text:
Home Establishing Lakers Success Through Focus & Hunger Page 3
Establishing Lakers Success Through Focus & Hunger
Free Agents to Fill the Lakers' Void at The Point
Michael Goldsholl
The Lakers need not go out and throw cash at the first guy who sounds appealing. It's still arguably one of the most important moves a team must make in the wake of failure. Choosing a coach can set the direction of the franchise, and with a core group that made three consecutive finals appearances together, it can cause major problems if done so hap-hazardly.
Before they make any trades or free agent signings, selecting a coach has to be the Lakers No. 1 priority, and by doing so sooner rather than later, it will give the Lakers the focus they need by clearing away a major cloud of uncertainty.
They need a coach who's going to be able to tell Kobe Bryant, "no," because the two-time Finals MVP is nearing that point in his career where he is going to have to take a back seat to the team's younger, more athletically capable players. Unlike the 2004-05 Lakers squad, Kobe Bryant cannot be running the team — it just doesn't work. It will cause major locker room rifts, and could ultimately set the stage for an unfavorable end to his illustrious career.
The Lakers coach must also be committed to defense. This team is beyond capable offensively, but as we see each and every year — if a team's defense isn't a top asset, they will not win the championship. In times of offensive struggles, games and even playoff series can be won with pure, hard-fought defense. It simply takes effort, and for the Lakers, it apparently takes a lot on the line for them to exhibit this mentality, because realistically, the last game in which they played a full 48-minutes of impeccable defense, was during Game Seven of the 2010 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
The suitors are in place for the Lakers to select, and I don't envision the crop getting any more appealing. With that being said, Lakers management must make its decision. During a time where complacency has been running strong amongst the team, it's time for a newfound sense of hunger and focus to be instilled in the Purple and Gold of Tinseltown.
Kobe Bryant On What He Plays For Now: 'Learning, It's Always That'
For the third consecutive season, Kobe Bryant suffered a season ending injury.…
Russell Valenzuela
Lakers News: Lonzo Ball Returns To Court After Receiving Platelet-Rich Plasma Shot In Left Knee
During the 2017-18 NBA season, Lonzo Ball was heavily criticized for his poor shooting percentages in his first season…
Dan Duangdao
Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball And Brandon Ingram Stress Lakers Can't Get Overconfident After Beating Hawks
The Los Angeles Lakers avoided tying their longest losing streak in franchise history Sunday night, with Kyle Kuzma…
Byron Scott Considering Shutting Down Larry Nance Jr. Until After All-Star Break
Very few people knew much about Larry Nance Jr. when the Lakers drafted him with the 27th overall pick, but Nance has quickly turned into a fan favorite thanks to his high energy and athleticism…


text:
Q: Manipulate PDF using Java I wanted to ask how can we proceed about manipulating a PDF file using Java. I am familiar with the structure of a PDF file (how its objects are arranged etc.). I would like to know how to proceed from scratch. By scratch I mean I don't want to use the freely available API's and libraries available, I want to strip a PDF down to its constituent objects.

A: Don;t try to reinvent the wheel.
There is already excellent work done here

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Senior Services at Gunnison Valley Health
Our ServicesSenior Services
Great Care Makes Life Beautiful
At Gunnison Valley Health, we provide a wide range of services that provides lifelong health and wellness for our active senior community.
The Gunnison Valley Health Senior Care Center provides the perfect combination of person centered care, with all the comforts of home, delivered in our skilled nursing facility for those needing 24-hour attention and care.
The award-winning facility is based on a neighborhood model of care that is centered on a community approach to senior living. Private rooms open onto an inviting layout that encourages social gatherings and conveniently connects residents with their caregivers. It's a place you would want to call home.
Our Senior Care Center skilled nursing facility includes:
3 Neighborhoods – Taylor Park, Van Tuyl and Blue Mesa which is a dedicated and secure space for special memory residents
44 private rooms and 3 semi private rooms, perfect for couples
A dedicated hospice suite that allows guests to stay with their loved ones 24 hours a day
Chapel, beauty shop, bistro, multiple gardens and ample communal space
We also offer both occupational and physical therapy through the Gunnison Valley Health Rehabilitation department.
Learn More About the Senior Care Center
Gunnison Valley Health Assisted Living offers the perfect alternative for someone needing some assistance with daily living. The one level building design accommodates 15 residential suites to serve individuals age 55 and older with a keen recognition of each individual's privacy. Each private room has been designed in a studio style suite to include its own bathroom and bedroom/living area that ensures dignity--worthy of a place to call home.
Learn More About Assisted Living
Hospice / Palliative Care
Hospice is all about family and relationships.
Gunnison Valley Health Hospice & Palliative Care is the only nonprofit hospice serving the Gunnison Valley. We've helped hundreds of families through the final phase of a loved one's life. Hospice is all about family and relationships – we are here to support you.
Learn More About Hospice
Home Medical Services strives to provide a continuum of comprehensive health care that promotes, maintains and restores health and well-being to those in our community. We work closely with our patients and their caregivers to assist in identifying basic or long-term needs and achieving well established goals.
Learn More About Home Medical Services
Gunnison Valley Health Senior Transportation aims to help community members remain independent and promotes a high quality of life for the people it serves. The Senior Transportation bus is a FREE service that is financially supported by the RTA and strives to provide exceptional and timely service to all community members.
Learn More About Senior Transportation
Hospice & Palliative Care
Parkinson's Disease Therapy
Senior Transport
Transitional Care

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Bridge won't get DHCP address if network available AFTER boot I have 2 ethernet ports bridged as follows (/etc/network/interfaces.d/br0):
auto br0
iface br0 inet dhcp
        bridge_ports enp1s0 enp2s0
        bridge_fd 0
        bridge_waitport 0
        bridge_stp off

auto br0:1
iface br0:1 inet static
        address 169.254.10.50
        netmask 255.255.255.0

In this instance, a PC and router are always in a combined unit. The router has DHCP enabled, but takes longer to boot than the PC.
enp1s0 is in LAN port of the router, enp2s0 is connected to another device that will ALWAYS have an IP address of 169.254.10.49.
When the combined unit is rebooted, if the router does not finish its boot process before the PC has booted, br0 will never be assigned an IP address.
What I need to happen, ideally, is that at any point after the system has booted, if a DHCP server is available, br0 will be assigned an IP address.
Can I configure the bridge to get an IP address after the DHCP server becomes available?


text:
A budapesti 8A jelzésű autóbusz a 4-es metró átadása után a Gazdagréti lakótelep és a Keleti pályaudvar között közlekedett a kora reggeli és késő esti órákban. Ezen időszakokon kívül a 8-as busz járt a Gazdagréti lakótelep és a Bosnyák tér között. A vonalat a Budapesti Közlekedési Zrt. üzemeltette.

Története

1943. december 31-én 8A jelzéssel betétjárat indult a Curia utca és a Gömbös Gyula út (ma: Alkotás utca) között. 1944 decemberében Budapest ostroma miatt a 8A autóbuszjárat megszűnt. Az 1955. július 11-től az újonnan induló 8A busz pesti végállomása a Március 15. tér, míg a budai a Farkasréti temető lett. 1964. november 21-étől az újonnan átadott Erzsébet hídon át közlekedett. 1973. szeptember 3-án a 8A busz megszűnt, helyette elindult a 108-as jelzésű gyorsjárat azonos útvonalon.

1983. február 28-án a -as (korábban 108-as) busz megszűnt, pótlására március 1-jén újraindult a 8A busz a korábbi vonalán. 1990 októberében a 8A útvonala a Gazdagréti lakótelepig hosszabbodott. 1993. október 1-jétől a Gazdagréti téri autóbusz-végállomásról a Gazdagréti út – Rétköz utca útvonalon körüljárta a lakótelepet, majd tovább közlekedett a Március 15. térig. 1994-ben a mindenszentekkor betétjárat indult 8B jelzéssel a Március 15. tér és Farkasrét, Rácz Aladár út között. 1995. augusztus 1-jén a 8-as és a 8A buszt összevonták, az új járat 8-as jelzést kapott, az Irhás árokhoz való betérés megszűnt és az új 8-as már csak a Gazdagréti térig közlekedett. Ettől az évtől a temetői betétjárat az ekkora már szabaddá vált 8A jelzést viselte 2001. évi megszűnéséig.

2014. március 29-én újraindították a 8A járatot a Keleti pályaudvar és a Gazdagréti tér között.

2014. október 4-én összevonták a 8-as, 8A és a 108-as buszokat, az új járat a 8-as jelzést kapta, a 8A és a 108-as busz pedig megszűnt.

Útvonala

Megállóhelyei
A 2014-es átszállási kapcsolatok között a 8-as busz nincsen feltüntetve, mivel a 8A busz üzemidején kívül közlekedett.

