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Big East M5: 10.26.12 Edition
Posted by Dan Lyons on October 26th, 2012
Connecticut's basketball's academic woes have reared their ugly head once again, this time in the form of the team's graduation success rate (GSR). The Huskies' GSR dropped from 36% to 11% this year, representing the lowest such mark in all of Division I basketball. The score, which reflects how many of the team's players were able to graduate within six years of their enrollment at school, is different from the APR, the Academic Progress Rating that is currently preventing UConn from participating in the 2013 postseason. On the bright side for the Huskies, their APR is on the rise. Academic success is one of the major black marks on the end of the Jim Calhoun era at Connecticut, and as the NCAA's APR requirements continue to increase every year, it needs to be a major focus for Kevin Ollie or whoever has control of the program in the long term.
Big time non-conference series are always fun, and yesterday we learned that Georgetown and Kansas have agreed to play four games starting next season. The series will open at Allen Fieldhouse on December 31, 2013 and continue on for three successive seasons home-and-home until 2016-17. Georgetown and Kansas have only faced each other twice, including last year in the Maui Invitational, a 67-63 Kansas victory. The all-time series is tied at one win apiece.
Pitt's J.J. Moore may be a bit rusty on the court after missing months of basketball from an April surgery to repair his fifth metatarsal, but he spent his summer wisely. After living in the weight room during his rehabiliation, Moore put on around 15 pounds of muscle, and is now a stout 6'6″ and 215 pounds. Moore was not a major part of Jamie Dixon's rotation last season, sitting behind Lamar Patterson and Nasir Robinson at the forward slots, but with his added size and strength he should factor in at both small forward and power forward this year. Moore adds some added quickness and versatility at the four when Dixon wants to go with a smaller, more athletic line-up: "I'm definitely ready to make that transition and play power forward," Moore said. "We've been practicing right now with me being the power forward. It's looking good. I think it's looking good for the team, as a matter of fact. With me as a power forward, the guys can get open because we can space the floor."
Marquette blog Anonymous Eagle is running a player preview series for the start of the 2012-13 season. Today featured "silky" freshman forward Steve Taylor, whom Buzz Williams has called the best freshman he's ever signed at Marquette. While Taylor has a ton of potential, he is going to start behind Jamil Wilson and Juan Anderson in the rotation, and the AE guys don't foresee him seeing a lot come Big East play, especially with Williams' penchant for leaning on experienced players down the stretch. There is also an excellent photoshop done involving Taylor, Williams, and a 1995 Chevy Chase film, so the full profile is definitely worth your time.
Having spent four years in Syracuse, I can verify that there are a number of notable food spots in town. Dinosaur BBQ is the first place to roll off of most tongues, but Jim Boeheim's favorite hot dog joint Heid's and the nearly-90 year old Varsity on the SU hill both deserve all the recognition that they receive as well. However, there is one particular Syracuse food item that is particularly legendary – the Mother's Cupboard frittata. This six-pound heap of egg, pepperoni, home fries, sausage, and vegetables has been finished by few and has conquered many, but another brave soul was able to put down the entire dish on Monday: Syracuse basketball walk-on Russ DeRemer. DeRemer utilized a strategy that allowed "Man vs. Food" host Adam Richman to overcome the mighty frittata, and he was able to put away the entire plate in 25 minutes. DeRemer was quite humble about the accomplishment, but fellow walk-on Albert Nassar was more candid about his teammate's impressive feat: "Honestly, he didn't even struggle,'' Nassar said. "Until the last bowl, he didn't pause once. He just kept going. Then on the last bottom, he paused for like a minute and then knocked it out.''
| big east, microsites, morning 5 | Tagged: albert nassar, buzz williams, georgetown, jamie dixon, jamil wilson, jim boeheim, jim calhoun, jj moore, juan anderson, kansas, kevin ollie, Lamar patterson, marquette, maui invitational, nasir robinson, pittsburgh, russ deremer, steve taylor, syracuse, uconn, walk-ons
Pittsburgh: 2011-12 Post-Mortem
Posted by mlemaire on May 18th, 2012
Our apologies for plagiarizing borrowing the ideas of our colleagues over at the Pac-12 microsite, but we liked their post-mortem team breakdowns so much that we decided to replicate them with our conference. So over the course of the next two weeks, we will break down each team's season, starting from the bottom of the conference standings. Next up is Pittsburgh.
For a team that began the season in most pundits' Top 10, it wouldn't be a stretch to call Pittsburgh's season an unmitigated disaster, especially given the consistent high level of play we have grown accustomed to from Jamie Dixon's teams. It started with a casual loss to Long Beach State at home in the third game of the season, and after a disappointing loss to Wagner a month later, the free fall began. Shortly after the loss to The Beach, star point guard and offensive catalyst Travon Woodall got hurt and missed the next two months of the season.
The Sudden Departure Of Prized Recruit Khem Birch Early In The Season Was Only The Beginning Of The Problems For Jamie Dixon's Club.
Two weeks later, prized freshman Khem Birch left the program just as he was showing signs of putting it together and blasted his teammates on the way out. Forced to play the point position with Woodall out, star guard Ashton Gibbs suffered through the worst shooting season of his career and neither Talib Zanna nor Dante Taylor developed into the consistent post threat Dixon had hoped for. The most obvious reason for their decline was the sudden absence of defensive intensity from the Panthers. They had never finished worse than 53rd nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency under Dixon. This season they finished 151st in the category. If you are looking for what went wrong, that is a good place to start.
What Went Right
To be fair, the team did go through a mini-resurgence down the stretch, but it was too little too late. The emergence of Woodall as a multi-faceted scorer and distributor was a blessing and he should be even better next year assuming he stays healthy. Senior workhorse Nasir Robinson was his ultra-efficient self, and increased playing time for sophomores Lamar Patterson and J.J. Moore helped them become effective role players who will be counted on to play an even bigger role next season. he number one bright spot for folks on the Main Line was the emergence of Pinkston in conference play. I guess if you want to count winning the College Basketball Invitational Championship as an honor, then you can add that to the list of what went right. To be clear, we don't count that.
| big east, microsites | Tagged: ashton gibbs, dante taylor, j.j. moore, james robinson, jamie dixon, john johnson, Lamar patterson, nasir robinson, pittsburgh, steven adams, Talib Zanna, travon woodall, Trey Ziegler
Big East Afternoon Five: Leap Day Edition
Posted by mlemaire on February 29th, 2012
We got off to a late start today so let's make it a good one. Score this one in the "You have got to be kidding me!" category, but Connecticut's loss to Providence last night was a debacle that perfectly sums up its season. The Huskies shot 46% from the field, led by as many as 14 in the second half, and still let the lowly Friars climb back into the game and eventually win. Most are now saying that this team doesn't belong in the NCAA Tournament and they really don't. You can't lose nine of your last 13 games in the regular season and still expect the Tournament Committee to look favorably upon you, and you can't play a must-win game against the worst team in your conference and blow a late lead to lose. Blaming this on interim coach George Blaney is a cop-out, though. Blaney may be too passive and he may not lead the team with the iron fist of Jim Calhoun, but Blaney is not responsible for letting one of the conference's least efficient offensive teams go on a 26-5 run in the middle of the second half. UConn fans can scapegoat whomever they want, but this failure is on the players, plain and simple.
The difference between UConn and West Virginia — who routed its inferior opponent, DePaul, in a must-win game at home — is leadership. UConn is a team full of talented underclassmen. West Virginia is a team that will only go as far as their two excellent seniors, Kevin Jones and Truck Bryant, who combined for 50 points last night in what was their final home game as Mountaineers, take them. Bob Huggins' team has also been in a bit of a tailspin down the stretch, but if they can beat South Florida in Tampa this weekend, they may still be able to play their way into the NCAA Tournament.
Looking ahead to tonight, the team with the best chance to impress the Tournament Committee is Cincinnati. The Bearcats play their final home game against No. 8 Marquette, a team that has been winning but hasn't been dominating. The Golden Eagles are not the same team on the road as they are at home, and for Mick Cronin's bunch, a win over a Top 10 team would likely cement their place in the NCAA Tournament heading into the Big East Tournament next week. The obvious matchup to watch will be the red-hot Jae Crowder squaring off with Cincinnati's Yancy Gates who will be playing in his final home game.
Allow me to take a minute to step away from bubble implications and talk about one player who is out of the spotlight thanks to his team's unexpected struggles, and that is Pittsburgh do-it-all senior Nasir Robinson. Reading this article about Robinson's season, it shouldn't take long for you to love this guy. A 6'5″ power forward, Robinson doesn't have a future in the NBA and his senior season has been a disappointment, but still he says he won't make any excuses and all he does is talk about how he wants to help his teammates. The Panthers have had plenty of gritty players exactly like Robinson who make the most out of their limited potential (Brad Wanamaker immediately comes to mind) and that is a testament to coach Jamie Dixon's talent evaluation and coaching. This is why Robinson deserves some stand-alone recognition. He will be forgotten soon enough, but for now, let's give the guy some love for an excellent career and leadership values he should be proud of.
There will be a lot of mixed emotions in South Bend Friday night when Notre Dame seniors Scott Martin and Tim Abromaitis put on their uniforms for what might be the last time. Both players have petitioned the NCAA for a rare sixth year of eligibility but it seems unlikely that either will have their request granted. Of course Abromaitis will be in uniform but won't play as he recovers from his torn ACL. There should be plenty of cheers from the Fighting Irish faithful, especially for Abromaitis, but there will also be a lot of people looking at him in uniform and wondering what could have been.
| big east, microsites | Tagged: bob huggins, brad wanamaker, cincinnati, george blaney, Jae Crowder, jamie dixon, jim calhoun, kevin jones, marquette, mick cronin, nasir robinson, notre dame, pittsburgh, scott martin, tim abromaitis, truck bryant, uconn, west virginia, yancy gates
Checking In On… the Big East Conference
Posted by Brian Goodman on February 27th, 2012
Brian Otskey is the RTC correspondent for the Big East conference. You can find him on Twitter @botskey.
Reader's Take
Temple In Big East Talks: The Big East may have a new all-sport member as early as this fall if the reports are true that the Temple Owls are in discussions about joining the conference. Adding Temple to the mix would be terrific for Big East basketball. While Syracuse is irreplaceable, you could make an argument that Temple and Memphis offset the departures of West Virginia and Pittsburgh. The enhanced stature of these two programs in the Big East will help fuel recruiting and could easily make them equal to what WVU and Pitt are right now. Temple will make its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance next month, its 30th in a storied history. The Owls have made two Final Fours and five Elite Eights, better than both Pittsburgh and West Virginia (WVU has two Final Fours, Pitt has one). Memphis has been to more Final Fours and Elite Eights as well, although two were vacated (1985 and 2008). All in all, I'd argue that the Big East hit a grand slam with Temple and Memphis, should this all go through. The league simply couldn't have done better given the constraints it faced.
Punching Your Ticket And Voiding It In The Same Week: One could argue that Seton Hall and Cincinnati punched their NCAA Tournament tickets with wins over Georgetown and Louisville, respectively, last week. However, both squads lost over the weekend (to Rutgers and South Florida), wiping out the good vibes from huge home wins earlier in the week. As of right now, the Pirates and Bearcats are likely still in the Tournament, but in much more precarious positions than before. In late-season college basketball, nothing is ever a sure thing until all the games are played. A team's status can change at a moment's notice.
Syracuse Senior Scoop Jardine Helped Lead The Orange To A Title-Clinching Win Over Connecticut. (Jessica Hill/AP Photo)
