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My Pledge
My #PledgeToListen
I pledge to listen to you. Will you listen to me?
I pledge to listen to others who hold different opinions, views or beliefs. I will try to understand their reasons and their perspectives and will respectfully express my own in return. That's it.
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Terms and Conditions - Free Trip to Egypt
1) DESCRIPTION OF THE CAMPAIGN. The #PledgeToListen campaign (the "Campaign") is sponsored by Kindness Films, Grabenstrasse 1, CH-8952, Switzerland ("Sponsor"). The winner of the Campaign will receive a Grand Prize Package as more specifically described below. The Contest begins at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time ("ET") on September 23rd, 2018 and ends at 18:00 ET on May 31st, 2019 (the "Campaign Period"). Sponsor will select the Campaign winner in accordance with the procedures set forth below and will announce such winner before July 1st, 2019. By participating in the Campaign, each entrant unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor, which shall be final and binding in all respects.
2) WHO MAY ENTER. The Campaign is open only to those who are (1) 18 years of age or older at the time of entry and (2) not a member of SAG, AFTRA or any other guild that would prohibit entrant from rendering the services contemplated herein. Directors, officers and employees, and their immediate family members, or those living in the same household as such directors, officers and employees, of Sponsor, Kindness FIlms or their respective parent, affiliated, or subsidiary companies, agents or representatives (collectively "Promotion Entities") are not eligible to enter or win. The Campaign is void where restricted or prohibited by law.
3) HOW TO ENTER.To participate in the Campaign, you must access the campaign website below.
https://www.freetriptoegypt/pledgetolisten
During the Campaign Period, you need to click "Take the Pledge Now" button and enter your name and email address in order to be considered eligible and accept the terms and conditions. Newsletter signup is optional and not required for eligibility.
4) WINNER SELECTION / JUDGING. Points will be awarded during the Campaign Period for various actions:
Forwarding the Pledge
People taking the Pledge that was forwarded by the entrant
At the end of the Campaign, the Grand Prize Winner will be the one with the most points. If two or more people have the same amount of points. The Grand Prize Winner will be randomly selected among the Entrants.
5) PRIZES. The Grand Prize consists of (1) a round-trip coach airfare(for two) departing from and returning to a major international airport subject to Sponsor's discretion and is non-transferable and non-exchangeable; (2) One room in a four or five star hotel for two people;
All other expenses of the trip not specified herein shall be the sole responsibility of Prize Winner including, without limitation, gratuities, baggage fees, meals and transportation not provided by Sponsor(including, but not limited to, transportation costs to and from the major international airport and Prize Winner's residence), and/or any personal purchases. The travel dates must fall between July 10th, 2019 - December 15th, 2019.
Travel must be booked and confirmed by July 1st, 2019 through airlines chosen by the Sponsor. If the potential prizewinner does not book and provide proof of booking to the Sponsor, by July 1st, 2019, then such potential prizewinner shall forfeit the prize in its entirety and an alternate prizewinner may be selected from the remaining eligible entries received.
The prize restrictions/conditions stated herein are not all inclusive and the prize described above may be subject to additional restrictions/conditions, which may be stated in the "Affidavit/Publicity Release" (as defined below) and/or other travel documents.
The Grand Prize Winner and his or her travel companions must travel together on the same itinerary and must possess all required travel documents, including visas and valid passports, if and as applicable. Airfare may not include government taxes, Passenger Facility Charge or September 11th Security Fee. Airline tickets are non-refundable/non-transferable and are not valid for upgrades and/or frequent flyer miles. Other travel restrictions and blackout dates may apply. All airline tickets are subject to the vagaries of flight variation, work stoppages, and schedule or route changes.
Airline ticket arrangements shall be provided by Sponsor. The Sponsor is responsible for arranging Winner and his or her companion's airline tickets according to these official rules. Grand Prize flight arrangements must be made through the Sponsor. The Winner and his or her companion agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor from and against any claim or cause of action, including, but not limited to, personal injury, death, or damage to or loss of property, arising out of participation in this Campaign.
6) GENERAL PRIZE CONDITIONS. Prize will be awarded only if the potential winner fully complies with these Official Rules. All costs, including federal, state and local taxes, insurance, and other expenses not specifically identified as included in the Grand Prize, are the sole responsibility of the winner. No transfer, assignment, cash redemption or substitution of prizes (or portion of prize) except by Sponsor due to prize unavailability and then for a prize (or applicable portion of prize) of equal or greater value as determined by Sponsor. All details and other restrictions of prizes not specified in these Official Rules will be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.
7) RULES GOVERNING POTENTIAL WINNERS. The potential Winning Contestant will be notified by e-mail following Sponsor's determination of winner and/or by regular mail and/or by telephone promptly following the selection of the winner. Winners may be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability/Publicity Release within seven (7) days following the date of attempted notification. If a selected winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim a prize, and/or fails to return any Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability/Publicity Release (if required), within the applicable time period, Sponsor may elect to disqualify the selected winner, who will then forfeit his or her right to receive the Prize Package. By accepting a prize, the Winning Contestant agrees that Sponsor may, without any limitation or further compensation, use his or her name, screen name, voice and/or likeness in any and all media for the purpose of advertising and promoting the Website, the Contest, the Program or any other promotion, or Contest sponsored by the Promotion Entities.
8) DATES & DEADLINES / ANTICIPATED NUMBER OF CONTESTANTS. Because of the unique nature and scope of the Campaign, Sponsor reserves the right, in addition to those other rights reserved herein, to modify any date(s) or deadline(s) set forth in these Official Rules or otherwise governing the Contest. Sponsor cannot accurately predict the number of Contestants who will participate in the Contest.
9) LICENSE. By participating in the Campaign, in addition to any other rights which may be granted in any other agreement entered into between Sponsor and any entrant in or winner of the Campaign, each entrant irrevocably grants the Promotion Entities and their respective successors, assigns and licensees, the right to use such entrant's name in any and all media for the promotion of the Contest, and hereby release the Promotion Entities from any liability with respect thereto.
10) IMPORTANT. PLEASE READ - GENERAL RELEASE AND LIMITATIONS ON LIABILITY.By receipt of any prize, winners agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor and its respective subsidiaries, affiliates, suppliers, distributors, advertising/promotion agencies, and prize suppliers, and its parent companies and each such company's officers, directors, employees and agents (collectively, the "Released Parties") from and against any claim or cause of action, including, but not limited to, personal injury, death, or damage to or loss of property, arising out of participation in the Contest or receipt or use or misuse of any prize.
11) GOVERNING LAW. ALL ISSUES AND QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION, VALIDITY, INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEABILITY OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES, OR THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF ENTRANTS OR SPONSOR IN CONNECTION WITH THE CAMPAIGN OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY DESIGN SUBMISSION OR OTHER MATERIAL SUBMITTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CAMPAIGN, SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO ANY CHOICE OF LAW OF CONFLICT OF LAW RULES OR PROVISIONS THAT WOULD CAUSE THE APPLICATION OF ANY OTHER STATE'S LAWS. THE INVALIDITY OR UNENFORCEABILITY OF ANY PROVISION OF THESE RULES SHALL NOT AFFECT THE VALIDITY OR ENFORCEABILITY OF ANY OTHER PROVISION. IN THE EVENT THAT ANY PROVISION IS DETERMINED TO BE INVALID OR OTHERWISE UNENFORCEABLE OR ILLEGAL, THESE RULES SHALL OTHERWISE REMAIN IN EFFECT AND SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR TERMS AS IF THE INVALID OR ILLEGAL PROVISION WERE NOT CONTAINED HEREIN.
12) ARBITRATION PROVISION. By participating in this Campaign, each entrant agree that any and all disputes the entrant may have with, or claims you may have against, the Promotion Entities relating to, arising out of or connected in any way with (i) the Campaign, and/or (ii) the awarding or redemption of any prize, and/or (iii) the exploitation or use of any Submission or other material submitted in connection with the Campaign, will be resolved individually and exclusively by final and binding arbitration. The arbitration will be conducted in accordance with the American Arbitration Association's ("AAA") Commercial Arbitration Rules as modified by the terms of this Agreement. If an entrant has any questions about the American Arbitration Association, or wishes to obtain a copy of the AAA's rules and forms, such entrant may call (800) 778-7879 or visit the AAA's website at www.adr.org. The arbitration shall take place in New York, NY before a single arbitrator, selected pursuant to such rules, and shall be conducted on an expedited basis and in strict confidence. The arbitrator selected pursuant to these Official Rules shall be well acquainted with the entertainment industry, and shall not have the power to impose punitive damages. Each party hereby waives any and all rights and benefits which it might otherwise have or be entitled to under federal law or the laws of New York or any other state to litigate any such dispute in court, it being the intention of the parties to arbitrate all such disputes. The arbitrator's decision shall be controlled by the terms and conditions of these Official Rules, and any other agreements the applicable entrant may have entered into with Sponsor in connection with the Campaign, and shall be final and binding, and shall provide for each party to bear its own costs of arbitration and attorneys' fees. EACH PARTY EXPRESSLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO A JURY. Judgment upon the award of the arbitrator may be entered or enforced in any court of competent jurisdiction. If either party fails to appear at the hearing on the date designated in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, or shall otherwise fail to participate in the arbitration proceeding, the arbitrator is hereby empowered to proceed ex parte. If you do not agree to these requirements (or any other provision herein), do not participate in the Campaign. If any part of this Arbitration Provision is deemed to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, the balance of this Arbitration Provision shall remain in effect and shall be construed in accordance with its terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein.
13) LIST OF WINNERS.The name of the winner of this Campaign will be posted on the campaign web site once such winner has been selected.
Your information will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy and our Cookie Policy.
Would you like to receive occasional email updates about the film and the #PledgeToListen?
Mariama Bah pledged 2018-09-25 17:03:26 -0400
Because we are all the same
Amire Ramadani pledged 2018-09-25 16:57:14 -0400
Because there are so many people in my school that just don't want to deal with other religions and culture so it was really hard for me at the begging but then I started to listen and some of them started to kinda listen and we became friends without even thinking about it and I wanna let you know that WE ALL ARE THE SAME NO METER THE CULTURE OR THE RELIGION
Stephanie Walker pledged 2018-09-25 16:46:54 -0400
Yadiann Rivera pledged 2018-09-25 16:43:37 -0400
Because i believe we should all listen to each other.
Ajok Lual pledged 2018-09-25 16:38:03 -0400
Diavionne Preston pledged 2018-09-25 16:15:32 -0400
I signed the pledge because I believe this is a pledge that should be required since we as people usually forget to listen to other's opinions and views with respect! We all need to learn how to sit down together and converse with one another respectful because we are all the equal and created by God, so to him we should do this because he would not want us to be anything but kind, respectful, and loving towards each other!
Oc pledged 2018-09-25 16:12:34 -0400
I think there's a good majority of humans THINK and IMAGINE who or what certain people are, so for that to change I think LISTENING and LEARNING about those certain people is the solution. #PLEDGETOLISTEN
Maryam Din pledged 2018-09-25 15:44:12 -0400
I beleive that unity should be spread even through a movie
Heidi Thomson pledged 2018-09-25 14:40:45 -0400
We all come from the same place… each individual has desires, dreams, love, kindness, smiles… it's only through sitting down and sharing… listening… that we see and recognize ourselves in the hearts and souls of others.
Stephen Kemp pledged 2018-09-25 14:30:58 -0400
The film's message as well as #PledgeToListen are wonderful: to create and maintain an open, positive dialogue. Making the world a better place, one voice at a time.
Jamie Weece pledged via Jason Reynolds 2018-09-25 12:07:45 -0400
Yvon Arendsen pledged 2018-09-25 11:13:46 -0400
Fatthima Ahmed pledged via Jason Reynolds 2018-09-25 08:03:56 -0400
salma salem pledged 2018-09-25 05:38:32 -0400
to listen is to understand, & to understand, you self reflect & practice many forms of empathy. To listen, is to grow & expand, by doing that, you gain the courage to accept the things you cannot change.
Camden Newton pledged 2018-09-25 05:16:03 -0400
Kaelynn Greene pledged via Jason Reynolds 2018-09-25 05:13:50 -0400
Some times the hardest thing for us to do is just listen. Everyone deserves to be heard. Listening can solve so many problems in the world and put us all on one accord.
Dom Chhan pledged via Jason Reynolds 2018-09-25 02:18:29 -0400
Fatma Abdelgawad pledged via Jason Reynolds 2018-09-24 20:32:56 -0400
Cause Simply We Are All The Same Only Our Personality Define us Nothing Else Matters our choices or way of living is only Our Own Business No One Should be judged For Choosing To Live In A Certain way ♥
Kevin Sharp pledged 2018-09-24 20:23:14 -0400
Telling our stories and having them heard holds the potential for healing.
Tharieldin Abdelwahab pledged 2018-09-24 19:39:22 -0400
Bil Naad pledged via Jason Reynolds 2018-09-24 19:38:41 -0400
Taylor Smith pledged via Jason Reynolds 2018-09-24 18:42:29 -0400
Because regardless of cultural customs or race I feel that everyone has a right to their own opinion and their own ability to express that.
Edie Reynolds pledged 2018-09-24 17:15:25 -0400
We need a world of tolerance. We are not the same, but we are one tribe. Listening costs nothing, but the payoff may be immense. ALL of US want to be heard. It validates us. Listening is an invisible touch, that says, "you matter". We need to develop empathy for each other. We need civility. All of our civilizations are dependent on this, or we will self-destruct. It does not matter your race, color, creed, or station in life. We must practice kindness. Peace, to all reading this.
Oddet Nillar pledged via Jason Reynolds 2018-09-24 16:08:23 -0400
Because I agree with the massage and it is important to practice sympathy
Micquel Brown pledged via Jason Reynolds 2018-09-24 13:44:51 -0400
Melissa Eldridge pledged via Jason Reynolds 2018-09-24 13:23:12 -0400
Jenna Day pledged via Jason Reynolds 2018-09-24 13:18:22 -0400
I signed because Love listens.
Joi McAtee pledged via Jason Reynolds 2018-09-24 12:01:30 -0400
I signed the pledge simply because I believe in loving our neighbors, as thyself!
Adrienne Weiss pledged via Jason Reynolds 2018-09-24 11:36:58 -0400
Katie Appeldorn pledged 2018-09-24 10:31:52 -0400
These days, everything is polarized, and people are pulling farther apart. If we actually listened to each other, instead of name calling, we would find out that we want the same things and have the same needs.


