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July 23, 2009 by Mark Miller
The Tron sequel is coming along
I wrote a post a year ago talking about how a Tron sequel was "possible", given that a Tron "test reel" (video) was shown by some people from Disney at last year's ComicCon. I've been reading updates (there are newer updates here as well) over at Tron 2.0 News, and a Tron movie sequel has definitely been in the works. A couple months after the "test reel" was shown at ComicCon it was announced that Jeff Bridges had signed on, to reprise his role as Kevin Flynn. Bridges said that shooting for the sequel would begin in Spring 2009. Later several more actors were announced, including Bruce Boxleitner, reprising his role as Alan Bradley (no word yet on whether the character "Tron" will be making an appearance). A new generation of main characters was introduced, played by twenty-something actors, one of them being Flynn's son.
One of the early announcements was that the film was going to be shown in 3D. That's a hot trend right now.
An interesting story that Tron 2.0 News talked about just recently was that the "test reel" was never supposed to have been shown at ComicCon, or anywhere else in the first place. As of last July, Disney was on the fence about making a sequel. They didn't want the "test reel" shown to anybody because they didn't want to raise expectations and then disappoint their audience. It really was just a test to see if the technology could handle the vision, and it was supposed to be "inside Disney only". It sounds like a few renegade executives at Disney snuck it into ComicCon in hopes of forcing Disney's hand. According to the story some people at Disney got taken to the woodshed for this. It didn't take long for them to decide, though, to go ahead with the sequel, probably because of the excitement generated by the "sneak preview" at ComicCon, and the bootleg video of it that was taken there, which went viral on the internet.
Disney created an unreleased test reel for the first "Tron" film back when it was first being developed. It was just a test to show the capabilities of the gels, backlighting, and rotoscoping techniques that were going to be used in the final film. It had a story line which was not in the released film, of a character inside a computer fighting a bad guy and then freeing another character from prison.
Tron 2.0 News revealed a while back that John Lasseter, who came back to Disney once Pixar merged with them, was instrumental in getting the sequel "test reel" made. It sounded like he had to really push for it hard, even working on it semi-secretly with an outside CGI firm. Lasseter was blown away by the original "Tron" movie when he worked at Disney back then. He's been famously quoted as saying that if Tron hadn't been made "there would've been no Toy Story". "Toy Story" being Pixar's first feature film. In the end us Tron fans may have Lasseter to thank for doing what needed to be done to get Disney to make the sequel.
According to the latest news I've read, shooting for the sequel just got wrapped up about a week ago in Canada. The post-production CGI work is projected to take another year. The early projection is that the movie will be released during Christmas 2010, but I could easily imagine the release being pushed back to 2011. An exciting tidbit is that IMAX might be looking at making an IMAX version of it. That would be very cool!
The current buzz is Disney is going to release an "updated" teaser trailer for it at this year's ComicCon. Hopefully it'll be released on the internet. I'll be looking for it!
Another piece of news is that Disney is working on a video game to be released with the movie…a different one from "Tron 2.0″…and they're finally getting the release of the two right this time! A PC/Mac game called "Tron 2.0" was released several years ago by Disney, which had a sequel story line. An XBox version eventually came out as well, to lackluster reviews. It was supposed to be released with a movie sequel that Disney had planned for release around 2003/04, but the project died. The game was released, oddly, without a movie to go with it.
The plot of the game was that Alan Bradley and Dr. Lora Baines (having gotten married) had a son, Jet, played as a twenty-something in the game. Lora suffered some mysterious death (not shown in the game, just talked about by the characters), but Alan preserved her consciousness in an AI sub-system, called "ma3a". Alan was still alive and working for Encom. I forget what happened to Flynn. There might've been some story line about how he "rezzed" himself inside of Encom's computers, but he doesn't show up in the game at all.
Jet is the main character in the game. He gets sucked into Encom's computer system (through the "laser process") when a corruption in the system is detected. The theme of virus corruption plays prominently in the game. Jet is immediately considered part of the system corruption by the system's guards, and so he has to fight the system, while pleading his case that he's not a threat. He meets up with "ma3a" to try to fight the corruption. A mystery emerges about "ma3a", but in the process of trying to discover what it is, tragedy strikes. In my opinion this is the reason to play the game. It's a real interesting plot twist. Jet continues trying to fight the corruption and find his way out of the computer world, with some help from his father when he's able to make contact with him. Along the way Jet has some powerful flashbacks that reveal his family's past.
Meanwhile in the real world an evil, thuggish corporation takes over Encom, and the higher ups imprison Alan to get him to give up some technology secrets. Jet discovers what's been happening in the real world (and Alan discovers what happened to Jet) and uses the computer system to help his father escape captivity. In turn his father is more able to help him from the outside.
I thought the story line that was put into the game was really interesting, and made it worthwhile to play it all the way through. Everything was great…until the ending. It was written like an afterthought. It sucked. Still, I like the game. I've been a fan of it for a long time. There's a good story, some great "eye candy", and some good "retro" parts that took me back years.
Bruce Boxleitner and Cindy Morgan lent their voices to their game characters, Alan Bradley and "ma3a". Syd Mead designed a new light cycle, and perhaps some of the other stuff for the game.
A bit of the plot has been revealed for the movie sequel. This is obviously spoiler material, so you may wish to skip it.
The backstory is that Flynn disappeared into the Encom system years ago and has been missing ever since. In the present day Flynn's son investigates his father's disappearance and along the way gets sucked into the Encom system. He finds his father inside the system, and along with a female character they go on a journey that's much more perilous than the one that Flynn, and Tron and Yori (computer programs written by Alan and Lora) embarked on in the first movie. Obviously Alan Bradley plays a part in the story somehow, but that has not been revealed yet.
The producers of the sequel say that while it will pay homage to the first film, in parts, they're creating it as a stand-alone movie. The audience will not need to have seen the first film to understand it. This makes sense as it'll have been nearly 30 years since the first film was made. It reminds me of the way that the newer Battlestar Galactica series was done. There were a few references to things from the original TV series, though it was disorienting the way they cast it as "the first war". I always thought it would've been better if they had just left the old references out of it and cast the series as a remake. For the most part they created it anew.
Edit 7-27-09: Disney has released an updated version of the "test reel" that they showed at Comic-Con 2008, on YouTube. It looks and sounds A LOT clearer than the out-of-focus, fuzzy, bootleg version that's been on the internet for a year! The title they seem to be going with for the movie is "Tron Legacy". And they say right on it that they expect the movie to be released in 2010. They also mention "IMAX 3D". Awesome! 🙂
Posted in Movies	| Tagged disney, sequel, tron | Leave a comment
"I'm not a scientist, but I play one on TV…"
"A man must learn on this principle, that he is far removed from the truth"
– Democritus
Science is a way of thinking. As Neil deGrasse Tyson has said, "It is a philosophy of discovery." I reflected recently on what being a scientist is really all about. Good scientists are constantly trying to change their perception of reality. No, they're not using psychedelic drugs (hopefully). They are rather like art appreciators trying to see what the artist is saying more clearly, except that their method is to guess at what the "artist meant" and then test the guess by going out and using instruments to help them observe the object of the guess more clearly than our native senses can. They share their observations with other scientists so that they can be validated or invalidated by peer review. Think of it as a "sanity check" on what you've found. It's really like reverse-engineering nature if you think about it. I don't mean to mislead with these analogies. I'm not trying to say that I know there is an "artist" of the world, or an "engineer". I have my own opinions about that. Science has not found a creator for the world and since I'm talking about science I will respect that here. I'm trying to convey how scientists discover and use different perspectives to try to get at what's really going on in our world and universe. They try to get beyond what the untrained eye and mind can see.
In our everyday lives we have a saying, "If it's too good to be true it probably is." Scientists try to get beyond the obvious, because they know that if it looks obvious it probably isn't in reality. Scientists are natural skeptics. I've heard the saying that the best scientists are people who are always trying to prove themselves wrong. The most succinct description I've heard for how scientists come up with guesses (hypotheses) is that they must come up with something that can be "falsified". In other words, it must be something that can be observed and/or measured so that others can say, "I came up with the same thing" or "No, this is not right. You missed 'this', and/or you did not consider 'that'." Most hypotheses are proved wrong in some way. There is a constant process of "debugging" our own notions of what's happening. If a hypothesis cannot be falsified it is not science.
Even if a hypothesis turns out to be valid, scientists try to find the limits of its validity. This is commonly called "error". It's a reflection of what scientists think is the confidence level of their result(s), and there is always some error in science. The way I view it is to think of yourself inside a partially opaque sphere. You can see through it some, but the shapes of the objects outside of it look foggy, unclear. Science is the process of wiping away bits of what's obscuring the image. You create a "window" through which you can see a bit of reality, but not all of it. Part of being a good scientist is understanding where there is a decent level of clarity and what the boundaries of it are. There is always a limit on it. Even scientific instruments have the potential to introduce error into observations, and scientists must be aware of these limitations. Science is about the process of trying to expand that "window" more and more, sometimes in small steps, sometimes big ones, to see reality more clearly.
