Star Mark Label . Overview . Edit; Annotation. Russian bootleg record label that produces pirated releases, mostly "Greatest Hits . Greatest Hits: R.E.M. 2CD .
R.E.M.-InTimeTheBestOfR.E.M.1988-2003-(Ltd.Ed.)-2CD-2003-DNR.rar Archiv rar 0 Velikost 206 MB . E-Type-GreatestHitsAndRemixes-2CD-1999-COS.rar.rar .
. R.E.M. - Greatest Hits CD1 01. R.E.M. / Supernatural . Greatest, Hits, Free Software R.E.M. - Greatest Hits (2CD) (2008) -WOC, Software Downloads R.E.M .
In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 19882003 is the second official compilation album released by R.E.M. Issued in 2003, it includes tracks from their Warner Bros.


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Cover reveal: A CLEAN CANVAS
On November 8, 2018 November 8, 2018 By Eleanor RayIn Cover reveal, UncategorizedLeave a comment
I'm very excited to share the gorgeous cover for the second book in the Lena Szarka Mystery series: A CLEAN CANVAS.
It's out on 3rd January 2019 (4 days after my second baby is due!) and sees Lena tracking down the perpetrators of an art heist in a gallery she cleans.
Click to hear a free excerpt from the audio book, read by the wonderful Rula Lenska, currently gracing the cobbles of Coronation Street. Or pre-order on Amazon to be the first to read!
Full blurb and some lovely early feedback below.
Crime always leaves a stain…
Lena Szarka, a Hungarian cleaner, dusts off her detective skills when a masterpiece is stolen from a gallery she cleans with her cousin Sarika. When Sarika goes missing, accusations start to fly.
Convinced her cousin is innocent, Lena sweeps her way through the secrets of the art scene. But with the evidence against Sarika mounting and the police on her trail, Lena needs to track down the missing painting.
Embroiling herself in the sketchy world of thwarted talents, unpaid debts and elegant fraudsters, Lena finds that there's more to this gallery than meets the eye.
'This second in the series crackles along with a fresh sense of fun' Vaseem Khan
'This is a witty and engaging story, as warm and satisfying as a bowl of goulash' LC Tyler
'An intriguing mystery, memorable characters and a highly entertaining romp through the London art world' Jackie Kabler
IN STRANGERS' HOUSES reviewed on Reviewing the Evidence
On April 25, 2018 By Eleanor RayIn ReviewLeave a comment
There's a very insightful review from Larissa Kyzer on Reviewing the Evidence. She describes IN STRANGERS' HOUSES as "the perfect of-our-moment set-up that would be compelling even if it weren't for the crime plot".
"As a rule, the fundamental premise for most mystery series featuring an amateur detective is a shaky one. After all, elderly spinsters, small town librarians, and mystery authors don't generally live the kind of lives that lead them to get mixed up with one violent crime, let alone many. This, then, is one of the fundamental delights of Elizabeth Mundy's debut IN STRANGERS' HOUSES: her protagonist—the plucky and ambitious Lena Szarka—literally goes through other people's dirty laundry for a living.
Lena is a Hungarian cleaner in London, living a version of that all-too-common and none-too-glamorous immigrant experience. Namely, she works exhausting hours at an unskilled, low-paying job while living with multiple roommates and dreaming of the day that she'll finally get a foothold in her adopted home. Add to that the fact that she's an Eastern European in post-Brexit London, forced weather all manner of oblique microagressions and blatant discriminations ("You're Romanian, too, aren't you? You come here to beg"), and you have the perfect of-our-moment set-up that would be compelling even if it weren't for the crime plot." Read more
How to create a heroine for our time – Writers & Artists
On March 29, 2018 By Eleanor RayIn ArticlesLeave a comment
Before I even started writing my first murder mystery novel, I knew I wanted a strong woman as my heroine. I was sick of female victims suffering and femmes fatales seducing. I wanted a modern woman solving crimes.
So I was delighted to be asked to write a piece about creating a strong, modern heroine for the Writers & Artists website.
IN STRANGERS' HOUSES reviewed in the Morning Star
On March 18, 2018 March 18, 2018 By Eleanor RayIn ReviewLeave a comment
I'm so pleased with this lovely review from Mat Coward of the Morning Star. He tells us that 'this debut novel begins a series featuring an appealing, and more believable than usual, amateur sleuth.'
When I wrote IN STRANGERS' HOUSES it was important to me that I showed a different, more positive side to immigration, and I'm delighted that the socialist paper the Morning Star has chosen to review my book.
Let's hope he's right when he says that 'it's a long time before Mundy runs out of plots'!
'LENA and Timea have know each other since they were children in a small village in Hungary.
In IN STRANGERS' HOUSES by Elizabeth Mundy, a desire to see more of the world has brought them to Islington where they work as cleaners in private homes.
When Timea vanishes, Lena is convinced that one of her client has silenced her after she uncovered one too many secrets with her duster. The police don't agree, so it's up to Lena to find her friend
This debut novel begins a series featuring an appealing, and more believable than usual, amateur sleuth. The daily help set-up, along with the guest worker subculture, should mean it's a long time before Mundy runs out of plots.'
The Morning Star
'Lena is the Poirot of cleaners,' says reviewer Liz Barnsley
On March 11, 2018 By Eleanor RayIn ReviewLeave a comment
This review on www.lizlovesbooks.com might be the best one yet!
Barnsley describes IN STRANGERS' HOUSES as 'a wonderfully quirky, gorgeous crime drama with a main protagonist you can really get behind, some cracking dialogue, an intricately fascinating plot and really, despite the dark nature of some of the crime elements, a whole lot of fun.'
She goes on to say that 'IN STRANGERS' HOUSES has a beautifully immersive mystery element, a hugely refreshing change from your standard detective/Private Investigator/Lawyer route – Lena is like the Poirot of cleaners.'
You can't ask for a better comparison than that!
IN STRANGERS' HOUSES reviewed in The Sun
On March 2, 2018 By Eleanor RayIn ReviewLeave a comment
IN STRANGERS' HOUSES had a lovely 4.5 star review from Natasha Harding in The Sun today. I'm absolutely delighted with her judgement: 'Beautiful writing, a fine debut.'
'LENA SZARKA, a Hungarian cleaner working in London, takes huge pride in her job – even though the people she works for rarely notice her existence.
When her friend Timea disappears, she suspects one of her clients. The police don't share her suspicions so Lena beings her own investigation.
She quickly discovers a whole world she didn't know anything about – and it frightens the life out of her
Beautiful writing, a fine debut.'
Elizabeth Mundy discusses body image and pregnancy in Woman's Way magazine
On February 26, 2018 By Eleanor RayIn ArticlesLeave a comment
I was delighted to write an article for the Irish magazine Woman's Way. They asked for a strong opinion for their new piece 'There, I said it,' and I jumped at the chance to write about how pregnancy changed my attitude to my body – for the better.
Body image is a big problem.
Our bodies are where we live. Why do we want them to be small?
I've never felt more comfortable in my body than when I was pregnant: my shoes were too tight, my hats were, strangely, too small, and my thighs chaffed when I walked. But I didn't care. I wore clothes that showed off the bump. I was fine with strangers commenting on how big I was. I didn't care about people seeing me naked in the changing room at the gym. When I came to give birth they offered me a birthing pool. I stripped off all my clothes and hopped in, completely unselfconscious.
It didn't last. Pretty soon afterwards I looked at my body critically again. Did I still look pregnant? Was I losing the baby weight slower than my friends? Why couldn't I even fit my foot in my pre-pregnancy jeans?
In my twenties I was constantly on a diet. I wasn't fat but I always wanted to shed another half a stone. I did the maple syrup diet, as made famous by Beyoncé Knowles. I bad temperedly snapped at everyone around me and gained two pounds. I did a juice fast and fainted on a train. I concocted a diet of my own invention that consisted of nothing but Cava (apparently the lowest calorie wine), dark chocolate (the healthiest way to satisfy a sweet tooth) and oranges (for the vitamin C). I got constipated, felt sick and gained three pounds.
At one point, I tried a diet tea and discovered that it tasted delicious when consumed with chocolate biscuits. I was pretty sure I'd scuppered my chances of it working, until the tea gave me horrendous diarrhoea. I lost weight dramatically, but it certainly was not worth it. I told a colleague: she immediately went out and bought some. Then she had to flee the office just as the worst happened. I told my mother. She sympathised, then couldn't resist trying a cup. It was the same story, of course.
Why are we as women so obsessed about our weight? Why should our self-worth be determined by the number on a scale? Why do we want to take up as little space as we can in this world?
And all too often this desire to shrink tips over into illness. I had a friend at school who went from a healthy fifteen year old size 12 to a sinewy shadow of a girl in a matter of months. She'd only eat dried fruit, then she'd only eat vitamin pills. Eventually, close to death, she was hospitalised. As she recovered she lived in a halfway house for anorexics, bulimics and self harmers. The girls all grew close – but that had its pitfalls. If one patient broke down and cut themselves, it would start a bloody cascade of self-mutilation and starvation amongst the others.
That's extreme, but I believe it's a spectrum. Most of us are on it – if you're waiting to start dating again until after you've lost a few pounds. If you feel the need to record everything you eat on an app. If you're wondering where you can buy that diet tea.
And it's a spectrum that's caused by our obsession that our bodies should match an ideal. But it's the wrong ideal for most of us. I didn't have a model's body when I was a teenager and I certainly don't now. On holiday recently, I saw an ancient African statue of a woman who had clearly breastfed several children. It was its own ideal: a symbol of wisdom, experience and nurture.
I miss my pregnant body. It was liberating not feeling body conscious. My body was serving a purpose that had nothing to do with how I looked in a bikini. I can tie my own shoelaces again, but find myself sucking in my stomach when I walk past mirrors.
I wish I could always keep that body confidence. In fact, I wish all women could. Our bodies are more important than how flat we make our stomachs. Our bodies are where we live. Why do we want them to be small? Of course, being unhealthily overweight has it downfalls. But we've all got enough to worry about without longing to be half a stone lighter. It just doesn't matter.
So when I came to write my novel, I decided my female heroine would not be body conscious. She'd be strong, determined and assertive. She'd have her flaws, or course, but her confidence would not be inversely proportional to her body weight.
IN STRANGERS' HOUSES reviewed by the Daily Mail
On February 23, 2018 By Eleanor RayIn UncategorizedLeave a comment
IN STRANGERS' HOUSES is reviewed by Geoffrey Wassell in the BOOKS FICTION CRIME section of the Daily Mail today. I'm thrilled that he says 'Lena's tenacity and common sense illuminate this engaging story.'
IN STRANGERS' HOUSES
by Elizabeth Mundy
THE heroine of this debut novel is a Hungarian Immigrant, Lena Szarka, who works in fashionable North London, cleaning rich people's houses. When her fellow cleaner, another migrant named Timea, goes missing, Lena immediately suspects that one of their clients is to blame. They all seem to have secrets to hide.
At first, the police do not seem interested, so Lena starts to investigate herself. Then Timea's body turns up and the case suddenly takes a darker turn.
Lena's tenacity and common sense illuminate this engaging story by the granddaughter of a Hungarian immigrant to the U.S., who now works at a London investment bank.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-5422889/CRIME.html
I'm delighted that IN STRANGERS' HOUSES is a highlight of the month on The Crime Vault this February! There's also a piece about my inspiration for the book. Just a warning: it gets messy. Read the article here.
On February 9, 2018 By Eleanor RayIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Overwatch's Latest Character Sombra Animated Short Released
Khurram Imtiaz
After plenty of teasing and weird ARG by Blizzard, they have finally revealed the newest addition to the Overwatch roster.
As previously leaked through an official keyart, Sombra will now join the cast of the Overwatch. She can be seen in action in the animated short below, which sees her team up with Widowmaker and Reaper to perform a high-priority assassination mission.
Sombra was leaked through an official art on the Blizzard gear store, which was later taken down. Her appearance has been teased for quite a while driving the fans insane. She is finally revealed as a playable character and will be available in the Public Test Realm for PC users.
Sombra is set to be made available on the PS4 and Xbox One at a later date. Blizzard will conduct some beta tests with it on PC in the Public Test Realm before they will make the character available for the console users.
Overwatch has proven to be a major success for Blizzard with over 10 million accounts being made for it. It is extremely popular in Asia as well as the rest of the world and has continued to enjoy a healthy dose of fans.
Overwatch is available now for the PS4, Xbox One and PC. It was developed by Blizzard and published by Activision.
Editor-in-Chief at GearNuke. When I am not posting news, I can be seen sharing my thoughts over at Twitter.
You can follow me on Twitter and Google+
Overwatch Update Version 2.68 Full Patch Notes (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Overwatch Update 2.66 Full Patch Notes (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Overwatch Update Version 2.65 Patch Notes (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
Overwatch Update Version 2.65 Will Bring Back Anniversary Event
Overwatch Update 2.64 Patch Notes (PS4, Xbox One, PC)