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Joseph McLaughlin (June 9, 1867 – November 21, 1926) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

Biography
Joseph McLaughlin was born in Burt, County Donegal, Ireland on June 9, 1867.  He immigrated to the United States and settled in Philadelphia in 1889.  He was employed as a mechanic in the Baldwin Locomotive Works and became shop superintendent of his department.

McLaughlin was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-fifth Congress.   As a saloon keeper he voted against Prohibition while a member of the House. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1918.  He was elected to the Sixty-seventh Congress.  He was not a candidate for renomination in 1922.

He died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 21, 1926.  Interment in Holy Cross Cemetery, Yeadon, Pennsylvania.

Sources

External links

References

1867 births
1926 deaths
Politicians from County Donegal
Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923)
Politicians from Philadelphia
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
75 Best Country Songs For Your Wedding
as seen at The Bride Link | click here to see the full feature |
Jamie Weiss Photography
click here to see the full feature
A great country song will never go out of style! It's no surprise that southern couples are always looking for the best country songs for their wedding, and whether it's a brand new country hit or a timeless classic country song, there are so many great choices out there.
The permanent link to your Aisle Society portfolio is: http://www.aislesociety.com/vendors/rudy-marta-photography

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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FeaturesMusic Interviews
Nerve: "It's the season for people to be tall poppies at the thing that they love"
On 'Tall Poppy Season', the Brisbane rap multi-hyphenate adds R&B to his toolbox and opens up about "real shit"
By Cyclone Wehner
Credit: Luis Campbell
Brisbane's Nerve, aka Toby Nicholls, leads a double-life. In Australian hip-hop circles, he's renowned as a brazen rapper, producer, multitasker and communal champion, with a jocular social media presence and distinctive image – wild hair, petrol station-shades, abs.
But Nerve has also been anonymously studying electrical engineering on and off for eons. Just don't probe him about whether he's finished his course. "People have been asking me that a lot," he cringes. "I generally decline to answer, but no. I've had a reminder on my phone that goes off every hour for the last two months to call uni and figure out what's going on, because they've changed the structure of the degree – 'cause I've been there for so long."
Chatting to NME over Zoom on a Wednesday, Nerve – wearing a headset and long-sleeved black Mascon Echoes T-shirt – is content to be addressed as either Toby or by his rap tag. "The only person I wouldn't want to call me 'Nerve' is probably someone that I'm intimately involved with – that would really weird me out," he quips. He's dialling in from a dimly lit hotel room in Sydney, one he booked after performing at Wollongong's "sick" Yours And Owls festival. "I needed just some alone time and to go to the gym," he explains. The night before, Nerve was in a session with rising alt-R&B star BOY SODA and DJ Club Angel at Sony Studios, where they worked on "a full punk song".
The loquacious Nerve jumps from topic to topic in conversation – which fits his restless artistry. In less than five years the MC has independently released an album, three EPs and several singles. Nerve relishes roll-outs – and now he's plugging his most personal project in 'Tall Poppy Season'.
"When you're making the music, the whole process is kind of like checking yourself and cutting away at stuff and criticising yourself. But, then, when you put it out, you just get all the love back from the people that were waiting for the music. So I'm keen for that – and I'm keen to show people a new chapter in what I'm doing, because I think I've changed a lot as an artist over the last year." Still, opening up emotionally is "scary", he says.
A self-proclaimed "straight-A nerd in high school", Nerve started university in 2014. But he became obsessed with recreating US hip-hop, which he consumed through his teens. "I'm not afraid to admit it – I didn't listen to heaps of Australian music growing up, especially hip-hop," Nerve volunteers. "So I was learning about the Australian scene as I was entering it." He developed his high-energy gutter rap and studio skills as a member of the underground Brisbane crew Syntax Junkies. Along the way, he befriended the influential Kyel Golly, founder of the local NO.ONE NETWORK collective. Initially an old school purist, Nerve had cut boom-bap tracks, raiding his dad's record collection for samples and deeming anything else "toy".
But on a whim, he attempted UK grime – and liked the results. In early 2017 Nerve premiered with the solo 'Snot Rocket', Golly filming the impromptu video around suburban West End. "It's funny as," Nerve starts. "I went out bush for two days – I was working on a cotton and chickpea farm – and I checked Facebook and I had 40,000 views!" The following year, he dropped a debut album, 'Sober'.
"I'm keen to show people a new chapter in what I'm doing, because I think I've changed a lot as an artist over the last year"
Nerve has fostered camaraderie throughout his career, considering it vital to hip-hop. Indeed, many of his biggest moments have been collabs. He has worked extensively with both Tasmania's Wombat and Sydney grime don ChillinIt – actually mixing the latter's album 'Women Weed & Wordplay'. He has had a unique rapport with JK-47, who won a freestyle competition Nerve judged for BODYBAGMEDIA. JK-47 then featured on Nerve's 'Sunday Roast', a triple j anthem.
Nerve admires the First Nations MC not just for his bars (JK's BODYBAGMEDIA verses were "butter", he enthuses), but also his sense of purpose. "He went from feeling like a little bro to a big bro – in the way that he's grown up and in how prophetic he is when he speaks these days. His plans are bigger than music. He's out here trying to change the world. I got mad respect for that – and that's inspiring me. He inspires me a lot to look outwards and get away from being self-absorbed when it comes to music."
In 2019, Nerve generated global buzz with an Aussie remix of British grime rapper Aitch's huge 'Taste (Make It Shake)' alongside Hooligan Hefs. He was set to build on that momentum last year as a support on Aitch's inaugural Antipodean tour. Its cancellation due to COVID-19 left Nerve "pretty gutted": "I knew I was gonna show him beats."
In March Nerve announced an EP, 'Australian Horror Story', as his first release with the distro co Believe, led by sinister and properly grimy lead single 'Migraines'. But he was soon contacted by another Australian rapper – one he declines to name – who'd used the same EP title months earlier. "Long story short, they weren't stoked," Nerve rues.
Nerve explained that he couldn't change the EP so late, "trying to be respectful". But he felt increasingly uneasy. "I never want someone to hear my music and be like, 'Oh, that's like this' or be associated with anyone in a way that makes it look like they've influenced my music enough to take away from my originality. I wanna be my own thing." Nerve adds, "That might just sound cocky."
Nerve hastily formulated an alternative concept: 'Tall Poppy Season'. He subverts Australia's culture of tearing down high-achievers – or tall poppy syndrome – instead extolling positivity, confidence and self-realisation. "It's the season for people to be tall poppies at the thing that they love," Nerve declares. "I want people to try and find their passion and excel at that." He reunites with JK-47 for the heater 'One In A Million', amplifying the theme of empowerment. "I wanted to allow space for both of us to touch on topics that we wanted to speak about that were more serious than just a party track – but I also wanted it to bang."
Nerve and JK-47. Credit: Luis Campbell
Nerve regards himself as a musician and remains determined to always "switch it up" sonically and broaden his audience – necessarily challenging the long-term fanbase he dubs "the fam". On 'Tall Poppy Season', Nerve introduces an R&B element and is properly singing – encouraged by vocalists he's connected with, like Liyah Knight.
'Who That? (Know Me)' veers into acoustic pop, Nerve co-producing with Sydney's 18YOMAN, whose credits include Kid Cudi. In the fourth instalment of his 'Walk & Talk' series, with frenetic go-go horns, Nerve breaks into a vocal run. "I'm just trying to diversify in general, but find my own way to do it – and I also have to ease the people that already listen to my music into that."
"I was learning about the Australian scene as I was entering it"
Crucially, Nerve is no longer merely "rapping about rapping" but tackling "real shit": success, pressure, relationships, responsibility and anxiety. "Music was fun and I was playing with it and having fun for the first few years, but it's therapy for me now," Nerve reveals. "Recently I've gone into a studio and just poured my heart out and then come out feeling a lot better."
Though irreverent on Instagram, Nerve dispels any notion that he's cultivated a persona – the gags are a defence mechanism if anything. "I like taking the piss and I don't like taking things too seriously and I like making jokes and being funny. But, at the same time, I have realised in myself, through introspection, that I do use that as a defence mechanism against feeling shit or dealing with shit."
Nerve will tour nationally behind 'Tall Poppy Season' with "special guests" in tow. "I just wanna tear shit up as much as possible!" And the maverick has another goal – to become a techno DJ. "I have a dream of having some other alias where I just go to really crazy clubs in Berlin or Japan and go super-hard on techno and no one knows who I am," he says. "It'd be great."
Nerve's 'Tall Poppy Season' is out May 21


