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Sony <<EOF
Today I bid adieu to my employment at Sony. I was fortunate in the sense that the decision to move on with my career was my own. My latest tenure here a Sony lasted over 7 years making it the longest I've ever spent with 1 employer. This being the second time I had been employed by Sony, previous time being as a contractor for 2 years early 2001.
I hope to get around to posting some of my experiences at Sony as one of their IT geeks. I especially would like to take sometime and do a few posts on my views of cyber activist and around the events of the attacks on Sony about a year ago, it was a very interesting time.
For now I just want to thank the people who help me grow, who worked the solutions with me, and who hacked away with me until things worked. You know you can always reach out to me, personally or professionally.
As for me, I am moving on to another organization here in San Diego. It's a company that creates solutions in the educational arena so I am hoping I am a little more comfortable posting on some of the cool things I am working on without worrying about leaking information that isn't suppose to be public yet.
Posted on April 27, 2012 Author ShocmCategories GeneralTags Sony4 Comments on Sony <<EOF
Sony Electronics Creates Open Source Development Community
Last week Sony open the doors to a new web site, as well as a new approach for the organization, called Sony Developer . Sony Developer is meant to become a hub for Open Source development efforts for Sony Electronic products.
Currently, Sony has enabled the community for "SNAP" which is an application framework for consumer electronic devices. From the SNAP site;
"SNAP stands for Sony's Networked Application Platform and is part of an emerging new ecosystem for making downloadable applications available to networked devices like TV's, Blu-ray Disk players and other Consumer Electronic products. SNAP is in the very early stages of development and has a lot of room to grow"
This will open an avenue that will allow developers to get their applications onto SNAP enabled devices such as televisions. SNAP is based on the GNUstep community, whose origin dates back to the OpenStep standard developed by NeXT Computer Inc (now Apple Computer Inc.) which also implements the extensions added by Apple in the form of Cocoa. The main language on GNUstep for SNAP is ObjectiveC and the SNAP development web site points a lot of great resources on ObjectC from beginners guide to optimization.
Sony offers a guides and a SDK for download to start with your development efforts. It's mentioned on the SNAP web site that some good examples of applications would be "Games, Widgets (weather, news, traffic, etc), remote controls, social apps, media sharing apps, media players, home automation". Also according to the web site Sony will be hosting contest in the future for SNAP developers with prizes ranging from Sony televisions to Sony Walkman.
Another section of the Sony Developer Web site will be the dash section, which is currently unavailable but from what I've heard should be opened in the coming weeks. dash is the Sony new Personal Internet Viewer. Developed with Flex, Sony is hoping to encourage and foster application developed on the dash product.
Posted on April 4, 2010 Author ShocmCategories F/OSS, Geek StuffTags objectivec, Open Source, Sony1 Comment on Sony Electronics Creates Open Source Development Community
Sony Pictures Imageworks Releases Open Source Shading Language (OSL) to Development Community
CULVER CITY, Calif., Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Pictures Imageworks, the award-winning visual effects and digital character animation unit of Sony Pictures Digital Productions, released the Alpha version of its source code for OSL, its Open Shading Language, it was announced today by Rob Bredow, Chief Technology Officer of Sony Pictures Imageworks.OSL is a fundamentally different approach to shader languages for visual effects and computer animation rendering. OSL was designed to enable and support the latest developments in rendering technology. Unlike previous shader languages, OSL assumes a rendering system that can perform ray tracing, and provides for natural global illumination and a demand for physical accuracy. All of which is significantly different from the assumptions made years ago when most of the current shader languages were first developed.
Sony Pictures Imageworks initially developed OSL for use with its in-house renderer in the production of animated feature films and visual effects. The language specification released today was developed with input by other visual effects and animation studios, including Rhythm & Hues, who also wish to use it. The code is now available through Imageworks' Open Source website at http://opensource.imageworks.com/
Imageworks announced its Open Source program last August and has spent the past several months preparing OSL for use on its upcoming films.
This early release of code follows the model of the most successful open source programs in which development from this point forward will be done "in the open" for others to watch, use and contribute to as desired. OSL is licensed under a "production friendly" open source license. Imageworks is optimistic that OSL will be adopted broadly by those needing a modern shading language for production needs.
"We're excited to be sharing OSL with the world," said Rob Bredow. "Our goal is to follow the model of the most successful open source software by making our development public. This provides the very best opportunities for collaboration and adoption. Even though it's in its early stages, there is a lot of sophisticated groundwork already laid in OSL. We look forward to the response from the computer graphics community"
OSL TAKES A DIFFERENT APPROACH
According to Imageworks' OSL lead developer Larry Gritz, one of the industry's foremost experts in shading and rendering, shaders in other languages compute the color of an object as viewed from a particular direction. In this way, the shader is a black box to the renderer -- all the renderer can do is execute the shader, for a particular direction, and get the result.
What distinguishes OSL from prior languages is that the material properties of surfaces, explicit descriptions of how light is scattered by them, are treated as a first-class concept that the shaders compute and that the renderer can then manipulate and reason about. The renderer can evaluate these properties, i.e., figure out the outgoing radiance in any particular direction. This is just one of many things OSL can do. It also "importance samples" these surfaces, which is helpful for efficient global illumination because it lets the renderer send the rays in the places that count the most, instead of just groping around in the hopes of finding important light paths. Because sampling and evaluation are de-coupled from the shader execution, OSL allows a renderer to reorder computations in really interesting ways that could greatly improve speed and/or image quality.
Also, OSL is very consistent with physical units throughout, which not only improves the ability to accurately simulate materials and lights, but it also solves some longstanding problems in production, such as matching results between area light sources, emissive geometry visible to GI, and HDRI environment maps. These matches are now possible with OSL.
About OSL (Open Shading Language)
Open Shading Language (OSL) is a small but rich language for programmable shading in advanced renderers and other applications. OSL is similar to C, as well as other shading languages; however, it is specifically designed for advanced rendering algorithms with features such as radiance closures, BRDFs, and deferred ray tracing as first-class concepts.
The OSL project includes a complete language specification, a compiler from OSL to an intermediate assembly-like byte code, an interpreter that executes OSL shaders on collections of points in a SIMD manner, and extensive standard shader function library. These all exist as libraries with straightforward C++ APIs, and so may be easily integrated into existing renderers, compositing packages, image processing tools, or other applications. Additionally, the source code can be easily customized to allow for renderer-specific extensions or alterations, or custom back-ends to translate to GPUs or other special hardware.
For more information and access to OSL, visit http://opensource.imageworks.com
ABOUT SONY PICTURES IMAGEWORKS
Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc. is the Academy Award® winning, state-of-the-art visual effects and animation unit of Sony Pictures Digital Productions. The Imageworks production environment supports live-action visual effects and character animation, all-CG animation, Imageworks 3D stereoscopic, and Imageworks Interactive, a full service creative group that produces websites and supports digital marketing for the studio and outside clients.
Imageworks' achievements have been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with Oscars® for its work on SPIDER-MAN™ 2 and the CG animated short film THE CHUBBCHUBBS!. In 2008, SURF'S UP was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. In 2007, two of Imageworks' projects, SUPERMAN RETURNS and the all-CG animated feature MONSTER HOUSE, were nominated for Academy Awards in the Outstanding Achievement in Visual Effects and Best Animated Feature respectively. With those two nominations, Imageworks became the first studio to be recognized in the same year in these distinct areas, an indication of the diversity and quality of the company's capabilities. Other Oscar® nominated projects include THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, SPIDER-MAN™, HOLLOW MAN, STUART LITTLE and STARSHIP TROOPERS, for a total of ten nominations.
Imageworks' most recently completed projects include 2012, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, G-FORCE, WATCHMEN, VALKYRIE, BODY OF LIES, EAGLE EYE, HANCOCK, SPEED RACER, BEOWULF, and I AM LEGEND. Upcoming projects include ALICE IN WONDERLAND and CATS AND DOGS 2.
Imageworks maintains operations in Culver City, CA; Novato, CA; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Chennai, India.
Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc. is a division of Sony Pictures Digital Production Inc.
For more information, please visit www.imageworks.com.
SOURCE Sony Pictures Imageworks
http://www.imageworks.com
via prnewswire.com
Always have to call out where my Sony world and my Open Source world overlap.
Posted via web from shocm's posterous
Posted on January 15, 2010 Author ShocmCategories F/OSSTags Open Source, SonyLeave a comment on Sony Pictures Imageworks Releases Open Source Shading Language (OSL) to Development Community


"Could Be Me is a project exploring the possibility of one artist occupying another's space. It is a visual adventure and an interpretation of the same sentence by different artists worldwide."
Lithuanian artist Paul Paper invites fellow designers, illustrators and artists from all over the world to create original works that feature the phrase, "It could be me, but it's actually Paul Paper." The project has attracted over 100 contributions with works ranging from the careful and considered to the humorous and downright strange.