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You are here » Home » Media » News » News Archive - Pre-2011 » May 2007 » Article 8
Craig Pickering
For many athletes with aspirations to earn places in Norwich Union Great Britain and Northern Ireland teams at this summer's major Championships, the pursuit of impressive form will begin in earnest this weekend.
The UK Challenge series begins at the British Athletics League (BAL) matches at Barnet, Cardiff, Chelmsford and Stoke-on-Trent on Saturday 5 May; the British Universities Sport Association (BUSA) Championships take place at Bedford on 5-7 May; eight members of the UK Athletics Combined Events National Squad contest the first IAAF World Combined Events Challenge meeting of the summer at Desenzano del Garda, Italy, on 5 and 6 May; and Under 18s seek inspiration in the opening UKA Young Athletes League matches throughout England and Wales on 6 May.
This will be the last time BAL's opening matches clash with the BUSAs, which many students view as an early step towards the World University Games in Bangkok.
Among those with higher sights on the IAAF World Championships in Oaka is Craig Pickering (University of Bath / Marshall Milton Keynes AC), the reigning European Junior 100m champion who won the European Indoor 60m silver medal in Birmingham a couple of months ago.
Of field eventers, Under 23 Lee Doran (UWIC / Enfield and Haringey AC) competes on Monday fired-up by a 73.75m at the end of warm weather training in Tunisia – closing on the European Under 23 target of 75m.
While all league team managers welcome the decision to defer the start of BAL to June next year and complain they have lost key performers this weekend, most will still be able to call upon athletes who aim to be in Norwich Union GB&NI teams at IAAF World Championships in Osaka, European Under 23s in Debrecen or European Juniors in Hengelo.
The BAL Premiership at Copthall Barnet (11.30am start) will mark the start of Belgrave Harriers' campaign to win a 10th title in 11 years. Bill Laws, who will be manager for the 180th successive match since 1980, says it is "a bit of a lottery" to identify the squad but predicts: "As usual, we will be reasonable in the throws and jumps; and some distance events should be OK. But the hurdles and the sprints are going to be pretty iffy."
Last year's runners-up Woodford Green with Essex Ladies field two of the throwers who made a massive impression on the chase for UK Challenge overall honours last season. Andy Frost will throw the hammer while Emeka Udechuku will double-up in shot and discus. In addition, Tim Abeyie is sprinting and Christian North will pole vault before dashing up the M1 for his BUSA battle on Sunday.
Sale Harriers Manchester, who many believe can improve on their third place of last summer under the guidance of 26-year-old manager Dean Hardman, include 18-year-old Alex Nelson, who won two sprints bronze medals at last summer's IAAF World Junior Championships in Beijing. Their mix of experience and immense potential is epitomised in the hammer, in which Mike Floyd lines up alongside teenager Alex Smith.
Newham and Essex Beagles, who finished fourth last summer, will be as depleted as any other team by the BUSAs and elite athletes who are away warm weather training. "It's a moving famine," says manager Bob Smith. However, he expects to include Mark Findlay, Gianni Frankis and Chris Tomlinson in the sprints. Rabah Yusef in the 400m. National Under 23 champion Samater Farah in the steeplechase,. Abdul Buhari in the discus, Simon Bown in the hammer, team captain Duncan Malins in the 110m hurdles and Stephen Hepples in the 5000m.
Birchfield Harriers, out of the top four last year for only the third time in Dave Lawrence's 26 years as manager, have Nathan Morgan sprinting, Dale Garland in 400m and 400m hurdles, Jonathan Moore and Oliver McNeillis long jumping and Scott Rider doubling-up in shot and discus.
Meeting hosts Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, sixth at the end of last season, give a 5000m debut to Phil Nicholls, whose outstanding winter campaign ended with him running in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa. The triple jump demonstrates the team's experience span: Larry Achike, former Norwich Union GB captain, lines up alongside junior Daniel Lewis.
While Trafford AC arrive at Copthall as Division One champions, City of Sheffield AC will make their first-ever appearance at the highest level of BAL. Last year's Division One runners-up will field Jason Ward in the 5000m, Dominic Girdler in the 110m hurdles and Jamie Williamson in shot and discus.
Manager John Woods has no doubt, however, about his team's target this summer: "Survival will be a better achievement than the promotion we earned last year."
Action in the other divisions begin at 12.30pm with all athletes bidding for UK Challenge points – and prizes – for their performances as well as league points for the positions they attain in their events.
National One at Cardiff features relegated Thames Valley Harriers and Enfield & Haringey facing Blackheath & Bromley, Border, Cardiff and Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow against promoted Harrow and Kent AC.
In National Two at Chelmsford, relegated Bedford & County and City of Edinburgh confront Herne Hill Harriers, City of Liverpool (aka Liverpool Harriers), Southend and Swansea plus promoted Gateshead and Derby.
The National Three match at Stoke-on-Trent gives the relegated hosts home advantage against Crawley, who descended with them, Basingstoke & Mid Hants, Kingston & Poly, Medway & Maidstone, Notts, Rugby & Northampton and Team Southampton.
Meanwhile, over in Desenzano, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jessica Ennis (City of Sheffield AC) will be contesting the heptathlon along with Phyllis Agbo (Thames Valley Harriers), Dominique Blaize (Kingston and Polytechnic), Katia Lannon (Sale Harriers Manchester) and Gemma Weetman (Oswestry Olympians). Ben Hazell (Basingstoke and Mid Hants AC), Kevin Sempers (Belgrave Harriers) and Dean Showler-Davis (Winchester and District AC) are in the decathlon.
They are the biggest UK contingent yet to qualify for such an important event. And there could have been one more: Ros Gonse (Bedford and County AC) is injured and has decided to opt to compete at Arles in France next month.
The UKA Young Athletes' League opens on 6 May with Northern Premier League matches at Bebington Oval, Derby, Herringthorpe and Gateshead; Midland Premier matches at Yate, Cheltenham, Cannock and Birmingham's Alexander Stadium; Southern Premier matches at Bournemouth, Bromley, Crawley and Copthall Barnet; and fixtures in 18 more divisions.
For more information, visit the Young Athletes' League website.


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Q: Sendmail - IP may be forged When trying to send an email via Sendmail using the server's IP address to make the SMTP connection (rather than localhost) I get this message in the headers "may be forged" in brackets after the IP address. From what I can see the rDNS is configured correctly:
[root] nslookup ip.ad.dr.es
Non-authorative answer
es.dr.ad.ip.in-addr,arpa    name = fqdn.domain.com
[root] dig -t a fqdn.domain.com
fqdn.domain.com IN A ip.ad.dr.es
In /etc/hosts, I have this listed:
127.0.0.1 fqdn.domain.com localhost.localdomain localhost
Should I have fqdn.domain.com against the actual external IP address in .etc/hosts?
Or is there a problem elsewhere?
TIA!

A: What OS is this?  I've had issues on Debian/Ubuntu in the past where the kernel tries to be clever - if you connect to the external IP address on the same server that IP is assigned to, it actually routes it through the localhost adapter.
This issue had me stumped for ages when I was setting up a firewall - I was only allowing traffic in on the external adapter, but the firewall was blocking any requests made from that machine - turns out it was routing it through localhost which the firewall had been told to block.
In your case what you end up with is sendmail receiving the connection on localhost (127.0.0.1) but the EHLO stating the external ip.ad.dr.es - hence thinking its forged.
Just a shot in the dark, may not apply to your case.  If you've got another server with sendmail available, try getting that one to connect to the external IP address on this sendmail server.

