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Movies and TV | December 14, 2020
Top 10 Tired Franchises Hollywood Refuses To Let Die
Lucas Hedinger
With Hollywood being in the age of long-running blockbusters, we have spent the better part of the last two decades witnessing studios doing everything in their power to secure themselves lucrative franchises and series to make money on for an endless amount of time. That said, cash-grabbing projects orchestrated by studio executives almost never end up being successful without a true artistic vision behind it. As a result of that corporate greed, massive franchises that were once beloved have turned into something unrecognizable. Here are 10 tired franchises Hollywood refuses to let die:
Top 10 Things Hollywood Does To Kowtow To The Chinese
10 Charlie's Angels
CHARLIE'S ANGELS – Official Trailer (HD)
While "Charlie's Angels" started as a popular TV series back in 1976, Hollywood only realized the potential behind the franchise in the year 2000, when it was successfully rebooted into an over-the-top action flick starring Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz. Unfortunately, that potential was very short-lived — after a failed sequel in 2003 (and a cancelled third film), the franchise went dead, and Hollywood has miserably been trying to revive it for the last 17 years.
First came a proposed "Charlie's Angels" animated film that got stuck and died in development hell in 2007, followed by an awful and widely forgotten 2011 TV series on ABC (starring Minka Kelly) that was embarrassingly cancelled after only four episodes, effectively making it one of the worst performing television shows of all time. Things got silent afterwards, and, for a while, it looked like the "Charlie's Angels" universe was finally put to rest. But Hollywood wasn't done.
Refusing to accept that audiences have not been interested in this franchise since 2000, Sony Pictures tripled down on their desperate efforts and delivered the historical box office failure that was 2019's "Charlie's Angels", a dull and uninspired reboot/sequel of the original series, directed by Elizabeth Banks and starring Kristen Stewart. The movie bombed with critics and audiences, grossing only $8 Million in its opening weekend (against an estimated production & marketing budget of $97 Million) and prompting the inevitable cancellation of its planned sequels. Let's hope that, this time, the message was clear.[1]
9 Men In Black
MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL – Official Trailer
The first two "Men In Black" movies were massive hits that undeniably solidified their place in pop culture through the years. The odd pairing that were Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones worked against all odds, and created a franchise that was like unlike anything we had seen before. Lightning in a bottle, as they say. But then, in 2012, we got "Men In Black 3", and it became quite obvious that Sony and Columbia were pushing their luck. Despite being successful at the box office, it was generally agreed amongst fans and critics that the movie was an absolute disappointment, far from the quality of the first two films.
As a result, Sony Pictures decided to find a new way to reinvigorate the series. For about two years, there were talks of a "Men In Black" spin-off that would work as a crossover with the recently rebooted "21 Jump Street" franchise. At the time, Jump Street stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum were even confirmed to be reprising their roles in the weird yet exciting project. Sadly though, the film died in development hell, and Sony Pictures opted to shift the franchise's direction all together, abandoning the crossover idea for a straight reboot.
And so, the year 2019 saw the release of "Men In Black: International", a brand new take on the franchise featuring a new set of MIB agents, this time played by "Thor: Ragnarok" stars Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. Unfortunately, the movie fell flat and widely underperformed at the box office, causing future plans to be halted in their development stage. As of right now, there are no plans for new "Men In Black" movies moving forward, but it is only a matter of time before a new reboot arises.[2]
8 Resident Evil
RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER – Official Trailer (HD)
There is a known curse in Hollywood when it comes to movie adaptations of popular video games. None of them are good. From the famously awful "Super Mario Bros" in the 90's, to the abomination that was 2016's "Assassin's Creed", it looks like video game movies are always doomed to fail from the start. One of the very few exceptions to this rule though, was 2002's extremely successful adaptation of the horror classic "Resident Evil", starring Milla Jovovich.
While it was a fairly unfaithful adaptation that widely disappointed fans of the video games, the film surpassed expectations at the box office, creating a brand new fandom and kickstarting a 14-year long movie franchise. That said, the overly convoluted and increasingly unlikable sequels quickly began to lose audiences over the years, and the franchise grew stale with diminishing returns.
Accepting the deplorable status of their film series (despite it still being somewhat profitable), Sony Pictures and Screen Gems decided to put an end to it with 2016's highly forgettable "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter", which came and went mostly unnoticed by western audiences. But, while we might have thought this was the end of it, it was quickly made very clear by studios that they were not done trying to milk this franchise for every dollar it could make.
When, the video game series was reinvigorated with "Resident Evil: Biohazard" in 2017, it was reported by Variety that a reboot of the movie franchise inspired by it was on the way, with James Wan attached to produce for what was set to be a 6-film series. Despite Milla Jovovich's very public disapproval of this announcement, the idea seemed promising and actually got fans excited. Unfortunately, the film never got past the development stage.
But, in 2020, it was announced that a new movie project based on the first two games was in the works. The reveal of this new iteration was almost immediately followed by Netflix releasing a trailer for a "Resident Evil" animated series, set to be released in 2021. All these projects seem to be an attempt to regain the fans' approval, and to capitalize on the hype the franchise has had in the past three years, thanks to the critical acclaim of the last few games.[3]
7 Pirates Of The Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean 6 Trailer: "The Last Captain" (FM)
In 2003, we were gifted with Disney's "Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl", which revealed itself to be one of the most fun and charismatic films of its time. Inspired by one of Disney's popular theme park rides, it was a genuinely brilliant adaptation with a unique story that gave us iconic characters such as Johnny Depp's legendary Jack Sparrow. The movie became an instant classic, and the success it garnered quickly gave way to a trilogy.
While the following two sequels ("Dead Man's Chest" and "At World's End") were not as beloved as the first one, facing some criticism for being a bit messy and overblown, they still formed a solid trilogy that closed with acclaim from fans and critics alike in 2007. Unfortunately, Disney then opted to keep going with the franchise.
"Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" came out in 2011 and brutally disappointed fans by delivering a boring story, ditching the original cast and turning Jack Sparrow into a caricature of himself, in a weird attempt to make him the franchise's mascot. But, despite the backlash, the movie did make money, and Disney doubled down with 2017's universally hated "Dead Men Tell No Tales', which was so terribly bad that the planned sequels were cancelled almost as soon as it came out, effectively ending the series on a dud.
Not knowing what to do with their fallen franchise, Disney announced that the so-called "Pirates 6" was going to be a reboot, confirming in 2018 that Johnny Depp had been dropped from the series. Since then, a never-ending line of reports have circulated about the reboot being cancelled, then being back on track, then losing its head writers, then being cancelled again — which only confirms that Disney is not ready to let go of the Pirates, even if they have absolutely no idea what to do with them.[4]
6 Alien
Alien: Covenant | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX
"In space, no one can hear you scream." A sentence that still sends shivers down people's spines. Ridley Scott's "Alien" is, to this day, one of the greatest horror/sci-fi movies ever made. James Cameron's "Aliens", the 1986 sequel, is one of the greatest action/sci-fi movies ever made. Both films gave us something strong, special, with one of the most iconic heroes in cinema history, and villains that are impossible to forget. It was perfect. And then…it kept going.
After the disappointing "Alien 3" and "Alien Resurrection" crashed and burned in the 90's, the 2000's saw studios attempting to turn the Alien series into a blockbuster franchise with the terrible crossover event that was "Alien vs Predator" in 2004, which was followed by "Alien vs Predator: Requiem" in 2007. These films completely drained the franchise of its soul, losing the audience's interest entirely, and 20th Century Fox quickly decided to shift gears.
In 2012, original director Ridley Scott came back to the franchise to direct a prequel to the first film titled "Prometheus". The film gave a new breath to the Alien universe, but proved to be extremely divisive amongst fans, often criticized for being boring and pretentious with its themes. A sequel to the movie then became unsure, and "Prometheus" quickly fell into oblivion, forgotten by most.
Four years later, Neill Blomkamp (director of the critically acclaimed "District 9") was brought in to direct a new Alien film that would be taking place right after "Aliens" and disregard all of its sequels. It was even confirmed that Sigourney Weaver would be coming back as Ellen Ripley to give her character a proper ending… but the film was abandoned by the studio in its preproduction stage and, almost immediately after, it was announced that, in the end, Ridley Scott would be making his "Prometheus" sequel instead.
That sequel came in 2017, in the form of "Alien: Covenant" a disjointed disappointment of a movie that left both critics and audiences cold and bored. The film performed terribly at the box-office, which, once again, made the possibilities for a sequel very foggy. But, despite everything, Ridley Scott did claim in 2020 that a sequel to "Covenant" was still a possibility, so it is safe to assume that 20th Century Fox is refusing to accept that this franchise has not had a single good movie since 1986. Go figure.[5]
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5 The Walking Dead
THE WALKING DEAD: WORLD BEYOND Official Trailer (2020) Amazon Series
The fact that "The Walking Dead" was (at one point) a cultural phenomenon as highly regarded as "Game Of Thrones" and "Breaking Bad" is almost comedic today. AMC's flagship show lost its way quite a long time ago, and has since become a very pale shadow of its former self, often surviving by the skin of its neck. Labeled "the greatest downfall in television history" by Collider, the show is now more known for being flat and inexplicably dragged out. A crazy thought when we know that, in its prime, "The Walking Dead" was the most watched television series in the entire world.
With the original graphic novel coming to a highly criticized end in 2019 and the TV show growing stale and falling behind a dull spin-off series, it has become very clear in the past couple of years that the franchise as a whole has completely lost the interest of audiences. And when AMC announced in 2020 that season 11 of "The Walking Dead" would be its last, we assumed that the tired universe was finally going to be put out of its long and agonizing misery. We were wrong.
Not only is "The Walking Dead" still going to be an active franchise in the next decade, it is also going to be expanded through a variety of weird and unappealing spin-offs, such as "World Beyond", a teen drama taking place in the universe that is currently making history for its terrible ratings. A movie trilogy about Rick Grimes coming to the big screen was also announced, and a number of other TV shows to debut in the coming years. In other words, despite the lack of demand for this franchise to grow, "The Walking Dead" will only make itself more obnoxious as time goes.[6]
4 X-Men
Nowadays, most people tend to forget that 2000's first "X-Men" movie is essentially the movie that "saved" the superhero genre, and shaped it in the form it has today. After 1997's disastrous "Batman & Robin" put the entire genre in a Hollywood-shaped grave, "X-Men" took a new approach to comic book adaptations by refusing to conform to the silly and campy clichés that had become synonymous with them, and reinvigorated the potential behind it. A few years later, we got Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" and "X-Men 2", which is still considered to be one of the greatest comic book films of all time. That immense success and acclaim quickly took a turn, though…
Over time, the X-Men franchise became a lazy and incoherent mess with a broken timeline that felt more like Fox was throwing everything they could at the wall to see what stuck, with writer/producer Simon Kinberg even admitting that the films became more interested in crazy visual effects than crafting interesting characters. The glimmer of hope that came after 2016's widely disliked "X-Men: Apocalypse" was very short lived though, as 2019's "Dark Phoenix" (which was the final entry in the current franchise) crashed and burned at the box office like never before, losing the studio over $100 Million in the process, and ending the series in the most forgettable way possible.
That said, since acquiring 20th Century Fox in 2018, Disney and Marvel Studios have confirmed that the X-Men will be coming in the colossal Marvel Cinematic Universe, giving fans the hope to repair the characters' honour the same way Spider-Man did after the catastrophe of the "Amazing Spider-Man" franchise that ended in 2014. In other words, despite 20 years of regular movies, it looks like the X-Men franchise is only just getting started.[7]
3 Rambo
Rambo: Last Blood (2019 Movie) Teaser Trailer— Sylvester Stallone
It is strange to think that John Rambo was originally a character meant to represent the challenges that come with a war veteran's PTSD in 1982's "First Blood", before he was turned into an iconic ultra-violent action hero that pretty much defined an era of action flicks in Hollywood. The "Rambo" franchise has been a staple of the genre ever since its genesis, but Hollywood's reluctance to let the series end has started to crack its legendary status.
After the awful "Rambo IV" saw the light of day in 2008 (no less than 20 years after "Rambo III"), Hollywood decided to try yet another desperate comeback for the character 11 years later. "Rambo: Last Blood" was released in 2019, and confirmed to audiences that the franchise was officially tired and out of ideas. The movie threw any sense of story out the window, deciding to instead make a spectacle of excessive violence without much of a point. Needless to say, critics and audiences were not impressed.
David Morrell, author of the original Rambo novels, even admitted to being embarrassed by the movie, which he referred to as "degrading" amongst other things. And despite the movie doing poorly at the box office, Sylvester Stallone has recently claimed that a seventh Rambo film could be put in the works soon, as well as a prequel movie that would be taking place before "First Blood".[8]
Transformers: The Last Knight Official Trailer 1 (2017) – Michael Bay Movie
Michael Bay's 2007 "Transformers" was a fun movie with groundbreaking visual effects that took the world by storm. That's about it. Nothing can justify the continuing disaster that allowed Bay to make four more films. Sure, they made money (for some reason), but it is common knowledge amongst audiences that Transformers movies are some of the worst blockbusters ever put to screen. If anything, the franchise has become a perfect example of studios pushing their luck a bit too far. As a result, Michael Bay's incarnation of "Transformers" was finally put to rest after 2017's god-awful "Transformers: The Last Knight" bombed and lost Paramount Pictures and Hasbro over $100 Million.
Although, despite the overwhelming franchise fatigue, it took less than a year for Paramount to release their new vision of the franchise, with the reboot "Bumblebee" making its way to theatres in 2018. The first film to be directed by someone other than Michael Bay, "Bumblebee" proved to be a superior entry in terms of quality, but struggled to be profitable at the box office, barely saved by Chinese audiences who came in droves to see it.
Beginning to feel a bit nervous because of the blatant lack of interest in the franchise, Paramount ended up cancelling "Transformers 7", which was slated to be released in June 2019. But, in a twist of events that surprised nobody, The Hollywood Reporter announced in May 2020 that "Transformers 7" was back on the schedule, this time landing a 2022 release date. The report was quickly followed by the release of 6-part animated Transformers series on Netflix, proving that both Hasbro and Paramount are determined to fix the franchise they have been actively driving into a wall for the past decade.[9]
1 Terminator
Terminator: Dark Fate – Official Trailer (2019) – Paramount Pictures
Oh, god…where do we even start with this one? It's almost crazy to think that the last good "Terminator" movie came out almost 30 years ago. Especially when we know there have been 4 more movies released since then. After director James Cameron brought us "The Terminator" in 1984 and "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" in 1991 (which is still considered to be one of the greatest action films of all time), studios decided to carry on with the franchise without its creator. And, to this day, none have been able to accomplish that successfully.
Following the underwhelming "T3: Rise Of The Machines" in 2003, studio execs opted to take a different approach, and the franchise was rebooted by director McG in 2009 with the universally despised "Terminator: Salvation", which drifted away from its original cast and took a heavy science-fiction spin with the storyline. "Salvation" was one of the most expensive movies ever made at the time, but it completely failed to interest audiences, and the planned sequels were cancelled a few months after the film's release.
But Skydance and Paramount Pictures refused to back down, and in 2015, they rebooted the franchise once again with "Terminator: Genisys", which marked the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the iconic T-800 after a 12-year hiatus. Unfortunately, it quickly proved to be another miss, as the bland and repetitive movie was plagued with negative reviews and brutally failed to meet expectations at the box office. Fans were utterly disappointed by "Genisys" (mainly due to the film's ultimate plot twist being unceremoniously spoiled in the trailer months ahead of the release), and the planned trilogy for this new incarnation was quietly scrapped by the studio.
And then, because the message wasn't clear enough, Paramount teamed up with 20th Century Fox to attempt yet another reboot of the series. "Terminator: Dark Fate" came out in 2019, erasing the four previous films from the franchise's timeline, and claiming to be the one true sequel to 1991's "Judgement Day". But, despite building some mild hype with a decent first trailer (which teased the return of Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor), "Dark Fate" crashed and burned at the box office, losing the studio $130 Million. It became one of the most disliked entries in the series, making audiences realize that the Terminator franchise has been trying to tell the exact same story over and over again for the past 30 years, in a desperate attempt to recapture the magic of the first two films.
While the state of the franchise is currently up in the air, even MacKenzie Davis (who played one of the main characters in "Dark Fate") seems doubtful that the planned sequels will ever be made, saying in an interview with NME that at this point, "thinking there would be a demand for a seventh film is quite insane."[10]
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Q: Android: Where to find the RadioButton Drawable? Ok, I am trying to create a custom view called CheckedRelativeLayout.
It's purpose is the same as a CheckedTextView, to be able to use it in a list of items you want selected or in a Spinner.
It's all working fine now, I extended RelativeLayout and implemented Checkable interface.
However, I am stuck on a quite simple problem: Where can I find the Drawable that CheckedTextView and RadioButton use?
I looked at the sourcecode of both, and they seem to use com.android.internal.R. Well... that's internal stuff. So I can't access it.
Any way to get these Drawables or solve the problem somehow?

