Shortly after the announcement that Xeodrifter would be receiving a Wii U port, Renegade Kid's Jools Watsham confirmed that the game would feature cross-buy and that those who've bought the game already on their 3DS would be receiving a free download code for the Wii U version when it came out. Unfortunately, now it appears that this will not be the case; the game will still be cross-buy, but 3DS owners will likely have to buy the game again if they'd like to see the game on the big screen.
Watsham recently took to Twitter to break the news to gamers, stating that technical limitations beyond the studio's control are preventing it from including early adopters in the buy one, get one deal. He was quick to reaffirm that the game will still feature cross buy - after purchasing the game on one console, a code will be on the digital receipt that can be redeemed on the other console - meaning that all future adopters of the game will receive both versions. While this news is rather disappointing, perhaps a workaround will surface at some point that'll enable everybody to be included.
What do you think of this? If you were an early adopter, will you buy the Wii U version regardless? What do you think this says about Nintendo's eShop infrastructure? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Some people still insist the Wii U already has a proper account system, but stuff like this just shows it's not true. I'm sure they'll get it right with NX, but will we still have to rebuy our pre-NX digital purchases?
This clearly shows even further that the Nintendo Network is outdated by like 8 years.
This is really disappointing not just because I won't be getting a free copy on my Wii U, but because it means a lot less exposure for this game and Renegade Kid. Renegade Kid puts out some excellent games and Jools is a great guy, it's sad to see unfortunate things like this happen to the studio due to outdated software on Nintendo's side.
Means I'm gonna wait before buying Xeodrifter now, the Euro version wont be coming for a while anyway.
This is really sad to hear but shows how far behind Nintendo are with their online infrastructure.
The question that now needs asking is whether Nintendo will actually come up to date when the new system launches through the help of DeNA or whether they still make controversial decisions that prevent it from being able to do even basic features.
2) You buy a game on a platform and all the linked games become free on every Nintendo Network IDs which belong to the same set (for example OlliOlli).
@Peach64 I'm sure they will carry over this time.The Wii U Eshop has been pushed a lot by Nintendo and with 1st party sales and promotions it seems they are trying to encourage us to download more and more.If everything we have purchased ,especially full price titles is lost then the internet will explode in a fury to the equivalent of 10 bad E3's combined.The damage that would cause,especially as the news would come out before the NX even launches would be too big for Nintendo to repair,I'm sure they are well aware of that.I certainly hope they are anyway.
Will wait for the Wii U version then. But this game deserves more attention in Europe!
Disappointed as i planned to pick up the 3DS version. Now will have to wait and see if we get a euro wii u release.
Well I wasn't expecting cross buy when I bought the 3ds version anyway. No big deal for me.
The Wii U eShop was aware enough of my 3DS purchases to offer me a discount on 1001 Spikes due to the nicalis games on my handheld. I don't see why this couldn't work the same way.
I think this isn't his fault but Nintendo's.
And yet Nintendo just magically believes everyone is going to jump on the NX bandwagon—because it was once the best and most beloved gaming company out there, that once created some of the greatest and most cherished games of all time, and sometimes still makes a great game here and there.
Yeah, right; nice fantasy land, Nintendo—unless you seriously get your sh*t sorted, and in quick time.
Ok, not buying till its out on Wii U. Thanks for making that decision easy.
Gee I wonder why, maybe because Nintendo account system is behind even the Wii's account system. You know, the console that Nintendo made that came out in 2006.
this game isn't very good anyway.
I just want to know how soon it will be available on Wii U.
What do I think? I think Jools is full of dookie.
How many people bought have it since he stated the exact oppisite?
@Peach64 We already had proper cross buy-promotions, that work automatically without download code. The wishlist on my 3DS also shows automatically all the stuff I put on it from my Wii U and vice versa. I don't believe this garbo for one second.
Good thing I didn't buy it yet.
Oh come on there's got to be a way to make it free for early adopters, I'm not paying twice for something others can get both for one low price and plus OlliOlli already has proper cross buy.
@EarthboundBenjy That's of course your opinion. I'm not a big fan of their games but the one and stress one game I do like is this one. That's why I didn't want to get burned and waited for a sale.
As for the free copy I'm not too bothered and I'm sure secretly neither is Jools. Most won't re-buy for a Wii U copy but there are a few that might and just sell or give away the code. I have 3 other systems in the house I could put it on but don't need the game again.
@Kirk really? Read the full comments... This is not Nintendo's fault... Somewhere along the line Jools and his team got lazy. Just look at Olli Olli, I didn't even pay for that title, and I received a free copy quite sometime later. Seriously, this is a Nintendo fan site, and you're here bashing? C'mon, I'm sure you have a backlog of games that deserve your time much more than Nintendo deserves your time bashing them. If nothing else, it would be time better spent.
Although since I bought the 3DS version when it was on sale I might buy the Wii U version when it goes on sale unless a solution is found before that, which there better be.
This is disappointing after the initial claim we would get a Wii copy for being early adopters...maybe just have Nintendo send out e-mails to those NNIDs with codes for the Wii U version? Honestly, despite any technical issue here, they could do that for sure. Even on miiverse it can auto detect which NNIDs actually bought the game vs. those that are just posting without having played it.
Is Jools deferring to someone else on this and just making a convenient excuse since he promised something they no longer feel he should deliver and it's their call? I hate to ask that at all but...any technical issue here sounds like a bad excuse when there are ways to do this.
Well, I mainly want to play this game on my 3DS, but I guess I will wait until both versions are released so I can have it available to play on a big screen as well. No reason to get in a hurry about purchasing it.
That stinks, maybe there is a discount you can offer. "If they own Xeodrifter on 3DS they can get 75% off the Wii U version" maybe?
@Platypus101 The fault is Nintendo's—unless there's some pertinent information that's being withheld from us here—for making an account system that's just useless enough that we end up with situations like this. The fact a long time Nintendo 3rd party developer didn't even realise/understand it wasn't going to work out the way they thought it would, or is now having to make excuses around something that should have been relatively simple to setup and execute as planned, is testament to how convoluted and/or half-assed Nintendo has made everything. At least that's certainly how I'm seeing things.
Ouch. Tip, don't tell people they can have something for free until you know for sure that it's gonna happen. Tbh, RK really annoy me. They hardly bother with Europe, and the games they bring over aren't particularly exciting. Not to mention the price.
@Peach64 Untrue. There are two methods of doing Cross-buy on Nintendo systems, which is chosen by the developer.
Method 1 is account-based, if you've bought the game on one system, you can download on any other system with the same account. This is open to a little exploitation since you can link multiple 3DSs to the same NNID and other people can download a free copy of a game (I think that's what the exploit was at least...).
Method 2 appears to be the method that Renegade Kid is taking. It basically amounts to receiving a 3DS code when you buy on Wii U and vice-versa. This method not only can't be exploited, it allows games to be gifted if you only want one version. That means this method is not account-based whatsoever and is reliant on the code found in the receipt. I can only assume that it is impossible to add a code onto the receipt after the purchase, hence the "technical difficulties".
Glad I didn't buy the game yet. I knew crap like this will happen usually with digital contents like this.
This seems like a limitation Nintendo needs to work out. Why punish those of us who bought this on 3DS already while giving it away to new purchases? How about link ALL of our purchases with our NintendoID finally!
Outdated account system is outdated. Thanks, Nintendo!
Seems strange as discounts have been offered before in such a manner.
Eh no big deal. He tried, it's not possible. I like their games better on 3DS anyway.
I feel cheated and regret buying the 3DS version know I was really looking forward to playing it on my Wii U.
Disappointing news. Looks like I'll be waiting for the WiiU version to come out before I get it. Any news on a release date for Mutant Mudds SC? I was hoping for an update since June has passed, but nothing.
That's pretty sad, we're actually being PUNISHED for being early adopters. Since late adopters get them both for the price of one and we don't.
@accc I feel the same way that we're being punished for buying the game early.
Maybe they could discount it for like half off for one week when the Wii U version comes if they can't fix it by then, that would make me feel better about having to buy it again just so I could play it on my Wii U.
So, apparently it's fixed, yay!!!!
Yay, thank you Jools, I always seem to overreact over things like this knowing very well they will be fixed soon and I hate that about myself.
The only way i can see is to buy the Wii U game and sell the code so my game will be at discount because I have the 3ds version.
It should be relatively easy to fix. If it's not possible to add the Wii U download code to the receipt of 3DS buyers, then 3DS buyers just take a screenshot of the receipt details and send it along with their NNID to Renegade Kid & Nintendo who confirm the details and send the user the code by email.
I don't understand what is so difficult here?
Also, alternatively they could easily put it so that when the Wii U version releases, the system just checks that the same NNID has already the 3DS version and marks then the Wii U version to be able to purchase for free and so add it to your download history.
There are multiple easy ways to fix this.
Great News! Nintendo has a solution!! Xeodrifter will be cross-buy for early 3DS adopters and new customers alike! "