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Home News "My boss uses me as he likes, I have become his se.x...
"My boss uses me as he likes, I have become his se.x toy"
Ella is 31-years-old and has a very successful career, however, a nasty office romance with her boss, threatens her peace. Here is her very shocking confession.
"My name is Ella, I am 31 years old. I work with a private establishment in one of the Northern states in Nigeria and ever since I got this dream job, I have been fulfilled but I have never had peace since 'my boss' started his sexual exploits with me.
"It's quite a small company, the pay is not so mouth-watering. I qualified for the job after the interview, so my getting the job was not based on sentiments. I am doing this job because of the drive and passion I have for it, yet, I am not happy.
"My boss is a married man and he sleeps with me at will. He used to be nice to me only when he wants to ask me for sex. Sometimes, he doesn't even ask me, he will just visit me. No matter how much I resist him, all he wants is to have me laid and the moment he does, he dresses up and leaves," Ella narrated.
She said talking about the whole experience makes me sick, stressing though she is not the type keen on sex, still she is compelled to do it with her boss sometimes.
The devastated lady said that her boss was in the habit of giving her attitude at work, she said:
"At work, this mad dog gives me attitude. He doesn't know how to talk to people, he thinks he is on top of the world.
Sometimes we don't even talk because I'm having a heavy heart, but when it is time for sex, he comes around like a lost puppy looking for milk. Oh! How I hate him.
"I remember how someone said he used to work somewhere, going to work tattered. This my so called boss used to look so dirty and unkempt to the office when his boss called him and gave him clothes. Today, maybe because he is somewhere and he thinks he has arrived, he can talk to people anyhow and have sex with whoever at anytime".
Ella stressed that going to work has become a frustrating exercise for her, as she is fed up with the harassment.
Contemplating blackmail, she said:
"Funny enough, I have some evidence of his sexual harassment and I really don't know what to do with them. I didn't intend to come up with this, thinking I would get over the whole thing when he eventually stops.
But the thought of sleeping with me at will when he has his wife at home is killing. So, I'm the one sweet for precedent sex games? I ask myself sometimes."
"I battle with this sex bull-dog taking advantage of me and his unbearable attitude. It's all about the sex to him. All he wants is what matters, how about what I want? He feigns innocence a lot, it is difficult for someone to know what he is capable of; but he is a green snake. Even if I speak out in an attempt to expose his wickedness, who will believe me? I'm worried sick!," She lamented.
According to Daily Post, Ella is confused and does not know what to do with the situation in her office.
She said:
"I'm just going mad. What do I do? I am not a sex material and he will not go unpunished. How do I go about this whole thing? I wish I could kill him. Going to work and getting to see this casanova drives me nuts." There are numerous cases similar to Ella's going on around Nigeria, the question remains how do we help people like Ella who are facing similar situations. Do share your views with us on this issue.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Ryan Reynolds, Chris Evans And More Volunteer To Make Wish Come True For Dying Kid
Whoever said that you should never meet your heroes, apparently never met the actors who portray the larger than life superheroes in today's biggest comic book movies. On Sunday, Fox News anchor Shannon Bream made a plea on social media to try and grant a wish for a young boy who is dying in a matter of days. All he wanted was a greeting from one of the Avengers actors. Well, quite a few real-life heroes wound up answering the call and reached out to Bream to send a message to the young fan. The response was not limited to Earth's Mightiest Heroes either, as you can see from Deadpool 2 actor Ryan Reynolds response below:
I'm more of a "Reserve Avenger". But happy to help. DM me.
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) March 26, 2018
I love how Ryan Reynolds maintains his self-deprecating Deadpool humor here, simultaneously joking about Deadpool's place on the superhero hierarchy and offering his services to grant a wish. Even though the kid asked for Avengers, he's probably an overall comic book movie fan and is at least aware of Deadpool. And of all the actors who could send well wishes, I have to imagine Ryan Reynolds would be one of the most adept at putting a smile on your face. But the young fan also got a greeting from an Avenger, and not just any Avenger, the heart and soul of the team, Captain America, Chris Evans, who also took to Twitter to volunteer, saying "Happy to," before asking Shannon Bream to direct message him.
It will truly be a sad day when Chris Evans hangs up the shield because he consistently reminds us how much like his MCU counterpart he actually is. A fan favorite of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, receiving a greeting from Chris Evans had to be incredible for the dying fan. But the Avengers are nothing if not a team and a family and in addition to Chris Evans, Vision actor Paul Bettany also offered to help, letting Shannon Bream know that he is the purple one. Supposed Avenger actor, although he is MIA at the moment, Jeremy Renner also reached out, as did Benedict Wong. Paul Rudd joined in and the TV side of things did their part too with Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. actress Chloe Bennet sending a greeting, as well. The MCU doesn't have a monopoly on caring though and future Shazam! actor Zachary Levi also sought to make a difference.
I'm not technically an Avenger, but I'd be happy to record a video for the little man and do my best impressions of @ChrisEvans @prattprattpratt @chrishemsworth or any other Chris if necessary. ???? Where can I/we send these messages, and what's his name?! https://t.co/jBTOepXzOf
— Zacovfefe (@ZacharyLevi) March 26, 2018
Sadly, the kid may not get to see Shazam!, but it is still super cool of Zachary Levi to do what he can and hilariously offer to impersonate the many heroic Chris' of the MCU to bring some joy to someone in need. I wouldn't call it a responsibility, but the actors in these comic book movies are huge role models to legions of young fans, so it is really cool that so many of them embrace that position and make the effort to put a smile on someone else's face. It may not take a lot of time or cost anything, but it is invaluable to the fans like this one who look up to them.
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KIRKUK, Iraq — Iraqi security forces have found mass graves in an area recently retaken from the Islamic State group that could contain up to 400 bodies, an Iraqi official said Sunday.
The bodies of civilians and security forces were found in an abandoned base near Hawija, a northern town retaken in early October, Kirkuk governor Rakan Saed said. He didn't say when authorities will start exhuming the bodies from the mass graves.
Khalaf Luhaibi, a local shepherd who led troops to the site, said ISIS used to bring captives to the area and shoot them dead or pour oil over them and light them on fire. The area was strewn with torn clothing and what appeared to be human bones and skulls.
Iraqi forces have driven ISIS from nearly all the territory it once controlled. Authorities have already uncovered several mass graves in other newly liberated areas.
U.S.-backed Iraqi forces have driven the extremists from nearly all the territory they once controlled, with some fighting still underway near the western border with Syria.
On Saturday, Iraq's Prime Minister announced an operation to capture a patch of territory on the western edge of the country near the border with Syria. Hours later, Iraqi Defense Ministry announced capturing Romana area, saying the troops will head to nearby town of Rawa.
According to Ahmed al-Asadi, a spokesman for the Shiite-majority paramilitary forces, Rawa is the last Iraqi town held by IS who still control some scattered small villages in mainly desert areas.


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The astonishing story of how a Derby student became a freedom fighter, smuggler and a gun-carrying mother-of-four is being told in a new book.
Freda Houlston was born and bred in Derby city centre - but, after a dramatic life of adventure, became the first western female to become a Tibetan Buddhist nun.
And she was also mother of the only Bollywood actor to ever play a James Bond villain.
Her rollercoaster story is now being celebrated in a new book, which its author explains was also requested by a big name, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
Freda was born above a jeweller's shop in Monk Street. In the early years, she held an ambition of joining the Derby Telegraph as a cub reporter when she left Oxford University but destiny overtook her.
While at Oxford, she met and married (amid much scandal) Baba Phyare Lal Bedi, known as BPL, who was a direct descent of the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak.
She became the first British woman to be incarcerated with hard labour for agitating against her own people in the struggle for Indian Independence during the 1940s.
Freda was a great admirer of Sheikh Abdullah's political and ideological aims. The Sheikh was the president of Kashmir's first political party, the National Muslim Conference, in 1932.
He and the Freda had similar goals for equal rights in all sections of society regardless of caste, creed or religion.
Freda bravely carried covert messages disguised in a burka to his followers in Kashmir.
When she was discovered, she was given 48 hours to get out of Kashmir but she announced "I'm going to do nothing of the kind" and carried on smuggling messages.
She served hard time in a prison on the other side of the world as a result.
Ultimately, she emerged a national heroine, befriended by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi, Edwina Mountbatten and many others.
Vicki, a journalist and fellow Buddhist, has made her own journey to share Freda's legacy, spanning six years and every continent to document and celebrate the life of this extraordinary lady.
By speaking to Freda's family, friends and followers, she has painted a picture of a kind and almost legendary figure.
The Revolutionary Life of Freda Bedi explores the many trailblazing roles Freda played until her death in 1977 at the age of 66 – and also looks at the two-way pull many women face between motherhood and bigger causes.
Freda achieved great things and touched many hearts.
And one of Freda's children, Kabir Bedi, became a James Bond villain and is a Bollywood film idol.
Vicki said: "I am in awe of her bravery, her seeming fearlessness, her total commitment to champion the underdog and fight for freedom and equality wherever needed.
"Her commitment to live out her beliefs to the full is extraordinary. And Freda's unstoppable compassion to help all those who are suffering is exemplary."
Despite finding herself on the other side of the globe, Freda held Derbyshire in her heart and felt an enormous spiritual power in its countryside.
But why did Vicki feel compelled to explore Freda's footsteps?
She said: "I felt that, historically, important women are overlooked and I wanted to put the record straight.
"I first met Buddhism when I was working as a staff feature writer for the Daily Mail in 1976 and on a whim went to do my first meditation course with two Tibetan lamas in Nepal.
"As a journalist, I'd been trained never to be an easy believer and always to ask questions.
"To my delight, the lamas loved questions and my sincere desire to understand the message they were delivering, to understand the human condition and how we shape our reality with our thoughts and mind.
The Revolutionary Life of Freda Bedi is on the shelves now at all good bookshops and available online as a digital download on Amazon too.


