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Culture > TV & Movies
The Cocreators of Underground on Bringing Slave Stories to the Small Screen
March 9, 2016 11:30 AM
by Julia Felsenthal
Photo: Courtesy of WGN America
"What's great about our partnership is that the Underground Railroad was the first integrated civil rights movement in American history," says writer Misha Green, who is African-American, about collaborating with writer Joe Pokaski, who is white. "Joe comes from his corner of the world; I come from mine. Together, I think this project is only enriched by both of those points of view."
She's referring to the new show they've cocreated, Underground, which premieres tonight on WGN America, and which, you've probably already realized, focuses on the Underground Railroad. But perhaps not in the way you'd expect: Slave narratives that make it to the screen, big or small, are typically either straightforwardly historical or reverentially solemn, dramatic with a capital D. Underground, which Green and Pokaski say is based on extensive research with some liberties taken, delivers soapy entertainment, high melodrama, and rollicking adventure set in the ruthless world of the agrarian antebellum South.
The year is 1857, the location a Georgia cotton plantation owned by Tom Macon (Reed Diamond), a blinkered Northerner who crossed the Mason–Dixon Line for marriage and "learned what I could about three things: growing cotton, managing slaves"—for him that involves beatings and cruelty of all kinds, which the show illustrates unflinchingly—"and how to be an honorable man of the South."
Two of Macon's slaves take center stage: Rosalee (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), an introverted domestic weighing the urgent need to flee an evil overseer against the devastating prospect of abandoning her mother and brothers, and Noah (Aldis Hodge), a blacksmith with a burning desire for liberty who spends day in and day out plotting his escape.
When Noah inherits what seems like a map of the Underground Railroad, encrypted in riddlelike song lyrics, he begins to gather the right people to help him crack the code and, eventually, to join him in the 600-mile journey north to freedom. Each man or woman he chooses possesses a unique talent that will bolster the mission: incredible strength; unparalleled carpentry skills; the rare ability to read and write. If they join forces, the show suggests, this motley crew of superheroes just might have what it takes to accomplish the nearly impossible.
The process of assembling Noah's team and secretly planning their departure comes across as lighthearted as the spy craft of a Mission Impossible movie. Critics have compared Underground to thrillers like Prison Break and The Great Escape, and to superhero movies of all sorts. (That bit makes sense: Both Green and Pokaski cut their teeth working on such shows as Heroes and Daredevil.)
Get wrapped up in the playfulness of those genre elements and you may forget you're watching a series about a horrendously cruel institution of systematic deprivation, oppression, and torture. But Underground revels in the dissonance between the ugly reality of slavery writ large and this singular triumphant tale of mind over matter. And somehow, it works. Green and Pokaski chatted with me by phone about how they pulled it off.
How well versed were each of you in the history of the Underground Railroad when you came up with this?
JOE POKASKI: I was very poorly versed. I was surprised to realize that all I knew about it was that square you see in your social studies book. The more we researched, the more we realized that no one is really taught this story, and it's so full of ingenuity and bravery. It was a no-brainer.
MISHA GREEN: I had known a little more. I was like, Oh, let's do a show about the Underground Railroad. I never come up with great titles, and I thought, Underground is a fantastic title. I got really excited. It was once we started diving into research that it exploded. I think our giant ensemble cast is a testament to the fact that we kept reading stuff and saying: We have to put this in the show!
Anything particularly fascinating or surprising?
MG: I think for us it was finding a letter this enslaved woman had written, in which she was contemplating to run or not to run. We look through our modern lens and we think, of course you would run. And she was listing all these reasons [not to]: She'd never set foot off of the plantation; her family was there. It opened our eyes up to how brave it was to even make the choice to step off the plantation. You can see that in Rosalee.
Why do you think this subject hasn't been mined much for its dramatic potential?
JP: By necessity, nobody could really record what he or she was doing. William Still, the father of the Underground Railroad, would take these [runaway] narratives and put them in the graveyard, bury them until it was a safe time to tell these stories. So there was not an official recording. This is a story that should have been told 10 years ago, 50 years ago. We're excited to do it right this time.
MG: I also think people are a little afraid of something set in slavery. They're afraid of the harshness of the times. For us, from the start, we said: This is not about occupation but revolution. It is a triumphant story that, though hard to watch at times, is ultimately something you can get behind week after week.
How do you balance that necessity to hook people every week, to entertain, with the gravity of this history? When I was watching, I kept thinking: It's hard to imagine something similar set in the context of the Holocaust. Then again, it would have been hard to imagine it in the context of slavery, but you've managed to do it in a way that does work.
MG: Our instinct is genre. We always thought of this project as a thriller, and I think the stories that we were finding were just inherently thriller-esque. So I don't think for us it was such a fine balance. We knew that this was a show that would be a roller coaster: Sometimes you'd be up; sometimes you'd be down. For me, that's the best kind of TV.
JP: We just want to celebrate the heroism of the people who chose to act at a time when everything was against them. I think that's what we showed the most reverence to.
Aldis Hodge in Underground
Do you feel like that approach—treating enslaved African-Americans as revolutionaries, not victims—has been missing from other slave narratives on the screen?
MG: I think it's missing, sure. A thing we said from the beginning: We want all of our characters, even those enslaved, to have personal agency. Showing that these were people who laughed and loved and cried and fought back and suffered. That full lives were being lived by all of the characters in 1857, not just the white ones.
A couple things occurred to me while watching the show. One, that this was really a show about parenthood and how it can inform our choices for better or worse. And two, that you were using tropes of superhero movies to define these characters. The fact that a lot of superheroes are orphans seemed extra interesting. How much were those themes front and center for you? JP: Very much so. The overriding theme of season one for us was: What kind of world are we leaving our children? That's a drive for every character. On superheroes, both Misha and I come from that genre. We like to joke that we're both 13-year-old boys. If you look at Rosalee's character, for example, she goes through Joseph Campbell's hero's journey. Peter Parker has nothing on her.
And there was something very X-Men about the way this group of runaways joined forces. It was interesting that every character has a particular skill that gets commodified in service of freedom in the same way that it gets commodified by whites in service of slavery. JP: I'm writing that down for my next interview. [Laughs] I think that's exactly it. Like Misha said earlier, everyone has agency, everyone has a different skill set. Everyone is bringing something different to the table.
Are most of these characters based on real figures? MG: Everything has a historical touchstone for sure. A lot of this stuff is an amalgamation of different things. We definitely wanted to stick to the historical truth, so that people cannot say, "This didn't happen this way." We can count on less than one hand the times we decided to make a historical change for dramatic reasons. We listened to a lot of slave narratives at the Library of Congress, people who were enslaved saying in their own words what their lives were like. Most of our fictional characters are pieces of real people and real stories.
Music is really important here. The show mashes up traditional slave songs with contemporary hip-hop, electronica, and pop music. Was that your idea? MG: From the start we said we wanted to be bold storytelling-wise, visually, and musically. John Legend came on [as an executive producer], and he really understood what we were trying to do. In the beginning, people were like, "Um, okay, we see you have 'Black Skinhead' [by Kanye West] written into the script, but we don't know what that means." [Legend] understood and helped us hone that vision. It's another way to pull this period piece into the present, make us understand that a lot of things that went on then have relevance now.
What does it mean to you to have this show come out at a time of so much racial strife in this country?
MG: I hope this will help to continue those discussions that have started. And entertain you along the way.
JP: Once we started getting into the show, the idea that bubbled up was: How active is your activism? Whether you're an abolitionist couple in Ohio deciding to open up your home for what you believe in, or an enslaved person saying, "I deserve to be free and I'm running 600 miles to prove it." These folks were so brave. We hope it inspires people to stand up and be brave beyond a Facebook post.
The show is set in 1857. Why that year?
JP: The Dred Scott court case was happening right then. The Fugitive Slave Act had set in. There was a six-year window until the Emancipation Proclamation. We thought it would be interesting to start in the hardest place possible and see how the bravery of these people bends the arc of history over six years.
So six seasons, tops?
JP: We've got like 15 in our heads, but we'll probably get tired at some point.


