With statistics showing that 8% of Internet users account for 85% of display ad clicks and with conflicting reports on the effectiveness of PPC ads, it's not surprising that many businesses are taking a hard look at their online advertising budgets. One area that we don't see being considered in those audits is what we call "media management debt," which is basically the ongoing expense incurred by lazy set-up practices for online advertising programs.
"Media management debt" is a nod to technical debt, a concept we covered in a recent article. Technical debt is when you do something quick and dirty, vowing to do it properly down the road — a dynamic many people within technology industries are familiar with and which industrial companies, which are developing more technological infrastructure to do business and power the future, are bound to run across from time to time.
Bearing the concept of technical debt in mind, let's develop our idea of media management debt and take a closer look at why you may already be an unknowing victim of it. We'll end with some tips on how to avoid and/or correct the practices that can lead to unmanageable media management debt, empowering you to get the most out of your online advertising spend.
Like technical debt, media management debt is gathered by taking quick-and-dirty approaches to managing online advertising placements, keywords, bids, or strategies that create short-term solutions, but end up sacrificing time, money, and quality in the long-term.
While this prospect is enticing, we would highly encourage you to pause that thought and spend the same time researching, building, and preparing each campaign like you did the initial one. Even when verticals and business units are similar, search patterns, keyword bids, and even geo-targets can change dramatically from one to the other.
The danger with this scenario — and where media management debt comes in — is that you won't necessarily notice how ineffective the duplicated campaigns are until you've spend a lot of money over time on keywords that didn't convert. Then you'll have to build the campaigns the way you should have initially. Those lost months and rebuild time cost money you wouldn't have had to spend otherwise.
It is not uncommon to develop ads and then link them to any old page on your site. While this is not inherently bad, what happens more often than not when landing pages aren't built with conversions or online advertising in mind is that the ads end up being either restricted to the content that is already on the non-optimized page, or not related enough to garner high Quality Scores from Google.
This lack of attention will cause you slowly to lose money until you realize that you've become a victim of media management debt. Many times, marketers will spend time trying to optimize the ads and bids themselves without realizing that the true problem lies with the landing page. By the time the landing page issue is discovered, they're thousands of dollars down and then have to spend money for an agency or internal resource to build a new page that is set up to convert the traffic coming in from the ads.
Back in the day, it was common practice and often beneficial to consider as many keywords and permutations of those keywords as possible (especially in Google AdWords). But with recent search algorithm updates like Hummingbird focusing more on organic context rather than exact matching and with AdWords increasing the use of close variant keyword matching, the older strategies aren't as viable and can actually cost you time and money.
In these sorts of situations, media management debt comes into play when you've stuffed your campaigns and ad groups with thousands (or millions) of keyword variations and long-tails. In the past, this would ensure that your ads would show up no matter what people searched, but with the updates mentioned above, these extraneous keywords most likely have low quality scores and bring down the effectiveness of your entire online advertising efforts.
The thought of losing money unnecessarily is scary for a lot of organizations, especially when budgets are tight and each channel needs to prove its worth.
The most straightforward way to avoid media management debt is to simply spend the time to do things right up front. This usually requires a dedicated internal resource focused on managing your online advertising efforts. Sure, you'll spend the money on the employee, but if you hire the right person, you'll save a lot in the long run by avoiding the debt incurred by not managing your online advertising it correctly.
If you aren't in the place to hire a dedicated internal resource, or have an internal resource that is still getting their sea legs, another viable strategy is to work with a consultant or agency to guide your team through the process and avoid incurring media management debt. There are plenty of PPC and online media experts out there who would be willing to walk your organization through the necessary steps.
The final strategy available to you is to hire an agency to manage your online advertising straight out. Specialized agencies exist for every vertical, including the industrial sector, and will be more than willing to take the burden off your hands. Finding a good one with years of experience in managing media placements, bids, keywords and the like can often be the most satisfying strategy.
Like technical debt, media management debt is avoidable if you commit to taking the necessary steps up front to avoid it. Does it take someone spending a lot of time to do it correctly? Yes. Does it take someone with knowledge of online advertising best practices and platforms? Yes. But it is possible and avoidable.
If you find yourself in a situation where you think you may have already incurred media management debt or you think it might just be time to turn to the experts, feel free to reach out and contact us for help.


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Facility Manager Cost Saving/Best Practice Quick Reads RSS Feed
Roof Collapse Offers Tough Reminder
June 15, 2018 - Contact FacilitiesNet Editorial Staff »
By Ryan Berlin Roofing
One of the most important responsibilities for maintenance and engineering managers is ensuring roofs on their facilities are in good condition. Twice annual roof inspections by technicians can go a long way in ensuring roofs function as designed and intended. Things don't always work out as planned, though.
The Junction Lanes Family Entertainment Center in Newnan, Ga,, suffered major damage in a severe thunderstorm that caved in a portion of the building's roof. When the roof caved in, the fire sprinkler line broke, causing additional damage to the building, according to NBC 11.
The area where the roof collapsed was empty when it happened, says Ryan Huber, Junction Lanes. Occupants were quickly evacuated, and no injuries were reported in the incident.
"Fortunately, (the collapse occurred) at a time when we were in between busy day and busy night, so we only had 12 lanes going a the time," Huber says, adding that the roof is huge — about the size of one-and-a-half football fields. The goal now is to figure out what went wrong and to repair and the resulting damage.
This Quick Read was submitted by Ryan Berlin, managing editor of Facility Maintenance Decisions.
Read next on FacilitiesNet
Outsourcing and the Cost-Quality Balance
Raccoon Scales Building, Becomes Star
Design and Maintenance: The Missing Link
New State Hospital Will Feature Tighter Security

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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The brewer has an intuitive LED interface that displays the brewing status and freshness indicator. The single dial design allows you to program how many cups you want to brew at a time. You can select between two settings, either 2-4 cups of 5-9 cups and the brewer automatically adjusts brew time to account for the capacity you choose.
First, water is heated to the optimum brewing temperature (197.6-204.8 F degrees) and maintains this temperature throughout the full brewing cycle. Next, water is pumped to the brew basket in timed cycles, beginning with a short cycle known as a pre-soak that allows coffee to "bloom" while it releases gases for full flavor extraction. A built in microprocessor measures time and temperature from beginning to end, ensuring precision during each step of the cycle.
The showerhead is perfectly designed to evenly disperse water over the coffee grounds for optimal saturation and flavor extraction. The cone shaped brew basket ensures coffee grounds are perfectly saturated no matter which brew size setting you choose to use.
Once coffee has entered the carafe the internal mixing tube delicately blends coffee as it is being brewed into the carafe, ensuring the first and last sips are equally delicious.
Other notable features include a freshness timer which will indicate how long its been since your coffee finished brewing. A wake up timer allows you to set your brewer to start whenever is most convenient. The vacuum insulated carafe is double-walled to keep your coffee hot and fresh.


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Zagadka Powdera – amerykański dramat z 1995 roku.

Obsada
 Mary Steenburgen – Jessie Caldwell
 Sean Patrick Flanery – Jeremy Powder Reed
 Lance Henriksen – Szeryf Doug Barnum
 Jeff Goldblum – Donald Ripley
 Brandon Smith – Zastępca Harley Duncan
 Bradford Tatum – John Box
 Susan Tyrrell – Maxine
 Missy Crider – Lindsey Kelloway
 Ray Wise –	Dr Aaron Stripler
 Esteban Powell – Mitch
 Reed Frerichs – Skye
 Chad Cox – Zane
 Joe Marchman – Brennan
 Phil Hayes – Greg Reed
 Danette McMahon – Emma Barnum
 Tom Tarantini – Steve Barnum
 Woody Watson – Deke Kelloway
 Alex Morris – Dr Duane Roth
 Brady Coleman – Dr Deggan

Linki zewnętrzne

Amerykańskie dramaty filmowe
Amerykańskie filmy z 1995 roku
Filmy w reżyserii Victora Salvy
Filmy wytwórni Hollywood Pictures
Filmowe ścieżki dźwiękowe Jerry'ego Goldsmitha
Filmy wytwórni Caravan Pictures

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Light out for the trail, conquer the road, or lasso yourself a horse. The point is: whatever your pleasure, you can do it in the sage colored Stetson Bronco. As versatile as it is finely crafted, the interior has a fine satin lining accompanied by a long-lasting leather sweatband. This is a close-out item. Once it's gone, it's gone for good. Made in the U.S.A.