text:
January 5, 2015 / 1:00 PM / 5 years ago
Merck-NewLink Ebola vaccine trial resumes at lower dose: Geneva hospital
GENEVA (Reuters) - The clinical trial of an Ebola vaccine developed by Merck and NewLink resumed on Monday at a lower dose after a pause to assess complaints of joint pains in some volunteers, the University of Geneva hospital said.
An Ebola outbreak, the worst on record of the highly infectious hemorrhagic fever, has killed over 7,900 people over the past year, with more than 20,000 cases recorded mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The virus is still spreading in West Africa, especially in Sierra Leone.
The Geneva hospital announced on Dec. 11 that its vaccine trial had been suspended as a precautionary measure after four patients complained of joint pains. On Monday, the hospital said 10 of 59 volunteers who received the vaccine had felt pains in their joints "similar to rheumatism" after some two weeks, but these symptoms had disappeared rapidly without any treatment.
Swissmedic, the Swiss regulatory agency, and ethics and safety committees have approved the resumption of the trial at a lower dose, the hospital said in a statement.
"The second part of this clinical trial will now test a dose of 300,000 vaccine particles, which should be better tolerated by volunteers and will hopefully trigger the production of enough antibodies," it said, noting that the initial phase had 10 million to 50 million vaccine particles.
"Fortunately", it said, the Merck-NewLink candidate vaccine "seems able to induce the production of antibodies at lower doses than those previously used" in the Geneva trial.
Vaccinations have now resumed for the last 56 volunteers, who will receive either a low dose of the vaccine or a placebo, by groups of 15 each week through January, it said.
Geneva researchers are constantly exchanging information with teams carrying out similar studies in Canada, Gabon, Germany and the United States, the hospital said. Final results are expected in March 2015.
A separate trial of a GlaxoSmithKline Ebola vaccine on 120 volunteers has proved "satisfactory", the University of Lausanne Hospital said on Dec. 11.
Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Mark Heinrich


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Freight Forwarders deliberate on maintaining relevance in a turbulent global supply chain
The Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) has held its 25th Annual General Meeting in the Eastern Regional Capital town of Koforidua to deliberate on how freight forwarders can maintain their relevance in a turbulent global supply chain.
Speaking at the event, the Omanhene of New Juaben, Daasebre Nana Kwaku Boateng III, appealed to freight forwarders, to be honest in their dealings with importers and refrain from acts of distortion.
The President of GIFF, Eddy Akrong, said in maintaining the freight forwarders' relevance, efforts should not be spared from venturing into ICT solutions whose dividend would endear freight forwarders' to the trader.
He appealed to the Minister of Transport to bring to finality some unjustifiable shipping line charges.
Eddy Akrong said the GIFF research hub which was recently launched would make available research data to tackle challenges and also provide solutions to issues within the port and shipping industry.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers' Authority, Benonita Bismarck, revealed that the Authority in collaboration with the Committee of Freight Forwarder Associations (COFFA) and the Ghana Union of Traders Association had engaged the shipping lines in order to streamline processes and address the general service quality issues within the cargo clearance space with the view to stemming the tide of arbitrariness in the introduction and increases in tariff.
She further disclosed that the 2021 estimates of the amount of demurrage paid by shippers in Ghana showed a significant decline to $19 million and that the Authority will continue to pursue a further reduction to the barest minimum in the interest of shippers, especially with the recent increases in the daily demurrage rates by some shipping lines coupled with the current exchange rate volatility.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr. Seth Kwame Acheampong, commended freight forwarders for their immense role in the global supply chain.
"The various roles and activities carried out by the freight forwarder make him indispensable in the current global supply chain. From Customs Brokerage to compliance, networking, scheduling, inventory management, warehousing, administration and documentation, the freight forwarder clearly maintains his relevance in the current turbulent global supply chain," he noted.
The Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, averred that to ensure a competitive business environment, there is the need to harmonize and standardize shipping line charges, negotiate for minimum service standards and more importantly, build strong regulatory framework for enforcement and compliance.
This, according to him, will ensure non-proliferation of charges at the Ports, arbitrary increases of charges, improved service quality and value for money.
Leveraging on technology and building capacity and partnerships across the global supply value chain, he said could provide a competitive advantage in service provision.
"I therefore want to take this opportunity to urge the Institute to provide the needed support and capacity building to ensure that members are abreast with modern trends in the industry," he stated.
Kwaku Ofori Asiamah revealed that the Ghana Shippers Authority Act has some inefficiencies, which precluded them from exercising their Authority, therefore, the Act would be amended to give them more power.
He noted that sustainable shipping is the future of the industry, hence, the need to ensure that the maritime industry evolves along that trajectory.
"Ensuring environmental friendly ports, and promoting regulations for green shipping through technology and renewable energy along the shipping value chain are some of the interventions being pursued by Government. Therefore, ensuring green logistics operations across the logistics value chain is a strategy that we must all pursue in our various capacities," he stated.
Over 90 exhibitors arrive for 7th West Africa agrofood & plastprintpack in Accra
African Legends Night unveils music legends hall of fame
Freight forwarders want GCNet system restored over challenges with UNIPASS
AGI's claims of 'rot' at ports unfair – GUTA