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PayPal's Xoom integrates with UPI for instant money remittances to India
The new service is said to offer more choice, convenience to Xoom customers, enabling Indian diaspora to easily transfer money back home, safely and seamlessly
PayPal's Xoom integrates with India's UPI payments system. (Credit: PayPal, Inc.)
PayPal's international digital money transfer service Xoom has integrated with Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in India to enable real-time money remittances to India.
The service is expected to be beneficial for Non-Residential Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) living in the US, Canada and Europe to send money to their family and friends in the country.
Using Xoom service, a user who wants to send money to India only needs to know the receiver's UPI identity to transfer money instantly, 24/7, 365 days a year.
The new service is said to offer more choice, convenience to Xoom customers, enabling Indian diaspora to easily transfer money back home, safely and seamlessly. UPI is a payment mechanism which allows money to be sent and received without having to source or share bank account details.
Instead of bank account numbers and IFSC codes, a virtual payment address (VPA) is used to pay when customers send money through UPI.
One UPI ID also works for several bank accounts and the recipient can link multiple bank accounts to receive payments and even set their default bank accounts for transactions.
Xoom vice president and general manager Julian King said: "Xoom is a pioneer in creating fast, innovative and secure digital money transfers. Real-time payments via UPI in India have been a critical and essential payment tool during the pandemic and emerged as one of the most popular payments method in the country.
"India is an important market for us. We are delighted that Indian diaspora across many markets can now use UPI to send remittances back their loved ones back home with Xoom."
In October this year, the UPI-based payments claimed to have hit a new milestone crossing two billion transactions worth $444,644, as per the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
Customers of PayPal's transfer service can now use UPI payments to remit money to 66 banks across India, including banks such as State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Punjab National Bank, Andhra, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Indian Bank, Axis Bank, Canara Bank, Yes Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Federal Bank.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Indonesian government plans to ramp up its privatization efforts in 2008, with several companies planned to be privatized.
Currently the government is planning to privatize several state own firms, such as three state plantation companies (PTPN) III, IV, and VII, as well as several companies that governs industrial zones.
We selected those three state plantation companies due to their better performance compared to other state plantation companies," Minister of Agriculture Anton Apriantono said here on Wednesday.He said that the proceeds of the privatization through the initial public offering (IPO) will be used to develop the companies businesses. Apriantono said that the government is target to sell at most 40% of its states in the three firms to the public Minister of State own Enterprises Sofyan Djalil added, "For the industrial sector we wanted to privatize the industrial zones, such as the Jakarta industry Real Estate, as well as medan, Semarang Makassar, and Surabaya industrial zones."He said the government wanted to divest its states at the industrial zone firms as there may be other parties there are better suited to develop the companies. "We think that perips there are other parties that cod develop it better than we do," jalil explained.
The government is also proposing to privatize its own steel company, Krakatau Steel next year through IPO or strategic sale, depending on the market condition. "For the trading sector, we also wanted to privatize Sucofindo, through IPO or strategic sale, along with other state construction firms such as Waskita Karya, and Pembangunan Perumahan (PP) through IPO, and don't forget the Adhi Karya rights issue," Djalil added.


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Baltic Horizon Fund requests for temporary amendment of the bond terms and conditions
06 Jul 2020 16:20 EET
Baltic Horizon Fund applies for temporary reduction of equity covenant in relation to Baltic Horizon Fund EUR 50 million 5-year unsecured bonds maturing in 2023 (ISIN EE3300111467).
In the light of the COVID-19 outbreak and the associated effects on Baltic economies and tenants of the properties operated by Baltic Horizon Fund the fund has decided to request the holders of the bonds (the Holders) to lower the equity ratio covenant in the terms and conditions of the Bonds (the Terms and Conditions) from 35% to 25% for a period of 12 months.
Baltic Horizon Fund confirms to all Holders that its ability to fulfil the monetary obligations provided in the Terms and Conditions has not been affected by the pandemic.
Holders who were entered in the registry of bond-holders maintained by Nasdaq CSD SE on the preceding business day before initiation of the written procedure, i.e. at the end of business of Nasdaq CSD SE on 3 July 2020, are entitled to vote in the written procedure. All holders of the bonds are sent a notice by Intertrust (Sweden) AB acting as the agent for bondholders (the Agent).
The resolution the Holders are requested to adopt are the following:
to amend the undertaking set out in Clause 11.3.1(a) of the Terms and Conditions for a period until 31 July 2021 in the following wording:
(a) the Equity Ratio of the Group is twenty five (25) per cent. or greater;
2. as of 1 August 2021 the wording of Clause 11.3.1(a) will automatically be reinstated into its initial form and be considered as in the original Terms and Conditions, i.e.:
(a) the Equity Ratio of the Group is thirty five (35) per cent. or greater.
Voting can be carried out by sending the filled-in voting form to the Agent by mail, courier or e-mail no later than 12:00 (CEST) of 29 July 2020. The notice sent by the Agent along with the voting instructions, the voting form and template Power of Attorney are attached.
For the quorum to be reached and the resolution taken the Holders representing at least 50% of the nominal amount of the bonds should vote and Holders representing at least 2/3 of the nominal amount of the bonds participating in the voting need to be in favour of the decision. Once a requisite majority of consents of have been received by the Agent, the relevant decision shall be deemed to be adopted, even if the time period for replies has not yet expired. Information about the decision taken will be sent by notice to the Holders, published on the websites of Baltic Horizon Fund and the Agent and published by way of stock exchange release.
If the request is approved by the Holders it will be binding on all Holders whether they participated in the voting or voted against the request or not, in accordance with Clause 14.12 of the Terms and Conditions.
BHF-bond-terms-Notice.2020-07-06.ENG


Lock in a great price for The Margi – rated 8.9 by recent guests!
The Margi has its own organic farm and the food is excellent, including great brunch choices!
Every thing was ok with exception of the laundry was not good and very expensive.
The bed and the pillows were very good. I like soft beds and pillows. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We could get our room before the official check in time and remain in it two more hours after official check out time without extra charge. The breakfast is good with many food options. The location for combining a sea vacation and visiting Athens is perfect. Many good sea beaches a short distance away.
Set up is great, pool and surrounding, even our balcony had that relaxing feel!
Overall great locaation/ service and landscaped pool.
Very good staff and f&b sector, also the spa is very comfortable.
I booked this hotel on a recommendation and I could not have been more happy. Hotel was beautiful! Gorgeous pool and bar, service & staff 100 %. I will definitely be returning & spreading the word!!!!!
Overall it was a very memorable, happy stay for us. Really excellent staff and the pool area is a beautiful space for breakfast/lunch/dinner/bar as day turns into night. I highly recommend it.
The Margi This rating is a reflection of how the property compares to the industry standard when it comes to price, facilities and services available. It's based on a self-evaluation by the property. Use this rating to help choose your stay!
Located in the exclusive area of Vouliagmeni, The Margi is a 5-star boutique hotel nestled among pine trees and just a few steps away from the sandy beach. Offering fine dining and a romantic pool setting, it combines discreet luxury and a relaxed seaside atmosphere.
Rooms and suites at The Margi are elegantly furnished featuring a classic décor with colonial touches. They all come with a satellite LCD TV, fully equipped mini-bar, safety box and air conditioning. In the bathroom, you will find Korres amenities, fluffy bathrobes and slippers.
At Patio you will taste gourmet dishes prepared with fine products from the Margi Farm. Malabar Restaurant features an eclectic atmosphere and proposes Mediterranean flavors, and at Nilaya you will start your day with a hearty American breakfast while reading your morning newspaper. Guests can experience a private farm tour at the Margi Farm and enjoy an authentic and organic Greek dinner, where they can get cooking tips and, upon request.
The hotel provides exclusive guests services, such as a seasonal boutique shop with luxury Greek brands, personal trainers, yoga classes, as well as a fully equipped fitness center. At the hotel's spa area guests can enjoy beauty and massage treatments, while they can also use the steam and sauna room and the indoor pool.
Within 4.3 mi, you can reach the 18-hole Glyfada Golf Club. Athens City Center is 12 mi away and Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport is 15 mi away. Free private, on-site parking is provided and free WiFi is available throughout.
When would you like to stay at The Margi?
Decorated in classical style, this spacious room opens to a balcony with views to the quiet inner courtyard or the pool. Its modern bathroom is fitted with a rain-style shower, Korres amenities, slippers and fluffy bathrobes.
Please note than in case of 3 guests, the 3rd guest will be accommodated at a roll-away bed.
Please note that room size is 22 m2.
Decorated in earthy tones, this spacious room comes with wooden floor and handcrafted furniture. It opens to a balcony with views to the sea, pine tree forest or the pool. Its modern bathroom is fitted with a rain-style shower, Korres amenities, slippers and fluffy bathrobes.
Please note that room size is between 22 and 25 m2.
Divided in 2 levels, this suite comes with 2 double beds and a bathroom with a rain-style shower. It opens to a balcony with views to the neighborhood and also includes a Nespresso coffee machine.
Please note than in case of 5 guests, the 4th and the 5th guest will be accommodated at a roll-away bed.
It can be connected with an executive room, accommodating up to 6 guests.
Please note that the surface is 50 m2.
Each with distinctive décor in soft tones, this spacious, open-plan suite features a king size bed and a seating area with flat-screen TV. The bathroom comes with Korres toiletries and a rain shower or spa bath. It opens to a balcony overlooking the sea or the pool or the pine tree forest. A Nespresso coffee machine is featured.
Please note than in case of 4 guests, the 3rd and the 4th guest will be accommodated at roll-away beds.
Please note that the surface is between 40 and 50 m2.
-french glass doors with panoramic view of the sea.
Please note that the 2 single beds are roll-away beds.
Overlooking the neighborhood, this elegant, open-plan suite features a seating area with flat-screen TV. The bathroom comes with Korres toiletries.
Please note that in case of 3 guests, the 3rd guest will be accommodated at a roll-away bed.
Please note that room size is 40m2.
Fitted with handpicked art pieces, wooden floor and leather sofas, this spacious, luxurious suite opens to a terrace with sun loungers. It is open plan and features a king size bed, and a bathroom with KORRES toiletries.
Located on the top floor offering uninterrupted views of the sea, this elegantly decorated suite is fitted with linen curtains, wooden floors and custom-made furnishings. It has a spacious living room, a bedroom with king size bed and a bathroom fitted with KORRES toiletries.
Offering spectacular views over the Aegean Sea, this beachfront villa covers an area of 200m2 and opens to a terrace featuring an outdoor hot tub. It includes 4 bedrooms with private bathrooms, an elegant living room with floor-to-ceiling windows and a fully equipped modern kitchen. It is located 2297 feet from the main hotel facilities.
-free access to all facilities of The Margi Hotel.
Permission must be requested if tenants wish to invite nonresidents in the villa. Social events are permitted upon request only and at an extra cost.
Offering unobstructed views over the sea, this spacious room is located on the higher floors of the hotel and features a Mediterranean-chic decor.
House Rules The Margi takes special requests – add in the next step!
The Margi accepts these cards and reserves the right to temporarily hold an amount prior to arrival.
Guests are kindly requested to provide upon check-in the credit card with which they made the reservation. Please contact the property for further information about third-party payments. in case the same credit card cannot be provided, another credit card or payment in cash will be required.
Kindly note that early departures are subject to cancelation fees.
Please note that the indoor pool is part of the spa center, and operates at a first-in first-served basis.
Please inform The Margi of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
Everything- Excelent Service, your people are amazing, the Food was near perfect.
Very, very loud. Party noise each and all night from lobby facilities-either be a Hotel or a party location! Street also very loud. -cars either accelerating uphill or breaking downhill. Airline crews at breakfast (never a good sign), mixing up with hangovers from last night. Too far from the sea.
Very, very nice staff. Small exclusive spa, but complicated to access.
Somethings were a little too much hassle for the staff . Tea bags & clean cups not replenished in room after single use, restaurant staff were confused when asked for soft drinks menu!
Nothing not to like. The staff are quick to cater to any problems you might experience and willing to go lengths to make you feel at home.
The music of the restaurant until late in the night.
Thursday to Saturday very loud music until 2am! Not appropriate to the elegant and cosy athmosphere, it is not Ibiza, nobody was partying at the hotel so we did not understand the reason for this party sound. Easy lounge music would be much better. No chance to sleep without earplugs! Food in the restaurant not 5*, lower average hotel food, breakfast also average, fruit without taste. Very old and dirty carpets in the aisle and in the room. Needs to be renovated asap Spa very small, entrance limited upon availability Other small leading hotels do definitively have a higher standard.
Pool area, bar, comfortable bed, very friendly and helpful staff! Close to different beaches and close to Athens.
The reservations department was not helpful enough.
We loved our stay at The Margi. The hotel was amazing,the food was great.Konstantinos the front desk manager made our stay even better!We can't wait to come back soon.