A: Ok, I have resolved this. it was the fact that the FQDN was listed in /etc/hosts against the localhost IP (127.0.0.1). Removing the FQDN from that line and adding a new line with the external IP and the FQDN solved it.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Contemporary Art Society Menu
Donating great art to museums since 1910
Donated Works /
David Shrigley, Untitled, 2009, Purchased through the Contemporary Art Society's Acquisition Scheme for Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, 2013. © the artist. Image courtesy Stephen Friedman
Cartwright Hall Art Gallery
Cartwright Hall Art Gallery opened in 1904 in the centre of Lister Park, Bradford. Its collection was initially shaped by gifts from local textile manufacturers who were particularly interested in contemporary British and French artists. Many of the drawings in the collection were acquired in the 1920s and 1930s when the gallery had a policy of collecting drawings by British artists. Cartwright Hall Art Gallery has recently renewed its ambition to collect work – in particular drawings – by contemporary British artists.
From October 2012 to January 2013 Bradford Museums and Galleries worked with David Shrigley on an exhibition of works on paper at Bradford 1 Gallery. This show proved that his work speaks to young people as well as adults, and his illustrated talk was their most successful and well-attended event ever. In 2013, Shrigley was shortlisted for the Turner Prize and the Fourth Plinth commission, making this a very good time for a public collection to acquire his work.
David Shrigley has a prolific drawing practice. For him, "drawing is its own reward; it's not a means to an ends. Drawing was fun when I was at infant school, and it's fun now." Cartwright Hall Art Gallery has chosen three works that are representative of Shrigley's art: a humorous drawing, a text-based work and a more figurative piece.
The Contemporary Art Society exists to develop public collections of contemporary art across the UK. We do so by raising funds and brokering partnerships in order to purchase, commission and gift works of art to public collections. We work closely with over 64 museums and galleries across the UK that subscribe as members. Over the last 100 years we have played a unique and largely solitary role in the formation of public collections of contemporary art in this country, donating more than 8000 works where they are enjoyed by audiences everywhere.
Stay up to date with the latest news and events and receive our monthly newsletter.
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The E90 325i Was All the BMW You Could Ever Need
Just not all the BMW you could ever want.
By Jack Baruth
If you're experienced in arguing on the Internet these days—and who isn't?—you're probably heard the phrase "the fallacy of the beard." It refers to a form of argument that goes something like this: A man with a beard doesn't see it growing on a daily basis. There's basically no useful difference, for example, between my beard yesterday and my beard today. So… there's not really any useful difference between my beard on Monday and my beard today. The "fallacy of the beard" takes that idea to its ultimate but illogical conclusion: there's no difference between Mr. Clean and Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top.
Die-hard BMW fans, the people who can find no fault in the company, often use the fallacy of the beard to excuse the rather staggering increase in size and weight between the original 2002 and the current-generation 3-Series. They'll say that there was only a small swelling between that '02 and the E21 320i, and that the E30 was only a tiny bit bigger than the E21, and the E36 really just represented a short stretch in wheelbase, and… you get the idea.
It's true that the differences between any two generations of 3er are often small. It's equally true that today's 320i is a foot longer, and about half a ton heavier, than the 1977 version. So the question becomes: Was there a Goldilocks moment when everything was just right?
The answer almost certainly depends on what you want out of a 3-Series. If you're a club racer, chances are that you're completely satisfied with the E30 or E36; the newer cars are just too big and heavy. Casual trackday users like the E46 M3's blend of power and handling; time-trial drivers are in love with the V8 power of the E92 coupes.
But if you take all of the people mentioned above and put them in a single group, you're still only talking about a very small percentage of BMW owners. Maybe a better question would be: Which generation of 3-Series works best for enthusiastic daily driving on the street? After all, the whole idea behind the 2002 was to create a car that worked as a unified, gratifying whole in everyday use.
If you'd asked me last week, I would have said that the E46-generation 330i Sport 5-speed that I owned from 2001 to 2003 was the perfect daily-driver BMW. It was quick, handled beautifully, looked gorgeous inside and out. I honestly think that BMW could sell that car right now, in today's showrooms, and do pretty well.
This past Sunday, however, Danger Girl and I caught a ride with a friend to the motorcycle show at the Cleveland airport, about 135 miles each way from my house. My friend—we'll call him Joe, since that's his name—has a pre-facelift E90 325xi. Six-speed manual transmission. Zero options that I can see. Aluminum interior trim, vinyl seats. Compared to my 330i Sport, which was a $42,000 car in 2001 with full leather and all the options I could get, it's basically a taxi.
Yet the newer sedan can do something that my gorgeous old E46 couldn't—it allowed my long-legged, five-foot-nine wife to sit behind my six-foot-two self for the whole trip without either one of us requiring a follow-up appointment with a chiropractor. After nearly five hours in the car in the space of a single morning, both of us were able to stretch our legs and walk away.
With 108,000 miles on the clock, the 325xi is no spring chicken. And the AWD system is so hilariously dilatory as to be useless; it will easily do a donut on light snow the same way its RWD sibling will. But Joe is an old-hand SCCA racer/mechanic and he's managed to keep the car looking and feeling relatively new.
Most of the things I love about Millennial-era Bimmers are right here in this car. The stark and spare but eminently usable interior with its driver-oriented console and flat black plastic. The simplicity of the instrument panel and controls in this base-model, no-frills spec. The slick heft of the shifter and the faintly discernible mechanical thrum in the steering that reassures the driver that he is neither in a Corvette nor in a game of Forza Motorsport.
Most of all, however, the strong and sweet inline-six. The disappearance of this naturally-aspirated engine from the BMW lineup is an authentic tragedy; it's the very essence of the brand and the experience. No, the '02 didn't have it, but every small BMW since has been its very best self when powered by some sort of small-displacement straight-six. I'm one of those people who will take an E30 325is over an E30 M3 every day and twice on Sunday. Give me that silent turbine power. Hell, I even adored the two eta-engine cars that my father owned.
It's the engine that separates Joe's car from the Passats and C230 Kompressors of similar vintage, really. That, and the unique driving position; it manages to capture elements of both sports-car perspective and sedan spaciousness. It's nice to be able to see a little bit of the hood from the driver's seat.
Joe's car was fairly expensive new, and it's still worth a little bit of money. For good reason, if you ask me. I think that this was the Goldilocks 3-Series for daily use. Just big enough for four Americans. Neither an underpowered commuter nor an M-car with all the attendant cost and consumption issues that entails. It feels special when you drive it but it's also not so precious that you'd want to put it in a heated garage and slather it with Zaino.
There's just one problem with Joe's 325xi: there's no real way to replace it. The new 3-Series is bigger, less driver-focused, powered by efficient but charmless turbo four-bangers. It's full of technology that Joe doesn't want and it's got features that he wouldn't use. So as far as Joe's concerned, that 108,000-mile odometer reading is just the beginning. But if you want to join him in the Goldilocks generation of everyday Bimmer, you'd better move fast. These cars are starting to disappear into buy-here-pay-here lots and careless third owners. They won't all disappear tomorrow, but a few of them will, and a few of them will go the day after that, and so on, and so forth, and... Think of the supply of good E90 Bimmers as a beard. It's being trimmed, you dig? And that's no fallacy.
Born in Brooklyn but banished to Ohio, Jack Baruth has won races on four different kinds of bicycles and in seven different kinds of cars. Everything he writes should probably come with a trigger warning. His column, Avoidable Contact, runs twice a week.
More From Avoidable Contact
So Long, And Thanks For All The Emails
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The New Toyota Supra Should Have Been an SUV
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Motorsports Resolutions to Get You Racing in 2019
The Lexus GS-F Will Be a Major Future Collectible
Taming Those Terrifying Teenagers
What If Automakers Loved Their Customers?


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Home	Sports	LOCAL ROUNDUP: UCSB's Smith at mid-pack at NCAAs
SportsUCSB Sports
LOCAL ROUNDUP: UCSB's Smith at mid-pack at NCAAs
by News-Press Staff Report May 25, 2019 0 comment
UCSB's Zach Smith carded a 6-over 78 in the first round of the NCAA Men's Golf Championships at the Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Ark. on Friday, putting him in a 17h-way tie for 87th after one day.
Smith, the first Gaucho to ever reach the Championship from a Regional qualifier, and only the second UCSB player to ever qualify for the Championships, carded a 5-over 41 on the front nine, then rallied with a 1-over 37 on the back nine, including a birdie on the par-5 15th hole, playing at 560 yards.
The senior sits tied for 87th in the 156-player field. He will play the next two rounds, but needs to get above the cutline in order to play in the final round.
Cal's Collin Morikawa leads the field with a 5-under 67, two shots ahead of a trio of players at 3-under. The second round tees off today at 5:15 a.m. (PDT).
COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD
NAIA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Westmont's run of success in Gulf Shores, Ala. continued, with a bit of a family twist
One day after Dana Nemitz claimed the title in the women's pole vault, Warriors teammate Pieter Top broke his own school record in points to win the men's decathlon, with Nemitz's husband Jackson finishing sixth to claim All-American honors.
Top established his lead over the field on the first day with a 25-point advantage after the first five events of the two-day, 10-event discipline. He then extended the lead over the second day, finishing with a Westmont-record 7,080 points, a 125-point margin over the field.
His key was consistency, as he won the 100 meters, 400 and 1,500, took second in the long jump and 110 hurdles, third in the shot put and fifth in the pole vault.
Jackson Nemitz entered the day ninth in points, having never scored a top-10 finish nationally in his Warriors career. A big second day pushed him to a career-high 6,506 points, moving him up three spots and into All-American status.
A third Westmont athlete scored a top-10 finish in the event, with Marcus Alvarez winning the javelin to help him finish ninth (6,200).
As for qualifiers in other events, Jason Peterson (1:52.91) qualified for the men's 800 meters.
On the women's side, Nadya Wisham advanced to the finals of the women's triple jump, leaping a PR of 38 feet, 83/4 inches to advance to today's final.
CIF STATE FINALS
The San Marcos duo of Beau Allen and Jaydn Mata easily qualified for the finals of the boys high jump at the meet at Buchanan High School in Clovis.
Allen needed only one jump to advance, clearing the bar at 6-6, after passing at 6-4 in the opening round.
Mata took his first-round jump at 6-4, clearing it. He then missed his first attempt at 6-6, but cleared the second to advance.
email: sports@newspress.com
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The Ins and Outs of an Autopsy III
Yona Williams December 16, 2010
During an autopsy, certain foreign objects found in the body can tell a lot about the way a person died. One of the most glaring pieces of evidence that a coroner will look for during an autopsy is a bullet wound. In this article, you will learn some of the final steps that go into completing an autopsy.
When a gun is involved in the death of a corpse, the coroner will record any findings pertaining to any and all bullet wounds. The number of wounds caused by a bullet is recorded. They will try to indicate the direction of all the bullets before it entered the body. They will estimate this measurement by taking a look at the configuration of the bullet entrance wounds. Sometimes, they can pinpoint the distance at which the gun was fired from the victim. Bullets are removed from the body and sealed in a plastic bag. The bullets are then sent to a ballistics laboratory, and whatever they learn there is added to the autopsy report.
A deep incision is also made into the skin of the scalp, which starts behind one ear and continues over the top of the head. The cut ends behind the opposite ear. The coroner will then hold tight the scalp and pull the skin forward over the face. The result is the bony part of the skull being exposed. An electric saw is then used to create a wedge-shaped portion of the skull that is removed. This will expose the brain, which is then removed, weighed, and analyzed.
The brain is the last part of the autopsy. After this step, the coroner will return all of the internal organs that have been removed to their proper locations.
If the corpse was involved in a crime, the legal authorities will receive the findings of the autopsy, which will include a final opinion on how the body died. The information will also include any reports and photographs that were taken during the autopsy. If a case is brought before the court, the autopsy is used as evidence. The folder that contains all of the detailed information of the autopsy will become a case file.
An autopsy is complete when a coroner makes a final assessment on the cause of death, which is followed by the issuing of a death certificate. The body is then transferred to the funeral director of the family's choosing, where it is then prepared for burial, cremation or donation of body parts.
Famous Autopsies
Over the years, there have been several famous and historic autopsies that have hit the headlines and piqued the interest of the general public, such as Anna Nicole Smith, Heath Ledger, and Marilyn Monroe. Leaked photos into the mainstream have also stirred conspiracy theories and other notions. From the bullet-riddled body of rapper Tupac Shakur to the unfortunate demise of President John F Kennedy, the reports and photos of autopsies have certainly become the stuff of legends.
The Ins and Outs of an Autopsy II
What is a Serial Killer?
The Brain Hemispheres Meditation Technique Described
Deep Space Nine: Trivia: Part One
Ghost Box Manifests Hope
Steven Hawking Describes How Time Bends
Taking a Look at Haunted Hotels and Homes in Oregon
Scientists: Earth's Core Melting – But Don't Worry
Dream Interpretations 11: Fruits
Ohio Paranormal Convention (August 14 ,16, 2009) I
Flying Cities Aren't Fantasy
Possible UFO Streaks By Hawaii


The fashion entrepreneur who welcomed he son a few days ago shred the photo above saying..
"Ryan Ogbonna Kanu aka ROK. My ROK, My dream come true, my son. Did I just say my son? 😊😊😊 yup 😁😁😁. Thank you all for all the love and kind words. God bless you all."
Congrats Laura you look so happy!


