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Tiffany Baker has a graduate degree in creative writing from UC Irvine and a PhD in Victorian literature.
She applied the Page 69 Test to her debut novel, The Little Giant of Aberdeen County, and reported the following:
Page sixty-nine of The Little Giant of Aberdeen County gives you an excellent, little slice of the whole novel. Truly, the main character, has just been orphaned by her father's death, and she is being shipped off to live with the Dyersons, who are "the most genuine of upstaters." In this passage, we learn that the Dyersons have weedlike roots sunk into the history of Aberdeen. Like weeds, they're not the most attractive part of the town, but they aren't going anywhere, either. The mini-story of James Dyerson, a tragic veteran of the Civil War, tells you this.
I had so much fun writing all the down-and-out, hardscrabble Dyerson characters. I like to think of them as Aberdeen's underbelly, the darker foil to the proper history of the Morgan family of doctors. They're related to Tabitha, the witch, and maybe that's why they live such poor, broken lives--a fate Truly is joined to. Even if they do always lose at cards, horses, and everything else, my heart still belongs to them. In the end, I'm always going to pick the underdog.
Read an excerpt from The Little Giant of Aberdeen County.
Learn more about the author and her work at Tiffany Baker's website and blog.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Good design is essential for creating sustainable, inclusive, healthy and beautiful places, but can we actually measure 'good design'? And if so, how should this influence how we design places?
The Office of the Victorian Government Architect brings us a fast-paced MTalks panel discussion exploring the tangible and intangible benefits of good design for health, education, public spaces, transport and neighbourhoods. For each of these themes, a design champion in government-led projects and a design expert from the Office of the Victorian Government Architect's Victorian Design Review Panel will respond to these burning questions.
Jill Garner, Victorian Government Architect, and Andrew Mackenzie, from City Lab, will lead the conversation, and curtail any runaways or over-timers, while the following luminaries of the built-form sphere will present their cases.
For health: Stefano Scalzo, Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority; Paul Katsieris, of firm Katsieris Origami; and Sophie Patitsas, Office of Victorian Government Architect. For education: Richard Leonard from practice Hayball; and Kerstin Thompson of Kerstin Thompson Architects. For public spaces: Adam Nitschke from Parks Victoria; Kirsten Bauer of Aspect Studios; and Bronwen Hamilton, Office of Victorian Government Architect. For transport: Kate Hardwick of Melbourne Metro Rail Authority; and Cameron Ritter of Grimshaw Architects. For neighbourhoods: Dan Brady from Development Victoria; and Billie Giles-Corti from RMIT.


Dr Neo Cortex is conjuring up vengeful plans in his lab with the help of Dr Nitrus Brio. The pair may become unstoppable with the combination of the Evolvo-Ray and Cortex Vortex! The evil devices of the twosome inspire the Cortex Laboratories T-shirt design.