text:
Careers Connect Media Blog
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AI for Social Good
Harnessing the power of AI to meet global challenges.
The Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence is an independent, non-profit research institute and global hub, developing AI solutions for social good.
Currently, our focus areas are:
At Wadhwani AI, the people we are working to help, stay at the core of everything we do. Based in India, we have direct access to local communities and other stakeholders which gives us a uniquely empathetic, deeply-rooted understanding of the challenge. Our team uses its global lens to then create solutions that are applicable across the world. And we measure our success based on the impact we are able to catalyse.
At Wadhwani AI, we measure our success based on our impact, and keep the communities we are trying to help, at the core of our solutions.
To identify the areas in which AI can make a difference, we collaborate closely with our partners such as non-profit organisations, governments, companies and academic and research institutes. Working with them, we build datasets, develop and test solutions, iterate, and scale.
We push our innovations out of the lab and into the field quickly. We interact frequently with beneficiaries, users, and decision makers in order to develop insights critical to our AI efforts.
Our work is open access and free for use towards improving the lives of others.
Our mission is to also facilitate an active dialogue between the research community and the broader public to explore the ethical dimensions of AI research and implementation. It is important to us to establish guidelines for the use of AI, so we can ensure and publish best practices, keeping in mind the well-being of those who are most vulnerable in our society.
AI-based solutions must work within broader systems and programs
Despite the global attention and the expectations placed on it, the benefits of Artificial Intelligence will be limited to less than 50 per cent of humanity - those who are economically comfortable and are able to access it. More than half of humanity still lives under in poverty or near-poverty and the vast power of AI is not likely to affect their lives.
Unless we do something about it.
The premise behind what we are doing at Wadhwani AI is the belief that AI can help address the knowledge and expertise gap that limits progress in improving the lives of economically-challenged communities. Our mission is to develop and apply AI-based innovations and solutions for a broad range of societal domains including healthcare, agriculture education, infrastructure, and financial inclusion.
Currently, our work focuses on creating solutions for three problem areas:
In this age of AI, a key component of global public health is empowering primary health facilities and health workers with technology to improve maternal and child health.
Despite remarkable improvements over the past decade, enough significant progress has not been achieved on some problems. For example, low birth weight babies account for 48 per cent of newborn deaths. At Wadhwani AI, we are creating a smartphone- based anthropometry technology which will allow frontline workers to screen for low birth weight babies in rural homes. This AI-powered virtual weighing machine will provide accurate, tamper-proof, geo-tagged measurements on a smartphone. There is no need for additional hardware or data connectivity.
We currently have a preliminary proof of concept working in the simulation environment and are targeting field experiments starting August 2019.
More people die of tuberculosis than of HIV and malaria put together.
In 2016, there were 10.4 million new active TB cases and 1.7 million deaths worldwide.
It is estimated that as many as 50% of TB cases may go unreported and unknown.
In January 2019, Wadhwani AI became the official AI partner for India's Central Tuberculosis Division. What works to our advantage is the fact that circumstances are conducive to our work – there already exist a centralised strategy and execution; dedicated government staff and budgets; support from organisations such as WHO; strong digital infrastructure, and multiple touch-points across a patient's journey.
Now, we are creating technologies to address multiple challenges across the cascade of TB care, starting with:
(1) Case load estimation at the district level using a variety of risk and transmission factors to help identify missing cases
(2) Prioritisation of TB patients for health workers through stratification of the risk of drop-off from treatment
Cotton Farming
Cotton is one of the largest cash crops grown globally. It is India's third largest crop after rice and wheat and 75% of it is grown by small-holder farmers who struggle with uncertainty in yield and income. One of the critical challenges they face is the inability to manage pests despite heavy usage of pesticide. Nearly 1,000 cotton farmers committed suicide in 2017-18 after a pink bollworm attack destroyed 40% of their yield.
At Wadhwani AI, we are working towards creating technologies that will help reduce crop losses through integrated pest management.
We have already developed algorithms that detect two major pests, and have completed field demos in partnership with the Better Cotton Initiative and the Government of Maharashtra.
We aim to develop a more comprehensive pest management tool ready for testing by October 2019.
Join us in bringing AI to the underserved billions. Our partnerships engage diverse capabilities, perspectives, and enable us to tackle big problems.
Our partnerships engage diverse capabilities and perspectives, enabling and empowering us to solve large, complex problems. Our team collaborates with, and hosts researchers and research groups from some of the world's leading institutions.
We have research collaborations with Carnegie Mellon University, New York University, Stanford University, the University of Southern California, and the University of Washington.
As a global hub for open innovation, Wadhwani AI welcomes faculty researchers, postdocs, and student interns and connects them with domain experts and organizations working in areas of their interest. If you are interested in joining our team, please look at our careers page for open positions.
Social Impact Partners
As a global hub for open innovation, Wadhwani AI welcomes faculty researchers, postdocs, and student interns - and connects them with domain experts and organizations working on problems of their interest. If you are interested in joining our team, please look at our careers page for open positions.
Our mission is to also facilitate an active dialogue between the research community and the broader public to explore the ethical dimensions of AI research and implementation. It is important to us to establish guidelines for the use of AI, so we can ensure and publish best practices, keeping in mind the wellbeing of those who are most vulnerable in our society.
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Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence ©


Today is definitely a "Skies out, thighs out" kinds of day. We're not in Fall yet and it has been a scorcher!
I felt like a desert commando in my camo shorts and boots and this roll-top ASOS backpack brought the whole idea home. It's rugged and utilitarian and you can fit a ton of stuff in it. Tank tops and shorts are classic Summer fare, but the boots are what bring it to another level. Try mixing up your Summer footwear and you'd be surprised how much it can change your whole outfit. Oxfords, boat shoes, sneakers and boots. Each one says something different and it's the unexpected choice that is often the coolest.
Heading to CT this weekend to take a break from the city heat. What are your plans to keep cool through the end of Summer?


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We moved house and wired up our cooker that had been in storage for 3 years. Having done this we found it kept tripping the fuses. Not knowing anyone in the area we turned to the which reviews and are glad we did. Lee Services were prompt in their replies and soon got our cooker working again. Very reasonable charge too.
If the current number of outstanding reviews are not testament already to Ray (Lee Services) then let this one add to them. Ray's knowledge, honestly, helpfulness and professionalism made it a pleasure to have him attend to the issues in my house. My oven required a new element, washing machine a new seal and freezer a hinge repair, all of which were no problem for Ray. Ray's quality of work is second to none and it is no wonder he is constantly sold out! I will make sure to give Ray a call anything goes wrong again. Look no further if you require an professional and knowledgeable engineer!
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I contacted Rangemaster because I needed a repair to the grill on my 10 year old range cooker, but their customer services were worse than useless. Luckily I Saw Ray's van (Lee Services) parked in the street with the Which logo on the side, so as I needed a repair I checked him out and saw his good reviews before I contacted him. I'm glad I did. He has a pleasant manner and he managed to get the part and carry out the repair in good time. He did an excellent job at a reasonable price and he will be the first person I call the next time I need a kitchen appliance repaired.
Ray checked out our 10 year old washing machine that was no longer spinning properly. He diagnosed the need for an expensive spare part and advised we should buy a new washer. All for a modest call out charge. He then went on to our daughter's place as, in the same week, her dishwasher 'blew up'. He had no hesitation in telling her that it was very old and not worth repairing. Again for a modest call out charge. We were sorry that the devices were irreparable, but very glad to have an honest assessment. The 'yes' button, below is not working but WE WOULD RECOMMEND THIS TRADER.