Syracuse (29-1, 16-1) – The men in orange just keep moving right along, picking up two more wins this past week. Finding a way to win is so cliché, but it has been the theme with this group over the last few weeks. Syracuse has moved its record to 29-1 with seven of their nine wins since the loss to Notre Dame coming by ten points or less. In the win over South Florida, Syracuse overcame 35% shooting and a 20-7 Bulls run to start the game by going on a massive 26-0 run that started about midway through the first half and bled deep into the second. Kris Joseph struggled shooting, but Scoop Jardine picked him up by scoring 15 points. Joseph rebounded in a big way with 21 points at Connecticut while Fab Melo added 11 points and nine rebounds. This team has more weapons than any in the nation, allowing the Orange to overcome off nights by some of their key players. More importantly, Syracuse out-rebounded UConn, 39-35. That's significant because of what the Huskies bring to the table in their front court and Syracuse's awful rebounding numbers that have persisted throughout the season. With the win at UConn, Syracuse officially clinched the Big East regular season title, something everyone knew was going to happen as early as when the calendar flipped to January. This week: 3/3 vs. #23 Louisville.
Marquette (24-5, 13-3) – There are teams more talented than Marquette out there, but you will not find one with a greater will to win than this bunch of Golden Eagles. You might as well call them their old nickname, the Warriors, because that's exactly what they are. Jae Crowder made his case for Big East Player of the Year last week in grand fashion, totaling 53 points in two wins over Rutgers and West Virginia. Crowder dominated West Virginia's Kevin Jones in their head-to-head matchup and may have moved in front of Jones in the POY race in the process. Crowder certainly plays for a better team and that has to enhance his case even more. Despite Buzz Williams suspending Darius Johnson-Odom, Vander Blue and Junior Cadougan for the first half against West Virginia and Todd Mayo for the second half, Marquette rallied yet again to pull out a victory. I don't understand the half-suspensions. Sit them down for the whole game if you want to make a statement, but that's beyond the point. The Golden Eagles shot 50% for the game and forced 19 WVU turnovers, helping to offset 16 Mountaineer offensive rebounds. In the win over Rutgers, Marquette forced 21 turnovers and Johnson-Odom added 21 points alongside Crowder's 27 as the Golden Eagles shot 54% overall. MU can close out the Big East regular season in grand style and finish with a 15-3 record if it takes care of two tough games in the coming week. This team has a legitimate chance to win the Big East Tournament and go deep in the NCAA's. This week: 2/29 @ Cincinnati, 3/3 vs. #9 Georgetown. Read the rest of this entry »
| big east, big east, Checking In On, microsites | Tagged: amir garrett, andre drummond, anthony collins, ashton gibbs, bob huggins, Bryce Cotton, buzz williams, cashmere wright, cincinnati, cleveland melvin, connecticut, d'angelo harrison, dane miller, dante taylor, darius johnson-odom, depaul, dominic cheek, donnavan kirk, eric atkins, fab melo, fuquan edwin, georgetown, gorgui dieng, j.j. moore, Jack Cooley, Jae Crowder, jamee crockett, james bell, jamie dixon, jason clark, Jayvaughn Pinkston, jeremy lamb, jerian grant, jerome seagears, john thompson III, jordan theodore, junior cadougan, kevin jones, kris joseph, kyle kuric, ladontae henton, louisville, maalik wayns, markel starks, marquette, mick cronin, mike dunlap, moe harkless, moses morgan, mouphtaou yarou, nasir robinson, notre dame, otto porter, pat connaughton, pittsburgh, providence, rick pitino, rutgers, scoop jardine, scott martin, Sean Kilpatrick, seton hall, shabazz napier, south florida, st johns, stan heath, syracuse, toarlyn fitzpatrick, todd mayo, tray woodall, truck bryant, vander blue, villanova, Vincent Council, west virginia, yancy gates
The Blueprint: How Pittsburgh Can Make the NCAA Tournament
Posted by mlemaire on February 1st, 2012
Less than two weeks ago, Jamie Dixon and his Pittsburgh Panthers had been left for dead in the Big East. After starting the season comfortably ranked in the Top 20 nationally, the Panthers displayed chinks in the armor early in the season, but the wheels didn't start coming off until they lost to Wagner, at home, right before Christmas. Pitt followed that disappointing loss with seven more disappointing losses in a row and looked absolutely nothing like the program that Dixon and his predecessor Ben Howland had built into a consistent winner.
Ashton Gibbs and Pitt Have Some Work To Do, But It's Possible...
But now, following a gutsy road win over a talented West Virginia team, the Panthers have a pulse, even if it is a faint one. Make no mistake, Pittsburgh's NCAA Tournament prospects are still really dim, and even if they win out, they will really have only secured themselves a spot on the bubble. But the NCAA Tournament isn't completely out of the question and that should be a good enough excuse for Pitt fans to start having the discussion anyway.
Let's start with the obvious. If Pitt is going to make the NCAA Tournament, they will need to win most of if not the rest of their games. Their RPI and Strength of Schedule will both benefit from a grueling conference schedule, so they don't need to worry about finding marquee wins as much as they need to avoid bad losses. With that said, they absolutely must win their next three games, because a loss to NIT-bound Villanova, bound-to-come-back-to-earth South Florida, or already-sliding Seton Hall would likely doom their Tournament hopes.
Assuming they can will win all three of those games they will at least re-enter the discussion. But there are three more games the Panthers should be circling on their schedule — a rematch with West Virginia at home, a trip to Louisville 10 days later, and a trip to Connecticut for the last home game of the season. There will be games to win in the conference tournament, but it's hard to believe that anything short of the conference championship would boost Pitt into the NCAA Tournament if they lose once or more at the end of the regular season.
| big east, microsites | Tagged: ashton gibbs, dante taylor, jamie dixon, kevin jones, Lamar patterson, louisville, nasir robinson, notre dame, pittsburgh, Talib Zanna, tray woodall, west virginia
Night Line: Could Revitalized Pittsburgh Possibly Make the NCAA Tournament?
Posted by EJacoby on January 31st, 2012
Evan Jacoby is an RTC correspondent and regular contributor. You can find him @evanjacoby on Twitter. Night Line will run on weeknights during the season, highlighting a major storyline development from that day's slate of games.
It's no secret that Pittsburgh has been a massive disappointment this season, beginning Big East play with a surreal 0-7 record during an overall eight-game losing streak. By failing to meet expectations or excel on the defensive end of the floor, this year's Panthers are entirely unlike what we usually expect from Jamie Dixon's teams. But after a 72-66 road win at West Virginia on Monday night, Pitt has now won three straight games and looks like an entirely different team with their starting point guard back from an extended abdominal injury. Pitt is averaging about 17 more points per game in conference games with Tray Woodall than without him, and the Panthers are finally starting to look like the team that was picked to finish fourth in the conference during the preseason. At 14-9 overall and 3-7 in Big East play, Pittsburgh has an incredibly steep hill to climb, but the pieces are in place to make a run for NCAA Tournament consideration.
Tray Woodall is Back and Pittsburgh Looks Like a New Team (AP Photo)
Pitt is used to qualifying for postseason play; they've made the Big Dance in 10 consecutive seasons, the longest current streak in the Big East. The Panthers' 80.1% winning percentage since 2001 is the fourth best in Division I over that span, trailing only Duke, Memphis, and Gonzaga. Dixon has been the head coach for the past nine years, and the Panthers have simply been superbly consistent under his watch. So the fact that Pitt sits at 12th place in the conference right now is a complete shock that nobody saw coming. The eight-game losing streak that they suffered, which began with a home loss to Wagner on December 23 and ended also at home against Louisville on January 21, was twice as long as any during the Dixon era. Losing starting big man Khem Birch to a transfer request and Woodall to injury put the team into a massive tailspin, and they're just now recovering from it all.
| night line, Regular Features | Tagged: 8-game losing streak, ashton gibbs, big east, dante taylor, jamie dixon, khem birch, Lamar patterson, nasir robinson, ncaa tournament, panthers, pittsburgh, Talib Zanna, tray woodall, west virginia
Checking In On… The Big East
A Bad Saturday for Big East Referees: It started in Philadelphia in the noon game between Villanova and Marquette. The referees made themselves the story of that game, calling three technical fouls and 45 total foul in a 40-minute game. That game lasted well over two hours as the officials used their whistles to take all the rhythm out of what was a very good game. James Breeding doesn't have the best reputation across the conference for the quality of his calls, but apparently he has a short fuse as well. Breeding called all three techs and embarrassed himself on national television in the process. I realize the Big East and NCAA want better sportsmanship, but nothing Jay Wright, Buzz Williams, or Maalik Wayns did warranted a technical foul. It's never good when officials make themselves the story of the game, but that's exactly what James Breeding did. The bad officiating continued in the Syracuse–West Virginia game as the crew of Karl Hess, Gene Steratore and, Brian O'Connell blew a goaltending call that was obvious to the 28,740 Syracuse fans in attendance at the Carrier Dome, the ESPNU commentators, and anyone who was watching the game. While the proper call would have only resulted in a tie game and actually given Syracuse a chance to win it in regulation, it denied West Virginia a chance to force overtime. Too often, we see officials swallow their whistles in the final minute to "not affect the outcome of the game." Once again, a crew of officials decided to do just that and that decision negatively affected the outcome. While there's no guarantee West Virginia would have won if the game went to the extra session, the Mountaineers were denied that chance by incompetent officiating. My beef is as follows: I'm all for player safety, but this season it has been ridiculous how many times officials have gone to the television monitor to review elbows that may or may not have been thrown during the course of a game. If they can review every elbow that was ever thrown (not needed in my opinion) as well as end-of-half scoring plays, why can't they review a call like that? Nobody likes slow games, but the officials should be permitted to review every call they aren't 100% sure about. All in all, Saturday was a disgrace to the officiating profession.
Mike Brey, Coach of the Year?: At this point, it would be hard to argue against him. The Notre Dame head coach led his team to two road wins at Seton Hall and Connecticut last week, holding the home teams to a combined 90 points. Brey's team executed the burn offense to perfection, protected the basketball and got timely rebounds. Notre Dame, considered an afterthought after Tim Abromaitis went down with a season-ending ACL tear, is now in the thick of the NCAA Tournament conversation. Brey seems to get the most out of his teams when expectations are low, and that reputation is holding true as we head into the crucial month of February. The Irish still have work to do in order to overcome a lackluster non-conference performance but Brey has his team well on its way towards a top half conference finish.
Pittsburgh Wins a Pair: After starting league play 0-7, Pittsburgh has won two straight. With Tray Woodall healthy and back in the lineup, the Panthers are a team nobody wants to face down the stretch. Jamie Dixon's NCAA dreams are almost surely extinguished, but the Panthers have an opportunity to finish the season strong and end with a respectable record. Pittsburgh's offensive efficiency improved in a big way with Woodall's return, but its defense was outstanding in Saturday's win over Georgetown. The Panthers posted an 86.5 defensive efficiency rating, by far their best against a quality opponent. Their season-best was 81.0 against St. Francis (PA) on December 20, their last win before beating Providence last week. With a softer schedule in February, Pittsburgh has the potential to make some noise over the season's final nine games.
Dante Taylor And The Panthers Are Still A Proud Bunch. (Matt Freed/Post-Gazette)
Syracuse (22-1, 9-1) – After suffering its first defeat at Notre Dame, the Orange responded well in a win at Cincinnati two days later. Kris Joseph led the victors with 17 points on eight of 11 shooting. Still without Fab Melo, the Orange big men did an admirable job in his place. Rakeem Christmas had nine rebounds as Syracuse survived an early onslaught of Bearcat three-pointers. Syracuse then beat West Virginia on Saturday in a closer-than-expected game as the Mountaineers were able to score against the zone, mostly because of rebounding. Syracuse was out-rebounded 36-20, but committed only six turnovers as it survived the blown goaltending call in the final seconds. Brandon Triche had 18 points in the win. Rebounding has been a concern all season, but it's obvious that Syracuse is not nearly as dominant with Melo out of the lineup. Free throw shooting came and went (33% at Cincinnati, 76.5% against West Virginia) but mental toughness is one of its biggest strengths. As we head into the teeth of the season, Syracuse is more prepared to absorb and respond to every team's best shot. This week: 2/4 @ St. John's.