A: For sake of completeness:
Here some code pieces that show how you I got it working with above accepted answer.
 //Image Setup (Once when creating this view)
 ImageView indicator = (ImageView) findViewById(R.id.RadioStatusImage);
 indicator.setImageDrawable(getResources().getDrawable(android.R.drawable.btn_radio));

 //State Change (In some other method)
  android.R.attr.state_checked
  if (isChecked)
  {
     indicator.setImageState(android.R.attr.state_checked, false);
  }
  else
  {
     indicator.setImageState(View.ENABLED_STATE_SET, false);
  }
  invalidate();

A: To use the new default animated radio button drawable, the correct answer is in the comment of @sidon:
?android:attr/listChoiceIndicatorSingle
Using this in the custom position relative to text:
<RadioButton
    ...
    android:gravity="center_horizontal|bottom"
    android:drawableTop="?android:attr/listChoiceIndicatorSingle"
    android:button="@null"
    />

A: look under SDK folder /platforms/android-2.0/data/res/
you can access them by either android.R.drawable ( if public ) or need to copy them as drawable to your project

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


NTE1242 NTE Electronic Integrated circuit. FM/AM IF amp, AM converter.
NTE5415 NTE Electronic Silicon controlled rectifier (SCR). 4 Amp, sensitive gate. Repetitive peak voltage and reverse blocking voltage (Vdrm, Vrrm) 400V.
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NTE612 NTE Electronic Voltage variable capacitance diode (tuning diode). Diode capacitance(typ) Ct = 12.0pF.
NTE5832 NTE Electronic Stud mount standart recovery. Silicon rectifier, 3 Amp. Peak repetitive reverse voltage, DC blocking voltage 100V.
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NTE7048 NTE Electronic Integrated circuit. NTSC decoder w/fast RGB blanking.
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NTE5274AK NTE Electronic 50 watt zener diode, +-5% tolerance. Nominal zener voltage Vz = 47.0V. Zener test current Izt = 270mA.
NTE3010 NTE Electronic Discrete LED indicator. Diffused green, gallium phosphide on gallium phosphide green.
NTE3058 NTE Electronic Orange 0.3 inch single digit numeric display, seven segment, common cathode..
NTE5547 NTE Electronic Silicon controlled rectifier (SCR). Repetitive peak off-state & reverse voltage Vdrm,Vrrm = 600V. RMS on-state current 35A.
2V015 NTE Electronic Metal oxide varistor. Case diameter 16 mm. Nominal varistor voltage 24 V @ 1mA DC test current.
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NTE2394 NTE Electronic MOSFET. N-channel enhancement mode, high speed switch.


