text:
VOGUE says we're in the same league as Beyoncé ...
Contributing Editor and cookbook author Tamar Adler saved the best for last on her national tour of refugee-focused restaurants in the U.S -- in Vogue's renowned September Issue, this year with Beyoncé glamorously starring on its cover! Scroll to the bottom for our excerpt.
"Then what?" I ask Brodie, anxious on the students' behalf at the prospect of enduring such highly visible, high-octane kitchens. "Then," Brodie says firmly, "they will choose. Our mantra here is: Dream big!"
The Rise of Refugee Cuisine—a Food-World Trend to Feel Good About
"At home, they used to call me 'the one who stops the rains.' "
I'm speaking to Tatenda Ngwaru, a very tall, very beautiful 30-year-old from southern Zimbabwe, who is gently stirring a pot of fragrant chicken stew. She is at once exuberant and composed, and casually stylish in stone-washed black jeans, black Vans, and a black caftan.
She's also in the midst of cooking for 28: tonight's by-invitation-only Displaced Kitchens dinner, an installment of a popular series by the food-event start-up Komeeda. I've volunteered to be Tatenda's sous-chef—which so far largely involves staying out of her way as she measures curry powder, soy sauce, and salt and gets her stew to a proper simmer. This is a high-stakes night for Tatenda, the first time she's brought the flavors she grew up with to a fickle New York dining crowd. I fetch her mixing bowls—to be filled with sweet boiled butternut squash and sautéed spinach—and ferry cutting boards to the dishwasher, easy assignments that don't make her anxious. "I speak my mind," Tatenda warns me. "That's what got me here!"
Here means a combination of couch-surfing, cat-sitting, enduring nights of homelessness ("That was hard," she says), and, recently, scraping together enough to rent a Brooklyn apartment while she awaits asylum status. It has been a fraught existence, but still an improvement over life in Zimbabwe, where she was blamed by neighbors for drought and incurred threats of arson to the family home. Why? Because Tatenda was born intersex: with genitalia of both genders. Zimbabwe is a patriarchal society, and her parents chose to raise her as a boy—until, at age eleven, she developed breasts and started menstruating. Tatenda refused to hide what was happening, which her parents eventually accepted. Their community in Gutu district did not. When Tatenda founded an advocacy organization aimed at educating fellow Zimbabweans about intersex and transgender issues, she received death threats and fled the country.
Hers is one story among many. Last year, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 68.5 million people were uprooted from their homes—the vast majority from developing countries. It's the worst migrant crisis in history, and the numbers are only getting more grave. The UNHCR reports that one person is displaced every two seconds: an average of 44,500 a day. Against such harrowing data, tonight's dinner is, in its very small way, inspiring. Here are savvy, open-minded eaters aligned with a refugee who—even while unmoored and grasping for security—is a guardian of culinary wisdom in danger of vanishing. It is unlikely anyone here tonight has had stew and sadza, or bota. "You are about to taste the food of my childhood," Tatenda says, suddenly bashful as she faces a long, expectant table. "This is what we ate while we lived our lives."
Komeeda is the brainchild of Palestinian and Yemeni business partners Nas Jab and Jabber Nasser al Bihani, who, in response to President Donald Trump's first travel ban, in January 2017, began hosting refugee-chef dinners on the Lower East Side. The dinners sold out—as have subsequent ones in New York, Austin, Texas, and Washington, D.C. Interest in the cuisines of refugees, here and in Europe, amounts to something of a culinary fervor. In 2016 an ingenious French catering company called Les Cuistots Migrateurs co-organized a festival at which newly arrived immigrant chefs took over dozens of restaurants around Paris, Lyon, Madrid, and Rome. For three years running, the UNHCR has organized refugee food festivals in collaboration with dozens of buzzy restaurants everywhere from Amsterdam to Madrid to New York City to San Francisco. In London the acclaimed Mazí Mas pop-up is staffed entirely by refugee women, cooking their native dishes. In Los Angeles, the New Arrival Supper Club has been treating diners to the home cooking of Homs, once the third largest city in Syria; Detroit will soon be home to the Midwest's (and perhaps the entire country's) first Burundian restaurant and market, Baobab Fare, founded by refugees; in Durham, North Carolina, the Sushioki chain opened explicitly to "offer stable, flexible, living-wage jobs to refugees."
"It's a great match of symbiotic needs," says Padma Lakshmi, a refugee advocate who worked with Susan Sarandon to promote the recent documentary Soufra, about a group of refugees finding hope through food. "The culinary world needs people who know and value the importance of hospitality, who relish creating nourishment and, in doing so, nourish themselves. Food is the thing that feels most like home. Eagerness to create a home starts with the job of creating food."
A cross-cultural perfume pervades Tatenda's dinner. It begins with Palestinian specialties ("Africans don't do appetizers," Tatenda jokes) cooked by Nas Jab—fresh hummus, fat Medjool dates stuffed with haloumi, and tightly rolled grape leaves encasing fragrant rice. The main course, Tatenda's chicken stew and sadza, a starchy, polenta-like mass for dipping, is gone in seconds. Offerings of more spinach and butternut squash soon vanish, too, and the whole thing ends not with a Zimbabwean sweet but with tiny crisp triangles of baklava and ice cream.
Several weeks later, I visit Charleston, South Carolina, to meet chef Michael Shemtov, owner of the popular Butcher and Bee, who I've heard has attracted a stream of refugees to his kitchen. "It was partially selfish and partially altruistic," he tells me over a breakfast of avocado toast, eggs, and hummus. "I was consumed by news about ISIS and sad about Syria. I was also trying to make really nice pita and flatbread." None of Shemtov's employees has yet been Syrian—but he has found himself in an otherwise unlikely cultural exchange with people who are, by his own account, extraordinary. Two Afghans on his staff, Sabir and Mustafa, both from the terrorized Ghazni province, now make his cold-pressed juices and work in his bakery. I ask them whether they cooked in Afghanistan. Both nod. Sabir, who is fluent in English and dressed immaculately in slacks and a clean white T-shirt—even after hours of rinsing vegetables and making juice—chuckles. In Afghanistan he built a microlight airplane, from scratch, alone, with no education or aircraft training, relying on a video and bits of rickshaw and an old Toyota. His maiden flight was reported by The Guardian and The Christian Science Monitor—which referred to him as "Afghanistan's Wright Brother." He left Afghanistan because his fame made him a target for kidnapping by the Taliban. Shemtov says it's hard to watch him peel vegetables, as it was with an Iraqi refugee he hosted for a time. "He'd worked on electrical substations in Iraq, and I handed him kale."
This is not a conundrum felt at Eat Offbeat, a Queens, New York–based catering company founded by grad school students and Lebanese immigrants Manal and Wissam Kahi. Begun in 2015 with a $25,000 grant from Columbia Business School, Eat Offbeat hires primarily refugees and asylum seekers—mostly women, though a handful of men have slipped into the ranks—who love to cook and seek audiences for their native cuisines.
I arrive at the company's Long Island City headquarters at 11:00 a.m., just as the day's work is getting under way. The large professional kitchen is shared by a number of food start-ups—food trucks and other idealistic denizens of the new food economy (one company packages micro-greens from a nearby rooftop garden). Only the attire of Eat Offbeat's chefs—long hair swept beneath scarves, limbs covered in silk blouses and printed skirts beneath their aprons—and their near silence sets them apart from the fast-moving, loud-talking, baseball hat–wearing crowd. At a shiny prep table, a sweet-faced Nepali woman named Aruna and an Iranian woman named Nasrin expertly fold rice-paper wrappers around creamy spiced spinach and paneer. These dumplings are called momos—Nepalese snacks apparently familiar to anyone who has trekked the Himalayas, but new to me. Before I can taste them fried, however, I must assist in stuffing and cinching hundreds more. This is harder than it looks. My momos are gargoyles, even after an hour of practice, which kindly goes unremarked upon by Aruna and Nasrin.
Between the two, there is the comfortable air of a support group. No one is rushing. "We aren't worried yet about being as fast or productive as we can be," says Kahi. "We focus on consistency, everyone feeling supported, working around their schedules, allowing for lawyers' meetings, ESL classes, doctors' appointments, long commutes, and chefs feeling confident enough to put new dishes on the menu." I'm tasked with helping Nasrin and an Iraqi woman named Dhuha make baklava. Before we begin, Dhuha delivers frothed, icy lattes to everyone in the kitchen—definitively the most delicious coffee drink I've ever had. I don't know if it is Iraqi, or customary only in Dhuha's household, and the only tricks she will disclose are using non-dairy creamer (one of the world's most underestimated ingredients) and a blender. As for baklava, Dhuha has been making it since she could walk. "For every important event of my life," she says, in broken English, the lingua franca of the kitchen. As we work, she and Nasrin discuss how to get the vaccinations mandatory for their permanent-resident applications, and by the time I leave, full of fried momos, crisp Manchurian cauliflower fritters, and sour cherry–pistachio rice, I've witnessed the formation of an invaluable network. Nasrin is in a quiet hallway by the walk-in, speaking about vaccinations to a lawyer recommended by Dhuha.
I make one more stop: Emma's Torch, an organization housed in a chic little bistro in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, where founder Kerry Brodie is dedicated to providing new arrivals with the skills they need to succeed outside the sheltered world of pop-up dinners and catering—to become, perhaps, the next David Chang, Marcus Samuelsson, or Dominique Crenn. Named for Emma Lazarus, author of "The New Colossus," emblazoned on our Statue of Liberty ("Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," et cetera, et cetera), Emma's Torch receives four students at a time via aid groups such as the International Rescue Committee. Over a two-month course, the organization offers full service-industry training, including English lessons, immersion in relevant culinary terms, tools, and techniques.
I attend a press dinner on a beautiful spring night, just after the restaurant's opening in mid-May. The first cohort of students here includes Mazen Khoury, an accomplished Syrian chef who deftly grills branzino to accompany peppers stewed in harissa; radiant Magedda Arreaza, from Venezuela; and Shehla Shehzad, a Pakistani woman who smiles with painful shyness as she plates potato-pea samosas and crisp butter-lettuce salad with asparagus. We reporters and bloggers eat family style, at a long table chosen and donated by Rachael Ray (and her decorator). The food impresses, independent of the restaurant's mission—herb-roasted chicken is elegantly accompanied by the season's first zucchini; summery cavatelli, tossed with yellow squash and green garlic, has just the right chew; black-eyed-pea hummus—which I know sounds transgressive—tastes like the very best of Abu Ghosh (an Arab-Israeli village outside Jerusalem that I can attest produces the world's finest hummus). Some students move less fluently in the kitchen than others. But the culinary director, Alexander Harris, formerly of Union Square Hospitality Group and the Pierre, corrects, nudges, guides. Graduates of the Emma's Torch training program currently cook at The Dutch, Dizengoff, Little Park; tonight's chefs will interview at Lafayette, Marc Forgione, Haven's Kitchen, and Loring Place. "Then what?" I ask Brodie, anxious on the students' behalf at the prospect of enduring such highly visible, high-octane kitchens. "Then," Brodie says firmly, "they will choose. Our mantra here is: Dream big!"
Source: https://www.vogue.com/article/refugee-cuisine-vogue-september-2018-issue
Newer PostOur lovely Thu is featured in Bon Appetit!
Older PostThe New Yorker stops by for brunch and graduation!


