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Cincinnati City Council votes to decriminalize marijuana
Written by Derek Prall
The Cincinnati City Council voted today to decriminalize marijuana possession within the city limits, joining the ranks of numerous communities across the country to soften their stances on the drug.
The measure, which passed 5-3, will allow individuals to have in their possession 100 grams of plant material without fearing legal consequence, according to The Enquirer. "It is time," said Councilman Greg Landsman before voting for the law. "We have for too long put people away for something I believe should be legal."
While some speakers before the vote warned marijuana can lead to the abuse of other drugs, for the most part everyone in the council chamber enthusiastically supported the legislation – which was met with cheers by those who came out to support the measure, The Enquirer reports.
Nationally speaking marijuana arrests disproportionately affect minority communities – specifically African Americans. According to an ACLU report, marijuana arrests account for over half of all drug arrests in the United States, and a black person is 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than a white person, although both groups consume at similar rates.
In Cincinnati, these findings were similar. According to local NBC Affiliate WLWT5, the city's law department compiled arrest numbers involving marijuana over the past 15 years. Approximately 80 percent of marijuana arrests were of African American males.
"These are alarming numbers when we start talking about creating a permanent underclass. If you cannot get a job," Vice Mayor Chris Smitherman said.
While the decriminalization issue is worked out, other council members are shifting their attention to those who have already been negatively impacted by a marijuana arrest. Councilwoman Tamaya Dennard voted no on the measure because, she says, it didn't do anything to help those who have already been convicted. "I can't decriminalize this without doing something about the lives that have already been destroyed," she said, per The Enquirer.
However, Smitherman says he vows to address the expungement issue in future legislation. As it stands, decriminalization in the city will go into effect in 30 days.
Tags: Cincinnati marijuana News Public Safety News Public Safety Article
Active shooter preparation: Don't cross the line of traumatization
Active shooter incidents in communities, workplaces and public venues erupt, too regularly, as shocking reminders of the vulnerability to violence. Through the first nine months of 2019, a 50 percent increase in mass shootings have been reported, with at least 21 this year compared to 14 in the corresponding period in 2018. Across the country, […]
Utilities, telecom companies in 5G street light fight
Big wireless network operators like AT&T and Verizon are hungrily eying your neighborhood street light as the perfect home for their 5G small cell transmitters. After all, those light poles already offer a reliable source of electricity, and they're often located in just the right place to push 5G signals into your home or office. […]
Florida county seeks to resurrect recycling
After a nine-month hiatus, commissioners in Santa Rosa County, Fla., are working to bring back recycling in 2020. The attempt is to resurrect the county's recycling program, which has been on the brink of collapse due to high material contamination rates and instability within the global recycling market. Pensacola News Journal reports that county commissioners […]
Ransomware attacks hit at least four local governments in December 2019
A Dec. 17 ransomware attack on a sheriff's office brought the total number of attacks on local governments to at least four in just one month. The attacks have not been confined to one area. As American City & County previously reported, Pensacola, Fla. was hit with an attack on Dec. 7, while New Orleans […]
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


EPM - Edition 16 This seminar was useful, practically oriented, information was targeted, the trainer was excellent. Thank you!!!
EPM - Edition 15 Thank you for the organization and hosting.
EPM - Edition 15 The seminar was very useful and gave me better understanding clarifying many topics that I already had experienced before. The opportunity to share strategies within the group during the activities as well as experiences were great!
EPM - Edition 10 Every topic of the course was followed by practical examples and practical activities. I will recommend this course and Pixel to my colleagues.
EPM - Edition 12 I will definitely recommend this seminar to my colleagues. Grazie mille.
EPM - Edition 14 The best course I have ever been, so I definitely recommend it to my colleagues. You are a very professional. Thank you very much for everything.
EPM - Edition 14 The programme was interesting and presented very well. Thank You!
EPM - Edition 14 Thank You very much. I appreciated all the information received and the practical exercises with GANTT charts and other tools.
EPM - Edition 18 The course is organized with innovative methods, many practical exercises and aiming at each participants interests and needs on his professional field of realisation.
EPM - Edition 18 The seminar was very useful I would recommend it to my colleagues.
EPM - Edition 18 Very good organization! Thank you!!!
EPM - Edition 04 I liked very much clarity and detailed explanations of the contents.
EPM - Edition 05 I am very glad I had the opportunity to participate in the training course and learn new things that I can use in my work.
EPM - Edition 11 Very interesting indeed. I would recommend to the the staff involved in the implementation of EU co-financed projects. Keep up the good work!
EPM - Edition 11 Excellent!
EPM - Edition 12 A very good course, very well organized. Well done. Thank you.
EPM - Edition 05 Congratulations for your work!
EPM - Edition 07 Very well organised course!
EPM - Edition 10 I have a very good impression about this course. Well structured. The trainers were great. I will definitely recommend you as a training institution and also a partner. Thank you very much for this amazing week!
EPM - Edition 13 Everything was clear and well presented. Thanks for finally making me understand how the financial reporting should be done. I am not only going to recommend this European Project Management seminar to the others, I would also like to take part at the European Project Planning seminar in the future.
EPM - Edition 07 Thank you! A very well organised and useful course.
EPM - Edition 19 A job well done! If we need a manager for international projects we look forward to working with you.
EPM - Edition 19 Elisabetta and Andrea are both enthusiastic and really lovely persons. I am glad I had the opportunity to get to know them and also the other participants. I loved the atmosphere of European values and ideas. So thank you and hopefully we will meet again.
EPM - Edition 19 The best course I have ever attended. I am ready to apply what I have learnt.
EPM - Edition 18 Il will definitely recommend this course to colleagues. Thank you for the great organization and the good course!
EPM - Edition 03 Very, very stimulating!
EPM - Edition 19 Excellent!
EPM - Edition 09 Engaging and clear content. Extremely well structured. Extremely good delivery. Well done! Thank You!
EPM - Edition 03 I definitely recommend this course. Thank you for everything!
EPM - Edition 02 The programm was based on practical experience, it's excellent!
EPM - Edition 06 I would really recommend this course to all pearsons or professionals that are involved in European Projects.
EPM - Edition 04 The trainers were just great! Excellent course. Congratulations.
EPM - Edition 13 This is a seminar I highly recommend! Everything was perfect! Congrats!
EPM - Edition 09 Exceptional organization of all aspects. I think that every person running a EU project or applying for grant should attend this course. Andrea is a fantastic teacher who engages his students well. He gives a very positive energy to the class and is extremely knowledgeable. It was a fantastic course, well balanced with work and social. An absolute must for everyone in EU project management. It has been a truly wonderful time.
EPM - Edition 18 I's all good.
EPM - Edition 18 I appreciated the course and also the cordiality of the course organizers. I hope to join other subject-related courses in the future.
EPM - Edition 14 The practical activities were very involving. There were real examples and concrete cases. The contents were clear and very detailed. Everything was perfect. Thank you for such a friendly welcome!
EPM - Edition 14 This course was very useful for me. The acquired information will help me in my job to develop and manage European Projects.
EPM - Edition 11 During the course I gained new knowledge and developed my skills in European project management. I will recommend the course.
EPM - Edition 19 Very useful and high level course. I am very happy I attended it. I am planning to attend the Project Planning course as well.
EPM - Edition 19 Thank you for the course, for the new skills, and for providing a new view on project management.
EPM - Edition 07 A great course, I am very grateful! Thank you! Mille grazie!
EPM - Edition 11 Course was great, very useful and I appreciated the open and professional attitude that our teachers had. I will use all the tools you provided. THANK YOU!
EPM - Edition 06 A very good course that is highly recomendable. Thank you Andrea and Elisabetta!


The Downunder Arctic Ice Gel Packs are supplied in 3 sizes. 900gm, 2.4kg and 3.5kg. The non toxic freezer gel is injected into a multi layer, barrier film pouch giving the pack excellent strength and ensuring the polymer is not affected by continuous freezing and thawing. These packs do not absorb smells or dehydrate over time. Best of all, no melted ice in the bottom of the ice box. The Downunder Arctic Ice packs are now recognised as the best ice pack available to consumers due to their ability to freeze as cold as the freezers capability, not to zero, or just below as ice does. The colder the freeze, the bigger the block, the longer they last. They will freeze to -15C in a standard household freezers.


WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Trump administration on Friday said limits on mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants were unnecessary as they were too costly, sparking an outcry from environmentalists who feared the next step would be looser rules favoring the coal industry at the expense of public health.
Under the Mercury and Air Toxic Standards, or MATS, enacted under former President Barack Obama, coal-burning power plants were required to install expensive equipment to cut output of mercury, which can harm pregnant women and put infants and children at risk of developmental problems.
The Environmental Protection Agency left the 2011 emission standards in place but proposed using a different cost analysis to evaluate whether the regulation is needed, a move that paves the way for looser rules going forward. Its statement was issued on Friday during a partial government shutdown.
Since August, the Environmental Protection Agency has been reconsidering the justification for the rule. A coalition of electric utilities had said the looser rules were not needed since they have already invested billions of dollars in technology to cut emissions of the pollutant and comply.
It said its reassessment showed the cost of compliance with MATS was between $7.4 billion to $9.6 billion annually, while the monetized benefits were between $4 million to $6 million.
It also said the identification of unquantified benefits was not enough to support the standards. Among such benefits, environmentalists say are reduced healthcare costs, breathing cleaner air and drinking cleaner water.
"The policy (Acting EPA Administrator) Andrew Wheeler and (President) Donald Trump proposed today means more pregnant women, young children, and the elderly will be exposed to deadly neurotoxins and poisons, just so wealthy coal and oil barons can make a few extra bucks," Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Director Mary Anne Hitt said in a statement. Wheeler is a former coal industry lobbyist.
"Virtually every coal plant in the U.S. has already met this lifesaving standard, and now Trump is recklessly trying to roll it back," she said.
A study published this month by Harvard University's School of Public Health said coal-fired power plants are the top source of mercury in the United States, accounting for nearly half of mercury emissions in 2015. It said the standards have markedly reduced mercury in the environment and improved public health.
Since taking office in January 2017, Trump has targeted rolling back Obama-era environmental and climate protections to maximize production of domestic fossil fuels, including crude oil. U.S. oil production is the highest in the world, above Saudi Arabia and Russia, after a boom that was triggered more than a decade ago by improved drilling technology.
The coal industry had challenged a 2016 conclusion by Obama's EPA that the rule was justified because savings to U.S. consumers on healthcare costs would exceed compliance costs. The calculations accounted for how pollution-control equipment would reduce emissions of other harmful substances in addition to mercury.
Trump's industry allies, including Robert Murray, CEO of private coal mining giant Murray Energy Corp, had complained that the MATS rule contributed to the demise of the coal business by triggering hundreds of coal-fired power plant shutdowns and driving coal demand to its lowest in decades.
U.S. coal-fired power generation has fallen more than 40percent since a peak in 2007, while natural gas-fired generation soared by about the same amount, according to the EnergyInformation Administration.
In July, electric utilities and utility groups favoring the rule asked the administration to keep it in place. They noted that billions of dollars in investments for anti-pollution equipment have already been made, and costs are being recovered from electricity customers through regulated pricing.
EPA said it will take comment for the proposal for 60 days and will hold at least one public hearing.


text:
Modern Languages and Literatures Department
Zhen Zhang
Pi Delta Phi
Associate Professor of Chinese
Karp Hall 212
zhangz@union.edu
MLL, Asian Studies
His teaching and research interests are in the areas of Chinese language and literature, Chinese film, and cultural studies. Connecting literary studies with the history of subjectivity, his current research explores the distinctive manifestation of human agency in consumer culture, and contemporary China's complex negotiations with socialist legacy and globalization.
He teaches all levels of Chinese courses that synthesize linguistic competency, cultural understanding, and critical thinking. He also regularly offers MLT courses that have included Modern Chinese Literature, Chinese Cinema, Person and Possession in Modern China, Literary Traditions in East Asia, Perspectives in Modern East Asian Literature.
B.A., Yantai University; M.A., Beijing University; M.A., Stony Brook University, The State University of New York; Ph.D., University of California, Irvine
MLLChair@union.edu


BROADCAST AND DIGITAL RESTRICTIONS~** Broadcasters: NONE Digital: NONE~** Air France-KLM beating market expectations, posting an operating profit of just over one billion euros for 2016. Lower fuel prices helping boost the Franco-Dutch carrier's bottom line. Now the group is laying plans to fight back against low cost rivals like Ryanair, with a budget unit dubbed "Boost." (SOUNDBITE) (English) REUTERS CHIEF AIRLINES CORRESPONDENT, VICTORIA BRYAN, SAYING: "This will be under its Air France unit and it's hoping to bring pilot costs down by 15 - 40 percent on those planes." Pilots unions not keen though. That could bode ill for a company that has been dogged by labour unrest. Security fears also weighing on the company's French arm. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NAEEM ASLAM, CHIEF MARKET ANALYST, THINK MARKETS, SAYING: "KLM and Air France if you just divide them up in parts - you'll see the productivity. The Dutch airline - that has improved to 4.2 percent - on the French side that's 2.3 per cent. But they still need to do a lot of restructuring, they need to beat their competitors." The company describing its start to the year as resilient. But fuel prices are back on the up and there's little sign that those security worries will go away.


text:
Q: How to build c# UWP-based project to one .exe file? I want to use universal windows in my project for windows 10 only. I need to compile all my UI&logic stuff to one exe-file (or dll). Like I could do the same with usual WPF application.
But results of build contains a lot of .xbf files and .net-libraries. I already tryed to set "Compile with .NET Native tool chain" options in project's build settings, but the results still contains a lot of files.

A: Within the uwp development framework, there's no such thing as an exe file.
From the MSDN:

Apps are packaged and distributed using the .AppX packaging format.
All UWP apps are distributed as an AppX package. This provides a
  trustworthy installation mechanism and ensures that your apps can be
  deployed and updated seamlessly.

This is the same scenario as it was with Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 applications using the WinRT framework.
If you need an exe file just to install your app without going through the store, take a look at the sideloading option for UWP.
You can find more info about creating packages, going through the store and sideloading here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Mistresses of Reinvention: 5 TV Women Mixing It Up This Fall
By Lydia Price
Updated September 14, 2015 03:00 PM
Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
The 29-year-old beauty is already much more than her modeling day job. Teigen's social media quips have stolen our hearts, her upcoming cookbook already has us drooling and she always keeps the party going as co-host of Lip Sync Battle. Now Teigen is setting out on yet another frontier: She's hosting her first talk show, FABLife, alongside daytime vet Tyra Banks. As the shows culinary expert, Teigen will be showing off her mouth-watering kitchen skills in action for the first time, proving she cooks just as good as she looks.
Credit: Splash News Online
The songstress has been wowing – and shocking – audiences since her 2008 debut album, The Fame. Her follow-ups Born This Way and ARTPOP cemented her as one of the world's most famous pop stars. Beginning Oct. 7, the music mogul is stepping off the stage and onto TV screens as homicidal hotel owner The Countess on American Horror Story: Hotel. It may be the first time fans meet Gaga the actress, but the superstar told Entertainment Weekly acting has always been on her mind.
"I always wanted to be an actress," she said. "I was terrible at auditioning. I would clam up. I was very awkward. I wasn't particularly pretty in high school. I was sort of … blooming. Now I'm here."
Credit: Image Group LA/ABC
With 40 films under her belt and the highest salary in the industry, Chopra is the undisputed queen of Bollywood. But this fall she's taking her career in an entirely new direction. The 33-year-old former Miss World is making her American TV debut in Quantico, a fast-paced action show about FBI recruits. "It always makes me nervous when I try something that I haven't done before, so I'm a wreck, honestly," Chopra told Entertainment Weekly about anticipating the show's Sept 27. premiere. Chopra will be the first Bollywood actress ever to star on an American television series, and she knows the significance of achieving that milestone. "I see this as an opportunity," she told EW, "When I grew up, I never saw anyone looking like me on [American] TV. I'm so glad to see a lot more of us on television, whether it's Mindy Kaling or it's Irrfan Khan or Freida Pinto."
Credit: Skip Bolen/FOX
For seven seasons, Michele raised her voice to the rafters for loyal Glee fans as New Directions soloist Rachel Berry. Now Michele has turned in her microphone and preppy sweaters to play a very different character in Ryan Murphy's latest project, Scream Queens. In the new horror-comedy, Michele takes on the role of Hester, a dorky, neckbrace-wearing college student who makes the mistake of joining a sorority that's targeted by a serial killer. The former a cappella aficionado, 29, has been enjoying the change of pace. "Having no hair and no makeup and getting to show more of my physical comedy has been really fun," she told Variety "When I read the script I thought this was so insane, some of the things I have to say, some of things that I'm doing. I've had the most fun getting to play around with who Hester is. I get to do the weirdest things," she said.
Credit: Craig Sjodin/ABC
The 17-year-old Australian is no stranger to television cameras. As a young kid, she appeared in her late father Steve Irwin's wildlife shows. Since then, Irwin has continued his legacy at the helm of her own series, including Bindi the Jungle Girl. But competing on Dancing With the Stars will be a new wild adventure for Irwin, who told PEOPLE: "I've never danced before in my life." The conservationist, who is partnering with Derek Hough on the show, admitted some fear comes along with the new endeavor. "This is going to be more terrifying than jumping on top of a crocodile," she said about hitting the "dance floor in the middle of a concrete jungle."
1 of 5 CHRISSY TEIGEN
2 of 5 LADY GAGA
3 of 5 PRIYANKA CHOPRA
4 of 5 LEA MICHELE
5 of 5 BINDI IRWIN


In January 2018 nearly 70 pilots competed in the Forbes Flatlands HangGliding competition in Forbes NSW.
The weather was good and the competition was fierce. Many pilots flew for 10 days straight with flying happening every day of the 8 day comp and the 2 days of practise before the competition. One of the highlights was the setting and competition of the world's longest competition hang gliding task. In 2016 the competition set a competition world record distance of 368 km and in 2018 a new record was set with a distance of 388.8km and 16 pilots making the distance with 14 new personal bests amongst the pilots - great flying indeed.
There was a changing of the guard on the winners podium with young gun Rory Duncan taking out the honours by just one point from Jonny Durand followed by Josh woods in 3rd place.
Sasha Serbrennikova took out the womens division whilst in the sports class Peter Garrone took the honours followed by Leon Brown and Scott Ireland. Sasha Serbrennikova not only took out the womens division she also managed to break 3 world records including a new world record triangle and longest distance.
The overall competition unfortunately was saddened by the loss of Emma Martin, and the flying community were devastated but managed to pull together to fly on as Emma would have liked us to. We hope she was watching from the clouds above.
As I was one of the lucky competing pilots and one who made the new competition world record distance thanks to everyone and I hope you come and join us for next years competition.