Marquette (18-4, 7-2) – I'm not overly impressed every time I watch this team, but it makes the winning plays when needed most. The Golden Eagles won a pair of games last week to push their winning streak to six games. Darius Johnson-Odom, Jae Crowder, and Davante Gardner combined for 47 points in a home win over South Florida on Tuesday, equaling the total points scored by the Bulls. Marquette ventured to Villanova on Saturday and was involved in one of the more bizarre games I have seen all season across college basketball. The game lasted two and a half hours and didn't even go to overtime. 45 fouls (three technical) were called and 57 free throws were attempted in a game that wasn't the finest moment for the officiating crew of James Breeding, Tim Clougherty, and Pat Driscoll. Breeding in particular had a short fuse, whistling Buzz Williams for a technical when the coach simply slipped and fell down. Memo to Breeding: Get over yourself, he wasn't showing you up. Johnson-Odom had 26 points, Crowder added 20 points and 11 boards for Marquette and Jamil Wilson added 12 points off the bench. Marquette rallied from an 18-point deficit and forced 20 Villanova turnovers to key the comeback. This is a good basketball team, but one that has a ceiling. I'm not sure the Golden Eagles have the scoring depth to make a big run in March. This week: 1/31 vs. Seton Hall, 2/4 @ Notre Dame. Read the rest of this entry »
| big east, big east, Checking In On, microsites | Tagged: aaron cosby, andre drummond, anthony collins, brandon triche, Bryce Cotton, buzz williams, cashmere wright, cincinnati, connecticut, d'angelo harrison, darius johnson-odom, Davante Gardner, depaul, dion dixon, Eli Carter, eric atkins, fab melo, fuquan edwin, georgetown, gorgui dieng, herb pope, Jack Cooley, Jae Crowder, jamee crockett, james bell, jamie dixon, jamil wilson, jay wright, Jayvaughn Pinkston, jeremy lamb, john thompson III, jordan theodore, Jr., kevin jones, kris joseph, ladontae henton, louisville, maalik wayns, marquette, maurice sutoon, mike brey, mike rice, moe harkless, myles mack, nasir robinson, notre dame, oliver purnell, peyton siva, phil greene, pittsburgh, providence, rakeem christmas, rick pitino, ron anderson, russ smith, rutgers, ryan boatright, seton hall, south florida, st johns, stan heath, syracuse, toarlyn fitzpatrick, tray woodall, villanova, Vincent Council, west virginia, yancy gates
Set Your TiVo: 01.30.12
Posted by Brian Otskey on January 30th, 2012
Brian Otskey is the Big East correspondent for RTC and a regular contributor. You can find him @botskey on Twitter. See bottom of the post for the Official RTC Star System.
Pittsburgh finally won two games last week and will look to win its third in a row at the Backyard Brawl in Morgantown. In Austin, Texas looks to stun highly-ranked Missouri. Rankings are subject to change with a new RTC Top 25 coming out today.
Pittsburgh at #22 West Virginia – 7:00 PM EST on ESPN (****)
After getting hosed by the referees at Syracuse, West Virginia returns home on Monday night to face rival Pittsburgh. While the Panthers have won two straight games after losing eight in a row, the Mountaineers remain a strong favorite despite Tray Woodall's return to the Pitt lineup. The Panthers look like a different team with a healthy Woodall in the fold and Bob Huggins' team will have to come up with a strong defensive effort in order to limit the Pitt point guard from getting into a flow. West Virginia's two-point defense is not good, ranked #239 in Division I. If Woodall and Ashton Gibbs can get inside, Deniz Kilicli and Kevin Jones will have a hard time defending Nasir Robinson (9-9 FG vs. Georgetown) and Lamar Patterson. West Virginia's biggest defensive strength is guarding the three-point line (25.9% in Big East play). If the Mountaineers can shut down Gibbs company from deep, they will have an easier time defending the paint and keeping the Panthers off the offensive glass, where they rank #1 in the nation.
Huggins and the Mountaineers Will Be Fired Up After Their Controversial Loss at Syracuse
Pittsburgh's offense has run much smoother with Woodall back but the biggest change might be defensively. The Panthers held Georgetown to 60 points and 47.5% interior shooting (below Pitt's 51% in Big East play), something that will be very important against Jones and a West Virginia team that struggles from deep. If Pitt can force Truck Bryant into a bad shooting night (he's had many of those), the Panthers will be in the game for all 40 minutes. Defending Jones is a very difficult task but Jamie Dixon just might be content to let Jones get his points and focus on shutting down Bryant and West Virginia's young supporting cast. The Mountaineers need contributions from players like Gary Browne and Jabarie Hinds in order to win consistently.
This is the 183rd meeting between these longtime rivals. Pittsburgh won both meetings last year and has won 16 of the last 23. We have a feeling this game will be closer than some might think. The Panthers look like a different team with Woodall back and healthy but West Virginia has the best player on the floor in Jones. Offensive rebounding is going to be the key in this game. Neither team defends the paint well but each crashes the offensive glass with authority. Pittsburgh has had problems with turnovers but that may not be the case with Woodall running the show. If West Virginia can't create turnovers, it will have to score in the half court against a team playing with some renewed confidence. Call us crazy but we think Pitt has a legitimate chance to win this game. This one will come down to offensive rebounding and the play of Jones and Bryant.
| Regular Features, set your dvr | Tagged: ashton gibbs, big monday, bob huggins, clint chapman, deniz kilicli, frank haith, gary browne, j'covan brown, jabarie hinds, jamie dixon, kevin jones, kim english, Lamar patterson, marcus denmon, missouri, myck kabongo, nasir robinson, phil pressey, pittsburgh, Ricardo Ratliffe, rick barnes, texas, tray woodall, truck bryant, west virginia
State Of the Big East Address
Posted by mlemaire on January 27th, 2012
It has been nearly three full days since President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address to the country, and it has also been nearly three full days since our brethren covering the SEC did their State of the SEC post. Since we are both slightly behind and also not creative enough to come up with our own ideas, we decided to take a belated look at the Big East in a similar (read: exactly the same) post.
Kris Joseph & Syracuse Are The Class Of The Conference Right Now (Getty Images/A. Lyons)
We would love to report that the state of the conference is strong, but as a whole, it has not been a good season for the Big East. The 2007-08 season was the last time the conference had only one team finish in the Top 10 but it is in danger of having that happen again. Syracuse will undoubtedly finish in the Top 10 and is a worthy national title contender, but after that, things get murkier. Last season the conference had five teams finish the regular season ranked inside the Top 15. As of now, the conference only has four teams in the Top 25. The reason for the slip is that consistent winners like Villanova and Pittsburgh have been really bad, and teams like Connecticut and Louisville lost a lot of key talent. But let's take a closer look as well.
Despite the swirling off-the-court issues, the Carrier Dome has been rocking all season and for good reason. The Orange are an excellent blend of experience, talent and depth. Star forward Kris Joseph is going to end up on the All-Big East team and sophomore combo guard Dion Waiters could find himself on the short list for that team as well. Their lone blemish is an ugly road loss to Notre Dame and that looks more like an aberration that signs of a regression.
| big east, microsites | Tagged: alex oriakhi, andre drummond, ashton gibbs, chris otule, cincinnati, connecticut, depaul, dion waiters, georgetown, henry sims, herb pope, jamie dixon, jason clark, jordan theodore, kevin jones, kris joseph, louisville, maalik wayns, marquette, mike rice, nasir robinson, notre dame, pittsburgh, providence, rick pitino, rutgers, seton hall, south florida, st johns, steve lavin, syracuse, tim abromaitis, villanova, west virginia
Syracuse A Cut Above: With wins over Villanova and Providence this week, Syracuse has moved its record to 19-0 (6-0), equaling the best start in school history (1999-2000). On Monday night, the Orange will try to move to 20-0 for the first time ever when they host Pittsburgh, a team they have lost to five straight times. With 12 games remaining, people are starting to wonder if Syracuse can run the table. It would be a surprise if Jim Boeheim's team lost at home to anyone, despite visits by Georgetown and Connecticut to the Dome in February. On the road, possible tough trips to Cincinnati, Connecticut, and Louisville appear to be the only obstacles standing in the way of an undefeated season. Syracuse has a 13.7% chance of going 31-0, according to the Pomeroy ratings, but I would put it higher. I think the Orange have a 40% chance to go all the way and those odds are getting better each and every day.
Connecticut Back On Track: After consecutive losses to Seton Hall and Rutgers almost two weeks ago, some had wondered if this Connecticut team would ever live up to its preseason billing as a top-five team. While I doubt that is true, the Huskies responded in a big way this past week by defeating West Virginia and Notre Dame. UConn used a 17-3 second half run, sparked by a Jim Calhoun technical, to overcome a ten-point deficit against the Mountaineers before going on the road and snapping Notre Dame's 29-game home court winning streak. Andre Drummond had a terrific week, but the bigger story might be Alex Oriakhi showing signs of improvement. The junior forward had been in a season-long slump but managed to score 20 points this week, including a 12/7 performance in the win against the Fighting Irish. However, there was some bad news mixed in for UConn last week. Ryan Boatright was suspended by the NCAA on Friday night for the second time over eligibility concerns.
Pittsburgh and Louisville Embarrassed: Raise your hand if you predicted these scores at the beginning of the year: Providence 90, Louisville 59. Rutgers 62, Pittsburgh 39 (at Pitt). Two of the power programs in the conference were waxed by two perennial bottom-feeders, all part of what has been an unpredictable season in the Big East. Louisville has lost four of six while Pitt is in more dire straits having lost six consecutive games. That could easily be seven in a row after the Panthers return from Syracuse tomorrow night. The good news for both teams? They bounced back and played fairly well in games on Saturday with the Cardinals disposing of DePaul and the Panthers nearly stealing an impressive road win at Marquette. Pitt lost the game, but Jamie Dixon had to have picked up some encouraging vibes from that performance. Pittsburgh and Louisville will get together this Saturday in the Steel City.
Ask The Never-Satisfied Jim Boeheim What He Thinks Of His Team's Chances At An Undefeated Season, And This Will Likely Be His Reaction. (Frank Ordoñez / The Post-Standard)
Syracuse (19-0, 6-0) – This team just keeps on chugging along and nobody has really threatened the Orange in a big way this season. There have been close calls here and there (Stanford, Florida, and Marquette), but Syracuse is a cut above every other team in this conference. As I mentioned above, I believe there is a good chance this team runs the table in conference play. Dion Waiters scored 20 points at Villanova, part of 47 bench points for the Orange, compared to 32 for the starters. Syracuse held the Wildcats to 33% shooting on their home floor at the Wells Fargo Center. Against Providence, it was all Orange from the start. Syracuse had 12 steals and forced 22 Friar turnovers. Scoop Jardine played like a quality point guard, scoring ten points but dishing out nine assists. The Orange blocked ten Providence shots and shot 73% in the second stanza. Syracuse continues to rank in the top ten in both offensive and defensive efficiency, but the Achilles heel for this team seems to be rebounding specifically on the defensive end. The Orange rank #307 in defensive rebounding percentage, but I don't anticipate that being a major problem until tournament time. This week: 1/16 vs. Pittsburgh, 1/21 @ Notre Dame. Read the rest of this entry »
| big east, big east, Checking In On, microsites | Tagged: aaron cosby, alex oriakhi, andre drummond, ashton gibbs, bob huggins, Brandon Young, Bryce Cotton, buzz williams, cashmere wright, chris otule, chris smith, cincinnati, cleveland melvin, connecticut, d'angelo harrison, dane miller, darius johnson-odom, Davante Gardner, deniz kilicli, depaul, dion dixon, dion waiters, ed cooley, eric atkins, fuquan edwin, ge'lawn guyn, georgetown, god's gift achiuwa, gorgui dieng, haralds karlis, hollis thompson, jabarie hinds, Jack Cooley, Jae Crowder, jason clark, jeremy lamb, jim boeheim, jim calhoun, jordan theodore, Jr., junior cadougan, kadeem batts, kevin jones, kyle kuric, louisville, maalik wayns, marquette, mick cronin, mike brey, mike dunlap, moe harkless, mouphtaou yarou, myles mack, nasir robinson, notre dame, oliver purnell, otto porter, peyton siva, pittsburgh, providence, rick pitino, ron anderson, roscoe smith, russ smith, rutgers, ryan boatright, scoop jardine, scott martin, Sean Kilpatrick, seton hall, shabazz napier, south florida, st johns, stan heath, syracuse, todd mayo, tray woodall, trucky bryant, villanova, Vincent Council, west virginia, worrel clahar, yancy gates