Recently I've begun to wonder if our schools are teaching science correctly. A week or two ago I began having a debate with a newspaper columnist by the name of Mike Ellis at the Daily Camera, Boulder, Colorado's daily newspaper. We'd chat in various comment sections on the Daily Camera web site whenever the issue of global warming came up. At the time Ellis asserted that CO2 levels had remained very consistent for thousands of years, and had only recently begun to change to levels not seen for a very, very long time (hundreds of thousands of years, I believe he said). I've also seen him say that prior to the Industrial Revolution climate change happened because of changes in Earth's orbit. One could throw in continental drift as well, in all seriousness. He said that the CO2 levels correlate very well with the trend we've seen of rising temperature since the Industrial Revolution, and that CO2 is entirely responsible for this. I had been paying attention to the debate on this issue off and on for several years. From what I've heard from the proponents of the theory of anthropogenic global warming (AGW–climatic warming caused by human activity), even they don't make such a claim. They would say that CO2 is a significant contributor to the rise in temperature, but not that it's responsible for all of it. I asked over at WattsUpWithThat.com about this argument he made and they were struck by it. One commenter said, "Not even the IPCC makes that claim." What bugged me is Ellis made such a hard and fast scientific claim based on a correlation he said he saw in the data. Correlations in data can be deceiving. They can make you think you've found a relationship between phenomena when you haven't. The question is what is the relationship, if any? It must be tested scientifically by observation before the relationship can be legitimately claimed to be realistic. It turns out it has been tested, but the scientific conclusion is unclear to me now. For now I'm taking the position that it's not settled, at least in my own mind. I'll need to look into this further.
I came upon an article in the opinion section of the Daily Camera web site titled "Global warming whodunit", written by Ellis. He is a blogger and his credit says that he studies climate change as a hobby. Okay, so he's not a professional scientist. I read through most of the article and thought he used an interesting literary framework for making the argument. He puts CO2 "on trial". However, when I got to the last three paragraphs I thought, "Wait a minute. There's something wrong here." Ellis asserts:
Still not convinced? I loaded as much publicly available data as I could into Microsoft Excel. The result? An 88 percent correlation between global temperatures and atmospheric CO2 concentration. The temperature correlation peaks about 12 years after the CO2 stimulus, and falls off slowly over decades. This is huge evidence that CO2 drives temperatures, and that the oil we burn today causes the most warming 10 to 15 years from now. [my emphasis]
Notice his use of the term "evidence". I thought surely he had some scientific source to back up what is unmistakably a scientific claim. It sounded kind of like the arguments we had earlier, but this time he added this 10-15 year delay factor. I and others asked Ellis in the comments section (I'm "mmille10" in the comments) to show how he came up with this conclusion. He posted the URL to a blog posting where he asserted the same thing, showing charts he had produced in Excel, created from combining two data sets (for CO2 and global average temperature) and shifting the temperature data set 12 years to show the correlation in higher relief. Take a look at them. The correlation he talks about looks quite beautiful…and obvious. In his article he talked about other correlations he tried with other purported causes, such as sun spots, but they were not as good of a fit as CO2 to temperature. The implication he leaves the reader with is that CO2 is most definitely the "culprit".
Ellis admitted in the comments that he had no scientific source to back up his claim that there was this 10-15 year relationship between CO2 and temperature (though he did reference scientific information which he said proved that CO2 causes global warming), and that he had seen nothing that contradicted his "results" (hah!), but that it didn't matter because it was an opinion column. That's just a cop out. There's an old saying I've heard in journalism: "We have the right to our own opinions, but we do not have the right to our own facts." Ellis used his own statistical analysis, had the audacity to dress it up as a scientific claim, and then used it as fact in his argument. This is pseudo-science at its most brazen. It's not even that hard to figure out that he's doing it. His whole column hinges on this claim. He doesn't even give the old saw of, "Most of the world's scientists believe this is true." He could've used that instead and it would've had more legitimacy than this red herring.
Ellis's whole point is about the correlation that matches up so well. He begs his readers, "What else could it be?" (I'm paraphrasing) Well that's the thing. It could be something else. The only way to eliminate or diminish that possibility is to test the relationship out in nature. I'll ignore for the moment that Ellis said this was "evidence", which it most certainly is not. At best it is a hypothesis, but is it falsifiable?
Leaving his pseudo-science aside, I think where Ellis made an error is he assumes that there can only be one or two major factors that affect temperature. A thought I had was maybe one of the data sets that he threw out, due to the fact that it doesn't correlate well by itself against temperature, might actually correlate well if he put in other factors and events which climatologists also think affect temperature. Just doing a simple-minded analysis is not good enough for science.
I respect Ellis's right to his opinions, but I think it goes beyond the pale for even an opinion columnist to mislead the reading public using the platform of a newspaper of record. I haven't read him extensively so I can't speak to the quality of his other work. I'm talking about this one article, but due to the platform he has I found his article and his ignorance of the scientific method offensive. The Daily Camera should try for better quality than this in a city that has three major science labs (NOAA, NIST, and NCAR) and one of the premiere science and engineering universities in the country (C.U. Boulder). Publishing this drivel was an insult to our intelligence.
I kind of understand what's going on here. Newspapers are really hurting right now financially. The Rocky Mountain News, a paper that's been around for more than a century, went out of business a few months ago. Newspapers are desperate to find avenues to seem more relevant in order to attract readers. In this case the Camera has brought in a blogger. It hasn't helped the quality of what they publish. I can tell you that much.
On the use of computers in science
I'm including some material here on what Dr. Alan Kay says about science education and computers, because this has implications for what I talk about above. Incidentally, Kay graduated with a B.A. in molecular biology and mathematics from the University of Colorado, back in the 1960s, I believe. He received his masters and doctorate in computer science from the University of Utah. In addition to being a pioneer in computing, he's done a lot of pioneering work in developing math and science education principles, using computers for childhood education, outside of academia.
He's said the appropriate way to approach teaching scientific principles to children using computers, is to create simulations of what they see. This is important, because doing it backwards, presenting a model and expecting reality to match it is pseudoscience. He said in one presentation on this, before a group of teachers (which was called "What is Squeak?"):
You can't do science on a computer or with a book, because [with] the computer–like a book, like a movie–you can make up anything. We can have an inverse cube law of gravity on here, and the computer doesn't care. No language system that we have knows what reality is like. That's why we have to go out and negotiate with reality by doing experiments.
There was a Q & A session after his talk. I couldn't hear the question exactly, but I think a teacher asked whether a simulation that Kay had up on screen was pseudoscience. Kay said, "This is a model. If you present it to the kids as fact, it is pseudoscience." The idea being that a model is something that the kids should construct after having experienced the actual phenomenon in order to explore what they have just observed. By the way, scientists who are using computers properly to create simulations use the same process. By going through it, students and scientists can learn something more: the mechanics of more about what they have observed, and come up with insights that lead to new questions. Kids also get the added benefit of learning some mathematical principles in the process. He makes a big point about not taking a pre-existing model and just showing it to kids as if it was fact, because then you lose what science is about as a thought process.
After watching his presentation, I began wondering about how computers are used by professional scientists. For example, meteorologists use computer models as part of their weather prediction process. I don't know for sure but I feel fairly certain that they didn't create these models themselves. They may alter parameters that go into the model. I don't know enough about meteorological practice to say that for sure. So are they participating in pseudo-science? I'd say one difference is meteorologists do not just say, "The computer models says X, so that's our prediction." They actually use several prediction models at once, because there's not just one "right" model–they come up with different results. From what I've heard about this process they use them to set boundaries for what could happen, within a certain boundary of error (I'm doing some hand waving here). One question I have is do these models have an error rating? It seems to me this could theoretically be established with time, comparing a long series of model predictions with what actually happened. The question is can the error be measured?
Meteorologists use their own skills, gathering data like temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, etc., in addition to looking at the models to make a prediction. Even so, due to the chaotic nature of the atmosphere, the only weather prediction you can have some confidence in is the one for the next day.
I don't know for sure but I feel fairly certain that computers are used by NASA to try to determine the flight paths of the spacecraft they launch, taking gravity wells into consideration. Even there the science is not exact, which I think is proven out by the number of failed landings that NASA has had on Mars. There have also been a number of times when NASA has had to make unplanned corrections to the flight path of a spacecraft in flight, which had nothing to do with equipment malfunctions.
What about using a computer model to demonstrate what has been found scientifically? I think if the computer is just used to display scientifically gathered data (it could be in any form: a chart, an animation, etc.), that's different from running a model that's actually computing its way through a process (a simulation) and saying, "This is reality." Even if they are used in prediction, I can tell you from experience that there is some error involved, as is true of any scientific instrument. Having said this, I think if a computer is used in a scientific presentation of observed data there should be accompanying materials which demonstrate the error in the observations. People have a perception that computers are precise, exacting, and therefor reveal absolute truth. It can be a challenge to try to convey error through a demonstration on a computer.
Bringing this full circle, one might think that Mike Ellis in his article did what I just described, using a computer to display data. The difference is he drew unwarranted conclusions from the "data display" and parlayed it as "huge evidence." It would've been scientifically valid for Ellis to point out that a data correlation exists between CO2 and temperature. That's interesting. It could be used as a hypothesis, which could be used as motivation to do scientific research on it. The point where he stepped into pseudoscience was when he said this correlation showed a strong cause and effect relationship existed between the two. He did tried to do "science on a computer," as Kay would put it.
Posted in Education, flame, Math & Science	| Tagged Boulder, daily camera, global warming, pseudo-science | 1 Comment