The shower head optimizes the stream of hot water and as a result, could save you a considerable amounts of money every year. If only cold water runs from your tab and hot water is nowhere to be found don't wait around and call one of our trusted trained plumbers There are millions of causes behind the lack of hot water, so before a certified plumbing expert commences the service the source of the predicament must be found substantial Sometimes the indications of a faucet for hot water and cold water are the wrong technology round, and you need to call in a experienced plumber to repair it.
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We'd lose an hour due to daylight savings time, but still got up with the sun. We'd also find out why all the stray cats had been staring at us all night once we broke down camp. After noticing a number of land mines, we'd realize that we set up our tents in a giant stray cat litter box! Fortunately there was no cat poop on our gear or under our shoes. We got lucky.
It was breakfast time and Frisbee found out there was a Hardee's about a mile away, so the three of us headed there to eat. Afterwards, Double Check hiked on as we made a pit stop at Dollar General to grab a small resupply.
I pushed a cart around, mainly to hold my pack so I wouldn't be knocking stuff off of the shelves, and Frisbee was walking around grabbing snacks before tracking me down and tossing them in the cart. He stepped outside to call his parents as I continued shopping.
Apparently the cashier thought Frisbee stole the Snicker's bars that he had tossed in my cart. He ran outside throwing accusations at him. After Frisbee got off the phone, he returned inside to give a few words of wisdom to the cashier about falsely accusing customers. Frisbee had been warned in past retail jobs that you must be absolutely certain that someone had stolen something once a customer leaves the store or else you'd risk a personal lawsuit. The guy apologized and was visibly shaken when I checked out. Frisbee was pissed, but we aren't the type to sue, at least not over something on that level.
We were back on the trail, which was a long bike path through residential neighborhoods, swamps, and woods.
The terrain would change very little. The bike path turned into highway, then to a forest road, then to small dirt pathways.
We caught up with Double Check, and a local offered to share his spigot with us. After swamp water had clogged up our filters, we took him up on his offer! We searched for gators on the side of the trail with no luck. The only wildlife I was able to locate was a large frog.
Before calling it a day, we passed a trailer where a little girl lived. She ran out front waving to us, yelling to another girl, "Look! Hikers!" We stayed the night about a mile further at an unmarked flat area in the pine forest. Double Check would catch up once we pitched the tent, and did the same.
A man who had driven passed us on an ATV earlier on, drove by again and stopped to chat. He was one of the owners of the forest property which had ATV trails available for the hunters licensed to use it. He was monitoring the area for unauthorized users, and told us he carries a hacksaw around with him to block the trails that were illegally blazed by others on 4-wheelers. He told us that the owners of the land could be liable if unwarranted people, usually teenagers on ATVs, got injured on the property. He also shared stories with us about his hunting trips, warned us about wild hogs which were the only wild animal that frightened him, and mentioned he never travels through the forest without water after an incident where he and a few others found themselves lost in the woods of Tennessee for over 12 hours while on vacation. It was nice talking to him. It's always a pleasure exchanging stories with locals when we hike.
We'd continue talking amongst ourselves, sharing trail stories with Double Check, and discussing music and musicians we enjoyed as it got dark.
As I settled in for the night, I heard something smack the tent. A small frog leapt on the outside of the tent right above my head. He'd stay there for a while and sang me to sleep.
Frisbee and I would have a nightly visitor that kept sniffing around our tent. We suspected it was an armadillo. Other sounds through the night would include trains traveling along the tracks nearby, and the roosters crowing from the neighborhood a short distance away.
Today was our last hiking day on the Florida Trail until our return in the winter. As I mentioned before, this adventure was a spontaneous one. We only planned to test the waters of the Florida Trail, no pun intended, and we were glad we did. After hearing so much negativity about this trail and having such low expectations, it was gratifying to find out what a gem this trail truly is. It most certainly was wet and swampy as expected, but it was far more challenging and much less monotonous than anticipated.
Our hike would only be 5 miles into the tiny town of Hamilton, and the terrain would not change much from the day prior. We arrived at the Sunoco gas station where we grabbed coffee, and waited. My in-laws would be taking us to "the all inclusive resort" as we joked, which was their new apartment complex in Tampa for the next several days before our flight to Tucson, Arizona for our "planned" adventure. Stay tuned!


text:
/**
 *
 */
package com.netflix.conductor.server;

import com.google.inject.Guice;
import com.google.inject.Injector;
import com.google.inject.servlet.GuiceServletContextListener;

import com.netflix.conductor.bootstrap.ModulesProvider;
import com.netflix.conductor.core.config.SystemPropertiesConfiguration;

import org.apache.log4j.PropertyConfigurator;

import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.util.Optional;
import java.util.Properties;

/**
 * @author Viren
 *
 */
public class ServletContextListner extends GuiceServletContextListener {

    @Override
    protected Injector getInjector() {

        loadProperties();

        SystemPropertiesConfiguration config = new SystemPropertiesConfiguration();

        return Guice.createInjector(new ModulesProvider(config).get());
    }

    private void loadProperties() {
        try {

            String key = "conductor_properties";
            String propertyFile = Optional.ofNullable(System.getProperty(key)).orElse(System.getenv(key));
            if (propertyFile != null) {
                System.out.println("Using " + propertyFile);
                FileInputStream propFile = new FileInputStream(propertyFile);
                Properties props = new Properties(System.getProperties());
                props.load(propFile);
                System.setProperties(props);
            }

            key = "log4j_properties";
            String log4jConfig = Optional.ofNullable(System.getProperty(key)).orElse(System.getenv(key));
            if (log4jConfig != null) {
                PropertyConfigurator.configure(new FileInputStream(log4jConfig));
            }