|-
! colspan=2|Perc (↓)
! rowspan=2|Megállóhely
! colspan=2|Perc (↑)
! colspan=2|Átszállási kapcsolatok
|-
!1995
!2014
!1995
!2014
!
!a járat 2014-es megszűnésekor
|-
|rowspan=7|∫||0|| Keleti pályaudvar Mvégállomás (2014)||rowspan=7|∫||31
!rowspan=7|Nem érintette
|align=left|
|-
|1|| Keleti pályaudvar M||30
|align=left|
|-
| 2|| Huszár utca||29
|align=left|
|-
| 4|| Blaha Lujza tér M||27
|align=left|
|-
| 6|| Uránia||26
|align=left|
|-
|7 || Astoria M||24
|align=left|
|-
| 9|| Ferenciek tere M||22
|align=left|
|-
|0||9|| Március 15. térvégállomás (1983–1995)||31||21
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|2||11 || Döbrentei tér(1995-ben Erzsébet híd, budai hídfő (↓) / Döbrentei tér (↑))||29||19
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|5||14 || Sánc utca(1995-ben Czakó utca (↓) / Sánc utca (↑))||27||17
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|6||15 || Mészáros utca(1995-ben Mészáros utca (↓) / Avar utca (↑))||26||16
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|∫||∫|| BAH-csomópont(1995-ben Budaörsi út)||25||15
|align=left rowspan=2|
|align=left rowspan=2|
|-
|9||18|| BAH-csomópont(1995-ben Alkotás utca (↓) / Jagelló út (↑))||24||14
|-
|10|| 19 || Zólyomi út||23||13
|align=left|
|
|-
|11||  20|| Breznó lépcső||22||12
|align=left|
|
|-
|12|| 20 || Sion lépcső (1995-ben Vas Gereben utca (↓) / Sion lépcső (↑))||21||11
|align=left|
|
|-
|13||  21|| Korompai utca||20||10
|align=left|
|
|-
|14||  22|| Hegytető utca(1995-ben Lejtő út (↓) / Meredek utca (↑))||19||9
|align=left|
|
|-
|15|| 23 || Farkasréti temető||18||8
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|16||  24|| Süveg utca(1995-ben Érdi út (↓) / Süveg utca (↑))||17||7
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|17|| 25 || Márton Áron tér(1995-ben Farkasréti tér (↑))||16||6
|align=left|
|align=left|
|-
|18|| 26 || Eper utca(1995-ben Edvi Illés utca (↓) / Eper utca (↑))||14||4
|align=left|
|
|-
|19|| 27 || Oltvány köz(1995-ben Oltvány köz (↓) / Oltvány utca (↑))||13||3
|align=left|
|
|-
|20|| 28|| Irhás árok(1995-ben Irhás árok (↓) / Törökbálinti út (↑))||12||2
|align=left|
|
|-
|∫||29|| Baradla utca||∫||1
!Nem érintette
|
|-
|∫||rowspan=10|∫|| Tűzkő utca||10||rowspan=10|∫
|align=left|
!rowspan=10|Nem érintette
|-
|∫|| Torbágy utca||9
|align=left|
|-
|∫|| Törökugrató utca||8
|align=left|
|-
|∫|| Regős köz||7
|align=left|
|-
|∫|| Nagyszeben tér||6
|align=left|
|-
|∫|| Regős utca||5
|align=left|
|-
|∫|| Törökugrató utca||4
|align=left|
|-
|∫|| Torbágy utca||3
|align=left|
|-
|∫|| Csikihegyek utca||2
|align=left|
|-
|∫|| Tűzkő utca||1
|align=left|
|-
|21|| 30|| Gazdagréti tér(1995-ben Gazdagréti lakótelep)végállomás (1983–1995, 2014)||0||0
|align=left|
|align=left|
|}

Jegyzetek

Források

Budapest megszűnt autóbuszvonalai

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I'm almost ready to run a half marathon that I have been training for since April. I did 19kms last weekend. Turns out I was a little ahead of my training schedule because we were still on 17km but since I wasn't running with my group the past few weekends, I just went. I had my sister and sister-in-law on their bicycles as my trainers on these last two runs and they were great motivation. Mostly because they just talked away and I didn't have to partake in the conversation much and it was good to have them there for company. I probably wouldn't have gone if they weren't coming with me.
I keep telling myself that I have a goal to run a 2hr half marathon one day but I'm not ready to hit that this time. If I can bring my time down to a 2:10 half marathon, that's still going to be a personal best. My very first ever running event was a half marathon, which I would not recommend to anyone. Start with a nice 5k event somewhere. Anyway, my time for that run was 2:24 and change. My second half marathon wasn't until almost 10 years later and my time was 2:14 and change. I ran my 19k training last weekend in about 2:04 and that's including a talk break with a friend and her dog in the village, a pee break in the trees, and a bunch of walk breaks. I say that it was about 2 hours and 4 minutes because we left my mother's place at 6:45 pm and when I stopped running it was 8:49 pm.
I was using my iPhone stopwatch as my timer and it even does laps but when we stopped to talk with a friend and her dog, I eventually remembered that my time was still running and I stopped the watch. When we took off again, I started the stopwatch again but must have touched the reset button and it erased all of the previous time. It was at about 42 minutes, I think. When I finally made it to my imaginary finish line, the watch was at 1:21:40.6 but the actual time was 8:49 pm.
This weekend I'll run with my running group and use my Garmin for distance and time accuracy. For whatever reason, I couldn't get the MapMyRun app on my iPhone to work properly and do all of the things that the Garmin does. I think it's going to work tomorrow but that means I have to carry it again. I will just because I want to know that it works and then I don't have to re-do the whole thing on the computer when I get back.
Well, it's time to stop drinking tea and start hydrating for the morning. I should also think about a pasta dinner for some energy. I need to charge my phone, my watch, and myself, and then go meet my friends at 7 in the morning.


text:
\section{\uppercase{Introduction}}\label{sec:introduction}

While attempting the problem of designing optimal sorting networks using a genetic algorithm (GA), Hillis decided that rather than use randomly generated input lists to evaluate sorting networks, he would instead co-evolve a population of input lists that are evaluated on their ability to not be sorted \cite{hillis90}.
By coupling the evolution of input lists with the evolution of the networks to sort those lists, Hillis attempted to create an ``arms race'' dynamic such that input lists consistently challenge networks that are sorting them.
As networks improve their ability to sort, so lists become more difficult to sort, etc.
This {\em coevolutionary} approach significantly improved results and generated wide interest amongst evolutionary computation (EC) practitioners.
In particular, coevolution offers EC the ability to tackle domains where an evaluation function is unknown or difficult to operationally define; and through self-learning, coevolutionary systems offer potential for the ``holy grail'' of open-ended evolutionary progress.

However, it soon emerged that coevolution can suffer from some ``pathologies'' that cause the system to behave in an unwanted manner, and prevent continual progress towards some desired goal.
For instance, coevolving populations may  continually cycle with no overall progress; populations may progress in an unintended and unwanted direction; or populations may {\em disengage} and stop progressing entirely \cite{Watson2001}.
These pathologies have been studied in depth and a variety of techniques have been introduced as remedy \cite{Popovici2012}.
However, there is still much to be understood, and no panacea has been discovered.

{\bf Contribution:} We propose {\em substitution of the fittest} (SF), a novel domain-independent method designed to tackle the problem of disengagement in two-population competitive coevolutionary systems.
We explore and evaluate SF in the deliberately simple ``greater than'' domain, specifically designed for elaborating the dynamics of coevolution \cite{Watson2001}.
We compare performance and system dynamics against {\em autonomous virulence adaptation} (AVA), a technique that has been shown to reduce the likelihood of disengagement and improve optimisation in various domains \cite{Cartlidge11}.
Initial results suggest that SF has some benefits over AVA. We evaluate and discuss the reasons why, and present avenues for future investigation.

\section{\uppercase{Background}}\label{sec:related}

Coevolutionary genetic algorithms with two distinct populations are often described using terminology that follows the biological literature.
As such, and following Hillis' original formulation, the populations are often named as ``hosts'' and ``parasites'' \cite{hillis90}.
In such cases, the host population tends to denote the population of candidate ``solutions'' that we are interested in optimising (e.g., the sorting networks), while the parasite population tends to denote the population of test ``problems'' for the solution population to solve (e.g., the lists to sort); i.e., the hosts are the {\em models} and the parasites are the {\em training set}; or alternatively the hosts are the {\em learners} and the parasites are the {\em teachers}.
Throughout this paper, we tend to use the host-parasite terminology to distinguish coevolving populations.
However, while this terminology is meaningful in {\em asymmetric} systems where one population (the model) is of most interest, it should be noted that in {\em symmetric} systems, such as games of self-play where both coevolving populations are models with the same encoding scheme, the two populations become interchangeable and the names {\em host} and {\em parasite} have less meaning.

In an ideal scenario, two-population competitive coevolution will result in an {\em arms race} such that both populations continually evolve beneficial adaptions capable of outperforming competitors.
As a result, there is continual system progress towards some desired optimum goal.
However, this ideal scenario rarely materialises.
In practice, coevolutionary systems tend to exhibit pathologies that restrict progress \cite{Watson2001}.
These include {\em cycling}, where populations evolve through repeated trajectories like players in an endless game of {\em rock-paper-scissors}; and while short-term evolution exhibits continual progress, there is no long-term global progress  \cite{CarBulCIAO-04}.
Alternatively, populations may start to {\em overspecialise} on sub-dimensions of the game, such that evolved solutions are brittle and do not generalise \cite{CarBulECAL03}.
Furthermore, one population may begin to dominate the other to such an extent that populations {\em disengage} and evolutionary progress fails altogether, with populations left to drift aimlessly \cite{Cartlidge04}.
The likelihood of suffering from these pathologies can be exacerbated by the problem domain.
Cycling is more likely when the problem exhibits {\em intransitivity}; overspecialisation is more likely in {\em multi-objective} problems; and disengagement is more likely if the problem has an asymmetric {\em bias} that favours one population \cite{Watson2001}.

Numerous techniques have been proposed for mitigating the pathologies that prevent continual coevolutionary progress (for detailed reviews, see  \cite{Popovici2012,MigCoeTEC18}).
We can roughly group these approaches into three broad categories; although in practice many techniques straddle more than one category.

First, there are {\em archive} methods, which are designed to preserve potentially valuable adaptations from being ``lost'' during the evolutionary process.
The first coevolutionary archiving technique is the {\em Hall of Fame} (HoF) \cite{RosinBelew97-HOF}. Every generation, the elite member of each population is stored in the HoF archive.
Then, individuals in the current population are evaluated against current competitors and also against members of the HoF.
This ensures that later generations are evaluated on their capacity to beat earlier generations as well as their contemporaries.
However, as the archive grows each generation, simple archiving methods like the HoF can become unwieldy over time.
To counter this, more sophisticated and efficient archiving methods have been introduced to simultaneously minimise archive size while maximising  archive ``usefulness''.
An efficient example is the Layered Pareto Coevolutionary Archive (LAPCA), which only stores individuals that are {\em non-dominated} and {\em unique}; while the archive itself is pruned over time to keep the size within manageable bounds \cite{DeJongLAPCA-07}.
More recent variations on Pareto archiving approaches include rIPCA, which has been applied to the problem of network security through the coevolution of adversarial network attack and defence dynamics \cite{RIVALS-2017}.
Pareto dominance has also been  employed for selection without the use of an archive, for example the Population-based Pareto Hill Climber \cite{Bar-etal-2018}; and Pareto fronts have been incorporated into an ``extended elitism'' framework, where offspring are selected only if they Pareto dominate parents when evaluated against the {\em same} opponents \cite{akinola-wineberg-2020}.

A second popular class of approaches attempt to maintain a diverse set of evolutionary challenges through the use of {\em spatial embedding} and {\em multiple populations}.
Spatially embedded algorithms -- where populations exist on an n-dimensional plane and individuals only interact with other individuals in the local neighbourhood -- have been shown to succeed where other non-spatial coevolutionary approaches fail.
Explanations for how spatial models can help combat disengagement through challenge diversity have been explored in several works \cite{WieSar-SPATIAL04,WilMitGEC2005}.
Challenge diversity can also be maintained through the use of multiple genetically-distinct populations (i.e., with no interbreeding or migration). Examples include the \emph{friendly competitor}, where two {\em model} populations (one ``friendly'' and one ``hostile'') are coevolved against one {\em test} population \cite{Ficici98a}.
Tests are rewarded if they are both easy to be defeated by a friendly model and hard to be beaten by a hostile model; thereby ensuring pressure on tests to evolve at a challenge-level consistent with the ability of models.
Recently, a new method incorporating the periodic spawning of sub-populations, and then re-integration of individuals that perform well across multiple sub-populations back into the main population has been shown to encourage continual progress in predator-prey robot coevolution \cite{SimNolAlife21}.

