot be in two places at once (as space is supposed to be made up of discrete entities) it must be at rest, so at every moment in time during its movement, the arrow is immobile. Since time is infinitely divisible, this means that at two separate moments, one after the other, the arrow must be at the same place, which contradicts the hypothesis of motion. These conjectures about the structure of time and space must therefore be rejected.
d. The moving body paradox (space not infinitely divisible, time not infinitely divisible). Here Zeno visualised a group of equal masses moving in opposite directions from the two ends of a stadium, past regularly spaced markers which corresponded to distinct units of space. A paradox immediately appears: because the units of time are also finite, the apparent speed of the moving bodies in relation to each other is the same as the speed of the same bodies in relation to the fixed markers, which clearly contradicts observed reality. So this particular way of structuring time and space seems no more reasonable than the others.
Two further arguments have come down to us. One plays on the chain of reasoning:
If every being must be in a place, then since this place is itself a being, it must be in a place, and so on. This proves that every being is identical to its place. This must be one of the earliest uses of the geometric character of logic, and I will come back to it.
The final argument, regarded by some as puerile, is a classic example of how important it is to define concepts precisely before constructing an argument. If a certain quantity of grain makes a sound when it falls, there must be a relationship between the mass and the sound. Consequently a single grain or a tiny piece of a grain should make a sound when it falls. If on the other hand it is accepted that there is no relationship between the sound and the mass, there must be a minimal quantity that falls without making any sound. Adding a tiny quantity to this should be enough to make a sound appear, which seems absurd for reasons of symmetry (10).
A clear conclusion can be drawn from Zeno's four paradoxes. It is impossible to account for motion using any hypothesis that involves a discontinuity of space and time. So since these hypotheses do not fit reality, space and time must be seen as continuous. The complete fragments that have come down to us apply this reductio ad absurdum method to the structure of space and the "units" that make it up, and once again Zeno comes to the conclusion that the notion of discontinuity is inherently incorrect.
However, although the absurdity of discontinuity justified Parmenides' view of the world, this was not without paradoxes of its own, which have been described thanks to Melissus of Samos, a third member of the Eleatic school.
From the shores of Asia Minor, Greek thought had developed and spread to the west in Sicily and to the south in Italy. It seems apt that the school was to return to Samos, close to those shores, and already famous as the birthplace of Pythagoras. The last master of the Eleatic school, and probably its most profound thinker, was an admiral from Samos, who inflicted a crushing defeat on Pericles' fleet in 441-440 BCE. Such an insult to the power of Athens, then at its height, could not go unpunished, and the following year Samos was captured and Melissus disappeared (he may have been killed). More seriously, his memory was systematically eradicated and soon nothing was left of his writings - On Nature and On Being - while the doxographers spent their time ridiculing him, even more than Parmenides. Aristotle stands out among the chorus of critics because of his violent animosity towards this original thinker, so far removed from Aristotelian dualism (the Eleatic Being - animate, of course - was One, and above all Pythagorean), who haunted the discourse of the Lyceum, and attributed to the Finite the characteristics of perfection.
Melissus did adopt Parmenides' arguments on the rational necessity of thinking that there exists something (Being) that does not change. However, to eliminate a surprising weakness in Parmenides' theory - the spatial finiteness of Being - he added an appropriate argument. It was similar to that later put forward by Archytas (see the Pythagoreans), which led to the conclusion that Being was unlimited, but Melissus went much further. His reasoning demonstrated that the two infinities, that of time and that of space, must necessarily be connected within the definition of that-which-does-not-change, thus introducing a homogeneity into the properties of the two fundamental notions of time and space. His approach was to be sidelined for more than two thousand years after Aristotle's definitive statement that finiteness is one of the essential attributes of the harmony of space. And yet Plato, no less famous and influential than Aristotle, adopted Melissus' way of thinking about Being, and acknowledged that the idea had originated with the Eleatic School. But the dualism of his thought, incompatible with the strict monism of the Eleatics, meant the school was doomed to be forgotten. Melissus attributed the spherical nature of Being, its perfection, homogeneity and immobility to space-time. He took up the arguments of Parmenides, and this time took their logic to its conclusion: nothing was born from nothing, implying that time itself was not finite, but everything that was born had a beginning and an end. So it could be conjectured that what was not born had no limits (11). What was infinite in time was therefore also infinite in space, so Being became an absolute invariant, attained through reasoning, and essential to reasoning, since it was the only point of reference that enabled cause to be distinguished from effect, action from reaction. Clearly, observing things does not provide evidence of the immutability of Being, and no object or phenomenon taken by itself could be eternal - everything would have an end. For nothing that was not totality itself could be eternal. So the invariant principle was the All that remained unchanged in quality and quantity:
And it is impossible for its order to change,
for the order existing before does not perish,
nor does another which did not exist come into being;
and since nothing is added to it
or subtracted from it or made different,
how could any of the things that are change their order?
for if it becomes different,
it is necessary that being should not be homogeneous,
but that which was before must perish,
and that which was not must come into existence.
The overall principle of invariance therefore applied to the whole ensemble of things, which could then be seen as continuous and homogeneous (or "all alike", for reasons of symmetry). Because of our position as observers - and here again Melissus was cleverly ahead of his time - our senses could only give us an image of this ensemble, which was not the real world itself. But our reason tends to subject each individual thing to the same reasoning that led to Being, giving each thing an identity, the organised sum of its qualities. This ought to give objects permanence, and yet we can see that they are constantly changing, so how can we be certain that the objects we see today are the same ones we were looking at yesterday? For if a multiplicity of things existed it would be necessary that these things should be just such as I say the one is.
In this conflict between reason and observation, Melissus chose the way of reason, which states that the senses err. A principle of conservation exists, beyond everyday observation, and beyond changing objects. We must always try to follow the way of truth and to discover the underlying principle of invariance. In fact, Melissus had taken up the arguments of Parmenides and Zeno to try to show that Being was immobile, without realising that the question of movement became meaningless when it was developed in time and space. At this stage it might look as if the Eleatic school would open up new avenues of knowledge. But history decided otherwise. Samos was defeated by Athens, and the name of Melissus, once conqueror of the city of Pallas, was brought down. Plato praised the greatness of Eleatic thought, but Anaxagoras had already shown the way forward, along the path of dualism, which Plato followed, and the Academy after him. Aristotle's attacks a few years later were more serious. Obsessed with the way his own thought had developed, he was unable to understand the answer to the paradox of permanence and change. And so the space-time imagined by the admiral from Samos sank into oblivion.
1: Besides the sources already quoted, here my commentary draws on the remarkable study by J. Zafiropoulo, L'Ecole Eléate ed. Les Belles Lettres 1950. (back to text)
2: In fact, of small numbers. As with all kinds of numerical symbolism, it rarely goes further than the number of days in the lunar or solar cycles, and the geometric properties of polyhedrons only hold for small numbers. (back to text)
3: There is a certain incompatibility between the use of verse and Parmenides' desire to educate the public. It is difficult to reconcile the constraints of poetry, particularly rhythmic constraints, with the precision required by the subjects of his proofs. It is probably a hangover from the esoteric Pythagorean tradition, in which nothing was to be divulged, much less written down. The disciples of Pythagoras had to learn everything by heart, and it is well known that verse makes this easier, especially when the texts are very long. The prologue of Parmenides' poem clearly recalls the author's initiation by the Goddess (Truth). (back to text)
4: Epistemology will be discussed later. (back to text)
5: These two Ways represented two modes of reaching knowledge: a subjective mode in which the truth was perceived directly, thanks to the animate element in us all (ψυχή ), which communicated directly with the soul of the world; and an objective mode, which saw just the shape of things and disregarded what drove them, and which produced opinions about the world. (back to text)
6: Nominalism is still a relevant issue today, as in Jorge Luis Borges' poem El Golem:
"Si (como el griego afirma en el Cratilo)
El nombre es arquetipo de la cosa,
En las letras de rosa esta la rosa
Y todo el Nilo en la palabra Nilo. (...)
Yes, (like the Greek says in the Cratilo)
the name is an archetype of the thing,
in the letters of rose is the rose
and all the Nile in the word Nile.
(Translation Xomalin G. Peralta, 1998)
Are Borges and his poem at the enigmatic heart of the famous book by Umberto Eco? Pristina rosa stat nomine nomina nuda tenemus? Knowing that the central character of The Name of the Rose, Jorge de Burgos, is Borges, there is no doubt, to me, that the real origin of the last sentence of the book is the poem I quote: it is often the case that one does not remember a source of one's own writing ! Bien sûr qu'un texte échappe à son auteur ' of course a text escapes it's author's grasp.
In his postscript to The Name of the Rose Eco says:
"Since the publication of The Name of the Rose I have received a number of letters from readers who want to know the meaning of the final Latin hexameter, and why this hexameter inspired the book's title. I answer that the verse is from De contemptu mundi by Bernard of Morlay, a twelfth-century Benedictine, whose poem is a variation on the "ubi sunt" theme (most familiar in Villon's later "Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan"). But to the usual topos (the great of yesteryear, the once-famous cities, the lovely princesses: everything disappears into the void), Bernard adds that all these departed things leave (only, or at least) pure names behind them. I remember that Abelard used the example of the sentence "Nulla rosa est" to demonstrate how language can speak of both the nonexistent and the destroyed. And having said this, I leave the reader to arrive at his own conclusions."
Elsewhere he has said:
"An author who has entitled his book The Name of the Rose must be ready to face manifold interpretations of his title. As an empirical author (Reflections, p.3 ) I wrote that I chose that title just to set the reader free: "the rose is a figure so rich in meanings that by now it has any meaning left: Dante's mystic rose, and go lovely rose, the Wars of the Roses, rose thou art sick, too many rings around Rosie, a rose by any other name, a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose, the Rosicrucians..." Moreover someone has discovered that some early manuscripts of De Contemptu Mundi of Bernard de Morlay, from which I borrowed the hexameter "stat rosa pristina nomine, nomina nuda tenemus", read "stat Roma pristina nomine" — which after all is more coherent with the rest of the poem, which speaks of the lost Babylon. Thus the title of my novel, had I come across another version of Morlay's poem, could have been The Name of Rome (thus acquiring fascist overtones).
But the text reads The Name of the Rose and I understand now how difficult it was to stop the infinite series of connotations that word elicits. Probably I wanted to open the possible readings so much as to make each of them irrelevant, and a result I have produced an inexorable series of interpretations. But the text is there, and the empirical author has to remain silent." (back to text)
7 : Rational numbers, therefore. (back to text)
8: Mathematical definitions of the infinite did not yet exist, and it was not possible to conceive that Σ 1/2n was a finite number. In any case, allocating a minimal value to each interval of time does produce an infinite sum.(back to text)
9: This paradox now has a perfectly serious formal analogue: for instance we accept unquestioningly the idea of an electron being "promoted", jumping from one "orbital" to a higher orbital, after absorbing a photon. (back to text)
10: This argument contains the germ of a whole realm of thought on the continuous, and rediscovered two thousand years later it was to lead to a certain definition of the continuous in mathematics. It also contains an algebraic reasoning on the extrema, which is still very effective today. Finally, problems connected with symmetry are still up to date. They can be found in all the laws that govern the Universe; it is usually considered that when space or time are transformed, symmetry is maintained, and that every action involves a reaction. It sometimes happens that to preserve other characteristics of the model, it is necessary to postulate a spontaneous violation of symmetry. In this case it would be better to bear Zeno's argument in mind (but this is rarely done!), and ask whether the entire theory should be reconsidered, rather than introducing a postulate of this kind. However the Eleatic reasoning involves a kind of equilibrium of forces present which imposes symmetry. It goes without saying that in contrast, in other circumstances symmetry is very difficult to maintain, and breaks down spontaneously. If we should fall from a peak, we can only fall to one side or the other, not both at once. (back to text)
11: This reasoning is not a syllogism, and is thus open to Aristotle's sarcasm. However, as J. Zafiropoulo points out, it should be remembered that the rules of syllogism - which Aristotle established - had not yet been put forward in Melissus' day. (back to text)
Note on the translations from Greek:
The translations from Parmenides are by John Burnet. The translations from Melissus are by Arthur Fairbanks: http://history.hanover.edu/texts/presoc/Melissos.html
Fifth chapter: The atomists
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text:
Music has long been called the universal language of humankind.
Music from different parts of world display common universal pattern: Study
Washington D.C. [USA], Jan 4 (ANI): The music of different genres including rock, pop, metal, etc., shares a common universal pattern, says a recent study.
The findings are derived through more than a century of research on the songs of almost 300 societies. The anthropological and ethnomusicological study is the first comprehensive scientific analysis of the similarities and differences of music across societies around the world.
The results of the study were published in the journal of 'Science.'
Music has long been called the universal language of humankind. However, whether any meaningful universals in music do exist is unclear and many music scholars have been highly skeptical of the notion.
Here, Samuel Mehr and colleagues address this challenge by merging modern data science with musical recordings and ethnographic records from world cultures to map out the universals and variations in human song (vocal music).
Mehr and colleagues built a discography of audio recordings of dance, healing, love and lullaby songs from 315 cultures accompanied with detailed descriptions of song contexts. They compared each recording based on formality, arousal level, and religiosity. The results underscore the universality of music.
They show that music, which appears in every measured society, is associated with predictable kinds of social functions and contexts, like dance and love; the social functions of a song can be predicted from its musical features across the world's societies, the authors say.
Their results also show there is more variation in musical context within cultures than between them.
"... fusing data science anthropology and psychology, offers an exciting new way to tackle age-old problems in musicology, and promises deep insights into cognitive universals underlying the diverse music our species creates and enjoys," wrote W Tecumseh Fitch and Tudor Popescu in a related perspective. (ANI)
Study on music