ENGLISCHE EDITION David Robson bietet detaillierte Techniken, die Ihnen helfen, die perfekte Verbindung zwischen Atem und Bewegung zu finden. Lesen Sie mehr..
Asthanga Vinyasa Yoga is a system of yoga that involves synchroniznig the breath with a progressively more challenging series of movements and postures. This process produces intense internal heat and purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs. It is a vigorous, moving meditation that helps to develop a strong, light body and a quiet steady mind. This DVD is all about floating in Ashtanga Yoga. David Robson offers detailed techniques to help you find perfect union between breath and movement, and greaceful weightless transitions between postures in your practice. The DVD also features a seperate section that sets the Surya Namaskara to the beat of a drum.
David Robson is the director oft he Ashtanga Yoga Centre of Toronto. He made his first trip to Mysore, India in 2002 where he initiated studies with his teacher Sharath Jois. Since then he has returned anually to deepen and enrich his practice and teaching. "... Yoga, as a way of life and as a philosophy, can be practiced by anyone with an inclination to under take it, for yoga belongs to humanity as a whole. It is not the property of any group or individuall, but can be followed by any and by all, in any corner of the globe, regardless of class, creed or religion. "
ENGLISCHE EDITION Neue DVD aus der ersten Serie von Ashtanga..
ENGLISCHE EDTION Diese DVD wird deinen Körper entspannen un..
ENGLISCHE EDITION Erlebe die Freiheit zu meditieren ohne zu ..


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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring to combine. Remove from heat and stir in the sugars, salt, and vanilla. Break the eggs into the mixture one at a time, stirring after each addition. Add the cup of flour and fold together until the batter is thick and glossy. Set aside.
2. Crumble the room temperature goat cheese into a medium-sized bowl. Add the egg and stir until combined. Add the flour and sour cream and mix until mixed together.
3. Lay 2/3 of the brownie batter into the bottom of a 9×13 inch-baking pan, spreading the batter into an even layer. Drop the goat cheese mixture onto the batter layer in even blobs. Spread the goat cheese as well as possible, without pushing the mixture all the way to the bottom of the pan and combining the layers. Spread the remaining brownie batter on top of the goat cheese layer, making sure not to thoroughly mix the layers. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the top of the brownies look dry and cracked and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Don't worry about over-baking; the brownies will be very fudgy regardless of a clean tester!


MANILA, May 23 — The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has approved a higher compensation for bumped-off passengers.
In its Economic Regulation No. 7, the CAB said the compensation for bumped-off domestic passengers was increased to P3,000 from P150.
For international flights, the compensation for bumped-off passengers was hiked to P5,000 from P1,500.
On top of the compensation, the passenger would be given 100 percent of the value of the flight coupon.
"If accepted by the passenger, the compensation shall constitute liquidated damages for all damages incurred by the passenger as a result of the carrier's failure to provide the passenger with confirmed reserved space," CAB said.
In addition, the passengers have priority booking for the next available flight using the same ticket for which he was denied boarding.
This promotional shall also apply to passengers holding promotional fares.
The CAB said that if carriers intend to deny a passenger from boarding, it should first call the attention of passengers who would voluntarily surrender their confirmed reserved spaces.
"In case the passenger opts not to fly the ticket anymore, reimbursement of the cost of the sector cancelled and both sectors are cancelled, the carrier shall likewise reimburse the same," CAB said.
— First aid, if necessary.
— If passenger opts not to fly the remaining sector, a reimbursement of the cost of the remaining sector not flown.


If you don't have the time or skills to spot potential arbs then you definitely should simply take benefit of free arbitrage betting services to keep winning money. You needn't devote any efforts and may only have to offer your money in arbitrage bets to get small rewards which will surely grow into huge sums of money within a very short time.
Arbitrage betting involves betting on players or on teams in a match. Thus, as you will forfeit one bet, you will recover your losses and a little more when you win the other bet, thus winding up having a profit at the end of the match. This type of betting can be done consistently to slowly build up high amounts in winnings with no fear of losing all previous winnings on a single bet. However, you will need to identify arbitrage bets and need to do something quickly before the odds slip beyond range. You'll also need to use a dependable arbitrage calculator to see if betting on specific odds with various online bookmakers will indeed leave you with a significant profit regardless of which player or team wins the match.
Since there is an extremely small window of time where you can place your arbitrage bets before the odds change, you may have a tough time in trying to find such bets on a daily basis. However, you can use the expertise of betting experts that will help you to definitely take part in arbitrage betting by giving free arbitrage betting tips in addition to by sending you timely alerts by email that can be put to work quickly to position arbitrage bets. Although some websites offer such alerts for just a limited period only, others might offer them without any time restrictions. However, most sites will claim a percentage of profits made when using these arbitrage-betting tips. You can test placing few bets according to these alerts to verify if you're able to end up with decent amounts in winnings prior to placing your complete trust on such tips.
Betting might be fun only when you win each time you placed a bet. However, since it is indeed tough to win each bet, it is possible to participate in arbitrage betting to end up with a decent surplus after each betting session at different bookmakers. Additionally, you should certainly take advantage of free arbitrage betting services to maintain winning money on a consistent basis, which in turn will surely turn into a a large amount after a couple of weeks of betting.


text: Q: Why doesn't unordered_map use underlying_type::type for the hash functuion when is_enum::value is true? As noted at Can't use enum class as unordered_map key, one can't use enum classes as keys for unordered_map without specializing std::hash. Why exactly is this necessary, or more specifically, why can't unordered_map automatically provide an appropriate hasher using underlying_type when the key is an enum?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
CLPL joins BEACON
Public Library is now a BEACON library! Our library has joined a consortia of sixty North Iowa school and public libraries in order to strengthen the services we offer to our community. Our online catalog is now more visual and easier to browse, and a catalog especially designed for younger children even has a mascot, Scout, to guide youngsters in their searching.
The library's new web site here at http://www.cllibrary.org/ offers plentiful information about the library and easy access to contact library staff. Use your library card number to establish an online account. Databases and information resources available on the website have also increased. Through our local library website users can also browse the catalogs of other BEACON member libraries. Clear Lake Public Library card holders may use their library cards to check out items from BEACON member libraries at no cost.
Learn a language online with BYKI (Before You Know It)
The Clear Lake Public Library is now offering the BYKI (Before You Know It) online language learning system. BYKI offers interactive language learning activities in over 85 languages. The system functions in short online lessons that are self-paced. These activities train a user in recognizing a foreign language by sight and sound. To access go to BYKI Online Learning. Among the 85 languages currently offered by BYKI are Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Norwegian, Danish, Russian, and Greek.
Heard any good books lately?
Library users now have anytime, anywhere access to a dynamic collection of digital audio books through the new library service NEIBORS, the North Eastern Iowa Bridge to Online Resource Sharing, http://neibors.lib.overdrive.com. The NEIBORS project involves a consortium of 94 member public libraries.
With a valid library card, members of participating libraries can log onto the digital library website, install the free software, check out and download popular and classic titles to their PC, and then transfer to a portable MP3 player, or even burn some titles to CD and listen in the car.
Among the growing collection are romance, mystery, and classic literature audio books. Non-fiction titles include biography, humor, business, careers, and more. The 24/7 free access includes audio books from best selling authors like Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks, and James Patterson, in addition to classic titles from authors such as Leo Tolstoy and Edgar Allen Poe. There is also a selection of titles for teen readers.
Registered library card holders can check out up to two titles at a ttime, and at the end of a 7 or 14 day lending period, the audio books will expire from their PC and are automatically returned into the NEIBORS digital collection. With the digital titles, there are no late fees. The service is free, easy-to-use, and best of all, available anytime from anywhere.
DearReader.Com
It's free, fun, easy to access, and perfect for time pressed people. DearReader.com is an on-line book club sponsored by the Friends of the Clear Lake Public Library that delivers daily five minute excerpts from new book releases via email. By the end of the week, you will have read the first two or three chapters, and if you wish to continue with the book, you can reserve a copy through the Clear Lake Library. DearReader.com is actually eleven different book clubs: Fiction; Nonfiction; Mystery; Romance; Teen; Business; Horror; Good News; Audio Books; Pre-Publication; and Science Fiction. You may sign up for as many clubs as are of interest to you. This is a great way to discover new authors and expand your reading horizons.
LearningExpressLibrary.com
Life has just become a little easier for Clear Lake Public Library card holders who are enrolled in school at any level, pursuing a career, or job hunting. The Clear Lake Public Library Foundation has purchased access to the interactive test and tutoring site - LearningExpressLibrary.com. This website offers online practice tests and tutorials for students and adult learners to aid them in successfully passing academic and professional exams.
Online practice tests are available for GED, ACT, SAT, GRE, GMAT, advanced placement and college entrance exams. Skill improvement tutorial tests are provided for elementary, middle and high school levels. Professional exams cover a wide range of careers including armed services, corrections, cosmetology, medical fields, business and education. Practice for the U.S. Citizenship exam is also available. The site provides immediate scoring of practice exams, with complete answer explanations.
Information is also provided on resume preparation, job searching, and interviewing. Clear Lake Public Library cardholders are able to access this site for free. For information on how to obtain a free library card, or for more about LearingExpressLibrary.com, contact the library at 357-6133.
Wireless Internet Access available at the Clear Lake Public Library
The Clear Lake Public Library offers free wireless "WiFi" access to the internet for users with properly equipped laptop computers. Wireless service is available in locations on the upper level of the library during the hours that the library is open to the public. The library is open 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday thru Thursday, and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
To connect to the library's wireless netork, the user must provide a laptop conforming to the "WiFi" standard. This is often standard on new laptops. Older laptops may need to be fitted with a wireless network interface card to access the system. All wireless access users should have up-to-date virus protection on their computers.
Most "WiFi" equipment will be compatible. However, the library cannot guarantee the compatibility of your equipment with the library's netowrk. When persons use wireless Internet in the library, they are accepting the library's policy on Internet access. In addition to the wireless internet access, the library also offers public access to the internet through the library computers for free. For more information, contact the library at 357-6133.
Clear Lake Public Library
Clear Lake Library
Adult Department:
Children's Department:
Friday - Saturday:


text:
$12.5 Million Bet On Biodesix? Check Out These 4 Penny Stocks Insiders Are Buying
Benzinga · 01/06/2023 06:47
The Dow Jones closed lower by more than 300 points on Thursday. When insiders purchase or sell shares, it indicates their confidence or concern around the company's prospects. Investors and traders interested in penny stocks can consider this a factor in their overall investment or trading decision.
Below is a look at a few recent notable insider transactions for penny stocks. For more, check out Benzinga's insider transactions platform.
Biodesix
The Trade: Biodesix, Inc. (NASDAQ:BDSX) 10% owner Lawrence T. Kennedy Jr. bought a total of 10,869,565 shares at an average price of $1.15. To acquire these shares, it cost around $12.5 million.
What's Happening: Biodesix, during November, posted a Q3 GAAP loss of $0.34 per share.
What Biodesix Does: Biodesix Inc is a data-driven diagnostic solutions company. Its artificial intelligence-based platform helps to discover, develop, and commercialize solutions for clinical unmet needs, with a focus on lung disease.
Xos
The Trade: Xos, Inc. (NASDAQ:XOS) Director George N Mattson acquired a total of 184,597 shares at an average price of $0.58. The insider spent around $106.99 thousand to buy those shares.
What's Happening: Xos, on December 28, received a deficiency letter from listing qualifications department of Nasdaq.
What Xos Does: Xos Inc is an electric mobility company. It designs and develops fully electric battery mobility systems specifically for commercial fleets.
Check This Out: 5 Tech Stocks That Are Flying - And May Collapse
Protalix BioTherapeutics
The Trade: Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE:PLX) Director Aharon Schwartz acquired a total of 110,000 shares at an average price of $1.42. To acquire these shares, it cost around $155.81 thousand.
What's Happening: Protalix BioTherapeutics and Chiesi Global Rare Diseases, last month, announced U.S. FDA acceptance of a resubmitted Biologics License Application for Pegunigalsidase Alfa for the proposed treatment of Fabry disease.
What Protalix BioTherapeutics Does: Protalix BioTherapeutics Inc is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins based on its proprietary ProCellEx protein expression system or ProCellEx.
Don't forget to check out our premarket coverage here
NanoVibronix
The Trade: NanoVibronix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NAOV) Director Thomas Mika acquired a total of 50,000 shares at an average price of $0.25. The insider spent $12.5 thousand to buy those shares.
What's Happening: NanoVibronix recently announced a partnership with Peak Medical, Ltd.
What NanoVibronix Does: NanoVibronix Inc manufactures noninvasive biological response-activating devices that target biofilm prevention, pain therapy, and wound healing and can be administered at home, without the assistance of medical professionals.


text:
Q: Azure Virtual machines slow startup I have 2 azure vm's created, 1 windows server 2012 r2, and 1 Ubuntu 14.
It takes both those vm's approximately 5 minutes to startup.
Is there a way I can speed up the process?
I don't need the vm's running continuously, I prefer to start/stop, as per need.

A: There are no steps you can take to speed up the VM start. Resources must be allocated and the VM provisioned.
What I can recommend is setting up a script to auto start / stop your VM's based on a schedule. For example, if you are using them in a class room environment you can set it up so that they start early (6am?) and shut down each day by 5pm.
You can find some more information about this here.


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Sending heartfelt condolences to the family for your great loss. Your family was truly blessed to have shared so many years and memories with your beloved husband and father. May the God of all comfort support each of you during your time of bereavement and beyond.
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We probe interactions of elastic structures with viscous fluids to investigate biomimetic approaches for fluid manipulation. We consider two systems : fish-like elastic fines and artificial cilia. Fish displays incredible agility and speed using oscillating flexible fins. We represent fins as thin elastic plates actuated to oscillate at the leading edge. We explore the effects of fin elasticity and shape on swimming velocity and economy. We show that structural resonance yields faster swimming and that fin tapering enhances swimming economy for a wide range of actuation frequencies. We also probe the propulsion of swimmers actuated by a distributed internal bending moment that mimics fish muscles. We show that swimming performance of such active swimmers greatly benefits from passive elastic attachments at the swimmer trailing edge. In our second example, we probe to design arrays of artificial magnetic cilia that mimic beating of natural cilia. Due to their small size, cilia operate in low Reynolds number regimes, where a non-reciprocal beating is required to produce a net fluid flow. Our artificial cilia formed from thin ferromagnetic films and actuated by a uniformly rotating magnetic field display distinctly different forward and recovery strokes. We probe the utility of such cilia for microfluidic pumping and design arrays of beating cilia that produce metachronal waves. We also show how magnetic cilia can be individually immobilized by integrating electrostatic actuation into a ciliary array.


text:
Mobile banking uptake sees new spike in Brazil
The channel had a 30 percent increase in use last year - and financial transactions are also on the rise, says report.
By Angelica Mari for Brazil Tech | May 14, 2018 -- 15:45 GMT (08:45 PDT) | Topic: Mobility
Brazil has seen a significant spike in the transactions carried out via smartphones, according to a recent report.
There was an increase of 30 percent in mobile banking in 2017 with 25,6 billion transactions carried out via that channel out of the total of 71,8 billion transactions for the year, according to a study by the Brazilian Banking Federation (FEBRABAN).
More Banking Tech
Local banking for global trading – an impossible goal?
Vanishing branch offices: Could more coffee save them?
Protecting porous perimeters via identity access management
Of the m-banking total, there was an increase in the operations involving money transactions, with a 70 percent jump on the prior year with 1,7 billion transactions.
As Brazilian customers continue to adhere to mobile banking, the use of cash as well as physical branches has also been decreasing. According to FEBRABAN, cash withdrawals at ATMs dropped by 4 percent and the number of bank branches decreased by 6.8 percent from 2016 to 2017.
Drivers behind the m-banking uptake include the ever increasing growth in smartphone adoption. According to predictions by Brazilian think tank and university Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV), the number of smartphones in Brazil should match population growth by 2022 and reach 236 million.
Also, 4G provision has been improving in Brazil. According to consulting firm OpenSignal, the country has jumped to the 42nd position in a ranking of 77 countries listed in the State of the LTE report in 2017. In 2016, Brazil ranked 52nd.
Banking Smartphones Mobile OS Security Hardware Reviews
More from Angelica Mari
Brazil completes first blockchain real estate sale
Best anti-Prime Day sales: Top deals from Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and more
The best business tech deals at every retailer other than Amazon on Prime Day.


text:
Uppony  – wieś i gmina w północno-wschodniej części Węgier, w pobliżu miasta Ózd.

Miejscowość leży na lekko wyżynnym obszarze Średniogórza Północnowęgierskiego, w pobliżu granicy ze Słowacją. Administracyjnie gmina należy do powiatu Ózd, wchodzącego w skład komitatu Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén i jest jedną z jego 29 gmin.