Emotional eaters often use food as a way to meet their emotional needs. But while food can feed our bodies, it can't feed our soul. The ultimate way to stop emotional eating is to "feed" our emotions with exactly what they want and need (Hint: it's not food!). Food for our soul isn't food at all and when we discover how to nourish our hearts and souls, we won't have to use food for comfort.
So, what exactly do we mean when we say "nourish our soul"?
Nourishment can be defined as substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition. When we feel nourished we feel satisfied, whole, sustained, nurtured, happy and healthy. So, if we're not talking about food, what nourishes you?
Nourishment for the soul might look different for each person – you need to discover what nourishes you! And when you do, you won't need to turn to food for comfort because your soul will feel full and nourished already.
While you may interpret this in the physical sense of not moving and resting, being still also refers to calming our minds. A great way to be still in both a physical and mental sense is through meditation. Mindful meditation brings us into the present moment where we can let go of worry, anxious thoughts and negative emotions. This has an amazing calming effect that nourishes our souls and balances out our hectic lives.
Do you remember how you felt the last time you did something good for others? A recent study from Columbia University revealed that when helping others navigate their stressful situations, we are improving our own emotion regulation skills, and therefore, benefiting our own emotional well-being. Consider lending a listening ear to a friend or family member, going out of your way to do something nice for them, or even volunteering for a cause you really care about.
Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, helps to reduce anger, fear, stress and makes us feel good. Short-term studies have shown that exposure to green space and nature immediately reduces physiological markers of stress. Other benefits include encouraging an active lifestyle, breathing in fresh air, restoring mental energy and inspiring creativity.
Music truly feeds our souls. A song can comfort, energize, motivate, or inspire us! Whether you enjoy classical music, pop or rock, music helps us to express whatever we are feeling and nourishes us in a unique way. The next time you're feeling stressed, try listening to some music you enjoy and notice how it affects you.
Play and fun are usually the first to go when we get busy. But scheduling fun things into our days and weeks helps to nourish and balance us mentally, emotionally and physically. Bust stress and nourish your soul by scheduling fun into your calendar now! This could mean riding your bike, going to a show, catching up with friends, or spending time with your kids.
It's so important to have goals and dreams! When we have something to look forward to, we feel inspired, motivated and fulfilled. Without a dream, where are we headed? Whether it's related to your career or personal journey, wanting to achieve something brings enthusiasm and excitement into our lives. Pursuing our dreams is a great way to nourish our hearts and souls by giving us something to look forward to.
When we nourish ourselves mentally and emotionally, we feel full rather than empty. And that is exactly what emotional eaters are looking! These are just 6 of many ways to nourish your soul - can you think of other ways to "feed" your soul instead of turning to food?