You might be one among the persons that has a enormous backyard and wants to receive it landscaped in an effort to enhance its gorgeousness or incorporate some private attraction to it. As you can previously think, landscaping could be the perfect way to go. And don't consider that landscaping is simply for the people men and women which can be prosperous and might afford to pay for decorating their gardens as grand parks. Once again, dimension won't make any difference, this means you can advantage within the solutions of the qualified although you might have a Erosion Control .
Without the need of any question, landscaping signifies a hard activity so you is likely to be perplexed simply because you would not know where to start. Just in case you plan to get it done without the need of any help, you may want to make an inventory with terrific concepts since you will operate away from them quite quickly. But in place of you doing many of the hard work, use the enable of the landscape contractor to build the best perform at any time.
So when you need to decide on the appropriate landscaping support, very first of all question a few issues and obtain your detective instinct out during the open up. Keep in mind that it's got to turn out excellent considering that you might be paying a certain amount of money of cash as well as the splendor of your backyard garden will be in stake.
This is often extremely critical when discussing landscaping. Start off by inquiring your hired specialist how long he has become accomplishing this career. Commonly, ten several years is considered being a lot more than enough to provide dependability.
The portfolio may be very vital for a landscape firm. This will likely be the proof of his work's high-quality and professionalism. In below you'll want to glance for great photos of houses or gardens that were beautified together with his assistance. A picture can say far more than a thousand terms so that you will certainly discover what you are keen on by way of these images.
A landscaping firm that trusts its function may have no challenge with you getting in touch with his previous customers. This will help you receive genuine and objective testimonials from people which have worked with him. Generally, a landscape service will present the speak to info in the purchasers that were happy by his work, but you will however have the capacity to determine many handy points by speaking with them.


Welcome to this blog post. I don't think I've ever had a better 30 minutes of shooting before.
I've only known Aaron and Michelle for a couple months now. They own Junkyard Brewing Company, and I've consumed oh-so-much of their beer, so thanks for that.
Since it was their 10th anniversary, they wanted to recreate some old cheesy wedding images. Aaron picked a flower, which was probably a weed, and we reproduced those photos the best we could.
Here is another trial at redoing an old photo. Note the awkward hand placement on the neck. They are much better at looking classy now, so we had to try hard to make it cheesy.
I think they look even better now than in this one below.
We couldn't finish a blog without a shot of Aaron trying to be cool. Happy Anniversary, guys!
Send me a message if you want an anniversary shoot or any other sort of photos. Also, go to Junkyard Brewing Company and catch Aaron off-guard by telling him he looks cute in these photos.


I am a coder, why should I care?
Many coders will have already skipped this article because they think Flash is only for graphics-people, not true. In fact in this article I will re-create a simple diagram from a very old and very badly scanned Z80-PIO document. The advantages of using Flash (once you have overcome the 'strange new interface') is that the finished item will be in vector format so any rescaling/changes can be done while still being able to print at a very high quality.
Dig under the surface of Flash and you will find some elegant ways of building highly complex diagrams quickly in very little space. Of course a dedicated CAD/vector package will have more features but how many of those packages allow web-based distribution of static/animated images in a 'almost standard' compressed container like .swf files?
Firstly we need to clean up the image, crop it to a suitable size and (most important of all) convert it into a transparent .gif or .png image. Basically use your favourite image editor (Photoshop, Fireworks, Paintshop Pro, or even old MicroGrafx Picture Publisher (my personal fav)) and magic-wand + remove the main background colour to a transparent one. This will allow the background grid within Flash to show through making the process of drawing much easier.
Launch Flash and close most of those panels that we don't need. The panels/windows you will need are Transform, Properties and Color Mixer.
Load the .gif or .png image using the File -> Import menu option. You should have the image on Layer 1. If the image is bigger than the work stage (the main drawing canvas area) then simple click on the image to select and look at the properties to determine the width and height, click on the background to deselect it and you should be able to change the canvas properties of the Document – if not use the Modify -> Document menu option.
Now let's set the background grid to make things easier to work with with View -> Grid -> Edit Grid and try using units of 8 pixels for the grid size such as 16x16, 24x24, 32x32 and so on. Show the grid and enable Snap. Tweak either the size of the grid or resize the image until most of the diagrams lines up neatly on the grid – this will be speed up drawing later on.
Together with the library symbols, layers are the most useful part of any graphics based package. In this example we'll use a separate layer just for the background image and lock it into place – this prevents us moving the image by mistake.
Double-click on the 'Layer 1' label on the right side of the main timeline grid and enter a new name (e.g. 'Background') and click the little pad-lock symbol to prevent the layer being modified and/or moved.
We can break the diagram down into small parts through the use of Groups, Layers and Symbols. I tend to use lots of symbols because once created they can be dragged from the library and reused again and again. I use Layers to divide the image up into overlays such as text, boxes, connections and action-scripting (if needed).
Looking at the diagram below we can see its made up from horizontal, vertical and 45-degree lines of different width lines with some text and arrows.
I tend to construct the hardest parts first then add the text and arrows later on. By doing this you can scale up your background image to 125% to 500% to better match the underlying snap grid if you need to. Remember we're using creating vectors so the result will not get chunky like a bitmap. Increasing the precision makes drawing quicker.
Let's begin with the large white connection arrows.
Using a grid setting of 8px by 8px gives us a close match to the arrow size.
TIP: If you unlock the background layer, select the image on the work area/canvas and hit F8 (or Insert -> Convert to Symbol) to convert the image into a *Movie-Clip*. You can then modify the alpha, brightness and other settings of it to make it semi-transparent on the canvas which allows the background grid to show through. Select the Movie-Clip Instance on the canvas and on the properties panel change the Color dropdown menu to Alpha and try 33% to 50%. Your original image is now a light grey color with the grid clearly visible. Remember to re-lock the layer to prevent changes afterwards!
Make sure you have locked your background layer and added a new layer (rename it 'arrows' or whatever you want) and make sure it is selected. This is a common problem when you begin drawing everything on the wrong layer. The problem/advantage with Flash it that any vector draw over each other on the same layer will be combined into line segments or sub-polygons.
On the 'arrows' layer we can begin drawing the arrow shape using the Line tool. Don't worry about not being perfect just use the grid-snap to draw a symmetrical arrow like the one below.
You may be tempted to draw the entire middle section with all those 5 arrowheads from a single line but lets do it another way, the 'CnP' method (Cut 'n' Paste way ;) Because we want the same arrowhead repeated 5 times let turn our outline above into another symbol.
First fill the inside of your arrow shape with white so the grid disappears like the picture below. Remember to select the 'arrows' layer and make sure there are no gaps in your arrow shape.
Select everything on the 'arrows' Layer and hit F8 and convert into a Graphics symbol. The main reason for filling with white is to make it much easier to drag and place items on the main canvas area.
On the canvas (or 'stage' as Macromedia liked to call it) you should notice that your shape has a blue outline box around it – this indicates that it is a symbol. By Double-clicking you can open the symbol and edit it (notice how the rest of the canvas goes dull-white). Click on the 'Scene 1' link at bottom of the Timeline to return back to the canvas.
Select, Copy and Paste your arrow shape symbol (the blue outline box should appear when you select it). Now you have 2 copies of your symbol. Open the Transform panel and Rotate 90 degrees.
Once you have the 5 arrows in place its time to draw the connecting outline boxes between them.
Choose the Box/Rectangle tool with Black outline stroke and White fill colors.
Draw rectangles using the same snap grid lines and don't worry about extra black stroke lines they can easily be removed later – in fact this is the best way to draw in Flash, draw all the basic shape using primitives then combine them together by removing the shared edges.
Select the unwanted lines between the rectangles and hit delete. Flash will automatically merge neighbouring polygon regions.
NOTE: I've hidden the grid and reduced the zoom to 50% in order to make the images smaller.
To remove the 'base' line inside each arrow graphic you need to double-click to edit, select the line and hit delete. Click back to the 'Scene 1' on the timeline, add some rectangles and you should have the following.
Now the basic structure is done, let's begin with the small black arrow shapes.
As you can see from the grid the arrowhead is 2 squares (16px) by 3 squares (24px). Draw a vertical line roughly the same height as the original light-grey arrow on the right side.
TIP: If you edit the black arrow by double-clicking you can change the 'origin' point of the symbol by selecting and dragging it up using the mid bottom anchor point until it snaps to the small origin x shape. This helps when using tricky shaped symbols because you have a useful origin point – in this case it's the point of the arrow.
There is only the matter of adding the text to the diagram and its almost done! So create another new layer called 'text' and hide the 'arrows' Layer. This will make adding the text in the right place much easier, also later you can just select everything on the text layer to change a font and/or color J.
By adding some text over the original background image we can work out the font is close to Arial 22pt. make sure on the properties panel you 'Center' the text using the icon. Now copy and paste or just type the text for the rest of the diagram.
Once everything is done you can delete the original background Layer and Publish the compressed .swf file (and example html page if you wish).
File -> Publish Settings and enable the .swf (and optionally .html) file formats. Use the top tabs to configure the .swf and hit the Publish button.
You can now sit back and enjoy your tiny, compressed vector file and be sure any printouts you do will look good.