MCK team offers the best tools, equipment, preventive resolutions for your company to work in a safety form, focusing on the risk minimizing from the produced measurement by skilled engineers and technicians to perform the machines maintenance, equipment and automation.
Our team is qualified to perform a detailed analysis from technical reports in the safety systems of your company, from electrical projects, to mechanical, hydraulic and mechatronic processes, guaranteeing the availability of a safer, healthier and highly productive place with no risks to equipment or employees. We send all the needed documentation with technical report and ART (Brazilian document relate to work safety) sent by a Security Engineer according to requirements of the rules NR10, NR12 and PPRPS.


Sigh, and I thought I was German when it came to jokes.
or one where you're required to flee?
This brazen abdication of judicial independence shows how unlawful much of modern administrative activity is. Article 1, Section 1 of the Constitution vests "all" legislative power in Congress. No part of the Constitution allows a law enforcement agency to rewrite a law it disagrees with, nor does it allow a federal court to sit idly by while that same agency prosecutes citizens for violating the new, made-up law.
Any thoughts on this commentary? By the way, the New Civil Liberties Alliance represents one Clark Aposhian in his fight to challenge the bump stock ban in court; he may be the last man in America to legally own a bump stock as the 10th Circuit Court in Denver enjoined the ATF from seizing Mr. Aposhian's bump stock while the case proceeds.
At least Australia is a safe utopia.


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July 2, 2013 by Steve
An Interminable Debate About Track Gauge
This post has been created for the sole purpose of being a repository for a string of comments in the "Feeling Congested 2" article that got into increasingly farfetched schemes for regauging the TTC to standard gauge or conversely arguing that TTC gauge should spread throughout the GTHA and beyond.
This issue has been debated, if that is the word, at great length here to no discernible benefit — Metrolinx is building a standard gauge network, while TTC gauge remains on the Toronto streetcar and subway networks.
Comments on this post are closed. Any that attempt to sneak in on another thread will be deleted.
This entry was posted in Fantasy, Streetcars, Transit. Bookmark the permalink.
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The Scarborough Subway Vs LRT Debate, Again (Updated) →
8 thoughts on "An Interminable Debate About Track Gauge"
Isaac Morland | June 30, 2013 at 9:31 am
"Oh, darn, darn, darn! Can't do that: Metrolinx has decided to use non–TTC gauge on the LRT system. What a screw-up."
I await with interest your detailed analysis of the merits of different gauge choices for Metrolinx LRT, starting with a proposed design for the Pearson Airport interchange station and continuing with proposals for LRT lines extending to Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, and Pickering. No doubt you will establish that it is inconceivable that anybody will ever want to interline freight with the LRT system anywhere (note: already proposed for Waterloo, admittedly not in the GTA) and that the ability to interline with the subway on Don Mills trumps the (slight) additional complexity of buying TTC-gauged vehicles for every LRT system in the GTHA.
If it is needed to run both subway and LRT on Don Mills, the way to do it is to put the subway underground and the LRT on the surface. This way expensive underground stations aren't needed for every LRT station.
Using TTC gauge for Toronto LRT (and therefore by extension and by the same arguments for the rest of the GTHA) would be the tail wagging the dog.
Peter Strazdins | June 30, 2013 at 7:58 pm
@Isaac, thank you so much for responding. Glad that somebody is paying attention to what I said!
First, regarding the Eglinton and Sheppard stretch on Don Mills Road, I cannot imagine paying the cost of an underground here. What about crossing Highway 401?
I am agreeing with Steve regarding south of Eglinton, underground makes sense when the line has difficulty following the street or topography.
I was, of course, daydreaming about connecting the Sheppard subway with the Relief Line – two dead-ends connecting.
So, it would make sense to put either or both subway and LRT at street level. Except that they would have different gauges. Seems dumb to me to do so, except at same gauge.
Isaac, I do not understand your logic regarding interlining TTC vehicles onto rail tracks, or why municipalities outside Toronto need to conform to a TTC gauge. There are only a couple of dubious interlining TTC-rail opportunities within Toronto. Therefore, I do not understand Metrolinx's logic of using non-TTC gauge on the LRT's.
David Youngs | July 1, 2013 at 12:27 am
I observed once before that all the successful urban rail systems in Ontario use TTC gauge.
Isaac Morland | July 1, 2013 at 8:58 am
I assume this was before the O-train was built?
By default, standards should be used. For example, when installing an electrical outlet, one installs a standard duplex 110V 15A receptable, unless there is a specific reason why something else is needed. Similarly, when Waterloo Region was developing its LRT proposal, I'm not aware of gauge really being considered — of course it was going to be standard gauge. There has to be a specific reason to use a non-standard gauge and therefore vehicles with an additional customization. So arguing for standard gauge is unnecessary, unless there is an argument for non-standard gauge which needs to be evaluated for whether it is strong enough to justify actually building non-standard.
In Toronto, there are as you know two existing systems which use the same non-standard gauge. This provides a possible justification for building new lines to the same gauge. Indeed, this has been done: when the Harbourfront and Spadina streetcar lines were built (re-built in the case of Spadina), they were built to TTC gauge. Similarly, the Sheppard line was built to TTC gauge. This is because in both cases they are extensions to the existing systems using the same vehicles and even the same maintenance facilities.
The question concerns the Transit City lines. These are however quite different. They will use different vehicles from either of the existing two lines. They will cover a huge area of the city, and there is already a plan for them to extend outside of the city (to Pearson airport, although the actual construction plans have been cut back so that is an "eventually" plan rather than a funded and scheduled plan). They need their own maintenance and storage facilities.
Now, what is the argument for using TTC gauge on Transit City? In the past we've heard "compatibility with the streetcar system", and you've also suggested "compatibility with the subway system". For the record I think interlining with the subway is probably a non-starter — that's heavy and light rail on the same track, and also I wonder about the ability of light rail vehicles to physically clear the third rail that powers the subway trains, among other issues — so I won't separately cover it, but I believe what I'm going to say about compatibility with the streetcars also covers compatibility with subway.
Opportunities for inlining with the streetcar are, however, limited. The existing streetcar system for the most part densely covers a small part of the inner city. Due to the differences in vehicles and in the nature of the lines (mostly on-street) it's not clear the Transit City vehicles could really use the existing lines. Can you imagine one of those long vehicles traveling down King Street? So it's hard to see how revenue service could share track. On the other hand, the new system has its own maintenance facilities, so the new vehicles cannot usefully use streetcar trackage to reach streetcar maintenance facilities. And due to geography, I don't see how the streetcar trackage can help a Transit City vehicle reach its revenue trackage (deadheading). So I don't see how non-revenue service could share track.
So what we have is a weak argument that Transit City vehicles maybe sometime could somehow use streetcar trackage for something (and maybe there is a reverse argument that streetcars could maybe sometime somehow use Transit City trackage).
Steve: In fact, the Transit City vehicles could not operate on the streetcar lines because their specs are for a "standard" Flexity regarding curves, switches, etc. "Legacy" TTC versions of the cars could operate over Transit City trackage, but the only proposed example of this was for St. Clair 512 cars to run from Black Creek Carhouse via Eglinton and Jane to the proposed extension of the St. Clair car. Neither the Jane LRT nor the St. Clair extension are likely to be built in the near future, and so the operation of St. Clair will have to be handled from the existing system. At some distant date when the new streetcar fleet outstrips the capacities of the three carhouses, there is always the possibility of changing part of Hillcrest into an operating yard since a goodly chunk of Harvey Shops will be redundant after all streetcar maintenance moves to Leslie Barns.
On the other hand, it's reasonable to apply the same argument to service across the border of Toronto. In the future, can we really rule out a Sheppard LRT that extends to Pickering? Eglinton to the Airport and past, into Mississauga? Service to Brampton, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham? A forced transfer at the border of Toronto may not be the best service design. And remember the vehicles on both sides of this line are the same kind.
In conclusion, I see three choices:
1) Use TTC gauge for all light rail in the GTHA area;
2) Use TTC gauge inside Toronto and standard outside;
3) Use TTC gauge for streetcars and subways in Toronto and standard for all light rail (excluding streetcars)
I'm arguing for (3). I think you're arguing for (2). I think I saw somebody else arguing for (1) at some point. I consider (2) to be confused — compatibility across the streetcar/TC line matters, but compatibility across the Toronto border does not. And I hope it's clear to everybody that (1) using a non-standard gauge across a huge swathe of Southern Ontario really is the tail wagging the dog — because of a tiny existing system that one can probably walk around in one day, we're going to use a non-standard gauge everywhere from Hamilton to Pickering and eventually beyond.
And remember, sometimes it is helpful to share track with heavy rail, as is already proposed in Waterloo. So even if the incremental cost of buying and using vehicles with TTC gauge wheels were zero, there would be another reason not to use non-standard gauge over such a wide area.
One final comment: I would suggest that a decision to follow a standard is somewhat privileged and has a presumption of being reasonable in the absence of strong evidence to the contrary. So calling a decision to follow a standard a "screw-up" (rather than just disagreeing with it) should require unmistakable and irrefutable evidence that taking a non-standard choice is indisputably and obviously better.
Steve: This issue has been beaten to death here before, and we are long past changing the decision. I see no problem with the Transit City network being run on standard gauge while the streetcar and subway networks remain TTC gauge. There are more important issues to debate such as whether and when we will actually see the LRT network expand both in Toronto and elsewhere.
Robert Wightman | July 1, 2013 at 11:19 am
David Youngs says:
If you limit it to light rail/street car then five of the North American systems that survived were broad gauge, Toronto, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Suburban, Pittsburgh and New Orleans; with Boston, Newark, San Francisco, Cleveland (Shaker Heights) as standard gauge. Broad gauge seems to be an advantage but I doubt that is quantifiable.
Steve: Just to make life interesting, the Norristown line in Philly is standard gauge as it was part of the Philadelphia & Western Railroad.
Robert Wightman | July 1, 2013 at 4:58 pm
Isaac Morland said:
"By default, standards should be used. For example, when installing an electrical outlet, one installs a standard duplex 110V 15A receptable, …"
Perhaps you should consult an electrical engineer, I know of 2 who are close to you. The last time 110 V was standard was in the early 50s. It has been increased in step until it has reached the current value of 125 V, + or – a couple of volts, usually minus. Also many of the standard receptacles are now 20 A, not 15. They are the ones with the extra sideways slot off the larger pin. Standards are not meant to be unchangeable.
Since there is no way Transport Canada is going to let LRT and mainline freight operate on the same tracks, then using the same gauge loses any advantage. If any rail line is taken over the tracks are going to need upgrading, if just for the ground return connection. Building the surrounding LRT to standard gauge means that it will be impossible to interline any of the legacy cars with the new system. In Toronto the standard gauge for rail transit, not commuter rail, is 4′ 10 7/8″ not 4′ 8 1/2″. The standard gauge for most rail lines in Asia used to be 1 m. New lines are being built to broader gauge because it has many advantages that are worth the problems of having 2 different gauges. I doubt that we ever will see a set of LRT lines built that will make it possible to run one LRT vehicle from Toronto to Hamilton or Kitchener, but it would make a lot of sense to have run St. Clair out of the car house on Eglinton instead of Leslie.
I think I read somewhere that Ottawa's cars will run of 1500 VDC. This will make them non standard for most LRT lines which run off 750 VDC. They will never be able to swap cars with any other system in Ontario. I have been googling for this item but I cannot seem to find it again so I maybe blowing smoke out of my ears.
Ron Wm. Hurlbut says:
"Although the GO Train Stations say that they connect with other transit, its not like TTC buses pull right up to the Station. You usually have to hike a block or two to get from a bus to a train."
Actually the Kennedy and Milliken stations on Stouffville, Port Union and Eglinton on Lakeshore East, Weston on Kitchener, Kipling on Milton make fairly decent connections for closeness. Long Branch is not too bad and I think they are going to rebuild and make it better. True there are some that are not the best but don't blame the TTC. Their lines were there before GO built its stations to cater to the car.
"The last time 110 V was standard was in the early 50s."
Yes, I should have said 120V, although I'm interested to hear that it is actually inching higher than that. Oddly, I don't think I would ever give 220V as the voltage for a stove or dryer — so in my mind somehow 110V × 2 = 240V. In any case, my numbers being a bit out of date doesn't change my point.
Now, and this really is heading out into crazyland, your point about the voltage gradually rising suggests an interesting approach to TTC gauge: narrow it by a few millimetres at every track rebuild. Then after about 20 rebuilds or so (more than 100 but less than 1000 years) TTC gauge will be the same as standard.
Steve: There is the small problem that the cars need to be regauged as well. Also, the cycle time for the entire network is well over 20 years, not to mention the diversion tracks which are done every 40+. Intersections should be a lot of fun.
This is a completely bonkers idea.
"Since there is no way Transport Canada is going to let LRT and mainline freight operate on the same tracks"
Already provided for in the O-train infrastructure, and planned for actual use in Waterloo, subject to a minor quibble that the trackage in question is not really "mainline". To be clear, this is with time separation, but time separation or no, the gauge has to match unless the idea is to install gauntlet track everywhere.
"I doubt that we ever will see a set of LRT lines built that will make it possible to run one LRT vehicle from Toronto to Hamilton or Kitchener, but it would make a lot of sense to have run St. Clair out of the car house on Eglinton instead of Leslie."
I admit that Kitchener is a bit out of the way, but I will be very surprised if we do not see continuous LRT (not necessarily seamless) from Pickering to Hamilton. Even Kitchener would get included if interurbans again became economically valuable, which I think is a "maybe" depending on a lot of technological and economic factors.
As for St. Clair, the solution to your observation is to convert it to a full Transit City line, including re-gauging. This could be done with essentially no additional impact by doing it at the next rebuild — simply rebuild to standard gauge instead of TTC gauge. And the way things are going, I think the rest of Transit City might get built around the time St. Clair is up for rebuild anyway. Note that this does not apply to the rest of the streetcar system except for Lakeshore West of Roncesvalles because re-gauging a single line would mess up carhouse moves, diversions, and other special circumstances.
Steve: You do realize that St. Clair won't be rebuilt for at least 20 years, and the intent at that point would be only to take out the top layer — the track — but not the ties including their TTC gauge mounts for the rail.
This thread really is getting out of control and is miles away from the discussion of "Feeling Congested". I plan to create another thread to hold the track gauge comments, transfer all of them to that thread, and close it.
Any future track gauge ramblings will be deleted. It was a point worth debating a few years ago, but no more.