Upon successful completion of the short programme, learners will receive an ICB Results Letter in Financial Reporting and Regulatory Frameworks. Only once all four short programmes have been successfully completed will the ICB apply to FASSET on the learner's behalf for the National Diploma: Financial Accounting qualification to be awarded. Learner results will be recorded on the ICB National Learner Records Database within 3 months of completion.
ONLY learners who have successfully completed all the components of the National Diploma: Technical Financial Accounting, SAQA ID 36213, NQF Level 5, Credits 251, are allowed access to register for this programme.
It is highly recommended that this Short Programme be registered together with Short Programme in Accounting Theory and Practice as these use the same material and the latter is actually the research component of the former.
The purpose of this programme is to enable the learner to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Financial Accounting in respect of the regulatory framework. On completion of this programme, learners would have acquired knowledge of the key areas of Financial Accounting, Information Systems in business, and Regulatory Frameworks (including International Financial Reporting Standards).


Preheat the oven to 180°C. Put the fish on a large piece of baking paper and brush with oil, placing the fresh tomatoes on top. Make a parcel by folding the paper, place on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.
Put the rice and diced tomatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and add the herbs and carrots. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the water has been absorbed and the rice and carrots are tender. Remove the basil leaves.
Remove any skin and bones from the fish and flake. Mix the fish and tomatoes in with the rice mixture and chop to consistency.


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NAMM 2017: TORAIZ AS-1 Monophonic Analog Synthesizer From Pioneer and DSI
Pure Analog – Meet the TORAIZ AS-1 Monophonic Analog Synthesizer for Production and Live Performances
oday, more than ever, producers are making tracks using electronic instruments such as synthesizers and drum machines. Now, in collaboration with Dave Smith Instruments, we've created a new monophonic synthesizer for music production and live performances: the TORAIZ AS-1. The synthesizer is the second musical instrument in our TORAIZ series that brings new creative possibilities to the studio and stage, and its release follows the launch of our popular TORAIZ SP-16 live sampler which made its debut August 2016.
The TORAIZ AS-1 is driven by a fully programmable, true analog synthesis engine based on the discrete analog circuitry in Dave Smith Instruments' Prophet-6 synthesizer – a modern reboot of his classic Prophet-5. Working closely with Dave Smith himself, we've created a synthesizer that produces powerful analog sound and makes an ideal addition to the set-ups of professional and aspiring producers.
Our experience in making DJ equipment and production gear has been poured into the development of the new synthesizer's user interface and performance features. The intuitive controls include parameter knobs that let you make both subtle and dramatic changes to the tone of your music to create your own personalized sound. You can use the touchpad-style keyboard and slider to manipulate sounds during performances. Also, it's easy to manipulate the seven on-board effects, which – with the addition of a brand-new digital distortion – come from the Prophet-6 synthesizer
You can connect the TORAIZ AS-1 synthesizer to the TORAIZ SP-16 live sampler via MIDI and use the sampler's sophisticated sequencer to create even more complex patterns with the powerful analog sounds you've created in the synthesizer. Together, the two TORAIZ instruments can be connected to your DJM mixer via Pro DJ Link and MIDI, creating a set-up where the CDJs play the track, the TORAIZ SP-16 adds loops and one-shots, and the TORAIZ AS-1 generates unique analog leads in sync with the BPM of the music.
The TORAIZ AS-1 will be available in the United States and Canada in March 2017, with a retail price of $499.00 USD.
Watch the TORAIZ AS-1 introduction video.
Learn more about the TORAIZ AS-1 monophonic analog synthesizer.
KEY FEATURES OF THE TORAIZ AS-1
1. True analog sound from Dave Smith Instruments' Prophet-6
Create your own fat bass and edgy lead sounds thanks to the synthesis engine at the core of the TORAIZ AS-1, which is based on the discrete analog circuitry of Dave Smith Instruments' revered Prophet-6 synthesizer. The TORAIZ AS-1 has two voltage-controlled oscillators (VCO) with continuously variable triangle, sawtooth and pulse wave shapes. Sculpt your sound using the two voltage-controlled filters (VCF) also from the Prophet-6: a 4-pole, resonant low-pass filter that can self-oscillate and a 2-pole, resonant high-pass filter.
2. Full programmability and 495 presets
Use the TORAIZ AS-1 to create one-of-a-kind sounds using two VCOs, two VCFs, one VCA,1 two EGs,2 and one LFO,3 then save each sound and its parameter settings as a program so you can access it later. There are 495 preset programs to give you inspiration, each with a different sound and 64-step sequence that can be edited independently. In addition, you can save up to 495 of your own programs in the five user banks, and you can assign up to 13 programs as Quick Programs to each key on the keyboard and instantly recall them at any time.
3. FX from the Dave Smith Instruments Prophet-6 synthesizer
Get creative with the Prophet-6-derived dual effects engine. Add a single effect or pair two together to add extra texture to your sounds. True bypass preserves a pure analog signal path.
• FX1: Bucket Brigade Delay, Distortion, Ring Modulation
• FX2: Chorus, High-resonance Phaser, Low-resonance Phaser, Maestro Phaser
4. Intuitive user interface and performance features
Create unique sounds and phrases using the intuitive touchpad-style keyboard and slider. Harness features such as the 64-step sequencer, arpeggiator and Scale Mode to bring even more creative possibilities to your performance.
• Keyboard and Scale Mode: Use the touchpad-style keyboard to perform with the sounds you create. Use Scale Mode to change the notes assigned to the keys, choosing from any of the 21 on-board scales. You don't need a deep understanding of musical theory. Just select the scale in which you want to play and the TORAIZ AS-1 will make sure your performance is in perfect harmony.
• Slider: Add dynamism to your performances by moving your finger up and down the slider to manipulate your choice of seven different parameters. Change the pitch of two oscillators at once, adjust the amount of FX, and more. The slider is sure to become an essential tool in your live performances.
• Arpeggiator: Perform a repeating chord pattern by holding notes on the touchpad-style keyboard. Change it in real time, either by octave or by changing its key in semitones. Experiment with combinations of different scales, or match the scale with that of a track that's playing.
• 64-step sequencer: Use the 64-step sequencer for step recording of patterns. Change the musical key of a pattern in real time by touching the relevant key of the keyboard during playback. Find inspiration from a preset sequence pattern and use Sequence Lock so you can play the keyboard and quickly edit the sound without editing the pattern that's playing.
5. Other features
Bright OLED display shows parameter information
USB-B port and MIDI terminals (IN, OUT/THRU) for easy connection to a PC/Mac or an external MIDI device
Robust metal chassis suitable for use in the studio or on stage
1 Voltage-controlled amplifier
2 Envelope generator
3 Low-frequency oscillator
Sound generation
Analog synthesis
Input / Output Terminals Outputs AUDIO OUT L/R ((¼-inch TS jacks), PHONES (¼-inch stereo phone jack)
MIDI MIDI IN (5P DIN), MIDI OUT/THRU (5P DIN)
USB USB (Type B)
Others TRIGGER IN (¼-inch TS jack)
Power supply AC adaptor (DC 5V)
Power consumption 1,500 mA
Maximum dimensions (WxDxH) 267.4 mm x 177.7 mm x 68.6 mm / 10.5" × 7.0" × 2.7"
Weight 1.4 kg / 3.1 lb
Accessories AC adaptor, Power cord, Quick Start Guide
* Mac and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the US and other countries.
About Pioneer DJ
Pioneer DJ Americas, Inc. is the subsidiary of Pioneer DJ Corporation responsible for sales and marketing in North, Central, and South America. For more than 20 years, Pioneer DJ has been a market leader in the design and production of innovative DJ equipment and software. The company works closely with DJs and clubs to deliver next generation products that inspire and shape the global dance music community. Its portfolio includes brands such as TORAIZ, Pioneer Professional Audio and Pioneer DJ Radio, rekordbox dj software, as well as social platforms KUVO and DJsounds. Pioneer DJ Corporation is a privately held company headquartered in Yokohama, Japan.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A black and white photograph of James Clifford Gartshore.
James Clifford Gartshore was born at Oshawa September 10, 1928 and moved to Whitby in 1939. He was a member of the Whitby Kinsmen Club starting in 1958, a President of the club, District Governor in 1964/65, and proclaimed a Life Member of the club in 1968. He was a Town Councillor from 1972-1975, and become Mayor in August 1975, upon the resignation of Desmond Newman.
James Clifford Gartshore, c. 1962, Photographer Unknown. Whitby Archives 31-002-068.