text:
How we are working to keep our FOI Requests running during COVID-19
Proactive Publication
What is Proactive Publication?
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What Our Priorities Are and How We Are Doing
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Published FOIs
Dangerous Dogs (12993_17)
21 November 2017 | Incident and Crime Statistics
I write with reference to The Dangerous Dogs Act, 1991 (amended):
In the most recent full year for which you hold records (please provide date range), how many of the dogs seized by your force under Section 1 of the Act had a cross over with Section 3 (that is, were suspected of being out of control in any form)?
2016/17 (01 April 2016 to 31 March 2017):
Section 1 seizures = 110
Section 1 seizures having committed Section 3 offence = 18
Section 3 seizures (Non prohibited breeds) = 195
Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from a number of data sources used by forces for police purposes. The detail collected to respond specifically to your request is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when interpreting those data.
The figures provided therefore are our best interpretation of relevance of data to your request, but you should be aware that the collation of figures for ad hoc requests may have limitations and this should be taken into account when those data are used.
If you decide to write an article / use the enclosed data we would ask you to take into consideration the factors highlighted in this document so as to not mislead members of the public or official bodies, or misrepresent the relevance of the whole or any part of this disclosed material.
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The night that Joseph Arthur taped this session last winter was one of those nights when everything just pours out. He'd driven in from Minnesota the night before and - with the night off from gigs and nowhere really to go or to be - he settled in with his guitar and these words that he'd written. He seems to have an endless supply of them - these songs that are incredibly meaningful to him and of a place that has no borders. He spent hours and hours in the basement of the old, turn of the century elementary schoolhouse, messing with his effects and loops pedals, standing there, lanky and disheveled in that gypsy way that he's mastered over his forty years of life, with those big boots floppy and zipped down the sides.
He exemplified that cracked, harvest moon-colored safety light spraying its lazy color down upon the ground from its drooping perch, where it's always hanging out in the rain and the snow and the biting winds, losing its paint and its time. He five or six songs that evening, packed his stuff up and - we believe - sleepily trudged over to the casino hotel, where he resided for a few hours before deciding that he had more he wanted to say. He felt that it was an incomplete performance and so, he returned to the studio with more songs about freedom and the ties that bind, the love or the lack of that binds.
"Horses" is a song that could have been a b-side from Bon Iver's latest album, perfectly between "Holocene" and "Michicant." He's the kind of man who seems to have learned how best to deal with any suffering that comes his way. He's got a faith in the rains never lasting forever. The overcast skies might be another matter altogether, but he's prepared to deal with those however they need to be dealt with. Without being penned in or pressed too hard, he believes that - with the right person in his corner - they might be able to just roam far enough around the clouds, to avoid the greatest of their wrath. And if not, well, he hasn't gotten that far yet. Here's to hoping. Here's to the long walk that it will take no matter what.


text:
Q: PHP : ReflectionParameter, isOptional vs isDefaultValueAvailable What is the difference between two. both of these are working exactly in a same way.
public static function getArgsArray($reflectionMethod,$argArray){
    $arr = array();
    foreach($reflectionMethod->getParameters() as $key => $val){
        $arr[$val->getName()] = isset($argArray[$val->getName()]) ?
        $argArray[$val->getName()] : (isset($_REQUEST[$val->getName()])
                ? $_REQUEST[$val->getName()] : ($val->*isDefaultValueAvailable()*  ? $val->getDefaultValue() : NULL));
    }
    return $arr;
}

A: The function isDefaultValueAvailable can work only on user defined function, and not work on system functions (PHP core).
So, as example:
class Foo
{
    public function foo($var = null)
    {
    }
}

// Get the "var" argument in method Foo::foo
$refParameter = (new ReflectionClass('Foo'))->getMethod('foo')->getParameters()[0];

print "User function Foo::foo:\n\n";

print 'Optional: ' . ($refParameter->isOptional() ? 'true' : 'false') . "\n";
print 'Default available: ' . ($refParameter->isDefaultValueAvailable() ? 'true' : 'false') . "\n";
if ($refParameter->isDefaultValueAvailable()) {
    print 'Default value: ' . var_export($refParameter->getDefaultValue(), 1);
}

print "\n\n";

print "System function substr\n\n";

// Get the "length" parameter from function substr
$refParameter = (new \ReflectionFunction('substr'))->getParameters()[2];

print 'Optional: ' . ($refParameter->isOptional() ? 'true' : 'false') . "\n";
print 'Default available: ' . ($refParameter->isDefaultValueAvailable() ? 'true' : 'false') . "\n";
if ($refParameter->isDefaultValueAvailable()) {
    print 'Default value: ' . var_export($refParameter->getDefaultValue(), 1);
}

print "\n\n";

And, this code shows: your can get default value only from user defined function and can not get from system function (substr as example). But the method isOptional returned true in user defined function and system function.
Conclusion:

*

*If your want check the parameter is optional, your must use isOptional  method.

*You can get the default value only from the user defined function.

*You can not use method isDefaultValueAvailable on system (PHP) defined function.

Source: https://github.com/php/php-src/blob/ccf863c8ce7e746948fb060d515960492c41ed27/ext/reflection/php_reflection.c#L2536-L2573

A: Good question. Consider this example
function foo($foo = 'foo', $bar) {}

For the $foo parameter, isDefaultValueAvailable() would understandably return true however isOptional() would return false as the next parameter ($bar) has no default value and is therefore not optional. To support the non-optional $bar parameter, $foo must itself be non-optional.
Hope this makes sense ;)
I've noted that behaviour differs across PHP versions. 5.5 returns the above whereas 5.4 says parameter 1 is both not optional and has no default value.

*

*PHP 5.4 - https://eval.in/154641

*PHP 5.5 - https://eval.in/154642


Anne Curtis is the quintessential multi-hyphenate, and her long list of achievements is the fruit of her hard work and perseverance, proving that she's more than just a pretty face. You see her everywhere–on TV, billboards along EDSA, magazine covers and a lot more. After achieving not just success in her career but also in her personal life, the Princess of All Media wears another hat–a job that's close to her heart, a job that reaches out not just to her fans, but to the little ones who need help the most.
In March of last year, she joined UNICEF as its Celebrity Advocate for Children on top of her other responsibilities in showbiz. Despite her packed schedule, she decided to give time to share and promote her advocacy of helping children all over the Philippines. She has worked on several projects for this cause, including a visit to Tacloban for the children victims of typhoon Yolanda.
Her passion has led her to more projects as a UNICEF ambassador like the Heroes for Children Run which she launched last year. The hugely successful event benefitted UNICEF's '1,000 Days of Life' campaign.
1. Start young. It's an advantage to know what you really want to do head on. Make a list of the things you want to pursue and one by one, take the necessary steps to achieve those. Anne is not an overnight success; over the years, she ticked off those goals one at a time, through persistence and hard work.
2. Never be afraid to try out new things. She's open to anything and is not scared of making errors along the way. For her, it's better to try it anyway and see where it takes her.
3. Learn from your past. Anne, as a kid, was very shy, which is the inspiration behind her new book.
4. Believe in yourself. Anne exudes confidence that's rightful for the star that she is. Don't underestimate your capabilities or bring yourself down. Always look at the positive things about you, and claim it!
5. Do things not just for yourself, but for others, too. What's great about Anne is she's acting not just for entertainment, but also to reach out to the less fortunate. She used her position to influence others, which makes her even more admirable. A beautiful and talented lady with a heart, she is–and a woman we all want to be like.