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Cuepacs urges Pakatan govt to reinstate housing quota for civil servants
Published 2 months ago on 13 May 2019
By R. Loheswar
Cuepacs president Datuk Azih Muda speaks during press conference in Kuala Lumpur May 13, 2019. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
KUALA LUMPUR, May 13 — The Congress of Union Of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) today urged the government to reinstate the housing quota for civil servants.
Cuepacs president Datuk Azih Muda said with prices of houses skyrocketing civil servants won't be able to afford a house even when they reach the age of 50.
"If the minimum price for a house is RM300,000 how can civil servants afford it when they have to compete with the private sector who earn more than them," said Azih during a media session at Seri Pacific Hotel today.
"Even in the past when they had the lottery picks for houses for civil servants, only 10 per cent of them were able to afford a house.
"The rest of them who have growing families won't be able to afford a home as surveys show around 60 to 80 per cent of most household incomes are already used for basic necessities.
"You can't do much with the remaining money as it's too little."
Azih said the lowest pay for a government servant is between RM1600 to RM1800.
Bank Negara had set the minimum wage for an unmarried individual at RM2,600 per month, RM4,500 for married couples.
Azih said the government did not include Cuepacs when making decisions in regards to new housing policies.
He said he plans to send an official letter to Minister of Housing and Local Government, Zuraida Kamaruddin, to have further discussions on the matter.
He said in the past Cuepacs were included in such discussion.
"It could have been an oversight from the current administration to include us in the discussions," he said.
On a separate matter Azih pointed out that there is a lack of cooperation between civil servants and the new government elected political appointees.
Azih said many of these political appointees are making life difficult for these civil servants as they are adamant on doing things their way despite not having much experience in the field.
"We feel once policies are made it's up to the government agencies to execute them before it impacts the people.
"The civil servants are aware of how to do their work but the job is delayed when these political appointees try to take charge.
"This is why I support what Tun Daim Zainuddin said recently that if we continue this way the civil servants may eventually stand up and leave," he said.
Tun Daim the former finance minister and special advisor to the prime minister had recently said that Pakatan Harapan ministers must learn to trust and depend on the civil service regardless of their continued suspicions about the latter.
Tun Daim had said that civil servants had told him that the current crop of ministers were side-lining them and using third-parties to replicate their functions.
Cuepacs wants higher wages for civil servants, disputes tried in Industrial Court
Cuepacs hoping for major change to labour sector
Cuepacs chief says will submit proposal on new remuneration system for civil servants by year end


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Khalifatul Masih
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad leads Eid-ul-Fitr Prayers in London
August 2, 2014	Press Releases
Khalifa delivers sermon on importance of fulfilling spiritual obligations the whole year round and not just on Eid
The World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, marked the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr on 30th July 2014 with a sermon delivered to more than 10,000 Ahmadi Muslims gathered at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in London, whilst an audience of millions more watched the proceedings live on MTA International.
After leading the Eid prayers, His Holiness addressed the audience, about the true purpose and meaning of Eid; he spoke of how spirituality and attaining God's Love was a never-ending process and he also spoke movingly about the recent martyrdoms of 3 Ahmadi Muslims in Gujranwala, Pakistan.
Regarding the true meaning of Eid, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) named faith as 'wholeheartedness' meaning that true faith is where a person's heart is consumed by the delight of his faith. Thus true Eid is where a person feels joy at fulfilling the requirements of his religion and does not find any of its obligations to be a burden."
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad continued:
"True faith is where the worship of God is only a source of joy and contentment. True faith is where you happily make all necessary sacrifices for the sake of God, for the sake of others and for the sake of your community. He or she who lives their life in this way is able to celebrate a true Eid each and every day of their lives."
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad went on to comment about the martyrdoms of 3 Ahmadi Muslims days earlier in the Pakistani city of Gujranwala. His Holiness prayed for the victims and their families.
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad said:
"To lose your loved ones is not a minor source of grief and in particular it is impossible to imagine the pain of that mother who lost her two young daughters during this cruel attack. To bear this tragedy with patience is certainly a great sacrifice in itself, especially when you consider that it took place just a day before Eid when that mother was getting ready to celebrate with her young family.
May Allah grant patience to all of those who have been left bereaved and grief-stricken and may He grant that mother great blessings in exchange for her great sacrifice."
Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad concluded his sermon by conveying greetings of 'Eid Mubarak' to all people gathered at the Baitul Futuh Mosque and to the millions of Ahmadi Muslims throughout the world.
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Head of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community delivers Darsul-Quran on final Day of Ramadan…Press ReleasesLater today, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad will lead Eid prayers On 29 July 2014, the World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa, Hi…
Inspection of Jalsa Salana UK 2014 takes placePress Releases3-day Annual Convention begins on Friday at Hadeeqatul Mahdi in Hampshire The World Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the Fifth Khalifa, His Ho…


The images look dark when calibrated at default setting with Palette Master. Can I set a higher brightness?
The luminance target can be adjusted with Palette Master . In order to keep sustainable brightness during lifetime of monitor, it is recommended to use default brightness setting.


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Digital Fashion articles
Table with NFT games
Train of The Century NFT game: how to play and earn crypto
05/05/2022 10:19 10/05/2022 Add Comment
Digital fashion, cryptoart and metaverses/Articles/Train of The Century NFT game: how to play and earn crypto
Время чтения: 4 мин
In today's article, we'll talk about the growing popularity of an NFT game, where you get to be the owner and manager of a… train.
What is Train of the Century?
Train of the Century is a multiplayer play-to-earn Trading Card Game powered by the WAX blockchain. In the game, you own and manage different kinds of trains and send them travelling between cities.
There are lots of different items, train parts, and crew members with different parts, perks, and other nuances that can influence your gameplay a lot. These include Conductors, Locomotives, or Passengers – and all come as collectable NFTs.
How to start playing
To start playing the Train of the Century game, you will need to connect your wallet — Wax Cloud or Anchor Wallet. You can find a guide on that in this article. Once done, launch the web version of the game, complete a short tutorial, and give your train a name.
Next, you need to purchase the initial Train of the Century NFT cards to equip your first train. For that, go to AtomicHub and head over to the "centurytrain" section. You will need at least one instance of the "conductor", "locomotive", and "rail car" tokens.
Train of the Century NFT cards are bought for the WAX coin ($0.2554 at the time of writing), which can be obtained by converting another currency, (for example, BTC or USDT) on the Binance exchange, and making a deposit to your Wax Wallet.
Note: do not spend all your WAX coins on NFTs: save some for converting into Tocium, the game's internal token, which you can use to buy fuel. Tocium can be obtained using the Wax swap on the Alcor exchange.
Once you've got the right Train of the Century NFT cards, you can equip your train with them, and you're good to go! Now you only have to buy fuel so you can keep your train going. There are 2 types of fuel in the game: Coal and Diesel. Which one is right for you, you can find out in the characteristics of your train.
The Train of the Century game isn't just a barebones card manager, and the in-game world has a rich sci-fi history to boast — a history you are going to be a part of.
During your runs, you will encounter NPCs who will offer you a quest and some assets that can assist you. Interacting with them is an integral part of the gameplay, and the choices you make in your dialogues will greatly impact your progress, so choo-choo-choose wisely! Now you have everything to start playing the game. Have a nice trip!
Tips for a good start
Here are some tips that will help you get started in the Train of the Century game and not lose a lot of money at first:
Before venturing out, carefully inspect the map and the nearest routes. After studying the map, plan a route you're going to take. You need to always be mindful of the maximum distance your train can travel.
If you can't send the train to the desired point due to exceeding the maximum distance, you will have to go back — and for that, Train of the Century charges twice as much fuel.
Be responsible while choosing your train parts and other components. Make sure to pay extra attention to the type of cargo that your railcar can haul. By purchasing the right cargo and delivering it to the destination on time, you will earn additional rewards.
How to earn Tocium
There are 2 main ways to earn Tocium, the native Train of the Century crypto coin:
Make rail runs. In fact, this is the core of the gameplay. You get Tocium simply for sending your train from one point to another. The amount depends on the characteristics of the train. The game has a rarity system (from Common to Mythical), and the higher the rarity of the train and its components, the higher your earnings.
Do not forget, however, that you're the one in charge of the transportation, and your main goal must be to maximize the reward for each race. So, when planning a new trip in Train of the Century, make sure to follow the logic "The fuller the train = the higher the reward."
Stake Train of the Century NFT cards. When you arrive at a station, you have the option to stake your train parts. Only unequipped train components can be sent to staking. The earnings depend on the rarity of the tokens staked.
Important: The Train of the Century game isn't designed for making a quick buck, so make sure you have patience — it'll be a while before you start getting tangible profits, and that also comes only after you've thoroughly studied the game mechanics and can make the most out of your gear.
Unfortunately, there is no Free-to-Play option in the game yet, but the good news is that even less than one dollar will be enough to get you started. Train of the Century is a game with well-thought-out earning mechanics, suitable for players who already have experience in earning strategies, but it's also very accessible and beginner-friendly, so you can jump onto the bandwagon even if you want to learn the ropes.
NFT games - articles and news
A catalogue of the best NFT services by NFT Arty
Shanghai residents in lockdown brake censorship via NFTs
English top team Arsenal joins Web3 world 16/05/2022
The History of Digital Fashion 29/03/2022
STEPN aka Crypto Sneakers: The Solana-based app that pays you for walking 10/05/2022
STEPN sneakers on BNB Chain 31/05/2022
What is energy in STEPN? 31/05/2022
DigitalFashion for beginners for creators for investors NFT NFT games - articles and news overview of marketplaces
A large-scale media covering all about NFTs: airdrops, news, reviews and analytics, blockchain games, and much, much more. Also offering beginner training for those new to the NFT sphere.
NFT Glossary & Slang
Developed by RE:SPOND