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The thing is, you don't know in advance if going to college is going to be worth it, so you don't know if you should or shouldn't go. Like I said, everyone has to decide for themselves. But for me, not only was it worth it, but it gave me the life I wanted. I wanted to be creative. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted people to know me, and I wanted to be self-sufficient. I didn't like what the adults were doing, and I still don't like what most of them do. But some of them were looking out for me, and I was lucky enough to find them when I needed them.
This entry was posted in education on March 25, 2012 by oook.
This entry was posted in musics on March 10, 2012 by oook.
This entry was posted in reading on March 5, 2012 by oook.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized on March 1, 2012 by oook.
This entry was posted in tempora, Zeitgeist on March 1, 2012 by oook.


Bmw 325i - a car that is marketed under the popular worldwide automaker brand Bmw. This car has received 4.5 stars out of 5 in user ratings. The price of Bmw 325i ranges in accordance with its modifications. Our contributor Pops collected and uploaded the top 10 images of Bmw 325i below.


text:
Q: Fastest way to convert vector of chars to a string I have a vector of chars (actually unsigned chars):
std::vector<unsigned char> vec;

I would like to cast it/ copy it to a string object. I have tried to do this in the following way:
std::string requestedName;

for (auto letter : vec)
{
    requestedName.append((char)letter);
}

But compiller says that such conversion is not possible. I would aprichiate all help.

A: You can use the operator += to perform this concatenation
std::vector<unsigned char> vec {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd'};
std::string requestedName;
for (auto letter : vec)
    requestedName += letter;

Working demo
Also instead of concatenating in a loop, you can use the following overload of the std::string constructor
std::vector<unsigned char> vec {'a', 'b', 'c', 'd'};
std::string requestedName{ vec.begin(), vec.end() };

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Koodhosh Eetho (Sanctification of Church) Sunday marks the beginning of the Church Calendar.
The waves created by this question have rippled throughout the last two thousand years in every place on earth. It is a question posed to everyone – to the believer and to the unbeliever alike.
Standing under the shadows of the Roman Empire, near the capital of Herod Philip's territory, Jesus asks his disciples the pivotal question. This city had also become the most pagan area in Palestine and was famous for its worship site which had a rock cliff.
We too must confess with St. Peter that Jesus is the "Messiah, the Son of the Living God." This confession is a declaration of who Jesus is. One dangerous trend in modern religious conversations is to see Christ simply as one among many. But this is not how St. Peter responds to Jesus' question. He identifies Jesus as the awaited Messiah, the anointed one. Later, when brought before the Jewish council St. Peter declared about Jesus : "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
Seeing Christ as one among many is a modern day relativism. It is proclaimed under the guise of political correctness and tolerance. However it is not intolerant to believe in the uniqueness of Christ. It is the fundamental truth of the Christian faith. Believing in this truth enables us to love our neighbor, believer and unbeliever alike. We are able to enter into a conversation with people of other faiths only by standing firm on our own faith.
Believing in the uniqueness of Christ might be scandalous for the modern mind. Here we must be unrelenting in our confession. "But we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:23-24).
It is upon this divinely inspired confession that the Church is built. This apostolic confession is the "rock" upon which the Church is built. We should remember that the building up of the church is continuing (Ephesians 4:12). At times this building will need some repairs. It is said about Francis of Assisi that Jesus appeared to him in a vision and asked him to "repair my church." Initially Francis took this quite literally and spent part of his family wealth to restore several churches.
As a new liturgical year begins let us attempt to answer the question that Christ poses to us – "Who do you say that I am?" We will realize that the answer we give will radically change our lives.


Hi, is the Biang Zhong in its original tuning or have you retuned the samples to fit the standard western scale? Or are both available I guess?
Sorry about the very late reply. I think I answered a email quite a few months ago, was that you?
The bells were supposed to be in tune with modern scale, but due to the inadequacy of the craftsman tech as well as some other issues, they are not really 100% in tune. We did fine-tuned the samples so they can be used with other modern instruments. Just one scale version available.
Our Music China Expo Report.
sosayweall wrote: Sorry about the very late reply. I think I answered a email quite a few months ago, was that you?