The United Nations' Human Development Report of 2009 paints an idyllic picture of migrations.
THE recently released United Nations Development Report-2009, titled "Overcoming Barriers: Human Mobility and Development", presents a strong case for governments all over the world to encourage human mobility. Migrations, including those of low-skilled workforce, pay dividends all round, the report says. However, it does not quite attempt to seriously understand why people migrate, sometimes subjecting themselves to horrific situations in destination countries or even within their own countries. The report cautions that migration cannot be a solution to all economic ills or a major factor in development though remittances from migrants may complement and enhance human and economic development. In many countries, the money sent home by migrants often exceeds official aid. For India, such remittances add up to 1.5 times more than foreign direct investment. Then there are the so-called social remittances. These may be in the form of reduction in fertility, higher school enrolment rates and empowerment of women.
These benefits, however, can also be achieved by countries that invest sufficiently in these areas. The report seems to see migration as a boon in disguise for low-skilled and underpaid sections. But to view migration as a strategy for development is to offer a short cut where what is needed is long-term investment by governments. The emphasis on low-skill migration is also slightly disconcerting.
The report presents a core package of reforms, the "six pillars", as it calls them: opening existing entry channels for more workers, especially those with low skills; ensuring basic human rights for migrants, from basic services such as education and health care to the right to vote; lowering the transaction costs of migration; finding collaborative solutions that benefit both destination communities and migrants; easing internal migration; and adding migration as a component of the development strategies of the countries of origin.
The question is why can the origin countries not address the livelihood issues of low-skilled workers and provide them with long-term solutions that not only enhance their personal well-being but also boost overall growth? Indeed, the report seems to see the need for migrations from the point of view of developed countries. It says that there is a strong case for increased access to sectors with a high demand for labour, particularly for the low-skilled and that this is particularly important for developed countries because their populations are ageing. Therefore, it is in the overall interest of developed countries to end discrimination against migrants.
The world's population will grow by a third over the next four decades, and much of this growth will be in developing countries. The report says that in one in every five countries, including Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation, populations are expected to shrink. It argues that a demographic transition has begun; the ageing of populations is a widespread phenomenon, a natural consequence of a decline in death rates and a slower decline in birth rates that has occurred in most developing countries. It is also estimated that within the next 15 years, new entrants to the labour force in developing countries will far exceed the total number of working-age people. These trends will put a burden on wages and increase the incentives to move among potential employees in poorer countries.
In developed countries, the proportion of the elderly will rise markedly so that there will be 71 non-working age people for every 100 of working age. This, argues the report, will make it more difficult for developed countries to pay for the care of their children and old people as publicly funded education and health systems are paid with taxes levied on the working population. These demographic trends, the report concludes, go in favour of relaxing the barriers to the entry of migrants.
The report presupposes that people have an innate urge to migrate. Even if that is true, it does not alter the fact that the compelling circumstances that lie behind this phenomenon should be addressed. The report also presupposes that much of migration takes place voluntarily. It is not a voluntary decision that forces a villager in India, used to living under the open skies, to take up residence in a congested urban slum. The report does not adequately explore what makes people decide to migrate.
The report, however, does not advocate wholesale liberalisation of the migration process, arguing that people in the destination countries have a right to shape their societies. It argues that research commissioned by the UNDP shows that people in destination countries are generally supportive of further migration when jobs are available and appreciate the gains – economic, social and cultural – that increased diversity can bring. Therefore, migrants are welcome in a country that has already many jobs to offer.
The report seems to downplay the impact of recession. Jeni Klugman, the lead author, argues that a job crisis is bad for migrants and admits that several destination countries are taking steps to encourage or compel migrants to leave. "With recovery," he says, "many of the same underlying trends that have been driving movement during the past half-century will resurface, attracting people to move." But it is futile to suggest until such a recovery that developing countries should encourage their low-skilled workers to migrate.
The 1997 Human Development Report had observed that the principles of free global markets were applied selectively and that the global market for unskilled labour was not as free as the market for industrial country exports or capital. There has not been much change in the situation since then. The 2009 report admits that the current recession is likely to have long-lasting, maybe even permanent, effects on incomes and employment opportunities. It says that the financial crisis has turned into a job crisis. Quoting from studies, it says that the unemployment rate has already exceeded 8.4 per cent in the United States, which by May 2009 had lost nearly six million jobs since December 2007, with the total number of jobless people rising to 14.5 million. In Spain, the unemployment rate climbed as high as 15 per cent by April 2009 and topped 28 per cent among migrants.
The report corrects certain popular misconceptions. It says that most migrants do not even cross national borders but move within their own countries: "Nearly 740 people are internal migrants, almost four times the number of international migrants. Among international migrants, less than 30 per cent move from developing to developed countries." For instance, only 3 per cent of Africans live outside the country of birth. Intra-country migrations are also fraught with problems, especially when migrants have to face questions regarding their identity.
Instead of making out a strong case for governments to address the root causes of migration by the very poor, including what is now called distress migration, the report seems to present an idyllic picture. It claims that migrants from the poorest countries saw an average 15-fold increase in income, doubling in education enrolment rates and a 16-fold reduction in child mortality after moving to a country with more opportunities.
Quoting recent research, the report claims that the health of migrants improved markedly during their first year in the destination country. Is migration, then, the policy that poorer countries should evolve to bring about an improvement in the health of their populations? Does the solution not lie in policies that enable such population to build better lives in their own countries?
The ranking of India, a developing country, in the Human Development Index, released each year as part of the annual Human Development Report, is a pathetic 134 out of 182 countries, the same as it was in 2006. People's lives, then, have not changed much during this period of high growth in the country. The report attempts to see migration of certain sections from the developing to the developed world as a positive thing. But that may not be the perception of governments or even people, especially in a context of economic hardship. It is no coincidence that jingoism, xenophobia and inclusiveness are accentuated in an economic crisis that takes away jobs.
In such a situation, large-scale migrations from developing countries to developed countries without legal commitments from the host and guest nations may not result in the kind of benefits presupposed throughout the report.
In the final analysis, what makes any NREGA social audit worth all the pain and effort is the awareness it creates among poor beneficiaries.
It is a measure of the hard labour that awaits NREGA activists in other States that a social audit conducted under blazing arc lights, and with so much official support, such as the one in Bhilwara in Rajasthan, could run into so many roadblocks. Virtually all of the Rajasthan government ( in September Rajasthan became the second government after Andhra Pradesh to set up a Directorate of Social Audit) was at the disposal of the Bhilwara audit team which also had the full backing of C.P. Joshi, Union Minister for Rural Development, elected to Parliament from Bhilwara.
Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghatan activists Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey said they chose Bhilwara for the audit exercise because they wanted to see if the Minister could face up to an NREGA audit in his constituency; after all, there was no knowing what the audit would reveal. Yet a question arises: Would Mr. Joshi have shown interest in the Bhilwara audit had he not been its MP? Secondly, what happens to NREGA work in States that lack men and women of the calibre and commitment of Ms Roy, Mr. Dey and other MKSS activists? Can a programme's success be made dependent on a few individuals? What happens when the government shows no interest which is the case in most States?
Mr. Dey argued that the MKSS social audit had visibly and strongly demonstrated the positive effects of civil society-government collaboration. The unity of purpose shown in Bhilwara by social auditors, government, media and the office of the Comptroller and Auditor-General was replicable in other States. Indeed, if Minister Joshi took the trouble to watch over the audit in his constituency, it only showed that there was huge political capital to be made from pushing NREGA.
Through the audit the Bhilwara team was inundated by calls from people impressed by its work in the district. And a day after the gargantuan exercise wound up, Congress MP from Alwar, Jitendra Singh, turned up in Bhilwara asking that the MKSS organise an NREGA audit in his constituency.
The Rajasthan experiment is itself based on the Andhra Pradesh government's success with conducting NREGA audits. The A.P. government did this off its own bat, at the urging of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, whereas in Rajasthan the push came from civil society. The A.P. government was the first to institutionalise social audit by means of a Social Audit Directorate. Since then the state government has gone a further step with a committed budget for social auditing and provisions to host audit results on its NREGA website.
At a meeting the Bhilwara audit team had with Rajasthan government officials and other experts, Sowmya Kidambi, an MKSS activist deputed to work with the A.P. government, strongly advocated bringing audit results into the public domain via computerisation, arguing that this had greatly increased transparency in Andhra Pradesh.
In the final analysis, what makes any NREGA social audit worth all the pain and effort is the awareness it creates among poor beneficiaries, who slowly but surely learn to hold the programme's managers to account. A quick survey by The Hindu in a cross section of Bhilwara's villages showed that the village people had fully internalised their rights and entitlements. But because of the patriarchal, dominating nature of the panchayat set-up, most of them lacked the courage to speak up. This situation would gradually change if accountability was built into the system.
Accountability could also impact social evils like untouchability, which the audit team found was widely prevalent in NREGA sites. In many panchayats, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe NREGA beneficiaries were given separate utensils and prevented from accessing common resources.
Yet the Bhilwara social audit also revealed that funds can easily get into the wrong hands. Indeed, even as the MKSS team deservedly takes credit for the massive Bhilwara social audit, it must know that it can hardly rest on its laurels. On the concluding day of the audit, a Rajasthan Minister suggested that while sarpanchs caught with their hands in the till must be made to refund the misappropriated funds, they ought not to be punished. This is exactly what the sarpanchs demanded at the various jan sunwais (public hearings). If this point were conceded, the social audit would lose its purpose, irreversibly damaging NREGA. Other dangers include threatened official amendments to a job programme hailed far and wide as progressive and empowering.
Even with all these ifs and buts, the Bhilwara exercise is worth emulating by other States. For as the audit and the responses to it showed, there is political dividend to be had from investing in NREGA. If politicians can use NREGA to win elections that will surely be the job guarantee programme's best guarantee for survival.
Which politician would not like that?
The Bhilwara social audit team repeatedly came up against resistance. Yet the coming together of civil society and government in Rajasthan augurs well for the future of NREGA.
For watchers of India's grassroots democracy, the place to be in recently was Bhilwara in Rajasthan; the town and the countryside were decked out in carnival colours for an audit exercise that saw thousands come together — social rights activists led by Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghatan's stalwart campaigners Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey, NGOs, State government officials and Ministers, and observers from the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India .
The project under the scanner was India's showpiece Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, and the purpose of the social audit was to assess how the programme worked, if it worked at all. Naturally, it was democracy, warts and all, in exhibition, with commitment and dedication battling entrenched vested interests at every step.
First, the positives. The most striking thing about the campaign was its unflagging spirit. For close to a fortnight starting October 1, bands of social audit activists, among them farmers, labourers and schoolteachers, ate, breathed, slept and walked — yes walked — NREGA. A total of 125 tolis (groups) set out on foot across 375 panchayats, poring over muster rolls, job cards, cash books, technical sanctions and other NREGA documents. They carried out spot inspections, gathered feedback from beneficiaries, and took complaints right down to where it mattered — to the local post office that blocked payment of wages and to the sarpanch who, villagers fearfully whispered, had siphoned off NREGA funds.
For those of us in the media who had descended on Bhilwara straight from the elitist environs of Delhi, there was something unreal about so many young men and women toiling hard without expectations of a reward. Yet how could anyone miss the commitment of a people who trudged from village to village in the hot afternoon sun, singing and shouting NREGA slogans? Sona chandi main nahi maanga; gadi, bangla, main nahi maanga; Limca, Shimca, Pepsi Cola, main nahi maanga; rozi roti, purna padhaiyee, photocopy; desh ka kharcha, kharcha ka hisab, main ne maanga (I don't want gold and silver; car and bungalow; nor do I want Limca and Pepsi Cola; But I do want food, full literacy, photocopies and an account of public spending).
But this was not all. The Rajasthan Minister for Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Bharat Singh sat through five hours of a jan sunwai (public hearing) on the social audit, and the final day saw the organisers debate the outcome of the audit in the presence of Union Minister for Rural Development C.P. Joshi. Mr. Joshi, of course, was brought by a personal reason to Bhilwara: It is his parliamentary constituency.
Prima facie it all seemed too good to be true. As a hack remarked, the selfless MKSS activists, the earnest Collector, a government that would go the extra mile to facilitate the audit, all recalled a 1970s feel-good Doordarshan documentary more than real-time India with its conflicts and confrontations.
Obviously, the Bhilwara project was not quite the glitchless, seamless mass movement it appeared to first-time observers. Behind the impressive grand finale was a history of struggle for accountability in public spending. The MKSS had met with resistance in all its previous social audits in Rajasthan. In 2008 in Jhalawar, MKSS audit members were brutally set upon by village officials. The Bhilwara audit was itself preceded by days of dharna by sarpanchs (village heads) who feared being held to account. And though they came around eventually, the truce turned out to be fragile. In a lot of places, the records had to be wrested from reluctant panchayat officials. There were also showdowns between the sarpanchs and the auditors at many of the jan sunwais held on the penultimate day. In Baran village, a young woman auditor who reported irregularities in NREGA work was heckled by sarpanchs who told her plainly that she was a busybody. In Taswaria, the village heads insisted on being spared punishment for wrongdoings, unmindful of the presence of Minister Bharat Singh.
The social auditors confronted irregularities almost everywhere, and these went well beyond the expected complaints around delayed and stalled payment of wages. Job cards, required by law to be in the beneficiaries' possession, were routinely withheld by the panchayat staff, resulting in NREGA workers not being able to claim what they earned. NREGA is premised on simple transparency, an example being the use of village walls to display work and payment details so that these become public knowledge. Yet the auditors repeatedly found fake muster rolls, bare walls and misplaced job cards. The material used in construction work was substandard and record books showed inflated figures against usage.
In the villages in Panchayat Samiti Hurda, the auditors were stonewalled by a vexing collusion between the panchayat staff and a powerful section of villagers for the use of JCB earthmovers for digging trenches. NREGA's cost components are just two, labour and material, with asset creation being the end product. Yet because the programme's primary objective is labour employment, machines, which would speed up asset creation, are excluded from it unless justified by impossibly difficult terrain. Even in such a situation, machines must be separately accounted for and not adjusted against material costs.
The sarpanch-villager collusion worked like this: The sarpanch and his acolytes would hire the JCB machine to cut down time and labour, yet fudge the record books to show full employment and extended periods of work, thus earning huge sums of money for no labour at all. Obviously, the conspiracy excluded the bulk of the workers in whose names the wages were drawn. When social auditors brought up this point at the Taswaria public hearing, they were shouted down by the sarpanchs and their supporters, all insisting that they were not up to doing tough NREGA labour. One villager challenged MKSS functionary Shanker Singh to do the labour himself.
Mr. Singh tried reasoning with the angry gathering. Using limericks and humour, he argued that the JCB was not an innocent machine but a precursor to big corporate giants eyeing the NREGA's vast funds. "Mind you, the minute corporates come in, NREGA goes out," Mr. Singh said, comparing the situation to the story of the mouse and the fat man. The man was unperturbed when the rat ran over his belly but in reality the rodent had shown the way to snakes and scorpions that would surely follow. As Mr. Singh explained to The Hindu, in Rajasthan alone, an estimated Rs. 9,500 crore will be spent on NREGA in 2009, making the programme lucrative for big corporates. If they came in, the NREGA would cease to be a wage employment programme.
The roadblocks that the Bhilwara social audit teams faced cannot however detract from the achievements of the exercise, which for the first time ever united two sections conventionally at loggerheads: civil society and government. And obviously the irregularities we witnessed in Bhilwara were nothing compared to the situation in other States where NREGA was struggling to get off the ground.
Reluctant as the Bhilwara sarpanchs were, they produced the account books in the end, enabling the audit teams to understand how the system worked and plan for future improvements.