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Q: Simplifying following Boolean Expression and verify using Karnaugh Map I'm having trouble simplifying these two boolean expressions algebraically and proving them with a Karnaugh Map. How can I do this?
These are my two expressions:

1) (X * Y) + (X' * Y * Z')+ (Y * Z)
2) (X * Y') + Z + (X' + Y)+ (Y * Z)

I've tried going through it using the boolean theorems and laws to reduce them but I always come up with different answers. My answers usually comes up as this.

1) (Y * Z') + (X' * Y)
2) (X' * Y') + (X * Y' * Z')

I don't know if my K-Map is wrong, but I do need someone to help me understand how to solve this problem and the steps or laws I need to get the answer, so that I can master it. It is practice for exam, and I suck at boolean algebra. I appreciate it.

A: Let's start with the first expression:
E = XY + X'YZ' + YZ

The three terms have Y, then we can factor it out
E = Y(X + X'Z' + Z)

Now let's concentrate in the expression in parenthesis S = X + X'Z' + Z:
S = X + X'Z' + Z
  = X + (X + Z)' + Z         (De Morgan)
  = (X + Z) + (X + Z)'       (regrouping)

so, despite the fact that this still looks complex it has the form
S = p + p'

for p = X + Z, right? But p + p' = 1 (or true) no matter the value of p. Thus the expression S is 1 and we get
E = Y(X + X'Z' + Z) = YS = Y1 = Y

In other words, the first expression reduces to Y.
Notice also that it is not that hard to see why S = 1 without rewriting it. There are three cases: (a) If X is true, then certainly the expression is true. (b) If Z is true, the result is true also. (c) If none of X and Z are true then both are false and X'Z' is true. So, in each of these 3 cases at least one of the terms is true, hence their sum.
Let's now consider the second expression
F = XY' + Z + (X' + Y) + YZ

The first thing to note is that XY' is the opposite of (X' + Y):
(X' + Y) = (XY')'            (De Morgan)

So,
F = XY' + (XY')' + Z + YZ

Again, regardless of the fact that XY' + (XY')' looks complicated, it is an expression of the form p + p'. But p + p' = 1 (it is always true) and therefore
F = 1 + Z + YZ = 1

no matter the values of Y and Z. So, the second expression is nothing but 1 (aka true).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: c# emailing using static method in separate class I have a small program that checks a few folders for old files and if it finds them, it sends an email to me.  Everything works, but I have my email username and password hard coded in as:
SmtpServer.Credentials = new System.Net.NetworkCredential(
    "uname@domain.com", "password");

A friend looked at it and mentioned that he would use a separate class to be able to reuse the email code using a static method but I'm not sure if that will help (or how to implement that).  I'm going to start using Git/GitHub for change tracking and I don't want to have my email hard coded into a public repository.
I know the smtp password needs to be in plain text somewhere to work, but can I hide that outside my code and call it with a 'using' or some other option so the password isn't stored in the code?
Program written using Visual Studio Express 2012
Edit 1: Should have said this is just a console application .exe file that is called by a Windows Scheduled Task to do some folder monitoring on a remote server.  So it's compiled on my pc, but the exe file is saved and scheduled to run remotely.

A: For things like credentials (usernames and passwords) it's generally best to treat them as environmental configuration details.  That is, for any given instance of the application operating in any given environment, it would need a handful of configurable values to interact with the mail server:

*

*Hostname

*Username

*Password

Environmental configuration generally goes in the App.config or Web.config file.  At its simplest, you might have something like this in the config file:
<appSettings>
  <add key="SMTPUsername" value="uname@domain.com" />
  <add key="SMTPPassword" value="password" />
</appSettings>

Then to pull them from the configuration in your code, you'd do something like this:
SmtpServer.Credentials = new System.Net.NetworkCredential(
    System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["SMTPUsername"],
    System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["SMTPPassword"]);

You can abstract those settings behind a custom configuration class, have in-code defaults in case of empty values in the configuration, do all sorts of error checking on the configuration values, etc.  But ultimately you're pulling the values from the config file.
The config file can then be kept separate from your publicly-visible source code.  You'd want a config file included in the source code which contains sample configuration data, so people consuming the project can now how to configure it.  But you can keep a not-checked-in local configuration for your own needs, and deploy a custom configuration file to any production server which runs this application.  (That's really what configuration files are for, storing values which differ between instances of the same application.)
Whether you create a static helper method to handle this isn't really relevant to hiding these values.  You certainly can create such a method.  It doesn't need to be static, if you'd prefer a mailer object which you'd instantiate.  (Maybe something which implements IDisposable and uses that to internally dispose of SMTP object resources?  Get as creative as you want, really.)  But that abstraction alone doesn't hide your values, it just moves them from one class in the source code to another.  You want to remove them from the source code entirely.