Search and booking of hotels in Taiwan for accommodation on a worldwide database founded many years ago. Most people who rent inexpensive Taiwan accommodation numbers for tourists - are constantly updating the database with new offers. Taiwan search for a hotel online where the cost of such accommodation is much lower. The system has various suggestions for vacation abroad and search hotel in Taiwan. Click search for a hotel right now to pick the right option for yourself and can already collect things on a wonderful trip!
Flag: a flag of red color with the 12-fold white sun on a blue top left quadrant. 12 points of the Sun represent 12 two-hour periods of day in the Chinese tradition and symbolize progress. Colors red, white and blue represent Three principles of the people (San Ming-Chu) Put Yat-sena, the father of the Republic of China, and symbolize spirit of freedom, brotherhood and equality.
Anthem: Chung Hwa Min Kuo Kuo Ke (Chinese national anthem).
MONETARY BULLETIN: The new dollar of Taiwan ($ nt) is paper currency in 100 cents. There are coins of 50 cents and 1, 5 and 10 dollars and also notes of 50, 100, 500 and 1000 new Taiwan dollars. nt of $1 = us of $0,03154 (or us of $1 = nt of $31,71) as of 2005.
HOLIDAYS: New year and Basis of the Republic of China (1912), on January 1; Youth Day (earlier known as Day of martyrs), on March 29; Day of kindling of tombs and anniversary of death Chan Kaysheka, on April 5; Birthday of Confucius and Den uchitelya, on September 28; National day (Double tenth day), on October 10; Day of a flashback in Taiwan, on October 25; Birthday of Chiang Kai-shek, on October 31; The Birthday Put Yat-sena, on November 12; Constitution day, on December 25.
TIME: 8th evenings = midday of GMT.
Taiwan, residence of the Republic of China, is in the western part of the Pacific Ocean on the Tropic of Cancer, less than in 161 km (100 miles) from the southeast coast of continental China from which it is separated by the passage Taiwan (Formosa), To пе, less than in 129 km (80 miles), there is an end of the Japanese islands of Ryukyu; to е - the Pacific Ocean; The Philippine island of Luzon is at the height of 370 km (230 miles) to page.
Besides actually island, Taiwan consists of 21 small islands in the Taiwan group and 64 islands in the Penghu group (Peskadora); total area is 35 980 sq.km (13 892 sq. miles). Rather, the area occupied with Taiwan is a little more, than states of the State of Maryland and Delaware. Listovidny island of Taiwan 394 km long (245 miles) of NUS and 144 km (89 miles) of ese-wnw; it has the coastline of 1566 km (973 miles). The Penghu group located in 40 km to the west from the island of Taiwan has the total area of 127 sq.km (49 quarter. Miles).
Also under control of the government of Taiwan there are Quemoy (Chinmen) and Matsu, two island groups located strategically close to the continental Chinese province of Fujian (Fukiyen). Quemoy - the biggest group of six islands, two of which are busy with People's Republic of China; it is located in the gulf Xiamen (Xiamen) in 118 ° 23e and 24 ° 27 N and has the total area of 176 sq.km (68 sq. miles). The group Matzo consisting of Nangkan (biggest) of Peykan, Tungin and about 10 small islands, is located.
Often you have to rent a house for a short time, it's decided that, unlike Booking, you have apartments for rent in Taiwan, this is exactly what I need, and most importantly it's cheap, hell with hotels! L.
We were looking for housing abroad, everywhere I'll just say a little expensive, but we found your application for Android and immediately chose an appropriate, and most importantly cheap option, rented not a room, but an apartment in Taiwan for rent. Michael.
If you have not used "Search", then in the database there is much more information of Taiwan on finding hotels, hotels, hostels, apartments, apartments, rooms, tours... Want to go to the base right now?


Steve Ballmer, of Microsoft fame, launched USAFacts earlier this year to created a way to track government spending. I enjoy browsing through some of his findings. Ballmer and Bill Gates became friends while attending Harvard in the 70s and eventually formed Microsoft, made a pot full of money, retired and then the two drifted apart.
According to one source, Gates now spends most of his time with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and still provides advice for Microsoft leaders. Ballmer now owns the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team and a huge chunk of Twitter. Since severing ties with Microsoft, he has spent millions on worthy projects, USAFacts to track government spending is just one effort.
Among his findings, government revenue totaled $5.2 trillion in 2014, the most recent year for such data. Some 60% of that is from the federal government, and the rest from state and local governments.
Ballmer says he was surprised to learn 23.2 million people work for the government in some form, but his biggest surprise of all was how hard it is to find such seemingly simple information. Thus USAFACTS. Interesting info on many different topics.
One more of the many facts, he discovered that 9% of all U.S. bridges are "structurally deficient"—though that is an improvement from 1980, when the figure was 27%.
Looking for something interesting to read, Google Steve Ballmer or USAFACTS.
Discovered some inspiring quotes from Sir Richard Branson, the iconic Virgin Group founder.
1) A business may be started with very little money.
2) Consider getting smaller in order to get bigger.
3) You can be a David vs. a Goliath, if you get it right.
4) A business is simply an idea to make other people's lives better.
5) Unless you dream, you're not going to achieve anything.
6) You can get too close with a doctor, a banker, and not realize you should actually snoop around.
7) Detail is very important.
8) You can create a business, choose a name, but unless people know about it you're not going to sell any products.
9) Find someone else to run your business on a day-to-day basis.
10) Protect against the worst eventualities. Make sure you know what they are.
11) I think because I have great difficulty saying the word, 'no', almost every day's a different adventure.
Richard Branson advice: Listen more than you talk.


Talisman Salon was established in 1998 and during this time we have accumulated extensive experience in jewelry and national Kazakh art. Now Talisman salon has the most extensive range of modern jewelries, national ethnic jewelries, national souvenires and exclusive pieces of art in Astana.
Our jewelers and gemologists have more than 20 years experience in making, repair, examination and appraisal of jewelry and gemstones.
We look forward to seeing you in Talisman salon and jewellery studio!
«Our priority is to bring positive emotions to a person who will come for a visit.
Even if the client does not buy anything, we feel good because he can find a beautiful thing on the shelf and enjoy it.
Many foreigners come to visit our salon and we are pleased to form a positive image about our country.
Our specialty is to find for you exclusive, unique and memorable gifts that will remain for a long time.
Visit us and you will not leave without a gift!
National souvenirs are not only a way of expression of patriotism, but also a great way to preserve the memory of the bright days spent in Kazakhstan.
Get your piece of Kazakhstan!
Since ancient times, jewelry is an indispensable part of the dress of both women and men. We choose for you only exquisite design and natural stones.
After all, you can express through details that, what you cannot say in words.
«Talisman» store actively supports Kazakhstan artists and craftsmen implementing their works in the store. Here you can choose paintings for offices, children's room, living rooms, restaurants and other placements.
A man by its nature is artist and tends to make life beautiful.


text:
import zmq
import argparse
import sys
import os
import time
from os.path import dirname
from os.path import join
import yaml

project_dir = dirname(dirname(dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))))
hotbox_projdir = join(project_dir, 'third_party', 'include', 'hotbox')
dataset_dir = join(project_dir, 'app', 'mlr', 'datasets')
sys.path.append(join(project_dir, 'third_party', 'include', 'hotbox', 'build'))
sys.path.append(join(project_dir, 'third_party', 'include'))

import util.proto.warp_msg_pb2 as warp_msg_pb
import util.proto.util_pb2 as util_pb

class WarpClient:
  def __init__(self):
    self.context = zmq.Context()
    self.sock = self.context.socket(zmq.REQ)
    with open(join(hotbox_projdir, 'config.yaml')) as f:
      default_config = yaml.load(f)
    server_ip = default_config['server_ip']
    server_port = default_config['server_port']
    connect_point = "tcp://%s:%s" % (server_ip, server_port)
    print("WarpClient connecting to %s" % connect_point)
    self.sock.connect(connect_point)
    # send and receive handshake msg
    handshake_msg = warp_msg_pb.ClientMsg()
    handshake_msg.handshake_msg.dummy = True
    assert handshake_msg.HasField("handshake_msg")
    self.Send(handshake_msg)
    server_msg = self.Recv()
    print('Done handshake with server')

  def SendRecv(self, client_msg):
    """
    Request with client msg, return msg from server.
    """
    self.Send(client_msg)
    return self.Recv()

  def Send(self, client_msg):
    try:
      self.sock.send(client_msg.SerializeToString(), copy=False);
    except Exception as e:
      print(e.message)

  def Recv(self):
    try:
      data = self.sock.recv()
    except zmq.ZMQError as e:
      print(e.message)
    server_msg = warp_msg_pb.ServerMsg()
    server_msg.ParseFromString(data)
    return server_msg

class HBClient:
  """
  HBClient is the python portal to Hotbox server.
  HBClient is considered a singleton class, though python has no way to enforce
  that.
  """
  def __init__(self, server_ip):
    self.warp_client = WarpClient()

  def CreateDB(self, db_name, db_description='', int_label=True,
    use_dense_weight=True):
    """
    Input:
      db_name: string
      int_label: True to use integer label (classification),otherwise
        float (regression)
      use_dense_weight: True if dataset has many weights != 1

    Return:
      A DB object for querying/modifying the created DB.
    """
    msg = warp_msg_pb.ClientMsg()
    msg.create_db_req.db_config.db_name = db_name
    msg.create_db_req.db_config.db_description = db_description
    msg.create_db_req.db_config.schema_config.int_label = int_label
    msg.create_db_req.db_config.schema_config.use_dense_weight = \
        use_dense_weight
    reply = self.warp_client.SendRecv(msg)
    assert reply.HasField('generic_reply')
    print(reply.generic_reply.msg)
    return DB(db_name, self.warp_client)

  def GetDB(self, db_name):
    return DB(db_name, self.warp_client)

class DB:
  """
  A proxy object for accessing a DB on server.
  """

  def __init__(self, db_name, warp_client):
    """
    Input:
      db_name: string
      warp_client: WarpClient reference.
    """
    self.db_name = db_name
    self.warp_client = warp_client

  # header is the line # to be treated as header (0 for no header). Data will
  # be read after header line.
  # TODO(wdai): currently header isn't supported.
  def ReadFile(self, file_path, file_format='csv', header=0):
    msg = warp_msg_pb.ClientMsg()
    msg.read_file_req.db_name = self.db_name
    msg.read_file_req.file_path = file_path
    # A python switch statement on file_format.
    # TODO(wdai): This is easy to break when adding new file format. Find way
    # to automatically generate this based on proto definition.
    msg.read_file_req.file_format = {
        'csv': util_pb.CSV,
        'libsvm': util_pb.LIBSVM,
        'family': util_pb.FAMILY,
        }.get(file_format, 0)
    msg.read_file_req.header = header
    reply = self.warp_client.SendRecv(msg)
    print('Reading file %s ...' % file_path)
    print(reply.generic_reply.msg)

if __name__ == "__main__":
  server_ip = "localhost"
  db_client = HBClient(server_ip)
  test_db = db_client.CreateDB('bosen_db')
  test_db.ReadFile('resource/dataset/a1a.toy',
      file_format='libsvm')
  #test_db.ReadFile(dataset_dir + '/covtype.scale.train.small',
  #    file_format='libsvm')

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


overall unit height when open 115.5cm | 45 1/2"
Available in American black walnut, American white oak, or European Ash in a range of finishes. Legs in a choice of colours of stained European ash and inside of drawer in black painted mdf (satin matte finish). Fabric lined drawer. When drawer is closed, the small door on the desktop provides access to the drawer contents. When the drawer is fully extended, the desktop door provides access to a concealed compartment lined with red leather. Fold out mirror is adjustable to three possible angles.
NOTE: This product is on a longer manufacturing lead time than standard. Please inquire for details. Handmade in Portugal.