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Set out on hilly terrain, the eighteen fairways at Rancamaya Golf & Country Club are routed around a number of interconnected lakes with golfers forced to play blind shots on several of the holes. Ted Robinson designed the course in the mid-1990s and it's laid out in two loops of nine holes, each returning to the clubhouse.
The round at Rancamaya starts in spectacular style at "Volcano," the 390-yard 1st hole, where the opening tee shot – played towards the distant peaks of Mount Salak – plummets hundreds of feet down to a fairway that skirts past a lake on the right on its way to the green.
On the back nine, two of the best holes on the card are found at the 323-yard 12th ("Devil's Advocate") and 288-yard 16th (Snakes and Ladders"), both of which are excellent short par fours that dogleg left from tee to green.


text:
function setupJavaHomeInProfile() {
  PROFILES=(/etc/bashrc $HOME/.bashrc /etc/skel/.bashrc)
  test -n "$SUDO_USER" &&
    PROFILES=(${PROFILES[*]} `getent passwd $SUDO_USER| cut -f6 -d:`/.bashrc)
  for PROFILE in ${PROFILES[*]}; do
    cat >> $PROFILE <<-'END_OF_JCLOUDS_FILE'
	export JAVA_HOME=/usr/local/jdk
	export PATH=$JAVA_HOME/bin:$PATH
END_OF_JCLOUDS_FILE
  done
}

# resets JAVA_HOME to what an openjdk installer created
function findOpenJDK() {
  local oldJavaHome=$JAVA_HOME
  unset JAVA_HOME
  for CANDIDATE in $oldJavaHome `ls -d /usr/lib/jvm/java-1.6.0-openjdk-* /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk-* /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk 2>&-`; do
    if [ -n "$CANDIDATE" -a -x "$CANDIDATE/bin/java" ]; then
      export JAVA_HOME=$CANDIDATE
      break
    fi
  done
}

# assures JDK installed and JAVA_HOME to a link at /usr/local/jdk
function installOpenJDK() {
  if [ "$JAVA_HOME" == "/usr/local/jdk" ]; then
    echo skipping as JAVA_HOME is already set to /usr/local/jdk
    return 0
  fi
  if [ -n "$JAVA_HOME" -a -x "$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" ]; then
    echo reusing JAVA_HOME $JAVA_HOME
  else
    if which dpkg &> /dev/null; then
      apt-get-update && apt-get-install openjdk-6-jdk
    elif which rpm &> /dev/null; then
      yum-install java-1.6.0-openjdk-devel
    else
      abort "we only support apt-get and yum right now... please contribute"
    fi
    findOpenJDK
    if [ -n "$JAVA_HOME" ]; then
      echo installed JAVA_HOME $JAVA_HOME
    else
      abort "JDK installation failed"
    fi
  fi
  rm -rf /usr/local/jdk
  ln -Fs $JAVA_HOME /usr/local/jdk
  /usr/local/jdk/bin/java -version || abort "cannot run java"
  setupJavaHomeInProfile
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