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Rep. Cori Bush Calls Inaction On Eviction Moratorium A 'Moral Failure'
Drawing on her own experience as a previously unhoused person, the freshman lawmaker from Missouri demanded action on the CDC eviction moratorium before it expired Saturday night.
Anoa Changa
Rep. Cori Bush woke up Saturday morning with a message to her Congressional colleagues, come back to work so we can prevent mass evictions. The Missouri representative led a group who slept outside on the Capitol steps Friday night to call attention to the House recess ahead of the CDC moratorium's expiration Saturday night.
Joined by Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Ilhan Omar, Bush said her night out on the steps went better than it would for someone, given her support system and access to a safe location, food, and bathroom access.
"When I was unhoused, I felt, I was very unsafe, my children were unsafe," Bush explained in an interview with D.C. independent journalist Chuck Modiano. "The lives of actual people that we're supposed to represent…like human beings actually are at risk by this policy decision or the lack of one. So, we're out here."
Still seated on the Capitol steps as the afternoon rolled around, Bush led an Instagram Live conversation with Jonathan Van Ness, and later, Sen. Elizabeth Warren joined Bush in person. In response to questions, both women expressed a desire to see the CDC take action and extend the moratorium before the midnight expiration.
Warren also stressed the money for housing assistance that is still sitting on the table.
"And remember, Congress allocated $48 billion in order to make sure that landlords would get help and be able to help families," said Warren. "The problem is it was a complicated program; people were under a lot of stress already because of COVID…so it's taken a long time, longer in some states than others, but it's taken a long time to get the wheels starting to turn to be able to push that money out."
The senior senator from Massachusetts also noted that state and local infrastructure was inadequate in some areas to deal with the volume of assistance needed due to the pandemic. Unlike the House, the Senate remains in session.
"Right now, we still have 10s of billions of dollars that is unspent," Warren continued. "I don't want to spend that money after people have been moved out of their homes. I want to use that money to keep people in their homes."
Chair of the House Rules Committee Rep. Jim McGovern joined Bush on the Capitol steps shortly after 4 pm on Saturday. McGovern told Bush the Rules Committee was willing to reconvene to take action on the moratorium.
Around 5 pm Bush and Pressley were joined by six House colleagues in a letter to the President and the CDC requesting unilateral action on extending the eviction moratorium. Pressley tweeted that while the group was still pushing for the House and Senate to take action, the urgency was necessary.
The lack of Congressional action punts the eviction crisis to state representatives and local elected officials, leaving a national crisis to be resolved in a piecemeal fashion. State and local eviction moratoriums adopted during the first few months of the pandemic have long since expired in many places.
Earlier in the week, Bush published an op-ed in Time magazine recounting her own experience with housing insecurity as a resident of the district she now represents.
"I think about how society wanted me to believe that being unhoused was my fault," wrote Bush. "We have a deeply rooted misconception in our country that unhoused people have done something to deserve their conditions ─ when the reality is that unhoused people are living the consequences of our government's failure to secure the basic necessities people need to survive."
In her afternoon remarks from the Capitol steps, Bush again stressed the real human impact of failed action on the needed policy. She questioned the logic of adding a possible 7 million more people to those who are already without housing.
"We are already fighting a battle and losing a battle because there are people who slept out last night, the night before," Bush said. "We don't have enough of shelters. We don't have the safe housing for them right now. And that's a failure. That's another moral failure on our society."
Black Radio Pioneer Sidney Miller Jr. Has Passed Away
Rep. Cori Bush Calls Inaction On Eviction Moratorium A 'Moral Failure' was originally published on newsone.com


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Finnish Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport driver, Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas on the track
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport 2018
Marriott Simulator Challenge
Marriott International's loy...
Source: Marriott International, Inc. | Nov 21, 2018
Marriott International provides exclusive access for Loyalty Members during the adrenaline fuelled Grand Prix Race weekend
Unveils unique experiences at the 10th Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix through its partnership with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport
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تتوفر أيضا في العربية
We are committed to creating memories that connect with our members through their passions
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, November 22, 2018/APO Group/ --
Marriott International (Marriott.com) will provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to members of its award-winning loyalty programs – Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), who redeemed their points for Moments, to get up close and personal with Finnish Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport driver, Valtteri Bottas. As part of its partnership with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, racing enthusiasts will get access to the racer with a unique opportunity to interact with the driver during the 2018 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The winner of the Marriott Simulator Challenge happening between 15 and 25 November at The Village, at Le Méridien Abu Dhabi will have the opportunity to go head-to-head with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport driver on a racing simulator during the exclusive reception at the Yas Hotel Abu Dhabi. For more information on the Marriott Simulator Challenge, visit http://bit.ly/MarriottAbuDhabi
Taking place between 22 and 25 November at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, Marriott International's loyalty members will be able to catch all the excitement of an adrenaline-fueled race weekend. The Marriott Garage, located in the F1 Fanzone at the Yas Marina Circuit, will host four racing simulators with prizes to be won every day and an exclusive sweepstakes for UAE racing fans enrolling into Marriott International's loyalty programs. For more information on the sweepstakes, visit http://bit.ly/MarriottSweepstakes. Finally, guests staying at participating hotels from Marriott International's portfolio in Abu Dhabi will be in pole position all weekend with an energizing 'Driver's Breakfast' specially created in collaboration with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport nutritionists.
This unforgettable experience comes hot on the heels of Marriott International's recent unveiling of its unified set of benefits across Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) for members of its incredibly rich hospitality loyalty program.
"We are committed to creating memories that connect with our members through their passions. Our partnership with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport has enabled us to create a truly special experience so we can be the catalyst for building memories that last a lifetime and capture the hearts of racing fanatics," said Neal Jones, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International.
With the new unified loyalty program, members can now earn on average 20 percent more points per dollar spent and have their Elite status recognized consistently at every hotel as they indulge in the elevated benefits they've earned. The Moments experiential platform now includes more than 110,000 experiences across 1,000 destinations, from must-see attraction tickets and tours for purchase with cash by all guests, to once-in-a-lifetime events only available to members using points, including the new bespoke Moments Live event series.
To sign up and be a part of Marriott International's loyalty program which includes Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and SPG, please visit: Members.Marriott.com. For more information on Moments and experience more once-in-a-lifetime experiences from around the world, visit: https://www.Moments.Marriottrewards.com
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Marriott International, Inc..
Anjali Mehra
anjali.mehra@marriott.com
Bassel Barakat
bassel.barakat@fourcommunications.com
About Marriott Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards:
Marriott International's (Marriott.com) award-winning loyalty programs – Marriott Rewards, SPG, and The Ritz-Carlton Rewards – unite 29 unique and iconic global brands and over 6,700 distinctive properties in 130 countries and territories around the world, providing members with endless inspiration to travel the world. The programs, operating under one set of unparalleled benefits, enable more 110 million members to earn points toward free hotel stays, and achieve Elite status faster than ever, seamlessly and easily book or redeem points for stays throughout the portfolio. To enhance their travels, member may also indulge in 120,000 experiences offered on moments.marriott.com. When booking direct on Marriott.com, SPG.com or any of Marriott's mobile apps, members can take advantage of exclusive Member Rates, free and enhanced Wi-Fi, mobile check-in and checkout, Mobile Requests and, wherever available, Mobile Key. To enroll for free or for more information about the programs, visit Marriott.com or SPG.com. Travelers can also connect with Marriott Rewards on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/marriottrewards), Twitter (https://bit.ly/2TtqGdq) and Instagram (https://bit.ly/2Dwt6m9) and learn more about #spglife on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SPG/), Twitter (https://bit.ly/2BprSrl) and Instagram (https://bit.ly/2OVKoeg).
Events/Media Advisory
Marriott International provides exclusive access for Loyalty Members during the adrenaline fuelled Grand Prix Race weekend Unveils unique experiences at the 10th Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix through its partnership with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, November 22, 2018/APO Group/ -- Marriott International (Marriott.com) will provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to members of its award-winning loyalty programs – Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), who redeemed their points for Moments, to get up close and personal with Finnish Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport driver, Valtteri Bottas. As part of its partnership with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, racing enthusiasts will get access to the racer with a unique opportunity to interact with the driver during the 2018 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The winner of the Marriott Simulator Challenge happening between 15 and 25 November at The Village, at Le Méridien Abu Dhabi will have the opportunity to go head-to-head with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport driver on a racing simulator during the exclusive reception at the Yas Hotel Abu Dhabi. For more information on the Marriott Simulator Challenge, visit http://bit.ly/MarriottAbuDhabi Taking place between 22 and 25 November at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, Marriott International's loyalty members will be able to catch all the excitement of an adrenaline-fueled race weekend. The Marriott Garage, located in the F1 Fanzone at the Yas Marina Circuit, will host four racing simulators with prizes to be won every day and an exclusive sweepstakes for UAE racing fans enrolling into Marriott International's loyalty programs. For more information on the sweepstakes, visit http://bit.ly/MarriottSweepstakes. Finally, guests staying at participating hotels from Marriott International's portfolio in Abu Dhabi will be in pole position all weekend with an energizing 'Driver's Breakfast' specially created in collaboration with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport nutritionists. This unforgettable experience comes hot on the heels of Marriott International's recent unveiling of its unified set of benefits across Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) for members of its incredibly rich hospitality loyalty program. "We are committed to creating memories that connect with our members through their passions. Our partnership with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport has enabled us to create a truly special experience so we can be the catalyst for building memories that last a lifetime and capture the hearts of racing fanatics," said Neal Jones, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International. With the new unified loyalty program, members can now earn on average 20 percent more points per dollar spent and have their Elite status recognized consistently at every hotel as they indulge in the elevated benefits they've earned. The Moments experiential platform now includes more than 110,000 experiences across 1,000 destinations, from must-see attraction tickets and tours for purchase with cash by all guests, to once-in-a-lifetime events only available to members using points, including the new bespoke Moments Live event series. To sign up and be a part of Marriott International's loyalty program which includes Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and SPG, please visit: Members.Marriott.com. For more information on Moments and experience more once-in-a-lifetime experiences from around the world, visit: https://www.Moments.Marriottrewards.com Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Marriott International, Inc..
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Marriott International, Inc. is a leading global lodging company with more than 6,000 properties in 122 countries and territories, reporting revenues of more than $17 billion in fiscal year 2016. Founded by J. Willard and Alice Marriott and guided by family leadership for nearly 90 years, the company…
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Google Launches Person Finder to Locate Missing People in South Asia Earthquake
Ronald Barba October 26th 2015 11:10 am
South Asia was hit with a 7.5-magnitude earthquake on Monday – striking the Hindu Kush area of Northern Afghanistan, with tremors being felt in an area spanning Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and New Delhi, India. According to Al Jazeera, the death tool currently stands at 169 – with Pakistan officially reporting at least 132 people killed in the earthquake and at Afghanistan reporting at least 37 more.
At least 18 killed as a result of severe 7.5-magnitude earthquake that rocked South Asia: https://t.co/Ddy6976IWb pic.twitter.com/jg0TtAMDdT
— ABC News (@ABC) October 26, 2015
In an effort to help the people directly affected by the South Asia earthquake and those loved ones who may be frantically trying to get an update on their status, Google has just launched Person Finder specifically to help locate missing people. Designed in the aftermath of the massive Haiti earthquake that took place in January 2010, Google Person Finder searches through multiple missing person registries to help people more easily learn the status of a loved one affected in a natural disaster.
Person Finder launched to help track missing persons for Pakistan, Afghanistan #earthquake → https://t.co/PwWtVhDi4l pic.twitter.com/fkyOnwAFqW — Google (@google) October 26, 2015
Google Person Finder is not often launched by the Google Crises Response team unless the disaster is at a level at which such a tool is necessary. And, apparently, the impact of the South Asia earthquake necessitates such a tool.
If you're trying to find a someone possibly affected by the South Asia earthquake, go to Google Person Finder and put in his/her name.
Google's Fashion Search Tool is Fraught with Problems
Google has a new tool to help users find clothes to buy....
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Laura & Georgia Barge Live
Laura and Georgia Barge
Two Singers – Two Pianos
Corbin Theatre Stage
$15 Adult – $5 Child/Student
Laura & Georgia Barge are a mother and daughter team coming to Corbin June 8th.. Laura has been a professional musician for over 30 years. After getting her degree from Berklee College of Music in the late 1980's she started her career as the featured vocalist for LIME STREET CAFE in Springfield, IL. She joined her first touring band, BLACK AND BLUE from Greensboro, NC, in the early 1990's and fell in love with the road. She has a list of great bands that became part of her music family… AFTER HOURS from Cordele, Ga; A.B.S. from Springfield, MO; LEGACY from Ozark, MO; CRUZIN' from Alton, IL; and X-FACTOR based out of the St. Louis area. She now in Liberty MO where she privately teaches, performs and part of the music ministry at St. Stephen Lutheran Church. Georgia started performing solo in 3rd Grade with the young musicians group STARS OF TOMORROW. At the age of 12 she wrote a song for her Grandmother that won her national recognition. She is currently active with music and musicals at Liberty North High School. Georgia has sung the National Anthem at many events in KC including the Children's Mercy Sporting KC and the Missouri State Fair. She is the piano/ vocalist in her youth praise band POTTER'S CLAY and performs regularly in the band DESTINATION.
Special appearance by Lily Weaver and Ava Wolesky
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Poetry (And More) on The Square
Laura & Georgia Barge
https://corbintheatre.ticketleap.com/laura--georgia-barge/
http://corbintheatre.org/