Finally, there are approaches that focus on adapting the {\em mechanism for selection} such that individuals are not selected in direct proportion to the number of competitions that they win; i.e., selection favours individuals that are {\em not} unbeatable.
An early endeavour in this area is the {\em phantom parasite}, which marginally reduces the fitness of an unbeatable competitor, while all other fitness values remain unchanged
\cite{Rosin97}. Later, the $\Phi$ function was introduced for the density classification task to coevolve cellular automata rules that classify the density of an initial condition \cite{Pagie02}.
The $\Phi$ function translates all fitness values such that individuals are rewarded most highly for being equally difficult and easy to classify (i.e., by being classified correctly half of the time); while individuals that are always classified or always unclassified are punished with low fitness.
However, while $\Phi$ worked well, it was limited by being domain-specific.

More generally applicable is the {\em reduced virulence} technique \cite{CarBul-CEC02,Cartlidge04}.
Inspired by the behaviour of biological host-parasite systems, where the virulence of pathogens evolves over time, reduced virulence is the first domain-independent technique with tunable parameters that can be configured.
After generating a parasite score through competition, reduced virulence applies the following non-linear function to generate a fitness for selection:
\begin{equation}\label{eq:rv}
    f(x_i,\upsilon) = \frac{2x_i}{\upsilon} - \frac{x_i^2}{\upsilon^2}
\end{equation}
where $0 \leq x_i \leq 1$ is the relative (or subjective) aptitude of individual $i$ and $0.5 \leq \upsilon \leq 1$ represents the virulence of the parasite population. When $\upsilon=1$, equation~(\ref{eq:rv}) preserves the original ranking of parasites (i.e., the ranking of competitive score, $x$) and is equivalent to the canonical method of rewarding parasites for all victories over hosts.
When $\upsilon=0.5$, equation~(\ref{eq:rv}) rewards maximum fitness to parasites that win exactly half of all competitions.
Therefore, in domains where there is a bias in favour of one population (the ``parasites''), setting a value of $\upsilon<1$ for the advantaged population reduces the bias differential in order to preserve coevolutionary engagement.
Reduced virulence demonstrated improved performance, but is limited by requiring $\upsilon$ to be determined in advance.
In many domains, bias may be difficult to determine and may change over time.
To tackle this problem, reduced virulence has been incorporated into a human-in-the-loop system enabling a human controller to {\em steer} coevolution during runtime by observing the system behaviour and altering the value of $\upsilon$ in real time \cite{BulCarThoESTA02}.

Later, {\em autonomous virulence adaptation} (AVA) -- a machine learning approach that automatically updates $\upsilon$ during coevolution -- was proposed \cite{Cartlidge11}. Each generation $t$, AVA updates $\upsilon$ using:
\begin{equation}\label{eq:ava_v_t_plus_one}
    \upsilon_{t+1} = \upsilon_{t} + \Delta_t
\end{equation}

\begin{equation}\label{eq:ava_delta_t}
    \Delta_t = \mu\Delta_{t-1} + \alpha(1 - \mu)(\tau - \overline{X_t})
\end{equation}
where $0 \leq \alpha, \mu, \tau \leq 1$ are learning rate, momentum, and target value, respectively; and $\overline{X_t}$ is the normalised mean subjective score of the population.\footnote{For the initial $t<5$ generations, to avoid immediate disengagement in cases of extreme bias differential, equation~(\ref{eq:ava_delta_t}) is replaced by $\Delta_t = (0.5-\overline{X_t})/t$; so virulence can immediately adapt to high ($\upsilon=1$) or low ($\upsilon=0.5$) values.}
Rigorous calibration of AVA settings demonstrated that values $\alpha = 0.0125$, $\mu = 0.3$, and $\tau = 0.56$ can be applied successfully in a number of diverse domains.
In particular, it was shown that AVA can coevolve high performing sorting networks and maze navigation agents with much greater computational efficiency than archive techniques such as LAPCA \cite{Cartlidge11}.

\section{\uppercase{Substitution of the Fittest}}\label{sec:sf}

We introduce substitution of the fittest (SF), a novel technique designed to combat disengagement that is domain-independent and requires no calibration. Disengagement tends to occur when one population ``breaks clear'' of the competing population such that all individuals in the leading population outperform all individuals in the trailing population. Therefore, in simple terms, SF is designed to apply a ``brake'' to the population evolving more quickly; while for the population trying to keep pace, SF applies an ``acceleration''. Consequently, the advantage of the leading population over the trailing population is reduced. In this way, SF is designed to keep populations engaged.

Unlike standard evolutionary algorithms, where individuals are evaluated using an ``absolute'' fitness function that is exogenous to the evolutionary process, competitive coevolutionary GAs utilise a ``relative'' (or ``subjective'') fitness evaluation, where fitness $\psi_i$ of an individual $i$ is endogenously assigned based on performance against other evolving individuals. Usually, score $\psi_i$ is simply the proportion of ``victories'' that $i$ secures across a series of competitions against evolving opponents.
These competitive interactions between coevolving populations describe a coupled system that has potential to develop into an arms-race of continual progress.
However, when the populations decouple, i.e., when disengagement occurs, all information regarding the relative differences in performance of individuals is lost, such that $\forall i,j: \psi_i=\psi_j$.
This is problematic and causes the coevolving populations to drift.

The current state of a population can be measured by the {\em population mean subjective aptitude}:
\begin{equation}\label{eq:mean_subjective_aptitude}
    \sigma_{pop} = \frac{\sum_{i=1}^{n}\psi_{i}}{n}
\end{equation}
where $n$ is the number of individuals in the population and $0 \leq \sigma \leq 1$. Then, $\sigma$ values for each population can be used to measure the {\em level of disengagement}, defined as:
\begin{equation}\label{eq:disengagement_value}
    \delta = |\sigma_{popA} - \sigma_{popB}|
\end{equation}
 where $0 \leq \delta \leq 1$. When populations have similar $\sigma$, then disengagement $\delta$ has a low value close to zero. When populations are fully disengaged, i.e., when $\sigma_{popA}=1$ and $\sigma_{popB}=0$, or when $\sigma_{popA}=0$ and $\sigma_{popB}=1$, then $\delta=1$.
 During the coevolutionary process, $\delta_t$ is calculated and stored each generation $t$. If $\delta_{t+1}\leq\delta_t$, disengagement {\em did not} increase; otherwise, disengagement {\em did} increase and so SF is triggered.

 When SF is triggered, we first calculate the number of individuals to be substituted, $\kappa$, defined as:
\begin{equation}\label{eq:number_of_clones}

    \kappa = n\delta^{\frac{1}{\delta}}
\end{equation}
 where $n$ is the number of individuals in the population and the result is rounded up to the nearest integer.
 The value of $\kappa$ increases non-linearly as a function of $\delta$.
 As populations approach disengagement ($\delta$ near 1), the number of substitutions tends to $n$.
 It is important to point out that if $\kappa>\frac{n}{2}$, then effectively only $n-\kappa$ substitutions occur.
 For instance, given a population with $n=6$ parasites whose aptitudes are [0.8,0.6,0.4,0.2,0.1,0.0] and $\kappa=4$, after the substitution, their aptitudes will be [0.0,0.1,0.2,0.4,0.1,0.0].
 In this example, half the population was not modified and the two fittest individuals were substituted by the two worst individuals.
 Furthermore, if $\delta=1$, populations would not be modified as the number of individuals to be substituted is the same as the population size  (i.e., $\kappa=n$).
On the contrary, when $\delta<0.3$, $\kappa$ tends to 0.
During these times,  populations are sufficiently engaged and substitutions are not necessary.

 The next step in the SF process consists of comparing $\sigma_{popA}$ and $\sigma_{popB}$ and then substituting $\kappa$ individuals in each population using the following rules:

\begin{itemize}
    \item \emph{Population with lowest $\sigma$}:
    Rank all individuals by subjective aptitude $\psi_i$. Then, the $\kappa$ individuals with the {\em highest} $\psi_i$ replace the $\kappa$ individuals with the {\em lowest} $\psi_i$. Finally, the subjective aptitude of every individual is increased by:
    \begin{equation}\label{eq:host_aptitude}
     \psi_{i}'= min(\psi_{i} + \delta,1)
    \end{equation}
    taking minimum value to ensure $0 \leq \psi_{i}' \leq 1$.
    \item \emph{Population with highest $\sigma$}: Rank all individuals by $\psi_i$. Then $\kappa$ individuals with the {\em lowest} $\psi_i$ replace the $\kappa$ individuals with the {\em highest} $\psi_i$; following replacement, the subjective aptitude of every individual is decreased using:
    \begin{equation}\label{eq:parasite_aptitude}
     \psi_{i}'= max(\psi_{i} - \delta,0)
    \end{equation}
    taking maximum value to ensure $0 \leq \psi_{i}' \leq 1$.
\end{itemize}

As described, SF affects each population in a different manner.
For the population that evolves more quickly, the proportion of individuals to be randomly selected is increased.
For instance, if the highest ranked individual whose $\psi<\delta$, then the $\kappa$ individuals would be selected at random because they would have $\psi'=0$.
On the other hand, for the population which evolves slower than the other, the effect is the opposite, i.e., if the lowest ranked individual whose $\psi+\delta\geq 1$, then all $\kappa$ individuals would have $\psi'=1$ and hence those individuals would have high probability of being selected.

Following SF, selection is performed and genetic operators are applied as usual.
In the minimal experiments we present in the following sections, we use tournament selection and apply mutation, i.e., populations are asexual and recombination is not used.