Bombergirl: Arcade-Exclusive New Take on 'Bomberman' Series, Gameplay Released – 3WIREL!
Bomberman isn't a stranger to being shifted and changed in adapting to new markets/platforms. It's a series timeless and ever evolving, but one direction the series never went in was anime-looking girls blowing each other up. Well, despite not many asking for this take on Bomberman, Konami answered and gave us Bombergirls for Arcade release in Japan.
You can see gameplay of the title above this text but it's odd to be honest. The game still appears to play like past Bomberman games but with EXP icons on the map and different weapons you can use outside of bombs, it seems to be a different take on the established formula in the series. We will continue reporting on this title as further information comes out.
If this game announcement upsets you, know that Konami has a traditional game in the series coming out at the Switch launch thanks to Nintendo-backed support, so the series isn't going the Silent Hill/Castlevania route (where it got a new 'game' in Pachinko and not a original console release).


I think I could set a record with the number of FIRST comments I make on your blog.
Maybe he loves apples because he's going to be a REALLY great math teacher!!!
Your hair looks SO dark in the last picture. Where did Finley get such bleach-blonde hair?? Can't wait to see you guys on Monday!!


text:
The French element in the Red River settlement
dc.contributor.author Golden, Harvey en_US
dc.description.abstract The Province of Manitoba was born amidst the disorders of an Insurrection in 1870. The Constitution provided for the new member of the Canadian Confederation appeared to have all the permancence of a Federal Statute confirmed by an enactment of the Imperial Parliament: yet before twenty years had passed every important clause it embodied (with one exception - the Public Lands clause which is as yet a standing subject for negotiations) was either radically changed or totally repealed. English speaking Protestants dwelt upon the lands reserved for the children of the French Metis, the Legislative Council was gone, the English language was supreme in the Legislature and the Courts, and the separate school system had received its death blow. It is the aim of the writer to indicate the circumstances under which the Manitoba Act came to be - the conditions which led to its enactment -- allowing its antecedents to account for its futility. en_US
dc.format.extent 20196192 bytes
dc.rights The reproduction of this thesis has been made available by authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research, and may only be reproduced and copied as permitted by copyright laws or with express written authorization from the copyright owner. en_US
dc.title The French element in the Red River settlement en_US
dc.type info:eu-repo/semantics/masterThesis
dc.type master thesis en_US
dc.degree.discipline History en_US
dc.degree.level Master of Arts (M.A.) en_US
Golden, The French element.pdf


For six years I've been a Vegetarian, recently dipping my toe into the pool of Veganism.
As much as I love being a 'veggie' and can't imagine myself going back to eating meat, I can't say that it's been an entirely easy ride.
At 15 years old, I catapulted head-first into my new veggie lifestyle, determined to no longer feel guilty about eating animals whilst at the same time loving them dearly. Instead of doing my research and easing myself gradually into my new way of life, I had to find out the hard way just how difficult switching to a meat-free diet was.
Let's just say back in 2011, there wasn't much variety in my local Tesco to accommodate for my new diet. Frankly, I felt like giving up.
As dramatic as it may sound, it often felt like everything was against me trying to do something I really wanted to do. Substitutes weren't inspiring, takeaways felt like a challenge and god forbid I would want to eat something other than stuffed mushrooms or cheesy pasta when eating out at a restaurant. Seriously not every vegetarian likes mushroom.
I feel like we now live in a society where we can appreciate and understand other people's choices. The rise in social media means that we can find other people who love the same things that we do. We can become involved in different communities, no matter where we live in the world. It means that we can educate ourselves, helping us to change our lives to reflect our own morals and values.
That's why I think being vegetarian has never been so easy.
I'm constantly amazed at the growing number of new products aimed at making living a veggie lifestyle hassle-free and enjoyable. I especially love businesses that aim to make being vegetarian and vegan a convenience and not feel like a chore.
I recently went to such a business. A lovely little café and deli that had just opened in my area, serving only vegetarian and vegan food.
Happy Healthy UK is a fantastic company, selling handmade sandwiches, food, and homemade cakes.
When I first looked around, what stood out to me the most was the menu.
It was as if they weren't trying too hard. Offering food that you would want to see on a menu and it actually made it quite difficult to pick what to order. It's as if the menu was saying "just because you're a veggie doesn't mean you only have to eat grains and salads" which I bloomin' love. Don't get me wrong, I love a healthy granola as much as the next girl. But when I'm hangry hungry, a chickpea salad just isn't going to cut it.
The quality of sandwiches is on par with what you would find at a cute boutique bakery somewhere or even your local big-name coffee shop. Handmade, chunky and with a range of fillings to please pretty much anyone.
Also the CAKES. Good lord. As a girl that has always loved a sweet treat, I was pleased that the cakes tasted as good as they looked.
All of the cakes served are vegan. But I think even if your non-vegan friends ate these, they would go down a storm. It wasn't massively obvious that you were eating a dairy-free alternative. In fact, the brownies tasted even more chocolate-ier (win).
To check out more information on the wonderful Happy Healthy Deli & Café, take a peek at their Facebook page here and be sure to pop in if you're ever in the area. You won't regret it.
*this is not a sponsored post. I just really like veggie food.
As a fellow Vegetarian myself who is also dipping her toes into Veganism – this is a lovely blog to be reading! I am very happy to see someone local to me also supporting the same business. I recently offered my spare time, for free, to help the Happy Healthy Café open up in their first few weeks of opening. I agree that their menu hits just the spot and every week they are finding ways to improve it.


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Worries aired over Alcoa refinery expansion nod
Tasmania has 1,037 new COVID cases, most of those determined by RATs. Seven people are in hospital with one in ICU
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and CHO Dr Kerry Chant are providing a COVID update
Posted Tue 6 Aug 2013 at 3:51am Tuesday 6 Aug 2013 at 3:51am Tue 6 Aug 2013 at 3:51am , updated Tue 6 Aug 2013 at 8:15am Tuesday 6 Aug 2013 at 8:15am Tue 6 Aug 2013 at 8:15am
abc.net.au/news/worries-aired-over-alcoa-refinery-expansion-nod/4868270
Residents who have campaigned against a south-west Western Australian alumina refinery say a decision to allow the facility to increase production is "another nail in the coffin" for the town of Yarloop.
Environment Minister Albert Jacob has dismissed appeals against Alcoa's application to increase production at its Wagerup refinery by 50,000 tonnes a year.
Mr Jacob's decision will require Alcoa to publish results of its odour and air monitoring.
However, Vince Poccia from the Community Alliance for Positive Solutions says the decision is deeply concerning because of potential health effects.
"Well the health impacts will increase as everything else will," he said.
"As I said, the more production there is, the more pollution there is."
Matt Granger from the Bunbury-Wellington Economic Alliance says the decision is a 'win-win' as it will facilitate greater production without leading to further emissions.
"The key point with this announcement is really an opportunity to have environmental licensing focused on emissions rather than their production. Industries like Alcoa are continually improving the efficiency of their operations while minimising environmental impact," he said.
Alcoa has welcomed the Environment Minister's decision to allow an increase in production from 2.6 million to 2.65 million tonnes a year.
Alcoa's General Manager of WA Operations, Simon Butterworth, says the licence recognises the improvements in efficiency at Wagerup and the company's ongoing efforts to reduce emissions.
Mr Butterworth says the refinery's daily production limit of 8400 tonnes a day will not change.
Posted 6 Aug 2013 6 Aug 2013 Tue 6 Aug 2013 at 3:51am , updated 6 Aug 2013 6 Aug 2013 Tue 6 Aug 2013 at 8:15am
Activism and Lobbying
Wagerup
Yarloop
Barty, Nadal, Osaka, Medvedev: The Australian Open stories we've ignored
Tasmania records 1,037 new COVID-19 cases
'Extreme and persistent' muscle spasms force Celine Dion to cancel tour


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Cemetery sued for overcrowded conditions
MISSION HILLS, Calif. There are troubling allegations against a local cemetery and how it treats people buried there. Several families have now joined a class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit targets /*Eden Memorial Park*/ in Mission Hills, one of the largest cemeteries in the Los Angeles area. More families may join in the legal fight.
Video: Cemetery sued for overcrowded conditions
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The cemetery is alleged to have intentionally damaged existing vaults and then move the remains so they were able to squeeze more burial plots, and get more profits.
According to attorneys, some remains were "dumped like trash." In a class-action lawsuit, one of the attorneys says it's simply a case of profits over people, and they alleged that this has been going on for at least 10 years.
"My parents are buried literally right off of this cul-de-sac," says Robert Scott. Scott says he buried his father and mother at Eden Memorial Park, hoping they would be in peace. Scott doesn't know if their graves are affected but he is angry just thinking about it.
"My parents are both Holocaust survivors, so the idea of human bones, remains, being dumped like trash, is beyond comprehension," said Scott.
The lawsuit claims that the cemetery has added so many new graves they are building them too close to each other -- so close, in fact, they say existing vaults would tear open and bones would spill out.
"Once this occurred, the groundskeepers and others at Eden Memorial Park cemetery were instructed to remove this debris, and to remove these bones, and to either dump them in another location of the cemetery, or to throw them in a Dumpster," said attorney Michael Avenatti.
Avenatti says the remains were often dumped in the northeast corner of the cemetery, and new plots were built on top of those remains. He says not only was it intentional, Eden Park tried to keep it quiet.
"The company repeatedly told the employees that they would lose their job if they brought this to light," said Avenatti.
Attorneys say it happened before at a cemetery in West Palm Beach, Florida, called /*Menorah Gardens*/. It's owned by the same company that owns Eden Memorial Park. They claim bodies were thrown into a swamp behind the cemetery.
In that case, the company, /*Service Corporation International*/ (SCI), agreed to a $100-million settlement.
SCI released a statement Monday: "While very salacious, these allegations are just that -- allegations. ... We regret that this situation is being sensationalized and we are very sorry the families involved are going through this. Eden Memorial conducts extensive training with its employees and we support that with strict policies and procedures."
But that still leaves doubt for Sharon Olson. She says her mother is buried at Eden Memorial Park. Her father, who is still alive, wanted to be buried next to her.
"It's hideous, and I don't want my mom to be there," said Olson. "I called my brother and I said, 'Just the whole idea, even if nothing happened -- but how do we know?"
The owners of Eden Memorial Park say they welcome family members who are concerned to come to the cemetery to talk, but they say they will not talk to the media on camera -- they do not want to fight this case in the media. They say that they're ready to fight these allegations in court.
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All members and friends of Interfaith Partnership are invited to our 2016 Annual Members Meeting on Monday, March 7th. At 7pm, we will hold a short business meeting.
After the business meeting, which is scheduled for 30 minutes, we will present a 90-minute program called "What is Racial Equity?" This program is intended to be an introduction to the Ferguson Commission Report, Forward Through Ferguson, including its signature priorities and very basic terminology. After the presentation, we will have an opportunity for dialogue and visioning for how the interfaith community can best create the changes outlined in the report.