Starting out at the gym could be a little bit difficult. Should you haven't much been to a health and fitness center in a while or simply you've never been at all, you can expect to probably be brand new to the gear. A good thing to do if you really don't choose to appear like you may not really know what you might be carrying out would be to carry out research just before the initial trip to the gym. Look on the net for specialist exercise equipment as well as watch several video tutorials of physical fitness teachers or professional athletes using the equipment. It is always a possibility to schedule an appointment with a member of staff at the new health club, who can be glad to explain all the devices to you personally. Prior to deciding to train the first time, make sure to buy the proper garments. For ladies, it is really important to get a snug bra in addition to athletic shoes that happen to be developed for the physical activity you're planning to accomplish. As an example, in the event that you are going to be doing mostly cardio, an excellent pair of running shoes is perfect. In the event you may not be sure, visit this website to educate yourself about the several types of sports footwear on the market today. A lot of people start hitting the gym because they want to enhance their fitness. You could be chronically overweight, under a healthy weight or simply just out of form and need to make a move about it. Exercise is one particular part of the answer as eating plan will be another necessary element of individual health and fitness. There exists so much guidance out there regarding diet regime, it might be tough to go through all this. To start, go to this site for more info about how precisely diet and exercise together might make a huge difference in exactly how you look. Receiving sound diet advice is important whenever you want to produce changes to your state of health. It is essential to ingest sufficient consumption of calories in order that you are going to have adequate strength to train but under just what you'll employ each day if you want to lose fat. You are able to click here to educate yourself about food items that will give you a lot of vitality not having causing extra weight. It is probably not easy in the beginning however before you realize it, you'll be wanting to lace up your footwear and exercise every single day.


This Saturday night, we will emerge ourselves in the beautiful visuals of Princess Mononoke followed by tropical plant sounds by Chris Baas. Come join and dive into the world of Night Garden!
This animated film from anime master Hayao Miyazaki was a huge success with Japanese and all over the world audiences. Set in medieval Japan, the story follows Ashitaka, the prince of a primitive tribe. He gets involved in a struggle between the gods of a forest and the humans who consume its resources. The term "Mononoke" (物の怪) or もののけ is not a name, but a Japanese word for a spirit or monster: supernatural, shape-shifting beings.
This beautiful animation brings forth a series of inspiring questions about our relationship to the world around us. Is it enough not to interfere? Would it be positive for both humanity and nature if the former understood the isolated relevance of the beings that compose the principle of the latter? What spheres of existential notions can we gather from the presence of a human as being the princess of all the beasts in the forest, and taking up arms to defend them against her equals? The war between humans and the mythical beasts of Japanese folklore portrayed in this film stands out not only as a wonderful artistic achievement but also as a filmic rendition of cultural particularities as regards animal personifications and symbolic meanings thereof.
Chris Baas is part of the Pantropical crew. Pantropical is a frenzied concert/club series focussing on rough-edged tropical music, contemporary club music, outré rural folklore, global bass and more.


I hope you had a great Civic holiday yesterday if you live in Canada. So let's get back to blogging, today I am showing this ultra-soft, flattering maxi dress from Leave Nothing But Footprints. This is a great Canadian company making exceptional pieces of clothing using sustainable materials. This maxi dress can be worn during the day, and it can be easily dressed up for night. Oh, and I promise some great new beauty posts are coming this week too!


Dessì, Maria (2015) La Vulnerabilità strutturale del patrimonio storico architettonico in contesti di rischio non elevato: il caso della Sardegna. Doctoral Thesis.
This research concerns the structural aspects of historical buildings, regarding the knowledge of the structural behavior of historic buildings with conservation aspects in Restoration.
It is known that the historic buildings vulnerability is studied mainly in special events, such as earthquakes, there are not investigations "large scale" in areas where the risk is lower or absent.
For this reason, Sardinia has been studied as an emblematic area: a vast region but with a very low density of architectural heritage (if we do not consider the archaeological buildings) and with a low seismic risk: it is been examined the churches to homologate the cases-study.
The study has analyzed the general themes about relationship between consolidation and restoration in the laws and in cultural documents, regarding structural safety and vulnerability of historical buildings; after that it is made a classification of typologies, basing by their structural behavior and building techniques; finally it is analyzed the cultural consolidation approach made in Sardinia studying how it is acted in the last fifty years of the twentieth century, looking the connection with the national framework.
This methodology, verified with the cases examined, is a prerequisite to understand the masonry structures and to find the correct choice for a risk mitigation, who are compatible with the nature of the historical building and their values.


Chrysal originates in The Netherlands, the worlds leading country in floricultural industries. Our company started in 1929, at first focused on Pokon plant food.
In the early fifties the company added flower food to the product range by importing Chrysal products from Belgium. A few years later, Pokon & Chrysal merged into one company.
Since then, we have come a long way. Chrysal has many years of global experience in the floricultural industry and we have proven ourselves to be the trendsetter in flower care.
Our supply chain management approach has improved worldwide trade and is the key to high quality bouquets and satisfied consumers. Our vase life guarantee concept has been introduced by many retailers and high quality florist chains.
In 2007 Pokon & Chrysal joined forces with the Swedish company Vitabric. Vitabric was one of Europe's prominent producers of flower food, well known from their innovation of a slow-release flower care patch.
With Pokon & Chrysal's global presence and strong technology base, combined with Vitabric's long innovation track record, the company strengthened its position in order to to meet the increasing customer demand for quality, customer support and innovation in the flower business.
In 2007 the Pokon plant food activities were sold to a Dutch investment company.
In doing so, our official name changed to Chrysal International B.V. Our head office is located in Naarden, The Netherlands. We have offices in Europe, the United States, Colombia and Asia and our products are available in over 60 countries.
Chrysal takes pride in creating excellence in care for cut flowers. We care for flowers, from harvest until the moment they bloom in a vase. For each phase in the life of a cut flower, Chrysal offers just the right product for long lasting beauty.Our mission is clear: "Chrysal wants to ensure consumer satisfaction with every flower purchase by providing our business partners with total flower care solutions". Key factors in realizing this mission are innovation and partnership.
Chrysals extensive and continuous research has led to a broad range of products, ensuring optimum quality and longevity of every bloom throughout the flower chain. Our goal is to offer the flower the best possible care, so it can develop almost as if still nurtured by mother earth.
Innovation is a continuous process at Chrysal; we strive for constant improvement. Successfully, we dare to state, given our market leadership and the fact that our products are sold in over sixty countries worldwide.
Research is the key factor of our success. In our laboratory in Naarden we use state-of-the-art technology to create products that improve the longevity of flowers. Product development and improvement are the main tasks of our R&D department. Our research methods and flowering test room are officially recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.
It is our mission to be the best partner in post-harvest flower treatment. Our service focuses at improving quality, to help you satisfy the needs of your clients and increase your sales. We can support you in improving the flower quality and waste reduction, thus lowering costs.
Partnership requires service at the highest level. We service all parts of the flower chain and offer tailor-made products, concepts and solutions worldwide. We give you our best, especially in sharing our extensive knowledge of flower treatment.
From codes of practice, audits and waste management programs to the Chrysal Academy, our online training program on flower care for supermarket and flower shop employees, florists and students. Our knowledge offers you the best possible return on investment.
Next to the needs of our customer, we also focus on improving quality, supporting the environment and personal growth within our activities. Chrysal wants to reach her goals in a sustainable way.
Through the use of Chrysal products, the life of flowers, plants and foliage are lengthened and as a result the waste within the total floral and/or houseplant chain is reduced. Our care products and support services are essentially a benefit towards sustainable business.
We know that our products, next to their primary function, also have their impact on the environment and minimising this impact is a key part of our strategy. We have planned activities and projects proactively contributing to this reduction, now and in the future.


text:
Les  sont une chaîne de montagnes située dans la région de Tōhoku sur l'île de Honshū au Japon. Cette chaîne montagneuse est la plus longue de tout le Japon et s'étend sur  du sud de la péninsule de Natsudomari de la préfecture d'Aomori aux volcans des monts Nasu à la limite septentrionale de la région de Kantō. Bien que très étendue, cette chaîne ne fait que  de large d'est en ouest. Le sommet le plus élevé en est le mont Iwate, à  d'altitude.