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Lia Corrales
By ogao |
My PhD research focused on identifying the size and mineralogical composition of interstellar dust through X-ray imaging of dust scattering halos to X-ray spectroscopy of bright objects to study absorption from intervening material. Over the course of my PhD I also developed an open source, object oriented approach to computing extinction properties of particles in Python that allows the user to change the scattering physics models and composition properties of dust grains very easily. In many cases, the signal I look for from interstellar dust requires evaluating the observational data on the 1-5% level. This has required me to develop a deep understanding of both the instrument and the counting statistics (because modern-day X-ray instruments are photon counting tools). My expertise led me to a postdoc at MIT, where I developed techniques to obtain high resolution X-ray spectra from low surface brightness (high background) sources imaged with the Chandra X-ray Observatory High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer. I pioneered these techniques in order to extract and analyze the high resolution spectrum of Sgr A*, our Galaxy's central supermassive black hole (SMBH), producing a legacy dataset with a precision that will not be replaceable for decades. This dataset will be used to understand why Sgr A* is anomalously inactive, giving us clues to the connection between SMBH activity and galactic evolution. In order to publish the work, I developed an open source software package, pyXsis (github.com/eblur/pyxsis) in order to model the low signal-to-noise spectrum of Sgr A* simultaneously with a non-physical parameteric model of the background spectrum (Corrales et al., 2020). As a result of my vocal advocacy for Python compatible software tools and a modular approach to X-ray data analysis, I became Chair for HEACIT (which stands for "High Energy Astrophysics Codes, Interfaces, and Tools"), a new self-appointed working group of X-ray software engineers and early career scientists interested in developing tools for future X-ray observatories. We are working to identify science cases that high energy astronomers find difficult to support with the current software libraries, provide a central and publicly available online forum for tutorials and discussion of current software libraries, and develop a set of best practices for X-ray data analysis. My research focus is now turning to exoplanet atmospheres, where I hope to measure absorption from molecules and aerosols in the UV. Utilizing UM access to the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, I work to observe the dip in a star's brightness caused by occultation (transit) from a foreground planet. Transit depths are typically <1%, and telescopes like Swift were not originally designed with transit measurements (i.e., this level of precision) in mind. As a result, this research strongly depends on robust methods of scientific inference from noisy datasets.
cirx1_heinz_pretty_image
As a graduate student, I attended some of the early "Python in Astronomy" workshops. While there, I wrote Jupyter Notebook tutorials that helped launch the Astropy Tutorials project (github.com/astropy/astropy-tutorials), which expanded to Learn Astropy (learn.astropy.org), for which I am a lead developer. Since then, I have also become a leader within the larger Astropy collaboration. I have helped develop the Astropy Project governance structure, hired maintainers, organized workshops, and maintained an AAS presence for the Astropy Project and NumFocus (the non-profit umbrella organization that works to sustain open source software communities in scientific computing) for the last several years. As a woman of color in a STEM field, I work to clear a path by teaching the skills I have learned along the way to other underrepresented groups in STEM. This year I piloted WoCCode (Women of Color Code), an online network and webinar series for women from minoritized backgrounds to share expertise and support each other in contributing to open source software communities.
Ayumi Fujisaki-Manome
Fujisaki-Manome's research program aims to improve predictability of hazardous weather, ice, and lake/ocean events in cold regions in order to support preparedness and resilience in coastal communities, as well as improve the usability of their forecast products by working with stakeholders. The main question Fujisaki-Manome's research aims to address is: what are the impacts of interactions between ice and oceans / ice and lakes on larger scale phenomena, such as climate, weather, storm surges, and sea/lake ice melting? Fujisaki-Manome primarily uses numerical geophysical modeling and machine learning to address the research question; and scientific findings from the research feed back into the models and improve their predictability. Her work has focused on applications to the Great Lakes, the Alaska's coasts, Arctic Ocean, and the Sea of Okhotsk.
View MIDAS Faculty Research Pitch, Fall 2021
Jesse Hamilton
My research focuses on the development of novel Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology for imaging the heart. We focus in particular on quantitative imaging techniques, in which the signal intensity at each pixel in an image represents a measurement of an inherent property of a tissue. Much of our research is based on cardiac Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (MRF), which is a class of methods for simultaneously measuring multiple tissue properties from one rapid acquisition.
Our group is exploring novel ways to combine physics-based modeling of MRI scans with deep learning algorithms for several purposes. First, we are exploring the use of deep learning to design quantitative MRI scans with improved accuracy and precision. Second, we are developing deep learning approaches for image reconstruction that will allow us to reduce image noise, improve spatial resolution and volumetric coverage, and enable highly accelerated acquisitions to shorten scan times. Third, we are exploring ways of using artificial intelligence to derive physiological motion signals directly from MRI data to enable continuous scanning that is robust to cardiac and breathing motion. In general, we focus on algorithms that are either self-supervised or use training data generated in computer simulations, since the collection of large amounts of training data from human subjects is often impractical when designing novel imaging methods.
Xianglei Huang
Prof. Huang is specialized in satellite remote sensing, atmospheric radiation, and climate modeling. Optimization, pattern analysis, and dimensional reduction are extensively used in his research for explaining observed spectrally resolved infrared spectra, estimating geophysical parameters from such hyperspectral observations, and deducing human influence on the climate in the presence of natural variability of the climate system. His group has also developed a deep-learning model to make a data-driven solar forecast model for use in the renewable energy sector.
Tamas Gombosi
Tamas Gombosi is the Konstantin Gringauz Distinguished University Professor of Space Science and the Gerstacker Professor of Engineering at the University of Michigan.
Over his four-decade-long career at Michigan he participated in a number of space missions (Cassini, Rosetta, Stereo, MMS and others). In the last two decades he has led a highly interdisciplinary team that developed the first solution adaptive (AMR) global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation code of space plasmas. His most recent research focus is to bring advanced machine learning to space weather modeling.
He is Fellow of the AGU (1996), Member of the International Academy of Astronautics (1997), recipient of AGU's inaugural Space Weather Prize (2013), Van Allen Lecturer of AGU's SPA section (2017), recipient of the Kristian Birkeland Medal (2018), and recipient of AGU's John Adam Fleming Medal (2020).
Robert Ziff
I study the percolation model, which is the model for long-range connectivity formation in systems that include polymerization, flow in porous media, cell-phone signals, and the spread of diseases. I study this on random graphs and other networks, and on regular lattices in various dimensions, using computer simulation and analysis. We have also worked on developing new algorithms. I am currently applying these methods to studying the COVID-19 pandemic, which also requires comparison with some of the vast amount of data that is available from every part of the world.
Nicole Seiberlich
My research involves developing novel data collection strategies and image reconstruction techniques for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. In order to accelerate data collection, we take advantage of features of MRI data, including sparsity, spatiotemporal correlations, and adherence to underlying physics; each of these properties can be leveraged to reduce the amount of data required to generate an image and thus speed up imaging time. We also seek to understand what image information is essential for radiologists in order to optimize MRI data collection and personalize the imaging protocol for each patient. We deploy machine learning algorithms and optimization techniques in each of these projects. In some of our work, we can generate the data that we need to train and test our algorithms using numerical simulations. In other portions, we seek to utilize clinical images, prospectively collected MRI data, or MRI protocol information in order to refine our techniques.
We seek to develop technologies like cardiac Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (cMRF), which can be used to efficiently collect multiple forms of information to distinguish healthy and diseased tissue using MRI. By using rapid methods like cMRF, quantitative data describing disease processes can be gathered quickly, enabling more and sicker patients can be assessed via MRI. These data, collected from many patients over time, can also be used to further refine MRI technologies for the assessment of specific diseases in a tailored, patient-specific manner.
Kenichi Kuroda
Synthetic polymers have been used as a molecular platform to develop host-defense antimicrobial peptide (AMP) mimics toward the development of "polymer antibiotics" which are effective in killing drug-resistant bacteria. Our research has been centered on the AMP-mimetic design and chemical optimization strategies as well as the biological and biophysical implications of AMP mimicry by synthetic polymers. The AMP-mimetic polymers showed broad-spectrum activity, rapid bactericidal activity, and low propensity for resistance development in bacteria, which represent the hallmarks of AMPs. The polymers form amphipathic conformations capable of membrane disruption upon binding to bacterial membrane, which recapitulates the folding of alpha-helical AMPs. We propose a new perception that AMP-mimetic polymers are an inherently bioactive platform as whole molecules, which mimic more than the side chain functionalities of AMPs. The chemical and structural diversity of polymers will expand the possibilities for new antimicrobial materials including macromolecules and molecular assemblies with tailored activity. This type of synthetic polymers is cost-effective, suitable for large-scale production, and tunable for diverse applications, providing great potential for the development of versatile platforms that can be used as direct therapeutics or attached on surfaces.
Ward B. Manchester
My research interests concern solar magnetism and magnetic flux transport from the convection zone into the corona, and through the heliosphere.In this context, I have contributed to basic theory and modeling efforts with analytical work and large-scale numerical simulations. The topics that I am particularly interested in are: magnetic flux emergence, magnetohydrodynamic instabilities, coronal mass ejection (CME) initiation, propagation, and CME-driven shocks. Flux emergence was the topic of my Ph.D. thesis research, which demonstrated that the expansion of magnetic fields in a gravitationally stratified atmosphere naturally produces Lorentz forces that drive shear flows. These flows lead to the formation of highly energized coronal magnetic fields, which are observed to be at the epicenter of coronal eruptions. This work provides a fundamental explanation for shear flows, which for decades, have been prescribed as ad hoc boundary conditions in numerical models of CMEs, flares and filament eruptions. While at the University of Michigan, I have advanced this fundamental theory of CME initiation by simulating the eruption of both magnetic arcades and flux ropes by such self-induced shear flows. I conceived and implemented the Gibson-Low flux rope as a way of simulating coronal mass ejections and applied this model to study the the propagation of CMEs from the solar corona through the heliosphere. In doing so, many new aspects of CME interaction with the interplanetary medium were discovered. With coauthors, I demonstrated the model's capability to predict ICME disturbances at Earth, and advised my student, Meng Jin, in developing data-driven tool, EEGGL, which prescribe the model's parameters and is now installed at CCMC. I am now working with faculty in the University of Michigan Department of Statistics to apply machine learning to classify and predict flare events and to identify the underlying physical processes.
Three series of plates at times t =50:0, 57.2, and 72.8 illustrating the expansion of the flux rope from the photosphere into the corona. Panels a–f show the x=0 plane, where the direction of the magnetic field (confined to the plane) is depicted with solid white lines. Panels a–c show a color representation of the shear velocity Ux, while panels d–f show color images of the shear angle measured in degrees. Panels g–i show three-dimensional representations of the magnetic field lines, color coded as described in the text. Panels g and i show color images of the vertical field strength Bz at the photosphere. Panel h shows a color image of the shear velocity at the photosphere, along with co-spatial vectors that indicate the magnitude and direction of the flow. Iso-surfaces of Ux are shown colored in blue (-20 km/s) and red (+20km/s). Reference: Astrophysical Journal, 610:588–596, 2004
Dominika Zgid
Our work is interdisciplinary in nature and we connect three fields, chemistry, physics and materials science. Our goal is to develop theoretical tools that give access to directly experimentally relevant quantities. We develop and apply codes that describe two types of electronic motion (i) weakly correlated electrons originating from the delocalized "wave-like" s- and p-orbitals responsible for many electron correlation effects in molecules and solids that do not contain transition metal atoms (ii) strongly correlated electrons residing in the d- and f-orbitals that remain localized and behave "particle-like" responsible for many very interesting effects in the molecules containing d- and f-electrons (transition metal nano-particles used in catalysis, nano-devices with Kondo resonances and molecules of biological significance – active centers of metalloproteins). The mutual coupling of these two types of electronic motion is challenging to describe and currently only a few theories can properly account for both types of electronic correlation effects simultaneously.
Available research projects in the group involve (1) working on a new theory that is able to treat weakly and strongly correlated electrons in molecules with multiple transition metal centers with applications to molecular magnets and active centers of enzymes (2) developing a theory for weakly correlated electrons that is able to produce reliable values of band gaps in semiconductors and heterostructures used in solar cells industry (3) applying the QM/QM embedding theories developed in our group to catalysis on transition metal-oxide surfaces and (4) applying the embedding formalism to molecular conductance problems in order to include correlation effects.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
namespace Stripe
{
    using Newtonsoft.Json;