text:
Man beaten in Dodgers parking lot sues team for negligence
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers are being sued for negligence by a man who was attacked in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium and left with brain damage, his lawyers announced Friday.
The lawsuit, filed this week by Rafael Reyna and his wife, contends that the stadium lacked adequate security.
"We have no comment" on the lawsuit, team spokesman Joe Jareck said in an email.
Reyna, 45, was attacked while walking to his car shortly after midnight on March 30, 2019, after watching a 13-inning game that ended in a 5-4 win by the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to the lawsuit.
He was punched during an argument, authorities say.
The lawsuit said Reyna was on the phone with his wife, telling her that he was on his way home, when unknown attackers "punched him repeatedly, causing him to collapse onto the asphalt, strike his head, and lose consciousness" while his wife heard the entire assault.
The parking lot lacked adequate lighting or security guards, and it took personnel at least 10 minutes to discover Reyna and longer for him to receive emergency medical care, the lawsuit alleged. It seeks unspecified damages.
Reyna suffered a brain injury when his head hit the pavement, he spent days in a medically induced coma and the father of four still suffers effects of the injury, according to the lawsuit.
"His wife knows he has months if not years of physical therapy lying ahead." Reyna's lawyer, Carl Douglas, said in a statement.
Among other things, the lawsuit says the Dodgers were negligent for reducing security staff in 2008 and earlier as a cost-saving move — including ending the use of uniformed, off-duty Los Angeles police — and reintroducing in-seat beer sales in 2018.
The lack of LAPD-uniformed security personnel "emboldened wrongdoers at the stadium," according to the lawsuit.
"As we all yearn for the return of baseball, this lawsuit reminds everyone that no team … can ever put their own thirst for profits over the safety of their loyal fans," Douglas said.
The lawsuit also alleged that the Dodgers were aware of previous violence.
Bryan Stow, a father of two and former paramedic from Santa Cruz, was left with permanent brain damage when the Giants fan was attacked in the parking lot after an Opening Day 2011 game.
Two men pleaded guilty to beating Stow and were sent to federal prison. They also were ordered to pay a share of an $18 million judgment against the Dodgers in a lawsuit by Stow that alleged inadequate stadium security.
Couple sought for allegedly throwing security officer from moving van in Toronto
Man threatens to stick Home Depot employee with needle
U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan looking into 14 year old's extra screening at airport
Maryland man awarded $800K over fight with Six Flags guards
Canadian Securities regulators warn public about entity claiming to regulate derivatives
Ford announces wage increases for frontline workers, rips into lockdown protesters

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Claims abound that Saudi oil money is fueling Salafi Islam in cultural and geographical terrains as disparate as the remote hamlets of the Swat valley in Pakistan and sprawling megacities such as Jakarta. In a similar manner, it is often regarded as a fact that Iran and the Sunni Arab states are fighting proxy wars in foreign lands.
This empirically grounded study challenges the assumptions prevalent within academic as well as policy circles about the hegemonic power of such Islamic discourses and movements to penetrate all Muslim communities and societies.
Through case studies of academic institutions, the volume illustrates how transmission of ideas is an extremely complex process, and that the outcome of such efforts depends not just on the strategies adopted by backers of those ideologies but equally on the characteristics of the receipt communities.
In order to understand this complex interaction between global and local Islam and the plurality in outcomes, the volume focuses on the workings of three universities with global outreach (Al-Azhar University in Egypt, International Islamic University of Medina in Saudi Arabia, and Al-Mustafa International University in Iran) whose graduating students carry the ideas acquired during their education back to their own countries, along with, in some cases, a zeal to reform their home society.
Masooda Bano is Associate Professor and University Research Lecturer at the Oxford Department of International Development, University of Oxford; Keiko Sakurai is Professor at the Faculty of International Research and Education, School of International Liberal Studies, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.
Bano, M. , Sakurai, K. (Eds.). (2015). Volume 7: Shaping Global Islamic Discourses : The Role of al-Azhar, al-Medina and al-Mustafa Vol. 7, p. 242.