Plusieurs montagnes font partie de la chaîne des monts Ōu : les monts Hakkōda, le mont Iwate, le mont Zaō, le mont Azuma-kofuji et le mont Adatara.

Toponymie
Ces montagnes formaient autrefois la limite entre les provinces historiques de  et . Le kanji pour désigner le nom de la chaîne est créé à partir des kanjis respectifs des deux provinces, 奥 et 羽.

Géologie
La formation des monts Ōu commence à l'époque du Pliocène. Ils se trouvent au milieu de l'arc intérieur de l' résultant de la subduction de la plaque pacifique sous la plaque nord-américaine. Une chaîne de volcans du Quaternaire le long des monts forme le front volcanique.

Massif de montagnes au Japon
Montagne dans la préfecture d'Akita
Montagne dans la préfecture d'Aomori
Montagne dans la préfecture d'Iwate
Montagne dans la préfecture de Miyagi
Montagne dans la préfecture de Yamagata
Montagne dans la préfecture de Fukushima


text:
© 2021 Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation.
All rights reserved. info@alefwv.org
ALEF Selects Fellows for its Sixth Year (The Harless Family Class)
As the second class of the Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation (ALEF) graduates and prepares to enter the workforce or go to graduate school, the sixth class – the Harless Family Class – has been selected. Eleven new high-school graduates who have excelled in academics and have assumed leadership roles in their schools and/or in their communities have been notified that they will enter a four-year program at one of three universities that partner with ALEF.
"We are all very excited in ALEF to welcome the Harless Family Class. The young men and women who have been selected to become Fellows in ALEF have extraordinary accomplishments. They have demonstrated both academic agility and leadership skills that make them a natural fit for our program," said General (ret) Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong, President and Founder of ALEF.
ALEF continues its mission – to identify and enable young men and women across West Virginia to become the next generation of leaders for our communities, our state, and our nation.
2011 The Buck Harless Class
Katherine Farmer
Katherine Farmer graduated from Gilbert High School and lives in Verner, WV. She is attending Concord University and majoring in Education. She graduated number one in her class. Katy volunteered her time to over a dozen community organizations and was a member of numerous school organizations. She was a member of the National Honor Society, Vice President of the Student Government, 1st Chair Flute in the Concert Band, and won numerous academic awards.
Corrine Fredrick
Corrine Fredrick lives in Welch, WV and graduated from Mount View High School. She is attending Marshall University and is a Pre-Pharmacy major. She was captain of the cross country team and attended Rhododendron Girls State. Corrine also was on the volleyball team, the cross country team, a member of the Key Club, the Beta Club, and a member of the student government. She participated in numerous community service activities. She graduated number three in her class and had extraordinary grades.
Melinda Hatfield
Melinda Hatfield is from Brenton, WV and graduated from Westside High School. She is attending Concord University and majoring in Advertising and Graphic Design. She graduated number one in her class. Melinda had extraordinary grades and made only A's throughout her high school career. She was a member of the band, the student council, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a 4-H member, and a member of the dance team. She participated in numerous community service activities and received numerous academic awards.
Jordan Manning
Jordan Manning graduated from Westside High School and lives in Oceana, WV. She is attending Concord University and majoring in Elementary Education. She was President of the Student Council, a member of Hi Y, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She was awarded numerous honors in high school. Jordan had excellent grades and graduated in the top 4% of her class.
Robert Monahan
Robert Monahan lives in Martinsburg, WV and is attending Shepherd University. He graduated from Hedgesville High School. Robert is majoring in Secondary Education. He was very active in track and cross country and won numerous awards for that activity. He was a member of the National Honor Society and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Robert had extraordinary grades and graduated in the top 8% of his class.
Micheale Morgan
Micheale Morgan is from Clearfork, WV and attended Westside High School. She is attending Marshall University where she is a Civil Engineering major. She was captain of the cross country team, captain of the volleyball team, captain of the dance team, and captain of the track team. Micheale was a member of Hi Y, 4-H, the National Honor Society, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She graduated in the top 4% of her class and had extraordinary grades.
Tanner Tuggle
Tanner Tuggle graduated from James Monroe High School and comes from Peterstown, WV. He is attending Concord University and majoring in Mathematics. Tanner was President of the National Honor Society, President of RAZE, and captain of the basketball team. He was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the football team, and the baseball team. He was a Wendy's High School Heisman Winner. Tanner has never made anything but A's in school and graduated in the top 2% of his class.
Zackery Underwood
Zackery Underwood is from Man, WV and graduated from Man High School. He is attending Marshall University and is a Civil Engineer major. He was a member of the Beta Club, the National Honor Society, and the student council. He was an All-State football player and captain of his school team. He won numerous awards in power lifting contests. Zach has participated in numerous community service activities. He had exceptional grades and graduated number two in his class.
The Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation is a non-profit based in West Virginia. It is run by volunteers and a volunteer Board of Directors. ALEF will have forty five Fellows for the 2011 academic year.
Meet the Fellows from other classes.


text:
Discussion created by callmejack on Apr 5, 2013
My story about overcoming adversity may seem a bit silly to some. Afterall, I didn't battle handicap or prejudice to acheive my goals, and admittedly, what I overcame was far less an challenge than many others, who deserve far more praise than myself. But I'm sure my little story will resonate with many baseball fans across the world who feel the same as I felt back in 1996 - that the team I love is all that matters. As a 16 year old, die hard Yankees fan, getting tickets to the postseason was far more of a priority than grades or homework. Tickets for the divisional round of the MLB postseason were going on sale that week. Local ticket outlets would begin selling tickets all over the tri-state area and given this was only the second postseason appearance for the Yankees in many years, certainly, I was just one of thousands and thousands hoping to get the privilege of visiting Yankees Stadium in October. My plan was set. I'd feign sickness at the onset of History class, have my mother pick me up, and then go join the line seven hours before tickets would go on sale. I watched the clock anxiously, not paying any attention to the words coming out of the teacher's mouth. Then the call from the office came. When I got to the outlet, a video store, there were already 4 or 5 people on line. It was a reality check for me that there were people out there as committed as I. Clearly though, these people were smarter than myself. I had been so caught up withsimply evading school that day, that I hadn't considered any other preparations. As the line grew over the course of the day, every person that showed up had a chair to sit in, food, something to read or entertain themselves with, or all of the above. Myself? I had nothing. Nada. Just myself, my will, and my hope. Luckily, once my buddies got out of class, they brought me a few snacks. (And no, they didn't stay with me. They dropped the snacks off and left. I was really taking one for the team here.). At one point, a quite sriking blonde haired chick had joined the line next to me. It seemed like I could leverage this opportunity into perhaps also getting a date. Of course, there was that continued problem of me being unskilled and awkward. Instead, I ended up spilling my soda all over her. Oops. Anyway, the time finally came that tickets went on sale. The waiting had nearly drove me mad. People filed into the shop very slowly. The frontrunners began walking out with their tickets in hand and a smile on their faces. But these same people also commented that their seats were up in the nosebleeds despite transacting literally less than 5 minutes after tickets had gone on sale. I was in a panic. I knew my window of opportunity was short. It would crush me to walk up to that counter to be told tickets were sold out. Literally, there would be no more reason to live. It was my turn. My heat raced. Walking to the counter is a blur now some 17 years later. What I will never forget though is walking out of that store with my Game 1 tickets in hand and the feeling of joy that would last for days and days. By the way, two more people got tickets after me that day before tickets officially sold out. The Yankees would end up losing that Game 1. A bit depressing, but it didn't matter. The fact was, we were there. We were in the Stadium. We felt was it was like. For anyone that has been at a Yankees postseason game, or at a postseason game for their favorite team, you know what I mean. Besides, the Yankees would end up winning that series and then go on to win their first World Champship in 18 years thanks to a miracle Game 4 home run and a pitching performance for the ages in Game 5. But that moment is a another story for another day.
Last modified on Apr 5, 2013 12:55 PM


text:
home / Studies
More than Two Million Australians are at Risk of Credit Default
By: Mike Randall
BadCredit.org publishes personal finance studies on the latest trends in the subprime marketplace. Our articles follow strict editorial guidelines.
It seems Americans aren't the only ones with serious credit problems.
According to the Australian credit data company Veda, 2.3 million Aussies are at either high or extreme risk of a credit default in the next 12 months.
Veda is similar to the U.S. credit rating company FICO, the firm that created the first credit scoring system here.
The system Australia uses to determine credit health and creditworthiness is based on a zero to 1,200 point rating system. The higher the score, the better a person's credit risk.
The statistics released by Veda also showed wide disparities based on demographics and areas of the country.
The highest overall scores were found in the Southern regions of the country, in Tasmania, New South Wales and South Australia.
The exceptions are found in more densely populated and ethnically diverse cities, such as Sydney and areas of the Queensland coast. The lowest overall scores were found to be in the Northern territories.
Demographically, the younger sections of the population between the ages of 25 to 39 are also more likely to face credit default.
"80 percent of Australians have
never accessed their credit report."
One additional finding that came out of this study was a statistic that is even worse than what we find here in the U.S. – nearly 80 percent of Australians have never accessed their credit report.
By contrast, only around 25 percent of Americans have never accessed their credit report.
As the global economy continues to improve, Australia's own economy has been struggling of late. The main driver in recent years has been China's thirst for oil, copper, steel and other commodities.
With the Chinese demand down lately, Australia has felt the pinch. It is hoped an increase in global demand will help spark a pickup in Australia's economy and improve the credit numbers there.
Source: newsroomamerica.com. Photo source: bp.blogspot.com.
Mike Randall
Mike Randall is most knowledgeable in the areas of credit scores and credit cards, having written on those topics and others for the past eight years. He graduated from California State University with a degree in English literature, and he has an extensive background in personal finance studies. When he's not keeping BadCredit.org readers informed of changes in the subprime market, Mike's hobbies include sailing and gourmet cooking.
Other Studies You May Like
Study: Three-Fourths of MSMEs Don't Have Access to Banks for Credit
54% of Canadian Bankers are Ticked Off. But What About?