A: Moving this into another DLL will not help in hiding this information, to do that, a very simple (yet basic) way to protect it is to first move this to your user info to your app config like
<appSettings>
  <add key="user" value="user@mydomain.com" />
  <add key="pwd" value="some password" />
</appSettings>

Next you need to encrypt that section, if it's a web app you can just run the below and it will do the work for you
aspnet_regiis -pe "WebConfigSectionName" -app "/WebAppName"

If your app is not a web app then you still can encrypt it, but you will need to write your own encryption routine, see this MSDN article
Finally in your code, you should be able to read the data from the config, note that it's been some time since I last did this, so experiment a bit, but I don't think you need anything special to read it in
string user = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["user"];
string pwd = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["pwd"];

Caveat:  If I recall correctly, the user context under which you run the encryption and your app must be the same or have access to the same key, meaning, if you run the app (or aspnet_regiis) to encrypt the app config section as "MySecurityUser", then the account running the app when it needs to read the encrypted section must be "MySecurityUser", it can't be "DaveUserId" (you won't be able to decrypt it)

A:
can I hide that outside my code and call it with a 'using' or some other option so the password isn't stored in the code?

Sure, store the information in a configuration file somewhere.  Read in the file programmatically.  The issue here is of course that a separate config file is, in many cases, more exposed than in compiled code.
You can encrypt the information, and then only store the encrypted version in the config file, but then either your config file, or somewhere else in your program, you need to store the private key to decrypt the password.  You've now essentially begged the question, as you now need to know where to safely store the private key.  This makes this problem effectively unsolvable.  You can make some information a bit harder to find by burying it deeply, or requiring someone to jump through a lot of hoops to get to it, but if there's some way for the program to get some sensitive information, and you have an intelligent, determined, malicious person with access to that program, then they will eventually be able to get to it.

A: Im sure there are a lot of solutions for this, but one thing you could do is store your email credentials in your app.config, and access them like this:
string email = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["Email"];
string password = ConfigurationManager.AppSettings["Password"];

A: Have you tried adding the values to your application settings?
You can access the settings from your the Project menu, look for " Properties...".  That will open the properties page and on the left you'll see "Settings".  Fill in your setting name (for example "Password") and type (likely string).  The value will be persisted in an xml file named "app.config" in your project.  Once compiled, you'll see the that file as ".exe.config".  You can modify that config file when you've deployed.
Access that value by name in your code:
SmtpServer.Credentials = new System.Net.NetworkCredential(
    "uname@domain.com", Properties.Settings.Default.Password);

This way you can modify the setting without committing confidential info to a repository somewhere.

A: Is asking them to enter their own email information a possiblity?
One option is to put it in the registry:
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/3389/Read-write-and-delete-from-registry-with-C
another option is to use web.debug.config and don't include in the repository:
How can I use Web.debug.config in the built-in visual studio debugger server?

A: If you will run your application at the same PC you can use ProtectedData.
So first encrypt your user name and password(i.e. in debug mode, save it and then use encypted string in .cs file).
SmtpServer.Credentials = new System.Net.NetworkCredential(
    ProtectedData.Unprotect([encrypted]), ProtectedData.Unprotect([here encrypted data]));


text:
L Hodges Funeral Service
Send Flowers for Hattie
Hattie Mae Toles
December 7, 1914 ~ January 12, 2020 (age 105)
Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD they GOD giveth thee. (Exodus 20:12).
Mrs. Hattie Mae Toles, daughter of the late Andrew Steward and Isabella Anderson, was born in Mississippi, December 7, 1914. She lived to be 105 years old, five score and five. Mrs. Toles is the widow of the late Hudie Toles. She is a member of South Hopewell MB Church and was a retired assembly line worker for Mott's Poultry Factory. She was also a member of the Heroines of Jericho, the oldest member of South Hopewell MB Church where she was a member of the Mother Board, former choir member, former Sunday School teacher, past church secretary, kitchen ministry, former usher and past chair person of the program committee. She also served 25 years as a Foster Grandparent where she received a gold medal award for her achievement in the Walk-a-Thon Relay.
Mother Toles loved fishing, sewing, quilting, and gardening. She went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, January 12, 2020, at her home with her family by her side. She is lovingly survived by her children: Susie Murphy, Juanita (Floyd) Ivy, both of Memphis TN, Shirley Robinson of Panama City FL, Isabella Johnson, Derich Austin, Wyome Powell, Dewey (Patricia) Toles all of Waterloo IO, Gloria (Richard) Brannon, Carilyn Flemons and Marilyn Toles all of Oxford MS and Herold Toles of Austin TX; her sister: Inez Wortham of Muskegon MI; 33 grandchildren, 49 great grandchildren and 31 great-great grandchildren.
Two children preceded her in death. H. L. Toles and Kathy Jean Anderson
Please keep the family in your prayers.
To send flowers to Hattie's family, please visit our floral section.
© 2020 L Hodges Funeral Service. All Rights Reserved. Funeral Home website by CFS


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Some Special Abilities may not be clearly explained or suffer repeated interpretations. We address those here.
Third paragraph, last sentence should read: "When a model is prone it suffers a penalty of+4 to its DEF and must use its next available action to stand up."
Second paragraph, last sentence, should read: "When a model is prone it suffers a penalty of +4 to its DEF and must use its next available action to stand up."
The explanation for the Dream Warriors states that the CC and RC scores of an attacker are reduced by half when they attack the Dream Warriors. This means that stat being used is reduced before any modifiers are applied. If it were the other way it would be stated as "reduce the modified CC or RC stats." There is a difference between the versions, most notably it being more punishing to Missile troops the way we intended it.


Fire blight caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora (Ea) is one of the most serious infectious diseases of pome fruits. The invention is about the use of a bacteriophage as biological control of pomaceous fire blight.
Fire blight caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora (Ea) is one of the most serious infectious diseases of pome fruits. The disease endemic exposes the fruit growers to the risk of serious direct (e.g. crop loss, fight costs) and indirect (e.g. future productive capacity of the orchard) damage. In favorable weather conditions, the disease can destroy an orchard of young trees during a single growing season.
The invention foresees the use of the phage M9, lytic for Ea (primary target), selected for its ability to cause lysis in 29 Ea strains typical of Northern Italy and to be propagated in laboratory on a strain of Pantoea vagans, a saprophytic, non-pathogenic enterobacterium (secondary target), which commonly cohabits as epiphyte in the same niche of the pathogen Ea. Consequently the lytic M9 phages, distributed well in advance on pomaceous trees, are able to persist indefinitely at the expense of the secondary target populations and may already be present on the host plant at the moment of immigration of Ea cells.
Phage M9 only multiplies in the presence of the target bacterium or bacteria taxonomically closely related to it; it disappears rapidly from the niche on which it is applied in the absence of target bacteria; it can be applied simultaneously with eukaryotic or prokaryotic organisms used as biopharmaceutical antagonists or competitors of harmful even when they differ from the secondary target in the same sub-ecosystem, possibly enhancing the effect. Phage M9 lacks of toxicity or adverse effects to eukaryotic organisms. With the aim of controlling fire blight in pome fruits, the invention can replace both copper and antibiotics and can be alternative or complementary or synergistic to other bio-pharmaceuticals. The permanence of phage M9, highly conditioned by environmental and microbial factors, can be ensured through the presence of wild strains of P.vagans or other P.vagans-related enterobacteria in the environment. The phage can be conveyed ahead by the contamination of the soil in which the plants are sold.