    public class ChargePaymentMethodDetailsKonbiniStore : StripeEntity<ChargePaymentMethodDetailsKonbiniStore>
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// The name of the convenience store chain where the payment was completed.
        /// One of: <c>familymart</c>, <c>lawson</c>, <c>ministop</c>, or <c>seicomart</c>.
        /// </summary>
        [JsonProperty("chain")]
        public string Chain { get; set; }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A skilled Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence expert. Passionate about his work and always keeping up to date with the latest technologies in the field. Has demonstrated experience in NLP/NLU, Text Classification using CNN and LSTM, Image Classification and Speech Recognition.
An experienced Python developer. Also skilled in Golang, AJAX, HTML, and CSS.


text:
Morgenthau raps DA hopeful Snyder for 'pandering'
By Michael Saul
| Daily News Political Correspondent |
Jul 06, 2009 | 11:56 AM
Judge Leslie Crocker Snyder received a warmer endorsement from former New York Mayor Edward Koch than Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau. (Hermann for News)
Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau blasted would-be-successor Leslie Crocker Snyder as "irresponsible" for promising to convene a grand jury in the 1979 disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz.
"There's such a thing known as integrity - that is you don't pander to people," Morgenthau told the Daily News.
"We spent a huge amount of time on that case. If we could go to a grand jury, we would in a minute," said Morgenthau, who has endorsed one of Snyder's rivals, Cy Vance Jr.
"There's no sufficient evidence and there's absolutely no reason to open a grand jury investigation where you don't have any admissible evidence."
Morgenthau, the borough's top prosecutor since 1975, described Snyder's grand jury pledge in the Patz case as a "good example" of how she would run the office differently.
It's a sign of her "irresponsibility," he said. "To say I'm going to put that case to the grand jury is irresponsible," he added.
Last week, Snyder stood next to Etan's father, Stanley, at a City Hall news conference and promised to bring a grand jury evidence about Jose Ramos, an imprisoned pedophile who has long been suspected in Etan's disappearance.
Etan was last seen May 25, 1979, when he left his SoHo apartment to catch a bus on his first solo trip to school.
Ramos, the boyfriend of Etan's baby-sitter, is in prison for molesting two boys in Pennsylvania. He's up for release in 2012.
Eric Pugatch, a spokesman for Snyder, said the ex-judge stands by her pledge.
"Judge Snyder is running a positive campaign focused on the progressive policies she will pursue as Manhattan's next DA," he said.
At the news conference, Snyder said, "Stanley Patz and his family have endured unimaginable pain over the last 30 years. As district attorney, I will work to ensure that justice is finally served in this tragic case."
Stanley Patz, who has endorsed Snyder, said he's elated Manhattan will soon have a new DA. He said Morgenthau has refused to meet with his family.
"Robert Morgenthau has managed to ignore me and my family's problem for decades," Patz said. "For him to say \[Snyder\] is pandering to me, or is irresponsible, is ridiculous," Patz said.
Stuart GraBois, a former assistant U.S. attorney who continues to be involved in the case, also defended Snyder.
"I respect Mr. Morgenthau, but I totally disagree with his assessment that there's insufficient evidence," he said. "I believe there's proof beyond a reasonable doubt."
In 2001, the Patz family had Etan declared legally dead. In 2004, a state judge found Ramos responsible for the boy's death in the family's civil suit.
Stanley Patz acknowledges the case isn't perfect but he believes there's enough evidence to bring to a grand jury.
"Is it a slam dunk? Absolutely not," Patz said of a possible criminal trial. "But we have a case."
Snyder's opponents have stopped short of promising a grand jury review. Vance and Aborn said they would prosecute if they deemed the evidence sufficient.
msaul@nydailynews.com


As the old adage goes "Give a man fish, he will eat for a week, Teach a man to fish, he will always eat". Well, it should start when he is a boy! Fishing is a sport that can really make the father-son bond, a strong and lasting one. Fishing with a kid should start as simple as possible. There is no need for elaborate equipment and tackle to be used in the early days of this sport.
It should be a happy time, a memorable one for the youngster, as well as the parent. Too often I see fathers getting annoyed with their children for not doing it right. There is no right or wrong at this stage! No one is born with a rod and reel in their hands. It is a process of making mistakes and learning from them. It is, like most things, a learning curve. The more you do it, the more you learn the better at it you become… Like most things in life.
A good example of what not to do is what happened with a friend of mine and his 8 year old son. For his first fishing encounter, he was put aboard a large, diesel powered boat, in moderate seas, for a day of ocean fishing. Before getting out of the harbor, the kid was already nauseous from the fumes, and by the time they were at the fishing grounds, was also quite sea sick to boot. As a result, his kid, after spending some hours in hell, hates the sport! How sad. How unnecessary!
For a first encounter in to the sport of fishing, the parent should start the child off with freshwater, preferable from a shoreline, with minimal tackle. I recommend a good old cane rod with a small hook and a worm. Sure, the size of the fish to be caught will probably be small, but who cares, the child will have fun. And that is the most important aspect of the experience.
As the child gets older and more proficient, a light rod/reel combination will do very nicely. By starting the experience slowly, and with enthusiasm, it can develop into a fun, relaxing sport that will last a lifetime.