A new podcast for the Partially Examined Life Podcast Network! Meet Jeff, Lise, and Brian, who are joined by PEL's Wes and Dylan to discuss Rousseau's claim in the First Discourse on the Arts and Sciences (1750) that the arts and sciences lead to "moral corruption."
What is "moral corruption," and what does it mean for a human being to be "whole"? How can a society be structured to allow individual humans to achieve wholeness and what role do the arts and sciences play in that endeavor?
You can listen to all of C&C's previous discussions on the PEL site or at combatandclassics.org.
Hungry for more Rousseau? PEL has also covered the second discourse (on inequality).
Become a PEL Citizen and join the Combat & Classics Nietzsche Not School group to discuss "Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense" on Aug. 14 at 8pm EDT in a live, online seminar. Your support for PEL helps the PEL network!
Rousseau picture by Solomon Grundy.
Sponsors: Visit bombfell.com/pel for $25 off your first clothing order. Get in on fall online courses starting Aug. 28 at the New School opencampus.newschool.edu. Get 20% off your first pair of underwear plus free shipping meundies.com/pel through Aug. 31.


Last week, we had the long-awaited return of the only Bachelor franchise worth saving: Bachelor in Paradise. Unfortunately, because the Bachelor franchise is obsessed with itself, we had to suffer through some drama we were already bored of on The Bachelorette: Tia and Colton. (TL;DR: Tia & Colton had a brief thing, Tia made Becca cut him after hometowns. If you need more details, try this.) Bachelorette fans have already jumped down Tia's throat for her behavior and Becca even responded asking people to chill TF out. But apparently the BiP cast didn't get the memo. Half of the episode is spent making fun of Tia for her big crush on Colton. The other half is spent roasting Colton for ignoring Tia when he (spoiler) arrives on night two.
According to ABC, the Tia and Colton story line is the most interesting thing happening this season. So why does it feel so boring?
I'm new to the Reality Steve game, but I've come to realize this season that The Bachelor is only a surprise if you want it to be. In the case of Tia and Colton, even spoiler noobs like me were well aware that Tia and Colton had a reunion in Paradise. (Reality Steve had leaked pictures as early as June.) In addition to that, we all have social media. If there had been a serious falling out between Becca and Tia, we would have seen the unfollows. If Colton was seriously closing the Tia door, he would've deleted his heart-eye tweets about her on Arie's season. And Baby Bekah's been more than happy to keep us posted on her thoughts about all this, including speculation about their time in Paradise back when The Bachelorette was airing.
In other words, you would have had to try really, really hard to watch Paradise and not know that Colton and Tia were getting together. There's nothing organic or surprising; it's practically contractually obligated, and it's a real drag to watch.
This GIF says way too much about their whole dynamic.
So, we knew it would happen. That alone shouldn't have made it so boring. In fact, confrontations you actively expect can be the most fun. Which brings us to the next point: Tia and Colton are just not that interesting. The fact is, Tia was not chosen to be the Bachelorette. And if I have any luck remaining on this earth, Colton will never be chosen as the Bachelor. Sure, Colton's got the celebrity exes and virginity, and Tia's got the knockoff Raven Southern charm. But beyond agreeing that they're both attractive people in a vaguely Friday Night Lights kind of way, I have limited interest in seeing where their stories go. I would rather watch Krystal, whose newfound sanity is already hanging by a thread, or Joe, who I sadly like less every time he opens his mouth, than continue with these two.
Paradise is a place for slightly unhinged people to gain new corporate sponsors make bad choices, not a pageant queen and Boy Scout to practice rounding second base. They're not crazy enough or tragic enough to make for really great entertainment. And I think it's safe to say that ABC has worn them out.
Finally: when Colton arrives on that STD-ridden Mexican beach, it's not a question of whether he'll be into her. It's a question of whether he'll cave to the public expectation that he MUST like Tia as much as she likes him, or risk his reputation going for someone else.
As a quick refresher on their relationship, Tia DM'ed Colton while he was in the casting process for The Bachelorette. They started talking, then stopped talking when he found out he was going on the show. Their in-person time was limited to a single weekend in Los Angeles. If we're assuming worst-case scenario, Tia is walking the line between stalker fan and one-night stand. Best case, it was a short but intense fling that nonetheless, they cut off well over six months ago. And now Colton, fresh off a breakup of his own, is being asked to couple up with Tia or be hated by all of America.
As for Tia, who is understandably a ball of nerves, there's a lot more on the line than "does this guy still like me?" She's waiting to see if Colton's going to save her reputation by making this a love story, or publicly dump her. Because if Colton doesn't go for Tia, Tia just f*cked with Becca's journey for a guy who wasn't even into her. And that's hard to come back from—in Bachelor Nation, and just in life generally.
Overall, I'd love to stop seeing these two faces on my TV. Colton has seemed in over his head for a while, and Tia has backed herself into a corner that will be very boring and painful to watch her get out of. For the sake of everyone's sanity, let Tia and Colton put this embarrassing chapter behind them and focus on footage like Jordan explaining American history or Bibiana punching people.


text:
/**
 * @file lv_port_fs_templ.c
 *
 */

 /*Copy this file as "lv_port_fs.c" and set this value to "1" to enable content*/
#if 0

/*********************
 *      INCLUDES
 *********************/
#include "lv_port_fs_templ.h"

/*********************
 *      DEFINES
 *********************/

/**********************
 *      TYPEDEFS
 **********************/

/* Create a type to store the required data about your file.
 * If you are using a File System library
 * it already should have a File type.
 * For example FatFS has `FIL`. In this case use `typedef FIL file_t`*/
typedef struct {
    /*Add the data you need to store about a file*/
    uint32_t dummy1;
    uint32_t dummy2;
}file_t;

/*Similarly to `file_t` create a type for directory reading too */
typedef struct {
    /*Add the data you need to store about directory reading*/
    uint32_t dummy1;
    uint32_t dummy2;
}dir_t;

/**********************
 *  STATIC PROTOTYPES
 **********************/
static void fs_init(void);

static lv_fs_res_t fs_open (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * file_p, const char * path, lv_fs_mode_t mode);
static lv_fs_res_t fs_close (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * file_p);
static lv_fs_res_t fs_read (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * file_p, void * buf, uint32_t btr, uint32_t * br);
static lv_fs_res_t fs_write(lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * file_p, const void * buf, uint32_t btw, uint32_t * bw);
static lv_fs_res_t fs_seek (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * file_p, uint32_t pos);
static lv_fs_res_t fs_size (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * file_p, uint32_t * size_p);
static lv_fs_res_t fs_tell (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * file_p, uint32_t * pos_p);
static lv_fs_res_t fs_remove (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, const char *path);
static lv_fs_res_t fs_trunc (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * file_p);
static lv_fs_res_t fs_rename (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, const char * oldname, const char * newname);
static lv_fs_res_t fs_free (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, uint32_t * total_p, uint32_t * free_p);
static lv_fs_res_t fs_dir_open (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * rddir_p, const char *path);
static lv_fs_res_t fs_dir_read (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * rddir_p, char *fn);
static lv_fs_res_t fs_dir_close (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * rddir_p);

/**********************
 *  STATIC VARIABLES
 **********************/

/**********************
 * GLOBAL PROTOTYPES
 **********************/

/**********************
 *      MACROS
 **********************/

/**********************
 *   GLOBAL FUNCTIONS
 **********************/

void lv_port_fs_init(void)
{
    /*----------------------------------------------------
     * Initialize your storage device and File System
     * -------------------------------------------------*/
    fs_init();

    /*---------------------------------------------------
     * Register the file system interface  in LittlevGL
     *--------------------------------------------------*/

    /* Add a simple drive to open images */
    lv_fs_drv_t fs_drv;                         /*A driver descriptor*/
    memset(&fs_drv, 0, sizeof(lv_fs_drv_t));    /*Initialization*/

    /*Set up fields...*/
    fs_drv.file_size = sizeof(file_t);
    fs_drv.letter = 'P';
    fs_drv.open = fs_open;
    fs_drv.close = fs_close;
    fs_drv.read = fs_read;
    fs_drv.write = fs_write;
    fs_drv.seek = fs_seek;
    fs_drv.tell = fs_tell;
    fs_drv.free = fs_free;
    fs_drv.size = fs_size;
    fs_drv.remove = fs_remove;
    fs_drv.rename = fs_rename;
    fs_drv.trunc = fs_trunc;

    fs_drv.rddir_size = sizeof(dir_t);
    fs_drv.dir_close = fs_dir_close;
    fs_drv.dir_open = fs_dir_open;
    fs_drv.dir_read = fs_dir_read;

    lv_fs_add_drv(&fs_drv);
}

/**********************
 *   STATIC FUNCTIONS
 **********************/

/* Initialize your Storage device and File system. */
static void fs_init(void)
{
    /*E.g. for FatFS initalize the SD card and FatFS itself*/