        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.err.println("Error loading properties " + e.getMessage());
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
Education|Affirmative Action Ban in Michigan Is Rejected
https://nyti.ms/SQcJj8
Affirmative Action Ban in Michigan Is Rejected
By Tamar Lewin
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled, 8 to 7, on Thursday that Michigan's voter-approved 2006 ban on affirmative action was unconstitutional.
The ruling, in Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action v. University of Michigan, was not based on racial discrimination, but rather on a violation of the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection. The ban, the court said, unfairly placed a special burden on supporters of race-conscious admissions policies.
People trying to change any other aspect of university admissions policies, the court said, had several avenues open: they could lobby the admissions committee, petition university leaders, try to influence the college's governing board or take the issue to a statewide initiative. Those supporting affirmative action, on the other hand, had no alternative but to undertake the "long, expensive and arduous process" of amending the state Constitution.
"The existence of such a comparative structural burden undermines the equal protection clause's guarantee that all citizens ought to have equal access to the tools of political change," said Judge R. Guy Cole Jr., writing for the majority.
The United States Supreme Court is considering an affirmative action case, Fisher v. University of Texas, challenging the use of race as a factor in admissions. But the Sixth Circuit case raises a different issue: the legality of statewide bans on affirmative action. Seven states besides Michigan — Arizona, California, Florida, Oklahoma, Nebraska, New Hampshire and Washington — forbid the consideration of race in university admissions.
The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has upheld California's ban, and with the Michigan ruling, the stage may be set for the issue to go before the Supreme Court.
"I think this is very likely to go to the Supreme Court, because there's a direct conflict between the circuits, it's of great national importance and the 8-7 split on the Sixth Circuit is a signal that some ruling is needed," said Eugene Volokh, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who helped draft the California ban. "The only thing that might get in the way is if the Fisher case decides that all race-based action in education is unconstitutional, which would make it not technically moot, but less important."
Bill Schuette, the attorney general of Michigan, said Thursday that he planned to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. "Entrance to our great universities must be based upon merit," he said in a statement.
George Washington, the Detroit lawyer who argued the case, said Proposal 2, as the Michigan ban is known, does not ensure merit. "The Big Lie told by the supporters of Proposal 2 is that grades and test scores are a neutral means for judging merit," he said. "But that system is openly biased against black, Latino and Native American applicants."
The University of Michigan's affirmative action battle has been roiling for decades. The affirmative action litigation led to the Supreme Court's 2003 decision that while a university could not establish racial quotas, it could consider race or ethnicity as a "plus" factor in a holistic review.
After those decisions, Ward Connerly, a black former University of California regent who was the driving force behind California's affirmative action ban, worked with Jennifer Gratz, a white Michigan woman who was the plaintiff in one of the Supreme Court cases, to get the issue onto the Michigan ballot.
Michigan's affirmative action ban, which applies to government hiring, government contracting and admission to public universities, became part of the state Constitution through a 2006 voter initiative that won 58 percent of the vote.
The district court that heard the challenge to the ban upheld it, but the three-judge appellate panel whose decision was appealed to the full circuit court struck it down, using the same reasoning as the full circuit court.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We are all impaled on the crook of conditioning.
This note is a sequel to my letter from two weeks ago, What We've Got Here Is … Failure to Communicate, a sequel made necessary by the market fall-out from the FOMC announcement on Wednesday. The Fed's communications to the market are clearly not having the effect intended by Bernanke et al., and the problem remains that the Fed is clueless about the game-playing that dominates this market. The car-driving analogy used by Bernanke in Wednesday's press conference (to paraphrase, "we are not putting our foot on the brake, we are taking our foot off the accelerator"), intended to soothe and placate, is a perfect example of the Fed's tone-deafness. From a game-playing perspective, taking your foot off the accelerator is more important than putting your foot on the brake. It is an informational inflection point that absolutely changes game-playing behavior in potentially extreme ways.
Now put yourself in the shoes of one of the drivers. Let's assume that you want to win the game but you also don't want to die. How do you play this game?
There are two well-known strategies to win a game of Chicken. The first is to signal your opponent convincingly that you really don't care about living past this race, that you prefer to die young and leave a pretty corpse. The second is to signal convincingly that you have no control over your ability to stop the race or swerve out of the way once you begin … rip the steering wheel out of your car or something like that. The problem with these strategies is that they require effective signaling prior to the race's start. It really doesn't do you much good if you remove your steering wheel and pre-commit yourself to driving off the cliff if your opponent doesn't see you do it! Also, if you make these signals and your opponent still goes forward with the race, then you've already lost. Why? Well, if you're signaling strongly that you'd rather die than lose the race, but your opponent decides to race anyway, what does that signal about him? In poker terms, your all-in bluff was just called.
Here's why Chicken is so hard to play if the race begins and you're heading towards the cliff … given the extreme consequences of going off the cliff, your rational decision is to stop your car and let the other guy win. But that logic applies to your opponent, too, and you know it. The rational decision for your opponent is to stop his car and let you win. Both of you want to stop your car, but both of you know that both of you want to stop your car. Why shouldn't he stop his car first instead of you? Of course, he's thinking the same thing, and the clock is ticking on both of you going off the cliff.
In formal terms, the game of Chicken has two pure strategy equilibria, and that's what makes for its extreme instability. Below on the left is a classic two-player Prisoner's Dilemma game with cardinal expected utility pay-offs as per a customary 2×2 matrix representation. Both you and James Dean have only two decision choices – Stop and Drive – with the joint pay-off structures shown as (you , James Dean) and the twin equilibrium outcomes (Drive , Stop) and (Stop , Drive) shaded in light blue. With this informational structure, there is absolutely no way to predict which equilibrium will end up occurring, or whether any equilibrium will result.
So you're still in the race, you've still got the pedal to the metal, and you're starting to freak out. Should you stop the race and let James Dean win? That cliff edge is looming closer and closer, and you are suddenly struck by the realization that your corpse will not be so pretty when pulled out of the wreckage. But then you notice something … your car is starting to pull ahead of James Dean's car. You know that your car isn't faster than his, so the only explanation is that James Dean has let up on the accelerator. He's not putting on the brake, but the informational value of this reduction in acceleration is HUGE. Now you know that James Dean is wavering more than you are. And you know that James Dean knows he is wavering more than you are. Once an unstable game like Chicken tips towards one equilibrium or the other, it moves inexorably towards that equilibrium, faster and faster. Once James Dean starts to waver, both of you know that the next move is for him to waver more and you to waver less. You have won this game, and both of you know it, well before James Dean actually puts his foot on the brake.
Now to be clear, I'm not saying that the game-playing that occurs in markets is a straightforward corollary of Chicken. It's much more aptly described as a Common Knowledge game. But what the current Common Knowledge market game shares with Chicken is that it is extremely unstable (see Through the Looking Glass, or … This is the Red Pill). And in unstable games, a change in the change of a critical data function – what's called the second derivative – is incredibly influential on game-playing behavior.
The critical data function in your Chicken Run with James Dean is the position of the two cars. The speed of the cars (change in position over time) is the first derivative of this function, and the acceleration of the cars (change over time in the change in position over time) is the second derivative. If you were to draw a line on a graph to mark the position of the cars over time, the speed of the cars is the slope of that line at any given point in time (more speed = steeper slope = more distance per unit of time) and the acceleration of the cars is the curvature of that line (the slope of the slope). When acceleration stops, the slope of the line is still steep (the cars are still going really fast) but it's no longer curving upwards. This is what's called a negative inflection point. It's the point where the marginal change in your position over time stops getting better. And that's a really big deal for any rational decision-maker in any strategic environment, whether it's high school in the 1950's or the market in 2013.
For all the reasons I've laid out in prior work (What We've Got Here Is … Failure to Communicate), the critical data function in the market's expectations of future Fed policy is the unemployment rate, and what the Fed said on Wednesday is that the unemployment rate is improving faster than they previously thought it would. Everyone knows that everyone knows that the unemployment rate is going down (the equivalent of our cars moving forward at a nice speed). The new information from the Fed is that this improvement is accelerating. The second derivative of the unemployment rate, the curve of the unemployment rate over time, is changing in a positive direction for the economy.
So why isn't that a good thing for the market? Isn't this good news for the fundamental health of the US economy, and thus good news for corporate earnings and revenue growth? Hasn't the Fed been crystal-clear that it has no intention of actually tightening (putting its foot on the brake), but is going to remain historically accommodative (the car will continue to go fast) even as conditions improve?
Unfortunately, the Fed has also been crystal-clear that it is taking its foot off the accelerator. They announced an inflection point, which has enormous repercussions for game-playing behavior in an unstable game. This is the point where the marginal improvement in the Fed's support for the market stops getting better and starts getting worse. And that shift in Fed policy is more than enough to trump whatever organic improvement we are seeing in the US economy.
What we are witnessing today is the opposite of the "green shoots" Narrative of 2009. On Sunday March 15, 2009 Bernanke created the "green shoots" Narrative with a "60 Minutes" television interview (his first) and announced a positive inflection point: from this moment onwards, the marginal improvement in the Fed's support for the market would increase. This was, of course, accompanied by the Fed's first Large Scale Asset Purchase (LSAP) program, also known as QE1, and the rest is history. Here's a chart of the S&P 500 from March 16, 2009 through the rest of the year – an inexorable march upwards for a 48% increase in this broad market index, one of the most ferocious rallies in history – even as the fundamental health of the US economy remained (to be charitable) challenged.
In exactly the same way that the market went up sharply in 2009 even as the real economy got worse, so today can the market go down sharply even as the real economy gets better.
How far down? I have no idea. It all depends on how the Narrative is shaped from here. Narrative formation can be tricky thing, and we will see over the coming days and weeks how the Powers That Be and talking heads respond with their public statements to support the market.
This past Friday, for example, at 6:08 AM St. Louis Fed President James Bullard released a statement detailing why he dissented from Wednesday's FOMC decision on dovish grounds. You can find the full text on the St. Louis Fed's website (http://www.stlouisfed.org/newsroom/displayNews.cfm?article=1829) and judge for yourself, but what's notable to me is the act of publishing a formal dissent as well as the stridency of Bullard's language within the usually staid context of Fed-speak. He "found much to disagree with in this decision" and even invoked the C-word – credibility – in his criticism. To suggest that the FOMC might have a problem in its efforts "to maintain credibility" with Wednesday's announcement is the Fed-speak equivalent of going nuclear.
Bloomberg picked up the release of the Bullard's statement (the only FOMC member to make a statement since Wednesday) but didn't give it much attention. The Wall Street Journal even less. But then the market went down from the opening bell, continuing the losses from the prior two days. So much for the "Rebound in Stocks" promised by the Wall Street Journal before the open, a story which became "Stocks Give Back Gains" soon afterwards.
At 10:15 AM the Financial Times published an article about Bullard's statement titled: "Bernanke decision 'inappropriately timed', says St. Louis Fed".
At 11:20 AM Bullard gave a telephone interview to Bloomberg. Naturally, Bloomberg gave this interview a lot more space than the earlier statement, and kept a story titled "Bullard Says Fed May Need to Boost Asset Buying If Inflation Slows Further" on its Top Stories list throughout the rest of the day.
At 11:57 AM the Wall Street Journal published an article titled "Bullard's Unusual Dissent" in its MoneyBeat section.
The market at least stopped going down after Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal trumpeted the Bullard interview, hitting its lows for the day at 11:31 AM, but the march up didn't begin until about 12:45 PM in anticipation of an influential Wall Street Journal article (the Wall Street Journal typically publishes its major Opinion-Leading-Masquerading-As-Analysis pieces at 1 PM).
How can a Wall Street Journal writer move the market so much more than the St. Louis Fed President? Because everyone knows that everyone knows that Hilsenrath is the Fed's favorite print media mouthpiece. This is the market's Common Knowledge about how Fed intentions are revealed. In the Bizarro-market that we must all endure, divining Fed intentions third-hand through Hilsenrath's "analysis" is more informationally influential than hearing the St. Louis Fed President's beliefs directly!
But it's not easy to reshape a Narrative as firmly entrenched as "the Fed will reduce monetary accommodation proportionally to the decline in the unemployment rate." For more than four years now, the market has been trained (and by "the market" I mean both human investors and trading algorithms) to take Bernanke communications as the single most influential signal in determining investment decisions. As James Dean said, "We are all impaled on the crook of conditioning," and no group of individuals or computer programs is more intensively conditioned than market participants.
The only person with enough informational "juice" to undo the inflection point that occurred on Wednesday is Bernanke himself. The only other signal emitters that even come close in their informational influence are Draghi and Merkel. Everyone else – and that includes Obama, much less other FOMC members or any journalist – are an order of magnitude less important from an Information Theory perspective. The Hilsenrath's and the Bullard's of the world can stop the bleeding for a day or two, but they can't change the underlying Common Knowledge structure.
Even someone as informationally powerful as Bernanke is not omnipotent. He must operate under both the institutional constraints of being a lame-duck Fed Chairman and the personal constraints of wanting to cement a legacy … both of which are very powerful and inherently risk-averse forces. To convince the market that the Wednesday announcement meant something different from its plain-faced interpretation would require a wholesale dismantling of prior communications linking unemployment thresholds to QE tapering, and that's something Bernanke will be extremely loathe to do unless he has the formal backing of the FOMC and/or things get a whole lot worse.
Keep in mind, too, that Bernanke's signals are not communicated to us directly, but are mediated by a host of self-serving entities, from political institutions to individuals (including Bernanke himself) to corporations large and small. In the absence of Bernanke making a public mea culpa on tying Fed monetary accommodation to the unemployment rate, the best thing for diminishing this market-negative Common Knowledge informational structure would be for these signal mediators to reduce the attention and meaning attached to the unemployment rate. But that ain't happening.
The "good news" of a declining unemployment rate serves too many institutional and personal self-interests for this Narrative to weaken, no matter how weak the broader measures of US labor conditions might be.
For example, listen to what David Axelrod says about the unemployment rate in a panel discussion organized by Axelrod's Institute of Politics: Campaign Strategists: 2012 Explained. It's a long video, but for anyone interested in US politics it's a must-see. Why did Obama win in November? Because the unemployment rate went down in the months leading up to the election. It wasn't the Obama campaign's use of Big Data. It wasn't any failing in the Romney message or strategy. The economy got better, as evidenced and interpreted by the unemployment rate, and that swung a lot of undecided voters. That's what won the election.
Or look at the ratings for CNBC on Jobs Friday versus any other day of the month … it's not even close. Nuanced discussions of US labor conditions are for Charlie Rose, not Jim Cramer, which is why the former is seen by a handful of people on PBS and the latter is laughing all the way to the bank.
Everyone knows that viewing US labor conditions solely through this single constructed number is simplistic and kinda stupid. But so what? Everyone also knows that everyone knows that this number moves the market. Unless Bernanke reverses course and tells us otherwise, everyone knows that everyone knows that this is a crucial number for the Fed. And all signal mediators – from the White House to CNBC to everyone in-between – have a vested interest in keeping the Narrative of a "healing US labor market" intact. As a result, from an informational perspective it is now easier for this market to go down than to go up. Be careful out there.


Kris, a longtime listener (way back from the Invisible Ink days), tipped me off to his brother's band OK Ikumi and the songs are just spectacular. I used a couple tracks already in the Q2 episode (check the timed comments to find the start times). The man behind OK Ikumi, Karl, has his own Utah based record label Hel Audio. He is offering the whole album called Alpine Sequences on bandcamp for $5 and for an additional $2.50 he'll send you a cassette! If you drive a 14 year old car like me, a cassette is the perfect medium.


This is a refurbished RC car. This RC car comes with a 45 day true warranty. We have our highly trained technical staff repair and test our refurbished products to make sure they are in perfect working order. Introducing the Exotic R8 RC Racer 1:12 Electric RTR RC Car! This RC is definitely a stand out and you will know why from the moment you open the box! This perfect 1:12 scale replica is ideal for anyone who is into exotic super cars like the the Exotic R8! A powerful electric motor is powered by the included 7.2V rechargeable battery and wall charger! A full function transmitter with a telescoping antenna allows you to completely control this awesome RC with ease as it takes turns and corners at high speeds! This RC car also comes with working flashing lights all over the car, from the wheels to the headlights, tail lights and under body glow! All you need to get started is 2 AA batteries for the transmitters and you are ready to burn some rubber! Get the Exotic R8 RC Racer 1:12 Electric RTR RC Car today and feel the need for speed!
How fast can this go (actual speed) and runtime?
7 to 12 mph and about 10 to 15 minute run time.
Sorry the Refurbished Exotic R8 Racer 1:12 Electric RTR RC Car is currently out of stock.