This is the first in the new 'Wave Prowler' class of fast patrol boat from Alnmaritec. She is destined for operation at an oil terminal in the Middle East as a port regulations vessel with patrol and intercept duties in mind. She has a jaw dropping turn of speed reaching over 42 knots and her unique asymmetric catamaran hull form gives here exceptional high speed handling and superb sea keeping characteristics. She has an air conditioned wheelhouse with seating for six passengers and two crew as well as a WC and a spacious aft deck with a dive platform and a bimini awning to provide cover. She is a real head turner and packs a powerful punch for a relatively small boat.


text:
Robert Mugabe's Body Has Been Repatriated To Zimbabwe.
: 09/11/2019 - 10:56
Author: Ciara Plunkett
The body of Robert Mugabe is being flown home to Zimbabwe from Singapore.
He was Zimbabwe's first leader after the country became independent in 1980, and died in hospital five days ago aged 95.
After almost four decades in power, he was ousted in a coup in 2017.
He will be buried on Sunday after a state funeral on Saturday.
Image: Robert Mugabe in Dublin, 1983/RollingNews
'Moment Of Remembrance' Today For Victim Of Collision
Investigations Continue Into Rathangan Burglary
Durkan: More Space Must Be Found At Naas General
Young Scientist Exhibition Opens In RDS
Private Memorial Service In Carlow Today For Victims Of N78 Collision
Appeal For Info. On Athy Mugging Launched
Job Slot
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text:
Turkey Raids Offices of Opposition Leader, Seizes Documents, Makes Arrests
And more from the Turkish Press
by AK Group
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/2096/turkey-raids-offices-of-opposition-leader
ELECTION OPERATIONS IN AEGEAN MUNICIPALITIES
Acting on a tip-off, police on Monday raided opposition-held local administrations in the western province of Izmir, and Karabaglar as well as in the Kusadasi town of southwestern province of Aydin. Nearly 40 people were detained in these operations. Police seized documents from the municipalities of Izmir held by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, chairman of CHP, said that all these operations were political.
http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/?hn=239626&kw=%DDzmir+B%FCy%FCk%FEehir+Belediyesi+h%E2l%E2+aran%FDyor
TURKISH PRIME MINISTER VOWS WOMEN MPS TO HAVE HEADSCARVES
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pledged to resolve the debate whether women wearing headscarves could have a seat in the Turkish parliament. "We want to make progress (in this issue) by settling sensitivities one at a time. There are women who fashion headscarves in my party and they are engaged in politics. Anyway, the parliament is not the only place to do politics. But, with Allah's will, the doors of the parliament will be opened for them and they will continue their struggle there," Erdoğan told a rally of his ruling AK Party in Istanbul's Sultangazi district.
http://www.milliyet.com.tr/-doktor-efendi-zamanlari-bitti/siyaset/haberdetay/03.05.2011/1385335/default.htm
CRAZY OFFER
Businessman Serdar İnan made a $30 billion U.S.D. offer for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's "crazy project." Inan said that they could earn $300 billion U.S.D. from this project in 15 years. The government will create a new Bosphorus with the project, which seeks to fortify the city against environmental disasters that could be caused by tanker collisions.
http://haber.gazetevatan.com/o-cilgin-isadami-ortaya-cikti/374865/1/Gundem
MIT INFORMS ERDOĞAN
Some claimed that the United States informed its allied countries about the U.S. operation for capturing of Osama Bin Laden, the late leader of the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda. Officials said that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan first received information about the raid from National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Undersecretary Hakan Fidan.
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/17691221.asp?gid=386
TURKISH EMBASSY IN LIBYA EVACUATED
Turkey has temporarily closed its embassy in the Libyan capital due to increased security risks, the Turkish foreign minister said on Monday. Ahmet Davutoglu said that Turkish Ambassador in Tripoli, Salim Levent, and the diplomatic staff safely crossed into Tunisia. Davutoglu said the shutdown did not mean an end to Turkey's efforts to find a peaceful settlement to the Libyan conflict. Turkey's decision came after British and Italian embassies there came under attack on Sunday.
http://www.gazetevatan.com/ka30.vatan
TURKEY RAISES ALERT LEVEL AFTER BIN LADEN'S DEATH
Turkish security forces raised the level of readiness against possible retaliation after U.S. special forces killed Al Qaeda's founder and long-time leader Osama Bin Laden in a safe house in Pakistan. Security forces have been advised to be on the alert about members of Al Qaeda in Turkey. Security measures have been tightened around state buildings and officials as possible targets. In 2003, an Al-Qaeda-linked group claimed responsibility for Istanbul bombings that killed 60 people at the British consulate, HSBC bank headquarters and two synagogues.
http://www.radikal.com.tr/Radikal.aspx?aType=RadikalDetayV3&ArticleID=1048089&Date=03.05.2011&CategoryID=77
SERBIA APPREHENDS SENIOR OPERATIVE OF TURKISH HEZBOLLAH
Serbian special ops captured on Monday a senior operative of the Turkish Hezbollah, which has no ties to the Hezbollah in Lebanon. Aydin Tamac, the alleged leader of the group's armed wing, who was released from prison in January after an amendment to the country's criminal procedures law -- ordering the release of suspects who have stood trial and arrest for over five years -- entered into force. Tamac was apprehended on Serbia's border with Hungary.
http://dunya.milliyet.com.tr/
RUNAWAY HIZBULLAH MEMBER CAUGHT IN SERBIA
Aydın Tamak, head of Hizbullah's military wing, who had vanished into thin air after an arrest warrant was issued following his release, was caught at the Serbia-Hungary border while trying to escape to Germany in a cargo truck
A member of Hizbullah, who went missing after being released pending trial in January due to a change in legislation, was found by Serbian police in a cargo truck headed to Germany.
Turkish police had been informed about Aydın Tamak's escape from Turkey using a cargo truck, but were able to identify the truck's license plate only after the head of Hizbullah's military wing had crossed the Turkish border. Police then notified all countries along his expected route, the Anatolia news agency reported Sunday.
After technical searches, the Security Department's Intelligence Directorate learned that Tamak would leave Turkey on April 28 with the help of a human-trafficking network active in Istanbul. The police learned he was hiding in a cargo truck; the intelligence unit informed Interpol about the plate number and model of the vehicle. All countries en route to Germany were also notified.
The truck carrying Tamak was spotted in Serbia, where police, who had received a special note from their Turkish counterparts, pursued the vehicle and stopped it before it entered Hungary at midnight on April 29. SWAT teams recaptured Tamak, who was hiding in the truck.
A Turkish ID was found on Tamak, who criticized the operation by the Serbian police and denied that he was the fugitive sought. Serbian police, however, identified him through his fingerprints, which were also sent to Belgrade by the Turkish Interpol. Tamak admitted his identity in the first round of questioning, and was then arrested.
Serbian Interior Minister İvica Daciç said Sunday that Tamak's identification and fingerprint information had been sent to Ankara, and that further action would be taken once directives were received from Turkey. A special team will reportedly be sent to Serbia to interrogate the Hizbullah member.
Regarding the truck driver, Daciç said he would be charged with human trafficking.
Tamak had been released due to criminal code amendment:
Turkey's Supreme Court of Appeals released Tamak in January after Article 102 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, or CMUK, restricting long detention periods, entered into force. He disappeared sometime thereafter, vanishing as the court handed down a life sentence March 15.
Several members of Hizbullah, a Turkish-based fundamentalist terrorist organization unrelated to the Lebanese Hezbollah, had been accused of killing 150 people and leaving hundreds wounded.
Tamak was first arrested in the southeastern province of Bingöl in July 1997, and released in May 2000. The Hizbullah archive confiscated in Istanbul revealed that he was one of the leaders of the organization's military wing. Tamak was detained again, but no decision was reached in his court case for 10 years. He was set free after the release of the first group of Hizbullah detainees, according to Article 102 of the amended CMUK.
Although the changes to the criminal code were known in advance, no court ruling was announced in the Hizbullah case prior to its going into effect. Instead, the top appeals court released 23 Hizbullah members, including two leaders of the group, Edip Gümüş and Cemal Tutar, following the implementation of Article 102.
Twenty days after their release, the Penal Department made a final decision sentencing Hizbullah defendants to life in prison. None of the accused, however, could be caught the second time around, and an arrest warrant was issued for all Hizbullah fugitives.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=runaway-hizbullah-member-caught-in-serbia-2011-05-02
TURKEY SEES IT AS AN IMPORTANT STEP IN FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM
Turkish Foreign Ministry said Monday that Osama Bin Laden's death marked a significant step in today's fight against terrorism.
The ministry said in a statement that al-Qaeda leader Bin Laden, who was responsible for many terrorist acts that killed thousands of innocent people around the world, was part of an unacceptable effort to legitimize the terrorist acts he plotted and encouraged by exploiting Islam.
Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden were also responsible for linking Islam and terrorism, and by this way they paved the way for those who wanted to harm Islam, the statement said.
"Turkey is strongly against this link and its exploitation," it said. "It is very important for the international community to be aware of this difference."
The statement added that the end of Bin Laden was an example that justice would eventually be done for terrorists who killed innocent people.
"It is a lesson not only for al-Qaeda but also for all terrorist organizations," the statement said.
http://www.aa.com.tr/tr/kategori-haberleri/3.html
WORLD MORE SECURE NOW
World leaders reacted to the news that Osama Bin Laden was dead in a U.S. operation in Pakistan on Monday. Turkish President Abdullah Gül said, "This development shows that terrorists and heads of terrorist organizations will end up eventually, either dead or alive, in the hands of security forces." Gül said that the end of the world's most dangerous and sophisticated terrorist should be a lesson to everyone. "I greatly welcome it," he added. The European Union said that it was a great success and the world was a more secure place now.
http://www.sabah.com.tr/Gundem/2011/05/03/turkiye-memnun
TURKISH PRESIDENT GUL SAYS TURKEY-EU VISA PROBLEM TARNISHES EU'S CREDIBILITY
Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Monday that the EU's reluctance to start visa talks with Turkey discredits EU, not Turkey.
"The EU starts talks even with Russia and the Ukraine [to remove visa restrictions], but not with Turkey. It discredits the EU, not Turkey," Gul told a press conference with his Austrian counterpart Heinz Fisher in Vienna.
Gul embarked on a visit to Austria earlier in the day; he is the first Turkish president to visit Vienna in 13 years.
Gul said Turkish products can move freely inside the EU, however, the Turkish people cannot; he described it as a "stark contrast."
"We have opened all our doors to European countries. There is no other non-EU country that is in the Customs Union," Gul said.
"We are facing weird problems. For instance, there is a trade fair in Vienna and you are showcasing your products here. Your products can come here, but the producers of them cannot because of visa troubles," he said.
Gul also said that the EU was considering visa-free travel to nationals of countries in the Balkans; however, the bloc was reluctant to start visa talks with Turkey, which signed the Customs Union agreement 16 years ago.
Gul said he expected EU countries and officials to think about the problem and make a fair decision.
On the integration of Turkish people living in Austria, Gul said he discussed the issue in detail with his Austrian counterpart.
There are nearly 200,000 Turkish people in Austria and half of them are Austrian nationals, Gul recalled. He said, "there are some problems about the integration. There is no need to hide them. But we must work together to overcome these problems."
AHMADINEJAD TO ARRIVE IN TURKEY AMID US PRESSURE
Iranian President Ahmadinejad will join the United Nations-sponsored Least Developed Countries Summit, Iranian officials told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on Monday.
Turkey will host the fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries on May 9-13 in Istanbul -- one of the gatherings to help poorer nations improve prosperity and infrastructure. The Iranian leader's trip to Turkey coincides with growing pressure from the United States to halt the activities of the Iranian banks in Turkey.
Meanwhile, Israeli President Shimon Peres will not participate in the gathering, as the summit coincides with an Israeli national holiday. Relations between Turkey and Israel began to strain after an Israeli attack on Gaza that killed about 1,400 Palestinians in 2009.
Relations between the two countries grew even more tense after an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound Turkish aid ship, during which eight Turks and one Turkish-American were killed in 2010. Following Israel's attack, Ankara demanded an apology and compensation before relations could be normalized.
"As we organize this meeting together with the U.N., I sent letters to all heads of state and government of U.N. member countries and invited them to the meeting. I have invited the Israeli president within this scope," President Abdullah Gül said in April, while underlining that the invitation had been extended by the U.N., not by the Turkish government.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is also invited, along with the Armenian President, Serzh Sargsyan, whose attendance was unconfirmed.
Turkish President Abdullah Gül and the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon are scheduled to make the opening remarks at the conference.
Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai and Azerbaijan Prime Minister Artur Rasizadea are among the confirmed participants.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=israeli-president-not-attend-to-the-un-conference-in-turkey-2011-05-02
PROTOTYPE OF TURKEY'S FIRST NATIONAL TANK "ALTAY" READY, SAYS GONUL
The Turkish Minister of National Defense, Vecdi Gonul, said Saturday that the prototype of Turkey's first national tank "ALTAY" was ready.
Speaking to reporters in the town of Manavgat in the southern province of Antalya on Saturday, Gonul said that "ALTAY" tanks would be better equipped than all tanks presently used by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).
What is important is to produce tanks fully made in Turkey; the number of "ALTAY" tanks to be produced will be determined according to needs, Gonul said.
A prototype of the "ALTAY" tank will be on display in the northwestern province of Istanbul on Tuesday, May 10.
http://www.aa.com.tr/tr/kategori-haberleri/
Related Topics: Turkey
Recent Articles by AK Group
Assad Makes Tactical Move By Pledging Peace, Erdogan Says, 2012-03-30
Syria Accepts Annan Plan To End Strife, 2012-03-29
Turkey Pushes Syrian Dissidents For Unity, 2012-03-28
SNC Could Become Syria's Representative, Dissident Says, 2012-03-27
U.S. Helping Turkey Reduce Dependence on Iranian Oil, 2012-03-26
FREE AYATOLLAH BOROUJERDI!
Ayatollah Hossein Kazamani Boroujerdi faces execution in Iran for speaking out against political Islam and advocating the separation of religion and state.