text:
Woroni news:
12.1.2021 Woroni News Team is Hiring! 22.12.2020 Academic Misconduct in COMP3600/6446 15.12.2020 A Stupol Nightmare: NatCon 2020 Wrapped 12.12.2020 Woroni's Guide to the NUS Office Bearers 4.12.2020 The ANU Announces Cuts to the School of Arts and Design
CAP springs degree change on International Security Studies Students
24.9.2020 by Charlotte Ward
Woroni News Team is Hiring!
Academic Misconduct in COMP3600/6446
22.12.2020 by Sasha Personeni
A Stupol Nightmare: NatCon 2020 Wrapped
15.12.2020 by Isobel Lavers
The College of Asia and the Pacific (CAP) has recently made changes to the Asia and Pacific Studies Minor for the Bachelor of International Security Studies impacting students who begun the degree in 2018, who were unaware the changes had been made.
A source has told Woroni that they were made aware of the changes when asking the College a question regarding their degree, and was told that the minor might not count towards completion of their Bachelor's degree.
"I was told by CAP that my minor may not count towards my degree, which would force me to change my degree. I had already completed the minor and did not want to have to unnecessarily prolong graduating, or have to spend more on HECS fees."
In response to this confusion, CAP has told the students affected that the convenor of Asia and Pacific Studies, Andrew Carr will approve the completion of the minor and will make a note on their transcript approving the change.
An ANU spokesperson, who said that the program was revised in 2019 following a re-accreditation review. They said that "[a]s part of this review, the Asia-Pacific Security Minor was removed from the list of minors because the relevant courses are available directly via the BINSS program's core security electives." They further noted that the change comes in an attempt to "improve the flow and structure of the degree, rather than any downgrading or reduction of the importance of Asia and Pacific security," claiming that "these areas are still core to the purpose of the BINSS degree."
The spokesperson has confirmed that any student who commenced the Bachelor of International Security Studies prior to 2020 can continue to complete the minor.
Although low numbers were impacted by this change, the spokesperson has asked that "any student who would like to discuss the change to the minor is able to consult the Associate Dean for Education in the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, or the College's education office."


TourNatur 2019 is one of the busiest trade fairs for hobby, tourism and leisure. The next TourNatur edition will take place in Dusseldorf. Plan your trip as early as possible to get a better selection of available hotels.


text:
import re,urllib,urlparse,base64
from liveresolver.modules import client
from liveresolver.modules.log_utils import log

def resolve(url):
    try:
        try:
            referer = urlparse.parse_qs(urlparse.urlparse(url).query)['referer'][0]
        except:
            referer= url

        result = client.request(url, referer=referer)
        swf = 'http://releases.flowplayer.org/flowplayer.rtmp/flowplayer.rtmp-3.2.3.swf'
        rtmp = 'rtmp://play5.tvope.com/tvope'
        file = re.findall('clip:\s*\{\s*url:\s*[\'\"](.+?)[\'\"]',result)[0]

        url = "%s playpath=%s swfUrl=%s live=1 pageUrl=%s"%(rtmp,file,swf,url)
        return url

    except:
        return

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Trying to use .filter() to search by an Integer value With the following Json object, I am using .filter() to search for one object.
It seems I can select by a string type, for example:
this.devices.filter( (dev) => { return dev.Device.DisplayName == "Test Again" } );
However, trying to select by the Integer type does not work (it just returns all records):
this.devices.filter( (dev) => { return dev.Device.UID == 2 } );
[{
    "InstanceID": 11,
    "Device": {
        "UID": 1,
        "DisplayName": "Test123",
        "DeviceHostName": "",
        "Location": null
    },
    "HostService": null
},
{
    "InstanceID": 22,
    "Device": {
        "UID": 2,
        "DisplayName": "Test Again",
        "DeviceHostName": "",
        "Location": null
    },
    "HostService": null
},
{
    "InstanceID": 33,
    "Device": {
        "UID": 3,
        "DisplayName": "Test Yet again",
        "DeviceHostName": "",
        "Location": null
    },
    "HostService": null
}]

Again, I would like to .filter() by the UID property and simply return that object.
thanks.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The time is now for an improvement around your home Patio Slate. One key advice in interior decoration is to prioritize remodeling that improve both the functionality as well as value of your dwelling as recommended by Judith Perry.
Give a good welcome to visitors top quality greenery. Home buyers really enjoy seeing greenery, particularly in town locations January 3, 2016 at 1:29 pm. Besides making your home exterior feels more inviting, putting in vegetation like trees into your yard helps cooling down your house, lowers noise pollution and gives fresher air quality.
Kitchen is the heart of any house, so kitchen remodel is indeed good for the investment. The least complicated upgrade Patio Slate is as simple as exchanging outdated kitchen appliances with more eco-friendly ones. Granite countertops, a pull-out pantry, and LED lighting are some favorite kitchen upgrades.
Having added room in comparison with the regular homes is going to boost your property worth. Creating a portable garage, converting your attic into bedroom or adding functional basement are some ideas to produce additional space 4450.
Ahead of selecting which Patio Slate home improvement to launch, be sure you assess a number of ideas and select the best update.


text:
SYNAGOGUE HISTORY
The West Clarkstown Jewish Center began in 1931 when neighborhood people began meeting for Shabbot services in the basement of Nathan Weinstein's home on MaryAnn Drive near West Clarkstown Road. The congregation was then known as Chevra Agudas Achim.
By 1953 the number of congregants had grown much larger and services were held in the casino of the Sunrise Bungalow Colony on West Clarkstown Road which was owned by the Weinstein Family.
In 1972 Sidney Weinstein, son of Nathan, along with his mother Esther graciously donated the building along with surrounding land to the organization which is then incorporated as the West Clarkstown Jewish Center. The congregation greatly increases in size and in 1979 the board of directors voted to build an addition to the building.
Over the past 40 years the synagogue has undergone demographic changes and a devastating fire in 2009. While our numbers have decreased over the years, our spirit has continued to grow and we look forward to serving the Rockland Jewish community for many years to come.


Comic book artist, illustrator, publisher, painter, animator, filmmaker, some of the artistic careers Richard Corben wanted to pursue. Although he's always worked at developing skills for these related but diverse interests, picking one at the exclusion of the others never seemed to be a satisfying option. Concentrating on one particular profession might have lead to a more concentrated and unified body of work, but to Corben, variety and a diversity of possibilities has always been overwhelmingly tempting. So while drawing comics, he was also thinking about spatial and color expression and about how the characters might move and act out their roles. His comic work could be a detailed storyboard for a movie. Thinking about a project as possibly expressed in different media has sometimes resulted in unusual and unexpected inspirations.