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Q: In what way(s) can I benchmark a Julia function? Background
I've self-taught myself machine learning and have recently started delving into the Julia Machine Learning Ecosystem.

Coming from a python background and having some Tensorflow and OpenCV/skimage experience, I want to benchmark Julia ML libraries (Flux/JuliaImages) against its counterparts to see how fast or slow it really performs  CV(any) task(s) and to decide if I should shift to using Julia.

I know how to get the time taken to execute a function in python using timeit module like this :
#Loading an Image using OpenCV

s = """\
img = cv2.imread('sample_image.png', 1)
"""
setup = """\
import timeit
"""
print(str(round((timeit.timeit(stmt = s, setup = setup, number = 1))*1000, 2)) + " ms")
#printing the time taken in ms rounded to 2 digits

How does one compare the execution time of a function performing the same task in Julia using the appropriate library (in this case, JuliaImages).
Does Julia provide any function/macro to time/benchmark ?

A: Julia provides two macros for timing/benchmarking code runtime. These are :

*

*@time

*@benchmark : external, install by Pkg.add("BenchmarkTools")
Using BenchmarkTools' @benchmark is very easy and would be helpful to you in comparing the speed of the two languages.
Example of using @benchark against the python bench you provided.
using Images, FileIO, BenchmarkTools

@benchmark img = load("sample_image.png")

Output :
BenchmarkTools.Trial:
  memory estimate:  3.39 MiB
  allocs estimate:  322
  --------------
  minimum time:     76.631 ms (0.00% GC)
  median time:      105.579 ms (0.00% GC)
  mean time:        110.319 ms (0.41% GC)
  maximum time:     209.470 ms (0.00% GC)
  --------------
  samples:          46
  evals/sample:     1

Now to compare for the mean time, you should put samples (46) as the number in your python timeit code and divide it by the same number to get the mean time of execution.
print(str(round((timeit.timeit(stmt = s, setup = setup, number = 46)/46)*1000, 2)) + " ms")

You can follow this process for benchmarking any function in both Julia and Python.
I hope you're doubt has been cleared.

Note : From a statistical point of view, @benchmark is much better than @time.

A: using BenchmarkTools is the recommended way to benchmark Julia functions. Unless you are timing something that takes quite a while, use either @benchmark or the less verbose @btime macros exported from it.  Because the machinery behind these macros evaluates the target function many times, @time is useful for benchmarking things that run slowly (e.g. where disk access or very time-consuming calculations are involved).
It is important to use @btime or @benchmark correctly, this avoids misleading results. Usually, you are benchmarking a function that takes one or more arguments. When benchmarking, all arguments should be external variables: (without the benchmark macro)
x = 1
f(x)
# do not use f(1)

The function will be evaluated many times. To prevent the function arguments from being re-evaluated whenever the function is evaluated, we must mark each argument by prefixing a $ to the name of each variable that is used as an argument.  The benchmarking macros use this to indicate that the variable should be evaluated (resolved) once, at the start of the benchmarking process and then the result is to be reused directly as is:
julia> using BenchmarkTools
julia> a = 1/2;
julia> b = 1/4;
julia> c = 1/8;
julia> a, b, c
(0.5, 0.25, 0.125)

julia> function sum_cosines(x, y, z)
         return cos(x) + cos(y) + cos(z)
       end;

julia> @btime sum_cosines($a, $b, $c);  # the `;` suppresses printing the returned value
  11.899 ns (0 allocations: 0 bytes)    # calling the function takes ~12 ns (nanoseconds)
                                        # the function does not allocate any memory

# if we omit the '$', what we see is misleading
julia> @btime sum_cosines(a, b, c);    # the function appears more than twice slower
 28.441 ns (1 allocation: 16 bytes)    # the function appears to be allocating memory

# @benchmark can be used the same way that @btime is used
julia> @benchmark sum_cosines($a,$b,$c) # do not use a ';' here
BenchmarkTools.Trial:
  memory estimate:  0 bytes
  allocs estimate:  0
  --------------
  minimum time:     12.111 ns (0.00% GC)
  median time:      12.213 ns (0.00% GC)
  mean time:        12.500 ns (0.00% GC)
  maximum time:     39.741 ns (0.00% GC)
  --------------
  samples:          1500
  evals/sample:     999

While there are parameters than can be adjusted, the default values usually work well. For additional information about BenchmarkTools for experienced ursers, see the manual.


So I finished Sonic Forces this Friday (though there's a bunch of extra missions and content for me to go through apparently so I'll come back to it) and I kind of have zero idea as to what the story was.
We're told that there was a war, but we never really see a war outside of a battle at the very end.
We're told that Dr. Eggman has taken total control over the world an apparently has either political or military influence over the entire planet, but we never see the human cost.
We're told that the evil plot is to crash the sun into the Earth or whatever, but I'm not sure how that benefits Eggman, he'd be just as screwed as everyone else, wouldn't he?
What in the heck is going on in this game?


Adding to this Rocky-like tale of Chris Weidman is the fact that he was left homeless by Hurricane Sandy, and was left with no money as he trained for the biggest fight of his life. Sometimes, storybook tales do become true, and we have to look no further than Chris Weidman to see it. You may have been disappointed to see Anderson lose, but you can't deny how incredible it is for Weidman to win.


Four units lead X371's train through Lovelkin, ON., only a few hours after the snow stopped falling. Westbound freight traffic has been pretty heavy today, and they'll hit a bit of a traffic jam at Oshawa with 309 and 305 ahead of them, 372 coming off the York Sub, and the Via rush to contend with. Power is CN 8915, 5600, 2112, and 8928. 1447hrs.


Neurotransmitters are the natural chemicals that facilitate communication between brain cells. These substances govern our emotions, memory, moods, behaviour, sleep and learning abilities. Neurotransmitters are manufactured in the brain from the amino acids we extract from foods and their supply is entirely dependent on the presence of these precursor amino acids. Alcohol destroys these essential precursor amino acids which is probably why alcoholics seem so emotionally muddled and depressed. Without adequate amino acid conversion, neurotransmitters are no longer produced in sufficient amounts; this deficiency causes 'emotional' symptoms, including depression.
An alcoholic's inability to cope manifests in excessive anxiety, low self-esteem, a low level of confidence, poor problem-solving, a high level of co-dependency and a low level of assertiveness are linked in this failure to cope cycle. In my counselling alcoholics, it is clear that initially almost all believe that it is impossible to control anxiety because it is a 'natural emotion' and 'we are born with it and can't change it'. A favorite saying is some variation of: 'I'm anxious, my mother was anxious and her mother was anxious. How can I change that?' These statements are usually based upon the failure to distinguish between fear and anxiety. Fear is a natural emotion and it is adaptive. If we are being attacked by someone with an axe or a hammer, it is sensible and adaptive to be afraid. We are born with the capacity to become afraid because this fear releases adrenalin, enables us to run faster or makes us stronger if we decide to fight.
The more an alcoholic knows about alcoholism, the greater are the chances that he or she will acknowledge insight in his or her own past behavior so that it can be changed. While the processes of rationalization, projection and repression are unconscious ones, reports of behavior during the alcoholic phase by relatives will show that they did occur.
Does alcoholism cause memory changes?
Alcohol causes distortions to memory in a very fundamental way, which is usually beyond the comprehension of those close to the alcoholic. There are two major memory changes caused by the poison known as alcohol and these are blackouts and euphoric recall. Blackouts are not to be confused with the oblivion that occurs when so much alcohol has been consumed that the alcohol penetrates deeply into the brain and the drinker becomes unconscious.
No, alcoholism is not reversible. It can be stopped and recovery can be extremely successfully but if an alcoholic returns to drinking, he or she takes off where they left off. Resumption of drinking signals that the alcoholic continues to deny that he or she is an alcoholic. The problem is that people will say that they are alcoholics or admit that they have a drinking problem, but, deep down, they don't believe it. They find it hard to see themselves getting so low and becoming a derelict on Skid Row. They have a home, family, friends, and employment, even a career and cannot envisage themselves sleeping on a park bench or clutching a bottle of wine in a brown paper bag.
When we are quick to over-react to situations, we are more likely to reach for the bottle to calm our nerves and let the world go by! Alcoholism is a disease of the emotions coupled with a physical allergy to alcohol. One of my patients related "I feel like such a fool. I seem to overreact to everything and everybody. I cry when my boss tells me to be more polite to customers and get angry when my husband asks me if I've washed his jeans." Everyone feels like this sometimes but alcohol dependent people feel like this all the time. They stuff their feelings; take the edge of their emotions with alcohol and prescription drugs. The plan is to get rid of the bad feelings, but of course the good ones get smothered too.
Do You Have a Secret Drinking Problem?
Many women work two jobs and develop a habit of reaching for the bottle as soon as they walk in the front door. They find themselves working around the clock and drink to try and feel normal. Before they know it, they are drinking more than two standard drinks per day and wonder why they are always feeling tired, agitated, irritable and unable to sleep without their secret alcoholic "top up" after dinner.
I have a number of patients in early alcohol recovery asking me why they feel great one day and terrible the next. They feel so bad they want to numb their emotions and pick up a drink. Many people in early recovery suffer with a foggy brain, headaches, concentration problems and fatigue. They can also have severe withdrawal reactions with excessive sweating and the shakes. But unless the moods are so extreme that they interfere with your functioning, they are a normal part of recovery.


Discover the unique collection of Beeswax Creams. The products of this list have great flavours and smooth texture. They are 100% natural and organic. All products are dermatologically and clinically tested.


Find cheap Havana Cuba to Washington United States flights with our free search service. Compare all available fares for direct or connection flights from Havana to Washington.
What is the distance between Havana and Washington?
The average distance from Havana to Washington is 1822 kilometers (equals to 1132 miles or 983 nautical miles). Your flight will departure from Havana, Cuba and arrive on Washington, United States.
How long is the flight from Havana to Washington?
How much is the fare for flight between Havana and Washington?
The average price for one-way airfare from Havana to Washington is 301 USD (none-taxes) for economy class.
How many flights fly from Havana to Washington on the daily basis?


When you Explore Del Webb Charleston at Nexton, you'll live like a resident in a fully furnished, private home that comes equipped with a golf cart to enjoy during your four day/three night stay.
Tour the amenities and model homes and get to know the neighbors when you dine with Resident Ambassadors. Meet with an on-site New Home Sales Consultant to answer all of your questions (required with stay).
Valid on new appointments only. Guests must be 19 years of age or older with one being 50 years of age or older. Check in is Monday and Friday only.