At Forgotten Hill we are green all over, literally. Just look around at the thousands of trees that live on our 148-acre (60 hectare) property. Whether Ponderosa Pines, White Pines, Cottonwoods, Quaking Aspens, or White Birch, they all love it here, as do visitors to the property. There is no doubt, Forgotten Hill and Cottonwood Estate share a magnificent environment and we want to encourage those that want to protect it.
• A Clipper Creek Charger with a J1772 Connector offering a 40 Amp connection, or 7.68 kW (32 amp) continuous.
• A Tesla Destination Charger equipped with a 60 Amp connection, or 11.5 kW (48 amp) continuous.
Although both chargers are equipped with 7½ m (25') cables, vehicles using the Clipper Creek charging station on the side of the house are asked to parallel park on the edge of the driveway, as close as possible to the charger, so as to not impede other vehicles.
Tesla vehicles, on the other hand, have a separate parking area approximately some 24 m (80 ft) to the east of the Forgotten Hill buildings. The Tesla charging area is lit at night.
Cottonwood Estate, where Forgotten Hill is located is secure, and guest can rest assured that their vehicles will charge uninterrupted at night. Guests are welcome to leave their electric vehicles parked in these areas overnight.Visitors to the winery are also welcome to use the chargers while they discover all of Forgotten Hill's delicious wines.


The new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, which replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement created under Poppy Bush's administration, will boost U.S. steel, agriculture, and manufacturing, and further President Trump's America-first agenda, according to the U.S. Trade Representative.
On Sept. 30, in a pivotal moment for the Trump administration, the United States, Mexico, and Canada concluded negotiations "for a modernized and rebalanced" North American trade pact that largely supersedes the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Thus, the industry-depleting, wage-slashing NAFTA pact, an unpopular creature of anti-sovereignty globalism birthed under the George H.W. Bush administration and signed by President Bill Clinton, evidently is fading into history.
Will this detailed new pact be better? In many ways, it will benefit working-class Americans and farmers, but other previous trade rules will remain the same.
The USMCA for the time being maintains U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum entering the U.S.
Not realy. Just in speech but not action like a lot of other issues. Immigration larger and open. No closed door but to Muslims.


Here are some of the most unusual "home movies" you'll ever get a chance to see. After sitting on a barn shelf for decades, a few of them are finally being offered here, including rare footage of Sonny Terry, Big Bill Broonzy, Pete Steele, Jean Carignan and others, selected for this video by Stefan Grossman.
Pete Seeger remembers: "In 1955 I bought a secondhand Auricon, a 16mm camera with single system optical sound, used for making newsreels. . . . In 1963, Toshi and I took our three children out of school and travelled around the world, filming whatever good music we stumbled upon. There was no theme or plan. Three years later, with our 21 year old son Dan, we arranged to film African-American worksongs in a Texas prison. I'm so glad some of these films will finally be seen. For 30 years they've sat in our barn and Toshi and I would say 'When are we going to have time to work on them?' -- and we never had time. Along comes our friend Stefan and says, 'Let me see.'"
Titles include: SONNY TERRY & J.C.BURRIS 1958: Crazy About You Baby, Buck Dance, Hand Jive; JEAN CARIGNAN 1957: La Grande Fleur, Interview, Sherbrooke Jig, Irish Tune; BIG BILL BROONZY 1957: Worried Man Blues, Hey Hey, How You Want It Done, John Henry, Blues in E; THE McPEAKE FAMILY 1964: Jug of Punch, Will Ye Go Lassie Go?, Pipes/Harp Instrumental, Oro Se; PETE STEELE 1962: Pay Day at Coal Creek; Coal Creek March, Galilee; ELLIS UNIT HUNTSVILLE TEXAS 1964: Working All Day Long, Grizzly Bear/Down the Line, 23, I Believe I'll Call My Baby; OKLAHOMA FIDDLE CONTEST 1957: Segments; SCHUYLER MICHAELS 1957: Two Tunes, Waltz, Soldier's Joy.