Mutual Funds: Will there be TDS when I redeem my mutual funds?
Business News›MF›Analysis›Will there be TDS when I redeem my mutual funds?
I am investing via SIP in ICICI Prudential Value Discovery Fund for last one year. I have a doubt. If I withdraw money after 10 years, will the tax be deducted at source or will I get back the same amount as shown in my account statement.
You will get the amount that you have accumulated. The capital gains tax needs to be calculated and paid by you separately.


text:
local ret = {}

-- pageutils are basically plugins!
-- plugins should be written as objects with method;
-- the page environment is loaded into the function environment
-- (via ... haxy ways)

local root = "./webutils"

local function add(name, location)
	ret[name] = require(location or (root .. "/"..name))
end

add("cookie")
add("urlencoding")

return ret


text:
U.S.: Walmart wants leafy green suppliers to implement blockchain traceability within a year
The U.S.'s largest retail chain, Walmart, has asked its supplies of fresh, leafy greens to trace their products back to the farm using blockchain technology within one year.
Walmart and Sam's Club today sent a letter to the suppliers informing them of the change.
"Suppliers are expected to have all these systems in place by this time next year," the company said.
The change means that the information gathered by these suppliers will be open and accessible through technology that offers real-time, end-to-end traceability from farm to table, it said.
The announcement comes in the wake of a deadly multistate E. coli outbreak earlier this year linked to Arizona-grown romaine lettuce, which killed five people.
Frank Yiannas, VP of Food Safety at Walmart, explained that while health officials at the Centers for Disease Control told people to avoid eating lettuce that was grown in Yuma, Arizona, it was difficult for consumers to know how to determine where their lettuce was grown.
"None of the bags of salad had 'Yuma, Arizona' on them," he said.
"In the future, using the technology we're requiring, a customer could potentially scan a bag of salad and know with certainty where it came from."
Walmart said that with the traditional paper-based method of capturing information that exists at many farms, packing houses and warehouses, tracking down important data from multiple sources is "extremely time-consuming".
With paper-based ledgers, Yiannas mentioned that it may take his team seven days to track down where a product came from. The team has to contact the supplier, get paper records and use those records to contact the company that imported or shipped the product to Walmart's distribution center.
"The food system is absolutely too large for any single entity to [track]," Yiannas said.
But blockchain changes that.
"We've been working with IBM to digitize that, so the information is captured on the farm with a handheld system. It's [also] captured at the packing house at the supplier," Yiannas continued.
IBM blockchain platform used to ship mandarin oran ...
Fifth of top global grocers will use blockchain by ...
Destination E-Mail


Luz Hernandez is a Senior Legal Assistant at Magdalena Law Group. The Southern California native and a bilingual speaker of English and Spanish, Luz is appreciated by her colleagues and clients alike for her easy-going nature, positive attitude, compassion, and hard work.
Luz graduated from San Diego State University in 2016 with her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. While in college, Luz led the SDSU Criminal Justice Student Association for two years. As a President of the Association, she mentored other students, advocated for social change, and fostered relationships with community and legal organizations. Luz has also worked with youth in the foster care system and is passionate about child-focused approach to helping families in transitions.
In her spare time, Luz enjoys cooking, hiking, and volunteering with youth.


text:
import React, { forwardRef, Ref } from 'react';
import InlineEditingPrimitive, {
	InlineEditingPrimitiveProps,
} from '../Primitives/InlineEditingPrimitive';

const InlineEditingText = forwardRef(
	(props: Omit<InlineEditingPrimitiveProps, 'mode'>, ref: Ref<HTMLDivElement>) => {
		return <InlineEditingPrimitive {...props} ref={ref} mode="single" />;
	},
);

InlineEditingText.displayName = 'InlineEditing.Text';

export default InlineEditingText;


text:
Cardinals living in adjacent deserts are sharply distinct in genetics and song
New research suggests that populations of the Northern Cardinal --one of the most ubiquitous backyard birds in the United States-- are undergoing speciation in two adjacent deserts. This study, which analyzed genetics and vocal behavior, gives clues about the early steps in bird speciation. The study is published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
"In general, songs are really important for describing and identifying birds," said lead author Kaiya Provost, a comparative biology Ph.D. Candidate in the American Museum of Natural History's Richard Gilder Graduate School. "Most studies assume that differences in song are important in the process that gives rise to new bird species. But looking at speciation using both genetics and behavior in wild birds can be really difficult. We went out to test both of these spheres of biology on wild desert birds to look at the full story."
The researchers focused on Northern Cardinal populations in two deserts: the Sonoran Desert, which covers parts of Arizona, California, and Mexico; and the Chihuahuan Desert, which covers parts of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Mexico. The deserts are separated by about 120 miles of high-elevation plains. Analysis on the DNA of the birds in these areas shows that the two populations have been separated for at least 500,000 years and possibly for as long as 1 million years, which "might be old enough for the speciation process to finish," Provost said.
In parallel, the researchers examined the song-related behavior of these populations. Songs play a crucial role in a bird's ability to attract and impress a potential mate. If two birds can't communicate with each other, for instance, by singing different types of songs, they are less likely to breed. Over time, populations that don't reproduce with each other will accumulate more and more genetic differences. As time goes on, these two processes can feed back into each other and lead the populations down the path of speciation.
To investigate, Provost and her collaborators--Brian Smith, an assistant curator in the Museum's Department of Ornithology, and William Mauck III, a researcher at the New York Genome Center--created a bird song experiment that they played in each desert. Each audio series contained four recordings of male birds: neighboring cardinals, cardinals from the same desert but a distance away, cardinals from the adjacent desert, and a control recording of a Cactus Wren.
In the Sonoran Desert, male cardinals reacted to the recorded songs from neighboring birds with aggression--flying around looking for the "intruder" and singing loudly. Songs from birds living further away, both from within the same desert and from the adjacent one, were ignored.
"We saw that the birds are really aggressive to songs by their next-door neighbors, as you would expect, but once there is enough distance between them, they don't understand the songs anymore," Provost said. "It's like if you speak Portuguese in Portugal, you can probably understand Spanish, and you might understand French, but if you keep going further and further away, eventually you'll hit German or Arabic--languages that are unfamiliar, that you can't parse."
In the Chihuahuan Desert, the cardinals also acted aggressively to songs from close neighbors. And, just like the Sonoran birds, they ignored songs from birds across the plains. But, in contrast to Sonoran cardinals, they were aggressive to songs from distant neighbors in the same desert.
"We're not sure why there's a difference, but you can think of it as these Chihuahuan birds singing in Portuguese and hearing songs in Spanish. It's a little different but they still understand it, and they still think it's an intruder," Provost said. "There's something that's keeping those two groups of songs linked together."
One of the major challenges taxonomists face is how to identify young species, or draw the line between species and populations. In the case of the Northern Cardinal, the authors say there is mounting evidence that there are multiple species in the United States. "By combining behavioral experiments with genetic estimates of population history, we found corroborating evidence that the speciation process is well advanced," Smith said. "It is getting harder to argue that they are a single species."
Support for this work was provided in part by E3B at Columbia University, the Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund, the American Ornithological Society, the Society for Systematic Biologists, and the Linda J. Gormezano Memorial Fund.
Ecology and Evolution paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.4596
AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (AMNH.ORG)
The American Museum of Natural History, founded in 1869, is one of the world's preeminent scientific, educational, and cultural institutions. The Museum encompasses 45 permanent exhibition halls, including those in the Rose Center for Earth and Space and the Hayden Planetarium, as well as galleries for temporary exhibitions. It is home to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial, New York State's official memorial to its 33rd governor and the nation's 26th president, and a tribute to Roosevelt's enduring legacy of conservation. The Museum's five active research divisions and three cross-disciplinary centers support approximately 200 scientists, whose work draws on a world-class permanent collection of more than 34 million specimens and artifacts, as well as on specialized collections for frozen tissue and genomic and astrophysical data and on one of the largest natural history libraries in the world. Through its Richard Gilder Graduate School, it is the only American museum authorized to grant the Ph.D. degree and also to grant the Master of Arts in Teaching degree. Annual visitation has grown to approximately 5 million, and the Museum's exhibitions and Space Shows are seen by millions more in venues on six continents. The Museum's website, mobile apps, and massive open online courses (MOOCs) extend its scientific research and collections, exhibitions, and educational programs to additional audiences around the globe. Visit amnh.org for more information.
Become a fan of the American Museum of Natural History on Facebook at facebook.com/naturalhistory, follow us on Instagram at @AMNH, Tumblr at amnhnyc, or Twitter at twitter.com/AMNH.
Related Behavior Articles from Brightsurf:
Variety in the migratory behavior of blackcaps
The birds have variable migration strategies.
Fishing for a theory of emergent behavior
Researchers at the University of Tsukuba quantified the collective action of small schools of fish using information theory.
How synaptic changes translate to behavior changes
Learning changes behavior by altering many connections between brain cells in a variety of ways all at the same time, according to a study of sea slugs recently published in JNeurosci.
I won't have what he's having: The brain and socially motivated behavior
Monkeys devalue rewards when they anticipate that another monkey will get them instead.
Unlocking animal behavior through motion
Using physics to study different types of animal motion, such as burrowing worms or flying flocks, can reveal how animals behave in different settings.
AI to help monitor behavior
Algorithms based on artificial intelligence do better at supporting educational and clinical decision-making, according to a new study.
Increasing opportunities for sustainable behavior
To mitigate climate change and safeguard ecosystems, we need to make drastic changes in our consumption and transport behaviors.
Predicting a protein's behavior from its appearance
Researchers at EPFL have developed a new way to predict a protein's interactions with other proteins and biomolecules, and its biochemical activity, merely by observing its surface.
Spirituality affects the behavior of mortgagers
According to Olga Miroshnichenko, a Sc.D in Economics, and a Professor at the Department of Economics and Finance, Tyumen State University, morals affect the thinking of mortgage payers and help them avoid past due payments.
Asking if behavior can be changed on climate crisis
One of the more complex problems facing social psychologists today is whether any intervention can move people to change their behavior about climate change and protecting the environment for the sake of future generations.
Read More: Behavior News and Behavior Current Events


text:
/*
 * This file is subject to the terms and conditions defined in
 * file 'LICENSE', which is part of this source code package.
 *
 * Partialy financiated as part of the protocol between UTAustin I Portugal - UTA-P.
 * [2017] - [2018] University of Minho, Filipe Costa Oliveira
 * All Rights Reserved.
 */