Vineyards and wineries have been in existence for centuries. From the old strains of wine grapes so highly prized in Italy to the newer strains developed for the plethora of wines that are made in the United States, the wine-making business has evolved into one of the largest beverage industries in the world. Techniques have become more refined and in turn, innovations in technology have made tremendous forward lunges. An example of the use of hi-tech in the world of wineries in Napa's Palmaz Vineyards. This amazing winery is well deserving of a closer look and discussion, particularly if you're passionate about the art of making wine.
If you're a winemaker who takes pride in experimentation and the development of crafting unique and high quality wines then you'll appreciate the fact that Christian Palmaz has taken his two greatest passions and combined them to create the most high-tech winery on the planet. These are computer science and making wine.
Palmaz actively pursued is passion for making wine He grew up on a vineyard in Napa Valley, owned by his family and it was in his blood He spent some time as an apprentice in the industry but he was not satisfied with is ability to read the wines in a way that he believed a winemaker ought to. It didn't deter him pursuing his strong desire to continue as a winemaker, but it did represent an obstacle that he knew he needed to overcome. Instead of settling for sub par skills and abilities or throwing in the towel, he did something about it. Christian Palmaz who also had a penchant for computer science decided to turn to technology to help him compensate for what he considered to be a deficit. He threw himself into a new project that would take him six years to develop. The project was a "smart fermentation tank" which would enhance his wine making skills by monitoring the oxygen levels and the temperature of the wine during the fermentation process. This would help him to determine the metrics which are involved in creating superb wines.
Christian Palmaz is one of the most innovative wine makers in the business today. His invention came in handy when the California wildfires of 2017 swept across the property, making it necessary for the crew to abandon the area. He had designed the tanks to be automatically adjusting and they made the necessary changes to the product that was in process and when all was said and done, the smart fermentation tanks had saved Palmaz Vineyards an estimated $10 million by maintaining ideal conditions for massive amounts of juice which were in the process of fermentation.
Christian Palmaz is the CEO of the Vineyard and he has continued using the talents he possesses to create a program that aids in the simultaneous ripening of all of the grapes within a parcel. In addition, he has created a sorting system that automatically removes all damaged fruit through a unique system of light imaging that detects flaws including wrinkles and flaws, suggesting sunburning of the skin of the grape. The innovations delivered by his steadfast commitment to enhancing and perfecting the craft of wine making, Palmaz has helped to ensure that the wines made at Palmaz Vineyards are of premium and high quality.
Christian Palmaz is a brilliant inventor and winemaker who blended two special talents to create the most high-tech winery on the face of the earth. he is credited with making significant contributions to the art of wine making. He went from an apprentice wine maker with a dissatisfaction in his own abilities to a mover and shaker who will not settle for sub par quality. It was his insistence in producing the highest possible quality wines that led him to turn to technology to break down the barriers that prevented him from reaching his ultimate goal. The end result of the years that he dedicated to finding answers to his problems has resulted in the creation of an impressive winery and operations which are envied by wine makers throughout the globe. This just goes to show you what you can accomplish when you refuse to settle for second best.


text:
The Devil in the Donetsk Deal Details
After a marathon meeting in the Belarusian capital of Minsk between the leaders of Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia on February 11 and 12, it seems the talks yielded a more fruitful outcome than anyone expected. As usual, however, the devil is in the details, specifically in the "temporary regime of local government in some areas of Donetsk and Lugansk regions" that the Minsk Agreement provides.
This vague terminology covering the future governance of the Donbas region could engender the kind of divergent interpretations that could continue a conflict that has already cost too many lives. Or it could allow for a solution that would be in the long-term interest of all parties: declaring the Donbas a Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
The idea was first proffered by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in an interview with France 24 as a solution to Ukraine's declining economic and geopolitical situation. According to Poroshenko, the SEZ would allow the Donbas regime, which already has a special self-governance status, to "govern relations with the EU and Russia."
Strangely, Poroshenko's casual announcement was made to an international news network, not to the citizens who elected him president. And ever since then, we have heard no further mention of an SEZ, leaving it as something of an afterthought. Why is Poroshenko only whispering about the possibility of Donbas as an SEZ?
Part of the answer is the limited horizons envisaged by much of Ukraine's government, which has chosen a shortsighted policy of isolation. They have instituted a social, humanitarian and financial blockade of the region, restricting the movement of citizens while continuing military operations. Too many Ukrainian leaders (as well as some in Europe) mistakenly believe that the deterioration of living conditions for citizens who have remained in the unrecognized republics is a sure-fire way to restore pro-Ukrainian sympathies.
The inevitable result of this approach is not only a worsening humanitarian disaster. It will also usher in the dawn of a new grim reality for Donbas, where human relationships and administrative and political norms are changed entirely and irrevocably. It will leave a war-scorched land, a bleeding wound in eastern Ukraine, which will inevitably be ignored and left to fester. Those who remain will do so reluctantly, as a last resort once all other options have been exhausted.
What is so desperately needed is a feeling of hope for Donbas. The sense of a brighter future, a reason to stay. For all the fighting, the dreadful loss of life, the destruction the conflict has brought, there is no plan, no strategy for the day after. There remains little indication that Ukraine's leaders have given much thought to Donbas's eventual place in the overall structure of the state. This vacuum leaves residents wondering whether there has been any real point to the struggle.
The only glimmer of a sustainable solution is the idea of an SEZ fleetingly suggested by Poroshenko. Although it's not an all-encompassing solution to Donbas' problems, an SEZ would make enormous sense. Rather than incurring a massive military expenditure, Donbas would become a region that attracts investment.
Moreover, the SEZ would leave intact the territorial integrity of the state while recognizing the East's traditionally distinct regional identity, and give Donbas a genuine strategic importance as a bridge between Europe and Russia. It would also help win support from the international business community, attracting business through the possibility of multi-currency payments and the absence of taxation.
There is no single global model for establishing an effective and profitable SEZ, yet the advantages are plain to see. Overall, the number of SEZs is growing globally, with around 1,200 in existence at a growth rate of about 7 percent annually. The United States, Japan, the European Union and South Korea have all used hybrid versions of SEZs to create incentives for business. In Northern Ireland, administrative autonomy has helped alleviate tension and generate.
The only significant question mark is the attitude of the Ukrainian government. The longer Ukraine tries to fence off Donbas through a blockade and silence, the harder it will be to restore peace and ultimately rebuild the region.
Poroshenko cautiously opened the door to this debate and must now push it wide open into a vibrant and open discussion. The grim alternative is a future drifting toward further destitution, death and destruction.
Link to source: Newsweek
Photo: GRIGORY DUKOR/REUTERS
a humanitarian disaster, Donbass, Minsk agreements, Olexander Klymenko, Petro Poroshenko, Restoration of Donbass, SEZ, the geopolitical situation, the isolation of Donbass


text:
Unilever plots U-Studio expansion as it eyes $2.1B efficiency savings
CPG giant is also expected to sell off its spreads business in wake of failed Kraft Heinz takeover bid.
Unilever is to expand branded content arm U-Studio as it seeks to save $2.1 billion a year.
The measure is part of Unilever's plan to appease shareholders and boost its share price after the failed $144 billion takeover bid from Kraft Heinz in February—a move described as a "near-death experience" by one agency executive.
Unilever announced that it will halve the number of agencies it works with, estimated at 3,000 shops worldwide, and cut its advertising by 30%.
Graeme Pitkethly, Unilever's chief financial officer, said: "This has been a great process to challenge the status quo. We have identified better ways of doing things and now we are going to actually do them."
On creating fewer ads, Pitkethly said the assets being used "rarely, if ever, reach the point where they are no longer effective," adding: "We will show the best and most effective ads for longer and not stop them just to use a shiny new toy."
Greg Paull, co-founder and principal of pitch consultancy R3 Worldwide, claimed that Unilever planned to expand U-Studio to 23 countries in an attempt to work with fewer agencies. He said: "The studio should absorb quite a few traditional agency content roles."
U-Studio, which launched in September last year, is a division embedded across various parts of the business. It focuses on creating content that will be sought out by consumers and meets an immediate need related to a brand or product.
One consultant who works with the CPG giant explained that global agencies appointed to handle Unilever brands are unlikely to be affected: "It's the local markets who choose to work with more local agencies that are likely to have their activities curtailed."
But forcing local offices to work with global agencies may not save Unilever much money as dealing with smaller shops can be cheaper, the source added.
Along with the announced cuts in advertising, Unilever is also planning to sell off its oil-based spreads business, which includes Flora and I Can't Believe It's So Good With Everything.
"Unilever is selling off its spreads business because it's a cash cow," the consultant said. "It's because they need to raise money to pay shareholder dividends and boost their share price which Kraft Heinz obviously thought was undervalued."
Consumer Goods Food and Drink Grocery food Advertising Marketing
Why Unilever's Sustainable Living brands are driving growth
What global CPG brands can learn from Weetabix's Chinese flop
Unilever to halve its creative agencies as it doubles down on efficiency savings
Unilever 'not affected' by YouTube terror ad issues, says Keith Weed
Unilever launches site to publicize roster agencies
Unilever reviewing business after aborted Kraft Heinz takeover bid