Yet, in our interpretation, we emphasize the three other types of projects. Table 6 presents a summary of the signifi cant differences between entities and the types of projects they deal with.
The strongest function differences (all five with p  0.07) occur between business process projects, on the one hand, and both engineering and construction and IS/IT projects on the other. These entities do not perform the functions with the same intensity. Entities dealing with business pro cesses perform significantly lower on all functions compared with engineer ing and construction projects and IS/IT projects. This is particularly evident in the 'Collaboration and communication' function.
'Organizational knowledge manage ment' is the least frequent function, but still seems to differentiate between project types; in fact, it differentiates between engineering and construction project types, which have the highest score, and the three other types. It also shows a significant difference between IS/IT and business process types, the latter having the lowest score.
differences compared with other types.
3 Factor of embeddedness Table 7 summarizes performance results. Performance in this context is taken as a descriptive, not prescriptive concept.
The second performance perspec tive comes from the importance placed by the entities on the project success criteria, with two variables differing sig nificantly among project types. First, respect for budget shows a relatively low percentage, with a zero score for new product/services development projects. This result is surprising, but indicates what is perceived as most valued for the success of projects. These entities reveal significant differences with engineer ing and construction projects and IS/ IT projects. Entities dealing with new product/service development are more likely to focus their attention on stake holders as a performance factor than budget. Second, stakeholder satisfac tion as the most important criterion for success differs significantly for busi ness process projects compared with engineering and construction projects and IS/IT projects. Overall, in these two latter project types, stakeholder satisfaction does not seem to be highly valued in project management perfor mance and project success.


text:
import m from 'mithril';

const filterMain = {
    view(ctrl, args) {
        const inputWrapperClass = args.inputWrapperClass || '.w-input.text-field.positive.medium',
            btnClass = args.btnClass || '.btn.btn-large.u-marginbottom-10';

        return m('.w-row', [
            m('.w-col.w-col-8', [
                m(`input${inputWrapperClass}[placeholder="${args.placeholder}"][type="text"]`, {
                    onchange: m.withAttr('value', args.vm),
                    value: args.vm()
                })
            ]),
            m('.w-col.w-col-4', [
                m(`input#filter-btn${btnClass}[type="submit"][value="Buscar"]`)
            ])
        ]);
    }
};

export default filterMain;

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Aztecs complete sweep over Fresno State, win eighth in a row
Kyle Betz
San Diego State men's basketball senior guard Trey Pulliam attempts a floater during the Aztecs' 72-62 loss to Brigham Young on Dec. 18, 2020 at Viejas Arena.
by Luis Lopez, Assistant Sports Editor
At a press conference earlier this week, San Diego State men's basketball head coach Brian Dutcher mentioned exactly how many points his team would need in order to walk away with wins against Fresno State.
"If we could get in the 70s, it will probably be enough to win," Dutcher said last Monday.
That statement held true on Saturday, as the Scarlet and Black defeated Fresno State by a score of 75-57 for SDSU's eighth-straight win.
The Aztecs (17-4, 11-3 Mountain West Conference) took care of business on both ends of the floor for all 40 minutes and the Bulldogs never once had the lead.
Dutcher knew his team was capable of such a feat.
"I told them before the game that we're wired the right way, we're wired hard," Dutcher said.
While SDSU is consistently known for its defense, it was their offense that stole the show Saturday.
The Aztecs shot 61% from the field, along with a season-high 67% from beyond the arc.
With their road slate now completely under the belt, the Aztecs are setting themselves up for a wild finish to the 2020-21 regular season.
The Aztecs now sit in second place in the conference standings, and Saturday's win sets up what will be a crucial two-game series against Boise State to close out their regular season.
Here are three observations from the team's final road game of the year.
1. Points off turnovers
Make no mistake, it was indeed the Aztecs' offensive contributions that won this game.
Senior guard Jordan Schakel dropped 14 points on a perfect five-of-five from the field.
Fellow seniors, guard Terrell Gomez and forward Matt Mitchell, also each scored 13 points apiece.
One reason for those offensive opportunities? Fresno State turnovers.
A combination of careless mistakes by the Bulldogs and the typical primo defense from SDSU resulted in plenty of opportunities for the Aztecs to shoot, and they took advantage.
SDSU dominated the points off turnovers category, scoring 30 points off of giveaways while the Bulldogs only put up 11.
The Bulldogs turned the ball over a total of 15 times, which isn't an absurd amount, but the Aztecs were sure to make Fresno State pay every single time.
One player who enjoyed the extra chances was Gomez, who said that getting out in transition off of turnovers is one of his preferences when playing.
"That's how I like to play personally, play off of live-ball turnovers in transition," Gomez said. "So it was good for us and you know I'm glad we were able to push the ball and also just make them turn the ball over a lot."
2. Offensive struggles for Mensah
One of the main storylines coming into this season was the return of a healthy junior forward Nathan Mensah.
While he has been one of the team's most important players all year, the past few games for him have shown some struggles offensively.
Mensah only scored three points on Saturday night against Fresno, two in game one on Thursday, and just four in game two against San Jose State.
Despite the offensive woes, Schakel still feels Mensah's value in other aspects of the game.
"His defensive presence, his rebounding … it's really more than just scoring for Nathan and we all know that, we know how good a player he is," Schakel said.
3. San Diego Splash Brothers
This season, Aztecs have relied on timely threes from shooters like Schakel and Gomez, and Saturday may have been their best performance as a duo this year.
SDSU shot eight-for-12 from 3-point range against the Bulldogs. Of those eight, Schakel and Gomez made up for seven of them.
In perhaps the most eye-popping stat of the year, the duo shot a combined 100% from 3-point land.
Gomez said his team went into the game knowing what they were capable of.
"We just tried to get each other shots, wide-open shots, I knew we were going to score whenever we wanted to, we just had to move the ball the right way," Gomez said.
In last year's matchups against Fresno State, the Aztecs only shot for a total of three 3s in both games combined.
Schakel said the biggest difference between last year and his success this year is a better belief in his own abilities offensively.
"I'm more confident and more aggressive than I was last year," Schakel said. "Some of the shots that I was taking last year just didn't go in. Thankfully, they fell tonight."
Schakel also credited the Bulldogs' defense and said he sees some similarity between them and his own team.
However, he also knew that while they would play tough, scoring against them was very possible.
"They play defense like we do, they make it tough, they make it hard, so you know it's tough, but not impossible."
In what will easily be the two biggest games of the year, not just for the Aztecs, but the Mountain West, SDSU will take on Boise State for the regular-season conference championship in Viejas Arena on Thursday, Feb 25, and Saturday, Feb 27.
Those games will wrap up the regular season, barring a non-conference game addition, before the Aztecs head to Las Vegas for the Mountain West Tournament.
aztec mbb
Mountain West Conference
SDSU
Aztec women's tennis serve up a 7-0 victory against UCSD
MIDWEEK PREVIEW: Softball hosts 'Season Kickoff' beginning Thursday; Tennis twin-bill and Men's Basketball on Saturday
SDSU takes sole place atop the Mountain West after 20-point rout of Boise State at home
Aztec Basketball rout San Jose State Spartans in 72-51 win
Aztecs pull off clutch victory in first home match of the season
Aztec women's basketball enjoys home cooking with back-to-back wins
MIDWEEK PREVIEW: Men's Basketball hosts Boise State, Women's Tennis welcomes UC San Diego
MESA Foundation deepens the connection between SDSU alumni, fans, community and athletes
SDSU women's lacrosse 2023 season preview and coach's expectations
Adam Seiko's 25-point eruption pushes the Aztecs to an impressive win over Utah State