What are the Fitwel Standards?
Fitwel Champion: Alexandria Real Estate Equities 499 Illinois St., San Francisco, CA. Courtesy of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.
Fitwel provides tailored strategies for multifamily residential and workplace properties to optimize unique opportunities for each project. Stay tuned as we expand our portfolio to include other project types in the future.
The v2.1 Standard features a New Construction pathway, newly developed Retail and Community Scorecards, as well as strengthened Workplace and Multifamily Residential Scorecards to ensure that all products are up to date with the latest science and research. New pathways and Scorecards will be available as of June 3rd, 2019.
New construction and renovation projects that are in design or under construction should pursue certification through the newly available New Construction pathway. Available to projects pre-occupancy, new construction projects must submit for a Design Certification (pre-occupancy) and a Built Certification (post-occupancy).
Existing or recently completed buildings should pursue certification through this pathway. Available to projects post-occupancy, existing building projects will receive a Built Certification.
The Design Certification is available for new construction and major renovation projects once the design of the project is solidified and prior to the project being occupied. The Design Certification is valid for 3 years from the date of certification.
The Built Certification is available for existing or recently completed projects that are occupied and in use. The Built Certification is valid for 3 years from the date of certification.
Impacts management staff, employees and visitors of multi-tenanted complexes and stand-along properties.
This scorecard will be available as of June 3rd, 2019.
Impacts occupants of a contiguous development that incorporates open space, more than one building, and multiple uses, including residential and at least one other type, such as retail, commercial, industrial, civic, and institutional. This scorecard is currently accepting pilot users.
v2 is currently available to all users, v2.1 will be made available June 3rd, 2019.
Impacts building owner/management staff within buildings or campuses whose floors and common areas are occupied by multiple tenants.
Impacts all occupants of an entire building or campus whose floors and common areas are occupied by a single tenant.
Impacts occupants within contiguous spaces or groups of contiguous spaces within a building that are occupied or controlled by a single tenant.
Impacts residents of an entire building or development that contains multiple dwelling units and is classified as multifamily residential.
The Fitwel Scorecards include 55+ evidence-based design and operational strategies that enhance buildings by addressing a broad range of health behaviors and risks. Each strategy is associated with unique point allocations, based on the strength of associated evidence and the demonstrated impact on occupant health. This means that strategies with stronger, multi-faceted impacts receive more points.
Fitwel addresses health as an interconnected system, with no single dominant category or area of focus, and as such all strategies are voluntary, with no individual prerequisites.
Workplaces located in more walkable neighborhoods with nearby amenities and public transit access support greater opportunities for physical activity, social equity and foster positive impacts on community health.
Sample strategies include optimizing WalkScore and transit access.
Supporting multi-modal access to buildings, increases opportunities for engaging in regular physical activity.
Sample strategies include supports for carpools, bikes, and pedestrians.
Providing onsite or nearby outdoor spaces assists in supporting mental and physical health.
Sample strategies include provisions and policies for outdoor amenities, such as walking trails and smoke free spaces.
Ground floors can be optimized to promote improved air quality and access to health-promoting amenities.
Sample strategies include entryway systems to capture particulates and context appropriate lighting for safety.
Stairwells present a convenient way for building occupants to add physical activity to their day.
Sample strategies include provisions for accessible, visible, and well-designed stairwells.
Limiting prolonged exposure to harmful airborne substances and pollutants in indoor environments can improve air quality and reduce risk factors associated with chronic disease, comorbidities and absenteeism for occupants.
Sample strategies include smoke-free building policies and providing an asbestos-free interior.
Health supportive workspaces can assist in reducing absenteeism, while also instilling feelings of well-being.
Sample strategies include daylight, views, and operable shading at workspaces.
Onsite shared spaces can promote health outside of the individual workspace, by providing areas for physical activity and mental rejuvenation.
Sample strategies include provisions for a lactation and exercise room.
Providing access to fresh water reduces consumption of less healthy alternatives.
Sample strategies include providing an ADA compliant water supply on every floor.
Food retail can have a positive impact by elevating healthy food and beverage options onsite.
Sample strategies include establishing standards for healthy food and beverages.
Providing healthier food and beverage options can reverse the negative health impacts of traditional vending machines.
Sample strategies include pricing incentives for healthy snacks.
Emergency preparedness can improve coordination and timeliness of emergency response, increasing safety during emergency situations.
Sample strategies include provisions for an Automated External Defibrillator and associated testing schedule.
Residences located in more walkable neighborhoods with nearby amenities and public transit access support greater opportunities for physical activity, social equity and foster positive impacts on community health.
Sample strategies include supports for public transit, cyclists, and pedestrians.
Sample strategies include provisions and policies for outdoor amenities, such as walking trails and playgrounds for children.
Sample strategies include entryway systems to capture particulates and context appropriate lighting for pedestrian and cyclist safety.
Sample strategies include smoke-free building policies and providing a lead-safe interior.
Health supportive living spaces can assist in reducing morbidity and increasing comfort, while also instilling feelings of well-being.
Sample strategies include daylight, views, and operable shading in bedrooms.
Onsite shared spaces can promote health in the common areas within the building or on-site by providing areas for physical activity and mental rejuvenation.
Sample strategies include provisions for kitchen facilities and an exercise room.
Increasing access to full-service groceries and healthier restaurants can help elevate food choices on-site.
Sample strategies include establishing standards for healthy food and beverages that must be met by all on-site sit down restaurants.