text:
Confessions of an Ageing Motorcyclist
Michelin Pilot Road 3 - end of life review
Dispelling the "What's the Best Tyre" myth
In view of the hot air (oh, ok - absolute bullshit) which seems to blight any on-line discussion about tyres, including a complete lack of evidence to support some assertions about what tyre to buy, let's start with some facts which have a bearing with respect to tyre performance on public highways.
It's likely that unless a rider is supremely talented, any of the major brands will offer a performance envelope which more than exceeds most people's capability. What WILL have a large bearing however, is their "Fitness for Purpose". e.g track day capability, predominantly commuting, riding in dry weather only and so on.
There are many variables which impact significantly on tyre performance and life...... road surface and temperature, ratio of straights to curves, weather conditions, tyre pressures, suspension quality, bike weight and geometry - just to name a few. Also chuck in a rider's variables in terms in terms of speed, smoothness, their weight and god knows what else and it becomes clear that finding one tyre design that meets all criteria is close to impossible.
Bike magazines which test normal road tyres round a test track for lap times don't replicate real world public road conditions either. In other words, we're not comparing apples with apples in most cases.
However, what is relevant to this review is that the ST has been ridden by me over virtually identical road and weather conditions for over 30,000 km and more than 3 years using 3 different sets of tyres. At least this gives strong comparative indications, if not measurably absolute ones. Hopefully, it will mean that this review is based on reasonably objective criteria.
Past experience with the Street Triple
The Triple came equipped with sport-oriented Dunlop Qualifier 2's. The Qualifiers gripped really well in the warmer weather but I was nervous about them in cooler, wet conditions. I got the same feeling when riding a friend's Daytona 675 equipped with Pirelli Supercosas on a wet and cold day. It's not an unreasonable statement that pure sport tyres need heat to maximise grip and in wet, cool conditions, that's not easy to achieve. The generally smaller rain grooves on a sports tyre don't help either. That probably means that in adverse weather conditions, a pure sport tyre has no performance advantage and possibly less; than sport-touring tyres. The Q2's with higher profile crowns than many sport-touring tyres also tended to tip into a bend rather than roll in smoothly but this was something I eventually got used to. By 6000 km, they had lost much of their tread and equally importantly, the profile had changed significantly which affected handling.
Dunlop Qualifier front tyre. Losing shape and nearly down to the min legal 1.5mm tread depth in the centre
The next tyres to be fitted were the Avon Storm 2 Ultra sport-touring tyre. I was due to ride in the NZ Grand Challenge 1000 miles in under 24 hours event and wanted something which could handle adverse weather conditions. Avon Storms were my tyre of choice for several years on the CBR 1100XX Blackbird which I previously owned, so was familiar with their characteristics. They are a great all-round tyre with exceptional wet weather performance, finally being replaced after 10000 km. The tyre profile remained pretty good for most of their life.
Avon Storm rear tyre at 8000 km. Harder centre compound clearly visible
Experience with the Michelin PR3's
I would have happily used the Storms again except that the NZ Avon importers had hiked the price and that was the spur to consider other brands. The relatively newly-released PR3 sport-touring tyres were finally chosen mainly because the fine grooves (called sipes) which are traditionally used on some performance car tyres were an interesting point of difference. A point of note is that I fitted the "B" specification rear PR3 which has a stronger carcass construction and higher load rating.
PR3 "B" load rating identification
Brand new front PR3
Brand new rear "B" load rating PR3
Coming out of the tyre fitters and rolling slowly towards the nearby traffic lights, there was a slight vibration through the bars, almost as if the bike was running over small corrugations. I wondered if the sipes on the front tyre were causing the vibration as it happened at a couple of other slow speed locations too but didn't reappear at the end of the 160 km journey home. Maybe everything had bedded in by then.
Most of the homeward journey was on twisty, back country roads; perfect for carefully exploring the capabilities of the PR3's. They exhibited a smooth, progressive roll-in on bends as opposed to the more rapid tip-in of the Qualifiers with the higher crowns. However, they "felt" slightly slower to roll in than the previously-fitted Storm Ultras but to be fair, the difference was small. Overall, they were totally confidence-inspiring.
Being anal about tyre pressures, I checked them using my digital gauge the following day. The tyre dealer had set them to the recommended Triumph pressures which at best can only be described as a guide. Where I live in NZ, summer road temperatures are quite high which means that you can start with a slightly lower cold pressure. (Ever checked the difference between cold pressures and the operating pressure at the end of a lively ride???) In addition, I ride solo, weigh 80 kg and have found that 35psi front and 38 psi rear seems to work well. The other thing which was checked on arriving home was front/rear wheel alignment, using my home-built laser rig and it was a mile out. I've never seen an alignment rig of any sort used by tyre fitters anywhere so it's hardly surprising. Misalignment can affect both handling and tyre wear so setting it up properly on a new set gave peace of mind.
In terms of dry weather grip, the PR3's are good enough that I reach my level of competence well before the tyre is inclined to get squirrelly. In the wet, they are simply amazing - not an anxious moment. Even when I once hit wet clay, the slide was completely controllable. Perhaps as much due to the wonderful handling of the Triple as the tyres. The sipes actually seem to work as opposed to being a straight marketing gimmick as riding partners have remarked on how much water the tyres seem to displace and the strong dry line they leave. I always thought that Avon Storms set the standard for wet weather riding but have to admit that the PR3's are even better. Admittedly, the comments about relative grip are subjective but I reckon based on experience with different tyres on the same bike, they're pretty realistic.
Having established grip credentials, we now move onto tyre life which as mentioned earlier in this post, is affected by a multitude of factors. However, as also mentioned, the 3 different tyre brands which have been fitted to the Triple since new have been used in near-identical conditions. Therefore, a comparison between the 3 is valid. It's also worth mentioning that the Triple isn't used for commuting and I live in an area with really twisty roads so the wear is probably more evenly spread round the surface than it would be with a greater percentage of upright riding/commuting.
Just to recap, the Dunlop Qualifier sport tyres lasted for 6000km before they were replaced due to wear and going out of shape. The Avon Storm Ultras lasted for 10000 km before being replaced. They retained a decent profile for perhaps 90%+ of their life. The photos below show the PR3's at just over 13000km.
Rear "B" load rating PR3 - 13000 km
It can be seen that the rear hoop has maintained an excellent profile. The rain groove depth towards the centre is approximately 2mm, indicating that the 1.5mm minimum legal tread depth will be reached in less than 1000km. From my perspective, a total life of 14000km is perfectly satisfactory given that the Triple is used as intended by the designers! Just out of interest, compare this photo with the one of the brand new rear PR3 above. In the brand new photo, the major rain grooves coming from the left and right hand edges actually reach the tyre centre line. In the 13000 km photo, the end of the grooves are close to 8mm from the centre line, showing how much wear has taken place. The sipes have also narrowed in width as they have worn.
Rear tyre - view of tread towards edge - 13000 km
The rear tyre is worn right round to the edge but the rain grooves and sipes have maintained fairly sharp edges. It's hard to see in this photo but the trailing edge of each sipe has a distinct raised feather edge. There doesn't seem to be any adverse consequences from this,
PR3 front tyre - 13000 km
As with the rear tyre, wear is evenly distributed and to within 5mm of the front tyre edge. Remaining tread depth is approximately 2mm in the centre. With the lighter loads on the front tyre, it will almost certainly last considerably longer than the rear. I generally change both tyres together but there may not be any compelling need in this instance. It will be reassessed shortly.
Given the life of the PR3 compared with the other tyres previously used, it brings into question the wisdom of comments on bike web forums which simply dismiss certain tyres as being too expensive. The Avon Storm is currently a little cheaper in NZ than the PR3 at present but taking into account the difference in wear rate, the PR3 lifetime cost is significantly cheaper. If a pure sport tyre fits your riding requirements best, their reduced life means you're going to shell out more $$ on a regular basis. It's also appropriate to mention the impact of suspension on tyre life. If you have either tired or budget suspension where the effectiveness of spring rate and/or compression and rebound damping is questionable, it will definitely have an impact on tyre life (and handling of course). When I changed from the standard suspension on my Honda Blackbird to modified front fork internals and an expensive Penske adjustable rear unit, the tyres lasted on average for an additional 2000 km. A plausible argument if you have to go cap in hand to your Chief Financial Officer to spend money on the bike, ummmm..... like I do!
There is actually one unquantifiable variable in the last 18 months of Street Triple ownership which may have appreciably contributed to the excellent tyre life of the PR3 and that's the on-going enhancement of my riding with the Institute of Advanced Motorists. In addition to being a safer rider, I'm a smoother rider thanks to much better positioning and smarter use of throttle, gears and brakes. This must have a beneficial bearing on tyre life, although how much is open to debate.
In summary, the PR3 tyres are the best I've ever had on the Street Triple for the type of riding I do. The ST gets ridden pretty briskly but it doesn't have to put up with, for example, the requirements for track days. If I was a track day junkie, then a pure sport tyre would be the most appropriate option.
Philip, the NZ IAM Chief Examiner has PR3's on his Honda ST1300 and they were beginning to lose a little shape at 6000 km but are now up to 9500 km. Part of this would be due to a long fully-loaded trip he did on them on relatively straight roads and the overall weight of the bike must also be a significant factor. Nonetheless, that sort of life on a big bike is still acceptable. He intends to fit another set of PR3's. My fellow moto-blogging mate Roger also has them on his Triumph Sprint ST. Whilst Rog hasn't had them on for long, he speaks highly of their performance.
Clearly, there is no one best tyre, it all comes back to that all-important "fitness for purpose" which an individual owner wants from his machine.
I hope that this post has provided some food for thought!
Oh, and a final thought which only occurred to me the other day. 2013 will mark the 50th anniversary of owning my first motorcycle. Guess that shows a decent passion for motorcycles, as well as definitely confirming Old Fart status :-)
Addendum: I changed the front PR3 at 17,200 km. The tread depth was still just above the legal minimum but the profile had lost its shape, taking a more triangular profile with significant wear on the sides. Hardly surprising really given that I live in an area with hardly a straight road and only ride for fun, not commuting. It always comes as quite a surprise how the handling is rejuvenated by a new tyre!
June 2015. I am now on my second rear PR4 tyre. When the PR4 was first announced, Michelin claimed that the lucky rider could expect up to 20% greater tyre life. I note that claim has been quietly dropped, at least in NZ. My PR4 lasted an almost identical distance to the PR3's - around 15,000 km despite the assertion that a harder centre compound has been used. In addition, I've had a high end rear shock fitted for the last 5000 km which should have noticeably extended life based on experience with my Blackbird after an upgrade. Also, the PR4 is more expensive than the PR3 so the cost/km has increased for no discernible reason other than filling Michelin's coffers. The front PR4 has quite a bit of life left in it and has kept its shape, so no need to change it at the same time as the rear. In fact, it may well last beyond the 17,000-odd km achieved with the PR3's. Perhaps the wider spacing of the sipes means less flexing. It certainly feels slightly more "planted" than its PR3 counterpart under braking or rapid directional changes.
Irrespective of life and cost considerations, the PR4 is a terrific tyre when an all-weather tyre is needed.
Note: For further tyre info, go to the later post HERE and HERE . There is also an end of life review of the PR4 on my GSX-S1000 and the Metzler Roadtec 01 HERE .
New PR3 and a PR4 with 130 km on the clock
Posted by Geoff James at 10:42
Labels: Avon Storm Ultra, Dunlop Qualifier 2, Michelin PR3, Michelin PR4, Street Triple
Not a bad day at the office
It's been a while since the last post what with other activities and events that needed to be taken care of so time for an update.....
The last few days have really seen the start of summer in NZ - blue skies, warm temperatures and very little wind. A very successful fishing trip on the boat 2 days ago with plenty of snapper fillets going into the freezer, (plus trimmings for the cats). Yesterday was a day full of riding so what a great start to official summer!
New IAM member Charlotte asked for some assistance in refining her technique on bends - extreme positioning, using the Vanishing Point, countersteering and so on. The timing was perfect as she's shortly due to tour the South Island so what better time for a refresher and then apply the learning on an epic journey to Hobbit country?
Up early to meet with Charlotte in the South Auckland area called Bombay, some 130 km from home. I'll mention the southern part of the journey shortly!
460 km for the day in beautiful weather
Meet Charlotte and her Bonneville
Over coffee, we discussed exactly what Charlotte wanted to revise and then discussed the plan and route we'd take. I lead for the first part of the journey east to an area with a mix of sweepers, blind bends and terrain changes, then put Charlotte up front for the return journey. This is where the Sena SMH 10 helmet to helmet comms set really comes into its own as you can give immediate feedback on a particular set of actions or answer a query without waiting until you stop at a later stage - far more effective. It was clear that Charlotte had been working hard on her extreme positioning as it was excellent and the only advice was to get into position a little earlier. Judging corner entry speed by using the vanishing point and countersteering through a range of corner profiles is simply a matter of practice but there was a noticeable improvement throughout the session.
Next came a 60 km loop in the area to observe general roadcraft which was of a good standard. However, it's always amusing at this stage of the advanced roadcraft programme that the newer rider tends to forget some of the techniques already learned whilst trying to implement new ones due to the stress of the situation and going into mental overload! It was only a year or thereabouts ago that fellow IAM member Roger and I were in a similar position so it's refreshing to have a quiet snigger rather than be sniggered at! All said and done though, it's the hugely demanding programme which makes passing the full membership test such a source of internal pride. Really looking forward to see how Charlotte develops as she has a great attitude and has made an excellent start.
Hi-viz IAM slip-on covering tasteful silver and black leathers :-)
After a coaching session lasting until mid-afternoon, the normal routine would be to head home ready for a cold beer and an evening meal, but this wasn't a normal day. After saying our goodbyes, next stop was south to the city of Hamilton. The previous day, I'd been contacted by my mentor Wayne to be tested on the 2 remaining modules of the Observer training programme. Wayne runs a driving/riding school and is incredibly busy. However, one of the hallmarks of IAM senior members is their generosity in donating their time to raise riding and driving standards so Wayne was happy to take me out at a time that most people were sitting down for an evening meal!
My mentor Wayne - this guy can REALLY ride!
The first step was to give Wayne a pre-ride briefing covering safety aspects, ride rules etc as that was one of the modules to be ticked off. If it had been a trainee being briefed, the route would have also been described. However, as Wayne is a Senior Observer and was assessing me, he already had a (challenging) route in mind. Regular readers of this blog will remember the satisfaction I recently got from setting the pace for another trainee Observer who needed to pass the "Observing a Quick Rider" module. This was the very module I needed to pass last night so it was my turn for a bit of anxiety, mainly because Wayne is an ex-police chief riding instructor for one of the provinces in NZ! All I'm prepared to say (with considerable understatement) is that he made me really sweat down country back roads I wasn't familiar with and it was a true test of both keeping up with him and watching for deliberate errors in his riding at the same time!!! Delighted to report that I passed and the final steps before becoming a qualified Observer are to complete a ride observing a trainee under the watchful gaze of the Chief Examiner and then completing the written exam. Watch this space - starting to get the jitters!
Got home at sunset - a long mentally and physically demanding day in the saddle but by golly, this sort of day is why we ride bikes, isn't it??? Thanks Charlotte and Wayne for making it such a memorable one!
Labels: IAM NZ
Who???
Geoff James
Coromandel, North Island, New Zealand
Grumpy old curmudgeon on some occasions, mental age of 5 on others. Retired professional engineer and career in operations and technical management, mainly in the pulp and paper industry. Have been riding since I was 16 and joined the NZ branch of IAM in my 60's. Currently an IAM Examiner. Still young enough to really enjoy life and love motorcycling, fishing, sailing, kayaking and travelling with my soulmate and long-suffering wife Jennie. Moved to NZ from Northants in the UK in 1975 and have 3 grown up kids whom we're very proud of and love dearly. We also love irritating our kids by doing stuff with the grandkids that they normally wouldn't get permission for! A cynic and optimist in equal measure, depending on the moon and what day of the week it is. Growing older as disgracefully as possible
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
A view from above (Aust)
Bandit Rider (NZ)
bobscoot: wet coast scootin (Can)
Find Me on the Road (Ger)
For love of a motorbike (US)
Geezer With A Grudge (US)
MotArt (Fra)
Old Ireland (Ire)
On Two Wheels (Can)
Richard's Page (U.S)
Riding on my V Star (Can)
Tarsnakes (Aust)
The IAM Experience (NZ)
The Road to Nowhere (Aust)
Trobairitz' Tablet (US)
Troubadour on a Triumph (US)
Photos copyright Geoff James . Watermark theme. Powered by Blogger.


text:
Q: Notation confusing my understanding of a homework problem Probably ultra simple, but asking google about notation is non-trivial in a case like this.  The text is Oksendal's Stochastic Diff Eq and, very simply, the question is as follows:

Let $B_t$ denote n-dimensional Brownian motion and let $f:\mathbb{R}^n \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ be $C^2$.  Use Ito's formula to prove that
  $$f(B_t) = f(B_0) + \int_0^t \nabla f(B_s) dB_s + \frac{1}{2} \int_0^t \Delta f(B_s) ds$$
  where $\Delta = \sum_{i=1}^n \frac{\partial^2}{\partial x_i^2}$ is the Laplace operator.