\section{\uppercase{Experimental Method}}\label{sec:method}

\subsection{The ``greater than'' game}\label{sec:counting_ones}

\begin{figure*}[tb!]
  \centering
     \includegraphics[width=0.4\linewidth]{exp_baseline_h05p05.png}
     \includegraphics[width=0.4\linewidth]{exp_baseline_h025p075.png}%
  \caption{Coevolution: (left) equal bias $\beta_h = \beta_p = 0.5$; and (right) differential bias $\beta_h = 0.25$, $\beta_p = 0.75$.}
  \label{fig:baseline}
\end{figure*}

The \emph{greater than} game \cite{Watson2001} was introduced as a minimal (and analytically tractable) substrate capable of demonstrating some of the pathological dynamics of coevolution; in particular {\em disengagement}.
The game consists of maximising scalar values through a comparison-based function where given two scalar values, $\alpha$ and $\gamma$, the function operates as $score(\alpha,\gamma)=1$ if $\alpha>\gamma$, 0 otherwise.
Here, we use a slightly modified ``greater than or equals'' game that rewards draws; such that $score(\alpha,\gamma)=1$ if $\alpha>\gamma$; $0.5$ if $\alpha=\gamma$; 0 otherwise.

The coevolutionary set-up consists of two isolated populations, each with $n$ individuals.
Each individual is represented by a binary string with $l=100$ bits
and the ``objective'' purpose of the coevolutionary system is to evolve individuals with bit-strings containing all ones (i.e., scalar values of $l=100$).
Every generation, to generate a subjective aptitude score, each individual plays the greater than game against a sample of $S$ opponents.
Tournament selection is used to select individuals for reproduction, and the only genetic operator is mutation (i.e., reproduction is {\em asexual}).
Mutation has a bias controlled by parameter $\beta$, where $0\leq\beta\leq1$.
For each bit, there is a probability $m$ of mutation occurring.
When it occurs, the bit is assigned a new value at random, with probability $\beta$ of assigning a 1, and probability $1-\beta$ of assigning a 0; i.e., when $\beta=0.5$, mutation has an equal chance of assigning the bit to 1 or 0; when $\beta=0$ mutation will always assign the bit to 0; and when $\beta=1$ mutation will always assign the bit to 1.
This bias parameter $\beta$ allows the simple game to emulate the intrinsic asymmetry of real and more complex domains, where it is often easier for one population to outperform another.
Under mutation bias alone, i.e., when populations are disengaged and left to drift under the absence of selection pressure, we expect the population to tend towards having $\beta \times l$ ones.
Therefore, for a bias $\beta=0.5$, we would expect the population to drift towards scalar values of 50.

In our two-population competitive set up, we label the populations as as {\em hosts} and {\em parasites}. Each population has an independent bias value $\beta$, which controls the problem difficulty for each population.  We use $\beta_h$ to label the bias value of the host population and $\beta_p$ to label the bias value of the parasite population. When bias differential is high, i.e., when the value of $\beta_p$ is much larger than the value of $\beta_h$ (or vice versa), disengagement becomes more likely as the game is much easier for the parasites (alternatively, the hosts) to succeed. In more complex domains, there is often asymmetry in problem difficulty for coevolving populations. By varying $\beta_p$ and $\beta_h$, we are able to control the asymmetry of problems in the simple greater than game.

Our experimental set up is detailed as follows. We coevolve two isolated populations, each with 25 individuals ($n=25$). The length of the binary array (an individual) is 100 ($l=100$) and each bit is initialised to 0.
For generating a competitive score, we use a sample size of 5 ($S=5$).
Tournament size for selection is 2. The probability of mutation per bit is 0.005 ($m=0.005$). Finally, each evolutionary run lasts for 1000 generations.

\begin{figure*}[tb!]
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=0.35\linewidth]{exp_ava_heatmap_engagement.png}%
  \includegraphics[width=0.35\linewidth]{exp_sf_heatmap_engagement.png}
  \centering
  \caption{Number of runs with no disengagement; AVA (left) and SF (right) across all bias levels (50 trials).}
  \label{fig:heatmaps_engagement}
\end{figure*}

\begin{figure*}[tb!]
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=0.35\linewidth]{exp_ava_heatmap_reach100.png}%
  \includegraphics[width=0.35\linewidth]{exp_sf_heatmap_reach100.png}
  \centering
  \caption{Number of runs where hosts reached optimum; AVA (left) and SF (right) across all bias levels (50 trials).}
  \label{fig:heatmaps_reach_100}
\end{figure*}

\begin{figure*}[tb!]
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=0.35\linewidth]{exp_ava_heatmap_max_ones.png}%
  \includegraphics[width=0.35\linewidth]{exp_sf_heatmap_max_ones.png}
  \centering
  \caption{Mean number of ones of best host; AVA (left) and SF (right) across all bias levels (50 trials).}
  \label{fig:heatmaps_max_ones}
\end{figure*}

\subsection{Disengagement}\label{sec:standard_cga}

\noindent
The effect of disengagement can most clearly be elaborated by visualising what happens when it occurs.
Figure~\ref{fig:baseline} (left) presents the  coevolution of two populations, each with equal bias $\beta_p=\beta_h=0.5$.
We see that populations remain engaged throughout the evolutionary run. This engagement provides a continual gradient for selection and encourages an ``arms race'' of increasing performance. As a result, both populations reach optimal performance of 100 ones. This is far higher than 50 ones (dotted line) that both populations would be expected to reach if drifting through space under mutation alone, i.e., when selection pressure is removed.

In contrast, Figure~\ref{fig:baseline} (right) demonstrates the pathology of disengagement. Here, there is a differential bias in favour of parasites, such that $\beta_p=0.75$ and $\beta_h=0.25$.
Initially, both populations remain engaged and selection drives evolutionary progress, with both populations reaching approximately 50 ones by generation 150. However, the impact of differential bias in favour of parasites then leads to a disengagement event such that all parasites have more ones than their competing hosts; resulting in a subjective score of zero for all hosts and a subjective score of one for all parasites. At this point selection pressure is removed as all individuals have an equal (and therefore random) chance of selection, leaving the populations to drift under mutation alone. As expected, the parasite population drifts to the parasite mutation bias (dotted line) of 75, while hosts degrade to the host mutation bias of 25.
The high bias differential between populations ($\beta_p - \beta_h = 0.5$) not only causes the initial disengagement event, but ensures that post-disengagement populations drift through different regions of genotype/phenotype space and will never re-engage through chance alone.

In general, the greater the bias differential between populations, the greater the likelihood of disengagement occurring. As shown, disengagement severely hinders coevolutionary progress.

\section{\uppercase{SF vs AVA: A Comparison}}\label{sec:results}

To measure the performance of SF, we perform a thorough comparison against AVA \cite{Cartlidge11}, which has been previously shown to dramatically reduce the effects of disengagement in the greater than game and also in several more complex and realistic domains, including designing minimal-length sorting networks and discovering classifier systems for maze navigation.
To understand how the two approaches are likely to perform in more complex domains, where population asymmetries are more likely, we trial both SF and AVA in simulations where mutation bias is varied across all possible levels  ($\beta_p \geq \beta_h$) in the range [0.1, 1.0].
The mutation bias was configured in favour of parasites (except when $\beta_p = \beta_h$); although this decision is arbitrary and results where bias is in favour of hosts would yield symmetrically similar results.
For each bias scenario, we performed 50 experimental trials.
To analyse performance of SF and AVA, we utilise three metrics: (i) the reliability of the technique to maintain population engagement; (ii) the capacity to discover optimal hosts containing all ones; and (iii) the mean number of ones that hosts reach before disengagement occurs.
The following sections describe our findings.

\begin{figure*}[tb!]
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=0.4\linewidth]{exp_ava_h03p07.png}%
  \includegraphics[width=0.4\linewidth]{exp_sf_h03p07.png}
  \centering
  \caption{Example coevolutionary runs under AVA (left) and SF (right) with $\beta_h = 0.3$, $\beta_p = 0.7$.}
  \label{fig:ava_vs_sf2}
\end{figure*}

\begin{figure*}[tb!]
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=0.4\linewidth]{exp_ava_h02p10.png}%
  \includegraphics[width=0.4\linewidth]{exp_sf_h02p10.png}
  \caption{Example coevolutionary runs under AVA (left) and SF (right) with $\beta_h = 0.2$, $\beta_p = 1.0$.}
  \label{fig:ava_vs_sf1}
\end{figure*}

\subsection{Maintaining engagement}\label{sec:reliability}

Since the main objective of AVA and SF is to maintain engagement during coevolution, regardless of bias fluctuations that may arise, it is fundamental to study their response under diverse bias levels.
Figure \ref{fig:heatmaps_engagement} presents a heatmap showing the number of runs where AVA and SF maintained population engagement during the full coevolutionary process (regardless of whether an optimal host is found).

Overall, we see that SF is able to maintain engagement more successfully than AVA across a diverse range of bias differentials. For 38 of the 50 bias pairings, SF maintains engagement for the full coevolutionary run of 1000 generations across all 50 trials. For AVA, however, this number is only 12. Moreover, SF maintains engagement for the full coevolutionary run in at least 40 out of 50 trials across 49 bias pairings, while for AVA this number is 42.

Relative to SF, results suggest that AVA tends to struggle in scenarios (i) where the bias of both populations are either the same (symmetrical systems) or similar; and (ii) where parasite bias is very high (e.g., $\beta_p=1.0$) and there is a large bias differential between parasites and hosts.
In comparison, although SF also fails in scenarios where parasites have very high bias, SF is capable of maintaining engagement where AVA is not.

Regarding the result obtained by AVA, in the original research \cite{Cartlidge11}, it was calibrated to only handle bias levels in the range [0.5, 1.0]. Moreover, in the original experiments the number of generations is 750 whereas in these experiments, the number of generations is 1000. The duration of experimental trials is a key factor inasmuch AVA, in a number of bias scenarios, tends to allow disengagement {\em after} optimal hosts are found.
For instance, when $\beta_h = 0.5, \beta_p=1.0$, populations tend to first reach the optimum, but then later, around generations 850-900, the populations disengage.
This unexpected behaviour suggests that AVA parameters may require  recalibration to maintain engagement over long time periods when there is a high bias differential.
It also demonstrates an advantage of SF over AVA, as SF has no parameter settings to calibrate.

\subsection{Reaching the optimum}
\noindent
Another essential aspect to analyse is the capability to reach the optimal zone.
Figure \ref{fig:heatmaps_reach_100} presents the number of runs where hosts (more precisely, at least one host) reached the optimal, regardless of whether or not populations disengage after this point.
We see a similar pattern for both SF and AVA.
AVA reached the optimal zone at least 40 times under 21 bias levels, where as SF was capable of reaching 40 times or more under 20 bias levels.
Furthermore, both AVA and SF reached the optimal zone a maximum of 50 times (i.e., every time) under 18 bias scenarios.

As expected, in multiple bias scenarios hosts were not capable of reaching the optimum when hosts have a very low mutation bias ($\beta_h < 0.5$).