Food and craft activities are among my favorite ways of teaching my kids about new cultures and traditions! See how we are using a traditional Chinese dish with a modern day craft to learn more about Chinese New Year!
Before having kids, I was a teacher. Long before I got my first teaching assignment, I took a keen interest in history. This was no doubt thanks in large part to my dad, a history major in college and basically one of the biggest history buffs you will ever meet. But while my dad was always more interested in the tactical facts and figures (ie battlefield logistics) of history, I always enjoyed learning about the human interest side of it all. I am fascinated by other cultures and love learning about their traditions, foods, and ways of life.
My teaching days may be over, but my love of history remains. I love teaching my kids about new countries, cultures and traditions and love that learning can be found in the most simple of activities. Two of my favorite ways to share new cultural experiences with my family are food and crafts!
Today we're showing off Ling Ling Potstickers and a fun SLIME activity while we celebrate Chinese New Year and learn more about Chinese culture!
Have you ever had potstickers? My family LOVES them! Potstickers are a traditional Chinese dish. While the exact origins of potstickers are unknown, the best educated guess is that they surfaced around 1000 A.D. A chef was cooking traditional dumplings and forgot about them, which resulted in the dumplings becoming overcooked and stuck to the wok. Even though the dumplings were overcooked and scorched, they were a hit!
Potstickers have remained a popular Chinese dish! Ling Ling makes a variety of delicious potstickers (choose from chicken, pork, or vegetarian). They are the perfect (easy!) option to enjoy while celebrating Chinese New Year.
Chinese New Year is on February 5th this year. Pick up some Ling Ling Potstickers at your local grocer (we found them in the freezer aisle at Giant). Share an authentic Asian recipe with your family and enjoy a flavorful, easy-to-prepare meal. Ling Ling delicious signature dipping sauce comes with every pack of their potstickers!
Now that you have a traditional Chinese dish planned with Ling Ling Potstickers, how about a fun kid-friendly activity? The slime craze is still very much alive and well over here. My kids love ANY chance to whip up a batch of slime and they LOVE when we make themed slime for various holidays, activities, etc. We had so much fun creating some "Chinese New Year" themed slime and wanted to share it with you.
The color red symbolizes good luck and good fortune in Chinese culture.
The color gold symbolizes wealth in Chinese culture.
One note: I highly recommend using CLEAR glue for this craft. I thought I had some and when I went to make it with the kids, realized all I had was white glue. Obviously this affected the slime's color a bit. Clear glue will produce slime that is more red than ours.
In a mixing bowl, combine glue and warm water. Add several drops of red food coloring. Mix together.
Add lots of glitter and mix.
Add saline solution in 1/2 teaspoon increments. Stir the mixture and continue to add saline by 1/2 teaspoons until it becomes pliable and not sticky. At that point, the slime is ready to play with!
W are so excited to celebrate Chinese New Year! What are your favorite Chinese foods to enjoy?


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PSLS • News • PS4 News, Trophies, Reviews, and More • Reviews
Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics Review – At the Mountains of Average (PS4)
Andrew KingSunday, December 02, 2018
Hot take: Video games are too long and most of them stop being interesting long before the credits roll. Enter Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics, a turn-based strategy game that first captivated me as I plotted a course through its final confrontation.
It's too good to spoil here, but in its last level, Auroch Digital's virtual take on the Kickstarted tabletop roleplaying universe, finally becomes the Nazis-meet-the-Elder Gods mash-up its title promises. Think Panzer tanks, tentacle beards, and oozy black shoggoths. It's fleeting, though, an inspired, eldritch-infused capper on an otherwise boilerplate XCOM-style tactics game.
Turn-Based Eldritch Horror
In this take on Firaxis' formula, players head deep behind enemy lines with a diverse squad of Allied soldiers. They're thinly drawn—I can't tell you much about any of them other than their nationality and gender. And class distinctions are similarly wispy. Any soldier can shoot, heal, or hurl grenades, though some are more specialized in short-range arms or melee combat. Each has a skill tree for developing these talents further. Additionally, modifying weapons with various unlockable scopes and stocks can make even a nearsighted shotgun deadly at a distance.
An introductory cutscene reveals what is soon shown on the battlefield: in this alternate take on World War II, the Nazis are backed by an evil more ancient than anti-Semitism. The Germans are in some sort of dark communion with mythos powers from beyond their ken. Average grunts are joined by sickly green units with Davy Jones-style facial appendages. They appear out of the void-black fog that surrounds the map. And, as they do, titles like Black Sun Servitor unroll in typewriter font at the bottom of the screen.
These humanoid units don't actually behave much different than the human ones; the Cthulhu-colored coat of paint is just set dressing. However, the void they cloak themselves in is Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics' one interesting innovation, as it's a veil that prevents the player from seeing the entirety of the battlefield at once.
Staring into the Void
Each level contains multiple skirmishes, separated by brief exploration sections. As you command your soldiers to hike around the forests and hideouts that serve as the game's setting, light extends in front of them in vision cones, penetrating the fog and revealing enemy units. Until an enemy is fixed in your soldier's steely gaze, you won't be able to view their health bar (and you're also less likely to land a hit). This encourages a sometimes compelling risk-reward assessment. You need to be close to check your enemy's stats, but they have a better chance of hitting you as you draw near. It also means that, as enemies retreat, you'll often be unsure as to where exactly they lurk in the inky void.
But, the void is more interesting in theory than in practice. You'll rarely be shooting at these hidden enemies, as your chances of landing a shot bottom out from this distance. Instead, you'll be focused on maneuvering into positions where you'll have a better vantage point on the enemies nearest you—climbing over sandbags and rock walls and hiding behind trees. The terrain becomes a problem as the game progresses, not because there's anything wrong with sandbags or rock walls or trees, but because the game just doesn't do much interesting with it. The finale stuck out as a memorable moment, in large part, because it was the first time that it felt like the play space had been designed. Every other stage played like algorithmic chaff that should have been subbed out in favor of bespoke wheat.
Achtung Cthulhu Tactics Review - At the Mountains of Average (PS4)
Achtung, Baby
These issues are exacerbated by the fact that the game's default difficulty is laughably easy. Enemies miss far more often than they hit, and you hit far more often than you miss. Often an opponent will march confidently up to you, and then do nothing. The final level was the first time I died; I coasted through the rest of the game. On Normal difficulty, Achtung! Cthulu Tactics is mindless grinding, the antithesis of what a good tactics game should be.
This is significantly improved on Hard, but, unfortunately, I had to start a second playthrough to find that out. Once you select a difficulty setting, gameplay still unseen, you're locked in for the rest of your playthrough. So, by the time I expected combat to shift up a notch, I had invested too much time for restarting to be an attractive option.
In short, Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics has some new ideas, but mostly retreads familiar territory. The game invokes unknowable forces beyond our comprehension. But, it does so with mechanics that are, by and large, known quantities. Who would have suspected that scaling the mountains of madness could be this rote?
Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics review code provided by publisher. Version 1.01 reviewed on a standard PlayStation 4. For more information on scoring, please see our Review Policy.
Strong final mission
Interesting void system
The combat is occasionally compelling
Adds very little to the XCOM-style formula
Boring, endlessly repeated environments
Levels are rarely interesting
Framerate chugs
Tags: Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics, Auroch Digital, Ripstone Ltd.