Yuma County Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority, which oversees the Yuma County Area Transit (YCAT) bus system, and the Yuma County Library District joined forces in July 2013 to launch Libraries on the Go!, an on-board literacy program.
All 27 YCAT buses stock used materials from the Yuma County Library District and Friends of Yuma County Libraries, Inc. Riders can read the books or magazines on the bus, take the book or magazine home and return it later to any bus, or donate an old book or magazine for others to read while commuting.
Yuma County Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority (YCIPTA), the Friends of the Yuma County Library, and Yuma County Library District accept donations for books and magazines year-round. For more information, please contact YCIPTA at (928) 539-7076, ext 106 or Friends of Yuma County Libraries, Inc. at (928) 373-6519.


text:
In english the name is written Search engines
A search engine or search service is a document retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system, such as on the World Wide Web, inside a corporate or proprietary network, or in a personal computer. The search engine allows one to ask for content meeting specific criteria (typically those containing a given word or phrase) and retrieves a list of items that match those criteria. This list is often sorted with respect to some measure of relevance of the results. Search engines use regularly updated indexes to operate quickly and efficiently. Without further qualification, search engine usually refers to a Web search engine, which searches for information on the public Web. Other kinds of search engine are enterprise search engines, which search on intranets, personal search engines, which search individual personal computers, and mobile search engines. Different selection and relevance criteria may apply in different environments, or for different uses.
Some search engines also mine data available in newsgroups, databases, or open directories like DMOZ.org. Unlike Web directories, which are maintained by human editors, search engines operate algorithmically or are a mixture of algorthmic and human input. Some search engines also have special exclusions to search restricted, smaller databases
The very first tool used for searching on the Internet was Archie. [1] The name stands for "archive" without the "v". It was created in 1990 by Alan Emtage, a student at McGill University in Montreal. The program downloaded the directory listings of all the files located on public anonymous FTP (File Transfer Protocol) sites, creating a searchable database of filenames; however, Archie could not search by file contents.
While Archie indexed computer files, Gopher indexed plain text documents. Gopher was created in 1991 by Mark McCahill at the University of Minnesota: Gopher was named after the school's mascot. Because these were text files, most of the Gopher sites became websites after the creation of the World Wide Web.
Two other programs, Veronica and Jughead, searched the files stored in Gopher index systems. Veronica (Very Easy Rodent-Oriented Net-wide Index to Computerized Archives) provided a keyword search of most Gopher menu titles in the entire Gopher listings. Jughead (Jonzy's Universal Gopher Hierarchy Excavation And Display) was a tool for obtaining menu information from various Gopher servers. While the name of the search engine "Archie" was not a reference to the Archie comic book series, "Veronica" and "Jughead" are characters in the series, thus referencing their predecessor.
The first Web search engine was Wandex, a now-defunct index collected by the World Wide Web Wanderer, a web crawler developed by Matthew Gray at MIT in 1993. Another very early search engine, Aliweb, also appeared in 1993, and still runs today. The first "full text" crawler-based search engine was WebCrawler, which came out in 1994. Unlike its predecessors, it let users search for any word in any webpage, which became the standard for all major search engines since. It was also the first one to be widely known by the public. Also in 1994 Lycos (which started at Carnegie Mellon University) came out, and became a major commercial endeavor.
Soon after, many search engines appeared and vied for popularity. These included Excite, Infoseek, Inktomi, Northern Light, and AltaVista. In some ways, they competed with popular directories such as Yahoo!. Later, the directories integrated or added on search engine technology for greater functionality.
Search engines were also known as some of the brightest stars in the Internet investing frenzy that occurred in the late 1990s. Several companies entered the market spectacularly, receiving record gains during their initial public offerings. Some have taken down their public search engine, and are marketing enterprise-only editions, such as Northern Light.
More recently, search engines are also coming based on compiling XML or RSS feeds. This allows the search engine to efficiently index data about websites without requiring a complicated crawler. The websites simply provide an xml feed which the search engine indexes. XML feeds are increasingly provided automatically by weblogs or blogs. Examples of this type of search engine are feedster, with niche examples such as LJSeek providing search services for LiveJournal blogs.
Around 2001, the Google search engine rose to prominence. Its success was based in part on the concept of link popularity and PageRank. The number of other websites and webpages that link to a given page is taken into consideration with PageRank, on the premise that good or desirable pages are linked to more than others. The PageRank of linking pages and the number of links on these pages contribute to the PageRank of the linked page. This makes it possible for Google to order its results by how many websites link to each found page. Google's minimalist user interface is very popular with users, and has since spawned a number of imitators.
Google and most other web engines utilize not only PageRank but more than 150 criteria to determine relevancy. The algorithm "remembers" where it has been and indexes the number of cross-links and relates these into groupings. PageRank is based on citation analysis that was developed in the 1950s by Eugene Garfield at the University of Pennsylvania. Google's founders cite Garfield's work in their original paper. In this way virtual communities of webpages are found. Teoma's search technology uses a communities approach in its ranking algorithm. NEC Research Institute has worked on similar technology. Web link analysis was first developed by Jon Kleinberg and his team while working on the CLEVER project at IBM's Almaden Research Center. Google is currently the most popular search engine.
Yahoo! Search
The two founders of Yahoo!, David Filo and Jerry Yang, Ph.D. candidates in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University, started their guide in a campus trailer in February 1994 as a way to keep track of their personal interests on the Internet. Before long they were spending more time on their home-brewed lists of favourite links than on their doctoral dissertations. Eventually, Jerry and David's lists became too long and unwieldy, and they broke them out into categories. When the categories became too full, they developed subcategories ... and the core concept behind Yahoo! was born. In 2002, Yahoo! acquired Inktomi and in 2003, Yahoo! acquired Overture, which owned AlltheWeb and AltaVista. Despite owning its own search engine, Yahoo! initially kept using Google to provide its users with search results on its main website Yahoo.com. However, in 2004, Yahoo! launched its own search engine based on the combined technologies of its acquisitions and providing a service that gave pre-eminence to the Web search engine over the directory.
The most recent major search engine is MSN Search, owned by Microsoft, which previously relied on others for its search engine listings. In 2004 it debuted a beta version of its own results, powered by its own web crawler (called msnbot). In early 2005 it started showing its own results live. This was barely noticed by average users unaware of where results come from, but was a huge development for many webmasters, who seek inclusion in the major search engines. At the same time, Microsoft ceased using results from Inktomi, now owned by Yahoo!. In 2006, Microsoft started migration to a new search platform - Windows Live Search.
In February 2006, Ask Jeeves was rebranded as Ask.com. The butler logo was removed and several new features including a redesigned home page, search tool box, maps (with walking directions and dynamic address generation) and more "Smart Answers" were added. Ask.com is now an algorithmic engine. While you can still ask questions, it operates using a relevance ranking. Ask.com utilizes the ranking algorithm that was originally developed for Teoma and its database continues to increase in size.
Ask.com results pages offer several features generally unavailable elsewhere. They include page previews and "Zoom" that help the searcher narrow, expand, and select related names. These features are found on the right hand side of results pages where other engines place advertising. In 2005 it was reported that Ask.com did a great deal of work to reduce the number of paid advertisements on a results page.
The other large (self described) search engines tend to be Web portals that merely show the results from another company's search engine (as MSN Search used to do). The other "true" search engines (those that provide their own results), like Gigablast, have vastly less market presence than the big three. However, since site usage is proprietary information, it is often difficult to determine which sites are most popular. See List of search engines to find other search engines.
Challenges faced by search engines
The Web is growing much faster than any present-technology search engine can possibly index (see distributed web crawling). In 2006, some users found major search-engines became slower to index new webpages [see ^MSNI].
Many webpages are updated frequently, which forces the search engine to revisit them periodically.
The queries one can make are currently limited to searching for key words, which may result in many false positives, especially using the default whole-page search. Better results might be achieved by using a proximity-search option with a search-bracket to limit matches within a paragraph or phrase, rather than matching random words scattered across large pages. [see proximity search.] Another alternative is using human operators to do the researching for the user with organic search engines.
Dynamically generated sites may be slow or difficult to index, or may result in excessive results, perhaps generating 500 times more webpages than average. Example: for a dynamic webpage which changes content based on entries inserted from a database, a search-engine might be requested to index 50,000 static webpages for 50,000 different parameter values passed to that dynamic webpage [see ^DYN].
Many dynamically generated websites are not indexable by search engines; this phenomenon is known as the invisible web.There are search engines that specialize in crawling the invisible web. They can crawl sites that have dynamic content, that require forms to be filled out, or that are password protected. Some examples of invisible web search engines are ResourceShelf, CloserLook Search, and Yahoo! Search Subscriptions.
Relevancy: sometimes the engine can't get what the person is looking for.
Some search-engines do not rank results by relevance, but by the amount of money the matching websites pay.
In 2006, hundreds of generated websites used tricks to manipulate a search-engine to display them in the higher results for numerous keywords. This can lead to some search results being polluted with linkspam or bait-and-switch pages which contain little or no information about the matching phrases. The more relevant webpages are pushed further down in the results list, perhaps by 500 entries or more [see ^LSPAM].
Secure pages (content hosted on HTTPS URLs) pose a challenger for crawlers which either can't browse the content for technical reasons or won't index it for privacy reasons.
How search engines work
A search engine operates, in the following order
Web crawling
Web search engines work by storing information about a large number of web pages, which they retrieve from the WWW itself. These pages are retrieved by a Web crawler (sometimes also known as a spider) � an automated Web browser which follows every link it sees. Exclusions can be made by the use of robots.txt. The contents of each page are then analyzed to determine how it should be indexed (for example, words are extracted from the titles, headings, or special fields called meta tags). Data about web pages are stored in an index database for use in later queries. Some search engines, such as Google, store all or part of the source page (referred to as a cache) as well as information about the web pages, whereas others, such as AltaVista, store every word of every page they find. This cached page always holds the actual search text since it is the one that was actually indexed, so it can be very useful when the content of the current page has been updated and the search terms are no longer in it. This problem might be considered to be a mild form of linkrot, and Google's handling of it increases usability by satisfying user expectations that the search terms will be on the returned webpage. This satisfies the principle of least astonishment since the user normally expects the search terms to be on the returned pages. Increased search relevance makes these cached pages very useful, even beyond the fact that they may contain data that may no longer be available elsewhere.
When a user comes to the search engine and makes a query, typically by giving key words, the engine looks up the index and provides a listing of best-matching web pages according to its criteria, usually with a short summary containing the document's title and sometimes parts of the text. Most search engines support the use of the boolean terms AND, OR and NOT to further specify the search query. An advanced feature is proximity search, which allows users to define the distance between keywords.
The usefulness of a search engine depends on the relevance of the result set it gives back. While there may be millions of webpages that include a particular word or phrase, some pages may be more relevant, popular, or authoritative than others. Most search engines employ methods to rank the results to provide the "best" results first. How a search engine decides which pages are the best matches, and what order the results should be shown in, varies widely from one engine to another. The methods also change over time as Internet usage changes and new techniques evolve.
Most Web search engines are commercial ventures supported by advertising revenue and, as a result, some employ the controversial practice of allowing advertisers to pay money to have their listings ranked higher in search results. Those search engines which do not accept money for their search engine results make money by running search related ads alongside the regular search engine results. The search engines make money everytime someone clicks on one of these ads.
The vast majority of search engines are run by private companies using proprietary algorithms and closed databases, the most popular currently being Google, MSN Search, and Yahoo! Search. However, Open source search engine technology does exist, such as ht://Dig, Nutch, Senas, Egothor, OpenFTS, DataparkSearch and many others.
Storage costs and crawling time
Storage costs are not the limiting resource in search engine implementation. Simply storing 10 billion pages of 10 kbytes each (compressed) requires 100TB and another 100TB or so for indexes, giving a total hardware cost of under $200k: 400 500GB disk drives on 100 cheap PCs.
However, a public search engine requires considerably more resources than this to calculate query results and to provide high availability. Also, the costs of operating a large server farm are not trivial.
Crawling 10B pages with 100 machines crawling at 100 pages/second would take 1M seconds, or 11.6 days on a very high capacity Internet connection. Most search engines crawl a small fraction of the Web (10-20% pages) at around this frequency or better, but also crawl dynamic websites (e.g. news sites and blogs) at a much higher frequency.
Geospatially enabled search engines
A recent enhancement to search engine technology is the addition of geocoding and geoparsing to the processing of the ingested documents being indexed, to enable searching within a specified locality (or region). Geoparsing attempts to match any found references to locations and places to a geospatial frame of reference, such as a street address, gazetteer locations, or to an area (such as a polygonal boundary for a municipality). Through this geoparsing process, latitudes and longitudes are assigned to the found places, and these latitudes and longitudes are indexed for later spatial query and retrieval. This can enhance the search process tremendously by allowing a user to search for documents within a given map extent, or conversely, plot the location of documents matching a given keyword to analyze incidence and clustering, or any combination of the two. One company that has developed this type of technology is MetaCarta, which makes its search technology also available as an XML Web Service to allow deep integration into existing applications.
See also this article on Wikipedia : Search engines
B. Oliveira, Marcio (BRA) [member # 11820]
Correspondence chess : 2395 GM
Future rating : 2380 Games : 1 Result : 0 % Perf : 2132