\subsection{General performance}\label{sec:performance}

Figure \ref{fig:heatmaps_max_ones} shows the mean maximum number of ones of the best host across all bias configurations, regardless of whether or not populations disengage or hosts reach the optimum.
Again, performance of SF and AVA is similar. AVA reaches at least 90 ones under 36 bias scenarios, whereas SF reaches 90 ones in 35 scenarios. Furthermore, AVA and SF both reach 100 ones under 18 possible bias scenarios.

Results suggest that AVA and SF tend to behave similarly across most bias levels.
 However, when there is a significant bias differential  (e.g., $\beta_h=0.1,\beta_p=0.9$), AVA enables populations to reach a greater performance (closer to the optimum) than SF.

\subsection{Coevolutionary dynamics}\label{sec:dynamic_populations}

Figures \ref{fig:ava_vs_sf2} and \ref{fig:ava_vs_sf1} present example runs to highlight the effects of AVA (left) and SF (right) during the coevolutionary process.
When bias differential is relatively large (Figure~ \ref{fig:ava_vs_sf2}; $\beta_h = 0.3$ and $\beta_b = 0.7$) both AVA and SF maintain engagement throughout.
However, when bias differential is very large (Figure~\ref{fig:ava_vs_sf1}; $\beta_h = 0.2$ and $\beta_b = 1.0$), disengagement occurs under both techniques, but tends to occur earlier (around generation 410 for AVA, compared with generation 550 for SF).

Interestingly, in Figure~\ref{fig:ava_vs_sf1} we see that SF induces different population dynamics with respect to AVA.
Under SF, in the early generations, parasites exhibit lots of variation, with some outliers drifting far from the engaged populations. Then, around generations 90 and 170, these outlier lineages suddenly disappear.
A similar ``cull'' effect is {\em not} observed with AVA.

\begin{figure}[tb!]
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=1.0\linewidth]{exp_cull.png}
  \centering
  \caption{Initial generations of one run ($\beta_h=0.1$, $\beta_p=1.0$) using SF, showing absolute fitness of parasites and hosts (left axis) and $\delta$ value of disengagement (right axis).}
  \label{fig:cull}
\end{figure}

To further investigate the cull effect in SF and its direct relation with disengagement value $\delta$, Figure~\ref{fig:cull} presents the initial generations of one example run with very high bias differential ($\beta_h=0.1$, $\beta_p=1.0$).
Around generation 30, we see that there is a single outlier parasite containing around 40 ones.
As a consequence, $\delta\approx0.81$ and $\kappa = 25(0.81^{1/0.81}) = 19$ (see Equation~\ref{eq:number_of_clones}).
Since $19 > \frac{25}{2}$, the effective substitutions are 6 (see example given in Section \ref{sec:sf}).
Therefore, the 6 fittest parasites, including the outlier, are substituted by the 6 worst parasites.
Consequently, the subsequent generations do not present outliers and $\delta$ (and therefore $\kappa$) decreases.
Other outlier lineages later begin to emerge and the process repeats.
In contrast, AVA tends to keep both populations more tightly coupled throughout.

\section{\uppercase{Conclusions}}\label{sec:conclusion_future}

This research has introduced SF as an alternative technique to mitigate disengagement in competitive coevolutionary genetic algorithms. Using a minimal problem domain to enable exposition, we compared the performance of SF with AVA, a technique in the literature that has been shown to combat disengagement in a variety of domains.  Experimental results suggest that, in general, SF has similar performance to AVA in terms of discovery of optimal solutions. However, SF is also shown to have better performance than AVA in terms of consistently maintaining engagement across a wide variety of bias differentials, i.e., where there is a large inherent advantage in favour of one coevolving population.
The mechanism of SF is deliberately designed to be simple and domain independent, requiring no domain knowledge or specific calibration.  This makes SF more easy to implement than other techniques and offers the possibility of being more generally applicable.

However, one of the potential weaknesses observed in SF is the highly-fluctuating behaviour induced in populations (i.e., the ``cull'' effect), which might lead to sudden disengagement in other more realistic domains.
Thus, we believe that SF deserves further exploration; although it has shown suitable performance in a simple domain,  experiments in more complex domains such as maze navigation or sorting networks \cite{Cartlidge11} are necessary to demonstrate its reliability. Furthermore, a robust comparison against other state-of-art techniques will be performed.
Finally, we intend to explore the effects that SF has on other coevolutionary pathologies, such as overspecialisation and cycling.

\section*{ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS}

Hugo Alcaraz-Herrera's PhD is supported by The Mexican Council of Science and Technology (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología - CONACyT). John Cartlidge is sponsored by Refinitiv.

\bibliographystyle{apalike}
{\small

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Kaiser Chiefs Rising Force
Art punk quintet from Leeds, Kaiser Chiefs, has revealed that their latest single will be talking about the users of leading social networking, Twitter, a rude and cruel.
Single entitled "On the Run" and not listed in their latest album, The Future is Medieval, will be released in January next year.
"I'm running out of the world. Too many opinions out, Twitter is an example. The site is filled with people who are rude and cruel, "explains drummer-songwriter Nick Hodgson told the Daily Star.
He then revealed that the song which took four days for the recording process is basically an expletive against modern society.
Hodgson also spoke about his struggle in writing twenty-five songs for The Future is Medieval, which allows fans to choose their own version of the song arrangement.
"I always write constantly in one year, every day after I wake up. Even when I go to the bathroom, I thought about the lyrics, forcing them to come out until my mind was tired, "he continued.
The Future is Medieval itself can be downloaded at a price of £ 7:50 on the official website of the Kaiser Chiefs and fans can choose their ten favorite songs from twenty-five tracks available.
After that, if it is finished, fans can receive 1 pound each time the album version of their purchased others.


Commercial property that includes the former Rooney's restaurant and JJ Muggs Stadium Grill in Abacoa Town Center has been bought by a company that plans to "reinvigorate life into the center."
The 92,000 square feet of commercial property, along with about 3 acres of vacant land, was bought Friday for $5.1 million by FLF ATC LLC, said Josh Simon, a principal with the company.
The commercial property along Town Center Drive and Main Street was bought for $4.5 million and the vacant property for $600,000, Simon said.
The commercial property now is about 30 percent vacant, Simon said. Rooney's, a popular restaurant, closed in June 2014.
The property, which was in foreclosure, was bought from Wells Fargo Bank.
FLF ATC LLC has its headquarters in Abacoa.
"We're thrilled to have a local company own the property. They know the area and they know what will work there," said Beth Kelso, executive director of Abacoa Property Owners' Assembly.
Jupiter's first beer brewery, Civil Society Brewing Co., is planned in one of the commercial buildings along Town Center Drive that is part of the purchase.
FLF ATC LLC is affiliated with Jupiter-based FLF Holdings. Along with its affiliated entities, which is involved in Jupiter redevelopment projects such as Barcelona Jupiter, a 352-unit luxury apartment community on Military Trail, and the Jupiter Business Center, a 50,000-square-foot business center on Heritage Drive.
"Long range, we want to make the Abacoa property reach its potential to be an entertainment destination for the surrounding community," Simon said.