Travel stories, city guides, travel tips, recipes, and more inspired by one of our favorite food places on earth, Hawaii.
You know you want to vacay in Hawaii but how do you decide on the island? We say decide with your stomach! On an island by island basis, we've got you covered with the best island for your food personality.
It's hard to want anything aside from a classic Mai Tai when you're on Maui, we know. But then you'd be missing out on the super interesting drinks being mixed up by talented mixologists like this Makalapua cocktail by Aaron Alcala-Mosley.
Waikiki is all fine and dandy but, if you want to get a feel for what's happening now on Oahu, spend some time exploring one of our favorite corners of Honolulu: Kaimuki.


text:
\section{Introduction}

Entanglement is one of the key resources in quantum mechanics and in
particular in quantum communication and quantum information
applications. Its appearance and behavior was discovered and
discussed a long time ago \cite{EPR,SR}, but it was only since the
1980s that applications of entanglement, like quantum teleportation
\cite{Ben}, quantum cryptography \cite{BB84,Eke} and quantum
algorithms \cite{Deu,Sho,Gro}, were developed and became the focus
for intense research.

An important question which is not answered in full generality yet
is: Assuming a given state, how much ``profit'' (in terms of
entanglement) is inherently hidden in that state that could be used
to perform some of the tasks mentioned above? A state with higher
entanglement should allow us to perform a task in some sense better
than a state with lower entanglement. Therefore a lot of effort has
been spent during the last two decades to investigate entanglement
further, and in particular, to quantify it \cite{HHH,Hor}, so that
states can be quantitatively ranked. For the case of two qubits,
substantial progress has been achieved and entanglement of formation
and concurrence are widely accepted as well behaved and
operationally meaningful measures for entanglement \cite{Woot2}.
However, for higher-dimensional cases and multipartite states the
situation gets more complicated and, despite some progress, the
search for good measures is still going on \cite{RB,AF,EG}.

Even if good measures exist for the case of two qubits, they
require, in general, full knowledge of the density matrix for a
given state to be determined. This is achieved by full state
tomography \cite{Du}, a cumbersome and time-consuming experimental
measurement process. A way to avoid these inconveniences is to use
so-called entanglement witnesses \cite{LK,LK2,GL}, which can detect
specific entanglement, but, on the other hand, are not able to
quantify it. An alternative to entanglement witnesses are local
uncertainty relations (LUR) \cite{HT}. They are typically easy to
implement experimentally, but unfortunately no known LUR can detect
all entangled two-qubit states, and in general they do not give
quantitative measure of entanglement for the states they do detect.
Assuming that one has an unknown state, it is therefore desirable to
quantify its entanglement as well as possible, with the lowest
possible experimental effort.

In this  paper we will extend the idea of local uncertainty
relations for two qubits and thereby overcome most of its drawbacks,
but keeping it's advantages. We will derive a measure that is
invariant under local unitary transformations, and which quantifies
entanglement for all pure states and in some range for mixed states.
An advantage is that the measure only requires local measurements
(in contrast to \cite{BH}, for example), facilitating the
experimental effort. A mathematically similar approach as ours has
been taken by de Vicente \cite{Vicente}, who use the Bloch-vector
representation of bipartite states and the Ky Fan norm to write an
inequality that can only be broken by nonseparable states. However,
Vicente does not address how his entanglement criteria can be
experimentally implemented.

Compared to state tomography our measure will require the same
number of measurement-settings for the case of two qubits (9
settings), but we conjecture significantly less measurement-setups
in higher-dimensional systems. On the other hand one can always
calculate the concurrence after a state tomography, since one has
full knowledge of the state. The simplest LUR requires only 2
measurement-settings \cite{KH} but LURs are (except some special
cases) not able to quantify entanglement.

In the next section we will motivate the measure starting from local
uncertainty relations and then discuss it's properties. After that
we will investigate the case of pure states in section \ref{sec pure
states} and the case of mixed state in section \ref{sec mixed
states}, before summarizing the results and discuss still open
questions in section \ref{sec summary}.

\section{Definition and implementation}

Before giving the definition of the new measure, we will motivate it
by giving a short review of entanglement detection through local
uncertainty relations. Even though the theory of local uncertainty
relations has been extended to multipartite systems by G\"{u}hne
\cite{OG}, we will only cover bipartite systems here. Having two
systems $A$ and $B$, one can choose sets of observables
$\{\hat{A}_i\}$ and $\{\hat{B}_i\}$, acting solely on the
corresponding system. In each set of observables it is assumed that
the observables have no joint eigenvector. The local variances are
then given by
$\delta^2\hat{A}_i\equiv\left\langle\hat{A}_i^2\right\rangle-\left\langle\hat{A}_i\right\rangle^2$,
and similar for $\delta^2\hat{B}_i$. These variances are
nonnegative, and for the variance $\delta^2\hat{A}_i$ to be zero the
system has to be in an eigenstate of $\hat{A}_i$. Because the
operators $\{\hat{A}_i\}$ have no joint eigenstates the variance
$\delta^2\hat{A}_j$ for this state must be positive for all $j \neq
i$. Therefore, there exist a state (or a class of states) that have
an associated non-trivial value $U_A>0$ which is the greatest lower
limit of the sum of the variances. From this follows that for any
state the following inequality holds: \begin{equation}
\sumgren{i}{}\delta^2\hat{A}_i\geq U_A. \end{equation} The same thing holds
for the observables of system $B$ and we will define $U_B$ in the
same way, so that \begin{equation} \sumgren{i}{}\delta^2\hat{B}_i\geq U_B. \end{equation}
The operators $\hat{A}_i+\hat{B}_i$ can be defined to measure
properties of the common system. One can show that the local
uncertainty relation \begin{equation} \label{deflur}
\sumgren{i}{}\delta^2\left(\hat{A}_i+\hat{B}_i\right)\geq U_A+U_B
\label{eq: inequality} \end{equation} then holds for all statistical mixtures
of product states. A proof for (\ref{eq: inequality}) for this class
of states is given in \cite{HT}.

Expanding the left hand side of Eq. (\ref{deflur}) gives \begin{eqnarray}
\nonumber \sumgren{i}{}\delta^2\left(\hat{A}_i+\hat{B}_i\right) & =
& \sumgren{i}{}\delta^2\hat{A}_i+\sumgren{i}{}\delta^2\hat{B}_i
\\ && +2\sumgren{i}{}C\left(\hat{A}_i,\hat{B}_i\right), \end{eqnarray} where the
covariance term is defined as \begin{equation} \label{defcorr}
C\left(\hat{A}_i,\hat{B}_i\right)=\left\langle\hat{A}_i\hat{B}_i\right\rangle-\left\langle\hat{A}_i\right\rangle\left\langle\hat{B}_i\right\rangle.
\end{equation} To reveal entanglement by not fulfilling inequality
(\ref{deflur}), one can immediately see, that at least one of the
covariance terms has to be less than zero for such an entangled
state. Any single covariance term is bounded by \begin{equation}
-\left(\delta^2\hat{A}_i+\delta^2\hat{B}_i\right)\leq
2C\left(\hat{A}_i,\hat{B}_i\right)\leq\delta^2\hat{A}_i+\delta^2\hat{B}_i.
\end{equation} Since both bounds can be reached with both mixed separable and
pure entangled states for any particular choice of a pair of
observables $\hat{A}_i$ and $\hat{B}_i$, one has to look at several
covariances to detect entanglement. To give an example, one can
consider a two-level system, e.g., the polarization states of
spatially separated photon pairs. A possible LUR in this case is
\begin{eqnarray} \nonumber
L_3 & = & \delta^2\left(\hat{\sigma}^A+\hat{\sigma}^B\right)_{0/90}+\delta^2\left(\hat{\sigma}^A+\hat{\sigma}^B\right)_{45/135}\\
& & +\delta^2\left(\hat{\sigma}^A+\hat{\sigma}^B\right)_{R/L}\geq 4,
\label{eq: Howell} \end{eqnarray} where the subscript 0/90 denotes
measurements of horizontal and vertical linear polarization. Assume
that the measurement eigenvalues for $\hat{\sigma}^A$ and
$\hat{\sigma}^B$ are $\pm 1$. This means that the possible
measurement outcomes for $\hat{\sigma}^A+\hat{\sigma}^B$ are -2, 0,
and 2. The subscript 45/135 denotes similar measurements in a basis
rotated by 45 degrees and R/L denotes measurements of left- and
right-handed polarized photons. The relation (\ref{eq: Howell}) was
investigated by Ali Khan and Howell in \cite{KH} and $L_3\geq4$ is
fulfilled by all mixtures of separable states, but may be violated
for entangled states, the minimum of $L_3$ being zero in this latter
case. The lower bound $L_3=0$ is attained by the singlet state
$(\bra{\uparrow,\downarrow} - \bra{\downarrow,\uparrow})/\sqrt{2}$
because this state has perfectly anticorrelated polarization if
photon $A$ and $B$ are measured in any same basis. Therefore $L_3$
can detect entanglement. Note, however, that {\em $L_3$ assumes a
shared spatial reference frame,} because if $A$ and $B$ are measured
with the respective horizontal and vertical axes unaligned, $L_3$
will no longer be zero for the singlet state. In addition, only a
small fraction of the set of entangled qubit states is detected by
$L_3$ and a local unitary transformation of a given entangled state
is sufficient to make a violated LUR fulfilled, or vice versa,
although the entanglement remains invariant per definition. As an
example, a local basis-state flip on either $A$ and $B$ (which is
equivalent to an interchange of the vertical and the horizontal
axis) results in the state $(\bra{\uparrow,\uparrow} -
\bra{\downarrow,\downarrow})/\sqrt{2}$ for which $L_3$ takes its
maximum value eight, well over the threshold for entanglement
detection, which is four. This example demonstrates the necessity of
a shared spatial reference frame. If we, on the other hand, were
using a measure which is invariant under local unitary
transformations we would not have to align our measurement setups,
since every local rotation can be described by a local unitary
transformation. Especially if the measurement devices are located
far apart this can lower the experimental effort significantly.