Zobacz też
 podział administracyjny Węgier

Bibliografia
 Węgierski Urząd Statystyczny

Powiat Ózd
Wsie w komitacie Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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text:
Stories By The Re:Set Team
Life Lessons and Storytelling: How to Use Children's Books in the Classroom
Incorporating children's books in the classroom is a wonderful way to keep them engaged and excited.
Ignorance, Stigma and Public Attitude: Mental Health and Disabilities Are Still Mocked in India
"We need to stop correlating the term disability with negativity."
Indian Actor Mallika Dua on Depression, Comedy and Self-Acceptance
By The Re:Set TeamApril 4, 2019
"I think my greatest learning has been trying to be my own best friend."
'The Legacy of These Games Is Huge:' How Special Olympics Is Prioritizing Health
Athletes were given access to health screenings in eight different areas including hearing, dentistry and emotional...
These People Will Change the Way You Look at Autism
From acting, designing video games, diving into animal sciences and more, these individuals are changing the...
Dementia Doesn't Always Strike the Elderly
Early-onset dementia demands teamwork, patience and endless love from a patient's caregivers and loved ones.


text:
Daijob.com is Japan's definitive job site for multilingual professionals.
Advertise your job with us!
Japan's No1 job site for multilinguals・Job Details 「Daijob.com] TOP
IT - Other・Jobs in Japan search results
ZenMarket Inc.・Company profile TOP
ZenMarket Inc.・Introduction
Recruitment for this position has ended.
Employer ZenMarket Inc.
Bringing Japanese products to the world! ZenMarket Inc.
Global PointWould you like to liven up "Made In Japan" with us?
◆ The History of ZENMARKET
Founded in 2014, four international students from Ukraine and Russia started in a room in the condominium. Currently, we have expanded to have offices in Honmachi, three bases in Suita City, Kadoma City, and Higashi Osaka, and are available in 14 languages. In addition, we are looking for members to work with us as we aim to speak more than 20 languages this year.
◆ Our Mission "Japanese products to the world"
Japanese products are very popular all over the world, but many Japanese mail-order sites do not support overseas shipping, so it is not yet an environment where you can easily buy them. Therefore, we enter between overseas residents and Japanese mail order sites, purchase products from Japanese mail order sites on behalf of overseas people, and ship them overseas.
Benefits/EnvironmentBenefits of working at ZENMARKET
♦ Contact with different cultures
The members of Zenmarket are from all continents except Antarctica, so they can learn about the culture and circumstances of each country.
♦ Spacious office
The office is very spacious and the foliage plants add color. Sofas are lined up in the break space, so you can take a relaxing break.
♦ Growth potential
Despite the corona damage, our sales in 2021 exceeded 180% compared to the previous year, we opened a new warehouse in January 2021 and the number of staff at the Osaka head office increased by 53%.
From Interviewer's EyesInterview with the current employees
Q1. Please tell us about your current job. What kind of place do you find rewarding?
Currently, I am in charge of customer support in Germany, and I am dealing with customers who use the German site. We respond to simple inquiries, respond to problems, manage operators in your language, train operators and new entrants, and support other languages as needed.
If you have a problem, we will resolve it quickly to your satisfaction, and if you are willing to receive a thank-you message, it will be rewarding. And if you run into a slightly more complicated problem, we will work with each department to find a solution.
Q2. Why did you decide to join ZenMarket?
I wanted to work for a company with foreign staff, and I wanted to connect domestically and internationally while making full use of my language skills. When I met ZenMarket, I felt that I could do a job that would lead to international affairs where I could use the language skills I wanted. And I found it very attractive that there are many foreign staff and support for diversity. As a result of the interview, despite the international environment, cooperation with each staff member is very important, and I felt an environment where I could develop my own experience and abilities, and I wanted to join the company. ..
Q3. What are the global points of ZenMarket?
I'm German, but I mainly use Japanese for customer support at work to get in touch with other departments. Use English or your native language when returning messages from you. Even within the company, the language used differs depending on the department and person, so I think that about 50% is used in English. There are many Japanese staff and foreign staff, so your favorite language will change depending on the person. Therefore, if there is an in-house presentation, we will announce it in both Japanese and English so that everyone can understand it. I think that foreign staff is about 60% of the whole company, but 90% of the customer support department is foreign staff. This is a department where you can make the most of your language skills.
Q4. Please tell us about the atmosphere and working style of the customer support department.
The customer support department has 90% foreign staff and is in a very bright environment. People from different countries can work together to learn about other cultures at any time. Since my boss is also kind, it is easy to ask questions and it is an environment where I can work efficiently. When I work, everyone works intensively, so it's an environment where I can go home on time almost every day. Of course, I work overtime when I need it, but I'm working hard so that everyone can go home early. You can get a salary without any problem when you want to return to Japan, so it is easy to balance your work-life balance.
Q5. What can ZenMarket be proud of?
ZenMarket is a diverse and highly international company. In the EC business, we are proud to be a very comfortable company, providing excellent services in multiple languages to many customers and respecting the opinions of each and every employee.
Q6. Please tell me the schedule for the day.
◆ 9:00 After commuting, first drink coffee and check emails, messages, and today's work as the beginning of the day.
◆ 9:30 Check the operator tasks for your language version (whether the message has remained unresponsive for a long time, the number of tasks remaining)
◆ 10: 30 We will respond to old and new tickets (if problems occur) and check customers with problems.
◆ 12:30 Lunch break Have lunch at the cafeteria while chatting with colleagues
◆ 13:30 Please check your language again. If there are few tasks, we will support other versions.
◆ 16:00 It is time for the operator in charge to go to work frequently, so we will answer your questions and give you feedback.
◆ 16:30 Support other versions and perform tasks in your own language.
◆ 17: 45 Look back on the day and see what to do the next day. Finally, double-check the operator's work schedule and customer messages and take action if necessary.
◆ 18:15 I quit my job
Q7. Please give a message to the job seeker.
If you're looking for an environment that's international yet challenging yourself and supporting all your staff, I definitely recommend ZenMarket. As an open and modern e-commerce company, you'll always have a timely and rewarding work style. Q1. Please tell us about your current work. What kind of place do you find rewarding?
I coordinate and develop all company marketing endeavors targeted towards an international English-speaking demographic interested in Japanese goods. The most rewarding part of my job is the meaningful growth that comes from the marketing campaigns and strategies I've put in place.
I joined ZenMarket as a means to continue down the career path of marketing while also working in an international environment within Japan.
Q3. Please tell us about the global points of ZenMarket.
The ZenMarket office has native speakers of languages from all over the world, bringing together a diverse group of individuals and cultures - making the workplace truly a global environment.
The atmosphere of my team is one of positivity and continuous growth. There are shifting variables and new developments within our line of work and it takes a collaborative effort from individuals within the team to stay up to date with the latest developments.
The large international collection of multicultural talent working within ZenMarket is truly impressive given how homogeneous a country Japan is. The talent within the company it's truly something to be proud of.
My schedule each day can be largely divided into two main sections. One, routine marketing tasks that consist of maintaining ongoing activities and campaigns. Two, working on new projects and developments to ensure long-term growth.
Q7. Could you give a message to job seekers?
For those who have a genuine interest in Japan wanting to work in an international environment, ZenMarket can be a great place to work. The company is constantly growing and so It's best suited to individuals who are proactively seeking personal and professional development.
We are hiring for customer support and marketers!
We are lookong forward to apply from you! !!
★★ Message from the Zenmarket recruitment team to everyone ★★
For all the Japan lovers who want to connect Japan and the rest of the world while working in a truly international environment I would like to invite you to apply to ZenMarket.
We are a team of nearly 300 hailing from over 25 countries and are always looking for energetic new members to help us expand our global reach.
Click here for details ▼
▶ 한국어 고객 서포트
▶ Malay Language Marketer
▶ Portuguese Language Marketer
Check out these other companies!
This posting is managed by:
ZenMarket Inc.
Hot Agent
We provide both clients and
candidates with high‐end
service levels and most
importantly results.
Supporting new challenges
by talking about the economy
and job change market in each
By supporting foreign talents
to work in Japan, we improve
the future of Japan and every
candidate.
More than 400 IT engineering
positions are available!
We support your next career
move in Japan!
Job Posting and Other Services
Job site for professionals wishing to work in another country - Working Abroad Worldwide
Daijob Specialists - Job site for people with advanced English proficiency
Japanese jobs outside Japan - Working Abroad (Japanese Only)
Information Site for HR Managers - HR Club
Japan's Largest Jobsite for bilinguals c 2022 Human Global Talent Co., Ltd.


text:
Q: How to interpret double "or" || and assignment in if clause In the function source for stats::bw.nrd0, there is a complicated (to me) if statement:
> bw.nrd0
function (x)
{
    if (length(x) < 2L)
        stop("need at least 2 data points")
    hi <- sd(x)
    if (!(lo <- min(hi, IQR(x)/1.34)))
        (lo <- hi) || (lo <- abs(x[1L])) || (lo <- 1)
    0.9 * lo * length(x)^(-0.2)
}
<bytecode: 0x0000000010c688b0>
<environment: namespace:stats>

Is || to be interpreted in a special way, compared to the regular operator |? Where/how is lo being assigned / re-assigned? How would this be written in "long form"?
Full disclosure, I tried to translate this function to a Python function in this answer, so if you can answer this, you can also add a better answer to that question.