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Settled agriculture began in Ethiopia some 2,000 years ago. Since time immemorial, coffee Arabica has been grown in the wild forests of the southwestern massive highlands of the Kaffa and Buno district of the country. Ethiopia is the primary centre of origin and genetic diversity of the Arabica coffee plant, earlier known as jasminum arabicum laurifolia.
The story of coffee has its beginnings in Ethiopia, the original home of the coffee plant; coffee Arabica, which still grows wild in the forest of the highlands. While nobody is sure exactly how coffee was originally discovered as a beverage, it is believed that its cultivation and use began as early as the 9th century. Some authorities claim that it was cultivated in the Yemen earlier, around AD 575. The only thing that seems certain is that it originated in Ethiopia, from where it traveled to Yemen about 600 years ago, and from Arabia it began its journey around the world.
Among the many legends that have developed concerning the origin of coffee, one of the most popular accounts is that of Kaldi, an Abyssinian goatherd, who lived around AD 850. One day he observed his goats behaving in abnormally exuberant manner, skipping, rearing on their hind legs and bleating loudly. He noticed they were eating the bright red berries that grew on the green bushes nearby.
Kaldi tried a few himself, and soon felt a novel sense of elation. He filled his pockets with the berries and ran home to announce his discovery to his wife. 'They are heaven sent,' she declared. 'You must take them to the Monks in the monastery.' Kaldi presented the chief Monk with a handful of berries and related his discovery of their miraculous effect. "Devil's work!'' exclaimed the monk, and hurled the berries in the fire. Within minutes the monastery filled with the heavenly aroma of roasting beans, and the other monks gathered to investigate. The beans were raked from the fire and crushed to extinguish the embers. The Monk ordered the grains to be placed in the ewer and covered with hot water to preserve their goodness. That night the monks sat up drinking the rich and fragrant brew, and from that day vowed they would drink it daily to keep them awake during their long, nocturnal devotions.
While the legends attempt to condense the discovery of coffee and its development as a beverage into one story, it is believed that the monks of Ethiopia may have chewed on the berries as a stimulant for centuries before it was brewed as a hot drink.
Another account suggests that coffee was brought to Arabia from Ethiopia, by Sudanese slaves who chewed the berries en route to help them survive the journey. There is some evidence that coffee was ground and mixed with butter, and consumed like chocolate for sustenance, a method reportedly used by the Oromo tribe of Ethiopia, which lends some credence to the story of the Sudanese slaves. The practice of mixing ground coffee beans with ghee (clarified butter) persists to this day in some parts of Kaffa and Sidamo; two of the principle coffee producing regions of Ethiopia, and in Kaffa, from which its name derives, the drink is brewed today with the addition of melted ghee which gives it a distinctive, buttery flavor.
Today Ethiopia is Africa's major exporter of Arabica beans, the quality coffee of the world, and the variety that originated in Ethiopia, is still the only variety grown there. Coffee Arabica, which was identified by the botanist Linnaeus in 1753, is one of the two major species used in most production, and presently accounts around 70 percent of the world's coffee.
The other major species is Coffea Canefora, or Robusta, whose production is increasing now due to better yields from Robusta trees and their hardiness against decease. Robusta coffea is mostly used in blend, but Arabica is the only coffee to be drunk on its own unblended, and this is the type grown and drunk in Ethiopia, the Arabica and Robusta trees both produce crops within 3 – 4 years after planting, and remain productive for 20 – 30 years. Arabica trees flourish ideally in a seasonal climate with a temperature range of 59 – 750 F, whereas Robusta prefers an equatorial climate.
In Ethiopia's province of Kaffa a large proportion of the Arabica trees grow wild amidst the rolling hills and forests of the fertile and beautiful region. At an altitude of 1,500 meters the climate is ideal and the plants are well protected by the larger forest trees which provide shade from the midday sun and preserve the moisture in the soil. Traditionally, these are the ideal conditions for coffee growing.
There are two methods of processing coffee: the wet and the dry. Commercially the wet method is preferred, but the small producer who picks the cherries wild may save time by sun drying the beans after picking, and they sell them direct to customers in the local market.
Some 12 million people are dependent on Ethiopia's coffee industry, managed by the Ethiopian Coffee Export Enterprise formerly know as the Ethiopian Coffee Marketing Corporation. An independent, profit making organization, trades on the open market and controls about 50 percent of the market following liberalization.
Coffee from Sidamo in the south has an unusual flavor and is very popular, especially the beans from the place known as Yirgacheffes. In many ways Ethiopian coffee is unique, having neither excessive pungency nor the acidity of the Kenyan brands. It is closest in character to the Mocha coffee of the Yemen, with which it supposedly shares a common origin, and it cannot be high roasted or its character is destroyed. The best Ethiopian coffee may be compared with the finest coffee in the world, and premium washed Arabica beans fetch high prices on the world market.
No visit to Ethiopia is complete without participating in the elaborate coffee ceremony that is Ethiopia's traditional form of hospitality. Invariably conducted by a beautiful young girl in traditional Ethiopian costume, the ceremonial apparatus is arranged upon a bed of long grasses. The green beans are roasted in a pan over a charcoal brazier, the rich aroma of coffee mingling with the heady smell of incense that is always burned during the ceremony. The beans are then pounded with a pestle and mortar, and the ground coffee then brewed in a black pot with a narrow spout. Traditional accompaniments are popcorn also roasted on the fire, and the coffee is sugared to be drunk from small handless cups.
Other Natural Attraction
The White Billed Starling is frequent to locally abundant in the western and southeastern highlands, being most common in the north. Widely distributed in the country, it usually lives in association with cliffs and gorges near waterfalls. It also inhabits moorlands with giant lobelia, Alchemilla, tussock grass and giant heath and highland grasslands: it rarely travels below 1800 meters (6000 feet). Its square tail and white bill distinguish the White Billed Starling from other Red Wing or Chestnut Wing Starlings. It feeds on the fruits of juniper and fig trees often in groups of five to 40 non breeding birds. It nests in June in crannies high up on sheer cliffs, sometimes in association with the White Collared Pigeon.
This region is known by its green forest area, more than any other part of the country, it is the lush western highlands, all rolling hills, neat cultivation and dense mountain forest, that subvert preconception about Ethiopia being known by a land of desert and famine.
Lake Abaya is a lake found in the Southern Nations Nationalities and peoples region of Ethiopia, it was named Lake Margherita by the Italian explorer Vittorio Bottego, the first European to visit the lake, to honor the wife of king Umberto I of Italy, Queen Margherita. This name appears in older publications, and currently is rarely used.
Here we will try to mention briefly, some of the most interesting Ethiopia's national parks, those enable the visitors to enjoy the country's scenery and wildlife, birds and mammals some which exist only in Ethiopia conserved natural habitats and offer opportunities for travel adventure.
Endemic to Ethiopia, Walia Ibex, formerly widespread in the northern mountain massifs, but now restricted to the Simien Mountains National Park, where it is uncommon but quite often seen by hikers.
Walia Ibex
Ethiopia's one fully endemic antelope species is the Mountain Nyala (Tragelaphus Buxtoni). The mountain Nyala is similar in size and shape to the Greater Kudu but it has smaller horns with only one twist as opposed to the greater Kudu's two or three. The shaggy coat of the Mountain Nyala is brownish rather than plain grey, and the striping is indistinct. This elegant and handsome antelope live in herds of five to ten animals in juniper and hagenia forests in the southeast highland.
Menelik's Bushbuck
Belonging to the same family as the Mountain Nyala, the Bushbuck shares with them the family characteristic of shy and elusive behavior. Over forty races of Bushbuck have been identified, which vary considerably both from the point of view of...
Ethiopian Wolf
This beautiful animal was once widespread over the Ethiopian plateau lands and was often observed by travelers with its fine red coat shining in the sun, making it easy to spot against the greens and browns of the grasslands. Its frightening decline in numbers is due not only to indiscriminate shooting, but also to outbreaks of rabies, which certainly decimated its numbers in the Simien area. In this part of Ethiopia it is now extremely rare, even rarer than the Walia Ibex, but it has another stronghold, in Bale, which the Walia doesn't.
Gelada Baboon
The striking and unmistakable most common of Ethiopia's endemic large mammal species, with a population estimated by some to be as high as 700,000. The male Gelada is a spectacular handsome and unmistakable beast, possessed of an imposing golden mane and heart shaped red chest patch, which serve the same purpose as the colorful buttocks or testicles found on those African monkeys that don't spend most of their lives sitting on their bums.
Swayne's HeartBeest
Swayne's Hartebeest lives in open country, light bush, sometimes in tall savanna woodland. These are social animals and are normally seen in herds of 4 – 15, up to thirty. Each herd is under the leadership of the master bull which leads the females with their young. The territory is defended by the male; you may often see them grazing peacefully, with the bull on slightly higher ground acting as sentinel for his herd.
Giant Mole Rat
Giant Mole rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus), also known as the giant root rat, plays a much more serious role in the ecology of the Afro alpine communities of Ethiopia. It is endemic to Ethiopia, where it is confined to high altitude shrub and grasslands in the Afro alpine habitat of the Bale Mountains (3000 – 4377 meter). Their present distribution may be only a fraction of their former range as a result of their specialization to montane habitats, which are shrinking, as well as to increased isolation between populations.


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Last time, I discussed Pronom and Droid. We had a quick look at the compiled (nearly unreadable) pattern information that the Droid signature file holds and the uncompiled (but still hard to read) representation that is stored in Pronom.
In this post, I'll run through the Pronom pattern language, show how to get access to the XML documents for all of the Pronom file formats, and look at some of the properties of the full set of existing patterns. Then we'll be able to ask and answer a key question: Is there a simpler way to represent the Pronom patterns and match them against files?
It turns out that many file formats can be identified by looking at a few bytes at the very beginning, and sometimes a few at the end. For example, a PDF starts %PDF with and ends with %EOF (almost). The first four bytes of a Zip file are the ascii codes for the letters P and K followed by a 3 and a 4. Some formats can be identified by looking for characters somewhere around the front or end. For example, an Office Open XML file is a Zip file that has a particular content; you can recognise them by the characters [Content_Types.xml] starting at the 30th byte. Some types are even harder to reliably recognise. For example, there are probably billions of 'csv' files, but it is hard to specify a rule to recognise them reliably. Other types may require looking for special sequences of characters somewhere in the middle of the file. We can think of these patterns as signatures for each file format.
In order to identify the formats of files, Pronom provides signatures expressed in a special pattern language. I was interested in the set of signatures that Pronom holds and that Droid uses. My problem is that each one is defined on a separate web page on the Pronom site – and there is not easy-to-access list of all of the pages.
Just using the web site didn't help me very much. Pages for the formats are accessible via search and result in URLs such as http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/PRONOM/Format/proFormatSearch.aspx?status=detailReport&id=613. This is not very satisfactory because the id is the Pronom internal ID – it is not the PUID (persistent unique identifier) that provides a global identifier for the format – and there is no list of the Pronom internal IDs. The visible links to formats have this same form.
When I first used Droid, however, I noticed two things. First, I observed that there was a preference for a PUID URL pattern – http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pronom/%s. Second, in the Pronom report, there was a link from each file format PUID to the web site, such as http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pronom/fmt/11. This is helpful for Droid users, because they can easily find out more about the format. Now I felt that I was closer to my goal. I could use the Droid signature file to extract a list of all of the PUIDS, and use the URL pattern to identify and fetch all of the web pages. Of course, I didn't really want the web pages, I wanted the XML so that I could analyse and manipulate the information more easily. At this point, I made a lucky guess! I typed '.xml' at the end of the URL and, like magic, the XML file appeared. The magic incantation was: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pronom/fmt/11.xml. The development team at TNA is really to be praised for providing this style of access to the XML directly.
At this point I was ready to get started, and with a couple of shell script incantations, I had retrieved all 731 XML documents. The following shell script is all that I needed (I'll explain it below).
'base' is the URL pattern from the Droid options.
're' is a simple regular expression that will match all of the PUIDS in the signature file. They look like PUID="fmt/11" or PUID="x-fmt/91". The parentheses save a portion of the match, so that we can access them using the special Bash shell variable BASH_REMATCH.
The loop reads each line in turn.
The [[ $line=~$re ]] matches the line against the regular expression. I was really pleased to discover how easy this was to do in the Bash shell.
With the match, we can reconstruct the PUID from its two parts.
And create a filename to place the result in called, for example, xml/puid.fmt.11.xml.
The real is done by 'wget'. This is an amazing command-line tool for working with web content. It gets the contents of our URL and outputs it to $fname. The '-T5' specifies a timeout of 5 seconds. If there is a problem fetching one URL, we timeout and try the next one.
The funny 'done < droid-signature_v39.xml' simply sends the contents of the file as input to the loop statement, which ends with 'done'.
After running this script, I had 731 XML files and was ready to take a closer look at the Pronom signatures. I had several questions: (1) How many of the formats had signature patterns; (2) How many signature patterns were there altogether; (3) How many different pattern were used; (4) Which features of the Pronom pattern language were actually used; (5) would it be possible to automatically convert the Pronom patterns into a more widely used pattern language, such as the regular expression language used in Python, Java, and other common programming languages.
There are 208 Formats with InternalSignatures.
There are 244 InternalSignatures. Some formats have more than one signature – that is there is more than one approach to identifying instances of the format.
There are 351 ByteSequences. There are a fair number of InternalSignatures with more than one ByteSequence – what Pronom calls a pattern. For example, some will have a pattern to match the beginning of a file, and another to match the end.
We'll come back to this later, but none of the unusual features of the pattern language were actually used.
From my initial review, it seemed entirely plausible to convert the Pronom patterns into much more widely used regular expression patterns.
The following passage assumes basic knowledge of regular expressions. There are many good on-line tutorials. Regular expressions are an important tool in any digital preservation expert's toolkit. Adrian Brown's document (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/aboutapps/fileformat/pdf/automatic_format_identification.pdf) clearly defines the features of the Pronom pattern language. It turns out that they can all be translated easily into a typical regular expression language (I use the Python regular expression syntax, but the subset used here is equivalent to the Posix standard). In fact, they define a subset of the regular expression language. The following translation table shows the Pronom feature, the regular expression feature, and some comments.
\A matches the start of a buffer.
\Z matches the end of a buffer.
Match zero or more bytes.
Match from j up to k bytes.
Match at least j bytes.
Match one byte between a and b inclusive. Pronom represents each byte as two hex digits.
Match the byte sequence ab or the sequence cde. The '?:' means not to save the group specially.
A pattern may have an Offset or MaxOffset. One or both may be provided.
The table covers all of the Pronom pattern languages features that are actually used. There are two other features defined, but unused. These include [!a], which could be translated as [^a] and [!abc] which could be implemented as (?!abc). In addition, there is an indirect offset feature is not used.
This table shows a few examples of the Pronom byte codes and regular expression patterns. All of these patterns are fairly hard to read, but I think that most humans will find the regular expressions easier to read than the byte sequences – even with the backslashes.
There are two surprises in this little set of examples. One is too specific – it will fail to match perfectly good instances, and another is too general – it will match non instances.
I noticed the first when Droid failed to recognise some of my PDFs. Upon inspection, I found that it was because they ended with \n\r, rather than \r\n. Many of the Pronom patterns for PDF variants or related formats actually end with the sequence (0A|0D|0D0A|0A0D) – which covers all of the needed cases.
The ODF signature has an obvious flaw. The '*' between 'base' and 'office' means that there can be any number of intervening bytes. This means that the string 'office:version=1.0' could actually be present in any Zip item name or even in the content portion of any Zip item that was stored uncompressed. On top of that, it can make recognising ODF files much less efficient – instead of scanning the first 50 bytes, one may have to look all the way through to the end of the file.
These are not huge problems, but they are associated with rather ordinary formats. How can we be sure that a signature is both accurate and efficient?
I believe that the choice of pattern language is important. Preservation specialists must be able to determine if a pattern is wrong and correct it. I believe that this is nearly impossible with current the Pronom byte signatures. The regular expressions are still hard to read, but there are many more people who can follow and validate them – and many more tools that can be used to work with them.
At this point in my exploration, I was getting very curious. I had learned that it was easy to fetch all of the Pronom XML files. Moreover, I had concluded that it would be very easy to convert the Pronom byte signatures into a well known regular expression language – and that this made the signatures much easier to read and understand. Now I wondered: would it really be easy to use the regular expressions to identify the formats of digital objects – and what would the performance of such an approach be like?
In the next post, I'll fill you in on some of the missing details, such as the relationships between formats and signatures. I'll describe a simple implementation of a file format identification tool using regular expressions, and I'll show some startling performance results.