All over America, kids are losing their teeth. And who is there to gather them up, leaving coins in their places? The Tooth Fairy, of course! A self-described "action kind of gal" with plenty of attitude, she reveals her secrets at last. Learn about her amazing Tooth-o-Finder. Marvel at her ingenious flying machine. Watch her in action, dodging dogs and cats and gerbils. You Think It's Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? is the essential guide for every kid about to lose a tooth. And don't forget, February is National Children's Dental Health Month.
Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt, a military brat, graduated from the University of Texas (Hook 'em, Horns!!) and has the framed diploma to prove it, though she can't quite remember where she put it.
Ah, UT: Beautiful buildings, beautiful people, beautiful cars. But, with 50,000 students, it's an easy place in which to lose your soul. Sheri's fondest memories?
The stench of pigeon poop, (oh so pungent after an Austin rain), a firm bum courtesy of the long haul between classrooms, and the time she wore a "Jesus Saves" T-Shirt to class and droves of students parted before her like the Red Sea.
Sheri used to have a "real" job, but these days she's an award-winning magazine writer and editor. She also writes books for kids. Her latest, a picture book illustrated by the fabulous David Slonim, is about a very James Bondish Tooth Fairy. The publisher is Chronicle Books, her wonderful editor, Susan Pearson.
Sheri wrote the book after the Tooth Fairy made a late night appearance, during which she demanded that Sheri set the record straight. "I'm a technology chick," Sheri swears the Tooth Fairy declared. "The whole fairy dust thing is soooo old school."
Sheri's first middle-grade novel, about a kid who'd rather live anywhere but the junk lot he calls home, is currently with her agent. To read a bit of the novel, click here. If you're an editor, please, please, please talk to her agent.
Reviews of the You Think It's Easy Being the Tooth Fairy?


Rentals are also available for the ceremony flowers and receptions centerpieces. For pricing call us at 757-227-0388 to schedule an appointment.
When it comes to weddings, flowers play a huge part of the event. They not only brighten and beautify the room, they are also a symbol of well-wishes and happiness. Every wedding should have flowers. Whether you're on a budget or not, Essence Weddings Productions can help you.
You can choose the flowers and styles, and our talented florist will handle the rest by making your vision into a reality.
We have over 15 years of experience in choosing the right kind of flowers for your theme and motif and their arrangement. It is our aim to make that the flowers for each bride or wedding as unique as possible.
Bridal Showers, and many more!
We offer delivery services for these as well.


16 Lifestyle AIR FORCE April 17, 2008 The squat is one of the most functional activities we can perform. It is utilised every day, such as standing up out of a chair or picking something up from a lowered position. Squats build up the muscles that sup- port your entire structure and provide the fundamental initiators of everyday movement. Even though it is widely used, the squat is often performed incorrectly either through lack of knowledge or the "lift heavier than I can effectively handle" syndrome. The squatting action There has been much confusion and misconception lately regarding the move- ment of the knees and the hips during the squat. Unfortunately, many people regard only limited aspects of training theory when they redesign techniques. For example, a current concept is to not allow the lower limb to move forward when squatting, thus leaving the knees above the heel and pushing the hips fur- ther to the rear. This methodology consid- ers the protection of the knee by decreas- ing range of motion over the knee joint, thereby increasing the load on the hip extensors. Biowhat? This concept ignores basic biome- chanics. With the hips pushed further to the rear to compensate for the lack of forward knee movement, the level arm is increased between the fulcrum (the hips) and the load (the bar). This increases the load on the lower back and increases the potential of lower back injury. With this in mind, the current technique methodol- ogy still advises a combination of hip and knee loading, as opposed to overloading one or the other, unless you are in rehab or otherwise advised by a doctor or phys- iotherapist. So allow the knees to travel forward, but no further forward than past the front of the toes, and remember to 'sit back' by letting your hips travel back- ward. Squatting depth Another area of contention is the depth of the squat. For simplicity, when squatting with weight, the squat should be no lower than 90 degrees. Ironically, while many argue that deeper squatting with heavier weight is good for weight training, the average person cannot even squat down to 90 degrees with good technique because of poor muscle activa- tion and tight hamstring and calf mus- cle groups. Furthermore, most functional activities that have the knee loaded above body weight do not have knee flexion past 90 degrees. This is, however, not to say that loaded-squatting deeper may not be appropriate. It depends on the train- ing need. But the average person does not need to squat below 90 degrees when squatting with a load. Cinch the squat START POSITION Feet approximately hip width apart. Bar resting on upper back and shoulders, not the neck. Head neutral, looking forward. Well balanced. LOWERING Tilt your hips backward slightly. Slowly bend you knees and lower as if you were to sit into a chair. Your knees should travel in line with your feet. Head neutral, looking forward. Many people tend to look up as they squat or look at a fixed point. This causes hyper-extension of the neck and if the bar is positioned incorrectly, it could cause neck problems. THE BOTTOM POSITION Your knees should not extend past the front of your toes. Your thighs should be no lower than parallel to the ground, with about 90 degrees knee bend. The bar should be directly above your heels. Your abdominals should be drawn in, contracting your transverse abdominals, to stabilise the lower back. RAISING Without bouncing, slowly breathe out and rise to the start position. Do not lock your knees out vigorously at the top. Photos by CPL Corinne Boer HEALTH LT Rob Orr gets deep about correct squatting techniques. CORRECTION A reference in the last column, "Hands- on benefits", to the correct push-up technique referred to the Army BFA. For information on the push-up compo- nent of the PFT (introduced May last year), refer to CAF Directive 6/07.