#include "renderarea.h"

#include <QPainter>

  RenderArea::RenderArea(const QPainterPath &path, QWidget *parent)
: QWidget(parent), path(path)
{
  penWidth = 1;
  rotationAngle = 0;
  setBackgroundRole(QPalette::Base);
}

QSize RenderArea::minimumSizeHint() const
{
  return QSize(50, 50);
}

QSize RenderArea::sizeHint() const
{
  return QSize(100, 100);
}

void RenderArea::setFillRule(Qt::FillRule rule)
{
  path.setFillRule(rule);
  update();
}

void RenderArea::setFillGradient(const QColor &color1, const QColor &color2)
{
  fillColor1 = color1;
  fillColor2 = color2;
  update();
}

void RenderArea::setPenWidth(int width)
{
  penWidth = width;
  update();
}

void RenderArea::setPenColor(const QColor &color)
{
  penColor = color;
  update();
}

void RenderArea::setRotationAngle(int degrees)
{
  rotationAngle = degrees;
  update();
}

void RenderArea::paintEvent(QPaintEvent *)
{
  QPainter painter(this);
  painter.setRenderHint(QPainter::Antialiasing);
  painter.scale(width() / 100.0, height() / 100.0);
  painter.translate(50.0, 50.0);
  painter.rotate(-rotationAngle);
  painter.translate(-50.0, -50.0);

  painter.setPen(QPen(penColor, penWidth, Qt::SolidLine, Qt::RoundCap, Qt::RoundJoin));
  QLinearGradient gradient(0, 0, 0, 100);
  gradient.setColorAt(0.0, fillColor1);
  gradient.setColorAt(1.0, fillColor2);
  painter.setBrush(gradient);
  painter.drawPath(path);
}


A fresh and trendy finish. The white Polymer with Raw Face is standard for any putter. This finish will not be applied to the face of any club unless there is a face insert. The weights on the bottom have also been done in a poly finish. This is optional.


Casa Di Luce partners with over 50 iconic lighting brand names in the world, including Artemide, SLAMP, Luce Plan, Nemo, Schonbek and many more. We travel the world with a goal to discover and partner with new companies that produce everything from innovative LED technology lighting, to iconic heritage brands producing traditional lighting fixtures.
Each brand has its own story, its own origin and its own style; that is why we decided to share their unique features with you on our website and blog.


Unemployment is back up to 9%, gas prices are rising, and the dollar is devalued, Governor Palin said on America's Nightly Scoreboard with David Asman in a single-segment interview. She said we live in an economic climate of uncertainty and it will not improve under a central command economy that eschews free market principles.
Gov. Palin said McDonald's was likely able to hire 50,000 employees recently thanks to the exemption the company received from ObamaCare. Gov. Palin said, she would like to see every business be exempt.
Gov. Palin delineated her position that energy independence is linked with job creation, prosperity and national security. She said the Obama administration is using social engineering and manipulating the energy supply, and it's not working. Gov. Palin had invited the administration to read studies conducted by her state and others which proved that collusion and speculation are not the operative factors in rising oil prices. "The President blames speculators and gas station owners…the solution is to add more domestic supply," she said.
When asked about Thomas Sowell's theories on government and the economy, Gov. Palin said, "I quoted him in Going Rogue, because has influenced my thinking." Sowell is the author of Conflict of Visions. Gov. Palin said government does not know how to prioritize investments and socialistic policies lead to failed economies such as what happened in Greece and Spain.
Regarding last night's straw debate, Gov. Palin said that although she missed much of it on her flight back to Alaska, she was happy to see "quite a few" 2012 Presidential hopefuls standing up for free market principles.
Below are a couple more pictures from last Saturday night at the Vanity Fair White House Correspondents' Dinner Afterparty held at the French Ambassador's residence (courtesy of Haddad Media). If you missed the article and pictures previously posted, visit here.
To see a photo gallery of the evening, go to my website, MotivationTruth.


Do you still have room for just a little more holiday flavor?
Yesterday was the gingerbread throw down. Much like our fruitcake throw down a couple of years ago the gingerbread throw down brings together family, friends, and food. This is a wonderful silly gathering where friends are pitted against each other in a battle for the best tasting gingerbread.
While most entries were the traditional varieties of cakes and cookies, a couple of us went out on a limb. The gingerbread martini had hopes of being the popular entry (and my favorite to judge!) but I was trying to sway the crowd with light as air, puffy, fluffy, gingerbread marshmallows. Unfortunately, we were all over shadowed by a stunning gingerbread, lemon curd & raspberry trifle (that I forgot to take a picture of!).
My marshmallows did not win, but they were very well received at the throw down. They were also very well received in my morning cup of joe. Unlike store bought marshmallows, homemade marshmallows are delicately chewy, silky and super flavorful. They are not full of preservatives so they melt into s'mores and coco with ease. After eating a homemade marshmallow you might find that the store bought variety has a hard shell, gummy texture and tastes like plastic. You might never go back.
Now I have supervised the process a few times while my friends have made marshmallows, but this was my first time making them myself. And man, are they EASY. All the gingerbread flavor with no flour, no eggs, and no baking.
After the first batch was done I had the urge to make a million variations of marshmallows. Warning: unless you are a marshmallow fiend or you are giving them away, try to resist the urge to make millions because one batch of homemade marshmallows is a greater quantity than 2 bags of store bought.
In order to redistribute the mallow love I suggest that you package them up in a bag (or jar or mug) with some pretty ribbon and some coco mix and present them a nice little gift.
This recipe is best made using a stand mixer or you will have a long time holding a hand mixer.
Begin by lining a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Do not skimp, cut the paper large enough to overhang the sides. Cover the bottom of the pan and parchment with a generous layer of dusting mix.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of the cold water. Let stand.
Next in a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, and the other 1/2 cup of water. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and boil until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage or 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat.
Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly begin to pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Add the spices. Increase to high speed and whip until the bowl is cool and the mixture is thick, light in color, and the consistency of a sticky merengue. This will take about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.
Pour the mix into the lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula or damp finger tips. Occasionally dip the spatula in a bit of water to prevent sticking. Dust the top with more confectioners' sugar and the candied ginger. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for 4 hours or overnight. If you live in a humid area, I suggest that you 'hide' the marshmallows in a cabinet, drawer, or cold oven. This will help to keep the tackiness at a minimum.
Cover a cutting board with dusting mix. Remove the marshmallows from the pan with the help of the parchment paper. Invert the marshmallows onto the board and gently peel back the paper. Using a knife or scissors, cut marshmallows into strips and then chop them into bite sized squares. Toss the cut squares with more dusting mix to prevent the marshmallows from sticking together. Shake off extra powdered sugar and store in an air tight container for up to 3 weeks.
Oh wow, I am pretty much obsessed with anything cinnamon-spiced… these gingerbread marshmallows in hot cocoa sound delicious! Unfortunately it's way too hot here for hot drinks at the moment (I'm sitting in front of the air con as I speak!) but hey, I can still eat marshmallows 😉 Bookmarking your recipe!


text:
Q: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo Java.lang.nullExeption I'm new in android and I have a program that gives data from localhost via HTTP and parse it to XML and show it in a list in android.But I can't switch to new page(the page that shows the list).My program has  java.lang.NullPointerException exception and I can't found where It gives null.please help me and tell me what should I do.
this is error message:
java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.example.sara.patientapplication/com.example.sara.patientapplication.ViewAllPatientActivity}: java.lang.NullPointerException
        at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2059)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2084)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.access$600(ActivityThread.java:130)
        at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1195)
        at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
        at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:137)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:4745)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:511)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:786)
        at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:553)
        at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
 Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
        at com.example.sara.patientapplication.ViewAllPatientActivity.onCreate(ViewAllPatientActivity.java:45)
        at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:5008)
        at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1079)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2023)at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2084)at android.app.ActivityThread.access$600(ActivityThread.java:130)at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1195)at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:137)at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:4745)at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:511)at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:786)at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:553)at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
        at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1079)
        at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2023)at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2084)at android.app.ActivityThread.access$600(ActivityThread.java:130)at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1195)at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:137)at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:4745)at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:511)at

com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:786)
            at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:553)
            at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)

this is my main layout:
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools" android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:layout_height="match_parent" android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin" tools:context=".mainActivity">
<Button
  android:layout_width="match_parent"
  android:layout_height="wrap_content"
  android:text="Show All Patients"
  android:id="@+id/ShowAllPatients"
  android:layout_marginTop="25dp"/>
  <Button
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Add New Patient"
    android:id="@+id/AddNewP"
    android:layout_below="@+id/ShowAllPatients"
    android:layout_marginTop="10dp"/>
 </RelativeLayout>

and this is main Activity.there are a button and when I press it I expect go to a list but at that time exception Occurs.
@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
    if (android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK_INT > 9) {
        StrictMode.ThreadPolicy policy = new StrictMode.ThreadPolicy.Builder().permitAll().build();
        StrictMode.setThreadPolicy(policy);
    }

    Button ShowAllPatient=(Button)findViewById(R.id.ShowAllPatients);
    Button AddNewPatient=(Button)findViewById(R.id.AddNewP);