Members bring whatever they are currently working on. Whilst we work and share expertise we also have time to enjoy a chat and cup of tea or coffee. We also support charity projects from time to time.
Meeting pattern: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays in the month 10am - 12 noon.
If you are logged in as a group member more information may be available by clicking here.
Please refer to the Members' Handbook for details.


text:
Q: What is the purpose of DynamoDB filter expressions? I'm trying to work out what advantages there are to using filter expressions for the DynamoDB Query operation.
I understand that it's used to refine the results of a query, as explained here: http://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazondynamodb/latest/developerguide/Query.html#Query.FilterExpression. But this also says that the same limits apply before the filter, so don't gain anything in terms of reduced read capacity consumption or overcoming the 1MB-per-query limit.
Why would I use this over in-built language features, like Scala's filter?

A: A filter expression is applied after a Query finishes, but before the results are returned.
So, ultimately it saves you bandwidth. Scala's filter works the same way - you create the collection first and then filter will iterate over it and filter out the results that don't match your predicate.
Spark filter operation on the other hand, is a transformation operation and is hence lazily evaluated which allows Spark to perform some optimisations.


text:
Spider and the Fly
or: What if...
So I'm sitting at home, not bothering anyone. I'm doodling, not really paying attention to what I'm doing. Turns out what I'm doing is drawing Simon and Kirby's the Fly... who knew?
According to Stan, the creator is the guy who came up with the idea which leaves Joe Simon as the creator of Spiderman. Only, Joe can't get it off the ground with CC Beck. Tweaked into the Fly, Simon reunites with Kirby and they manage a handful of issues before separating for good. The Fly continues... sort of... but never really catches on. Kirby then pitches the idea to Stan only to see his pages rejected. Here's where Stan makes his enduring contribution; He takes the character from Jack and gives it to Steve Ditko who changes everything and transforms Spider-Man into the flagship book for a new comics universe.
There are so many spots where Spider-Man could've followed a completely different course. If it never falls to Ditko...I don't draw comics, simple as that.
Don't Make Him Angry
Don't Make Him Angry or: Poking the Bear What... more
Follow the Bouncing Ball
Follow the Bouncing Ball or: Momentum Just when it looked... more
January 6 or: Beer Hall Buttheads Re-Ducks Let... more
Bulk Sad
Bulk Sad or: Can't Win'em All Well, foo. The Chiefs... more
Sleeping Beauty or: If I Should Win Before I Wake I read... more
It's Krismas'n Time
Here's hopin' you get all the toys you can eat Merry... more
Play Dead or: Bye, Bye, Who's Got the Bye Just a few... more
Crushed or: Let's Dance The bus ride around the stadium... more
For George
For George Hard news on the George Perez front. Best wishes... more
Crimson Yawn
Crimson Yawn or: Beating a Dead Horse Not the most dynamic... more


text:
using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using Fortis.Model.Fields;
using Fortis.Providers;
using Sitecore;

namespace Fortis.Model.RenderingParameters.Fields
{
	public class ListFieldWrapper : FieldWrapper, IListFieldWrapper
	{
		public ListFieldWrapper(string value, ISpawnProvider spawnProvider)
			: base(value, spawnProvider)
		{
		}

		public IEnumerable<T> GetItems<T>() where T : IItemWrapper
		{
			if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(_value))
			{
				yield break;
			}

			var list = (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(_value) ? string.Empty : _value).Split('|');

			foreach (var id in list)
			{
                var item = Database.GetItem(id);
                if (item != null)
                {
                    var wrapper = SpawnProvider.FromItem<T>(item);
                    if (wrapper is T)
                    {
                        yield return (T)wrapper;
                    }
                }
			}
		}

		public IEnumerator<IItemWrapper> GetEnumerator()
		{
			return GetItems<IItemWrapper>().GetEnumerator();
		}

		IEnumerator IEnumerable.GetEnumerator()
		{
			return GetEnumerator();
		}

		public IEnumerable<Guid> Value
		{
			get
			{
				if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(_value))
				{
					yield break;
				}

				var list = (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(_value) ? string.Empty : _value).Split('|');

				foreach (var id in list)
				{
					Guid guid;
					if (Guid.TryParse(id, out guid))
					{
						yield return guid;
					}
				}
			}
		}
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Aeolus, the European Space Agency's wind sensing satellite, built by Airbus, is all set to take-off on the 21st of August, 2018. The satellite has been integrated in to ESA's Vega launcher and will take flight at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou.
Airbus's Aeolus will be the first satellite capable of performing global wind-component-profile observation on a daily basis in near real-time. The 1.4-tonne spacecraft features the LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) instrument called Aladin, which uses the Doppler Effect to determine the wind speed at varying altitudes. The data from Aeolus will provide reliable wind-profile data on a global scale and is needed by meteorologists to further improve the accuracy of weather forecasts and by climatologists to better understand the global dynamics of Earth's atmosphere.
The satellite will orbit the Earth 15 times a day with data delivery to users within 120 minutes of the oldest measurement in each orbit. The orbit repeat cycle is 7 days (every 111 orbits) and the spacecraft will fly in a 320 km orbit and have a lifetime of three years.