text:
A Very Early Look At Dungeon Ross
Dungeon Ross is a self-titled dungeon crawler for the Dreamcast that was put together in a weekend for Global Game Jam back in January 2017. Created by the two-man team made up of Ross Kilgariff and Alastair Low, Dungeon Ross is a charming little proof-of-concept that is still in the very early stages of development, but holds plenty of potential. The game was actually revealed back in late 2016 after the Global Game Jam event held at MakerSpace in Dundee, Scotland but we wanted to allow the guys a bit more time to add more content to the dank, subterranean world of Dungeon Ross before really delving in and showing it off.
For the uninitiated, Global Game Jam is a worldwide event during which game developers and programmers have a set amount of time (usually a weekend) to come up with a totally original game or piece of software. The idea is to allow developers to get as creative as they can over the 48hr period, nurturing teamwork and collaboration with a view to producing original games and concepts.
While Dungeon Ross is still very early and the game consists of little more than a fairly small section of dungeon, the engine is up and running and the visuals are pretty crisp. There's also a pretty interesting two player mode in which gamers can assume the role of either Ross or Alastair, and the way the camera zooms out to reveal more of the map is a nice touch. There's no collision detection and the AI is also fairly rudimentary but from what we've seen the beginnings of a really cool game could be in the offing with Dungeon Ross. We spoke to the eponymous Ross to get the full lowdown on his brand new Dreamcast adventure...
DCJY: Hi Ross, could you give us a bit of information about yourself and your background in game development?
Ross Kilgariff: Ally [Alastair Low] and I are both game developers from Dundee in Scotland. I'm a programmer and de-facto designer, while Ally is a 3D artist. We work together professionally and run the local MakerSpace in our spare time.
And what's the story behind Dungeon Ross?
The original idea for Dungeon Ross came about in December last year when we decided to participate in the 2017 Global Game Jam, of which the MakerSpace was a jam site for the second year in a row. The event itself happens in late January, so we had about a month to read up and prepare.
Can you elaborate on your inspiration for this type of game?
At first we just knew we wanted to make something for the Dreamcast that would have "couch co-op" gameplay. We liked Zelda: Four Swords on the GameCube and wanted to incorporate similar elements into our DC game. Those were the only thoughts we had going in.
Over the GameJam weekend in January, I spent 90% of my time just working on the engine. When it came time to put in characters, I happened to have a goofy programmer-art version of me that I dropped into the engine as a test. This actually made the game weirdly charming in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way, so Ally ran with the style and Dungeon Ross was born.
It was pretty handy that you had the programmer art model of yourself! How easy or difficult is making a game from scratch for the Dreamcast?
The biggest challenge so far has definitely been building the skeletal animation system, which closely mirrors that of Blender (the software we use for 3D modelling and animation). We didn't have the animation system ready in time for the jam deadline, so that was our next big milestone.
Personally, I have nothing but admiration for anyone who has the ability to make games. What are your future plans for Dungeon Ross? Will we see a retail version of the game?
Our plan now is to use whatever time we can find to keep developing the game, maybe running some smaller game jams to coordinate ourselves and possibly get more people involved. I'm very eager to focus on the game design now that the engine tech is good enough to experiment with.
We've spoken about selling physical copies, and that's definitely something we'd enjoy (putting the instruction manuals and dungeon maps together) but we're also planning on releasing the source code to the engine and the game, in the hope that other DC developers have an easier time of it.
Thanks to Ross for speaking with us about Dungeon Ross, the images above are concept drawings of enemy types to be used in the main game. It's certainly an interesting concept and we'll be keeping an eye on the development of this project. With more work and a weapons system and co-op gameplay Dungeon Ross could be a pretty fun addition to the Dreamcast library. Below you can watch a video showing off the engine in action:
If you'd like to get involved or lend you time to helping to develop Dungeon Ross further, please feel free to get in touch! For further information, be sure to check out Dungeon Ross (and grab the game files!) at the Global Game Jam website here, and while you're at it you can find Ross's personal website here and Alastair's personal website here. If you'd like more information about Dundee MakerSpace, you can find their website here.
Tags: Alastair Low, DCJY Features, Dundee MakerSpace, Dungeon Ross, Global Game Jam, Indie Dev, Ross Kilgariff
FlorreW said...
Would have been really sweet to see something that reminds of Diablo for 2 players on the dreamcast , even if the finished product maybe would be a "miminalistic clone".
I hope they will try to make something out of this , i would for sure buy it :D
Although Gauntlet is mentioned, I'm also getting a bit of a Cannon Spike vibe from watching the video..which is not a bad thing. The sharp textures, the character designs and models for some reason makes me think of Cannon Spike. Maybe that would be an interesting direction for the game as well, or at least good use of the engine for another game. =P
Besides the bad framerate, everything else seems pretty damn solid so far. Sharp textures, nice models and fluid animations. The camera zooming seems very good as well.
Deef said...
Nothing related to this, but an extraordinary news to share http://dreamcast-news.blogspot.fr/2017/03/millenium-racer-y2k-fighters.html
Wow - Dreamcast News has actually credited a site he stole news from! Wonders will never cease!
What do you mean by stealing the news ? I mean they published the info just after the news was published at japanese-cake site, a couple of hours before here. Any issue with them ?
I was just being sarcastic about him linking to japanese_cake. But I've had issues with him on numerous occasions where he's recycled content and even artwork from here without crediting it. He seems to be rubbing a lot of people up the wrong way with that type of thing, not just me. Thanks for sharing though. As I stated in my write up, I knew all about the game being found, was just waiting to see whether the guys found anything playable on the kit. Thanks for the heads up.
DreamPod - Episode 48 Featuring DC Gaga
New Xenocider Footage Released By Retro Sumus
Readers Share Their Rare & Unusual Dreamcast Items
Quick Look Video: Alice Dreams Tournament
Review & Emulation Analysis: Breakers
Metropolis Street Racer: The Development Diaries
Expanding the Dreamcast Collection Part 5: The Se...
Video Review: Millennium Racer: Y2K Fighters
Previously Unknown Dreamcast Game Millennium Racer...
You Can Still Use Dial-Up To Surf The Internet Wit...
Dreamcast, GDQ, and Speedrunning
Xenocider Box Art & Pre-order Poster Revealed
Senile Team Reveals Intrepid Izzy For Dreamcast & PC
AGES II: Sega Game Archives Music Arrange Album
A Quick Look At Free-DC
Why Dreamcast?
Senile Team Teases New Dreamcast Game


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News — Wellbeing
Ashleigh Webber
Fladgate's wellbeing strategy, which combines gamification with the promotion of healthier lifestyles, was celebrated for encouraging behavioural changes at this year's People in Law Awards. Ashleigh Webber finds out more.
The workplace wellbeing market has boomed in recent years, even before the coronavirus pandemic highlighted how vital it is for organisations to support employees' mental and physical health and wellbeing. According to the Global Wellness Institute, the workplace wellbeing industry was worth $48bn (£36.5bn) in 2017 and is projected to grow to $66bn by 2022.
The sector, the Institute suggests, is growing rapidly as organisations attempt to do all they can to address the cost of work-related stress, illnesses, disease and employee disengagement that cost the global economy roughly 10-15% in economic output each year.
But not every organisation, especially smaller law firms, are able to spend vast amounts of cash on employee wellbeing interventions. Sometimes, empowering employees to make decisions about how best to achieve a healthier lifestyle is the most effective method – and can be less costly.
This approach was taken by Fladgate, which won Best Health & Wellbeing Initiative among firms with fewer than 750 staff at the 2020 People in Law Awards. It chose a solution that would empower employees to take charge of their own wellbeing journey, while addressing the four pillars of its corporate wellbeing strategy: mental, physical, financial and social.
In 2019 the firm introduced Yulife, an app that brings together gamification and wellbeing promotion. It is linked to its existing group life insurance products and encourages staff to complete activities beneficial to their wellbeing to earn 'Yucoin', which can be exchanged for vouchers at major brands including Asos or Amazon.
"One of our principal drivers at Fladgate is to provide a personal approach to work and to give people opportunities to make their own choices about what's helpful to them and what's not," says Ruth Elliot, Fladgate's director of HR and business services. "This project fed very much into that as it's an app you can use to drive better physical and mental health in ways that employees see fit."
Employees earn Yucoin for steps walked or minutes spent on meditation or mindfulness, as well as various challenges.
The app was launched a few weeks before Fladgate's firm-wide "Tour de Fladgate" charity event, which saw teams compete against each other on static bikes and rowing machines. They were rewarded with Yucoin for their participation and the activity raised £9,000 for Fladgate's selected charities.
"Engagement with the app is very high and we've found that new joiners are getting involved with it very early on," says Sophia Tucker, HR adviser at Fladgate, who has responsibility for the firm's wellbeing initiatives. "We try to have a broad wellbeing offering so something is there for everyone. We're always open to ideas from our people."
Participation in the activities promoted on Yulife is high across functions and hierarchy, partly driven by a leaderboard which both encourages healthy competition and inspires Fladgate's people to lead healthier lifestyles.
The potential impact on employees' health and wellbeing has been impressive. Fladgate's people are walking an average of around 9,000 steps per day, compared with a UK daily average of between 3,000 and 4,000, with walking challenges proving the most popular Yulife activity.
The average meditation minutes recorded by Fladgate employees over the last 90 days is 181.7 minutes per week per employee, compared to the YuLife average of 123 minutes.
"It fits very well into our approach around wellbeing. We're not a law firm with vast amounts of cash, so what we've been doing is trying to find things that work for us and our people and support them in a cost effective way. Yulife works very well in that respect," says Elliot.
Shift in priorities
Although Yulife covers all four pillars of Fladgate's wellbeing strategy, the firm operates numerous other initiatives to help meet the health and wellbeing needs of its multi-generational and diverse workforce. It has financial wellbeing seminars that run every quarter, a cycle-to-work scheme, regular mental health seminars, an employee assistance programme and access to virtual GP appointments, to name a few.
Like many firms, some of its wellbeing priorities have shifted in light of the challenges employees face because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We're introducing resilience training at the end of this month, which will be very focused on a neurological perspective, covering how your brain deals with stress rather than just providing tips to deal with it," Elliot says.
The virtual sessions will cover individual resilience and how managers can promote resilience among groups.
"As people's priorities change [post-pandemic], we will want to reflect those in what we're offering," says Elliot.
"We're currently revamping our vision and values and asking staff what they want to see from them, as well as asking staff how they've got on during lockdown. We have met virtually with each member of staff to see how they're doing."
She says the legal sector is facing a major challenge in making it a profession people want to stay in, acknowledging that many people coming into law have different values to the generations that came before them.
"The idea of just throwing money at people is no longer attractive to younger generations and we need to create a new environment where people want to work," explains Elliot. "To motivate millennials and generation Z, you need to provide careers where you feel like accessing influence very quickly, as opposed to the traditional culture where you had to wait for a partner to retire and hand over their clients. Wellbeing feeds into that."
Finally, with work likely to be split between home and the office after Covid-19 recedes, Fladgate will be looking at how it can encourage its people differentiate work from their home life. Gone are the days where working was only possible at certain times or in a set environment – work emails and IT systems can now be accessed 24/7, and the line between work and home has blurred even further this year.
Elliot says: "There needs to be some education about protecting people's overall wellbeing and we need to empower individuals to make choices about when and where they work, where to draw the line, and help them recognise that it's important to take that personal responsibility."
— Advice, COVID, Interview