Bill promises to make Kansas campuses welcome the left and the right – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!
No restricting free speech, no matter the perspective. A bill backed by Republican lawmakers intends to send that message to college campuses in Kansas.
The Campus Free Speech Protection Act would insist that universities make clear that all of their outdoor spaces, not just "free speech zones," embrace political outlooks and events regardless of how they fit with trends in academic thought.
Free speech zones set aside parts of campus for protests and are sometimes seen as a way of moving dissent out of view. They've been pointed to as a violation of the First Amendment, especially by conservatives arguing that higher education has become dismissive of their views. The zones often struggle to stand up to legal scrutiny and are quickly fading.
The bill would also stop universities from canceling speakers based on their views or security concerns related to potential protests they might draw.
Multiple states, including Tennessee and Colorado, have passed similar legislation. The proposed bill doesn't outline any punishments for universities that violate it and mostly spells out what is likely already covered by the First Amendment. But proponents feel the clarification is necessary, if redundant.
Senator Ty Masterson, who backs the bill, said that students receive valuable insight when ideas can clash openly on college campuses.
"It can even be gained from listening to somebody who is completely offensive," said Masterson during a hearing on the bill before the Kansas Legislature Committee on Federal and State Affairs.
"You gain the knowledge that this is an idiot and we do not want to go this direction," he said.
Masterson said he hasn't seen free speech restrictions at universities in Kansas, but that it's happening across the country.
Violent protests against a planned speech at the University of California Berkeley by Milo Yiannopoulos, an alt-right provocateur who used to write for Breitbart, caused his speech to be canceled. When he did eventually speak on campus months later, the university spent about $800,000 on security. A speech by conservative columnists and author Ann Coulter at Berkeley was also canceled due to expected protests.
Under the proposed Campus Free Speech Protection Act, universities couldn't use the threat of such protests as a reason to shut down even the most radical speakers.
Victoria Snitsar, a junior at the University of Kansas, told the committee that she sees the free speech of conservatives stifled on campus.
Megan Jones, who was involved in liberal demonstrations when she attended the University of Kansas, spoke against the bill. She argued that it's a universities job to evaluate and judge information, be it through peer-review or other processes. She said universities should be allowed to apply the same filter to speakers.
There was a heated back and forth between Jones and a few senators who said campuses must make room for all views. That led to a discussion about groups such as the Ku Klux Klan members should be heard. Sen. Bud Estes said that happened when he attended college.
Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, the first African-American woman to serve in the Kansas Senate, said she originally anticipated supporting this legislation. The KKK discussion gave her pause.


The concept Law - Land - State and Territory - Queensland represents the subject, aboutness, idea or notion of resources found in Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS).
Koowarta : constitutional landmark, transition point or missed opportunity?
Report on the operations of the Land Tribunal established under the Aboriginal Land Act 1991 for the year ended ..


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Match at pawn odds: Rybka vs GM Jaan Ehlvest
If one didn't know that "Rybka" is a computer program and not a human being, the obvious conclusion would be that Rybka fought with all her power until the match was won, but once there was no additional prize to win Rybka chose to go easy on her opponent, perhaps to lure him into a rematch or perhaps due to mental fatigue. However this would be attributing a degree of artificial intelligence to Rybka beyond anyone's imagination at this point. So we must seek alternate explanations.
The final score of 5.5 - 2.5 was better than my forecast (4.5-3.5) and better than the median of the polls (between 4.5 and 5.0 for Rybka). On the other hand it was worse than the results that I would have predicted strictly based on computer-computer games. I assumed that the human player would adapt to the unusual circumstances whereas a computer would not, but perhaps I overestimated the degree of adaptation.
But how is it possible that things could change so dramatically after the fifth game (I count the fourth as a success for Rybka, as Ehlvest felt he had lost all advantage after just a handful of moves and risked losing if he avoided repetition)? Ehlvest himself says that the problem was that he used too much time in the opening in the early rounds. Against human opponents it's not so terrible to have to average 10 seconds a move in the later stages, but against Rybka it was too difficult. This may be true, but I don't think it explains the dramatic difference between the two match parts.
I think the explanation is that Ehlvest is a very classical player, likes to castle kingside, occupy the center, and play for positional advantages. When White is missing a kingside pawn, he can hope to use the opened file to attack the king. In game 1 (h2 off), the open file discouraged Black from castling short, and since the opening made castling long a bit cumbersome, Black left his king in the center and got crushed. In game 2 (g2 off) Black conceded space and postponed castling too long, perhaps keeping both options open, but a trick cost Black castling and the game. In game 3 both castled short and Black was a clean pawn up, but White still managed to get a winning attack on the king using the open "f" file. In game 5 (d2 off) Black returned the pawn right away to get attacking chances, but that merely led to a tactically complex game that favored the computer. In game 6(c2 off) Black played a classical defense (Slav) and after both sides castled short exploited his extra pawn in exemplary fashion. In game 7(b2 off) White chose a double fianchetto (generally not advisable) while Black played a classical Tarkakower setup, and soon Black had a big space advantage plus the pawn, and was apparently winning at a rather late stage of the endgame before going astray in time pressure and allowing a draw. The final (a2 off) game was basically quite nice for White, and Black only drew by heading to a pawn down but drawn rook endgame.
Conclusions: The human player should play classically, occupy the center and castle on the side where the computer is not missing a pawn (or kingside if it's a center pawn). It took Ehlvest a few games to figure this out. When the missing pawn is on the kingside, it's confusing for the human player, because there are very few normal openings in which Black castles queenside.
The computer should avoid double fianchetto, and should make more use of pawns in the opening rather than just bringing pieces to good squares. For example, Ehlvest felt that with b2 off, White should play Bb2 and f4 to start, rather than just Bb2 and Nf3. Rybka needs to learn "shape", for example that knight or bishop directly behind a pawn is desirable. The opening play when out of book can be improved quite a bit, I feel.
As for the handicaps, clearly the two edge pawn handicaps are pretty small, especially with the program playing White. This is due both to the immediate activity of the rook on the half-open file and to the natural inferiority of edge pawns, which can capture only one way. Probably they are just mildly bigger advantages than simply playing White in normal chess.
The other six are not so different in magnitude. My computer-computer testing showed only a small variation in the size of these handicaps, except for "f2" being noticeably bigger than the others. The match suggests that for a human opponent, the kingside pawns are smaller handicaps, only because they require "strange" openings where Black should castle queenside. Ehlvest emphasized (after the match) the importance of the center in these games, and so felt that the knight's pawns should be smaller handicaps than the bishop's and center pawns as these pawns attack central squares. Based on all of this, it is entirely possible that it is not just a fluke that Ehlvest's win was with the "c" pawn handicap. Kingside pawns make for strange openings, center pawns give White immediate bishop and queen activity, and the "b" pawn can't help the center, so that leaves -- the "c" pawn!
Actually I have always felt that the "c" pawn makes for the "cleanest" handicap -- play most like normal chess. If I'm right, then it's no surprise that Ehlvest won that game. To be fair, I should point out that the program "Fruit" did win a game with the c2 handicap from the late GM Alex Wojtkiewicz, though it was at a considerably faster time limit (25'+10").
For the future, we can consider keeping the present format, but making the challenge more difficult for Rybka by increasing the increment, so that time management will be less important. Probably if the time limit had been 45'+30", the match would have been very close. Or if a shorter match is needed, perhaps just c,d,e,and f pawns would be chosen, although this would clearly be a larger handicap, perhaps more suited for a slightly lower rated GM. My personal goal is to see the day when Rybka can give the traditional "pawn and move" (Rybka plays black and removes f7) to a top GM in standard time control chess successfully, but we are a long way from that now as that handicap gives White an initiative, space, and better center after 1e4 due to tactical considerations. Even now this handicap is probably suitable for a marginal Grandmaster (2500 FIDE) at a rapid time control like 25'+10".
Larry Kaufman