    /*You code here*/
}

/**
 * Open a file
 * @param drv pointer to a driver where this function belongs
 * @param file_p pointer to a file_t variable
 * @param path path to the file beginning with the driver letter (e.g. S:/folder/file.txt)
 * @param mode read: FS_MODE_RD, write: FS_MODE_WR, both: FS_MODE_RD | FS_MODE_WR
 * @return LV_FS_RES_OK or any error from lv_fs_res_t enum
 */
static lv_fs_res_t fs_open (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * file_p, const char * path, lv_fs_mode_t mode)
{
    lv_fs_res_t res = LV_FS_RES_NOT_IMP;

    if(mode == LV_FS_MODE_WR)
    {
        /*Open a file for write*/

        /* Add your code here*/
    }
    else if(mode == LV_FS_MODE_RD)
    {
        /*Open a file for read*/

        /* Add your code here*/
    }
    else if(mode == (LV_FS_MODE_WR | LV_FS_MODE_RD))
    {
        /*Open a file for read and write*/

        /* Add your code here*/
    }

    return res;
}

/**
 * Close an opened file
 * @param drv pointer to a driver where this function belongs
 * @param file_p pointer to a file_t variable. (opened with lv_ufs_open)
 * @return LV_FS_RES_OK: no error, the file is read
 *         any error from lv_fs_res_t enum
 */
static lv_fs_res_t fs_close (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * file_p)
{
    lv_fs_res_t res = LV_FS_RES_NOT_IMP;

    /* Add your code here*/

    return res;
}

/**
 * Read data from an opened file
 * @param drv pointer to a driver where this function belongs
 * @param file_p pointer to a file_t variable.
 * @param buf pointer to a memory block where to store the read data
 * @param btr number of Bytes To Read
 * @param br the real number of read bytes (Byte Read)
 * @return LV_FS_RES_OK: no error, the file is read
 *         any error from lv_fs_res_t enum
 */
static lv_fs_res_t fs_read (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * file_p, void * buf, uint32_t btr, uint32_t * br)
{
    lv_fs_res_t res = LV_FS_RES_NOT_IMP;

    /* Add your code here*/

    return res;
}

/**
 * Write into a file
 * @param drv pointer to a driver where this function belongs
 * @param file_p pointer to a file_t variable
 * @param buf pointer to a buffer with the bytes to write
 * @param btr Bytes To Write
 * @param br the number of real written bytes (Bytes Written). NULL if unused.
 * @return LV_FS_RES_OK or any error from lv_fs_res_t enum
 */
static lv_fs_res_t fs_write(lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * file_p, const void * buf, uint32_t btw, uint32_t * bw)
{
    lv_fs_res_t res = LV_FS_RES_NOT_IMP;

    /* Add your code here*/

    return res;
}

/**
 * Set the read write pointer. Also expand the file size if necessary.
 * @param drv pointer to a driver where this function belongs
 * @param file_p pointer to a file_t variable. (opened with lv_ufs_open )
 * @param pos the new position of read write pointer
 * @return LV_FS_RES_OK: no error, the file is read
 *         any error from lv_fs_res_t enum
 */
static lv_fs_res_t fs_seek (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * file_p, uint32_t pos)
{
    lv_fs_res_t res = LV_FS_RES_NOT_IMP;

    /* Add your code here*/

    return res;
}

/**
 * Give the size of a file bytes
 * @param drv pointer to a driver where this function belongs
 * @param file_p pointer to a file_t variable
 * @param size pointer to a variable to store the size
 * @return LV_FS_RES_OK or any error from lv_fs_res_t enum
 */
static lv_fs_res_t fs_size (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * file_p, uint32_t * size_p)
{
    lv_fs_res_t res = LV_FS_RES_NOT_IMP;

    /* Add your code here*/

    return res;
}
/**
 * Give the position of the read write pointer
 * @param drv pointer to a driver where this function belongs
 * @param file_p pointer to a file_t variable.
 * @param pos_p pointer to to store the result
 * @return LV_FS_RES_OK: no error, the file is read
 *         any error from lv_fs_res_t enum
 */
static lv_fs_res_t fs_tell (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * file_p, uint32_t * pos_p)
{
    lv_fs_res_t res = LV_FS_RES_NOT_IMP;

    /* Add your code here*/

    return res;
}

/**
 * Delete a file
 * @param drv pointer to a driver where this function belongs
 * @param path path of the file to delete
 * @return  LV_FS_RES_OK or any error from lv_fs_res_t enum
 */
static lv_fs_res_t fs_remove (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, const char *path)
{
    lv_fs_res_t res = LV_FS_RES_NOT_IMP;

    /* Add your code here*/

    return res;
}

/**
 * Truncate the file size to the current position of the read write pointer
 * @param drv pointer to a driver where this function belongs
 * @param file_p pointer to an 'ufs_file_t' variable. (opened with lv_fs_open )
 * @return LV_FS_RES_OK: no error, the file is read
 *         any error from lv_fs_res_t enum
 */
static lv_fs_res_t fs_trunc (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * file_p)
{
    lv_fs_res_t res = LV_FS_RES_NOT_IMP;

    /* Add your code here*/

    return res;
}

/**
 * Rename a file
 * @param drv pointer to a driver where this function belongs
 * @param oldname path to the file
 * @param newname path with the new name
 * @return LV_FS_RES_OK or any error from 'fs_res_t'
 */
static lv_fs_res_t fs_rename (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, const char * oldname, const char * newname)
{
    lv_fs_res_t res = LV_FS_RES_NOT_IMP;

    /* Add your code here*/

    return res;
}

/**
 * Get the free and total size of a driver in kB
 * @param drv pointer to a driver where this function belongs
 * @param letter the driver letter
 * @param total_p pointer to store the total size [kB]
 * @param free_p pointer to store the free size [kB]
 * @return LV_FS_RES_OK or any error from lv_fs_res_t enum
 */
static lv_fs_res_t fs_free (uint32_t * total_p, uint32_t * free_p)
{
    lv_fs_res_t res = LV_FS_RES_NOT_IMP;

    /* Add your code here*/

    return res;
}

/**
 * Initialize a 'fs_read_dir_t' variable for directory reading
 * @param drv pointer to a driver where this function belongs
 * @param rddir_p pointer to a 'fs_read_dir_t' variable
 * @param path path to a directory
 * @return LV_FS_RES_OK or any error from lv_fs_res_t enum
 */
static lv_fs_res_t fs_dir_open (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * rddir_p, const char *path)
{
    lv_fs_res_t res = LV_FS_RES_NOT_IMP;

    /* Add your code here*/

    return res;
}

/**
 * Read the next filename form a directory.
 * The name of the directories will begin with '/'
 * @param drv pointer to a driver where this function belongs
 * @param rddir_p pointer to an initialized 'fs_read_dir_t' variable
 * @param fn pointer to a buffer to store the filename
 * @return LV_FS_RES_OK or any error from lv_fs_res_t enum
 */
static lv_fs_res_t fs_dir_read (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * rddir_p, char *fn)
{
    lv_fs_res_t res = LV_FS_RES_NOT_IMP;

    /* Add your code here*/

    return res;
}

/**
 * Close the directory reading
 * @param drv pointer to a driver where this function belongs
 * @param rddir_p pointer to an initialized 'fs_read_dir_t' variable
 * @return LV_FS_RES_OK or any error from lv_fs_res_t enum
 */
static lv_fs_res_t fs_dir_close (lv_fs_drv_t * drv, void * rddir_p)
{
    lv_fs_res_t res = LV_FS_RES_NOT_IMP;

    /* Add your code here*/

    return res;
}

#else /* Enable this file at the top */

/* This dummy typedef exists purely to silence -Wpedantic. */
typedef int keep_pedantic_happy;
#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Good resources that talk about geodesically convex sets for riemannian manifolds? Are there any good resources that talk about geodesically convex sets, and in particular convex hulls, for riemannian manifolds? I've been wanting to learn more about them, their geometry and properties, theorems about them, etc. I'm suprised to see I can't find much resources on them, but maybe I'm not looking in the right places. I've found a few good ones though, like this, but I can't find much discussion about them beyond giving a general definition.
I also want to emphasize that I am not looking for the convex hull in the ambient space, but within the manifold.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