A: Thanks to some helpful comments, I now understand that this means that if lo == 0, we assign to whichever of hi, abs(x[1]) or 1 is non-zero first, in that order. In Python, we could write:
lo = min(hi, iqr/1.34)
lo = lo or hi or abs(x[0]) or 1

or more explicitly:
if not lo:
    if hi:
        lo = hi
    elif abs(x[0]):
        lo = abs(x[0])
    else:
        lo = 1

A: From the help docs:

& and && indicate logical AND and | and || indicate logical OR. The
  shorter form performs elementwise comparisons in much the same way as
  arithmetic operators. The longer form evaluates left to right
  examining only the first element of each vector. Evaluation proceeds
  only until the result is determined. The longer form is appropriate
  for programming control-flow and typically preferred in if clauses.


text:
Q: In SQLite, how do I search my database with text from an entry box, and display the result as text? I have an Entry box on my search page. I want this function to search the table (movies) in my database for whatever text (column name is 'title') was entered into that Entry box, and then display the result.
def search_now():
    conn = sqlite3.connect('movie_catalog.db')
    c = conn.cursor()

    searched = search_box.get()
    sql = "SELECT * FROM movies WHERE title = %s"
    name = (searched, )
    result = c.execute(sql, name)

    if not result:
        result = "Movie not found"

    # Commit our changes
    conn.commit()

    # Close database connection
    conn.close()

I keep getting the following error message:
sqlite3.OperationalError: near "%": syntax error

The tutorial I've been using is using MYSql, so I'm not sure if  the "%s" placeholder applies or not. Any ideas?

A: you should either do this (not safe)
searched = search_box.get()
sql = "SELECT * FROM movies WHERE title = '%s'" % searched
result = c.execute(sql)

or this (fairly secure against injections)
searched = search_box.get()
t = (searched,)
sql = "SELECT * FROM movies WHERE title=?"
result = c.execute(sql, t)

EDIT:

*

*In your example you are passing the literal string SELECT * FROM movies WHERE title = '%s'" to the database, this is why it is complaining about the %s


March excites me because Spring will be here soon! But first, we have St. Patrick's Day. I'm not Irish but I love the whole fun of this traditional holiday.
I made some Shamrock eggs to share with you.
These would make a great breakfast on St. Patrick's Day. I'm actually eating them today because I traditionally eat a bowl of Lucky Charms on St. Patrick's Day morning. We will then do a corn beef brisket and cabbage for that afternoon. In-between that, Ill be working.
The way I did these little clover eggs is, I cut a bell pepper in rings, just straight through. They come out in the shape of shamrocks. Cook huh? Then I placed them in a greased frying pan and let them cook some while I whipped up me egg.
Then I poured the egg into the pepper ring. I let it continue to cook at this point. When I figured the egg was done halfway through, I flipped the pepper to cook on the other side. Yes, the eggs leek into the pan a bit but thats fine. Top with some cheese and you have a healthy breakfast with a serving of vegetables.
Pictured with the Nutrisystem chocolate frosted doughnut.
I enjoyed these! I will do this more often. They were full of flavor!
This weekend I will add some green decorations to the house and find me a green shirt.
Now if I can just get some green in my pockets!
Well I never! What a great idea, Imma do that when we get a bell pepper, St. Patty's or not. I seldom eat eggs, but I had two for supper last night. Now I want to eat some pretty ones.
THANKS for a neat idea. U B Full of 'em!
Wow, love that idea. I will certainly give it a try.
Lisa, You have some of the greatest ideas about everything. I enjoy your posts. I'm going to "fix me some shamrock eggs." Happy day to you.
Wow what a cute recipe to make eggs this way! Thanks for this great idea! Hope you have a wonderful day and week.


text:
Home » Politics » 2019: Atiku weeps for Nigeria as he obtains PDP nomination forms
2019: Atiku weeps for Nigeria as he obtains PDP nomination forms
9:13 AM CuteNaija 0 Politics
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, was emotional at his Presidential Campaign Office in Abuja yesterday shortly after obtaining his Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms from the headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Atiku, while receiving the forms from the Atiku Support Groups (ASG) which purchased the form for him, reiterated his commitment to the Nigerian cause and promised to do everything possible not to disappoint Nigerians if given the opportunity to rule.
Speaking on the development, Atiku said: "The event today (purchase of nomination form) is significant and historic because this is the only time in my political career that young men and women in this country have come together without my knowledge or even consent to contribute their own hard-earned money to buy me an Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms.
"You could have seen that one of the ladies who spoke virtually succeeded in getting me to weep. This is because she aptly described the challenges every Nigerian is facing in this country today and she believed honestly and sincerely from the bottom of her heart that I could be an instrument of addressing those challenges.
"So, for such a woman to believe that I have got those leadership qualities and including those of you who have brought out your monies to buy this form, is one of the most serious challenges I have ever faced in my political career.
"And believe me, addressing those challenges is possible because we have brought young men and women, Nigerians who have got the talents, who have got the education, who have got the experience, who have got all what it take to honestly turn this country around."
Atiku also attributed the slow pace of development in the country to the failure to harness the creative energies of young people by successive administrations.
He said: "Putting together such talented young Nigerians requires leadership and it is that leadership we have not been fortunate enough to have on a consistent basis that this country has not been able to take her rightful position in Africa and indeed, the world."
The Wazirin Adamawa at the event eulogised former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, the late Gen. Shehu Musa Yar' Adua, on whose feet he learnt the rudiments of partisan politics.


L.A. County supervisorial candidates Sheila Kuehl and Bobby Shriver during a recent debate.
Los Angeles County supervisorial candidate Sheila Kuehl said Friday that she would support altering the route of the proposed Westside subway if a consensus can be reached to avoid tunneling under buildings on the Beverly Hills High School campus.
Kuehl said she was not proposing a new plan or specific action but stating a personal preference.
Her comments highlighted a difference on a sensitive issue with her two main opponents in the race to replace Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. Both former Santa Monica Mayor Bobby Shriver and West Hollywood Councilman John Duran said they support the currently adopted route under Beverly Hills High, which has been supported by Yaroslavsky.
The city of Beverly Hills and its school district have been engaged in a years-long battle to stop subway construction under the high school, arguing that tunneling would present a danger to students. Beverly Hills officials and opponents of Metro's chosen route have lost lawsuits in state court. Litigation is continuing in federal court.
In an interview with The Times, Kuehl said she doesn't like the adopted route. She said she "would have preferred" a discarded plan that would have taken the subway along Santa Monica Boulevard and the northern edge of Beverly Hills.
She said she supports trying to seek agreement on an alternative route, but only if it doesn't jeopardize the project.
"I don't like the route under the high school. I had been hearing about a third way, which I hoped to help happen. But I am not in any way going to stand in the way of the completion of the Purple Line."
The Times interviewed Kuehl, a former state lawmaker, after the Beverly Hills Courier, a weekly newspaper, published an editorial endorsing her run and citing her backing of an altered route.
Kuehl's remarks raised concerns among some supporters of the $6.3-billion subway project.
Ilissa Gold, spokeswoman for the Miracle Mile Democratic Club, said she sent an email to Kuehl asking for clarification of her position after reading the endorsement. Club members are "extremely concerned," Gold said.
"The extension of the Purple Line is by far our biggest issue at the Miracle Mile Democratic Club, and we adamantly oppose anything that would delay it any further,'' Gold wrote in the email. "That includes opposing any candidates who would work to delay it."
Gold said Kuehl's staff sought to reassure the group that the candidate wouldn't delay the project. "It's something we will continue to monitor," Gold said.
Yaroslavsky said any attempt by a candidate who wins his seat to change the subway's route, other than minor alterations that would still place it underneath the Beverly Hills High campus, could put the project in serious jeopardy.
Shriver said that a statement in the Courier's endorsement's that he, too, is opposed to the current route is incorrect.
"I support Zev's position,'' he said. "He's done a very thorough analysis. He's worked very hard to explain his analysis, and I support his position."
Duran, a West Hollywood councilman, said, "Los Angeles County must make the hard decision and build a transit grid for future generations."
A majority of the countywide Metro board would have to vote to make any changes to the subway route.
Are Streetcars Just for Tourists?