There will be five new tunnel portals constructed as part of Crossrail at Royal Oak, Pudding Mill Lane, Victoria Dock, North Woolwich and Plumstead.
The western and eastern running tunnels having tunnel portals at Royal Oak, Pudding Mill Lane and Victoria Dock. The Thames Tunnel between North Woolwich and Plumstead having tunnel portals constructed at either end.
The Victoria Dock Portal will be located where the new Crossrail trains move between existing surface railway into Crossrail's new tunneled section beneath central London. Major engineering works were carried out with the renewal of 420m of Docklands Light Railway (DLR) tracks to create space to build the foundations for the portal structure, close to Custom House DLR station. More than 700 piles will be driven into the ground to form the foundations for the 20m- wide, 371m-long and 13m-deep portal.
Chiplime were recommended and subsequently awarded the 1200mm diameter contiguous pile wall demolition works on both the north and south sides of the tunnel. Having performed well and before program were given additional associated works and presented with the monthly site safety award for showing positive adherence and knowledge to site safety golden rules upon completing a set task by Vinci Construction.
Chiplime were part of the main project team having been awarded specific round the clock specialist concrete placing and power floating works on the £18m UHAF contract in Portsmouth by Volker Steven Marine.
The facility comprised of a 15m by 85m jetty, 2 mooring dolhins and two small vessel pontoons. Construction methods were adapted to suit the environment constraints associated with the project with all resources including labour taken to site by waterbourne means. The project achieved a CEEQUAL award for its social and environmental measures taken to ensure sustainability.
Chiplime Construction LLC was awarded various specialist structural concrete works on the Dubai International Airport known as Terminal 3 Concourse 2 including the Multi-Storey Car Park, by Al Naboodah Laing O'Rourke.
The new Terminal Building sits beneath the taxiway and apron and is intended for use solely by Emirates Airlines.
The production was regularly over 40,000m3 of concrete being poured regularly every week. On completion the total volume of concrete poured will be in excess 2,400,000m3.
Due to the immense scale of the project, on the various sections of the contract Chiplime employed in excess of 400 operatives and 30 staff to manage the works. The logistics alone of recruiting, employing, transporting and housing these personnel was a mammoth task in itself, however, the task was completed successfully.
VT Shipbuilding have moved to a new state-of-the-art facility in Portsmouth and have completed work to supply the bow modules and masts for the first six of the Royal Navy's new Type 45 destroyers. It should have a significant role in the new Royal Navy aircraft carriers; and its offshore patrol vessel business is in rude health, with contracts from the UK and expressions of interest coming from the Middle East, Caribbean and other parts of the world. And it has successfully developed new ways of supplying and maintaining vessels with Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Chiplime were awarded diamond drilling, concreting & general works by Morgan Ashurst. Assisting them with the various finishing elements at the mid and final stages of the project in order to bring the tight works program in line with hand over dates. The project was successfully completed on time and budget, as a result Morgan PLC were looking at bidding for further work with the clients VT Shipbuilding.
Construction of 60,000 seater concrete framed stadium on brown-field site alongside main railway tracks. The structure comprised 4 suspended in-situ slabs, 8 main cores which provide support to the clear spanning roof.
Chiplime were involved in all aspects of concrete placement and finishing works to the RC sub-structure and superstructure works for the stadium, the re-located Waste Transfer Station and the Northern Triangle residential scheme for key workers.
This section of the CTRL provides the link that ties the southern Waterloo route with the phase 2 northern link, leading under the River Thames and on to the London Terminus. Chiplime were awarded the contract to carry out all pile demolition works to over 4000 piles and placement of all concrete on the 36 structures that incorporated over 150,000 cu m of concrete.
Construction of 3.5 km of formation for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link railway with 1.75km of formation for the connection between the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the existing North Kent Line. The Channel Tunnel Rail Link line crosses the existing A2 Trunk Road by means of a cut and cover tunnel of 250 metres in length.
The new dual three lane underpass was constructed to take all A13 Newham Way traffic under the existing junction at Prince Regent Lane. The slip roads will provide access between the A13 and Prince Regent Lane. Separating through traffic from local traffic which will substantially improve traffic for pedestrians and cyclists.
Chiplime were awarded the diaphragm wall removal works using the Elliott Method at the earlier stages of the improvement works.
The walls were constructed by others using the Bentonite Slurry Method. Due to the successful completion of these works Chiplime were awarded further work including pile demolition, general concreting works to parapet walls and gantry boxes for the new footbridge and supplying skilled and unskilled labour on the other major junctions of the project.


Amazon Com New Ikea Premiar World Map Picture With Frame Canvas Of Brilliant On Uploaded by on Sunday, January 14th, 2018 in category All World Maps.
See also Canvas Prints Art Framed Pictures IKEA Beauteous World Map On Ikea from All World Maps Topic.
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Rick Astley's bar with Copenhagen brewery Mikeller. Pic: Joe McCarthy.
80s pop star Rick Astley has opened a bar in Shoreditch, serving ales themed around his name and music.
The bar, in conjunction with a Danish brewing company, opened on the October 19 with a special performance by the Never Gonna Give You Up singer and free drinks throughout the day.
Mikkeller first worked with Astley a few years ago after rumours spread that he lived in Copenhagen with his wife. They created a beer called 'Astley's Northern Hop Lager.', unsurprisingly it is tinted a ginger colour.
The vast selection of beers on offer at Mikeller London. Pic: Joe McCarthy.
I know it's a Friday and Rick Astley is involved, but a queue to enter a pub at 2:45 in the afternoon is a bit much isn't it?


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Msgr. Jeffrey Wald passes away Oct. 28
It is with great sadness that Bishop John Folda and the Diocese of Fargo announce the death of Monsignor Jeffrey Wald, pastor of St. James Basilica in Jamestown, St. Mathias Church in Windsor and St. Margaret Mary Church in Buchanan. Monsignor Wald passed away Tuesday, October 28 in a Jamestown hospital due to COVID-19 complications. He was 56 years old.
Monsignor Wald was born on December 17, 1963 and was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Fargo on June 6, 1992. In addition to his most recent parishes, Monsignor Wald served at parishes in Grand Forks, Fingal, Oriska, Crary, Devils Lake, Starkweather and Fargo, as well as at Cardinal Muench Seminary in Fargo before his death.
"Monsignor Wald was a kind shepherd and gifted speaker, a champion for Catholic education, and will be sorely missed by me, his brother priests, his parishioners and the faithful of the diocese who knew and loved him," said Bishop Folda. "My prayers go out to his family, friends and parishioners at this tragic loss."
Funeral arrangements are pending.


Fabric Barrier is also called Cafe Barrier, Event Barrier, Traffic Barrier. This Fabric Barrier Product is made of aluminum structure, which is strong and light weight. The frame is so easy to be assembled, and it can be pack down to package whic is less than 1m long. it's light weight and easy to carry on.
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There really is more to making your own jewelry than just simply creating something pretty or occupying any spare time you might have. Giving and making handmade jewelry not only fulfills you creatively, it also fulfills a need in the person receiving or purchasing it. Think about the following whenever you need an "excuse" to bead and you might find that beading meets a fundamental need you weren't consciously aware of. Keep following this blog as we explore each of these in more detail.
Keep these things in mind when you're creating your next piece. It may change the way you present your work, the way you feel about the entire process, and best of all, it may give some added value to your creation. Set aside some time today to create something meaningful and beautiful!


Congrats to Penumbra, who won Fixing the Hole by Katherine Halle! Fixing the Hole is being released today by Dreamspinner Press on November 5.
Many thanks to Andrew Grey for donating an ebook copy of his forthcoming m/m Western romance, A Chaotic Range (Range #7), for a lucky commenter to win! A Chaotic Range will be released by Dreamspinner Press on November 7.
Most of the time ranchhand David rescues stray cattle, but this time he and his fellow cowboys Wally and Haven save a stranded motorist. David is surprised to find his former high school classmate nearly frozen in his car. After learning that Brian Applewright's boss fired him from his ranch for being gay, they invite him back to theirs to take a job.
David and Brian moved in different social circles at school, but working together brings them closer. However, David has a rocky history on the ranch. The foreman is his ex, and he only recently returned after a heartbreakingly unsuccessful attempt to find greener pastures. He can't risk his heart getting close to anyone.
But on a ranch, nature has a way of forcing an issue. When a snowstorm threatens, David and Brian head out to mend a fence and round up some stray cattle. David gets injured, and they must survive in the snow, cold, and wind. It might be the start of a relationship… or the end of their lives.
To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CST, Monday, November 17.
Posted by Chris on Wednesday, November 5th, 2014, at 2:00 am, and filed under Contests, Reading.
Gotta get this one too!
Count me in. Strange pic!
A recent post from Kate..What I read in October….
Yes, you'd like it Mayhem! You look so artsy fartsy!
Love Andrew's books. Please, count me in.
I enjoy Andrew's writing so pretty please count me in for this!
Please count me in! I love Andrew Grey's stories.
Plz, count me in. I adore Andrew Grey's books. Thank you.
Mr Grey; another auto buy author who writes books that brings the reader into the story. This one sounds as promising as expected. Love what you did with the picture of Mayhem. That image could be turned into a poster. Nice job, Chris.
I love this series. Please count me in!
Please count me in!I love Andrew Grey's books.
I would love to win a copy of A Chaotic Range!
This sounds like it is right up my alley.
I love Andres's books! Thanks for the chance to win a copy. Please count me in.
Please enter me in the drawing for Andrew's book!
It wasn't me, honest, I just found out where Chaos has been hiding the missing socks!
Love the chance to win the latest in the Range series. Please count me in.
OMG love this series! Please enter me in the contest!!
Count me in on this one too please!
I just started "A Shared Range" and can't stop reading, so count me in for this latest installment.
I would like to read this one, count me in.