text:
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IoT and Ransomware: A Recipe for Disruption
Ransomware as examined in the context of the internet of things (IoT) is not a new discussion. When ransomware attacks were gaining momentum and IoT adoption started to expand, security experts already began to look at the potential risks of ransomware attacks when they involve the IoT.
IoT and ransomware are worth reexamining now that a different breed of ransomware families are targeting organizations and IoT use has become widespread in the industrial sector.
IoT and ransomware attacks
Ransomware attacks hinge on being timely, critical, and irreversible. The involvement of IoT in ransomware campaigns can amplify the impact of attacks because of cascading consequences especially in the case of critical infrastructure. In addition, IoT devices widen the attack surface through which ransomware can be deployed. These are conditions that can exacerbate disruptions.
Ransomware attacks pose a threat to OT systems
Ransomware operators like DarkSide have set their sights on critical infrastructures or high-profile targets. These organizations likely rely on operational technology (OT) and industrial control systems (ICS), which raises the urgency and the stakes involved in a ransomware attack. Ransomware attacks have become such a threat to OT assets that the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a fact sheet to inform organizations about them.
Attacks that involve OT systems can be dangerous and have cascading effects down the supply chain, pressuring victim organizations to comply with ransom demands. The convergence of IT and OT components can open a path for attackers to cross from IT to OT networks.
It is important to note, however, that ransomware rarely target OT systems directly. The EKANS ransomware is a rare example that is capable of stopping ICS software processes, while most ransomware families today, such as Ryuk, REvil, and Conti, target IT systems. However, intrusions into the IT network can disrupt and impact the OT network even if it has not been infected directly by ransomware. This was the case for Colonial Pipeline, which had to shut down its systems to prevent the ransomware from infecting its industrial network. Unfortunately, this necessary measure could not prevent fuel shortages in several US states from happening as a result. Other indirect effects of ransomware on OT systems could be loss of visibility and theft of operational information.
[Read: 2020 Report: ICS Endpoints as Starting Points for Threats]
IoT and ransomware in other industries
Disruption is also the main goal for ransomware attacks in other industries, which likely also rely to some extent on IoT devices and systems. In the Trend Micro midyear roundup, we reported how manufacturing, healthcare, and food and beverage were among the top five industries that saw the most ransomware activity.
The healthcare industry saw attacks from the likes of Ryuk and Conti ransomware families, which added pressure to an already strained healthcare system amidst the pandemic. It is difficult to determine if these recent attacks had a direct impact on medical devices, but ransomware has been known to infect medical devices before. Connected medical devices, while incredibly useful today, can also act as entry points for attacks if not properly managed. Medical devices also carry vulnerabilities and flaws that make them susceptible to malware infection.
Aside from the healthcare industry, the food production industry has also adopted IoT tools and systems to optimize production. According to an FBI advisory, ransomware attacks are targeting the food and agriculture sector to exfiltrate and encrypt data. They note how the sector is becoming increasingly more reliant on IoT processes, expanding the attack surface. Some of these attacks did not only cost the victims, but also affected the supply chain, driving prices up for consumers.
Routers and other IoT devices as entry points for malware
The IoT can significantly redefine the attack surface an organization would need to secure. This concern also includes every-day IoT devices such as smart appliances and routers. Once set up, some IoT devices, specifically routers, are often forgotten in the background, never to be examined again unless something goes wrong. But these devices can be exploited to allow ransomware to enter a system. Botnet malware, a well-known problem for IoT devices, can also be used to distribute other malware. In our research on IoT botnets, we found that it is still possible for routers to remain infected with a botnet that has been defunct for two years, highlighting how seemingly simple devices can act as a doorway for critical attacks.
[Read: Worm War: The Botnet Battle for IoT Territory]
Ransomware attacks on IoT devices
IoT ransomware is a ransomware attack targeting IoT devices. In such a scenario, threat actors control or lock a device (or several devices) to extort payment. An example of a ransomware variant that crossed over to a specific IoT device is FLocker, an Android mobile lock-screen ransomware that shifted to smart TVs. Two separate researches have also tested ransomware attacks on a smart thermostat device and a coffee machine. Such attacks have not progressed much in recent years.
Most ransomware attacks affect NAS devices and routers, which can be a concern for consumers. In general, they have yet to pose a major threat to organizations, because threat actors will have little to gain from executing them.
IoT security challenges
Organizations that are hit by ransomware attacks, such as those we have discussed here, can suffer from significant financial losses, not only from paying the ransom, but also from operational delays and remediation costs. Ransomware campaigns now involve a data theft component for double extortion schemes in which victims are susceptible to losing mission critical data and suffer reputational damage.
To defend against ransomware, organizations have to address the security gaps that can open a path for critical attacks. In the realm of the IoT, these security concerns include the following:
Vulnerabilities in IoT devices. Vulnerabilities are constantly being discovered in IoT devices and systems. Unfortunately, ransomware attacks use vulnerabilities to infect and spread to other devices.
Rapid growth of the IoT and poor device management. Investment in the IoT slowed down with the onset of the pandemic, but reports now show that interest is resurging. However, the rapid adoption of IoT devices could leave organizations grappling with device management issues and the increasing complexity of their IoT environments.
Poor security for IoT devices. Even with IoT devices secured in the office, organizations might have trouble accounting for personal devices, such as smart watches, e-readers, and gaming consoles. The reality of work-from-home setups highlights the importance of securing home networks and devices.
Legacy systems connected to the IoT. The presence of legacy systems is a reality for many industries. They present security risks because patches may no longer be issued for these systems and devices, even if they are still in commission and used in critical operations.
Targeted nature of ransomware families. Ransomware campaigns are now taking a more targeted approach. This has proven dangerous for organizations because attacks are tailored to their weaknesses. It also gave way to the trend of deploying ransomware in critical infrastructures.
How to secure IoT environments against ransomware
The best way to deal with ransomware, especially those that involve the IoT, is to prevent them from happening. Like any other threat actor, ransomware operators are more likely to take the path of least resistance to reach their targets. Organizations need to address possible entry points for ransomware attacks and keep their IoT environments adequately secured.
Here are steps organizations can take to defend against ransomware attacks:
Update and patch. Keeping systems and devices updated can address exploitable vulnerabilities that attackers can use.
Employ secure authentication strategies. Many ransomware attacks begin using stolen credentials. Enabling options such as multi-factor authentication can deny threat actors access to accounts.
Enforce the principle of least privilege. This prevents users from running certain programs, such as hack tools and unwanted applications that are used by ransomware.
Regularly back up files. Despite current developments in ransomware, backups still provide a safeguard against encryption and other cyberthreats.
Ensure strong network protection. A strong network protection can provide an extra layer of defense against threats that might utilize flaws in multiple devices.
Monitor network traffic. Having the tools to monitor network traffic allows organizations to see baseline activity and identify anomalies that could mean potential intrusion.
Prioritize security over connectivity. Understand the risks of connecting new devices into the network: The addition of devices can exponentially increase its complexity and widen the attack surface.
Advocate shared responsibility over the IoT. Organizations need to advocate for a culture of security especially with regard to the IoT. Awareness for the threats that can target connected devices can help make employees take conscious steps to secure personal devices.
The future of the IoT and ransomware
The IoT has much in store for the future. While the pandemic caused IoT implementation to slow down, many industries since have observed the benefits of the IoT especially in a time when remote work and social distancing became the norm. The reality of 5G can also easily reignite plans to move forward. Unfortunately, current times also had a reinventive effect on ransomware. Threat actors have found new opportunities in their targeted attacks and double extortion schemes. Industries that have much at stake — many often involve IT/OT systems — are prime targets. Organizations need to reexamine their current defenses especially for ransomware and plan an effective implementation of the IoT to reap the benefits of this technology without fear of it being used in ransomware campaigns.
Posted in Internet of Things, Ransomware, Industrial Internet of Things
LockBit and Black Basta Are the Most Active RaaS Groups as Victim Count Rises: Ransomware in Q2 and Q3 2022
Enterprises and organizations are facing a period of transition and uncertainty – malicious actors will hunker down and reuse tried-and-tested tools and techniques.
View the 2023 Trend Micro Security Predictions


text:
Political Parties Plan for Upcoming Elections
The three main political parties in Cambodia are trying to come up with reform ideas and strategies to win votes in future elections. FUNCINPEC just ended its party congress Tuesday, focusing on reforms and strategies and on strengthening a long-term alliance with the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) for peace and political stability.
High-ranking officials from the opposition Sam Rainsy party (SRP) went to the Philippines to meet with party president Sam Rainsy to discuss party structure and reforms.
CPP will also convene its congress soon to discuss strategies for upcoming elections and to strengthen partnership with the royalist FUNCINPEC party.
NGOs officials welcome all the plannings by the three main political parties but warn about such strategy that might not be democratic.
The three political parties will be participating in the senate election next year where only national assembly members and district council members have the right to vote.
Mr. Kul Panha, executive director of Comfrel, a watchdog organization for a free and fair election in Cambodia, said that he will monitor the three political party's strategies and reforms to see if the election is free and fair.


text:
Star 97.7 - Smooth Rock n' Roll Local News - January 2, 2020 - Star 97.7
Local News – January 2, 2020
January 2nd, 2020 | by: Stu Marckoon
Cop Shooter Arrested
(Skowhegan) – An accused cop shooter from Harmony is out of the hospital, but now sits in the county jail in Skowhegan, charged with aggravated attempted murder. State Police spokesman Steve McCausland reports to Star 97.7 that 29-year old Richard Murray-Burns was released from a Bangor hospital New Year's Day and investigators were there to cart him off to jail. Murray-Burns fired a couple of shots at a Waterville police officer on December 22nd, wounding the officer in his arms. The officer gave chase and other police agencies joined in. That chase ended in Canaan at a gas station when police officers shot and wounded Murray-Burns.
Homestead Checks
(Augusta) – If you own a home in Maine and claim a homestead exemption, you'll get a check in the mail soon from the State. The State Treasurer's office plans to start mailing out $104-dollar checks this week. The state requested names and addresses of all those who received a homestead exemption from municipal governments last year. The state is required to send tax relief checks when the tax relief fund reaches an amount that will provide at least $100-dollars.
Carillo Marriage annulled
(Camden) – Two convicted child killers are now officially un-married. WVII-TV reports a judge granted an annulment in the marriage between Julio and Sharon Carillo who will now use Kennedy as her last name. The judge ruled the marriage was never legal as Mr. Carillo never divorced a former wife. He pled guilty last summer to killing Kennedy's 10-year old daughter, Marissa and is serving a 55-year prison term. A jury convicted Kennedy of murdering her daughter by participating in a series of beatings that ended with the death in February 2018 in Stockton Springs.
Pedestrian Deaths
(Statewide) Maine public safety officials will launch another program to promote pedestrian safety following a deadly year on roads and highways. The state recorded 154 traffic deaths in an unofficial tally for the year that came to an end on Tuesday. Of those, there were 16 pedestrian deaths, compared to just six the previous year. Bureau of Highway Safety director Lauren Stewart says there will be grants to law enforcement agencies to step up enforcement of pedestrian laws and public education campaigns to promote pedestrian safety.
Financial Literacy Class
(Lubec) Downeast Community Partners in Washington County will offer a class that teaches financial literacy and education. The four points they'll focus on are: budgeting, debt, credit and savings. Class participants will have the opportunity to ask questions following the instructional portion of the program. The financial literacy class is January 22nd at 11 AM at the Lubec Community Outreach Center. For details contact Joe Connors of Downeast Community Partners.
Structure Fire
(Stonington) A rough start to the New Year for a couple in Stonington who woke up to find their wood shed ablaze. Fire Chief Ryan Hayward tells Star 97-7 his crew had no problem getting to the scene about a half-mile away on the Indian Point Road, but the commute was a little dicey for firefighters called in from Deer Isle and Sedgwick. All things considered, Hayward says things went smoothly Wednesday morning. The shed is a total loss, but Hayward says there's no damage to the nearby home. The fire was caused by an electrical outlet issue.
Lotto Winner
(Passadumkeag) A Passadumkeag man credits his lucky rock with helping him win a million dollars just moments after the New Year began. The Bangor Daily News reports Blaine Marston was one of 300 Powerball winners from across the country who won a trip to New York City on New Year's Eve. Fifteen other Mainers joined Marston for the first-ever Powerball "First Millionaire of the Year" drawing. After taxes, Marston takes home $710-thousand-dollars.
New Year Babies
(Statewide) A couple hospitals in Maine celebrated the births of their first babies in 2020. A Falmouth couple welcomed their daughter at 12:24 Wednesday morning at Maine Medical Center in Portland. A.R. Gould Hospital in Presque Isle saw its first baby arrive at 12:35 AM followed by another birth at 1:33 AM.
ME Firefighters-CA Parade
(Farmington) Two members of the Farmington Fire Department were in the Tournament of Roses Parade yesterday in California. WMTW reports Steve Bunker and Patty Cormier received word of the all-expenses paid trip just before Christmas. The Farmington community has been recovering since a September 16th explosion killed Fire Captain Michael Bell and wounded several others. The Maine Odd Fellows and Rebekah's organization paid for their trip to Pasadena. The theme for this year's Odd Fellows float was "First Responders Bring Hope", designed with a large fire truck that was accompanied by a select number of firefighters.
(Augusta) Maine's minimum wage has increased from $11 to $12 per hour. It marks the fourth annual increase in Maine under a 2016 ballot measure when the state's minimum was $7.50 an hour. Lawmakers subsequently changed the law to allow restaurants to continue paying tipped workers a lower hourly wage. State labor data indicates about 8% of Maine's 679-thousand workers earned at or below minimum wage in 2018.
Former NBA Commissioner David Stern has died at the age of 77
Former Yankees pitcher Don Larsen who pitched the only perfect game in World Series history has died
The Bruins play the Columbus Blue Jackets in Boston tonight.
High School Basketball-Boys
MDI 92 Presque Isle 61
Caribou 74 Ellsworth 42
Presque Isle 41 MDI 39


There master Courtenay, sitting in his own chamber, gave his rede and master Justice Andrews, sitting without a jury in the probate court, weighed well and pondered the claim of the first chargeant upon the property in the matter of the will propounded and final testamentary disposition in re the real and personal estate of the late lamented Jacob Halliday, vintner, deceased, versus Livingstone, an infant, of unsound mind, and another.
(The crossexamination proceeds re Bloom and the bucket.
There are verses on the subject as follows:—In all the forms of marriage given in this chapter of this work, the one that precedes is better than the one that follows it, on account of its being more in accordance with the commands of re  ligion, and therefore it is only when it is impossible to carry the former into practice that the latter should be resorted to.
Old Cato, whose "De Re Rusticâ" is my "Cultivator," says—and the only translation I have seen makes sheer nonsense of the passage—"When you think of getting a farm turn it thus in your mind, not to buy greedily; nor spare your pains to look at it, and do not think it enough to go round it once.
I'll re you, I'll fa you.