    ShowAllPatient.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onClick(View v) {
            Intent i=new Intent(getApplicationContext(),ViewAllPatientActivity.class);
            startActivity(i);
        }
    });
}

this my list layout:
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="match_parent">
<ListView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent"
    android:id="@android:id/list"></ListView>
</LinearLayout>

and this is my the list activity:
public class ViewAllPatientActivity extends ListActivity {
ArrayList<HashMap<String, String>> menuItems = new ArrayList<HashMap<String, String>>();
XMLParser parser=new XMLParser();
static final String URL="http://localhost/AllPatient.php";
static final String Patient_ID="PatientId";
static final String First_Name="PatientFirstName";
static final String Last_Name="PatientLastName";
//static final String Blood_Type="BloodType";
//static final String Phone_Number="phoneNumber";
//static final String Practitioner_ID="practitionerId";
//static final String Email="Email";

public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState){
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.all_patient);

  //  String xml=parser.GetXml(URL);
    Document doc=parser.DomElement("http://localhost/AllPatient.php");

    NodeList nl = doc.getElementsByTagName(Patient_ID);
    for (int i=0;i<nl.getLength();i++){
        HashMap<String, String> map = new HashMap<String, String>();
        Element e = (Element) nl.item(i);
        map.put(Patient_ID,parser.GetValue(e , Patient_ID));
        map.put(First_Name,parser.GetValue(e,First_Name));
        map.put(Last_Name,parser.GetValue(e,Last_Name));
      //  map.put(Blood_Type,parser.GetValue(e,Blood_Type));
       // map.put(Phone_Number,parser.GetValue(e,Phone_Number));
       // map.put(Email,parser.GetValue(e,Email));
      //  map.put(Practitioner_ID,parser.GetValue(e,Practitioner_ID));

        menuItems.add(map);
    }
    ListAdapter adapter=new SimpleAdapter(this,menuItems,R.layout.list_item,
            new String[]{Patient_ID,First_Name,Last_Name},new int[]{R.id.pid,R.id.fName,R.id.lName});
    setListAdapter(adapter);

    ListView lv=getListView();
    lv.setOnItemClickListener(new AdapterView.OnItemClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onItemClick(AdapterView<?> parent, View view, int position, long id) {
            String Patient_id = ((TextView) view.findViewById(R.id.pid)).getText().toString();
            String First_name = ((TextView) view.findViewById(R.id.fName)).getText().toString();
            String Last_name = ((TextView) view.findViewById(R.id.lName)).getText().toString();

            Intent in = new Intent(getApplicationContext(), SingleListPatient.class);
            in.putExtra(Patient_ID, Patient_id);
            in.putExtra(First_Name, First_name);
            in.putExtra(Last_Name, Last_name);
            startActivity(in);
        }
    });
}

and also I have some layout for a single list Item:
<LinearLayout
xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_height="match_parent"
android:layout_width="match_parent"
android:orientation="horizontal"><TextView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:id="@+id/pid"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:padding="10dip"
android:textSize="16dip"
android:textStyle="bold" />
<TextView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/fName"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:padding="10dip"
    android:textSize="16dip"
    android:textStyle="bold" /><TextView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/lName"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:padding="10dip"
    android:textSize="16dip"
    android:textStyle="bold" /></LinearLayout>

and
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="match_parent">
<TextView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:textSize="25dp"
    android:textStyle="bold"
    android:padding="10dp"
    android:id="@+id/firstN"/>

<TextView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:textSize="25dp"
    android:textStyle="bold"
    android:padding="10dp"
    android:id="@+id/lastN"
    android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/firstN"/>

<TextView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:textSize="15dp"
    android:textStyle="bold"
    android:padding="10dp"
    android:text="Patient ID: "
    android:id="@+id/paId"
    android:layout_below="@+id/firstN"/>

<TextView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:textSize="15dp"
    android:textStyle="bold"
    android:padding="10dp"
    android:id="@+id/patientid"
    android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/paId"/>

<TextView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:textSize="15dp"
    android:textStyle="bold"
    android:padding="10dp"
    android:text="Blood Type: "
    android:id="@+id/bt"
    android:layout_below="@+id/paId"/>

<TextView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:textSize="15dp"
    android:textStyle="bold"
    android:padding="10dp"
    android:id="@+id/btype"
    android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/bt"/>
<TextView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:textSize="15dp"
    android:textStyle="bold"
    android:padding="10dp"
    android:text="Phone Number: "
    android:id="@+id/pn"
    android:layout_below="@+id/bt"/>

<TextView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:textSize="15dp"
    android:textStyle="bold"
    android:padding="10dp"
    android:id="@+id/pnum"
    android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/pn"/>
<TextView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:textSize="15dp"
    android:textStyle="bold"
    android:padding="10dp"
    android:text="Email: "
    android:id="@+id/em"
    android:layout_below="@+id/pn"/>

<TextView
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:textSize="15dp"
    android:textStyle="bold"
    android:padding="10dp"
    android:id="@+id/mail"
    android:layout_toRightOf="@+id/em"/>
 </RelativeLayout>

please help me.
thanks.

A: Change:
  Intent i=new Intent(getApplicationContext(),ViewAllPatientActivity.class);
            startActivity(i);

To:
  Intent i=new Intent( mainActivity.this,ViewAllPatientActivity.class);
            startActivity(i);

And check if:
 Document doc is null


Deliver presentations of the company products at our office or customer sites.
Provide feedback of potential customers and members to enhance product functioning and the service delivery.
Assist to identify the opportunities for upcoming products, and for development and enhancement of existing products.
Attend to all or escalate customer grievances and manage such in line with company's policies.
Candidates must be an OND holder with a minimum of 1 year experience in a marketing role.
Qualified candidates should send their CVs to jobs@leadhire.com.ng using the job title as the subject of the mail.


The additional financing will allow the IDB and CIFI to meet rising demand for infrastructure in the region, particularly for small projects and infrastructure works in small and vulnerable countries. CIFI, a specialized financial corporation established in 2001 under the laws of Costa Rica, has a pipeline of private infrastructure projects in the region with a significant participation in small and vulnerable countries in areas including power, renewable energy, transportation, telecommunications, alternative fuels, water and sanitation, and other infrastructure related sectors.
"This transaction will continue our strategic relationship with IDB and will provide important resources to reach a common objective of financing small and medium-size infrastructure projects, crucial to the development and progress of the region," said Roldan Trujillo, CIFI's General Manager.
The IDB will provide a senior secured loan for up to $60 million with a 7-year tenor and a three-year grace period. The IDB loan will contribute to CIFI's efforts to mobilize resources from the private sector and multilateral agencies to support expected growth. This loan complements a previous syndicated loan approved by the IDB in 2004, totaling $50 million.
"This facility is part of IDB's commitment to develop mechanisms to support long term funding of small and medium-size infrastructure projects in the region. Through this facility, IDB will continue its support of mobilizing private and multilateral resources for infrastructure projects with significant developmental impact and additionality", commented Daniela Carrera-Marquis, head of IDB's division of Financial Markets.
CIFI has provided around $450 million to projects and companies in the sectors of power, renewable energy, transportation, telecommunications, alternative fuels and other related sectors.


The Manicaland Scouts Association last Saturday embarked on a one-day snare hunt at Cecil Kopje Nature Reserve where they extracted a total of 131 snares set up by poachers. The exercise, which comes hard on the heels of brutal acts of poaching in Hwange, was aimed at saving wildlife and reducing poaching of small animals around the ailing nature reserve.
Cecil Kopje has been at the centre of administrative controversy for a long time now which resulted in the deteriorating of infrastructure at the once picturesque nature reserve.
However, MSA, led by business mogul Mr Ernest Mungwari, embarked on a snare hunt as part of the association's efforts to preserve wildlife around the reserve.
"As scouts here in Manicaland, we bemoan the death of innocent, beautiful animals at the hands of senseless and heartless poachers. Scout Law Six states that "a scout is a friend of nature".
"It is against this background that the Manicaland Scout Association conducted a snare hunt in conjunction with the National Parks officials to reduce poaching of small animals which always fall victim even to the less sophisticated snares set up by poachers.
"The event started at 9am. The age groups involved were from 10 years up to those in secondary schools. It was also particularly important for this age group to learn how to deal with snares," said Mr Mungwari, the Manicaland Scouts Association chairman.


text:
Galcerán Albanell, también Garcerán o Albañel, (Barcelona, 1561 – Granada, ) fue un erudito y sacerdote católico español, preceptor de Felipe IV, abad de Alcalá la Real y arzobispo de Granada.

Trayectoria

Origen
Hijo de Jerónimo de Albanell, caballero de Calatrava y de Isabel Girón de Rebolledo, descendiente de los señores de Talamanca.

Formación
No han trascendido los lugares en los que recibió formación en su juventud, pero las biografías disponibles señalan que era un experto en latín, griego y hebreo y que se doctoró en derecho canónico en la Universidad de Alcalá.

Alcaide en Tortosa
A principios del siglo  ejerció como alcaide en el castillo de la Zuda en Tortosa, cargo que tradicionalmente venían ocupando desde el último cuarto del siglo  miembros de la familia Gil de Rebolledo. Desempeñando esta función, Galcerán Albanell estuvo encargado por la corona, desde marzo de 1611 hasta el mismo mes del año siguiente, de administrar los bienes de los moriscos expulsos que estaban bajo su jurisdicción. En virtud del ejercicio del mismo cargo tuvo que enfrentar motines y alborotos habidos en Tortosa y su comarca a consecuencia de la reforma monetaria de 1611.
Felipe III le encargó en 1612 la formación del Príncipe de Asturias, futuro rey Felipe IV, y del resto de sus hijos.