Never took real analysis so tough for me to understand how a function mapping $\mathbb{R}^n \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ can have anything to do with two-dimensional complex space?  Is this a purely notational misunderstanding?
Assuming I sort of ignore my misunderstanding, it should be as simple as integrating both sides of one-dimensional Ito's, no?

A: $\mathbb{C}^2$ or $\mathbf{C}^2$ denotes the complex $2$-dimensional space. In this context, $C^2$ means twice-differentiable. In general, a $C^n$ function is differentiable $n$ times.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Published by : Yearling, (New York :) Physical details: 262 p. ; 20 cm. ISBN:9780440420477 (pbk.); 0440420474 (pbk.); 9781428720701 (BWI bdg.); 1428720707 (BWI bdg.); 9780329496081; 0329496085.
Subject(s): Sisters -- Juvenile fiction. | Single-parent families -- Juvenile fiction. | Vacations -- Juvenile fiction. | Sisters -- Fiction. | Single-parent families -- Fiction. | Vacations -- Fiction. | Sisters -- Fiction. | Single-parent families -- Fiction. | Vacations -- Fiction.
"Reprinted by arrangement with Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers"--T.p. verso.


TEHRAN, Dec. 23 (MNA) – Iranian researchers managed to design and manufacture a device for imaging heart at its opening and closing time in cardiac patients.
The imaging device includes amplifier, processing system, peak diagnosis and monitoring system and can be used for imaging heart, he maintained.
This sophisticated device has been tested successfully in medical centers [including Heart Hospital of Tehran, Shahid Sadooghinejad Hospital of Yazd and Resalat Nuclear Medicine Center] among more than 1,000 patients suffering from heart diseases.
Turning to the specifications of this project, he said "ability to monitor performance of the device via internet and also diagnose peak for heartbeats [ranging from 30 to 300 per minute], applicable in Animal Spect devices, ability to connect different types of Gamma Camera with various brands are the salient features of the device., Mohammadi observed.
As licensed by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and European Commission (EC), cardiac imaging device can be provided with fair and reasonable price lower than its similar foreign brand in the market.
Esmaeil Mohammadi won second rank of applied researches in the field of nuclear medicine in 19th Khwarizmi Young Festival for the design and manufacturing left ventricular systolic microscopic diagnostic device for nuclear cardiac imaging, the report concluded.


Bollywood is a perfect blend of emotions, action, drama, and songs. Nothing can beat Hindi movies when it comes to complete entertainment package. Even if you do not like the story line, then there is a range of romantic songs which will win your hearts… you will see many people humming them. And… then there is a huge list of Bollywood dance songs on which you can't resist to shake your booty.
Scroll down to tap your foot, shake your booty and just go crazy with the list of the best Bollywood dance songs.


Glossary of astronomical terms aimed at all levels of learning.
A large asteroid could miss the Earth by only 38,000 kilometres in 2027, according to new astronomical observations. What's more it will remain dangerously close for about 600 years, and chaos theory means that it is impossible to predict its trajectory with enough accuracy for more than a few decades in advance.
See why Mars is so fascinating to many astronomical scientists. Includes photos of the rover and the planet, as well as a glossary of terms and timeline.
The AAO operates the Anglo-Australian and UK Schmidt telescopes on behalf of the astronomical communities of Australia and the UK. Has an online catalogue, astronomy preprints, newsletters, links to astronomy journals, and a thesaurus of astronomy terms.


text:
ERG4 or Delta(24(24(1)))-sterol reductase or Delta(24(28))-sterol reductase is an enzyme that catalyzes the last step of ergosterol biosynthesis pathway in fungi Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Baker's yeast), which 5,7,22,24(28)-ergostatetraenol converted into ergosterol.

References

EC 1.3.1
Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A "preceptor" is an expert or specialist, such as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, who provides guidance, practical experience and training to a Dietetic Intern. In years gone by, all preceptors in Dietetic Internships were required to be Registered Dietitians. That is no longer the case. A preceptor should be someone involved with the field of nutrition and dietetics in some way, who is in a position to help guide your experience in the internship at the local level (where you live) and help arrange experiences to help you meet expectations of your program.
PLEASE NOTE: A CLINICAL PRECEPTOR DOES NOT NEED TO WORK IN A LARGE HOSPITAL. A CLINICAL ROTATION MAY BE COMPLETED IN A LOCATION WHERE THE NUTRITION CARE PROCESS AND MNT ARE PRACTICED. IT MAY BE COMPLETED IN A UNIT OF ANY SIZE OR TYPE IN WHICH YOU WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO A DIVERSE RANGE OF PATIENTS IN TERMS OF AGES, DISEASES AND CONDITIONS. YOU MAY COMBINE TWO LOCATIONS TO GAIN THESE EXPERIENCES. THEY DO NOT NECESSARILY NEED TO INCLUDE LONG TERM CARE AND PEDIATRICS AS THESE EXPERIENCES MAY BE GAINED DURING OTHER ROTATIONS. EXTENDED CARE FACILITIES WHERE THERE IS A REHAB UNIT FOR NEWLY DISCHARGED HOSPITAL PATIENTS IS A GOOD POSSIBILITY.
This rotation may be completed at one or two facilities. If you are using two facilities, you must spend a minimum of two weeks at one of them. These may include, but are not limited to, hospitals (excluding psychiatric and eating disorder programs), extended care facilities with onsite acute rehab units, rehabilitation facilities (excluding substance abuse programs), outpatient facilities which primarily deliver MNT, and health centers. The time frame may be adjusted with approval of the Program Director if the Intern has an opportunity to spend time in a renal unit during this rotation (two weeks maximum in a renal unit) due to the need to get a broad exposure to diagnoses and age groups). At least six weeks of the clinical rotation must be completed at an inpatient facility.
Who can be a Preceptor?
Please note that regardless of the discipline, all credentials and experience will be evaluated for appropriateness and relevance to the rotation and experiences the Intern will be completing.
When do I need an RD / RDN Preceptor?
You MUST have an RDN Preceptor in your CLINICAL ROTATION when you will definitely be practicing application of the Nutrition Care Process, Medical Nutrition Therapy, and developing goals for your Professional Development Portfolio. There are some experiences that you are required to complete, which must be supervised by Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, but in other cases the preceptor may be a member of a team that is involved in nutrition and dietetics issues with patients, clients, or businesses.
I want to apply to Priority Nutrition Care Dietetic Internship. When should I start looking for a Preceptor?
It is NEVER TOO EARLY to start inquiring, such as at the completion of a summer job in Nutrition and Dietetics or after volunteer work, even in your sophomore or junior year.
How many Preceptors do I need?
You will need at least one Preceptor for each of the 4 rotations. It is possible for the same preceptor to supervise you in more than one rotation.
The Food Service Preceptor must be a credentialed food service administrator, such as a Food Service Director or Food Service Manager.
The Community Preceptor may be a RDN or other credentialed professional (Bachelor's Degree or higher) in a program in which nutrition and food related services are a major component of the program.
Elective – May or may not be a RDN.
Will PNCDDI find a Preceptor for me?
NO, it is your responsibility to locate all preceptors. The Priority Nutrition Care Distance Dietetic Internship will be able to help you determine whether a Preceptor is acceptable, and will help with other leads, AFTER you have been matched, to help round out the breadth and depth of your experiences. The Internship has the final decision on whether a particular Preceptor is acceptable, but it is YOUR responsibility to find your own Preceptors. The extent to which it appears that you have made that effort will be important in how we view your application.
I have identified my Preceptors. Now what should I do?
Ask your Preceptors to submit a completed Preceptor form ONLINE at www.PNCDDI.com under the Information for Preceptors Tab. This form serves as documentation that the Preceptor has agreed to precept you and provides the information that we need to determine that the Preceptor has the appropriate credentials. Be aware that the Preceptor must agree to complete and submit the required documentation, which includes proof of credentials (i.e. Registration, Licensure etc.) and a list of recent continuing education activities. This is a requirement of our accreditors.