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Penstemon barbatus är en grobladsväxtart som först beskrevs av Antonio José Cavanilles, och fick sitt nu gällande namn av Albrecht Wilhelm Roth. Penstemon barbatus ingår i släktet penstemoner, och familjen grobladsväxter.

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


We're just home from a blissful stretch of time in the woods, deep in DownEast Maine. It's my family's home away from home, where we go every year, where I've gone every year since I was a child too. It's a place that means such a great deal to me - to all of us now. Always a marker of time, this place and our presence there. To Adelaide this week, I recounted how I once spent a month there as a twelve year old, when there was no cabin but we simply tented for the stretch of time, seeing no one, and yet, I put on jewelry and makeup each morning because that's what mattered to my twelve year old self (she did no such silly thing as this, I should mention). And I told Calvin, for likely the millionth time about how one time, when we were still building the cabin that we sleep in today, he (one year old) and I spent a night in a tent by the lake while wild thunderstorms raged overhead, him sleeping soundly through the night while I was terrified, but breastfed him constantly to keep him asleep amidst the inch of rain that accumulated as the night wore one (though of course, with time, the story becomes that it was a hurricane, and six inches of rain).
It's the place where my kids have learned how to swim. Of course there have been swimming lessons, and we live near the water so it's not infrequent for us to find ourselves near a body of water at the end of the day....but there is nothing like spending all day long at your lake, making gigantic strides in progress. This week, I watched Harper perfect his breaststroke (and stop splashing so much), and Ani ditch her floaties for underwater swimming. A whole summer of swimming, and then a week here, and voila! It's amazing to watch.
This year, like every other, the changes in our family were ever so present as we stepped foot into this timeless and constant place of ours that seems to serve as a mirror of what we've got going on. This week, we were down a child (Ezra is at summer camp), and up another young adult (Calvin's girlfriend joined us). Bittersweet, all of that. There was less campfire singing without Ez. And there was more telling of camp stories with Calvin and his sweetheart, a new era of camp life being shared, new stories made. And it was a funky week in other ways too - I started the week out with a sting and subsequent infection that landed me in Urgent Care for a quick dose of way more medication than I wanted to be on vacation with (prednisone, my sometimes savior but also curse, is such a bloating, yucky thing...I struggle to look at that photo above and be kind to myself, but I share it because I love those people so much). And the whole trip ended with car trouble (oh, teenagers) that meant we left a car deep in the woods in a state of repair, to be retrieved at some later date, and we all left camp a day early as a result. Oh! Life! Growing families! Change!
As a result, we find ourselves home a little earlier than expected. Disappointed, a little bit. But also full of a whole lot. Full of the goodness of our time together, of the connect we felt there when disconnected from everything else, and of the commitment and promise we make to one another to be certain, absolutely certain, that despite changing family times and growing up, we make the time - and then even more time - for the connections that matter most of all. The woods. The water. Each other. This is what matters most of all.


Most of the refined control techniques of contemporary cars require measurements of the vehicle's angle. Type in where you want to go and your gadget plots a route, calculates the travel distance and estimated time of arrival, and displays the route on a map. The R-Car H1 automotive SoC is supplied with a excessive-efficiency quad-core CPU for faster booting, quicker searching, and smoother operation like that of smartphones.
Clients whose automobiles did not ship with GPS can therefore purchase and retrofit the unique manufacturing unit-supplied GPS unit. Technology-smart, the system was very superior for the time and, naturally, fairly expensive. In this occasion, it is best to err on the safe facet and keep away from utilizing your smartphone as a GPS in Queensland.
Integrated programs are normally related to the car's electronics, and may overcome a number of the limitations of moveable items. If you wish to replace the maps, you sometimes have to purchase a DVD or reminiscence card. This service gives real-time, detailed visitors info enabling such amenities as detour routes to keep away from visitors jams in addition to the flexibility to search for probably the most snug route, helping in a secure and cozy driving expertise.
Virtually something with a sensor can make the most of GPS data reminiscent of date, time, exact frequency, altitude, heading, velocity partly as a result of it is rather accurate and impartial of any other system. The automotive navigation system displays the automobile's orientation on its screen based mostly on the signal from this course sensor (gyro-sensor).
Not Absolutely Integrated: Although the system sits in the sprint and is thereby extra built-in than a portable unit, it should never look exactly as if it have been part of the car's original design. In an effort to fully test systems with integrated GPS, they have to be tested under real-world conditions.


text:
Archaeologists identify oldest spear points
Stone-tipped weapons dated at 500,000 years ago
image: This is a ~500,000-year-old point from Kathu Pan 1. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that points from Kathu Pan 1 were used as hafted spear tips. Scale bar = 1 cm. view more
Credit: Jayne Wilkins
A collaborative study involving researchers at Arizona State University, the University of Toronto, and the University of Cape Town found that human ancestors were making stone-tipped weapons 500,000 years ago at the South African archaeological site of Kathu Pan 1 – 200,000 years earlier than previously thought. This study, "Evidence for Early Hafted Hunting Technology," is published in the November 16 issue of the journal Science.
Attaching stone points to spears (known as "hafting") was an important advance in hunting weaponry for early humans. Hafted tools require more effort and foreplanning to manufacture, but a sharp stone point on the end of a spear can increase its killing power.
"There is a reason that modern bow-hunters tip their arrows with razor-sharp edges. These cutting tips are extremely lethal when compared to the effects from a sharpened stick. Early humans learned this fact earlier than previously thought," said Benjamin Schoville, a coauthor of this study affiliated with the Institute of Human Origins, a research center of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University.
Hafted spear tips are common in Stone Age archaeological sites after 300,000 years ago. This study shows that hafted spear tips were also used in the early Middle Pleistocene, a period associated with Homo heidelbergensis, the last common ancestor of Neandertals and modern humans.
"Rather than being invented twice, or by one group learning from the other, stone-tipped spear technology was in place much earlier," said Schoville. "Although both Neandertals and humans used stone-tipped spears, this is the first evidence that this technology originated prior to or near the divergence of these two species."
"It now looks like some of the traits that we associate with modern humans and our nearest relatives can be traced further back in our lineage," said Jayne Wilkins, lead author from the University of Toronto. "This changes the way we think about early human adaptations and capacities before the origin of our own species."
Point function was determined by comparing wear on the ancient points to damage inflicted on modern experimental points used to spear a springbok carcass target with a calibrated crossbow. This method has been used effectively to study weaponry from more recent contexts in the Middle East and southern Africa.
"When points are used as spear tips, there is a lot of damage that forms at the tip of the point, and large distinctive fractures form. The damage on these ancient stone spear points is remarkably similar to those produced with our calibrated crossbow experiment, and we demonstrate they are not easily created from other processes," said coauthor Kyle Brown, a skilled stone tool replicator from the University of Cape Town.
The points were recovered during 1979 excavations by Peter Beaumont of the McGregor Museum, Kimberly, South Africa.
In 2010, a team directed by coauthor Michael Chazan from the University of Toronto reported that the point-bearing deposits at KP1 dated to around 500,000 years ago using optically stimulated luminescence and U-series/electron spin resonance methods. The dating analyses were carried out by Naomi Porat, Geological Survey of Israel, and Rainer Grün, Australian National University.
Funding for this research was provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the National Science Foundation, and the Hyde Family Foundation, and with important logistical support from the South African Heritage Resources Agency and the McGregor Museum.
Benjamin Schoville
Institute of Human Origins
Benjamin.Schoville@asu.edu
Jayne Wilkins
jayne.wilkins@utoronto.ca
Julie Russ
jruss@asu.edu
, , Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada
/Social sciences/Anthropology/Archeology/Archeological sites
/Social sciences/Anthropology/Anthropogenesis/Human origins
/Scientific community/Education/Education technology
Additional Multimedia
Hafted Points
Mounted Crossbow