It has 100 different tools. In addition to any kind of blade you could possibly want to use, it also has such useful items as a piano tuning lever and a revolver.
The tool was made for display in Holler's store and weighs 10 pounds. It's currently owned by the Smithsonian who has it on display at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.


A joint meeting of the AFINET project arable and livestock UK agroforestry groups will take place on Monday 16th July 2018 at David Rose's farm, The EcoCentre, Screveton, Nottinghamshire.
This practical workshop will focus on agroforestry design, bring along a map or aerial photo of your farm/ field to discuss your agroforestry plans with the group. David has both a silvoarable system with apples and cereal, as well as a newly established edible woodland which he plans to graze. See here for more information about David's farm and agroforestry.


text:
namespace Assets.Scripts.Player
{
    public static  class PlayerAnimBool
    {
        public static string Falling { get { return "falling"; } }
        public static string Moving { get { return "moving"; } }
        public static string Upright { get { return "upright"; } }
        public static string Squashed { get { return "squashed"; } }
        public static string Corner { get { return "corner"; } }
		public static string OnCorner { get { return "onCorner"; } }
		public static string IsGrabbing { get { return "isGrabbing"; } }
        public static string Inverted { get { return "inverted"; } }
        public static string IsJumping { get { return "isJumping"; } }
        public static string Forward { get { return "forward"; } }
		public static string Sliding { get { return "sliding"; } }
		public static string Crouched { get { return "crouched"; } }
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The most exclusive club in the fast-casual industry requires spending thousands of dollars a year on salad.
Sweetgreen, the restaurant chain with 43 outlets in cities including New York and Boston, routinely draws lunchtime crowds and the kind of customer loyalty that any retailer would envy.
One factor behind all this — in addition to an app and clever marketing — is a loyalty program that, at the highest level, has impossibly high standards.
Membership to the cult of Sweetgreen has some major benefits: concert tickets, swag, an abundance of leafy greens. But it also requires spending some serious cash.
If you want to reach the most exclusive tier of the salad chain's rewards program — or "black status" — you need to spend at least $2,500 a year.
Let's break that figure down: $2,500 a year means spending $6.85 a day, every day, with no breaks for holidays, sick days, or days where you may simply not want to eat another salad. It means spending almost $50 a week at the chain.
Assuming an average cost of $11 per salad, you have to eat more than 227 Sweetgreen salads in a year.
"At this point, you're essentially family to us," the Sweetgreen website says. "We know you by name + salad and may have even met your parents."
Of course, reaching black status has its benefits.
Crowds at Sweetgreen's Sweetlife festival.
Black-status members get free access to Sweetgreen's annual Sweetlife music festival (either two lawn tickets or one VIP ticket). Or they can skip the festival and throw a 10-person party at their local Sweetgreen.
They also have status to a "Sweetgreen concierge," an "exclusive customer service email for VIPs only." Apparently, spending more than $2,500 at the chain means you can expect a better level of service, with the company website saying, "you deserve it."
If you aren't ready to commit to a diet dominated by salad for the next year, you can set your aim lower, to the lesser levels of Sweetgreen's rewards program.
Gold status requires spending $1,000 a year (a measly $2.74 a day). Once you reach this level, the company promises it will send you surprise swag and offer access to invite-only tastings and previews.
Then, there's the entry-level green status, which requires spending just $100 a year. Your reward: a free salad on your birthday and 1% of all your app purchases going toward the company's charity, Sweetgreen in Schools.
"We wanted to integrate lifestyle into a loyalty program to further connect with our customers and help them connect to their community and values, aka live the sweetlife," cofounder and co-CEO Nathaniel Ru told Business Insider.
Clearly, living the "sweetlife" requires some major investments in salad.


text:
REVIEW: 'The Circle' returns with another great cast
Lauren Coates, Staff Writer|April 18, 2021
Still of Michelle Buteau, host of "The Circle."
In January of last year, Netflix surprised audiences by dropping an unlikely gem of a reality series — "The Circle" — in its winter programming. Though the network has had an… interesting… track record with reality shows in the past, "The Circle" cemented itself as a near-instant reality classic with its clever format and endlessly lovable cast, not to mention the conveniently-bingeable format: the show drops four episodes at a time over a few weeks — a break from the traditional Netflix dump-it-all-at-once format, but one that undoubtedly helps the series maintain a sense of tension and relevance.
Now, after the success of the first season, "The Circle" has returned for a new, twice as long season, promising to be filled to the brim with everything that made viewers love the first season and then some. Though I had my doubts about whether or not Netflix could recreate the lightning-in-a-bottle magic of "The Circle"'s first season, if the first four episodes of season two are anything to go by, "The Circle" is back and better than ever — with heightened gameplay, gutsier players and plenty of new twists and game elements to keep both the cast and viewers at home on their toes.
As with the first season, the true magic of "The Circle" isn't in its trendy production sign or hashtag-laden narration from host Michelle Buteau — it is in the strength of its cast, which must hit the perfect mix of interesting, eclectic, competitive and lovable to truly make a season magnetic from start to finish. Although the show's format makes it so that we won't meet every player for at least a few weeks, the initial crop of players is the perfect mix of the aforementioned traits — but with a more intense, cutthroat edge about them that promises a drama-filled season of hardcore gameplay.
Among the eight are brainiac/beach babe Savannah, razor-sharp substitute teacher Terilisha, breathing guru Bryant and Too Hot to Handle star Chloe. Then, there are the catfishes — "Emily," played by a Chicago student named Jack, "River," played by 58-year-old novelist Lee (the season's oldest contestant by a significant margin), "Trevor," played by his wife Deleesa, and NSYNC's Lance Bass — yes, you read that right — played by his personal assistant, Lisa.
But where season one's cast was lovable because of their charming chemistry and the sincere friendships that grew throughout their time in the Circle, season two's cast is great for an entirely different reason — they all came to play. The first season, while competitive, had a much more lighthearted, airy energy about it — more focused on the social experiment aspects and pulling humor from its eclectic personalities. This season, though, there's no fluff or filler — just four episodes in, a bitter feud between Savannah and Terilisha stirred up major drama and split the Circle into two camps.
It's interesting to see the show pivot so drastically from the tone of the first season, but exciting that Netflix might finally understand the gem of a show they have on their hands — if they play their cards right, "The Circle" could see a long, successful run, following in the footsteps of other strategy-based reality shows like "Big Brother" and "Survivor."
Of course, fans of season one can still expect all the fun mini games, tongue-in-cheek narration and goofy hijinks between players trying to get to know each other. But with season two of "The Circle," Netflix has dialed things up to eleven — introducing new twists, longer episodes, and a (so far) an incredible cast that's ready and willing to break hearts and get blood on their hands to be crowned champion at the end of the season.
A journalistic commentary on Andrew Callaghan


An example of an Expert Advisor, which compares EURGBP to a synthetic equivalent and trades in the direction of a delay in quotes following an original logic (one-leg arbitrage). The delay is calculated for each currency pair: EURGBP, EURUSD, GBPUSD. Only one position is opened for a lagging symbol, without opening hedging positions on other symbols. However, positions on all three symbols can be opened, if market entry signals appear on all of them.
A deviation in points from a synthetic equivalent and the minimum time lag (how long the deviation lasts) are set for each pair.
Now brokers offer high-quality and fast quoting, therefore this simple arbitrage has low (or zero) efficiency in real conditions. However, the original strategy can be used as an example to create your own strategies.
Testing should be performed on real ticks. Check the screenshot for the example of settings.