And when the Creator saw everything that He had made, He saw that it was good. In fact, He saw that it was very good indeed. And this included the people created.
And the Creator rested from all His labors. This is how the Sabbath was made, a day to bring us freedom from working too much.
May you be rested and refreshed, whichever day you choose to be free from work.
Best wishes Nicodemas on this day of rest – wonderful post!
Thank you Mary for your beautiful comments! Peace and have a wonderful week.
Hope your day is peaceful as well Nico!
Thank you Connie! It was busy but I'm putting some time aside. I hope yours was good. Peace and be blessed!
Thank you Vera! It was a good day. I hope yours was restful. Peace and be blessed!
Thank you Natalie! I wish you the same! Be blessed.
Hope you had a good, refreshing Sunday. Best wishes for this week!
Thank you Inese! Yes, especially in the evening I had some quiet. I hope you were blessed too. Peace and have a blessed week!


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A wide range of accessories tool, indispensable to customize the arrangement of the tools and to optimize the use of space.


Day shegata- different countries, different jokes!
All celebrate the day of joke on April 1 each year. This is not an official holiday, although lately has become a trend each calendar day is a holiday. It is estimated that feast arises Hillary - Roman holiday. It is celebrated on March 25 in honor of the goddess Cybele. In the following you will see how the holiday is celebrated in different places around the world. In France the day of the joke is known as Poisson d`Avril, which means an April fish. The meaning comes perhaps from the fact that someone caught a fish on a hook. Children in schools and identified some slaps him on the back of a picture of a fish, and then waiting to see when we will find out and what will be his reaction. In Iran according to the Persian calendar 13 days after the New Year falls on April 1. Their day is named Sizdah Bedar and the population is full of jokes and pranks. The holiday is marked by 536 BC, making it perhaps the oldest day joke in the world. In Iran Sizdah Bedar is further notes with jokes to spend more time with loved ones - walk with park picnic. After the picnic, the Iranian people throw all green vegetables, thus believe that disposed of illness and bad luck for the coming year. In India Day joke occurs under the name of Holi and actually falls on March 31st. As tradition dictates, on this day and Indians make jokes and jokes on each other. Another interesting thing I do on this day is to paint their faces and spray colored powder. In this day believe that spring occurs in India. Scots do not differ in the celebration of the feast of us. There he is popular with the name Hunt the Gowk. Gowk is a word that Scots used to fool someone who easily Varzva of jokes. An interesting fact is that the Scots one day they are sufficient and they have a holiday in the name Taily Day. Then they stuck a sign with the inscription Kick me back some and accordingly expect his reaction when he sees the sign or when he got a kick out of some. Denmark Day joke is not celebrated on the first of April and 1 May The day passes in fairy tales, jokes. Wherever you are in the world celebrate the day of fun with good humor and playful jokes.


text:
Q: which part of this code is slowing my program i was answering a contest question using this code:
import java.io.DataInputStream;
import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.Scanner;
import java.math.BigInteger;
//ans is modulu 998244353

public class ShiftAndAdd {
    private static long mod = 998244353;
    private static Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in);
    public static void main(String[] args)throws IOException {
        BigInteger ans=new BigInteger("0");
        int n,m;
        BigInteger numb_a,numb_b;

        n= input.nextInt();
        m=input.nextInt();
        numb_a=input.nextBigInteger();
        numb_b=input.nextBigInteger();
        long[] a = new long[n];
        long[] b = new long[m];
        long[] a1 = new long[n];//will contain indices of cells of "a" containing 1's
        long[] b1 = new long[m];
        int ka1=0;//will be actual length of a1
        int kb1=0;//will be actual length of b1

        for(int i=0;i<n;i++) {
            a[n-1-i]=numb_a.longValue()%10;
            numb_a=numb_a.divide(new BigInteger("10"));
        }
        for(int i=0;i<m;i++) {
            b[m-1-i]=numb_b.longValue()%10;
            numb_b=numb_b.divide(new BigInteger("10"));
        }
        int a1start=(m>=n)?m-n:0;
        ka1=a1start;
        for(int i=0;i<n;i++)
            if(a[i]==1)
                a1[ka1++]=i;
        int counter=0;
        for(int i=0;i<m;i++)
            if(b[i]==1)
                b1[kb1++]+=++counter;
            else b1[kb1++]=counter;

        //answer:
        for(int i=a1start;i<ka1;i++) {
            ans=ans.add(BigInteger.valueOf((fastExp((long)2,(n-1-a1[i]))%mod *b1[(int)(a1[i]+a1start)] %mod)%mod));
        }
        print(ans.longValue());
    }//end main

    private static long fastExp(long a,long b) {
        if(b>0) {
            if(b%2==0)
                return fastExp((a%mod*a%mod)%mod,b/2);
            else return (a%mod*fastExp(a,b-1)%mod)%mod;
        }
        return 1;
    }//end method fastExp

    private static  void print(long t) {
        System.out.println(t);
    }//end method print

}//end class ShiftAndAdd

however,the online compiler gave me that time limit exceeded for some input(which inputs very very large integer to variables numb_a and numb_b)
my problem is that i don't know where the time limit has exceeded,was it when i as reading the integers because class BigInteger's methods are slow?or is it because of slow methods valueOf and add of this class?
i need to know the reason to try to fix it

A: if you don't have to use java.math.BigInteger it is better to use primitive long instead, using immutable objects is good for scalability but as you are not running more than one thread will not get benefit of using it, but will get drawback of GC, the GC will work more frequent if you used Objects more than using primitives.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Home Solicitation Sales Act (HSSA), codified at R.C. 1345.21, is a subdivision of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act (CSPA) that protects consumers from certain types of high-pressure door-to-door sales. Specifically, the HSSA covers the sale of consumer goods or services in which the supplier engages in a personal solicitation outside of their place of business, including a solicitation made in response to an invitation by the consumer.
The supplier making a visit to the consumer's residence and selling them personal items, such as cookware or power tools.
The supplier procuring an agreement at the consumer's residence to sell and install new windows in the consumer's home, and the supplier does not have a permanent place of business from which they sell or display the windows.
The consumer requesting that the supplier perform repair work or maintenance to the consumer's home, and during the course of such visit, the supplier sells the consumer additional services or goods other than necessary replacement parts. The sale of those additional goods or services are covered by the HSSA.
The consumer initiates the contact and the goods or services are needed to meet an immediate personal emergency which may jeopardize the welfare, health, or safety of the consumer, or endanger property which the consumer owns.
The sale of property at an auction by an auctioneer.
Because there are many nuances to the HSSA, it is important that suppliers understand the HSSA's requirements to ensure compliance and avoid legal liability. Suppliers can obtain more information on the HSSA through the Ohio Attorney General's office, or by contacting an attorney that has experience and a thorough understanding of the Ohio CSPA.