The Amalie dining chairs bring mid-century modern design that is perfect for smaller spaces. The stylish solid wood legs feature a walnut finish with an exposed chair back. Cushioned and upholstered in a black fabric, this set of two chairs is perfect for using in your dining space or as accents in any living area.


Thompson, Dorothy J., 1939- , Vandorpe, Katelijn.
xviii, 158 p., 12 pl. : ill., graphics, map ; 25 cm.
Ethnê, taxes and administrative geography in early Ptolemaic Egypt.
The taxes in grain in Ptolemaic Egypt : granary receipts from Diospolis Magna, 164 - 88 B.C.
Tax receipts, taxpayers, and taxes in early Ptolemaic Thebes.


text:
U of T chemist wins DuPont award for conductive polymers research
Research into conductive polymers has earned University of Toronto chemistry professor Dwight Seferos a 2011 DuPont Young Professor award.
June 29, 2011	Canadian Plastics
Plastics: Technology Advances
Seferos was among 17 researchers from universities across the world, including 11 in the U.S., to receive the award this year. Each recipient will receive US$75,000 (or its equivalent in relevant currency) in three annual grants of US$25,000.
Seferos and his research team are focusing on conjugated polymers as a replacement for silicon semiconductors. Conjugation is a way of making a polymer conductive, for possible use in electronic components – in particular those that absorb or emit light or conduct electricity.
The advantage of replacing the silicon semiconductors with plastic is that the plastic element is about 1,000 times thinner than the silicon, costs less to manufacture, and is less harmful to the environment.
"The DuPont Young Professor program is a way to identify talented researchers and promising science early in a new professor's career," said Douglas Muzyka, DuPont's senior vice-president and chief science and technology officer. "These grants encourage highly original research of value to DuPont while helping the young professors begin their academic research careers."
The DuPont Young Professor program began in 1967. According to DuPont, research by the class of 2011 Young Professors centres on solar energy, biomolecular sciences, polymer science, nanotechnology, entomology, chemistry, chemical engineering, statistics, animal biology and life sciences. For a complete list of this year's winners, go to this link.
Researchers make new conductive polymer
New DuPont polymers manufactured using renewable resources
DuPont to open R&D centre in India
BASF and top U.S. universities partner for functional materials research
Total Plastic Solutions Inc.
European PVC industry meets ten-year targets on sustainable development: report
Lanxess opens R&D centre for butyl elastomers in Canada


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"Reputation comes not just from the quality of the product but helping people make the right choice. If companies put the effort in at the beginning, and their websites have to enable that to happen, then they are more likely to make the customer happy.
Chris Hares is managing director of Darglow Marine Engineers, manufacturers of the FeatherStream propeller for sail boats which minimises drag and improves average speed by as much as 20%.
"We're quite lucky that ours is such a niche market that the search terms a prospective purchaser puts in mean we will come up," he says.
The company also sells other manufacturers' products at different price points. "It means that we can identify what is best for the customer, for them to make the right decision, and if that happens not to be our own product, we haven't necessarily lost a sale," explains Hares.
The main market for Darglow is the bespoke boatbuilder and the private owner (usually directly but often via a marine engineer or re-fit centre) who is making upgrades to an existing yacht.
Their website embraces the worldwide bit of www. Customers in any of Darglow's four main markets outside the UK click on their flag and are routed to information in their own language.
The challenge for Darglow is being able to harness the internet when the actual sale is consultative.
"About 50% of our customers will spend probably forty-five minutes on the phone talking through their requirements with us," says Hares, "but people are becoming more used to migrating from a website by filling in an electronic form.
They don't want to give out their phone number because they don't want to be bombarded with calls as well as emails. Before the internet they had to speak to someone.
Certainly the internet is having a profound effect on the company's functionality. "We never used to have someone who spent all day writing letters to people, but we do have to apply the equivalent resource to reply to emails," observes Hares.
"But the internet has put us in a different league in terms of visibility." And it's changed the way the company operates as well. "We would have a van going out all week just to fit propellers," recalls Hares.


I was searching for a Property and found this listing (MLS® #5147138). Please send me more information regarding 12631 15th St S, Afton, MN, 55001. Thank you!
I'd like to request a showing of 12631 15th St S, Afton, MN, 55001 (MLS® #5147138). Thank you!


A Brief Encounter for our time, The Last Letter from Your Lover is a sophisticated, spellbinding double love story that spans decades and thrillingly evokes a bygone era. In 1960, Jennifer Stirling wakes in the hospital and remembers nothing—not the car accident that put her there, not her wealthy husband, not even her own name. Searching for clues, she finds an impassioned letter, signed simply "B," from a man for whom she seemed willing to risk everything. In 2003, journalist Ellie Haworth stumbles upon the letter and becomes obsessed with learning the unknown lovers' fate—hoping it will inspire her own happy ending. Remarkably moving, this is a novel for romantics of every age.
Thanks to Penguin, I have a copy of The Last Letter from Your Lover to give away to a lucky reader. This is for US residents only. You must be at least 13 years old to enter. Good luck!


US Open top seeds Rafael Nadal and Caroline Wozniacki, trying for her first Grand Slam title, moved easily into the second round at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday.
AFP - US Open top seeds Rafael Nadal and Caroline Wozniacki moved into the second round on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts while Serbian stars Novak Djokovic and Jelena Jankovic struggled to advance Tuesday.
Reigning Wimbledon and French Open champion Nadal, trying to become the seventh man to complete a career Grand Slam, beat Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, his only service breaks coming in the last set.
"My serve worked well and I hope to continue like this," Nadal said. "It's not my best shot, but I always work hard at improving it. If I am to have chances to win here one day, I need to serve well."
The 24-year-old Spaniard, who would be the youngest career Slam holder and only the fourth man to win three Slams in a row if he wins this year's US Open, will next face Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan.
Denmark's Wozniacki, seeking her first Grand Slam title after losing to Kim Clijsters in last year's US Open final, romped in her first Grand Slam match as a top seed, eliminating US wild card Chelsey Gullickson 6-1, 6-1 in 61 minutes.
"I'm really happy," Wozniacki said. "The first match is always tough. I'm happy to be through and into the second round."
Wozniacki will face Taiwan's Chang Kai-Chen for a berth in the third round after winning the matchup of 20-year-olds, which did not start until 10 minutes before midnight due to the length of previous Arthur Ashe Stadium matches.
"I didn't feel too nervous. I was just happy to get out there and play. We had waited for a long time," Wozniacki said. "Definitely it was a long night. But a win is a win and if I win I'm happy."
Third seed Djokovic ousted friend and countryman Viktor Troicki 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 aftr three hours and 40 minutes in the heat to book a place against Germany's Philipp Petzschner.
"Give credit to Viktor. He was playing well and serving incredibly well," he said. "Even if I would lose today it would have been deserved on his side. A couple of points changed the match and I was just fortunate to get through."
Fourth-seeded Jankovic, seeking her first Grand Slam title, edged 96th-rated Romanian teen Simona Halep 6-4, 4-6, 7-5. The 2008 US Open runner-up nearly suffered her first opening-match Slam exit since the 2005 French Open.
"I had to work for every point," Jankovic said. "I wasn't playing my best tennis. I was able to find a way to get through."
Jankovic, who will next play 150th-ranked Croatian qualifier Mirjana Lucic, has faith she has what it takes to win a Grand Slam crown.
"I know I can do that," Jankovic said. "It's just a matter of believing in myself, having the confidence and doing the right things on the court because I really want to get my tennis to another level."
Eighth seed Li Na, the highest Chinese seed in Grand Slam history, lost 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to Ukraine's Kateryna Bondarenko. The Australian Open semi-finalist had not lost a Grand Slam opener since the 2006 Australian Open.
"It was sad to lose in the first round," Li said. "I just have to forget everything and practice again and hope I come back again soon."
On the men's side, Cypriot 16th seed Marcos Baghdatis went down 6-3, 2-6, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 to French veteran Arnaud Clement and France's Jeremy Chardy beat Latvian 24th seed Ernests Gulbis 6-2, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4.