i mean...we had to make sure he'd fit on it, right? dude is like twelve feet tall. and on a whole other trip to IKEA we loaded up the back of the tahoe with their bed, dining table and four chairs.
we've also made at least one costco run, and the bean had a ball being pushed around as if she were still in a stroller.
it's been fun watching the old lady go through all the crap in her room. she came across all sorts of fun stuff, like this collection of her most favorite childhood movies on VHS.
a trip to the filipino supermarket yielded some treats and the best broom on the planet.
after they put together the dining set, we brought in a costco pizza and shared their first dinner on it.
they've even had us over for a quick swim already.
and when i sent that picture to the old lady, who was at work, she sent me a string of crying/laughing emojis and explained that it was a long-forgotten bag she'd brought home from a party...in high school. oy vey.
poor mollydog remains super confused at all the commotion, but found a new favorite sleeping spot in the ball of bedding we pulled off of the old lady's bed.
but it's weird. while almost all of her stuff is gone, she's been living in the new place for a week and a half now, and my stuff is slowly but surely taking over the room...well, it's just weird. that room is always going to be hers, and while i do like being able to have all of my sewing stuff in one place (with a door i can close if i need to), i miss her. we see her all the time, and yeah she's only a mile and a half away. but still...i'm adjusting to not having her here. this will always be "home," but it's not where she lives anymore. she's a grown woman now, and gone is the little girl i still remember her being like it was yesterday.


text:
Russia, China not trying to form any closed military alliance: Putin
October 22, 2021 · 1 Years ago
Russia-China relations are "not directed against anyone," and are in the interests of both countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared on Thursday in Sochi.
"We have talked about this many times. We are friends with China in mutual interest, and (our relations) are not directed against anyone," the president said at the plenary session of the 18th annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, a Russian think tank.
"Unlike NATO countries, we are not trying to form any closed military alliance; there is no military bloc between Russia and China. We have no such intention," he added.
values debt suspected regional period announced saying Ministry yoshihide Tour Turkish zhuhai Castro ways supporters visitor
Peng Liyuan urges China, Indonesia to step up public welfare exchanges
Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, has called on China and Indonesia to strengthen exchanges in public welfare and jointly improve people's livelihood a
Democrats clinch control of U.S. Senate with win in Nevada
Democrats will stay in control of the U.S. Senate next year after Democratic U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto won re-election in Nevada, Edison Research projected on
China, Vietnam chart course for bilateral ties during talks between Xi, Trong
China has welcomed the first foreign leader to visit the country since the conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) — General Secr


text:
Q: Optimize and compress HTML I have a few hand-crafted web pages.  When deploying them I would like to run them through a tool so that new smaller HTML files are created, with extraneous whitespace taken out, etc.
We already use YUICompressor for our Javascript and our CSS, and we tend to follow all of the techniques described by the Yahoo performance team.
Is there a good, free tool that does this?  I prefer tools that would fit into our deployment process similarly to YUICompressor.

A: HTML Tidy does the job.
I use the following on one document that I generate (a rather large one).  This saved me about 10% on the post-gzip size.
tidy -c -omit -ashtml -utf8 --doctype strict \
    --drop-proprietary-attributes yes --output-bom no \
    --wrap 0  source.html > target.html

*

*-c — Replace surplus presentational tags and attributes

*-omit — Drop optional end tags

*-ashtml — use HTML rather than XHTML (HTML is leaner and XHTML provides no benefits for most use cases)

*-utf8 — So we don't have to use entities for characters outside the character set (entities are more bytes)

*--doctype strict — use Strict (again, leaner)

*--drop-proprietary-attributes yes — get rid of proprietary junk

*--output-bom no — BOMs cause issues in some clients

*--wrap 0 — Have very long lines

A: Plain old minify will also attack your HTML for you, if you want.
But HTML minification isn't, generally, hugely effective:

*

*Taking runs of whitespace down to one won't do that much. If you're already using gzip/deflate, that'll be compressing the whitespace quite efficiently. You can't remove all whitespace as single whitespaces can often have an effect on rendering that it is desirable to keep.

*Taking comments out may have an effect, depending on how much comment content you actually have. But you'd have to be careful not to hit conditional comments.

*Apart from that, there is not much in an HTML document that can be 'minified'. Obviously the JS idea of packing variable names down to the shortest possible string is inapplicable.