text:
No. 9 Tennessee tops Texas A&M 68-54 behind Santiago Vescov
TRAVIS L. BROWN
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — As Tennessee guard Santiago Vescovi worked around the arc during pregame shoot-around, he felt as if he was trying to force a basketball through the eye of a needle. That feeling changed in a big way after the opening tipoff minutes later.
Vescovi scored a career-high 23 points, including six 3-pointers, despite the rough practice before the game to push the No. 9 Volunteers past Texas A&M, 68-54, on Saturday.
"I was not feeling that good like in terms of rhythm of my shot," Vescovi said. "I really don't know what happened today. I was shooting the warmup and couldn't make (a) shot and then I got into the game and they started falling, so I just started taking opportunities."
Vescovi's hot hand began early for the Vols (9-1, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) as he hit his first four shots from behind the arc. His barrage was part of a 17-4 Tennessee run that pushed the Volunteers' lead to 14 midway through the opening half.
Senior Savion Flagg was the Aggies' saving grace at the end of the first, connecting on three consecutive 3-pointers to pull the Aggies (6-4, 1-3) within six. Flagg entered Saturday's contests on a 3-for-21 clip from the field over the previous three games.
"I've been getting a lot more shots up outside of practice and coming into the gym, getting extra work with the coaches, and getting the managers to come help me rebound," Flagg said. "Just trying to find my touch again."
Texas A&M closed the first half hitting five of its final six from 3-point range, including makes by Quenton Jackson and Andre Gordon, and trailed 37-30 at halftime.
Tennessee's ball movement continued to open gaps in the Aggies defense to start the second half, leading to a 9-4 run, including two layups and a dunk by Yves Pons.
Tennessee was unable to widen its margin to more than 14 through most of the second half, and the Aggies only managed to pull under 10 once.
A 9-2 run at the end of the game, including five points by Vescovi, secured the victory.
John Fulkerson had 11 points and five rebounds for the Vols and Springer rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points.
"(Vescovi) knows he wants to be good and he was playing with a lot of confidence today and every game," Vols' coach Rick Barnes said.
Flagg led the Aggies in scoring with 12, followed by Jackson with 11.
It was just that kind of shooting day for Vescovi, who hit his final 3-pointer of the game off a one-hop scoop in the corner. Volunteer freshman Jaden Springer drove the lane and, while in the air, wildly dished the ball over to Vescovi in the corner by the Tennessee bench. The pass short- hopped the sophomore, but he managed to scoop the errant pass, set himself, and drain the 3.
HE SAID IT
Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams: "I think (Tennessee) is the best team we've played since we've been here. Coach (Barnes) will be one of the final coaches that will be inducted into the Hall of Fame while he is still coaching. He's going to end up being like coach (Bob) Huggins and coach (Bill) Self and coach (Tom) Izzo. He'll be one of the last guys that is in that group."
Tennessee: The Vols continue on their winning ways as the top-ranked team in the SEC, two games removed from taking their only loss of the season against Alabama.
Texas A&M: The Aggies have lost three conference games by a combined 61 points.
Tennessee travels to South Carolina on Tuesday night.
Texas A&M will face Mississippi State in Starkville on Wednesday night.
More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25


text:
Mala Alsheraian is a paralympic athlete from Kuwait competing mainly in category F33 shot and discus events.

Maha competed in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Summer Paralympics always in the shot put and discus.  Her only medal success came in 2004 when she won a bronze medal in both the shot put and discus.

References

Paralympic athletes of Kuwait
Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
Paralympic bronze medalists for Kuwait
Living people
Medalists at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
Year of birth missing (living people)
Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
Kuwaiti discus throwers
Kuwaiti male shot putters