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Home/News/Obituary/Sarada Math president Pravrajika Bhaktiprana dies at 102
Sarada Math president Pravrajika Bhaktiprana dies at 102
YashhuuDecember 14, 2022Last Updated: December 14, 2022
The president of the Sri Sarada Math and Ramkrishna Sarada Mission Pravrajika Bhaktiprana died at the age of 102 after a prolonged illness at a hospital in Kolkata. Bhaktiprana was suffering from old age-related ailments and was undergoing treatment at the Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan.
Pravrajika Bhaktiprana Mataji was born in Calcutta in 1920 as Kalyani Banerjee.
Bhaktiprana studied at Sardeswari Ashram and Hindu Girls' School. She joined Ramakrishna Sarada Mission Matri Bhavan, Tollygunge, as a nurse, in 1950 after receiving proper training.
In 1959, She accepted Sannyas.
In 1998, she was appointed as the vice-president of Sri Sarada Math and Ramkrishna Sarada Mission and became the fourth president of the order in 2009.
For all the latest Updates, download PrepareExams App
Famous Hindu Mutt Mamata Banerjee pm modi Pravrajika Bhaktiprana Pravrajika Bhaktiprana passes away at 102 Ramkrishna Sarada Mission Sri Sarada Math Sri Sarada Math president passes away
Architect and Padma Bhushan awardee Balkrishna Doshi Died at 95
Visionary British theatre director Peter Brook died at 97
SC Judge AR Lakshmanan passed away
Oscar-winner Czech Director Jiri Menzel died


340 backers pledged MX$ 293,250 to help bring this project to life.
It was made by our friends at Mano Santa using the only prototype that we had that unfortunately does NOT match the actual color and overall design of the actual deck, allow us to show you what it really looks like!
Last year we were successful at launching and funding the first Mexican designed playing cards specialized in cardistry and magic in kickstarter. Since that day we have been working nonstop on getting the first version of our deck known in the cardistry and magic community with huge success, so much that people in the community started to ask us if we were thinking about creating a second version of our deck.
That got us really excited, so we decided to improve on the enigma playing cards, we took the feedback that we got at some community events (like Cardistry Con 2017) and got to work.
We didn't want to create another simple recolor and we didn't want to change what made the original deck special in the first place, so we added more features to the deck on top of the feedback our fans gave us.
Cardistry and Magic are very visual arts, so when thinking about what would be the best color for the back design, we went for the brightest and most vivid red we could, an amazing TORCH RED.
NO OTHER DECK USES THIS COMBINATION OF COLORS.
Fans were praising the original Ace of spades that we designed for the Black Enigma deck, so we redesigned the other 3 aces to sport the same kind of style on them.
All of the 4 aces are now custom and sport an all seeing eye.
Check out our add-ons at the end to be able to snag a shirt with one of the aces designs!
We also had to upgrade our amazing original tuck box to a full Red on Red tuck box, with foil on the front eye icon and the enigma logo.
Printing with Cartamundi has allowed us to add 2 more cards to our original uncut sheet.
We are keeping the identity of those 2 extra cards a secret, rest assured, they will be useful cards that will compliment your magic and cardistry needs.
We are also tweeking some of the old secrets our original deck had and adding some more secret sauce on top.
Taking into account all the feedback that we got from attendants of Cardistry Con 2017 and after trying the amazing Small Batch Deck we decided to partner with Cartamundi.
Last year we were overwhelmed by the amount of packages that we had to send. We learned a lot from the last project, so now we are not going to mess around with the fulfillment, we chose the best guys for this task.
We have enlisted the help of our friends at Art of Play to fulfill all of the orders for the USA and CANADA backers.
Fulfillment for México, Latin America and the rest of the world will be handled by us, Enigma, shipping cost is significantly lower from México to those countries.
AND WHAT ARE WE KEEPING FROM THE PAST DESIGN?
We are keeping all the amazing features that you guys loved from the first version of our deck.
Mnemonica stack out of the box!
Marking system (Fully marked deck).
Reveal Cards (We even added a couple more for our magicians fans).
Optical illusion on the back design to enhance movement for cardistry moves and hide the marking system.
We are aiming to make this a limited release starting at 2000 decks (although if we reach some stretch goals that could change a bit).
This time we decided to bring the power of the Cardistry community of México, to help us reach our goals, thats why we partnered with our friends at Mano Santa to bring you a very special backer reward.
The World Champion of Cardistry Con 2017, Edgar Isaac Hernández and all the cardists at Team Mano Santa will be teaching you some of their signature moves on a tutorial bundle only available for this kickstarter campaign.
We will reveal our stretch goals once we hit 25%!
You can add as many single decks as you like. To add-on, just over-pledge by the amount desired. IE, if you have pledged for 2 decks and want to add another 2 decks, take the amount of your pledge for your country, then add the cost of 2 add-on decks to your core pledge and that is your total!
You can add as many shirts as you like. To add-on, just over-pledge by the amount desired. IE, if you have pledged for 2 decks and want to add a shirt, take the amount of your pledge for your country, then add the cost of a shirt to your core pledge and that is your total!
To choose a model and a size you send us a private message so we can get your info.
These beautiful pins are made by hand out of real silver in Guadalajara, México.
These pins will only be available to backers as an add-on and will be limited to this campaign.
You can add as many pins as you like. To add-on, just over-pledge by the amount desired. IE, if you have pledged for 2 decks and want to add a pin, take the amount of your pledge for your country, then add the cost of a pin to your core pledge and that is your total!
The team at Mano Santa were kind enough to help us raise funds for our campaign recording 3 cardistry tutorials, performed by Edgar Isaac, Luis Mecalco and Vick Amezcua.
This cardistry bundle will only be available to backers as an add-on and will be limited to this campaign for the time being.
You can add this bundle to your pledge. To add-on, just over-pledge by the amount desired. IE, if you have pledged for 2 decks and want to add a cardistry bundle download, take the amount of your pledge for your country, then add the cost of the cardistry bundle to your core pledge and that is your total!
Uncut sheets are amazing ways to show your collection.
This uncut sheet will be available to backers as an add-on and will be limited to this campaign for the time being.
You can add this uncut sheet to your pledge. To add-on, just over-pledge by the amount desired. IE, if you have pledged for 2 decks and want to add an uncut sheet, take the amount of your pledge for your country, then add the cost of the uncut sheet to your core pledge and that is your total!
Handcrafted in Mexico this pad measures 17x12 inches and its made with a velvet that matches the color of our Red Torch Enigma Deck. The bottom is covered in faux calf leather in a contrasting black color. This pad is elegant and bold. This is the perfect tool for magic in the right hands.
The velvet surface its stain resistant and the faux leather is also very resistant to liquids so its wood core will be very well protected. This low-maintenance Pad just as our deck its made to last you a long time.
We made this close up pad in collaboration with our friends from Aeon Magic exclusively for this campaign.
You can add this close up pad to your pledge. To add-on, just over-pledge by the amount desired. IE, if you have pledged for 2 decks and want to add an close up pad, take the amount of your pledge for your country, then add the cost of the close up pad to your core pledge and that is your total!
This new caps complete the urban street wear vibe that we wanted for our cards, they come in black and red and have our eye logo hand braided on the front of the caps.
We are going to be offering this caps as add-ons or as part of a new reward pledge.
You can add as many caps as you like. To add-on, just over-pledge by the amount desired. IE, if you have pledged for 2 decks and want to add a cap, take the amount of your pledge for your country, then add the cost of a cap to your core pledge and that is your total!
Once you have made the modifications to your pledge, choose a color and send us a private message with your selections.
Designed and manufactured in Mexico by our friends from Aeon Magic this brick box is made with Walnut plywood and laser engraved with the Enigma logo. Made to hold 12 decks stacked sideways, once you open the sliding top lid you will have easy access to your Enigma decks or any other decks you desire to keep safe.
"As an avid playing card fanatic using a white cardboard box to store decks with high value just didn't seem right to me, I always wanted a nice alternative, but I knew making a box would not quite fix it, others have tried just that, I knew it had to be more than a simple box and then the idea hit me. Frankly I couldn't be happier with the outcome"
You can add as many wood boxes as you like. To add-on, just over-pledge by the amount desired. IE, if you have pledged for 2 decks and want to add a wood box, take the amount of your pledge for your country, then add the cost of a wood box to your core pledge and that is your total!
Once you have made the modifications to your pledge, send us a private message with your additions.
STAY TUNED! BECAUSE WE WILL BE ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL STUFF THAT YOU WILL WANT!
· Sponsored Cardists/Magicians: Raul Torres, Luis Faz, Fran CG, Saúl García & Eduardo Garza.
· Production and Founder: Cesar Mosqueda Ortiz.
· Magicians: Javi Ponce, Pablo López and Cruz Zepeda.
· Cardists: Edgar Hernández, Luis Mecalco, Kevin Diaz, Victor Amezcua.
Our design its complete and ready for production. The main risk and challenge would be to overcome production time and fulfilment process once the project gets successfully funded. We have spent months studying other successful and unsuccessful Playing Card projects by other creators that have gone before us to learn from their strengths and weaknesses.
We believe that with our new print partner Cartamundi and the fulfillment services of Art of Play we can overcome any kind of problem that may arise.
Choose this level to support the campaign and to gain access to backer-only updates!
Receive a single Torch Red Enigma Deck.
Receive a digital download of the cardistry bundle by Edgar Isaac of Mano Santa, learn 3 of his signature moves.
Receive two Torch Red Enigma Decks.
Receive a digital download of the cardistry bundle by Edgar Isaac of Mano Santa, learn 3 of his signature moves and also receive two Torch Red Enigma Decks.
Receive 1 Uncut sheet of a Torch Red Enigma Deck.
Free shipping world wide (this will ship separately from the decks).
You will receive, close up pad handcrafted in México by our friends at Aeon Magic exclusively for this campaign and 3 torch red enigma decks.
You will receive: 1 cap (of a color of your choosing), 1 shirt (with a mystery design exclusive to this pack), 3 red enigma decks, limited to only 12.
You will receive: 1 wood collectors box and 12 red enigma decks, limited to only 12.
You will receive: 1 shirt (with a mystery design exclusive to this pack), 1 close up pad, 12 red enigma decks, 1 uncut sheet, 1 black enigma playing cards deck, 1 silver enigma pin and mano santa cardistry bundle, limited to only 12.
You will receive: 1 wood collectors box, 6 red enigma decks and 6 black enigma decks, limited to only 2.