*Doing all this with regex, as most minifiers do, is a bit dodgy. You have to stick to a limited 'normal' range of markup that won't trip it up.
With HTML minification you're typically getting less gain (and less post-gzip gain) than JS/CSS minification, and for dynamically-generated pages you have more overhead (as you can't pre-minify them like with static scripts/styles). Some templating languages may already have built-in features for trimming whitespace at generation time; if available in your environment, use that.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Customized to exactly what you are looking for. The Downtown collection has unique designs that are admirable while still standing up to the most demanding dining environments. Using only North American Birch. Each piece uses recycled dyes, paints, and solvents and as well as using packaging made from recycled fibers, creates a more Eco-friendly way of manufacturing.


text:
VocabularyPage.com
How to use but as a conjunction
But is a coordinating conjunction. You use but to join two ideas or statements. The second idea or statement usually contrasts the first one in some way.
Main idea +but+ Contrast
I don't know his address, but my wife does.
I invited her to the party, but she politely refused.
We tried our best, but we couldn't do it.
My computer is very old, but it works properly.
Sorry/Excuse me+but
You can use but after an expression of apology to introduce a statement or question politely.
I'm sorry, but I can't promise anything.
Excuse me, but may I say something?
Excuse me, but I don't think so.
Forgive me for asking, but why did you divorced your husband?
For Emphasis
But can be used between repeated words to give more importance to a word or statement.
Everyone, but everyone knows the truth.
Nobody, but nobody couldn't stop him.
But is used after words such as 'nobody', 'everything' or 'anything' to mean except.
Everyone but Bob has finished eating.
No one but me knows what it means.
She's done nothing but sit around and watch television.
At the beginning of a sentence
In spoken English you can start a sentence with but to express surprise, shock, annoyance, etc.
'I've decided to look for a new job. 'But why?'
But you promised not to tell anyone.
But for
You use but for to say what prevented something from happening.
But for heavy snow, I would have arrived earlier for the meeting. (If it weren't for the heavy snow, I'd have arrived earlier...)
Only can be used as an adverb to mean only.
He's but [=only] a little boy!
You can see a lot of birds in our garden: sparrows, robins and blackbirds, to name but a few.
Linking words:
Conjunctions Grammar
Labels: Conjunctions Grammar
Wonderful blog on English Language. I am a regular reader of your blog. English is becoming a prominent language in every place.
best spoken english chennai | english coaching chennai | english spoken class in chennai |english coaching class in chennai
List of irregular verbs
In English, verbs can be regular or irregular .
Click to open
The simplest definition of a noun is that it is a word that refers to a person (such as John or teacher), thing (such as ball or table), place (such as Harvard or university) or idea (such as love or emotion). What is a Noun? Countable and Uncountable noun It's important to identify between countable and uncountable nouns in English. Common Nouns and Proper Nouns Names of people, places and things are called proper nouns. They always begin with capital letters. All other nouns are common nouns. Collective Nouns Words such as family, team or bunch are collective nouns. They can be used with either a singular or a plural verb. Abstract and Concrete Nouns If your five physical senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch) cannot detect something, it is an abstract noun. Gender-specific nouns In some languages, nouns refer to specifically to males or females. Compound Nouns A compound noun is a noun that consists of more than one word. Verbal
Colours in English
'What's your favourite colour ?', 'What colour are your eyes?' or 'What colour is the car?' - these are the most common questions about colour in English. If you know the names of the colours in English, you will answer those questions . Here is the list of the most common colour :
VocabularyPage.com © 2021. All Rights Reserved.


When you need an interlock Intoxalock® ignition device installed, bring your vehicle to Midwest Autoworx in Boonville or Columbia. Our highly-skilled auto mechanics specialize in the stallion of Interlock breathalyzer devices that prevent you from driving while intoxicated. And we're discreet about every job we do.
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Call Midwest Autoworx to learn more about our interlock Intoxalock® ignition device installation or schedule an appointment online. We're located at 2001 Rangeline Street in Columbia, MO 65202 and 1300 W. Ashley Road in Boonville, MO 65233. At Midwest Autoworx, our expert auto mechanics look forward to taking care of you, your interlock Intoxalock® ignition device installation and all your auto repair needs.


text:
Q: Array[index + 1] causing the program FATAL error I have integer count which is my array index, lets assume count is equal to 5, so my arrayWeight[count] index/count is equal to 5.
The values inside the array are doubles and all the 5 cells in the array are used and contains values.
Now I'm willing to add all the arrayWeight[] values into DataPoint[] array, though the index in DataPoint[] is equal to 6 (count + 1).
and the sixth index in the array is used outside of the loop as you can see below:
    double[] arrayWeight = new double[count]; // Array of user weight
    DataPoint[] dp = new DataPoint[count+1];
        for (int i = 0; i < count; i++) { // Array weight is inserted into datapoints y and i is the x so the graph will follow the (x,y)
            dp[i] = new DataPoint(i, arrayWeight[i]);
            Log.d("ArrayWeight", "equals: " + arrayWeight[i]);
            Log.d("Array", "equals: " + i);
        }
    dp[count+1] = new DataPoint(count+1, db.getDetails().getWeight());
    return dp;

I can tell you the code is working when I remove the +1 from the index and use only count, but I need to use count + 1 so I can add another value to DataPoint[] array.
Error message:
E/AndroidRuntime: FATAL EXCEPTION: main
Process: com.none.myapplication, PID: 12760
java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity
ComponentInfo{com.none.myapplication/com.none.myapplication.MainActivity}:
java.lang.ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException: length=6; index=6

How to create array[index+1] in the correct way, so it wont return fatal error?

A: You should use dp[count] insted of dp[count+1] in this line:
dp[count+1] = new DataPoint(count+1, db.getDetails().getWeight());

because indices in dp will be 0 to count

A: The index should be count instead of count + 1. The last index in the for loop was count - 1. See that the loop is i < count.

A: dp[count+1] is not valid in your code. Array indexes start from 0, so if your count=5, count+1 = 6. So length of dp is 6, but indexes start from 0 to 5.
You should do dp[count] after your for loop to fix this.