-Be fluent in 6 different languages in 6 years.
-Publish a novel within the next 3 years.
This is the first step in becoming a linguist. I want to master my native tongue at the level of an academic in order to better communicate with other Latinos, have better marketability in the job market and for personal peace of mind. I've always wanted to be fluent in Spanish and have made leaps and bounds in learning the language as an undergrad. I would like to eventually travel to Latin America when my Spanish skills are developed enough to get around by myself. This will open the door to my next two goals. I would like to enroll in a New York City based college or university by the Fall of 2014 for an M.A. in Spanish.
-Complete a Ph. D in Linguistics.
I've always dreamed of speaking mulitple languages, and using this knowledge to travel the world. I figured there's no better way to study language than the field of linguistics. I see it like this: I'm a musician and in order to learn how to play any instrument, one must have a working knowledge of music theory. Linguistics is the music theory of language. This goal may take a while to complete but rest assured it will happen eventually.
-Be fluent in 6 languages in 6 years.
Although it may sound very challenging on paper, this goal will work hand in hand with the first two. I've picked up different languages while studying abroad very fast and have learned that full blown immersion is the best way to learn a language. I want to be able to speak, write, read and understand Spanish, French, Japanese, Cantonese, and Arabic apart from already knowing English. With any of those three languages mastered, I could land a job translating, pehaps even for the U.N. That would be amazing. I figured I have 6 years and change to master 5 languages, 2 of which I have studied before and one (Spanish) I already know pretty well. My goal is to be fluent in all of these by the time I'm 30.
My lifelong goal has been to become a published author. Techinically I have many published works already in the field of journalism, but I would like to take my authorship a step further into the realms of fiction and non-fiction. I would love to write any and every kind of novel, and already have a few solid ideas and short stories to build on. Although many may say print is dead, that is not the case at all for the written word itself. The way I see it, like many industries the publishing industry is being changed by recent technological progress we have acheived as a society and will continue to grow albeit in a slightly different avenue from that of the traditional. Whether it's in print or if it's on a Nook or Kindle, my goal is to become a bestselling author at some point in my life.
Latin Alternative is an umbrella genre for many different styles of Spanish-language modern day music across a vast array of sounds, countries and musical subgenres. Anything from rock music like pop-rock, alt. rock, rap and club music like reggaeton, 3bal, ruidoson, and other EDM variations, and even as far as Spanish reggae could fall under the meta-genre that is Latin Alternative.The name Latin Alternative usually is used in the United States to refer to all these different genres, although each sub-genre sounds very different from the next.
Notice the mellowed out intro and harmonious vocals, abruptly turning up the intensity at the pre chorus to an emotional ballad-like tone. Definitely an alt. rock feel. Libido is a Peruvian band that started in the late 90's and remained active and very popular through the 2000s.
Here you hear palm muting guitars, and basslines matching with acoustic and electric guitar melodies. Also, the video is pretty trippy, bro.
The smooth, wavy sounds and ska-like rhythms are reggae signatures, mixed in with Spanish lyrics and guitar melodies. Very cool stuff.
A very interesting side of Latin Alternative music are 3bal and ruidoson, two genres of EDM mixed with traditional Central American rhythms, often fused with cries against political corruption and economic imbalances in Mexico. Here's an article I wrote about these two developing musical genres.
Consider this a bit of a warning, juxtaposed with a 'those were the days' kind of piece. Kids, in the summer of 2008 I began my first semester of college at St. John's University. It was awesome. I lived in the residence halls my first year and a half, went to Europe for the length of my 4th semester and joined a fraternity the following year. I kept my grades in good shape until my tomfoolery got the best of me. My grades began to decline while the good times increased; with my eyes nowhere near the prize I inevitably lost sight of the main goal, which was graduating with the credentials and honors needed to make me stand out in the job market. Although I made up for lost time in epic fashion I still fell short of my ultimate goal and consider my time as an undergrad, albeit an experience of a lifetime, an academic failure, due to a lack effort and a skewed set of priorities which led to an imbalance of fun over work. Don't get me wrong; I still graduated, I still had fun, still went to a great school and made lasting connections, had memorable experience and learned a lot. Some may call me a perfectionist, but I feel like I could have done better. This sentiment haunts me every time I apply for job, look at my degree or reminisce about the times where my pen and paper should have been busier than my party schedule.
I started out strong my first two years at St. John's. After my first four semesters I had a 3.2 GPA and had a few academic organization memberships under my belt, not to mention the study abroad trip of a lifetime which sent me to three different European cities over a span of four months. The following year, my junior year I joined a fraternity on campus, Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity, Inc. for all the right reasons (no sarcasm intended). I learned about my culture and historical background on an unprecedented scale and felt a new sense of pride in my Puerto Rican roots. The catch, however was that once I finished my pledging process I stopped caring about my grades for that semester, the cardinal sin of being a neophyte, a.k.a. a new member of a fraternity or sorority. As my 'neo summer' began, my stellar academic record's golden age was coming to an end, and little did I know would enter a dark age which took several semesters, summer courses and CLEP exams to correct.
In the Spring of 2011 I let procrastination spill over into finals' week, which is like a soldier going into battle unarmed. I was on an academic suicide mission all due to my own thirst for good times via wild parties, a thirst all fueled by my irresponsibility. I failed three courses in the Spring of 2011, bringing my GPA down to a 2.8. I was devastated and disappointed in myself. I could have passed every course I had failed with a C at the very least. I knew I was harder working and more intelligent than to have three Fs show up on my grade report, but then again "Your grades are not given, they are earned," said every teacher ever. I had never failed a course before in my life.
The following semester the pressure was on the redeem myself. It was my senior year, I was behind in credits and I was in danger of losing my partial scholarship. I balked epically at the chance, but had just enough success to barely keep me going.
I got caught up in the party life, this time worse than before. I was Jay Gatsby of St. John's, focused on the vanity and the craziness that would not matter after I was finished with my undergraduate career. My grades, however, mattered very much and were declining at an ever more rapid rate. I passed 9 credits worth of CLEP exams to make up for the three classes I had failed the previous semester. The catch (there's always a catch) was that I had to withdraw from all of my classes in order to not completely ruin my GPA, except for one class that I had not fell completely behind in.
The stage was set in what I hoped would still be my last semester as a Johnnie before I graduated. After two semesters of crazy nights and horrible grades I took it upon myself to try and right my wrongs. I took on 27 credits in one semester. That's right, 27. I took 6 classes, amounting to 18 credits, plus 9 credits of CLEP exams. I was not easy and although I tried I fell slightly short, failing a class and earning 24 credits instead. I toned down the good times in West Egg, although my shenanigan-ridden shindigs still went on from time to time. I had 4 credits left before I graduated, enough to be able to walk across the stage with my class at the May 2012 commencement.
I felt like I didn't deserve it. Any of it. All the praise I got that day, my family coming out to see me on campus, my sophomore and junior friends hugging me and saying "Congratulations!!" felt like a total sham. Call me a perfectionist, but I felt like my commencement was ruined by no one else but the man in the mirror. I was determined to make that change and finish up strong.
The following semester I registered late and had no choice but to take 2 classes with professors that I was not on very good terms with; one professor I had not worked meshed well with and would often skip class and come in unprepared during my Spring 2011 semester, and the other professor was the only professor whose class I had failed during my 27 credit crusade. I had to juggle morning classes 3 times a week in Queens, a part-time job at Union Square in Manhattan and being part of a band complete with gigs all over the city, all the while living at the very top of The Bronx.
It was the best semester I ever had, save for my time Europe. I came into the Fall 2012 semester deeply embarrassed that I was what the kids nowadays call a 'super senior.' I was surprised to find out that many 2012ers like myself had gone the 'whole nine,' semester-wise and I was not alone in my plight to finish a bit past the 4 year expectation. I loved my classes. I studied diligently and really immersed myself in my coursework. I finished my final semester with an A- and a B+, the latter grade coming from the class I had failed the semester before.
I am now proud to say that I officially graduated with the class of January 2013. It wasn't easy and wasn't perfect, but I did what I had to do and got the job done.
The second annual Enlightenment Conference was held at the Brooklyn Academy of Urban Planning on Saturday, June 8th. The day's events featured talks from scholars and educators from the Greater New York Area focusing on the central figure of the event, nineteenth century Cuban writer and revolutionary, José Martí. The event drew dozens of high school students, college students, recent college graduates and educators alike to discuss topics regarding Latin American politics and history.
The conference opened with two speeches from the Salutatorian and Valedictorian of the Brooklyn Academy of Urban Planning's Class of 2013. The top honors tandem were brothers Ramón Luciano Capellan and Ramón Antonio Capellan. Both brothers, who are originally from the Dominican Republic, delivered inspiring words detailing their hard work as well as what motivated them to strive for academic excellence.
There were six workshops held throughout the event focusing on particular movements and viewpoints of Latin American history, culture and politics. The event was divided into four time sections. Conference attendees were given two workshops to choose from for the first session: 'Martí's Ideology and Today's Immigrant Family Experience' by Luis J. Nicho, JD. or 'Teaching Martí to our Youth' co-hosted by NYC Assistant Principal Diana Isern and event facilitator and NYC History Teacher, Jorge Sandoval. Both workshops in the first session focused on José Martí's life and work in order to relate his experience to modern day struggles of today's youth as well as modern day immigrant families.
The second session gave conference attendees three options: 'José Marti's presence in the Young Lords Movement' by CCNY Graduate Student Jorge Arteaga, 'Socialism, Capitalism and Corporate News Media in Latin America' by NYU Graduate Student Ramiro Fúnez, or 'Jose Martí Discusses Today's Education 115 Years Ago' by Jorlui Sillau, MPA. These workshops kept Jose Martí and education in mind as well as delved into modern day politics, media relations and corruption in Latin America and the struggles of modern day Latinos in the United States.
The third session of the Enlightenment Conference was a lunch hour featuring several fundraisers and a presentation on the Icla Da Silva Foundation by Jorge Santos, M.S. in Sociology and Anthropology. The Icla da Silva Foundation is a bone marrow registry formed in hopes of finding matches for transplants for those who have life threatening bone marrow deficiencies. Dozens of conference attendees signed up for the registry. The lunch hour fundraisers included a silent of auction of several pieces of student made José Martí portraits. Over $500 was raised throughout the day through fundraising and generous donations of attendees.