text:
Mar 9, 2015	by	Rommel Conclara	-
Bay Area Filipinas call for Aquino's ouster on Intl Women's Day
OAKLAND, Calif. – In the streets of Oakland, the cry for an end to violence against women took on another meaning for members of GABRIELA USA.
They're demanding for the resignation of President Benigno Aquino III for allegedly neglecting the cries of justice from Filipino women.
"When we think of self determination, its eradicating oppressive government which why we are calling for the ouster of Noynoy Aquino," said Pia Cortez, GABRIELA SF Co-Chairperson.
They say the Aquino government's agreements with the U.S. military, and the continued presence of American troops in the Philippines, has endangered the lives of women, which was the case with the Jennifer Laude murder.
"We know that when these wars of aggression happen, women and children become collateral damage," said Cortez.
Here in the Bay Area, these activists stand in solidarity with other minorities against the continuation of gentrification as families are being pushed out of their communities to make way for developers to open housing for the wealthy elite.
GABRIELA USA says that they will continue to work with their allies as they prepare for more demonstrations regarding working women's rights on International Worker's Day on May 1st.
You can contact Rommel Conclara at rommel_conclara@abs-cbn.com for more information.
headlinesinternational womens dayiwd2015lake merritPinaysWantNowtop storieswomensday
Pacquiao ends Week 1 with play, church
by Steve Angeles	- Mar 9, 2015
Why protecting the rights of Filipinas must extend beyond borders
2 Comments on this post.
9 March 2015	at 5:51 pm	- Reply
When the Japanese Imperial Army troops landed in the Philippines sometime between 1941-1942, they killed several thousands of Filipinos. It did not matter if you are a new born male or female, middle age male or female, old aged male or female, etc. Let's just say were a bunch of one-sided self-righteous and inconsiderate person for awhile that we do not know what "GRATITUDE" means, where was the so-called radical Gabriela-USA during those years?
What about when the Spaniards colonized the Philippines, there were some many Filipinos who needlessly died. You name it, man, women, children, etc. died by the thousands for centuries worth of occupation. So, where is the so-called Gabriela-Philippines-USA during those times?
The United States came to our rescue and they lost thousand of lives…how is it that there is no single selfish-one sided group protesting on behalf of the thousands of man, women, transgenders, gay or lesbian who lost their lives during those times?
Kenikeni
10 March 2015	at 1:32 pm	- Reply
Gabriela USA should be ban here in the USA.
SF Bay Area leaders call for unity as Biden i ...
Nursing facility COVID-19 outbreak sparks com ...


text:
Q: Unicode decode error with .csv file I have what is probably a really basic Python question.
I'm trying to write a script that eliminates a bunch of blank rows in some .csv files, and the script I've written works on about 90% of my files, but a few throw the following error at me:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/stephensmith/Documents/Permits/deleterows.py", line 17, in <module>
    deleteRow(file, "output/" + file)
  File "/Users/stephensmith/Documents/Permits/deleterows.py", line 8, in deleteRow
    for row in csv.reader(input):
  File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.4/lib/python3.4/codecs.py", line 319, in decode
    (result, consumed) = self._buffer_decode(data, self.errors, final)
  File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.4/lib/python3.4/encodings/utf_8_sig.py", line 69, in _buffer_decode
    return codecs.utf_8_decode(input, errors, final)
UnicodeDecodeError: 'utf-8' codec can't decode byte 0xa2 in position 6540: invalid start byte

Here's my code:
import csv
import os

def deleteRow(in_fnam, out_fnam):
    input = open(in_fnam, 'r')
    output = open(out_fnam, 'w')
    writer = csv.writer(output)
    for row in csv.reader(input):
        if any(row):
            writer.writerow(row)
    input.close()
    output.close()

for file in os.listdir("/Users/stephensmith/Documents/Permits/"):
    print(file)
    if file.endswith(".csv"):
        deleteRow(file, "output/" + file)

I've tried adding encoding='utf-8', ='ascii', and ='latin1' to both of my open() statements, but no luck. :-( Any idea what I'm doing wrong? The .csv files were created with Excel for Mac 2011, if that helps at all.

A: Perhaps you could try looping through the csv files that are crashing with something like:
with open(file) as f:
    for line in f:
        print repr(line)

to see if any suspicious characters are popping up.
If you were able to identify the suspicious characters this way, say \0Xý1 pops up, you could clean the file by rewriting and replacing that character:
with open(file) as f:
    with open(file.rstrip(".csv") + "_fixed.csv") as g:
        for line in f:
            g.write(line.replace('\0Xý1', ''))

then try again with the cleaned file.

A: It is an encoding issue. The input csv file is not utf-8 encoded as your Python platform would expect. The problem is that without knowing its encoding, nor having an example of an offending line, I really cannot guess the encoding.
It is normal that encoding='utf8' and encoding='ascii' both breaked because the offending character is 0xa2 which is not in the ascii range (<= 0x7f) not a valid utf-8 character. But it is really weird that encoding='latin1' gives same error at same place because 0xa2 is ¢ in latin1.
IMHO, per this other SO post, you could try encoding='windows-1252', if it is supported by your platform.
If it still does not work, you should try to identify offending lines for latin1 :
class special_opener:
    def __init__(self, filename, encoding):
        self.fd = open(filename, 'rb')
        self.encoding = encoding
    def __enter__(self):
        return self
    def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc_value, traceback):
        return False
    def __next__(self):
        line = next(self.fd)
        try:
            return line.decode(self.encoding).strip('\r\n') + '\n'
        except Exception as e:
            print("Offending line : ", line, file = sys.stderr)
            raise e
    def __iter__(self):
        return self

def deleteRow(in_fnam, out_fnam):
    input = special_opener(in_fnam, 'latin1')
    output = open(out_fnam, 'w')
    writer = csv.writer(output)
    for row in csv.reader(input):
        if any(row):
            writer.writerow(row)
    input.close()
    output.close()

The special_opener should output something like :
Offending line :  b'a,\xe9,\xe8,d\r\n'
Traceback (most recent call last):
    ...

(this line is valid latin1, I got it with special_opener(file, 'utf8'))
Then you will be able to post the offending line here

A: I had a similar issue. In my case, the csv wasn't as large and opening it in LibreOffice Calc and saving it back fixed it.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Preenchimento de input com o dia da semana de acordo com a data no input anterior Criei dois inputs. O primeiro atribuí a data já pré-preenchida desta forma:
Data Reserva
<input type="date" id="Data" name="Data" value="<?php echo date("Y-m-d");?>"/>

Pretendia que o segundo input preenchesse o dia da semana de acordo com a data que seleccionei no input anterior:
Dia da Semana/Utilização
<input type="text" id="Dia" name="Dia" style="width:220px"/>

A: Pode utilizar um evento change no input da data e inserir o dia da semana no outro input sempre que você alterá-lo.
Mas você deverá utilizar o objeto Date() para extrair o dia da semana da data no input. No caso eu fiz um split na data, que está no formato aaaa-mm-dd, para construir o objeto Date(ano, mês, dia), e com .getDay() se obtém o valor numérico referente ao dia da semana, que é puxado o nome segundo a posição na array:
$(function(){

   $("#Data").on("change", function(){

      var d = this.value.split("-");
      var data = new Date(d[0], d[1]-1, d[2]).getDay();
      var dia_semana = ['DOM', 'SEG', 'TER', 'QUA', 'QUI', 'SEX', 'SÁB'][data];
      $("#Dia").val(dia_semana);

   }).change();

});

Exemplo de funcionamento:

$(function(){

   $("#Data").on("change", function(){

      var d = this.value.split("-");
      var data = new Date(d[0], d[1]-1, d[2]).getDay();
      var dia_semana = ['DOM', 'SEG', 'TER', 'QUA', 'QUI', 'SEX', 'SÁB'][data];
      $("#Dia").val(dia_semana);