A: Array dp has count + 1 indices, so the highest index is count (Because first is zero).
Replace
dp[count+1] = new DataPoint(count+1, db.getDetails().getWeight());

with
dp[count] = new DataPoint(count, db.getDetails().getWeight());

to fix your problem.


text:
NYC Interior Design
'Bespoke' Nolita penthouse in Roman & Williams-designed building wants $10.25M
Every detail in the two-bedroom home was carefully chosen
By Amy Plitt@plitter Nov 14, 2017, 2:44pm EST
Photos courtesy Stribling
There hasn't been much news from 211 Elizabeth Street, the Roman & Williams-designed beauty that debuted all the way back in 2010. But one of its splendid apartments—the crowning penthouse, no less—is officially back on the market as of this week, with a hefty $10.25 million price tag.
That's a considerable increase from its purchase price: its owner, hidden behind an anonymous LLC, snagged the penthouse for $6.95 million in 2009, which worked out to a record-setting (at the time, anyway) $3,275/square foot.
The price bump can be attributed to market changes, of course, but also the fact that the home was given a "bespoke"—and actually rather lovely—makeover by interior designer Havilande Whitcomb.
That redo involved bringing in "Danish oiled walnut kitchen counter tops, hand-painted millwork, and custom-designed doors," among other features; the owners also tapped landscape architecture firm Halsted Welles to kit out the apartment's wraparound terrace, accessible from every room of the apartment and covered in "wisteria, grapevine, clematis and a rich green ground cover." Fancy.
As for the practical details, the penthouse has two bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms; the master is an en-suite, with two walk-in closets and an adjacent study. A skylight brings light into the living room, and the rooms have a classic, but not stuffy, feel.
Whoever snags this apartment next will also have some very famous neighbors—actor Gabriel Byrne and musician Alexa Joel (daughter of Billy) are among the building's residents. Stribling's Mary Ellen Cashman and Sean Turner have the listing.
Listing: 211 Elizabeth Street #PH [Stribling]
All 211 Elizabeth Street coverage [Curbed]
211 elizabeth street
211 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY


Higher Apprenticeships (lead to qualifications at NVQ Level 4 or, in some cases, a Foundation Degree - see seperate pop up). Degree Apprenticeships will be at Level 4 to 6.
Other qualifications as specified by the occupation.
Apprenticeships are open to all age groups above 16 years-old, whether you are just leaving school, have been working for years or are seeking to start a new career.
It varies depending on the sector, the qualification and the skills you already have. Generally, an Apprenticeship takes between one and four years to complete.
An Apprenticeship develops the skills employers want and gives you choices in your career. Your career doesn't have to stop at the Intermediate or Advanced Apprenticeship as in some sectors you might be able to do a Higher Apprenticeship which involves a degree level qualification or an Apprenticieship Degree, which will take you to a level 6 qualification. Higher Education values the skills and knowledge gained through Apprenticeships and you could progress onto a Foundation Degree or other higher level qualifications.


text:
Glen Tilt
Glen Tilt (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Teilt) is a mighty glen on the outskirts of Blair Atholl which cuts through high mountains all the way to Deeside. Glen Tilt offers a delightful mixture of vistas ranging from woodland to open glen and hillsides.
Glen Tilt was the site of a long drawn-out Victorian access battle through the Scottish courts when the 6th Duke of Atholl tried to eject a party of wandering botanists in 1847, access was later granted by the Scottish Rights of Way Society. An earlier duke had evicted a large number of residents from Glen Tilt, thus making way for sheep grazing and deer stalking, ruins of some of their homes can be seen today.
The River Tilt follows a geological fault through the hills for much of its length through Glen Tilt, entering the River Garry after a course of 14 miles, then receiving the River Tarf on the right, which forms some beautiful falls just above the confluence, and on the left the Fender, which has some fine falls also. The massive mountain of Beinn a' Ghlò and its three Munros Càrn nan Gabhar (1129 m), Bràigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain (1070 m) and Càrn Liath (975) dominate the glen's eastern lower half. Why not take the Glen Tilt Trail, suitable for walking and cycling.
Marble of good quality was occasionally quarried in Glen Tilt, and the rock formation has long attracted the attention of geologists. One of the earliest was James Hutton who visited the glen in 1785 in search of boulders with granite penetrating metamorphic schists in a way which indicated that the granite had been molten at the time. This showed to him that granite formed from cooling of molten rock, contradicting the ideas of Neptunism of that time that theorised that rocks were formed by precipitation out of water. Hutton concluded that the granite must be younger than the schists. This was one of the findings that led him to develop his theory of Plutonism and the concept of an immensely long geologic time scale with "no vestige of a beginning, no prospect of an end".


text:
Mamunul, Ameli return to Bangladesh squad
Tribune Report
Published at 07:40 pm October 5th, 2016
Last updated at 08:44 pm October 5th, 2016
Bangladesh's Belgian head coach Tom Saintfiet included midfielder Mamunul Islam and striker Jahid Hasan Ameli in his final 23-man squad announced on Wednesday, ahead of their crucial Asian Cup Qualifying Play-off away to Bhutan this Monday. Former national captain Mamunul was a surprise omission from Saintfiet's final squad for the first leg at home early last month, following which the Chittagong Abahani midfielder in his immediate reaction decided to retire. Saintfiet admitted that he needs a player like Mamunul with the upcoming game scheduled to be held on artificial turf. The current crisis in scoring is one of the key reasons behind the decision to call back Ameli. The Sheikh Russel Krira Chakra striker has been out of the national squad for more than eight months due to injury and lack of form. The last time he featured in a red and green jersey was in the Bangabandhu Gold Cup in January this year. Looking at the newly-shaped squad, Saintfiet's intention seems clear as the Belgian tactician named 10 forwards, including strikers and wingers, against five defenders and as many midfielders. "This is a very important match for all of us. A must win game. If we draw 1-1 we will be satisfied. But we must qualify," said Saintfiet. He added, "I didn't select many defenders because my idea is we need to score." Saintfiet is expecting a physical challenge against Bhutan. "Our strategy is that the whole team will play a defensive role. I would expect Bhutan to attack. They would try to take advantage of the 2400m altitude, 16 degrees weather and full house crowd," the 43-year old said before adding, "In the first half we are going to play compact. We are not going to play blind attack. We are going to play with good organisation. And hopefully this time we score goals. "The altitude, it's very difficult to play for 90 minutes. We should not lose energy unnecessarily. We need to be focused." Meanwhile, Ameli was a picture of happiness after being included in Saintfiet's main squad. "I'm very happy to have returned to the team after a long time. The coach was satisfied with me in the practice sessions. The team are in good shape. Hopefully we will win the away match because the team are a mixture of young and experienced players." The men in red and green will fly off for Thimphu on Friday morning. SQUAD Goalkeepers: Ashraful Islam Rana, Mamun Khan and Mohammad Nehal Defenders: Topu Barman, Mamun Mia, Rayhan Hasan, Rezaul Karim and Atiqur Rahman Meshu Midfielders: Enamul Haque Sharif, Emon Mahmud, Mamunul Islam, Mohammad Abdullah and Atiqur Rahman Fahad Forwards: Hemanta Vincent Biswas, Sohel Rana, Rubel Mia, Enamul Haque, Jewel Rana, Jahid Hasan Ameli, Shakhawat Hossain Ronny, Jafar Iqbal, Mehbub Hossain Nayan and Sohel Rana Jr Stand-by: Yeamin Munna, Mansur Amin and Masuk Mia Joni
Nat'l School Football begins Monday
Last-gasp Palestine into semis
Xavi: It was too early for Barcelona job
Mushfiq declines to visit Pakistan
Burundi no match for Mauritius
Saintfiet
Asian Cup Qualifiers
Mamunul