Yep, couldn't hardly play last night. Between being kicked from the servers every 45 mins, to not getting summoned or finding invasions matchmaking seems totally ruined.
Maybe they added soul memory. That way they'd get rid of the Dark Bead twinks, which is very important.
If the online is borked I'll have to go invading in Bloodborne.
Well I was invading constantly in lost izalith this afternoon with a lvl 75. Got my online set on worldwide now. Also, I don't think it's a popular invasion area.
Made new character got disconnected from server 3 times before I even plunged asylum demon. Then DC as soon as I did. Server broken.
Can't get online in DS2 or 3 at all, I can get in DS1 but after about 2 seconds it kicks me offline. I checked another game and online works fine.


The day before a report about the failed fundraising campaigns to save Assumption Church was to be released, philanthropist Alan Quesnel made a surprise offer of $5 million to help save the crumbling landmark.
"I want to take a last stab at making this work to preserve the history of this church for its parishioners," he said Friday.
The only condition Quesnel is attaching to his offer is that a handful of other wealthy donors — "or preferably one (person)" — match his $5 million so that church can be repaired without delay.
"We're excited to hear of (Quesnel's) commitment to this historic Windsor church," Diocese of London spokesman Nelson Couto said after learning of the offer Friday afternoon. However, it is too soon to say how the offer will affect the fate of the building, he said.
The diocese is currently focused on the interim report on efforts to save Assumption that is being released Saturday by lawyer Paul Mullins.
Weekend masses have not been held at the 173-year-old church on University Avenue West since 2014 due to unsafe conditions and an inadequate heating system.
Initial estimates done nearly a decade ago showed it would cost at least $10 million to return the historic building to a useable state. It's expected new estimates, to be completed sometime this fall, will peg the cost at $15 million or more.
Quesnel said he feels that if he and other major donors kick in $10 million, the diocese will be able to raise the rest of the money and refurbish the church.
Quesnel also wants to put behind him the diocese's rejection of an offer he made in 2013 to donate $3.5 million to repair Assumption. At the time, he was facing criminal charges related to an alleged gun incident at his residence. He was eventually acquitted and given an absolute discharge for committing mischief by breaking a car windshield.
The diocese then indicated it was prepared to reconsider Quesnel's 2013 offer, but citing a lack respect from the diocese, Quesnel withdrew his offer. He also asked that a previous $1.25 million donation to the church be returned. He accepted repayment of $1.02 million after the diocese said some of the money had been spent.
The rift was smoothed over a couple of years ago when Quesnel stepped in with a $1.5-million to restore the spire and do other renovations at Ste. Anne Church in Tecumseh. He also donated $120,000 for upgrades to St. Alphonsus Church in downtown Windsor.
Quesnel, a millionaire businessman, set up a charitable foundation following the sale of the Athletic Club fitness chain he co-founded. He told the Star two years ago that the foundation had $20 million — about half the proceeds of the sale.
Quesnel estimates that in recent years he has donated nearly $10 million to various charities in the Windsor area and in Haiti.


Cherry-blossom season is the best season to visit Japan, of course, we can enjoy cherry-blossom in Tokyo.
Kawagoe, only 45-minutes train ride from Shinjuku, will give you wonderful experience of the traditional Japan !
I enjoy beautiful colored leaves around Tokyo every year.
Wearing Kimono makes you a Yamato Nadeshiko, the ideal japanese woman.
KANPAI! Cheers! with Japanese SAKE.
Shinjuku is the most exciting town for shopping, gourmet and activity in Tokyo.
I love eating, shopping and cooking, so Tokyo is one of most exciting places in Japan for me!! I think, not only for me and Japanese people, but also foreign tourists.
I want to give you unforgettable memories in Japan. My top priority is to help you discover, enjoy, experience and feel Japanese culture, gourmet and life with the heart of Japanese hospitality.
Yumi is a wonderful guide. We had a fantastic day with her. We were able to visit a lot of great places which we would never have found by ourselves. She explained the metro system which is so complicated especially if you can't read the Japanese signs. We loved the shrines and the temple we went to where we learnt of the symbols and how to offer a prayer. She took us to various shopping places which were all so different and interesting. We had a lovely lunch together. She gave us a lot of interesting information about the history of the places we visited. We strongly recommend Yumi as a guide. A wonderful experience. Thank you so much Yumi.
From the moment we met Yumi for our Shinjuku tour, we liked her right away. We found her to be warm, friendly and genuine. She is very approachable and very helpful. You can feel that she likes what she's doing. Without her, we would have been lost in Shinjuku. She even went out of her way to find us a ramen place close to our hotel which turned out to be delicious! Without hesitation, I can recommend Yumi to anyone needing a guide in Tokyo. She's awesome.


text:
U.S. Treasury dashes hopes for near-term World Bank capital hike
By David Lawder
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Treasury official dashed hopes for a World Bank capital increase in the near term, saying the multilateral lender first needs to review its balance sheet to ensure resources are going to countries and projects that need them most.
The World Bank Group two years ago had set a goal of agreeing on a capital increase for its International Bank for Reconstruction and Development arm by the time of the 2017 World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meetings, which start this week.
The IBRD provides concessional financing for projects in middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries.
But U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" agenda and plans to cut back foreign aid had cast doubt over the bank's ability to win the support of its largest shareholder.
Last week, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said the capital increase was a question of timing as the "vast majority" of the bank's 189 member countries supported it.
But the Treasury official told Reuters on Tuesday that it was too soon to discuss such an effort because too much of IBRD's resources were tied up in countries that had ample borrowing ability, including China and other larger emerging markets.
The World Bank needs to do a better job of "graduating" such countries off of IBRD support to private sector lending resources, the official said.
"Our view is that the World Bank Group as a whole needs to present substantial work on its balance sheet and the direction of that balance sheet as we go forward, the official said. "It's early to be talking about a capital increase for the IBRD."
The World Bank cannot proceed without the approval of the Treasury, which controls an effective veto on the institution's executive board.
"So the bottom line here is right now we've got too high a percentage of the World Bank's balance sheet that's going to countries and to projects that already have ample borrowing capacity."
China is IBRD's largest borrower country, with $2.42 billion in loan commitments in the fiscal year ended June 30. The other top 10 borrowers were India, Indonesia, Colombia, Argentina, Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, Ukraine and Romania.
China is the World Bank Group's third-largest shareholder, with 4.77 percent of voting power. But China also controls 28.7 percent of the new Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which has $20 billion in paid-in capital, exceeding the World Bank's $16 billion.
In August, the World Bank approved a $100 million IBRD loan to finance a program aimed at helping farmers clean up heavy metals pollution of agricultural land in the rice-growing Hunan province.
With a recent replenishment of the bank's fund for the poorest countries, the International Development Association, the Treasury official said there were ample multilateral lending resources, and administration was concerned that some countries were jeopardizing future growth by taking on too much concessional debt.
"To fund development needs, there needs to be renewed focus on domestic resource mobilization and engagement in private sector development," the official said.
A World Bank spokesman said that the bank started work last April to develop options to expand its financial capacity, and "extensive technical work is being undertaken."
Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Kim Coghill