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text:
NHS Unveils Wall of Honor
Leah Navarra - 22 January 2019
Submitted by Leah Navarra on 22 January 2019
The Wall of Honor in Nutley High School is a new wall in remembrance of local veterans who gave their lives fighting for United States. This wall was unveiled on November 30, 2018 with the help of Principal Denis Williams, art teachers Ms. Melchionne and, Ms. Lappostato, and Nutley High School students. "The big piece is to remind citizens of the sacrifice men and women made for our freedom. It is important for students to be reminded of this everyday," said Mr.Williams.
The inspiration for the wall came from a conversation between Mr. Williams and Mr. JD Vick, a JHWMS teacher and advisor to the Patriots Club. Mr. Williams talked to Mr.Vick and the history club about Nutley's unique and rich military history. There is long traditional part of service in Nutley that most citizens are not aware of. Mr.Williams was inspired by most local service and also murals in other New Jersey high schools. "I had seen similar pieces in other schools," he said. "That created the drive to work on something here."
Even though inspiration is part of a plan, organization and staff and student participation was integral to this project. Ms. Melchionne was on of the driving forces behind the wall. She took a lot of her time to think about what the wall should look like. Mr. Williams, Ms. Melchionne, and Mr.Vick discussed what they envisioned and what names they wanted to see on the wall.
While the wall took a few years to materialize from idea to reality, the team kept reminding themselves of the importance to get it done. Now that it is complete, Mr.Williams hopes that students and staff are learning more from the wall than just art. "I would hope it provides context that they should remember things that are important," Mr.Williams said.
Mr. Williams believes that the wall should be meaningful to people in many ways, from knowing someone's name on the wall to giving gratitude for their service.
Ms. Melchionne was one of the main art teachers who worked on the wall. While taking about a year on the wall to plan, sketch, come up with concepts, paint, and finish up details, it was a learning process. Ms. Melchionne said, "After seeing it completed and getting to show it to some of our local veterans, I learned just how important a simple painting could be to someone. The emotion and gratitude from our veterans was truly humbling."
Even though the project was daunting at times, Ms.Melchionne is ecstatic that all the hard work is being recognized in a positive way.
Laura Serrano, a junior at NHS, was one of the students to work on the wall. "I thought it would be a nice contribute to the school," Serrano said. While she has only worked on the wall at the end of her sophomore year in June, she enjoyed it.
The Wall of Honor at Nutley High School is a piece of art that will live on for years. It may affect students, staff and veterans differently, but all can learn a lot from the Wall of Honor.
Noor Alalwan - Jun 19, 2019
Nutley High School offers its students multiple opportunities to contribute to the community around them, while also providing great ways to earn volunteer hours.
Molly Herschell - Jun 19, 2019
A Preview of the New Season of Stranger Things
Ataya Kuspiel - Jun 19, 2019
NHS has welcomed many new teachers and staff members this year. Ms. Nicole Iannotta began as a NHS counselor in January and has been working very hard every since.
Take Me Out to the Ball Game… 2,441 Miles Away
Allyssa Bovasso Pignataro - Jun 19, 2019
If you ask almost any student in high school right now if they've ever owned an Instagram fan account for a celebrity, sports player or team, the answer would likely be yes.
An Opportunity of a Lifetime
NHS Class President Sabrina Kuo to Make a Speech at 2019 Graduation
Camp Nutley Now Open for Registration
Noor Alalwan - May 31, 2019
Summer is the warmest of all the seasons; the days are longer. With all the exciting events that go with summer, the days fly by without notice.


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Watch as Dennis addresses some of the objections and frequently asked questions about baptism as an essential part of God's plan of salvation.
What do Christians Have the Right to Bear?
Our country has recently been focusing on the second amendment in light of recent events having to do with guns. The Bible has a lot to say about what we have the right to bear. Join Eric as he addresses this intriguing question.
Watch as Dennis lays the scriptural foundation for affirming that immersion in water is essential for becoming a Christian and receiving forgiveness of sin.
Much attention lately has been focused on America's "Fiscal Cliff." But, did you know that others wanted to throw Jesus over the cliff? Join Eric as he considers Luke 4:14-30 and how to deal with rejection from others.
This sermon defines, illustrates and explains the necessity of repentance in the plan of salvation.


text:
Bearish About Beer
Union Bear pledges to make a comeback in new Dallas location
Oak Cliff Change-up
Affordable American restaurant enters old Outpost spot in Oak Cliff
Gino's East Heads South
World-famous Chicago pizzeria deluges Texas with deep-dish pies
By Ryan Lakich
Austin-based ATX Brands has plans to bring Gino's East franchises to four Texas cities, including Dallas. Courtesy photo
Gino's East was founded in Chicago in 1966. Photo via Dangerous-business.com
Some of Chicago's most famous deep dish pizza is headed to four Texas cities. Austin-based ATX Brands, which operates breastaurant chain Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill, is bringing Gino's East to Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and Houston suburb The Woodlands.
This will be the first franchise outside of the Chicago area for Gino's East, which was founded in 1966. ATX Brands CEO and founder Doug Guller has been working with pizzeria on the project since late 2013, but news of the brand's foray into Texas only recently surfaced.
He says the reason for the partnership is two-fold. "Currently there's a hole in the Texas market for great deep dish pizza from Chicago, and when I contacted Gino's East, they were super excited about coming to Texas," he says.
"The other reason is that I lived there back in the late '90s and became a big fan of Gino's East, the Cubs and everything Chicago!"
Houston and San Antonio are slated to get the first restaurants. According to Eater, the Texas outposts will serve Chicago craft beers, Gino's East's signature sausage and Texas barbecue pizzas.


New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell is among the officials who have voiced opposition to expanding charter enrollment in the city.
C ommunity leaders, educators and elected officials;in;New;Bedford;have;come;out;against;proposals;seeking;to;more;than double;the;number;of;charter;school;seats;in;the;city by;expanding;two;existing;charter;schools.
While;a;proposal;to;create;another;school, the;New;Bedford;Cheironeum;Charter;School, was;recently;rejected;by;the;state;Department;of Elementary;and;Secondary;Education,;the;two expansion;proposals;are;still;on;the;table.
New;Bedford;already;loses;roughly;$14;million a;year;to;privately;run;charter;schools,;which;enroll approximately;1,175;students;from;the;city.;The proposed;expansions;would;more;than;double;the loss.
Alma;del;Mar;Charter;School,;which;currently enrolls;413;students;in;kindergarten;through;eighth grade,;wants;to;increase;that;number;by;1,188 students.;The;Global;Learning;Charter;Public School,;with;500;students;in;grades;five;to;12,;wants to;add;another;100;seats.;Its;expansion;plans;have been;denied;twice;before.
New;Bedford;Mayor;Jon;Mitchell;is;among;the officials;who;have;voiced;opposition;to;expanding charter;enrollment;in;the;city.;The;School;Committee voted;unanimously;to;oppose;a;charter;expansion;in August,;and;as;MTA Today;went;to;press,;the;City Council;had;a;similar;recommendation;under;review.
City;officials;opposed;to;the;charter;school expansion;have;said;that;adding;the;proposed;charter school;seats;would;be;too;big;a;blow;to;the;city's school;budget;and;noted;that;the;state;does;not;fully reimburse;districts;for;the;money;owed;to;them;to offset;the;public;funds;sent;to;privately;run;charter schools.
Under;state;guidelines,;New;Bedford;can increase;the;number;of;charter;school;seats;allowed in;the;city;by;1,225.;The;community;has;no;formal say;in;approving;new;charter;schools;or;expansions proposed;by;existing;schools.
The;DESE;invited;full;applications;for;the other;two;new;charter;schools:;the;Equity;Lab Charter;School,;which;would;impact;Lawrence, Haverhill;and;Methuen,;and;a;Montessori;school;in Haverhill.
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If you find public speaking as painful as having a tooth drilled while lying on a bed of nails, you are not in the minority. Unless you are one of the superhuman who find it a delightful experience, then read on for some tips on public speaking.
Personally, I used to find even the thought of getting up in front of a group of people the stuff of my worst nightmares, even worse than the one about clowns.
First thing first, you need to make sure you are fully prepared.
Read up on your subject, make notes, familiarise yourself with your material, practice your speech, revising it until your are perfectly happy with it.
Knowing that you are thoroughly prepared will increase your confidence.
Do some breathing exercises, they really do help to relieve tension and ease nervousness. Breath in slowly, hold your breath for a few seconds, then exhale slowly. Do this a couple of times. It will help to clear your mind and centre your thoughts. Trust me, it really does help.
Visualise yourself speaking, that you are confident and assured, with a clear voice. Get yourself into the mind set that you will succeed. Your audience want you to succeed; they want to hear what you have to say.
Use good posture, sit or stand up straight, don't fiddle with your hands or other objects, avoid nervous gestures. Look people in the eye, slowly look around the room. Add emphasis to different points by modulating your voice. You want to keep peoples attention.
Decide on whether you wish to use cue cards, if you want to use presentation materials, such as PowerPoint or an overhead projector. Practice using your chosen medium.
Remember that the more experience you gain in public speaking, the more confidence you will gain. It's like any exercise, the more you do it, the easier it gets. So get your public speaking muscles in shape!
As Alexander Gregg said, "There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience".
Whether you are speaking at Conference and Meeting Venues or at your daughter's wedding if you follow the above it should help make it a less traumatic experience.