   }).change();

});

Data Reserva
<input type="date" id="Data" name="Data" value="2019-04-23"/>

Dia da Semana/Utilização
<input type="text" id="Dia" name="Dia" style="width:220px"/>


text:
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text:
See you later! The final Humanosphere podcast – for now
A reader responds: Why Humanosphere's hibernation matters
Activists and experts ridicule OECD's tax havens 'blacklist' as a farce
Nikki Haley claims credit for already planned cuts to U.N. peacekeeping budget
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News on the Humanosphere: U.S. refugee and travel ban goes into effect
World Bank launches insurance scheme to fund pandemic responses
Cashless economy not happening in India yet but the groundwork is laid
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How satellites are helping pastoralists find greener pastures in Ethiopia
By Tom Murphy on	 28 April 2016 0
(©EU/ECHO/Anouk Delafortrie)
El Niño combined with climate change has caused major problems for millions of people. Residents of eastern and southern Africa have been particularly hit hard. As many as 36 million people across the two regions are facing hunger. A new warning by a group of 23 NGOs in Somalia says the country may slip back into the deadly famine of 2010. In Ethiopia, more than 10 million people are in need of critical food aid, according to the World Food Program.
As the problem persists and warnings emerge every few weeks, one simple technology is aiding Ethiopia's pastoralists – maps. A program is being tested that provides satellite maps of land traditionally grazed by cattle owned by pastoralist groups. They help communities identify where to go and potentially reduce cattle loss and improve food security.
"Food aid is important and necessary, but it is not going to bring back their livestock or improve their livelihoods," said Chris Bessenecker, vice president of strategic initiatives at Project Concern International, in an interview with Humanosphere. "Passing out a paper map is less expensive than handing out bags and bags of food, and potentially more cost-effective."
Grazing conditions map for Hadele ela, Ethiopia.
Traditionally pastoralists will send out scouts to see if the land is suitable for grazing. Decisions are based on what worked in prior years and information spread by word of mouth. Those scouts will return home or call to share the status of their location. That collected information is then used to either send the scouts to new locations or determine where to graze. It is a slower process that can cost valuable time when food is scarce for livestock and some grazing areas are as big as 21,000 square kilometers.
The satellite-assisted pastoral resource management program run by Project Concern provides pastoralists with maps that show which areas are better than others. Community leaders consult the maps and then dispatch scouts to the areas for confirmation. It saves time and helps leaders make better decisions.
Most of all, it is having a positive impact. In a one-year pilot of the program more than 70 percent of households participated, and used the map data to make decisions and herd deaths fell by half, compared to pastoralists not participating. With funding from Google and USAID's Development Innovation Ventures, the satellite program will reach more than 1 million people in Ethiopia and Tanzania. It may soon expand to Burkina Faso and Mali.
Pastoralist in Afar, Ethiopia. (©FAO/AU/Yohannes Zirotti)
Ethiopia and Tanzania were chosen because of the differences between the countries. Project Concern is trying to understand whether the program could have the same impact as it did in the pilot in different countries. And with the drought hitting the region, the new evaluation will test whether the maps can help mitigate any negative impacts.
"We have a pretty strong sense that under normal conditions these maps have a significant impact. We are very interested in understanding if the map has value in the context of drought where people may not have any place to go to pasture," said Bessenecker.
Maps are being made available for smartphones for people who happen to have them. But for the majority of pastoralists, that is not the case. It is a nice tool, but not really the point if the average person cannot use it. So map print-outs remain the technology of choice.
Ethiopia is saddled with the worst drought in about 50 years. The region near Somalia is particularly vulnerable with reports that livestock fatality rates of up to 90 percent. El Niño-caused drought has left 41 million people struggling to meet their food needs around the world. For pastoralists in Ethiopia, maps may help them beat hunger and keep their livestock.
"This is not going to eliminate the need for food aid, but if you can mitigate that you can have a real impact," said Bessenecker.
(Project Concern International)
animals climate change drought east Africa El Nino Ethiopia food food crisis hunger livestock pastoralist Project Concern International southern africa
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Tom Murphy is a New Hampshire-based reporter for Humanosphere. Before joining Humanosphere, Tom founded and edited the aid blog A View From the Cave. His work has appeared in Foreign Policy, the Huffington Post, the Guardian, GlobalPost and Christian Science Monitor. He tweets at @viewfromthecave. Contact him at tmurphy[at]humanosphere.org.
By Lisa Nikolau 30 June 2017
By Reuters 28 June 2017
Protecting animals in disasters helps protect lifelines for rural families
By Tom Murphy 26 June 2017
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Dambisa Moyo counter-attacks Bill Gates' critique of her work as 'evil' by Tom Murphy
10 global health issues to watch in 2015 by Margarite Nathe
What we mean when we talk about terrorism: A chat with Rebecca Wolfe of Mercy Corps
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A conversation with Laurie Garrett about the road ahead for the WHO
Getting to zero: Rotary's stubborn campaign to rid the world of polio
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text:
Thrivent expands disaster program to more states
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is expanding a national disaster-response funding program it announced in May to include "any state in which … four major Lutheran disaster response organizations [including LCMS World Relief and Human Care (WR-HC)] are providing support."
Click here for a May 12 Reporter Online story about the original offer, which committed up to $250,000 from Thrivent for tornado disaster response for those affected by the April 27 tornado outbreak that tore through four southern states.
"Due to the widespread tornado, storm and flood damage this spring," Thrivent has expanded the offer to apply to any state in which the four organizations provide support, according to a June 8 news release.
Also, the deadline for this program has been extended to Aug. 1.
Essentially, for every $2 raised by chapter service teams (individuals from at least six separate Thrivent Financial member families), Thrivent will provide an additional $1, up to its total $250,000 commitment.
Funds generated via this program will be distributed through the four relief organizations.
Besides WR-HC, those organizations are Lutheran Disaster Response, ELCA Disaster Response and WELS Christian Aid and Relief.
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On January 5, 2015, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS") implemented new rules for Modifier 59 to define subsets of the modifier and specification for their usage. Specifically, as of this date, Modifier 59 should not be used when a more descriptive modifier is available. The more-descriptive modifiers are the new modifiers XE, XS, XP and XU, which are described below.
XE should be used for separate encounters on the same date of service.
• For example: One surgery procedure at 6 a.m. and another at 6 p.m.
XP should be used for separate practitioners, same date of service (may or may not be the same encounter and may or may not be different specialties, but both practitioners fall under the same TIN).
• For example: Patient is under treatment for breast cancer. During her appointment, she is seen by two physicians in the practice – the Medical Oncologist and the Radiation Oncologist.
XS should be used for a separate structure or organ, or separate anatomical site during the same encounter.
• For example, an injection into tendon sheath (elbow) and injection into the tendon sheath (knee).
XU should be used for the same encounter, same practitioner and same anatomical site, structure or organ.
• For example, a diagnostic procedure is performed. Based on the findings, a therapeutic and/or surgical procedure is required on the same day (i.e., diagnostic cardiac catheterization is followed by a medically necessary cardiac procedure).
Please note the 59 modifier should not be used in conjunction with one of the new "X" modifiers. In addition, documentation must support the use of these modifiers and medical records may be requested by the payer to validate their use.
Precision Practice Management is happy to assist you with your coding and documentation needs. Please don't hesitate to contact us.