text:
Regional Military Base Guide
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day - The Complete Guide
By PCSmoves Team 1/14/2021
Preparing for a Home Purchase in 2021
By PCSmoves Team 1/7/2021
PCSMoves Cares! Our Military Kids, Inc.
Posted by Gary Lundholm on Friday, March 3, 2017 at 2:41 PM By Gary Lundholm / March 3, 2017 Comment
Unlike active duty military members, their children don't sign up to become a part of the military. Much like the military spouses, the children of our military members go with the flow, no matter where home ends up being.
But what happens when a military parent is deployed or wounded? A little bit of routine or something extracurricular can be a welcome addition when life gives a family a good shake.
Our Military Kids, Inc. (OMK), a nonprofit organization, supports children, ages 5-12th grade, of deployed National Guard and Reserve service members and children of wounded warriors from all service branches. OMK empowers children with sports, arts and enrichment during parent deployment or recovery, by grants to pay for participation in activities that help them cope with stress and anxiety while their parents are recovering or absent.
Military children can be just as much at risk as their parents. Nearly 2 million children have been affected by wartime deployments since 9/11; one out of three is at high risk for behavioral and psychological issues, such as anxiety and depression.
Research shows that activity counteracts stress. As a result, the children experience higher self-esteem and a chance to achieve. Additionally, the grants allow entire families the opportunity to rest, recover, and improve morale. Children's mental health and academic performance improve. Respondents also note improvements in family well-being, service member morale, and veteran recovery time.
Since it's founding in 2004, OMK has given out nearly $22 million, through 56,000+ grants, to military children in all U.S. states and territories. In early 2005, they started small, with a pilot program focused on a National Guard unit from Winchester, VA. The pilot program was extremely successful, and they expanded to help all deployed Reserve and National Guard families living throughout Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
In 2006, OMK expanded its program once again, this time to include children of both active and reserve/guard wounded and fallen warriors, whose families were struggling to deal with financial and emotional hardships. Today, it is a national organization. With the help of generous donors and volunteers, they have empowered more than 44,000 children.
If you or someone you know is need of assistance from OMK, check out their website at http://ourmilitarykids.org/. Applicants can fill out the necessary forms online. If you would like to request additional information about Our Military Kids, please reach out to our office at 703-734-6654 or [email protected].
It Is A Great Season To Show Gratitude For Our Military
It Is A Great Season To Show Gratitude For Our Military As we pause to give thanks, let's take a moment to acknowledge the tremendous role ...Read More
PCSing to Naval Air Station Oceana? Search For Homes For Sale Around Your New Duty Station.
PCSing to Naval Air Station Oceana? Search For Homes For Sale Around Your New Duty Station. PCSMoves.com invites you to browse homes that are ...Read More
Thoughtful Ways to Honor Veteran's Day
Thoughtful Ways to Honor Veteran's Day Veteran's Day is coming up soon and you may be wondering how to show your appreciation to the ...Read More
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text:
Breaking—Cadillac is Coming Home!
By ATL_AU_FAN on January 23rd, 2019 in Football, News 9 Comments »
Todd Van Emst
Carnell "Cadillac" Williams is set to replace Tim Horton as the Tigers' running backs coach. Horton, after six years, was moved to an off-field role, thereby, opening up the coaching position.
Williams, who was most recently in the AAF as the running backs coach for the Birmingham Iron was an assistant coach at IMG Academy in Florida for two seasons.
Cadillac has also coached at West Georgia University following his career in the NFL. Williams played for both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and what used to be the St. Louis Rams. He was the fifth overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft and was named Rookie of the Year.
Williams is a native of Gadsden and signed with Auburn in 2001. He was named an All American following Auburn's 2004 undefeated season and shared the backfield with Ronnie Brown.
Williams had back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons in 2003 and 2004 and became the program's all-time leader in touchdowns scored.
Welcome Home and "Go Crazy, Cadillac, Go Crazy!!"
War Eagle!!
About ATL_AU_FAN:
1983 Graduate of AU living and working in the Metro Atlanta area. Season ticket holder and Lifetime member of Auburn Alumni Association.	View Profile →
The Sun Has Set On Head Coach Gus Malzahn(Photo by Acid Reign) War Eagle, everybody. A sad regular season has come to an e...
GreenvilleAUfan says:
This is big news.Looking forward to seeing him back in JHS. Welcome home Carnell!
dyingculture says:
Excellent hire and much needed. I see this as the same situation as Woodson being the "front man" for the secondary while Greg Brown is the man behind the scenes. Horton will still be on board to lend his coaching expertise, which is a great move considering Cadillac's lack of coaching experience with a top program.
This had to be done because the troubling fact is, Horton was whiffing on the vast majority of top 100 recruits the past several years. This isn't acceptable year after year — RBU should always be a major contender for most every 5-star RB in the South.
AUglenn says:
I'm so pumped about this.
easyedwin says:
Carnell is a good man. I drove him to the Hyatt Regency in Hoover, AL when his team played Hoover High School back in October 2018.
I believe he will do well for Auburn.
Acid Reign says:
…..I've heard several coaches, most notably Tommy Tuberville, say that it's all about the recruiting. Lots of guys can coach. Gotta bring in the talent.
ATL_AU_FAN says:
I obviously have no idea as to how good he will be at coaching but the two years at IMG will, I think, prove to be huge in the recruiting circus. And I cannot fathom a high school in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida who will not recognize the Cadillac brand.
High school players would have been close to "babies" when Cadillac was at Auburn but YouTube will help them play "catch-up".
And Cadillac, along with Ronnie Brown, are just so humble and down-to-earth.
I think back to my radio broadcasting days when I traveled with a college football team for whom Jim Marsalis was an assistant coach who, while with the Kansas City Chiefs, won Super Bowl IV.
He would speak with potential recruits and simply wear his Super Bowl Championship ring for the recruits to see. (Jim also intercepted Joe Namath two times en route to the Super Bowl and I think that's cool because, you know, bama. Namath was with the Jets at the time.)
I can see Cadillac wearing his SEC Championship ring in perhaps something of a similar fashion simply to say "I know what I am doing" while not being boastful in the least.
Sullivan013 says:
Speaking of rings, when I was a young lieutenant back in 1985 I once met a US Army Reservist with the rank of full bird colonel wearing the largest ring I've ever seen on a human (he was about 6'3″ with shoulders that brushed both sides of door jams). He had been an offensive guard for Johnny Unitas and the old Baltimore Colts under coach Don Shula and it was the Super Bowl V ring.
One of the most remarkable conversations about football I ever had while in uniform, let me tell you. His presence was one thing, but that ring was almost his equal, rank and all.
AtkinsonTiger says:
Huge hire for Gus. I think this will not only help with Running back recruiting but other positions too. Might even see an impact next week on NSD.
MyAuburn says:
Hmmm, hiring a running backs coach who actually knows how to run the football. Why didn't I think of that.


text:
Surface Pro 3 with 128GB of storage, powered by the Intel Core i7, is temporarily sold out in many stores
Windows Microsoft Tablets
Updated: Aug 05, 2015, 12:34 PM
Consumers can't get enough of the 128GB version of the Surface Pro 3 tablet powered by the Intel Core i7 chipset. This version of the tablet is temporarily sold out in most stores, and has been removed from Microsoft's online store. Microsoft says that it is working tirelessly to get this version of the Surface Pro 3 back on store shelves.
While Best Buy's online store still shows the tablet listed with a price of $1149, the model offered by the big box retailer has Windows 8.1 pre-installed. Microsoft has started selling Surface Pro 3 and Surface 3 slates powered by Windows 10. The Surface Pro 3 offers a 12-inch screen with a 1440 x 2160 resolution. This works out to a resolution of 216ppi.
The sold out tablet comes with 8GB of RAM and there is a microSD slot on board for those who will need additional storage. The slate has a 5MP camera in back and another 5MP snapper in front.
Microsoft hasn't said when we might see the tablet return. In the meantime, you can still buy a Windows 10 version of the Surface Pro 3 stuffed with 128GB of internal memory, and powered by the Core i5 chip instead of the Core i7. That slate is offered by Microsoft for $899.
source: MicrosoftStore, BestBuy via WindowsCentral


What is a Botnet and How Does it Affect Me?
Home > Protection > What is a Botnet and How Does it Affect Me?
A botnet means a network of software robots, essentially computers that are under the control of someone at a distance, often a long distance. That means your computer, although it might seem normal, is actually being controlled by someone else, and can be used to distribute spam and malware without you even knowing it.
There have been instances of massive botnets of over a million computers, but generally the size is about 20,000 computers.
The hacker who wants to start a botnet first has to infect other computers. He does that by sending out spam containing a virus or a worm that, when executed gives him control of that computer – and that's not especially difficult for any experienced hacker.
Of course, to be worthwhile, the botnet has to be a reasonable size, so he'll command the botnet via a remote server to send out spam to other computers, usually people in the infected user's email address book, to infect more and more computers.
Within a relatively short time, and it truly doesn't take that long, the hacker has his own botnet. He can keep increasing it, or he can use it to make some money.
How does he make his money? Essentially, the hacker who owns the botnet rents it out to a spammer. The spammer issues his instructions via a server, which can be a Web server (i.e. for the Internet) or an IRC server (one that is used for Internet Relay Chat, certain kinds of online chat rooms) and the infected computers send out the spam.
It means the spammer can stay hidden and free from prosecution, and with thousands of computers available, it's a very quick job to send out literally millions of pieces of spam. It's all done without the people who own the computers ever realising, until pieces of email, marked as undeliverable, are returned to their inboxes.
Another term for botnet, and one which sums it all up very well, is zombie computers. That's really what they are, controlled completely by an outside force.
Obviously, the last thing you need is for your computer to become infected and be part of a botnet. There are ways to ensure that doesn't happen. If you receive email with a link or the chance to download something... don't. Even if it's from a friend you trust, if it's something you're not expecting or it looks odd, don't do it. The chances are your friend's computer is infected and the botnet owner is trying to enslave more computers.You need to be careful on the Internet, too. There are plenty of fake sites where downloads are offered that just infect your computer, or sometimes simply visiting a poisoned site can leave malware on your computer. That's hard to guard against, but some browsers –the interface you use to surf the Web – can tell you if it site is real, fake or poisoned.
But if you're already infected, what can you do?
First of all you need to scan your computer to find the infection. From there it's quite easy – your antivirus or anti-spyware will isolate the worm or Trojan and you can delete it quite simply in most cases (in rare instances there might be problems, but generally going to the web site of your antivirus company and typing in the name of the infected should be enough to generate instructions for its deletion).
Agreed, you can't click on a link and assume it's safe, even if it comes from a friend (they could have been infected and the link is sent to all their contacts). Use you common sense. If there's no context, the chances are the link will end up causing you problems.
It's vital to have good antivirus software and protection for your PC (and Mac) and ensure it's up to date, although most update automatically. You need to exercise great caution all the time and never assume every link you're sent is fine, not just in an email but on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, too, as people are hacked there and links sent out (someone tagged you in a post is a common one). Be wary!


js_catalog_locale_can_be_in_project_root (546 bytes) - added by dnordberg@… 10 years ago.
js_catalog_locale_can_be_in_project_root.diff (896 bytes) - added by anon 10 years ago.
To test, without the fix, if you have your djangojs localization files in project/locale not project/app/locale, they wont be picked up in the translation catalog.


At UW-Fox Valley, we offer a number of special academic programs to support and supplement our curriculum and co-curricular offerings.
The First-Year Experience Program helps students transition to college by offering classroom opportunities to maximize academic success, build positive relationships, and provide information on campus-wide resources.
The centerpiece of our First-Year Experience Program is LEC 100, a one-credit, first-year course that focuses on the skills students need for academic and career success. LEC 100 not only helps students in their transition to college, but it also counts towards their associate degree.
In and out of the classroom, UW-Fox Valley faculty and staff strive to prepare students to become lifelong learners, responsible citizens, and community leaders. For example, our LEC 100 course includes a service learning component, where students participate in out-of-class activities to learn the real-world value of the classes they are taking.
Study abroad programs are open to all students and community members. For a list of upcoming programs, application requirements, costs and other information you will need to participate, visit the Study Abroad website.
The Youth Options Program presents exciting educational options for Wisconsin high school juniors and seniors. By meeting some general requirements and following specific guidelines, you may be able to take university-level courses at UW-Fox Valley, earning both high school and college credit. What's more, you don't have to pay for a Youth Options course if your school district doesn't offer a comparable one. All public high schools participate in the Youth Options Program, so all juniors and seniors who meet the program requirements are eligible.