Okay so my first day of this fall semester started technically today but for me it started yesterday. It started when I checked the online class notifications that my Women's class was going to have me doing at least four different hard papers. I immediately dropped that class. I told myself that I was not going to write more than three papers for a class especially not for an elective. I had to write a 20 page paper last spring semester and it basically gave me heart problems. I don't want to go through that bullcrap again. So I picked up another class that I actually need for my degree. Continuing with last night, I could not get to sleep. My mind kept trying to figure out where I wanted to park. In the end, I had to finish watching Mamma Mia! and put on Jurassic Park before I could actually pass out. Before my first day even starts and I'm freaking out.
So this morning comes and my body figures that it should wake up 15 minutes early. I wanted to cry when i looked at my phone. But there really is no logical point in going back to sleep for only 15 minutes. Soooo I decided to get dressed, last night I had chosen my outfit. I had asked my father to knock on my door at 5:30 because he wakes up at like 4 am. I was already dressed except for my top because I've learned the hard way that you never eat at home with a good shirt on. (You're just too laid back to be careful and want to actually try stopping food from falling on it.) Anyway once he's gone and I am finally eating, it decides to start raining… IN freaking AZ! But I know better. It rains for like a second and it sunshine and heat the rest of the day. Anyways, I spend the next two hours dreading driving. FYI i hate driving due to the car accident. I use to scream and curse people out while driving, now I can't even attempt to try that because my heart is already racing at an unnatural pace. Anyways I made it safely to campus. I paid two more dollars than last semester for all day parking. Kind of super pissed about that. Anyways I get to my first class which is an ASM class. For anyone who doesn't know what that it is, it basically means an anthropology class, if you don't know what that big word is… look it up please. Anyways it turns out the old bat does not want us to use our laptops, some bullcrap about know getting the same immersion as taking notes by hand. I wanted to cry! I have horrible handwriting.
Anyways, during that class I get email from my second class professor saying that class has been canceled… I wanted to cry again because now I have to wait 4 hours til my next class starts! Ugggggg! Guess what? I'm still waiting!
Hope tomorrow goes better for you!


Funds can be tight at startup, but don't let that stop you from marketing your business. The costs of marketing can range from free to the proverbial arm and leg, but it is possible to start with less- expensive options and let your marketing budget grow with your company.
Social media: Social marketing is popular because it works. It gives you the capability of reaching a huge audience of potential customers by utilizing an existing, interconnected network of people, rather than building one from scratch. You can create accounts for your business and get your name, product and location in front of numerous members of your market demographic. Social media accounts also help you see what people are saying about your business. While this can tremendously help your business, it's important to be mindful of what you post and not over-engage with your customers — too many posts can have the opposite effect, driving people away. Keep your social marketing posts and engagement efforts conversational but professional.
E-newsletters: Sending out an email newsletter is a great way to keep your customers up-to-date on your company, share any new products, services or offers and help bring in business. You can use your e-newsletter to send your customers exclusive offers while also keeping your business in the forefront of their minds. This kind of advertising is not only less expensive than other options but can also give your marketing efforts a personal touch. Be sure not to spam your customers with emails; just send one out once or twice a month.
A customer referral program: A great way to draw new business is to get help from your current customers. A referral program can bring in new faces and keep your current customers or clients happy at the same time. Most referral programs offer a free gift or discount with every new person that gets referred to the business. These kinds of programs can create a great chain-reaction of new business and word-of-mouth advertising.
Get active in your community: Being active in your community can be a huge step toward sustainable success for your business. Take part in local festivals and events and let your community know about your company. Make it clear you and your business care. Building a relationship with your community and other small businesses will, in turn, create lasting customer or client relationships.
Donate products: Donations are good for everyone involved. By donating some of your products or services to those in need, you let people know that you care and that your business means more than just money. On top of helping others, you will be getting your products out to people and marketing your business.
These are just five of many low-cost steps that you can take to market your business without spending all of your money. Don't be afraid to get creative! Talk to people about your company and take any opportunity you can to share with people what your business is all about. After all, you are always the best advocate for your own success.


text:
Q: Symplectic (contact) structure on $M_{n}(\mathbb{R})$ Assume that $n$ is an even number. What is  a natural symplectic  structure on $M_{n}(\mathbb{R})$,  such that for every $1\leq k \leq n$  the manifold of $k$-rank matrices would be invariant under the flow of the Hamiltonian vector field correspond to the Hamiltonian "$H=$ Determinant"? (Or at least the manifold of $n-1$ rank  matrices would be invariant under this Hamiltonian vector  field)
We consider  a  contact  analogy as  follows:
Assume that $n$ is an odd number. Under what  contact  structures on $M_{n}(\mathbb{R})$, the set of  singular  matrices is invariant under the flow of  corresponding Reeb vector field? Or  a refined version: the set of  $k$ rank  matrices would be invariant under this  flow.

A: For $n-1$, doesn't this follow from conservation of energy?
For $k\leq n-2$, the derivative of the Hamiltonian vanishes, so the flow is zero, so it's trivially invariant.
So every symplectic structure will do.