An attempt to rectify some of the problems with LURs was done in
\cite{SB}, where an improved way of using local uncertainty
relations, so called modified local uncertainty relations (MLUR),
was proposed. These MLUR could detect more states than LUR, but the
main drawbacks of local uncertainty relations, namely invariance
under local unitary transformations, remained. An advantage of LURs,
compared to state tomography or entanglement witnesses, is the
relatively small experimental effort which is needed to implement
them experimentally. Therefore we propose in this paper a new
measure inspired by local uncertainty relations, which keeps the
advantages of LUR like low experimental effort, but gets rid of some
of the disadvantages of LUR, for example being not invariant under
local unitary transformations, not detecting all entangled pure
states or not quantifying entanglement.

One realizes that the information of entanglement is somehow coded
in the covariances defined by Eq. (\ref{defcorr}), since only they
are responsible for violating a LUR. We propose therefore for the
case of two qubits to use the sum of all possible covariances
between two local sets of mutually unbiased bases, one for each
qubit, \begin{equation} \label{defG} G=\sumgren{i,j=1}{3}
C^2\left(\hat{\sigma}_i^A,\hat{\sigma}_j^B\right) , \end{equation} as a
measure of entanglement. Here, $\hat{\sigma}_i^A$ denotes the $i$:th
Pauli matrix (operator) for system $A$, and similar for $B$. The
Pauli matrices are \begin{equation} \label{Pauli}
\hat{\sigma}_1=\left(\begin{array}[c]{cc}0 & 1\\
1 & 0
\end{array}\right),
\hat{\sigma}_2=\left(\begin{array}[c]{cc}0 & -i\\
i & 0
\end{array}\right),
\hat{\sigma}_3=\left(\begin{array}[c]{cc}1 & 0\\
0 & -1
\end{array}\right),
\end{equation} whose eigenvalues are $\pm 1$. The Pauli matrices are
traceless: $\mathrm{Tr}\left(\hat{\sigma}_i\right)=0$ (for
$i=1,2,3$). In the following we will denote the unity matrix as
$\hat{\sigma}_0$: \begin{equation}
\hat{\sigma}_0=\left(\begin{array}[c]{cc}1 & 0\\
0 & 1
\end{array}\right). \label{eq: identity}
\end{equation}  These four matrices have the property
$\mathrm{Tr}\left(\hat{\sigma}_i \hat{\sigma}_j\right)=2\delta_{ij}$
for $i,j=0, \ldots,4$. The measure of Eq. (\ref{defG}) is easy to
implement. Since \begin{equation}
C\left(\hat{\sigma}_i^A,\hat{\sigma}_j^B\right)=\left<\hat{\sigma}_i^A\otimes\hat{\sigma}_j^B\right>-\left<\hat{\sigma}_i^A\otimes\hat{\openone}^B\right>\left<\hat{\openone}^A\otimes\hat{\sigma}_j^B\right>,
\end{equation} one has only to count singles rates and coincidences. The
measurements can be performed locally on each system and a total of
nine measurement-settings are sufficient
($\left<\hat{\sigma}_i\otimes\hat{\openone}\right>$ and
$\left<\hat{\openone}\otimes\hat{\sigma}_j\right>$ can be calculated from
the other measurements) to get all the results. Here, we would like
to point out that $G$ is invariant under any local unitary
transformations. That is,
$G\left(\hat{\rho}\right)=G\left(\hat{U}\hat{\rho}
\hat{U}^\dagger\right)$ with $\hat{U}=\hat{U}_A\otimes \hat{U}_B$
where $\hat{U}_A$ ($\hat{U}_B$) operates only on subsystem A (B).
($G$ is also invariant under partial transposition.) The invariance
is a direct consequence of the fact that our measure $G$ can be
rewritten as \begin{equation} \label{HilSch}
G=4\mathrm{Tr}\left\{\left(\hat{\rho}-\hat{\rho}_A\otimes\hat{\rho}_B\right)^2\right\},
\end{equation} that is, in terms of the Hilbert-Schmidt norm measure of
distance, where $\hat{\rho}_A$ denotes the density matrix of system
$A$ after tracing over system $B$ and similar for $\hat{\rho}_B$
\cite{Hall}. Since any unitary transformation can be seen as a
rotation or mirroring of the basis vectors of a Hilbert-space and a
norm is invariant under rotation or mirroring the basis, it follows
that $G$ is invariant under any local unitary transformation. To see
the equivalence between Eq. (\ref{defG}) and Eq. (\ref{HilSch}) one
can expand the density matrix $\hat{\rho}_A$ as \begin{equation} \label{rhoA}
\hat{\rho}_A=\frac{1}{2}
\sumgren{n=0}{3}\mathrm{Tr}\left(\hat{\openone}\otimes\hat{\sigma}_n\hat{\rho}\right)\hat{\sigma}_n
\end{equation} and similar for $\hat{\rho}_B$. $\hat{\rho}$ can also be
expanded in the basis defined by the operators $\hat{\sigma}_i$ as
\begin{equation} \label{rho}
\hat{\rho}=\frac{1}{4}\sumgren{n=0}{3}\sumgren{m=0}{3}\mathrm{Tr}\left(\hat{\sigma}^A_m\otimes\hat{\sigma}^B_n\hat{\rho}\right)\hat{\sigma}^A_m\otimes\hat{\sigma}^B_n.
\end{equation} Inserting the expansion (\ref{rhoA}) and its $\hat{\rho}_B$
counterpart, and (\ref{rho}) into (\ref{HilSch}), and using the
Pauli matrix relations written just under (\ref{Pauli}) and
(\ref{eq: identity}), it is not difficult to rewrite the ensuing
equation in the form (\ref{defG}).

{\em Note that, because of the local unitary invariance is it not
necessary to use the Pauli matrices in the definition of our
proposed measure in Eq. (\ref{defG}). Every local unitary
transformation of this mutually unbiased basis (MUB) \cite{KW} works
equally well.} The invariance under local unitary transformations
also means that {\em a shared spatial reference frame is no longer
needed}, because a local rotation (a unitary transformation) will
leave the measure invariant. However, since it is sufficient to use
the Pauli matrices and since they are convenient from an
experimental and mathematical viewpoint, we will continue to use
them in this paper.

For pure states $G$ is just a bijective function of the
well-established concurrence, whereas for mixed states $G$ relates a
state to a certain range of concurrence. The proof of these
statements are given next.

\section{Pure states}
\label{sec pure states}

We will relate our measure to the well known concurrence in the case
of pure states. For the proof we will expand an ordinary pure
two-qubit state into the eigenvectors $\ket{00}$, $\ket{01}$,
$\ket{10}$ and $\ket{11}$ of the
$\hat{\sigma}_3^A\otimes\hat{\sigma}_3^B$ operator, that is \begin{eqnarray}
\nonumber
\ket{\psi} & = & a_{00}\ket{00}+a_{01}\ket{01}+a_{10}\ket{10}+a_{11}\ket{11}\\
& = & \sumgren{k,l=0}{1}\alpha_{kl}\ket{k}^A\otimes\ket{l}^B.
\end{eqnarray}
The adjoint state can be written in a similar way and, dropping the sign for the tensor product, we can expand
\begin{eqnarray}
\nonumber
G & = & \sumgren{i,j=1}{3}\left(\left<\hat{\sigma}_i^A\hat{\sigma}_j^B\right>^2-2\left<\hat{\sigma}_i^A\hat{\sigma}_j^B\right>\left<\hat{\sigma}_i^A\right>\left<\hat{\sigma}_j^B\right>\right.\\
\label{Ggrund} & &+ \left.\left<\hat{\sigma}_i^A\right>^2
\left<\hat{\sigma}_j^B\right>^2\right) \end{eqnarray} in a sum of products of
the expansion coefficients $\alpha_{kl}$.

Recall now the results of Linden and Popescu \cite{LP}, where they
derive the invariants of systems of different dimensions under local
unitary transformations. For the case of two qubits they show that
there are only two invariants: \begin{eqnarray}
I_{1} & = & \sumgren{k,l=0}{1}\alpha_{kl}\alpha_{kl}^{\ast}\\
I_{2} & = &
\sumgren{k,l,m,n=0}{1}\alpha_{km}\alpha_{kn}^{\ast}\alpha_{ln}\alpha_{lm}^{\ast}.
\end{eqnarray}

Evaluating the expansion of Eq. (\ref{Ggrund}) performing
considerable trivial, but tedious, algebra (i.e. evaluating all the
terms $\bracket{\cdot}{}{\cdot}$ and making the summation), the
result is \begin{equation} \label{Gfertig}
G=\left(I_{\alpha}^{2}+8I_{\beta}\right)-2I_{\alpha}\left(I_{\alpha}^{2}-4I_{\beta}\right)+\left(I_{\alpha}^{2}-4I_{\beta}\right)^2,
\label{eq: first G}\end{equation} where the first term in Eq. (\ref{Gfertig})
corresponds to the first term in the Eq. (\ref{Ggrund}) and so on.
The summation over $i$ and $j$ is already included in each term.
$I_{\alpha}$ and $I_{\beta}$ stand for \begin{eqnarray}
I_{\alpha} & = & \left|\alpha_{00}\right|^2+\left|\alpha_{01}\right|^2+\left|\alpha_{10}\right|^2+\left|\alpha_{11}\right|^2\\
I_{\beta} & = &
\left(\alpha_{01}\alpha_{10}-\alpha_{00}\alpha_{11}\right)\left(\alpha_{01}^{\ast}\alpha_{10}^{\ast}-\alpha_{00}^{\ast}\alpha_{11}^{\ast}\right)\\
&=& \left | \alpha_{00}\alpha_{11} - \alpha_{01}\alpha_{10} \right
|^2 . \end{eqnarray} One sees immediately that $I_{\alpha}=I_{1}$.  If one
looks at Eq. (\ref{Gfertig}) in further detail one sees that
$I_{\alpha}$ is not just a constant under unitary transformations,
it is simply the state normalization constant and therefore
$I_{\alpha}=1$ for all states. One can, after some algebra, also
show that $I_{\beta}=(I_{1}^{2}-I_{2})/2$. Therefore $I_{\beta}$ is
also an invariant. This simplifies equation (\ref{eq: first G}) to
\begin{equation} G=8I_{\beta}+16I_{\beta}^2=4I_{\beta}\left(2+4I_{\beta}\right).
\end{equation} Knowing that $4I_{\beta}={\cal C}^2$ \cite{AF}, where ${\cal
C}$ denotes the well-known concurrence \cite{Woot2} for pure states,
we finally get \begin{equation} \label{GzuC} G={\cal C}^2\left(2+{\cal
C}^2\right). \end{equation} The concurrence is related to entanglement of
formation and having therefore a pure state, one can directly
quantify its entanglement by measuring $G$. For a pure state $G>0$
implies that the state is entangled. This is an intuitive result
because a separable, pure state cannot display any covariance
between local measurements.

\section{Mixed states}
\label{sec mixed states}

The relation between $G$ and the concurrence that held for the pure
states in Eq. (\ref{GzuC}) is no longer valid for mixed states.
Instead, $G$ can, in general, take any value in the shaded region
plotted in Fig. \ref{bounds}. That is, $0 \leq G \leq 3$ or, if we
write it in relation to the concurrence, one has \begin{equation}
\label{Ggrenzen} {\cal C}^2\left(2+{\cal C}^2\right)\leq G\leq 1+2
{\cal C}^2. \end{equation} The lower bound of this inequality is given by Eq.
(\ref{GzuC}), that is, any pure state has the lowest possible values
of $G$ for a given amount of entanglement. The reason for that is
that correlations for pure states can only be given by entanglement.
(Note that the converse is not true. That is, there are mixed states
that also saturate the lower bound of $G$.)

To find the upper bound of Eq. (\ref{Ggrenzen}) we look at the
density matrix \begin{equation}
\hat{\rho}_u=\left(\begin{array}[c]{cccc}1/2 & 0 & 0 & e^{i\theta}\gamma\\
0 & 0 & 0 & 0\\
0 & 0 & 0 & 0\\
e^{-i\theta}\gamma & 0 & 0 & 1/2
\end{array}\right)
\end{equation} with $0 \leq \gamma \leq 1/2$ and $\theta$ an arbitrary real
number. The class of states defined by this density matrix
interpolates between maximally classically correlated states with no
entanglement ($G=1$, ${\cal C}=0$ when $\gamma = 0$) and maximally
entangled (pure) states which have the highest correlations of any
states ($G=3$, ${\cal C}=1$ when $\gamma = 1/2$). It is reasonable
to believe that this class of states has the highest value of $G$
for any given amount of entanglement. Using the definition of $G$ in
Eq. (\ref{defG}) one finds that for these states
$G(\hat{\rho}_u)=1+8\gamma^2$. Calculating the concurrence gives
${\cal C}(\hat{\rho}_u)=2\gamma$ and therefore we have
$G(\hat{\rho}_u)=1+2{\cal C}^2$. A simulation with many thousands of
arbitrary states shows that, indeed, no state is outside the range
given by (\ref{Ggrenzen}). {\em Hence, a value of $G>1$ guarantees
that the system is entangled,} since $G$ of separable states (having
zero concurrence) cannot exceed unity.

Unfortunately, we don't have any strict algebraical proof for the
limits of $G$ at the moment although we firmly believe, and can see
clear arguments why the limits are both sufficient and necessary.
The problem is that it is not known how to parameterize the entire
class of states with a given concurrence, let alone to find the
maximum G of such a multiparameter class of states.
\begin{center}
\begin{figure}
\center
\includegraphics[angle=0, scale=.55]{Fig_1_bounds.eps}
\caption{Bounds for $G$ when plotted over the concurrence. See text
for more details.} \label{bounds}
\end{figure}
\end{center}

In general, $G$ is an ``entanglement witness'' for mixed states,
since it can detect entanglement for a class of states. But if one
has a state with a high concurrence, $G$ can give more information.
An example is given in Fig. \ref{bounds}. Imagine one measures a
value of $G=2.5$. In that case, the state has to have a concurrence
somewhere in the range of the upper horizontal line in Fig.
\ref{bounds}, that is \begin{equation} \label{Concbereich} 0.87 \leq {\cal
C}\leq  0.93. \end{equation} This is quite a narrow range. Hence, even if one
is not able to determine the concurrence exactly, $G$ is still able
to limit a state to a certain range of the concurrence. Assigning a
value of ${\cal C}=0.9$ in the case above would, for example, only
give a maximum error of $\pm4\%$ for the concurrence. $G$ is
therefore giving more information about a state than an entanglement
witness ordinarily does.

An interesting question is, whether $G$ can somehow be
``compensated'' by the amount of mixedness, so that $G$ and ${\cal
C}$ become a bijective map also for mixed states. We have made some
simulations with arbitrary density matrices and plotted $G$ as a
function of the concurrence and of the degree of purity, defined by
$Tr\left(\hat{\rho}^2\right)$ (see \cite{MJ}). The result can be
seen in Fig. \ref{mixedpic}. If one fixes the concurrence to a
certain value and just looks at $G$ depending on the purity, it
turns out that these simulation results cover an area and not only a
line, showing that it is impossible, to write the measure as
$G=G\left({\cal C}\left(\hat{\rho}\right),
Tr\left(\hat{\rho}^2\right)\right)$ and thereby ``compensating'' $G$
by the purity. However, one might use other definitions than
$Tr\left(\hat{\rho}^2\right)$ for the mixedness to fulfill this.
This is still an open question.

\begin{center}
\begin{figure}
\center
\includegraphics[scale=.55]{Fig_2_purity046.eps}
\includegraphics[scale=.55]{Fig_3_purity050.eps}
\caption{Simulation results of measuring $G$ for some mixed states.
The upper figure is for states with a purity of
$\mathrm{Tr}\left(\hat{\rho}^2\right)=0.46\pm0.005$ and the lower
figure is for states with
$\mathrm{Tr}\left(\hat{\rho}^2\right)=0.5\pm0.005$.}
\label{mixedpic}
\end{figure}
\end{center}

\section{Summary and discussion}
\label{sec summary} Inspired by local uncertainty relations we have
suggested a measure of entanglement for two qubits, which can
quantify entanglement for pure states and can give bounds on the
entanglement of mixed states. This measure is invariant under local
unitary transformations and requires only local measurements to be
implemented. It might even be possible to get an exact
quantification for mixed states.

Further work will be focused on which properties a generalization of
our proposal would have for higher dimensional systems. In this
connection we can refer to Wootters \cite{Woot}, who showed that one
can determine all properties of a state by measuring all
combinations of local MUB eigenstate projections and the identity
matrix. We therefore conjecture that a generalization of our
proposed measure for higher-dimensional systems would keep the
properties like invariance under local unitary transformations and
can be useful to detect and quantify entanglement.

In that context the number of measurement-settings for our measure
would scale substantially lower as a function of the dimensions as
the number of measurement setups would scale for state tomography.
For multi-partite systems a similar method may still work, but in
this case the added complication that different kinds of
entanglement exist makes the problem both a quantitative
\textit{and} a qualitative one.

\section{Acknowledgements}

The authors want to thank Drs. Michael Hall and Otfried G\"{u}hne
for fruitful correspondence. This work was supported by the Swedish
Research Council (VR), the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research
(SSF), and the European Community through grant Qubit Applications
\#015848.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


Just TWO DAYS until our 100-year celebration! Along with an array of historical displays and free activities, we also have a BBQ, courtesy of North Shore Alliance Church, popcorn, drinks and cake! The party starts right after school at 3pm - don't miss out!


text:
Chris Wallace Defends Bush Against Mean Ron Howard
Pareene
Filed to: Hero
journalismism
Shouting Heads
Ron Howard, TV's Opie, just directed the film version of Frost/Nixon, because the man knows Oscar-bait when he sees it. And also, sure, because it's politically relevant or something. Howard, the very definition of American Middlebrow, is not a political director, though this year he endorsed Obama because he is a Hollyweird liberal (like his godless pal Andy Griffith). At a recent screening of the film, Howard mentioned how the lessons of Nixon became newly relevant during the Bush administration. Shocking! Good thing Fox News anchor and noted objective journalist Chris Wallace was there to set him straight! Nixon was a crook, see, and Bush is a hero.
Howard screened his movie before a Washington DC audience, then he and writer Peter Morgan and respected journalist James Reston, Jr. had a little panel discussion. And Howard, who voted for Nixon, said he was sad that America was all "never again" about Nixon and then Bush happened. And all the panelists compared Bush to Nixon and then Chris Wallace stood up and schooled them. (Or, as James Pinketon puts it, "FOX News' Chris Wallace threw a fair-and-balanced apple of discord into the middle of the festivities.")
"Richard Nixon's crimes were committed purely in the interest of his own political gain," Mr. Wallace told Mr. Howard before an audience of a few hundred after viewing the filmmakers new film "Frost/Nixon," which is about the only U.S. president to resign from office.
"I think to compare what Nixon did, and the abuses of power for pure political self preservation, to George W. Bush trying to protect this country — even if you disagree with rendition or waterboarding — it seems to me is both a gross misreading of history both then and now," Mr. Wallace said.
And!
"Yeah I respectfully would like to disagree with that," Mr. Wallace said. "It trivializes Nixon's crimes and completely misrepresents what George W. Bush did. Whatever George W. Bush did was after the savage attack of 9/11, in which 3,000 Americans were killed, and was done in service of trying to protect this country. I'm not saying that you have to agree with everything he did, but it was all done in the service of trying to protect this country and keep us safe."
"And the fact is that we sit here so comfortably, and the country has not been attacked again since 9/11," Mr. Wallace said.
Chris is right, of course. Bush is no Nixon. Nixon was a smart paranoid criminal lunatic who actually effectively managed the nation even as he abused the office for his personal gain, railed against Jews, and illegally bombed Cambodia. Bush, of course, is a messianic moron who ran the nation into the ground, allowed a great American city to be washed away, and lied us into a pointless, poorly planned foreign war because he was so stupidly convinced of his own essential goodness and infallibility.
But, you know, Chris is less right to dismiss Bush's various crimes as borne out of a desire to do good and protect the nation (and do good intentions actually make a difference when you're violating the fucking constitution from the office of the presidency, Chris? really?), as opposed to Nixon's supposedly less pure motives. What the hell was the illegal dismissal of seven US Attorneys for partisan political reasons? That was for the security of the nation?
Giving Karl Rove, architect of the permanent Republican majority plan, a policy position certainly smacks of "pure political self-preservation." The Valerie Plame thing?
Also, yes, Chris, motivation aside, making torture official United States policy is actually worse than a two-bit burglary. Asshole.
How the hell does Mike Wallace even talk to his miserable son?