And even though it "got real", there was respectful dialogue and a demonstration on how invested everyone is in creating smarter, more sustainable cities.
Sustainability leaders Chris Castro (Orlando), Dennis Gakunga (Chula Vista), Jerry Tinianow (Denver), Robert Phocas (Charlotte) and John Smola (Alabama Power Company) gave presentations on the innovations they are spearheading in their respective cities at the City Spotlights: City Solutions Panel at the Smart Cities Connect Conference & Expo in Kansas City, MO.
In Orlando they are experimenting with floating solar installations – charmingly referred to as "floatovoltaics" – to optimize its watery geography. The ground-breaking initiative came about because people at the Orlando Utility Commission were paying attention when students at the University of Central Florida did a test project. Castro and the city stepped in to support.
Chula Vista announced a tremendous commitment to electric vehicles and charging stations, taking advantage of state rebate incentives. There are plans to double the fleet of low and zero-emission vehicles by the end of the year.
EnergizeDenver launched a program to benchmark energy usage for building owners to encourage gamification. With more than 90% compliance the hope is that healthy competition will encourage positive behavior.
Charlotte, well known for their decades-long sustainability leadership, is empowering their most under-served residents to champion energy savings through smart technology. The result is not only decreasing energy usage but also increasing cost savings for vulnerable residents.
In Birmingham, Alabama Power Company is focusing on reliability and security with their fiber to distribution model. They are already seeing major decreases in outage times and bringing great returns for residents and their industry partners.
The big takeaways from the session were the imperative to focus on a specific area, build a diverse ecosystem of partners with formalized processes and benchmarks and communicate constantly to build trust.
Following this insightful 45-minutes, three innovators pitched the panel which included San Leandro CIO Deborah Acosta. The prize was smart questions and feedback on their private sector solutions.
Site 1001 demonstrated how to take learnings from the construction industry and automate and anticipate building maintenance, saving major costs and time.
Ubicquia provided a stackable IoT solution that works with existing lighting structures to increase sensing capability and boost network capacity. For a drastically reduced spend, they provide value for cities and bridge needs from other industry partners, including telcos.
PTC outlined how their services and solutions platform works across solution providers to realize the true potential of their IoT strategies. For cities with a diverse range of departmental priorities and partners, this "bridging" brings real value and helps city leaders forecast future needs.
The city leaders had a chance to sling very direct questions, which ranged from, "how do you educate on data stream literacy?" to pointed inquiries on specific costs. It got real. The session was a public-sector shark tank and a demonstration on how invested everyone is in creating smarter cities.
The conversation was a chance to decrease the divide between public and private sector. City leaders gained greater insight to new solutions and the vendor-partners received a front row seat to the challenges of the public sector.


text:
Electron beam lithography on vertical side faces of micrometer-order Si block
Kenji Yamazaki, Hiroshi Yamaguchi
Electron beam (EB) nanolithography on resist films coated on vertical side faces of Si blocks with micrometer-order size is demonstrated. This is achieved by combining the authors' original three-dimensional (3D) EB writing technique with the authors' newly developed low-viscosity resist solution. Resist coating with a 2-butanone/hexane low-viscosity solution enables the authors to uniformly coat a high-resolution EB resist poly(methyl methacrylate) on the vertical side faces of Si blocks. The mechanism of uniform coating on the vertical side faces can be understood by considering the lower viscosity of the authors' resist solution. Moreover, Monte Carlo simulation and experimental 3D EB lithography reveal that dense nanopatterning on opposite side faces of a micrometer-order block with simultaneous development is as attainable as that on a flat substrate. The combination of the resist-coating method and 3D EB writing with ion etching from horizontal directions of substrates is promising for creating 3D nanostructures in semiconductors and thus for 3D nanotechnology.
Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B:Nanotechnology and Microelectronics
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Electron beam lithography on vertical side faces of micrometer-order Si block'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Electron beam lithography Chemical Compounds
Electron beams Chemical Compounds
micrometers Physics & Astronomy
lithography Physics & Astronomy
electron beams Physics & Astronomy
Viscosity Chemical Compounds
viscosity Physics & Astronomy
Yamazaki, K., & Yamaguchi, H. (2012). Electron beam lithography on vertical side faces of micrometer-order Si block. Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B:Nanotechnology and Microelectronics, 30(4), [041601]. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4719561
Electron beam lithography on vertical side faces of micrometer-order Si block. / Yamazaki, Kenji; Yamaguchi, Hiroshi.
In: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B:Nanotechnology and Microelectronics, Vol. 30, No. 4, 041601, 07.2012.
Yamazaki, K & Yamaguchi, H 2012, 'Electron beam lithography on vertical side faces of micrometer-order Si block', Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B:Nanotechnology and Microelectronics, vol. 30, no. 4, 041601. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4719561
Yamazaki K, Yamaguchi H. Electron beam lithography on vertical side faces of micrometer-order Si block. Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B:Nanotechnology and Microelectronics. 2012 Jul;30(4). 041601. https://doi.org/10.1116/1.4719561
Yamazaki, Kenji ; Yamaguchi, Hiroshi. / Electron beam lithography on vertical side faces of micrometer-order Si block. In: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B:Nanotechnology and Microelectronics. 2012 ; Vol. 30, No. 4.
@article{a063f9c24c84436b9d76616e597ad691,
title = "Electron beam lithography on vertical side faces of micrometer-order Si block",
abstract = "Electron beam (EB) nanolithography on resist films coated on vertical side faces of Si blocks with micrometer-order size is demonstrated. This is achieved by combining the authors' original three-dimensional (3D) EB writing technique with the authors' newly developed low-viscosity resist solution. Resist coating with a 2-butanone/hexane low-viscosity solution enables the authors to uniformly coat a high-resolution EB resist poly(methyl methacrylate) on the vertical side faces of Si blocks. The mechanism of uniform coating on the vertical side faces can be understood by considering the lower viscosity of the authors' resist solution. Moreover, Monte Carlo simulation and experimental 3D EB lithography reveal that dense nanopatterning on opposite side faces of a micrometer-order block with simultaneous development is as attainable as that on a flat substrate. The combination of the resist-coating method and 3D EB writing with ion etching from horizontal directions of substrates is promising for creating 3D nanostructures in semiconductors and thus for 3D nanotechnology.",
author = "Kenji Yamazaki and Hiroshi Yamaguchi",
journal = "Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B:Nanotechnology and Microelectronics",
T1 - Electron beam lithography on vertical side faces of micrometer-order Si block
AU - Yamazaki, Kenji
AU - Yamaguchi, Hiroshi
N2 - Electron beam (EB) nanolithography on resist films coated on vertical side faces of Si blocks with micrometer-order size is demonstrated. This is achieved by combining the authors' original three-dimensional (3D) EB writing technique with the authors' newly developed low-viscosity resist solution. Resist coating with a 2-butanone/hexane low-viscosity solution enables the authors to uniformly coat a high-resolution EB resist poly(methyl methacrylate) on the vertical side faces of Si blocks. The mechanism of uniform coating on the vertical side faces can be understood by considering the lower viscosity of the authors' resist solution. Moreover, Monte Carlo simulation and experimental 3D EB lithography reveal that dense nanopatterning on opposite side faces of a micrometer-order block with simultaneous development is as attainable as that on a flat substrate. The combination of the resist-coating method and 3D EB writing with ion etching from horizontal directions of substrates is promising for creating 3D nanostructures in semiconductors and thus for 3D nanotechnology.
AB - Electron beam (EB) nanolithography on resist films coated on vertical side faces of Si blocks with micrometer-order size is demonstrated. This is achieved by combining the authors' original three-dimensional (3D) EB writing technique with the authors' newly developed low-viscosity resist solution. Resist coating with a 2-butanone/hexane low-viscosity solution enables the authors to uniformly coat a high-resolution EB resist poly(methyl methacrylate) on the vertical side faces of Si blocks. The mechanism of uniform coating on the vertical side faces can be understood by considering the lower viscosity of the authors' resist solution. Moreover, Monte Carlo simulation and experimental 3D EB lithography reveal that dense nanopatterning on opposite side faces of a micrometer-order block with simultaneous development is as attainable as that on a flat substrate. The combination of the resist-coating method and 3D EB writing with ion etching from horizontal directions of substrates is promising for creating 3D nanostructures in semiconductors and thus for 3D nanotechnology.
JO - Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B:Nanotechnology and Microelectronics
JF - Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B:Nanotechnology and Microelectronics


The area Social policy and social change includes research on the aims of social policy, legislation, authorities and organisations and how they affect the welfare system. Living standards and income distribution are central areas, as well as studies of the significance of childhood conditions for life chances at the population level. The impact of social security systems for individuals' and social groups' conditions and development is also included.
The panel evaluates proposals of population based studies and migration as well as studies of how the welfare system, policy and social changes influences various social groups. The area also contains studies of inequalities of health from factors such as gender, socioeconomic status, age and ethnicity.