The final session, entitled 'The Diasporic Martí: New York and Beyond' was an intriguing look at Martí's life in New York City in the late nineteenth century. The first half of this session was presented by Guesnerth Josué Perea of AfroColombia New York, focusing on José Martí's own commentary on his experiences living in the NYC. Martí met with several of his revolutionary contemporaries during his time in New York, such as the Puerto Rican poet Lola Rodriguez de Tío. This session displayed Martí's depictions of Coney Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, and several other famous places in New York City.
The latter half of 'The Diasporic Martí' was presented by Gabriel Higuera student at the CUNY Graduate Center. Higuera presented the life and experiences of nineteenth century Filipino writer and revolutionary, José Rizál. An extraordinary individual in his own right, Rizál was a linguist, world traveler, doctor, and dissident of the Spanish colonial regime. The Filipino Renaissance man had many similarities to José Martí, and was only seven years his junior. Presenter Gabriel Higuera hypothesizes that Martí and Rizál may have met during the time that Rizál visited New York, although there is no documented proof that this meeting occurred.
All in all, the Second Annual Enlightenment Conference was a great success, combining grassroots community organization and participation with culturally rich and intellectually stimulating discussions. Attendees learned a wealth of information about José Martí as well as other aspects of Latin American culture, politics and history.
Enlightenment Conference host and speaker, Jorge Sandoval delivering his introduction to the conference.
EC Attendees during the opening of the conference.
EC attendees having a group discussion during the 'Teaching Marti to our Youth' session.
Society is a living contradiction. One's entire life is nothing but a repetition of things one has seen from your first memories until your last breath. On the one side there is order, conformity, hierarchy, all based on this quote: "If you play by the rules, you'll go far in life," – Every teacher ever. On the flipside of that, there is the urge to be different, the thirst for freedom, the quest to break free from the shackles of this superstructure formed over the base of human relationships. The paradox of society is simply this: one has to mix and match allegiances, personal preference and priorities into one's words and actions in order to create a unique mix of highs and lows, yes's and no's, stops and go's that signify that a person truly is who he or she says she is. You have to fit in, but be different at the same time. In a way, high school never really ends.
There are two sides to every person. One can say good and evil, but I disagree with using those terms since every person has the potential to be either. All people really want from any situation is good. No one wants bad from any situation. I see society today as most people see it: politics. Politics can mean anything involving negotiation, opinion, and power. There are two sides of a person, a side that is cautious and a side that is adventurous. Usually one is not as cautious as one is adventurous. Most people fall more to the cautious side or to the adventurous side depending on one's actions as well as the opinions others have of that person, as well as the power that each opinion holds over the others' opinions.
For example, for all we know as the general public, actor and TV personality Russell Brand could come home from his TV show's filming to a lovely home with a white picket fence, 2.5 children and a pregnant wife in a sundress cooking him and the family a nice, wholesome meal. BUT, we all know that this is not the case, because of his actions documented by media outlets and in his roles in film as well as the people's opinion about him based on the former. This forms a cycle in which public opinion is created and re-created. Media, people, media, people, media, people. This is not exclusive to celebrities either, especially not in today's world where one can literally become a celebrity overnight via the internet and everyone has a smartphone.
www.RottenTomatoes.com is a site which compiles all the ratings of other critics on the internet about recently released films. The way the site works is kinda like the way society works; a percentage from 0 to 100 is calculated for each film on the site depending on how well or not so well the film was received by critics who published reviews of each film online. Keep in mind that not everyone knows about Rotten Tomatoes. People who are not on the internet, for example, may see an ad for said film on TV and may want to go see it despite a 20% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. People who don't watch much TV may hear about the film through their favorite radio station on a commercial break with a favorable quote from a renowned critic in the ad, and then the radio listener may go see the film. There are people who will go on Rotten Tomatoes and see the 20% rating and will hear a much more favorable review from their best friend, and then will go see the film anyway. Or people may just wait until it comes out on live stream with Netflix. The point here is that the media and the general public influence and create one another through the exchange of ideas and opinions, and that each opinion is weighted differently from one person to another.
The media can be anything. For real, anything. The word media is just plural for medium; the way there is a middle man in a financial transaction, the media is anything used as a 'middle man' for communication. Hence, when my major was journalism coming into college, the industry of reporting the news, it fell under the field of communications. The most accepted forms of the term media are publications; newspapers, magazines, and blogs, like this one. Media could also be a debit card, which carries information about one's finances. Media could be a flash drive holding information like a PowerPoint presentation for work, or an illegally downloaded album from your favorite artist or musician. Back in ancient times, media was found on walls, like hieroglyphics, or on messengers sent from emperor to emperor, king to king, etc. in forms of engraved stones or knots on a rope.
The most basic form of media is word of mouth. Even first graders, for example, have conversations about one another, about their teachers, their older brother or sister, etc. The opinion of a first grader on the people in his or her life works the same way as an 80 year old: opinions form based on what one thinks and what the people in their lives think. Society is a conglomerate of thoughts.
The problem here is that society naturally becomes a war of opinions from different groups of people. If Bob fits in with Group A more than Group B, than Group A may label Bob as someone from Group B, even though Bob really is a Group A kind of guy. Bob may even cross paths with Steve, who's in Group C. Groups A and B don't know too much about Group C so by reflex, A and B call Group C incompetent. Then Group C shoots back at Group A and B –see what I mean? Society is just a war of opinions, bro.
One of my favorite bands, Incubus, has a song with the lyrics "I guess it's true when they say high school never ends." Word to Incubus. If you ever thought you can escape high school, "Ya dead wrong," – Notorious B.I.G. In terms of keeping up with The Jones', trying to win over the approval and interest of others, and trying to find one's own identity, 'high school' will never end.
My name is Rubén Sebastián Muñiz. I'm 23 years old. I was born and raised in The Bronx, a borough of New York City. I just graduated from St. John's University in Queens, with a B.A. in English with a minor in Psychology. I'm also the lead singer of Solitaire Revival, a New York City based alternative rock and hip hop band.
I'm a new age thinker with a love for the performing arts and free expression. I'm a musician and a writer. I'm a Nichiren Buddhist from a long line of Latin American Catholics and I also went to private Catholic schools from Pre-K through my undergraduate career. I love life and everything about it; the good, the bad, the ugly, and the awesome.
My parents were both born in my hometown, The Bronx, New York. Both sets of my grandparents came from different towns in Puerto Rico. Until recently I had no idea what came before that. This is because Puerto Rico's ancestral diversity is a mix of so many nationalities and immigration waves, similar to the United States today, not to mention the indigenous Taino tribe that lived there before Columbus came in 1493.
I did some basic genealogical research recently, by which I mean I looked up and cross referenced meanings of the surnames in my family on various genealogical websites. It turns out the surnames in my family originate from a number of different places, including, but not limited to: The Iberian peninsula, particularly Galicia, Asturia, Castille y Leon, and possibly Portugal. Ireland, and possibly Sweden and Holland are also possible ancestral locations. I am also of Taino heritage, which is held true by primary accounts of my family's elders. There are also many physical features of myself and my family that point to indigenous ancestry, like the curved shape of my eyes, my fair skin color that is darker than the typical Caucasian, and the darker, clay-colored skin of one of my great grandmothers.
I was very surprised when I found out about all my places of heritage. It proved that I could really come from anywhere in the world. Whoa.
This confusing conglomerate of characterization through social labels is pretty mind blowing. The thing is I'm not the only one going through this. Not by a long shot.
The numbers speak for themselves in terms of how big this new wave of people is in this country. I mean, damn. We are emigrating to, and reproducing in the United States like a giant herd of nomadic rabbits.
The language there is kind of intriguing, don't you think? Look at the last three words again: "regardless of race." According to the U.S. Census, Latinos are not a race. Hmm, what are we then?
The melting pot of Puerto Rico is not by any means exclusive to the tiny, beautiful island that my grandparents came from. It's everywhere in Latin America. There are Latin Americans of Japanese descent in South America, particularly in Brazil; this demographic also applies most famously to controversial former President of Peru, Alberto Fujimori. Guyana is a home to many cultural backgrounds, mainly from Africa, India, and indigenous peoples, and they speak English. All of the nations and locations mentioned in the U.S. Bureau's definition of race have this demographic trait about them. Ah, now I know why they said "regardless of race." It's because Latin Americans are every race in the world combined!
The Millenial Generation, people from the ages of 15 to 25 years old as of 2010, accounted for 16.2 percent of the entire Latino community in the United States according to statistics gathered in the data set The Hispanic Population in the United States, 2010. That's an estimated 7,914,000 in total, about 2.6 percent of the United States' population.
70 percent of Latinos are Catholic, translating into 29 million Catholic Latinos in the United States (compared to 22 million white mainline Protestants).
23 percent of Latinos are Protestant or "other Christian" (including Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons). That translates to 9.5 million people.
85 percent of all U.S. Latino Protestants identify themselves as Pentecostals or evangelicals. That translates into 6.2 million people. 37 percent of the U.S. Latino population (14.2 million) self-identifies as "born-again" or evangelical. This figure includes Catholic charismatics, who constitute 22 percent of U.S. Latino Catholics. 26 percent, or 7.6 million, of all Latino Catholics self-identify as being born-again.
1 percent of Latinos identify with a world religion, such as Buddhism, Islam or Judaism.
I am part of the 1% as a Buddhist.
There seems to be many discrepancies within the religious affiliation statistics since certain belief systems overlap, i.e. Christian and Catholic. It is intriguing to see that 37 percent, a large plurality of Latinos in the United States self identify as agnostic or atheist. This statistic implies that younger Latinos are breaking away from tradition, as well as their elders who are already set in their ways of religion, and therefore usually intolerant of new ideas about accepting LGBT culture and other religions and belief systems.
Dutwin, David, Ph. D. "LGBT Acceptance and Support: The Hispanic Perspective."http://www.nclr.org. National Council of La Raza, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. <http://www.nclr.org/images/uploads/publications/LGBTAS_HispanicPerspective.pdf>.
Ennis, Sharon R., Merarys Ríos-Vargas, and Nora G. Albert. "The Hispanic Population: 2010." http://www.census.gov. U.S. Census Bureau, May 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. <http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-04.pdf>.
Murray, Bruce. "Latino Religion in the U.S.: Demographic Shifts and Trend." http://www.nhclc.org. National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2012. <http://www.nhclc.org/news/latino-religion-us-demographic-shifts-and-trend>.
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