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The representatives are committed to the job.
Amazing plugin, excellent support and a pure joy to work with! Thanks so much to the entire MiniOrange team.
The plugin is working perfectly. It's not often you have a plugin do everything you were hoping for, but this one has done exactly that.
The administration area is easy to use and has many great features. I was able to update settings with a few clicks and test immediately.
I cannot speak enough about the amazing support Jeswanth and the MiniOrange team has provided. It was a true joy to work with this company.
The MiniOrange team provides a step by step tutorial on setting up the plugin. The tutorial will show you exactly where you need to go.
I used this to: We used the MiniOrange plugin to create Single Sign On between our company websites. We customized the plugin to gather user details from our organizations systems like SalesForce and NetForum, create new accounts, and update existing accounts accordingly. Truly Amazing!
Terrible part of the package - very hard to uninstall. I'll never use any extension from this company.
Very easy to configure. Excellent integrated tool to test connection to IDP.
Easy connection to an OAuth source. We are using google and it let us allow our domain to add accounts to our joomla site easily.
Once we got past a configuration issue on the google side it was straight forward and easy to use.
We contacted the guys at miniOrange and they got back to us the same day. We didn't put a / at the end of our URI and they caught it!
I used this to: Easily adding users in the google domain to the joomla site was what we were going for. So far so good!


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A pentagon is a five-sided polygon.

Pentagon or the Pentagon may also refer to:

Places

United States
 The Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense in Arlington County, Virginia, US
 United States Department of Defense, as a metonym
 Pentagon station, a Washington Metro station
 Sanford Pentagon, an indoor sports arena in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Elsewhere
 Pentagon (Brussels), the historical city centre of Brussels, delimited by the "small ring"
 Pentagon (Wiesbaden), the historical city centre of Wiesbaden, Germany
 Pentagon Shopping Centre, a shopping centre in Chatham, Kent, England
 Pentagon bus station, a defunct bus station located within the Pentagon Shopping Centre
 Pentagono del Buontalenti, in Livorno, Italy

Music
 Pentagon (Japanese band)
 Pentagon (South Korean band)
 The Pentagon (album), a 1976 album by pianist Cedar Walton

People
 Pentagón, a professional wrestling character in lucha libre
 Pentagón Jr. (born 1985), Mexican masked professional wrestler

Other uses
 Pentagon (computer), a Soviet clone of the ZX Spectrum computer

See also
 Bamboo Pentagon, a mythical secret headquarters of the Viet Cong
 Pentacon
 Pentaconn

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


1 mini-Cazador-del-sol® [80 mm in diameter, red] with eloxal-coated aluminium stem [length ca. 270 mm] and 2 green leaves to be sticked into the stem. Sunflower Lilly is mounted on a little wooden base and is a real eye-catcher especially indoors!


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East Ham Customer Service Centre and Library scoops National Brick Award 2014
Currie & Brown provided project and cost management services on London Borough of Newham's East Ham Customer Service Centre and Library, which has scooped the Best Public Building award at the Brick Development Association's 2014 Brick Awards.
Cornwall House wins Green Gown Award 2014
Currie & Brown provided project management, cost management and CDM-C services on the University of Exeter's Cornwall House project which won a Green Gown award in the 'Construction and Refurbishment' category.
Jack Keillor presenting at Education Construction Network conference
Currie & Brown's Jack Keillor, divisional director in the London office, is presenting at the Education Construction Network annual conference on 26 and 27 November. The conference is being held at The Building Centre, Store Street, London WC1E 7BT.
Currie & Brown celebrates double success
Currie & Brown's Jersey office was recently presented with two awards at the Jersey Construction Council's 2014 Construction Awards.
Garry Sanderson joins Currie & Brown as UK COO
Currie & Brown has announced the appointment of Garry Sanderson as chief operating officer of the UK business.
Mumbai's new airport terminal has the X-Factor
When the new terminal at Mumbai's international airport opened to passengers in January 2014, it saw the successful completion of what has been described as "the most difficult airport programme in the world".
Colin Campbell shortlisted for APM award
Colin Campbell, director at Currie & Brown's Scotland Hub office, has been shortlisted for a prestigious award by the Association of Project Management (APM) in recognition of his contribution to the highly successful redevelopment of Parliament House in Edinburgh.
Cayan Tower wins CTBUH 2014 Best Tall Building Award
Cayan Tower (formerly known as Infinity Tower) in Dubai, for which Currie & Brown provided project management services, has won several international awards, the most recent of which is the CTBUH (Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat) '2014 Best Tall Building Award for Middle East and Africa Region'.
The verdict is ... excellent
Currie & Brown recently spent six years at Scotland's highest civil court. However, there's no need for concern – the company was managing a major redevelopment of Parliament House in Edinburgh and the final verdict was positive in the extreme.
ITER cryostat workshop works set to be completed ahead of schedule
Currie & Brown has indicated to ITER India that works on the ITER cryostat project will very likely be completed ahead of the scheduled August 2014 handover date. Currie & Brown has provided expertise in project and contract management.
BBC Broadcasting House project wins award
Currie & Brown is proud to have provided cost management services on the BBC Broadcasting House project which has been named as joint winner of the Corporate Workplace award at the British Council for Offices' London and South East regional finals 2014.
Currie & Brown at AUDE 2014
Currie & Brown will be taking part in this year's AUDE conference and exhibition at the University of Roehampton from 13 to 16 April.