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text:
Swamp Brothers
Genre: Reality Tv
Way down south is a place that was once thought to be a dismal land fit only for alligators and snakes. It's wet, it's dangerous and it's weird. Which means it's perfect for one of the most unique family businesses in the country. Meet a different breed of brothers. One's an animal expert. The other's a former city slicker who's learning the ropes. Together they are running a business uniquely suited for the swamp - where wild animals rule. From pythons and gators to bobcats and black bears - these guys encounter it all. Stephen and Robbie Keszey run Glades Herp Farms, Florida's largest reptile sanctuary and exotic reptile dealership. Their farm also houses Florida's International Teaching Zoo. The Zoo is full of rare species from around the globe and brings in a constant stream of new and different animals each month. The brothers make their living breeding and caring for hundreds of slithering, poisonous and sharp-toothed creatures, but their passion is being on call 24 hours a day to respond to animal emergencies across the vast state of Florida.
Airing Today, : Season 1, Episode 22: Model Misbehavior
Swamp Brothers Episodes
10 May 2011 Season 1, Episode 1: Partners in Slime
10 May 2011 Season 1, Episode 2: Sex and the Single Gator
13 May 2011 Season 1, Episode 3: That's The Big One
13 May 2011 Season 1, Episode 4: A Croc Walks Into a Swamp
20 May 2011 Season 1, Episode 5: Everything's Bigger in Texas
20 May 2011 Season 1, Episode 6: Long Necks and Short Fuses
27 May 2011 Season 1, Episode 7: Straw That Broke the Camel's Back
27 May 2011 Season 1, Episode 8: Up a Swamp With One Paddle
30 May 2011 Season 1, Episode 9: No Crocodile Tears on this Farm
03 June 2011 Season 1, Episode 10: Grin and "Bear" It
06 June 2011 Season 1, Episode 11: Three-Legged Gator Race
10 June 2011 Season 1, Episode 12: Potbelly Pedicure
24 August 2011 Season 1, Episode 13: Pimpin' out the Croc
24 August 2011 Season 1, Episode 14: When Coco Met Lucy
31 August 2011 Season 1, Episode 15: Thunder Claps and Gator Traps
31 August 2011 Season 1, Episode 16: Sex, Jaws and Gator Rolls
Season 1, Episode 17: Karma's a Bull
Season 1, Episode 18: Crocs Gone Wild
Season 1, Episode 19: Branding and Expanding
Season 1, Episode 20: Extreme Pond Makeover
Season 1, Episode 21: Reptile Room Service
Season 1, Episode 22: Model Misbehavior
Day Jobs
Gideon Oliver
Life in Cold Blood
Swamp Loggers
Bear Swamp Recovery
Auction Kings


Plane Stupid wants police spies out of our lives! | Plane Stupid - bringing the aviation industry back down to earth!
Plane Stupid wants police spies out of our lives!
The Home Office has failed to extend the Undercover Policing Inquiry into Scotland and the Scottish Government has failed to order its own public inquiry into #spycops. I am taking them to Court to make sure an Inquiry is held into Undercover Political Policing in Scotland.
On 16th July 2015 Theresa May, then Home Secretary, announced a public inquiry into undercover policing. This announcement followed revelations that police officers involved in spying on political campaigners had used the names of dead children to create their new identities. They had long term, intimate relationships with women, fathered children, and in some cases acted as agent provocateurs.
We know that these activities were also carried out in Scotland.
For example, during the G8 Summit at Gleneagles in 2005 the Metropolitan Police sent undercover police officers across the border. In addition, English undercover officers also had intimate relations with a number of women they targeted in Scotland, a repeated human rights violation made by the Metropolitan Police Service that they have publicly apologised for.
Despite dozens of activists having been verified as being spied upon in Scotland, the public inquiry into these violations has been limited only to England and to Wales.
The Home Office failed to extend the Undercover Policing Inquiry into Scotland. The Scottish Government also failed to order its own public inquiry into these issues. As a result, I am taking them to Court to make sure an Inquiry is held.
Through the Pitchford inquiry, communities in Wales and England who have suffered extreme abuses of their Right to Private Life, have the chance to have light shed on such violations carried out by the State. As it stands now, people in Scotland have no such recourse to truth or accountability.
This court case is not just to highlight one person who was spied on, but to highlight the case of hundreds of people who deserve a public inquiry into this abuse of police power in Scotland also. We seek truth and justice.
In 2009 I was targeted to be an informant. I had been campaigning and working with communities for many years on environmental issues.
There was an attempt by police officers to recruit me through threats and coercion - they detained me, intimidated me and kept the keys to my home. I was asked to spy on behalf of the police. In an on-going "business arrangement", I was asked to betray my friends, my beliefs and the communities in Scotland we were supporting. In the course of three meetings, police officers indicated that they would give me cash payments in exchange for information. I was lucky in that I was able to record these exchanges and expose the Police and their tactics in the media. They can be heard on The Guardian website. Mixed with these promises was a threat that if I did not co-operate I might later find myself in jail.
To date we don't know who these people were - they claimed to be from Strathclyde police - although that has since been denied. How long had they been following me? Which official decided that I should be targeted? And on what basis? I, and as yet unknown number of people like me, deserve answers. We deserve the same opportunities for truth, justice and resultant safeguards that is not allowed to happen again.
Through the undercover police stories emerging over the last few years, we've seen just the tip of the state policing which has been put in motion to undermine social movements across the UK. The scope and scale is not fully understood, but we do know that over 1000 campaign groups were spied on. Undercover political policing is targeting trade unionists, socialist parties, justice campaigners, anti-racist activists, and environmentalists.
I got off lightly, I wasn't targeted for a sexual relationship, nor deep friendship, nor trusted relationship. However many people in England, Wales and Scotland were, and we demand to know the truth.
the decision of the Scottish Ministers to refuse to set up a Scottish Inquiry under and in terms of the Inquiries Act 2005 with terms of reference equivalent to those of the Inquiry but covering Scotland.
Despite this being a strong case, with good facts, supported by clear domestic and human rights law, the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) have refused my legal aid application in March 2017.
I hope to initially raise £5,000 in order to take this case forward and to get the Court to grant permission for it to proceed to a full Judicial Review. Please support this case, it is important to me, but is just as important to hundreds of others.
 https://www.theguardian.com/uk/audio/2009/apr/24/police-surveillance-intelligence-1 ; https://www.theguardian.com/uk/audio/2009/apr/24/police-surveillance-intelligence-2 ; and https://www.theguardian.com/uk/audio/2009/apr/24/police-surveillance-intelligence-3.
 The Public Interest Law Unit is a project that specialises in challenges to decision made by public bodies. It specialises in judicial review, human rights and public inquiries. It is currently representing core participants in the Undercover Policing Inquiry (www.ucpi.org.uk) which has a remit to look at undercover policing in England & Wales.