text:
Tag: The Minute Doctor Who Podcast
Posted on December 19, 2011 December 1, 2011
http://www.netconjurer.co.uk/mp3/LetsSaveConfidentialFullVersionShyCut192.mp3
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (8.9MB) | Embed
Let's Save Confidential (Full Version)
Let's Save Confidential (Full Version) – Shy Cut
Let's Save Confidential (Radio Edit)
Let's Save Confidential (Extended)
No, we can't go without. We want it back. We want to keep learning. We've been addicted since 2005. That's 7 years addicted to the drug we call Doctor Who Confidential. We want our fix. We want our show. We want, we want, we want!!!
No Touch Pod are: The Minute Doctor Who Podcast, Adventures In Time, Space And Music, The Omega Podcast (With Zander – a Child Of Time), Who's He? Podcast, Bridging The Rift, The Flashing Blade, Tim's Take On, the DWO WhoCast, BlogTor Who, & Professor Dave's Ark In Space – ( who can all be found at www.doctorwhopodcastalliance.org )
Viol Solo by Dr. Phillip Serna
Written by Tony Gallichan & Karen Dunn
Produced & mixed by Chris Adams
Special thanks Nev Fountain, & Bernard Holley as The Voice Of Axos!
From A Nice Cup Of Tea by Dave Keep
Don't forget to please sign the petition below (thanks to @SaveDWC)
Click here to sign!
Let's Save Confidential – No Touch Pod – http://netconjurer.co.uk/confidential/
ABOUT PRODUCER CHRIS ADAMS: Chris Adams is an aspiring composer and musician, originally from Kent, UK and has been writing music of many different genres since leaving school. In the 90's he performed several gigs around London as Q-States, a two man dance music act, and later alone as One Man Tribe. He is probably best known throughout the Doctor Who music community as HardWire, when in 2005 he produced 'Good as Gold', a re-created version of Murray Gold's theme which included more prominently the Delia Derbyshire elements of the original theme. More remixes and original mixed versions of the theme followed, many of which were collaborations with Danny Stewart, himself a Doctor Who theme expert.
In 2010 HardWire produced and edited the video for a song called FABIO for a popular football website which took the World Cup Song charts by storm. Later that same year he released several dance tracks under the name of 'Global Domination'. In 2011, also under the different name of 'Terrestrial Afterglow' Chris released and album of entirely orchestral compositions entitled 'Twilight of the Gods' and soon after once again collaborated with Danny Stewart for a project to re-score the New Who episode 'The God Complex' which he completed in 6 days.
Chris now solely resides under the name of HardWire and recently released his latest album, consisting of dance music music written over the last 2 years called 'Dimensions in Music', and continues to write music for varying different projects on a freelance basis across the Internet.
'Let's Save Confidential' is not endorsed by the BBC in any way and is intended for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended.
http://adventuresintimespaceandmusic.phillipwserna.com/podcast/01DWPASpoilersSpecial.mp3
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (138.3MB) | Embed
What is a spoiler? How do you feel about spoilers? Do some of the 'officially released' bits of information by the BBC and other media give too much information away? James (The Doctor Who Podcast) and Adam (Staggering Stories) host this special where a number of other podcasters give their opinions.
James Rockliffe (The Doctor Who Podcast)
http://www.thedoctorwhopodcast.com/
Adam J. Purcell (Staggering Stories)
http://www.staggeringstories.net/
PARTICIPATING PODCASTERS:
The Flashing Blade Podcast (http://www.flashingblade.org.uk/)
The Minute Doctor Who Podcast – TMDWP (http://www.tmdwp.co.uk/)
Impossible Podcasts (http://impossiblepodcasts.blogspot.com/)
The Naked Scarf Podcast (http://nakedscarf.tumblr.com/)
The Untempered Schism Podcast (http://www.untempered-schism.org/)
The DWO Whocast (http://www.dwowhocast.com/)
Also interview snippets from Doctor Who's Executive Producer Steven Moffat and Doctor Who Magazine's Editor Tom Spilsbury.
MUSIC PERFORMED ON THIS PODCAST IS BY CHAMELEON CIRCUITt
http://www.myspace.com/chameleoncircuitmusic
The Doctor Who Podcast Alliance thanks Chameleon Circuit for the kind permission to include their music.
DALEK VOICES BY TONY GALLICHAN OF THE DWO WHOCAST & THE FLASHING BLADE PODCAST: http://www.dwowhocast.com/ & http://www.flashingblade.org.uk/
The Doctor Who Podcast Alliance
What it is (from the The Doctor Who Podcast Alliance website): http://www.doctorwhopodcastalliance.org/
The DWPA does exist to provide a place where listeners can get an overview of the various Doctor Who podcasts they might be interested in.
The DWPA is intended to be a place where the podcasters can virtually get together, hang out and plan any multi-lateral podcast events.
The DWPA does provide a forum if you want a convenient way to talk with all the podcasts at once but feel free to use alternative means.
The DWPA does exist to help new podcasters – if you are thinking of starting up a new podcast seek out our forum and we'll be happy to help.
Posted on August 1, 2011 December 11, 2011
http://adventuresintimespaceandmusic.phillipwserna.com/podcast/27atsmrevelationofrogerlimbsandrozanipart1.mp3
In this episode we'll be looking at the music of Roger Limb focusing on his work on Serial 6R- Story 135 – The Caves of Androzani. This discussion with the Doctor Who Podcast co-host Trevor Gensch, the Minute Doctor Who Podcast host Luke Harrison and Radio Free Skaro co-host Steven Schapansky was recorded on the 21st of June, 2011.
ABOUT YOUR GUEST CO-HOSTS – TREVOR GENSCH: Trevor has been a fan of Doctor Who since the guy with the scarf and the tin dog was about. As a youngster, he fashioned a replica K9 out of boxes and cardboard tubing. An attempt to fashion a K9 Mk II went disastrously wrong so Trevor retired from the world of Doctor Who modelling. Trevor's late teens and early twenties were involved in setting up a local Doctor Who Fan Club in Brisbane, writing for fanzines, trying to organize a convention and spending far too much money on Star Trek VHS tapes. Fast forward to 2005 and a morbid fear of public speaking led him to start up MMM Commentaries and Fantragic podcasts. In 2008 he added the DWO WhoCast to his roster of speaking engagements. Trevor cites his favorite Doctor as Peter Davison, more as a reaction to the norm than out of any valid reason for favoritism. His favorite companion is Sarah Jane Smith. For more information on Trevor's work on the widely popular The Doctor Who Podcast, visit http://www.thedoctorwhopodcast.com/.
ABOUT YOUR GUEST CO-HOSTS – LUKE HARRISON: Born and raised in Sheffield, Luke went to uni in Sunderland before joining Agapé UK. Luke spent 3 years in Russia working for them before returning to England in the summer of 2008. He continued with his job for a couple more years, this time in Bristol. He's now studying film making in Oxford. Luke started reading the Target books from our local library as a kid and then my brother and I started getting the videos for presents. Luke began the podcast in 2008 and episodes have appeared sporadically since then as and when he has had the time and inspiration for the next one. For more information on Luke's work on the Minute Doctor Who Podcast, visit http://www.tmdwp.co.uk/.
ABOUT YOUR GUEST CO-HOSTS – STEVEN SCHAPANSKY: Steven Schapansky is one of the hosts of Radio Free Skaro, one of the most popular and longest running Doctor Who podcasts around. As co-host, he has interviewed many luminaries from Doctor Who's past an present, including Murray Gold, Graeme Harper, Phil Ford, Tracie Simpson, Gary Russell, and many others. He has also memorized every Doctor Who production code from the classic series and can point out on a map and name all 195 countries of the world. And he does it all without eating meat. For more information on Steven's work on the widely popular Radio Free Skaro, released every Sunday, visit http://www.radiofreeskaro.com/.
On double bass, I perform with many ensembles including the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, New Philharmonic Orchestra, Northbrook Symphony Orchestra, the Northshore Camerata, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and many others. In Early Music, I regularly perform on violas da gamba (treble viol, tenor viol and bass viol), period double bass/ violone and vielle with modern orchestras such as the Concord Chamber Orchestra and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, as well as with period instrument ensembles such as Ars Antigua, the Bach Collegium of Fort Wayne, the Callipygian Players, the Chicago Early Music Consort, Duo fantaisie en Echo, the Madison Bach Musicians, the Newberry Consort, the Oriana Singers, the Second City Musick, the Spirit of Gambo – a Chicago Consort of Viols, the Third Coast Viols and many others. In performance, I've appeared on Chicago's 98.7FM WFMT, Wisconsin Public Radio and Milwaukee Public Radio. My Early Music Outreach program 'Viols in Our Schools' was the recipient of the 2010 Early Music America Outreach Award, which honors ensembles or individual artists for excellence in early music outreach and/or educational projects for children or adults. For more information, visit http://www.violsinourschools.org/About.html or http://www.phillipwserna.com/.
ABOUT OUR THEME: The theme to ADVENTURES IN TIME, SPACE AND MUSIC is a remix by Isaac Arsenault. Isaac started mashingup music in the winter of '09, After reading Jordan Roseman's "Audio Mashup Construction Kit." Working with sound Equipment and being technical leader for two bands he opened his taste for music by studying it mathematically and learning the science behind it. To find out more about Isaac's work, visit http://www.twitter.com/drautobob.
ABOUT OUR SERIES GUEST: Roger Limb is a British composer, specialising in electronic music. He is best known for his work on the television series Doctor Who whilst at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. He joined the BBC as a studio manager, before going on to become a television announcer. In 1972 he left this position to join the Radiophonic Workshop, where he remained until 1995. Although he had received formal music training, he also spent much time in pop and jazz bands, the influence of which can be heard in much of his music. Limb is best known for his work on Doctor Who, for which, between 1981 and 1985, he composed the music for the serials The Keeper of Traken, Four to Doomsday, Black Orchid, Time-Flight, Arc of Infinity, Terminus, The Caves of Androzani and Revelation of the Daleks.
Limb also contributed music to the television series The Justice Game, Aliens in the Family, The December Rose, Thinkabout, The Box of Delights, Kevin and Co, Martin Luther: Heretic, Storytime and the Look and Read serials "Fair Ground!", "Dark Towers", "Sky Hunter", "The King's Dragon", "Cloud Burst", "Geordie Racer", "Through The Dragon's Eye" and "Earth Warp". For the latter programme he also composed the cult favourite "Magic E" song as well as the popular education songs "Bill the Brickie", "Dog Detective" and "The Punctuation Song".
He also composed and played "Swirley", a cheerful piece of electronic music that was used as the theme to the BBC's Service Information news bulletins in the late 70s/early 80s, and arranged the songs for several series of the BBC Schools programme You and Me, featuring Cosmo and Dibs. His recording "Passing Clouds" was included on the 1976 LP Out of This World, a compilation of sound effects. This track was used by Prince (musician) at the beginning of "Eye No", the opening track of 1988's "Lovesexy". Out of This World was reissued in 1991 on CD as the "Essential Science Fiction Sound Effects, Volume 2"
Since leaving the BBC during the purges of the 1990s, he has been regularly in demand as a jazz musician and accompanist playing at Ronnie Scott's, the Jazz Café and the Isle of Wight Jazz Festival. He recently performed at a concert featuring the Radiophonic repertoire at a sell-out concert at London's Roundhouse. And he continues to write; a musical 'The Bonnie Prince' was written and performed in 1999 and he has written several songs for his regular ensemble 'Jazz Culture'. Working with Aydenne Simone for some 14 years both as a permanent member and Musical Director of Jazz Culture, Roger Limb is one half of the perfect Jazz Duo for many delighted audiences including Queen Elizabeth II.
Roger Limb – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Limb
The Doctor Who Podcast – http://www.thedoctorwhopodcast.com/
The Minute Doctor Who Podcast – http://www.tmdwp.co.uk/
Radio Free Skaro – http://www.radiofreeskaro.com/
Roger Limb – Roger Limb with the Radiophonic Workshop at the Roundhouse – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytYmQxT60H8&feature=related
Roger Limb – Voices in Performance – http://www.voicesinperformance.com/members.htm
Roger Limb – Jazz Performances with Aydenne Simone – http://www.aydennesimone.co.uk/
Roger Limb – Jazz Performances with Aydenne Simone – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DlE-ctNfUE
Stories Mentioned – Arc of Infinity – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_of_Infinity
Stories Mentioned – Arc of Infinity – http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite/Time-FlightArcOfInfinity.htm
Stories Mentioned – Black Orchid – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Orchid_(Doctor_Who)
Stories Mentioned – Black Orchid – http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite/Black%20Orchid.htm
Stories Mentioned – The Caves of Androzani – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caves_of_androzani
Stories Mentioned – The Caves of Androzani – http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite/androzanidvd.htm
Stories Mentioned – Four to Doomsday – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_to_Doomsday
Stories Mentioned – Four to Doomsday – http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite/FourToDoomsday.htm
Stories Mentioned – The Keeper of Traken – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keeper_of_traken
Stories Mentioned – The Keeper of Traken – http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite/NewBeginnings.htm
Stories Mentioned – Revelation of the Daleks – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revelation_of_the_Daleks
Stories Mentioned – Revelation of the Daleks – http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite/revelation.htm
Stories Mentioned – Terminus – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminus_(Doctor_Who)
Stories Mentioned – Terminus – http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite/BlackGuardianDVD.htm
Stories Mentioned – Time-Flight – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time-Flight
Stories Mentioned – Time-Flight – http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite/Time-FlightArcOfInfinity.htm
LIMITED DISCOGRAPHY
Recordings – Roger Limb – Doctor Who – The Music (1983, Reissued by Silva Screen Records in 1992) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_-_The_Music
Purchase Doctor Who – The Music (Silva Screen Records 1992 Reissue) – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dr-Who-Best-Doctor-Doctors/dp/B000004BP6/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1299556281&sr=1-3 (UK) & http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Who-Best-Doctor-Doctors/dp/B000004BP6/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1299556281&sr=1-3 (US)
Recordings – Roger Limb – Doctor Who – The Music II (1983, Reissued by Silva Screen Records in 1992) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who_-_The_Music_II
Purchase Doctor Who – The Music II (Silva Screen Records 1992 Reissue) – http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Classics-Vol-2-Doctors/dp/B00004TVV6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1299556544&sr=1-3 (UK)
If you would like to find out more about my other projects, specifically on viols, please visit thegambacast.org orviolsinourschools.org.


text:
from unittest import TestCase, mock

from mycroft.util.network_utils import connected

class TestNetworkConnected(TestCase):
    def test_default_config_succeeds(self):
        """Check that happy path succeeds"""
        self.assertTrue(connected())

@mock.patch('mycroft.configuration.Configuration')
class TestNetworkFailure(TestCase):

    def test_dns_and_ncsi_fail(self, mock_conf):
        """Check that DNS and NCSI failure results in False response"""
        mock_conf.get.return_value = {
            "network_tests": {
                "dns_primary": "127.0.0.1",
                "dns_secondary": "127.0.0.1",
                "web_url": "https://www.google.com",
                "ncsi_endpoint": "http://www.msftncsi.com/ncsi.txt",
                "ncsi_expected_text": "Unexpected text"
            }
        }
        self.assertFalse(connected())

    def test_secondary_dns_succeeds(self, mock_conf):
        """Check that only primary DNS failing still succeeds"""
        mock_conf.get.return_value = {
            "network_tests": {
                "dns_primary": "127.0.0.1",
                "dns_secondary": "8.8.4.4",
                "web_url": "https://www.google.com",
                "ncsi_endpoint": "http://www.msftncsi.com/ncsi.txt",
                "ncsi_expected_text": "Microsoft NCSI"
            }
        }
        self.assertTrue(connected())

    def test_dns_success_url_fail(self, mock_conf):
        """Check that URL connection failure results in False response"""
        mock_conf.get.return_value = {
            "network_tests": {
                "dns_primary": "8.8.8.8",
                "dns_secondary": "8.8.4.4",
                "web_url": "https://test.invalid",
                "ncsi_endpoint": "http://www.msftncsi.com/ncsi.txt",
                "ncsi_expected_text": "Microsoft NCSI"
            }
        }
        self.assertFalse(connected())

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub