text:
using namespace ofxCv;
using namespace cv;

//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::setup() {

	if (!guiInitialized) {
		initGui();
		initKinect();
	}
	initLianas();

}

//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::initGui() {

	gui.setup("panel", Globals::hostName + LIANAS_SETTINGS_FILE); // most of the time you don't need a name but don't forget to call setup

	//---------------------------------------------------
	/// Lianas
	zebraParams.setName("Main");
	zebraParams.add(randomNodes.set("randomNodes", true));
	zebraParams.add(lockX.set("lockX", false));
	zebraParams.add(lockY.set("lockY", true));
	zebraParams.add(lockZ.set("lockZ", true));
	zebraParams.add(lockLastNode.set("lockLastNode", true));
	zebraParams.add(numLianas.set("numLianas", 1, 1, 100));
	zebraParams.add(gravity.set("gravity", 0, -1, 1));
	zebraParams.add(springLineWidth.set("lineWidth", 2, 0, 20));

	gui.add(zebraParams);

	nodeParams.setName("Nodes");
	nodeParams.add(nodeRadius.set("nodeRadius", 100, 1, 200));
	nodeParams.add(nodeStrength.set("nodeStrength", -5, -100, 100));
	nodeParams.add(nodeDiameter.set("nodeDiameter", 16, 1, 200));
	nodeParams.add(nodeDamping.set("nodeDamping", 0.1f, -1, 1));
	nodeParams.add(nodeRamp.set("nodeRamp", 1.f, -50, 50));
	nodeParams.add(nodeVelocity.set("nodeVelocity", 0.99f, -1, 50));
	gui.add(nodeParams);

	springParams.setName("Springs");
	springParams.add(numNodes.set("numNodes", 20, 2, 100));
	springParams.add(springLength.set("springLength", 20, 0, 500));
	springParams.add(springStiffness.set("springStiffness", 3, 0, 50));
	springParams.add(stringDamping.set("stringDamping", 0.9, 0.9, 1));
	gui.add(springParams);

	repulsionParams.setName("Repulsion");
	repulsionParams.add(repulsionRadius.set("repulsionRadius", 50, 0, 500));
	repulsionParams.add(repulsionStrength.set("rep.Strength", 5, -1500, 1500));
	gui.add(repulsionParams);

	//---------------------------------------------------
	/// Kinect-related
	cvGroup.setName("OpenCV");
	cvGroup.add(nearThreshold.set("nearThreshold", 255, 0, 255));
	cvGroup.add(farThreshold.set("farThreshold", 213, 0, 255));
	cvGroup.add(thresholdParam.set("threshold", 13, 0, 255));
	cvGroup.add(contourMinArea.set("contourMinArea", 1, 0, 640));
	cvGroup.add(contourMaxArea.set("contourMaxArea", 1000000, 0, 1000000));
	cvGroup.add(blurSize.set("blurSize", 10, 0, 50));
	cvGroup.add(maximumDistance.set("maximumDistance", 32, 0, 300));
	cvGroup.add(persistence.set("persistence", 60, 0, 100));
	gui.add(cvGroup);

	debugGroup.setName("debug");
	debugGroup.add(bShowLabels.set("ShowLabels", true));
	debugGroup.add(bShowDepth.set("bShowDepth", false));
	debugGroup.add(bShowFilteredDepth.set("bShowFilteredDepth", false));
	debugGroup.add(angle.set("kinect angle", 0, -30, 30));
	debugGroup.add(kwScaleX.set("kinect warp sX", 1,0,3));
	debugGroup.add(kwScaleY.set("kinect warp sY", 1,0,3));
	debugGroup.add(kwX.set("kinect X", 0,-100,1000));
	debugGroup.add(kwY.set("kinect Y", 0,-100,800));
	debugGroup.add(kinectWarp.set("kinect warp", false));
	debugGroup.add(easyCamMouse.set("easyCamMouse", true));
	debugGroup.add(screenBounds.set("bounds", ofVec2f(ofGetWidth(),ofGetHeight()),ofVec2f(-ofGetWidth(),-ofGetHeight()),ofVec2f(ofGetWidth(),ofGetHeight())));
	debugGroup.add(screenTopLeftPos.set("topleftPos", ofVec2f(0),ofVec2f(-ofGetWidth(),-ofGetHeight()),ofVec2f(ofGetWidth(),ofGetHeight())));

	gui.add(debugGroup);
	bShowGui = false;
	guiInitialized = true;

}

//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::initLianas() {

	bUseMouseRepulsor = false;
	bUseKinectRepulsor = false;

	if (bLianas) {
		for (int i = 0; i < lianas.size(); i++) {
			lianas[i]->cleanUp();
			delete lianas[i];
		}
		lianas.clear();

		// Create lianas centered
		float spacing = ofGetWidth() / (numLianas + 1);
		for (int i = 0; i < numLianas; i++) {

			// use ofxLiana() to use original random node placement
			// use ofxLiana(x) to have all nodes on same X
			ofxLiana* liana = randomNodes ? new ofxLiana() : new ofxLiana(spacing * (i + 1));
			liana->numNodes = numNodes;
			liana->nodeRadius = nodeRadius;
			liana->nodeStrength = nodeStrength;
			liana->nodeDiameter = nodeDiameter;
			liana->nodeDamping = nodeDamping;
			liana->nodeRamp = nodeRamp;
			liana->nodeVelocity = nodeVelocity;

			liana->springLength = springLength;
			liana->springStiffness = springStiffness;
			liana->stringDamping = stringDamping;

			liana->gravity = gravity;
			liana->lineWidth = springLineWidth;
			liana->lockLastNode = lockLastNode;

			//
			// setup liana with X position
			liana->setup();

			lianas.push_back(liana);

		}

	} else {
		lianaMesh.cleanUp();

		// Create lianas centered
		lianaMesh.numNodes = numNodes;
		lianaMesh.nodeRadius = nodeRadius;
		lianaMesh.nodeStrength = nodeStrength;
		lianaMesh.nodeDiameter = nodeDiameter;
		lianaMesh.nodeDamping = nodeDamping;
		lianaMesh.nodeRamp = nodeRamp;
		lianaMesh.nodeVelocity = nodeVelocity;

		lianaMesh.springLength = springLength;
		lianaMesh.springStiffness = springStiffness;
		lianaMesh.stringDamping = stringDamping;

		lianaMesh.gravity = gravity;
		lianaMesh.lineWidth = springLineWidth;
		lianaMesh.lockLastNode = lockLastNode;

		lianaMesh.setup();
	}
}

//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::initKinect() {

	if (!kinect.isConnected()) {
	// enable depth->video image calibration
	kinect.setRegistration(true);
	kinect.init();
	kinect.open();		// opens first available kinect
						// print the intrinsic IR sensor values
	}
		if (kinect.isConnected()) {
		ofLogNotice() << "sensor-emitter dist: " << kinect.getSensorEmitterDistance() << "cm";
		ofLogNotice() << "sensor-camera dist:  " << kinect.getSensorCameraDistance() << "cm";
		ofLogNotice() << "zero plane pixel size: " << kinect.getZeroPlanePixelSize() << "mm";
		ofLogNotice() << "zero plane dist: " << kinect.getZeroPlaneDistance() << "mm";
	}
	bKinectFrameReady = false;

	//-----------------------------------
	// contour finder
	contourFinder.setMinAreaRadius(1);
	contourFinder.setMaxAreaRadius(800);
	contourFinder.setThreshold(15);
	// wait for half a frame before forgetting something
	contourFinder.getTracker().setPersistence(15);
	// an object can move up to 32 pixels per frame
	contourFinder.getTracker().setMaximumDistance(50); //32

	grayImage.allocate(kinect.width, kinect.height, ofImageType::OF_IMAGE_GRAYSCALE);
	grayImage.clear();

}

//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::update() {

	if (bLianas) {
		for (int i = 0; i < lianas.size(); i++) {

			//
			// set updated params
			lianas[i]->numNodes = numNodes;
			lianas[i]->nodeRadius = nodeRadius;
			lianas[i]->nodeStrength = nodeStrength;
			lianas[i]->nodeDiameter = nodeDiameter;
			lianas[i]->nodeDamping = nodeDamping;
			lianas[i]->nodeRamp = nodeRamp;
			lianas[i]->nodeVelocity = nodeVelocity;

			lianas[i]->springLength = springLength;
			lianas[i]->springStiffness = springStiffness;
			lianas[i]->stringDamping = stringDamping;

			lianas[i]->gravity = gravity;
			lianas[i]->lineWidth = springLineWidth;
			lianas[i]->repulsionStrength = repulsionStrength;
			lianas[i]->repulsionRadius = repulsionRadius;//
			// update
			lianas[i]->update(lockX, lockY, lockZ);
			if (bUseKinectRepulsor) {
				lianas[i]->keyPressed(' ');
			}
            if (bUseMouseRepulsor && ofGetKeyPressed(' ')) {
                lianas[i]->keyPressed(' ');
                lianas[i]->addRepulsor(ofGetMouseX(),ofGetMouseY() );
            }

			lianas[i]->clearRepulsors();
		}
	} else {
		//
		// set updated params
		lianaMesh.numNodes = numNodes;
		lianaMesh.nodeRadius = nodeRadius;
		lianaMesh.nodeStrength = nodeStrength;
		lianaMesh.nodeDiameter = nodeDiameter;
		lianaMesh.nodeDamping = nodeDamping;
		lianaMesh.nodeRamp = nodeRamp;
		lianaMesh.nodeVelocity = nodeVelocity;

		lianaMesh.springLength = springLength;
		lianaMesh.springStiffness = springStiffness;
		lianaMesh.stringDamping = stringDamping;

		lianaMesh.gravity = gravity;
		lianaMesh.lineWidth = springLineWidth;
		lianaMesh.repulsionStrength = repulsionStrength;
		lianaMesh.repulsionRadius = repulsionRadius;

		//
		// update
		lianaMesh.update(lockX, lockY, lockZ);

		if (bUseKinectRepulsor) {
			lianaMesh.keyPressed(' ');
		}

		lianaMesh.clearRepulsors();
	}

	updateKinect();
}

//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::updateKinect() {

	if (kinect.isConnected()) {
		contourFinder.setMinAreaRadius(contourMinArea);
		contourFinder.setMaxAreaRadius(contourMaxArea);
		contourFinder.setThreshold(thresholdParam);
		contourFinder.getTracker().setPersistence(persistence);
		contourFinder.getTracker().setMaximumDistance(maximumDistance);

		kinect.update();

		// there is a new frame and we are connected
		if (kinect.isFrameNew()) {
			bKinectFrameReady = true;
				// load grayscale depth image and color image from the kinect source
			//grayImage.setFromPixels(kinect.getDepthPixels(), kinect.width, kinect.height);
			grayImage.setFromPixels(kinect.getDepthPixels());
			//grayImage.update();

			copyGray(grayImage, grayImageNear);
			copyGray(grayImage, grayImageFar);
			imitate(grayImageFiltered, grayImage);

			threshold(grayImageNear, (float)nearThreshold, true);
			threshold(grayImageFar, (float)farThreshold, false);
			bitwise_and(grayImageNear, grayImageFar, grayImageFiltered);
			grayImageFiltered.update();

			blur(grayImageFiltered, blurSize);
			grayImageFiltered.update();
			contourFinder.findContours(grayImageFiltered);
		}
	}
}

//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::draw() {

	ofClear(0);
	//ofApp *app = (ofApp *)ofxGetAppPtr();
//	if (easyCamMouse) {
//		app->cam.enableMouseInput();
//	} else {
//		app->cam.disableMouseInput();
//	}

	//ofScale(1, -1, 1);
	//ofTranslate(0, ofGetScreenHeight());
	//cam.begin();
	//ofClear(0);
	ofSetColor(255);

	//cam.begin();
	ofPushMatrix();
	ofTranslate(ofGetWidth()/2, ofGetHeight()/2);

	ofScale(abs(screenBounds->x)/ofGetWidth(), screenBounds->y/ofGetHeight());
	ofTranslate(screenTopLeftPos->x, screenTopLeftPos->y);

	ofTranslate(-ofGetWidth()/2, -ofGetHeight()/2);
	if (bLianas)
	{
		for (int i = 0; i < lianas.size(); i++) {
			lianas[i]->draw();
		}
	} else {
		lianaMesh.draw();
	}
	ofPopMatrix();

	ofPushMatrix();

	ofScale(kwScaleX, kwScaleY);
	ofTranslate(kwX, kwY);

	drawKinect();

	if (kinectWarp) {
		ofSetColor(255);
		ofSetLineWidth(5);
		ofDrawLine(0,0,kinect.width,0);
		ofDrawLine(kinect.width, 0, kinect.width, kinect.height);
		ofDrawLine(kinect.width, kinect.height,0, kinect.height);
		ofDrawLine(0, kinect.height, 0, 0);
		ofSetLineWidth(1);
	}

	ofPopMatrix();

//	app->cam.end();

	//cam.end();
	stringstream ss;
	ss << "FPS : " + ofToString(ofGetFrameRate());
	ofDrawBitmapStringHighlight(ss.str(), 10, 10);
	if (bShowGui)
	{
		gui.draw();
	}
	//app->cam.begin();
}

//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::drawKinect() {

	if (bKinectFrameReady) {

		RectTracker& tracker = contourFinder.getTracker();

		// delete dead actors
		for (auto & label : tracker.getDeadLabels())
		{
			//cout << "Dead actor: " << label << endl;
			actors.erase(label);
			actorsHulls.erase(label);
		}
		// delete new actors
		for (auto & label : tracker.getNewLabels())
		{
			//cout << "New actor: " << label << endl;
			actors[label] = list<vector<cv::Point> >();
		}

		// for each blob
		for (int i = 0; i < contourFinder.size(); i++) {

			int label = contourFinder.getLabel(i);
			contourFinder.getCentroid(i);
			vector<cv::Point> hullPoints = contourFinder.getConvexHull(i);

			cv::Point2f centroid = contourFinder.getCentroid(i);
			//cout<< "c" << centroid.y << endl;
			//cout<< "c1" << centroid.y*kwScaleY-kwY << endl;

					//lianas[i]->addRepulsor(centroid.x*kwScaleX+kwX, centroid.y*kwScaleY+kwY);
			for (auto & cPoint : hullPoints)
			{
				if (bLianas) {
					for (int i = 0; i < lianas.size(); i++) {
						lianas[i]->addRepulsor(cPoint.x*kwScaleX+kwX, cPoint.y*kwScaleY+kwY);
					}
				} else {
					lianaMesh.addRepulsor(cPoint.x*kwScaleX+kwX, cPoint.y*kwScaleY+kwY);
				}
			}

				if (bShowLabels) {
					ofPolyline polyline;
					polyline.resize(hullPoints.size());
					for (int hullIndex = 0; hullIndex < (int)hullPoints.size(); hullIndex++) {
						polyline[hullIndex].x = hullPoints[hullIndex].x;
						polyline[hullIndex].y = hullPoints[hullIndex].y;
					}
					polyline.close();
					polyline.draw();
					ofPoint center = toOf(contourFinder.getCenter(i));
					ofPushMatrix();
					ofTranslate(center.x, center.y);
					string msg = ofToString(label) + ":" + ofToString(tracker.getAge(label));
					ofDrawBitmapStringHighlight(msg, 0, 0, ofColor::white, ofColor::red);
					ofVec2f velocity = toOf(contourFinder.getVelocity(i));
					ofScale(5, 5);
					ofDrawLine(0, 0, velocity.x, velocity.y);

					ofPopMatrix();
				}
		} // for each blob

		if (bShowDepth) {
			ofPushMatrix();
			ofScale(1,-1);
			ofTranslate(0, -kinect.height);
			grayImage.draw(0, 0);
			ofPopMatrix();
		} else if (bShowFilteredDepth) {
			ofPushMatrix();
			ofScale(1,-1);
			ofTranslate(0, -kinect.height);
			grayImageFiltered.draw(0,0);
			ofPopMatrix();
		}
	} // END if KINECT

}

//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::updateExit() {
	closeKinect();
	finishedExiting();
}
//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::exit() {
	closeKinect();
}
//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::closeKinect() {
	kinect.setCameraTiltAngle(0); // zero the tilt on exit
	kinect.close();
}
//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::setupKinectWarp(bool shift, bool alt, int x, int y) {
}

//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::keyPressed(int key) {

	//ofApp *app = (ofApp *)ofxGetAppPtr();

	switch (key) {
		case 'r': initLianas(); break;
		case 'h': bShowGui = !bShowGui;
			if (bShowGui) {
				//app->cam.disableMouseInput();
			} else {
                //app->cam.enableMouseInput();
			}
			break;
		case 'l':  { if (bLianas)
			gui.loadFromFile(Globals::hostName + "lianas.xml");
		else
			gui.loadFromFile(Globals::hostName + "lianamesh.xml");
	}
	break;			kinect.setCameraTiltAngle(angle);
			break;
		case 'j': bUseMouseRepulsor = false; break;
		case 'J' : bUseMouseRepulsor = true; break;
		case 'k': bUseKinectRepulsor = false; break;
		case 'K' : bUseKinectRepulsor = true; break;
		case 'y' : {bLianas = !bLianas; initLianas();} break;
		case 's': { if (bLianas)
			gui.saveToFile(Globals::hostName + "lianas.xml");
		else
			gui.saveToFile(Globals::hostName + "lianamesh.xml");
		}
			break;
		case 'C':
			kinect.setCameraTiltAngle(0); // zero the tilt on exit
			kinect.close();
			break;
		case 'O':
			kinect.open();
			kinect.setCameraTiltAngle(angle);
			break;
		case OF_KEY_UP:
			angle++;
			if (angle > 30) angle = 30;
			kinect.setCameraTiltAngle(angle);
			break;
		case OF_KEY_DOWN:
			angle--;
			if (angle < -30) angle = -30;
			kinect.setCameraTiltAngle(angle);
			break;
			//case 'C': cam.enableMouseInput(); break;
			//case 'c': cam.disableMouseInput(); break;
	}

	if (bLianas) {
		for (int i = 0; i < lianas.size(); i++) {
			lianas[i]->keyPressed(key);
		}
	} else {
	lianaMesh.keyPressed(key);
	}
}

//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::keyReleased(int key) {
	if (bLianas) {
		for (int i = 0; i < lianas.size(); i++) {
			lianas[i]->keyReleased(key);
		}
	} else {
		lianaMesh.keyReleased(key);
	}
}

//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::mouseMoved(int x, int y) {

	if (bUseMouseRepulsor) {
		if (bLianas) {
			for (int i = 0; i < lianas.size(); i++) {
				lianas[i]->addRepulsor(x, y );
			}
		} else {
			lianaMesh.addRepulsor(x, y );
		}
	}
}

//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::mousePressed(int x, int y, int button) {
	if (bLianas) {
		for (int i = 0; i < lianas.size(); i++) {
			lianas[i]->mousePressed(x, y, button );
		}
	} else {
		lianaMesh.mousePressed(x, y, button );
	}
}

//--------------------------------------------------------------
void ofxVasaLianas::mouseReleased(int x, int y, int button) {
	if (bLianas) {
		for (int i = 0; i < lianas.size(); i++) {
			lianas[i]->mouseReleased(x, y, button );
		}
	} else {
		lianaMesh.mouseReleased(x, y, button );
	}
}


Another person using Haswell HD 4600 hardware also experiences similar issues, except they seeing a black area instead of a twisted image.
People also find switching to a different non-Intel card solves the problem.
My guess is mesa, but with so many packages updated it could be any of them. So could you downgrade each one and see which it is.
Sorry, I forgot to mention. In the original bug report, there're people with Wine 1.6.2 and mesa 10.1.5 who have this issue as well.
Which means this is unlikely to be a regression, so no need to downgrade the graphics stack to see which one it is. Right?
I can try changing the graphics settings to see if it helps, if you can tell me which settings I can tweak with.
It's still worth a shot though. If say mesa-9.0 or mesa-10.0 works, that will definitely help bisect and pinpoint either the feature or bug that breaks Battle.net. Otherwise, it may just be a bug between mesa and wine. Though, I would suggest you try a couple of old kernels, or old ddx, just to rule out breakage elsewhere.
Battle.net got an update from Qt4 to Qt5, which happened on Oct 1st-ish. It must be the cause.
I didn't manage to downgrade individual packages to pin point the problem, since the Arch's GCC became too new to compile those older things.
-- works around the problem.
Using LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1 displays the texture correctly. With hardware rendering the texture is apparently uploaded but not displayed correctly.
The trace can be played back on nouveau correctly.
This post on Battle.net claims that copying DLLs Blizzard did not package fixes the issue for him on radeon.
I could not reproduce the fix.
He also notes that Qt5 introduces another layer of compatibility.
Tried mesa 9.0 and 9.2.5.
Instead of a black screen, I get a white screen. The apitrace is still black.
This issue is not a regression in mesa.
This bug affects all application using Qt5 QtQuick 2 applications build with MSVC run on i965.
The MSVC Qt5 SDK uses the ANGLE graphics layer, in contrary to the MinGW one, which uses Desktop OpenGL.
Since native Qt5 Linux applications do not use ANGLE, only applications using wine are affected.
I have uploaded precompiled versions of the QtQuick clock example, one using MinGW, the other one MSVC.
The bug only occurs for the MSVC/ANGLE version.
I also uploaded apitraces of the native Linux version and wine with MSVC and MinGW.
All traces can be played back on nouveau and swrast (e.g. LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1).
The MSVC/ANGLE traces cannot be played back on i965. All software versions on both systems are identical.
Traces using MSVC/ANGLE recorded on nouveau also cannot be played back on i965.
Analyzing the MSVC/ANGLE trace with qapitrace on i965 shows that the texture is uploaded correctly, but apparently not displayed correctly.
After analyzing the traces with "apitrace replay" on novueau and i965, I noticed slight differences in the log.
Could the clear function be a problem?
Are these texture formats implemented in gallium and swrast, but not i965?
Maybe these warnings are just thrown because i965 debug is just more verbose. I attach the logs anyway.
Trimmed apitrace, ending in a frame displaying the texture correctly on softpipe and nouveau. Not on i965.
The bounty on this bug increased to $45 btw.
On my gen6 i965 (SNB), I see that the final draw in the trimmed trace is "messed up". In qapitrace I can see that the source texture is fine, which means that it's that final draw that's wrong. While there are a ton of fb incomplete/etc warnings, they don't seem to be related to the issue.
I guess the fan is a bit uncommon, perhaps that's not working well in conjunction with the tex coords?
http://patchwork.freedesktop.org/patch/37469/ provides a partial fix (texture coordinates are no longer mangled when point sprite state is enabled, but drawing non-points), but some other things are still broken.
Confirm: Installing the master version of lib32-mesa and lib32-mesa-dri solved the problem on my Arch machine.
I can also confirm that it's fixed.
Installing mesa 10.4.0-rc4 fixed the issue for me too.


Why Does a Hammer Cost $5000?
We've all heard the joke, that the government will pay $5000 for a $5 hammer that you can buy at your local Home Depot. Is it true? Not really, but everyone does know that the government generally pays a lot more for almost everything than if they just went to their local stores and bought what they needed. Why is that? Why would anyone want to pay so much for everything? Especially in these economic times? And even more especially for higher priced products and services where the savings are larger.
The real truth, which most people don't really want to hear, is that we're all partially to blame. It's as much our fault as the governments. And once you start to understand it from their perspective, you start to understand why they do pay too much for things. It doesn't make it better or right, it just gives you an appreciation for why things are the way they are. And more importantly, why they probably won't ever change.
So let's look at the purchasing process, starting from the top, for anything above the $1000-$5000 threshold. The threshold where you need to start getting approvals before you can make any purchases. Where you can't just buy it on your personal credit card and just it get reimbursed. And before I get going, please remember that this process is the same for purchases of $10,000, $100,000, $1,000,000 or more. The only difference is that they involve more people and layers, hence more bureaucracy and costs. So if you're going to sell something to the government for more than $1000-$5000, the process quickly becomes complex and expensive and you almost have to increase it by an order of magnitude to cover your costs.
Now I hate this next statement, but it was only after going through it while working for a few government entities in my consulting days that I was fully able to appreciate why the government (and many large companies)have their hands tied. I was always on the side of "this is crazy and bureaucracy is insanely expensive for nothing" but eventually it was explained to me in a way that I got it. So here's my attempt to help you have pity on the poor people you're trying to help. Oh, and realize that most of these same people don't get this, it's never really explained to them, so please be kind. Many just end up working for the government their whole lives so they assume this is how the world works. You can usually quickly and easily tell those that have worked for the government and very large companies their whole lives. It's not a bad thing, it's just a different way of working.
The first thing to remember is that the government is public facing, so they can get in trouble for anything that goes wrong (whether it was a right decision OR a stupid decision). So the general philosophy is CYOA (Cover Your Own A**). To give you an example, if you say need a computer system for your team of 10 people, and you try to do it yourself, if you make any mistake whatsoever you're personally in trouble. In my case when I worked for a specific government entity and I tried to do this, I was told if even just one computer was infected with a virus, one wasn't fully patched (or even if it was fully patched), if anything at all happened, I would be personally responsible. Anything at all, data being lost, a power surge, anything, regardless if it's my fault, someone else's, or even an act of nature!
Also if I use a vendor and someone somewhere else is cheaper, or has a better deal (regardless of the quality), I could be in trouble if anyone outside finds out. If another vendor gets hold of this info, if a member of the general public sees a better deal anywhere else, etc., they can target me because I didn't follow the correct process and procedures. And even if I have the best deal in the world, there are still potential issues. Basically I can quickly and easily be in for a world of hurt. I would lose all government protection and could be personally liable.
So what can the government do to alleviate this mess because no one wants to personally take on that kind of risk for the little reward you get. The project is a wild success, you get some taps on your back, you might move up in your career with a small promotion (and that's a big maybe, many departments have strong tendency towards seniority), and so on. You might get some rewards, but they won't be anywhere near the same as the risk. What exactly are the risks? You can be fired on the spot. So immediate loss of job. You might not be able to work for any government entity again, depending on your level. You lose all your benefits. If you had a pension, that's going to be limited from now, or gone in the worse case. You could have legal issues, even criminally charged in some cases. The risks are large, compared to at best a promotion.
Which means that most people aren't willing to do anything bold or stick out their necks because the risks to reward ratio just doesn't make sense. So to resolve that, the government force everyone to go through approved vendors. If the vendor is approved, you can't get in trouble, you can't be fired, and so on. You're no longer personally at risk. Ok, that's easy. And if a vendor is approved it should be because their prices are reasonable and the quality is good. But here's where it fails and gets all wonky. As soon as you do that, all kinds of people and vendors come out of the woodwork complaining about why it isn't them and why it's not fair, regardless of whether or not theey're right. So now the government has to create further processes by which you can be approved otherwise the public cries foulplay.
You don't see this in a private or public companies, but with the government it's different because of who they are. It's insane how many people complain about everything! And if anything isn't "fair" (which most things aren't, that why there's competition and a free market), it will generally make the papers. So this creates a lot of process and work for everyone. It's a mess. With companies you can just ignore the public because you're a company, but with a government entity you don't have that luxury. You are accountable to the people.
So now a process gets put in place for selecting vendors. Of course some people still complain some more. So tighter measures get added to the process. Suddenly the only vendors willing to do all the paperwork charge crazy expensive prices for everything because it costs them an arm and a leg just to get in. And this is with no promises of any sales, that must be done after you're approved (and costs further money). You want a $800 computer, that's $5000. $800 for the computer, and $4200 for all the costs to get in the system and the risks of not getting a sale in the first place.
And so here we are. The poor government worker is screwed into going through all these crazy and expensive processes because they have to for their own personal safety. The very people who scream loudly that this is insane and stupidly expensive are often the same people who created this mess in the first place. If at every corner every single one of my purchases are being scrutinized and I can be fired for anything (nevermind the potential legal issues), I won't do anything. It doesn't make sense for me to buy anything, even if the consequences are potentially terrible. Which then forces all the crazy processes and brings us to where we are today.
I'm personally not fond of how that world works but unfortunately I do understand it and was able to navigate through it when I was a consultant (it helps to understand it). That's also why I will never sell software to that world. The risks for a vendor are just too high. As a company you have to invest a lot of money for the chance to sell to the government at inflated prices. Sure you will make a profit, but it's not nearly as big as most people think because of all the costs associated in selling to the government in the first place. That $5000 hammer might only result in a profit of $500, but that's only a 10% margin with a lot of risk.
The main draw for companies is that once you're in, it's relatively easy to stay in. Most companies aren't willing to go through all the effort and cost. That and the government doesn't like to change, even if there are better and more affordable solutions, because there is a lot of internal costs and efforts in changing anything. Change is not fluid, it's hard and has a lot of inertia. And it can be vetoed at almost any step. So if you are fortunate to get in, you can be locked in for quite some time, which is where the real benefits and profits to vendors come in. That's the gravy boat. Not the prices you charge, but the consistent and long term almost guaranteed revenues and profits for those lucky few.
So even if you do get into the system, good luck trying to find any real decision maker willing to make an actual decision on your product or service within a reasonable timeframe! That's the hardest thing possible, at least from my personal experience for anything more than $1000. From the government employee side, it's much much easier to ride on a big decision for months, even years, before ever considering making the actual decision because you can't get in trouble for finding more information and doing more research. That and being undecided generally won't get you in trouble compared to what making a wrong decision can cost you. So what happens is that it takes a while for anyone and everyone to get into some kind of consensus and make a final decision. Eventually someone or some department has a strong enough need to push a decision, enough to champion and push it through. But until then, the sales cycle will generally be months to years. At least once a decision has been made things usually move relatively fast. That's relatively fast, and not private world fast.
To give you a further example to contemplate about, if I'm the person in charge of a project and I decide to take a risk and do something, even if it's only a 10% chance it can fail, an 80% we collapse if I do nothing, and a 90% chance of success (so massive chances of winning and almost no downside, and if I do nothing we fail), if it does end up failing, my career is most likely over. Not only can I get fired, I could be in the news and so on. If I do nothing and it fails because of inaction, I'm not personally to blame and still get my pension and everything else. The motivation for me to do move forward and do the correct thing is badly aligned with my personal motivations and success. In the private world, if you don't move ahead and get some successes, you're not gonna be around long, so the motivations are better aligned. They're not perfect, we obviously have some issues as the Occupy Wall Street Protests have shown, but at least it's closer.
In other words there is little incentive to take any kind of risk, even when the odds are incredibly stacked in your favor and the downside is minimal. As long as there's any potential downsides, which there always are, then it's against my motivation to act. Unless I'm a go-getter willing to take the risks, don't know any better, I'm naive, or I just don't care, the only time I'll make any decision is when I can no longer push it off. The culture is amazingly strong to avoid making any real decisions. And you can't blame them. What would you do if you were in that situation? And remember that most decision makers are at higher levels, so they generally have quite a number of years invested in their careers, not to mention their pension plans, and everything else that comes with being a government worker.
And that is why a hammer will cost a government entity many times more than it costs in real life. It's a vicious cycle where you can't blame the person who has to make the decision. Pay a realistic amount and PERSONALLY take on any and all of the risks and liabilities yourself OR follow a process which significantly increases the cost of everything and protects you in the process. A process that was created to protect the government from overpaying is the very one that causes them to pay so much! It's a real bad lose-lose situation. And as far as I can tell, there's no real way, and definitely no easy way, to resolve this problem. Which is why I predict the government will continue to overpay for just about everything for the coming future. Hopefully some day we can find a solution.


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A few months ago, an internet friend I like to refer to as the New Jersey Tomato Girl alerted me to a seed sale at the Hudson Valley Seed Library. I bought the six packets you see up there, and then I told Lydia about it. She bought… well, let's just say a bunch more. So then we had a cocktail evening and divvied up our bounties. I now have way, way more seeds than space, which is why I'm thinking about submitting an application to join the community garden in my town for next year.
Seriously, where am I going to put all of these? I mean, I'm thinking about how much space my TWO cucumber plants have taken.
It is pretty glorious to imagine all those tomatoes, though.


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Cinemadope: Fallout
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Cinemadope: Turkish delight, the unstoppable spirit of youth
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by Jack Brown | Nov 3, 2015 | Articles, Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Featured, Film
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Cinemadope: Busting out. A comedy classic returns.
by Jack Brown | Oct 26, 2015 | Articles, Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film, News
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by Jack Brown | Sep 8, 2015 | Articles, Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film
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by Jack Brown | Aug 4, 2015 | Articles, Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film
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by Jack Brown | Jul 28, 2015 | Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film
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Cinemadope: Waste Not, Want Not, Hollywood's recycling program
by Jack Brown | Jun 30, 2015 | Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film
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Cinemadope: English Channels, the life and death of Amy Winehouse
by Jack Brown | Jul 8, 2015 | Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film, Music
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Cinemadope: 'Love & Mercy'
by Jack Brown | Jun 2, 2015 | Articles, Cinemadope, Columns, Featured, Film
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Cinemadope: Keys to Success, a piano prodigy takes lessons
by Jack Brown | May 27, 2015 | Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film, Music
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Cinemadope: Screen Time, breakfast with Curtis
by Jack Brown | May 12, 2015 | Articles, Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Featured, Film
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Cinemadope: Outside Chance, screenings under the summer stars
by Jack Brown | May 20, 2015 | Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film
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Cinemadope: He Shoots, He Scores!
by Jack Brown | May 6, 2015 | Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film, Leisure
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Cinemadope: Rise and Shine, undocumented workers unionize
by Jack Brown | Apr 28, 2015 | Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film
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CinemaDope: Just Dropping In, Films in limited screenings
by Jack Brown | Apr 21, 2015 | Arts, Cinemadope, Film
One of the great benefits of the digital revolution is that it has opened up our movie screens in ways the old paradigm could never have allowed. Under the old system, screening a film was always a pricey endeavor, even if it ran for a few weeks. To show a film for a...
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Cinemadope: The Art of War
by Jack Brown | Apr 1, 2015 | Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film, Leisure
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Cinemadope: Sweet and Hot, Three stories of Asian flavors
by Jack Brown | Mar 24, 2015 | Arts, Blogs, Cinemadope, Columns, Film
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Cinemadope: French Twist, A surprisingly resilient piece of sci-fi
by Jack Brown | Mar 18, 2015 | Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film, Leisure
During the waves of police brutality protests that rolled across the nation this last half-year, there were any number of arresting images: protestors pouring milk in their eyes to counteract the tear gas used to disperse crowds; a highway patrolman leading a peaceful...
by Jack Brown | Mar 10, 2015 | Cinemadope, Film
At long, long, last, I can finally announce: this is the last Cinemadope column of this long, long winter. Next week, spring will be upon us, at least by the calendar, and we can all begin to forget the frigid and snowbound Sartre play that this winter has been. To...
Cinemadope: HerStory, Early feminism and UFOs
by Jack Brown | Mar 3, 2015 | Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film, Leisure
I'm not sure exactly when it was that I realized that my mom wasn't quite like most of the other moms in our neighborhood. And from the outside, at least when I was still a boy, maybe she didn't strike others as different, either: husband, two kids, house, a station...
Cinemadope: Colorizing Winter, Saturday morning cartoons and a '60s era gem
by Jack Brown | Feb 25, 2015 | Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film, Leisure
As we turn the corner into March, the kids have headed back to school, leaving the rest of New England to get back to the important business of shoveling out parking spaces and shoring up roofs creaking under the weight of ice dams. But if this long winter is starting...
Cinemadope: Old Masters, New Looks
by Jack Brown | Feb 18, 2015 | Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film
Ask just about anyone to name a famous painting, and it's a good bet that "The Mona Lisa" will be the first thing to jump to most people's lips. Da Vinci's most famous work — and bear in mind, this is from the guy who also painted "The Last Supper" — may be on the...
Cinemadope: Beg, Borrow, and Steal; movies and adaption
by Jack Brown | Feb 4, 2015 | Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film
It's no secret that, more than just about any other medium, cinema has relied on — and thrived on — adapting material from other art forms. Whether it is as traditional as a new production of an old classic (see any number of period piece dramas) or as unusual as...
Cinemadope: Cracking the Enigma
by Jack Brown | Jan 28, 2015 | Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film, News
As a young and nerdish boy, I was obsessed with words. I collected them the way a lepidopterist might collect moths, catching them on the wing and pinning them down to puzzle out their origins, oddities, and family ties to other words. It all felt like a marvelously...
CinemaDope: Southern Exposure, an immigrant's dangerous journey
by Jack Brown | Jan 21, 2015 | Arts, Cinemadope, Columns, Film
The people who run the show over at Amherst Cinema have never been content with the idea that their venue is a mere movie theater. From the start, the vision of the theater encompassed not just great film, but also community enrichment, education, and more. As the...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We are delighted to send you our 2019 Primary school tours Adventure day special deal which is going down a storm with schools for kids aged between 7-12. Our 80 acre adventure park situated in Shanagolden, county Limerick is the perfect setting for an action packed day out that your students will never forget.
Splatball: Kids are kitted out in camouflage overalls and then broken into two teams that will battle it our over four action packed missions in our specially designed forest Splatball mission zone.
Bushcraft: Our Bushcraft experience is like no other. Kids are given the chance to really experience nature deep in our forest. Our expert bushcraft instructors will teach kids some of the ancient skills of bushcraft and survival which is a big hit with young groups and really gives them a chance to appreciate and enjoy the outdoors.
Forest Archery, Once we train the kids on how to shoot a bow and arrow they will set off into the woods in groups under our close supervision where they will seek out 18 3d targets to test their shooting skills on. The targets are set at various distances and difficulty levels that will ensure they are challenged and entertained throughout.
We have a five star Tripadvisor rating and all our staff are Garda vetted. Onsite we have a beautiful sheltered picnic area where your students can relax and enjoy their lunch. We even have a teacher chill out area where you can relax and enjoy your day while we take care of your group.
Please feel free to call us with any queries or to check available dates. We look forward to welcoming your group to Basecamp.
Call 087 9305050 to book your place!
We would be delighted to create a bespoke full or half day package for you containing single or multi activities. Just email bespoke@basecampadventurepark.ie and tell us what you have in mind and we'll do the rest.


I'm hoping Mr Blogger is going to be nice to me, as right now we are having fun at Longleat Safari Park watching 'The Festival Of Light' and yesterday we were in Salisbury for the Christmas markets.
As always a superb creation Sam and such striking colours.
What a fun card, wonderful design and cute image!
Oh, this is just adorable Sam..fabulous design I just love it.
Absolutely fabulous Sam, love it! Sounds like you have had a great weekend.
oh, how cute sam! i love all the stripes and the paw print border! merry christmas and a happy 2017!
A super card Sam, a fabulous image and great colours.
Oh so cute, lovely stamp!
orange with black and white is such fun with the wee tiger and paw prints too.
Want to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year.
Thank you for joining the Animal Friends Challenge !
Gorgeous creation, love your colour combo too.
Thanks for joining in our challenge at The Ribbon Girl!


Hey there, everyone!! Welcome to the second day of the Lil' Inker Designs July release!! Thank you for all of the sweet comments on my card from day 1...I truly appreciate it!
For today's card I combined a word die, stamped sentiment & alpha stickers to create a super sweet "missing you" sentiment. I also created this for The Cuttinge Edge challenge #5....check it out!
I used the new Seriously Awesome stamp set & Seriously word die, and combined them with Glitz Design "Felicity" & "Brightside" collections.
That is everything I have for you today!
Love the new word die! Great card!
Wonderfully designed card with so much great detail. Really loving this stamp and die set.
Lea, this card is oh what fun!
Oh I love this Lea!
oh, my! Lea...this is fantastic!!! looove everything you did here.
So pretty! LOVE the mix of pattern paper!!!
I love how you used that awesome die.
Such a fun card Lea. Love the die-cut word, the paper, the little camper... nice, cheerful colors.
I love, love, LOVE the seriously die...so clever!
I love this die! Fabulous use of the camper and those fun airplanes--love them!
this is fantastic!! Very creative!
wow. gorgeous. love the pattern paper you used. and the blended ink behind the die cut!
Super fun and catchy card.
I love this. The flight pattern with the airplanes, the little travel trailer. Great idea.
A second round of seeing this fabulous new release, with the added bonus of yet another amazing card - you sure know how to make our day sparkle!
How fun is this card! The fun sentiment and cute paper are great!
Oh my! Love that cluster of embellishments. Awesome card!!
I LOVE this card, Lea! The Glitz papers and embellishments look *so* good with the stamp and die!!
Favorite card of the hop!
I love the background of the seriously die cut. Great card.
Wonderful paper choices, such a fun card!
Love every single element you put on this card!
What a great background for this fun sentiment!
Love the airplane background and all the embellishments...very nice job!
gorgeous card. love the negative die cut and the beautiful paper you used.
This is so cool!! I love the background, the fun sentiment and that airplane. Fabulous design!!
I think your card is "seriously" adorable!
Very cool card, love the airplane background paper!
FUN & FABULOUS card Lea!!!
LOVE the FUN design, the "seriously" die is SO COOL and will be a GO-TO one in every stash, the sentiment works perfectly with the CUTE plane paper, SWEET little camper and arrow - LOVE IT ALL!!!
Cool card! Love how you used this new die!
How "seriously" cute is this!! LOVE the die cut sentiment...wonderful design:)!!
I adore this card!!! I've seen it all over Pinterest and it is even more fantastic close up.


The Depths is one of the new Epic Dungeons. Its pretty tough and can be a real killer if you are not careful. Basically you move from room to room fighting different types of spiders that hit hard, cast different status effects (none of them good). Take your time on the way to the boss room, these small spiders can and will ruin your day. Just getting through all the spider rooms to the boss room can be a chore. Once you get to the boss room you have to shoot through a white spider web barrier.
If you try to rush on any class that is not a rogue, because it will almost be impossible to clear the final room before the boss without having to nexus.
Once you get through the web barrier, you have entered the boss room. There are 4 large egg sacs scattered around the outside of the room that you need to kill to reduce the damage done by the boss Son of Arachna. If you do not kill these egg sacks you are in a world of hurt. BUT!!!!, the boss will not activate if you stay close to the walls and remove the large egg sacs as well as the smaller egg sacs. A melee with his short ranged weapon can hit the large egg sacs but he should move no closer than his extreme range. It is not possible to approach the destroyed large egg sacs to retrieve a drop without activating the boss. I recommend that you kill all the little egg sacs and the tiny spiders before you activate the boss. These spiders produce enough bad status effects to make fighting the boss hard.
Once you are ready to start the boss, with a bit of luck keep the boss in one small area by having people surround it. The boss tends to move away from people if it is surrounded it will keep moving but in a very small area. If there are just 2 people attacking then have the boss between them and it will move side to side but if you anticipate the bosses movements you can keep it in a small area. This makes it easier to kill.
Note: During your time killing the large egg sacs if you see a Blue or White Bag appear, make your appologies and go get it. Most people will understand, and for those that don't, too friggen bad. If you can't survive the boss being activated with all the dangers that go with it, then you should not be here.
This can be a very troubling dungeon for those unpotted. If you are in a small group take your time and clear. When hurt just move back to a safe area. I have successfully completed this a few times (unpotted) using a Huntress with a small group and got a mana drop once. Almost no chance to do it solo.
Potted with Max DEF will help you here but you will have better luck as a 4/8 or better. Getting to the boss is an exercise in dodging as many of these spiders will chase you down. They have pretty good defense and hit really hard. The status effects are very dangerous.
Rogues - Cloaking your way to the boss is not easy because if you wake the blue spiders they cast quiet and once you are uncloaked you are in trouble. I have found that the best way cloak and rush to the boss room is not to shoot at all. When you get to the web barrier you have to cloak and shoot it to break a path through. This is dangerous, when you uncloak I will move back into the room with all the spiders and spider sacs try not to wake any blue spiders and recloak as fast as possible. Get back to the barrier and punch your way through. Once on the other side call the group. If some smuck teleports to you before you break through the barrier your safest move may be to cloak and get out of the room letting that smuck deal with his mess. You may actually have to teleport back to the group in this case.
Piercing classes - these types of weapons are a big help clearing out the spiders. Keep your distance and destroy them.
Huntress - spam your T0 ability to slow the spiders which will give the group opportunity to kill them easier.
Huntress with CTrap - throw the trap to paralyze the boss, count to 3 and throw the trap again. Use your MP pots to keep the trap going.
Archer - use your ability to paralyze the boss, count 4 and paralyze him again. Keep him paralyzed by using your MP pots.
Knight - Throwing out stuns can help a bit as you move through the rooms but you will find that mostly you will be quieted. Just hammer away. Chain stun the boss if possible.
Mystic - Once at the web barrier switch to your longest timed Orb and keep the boss cursed.
Sorcerer with Fulmination - Use your slow to help out the group and keep the spiders moving slowly. Keeping the boss slowed will allow the group to get more hits on him.


This is an exclusive business profile of MZ Handloom located in , Bijnor. From this Page, you can directly contact MZ Handloom from the enquiry form provided on the right. On the left you can get the Verified Mobile Number of MZ Handloom – feel free to call us to know more about our products & services. We will soon update our Catalog which you can download to get latest information about all our products & services and latest deals & offers by MZ Handloom. Do check out our Job Openings section to know about all the vacancies in MZ Handloom. You can also check out our Photo Gallery section to see latest photos of MZ Handloom. Before leaving, do not forget to give us your review and rating if you have been a customer of MZ Handloom in the past.
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text:
#ifndef _CORE_THREAD_
#define _CORE_THREAD_
#pragma once

#if (WIN_VER >= 0x601)
#define ESCAPE_FREQ       (100*1000) //u second
#else
#define ESCAPE_FREQ       (1000*1000) //u second
#endif

#define INIT_SORA_THREAD(Thread, Entry, pContext, DA, core) \
    do \
    { \
        (Thread).pStartRoutine = (Entry); \
        (Thread).pStartContext = (pContext);\
        (Thread).DesiredAccess = (DA); \
        (Thread).fTerminate    = __CORE_THREAD_TERMINATED; \
        (Thread).Affinity      = core; \
    } while(FALSE);

/*++
START_CORE_THREAD starts the initialized thread object.

Note:
        Thread function must call PsTerminateSystemThread before it returns.
--*/
#define START_SORA_THREAD(Thread)   \
    do  \
    { \
        NTSTATUS Status = PsCreateSystemThread( \
                                &(Thread.hThread), \
                                (Thread).DesiredAccess,\
                                NULL, NULL, NULL, \
                                ((Thread).pStartRoutine), \
                                (&(Thread).pStartContext)); \
        if (NT_SUCCESS(Status)) \
        { \
            (Thread).fTerminate = FALSE; \
             ZwClose((Thread).hThread); \
        } \
        else \
        { \
            (Thread).fTerminate = __CORE_THREAD_TERMINATED; \
        } \
    } while(FALSE);

#define STOP_SORA_THREAD(Thread) \
    do \
    { \
        if((Thread).fTerminate == __CORE_THREAD_TERMINATED)\
            break;\
        if ((Thread).fTerminate == FALSE) \
        { \
            (Thread).fTerminate = TRUE;  \
            while ((Thread).fTerminate != __CORE_THREAD_TERMINATED) \
            { \
                _mm_pause(); \
            } \
        }\
    } while(0);

#define SORA_THREAD_STOPPED(ppContext) \
    do { \
        (CONTAINING_RECORD(ppContext, SORA_THREAD, pStartContext))->fTerminate \
            =  __CORE_THREAD_TERMINATED; \
    } while(0);

#define IS_SORA_THREAD_NEED_TERMINATE(ppContext) \
    ((CONTAINING_RECORD(ppContext, SORA_THREAD, pStartContext))->fTerminate == TRUE)

#define SORA_THREAD_AFFINITY(ppContext) \
    ((CONTAINING_RECORD(ppContext, SORA_THREAD, pStartContext))->Affinity)

#define SORA_THREAD_ROUTINE(ppContext) \
    ((CONTAINING_RECORD(ppContext, SORA_THREAD, pStartContext))->pStartRoutine)

#define SORA_THREAD_CONTEXT_PTR(T, ppContext)  \
    (*(T**)ppContext)

typedef struct __THREAD{
    HANDLE           hThread;
    ULONG            DesiredAccess;
    PKSTART_ROUTINE  pStartRoutine;
    PVOID            pStartContext;
    volatile ULONG   fTerminate;

    ULONG            fMacInDpc;
    PULONG           pDpcInterruptCnt;
    KIRQL            OldIrql;
    KAFFINITY        Affinity;
}__THREAD, *__PTHREAD, **__PPTHREAD;

typedef __THREAD SORA_THREAD, *PSORA_THREAD;

/* Sora Real Time Thread SORA_ETHREAD */
typedef __THREAD SORA_ETHREAD, *PSORA_ETHREAD;

/*
SoraEthreadInit initializes a ETHREAD object.

Parameters:
    EThread: caller provided object pointer.
    CallBackRoutine: workload callback of the real-time thread.
    Context: workload callback's running context.
    Affinity: CPU affinity mask for the thread.

Return:

Note:
    CallBackRoutine can be called at <= DPC_LEVEL.
*/
VOID
SoraEthreadInit(
    IN PSORA_ETHREAD    EThread,
    IN PKSTART_ROUTINE  CallBackRoutine,
    IN PVOID            Context,
    IN KAFFINITY        Affinity);

/*
SoraEthreadStart starts the real-time thread.

Parameters:
    EThread: sora thread object pointer.

Return:
    STATUS_SUCCESS if successfully started.

Note:
*/
NTSTATUS SoraEthreadStart(IN PSORA_ETHREAD EThread);

/*
SoraEthreadStop stops the real-time thread

Parameters:
    EThread: sora thread object pointer.

Return:

Note:
    This function exits when the thread is actually terminated.
*/
VOID SoraEthreadStop(IN PSORA_ETHREAD EThread);

#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
Rachel Lynde
First appearance: 1.3: The Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's
As one of the most fiercely opinionated Avonlea villagers, Rachel Lynde would not hesitate to speak her mind. In her adolescence, Rachel Lynde would begin a bitter fued with Hetty King that would last for 36 years.
At the Avonlea Christmas ball in 1868, Romney Penhallow invited Rachel Lynde to the party to make Hetty jealous. The plan backfired and Hetty swore she would never talk to either one of them again.
Following the death of her husband Thomas, Rachel Lynde resided at Green Gables with her life long friend Marilla Cuthbert. When Marilla's relative Mary keith died, Marilla adopted her children, Davy and Dora Keith, who proved to be quite a handful.
Rachel was at odds with Davy's trouble causing behavior and almost left Green Gables for good. When a nagging tooth was removed, Rachel returned and much to Marilla's surprise, insisted that Davy and Dora remain at Green Gables (2.4: Of Corsets, Secrets and True True Love).
Old Friends, Old Wounds
When Marilla died of heart failure, Rachel was devastated. To make matters worse, Green Gables was sold to her sworn enemy, Mr. Harrison. Mr. Harrison's fondness for Davy Keith, or perhaps his loneliness, caused him to come to terms with Rachel and allow her to stay at Green Gables (3.13: Old Friends, Old Wounds) .
Rachel found it increasingly difficult to deal with Davy Keith's mischievous behavior. While witnessing Davy playing on a roof, Rachel suffered a stroke. Upon hearing the news of her condition, Rachel's son, Robert Lynde, arrived to take her to Saskatoon with him while she recuperated (6.5: The Trouble With Davy).
When she was able to return to Avonlea, she suffered another stroke, which left her with a speech impediment. She was taken to a hospital in Nova Scotia, but when she was unable to identify herself, she fled the hospital and found her way back to Rose Cottage.
Rachel became frustrated when the town began to treat her like an invalid. She found comfort when Pierre LaPierre arrived with flowers for a social call. When her sons, Billy and Robert heard about their mother's whereabouts and that her condition had grown worse, they attempted to take her from Avonlea.
Rachel refused, struggling against a speech impediment to claim that Avonlea was her home (6.10: Home is Where the Heart is). Rachel and the Keith siblings continued to reside at Rose Cottage with Hetty King.
In December 1914, Rachel Lynde assisted Hetty in an attempt to recruit a famous performer and former student, Wilfred Aimsley, for the Avonlea Christmas Musicale. After Hetty suffered a back injury, Ainsley visited her in the hospital and agreed to perform at the Christmas concert.
Isolde "Izzy" Pettibone
Jasper Dale
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The Halloween season is just round the corner seemingly calling for some gothic fashion, carved pumpkins, and candies and confetti too! Well, along with these trick-or-treats comes the part where you dress it out and enjoy the day of the dead by literally killing it with your uber and haute couture fashion! From dressing up to accessorizing and even using Halloween costume wigs, you surely can take it a notch higher or two by going with the flow and enjoying the trends.
What is essential is that you find something that matches your personal taste and still gives you a chance to explore more. And, hair wigs provide you with options galore to choose from. When styling a costume keep in mind the occasion and type of party you are attending so that you have a better idea of what to look for. You have to slay it on the night of the dead. So we choose to help you with the same.
Hell yes! If something is a sure shot head turner then it is a cosplay wig of all things. You can try a wig in vibrant colors like purple or blue and pair it with some spooky apparel to complete the look. For more ideas and details about the same, you can have a look at Vixen Cosplay Wig by Incognito. You'd find shades like deep purple and ginger in flexible wig caps to suit the night of dead perfectly.
Looking for something really flashy that goes with the devil-angel costume? Well, we have the perfect wig to complete the look and set the tone right. Tempest Party Wig by Incognito has some brilliant and vibrant shades to offer in hot oink, raunchy red and a miss between two colors for additional flair. Something worth checking out for a nice ghostly feel.
3) Want To Feel Like A Star?
Well, why not? Be the guiding light on the Halloween night! It is in fashion to recreate celebrity styles with a touch of one's own personalization. Be it apparel, accessories or even wigs, you can have it all. Star Cosplay Wig by Incognito gives you the chance to flaunt the celeb within you in the shades of Burgundy wine and Red cherry. All that you need to look like the beacon of fashion police is right here!
4) Finding Your Something Blue?
Well, it surely can be a wig too! Going for electric colors like blue or even platinum blonde, well yes, now we are talking! These colors give you the right amount of attention that you need. Find flexible wigs at Ecstasy Wigs by Incognito to adorn that perfect blue hue. Go on to pick the colors that call out to the wild in you.
And, here you go. Pick the one that goes well with your spooky side. Perfect styling ideas for you to try this Halloween and make the most of your time dressing up.
Finding wigs that are worth the money you invest in can be quite the work but what helps you out is some trick-or-treat! Happy Halloween!


text:
Tag Archives: Nobel
Indian S. L. Bhyrappa deserves Nobel Literature
August 2, 2014 wpms	103 Comments
Yaana (journey), the new novel by writer S.L. Bhyrappa, was released across the State on Tuesday, 29th July 2014. The 291-page novel deals with the transformation of human moral values when astronauts undertake a journey beyond the solar system. The writer researched the subject for two years, including discussions with professors of the Indian Institute of Science, before writing Yaana. The price of the book is Rs 190.
By Aug 1st, 10000 copies from two editions were sold according to the sources from publishing house. S. L. Bhyrappa is one of the most popular writers of Indian languages. His previous novel Kavalu saw over eight editions, and is a critique of contemporary facets of feminism. Avarana, another of his recent novels, dealing with intolerance and fundamentalism, saw over 35 editions and has been translated in Tamil, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and English.
Dr. S. L. Bhyrappa has written more than 24 novels in Kannada. Most of his novels have been translated to many of other Indian languages. Almost all of recent novels and most important ones of novels have been translated to English language. His writing is characterized by superlative story telling ability around contemporary themes, internal consistency with in the plot of the story, and perfect connection with the external world based on a realistic setting backed by factual linkages. He explores human relationships interplaying with the value systems simultaneoulsy at personal and social planes in his themes. S. L. Bhyrappa exhibits courage in dealing with sensitive but most important subjects of the contemporary society and provides justice in the light of truth and ultimate good without compromising on the beauty of novelistic art form.
He deserves to be considered for Nobel Prize for literature from India. Jnanapith award of India is due to him.
JnanapithNobel
Six countries stay away from Nobel Peace at behest of China
November 19, 2010 wpms	11 Comments
Six countries, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Morocco and Iraq,, have turned down an invitation for their ambassadors in Oslo to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in honour of jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo next month. 36 ambassadors had accepted our invitation, 16 had not replied. As each year, the Institute has invited all ambassadors based in the Norwegian capital to attend the December 10 ceremony, and the diplomats had until November 15 to say whether or not they would come.
A number of embassies had requested more time to reach a decision on whether to participate knowing the sensitivities of China about participation in the ceremony. China's rulers were enraged by the decision to give the 2010 Peace Prize to Liu, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison last December on subversion charges after co-authoring a manifesto calling for political reform in China, and who they consider a "criminal." The Chinese embassy in Oslo sent a letter to other countries' missions in the city requesting that they refrain from attending the ceremony. Everyyear, some countries do not participate for unknown reasons. In 2008, for example, 10 ambassadors were not present.
Source: Hosted News through Google
ChinaNobel


The Island Branch Library Holmes Beach, at 5701 Marina Drive on Holmes Beach, holds a variety of classes, meeting, presentations and seminars throughout the month. Check out our list of their January events below and give them a call at 941-778-6341 for any questions.
14th – 10am Storytime, 3pm Changes in Health Care Presentation by Barbara Wagner, M.D.
Don't miss you chance to be a part of the 3rd Annual Easter Bonnet Contest March 30th, 2013 on Anna Maria Island. The contest will begin at 10am in the parking lot located at 315 Pine Avenue in the City of Anna Maria. The Easter Bonnet contest will have a 1st place winner for children and a 1st place winner for the adults. 1st place winner in the adults contest will win a 2 night stay at the Anna Maria Guest House on Pine Avenue. 1st place winner in the children's contest will win a lunch party for 4 at the Sandbar Restaurant. Check out our Easter Egg hunt information page.
Check here for this year's Easter Worship Services Schedule.
How I Would Spend My Day on Anna Maria Island!
So here's what I would do if I wasn't working today! I would drive past my office in Holmes Beach and head straight to Bay Front Park in Anna Maria, unload my bicycle and go for a ride. As my stomach starts to grumble with hunger I would stop at the Rod N Reel Pier for some breakfast. Remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day even if you're eating bacon, eggs, & home fries at your favorite island restaurant.
After breakfast it's time for a little adventure so I would go see my friends at Yolo Parasail for a relaxing boat ride and sky high view of Anna Maria Island. If you have never been parasailing off the coast of Anna Maria Island you should put it on your to do list!
As the morning comes to an end and the afternoon is just about to begin I would go soak up some rays on Holmes Beach for a couple of hours while looking at the amazing pictures I took from my parasailing adventure. If you are at one of the public beaches you can enjoy some ice cream too.
Now it's time to go see my good friends at Segs By The Sea in Bradenton Beach for a SEGWAY tour. We start our tour on Bridge Street and head to the beach. Travelling south along the paved beach path through Coquina Beach and up over the Longboat Key Bridge and back. If you have never been on a SEGWAY before don't worry one of the fabulous tour guides will teach you how to ride, and in about five minutes you will be comfortable and confident on a SEGWAY.
As the Sun is setting on our return trip to Bridge Street the day is almost over but the night is just beginning and now I'm hungry once again. In the mood for good food and live music I head just a couple of doors down to The Blue Marlin where I meet friends and family for diner & drinks. The Blue Marlin is famous for their fresh fish & seafood that they purchase daily from local seafood markets. I'm not the biggest seafood lover but absolutely love the burgers, steak sandwich, and of course ice cold beer outside in the Trap Yard where on the weekends you can enjoy live entertainment from local musicians.
So that's what I would do if I wasn't working in paradise today… But I am working today at Island Real Estate on Anna Maria Island and would like to get you here too!


For collectors that may not be familiar with the Canadian Hockey League, it is made up of three smaller loops in the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and Western Hockey League. Spanning all of Canada and several American states, players can be selected by pro teams in the NHL Entry Draft once they are eligible. Once each league completes its respective race to a championship, four teams battle for the Memorial Cup – a trophy which is celebrating its centennial this year.
Back at the turn of the century, Upper Deck created some exciting CHL products and this season, collectors have been able to start prospecting once again with a release that hit store shelves last month. With an expansive and loaded checklist, 2017-18 Upper Deck CHL has a massive 400-card base set that includes 100 short-printed Star Rookies. Drawing from all three leagues and 60 teams, several players from each club are featured. Many players that participated in the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship made it into the set.
Rated as the top North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, Svechnikov was a solid producer for the OHL's Barrie Colts during his rookie campaign. Over just 44 games, he scored an impressive 40 goals and earned 72 points to pace the league's freshman class. The first pick in the 2017 CHL Import Draft also spent some time playing for Russia during international competition.
Look for one-of-one printing plates available in packs!
Zadina won the Mike Bossy Award as the QMJHL's Best Professional Prospect following a sensational debut season with the Halifax Mooseheads. He was that loop's top offensive rookie thanks to a 38-goal and 82-point effort and also averaged over a point per game over two rounds of playoff action. Scouts seem to like that he plays a complete game as well.
The Knights have produced many solid NHL defenders over the years including former first round picks like Brad Marsh, Rob Ramage, and Olli Maatta. Bouchard is the next in line looking to make the transition to the pro level. As London's captain this past season, he produced at a high level and scored 25 times on the way to racking up 87 points – second among OHL blueliners.
Dobson has plenty of talent and can make a difference at both ends of the ice for any NHL team that drafts him. He ranked second among all QMJHL defensemen in scoring with 69 points and led his blueline peers with 276 shots on goal. Named to the league's First All-Star Team, he was also an assistant captain for the Titan.
Veleno was granted exceptional status by Hockey Canada in order to get early entry to the Major Junior ranks and while he started the year with the Saint John Sea Dogs, he finished it in a Voltigeurs uniform. With his new club, he took his game to a new level with 48 points over just 33 games before giving a strong effort in the playoffs.
The Greyhounds set franchise records on the way to a regular season championship this year and part of that success can be attributed to Hayton's progression as a prospect. Able to quickly capitalize on scoring chances, his style can sometimes be compared to that of Boston Bruins star Patrice Bergeron.
Noel showed a great deal of improvement in his offensive game as a sophomore with the Generals, posting new career highs with 28 goals and 53 points. Blessed with great size, his stock rose throughout the season and is considered a potential first rounder. He is the son of former CFL player Dean Noel.
McIsaac was the QMJHL's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2016-17 and he was able to shine once again this season with the Mooseheads. On top of posting better numbers as a second-year blueliner, he also showed growth as a defender. His 47 points tied him for 10th at his position and he has a cannon of a shot which strikes fear in opposing goalies.
The top pick in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft, Smith was Spokane's top defender this season and could eventually prove to be a top-pairing blue line performer once he turns pro. Due to his 73 points, he was second among all WHL defensemen in scoring behind David Quenneville of the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Thomas was a member of the OHL's First All-Rookie Team in 2016-17 and continued to thrive with the IceDogs this year. His 81 points were good for second on the team behind Sam Miletic, who was picked up mid-season from London. Both his father and uncle played at the minor league level.
Over three seasons with the Steelheads, McLeod has grown into a fine prospect and had an offensive outbreak in 2017-18. He finished third on the club with 70 points and also paced his teammates with 44 assists. His brother, and teammate, Michael, was selected 12th overall in 2016 by the New Jersey Devils.
The top pick in the 2016 QMJHL Entry Draft, Groulx saw his numbers grow during his second year with the Mooseheads. He had a great influence growing up as his father, Benoit, is a tenured QMJHL and AHL coach. With a foundation like that, there is a very good possibility that he could prove to be a solid pick.
Woo missed a little bit of time due to injury in 2017-18, but he looked strong during the time he was in the lineup for the Warriors. He started the year with seven points in six contests and gets attention for ability to rush with the puck. His father, Larry, spent two seasons in the WHL with the Swift Current Broncos and Victoria Cougars.
One of the most-improved netminders in 2017-18, Rodrigue saw his wins total jump from a meager 14 to a strong 31 while protecting the crease for the Voltigeurs. His goals-against average dipped by over a goal per game and as a result, NHL® Central Scouting dubbed him the premier North American goalie heading into the draft.
The son of a goalie that was drafted by the Montreal Canadies in 1987, Gravel has been a workhorse for the Mooseheads over the past two years. He closed the regular season with 20 wins and recorded a key shutout to close out the first round battle with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on March 30.
Looking toward the future, the team that built the checklist for the set scouted out some of the brightest CHL prospects heading into future NHL Entry Drafts. The Class of 2019 already has some young stars on the rise and collectors should get acquainted with them now. Arthur Kaliyev of the Hamilton Bulldogs is a goal-scoring machine that lit the lamp 31 times during the regular season and was second among OHL rookies in that category behind Svechnikov. Raphael Lavoie also scored 30 for the Halifax Mooseheads and his stock could continue to rise next season. Other 2019 eligibles that you may want to set aside as you pull their Star Rookies subset cards now include Ryan Suzuki, Bowen Bryam, Blake Murray, Peyton Krebs, Dylan Cozens, Jakob Pelletier, Kirby Dach, and Nolan Foote.
Looking even further into the future of the game, there are also a few prime prospects that will hear their names called at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Throughout the 2017-18 season, freshman Alexis Lafreniere terrorized opposing netminders as he scored 42 times and amassed 80 points for Rimouski. He was the top choice in the 2017 QMJHL Draft and draws comparison to former Oceanic star Vincent Lecavalier. The Star Rookies collection includes other potential high picks for 2020 such as Brandon Coe, Nick Wong, Justin Barron, Nick Robertson, Braden Schneider, and Rhett Rhinehart.
On top of all that, the base set design is a stylistic throwback to Upper Deck's flagship NHL set from the 2000-01 season. Even if many of the players were toddlers (or not even born) when that classic release was fresh to the hobby, the look has held up nicely over time. The Star Rookies have both limited and numbered Exclusives and High Gloss parallels. All 400 cards have one-of-one Printing Plates along with a Red parallel which can only be found in blaster boxes.
If a big base set was not enough, packs of 2017-18 Upper Deck CHL have plenty of inserts and ink that will appeal to everyone. Autographs drop once per box on average and there are plenty of big junior stars along with a strong selection of Star Rookies featuring player signatures. The roster includes established CHL vets like Morgan Frost, Sam Steel, and Drake Batherson along with fresh faces in Kieffer Bellows.
Fans of insert sets will also find three great concepts in packs. Top Prospects Game is all about new sensations which have participated in the CHL's annual showcase event for draft eligible talents, while Promising Futures examines 20 of today's best junior stars. Season Highlights, which drop once in very 160 hobby packs, look back at the previous campaign and its most exciting milestones and accomplishments.
As a debut release, 2017-18 Upper Deck CHL gives collectors a lot to get excited about and also introduces them to the future of the game. Collectors taking a deep dive inside will certainly get in on the ground floor with some prime talent and cracking a few packs could get your team's next big star.


text:
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const MusicPlayer = require('./musicPlayer_class.js');

module.exports = class App {

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    this.voiceChannel = undefined;
    this.yt = ytdl;
    this.config = config;
    this.db = db;
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  cleanup () {
    if (this.musicPlayer) this.musicPlayer.cleanup();
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};


The pilot reported that he was on a local flight in mountainous terrain near Durango, Colorado, in a Cessna 150.
While returning to the airport he began a descent by reducing power to about 60%, which resulted in a complete loss of engine power.
The pilot applied full carburetor heat and full throttle and the engine regained power. He continued a shallow descent with full throttle and carburetor heat for about another five minutes.
He closed the carburetor heat and continued the descent at 75% engine power. Within less than a minute, the engine lost complete power again.
The pilot applied carburetor heat and full throttle, along with mixture adjustments and pumping the throttle, but the engine did not restart.
He attempted a forced landing to a local highway. During the final approach, he avoided power lines by flying under them, but he was unable to flare the airplane before touchdown. The nose strut assembly sheared off during the landing and the right wing struck an embankment, which resulted in substantial damage.
The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing during a descent.
Probable cause: The total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
An old axiom in aviation: If you do something in the cockpit to cause something bad to happen….then undo (reverse) whatever it is you did. The corollary: If you do something good, ergo it fixes a problem, then leave it as is if at all possible until you're on the ground. This pilot obviously found the source of his engine power reduction ergo carb icing, but instead of continuing on and landing with it engaged he intentionally turned it off. Duh!


On October 26, 2017, the President of the United States declared a state of emergency regarding opioid drug use, which grants the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the means to address it. HHS can now provide $485 million in prevention and treatment grants. But what are opioids exactly? The first class of opioid drugs are known as opiates, which are all made from a type of poppy. The very first opiate was opium, which was used as a narcotic (a non-medicinal drug meant to affect moods and behaviors), as opposed to the current purpose of pain management. After opium came drugs like morphine, heroin, and the medicines we commonly refer to as "painkillers," such as Vicodin, Percocet, and Oxycontin. After those came a second class of opioids, which are all synthetic. These drugs are not made from plants but are instead manufactured, such as drugs like fentanyl. Many of these drugs are still widely prescribed and used (sometimes illegally).
According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), more than 115 Americans die from opioid overdoses every day.  Despite the data, people who are addicted to opioids are not receiving or can't receive the treatment they need, which accounts for 90% of opioid addicts.  And even if a patient is diagnosed with a substance abuse or addiction disorder, insurance and healthcare policies often prevent them from receiving treatment. According to the Chief of Addiction Medicine at Stanford University, most insurance companies won't pay for emergent inpatient treatment for someone in acute opioid withdrawal.  The Chief also claims that while electronic health records (EHRs) are becoming more normative in healthcare, most healthcare providers do not always use them to indicate if a patient has an addiction or substance use disorder. More often, providers use EHRs for billing insurance companies rather than for documenting illnesses. Fortunately, however, some states, agencies, and medical facilities are already imposing laws and offering alternative treatments that could change the future of pain management and substance abuse.