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The Uncanny (1977) – Episode 114 – Decades of Horror 1970s 0
"If you and daddy die in a plane crash, could I have a cat then?" It seems like a fair trade, right? Join your faithful Grue Crew - Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr - as they get a dose of feline terror in The Uncanny (1977), an anthology film starring Peter Cushing.
Episode 114 – The Uncanny (1977)
Wilbur Gray has stumbled upon a terrible secret, that cats are supernatural creatures who really call the shots. In a desperate attempt to get others to believe him, Wilbur spews three tales of feline horror.
Director: Denis Héroux
Writer: Michel Parry
Cast by segments
"Montreal 1977" (connecting story)
Peter Cushing as Wilbur Gray
Ray Milland as Frank Richards
"London 1912"
Susan Penhaligon as Janet
Joan Greenwood as Miss Malkin
Roland Culver as Wallace
Simon Williams as Michael
"Quebec 1975"
Donald Pilon as Mr. Blake
Alexandra Stewart as Mrs. Joan Blake
Chloe Franks as Angela Blake
Katrina Holden Bronson as Lucy
Renée Girard as Mrs. Maitland
"Hollywood 1936"
Samantha Eggar as Edina Hamilton
Donald Pleasence as Valentine De'ath
John Vernon as Pomeroy
Catherine Bégin as Madeleine
Jean LeClerc as Barrington
Sean McCann as The Inspector
The Uncanny, a lesser-known Canadian anthology film, is not an Amicus production, even though it is produced by Amicus co-founder Milton Subotsky. The Decades of Horror Grue-Crews love portmanteaus and this one is no exception. Driven by Peter Cushing's powerful performance opposite Ray Milland in the connecting story, The Uncanny is a worthy, if flawed, addition. Three fairly strong stories of feline mayhem are topped off with the final tale starring Donald Pleasance, Samantha Eggar, and John Vernon obviously having great fun with their roles.
The 1970s Grue-Crew wander through this episode's discussion like cats looking for something to push off the table. Doc tries to keep them on track but you know what they say about herding cats. The discussion frequently strays off-topic and inevitably goes to the familiar "cats vs. dogs" argument. In case you're interested, Doc and Bill are cat-people while Chad and Jeff are dog-men.
At any rate, The Uncanny is currently streaming on Amazon Prime and is recommended by your faithful Grue-Crew. Peter After all, with Cushing, Ray Milland, Donald Pleasance, Samantha Eggar, John Vernon, conspiratorial cats, an incredible shrinking girl, and consumption of human flesh, what's not to like?
Gruesome Magazine's Decades of Horror 1970s is part of the Decades of Horror 3-week rotation with The Classic Era and the 1980s. In three weeks, the next episode in their very flexible schedule will be Lady Frankenstein (1971), an Italian film starring Joseph Cotten.
The Devil Rides Out (1968) - Episode 74 - Decades of Horror: The Classic Era 0
"I shall not be back... but something will." These are portentous words indeed uttered by the antagonist in this episode's featured film. Join this episode's Grue Crew - Whitney Collazo, Chad Hunt, Joseph Perry, and Jeff Mohr - as they take a deep dive into Hammer-land and discuss The Devil Rides Out (1968).
Episode 74 – The Devil Rides Out (1968)
Devil worshipers plan to convert two new victims.
Director: Terence Fisher
Writer: Richard Matheson (screenplay), Dennis Wheatley (1934 novel)
Music: James Bernard
Special makeup artist: Roy Ashton (uncredited) - on Baphomet in Black Mass
Christopher Lee – Nicholas, Duc de Richleau
Charles Gray – Mocata
Niké Arrighi – Tanith Carlisle
Leon Greene – Rex Van Ryn (dubbed by Patrick Allen)
Patrick Mower – Simon Aron
Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies – Countess d'Urfe
Sarah Lawson – Marie Eaton
Paul Eddington – Richard Eaton
Rosalyn Landor – Peggy Eaton
How can you go wrong with The Devil Rides Out? With Terence Fisher, Richard Matheson, Dennis Wheatley, Christopher Lee, Charles Gray, Sarah Lawson, and David Eddington all involved in creating a film for Hammer, it was bound to be memorable.
Whitney is taken with Christopher Lee's turn as a protagonist while Chad has always been appreciative of director Terence Fisher's work. You can always count on Richard Matheson to deliver a quality screenplay according to Joseph and The Devil Rides Out is no exception. Jeff, on the other hand, takes a deep, deep dive into the details surrounding this film and drones on way, way, way too much. The other members of the Classic Era Grue-Crew may want to get a mute button.
The Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Grue-Crew gives this film the highest recommendation and they all plan to watch The Devil Rides Out again and again. At this writing, the film is available as a Scream Factory Blu ray with a multitude of added features.
Gruesome Magazine's Decades of Horror: The Classic Era is part of the Decades of Horror 3-week rotation with the 1970s and 1980s. In three weeks, the next episode in their very flexible schedule will be The Comedy of Terrors (1963), directed by Jacques Tourneur, written by Richard Matheson, and starring Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Joyce Jameson, and Basil Rathbone.
HNR Review of QUIBI's 50 STATES OF FRIGHT and THE STRANGER 0
The Grue-Crew review… QUIBI'S 50 STATES OF FRIGHT and THE STRANGER.
FEATURE REVIEW: QUIBI
Quibi.com
50 STATES OF FRIGHT
Season 1: A horror anthology featuring the scariest stories from every state in the country. Executive Producer Sam Raimi brings each terrifying tale to life.
The Golden Arm (Michigan) - Sam Raimi
America's Largest Ball of Twine (Kansas) - Yoko Okumara
Scared Stiff (Oregon) - Ryan Spindell
Grey Cloud Island (Minnesota) - Adam Schindler & Brian Netto
Destino (Florida) - Alejandro Brugués
Clare picks up her rideshare passenger, Carl E. It's a story of boy meets girl, but in this case he relentlessly stalks and tries to murder her. All episodes streaming now.
Director: Veena Sud
Cast: Maika Monroe, Dane DeHaan
Interview with Special Effects Artist Ralph Miller III – Episode 155 – Decades of Horror 1980s 0
The 1980s Grue-Crew has a special treat for listeners in this episode. Join your faithful Grue Crew - Crystal Cleveland, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr, along with guest host Whitney Collazo from Decades of Horror: The Classic Era - as they interview Ralph Miller III, a fellow Grue-Believer and special effects artist who worked on crews for some memorable horror films of the 1980s.
Episode 155 – Interview with Special Effects Artist Ralph Miller III
During a career spanning 1984 to 1993 as depicted in IMDb, Ralph Miller worked with John Carl Buechler's special effects studio Mechanical and Makeup Imageries (MMI), Chiodo Brothers Productions, and Kevin Yagher Special Effects on films from Joe Dante, Stuart Gordon, and Fred Olen Ray to name a few. In this episode, Miller discusses his experiences as a member of the special effects crews with your Decades of Horror 1980s Grue-Crew on the following films:
The Blob (1988), blob mechanic: blob effects crew
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988), fabricator: Klowns - as Ralph Miller
Evil Spawn (1987), creature designer
Dolls (1987), special effects makeup assistant: MMI
From Beyond (1986), animatronics: MMI
Gremlins (1984), creature crew - as Ralph Miller
Miller recounts the path he follows leading to his first professional effects gig working with the large crew of special effects artists on Gremlins, led by legendary filmmakers Stephen Spielberg and Joe Dante. He talks freely about the mistakes he made on films, giving Grue-Believers an inside look into the process of filmmaking, and is quick to point out that he was one of many and to give credit to his supervisors and his colleagues. Finally, Miller is very open about his reason for leaving the industry and ways in which he still exercises his creativity.
If you're interested in learning more about the films discussed this episode, check out these past podcast episodes:
Monster Movie Podcast Episode 68 – Gremlins 1984
From Beyond (1986) – Episode 129 – Decades Of Horror 1980s
The Blob (1988) – Episode 126 – Decades Of Horror 1980s
Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988) – Episode 150 – Decades Of Horror 1980s
Gruesome Magazine's Decades of Horror 1980s is part of the Decades of Horror 3-week rotation with The Classic Era and the 1970s. In episode 156, the 80s Grue-Crew will cover Trick or Treat (1986) starring Marc Price, Tony Fields, and Lisa Orgolini, and directed by Charles Martin Smith. The 80s Grue-Crew had so much fun with Special Effects Artist Ralph Miller III on this episode that they invited him to join them again in the next episode because - surprise, surprise - he served as a special makeup assistant on Trick or Treat.
Evil of Dracula (1974) – Episode 113 – Decades of Horror 1970s 0
"If the devil is to exist in this world, it cannot look like a devil." I don't know. How will we recognize it? Join your faithful Grue Crew - Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr - as they polish off the Bloodthirsty Trilogy with Toho's Evil of Dracula(1974).
Episode 113 – Evil of Dracula (1974)
A teacher assumes a position at a school that's run by a vampire.
Director: Michio Yamamoto
Writers: Ei Ogawa, Masaru Takesue; Bram Stoker (character)
Toshio Kurosawa as Professor Shiraki
Mariko Mochizuki as Kumi Saijô
Kunie Tanaka as Dr. Shimomura
Shin Kishida as The Principal
Katsuhiko Sasaki as Professor Yoshi
Mio Ôta as Yukiko Mitamura
Mika Katsuragi as Principal's Wife
Keiko Aramaki as Kyôko Hayashi
Yûnosuke Itô as Takakura / Detective
After covering The Vampire Doll (1970) and Lake of Dracula (1971), it is only natural that the Decades of Horror 1970s Grue-Crew would complete the hat trick with Evil of Dracula, the final film in the Bloodthirsty Trilogy. The Grue-Crewmates have differing opinions on where Evil of Dracula fits in the hierarchy within the loosely connected trilogy, but they universally appreciate the film.
Bill points out that the setting in the girl's school bears a certain resemblance to Lust for a Vampire (1971), while Doc was fired up to finally complete the trilogy, loving it all the way. Chad always loves a good vampire dissolve and melt and Jeff goes for the hand deflation that's used in all three of the films.
What used to be a holy grail for horror fans, nearly impossible to find, is now readily available. Your loyal 70s Grue-Crew all say check these out! At this writing, The Vampire Doll (1970), Lake of Dracula (1971), and Evil of Dracula (1974) are all available streaming on Amazon Prime and are available on Blu ray in Arrow's The Bloodthirsty Trilogy. And don't forget to check out their podcasts on the first two of the trilogy:
The Vampire Doll (1970) – Episode 105
Lake Of Dracula (1971) — Episode 86