Según Francisco Henríquez de Jorquera, estuvo casado siendo mozo y tuvo un hijo que sirvió al rey.

Presbítero
Ya viudo y estando en la corte, fue ordenado presbítero y nombrado abad de Alcalá la Real, aunque no se desplazó a la sede para atender su obligaciones en la corte.

Arzobispo
El  fue nombrado arzobispo de Granada, siendo consagrado en la Real Capilla en presencia de Felipe III y entrando en la sede el .

Final
Tras una dolorosa enfermedad, falleció en Granada el 10 de mayo de 1626. Sus restos fueron inhumados en la capilla de Santa Ana de la catedral de Granada al considerar el cabildo ubicación más adecuada que la capilla del Santo Cristo de la Columna, lugar donde había mandado el arzobispo colocar su sepultura.

Obra

Al parecer dejó algunas obra manuscrita entre las que en la Bibliografía Eclesiástica Completa se citan:
 Panegiricum in Fhelipi IV Hispaniarum Principis et Serenesissimae Isabelae Borboniae nuptiis.
 Compendio de la historia general de España (2 tomos).
 Instrucción al conde-duque de Olivares para su gobierno.
 Parecer sobre la residencia de los obispos.

Referencias

Fuentes

Nacidos en Barcelona
Fallecidos en Granada
Arzobispos de Granada
Obispos de España del siglo XVII

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Passion or Hubris
Published May 26, 2016	Career , Happiness , Perception , Self 3 Comments
Tags: Choices, control, Decisions, Details, Execution, Happiness, Media, Perception, Priorities, Self, Self Management, Success
Just try to find a list of top movie car chases without Steve McQueen's legendary chase in Bullit near the top. He was a fine actor, but his true passion was auto racing, which culminated in him finally getting to make the movie of his dreams. In 1970, at the height of his career, he set out to make a "real" racing film, and used a real race in which to do it. A car fitted with a special camera (the first of its kind) drove in the actual 1970 Le Mans race – one of the most difficult and grueling races ever devised by man – while other cameras stationed around the course captured the live racing action. Steve himself had wanted to drive in the race, citing "authenticity" as the motivation, but the insurance company underwriting the film would not allow it. He had in fact just placed second to the legendary Mario Andretti in the 12 Hours of Sebring race a few weeks before (with a cast on his foot from a motorcycle accident). That car became the camera car for Le Mans.
He was a real racer. Imagine the intrigue of finally getting to make a major motion picture about it. He went for maximum authenticity. He wanted the film to tell the real story of what his love was all about. This would be the crowning jewel of his career, and arguably his life.
But it all went wrong. Production ran way over budget and time. Of course the scenes captured at the actual race weren't sufficient to make a movie with a story, so months of additional filming ensued, and by most accounts the process had little to no direction. Steve wasn't interested in much of a story beyond the race itself, for which his perfectionism in getting the details right drove the crew bonkers. Over 1 million feet of film was used as he tried to orchestrate complicated racing maneuvers at authentic race speeds on the track. Other costs mounted. A few severe driving accidents occurred, resulting in one race driver having a career ending leg amputation and another with burns on his face. He ended up getting divorced around that time. One of the biggest writers in Hollywood, who had worked on prior films with Steve, never worked again. The actress who costarred in the movie never worked again.
Everyone thought they were working on a theatrical release. Steve was making an authentic film about racing. He wanted to show what it was like rather than talk about it. He said, a racer can't explain why he races, but he can show you. Eventually the financiers backing the production brought in a new director and relieved Steve of all control. The film was finished and released, still with very little dialog, and not much more than hints of a greater story or context beyond that one race. In later years it became a cult film due in large part to how accurately things were portrayed, but at the box office it was a failure, only partly being saved by the cachet of McQueen himself as the star.
His acting career continued, but people close to Steve say he was never the same after that. He seemed to lose his passion for driving and filmmaking. Like Icarus, he had flown too close to the sun and fallen. From that point he was going through the motions until dying of cancer in 1980. A cancer that in the ultimate twist of irony some say may have been caused by asbestos in the fire suits he wore as a race driver. He said in a recording that while the cancer may have been caused by those materials, he also felt he was ready to "let go." Not sure if that means give up on life, or what, but it sounds ominous on the recording. It sort of reminds me of how when one spouse dies, the other is sometimes soon to follow, as if when a reason to live is taken away, the body may follow suit.
He lost his wife, his film and several friends. He may well have even lost himself.
Was this negative turning point in his life a result of passion or hubris? I suppose those can be two sides of the same coin in some ways. It would be hard to argue he hadn't lost his objectivity as a filmmaker. But art works that way. The best stuff is inherently not objective. It's passionate. Visionary. Did HE think the film was a failure? I speculate that the outside world's interpretation of success had nothing to do with why he wanted to make that art. And lo and behold, it turns out that it has stood the test of time as the de facto standard against which all subsequent racing films have been measured.
What may look like hubris from one perspective, can in fact just be passion when viewed from another. And vice-versa. But when one's passion starts to result in mounting costs for others, it may well be time for them to take stock and make tough decisions. In the end we all make our choices about how much we will endure, or how much pain we are willing to inflict to fulfill a promise or chase a dream. On either side of that coin these choices are ours. What will you put up with? What are you willing to do?
Steve made his film. It came at great cost to him and others, but he chased his dream and got something close. While there may have been some regrets surrounding it, he never had to face the regret of not having tried.
"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting." – Steve McQueen
No Wins; You Lose
Published May 7, 2016	Career , Common Sense , Happiness , Relations , Self 4 Comments
Tags: Choices, Common Sense, Decisions, Happiness, Initiative, Perspective, Self, Self Management
No inherently wins over yes. Take almost any group of people who weigh in on what to do. If the vote is split, "no" will win. Such a shame because most of the best stuff comes from yes.
Yes is nearly always a risk. A beautiful risk to thwart the status quo. To grow or add something.
No keeps us where we are, which is ironic because many who are most prone to saying no aren't usually that happy with where they are. Coincidence?
No is a self-fulfilling prophecy. So is yes. Should you choose to take the risk of yes, or let no win? The comforting news is you can do either.


UOW Shoalhaven is currently seeking a full time Administration Officer. The position will be based at our Shoalhaven Campus and will report to the Campus Manager. This position provides frontline quality customer service to create a positive and engaging experience for students, staff and visitors.
This Administration Officer is responsible for the delivery of timely, efficient and high-level customer service to students, staff and visitors and assisting with the student support services working in a dynamic team environment for the Shoalhaven. This position also provides administrative support for campus events and processes.
For further information about this position, please contact Teresa Bourke, Campus Manager on + 61 2 4448 0874.


Check out this 2 bedroom home with a large yard for the kids/pets or to entertain. There is a 2 car detached garage along with a 1 car detached garage with lots of storage room. Home being sold in ''AS IS'' condition.


text:
Home News Gadgets
iPhone 8: 5 Exciting Features We Can't Wait To See
iPhone 8 is expected to arrive with many new features. Here are the biggest and most exciting changes that are supposed to be introduced in the next iPhone.
The rumors about the iPhone 8 are spreading like fire on the internet. Last year, the world saw iPhone 7 which was a huge hit as expected. Android users also have plenty to look forward to in the first half of 2017.
Apple fans are still eight months away from getting their hands on Apple's tenth anniversary iPhone, and it is expected to arrive with many new features. So, in this article, we will go through the biggest and most exciting changes expected on this year's iPhone 8
Well, we have seen that Apple releases iPhones which are nearly identical. So, Apple holds the best ideas for the iPhone 8. Rumors from every reputable source claim that iPhone 8 will feature a top-to-bottom design overhaul. iPhone 8 will not have the home button, and the various functions of the home button will be replaced with 3D Touch gestures.
Several rumors claim that Apple will shift from an LCD panel to an OLED panel in the upcoming iPhone 8. Moreover, just like Samsung's recent Galaxy flagship devices, iPhone 8 will feature a flexible panel that curves on either side at the edges.
Apple's iPhone 8 is going to be powerful. Maybe, the powerful smartphone ever. Apple is expected to feature new 10-nanometer A11 Fusion chipset in upcoming iPhone 8, and faster NAND flash memory. We have already shared an article on A11 Chipset.
The reports from Ming-Chi Kuo states that Apple will include a facial recognition feature in iPhone 8. Here's what the report indicates:
"Judging by the bio-recognition patents that Apple has applied for, we believe it is leaning toward facial recognition technology rather than iris recognition. However, we note that the technical challenges of facial recognition include: (1) algorithms; (2) hardware design; and (3) the build-out of a database for verification and authentication, which could be time-consuming. As such, before Apple can fully replace the fingerprint system with facial recognition, a combination of the two steps of bio-recognition could be a valid solution for enhancing transactions security."
So, adding a facial recognition feature would add another layer of safety to the upcoming iPhone device.
We already saw that iPhone 7 and 7 Plus eliminated the earphone port and introduced wireless AirPods. So, the rumors also claim that iPhone is testing wireless charging technology. The technology will let a user charge iPhone wirelessly by a unique base station from across a room at the distance of up to 15 feet.
So, these are the biggest and most exciting changes that are expected to be introduced in the next iPhone. Did we miss anything? Discuss with us in the comment box below.
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