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NewsNational NewsLocalNew York City News
BLM Leader Threatens Adams With "Rioting, Fire & Bloodshed" in NYC
Black Lives Matter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin's alleged shooter, George Zimmerman, who was ultimately found not guilty. Photo Credit: AP
New push to eliminate 'corrupt' FBI amid 'baffling' synagogue reasoning
Newsome storms of Fox News' Dan Bongino Show After Refusing to Answer Question
Edited by: TJVNews.com
Ever since Hawk Newsome, the Black Lives Matter co-founder of its New York City chapter, issued threats to Mayor-Elect Eric Adams regarding his policing policy, Hawk and his sister Chivona have garnered quite a bit of publicity for their bombastic rhetoric.
Last week, when Adams sought to bring back the NYPD's controversial Anti-Crime Unit, which was disbanded after widespread anti-police protests last year, Newsome, 44, threatened total anarchy, as was reported by the New York Post.
Subsequent to their private meeting last Wednesday at Brooklyn's Borough Hall building, Newsome took to the media cameras and threatened that, ""If they think they are going back to the old ways of policing then we're going to take to the streets again. There will be riots. There will be fire, and there will be bloodshed."
On Thursday, Newsome saw fit to rub some salt in the wounds by embellishing on the threats he made to Adams in a social media post while waiting for a flight at JFK airport, according to the Post report. He posted: Mayor Elect Eric Adams want to Bring back the NYPD Anti-Crime unit that murdered SEAN BELL, AMADOU DIALLO, and ERIC GARNER," The Post reported that Newsome said in the post to his 29,200 Instagram followers, referring to some New York City victims of police violence. "We can't let that slide….You and I both know that we are up against an Evil and violent system."
Last week, when Eric Adams sought to bring back the NYPD's controversial Anti-Crime Unit, which was disbanded after widespread anti-police protests last year, Newsome, 44, threatened total anarchy, as was reported by the New York Post. Photo Credit: AP
Quite expectedly, a media firestorm gathered a fast paced momentum in the wake of the bellicose comments by Newsome. The media swooped down to request more interviews with Newsome in the hopes that perhaps he might utter more nefarious threats or call for even further acts of violence that are geared towards disrupting the city.
On Saturday night, however, Newsome was challenged for his menacing statements by Fox News' Dan Bongino, who accused Newsome of refusing to provide direct answers to questions presented to him.
On Saturday night, however, Newsome was challenged for his menacing statements by Fox News' Dan Bongino, who accused Newsome of refusing to provide direct answers to questions presented to him. Photo Credit: AP
During the heated exchange, Bongino, a former NYPD officer and stalwart advocate for law and order and a civilized society, the Fox News host called Newsome a "coward" for refusing to condemn riots and wanton vandalism. Ultimately, Newsome walked off the show without addressing the question.
There is no doubt that rioting and vandalism had significantly escalated last year in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder in Minneapolis. As such, the national spotlight focused on police specifically targeting minorities and people of color for abuse and even murder.
Bongino asked whether Newsome would condemn the "riots and the burning down of buildings" that have become more of a common occurrence when police and minorities clash.
Hank Newsome, the president of Black Lives Matter New York, addressed the right-wing 'Mother of All Rallies' in Washington DC – Photo Credit: NowThis/Twitter
Newsome skirted the issue by saying, "No. What I'll say is, I understand when a police officer unjustifiably kills someone, why people lash out. I understand that completely, I'm not going to condemn, nor am I going to condone it."
It was then that Bongino shot back and called Newsome "cowardly" for taking junk, avoiding the question and refusing to directly and unequivocally condemn violence in the name of seeking "justice."
The Fox News host queried: "Do you condone violence or you condemn violence? You're all over the place. Just condemn violence and burning of buildings down. How hard is it?"
For his part Newsome claimed that Bongino was not giving him a chance to speak his mind and was hogging the airwaves. The Post reported that it was then that Newsome drew a skewed comparison of Black Lives Matter protests to the US response in the aftermath of the September 11th terror attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in the Washington, DC area.
Newsome posed the question to Bongino by asking, "OK, so when Osama bin Laden attacked the World Trade Center, did you say America should deal with it peacefully?" The Post reported that this question prompted Bongino to argue that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were not relevant to the rioting situation in NYC.
Newsome responded: "OK, I'll give you this. I don't condone it, I don't promote it, but I will not condemn it." The Post reported that he then cut the interview short, telling Bongino: "You're trying to bait me."
Until now, little has been known about Newsome. The Post created a profile of the Black Lives Matter leader as a combination of a militant and politician. He appears as a shady figure in his Bronx neighborhood, according to the report, as he chews on a fat cigar and wears a bullet proof vest. One might imagine that he has a cadre of enemies.
Those who oppose Newsome's sharp statements about the national Black Lives Matter movement have expressed their displeasure and thusly, Newsome has not morphed in to a paragon of stability for the civil rights cause. The Post has also reported that due to the failure on the part of Newsome to file financial reports, the IRS has revoked the charitable status of his organization, which would no doubt significantly hinder their fundraising efforts.
The group, however, is resourceful when it pertains to generating a cash flow. The Post reported that BLM "continues to seek donations on its web site, instructing visitors to donate through one-time payments or monthly sums using PayPal and credit or debit cards. The group sells sweatshirts with the "BLM NY" logo and "Donald Trump is a White Supremacist," noting that buying them "is the best way to support our organization."
According to the Post report, Hawk and younger sister, Chivona Newsome run a political consulting company. In 2016, the two also founded New York Black Lives Matter Inc, a charity which lists its address as a Bronx apartment. Hawke's name at birth was Walter and he is so shrinking violet. At over 6 feet tall and tipping the scales at 250 lbs, he is certainly a force to be reckoned with in any street action.
Interestingly, Newsome has never been a member of Black Lives Matter Global Network, the national arm of the movement, according to the Post. Apparently, the global movement is way too disciplined for Newsome's brand of iron fisted leadership
The Post reported that last year, Kailee Scales, a managing director of Black Lives Matter Global Network, said in a statement on the group's web site that, "Hawk Newsome has no relation to the Black Lives Matter Global Network … and is not 'president' of BLM or any of its chapters."
Newsome had a veritable field day in launching attacks against some BLM leaders such as former co-founder, Patrisse Khan-Cullors. In April of this year, the Post revealed Cullors was spending movement money on grand real estate deals while scooping up some multi-million dollar homes
Speaking to the Post, Newsome said: "If you go around calling yourself a socialist, you have to ask how much of her own personal money is going to charitable causes. It's really sad because it makes people doubt the validity of the movement and overlook the fact that it's the people that carry this movement."
In a Tuesday report on The Hill web site, a new poll has revealed that Americans are evenly divided as it pertains to support for Black Lives Matter.
The Hill reported that the survey was conducted by Civiqs, a nonpartisan online survey organization that is associated with the progressive media group Daily Kos. The poll results indicated that on Monday 44 percent of Americans said they support the Black Lives Matter movement, and another 44 percent said they oppose the campaign.
Eleven percent of respondents said they do not support or oppose the drive, and one percent said they remain unsure, according to the Hill report.
Black Lives Matter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin's alleged shooter, George Zimmerman, who was ultimately found not guilty. According to their web site, the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Inc. is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to "eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. "
Their web site also says that BLM "affirms the lives of Black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, undocumented folks, folks with records, women, and all Black lives along the gender spectrum. Our network centers those who have been marginalized within Black liberation movements."
(Additional reporting by Fern Sidman)
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Photograph This!: Revenge of the Cheap Ring Flash Adapter.
Revenge of the Cheap Ring Flash Adapter.
I have been using a ring flash for the past few months. It makes for really dynamical images with saturated colors. I even use it to shoot flowers. The image on the left was taken with Profoto equipment: Ring Flash, two gridded strobe heads (one on each side), one behind the subject (Hey Luna!) and one large softbox close to camera left. However, a ring Flash, four strobes and a large softbox is quite an expensive set of equipment to own and will set you back a few grands.
So what if I only have $80 and buy one of the cheap Ring Flash Adapters that one can find on the web? They are pretty cool, you mount them on top of your Speedlite (I have the Canon 580X II), you hotshoe it on camera and you can even shoot TTL with it if you like. I have found mine on ebay (It's called "COCO"), but you can find one very similar here. Or you can buy the well known "Ray Flash" for about $200. The right image was shot with it and an optically slaved Alien Bee softbox at camera left.
or need to shoot outdoors AND have the cash definitely go for the Profoto, but be prepared to temporarily blind your subject if you are not careful and go after that notorious "Ring Flash" look. (Note: the Ray Flash has an official GN of 45 with the same Speedlite, so it is a bit more efficient than the COCO).
The adapter allows for a slightly different look: I shot the image on the right at ISO 100, f2.8, wide angle and at 1/16 power for the Speedlite. I was at about 2 feet from the subject (Hey Lucianne!). This combination allows for two effects: a sharp light falloff and shallow dept of field. I think I dig it.
Thinking about Modeling? Read This First.