1. Everyone shall have the right to form and to join public associations, including trade unions.
2. Citizens of Georgia shall have the right to form a political party or other political association and participate in its activity in accordance with the Organic Law.
3. The formation and activity of such public and political associations aiming at overthrowing or forcibly changing the constitutional structure of Georgia, infringing upon the independence and territorial integrity of the country or propagandising war or violence, provoking national, local, religious or social animosity, shall be impermissible.
4. The creation of armed formations by public and political associations shall be impermissible.
6. Suspension or prohibition of the activity of public or political associations shall be possible only under a court decision, in the cases determined by the Organic Law and in accordance with a procedure prescribed by law.


Lori Pratt is a Denver interior decorator. She specializes in space planning, color consults, furniture coordination, and accessories. After spending many years working in the corporate world, Lori realized her true passion was in decorating and interior design. She treats every client as if she was planning her own space, and loves adding creative and unique touches to every habitat she works on.
Portfolio to show off recent projects and samples spaces.
Blog for highlighting trends, inspirations, and design tips.


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Opinion: Apple needs to get its head in the cloud
When those who follow these sorts of things speak of Apple and its strengths and weaknesses, the S and Ws often break down along these lines--Strengths: Just about everything; Weaknesses: The web.
By Christopher Breen |Macworld.com | 10 May 11
Though some may argue with the first, very few will contend that Apple's done a bang-up job on the latter. Apple's history in Internet services not concerned with clicking a button to buy something has been littered with failures and half-hearted forays--eWorld, iWork.com, Ping, iWeb, and iTools/.Mac/MobileMe. And the imperfect results of these efforts have led some to claim that Apple "doesn't get" the Web. And while that may be true, I think it's also true that Apple hasn't had a compelling need to.
Setting aside eWorld, which launched during the dark days when Apple couldn't navigate its way across a crowded room, much less an Internet service, these other services were largely convenience features--the "wouldn't it be nice" add-ons that could make a user's life a little easier. A bit of Internet storage here, some light social networking there, and a place to publish your movies and pictures over thataway. But they've hardly been a smashing success. Google Docs is better than iWork.com for collaborative work. Ping is too limited and cumbersome. iWeb was a nice idea but Apple didn't nurture it. And MobileMe is a disjointed hodgepodge of services that don't tell a cohesive story.
But with however-many-umpteen billions in the bank and an astonishing streak of successes, Apple hasn't really had to worry about its Web strategy. I believe those days are coming to an end. And for two reasons: Syncing and media.
It's no secret that Apple has moved into mobile in a huge way. Yet, surprisingly, when it comes to syncing files and data, Apple's mobile devices are at their clumsiest when not physically attached to a computer. For instance, can I see a show of hands from those who've turned to storing files they need in their Dropbox so that they can later import them into an app like Documents to Go for later work on their iPad? (Or, worse yet, failed to put them in their Dropbox and frantically called home asking their mate to e-mail the necessary files because Back to My Mac doesn't work at the hotel.) Similarly, how many have found their iOS devices, .me account, and Macs loaded with duplicate contacts, calendars, and bookmarks because they guessed wrong in Apple's convoluted syncing game?
Syncing, in its current state, is a mess. And it's a mess that Apple can't afford to ignore. If we're increasingly going to carry around these extensions of our electronic lives in the form of iOS devices, the fodder for those devices--the files and data we live by--must be easy to synchronize and move around, without the need for wires. (And I mean Mom-and-Dad Easy, not Your-Typical-Geek Easy.)
Additionally, we need a structure that allows the synchronizing of the vast majority of our files--not just contacts, calendars, notes, and bookmarks, but also word processing, presentation, spreadsheet, and graphics files. If there's truly "an app for that," that app needs seamless wireless two-way synchronization with a compatible computer-based application. Throw in a Web-based application for collaboration, and you've got something better still.
And then there's media and the need for wires. Apple's aware of the media I've purchased and rented from the iTunes Store. Should I really have to attach a cable from my iPhone to my Mac in order to move some of that media between the two? Wouldn't it be far simpler if, while connected to Wi-Fi, I launched the iPod app, saw a list of all my purchased media, and then tapped a song or video to have it stream to my iPhone?
All this leads to iCloud, Apple's rumored Web enterprise. What might iCloud bring to make the critics smack their heads, realizing that rather than being tone-deaf to the Web, Apple was simply waiting for the opportune moment to show how it should really be done? Let me take a crack at it.
Intelligent syncing: Currently, on your Mac, you can muck around with syncing in the MobileMe system preference, in iTunes, in iCal, and in Address Book. On iOS devices, you find syncing options in the Mail, Contacts, Calendars area. Add Google syncing and you're looking at yet another sticky layer. Enough already.
Turning to the future, when you set up a new iOS device or install the next version of the Mac OS, you see a single "Choose the content you'd like to sync" option. Tick off such options as Contacts, Calendars, Bookmarks, and iWork documents, and the appropriate items are synced to iCloud. Through a little checksum magic and intelligent sleuthing, iCloud recognizes duplicates and either deletes them, merges them (in the case of contacts), or provide access to multiple instances using a Lion-like Versions feature. Your Apple ID identifies you, and iCloud takes care of the housekeeping so that regardless of how you access your data--iOS device, Website, or computer--you see the same stuff.
For extra security, equip iCloud with a Time Machine-like interface so that you can roll back through time to recover data that has been overwritten, altered, or replaced. And while you're focusing on extras, toss in an "I have a Google account" option that also syncs your data with that service.
Collaboration: One of Apple's greatest talents is taking flawed technology and making it great. Much as many people find Google Docs useful, I'm going to lump it in with lumpy technology. The interface is anything but attractive, it's not mom-and-pop friendly, and it can be confusing when multiple people are banging away on the same document.
Apple could do this better by making an iWork suite that's iCloud-friendly. Open a Pages doc on your Mac or iPad, and invite two other people to work on it with you. Those people could be working on their Macs, the Web, or their iPad, and the look of the application they're using would be nearly identical. When you need to communicate via something other than text, call up a video window where you can see and talk to each other. (Let's call it FaceTime with a business bent.)
A presence: At the risk of urging on Apple in a futile attempt to compete with Facebook, it would be nice if iCloud provided you with a unified Web presence--one where you can post pictures, movies, personal updates, blogs, podcasts; share documents; and do a little social networking. The company has made attempts with iTools, .Mac's HomePage, iWeb, and MobileMe galleries, but none were easy or complete enough. At the very least Apple could create a presence for you that's more attractive and less invasive than Facebook's and, at best, a compelling window to all aspects of your life--work as well as play.
All media, all the time: I've pretty well described the first part of the dream--make purchased media available for streaming. To expand on that dream, do so without requiring that users upload their media to a server. Put a system in place that verifies you've actually purchased the stuff and then simply stream the content that's been verified. The media companies are likely hostile to such an idea, but Apple has some muscle in that world.
Regrettably you can't extend that dream to include all the media you have, because Apple has no way of proving that you legitimately own it. But suppose you take ownership out of the equation. For a reasonable monthly fee, make everything in the iTunes Store streamable. Even make it portable by allowing downloads (which, naturally, expire if you stop paying). Yes, it's that dirty word--Subscription--but it needn't be a requirement but rather a concierge service available to those who find such a thing attractive.
This is as far as I'm managed to stick my head into the cloud. If you had the power to make Apple's online efforts truly useful, what would you do?


Singer Alex Marley launches Meditation Music, his debut album, on Saturday at Bourbon Beach in Negril.
He will headline a live concert featuring Mikey General, Silky Wonda and Fabian.
"The album is a blend of acoustic, electric melodies fusing reggae/dancehall, jazz and rock with revolutionary words to uplift people and spread love. The album is out on iTunes and everywhere else right now. Meditation Music comes from the consistent sounds of the album which people say is soothing to their soul as I intended it to be," said the 28-year-old Marley.
Marley is a cousin of reggae legend Bob Marley. Their fathers were brothers.
Alex Marley studied at the Edna Manley College of The Visual and Performing Arts, majoring in guitar and vocals.
He has performed on major events such as the Midwest Reggae Fest in Ohio, Bat Fest in Austin, Texas, and Reggae In The Hills, in northern California.