text:
Going further ›
History of the Grande Galerie de l'Évolution (The Gallery of Evolution)
History of the Galerie de Minéralogie (Mineralogy Gallery)
At its very origin, the mineralogy collection was based on the medicine chest (the "droguier") of King Louis XIII, founded in 1626. Enriched by four centuries of discoveries and acquisitions, it now includes almost 130,000 objects.
The start of the collection dates back to 1626. In the seventeenth century, mineral substances were believed to be endowed with healing properties, and were kept alongside medicinal plants in the Medicine Cabinet of the Royal Garden of Medicinal Plants. Under the management of Guy-Crescent Fagon, the first doctor of Louis XIV, the collection expanded considerably. In 1739 the collection grew again with the addition of the collection of precious stones bequeathed by Charles-François de Cisternay Du Fay, another Jardin's intendant. The medicine cabinet was renamed the Cabinet of Natural History at around this time. Joseph Pitton de Tournefort, a French botanist, added samples of stones collected during his travels.
During the forty-nine years of his management (1739–1788), the great naturalist Buffon played a major role in the organisation and development of the Cabinet. In recognition of his work, Louis XV entrusted him with a number of admirable mineralogical specimens and a set of furniture adorned with stones. Buffon first opened the Cabinet to the public in 1745.
That same year, Louis Jean-Marie Daubenton arrived at the Cabinet as acting curator. Daubenton had the extensive financial resources required acquire new objects, among which minerals and gems purchased by the Earl of Angiviller. Collections made during the expeditions of Commerson, Bougainville, Dombey, Dolomieu and Faujas de St Fond - first holder of the Chair of Geology - were added as time went by. Daubenton undertook the first systematic classification of the Cabinet's contents. In doing so, he was the first to unify the disciplines of mineralogy and geology. After the French Revolution, in 1793, Daubenton was appointed the first director of the new Museum of Natural History. Also appointed head of the Department of Mineralogy, he selected a series of precious stones and remarkable hard stone objets d'art from the former royal collections. The Grand Sapphire of Louis XIV was added to the Museum's collection by him in 1796. René Just Haüy, a pioneer of crystallography, took the chair of Mineralogy in 1802 and remained in the post until his death in 1822. Haüy extended the collections, not only by selecting from items originating in the scientific expeditions of Vauquelin, Berthier and Berzelius, but also by the highly significant acquisition of the Weiss collection, with its very high quality mineral specimens.
In 1824, the Museum came into possession of certain pieces collected for Louis XVIII by Jacques-Louis de Bournon. In 1835 government funding allowed the Museum to take the considerable collection of former Inspector of Mines, Gillet de Laumont, into its care. That acquisition included the collection of minerals collected by Jean-Baptiste Louis Romé de L'Isle during his work on the geometry of crystals.
From 1822 to 1847, Alexandre Brongniart, the son of the architect of the Palais de la Bourse in Paris, donated numerous minerals and geological samples collected during his travels. The French Academy of Sciences also made several successive transfers of specimens, among which are nuggets of gold and platinum that once belonged to Tsar Nicholas I. Scientists in the Chair of Mineralogy: Ours Dufrenoy in 1848, Gabriel Delafosse in 1857, Alfred Des Cloizeaux in 1876 and Alfred Lacroix in 1893. The efforts of these remarkable men allowed the Museum to become host to a startling array of magnificent collections before the First World War. These included those of Haüy, Dusgate, Pierpont Morgan, de Frossard and the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and others. The Director of the Department of Geology from 1819, Pierre-Louis Cordier, was particularly prolific, multiplying the number of geological samples by ten. His successor, Gabriel Auguste Daubrée, started the meteorite collection.
After the Second World War, Jean Orcel, a professor working at the Museum and holder of the Chair of Mineralogy in 1937, welcomed numerous trophy pieces found by the prospectors he had trained, as well as the magnificent minerals of Colonel Louis Vésignié. The administration of Jacques Fabriès lasted until 1998. His tenure was particularly notable for the acquisition of 80 giant crystals in 1982, and the addition of the "Pierres de Rêves" (dream stones) collection of Roger Caillois in 1988, thanks to the fund-raising of Henri-Jean Schubnel, the curator of the mineralogy collection and friend of Roger Caillois himself.
Today as yesterday, the collections of mineralogy and geology continue to grow, as its researchers discover new specimens on their expeditions, but also thanks to the donations of enthusiasts and acquisitions made possible by its sponsors and patrons. The Total Foundation, for example, made it possible to add to the list of cultural property of major heritage interest a specimen of exceptional red fluorite, nicknamed the "Laurent," found in the Mont-Blanc massif in 2006.
Pierpont Morgan 1912–1931 showcase © MNHN - Bibliothèque centrale


While it might not be immediately obvious how these changes in behaviour directly affect your business, it should be abundantly clear that consumers are using their smartphones for more than just making calls and texting friends. And if you can submit to the notion that he third screen is not only here to stay, but is also the chosen device of the younger generation (your customers of tomorrow), then you've taken the first step towards understanding and implementing a mobile marketing strategy.
Human behavior: did you know that a large percentage of Internet searches start on one device and get finished on another? This is key to the understanding that we move between devices depending on location and time of day (there are those vital components again!). Responsive design helps you adapt to changing human behaviours.
These are just a few guidelines for getting started with mobile marketing and keeping pace with your always-on-the-go customers.
For further information or a consultation on how to begin implementing effective marketing strategies that truly reach your customers get in touch with us today!


text:
import ctypes
from ctypes import c_int, c_size_t, c_wchar, c_void_p, sizeof, memmove

# Get required functions.
ocb = ctypes.windll.user32.OpenClipboard  # Basic Clipboard functions
ecb = ctypes.windll.user32.EmptyClipboard
gcd = ctypes.windll.user32.GetClipboardData
scd = ctypes.windll.user32.SetClipboardData
rcf = ctypes.windll.user32.RegisterClipboardFormatA
ccb = ctypes.windll.user32.CloseClipboard
ga = ctypes.windll.kernel32.GlobalAlloc    # Global Memory allocation
ga.restype = c_void_p
gl = ctypes.windll.kernel32.GlobalLock     # Global Memory Locking
gl.restype = c_void_p
gul = ctypes.windll.kernel32.GlobalUnlock
gle = ctypes.windll.kernel32.GetLastError
GHND = 0x0042

CF_HTML = rcf("HTML Format".encode())
CF_RTF = rcf("Rich Text Format".encode())
CF_RTFWO = rcf("Rich Text Format Without Objects".encode())
CF_TEXT = 1
CF_UNICODETEXT = 13

def Copy(data, type='text', plaintext=None):
    if plaintext is None:
        plaintext = data

    if type == 'html':
        data = EncodeHTML(data)

    data = data.encode('utf-8', 'replace')

    unicodetext = plaintext.encode('utf_16')
    # plaintext = plaintext.encode('cp1252', 'replace')

    ocb(c_void_p(0))  # Open Clip, Default task
    ecb()

    if type == 'rtf':
        Put(data, CF_RTF)
    elif type == 'html':
        Put(data, CF_HTML)
        Put(unicodetext, CF_UNICODETEXT)

    ccb()

def Put(data, format):
    # Ensure we are using a bytes object.
    data = bytes(data)
    # Allocate global memory, including space for terminator.
    # GHND is GMEM_MOVEABLE (required) and GMEM_ZEROINIT (convenient).
    hCd = ga(GHND, c_size_t(len(data) + sizeof(c_wchar())))

    # Lock the memory and get a pointer to it.
    pchData = gl(c_void_p(hCd))
    if not pchData:
        code = gle()
        raise Exception('Failed to lock: %r' % code)

    # Move data into global memory.
    memmove(c_void_p(pchData), data, c_size_t(len(data)))
    # Unlock.
    gul(c_void_p(hCd))
    # Set clipboard data.
    scd(format, c_void_p(hCd))

# Based off of http://code.activestate.com/recipes/474121-getting-html-from-the-windows-clipboard/
def EncodeHTML(html):

    MARKER_BLOCK_OUTPUT = \
        "Version:0.9\r\n" \
        "StartHTML:%09d\r\n" \
        "EndHTML:%09d\r\n" \
        "StartFragment:%09d\r\n" \
        "EndFragment:%09d\r\n"

    START_INDICATOR = '<!--StartFragment-->'
    END_INDICATOR = '<!--EndFragment-->'

    fragmentStart = html.index(START_INDICATOR) + len(START_INDICATOR)
    fragmentEnd = html.index(END_INDICATOR, fragmentStart)

    dummyPrefix = MARKER_BLOCK_OUTPUT % (0, 0, 0, 0)
    lenPrefix = len(dummyPrefix)

    # caution: do not use len(html) to count the bytes
    prefix = MARKER_BLOCK_OUTPUT % (lenPrefix, len(html.encode('utf-8', 'replace')) + lenPrefix,
                                    fragmentStart + lenPrefix, fragmentEnd + lenPrefix)

    return (prefix + html)


Pocket Contact Synchronizer 1.2 free download by Microsoft Corporation: The Microsoft Outlook 2002 Add-in: Pocket Contact Synchronizer version 1.2 (PCS) helps you synchronize contacts with devices such as your Microsoft Windows CE or Pocket PC device.
The Microsoft Outlook 2002 Add-in: Pocket Contact Synchronizer version 1.2 (PCS) helps you synchronize contacts with devices such as your Microsoft Windows� CE or Pocket PC device.
From any contact folder you specify, this add-in moves contacts easily to the device you want. For example, you can synchronize a public folder that contains team contacts. Using the Outlook PCS, you can synchronize as many contact folders as you want.
The Outlook Pocket Contact Synchronizer does not synchronize contacts directly to a device. First, it copies contacts from the folders you specify into your default contacts folder in Outlook. This is a one-way synchronization, and a duplicate set of contacts is created.
When you click the Outlook PCS button to synchronize, the items in your default folder are then cross-checked with your contacts back in the specified folder. The next time you use Microsoft ActiveSync� 3.0 or later, your new contact data will appear on your Windows CE or Pocket PC device.
You can synchronize as many folders as you like, and Outlook PCS will do all the work for you.
Follow Tim! instructions, and then it works fine with Outlook 2003 !


text:
package com.keeps.crm.service.impl;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.UUID;

import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;

import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;
import org.springframework.web.multipart.MultipartFile;

import com.keeps.core.model.utils.IdTypes;
import com.keeps.core.service.AbstractService;
import com.keeps.crm.dao.AdvDao;
import com.keeps.crm.dao.AdvPositionDao;
import com.keeps.crm.service.AdvPositionService;
import com.keeps.crm.utils.CreateAdvCacheFile;
import com.keeps.crm.utils.aliyunoss.AliyunOSSClientUtil;
import com.keeps.model.TAdv;
import com.keeps.model.TAdvPosition;
import com.keeps.tools.exception.CapecException;
import com.keeps.tools.utils.Assert;
import com.keeps.tools.utils.CommonUtils;
import com.keeps.tools.utils.EditType;
import com.keeps.tools.utils.StringUtils;
import com.keeps.tools.utils.page.Page;
import com.keeps.utils.Constants;

@Service
public class AdvPositionServiceImpl extends AbstractService implements AdvPositionService {

	@Autowired
	private AdvPositionDao advPositionDao;
	@Autowired
	private AdvDao advDao;

	@Override
	public Page queryList(TAdvPosition advPosition) {
		return advPositionDao.queryList(advPosition);
	}

	@Override
	public List<TAdvPosition> queryAll() {
		return advPositionDao.queryAll();
	}

	@Override
	public TAdvPosition getById(Integer id) {
		TAdvPosition advPosition = super.get(TAdvPosition.class, id);
		return advPosition;
	}