text:
Contango Updates Southern Delaware Basin Operations
Contango Updates Southern Delaware Basin Operations 17.7 KB
HOUSTON, April 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Contango Oil & Gas Company (NYSE American:MCF) announced today an update on its Southern Delaware Basin acreage in Pecos County, Texas.
River Rattler #1H
As previously reported, the River Rattler #1H (44% WI, 33% NRI), our first Wolfcamp B test, was spud in December 2017, was drilled to a total measured depth of 20,710 feet and was recently completed with 50 stages of fracture stimulation in a 10,275 foot lateral. Production began in March 2018 at an initial 24-hour max IP rate of 1,416 Boed (74% oil), making it our best well to date. Since then, after 15 days of full production, the well has averaged 1,345 Boed (74% oil). We continue to identify cost efficiencies in our drilling efforts, as evidenced by the fact that the Ragin Bull #3H, which immediately preceded this well, and River Rattler #1H have taken only 27 days from spud to TMD.
Ragin Bull #2H
The Ragin Bull #2H (49% WI, 37% NRI), our second Wolfcamp B test, was spud in January 2018, approximately 0.6 miles south of the Ragin Bull #3H and 1.6 miles south of the River Rattler #1H. The well was drilled to a total measured depth of 20,625 feet; was completed with 59 stages of fracture stimulation in a 10,344 foot lateral and is currently flowing back. This well represents our fastest spud to total depth so far at 26.5 days.
Sidewinder #1H / Gunner #3H
In March 2018, we spud the Sidewinder #1H (49% WI, 37% NRI), the first of two wells to be drilled from a common pad. The Sidewinder was drilled to a total measured depth of 20,550 feet including approximately 10,500 feet of lateral into the Wolfcamp A horizon just south of the Rude Ram #1H Wolfcamp A completion, which has produced 155 MBoe in nine months. The Gunner well was spud on April 4, 2018 is currently at a vertical depth of 4,700 feet. This well will be a Wolfcamp B test with a 10,000 foot lateral in the same unit as the Gunner #2H Wolfcamp A completion, which so far is our best producing well to date having produced approximately 130 MBoe in six months. Both wells from this pad are expected to begin completion operations via a zipper frac strategy in June 2018.
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding Contango that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor "forward-looking statements" provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, based on Contango's current expectations and includes statements regarding acquisitions and divestitures, estimates of future production, future results of operations, quality and nature of the asset base, the assumptions upon which estimates are based and other expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, strategies or statements about future events or performance (often, but not always, using words such as "expects", "projects", "anticipates", "plans", "estimates", "potential", "possible", "probable", or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "will", "should", or "could" be taken, occur or be achieved). Statements concerning oil and gas reserves also may be deemed to be forward looking statements in that they reflect estimates based on certain assumptions that the resources involved can be economically exploited. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those, reflected in the statements. These risks include, but are not limited to: the risks of the oil and gas industry (for example, operational risks in exploring for, developing and producing crude oil and natural gas; risks and uncertainties involving geology of oil and gas deposits; the uncertainty of reserve estimates; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to future production, costs and expenses; potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; health, safety and environmental risks and risks related to weather such as hurricanes and other natural disasters); uncertainties as to the availability and cost of financing; fluctuations in oil and gas prices; risks associated with derivative positions; inability to realize expected value from acquisitions, inability of our management team to execute its plans to meet its goals, shortages of drilling equipment, oil field personnel and services, unavailability of gathering systems, pipelines and processing facilities and the possibility that government policies may change or governmental approvals may be delayed or withheld. Additional information on these and other factors which could affect Contango's operations or financial results are included in Contango's other reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from the projections in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of management at the time the statements are made. Contango does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change. Initial production rates are subject to decline over time and should not be regarded as reflective of sustained production levels.
E. Joseph Grady - 713-236-7400 Sergio Castro - 713-236-7400


Written and performed by youth, this is Teen Health Connection's thought-provoking play that addresses current trends and health-related issues facing teenagers today with a focus on positive behavioral and health choices. Parents, teens and community members are invited to attend ! Click here to reserve your seat.


text:
Q: Tag is null when using Timber When the DebugTree logs, I see the class name, however when I create a custom Tree, the tag is null. Here what my custom tree looks like:
public class CrashlyticsTree extends Timber.Tree {
private static final String CRASHLYTICS_KEY_PRIORITY = "priority";
private static final String CRASHLYTICS_KEY_TAG = "tag";
private static final String CRASHLYTICS_KEY_MESSAGE = "message";

@Override
protected boolean isLoggable(int priority) {
    if (priority == Log.VERBOSE || priority == Log.DEBUG || priority == Log.INFO) {
        return false;
    }

    // only log WARN(Timber.w), ERROR(Timber.e), or WTF(Timber.wtf)
    return true;
}

@Override
protected void log(int priority, @Nullable String tag, @Nullable String message, @Nullable Throwable t) {
    if(User.CurrentUser.isLoggedIn()){
        Crashlytics.setUserIdentifier(Long.toString(User.CurrentUser.getUserId()));
    }

    Crashlytics.setInt(CRASHLYTICS_KEY_PRIORITY, priority);
    Crashlytics.setString(CRASHLYTICS_KEY_TAG, tag);
    Crashlytics.setString(CRASHLYTICS_KEY_MESSAGE, message);

    if (t == null) {
        Crashlytics.logException(new Exception(message));
    } else {
        if(!TextUtils.isEmpty(message)){
            Crashlytics.log(priority, tag, message);
        }
        Crashlytics.logException(t);
    }
}
}

However even from the DebugTree, the tag that gets generated is BaseActivity because it does come from the BaseActivity however I was wondering if there was a way I can get the name of the class that extends BaseActivity

A: There is a hack if you want to show/add tag in release apk. Instead of using Timber.Tree() use Timber.DebugTree() which will allow you to show tag in each and every logs like below:
class ReleaseTree : Timber.DebugTree() {

    override fun log(priority: Int, tag: String?, message: String, throwable: Throwable?) {
        // Don't log VERBOSE and DEBUG
        if (priority == Log.VERBOSE || priority == Log.DEBUG) {
            return
        }

        Log.println(priority, "Test->$tag", message)

    }
}

This way you can also add your custom tag as prefix with each log.

A: According to Jake Wharton:

The tag is null unless you call tag(String) at the log site or extend from DebugTree (which you shouldn't do for production logging).

Therefore you need to add Timber.tag([class name]) before each call.
See github.com/JakeWharton/timber/issues/122

A: I did something like this to get rid of the problem:
    public static class ReleaseTree extends Timber.Tree {

    private static final int MAX_LOG_LENGTH = 4000;
    private static final int MAX_TAG_LENGTH = 23;
    private static final int CALL_STACK_INDEX = 6;
    private static final Pattern ANONYMOUS_CLASS = Pattern.compile("(\\$\\d+)+$");

    @SuppressLint("LogNotTimber")
    @Override
    protected void log(int priority, @Nullable String tag, @NotNull String message, @Nullable Throwable t) {
        if (priority != Log.ERROR) {
            return;
        }

        String newTag = getTag(tag);
        if (message.length() < MAX_LOG_LENGTH) {
            Log.println(priority, newTag, message);
            return;
        }

        // Split by line, then ensure each line can fit into Log's maximum length.
        for (int i = 0, length = message.length(); i < length; i++) {
            int newline = message.indexOf('\n', i);
            newline = newline != -1 ? newline : length;
            do {
                int end = Math.min(newline, i + MAX_LOG_LENGTH);
                String part = message.substring(i, end);
                Log.println(priority, newTag, part);
                i = end;
            } while (i < newline);
        }
    }

    private String getTag(String tag) {
        if (tag != null) {
            return tag;
        }

        // DO NOT switch this to Thread.getCurrentThread().getStackTrace(). The test will pass
        // because Robolectric runs them on the JVM but on Android the elements are different.
        StackTraceElement[] stackTrace = new Throwable().getStackTrace();
        if (stackTrace.length <= CALL_STACK_INDEX) {
            throw new IllegalStateException(
                    "Synthetic stacktrace didn't have enough elements: are you using proguard?");
        }
        return createStackElementTag(stackTrace[CALL_STACK_INDEX]);
    }

    @Nullable
    protected String createStackElementTag(@NotNull StackTraceElement element) {
        String tag = element.getClassName();
        Matcher m = ANONYMOUS_CLASS.matcher(tag);
        if (m.find()) {
            tag = m.replaceAll("");
        }
        tag = tag.substring(tag.lastIndexOf('.') + 1);
        // Tag length limit was removed in API 24.
        if (tag.length() <= MAX_TAG_LENGTH || Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.N) {
            return tag;
        }
        return tag.substring(0, MAX_TAG_LENGTH);
    }
}

It's nearly like the implementation of the DebugTree, except that it logs only errors and since error rate should be low we don't have too much overhead ;P
In this case we didn't use reflection in order to find the tag name, but some smart usage of a Throwable instance. For some useful information, you can have a look here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The tax implications of litigation finance may vary depending on your individual circumstances. There are many instruments currently used in the litigation finance industry. In the commercial space, advances and equity stakes are more frequent. Given there are no standards across the industry, the specific instrument that is used, as well as your own circumstances will dictate the kind of tax treatment that will impact you.
The best way to understand the tax implications of your specific circumstances is to ask your attorney. Important questions for you and your attorney include: 1) what kind of instrument is being used to finance your litigation? 2) are you suing as an individual or a business -- if a business, what is the corporate structure of your business? 3) Did the funder issue you a 1099? Further direction can be provided by your attorney.
The reality is that litigation finance and legal funding are relatively new areas and many of the regulations that are commonplace in other industries are yet to be formalized across states for these industries.