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Texas House bill takes aim law enforcement on reality TV
APB Team Published April 12, 2021 @ 10:00 am PDT
iStock.com/Cotorreando
A bill that seeks to outlaw reality TV crews contracting Texas law enforcement has been introduced to the House but has yet to be voted on.
The House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee decided to leave the bill pending after hearing less than 15 minutes discussion on it.
Williamson County Democrat Rep. James Talarico filed House Bill 54 to effectively cancel law enforcement from reality TV, and to prevent similar outcomes attributed to the participation of the Williamson County Sheriff's Office with the Live PD reality show.
The WCSO was one of the departments featured on the now-cancelled show. During that time, Live PD cameras captured footage of two encounters with the department that led to the death of one man and serious injuries for another.
In the case of Javier Ambler, he died an hour after being taken into custody by Austin police officers following a vehicle pursuit caught on camera. According to KXAN News, Ambler would not dim his headlights and refused to pull over. After a chase, Ambler crashed within Austin city limits and was arrested. With Live PD camera's rolling, Ambler told officers he couldn't breathe and later died.
Talarico, who filed the bill following a lawsuit by the Ambler family, argued that the presence of cameras and a TV crew caused the officers to act more aggressively.
"If you watch the video, of Javier Ambler's murder, you see officers much more aggressively than they otherwise would have if there wasn't a reality TV crew following them around. We have to say loudly and unequivocally that policing is not entertainment," Talarico told KXAN.
In October 2020, Ambler's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the county and deputies involved in the arrest. Ambler's attorneys accused the sheriff's office of using "trivial" traffic offenses to provide "entertaining" content for Live PD.
However, opponents of the bill proposed an argument quite the opposite of Talarico's.
Dylan Price, attorney with the Houston law firm Walker and Taylor, told the committee at the hearing, "I believe that the addition of camera crews does make police more accountable and less likely to break laws or use excessive force. TV shows that document police encounters serve as an undervalued resource to educate the public. These shows paint the picture of the dos and don'ts of police encounters and it shows the perspectives of police officers during such encounters."
He also argued that a bill banning reality television crews would "limit the rights of those producing such content from exercising their free speech."
Former Sheriff Robert Chody and Attorney Jason Nassour were indicted in September 2020 for evidence tampering in connection with the Ambler death, where they were alleged to have "destroyed or concealed" Live PD recordings of the arrest.
Categories: Policy


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Apple Reaches Settlement With FTC Regarding In-App Purchases | Cult of Mac
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Apple Reaches Settlement With FTC Regarding In-App Purchases
By Buster Hein • 9:17 am, January 15, 2014
reg34rg
After negotiating with the Federal Trade Commission for months regarding the use of in-app purchases in the App Store, Apple has reached a consent agreement with the agency, according to a company-wide email Tim Cook just sent employees.
Apple's in-app purchases practices have frustrated regulators since debuting in the App Store back in 2009. In his letter to employees, which was obtained by Re/code, Cook says a host of complaints from customers led Apple to investigate its practices. Last year Apple emailed 28 million App Store customers regarding their in-app purchases and subsequently refunded more than 37,000 in-app purchases that parents claim were unauthorized. The FTC announced that Apple will refund $32.5 million to customers as part of the settlement.
The settlement also requires Apple to change its billing practices by March 31 to ensure customers give their informed consent before billing them for in-app purchases. Apple also has to add an option for customers to remove that consent at any time.
Cook says "it doesn't feel right for the FTC to sue over a case that had already been settled. To us, it smacked of double jeopardy," but the FTC's deal isn't going to require Apple to do anything extra, so they decided to sign it and move on.
Here's the full letter:
From: Tim Cook
Subject: FTC announcement
I want to let you know that Apple has entered into a consent decree with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. We have been negotiating with the FTC for several months over disclosures about the in-app purchase feature of the App Store, because younger customers have sometimes been able to make purchases without their parents' consent. I know this announcement will come as a surprise to many of you since Apple has led the industry by making the App Store a safe place for customers of all ages.
From the very beginning, protecting children has been a top priority for the App Store team and everyone at Apple. The store is thoughtfully curated, and we hold app developers to Apple's own high standards of security, privacy, usefulness and decency, among others. The parental controls in iOS are strong, intuitive and customizable, and we've continued to add ways for parents to protect their children. These controls go far beyond the features of other mobile device and OS makers, most of whom don't even review the apps they sell to children.
When we introduced in-app purchases in 2009, we proactively offered parents a way to disable the function with a single switch. When in-app purchases were enabled and a password was entered to download an app, the App Store allowed purchases for 15 minutes without requiring a password. The 15-minute window had been there since the launch of the App Store in 2008 and was aimed at making the App Store easy to use, but some younger customers discovered that it also allowed them to make in-app purchases without a parent's approval.
We heard from some customers with children that it was too easy to make in-app purchases, so we moved quickly to make improvements. We even created additional steps in the purchasing process, because these steps are so helpful to parents.
Last year, we set out to refund any in-app purchase which may have been made without a parent's permission. We wanted to reach every customer who might have been affected, so we sent emails to 28 million App Store customers – anyone who had made an in-app purchase in a game designed for kids. When some emails bounced, we mailed the parents postcards. In all, we received 37,000 claims and we will be reimbursing each one as promised.
A federal judge agreed with our actions as a full settlement and we felt we had made things right for everyone. Then, the FTC got involved and we faced the prospect of a second lawsuit over the very same issue.
It doesn't feel right for the FTC to sue over a case that had already been settled. To us, it smacked of double jeopardy. However, the consent decree the FTC proposed does not require us to do anything we weren't already going to do, so we decided to accept it rather than take on a long and distracting legal fight.
The App Store is one of Apple's most important innovations, and it's wildly popular with our customers around the world because they know they can trust Apple. You and your coworkers have helped Apple earn that trust, which we value and respect above all else.
Apple is a company full of disruptive ideas and innovative people, who are also committed to upholding the highest moral, legal and ethical standards in everything we do. As I've said before, we believe technology can serve humankind's deepest values and highest aspirations. As Apple continues to grow, there will inevitably be scrutiny and criticism along our journey. We don't shy away from these kinds of questions, because we are confident in the integrity of our company and our coworkers.
Thank you for the hard work you do to delight our customers, and for showing them at every turn that Apple is worthy of their trust.
Source: Re/code
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Having worked in Greater Boston as a Rental Agent and later in accounting for Gibson Sotheby's International, Molly Hall brings real estate experience to her position as Real Estate Services Coordinator. Molly is responsible for supporting over 70 top producing REALTORS in northwest Vermont through skill training & development opportunities, event coordination, and support staff training.
Molly's connection to Vermont began with her family spending many summers on Lake Champlain. After spending years in real estate, including specializing as a rental agent in Boston's Beacon Hill, Molly moved to Vermont to be closer to her family and attend graduate school at St. Michael's College. Prior to joining Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty, Molly was the Administrative Coordinator to Ben and Jerry, co-founders of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream.
In 2011, Molly was recognized by Vermont Business Magazine, with the "Rising Star Award: 40 Under 40." The Award recognizes young leaders for their commitment to business growth, professional excellence, and involvement in their community. Molly's involvement in our region is extensive. She is currently an active volunteer with the United Way, serving as the Secretary for the Hickok & Boardman Companies United Way Campaign. She has also served as a member of the Ben & Jerry's Community Action Team, volunteer for the Intervale Center, on the planning & advertising committee for the Isle La Motte Farmers' Market, and acted as Secretary of the Board for the Vermont Young Professionals, a networking and professional development organization for young Vermonters.


All signs belong to the American kind. I find no influence from The Netherlands. Note also that none of the children signs show gender signals. The pedestrian signs to the contrary make a clear distinction even while they are going match-stick.
We must not be blind for what we have seen on several other signs on this site. Road signs often give away what can't be said in the open (Iran, Nepal, Monsieur Jean). In this case that would mean a military undercurrent. But there is also the more comforting possibility of teachers keeping a tight hand on their pupils.
A new case of children stuffed with knowledge. Find a related case with discussion in Costa Rica.
They walk between the lines and in this way confirm our conclusions from the previous sign. Find more dashed lines in Gambia.
Indonesian signs come with a certification.


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