	@Override
	public String saveOrUpdate(TAdvPosition advPosition, MultipartFile defaultcontentfile, HttpServletRequest request) {
		Assert.isTrue(StringUtils.hasText(advPosition.getApName()), "名称不能为空!");
		Assert.isTrue(advPosition.getApClass()!=null, "类别不能为空!");
		Assert.isTrue(advPosition.getApDisplay()!=null, "展示方式不能为空!");
		Assert.isTrue(advPosition.getIsShow()!=null, "是否展示不能为空!");
		if (advPosition.getApClass()==2) {//文字广告位
			Assert.isTrue(advPosition.getApWidthWord()!=null, "字数不能为空!");
			Assert.isTrue(StringUtils.hasText(advPosition.getDefaultContentWord()), "默认文字不能为空!");
			advPosition.setApWidth(advPosition.getApWidthWord());
			advPosition.setDefaultContent(advPosition.getDefaultContentWord());
		}else{
			Assert.isTrue(advPosition.getApWidth()!=null, "宽度不能为空!");
			Assert.isTrue(advPosition.getApHeight()!=null, "高度不能为空!");
			Assert.isTrue(advPosition.getApWidth()>=10, "宽度不能小于10!");
			Assert.isTrue(advPosition.getApWidth()>=10, "高度不能小于10!");
			if (defaultcontentfile==null) {//修改时可空
				//修改时上传的图片为空,但是原图片ID必须存在
				if (StringUtils.notText(advPosition.getDefaultContent())) {
					throw new CapecException("默认封面不能为空!");
				}
			}else{
				/*String uploadpath = Constants.file_upload_path+File.separator+Constants.ADV_POSITION_IMAGE_PATH;
				String originalFilename = defaultcontentfile.getOriginalFilename();
				String filetype = originalFilename.substring(originalFilename.lastIndexOf(StringUtils.Symbol.POINT)+1);
				if(!CommonUtils.isExistStr(filetype.toLowerCase(), new String[]{"jpg","bmp","gif","png"}))
					throw new CapecException("不允许上传" + filetype + "格式的文件!");
				String filename = UUID.randomUUID() + originalFilename.substring(originalFilename.lastIndexOf(StringUtils.Symbol.POINT), originalFilename.length());
				File targetFile = new File(uploadpath, filename);
				if (!targetFile.exists()) {
					targetFile.mkdirs();
				}
				try {
					defaultcontentfile.transferTo(targetFile);
				} catch (Exception e) {
					log.error(e);
					throw new CapecException("文件上传失败!");
				}*/
				/** start **/
				String origfilename = defaultcontentfile.getOriginalFilename();
				String filetype = origfilename.substring(origfilename.lastIndexOf(StringUtils.Symbol.POINT)+1);
				if(!CommonUtils.isExistStr(filetype.toLowerCase(), new String[]{"jpg","bmp","gif","png"}))
					throw new CapecException("不允许上传" + filetype + "格式的文件!");
				String filename = UUID.randomUUID() +"."+ filetype;
				Assert.isTrue(defaultcontentfile.getSize() / (1024 * 1024) <= Constants.MAX_UPLOAD_IMAGE_SIZE,"上传的图片大小请控制在" + Constants.MAX_UPLOAD_IMAGE_SIZE + "M内!");
				try {
					AliyunOSSClientUtil.uploadObject2OSS(defaultcontentfile.getInputStream(), Constants.ADV_POSITION_IMAGE_PATH, filename);
				} catch (IOException e) {
					log.error(e);
					throw new CapecException("文件上传失败!");
				}
				/** end **/
				//ImageUtils.cut4(targetFile.getPath(), uploadpath + File.separator + "cut"+filename,Constants.ADV_POSITION_CUT_IMAGE_WIDTH_HEIGHT.get(1), Constants.ADV_POSITION_CUT_IMAGE_WIDTH_HEIGHT.get(2));
				//原图存在,删除原图片
				if (StringUtils.hasText(advPosition.getDefaultContent())) {
					AliyunOSSClientUtil.deleteFile(Constants.ADV_POSITION_IMAGE_PATH, advPosition.getDefaultContent());
					/*File file = new File(uploadpath, advPosition.getDefaultContent());
					file.delete();

					file = new File(uploadpath, "cut"+advPosition.getDefaultContent());
					file.delete();*/
				}
				advPosition.setDefaultContent(filename);
			}
		}
		if (advPosition.getId()==null) {//保存赋默认值
			advPosition.setAdvNum(0);
			advPosition.setClickNum(0);
			advPosition.setApPrice(0F);
			advPosition.setIsCache(0);//未缓存
		}
		super.saveOrUpdateEntity(advPosition, EditType.NULL_UN_UPDATE);
		return null;
	}

	@Override
	public String updateFieidById(String fieid, Integer value, String ids) {
		advPositionDao.updateFieidById(fieid, value, ids);
		return "更新成功!";
	}

	@Override
	public String delete(String ids) {
		Assert.isTrue(StringUtils.hasText(ids), "请选择要删除的数据.");
		String[] idarr = ids.split(",");
		for (String id : idarr) {
			Integer countnum = advDao.getCountByApId(Integer.parseInt(id));
			if (countnum>0) {
				throw new CapecException("广告位下已经存在广告,不允许删除.");
			}
		}
		super.removeEntity(TAdvPosition.class, ids, IdTypes.Integer);
		return "删除成功!";
	}

	public String cacheAdvFile(String ids){
		Assert.isTrue(StringUtils.hasText(ids), "请选择要缓存的广告位的数据.");
		String[] idarr = ids.split(",");
		List<TAdvPosition> listAdvPosition = new ArrayList<>();
		for (String id : idarr) {
			int iid = Integer.parseInt(id);
			TAdvPosition upadvPosition = new TAdvPosition();
			upadvPosition.setIsCache(1);
			upadvPosition.setId(iid);
			listAdvPosition.add(upadvPosition);
			List<TAdv> listadv = advDao.getAdvByApId(iid);
			TAdvPosition advPosition = super.get(TAdvPosition.class, iid);
			String filename = "layout_adv_";
			if (listadv.size()==0) {//没有广告,把广告位生成默认的
				filename += iid+".js";
				switch (advPosition.getApClass()) {
				case 1://广告位类别是图片
					CreateAdvCacheFile.createManyImageAdvPosition(filename, advPosition);
					break;
				case 2://广告位类别是文字
					break;
				case 3://广告位类别是幻灯
					CreateAdvCacheFile.createSlideshowAdvPosition(filename,advPosition);
					break;
				case 4://广告位类别是Flash
					break;
				}
			}else{
				filename += iid+".js";
				switch (advPosition.getApClass()) {
				case 1://广告位类别是图片
					CreateAdvCacheFile.createManyImageAdv(filename, listadv,advPosition.getApWidth(),advPosition.getApHeight());
					break;
				case 2://广告位类别是文字
					break;
				case 3://广告位类别是幻灯
					CreateAdvCacheFile.createSlideshowAdv(filename,listadv,advPosition.getApWidth(),advPosition.getApHeight());
					break;
				case 4://广告位类别是Flash
					break;
				}
			}
		}
		super.saveOrUpdateAllEntity(listAdvPosition, EditType.NULL_UN_UPDATE);
		return null;
	}

}


text:
Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
Aztecs, Incas & Mayans Smart Board Activities
Maria Scinto - Updated September 26, 2017
Fun Classroom Activities on Aztecs
The Aztecs, Incas and Mayans all built great empires in Central and South America over the past two millennia, up through the time of the Spanish conquest that followed Columbus' voyage to the Americas. Smart Boards are an engaging, interactive way to teach children about these ancient civilizations and the contributions they made to our culture.
Pre-Columbian Overview
The Smart Board can be used to show a PowerPoint presentation that will give your students an introduction to the Aztec, Incan and Mayan world by displaying landmarks, artifacts and maps that show where each of these cultures was located. A good follow-up Smart Board activity would be an interactive map lesson where students can match outlines of each of the territories to the three different civilizations that occupied them. This lesson can be used with students as young as first grade who are just being introduced to the pre-Columbian world, or it can be used with older students to reinforce the locations before proceeding on to a more in-depth study of each culture.
Aztec Activities
The "Awesome Aztecs" PowerPoint from Social Studies School Service focuses in part on Aztec children, so your class can compare and contrast the way those children lived with their own lives today. The last slide deals with farming and the different foods the Aztecs grew. This can be followed up with an interactive Smart Board lesson on Aztec foods, where children will go up to the board and select from a variety of edible items to be dragged into a basket. If the item belongs in the Aztec diet, it will disappear into the basket. If not, it will bounce back onto the screen. Such a lesson can be used for children from first through fifth grade.
Mayan Math and Vocabulary
As the Mayans had a unique system of counting, you can make your social studies lesson into an interdisciplinary one that also incorporates math. The Maya math lesson from Smart Technologies is suitable for grades five and up, as it not only depicts the different Maya symbols used to create numbers, but also explains that their system is base 20 as opposed to ours, which is base 10. Another Smart Board activity for studying the Mayans involves an interactive word search. This can be a fun way to introduce new unit vocabulary words such as "civilization," "society" and "architecture," and could be used for students from fourth through sixth grades.
Inca Counting and Sequencing
You can also use the Incans to introduce an interdisciplinary lesson involving counting, as they used a series of cotton strands of various colors called quipus to record and store data by tying knots. Smart Technologies has a Smart Board lesson on Inca accounting that not only explains how to read the quipu but also has an interactive component where students drag different types of knots onto a series of cords in order to create different numbers. Another interactive Smart Board lesson, also from Smart Technologies, involves a sequencing activity where students are presented with a list of events surrounding Pizarro's conquest of the Incas, and they must drag them into the correct order. This lesson is also interdisciplinary, as it incorporates a history lesson and involves the language arts skill of sequencing. Both lessons would be suitable for students from fourth through sixth grades.
Adaptation Activities for Middle School
Cultural Diversity Activities for Middle School
How to Explain a Volcano Eruption to Kids
Activities for First Grade Students to Compare Two Stories
How to Teach Your Beginner ESL Students About Weather
Thomas Edison Elementary School Project Ideas
Ice Breaker Games for Kindergarten
How to Identify Numbers on Brass From India
Don Quijote: 1492: Spanish Conquest of America
PowerPoint Palooza: Pre-Columbian History
Smart Exchange: Aztecs, Maya and Incas
Social Studies School Service: The Awesome Aztecs
Social Studies Kit: Ancient Inca, Maya, and Aztec
Smart Exchange: Maya Math
Matt ICT/UOIT: Smartboard Mayan Word Search
Smart Exchange: Introductory Lesson on Quipus
Smart Exchange: Pizarro and Incas Sequencing