01. What is Ableton Live?
88. BPM in Scenes, etc.
89. Time Signatures in Scenes etc.
189. What Features Should DJs be Aware of?
192. Impulse or Drum Rack?
Ableton Live 7 has been making waves in the underground music scene, and these days it's more common to see performers on stage playing sets with Ableton Live than it is to see DJs spinning on turntables. With it's amazing real-time audio editing abilities, Ableton Live 7 is the best live performance tool on the market today ... but that doesn't mean it's easy to use!
If you're moving to Ableton Live 7 from a more traditional audio DAW like Logic Studio or Pro Tools, you'll find the workflow completely different than what you're used to. But once you know a few tips & tricks, you'll begin thinking like Ableton Live does, and the results will be better music - every time!
In 208 separate videos, technical author, laptop music guru and consummate Live performer Martin Delaney shows you the quick-way into Ableton Live 7. Using moving pictures and sound, this video tutorial program let's you see and hear how Live 7 works!
This is a comprehensive tutorial, but you don't need to watch it from beginning to end. Use the detailed menus and keyword search system to quickly find topics that interest you - that's the essence of Nonlinear Educating!
For a detailed list of the topics contained in this tutorial, check out the Table of Contents.
Time Signatures in Scenes etc.
What Features Should DJs be Aware of?
Section 37: You want more content?
The more I go back to Martin Delaney's tut to refresh & deepen my Live knowledge the more I appreciate it, he's not a great orator but a truly great Ableton expert even though it's about version 7 that I bought a while ago. It would be great if he laid down his know how with version 8, specially with setting up & playing with different midi controllers. He doesn't seem to have any serious rivals in that category that I've seen so far. Live is such an amazingly layered & flexible musical tool, it takes time to explore all the possibilities & I certainly wouldn't want to settle for one formula with it.
I'm fascinated by Ableton Live & M. Delaney is a great expert but his teaching style might be too layed back for me, in his tone of voice there was not enough pointers to specifics , he slides though lessons evenly as if reading an instruction manual. He knows this app so well I'm sure he could teach Ableton in his sleep.
Good starting point for anyone interested in using Ableton. I look forward to some more in depth classes in the near future.
this tutorial really helped me to understand ableton. i learned very fast. i´m looking forward to see more ableton tutorials!
Like many others who have this product, I have the previous tutorial that Martin Delaney did. I have to say that I do tend to agree with another reviewer who commented on the rather discordant and tuneless content featured in these videos. However, I must also say that Martin has a comprehensive knowledge of Live and I really learnt a lot and that's what counts. Martin's style is very laid back and quintessentially English - it just takes a little getting used to. I am also from the UK so I get it! I guess one of the great things about owning these tutorials (and I have many, many MPV titles!) is that you can come back to them time and time again and refresh your memory. So, overall, if you have Live 7, buy this tutorial- it will definitely help you. Now..............for Live 8!!!
I was originally afraid to get this tutorial because I thought it was going to be identical to the ableton live 6, but it was not, it was better. You people at macprovideo really know how to take care of your customers and the discounts you offer are a wonderful incentive to a wonderful product!! Thanks again Martin Delaney, BIG UP!!!


text:
Zero tolerance for female genital mutilation
The European Union is committed to working collectively to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM) as part of broader efforts to combat all forms of violence against women and girls, and to support the efforts of its Member States in this field. The European Commission has undertaken to assess EU efforts to combat FGM every year, on or around the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation on 6 February. This publication is a further update of an 'at a glance' note originally published in January 2015, PE 548.971.
Gender Issues, Equality and Diversity
Rosamund SHREEVES
right to physical integrity
competence of the Member States
right of asylum
sexual mutilation


It's a Mom Thing Reviews & More!: Little Scholar Tablet Giveaway!
School Zone Publishing is offering one reader the chance to win a Little Scholar Tablet. Winner will be randomly selected and will have 48hrs to respond to the winning email. Failure to do so will mean forfeiting your prize and a new winner will be chosen. Prize will be fulfilled and delivered by School Zone Publishing. Goodluck!


This year's version of Walk to School Day was met with cooler temperatures on Wednesday morning, but it did not stop several elementary students from making the trip.
Students from Fogarty Elementary met at the First Christian Church, Guthrie Upper Elementary School took off from the Armory Central Elementary students made the trip from the Logan County Sheriff's Office and St. Mary's from Highland Park.
Parents, teachers, community leaders and officers with the Guthrie Police Department joining the students for the walk.


Meet people like Oldair Trindade on MeetMe!
Join Oldair Trindade and millions of other people chatting on MeetMe! Use MeetMe to make friends and meet new people! It's fun, friendly and FREE!
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I pray that the recent Heller decision is a sign that the pendulum is starting to swing back to the right a bit.
It will be a short lived victory if Obama gets re-elected.He will have a chance at appointing 2-3 left wing US Supreme Court Justices,swing the court to the left for decades.
I live in Florida. People are nervous. The thinking is Mr. Zimmerman will be found innocent, and then - who knows? Second degree murder is a ridiculous charge. No eye witnesses, and one guy can't tell his side of the story. How can they prove second degree murder beyond a reasonable doubt? People here are talking to their friends and neighbors about what they will do if things get bad.


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Home2020 - 21
ECO - 07: ELEMENTS OF STATISTICS | IGNOU SOLVED ASSIGNMENT 2020 - 21 | B.COM | FREE SOLVED ASSIGNMENT
byKumar Nirmal Prasad - October 24, 2020 0
IGNOU FREE SOLVED ASSIGNMENTS (2020-21)
ECO-07: ELEMENTS OF STATISTICS
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
Maidan Garhi, New Delhi -110068
Elective Course in Commerce
ECO – 07: ELEMENTS OF STATISTICS
ASSIGNMENT- 2020-21
Dear Students,
As explained in the Programme Guide, you have to do one Tutor Marked Assignment in this Course.
Assignment is given 30% weightage in the final assessment. To be eligible to appear in the Term-end examination, it is compulsory for you to submit the assignment as per the schedule. Before attempting the assignments, you should carefully read the instructions given in the Programme Guide.
This assignment is valid for two admission cycles (July 2020 and January 2021). The validity is given below:
Those who are enrolled in July 2020, it is valid up to June 2021.
Those who are enrolled in January 2021, it is valid up to December 202.
You have to submit the assignment of all the courses to The Coordinator of your Study Centre. For appearing in June Term-End Examination, you must submit assignment to the Coordinator of your study centre latest by 15th March. Similarly for appearing in December Term-End Examination, you must submit assignments to the Coordinator of your study centre latest by 15th September.
TUTOR MARKED ASSIGNMENT
Course Code: ECO - 07
Course Title: ELEMENTS OF STATISTICS
Assignment Code: ECO - 07 - 11/TMA/2020-21
Coverage: All Blocks
Maximum Marks: 100
Attempt all the questions
Q.1. Compare between mean, median and mode to point out their merits and limitations. (20)
Ans: Central Tendency: One of the most important objectives of statistical analysis is to get one single value that describes the characteristic of the entire mass of unwieldy data. Such a value is called the central value or an 'average' or the expected value of the variable. The word average is very commonly used in day-to-day conversation. For example, we often talk of average boy in a class, average height or life of an Indian, average income, etc. When we say 'he is an average student' what it means is that he is neither vary good nor very bad, just a mediocre type of student. There are mainly three types of Central Tendency:
Mean or Arithmetic Mean
Arithmetic Mean: It is a value obtained by adding together all the items and by dividing the total by the number of items. It is also called average. It is the most popular and widely used measure for representing the entire data by one value. Arithmetic mean may be either Simple arithmetic mean, or Weighted arithmetic mean.
Merits of A.M.:
It is simple to understand and easy to calculate.
It is affected by the value of every item in the series.
It is rigidly defined.
It is capable of further algebraic treatment.
It is calculated value and not based on the position in the series.
Demerits of A.M.:
It is affected by extreme items i.e., very small and very large items.
It can hardly be located by inspection.
In some cases A.M. does not represent the actual item. For example, average patients admitted in a hospital is 10.7 per day.
A.M. is not suitable in extremely asymmetrical distributions.
Median: Median may be defined as the size (actual or estimated) to that item which falls in the middle of a series arranged either in the ascending order or the descending order of their magnitude. It lies in the centre of a series and divides the series into two equal parts. Median is also known as an average of position.
Merits of Median:
It is simple to understand and easy to calculate, particularly is individual and discrete series.
It is not affected by the extreme items in the series.
It can be determined graphically.
For open-ended classes, median can be calculated.
It can be located by inspection, after arranging the data in order of magnitude.
Demerits of Median:
It does not consider all variables because it is a positional average.
The value of median is affected more by sampling fluctuations
It is not capable of further algebraic treatment. Like mean, combined median cannot be calculated.
It cannot be computed precisely when it lies between two items.
Mode: Mode is that value a dataset, which is repeated most often in the database. In other words, mode is the value, which is predominant in the series or is at the position of greatest density. Mode may or may not exist in a series, or if it exists, it may not be unique, or its position may be somewhat uncertain.
Merits of Mode:
Mode is the most representative value of distribution, it is useful to calculate model wage.
For open-ended classes, Mode can be calculated.
It can be located by inspection.
Demerits of Mode:
It is not based on all observations.
Mode cannot be calculated when frequency distribution is ill-defined
It is not capable of further algebraic treatment. Like mean, combined mode cannot be calculated.
It is not rigidly defined measure because several formulae to calculate mode is used.
Q.2. Differentiate between dispersion and skewness. If Karl Persons's coefficient of skewness (SKp) = 0.06; mean = 150; variance of distribution= 2500 Find: median; mode & coefficient of variation. (20)
Ans: Difference between Dispersion and Skewness
Measures of Dispersion: The various measures of central value discussed in the previous chapter give us one single figure that represents the entire data. But the averages alone cannot adequately describe a set of observations, unless all the observations are the same. It is necessary to describe the variability or dispersion of the observations. In two or more distributions the central value may be the same but still there can be wide disparities in formation of the distribution. Measures of dispersion help us in studying this important characteristic of a distribution.
Skewness: The term 'SKEWNESS' refers to lack of symmetry, i.e., when a distribution is not symmetrical (or is asymmetrical) it is called a skewed distribution. Any measure of skewness indicates the difference between the manner in which items are distributed in a particular distribution compared with a symmetrical (or normal) distribution. If, for example, skewness is positive, the frequencies in the distribution are spread out over a greater range of values on the high-value end of the curve (the right-hand side) than they are on the low value end. If the curve is normal spread will be the same on both sides of the centre point and the mean, median and mode will all have the same value. The concept of skewness gains importance from the fact that statistical theory is often based upon the assumption of the normal distribution. A measure of skewness is, therefore, necessary in order to guard against the consequences of this assumption.
Solution of Practical Problems:
Q.3 a) Discuss the usefulness of statistics and explain the limitations of statistics. (10)
Ans: Statistics: The word Statistics seems to have been derived from the Latin word "status" or the Italian word Statista. All word means a political state. In early year "statistics" equipped a collection of facts about the people in the state for administration or political purpose.
A comprehensive definition was given by Prof. Horace Secrist, which is a follows: "By Statistics we mean aggregates of facts affected to a marked extent by multiplicity of causes, numerically expressed, enumerated or estimated according to a reasonable standards of accuracy, collected in a systematic manner for a predetermined purpose and placed in relation to each other."
Uses of Statistics:
(i) It presents fact in a definite form. Numerical expressions of data are convincing.
(ii) It simplifies mass of figures. The data presented in the form of table, graph or diagram, average or coefficients are simple to understand.
(iii) It facilitates comparison. Once the data are simplified they can be compared with other similar data.
(iv) It helps in prediction. Plans and policies of organisations are invariably formulated in advance at the time of their implementation.
(v) It helps in the formulation of suitable policies. Statistics provide the basic material for framing suitable policies.
Limitations of statistics are as follows:
(i) Statistics deals only with quantitative characteristics. Data Which cannot be expressed in numbers are incapable of statistical analysis. Qualitative characteristics like honesty, efficiency, intelligence etc. cannot be studied directly.
(ii) Statistics deals with aggregates not with individuals.
(iii) Statistical laws are not perfectly accurate.
(iv) Statistical results are only an average. Statistical results reveal only the average behavior.
(v) Statistics is only one of the methods of studying a problem. Statistical tools do not provide the best solution under all circumstances.
(vi) Statistics can be misused. The data placed to an inexperienced person may reveal wrong results. Only persons having fundamental knowledge of statistical methods can handle the data properly.
b) What is tabulation? Differentiate between classification and tabulation? (10)
Ans: Tabulation: Tabulation refers to the systematic arrangement of the information in rows and columns. Rows are the horizontal arrangement. In simple words, tabulation is a layout of figures in rectangular form with appropriate headings to explain different rows and columns. The main purpose of the table is to simplify the presentation and to facilitate comparisons.
According to Neiswanger, "A statistical table is a systematic organisation of data in columns and rows."
Classification of Data: The process of arranging the data in groups or classes according to their common characteristics is technically known as classification. Classification is the grouping of related facts into classes. It is the first step in tabulation.
In the words of Secrist, "Classification is the process of arranging data into sequences and groups according to their common characteristics or separating them into different but related parts."
Difference between Tabulation and Classification:
Tabulation
The process of arranging the data in groups or classes according to their common characteristics is technically known as classification.
Tabulation refers to the systematic arrangement of the information in rows and columns.
It helps in simplification of data.
It helps in presentation of data.
Classification is the basis of tabulation.
Tabulation is not the basis of classification.
Classification is done after collection of data.
Tabulation is done after classification.
Data is divided into groups and sub groups.
Data is arrange into rows and columns.
Classification is the first step of tabulation.
Without classification, tabulation cannot be done.
Q.4 a) Calculate the quartiles Q1 and Q3 for wages of the labours given below: (10)
Calculation of Q1and Q3
Solution: Calculation of Q1and Q3
No. of labour (f)
b) The consumption of number of guava and orange on a particular week by a family are given below: (10)
Number of Guavas
Number of oranges
Calculation of consistency in fruit eating.
No. of Graves (x)
No. of Oranges (y)
∑x = 30
∑y = 30
∑x2 = 116
∑y2 = 184
Since c.v. of consumption of Graves is less as compared to c.v. of consumption of Oranges . Therefore, we can say that family is more consistent in consuming graves.
Q.5 Write short notes on the following:
a) Law of statistical regularity
Ans: Law of statistical regularity is derived from the concept of probability. According to this law, if a sample is collected at random from a population, it is probable that the sample posses the same properties which the population posses. Random selection means each and every item of the population has the equal chance of selection. A sample selected at a random from a large population will represent the whole universe. There is a very less chances of bias selection. This law is very important because quick conclusion can be drawn from a large universe. It reduces the necessary work before final conclusion is drawn.
b) Non sampling errors
Ans: Non-sampling Errors: These non-sampling errors can occur in any survey, whether it is a complete, enumeration or sampling. Non-sampling errors include biases as well as mistakes. These are not chance errors. Most of the factors causing bias in complete enumeration are similar to the one described above under sampling errors. They also include careless definition of population, a vague conception regarding the information sought, inefficient method of interview and so on. Mistakes arise as a result of improper coding, computations and processing. More specifically, non-sampling errors may arise because of one or more of the following reasons:
i) Improper and ambiguous data specifications which are not consistent with the census or survey objectives.
ii) Inappropriate sampling methods, incomplete questionnaire and incorrect way of interviewing.
iii) Personal bias of the investigators or informants.
iv) Lack of trained and qualified investigators.
v) Errors in compilation and tabulation.
c) Factors Affecting Choice of Data
Ans: Factors affecting choice of data (Primary or secondary data)
Nature, Scope and Object of inquiry: This constitutes the most important factor affecting the choice of a particular method. The method selected should be such that it suits the type of inquiry that is to be conducted by the researcher. This factor is also important in deciding whether the data already available are to be used or the data not yet available are to be collected.
Availability of Funds: It determines to a large extent the method to be used for the collection of data. When the funds at the disposal of researcher are very limited, he will have to select a comparatively cheaper method which may not be as efficient and effective as some other costly method.
Time Factor: Availability of time has also to be taken into account in deciding a particular method of data collection. Some methods take relatively more time, whereas with others the data can be collected in a comparatively shorter duration.
Precision required: Precision required is yet another important factor to be considered at the time of selecting method of collection of data.
d) Lorenz Curve
Ans: Lorenz curve is the form of a curve which is derived from the cumulative percentage of the given variables. This curve was given by Dr. Max O. Lorenz a popular Economic- Statistician. He studied distribution of Wealth and Income with its help. It is graphic method to study dispersion. It helps in studying the variability in different components of distribution especially economic. The base of Lorenz Curve is that we take cumulative percentages along X and Y axis. Joining these points we get the Lorenz Curve. Lorenz Curve is of much importance in the comparison of two series graphically. It gives us a clear cut visual view of the series to be compared.
Describe steps to plot 'Lorenz Curve'
Cumulate both values and their corresponding frequencies.
Find the percentage of each of the cumulated figures taking the grand total of each corresponding column as 100.
Represent the percentage of the cumulated frequencies on X axis and those of the values on the Y axis.
Draw a diagonal line designated as the line of equal distribution.
Plot the percentages of cumulated values against the percentages of the cumulated frequencies of a given distribution and join the points so plotted through a free hand curve.
Purpose of Lorenz curve: It is a cumulative distribution function especially referring to the income distribution of a population. An often used coefficient of income inequality is the gini coefficient which is a measure to the deviation of the actual cumulative income distribution from what would be obtained if everyone had the same income.
Tags 2020 - 21 IGNOU B.COM SOLVED ASSIGNMENTS IGNOU FREE SOLVED ASSIGNMENTS